Finland: Porvoon Butchers extend perfect season with rout over East City Giants

The Porvoon Butchers (7-0) solidified their Maple League dominance with a 58-7 thrashing of the East City Giants (1-6), showcasing a first-quarter onslaught that left the visitors reeling in Thursday’s lopsided matchup at Porvoon Stadium.

First-quarter onslaught sets tone
The Butchers scored 28 unanswered points within the opening 12 minutes, starting with quarterback Christian Arrambide’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Luukas Eerola. Arrambide added two more scores—a 10-yard rush by Christian Powell and a 60-yard punt return touchdown by Zachary Wright—before capping the quarter with a 19-yard strike to Eerola. The Giants, missing injured star Arttu Blomqvist, managed just 54 rushing yards and 119 passing yards in the first half, their offense stifled by the Butchers’ relentless defense.

Arrambide’s precision fuels blowout
Arrambide completed 11 of 15 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns before being replaced by Jesper Korkalainen in the second quarter. His targets included nine different receivers, with Eerola (2 catches, 91 yards, 2 TDs) and Nathaniel Robitaille (4 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD) highlighting the Butchers’ aerial depth. Powell complemented the passing attack with 93 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Korkalainen added a 4-yard rushing score late in the fourth quarter.

Giants’ lone bright spot
Rookie quarterback Neo Nieminen connected with Noa Nieminen on a 22-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, avoiding a shutout for the Giants. The younger Nieminen’s 25-yard dash to the end zone marked his first career touchdown. Starter Rayna Stewart III struggled, completing 15 of 32 passes for 119 yards and an interception to Butchers defender Micky Kyei.

Defensive dominance
Linebacker Jalen Todd anchored the Butchers with 9.5 tackles, while kicker Lassi Minkkinen drilled a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter. The Giants’ defense, led by Felix Salonen’s 6.5 tackles, allowed 7.9 yards per play and failed to force a punt after halftime.

Injury clouds Giants’ future
Wide receiver Daniel Rubinstein, who recorded six catches for 30 yards, exited with an undisclosed injury in the third quarter, further depleting the Giants’ already limited offensive firepower.

Scoring summary
Q1
7-0: Luukas Eerola 28-yard TD reception (PAT)
14-0: Christian Powell 10-yard rush (PAT)
21-0: Zachary Wright 60-yard punt return (PAT)
28-0: Luukas Eerola 19-yard TD reception (PAT)

Q2
35-0: Nathaniel Robitaille 10-yard TD reception (PAT)
42-0: Christian Powell 2-yard rush (PAT)
45-0: Lassi Minkkinen 48-yard field goal

Q4
45-7: Noa Nieminen 25-yard TD reception (PAT)
52-7: Phung Nguyen 46-yard TD reception (PAT)
58-7: Jesper Korkalainen 4-yard rush (PAT)

The Butchers now turn their focus to preserving their perfect season, while the Giants face an uphill battle to salvage playoff hopes.