Regensburg Phoenix roll past Straubing Spiders 42-14 for fourth straight win

The Straubing Spiders (0-9) could not slow down the surging Regensburg Phoenix (4-5) Saturday as the visitors built a 28-0 halftime lead and rolled to a 42-14 victory in German Football League action.

The Phoenix controlled the game early, forced three turnovers and repeatedly turned good field position into points. Quarterback Cameron Yowell threw five touchdown passes, while Nicolas Hayes caught four of them and Nebechi Abana powered the ground game with 129 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Regensburg takes command early

The Phoenix set the tone on their opening possession. Yowell moved the offense efficiently, Lukas Birkel supplied a big gain and Abana helped keep the drive moving before Regensburg finished it in the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

Abana then added a touchdown of his own as the Phoenix pushed the margin to 13-0.

Photo: Mike Hofmann

The game began to get away from Straubing when turnovers entered the picture. A fumble gave Regensburg another short field, and Yowell capitalized by finding Hayes for a touchdown. The Phoenix struck again before halftime, with Hayes reaching the end zone for the second time to make it 28-0.

Phoenix keep pressure on

The break did little to change the flow of the game.

Yowell and Hayes connected again after halftime, stretching the lead to 35-0 before the Spiders finally answered.

Raleigh Benjamin Yeldell III led Straubing on an 84-yard drive and found Jordan Xavier Pouncey for a 22-yard touchdown. Okeoghene Ovie Bazunu added the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 35-8.

Any momentum disappeared quickly. Another Straubing turnover gave the Phoenix another opportunity, and Yowell found Hayes for his fourth touchdown reception of the afternoon to restore the margin at 42-8.

Straubing adds late score

The Spiders managed one final touchdown after a blocked punt, with Jvonte Kareem Davis scoring on a nine-yard run.

Yeldell finished 11 of 20 for 112 yards and a touchdown, while Pouncey led Straubing with five catches for 69 yards and a score. Davis added 58 rushing yards.

The difference came in efficiency. Straubing committed three turnovers, was penalized 11 times for 159 yards and converted only 20 percent of its third downs.

For the Phoenix, the win continued a strong midseason turnaround and moved them to 4-5. The Spiders, meanwhile, remain winless and now face an even steeper climb at the bottom of the GFL South.