NFL EUROPE

• Berlin Thunder win back-to-back World Bowls

  
  

  Dsseldorf, Germany (Sports Network) - Dane Looker caught 11 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns to earn World Bowl X MVP honors, as the Berlin Thunder defeated the Rhein Fire, 26-20, to become the first team ever to win back-to-back NFL Europe titles.

  Todd Husak completed 18-of-34 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns with one interception for Berlin. Anthony White ran the ball 20 times for 70 yards in the win.

  Berlin won World Bowl IX in Amsterdam with a 24-17 defeat of the Barcelona Dragons.

  Looker, allocated by the St. Louis Rams, caught touchdown passes of 41 and 15 yards from Husak, as the Thunder opened up a 20-0 halftime lead before holding off Rhein's second half charge.

  Rhein quarterback Tee Martin's desperation pass attempt from his own 36-yard line fell incomplete as time expired and the Thunder escaped with the win.

  Martin threw an interception on the second offensive play of the game to set Berlin up for a 47-yard field goal by Danny Boyd, as the Thunder took an early 3-0 lead.

  Berlin opened up a 10-0 edge on its next possession when Husak fired a 41-yard touchdown strike to a leaping Looker, who raced down the middle of the field to the end zone.

  The Fire found themselves in further trouble when Martin was intercepted at the Berlin 47-yard line by Keith Adams, who ran the ball back 43 yards to the Rhein 10-yard line. Axel Kruse booted a 27-yard field goal when the drive stalled to increase Berlin's lead to 13-0.

  The Fire came up short on a fake punt and three plays later Berlin made the most of the opportunity when Husak fired a 15-yard touchdown pass to Looker, who made a spectacular catch in the corner of the end zone for a 20-0 advantage.

  Jason Witczak's 35-yard field goal attempt was blocked as time expired to leave the Fire scoreless at the break.

  Rhein finally got on the board when Martin hit wide receiver Jimmy Robinson for gains of nine and 26 yards before Tony Taylor sprinted untouched into the end zone from six yards out to make it 20-7.

  Boyd stretched the Berlin lead to 23-7 with a 45-yard field goal.

  Martin completed eight passes on a 65-yard touchdown drive to cut Berlin's lead to 23-13. Martin capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to Scott Cloman, but the two-point conversion failed.

  The Thunder stretched their lead to 26-13 when Boyd kicked his third field goal of the day - this time from 38 yards out.

  Rhein got excellent field position for their next possession when Jamal Robertson ran back the kickoff 51 yards. On 4th-and-10 at the Berlin 16-yard line with just over five minutes left in the game, Martin scrambled out of the pocket and dove for the first down but came up a yard short.

  Rhein never gave up the chase and put together a late drive to score on Martin's one-yard sneak with 20 seconds remaining.

  Fire safety Deke Cooper then recovered the onside kick at their own 40-yard line, but Martin was sacked by defensive tackle Cleveland Pinkney and then threw incomplete on the final play.

  The game was the last at Rheinstadion, which will be torn down soon.

  06/22 16:52:26 ET