SPEED WINS IN CHAMPIONSHIP

PORTLAND, ME – With a combination of championship experience and amazing team speed, the Connecticut Panthers sprinted by the Maine Sabers 35-14 for the 20^th NEFL AAA Championship. The win is the fourth in a row by a team from the Southern Conference.

&ldquot;We knew we had a speed advantage&rdquot; said head coach Derek Bortz, &ldquot;we just wanted to take advantage of it whenever we could&rdquot;. The Panthers got on the board early with an 8 yard scoring run by Anrae Farier and a 7 yard run by Jamie Bryant.  After a short punt and a personal foul by a Panthers defender, running back Jon Wiechman's 11 yard plunge cut the lead in half and gave needed momentum to the Sabers.

After an exchange of possessions, a Sabers punt in the second quarter buried the Panthers on their own 3 yard line. Bortz inserted Jamie Bryant in hopes to get enough yardage to set up a punt. Bryant however had other plans. Taking a direct snap towards the right edge, Bryant out ran Saber defenders to the end zone for a 97 yard touchdown as the home crowd at Memorial Field was silenced. &ldquot;Rocket is an amazing player; few guys can do the things he does.&rdquot; The score gave the Panthers a 21-7 lead heading into the half.

The third quarter saw both defenses standing up to the challenges of opposing offenses. Defensive linemen David Reese, Dustin Linden, Sam Saylor and Corey Johnson all recorded sacks in the second half of play. The normally poised Jeremy Shorey couldn't find comfort in the Sabers pocket until the final quarter of play. There he connected with tight end Travis Barnies for a 15 yard strike setting the Sabers up on the 1 yard line. A quick pass to Chris Libby gave the Sabers their second score off the night and hope for a comeback.

After a failed onside kick attempt, the Panthers took possession near midfield. With less than seven minutes to play in regulation, the Panthers were looking to run time off of the clock. After two runs into the line of scrimmage by Farier, in came Bryant for his encore performance.  After receiving a toss to the right from Richie Snowden, Bryant reversed direction and headed towards the left sideline. Weaving through three Sabers defenders, Bryant shoulder shift dropped the final would-be tackler as he walked into the end zone for another amazing run. &ldquot;He was clearly at the top of his game tonight&rdquot; said NEFL representative Bernie Armstrong, &ldquot;he's without a doubt was the best player on the field tonight; maybe the best in the entire league.&rdquot; Bryant finished with 189 yards rushing (3 TD's), 49 yards passing (1 TD), 2 yards receiving, and 70 yards in kick returns. His 301 total yards of offense is a record high in a NEFL Championship game. &ldquot;He played great all season obviously, but he clearly saved the absolute best for last.&rdquot;

GAME STATISTICS

CONNECTICUT PANTHERS

Maine Sabers

PENALTIES

TOTAL OFFENSE

Pictured Above – David Reese (99) and fellow defenders harassed Jeremy Shorey (4) all night

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