IFL Football

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

This week’s action in the Fieldturf IFL pits the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers (1-2) against the still winless Mike’s Place Tel Aviv Sabres (0-3) in a game that is significant for both teams, who are facing each other for the first time this season. Each side is looking to rebound from a heart-breaking loss in their last contest; Tel Aviv let the game slip away against Haifa in a 35-30 tilt, while Hasharon played very tough against Jerusalem but fell short in the second half. The match will take place on Friday at 11:00 AM at Maccabi Fields in Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv’s offence both starts and finishes with quarterback Adi Hakami and wide receiver Liran Hovav. The two must get going early for them to have a chance at their first victory of the year.

The Sabres’ ball-control is most effective when Hakami escapes the pocket and makes plays with his feet, both on the ground and through the air. His ability to scramble and elude the rush frustrates pass rushers and hidden yardage compiled from the runs allows the team to sustain drives.

Hovav, the IFL’s leading pass-receiver, scorched Haifa for 12 catches for 165 yards and two scores in his last game, so he is sure to see a ton of double coverage from the Pioneer’s defence on most of his routes. Tel Aviv will need another receiver to step up and establish himself as a bona fide threat to complement Hovav and alleviate some of the pressure on the offence that has been relying exclusively on both him and Hakami.

As well, look for Mike’s Place to try and open up the field by getting running backs Daniel Gev and Asaf Katz involved early to keep the Pioneers from focusing exclusively on the passing game.

For its part, Hasharon must take some of the positives from their loss to Big Blue and build upon them in this match. With Shmuel O’neil likely still sidelined, the game plan should involve focusing both their offence and defense around emerging all-around talent Mike Levy.

His versatility allows them to line him up all over the field to take advantage of mismatches in space and coverage on both sides of the ball. Against Jerusalem, Levy finally got enough touches to get into a rhythm. Against an improving Tel Aviv defense, Hasharon must continue to run the ball to control the tempo of the game.

They will also look to attack the Sabres’ secondary with an assortment of underneath crossing patterns. Quarterback Johan Tynell must continue to make smart decisions and not turn the ball over by using a high-percentage passing game featuring shorter routes.

On defense, Dancing Camel certainly has the personnel to neutralize Hovav by mixing up their nickel and dime packages to keep a defensive back with him on passing downs. Their penchant for creating turnovers is a product of their ‘Tampa Two’ defense, capitalizing on tips or overthrows, and they will continue to focus on takeaways against a pass-happy Tel Aviv offense.

Also expect the Pioneers to crowd the line on early downs to try to stop the run and force Hakami to throw against their two-deep coverage in long-yardage situations.

I predict a high-scoring affair between two teams who are looking to showcase their offense and prove that they belong in the top of the league. If the Sabres’ can curtail their tendency of giving up a big turnover at a crucial point in the game, I believe they will put enough points up on the board to secure their first win.

The IFL gets under way again next week with a Thursday night match-up between Big Blue Jerusalem (4-1) and the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers. The game will take place at Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem at 7:00 PM. Please secure your tickets early to guarantee a seat.

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

This week’s Fieldturf IFL game looks to be a classic revenge contest in which the last game’s losers try to prove that they ‘should have, would have’…and actually can, as the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs (2-2) are set to host the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions (4-0) in a rematch of the Chanukah Bowl which Jerusalem convincingly won at home 46-18. The game will take place at the Meggido Fields next to Kibbutz Ein Hashofet on Friday at 10:00 am.

Haifa has been preparing for this game for two weeks in order to come up with a strategy that will counter Big Blue’s supremacy, exhibited thus far. While they have mostly run a conservative offense, pounding the ball on the ground with their running game, look for Haifa to mix it up this time and even throw in some gadget plays to throw Jerusalem off its game plan.

Real Housing will place an emphasis on gaining four or more yards on first down through an assortment of lead draws and off-tackle runs to keep quarterbacks Ori Shterenback and Roey Ziv out of bad late-down situations. Look for Big Blue to attempt and derail this strategy by crowding the line of scrimmage on the early downs and dare the Haifa quarterbacks to make big plays through the air, something they have been unable to do well.

Jerusalem has won all of its games by winning the turnover category and creating points off fumbles and interceptions of their opponents, while holding their own mistakes to a minimum. In order to have a chance, Haifa must protect the ball on offence and look to force turnovers on defense and capitalize on them. To do so, they will have to shut down the Lion’s on first and second downs, forcing Big Blue to throw against two-deep coverage, which will likely lead to interceptions, as it did last week when Jerusalem threw two long picks.

The problem is that with Haifa playing a lot of two-deep and zone coverage defense, there will be room for Jerusalem to exploit in the middle of field. Look for Big Blue to connect with their big receivers down the seams of the zone off play-action and stretch the defense horizontally by feeding their tight ends and backs on underneath routes as well as short crosses and option routes to set up deeper throws for later in the game.

The Underdogs will therefore need to create confusion for the Jerusalem offence by taking a page from Jerusalem’s last two opponents, who successfully pressured quarterback Aryeh Bauman by using a variety of delayed blitzes with combination coverage. The Underdogs will piggy-back off that strategy by incorporating some delayed rushes off their zone blitz package. Expect big linebacker Idan Maor to come up the middle after disguising his alignment and coverage prior to the snap.

The bottom line is that Haifa’s chances of winning rely on their quarterbacks’ ability to move the chains through short passes and take care of the football, while complementing their’ power running tandem of Niv Medlinger and Lior Subotnik. To defeat Big Blue, the Underdogs must slow down the Jerusalem running game on early downs and force Aryeh Bauman to pass under duress. Haifa’s front four has to control the line of scrimmage and harass Bauman with consistent pressure. If it can manage to do that, expect a very close match that will come down to who turns the ball over more.

Plenty of tickets are still available for walk-up purchase for this exciting match-up. The Fieldturf IFL returns next Friday to Maccabi Fields in Tel Aviv with an 11:00 AM game between the Mike’s Place Tel Aviv Sabres and the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers.

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

The Big Blue Jerusalem Lions have won again to improve to a perfect 4-0, but not before the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers announced emphatically to the rest of the IFL that the gap between Jerusalem and the other three teams is closing – fast! With their backs seemingly against the wall at the beginning of the game, Big Blue refused to panic, following their game plan and, once again, winning the battle of the big plays, on their way to a 36-14 victory at the Baptist Village in Petach Tikvah.

The real story of the day, however, was that the Pioneers, playing without, arguably, their best player, were able to shape the tempo of the game and knock the Jerusalem team around the field on both sides of the ball - for a short while at least.

While the Lions were able to regroup, and things ultimately returned to Big Blue normal in the second half, the message was certainly felt by the players on the field. One Jerusalem linebacker exclaimed, “It really is scary how good [Hasharon] has gotten. They’ve jumped light-years overnight! We have a lot of work to do to stay on top!”

The game got off to a perfect start for Dancing Camel, who accomplished their goal of putting up an early score when they turned an interception by Ben Gross into a Mike Levy 2 yard touchdown run to go up 6-0 at 8:55 of the first quarter. After Jerusalem jumped on top 8-6, a botched snap on a punt attempt deep in their zone led to a safety and the score was tied 8-8 after one.

On a muddy field, both teams were avoiding the passing game and were satisfied trying to grind out yards on the ground in an old-fashioned Pittsburgh Steeler-type affair.

After two possessions for each team in the second quarter, the score remained tied with Jerusalem pinned deep in their own zone once again and forced to punt, apparently to give the Pioneers great field position and an opportunity to take the lead.

In the span of the next 3:30, however, were two crucial plays on punts that both went Big Blue’s way and turned the momentum of the football game. First, Mike Levy muffed a punt and the ball was recovered by Aharon Kestenbaum, leading to a Yoni Lehrer touchdown.

On the next possession, Hasharon went three-and-out and punted the ball to Adam Lemberg, who looked as if he was trapped deep on the right side of the field. He managed to avoid three tackles and broke out left, following his blockers into the end zone for his first return for a touchdown on the season.

This score deflated the Pioneers and put Jerusalem up 20-8 going into the half.

While a quick touchdown at 10:22 of the third quarter brought it to within one score, a key hold by the Big Blue defense on a Hasharon first-and-goal that ended in a turnover on downs helped cement the victory and allow the offence to put the game out of reach.

The game featured some bone-crunching tackles on both sides, most notably Levy’s open field collision with Aryeh Bauman, sending the Jerusalem quarterback flying and the crowd into a collective groan and a smattering of ‘ooohs and aaahs’.

Although the loss brings Dancing Camel’s record to 1-2, look for them to benefit in the long run from the many positive lessons they can take away from the day, especially the confidence boost in knowing they are beginning to match up evenly with the best team in the league. The Fieldturf IFL gets under way once again this week with a Friday morning affair at the Meggido Fields next to Kibbutz Ein Hashofet as the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs (2-2) host the undefeated Big Blue Jerusalem Lions at 10:00 am.

GAME/LEAGUE NOTES: Jerusalem QB Aryeh Bauman both threw and ran for 2 TDs, as well as threw 2 INTs and ran for 79 yards; Hasharon’s Mike Levy was a beast on both sides of the ball, with 9 tackles and 4 assists to go along with 124 total yards; Hasharon RB Shmuel O’Neal was out for a stint in the IDF; Substitute Jerusalem punter Ben Lemberg had a beautiful 56 yard punt downed at the 3 inch line late in the third; each team recorded a safety and Hasharon fumbled the ball 4 times on the day, losing 3 of them; Last week marked the start of Israel’s first ever coaching certification course in American Football. The 20-week 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.

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.

This Saturday’s Fieldturf IFL game of the week features the league’s first regular season rematch as the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs (1-2) look to bounce back from a disheartening loss in last week’s Chanukah bowl to Jerusalem and play host to Mike’s Place Tel Aviv Sabres at the Meggido School Fields near Kibbutz Ein Hashofet at noon. In the first match between the two teams, Haifa emerged victorious after a hard-fought 27-20 battle that saw Tel Aviv furiously attempt a second half comeback that ultimately fell just short. The Sabres, to a certain extent, have dictated the pace of play in both of their games, but have nothing to show for their effort to this point as they are looking for their first win of the season to avoid falling to 0-3.

The Underdogs will have to pay special attention to Tel Aviv quarterback Adi Hakami, the IFL’s best pure gunslinger, as he looks to throw the deep ball to his favorite target, Leron Hovav, who leads the league in receptions. Given time in the pocket, Hakami will try and expose the weak Haifa pass-coverage and do damage downfield. If he faces pressure from Haifa’s pass-rushing specialist Idan Maor, he can use his scrambling abilities or his double-back package of Daniel Gev and Asaf Katz to play ‘small-ball’ and chew up yards to pick up first downs all day and tire out the depleted Haifa defense. Hakami must be careful to protect the ball on the offensive end, as he leads the IFL with six interceptions, mostly from his tendency to sometimes try to do too much at once. If he can avoid forcing his passes into double coverage and focus on going for safer quick slants and short out patterns, as well as balancing the passing and running games, Tel Aviv should be able to move the ball and put points on the board all day. They outscored Haifa 20-12 in the second half of the first game between the two clubs, and the momentum had switched by the end of the game to the point where one left thinking that had the game gone on any longer, they would have overcome Haifa. They must look to come out of the gate with that same motivation and drive right from the opening kickoff.

Real Housing Haifa, on the other hand, is looking to get back on the winning track after two straight loses, one a shocker at the hands of Dancing Camel Hasharon on a dominating day by Pioneer running back Shmuel O’Neil, and the other a crushing defeat last week at the hands of Big Blue Jerusalem – a game where, although the teams were statistically pretty even, Jerusalem dominated the turnover and big play columns, leading to the misleading lopsided 46-18 final score. Haifa seems intent on sticking to its primary offensive strategy of running the ball with running back Niv Medlinger, even though it has yielded mixed results. What has happened in the previous games is that both the offensive line and Medlinger himself have tired out in the second half, making it more difficult to gain ground with the running game and forcing the Haifa quarterbacks to try and make it up by attempting deep passing plays, which do not have high completion odds. The Underdogs are hoping that getting a number of their players back from injury will improve their depth on both sides of the ball, allowing them to play the quick substitution, attack-style football that was evident in their victory as opposed to the timid back-on-their-heels style that they have resorted to by the end of their past two games. To win, they will have to recapture the hard-nosed and quick-hit manner which they displayed throughout the preseason and first regular season game.

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

Under the Kraft Family Stadium lights on the fourth night of Hanukkah, Big Blue Jerusalem, after a very tightly-fought start to the game, once again wore down an opponent and cruised to victory, 46-18 over Real Housing Haifa. Big Blue has opened the first season of the new Fieldturf Israel Football League with their third straight lopsided win, improving to 3-0.

Led by inspired performances from linebacker Adam Lemberg and linemen Avigdor “Viggy” Moore and Asher Meckler, Big Blue capitalized on nine sacks and three fumble recoveries by their defense, to go along with three touchdowns from Yoni Lehrer and two from Moshe Horowitz, as Jerusalem dominated the second half of this highly anticipated matchup in the first annual Hanukkah Bowl in front of a vocal home crowd of about 350 fans.

The game began with a beautiful rendition of Hatikva, performed by talented vocalist Shira Kaplan, and a special lighting of the Hanukkiah by Jerusalem running back Ariel Back, who then led the stadium in the traditional holiday songs.

Big Blue waited until the end of the first quarter to strike first and Haifa was quick to respond with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Roy Rubin as the score was tied 6-6 midway through the second quarter, with the Underdogs dictating the pace early on.

Jerusalem went ahead 12-6 and it looked as if Haifa was going to counter once again and set up an old-fashioned offensive shootout. But, on what proved to be the turning point of the game, Shachar Yeshurun fumbled the ball at the Jerusalem 12 yard line after a long reception. Big Blue recovered and proceeded to score the next 26 points on its way to sending Real Housing to its second straight defeat and a record of 1-2.

Haifa couldn’t complain about a lack of breaks. It intercepted Big Blue quarterback Aryeh Bauman twice, the first interceptions Jerusalem quarterbacks had thrown all season, and Haifa benefited from a couple of big plays through penalties, once when a Big Blue interception and touchdown was called back, and also on a crucial pass interference call that gave Real Housing a first and goal when the game was still within reach. However, Haifa simply could not establish its running game, even with Niv Medlinger juking and slicing his way for a hard-fought 55 yards on the day. Quarterback Uri Shterenbach was forced out of the pocket all game by the powerful Jerusalem pass rushers, causing him to be mostly ineffective on his throws downfield.

At the end of the day, Big Blue was just too strong and deep for a Real Housing squad that was still missing a number of players to injury, but that even at full strength has a long way to go before it can hope to come away victorious against a Jerusalem team that, to all the teams in the new Fieldturf IFL, is looking more intimidating by the week.

Big Blue next plays Dancing Camel Hasharon (1-1) on Friday, December 21, at the Yarkon Sports Complex in Petah Tikva’s Baptist Village, while the next Fieldturf IFL game is scheduled for noon on Saturday, December 15, as Haifa looks to bounce back from the Hanukkah Bowl loss against Mike’s Place Tel Aviv (0-2) at Kibutz Ein Hashofet.

Game notes: Big Blue’s Yonah Misha’an had 3 sacks, giving him the IFL lead with 5 on the season; Yoni Lehrer’s 3 TDs give him a league-leading 7; Big Blue starting QB A. Bauman threw for 3 scores and ran for another while Haifa’s O. Shterenbach passed for 2 TDs; Todd Warnick, renowned basketball referee of over 2000 Israeli and international league matches, was a part of the game’s officiating crew.

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.