Read below for highlights from Week 5 of the JCFL season:
| Allstate Insurance – Yaakov Schmell | 27 |
| Y&L Landscaping | 7 |
On a blistery cold December morning, Allstate-Schmell faced off against Y&L Landscaping in a crucial matchup between 2-2 teams, each vying for a playoff spot. The first half was a defensive battle as both teams traded goal line stops and end zone interceptions. Allstate-Schmell managed to convert a crucial 4th down TD pass to Dany Donaty on the last play of the half to take a 6-0 lead into the break, aided by a diving grab by Zach “Wienel” Schnitzer. Despite the lead, Allstate-Schmell was frustrated going into the half and the emotions spilled over into the locker room. Out of nowhere, Yehuda Abedon (recently called up from the practice squad), who had shown up to the game in just shorts and a T-shirt, gave a rousing and impassioned speech that would make Jameis Winston blush. Abedon’s speech inspired the Allstate team who began the second half with 3 consecutive TDs and 3 consecutive defensive stops. 2 of the touchdowns went to Dany Donaty whose 3 TD game highly impressed his sons (whom he had forced to come watch him play.)
After the game, Donaty credited his performance to his chemistry and familiarity with Yudkowsky, built up through years of mild acquaintanceship. The story of the day though was the dominant play of Allstate-Schmell’s offensive and defensive line of Neil ‘Ironman’ Gerstman, Ezra Rosen, and Yehuda Abedon.
| AMP Solutions | 31 |
| Baltimore CTC | 31 |
AMP led CTC 15-13 at the end of the first half — which featured a Pick-6 by CTC supersub Dovid “Cole Slaw” Shugarman from the goal line with 1-second remaining, followed by a Pick-1 by AMP Captain, Yaakov Rosenblum, on the ensuing conversion attempt!
In the second half, CTC QB Mahyer “Rocket” Reischer hit Avromi “Olive” Gartenhaus for his second TD (as well as many short passes throughout the game) and on the next drive, connected with Aron “Feisty Meisty” for another score. CTC took a 25-15 lead.
AMP scored two late TDs to go up 31-25, but Reischer found Meisty in the left corner of the end zone to tie the game with under a minute left for a dramatic TD.
And then came “The Play,” which will be debated about for years to come. Going for a 1-point conversion and the lead, Reischer threw to the right side of the end zone. Mitch “Crunchberry” Gross made an incredible diving catch … the ball moved as Mitch hit the ground, and he came up with it… but had the ball hit the ground, or only his bottom hand? The back judge, standing right behind the play, signaled incomplete. (Refer to Shloimy Scheinfeld’s Pulitzer-winning Zapruder film of “The Play” and then harass Commissioner Dovi Ziffer with your opinion.)
In the closing seconds, Rosenblum heaved the ball downfield to a seemingly open receiver in back of the end zone … but Meisty outran the ball’s speed for the last 10 yards, dove and tipped it just enough to alter its trajectory and it fell incomplete, sealing the tie. (In one of life’s mysteries, 66 years after the Baltimore Colts won the first NFL overtime game, the JCFL continues to not play overtime during the regular season.)
| ActualEyes | 24 |
| Tiger Heating & Air | 12 |
It may have been Rosh Chodesh Kislev, but the weak and the few would not prevail over the many and the strong in week 5’s matchup between ActualEyes and the substitution-less Tiger Heating and Air.
ActualEyes’ Strum-Luchansky D-line harassed QB Ezra Bregin to his body’s breaking point (Refuah Shleima). Tiger used three different quarterbacks, none of whom found a rhythm. ActualEyes’ David May intercepted Tiger’s first throw of the day for a touchdown. On offense, ActualEyes strung together a successful first drive led by a 20-yard catch and run by offensive coordinator, Aryeh Pliskin.
Later, ActualEyes WR Yoni Gugenheim caught a deep pass, 15 yards behind the defense, for a touchdown. Chaim Baruch “CBL” Lefkowitz added another long touchdown just before the 2-minute warning. Despite ActualEyes’ overall dominance, the game was still close thanks to a long TD catch by Asher Meth and his effective scrambling.
ActualEyes tried running out the clock, but May ran untouched thanks to tremendous blocking. Trying to control the clock, May awkwardly slipped at the 1-yard line. However, May shoveled it to Gugenheim on the next play for a touchdown. With a glimmer of hope, QB Asher Meth heaved a “Barad Miryam” downfield, which was ultimately intercepted by May. He returned the ball to midfield and slid to end the game, opting not to run up the score and living up to ActualEyes’ well-earned reputation as a team with excellent midot.
| Evergreen Benefits Group | 66 |
| Bunny’s Home Care | 21 |
In the week 5 battle between Evergreen and Bunny’s, Evergreen took home the win.
Bunny’s started off in control, as QB Chaim “not Finkelstein” Fink connected with WR Avner “Shotz Shotz” Shotz for two impressive TDs. Evergreen responded with a TD to TE/DL Avrami Freund and converted the 2-pt attempt, but Bunny’s held a 13-8 lead midway through the first half.
From that point forward, it was all Evergreen. The “Boys in Black” (and white) exploded for 50 consecutive points, scoring on every offensive possession and one defensive possession. Highlights included multiple TD passes from Evergreen’s VP of Business Development and weekend QB Chaim “not Fink” Finkelstein, multiple TD receptions by all-JCFL WR Shloime Scheinfeld, and highlight reel TD catches by Avrami Freund, Benzion Shamberg, and Yoni Finkelstein.
Yoni’s TD (which has since been described by Yoni as “the play of the year”) was an impressive, back shoulder, toe-tapping catch in the corner of the end zone.
On the defensive side, Evergreen was equally dominant as Chaim Finkelstein had a pick-6, Freund sacked Fink in the end zone for a safety, and Yoni Finkelstein had a red zone INT of his own.
