It’s 2012, the CEFL Bowl VII is almost there and the SBB Vukovi will participate, even host the game. It could be said that it’s business as usual. But on the other hand, since they won the last three championships, it’s easy to overlook that they suffer from player departure as much as any other team in the league. Fortunately though, it looks like they are always able to find replacements.

Such was the case with their starting linebacker Nemanja Lazarević. He played his first CEFL game in 2011 as a 20 year-old and finished the season as one of the top league linebackers. This season, he’s been even better, finishing the season with 43 tackles in 5 games.

“I had always loved the sport and dreamed about playing until I heard there were teams being formed in Serbia. Two years ago I played for the Belgrade Blue Dragons where I also became one of the starters for the junior national team of Serbia, after which I earned an invite to the World Team in 2011. … I realized that I need to progress further and I switched to the Vukovi, because it was obvious that they are the absolute champions of Serbia and not only there.”

“And the feeling is great. It’s a privilege to be a part of the Pack and to be surrounded with football enthusiasts like we have”, says Lazarević on being a starter for the SBB Vukovi.

Although they did not have a similarly dramatic transition as two years ago, when most of the old starters left the team, they still, as always, had some changes. But it was, we’d say, not for the worst, as they went 6-0 in the regular season and recorded their seventh win in 2012 against the Wolves in the semifinal. Also their seventh bowl appearance.

“This year, like last, a lot of people left the team, but at the same time we had a lot of new arrivals from other teams across Serbia. I think that the arrival of coach Sean Embree and the help of Reuben Droughns raised our game to a new level. I think we are definitely better, what you can see just by looking at our results. We have 16 wins, no defeat, we’ve won the domestic league and 4 MVP trophies, so I would say we’re favored in this game.”

The 16 wins of course are counting the games in Serbia. They recently defended their trophy from last year and he was named the Serbian league defensive MVP. In his short Vukovi career, he’s known little defeat. But it did happen, including the CEFL. Even if just once, it was still against their finals opponent – Ljubljana.

“They are definitely our biggest rival this year, especially now in the final. They have a lot of talented players and you can see that they are complete as a team. I expect the toughest CEFL game until now on Saturday.”

Everybody also knows that the SBB Vukovi haven’t lost in 6 years at home. Not since they moved to their current playing field on the river island of Ada Ciganlija in Belgrade. And although Lazarević was nowhere near the team when the streak started, he says they all care about keeping it going.

“We try to keep the tradition going. Ada is our home, our unconquerable fortress, what gives us enough strength and will to put an end on another perfect and once again successful season.”

And we’ll see how it goes on Saturday, from 4.30 PM CET.