It’s the sixth year of the league and the sixth championship game for the Vukovi Belgrade. The most successful CEFL team has not only made it to another CEFL Bowl, but is once again favored to win it, despite the game being played for the first time in Budapest.

Although a three time champion, two time defending champion and as said, a six straight times bowl participant, it was not always so. Early on, the team was better known for repeated championship game losses. And although that looks like ancient history now, this was maybe the year they’d fall. The reasons, simple: they lost most of their older and experienced players, they even lost coaches. The most famous and best known person in the CEFL, former NFL player Reuben Droughns, who spent last year in Belgrade as an assistant coach, needed to step up – becoming the team’s fifth head coach.

“I believe I’ve made some progress in taking the team in the right direction. The main thing I try to get the guys to focus on is respecting the game itself. We lost I believe a total of 10 guys or some from a season ago and about five or six this year. But I have had guys step up to the challenge this year and now it seems they’re peaking at the right moment”, says Droughns.

The team is definitely peaking at the right time, at least with their Serbian league bowl in mind. They beat their long time nemesis in that game, the Kragujevac Wild Boars snapping a two game losing streak and winning another trophy. Considering they so seldom lose games, two games is plenty.

They did lose a CEFL game this zear, to a very good – at the time – Silverhawks’ team, and although their relative youth showed at times, their road to the bowl was again smooth. They destroyed almost every opponent on the offensive end, with their new quarterback Vinnie Miroth leading the way. Miroth passed for over a 1000 yards – 1102 exact – in just four games played, with 14 touchdowns and no interceptions, and is the leading candidate for offensive player of the year in the league.

The team that beat them this year did it for the first time ever. Their bowl opponent, as is well known, is still to accomplish that. But considering that, the Budapest Wolves don’t have much to lose.

“I’m one who can tell you it doesn’t matter what happens in the regular season on how you finish! When Budapest played us at full strength in Belgrade it was no easy task, they will be a tough challenge for us despite their two losses to us”, adds Droughns.

The Wolves also ended their season on a high note, securing the finals spot with a 49-6 win. Despite this and home field advantage, the Vukovi are rightfully the favorites.