Defeats Team Glavic 36–23 to Capture the Spring 2026 Championship
Finals | 12:00 PM
There are good championship games.
And then there are championship games that remind you why you play the game in the first place.
The Eastern Touch Football League’s Spring 2026 Championship Final delivered exactly that.
Team Pacas defeated Team Glavic 36–23 in a game that had everything you could ask for from a championship matchup — explosive plays, defensive stops, momentum swings, adversity, emotion and, ultimately, two of the league’s most recognizable names battling for the title.
On one side stood Rob Pacas, leading his team into the biggest game of the season.
On the other was Marko Glavic, looking to cap another impressive campaign by bringing the championship home.
For much of the afternoon, it looked like either team could walk away as champion.
In the end, it was Team Pacas that made the plays when the game was there to be won.
Glavic Comes Out Firing
Team Glavic wasted no time establishing itself.
From the opening whistle, Glavic looked like a team that belonged in the championship game. The offense was clicking, the defense was flying around and Team Pacas suddenly found itself staring at an early two-score deficit.
For a team that had been so dominant throughout the season, Pacas was suddenly playing from behind.
But championship teams are defined by how they respond to adversity.
Rather than panic, Team Pacas slowly began chipping away.
The offense found its rhythm. The defense started generating stops. And as the game progressed, the momentum that had firmly belonged to Glavic began to shift.
Then came the turning point.
The Game’s Biggest Swing
As Team Glavic’s defense began to lose its structure, some internal miscommunication spilled onto the field. Assignments became less clear, communication broke down and opportunities began to emerge.
Rob Pacas didn’t need to be told twice.
The veteran quarterback recognized the opening and attacked it.
Team Pacas capitalized on the defensive confusion, turning what had been an early Glavic advantage into a game that suddenly belonged to Pacas.
The comeback was complete.
And once Team Pacas grabbed control, they never looked back.
The final score — 36–23 — doesn’t quite tell the story of how competitive this game was. For long stretches, these were two teams trading punches in a championship fight.
But when the pressure reached its highest point, Team Pacas had the answers.
FINALS MVP: GRAE HAYES
The Glue That Held the Champions Together
If there was one player who embodied Team Pacas’ championship performance, it was Grae Hayes.
Hayes was named the Championship Finals MVP, and while the box score shows a touchdown and a two-point conversion, his impact went considerably deeper than the numbers.
He was involved in the little moments that championship games are often decided by.
Timely offensive plays.
Important defensive contributions.
Momentum-changing moments.
And, perhaps most importantly, the ability to keep Team Pacas composed when the game wasn’t going their way.
When Glavic jumped out early, Hayes helped keep Pacas within striking distance. When the momentum began to turn, he was there to help take advantage.
The result was a performance that perfectly represented what a championship MVP should be: not necessarily the loudest player on the field, but the player who consistently makes the plays his team needs.
Hayes helped keep the door open.
Team Pacas eventually kicked it down.
Team Pacas — Championship Game Leaders
- Anthony Barrett: 3 touchdowns
- Chris Feely: 1 touchdown
- Grae Hayes: 1 touchdown, 2-point convert
- Rob Pacas: 1-point convert
- Alex Leonidakis: 1-point convert
- Ryan Dale: 2-point convert
Team Glavic
- Khosya Henderson: 2 touchdowns
- Dylan Hutcheson: 1 touchdown
- Emmanuel Beals: 2-point convert, 2-point convert
- Marko Glavic: 1-point convert
SEMIFINALS
10:30 AM
On paper, a 32–18 semifinal victory might suggest Team Pacas had a relatively comfortable path to the championship.
The reality was anything but.
Team Toi came out swinging.
Toi Simon and his Cinderella squad refused to go quietly, jumping on Team Pacas early and trading blows with the undefeated juggernaut throughout the first three quarters.
For much of the game, Team Toi looked like a team that genuinely believed it could pull off the upset.
And why wouldn’t they?
They had already exceeded expectations throughout the season, and now they were one game away from a championship appearance.
But eventually, the depth and consistency of Team Pacas began to show.
Small mistakes started becoming costly.
Possessions became increasingly important.
And in the fourth quarter, Team Pacas finally created the separation it had been searching for all morning.
The defending front-runner closed the door late, advancing to the championship game with a 32–18 victory.
Still, Team Toi deserves tremendous credit.
What began as a Cinderella story ended in the semifinal, but it was one heck of a run.
Team Pacas
- Chris Feely: 1 touchdown
- Alex Leonidakis: 1 touchdown
- Grae Hayes: 1 touchdown
- Anthony Barrett: 1 touchdown
- Mau Maha: 1 touchdown
- Ryan Dale: 2-point convert
Team Toi
- Kayrus Sam: 1 touchdown, 1 interception
- Stephano Cavaliere: 1 touchdown
- Aaron Karamath: 1 touchdown
- Domenic Fata: 1 sack
SEMIFINALS
9:00 AM
If Team Pacas had to survive a fight to reach the final, Team Glavic took a much more direct route.
The semifinal was effectively decided in the opening quarter.
Team Clarke entered the game shorthanded, missing two of its top receivers from Seeding Weekend — Adrian McIntosh and Connor Tamblyn — while several other players arrived late for the 9:00 AM start.
That created an immediate problem for quarterback Germaine Clarke, who was forced to spend portions of the game playing defense.
By the time Team Clarke had enough players on the field to settle into its game plan, Team Glavic had already established a significant advantage.
And Glavic wasn’t about to give it back.
Henderson Takes Over
The biggest difference-maker was once again Khosya Henderson.
Henderson erupted for four touchdowns, powering the Glavic offense and putting Team Clarke under constant pressure.
Team Glavic continued pressing the attack, while its defense also made life difficult for Clarke’s offense.
The final score read 34–19, sending Glavic into the championship game.
But despite the difficult circumstances, there was plenty to like about Team Clarke’s performance — particularly from quarterback Germaine Clarke.
With a full roster, Clarke showed throughout the season that he has the tools to compete with the league’s best.
This Championship Weekend may not have ended the way he wanted, but the experience should be invaluable heading into the future.
The 2027 season could be a very different story.
ETFL 
Leave a comment