The Kiel Baltic Hurricanes will play host to arch rivals the Dresden Monarchs Saturday, August 26 at Kilia Stadion in Kiel in a pivotal game for playoff positioning in the German Football League.
The 9-2 Hurricanes sit in second in the GFL North division just ahead of the 9-3 Monarchs. The two teams met on June 10 with Kiel coming out on top 49-42 after trailing 21-0 at the end of one quarter.
A Kiel win would assure them of second in the division and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Dresden would need to win by more than seven to gain the same advantage and then win next week against Cologne. The Hurricanes have played on less game owing to the postponement of their game last week against the Hamburg Huskies.
The Monarchs have the most prolific offense in the league scoring at a torrid 44 points per game pace. Kiel is not far behind though averaging 42.3 points per game but allowing slightly fewer points per game, 22.3.
Kiel running back Chris McClendon is the key to the Hurricanes attack. He continues to lead the GFL in rushing by a wide margin with 1,791 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns in 10 games. Two weeks ago, with quarterback Jared Stegman sidelined, he carried the load against the Berlin Rebels, racking up an astonishing 352 yards on 42 (!!) carries . If Stegman is healthy enough to play, the Kiel offense is hard to stop. Wide receiver Xavier Mitchell still tops the league in receiving with his 1,124 yards and proved against Berlin he can hurt you in other ways. Playing quarterback in a wildcat formation, he rushed for 123 yards.
Dresden relies on Garrett Safron whose quarterbacking numbers are among the top five in the GFL. He has thrown for 2,995 yards and 40 touchdowns but he has also rushed for 834 yards. Add running back Joe Bergeron’s 883 yards rushing so far this season and you have as potent a rushing attack as you can find. Wide receiver Sebastien Sagne is Safron’s favorite target hauling in 44 passes for 803 yards and 11 touchdowns. Safron has a bevy of receivers to throw to though including Mike Schallo, who has 577 yards receiving,
With plenty on the line, this will definitely be a treat to watch.
Dresden Monarchs @Kiel Baltic Hurricanes Sat. Aug. 26 4p CEST (10a EDT)
