If you thought the regular season had excitement, drama, and more lead changes than a Shabbos afternoon game of “Rummikub,” the JCFL Playoffs said, “Hold my OU certified beer.”
Two thrillers. Four teams leaving everything they had on the field. And now, just one game remains—the TYH Roofing Bowl, this Sunday (11/23) on the Turf Fields at New Town High School. Just fifteen minutes from the community, which is basically “around the corner” by Baltimore standards. Grab your kids, your neighbors, your kids’ neighbors – this is the showdown you do not want to miss.
Below are the highlights, heart-stoppers, and heroics from a Playoffs Sunday we’ll be talking about for years (or at least until the JCSL season starts).
Evergreen Benefits Group 32 — Tripping Kosher 30
Thriller? Understatement. Classic? That word feels inadequate.
This was the kind of game that will play on a loop on JCFL Classics—the Yidflicks show that doesn’t exist yet, but honestly should.
With hundreds of fans braving the elements, captains Chaim Finkelstein and Yoyo Strauss put on a show worthy of its own documentary. These two are the Brady and Manning of the JCFL – if Brady and Manning both kept kosher, had multiple family members on the sidelines, and played through winds strong enough to blow off your ShayneCoat.
Tripping Kosher struck first, wasting zero time. Evergreen answered. Tripping Kosher struck again. Evergreen answered again. This ping-pong pace continued all half long—except for extra points, which the wind rejected like a picky toddler rejecting vegetables.
Tripping Kosher capitalized on some rare Evergreen miscues and built a 24–12 halftime lead. But Evergreen doesn’t do “give up.” They do “plot twist.”
Cue the famous Finkelstein-to-Finkelstein connection—Chaim to his brother Yoni—for a beautiful corner endzone grab. Tripping Kosher responded with another score for a 30–18 lead, but Evergreen… well, they don’t know the meaning of the word quit.
Akiva Stutman, the league’s resident ankle-collector, juked three defenders and took off for his second long TD of the day. Add in the game’s only two-point conversion and a midair interception worthy of a slow-motion highlight reel on the next drive, Stutman had suddenly given Evergreen the ball back with a chance to win.
Enter pilot Gershon Vegh, who soared—literally—past a defender to haul in the go-ahead touchdown in the back of the endzone. Evergreen’s defense then produced a massive fourth-down stop, highlighted by pressure from lineman Moshe Segelman, who treated the backfield like it owed him money.
Needing one first down to seal the deal, Chaim Finkelstein did what Chaim Finkelstein does—fired a precision strike to Chaim Fink, and that was all she wrote.
Once again, Chaim leads his squad back to the JCFL Championship—this time for a rematch with Yaakov Schmell – Allstate Insurance and their QB, Avi Yudkowsky.
Yes, the popcorn will be sold out by halftime.
Yaakov Schmell – Allstate Insurance 18 — Tidy Up 7
Schmell-Allstate showed up on this windy and cold Sunday morning juiced up, in no small part due to the Team DJ, Avner Shotz, getting the team going with his carefully curated playlist.
But despite the music, the team came out cold—literally. Between the frigid weather and the extended pregame delays caused by what must have been a record number of official conferences, Schmell-Allstate struggled early.
Their first drive stalled, and Tidy Up struck first with a touchdown pass from QB Ari Hettleman to Mitch Gross for a 7–0 lead.
But as it turned out, that would be the only dust Tidy Up managed to collect all day.
Schmel-Allstate’s defense—anchored by the relentless Neil Gertsman and David Moinzadeh—brought pressure all afternoon. Chaim Goldman and Zack Lerner shut down the deep threats, forcing Tidy Up to work for every inch.
With just one minute left in the half, DJ Shotz worked his magic again, urging QB Avi Yudkowsky to remove his sweatshirt and “let the guns out.” Avi obeyed… and the offense immediately came alive. A rapid-fire drive ended with Yudkowsky hitting Chaim Goldman for a touchdown, bringing Schmell-Allstate within one heading into halftime.
In the second half, both defenses traded stops until Avi found Aaron Hoffman streaking down the right sideline. Hoffman snagged the pass, turned on the jets, and delivered the go-ahead TD: 12–7 Allstate.
After a crucial defensive stand, linemen Daniel Gunzberg and Neil Gertsman gave Avi the pocket he needed. Zack Lerner drifted into a soft spot in the defense, caught the pass, and trotted into the endzone untouched to stretch the lead to 18–7.
Tidy Up had one last chance, but with two minutes left, Allstate’s defense slammed the door shut to punch their ticket to a highly anticipated championship rematch with Evergreen Benefits Group.
See You Sunday. Bring Your Voice. Bring Your Passion. Bring Your Kids’ Extra Gloves.
It’s Evergreen. It’s Allstate. It’s a rematch. It’s the TYH Roofing Bowl.
And yes—someone will soon be hoisting the beautiful, shiny Premier Financial Trophy, probably while their kids run around asking if they can hold it too.
See you on the sidelines!
