By John Mahnen
The Paris Musketeers gave their home crowd exactly what it wanted Saturday night, defeating the Prague Lions 30–9 at Stade Bauer in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine in the first EFA home game in franchise history. The win moved Paris to 2–0, level with Nordic Storm at the top of the young European Football Alliance standings, while Prague fell to 0–2 with a troubling 77 points allowed through two games.
Coaching Insights
Paris head coach Jack del Rio and offensive coordinator John Booker will still see areas to clean up, but this was a professional home-opening performance: start fast, force Prague to chase, win the red zone, and let the defense choke the game out. Del Rio’s team followed up its dramatic 21–20 road win over Frankfurt with a far more controlled result, even if the offense still looked streaky rather than fully polished.
Quarterback Performance
Quarterback Zach Edwards again looked like the central figure in Paris’ attack. After a Week 1 performance in which he threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 61 yards and another score, Edwards opened the home game sharply, guiding a crisp opening drive and finding Hugo Tekedam in the back of the end zone for a 7–0 lead. Tekedam, already one of Edwards’ key targets, later added a second touchdown catch, giving him three touchdown receptions through the first two games of the season.
Prague’s Offensive Moment
Prague’s best offensive moment came early, and it was at least creative. Former Paris quarterback Jaylon Henderson, now trying to stabilize a Lions offense under head coach and defensive coordinator James Brooks and new offensive coordinator Fred Armstrong, helped engineer a flea-flicker look that ended with William Patterson throwing deep to Matyáš Bílý for a touchdown. That cut the Paris lead to 7–6 and suggested, briefly, that Prague might have found a way to unsettle one of Europe’s most physical defenses.
Paris Takes Control
But that was as close as Prague came. Paris stretched the lead to 10–6 with a field goal, then Edwards powered into the end zone on a short “tush push” touchdown just before halftime to make it 17–6. That sequence was important. Prague had competed for much of the first half, but Paris went into the break with control, and the Lions again looked like a team that can produce isolated plays without sustaining enough drives to survive four quarters against stronger EFA rosters.
Defensive Dominance
Defensively, Paris deserves the bulk of the credit. The Musketeers repeatedly pressured Henderson and, more importantly, refused to let Prague finish drives. The home team’s defensive front, led by names such as Mamadou Sy, Jack Loew, Stanley Zeregbe, Kenny Tia, and Aleksi Olavuo, has quickly become the identity of Del Rio’s team. Behind them, defensive backs including Jamalcolm Liggins, Souleymane Karamoko, Amir Kilani, and Yani Gouadfel give Paris enough range and physicality to punish mistakes.
Second Half Highlights
The third quarter effectively ended the competitive part of the night. Edwards connected again with Tekedam, pushing the lead to 23–6. Prague could manage only a field goal the rest of the way, while Paris finished the job when running back Jason Bofunda broke through the Lions defense for the Musketeers’ final touchdown. It was the first time this season Paris reached the 30-point mark, and it came while holding Prague to single digits.
Prague’s Struggles
For Prague, the question is becoming unavoidable: are the Lions the weak link in the new league? One poor opener against Nordic Storm could be explained away. Two games, 77 points allowed, and only 22 scored is harder to ignore. Brooks is wearing a heavy load as both head coach and defensive coordinator, while Armstrong’s offense has yet to turn Henderson, Patterson, Bílý, Adam Žouželka, and the rest of the skill group into a consistent scoring unit. Prague’s roster has talent and experience, but the early returns are worrying.
Looking Ahead
The Lions’ next stretch will tell us whether this is simply a tough opening schedule or a deeper competitive problem. Their first two opponents, Nordic Storm and Paris, are both 2–0 and currently look like title contenders. Still, in a six-team league with no soft hiding places, Prague cannot afford to become the team everyone else circles as the get-right game.
Paris, meanwhile, is exactly where it wanted to be: 2–0, unbeaten, defensively nasty, and now with a home win in the books. The offense under Booker is not yet fully smooth, but Edwards, Tekedam, Bofunda, Austin Mitchell, Rémi Bertellin, Hassane Dosso, and Nicolas Khandar give the Musketeers enough weapons to win while the passing game continues to build chemistry. The defense, for now, gives them a championship-level floor.
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
Paris – Hugo Tekedam touchdown pass from Zach Edwards, PAT good. Paris 7, Prague 0.
Prague – Matyáš Bílý touchdown pass from William Patterson on flea-flicker. Paris 7, Prague 6.
Second Quarter
Paris – Field goal. Paris 10, Prague 6.
Paris – Zach Edwards short rushing touchdown, PAT good. Paris 17, Prague 6.
Third Quarter
Paris – Hugo Tekedam touchdown pass from Zach Edwards. Paris 23, Prague 6.
Fourth Quarter
Prague – Field goal. Paris 23, Prague 9.
Paris – Jason Bofunda rushing touchdown, PAT good. Paris 30, Prague 9.