The 2-7-1 KIrchdorf Wildcats will play host to the 1-9 Ingolstadt Dukes Saturday, August 3 at Energie Arena in Kirchdorf as the German Football League season heads into the home stretch.
This will be the first game in a home and home series between these two teams.
Kirchdorf is coming off back-to-back losses as they dropped a 38-17 decision to the Frankfurt Universe last week 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 Allgau 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 HC Christoph Riener has replaced QB Ian Kolste, who had struggled badly, with Rex Dausin (Colorado State) who comes to the team straight from leading the Bialystok Lowlanders to the Polish title game. He had some trouble against Frankfurt completing just 14 of 38 passes for 160 yards but looked sharp in the loss to Marburg throwing for 229 yards and four touchdowns. With top receiver Robert Ruiz out for the year with an injury, Riener brought in a familiar face, Madison Mangum. Mangum has had two excellent games. Last week he had seven catches for 108 yards and had an outstanding opening game the week before catching 11 passes for 115 yards and all four touchdowns. He had been a key factor in the Wildcats promotion to the GFL in 2017. He caught 78 passes for 1,143 yards and 19 TDs that season.
The Wildcats running game has tailed off and averages 87.2 yards a game but without running back Alex Braunsperger who has rushed for 450 yards and 7 TDs but did not play last week, they will have problems.
Ingolstadt is coming off a 40-33 loss to the Marburg Mercenaries after celebrating their first win of the season the week before, a 31-21 decision over the Allgäu Comets.
Ingolstadt were soundly beaten by the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns 51-0 just before the break and the week before 63-13 by the Frankfurt Universe. They dropped the tough 28-26 decision to the Comets just prior to that. They had lost 43-13 the week before that to the surging Mercenaries after losing 37-13 to the Universe the week prior to that. They had dropped 24-0 decision to the the Unicorns to open their 2019 season. But they then suffered a disappointing 37-30 loss to the Stuttgart Scorpions.
The Dukes have had solid quarterbacking for the last five games with Cory Benedetto. Last week against Marburg he threw for 344 yards and four touchdowns.He had a solid outing in the win over the Comets throwing for 206 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 82 and another. This gives him 1,023 yards and 10 touchdowns in five games. His chief target Normen Schumm who has 441 yards receiving on 30 catches while Anthony Mella has caught seven touchdown passes from Benedetto. The running game has begun to improve the Dukes are averaging 87.2 yards a game with Moritz Albrecht the leading rusher with 215 yards.
This is a battle between two basement teams with both trying to avoid the cellar and relegation.
