The Paris Musketeers were looking to bounce back in front of their home crowd at Stade Bauer this Saturday. After suffering a heavy 41-7 defeat against the Munich Ravens last week, Jack Del Rio’s team was determined to deliver a strong performance against the Tirol Raiders, who were still searching for their first win of the 2026 EFA season.
The opening minutes gave the Stade Bauer crowd plenty of reasons to be optimistic on this sunny June afternoon. On the Raiders’ very first possession, the Musketeers’ defense stepped up and forced a three-and-out. On the first offensive drive, the connection between Zach Edwards and Austin Mitchell moved the chains before the ever-reliable Hugo Tekedam gave Paris an early lead (7-0). At that point, it seemed like the afternoon was shaping up nicely for the home side.
However, the Raiders had not traveled to Paris just to sightsee. The Austrian team first got on the scoreboard with a field goal before capitalizing on a Zach Edwards fumble to take the lead (7-10). Paris tried to respond but could only come away with three points to tie the game (10-10). Meanwhile, the Tirol Raiders made the most of every lapse from the Paris defense and regained the lead with another touchdown in the final two minutes of the half. To the surprise of many, the Musketeers headed into halftime trailing 17-10.
The second half began with a devastating blow for the Musketeers. Less than a minute after the restart, Austin Mitchell remained on the ground after a tackle by an Austrian defender, appearing to have suffered a knee injury. It was a significant loss for the Paris offense, which continued to move the ball but struggled to finish drives.
Fortunately for Paris, the Raiders were unable to take advantage of the situation. They came close to extending their lead but missed a field goal that sailed wide of the right upright.
Despite their struggles, the Musketeers remained within striking distance and trailed by only seven points entering the final five minutes of the game. That is when the Paris offense finally shifted into another gear. Jason Bofunda came up with several big plays and was ultimately rewarded with a touchdown that tied the game.
The closing moments were nerve-racking. Paris maintained possession, put together a decisive drive, and Zach Edwards found Hugo Tekedam for the go-ahead touchdown. The victory was then sealed by a game-clinching interception from Jamalcolm Liggins.
While they were far from dominant for most of the afternoon, the Paris Musketeers showed tremendous resilience and character to secure an important victory before next week's challenging road trip against the Nordic Storm.
