The Bulldogs have won the men’s I division championship. The Kerava team defeated the Lohja Crusaders at Kaleva field in front of a large home crowd with a score of 42-21 (28-14).

The Kerava Bulldogs entered the entire season and the final as the clear favorites. The strong roster that the team built during the off-season did not lose any of its games in the 2026 season. Head coach Jose Gieschler admitted after the victory was secured that he felt relieved that the win and championship were finally decided:

-The expectations of being the favorite started to weigh a bit on me this week

Despite the pressure, the Kerava team started the Spaghetti Bowl strongly and took a two-touchdown lead with touchdowns from Aatos Airto and Aleksi Ruuth before the Crusaders woke up. The first touchdown for Lohja was scored by the best running back in the I division, Auvic White, who accumulated one touchdown and 160 rushing yards in the final.

In the second quarter, the same pattern repeated. The Bulldogs scored twice, and finally, the Crusaders narrowed the gap with their own touchdown. The touchdowns for Kerava were made by Matias Hyytiäinen with his reception and Juuso Arminen with a spectacular pick-six. The halftime score was finalized at 28-14 by Crusaders wide receiver Jere Markkinen.

The Crusaders got close in the third quarter

The Crusaders closed the gap to one touchdown in the third quarter with a reception by Raul Puenten and were immediately on the verge of stopping the Bulldogs’ offense with the ball on the Kerava side of the field. The turning point of the game can be seen in a Bulldogs punt situation, where punter Lenni Altio decided to run with the ball instead of kicking it, gaining 16 yards and positioning the ball, from where Brandon Gwinner eventually secured a safe lead for the Bulldogs with a pass directed to Aleksi Ruuth. According to head coach Gieschler, the punt was not agreed upon as a trick play, but it was Altio’s own decision.

In the final quarter, Gwinner, who was named the game’s MVP, finalized the score to 42-21 with a beautiful pass to Phung Nguyen. Bulldogs kicker Ahti Lehtonen succeeded in all six of his extra point attempts in the game.

Crusaders head coach Marko Vartiainen stated that his team got into the winning battle in the second half of the game, and from the Crusaders’ perspective, it seemed that the game was still winnable, but a few big downs decided the game in favor of the opponent.

Bulldogs head coach Gieschler mentioned that his team will focus on celebrating first, but decisions regarding the upcoming season are expected soon. As the winner of the I division, the Kerava team has the opportunity to apply for a league license for the 2027 season.

Explore: Game statistics

Game recording on Ruutu: Bulldogs-Crusaders

Photos: Alexander Store