On a chilly and overcast afternoon in Aurora, NE, the Raymond Central Mustangs & Aurora Black Huskies battled for supremacy in the 2023 FVYFL 11-man Championship Game.
Both squads came into the day with a record of 5-0 and the title of conference champion already under their belts. This year, a new winner-take-all format was implemented so that a sole 11-man champion could be crowned from the pool of 12 teams.
Aurora Black took a quick 8-0 lead after just a single quarter and tacked on an additional score to make it 16-0 heading into the half. The Raymond Central defense had some key stops and even forced fumble midway through the first quarter. After the half, RC received the kick and proceeded to methodically drive down the field, eating up 7:29 in total. The Mustangs hit paydirt on a quick scamper inside the redzone and added 2 more for good measure, making it 16-8 late into the third. However, from then on, the game was firmly Aurora Black's to win. A pair of TDs, 1 in the third and 1 in the fourth gave the Huskies a commanding 31-8 lead late in the game. The AB defense even came up with some points of their own, nabbing a pick-6 to seal the deal. The game wrapped with Aurora Black claiming victory 37-8.
The 11-man division saw some of it's most competitive scores on record in 2023. With the implementation of a Week #6 non-conference game, we saw lots of close and well run games in the final week of play. This format only seemed to benefit the kids in the long run and make for some great moments to end the year.
And with that, another Farmers Valley Youth Football season has come and gone. Both Greg Boehr and myself (Derek O'Connor) want to thank each and every one of you for supporting us, these teams, and especially these kids. Without you, there would be no FVYFL, and for that we are most grateful. Be sure to keep an eye on the News tab for the latest on league happenings throughout the offseason. 2024 will be here in a flash!
Photo Courtesy: Derek O'Connor