HOBOKEN, NJ -- The Flutie Boys had hit a bump in the road on their way into the playoffs, losing their final regular season game to the already eliminated Lion’s Pride squad who, despite their losing record, lived up to their name.  There may have been some question marks heading into the playoffs, but those were certainly answered quickly.  They flipped that infamous and elusive playoff switch to the On position and were firing on all cylinders when it mattered most, leaving no doubt as to who was top dog of the Mean Joe Greene Division.

            The Flutie Boys met with BaderAde & Vodka Wednesday night with the divisional crown on the line.  The two championship contenders had one regular season matchup, where The Flutie Boys squeaked by with a 4-point victory. 

         BaderAde & Vodka was coming off of a round 1 thriller as the #4 seed attempted to shock the flag football world by taking down the top two teams of the division.  The Flutie Boys were flying high, coming off of their 32-point shellacking of #3 Yer Motha’s Broccoli.  With both teams on a roll and a close previous matchup, the excitement was building as the championship bout arrived.

            Tait Pirkle was a man on a mission.  He and The Flutie Boys started the game on fire.  They received the ball first, and a pass didn’t hit the turf for the offense until their third drive.  Pirkle led the team to 2 methodical scoring drives to take an early 16-6 lead.  A third score meant the game was getting away from opponent BaderAde & Vodka quickly, but they had a chance.  They’d score once more before the half to cut the lead down to just 8 points.  Getting the ball after the half as well, the importance of the score couldn’t be understated.  Up 22-14, The Flutie Boys could have easily ran out the clock and taken the lead into the half, satisfied with 3 straight scoring drives to start off the game.  However, that’s just not in their DNA.  They kept their foot on the pedal and marched down the field for their 4th score of the first half just as time ran out.  Instead, The Flutie Boys would take a commanding 29-14 lead into the half.  Pirkle ran for one of those scores and hit Adam Rudin for 2 of his 3 touchdown passes thus far.

A scoring drive out of the break would have been a huge boost for the BaderAde & Vodka squad.  However, Jeff Paragallo had other plans.  He’d pick off a Ryan McGuirl pass and take it to the house.  Another successful 2-point conversion attempt increased the lead to 37-14.  That wasn’t enough though.  The Flutie Boys tacked on another score on a strike to Nick Covucci, extending the lead again to 44-14. 

       BaderAde & Vodka could have easily rolled over at this point with a seemingly insurmountable lead in front of them, but they were there for a reason.  They earned their spot in the championship game after toppling the #1 seeded and defending champion No Fat Chix.  They’d march right down the field and cut the lead down to 44-22.  However, they still needed help.  That window would crack open just a little bit more.  A lucky break and an interception by Paul McCarthy gave B & V new life.  Despite the offensive onslaught put forth by The Flutie Boys, the ensuing scoring drive cut it to just a two score game.  Sensing the momentum shift, The Flutie Boys showed absolutely no panic.  Pirkle once again lead the offense through a methodical drive, draining the clock as they moved the ball.  With their opponent in desperation mode, Pirkle would hit Covucci for his second score of the half, sealing the victory via mercy rule at the 2-minute mark.  The Flutie Boys put together a complete game, start to finish, and took the Mean Joe Greene Division championship by a final score of 50-28.

In the loss, BaderAde & Vodka saw some great performances.  Ryan McGuirl, the league leading quarterback, led an efficient offensive attack.  He converted 68% of his passes with a 4:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.  Steve Hansen and TJ Kelly combined for 11 receptions, 4 touchdowns (2 each), and a 2-point conversion.  Hansen added a second half sack to his statline.  Paul McCarthy snagged 4 passes, but it’s his interception that was almost enough to swing the game in his team’s favor that left the biggest impression.  All of this would have looked great in victory, but was instead overshadowed by the absurd output put forth by The Flutie Boys.

The Flutie Boys displayed a total team effort.  The offense was led by Tait Pirkle, who completed a whopping 72% of his passes, despite 2+ drops.  He accounted for 6 total touchdowns, including 1 rushing, and turned the ball over just once despite their aggressive approach.  Adam Rudin and Nick Covucci led the receivers with their 4 touchdowns and combined for 12 receptions.  The defense was led by Rudin and Jeff Paragallo.  Paragallo’s pick-six was huge coming out of the half and Rudin added a sack and contributed several quarterback hurries.

            All of this meant that The Flutie Boys completed the goal that every team set out for at the beginning of the season, and they did so in dominant fashion.  They used their playoff platform to assert themselves as the top dogs of ABL Flag Football.  The Flutie Boys finished with an incredible 27 point average margin of victory in the playoffs, leaving no doubt about it.  Congratulations to both teams on a pair of excellent seasons and a hard for battle for the crown, and we’d like to extend an extra congratulations to the new league champions The Flutie Boys! We look forward to seeing both of you guys compete again in the coming seasons.