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Youth versus experience with everything on the line! Polish Bowl XXI preview | Warsaw Eagles – Panthers Wrocław
Five months of league action, countless miles on the road, injuries, setbacks, slumps and moments of joy. Both teams playing for the Polish Football League trophy this Sunday have had to battle through all of it. It all comes down to one game, the biggest of them all, which kicks off this Sunday at 14:00 at the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław. Here is our preview of Polish Bowl XXI.
The Eagles still fly highest
Warsaw Eagles went into the 2026 season as reigning Polish champions. Thanks to changes introduced before the start of the campaign and the new ranking system, the Eagles' schedule pitted them against most of the country's top teams. They opened the season on 21 March with… a 28:0 win over Panthers Wrocław at the Olympic Stadium. It was the first game of the year, so there was some winter rust and the performance was uneven, and as it turned out, the following months were not entirely trouble-free for the champions either.
The Eagles struggled with efficiency on offence and were very slow to get going. Put simply, this year's Eagles were like a steam train, gathering speed with every passing minute. In many games it was only from the second quarter onwards that they began to "close the game out" and dominate their opponents. That was a very different reality from what fans had grown used to over the previous two seasons, when games were usually over by the second quarter. The numbers bear that out. During the regular season the Eagles scored 228 points, which ranks (only) sixth among all 13 teams in the league. That works out at an average of 28.5 points per game.
There was also a change at quarterback during the season. After the 10:0 home win over Warsaw Mets, Clark Hazlett left the squad. Vidal Woodruff was signed in his place and quickly showed fans he is a classic "pocket passer", building his game mainly through the air and forming an excellent understanding with the whole receiving corps. In the regular season alone Woodruff threw 9 touchdown passes, and he added the same again in the play-offs for a total of 18. He has a knack for finding Krzysztof Nosow, Bruno Waszkiewicz, Kornel Witkowski, Jakub Sema, or Aleksander Dąda when he lines up at receiver. The Eagles' offensive style has definitely changed and looks nothing like what we saw in the Jake Schimenz era. Jan Szwej adds yards on the ground, and fans can sometimes also watch Stanisław Ciesielski, Stanisław Janik and Mateusz Ozimek, all of whom are thriving in the Polish game.
QB Vidal Woodruff has changed Warsaw Eagles' offensive style.
Photo: Eryk Tumaszyk
The defence is a different story altogether. The Eagles' defensive unit is a genuine show of strength, character and grit. In the regular season the Eagles conceded (only) 55 points, the best record in the entire league. In the play-offs they gave up just 35 points to Lowlanders Białystok, who made life very difficult and were absolutely determined to leave Ząbki with a win. Eryk Paszkiewicz, Dawid Magrean, Przemysław Odzimek, Sebastian Charzyński, Filip Zych and Dexter Fitzpatrick are the names the commentators have been raving about all season. The Eagles play hard, relentless, effective football and never pass up a chance for an interception or a big hit.
Nor should we forget the capital side's European adventure. Alongside their Polish Football League campaign, the Eagles competed in the European CEFL competition for the second year running. After last year's success and a run to the semi-finals, the orange-and-navy side earned a seeding and the right to host a game at their own ground. The Eagles began their CEFL campaign in the second round against Bristol Aztecs. After some upheaval and logistical confusion on the British side, the Eagles won 35:21. As fate would have it, the semi-final drew us against Calanda Broncos once again, and once again we had to travel to Switzerland to fight for a place in the European final. The Broncos proved too strong again, beating the Eagles 22:10. The European fixtures mean two extra games in the legs, which could affect freshness in Polish Bowl XXI – at the key moments, the weight of the season may start to tell.
The young Panthers are going for it, no compromises
This is the second year in a row that the Panthers have entered a squad in the Polish Football League. The club, which normally competes in the AFLE, uses the domestic competition to give promising young players game time and room to spread their wings. The team is made up mainly of juniors and rookies who are now in their second year in the same system, which shows in their cohesion and confidence on the field. The side is led by Jakub Samel, assisted by Przemysław Lewszyk and Miłosz Maćków among others. The average age of the Panthers Wrocław PFL squad is around 22–23.
The Panthers' key moves in the offseason were keeping American quarterback Joshua Cartwright and signing experienced DB Willie Stricklin. Cartwright's spell did not last long, however, and he was replaced mid-season by Re-Al Mitchell. As it turned out, the new QB proved a game-changer and the cornerstone of the Panthers' PFL side.
The Wrocław team finished the regular season 6-2, losing only to the Eagles on the opening weekend and in their first meeting with Silesia Rebels Katowice. The key game for the Panthers was the return fixture against the Rebels on 28 June, which went a long way towards deciding the final standings. The Panthers won 34:14 and were rewarded with a theoretically weaker seventh-seeded opponent, Wataha Zielona Góra.
In the regular season the Panthers scored 257 points, the third-best total in the league. That equates to 32.1 points per game. And they had no shortage of scorers. The aforementioned Re-Al Mitchell alone scored 29 touchdowns over the season (play-offs included), rushed for 909 yards and threw for a total of 1,417 yards. Those are spectacular numbers, and they show just how much an experienced quarterback brings to such a young squad. Tomasz Burdziński has also been in excellent form, scoring 68 points in the regular season alone. Hubert Frej and Krystian Stępczak have chipped in with points too.
Defensively they are pretty solid as well. After the regular season the Wrocław side had the league's third-best defence. They conceded 136 points in total, an average of 17 per game. In the play-offs they let in 34 points only in the semi-final against the Rebels. The Panthers are clearly more comfortable on offence, and it shows.
"We face the biggest sporting challenge we have taken on in Poland over the last two seasons. In the final we meet an exceptionally strong Eagles side, who have dominated Polish football for the past two years and fully deserve their shot at defending the title once more. They have a very experienced, deep roster backed by a superb coaching staff led by Head Coach Deante Battle. On our side, we are working hard to show everything we are capable of on Sunday and to make the most of every opportunity that comes our way. We have earned the privilege of fighting for the title of Poland's best team, and on Sunday we will do everything we can to tip the scales in our favour." – says Jakub Samel, head coach of Panthers Wrocław.
Head-to-head history
The Eagles and the Panthers have met ten times. The Wrocław side clearly have the upper hand in this rivalry, having won eight of those ten games. The points difference is also heavily in their favour: in ten head-to-head meetings the Panthers have scored a total of 350 points to the Eagles' mere 112. Interestingly, despite that unfavourable record, both of the Eagles' wins came at the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław.
The number of championship titles is also significant going into the final. The Eagles have five (2006, 2008, 2018, 2024 and 2025), while the Panthers have four (2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020). If the Panthers win on Sunday, Poland will once again have no outright leader in that category.
Paradoxically, there are plenty of ties between the two clubs, the key one being that the Eagles' current coaches – Deante Battle, Robert Rosołek and Kamil Ruta – are decorated former players with a Panthers past. On Sunday they will face their old team with the highest stakes on the line.
Warsaw Eagles head coach Deante Battle will take on his former team in Sunday's final.
Photo: Eryk Tumaszyk
Where and when is the final?
The biggest American football game in Poland takes place this Sunday, 26 July, at the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław. Kick-off is scheduled for 14:00. A final also means a special atmosphere and plenty going on around the game. Outside the stadium you can expect a large food zone, stalls selling football merchandise and activities for the youngest fans. If this is your first American football game, there is nothing to worry about – professional live commentary will help you get to grips with the rules in no time.
For those who cannot make it to Wrocław, as always with Polish Football League games there will be a live stream, FREE on YouTube (opens in a new tab).
Tickets are available via the Eventim (opens in a new tab) platform.
Polish Bowl XXI | Polish Football League Final
Warsaw Eagles vs. Panthers Wrocław
Sunday, 26 July
Olympic Stadium, Wrocław (opens in a new tab)
Gates open – 13:00
Teams take the field – 13:55
Kick-off – 14:00
TICKETS (opens in a new tab) · LIVE STREAM (opens in a new tab)
