Before a raucous crowd of 5,000 in Austrian Bowl XXVI, Danube Dragon (and former Meadowdale High School) quarterback Eric Marty threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns — and ran the ball in for another touchdown — in a dramatic 28-21 victory over the hometown Innsbruck Raiders earlier this month. For his efforts, Marty was named most valuable player of the game.

It was the first Austrian Championship for the Danube Dragons and it came in the team’s 25th year of existence. For Marty, an Edmonds native and former Meadowdale High School (’04) and Chapman University quarterback (’09), it is his second consecutive European championship in as many years after winning the Italian League title last season with the Bolzano Giants.

Marty was the catalyst for a Dragons offense that averaged 29.5 points a game during the playoffs. In two playoff games, he completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 547 yards and accounted for all eight of the Dragons playoff touchdowns with 7 passing and 1 rushing touchdown.

His regular season numbers were just as impressive, throwing for 1,339 yards and 15 touchdowns, with just one interception during the six-game regular season and maintaining an efficiency rating of 171.6. In three Eurobowl games, Marty completed 76.5 percent of his passes for 618 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception.

The governing body of European football, the European Federation of American Football (EFAF), released its postseason top-20 and the Danube Dragons were ranked as the second best team in Europe, which is by far the highest ranking the team has ever attained in its quarter-century existence.

Highlights of the July 9 game are available here.

Marty has recently returned home and has resumed his duties as offensive coordinator for Meadowdale High School’s football team.

(Thanks to Tad Bradley for submitting this report.)