BUAFL’s rivalry weekend saw the York Centurions suffer an agonising defeat of the season in a close and physical encounter. As in all their games so far, the result came down to a single score, and unfortunately they fell just short, ending on the losing team for a third straight game.
With Hull sitting undefeated at the top of the North Eastern Conference and favourites to win the game, it was a chance for York to silence their doubters, and to get revenge for the only playoff defeat in the Centurions short history.
The game was very slow to start as both offences struggled to get the ball moving, resulting in short drives by both teams. Penalties and mistakes did not help either side, but strong plays on the defensive side of the ball meant that both teams struggled to make yards. It was clear that the more physical team would come out on top, with both teams playing aggressively from the start.
Towards the end of the first quarter, a huge punt from Hull put the Centurions back on their 1 yard line. York managed to make a few yards to give themselves some breathing space, but ultimately were forced to punt into the wind. The short kick gave Hull great field position to start their drive, and they wasted little time capitalising on this. After a few plays, and a couple of first downs, Hull quarterback Sam Gogerly found an open receiver for a 30 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion was missed giving Hull a 6-0 lead going into the second quarter.
The second quarter started much like the first, with neither team managing a meaningful drive. Hull thought they had scored a second long touchdown only for it to be called back for a holding penalty. With a few minutes left on the clock Hull were again forced to punt from just inside their own half. A bad snap allowed linebacker Andy Kerr and defensive end Jon Saunders to chase down the punter and sack him, giving the Centurions the ball back with only 30 yards to go. After moving the team down the field with a few passes, quarterback Rob Wickham ran in a 10 yard touchdown with the last play of the half. The failed 2 point conversion meant that the teams remained level at half time.
The game was just as tight in the second half with neither team being able to score throughout the third quarter and most of the fourth. It looked as though the game could head to overtime for the third time this season for the Centurions. With about 5 minutes to play, York were again faced with a long field, starting from their own 5 yard line. With the offensive line giving the quarterback protection he hadn’t seen all season, Wickham attempted to pass his way up the field. Unfortunately the first attempt was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. The 2 point conversion left York trailing 14-6 and running out of time.
Much like at Northumbria, the Centurions were chasing the game in the final minutes and looking for big passing plays to make a comeback. Knowing this, Hull dropped more men into coverage, and managed another interception with less than 2 minutes to play, effectively killing off the game. A big defensive stand by York at their own 10 yard line gave the offence a chance, but with 25 seconds on the clock and 80 yards to go, it was too much to ask. Hull continued their unbeaten season, and York came off knowing that their hopes to make the playoffs were shrinking.
After the game, Centurions Head Coach Will Claringbold said: “I’m immensely proud of the team after the performance. Hull are the stand out team in our division and were able to shut down their high powered offense. We were able to move the ball well offensively. The team will feel, like i do, that had a couple of things broken our way we could well have won the game. There are a lot of positives to take away from the game against Hull which we’ll need to take into the game against Durham to get our season back on track.”
Defensive captain Fred Isaac added: “The defense played exceptionally well with a number of rookies stepping up and making crucial plays. We have points to work on, but only conceding 8 points, I’m not complaining.”
MVPs for the game: Overall – Rob Wickham; Offense – The entire offensive line; Defense – Fred Isaac; Special Teams – Harry Nelson