Denmark: Copenhagen Towers – Path to Mermaid Bowl XXXIII

AFI | American Football | 09/23/2022

Graphic: Igor Lazarevic

The defending Danish champion Copenhagen Towers head into their sixth straight Danish Championship Game appearance this Saturday, Sept. 24, when they face the Søllerød Gold Diggers in Mermaid Bowl XXXIII.

This is the second consecutive year that these two teams have faced each other. Copenhagen won last year’s title game 24-7 to avenge two losses during the regular season.

This year, the Towers boast the highest scoring offense in the Danish Nationalligaen racking up 263 points in the six game series, an average of almost 44 points a game. They had the second best defense surrendering 22.6 points a contest. They opened the season with a 36-12 win over the Aalborg 89ers and then beat the Gold Diggers 57-38 in an offensive showdown. They then doubled up on the Triangle Razorbacks 34-17 right before the six week long break. However, when they came back, they ran into a fired up Søllerød squad and found themselves on the wrong end of a 21-13 score. After such a poor offensive outing, they went on a tear overwhelming Aalborg 56-19 and then embarrassing the Razorbacks 67-29 to wind up the regular season with a 5-1 record and first place and a bye into the title contest.

Towers quarterback Josh Greaves has definitely found a rhythm in the Danish top league. He is the league’s top passer and he has plenty of targets to throw to. Number one on his list is veteran wideout Mike Williams. He also has Jacob Green and young Martin Due, both of whom have been key targets this season. Tight end Oliver Tribler provides solid blocking along with excellent receiving skills. The ground game is led by crafty veteran Anton Witmeur who is complemented by Michel ‘Junior’ Konaté.

The Copenhagen front seven is formidable and features defensive linemen Marcus Boesen and Mads Marquard along with linebacker Philip Hargett. Cornerback Jakob Bækgaard is one of the team captains and anchors a solid secondary.

The Towers have won four Danish titles since 2013 (there was no Mermaid Bowl in 2020 due to COVID). However, the Gold Diggers, who have beaten them in three of the four regular season meetings between the two teams in the last two years, may make it difficult to capture a new title.