On Sunday, December 15, the Koshien Bowl, the final game of the Japan University American Football Championship was held at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, and after a fierce battle, the Ritsumeikan University Panthers defeated the Hosei University Orange 45-35 to be crowned the best in Japan.

Many students, parents, alumni, faculty, and staff members came to Koshien to root for the Panthers as they vied for the title, and the stands on the first base side of the stadium were awash in the dark red of Ritsumeikan University. The Panthers players entered the stadium to loud cheers from their supporters, and their faces were filled with determination and confidence—they were here to win it all. The Panthers and the Ritsumeikan family who came to support them were united as the history-making game began.

As befitting the Koshien Bowl, the game was a heated contest with both East and West putting their pride on the line, and neither side giving an inch.
The Panthers struck first with a lightning-fast run for a touchdown by captain and RB Daichi Yamazaki (4th year, College of Economics). On the next drive, QB Go Takeda (3rd year, College of Economics) threw a touchdown pass to WR Ryosuke Kinoshita (3rd year, College of Business Administration), staking the Panthers to a 14-0 lead. The Panthers, who take pride in their aggressive offense, went on the attack against Hosei University, which created the ideal scenario that allowed them to take an early lead. But Hosei University would not allow this lead to stand, scoring a touchdown right before time ran out at the end of the first quarter to bring the score to 14-7.
In the second quarter, RB Takemi Minobe (2nd year, College of Sport and Health Science) and WR Kinoshita both scored touchdowns, and K Koki Yokoi (3rd year, College of Economics) nailed a field goal, but Hosei University tacked on another TD of their own, and the score at the end of the first half stood at 31-21 as both teams refused to give in.

The back-and-forth battle continued in the second half. In the third quarter, a pass from Takeda to WR Koki Ohno (4th year, College of Policy Science) resulted in a touchdown and a 38-21 lead, but Hosei University scored two unanswered touchdowns to bring the score to 38-35.
Just as the tide was about to turn in favor of Hosei University, Ritsumeikan’s fans, who had no doubt that the Panthers were bound for glory, turned up the volume on their cheering, which spurred the team on. Time and time again, the Panthers have shown that they are a team that can draw strength from their fans and keep forging ahead, and this time was no different. Finally, in the fourth quarter, with less than four minutes on the clock, WR Dai Sengoku (3rd year, College of Information Science and Engineering) scored a touchdown that turned the tables, giving the Panthers a 45-35 lead. Never giving up, the Panthers remained on the offensive to keep the Orange at bay. After nine years of waiting for this moment, Ritsumeikan’s players threw their hands in the air and hugged each other, sharing their joy as a team that fought its way to the number one spot in Japan.

At the awards ceremony held after the game, Yamazaki, the team captain and Koshien Bowl MVP, was presented with the Chuck Mills Trophy in recognition of his selection as the top collegiate player of the year. The fans in the stands erupted into applause for Yamazaki, who was the biggest inspiration to the Panthers and to himself.

Thanks to the support and encouragement of everyone, the Panthers were able to achieve their goal of becoming number one in Japan. Once again, we would like to sincerely thank everyone who rooted for the Panthers.
Thanks to the support and encouragement of everyone, the Panthers were able to achieve their goal of becoming number one in Japan. Once again, we would like to sincerely thank everyone who rooted for the Panthers.