Potsdam Royals win GFL Bowl against Dresden Monarchs, but there are doubts

Eat. It was a tremor. And instead of the usual outstanding offense, this time it was the defense that caused the big celebration. The Potsdam Royals celebrated jumping and dancing on the lawn.

With 27:21 (8:0, 11:7, 0:7, 8:7), the Potsdam team won the final of the German Football League (GFL) against the Dresden Monarchs in Essen on Saturday (October 12, 2024) and are after that In 2023, German champions for the second time. For the Dresden team, who also made it to the final for the third time, it remains one national title in 2021.

As in the previous year, the outstanding actor at the GFL Bowl, which was once called the German Bowl, was Jaylon Henderson. Potsdam’s American quarterback scored 20 points himself. On the Royals side, Heiko Bals (5) and Finn Krause (2) also made things countable.

Potsdam Royals withstand pressure from Dresden Monarchs

In the Essen stadium on Hafenstrasse, the defending champions from Brandenburg presented themselves as the dominant team for a long time. However, the Royals were worthy of a final, challenged more than ever before this season.

On both sides, the defensive lines forced the offensive to make mistakes or stopped them vigorously. In the last minute of the party, the Monarchs still had the chance to turn the game around, but the Potsdam team withstood the pressure they were not used to with their defense and kept the lead over time. The Royals managed a perfect season with 15 wins in 15 games. In the previous season they had suffered a defeat – against Dresden.

Preparing for the GFL Bowl under difficult conditions

Despite the recent triumph, it’s not all sunshine and roses for the Brandenburgers. Even before the final, head coach Vogt had spoken of “doubts for the future”. The club has been struggling with support from the city for years. Training and game situations cause frustration.

The team was unable to prepare optimally for the GFL Bowl. Only a poorly lit artificial turf field without football lines is available after the Luftschiffhafen stadium was closed due to overcrowding of the turf. “We always have to come to terms with difficult circumstances,” said Vogt. “We’re trying to make the best of it.”

Potsdam Royals has grown to more than 400 members

The club has been developing steadily for years, “but the infrastructure is not for us,” complained the coach. “We lack security for training and there is no visible progress in terms of marketing when it comes to the framework for the home games – in fact, it is more of a step backwards.”

Celebrations for Potsdam’s quarterback Jaylon Henderson.

Source: Bernd Thissen/dpa

So it is challenging to continue to maintain your own high level. “If you rush to make everything possible but don’t see any perspective, then at some point such a project will be exhausted,” emphasizes Vogt. “Sometimes we have the feeling that that is exactly the goal here: that we simply disappear again.”

But Vogt was defiant: “We now have more than 400 members, 300 of whom are children and young people.” We have a responsibility towards them and will continue to fight for strong Royals football in Potsdam.”

MAZ