Clark wins touchdown battle against Sullivan
Alex Malchow
Despite a gallant effort led by Berlin quarterback Jakeb Sullivan and wideout Niklas Schumm, the Thunder were unable to keep up with the scoring war machine that is the Nordic Storm.
Nordic Storm (8-0) @ Berlin Thunder (3-6): 53-35
Even with the only unbeaten record in the league, the Nordic Storm came into this game on far less sturdy ground than in previous weeks. They opened up their 2025 campaign with dominant victories, making a Nordic statement on the league. In recent weeks however, a series of close games opened up the door for a few doubters, and perhaps gave the Thunder the confidence to take this one down to the wire.
From the outset, Sullivan and Storm quarterback Jadrian Clark went toe to toe for an aerial display that did not disappoint fans. The first two quarters saw the two prized fighters trading blows resulting in a 20-20 deadlock by the midway point.
As the second half came in though, a couple of turnovers and stalled drives meant that Berlin fell behind the curve. With the reigns firmly in Clark's hands, the contest felt like a forgone conclusion.
Sullivan lent heavily on his German receivers Schumm and Tyler Foster who paired for 16 receptions, 215 yards, and two touchdowns. Sullivan spread the ball evenly throughout though and finished the game 382 yards and five touchdowns. His achilles heel, costly turnovers that seemingly came by way of him forcing the issue against a tough opponent.
In contrast to Sullivan's gunslinging approach to the game, Clark was in complete control the entire game. He consistently put up 50 and 60-plus yard drives, taunting the Thunder to keep up the pace. Like Sullivan, Clark too did well spreading the ball around with four of his receivers totalling over 100 yards. He finished the game 519 yards, seven touchdowns, and zero interceptions.