Austrian Football is Back!

AFBO translated to English stands for American Football From Austria, and in 2012 football in Austria makes an epic change that the results of which are still unknown. This offseason team administrators and coaches came together to discuss the future direction of the league. As a result, the number of allowed imports on the gameday roster has been cut in half from 4 to 2. This decision comes after the Austrian Football League (AFL) has developed Europe’s best under-19 development teams proved by Team Austria’s championship victory this past summer in southern Spain in the European Junior Championship competition. The talent of the national players in Austria is impressive and the clubs in Austria have the funds to provide multiple full time coaching positions for their clubs which offers this league the opportunity to decrease the number of imports.

Players and coaches around the league recently weighed in on this issue. Standout WR for the Danube Dragons, Thomas Haider said, “It was the right step in order to promote development of young Austrian players even more and give them a chance to collect valuable experience in the AFL even earlier.” This thought was reiterated by Dragon and Team Austria teammate Mikey Kuhnmeyer, “Teams that have big youth programs get paid for what they did in the last couple of years” while Vienna Vikings QB Chris Gross stated that, “They (AFBO) are for sure sending a message to the teams to coach up Austrian players at every position.” Gross also went on to describe that national players sacrifice a lot of their time and money while balancing their priorities between football preparation and work or college or both, that being rewarded with time on the field is vital to the heart of the Austria player and that you can’t put a price on playing on national television broadcasts or video streams on the internet. Altogether everyone interviewed expressed that it is undoubtedly entertaining to watch Americans making plays, but in the long run this decision is what is best for the league’s growth, and in 2012 football in Austria makes an epic change that the results of which are still unknown. This offseason team administrators and coaches came together to discuss the future direction of the league. As a result, the number of allowed imports on the gameday roster has been cut in half from 4 to 2. This decision comes after the Austrian Football League (AFL) has developed Europe’s best under-19 development teams proved by Team Austria’s championship victory this past summer in southern Spain in the European Junior Championship competition. The talent of the national players in Austria is impressive and the clubs in Austria have the funds to provide multiple full time coaching positions for their clubs which offers this league the opportunity to decrease the number of imports.

So what was the reason that this issue was debated? It seems that one deterrent for making the decision to limit the number of imports even further was tied to the fact that the European Federation of American Football’s top international competition, the Eurobowl, still allows 3 imports on the field at a time. The head coach of the Vienna Vikings, Chris Calaycay, said that, “the reasoning was that it would weaken the Austrian teams in European competition,” referring to the other side of the conversation. It is assumed that many teams will follow suit with the precedence that the Raiders and Vikings have set by still hiring 3 import players and either rotating them during national competition, or simply bringing the 3^rd player late in the season in time for the Eurobowl tournament. Calaycay went on to describe more details about the reasons for the change, eluding to the league’s desire to have the best national team in Europe, “It is a general opinion that if we (Team Austria) want to win a European championship we need to get as many Austrians on the field as possible. We have a small pool to pull players from compared to Germany or France.” Fiscally this helps clubs as well described well by Calaycay, “Clubs can invest into other aspects of player development, such as more coaches, coaching development, youth development, marketing, etc.”

So we’re all set with most of the important pieces of the Austrian Football League on board with the change, but how will that affect us this season, what does it mean for the first team to hoist the trophy following the rule change? Well, the answer is that we really don’t know until things unfold beginning with the season’s kickoff weekend next Saturday and Sunday. Coach Calaycay mentioned that, “I think this will be an extremely interesting season. From a tactical standpoint it will be a big unknown of how clubs use their imports. Will they play both sides of the ball? Will they only bring offensive players? It is something that is going to be new in our league.” Vikings QB Gross feels that this will open up things a bit for his club, “I know every other team has signed an import QB, therefore there are chances for us to face a defense with one or at times no imports on the other side of the football. I feel good about that and expect my performance, the connection to the receivers, and the time given by my O-linemen to put enough points on the board to win.”

The stage is set; it’s time for the 2012 season, one with more pre-season intrigue than in years past, to commence. Next weekend the 6 clubs that are battling to be Europe’s and Austria’s top team will each contest one another and many answers will begin to come to light about what’s in store for the remainder of the spring and early summer for American Football Bund Osterreich.

Innsbruck Raiders

The dual crown was won last season by the Innsbruck Raiders, but not without a fight. They finished 5-1 in the regular season of Austria, losing narrowly on the road to the Vienna Vikings, but after that loss ripped off 7 consecutive wins including 2 semi final and 2 final round victories redeeming themselves against the Vikings twice, and beating the Danube Dragons and Berlin Adler handily. After having a season like that, it’s quite obvious that they will be the team to beat, yet some offseason murmurs speak of the national talent not being what it once was with retirees and some players on the move. The Raiders have promised to bring back their dominating imports in Kyle Callahan, John Clements, Talib Wise, and have added standout RB/LB Chris James who spent the last 3 years playing for the rival Vienna Vikings.

Vienna Vikings

The Raiffeisen Vienna Vikings have a lot of work ahead of them this season having been the only team to beat the dually crowned Raiders in 2011, but not at the right time of the year. Led by veteran head coach Chris Calaycay and former European football standouts Jordan Neuman and Josiah Cravalho the Vikings need to regain the crown that has been theirs more times than any other club in Europe. The Viks lost the 2010 Eurobowl by a final second field goal to Berlin only to play to the last second and lose again on a field goal in the semifinal last year in Innsbruck. After finishing 5-1 in the regular season last year the Vikings lost out on two championships to a team that they had already beaten, the Innsbruck Raiders. The season slipped through their grasp in that narrow Eurobowl loss, and then it happened again in a 23-13 defeat in Vienna. These close losses begin to add up, and the championship opportunities that were can feel haunting. QB Chris Gross said, “Losing in the Bowl game year after year now hurts really bad but it builds other feelings like motivation, character, appreciation and most importantly it shows who really does it FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME.” The bright side of the story is that the Vikings youth teams continue to deliver solid players to the men’s team and those players are beginning to make a name for themselves. One thing is for sure, with the leadership and the incoming standouts as imports, the Vikings will have as good of a chance as anyone to hoist the two titles they’re after as anyone else. Gross also said, “Like any other team there is we are just a team on our journey and if our actions are gonna be rewarded by a trophy? We will see... but I for sure know the strength of everybody having each other’s backs from the players to the management is going to be rewarded, I promise. “

Graz Giants

The JCL Graz Giants had a great start to the season last year, but came out of the season just like the case has been lately with severely close playoff losses. This club is on the cusp each and every year, and it usually comes down to a play or two that hasn’t gone their way in the past few seasons. The Giants were 5-1 heading into a semi-final rematch with a team that they beat in the regular season, the Vienna Vikings, but lost a heartbreaking affair on the road 19-14. In the Eurobowl the Giants topped Sweden’s best, the Carlstad Crusaders in the quarterfinal, but gave up a massive lead in Berlin to lose to the Adler in the semis. Now the Giants are in what is called a transition. New management after years of work, new head coach after 5 seasons, the Blue and Gold are the biggest question mark for the early part of 2012. The Giants are looking to get back to title town in both the EFL and the AFL this season, and they’ll do it behind the leadership of one guy who is familiar, and that’s QB Chris Gunn (North Alabama, D2). Gunn has managed the offense for the past 4 years including the AFL championship victory in 2008. In a recent interview regarding the void that coach Rhoades leaves and Graz’s immediate future the star QB had this to say, “Obviously Coach Rhoades has left a void that can never be filled but what makes him such a great individual that I have grown to love and respect alot is that he has taught the Giants family so much and left this team with knowledge and other intangibles to be successful and we will. I honestly think we are sitting pretty well, not taking anything away from any other teams but this is the style of football the Giants were built around. We like that people are counting us out due to the recent events but we are a team that is together and knows how to respond to adversity.” It’s still unknown who Gunn will be joined by, but whoever it is, they will be a part of a new regime in Graz, so how will that translate into wins and losses, only time will tell?

Danube Dragons

The Danube Dragons are the 4^th team from Austria that have the chance at the dual crown. Winning the Austrian Bowl in 2010 seemed to be the game that put the Dragons over the hump, but with drastic personnel changes in 2011 the Dragons had one of their most disappointing seasons in recent years. When asked about the Dragons chances, DL Mikey Kuhnmeyer mentioned that, “We must become the same group of persons that we were in 2010, a team full of friends.” The Dragons finished the regular season at 3-3, and had a chance to turn things around in the playoffs but came up empty on the road in Innsbruck 29-0. In international play the Dragons have yet another difficult climb out of the group stage. They’ll need to beat the same team they handled last season in league rival Prague before attempting to oust one of the bye week teams that are offered the restful pedestal that the EFL gives to teams that produce. Last season the Dragons met their demise in the quarterfinal on the road in north Germany to the Berlin Adler 35-25. This year will depend on how fast the younger players catch on to playing at the top level. WR Thomas Haider talked briefly about the recent retirements of top offensive linemen Ralph Lehmann, Armando Piedra, and Herbie Klackl leaving holes for younger players to fill. The Dragons chances will hinge also on whether or not they can get back to form on offense. The offensive juggernaut that once averaged over 50 points a game was not in effect in 2011. The Dragons are recharged with QB Jonathon Dally (Cal Poly, FCS) and newcomer to Europe RB Tunde Ogun (Christopher Newport, D3) and poised to make a restating cause for the best team in Europe, but also maybe most importantly, isn’t this the year of the Dragon?

Prague Panthers

The Panthers, still transitioning into the AFL from their previous league in the Czech Republic finished last season 2-4 in Austria. They had a season by the book beating the bottom tier Salzburg and Carinthia, but losing to the big 4 with their closest chance at victory losing by 17 points. The Panthers are one of 5 Austrian clubs signed up to compete in the Eurobowl tournament. They play the same club that they lost to in the opening round last year, the Danube Dragons. The Dragons handled the Panthers in two separate affairs last year, so we know that a bad taste will do nothing more than motivate this club from the Czech capital to have a better showing in 2012 international competition. Dragons DL Kuhnmeyer when asked about how they compare to the other teams mentioned that, “the biggest question mark this year are the Panthers.” How will this team fare as a little fish in the big pond in their 3^rd season playing against the best of the best?

Modling Rangers

The Rangers are the new club to test the dangerous waters of the AFL. The Big 4 powerhouses are no joke and you can ask the list of other clubs that played in the top division that have since dropped back down or escaped Austria altogether. But the team from the outskirts of Vienna has a lot to play for. Being the 3^rd team in the Austrian capital the Rangers’ players share a hometown with the Dragons and the Vikings. In the second division in Austria the Rangers have won 26 straight games, there’s not much left for them in that league. So the obvious decision was to move up to the AFL. This season will be a test for a smaller club to prove whether or not they have what it takes to compete like the Carinthia Black Lions back in 2009 coming within inches of a semi-final berth in the AFL playoffs. The Rangers have two talented backfield imports in QB Craig Maynard and once Vienna Viking RB Clinton Graham. These guys will definitely shine, but will they win games, that’s the looming question.

Good luck or shall I say viel gluck to all of those participating in the Austrian Football League in 2012. All of us fans are anticipating a fun and exciting year. You can follow all of the action including several games this season broadcasted live over the internet. Start by clicking on the Austria league link to the left hand side of this blog and trace your way to the individual team's web pages from there. Also in the links section is the Eurobowl tournament official web page which kicks off later in April and early May.

2012 LNFA Race is On!

The 2012 Liga Nacional de Futbol Americano in Spain has a lot of excitement to preview. With two brand new teams entering what is now called the ‘Elite’ division of the league, where will they fall? Will any team rise up to stop what has been a destruction derby by the L’Hospitalet Pioners with their dominating record and 4 championship victories in 6 years? The league also boasts 3 of 6 teams in the top division competing in international play, only Austria has a higher percentage of it’s clubs competing in Europe than Spain. The answers to these questions, only time will tell, but this review will hope to shed some light into the dark.

The 2011 campaign provided a much more balanced LNFA than what we’ve seen in previous years. There were three 5 win teams in the middle of the standings, and all 6 teams were within reach of the playoffs until the final two weekends of the regular season. Despite all of this balance among the bottom 5 teams, there was little balance on the scoreboard when the L’Hospitalet Pioners played. They outscored their opponents by a whopping 448-104. With the last two teams dropping down to the 15 team second division in Spain there will be need for some replacements. They come in the form of last seasons top contenders from Divison 2 in the Sueca Ricers and the Barbera Rookies.

2011 Final Standings

Pioners L'Hospitalet 9 1 0
Valencia Firebats 5 4 0
Badalona Dracs 5 5 0
Osos Rivas 5 5 0
Las Rozas Black Demons 3 6 0
Barcelona Búfals 2 8 0

L’Hospitalet Pioners
The team of Spain in recent years offers us another year of exciting football action. With their 4 victories in the past 6 seasons in LNFA title games and back to back champs in 2010 and 2011 the Pioners bring their juggernaut back for another year in Spain. The Pioners also have a chance to catch the Badalona Dracs with the most titles by a Spanish team in history. The Dracs have held that title since winning their third title in 2002. At 9-1 last season and 2 resounding playoff victories this club showed its dominance last year. Their only blemish was a road loss to the Osos Rivas mid season 16-21 that the team bounced back from and won the regular season finale and the semi-final and final with a combined 117 points scored to 20 points allowed in that 3 game span. The Pioners will also compete in the Eurobowl competition. Their group has the French and British reigning champs in the Paris Flash and London Blitz. These two tough international competitions will prove how good this 2012 team is after their dominant team a year ago lost convincingly in Switzerland to the Calanda Broncos and lost a close battle at home to the Parma Panthers. Their lone EFL victory came back in 2008 with a walk off field goal for a 37-35 win over France’s Thonon Black Panthers. The Pioners will need to play up each week as they will definitely have the proverbial bulls-eye on their backs especially from a Badalona side that will not want to relinquish their grasp as Spain’s elite.

Badalona Dracs
The Pioners may have the most storied recent history in Spain, but the Badalona Dracs have had more success in international play than any other club from Spain and have more titles than any other for at least one more year. The Dracs exited the group stage of the Eurobowl in 2010 to face the Vienna Vikings of Austria. Last season they met their match losing to the Spartans of L’Amiens in France two separate times by large margins to keep them from advancing out of the group stage. Their plans for 2012 are to regroup and reach the next level once again. They face the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns, the current German champion, and the Parma Panthers who are back to back Italian champs in the group stage with a chance to play the Vikings of Vienna once again. In Spain the Dracs have been the top contender for a couple of years. They came as close to beating the Pioners as possible in a 28-29 regular season defeat, but did not have the same gusto in the championship game in which they lost 24-8. Another year, another shot at adding to their league best 5 titles in 10 appearances.

Valencia Firebats
The third Spanish team that will fight for the Red and Yellow in Europe is the Valencia Firebats. The Bats lost their two EFAF Cup games last season, to the Amsterdam Crusaders 27-19 at on the road and 20-0 to the eventual champion London Blitz at home. They will play this year in the EFAF Cup again and will face the runner up in France in the Grenoble Centaurs and the Swiss Blue Devils of Hohenems, Austria. The Bats had a very up and down 2011 in the Spanish league. They could not beat the champion Pioners in two chances and yet lost to the last place Bufals in the regular season finale. They beat the Badalona Dracs twice, 41-29 and 35-34, before losing to the Dracs in the playoffs 22-30. This left them one game from the championship round and sent a team they had handled twice to the title game, offering the old adage that it’s difficult to beat the same team three times in one year. Count on the Firebats from the central coast of Spain to reload in 2012 and play at a high level once again contesting for the Spanish title that they won 3 times in 4 seasons between 2006 and 2009.

Osos Rivas
The Bears from Madrid were the odd man out in 2011. Finishing at 5-5 alongside both Valencia and Badalona the three teams needed a tie breaker to decide the 2nd and 3rd places in the LNFA who would be rewarded with playoff berths. They were the only team in Spain to defeat the champion Pioners after having been handed a 56-6 beatdown by the Pios earlier in the season. They didn’t beat the Dracs, but split the season matchups with the Firebats. League rules offer the team with the best point differential to advance, which is why they were left out of the playoff round. The Bears lone title came back in 2001 in a 21-7 defeat of the Zarazoga Lions. To get back to the glory days, the Bears need to play more consistent from week to week with closer affairs in order to not be left in the same circumstance as they were last year.

Sueca Ricers and Barbera Rookies
The two newbies to the LNFA will play their first ever regular season games in the top division when the league kicks off this January. The Ricers did have a glimpse into being in the Elite division last year when they won the second division they were offered a shot to play in a playoff game against the top team from the league. The Pioners gave them little opportunity for contest by beating them 49-6 in the semi-final. The Ricers and Rookies qualified for this seasons Elite campaign by finishing atop their second division. The Ricers will test their medal in the very first weekend of the LNFA playing perennial power L’Hospitalet on the road. The Rookies celebrate their 10th anniversary this season with a chance to compete against the best teams in Spain.

You can get a more in depth look into each club by clicking the link for the Spanish league in the league website section of links to the left side of this blog. The Pioners will broadcast their games live, a link is commonly provided on their official webpage. The hunt for the Spanish title begins the weekend of January 21st, 2012. Enjoy the ride.

Movin on

With sadness I write this blog to let all my followers know that I am not playing football for the Vienna Vikings in 2012, or any one else. I'm "hangin em up" as they say. Hopefully I can make a big deal about it and draw a lot of attention to myself in the coming months and years by returning to play on and off and entering into contract negotiations so that I don't have to come to the realization that I'm done... only joking, this is it for me, God has blessed both my wife and I with a wonderful career that we got to enjoy together this last season in Sweden and I am grateful for all the opportunity I've been given from Central High to Fresno City to Humboldt to L'Hospitalet, Danube, and Carlstad. To avoid any confusion the main reason that this has occurred is because of an injury that I suffered during training preparation for the season in Austria. When life throws you lemons, you make lemonade. Mary and I have plans to adapt and continue to seek opportunities to help where we're needed. Thanks everyone very much, and I hope to still cover some more of the action of the various leagues in Europe from here in California, so stay tuned.. spanish preview is on the horizon.

2012 Eurobowl is set

The 2012 Eurobowl tournament increases to 14 teams including 8 national championship teams, last year’s EFL silver medalist, two national runner-ups, and Austria’s 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th ranked clubs. The most competitive international competition for 2012 should provide plenty of excitement.

Last season’s highlights were the Swedish Carlstad Crusaders knocking off the German Kiel Baltic Hurricanes in the group stage, and the Swiss Calanda Broncos destroying everyone on their way to the quarterfinal. The Vienna Vikings staved off elimination by a 7 point win over Calanda only to fall short to the eventual champion Innsbruck Raiders by a walk off field goal in the semi-final. The Graz Giants beat the Carlstad Crusaders in the quarterfinal and then gave up a 21-0 lead in Berlin to lose to the Adler. In the final the Raiders controlled the game winning the Eurobowl crown over the team from north Germany.

Group A of this year’s tournament has the defending Austrian and European champion, Innsbruck Raiders, waiting in the quarterfinal round for the winner between the Danube Dragons (AUT) and the Prague Panthers (CZ). The Dragons had this same matchup last season beating the Panthers 38-21 in late April only to lose on the road against the Berlin Adler in the quarterfinal round. With all three teams competing in the Austrian Football League that kicks off in March they will know plenty about one another well before the European matchups take place.

Group B provides an interesting set of clubs that have all different recent history events. The Graz Giants won in the quarterfinal over Swedish Champion Carlstad Crusaders but like their Austrian counterpart, Danube, lost in Berlin in the following round. The Giants, who finished 3^rd in Austria a year ago await the winner between the Calanda Broncos of Switzerland and the Helsinki Wolverines from Finland’s capital. The Broncos and Wolverines were each league champions this past season, the Broncos have won the Swiss league in each of the past three seasons, while the Wolverines won the Finnish league in upset fashion for their first ever title giving them another chance to compete in international competition.

Group C is the first of the tournaments two traditional groups. The Vienna Vikings who lost only to eventual champion Innsbruck in two separate elimination games awaits the group winner of the Badalona Dracs (ESP), the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns (GER), and the Parma Panthers (IT). The Dracs lost two games in last seasons group stage to the then French champion L’Amiens and were the second best team in Spain losing to L’Hospitalet in the final. They do however have success in the EFL, most recently in 2010 exiting the group stage to face the same Vienna Vikings in the quarterfinal. Schwabisch Hall is the other newcomer to the tournament having never faced another team in international play before. Their thrilling stand at the end of the German Championship to beat Kiel secures them the chance to show their might amongst Europe’s best. The Parma Panthers, back to back Italian champions won one game in the EFL last year, yet lost the other disallowing them to move past the group stage. They are back for another shot at reaching the elimination round.

Group D has three champions in the group stage vying to compete against Germany’s 7^th best team from 2011. The setup of the tournament allows for previous season semi-finalists to have automatic berths, therefore despite the Berlin Adler’s performance in their league, their European victories over Austria’s Danube and Graz have them as a quarterfinalist for 2012. The Spanish, French, and England’s champions face off for the chance to head to Germany’s capital. The L’Hospitalet Pioners lost both of their group matchups last season but beat the Badalona Dracs, fellow EFL contender, 24-8 in the LNFA final giving them a shot at redemption this year. The Paris Flash missed out on European competition last season but have regrouped after winning the French final 45-27 against Grenoble and vie to do one better than 2009’s EFL runner-up finish. Finally, the London Blitz return to the Eurobowl after having competed in the EFAF’s B tournament the EFAF Cup the past two seasons. The Blitz won the British championship as well as the EFAF Cup in 2011 as the only other 2 title champ besides the Raiders.

All of these teams except one will kickoff their league competition between January and April prior to this tournament kicking off. The Helsinki Wolverines will have their season opener in this tournament against the Broncos of Calanda due to the season in Finland not starting until later in May. Stay tuned to all the action forthcoming.

Heading to Vienna, again

2012 will be a year in the Austrian Football league for the second time in my career. I am proud to say that I will be a part of one of the most storied franchises in the history of football in Europe. Vienna will be our home, and the Vikings will be our team. Mary and I will head across the pond at the beginning of February and begin preparations to kickoff the season at the end of March. The Vikings will be competing at the highest level of Europe in the Eurobowl as well as playing in one of the toughest leagues on the continent, the Austrian Football League. The Vikings lost in the semi-final of the Eurobowl and in the Austrian final last year, both losses coming to the hands of the rival Innsbruck Raiders. A final ranking of #2 in Europe was a testament to how well the Vikings organization competed in 2011. The goal for 2012 will be to be the best team in Europe and hoist two trophies that will be contested in back to back weekends.. July 21st (Eurobowl final) and July 28th (AFL championship).

The biggest unanswered question is will there be a chance to reproduce the opposite of this picture...


There have been a couple of recent press releases and once more you'll need to download the google toolbar and/or use google language tools to translate the German into English.

Vikings press release
AFL press release
Football-Austria online magazine

11 postseason nominations for the Crusaders

The 2011 Super Series Season was headlined by two teams, the Champion Carlstad Crusaders and the vice-champs the Tyreso Royal Crowns. The Crusaders prevailed at the end of last month for their second championship ever and in as many years. The Swedish American Football Federation proved this past week that these two teams were at the top of the league from an individual standpoint as well. Each team was honored with 11 nominations and each team had players nominated for 8 out of the 11 possible awards. My biggest congratulations to each of the players who were nominated. The Crusaders nominations are as follows:

Import of the year: Eli Cranor, Joey Stein
RB of the year: Christian Forsman
WR of the year: Fredrik Eklund, Fredrik Isaksson
OL of the year: Thomas Falklind, Carl Romlin
DL of the year: Olof Flemstrom
LB of the year: Johan Bjorn
Rookie of the year: Christian Kuylenstjerna
Coach of the year: Tracey Gere

Defense Leads Crusaders to Title Town

The 2011 Swedish Super Series Final provided the Carlstad Crusaders, the 4th ranked team in Europe, to flex their muscles in front of 1,500 screaming fans in Uppsala on Saturday. After trading wins with the Tyreso Royal Crowns, ranked second in Sweden, and after both squads won easily in the semi-final it seemed that the matchup between these two teams would be highly contested. That wasn't the case in this SM final. The Crusaders Offense scored early while the Defense put a stranglehold on the Crowns offense that allowed them 7 first downs and 74 yards of total offensive output on the whole day.

The game kicked off with plenty of excitement in the air after an honorary coin toss and the event being broadcasted live in Sweden. The Crusaders started at their own 45 yard line after a healthy return. The offense went right to work. The big offensive line dominated the Crowns front early and often creating holes for last year's player of the year, RB Christian Forsman, and this year's import of the year, QB Eli Cranor to blow through the defense. On second down from the Crown 33 Eli Cranor called and executed to perfection a pass play giving 17 year old superstar WR Robin Juhlin a chance to outrace the middle line backer, spin off a tackle from the safety, and outrun two others on his way to the score zone. Juhlin led all receivers in the game with 6 catches for 51 yards and the lone score. The Crusaders defense started just as hot offering the Crowns 6 yards in 3 plays and 34 yard punt return bringing the ball back to the Crusaders 44 yard line. The second 55 yard drive began with an offensive pass interference which would begin the only element that would have a chance to slow the Crusaders on the day, penalties. 12 penalties for 148 yards negated big play after big play in this Championship and kept the Crusaders from riding away with this game on several occasions. The Crusaders came to a 4th down when Eli escaped the pocket and launched a ball up to breakout star of the Super Series WR Fredrik Isaksson. Fred Ice avoided the corner who was in close pursuit and climbed the ladder against the safety earning a highlight for the ages on the grand stage, a 35 yard touchdown catch was the first of many big plays that led him to be voted the Most Valuable Player of the game.

After being up 14-0 the Crusaders went for the jugular. Head Coach Tracey Gere called a surprise onside which was executed to perfection by Kicker Victor Jonsson. The gaping hole in the Crowns kick return was exploited and the Crusaders had the ball again. A coaching staff puts in many hours of preparation for a single game and sometimes the game plan doesn't always work. For this final Tracey Gere, in combination with myself and Eli, developed and installed a thought out and in depth plan for both offense and defense that had this club prepared for any and all situations that could arise. This was evidenced by our team's ability to run the ball at will, rushing for 250 yards, after having thrown for over 300 yards and 6 touchdowns just 7 days before in the semi-final. Rushing was something that we have focused on primarily for the Crowns. Having the ability to run amok on this day proved crucial, because the Crowns pass defense played great.

The drive stalled after a missed call on a Fred Ice catch on 3rd and 9 which was ruled incomplete unbeknownst to Eli who thought it was still 3rd down following the decline of a penalty instead of what the situation actually was, 4th down. As a result, the Champs turned it over on downs. This didn't matter to the Crusaders defense who gave up just 4 yards after 3 plays and a new punt. The stout Carlstad defense that held the German defending Champions to 14 points back in April was in full outfit during the game. Tracey Gere's complex setup of a defense that is constantly in motion, similar to that of the Green Bay Packers, attacking the backfield from unknown angles, and having the ability to bring pressure while deploying a spiderweb of coverage made for a long and frustrating day for the Crowns.

The second quarter went back and forth. The Crowns increased their output to 18 plays and 37 yards for the first half including two more punts and our two way star Fred Ice's interception from the safety position. The Crusaders offense was hounded by mistakes in the second quarter giving up the ball on downs, per a fumble, and to interception in it's three possessions each time after pushing the ball within the Tyreso 30 yard line.

The second half kicked off with the Crusaders utilizing their athletic ability to make plays. A short kickoff failed to be caught by the return squad. The Crusaders pounced on the ball and started the second the same way as the first, on offense. The Offense overcame two holding penalties on the drive with a first down toss to Christian Monclair, and two big Christian Forsman runs bringing the ball to first and goal at the Crown 4 yard line. A personal foul penalty Robin Juhlin backed the Crusaders up keeping them out of the end zone after a Cranor pass was intercepted on 4th and goal from the 21 yard line, made worse by a personal foul after the play was over.

The Crowns took advantage of the opportunity by lining up in a new formation from their own 41 that gave them the chance to easily attack the defense's left or right. The first play was the biggest of the day, the Crowns running back raced for 18 yards bringing the ball across midfield for the first time in the game. Tracey quickly adjusted the defense's strategy immediately suffocating the offense of the Crown, a wise and well timed decision by the head man of the Crusaders. Not only prior to the game, but during the game Tracey had the wherewithal to stump the offense of the Crown and deny their advances. The Crowns converted on one 4th down, but their second attempt fell short turning the ball back over to the home team. The Crusaders found it difficult to move the ball, and a false start penalty on 3rd and 3 made matters worse. The next play had the ability to turn the tide for the Crowns, Eli Cranors attempt to make yet another play was not to be, as the Crown defense intercepted his pass and returned it all the way back to the 2 yard line. Starting from the 2 was the only place that the Crowns found success during the game pounding the ball across in one play with 11:37 left in the game.

Momentum stayed with the Crowns as the next possession ended after 3 plays and an Eli Cranor punt of 40 yards. The defense once again was stifling giving up 1 first down on 2 plays and 4 incomplete passes followed by another Crowns punt. With just over 9 minutes left in the game the Crusaders offense re-energized. Moving the ball on the run early in the drive by Eli and Christian Forsman setup the play action pass. On 3rd and 3 standout WR Fredrik Eklund sprinted past the defense and for the second time in the game was grabbed from behind as the ball headed his way. The interference penalty kept the drive alive and Eli and Forsman took turns once again finishing off runs that brought the ball to first and goal at the 4 of the Crowns. Eli ran the ball 2 times, the second time called a touchdown by the refs shooting the Champions up by 2 scores with 3 minutes left in the game. 2 plays later the MVP Fred Ice tagged his second interception on the day leaving the Crusaders one first down away from title town. Three runs later the Crusaders found themselves ahead of the clock with enough plays to finish with a couple of kneel downs and a subsequent rushing of the field preceded by a well deserved ice water bath for the man both behind and at the front of the Crusaders (Tracey also starts at safety), Head Coach Tracey Gere.

The penalties and the turnovers were overcome by an offense that had the resolve to continue to fight despite the mistakes. The mark of this 2011 Championship squad was that it could stare adversity in the face and laugh, as was the case this past Saturday. The Crusaders rushed for 250 yards as a team, 143 from Forsman, and 106 by Eli. The 2 touchdown passes in the first quarter was enough for the Crusaders defense to sit behind and barricade a win. 74 total yards allowed is one of the most astounding performances by a defense in a championship victory that I have ever heard of. The day belonged to the whole bunch of Crusaders and their supporters. This classy bunch of deserving individuals have been a pleasure for my wife Mary and I to have met, and we are most grateful for every second that we have enjoyed being a part of this wonderful family, and Back to Back Champs, the Carlstad Crusaders.

Full game statistics can be found by following this link: Crusaders v. Crowns, and an online replay of the game provided by tv10 may be to follow, check back soon.