Germany: Stuttgart Scorpions get past Munich Cowboys to stay in hunt

The 5-2 Stuttgart Scorpions withstood a late rally to edge the Munich Cowboys (2-4) 21-19 in German Football League seventh round action at  GAZi-Stadion in Stuttgart this past weekend.

The Cowboys, trailing 21-6, dominated the fourth quarter, scoring two  touchdowns but missing a 42 yard field goal with no time left on the clock.

Stuttgart had built a 21-6 lead early in the fourth when the Cowboys mounted their furious comeback.

Stuttgart quarterback Michael Eubank threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns on 15 of 29 passing. Wide receiver Pascal Flöser had four catches for 92 yards and a touchdown while Tyler Cooperwood had two receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown. while rushing for another. Flöser kicked all three extra points.

For Munich, Brady Bolles completed 23 of 36 passes for 286 yards and zero touchdowns but rushed for 169 yards and two scores. Jaylen Zachery caught eight passes for 101 yards while Kai Silbermann had six for 90 yards. Robert Werner kicked two field goals and one extra point.

The first quarter was a defensive struggle which saw neither team able to cross midfield. The Cowboys opened the scoring early in the second on a 19 yard field goal by Werner after Bolles had driven Munich down to the Stuttgart one yard line.

With Eubank unable to get the Scorpions offense untracked, Bolles mounted another drive, this time 37 yards in 12 plays and Werner again kicked a 19 yard field goal and Munich took a 6-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

Two possessions later, with less than two minutes remaining on the clock, Eubank unleashed an 80 yard bomb to Flöser, hitting him in stride at the 50 from where he outran the Munich defenders for the game’s first touchdown.

Bolles responded marching Munich 74 yards in a minute and a half, but could not find the end zone and a Werner field goal attempt failed giving Stuttgart a 7-6 halftime lead.

Early in the third, Cooperwood returned a punt to the Cowboys 28 yard line. Two plays later, Cooperwood took the ball from Eubank and scooted around the end giving the Scorpions a 14-6 lead.

Eubank opened the fourth quarter by moving his team to midfield and then tossing a 50 yard touchdown pass to a wide open Cooperwood to extend the lead to 21-6.

Bolles wasted no time after that as two plays later he found a seam and raced 51 yards to narrow the lead to 21-13 with plenty of time on the clock.

With the Scorpions offense sputtering again, Bolles marched Munich 65 yards in seven plays, completing five straight passes and rushing three times himself, the last time a five yard touchdown run, closing the gap to 21-19 with three minutes left.

Stuttgart was forced to punt again and with two minutes on the clock Bolles drove the Cowboys down to the Scorpions 25 yard line but this time Werner could not connect, missing a field goal attempt wide left as time expired.

The Scorpions breathed a sigh of relief as they came away with an important win, keeping them among the top three teams in the GFL South.