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Vukovi handle the Legionaries with ease

Goran Košutiæ

Dejan Danailov

Poor weather in Belgrade was the cause for the weakest attendance this year in SELAF, but also somewhat worse play between Vukovi and the Mitrovica`s Legionaries. Other than that, there was nothing unexpected as the home team won convincingly 33-0 over the weakened team from Mitrovica, which was missing one of it`s best players in running back Zoran Lonèarević.

Vukovi`s win was never questioned, but most likely due to poor weather conditions the play was less than great, with many unsuccessful drives and punts.

Vukovi scored on their first possession, when Marko Vujačić ran for the final 12 yards, ending a drive in which Vukovi had no problem moving the chains. Bad play on both sides was ended starting the second quarter when another running back Miloš Jovanović ran over 40 yards for another score. First half`s last points were seen after a fumble on the Legionaries` five yard line, when the ball rolled to the end zone, and finally caught by linebacker Zoran Damjanović for a 20-0 lead at halftime following a bad extra point attempt.

Dejan Danailov

Starting the second half, the Legionaries managed to enter Vukovi`s half for the first time, but that promising drive ended on 4th down. Vukovi didn`t fail to convert on 4th downs, but punted on a number of occasions, leaving the 3rd quarter scoreless. In the last quarter, Andrej Tasić, who wasn`t his usual self, managed his only touchdown pass connecting with tight end Aleksandar Anðelković. Pushed back because of a penalty, the extra point attempt was once again no good.

The visiting team`s last try, after the ball was won by Igor Protil following a bad snap involving Vukovi`s backup quarterback Nemanja Petković, ended when cornerback Stefan Stojanović intercepted a pass. When everyone was waiting for the end, Nikola Ralenac took the ball from Petković, bulldozed over one of Mitrovica`s defensive players and went almost all the way, but in the end scored on the next play for the game`s final points.

“Mitrovica is our `enemy` from the start. Congrats to everyone, our next match is against Kragujevac and we`re moving on”, said Ralenac after the match.

“We prepared seriously, but the field was bad, so we couldn`t do and show everything. We rely mostly on the passing game, but the ball was wet, and that was a problem”, said Belgrade`s coach Igor Hoffmann. “Mitrovica played fair, and they were missing some players. The win is what is most important for us.”