Bern grizzlies

Bern grizzlies
City:	Bern
Founded:	1985
Team colors:	Black yellow
Head coach:	Darius Willis
League (2015):	NLA
Greatest successes
Swiss master	1989, 1995, 1996, 2007, 2016
Runner-up	1997, 2015
Junior Champion	1999, 2014, 2017
Stadion
Surname:	Wankdorf athletics stadium
Play surface:	race
Contact
Internet:	www.grizzlies.ch
Data status
	July 16, 2015

The American Football Club Bern Grizzlies was founded in 1985 and has played in the Swiss championship ever since.

history

1985 to 1989 - foundation and first years

On October 5, 1985, the Bern Grizzlies were launched by some Bern football enthusiasts. The first club structures are created and the Grizzlies are accepted as members of the Swiss American Football League. In 1987 the team took part in the championship for the first time and achieved 8th place with just one victory. In 1988 the team was promoted to the NLA with the help of the importer Nick Gotovac. In 1989 the team under head coach Giuseppe Maggio managed the coup and won the championship title in the first NLA season with a 35:22 win in Swiss Bowl IV against the Basilisk Meanmachine.

1990 to 1997 - first crash and recovery

Master team 1995

Although many players leave the team after the championship title, the Grizzlies take part in the European Cup, but this is the last stop in the first round against the Brussels Raiders. Every game in the championship is lost and so the team is relegated to the NLB. In 1991 and 1992 the Grizzlies finished the season in 2nd place in the NLB and completely reorganized the club. In 1993 the work bears its first fruits and the team is promoted back to the NLA. In 1994 Rex Stapleton was presented as the new head coach of the Grizzlies. The team improved under his performance and surprisingly made it to the semi-finals. A year later the team is even better and finally wins Swiss Bowl X with 29:21 against the Geneva Seahawks. In 1996 they even managed to defend the championship title with a 21:12 win against the Geneva Seahawks in the Swiss Bowl XI. Strengthened by the self-confidence of the two championship titles and reinforced with three imports, the Grizzlies dare to return to the international stage, but lose there twice against La Courneuve Flash . Nationally, the Grizzlies march undefeated through to the third final game in a row. But they surprisingly lose Swiss Bowl XII against the strong Seaside Vipers with 21:31.

1998 to 2002 - The dark years

Most of the top performers end their careers after the final defeat, and so the team completely disintegrated in 1998 and relegated to the NLB with only one game won. The residents of the capital finish the next season in 2nd place in the NLB, but rise again at the green table. The 2000 season turned into a debacle. After 8 defeats and considerable difficulties, the Grizzlies separate from their coach Mark Garza and end the season on the last place of the NLA. A relegation is only prevented because a single league is planned for the 2001 season. During this season, the embassy employee Keith Logan proves what can be done with good coaching of the team and surprisingly leads them into the play-offs. Since Logan is postponed the next season, the Grizzlies fall back into a hole and land second to last with only one win.

2003 to 2007 - The consistent reconstruction

Master team 2007

Great efforts are being made to make the leap to the top again. The board of directors is expanded and optimizes the starting position for the team. Junior coach Michael Fuchs also takes over the position in the 1st team completely and starts to change the team and to integrate many former juniors into the team. In 2003, the team reached the semi-finals in the play-offs for the first time since 1997. The integration of former juniors is being consistently pursued, which, after just missing the play-offs in 2004, leads to semifinals in 2005 and 2006 again. The team has reached a respectable size up to this point and gained a lot of gaming experience, which is why it is decided that for the 2007 season instead of one import as in the previous three years, two imports will be committed to take over the coaching of Michael Fuchs. The Grizzlies sign for the offense quarterback Reed Gottula and manage to sign for the defense linebacker Shad McLachlan after 2006 for a second season. The plan works completely, the Grizzlies qualify without defeat in 1st place for the semi-finals, which are just won. Full of self-confidence, the team plays big in Swiss Bowl XXII and wins the 4th championship title in club history against the Winterthur Warriors with 24:17.

2008 to 2016 - constant years in the NLA

In 2008, the Grizzlies under head coach Todd Ferguson finished the season in 3rd place, as there are no play-offs due to the European Football Championship. In 2009 the team under the new head coach / coach player Todd Hendricks did not make it into the Swiss Bowl. From 2010, Oli Liechti and Marcel Schneider took over the management of the team as head coach for two years. In all four years, the Bernese could not qualify for the Swiss Bowl. Stefan Künzi has been in charge of the team since 2014 and led the team in 2015 with the help of master coach Rex Stapleton in the final, which was lost to the Calanda Broncos .

In 2016 the Grizzlies win the Swiss Bowl XXXI against the Calanda Broncos 42 - 35 and are thus Swiss champions.

offspring

Junior team

Since youth teams have been compulsory in Switzerland, the Grizzlies have had their own junior department. In the beginning it was still considered a must, but at the end of the 90s it became clear that successful junior work also entails success in the 1st team. In the first Junior Bowl ever, the Grizzlies lost in extra time to the Zurich Renegades , then it was quiet for the Bernese youth for a long time. Only in 1997 did the juniors return to the top with a narrow semi-final defeat. In 1998 the qualification winner again made it into the final, which was clearly lost. In 1999 the young Grizzlies won the first youth championship title in the club's history. The Grizzlies always played at the top of the national league during this time, but never made it to the final. The Bernese did not lose a season game at home from 1997 to 2001 and were the only team to qualify for the playoffs every year from 1997 to 2003. It was not until 2003 that they got back through the semi-finals into the final, which was lost to the Gladiators of both Basel . Since then it has become a bit quiet about the youth of the Grizzlies, but every year players manage to successfully move up to the 1st team. In 2014, the juniors made it into the Swiss Bowl again, and the young Grizzlies took their second championship title in the club's history. In 2017 they won another title with a 0:17 in Winterthur against the Winterthur Warriors. A year later, after beating the Basel Gladiators in the semi-final, they made it into the 2018 Juniorbowl with 14:13. The juniors won against the Geneva Seahawks with 20:14 and defended the title.

Flag football

Since 2005, the Grizzlies also have their own flag football team. With Flag Football , especially the very young players should be offered an alternative to the more popular sports.

Circle of Honor

Although over 500 juniors have already pulled the Grizzlies shirt over their shoulders, there are very few who have completed the full junior period of 5 years. All players and coaches who have been on the team for at least 5 years are included in the Circle of Honor. The following people belong to this exclusive group:

Coach Martin Blatter

1992–1996, LB # 34, Lorenz Wermuth,
1995-1999, NT # 78, Bernd Aerni
1995-1999, LB # 44, Patrick Jegerlehner
1995-1999, QB # 17, Marc Riveiro
1996-2000, CB # 30, Sven Balsiger
1996-2000, DT # 67, Marco Buffolino
1996-2000, floor # 52, Martin Hänni
1999-2003, LB # 53, Matthieu Hänni
1999-2004, QB # 13, Samuel Faustor
2000-2004, coach Martin Blatter
2002–2006, DT # 69, Stefan Glauser
2004-2008, QB # 13, Gregory Huerta
2004–2015, coach Patrick Huerta
2000-2003; 2008, coach Michael Fuchs

Club successes

1st team

2016: Swiss champion
2015: runner-up
2007: Swiss champion
1997: runner-up
1996: Swiss champion
1995: Swiss champion
1989: Swiss champion

Juniors

2018: Swiss champion
2017: Swiss champion
2014: Swiss champion
2003: runner-up
1999: Swiss champion
1998: runner-up
1992: runner-up

Flag

Participation in the championship

Awards

league

2009 Offense Runner Up: HB # 45 Fabian Schaller
2008 Defense MVP: DB # 33 Marc Egli
2007 Offense Runner Up: QB # 21 Reed Gottula
2007 Defense MVP: LB # 3 Shad McLachlan
2007 Defense Runner Up: DE # 13 Dave Bosch
2005 Defense MVP: LB # 17 Marc Riveiro

Swiss Bowl

2016 MVP Swiss Bowl XXXI QB # 7 Jacob Caron
2015 MVP Swiss Bowl XXX: RB # 28 Darius Willis
2007 MVP Swiss Bowl XXII: DB # 33 Marc Egli
1997 MVP Swiss Bowl XII: LB # 35 Stefan Künzi
1996 MVP Swiss Bowl XI: QB # 13 Adam Kowles
1995 MVP Swiss Bowl X: PR # 11 Dwight Jones

Junior Bowl

2018 MVP Junior Bowl XXXIV: QB # 5 Matteo Schlapbach
2017 MVP Junior Bowl XXXII: RB # 15 Moha Elshafie
2014 MVP Junior Bowl XXIX: RB # 44 Silas Stulz
2003 MVP Junior Bowl XII: RB # 30 Marcel Zehnder
1999 MVP Junior Bowl VIII: QB # 17 Marc Riveiro
1998 MVP Junior Bowl VII: DE # 70 Michael Fuchs