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The season continues

Goran Košutić

CEFL’s fall part of the season kicks off this Saturday with three games, highlighted with the Gladiators’ away game in Bratislava, their first game after a loss was added to their record.

Fresh off their first loss of the season, the Gladiators begin the second part of the season against the same team they played their first game in 2008. Undefeated on the pitch, the Gladiators received their first loss during the summer break, because the postponed game in Belgrade was canceled and registered as a win for the Vukovi.

With a possible win in Belgrade, they would’ve likely secured the top spot in the North conference, but as it stands now, the Glads will have to play out the toughest fall season schedule of any team to defend their 2-game lead over the second placed team in the conference. All the other teams have at least one free weekend, but not the Gladiators, who will play in all four weekends of September.

Unlike last year, the Austrians didn’t make such a big splash bringing in new players during the summer break. The planned acquisitions of two Austrian national team players, Christian Stefani and Michael Werosta, didn’t happen; instead, they’ll have two international players: Peter De Gouw and Bob Reist.

A win in Bratislava would officially secure a playoff spot for the Gladiators. The game starts 2PM on Saturday.

Perhaps the unluckiest team in 2008, Zagreb Thunder, travels to Budapest to play the Wolves. After two straight single point losses to end the spring season, the visitors will probably stay winless -- though the Wolves season hasn’t been spectacular, some of the addition they’ve made, have them thinking September will be more successful.

Among others, the Wolves will feature two new Americans, running back Obi Mbagwu and defensive lineman Eric Peterson. Though both joined the team as Americans living in Hungary for reasons other than football, the Wolves expect both to help them big time -- Peterson is a former NCAA Division I-A player from Southern Methodist University.

“The Wolves were in training camp from last Wednesday to Sunday, the Wolves 1 and 2 training together and preparing for the upcoming season with two-a-days. We feel very confident about the fall season, and do not expect to lose again this year”, says Marton Ivanyi of the Wolves.

Like the Gladiators and the Monarchs, the Dukes and the Cowboys start the fall season the same way they started the season -- playing each other. Though both added new players, especially Novi Sad, with a few players from other Serbian teams, the bigger story for the second part of the season is that they’ll again be without starting quarterback Čaba Juhas.

The season is shaping up to be very similar to the last one for the Dukes. Not only will they be without their quarterback until the playoffs, but they’re also on course to again meet with the Wolves in the semifinal. Of course, they’ll have to stay in first place -- harder, but not impossible without Juhas, since their backup quarterback Rastko Jokić played well last year.

„I don’t think we’ll be able to win every game in the fall. We’ll try to stay in first place, but it’s not a priority“, says their head coach Predrag Nikolić.

The game against the Cowboys, Saturday from 3PM, is the first step, but the decider will be the one in Belgrade in two weeks.