Rebels, Sabres triumph, set sights on showcase showdown

Both teams will be ultra-pumped for their December 30 marquee matchup of Kraft Family IFL division leaders.

By JERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFF
IFL 311 (photo credit: (Adlai Maschiach))
IFL 311
(photo credit: (Adlai Maschiach))
For the pair of victors, Week 7 was a terrific table-setting test in the Kraft Family IFL. For the defeated duo, it was just a double dose of despair.
Thursday night in the capital saw the Judean Rebels ride another juggernaut performance from their myriad of playmakers to a 52-18 conquest of the Travel Leaders Beersheva Black Swarm, who have now dropped four straight.
Jon Millar had by far his best outing of the season with two long scores while Alex Swieca walked in another pair of TDs as the Orange Crush overcame a spectacular display from the Swarm’s Brandon McDougald to get back atop the South Division, half a game ahead of the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions at 4-1.
Saturday night at Wolfson meant yet another home win for the Arthur’s Tel Aviv/Jaffa Sabres, who improved to 5-0 on the season with a 28-6 workman-like handling of the Papagaio Jerusalem Kings and will next have to take their perfect record on the road to face the Rebels at month’s end.
“The feeling of winning never gets old, but we never take it for granted,” exclaimed Sabres’ star Sol Rojhani, who scored three times in the victory.
While the Kings were able to stay within striking distance until the fourth quarter, ultimately coughing up the ball four times was just too much to rise above against a top-calibre team like the Sabres, who yielded a pair of turnovers themselves.
The Rebels, too, shook off two lost fumbles and benefitted from a crucial turnover just before the half to put up eight back-breaking points and propel themselves to triumph.
“We have a couple of mottos on our team,” explained Millar in the aftermath of his Mike’s Place Player of the Game performance.
“The first thing we all know is that Hashem is behind everything we do. The second thing is that we all have each others’ backs.
Both the Rebels and Sabres will need all of their guys to bring their A games to their highly anticipated high-octane clash in the capital on December 30. That marquee matchup will serve as the backend of a Thursday night Sport5 doubleheader, opening with a Jerusalem derby between the Kings and Lions (3-1).
First, however, is the double slate on deck for Week 8, in which the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs (0-4) will finally play their first home game of the regular season this Thursday night, when they host their Northern rivals, the Dancing Camel Tel Aviv Pioneers (2-2) in Yoqne’am.
Friday in Holon will see the first-year Leo Bloom’s Herzliya Hammers (2-2) entertaining Big Blue in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
For more information about the IFL and tackle football in Israel, please visit www.ifl.co.il