The Fédération Française de Football Américain’s D1 Elite winds up its first weekend of play in the 2024 season as the Nice Dauphins pay a visit to Cannes to face the Cannes Iron Mask in their debut game in the top division.
The Iron Mask are playing their first ever game in France’s Elite division after winning D2 in 2023. The Dauphin,s on the other hand, are coming off a disappointing 4-6 season which saw them suffer a late season collapse where they lost their final two games of the season to knock them out of playoff contention. Nice had beaten eventual league finalists, the Marseilles Blue Stars with two games left and looked poised for a late season run but it wasn’t to be.
The Iron Mask enter their first year in D1 this season looking to make a splash in the Southern Conference. Head coach Christophe Ferres leads an experienced group featuring Loick Gilles, Mateo Maglia, and Louis Tribouley.
Watch live here. Nice Dauphins @ Cannes Iron Mask, Feb. 4, 13:00 CET (1 pm, 7 am ET)
At quarterback, Ferres has gone against the grain by signing Hungarian national team passer Mate Hegedus. The Hungarian quarterback will have the rare chance of any European passer to lead a team as an import after flashing his talents for the national team and in the ELF for the Fehervar Enthroners. Look for him to target wideout Marian Menden.
Head coach Yannick Fattorini leads the Dauphins into their second straight year in the D1 Elite division. The Dauphins were a playoff contender in the 2010s before a short hiatus into D2. Now coach Fattorini and French quarterback Sullivan Silverio hope to get the Dauphins back to that level with veterans such as Joachim Torrelli Anthony Rosso, Borris Horn, Niccolas Marin and Alex Max.
The Dauphins also bring in college teammates in defensive lineman Jordan Harris and offensive lineman Demetri Swann (Brockport University NCAA DIII) as well as talented French defender Chemsedine Jaouni.
Watch live here. Nice Dauphins @ Cannes Iron Mask, Feb. 4, 13:00 CET (1 pm, 7 am ET)
