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25 April 2023CEFL Cup, Semifinal 1
Kragujevac Wild Boars – Vysočina Gladiators 49-33
In the first semifinal matchup of the CEFL Cup, Kragujevac Wild Boars claimed a decisive win over Vysočina Gladiators, securing their spot in the finals. Led by American running back Ashton Heard, who put on a four-touchdown performance, the Wild Boars dominated play from the start.
Right out of the gate, the home team took control by a 55-yard touchdown run by Heard, 7-0.
They continued to build on their lead, with Isaiah Green connecting with Strahinja Stepović for a 53-yard pass to the red zone, and Heard scoring his second touchdown with a one-yard run, 14-0.
Despite their best efforts, the Gladiators struggled to keep up with the Wild Boars’ offensive prowess. Green posted another touchdown rushing for 5 yards into the end zone to up the score to 21-0.
Visitors’ finally managed to get on the board in the second period, with quarterback Jan Dundáček connecting with Vojtěch Mašita for a 20 yard pass, 21-7.
The Wild Boars quickly responded with a third touchdown by Heard, 28-7.
After a couple of successful offensive plays Dundáček rushed into the end zone, but the PAT failed, 28-13.
The Gladiators opened the second half with a touchdown by running back Patrick Blackwood to close the gap to 28-19.
Heard then broke through visitor’s ranks for 40 yards and Green did the rest connecting with Stepović for 35-19.
When Dundáček got the ball back, he constructed a passing-intensive drive, finally completing the act with Matěj Majerčák. A successful 2 point conversion put their team one possession behind, 35-27.
The Wild Boars were unfazed by that. Heard continued marching down the field and Green hit Stepović for a 44-yard touchdown pass for 42-27.
Mašita put the glint in Gladiators’ eyes one last time with his grabs, the last of which was a 12 yard TD. Then a failed 2-point conversion backed them off to 2 possessions again, 42-33.
Running the time off the clock, Heard managed to break through once more for a 55 yard touchdown to put the final score to 49-33.
With this win, the Wild Boars advance to the CEFL Cup finals, where they will face off against the winner of the second semifinal played between Budapest Wolves and Bucharest Rebels on 13 May.
