The 2009 season in CEFL has reached its peak, as there is only a week remaining for the final game of the season, CEFL Bowl IV. And without a doubt, two of the best teams in the league this season, Cineplexx Blue Devils of Austria and the Vukovi Belgrade of Serbia, made it to the big game that will be played in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 24th.

Central European Football League added many good teams from the region in recent years, mostly from Hungary and Austria to an already existing foundation formed by Serbian and Slovenian teams, but none as good as the Austrian Blue Devils. A team from the Austrian elite in recent years became an instant number one championship contender from the moment it was announced they would be joining the league, and they haven’t disappointed, even though they met their match.

The other finalist, the Vukovi Belgrade became the only team to beat the Blue Devils this season, and in turn the Blue Devils are the only team that beat the Vukovi.

The Blue Devils, although not a very old team by Austrian or European standards, still come from an established football country in Europe, which is not what their bowl competitors can say. Still, the Vukovi have come a long way from their modest beginnings. In 2009, they signed an American coach, John Harper, for the first time, and another import player over the two they acquired the previous year.

Brandon McDowell, their 2009 addition, led the league in rushing with 952 yards in 7 games, and he, with quarterback Jordan Green led the Vukovi’s offense to a 31.5 point average in all 8 games, and their fourth straight CEFL bowl appearance. To the first bowl game of their own, the Blue Devils came mostly on the shoulders of their quarterback, Bradley Guidry, who was unstoppable this season, and is the number one contender for the Offensive Player of the Year award in 2009. Also in 7 games, he passed for 23 touchdowns and just 1 interception, and a total of 1394 yards, falling just 7 yards short of the league season record set by then Gladiators quarterback Bernhard Kamber in 2007.

Not surprisingly, the one interception was by Ivan Ristić, the Vukovi’s safety in the last game for the Vukovi, just three weeks ago, yet another proof that these two teams were in a class of their own in the CEFL in 2009. The Vukovi have had problems winning bowl games, as they won just one CEFL title in three previous appearances and the Blue Devils will be a tough team to beat. In the first game these teams played, the Vukovi won, 49-48, but they needed a game tying drive in the last minute of the game, and two overtimes to do it.

One thing still in the Vukovi’s favor is that they’re unbeaten at home ever since they moved to their current practice and game facility, going 14-0 in a three year span in the CEFL alone, not counting the Serbian league. The game kicks off at 2PM CET, with a live play by play available on the CEFL website.