We have 3 games to go and the stakes are getting higher every week as teams try to qualify for the World Bowl Tournament. According to MFN, 6 teams have already punched their ticket, leaving 15 teams battling for the final 6 spots. Even the 6 teams already in still have something to play for, whether it's fighting for a division title, or a BYE and possible home field advantage. The Southwest might have the most compelling race, as the winner of Memphis/Houston likely earns a BYE while the other is a wildcard with a better record than 2 division winners. We also have a pair of divisions that are 3 team races, 3 if you count the Atlantic where Washington has a 2 game lead. The Midwest is currently led by 8-5 Michigan but Cleveland and Chicago are right on their heels at 7-6. The South also has 3 teams within 1 game as New Orleans and Birmingham are tied at the top with 7-6 records while Shreveport is 1 game back at 6-7.
We have 2 division winners already as Portland wins the West and Florida wins the Southeast. San Jose, Washington, and New Jersey could possibly clinch this week, but the wildcards will likely come down to Week 16 action, especially in the American Conference. Best of luck to everyone for the stretch run.
Showboats 16 Stallions 13 (OT)
Memphis might be leading the Southwest with Houston, but they're probably glad they aren't in the South division. The Showboats finished 1993 wining 3 of the 4 games against the South teams, but they only beat Georgia and New Orleans by a single point before losing to Shreveport last week. Today's OT win completes the South portion of the Memphis schedule, and they only averaged 13.5 points per game in those 4. Unless the Showboats reach a World Bowl against a team from the South, Memphis won't see them again until 1997.
Not much to talk about in today's game, as defenses ruled the day. Neither team ran the ball well, gaining less than 3 yards a carry and both QBs threw 1 TD and 2 INTs for less than 260 yards and no skill player had more than 74 combined yards. Memphis took a 10-6 lead into the 4th, extending it to 13-6 early in the final quarter. Birmingham tied it at the 2 minute warning on a Willie Benge 25 yard TD pass to Charles Brockman. The Stallions got the ball first in OT, going three and out. Memphis got the ball at midfield and 7 plays later, Gary Ridgeway split the uprights with the game winning 38 yard FG.
VooDoo 24 Outlaws 17
New Orleans led 17-0 at halftime, then held off a late Oklahoma rally to defeat the Outlaws and pull into a tie atop the South. The box score is similar for both teams, as each QB had an efficient game. Oklahoma QB John Crisp was 23/28, 218 yards and 1 TD while New Orleans QB Joseph Jones was 21/26, 275 yards and 2 TDs. The receptions were spread out for both teams, with the VooDoo's Tom Jacobs gaining the most yards with 77 and no RB ran for more than 48 yards.
We did have 1 big play in this game. Oklahoma had just scored to get within 17-14 with a little over 5 minutes left but Joseph Jones found Eric Duncan for a 75 yard TD pass on the next offensive play to extend the lead back to double digits. That was Duncan's only catch of the day but he sure made it count. The Outlaws would drive for a FG with 3 minutes left, and down 7 they opted to kick away and play defense. That decision didn't work out as the Outlaws didn't get the ball back until the final minute, needing to drive 91 yards to tie.
Steamer 24 Force 12
Shreveport RB David Oldham ran for 110 yards and a TD, while QB George Marcil threw 2 TD passes to Martin Haley as the Steamer defeat division rival Georgia today. Marcil completed 14/17 for 149 yards, with Haley accounting for 85 of that total. The Shreveport defense helped the cause by forcing 3 turnovers, a lost fumble and 2 interceptions of Force QB Milton People. The win keeps Shreveport 1 game out of the South division lead.
Panthers 35 Wheels 10
Gabriel Flanagan got Detroit on the board first with a 48 yard TD pass to Larry Rickard but that was as good as it got for the Wheels. The Detroit defense did a good job in the first half, holding Michigan to a pair of FGs as the Wheels took a 7-6 lead into halftime. Detroit forced the Panthers into a three and out on the opening drive of the second half, but Josh Baskin fumbled the punt to give the ball back to Michigan. Baskin also lost a fumble in a similar fashion in the first half, but that was harmless. This one was not however, as Michigan took advantage, scoring a TD on the first of 3 Larry Henderson TD passes. On the Panthers next drive, Henderson connected with James Hillis for a 56 yard TD pass to give Michigan a 20-7 lead. Detroit would cut the lead to 10 points entering the 4th qtr, but the Wheels came off, literally. First, Detroit lost a fumble early in the quarter and Gabriel Flanagan followed that with 3 INTs in the quarter to kill any comeback hopes.
Blitz 24 Invaders 23
Not much defense was played today, although we didn't have the stat explosions that often come in games like this. Each team had 5 drives over 50 yards each and Oakland pulled off a 12 play drive, a 19 play drive, and an 11 play drive while Chicago had a pair of long drives as well (12 plays, and 11 plays). Oakland took a 10-7 lead into halftime, and they built it up to 23-14 midway through the final quarter. That's when Ronald Brown led Chicago on a quick 2 play, 75 yard drive to get the Blitz within 2, then the defense forced a three and out. Brown then led Chicago on a 9 play drive that took all but 36 seconds off the clock, and Leon Rupe capped it off with the game winning FG.
Oakland QB Andrew Moreno completed 25/34 for 301 yards and 2 TDs, with Nelson Martinez catching 1 as part of his 4-96 yard receiving day. Ronald McDevitt had 151 combined yards, 74 rushing and 77 receiving. For Chicago, Ronald Brown was 25/32, 318 yards with 3 TDs and an INT. Ian Gordon caught 4 passes for 165 yards and a TD to help Chicago stay 1 game behind Michigan in the Midwest race.
Stars 38 Thunderbolts 24
Baltimore got 415 yards and 5 TDs from QB Jon Snow as the Stars keep their playoff hopes alive, hurting Cleveland's chances in the process. The Thunderbolts also moved the ball well on Baltimore, but they came away empty on 3 of their 5 red zone possessions, with 2 missed FGs by Carlos Reed. Cleveland scored first on a 17 yard Tony Romo pass to Howard Buxton before Jon Snow led Baltimore to 4 straight TD drives for a 28-7 lead. Cleveland's Bobby Colley then ripped off a 75 yard TD run, but that's as close as the Thunderbolts would get. The Stars were led by RB Orville Barker who ran for 75 yards and caught 10 passes for 165 yards and 2 TDs.
Bell 17 Sun 13
Philadelphia was the story of the league a few weeks ago as the last undefeated team, but the Bell have since lost 3 in a row. Philadelphia entered play today solidly in position as the top wildcard, but another loss would put even more pressure on the Bell, who haven't made the post season since 1982. The game was an offensive struggle, with both teams missing a FG and punting often as Southern California held a 13-7 lead with under 4 minutes to play. Despite the offensive struggles, both teams played turnover free football up to this point, but the Sun's Brian Dow fumbled the ball away after a reception and Robert Hernandez found Craig Hines for a TD a few plays later to give Philadelphia a 14-13 lead. Sun QB Wilmer Kimble then threw an interception on the next drive, allowing the Bell to tack on 3 points and hold on for their 10th win of the season.
Maulers 14 Bulls 12
Pittsburgh is currently the #6 seed in the National Conference, but they have Baltimore hot on their heels and need to keep winning. Jacksonville may have a 1-11-1 record but 5 of the losses have been by 1 score, including three by 3 points or less, so they are better than their record shows. The Bulls gave Pittsburgh all they wanted, but they couldn't put the ball in the end zone, settling for 4 Brian Johnson FGs. Pittsburgh QB Will Allison threw 2 TD passes for just enough points to beat Jacksonville today. Maulers RB Chris Goldberg had 100 combined yards and there were 18 different players catching a pass today, 10 Maulers and 8 Bulls.
Federals 32 Bandits 13
Washington QB Scott Bieber had his best game in awhile, tossing a pair of first half TD passes to lead the Federals to victory and dealing a blow to the playoff hopes of Tampa Bay. Bieber completed 23/35 for 315 yards and no INTs to go with the aforementioned TD passes and K John Bazile booted 6 FGs. WR Ronald Matthews helped Bieber's stat line with 6 catches, 170 yards and a TD. The win maintains Washington's 2 game lead on Pittsburgh and 3 game lead on Baltimore, and the Federals should end up winning the division, in play for a BYE. Tampa Bay is still alive in the wildcard race, but this loss severely hurts their chances, as they are 2 games behind Pittsburgh for the final spot, and Baltimore is also ahead of the Bandits in the standings.
Gold 16 SaberCats 10
San Jose was hoping to clinch the division today and eliminate the defending champs at the same time, but the Gold were not having any of that. Denver's defense kept the SaberCats out of the end zone, as their lone TD came courtesy of a Richard Alcantara INT return. The Gold held San Jose to 233 total yards and a horrible 1/16 on 3rd downs, although the SaberCats were 2/3 on 4th down. Andrew Brewer led Denver to a 90 yard TD drive on their opening possession, then the defense and K Robert Deacon took over. Denver keeps their slim playoff hopes alive while San Jose remains 1 win or 1 Honolulu loss away from winning the Pacific.
(NY) Stars 38 Renegades 37
New York and Orlando might be eliminated from the post season, but they might have played the most entertaining game of the day. New York RB William Hall scored an Al Bundy-esque 4 TDs today, but unlike the former Polk High star, Hall scored in a variety of ways. Hall took the opening kickoff 103 yards for a TD and an instant 7-0 lead for the Stars. RB Jose Rush tied the game for Jacksonville with a short TD run then Daniel Costigan intercepted Willie Bust, returning it 24 yards to break the tie. This kickoff, Scott Mueller tried to kick it out of the end zone, but came up just short, as Hall caught it at the back line and took another one to the house, this one going the maximum 110 yards. Orlando QB Emory Howard then threw a pair of 2nd qtr TD passes to give the Renegades a halftime lead of 28-14.
William Hall got New York back within 7 on a short TD run before Orlando booted 3 FGs to take a 37-21 lead with 9 minutes to play. Willie Bust then led New York to a TD, cutting the lead to 37-28 with 4:41 to play. The Stars tried an onside kick, which was successful and 6 plays later, Bust found William Hall for an 18 yard TD, Hall's 4th of the game. That got New York within 37-35 with 3 minutes to play and the Stars tried another successful onside kick. Bust drove the Stars into FG range, where Ed Jetton nailed a 34 yard kick with 1:40 to play and the New York defense holds on for the victory.
Gamblers 45 Gunslingers 3
Houston ran all over San Antonio as Donald Turner's 101 yards and 2 TDs led the Gamblers RBBC that gained 286 yards on 45 carries. Tony Dean complimented that effort by completing 22/25 for 233 yards and 3 TDs, with Jett Black hauling in 2 of the scores. Defensively, the Gamblers had trouble stopping the run, but they harassed Robert Fanelli into a 13/33, 86 yard 2 INT day as the Gamblers improve to 11-2 on the year.
Storm 31 Wranglers 13
Portland QB Melvin Driggers threw for 355 yards and 4 TDs to lead the Storm to victory over an Arizona team that showed some defensive fight today. The Wranglers did not allow the Storm running game to get going, and despite the yards allowed, they did intercept 3 passes and recovered a fumble, as Arizona was within 7 points until late in the 3rd quarter. The Wranglers also didn't turn the ball over themselves, but they struggled to maintain drives against the stingy Storm defense. Certainly not Portland's best game, but it's a win and they remain in the top spot in the American Conference.
Blazers 28 Hornets 0
Southeast Division Champion Florida had a ho-hum victory over Charlotte today, as the Blazers defense shutout Charlotte. QB Sidney Maggard completed 23/25 for 275 yards and TD passes to 4 different receivers, with Ray Parker leading the way with 104 yards and a TD. RB Robert Romero rushed for 95 yards and the Florida defense held the Hornets to 212 total yards.
Generals 23 Hawaiians 3
Honolulu shut down the New Jersey running game (17 yards on 19 carries) and held Don Ferguson to exactly 300 yards passing, about 65 lower than average. Ferguson still completed 35/45 with 2 TDs and no INTs or sacks, while the Generals defense forced 2 turnovers and kept the Hawaiians out of the end zone. New Jersey is close to clinching the East and will be no worse than a wildcard, while this loss does hurt Honolulu's chances at winning the Pacific, they are tied with 2 other teams for the #6 seed, but currently fall short in tiebreakers according to MFN.
Breakers 27 Express 13
Boston RB George Cade ran for 88 yards and a TD to lead the Breakers RBBC that ran for 231 yards. The Breakers scored the first 3 times they had the ball to take a 17-6 halftime lead before William Mauriello's 69 yard pass to Corey Gibbons early in the 3rd trimmed the deficit to 17-13. Early in the 4th, Mauriello found Gary Sappington with a pass, but John Briggs forced a fumble that John Nelson scooped up for a 24 yard TD return, extending Boston's lead to 24-13. Sappington finished with a combined 143 yards (81 rushing, 62 receiving) and Gibbons finished with 103 receiving yards, but it was Boston winning the most important category, points.
