In a game for pride if nothing else, the hometown Wroclaw Panthers, reigning Polish champions, defeated the defending Czech champions, the Prague Black Panthers 39-22 in Central European Football League action at the Olympic Stadium in Wroclaw, Poland.
Although the CEFL group winner had been decided with Austria’s Swarco Raiders already heading to the final, Wroclaw and Prague, respective champions in their own countries, still had something to prove.
Wroclaw quarterback Timothy Morovick rushed for three touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass to pace the Panthers. Tomasz Dziedzic scored on a pass from Morovick and Konrad Starczewski scored on a one yard run. Dawid Pańczyszyn kicked a field goal and four extra points.
Photo: Łukasz Skwiot Fotografia Sportowa
For Prague, quarterback Jan Dundáček threw two touchdown passes to running back William Young and ran one in himself.
Prague struck first with Dundáček finishing off a drive with a shovel pass to Young giving the Black Panthers a 7-0 lead. With the defense playing well, Prague took the ball over again but a fourth down punt goes awry and Wroclaw took over with a short field. Morovick lobbed a long pass to Dziedzic who was downed at the one, but Starczewski punched the ballin on the next play to even the score a 7-7.
Dundáček continued to be the motor for his team and this time capped a long drive by carrying the ball in himself to retake the lead 14-7.
Photo: Łukasz Skwiot Fotografia Sportowa
Morovick answered with a 30 yard touchdown pass to Dziedzic to level the score at 14-14 with eight seconds left in the first half.
The Black Panthers turned the ball over again on a bad punt to open the second half and Wroclaw made them pay as Pańczyszyn kicked a 35 yard field goal to give Wroclaw its first lead of the game, 17-14.
The Wroclaw defense stiffened and Morovick then engineered a long drive and scored himself to extend the lead to 24-14. The Panthers succeeded on an onside kick and Morovick scored his second touchdown of the game and now Wroclaw was out in front 31-14.
Dundáček was finally able to get his offense back into gear and found Young for his second touchdown of the game, reducing the lead to 31-22 after the two point conversion was successful.
But Morovick was not done as he scored his third rushing touchdown of the half and game and the Wroclaw defense did the rest.