York knew the stakes before the match started; win 3 games and they make the playoffs, lose any and it was all over. With the offence ending the game without a score for the first time in 12 games, there was nothing an impressive defence could do to change the result.
Starting with the ball, the Centurions offence struggled to get things moving, being forced to punt after just 3 plays. That set the tone for the entire first quarter, with both teams struggling with the ball. There were a few promising plays for York, the best of which was a 17 yard screen pass to running back Archie Vickers, but ultimately the Centurions failed to make much ground running with the ball, losing a fumble to cap off a poor quarter.
On the defensive side of the ball things could not have gone much better in the first quarter. They turned the ball over 3 times with an interception from safety Harry Rackham and 2 from linebacker James Speck, as well as holding Leeds to short drives and not conceding any points. Field position played a big part in the second quarter, with the ball in the Centurions half for almost the entire period. Starting near their own goal line every time they came onto the field meant that finding the end zone was going to be extremely difficult for the offence. Short drives meant that York had to rely on their strong defence to keep them in the game. After another turnover, a fumble recovery by linebacker Andy Allan, York gave the ball straight back with a second fumble of their own.
With halftime approaching, and York’s offence starting by their goal line, a penalty for intentional grounding meant that Leeds got onto the scoreboard first, with a safety awarded as the penalty occurred in the end zone. The defence made sure that was all they managed, and York left the field trailing 2-0 at halftime.
A relatively quiet third quarter saw York see more success on offence, moving the ball a bit better, and having more success in the passing game. Suffering from a few injuries they needed defensive players to help out, with Speck and Fred Isaac coming in as running backs. Issac had an immediate impact with a powerful 12 yard run, as well as a 10 yard reception later in the quarter. Despite passing the ball better, the offence struggled to make it into the Leeds half.
The defence remained strong through most of the quarter, but longer drives from the Leeds offence, and having players play for the offence was taking its toll. After a lengthy drive, the Leeds quarterback found an open receiver downfield for a 28 yard touchdown. The missed kick meant York trailed 8-0 going into the
final quarter.
Chasing the game, York relied a lot more on their passing, and while making a few decent catches, the offence was under a lot of pressure and failed to deliver any game changing plays. The defence did all it could to give the offence a chance at scoring, but after another long drive by Leeds, a 21 yard run gave them a second touchdown. The conversion going over off the post left York down by 15, and with time quickly running out. The Leeds offence was able to run down the clock and play out the game without giving York a chance to come back. With the end of the game came the end of the playoff hopes for the Centurions, who will look for a strong end to the season as a small consolation.
Speaking about the loss, Head Coach Will Claringbold said: “It was an immensely frustrating afternoon. The defence played a fantastic game with 4 turnovers, but injuries on offence really shook us up as we had to play people out of position. It was a disappointing way to bow out of the playoff race, but we can move forward and build momentum for next years campaign.”
Game MVPs: Overall – Fred Isaac, Offence – Nathaniel Blackmore, Defence – Andy Kerr, Special Teams – Conor McPherson.