Warsaw kicks off 2013 season with 39-0 win in sub-freezing temps

The 2013 Topliga season got off to a start very similar to the one from the previous year, with the Warsaw Eagles taking apart Kozly Poznan 39-0. Clarence Douglas Anderson scored three touchdowns for the Eagles, who have never lost against Kozly in eight encounters.

As the two teams stood on the field for kickoff on Saturday in Poznan, the bright sun shining upon them made the scene look like one from mid-summer. The ring of snow piled up around the field and the feeling in the air told otherwise, however, as temperatures plunged well below the freezing mark in one of the coldest PLFA regular season games in memory.

Following a Kozly turnover on the opening drive, Anderson scored on Warsaw's second offensive play, taking the ball in from the 27-yard line. The game settled down quickly after that score, and Warsaw began to wear down the Poznan defense with a methodical running game that would eventually light up the scoreboard five times in the contest.

Warsaw led 20-0 at halftime on the strength of second-quarter touchdown runs by Anderson and Piotr Osuchowski, who scored twice on the afternoon. Kozly tried getting the offense going with two different quarterbacks, Patryk Barczak and Krzysztof Cymbrowski, but neither was able to crack a stout Warsaw defense.

Osuchowski and Dawid Wieckowski both scored in the third quarter, and the Eagles wrapped up the scoring in the fourth when Shane Gimzo threw his first touchdown pass of the season, a 43-yarder to Anderson. Serbian Ivan Pavlovic provided some highlights for Kozly fans, coming away with two interceptions.