French Elite Championship – Recap of the 1st day

The D1 Elite resumed its rights this weekend, and several teams have succeeded perfectly in their introductions. In conference A, the Flash and the Cougars impressed with wide successes and without conceding a point. In conference B, the box comes from the Blue Stars of Marseille.

The results of the 1^time daytime

Back to the poster of the week

Flash of Courneuve 35 – Black Panthers of Thonon 0

For its return after 2 years of stopping, the French championship offered us a great poster, to follow live on Sport in France. The Flash of La Courneuve, the most successful team, received the Black Panthers of Thonon, the defending champion.

After a first quarter which served as an observation round, the Flash will strike first. The US connection, between QB Conor Miller and TE Ryan Smith, is illustrated for the first touchdown of the season (7-0). And well helped by a dominant defensive line, the La Courneuve club will make the break just before half-time, on a reception from Stéphane Fortes (14-0).

Despite a good position at the start of 3^th quarter, the Black Panthers still failed to score, and the injury of QB Brett Hunchak did not help matters at the end of the period. La Courneuve will then fold the match at the start of 4^th quarter, with a touchdown on the ground from Guillaume Buquet then another touchdown in stride after a fumble from Thonon on the return from clearance (27-0). The Flash put the finishing touches to their victory a little later, with a fifth touchdown, on a race from François Pion (35-0).

It’s an excellent start from La Courneuve, who seemed better prepared than his opponent in attack and defense. QB Conor Miller (12/26, 204 yards, 2 TD) was interesting and TE Ryan Smith (6 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD) imposed his power and his hands. This American duo looks promising for the Flash attack, which proved to be effective and balanced in this first game. The defensive line also made the difference, constantly getting the better of the Black Panthers offensive line and putting pressure on the quarterback. Anthony Abandzounou notably offers himself 3 sacks.

For Thonon, there is work because this team seemed to lack automation. The pace was not there, the Canadian QB Brett Hunchak was generally inaccurate (8/22, 81 yards), and he finished the game injured. Finally, only the American RB Akiva Wedge pulled out of the game with an interesting profile on the backfield.

Conference A

If the Flash impressed during this first day, another Ile-de-France club largely won this weekend. The Cougars, finalists in 2019, played on the Vikings’ pitch in Villeneuve d’Ascq, with a 42-0 victory. The stronger Saint Ouen l’Aumône team scored 21 points in each half to win a comfortable success. Quarterback Brody Hahn put on a show, with 189 yards through the air, 72 on the ground and 6 total touchdowns. And the Cougars defense was very solid with 4 interceptions and 3 sacks.

The Ile de France teams did not make the hat-trick this week, because the Molossians were beaten at home by Amiens with a score of 19 to 14. The Spartans took the lead thanks to a very good start to the match, with including 2 touchdown passes from American quarterback Cornelius Kinchen. Asnières then reacted to close the gap, then the other American rookie from Amiens took matters into his own hands. The DB / WR D’Angelo Chesson thus signs a nice touchdown on a pick-6 from 60 yards. Solid defensively, with 5 forced ball losses, the Spartans then held on to keep the score (14-19).

Conference B

Ambitious and seen as favorites in Conference B, the Blue Stars showed they were ready in the first game of the season. Perfectly entered the match, they took the wide entry and quickly led 28-0. Overwhelmed, the Hurricanes never managed to worry them. Back at the club, Canadian quarterback Kaleb Scott shone by throwing for 269 yards and 6 touchdowns. The return of American football to Marseille was a great celebration, with people in the stands and a convincing victory on the field.

On the Perpignan side, it was a lively and offensive match between the Grizzlys and the Argonauts. The two attacks showed good things, and it was the Aix en Provence team who had the last word by winning with the score of 49 to 35. The two American quarterbacks notably offered us a good duel , with 258 yards and 4 touchdowns for Michael Pina (Argos), and 257 yards and 2 touchdowns for Jacob Purichia (Grizzlys).

On the contrary, the defenses were in the spotlight in Toulouse, with a close match between the Bears and the Centaurs, finally won 10 – 6 by the locals. The Bears were the first to score, with a touchdown from Richard Gillon on a pass from Cameron Valardo, and the score was 10-0 at halftime in their favor. The Centaurs only succeeded in forcing the lock on the Toulouse defense in the 4^th quarter. The end of the game was thrilling, and the Bears had the last laugh thanks to an interception on the last play. Present in the top flight for the first time in 20 years, the Toulouse Bears have made a successful comeback.

The best performances of the 1^time daytime

Quarterbacks

1. Kaleb Scott (Blue Stars): 16/27, 269 yards, 6 TD / 5 carries, 37 yards
2. Brody Hahn (Cougars): 16/22, 189 yards, 5 TD – 1 INT / 7 races, 72 yards, 1 TD
3. Michael Pina (Argonauts): 24/38, 258 yards, 4 TD / 14 carries, 53 yards

Running backs

1. Corentin Ducatillon (Argonauts): 28 runs, 137 yards (4.9 YPA), 2 TD
2. Ozni Adramann (Grizzlys): 12 carries, 83 yards (6.9 YPA), 3 TD
3. Gerald Childs (Bear): 30 carries, 139 yards (4.6 YPA)

Receivers

1. Idriss Ramky (Grizzlys): 9 receptions, 179 yards, 2 TDs
2. Pedro Rosa (Argonauts): 8 receptions, 63 yards, 3 TD
3. Valentin Prioul (Spartans): 9 receptions, 94 yards, 1 TD

Defenders

1. D’Angelo Chaisson (Spartans): 2 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 TD
2. Anthony Abandzounou (Flash): 3 sacks
3. Eddy Abdullah (Blue Stars): 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovered