JCFL by “Your Kitchen Spot” kicked off its 13th season.
Prior to the opening week, 80 players were divided between 8 different teams via a draft system, ensuring parity in competition. The teams are named for their individual team sponsors: All State – Yaakov Schmell, ActualEyes, AMP Solutions, Baltimore CTC, Bunny’s Home Care, Evergreen Benefits Group, Tiger Heating & Air, and Y & L Landscaping.
Following the draft, teams were provided with their jerseys, sponsored by Stutman Chiropractic and leading up to the first game, players reviewed the Clothier Rules and Regulations, which included a number of additions for the 2024 season.
On Sunday morning, teams met the 2024 I Heart Remodeling Officiating Crew who, along with handling officiating duties, prepped the Tripping Kosher fields (at Pikesville Middle) with assistance from The Maryland Team Grounds Crew, and provided teams with their Fired Up equipment for the season.
Like previous seasons, all teams will compete for seven regular season games, with the top four facing off in the playoffs. The playoffs winners will then battle each other in the championship, The Goldbergs/Taam Thai/The Club/Mama Leah’s Bowl, for a chance to take home the Multicom Capital Trophy.
A thank you to the 2024 JCFL Media Sponsor, Baltimore Jewish Life/Baltimore Jewish Home.
For a recap of some of the excitement fromthe first week of the season, keep reading:
| ActualEyes | 21 |
| Bunny’s Home Care | 14 |
Ezra Strum’s jersey and Bava Batra daf 131a — that’s where team Bunny’s Home Care was holding. Led by two “Ezra Strums” — thanks to a printing error — ActualEyes’ all-99 D-line of Strum and Yisroel “No-Chancesky” sacked and harassed journeyman QB Dovid Flamm all day long.
ActualEyes’ first drive nearly stalled, when on third down, Aharon Lefkovitz held onto a backwards diving catch between two defenders. This set up a strike to Chaim Baruch Lefkowitz (CBL) in the front right end zone.
On Bunny’s opening drive, David May broke up a third-down ball to Chaim Herbstman and possibly injured his eye, which could be treated by the professionals at ActualEyes.
In the second half, a Bunny blitz forced a May scramble, allowing CBL to get wide open for a 40-yard touchdown. But two ill-advised throws by May, and a sideline touchdown catch by Avner Shotz tied the game late in the fourth quarter.
ActualEyes then marched down the field with a long QB run, another Eli Dollman reception, a Shmuly Luxenburg touchdown, and a Luchansky extra point. Bunny was looking helpless, but CBL slipped, allowing a long gain by Shotz. However, ActualEyes’ D-line proved too disruptive, and CBL quickly redeemed himself with a game-sealing interception.
| Y & L Landscaping | 30 |
| AMP Solutions | 21 |
Y & L Landscaping got their season off to a roaring start, despite the absence of star QB Dan Gutman and TE Moshe Rothman, rallying from an early deficit to defeat AMP Solutions.
Super-sub Yoyo Strauss stepped in and threw 5 TD passes to accompany some of his vintage scrambling. Mordechai Schiermeyer had a pair of TD receptions and set up a third with a big play, Akiva Stutman and Menachem Rubenstein added a TD apiece, and Baruch Dollman had a sack on defense while holding up at TE all day on the offensive side. Ben Gutman showed out on both sides of the ball with a TD and a sack, while sub Chaim Mandelbaum grabbed an INT to seal the game in the closing minutes.
| Evergreen Benefits Group | 38 |
| Baltimore CTC | 22 |
Evergreen Benefits, led by QB, Chaim Finkelstein, kicked off their three-peat quest with a decisive victory over Baltimore CTC.
Evergreen dominated the first half, beginning with Safety Sammy Cohen ending Baltimore CTC’s first drive of the season with an INT. After that, Evergreen scored touchdowns on 5 straight possessions to take a 32-6 lead into halftime. Unsurprisingly, defending league MVP Shloime Scheinfeld scored 4 of those TDs, consistently shredding the Baltimore CTC defense. TE Avrumi Freund also scored on a well-executed passing play.
With all of Evergreen’s offensive fireworks, the one play that stood out was a perfectly executed hook-and-ladder, in which Cohen caught a pass, and showing true achdus, lateraled to Scheinfeld, who easily scored behind a punishing block from back-from-multiple-retirements WR Yoseph Orshan.
In the 1st half, Evergreen dominated at all 3 levels of their defense. DEs Nosson Waldman and Freund consistently applied pressure. Middle linebackers Yoni Finkelstein, Chaim Finkelstein, and Orshan consistently broke up passes and limited Baltimore CTC to minimal gains. Safeties Cohen and Scheinfeld made the deep part of the field a “no fly zone.”
Baltimore CTC regrouped in the second half to make it semi-respectable, but it was too little too late. Evergreen played a bend-but-don’t-break defense and gave up a few scores. After a mostly ineffective (and) offensive 2nd half, Evergreen iced the game after Finkelstein extended a goal-line play and casually flicked a patented backhanded pass to Orshan in the back of the end zone.
| Tiger Heating and Air | 25 |
| Yaakov Schmell: Allstate | 19 |
In the first game of the season, Tiger Heating and Air, led by Ezra Bregin, faced Allstate Insurance – Yaakov Schmell, led by Avi Yudkowsky. Tiger struck first, taking a 12-6 lead with just 30 seconds left in the first half. However, on a two-minute drill, Bregin threw an interception, allowing Yudkowsky to capitalize with a score, putting Allstate up 13-12 heading into halftime.
The second half saw a back-and-forth exchange of scores, keeping the game close. With only three minutes remaining, Bregin found himself in a tie game with a fourth and short. Tiger decided to trust the analytics, calling a fake run and completing a pass to Yoffi Storch to keep the drive alive. Bregin quickly followed up with a touchdown pass to Storch.
Down by six and with under a minute left, Yudkowsky attempted a game-winning drive but fell short, as Tiger intercepted a pass in the end zone to secure the victory.
