ELF Recap: Week 13

By Peter Mann

One more to go before the play-offs appear on the radar of franchises in this seasons’ European League of Football; of those locked in, Munich Ravens, Vienna Vikings, and newcomers, Nordic Storm, are 10-1, whilst Stuttgart Surge added their name to the mix are booked on 9-2 following the weekend’s outings.

Of those four, the latter, Stuttgart Surge, added their name to the four divisional champions but, with two spots remaining in the post-season, who goes through, and who misses out – it’s two from either Rhein Fire, Paris Musketeers, Frankfurt Galaxy, and Madrid Bravos, all of whom can stake a claim of being deserving after entertaining, if not sometimes challenging, outings, over the past few months.

MUSKETEERS BARE TEETH AND PUT HELVETICS’ TO MERCY Of the quartet still looking to make the post-season, PARIS MUSKETEERS (7-4), second in the West Division, eased to a thumping, 77-0 shut-out win at home to Helvetic Mercenaries, their eleventh straight defeat of the season.

In registering eleven TDs, the Musketeers put up a massive, sixty-three points in a strong, first half, before easing off the gas in the second as the hosts restricted the rampant Parisiens to just fourteen points.

Jaylon Henderson finished with figures of 144yds, 4TDs (pass), whilst another four rushing TDs were also added, Jason Bofunda 112yds, 2TDs, Jean-Charles Moukouri 43yds, 1TD, and Hugo Tekedam 15yds, 1TD (rush), 28yds, 2TDs (rec).

In the first quarter alone, the visitors ran in five scores as Tekedam rushed for 15yds, and Remi Bertellin returned for a 69yd score after Adrian Saliu’s punt, whilst in the second quarters four scores there was a 10yd rushing score from Bofunda.

Meanwhile, in the second half, the visitor’s hopes were compounded further with scores from Moukouri with a close-range, rushing score, and for Bofunda again to wrap up the rout.

VIKINGS WIN THRILLER IN AUSTRIA A back-and-forth contest in Austria would see VIENNA VIKINGS (10-1) win a near-ninety points thriller when home to Wroclaw Panthers (5-6), and in turn eliminating their visitors from play-off contention.

The Ben Holmes – Reece Horn partnership was at it’s usual, delightful best for the Austrian powerhouses, they connecting twice for scores, Florian Bierbaumer the other as their quarterback, Holmes, posted 274yds, 3TDs (pass), Horn with 142yds, 2TDs (rec), and Bierbaumer 57yds, 1TD (rec).

Between them the Vikings and the Panthers registered fourteen TDs (Vikings 8-6 with a safety also); Holmes would connect with Horn for 23yds, and Bierbaumer for 22yds in the first quarter, and with Horn again for 39yds in the fourth, whilst Karri Pajarinen added two rushing scores.

Replying for the Panthers Demarcus Irons was on-hand with 285yds, 2TDs (pass) and 114yds, 2TDs (rush), along with a further rushing score from Dawid Brzozowski, 38yds, 1TD (rush) and the second quarter safety score; in the third quarter Irons connected with Darrell Stewart Jnr for 56yds, and in the fourth for 32yds.

STORM RETURN TO WINNING WAYS WITH DEFEAT OF THE SEA DEVILS What a season the ELF newcomers, NORDIC STORM (10-1) are enjoying; despite a first defeat in the game prior to bye week (35-20 away to Frankfurt Galaxy), they’d already wrapped up the North Division.

First week back and they racked up win number ten with a comfortable, 40-7 success, at home to Hamburg Sea Devils, and with it their tenth win of a productive season; a quiet first half (from both) was turned on its head in the second with the Storm racking up some twenty-eight points to claim a comprehensive victory.

The Sea Devils’ only score came just before half-time following a close-range, rushing TD from Carlton Aiken, the Storm going in at the half with a 12-7 lead following quarterback Jadrian Clark linking up with first, TE Adria Botella, then WR Brendan Beaulieu.

Second half dominance from the Storm though, spoke volumes, Clark throwing for another three TDs to finish with 316yds, 5TDs (pass), twice over 31yds to first WR Simon Foens, then Beaulieu, who finished the tie with 93yds, 2TDs (rec) alongside Botella with 50yds, 2TDs (rec).

The other score for the Storm, RB Armand Soulerot with a close rushing TD in the fourth quarter, the Storm certainly a favourite to go deep in their maiden campaign.

GERMAN DOMINANCE (I) AT HOME, WHILST MADRID’S SINNETT SETS A NEW RECORD In a league dominated by German franchises, sometimes they stand proud above the rest and, this past weekend, a couple won at home, and on the road, whilst a new league record was also set.

In Germany both MUNICH RAVENS (10-1) and RHEIN FIRE (7-4) collected home wins, the former a narrow, 30-27 success against Madrid Bravos, and the latter in a 34-24 victory against battling Raiders Tirol.

In Munich, the hosts sixteen unanswered points in the first quarter just about saw them past visiting Spaniards, who knocked out fourteen unanswered of their own in the fourth of a see-saw battle.

Ravens quarterback, Russell Tabor, finished with 174yds, 2TDs (pass) and 53yds, 1TD (rush), whilst Justin Rodney ended with 131yds, 1TD (rush); replying saw Bravos quarterback, Reid Sinnet, en-route to a new, league record, post 270yds, 2TDs (pass) and 36yds, 1TD (rush), with Eduard Molina 52yds, 1TD (rush) and 17yds, 1TD (rec), Jordi Torrededia the recipient of the other score.

As for the new record, that went to Madrid Bravos quarterback, REID SINNETT, who broke Jadrian Clark’s 2023 record (3586yds), and posted, so far, a new single season passing yards record of 3594yds, with one game of the regular season still to play.

Meanwhile, the Fire posted 27-10 over the second and third quarters combined to give them the victory over the Raiders, who were actually leading 17-13 at one point, thanks to a 39yd FG from Jonata Loria.

Fire quarterback, Chad Jeffries, was on-hand to post 318yds, 4TDs (pass), with Jonathan Scott a rushing score in the second quarter for 72yds, 1TD (rush); Harlan Kwofie meanwhile was the recipient of three of Jeffries’ four TD passes, over 7, 14, and 25yds respectively – the longest, a 57yd pass from Jeffries to Jannik Loercks.

Replying and Raiders quarterback N’Kosi Perry posted 285yds, 3TDs, two of which were to JaCorey Sullivan, 33yds and 30yds respectively, and one to Markus Schaberi, from 19yds, to complete the games’ scoring in the fourth quarter.

GERMAN DOMINANCE (II) ON THE ROAD, SURGE CLAIM THE WEST Germans even know how to win on the road as well, as their weekend dominance continued with victories for both FRANKFURT GALAXY (6-5) and STUTTGART SURGE (9-2), the latter wrapping up the West Division to complete this season’s four.

Galaxy picked up a 28-21 success away to Prague Lions thanks to an overtime score after regulation time saw the sides finish at 21-21; Galaxy quarterback, Jameson Wang, finished the thriller posting 324yds, 3TDs (pass) and 50yds, 1TD (rush), Brevin Easton had 131yds, 2TDs (rec) and Normen Schumm 33yds, 1TD (rec).

Replying for the Lions was three rushing scores as Javarian Smith claimed 99yds, 2TDs (rush) and Adam Zouzelka 77yds, 1TD (rush) in what was a tough afternoon for the hosts.

As for the West champions, the Surge, they claimed an impressive, 44-3 success, when away to fellow German franchise, Cologne Centurions, who lost for the eleventh time this season.

The Surge were twenty-four points to the good before Jens Appelt kicked a 49yds FG for the Centurions, and the visitors wrapped up the win with six TDs and an FG of their own, that coming from a 35yd kick by WR Florian Lengauer.

Both WR Leonell Fritzen and QB Reilly Hennessey excelled for the Surge, the former posting 112yds, 1TD (pass), and the latter 108yds, 1TD (pass), whilst there were four rushing scores from RBs Tomiwa Oyewo, Albert Wiesigstrauch (with the opening score), Bryan Yankson, and Kai Hunter.  

It’s onto the final week, WEEK FOURTEEN of the regular season now, and, with two play-off places still up for grabs, and four franchises in the mix, there’s going to be some shredded nerves, and lots of watching what’s happening elsewhere.

Paris Musketeers will be first up, the third game of the trio if Saturday matches, they on the road in a tough battle in Austria, and the Vienna Vikings; Rhein Fire close the weekend when they host another of the divisional champions in Nordic Storm, whilst the other game, that has the makings of a classic.

Sunday 17 August, Frankfurt Galaxy, third in the West (and hoping the Musketeers have lost in Vienna), welcome Madrid Bravos, second in the South, for what promises to be a humdinger of a contest.

Victors will then have a fortnight’s break before the Wild Card weekend takes place on 23/24 August, the semi-finals take place the following week (30/31 August), and the Championship Game, that’s at the MHP Arena, Stuttgart, on 7 September 2025.

There’s a lot of football still to be played between now and the Championship though…

PETER MANN

NFL ANALYST

PETER IS A LIFELONG SPORTS FAN, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR BASED IN COUNTY DURHAM. HE HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL AND THE RAIDERS SINCE THE 1980s, AND LOVES BOTH SPORTS AND FAMILY HISTORY. PETER HAS A DEGREE IN SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY, AND CAN BE FOUND ON TWITTER @petermannwriter

 
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