The South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS) Pride American Football team is determined to turn their recent heartbreak into motivation after falling short in the British Universities and College Sport (BUCS) National Vase Cup final.
SGS Pride faced a tough 20-6 loss against the Brunel Burners at Loughborough University. Despite being underdogs due to Brunel’s roster, which featured several American players, SGS Pride displayed remarkable resilience throughout the match.
Head coach Ben Herod, based at the college’s Stoke Gifford campus, praised his team’s defensive performance and highlighted valuable lessons learned from the defeat. “We came into the game as underdogs because of the number of Americans on Brunel’s team, but our defense shocked a few people with how well they performed,” Herod said.
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He emphasized the importance of maintaining relentless focus and attention to detail against highly experienced squads. “Against teams with seasoned American players, you need a perfect game in terms of concentration, and unfortunately, we fell short in that area.”
Looking ahead, Herod is optimistic about the team’s future, noting that most players will return next season. “We get the majority of this team back to develop further and learn from this experience. We’re going to be in a really good place, and I hope we’ll be back there in the final.”
The final itself was a hard-fought battle under bright sunlight at Loughborough. Brunel quickly gained momentum, capitalizing on early turnovers to score touchdowns and build a lead. David Moore III’s early touchdown put Brunel ahead despite a missed extra point.
SGS Pride’s defense remained unyielding, with standout tackles from players like JJ Aboagye, but Brunel maintained control. Quarterback Christian Dzulynsky connected on key passes, including a strike to Joao Camara for a touchdown, though extra points continued to evade them.
In the second half, Brunel’s Cole McFarlane made a significant impact after swapping in at quarterback, scoring a touchdown and successfully converting the extra points to extend Brunel’s lead. Despite a missed punt by Brunel that gave SGS possession, Pride’s offensive efforts yielded only a single touchdown, courtesy of Adam Deverill’s determined push into the end zone.
With just two minutes remaining, SGS Pride faced an uphill battle. A missed deep pass by Brunel gave the home team a glimmer of hope, but Brunel maintained possession, navigating through fouls and key yardage advances to secure their lead as the clock wound down. McFarlane’s skillful play earned him the Finals MVP title, thanks to his touchdown and successful conversion that contributed eight points.
Reflecting on the match, Herod admitted that mental errors and turnovers hindered the team’s offensive potential. “We turned the ball over too many times, giving their offense short fields. Our football IQ on the field wasn’t at the level needed. We gave perfect effort and hustle, but in the end, mental mistakes proved costly.”
Despite the setback, SGS Pride’s commitment and determination signal a strong return next season as they aim to reclaim their position at the top.