Poland: Devils Clinch Playoff Spot

Photo:  Serguisz Kozief   The Wrocław Devils played their most complete game of the season on Saturday afternoon, recording their first...

Photo:  Serguisz Kozief  

The Wrocław Devils played their most complete game of the season on Saturday afternoon, recording their first shutout of the year and getting touchdowns from seven different players in routing the Zagłębie Steelers Interpromex 61-0. The Devils joined the Wrocław Giants as South Division representatives in this year's Topliga postseason.

The game, a makeup of one that was not played earlier in the season due to inclement weather, was one the Steelers would probably have rather kept postponed. Zagłębie failed to scored for the first time this year, losing their third straight game and falling to 2-5 on the season. The Steelers have now been outscored overall by their opponents by the same number of points, 171, by which the Devils have outscored theirs.

Wrocław led 28-0 after the first quarter. Xavier Glenn started the scoring with his 11th touchdown run of the season, a number that puts him behind only Jamal Schulters of the Giants, who has 14. Grzegorz Mazur then moved into a tie for the lead in touchdown receptions, recording his 8th of the season to make it 14-0. Austin Smith, one of two Devils to score twice on the afternoon, had a 67-yard touchdown run in the quarter as well.

The Devils also got the job done on defense. Clifford Perryman intercepted a pass deep in Steelers territory and jogged in for his second defensive touchdown of the year, and Wrocław stopped Zagłębie on all four downs after the Steelers set up a first-and-goal situation at the one-yard line in the third quarter. Karol Pełechaty was the other Devil to record a pair of touchdowns.

The Steelers fell to 0-4 all-time against the Devils, who have averaged a 63-5 victory in those four games. The outlook is unlikely to get much brighter for Zagłębie in their next contest, when they host the division co-leading Giants on June 2. The Devils will also be at home on that same day, taking on the last-place AZS Silesia Rebels.

Alex Zarganis, PLFA