ELF Recap: Semi-Final Weekend

By Peter Mann

And then there was two; following the semi-final clashes this past weekend in the European League of Football, we now know who’ll contest the Championship Game, at the MHP Arena, Stuttgart, this coming Sunday (7 September), with Stuttgart Surge welcoming Vienna Vikings.

It is a dream which all in Stuttgart had hoped would come to fruition and, having hit the post-season, that dream was in touching distance, contesting the Championship Game in their own stadium; meanwhile, the Vikings were hoping to reach a third successive final, and will now look to claim a second crown.

MAIN AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED Last week we opened with the other, end-of-season, award nominations for the season concluding in the ELF, and we can now add to that that of Coach of the Year, and MVP awards, as well as the ‘Man of the Year.’

The three nominations in the Coach of the Year category are Kendral Ellison (Munich Ravens), John Shoop (Nordic Storm), and Chris Calaycay (Vienna Vikings); Ellison is in his second season with the Ravens and has led them to back-to-back post-seasons, the vastly experienced Shoop has led the Storm to the post-season in his first season at the helm, and Calaycay is the Vikings mainstay and takes them to their third Championship Game in his four seasons with the franchise.

The league’s 2025 MVPs will come from either the star pairing at the Madrid Bravos, quarterback Reid Sinnett and wide receiver Aron Cruickshank, they having had a record-breaking season up their defeat in the Wild Card round, or the 2023 MVP and Storm quarterback Jadrian Clark, who took his form from the Rhein Fire to the new kids on the block, and sent them to the semi-finals, before coming up short.

In addition to those, there will also be the ‘Man of the Year,’ an award which “recognizes a player who has shown exceptional character, sportsmanship, and contribution both on and off the field.

“The winner is a role model, making a positive impact in the community and the sport.”

Last season’s award was presented to Aleksander Milanovic, offensive lineman for Vienna Vikings.

THESE TWO, PREVIOUSLY Both VIENNA VIKINGS and STUTTGART SURGE have previously made the ELF Championship Game, the Vikings lifting the title three years ago and were runners-up last time around, whilst the Surge fell short in 2023.

In 2022 the Vikings toppled the Hamburg Sea Devils, at the Black Arena, in Austria, claiming a 27-15 success thanks to the on-field prowess of their then wide receiver, Kimi Linnainmaa, receiving the first scoring pass from Adria Botella, whilst Dennis Tasic added two FGs, from 36yds and 25yds, to keep the Vikings ahead.

The Surge reached the final twelve months later, losing a high-scoring game, 53-34, to Rhein Fire, at the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Germany; Surge quarterback, Reilly Hennessey, posted 343yds, 4TDs (pass), as they came up short to the free-scoring Fire, Jadrian Clark (now with the Storm) posting 393yds, 6TDs (pass), connecting with Harlan Kowfie and Nathaniel Robitaille twice each.

Jim Tomsula’s dominant Fire then brushed aside the Vikings’ return to the Championship Game twelve months ago, again posting 50+ points in a 51-20 success at the Veltins Arena, Germany; Ben Holmes had led the Vikings back to the season’s showpiece and, in the final, posted 214yds, 3TDs (pass), all to Reece Horn, but they had no answer to the Fire.

Jadrian Clark again dominated, posting 343yds, 4TDs (pass), with Rohat Dagdelen adding 64yds, 1TD (pass), and the irrepressible Glen Toonga blasting 91yds, 2TDs (rush) to see the Fire go back-to-back.

There’ll be none of that this time around though from the Fire, and no Clark or Toonga (albeit injured) either with the Storm, following the weekend’s semi-final clashes.

VIKINGS END STORM’S ROMANTIC DEBUT SEASON They do say that all good things come to an end, and, for the romance of debutant franchise Nordic Storm, and their 2025 season, that’s exactly what happened this past weekend at the Hohe-Warte-Stadion.

Visiting the 2022 Championship winners, VIENNA VIKINGS, it would be the Austrian powerhouses who’d book themselves a third final appearance in four years, claiming a 28-20 success courtesy of Ben Holmes and Karri Pajarinnen.

Although it’s been a season to remember for the Storm, it begs the question that, if Glen Toonga was playing (injured in week one), what would the difference have been – for those that did though, it’s been a season to remember and, in MVP quarterback, Jadrian Clark, among others, the future can still hold some silverware.

Clark, in the defeat to the Vikings, posted stats of 316yds, 3TDs (pass) as he connected twice with Simon Foens, 81yds, 2TDs (rec) and once to Brendan Beaulieu, 100yds, 1TD (rec), the two hits on Foens being 16yds and 20yds respectively.

As for the hosts, Holmes knocked up 260yds, 3TDs (pass), alongside Pajarinnen’s 92yds, 1TD (rush); Holmes, he connected twice with Yannick Mayr, 70yds, 2TDs (rec), and Florian Wegan, 32yds, 1TD (rec), connecting over 42yds and 19yds with Mayr, and 32yds with Wegan, to book their place in the big one.

SURGE BRUSH ASIDE RAVENS IN ALL-GERMAN DANCE It was destined to be, wasn’t it? STUTTGART SURGE contesting the 2025 Championship Game in their own, Sportpark Unterhaching stadium, and avenging the narrow league defeat from late June.  

This past weekend they booked just that, ‘dream finish’ to the season, seeing off German rivals, Munich Ravens, 27-13 at home to reach their first showpiece since their runners-up finishing two years ago.

Surge’s star quarterback, Reilly Hennessey, led from the front, having a hand in three of his sides’ four TDs, finishing with stats of 240yds, 1TD (pass) and 32yds, 2TDs (rush), whilst the other score came via Tomiwa Oyewo, 7yds, 1TD.

Of the three scores Hennessey was involved in, he connected with Michael Harley Jnr in the second quarter, whilst also rushing for two further scores, both from close, in the first and fourth quarters.

Replying, Russell Tabor was only the only standout for the Ravens as they fell at the final hurdle, he posting stats of 108yds, 2TDs (rush), his first over twenty yards in the first quarter, and his second, from close in the third, but ultimately came up short.

Now, it’s all eyes on the 2025 Championship Game, as Vienna Vikings face off against Stuttgart Surge, in Stuttgart, Germany, this coming Sunday, 7 September (check the ELF website and socials for game information).

PREDICITION – Tough one here, both franchises have had really good seasons overall; Vikings march into Stuttgart with a season record of 12-1, winning their last eight (only defeat was a 33-26 at home to Rhein Fire on 21 June), whilst the Surge will hope homefield advantage works in their favour and will aim to defend their own 12-2 record (last defeat being a narrow 36-33 reverse at Munich Ravens on 29 June).

So, the outcome of the 2025 Championship Game, the destination of the title, Vienna Vikings for their second in a close, battling encounter.

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

 
5/5