Legnano and Torino continue their run at the top of their respective groups, while the Panthers crush the Warriors in the rain. First seasonal victory for the Marines.
Week 5 of the Italian Football League (IFL) delivered another weekend of excitement and hard-fought games. The Frogs Legnano confirmed their dominance in Group A, while the Giaguari Torino won a tough matchup and remain undefeated in Group B. No problems for the Panthers Parma, who dominated the Emilia derby against the Warriors. The Lazio Marines secured their first win of the season, narrowly defeating the Aquile Ferrara.
Here’s the recap of Week 5.
FROGS LEGNANO VS RHINOS MILANO 35-14
The Frogs Legnano remain unbeaten and strengthen their lead in Group A, defeating the Rhinos Milano with a convincing performance, despite some struggles in the second and third quarters.
The home team had a blazing start, scoring three consecutive touchdowns in the first quarter: Luke Zahradka took the spotlight with two TD passes to Niccolò Pulsinelli and Danny Kittner, along with a rushing touchdown. Lorenzo Masini was perfect on kicks, making it 21-0, seemingly putting the game to rest early.
However, in the second quarter, the Rhinos fought back, narrowing the gap with a TD pass from Marquez McCray to Jordan Bouah, followed by another successful throw to Tamsir Seck (conversions by Giacomo Sarra). The teams went into halftime at 21-14, with the game still open.
The third quarter was a defensive showdown, with neither team managing to score. But in the final quarter, the Frogs put the game away: Zahradka rushed for his second TD, and Kittner caught another touchdown pass, with Masini maintaining his perfect streak on kicks.
The Frogs remain in control of Group A, while the Rhinos slip further from playoff contention.
PANTHERS PARMA VS WARRIORS BOLOGNA 45-6
A one-sided match in the Emilia derby, heavily influenced by the bad weather, which made the field barely playable. The reigning champions, the Panthers, had no trouble against Bologna, delivering a dominant rushing performance.
In the first half, the absolute star was Jaylin Parnell, who scored three rushing touchdowns and converted a two-point attempt, setting the score at 23-0 at halftime.
The Warriors’ only spark came in the third quarter, when Gael Laurent broke free for a spectacular 60-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit. But the Panthers responded immediately: Dominick Fiscelli scored twice on the ground, with successful conversions from Marian Cebotaru and Fiscelli himself.
The final word came from the Panthers’ defense, as Samuele Brunetti returned a pick-six for 80 yards, sealing the 45-6 win.
Parma is back in the hunt for the top spot, while the Warriors suffer another heavy defeat.
MARINES LAZIO VS AQUILE FERRARA 14-6
The Marines secured their first win of the season, narrowly defeating Aquile Ferrara in an extremely tight defensive battle.
The Aquile struck first in the second quarter, with a TD pass from Aaron Allen to Jacopo Bindini, who found a gap in the Lazio secondary. However, a botched snap denied the extra point, leaving the score at 6-0.
Shortly after, the Marines took the lead, with a TD pass from Josiah Norwood to Michele Costa, followed by a precise kick from Jacopo Impallomeni, making it 7-6.
The score remained unchanged until the fourth quarter, with both defenses shutting down opposing offenses. Finally, in the decisive moment, Norwood connected with Costa again, and Impallomeni nailed the extra point.
The Aquile made a last push, but the Marines’ defense held strong, sealing their first win, while Ferrara remains winless at 0-4, sitting at the bottom of Group B.
PIRATES ALBISOLA VS GIAGUARI TORINO 29-39
A much closer game than expected in Albisola Superiore, where the Pirates nearly pulled off an upset against the Giaguari Torino, who now share the top spot in Group B with Guelfi Firenze.
Torino came out firing, taking a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, thanks to two TD passes from Evan Lewandoski to Till Pirtle and Luciano Giuliani, with Jacopo Salsa converting both and adding a 33-yard field goal.
But the Pirates refused to back down and mounted an unexpected comeback: Jordy Baidal played lights-out, throwing three TD passes—two to Filippo Fiammenghi and one to Matteo Fusetti, with Stefano Raffaelli perfect on conversions. By halftime, the scoreboard read 21-24.
In the second half, the Giaguari’s defense tightened up, allowing zero points in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Lewandoski ran for two touchdowns, with Salsa adding both extra points, extending Torino’s lead to 39-21.
The Pirates fought until the final whistle, managing to add 8 more points, thanks to a 20-yard TD reception by Fiammenghi and a two-point conversion by Fusetti, but it wasn’t enough.
The Giaguari remain unbeaten and tied at the top of Group B with the Guelfi Firenze.
UPDATED STANDINGS
Group A
🥇 Frogs Legnano (4-0)
🥈 Panthers Parma (3-1)
🥉 Dolphins Ancona (2-1)
🏈 Rhinos Milano (1-3)
🏈 Warriors Bologna (1-3)
🏈 Lions Bergamo (0-3)
Group B
🥇 Guelfi Firenze (4-0)
🥇 Giaguari Torino (4-0)
🥉 Skorpions Varese (1-2)
🏈 Pirates Albisola (1-2)
🏈 Lazio Marines (1-3)
🏈 Aquile Ferrara (0-4)
Per informazioni:
Barbara Allaria
Press & Communication Officer
0331-770343 / 338-6541305
press@fidaf.org
FIDAF – Italian Federation of American Football
c/o CONI – Palazzo H – Piazza Lauro de Bosis 15 00135 Rome (RM)
+39 06 3272 3221 | ufficiostampa@fidaf.org | http://www.fidaf.org
