AFI’s Europe Top 20 Week of June 23
Well, there were definitely some upsets this past weekend with three Top 10 teams being knocked off. The former number one ranked Braunschweig New Yorker Lions fell to the Berlin Rebels costing them three positions, the Vienna Vikings were beaten by the Graz Giants dropping them down and the Allgau Comets lost a close one to the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns.
So there are some changes.
Austria’s Swarco Raiders step up into the #1 spot after two straight victories in the Austrian league. They averaged 43 points a game in both contests and apart from a stumble against the Graz Giants and Braunaschweig they have been unstoppable this season. They also turned heads in defeating the Elmhurst Bluejays, a Div. III college last week and looked good downing arch rivals the Vienna Vikings in regular season play.
The Berlin Rebels from Germany take over the #2 spot after shocking the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions 30-24 last weekend. The Rebels have been surprising teams all season and have been playing solid football behind the running game of Lawrence McCoy.
The Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns remain at the #3 spot after going 6-0 in German league play and 1-1 in the Big6, losing to Swarco in the process. They edged the Allgäu Comets last weekend and with the return of receiver Patrick Donahue from the Green Bay Packers they can be deadly.
The Braunschweig New Yorker Lions slip to #4 after losing to the Berlin Rebels 30-24 in a tough, physical contest last weekend. They were missing their starting quarterback Grant Enders but still the Rebels earned a quality win.
The Frankfurt Universe are at #5. They can beat you with offense and defense. Two weeks ago, Frankfurt beat the Allgäu Comets by a shocking 10-0 score displaying a defense that shut down one of the finest offenses in Germany. They whipped the Rhein Neckar Bandits 55-0 last week.
The Graz Giants from Austria climb to the #6 spot after their impressive win over the Vienna Vikings.
At #7 we have slotted in the Dresden Monarchs. With the highest scoring offense in Germany, averaging 49 points a game, the Monarchs have been playing spectacular football. Two blowout wins in the past two weeks attest to that.
Austria’s Vienna Vikings have dropped to #8 after losing to the Graz Giants..
The Amsterdam Crusaders have moved up one spot to #9 after advancing to the Tulip Bowl in Holland. They have dominated the Dutch league and defeated both the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes and Hamburg Huskies from the German league in EFL action.
The Allgäu Comets slip to #10 after losing a close one to the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns.
The Milano Rhinos from Italy are at #11 after an undefeated regular season and solid win in the opening round of the Italian playoffs.
The Wroclaw Panthers from Poland finally defeated the defending Polish champions, the Gdynia Seahawks and move past them in the rankings to the #12 spot.
The Kiel Baltic Hurricanes, despite playing uneven football have won their last two in Germany and climb up to #13.
Sweden’s Carlstad Crusaders edge up the list to #14 after dispatching all opposition in Sweden finishing the regular season 10-0. The Stuttgart Scorpions from Germany slide down to #15.
The Gdynia Seahawks drop to #16 with their loss to Wroclaw in Poland while Turkey’s Koc Rams are at #17. They finished the season undefeated in the Turkish league after winning the Turkish championship and they have beaten Sweden’s Carlstad Crusaders.
Finland’s Helsinki Roosters move up to #18 as they remain undefeated in the Finnish Maple League. The London Warriors are continuing where they left off in 2015 and have so far are still dominant in Great Britain and remain at #19.
SBB Vukovi Belgrade have been impressive in Serbia and move onto the rankings at #20.
Honorable mentions: Parma Panthers (Italy), Milano Seamen (Italy), Saarland Hurricanes (Germany), Les Cougars de Saint-Ouen-L’Aumône (France), Badalona Dracs (Spain), Białystok Lowlanders (Poland), Seinäjoki Crocodiles (Finland), Bolzano Giants (Italy), Nice Dauphins (France), Copenhagen Towers (Denmark).
