Rhein Fire Survive Early Scare, Pull Away From Firenze Red Lions
A promising start from the Firenze Red Lions couldn’t hide the gap in class. Rhein Fire took over and cruised to a clear win.
FINAL SCORE: RHEIN FIRE AT FIRENZE RED LIONS – 66:14
Rhein Fire Holds Off a Feisty Red Lions Squad
Rhein Fire found themselves on the back foot early, watching the Red Lions strike first on the opening drive. But the response was immediate: Fire answered right back on their very first possession, refusing to let the deficit stand. From there, the floodgates opened: three touchdowns in the first quarter alone, including one punched in by offensive lineman Leander Wiegand. It was the kind of dominant start fans have come to expect from Rhein Fire, though for the first time all season, cracks appeared in the passing defense. With the outcome well in hand, the second half belonged to the second-stringers, who got their shot to make an impression on the field.
A Step Forward for the Firenze Red Lions, Even in Defeat
The scoreboard reads 66:14, but the story on the field told a closer tale. Week 13 showed real growth for the Firenze Red Lions. Starting off with the ball, they wasted no time establishing themselves on the ground, moving it consistently between the tackles. A 59-yard catch-and-run from Brandon Belgrave then put the Red Lions in front. Their defense struggled to contain the Rhein Fire offense, but Firenze made up for it by controlling the clock through the first quarter, keeping the stat sheet almost even after 15 minutes of play.
And they showed no signs of backing down, continuing to march the ball down the field – though they couldn’t always turn those drives into points. It wasn’t until just before halftime that they finally added to the scoreboard, keeping the game interesting heading into the break. In the end, though, it wasn’t enough against one of this year’s Gold Bowl contenders.
WHAT’S NEXT
Rhein Fire will travel to Mallorca for the final regular-season game, the AFLE Mallorca Game against the London Warriors, while the Firenze Red Lions face another tough test in Week 14 against the currently best team in the league, the Vienna Vikings
