The 0-4 Düsseldorf Panther head to Hildesheim Saturday, June 1 to face the undefeated (4-0) Hildesheim Invaders in a rematch as the German Football League enters its fifth weekend of play.
The two teams met once already this season with Hildesheim beating the Panther 49-17.
Hildesheim is so far the most improved team in the league and have won their four opening games by one-sided scores beating the Potsdam Royals 50-28, taking care of the Panther 49-17, downing the Cologne Crocodiles 31-14 and then defeating the Berlin Rebels 56-41.
Invaders quarterback Casey Therriault, in his first season back in the GFL in two years, has shaken the rust off, throwing for 1,388 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for another. In Hildesheim’s second game against Dusseldorf, he tossed 6 TD passes throwing for 393 yards but he slowed down against Cologne with only 188 yards passing but three touchdowns. in the win over the Rebels, he threw another 6 TD passes. So far in the four games he has also rushed for 185 yards and a touchdown. Wide receivers Jaleel Awini (393 yds, 6 TDs), Nathaniel Morris (556 yds, 7 TDs) and Anthony Dablé-Wolf (331 yds, 5 TDs) have been explosive.
Meanwhile, the Panther have dropped four in a row, losing to the Monarchs 49-13, the Hildesheim Invaders 49-17 , Potsdam Royals, 34-17 and the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 37-17.
Quarterback Christian Strong (Seton Hill) has completed 91 of 166 passes for 899 yards and four touchdowns with Féli Manoka as his leading receiver with 310 yards. He has tossed seven interceptions however. The running game needs to improve though as Sergej Kendus has rushed for only 195 yards in four games but with 137 of those yards in one game against Potsdam.
