Handball Verbandsliga: Esslingen and HSG Wiwido Share Points in Crucial Match

Esslingen and HSG Wiwido battled to a 26-26 draw in a vital Handball-Verbandsliga match on March 22, 2026, a result that does little to alleviate either team’s relegation concerns. The match was notable for an unusual circumstance: the scheduled referees were unavailable, leading team Esslingen’s referee boss, Lars Obrock, to officiate the game alone.

A Referee Steps In

With the assigned referees unable to attend, Lars Obrock spontaneously took on the role of sole referee for the match between Team Esslingen and HSG Wiwido. Both coaches, Timo Flechsenhar (Team Esslingen) and Tobias Talatschek (HSG Wiwido), praised Obrock’s performance, acknowledging the difficulty of the situation and his successful management of the game. Talatschek stated the agreement to allow Obrock to referee was necessary to avoid rescheduling the match and confirmed he “did really extremely well.”

Basement Battle

The draw leaves both teams in a precarious position. Esslingen remains at the bottom of the Verbandsliga table, while HSG Wiwido sits one place above them. According to HSG Wiwido’s website, HSG Wiwido currently has 9:31 points, three points ahead of Esslingen. The likelihood of either team avoiding relegation to the Landesliga is diminishing, though both maintain a glimmer of hope.

Match Recap

The game was closely contested early on, tied at 7-7. However, a prolonged scoring drought for Esslingen allowed Wiwido to build a significant lead, extending it to 7-14. Despite a second-half resurgence from Esslingen, fueled by goalkeeper Moritz Schlemmer’s performance, they were unable to fully close the gap. A late equalizer from Marco Adelt, with just seven seconds remaining, secured the 26-26 draw.

Adelt reflected on the result, stating, “In any other game I would have said that it was a point won. But in our situation it’s not enough.”

Team Statistics

Team Esslingen: Gourmet (2), Frohna (2), Adelt (9), Fischer (2), Guhl (1), Onuseit, Braune (1/1), Mehlitz, Guhl (2), Frohna (2), Weber, Merk (2), Vetter (1), Bernhardt, Humburg (2).

HSG Wiwido: Nagel, Krumpsmith. Baur (2), Rienhardt (2), Abraham, Mück (1), Burkhardtsmaier (4), Grupp, Priest, Däumling (13/5), Hess, Klaus (1/1), Burkhardt (1), Hofelich (2/1).

Looking Ahead

Both Team Esslingen and HSG Wiwido face an uphill battle for survival in the Verbandsliga. Their fate will depend on their own performances in the remaining games and the results of other teams in the league. The teams will continue to “tremble and hope” as the season progresses, according to the Stuttgarter Zeitung.