Swarm clinch playoff berth; Kings fall

The Beersheva Black Swarm are getting hot at just the right time, as the Kraft Family IFL playoffs are less than a month away.

By JERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFF
IFL Rebels 311 (photo credit: Adlai Maschiach)
IFL Rebels 311
(photo credit: Adlai Maschiach)
Week 12 in the Kraft Family IFL told a tale of two South Division teams headed in opposite directions as the regular season hit the homestretch.
On Friday at Tel Aviv University, the Papagaio Jerusalem Kings suffered their fifth consecutive defeat in a 72-12 walloping at the hands of the Dancing Camel Tel Aviv Sabres.
The next night, the Beersheva Black Swarm knocked the Kings out of postseason contention by securing their first-ever playoff berth with a 40-22 conquest over the host Leo Bloom’s Herzliya Hammers.
Beersheva QB Tal Assor threw for three scores while bombastic receiver Chen Doron had his second straight three-touchdown performance as the Swarm rallied back from a 22-14 half-time deficit to win consecutive games for the first time in franchise history.
The Hammers (2-6) fought valiantly to overturn an early 14-0 Swarm lead and even went ahead themselves on Shabby Shavit’s eight-yard TD to close out the second quarter.
However, the visitors stormed out in the second half, holding Herzliya scoreless in the final two frames to come away victorious.
In the weekend’s opener, the severely depleted Kings managed to stay with the Pioneers for a few drives before Dancing Camel took it into another gear and ran away with it.
Chaim Schiff tossed four touchdowns among his six completions on the day as Tel Aviv took advantage of seven Jerusalem turnovers to improve to 5-3 and stay in contention (barely) for first place in the North.
This week in the IFL sees a Thursday doubleheader in the capital, with a pair of powerhouses kicking off the action at 7 p.m. at Kraft Stadium. The Gush Texas Judean Rebels and Big Blue Jerusalem Lions both hold 6-1 records and the result of their bout could determine which of the teams ends up with a first-round bye in the playoffs.
The late game, slated for a 9:30 start, features a makeup contest between the Arthur’s Tel Aviv/Jaffa Sabres (6-1) and the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs (1-6), who still hold out hope to sneak into the postseason out of the North Division For more information about the