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May 31, 2014
Playoffs
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Eastern Conference ChampionshipHomes Trudge Past StranglersDespite the 2011 undefeated regular season then the injury to WR Guy Nicologi and the loss to Boston in the first game of the playoffs, and the 2012 heartbreaking two-point loss to the New Jerseys in the Eastern Conference Championship, the Mobile Homes have been the best team in the league the last three years apart from the Hyperbowl. And now they've made it. They got insurance this time, and some karma for that 2011 playoff game, as Boston came in without star QB Sebastian Ophuls, who suffered a concussion last week. But the Stranglers, the most dangerous challenger with Ophuls and winner of the Hyperbowl two years ago after making easy work of Mobile, didn't make it easy for Mobile, despite the final score, gumming up the works for the league's most prolific offense by far. With backup QB Dave Reckning, Boston's offense was not nearly so dangerous, and they did finally relent, but Mobile led only 6-3 at the half and didn't break the game open until the end of the third quarter. Dragging the game down into a field goal contest, and even that a meager one, in the first half, the Stranglers matched up against the best receiving corps in the league to show why they're deceptively a defensive team, if only because their offense gets more fame. But the Homes scored the first touchdown on their first possession of the second half, a 23-yard pass from East MVP and All-East QB Jethro Ittaway to RB Torpedo Lovecraft, then again on their next possession despite a field goal answer from Boston. Lovecraft caught a one-yard pass to cap a nine-play, 80-yard drive, the big play a 31-yard pass to Nicologi. Boston still kept the Homes anxious, threatening with drives of their own, until the fourth quarter when Mobile put the game away. But even that was a Boston gift, a botched punt returned to the Boston ten. Mobile scored on the next play, Ittaway tossing to WR Jeff Uckendick for the distance. Ittaway completed 18 of 33 passes for 233 yards and three TDs, a respectable performance for a playoff game against Boston's defense, even if they weren't the same Boston offensively. Lovecraft ended up the most instrumental of the Homes, as this receiver showdown turned defensive. Mobile's leading receiver was Uckendick with 5 catches for 79 yards and a TD, while Nicologi had only three receptions for 44 yards, and TE Jorge Girl 4 for 49. Boston's main weapon, WR Luke St. Everything also had only 79 yards on 6 catches, while their All-East second-team TE Marky DeSade was limited to four receptions for 40 yards. The two teams missed more field goals than they made, five to four. The Homes are happy to make the Hyperbowl however they can, even ugly after one of the best offensive seasons in league history. Ittaway led the passing composite by almost 200 points and won his third straight All-East QB and MVP honors, something that even he would say is a measure of the whole Mobile machine, especially with those three receivers. The Homes finally lay claim to the biggest prize after two years ago having the league's first undefeated regular season since 1985. Mobile makes their second Hyperbowl appearance, the last in 1994, which they won. |
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Western Conference ChampionshipBunch Runs Away from DevilsIowa made its third straight trip to the Western Conference final a charm and will finally make their second trip to the Hyperbowl after a decisive win over Los Angeles. The Bunch finally pulled away in the fourth quarter after dominating the Devils statistically. QB Tab Lloyd got the MVP honors, adding 39 yards and a TD rushing to his phenomenal passing numbers, but that was due to staggering domination by his wide recievers: Hollis Assaway had ten catches for 157 yards and 3 TDs, Sawyer Hiney, the big target of the previous playoff game, 10 catches for 127 yards. This time there was no stopping either Assaway or his backup target. By contrast, the Devils' dynamic duo of Kenny Lingis and Ty Dass, once the premier WR duo of the league, had six receptions for 59 yards combined. All-West QB Hugh Wish showed why he was the league's leading rusher among QBs, with 43 yards, but in this case it was making up for a miserable passing performance: eight completions of 19 attempts for just 90 yards. RB Lyle Lott was the only bright spot for Los Angeles, leading all rushers, though Iowa's Orson DeWater did damage with his 67 yards and a TD. The Devils didn't start out looking shabby. While the Eastern final was a surprisingly low scoring affair in the first half, this game started with a bang. Lott returned the opening kickoff 83 yards for a TD, and L.A. came into the game roaring the way they did in their rousing win over Monterey. Iowa answered by covering 85 yards of their own, though in nine plays, DeWater covering the last 13 on a run. Iowa added a 26-yard Donovan Tryett field goal and a 16-yard TD pass from Lloyd to Assaway in the second quarter to move out to 17-7 lead, but the Devils answered with a field goal drive, 25 yards by K Klaus Terfobia, to cut it back to a one-score lead. Iowa was stranded on the L.A. three yard line by the end of the half. The Bunch kept the Devils locked down through the third quarter, then finally blew it open in the fourth, with an 11-yard TD run by Lloyd himself, who added insult to injury by not only showing up Wish with the pass, but some rushing of his own as well. A three-yard toss to Assaway capped a drive set up by an L.A. fumble. The Devils drove to the Iowa nine when the final gun killed that bid to make it look more respectable. Iowa took charge of the Western Conference this year after losing to Wichita and Monterey in the last two conference final games. Each of those teams went on to suffer lopsided losses to Eastern champs Boston and New Jerseys respectively. Mobile is the prohibitive favorite this year, not only because of the way the East has dominated the last two years, but because Mobile is the Eastern giant that's finally made it. The Monterey Jacks had the league's best record when they were routed by the New Jerseys last season, so perhaps the Bunch can similarly prove Mobile's reputation inflated. Not only that, but the teams met the second week of the season, and the result: Iowa 34-20. |
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