Eat. The players jumped across the field cheering, head coach Michael Vogt got a drink shower on the sidelines and there was no stopping the fan block. With 34:7 (6:7, 16:0, 0:0, 12:0), the Potsdam Royals won the GFL Bowl, the final of the German Football League, against the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns on Saturday in the stadium on Hafenstrasse in Essen (GFL). The Royals lived up to their name as royals. For the first time they were crowned German champions in American football.
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In front of 9,516 spectators and a sparkling atmosphere, the Brandenburg team successfully took revenge after losing the German Bowl against the unicorns 27:44 in their final game premiere a year ago in Frankfurt am Main. For Schwäbisch Hall, their eleventh final appearance, nine in a row, ended with their sixth defeat.
Potsdam Royals become German champions for the first time
With 34:7, the Brandenburgers gave their final opponent the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns no chance.
© Source: Frauke Hinrichsen
“The game was awesome. It was a bit exciting at the beginning, then we were able to show that we were the better team,” said Potsdam defensive player Leonard Bosch in the catacombs of the arena. “We are super happy,” emphasized head coach Michael Vogt.
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Quarterback Jaylon Henderson is leading the Royals strongly again
As soon as the smoke and smell from the fireworks-accompanied team presentation in the Essen stadium had cleared, Potsdam got started as usual. With a lot of offensive power. The Royals concluded the first phase of possession with a touchdown run by quarterback Jaylon Henderson himself, but he was unable to add two points, so the score was initially only 6-0. And because the Unicorns not only reached the end zone in return, but also chose and converted the slightly easier extra kick for an extra point, the defending champions were ahead 7:6.
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Schwäbisch Hall challenged the Potsdam offensive, which had to work hard to gain space. But Henderson & Co. couldn’t be stopped for the time being. The playmaker added another touchdown and this time also secured the two-point increase – 14:7. Then the increased quality of the Royals compared to the final defeat a year ago became apparent: The defense has become much better. So they pinned the unicorns just before the end zone – and because Schwäbisch Hall even missed the field goal attempt, Potsdam remained seven points ahead.
Brandon Polk extends the lead before halftime
It didn’t last long. Because Brandon Polk ran lightly to the goal and also caught the increase for two points, meaning that 22:7 shone on the three scoreboards in the stadium before halftime. On the way there, a scene was emblematic of the Royals’ strength this season. It took seven or eight Unicorns players on one move to stop a Potsdam attacker – in this case Jerome Valbon.
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Moments that also raised the mood in the Royals fan block. Compared to the German Bowl 2022 in Frankfurt am Main, the Potsdam appendix had caught up with the competition in terms of numbers and volume.
Royals impose maximum penalty on Unicorns offense
Also because the Brandenburg team gave cause for celebration on the pitch. In the first possession phase of the second half, Schwäbisch Hall was not allowed any points and the Unicorns missed another field goal attempt. In addition, Potsdam had already forced the opponent to take two of three possible timeouts. “Unfortunately the finish was missing,” said Hall head coach Christian Rothe about his team’s repeated failed attacks.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Henderson ran into the end zone again. Despite a missed two-point increase, the situation was now good at the start of the final quarter with a score of 28:7. Royals mascot Fritz – a crowned red eagle – was already in a title-celebrating mood in front of his own fan block. Michael Lawson finally brought the appendix to a boil. After the Unicorns offense lost the ball (fumble), he carried the ball almost across the entire field until the touchdown, a so-called pick six, the maximum penalty in football.
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Even in Schwäbisch Hall’s final attack, Potsdam’s defense held firm. They only allowed the losing team seven points. In the 44th finals of the German football championship, there have only been four fewer. And with a difference of 27 points, it was also the second-highest bowl victory in Germany after the New York Lions Braunschweig’s 47:9 against Schwäbisch Hall in 2014. A true masterpiece from the Royals.
MAZ
2023-10-14 23:34:17
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