Gamblers 23 Storm 19
Portland got the ball first and promptly threw an interception on their very first play. Four plays later, Tony Dean found a very wide open Albert Buckland for the early 7-0 lead. It would be 6 scoreless drives before the scoreboard would be dented again as Portland had a three and out, INT, and a lost fumble while Houston went INT, three and out, and a punt. Portland would tie the game at 7 late in the first on a 26 yard TD pass from Oscar Willis to Fred Wink.
Houston would then take a 10-7 lead on a 31 yard Daniel McCormack FG only to have the Storm tie on a Donald Dosch 55 yard boot. The first half scoring ended after Albert Buckland's second TD reception, this time hauling in a desperation heave from Dean. Portland would attempt a 59 yard FG as the first half came to a close, but it was short and our halftime score was 17-10 Houston.
The second half was a kicking contest, with the teams alternating FG's. Portland was first, making it 17-13, then Houston took it back up to a 7 point lead at 20-13. Portland would cut it to 20-16, and 23-19 after the next Houston FG. The last score of the game for Portland came with 4:44 on the clock and the Storm opted to kick away. Portland would force a punt and have 2:21 to win the game but the Storm turned it over on downs and the Gamblers killed the clock to advance.
Portland had 397 yards, compared to 361 for Houston, and it was mostly through the air as the Storm only ran 9 times all game, opting for 62 passes. Racking up yards was about the only thing Portland did right, thanks to Timothy Roquemore's 15 catches for 214 yards. Portland was miserable in the red zone, coming away with just 3 FG's in 4 trips and Oscar Willis tossed 4 INT's. Despite the measly 9 rushing attempts, the Storm fumbled twice, losing both, and Willis was sacked twice.
This is the second week in a row the Houston defense has 4 INT's and 2 fumble recoveries.
Showboats 40 Wranglers 17
Following an Arizona three and out, Memphis went 78 yards in 9 plays to take an 8-0 lead, thanks to a 2 yard TD pass from David Allen to Mark Lambert and a James Nash 2 point run. Nine plays later, Wranglers QB Joseph Jones found Desmond Kirkland for a 32 yard TD pass to cut the lead to 8-7. Defending Champion Memphis responded how you would expect...with a 16 play, 75 yard drive. This TD was a Dave to Dave hookup, Allen tossing to Austin. Memphis was again successful going for two and pushed the lead to 16-7. The game log lists Arizona QB Joseph Jones as being injured on the 2 point conversion despite him not being in the field of play. The cameras didn't catch what happened but rumor has it, he slammed his helmet to the ground, twisting his finger and cutting his lip when the helmet bounced off the ground and smacked him in the mouth.
Memphis would extend the lead to 19-7 before Arizona cut it to 19-14 on this 2 yard Joseph Jones TD pass to John Didonato. The Showboats got the ball to start the second half and they promptly drove 75 yards in 9 plays, the last of which was a 3 yard TD run by The Donut Mogul, Tim Horton. That gave Memphis a 26-14 lead and following a three and out, the Daves struck again. The Allen to Austin pass was 36 yards this time and pushed the lead to 33-14. It was already going to be tough for Arizona to come from behind, but it would prove impossible today after Willie Howland's 23 yard TD reception on the first play of the last quarter made the score 40-14.
Arizona played tough but it was too much of an uphill climb against the defending champs on a day when the Showboats offense was on point. Neither team had a 100 yard rusher or receiver though both QB's topped 300 yards. David Allen had a 4/0 TD/INT ratio today while Joseph Jones was 2/2.
Stallions 17 Bulls 10
Birmingham drove 90 yards in 7 plays on their first offensive drive, capping it off with a 16 yard TD pass from David Schmitt to Daniel Tedrow for an early 7-0 lead. Two drives later the Bulls cut the lead to 7-3 only to see the Stallions gallop down the field for another TD. This one 64 yards to Christopher Henderson, making it 14-3 Birmingham after 1. Most of the rest of the game was all punts except for a FG by Birmingham midway through the 2nd quarter for a 17-3 lead.
Despite being down 14 much of the game, Jacksonville stuck with their run first approach, completing only 3/8 for 78 yards while running 60 times at 4 yards a pop. Both teams had 320 yards of offense but the Bulls fumbled twice, losing both.
We did have some late game excitement as Jacksonville cut the lead to 17-10, capping off a 10 play, 90 yard drive with this 9 yard TD run by Dennis Burt. With less than 3 minutes remaining, Jacksonville opted for the onside kick. The first attempt went out of bounds but the second one was recovered by the Bulls. Facing a 4th and 6 inside the 2 minute warning, Timothy Richardson took the handoff and gained 13 yards but WLB Roy Buckle stripped the football, ending that threat. Birmingham could not drain the clock to 0:00 so they punted but Jacksonville could not cross their 40 and time ran out on the Jacksonville season.
Birmingham WR Christopher Henderson caught 3 for 118 and a TD while Jacksonville WR/RB Timothy Richardson ran for 136 yards on 29 carries.
Federals 20 Generals 15
The game started slowly, with a punt for both teams on their opening drives. Washington also had to punt after their second drive, with Wayne Lange pinning New Jersey at their own one yard line. Ric Flair tossed a short pass to TE Calvin Hobbes, who was hit by LDE Elwood Valdez, causing a fumble which he recovered himself at the Generals 5. Three plays later, a 5 yard Bieber to Boyer TD pass gave Washington the 7-0 lead. The Federals seemed to be driving for more points late in the first but "Lethal Weapon" Martin Riggs bailed out the Generals defense with an INT on the first play of quarter number 2 at the New Jersey 15, keeping the score 7-0.
Heading toward the 2 minute warning of the first half, New Jersey had to be feeling pretty good. The Generals offense was doing next to nothing while the defense bent but didn't break, only allowing a 5 yard TD "drive". Just after the 2 minute warning, Scott Bieber would toss his 2nd TD of the first half, this one covering 33 yards to Luther Ellis for a 14-0 Federals lead. New Jersey KR Aaron Paul fumbled the ensuing kickoff return which was recovered by the Washington kicker, John Bazile. Three plays later, Bazile nailed a 41 yard FG for a 17-0 halftime lead for Washington.
New Jersey got the ball to start the 3rd and punted, then both teams traded FGs, Washington first for a 20-0 lead then New Jersey cutting it to 20-3. That was our score with just under 9 minutes left when all of the sudden, New Jersey decides to do something. Ric Flair found Rudi Johnson for an 8 yard TD pass, but rather than kick the XP, Head Coach Eddie Doggett elected to go for two, which failed. Just before the 2 minute warning, Flair and Rudi hooked up again, this time for a 7 yard TD to cut the lead to 20-15. The previous failed 2 point necessitated we go for two again, which also failed, leaving the score 20-15.
There were still 2:02 left on the clock and New Jersey had all 3 time outs, but Doggett decided to try the onside kick anyway, despite how well the Generals were playing defense in the second half. It worked, and now the decision to go for 2 is looming large because the end zone must be crossed. Three pass plays result in -3, 3, and incomplete, making it 4th and 10. After the onside kick, surely Doggett will go for it on 4th down, right? Wrong. Clark W. Griswold did his job despite not getting box score credit (they gave him a punt attempt but did not add the yards), pinning Washington at their 1 yard line. Three plays and three New Jersey time outs later, the Federals punted and Aaron Paul returned it 11 yards to the Washington 47. Four plays later and the Generals had the ball at the Federals 25, threatening to score but no way to prevent the clock from hitting 0:00.
Talk radio in New Jersey has been centered on the mistakes on the field and on the sidelines, while word has it private security has been hired to guard the Doggett's home in Warren from overzealous "fans" doing damage.
Washington deserves all the credit for winning though. The Federals took care of business, took care of the ball better and did what they needed to do to continue playing deep into January.
