The Paris Musketeers ended a five-game losing streak at the perfect time Sunday, defeating the Raiders Tirol 33-12 at Tivoli Stadion to secure the fourth and final place in the European Football Alliance’s inaugural BIG4 playoff weekend.
Quarterback Zach Edwards threw four touchdown passes, including two to Torin Justice, while the Paris defense overwhelmed a Raiders offense that had scored 102 points in its previous two games. The Musketeers held Tirol to 11 rushing yards, sacked Kenyatte Allen eight times and forced the turnover that broke the game open early in the second half.
The victory lifted Paris to 4-6 and ended a slide that had threatened to undo its strong start to the season. The Musketeers finished fourth in the regular-season standings and will face top-seeded Nordic Storm in the BIG4. Tirol, which had revived its hopes after opening the season with seven straight losses, finished 2-8 and saw its late playoff charge end in front of 4,083 spectators.
Photo: Maxime Le Pihif
Paris takes early control
Paris established control on the opening possession. Edwards mixed short completions with scrambles during a 71-yard drive that consumed nearly six and a half minutes. He finished it with a quick pass to Hugo Tekedam, who escaped the defense and raced 38 yards for the touchdown. Dean Faithfull’s extra point made it 7-0.
Tirol answered with an 11-play march, but a holding penalty helped stall the drive and Jonata Loria missed a 53-yard field goal. The Musketeers turned the favorable field position into more points, moving 45 yards before Faithfull kicked a 29-yard field goal with 37 seconds left in the first quarter.
Paris then produced another methodical drive in the second quarter. Edwards guided the Musketeers 81 yards in 11 plays and found Justice for a 25-yard score with 3:48 remaining. Faithfull’s rushing attempt on the conversion failed, leaving the visitors ahead 16-0.
The Raiders finally found the end zone before halftime. A pass-interference penalty helped Tirol reach the red zone, and Allen connected with Marco Schneider for a 19-yard touchdown. Loria missed the extra point, sending Paris into the break with a 16-6 advantage.
Turnover swings momentum
Tirol appeared ready to turn the game after receiving the second-half kickoff. Schneider supplied a big play as the Raiders drove from their own 28 to the Paris 13. But Allen lost the ball, and Yani Gouadfel recovered it and returned it 50 yards. Paris needed only two plays and 12 seconds to punish the mistake, with Edwards hitting Justice for a 37-yard touchdown and a 23-6 lead.
Allen responded with an 80-yard scoring drive late in the third quarter, completing a 23-yard touchdown pass to Felix Kantner. The Raiders’ two-point pass failed, but at 23-12 they still had a path back into the game.
Musketeers slam the door
That opening quickly disappeared. Nicolas Khandar broke a 61-yard run on Paris’ next meaningful possession, and Edwards completed the 73-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Hassane Dosso. The score restored an 18-point cushion with 11:30 to play.
The Paris pass rush took over from there. Tirol failed on fourth down twice in the final quarter, and Faithfull closed the scoring with a 48-yard field goal. Allen finished 21 of 34 for 255 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, but the eight sacks cost the Raiders 38 yards and helped reduce their ground total to almost nothing.
Photo: Maxime Le Pihif
Edwards completed 15 of 23 passes for 245 yards. Justice caught four passes for 89 yards and two scores, while Tekedam added four receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown and Dosso caught four for 73 yards and a score. Khandar led a Paris ground game that amassed 180 yards, carrying 11 times for 85 yards.
The Musketeers generated 425 yards of offense, converted nine of 14 third downs and possessed the ball for 33:05. More importantly, they rediscovered the balanced, composed football they had shown early in the season. After five straight defeats, Paris delivered its most complete performance when there was no margin left for error.
For Tirol, the defeat brought a painful end to an improbable late-season revival. The Raiders had routed Frankfurt Galaxy 61-41 and beaten the Prague Lions 41-29 to create a win-and-in finale, but Paris’ defense denied them the Cinderella finish.
Scoring summary
First quarter
8:32 – Paris Musketeers: Hugo Tekedam 38-yard pass from Zach Edwards (Dean Faithfull kick), 7-0.
0:37 – Paris Musketeers: Faithfull 29-yard field goal, 10-0.
Second quarter
3:48 – Paris Musketeers: Torin Justice 25-yard pass from Edwards (Faithfull run failed), 16-0.
1:53 – Raiders Tirol: Marco Schneider 19-yard pass from Kenyatte Allen (Jonata Loria kick failed), 16-6.
Third quarter
11:07 – Paris Musketeers: Justice 37-yard pass from Edwards (Faithfull kick), 23-6.
1:05 – Raiders Tirol: Felix Kantner 23-yard pass from Allen (Allen pass failed), 23-12.
Fourth quarter
11:30 – Paris Musketeers: Hassane Dosso 7-yard pass from Edwards (Faithfull kick), 30-12.
1:43 – Paris Musketeers: Faithfull 48-yard field goal, 33-12.