German Football League – The Royals want to crown their fabulous season in the final
Bild: IMAGO/Beautiful Sports
The German football champion will be determined in the first East Bowl on Saturday. The Potsdam Royals are clearly favored against the Dresden Monarchs. The focus is on star quarterback Jaylon Henderson.
When the two football finalists compete in the “German Bowl” in the stadium on Hafenstrasse in Essen on Saturday (5 p.m.), it will be clear who will take on the role of favorite. The dominance was too overwhelming Potsdam Royals in the season so far.
The defending champion marched through the main round with 12-0 victories and then set two more exclamation marks in the playoffs, first clearly defeating the Allgäu Comets (84:20) and then sweeping away the record champions New York Lions Braunschweig (25:6). Now the Dresden Monarchs are waiting.
“Reap the fruits of labor”
We have been working towards this extremely successful phase in the Royals’ 20-year history for a long time, says coach Michael Vogt to rbb. “The beginning was made many years ago and the foundation stone was laid. And we are now reaping some of the fruits of our hard work.”
Vogt observes a continuity in both the coaching staff and the players, which is crucial to success. And: “Of course it’s always good when you can go into the second season with a quarterback.”
We’re talking about Jaylon Henderson, the success of the Royals is linked to his name. Heard for many observers the 27-year-old American is one of the best playmakers in Europe. Henderson ranks at the top in all relevant GFL statistics: he throws the most yards per game, has the highest pass rate and threw the most touchdown passes.
Henderson sees a functioning team structure
Henderson himself justifies his outstanding season with the dynamic in the team, where he is “surrounded by teammates who trust me and whom I can trust.” On the other hand, the former player of the renowned college team “Boise State Broncos” emphasizes that he is “like a sponge” who has absorbed everything in his career, in which he has worked with several of the best coaches ever.
“There’s little he can’t do,” says his current coach Vogt about his quarterback. “He can throw incredibly far, throw precisely, but he can also run himself.” One thing is clear: the key to winning again is Henderson.
The American himself says: Winning the first title last year was a success that the entire team will “never forget”. “But the biggest challenge is to repeat this success.”
“I feel at home in Potsdam”
That could actually be complicated in the East duel against the challengers Dresden Monarchs, who confidently played their way into the final in the playoffs with wins against the Straubing Spiders and the Hildesheim Invaders. Even in the main round, the Saxons had the second best odds of all teams, behind the Royals.
The future of their star player Henderson is currently up in the air. “I feel at home in Potsdam. But I’m open to what’s best on my trip,” he says. The focus is now on the final anyway. “It’s about us implementing our style of play well,” says the quarterback. “Our goal is to play good football for four quarters.”
And if the way they play in Essen is anything like their previous performances, then Brandenburg should actually have a pretty good chance.
Broadcast: DER Tag, October 9th, 2024, 7:15 p.m
