World Footy News

The Paris Cockerels have claimed the CNFA Leo Lagrange premiership for the 2017/18 season with a resounding 106-point victory against the Cergy-Pontoise Coyotes. It is the Cockerels first flag since their 2014/15 season flag. For the Coyotes, it was a day to forget, and hopefully a catalyst for a determined effort next season to lift their first flag.

The game was put away in the opening quarter. The rampant Cockerels knew the value of a fast start and that is exactly how they went about it, peppering the goals for a 67-13 lead at the first break. It was a huge quarter and immediately placed the Coyotes under massive pressure to worry about closing the gap first, much less winning.

The second quarter was tight, and low scoring after the first quarter fireworks. The Coyotes defence held firm and with more accuracy they would have won the quarter. They didn’t and the Cockerels took the quarter narrowly to lead 80-24 at the main break.

The “premiership quarter” loomed, but the Coyotes still trailed by nine goals. They would have hoped that by staying in the game they could whittle down Cockerels’ lead further and hope for a big last term. But it wasn’t to be as the Cockerels went on another scoring rampage to what was clearly the scoring end. Another huge quarter saw the Cockerels blast out to a 108-point lead – an unassailable lead. The three-quarter time scores saw the Cockerels leading 138 to 30.

The last quarter was going to be about pride for the Coyotes as they south to stem any further bleeding. Even if the Cockerels had subconsciously relaxed, they still fought for more. But to the Coyotes credit, they kept fighting to the end and in fact won the final quarter. It was the smallest of positives to come from a dark day, but a positive nonetheless. I an oddity for the match, the second and final quarter totals were equal across the two teams. Sadly for the Coyotes, all of the damage was done in the first and third quarters which saw the Cockerels dominate 125 to 19 – and that kind of dominance wins premierships.

The final scores saw the Paris Cockerels 159 defeat the Cergy-Pontoise Coyotes 53.

It was a fitting result for the Cockerels. The club went through the home and away season undefeated. Their only other meeting with the Coyotes this season saw them win by 18 points back in the second round in October. There was no real luck about their season – just pure hard work and a strong mental and professional attitude. They deserved their day of glory and can place their cup alongside the others they have won as the CNFA’s most successful club.

The Coyotes have been through this heartbreak before. Nothing makes a grand final loss any easier to bear, but smart teams learn from tough times, as the club has done before, and will again as they rebuild and reload for the 2018/19 season.

But today, the Paris Cockerels can crow from the highest buildings and peaks. They are the 2017/18 CNFA Leo Lagrange premiers and deserve to revel in the glory of a great day and a great season.