LIVESTREAM: Germany – Allgäu Comets @Kirchdorf Wildcats, Sat., Aug 17, 4p CEDT (10a EDT)
The Allgäu Comets (4-6) will be looking for their fourth straight win Saturday, August 17, when they head to Kirchdorf, Germany to face the 2-9-1 Kirchdorf Wildcats in German Football League late season action.
The Wildcats have lost four straight after being beaten by the Ingolstadt Dukes in back-to-back games, 37-27 and 24-0. Kirchdorf is trying to avoid the basement of the GFL South and a relegation playoff series.
This is the second meeting between these two teams this year. Kirchdorf won the first game 27-25.
Before losing to the Dukes, the Wildcats dropped a 38-17 decision to the Frankfurt Universe after losing to Marburg 41-28 the week before. They had celebrated their second win of the season after they edged the Munich Cowboys 19-18 just before the break in the GFL schedule. They had been pounded 56-0 by the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns the week before after having notched their first win of the season in beating the Comets 27-25. They had suffered through four straight losses and a tie leading up to that game. Before dropping a 31-29 decision to the Stuttgart Scorpions five weeks ago, the Wildcats had played the Munich Cowboys to a 27-27 tie, dropped a 34-7 decision to Stuttgart and then were walloped 52-14 by the Unicorns. A month ago, they lost to Marburg in a shootout, 55-49.
Wildcats QB Rex Dausin (Colorado State) who came to the team straight from leading the Bialystok Lowlanders to the Polish title game, threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns last week and ran for two more in the loss. His key target, Madison Mangum caught 4 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Alex Braunsperger, who had 63 yards with Dausin adding another 37, reached the 100 yard mark.
Dausin has thrown for 884 yards overall in his four games with Mangum catching more than half, 884 yards and averaging 114.2 yards a game. Braunsperger has rushed for 549 yards and 7 TDs. So the offense has improved.
The Comets are on a roll and surprised the surging Marburg Mercenaries last week 2-19 with the defense playing inspired football when they needed to. Twice Allgäu stopped the Mercenaries on the five yard line only surrendering late in the game. This was in important win as it put the Comets within striking distance of fourth place and a playoff spot still. Allgau had defeated Stuttgart 16-12 and 40-21 in a back-to-back series. The Comets had fallen 31-21 to the Ingolstadt Dukes in their last game before the home and home series with Stuttgart and were in danger of dropping into the basement of the division.
The Comets had notched their first win of the 2019 season when they downed Ingolstadt 28-26 at home in Kempten. However, Allgäu dropped two in a row after that. They first lost a close one to the Kirchdorf Wildcats 27-25 and then were beaten 34-7 by the Frankfurt Universe. The Cometswere blanked in the opening game of the season 20-0 by the Universe and then dropped two in a row to the Munich Cowboys, 31-16 and 21-18.
The Comets new quarterback Raleigh Yeldell, in his fourth start, only threw for 74 yards but running back Lennies McFerren made up for it, rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns. As a team, the Comets rushed for 210 yards while holding Marburg to just 43. With a passing game that is still struggling, Allgäu will again need their ground game this week.