France: Grizzlys remain perfect with defensive win over Blue Stars

The undefeated Grizzlys Catalans (3–0) edged the Marseille Blue Stars (1–2) 13–10 in a low-scoring French D1 Elite defensive battle, relying on two key touchdown passes to secure a hard-fought home victory and maintain their perfect start to the season.

Defense sets early tone
Marseille’s defense made the first big play, picking off Grizzlys quarterback Badis Grami to set up excellent field position. However, the Blue Stars’ offense—which has struggled to find consistency this season—could not capitalize fully, settling for an early field goal to take a 3–0 lead. The defensive struggle continued through much of the first half, with both teams trading stops in a physical, field-position battle.

Grami delivers when it counts
Trailing at home for the second straight game, the Grizzlys turned to their passing attack to respond. Badis Grami connected with receiver Agnimel for a touchdown to take the lead, and later found De Wavrechin for another scoring strike to extend the advantage to 13–3. The Blue Stars showed late life when running back Emmanuel Ntoutoume broke through for a touchdown with four minutes remaining, cutting the deficit to just three points.

Despite the late push, Marseille could not complete the comeback. The Grizzlys’ defense held firm in the final minutes, preserving the narrow win. The victory keeps Catalans atop the standings with an unblemished record, while Marseille drops to 1–3 despite another strong defensive effort that kept them within striking distance throughout the contest.

Source: Fédération Française de Football Américain