London and Firenze put on a show – but Warriors Set the Tone in a Crucial Win
Momentum swung between the London Warriors and the Firenze Red Lions all afternoon, but in the end, it was London who set the tempo – and made it count.
FINAL SCORE: LONDON WARRIORS AT FIRENZE RED LIONS – 44:34
London Set the Tone Early in the First Half
London wasted no time asserting themselves, electing to receive and immediately delivering the fast start they were looking for. On the opening drive, quarterback Karé Lyles found Marcus Libman deep down the right side for a 40-yard touchdown strike, putting the Warriors on the board before the game had barely settled in. The extra point attempt, however, was blocked, leaving London with a 6-0 lead instead of the full seven.
That would prove to be just the beginning of the Libman show. The wide receiver struck again for a second touchdown, and by the end of the first quarter London had already piled up 20 points. Libman’s connection with Lyles was no coincidence, he was consistently the man finding separation downfield, making him the clear go-to target for his quarterback whenever London needed a big play. From the middle of the third quarter onward, London turned up the pressure with a 4-man rush that consistently disrupted the rhythm of the Red Lions‘ offense, a defensive push that would prove decisive in the long run.
The Red Lions Refused to Give Up
Their day started with promise, as their return unit gave them solid field position out to the 43-yard line. But that early optimism quickly turned to disaster: their opening drive stalled, and a blocked field goal was scooped up and returned all the way for a London touchdown, a brutal swing that could have knocked the wind out of any team.
To their credit, Firenze refused to fold. The Red Lions answered right back, with quarterback McKay connecting with Devin Carter for a 38-yard touchdown. It was the first of what would become a four-touchdown day for Carter, who cemented himself as McKay’s favorite target time and again. The response came at a cost, though, as Firenze lost their starting running back already on their very first drive, a blow that would be felt as the game wore on.
On defense, Nacho Diz emerged as a bright spot, delivering the kind of highlight-reel plays Firenze needed. For a moment, it felt like the momentum was genuinely shifting their way, and McKay made good on it, driving the offense down the field late in the first half.
Both offenses came out sluggish to start the second half, with the game’s tempo shifting instead toward the defensive side of the ball. It was Diz who once again made his presence felt, sparking a stretch of momentum that briefly seemed to swing back in Firenze’s favor. Over the long haul, though, the Red Lions simply couldn’t match London’s pace. Still, following their coaching change, Firenze showed encouraging signs, flashes of identity and fight, capped by Carter’s continued production, that should serve as a foundation to build on heading into the second half of the season. Even as London’s pressure mounted, the Red Lions refused to fold, competing to the final whistle rather than let the game slip away quietly.
What’s next
In Week 8, London hits the road to take on the Alpine Rams, looking to carry their momentum into another away test. Firenze, meanwhile, faces a tall order of their own, traveling to the German capital to take on Berlin Thunder as they look to build on the fight they showed against the Warriors.
