Western Conference Championship

Ghosts refuse to lay down for Gods

Casper dragged the game down into a field goal contest in the first half, posting a 9-3 lead, then on their first possession of the second half, Yanuwan busted a 41-yard run to the Olympia seven-yard line. Kitsch carried it in three plays later. On Olympia's next two possessions, Casper blocked a punt, then scored on an interception of a Xavier Onassis pass. It was Terry Longer who took it in from the Olympia 17. Two long drives by Casper consumed most of the fourth quarter. Casper kicker Miles N. Miles was 4/4 on field goal attempts, the longest from 49 yards after a penalty.

The horrible Casper playoff curse since 2009 seemed to strike again when Long was injured at the end of their playoff win over Oklahoma last week. Upstart conference foe Olympia, the biggest surprise of the playoffs, with Western MVP QB Xavier Breath at the helm, was now coming in with Casper's advantage nullified. But the Ghosts played the same amazing defense they had against Oklahoma. Onassis was 11/22 for 112 yards with 2 interceptions, the one for a Casper touchdown. Perhaps most impressive was the way the Ghosts held All-West TE Luke Filthy to just 3 catches for 18 yards.

As expected, Casper wasn't as proficient passing without Long. Peter Andy Woolf threw for only 113 yards, completing only 13 of 32 passes. Kitsch added 56 yards rushing on 14 carries, and Woolf carried 9 times himself for 35 yards, so the Ghosts used the run mostly to control. But there were key passes to keep drives going, including 4 to Yanuman, who with 38 yards led Casper receivers.

Casper advances to their first Hyperbowl since 2009, their fifth overall. As the Cheyenne Goats, this franchise won Hyperbowls in 1977 and 1989, so the Ghosts have a chance to tie the Monterey Jacks for the most Hyperbowl wins at four.

Eastern Conference Championship

Yankees shake off Horrors, jump them for Eastern title

The Eastern heir apparent Amityville Horrors dominated for the first quarter, but uncharacteristically kicker Edmund Hustler missed two of three field goals, one from only 24 yards. Then in the second quarter, the Horros drove again to the 23-yard line of Connecticut, where they set up for another field goal. This one was blocked and returned 21 yards to the 49. But this play seemed to break the game wide open for the Yankees.

It took them six plays to take it in, the last one a 25-yard TD pass form rookie QB Phil Anders to WR Wayne Wayne Goaway. From that point on the Yankees moved the ball and shut down the Horrors. They added a field goal before half, scored on a couple of decent to long drives, one in the third quarter and one in the fourth, and had another field goal. TE Lou Stemper scored on a run of 3 yards, and Anders on a 1-yard plunge.

It wasn't the 47-11 thrashing the Yankees gave Amityville in the regular season, but it dominant. Again, RB Jason Tale, the league's leading rusher, didn't break out in the playoffs, but Anders was able to marshall his troops for what they needed, while they really shut down the Horrors, with Ira Grette at QB for the injured Houghton Holler. Grette had a sensational game last week, but was held to just 96 yards passing here, and carried 7 times for -7 yards, two of those outright sacks.

The Yankees held Amityville RB O.J. Didit to 41 yards, and WR Hugo Gurl to just 4 catches and 32 yards. With that kind of production from their two best weapons, the Horrors didn't stand much of a chance.

Goaway had 7 catches for 96 yards and a TD.

The Connecticut franchise went to the 1993 Hyperbowl as the Spokane Spelunkers in the Western Conference, so it will be their second appearance but first as Connecticut and as Eastern Conference champs.