ASSASSINS TOP GEECHEE FOR FINAL SPOT
Michael Hardneet hit Mark Marshall for a 75-yard TD pass to give Columbus City the lead and the Assassins’ defense intercepted Geechee QB Edward Jackson twice in the final quarter for a 24-20 victory. The win propelled the Assassins to the top of a four-team scrum in the final week of the season to give them the final wild card spot in the playoff bracket.
Along with Columbus City, San Diego, Coos Bay and Mt. Washington all began the day with playoff aspirations still alive. The Riptide did their part in the day’s drama, topping Lyon by a 23-7 count as they held the Kings to 172 yards of offense and got a 291-yard, 2 TD day out of QB Robert Burkett.
The Riptide’s dreams shattered quickly though as news came from Santa Fe that Mt. Washington was rolling up a huge lead against the Bandits. Behind a 498-47 yardage disparity, the Coyotes posted a 41-0 win. Having entered the day with the most favorable path into the playoffs, Coyotes fans had to be feeling pretty good as Fred Coleman threw for 331 yards and 4 TD’s.
But that news darkened for Mt. Washington fans praying for the franchise’s first playoff appearance as the stadium scoreboard began updating the Coos Bay-Salem score, where the Witches took a 19-3 win to slam the door on Coyote hopes. Jonathan Embree threw for 263 yards and a TD as the Witches played spoiler to Mt. Washington and savior to Columbus City.
Elsewhere…
Burn 16, Hefty Buffalo 3…Jason Moreira ran for 137 yards and a TD to lift Boise to a win over Fort Drum. The Burn wrap up their year with a 7-9 record in the Walsh Division.
Americans 38, Islanders 6…Alexander Thomas went 16-for-17 for 333 yards and a pair of TD’s as the Americans spoiled the final game of Islander GM jlyman. The 12-year EFL veteran amassed 81 wins (and a rumored 111 mai tais) on the Hawai’I sidelines. Speculation out of Honolulu indicates the team is in the early stages of being purchased by Lucky.
Dragons 22, Wallabies 0…John Claypoole rushed for 172 yards and a pair of TD’s as the Dragons tuned up for the postseason with a 22-0 shutout of Perth. Glendora, 14-2, will have a first-round bye. The Wallabies’ disappointing year comes to a 6-10 thud.
Bombers 17, Stampede 15…Lloyd Turner ran for a TD and Brooklyn overcame 4 interceptions pitched by QB Phillip Mattingly to topple St. Louis by a 17-15 final count. The Stampede drove into Bomber territory late in the contest, but gave the ball away on downs just outside range for what could have been a game-winning field goal attempt.
Golden Pterodactyls 9, Crush 0…Roy Castro connected on field goals of 31, 48 and 22 yards as Star City ensured Canton fans will have plenty of things to talk about as the team prepares for the postseason. After winning their first 13, the Crush have dropped their final 3 games of the regular season to enter the playoffs on a slide.
Talons 41, Wild 17…Francis Jimerson notched two of Tallahassee’s four rushing touchdowns as the Talons ran past the Wild in a clash of playoff teams. The Talons finish the year 15-1 and hold home field advantage in the Stars Conference. Milwaukee, at 11-5, will play as a wild card out of the Stripes.
Spartans 26, Wampas 6…Nathaniel Finley threw for 296 yards and 3 TDs as the Spartans wrapped up the regular season with a win over Aspen. Toronto carries an 11-5 mark into the playoffs.
Phantoms 38, Bulldogs 17…Parlor City prepares for a playoff run toward its third consecutive title by dispatching Bennington by a 3-TD margin. John Debose ran for a 3-yard TD in the fourth quarter and added a short TD reception in the game’s final 2 minutes to help the Phantoms pull away from what had been a closer 24-17 contest.
Crusaders 34, Cobras 3…Jacob Perez threw for 304 yards and 4 TD’s as California rolled past Rancho Cucamonga in style. California, 12-4 on the year, enters the playoffs on a 3-game streak. The Cobras prep for the draft after going 6-9-1 on the year.
Marauders 30, Tennessee 3…Joshua Maynard threw for 259 yards and 3 scores as Reno topped Tennessee to close out the season for both teams. Mark Parker had five receptions for 113 yards and one of the scores as the Marauders improved to 4-12.
Event 31, Snappers 13…Steven Jimenez threw for 3 TD’s and 272 yards as the Maine Event finished the year with a victory over Natchitoches. The win lifts Maine to a 7-9 final mark while the Snappers close out the year on the plus side of .500 at 8-7-1.
Thunder 23, Twisters 13…Tacoma had a field goal and a Juan Harper 28-yard interception return for touchdown in the final 30 seconds of the game as the Thunder struck late to avoid a trip into overtime against Arkansas. Erik Cole added 196 yards and a touchdown through the air as Tacoma wraps up its year 5-11.
