LIVESTREAM Germany PPV: Hildesheim Invaders @ Kirchdorf Wildcats, July 20, 16:00 CET (4 pm, 10 am EDT)

AFI | American Football | 07/20/2024

Graphic: Igor Lazarevic

The Kirchdorf Wildcats (1-5) will play host to the Hildesheim Invaders (5-1) Saturday, July 20 as the German Football League heads into the second half of the season.

The Wildcats are coming off a close 28-25 loss to the Ravensburg Razorbacks after having earned their first win of the year two weeks before when they defeated the Munich Cowboys 27-7. They had suffered four straight losses to open the season. They were beaten 36-10 by the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns to open the season and then turned back 21-14 by the Munich Cowboys. The Berlin Rebels handed them a 33-17 loss and then the New Yorker Lions beat them 24-7.

After opening the season by losing 56-21 to the defending champion Potsdam Royals, the Invaders have won five straight first beating the Berlin Adler 49-42, the Berlin Rebels 36-19, Paderborn Dolphins 50-31 and the Ravensburg Razorbacks in overtime 31-30. They then downed the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 43-34.

For Kirchdorf, quarterback Armani Edden has thrown for a total of 986 yards and seven touchdowns in the five games. The Wildcats leading rusher, Sebastian Mattscheck, has only rushed for 143 yards. Without a ground game, today’s game will be a tough one for the Wildcats.

Hildesheim quarterback Nelson Hughes has thrown for 1,471 yards and 14 touchdowns in the six games with Lennart Stukenborg being his main target with 26 receptions for 328 yards and two scores and running back Jordan Grant who has 17 receptions for 165 yards. Grant has rushed for 584 yards and six scores, good for second in overall yardage and average yards per game while Hughes has rushed for 359 yards and six touchdowns.

The Wildcats, despite their record, have improved over the past month and could surprise Hildesheim, the number two team in the GFL North.