The defense leads the Wolverines into the playoffs

After the 17:0 win against Steinburg, Lohne awaits in the play-off semi-finals. For some of the Wolverines, it will be a reunion with some former colleagues.

Rotenburg – With the necessary support from the league leader Schwarzenbek Wolves, who had defeated their direct rivals for second place, the Buxtehude Jackrabbits, the day before, the Rotenburg Wolverines association league footballers had everything in their own hands. Head coach Michael Müller saw his team ready to take on the challenge: “We had the opportunity to crown the season with a win, and the boys showed what they can do.” With a 17:0 (6:0) win over the bottom of the table Steinburg Panthers, the Wümmestadt team overtook Buxtehude in the play-offs.

The defense in particular made a decisive contribution, as the responsible coordinator Stefan Amberger reported. Nico Lubitz sacked a quarterback. He also blocked a pass. Teammate Tim Jensen collected a fumble and sacked the opposing playmaker twice. Florian Radschitzky recorded four tackles for loss. Julian Knapp also made important contributions to the defense, said Anton Kukuschkin.

First touchdown just before halftime

The offensive coordinator did not see anything worth counting from his department in the first quarter. It was not until shortly before halftime that he recorded his guests’ first touchdown. Quarterback Christian Hoops served wide receiver Bastian Rabe. The team went into halftime without a successful extra point. However, the 6-0 lead left a bitter aftertaste for the Wolverines. Chris Jäger, who was playing his first football games, was injured in the second quarter and could be out for the rest of the season. Team doctor Sarah Kübert will provide further information after the X-ray, said Kukuschkin.

Even without the injured Jäger, the defense continued to hold up well and did not allow any points. Things were different on the other side. The Panthers, who complained about the referees, were unable to counter the pressure of the Wolverines offense. In the final quarter, Mike Florian scored a field goal, followed by a touchdown run by Josua Hof and a successful two-point attempt by Julian Knapp.

Kukuschkin: “It will be like a class reunion”

The Wolverines are now looking ahead to the play-off semi-finals, which will take place on September 22nd against the Lohne Longhorns, champions of the southern division, who have been unbeaten for three years. “It will be like a class reunion,” Kukuschkin predicts, looking forward to seeing the players he knows from their time together at Northern United and with whom he himself played. “We now also have to prepare ourselves for the crowd in Lohne.” “We expect well over 1,000 spectators who will be against you and make a lot of noise,” warns the coach.