The Dresden Monarchs have clearly hit the German Football League playoffs in stride after they demolished the visiting Allgäu Comets 50-13 in their quarterfinal matchup in front of 2,000 cheering fans at Heinz-Steyer-Stadion in Dresden.
The Monarchs, first-place finishers in the GFL North division, were on a roll entering the playoffs and had won nine straight games, the last three by lopsided scores. They featured the second highest-scoring offense in the league and were the favorites against a Comets team who finished fourth in the GFL South.
Photo: Dresden Monarchs
Dresden wasted no time in living up to the hype, scoring on their fifth play from scrimmage as Darrell Stewart Jr. hauled in a 55-yard touchdown strike from quarterback KJ Carta-Samuels to give his team a 7-0 lead. With the Monarchs defense keeping Allgäu bottled up completely (the Comets were unable to move past their own 40-yard line for the entire first half), the explosive offense continued to pour it on. After the defense sacked Comets quarterback Sam Huxtable on a fourth down deep in Allgäu territory, running back Devwah Whaley scored on a 16-yard scamper to increase the lead to 14-0.
The Comets got a brief respite when defensive back Nico Leiderer picked off Carta-Samuels on the goalline early in the second quarter, but the Allgäu offense was unable to capitalize and Dresden made them pay on the next possession. Carta-Samuels took his team from the Comets’ 39 down to the 12 in three plays and then connected with wide receiver Anthony Brooks for a touchdown, extending the lead to 21-0 midway through the second quarter.
Another stop by the Monarchs defense gave the offense the ball back after a punt at the Dresden 45 yard line. Carta-Samuels methodically picked apart the Comets defense, marching his team down to the Comets eight-yard line in five plays and then hit Robin Wilzeck in the end zone to make it 28-0.
Dresden kicker Florian Finke added a 46-yard field goal as time ran out in the first half giving the Monarchs a 31-0 lead heading into the third quarter.
The Monarchs were handed a gift to open the second half as Allgäu managed to block one of their own punts giving Dresden the ball at the 29-yard line. Six plays later, Whaley punched the ball in from the three-yard line and Dresden boosted the lead to 38-0.
Another turnover by the Comets, this time a fumble by Huxtable, gave Dresden the ball at the Allgäu 44. This time it took Carta-Samuels five plays to move his team down to the one-yard line. He then found Wilzeck for his second touchdown of the day and Dresden took a 45-0 lead halfway through the third period.
The Comets finally got on the scoreboard two minutes later as Huxtable found Lewis Kirby down the sideline for a 40-yard touchdown making it 45-7.
Dresden LB AJ Wentland hauling down a Comets ball carrier Photo: Dresden Monarchs
The fourth quarter saw Dresden add a field goal and a safety from a sack in the end zone while Allgäu’s backup quarterback, Jonathan Krinn tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Chad Walrond to round out the scoring.
Dresden quarterback KJ Carta-Samuels finished the day with a modest 216 yards passing but threw four touchdown passes. Darrell Stewart Jr had five receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown while Anthony Brooks added another 43 yards and a touchdown on five catches. Robin Wilzeck also had five receptions but two of those were touchdowns. Devwah Whaley rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns.
For the Comets, Sam Huxtable had a tough day throwing the ball completing nine of 14 passes for only 86 yards and one touchdown. Jonathan Krinn completed three passes in relief for 38 yards and another score. Running back Glen Toonga rushed for 113 yards.
The Monarchs will now face the Saarland Hurricanes, who downed the Cologne Crocodiles in another quarterfinal game, in the GFL semifinals Saturday, September 25 in Dresden.