Tight-fought, record-setting weekend in IFL

The Kraft Family Israel Football League had a full slate this past weekend, and it was a great one. Two games went down to the wire, a brand-new single-game record was just broken, as was the single-season rushing record.

The Ramat Hasharon Hammers edged the Beersheba Black Swarm 30-22 to kick off the weekend, as Jonathan Curran completed 11-of-21 passes for 168 yards and a score, while adding three TDs on the ground

Both teams have a week off before finishing their season. The Hammers (5-4) will host the Rebels (2-6) and the Swarm travel to Petah Tikva to play the Troopers (8-1).

The Judeans topped the Mazkeret Batya Silverbacks 26-6 as Jeff Balaban threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Chaim Aaron on the first offensive play of the game to get things started in a hurry.

Balaban completed three for two scores, while Aaron had added a rushing TD as well as leading the defense with 10 tackles.

The Rebels play the Haifa Underdogs (2-5) this week in a match-up for the No. 5 seed, with the Rebels needing to win by more than seven points to clinch the tie-breaker. Any other result and Haifa gets the nod. The Silverbacks (0-9) will play their last game of the season next week against the top-seeded Jerusalem Lions.

The Lions, meanwhile, were handed their first defeat of the season, a 22-14 humbling at the hands of the Tel Aviv Pioneers.

It was a back-and-forth affair for most of the game, but the Pioneers pulled out to a 22-8 lead with 1:54 to play. The Lions wouldn’t go away so easily, and after a long run, David Abell found Eli Gurwitz in the end-zone so narrow the gap to 22-14. However, the Pioneers recovered the ensuing onside attempt, clinching the Lions’ first loss.

The Pioneers (7-2) are locked into the No. 3 seed and wrap up the regular season next week against the Underdogs. The Lions (9-1) can clinch the No. 1 seed with a victory next week against the Silverbacks.

In the final game of the weekend, the Petah Tikva Troopers handled the Haifa Underdogs 55-14, with QB Avrami Farkas completing 14-of-21 passes for 372 yards (second-most in IFL history) and seven touchdown passes (tied for third all-time).

The Troopers clinched the No. 2 seed with the win, and will finish the season against Beersheba next week.