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May 24, 2014
Playoffs
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Homes Flatten Sauruses After Scare.The Toronto Sauruses, playing new kid on the block to Mobile's big kid on a three-year bid for a league title, fought to a scoreless first quarter, then after Mobile scored to being the second, answered right back with a score of their own, QB Jason Windmills throwing to All-East and league leader in receiving yards WR Milo Standards for a 33-yard play on the drive that set up Windmills own five-yard scamper for the touchdown. Later in the second, Toronto stalled a Mobile drive to allow only a field goal by Homes K Aigata Ichinose, then again allowed only a field goal out of Mobile's first drive in the second half. But Mobile turned it around, sacking Windmills on the next play for scrimmage, forcing a three and out, and returning the punt 24 yards to set up a 16-yard TD pass from East MVP QB Jethro Ittaway to All-East WR Guy Nicologi. Mobile never looked back, and after using a long drive to eat up much of the fourth quarter, but failing at a field goal attempt, they blocked a punt to set up at the Toronto 32, then scored on a 28-yard TD pass to WR Jeff Uckendick two plays later to put the game away. Mobile returns to the Eastern final for the second straight year. |
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Stranglers Strike Early, but Pay Big Price.Boston scored on three of their first four possessions, and effectively on the other when after turning over on downs at the Columbus three-yard line, they tackled Columbus RB Ray Frollywood for a safety. With their superior passing game against a Columbus offense led by the league's leading rusher, RB Dave Rath, this gave the Stranglers extra advantage, and they not only prevented any rally, but shut out the Native offense. Columbus got a safety of their own late, sacking Boston's backup QB Dave Reckning. What overshadowed the victory, however, was that Boston QB Sebastian Ophuls was injured. When Reckning came out for the fourth quarter, it seemed Boston was simply showing mercy or protecting Ophuls against the risk, but as it turned out, Ophuls had been hurt, with a suspected concussion, and will miss at least the Eastern final. This is karma for the Mobile Homes who famously lost to Boston in the first round of the playoffs two years ago after going undefeated in the regular season but losing star WR Guy Nicologi in the last season game. |
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Bunch shuck Linemen.Wichita picked up where they left off with the Casper Ghosts, using the rush uncharacteristically to set up the first score. Every play on the drive was a run, including by QB Payne Indiass, and an 18-yarder by RB Milo Rider, until the last one, an 18-yard pass from Indiass to Rider for the TD. They held off the next Iowa drive, and were about to do it again. Then came the turn around on two plays from scrimmage for Iowa. With a fourth down and four yards to go at the 50, Iowa scored on a pass from QB Tab Lloyd to WR Sawyer Hiney. Wichita drove to the Iowa 32-yard line on their next possession, but missed a field goal. Lloyd and Hiney came right out and did it again on the next play, a 68-yard TD pass. In both cases, the Iowa play callers and Lloyd were counting on All-West WR Hollis Assaway drawing away coverage. Assaway himself would score later in the quarter, after a 29-yard punt return set Iowa up at the Wichita 25. The clock would kill the next Linemen drive, stranding them at the Iowa three for halftime. The Bunch widened the gap on their first drive of the second have, finishing off a 10-play drive with an 11-yard TD pass to TE Dick Cass. Hiney had 7 catches for 190 yards and the two TDs, Cass 8 for 108 and the TD, as Lloyd burned the Linemen for concentrating on Assaway. Iowa heads to their third straight Western Conference final, after losing to Wichita and Monterey the last two seasons. |
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Devils Turn Back JacksThis would have been the thriller of this playoff round, but Monterey had three scoring bids stolen by Los Angeles on interceptions near the L.A. goal line. Devils RB Lyle Lott had two big runs of 27-yards, one on a first-quarter drive to set up his own 4-yard score, then one for a TD on the first drive of the second half to put L.A. in control 21-10. Star WR Kenny Lingis had three big plays in a row on a drive in the fourth quarter, a 20-yard reception, a 23-yard run on a reverse, than another 20-yard catch for the score. The Devils stepped over the Jacks, who missed their bid for a fifth Hyperbowl win last season. It's only the second conference final ever for the franchise in Los Angeles. (The franchise went to the Hyperbowl as the Santa Fe Sidewinders in 1980.) It's their first final appearance since 1995. That's the state of California in this league, where Los Angeles plays second fiddle to Monterey, which has one of the league's best legacies. |
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