The Dacia Vienna Vikings will visit the Mödling Rangers Saturday, March 27 as the Austrian Football League returns for the 2021 season.
The Vikings head into this season after a winning the Austrian title in a best of five series with the Projekt Spielberg Graz Giants in a pandemic delayed and extremely shortened 2020 season.
The Vikings are once again led by veteran head coach Chris Calaycay.
Offensively, Vienna will debut a new quarterback for the 2021 season, Eystin Salum. Salum, is an athletic passer who threw for 2,356 yards 17 touchdowns, while rushing for another 11 scores his senior season at Colorado Mesa University (NCAA DII).
The new Vienna quarterback on finding a rhythm with his new team:
“We have had a short time to mesh together as an offensive unit, as I arrived just last week. In practice we have been over communicating and working on details to try and find our timing in preparation for our first game on Saturday. These guys have been working hard long before I got here, so I’m just trying to take in the culture of the team and find learn to play with them.”
The Vikings have announced the signing of American receiver Mitchell Paige. Paige is a 5’9 speedy receiver who played his college ball at Indiana University, ending his career with 1,330 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Paige last played in Europe in 2018 for the Dresden Monarchs in Germany, where he proved himself to be one of the best receivers in Europe putting up an astounding 2,070 yards receiving and 26 touchdowns. Paige is clear on what he wants to accomplish in Vienna:
“I want to win. The only acceptable result is the championship.“
Some other offensive weapons for Salum will include running back Florian Wegen, a former Mödling Ranger who had 152 yards and a touchdown in three games in 2020. Look for Salum to also target receiver Maurice Wappl who had 607 yards and four touchdowns in 2019. Protecting the playmakers will be another former Mödling player, offensive lineman Ben Rab.
Dacia Vienna Vikings @ Mödling Rangers, March 27, 15:00 CET (09:00 am ET)
On the defensive side of the ball the Vikings return former defensive MVP Leon Balogh. Balogh is a speedy pass rusher who racked up 14 sacks in 2019. The defense will also be bolstered by the re-signing of former All American safety Andrew Spencer (Winona State, NCAA DII). Spencer is an athletic defensive back who has been with the Vikings since 2019. He is a versatile weapon that can hurt opponents on either side of the ball. In 2019, the two-way star totaled 935 yards from scrimmage, while making 20 tackles and breaking up two passes on defense. Spencer will be joined in the defensive backfield by Austrian defensive backs Luis Horvath and Leo Gerner.
The Mödling Rangers head into 2021 with a new head coach in Josiah Cravalho. Cravalho’s squad will be quarterbacked by Austrian Benjamin Brauer. Brauer is dual threat quarterback who threw for 135 yards and rushed for 162 yards in limited playing time in 2019. The home grown QB is thrilled to be back out on the field after not playing in 2020.
“It feels great to finally play the game we all love! After months just working out at home and some running outside it feels great to be on the field with my brothers!”
The Rangers offense will have plenty of weapons for Brauer to work with including import running back Austin Micci. The 5’9 speedster is a product of Colorado State Pueblo (NCAA DII) where he ran for an impressive 2,706 yards and 27 touchdowns during his colligate career. The Rangers also bring back the dangerous receiver duo of Emil Eckerstorfer and Christoph Weber.
Defensively, the Rangers will rely on returning linebackers Markus Bernas and Felix Macher. Bernas was the AFL’s second leading tackler in 2019 with 72.5 total stops. Mödling has also signed American linebacker Nick Milgate. Milgate was an all-conference player at Alfred State University (NCAA DIII) where he recorded 298 career tackles. Look for the 6’0″, 205 pound Milgate to play as a hybrid safety-linebacker in the Rangers defense.
Both of these teams are ready to kick off their 2021 season after far too long a break.
Watch the game live here. Dacia Vienna Vikings @ Mödling Rangers, March 27, 15:00 CET (09:00 am ET)
Mödling Rangers roster (Click image to enlarge)
Dacia Vienna Vikings roster (Click images to enlarge)
