LIVESTREAM: German Quarterfinals – Allgäu Comets @Dresden Monarchs, Sept. 22, 3p (9a ET)

AFI | Allgau Comets | 09/22/2018

Graphic: Igor Lazarevic

The 11-2-1 Dresden Monarchs (GFL North #2) will play host to the 8-6 Allgäu Comets (GFL South #3) in the first quarterfinal matchup of the 2018 German Football League playoffs at Heinz-Steyer Stadion in Dresden.

This is the seventh straight year that Dresden has qualified for post season play in Germany. The Monarchs have reached the final once (2013), the semifinals four times (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016) and the quarterfinals once (2017). For Allgäu, this is the third trip to the playoffs in their four years in the GFL. In 2015, they reached the semifinals and in 2016 they were knocked out in the quarterfinals.

The Monarchs head into the playoffs with an 11-2-1 record after tying the New Yorker Lions 28-28 in the last regular season game of the year. Prior to that Dresden had won five in a row and had really come together in the last half of the season. With the top receiver in the GFL, Mitchell Paige and the leading tackler in AJ Wentland, the Monarchs have proven they are contenders for the title this year.

Dresden faces an 8-6 Allgäu Comets team that has had a tumultuous season, losing the entire coaching staff in late July and swinging from brilliant offensive displays to blowout losses. They seemed to settle down and find a new balance late in the season and may be hard for the Monarchs to prepare for.

The Monarchs have won their last five games and looked impressive so far in 2018. They have the third highest scoring offense in Germany averaging 36.2 points a game and the defense is fifth allowing 20.5.

Trenton Norvell of the Dresden Monarchs was the 2nd leading passer in Germany with 3,901 yards and a league best 45 TDs. His leading receiver is Mitchell Paige who led all receivers in Germany and has caught 120 passes for 1,879 yards and a league-leading 23 TDs.

Monarchs linebacker AJ Wentland was a tackling machine and in the last six games he has recorded 70 tackles. In the two games against the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions, he totaled 40 tackles. He finished the regular season in the GFL as the leading tackler by a wide margin with 187 tackles in 14 games.

Comets QB Justin Sottilare finished the regular season as the overall German Football League passing leader with 3,963 yards and 41 TDs although he faltered late in the season with back -to-back games with less than 25 yards passing. He only had 88 yards passing in a loss to the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns a month ago.

Nevertheless, Sottilare has had an outstanding year after setting a record for passing attempts in a game (84 against the Dukes), and he led the GFL in average yards per game with 283. His receiving corps of Jordan Paul (2nd, 1,255 yds), Martin Emos (7th, 945 yds),and Féli Manoka (872 yds) were among the top 15 in Germany. Jonatan Gihl has been converted to running back and performed well with 476 yards in five games.