The 2024 season wrapped up with Flag Bowl 2024 on Saturday November 16th. The weather could not have been any better. The day kicked off with our C Championship between the Jokers and Team Green. The Jokers Auston Hart broke the scoring open with a TD followed by a touchdown from Patrick Ross. This gave the Jokers a 14-0 lead at half time. The Jokers received to open the second half and on their first play from scrimmage QB Jason Verstraten hit the ageless vet Andre Plante who after a few well-timed spins took it 65 yards for a TD. Team Green would not fare any better in the second half as the Jokers shut them down securing a final 21-0 score. Congrats to the Jokers on their C championship!
Next up was the B championship between the Agents and the Untouchables. After a stalled drive on both sides, the Untouchables would open the scoring on a Chris Graham field goal. That was followed by the teams exchanging touchdowns. First, TJ Greco for the Untouchables, and then Danny Bailey for the Agents, making the score 9-6. The Untouchables QB Trevor Wood would hit Jason Campeau for two touchdowns extending the lead to 23-6. The Agents were uncharacteristically out of sync and even allowed the ensuing kick off to roll into their end zone for a rouge. Make the score 24-6 at halftime for the defending champ Untouchables. The second half had a lot of midfield play until the Agents Steven Koening was able to find the endzone. QB Mike Dvorak completed the play by hitting Bailey for the 2-point conversion narrowing the score to 24-14. The Untouchables though would seal the victory with a late TD by Jake Moulton. Final score - Untouchables 30 - Agents 14. Congrats to the B champion Untouchables.
The Final game of the day was the A Championship and the right to hoist the John Boylan Cup between the regular season champ Warriors and the highest scoring team in the regular season, the Big Dogs. Both these teams played cautiously and showed strong flagging on the defence. They both played the field position game to perfection. The sidelines were lined with spectators expecting to see a shootout between these two high octane offences, but instead the saw a defensive gem from both teams. The score at half was 0-0. A definite Scorigami for the finals. The second half continued right where the first half ended, with strong defence. Each team nervously playing the field position game banking their defence would bend but not break. The Warriors were able to break the ice when a Jay Graham field goal attempt went wide to the left but was strong enough to score a rouge. The score continued at 1-0 Warriors until, with 6 plays remaining in the game, QB Noah Craney found Talon Horst in the endzone on 5th down. The convert by Graham was good making the score 8-0 Warriors. The Big Dogs had their full complement of plays remaining though. QB Greg Moore was at the helm in a situation he has been in so many times before. Moore methodically marched the Big Dogs down the field in their best drive of the day and faced 5th down from the Warriors 15 yard line. Last play of the game! Moore stepped back and waited for an open receiver. Ryan Spataro found himself all alone under the goalposts. Unfortunately for both Moore and Spataro, all they could do was watch as the ball struck the goalposts resulting in a dead ball. Game Over! Warriors win 8-0 over the Big Dogs. Congratulations to the Warriors on their first Championship since their inaugural year in 2006.
That ends another successful season for the AFFL. We are looking to build on the current 7 teams by adding more teams in the coming year. If anyone knows of interested teams, players or even referees looking to join the league please reach out to the executive. Looking forward to 2025!
A special thank you to our referees (Bill Muir, Rick Costello, and Phil Craig), the team reps who keep everyone organized all year long, and our league executives - Greg Moore and Bill Muir. Without you all, this league wouldn't be as great as it is!
The semi finals were held on Sunday, starting with the second of the playoff play in games. This would determine who is going to the C and who still has a shot at the A Championship. The Jokers faced the Agents, a team they narrowly lost to 8-7 during the regular season. Despite 2024 being the year of the defence, that was all thrown out the window from the opening play as both teams went toe to toe like two heavyweight fighters. On the first play from scrimmage QB Jason Verstraten hit Kyle Ogden who evaded multiple flag attempts and dashed 70 yards for a touchdown. The Agents then went to work and only 2 plays later QB Mike Dvorak hit Tagir Anissimov with a bomb that he took the distance. Three plays in and we are tied at 7’s! The Agents took the lead on a Danny Bailey touchdown that was courtesy of a lateral pick off in Joker territory by Chris Faso. Agents extended the lead to 21-6 with a Mike Melo TD. The Jokers countered with an Auston Hart touchdown keeping them within striking distance. Each team exchanged one more TD before the half ended. Cameron Rowley for the Jokers and Josh Ross for the Agents. Halftime score Agents 28- Jokers 20. The second half belonged to Ross though as he added to his 10-point first half by adding a FG, TD and 2 more PATS. If you are counting, that’s 21 points for Ross. Not to be outdone Mike Dvorak added a TD run on the blitz to complement his 5 passing TDs as the Agents finally pulled away. Jordi Broad scored the only points in the second half for the Jokers on a TD pass from Verstraten. Final score Agents 45 - Jokers 26. The Jokers are headed to the C championship, while the Agents moved on to the semifinals.
By virtue of winning the play in game, the Agents went right into a double header to face the first place Warriors. These teams split on the regular season head-to-head. The first half continued with offence being at the forefront for both sides. The Warriors opening drive resulted in a QB Noah Craney touchdown to Jordan Mercer. The Agents answered with Ross continuing to have a big day, adding 7 more tying it up at 7 apiece. The Warriors' Thomas Troop and brother Bobby Troop, both scored majors while the Agents countered with a TD by the ageless Mike Melo. Halftime score had the Warriors leading 21-14. The second half scoring began with a Ross field goal to narrow the lead to 4. That lead would be short lived as the Warriors extended it to 10 with Thomas Troop scoring his second TD of the day. The Agents were able to get it closer when Tagir Anissimov scored a touchdown to bring the score to 27-24. Thomas Troop would complete the hat trick late in the game to seal the victory. Craney ended up throwing 5 TD passes while the Agents Josh Ross ended up with another 12 points giving him 33 on the day. Well done gents. Final Warriors 33 - Agents 24. Agents are on their way to the B championship while the Warriors earned their first opportunity in many years to bring home the John Boylan Cup.
The final game of the day pitted the Untouchables up against the Big Dogs for the final spot in the A Cup game. The Big Dogs struck first with Damon McLachlin scoring two touchdowns. The Dog defence stood strong only giving up a few early rouges to Chris Graham. Graham accounted for all the offence from the Untouchables in the first half as he hit also 2 field goals to keep them in the hunt. The Big Dogs' Igor Jankovich hit one field goal to keep a 2 score lead at the half as the Dogs led 17-8. The second half saw QB Greg Moore (Moorzey) throw his 3rd TD of the day, this time to Jankovich extending the lead to 23-8. Graham was able to hit another field goal, his 3rd of the day to get the score to 23-11. Wesley Rose though took his 5th kick return of the year all the way to the end zone. The Untouchable were able to connect for a late TD pass from Trevor Wood to Jayden Norcross, but it was too little too late. Despite the kicking clinic put on by Chris Graham (3 FG’s and 3 rouges) the Untouchable fell to the Big Dogs 30-18. The Untouchable advance to the B final, while the Big Dogs return to the A final to avenge their loss in the A Cup last year. This is the 3rd consecutive A championship appearance for the Dogs.
Flag Bowl 2024 is all set for Saturday November 16th. With some exciting matchups on the schedule, it should be an exciting day!
Week one of the playoffs is in the books and although a touch cooler we were blessed once again with fantastic weather.
The day kicked off with our play in game, with the winner moving on, and the losing side done for the year. Team Green came out flying and before the Bandits realized it, they were down 18-0. Malcolm Bennett, Travis Szydlik and Amir Ghods were all on the receiving end of QB Chris Palmer touchdown passes. All PAT attempts failed. Some penalty trouble had Team Green kicking off to the Bandits from their own 5-yard line which gave the Bandits great field position, and they capitalized with a TD from QB Tyler McConnell to CJ Gidda with 4 plays remaining in the half. On the ensuing Team Green possession CJ Gidda struck again. This time blocking a Chris Palmer pass then catching it and taking it to the house. The Bandits also missed their PAT’s, so the halftime score was 18-12. Team Green kicked off to the Bandits to start the second half, and the Bandits' Dan Stanley received a pitch and took it all the way to the end zone. The Bandits had come back from down 3 scores to even it up at 18 apiece (yes, another missed PAT). Unfortunately for the Bandits, that was the extent of their scoring. Team Green on the other hand continued to roll with two more second half TD’s. Both Szydlik and Ghods scored their second of the game. Final score Team Green 32 - Bandits 18. Team Green moved on to play the #1 seed Warriors while unfortunately for the Bandits, their season was over.
Team Green continued their scoring in the Warrior game, taking their first possession down the field and taking an early 6-0 lead. The Warriors showed their resilience by coming right back down the field with an answer as Jordan Mercer tied the game at 6. The Warriors defence settled down and their offence was able to add another touchdown - this time on the legs of QB Noah Craney as he escaped the blitz and scampered 20 yards to the end zone. Ironically, this game had the same issue as the first, as no one could kick a single PAT. The second half was all Warriors as Craney threw two touchdowns to Jordan Mercer, giving Mercer 3 for the day. There was a successful two-point convert making the final 26-6. The Warriors move on to the semifinals while Team Green sitting with a point differential of -20 needed to wait and see where they would stack up against the other 2 losing sides.
Game 3 had the Jokers with their backs against the wall as they went up against the Big Dogs, who only a week ago dismantled the Jokers 35-6. This game was a little different as the Jokers defence stepped up and held the high-powered Dogs in check for most of the half. Greg Moore was able to connect with Damon McLachlin for the only touchdown of the half with believe it or not, the first successful 1 pt convert of the day. This didn’t mean kickers had redeemed themselves. In fact, the Big Dogs missed two field goal attempts settling for rouges instead. Halftime score was 9-1 for the Big Dogs. The second half was no different as the Jokers had a tough time moving the ball against the stout Dog defence. Another TD from McLachlin was more than enough to give the Big Dogs the victory. Final 16-1. The Big Dogs advance to the Semis while the Jokers, with a -15-point differential assure themselves a game next week in the second play in and another chance to advance.
The final game of the afternoon had the defending Untouchable up against the ever-dangerous Agents. The first half was a back-and-forth affair with both defences bending but not breaking for the most part. The Agents had the only score of the half with a touchdown from “Deebo” Mike Dvorak to Josh Ross giving the Agents a 7-1 half time lead. The second half started like the first ended… with a lot of defence! The Agents showed why they had the number one defence this year, as the Untouchable could only muster two Chris Graham field goals. The Agents answered with their own Josh Ross field goal and rouge. The score was 11-6 before the Agents' Steven Koenig gave them the cushion they needed, a seemingly insurmountable 18-6 lead with the game winding down. Untouchable QB Trevor Wood was finally able to connect with Jason Campeau with only 5 plays remaining (2 pt convert failed) but the score had been narrowed to 18-12. The Untouchable declared for an onside kick! Chris Graham kicked it deep inside the 20 and the Agents failure to catch it in the air was their inevitable downfall for this onside kick, as the Untouchable easily flagged them before gaining the 20-yard line. Successful onside kick now meant the Untouchable get the ball back at midfield with 4 plays remaining. QB Trevor Wood played it smart and methodically gained yardage on each of the first 3 downs to put them in striking range with one play to go. Wood was able to connect with Chris Graham in the endzone, tying the score. Who else but Graham completed the comeback as he nailed the 1-point convert. Final score Untouchable 19 - Agents 18. The Agents were in shock as they somehow lost a game they had dominated the majority of.
This upcoming Sunday should have even more exciting games on tap as we start off with the second play-in game followed by the 2 semi finals. Everything is winding up as we edge closer to Flag Bowl 24!
Week 7 was the last week of the regular season with 4 teams still fighting for first place.
The day kicked off with a little frost on the ground as the Agents headed into game one of their double header weekend against the Warriors. This game had huge implications as both teams needed a W to keep in the hunt for first place. The first half was a tight battle with the Agents holding a slight lead at halftime 9-7. The Agents were led by Mike Melo scoring a TD and Josh Ross converting on a field goal. The Warriors scoring all came off the boots with Jay Graham splitting the uprights for 2 field goals, and a rouge on a pass/kick from Thomas Troop. The second half showed more superb defence on both sides of the ball. The Agents extended their lead to 12-7 with a Mike Dvorak field goal. The Warriors were marching on their last drive with the game having only plays remaining. They faced 5th down from about the 25 when QB Noah Craney connected with Ryan Legacy to a take a 13-12 lead (convert no good). On the ensuing kickoff the Warriors Mitch Bhrell picked off an attempted lateral and took it to the house to seal the victory. Final score Warriors 19- Agents 12.
The Agents had to shake off that last minute defeat as they entered the second game of their double header against an improving Team Green. The play went back and forth for the most part, until the Agents' Steven Koening intercepted a ball and returned it for a TD. The Agents defence did not let up all game and proved why it is the best in the league. They would go on to shut out Team Green and add two more TDs from wily vet Mike Melo. Call the final score Agents 21-Team Green 0.
The third game of the day would answer who the regular season champ would be. The Jokers met up against the Big Dogs, and with a victory would claim first place overall. A Big Dog victory would hand the regular season championship to the Warriors. Either way, we were going to have a new regular season Champ in 2024. The Big Dogs came flying out of the gate. On the first play from scrimmage, QB Ryan Spataro hit the speedy Wesley Rose on a crossing route that he would take all the way. On the Big Dogs second drive it only took them 2 plays to score their second TD of the game - this time Spataro hit his other speedster, Damon McLachlin for the score. It was apparent early that not only were the Big Dogs ready for this challenge, but the Jokers could not rebound from their plague of recent key injuries that hit them hard. The Big Dogs would score 2 more TDs by Jeremy Osborne and then by Wesley Rose, scoring his second of the half. The Jokers' Jordie Broad was able to score a major but the Jokers found themselves trailing 28-6 at halftime. The second half defence from both teams was stronger, with the only score being a Rory True touchdown. Final score, Big Dogs 35, Jokers 6. This meant that the Warriors took the crown for the regular season.
The final game of the day had some playoff implications as well, with the Untouchable playing for seeding. They were without QB1 Trevor Wood and leading receiver Chris Graham, but the Banits could only field 6 players. The Bandits managed to score first on a Dan Stanley field goal, but the Untouchable backup QB TJ Greco showed he could sling the rock too as he hit Cole Blake and Jason Campeau for majors giving the Untouchable a 15-3 half time lead. The second half had little scoring, but Untouchable Jake Moulton would convert another Greco pass for a touchdown making the final score Untouchable 21, Bandits 3
Congrats to the Warriors for their first-place finish! The “real season” starts now as we go into week one of the playoffs on Sunday. Good Luck to All teams!
The nice weather returned after being absent for a week, making for a beautiful Sunday of football. A lot of teams are still fighting for position as the end of the season nears.
The day started out with the red-hot Agents facing the defending champ Untouchable. The Agents defence showed why they have allowed the leagues fewest points against so far, by shutting out the Untouchable in the first half. That, combined with a Gordie Bailey touchdown, had the Agents on top 7-0 at the half. The second half had even stronger defence from both teams. Each team would allow the other to move the ball somewhat, but the old adage of bend but don’t break was in full effect. The Untouchable shut out the Agents in the second half but could only muster a field goal by Chris Graham. Final score 7-3 Agents over Untouchable.
The Untouchable were on double header duty this week, and met Team Green in the back end of their double header. Team Green got off to a great start scoring on their first two possessions. Touchdowns by Amir Ghods and Torin Brown gave Team Green an early 13-3 lead. That lead was short lived however, as the defending champs woke up and countered with 16 unanswered points. Two touchdown passes from QB Trevor Wood to Dave Presenza gave the champs a 19-13 lead at the half. The second half had both defences tighten up, with the only score being a touchdown from Jeff McCarty. Final score 26-13 for Untouchable.
The third game of the day pitted the Big Dogs against the Bandits. The first half was all Dogs, as QB Greg Moore threw two touchdown passes. The first to Andrew Fearman with the second major to newcomer Dave Mason. Halftime score Big Dogs 16, Bandits 0. In the second half Wesley Rose extended the Dogs lead to 22 with a pick 6. The Bandits were able to break the goose egg with veteran CJ Gidda hauling in an Isaiah Diaz pass for a touchdown. A case of too little too late as the Big Dogs cruised to a 27-6 final.
The final game of the day was surprisingly for first place between the rejuvenated Jokers and the much-improved Warriors. The first half had both teams struggling a little to move the ball. After an exchange of Rouges though, the Jokers were able to punch one in to give them a 7-1 halftime lead. The second half had the Warriors kick off to the Jokers. Wily vet Jason Verstaten took the kick, and as prone to do, sent a perfect pitch to Pat Ross who scampered down the sidelines for his second major of the day and a 14-1 Jokers lead. The Warriors were not done though as on their next possession, Jordan Mercer also took a pitch all the way to the house closing the score to 14-8. A Jeff Verstraten field goal extended the lead once again and put the Jokers up two scores 17-8 with time running out. The Jokers made the Warriors use all 5 downs on their final drive before scoring on a touchdown pass from QB Noah Craney to Mitch Bhrell. Final score and first place go the Jokers, 17-14.
The final week of the regular season will have lots on the line as the top 5 teams jockey for playoff positions with 3 teams still with a shot at first place!
The day started off a little chillier, but drier than expected. The first game of the day gave us the Agents pitted against the unbeaten Warriors. The first half combined good defensive plays with an uncanny amount of dropped balls by both teams. The score at half was 3-0 Agents on a FG by Mike Dvorak. Not what the crowd expected from these two high powered offences. The Warriors, without their QB1, continued to struggle in the second half. The Agents pulled it together scoring another field goal by Dvorak and a touchdown by Tagir Anissimov to go up 14-0. The Agents sealed the victory with a pick 6 by Steven Koening making the final 21-0 Agents over the previously undefeated Warriors.
The Warriors day was not done, as it was their day for a double header. In the second game of the day the Warriors would try to regroup against the Bandits. The first half was fairly quiet except for a Jay Graham touchdown that would give the Warriors a 7-0 lead at halftime. The Bandits found it a tough go as they played iron man football for the entire game. The Warriors were able to add to their total with a touchdown by Talon Horst and a FG by Jay Graham. The defence held strong and kept the Bandits off the scoresheet. Final score Warriors 17- Bandits 0.
The third game of the day saw Team Green try to slow down the Jokers. The Jokers scored the only points of the first half on a touchdown run by Austin Hart to give them a 7-0 half time lead. Team Green responded in the second half with a major from Torin Brown from QB Chris Palmer. However, the Jokers Austin Hart was not finished as he took a pick six about 50 yards to the house. A late touchdown by veteran Andre Plante gave the Jokers all they needed to wrap up another victory. Call the final 21-6 for the Jokers.
The final game of the day lived up to the hype, and started just as the rain began to fall. The Untouchable QB Trevor Wood came out firing on all cylinders leading his team to touchdowns on all 3 drives of the first half. Chris Graham, Jake Moulton and Jason Campeau all contributed majors for the Untouchable while the Big Dogs could only muster one TD from Damon McLachlin and a FG from Matt Humphries. Half time score 21-10 Untouchable. The second half started with the Big Dogs choosing end (wind was a bit of a factor all day) and calling for an onside kick. Kicker Adam Spataro was able to sail the kick high and deep not giving Untouchable much of a chance to return it past the 20 yard line. On side kick - successful!. The Big Dogs took possession at mid-field and wasted little time capitalizing on the on side kick. McLachlin scored his second TD of the day to narrow the gap to 21-17. The Untouchable were then able to respond with a FG from Chris Graham to take the lead to 24-17. The Big Dogs rallied back once again with McLachlin scoring a major to tie the game at 24 apiece. The Big Dogs elected to go for another on side kick, and this one was also high and deep. TJ Greco fielded the kick and looked like he had nowhere to go when he threw a lateral across the field to Jake Moulton. Moulton was able to evade two would be defenders and get the ball over the 20 yard line. On side Kick - unsuccessful! Untouchable took possession at midfield with 6 plays to go and methodically moved towards the end zone, refusing to score a TD and leave more than one play for the Big Dogs. On 5th down from the 10 yard line Chris Graham punted out of the end zone for a rouge and a 25-24 lead. The Big Dogs had one play from their 20 yard line remaining, and nobody can accuse them of not trying. After a completed pass there were about a dozen laterals in hopes to break one before the Untouchable were finally able to flag them to end the game. What a finish!
Reminder there are no games next week as the league takes a break for Thanksgiving!
Week 4 marked the midway point of the season and the weather continued to cooperate.
The day started with the Bandits taking on Team Green, and both teams were looking for their first win of the season. The Bandits opened up a 3-0 lead on a field goal by Dan Stanley. Team Green fought back with a touchdown and some stellar defence to hold a 7-3 lead at the half. The Bandits were able to switch the tables in the second half though as they not only kept Team Green off the scoresheet, but the lone touchdown by Trey Ferrigan proved to be enough to propel the Bandits to a 10-7 victory.
The schedule did no favours to Team Green as the back end of their double header put them up against the explosive Big Dogs. Team Green struggled for the second game with no subs. Iron man football is tough, but to do it in back-to-back games is just too much for anyone to overcome. The Big Dogs led at half 21-0 on touchdowns from Wesley Rose, Igor Jankovich and Jeremy Osbourne. The Big Dogs didn’t let up on defence in the second half, but did take their foot off the throttle on offence. They tallied one more touchdown by Damon McLaughlin, to wrap up a 29-0 final score.
The third game was the game of the week had the unbeaten Warriors facing off against the defending champs, Untouchable. The defending champs struck first with QB Trevor Wood hitting Jay Campeau for the games first major. The Warriors answered back with QB Noah Craney connecting with Talon Horst to narrow the lead to 8-7. Untouchable would score again before the half on a TD by Dave Presenza which made the score at half time 15-7 for defending champs. The Warriors defence clamped down in the second half, holding the champs to a single point via a rouge. Their offence was able to figure out a way to beat the stellar defensive play shown by the Untouchable in the first half. Led by Thomas Troops two TD’s, the Warriors would go on to win 21-16. The Untouchable did have a final opportunity to take the lead as they marched the field on their final possession, but QB Trevor Wood and receiver Dave Presenza could not connect on 5th and goal, just missing completing the go-ahead score. The Warriors have been in some close battles and remain the only undefeated team.
The final game of the day pitted the Jokers against the Agents. Defence once again was the dominating factor for both teams as halftime was scoreless. In the second half both teams exchanged touchdowns with 1-point converts. Jordie Broad scored for the Jokers and Matt McPherson for the Agents. The Agents were able to add a rouge by Josh Ross, and that would be the extent of all the scoring in the second half. Call the final 8-7 in favour of the Agents.
Next weeks marquee matchup has the Big Dogs going up against Untouchable. Their previous meeting earlier this year ended up in an 8-8 stalemate.
Week three of the season was another hot one, literally. Nobody was complaining too much though, as in the words of Game of Thrones' Ned Stark, “Winter is coming”.
The first game of the day between the Big Dogs and Agents set the tone, and that tone was defence. The Agents took the early lead as QB Mike Dvorak hit Owen Lassiter for a TD. The Big Dogs answered with a kick-off return by the speedy Wesley Rose, his second kick return for a TD this year. Agents held a slim 8-7 lead at the half. The defence on both sides tightened even more in the second half as The Big Dogs could only muster a field goal and a rouge off a punt, but that would be more than enough as they held the agents off the scoresheet in the second half. The final score was 11-8 for the Big Dogs.
The second game of the day featured the Big Dogs in the back end of their double header against the defending champs the Untouchable. This game started how the previous one ended, as it was all defence. The only offence on either side was a Chris Graham field goal giving the Untouchable a 3-0 lead at the half. The second half went much like the first with a lot of solid defence. The Big Dogs Damon McLaughlin scored the only TD of the game. The Untouchable countered with another Chris Graham field goal. The teams exchanged a few single points putting the score at 8-7 Big Dogs before the final play of the game. Untouchable held the ball close to midfield when Chris Graham unleashed a punt that soared into the corner of the endzone and then out of bounds. No chance of a return, and more importantly, scores a rouge to tie the game 8-8. You had to see it to believe it! In fact Chris Graham’s kicking accounted for all 8 Untouchable points on the day.
Game three had the Warriors take on Team Green. Team Green wasted little time and took the opening drive down the field for a touchdown from QB Chris Palmer to Travis Sydlik. The lead was short lived though, as the Warriors returned the favour with QB Noah Craney hitting Thomas Troop for the major. Troop then scored another TD, but that score was equalled when Palmer hit Anthony Damiano for a TD. The only difference at the half was that the Warriors converted on both of their 2 pt. converts while Team Green came away empty in that department. At the half, the score was 16-12 Warriors. Craney led off the second half by finding another Troop, this time Bobby Troop, alone in the endzone to extend the lead to 24-12. Warrior backup QB Ryan Chambers stepped in to relieve QB1 Noah Craney for the balance of the second half, and the defence stepped up, holding Team Green scoreless the rest of the way. Final score 24-12 Warriors.
The final game of the day saw the rejuvenated Jokers taking on the Bandits. A FG by Jeff Verstraten and a TD by Jordie Broad had the Jokers leading at the half, 9-7. Again, you thought that was good defence, well it tightened even more in the second half. The Bandits were held off the scoresheet in the 2nd and the Jokers could only put together another 10 points. Final score Jokers 19 - Bandits 7.
If defence is what wins Championships, then this year should be considered wide open!
After a mild temperature week one, Summer sent a reminder that it is still here as temps hit mid 30’s with an overwhelming humidity.
The day started off with Jokers taking on Team Green. Jokers held a 14-7 halftime lead and extended the lead to 21-7 before Team Green made a run. It started with a safety by veteran Travis Szydlik followed by a quick TD From QB Chris Palmer and 2-point conversion to narrow the gap to 21-17. Unfortunately for Team Green the clock was their enemy and the game ended 21-17. Team Green did show there is no quit in them though. With the return of arguably one of the best kickers in the AFFL, Jeff Verstraten, coming out of retirement and their recent youth movement, the Jokers will certainly be a team to contend with.
As the temperature continued to rise, Game 2 kicked off. The defending champs , Untouchable vs the Jokers on the back end of their double header. Untouchable were without their QB1 Trevor Wood but backup QB TJ Greco showed he is more than capable of filling in. This one was close at the half 14-10 but the heat caught up with the Jokers as they failed to score in the second half. Untouchable cruised to a 21-10 final score
Game 3 had the Agents pitted against the Bandits. Three first half interceptions (two by Steven Koenig) put the Bandits behind the 8-ball as they trailed 29-0 at halftime. The Bandits are still trying to solidify who their QB1 will be going forward but their defence had a better 2nd half. Final score was 41-0 for the Agents.
The last game of the day was also the hottest part of the day, and not only temperature wise. This was a back-and-forth battle between the Big Dogs who are always in the top tier and the up-and-coming Warriors trying to prove they belong in the top tier as well. The first half showed solid defence by both teams. The Warriors held a 12-6 lead at the half with 2 unconverted touchdowns. One by Thomas Troop and the other by newcomer Mitch Brhelle. The lone, also unconverted, touchdown from the Big Dogs came from Matt Humphries. The second half not only had picks from both teams but both offences came alive and flexed their muscle. The Warriors opened a 26-13 lead led by 2 more touchdowns by Mitch Brhelle giving him 3 on the day. That lead was short lived though as on the ensuing kickoff, speedster Wesley Rose took it to the house narrowing the lead to one score again, 26-19. The Warriors put the game away late when QB1 Noah Craney received a lateral from Bobby Troop and evaded the Big Dogs defenders to scamper down the sidelines into the end zone. In the end, call the final 32-19 for the Warriors, but both of these teams put the league on notice that they are primed to win it all.
The 2024 season started off down a team as we lost a perennial contender, and veteran team -The Beavers. Luckily, a few of the guys were able to find new homes keeping the quality of the league intact.
The first game of the 2024 season had the Jokers showing off a new QB against the Bandits who were without long time QB Josh McRae. Jeremy Moore, the 2023 league MVP, was in mid season form tallying 3 touchdowns to lead the Jokers to a 26-0 victory.
The Bandits then had to endure a second game, as they had the first double header of the year, matching up with the Warriors. The Warriors were one team that benefitted from the demise of the Beavers by picking up two key players. The final score had the Warriors come out on top 30-0, led by back up QB Ryan Chambers playing mistake free football, and newly acquired Jay Graham accounting for 18 of the Warriors 30 points.
Game 3 of the day was a back-and-forth battle between the 2023 Champs the Untouchable, and the always dangerous Agents. The Agents jumped out to an early lead, and had a slim 14-12 lead at the half. The champs with newly acquired Ex-Beaver and former league MVP Chris Graham showed their grit and battled back to end the game in a 20-20 tie. No team deserved to lose that game.
The final game of the day had the Big Dogs taking on the revamped Team Green. Team Green fought hard against a strong opponent as well as a strong wind for the whole game. They kept it close down 14 at the half but the veteran squad led by QB Greg Moore put the game away in the second half with a final score of 28-6.
The parity in the league this year should make for an exciting season!