The big finish is coming up this Saturday at 19:00 CET at the Tivoli stadium in Innsbruck. Two national champions will meet each other for the first time in CEFL Bowl XII when SWARCO RAIDERS Tirol prepare a hosting party for Kragujevac Wild Boars.
The Raiders are a European powerhouse celebrating their 25th year anniversary. They were the new and treasured addition to the league this season. A decade younger, the Wild Boars are no stranger to Sportklub CEFL. The winners of first ever league title in 2006, this is their fifth junket.
The competition this season was fierce with four newcomers joining league ranks, and Wild Boars making a comeback. All of them are national champions, of Austria, Poland, Denmark, Turkey and Serbia. With their participation, the league has marked a turning point in organizing the strongest tournament so far.
The Raiders have placed in the finals with a 2-0 record, after beating Panthers Wrocław and Triangle Razorbacks. A couple of impeccable wins came at the hands of quarterback Sean Shelton and running back Sandro Platzgummer. The running gunslinger was good for 415 passing yards and 5 touchdowns in those two games. He rushed for another 90 yards and 2 touchdowns. Platzgummer featured his speed and amassed an amazing 520 all-purpose yards and 6 scores in those couple of outings, including a return for a touchdown the length of the field in each one.
The Wild Boars also went through to CEFL Bowl XII with two wins, over Istanbul Koç Rams and Budapest Cowbells. The team had a change of quarterbacks in mid-season but that didn’t stop their double trouble. A pair of receivers, Strahinja Stepović and Filip Nedeljković, deserve highest praises for their achievements. The former has collected 136 yards and 4 touchdowns, while the latter player has 113 receiving yards and 2 scores in as many games. But visiting teams’ crown jewel might be their stingy defense, averaging single-digit points allowed per game in all seasonal encounters.
Recalling last year’s finals is probably the best invitation for CEFL Bowl XII. The reigning champions are still Graz Giants who beat Belgrade SBB Vukovi in 2016, scoring the winning touchdown in expiration time. It was an exhilarating game, well-remembered by all league followers. In league history, 23 teams have played for a season at least, 5 teams have won 1 title each, while SBB Vukovi have been the favorite of the football gods with 6 trophies. Team’s success in this league is best described by the fact that this is the first season they’ll miss the finals. Their arch nemesis, the Wild Boars will have a chance to close the circle after a dozen years and bring it back home if they can stand the charge of the mighty Raiders.