As the Limhamn Griffins (0-5) get set play host to the Stockholm Mean Machines (2-3) for Friday Night Football Week 6 edition, they know this is a pivotal game for them. In fact, this is a pivotal game for both teams.
For the Griffins to have any chance at all of making the playoffs they have to beat Stockholm tonight and in two weeks. If they do, they would then have two more winnable games after that. A 4-6 record might sneak them in. The surging Mean Machines have won two in a row and have a real chance of going 4-1 down the stretch and finishing with a 6-4 record, which would be their best in many years and quite likely land them in third.
Limhamn is in the midst of a rebuilding year according to head coach Greg Gibson, who is in his second season in leading the team.
“We have seven to eight rookies on both sides of the ball, so for me, every game is an improvement. We have lost a lot of experience from last year but have been making up for it in hustle and enthusiasm. The atmosphere has been fantastic and once we can reduce our turnovers, which are mostly due to inexperience, we will be solid.”
The Griffins will start Danish quarterback Christian Lisby, who at 6’4″ and 205 lbs is a drop back type quarterback, is only now beginning to feel comfortable with the read option offense. With a veteran receiver like Aleksander Tomovic to rely on, Lisby can make things difficult for Stockholm’s secondary.
Limhamn LB Edvin Henriksson is 2nd in the Swedish league in tackles
Unfortunately, Limhamn will be playing without defensive tackle David Hedelin who is out for precautionary reasons. His teammate Jalani Philips is still a load on the defensive line, and he will be keeping an eye out for Mean Machines quarterback Anders Hermodsson. Griffins linebacker Edvin Henriksson has been another defensive stalwart and is second in tackles in the league with 24, just ahead of Philips who is in third.
Stockholm is also struggling with the addition of new players, 14 in all and head coach Fredrik Pilbäck is in more or less the same boat?
” We have played well at times but are still very inconsistent. It is tough trying to get all the new faces working together. But we are getting there and I have seen a vast improvement over the past two or three games.”
Photo: Stefan Akander
With quarterback 6’5″, 250 lb quarterback Anders Hermodsson beginning to hit his stride, Stockholm will be a team to be reckoned with. Hermodsson is second in the league in passing and his favorite target, Michael Sander, tops all receivers in Sweden.
Add to this new addition 6’1″, 290 lb guard Tarik Cook from Central Florida, who may dress for this game, and the Mean Machines look poised to surprise.
Kickoff is 6:30 pm (12:30 EDT) and the game is being broadcast live on CMore in Sweden (PPV) and shown in a tape delay at 10:20 pm on TV4.
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