Bunch buries Native rally

Brit Humer carries Iowa in final

The Iowa Bunch turned a surprisingly defensive struggle into a lopsided victory with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, reversing the trend of the Columbus Native rallies that upset Manhattan and Connecticut in the playoffs. Though this was somewhat of a snowball due to Columbus taking risks for just such a rally, giving Iowa short field on two drives, twice turning over on downs, and once on an interception, Iowa took advantage and ran away from the Natives.

In a matchup of two franchises that had each lost two previous Hyperbowl attempts, the Iowa Bunch rose from last place in their division the prior year to claim the Western Conference, and now the league title over the East that had seemed superior with defending champs Connecticut, Manhattan, Amityville and their own surprise Columbus. The Natives had been a perennial power, but a bridesmaid for even the Central East title, until they dominated the regular season this year. Then after losing staring tight end Phil Awful and the division again, they rose from the apparent ashes for those stunning playoff upsets. But again they fall hard to the Western foe in final, and due in largest part to quarterback Brit Humer.

Iowa got a draft steal with Humer when he fell to them at the 16th pick, but still no one knew that he was as good as West MVP or the leading passer in the league. In this game, he showed he could do it rushing. With Columbus defending well against the Iowa receiving corps that helped Humer to those accomplishments, just as Columbus had done against the high powered passing offenses of Connecticut and Manhattan, Humer picked the Natives apart with scrambles and draws.

On Iowa's second play from scrimmage, after an incomplete pass, Humer ran 48 yards to the Columbus 16-yard line. On the next play he threw to wide receiver Hollis Assaway for the touchdown. In the third quarter, with the game knotted up at 7-3, again Humer took off on what appeared a pass play for 49 yards to the Columbus two. He scored himself after running back Orson DeWater failed to. And Humer scored on an 18-yard run in the fourth quarter that was probably the clincher, put Iowa up by two scores again, and was the beginning of the Columbus collapse.

Columbus certainly played well enough defensively. They held Assaway, considered the biggest threat, even as far as Humer's passing, to just two catches for 18 yards, although both of those were for TDs. They intercepted Humer twice. After the first one, the Natives drove to the Iowa four, but then lost yards on the next play and settled for a field goal. They kept it scoreless in the second.

But while the Natives kept Iowa from scoring, they were not sustaining drives the way they had to control in their previous playoff games. Iowa took away the passes to the running backs that had been so successful in reviving the Native offense. RB Dave Rath had only one catch for five yards and only 39 yards rushing. The veteran and Demetrius Award winner in college had said he wanted a Hyperbowl win for fellow long-timer Awful as well. Now Awful will not get one, his career almost surely ended, and Rath faces a decision on his future without one.

The biggest play for Columbus was a 63-yard field goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter by All-East and league leading kicker Dog Barrymore. It was a bold and risky move at the time, for only three points, but it seemed to serve the same way the 75-yard TD pass play did in the Eastern Championship game. It put Columbs with one score, with a 2-point conversion if necessary, and it gave them momentum.

On the next possession the Natives picked off Humer the second time. The momentum continued and it seemed like another amazing fourth quarter ralley was on. In that spirit, with a fourth and three at their own 33, they went for it again, and this time paid too dearly. The Bunch forced an incomplete pass and took it into score, on Humer's 18-yard run.

Iowa intercepted QB Bug Zappa on Columbus' next play from scrimmage, and Humer carried it in from a yard out four plays later, to put the game away. The Bunch would add a meaningless TD after another last ditch effort by Columbus to convert on downs too deep in their own territory.