Week 12: San Antonio Keeps Slingin'

Week 12 Roundup

Jonthan Neal, LB. Gunslingers

The San Antonio Gunslingers took over first place in the Southwest Division by outlasting the Oklahoma Outlaws, 35-27. Gunslingers LB Jonathan Neal was credited with 13 tackles and QB Tony Smith threw four TD passes.

San Antonio and Oklahoma meet again in two weeks. The Gunslingers will be heavy favorites in their other three games. Oklahoma meets the Pacific Division-leading Honolulu Hawaiians and San Antonio the next two weeks as the Outlaws (8-4) try to hold off Detroit (7-5) for the final American Conference playoff spot.


In other Week 12 games:

• The Tampa Bay Bandits won their sixth in a row, edging the Michigan Panthers, 16-14. Bandits CB Jeffrey Hollingsworth set up the game-winning field goal with this interception and Michigan gave Tampa Bay a helping hand by punting the ball away with 1:40 to play. Tampa Bay (7-5) is one game back of Shreveport (8-4) for the final National Conference playoff spot.
• The Chicago Blitz won yet another close one, holding off a late comeback by Detroit to beat the Wheels, 29-27, and clinch the Midwest Division. Chicago is 12-0 with eight of those wins coming by 6 points or fewer, including the last four.
• The Florida Blazers scored with 55 seconds to play to take a 17-16 lead over Jacksonville, but the Bulls drove from their 25 to the Florida 25 before Paul Holder kicked a 43-yard field goal on the final play of the game to give Jacksonville a 19-17 win.
• New Jersey Generals QB Doug Fluty threw for 450 yards and six TDs in a 42-16 demolition of the Houston Gamblers. Fluty's big day was not a record, however. Oakland's Lee Lacy threw nine TD passes in a game this season and Vincent Goode of the New Orleans VooDoo threw nine in a game last season. Fluty's six TDs in a game is tied for eighth all-time. Goode holds the single-game passing yardage record with 645.
• The Birmingham Stallions scored six TDs on their first seven possessions (and missed a field goal on the other), scoring all of their points in the first half of a 42-24 victory over the Philadelphia Bell. Birmingham WR Bruno Fredericks caught seven passes for 180 yards and an 86-yard TD.
• The Denver Gold may have knocked Baltimore out of the playoff picture with their 37-19 victory over the Stars. Denver QB Dustin Nichols threw for 421 yards and four TDs.
• Cleveland WLB Wayne Holland returned an interception 36 yards for a TD in the fourth quarter as the Thunderbolts edged the Orlando Renegades, 13-10. Cleveland is 6-3 since an 0-3 start. Orlando has lost 10 in a row.
• The San Jose SaberCats snapped their 10-game losing streak by edging the Los Angeles Express, 29-28. Rookie QB Dave Schmitt threw a TD pass to WR William Kendrick with 1:01 remaining to pull San Jose within 28-26, but the 2-point conversion pass was incomplete. The SaberCats recovered an onside kick and Schmitt found WR Ronald Marshall for a 57-yard completion (on a defensive overuse penalty), setting up Tommie Prather's 18-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. The Express loss clinched the Pacific Division title for the Honolulu Hawaiians.

Week 13 Preview

The Birmingham Stallions (11-1) will try extend their 10-game win streak when they play at Shreveport (8-4), which is clinging to the final National Conference playoff spot. The Oklahoma Outlaws (8-4), also trying to hang on to a postseason berth, travel to the Big Island to face the Hawaiians (7-5). The Tampa Bay Bandits (7-5) will need to knock off the unbeaten Chicago Blitz (12-0) to keep their six-game win streak alive.