The Copenhagen Towers eked out a gritty 14-7 win over the defending champion Triangle Razorbacks Saturday in Veilje, Denmark as the second round of play in the Danish National League wound up.
The Razorbacks had edged Copenhagen in the Danish 2019 title game so this was sweet revenge for the Towers.
It was a game of mistakes, turnovers and a couple of big plays.
Towers quarterback Calvin Stitt threw for 110 yards and one touchdown with receiver Mike Williams with three receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown. Jacob Green had 23 yards receiving while Magnus Jensen had 14 and Philip Nielsen 13. Running back Michel Konate rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown while Stitt had 29 yards rushing.
For Triangle Razorbacks quarterback Reed Gottula, it was a tough game. He had 92 yards passing and 50 yards rushing but also fumbled twice and threw two interceptions. Running back Adrian Jimenez rushed for 70 yards in total but was kicked out of the game in the fourth quarter for kicking an opponent. Wide receiver Kasper Eriksen led the team with 34 yards receiving one of which was a beautiful touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone. Nico Lester had one catch for 20 yards while Alessandro Mella hauled in two passes for 22 yards.
Towers WR Mike Williams hauls in 45 yard TD pass Photo: SBC Photo
Neither team could mount much offense in the first quarter and the second quarter looked much the same until the Razorbacks punter blundered, putting his knee down when recovering an errant snap, thus giving the ball to Copenhagen on his own four yard line.
Konate made no mistake two plays later, punching the ball in and the Towers took a 7-0 lead.
Gottula responded on the next possession.
Lester returned the ensuing kickoff to his own 35 yard line and Gottula kick started the offense. On the second play, he broke loose, racing all the way to the Towers 35 yard line. Five plays later he lofted a pass to Eriksen in the corner of the end zone for the tying touchdown.
The Razorbacks opened the third period by marching into Copenhagen territory but Gottula was picked off at the Towers five yard line and then Stitt went back to work. He marched his team to the Razorbacks 45 yard line, a drive that included a crucial unsportsmanlike penalty against a Triangle player. Then at the 4:39 mark of the third quarter, he stepped back and threw a beautiful pass to Williams catching him in stride at the five and Williams did the rest. Finding himself falling just short of the goalline, he acrobatically kept his body aloft putting his hand down and dived into the end zone for what would prove to be the winning touchdown.
The fourth quarter saw the Razorbacks with a huge advantage in time of possession but a seven minute 14 play drive ended with Gottula being picked off at the Razorbacks 15 yard line.
Razorbacks WR Kasper Eriksen pulling down a TD pass from QB Reed Gottula Photo: SBC Photo
Still, Copenhagen could not move the ball and the Triangle offense took over with just under four minutes left. It didn’t help though as a fourth down pass from Gottula to Lester sailed over the head of the receiver and the Towers ran out the clock to end the game.
With the win, Copenhagen is now now unbeaten in two games after having defeated the Sollerod Gold Diggers in their opening game. The Razorbacks fell to 1-1.
Next up for the Towers are the Aalborg 89ers at home on September 5. The Razorbacks travel to Aalborg to face the 89ers on August 30.
Photos. SBC Photo.