IFL Football

The Big Blue Jerusalem Lions’ had better look over their shoulders, because there is a stampeding pack of Underdogs barreling down and quickly gaining ground in their rear view mirror.

In Friday’s IFL action at the Wingate Institute for Physical Culture and Sport in Netanya, the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs kept the stakes up for a huge match-up for first-place in two weeks against Jerusalem with a 38-6 victory over the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers in a game that was every bit as lopsided as the score indicates.

Taking advantage of a Hasharon team that welcomed back Shmuel O’Neil to the lineup but was missing its best player in running back and free safety Mike Levy, Real Housing was able to put together five different scoring drives of at least 33 yards, turning what had been a tight early game into yet another easy win for the cruising Underdogs and another frustrating loss for Hasharon (1-5).

Haifa (5-2) is literally getting better every week and their two-way attack is positively scary and peaking at the perfect time. Their defense has gone from giving up thirty points in the first game of their current four game winning streak, to eighteen, to none in a shutout of Tel Aviv last week, to six in this contest, coming off only a four day week to rest.

Even more impressive, the Underdogs’ offense, which ranks as second most potent in the league, has widened its margin of victory in every week of the streak.

Facing a secondary determined not to get beat deep, Haifa quarterback Roey Ziv, starting in place of an injured Ori Shterenbach, adopted a more conservative passing attack and attempted many of his passes short in the seams between the zone coverage and underneath the flats.

He was only 2-10 on the day for a paltry 17 yards and also underthrew two potential touchdowns which both ended up as interceptions, however Ziv more than made up for his shortcomings through the air with his deftness on his feet.

Despite Ziv’s struggles as a pocket passer, he demonstrated the fact that he is one of the league’s most dangerous weapons when used as a dual threat on the perimeter. Haifa was able to take advantage of his superior field vision by calling more movement passes on a healthy dose of bootlegs and roll outs to keep the Pioneers’ defense from focusing exclusively on the running game.

Ziv responded spectacularly with a number of wild scrambles - at least four for over 20 yards each - most coming at times when Hasharon thought they had him contained on outside the pocket. He ended the game with 128 yards rushing on just nine attempts for an eye-popping 14 yards a carry and a touchdown on the ground as well.

Just as crucial, he picked up five first downs of his own on rushing attempts, extending his team’s drives and keeping a fatigued Dancing Camel defensive unit on the field far too long to remain effective. Indeed, three of Haifa’s touchdown came within the first two plays following a Ziv rushing first down.

Hasharon’s offense was also not able to keep up with Haifa, despite their defense giving them ample opportunities to score with three turnovers for the game, on two interceptions and a fumble recovery, starting the offense with decent field position all game.

While O’Neil’s hard running and sharp cutbacks came in handy on a day when a buzzing Haifa pass-rush hindered the Pioneers’ passing attack throughout the game, the Underdogs were more than up to the task of gearing up to stop the physical rushing style by consistently outnumbering Hasharon at the point of attack and using more blitzes by linebacker Itamar Levin to corral O’Neil’s runs into the arms of waiting Haifa tacklers.

O’Neil did manage to rush for 95 yards for the game, however 58 of them came on one run and he was otherwise held in check by the defense, only racking up 2.6 yards per carry on his remaining attempts.

Haifa was also able to smother Hasharon by using multiple pre-snap looks to confuse Hasharon QB Yoni Mazel. By baiting him into a few incorrect audibles, the Underdogs were able to keep the Pioneers’ sputtering offense out of sync. Look for them to employ the same strategy against Jerusalem in their highly-anticipated match.

The IFL gets underway next with a tilt between the league’s bottom-dwellers as the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers get right back on the horse and take on the Mike’s Place Tel Aviv Sabres (1-4) at home. The game will take place this upcoming Friday, February 1st at noon at the Yarkon Sports Complex in the Baptist Village near Petach Tikvah.

Prepared by Uriel Sturm, IFL League Statistician, who has (objectively) viewed and recorded each and every IFL down and game ever played from the best seat in the house – the field! Please feel free to contact at uesturm@gmail.com

This Friday the Israel Football League will be making its first appearance in the Netanya region as the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers take on the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs. The two teams will meet on the fields of the Wingate Institute for Physical Culture and Sport in Netanya, and is slated to kick off at 12:30 pm.

“Wingate has long been recognized as the number one training ground for Israel’s athletes and coaches,” said Eric Amkraut, the Commissioner of the IFL. “We are fortunate to have the support of the Wingate Institute in promoting this great game to the Israeli athletic community.”

Wingate and the IFL are already working together, partnering in operating a coaches’ certification course in American Football, the first time such a training program has ever been offered in Israel. Additionally, the IFL is presently exploring expansion, with the Netanya region a leading candidate for a new IFL franchise for the 2008-09 season.

The Pioneers (1-4), who are looking to snap their current three game losing skid, will try and take advantage of Haifa’s schedule, with this being a classic trap game that the Underdogs will have to watch out for.

Coming off a short week after a controlling 26-0 victory against Tel Aviv just a few days ago, and looking ahead to an enormously important match-up against first-place Jerusalem in their next game, for Real Housing (4-2), this game is sandwiched, or trapped, right in between.

Strikingly often, in such instances, teams have a tendency to overlook the middle game and not come out with the right concentration or preparation, especially against a potentially weaker opponent. Haifa will have to be careful to stave off complacency while facing a struggling Pioneers’ squad. If they are not focused, they may be in for a surprise upset.

The Pioneers’ will certainly have their hands full trying to dismantle the Haifa offense, which has been lethal in recent weeks. Their main goal must be to dominate the line of scrimmage by getting their linemen to hit low and hard to establish consistent penetration.

If Dancing Camel can do this successfully, and Dori Reichmann and Niran Hadad are able to wreak havoc in the Underdogs’ backfield, it should blow up the run and allow them to blanket the passing game with soft zone coverage. As well, it would also give Hasharon a chance to keep pressure on Haifa’s quarterback without gambling with the blitz and leaving itself vulnerable to the big play.

The Underdogs will look to combat this approach by trying to slow down the Hasharon defensive rush with short, two step dropbacks and quick, decisive play calling. Their versatile tandem of Lior Subotnik and Niv Medlinger enables them to incorporate more screens and draws to slow aggressive pass rushes. Both backs possess a nice blend of running and receiving skills, so expect Real Housing to use either on any down.

Also look for Haifa to open up the passing game more than it has done recently and take some deep shots from run-heavy sets. Despite not having a great air attack, the Underdogs have a knack for getting Shachar Yeshurun open down the field off play-action. Look for them to exploit that trend by using close alignments out of run-heavy formations to free up their receivers on deep crossing routes off play fakes.

Dancing Camel will also have to put some points of their own on the board to have any chance for a victory. For a team that has looked lackadaisical in recent outings, look for them to get better, alert, play out of their troops by simplifying the game plan to feature schemes with fewer adjustments.

With the anticipated return of Shmuel O’Neil, Hasharon will have two legitimate power backs to shoulder the load on offense, as he combines with Mike Levy in what should be the IFL’s strongest running duo.

Hasharon, however, has been too dependent on the run in the past few games and will have to mix it up to be effective at keeping the defense guessing and moving the chains. Against a defense that has not been tested much against the throw, expect the Pioneers to aggressively throw the ball outside to take advantage of soft cushions. They should be looking to find Levy and receiver Ben Gross often on an assortment of outs, comebacks and fades to take advantage of Haifa bunching the line in anticipation of the run.

Although the Pioneers may lack the offensive firepower to match Haifa in a shootout, they will attempt to shorten the game with a ball control approach, and keep the score low. Otherwise, they could be in for a long day.

Prepared by Uriel Sturm, IFL League Statistician, who has (objectively) viewed and recorded each and every IFL down and game ever played from the best seat in the house – the field! Please feel free to contact at uesturm@gmail.com

Saturday night’s IFL game at Maccabi Fields in Kiryat Shalom was, by and large, a one sided affair, producing the league’s first shutout, as the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs trounced the Mike’s Place Tel Aviv Sabres 26-0.

The Sabres (1-4) were not able to mount any type of pressure whatsoever, either offensively or on the defensive side of the ball, and indeed, the total net yards for the game ended in an embarrassingly unbalanced 275-5 in favour of Real Housing.

Haifa (4-2), for their part, played an efficient all-around game, but were never really challenged to make big plays and were satisfied to bide their time and wear out a Sabres’ roster that featured some new personnel, coupled with a number of key players on the sideline.

Tel Aviv sorely missed all-around talent Asaf Katz, out with a separated shoulder, and Raviv Faig, who also missed the game due to illness. They looked out of sync on offence under new quarterback Roi Yair, who never found his bearings in the face of a frenetic Haifa pass-rushing attack.

The Underdogs’ offence continued its transformation into a smash-mouth unit, led by the power running of Niv Medlinger and Leor Subotnik. After watching the passing game get off to another slow start, Haifa began calling more running plays to Medlinger and Subotnik to steady the offense.

While their solid pounding of the line didn’t produce big yardage initially, persistent grinding eventually resulted in three explosive runs in the second half of at least 15 yards. The two backs combined for 121 rushing yards on the day and each scored a touchdown on the ground to boot.

Real Housing’s offence still possesses quick-strike ability, but the steady improvement of their running game has given their offense the necessary punch to win games in inclement weather, when throwing the ball becomes more difficult.

Defensively, credit the Underdogs’ Idan Maor for taking advantage of the Sabres’ depleted offence by utilizing more blitzes. The increased use of four-man pressures allowed Maor to feast off the edge on the way to a monster four-sack day.

As well, the constant harassment of Roi Yair in the pocket resulted in a one-completion, four-total passing yards performance from the quarterback in his season debut. The Underdogs have lived off the sack this season, and the increased use of pressure has been smothering and surely the biggest catalyst in their surge of takeaways in the past few games.

Haifa was able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and this was the key factor in the outcome of the game. They never gave Tel Aviv time to get their offence set up and it seemed as if the second the ball was snapped, the line collapsed and there was immediate pressure on the quarterback, the backfield swarming with Underdogs.

All in all, there was not much positive the Sabres’ can take from this game, and they will have to regroup and come up with a creative game plan going forward to have a chance at emerging from the league’s cellar.

The Underdogs, on the other hand, are playing their best football of the season and seem to be hitting their stride at the right time.

They play again this upcoming Friday, January 25 with a game against the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers (1-4), as the IFL returns at a special venue, the Wingate Institute for Physical Culture and Sport in Netanya with a 12:30 kickoff. It is Haifa’s last game before facing the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions (5-1) for first place on February 7^th at Kraft Stadium.

Prepared by Uriel Sturm, IFL League Statistician, who has (objectively) viewed and recorded each and every IFL down and game ever played from the best seat in the house – the field! Please feel free to contact at uesturm@gmail.com. Photo courtesy GameDay

The IFL kicks off once again this weekend with an exciting Saturday night match-up between two surging teams as the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs face the Mike’s Place Tel Aviv Sabres at Maccabi Fields in Kiryat Shalom at 7:00 PM.

Both teams are brimming with confidence, each coming off an encouraging win in their last game. The Underdogs (3-2) are looking to continue their winning ways and challenge Jerusalem atop the standings. The two face each other on February 7^th at Kraft Stadium in a potential winner-take-first-place derby.

The Sabres (1-3), meanwhile, are looking to build upon their first win of the season after finally clicking on all cylinders last time out and really working in unison on the field for a full forty-eight minutes. If they can put up a repeat performance, they will certainly be difficult to beat.

Haifa, offensively, will look to play to their strengths and go to the ground early and often, taking advantage of their superior running attack. The Underdogs rediscovered their multi-pronged running game by pounding ball with Niv Medlinger relentlessly between the tackles as well as steering the run to the outside lanes and up the sidelines with Leor Subotnik.

Facing a Sabres’ rushing defense that has surrendered over 100 yards in consecutive games, look for both backs to get plenty of carries on an assortment of leads, powers and sweeps.

Tel Aviv will attempt to counter defensively by altering their rush defense and stacking the line on early downs with an extra defender in the box (Asaf Katz). To counter this formation, expect Haifa to spread the field to create bigger running lanes. They will call more runs from their three-receiver, shotgun sets to take advantage of Tel Aviv’s nickel package.

Additionally, they will look to move the chains by playing the screen game. The added attention to the running game by their defense leaves Mike’s Place vulnerable to Haifa’s short passing game. Look for Real Housing to get the ball quickly to Shachar Yeshurun and Idan Maor on bubble screens to take advantage of the soft coverage outside.

If the Sabres can stop the run early, however, they should be able to put pressure on Haifa in the passing game, which could spell trouble for the Haifa quarterbacks who have been unable to air the ball out with any recent success.

On the other side, Tel Aviv will look to jump down the throats of their opponents and get out to an early lead. Their number one ranked passing offense will test the Underdogs’ defense by using an assortment of quick rhythm throws to Liran Hovav and Amit Benvenisti.

Look for Haifa to take the short throws away by using more press coverage out of its two-deep and blitz-man schemes. By getting jams at the line, they will disrupt the timing of the Sabres’ quick passing game and buy time for Omer Kedmi and Itamar Levin to create pressure off the edges.

Mike’s Place must adapt and mix it up with its resurgent running game, led by Katz and Daniel Gev. Both are shifty backs with the ability to avoid tackles and their deceptive quickness often nullifies physical rush defenses. If their offensive line can win with their athleticism in the trenches, they can squeeze open the running lanes just enough to create room to run between the tackles.

In a ‘nothing to lose’ game at home with the anticipated fan support, the Sabres will take more chances to pull off a big upset. I can see them use some form of trickery (onside kick, reverses or a fake punt) to generate energy and momentum if the game is close.

Ultimately, however, I believe the game will turn on take-aways. The Haifa blitz-happy defense is playing as well as any defensive unit in the league. Expect them to take advantage of Tel Aviv’s inexperience at quarterback with a new QB at the helm and win the game on turnovers.

The IFL returns next Friday with a special-venue game at the Wingate Institute for Physical Culture and Sport near Netanya. Kick-off between the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers (1-4) and the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs will take place at 12:30 PM.

Prepared by Uriel Sturm, IFL League Statistician, who has (objectively) viewed and recorded each and every IFL down and game ever played from the best seat in the house – the field! Please feel free to contact at uesturm@gmail.com

Those who came out to root for the home side on a frigid Thursday evening at Kraft Stadium in Jerusalem were certainly not sent home disappointed as the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions (5-1) got on the board early and often while cruising to a 46-6 victory over the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers (1-4).

The victory was a huge boost for the Big Blue squad, bouncing back from a loss in their previous outing and truly playing a fantastic game in all aspects. Hasharon came out looking to be inspired from their improved play of late, but were never able to get it going against a Jerusalem squad that was simply too dominant on the night, even without star receiver Yoni Lehrer, who was a late scratch.

Quarterback Aryeh Bauman ran for three touchdown on the day, including a beautiful fifteen yard scramble, faking out four or five bewildered Dancing Camel defenders with a couple of ankle-breaking jukes. He finished with seventy yards on the ground and threw for two scores as well.

Cornerback Uri Schiff was also outstanding on the day with an IFL record four interceptions while also tossing a touchdown pass to his own to punter/kicker Josh Manor.

Jerusalem got out front to a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, but the Pioneers appeared to be getting back in the game, moving the chains and sustaining some offensive pressure by going to Mike Levy on an unbelievable 16 straight plays from scrimmage.

With the score cut to 14-6 and Hasharon gaining momentum, however, they had an interception nullified on a bone-headed holding penalty and then gave up a back-breaking 55 yard bomb for a touchdown at the halftime buzzer to go down 28-6.

With Levy out in the second half, Hasharon was forced to rely on a back-by- committee approach, and the Lions were more than up to the task of holding them off the scoreboard the rest of the way, putting up another 18 points of their own in the second frame.

Meanwhile, with a number of players still out with injuries, Jerusalem managed to adapt well to the change in personnel and were able to tweak their running game to cater to their individual strengths while attacking the biggest weaknesses of the Hasharon defense, namely the short zone.

Big Blue’s offense was able to counter the disguised looks of the Pioneers by working at a quick tempo and utilizing quick counts to limit the pre-snap bluffing of the linebackers. By attacking with several quick throws to keep the defense honest, they were able to move the ball on curl out runs by Bauman and short pass-and-runs to Moshe Horowitz.

All in all, facing a Lions team that was hungry for a victory, the Pioneers were swallowed up by the pride.

The IFL kicks off again next Saturday night at 7:00 pm with a game between the Mike’s Place Tel Aviv Sabres (1-3) and the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs (3-2).

Game notes: The game was dubbed the “American Bowl” in tribute to the U.S. President’s visit to Israel this week and vocalist Shira Kaplan began the evening with renditions of both the Israeli and American anthems; Greg Tepper made his official IFL debut for Big Blue and took part in five tackles; Levy missed the third quarter with a leg strain but returned to action by the end of the game; DB Michael Amzalag had a standout game for Jerusalem with an interception, a nice kick return and a three tackle evening.

Prepared by Uriel Sturm, IFL League Statistician, who has (objectively) viewed and recorded each and every IFL down and game ever played from the best seat in the house – the field! Please feel free to contact at uesturm@gmail.com

Every team in the IFL has now cracked the win column on the season following a scrappy 28-20 triumph for Mike’s Place Tel Aviv Sabres over Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers at a rainy Maccabi Fields in Tel Aviv.

The victory, the Sabres’ first of the year in quarterback Adi Hakami’s last game, was well earned by a determined club who played their first truly complete game of the season, withstanding a courageous 250 total-yard performance by Hasharon’s all-pro Mike Levy in a losing effort.

The game got started off on the wrong foot for Tel Aviv after Levy took the opening kickoff 61 yards to the 1 yard line on the way to a quick 14-0 lead for Dancing Camel with 4 minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The Sabres stayed calm amidst the storm and continued to come hard at the Pioneers and make decisive decisions on both sides of the ball, swarming the ball-carrier on defense and making solid blocks to protect their offensive play-makers and extend their possessions. Asaf Katz was especially ferocious in the first half, seemingly taking part in every single tackle all over the field and finishing with eight on the day.

Tel Aviv was successful all game at countering the disguised looks of the Pioneers’ defense by working at a speedy tempo. Hakami was effective at utilizing quick counts to limit the pre-snap bluffing of the linebackers and attack Hasharon with several quick throws just to keep the defense unsure and worried about its timing.

Touchdowns by three different players on three consecutive drives, culminating with a 7 yard reception by receiver Liron Hovav, put Tel Aviv up for good 22-14 at the half.

The skies opened up in the third quarter and both sides were careful to protect the ball with safer play-calling to prevent a big turnover. Both quarterbacks were deft at using short throws to running backs and tight ends to counter the soft umbrella scheme being employed by both defensive schemes. Both teams’ defenses, however, were equally as impressive in quickly closing on the ball after the reception and making slight adjustments to keep their linebackers in better position to make plays on the underneath throws.

Dancing Camel seemed poised to score what could have possibly been the game-tying score on two separate occasions in the third stanza. First was when Levy, who finished with 197 rushing yards for the game, broke 4 tackles up the middle and was on his way to the house after a 40 yard gallop. On a heroic defensive play, however, Tel Aviv cornerback Amit Benvenisti managed to poke the ball free at the two yard line and the fumble went out of the back of the endzone for a touchback and a huge turnover.

With less than a minute left in the third, the Pioneers made it a 22-20 contest on a second Levy TD, but inexplicably passed over the chance at the tie and attempted an extra point kick, which was no good.

Tel Aviv added a score on a Hakami quarterback sneak early in the fourth and was able to hold Hasharon off the board for the rest of the game, ultimately running out the clock with two time-eating drives in the last five minutes.

As the final whistle sounded, the heavens emitted an earth-shattering clap of thunder and flash of lightening in applause of Tel Aviv’s (1-3) first conquest.

Hasharon (1-3) gets an immediate chance to bounce back with a game this upcoming Thursday, January 10^th against the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions (4-1) at Kraft Stadium in Jerusalem. Plenty of good seats are available for the 7:00 pm kickoff.

Game notes: The game marked the fact that every IFL team has now faced each other at least once; Hakami finished 12-23 for 186 yards, throwing for 2 TDs with a rushing score and an interception in his last appearance before traveling to the US for the rest season. Adi is excited to return to play next year in the IFL; Mike Levy, with197 yards rushing, takes the IFL lead with 271 rushing yards for the season. He is also the league’s leading kick returner and is third in tackles with 31; TA’s Liron Hovav took over the IFL with 102 receiving yards on seven catches; Mazel tov to Hasharon linebacker Mark Creizman who got engaged this past week.

League notes: The IFL is actively seeking players for new franchises slated to begin play in the 2008-09 season. Regions presently being considered for expansion include Be’er Sheva, Nazareth, Gush Etzion, Modi’in, Rishon LeTzion/Holon and Ra’anana/Kfar Saba. Interested players should contact Adam Slater in the IFL office at afi@barak.net.il or register on the league website at www.ifl.co.il.

Prepared by Uriel Sturm, IFL League Statistician, who has (objectively) viewed and recorded each and every IFL down and game ever played from the best seat in the house – the field! Please feel free to contact at uesturm@gmail.com

It was only a matter of time. Whether due to the eight injured starters, the early morning bus ride, or simply being beaten by the better team on the field for the day, the end story was the same. In Friday’s IFL action, the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs remained undefeated at home, handing Big Blue Jerusalem their first loss of the season while improving their record to 3-2 with a 26-18 victory at Kibbutz Ein Hashofet.

Playing behind an inspired defense that just got stronger as the contest went on and an offense that rallied after its starting quarterback went down early, Real Housing kept their composure after going into halftime down 12-0, outscoring Big Blue 26-6 in the second half and overwhelming them in all aspects of the game after the break.

The turning point of the game occurred at 7:23 of the third quarter, just after Haifa had lost a fumble after driving deep into Jerusalem’s territory. Forcing Big Blue to punt after a much needed three-and-out, Haifa lineman Ben Friedman managed to get a paw on the ball and Idan Maor recovered in the end zone to put Haifa on the board and, just as important, give the Underdogs the confidence that they could, in fact, defeat the Lions.

The change of momentum seemed to invigorate the entire Real Housing lineup and from that point forward they seemed to play with an added sense of purpose and intensity. Even a quick Jerusalem touchdown by Moshe Horowitz to put Jerusalem up 18-8 did not do much to quash the extra vigor displayed on each play by the Haifa players, and they kept on coming straight at a Big Blue team that had not yet faced much pressure this season, and seemed not to know what hit them.

The Underdogs succeeded in flustering the Jerusalem quarterbacks into throwing four interceptions on the day and, indeed, won the turnover battle 4-3, one of their key goals for victory at the start of the game. Their defense, infused with the second half addition of middle linebacker Omer Kedmi, was also able to keep the damage of the Big Blue offensive stars to a minimum. Jerusalem tight end Yoni Lehrer did catch a touchdown pass on the day, but was held in check in the second half, seeing double coverage on most of his routes.

Although Moshe Horowitz racked up both a running and receiving touchdown, he was stymied for most of the game, running for only 18 yards and taking a number of hard hits from the enthused Haifa tacklers.

Real Housing’s two-headed running tandem of Leor Subotnik and Niv Medlinger did not disappoint as well, each running for a touchdown and combining for 164 yards on the ground. Medlinger also came in to play quarterback after starter Ori Shterenback went down with a knee injury and was quite adept at keeping the offense calm, chewing up the clock in the fourth quarter while clinging to a one score lead.

All told, the game proved to be an electrifying match-up between two teams that both left it all on the field. The tackling was especially impassioned from both sides and the pace of the game was fantastic. All in attendance were treated to a closely-fought affair that was not settled until an interception deep in the Haifa red-zone with seventeen seconds left on the clock.

Real Housing now goes into their three week break on a high note before traveling to visit Tel Aviv, while the Lions (4-1) have a two week hiatus to lick their wounds, both physical and mental, before facing Hasharon at home in the friendly confines of Kraft Stadium on Thursday, January 10.

The IFL gets back underway this Friday with an 11:00 am kick-off between Hasharon (1-2) and Tel Aviv (0-3) at Maccabi Fields in Tel Aviv. Plenty of tickets remain available for the game.

Game notes: Big Blue standout linebacker Yonah Misha’an left the game with a back flare-up and is listed at day-to-day; with his 91 yards rushing, Haifa’s Niv Medlinger takes over the IFL lead in that category; Haifa’s Itamar Levin picked up two sacks on the day; Jerusalem’s Yoni Lehrer added to his IFL scoring lead and has recorded a touchdown in every game this year; the season series between Big Blue and Real Housing stands at 1-1, with the deciding game to be played in Jerusalem on February 7, 2008 – only one game currently separates the two teams in the standings.

League notes: The IFL is actively seeking players for new franchises slated to begin play in the 2008-09 season. Regions presently being considered for expansion include Be’er Sheva, Nazareth, Gush Etzion, Modi’in, Rishon LeTzion/Holon and Ra’anana/Kfar Saba. Interested players should contact Adam Slater in the IFL office at afi@barak.net.il or register on the league website at www.ifl.co.il.

Prepared by Uriel Sturm, IFL League Statistician, who has (objectively) viewed and recorded each and every IFL down and game ever played from the best seat in the house – the field! Please feel free to contact at uesturm@gmail.com

On Friday, at 10:00 AM at the Baptist Village in Petach Tikvah, the 3-0 Big Blue Jerusalem Lions take on the 1-1 Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers in this week’s featured Fieldturf IFL match-up. Coming off a break of almost a month, the Pioneers are more than eager to come out and prove that their convincing victory over Haifa in their last game was a sign of things to come, against a powerful Jerusalem team that beat them 46-18 in the season opener and has won its three games by an average margin of 33 points.

While Big Blue has dominated the second half scoring in all of their games, their opponents have demonstrated the ability to keep the score close for most of the first half. Expect Dancing Camel to try and exploit that pattern by looking for quick strikes early in the game to run out to an early lead before Big Blue hits their stride.

With league-leading running back Shmuel O’Neil anchoring their offence, look for Hasharon to run the ball early and often, surely on more than half of their offensive plays. O’Neil’s emergence has given the Pioneers the ability to control the tempo of the game by pounding between the tackles and picking up first downs, and they will need to capitalize on this one advantage of theirs in the running game.

However, with the Big Blue focusing on slowing down the elusive O’Neil, the Pioneers will also use more play-action passes to take advantage of the Lion’s over-aggressive linebackers. Look for quarterback Yoni Mayzel to attack the middle of the field and connect with receivers Ben Gross and Johan Tynell on a variety of seam routes and digs off play-action, especially with star cornerback Gai Van Straten still sidelined with an ankle injury. If Gross and Tynell can get off to quick starts, the running lanes should open up for O’Neil.

On the defensive end, Dancing Camel will have to watch out for Jerusalem’s penchant for creating big plays leading to scores. Big Blue’s offense has the ability to put up points in bunches due to their outstanding talent at the offensive skill positions. To combat this, the Pioneers must attempt to keep the scoring down by playing more conservatively in the back end. Look for them to use an assortment of soft zones to limit Big Blue’s big-play opportunities, as well as using more three and four man pressures to keep Lions’ QB Aryeh Bauman uncomfortable in the pocket.

In response, Bauman will have to find the open seams in the defense by throwing more short and intermediate routes outside, as well as looking to catch Hasharon off guard by mixing in a healthy dose of draws and screens. Running back Moshe Horowitz should see his number of rushing attempts rise as Jerusalem looks to establish its running game, perhaps the one crucial area in which Big Blue has been surpassed by other teams in the IFL in terms of development. Hasharon safety Mike Levy’s effectiveness in sniffing out Big Blue’s offense and roving around the field to close up the gaps and make strong tackles will be key to Hasharon being able to hold the Lions off the scoreboard and keep the game close.

Plenty of tickets are still available for walk-up purchase for this exciting match-up. Next week, on Friday, December 28, the Fieldturf IFL returns to Kibbutz Ein Hashofet near Haifa with a 10:00 AM game between the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs and the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions.

LEAGUE NOTES: This week marks the start of Israel’s first ever coaching certification course in American Football. The course is being run jointly by the Wingate Institute for Physical Culture and Sport and American Football in Israel, and is being taught by IFL Commissioner Eric Amkraut. All students who successfully complete the 20-week course will be certified by the Wingate Institute as Coaches of American Football

Prepared by Uriel Sturm, IFL League Statistician, who has (objectively) viewed and recorded each and every IFL down and game ever played from the best seat in the house – the field! Please feel free to contact at uesturm@gmail.com

By the time the final whistle had blown in Saturday’s IFL thriller between Haifa and Tel Aviv, it was clear that every one of the fifty-two fans in attendance had certainly gotten their money’s worth, having been treated to a fast-paced, energetic football game in which two evenly-matched teams battled each other toe-to-toe for a full 48 minutes. In the end, emerging triumphant from the mêlée was the Haifa Underdogs, who got touchdowns from five different players en route to a 35-30 victory over the Tel Aviv Sabres in Kibbutz Ein Hashofet. The win was huge for Haifa, who rebounded from back-to-back losses to even their record at 2-2, while Tel Aviv, once again, played a valiant game in which they could have come out on top, but are, today, left wondering what went wrong as they fell to 0-3 on the season.

From the opening kick-off, both teams’ offences came out ready to play, and touchdowns were scored on the first three combined possessions of the game as Tel Aviv jumped to a 12-7 lead after the first quarter. The game quickly turned into a seesaw affair, as the lead changed hands an unbelievable 7 times, with neither team being able to harness any kind of sustained momentum before a quick counter-attack by the other. After Haifa went up 13-12 on a bruising 9 yard touchdown run by Idan Maor, the Sabres responded with two straight scores to take a 24-13 lead into the half and appeared to be on pace for their first victory, being led by receiver Leron Hovav and his pair of first half touchdown catches.

However, Haifa came out with a vengeance in the second half scoring 14 points in a two minute span to take a 27-24 lead, capped by Dagan Sadrinas snatching an attempted Tel Aviv handoff out of mid-air and taking the fumble 20 yards to the end zone. Tel Aviv, though, refused to surrender and marched downfield on a long, six minute drive culminating in quarterback Adi Hakami’s second touchdown run of the day to go up 30-27 after three. Haifa was able to answer with another score early in the fourth quarter and was able to hold off a furious Tel-Aviv attempt to get the last tally of the day. Indeed, the outcome of the match was in doubt until the final play of the game, when Hakami was pressured out of the pocket and unable to get off a deep pass into the end zone, which would have given Tel Aviv the victory.

The game was defined by the ability of both Haifa and Tel Aviv to execute their game plans, almost to perfection. The Underdogs, who completed only three passes on ten attempts, were successfully able to pound the ball on the ground, piling up yards and led by Niv Medlinger and Roey Ziv, who combined for 136 of a team total 212 rushing yards on the day. Even when they were losing, Haifa did not abandon its run-first strategy and relied on its prevent defense, which held Tel Aviv to only 6 second half points as well as scoring a touchdown of their own, to give them enough time and possessions to come away with the win. Tel Aviv, as well, for the most part, was able to give Hakami time to look downfield and he was stellar all game in passing for 245 yards with three touchdowns and no picks to go along with his two rushing scores. Star receiver Leron Hovav almost single-handedly kept the Sabres in the game with his 12 receptions for 165 yards and two scores of his own.

Ultimately, however, the Haifa attack was too balanced and their defense just unrelenting enough to hold off two final Tel Aviv drives in the final three minutes and they managed to escape with the narrow 35-30 victory in a game that, but for a couple of bounces, really could have gone either way. After two tightly-fought games between the two squads, both of which ended in close victories for Haifa at home, look for Tel Aviv to play with special purpose in their third and final exciting match-up of the season when they host the Underdogs on January 19 at Maccabi Fields.

Game notes: The game was played on a field that was muddy from a night of rain and both teams’ uniforms look forward to an extra trip to the laundry this week; Tel Aviv’s Asaf Katz had a big day on both sides of the ball, catching a 45 yard TD pass and recording 9 tackles and 7 assists on defense; Haifa running back Niv Medlinger has recorded at least 60 yards rushing in all three games he has played; With his 12 receptions for 165 yards, Tel Aviv WR Leron Hovav takes over the IFL lead in both categories

Prepared by Uriel Sturm, Fieldturf IFL Statistician, who has viewed and recorded each and every down and game from the best seat in the house – the field! Please feel free to contact Uriel at uesturm@gmail.com.