NEFL FINAL FOUR
- Updated: October 18, 2013
LAWERANCE, MA– After an exciting regular season, the final four teams have earned their rights to play for the 20th NEFL championship. &ldquot;It was an awesome year&rdquot; said Western CT Militia owner Carl Oberg, &ldquot;now were getting ready for what really matters.&rdquot;
All four remaining teams have taken different paths to this point. While the Boston Bandits has won four league championships, the balance of the teams are looking to win their first. &ldquot;We've been extremely close over the past few seasons&rdquot; said CT Panthers Derek Bortz, &ldquot;we lost in the semi-finals to the eventual champ two consecutive seasons; we're looking to take that next step this year.&rdquot; The Western CT Militia also is looking to move into elite status. After only losing one regular season game over the past two seasons, the Militia have come up short in the playoffs including being upset by the Panthers last season after earning a top seed with an undefeated regular season. The Maine Sabers however have gone undefeated in their inaugural season in the NEFL. &ldquot;This is a dream season for us&rdquot; said Sabers Steve Goodrich, &ldquot;we want to see it through.&rdquot;
The two games this weekend are both rematches of regular season battles where the home teams both came out on top. Both defeated teams however learned a lot from their regular season losses. &ldquot;We weren't as prepared as we needed to be&rdquot; said Bandits Olivier Bustin, &ldquot;Saturday we'll knows what it takes to win in Maine.&rdquot;
BOSTON BANDITS at MAINE SABERS
NORTHERN CONERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
(Regular Season Matchup: Sabers 24-Bandits 14)
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MAINE SABERS 10-0 regular season; Northern Division Champions |
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| SABERS KEY PLAYERS | DB/ WR Anthony Hicks RB John WiechmanQB Jeremy Shorey |
| SABERS WILL WIN IF….. | The Sabers will look to baffle the Bandits defense with their extremely balanced offense. Jeremy Shorey has 17 TD passes this season while John Wiechman collected 8 rushing scores in the first four weeks of play. Do- everything Anthony Hicks is a big play receiver who pitches in on a defense that has collected 27 interceptions this year. Undefeated this season, the Sabers have a huge home field advantage at Memorial Stadium. |
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BOSTON BANDITS 7-3 regular season; Eastern Division Champions |
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| BANDITS KEY PLAYERS | RB JT Harold QB Adam Headley WR Darryl HodgeDT Dareck Alcindor LB Greg Dominique |
| BANDITS WILL WIN IF…. | The Bandits defense has the players to derail the Sabers high octane attack. Secondary standouts Ty Brooks, Alvin Edwards, and Jeffery Simplice are arguably the best in the NEFL. Smooth running JT Harold will take the pressure off of first year quarterback Adam Headley. Revenging their loss to the Raging Bulls with an exciting overtime win last week, the Bandits look to take that momentum with them to the Northern Conference Championships. |
CONNECTICUT PANTHERS at WESTERN CT MILITIA
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
(Regular Season Matchup: Militia 47-Panthers 41
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WESTERN CT MILITIA 9-1 Regular Season; Southern Division Champions |
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| MILITIA KEY PLAYERS | QB Kevin Oberg RB Lionel Assie OL Mike SwartzDB Raquim Taft DL Hardison Freeman |
| MILITIA WILL WIN IF…. | The Militia is the most balanced team remaining in the playoffs. A stout defensive attack is only trumped by their offense led by MVP candidate Kevin Oberg (20 total TD's in regular season) and leading rusher Lionel Assie (conference best 8 rushing TD's). Kick returner Garry Coles and the league's top kicker Andy Benzicewicz carries the special teams. If all phases are working well, this team is hard to stop. |
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CONNECTICUT PANTHERS 9-1 Regular Season; Western Division Champions |
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| PANTHERS KEY PLAYERS | QB Rich Snowden WR Jamie Bryant LB Tylee FlowersDE David Reese DB Sir Snowden |
| PANTHERS WILL WIN IF.. | The Panthers are looking for a low scoring affair where their defense and special teams can control field position for the Panthers offense. The two-time Championship MVP Rich Snowden looks to get past the team to give him the only loss of the season. With 5 turnovers and over 100 yards in penalties in their first matchup, the Panthers feel a cleaner played game can get them one step closer to the championship. |
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