Hungary: Steelers Clinch Playoff Spot, Heroes Make Big Comeback, Sharks Get First Win

The Hungarian Football League is just getting more exciting. After three rounds there is only one unbeaten team left and four clubs are 1-2 in the regular season.

Miskolc Steelers (3-0) 35 – Budapest Wolves (1-2) 23

The Steelers put up another solid performance. Wolves fought back after an early 14-0 deficit at home and turned things around. They lead by three in the second quarter. Nevertheless, Miskolc came back and answered by A.J. Benson’s two receiving touchdowns. Thus, the visitors led 28-17 at the half.

In the third quarter, Troy Rice got his second touchdown, which sealed Steelers’s victory. The Wolves tried to make it a tight game, but only Ádám Elek could score in the end. Miskolc got his third straight victory (35-23) in the regular season, with which the reigning champion is the first squad this year to make the playoffs. Troy Rice did a great job as receiver (6 catches, 2 TDs) and as a defensive back (1 INT, 1 fumble recovery). Vasyl Yordan (17/29, 262 yards, 4 TDs) was outstanding as well, however, he threw his first interception of the season.

Eger Heroes (2-1) 25 – Budapest Cowbells (1-2) 20

For one half the Budapest Cowbells’s victory seemed to have been settled. The home teams’ offense and defense did a great job. Márton Czirók and Bence Takács scored one touchdown apiece; even safety Márton Németh got an interception and carried the ball back to the end zone. Heroes could only score a field goal during the half: 20-3.

In the second half the roles changed: the visitors were in top form. Kali Rashaad made an excellent debut by not just making a good effort in defense but by scoring a receiving touchdown in his first HFL game. In the last quarter, quarterback Khalid Ali stepped up to make two touchdowns with the help of Anthony Green Jr. and Erik Bleszity. The Heroes overcame a 20-3 deficit and won 25-20. This meant that Eger climbed up to the second place, mid-way to the end of the regular season.

Győr Sharks (1-2) 14 – DAK Acél Dunaújváros Gorillaz (1-2) 0

The Sharks improved since the last game against the Cowbells. This forward movement continued against the Gorillaz in front of the home crowd. In the first quarter, with touchdowns from Bálint Börzsei and Andres Fernandez, Győr already got the 14-0 final score. But they had to keep it that way.

The performance of the defense was outstanding. Peter Becs got 2 interceptions and 4 tackles, while Fernandez also made 7 tackles and did a forced fumble. The defense shut down the Gorillaz’s offense that scored only 1 touchdown in the last 8 quarters. To sum up, Dunaújváros seems to be on an opposite road compared to Győr. Next time, the Gorillaz have to prove that the victory against the Sharks was not accidental.