The Dacai Vienna Vikings (2-2) will play host to the 3-1 Danube Dragons Sunday, May 5 at Stadion Hohe Warte in Vienna in the Battle of Vienna as the Austrian Football League hits mid season.
The Vikings are coming off a big win in European Club Team Competition (ECTC) action last weekend in Barcelona, Spain, where they downed the Badalona Dracs 38-8.
With the victory, the Vikings have won the ECTC Central Division(after also beating the Triangle Razorbacks from Denmark on April 14) and will await the winner of the game between Denmark’s Copenhagen Towers and Finnish Champions, the Helsinki Roosters, in the ECTC Northern Division. The ECTC Playoff game is set for the weekend of June 8/9.
Vienna suffered a tough 36-14 loss to the Graz Giants two weeks ago in AFL play and need a big win over the Dragons to climb back up in the standings. The Vikings find themselves in the strange position of fifth in the eight team AFL.
Vikings quarterback Austin Herink has put up respectable numbers so far having thrown for 959 yards and 12 TDs in four games. Bernhard Seikovits is his leading target with 366 yards receiving and five touchdowns. Running back Islaam Amadu has rushed for 251 yards and three touchdowns. Linebacker Lucky Ogbevoen leads all tacklers for the Vikings with 20.5.
The Vikings have added defensive back Andrew Spencer (Winona State University) to the defensive secondary which will definitely have an impact.
The Dragons are coming off a tough 34-14 loss to the Swarco Raiders. In that one, Chad Jeffries threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns for Danube while rushing for 92 yards. Felix Reisacher and Philipp Haun both caught touchdown passes.
Dragons starting quarterback Chad Jeffries is the fifth leading passer in the league with 912 yards and nine touchdowns to his credit. He is also the sixth leading rusher with 318 yards, but averaging 9.4 yards a carry. Philipp Haun (260 yds),Felix Reisacher (206 yds) and Reinhard Knaus (177 yds) and are his three leading receivers. Running back Dominik Mattes has rushed for 176 yards, averaging 6.1 yards/carry.
Defensively for Danube, linebacker Junjie Gao is a key. He leads the team with 18.5 tackles so far in three games.
Watch the game live here. Danube Dragons @Dacia Vienna Vikings, Sunday, May 5, 3p CEDT (9a EDT)
