Sweden’s Carlstad Crusaders Run Away With IFAF Europe Champions League Title

Sweden’s Carlstad Crusaders overcame a hostile Belgrade home crowd and searing heat to race away with a basketball like 84-49 victory over the SBB Vukovi Belgrade from Serbia in the final of the 2015 IFAF Europe Champions League final.

Carlstad quarterback Anders Hermodsson was incredible on this day accounting for nine touchdowns, throwing for five and running for four including an 83 yarder early in the third quarter. Running back Brett Koeep scored three touchdowns while receiver Jakob Dahre caught two touchdown passes with Christian Montclair adding two.

The offensive performance by Hermodsson and the Crusaders overshadowed an outstanding day for Belgrade quarterback Myles Gates who ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more in a losing cause. Tony Washington added three for Belgrade, all in the first half, but he was not a factor in the second stanza.

CLFinalFour - Carlstad win2

It was a game when defenses, suffering from the unbearable heat, could not finish tackles and receivers and running backs had a field day. Carlstad jumped out to a 21-7 first quarter lead and then never looked back, despite the fact that Vukovi were able to move the ball. But the Belgrade defense had no answer for Carlstad’s  attack. The Crusaders offensive line gave Hermodsson time all day long to set up while opening holes for Koepp and Hermodsson making it easy to find running room.

With the Crusaders leading 55-28 Belgrade opened the second half with a drive culminating with a Mihailo Josovic touchdown closing the gap to 55-35. But Carlstad then exploded for three more touchdowns in the third quarter giving them a 77-42 lead heading into the fourth.

Vukovi’s offense would not  let up and Myles Gates scored another on a 7 yard run but it was far too late as Montclair added the final score giving Carlstad the IFAF Europe North’s second straight championship. The Helsinki Roosters won the 2014 title.

Roger Kelly is an editor and a writer for AFI. A former PR Director the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League for 7 years, he now lives in Sweden writing about and scouting American Football throughout the world.