Albany Rebels Claim the Joe Flavin Cup and the Midwest Junior D Championship

Only one group gets to be the first.

That was the message Player-Coach Henry Best gave his team at 11:35 am Sunday, July 26th. The undefeated Albany Rebels footballers were about to take the field in the Midwest Junior D Football Final. 

The stakes: a trip to Boston to compete for the national championship and ownership of the inaugural Joe Flavin Cup.

The footballers had been in finals before, but never with any real expectation of winning. This past Sunday was different. They'd defeated Syracuse twice already this season. Yes, the Gaels were no slouches and always put up a fight, but if the Rebels played their game, they knew there was nothing that could stop them.

1st half:

Albany: 2-7 (13)

Syracuse: 2-2 (8)

It was all Rebels from the jump. An early goal by 2nd-year phenom and Scotto Tacos legend Alex Bielfeld and points from Kevin Clifford and Des Norris built an early lead. Midfielders Marc Massena and Jason Chicione teamed with rookie sensation Dillon Flood and gritty vet Mark Adam from the half-forward line to own the middle of the field.

The chances were plenty, the finishing was good, the shot selection could’ve been a bit better. Still, 15 minutes in, the Rebels had shut out Syracuse and built a commanding lead.

But the lads from Syracuse were no quitters. Down but not out, they adapted. They pressed high, looking to hit fast on turnovers. When in possession, they opted for long balls over the top to skip the Rebels' commanding midfield. With a bit of chaos in front of the net and some immaculately placed shots, they managed two goals and two points in the final 15 minutes of the first half. 

With each Syracuse score, the Rebels responded. Most memorably from a goal by Joe Bradley.

In the last year, longtime Rebel and benevolent landlord Joe Bradley became a father. And while his daughter is a bit young for piggyback rides, he got some good reps in this weekend.

When Joe receives the ball at full forward, he does one of two things: makes an excellent pass for a give-and-go, or turns his man with surprising speed and bulldozes in on goal. This time he bulldozed in on goal. One Syracuse defender jumped on his back. Joe shook him off. Then another. Then the goalie gave it a shot. It was to no avail as Joe ploughed through them all to stumble/drop the ball into the net for a goal.

As the two teams went into the half, Syracuse had momentum, but the Rebels still maintained a healthy lead.

You have to want it more. For yourselves, for the 30 guys standing in this circle, some of the best friends you’ll ever have. Want it for them; that’s your fuel today.

2nd Half

The Rebels made one major change at half. Given the shift in Syracuse strategy, the minuscule halfback Henry Best was a bit of a liability. With veteran Dylan Conklin waiting in the wings, the substitution was made, and for the first time in 3 years the coach actually coached from the sideline for an entire half.

Early in the 2nd half things were a bit testy. Syracuse had some possession and kept the Rebels pinned back in their own zone. In one spell of possession, the Rebels worked the ball up to full forward Alex Bielfeld, who was lingering as an outlet at midfield. All alone, he did the stupid thing and turned to carry the ball up field and away from his help–though Des Norris and Chris Hunley managed to catch up eventually.

But the Syracuse defender continued to concede more and more space. So Alex kept going further and further up field. When the defender finally decided to close him down, Alex beat his man. When a second defender finally arrived to assist his comrade, Alex decided it was time to shoot. He buried the ball in the bottom corner of the net, completing the GAA version of a Wayne Gretzky goal.

Coach Henry Best went from apoplectic to euphoric in an instant. It was the largest cheer of the day from the sideline and the standout play of the year for the Rebels. In hindsight, it seems to have been the moment Syracuse was defeated.

The Rebels once more assumed control of the game. Winning kickouts and blasting over points. A goal from mammoth human Chris Hunley was the cherry on top. Despite the massive lead, the defense fought on to the bitter end, refusing to concede any garbage time scores.

The referee blew the final whistle. The sideline stormed the field. We did it.

Only one group gets to be the first, and it was us.

Scorers (we think; the umpire situation was suboptimal, so it could be hard to remember who’s counted and who’s was disallowed, but this adds up to 4-14):

Alex Bielfeld: 2 goals

Kevin Clifford: 4 points

Stuart McMahon: 2 points

Chris Hunley: 1 goal, 1 point

Joe Bradley: 1 goal

Des Norris: 2 points

Pierre Massena: 2 points

Jason Chicione: 2 points

Victor Flahive: 1 point

Game Balls: Alex Bielfeld and Mark Adam

Final Score:

Albany: 4-14 (26)

Syracuse: 2-4 (10)

The 26ers:  (* indicates a decade+ in the club)

Alex Bielfeld

Chris Hunley

Pierre Massena

Joe Bradley*

Marc Massena

Kevin Clifford

Stuart McMahon

Mark Adam*

Jason Chicione

Dillon Flood

Harrison Polverelli

Tyler Wilcox

Des Noris

Pat Bruen

RC Helsing

Dylan Conklin*

Tucker Conklin*

Ryan Moloney*

Liam Healy

Kyle Veith

Ryan Narey

Eamon Breen

Victor Flahive

Joe Marotta 

Bryce Pollock

Henry Best

Off-field:

Craig Larsen (injured)

Christopher Scotto Di Carlo (injured)

Brian Kanalley*

Paddy Loughlin

Brendan Rock*

Joe Chicione

And our little GI Joe, Dustin Moore

And of course, none of this would be possible without Joe Flavin’s son, Cillian*