Helsinki Wolverines won their first Finnish championship in a thrilling game by defeating Seinäjoki Crocodiles 30-27 in the Maple Bowl XXXII on Saturday, August 20 in Helsinki, Finland.

The MVP of the game was awarded to Stephen Stokes, who was the main offensive weapon as Cedric Johnson went down with an injury.

The Wolverines had an explosive first quarter putting together a 21-7 lead. All three touchdowns came from the ground as three different running backs recorded touchdowns – Doss with a 1-yard run and a 6-yard run while Stokes took the handoff for a 12-yard run.

The second quarter went scoreless as the Wolverines went into halftime with a 21-7 lead. The Crocodiles cut the deficit to 21-14 in the third quarter as Good found Haataja for a 9-yard touchdown but with a successful field goal, the Wolverines went into the fourth quarter with a 24-14 lead.

The Crocodiles would not go away as they found the endzone for a four-yard catch by Pinta to cut the lead to 24-21. But the Wolverines would answer right back with a 71 yard drive capped with a one-yard touchdown run by Johnson to give the Wolverines a 30-21 lead. The Crocodiles scored one more touchdown but ran out of time as the Wolverines claimed the Maple Bowl for the first-time ever.

Wolverines became the ninth team to win the American football championship Maple Bowl in Finland.

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Stephen Stokes was an offensive work horse for the Helsinki Wolverines doing a little bit everything to ensure his team’s victory. Stokes is native of California and played college football at Eastern Oregon. After testing the water in the Canadian Football League, Stokes decided to play in Europe.

The talented running back ran for 75 yard including a 12-yard touchdown. Stokes returned two kickoffs for 41 yards and also caught for 40 total yards. Stokes even showcased his throwing arm for a 12-yard completion. His stellar performance did not go unnoticed as Stokes was named game MVP.

The International Federation of American Football would like to honor Stokes’ performance by naming him the IFAF.org August 2011 Player of the Month.