Scoring
Q1
0-8 Rebels: Aaron Smith, 25 yard run. 2XP (Sam Hodgins, run)
0-16 Rebels: Barry Flynn, 50 yard reception from Andy Dennehy. 2XP (Sam Hodgins, run)
0-24 Rebels: Aaron Smith, 10 yard run. 2XP (Henry Wassermann, reception)
Q2
0-30 Rebels: Sam Hodgins, run. PAT wide right.
0-33 Rebels: Paul Grogan, 23 yard FG.
Q3
0-41 Rebels: Sam Hodgins, run. 2XP (Sam Hodgins, run)
Q4
0-48 Rebels: Barry Flynn, 18 yard reception from Andy Dennehy. PAT (Paul Grogan)
0-55 Rebels: Kevin Healy, 20 yard interception return. PAT (Paul Grogan)
Video Highlights
Video footage by Daniel Dalton (Trinity)
Game Photos
Photos by Jeff Dowling
Game Report
Game Report by the Dublin Rebels
Trinity College arrived at Sportslink emboldened by their performance in their previous encounter with the Dublin Rebels, determined to prove their conviction that the 39-6 scoreline had flattered to deceive the IAFL Central leaders.
Trinity’s gameplan suggested a desire to take the Rebels on man-for-man, a deviation from the hell-for-leather underdog approach favoured in the first match-up where 9 defenders typically filled the box and the students were undone only by a small number of big passing plays.
With fewer men crowding the line of scrimmage, the Rebels running game found more breathing space, and RB Aaron Smith made good use of it. After picking up a couple of first downs, he finished off the drive taking an off-tackle run 25 yards. While Trinity’s offense sputtered out, the Rebels points tally swiftly mounted. On the second drive, WR Barry Flinn gangled behind the secondary and juggled a post route from QB Andy Dennehy, before coming down with it and adding to the lead. The following possession ended likewise, Smith again going in on the ground, this time untouched as he followed the blocking of LG Ross McCooey, TE Paul Grogan, and WR Conor Ryan. By the end of the 1st quarter, the scoreline read 24-0.
Sticking to the mantra, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” the Rebels offense continued to crank out yards on the ground in the second quarter. The students however caught a break when an undisciplined drive by the Rebels O drew numerous flags and resulted in a punt. On the very next play Trinity QB Hal ‘Spottiswoode’ Hodson called his own number on an option play, opting to keep the ball as he ran into the heart of the Rebels defense. The plucky young signal caller’s visions of glory were abruptly interrupted however as he collided with McCooey, who was in his more familiar position of middle linebacker. The ball was knocked loose and recovered by McCooey; giving the Rebels possession inside the Trinity redzone.
Though the Rebels’ offense cooled down somewhat, RB Sam Hodgins managed to get in on the action, taking a hand-off 10 yards into the end zone, with TE Paul Smyth providing the daylight at the second level to clear Hodgins’ path. With 8 TDs on the season, he kept his nose in front of coach and counterpart Smith on 7; a competition both are quick to shrug off as secondary to the primary goal of winning a Shamrock Bowl, Hodgins less so. A Paul Grogan field goal made the score 33-0 midway through the 2nd quarter.
Still struggling on offense, it was the Trinity defense that provided the first spark for the college team. In the pocket, Dennehy looked down the field for Flinn, who checked up to block for Grogan in the flats, expecting the QB to take the short throw. Fearing a dressing-down for not being in position to block for the oft-cranky but handsome Grogan, Flinn under-ran his route and DB Conor Campbell was in position to make the pick. As karma would have it, the upright, tunnel-visioned Flinn was lit up as he galloped towards the ball carrier. However, Trinity could not make the turnover count, and the half ended with the score still at 33-0.
The Rebels came out running in the 3rd quarter, sucking the Trinity defense in and setting up single coverage on the outside. Seeing this, Dennehy called for Flinn to run a deep fade route, and the connection brought the Rebels to beyond 40 points. In response, Trinity QB Hal Hodson began to find some success through the air, though again drives were unsustainable thanks to the league’s top defensive unit. On defense, the students collected their second interception of the day when back-up QB Brian Carter misfired while throwing on the run. Reinvigorating Trinity, it could have been a costly mistake, irrespective of the scoreline, and the Rebels management are said to be thinking hard about their QB depth chart.
As Hodson continued to sling it, he met a similar fate, with one pass ending up in the hands of linebacker, and the day’s defensive MVP, Kevin Healy. On the return, Fredo Meneses delivered Dandelion Cafe, Bar & Club’s Mexican appetizer of the day with a block as tasty as it was crunchy, though the choice of cuisine remains entirely speculative. Nonetheless, Healy rumbled gratefully into the endzone. Undeterred, Hodson carried on firing darts around the field, and after a number of completions his confidence allowed him to venture towards the murky marshland of Keegan Island, where countless receivers lay buried in the hostile quagmire presided over by that dastardly tyrant, Colin Keegan. With a stiff lip and a cocked rifle, Hodson ordered his troops into the ever-darkening shadows, only to be met by that barbarous cornerback Keegan, who snagged the prized pigskin and lorded it over his victims. The rotter!
As the game winded down to a 55-0 ending, it was the running of Smith and Hodgins that proved to be the decisive factor, with both sharing the offensive MVP award. The milk ‘n cookies combo proved as satisfying as ever, with Flinn doing his best to join in as the slender and subordinate drinking straw. However, the analogy does nothing to break the perception of Flinn and Hodgins being inseparably chummy, and would best be shelved going forward.
Tags: Game Report
