Saturday, 13 April was an incredible opening day in CEFL. Football fans have had a selection of seven live streams to choose from. Three games were played in CEFL Championship and four in CEFL Cup.
CEFL CHAMPIONSHIP
Kragujevac Wild Boars – Istanbul Koç Rams 53:36
The Wild Boars and the visiting Rams have met for the third time in as many season, this time at the Čika Dača stadium in Kragujevac.
Rams have opened the game with the ball in their hands. A very aggressive Wild Boars’ defense pins the visitors to their own goal line and they punt.
Long range pass from Jacob Sisson to Stefan Borković on third down, and a Nick LaSane rush through the middle keep the Wild Boars’ drive going until their turnover on downs on Rams’ 30 yard line.
David Whipple lobs a pass to home team’s 10 yard line and Joshua Quezada runs in for the first points, 0-7.
Wild Boars take just two plays to equalize. Sisson hits both his targets for long yardage, second one being Pedro Medici who’s good for a 24 yard touchdown, 7-7.
Next, Whipple launches the ball 49 yards deep left to Kris Wedderburn and the score is up to 7-14.
Number of plays per drive keeps decreasing as the Wild Boars open their next drive. Right off the block Sisson runs the length of the field piercing through the defense to level the score again, 14-14.
Pattern keeps repeating in the first play of Rams’ ensuing possession. Home team’s DT Nebojša Mirković takes no time to force a fumble, and get the ball to the end zone 21-14.
In their next offensive series, Rams take their time. It’s not until the third play when Wedderburn sprints it in for an equalizer, 21-21.
As they get the ball, Serbians manage to move in close and Sisson puts the ball in Medici’s hands in the end zone. After a gimmick play for the added 2 points, they lead by 29-21.
Whipple hurries to return the favor over a 29 yard pass to Quezada for a touchdown, and then rushes himself for a 2 point try, 29-29.
In the second half Rams try for a field goal from opponent’s 20 yard line, but the kick is blocked.
Wild Boars move the ball with short passes and Sisson tosses it for another score to Medici, 36-29.
Turkish team returns the ball deep into defended territory but can’t budge from there. Home team scores on the next play on a long Sisson pass over the middle to Borković for 43-29.
Rams answer with Whipple’s own pass over the middle to Wedderburn, 43-36.
Wild Boars up the score once more with a Sisson to Medici connection for the fourth time, 50-36.
Rams are backed against their end zone and can’t move. Their rivals take over and put the finishing touch with a field goal for the closing 53-36.
It was a scoring bonanza for both teams as their secondary couldn’t match each other’s offensive weapons.
Xenith trophy helmet was deserved by MVP of the game, Pedro Medici who caught 4 touchdowns and over 100 yards.
Swarco Raiders Tirol – Thonon Black Panthers 41:7
Raiders have played this game in near-by Wattens, at the Gernot Langes Stadium, where Thonon Black Panthers had a rough night.
They had the first possession. Quarterback Sean Shelton is under center and WR Adrian Platzgummer turns the first catch to big yardage. Shelton gets sacked twice on the drive and they go for the field goal but miss.
Black Panthers part with the ball soon after they get it and Raiders march it down the field in short strides. Teams test each other out playing between the red zones in the first period.
In the second, Shelton finally finds open Marco Schneider who takes it across the line for the first points in the game 7-0.
The visiting team is unproductive on offense again and punts. Patrick Donahue returns the ball deep into their territory and Shelton locates him in the end zone for another score, 14-0.
The French go offensive as WR Damien Di Cursi snatches the ball out of the air in traffic. They try to pry open opponent’s door going for short passes into the end zone. A crucial muff prevents them from entering and Raiders’ Maximilian Wild recovers.
Shelton and Donahue connect again to put another one on the board, 21-0.
Black Panthers’ offense sputters and the Austrians get the ball back at midfield. Screen passes to running back Tobias Bonatti set up Donahue’s third touchdown catch of the day, 27-0.
Visitors can’t move the chains very far in the second half either. Raiders have little trouble marching down the field and Tobias Bonatti rushes it through the middle for 34-0.
The French team gets close to the end zone but misses the FG on the fourth attempt.
Fabian Abfalter widens the scoring difference on a fade route catch from Shelton, 41-0.
Black Panthers QB Clark Evans runs for 70 yards on the longest play of the day by his team. Next, he connects with Di Cursi and they get their team on the board 41-7.
Raiders look as powerful as they did last season, starting the game slowly while getting a feel of the opponent. Once they do, they are relentless like an anaconda and the prey can’t escape their clutch.
Game MVP Sean Shelton is now the proud owner of the Xenith helmet with 5 touchdowns in the books.
Wrocław Panthers – Calanda Broncos 3:27
Rainy night on Olympic stadium in Wroclaw saw the home team Panthers greet the visitors from Switzerland, Calanda Broncos.
Broncos had the ball first but went nowhere and punted, and the Panthers mirrored them.
The visitors attack again, when QB Conner Manning sees Severin Murk open for big yards. He tries to shoot for the end zone from there but they turn over on downs.
Panthers QB Chris Forcier rushes for 30 yards but falls on his right shoulder and is reportedly done for the season. Bartosz Dziedzic takes over as snap-caller but can’t move the ball and his team puts up the first points with a field goal 3-0.
Broncos’ WR Andri Murk’s number gets called and he takes it all the way for 66 yards, 3-7.
Trying to answer, Dziedzic scrambles backwards and gives up ground so Panthers punt.
Running back Tino Muggwyler runs for 33 yards when the Broncos get the ball back. Manning and Murk connect again, this time for a touchdown 3-13.
Panthers seem determined to prove they can win without their import quarterback as Dziedzic lobs it deep to Wiktor Zięba for 26 yards and then stretches his legs to cross midfield. Still, he tries to do too much, gets strip-sacked and the ball is recovered by the Swiss.
Manning puts it in the air where only Lukas Lütscher can get it for another touchdown 3-20.
When they get it again, Broncos opt for the ground work, taking time off the clock. This sets up a long passing play and they get in front of the end zone. Manning sneaks in right before the intermission for the final score 3-27.
In the second half teams take turns but their offensive attempts are toothless. The Broncos don’t mind though as they get home with a big win.
MVP Xenith helmet was awarded to Calanda Broncos’ LB Marco Mahrer.
CEFL CUP
Bolzano Giants – Budapest Wolves 36:19
Wolves attack first but can’t get the drive going and punt. Giants take over and quickly get on the board. Their QB, David Gahafer hits Joshua Cox in the scoring area for 7-0.
Following another ineffective drive by the Wolves, Giants’ RB Ifrain Pajan gets the ball and punches a hole through the defense for a 58 yard touchdown, 13-0.
The visitors get up to speed on their next drive when QB Márk Bencsics locates Ádám Elek, whose secure hands lower the score to 13-6.
Italian team gets within a shouting distance of extending their lead but the Wolves pick one of their passes. Their offense starts rolling and they equalize the score with a Bencsics pass to Máté Gecser, 13-13.
Gahafer takes things into his own hands with a 30 yard run and caps the effort with a 4 yard touchdown over the ground, 19-13.
The Wolves are determined not to let up and RB Richárd Szatlmayer breaks the goal line and levels the score again with 11 seconds left before the intermission, 19-19.
Half time break seemed to have stirred something in both teams’ defenses as they dominate the opening of the third quarter. Surprised offenses can’t get the grasp on the ball, which results in two turnovers per team.
The home team is the first to break out of this spell and they don’t look back. Pajan gets them a few yards away from the goal line with two penetrating runs and Gahafer sneaks in for 26-19.
It’s all Giants from here as the Wolves’ machine can’t get anything going. Italians close in on them with a Gahafer throw to Bemmo Pogo and Marco Bonacci snags another one for 33-19.
Wolves’ offensive pains continue with a fumble forced by Giuseppe Della Vecchia and Giants’ LB Enzo Mensah jumps on the ball.
The scoring session ends with a Della Vecchia kick through the goal posts for the final 36-19.
Budapest Cowbells – Moscow Spartans 6:24
Spartans open the scoring session with a 70 yard pass from QB Pavel Voronenko to WR Aleksandr Iatsunenko who’s left uncovered, 0-7.
Cowbells take over and move the chains with short passes. QB Tamás Váry finds an open hole in visitors’ zone defense and hits Márton Mészáros for 40 yards, then pins Márton Czirók in the end zone for 6-7.
Russian team doesn’t advance far and Cowbells draw 25 yards close to their goal line but miss the field goal.
Spartans take over and Voronenko lobs a desperation pass from his end zone right in the hands of DB Zoltán Golita who advances to the 15 yard line.
One pass in and home team is just 3 yards away from a touchdown when Váry is sacked twice and his 4th down pass into the end zone is dropped. Teams trade punts in two series each.
Before the half time, Voronenko drops a rainbow pass to Aleksandr Iatsunenko right in front of the goal line and RB Denis Pronkin breaks through for 6-14.
In the third quarter Spartans continue where they left off, with Voronenko again dropping a 37 yard lob into RB Ivan Goloveshkin’s basket and Omari Grinyaev splitting the uprights for a field goal, 6-17.
Teams exchange interceptions, Golita grabs his second one for Cowbells and Gleb Averkov for the Spartans.
In the end, Goloveshkin breaks free for 65 yards to set the final score 6-24.
Bucharest Rebels – Belgrade SBB Vukovi 14:28
Heavy rain and wind in Bucharest were the cause of many offensive miscues by both teams.
SBB Vukovi open the game with multiple runs by RB Joe Bergeron, who has no trouble taking it to the house to warm up the scoreboard, 0-7.
Rebels respond with short passes but have to punt from midfield. SBB Vukovi’ DB Slavoljub Dukovski receives the punt near the goal line and takes it the length of the field for another quick score, 0-14.
When they get the ball again, SBB Vukovi stick with what works. Bergeron moves the chains until he breaks through the tackle with a spin move and takes off. After two offensive drives, the Belgraders have racked up three touchdowns, 0-21.
Another ineffective offensive series sees the Rebels punt once more. Dimitrije Obradinović takes over under center for SBB Vukovi and muffs the ball in his first attempt. Rebels recover it, but their QB Stan Bedwell returns the favor and SBB Vukovi get it back.
Bergeron receives a direct snap from the center and weaves through the defense for his third score, 0-28. As it turns out, those were the last points in the game for SBB Vukovi and the rest will be up to the Rebels.
Two catches by Romanian WR Bogdan Brindusa move his team to the visitors’ red zone. Bedwell shoots for the touchdown but his pass is intercepted by Nikola Treskanica.
In the second half, SBB Vukovi go for the fourth down from their side of the field and misfire. Rebels RB, Bogdan Topolescu rumbles through the defense for big yardage. Bedwell runs it in for 6-28.
On their following drive SBB Vukovi shoot themselves in the foot again. A holding call and a muff force them to punt.
Topolescu gets his team in the rivals’ red zone and Bedwell runs through the middle for another touchdown. Topolescu tacks on 2 more points on the ground and the final score stops at 14-28.
Istanbul ITÜ Hornets – Moscow Patriots 40:19
Right from the start ITÜ Hornets QB Moses Skillon finds open WR Oktay Tulan who sprints 40 yards for a touchdown, 7-0.
Patriots reach the 3 yard line and opt for a field goal by Nikolay Golovach in the fourth attempt, 7-3.
Home team is determined to break away after Skilon’s 67 yard lob to WR Battal Seyrek for another touchdown and a double digit lead, 13-3.
Russian team answers slowly but surely. Their QB Matt Bassuener composes a long drive with precision passes and RB Anton Potapov thrusts through the line to lower the score to 13-10.
In their new series ITÜ Hornets move in closer and closer until Skillon shoots a rocket to Ozan Ozcan for a 40 yard touchdown. Skillon tries to convert but the score stays 19-10.
As the time of the first half expires, Patriots manage a 43 yard field goal to lower to score to 19-13.
Hornets open the third period with a balanced attack moving ever closer to the goal. Patriots’ secondary breaks and Skillon takes advantage with a 35 yards shot play to Tulan. Türker Alan pushes in for a touchdown to raise the bar, 26-13.
Patriots’ woes continue after a three and out when their punter muffs the ball and is tackled as he recovers it. This puts the home team 11 yards away. It’s not hard for Alan to find his way into the end zone again for 33-13.
Bassuener hurries to get something going for his team but this backfires as LB Baran Derse intercepts one of his passes. Two plays later Skillon connects with an unguarded WR Atahan Demirtas for a 33 yard score, 40-13.
Finally, Patriots end the scoring session when Bassuener hits Viktor Fatukhin underneath and he passes all defenders on his way to end the game at 40-19.