2000 Conference Championships: First Time Champ Coming

 Each conference final featured a previous league champion against a team without a championship, and now we'll have a first time champion after the World Bowl. The San Jose SaberCats got a last second FG to defeat the Portland Storm, and they advance to play the New Orleans VooDoo, who outlasted the New Jersey Generals. 

San Jose SaberCats 20 Portland Storm 18

Portland got the ball first and punted, then we had a wild play on San Jose's first snap from scrimmage. Jake Plummer was intercepted by Wade Mullinix, who returned it 9 yards before Plummer hit him and knocked the ball loose. LG Dalton Risner fell on the loose ball and it's 1st down all over again. That drive ended with a punt that pinned the Storm at their own 2, and a few plays later the SaberCats defense intercepted Raymond Oswalt. Raymond Moore got the interception which led to a Craig Icenhour 1 yard TD. The 2 point run failed, keeping the score 6-0 San Jose. Oswalt would be intercepted again on Portland's next play, leading to a FG and a 9-0 SaberCats lead early in the 2nd quarter.

The balance of the half was mostly punts, but Portland did convert a 4th and 1 to keep a drive alive that ended with a 42 yard FG and a halftime score of 9-3 San Jose.

San Jose got the ball to start the 3rd quarter and drove for a TD thanks to Eric Tanner's 17 yard run. Tanner also ran in the 2 point conversion, pushing the SaberCats lead to 17-3. Portland would answer with a FG to cut the lead to 17-6, but it wasn't easy as they had to convert two more 4th and 1 plays to get these 3 points. The Storm defense got the ball back for the offense, and they were driving as we switched to the 4th quarter. 

Early in the 4th, Raymond Oswalt's 1 yard TD pass to Guadalupe Navarrette cut the deficit to 17-12, and the 2 point pass failed. Portland's next drive ended with Oswalt's 3rd INT of the game and San Jose was already in scoring range. Their drive stalled and the 37 yard FG try was wide left, leaving the score 17-12 with just under 7 minutes to play. Each team then went three and out before Portland started driving toward a score. At the 2 minute warning Portland faced a 2nd and 8 from the San Jose 10, and eventually faced a 4th and 2 from the 4. John Gill got the first down and almost a touchdown, but he was marked short of the goal line. Robert Byrd ran in the score on the next play and the 2 point pass failed, but Portland now had the lead 18-17. Jake Plummer had a little more than a minute to get into FG range and he wasted little time, finding Craig Icenhour for 13 yards, then David Barfield for 51. That set up a first and ten from the 11 and a few runs set up the game winning 19 yard FG by Robert Rodriguez to send San Jose to their first ever World Bowl.

New Orleans VooDoo 31 New Jersey Generals 24

New Jersey had more yards (412-383), more time of possession (+ 17 minutes), the better rushing attack and a better 3rd down rate (7/18 vs 2/11), yet they still lost the game. Turnovers were even as both QBs threw 3 INTs, but the Generals defense had no answer for Benjamin Jones today. Jones caught 6 passes for 256 yards and 3 TDs to single handedly lead the VooDoo to the World Bowl. 

There were other contributors of course, but there is no doubt who got the game ball. New Jersey got the ball first and were just outside the red zone when Don Ferguson threw interception #1. The rest of the quarter was punting until the Generals defense intercepted Charles Crase to start the 2nd.That drive started just inside VooDoo territory and David Koresh finished the drive with a short TD plunge for a 7-0 New Jersey lead. A couple of punts later, Charles Crase found his man Benjamin Jones for a 68 yard TD to tie the game at 7 midway through the 2nd quarter. Don Ferguson would then throw interception #2 but the Generals intercepted Crase for the 2nd time, leading to an Al Borland FG and a 10-7 lead. On the Generals next drive, Ferguson threw interception #3, leading to a Harry Charles 1 yard TD run and a 14-10 halftime lead.

New Orleans got the ball to start the 3rd and wasted little time extending their lead, as Crase hit Jones for another long TD, this one 75 yards on the first play of the drive. Crase would throw interception #3 on the next drive, which led to another FG for New Jersey to make the score 21-13 VooDoo. New Orleans would add a FG in the quarter for a 24-13 lead entering the 4th.

With about 10 minutes to go, Ferguson threw a 4 yard TD pass to Paul Cox and a David Koresh 2 point run made the score 24-21. The New Jersey defense got to sit for 12 plays while the offense ground out a drive, but the VooDoo offense also got to rest, meaning Benjamin Jones had fresh legs. Those fresh legs took a Crase pass 75 yards for a TD on the very next play to kill any momentum New Jersey had just gained. The lead now 10, New Jersey went on a 10 play FG drive to get within 31-24 with 5:32 to play. The Generals defense would hold to give Ferguson a chance to tie the game, and after the first play, things were looking good for New Jersey. Ferguson found Anthony Booker for a 52 yard gain and the clock was not a factor yet. The Generals would only gain 5 more yards however, turning the ball over on downs. They would have one last, desperate chance at the end, but they went nowhere and New Orleans hold on to advance to the World Bowl.

2000 Divisional Round: Road to World Bowl XXVII

 Our Divisional Round is now complete and we have our final 4 teams. In the American Conference we have the Portland Storm looking for their 4th World Bowl title traveling to San Jose, where the SaberCats are trying to reach their first ever World Bowl. In the National Conference we have New Jersey trying to even up their World Bowl record and if they do it will be the Generals' 5th title. They have to travel to New Orleans to play the VooDoo who are looking for their first World Bowl title after losing their first 3 times there.

San Jose SaberCats 27 Los Angeles Express 13

San Jose QB Jake Plummer led the league in passing yards (5,490) and TD passes (47) so of course the SaberCats ran the ball 59 times versus 17 pass attempts. On their 3rd play from scrimmage, David Hartwig lost a fumble, leading to a Los Angeles FG and a 3-0 Express lead. On San Jose's 2nd drive, they went for it on a 4th and 12 in their own end and turned it over on downs. That led to another Express FG and Los Angeles led 6-0 after 1 quarter. 

Before the end of the 1st, San Jose started their 3rd possession and kept running the ball. In fact they went the whole 1st quarter without attempting a single pass. Jake Plummer's first pass came early in the 2nd quarter and the SaberCats got a FG to cut the lead in half. San Jose forced a three and out before Jake Plummer gave the ball right back to L.A. with an interception. David Tavarez completed the drive with a 9 yard TD pass to Sidney Chavis to take a 13-3 lead. That would be our halftime score as Jake Plummer threw his 2nd INT and the other drives ended in punts.

San Jose got the ball to start the second half and it looked like they were going to keep the ball the entire 3rd quarter. The SaberCats kept the ball nearly 8 and a half minutes, using 17 plays to go 88 yards with Craig Icenhour getting the TD run from 1 yard out. Icenhour also ran in the 2 point try and the Express lead was now just 13-11. Los Angeles finally got the ball in the 3rd, but promptly gave it back 2 plays later as Ryan Greenway fumbled trying for yards after the catch and San Jose recovered. Jake Plummer would cash that in for an 11 yard TD pass to John Gates and another 2 point run gave San Jose a 19-13 lead. Los Angeles went three and out on their next drive and would only run 5 offensive plays the entire 3rd quarter. 

Early in the 4th, David Tavarez threw an interception deep in his own end which led to a Harold Hedberg 4 yard TD run. David Barfield ran in his 2nd 2 point run of the game and the SaberCats lead was now 27-13. Los Angeles would get the ball 2 more times, punting once and turning it over on downs as San Jose advances to the Conference Championship Game.

Portland Storm 33 Memphis Showboats 24

This game was an odd one for version 4.6. Neither team ran the ball well as they averaged less than 3 yards a carry, but both teams had 300 yard passers. Portland built a 30-0 lead through 3 quarters plus before Memphis stormed back to make a game of it. 

Portland got the ball first but was forced to punt. Patrick Buck fielded the punt but fumbled, giving the ball back to Portland. The Storm then marched to the end zone where Robert Byrd ran in the TD from 2 yards out and a 7-0 lead. Memphis QB Kenneth Anderson was intercepted on the next drive, leading to a Raymond Oswalt 17 yard TD pass to Guadalupe Navarrette and a 14-0 lead. Memphis then went three and out before intercepting Oswalt on the Storm's next play, leading to a FG attempt. Gary Ridgeway was wide right on the 40 yard try and the score remained 14-0. 

In the 2nd quarter Portland would add a FG for a 17-0 lead, force a three and out, then add another FG for a 20-0 lead. Three more punts and Portland had the ball inside the 2 minute warning. Raymond Oswalt drove the Stom down the field and completed the drive with a 22 yard TD pass to Perry Salgado for a 27-0 halftime lead. 

The 3rd quarter was uneventful and scoreless, the exact opposite of the 4th quarter. Portland kicked a FG early in the 4th to take a seemingly insurmountable 30-0 lead. Kenneth Anderson finally got Memphis on the scoreboard with a 69 yard TD pass to Wayne Ross to trail 30-7. The Showboats defense forced a three and out but Anderson threw an interception to kill the drive. Memphis held on defense again and the offense would add a FG to trail 30-10 with 8 minutes to play. When Memphis got the ball back again, Anderson threw a 76 yard TD pass to Daniel Lorenz and now they only trailed 30-17 with over 6 minutes to go. Memphis forced another punt and could have used another quick strike score. Instead, the Portland defense forced Memphis to use clock. Kenneth Anderson would find Jeremy Wheatley for a 38 yard TD, and the score was now 30-24 with 1:40 to play. The onside kick failed, leading to a Portland FG and a 9 point lead 33-24. Memphis would get the ball back but there was too little time to overcome the deficit and the game clock ran out. Portland hangs on to face San Jose for the right to play in World Bowl XXVII.

New Orleans VooDoo 24 Charlotte Hornets 0

Charlotte got the ball first but a fumble by William Holmes gave the ball to New Orleans in good field position. The VooDoo faced a 4th and 1 from the Charlotte 22 where Harry Charles fumbled. New Orleans would recover their own fumble and Charles Crase threw a 20 yard TD pass to Mitchell Allen on the next play for a 7-0 lead. Early in the 2nd quarter New Orleans took possession at their own 17 yard line. Thirteen plays and 7:20 later, Harry Charles 1 yard TD run gave the VooDoo a 14-0 lead they would take into halftime.

New Orleans got the ball to start the 3rd quarter and Crase led another TD drive, ending it with a 25 yard pass to Mitchell Allen, the pair's 2nd scoring connection of the game. Charlotte had success running the ball today, but trailing 21-0 they needed Robert Ament to complete some passes, and he wasn't up to the challenge. The 4th quarter was basically running out the clock as the Hornets never even reached the red zone or tried a FG the whole game. New Orleans added a FG for a final score of 24-0 and the VooDoo stay at home for the Conference Championship to play the winner of our next game. 

New Jersey Generals 16 Orlando Renegades 7

New Jersey got the ball first with Don Ferguson leading a FG drive for a 3-0 lead. The Generals second possession ended with Ferguson tossing a 3 yard TD pass to Malcolm "In the Middle" Wilkerson and a 10-0 lead. New Jersey's 3rd possession took the game into the 2nd quarter and another Al Borland FG gave the Generals a 13-0 lead.

Orlando would answer with a 13 play, 75 yard drive that ended on a 17 yard TD pass by Trey Lyons to Lyle Opitz, cutting the lead to 13-7 and it looked like we might have a shootout on our hands. In fact New Jersey drove deep into Orlando territory looking for more points when William Kimble intercepted Ferguson to keep the score 13-7 New Jersey.

Any thoughts of a shootout quickly died as the teams opted to have a punting competition in the second half. They exchanged punts through the entire 3rd quarter and most of the 4th before Al Borland's 3rd FG of the game gave New Jersey a 16-7 lead inside the 2 minute warning. Trey Lyons tossed an interception in hurry up mode, then New Jersey ran out the clock to advance to play New Orleans for a chance at their 10th World Bowl.  

2000 Wildcard Round: Road to World Bowl XXVII

 Fourteen teams started out with dreams of getting to and winning World Bowl XXVII but for most it will remain just a dream. Wildcard Weekend is now over and we must say goodbye to six teams, one of which is our defending champs Houston. The American Conference had all 3 favorites lose as Houston, Chicago, and Oklahoma were all 7 point betting favorites. The National Conference went about as expected with the 2 favorites winning and the 3rd game had an even point spread. 

Portland Storm 29 Oklahoma Outlaws 24

Portland was the home team but they were 7 point underdogs against Oklahoma and the Storm seemed to take that personally. Portland got the scoring started with a FG on their second possession, then followed that up with an interception of Oklahoma QB Raymond Settles. Wade Mullinix did the honors, returning it to the Outlaws 15, setting up the Storm inside the red zone. It took Portland all of 1 play to increase their lead to 10-0 as John Gill ran it in for the TD. It didn't take long for the Outlaws to get back in the game as Ricardo Horton took the kickoff 110 yards for a TD, cutting the lead to 10-7. The 110 yard return ties the all time post season record first set by Pittsburgh's John Murray way back in 1978. This was the first 110 yard return since then. Oklahoma would add a FG to make the score 10-10 as we entered the 2nd quarter.

Portland would take a 13-10 lead with a 2nd qtr FG before Oklahoma went on a long, time consuming drive to take the lead inside the 2 minute warning. Raymond Settles found Paul Wicklund for the 5 yard TD for a 17-13 lead. Portland had a little more than a minute to work with and they would settle for a 52 yard FG to make the halftime score 17-16 Oklahoma.

Oklahoma would get the ball to start the second half but Raymond Settles threw his 2nd INT on the first play of the drive, and Jesse Marshall returned it to the Outlaws 9 yard line. The Oklahoma defense knocked down 3 straight passes, forcing a FG. The kick was good and Portland now led 19-17, although it could have been worse for Oklahoma. Midway through the 3rd, Raymond Settles threw his 3rd INT of the game, and this time Portland cashed it in for a TD. Raymond Oswalt found Steve Haywood for a 25 yard TD pass and the XP made the score 26-17 Portland. As the 3rd quarter was winding down, Wade Mullinix struck again for his 2nd INT of the game and the 4th thrown by Settles. That led to another FG and a 29-17 lead entering the 4th. 

Early in the 4th following a punt inside the 10, Raymond Oswalt returned the favor with an INT deep in his own end. Michael Brown was the culprit and he returned it 4 yards to the Storm 5. It took Settles 1 play to get the Outlaws back in the game with a 5 yard scoring toss to Patrick Clark, and the XP made the score 29-24. Several punts followed until Portland faced a 4th and 2 from the Oklahoma 41 with less than 4 minutes to play. The Storm were too far for a FG so they opted to go for it rather than punt. It didn't work but it also didn't hurt as the Storm defense forced a 3 and out. Portland was once again pinned inside their own 10 and on the first play after the 2 minute warning, Richard Robinson fumbled. Just like the previous 2 fumbles by teammate David Smith, this one was recovered by the offense, denying Oklahoma a golden opportunity to win the game. The Outlaws would get the ball back near midfield following the punt, but Settles was intercepted for the 5th time today, 3rd time by Wade Mullinix. That would seal the deal as Portland ran out the clock to advance to the next round.

Memphis Showboats 36 Chicago Blitz 10

Memphis kicked 2 early FGs for a 6-0 lead before the Showboats QB Kenneth Anderson got sacked by Philip McCray and fumbled, with McCray falling on the ball at the Memphis 25. Chicago QB Dwayne Byrd found Ian Gordon for a 10 yard TD to give the Blitz a 7-6 lead after a quarter. Early in the 2nd, Chicago punted, pinning Memphis at their own 11. Kenneth Anderson then hit Paul Davis as he got behind the defense and raced to the end zone for an 89 yard TD to retake the lead 13-7. Memphis got the ball back and went on a 14 play drive that seemed destined to end in points for the Showboats until Anderson was intercepted by Abdul Strout, keeping the score 13-7 as we hit halftime.

Memphis took control of the game in the 3rd quarter, going on a long FG drive to lead 16-7, intercepting Byrd which led to another FG, and a 14 play TD drive capped off by a Clyde Belcher 2 yard run for a 26-7 lead early in the 4th. Patrick Buck put the final nail in the coffin with an 87 yard punt return TD, making the score 33-7. Buck's return was the 3rd punt return for a TD in league postseason history and it was the longest ever. Each team would add a FG for a final score of 36-10 as Memphis advances to play at Portland next week.

Los Angeles Express 13 Houston Gamblers 10

This game was a defensive struggle and the first half ended in a 3-3 tie. Houston QB Bryan Franklin led the Gamblers to a FG on their opening drive, but also threw 2 INTs, one of which set up Los Angeles for their first half FG. The Express couldn't run the ball all game long and they only had 64 total yards at halftime.

Early in the 3rd Express QB David Tavarez was intercepted by Robert Davis to set the Gamblers up with a short field at the L.A. 25. Gary Sappington ran it in from 2 yards out for the game's first TD and a 10-3 Houston lead. Several punts followed until the middle of the 4th, when Brian Haworth's 28 yard FG cut the Gamblers lead to 10-6. As time wound down, Los Angeles went for a 4th and 1 from their own 35 where Tavarez was sacked, giving Houston the ball just outside the red zone. Bryan Franklin and the running game pushed the ball toward the goal line before Franklin was intercepted in the end zone by Richard Blanco. Los Angeles took over at their own 20, needing a TD in 1:45. They almost got the TD real quick as Tavarez completed a pass to Sidney Chavis, who raced toward the end zone before getting caught from behind at the Houston 1 by Robert Patton. The Express were out of timeouts and they committed a false start, pushing the ball back to the 6. A completion on 1st down got the ball just short of the goal line and 2 knocked down passes set up a 4th and goal with 0:14 left. Tavarez completed the 4th down pass to Herman Stevens and the short TD gave Los Angeles the upset win against the defending champs. The Express now have a date with division rival San Jose.

Charlotte Hornets 20 Jacksonville Bulls 10

Jacksonville got the game's first big break, recovering a William Holmes fumble to set up a FG for an early 3-0 lead. Holmes would lose another fumble in the first quarter as the Hornets were approaching FG range and the quarter would end 3-0 Bulls. Early in the 2nd, Anthony Gray's 5 yard run gave Charlotte a 6-3 lead and the 2 point try failed. Derek Joyce would give Jacksonville the lead back before halftime with a 2 yard TD pass to Johnny Pritchett to make the score 10-6.

Late in the 3rd quarter, William Bonner ran in a 3 yard TD and a 2 point pass gave Charlotte the lead back, 14-10. We had an exchange of fumbles soon after which resulted in no points, then Charlotte tacked on a pair of FGs in the 4th and the Hornets win 20-10 to advance.

Orlando Renegades 36 Birmingham Stallions 3

This game was competitive in the first half as they exchanged FGs at the end of the first/beginning of the second quarters for an early 3-3 tie. Orlando took the lead for good with a 1 yard George Hogue TD run and the Renegades led 10-3 at the half.

Nothing went right for Birmingham on either side of the ball in the second half. Orlando got the ball first and needed 1 play for a 75 yard TD pass from Trey Lyons to Jason Amen. Birmingham's second half possessions ended with a punt, INT, INT, punt, INT and end of the game. Orlando would go on to score on every second half drive, with Scott Mueller adding 4 FGs after the long TD and Anthony Graves getting a 2 yard TD run as Orlando advances to the next round. 

New Jersey Generals 23 Boston Breakers 0

Boston won the first ever East Division title back in 1974, but since then the Breakers have had to watch the playoffs every year after until now. Their reward was a trip to face division rival New Jersey, the franchise with the most playoff games in the league, and a team who has had the Breakers number time and time again. It went about as expected, as Boston had trouble moving the ball and stopping the move the chains Generals offense. 

New Jersey got a 14 yard TD pass from Don Ferguson to Steve Ransome on their opening drive for a 7-0 lead, then added a FG on the next drive. Boston's defense would settle down for a bit after this, but the Breakers offense couldn't sustain drives. New Jersey would add a 2nd quarter FG for a 13-0 halftime lead and the score would remain that way until the 4th. Don Ferguson's 2nd TD pass came with 5:18 left, a 21 yard pass to Franklin Cherry and the 2 point run made the score 21-0 Generals. The scoring ended with a sack in the end zone by an undisclosed Generals defensive player inside the 2 minute warning and New jersey will host Orlando next week.

World Bowl XXVI: Eight Is Great For Houston

 World Bowl XXVI was played in New Orleans as the Orlando Renegades played their first World Bowl against 7 time champion Houston. For 3 quarters the teams were locked in a defensive struggle as Orlando took a 6-3 lead into the 4th quarter. That lead would eventually be 12-3 before Houston outscored Orlando 13-3 in the final 3:08 to break the Renegade's hearts and hoist the trophy for the 8th time in franchise history. 

Houston Gamblers 16 Orlando Renegades 15

The teams were feeling each other out the first few drives with neither team gaining many yards until Houston entered the red zone late in the 1st. Gus "Hightest" Gas lost a fumble at the Orlando 11, costing the Gamblers at least 3 points. Fifteen game minutes went by before our next scoring chance. Houston thought they had a 1st down on 3rd and 10 but the measurement came up just short, so they sent Earl Castro out for a 27 yard FG and a 3-0 lead. Trey Lyons led Orlando on a FG drive inside the 2 minute warning to tie the game and had a golden opportunity arise on the kickoff. Gary Sappington fumbled the ball on the return, and while they didn't get a TD, they did add a Scott Mueller FG for a 6-3 halftime lead. 

Midway through the 3rd, Houston faced a 4th and 1 from the Orlando 15 and they opted to go for it rather than tie the game with a FG. The pass was complete to Sappington but again the measurement came up short, giving the ball to Orlando on downs. More punts followed and our score was still 6-3 as we entered the 4th quarter.

Scott Mueller booted his 3rd FG for a 9-3 Orlando lead, then Bryan Franklin threw an interception on the next offensive snap. The Renegades drove all the way down to the Houston 2, where on 4th and goal, they opted for another Mueller FG and a 12-3 lead with just over 5 minutes to play. Franklin drove the Gamblers into Orlando territory where they faced a 4th and 7 from the 39. Houston went for it and not only did they get the first down, Jim Dallas didn't stop until he hit the end zone. That Bryan Franklin TD pass got the Gamblers within 12-10 but the onside kick failed. Orlando didn't move the ball much but they did get a 5th Scott Mueller FG to take a 15-10 lead just inside the 2 minute warning. 

Franklin only needed 5 plays to drive the Gamblers to the game winning touchdown. He completed 3 of 4 to cross midfield, and on the 5th play he found Gus "Hightest" Gas along the sideline and Gas floored it to the end zone. The 2 point try was no good but Houston now led 16-15, although some might say they scored too quick. They left just over a minute on the clock for Lyons and the Renegades but the drive stalled at midfield. Houston took over on downs and their 8th World Bowl victory was secured.

Bryan Franklin was named MVP, and his 32/48, 331 yard, 2 TD, 1 INT performance earned him a brand new 2000 Chevrolet Corvette.

 Steve Austin (9-111) and Gus Gas (6-100-1) had 100 yard games receiving for the Gamblers, and they might request to borrow that Corvette from time to time, especially Gas as they were strongly considered for MVP honors. 

 

1999 Conference Championships: Houston Seeks 8th Title, Orlando Their First

 It's World Bowl time again, and the 26th title game in league history features the Houston Gamblers, seeking their 8th World Bowl against the Orlando Renegades. Orlando will be playing in their first World Bowl and are hoping to continue the National Conference's winning streak. The American Conference is 20-5 overall in World Bowl history but it was worse for the National Conference a couple years ago as the New Jersey Generals reversed the trend and won the last 2. 

Houston's road to the World Bowl began with a Wildcard win over Honolulu, then a Division Round win over Portland before they beat Oklahoma to get here. Orlando started their journey with a Wildcard win over Georgia, then a Divisional Round win against Shreveport put them in the Conference Championship where they sent Washington home. 

As I type this, both teams are being whisked away to an as yet undisclosed location to play the World Bowl. How do the fans buy tickets to a game they don't know where it's at until it's over? That's a question for another day, so let's now answer the question of how Houston and Orlando won their games.

Houston Gamblers 16 Oklahoma Outlaws 10

Oklahoma got the ball first and drove 10 plays for a FG and an early 3-0 lead. Houston's first drive ended on downs after a 4th and 1 at the edge of FG range failed, keeping the score 3-0. From there we had a three and out for Oklahoma, an exchange of interceptions and a three and out for Houston. This took us into the 2nd quarter and Oklahoma faced a 4th and 1 from the Houston 19. The Outlaws opted for the FG but Gerald Harmon was wide right, keeping the score 3-0. The rest of the half was uneventful and Oklahoma took that 3-0 lead into the locker room. 

Houston got the ball to start the second half and had an 11 play FG drive to tie the game at 3. That drive took half of the 3rd quarter and Oklahoma's Raymond Settles threw his second INT on the Outlaws first drive of the second half. That one didn't hurt either, but after a three and out, Settles threw INT #3. This one hurt as Houston took over at the Outlaws 25 and Steve Austin ran in a 9 yard TD to give Houston their first lead of the game. 

The 4th quarter began with Houston leading 10-3 and Raymond Settle's 4th interception led to another Gamblers FG and a 13-3 lead. On the Outlaws next offensive play, Settles found Glenn Sprinkle for a 75 yard catch and run TD to bring Oklahoma closer, trailing 13-10. The next 3 drives were all punts and Oklahoma had less than 2 minutes to get the tying FG or go ahead TD. It took all of 1 play for that to come crashing down as Settles threw his 5th INT of the game. Houston would add an Earl Castro FG, leaving just 13 seconds for the Outlaws to attempt to pull out a miracle win. It didn't happen and the Houston Gamblers advance to the franchise's 8th World Bowl.

Orlando Renegades 24 Washington Federals 10

Orlando took an early 3-0 lead on their second drive of the game and most of the first half was a defensive struggle. Toward the end of the 2nd quarter, Marcus Ricketts lost a fumble, giving Orlando the ball in Federals territory. A few plays later Trey Lyons fired a 25 yard TD pass to Rufus Williams, giving the Renegades a 10-0 lead they would take into halftime.

Washington came out of halftime determined to get back in the game and they went on a 12 play drive that ended with Jeff Rosado's 1 yard TD run, cutting the lead to 10-7. Orlando answered with a 9 play TD drive of their own. Trey Lyons threw his 2nd TD pass, this one 23 yards to David Beegle and a 17-7 lead. The Renegades defense forced a three and out before Lyons led a 10 play TD drive. Anthony Milan's 6 yard TD run gave Orlando a commanding 24-7 lead early in the 4th. Washington couldn't get anything going until they got a FG at the 2 minute warning to get within 14 points and they recovered the onside kick. The Federals turned it over on downs and the Renegades killed the clock to advance to the franchise's first ever World Bowl.

1999 Divisional Round

 We are down to our final four teams and we'll have a new champion this season as the two time defending champs New Jersey Generals were eliminated by the Washington Federals. Three of the remaining four teams have never won a championship while the Houston Gamblers are seeking World Bowl victory #8. 

Oklahoma Outlaws 12 San Jose SaberCats 0

Football is a strange game sometimes. San Jose has been one of the best teams in the league the last 2 seasons, yet they've been bounced from the playoffs in shutout fashion two years in a row by the Oklahoma Outlaws. Do the Outlaws have San Jose's playbook? Whatever the reason, Oklahoma's defense has found a way to neutralize the SaberCats offense.

Jake Plummer was intercepted on San Jose's first drive, which led to the first of four Gerald Harmon FGs as Oklahoma took an early 3-0 lead. The Outlaws would add 2 more FGs in the first half for a 9-0 lead at the break. The Outlaws defense didn't allow a play longer than 21 yards and they kept San Jose out of the red zone. 

There are no highlights from this game as Oklahoma had no big offensive plays either. They just methodically moved the ball, kicked a few FGs and played lockdown defense. The Outlaws got their last FG after San Jose turned the ball over on downs late in the game. Oklahoma now advances to the Conference Championship Game against the winner of our next game.

Houston Gamblers 34 Portland Storm 20

These teams have won the last 6 Conference Championship games but one was going to get knocked out today. Houston got the ball first and drove for a FG, but a holding penalty took it off the board and the Gamblers had to punt. Robert Davis then intercepted a Raymond Oswalt pass and took it 42 yards for a TD and a 7-0 Houston lead. Oswalt was intercepted again on the next drive, allowing Houston to extend their lead to 14-0 when Bryan Franklin found Alejandro Campbell for a 5 yard TD pass. 

Oswalt would bounce back with a 13 yard TD to Perry Salgado, cutting the deficit in half 14-7. Following some back and forth, Oswalt tied the game just before the 2 minute warning with a 52 yard TD pass to Richard Robinson. Houston had time to score but couldn't get close enough, so the half ended 14-14.

Portland got the ball to start the 3rd and Oswalt promptly threw away all the momentum the Storm had gained with his 3rd interception of the game. This led to a tiebreaking FG, and the Houston defense struck again later in the quarter. Oswalt threw his 4th INT, leading to a 2 yard Bryan Franklin TD pass to Jim Dallas, giving Houston a 24-14 lead. 

The Houston defense followed that up with a three and out while the offense went on a 13 play, 73 yard TD drive to put the game away. Stone Cold Steve Austin ran it in from 5 yards out, making the score 31-14 early in the 4th. Portland wouldn't go down without a fight as Oswalt found Robinson again for a long TD, this one covering 66 yards. The 2 point try failed and Houston had a time consuming drive end in a punt. Portland turned it over on downs, allowing Houston to tack on 3 for a 34-20 final score. The Gamblers now face division rival Oklahoma for the right to go to World Bowl XXVI. 

Washington Federals 31 New Jersey Generals 24

New Jersey began the season with a 37-17 loss to the Washington Federals, and it ended today against Washington as the Federals bounce the 2 time defending champs out of the playoffs. New Jersey got the ball first and had to punt, pinning Washington at their own 2. Washington wasted little time getting out of the hole as Tristan Arnold found Oliver Jeter for a 98 yard catch and run TD to give the Federals a quick 7-0 lead. New Jersey went three and out before Arnold fired a 47 yard TD pass to William Sheppard for a 14-0 lead after 1 quarter of action.

Washington added a FG early in the 2nd to extend their lead before both defenses took over for a bit. Don Ferguson would throw not one, but two interceptions in the quarter, resulting in 7 more points for the Federals. Washington missed a FG following the first INT but cashed in with a 3 yard TD pass from Arnold to Jeter and the Federals led 24-0. Don Ferguson then found Paul Cox for a 75 yard TD in the final minute of the half to pull within 24-7. 

Not much happened in the 3rd quarter or the first half of the 4th, but New Jersey got within 24-10 thanks to an Al Borland FG with 6 minutes to play. New Jersey would recover the onside kick and turned that into a 13 yard TD pass from Ferguson to Jeff Lebowski, making the score 24-17. This time the onside kick failed but the Generals defense forced a three and out. David Koresh would tie the game at 24 with an 11 yard TD run inside the 2 minute warning. Washington's offense woke up just in time as Tristan Arnold found William Sheppard for a 75 yard TD that gave the Federals a 31-24 lead 1 play after the Generals tied it. New Jersey would drive into FG range as time was running out, but they needed a TD and ended up turning it over on downs. The three-peat dream is over and the Washington Federals advance to the Conference Championship against the winner of our next game.

Orlando Renegades 16 Shreveport Steamer 9

Neither team has ever played in a World Bowl but the winner of today's game will be one step closer to changing that narrative. Shreveport got the ball first but Tony Romo threw an interception, leading to a Scott Mueller FG and a 3-0 Orlando lead. Romo then led Shreveport on a 12 play FG drive to tie it and Trey Lyons led an 11 play FG drive to retake the lead 6-3 early in the 2nd. In the middle of the 2nd, last week's hero Scott Randall lost a fumble, giving Orlando the ball in great field position. Trey Lyons threw a 6 yard TD pass to Jason Amen, and praise the Lord, Orlando now led 13-3. 

13-3 was the halftime score and Orlando got the ball to start the second half, going three and out. Shreveport then went on a 16 play, 77 yard drive and they had a 1st and goal at the 3. Three straight runs netted no yards and they had to settle for a FG, cutting the lead to 13-6. Orlando then went on a 10 play drive and extending their lead early in the 4th with a FG, making the score 16-6. Shreveport answered with a 9 play FG drive to get within 7 and they got the ball back with 3:07 to play. 

Shreveport moved down the field methodically, eating clock as they attempted to tie the game. They had a 1st and 10 at the Orlando 21, but Tony Romo was sacked, leading to a turnover on downs. One kneeldown by Trey Lyons and the Renegades stay at home to play Washington for the right to play in World Bowl XXVI.

1999 Wildcard Weekend

 Wildcard weekend began last night with 6 games, of which just one was within 10 points. The home team won 5 of the 6 games, with Oklahoma the lone road winner. Let's check the action.

Oklahoma Outlaws 34 Michigan Panthers 12

Michigan took an early 3-0 lead and the Panthers defense did a good job early of keeping the Oklahoma offense in check. The first quarter ended 3-0 Michigan, although the tide started to turn the other way. On the first play of the 2nd quarter, Will Allison was intercepted by Jason Chacko, giving the Outlaws the ball in Panthers territory. Six plays later, Clarence Murphy ran in a 2 yard TD to put Oklahoma in the lead for good 7-3. Each team would add a FG in the 2nd quarter for a 10-6 halftime score.

Oklahoma got the ball to start the 3rd quarter and wasted little time moving down the field. Raymond Settles found Ricardo Horton for a 65 yard gain to set up first and goal, while Johnny Crank finished the drive with a 2 yard TD run. Michigan answered with a FG, cutting the lead to 17-9 but Settles quickly found Horton for a 60 yard TD pass, increasing the lead to 24-9. Michigan would have to settle for yet another FG to get within 24-12 after 3. 

Early in the 4th, Settles found Glenn Sprinkle for a 72 yard TD to essentially put the game away. Raymond Settles completed 26/41, 358 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. Ricardo Horton had those 2 catches for 125 yards and a TD as the Outlaws gained 513 for the game. The Oklahoma defense allowed just 210 yards, intercepted 2 passes and had a sack as they advance to take on the #1 seed San Jose SaberCats.

Portland Storm 27 Denver Gold 3

Portland scored the first 5 times they had the ball then shut it down, much like they shut down the Denver offense all game long. Denver fumbled 3 times, losing 1 and they allowed 1 sack as most passes fell incomplete (7/23, 25 yards) and they ran the ball for less than 2 yards per carry. 58 total yards won't be good enough most games and it wasn't today. Portland QB Raymond Oswalt threw 3 TD passes, 2 to Guadalupe Navarrette, who caught 5 for 129 yards total. 

Game highlights: Oswalt 11 yard TD pass to Richard Robinson; Oswalt to Navarrette for 20 yards; Oswalt to Navarrette for 60 yards.

Houston Gamblers 42 Honolulu Hawaiians 20

It's been 2 seasons since Houston has won a championship and today they looked like a team on a mission to change that. Bryan Franklin was making his first ever post season start and the spotlight was not too much for him. Franklin led 3 long TD drives in the first half and he ended the day 20/28, 432 yards, 5 TDs and 1 INT. Francisco Snow caught 3 for 147 yards and a TD while Jim Dallas caught 3 for 101 and a score. The Gamblers added 166 rushing yards as they built leads of 21-0, 28-7, and 35-10 en route to a comfortable win and a date with Portland next week.

Game highlights: Bryan Franklin TD pass #1, TD pass #2, TD pass #3, Derek Henry TD pass, Bryan Franklin TD pass #4, Franklin TD pass #5, 109 yard kickoff return TD, Gus "Hightest" Gas TD run.

Washington Federals 19 Jacksonville Bulls 10

Jacksonville got the ball first but Matthew Royster fumbled the ball away on the 2nd play from scrimmage, allowing Washington great field position. The Federals offense went nowhere but Steve Jones gave the Federals the 3-0 lead on a 53 yard FG. The score remained 3-0 until just before the 2 minute warning when Jacksonville's Jimmy Wagner ran in a TD from 18 yards out to give the Bulls a 7-3 lead. Washington would add a FG near the end of the half to make the score 7-6 at the break.

The 3rd quarter started out defensively with some punts before Washington finally cracked the end zone with 4:44 left in the quarter. Marcus Ricketts did the honors with a 3 yard TD run to give the lead back to Washington, 13-7. The Federals would add a FG in the middle of the 4th for a 16-7 lead but Jacksonville answered with a FG of their own to pull back within 6 points. The Bulls defense held and got the ball back but the offense couldn't get a 1st down and turned the ball over to Washington after a failed 4th down conversion. The Federals turned that into 3 points and an insurmountable 19-10 lead. Jacksonville turned it over on downs again in the red zone, but they were running out of time anyhow. The only good statistical performance was Jacksonville RB Jimmy Wagner rushing for 130 yards and a TD. 

Shreveport Steamer 38 (NY) Stars 10

The regular season stats showed New York had the better offense, but that wasn't the case today. Shreveport scored TDs on 4 of their 5 first half drives to take a 28-7 halftime lead before cruising to victory in the 2nd half. QB Tony Romo got the scoring started with a 12 yard TD pass to Eric Bryant, then it was Married With Children time as Al Bundy, I mean Scott Randall scored 4 TDs. Randall finished the day with 216 yards on 28 carries, adding 44 yards on 4 receptions. Randall's TDs covered 23 yards, 22 yards, 0 yards, and 4 yards. New York got their TD trailing 21-0 and it came on a 16 yard pass from Damian Oleary to William Hall.

Orlando Renegades 19 Georgia Force 0

Orlando used their defense and running game to advance to the divisional round against Shreveport. The first quarter was scoreless and the Renegades defense got the scoring underway with a safety early in the 2nd quarter. Zachary Harvey sacked Larry Henderson in the end zone for the 2-0 lead. Anthony Milan ripped a 54 yard TD run a few minutes later to extend the lead to 9-0. Georgia had a chance to cut the lead at the end of the half but a missed FG kept the halftime score 9-0 Orlando. 

The Renegades had 318 total yards, 217 on the ground. Orlando used a RBBC led by Milan, who finished with 97 yards and a TD. Orlando would add a FG in the 3rd for a 12-0 lead then Roger Radke finished the scoring with a 1 yard plunge in the 4th.