World Bowl XVI Portland Storms To Victory

1989 was a Stormy season in many ways, and the Portland Storm capped off the year by winning the World Bowl over the Baltimore Stars. Portland is where the league's most controversial player plies his trade, and after amassing a league record 71 sacks in the regular season, Mark McKeon had none during the playoffs. The Storm defense still played good enough to win all 3 post season games and QB Oscar Willis had a 7:1 TD:INT ratio this post season compared to his 28:23 ratio in the first 16 games.

Baltimore put up a good fight, but 3 Jon Snow interceptions were too much to overcome as they lose their second consecutive World Bowl. There is no shame in the Stars game however, as it's not easy reaching consecutive World Bowls and you'd think eventually they will win one.

Storm 34 Stars 20

One of these teams was going to capture their first World Bowl trophy, and the first quarter was a feeling out process. Six punts and no points in the first 15 minutes, but Portland was driving as we entered the 2nd quarter. Portland RB Alfred Gale got the scoring underway with a short TD plunge. Baltimore would march downfield on the next drive before tying the game at 7 with this 36 yard Jon Snow TD pass to Jeffrey Zimmer. Later in the 2nd, Jon Snow tossed his first INT, setting the Storm up just outside the red zone. Portland QB Oscar Willis had a mediocre regular season, but he has turned his game up a notch or two this post season. Willis wasted no time turning the INT into points, finding a wide open Fred Wink with a 24 yard TD strike. A second INT by Jon Snow allowed Portland to add a FG before halftime for a 17-7 lead.

In the 3rd quarter, Baltimore struck first. Jon Snow threw his 2nd TD pass, a 1 yard toss to Justin Coffey to pull the Stars within 17-14. Portland then went on a 15 play, 75 yard time consuming drive. Oscar Willis tossed his 2nd TD pass, a 6 yarder to Timothy Roquemore that made the score 24-14.

That was the score entering the 4th quarter, and both teams exchanged FGs, giving us a score of 27-17 Portland with just under 7 minutes to play. Jon Snow threw his 3rd INT, and 2 running plays later, Portland's Alfred Gale got his 2nd rushing TD, punching it in from the 2. That made the score 34-17, but Baltimore has the kind of quick strike offense that makes most leads unsafe. Portland's defense had other ideas, only allowing a harmless 50 yard FG inside 2 minutes to give us a final score of 34-20.

Portland WR Timothy Roquemore was named World Bowl MVP, and he'll be driving away in a brand new 1990 Chevrolet Corvette. Roquemore ran 19 times for 98 yards, and caught 5 passes for 52 yards and a TD. Personally, I would have given it to Willis, but according to the league page, the "vote" went to Roquemore. Maybe they can carpool to practice next year?

1989 Conference Championships

We'll crown a first time champion at the conclusion of World Bowl XVI, as the Baltimore Stars return after losing World Bowl XV to face the first time American Conference Champion Portland Storm. Baltimore jumped out to a huge early lead and bested their namesakes from New York while Portland overcame a 10 point 4th qtr deficit to prevail in OT over Memphis.

Storm 26 Showboats 23

Each team had just 1 loss on the season and were heavy favorites to reach this point of the playoffs. The game played out like a heavyweight boxing match, as both teams took the early part to feel the other team out before landing the heavy blows.

Memphis struck first midway through the 2nd qtr as Mark Lambert punched it in from 1 yard out, and Lambert also ran in the conversion for the 8-0 Showboats lead. Portland would answer that with a FG before David Allen found Willie Howland on a short pass that turned into a 66 yard TD after a missed tackle. Lambert followed with another 2 point conversion and the first half ended 16-3 Memphis.

The Showboats got the ball to start the 3rd qtr and David Allen promptly threw an INT. Portland took over at the Showboats 26 and 5 plays later, James Pritchard caught a 12 yard TD pass from Oscar Willis to cut the lead to 16-10. Portland would add a FG to make the score 16-13 Memphis after 3.

On the second play of the final quarter, Mark Lambert got his 2nd TD of the game, this one a 5 yard pass from David Allen, giving Memphis a 10 point lead. Midway through the quarter, Portland kicked a FG to get within 7, and they got the ball back with 6:23 left. The Storm went on a 10 play, 77 yard drive that took all but 1:14 off the clock, tying the score at 23 on a 24 yard Oscar Willis pass to Peter Jessee.

In the overtime period, Memphis got the ball first and drove into Portland territory before having to punt. The Storm were pinned at their 7 yard line and were forced to punt as well. On the Showboats second OT drive, the one Memphis weakness reared it's ugly head at the worst possible time. QB David Allen was intercepted by Antonio Wendel, setting Portland up at the edge of FG range. The Storm couldn't gain a first down, but no matter for Donald Dosch, as his 48 yard FG went through the uprights, sending the Storm to their first ever World Bowl appearance.

Baltimore 54 New York 26

Baltimore jumped out to a 17-0 1st qtr lead, increased that to 27-6 by halftime and added another TD at the beginning of the 3rd for a commanding 34-6 cushion. New York played them even after that but the damage was already done. Baltimore QB Jon Snow threw for 453 yards and 4 TDs, two of those to Jeffrey Zimmer (1st TD, 2nd TD). Zimmer caught 5 for 152 yards today and Mark "Puts Up" Numbers, did just that. Numbers ran 12 times for 65 yards and caught 3 passes for 143 yards and this TD, a 79 yard catch and run. Even little used WR John Warkentin got in on the TD act with this 45 yard effort.

It wasn't all offense for Baltimore, as they also scored two defensive TDs. The first one came just before halftime, as MLB Ronnie Fox intercepted Willie Bust, returning it 20 yards for a back breaking TD. The second one came late in the 3rd as Baltimore bull rushed Bust. Donald Ramsey got the sack and stripped the ball loose and Joseph Gerald fell on the loose ball in the end zone. Kicker Fred Boyce added 4 FGs for Baltimore.

For New York, Cam Dalton had 121 combined yards and this TD. Damien Bierman caught 10 passes for 67 yards and this TD.

1989 Divisional Round

Last year's final four was Houston, Michigan, New Orleans and Baltimore, with the Stars being the only one to make it that far this season. We're guaranteed to have a Stars team in World Bowl XVI as Baltimore hosts the New York Stars for the right to face either Portland or Memphis. Not much drama this round despite three intra-division games, as only one was decided by single digits.

(NY) Stars 16 Bandits 13

Tampa Bay did so many things right in this game, yet they still end up on the short end of the stick. The Bandits had 420 offensive yards to just 256 for New York, holding the Stars rushing attack to 11 yards on 12 carries. Tampa Bay averaged 5.76 yards per carry, converted 9/16 3rd down attempts and held the Stars to 3/11. Tampa Bay also possessed the ball 10 more minutes than New York and sacked Willie Bust 3 times. So how did they lose?

Bandits QB Melvin Driggers threw 2 interceptions today after only throwing 10 all regular season and K Edward Walter was wide right on a 52 yard FG try. Driggers' first INT came just before the 2 minute warning before halftime, setting New York up at the Tampa Bay 12 after Charles Bowles' 28 yard return. For most of the day, the Bandits shut down New York's main weapon Cam Dalton (10 rushes for minus 1 yard, 3 catches 24 yards), but he managed to punch it in from the 3 yard line for a 13-3 lead at the half for New York.

Tampa Bay started the 3rd qtr with a 13 play, 75 yard drive, capped by a Paul Meade 1 yard TD run to cut the lead to 13-10. Tampa's next drive got close to the New York red zone, but Driggers' 2nd INT of the game stalled the offense. The Bandits still trailed by 3 halfway through the final quarter when they embarked on another long drive. New York had pinned the Bandits at their own 9, but 15 plays and 89 yards later the drive stalled at the Stars 2 yard line. Walter made this chipshot FG and we were tied at 13 with just under a minute to play. Seemingly heading for OT, Willie Bust and the New York offense had other ideas. The Stars had all 3 time outs, but still needed 40-50 yards in less than a minute to get into FG range. First play was a 26 yard pass completion, clock stopped for a defensive pass interference penalty that was obviously declined. Next play was a 14 yard run, which would have made the FG 52 yards, so it was curious no time out was called. Regardless, Willie Bust found Damien Bierman for a 22 yard gain to set up Daniel Hall for the 30 yard game winning FG as time expired.

Stars 42 Federals 21

WR Robert Sullivan (12 catches, 149 yds, 1 TD) and the Washington offense got off to a flying start, as Scott Bieber found him for a 75 yard TD on the game's first offensive play. On Baltimore's second offensive play, the Federals thought they were about to seize momentum. Caleb Raley intercepted Jon Snow, but he was flagged for pass interference, allowing the Stars drive to continue. It continued all the way to the end zone, with Snow hitting Jeffrey Zimmer with a 9 yard TD pass. Washington would get a 57 yard FG from John "Money" Bazile to retake the lead briefly as Jon Snow found Knob Creek for a 47 yard TD and a 14-10 Baltimore lead. "Money" would boot a 53 yard FG just before the 1st qtr ended to make it 14-13.

Second quarter was like the first for Baltimore, as Jon Snow fired his 3rd TD pass of the day, this time a 5 yarder to Mark Numbers. Those two would hook up again on the next drive, this time for 63 yards and a 28-13 lead. Washington would not get closer than 14 the rest of the way as Jon Snow threw 2 more TD passes in the second half to give him 6 for the game. Snow threw for 414 yards, with Mark Numbers (5-133-2), Knob Creek (3-110-1), and Jeffrey Zimmer (10-96-2) the main beneficiaries. Numbers also added 79 rushing yards.

Storm 37 Gold 13

Everyone was waiting to see what McKeon would do in the playoffs after his record breaking 71 sack season for the Storm, but Portland GM Setherick backed off his controversial LB/DE as he recorded zero sacks. To the surprise of nobody, Setherick's team can still play lights out defense without their "gimmick". This was a tight game through 3 quarters with Portland holding a 20-10 edge entering the final quarter.

Denver's lone TD of the game came on their opening drive, with Richard Huff punching it in from the 2 for an early 7-0 Gold lead. Denver would hold a 10-6 lead as the first half wound down before Oscar Willis found his groove with WR Peter Jessee. They connected on a 63 yard TD to give Portland a 13-10 lead at the break. Late in the 3rd, the pair hooked up again, this time for an 85 yard score.

That made the score 20-10 Storm after 3, and Denver cut it to 20-13 before disaster struck 4 times. First, Gold QB Andrew Brewer tossed an INT to Kevin Bowen. Next play, Storm QB Oscar Willis tossed his 3rd TD pass of the game, this one 47 yards to Fred Wink. Next Denver drive ended with another INT by Brewer, which led to a 57 yard FG by Donald Dosch to extend Portland's lead to 30-13. Any hopes for a Denver comeback were lost when Denver Siegel fumbled rumbling toward the end zone. Alfred Gale put the icing on the cake with a short TD plunge, rendering Brewer's 3rd INT meaningless.

Portland WR Peter Jessee was the game's stat king, catching 7 passes for 187 yards and 2 TDs.

Showboats 35 Gamblers 6

It's been a quiet past few days on the message board as Memphis GM Infinity on Trial finally stopped burning bridges bashing the commish long enough to concoct a game plan to bash his divisional nemesis Houston. The Gamblers got on the scoreboard first with a FG and the first quarter ended 6-3 Houston. Early in the 2nd, Memphis WR/RB Mark Glenn ran it in from 6 yards out, and the 2 point conversion gave the Showboats an 11-6 lead. Late in the first half, Houston was driving for a possible score when Tony Dean was picked off. 

I would have liked to be a fly on the wall so I could hear the Memphis halftime speech because the Showboats came out of the locker room like they had bees in their helmets. Houston had 5 "drives" in the second half, covering 29 yards, minus 1 yard, 4 yards, 0 yards, and 9 yards...or in other words, punt, punt, punt, INT, INT. Offensively in the second half, the Showboats first 3 drives were all TD drives, covering 75 yards (9 plays), 95 yards (9 plays), and 66 yards (11 plays).

Former Houston RB Mark Lambert stuck it to his old team with that 48 yard TD run to make the score 24-6. Lambert ran 18 times for 196 yards and a TD, while teammate David Austin ran for 99 yards on 9 carries. As a team, Memphis ran for 358 yards, limiting David Allen's exposure in the passing game.

Houston would have liked to limit the exposure of Tony Dean this game, as he had a very un-MVP like 3 INT and just 110 yards. 

1989 Wildcard Weekend

Gamblers 14 Panthers 11

This was the 4th playoff game between these two teams, the last one was the 1988 American Conference Championship. Defense was the name of the game today, as there were 7 combined turnovers and just 2 TDs. Houston got the ball first and lost a fumble. Michigan was intercepted on their first drive before things settled down a bit. Tony Dean led Houston on a 13 play, 64 yard drive that ended on a 3 yard TD pass to Jett Black for a 7-0 Gamblers lead. The first quarter would end with that 7-0 score after Houston lost another fumble near the end. Michigan would throw another INT a few plays later, early in the 2nd and it was like deja vu from the first 2 drives.

Michigan finally got on the scoreboard with a 37 yard FG mid 2nd qtr and added another just before halftime to make the score 7-6 Houston at the break. In the second half, Panthers P Julius Horowitz did a great job of pinning the Gamblers in their own end of the field, leaving one at the 4 and two others at the 1 yard line. The second one led to a safety as Paul Declue sacked Dean in the end zone to give Michigan an 8-7 lead. The Panthers got the free kick and drove for a FG to extend their lead to 11-7 with just under 10 minutes to play.

Following an exchange of punts, Houston found themselves at their own 14 with 4:20 on the clock and needing a TD to take the lead. Nine plays later, Dean found Francisco Russell for a 1 yard TD pass to take the lead 14-11. Michigan had over a minute to work with but turned it over on downs after crossing midfield and Houston ran out the clock.

Nicholas Dorey had 178 combined yards for Michigan while Houston had a balanced attack.

Gold 24 Hawaiians 19

Denver never trailed in this game but they also never had a lead bigger than 9 points, so it was a close game throughout. Denver got the ball first and struck Gold quickly. Andrew Brewer found Richard Funkhouser on the 5th play from scrimmage with a 15 yard TD pass for the early 7-0 lead. Honolulu marched down the field on their first drive as well, capping it with a 2 yard TD pass from Derek Henry to Delmar Moeller to seemingly tie the game. Howard Bury missed the point after, leaving the score 7-6 Gold. Denver would also score a TD on their second possession, with Andrew Brewer hitting Matthew Kleusner in stride for a 14-6 Gold lead.

The first quarter would end with that 14-6 score and by halftime, the Hawaiians cut it to 14-12, thanks to two FGs by Howard Bury. The 3rd quarter was scoreless until 3:18 left when Jake Peralta made his presence felt. Andrew Brewer again hit the receiver in stride for a 43 yard TD to make the score 21-12 Denver. The Gold would later kick a FG to make it 24-12 before Honolulu made it interesting at the end. Derek Henry found Allen Grant behind the Gold defense and the 64 yard TD cut the lead to 24-19. There were just 29 seconds left however, and the failed onside kick sealed the win for Denver.

Federals 30 VooDoo 19

Washington got the scoring underway in the 1st quarter on the first of 3 Scott Bieber TD passes. Matthew Cuevas caught this 18 yard pass for the 7-0 Federals lead. Washington would add 2 John Bazile FGs for a halftime lead of 13-0 as the New Orleans offense sputtered to the tune of 4 punts and 2 turnovers.

The VooDoo held Washington scoreless in the 3rd qtr while booting 2 FGs to cut the lead to 13-6 heading into the final 15 minutes. The Federals would extend the lead to 20-6 on a Bieber 6 yard pass to Joseph Andrews. Following a three and out for the New Orleans offense, Bieber and Cuevas struck again. This 12 yard TD pass extended the lead to 27-6. New Orleans QB Bruno Wilson tried to bring the VooDoo back, and his 4 yard TD pass to Joe Daniels cut the lead to 27-13 with just over 8 minutes to play. New Orleans opted to try an onside kick, which failed . Washington would punt, then intercept a Bruno Wilson pass to set up a FG and a 30-13 lead with less than 4 minutes left. New Orleans would score again on a 6 yard Wilson pass to James Sheckler with just over a minute to play. The 2 point try and onside kick both failed, and that was essentially game over.

(NY) Stars 35 Generals 10

For the longest time, New Jersey had a stranglehold on both the East division and the National Conference, as they've been to a record 6 World Bowls, but those days are over. The New York Stars won the East in 1988 and 1989, and to add insult to injury, they eliminate New Jersey easily today, beating the Generals all 3 times this season.

New Jersey got the ball first, and that drive ended with a Ric Flair INT. Willie Bust took the ball and found Joseph Clark for the game's first score. Next NY drive, TD. Stars third drive, another TD. Stars fourth drive, you guessed it.

The Generals switched up their defensive plays in the hopes of stopping the Stars offense, but it clearly did not work. RB Cam Dalton ran for 177 and 2 TDs, and caught 6 for 67 more. Ernest Lynch added 70 rushing yards and 2 TDs as New York rushed for 256 as a team as they steamrolled the Generals.