German Semifinals: Potsdam Royals end Unicorns unbeaten run to book Dresden title game rematch

The Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns arrived with a perfect record. The Potsdam Royals left with the place in the final.

Potsdam dismantled the southern champions 39–12 at Optima Sportpark on Saturday, building a 30–0 halftime lead and putting the game beyond reach almost immediately after the break. Milan Spiller caught three touchdown passes, Ryan Minniti returned an interception for a score, and the Royals gave the home crowd precious little reason to believe a comeback was coming.

The result sets up another German Football League championship meeting with the Dresden Monarchs on October 3 at Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. Dresden advanced by beating the Pforzheim Wilddogs 36–7, making this the third consecutive final between the two clubs. For the Monarchs, it offers another opportunity to settle accounts. For Potsdam, it is another chance to spoil the party in Dresden.

Potsdam takes control early

Schwäbisch Hall’s afternoon began badly and deteriorated from there. An errant snap sailed over punter Timo Bronn and went out of the end zone for a safety, handing Potsdam a 2–0 lead before the Royals had to manufacture a scoring drive of their own.

They soon did that, too. Chrisman Kyei found a clear lane on third-and-eight and ran 12 yards for the opening touchdown. The two-point attempt failed, but Potsdam had an 8–0 advantage and control of the early exchanges.

Spiller finds the end zone

The Royals then began exploiting the matchup that would define the game. Early in the second quarter, quarterback Hugh “Bay” Harvey found Spiller for a 13-yard touchdown. Heiko Bals ran in the conversion, doubling the lead to 16–0 and placing an already struggling Unicorns offense under increasing pressure.

Minniti made that pressure considerably worse. The Potsdam defender jumped an outside throw and took the interception 52 yards for a touchdown with 1:53 remaining in the half. Another unsuccessful conversion left the score at 22–0, but Schwäbisch Hall still had more damage to absorb before reaching the locker room.

With 10 seconds left, Harvey hit Spiller for an eight-yard touchdown. Kyei supplied the two-point conversion, and Potsdam headed into halftime ahead 30–0. A semifinal between two division powerhouses had become an exercise in damage limitation for the hosts.

Royals strike again after the break

Any hope that the interval might change the pattern lasted just 38 seconds. Facing third-and-five, Harvey connected with Spiller for a 60-yard touchdown. Potsdam handled the pressure, Spiller escaped into space, and the lead grew to 36–0. His third score combined the two problems Schwäbisch Hall had been unable to solve: giving Harvey enough time to deliver and bringing Spiller down once the ball arrived.

Spiller finished with five catches for 146 yards, accounting for nearly three-quarters of Potsdam’s passing production. Harvey completed 10 of 13 throws for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Kyei added 84 yards on 14 carries as the Royals generated 171 yards on the ground and 369 overall.

Unicorns finally break through

Schwäbisch Hall finally reached the end zone late in the third quarter through a little invention, Kelley Joiner throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass to Magnus Bumiller on the trick play. The conversion failed, leaving the Unicorns trailing 36–6.

Bals added a 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter before Walter Kuhlenkamp found Rayjuon Pringle for a 20-yard touchdown with 2:32 remaining. That brought the score to 39–12, but the competitive portion of the afternoon had long since ended.

The Unicorns managed only 189 total yards, including 57 on the ground. They converted two of 11 third downs and failed on all four fourth-down attempts. Potsdam’s defense repeatedly handed the ball back to an offense capable of turning a manageable situation into a touchdown in one snap.

Dresden awaits the Royals

There is still material for the Royals’ film review. The statistics list 16 penalties for 147 yards, an expensive habit to carry into a championship game. Against Schwäbisch Hall, their explosive plays and defensive control comfortably outweighed those mistakes. Dresden is unlikely to be as accommodating.

For now, Potsdam has done the essential work. The unbeaten southern champions are out, and the Royals are heading back to Dresden with another convincing playoff victory behind them.

Scoring summary

Potsdam Royals 39, Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 12

Quarter scores: Potsdam 8–22–6–3; Schwäbisch Hall 0–0–6–6

1st quarter

POT – Safety, errant Schwäbisch Hall punt snap. 2–0.

POT – Chrisman Kyei 12-yard run (pass failed). 8–0.

2nd quarter

POT – Milan Spiller 13-yard pass from Bay Harvey (Heiko Bals run). 16–0.

POT – Ryan Minniti 52-yard interception return (run failed). 22–0.

POT – Spiller 8-yard pass from Harvey (Kyei run). 30–0.

3rd quarter

POT – Spiller 60-yard pass from Harvey (run failed). 36–0.

SHU – Magnus Bumiller 11-yard pass from Kelley Joiner (run failed). 36–6.

4th quarter

POT – Bals 39-yard field goal. 39–6.

SHU – Rayjuon Pringle 20-yard pass from Walter Kuhlenkamp (pass failed). 39–12.

September 19, 2026 – Optima Sportpark, Schwäbisch Hall.