The opening round of the CEFL Championship has delivered its fair share of surprises, setting the stage for a gripping second act. Four new contenders will step into the arena, joining the four teams that have already won their first round matchups.

The action kicks off on Saturday afternoon in Scandinavia with a Northern showdown. In the evening the competition will shift to central Europe, in and around the Alps, for two rousing events. A dessert of this quarterfinal round will come on Sunday in Germany.

CEFL Championship, Round 2
Saturday, 10 May, 15:00 CET
Carlstad Crusaders – Bristol Aztecs
Live stream: https://youtube.com/watch?v=-pfz4ZpmaBI

The opening matchup will feature two newcomers to the CEFL Championship that have already tested the waters in the first round. Both rivals come into this game with impressive momentum from their resounding victories.

Carlstad Crusaders have showcased their dominance with a 37-0 win over Eidsvoll 1814’s, demonstrating an effective offense as well as a shutout defense. Their dual threat quarterback, Slade Jarman posted 3 passing touchdowns and 76 rushing yards. The MVP trophy went to Christoffer Helgar for his two interceptions and 7 points from the kicking game.

As last year’s champions of their national league, the Crusaders are going strong this season too, currently standing on top with a 3-0 record.

Bristol Aztecs delivered an equally convincing performance in their CEFL Championship debut, overpowering Amsterdam Crusaders with 47-6. Their offensive unit was firing on all cylinders, displaying a diverse playbook that kept the defense guessing. Signal caller, Ethan Gretzinger showed up big with 3 scores from the air and 1 over the ground.

Last weekend didn’t go that well for the team nationally, handing them their first loss at the hands of their nemesis London Warriors, so the Aztecs now stand at 2-1.

If there were any uncertainties about what to expect from these newbies at the beginning of the CEFL Championship season, things are very different now.  The winner of this game will not only advance to the semifinals, but also solidify their status as a serious contender.

CEFL Championship, Round 2
Saturday, 10 May, 18:00 CET
Thonon Black Panthers – Badalona Dracs
Live stream: https://fffa.tv/sportitem/681f7b09d7082388e3f2507f (free registration and free live stream)

The second game in the order of business is between two competitors that are well-known to CEFL Championship followers. They’re starting their journeys in the second round this year and both are rearing to go.

The home team, Thonon Black Panthers are taking part in the CEFL Championship for the fifth time now. Their best achievement thus far was in 2023 when they played all of their games on the road against favored opponents. That didn’t stop them from going to the finals. They only lost that CEFL Bowl XVII to their compatriots, Flash de La Courneuve.

The Black Panthers are the standing champions of the French league, whose regular season has finished last week. They’ve advanced straight to the semifinals, skipping the wild card round with 9 wins and only 1 loss, besting their conference.

Their import quarterback, José Tabora will lead the offense, and Odell Turnbull will help from the tight end position.

Badalona Dracs are returning to the CEFL Championship for the second time, having first taken part in 2022. That stint didn’t go as planned for them, since they’ve lost big at home to the Flash, 7-49. They will try to make up for that and do one better in the Saturday’s matchup. A win would definitely mark their best performance in the tournament.

If the French have wrapped up their regular season, the Spanish have already played their bowl game. The weekend behind us has pointed the spotlight on the Dracs and the Black Demons. Sadly for the Catalans, they came up empty-handed.

They will now try to improve internationally, backed by their running back duo: Keshawn Williams and Bruno Garcia Giesemann.

CEFL Championship, Round 2
Saturday, 10 May, 19:00 CET
Calanda Broncos – Kragujevac Wild Boars
Live stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOHwrZwEAVs

The last matchup on the Saturday program will be played on the new venue in Chur, Switzerland. Obere Au Stadium will host its first international game and the contestants are familiar with each other. These teams faced off in 2019, when the Swiss won narrowly, 37-33.

Calanda Broncos have been seeded this year, winning that right by placing in last-season’s CEFL Bowl XVIII. In addition to last year, when they lost 27-14 to Danube Dragons, they’ve played the final game once before. It was in their inaugural season in 2019 and that time Tirol Raiders got the better of them in a nail-biting CEFL Bowl XIV, 46-42.

As the standing Swiss champions, the Broncos are sporting a perfect record so far in the local arena. They are currently 7-0 with 3 games to go in the regular season. This feat already places them expressly in the domestic semifinals.

Homegrown, Robin Sennrich is their starting quarterback, and Maxwell Gray will again be his most dependable target.

The visiting team in this bout will be Kragujevac Wild Boars. This will be their second straight road game, though the first one wasn’t a long trip. They haven’t taken pity on Belgrade SBB Vukovi in the opener, downing them by 48-12 in a game that counted for the national league and the CEFL Championship. They will face a much tougher test in the Alps.

The Wild Boars are current national vice-champions, but the first round triumph must have given them lots of hope. The team is 1-1 in the standings table, after blowing their first national league outing. Still, there’s plenty of time for them to bounce back.

Their help from overseas will again be embodied in quarterback Isaiah Green and running back Zachery Smith.

CEFL Championship, Round 2
Sunday, 11 May, 15:00 CET
Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns – Warsaw Eagles
Live stream: https://sportdeutschland.tv/schwaebisch-hall-unicorns/cefl-schwaebisch-hall-unicorns-vs-warsaw-eagles

The last game on the program will be played on Sunday in Schwäbisch Hall. Although the Spanish season has finished, German competition hasn’t even begun. Thus, the home team will play their season opener and the Poles will continue their journey.

The Unicorns are coming back to the CEFL Championship after a one-year breather. They are part of the football gentry in Europe and two-time champions of this tournament. Their first trophy is from 2021, when they clinched a 22-16 win in a dramatic finish in CEFL Bowl XV against Tirol Raiders. The following year they beat Parma Panthers for the second straight title.

This team is returning to the CEFL Championship for the fourth time. With this being their cold start, lacking playing time, the team might still not know who they are. Conversely, the Polish champions’ locomotive is just picking up steam which could spell trouble. The Unicorns will rely on their quarterback, Josh Taylor, and either wide receiver Austin Brock or linebacker Sam Viera.

The Eagles are a designated away team this year. Their first CEFL Championship showing has garnered plenty of attention when they defeated Stockholm Mean Machines by 40-21. The team’s QB-WR combo, Jacob Schimenz and Krzysztof Nosow put on a show that time, connecting for three scores. Schimenz also ran for a touchdown, and Bartosz Gnoza was good for two.

The visitors are operating at peak efficiency in the national league as well. Their smooth running is best summarized in the 4-0 record and the total score of 184-9. Some pundits are now wondering if this is a fluke or a real thing. The team will have a chance to prove themselves again on Sunday, and defensive backs Kevin Sherman and Darius Lewis will have to be at their best if they are to do that.