Western Conference Championship

Potatoheads flip the script on Stars

Their regular-season meeting was a thriller serving notice that Little Rock was a contender. Harlan Daggers had two straight runs of 24 and 25 yards to set up the score that stole the game from Idaho. Idaho rookie QB Dan Smother-Falker went on to steal the thunder from two-time Demetrius Award-winner and three-time SCAB champion Daggers, as the Western Conference Newcomer of the Year and MVP. Daggers hoped to return the favor by getting the Hyperbowl.

Chapter two of the showdown had some reversals. Little Rock tight end Barry Spritzer had 8 catches for 114 yards to lead all receivers, while All-West TE Hans auf der Butt of Idaho had a meager 6 catches for 61 yards, though one touchdown. Little Rock WR Eton Bayer-Wolff had 8 catches for 74 yards and Daggers had roughly the same passing performance as the previous game: 21/32 passes for 236 yards. But this time he threw for no TDs, and was picked off once. Idaho's backfield was more dominant in rushing again, but it was Smother-Falker, between the two QBs, who had the better rushing and two TDs.

The close matchup -- even a more dominant Little Rock performance -- was still there, it just didn't look it on the scoreboard. Both teams stopped each other on occasion and moved the ball well on other ocassions. The Stars just didn't get in the end zone enough: only one TD on a short run by Daggers in the fourth quarter. The Potatoheads reversed the situation from the previous game where they were inefficent at scoring, with only 2 TDs. Smother-Falker this time passed for only 179 yards, even less of that explosive passing game Idaho has flashed on so many other opponents. The Stars played even better defensively this game, but somehow the Potatoheads found the end zone four times.

After Little Rock scored a field goal on their opening drive, Idaho consumed most of the first quarter with a 14-play drive, highlighted by a 32-yard pass play from Smother-Falker to Auf der Butt. Auf der Butt scored on a four-yard pass. The Potatoheads scored next in the 2nd quarter with a 27-yard Charlatan Heston field goal, then after another Stars field goal, closed the half with a 6-yard TD run by Smother-Falker to cap an 8-play, 74-yard drive. RB Roy Dreige had 19-yard run on the drive, and there was a 24-yard pass to WR Howie Wonder-Warr.

In the third quarter, after picking off Daggers and returning the ball 25 yards, the Potatoheads were set up at the Little Rock 18-yard line. They scored four plays later on a four-yard pass to RB Ruud van Nastibooy to make it 24-6. After the Stars finally scored a TD in the fourth quarter, Idaho ripped down the field in four plays, scoring on a 24-yard run by Smother-Falker. That was the clincher, and the punctuation, returning the favor of those Dagger runs that toppled Idaho in the previous meeting.

Now Smother-Falker will get the Hyperbowl as well. Idaho returns to the Hyperbowl for the first time since 2015, where they played -- the Manhattan Projects. The Hyperbowl will be another kind of rematch.

Eastern Conference Championship

Projects overshadow Attractions

The Manhattan Projects lived up to their season-long odds and promise, and slayed the ghost of last year's playoffs where they were bounced in their first game by a thrilling Columbus comeback. And they lived up to the promise of their 2015 Hyperbowl victory, expected to be a contender with their exceptional young talent.

That talent came out in force in this Eastern Conference Championship, unlike in their win last week over hapless Montgomery. Running back Anthony Kistmi didn't wait in the wings, but burst out on the first three Project possessions, including a 39-yard TD run to post a 14-0 lead. East MVP WR Jason Skurtz caught 11 passes for 181 yards and a TD. QB Oliver Klozov, who rushed for 100+ yards last week, had 309 yards and a TD passing this time, and ran for another score.

Manhattan led 21-7 before halfway into the 2nd quarter. That was the final score of their regular season meeting with Maine. The Attractions, who stunned everyone with a 34-7 rolling of Maryland last week, got some fireworks of their own to make the game exciting twice, but they could not quell the Project offense this time.

After Kistmi's 39-yard run and the quick two-score jump, the Attractions got another big strick from the rush, as they did last week. This time it was RB Earl Wells who found a crease through the middle, then ran over at least one defender on a 40-yard run to a TD. But Projects shot right back with a blitzkrieg drive capped by a 2-yard run by Klozov. Halftime was 21-7, the final of the previous encounter.

Then in the third quarter, after an interception but stopping the Projects on a three and out, Maine started at their own 11 and ground out an 11-play drive to score. Wells had a 17-yard run and Maine QB E. Chitton Dye threw 25 yards to WR Luke Daggers. On a fourth down and one at the Manhattan 25, Dye ran 18 yards. He threw to Daggers two plays later for the TD. Suddenly it was Manhattan only 21-17, and the Attractions threatened to make a game of it, and were raising the specter of the Columbus rally.

But after the teams exchanged punts, the Projects finished the game the way they started it, scoring on two straight possessions: a with a 14-yard pass to Skurtz and Kistmi's third TD, a six-yard run. Manhattan displayed the range of their offense, with RB Avery Nastibooy getting a big pass and run, Skurtz a 29-yard reception, WR Orlando Difri a couple of key catches, and even Klozov a run (he rushed for 100+ against Montgomery).

Maine gave a decent defensive performance in their regular-season meeting, but this time the Manhattan's offense took charge, an emphatic explosive peformance to cap a season in which they played more conistently and won games in about every sort of way to post the league's best record. Now they will have a rematch of their 2015 Hyperbowl victory. This time, however, the Idaho team is a more explosive version, with their rookie QB Dan Smother-Falker.