Sweden: Örebro Black Knights improve to .500 With Win Over Royal Crowns

With time dwindling away in a crucial matchup in the Swedish Superserien between the defending champion Örebro Black Knights and league newcomers, the Tyresö Royal Crowns, the Black Knights held a tenuous six-point lead but needed to hold on to the ball against a surging Royal Crowns squad.

That’s when Örebro’s athletic quarterback Trevor Vasey used all of his 6’7″ frame to scramble for a much-needed first down, icing the game and giving his team a 26-20 victory and second place in the standings.

Both teams entered the contest at 1-2. The Royal Crowns won their last game on April 9 against the very same Black Knights, which remains their sole victory this season. The Örebro logged a win over Carlstad on the backs of Vasey and running back Tim Göransson. Wide receiver Johannes Lindeus has also been a formidable presence in Örebro’s offense.

The game started with intense defensive sequences. Of the first seven drives, only one first down was recorded, and none of them exceeded even two minutes of game time. Tyresö took time to adjust to having a new signal-caller under center in Marlon Alm, as Phil Juhlin was tending to a family issue.

Finally, late in the first quarter, Vasey found his rhythm and began slinging the ball down the field. With 13 seconds left in the first, he dashed into the endzone for the game’s first points. The Royal Crowns also seemed to have found their spark, as they answered with a touchdown on the very next drive.

Both teams scored again in the second quarter, making it a tied 13-13 game at halftime. The Vasey-Lindeus connection showed up in full force in the second half. Vasey found Lindeus for a 46-yard score, putting Örebro up a score. The Black Knights put together several consecutive stops before Vasey found Lindeus for a 10-yard touchdown.

Tyresö had a lot of ground to make up in the waning moments of the fourth quarter. Alm completed a 57-yarder to move them to the 14-yard line. He followed it up with a score with 2:07 left. Down six points, the Royal Crowns needed to get a quick three and out, get the ball back, and drive down the field and score another touchdown.

Vasey had other plans, however. He took matters into his own hands and moved the chains, ending the game.

Alm put together a strong effort in the unexpected start, throwing for 222 yards and three touchdowns. After a rough early start where the Black Knights’ front seven made their impact, Alm figured it out and started generating consistent offense.

As a passer, scrambler, and punter, Vasey was superb. He was 21-38 for 252 yards and two touchdowns. He added a number of key rushes, even though he only tallied 24 yards on eight totes.

With the win, Örebro moves into second place with a 2-2 record. The undefeated Stockholm Mean Machines (4-0) are first with two games left in the regular season.