Panthers Wroclaw vs. Frankfurt Galaxy
Players to watch: #2 QB Lukas O'Connor - Season: 6 games, 1829 passing yards, 17 TDs. Week 7: 291 passing yards, 2 TDs, 56,8% completion rate. Week 6: 356 passing yards, 1 TD, 60,7% completion rate. Height: 1,93m, Weight: 98kg
#82 WR Przemyslaw Banat - Week 7: 7 catches, 95 yards, 1 TD. Week 6 and Week 5: Had back-to- back outstanding performances against Berlin and Hamburg: 2 TDs, 8 receptions for 111 yards (Week 5), 7 receptions and 170 yards (Week 6) - Last three games: 22 catches, 376 yards, 3 TDs. Wrocław Panthers’ General Manager Kuba Głogowski said about him: “We often call Przemek [Banat] ‘the best hands in Poland’. He is this type of receiver who might not play spectacular the whole game, but when you need him, he will be there and make it happen. At the same time, he is probably the most down-to-earth WR you can imagine. If you see him fired up at a game, that means the other team is really in trouble”.
#1 DB Darius Robinson - Week 8: 5 solo tackles (6 total), 1 deflected pass. Week 6: Scored a Pick-Six (INT return TD - 35 yards) vs. Hamburg, 3 total tackles and 1 deflected ball. (Scored a 95-yd kickoff return TD against Berlin in Week 5).
Additional player stats: #6 LB Kamil Ruta - Week 8: 9 solo tackles (10 total tackles) / 1 TFL
Head Coach: Jakub Samel, 32 years old, started playing football in 2008. Won the Polish championship as a player in his second season in Katowice. 2016: Started as the OL-Coach for the Wroclaw Panthers (under Europe's legendary coach Nick Johansen). Intern 2018 Troy University and Intern 2019 West Virginia University. Europe's 2020 Coach of the Year by “Podyum Recruit”.
Favorite NFL Team: NY Giants; Samel tries to study different coaches not only in football but also in other sports to learn and get inspired for his own work.
Players to watch: #7 QB Jakeb Sullivan: Height: 1,85m, Weight: 88kg. Season: 17 TDs passing, 5 TDs rushing, 1597 passing yards, 66.5% completion rate. DIV II passing record at his college in South Dakota, father was his first ever football coach and HC in high school - Week 8: 3 TDs (+ 1 rushing TD), 225 yards, 71,4% completion rate. Week 7: 206 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 66,7% completion rate / 2 TDs as rushing QB. Week 5: 268 yards, 4 TDs but also 3 INTs and a 45,9% completion rate.
#41 LB Sebastian Gauthier: Height: 1,82m, Weight: 95kg, Week 8: 6 solo tackles (12 total tackles), 1 sack, 3 TFL for 9 yards. Season: 36 solo tackles, 5 sacks, 3 INT (INT against Panthers in week 3 resulted in pick six), 13 TFL. Swedish player who already played for Frankfurt Universe in the GFL. Week 4: 1 INT, 5 solo tackles and 1 TFL against Cologne // Week 5: 2 sacks, 7 solo tackles. Week 7: 7 solo tackles (10 total tackles), 1 sack, 5 TFL for 8 yards, 1 INT, 1 deflected pass.
#11 WR Anthony Mahoungou - Week 8: 2 receptions, 1 TD, 38 receiving yards. Week 7: 8 receptions, 177 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD + recovered the forced fumble (by Zach Blair - Stuttgart) in the end zone. Week 5: 2 receptions, 2 TDs (22, 10 yards) - had one kickoff return for 39 yards and 1 solo tackle on defense.
#56 LB Sebastian Silva Gomez - Week 8: 4 solo tackles (8 total), 2 sacks / 4 TFL for 17 yards, 1 forced fumble + fumble return TD.
Head Coach: Thomas Kösling - was with the Frankfurt Universe in the GFL. Started as DC, then HC (He is also the DC for Frankfurt Galaxy) - Played LB himself. He works as a police officer. Sebastian Silva Gomez talked about his clear statements and his authority in the podcast “Euro Ballers” (Title: WEEK #3 - around minute ten - German language).
His favorite NFL-Team: Minnesota Vikings - He started watching football when Randy Moss was drafted to the Vikings and was heavily impressed by him. Coaches he looked up to: Markus Grahn (won as a part of the coaching staff the World Bowl in 2006), Mike Williams (gave him his first coaching job - former HC of the Hamburg Huskies), Daniel Garcia and John Rosenberg.