By Brad Duff
On Saturday, SBB Vukovi Belgrade (Serbia) will host the Budapest Wolves (Hungary) in the second game of the opening weekend of the Sportklub Central European Football League.
The 12-team tournament sees some of the best teams from various leagues around Europe battle for the chance to play in the CEFL Bowl XVII.
SBB Vukovi Belgrade are coming off back-to-back Serbian Bowl championships, after beating the Kragujevac Wild Boars 24-17 in last year’s title game. They will look to add to their trophy collection with their seventh CEFL Bowl.
Their most recent game, however, was a shootout with the Wild Boars that ultimately ended in a 42-35 loss.
The Wolves are Hungary’s number two team, falling short to the Fehérvár Enthroners in the 2022 Hungarian Bowl. Budapest have made two CEFL Bowl appearances in the tournament’s history but are yet to bring home any silverware.
The Belgrade offensive unit is looking as threatening as ever, with the inclusion of American imports Nolan Corpening and Joshua Cartwright. Cartwright is a 6’2, 210 pound dual-threat quarterback who has played at multiple levels of NCAA football, including Alabama A&M and Florida Atlantic.
Nolan Corpening is a 5’11, 185 pound receiver out of Charlotte, North Carolina, and spent time playing at defensive back for the NCC Eagles. Corpening found success in Romania last year, racking up 11 total touchdowns.
The Budapest Wolves are coming off a 49-0 win over the Tatabanya Mustangs in the Hungarian Football League.
The winner will advance to play the Parma Panthers in the second round on May 13.
