GFL Semifinal – New Yorker Lions @ Potsdam Royals: QB Battle – Karé Lyles vs Jaylon Henderson
Sunday, October 1st, we will see the second of the two German Football League semifinal matchups as the (2) Braunschweig New Yorker Lions travel to face the (1) Potsdam Royals.
The matchup at quarterback is just as intriguing as the game itself as Braunschweig quarterback and Jackson State product Karé Lyles goes head to head with Potsdam’s Jaylon Henderson who played for Boise State.
This will be the second time this season that Lyles and Henderson will go head-to-head. While Potsdam walked away with the 40-33 victory in that first matchup, it was an all-out duel between the quarterbacks. So, expect the same thing in this postseason battle.
Braunschweig QB Lyles has had a very interesting football journey to lead him to where he is now. From quarterbacking at Scottsdale Community College and Southern Illinois University to playing under NFL Legend and coach Deion Sanders Lyles has had football take him all over the world.
Most recently he played for the Las Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League, throwing for three touchdowns and 114 yards in five appearances. After the season it even seemed he was taking a break from playing as he landed a job working for the NFL as a production assistant.
However, when the Lions called his phone at the start of 2023, he was quick to answer and get back into playing. This season for Braunschweig Lyles hasn’t been exactly filling up the stat sheets, but he is doing more than enough to get the job done for his team. He has thrown for 1,472 yards and 21 touchdowns with two more scores on the ground.
Last game against the Royals, Lyles threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns off of 19 completions.
His opponent on Sunday is quarterback Jaylon Henderson of the Potsdam Royals. Henderson has been lights out for the Royals this season. The Potsdam signal caller is first in the GFL in completion percentage (73.4%) and second in both passing yards (3,647) and touchdowns (46). Henderson has also only thrown two interceptions through his 13 games.
After a successful two seasons in college with the Boise State Broncos (NCAA Division I), the 6’1”, 210-pound dual threat quarterback had short stints professionally with the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League and for the Panasonic Impulse in the X-League Super in Japan. He led the side to an undefeated regular season, only losing to the Fujitsu Frontiers in the Rice Bowl Championship game. Henderson went on to secure X1 Super Rookie of the Year.
What makes Henderson so special is his ability to make plays with his arm and his legs. With 110 carries on the season, Henderson has 598 yards and 11 scores.
In his earlier matchup against the Lions, he threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns rushing for 75 yards and two more scores on the ground.
With both quarterbacks playing in their first season, it is safe to say they have settled in perfectly in their roles for the GFL squads. With the stakes higher than ever before, expect both players to put on a show trying to get their respective teams to the GFL championship game, the 2023 German Bowl.
Watch the game live PPV. Braunschweig New Yorker Lions @ Potsdam Royals, Oct. 1, 15:00 CET (3 pm, 9 am EDT)
