Erasmus-Grasser-Gymnasium Takes Second Place at the First AFVD School Flag Bowl
Perfect Preliminary Round for Erasmus-Grasser High School
Eleven teams from seven federal states gathered at Sportpark Ostra in Dresden in early October to compete for the title at the first AFVD School Flag Bowl.
The tournament was played in the U14 mixed age group in a 5-on-5 format. Teams from Hamburg, Bavaria, Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Berlin, and Hesse participated.
The Erasmus-Grasser-Gymnasium from Munich had an outstanding preliminary round. Four games, four wins, and an impressive point differential of 106–0 underscored the Munich team’s strong performance.
As a result, the EGG entered the decisive phase of the tournament undefeated.
The Final Turns into a Real Thriller
In the final, the Erasmus-Grasser-Gymnasium faced the equally undefeated ENS Offenbach.
The game developed into a close contest, with only a single point making the difference in the end. Offenbach prevailed 7–6, securing the first title in the history of the AFVD School Flag Bowl.
Despite the narrow loss in the final, the team from Munich still secured a strong second-place finish and the knowledge that they were among the best high school teams in Germany throughout the entire tournament.
Freiham Also Contributes to Munich’s Success
From Munich’s perspective, the tournament was a double success.
The Crazy Monkeys Freiham also reached the final round and ultimately secured third place. This meant that two teams from Munich made it onto the podium.
This strong showing underscores just how well-established flag football has become in Munich’s school system.
School Flag Football Aims to Grow Nationwide
The first AFVD School Flag Bowl was deliberately planned to be more than just a single tournament.
The goal of the American Football Association of Germany is to establish flag football more firmly in the school environment and to build a long-term competitive structure in collaboration with the state associations.
The mixed-gender format, in particular, offers ideal conditions for this. Girls and boys play together; the sport requires relatively little equipment and can be played on both outdoor fields and in indoor gyms.
Youth Development Continues to Gain Importance
With flag football set to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, youth development in Germany is taking on even greater significance.
At the same time, the sport continues to grow through NFL programs, school initiatives, and new club structures. Munich, in particular, is increasingly becoming a key hub for flag football and American football.
The Erasmus-Grasser Gymnasium has long been among the schools actively shaping this development.
The next step is coming in 2027
Following the successful debut in Dresden, the AFVD School Flag Bowl is set to continue in 2027.
The plan is to host separate qualifying and elimination tournaments in each federal state in the future. In this way, a nationwide system will gradually emerge that connects regional school competitions with a joint national final.
For the Erasmus-Grasser-Gymnasium, this means the next opportunity to compete at the very top will come as early as next year.
Munich Remains Strong in Flag Football
The Erasmus-Grasser-Gymnasium’s second-place finish and the Crazy Monkeys Freiham’s third-place finish are further strong results for Munich’s flag football scene.
In a city where the sport is becoming increasingly visible thanks to the NFL, the 2026 NFL Munich Game, successful clubs, and growing youth programs, school sports are also demonstrating their quality.
For the Erasmus-Grasser-Gymnasium, the inaugural AFVD School Flag Bowl may have ended without a title, but it did so with an impressive record: four wins in the preliminary round, a 106–0 point total, and second place in Germany.
