Roses preview: American football

by James Ashrafi-Tari

Having beaten the Lancaster Bombers 14-12 in the regular season, the York Centurions hope to continue their most successful season to date by recording their first ever Roses win. In last year’s fixture, the opening kick off saw Lancaster return the ball 80 yards for a touchdown. The Centurions never recovered and were down 12-0 by half time, with Lancaster getting a third score in the third quarter. York managed to run in a late consolation touchdown, but the final result had not been in any doubt, with Lancaster dominating and taking an 18-6 victory.

This season saw the York Centurions end with a winning record of 5-3, improving on a 4-4 record from last year. Although missing out on repeating their appearance in the playoffs, it is a great achievement for a team in only its third year in the league. Despite heavy defeats to the top 3 teams in the Northern Conference (Sheffield Hallam, Hull and Sheffield), the Centurions will be confident heading into the Roses weekend. They have already defeated Lancaster in what turned out to be a very tight game. Trailing 14-0 at half time, the Bombers fought back with 2 scores as the intensity of the Centurions dropped. Lancaster ended their season on a 2-6 record, a very different team to the one that made the National Championship playoffs in 2011. Despite the form, they are a team that should not be underestimated, as they will be looking to make up for their poor season.

Player to watch: Rob Wickham, QB. Rob started the season as second string quarterback after playing at defensive end last season. Although new to the position, he made quick progress and was pushing for a starting spot heading towards Christmas. When given his chance, he made the position his own, making big plays and leading the offence on long scoring drives. His 2 touchdowns against the very stingy defence of Sheffield Hallam demonstrate the threat he brings to an offence that has relied heavily on running the ball. He is also a danger on the ground, running in a touchdown against Lancaster earlier this year.

Despite the very different fortunes that the teams have had so far this season, this match up looks set to be another very close and exciting game. Both teams will aim to be extremely physical from the start, with the winner being whoever can maintain the intensity into the second half. While this can sometimes be the downfall for the Centurions, they will start the game the stronger of the two, and can build a lead which the Bombers will struggle to chase.

Predicted Score: Lancaster 14-22 York