The Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (8-0) overcame an early two-touchdown deficit to defeat the Pforzheim Wilddogs (6-3) 28-23 on the road Saturday, extending their unbeaten run in the German Football League. Despite missing several key players, the Unicorns showed their resilience, outscoring the Wilddogs 14-6 in the second half to complete the comeback.
Wilddogs strike first
Things couldn’t have started much better for the Wilddogs.
A blocked punt set up the opening touchdown before quarterback Drequan Harris connected with Luca Hirschberger for a 29-yard scoring pass to put Pforzheim in front 14-0. The home team continued to control the early momentum, adding a 37-yard field goal from Hirschberger to stretch the lead to 17-7.
The Unicorns refused to panic.
Backup quarterback Julius Klenk sparked the comeback by finding Marvin Fuchs on a short pass that turned into a 60-yard touchdown. Just before halftime, Klenk capped another drive with a seven-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 17-14 at the break.
Second-half comeback
The momentum shifted immediately after halftime.
Klenk gave the Unicorns their first lead of the afternoon with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Rayjuon Pringle. Although Pforzheim answered quickly as Harris found AJ Coons for an eight-yard touchdown to reclaim a 23-21 advantage after the extra point was blocked, the visitors had one more response left.
Capitalizing on excellent field position after a failed punt, Klenk connected with Pringle again, this time on a 14-yard touchdown pass that proved to be the game-winning score.
Photo: Fide-pictures
Defense closes it out
The Unicorns defense delivered when it mattered most.
After struggling to slow Harris early, the unit adjusted as the game wore on, consistently pressuring the mobile quarterback and limiting the big plays that fueled Pforzheim’s fast start. In the closing minutes, Harris was forced to throw the ball away on three straight pass attempts as Schwäbisch Hall sealed another hard-earned victory.
Klenk stepped into the starting role with confidence despite the absence of injured quarterback Lars Heidrich. He also did so without running back Kelley Joiner and offensive lineman Marco Fischer, making the comeback even more impressive.
Perfect record intact
The win keeps the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns perfect at 8-0 and atop the GFL South standings.
For the Wilddogs, the narrow defeat was a missed opportunity after an outstanding start, but they showed they can compete with one of the league’s elite teams. The Unicorns, meanwhile, once again demonstrated why they remain the team to beat, overcoming adversity and delivering another complete performance when the game was on the line.