IFL: Lions, Kings, Sabres extend winning streaks

It was a second straight conquest for each of the three victors and all of the games continued a recent pattern of tensely-fought battles being waged throughout the league.

By URIEL STURM
It'snot even two-thirds of the way through the regular season and alreadythe action in the Kraft Family IFL is delightfully taking on aplayoff-like intensity.
A three-game weekend shook up thestandings once again as the Mike's Place Tel Aviv Sabres dodged abullet to remain in first place, while the depth from the capital wasshowcased in impressive victories by both the Big Blue Jerusalem Lionsand Papagaio Jerusalem Kings.
It was a second straight conquestfor each of the three victors and all of the games continued a recentpattern of tensely-fought battles being waged throughout the league.
Eachof the contests were within six points or less at some stage of thefourth quarter and the final result in two of them came down to thefinal possession.
Kicking off the festivities in a doubleheaderThursday night under the lights, the Lions rode a pair offour-touchdown performances from returning 2008 MVP Moshe Horowitz andquarterback Itai Ashekenazi to outlast the Judean Rebels 70-48 beforethe Kings dealt the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs their second straightdefeat in a 42-34 nail-biter that wasn't decided until the final minute.
OnSaturday in Modi'in, a flat and underwhelming Sabres' attack was heldfor most of the night by an inspired defensive effort by the hostDancing Camel Pioneers, and it took a pair ofthird-quarter short TD scampers from QB Alex Trafton to bail out TelAviv and allow them to escape with a league-first sixth triumph in a24-18 final.
The Lions-Rebels match quickly developed into acat-and-mouse game, with Big Blue rallying for three straight TDsfollowing a 50-yard weaving TD on the ground from Judea's Joe Martisiusfor the night's first points.
Ashkenazi hooked up with IdanYaron for three more scores, including an acrobatic gem from the starreceiver to snatch back a touchdown from a sure interception.
Horowitz,in his first action of the season, started slowly but quickly heated upand found the endzone three times in the second half to dash any hopesof a comeback by the never-say-die Rebels.
In the nightcap, the Kings jumped out to a 22-0 lead before watching Haifa storm back to tie the game at 34 with 1:09 remaining.
However,Jon Rubin's second TD swung it back in the host's direction and aMarshall Mullinax safety on the game's final play iced the victory andbrought Papagaio back to .500 at 3-3.
This week sees the Rebels (3-4) visit the Beersheva Black Swarm (0-6) for a Friday morning showdown of expansion franchises.
For more information and a complete 2009/10 schedule, please visit www.IFL.co.il.