Limburg Shotguns advance to first ever BNL Championship Game with win over Kasteel Nitros
The Limburg Shotguns played host to the Kasteel Nitros in the BNL semifinals this past weekend and Limburg took full advantage of playing at home in downing the Nitros from the Izegem, Belgium, 30-14.
With the win, Limburg advances to the BNL championship final.
The Shotguns had beaten Kasteel 35-16 during the regular season and this game was not much different. Limburg took charge from the opening whistle, taking a 16-0 halftime lead and then cruised the rest of the way.
Shotguns quarterback Bram Baeté set the tone on the first play from scrimmage, finding a seam and exploding for a 40-yard gain. He then marched his team down to the Nitros 16-yard line and connected with receiver Quinten Agten for the game’s first touchdown, giving Limburg a 6-0 lead.
After shutting down the Kasteel offense, the Shotguns, without the services of starting quarterback Bram Baeté who was injured on the first play from scrimmage, marched from their own 22 down to the Nitros 28-yard line led by backup quarterback Oskar Sardyga. On a fourth and ten, Sardyga dumped a short pass over the middle to running back Javin Brontley-Helsol who weaved his way into the end zone to up the score to 13-0.
The Shotguns then added a 31-yard field before the half ended to bring the score to 16-0.
The Nitros come out in the second half and on the first possession, Pot marched his team down to the Limburg two-yard line and then punched the ball in himself to narrow the lead to 16-8 after a successful two-point conversion.
However, the Shotguns slowly began taking the game over and in the fourth quarter running back Jaycen Taylor scored to extend the lead to 23-8. Following an interception by Limburg linebacker Michel Eeman, running back Michael David raced 45 yards to make it 30-8 late in the game.
The Nitros managed to find the end zone again with the clock running out with receiver Gilles Mommerency scoring.
The Shotguns now await the winner of the other semifinal between the Amsterdam Crusaders and Arnhem Falcons, scheduled for June 5.
The BNL Championship Final is set for June 11.
