World Bowl XXV: New Jersey Goes Back To Back

 

 

World Bowl XXV was played in Jacksonville, Florida today between the defending champion New Jersey Generals and the Portland Storm. The Generals defeated the Storm in World Bowl XXIV last season, and both teams return for a rematch. 

The first quarter was an exchange of punts, and that continued into the 2nd. Portland finally broke through first with a 34 yard FG by Donald Atkins for a 3-0 lead in the middle of the 2nd quarter. New Jersey answered with a nice drive of their own, but they got bogged down and penalized in the red zone, so they tied the game at 3 with a 39 yard Al Borland FG. Portland RB Rigoberto Swanson lost a fumble on the ensuing drive, allowing New Jersey to take over at the Portland 42. Eight plays later, Don Ferguson found Anthony Booker for a 2 yard TD and a 10-3 lead inside the 2 minute warning. 

New Jersey got the ball to start the 3rd quarter but punted. On their second drive, they got a 55 yard FG from Al Borland to extend the lead to 13-3. Portland went three and out while New Jersey got another long Borland FG, this one from 52 yards and a 16-3 lead. Willie Benge then led Portland to a much needed TD drive, pulling within 16-10 thanks to his 43 yard TD pass to Guadalupe Navarette in the final minute of the 3rd.

New Jersey was forced to punt early in the 4th but Harry Potter magically pinned Portland at their 3 with a well placed punt and the Storm went three and out. New Jersey took over near midfield and Don Ferguson drove the Generals into the red zone. Ferguson finished the drive with a 9 yard TD pass to Franklin Cherry to extend their lead to 22-10. The 2 point try failed but New Jersey had a two score lead with 8 minutes to play. Portland went three and out, then Harry Potter pulled another wizard out of his hat, pinning Portland at their own 2. Willie Benge promptly threw an interception to Christopher Reeve, which led to a short FG and a 25-10 lead. Portland then went on an extended drive, facing a 4th and 19 inside the 2 minute warning. Benge's pass was intercepted by Private Ryan and 4 runs later, Al Borland's second 55 yard FG of the game put the icing on the cake. New Jersey wins their second consecutive World Bowl. 

There wasn't any great statistical things to talk about and MFN lists Guadalupe Navarette as the top POTW, but we don't give World Bowl MVPs to the losing team, so New Jersey QB Don Ferguson drives away with the 1999 Chevrolet Corvette.

 

1998 Conference Championships

 Today was Conference Championship day with the winners advancing to World Bowl XXV at an undisclosed location. Three of the four teams are here from last season as Shreveport was once again playing in New Jersey while Portland returns, hosting the game this time against newcomer Oklahoma. The Steamer and the Outlaws are knocking on the World Bowl door, but nobody answered them yet, as World Bowl XXV is a rematch of XXIV. The future is bright for Shreveport and Oklahoma, but they will have to wait their turn for a title at least one more season. 

Portland and New Jersey were both 15-1, #1 seed in their conference, and they had the top 2 offenses and defenses in the league in 1998. The American Conference is 20-4 all time in the World Bowl and had won 13 in a row between New Jersey's last 2 titles. The Generals will be making their 9th World Bowl, extending their league record in the process. 

So how did Portland and New Jersey reach the big game?

Portland Storm 18 Oklahoma Outlaws 13

This was a defensive struggle as neither team topped 300 yards, both teams had 2 turnovers and no offensive play was longer than 19 yards. Oklahoma went three and out their first possession and Portland faced the same fate, except they opted to go for a 4th and 1 from their own 39. The pass was incomplete, though it didn't matter since the Storm were also flagged for holding, so Oklahoma took over with great field position. Gerald Harmon's 42 yard FG gave Oklahoma the early 3-0 lead. The score remained 3-0 until the middle of the 2nd quarter when Raymond Settles threw a 19 yard TD pass to Eric Doyle. That gave the Outlaws a 10-0 lead and it looked to get bigger when Raymond Oswalt was intercepted. Oklahoma once again took over in Portland territory but Settles promptly gave the ball back with an interception of his own. Portland would drive for a 51 yard Donald Atkins FG and they would add a 39 yard FG inside the 2 minute warning to chip into the Outlaws lead.

The halftime score was 10-6 Oklahoma and the 3rd quarter saw 6 punts until Atkins 3rd FG made the score 10-9 in the final seconds of the quarter. Patrick Clark then lost a fumble, giving the ball back to the Storm. Three plays later, Jeffrey Frost fumbled but the ball went out of bounds and they kept possession, with Frost finishing the drive with an 8 yard TD run. That gave Portland a 15-10 lead so they went for two but failed. Oklahoma then went on a 14 play, 8 minute drive that came down to a decision on 4th and 2 from the Portland 14. There were just 3:29 to play and they were down 5, yet they opted for a FG to cut the lead to 15-13. It looked to be a bad decision as Portland was driving for a score, but Rigoberto Swanson lost a fumble, allowing Oklahoma to take over at their own 28. Four straight incompletions gave the ball back to Portland however, leading to another Atkins FG and an 18-13 lead. Oklahoma had enough time for 3 plays but they didn't get anywhere and Portland holds on to advance. 

New Jersey Generals 23 Shreveport Steamer 9

This game was opposite of the American Conference as both offenses put up yards and had some big chunk plays. Shreveport had 383 total yards, New Jersey 457 with both QBs topping 300 yards. The first quarter actually started out as a punt fest, with New Jersey starting their 2nd and 3rd drives inside their 10. On that 3rd drive, Don Ferguson found Franklin Cherry for an 80 yard catch and run to get into the red zone. The drive stalled from there but Al Borland made it a 3-0 game with a 25 yard FG. Borland would add a 33 yard kick for a 6-0 Generals lead after 1. The 2nd quarter was also a punt fest, though they came after a few first downs in a field position type game. Inside the 2 minute warning, New Jersey popped another big play to take a 13-0 lead as Don Ferguson found Happy Gilmore for a 62 yard TD. Shreveport had a chance to get on the scoreboard but Jeffrey Smith was wide left on a 47 yard FG try.

Shreveport got the ball for the start of the 3rd and drove for a 48 yard FG to cut the lead to 13-3. The Steamer defense got the ball back but Scott Randall lost a fumble trying for yards after the catch and the Generals took over. Four Don Ferguson passes later and the score was 20-3 after Franklin Cherry's 40 yard TD catch. Randall made up for his fumble with a 1 yard TD run early in the 4th to get within 20-9. They opted to go for 2 points but failed. New Jersey then drove for a 35 yard FG, taking over 5 minutes off the clock. Shreveport followed that with a 10 play drive but was forced to punt with 4:05 to play. They never saw the ball again as New Jersey drained the clock to advance to their 3rd straight World Bowl.

Some stats to talk about for a change. George Marcil completed 30/37 for 316 yards with Eric Bryant catching 5 for 127 yards in a losing effort. Don Ferguson was 26/38, 396 yards and 2 TDs with Franklin Cherry catching 7 for 169 yards and a TD. 

1998 Divisional Round

 Unlike the latest NFL playoffs, our Divisional Round had no drama at all with four blowouts, including three shutouts. The top 2 teams in each conference have advanced to our final four, and they all have top 10 offenses and defenses. 

Portland Storm 37 Michigan Panthers 13

It was an emotional day for Michigan as the only owner/GM the team has ever known stepped down immediately following the game. Hellbringer missed the playoffs nine of the first ten years of the league, but since then has led the Panthers to the playoffs in 10 of the last 14 seasons. While they never made it to a World Bowl in a loaded conference, they were a threat to the last 14 years.

Portland got the ball first and punted, as did Michigan. The Storm's second possession lasted 13 plays, covering 93 yards but they couldn't quite get it in the end zone. The box score says they had a 4th and 1 from the 0 yard line, so they were within inches of 7 but opted for 3. The Storm's next drive was a 12 play, 84 yard TD drive to give Portland a 10-0 lead early in the 2nd. Rigoberto Swanson did the honors with a 3 yard TD run, more about him later.

Michigan and Will Allison responded with a 10 play, 83 yard TD drive of their own. Harvey Williams caught Allison's 17 yard scoring toss to cut the lead to 10-7. Portland answered with an 8 play, 75 yard TD drive that ended with Rigoberto Swanson plunging in for his 2nd TD of the game. Portland got the ball back inside the 2 minute warning with a 17-7 lead and they seemed content with that. The Storm started the drive with a 13 yard run but opted to let the clock run. They ran the ball again on the next play and Rigoberto Swanson capped off his great first half with a 69 yard TD run, his 3rd score of the half. Swanson finished the game with 157 rushing yards on 14 carries. 

Michigan got the ball to start the second half and they did kick a FG to get within 14 points, but that's as close as they could get the rest of the game. Portland racked up 30 first downs, 557 total yards including 311 on the ground. Jeffrey Frost ran for 103 yards on 17 carries to give the Storm a pair of 100 yard rushers as Portland finds itself in the Conference Championship Game for the 2nd straight season.

Oklahoma Outlaws 24 San Jose SaberCats 0

Oklahoma set the tone for this game early with some tough defense. San Jose Owner/GM Smirt is known for his offensive prowess across MFN and his SaberCats had the 5th best offense in the league this season, but the Outlaws forced 3 turnovers and a pair of three and outs on the first 5 drives, then rode that momentum to victory.

San Jose got the ball first and went three and out. Oklahoma RB Patrick Clark would lose a fumble though, giving the SaberCats the ball in Outlaws territory. William Jung caused the fumble and recovered it for San Jose, but just two plays later, Zachary Martinez did the exact same thing to Gary Sappington. This time Oklahoma put the ball in the end zone thanks to a 57 yard Raymond Settles TD pass to Paul Wicklund for a 7-0 lead. On San Jose's next drive, Jake Plummer was intercepted by Zachary Martinez, who returned it 46 yards down to the SaberCats 13 yard line. Patrick Clark then atoned for his fumble by accounting for all 13 yards on the short TD drive, running the score in from 9 yards out. The defenses settled in for the rest of the half as Oklahoma took a 14-0 lead into the locker room.

The 3rd quarter was much of the same until Patrick Clark's 2nd TD, a 4 yard run to give Oklahoma a 21-0 lead with 21 minutes to play. The Outlaws defense carried the rest of the game and Oklahoma advances to the Conference Championship Game.  

New Jersey Generals 26 Charlotte Hornets 0

Nobody scored in the first quarter of this game, although New Jersey likely would have without this Don Ferguson interception. Ferguson had the Generals just outside of the red zone when James Brown ended the drive early. Several punts followed until New Jersey finally broke through for a TD. Don Ferguson found Happy Gilmore for a 51 yard TD and a 7-0 lead. A few more punts preceded the 2 minute warning, which saw New Jersey facing a 2nd and goal from the 4. Don Ferguson hit Anthony Booker for a 4 yard TD pass and a 14-0 halftime lead. 

The second half started with 3 three and outs, two by New Jersey, although Charlotte was pinned at their own 6. A holding penalty took the ball back to the 3, then Andy Sipowicz collared Robert Ament for a safety with a sack in the end zone. Some more three and outs followed until an Al Borland 29 yard FG early in the 4th pushed the Generals lead up to 19-0. Charlotte kicked a FG with 4:32 left but a holding penalty wiped it out and they punted. Richard Cole lost a fumble on the next Hornets possession, resulting in a Jeff Lebowski 10 yard TD run to put the icing on the cake as New Jersey hosts the Conference Championship next week.

Don Ferguson had 354 passing yards and 2 TDs for New Jersey, with WR Happy Gilmore catching 1 of the scores among his 5 for 163 yards.

Shreveport Steamer 27 Washington Federals 0

This game was over with early as Shreveport scored on all 5 first half possessions and the Steamer defense held Washington to 109 total yards. Shreveport got the ball first and drove 75 yards in 12 plays, taking a 7-0 lead on Scott Randall's 8 yard TD run. The Shreveport defense forced a three and out before the Steamer offense was at it again. This time they drove 73 yards in 10 plays with Herbert Young scoring on a 2 yard run for a quick 14-0 lead. The defense got off the field in 6 plays, allowing the offense to add a FG for a 17-0 lead before the Steamer defense had a three and out. Scott Randall sealed the game with a 73 yard TD run, putting Shreveport in control 24-0. Washington would finally drive a bit, but Steve Jones was wide right on a 52 yard FG try. Shreveport would add a FG just before halftime to take a 27-0 lead into the locker room.

The second half was uneventful as Washington had zero offensive snaps in Steamer territory and the Shreveport offense was in clock killing mode. Shreveport heads back to New Jersey for the Conference Championship for the second consecutive season.

RB Scott Randall had 24 carries, 217 yards and 2 TDs. The 217 yards is the 3rd most in USFL post season history, behind Jake Peralta's 272 for Denver in 1991 and the 252 yards Jose Moses put up for Portland in 1993. Randall also caught 5 for 54 yards, earning top POTW honors.

1998 Wildcard Weekend National Conference

 Now let's take a look at the 3 wildcard games from the National Conference.

Washington Federals 13 Georgia Force 9

The first quarter was a defensive struggle as the first four drives ended with a punt. On the fifth drive, Georgia had a 3rd and 11 from their own 20. Glen Hampton ran for 13 yards but lost the ball on a fumble, giving Washington the first break just before the end of the 1st quarter. The Federals promptly lost 12 yards on first down, and they ended up having to punt. Georgia finally put a drive together after the punt, getting a FG for a 3-0 lead. Washington answered with a FG of their own to tie the game, then the Federals defense got the ball right back, intercepting Robert Hernandez. That lead to another FG and Washington led 6-3 at the half.

The 3rd qtr started with a couple of punts before Tristan Arnold threw an INT. Robert Hernandez and the running game drove Georgia to the cusp of the end zone but the Federals defense hung tough, forcing a FG and we were now tied at 6. More punts followed until 9:07 left in the game when Georgia kicked a FG to take the lead, 9-6. Each team then had a three and out before Tristan Arnold came up with the play of the game, finding Roy Montanez for an 82 yard catch and run TD to give the Federals a 13-9 lead. Georgia drove near the Washington red zone where they faced a 4th and 8 from the 27. A FG would only cut the lead to 1 point and there was less than 3 minutes to play, so they went for it. The Washington defense held but Georgia would get a final chance. That didn't work out as the coaching staff ran the ball the final 2 plays with no timeouts and needing a TD. The fact Robert Hernandez and Marvin Reyna botched the handoff is immaterial as they should have been airing it out. Washington hangs on for the victory, advancing to the Divisional Round. 

Charlotte Hornets 22 Jacksonville Bulls 19 (OT)

The game started with a pair of three and outs before Jacksonville scored first with a FG. Charlotte tied the game at 3 on a Fred Boyce 52 yard FG early in the 2nd quarter. Jacksonville followed that with an 11 play drive that ended in a FG and a 6-3 Bulls lead. Charlotte answered with an 8 play drive that ended with a 15 yard TD run by David Delgadillo and a 2 point run by William Bonner to give the Hornets an 11-6 halftime lead.

Charlotte punted on their first drive of the second half, while Jacksonville needed but 1 play to take the lead back. Derek Joyce found Johnny Pritchett for a 65 yard TD pass and the XP made the score 13-11. There were more punts until the middle of the 4th when Salvador Denison nailed a 51 yard FG to give Jacksonville a 16-11 lead. Charlotte's offense went three and out but the defense got the ball right back. Rodney James intercepted Derek Joyce, setting up the Hornets inside the red zone. Three plays later, Dennis Baird ran it in from 9 yards out and Mark McDuffie ran in the 2 point conversion to give Charlotte a 19-16 lead. Derek Joyce threw another INT on the following drive but Robert Ament returned the favor with an INT of his own. That led to a Salvador Denison 49 yard FG with 1:42 left and we were tied at 19. 

Regulation time ended in a 19 all tie so we had overtime. Jacksonville won the coin toss but went three and out, never seeing the ball again. That's because Charlotte drove the ball into the red zone and Fred Boyce booted the game winning 34 yard FG, sending Charlotte to the Divisional Round for the first time in franchise history.

Shreveport Steamer 20 Florida Blazers 17

Shreveport began the game with a three and out before Florida went on an 11 play FG drive to take an early 3-0 lead. Shreveport followed that up with a 13 play FG drive to tie the game at 3 early in the 2nd. With about 5 minutes left in the half, Guillermo McDaniel scored on a 6 yard TD run to give Shreveport a 10-3 lead they took into halftime.

Florida got the ball to start the second half and on the 3rd play of the drive Mathew Fisher intercepted Willie Graham to give Shreveport the ball in Florida territory. Seven plays later Scott Randall scored on a 5 yard run, pushing the Steamer lead to 17-3. Florida went three and out then Shreveport drove for a FG and a 20-3 lead late in the 3rd. Florida had another three and out but the Blazers defense got the ball right back on a Guillermo McDaniel fumble. It took Willie Graham 2 pass plays to get into the end zone and the 13 yard pass to Vicente Martinez made the score 20-10 entering the 4th.

Midway through the 4th, Willie Graham threw his 2nd TD pass, this one covering 12 yards to Perry Salgado to get the Blazers within 20-17. Florida got the ball back after a three and out but the Blazers could not cross midfield and Shreveport ran out the clock to win and advance.

1998 Wildcard Weekend American Conference

 The road to World Bowl XXV began today with 6 Wildcard games. Last season's champions New Jersey earned the bye in the National Conference while last season's American Conference champion Portland also earned a bye. Will World Bowl XXV be a rematch of XXIV, or will one of the contenders step up? There are 6 games to write about instead of 4 so I'll dive right in.

Michigan Panthers 16 Los Angeles Express 9

This game had 6 turnovers, all but 1 were fumbles, and it was a generally ugly game. Los Angeles got the first break, recovering a Lawrence Schroeder fumble to take over in the red zone. The Express faced a 4th and goal from the 1 when they opted for a short FG and a 3-0 lead. Fred Russell was intercepted on the next drive (his only pass of the game) and the Express were driving for more points when the 1st quarter ended. The drive stalled early in the 2nd and another FG made the score 6-0 Los Angeles. 

Michigan got on the scoreboard with a 2 yard TD run by Iceberg Lettuce late in the 2nd to take a 7-6 lead into halftime.

Early in the 3rd, Michigan punted and pinned Los Angeles deep. The Panthers almost got the ball as Gordon Auyeung fumbled but teammate Alfredo Stewart fell on the loose ball, keeping possession. Raymond Straight fumbled on 2nd down however, and Michigan took over in the red zone. Iceberg Lettuce returned the favor on 2nd down, losing a fumble and giving the ball back to Los Angeles. On 2nd down, again, Jeffrey Marker stopped the fumble train by sacking David Tavarez in the end zone for a safety and a 9-6 lead. Michigan took the free kick and drove 69 yards in 3 plays, with Iceberg Lettuce scoring his 2nd TD of the game on a 7 yard pass from Will Allison. 

The score was 16-6 Michigan after 3 but Iceberg Lettuce fumbled again, leading to another FG for the Express to get them within a TD. Los Angeles had 2 more chances to tie or win with a 2 point conversion, but one drive ended with a fumble and the other on downs and Michigan holds on and advances.

San Jose SaberCats 30 Houston Gamblers 6

Is this Tony Dean's last game? We'll find out after the end of season spin, but if it is Dean's last game, the 6 time Champion went out with a thud. The Houston defense kept them in the game despite the offense being unable to sustain drives, going three and out their first 3 drives. San Jose was tiring the defense out with an 11 play and a 13 play drive, but the SaberCats only had FGs, leading 6-0 early in the 2nd. Dean finally had the gamblers driving when he was intercepted in San Jose territory. San Jose took over and got a 7 yard TD run by Gary Sappington and a 2 point run to take a 14-0 lead into halftime.

Early in the 3rd San Jose went for it on 4th down on their own 30 and failed, giving Dean great field position. A TD here and maybe it's a different game but the SaberCats defense forced a FG and still led 14-3. San Jose followed that with a killer 19 play, 75 yard drive featuring a pair of 4th down conversions. David Hartwig capped the drive with a 3 yard TD run while Sappington ran in the 2 point try, increasing the lead to 22-3. 

The 4th quarter saw a flurry of INTs as Dean threw his 2nd INT, 3 plays later Jake Plummer was intercepted, then Dean threw his 3rd INT to allow San Jose to take over with a 1st and goal from the 7. Plummer then found Milton Schwab for a 5 yard TD pass and another 2 point run made the score 30-3. Houston would add a FG but it was too little, too late as San Jose advances.

Oklahoma Outlaws 30 Memphis Showboats 7

The game began with 3 punts before Oklahoma scored first on a Raymond Settles 47 yard TD pass to Eric Doyle for a 7-0 lead. Memphis RB Clyde Belcher lost a fumble on the next drive and two plays later, Settles found Doyle for a 61 yard TD pass and a 14-0 lead. Memphis would cut the lead in half thanks to a 31 yard Eric McNamee TD pass to Wayne Ross midway through the 2nd quarter. 

The 3rd quarter began with Oklahoma leading 14-7 and this half also began with 3 consecutive punts. On the 4th drive, McNamee had Memphis just outside the red zone before he threw an interception to kill the drive. A couple more punts followed before Raymond Settles found Patrick Clark for a 71 yard catch and run. Clark was caught from behind but Jim Voss finished off the last 4 yards with a TD run to extend the lead to 21-7. Oklahoma added a FG early in the 4th to make it 24-7, then another on the next drive to make it 27-7. The Outlaws added 3 more points inside the 2 minute warning to advance to the Divisional Round.

Raymond Settles finished 23/38, 386 yards and 2 TD passes. Eric Doyle caught both scores as part of his 4-116 game while Patrick Clark caught 5 for 108.