Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns still unbeaten, lead German Football League South

The undefeated Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (10-0) continued their march to the German Football League South title this past weekend after coming from behind to defeat the Munich Cowboys 53-27 at Dantestadion in Munich.

After two first quarter lead changes, the Unicorns finally took control of the game in the second quarter scoring three unanswered touchdowns to take a 37-13 lead and then cruise to the win.

Running back Danny Washington scored four touchdowns to lead  Schwäbisch Hall while Nathaniel Robitaille scored two. Quarterback Marco Ehrenfried tossed two touchdown passes, one each to Tyler Rutenbeck and Robitaille. Tim Stadelmayr kicked five extra points and two field goals.

Jakob Wenzel scored two rushing touchdowns for Munich while Julian Zettel caught a 25 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Wilkerson and Max Kusch scored on a 98 yard kickoff return. Robert Werner kicked three extra points.

The Cowboys stunned Schwäbisch Hall and delighted the 1,500 hometown fans on hand when Kusch took the opening kickoff 98 yards to take a 7-0 lead. That didn’t last long though.

Unicorns WR Tyler Tutenbeck battling for yardage

Within two minutes Washington had scored his first of four touchdowns pulling the Unicorns to 7-6. Then Ehrenfried engineered another efficient drive and Stadelmayr kicked a 30 yard field goal to put Schwäbisch Hall in front 9-7.

However, Wilkerson mounted a drive of his own leading Munich down to the Unicorns 25 yard line before finding Zettel with a touchdown pass, restoring the lead for the Cowboys.

That was the last time they would hold the lead.

The Unicorns went on a tear after that as first Rutenbeck caught a touchdown pass, still in the first quarter and then Washington scored his second early in the second.

Then Robataille scored on 32 yard touchdown pass. With 50 seconds left before the half, Robataille struck again only this time with extra flair. An Ehrenfried pass to him was intercepted two yards in front of the Cowboys end zone by Munich’s Paul Neufanger. Refusing to give up, Robitaille ripped the ball right out of the hands of the dumbstruck Neufanger and carried it in for a touchdown giving the Unicorns a 37-13 halftime lead.

Washington went back to work in the third quarter scoring from 16 and five yards out increasing the lead to 50-13 before Wenzel scored the first of two touchdowns to reduce the Unicorns lead to 50-20.

With Schwäbisch Hall substituting liberally Wenzel scored again before time ran out and Stadelmayr kicked his second field goal of the afternoon.

Next up for Schwäbisch Hall is the Frankfurt Universe in a game which could decide first in the South.

Roger Kelly is an editor and a writer for AFI. A former PR Director the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League for 7 years, he now lives in Sweden writing about and scouting American Football throughout the world.