LIVESTREAM Germany: Kiel Baltic Hurricanes @ Paderborn Dolphins, May 21, 15:00 CET (3 pm, 9 am EDT)
The Paderborn Dolphins make their debut in the German Football League Sunday, May 21, when they play at home against a visiting Kiel Baltic Hurricanes squad desperate to return to respectability in the GFL.
The Dolphins were winners of the GFL2 North division in 2022 after finishing the regular season with an 8-2 record and then beating the Dussdeldorf Panther, last place finishers in the GFL North in 2022, in a two-game series, by the narrowest of margins, a single point. Paderborn beat the Panther 13-7 and then lost 13-8. Meanwhile, Kiel finished second to last in the eight team GFL North with a 2-7-1 record with their only wins coming against the lowly Panther.
Paderborn head coach Jason Irmscher has brought in former Bielfeld Bulldogs and Tychy Falcons (Poland) quarterback Niklas Gorny and added running back Joshua Breece (Washington & Lee, NCAA Div. III) and wide receiver Eren Jenkins (Kansas Wesleyan, NAIA) to complement returnees wide receiver Ramon Van Bentum and Calvin Okoli.
On defense, the Dolphins will look to Eastern Kentucky defensive back TJ Comstock to add leadership to the secondary while linebacker Sandro Moreira Da Silva (Spain), defensive lineman Nisakhare Aguebor (Italy) will help anchor the front seven. Paderborn’s defense ranked fourth overall in the GFL2 in 2022 surrendering an average of 13.7 points and 203 yards per game.
The Hurricanes and head coach Timo Zorn will be looking to change the downward spiral of the former proud Kiel Baltic Hurricanes club. It has been six years since the Hurricanes made the playoffs. In 2017 they finished with a 10-4 record and reached the GFL semifinals. Since then, Kiel has won a total of just 10 games while losing 35 and tying three.
Zorn has signed Canadian quarterback Kaleb Scott (St, Mary’s University) and re-signed GFL All Star receiver Benedikt Englmann as well as running back Logon Moragne (Henderson State, Raiders Tirol). Scott spent the 2022 season quarterbacking the Marseilles Blue Stars to the French semifinals. He threw for 2.292 yards and 32 touchdowns in leading the Blue Stars to a 9-1 regular season record.
Defensively, the Hurricanes will rely on linebacker Leon Stol and defensive tackles Tim Maas with former NCAA Division II All American CJ Davis patrolling in the secondary.
