LIVESTREAM: 2018 Intercontinental Bowl – Europe Warriors @University of Chihuahua, Aguilas, Mexico, August 18, 6p (8p ET, 2a Aug. 19 CET)

AFI | American Football | 08/18/2018

Graphic: Igor Lazarevic

The 13 nation Europe Warriors have landed in Mexico for the second year in a row and will face the UACH (University of Chihuahua) Aguilas, at University Olympic Stadium in Chihuahua, Mexico, Saturday, August 18 in the 2018 Intercontinental Bowl.

Representing 25 different European club teams, the Europe Warriors are hoping to improve on their showing from a year ago when they lost 35-32 in front of a crowd of 16,000 fans at the University Olympic Stadium in Mexico City.

Spain’s Osos Rivas has the highest number of players on the Warriors with seven while the Prague Black Panthers from the Czech Republic are represented by six players as well as their head coach Dan Levy.

The Warriors are unique. This is only the second time that a team from from all over Europe has been assembled to play against a Mexican college team before.

Head coach Jesus Sanchez has done an outstanding job putting together a team including all 43 players and a coaching staff in the space of just a few months.

The last time a European team faced a team in Mexico before 2017 was in 1996 when a team from Palermo, Italy took on the Mexican national team. At the time, Palermo was at the bottom of the Italian league and were soundly defeated 63-8.

With a week of practice behind them in Chihuahua, the Warriors lineup can be formidable for the Aguilas

According to Bart Iaccarino, Europe Warriors athletic director, speed will be one of the strengths of the Warriors. He pointed to starting quarterback Doug Webster (Kansas Wesleyan University), who played for the Pardubice Stallions in the Czech Republic this past season and led the league in passing averaging almost 300 yards a game. His back up is Erik Perez of Spain’s Pioners L’Hospitalet.

Sanchez has selected running backs Ja Vontae Hence (Trine University) from Turkey’s Koc Rams as well as William Petrone of the Bolzano Giants in Italy. Petrone was one of the top 10 leading rushers in Italy in 2018.

Wide receiver Darnell Smith (North Texas, Reus Imperials, Spain) played for the Warriors in 2017 along with Jan Stiegler (Prague Black Panthers) and Stefan Di Tunisi (Milano Seamen, Italy) give the Warriors a potent passing offense.

The coaching staff includes Euro veterans George Contreras, Michael Woods (HC Milano Seamen, 2018 Italian champions) and Daniel Levy (HC Prague Black Panthers, 2018 Czech Republic champions).

The UACH Aguilas play in Mexico’s ONEFA – Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Futbol Americano (National Student Organization of American Football) – and finished the 2017 season with a 2-6 record.