Touchdown Sensation: Keio University’s Kurosawa Seigo Unleashes 3-TD Frenzy, Proving Hard Work Pays Off in Thrilling 4-Year Journey
2024 Kanto Student American Football League TOP8
September 14th @ Aminovital Field (Tokyo)
Keio University 27-14 Meiji University
Keio University Secures First Win Against Meiji in Five Years
The second round of the Kanto Student TOP8 American Football Tournament was held on September 14th, with Meiji University (3rd place last year) facing Keio University (5th place last year). Meiji won a close game against Chuo University in the previous round, while Keio lost to Waseda University, leaving them with no way out if they are looking to compete in the national championships.
The first half was almost evenly matched, with both teams trading points, but Keio managed to hold back on their losses in the second half and win 27-14. This was Keio’s first win against Meiji in five years since 2019, and their first upset of the season in the TOP8. WR Seigo Kurosawa (4th year, Keio Shiki), who scored all of the touchdowns in this game, stood out.
Contributed to the First Victory Over Meiji in Five Years by Scoring All TDs
Keio, which had been in a slump in recent years, has now signaled its comeback. Having lost the opening game, Keio had no choice but to win against Meiji by almost double the score, which is significant.
On defense, Meiji’s two powerful running backs, Kotaro Hironaga (4th year, Minoh Jiyugakuen) and Shuhei Takahashi (3rd year, Adachi Gakuen), ran for over 200 yards, but Keio managed to limit their losses to 14 points in the first half.
Scouting Works and the Attack Breaks Through
What kind of tactical efforts did Keio’s offense make in preparation for this game? According to QB Mizushima and Kurosawa, they knew from scouting that Meiji would defend with a basic alignment and defensive scheme, so they were conscious of the gaps in the zone.
They used pass routes that penetrated the boundaries of the areas each LB and DB were defending, which led to big gains.
“I’m Confident in the Practice I’ve Accumulated” as I Started Competing in College
Kurosawa started playing American football after entering university. In the winter of his third year of high school, he was invited by a classmate to watch the “White Bowl 2020” match between Keio and Hokkai Gakuen University.
Many of Keio’s team members are former high school students with experience playing American football. Although there are many members and the competition is fierce, Kurosawa says, “I’m confident in the amount of effort and the number of times I’ve practiced.”
Kinki University’s Upset Inspires
The previous week, Kinki University upset Kansai University in a match that Kurosawa said had a big impact on him.
“Today while we were getting changed in the locker room, we were saying, ‘There have been upsets in Kansai, but nothing has happened in Kanto yet. We’ll definitely do it!’ I’m really glad that we were able to embody this.”
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