The 2010 playoffs got underway today with Wildcard Weekend. Only one of the six games was within one score so there's not much game drama to write about.

American Conference Wildcard Weekend

San Antonio Gunslingers 45 Oakland Invaders 6

This game was over early as the San Antonio offense scored the first 5 times they touched the ball while the defense allowed zero first downs in the first half. George Warner completed 26/39, 427 yards and 4 TDs, 3 to Daniel Cruz who caught 9 for 259 yards. The Gunslingers ran for 198 yards and 2 TDs, led by Glenn Graham's 120 and 1. Defensively they held Domingo Robinson to a 12/31, 100 yard, 4 sack day.

Honolulu Hawaiians 23 Michigan Panthers 10

This game was close throughout with no more than a 10 point lead until the 2 minute warning. Michigan led 7-6 at the half, extended it to 10-6 in the 3rd, then Honolulu scored the game's final 17 points for the win. Michigan ran the ball well early in the season but lately the running game has taken a back seat to the passing attack and that trend continued today. The Panthers ran the ball just 7 times with Willie Reddish completing 46/65, 347 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, and 4 sacks taken. Brendan Tullis caught 11 for 109 yards and a TD. All of those yards produced just 1 red zone trip, which resulted in a FG and the Panthers were 1/6 on 4th down conversions.

Honolulu didn't put up great stats, but their defense did a good job limiting scoring despite giving up yards, allowing the offense time to find it's stride. In the 3rd, Victor Russell led a 4 play, 75 yard TD drive, with Brian Copley's 6 yard TD run giving the Hawaiians a 13-10 lead. Michigan turned it over on downs at their own 31 and 2 plays later, Russell found Michael Sinclair for an 11 yard TD to push the lead to 20-10.

The rest of the game was Michigan turning it over on downs and Honolulu giving it back via punt or downs until they added a FG at the 2 minute warning.

Houston Gamblers 22 Oklahoma Outlaws 0

Houston dominated the yardage but didn't pull away on the scoreboard until the 4th qtr. Randy Savage had a 20 yard TD run in the first and an 82 yard TD reception early in the 2nd and the Gamblers defense kept the potent Oklahoma offense out of the end zone and red zone all day. Macho Man had a combined 214 yards, 84 rushing and 130 receiving, with the aforementioned 2 TDs. Dale Baber had a solid, if unspectacular game with 288 yards and 2 TD passes with an INT and 2 sacks taken. The Gamblers allowed just 170 total yards, forcing a punt on the first 11 Outlaw possessions and recovering a fumble on the last one.

National Conference Wildcard Weekend

Jacksonville Bulls 37 Birmingham Stallions 27

This was an odd game, a tale of two halves if you will. Birmingham got the ball first and took an instant 7-0 lead when Barry Stringfellow took the opening kickoff 99 yards for a TD. Neither offense did much in the first half as Jacksonville cut the lead to 7-6 with a pair of FGs.

The second half started like the first as Larry Stafford took the kickoff 107 yards to give Jacksonville a 13-7 lead. Unlike the first half, both offenses moved the ball well in the second half. Jacksonville got a 21 yard TD pass by William Barron to William McLendon for a 20-7 lead. Charles Tello booted a 50 yard FG to extend the lead to 23-7 before the teams traded TDs for a bit. Birmingham cut the lead down to 9 points twice but that's as close as they could get as a lost fumble broke the string of traded TDs in the 4th.

William Barron led the Bulls to victory completing 29/39, 363 yards, 3 TDs, and 3 sacks taken. William McLendon was the leading receiver, catching 9 for 104 yards and a TD. Birmingham QB Russell Gall completed 25/38, 318 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, and 1 sack taken. Marshall Lewis caught 5 for 162 yards and 2 TDs.

Pittsburgh Maulers 24 Philadelphia Bell 17

The Battle of Pennsylvania was a hard hitting affair and Pittsburgh got out to a 10-0 lead thanks to a Marc Morgan 38 yard TD run and a FG. Philadelphia struggled offensively in the first half but they managed a FG to get within 10-3.

Philadelphia struggled more in the 3rd until the defense got their 2nd INT off Thomas Hampton. The Bell took over at the Pittsburgh 29 and Joel Jasso tied the game at 10 with a short TD pass to James Walker. Philadelphia took the lead early in the 4th on a Joel Jasso scramble that turned into a 16 yard TD run.

Pittsburgh now trailed 17-10 but Christopher Goins ripped off a 45 yard TD run to tie the score and Thomas Hampton found Arthur Ortega for a 72 yard catch and run TD to give Pittsburgh a 24-17 lead with 6:25 to play. Philadelphia ended the game with a punt, INT, and an 8 second "drive" to end the game.

Pittsburgh controlled the action with a running game that had 193 yards and 2 TDs on 38 carries. Thomas Hampton didn't have a great game, completing 12/22, 179 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INTs but he found Arthur Ortega for a big play when the Maulers needed it. Ortega finished with 5 catches, 131 yards and a TD.

Washington Federals 48 New Jersey Generals 16

New Jersey hung around with Washington for a quarter and a half before a kickoff return TD swung momentum the Federals way and they never looked back, scoring 34 unanswered points for the blowout win. New Jersey got on the board first with a FG, then Washington's Michael Erickson found James Martinez for a 56 yard TD. Kevin Via answered with an 82 yard TD pass to Alec Hardison. Erickson answered the answer with a 39 yard TD pass to William Flock. New Jersey then got another FG to make the score 14-13 Washington.

William Flock took the ensuing kickoff 102 yards for a TD to give Washington a 21-13 lead. The Federals extended it to 24-13 with a FG at the halftime gun, then scored on their first four possessions of the second half.

Washington ran for 285 yards and 2 TDs while Michael Erickson threw for 301 yards and 3 TDs, only taking 1 sack. All but 1 yard of the Federals rushing total came from James Ford and Norman Thomas. Ford ran 22 times for 176 yards and a TD while Thomas had 108 yards and a TD on 14 carries. Erickson's stats were spread amongst several receivers, led by Jacob Hazlett's 5-90-1.

The 2010 Divisional Round was completed today and we had much closer games than Wildcard Weekend. We had one game go to OT, we have a team trying to go from worst to first, and we'll have a new champion as the two time defending champion New Orleans VooDoo were knocked out by Pittsburgh. We also have Houston still alive, aiming for their 10th World Bowl win.

American Conference Divisional Round

San Jose SaberCats 19 Honolulu Hawaiians 17 (OT)

These teams just played Week 16 for home field advantage and now 2 weeks later, they face each other in a winner take all game. When I talk about San Jose games, I usually talk about the stats his players put up, but that's not the case today. Both defenses came ready to play as neither offense reached the red zone, and San Jose even toned down their aggressiveness, as they didn't try any 4th down conversions and they actually kicked the XP instead of going for 2 when they scored TDs.

Honolulu scored first on a Victor Russell 62 yard TD pass to Fred Thomas for a 7-0 lead. San Jose would tie the game in the 2nd qtr on a David Babin 35 yard TD run and they took the lead 10-7 on a FG.

So we hit the second half with San Jose up 10-7 and they extended the lead in the first minute when Jason Medlin intercepted Victor Russell and took it 20 yards for a Pick Six. The XP made it 17-7 but on the ensuing kickoff, Michael Sinclair tied a league record with a 110 yard kickoff return TD and the Hawaiians were right back in the game, trailing 17-14. The rest of the second half was mostly punts, with a harmless INT by Myron Dustin breaking the punt fest. Honolulu was winning the field position battle toward the end of the 4th, pinning San Jose inside their 10, then after forcing a punt, the Hawaiians took over on their own 40 with 2:36 to play. Russel was able to get into FG range and Michael Marmon tied the game with a 39 yard FG inside the 2 minute warning.

San Jose got the ball to start OT but they punted on both of their extra possessions. Honolulu punted as well on their first drive, and they would start their second drive at their own 9 yard line. Victor Russell dropped back to pass on first down and went too far back as Gregg Griffin sacked him in the end zone for a walk off safety.

An excellent season by Honolulu comes to a heartbreaking end while San Jose advances to face the winner of the Southwest Championship Game for the right to represent the American Conference in World Bowl XXXVII.

Houston Gamblers 29 San Antonio Gunslingers 18

Houston got the ball first and got a quick 7-0 lead when Dale Baber found Randy Savage for a 75 yard catch and run TD. San Antonio fumbled the ball away on their first play from scrimmage but the defense held the Gamblers to a FG as they quickly fell behind 10-0. The rest of the first half was punts, turnovers, and FGs by San Antonio as the Gunslingers cut the lead to 10-9 by halftime.

San Antonio got the ball to start the 3rd qtr and they added another FG to take a 12-10 lead. Snake Roberts got the lead back for Houston on a short TD run. Each team would go on to add a FG in the qtr and we head to the 4th with Houston leading 20-15.

The score stayed the same until 5 minutes to play when Snake Roberts scored his 2nd rushing TD to give Houston a 26-15 lead as the 2 point try failed. San Antonio would get a 57 yard FG to pull within 26-20 but with time getting short, they tried an onside kick. Houston recovered it and ran out the remaining clock, tacking on a FG at the gun just to be sure as the Gamblers win and advance to the Conference Championship.

San Antonio's excellent season comes to an unfortunate end earlier than they wanted. Randy Savage had 251 combined yards, rushing for 46 yards and catching 5 passes for 205 yards and a TD.

National Conference Divisional Round

Pittsburgh Maulers 23 New Orleans VooDoo 19

Pittsburgh got out to a 13-0 lead behind a pair of Thomas Hampton TD passes. One of the XPs was no good, but the Maulers had 2 long drives early against the league's #1 defense. New Orleans would bounce back, keeping the Pittsburgh offense at bay while they clawed back in the game.

Fast forward to late 3rd qtr and Pittsburgh now led 16-6. VooDoo QB James Wright found Gerald Waldon for a 55 yard TD pass to make the score 16-13 heading to the 4th.

New Orleans would tie the game with a FG and take the lead with another FG with 3:21 to play. Pittsburgh got the ball on their own 25 after the touchback, needing at least a FG against a defense that pretty much shut them down after the 3rd drive of the game. Pittsburgh faced a 4th and 10 on the drive but converted and the drive continued. Hampton finished 5/10 on the drive, with a 24 yard TD to Jared Burton giving Pittsburgh the lead. Jack Maestas made this XP and the Maulers led by 4 late. James Wright got New Orleans into Maulers territory but he was intercepted to seal the win for Pittsburgh.

Tough loss for the back to back champs but they have a couple trophies to soften the blow while Pittsburgh advances to face the winner of our next game for the right to play in World Bowl XXXVII.

Washington Federals 41 Jacksonville Bulls 20

At first glance, this game was a blowout but it was a tight game into the 4th qtr until Washington scored the last 18 points of the game in the final 6 minutes. Jacksonville turned the ball over early and often, as William Barron threw 5 INT today and the Bulls lost a fumble. Four of the turnovers came in the first half as Washington built a 20-7 lead. Jacksonville won the 3rd qtr to make the score 23-17 Washington heading to the 4th.

Jacksonville got within 23-20 on a FG early in the 4th, then Washington got those 3 points back with 6 minutes to play. Jacksonville would punt, then turn the ball over on downs following an INT by Washington QB Michael Erickson. James Ford then broke open the game with a 63 yard TD run, with a Norris Thomas 2 point run making the score 34-23. Jacksonville would turn it over on downs again only to see James Ford run for a TD again, this time 25 yards to seal the win for the Federals. Ford finished with 220 yards and 3 TDs on 22 carries.

Jacksonville's hot streak against playoff teams comes to an end, as does their playoff run. The Bulls keep knocking on that World Bowl door but nobody has let them in yet. Washington's worst to first run continues another week as they advance to see which Atlantic Division team represents the American Conference in World Bowl XXXVII.

American Conference Championship

San Jose SaberCats 13 Houston Gamblers 10

San Jose and Houston have 2 of the best 3 offenses in the league in 2010, so of course this game was a defensive struggle. While I do concentrate on offense in my game writeups because everyone loves stats, these tams also play solid defense. San Jose has the 2nd ranked defense and Houston's is 10th. The Gamblers defense is much improved over the last couple of seasons which is a big reason they've made it this far this season.

There was a game played and we'll fast forward to the 2 minute warning of the first half. Previous to this was all punts and Houston just reached the red zone. Houston would convert a 3rd and 4 from the 20, then 2 plays later Dale Baber found Bo Bullet for a 4 yard TD and a 7-0 Houston lead with the XP. San Jose got the ball with 1:13 left and Myron Dustin went 4/5 for 75 yards on the drive, with Alfredo Montoya catching the 5 yard TD, and the XP tied the game at 7.

San Jose scored so quickly that they left Houston 0:45 to work with. Instead of taking a knee, Houston went for more points after Snake Roberts ripped a 12 yard run on first down. Turned out to be a bad decision as Baber was intercepted, leaving San Jose in long FG range. Dustin completed 1/2 passes and Daniel Pitts booted a 51 yard FG as the SaberCats steal 3 points at the end of the half to lead 10-7.

Houston got those 3 points back in the 3rd following a Myron Dustin INT that gave the Gamblers the ball in San Jose territory. Baber couldn't lead a TD drive but a Tom Overton 43 yard FG knotted the game at 10. The rest of the 3rd and most of the 4th was a field position battle. One team would punt the other team inside, at, or near their 20. Then that team did the same. Back and forth between the 20's until the 2 minute warning.

San Jose just gained a 1st down after starting their final drive at their 20. Myron Dustin was 4/4, 68 yards on the drive, taking 2 sacks along the way. San Jose had driven to the Houston 33 yard line with time running out, so they used their final timeout. Daniel Pitts came on the field and booted the game winning 50 yard FG as time expired to send San Jose to their second World Bowl appearance.

Myron Dustin completed 22/29, 279 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT with 2 sacks taken. San Jose's leading receiver was Scott Isaacs with 5 catches for 94 yards. Snake Roberts had 167 combined yards for Houston, including 126 on the ground. Dale Baber was held to 20/50, 156 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT.

National Conference Championship

Pittsburgh Maulers 21 Washington Federals 14

This was the 3rd, and most important game between Pittsburgh and Washington this season. They split in the regular season, with Washington winning the Atlantic, giving them the right to host this game. Federals fans were in a frenzy as they certainly didn't expect to be hosting the NC Championship Game one season after finishing 1-15. Washington was a top franchise during the 1980's and 90's but have fallen into mediocrity in the 2000's. Pittsburgh has had an up and down history as well, as the Maulers were dominant in the 1970's but down in the 80's. They had a mini resurgence in the early 90's, then returned to dominance in the 2000's under hammond. Thanos4real looks to continue hammond's legacy.

That's enough pregame talk, let's get to the action. Washington got the ball first but Michael Erickson was intercepted on the third play, giving Pittsburgh the ball in long FG range. Thomas Hampton gave it back with an INT of his own 2 plays later, no harm no foul. A couple of punts later, Washington was looking to score as they had reached the red zone, but Jacob Hazlett lost a fumble after catching a pass inside the 10 and the Maulers took over at their 4. Washington would get the ball back following a punt and Michael Erickson led a TD drive, with the score coming on a 28 yard pass to James Martinez. The XP made it 7-0 Washington but Pittsburgh tied it after Arthur Ortega returned the ensuing kickoff 102 yards for a score.

In the 2nd qtr, Washington had pinned pittsburgh at their 1 on a punt, but Thomas Hampton drove the Maulers into Washington territory. As they approached the red zone, Hampton was intercepted. Michael Erickson then led a 10 play, 86 yard TD drive toward the end of the half. Warren Bell caught the 6 yard score from Erickson and the Federals led 14-7 at the half.

Pittsburgh got the ball to start the 2nd half and the Maulers tied the game after a 13 play, 73 yard drive. Kenneth Allen ran the final 3 yards for the score. Pittsburgh's defense forced a three and out, then the offense went to work again. This drive took 10 plays covering 82 yards with Hampton's 5 yard TD pass to Arthur Ortega giving Pittsburgh the lead. The XP was good and the Maulers led 21-14 late in the 3rd.

Washington had 4 drives to try and tie/win the game but they couldn't get any closer than the Maulers 39 yard line as Pittsburgh holds on to win 21-14. This will be the 5th World Bowl appearance for Pittsburgh.

Kenneth Allen had 110 combined yards and a rushing TD while Arthur Ortega scored 2 TDs. Washington ran the ball well, at 4.4 yards a carry but Pittsburgh ran for 4.61 yards a carry and they almost doubled the attempts of the Federals. Jacob Hazlett caught 11 for 83 yards but he also had the costly fumble deep in Pittsburgh territory.