The Swarco Raiders (8-0), Europe #2, will be looking to extend their unbeaten streak in the Austrian Football League Saturday, June 15 when they play host to the 4-4 Projekt Spielberg Graz Giants at Tivoli Stadium in Innsbruck.
This is the second meeting between these two team this year. The Raiders won the first encounter, beating Graz 34-27 after the Giants scored in the last three seconds of the game. In that game, the Giants held a 15-13 halftime lead and actually outgained Swarco racking up 410 yards in offense compared to 340 for the Raiders.
The Raiders celebrated a third consecutive CEFL championship title win last weekend, coming from behind to defeat Switzerland’s Calanda Broncos 46-42. The week before, Swarco downed the Dacia Vienna Vikings 34-13 in the Charity Bowl and sit atop the Austrian Football League standings.
Swarco quarterback Sean Shelton has thrown for 1,788 yards and 25 TDs while rushing for another 362 yards and 5 TDs.. He has a lot of weapons at his disposal including Sandro Platzgummer who has rushed for 356 yards. Shelton’s top receiver is Patrick Donahue who has 426 yards in receptions and 5 TDs.
Since dropping a tough 34-27 defeat at the hands of the league-leading Swarco Raiders Graz has defeated the Traun Steelsharks twice and lost a tough one to the Danube Dragons, 21-14, and find themselves in fourth place with only one two games to go.
Giants quarterback Jake Kennedy has been solid, throwing for 1,826 yards and 26 TDs in eight games and is third among all quarterbacks in the AFL in passing.. WR Philipp Sommer leads the team in receiving with 632 yards and 9 TDs on 39 receptions. Alexander Sans is the Giants leading rusher with 638 yards on 87 carries.