German Bowl XXXVIII is this Saturday October 8th between the 3-time defending champion New Yorker Lions and the undefeated Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns and will feature two of the best receivers in Europe’s top American football league.
This is the third straight year these two teams face each other in Germany’s championship contest and the sixth consecutive year that one or the other has played in the final. The Lions have won the past three while Schwäbisch Hall captured the title in 2011 and 2012.
The Unicorns offensive juggernaut rolled up 753 points in the 2016 season in 16 games (including both playoff games) which is a stunning 47.1 points per game average. The Lions were not far behind scoring 615 points in total which works out to 38.4 points a game.
The Unicorns go-to receiver is Patrick Donahue. Donahue started the year in a Green Bay Packers minicamp which forced him to miss the first regular season game of the year. The Southern Oregon grad made up for lost time though, finishing sixth in number of receptions in the German League this year with 73 while racking up 1,048 yards in receiving. The 5’11”, 185 highly athletic Donahue gave quarterback Marco Ehrenfried a reliable target and has been instrumental in helping Schwäbisch Hall reach the final for the third straight year.
He knows the territory well:
“My role on the team is the same as every player on our team and that’s be a play maker and an even better teammate. The New Yorker defensive is definitely solid all over the field , but we will do our jobs and execute every play to the best of our abilities.”
Donahue is also dangerous on special teams, leading the league in punt and kickoff return average and in overall scoring. The shifty wideout scored 30 touchdowns and a two-point conversion for 182 points. In fact, he was good for 12.1 points scored every game.
Jan Hilgenfeldt, (6′, 195 lb) while not as prolific a receiver as Donahue, has nevertheless been equally valuable for the New Yorker Lions. Not only did he catch 856 yards in passes on the year, the transferee from the Dresden Monarchs also served as backup kicker as well as punt and kickoff returner.
Be sure to tune in to watch these top European receivers in German Bowl XXXVIII – the 38th championship final of American football in Germany. It will be held on Saturday, October 8th, 2016 at 5.30p CET, 11:30a EST at Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark in Berlin.
For further information about German Bowl XXXVIII, visit www.germanbowl.de or visit the events Facebook page at German Bowl XXXVIII.
German Bowl XXXVIII – New Yorker Lions v. Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns
