Crystal Bowl XLIX – Tigers claim win in defensive showpiece

Crystal Bowl XLIX (49) | PFL Championship 2018-19

1st Quarter:

Unloved, unnoticed and irreplaceable: The story of the Long Snapper

PFL features | The Long Snapper

Hands up who knows who is the Long Snapper for the Ballymore Tigers?  Anyone? No? Um, how about for the champion Landor Knights? Still no? Well, meet the position where fame is not sought, if you’re getting attention, you may be doing it wrong. Welcome to the world of the most unheralded position in Football. I give you the Long Snapper.

It wasn’t even considered a proper position, deserving of a specialist roster spot until the 1990s. Yep. The backups often got a roster spot on their ability to long snap. The teams started taking in more seriously after some key games, where missed field goals and extra points had been attributed to botched snaps. one by one they reserved a roster spot for someone who could specialise in getting the ball to the punter and to the holder on place kicks. Nowadays it is an accepted position, but is it respected?

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2018

Welcome to 2018, here’s to a fabulous New Year from all of us here at the PFL.

Looking forward to the Champions Bowl on Saturday January 6th and Crystal Bowl XLVIII on 4th March.

UFB 1/4 Finals: Four down, four left!

UFB: The Semi-Finals loom | No major shocks in 1/4 finals, although holders go out.

So, after another round of matches, three of the four top seeds remain. Ohara and Olaskas convincingly took care of Gayle and NESU, respectively. Granada against Eregonia wasn’t that close, after the Bulldogs raced into a 17-0 lead. Only BSU got the away win, beating defending Champions O’Connell 31-24, that was not really a major shock, though.  BSU’s defence is legit badass!

Phoenix QB Kelly breaks finger. Out for six weeks

Adelphia Phoenix QB Matt Kelly injured a finger in his throwing arm in last nights game versus the Caligara Bulldogs. Kelly is expected to miss 6-8 weeks, depending on how his throwing action can cope with any necessary adjustments. Greg Wayne, who took over in the first quarter, is expected to deputise, despite his poor outing in Caligara. Wayne couldn’t complete 50% of his passes and the team only gained 10 first downs in three and a half quarters with him at the helm.

Sunday Sizzlers!

PFL Week 3 | Sunday games

We thought we would be  in for a treat- and we were yesterday. In the late afternoon game, Adelphia marched over Hallas, 37-13 at the Stardome. Matt Kelly threw for three TDs and Drew Williams was picked off three times. The game was very entertaining to watch- easy on the eye as both teams moved the ball. It was perhaps the four turnovers that stopped the scoreline being so close. But hey, it was good Sunday watching for the neutral.

Matt Kelly passed for 258 yards , in a very much improved performance than last week- where Oakland shut the passing game down. Marshall Knight gained 141 yards on the ground. The Stars could not protect the ball, which was their undoing (three picks and a fumble from Williams).

Then, for the Sunday Night Game, we had a very close 26-20 win for the home team in Caligara, as the Bulldogs beat the defending champions Landor Knights. The Bulldogs dreamt up the perfect game plan, running nearly 50 times (47 atts) and commanding the time of possession- at nearly 40 mins. By doubling down on Rashaan Johnson, Landor had to find other options.  Although Shyrone Rogers had 10 catches for 241 yards- 79 on the first pass play and 49 on their penultimate drive. He WAS the Landor offence.

Zack Slater completed 17 of 23 passes, for 246 yards and one score. Jeremy Franklin gained 101 yards (28 atts) for the ‘Dogs. An Old school approach won out the day.

Ryan McKenzie was quiet on the day for the Knights, gaining only 32 yards, and key to the fightback, fumbled a pass from Brooks, which the Bulldogs recovered.

Zack Slater drills a TD pass to Max Buchanon. 

PFL Week Two wrap-up

PFL | Week 2 | 2017-18

The second round of matches are complete, following the season openers- you can perhaps throw the form book out of the window. Only three teams that won on opening weekend repeated. Only three teams that lost, lost again.

Adelphia Phoenix got back to winning ways against the Tallassea Oilers, feeling at home in the Dome, they raced to an early lead. Tallassea came back, but it was not quite enough. The Phoenix won 23-20. The Adelphia Defence limited Edjerious Jones to three catches. The Oilers’ defence gave up points early, but shutout Matt Kelly and Co.  for the  second half.

The Melborg Giants gave up a late touchdown to Bo Mills and the Ballymore Tigers to lose 24-20. Mills threw a late pass to Slater for 19 yards, with only 17 seconds remaining. The Giants are 0-2 for the first time in a 12 seasons.

The Oakland Ravens marched to a 20-13 victory over the New Jorg 96ers. The Ravens have a ground based attack working very efficiently, with Tom2 pulling the strings at QB. The 96ers look dangerous, but were overloaded by blitzes in the 4th Quarter.

Iomagh Steelers maintained their 100% record by beating the hosting Harteford Hawks 21-10. The Hawks scored an extra seven points to last week, but still looked way off the ark. Not to take anything away from this Iomagh side, who looked like a well oiled machine out there on Sunday.

In a surprise Sunday afternoon showdown showing, the Hallas Stars beat the Landor Knights 27-21 at home. Normally a Sunday/Monday Night Game, this was a normal daytime showing. Both teams looked less sparkly than normal. Brooks and Williams put up modest numbers- as again- defence was well played.

The Rochester Trojans succumbed to the Eregon Eagles 34-16.  The Eagles used a balanced attack to throw the Trojans off guard. The Eregon defence also dialed up some amazing schemes to upset Ryan Bruce and the Trojans’ passing lanes. The Trojans looked like a different side out there.

In the late Sunday game, the San Andres Miners put up 48 on division rival St. George Sharks. This game was a blow out, with the Sharks scoring two 4th Quarter TDs to make the score closer than it was, even thought it finished 48-28! As prolific as the offences looked, it was shoddy tackling by both sides that led to some big  (and long) scoring plays.

And in the Monday Night Game, the  Chakota Wasps moved to 2-0 by beating the Caligara Bulldogs 35-27 in Caligara. The Wasps started out slowly and trailed 13-7 at the half. Veteran QB Billy Humphrey threw late TD passes as the Wasps took it home. Caligara had late opportunities to equalise, but Zack Slater’s pass for Moss was intercepted in the end zone.

MNG: ‘Sixers edge Stars in Hallas

PFL Week 1| Monday Night Game | EBC Television

  NEW JORG 96ERS  34

  HALLAS STARS  24

The New Jorg 96ers walked out of the Stardome with a victory tonight in the season’s first Monday Night Game on EBC.

Kurt Sierra debuted at Quarterback for the ‘Sixers, running the offence well. Frank Bowman was effective on the ground too. On the  defensive side, they battered Stars’ QB Drew Williams all night long. Williams also had to miss out a few plays following a big hit by veteran hitman Ray Madison.

96ers DE Vin Marshall recorded his first PFL QB Mark, which we think is the first of many.  The Stars receivers had a tough time all evening, with the mixes of coverages and presses designed to through them off. If worked- enough.

It won’t get any easier for the 0-1 Stars, they have another home game with the defending Champion Landor Knights next Sunday.

The 1-0 ‘Sixers move on to Oakland next week. That should be a good battle to watch!

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