Emerald Bowl V Champions!

The Cowboys are once again Emerald Bowl Champions after an exhilarating day of flag football at the National Sports Campus in Dublin. The Cowboys are now the only team to be crowned All-Ireland Champions more than once having won Emerald Bowl II in 2016.

Having finished the regular season as 2nd seeds, the Cowboys attained a bye in the wildcard round and would have to wait until the outcome of the Eagles vs Trojans match-up to find out who they would face. The Eagles would beat the Trojans easily, setting up a rematch of last years semi final. The outcome would be different however as the Cowboys dominated the match, winning 39-16 and advancing to the Bowl game, where they would face the Louth Mavericks, who beat top seeds Trinity College 31-13 in the other semi-final.

Rain hampered play in the Bowl game, with many dropped passes and missed flags, but the Cowboys would end up edging out the Mavericks 18-12. Experience certainly came to the fore as the offense gained first downs and scored touchdowns at vital moments in the game, while the defense produced a superb display, backed up by some incredible blitzing by Emerald Bowl V MVP Matthew Kelly.

As the final whistle blew, the team celebrated wildly - having not only won the North Division and Emerald Bowl, but also finished the season unbeaten. Team captains Niall Quinn and Jo Buchanan received the trophy from IAFA President Orla McAleese.

That wraps up another successful year for the Craigavon Cowboys, stay tuned for your chance to join the club in 2019!

Thanks to Terry McCann for the photos.