RTV Maastricht – Maastricht Wildcats promoted to top level

The Maastricht Wildcats, the city’s American football club, were promoted to the top tier of American football in the Netherlands on Saturday. The team, which is located at Sportpark West, beat the Utrecht Dominators in Almere with no less than 46 against 13; a high score for this sport.

The Wildcats have played in the top division of American football for the past few years. Next year they will join the best teams in the country, in the Eredivisie. The promotion caused great cheer in sweltering Almere, where the match was played during the 37th Tulip Bowl weekend in the Netherlands.

parents day
The Wildcats have already managed to win twice before against the Dominators in the regular season, which brought a lot of confidence in the final on the ground of the Flevo Phantoms. The tone set in previous games against the Dominators immediately came to fruition on the Wildcats’ first possession. Ray Ket scored the first touchdown for the Maastricht team within minutes. Then the weather conditions affected the match. The ball became slippery due to the sweat of the players, causing it to slip through the hands several times.

Rating progress
In the first half, the roughly 100 spectators in attendance saw numerous three-and-outs, meaning a team cannot score while in possession. In the second half, the game opened up and the Wildcats waltzed over the Dominators. The Wildcats played a solid game both offensively and defensively. They only allowed two counter touchdowns.

stand out
The Wildcats owe a successful season and a great final mainly to a star player from Florida in the United States. Quarterback (playmaker) Daquan Johnson was named Offensive MVP (Most Valuable Player) after the game ended. Johnson was stationed for a time as a private at the U.S. Army base at Eygelshoven; he could continue to practice his favorite sport in Maastricht.

AFBN
The national association of American football, the AFBN (American Football Bond Netherlands), is also largely controlled by the inhabitants of Maastricht. The Maastricht Wildcats board also works within the association and has big plans. ”We are always trying to get more name recognition for the sport, both in Maastricht and in the rest of the province or country. A championship like this for the Wildcats obviously helps with that. At the national level, as soon as the basic foundation of the association is solid, we hope to invest more in the youth centres,” says Chantalle Huis, president of the Wildcats and director of the AFBN.