2022 LFA season
Sports season
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The 2022 LFA season was the seventh season of operation (sixth season of play) of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), the top American football league in Mexico. The regular season began on 4 March and concluded on 24 April, with the playoffs beginning on April 30 and ending with the Tazón México V, on 21 May.[1] The league returned after a two-season hiatus.
| 2022 LFA season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 March – 24 April |
| Tazón México V | |
| Date | 21 May |
| Venue | Estadio Caliente, Tijuana |
| Champions | Fundidores |
Fundidores won their first LFA championship after defeating Gallos Negros 18–14 in the Tazón México V, played in Tijuana.[2]
Preseason events
Expansion
Two new teams joined the league for the 2022 season: Galgos de Tijuana, based in Tijuana, and Reyes de Jalisco, based in Zapopan, Jalisco.[3][4] The league also lost one team, Osos de Toluca, that folded in January 2021.[5] With these changes, the 2022 season will be contested by seven teams and, unlike the previous seasons, the league will not be divided into two divisions. As a result, the league decided to expand the playoff field from four teams to six teams. The top two teams will have a bye in the quarterfinals and will host home field in the semifinals.
Condors originally relocated to Querétaro City, and changed its name to Condors de Querétaro, after their acquisition to the ownership group that owned Querétaro F.C. On 3 February 2022, the team officially were rebranded as Gallos Negros de Querétaro. Following the rebrand, the league considers Gallos Negros as a new franchise that began competing in the 2022 season.[6][7]
Stadium changes
- Dinos moved to the Estadio Francisco I. Madero after an agreement with the owners of the stadium, the baseball club Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League.[8]
- Mexicas moved from the Estadio Perros Negros to the Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo".[1]
- Raptors returned to play their home games in the Estadio FES Acatlán, after playing in the Estadio José Ortega Martínez for the previous two seasons.[9]
Draft
| 2022 LFA Draft | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rnd. | Pick No. | LFA Team | Player | Pos. | School | Notes | |
| 1 | 1 | Reyes | Salvador Cabrera | DB | FES Acatlán | ||
| 1 | 2 | Fundidores | Emilio Pérez | OL | FES Acatlán | From Galgos | |
| 1 | 3 | Raptors | Jean Renaud | DB | FES Acatlán | ||
| 1 | 4 | Reyes | Alberto García | OL | FES Acatlán | From Fundidores | |
| 1 | 5 | Fundidores | Saúl Sauceda | OL | UANL | From Dinos | |
| 1 | 6 | Mexicas | Adrián Cuadra | DB | UNAM | From Gallos Negros | |
| 1 | 7 | Mexicas | Luis Ceniceros | DL | Anáhuac Norte | ||
| 2 | 8 | Reyes | Rodrigo Jurado | OL | UVM | ||
| 2 | 9 | Gallos Negros | Gerson Sánchez | OL | IPN | From Galgos | |
| 2 | 10 | Raptors | Alfredo Gachuz | K | ITESM CEM | ||
| 2 | 11 | Fundidores | Joan Lara | DL | UANL | ||
| 2 | 12 | Gallos Negros | Maximiliano Hernández | WR | ITESM Toluca | From Dinos | |
| 2 | 13 | Gallos Negros | Luis Enríquez | OL | IPN | ||
| 2 | 14 | Reyes | César Baeza | LB | IPN | From Mexicas | |
| 3 | 15 | Reyes | Jorge Licea | DL | UNAM | ||
| 3 | 16 | Galgos | Isaac Pulido | LB | UABC | ||
| 3 | 17 | Raptors | Luis Villegas | WR | ITESM Toluca | ||
| 3 | 18 | Gallos Negros | Anthony Baldovinos | DL | IPN | From Fundidores | |
| 3 | 19 | Dinos | Marco González | LB | UANL | ||
| 3 | 20 | Gallos Negros | Joan Pérez Durán | DB/LB | ITESM Toluca | ||
| 3 | 21 | Mexicas | Oliver González | OL | Anáhuac Norte | ||
| 4 | 22 | Reyes | Carlos Farías | QB | ITESM Guadalajara | ||
| 4 | 23 | Gallos Negros | Marco Cisneros | RB | UNAM | From Galgos | |
| 4 | 24 | Raptors | Ulises Colín | RB | IPN | ||
| 4 | 25 | Fundidores | Daniel Peña | WR | UANL | ||
| 4 | 26 | Dinos | Enrique López | OL | UAC | ||
| 4 | 27 | Gallos Negros | José Ruiz | WR | UNAM | ||
| 4 | 28 | Mexicas | Chrisstopher González | DB | ITESM Puebla | ||
| 5 | 29 | Reyes | Óscar Villagrán | WR | UNAM | ||
| 5 | 30 | Galgos | René López | DB | UACH | ||
| 5 | 31 | Raptors | Francisco Ornelas | RB | FES Acatlán | ||
| 5 | 32 | Fundidores | Juan Garza | LB | ITESM Puebla | ||
| 5 | 33 | Dinos | Alan Centeno | OL | ITESM Monterrey | ||
| 5 | 34 | Gallos Negros | Alberto Rodríguez | TE | UVM | ||
| 5 | 35 | Mexicas | Alejandro Márquez | QB | Anáhuac Norte | ||
Teams
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinos | Saltillo, Coahuila | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | 16,000 |  Javier Adame |
| Fundidores | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Estadio Banorte | 10,057 | Carlos Strevel |
| Galgos | Tijuana, Baja California | Estadio Caliente | 27,333 | Guillermo Ruiz Burguete |
| Gallos Negros | Querétaro City, Querétaro | Estadio Olímpico de Querétaro | 4,600 | Félix Buendía |
| Mexicas | Iztacalco, Mexico City | Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" | 6,000 | Héctor Toxqui |
| Raptors | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | FES Acatlán | 2,000 | Guillermo Gutiérrez |
| Reyes | Zapopan, Jalisco | Estadio Tres de Marzo | 18,779 | Ernesto Alfaro |
Regular season
Standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, PF = Points For, PA = Points against
| Pos | Team | GP | W | L | PF | PA | Stk | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dinos | 6 | 5 | 1 | 133 | 75 | L1 | Advance to playoffs |
| 2 | Fundidores | 6 | 4 | 2 | 132 | 111 | L1 | |
| 3 | Mexicas | 6 | 4 | 2 | 122 | 90 | W3 | |
| 4 | Raptors | 6 | 4 | 2 | 137 | 89 | W3 | |
| 5 | Reyes | 6 | 3 | 3 | 92 | 129 | W2 | |
| 6 | Gallos Negros | 6 | 1 | 5 | 95 | 109 | L5 | |
| 7 | Galgos | 6 | 0 | 6 | 46 | 155 | L6 | |
Source: LFA
Schedule
| Week 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV | |
| Gallos Negros | 33–9 | Galgos | Estadio Caliente | March 4 | 19:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Dinos | 10–7 | Mexicas | Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" | March 5 | 15:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Raptors | 13–10 | Reyes | Estadio Tres de Marzo | March 5 | 18:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Week 2 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV | |
| Fundidores | 17–24 (OT) | Dinos | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | March 12 | 19:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Mexicas | 10–8 | Raptors | Estadio FES Acatlán | March 13 | 15:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Reyes | 19–12 | Gallos Negros | Estadio Olímpico de Querétaro | April 16[A] | 20:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Week 3 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV | |
| Mexicas | 13–27 | Fundidores | Estadio Banorte | March 18 | 20:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Gallos Negros | 10–24 | Dinos | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | March 19 | 19:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Galgos | 0–10 | Reyes | Estadio Tres de Marzo | March 19 | 19:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Week 4 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV | |
| Raptors | 20–23 | Fundidores | Estadio Banorte | March 25 | 20:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Reyes | 12–46 | Mexicas | Estadio MCA Jaime Labastida[B] | March 26 | 15:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Dinos | 14–6 | Galgos | Estadio Caliente | March 26 | 19:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Week 5 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV | |
| Reyes | 6–34 | Dinos | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | April 2 | 19:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Galgos | 0–40 | Raptors | Estadio FES Acatlán | April 3 | 12:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Fundidores | 13–10 | Gallos Negros | Estadio Olímpico de Querétaro | April 3 | 15:00 | ||
| Week 6 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV | |
| Galgos | 9–28 | Fundidores | Estadio Banorte | April 8 | 20:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Gallos Negros | 11–16 | Mexicas | Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" | April 9 | 15:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Dinos | 27–28 | Raptors | Estadio FES Acatlán | April 10 | 12:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Week 7 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV | |
| Mexicas | 30–22 | Galgos | Estadio Caliente | April 22 | 19:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Raptors | 28–19 | Gallos Negros | Estadio Olímpico de Querétaro | April 23 | 20:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Fundidores | 24–35 | Reyes | Estadio Tres de Marzo | April 24 | 12:00 | Marca Claro | |
Results
Regular-season statistical leaders
| Individual[12] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoring leader | Torin Justice | Fundidores | 42 |
| Rubén Zendejas | Mexicas | ||
| Most Field Goals Made | Enrique Yenny | Dinos | 29 |
| Rushing yards | Jordon Shippy | Reyes | 457 |
| Passing yards | Shelton Eppler | Fundidores | 1,677 |
| Passing touchdowns | 15 | ||
| Interceptions Thrown | Bruno Márquez | Raptors | 8 |
| Pass receptions | Rodnell Cruell | Reyes | 34 |
| Pass receiving yards | 504 | ||
| Combined yards | Tavarious Battiste | Fundidores | 715 |
| Combined tackles | Anthony Patrick | Reyes | 50 |
| Interceptions | Enrique Altamirano | Galgos | 5 |
| Sacks | Luis Ceniceros | Mexicas | 7 |
| Demetrius Harris | Reyes | ||
Playoffs
Playoff bracket
| Wild Card | Semifinals | Tazón México V | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Fundidores | 30 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Raptors | 26 | 4 | Raptors | 27 | |||||||||
| 5 | Reyes | 6 | 2 | Fundidores | 18 | |||||||||
| 6 | Gallos Negros | 14 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Dinos | 20 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Mexicas | 7 | 6 | Gallos Negros | 27 | |||||||||
| 6 | Gallos Negros | 14 | ||||||||||||
Results
| Wild Card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV | |
| Gallos Negros | 14–7 | Mexicas | Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" | April 30 | 12:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Reyes | 6–26 | Raptors | Estadio FES Acatlán | May 1 | 16:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Semifinals | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV | |
| Gallos Negros | 27–20 | Dinos | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | May 7 | 19:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Raptors | 27–30 | Fundidores | Estadio Banorte | May 8 | 18:00 | Claro Sports | |
| Tazón México V | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV | |
| Gallos Negros | 14–18 | Fundidores | Estadio Caliente[13] | May 21 | 19:00 | Claro Sports | |
Tazón México V
| Tazón México V | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||||||||
| Gallos Negros | vs | Fundidores | |||||||||||||||
| (1-5) | (4-2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 14 | 18 | ||||||||||||||||
| Head Coach: | Head Coach: | ||||||||||||||||
| Felix Buendia | Carlos Strevel | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Date: 21, May 2022 | |||||||||||||||||
| Kickoff time: 7 p.m. | |||||||||||||||||
| Stadium: Estadio Caliente | |||||||||||||||||
| Attendance: 14,000 | |||||||||||||||||
| MVP: Martín Maldonado, DL | |||||||||||||||||
| Referee: Mario Matos | |||||||||||||||||
TV:    | |||||||||||||||||
| Half time show: Nortec:Bostich+Fussible, Pato Machete | |||||||||||||||||
| ← IV • Tazón México • VI → | |||||||||||||||||
The Tazón México V was held on 21 May 2022 at the Estadio Caliente in Tijuana. It was the first time the Tazón México was held outside of Mexico City. Fundidores became LFA champions after beating Gallos Negros by a score of 14–18.
| Scoring summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Awards
On 22 February 2023, the league announced the winners of the 2022 season awards.[14]
| Award | Winner | (Position) | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Shelton Eppler | QB | Fundidores |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Tavarious Battiste | WR | Fundidores |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Demetrius Harris | DL | Reyes |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Rubén Zendejas | RB | Mexicas |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Luis Ceniceros | DL | Mexicas |
| Coach of the Year | Carlos Strevel | Head Coach | Fundidores |
| Play of the Year | Shelton Eppler, Tavarious Battiste | Walk off touchdown on the final play of the Raptors @ Fundidores semifinal | Fundidores |
Notes
- The match between Reyes and Gallos Negros originally scheduled for 13 March was postponed due to the Querétaro–Atlas riot.[10]
- The match between Reyes and Mexicas originally scheduled to be played at Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" changed venues due to poor field conditions after Vive Latino 2022.[11]