The Big6 tournament, featuring six of the top teams in Europe, continues this weekend as Austria’s Vienna Vikings are at home to the 2015 champions, the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions from Germany while the Berlin Adler, winners of the 2014 title, host the Swarco Raiders from Austria.
The Vikings enter the game against Braunschweig in midseason form. Head coach Chris Calaycay has bolstered his coaching staff with Dan Hawkins and has his team playing well. They handled the other team in the three-team group, Aix en Provence Argonautes from France with ease 42-0. They are 3-0 in the Austrian league and have been playing solid, if not spectacular football. The two quarterbacks, Alexander Thury, and Bernard Seikovits have rotated at the position and managed games well.
Running back Islaam Amadu is averaging six yards a carry on 193 yards rushing so far. With such a balanced attack, the Vikings do not have a receiver in the top 10 but three in the top 25.
This will be the first game of the year for the German champion Braunschweig New Yorker Lions but they enter this contest with more or less the same team as last year. Head coach Troy Tomlin has brought back Grant Enders who will start at quarterback as he did last year before getting hurt early in the season. Running backs David McCants and Chris Smith have returned as well. Although Anthony Dable signed with the New York Giants, the Lions should not miss a beat. Most of the defense is intact from last season.
This should be one of the best games in Europe in the early season.
The Berlin Adler upset the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions to win the Big6 in 2014 but struggled both in the Big6 and the German league last season.
Sean Shelton and Paul Zimmerman
Although they still are not in 2014 form they will be better prepared this season. Head coach Eric Schramm has opted to stick with young German quarterback Paul Zimmerman but has signed Emmanuel Moody at running back. Moody has played for both the Vienna Vikings and the Dresden Monarchs and has beaten Swarco.
The Adler defense features many of the same players who helped win the Big6 title in 2014. And they also upset the Raiders at the same time.
Swarco Raiders head coach Shuan Fatah has his team on a roll. They are also undefeated at 3-0 in Austrian league play with quarterback Sean Shelton leading the AFL with 793 yards passing while throwing six touchdown passes. They defeated both the Stuttgart Scorpions from Germany and Finland’s Helsinki Roosters handily in Battle4Tirol action.
Sean Shelton and Paul Zimmerman
Running back Sandro Platzgummer is averaging 7.3 yards a carry on 233 yards rushing while scoring four touchdowns.
Defensively, the Raiders have allowed a total of only 28 points in three games in Austria. Although Swarco will be playing in a hostile environment in Berlin, this will be a good test for them.
The Big6 title has eluded the Raiders for two years. They would definitely like to win it.
Check out this video featuring the Berlin Adler and Swarco Raiders
