FM Home Loans Men's Flag Football League – Week 11

Friday

Standings

This week was the final week of the regular season and boy did we have some top matchups to round out the regular season. this week started off with a bang with a matchup between two juggernauts from Friday Division B:

Old School vs. Flush The Lush: 0-14

This game was a defensive one forsure, and with these teams, who expected otherwise? After a few quick 3 and outs Flush the Lush made the first big play of the game when Old School QB Daivd Bienenfeld threw an interception on the goal line. Flush’s own Ariel Diner returned the ball to his own 19. Harnessing this momentum, Flush the Lush drove down the field and scored a touchdown to Eiden Einhorn behind the defense on the right sideline in the Endzone. Flush didn’t stop there, scoring the extra point to go up 7-0. Old School Didn’t back down as they came back driving down the field. However, Flush the Lush’s Jaron Schiowitz came up with a big sack followed by an old school penalty to make it 2nd and 32. After a short gain on 3rd, Joey Zelig came up big with another sack which resulted in a turnover on downs and great field position for Flush the Lush. Sadly, Flush wasn’t able to capitalize on this as the following play QB Ariel Diner threw an interception in the Endzone to none other than David Bienenfeld. Though, talking about not being able to capitalize, on the ensuing play, Old School QB, David Bienenfeld, gave the ball right back to Flush the Lush, with Ariel Diner making a great play on the ball while in 1 on 1 coverage down the field. With the ball on their own 14 Flush the Lush attempted to drive down the field, but with 5 to go on 4th down they elected to go for it with Old School’s defense coming up big and stopping Flush 1 yard short. With 17 seconds left to the half Old School attempted to get anything going on offense but to no avail and the game went to halftime 7-0 to Flush the Lush. Coming out of halftime Old School was out for blood, after allowing short gains on 1st and 2nd down, Elie Mansdorf came up with a big sack on 3rd down which resulted in 4th down heave that ended in an interception by #3 of Old School. The next drive started off with a lot of promise, with a big run by Old School QB David Bienenfeld for 16 yards, however, Flush the Lush’s Stout defense stood strong and on 4th and 2 Ariel Diner of Flush The Lush jumped the route for a nice return, if it weren’t for a Block-in-the-back that was called on the return it would have gone for 6. The following play was also a nice one by Flush the Lush, as Ariel Diner hit Eiden Einhorn for a nice 24 yard gain completion, putting them on the 2. The next play was textbook, a quick slant to Jaron Schiowitz falling down in the front right corner of the Endzone. Extra point was good for 1 more as well, with a nice jump ball catch by Jaron in the middle of the Endzone. Old school felt the urgency, but came up empty on their next drive punting it back to Flush. Flush built on this momentum and drove all the way to their opponents 1 yard line, helped with a 25 yard catch and run by Joey Zelig. However, on 1st down on the 1 yard line, QB Ariel Diners pass was jumped by Zev Ganz and the ball was going the other way. This time Old School mounted a nice drive getting the first down and going 30 yards down the field, However, Flush the Lush’s defense woke up just in time to force a TOD 4 yards short of the first. At this point the game was basically over and after 3 sacks by Amir White which resulted in a turnover on downs at flushes 23 yardline David Bienenfeld said a little prayer and heaved the ball towards the Endzone, with Jaron Schiowitz coming up with the interception to put the nail in the coffin of this game. This game secures all the head to head tiebreakers to Flush The Lush going into the reseeding round and is a concerning turn for Old School who have now lost 2 in row and who will look to turn things around starting the reseeding round.

Underdogs vs. The Baboons 0-13

This was a game with minimal ramification, as going in to this week The Baboons had already clinched the 5th seed in the division and Underdogs were already clinched in the LFC. However, this game was much closer than the records would lead you to believe. The Baboons received the ball to start the game and started marching down the field with ease, until Yitzy Gross from the underdogs took advantage of a bobbled ball and came up with the interception in the end zone. However, two plays later, Dovid Price from The Baboons pulled off an amazing athletic sideline interception to set up his team on their opponents 26 yard line. Knowing that good teams come up with points after turnovers The Baboons mounted a very nice and steady drive marching down the field and scoring a TD, caught by Shalom Chananya in the front corner of the endzone. The Baboons also caught the extra point, a catch completed by Avi Zimmerman. The Underdogs responded to this drive and started to mount a very positive drive of their own, even converting a 4th and 1 at their 29 yardline. However, penalties ended up stalling their drive and they turned the ball over on downs a few plays later. The Baboons attempted to build on their momentum and drove down the field reaching their opponents 7 yard line, however, Underdogs were true to their names and against all odds, Yitzy Gross came up with an interception off a tipped ball in the middle of the endzone with 37 seconds left to the half. Sadly, like many before them, this drive ended with no points to the Underdogs as time wound down to zero to send us into the second half. The Underdogs received the ball, starting at their own 25 because of an errant kick out of bounds, and proceeded to turn the ball over on downs in a 3 and out. The Baboons were finally able to mount a scoring drive after this with a steady drive down the field and a 14 yard touchdown reception by David Price which was intended for Ethan Thurm but was tipped and kicked in the air finally landing safely in David Price’s hands after an athletic play on the ball. With all the fireworks on the scoring play, The Baboons simply did not have enough in the tank to pull out the extra point, and that play ended in an incompletion. The Underdogs started their next drive in total disarray turning the ball over only two plays after the touchdown with an interception by Dani Hess of an overthrown ball to the middle of the field returned to the Underdogs 13 yard line. Even though The Baboons only needed to go 13 yards, a crucial penalty hampered their momentum and they ended turning the ball over on downs to the Underdogs. However, thanks to a crucial 2nd down sack by Ethan Thurm the Underdogs came one yard short of the first down and handed the ball right back to the baboons in great field position. On the ensuing drive, Zack Leventer finally came up with the first sack of the game for the underdogs andThe Baboons turned the ball over on downs back to the Underdogs. But sadly, on the next play, the Tani Leitner iced the game with a pick to lead to The Baboons kneel-down in victory formation.

The imRAY’s vs. Moreshet Mafia 14-0

As the score suggests, this game was a strong defensive game. Earlier, Moreshet Mafia defeated the Jays to go up to 5-2 which puts this game as an important head to head matchup which could see the loser out of the Upper Friday Conference if 4-3 Tivuch Shelly takes care of business against the 3-4 David’s Cookie Monsters in the next game. The imRAY’s received the ball to start the game on a great return to their 21 yard line but turned the ball over on downs when they went for it on 4th and 1 on their opponents 20 yard line. On first down Eli Dachs of The imRAY’s got a nice sack to set the tone for the drive which resulted in a punt and great field position for The imRAY’s on their next drive. Starting on their opponents 20 the imRAY’s couldn’t get much going, and promptly threw an interception on the goal line that was returned for 20 yard, flipping the momentum in favor of Moreshet. This drive as well bore no fruits, and with a crucial 3rd down penalty making it 3rd and 14 Moreshet ended up punting on the following play. The imRAY’s, starting from their own 13, started building on this momentum and had two big plays of 20 yards to drive all the way down the field to their opponent’s 2 yard line. After being driven back by a sack by Brian Sutton only to be brought forward by a defensive holding, Pinny Rossman finally found his receiver, Jeremy Strauss for a touchdown. The extra point however, fell incomplete. Moreshet, looking for the long ball, came out very aggressive attempting to drive the length of the field before half time, but sadly for them, Eli Dachs decided that this was his opportunity to feast. Dachs got a 6 yard sack on first down, then combined with Zevi Green on second down for another sack, this time for only 3 yards, on second down. And after an incomplete pass on third down, with the ball on the 1 yard line, Eli Dachs came roaring off the edge and sacked the Moreshet QB Jack Gani in the endzone for a safety. The ensuing drive showed promise at first, but ended with a turnover on downs on two consecutive incomplete passes by Pinny Rossman at their opponents 5 yard line, which led to halftime with the score of 8-0. The second half started with Moreshet going backwards, with a sack on first down by Eli Dachs and Zevi Green and a miscommunication on a pitch play which landed them in 3rd and 28 which got only 3 yards on a designed run. The punt on the following play did not go as planned and the return was to their own 8 yard line giving The imRAY’s an immediate short goal to go situation. This being the case it is no surprise that two plays later Pinny Rossman hit a wide open Jeremy Strauss throwing across his body into the endzone to go up 14-0. Moreshet, hampered by yet more momentum killing penalties, struggled to get anything going on offense and eventually turned the ball over on downs at their own 20. The imRAY’s, wanting to put this game to rest, tried driving down the field but were stopped by a nice sack by Brian Sutton and eventually turned the ball over on downs. Moreshet followed suit and had a quick 3 and out where they came up two yards short of the first to hand the ball right back to The imRAY’s. Moreshet started picking up some momentum with Brian Sutton getting his 3rd sack of the game on first down, and Jack Gani getting a nice interception on an underthrown ball by Pinny Rossman to get the ball back for his team. But again ,with Moreshet not being able to mount any offensive attack they eventually gave the ball back to The imRAY’s who ran down the clock to end the game.

Tivuch Shelly vs. David’s Cookie Monsters 26-0

This game was very physical, but not very competitive throughout. Tivuch Shelly dominated David’s Cookie Monsters and solidified their place in the Upper Friday Conference, While ending all hopes of the Cookie Monsters making the Upper conference. The game started with David’s Cookie Monsters mounting a nice drive but a bad miscommunication had them not able to convert a 4th and 2, turning the ball over on downs. The following drive from the Tivuch Shelly, wasn't very pretty, as they essentially didn’t make any progress and went 3 and out and punted the ball back. On the following drive the Cookie Monsters looked good on first and second down, but again failed to convert 3rd and 4th down to turn it over on downs. Building on their momentum Tivuch Shelly mounted a nice drive, highlighted by a nice crossover by Max Petak on a 26 yard catch and run to bring them to the Cookie Monsters 7 yard line. On the following play Tivuch Shelly’s QB Jonny Levine hit receiver Ari Chassman in the endzone who fought for the ball and came down with it for 6 points. Going for 1, Jonny Levine again hit his receiver, this time Ben Haber for a tough jump ball to go up 7-0. On the following drive David's Cookie Monsters started getting something going, even getting a first down, but a crucial sack by Max Petak on third down forced them to punt the ball back to Tivuch. Tivuch recognized the significance of this game and knew that they could not take their foot off the gas pedal. And so on second down, with Jonny Levine being chased by two defenders falling to the sideline he hit Ben Haber for a long 24 yard completion placing them at their opponents 1 yard line. After two bad penalties put them back at the 11 yard line, 3 short plays saw them getting their second touchdown of the game, with another physical catch by Max Petak. The extra point was good on a pass to Ari Chassman. David’s Cookie Monsters again couldn’t get much going on offense and a quick 3 and out saw Tivuch Shelly going into halftime up 14-0. The second half opened with Tivuch Shelly receiving the ball and starting at their own 20. Tivuch drove down the field nicely, but ultimately failed to score, turning the ball over on an incompletion on a 4th and goal on the 1 yard line. David’s Cookie Monsters still didn’t have any answers for Tivuch Shelly’s defensive attack, and with the help of yet another Max Petak sack their drive ended again with a punt that did not go as planned, seeing Tivuch start with a first and goal on the 14 yard line. Two plays later Jonny Levine hit Ben Haber for a short pass, but all Ben could see was the endzone, and he spun away from a tackle and ran into the endzone for a quick touchdown. The extra point went incomplete to bring the score to 20-0. David’s Cookie Monsters desperately needed to get anything going on offense, but that desperation only led to despair, as on second and 14 Aiden Polinsky jumped the route on a bad pass of the Cookie Monsters QB who tried throwing across his body giving the ball right back to Tivuch Shelly at their opponents 20 yard line. Tivuch made quick work of the short field and two plays later Jonny Levine hit Ben Haber for a 6 yard TD completion in a perfect high point pass over the defenders, with Ben Haber landing and just getting his feet down in-bounds for the touchdown. The extra point was overthrown and went incomplete. The Cookie Monsters at this point were just trying to get anything done and they actually mounted a nice drive almost ending in a TD but with a nice play by Tivuch Shelly’s defense, on a 4th and short, the drive ended in a TOD which led to Tivuch Shelly running out the clock to end the game.

This week saw the friday conferences picture be clear, with Chofetz Chaim Chassidim, The EarBiters, Tivuch Shelly, The imRAY’s and Ayala Tours all making the UFC in division A, and Flush The Lush, Kedma – Bnei Akiva, Old School, Ohr Yisroel Compasses and The Baboons make The UFC from Division B. Though, both 5 seeds shouldn’t get too comfortable with their play-in games against the 6th seeds coming up next week. Rumor has it that some of those games will be conceded before they are played. 

As to the Lower Friday Conference, the loser of the Moreshet Mafia – Baboons play-in games next week will obviously be a heavy favorite to win the LFC, but David’s Cookie Monsters and The Jays have both had some nice outings this season and are on an upward trend, PK Hart and Orayta need to start showing up to games in full force, otherwise they may miss the playoffs completely. From Division B we have the Mercenaries who are a tough outing, The Eretz Bucks who started off weak but have been hitting their stride lately. The Underdogs who were walloped by injuries all season but still managed to keep their games competitive. T.O. who are a very good team when they are at their best, but struggle to find consistency. and finally, Lev Mordechai, a team that struggles to find its identity but enjoys coming out and playing no matter who it's against.

Motzash

This weeks motzash games had a lot of ramifications on seeding and who clinched the Upper Motzash Conference, two 4th Seed teams being bumped down to the 6th seed and the play-in game, an 8th seed team fighting its way up to the 5th seed, a surprising win of 6th and 8th seed teams beating a 4th seed to knock them out of their clinched position in the UMC and so much more. However, all of this excitement started off with an ugly match between the number 1 seed Omni and the number 8 seed Northwestern:

Northwestern vs. Omni 14-41

This game wasn't expected to be a slog-fest and it really wasn’t ever competitive, the number 1 seed Omni handedly took care of their competition in Northwestern. The game however, started a little more interestingly. Omni lost the coin-toss and received the ball to start the game. On second down on a nice defensive play, Dovi Dahan from Northwestern snatched the ball out of the receivers hands by jumping an out route to set up his team with nice field position on his opponents 27 yard line. However, Northwestern was not able to capitalize on this and after throwing 4 incompletions in a row, one of which was Batted down at the LOS by Ezra Schulman, Northwestern turned the ball over on downs. Shrugging off his previous mishap, Avi Zern took control of the offense with a nice 21 yard catch and run by Moshe Lieberman. Two plays later, Avi Zern had a 13 yard run for a touchdown, juking and spinning his way in for their first of many touchdowns in the game. Extra point was a nice completion on an out route to Moshe Lieberman to go up 7-0. Northwestern attempted to respond but besides for a nice run by QB Tzvi Stern, they couldn’t really get anything off the ground and punted, putting Omni all the way back at their own 10. On the next play, Omni ran a designed run and Avi Zern, following his blockers well, ran for 22 yards to get his team to thor opponents 28 with a new set of downs, Omni continued to pound the ball, and after a nice run on 2nd down leaving them with a 3rd and 2, Avi Zern hit his TE Sammy Sonnenberg on a roll-out for the touchdown.The Extra Point was good on a nice pass to Chaim Harris. Northwestern again went 3 and out and had a turnover on downs, though QB Tzvi Stern had a nice completion for 17 yards. Omni got the ball back at their opponents 21 and was back in business. On second and 7 from the 8 yard line, Zern hit Ezra Shulman crossing over the front of the endzone for another TD, with Chaim Katz coming down with the catch for the extra point. On the following play QB Tzvi Stern tried forcing a ball into tight coverage and got picked off by Tzvi Seidman for a pick 6 putting Omni up 27-0. With the offense all riled up and looking to get some more reps in beforehalf, Omni went for 2, With Avi Zern hitting Chaim Harris for the 2 point conversion. With halftime coming near, and Northwestern playing with desperation, Tzvi Stern hit his receiver for a long 37 yard catch down field setting up Northwestern with a Redzone opportunity at the 8 yard line. However, with a nice sack by Sammy Sonnenberg to drive them back to the 14, Tzvi Stern felt the pressure and threw another interception, an extremely athletic play by DB Chaim Harris to get his feet in and make the catch. But on the following play, with the time running out, Rafi Hess got to Omni QB Avi Zern and got Northwestern on the board with a safety, going in to halftime 29-2 Omni. Northwestern received the ball in the second half in great field position, at midfield. and on 4th and 15 from the 25 yard line, QB Tzvi Stern found Dovi Dahan wide open down field for a touchdown, but the extra point was no good, as the receiver came up 1 yard short of the Endzone. Omni, not one to play around, came right back up swinging, and on 2nd and 17 from their own 13, Avi Zern hit WR Moshe Lieberman downfield on a 47 yard TD reception. The PAT was no good. Northwestern got the ball back but simply couldn’t do anything against this stout Defense. On the first play, DE Sammy Sonnenberg got a 6 yard sack to put them back at their own 4. On second down, Tzvi Stern thought he had an open receiver downfield, but Omni DB Chaim Harris timed his leap perfectly and jumped the route in front for the receiver to come down with the pick at Northwestern’s 23 yardline.on the next play, Avi Zern hit none other than WR Chaim Harris for a 23 yard touchdown to go up 41-8, the extra point fell incomplete. At this point the game was basically over, but Northwestern held their heads high and didn’t give up, with Tzvi Stern hitting a 23 yard completion downfield and a few plays later hit WR Sam Kaufman who fought for the ball that looked like it was going to be intercepted and ran in for the touchdown. The extra point however, was intercepted by the defense and was no good. Omni got the ball back and ran the clock down to the end of the game.

ShabbosKodesh.com vs. All Americans 20-27

This game was one of many extremely important and tight games throughout the night. Going into the game, Shabbos Kodesh was 5-2 and All Americans were 4-3. If All Americans would have lost this game they would have found themselves at best at the 6th seed, with their only option to get into the UMC is with the win and in play-in game next week. Shabbos Kodesh was in the same boat. If they win they clinch the 4th seed and secure their position in the UMC. If they lose they could fall to the 6th seed and need to play the play-in game next week. and now, on to the game:

Shabbos Kodesh won the coin toss and decided to defer. All Americans received the ball and started on their own 13, Though, hindered by a crucial 3rd and 11 false start they went 3 and out and punted the ball away. Shabbos Kodesh, starting from their own 15 got a quick first down and then on 3rd and 19 from their opponents 24 Shabbos Kodesh’s QB Jake Mannis hit Micheal Tover on a 24 yard bomb down the sideline for a TD, and with the PAT going incomplete the score was 6-0. It didn’t take long for All Americans to respond though, as on the following drive, All Americans QB Yakov Rosenblum rolled out to the left and threw across his body on a deep bomb to WR Yitz Devor for a 49 yard gain to put them at Shabbos Kodesh’s 1 Yard line in a 1st and goal. Not to be taken for granted, Shabbos Kodesh’s DE Rafi Gutman got a nice sack to put them back a few yards, but on the following play Rosenblum hit Rephael Wechsler with a bullet on an out route low and only where he could catch it. With the extra point going incomplete, the game was tied 6-6. The following drive for Shabbos Kodesh was one to be forgotten, as it started with two consecutive false starts, and then on 1st and 28 Shabbos Kodesh QB Jake Manis tried forcing a ball downfield and All Americans LB Noam Sonnenberg made an athletic catch on the sideline getting one foot in as he came down to put his team at an instant goal to go situation at their opponents 20. a few plays later, on 3rd and goal and the 13, Rosenblum again threw a beautiful touch pass to Rephael Wechsler at the back of the Endzone right over the defense, the PAT this time was good on a pass to Akiva Stutman to go up 13-6. The trouble for Shabbos Kodesh was not over though, as on second down All Americans DE Sam Lieberman got to the Shabbos Kodesh QB for a 7 yard sack, followed by a pick by All Americans DB Akiva Stutman on an underthrown ball. Building on this  momentum, All American made quick work on offense, and again, on 2nd and 7 from their own 25 QB Yakov Rosenblum hit WR Rephael Wechsler for another TD. The extra point was intercepted but wasn’t returned, and so the score was 19-6. With time running out, Shabbos Kodesh hoped to mount a quick drive to get some more points on the board, but All Americans DE Sam Leiberman had a different idea and got his fourth sack of the half to send the game to halftime at 19-6. the second half didn’t start off much better for Shabbos Kodesh, they went backwards with a penalty on first down, followed by a block in the back in the endzone which resulted in a safety, making the score 21-6. Continuing to build on their dominating performance, following a botched snap that put them at their own 20 yard line, Yakov Rosenblum Hit a beautiful deep ball to Yitz Devor, who ran the ball in for another touchdown. As with the previous attempts, the PAT went incomplete and the score was 27-6. Many teams would have waved the white flag at this point, but these Shabbos Kodesh players had that dog mentality and never gave up. And on the next drive they started moving the ball down the field. Slowly and meticulously they started moving the ball, getting to 4th and 4 from their opponents 13, but sadly, they stalled. However, their defense rallied and forced a quick 3 and out, getting the ball back at their own 16 on a nice punt. This time the Herzelia boys rallied and a 38 yard dime from Mannis to WR Micheal Tover gave Shabbos Kodesh their second TD of the night. In addition to the TD, Micheal Tover came down with the extra point as well, putting the game score at 27-13. With great clock awareness, Shabbos Kodesh decided to go for the onside kick. This didn’t end well for them as the 4th and 20 fell incomplete giving All Americans the opportunity to end the game then and there with a 1st and goal from the 10. Shabbos Kodesh is not a team that rolls over however, and they held All Americans to a 3 and out in a great Goal Line stand. Getting the ball back, Jake Manis advanced the ball with urgency, with 3 big passes ending with a 21 yard TD catch by WR Yair Slasky who got behind the defense. Shabbos Kodesh decided to only go for 1, as the odds of getting two 1’s is higher than getting one 2 point conversion and it was a successful attempt, with Slasky again coming up big with a reception in the back of the endzone. With time running out Shabbos Kodesh went for another Onside Kick, and this time, they were successful, with WR Yair Slasky finding a hole in All American’s zone coverage for a gain of 26 yards. Things were looking dire for All Americans, as Shabbos Kodesh firmly held the momentum and were at midfield with 15 seconds to go. However, All American’s stout defense showed back up and held Shabbos Kodesh to incompletions until the clock hit zeros.

This game had heavy ramifications on the standings, as once the dust was settled on the week, Shabbos Kodesh found themselves in the 5th seed, as BhB pulled out a surprising loss to Route 38 and therefore went 4-4 and found themselves at the 6th seed. but nonetheless, Shabbos Kodesh still needs to play in the play-in game next week against Converse Dating, with the loser of that game going to the LMC.

All Americans on the other hand secured their spot in the UMC by getting the 4th seed. Though at the time they were still in contention for the 5th seed pending the results of the BhB game.

Pizzeria Efrat vs. TC 13-20

This game wasn’t as close as the final result would have you think. TC dominated the line of scrimmage with a dominant performance against a stout Pizzeria Efrat team who were looking to turn things around from their loss last week to the Umpa Lumpas. Most of the game was dominated by defense but with Pizzeria Efrats QB Moshe Shear being chased around all day. And with TC’s Gav Stein’s connection with QB Dovi Mann TC handled their business and went into the reseeding round undefeated. Pizzeria Efrat on the other hand may need to start worrying as the defending champions are now on a two game losing streak heading in to the roughest stretch of games in the season

Umpa Lumpas vs. Marvelous Midos Machine 27-30

Boy was this game a surprise. Going into the week Marvelous Midos weren't officially eliminated from the upper conference, but in order to get in they would have needed to win both of their games, which very few people were expecting them to pull off. Even if they managed to pull off the victory against Converse, no one was expecting the team that had just beaten the 6-0 Pizzeria Efrat to lose to a 2-4 team. But mistakes are the name of the game, and the Umpa Lumpas lost this game with dumb mistakes, along with a very sound gameplan and dominant performance by The Marvelous Midos Machine.

Umpa Lumpas won the toss and deferred, so Marvelous Midos received to start the game. Thanks to the kick going out of bounds, MMM started at their own 20, and a few plays later saw a PI called on the defense to set up MMM with a 1st and goal from the 20. Ultimately this drive ended with no points, with Umpa Lumpas turning MMM over on downs at the 8 yard line. Starting at the 8, they were moved even further back with a penalty putting them at the 4, but a few plays later on a 3rd and 7 at the 21 saw Umpa Lumpa striking first with Eliezer Weissmandle hitting a 39 yard bomb down the field caught by Morris Setton for the TD. The extra point was also good on a nice pass to Shmuel Gelfan to go up 7-0. Marvelous Midos responded quickly with a 43 yard bomb down the sideline to Ari Miller to put them at the 7 on a 1st and goal. A few plays later, MMM QB Shuey Dachs hit Ari Miller again on a TE release to the endzone. The PAT was good as well with MMM QB hitting Binyomin Larner at the back of the endzone tying the game up at 7-7. Umpa Lumpas did not take long to respond, as on the next drive, Wiesmandle hit Morris Setton on a deep 37 yard touchdown while scrambling. This time, the extra point went incomplete keeping the score at 13-7. Seeing Umpa Lumpas Quick response Marvelous Midos said “we can do better” and the first play of the drive went 50 yards to Ari Miller on an out and up to the endzone. The extra point on this one was good as MMM QB Shuey Dachs hit Yehuda Deutsch in stride to go up 14-13. Umpa Lumpas again hit back with a quick score as Eliezer Weissmandle hit Eli Meir Weisshaus in the middle of the field, who then avoided being flagged by two defenders and then walked into the endzone. The extra point this time was good to go up 20-14. This time Umpa Lumpas defense stood strong and forced a 3 and out to get the ball back at their own 8. Though MMM decided that it was time for its defense to show up and they held the Umpa Lumpas to a 3 and out as well. The great defense didn’t stop and on 1st down Umpa Lumpa corner Morris Setton came down with an amazing toe tap interception to give the ball back to his team before halftime. Umpa Lumpas advanced the ball nicely, but ultimately ran out of time and had to heave it to the endzone to no avail and went into the half with the lead 20-14. Umpa Lumpas received the ball in the second half starting at their own 23, and did not waste much time. On 1st down Weissmandle found Leiblel Eichorn down field who then made a guy miss and strolled into the endzone. The extra point was good and Umpa Lumpas went up 27-14. It again did not take Marvelous Midos a long time to respond, as on second down from their own 22, Shuey Dachs hit Yehuda Deutsch on a deep ball down the sideline where he stayed in bounds and ran in for a touchdown, closing the gap. The extra point was good with a reception by Srulie Snyder to bring the score to 27-21. The next drive from Umpa Lumpas was cursed from the start, as it started with Weissmandle falling for a loss of 4 yards, and a few plays later Marvelous Midos Machine’s DB Yehuda Deutsch intercepted a deep pass that I’m sure Weissmandle would like to have back. Building on this momentum Marvelous Midos’ QB Shuey Dachs marched down the field with a meticulous drive that ended with a Binyomin Larner TD reception on a roll out from the 6th yard line. Marvelous Midos made the crucial Extra Point on a nice reception by Srulie Snyder, going up 28-27. With plenty of time left on the clock Umpa Lumpas didn’t fret, but after a quick 3 and out you could sense the pressure starting to get to them. Marvelous Midos then mounted a nice drive to get them to their opponents 6th yardline, but Umpa Lumpas held strong, and turned them over on downs. However, with the clock running down, they needed to advance with urgency. with two nice completions for 25 yards to start the drive and with the clock winding down, it seemed like Umpa Lumpas were going to score the go ahead touchdown and win the game. However, on a ball that was thrown a little behind the receiver, Marvelous Midos Machine DB Binyomin Larner came up with a massive interception that all but iced the game as the game was called to the one minute warning. With the lead, all Marvelous Midos Machine needed to do was run the clock and  get a first down to ice the game. The first play was a short QB run. Umpa Lumpa called timeout, 52 seconds to go. 2nd down was a TE rollout for 6 yards, flagged inbounds, Umpa Lumpa called their second and final timeout, 46 seconds left to the game. Marvelous Midos were faced with a serious question, do you go for the kill and the first down, or do you go the safe route and run the clock down to 20 seconds and punt. They decided to pass, and as the ball fell incomplete Umpa Lumpas sighed a sigh of relief, they would get the ball back with 45 seconds left to the game and a chance to drive down the field for a walk off TD. However, that chance never came, as the Umpa Lumpa returner, attempting to make a play, caught the punt outside of the endzone on the 3 yardline and ran back into the endzone in an attempt to make a play. But Binyomin Larner saw an opportunity to ice the game and seized it, flagging him down in the endzone for a safety to end the game at 30-27.

This game was a disappointment for Umpa Lumpas but they still clinched their position in the UMC before this game and so it didn’t matter that much for them. Marvelous Midos Machine, on the other hand, just passed their biggest hurdle to be able to contend for a spot in the play-in game next week.

BhB Investments vs. Route 38 24-26

This game was a surprise, Route 38 had been improving all season long but BhB was considered to be the better team overall. BhB obviously didn’t play up to their potential in this game and need to look ahead to next week, as their losing means they are now the 6th seed and must compete against division B’s 5th seed for a spot in the UMC. Route 38 can take their victory and use it as momentum as they chase their own ring in the LMC. 

Joe’s Eagles vs. Eagles Nest 27-0

This result was not surprising, but it was not expected. The winner of this game was going to clinch being in the upper conference and could even reach the 4th seed. Though Joe’s Eagles are a good team, no one was expecting Sender Galbut to lead his team to such a dominant performance on defense and offense of the very feisty team Eagles Nest. After this game, all eyes were pointed to the Marvelous Midos Machine vs. Converse Dating as it was going to determine what seed exactly Joe’s Eagles were going to reach, and whether they would need to compete in the play-in. 

Marvelous Midos Machine vs. Converse Dating 18-0

Another surprising result, as even the biggest MMM fans would have assumed that this game would be close. The fact that they pitched a shutout against Noam Gelb was shocking. This is how it all went down:

Marvelous Midos Machine received the opening kickoff and started at their own 16. The two teams traded 3 and outs with Converses Shmuel Cohen and MMM’s Yosef Willheim both getting sacks. However, with Converse backed up to their own 9 their punt didn't go far and Marvelous Midos started their drive with great field position at their opponents 24 yardline. On 2nd and 20 MMM QB Shuey Dachs found TE Ari Miller who jumped between 2 defenders and ran in for the TD. The extra point was no good, as Converse’s D-line came up with a big-time sack. The two teams traded 3 and outs and then on the following drive Converse QB Noam Gelb threw a goal-line interception to Yosef Wilheim who jumped the out route to give his team the ball at the one. Marvelous Midos mounted a nice drive down the field, until Converse’s DE Moshe Plastscheck got a crucial sack on 3rd and 10 to force the punt. On the next drive Converse went 3 and out with a turnover on downs by midfield. But on the next play Shuey Dachs didn’t see Shai Feintuch jumping his receivers route and high pointing the ball to come down with a nice interception to bring us to halftime. Converse received the ball in the second half and promptly went 3 and out giving the ball back to Marvelous Midos at midfield. This time they took advantage of the good field position with Shuey Dachs hitting his receiver on a come-back route on the 1 yardline, two plays later, Dachs hit Srulie Snyderon a nice out route for the TD, with the PAT going incomplete, the score was 12-0. Converse were now feeling the pressure but could not get anything going resulting in a turnover on downs at their own 20. Marvelous Midos Capitalized on this and on 4th and 14 Shuey Dachs hit Ari Miller on an out and up route for the touchdown. Converse again were able to stop the extra point, but had a lot of catching up to do. Much to their dismay, MMM’s defense held strong and forced another 3 and out. This time Converse held Marvelous Midos to a 3 and out, helped out by another sack by Moshe Paltscheck, but on the first play of the drive, coming up to the one minute warning, Noam Gelb threw yet another interception to Yehuda Deutsch to ice the game and end it.

This outcome was wild! along with the rest of the games this week. The whole standings were shaken up and there was a lot of movement. First, let's start with Division A. Omni, Mercaz and DEC were all expected to be here and have not disappointed. All Americans played Omni and Mercaz close, and even though they lost to all 3 of the aforementioned teams they definitely earned their spot as the 4th seed in this division. Shabbos Kodesh lucked out a bit that BhB collapsed vs. Route 38, but they are not out of the woods yet, they must compete with Converse Dating next week in the play-in game to see who gets the final spot in the UMC. BhB is a very hot and cold team, when they are on they could beat anyone, but they have also played down to competition in multiple games, barely putting teams away soundly like the other teams in their division. They will have a chance to compete against Marvelous Midos Machine next week to try to take their spot in the UMC. As for the other teams, Route 38 started off slow but are entering the Reseeding round with a lot of momentum, playing Omni close and beating BhB, they look to build off of this success and roll through the  LMC. Beis have better weeks and worse weeks, but when they are synchronized they can put together a pretty nice performance on the field. The Dougs were rarely put away like some other teams in the LMC and definitely have something going for them. They have certainly taken a step back from last year, but they may still be competitive in the LMC. Finally, Northwestern, a team that is better than its record would lead you to believe, they also have spurts of great football and hope to harness that going into the reseeding round. 

As to division B, TC and Pizzeria Efrat were expected to be here, though, the surprise of the year are the Umpa Lumpas. Though their inexperience shows throughout their games, they have a roster that is talented enough to go head to head with any competition. The fact that they are a new team will certainly come to bite them in the playoffs, but hopefully they can hone in on those mistakes and fix them during the reseeding round. Joe’s Eagles deserved to be here because of their performance last year, winning tier 2, though many wonder how they will do faced with stout competition in the reseeding round. After them come the Marvelous Midos Machine, who have been hot and cold all season, on one hand they get blown out by TC and beaten by Eagles Nest, on the other hand they defeat two top 5 teams to make it into the conversation. They still need to win the play-in game next week against BhB investments, but their performance this week is something to appreciate in and of itself. After them, are Converse Dating, a team that can’t quite get itself working on all fronts. They play all the top teams close and blow out all the lower teams, but for some reason they lose to a team that was 2-4 entering the week in a shutout. Hopefully they can hone in on what works for them and compete in the play-in game next week against Shabbos Kodesh. Following them are some really solid teams that are just too young and inexperienced. Eagles Nest are just a bit too new for the league, they are lacking the physicality that makes them into a top 5 team but will be a very formidable opponent for the LMC. Sound Of Silence are a very interesting team. They have struggled to find their identity all season long, but hope that they have found steady footing going into the reseeding round. After them are cares bears, a team with a ton of talent, but they just can't close games out. They hope to turn things around in the next few weeks and to make a run in the playoffs. And last but not least, the Little Giants, they are a team with a lot of potential, who just haven’t gotten anything to work all season long. They hope that there recently found identity can guide them to success in the reseeding round.