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| Gerard Hall Memphis Showboats |
Los Angeles, the defending World Bowl champions, had recovered from a 21-6 deficit to tie the score. But QB Gene Nowlin was picked off three times by Albert Arsenault of the Showboats in the game's final 8 minutes.
Hall came up big on his first return of the day after Gregory Shea had been sidelined with a neck injury with 4 minutes to play.
Memphis advanced to play the Oklahoma Outlaws. The four second-round games include three matchups of teams from the same division.
In other wild-card games:
Detroit Wheels 36, Portland Storm 27: Detroit DT Timothy Adams recorded eight sacks as the Wheels made life rough for record-setting Portland QB William Hill. He was sacked 11 times, intercepted three times, and lost a fumble. Hill did pass for 557 yards and four TDs. Enrique Pacheco rushed for 119 yards and a pair of TDs for Detroit.
Pittsburgh Maulers 27, Shreveport Steamer 14: Shreveport led early, but the Maulers scored the game's final 20 points. The big moment came with 8:30 to play when SLB George Grant returned an interception 12 yards for a TD that extended a 17-14 Pittsburgh lead to 24-14. The Steamer turned the ball over three times, the Maulers none.
New York Stars 21, New Orleans VooDoo 7: The only New Orleans score came on a kickoff return as New York's defense shut down the VooDoo. New Orleans, playing without injured RB Kenneth Boyd, managed just 224 yards total offense. QB Eric Roberge and WR Allan Howard connected three times for New York TDs.
Divisional Round Preview
Memphis Showboats at Oklahoma Outlaws: Oklahoma leads the series, 9-3, including a pair of victories in 1979. The Outlaws won, 37-22, in Week 7 and 48-24 in Week 14. Memphis QB James Perry threw five interceptions and was sacked seven times during that second meeting. Oklahoma has won eight in a row against Memphis since the end of the 1975 season. The Showboats will likely be without RB/KR Gregory Shea (neck), but are otherwise healthy. Oklahoma will be minus LT Richard Castro.Detroit Wheels at Cleveland Thunderbolts: The teams split during the 1979 regular season. Cleveland won, 29-17, in Week 2 and the Wheels won, 20-14, in Week 16. Detroit leads the all-time series, 8-4. The Wheels could be without as many as six injured players, including All-Pro nominees Billy McKissick and Thomas Watson on the offensive line and WLB Christopher Turner, who had four sacks in the second meeting with Cleveland. Thunderbolts DT Donald Jackson is questionable.
Pittsburgh Maulers at Tampa Bay Bandits: Tampa Bay leads the series, 3-1, including a 30-19 victory in Week 15 this season. The Bandits led, 21-19, going into the fourth quarter before Thomas Hummel iced it with three field goals. Pittsburgh will be without starting WR Javier Rudolph, while the Bandits should have a full crew. These teams also met in last season's playoffs, Tampa Bay emerging victorious from a 66-52 shootout.
New York Stars at New Jersey Generals: This is the first postseason meeting of the neighborhood rivals. New Jersey leads the regular-season series, 8-4, but the Stars swept two meetings early this season (before the Generals embarked on their 10-game win streak). 23-6 and 23-16. New Jersey All-Pro DL James Lockette is questionable, as are New York starting OL Earl Murtagh and Curtis Hartig.
