Italian Football League - Power Ranking Week 10

davide.vismo
May 1
6 min read

1st Place: Firenze Guelfi

What a disappointing result for the Guelfi Firenze, with only 49 points scored they finished below their average of 50.4 points per game. Obviously that was a joke, the Guelfi keep on being the most dominant team in the IFL this season with a 49-17 win over the Lazio Marines, who just defeated the #2 seed Giaguari Torino. The usual suspect, and probable 2025 IFL MVP Andrea Fimiani had yet again another 3 passing - 3 rushing touchdowns performance, with the imports, Stola and twice Salum receiving the passing ones. The Guelfi will finish the season undefeated if they can beat the Aquile Ferrara in week 12 and the Giaguari Torino 14, and with that they’ll also have a bye week going into the playoffs. We know their sight is set on bigger targets though.

2nd Place: Ancona Dolphins

The Ancona Dolphins did not play in week 10, nevertheless they will remain in spot #2 because until they lose a game to someone they are the top team in the IFL Girone A. In week 11, they’ll be back on the field playing the Rhinos Milano, which they should beat quite easily. There was a clear separation between the top 3 and bottom 3 teams in the Girone A this weekend with the Rhinos losing 40-0 to the Panthers.

3rd Place: Legnano Frogs

The Legnano Frogs dominated the Lions Bergamo 61-14 in week 10. They’ve temporarily moved into first place of the Girone A as the Dolphins had a bye week, so they have played one more game compared to the Ancona counterpart in this tight race for the #1 seed. Not much to say about the game to be honest, the Frogs were clearly the better team coming into this matchup and they showed it on the field drive after drive, the Lions just did not have an answer for this stacked Frogs defense who’ve been wreaking havoc the whole season. Next week a crucial matchup emerges for the Legnano Frogs as they have to face the Parma Panthers away from home. Whoever loses this matchup is pretty much out of the race for the #1 seed so this will be a huge one to follow, and it won’t be an easy one to bring home for the Frogs since the Panthers look to have regained some balance after beating the Rhinos. The first time around between these two teams was absolute cinema, make sure to not miss the rematch with even more at stake.

4th Place: Parma Panthers

The Panthers Parma just absolutely spanked the Milano Rhinos 40-0 in week 10. This was a matchup that could’ve put Parma at risk of missing the playoffs, but they said “no chance, that’s not happening”. The Panthers looked to be back to their usual ways this week, allowing little to nothing to the opposing offense and spreading the ball around. The five different touchdowns scored by Parma had the signature of five different players: Cristanini, Parnell, Alinovi, Finadri and Bonvicini. The real challenge comes in week 11 though, when the Parma Panthers will need to get their get-back versus the Legnano Frogs, who narrowly beat them 24-21 in week 3. This win would keep the hopes to land the #1 seed alive for the Panthers.

5th Place: Ferrara Aquile

As Michael from The Office once said “Oh my god! okay it’s happening, everybody stay calm! STAY F***ING CALM!!”. The Ferrara Aquile have finally moved into a playoff paying position after beating the Giaguari Torino 26-20 in week 10! After finishing the first half down 13-0 the Aquile put together an amazing comeback, with a perfect two minute drill at the end of the 4th quarter in order to push the game into overtime. The comeback was started in the second quarter with a rushing TD by Filippo Franco in the 3rd, after that it was Medini and Pasquotto who caught the two touchdowns thrown by the import QB Aaron Allen.

The overtime was pure cinema, the Giaguari drove the ball right up to the opposing goal-line on the first possession, three rushing attempts to get in, Ferrara’s defense pushed Torino backwards play after play. On 4th down, Lewandowski makes a horrific decision which lead to #65 Alessio Antolini on the Aquile’s DLine getting a pick-6 which ended the game.

6th Place: Torino Giaguari

Someone please throw a lifeline to the Torino Giaguari, give them a parachute or something because they’re falling hard. After dropping a jaw dropping game to the Lazio Marines in week 9, the Giaguari negatively shocked us again by losing in spectacular fashion to the Aquile Ferrara in overtime, a game that they were dominating 13-0 in the first half. Losing Andrea Serra clearly had a big impact on the Torino team, who’s now coming of a three-game losing streak and from “obvious #2 seed” are now at risk of missing the playoffs. There is still time to turn it back around though, and it will have to start this weekend versus the Skorpions Varese, who are also struggling and have already lost 31-7 against the Giaguari in week 4.

7th Place: Skorpions Varese

The Varese Skorpions did not play in week 10, they moved up one spot because the Rhinos had to drop below them after being beaten 40-0. Next week the Skorpions face the Giaguari Torino, who are coming from three consecutive losses. Whoever loses this game is falling into the grasp of the hungry Aquile who are chasing close behind to steal a playoff spot late in the season, it’s gonna be a huge game in the Girone B.

8th Place: Milano Rhinos

Although the Milano Rhinos are not mathematically out of the playoffs, this 40-0 loss to the Parma Panthers feels like the final dagger into their hopes of getting into the postseason. In the last few weeks the Rhinos have lost crucial players on their offense to the start of the European League of Football camps. Particularly in the Wide-Receivers room they lost Jordan Bouah to the Rhein Fire, Tamsir Seck to the Hamburg Sea Devils and Bruno Escobar to the Tirol Raiders. Basically their top three weapons on offense, and it showed this weekend versus an amazing Panthers Parma defense. Without a break next week they’ll have to face the #1 Ancona Dolphins away from home, we’ll see if they can find a way to alternate what seems to be an inevitable final to their season.

9th Place: Lazio Marines

The Lazio Marines faced the #1 team in the Girone B in week 10, the undefeated Guelfi Firenze and they lost 49-17. It’s a tough loss, especially after winning against the Giaguari Torino in week 9, but it’s not an unexpected outcome, we all know by now that the Guelfi are on a different level compared to all the teams in the Girone B. What’s probably going to be the biggest game up to now for this team is coming in week 11 versus the Albisola Superiore Pirates. Losing this game would put them at high risk of going to the play-outs, especially since they’d have lost both the head-to-head matchups against the Pirates. Winning it though would keep their playoff hopes alive, especially since they still have head-to-head matchups against the Aquile Ferrara and the Skorpions Varese to try and sneak in late.

10th Place: Warriors Bologna

The Warriors Bologna did not play in week 10, they remain in 10th place. They won’t be back on the field until week 13 vs the Lions in a deciding matchup for who falls into the play-outs.

11th Place: Albisola Pirates

The Albisola Superiore Pirates did not play in week 10, they remain in 11th place. In week 11, they’ll head to Lazio against the Marines. If they can bring this game home they would escape the play-outs and remain in the IFL.

12th Place: Bergamo Lions

The Lions Bergamo lost 61-14 against the Frogs Legnano in week 10, they will rightfully remain in last place as they are the only team to not have won a game this year. Again they show life in these tough matchups by scoring a couple touchdowns, but the defense is just not there to compete at the IFL level right now. They have a bye week next week and they’ll then play the Dolphins in week 12 before the crucial matchup versus the Bologna Warriors in week 13.

CLOSING OUT WITH A DIVISIONS RANKING

Disclaimer: This ranking is aimed at the present. It’s heavily based on what was seen on the field this week and it will be like that for future weeks as well. Therefore if a team has a bye they might fall. Of course there is influence from previous accomplishments and future expectations, but as I said, it is based on the present!

GIRONE A: