The Australian Gridiron League kicked off this weekend with the Queensland Sundevils dominating the ACT Monarchs in a 54-0 win in Brisbane.
In what turned out to be a scorching hot day in Brisbane, the Sundevils lived up to their name as they embraced the conditions and lit up the scoreboard in a lop sided affair.
The Sundevil offense run by starting quarterback Jared Stegman took some time to feel out the Monarch defence before flipping the switch and letting the onslaught begin. A combination of a power running game and well-picked passing plays helped the Sundevils move the chains as they marched downfield.
Running back Darius Holliday-Miller was a hammer in the backfield as he ran the rock through and around the Monarch linebackers. His effort on the ground was invaluable to the team’s overall offensive success as his presence saw the Monarch defence fill the box.
The ACT defence was no match for the aerial attack of the Sundevils, who boast some of Australia’s best receivers in Mitch Besse, Luke Edwards, Kyle Bowpitt, Josh Kent and Klentsky De’Shawn Haembo.
With speed on the outside they made quick work of the Monarch defenders as they took routine catches and turned them into big plays. Stegman spread the ball around hitting all of these receivers on short, intermediate and deep routes.
Moving the chains consistently was Kyle Bowpitt whose slick routes found him open underneath more often than not.
Once it was clear that the Monarch corners could not run with the Sundevil receivers, Stegman let the ball fly hitting deep balls at will. Josh Kent and Mitch Besse were recipients of some of these long bombs that resulted in touchdowns.
The highlight catch of the day however was made by Luke Edwards who with a man draped over him managed to get vertical and take an incredible catch for a touchdown on a 40-yard bomb.
Sundevil tight ends Brendan Stanley and Chris Ravlich were a dominant presence in the middle of the field. Both are blessed with incredible athleticism and the size that strikes fear into defensive backs.
Making plays early, it was not long before the Monarch defence took notice of these two phenoms.
Drawing both linebacker and safety coverage, their efforts in the passing game gave the receivers on the outside more one on one looks which Stegman exploited.
Their ability to get to the second level as blockers in the running game and also make big plays downfield in the passing game make these two tight ends a dangerous weapon for the Sundevils in the tournament.
While the ACT Monarchs offense had some glimmers of potency, they were for the most part stifled by a dominant Sundevils defence. The defensive line for Queensland were unrelenting in their pursuit of Monarchs quarterback Stephen Finlay.
Bringing down the veteran signal caller on multiple occasions, defensive ends Jason Leeon and Vinny Tupi were unstoppable. This relentless pass rush was only matched by their secondary who shut down the Monarch receivers.
Safety’s Andrew Young and Damien Molloy patrolled the skies with absolute dominance, breaking up passes and punishing receivers that managed to acquire an elusive monarch reception.
The Sundevils showed in their opening match of the AGL that they are a force to be reckoned with. Turning their attention to the reigning champs, the Sundevils fly to Perth for game two against Western Australia.
What looks to be a clash of the titans is a must win for Queensland, but if they can replicate this sort of dominance then they may find themselves punching their ticket to the Championship game.
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