Spain’s Badalona Dracs make their debut in the Big6 Europe tournament on the road as they take on the reigning German and European title holders, the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions at Eintracht-Stadion in Braunschweig, Germany.
These two teams met once before in European tournament play in 2004 when the Lions trounced Badalona 50-20.
The Lions enter the game as clear favorites having won the last two Eurobowl titles and beaten Holland’s Amsterdam Crusaders handily last week 20-6. A win for Braunschweig would qualify them for the Euobowl final for the fourth year in a row.
The Dracs will face Amsterdam May 13 in the final game of Group A play. Group B includes the Milano Seamen, Berlin Rebels and Frankfurt Universe. The Seamen won the first game beating the Berlin Rebels 14-13.
The Spanish side, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, will have the benefit of almost a season of play in Spain where they lead the league with an 8-1 record. Spain’s leading quarterback Sergio Gonzalo (38 TD passes) is behind center and with receivers like Hunter Lee (Louisiana Tech) who has scored 120 points so far, and Joey Herrick (Kentucky) to throw to he guides the top offense in the country. The Dracs have scored 386 points in nine games in Spanish regular season play.
The Lions offense has a familiar face at quarterback as Casey Therriault has started the season with the team, after arriving at mid-season for the past two years as a replacement. Therriault has been a key to the last four German Bowl wins for Braunschweig and in the 2016 final he threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns leading the Lions to victory over the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns.
Running back David McCants has been one of the leading rushers in the German Football League for the past several years and last week against Amsterdam he score two touchdowns.
Braunschweig welcomes the return of linebacker Kerim Homri to the defensive lineup after recovering from injury. The defense also includes defensive lineman Robert Kitching III (U. Mass) and linebacker Jonathan Rollins (Western Illinois).
