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May 25, 2013
Playoffs
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New Jerseys Snap Back on Horrors -- BarelyOnce again the New Jerseys saw a division title slip away from them at the hands of the Amityville Horrors and Columbus Natives. Once again, they made it to the playoffs to reverse the decision against the Horrors. But this time barely so. As expected, after routing their last two opponents, the New Jerseys came into this game to make it different from their regular season matchup. They lead the scoring all the way. But the Horrors actually played better in this game in many ways, especially on defense. The teams cancelled out each other's passing game, and it turned into a rushing battle, albeit with plenty of fireworks that way. New Jerseys running back Juan Moorehead had two big touchdown runs on successive possessions, of 29 and 58 yards, to break out a 21-3 lead in the second quarter, and it looked like the New Jerseys were going to rout Amityville the way they had everyone since those tow losses. But on the third play from scrimmage in the 2nd half, Amityville RB Lyle Little broke a 66-yard TD run to get the Horrors back in it. Then O.J. Didit scored from 21 yards out to cap a drive that began with a 17-yard punt return, and after the Horrors improvised a 2-point conversion on a botched kick attempt, they were within a field goal, 21-18. The teams traded TDs again at the beginning of the 4th, Amityville matching every step the New Jerseys made, but unfortunately behind them. The Horrors failed even on a last possession, however, to advance beyond the New Jersey 49-yard line. The New Jerseys hounded Amityville QB Houghton Holler, allowing him only 122 yards passing and minimizing WR Hugo Gurl, just 4 catches for 58 yards, while the Horrors managed to smother New Jerseys all-everything TE Bud Ugly and the wide recievers to limit QB Upton O'Good to 159 yards passing, although he had two TDs. |
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Homes Survive Monroes, BeaverThe 2012 Mobile Homes went undefeated in the regular season, only to be picked apart by the Boston Stranglers passing attack in their first playoff game. This time, after a more scrappy 10-5 season, but with their full starting line-up (star WR Guy Nicologi was injured for that 2012 playoff game), the Homes looked to reclaim their playoff legacy. They were nearly picked apart again, this time by a running back and surprising defense. This was only Maryland's third playoff appearance with RB Igor Beaver, the veteran RB looking for his big post-season chance, and he did just about everything he could to dominate a game. The trouble was that Mobile's defense and their QB Jethro Ittaway, whose passing game had been all but shut down, got the last laugh, when first the Homes blocked a Maryland punt, and Ittaway converted the opportunity finishing a 26-yard drive with his 8-yard run in the 4th quarter. And then on the last drive, Beaver fell short, despite still driving the Maryland offense even though Mobile knew he was coming. Beaver had runs of 9 and 27 yards, a reception for 11 yards, and then on the last play of the game, a 7-yard run, 14 agonizing yards short of the end zone, which Maryland needed, behind by 6 points. The Monroes did not get shown up by the Mobile receiving corps the way many expected, allowing Ittaway and company just 157 yards and no TDs passing. TE Jorge Girl, WR Jeff Uckendick and WR Guy Nicologi had 28, 64 and 49 yards receiving respectively. |
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Jacks Get Past Wily LinemenThe defending Western Conference champion Wichita Linemen did it again, surprising everyone, perhaps even themselves, with their resourcefulness in this trying season that saw them finally lose WR Ringo Fire to injury. They managed to win their last game of the season and the wildcard game with a shift to the run behind RB Milo Rider, but in this game, they may have found how life can go on after Fire, as 8th time all-West QB Payne Indiass used backup WR Hasan Chop and marquis WR Adolph DeFlore to revive the passing game and nearly outgun the league best record holding Monterey Jacks. Finally, the Jacks were too much for even this Linemen effort, but it took all their weapons and an effort right down to the wire to prevail. While Indiass threw for 245 yards and 3 TDs, two to Chop who had 93 yards receiving -- DeFlore had 12 catches for 124 yards -- Monterey's Heller Highwater threw for 210 yards and 4 TDs. WR Ira Fuse had 11 catches for 125 yards and a TD, and was the go-to receiver as expected, even though Wichita didn't play like lame in one wing, and TE Bud Suck had 64 yards and 2 TDs receiving. But it was West MVP RB Buster Hymen who was most instrumental again, perhaps most of all his 47-yard run on the first play of a drive that led to the go-ahead TD in the 3rd quarter, to answer Wichita's tying drive. The Jacks would never lose the lead after that, despite the Linemen giving chase all the way. |
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Bunch Stumps RednecksA field goal contest wasn't quite broken, when the Tucson Rednecks scored the first TD in the 2nd quarter, only to miss the extra point, allowing the Iowa Bunch to tie the game again, with their third field goal, 9-9 at the half. But it was the Bunch that really broke it to start the 2nd half, with a 23-yard TD pass from QB Tab Lloyd to TE Dick Cass, then after Tucson had to settle for another field goal, a 7-yard TD run by RB Orson DeWater to cap a long drive, which began with a 31-yard pass to Cass. Iowa added another field goal in the 4th, to keep them a TD ahead when the Rednecks scored a TD of their own, a 5-yard run by RB Hugh B. Sick -- Tucson star RB Dick Burns had runs of 13, 14 and 24 on the drive -- then held on to win the game. The Bunch had reclaimed the Northwestern Division on only the last game of the season, but were favored over Southwest Division champion Tucson, despite the latter also playing at home. Bunch RB Orson DeWater actually led all rushers, including Burns, with 93 yards. The big WR duel between Tucson's Avery Cunningham, the league WR leader in receptions, and Iowa's Hollis Assaway, the two all-West WRs, turned a bit more defensive: Cunningham had 4 catches for 74 yards, Assaway 6 for 82. |
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