The Braunschweig New Yorker Lions delighted the 3,500 home supporters on hand at Braunschweiger Eintracht-Stadion, coming from behind three times to defeat the Allgäu Comets 42-21 and advance to the German Bowl for the third consecutive year.
Quarterback Casey Therriault completed 24 of 32 pass attempts for 280 yards and three touchdowns while David McCants rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns to secure the win.
The score is deceiving though as this game developed totally unlike any other this year for the Lions. The Comets took the lead first and twice more in the first half and the two teams went into the locker room at halftime deadlocked at 21-21.
The first half started with Allgäu holding the Lions to a three and out on their first possession. The Comets then mounted a 12 play, 75 yard drive with quarterback Cedric Townsend finishing it off with a one yard touchdown plunge giving them a 7-0 lead. The stunned crowd watched as Allgäu put on a wonderful offensive display as Townsend mixed up his play calling masterfully.
Not to be outdone, Therriault responded completing five of six passes driving his team 84 yards in just over two minutes tying the score at 7-7. And so the first half went with Allgäu scoring and Braunschweig counterpunching. Two heavyweights trading body blows.
The second half was a totally different story. Lions returner Anthony Dable took the opening kickoff of the second half back 41 yards to the Comets 47 yard line giving Therriault excellent field position to work with. Four plays later Therriault scampered 33 yards for the go-ahead touchdown making the score 28-21.
Allgäu’s offense was totally stymied by a ferocious Braunschweig defense and then David McCants took over taking off for a 52 yard trademark run to extend the lead to 35-21. Playing uphill against the Lions is a daunting task which the Comets discovered the hard way and before the third quarter ended the lead was 42-21.
The fourth quarter provided no relief for Allgäu despite a Niall Padden interception of an errant Therriault pass. The Comets could not generate any offense and with Braunschweig playing ball control football, eating up the clock, the game was effectively over midway through the period. Nevertheless, receiver Christian Hafels, who played brilliantly for the Comets and was the leading receiver in the game with 147 yards in receptions, tried to give his team a spark. He took a screen pass all the way down to the Lions 32 before trying to leap over 6’3″ Braunschweig defensive back Tissi Robinson, losing the ball in the process.
So Braunschweig moves on to its third straight German Bowl facing the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns who they defeated handily in the 2014 title game.