June 10, 2024 by Jimmy English

Look, we know why you’re here and you know why you’re here so let’s just cut to the chase. I really don’t feel like doing a big, long winded introduction to this week’s Irish American Football round up. Sure, what would be the point of that? All I’d be doing is filling space and delaying the inevitable. All you want to do is read about what occurred in the games. And who am I to stop you? That’s just not my style. Anyway, here you go I suppose. Enjoy! Oh, and check out our round up reel on Instagram here! 

NI Razorbacks 00 – Louth Mavericks 52

Perhaps frustrated from having their last match canceled at short notice, the Mavericks showed absolutely no mercy against the Razorbacks on Sunday afternoon. It was all Louth all the time from the get go, as the electric Brendan Simms returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, setting the tone early. Most of the damage was done in the second quarter, as Nathan Hearty connected twice with Eamon Ward for scores, punctuated by a pair of Dan Finley rushing touchdowns. The Raging Bulls led by 32 points at halftime, but they weren’t finished yet! Hearty and Finley would each earn a hatrick in the third period, with a passing score to Oisin Finn and another rushing touchdown respectively. Alan Minto put the cherry on top with a fourth quarter rushing touchdown of his own, but this affair was long over at that stage. The Mavericks are looking strong heading down the stretch, and are a legitimate contender for the Division One championship title. 

UCD 60 – Westmeath Minotaurs 00 

It was a brave but drastically depleted Minotaurs side that went on the road to face UCD on Sunday, and after their relatively rusty performance against the Trojans a few weeks ago, the Belfield Boys were taking no chances. Quarterback Arun Mooney ran rampant, connecting with 4 separate receivers for a total of 5 touchdowns. In no particular order, those targets were Darragh Mooney (twice), Pedro Carmona, Tom Donovan, and Patrick Duffy. Jack Finnegan added a score on the ground as well for good measure. Extra points played a crucial role on the day, and the students hit on 6 out of 8 overall, with Rory O’Dwyer claiming two. Not to be outdone, the defense put on an outstanding display as well, accumulating 5 takeaways overall, two of which were returned for scores by Alex Kusmirek and Brandon Atwell. The others came from Harry Watchcorn, Eibhear Lombard, and Thomas Fitzgerald respectively. You get a sense that UCD had a point to prove in this game, asserting their dominance in a powerful manner. Two much tougher tests lie ahead however, with a return bout against the Rebels and a trip to the Panthers in what could well be a preview of the semi finals. 

Causeway Giants 34 – Antrim Jets 00 

Another consecutive loss for the Jets, their second to the Giants this season saw them down by 20 points at the halfway mark. The game was ultimately stopped at halftime with the home side  holding a 34 point advantage. By that stage, the Giants had racked up the scores without any real resistance, commenced by a Dean Kerry rushing TD and a Peter Phillips pick six. Chrisy McAlonan and Chris Montgomery added additional touchdowns on the ground, while Nate Wilson connected with Nathan Chapman through the air. Nathan Chapman and Tony McCloskey also contributed 2 point conversions on the day. Things appear to be grim for the Jets, who will be hoping to just see the season out, before entering a serious rebuild mode. With this victory, the Giants have all but sealed their slot in the Division One playoffs later on in the summer. 

Donegal/Derry Vipers 12 – Wexford Eagles 43 

You would have been hard pressed to believe it was summer yesterday, with truly grim weather conditions around the country.  By all accounts it rained for the entire duration of the game in Greysteel as well, which saw the high flying Eagles pitted against a struggling Vipers side. Trevor Smith had a monster day for the Wexford outfit, with three rushing TDs and over 200 combined yards between returns, receptions, and rushes. That effort earned him Overall MVP on the day, and rightly so. The Eagles had 7 total touchdowns on the day, with Paddy Bisset, Kyle McLaughlin and Cillian Heyward all getting in on the action as well. After going down by 6 early on, they settled in well and mostly dominated for the majority of the matchup. After taking a 24-6 lead in the third quarter, they put their foot on the pedal and didn’t let up. The valiant Vipers never quit however, battling to the bitter end with hard earned scores coming on a rushing Touchdown by Lochlann Nash and a passing Touchdown by Dan Danowski to Callum Moore.

“I’ve got to tip my hat to the guys in the trenches yesterday.” Coach Kevin Klatt commented in the aftermath. “ Our D-line really dug in after that opening drive. They didn’t give the Vipers ANYTHING for most of the rest of the game. And our O-line has really found its form, so we’re happy with how the team has progressed, even though the next two games will test us to our limits.”