CEFL: Belgrade Blue Dragons upset Kragujevac Wild Boars 35-21

In a thrilling opening game of the 2026 Central European Football League tournament, the Belgrade Blue Dragons stunned the Kragujevac Wild Boars with a 35-21 upset victory. What many expected to be a rout for the home team turned into a fierce tug-of-war between these two Serbian rivals, showcasing the resilience of the Blue Dragons.

Wild Boars grab early momentum
Kragujevac jumped out to an early lead, capitalizing on a turnover when their defense stripped the ball from running back Željko Kostić in the red zone. Wild Boars running back Bogdan Đorđević found daylight sprinting down to the Belgrade 12-yard line, and quarterback Isaiah Green punched the ball in for the game’s first touchdown, making it 7-0. After halting the Blue Dragons next drive on a turnover on downs, Green first connected with Stefan Đurić for a long gain before scrambling past defenders himself to score again, extending the lead to 14-0.

Blue Dragons battle back
The second quarter saw the Blue Dragons break free from the Wild Boars’ stifling defense. Michael Cornwell and Varsey Bright used their legs to move the chains and Cornwell capped the drive connecting with tight end Igor Rokvić in the end zone, narrowing the gap to 14-7. As the half wound down, Cornwell found a seam and burst through taking it all the way to tie the game at 14-14 just before halftime.

Fourth-quarter explosion
The third quarter began with the Blue Dragons threatening again, but a turnover gave the Wild Boars a chance to regain momentum. Green found Đurić for another touchdown, putting Kragujevac back in the lead at 21-14. However, Cornwell marched Belgrade down the field and then took the ball in himself to tie the game at 21-21.

Cornwell wasn’t done yet as he found Elijah Smoot for a touchdown with little time left on the clock, giving Belgrade a 28-21 lead. Then a fumble by the Wild Boars sealed their fate, and Cornwell capped off the scoring with a final touchdown pass to Bright, securing the 35-21 upset.

With the win, the Blue Dragons now travel to Florence, Italy for their next challenge against the Italian title holders, the Firenze Guelfi, on May 16.