UNDEFEATED BEAVERS GOLDEN IN WINNING 5TH AFFL TITLE

The Golden Beavers completed an undefeated season last Saturday to win the John Boylan Cup and claim the 2018 AFFL Championship with a resounding 37-20 win over the Untouchables.

It was the Beavers 5th title, tying them with the Shock for the second most championships all-time, trailing only the legendary Sorcerers who won 6 championships.   The Beavers 11-0 perfect season was the 7th such season for an AFFL champion since 1991.  

To see the FULL STORY of the Beavers perfect season as told by team stalwart Chris Graham, click below.

At the beginning of the season our team mindset was to just try and improve each game. We considered each regular season game as if it was a practice for the upcoming post season. Whether we won or lost we would take the positives and negatives from the game prior and try to work on those particular things.

We had a great group of guys for the season and each player was out to play the game for one another. It was a very solid team performance each and every game. It was never one individual who stood out in the game, it takes every player on the team to take on their role and execute it, to get the other guy open or get himself in the right area to make the defensive play.

Our offense was the difference maker this year. We were able to score points and Neil was throwing the ball perfectly. With Neil (Perry) being in his second year with this team he was able to connect with the players he was not used to playing with, which is very difficult for a QB. Our defense was solid all year and when it came down to clutch plays we were able to make them, and have luck bounce our way.

When it came to the playoffs, we knew we would be in a battle every game. When post season arrives, teams are playing at a much different level then in the regular season and you have to be prepared to play each team as they’re the best team you have played all year. When we drew Team Green in the quarters, we knew it could be a much different outcome then the previous week when we played them. Luckily, we stuck to our game plan and prevailed.  In the semis, the Warriors team were a much more improved team and any team with Marty Patience at QB has a chance to win any game. They were a tough team and we had great defensive plays by Rory O’Connor to help get the victory.

That win got us the Untouchables in the final and we knew they would be coming for us since we beat them in the regular season to clinch the regular season title. We had a game plan and executed it. We just stuck with our defensive plan and let Neil Perry do what he can do. He threw the ball perfectly where only our guys could catch it. It was a total team effort and field positioning was a big factor in the game. We knew if we could hold them to field goals or less we would be in great shape. Having the Untouchables get the ball at the start of the first and then the second half was a gamble we were willing to take - we trust our defense and we knew the wind could become a factor.  We were fortunate enough that this decision did not back fire and in the end we succeeded because we played as a team and each and every player did their part to win the Beavers their fifth Championship. 

The difference this year over previous years is we just wanted to go out there have a have fun, Fun was our motto for the year and you can’t help but have fun when your out there with your friends playing a great sport in a great league, playing against a great group of guys whatever team your playing against. That is the best part of the league is the group of individuals who take part each and every Sunday. It always a good time on a Sunday during the AFFL season and the Beavers are already looking forward to trying to defend the championship in the 2019 season.