Neumarkt Wolves: The New Sensation in the Bavarian State League of American Football

In the Neumarkt district of Höhenberg, on the so-called “Höhe 111”, the wolves have literally been loose since April. But don’t worry, because this species is only active on the sports field, because it is the newly founded American football team of the Neumarkt Wolves, which is currently causing a sensation in the state league.

The fact that the Neumarkters can now record a new sport is thanks to club chairman Dennis Gehrmann and his deputy Julian Rösch, who founded the Wolves with a few fellow campaigners a good year ago and now have over 100 members. After extensive and hard-working preparations, the time had come on April 23 of this year, the first game against the Ingolstadt Maniacs was on the schedule of the Landesliga Bayern (Group 2), which the Neumarkters clearly won 49:0. But not only the victory was remarkable; The response from fans and curious people who wanted to experience this spectacle was also great.

Almost 500 spectators came – and they were offered a lot. Everyone was captivated by the huge wolf’s head, through which – so traditional in football – the home team, announced individually by the stadium announcer, literally stormed onto the pitch with flags and wrapped in a red cloud of fog. Above all Gehrmann, who also takes responsibility in the team and occupies the key position, the quarterback, with the number 1.

But that also shows the effort involved in this sport. For example, the preparation of the square is quite complex, because the ten-yard lines and the raising of the gates do a lot of work. In addition, nothing is available for free in American football either. It depends on the sponsorship. The wolf’s head alone, which serves as an inlet tunnel, costs money. A giant mascot also accompanies the games and delights young and old when it runs through the stands. The fact that the Wolves were able to start without financial problems is mainly thanks to the main sponsor, the local company Blitzschutz Pröpster, who supported the club and game operations with a five-figure sum.

After the successful start against Ingolstadt, the Neumarkter also surprised in the episode. The Ansbach Grizzlies literally swept them off the field with 38:0, the Herzogenaurach Rhinos with 23:3. It was not until the end of the preliminary round that head coach Heiko Müller’s team faced a strong headwind for the first time: The Landshut Black Knights were 17:17 at the end of regular time before the guests managed a touchdown in extra time, which brought six points and ultimately the win for brought Neumarkt. With no loss of points and a lead of four points, the team became the clear autumn champion.

The second half of the season starts on Sunday, June 11 at 3 p.m. in Ingolstadt. A week later, the Ansbach Grizzlies will be visiting Höhenberg at 3 p.m. “We look forward to every fan and their support,” says Gehrmann. This Sunday (1 p.m. to 3 p.m.) the Wolves invite you to the youth open day. Children and young people between the ages of 10 and 16 can try their hand at the low-contact version of flag football.

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Four games, four wins: The Wolves from Neumarkt (in red and black) are undefeated autumn champions.