The winless (0-3) Berlin Rebels will be looking to salvage their German Football League season when they play host to the 1-2 Kiel Baltic Hurricanes, Sunday, June 9 at , Mommsenstadion in Berlin .
The Rebels have suffered through a dismal opening to their 2019 season losing all three games, which they have not done since 2015 when they lost their first three games of the year en route to a 4-8 season.
These two teams faced each other twice in 2018 splitting the series. Berlin won the first game 17-6 while the Hurricanes took the second one, 28-24, one of only four wins they had last year.
The Rebels were beaten 30-17 in their opening game by the Potsdam Royals in Potsdam, and then they dropped a 29-12 decision to the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions. Last week, the Hildesheim Invaders proved too much for the 2018 German quarterfinalists, beating them 56-41.
Berlin quarterback Terrell Robinson has thrown for 585 yards and three touchdowns in the losses to Potsdam, Braunschweig and Hildesheim with TJ Esekielu as his leading receiver with 12 catches for 218 yards and a touchdown. The running game which was the strength of the team, finally came alive in the game against the Invaders as Robinson rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown while Andreas Betza, who had been almost invisible, scored four rushing touchdowns while rushing for 108 yards.
The Rebels have signed a backup quarterback, Kurt Palandech (UNLV), but it remains to be seen if he will see any action today.
Before losing 48-28 to the Cologne Crocodiles last week, Kiel had lost their first game of the season to the Dresden Monarchs 42-14 and then downed the Dusseldorf Panther 37-17 in the other game.
Hurricanes QB Jake Purichia (Indianapolis) has thrown for 593 yards and three touchdowns but tossed four interceptions in three games. Wide receiver Kwame Ofori has caught 12 passes for 135 yards but did not play in the loss to Cologne and maybe questionable for this one.. Running back Julian Ampaw has 177 yards rushing and five touchdowns but 121 of those yards came against Dusseldorf. To have any chance at all in this game the rushing attack featuring Ampaw and CJ Davis will have to find gaps in the Berlin front seven.
