LIVESTREAM CEFL: Kragujevac Wild Boars @ Graz Giants, April 20, 15:00 CET (3 pm, 9 am EDT)

AFI | American Football | 04/20/2024

Graphic: Igor Lazarevic

Austria’s Graz Giants will play host to Serbian champions, the Kragujevac Wild Boars in the opening round of the Central European Football League tournament April 20 at Actionberg stadium in Graz.

The Giants are returning to the CEFL tournament after winning the whole thing in their first and only appearance in 2016. They edged SBB Vukovi 52-49 to lift the trophy in one of the most exciting CEFL Bowls ever. Last year they lost in the Austrian Football League semifinals to the Danube Dragons.

This season Graz remains unbeaten in the AFL with a 4-0 record. Quarterback Nic Visser is the second leading passer in the AFLhaving thrown for 676 yards and nine touchdowns. His favorite targets are Christoph Pirer (196 yds, 3 TDs) and Valentin Reissner (187 yds, 3 TDs).

The Kragujevac Wild Boars, winners of the inaugural CEFL tournament in 2006, are returning after a three year absence. In 2021, they were eliminated by Austria’s Vienna Vikings in a blowout loss. They are the current defending Serbian champions and have opened the season with three straight wins.

The Wild Boars enter the game led by quarterback, Corey Fields (South Carolina State) who will be helped in the backfield by running back Alphonso Thomas (SMU).

The Giants are playing excellent football under head coach Michael Mattingly and with homefield advantage should be favored in the game. Still, the presence of Fields and Thomas gives the Wild Boars a potent backfield.