Dublin Rebels 40-34 Carrickfergus Knights.
April 22nd 2012
Venue:Shorts S&R Club, Hollywood Road,Belfast

Holywood by name, Hollywood by nature. The Rebels first game outside Dublin versus the Knights of Carrickfergus could have easily been written by the most talented of LA screenwriters such was the drama involved in this inter-divisional clash. The game was to serve as the main event on an enticing double bill hosted by the Belfast Trojans who had earlier disposed of the Craigavon Cowboys in clinical fashion in the Trojans new home at Shorts S&R Club. The Rebels were looking to notch up their 5th win in succession following a slobberknocker of a game against the West Dublin Rhinos in Week 8 whereas the Knights were looking to gain an advantage in the race for a playoff spot in the IAFL North.

Special Teams was the order of the day and Sam Hodgins served up his own side of strawberry milk when he returned the opening kickoff back for a 100 yard TD to put the Rebels into an early 6-0. The Knights offense led by veteran QB Adam Devenney went to work in an attempt to claim back those 6 points and put together a solid and well balanced first drive. Devenney controlled the tempo with a good mixture of passes and hand-offs to power running back Darren Montgomery who gashed the Rebels defense for big gains. The Knights levelled the game when Devenney hit speedy WR John McDermott deep down the Rebels sideline for a TD but could not convert the extra point attempt. The Rebels were almost successful in scoring touchdowns on back to back kick returns when again Hodgins took the rock the full distance only for it to be called back for a penalty. Despite the flag, the Rebels had good starting field position when QB Andy Dennehy took the reins of his offensive machine. However the Rebels offensive line could not get the push that Coach “Sugar” Shane Campbell was asking for in the early goings as a stout Knights D-Line stifled the Rebels run game. And subsequently it was the Knights who were to put up the next points on the scoreboard when RB Montgomery put this head down and drove through the heart of the Rebels linebacker corps to leave his team ahead 12-6 at the end of the first quarter. The Rebels could simply not establish any prolonged offensive drives in the first half against a revitalised Carrickfergus defense. Despite a Week 7 hammering at the hands of the UL Vikings, the Knights looked like a reenergised unit who were ready and willing to put it up to the champs. And it was this work ethic that created a lot of problems for the Rebels O which were compounded by penalties, nullifying any big gains. The Knights furthered their numerical advantage over their guests when Devenney connected with speedy WR Gary McElkerney on another deep bomb much to the delight of the Black n’ Yellow sideline. The Rebels did however manage to narrow the margin in the second quarter following a big over the shoulder grab from rookie WR Nick Fratini. The redzone was breached and the Rebels O-Line drove back their defensive counterparts to open up a lane for Hodgins to drive his way over the plain. On the whole, the Knights dominated proceedings in the first half and the Rebels were lucky to only trail by 4 points going into the break.

As has been the case for most of the season, the Rebels motors only got running in the second half. With backs and cracks against the wall, they came out swinging and instantly gained the upper hand when the defense lead by captain Steve Walsh, forced a quick 3 and out. DE Simon Mackey did what he did best and stacked up bodies allowing returning linebacker Kevin to get his fingers in many American pies by locking down the Knights run game and making plays in pass coverage. The Rebels O took advantage of a short field when Hodgins pounded the pigskin up behind a wall of white to put his team ahead 20-18. The tempo was starting to build in the second had and big plays were coming in from all angles. Rookie TE Ciaran O’Toole effectively shut down the Knights kick return team almost single handily as he continuously burst through the Knights blocking line to courier deliver bone-rattling hits to the return men. Again the Knights were backed up deep in their own half and the pressure began to show when a botched snap on 4th and long was pounced upon by several Rebel players in the endzone to put the away side in front by 10.

However you can never count out the Carrickfergus Knights and they came back with a TD of their own when a botched punt return by the Rebels set the Knights up in scoring range. And the points came courtesy of RB Gareth Millar following some big running plays to leave the score tied at 26 apiece. Again the sides were level and again the Rebels offense set out to tack on another 6 to their tally for the day. When it looked like the offensive engine may stall, on 3rd and manageable QB Andy Dennehy floated a ball into the back corner of the endzone where WR Gary Sommerville snagged the ball from the grasps of a well positioned DB to put the Rebels ahead once more at 34-28 entering the 4th quarter.

The way this game was panning out it seemed like the next score would win this game and luckily that score was put up by the Rebels following an interception from Safety Shahin Nikroo who picked off an errant throw over the middle to take it back to the 5-yard line. Again the Rebels looked to Sam Hodgins to get the job done but a botched hand-off was improvised upon by QB Dennehy who spun past two tacklers and lunged for the line to score his third rushing TD of the season and leaving Mike Mayock drooling over the game tape. Trailing by 12 with less than 8 minutes remaining, the Knights needed to keep the chains moving and chew up the yardage. They did this effectively via a dink n’ dunk passing scheme but were bailed out in a critical 3rd down play by a freakish one handed grab from TE Spencer McDowell. With the Rebels defense set up to defend the deep pass it was inevitable QB Devenney would catch his opponents off guard and elect for a running play. And it was RB Darren Montgomery who reached the endzone for the second time in the game to leave the Knights within one score of tying the game in the dying minutes. As expected the Rebels offense ran the ball to burn out the clock but could not get the first down to effectively end the game as a contest and when Knights turned the ball over on downs they had 80 yards between them and a tie game. The Rebels gave up the shorter passes over the middle to allow the seconds slide off the game-clock but leave Devenny with a chance at snatching a result as time expired.

The Knights still had 2 ticks on the clock to work with when Devenney heaved a long ball into the corner of the Rebels endzone only for it to be ushered safely out of bounds by DB Senan O’ Mahony. The game which has been already tagged as the game of the year so far, lived up to its feature presentation status as both teams went toe to toe and took shots right up to the death and on this occasion it was the Rebels who got out of Dodge with 40-34 victory. The win now takes the Rebels to a 5-0 record to tie the UL Vikings at the lofty summit of the IAFL South. In Week 12, someone’s O has gotta go when the 2 sides square up for a pivotal clash in the University of Limerick Sports Grounds which will most likely have implications around the league as playoffs loom on the horizon.

Scores:
1st Quarter
Kick Return by S. Hodgins (2PC Unsuccessful) 6-0
Pass by A. Devenney to J. McDermott (PAT Unsuccessful) 6-6
Run by Darren Montgomery (PAT Unsuccessful) 12-6
2nd Quarter
Pass by A. Devenney to G. McElkerney (PAT Unsuccessful) 18-6
Run by S. Hodgins (2PC Successful) 18-14
3rd Quarter
Run by S. Hodgins (2PC Unsuccessful) 20-18
Fumble Recovery by S. Mackey (2PC Unsuccessful) 26-18
Run by Gareth Millar (2PC Successful) 26-26
Pass by A. Dennehy to G. Sommerville (2PC Successful) 34-26
4th Quarter
Run by A. Dennehy (2PC Unsuccessful) 40-28
Run by Darren Montgomery (2PC Unsuccessful) 40-34

Report by Gary Sommerville

Dublin Rebels 12-07 West Dublin Rhino’s.
April 15th 2012
Venue:Sportslink Santry

Having won their first 2 matches in Sportslink, the Dublin Rebels were starting to get as comfortable at home as Lindsay Lohan under house arrest. However this game was to prove no walk in the park as the West Dublin Rhinos came to the Northside ready to play and attempt to claim a massive IAFL South scalp. The Rhinos were looking to bounce back from a tight defeat at the hands of the Belfast Trojans and regain some momentum in the race to the IAFL North crown. Historic rivalries are always physical so you wouldn’t have needed Mystic Meg to predict that this game was going to be a hard fought affair.

Rhinos chose to receive the opening kick-off and succeeded in getting good field position for QB Stephen Macken to lead his offense into Rebels territory. The Rebels D-Line led by Tackles John McGeown and the Italian Stallion Filipo Bertoli had some success in flushing Macken out of the pocket but showed impressive elusiveness to keep plays alive and fight for yards when they didn’t look they were there. RB Dan Breslin kept the Rhinos balanced with some quick fire runs up the middle to move the chains and inch towards the red zone. However, as has been the case for the Rebels D this season, they stepped up when it mattered to halt all progress with some vital stops and pass break-ups from rookies Senan O’ Mahony and Kevin Fitzgerald. The Rebels O took to the field and backed up in their own 20, went about churning up the yards in an attempt to get the first score of the day. The Rebels O-Line succeeded in pushing back their defensive line counterparts to open up running lanes for the Rebels formidable running game made up of Aaron “Big Daddy” Smith and Sammy “Sunshine” Hodgins. This opened up passing lanes for QB Andy Dennehy who connected with rookie wide-out Nick Fratini on a circus play on 3rd down that wouldn’t look out of a place on Britain’s Got Talent.

It wasn’t until the second quarter when the Rebels put the first points up on the board when Hodgins, the milk to Smith’s cookies, spun like a beefed-up disco ball to evade a Rhinos defender and powered his way over the goal line to put the home team up 6-0. The score clearly lit a fire under the Rhinos squad as they replied with a score of their own in only a matter of minutes when QB Steve Macken connected with lofty WR Alex McGuirk on an end zone jump-ball to level the scores before going ahead with a successful PAT.
 
The critical moment in this game came inside the 2 minute warning, when after a considerable injury delay the Rebels O looked to go into the break with a lead in their back pocket. However on 4th and inches at the goal-line, the Rhinos defense stifled an attempted lunge for the line leaving Al Pacino shaking his head somewhere in the world. It was evident that this significant goal-line stand was to serve as a blessing in disguise for the Rebels as they came out in the second half with a higher intensity and a better attitude. A solid return from the Rebels special teams unit allowed Dennehy to be creative with play-calls. Despite big plays being made, penalties began to creep into the game as sloppy errors and off the ball handbags became more frequent. One big play did remain flagless however, when rookie Tight End Ciaran O’Toole hauled in a dart over the middle and take a lick to put the Rebels in scoring position, and it was Dennehy who seized the initiative when he rolled out the back door as naked as the day God made him to cross the line and put the Rebels in front 12-7 after another unsuccessful 2 point conversion.

With all the penalties and turnovers by both sides in this game it was never going to be high scoring game and the general
consensus was that it was going to be the old schoolyard cliché “next goal the winner”.

At times in the 4th quarter it looked like neither team wanted to come away with the spoils as mistakes and nerves crept in.
The Rebels defense made what proved to be the most important defensive stand of the day when they denied the Rhinos on 4 downs with only yards to go. A pass break up by DB Shahin Nikroo and run stuffing by the Rebels linebacker corps ensure the home team would get out of dodge. The turnover on downs ensured the Rebels O could wind down the clock and grind out a win barring any wild occurrences which in this game are never too far around the corner. As expected this game proved to be a bruiser till the end and at times the Rhinos had the home team on the ropes and could have snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat.

Although the away side believed to have “out-physicalled” their opponents, the reigning Shamrock Bowl champs did what they do best and that’s running over people and getting the job done. In their next game, the Rebels will take in the sights and at times incomprehensible sounds of the North when they travel up to Carrickfergus to take on the last years beaten semi-finalists, the Knights on April 29th.

Scores:
Run by S.Hodgins (2PT unsuccessful) 6-0 Rebels
Pass by S.Macken to A.McGuirk (PAT successful) 7-6 Rhinos
Run by A.Dennehy (2PT unsuccessful) 12-7 Rebels
Report by Gary Sommerville

Dublin Rebels 34-00 Univ. College Dublin.
March 25th 2012
Venue:Sportslink Santry

The students of UCD packed their passports and Kevlar vests to make the often dangerous trip to Dublin’s north side to face the Rebels in their own sunny back garden in this divisional clash. The game was to mark the first meeting between the two sides, as UCD are still relative newcomers to the IAFL set up, with this being only their third season at 11v11 rules. Mother Nature kindly delivered a beautiful day for football and in many cases left players sweating like an ex-Taoiseach at a tribunal hearing.

UCD won the toss, chose to receive and set off in their quest in claiming a massive scalp in the IAFL South led by talented QB Colin O’Meara. It was clear from early on that UCD looked to keep the Rebels D on their toes, by playing option football and using O’Meara’s speed and evasiveness to put together drives. However the defence set the tone for the day which looked to be a long and painful one for the UCD offence. Defensive captain Steve Walsh led by example laying the wood on the UCD running back to rack up the first big defensive play of the day and force UCD to punt. The Rebels offense went to work and chewed up the yardage through power running from RB Aaron Smith. And it was A-Smeezy who registered the first TD with a hop, cut and a smile as he bounced to the outside and found the end zone aided by dominant O-Line blocking. Despite kicking back to UCD, the Rebels found themselves back in possession sooner than expected when the ball was coughed up and pounced on by linebacker Gary Twamley.
QB and Most Valuable Parent, Andy Dennehy mixed it up with pass and run, driving UCD further and further back before threading the needle and hitting WR Gary Sommerville on the numbers with a quick spiral to put the Rebels up 14-0 after an unsuccessful 2 point conversion.

The Rebels were far from convincing in the first half however, as a result of some all too familiar penalties and a trigger happy Austrian referee. This allowed UCD to gain some momentum of their own through some nifty running plays and a dink ‘n’ dunk play call selection. When they did have to give up possession they were successful in pinning the Rebels back in their own half with some impressive Special Teams play. Despite starting off so fresh and so clean, the game soon got sloppy and as stale as the month old pancakes Coach Campbell likes to award for bromance collisions.

Half time was a welcome break as players took on some much needed fluids and in some cases a sneaky Jaffa cake and a Solpadine.
The Rebels took to the field for the third quarter with a bit more enthusiasm following a soft, gentle reminder from veteran and captain Sunday O’ Hanlon. Through inspiration or pure fear of the consequences, they obeyed his commands and put together a solid drive following determined running from the two-headed running back monster that is Smith and Mackey. Receivers Paul Smyth and Ciaran O’Toole kept drives alive with catches when they mattered to take the offense into redzone territory. On 4th down with 2 yards to go, QB Andy Dennehy called Tebow Time and snuck over the line under a pile of tacklers to tack on another 6 points but much to the disappointment of Rebels players and fans alike chose not to bust out the infamous Bebeto cradle celebration.

This play proved to be a definitive point in the game as the UCD heads began to drop causing their offense to resort to big passing plays in an effort to put up some points of their own. Some impressive catches were made but they couldn’t chase the rainbow and secure the big yard completions needed in quick succession and ultimately lead to an interception from DB Eoin “All” Daly.

The Rebels D got on the scoreboard towards the end of the third quarter following a strip, sack and 6 from Steve Walsh which is the first time he has achieved this on rather than off the field. And it was back to the offense to add the 5th TD to put the game to bed midway through the 4th when Sommerville notched up his second TD of the day, latching onto an impressive deep throw from Aaron Smith finishing his day with a perfect QB rating of 158.3. At times there was a somewhat pedestrian tempo to this game but the Black & Red got the job done against an athletic unit of players from UCD. The Rebels put their degrees from Ball So Hard University to good use to make it 3 wins on the bounce and put them in sole possession of first place in the IAFL South.

Next up for the team is another home clash against the West Dublin Rhinos on April 15th.
Be sure to catch this one as it always proves to be a high intensity, high scoring game between bitter rivals.

Scores:
Run by A. Smith (2pc successful) 8-0
Pass by A. Dennehy to G. Sommerville (2pc unsuccessful) 14-0
Run by A. Dennehy (2pc successful) 22-0
Fumble Recovery by S. Walsh (2pc unsuccessful) 28-0
Pass by A. Smith to G. Sommerville (2pc unsuccessful) 34-0
2012 U.C.D. @ Rebels

Dublin Rebels 52 – 18 Trinity College Dubin
Sunday 04th March 2012
Venue: Trinity Sports Ground, Santry, Dublin.

ROAD TRIP!!!! Well, kind of… The 1-0 Dublin Rebels set off on their first road game of the 2012 season to the familiar surroundings of Dublin’s north side, albeit in Trinity College’s Sport Grounds in Santry. The Rebels were looking to kick on from their Week 2 victory against the Cork Admirals and establish a strangle hold around the neck that is the IAFL South division. On the flip side, Trinity were hoping to bounce back from their Week 1 defeat to the Limerick Vikings and with ex-Rebel Coach O’ Toole steering the Trinity ship it was sure to be a juicy tactical encounter in this all Dublin clash. Before proceedings could begin however both sides observed a minute silence for ex-Rebel Defensive Tackle and Trinity Coach Steve Porteous who tragically passed away at the end of January.

Trinity received the opening kick-off and despite achieving good field position could not march down the field and secure the opening score of the game on their first drive. The Rebels O took to the field and their initial run game was stifled by the Trinity D led by Middle Linebacker Steve Carton, causing QB Andrew Dennehy to let Fly Like a G6. He connected with fashion conscious WR Gary Sommerville on a deep ball and with a shake of the hips that Shakira would be proud of, got past the Trinity safety for the opening TD. Dennehy and Sommerville were to connect for 2 more TDs in the first half but it was the Rebels very own Stringer Bell, running back Aaron Smith who pounded the rock behind solid blocking from a revamped O-Line to add 6 points of his own to the scoreboard. However it didn’t go all the Rebels own way in the first half as Trinity got 2 TDs of their own via an 85 yard kick return from explosive Trinity RB and 2011 League MVP Rob McDowell and a pick 6 from Junior DT #7 Peter Quinlan. As many IAFL teams will attest to, McDowell and Carton must be accounted for on the field at all times as they are the leaders of the Trinity Offense and Defense respectively.

Despite putting up some decent numbers and having their egos massaged a little bit, the Rebels received a slap on the wrist from the coaching staff for giving up cheap points and were given their Mid-Term reports.. MUST TRY HARDER.

With that in mind, in the second half the Rebels Defense finally started to disrupt the Trinity running game and shut down any offensive momentum with Coach Marcus Naylor dialling up exotic looks and blitzes like an older Dick Lebeau. The defensive line started to get the upper hand on their offensive line counterparts with DT John McGeown creating chaos and DE Simon “Triple Stack Mack” Mackey bull-rushing like a BOSS. Quick 3 an outs were becoming more frequent for the Trinity O and as they tried to force the issue, Rookie Linebacker Gary Twamley made an interception in his debut to give his offense great field position. And it was receiver Paul Smyth who dealt out the punishment catching a bullet pass and tacking on some YAC to add to the Rebels increasing tally. Rookie tight end Ciaran O’ Toole also got a piece of the delicious touchdown pie catching his first TD of his Rebels career to end the game as a contest.

Although the Rebels began to dominate on both sides of the football, plays were also being made on the somewhat overlooked at times, Special Teams unit. Brian Carter, the best Seattle export since Meg Ryan picked up his Ma Rayburns Pancake of the Day Award with a bone-crunching block whilst setting up a kick return for Javi Ortega. As Trinity resorted to deep passes in an effort to pull back some points, it was inevitable that a wayward ball would be picked off by the Rebels secondary. Alas, it was DB ShahinNikroo who intercepted a short throw and the Man from Tehran took it back to the house to put the final nail in the student’s coffin. Every day is a school day and in this game, Trinity received a harsh lesson at the School of Hard Knocks with the game ending 52-18 to the Rebels.
Scores:
Pass by A.Dennehy to G.Sommerville (2pc unsuccessful) 6-0
Run by A.Smith (2pc successful) 14-0
Safety 16-0
Kick Return by R.McDowell (2pc unsuccessful) 16-6
Pass by A.Dennehy to G.Sommerville (2pc successful) 24-6
Pass by A.Dennehy to G.Sommerville (2pc successful) 32-6
Interception return by S.Carton (2pc unsuccessful) 32-12
Pass by A.Dennehy to P.Smyth (2pc unsuccessful) 38-12
Run by R.McDowell (2pc unsuccessful) 38-18
Pass by A.Dennehy to C.O’Toole (2pc successful) 46-18
Interception return by S.Nikroo 42-18

It is fitting that this report is signed off with the familiar words of Steve Porteous.. “Just win baby!!” Well the Rebels did win, and they won it for #67.
Report By Gary Sommerville 12/0312

2012 Rebels @ Trinity

Dublin Rebels 20 – 06 Cork Admirals
Sunday 04th March 2012
Venue: Sports Link Santry, Dublin.

The reigning Shamrock Bowl Champion Dublin Rebels opened their IAFL title defence at home to the Cork Admirals in windy conditions at Sportslink Santry. The Admirals were looking to provide a stern opening test for the Rebels as they had several veteran players returning to the squad for their 2012 campaign. However the Rebels were also welcoming back some battle hardened veterans to their ranks, in the form of Left Guard Tobias Hanson, Defensive End Simon Mackey, Defensive Tackle Chris Quinn and Middle Linebacker Steve Walsh fresh off his season with Ze Germans at GFL2 outfit Lubeck Cougars. It was certainly a case of new and old for the Rebels with rookies starting on both sides of the ball for the opening game of the season. Tight End Ciaran O’ Toole and Wide Receiver Nick Fratini started for the offense whereas Safety Conor Church and Corner Back Senan O’ Mahony made their debuts on the defensive side of the ball.

The Cork Defensive Line, still carrying some Christmas weight evidently, looked to disrupt the Rebels running game early on and succeeded in doing so. This forced the Rebels to make like ET and take to the air, completing a tough throw into the teeth of the wind to wide receiver Gary Sommerville deep down the Cork sideline for the opening TD. The subsequent 2-point conversion however was unsuccessful. It was evident from early on in this encounter that the Admirals wished to establish a strong running game against a re-jigged Rebels Defensive Line. Straight up power football running back #17 ensured the chains kept moving as Cork inched towards the red zone. However the Rebels defense held strong with solid tackles from Javi “Hormone” Ortega and Prodigal Son Steve Walsh keeping the Admirals at bay. The Rebels O looked to regain momentum through a balance of pass and run and made a second lodgement to the piggy bank through running back Aaron Smith. Good O-Line blocking and a sealed off right edge allowed Smith to bounce to the outside untouched and added a 2-point conversion to open his account for the new season.

Feeding off the momentum, the Rebels D stepped up and picked off an errant throw by the Cork QB under heavy pressure from DE Gerard O’Leary and returned the ball to the Cork redzone offering excellent field position for the War Pigs to roll around in. Looking like a white RG3 only faster, Rebels QB Andy Dennehy ignored the fact his receivers were wide open (possibly) and waltzed into the right corner of the end zone to make the score 20-0 to the home team at half time.

Whatever the Admirals Head Coach said to his players or slipped into the water at half time worked as they came out for the third quarter fired up and ready to ball. With the wind in their faces they pounded the rock up the Rebels gut for a succession of first downs, however they couldn’t punch it in as the Rebels D started playing stingy. The smooth flow to the Rebels offense seemed to evaporate in the second half through a series of dropped balls and sloppy penalties. As a result, the game turned into a slugfest, resembling a David Haye Dereck Chisora post fight press conference with both sides threatening each other but not landing killer blows. Ultimately it was Cork who put up the only score of the second half, running the ball in from close range to put the score at 20-6. Some brief changes of possession in the dying minutes left Cork short on time to pull back the deficit.
At times the Rebels looked as messy as Kevin Healy at 4am on a Saturday morning but they overcame this and made the plays when it mattered to seal the deal.

Some positives can be taken from the first victory but also areas were identified that need improvement if they are to hold onto their crown this season. The coaching staff will look to build on this victory and add a few more W’s over the next few weeks over divisional opponents in the IAFL South.

The Rebels will go back to school, or in many cases go to school for the first time, when they attempt to go 2-0 when they take on the students of Trinity College Dublin on the road next week.

Report by: Gary Sommerville

2012 Admirals @ Rebels

Dublin Rebels are pleased to announce a new uniform deal with MMX Equipment, who will supply both the home and away uniforms for the Rebels in their upcoming season.

Check out www.mmx-equipment.com for more information or email Bart info@mmx-equipment.com

Dublin Rebels American Football Club Now Recruiting for the I.A.F.L. Irish American Football League Season. Pre season has begun.

Experience not essential: Please note YOU WILL NEED TO PURCHASE A FULL SET OF EQUIPMENT IN ORDER TO PLAY (@ €250)

If you are interested in playing / coaching or a committee role, please email your name and mobile to play@dublinrebels.com with the following info:

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Dublin Rebels Management
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