Having reached the playoffs for the first time since 2017, the Leicester Longhorns were ready and raring to go facing off against the Liverpool Raptors in the Northern Conference Playoff Quarterfinal. However again, the weather intervened leaving Leicester’s home field waterlogged and therefore unplayable. The game was fortunately moved to Loughborough university and their extraordinary facilities.
Having reached the playoffs for the first time since 2017, the Leicester Longhorns were ready and raring to go facing off against the Liverpool Raptors in the Northern Conference Playoff Quarterfinal. However again, the weather intervened leaving Leicester’s home field waterlogged and therefore unplayable. The game was fortunately moved to Loughborough university and their extraordinary facilities. After a short warm up with the wind whipping, Liverpool kicked off and Leicester started the game on offence. They were quick out of the blocks making a couple first downs but a fumble on 4th down gave Liverpool the ball. Like the Longhorns, the Raptors sought to impose their running game early on, but the Longhorns were up to it and line backer James Cullen managed a great sack on third and long to force a punt.
However, for the Longhorns on the next drive it was a case of being overpowered as Liverpool defenders beat them to the spot and crashed through their O-line on multiple occasions forcing them to punt. Fortunately for the Raptors a shanked punt and a healthy breeze gave them great field position for their next drive. It didn’t take them long to dissect Leicester’s defence for the first score of the game, as their quarterback found their tight end wide open on a play action pass for the score. A missed extra point made it 6-0 to the Raptors.
The Longhorns got the ball back, but it seemed to be more of the same against the powerful Liverpool D-line. The Raptors were crashing through Leicester’s D-line like the Kool Aid man over and over again. Now in the second quarter, they got the ball back and went to work on Leicester’s defence. With well executed blocking and a strong halfback, Liverpool were making yards on the ground when they ran another play action play and found their quarterback threw a great pass for a 40-yard gain. But the Longhorns made an awesome stand on defence, with great tackling stopping the Raptors inside their own 10-yard line. Unfortunately for Leicester a crucial drop derailed a promising Longhorns drive and ended up with the Raptors returning to the field on offence. They were derailed by some outstanding tackling and sacks by the Longhorns defence. It didn’t last long as they broke off for a long touchdown run and ended the first half up 12-0.
With the sun coming out to start the second half, the Longhorns used their rousing half time speech and in-game changes to hold the Raptors scoreless. But again, they couldn’t match the intensity that the Raptors brought on defence with #96 playing in particularly well as they shut down the Longhorns running game. They took the ball back and went about putting the game to bed with a stylish fake field goal on fourth down to keep possession and then two plays later ran another well executed play action play for another touchdown. Another missed extra point meant it was 18-0 to the Raptors and the Longhorns saw their national title chances slipping away. So took a deep shot on their first play and had it intercepted by #18 of the Raptors and effectively sealing the game for Liverpool as the third quarter turned into the fourth.
Both teams traded possessions without scoring as the game winded down, moving late into the fourth. The Longhorns however did show their division winning pedigree with a
beautiful touchdown as quarterback Ted Watts hit receiver Thomas Slade for a great score. A failed two-point attempt left Leicester 18-6 down and attempting an onside kick with 2 minutes left. Just was their luck that day, the ball bounced the way of a Raptor who with a convoy of blockers ran it down to the 2-yard line. Whilst they were stopped on the kick-off, they found the endzone just a few plays later as they powered in and kicked the extra point making it 25-6 and through to the next round of the playoffs.
It was a tough loss for the Longhorns who played valiantly with a much smaller squad than Liverpool. However, it wasn’t to be, and their playoff journey was over, leaving them to reflect on a great regular season finishing as 2A Midlands Division champions and being promoted back to Division 1! All that lies in wait for them now is the prospect of a ninth straight win over DMU in their varsity game later this year. Get ready for a titanic battle trust me you won’t want to miss it!