Estonia's only American football club – Tartu Titans – stormed into this year's Baltic League final with a huge 80-0 win over Riga Bears. The Titans must now overcome Kaunas Dukes to become Baltic champions.
Estonia's only American football club – Tartu Titans – traveled to Riga on Sunday with a simple task – win and earn a place in the final of the Baltic League, lose and settle for third place. As things turned out, the Titans' southern neighbors never really stood a chance, as the Estonian side amassed 80 points without reply to earn a comprehensive victory against the Riga Bears.
"We thought it would be an even match, as Riga have played very well this season," said Titans quarterback Ott Sellis. "They don't have many players, but they are all high-quality players. We had high expectations and were well prepared."
The season did not start quite so brightly for Tartu Titans, as they went down 6-8 to the Kaunas Dukes in their opening game.
However, they soon bounced back, recording consecutive wins against Vilnius Iron Wolves (38-0) and Klaipeda Curonians (34-0).
The Titans have added more than 10 new players to their squad since the season began, with a combination of Estonians and internationals all playing their part in their march to the Baltic League final.
Tartu Titans. Source: Tartu Titans
"This is a very rare time for the Tartu Titans, I have never seen such a collective effort in Estonian American football before," Sellis said. "It's great, and as the results have shown, we have developed a lot during the season."
The Baltic League of American Football, which includes teams from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, was last played in 2022, when Tallinn Kings became champions.
After a three-year break, representatives of the Baltic clubs began discussions about re-launching the league again at the end of last year.
This fall, the league was re-launched, with five teams taking part.
Running the competition across all three Baltic countries, however, is still no easy task.
"It's a tough logistical challenge, but everyone has responded well and played the season," Sellis continued. "Now I hope that the cooperation will continue, both in terms of referees and the training of additional coaches. It's very exciting, and I hope that interest will only grow."
Tartu's win against Riga Bears not only guarantees them a place in the final on November 22 – it also means they have chance to make up for that opening day defeat against Kaunas Dukes.
"Obviously, after yesterday's game, the mood is very good," said Sellis, "but we have to admit that we need to come back down to earth and prepare for Kaunas in exactly the same way we prepared for Riga."
The final of the Baltic League of American Football takes place on Saturday, November 22 in Kaunas, Lithuania.
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