The 1993 regular season concluded today with Week 16 action, and half of the games had playoff implications. Memphis won the showdown with Houston, claiming the #2 seed and the South came down to a version of "Not It", as all 3 teams had a chance to win and get in and they all lost, with New Orleans getting the nod in a tiebreaker. The American Conference Wildcard contenders fared badly as well, with Cleveland relinquishing the #6 seed in a loss to Portland. That opened the door for Oakland to get in but Orlando played spoiler. Honolulu finally stopped the trend of losing must win games by defeating Los Angeles and claiming the #6 seed. Had the Hawaiians lost, Chicago was ready to keep playing as the next team up by beating Detroit. Michigan defeated San Jose to claim the #3 seed, leaving the suddenly ownerless SaberCats the #4.
Showboats 38 Gamblers 16
There was a lot of drama coming into the game, but a 28 point 2nd quarter explosion by Memphis took the drama off the field as the Showboats claim the #2 seed and the all important BYE. Following an exchange of FGs, Memphis QB Norman Maldonado found Mark Glenn for a 68 yard TD pass and a 10-3 lead. Two plays later, Dennis Torres intercepted Tony Dean, taking it 29 yards for a score. Houston's Anthony Fulks then returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a score, and a 3-3 game quickly turned into a 17-10 game. Memphis RB Thomas Saunders got the first of his 2 rushing TDs with 4:40 left in the half and Maldonado tossed his 2nd TD pass in the half's final minute, sandwiching a Houston FG for a 31-13 halftime lead.
The second half didn't produce much to write about, so let's go to the stats. Maldonado only completed 20/45 for 256 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. WR Mark Glenn caught 7 for 161 yards and a TD while RB Erik McNamee ran 18 times for 175 yards to lead the Memphis skill players.
Generals 23 VooDoo 9
New Orleans had the first shot at winning the South based on tiebreakers, and a win over New Jersey would seal the deal. The Generals were playing for home field advantage however, and did not lay down for the VooDoo. The New Jersey defense bent but didn't break, allowing just 3 FGs while Don Ferguson threw for 301 yards and 2 TD passes. Ferguson ends the season with 5,626 yards and 51 TDs, both tops in the league. WR Duncan Meyer was Ferguson's favorite target today, hauling in 6 receptions for 174 yards and 2 TDs as New Jersey wins the right to play at home in the playoffs.
Bulls 9 Stallions 6
With the New Orleans loss, next up in the tiebreakers is Birmingham. The Stallions defense did their part, limiting Jacksonville to 204 yards and forcing 3 turnovers. The Stallions offense never got going though, as Willie Benge threw 4 INTs on 20/47 passing for just 123 yards. Jacksonville wins the FG kicking contest 3-2 and they send the Stallions home for the winter.
Federals 44 Steamer 14
Shreveport now had a chance at the post season if they could beat Atlantic champ Washington, and the Steamer hung with them in the first half. George Marcil led Shreveport to touchdowns on 2 of the first 3 drives, taking a 14-10 2nd qtr lead, but Federals QB Scott Bieber found Andrew Favela for a 54 yard TD just after the 2 minute warning as Washington took a 17-14 lead into halftime.
In the second half the Washington defense stiffened up, forcing 2 interceptions and 5 punts in shutting out Shreveport. The Washington offense also responded, scoring on 5 of 7 second half possessions, with RB James Dunn scoring the last 3 TDs. Dunn caught Bieber's 2nd TD pass, then ran in a short TD in the 4th. Less than a minute later he capped the scoring after recovering his own fumble, returning it for a score. Speaking of Bieber, he was decent today, completing 16/26 for 283 yards and 2 TDs. WR Andrew Favela was the leading receiver with 4 for 141 yards and a score while RB Robert Trammell ran in a score and had a combined 127 yards (73 rushing, 54 receiving).
The Shreveport loss coupled with the losses by New Orleans and Birmingham means we have a 3 way tie for the South at 8-8, and New Orleans is declared the winner based on conference record.
Storm 20 Thunderbolts 6
Cleveland had the first shot at the #6 seed in the American Conference, and all they had to do was beat the #1 seed Portland. The Thunderbolts had a couple of early successful drives, but they couldn't put the ball in the end zone, settling for a pair of FGs. The Cleveland defense also played well early, allowing a FG following a fumble in their own territory. After the initial burst, the Portland defense went into lockdown mode while the offense finally had a couple of TD drives. The Storm's 2nd TD came early in the 3rd quarter and Portland enjoyed a 17-6 lead for most of the rest of the game until a late FG extended the lead to 14. WR Richard Robinson caught 7 for 118 yards and James Pritchard ran for 92 yards to lead the Portland offense.
Renegades 23 Invaders 6
The Cleveland loss opened the door for Oakland to claim the #6 seed but the Invaders fell behind 14-0 in the 1st half and could get no closer than 11 points the rest of the game. Orlando QB Emory Howard finished 17/22, 156 yards and a 1st qtr TD pass to Milton Pearce as the Renegades took a 7-0 lead and Ben Dehaven had a 4 yard TD run in the 2nd qtr, with 3 Scott Mueller FGs rounding out the scoring. Oakland QB Andrew Moreno did lead the Invaders inside the Orlando 10 yard line twice, but they had to settle for 3 both times, and Moreno also threw 2 INTs.
Hawaiians 34 Express 7
New Honolulu starting QB Edwin Clarkson completed 29/43 for 281 yards and 3 TDs and the Hawaiians defense held Los Angeles to 206 yards and made life rough on Express QB William Mauriello. They forced Mauriello into 2 INTs and sacked him 4 times, including twice for safeties in the 4th qtr. Rookie RB Anthony Davis led the RBBC with 59 yards, adding 93 yards and a TD on 6 receptions to lead the Honolulu skill players.
Honolulu led 20-0 at the half, getting it up to 23-0 before Los Angeles scored a TD late in the 3rd. Clarkson's 3rd TD pass extended it to 30-7 before the 2 safeties closed out the scoring as the Hawaiians claim the #6 seed, thanks to losses by Cleveland and Oakland.
Panthers 16 SaberCats 9
San Jose is suddenly ownerless as Hollyhh left the team following the loss to Michigan. Perhaps he's mad I forgot to mention that WR Mark Hsu set an all time record for most receiving yards in a season? I hope not, but anyway the Michigan defense held Hsu in check, allowing him a harmless 5 yard catch and nothing else. Michigan QB Larry Henderson fired a 41 yard TD pass to James Hills for the game's lone TD in the 2nd qtr for a 7-0 Michigan lead and the teams exchanged 3 FGs apiece the rest of the game. Henderson finished 32/50, 346 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs and Hills caught 10-127 and a TD to lead the Panthers offense.
The win gives Michigan the #3 seed, pushing San Jose down to #4.
Blitz 16 Wheels 13
Had Honolulu lost as well as Cleveland and Oakland, Chicago could have claimed the last playoff spot. The Blitz got 88 yards and a TD from Dale Davis and a Ronald Brown TD pass to Ian Gordon as they took a 14-13 lead into the 4th. Detroit shut out Chicago in the first half, but they could only muster a pair of FGs for a 6-0 lead. The Brown to Gordon TD pass gave Chicago a 7-6 lead before Flanagan put Detroit back on top with a TD pass to Matthew Houston. The Davis TD that gave Chicago the 14-13 lead came late in the 3rd qtr and from there the Blitz defense stood tall. In the 4th quarter alone the Blitz intercepted 2 passes, forced 3 three and outs and even scored a safety thanks to sacking Flanagan in the end zone.
Blazers 9 Bandits 3
Florida quietly went through the motions in this game that saw zero touchdowns scored. The Blazers got 3 FGs from Gerald Harmon and the Florida defense allowed just a single FG to defeat Tampa Bay. Bandits QB Antonio Martinez finished the year with the most INTs this season with 34, but he threw none today as he heads into an offseason full of film study. If he can cut his INTs in half, Tampa Bay could have a dangerous offense.
Maulers 33 Force 18
Georgia had 410 offensive yards but 4 turnovers hurt the cause as Pittsburgh wins to claim the top wildcard spot in the national Conference. Force QB Milton People finished 33/56, 353 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs and Ricardo Thomas lost 2 fumbles. Those turnovers led to Pittsburgh FGs and RB Chris Goldberg had a combined 187 yards and 2 TDs. Goldberg had just 35 yards and a TD on 15 carries but his 5 receptions netted 152 yards and a TD. As a team, Pittsburgh had 5 red zone trips with just 2 TDs and a FG to show for it.
Bell 33 Breakers 18
The Philadelphia offense amassed 375 yards but suffered 3 turnovers while Boston had 340 offensive yards and 7 turnovers. The Bell built a 27-9 halftime lead then held on in the second half to head into the playoffs with some positive momentum. Philadelphia ran for 205 yards as a team, with Jamie Epperson's 97 leading the way. Robert Hernandez tossed 2 TD passes to go with his 2 INTs, with Faustino Dixon catching both scores.Boston QB Adam Scales threw 2 TDs but 3 INTs while the Breakers also coughed up 4 fumbles to Philadelphia.
Gold 54 Wranglers 0
Denver took their frustrations out on Arizona today, as William Oleson and Richard Funkhouser had themselves quite a game. Oleson completed 27/40, 580 yards and 5 TD passes, 3 to Funkhouser who finished with 14 catches and 356 yards. Defensively they held Arizona to 106 total yards and helped out on the scoreboard with a sack in the end zone.
Stars 41 Hornets 16
Baltimore overcame 3 Jon Snow INTs and 12 penalties to sting the Hornets today. In between the interceptions, Snow threw for 401 yards and 5 TDs, 3 to John Warkentin, who finished with 28 on the season. That would have been a new league record but San Jose WR Mark Hsu finished this season with 29. Warkentin caught 6 for 182 yards in all. RB Orville Barker ran for 56 yards, adding 80 more on 8 catches as Baltimore misses the playoffs for the first time since 1987.
Sun 12 (NY) Stars 10
Southern California got a 1st quarter TD pass from Wilmer Kimble and a 4th qtr sack of New York QB Willie Bust in the end zone for a safety was the winning margin as the Sun beat the Stars. At the 2 minute warning, New York faced a decision on 4th down, trailing by 5. It was 4th and goal from the 14 and they opted for a FG and an onside kick. The FG was good but the onside kick was not, and New York never saw the ball again.
Gunslingers 13 Outlaws 0
San Antonio got a Randy Leger 13 yard TD run in the 1st quarter and a 5 yard Robert Fanelli TD pass to Miles Marshall in the 2nd and the Gunslingers defense did the rest in the win over Oklahoma today. Benjamin Regalado missed an XP, hence only 13 points. San Antonio intercepted 3 passes and recovered a fumble in shutting out the Outlaws. San Antonio closes out 1993 with 3 wins in a row and hope to build on that momentum in 1994.
