Germany: New Yorker Lions defeat Allgäu Comets in double overtime to advance to GFL semis

The Braunschweig New Yorker Lions needed two overtime periods before they finally got past a tough Allgäu Comets 36-34 this past weekend to advance to the German Football League semifinals.

To say this was a back-and-forth affair would be an understatement.

After an unsuccessful first drive from the Comets, they were forced to punt the ball away. However, it didn’t take long to see the first turnover as Lions punt return man Nigel Lawrence fumbled his first touch of the game. Given new life on offense, Allgäu wasted no time as quarterback Terrence Shambry connected with Ahsan Moore for the one-play 31-yard score.

After multiple drives that would not end in points for either team, the rest of the first quarter was scoreless. Finally, with just under two minutes in the half, the Lions put a drive together. Braunschweig capped the two-minute drill with a Karé Lyles pass to Anton Viktor Jallai for a five-yard score to tie the game at 7-7 heading into halftime.

With the momentum heading into the half the Lions made things click after the half. Lyles threw two more touchdown passes in the third quarter with a 30-yard score to Loan Kuci and another to Viktor Jallai to hook for their second score and took a 21-7 lead late in the third quarter.

With this swing in momentum, Allgäu needed to answer before things got out of hand and on the following drive they did just that. On the second play of the drive, Shambry found Moore again for a huge 49- yard gain and on the next play hit Nathanael Stewart for 16 yard touchdown to bring the Comets within a score making it 21-14.

Just as the momentum would be in favor of Braunschweig at the start of the half, it began to swing in favor of the Comets. On defense, Allgäu forced two fumbles and after missing a field goal to try and cut the lead, the Comets finally found their way into the endzone.

After a fourth down conversion and a penalty on the Lions defense, Shambry threw his third touchdown pass of the game to Marcel Schade for the 12-yard game-tying score.

After having to punt on the ensuing drive, the Lions gave themselves a chance to win the game after blocking an Allgäu punt with nine seconds to go in the game. However, after a penalty that knocked Braunschweig back five yards, and an incomplete pass, the New Yorkers missed the game winning field goal and the two teams went into overtime.

The Comets got the ball first in overtime and after two huge penalties on the New Yorker defense, Allgäu found the endzone from a two-yards rush by the legs of Shambry. The Lions did not skip a beat and answered on offense right away with a 25- yard touchdown reception from Niklas Roemer to tie the game.

This game would continue to go back and forth as the Comets would score quickly on the second play of OT 2 with Shambry connecting with Stewart again for a 25-yard score of their own. However, the New Yorker Lions, who had been so dominant in the regular season, finally would step up when they needed it most and would stopped the Comets on their two-point attempt.

Still, although they were only up six, all the Comets needed was a stop and they would advance to the semifinal round. However, the Lions pass attack would prove to be too much as Lyles connected with Roemer yet again for the touchdown and the ensuing two-point conversion giving Braunschweig the 36-34 double- overtime win.

Braunschweig will face the Potsdam Royals in the GFL semifinal round this weekend.

Photography: @picturestylesphotography