Horrors make nightmare for Homes

After an embarrassing loss of their own to archrival Manhattan, the Amityville Horrors rolled over three opponents, and it looked like the spirit of the defending league champions had finally awakened. Then in the final season game, the Horrors had a nightmare game when nothing would right for them, including three interceptions for QB Houghton Holler, and were beaten soundly by Washington. In the wildcard game, the previous Horrors did bounce back, and created the nightmare for the Mobile Homes.

The biggest Horror for the Homes was WR Hugo Gurl, who gained the most yardage before Amityville snapped the ball. Gurl had 5 returns on punts for 121 yards, including a 75-yard thriller for a TD just before halftime when Amityville were already up 30-0. It was the point of no return from this nightmare.

Amityville took the first possession and took eight plays to drive to a TD, with Gurl opening on a 5-yard run, and also having the biggest gain, a 20-yard reception. RB Lyle Little scored from three yards. After a three and out, Mobile punted from their own 12-yard line, and Gurl fielded on the Mobile 40 and returned it to the 21. He then caught a 12-yard pass, and the distance was covered on the next play, Holler to TE Ivan Tukacherdikov for 9 yards and the TD.

Three more Mobile drives ended in punts and were followed by field goals for Amityville from K Edmund Hustler, who on the day was 4 of 4 attempts. Then, down 23-0, Mobile started from their own 15, and on 3rd down, QB Jethro Ittaway was sacked 13 yards back, fumbled, and the Horrors recovered on the four. Tukacherdickov carried it in from there no a TE-reverse for a 30-0 lead. And the then next possession led to Gurl's 75-yard return. Amityville scored on every possession of the first half, even if it was a punt return where they never set up from scrimmage.

The Homes put together a long drive, 14 plays from their own 5, to begin the second half, scoring on a 7-yard pass from backup QB Noah Peele to WR Hacket Tupesus. Both teams substituted QBs, Holler appearing to get dinged at the start of the 2nd quarter, and Ittaway apparently pulled simply to try something else. Holler came back and there appears to be no concern looking ahead. Amityville scored on their next two possesions, both long drives, another field goal and 21-yard pass to WR "Dangerous" Lee Azens.

Amityville's advance sends them to Macon and leaves Toronto with the matchup against Manhattan.

Rednecks turn around Types

The tiebreakder for the final playoff spot in the East was the closest ever, because both teams incredibly had the same point difference: +17. The tiebreaker between the Boulder Types and the Tucson Rednecks, just for which would host the game, was decided by the point difference but showed how incredible both these teams were in wins this season: Boulder +123, Tucson +139. Both teams had several lopsided wins, the Rednecks with their big-strike weapons, the Types with their more evenly spread talent and timing. Something had to give. And could that mean a close game, a thriller, a shootout?

It did for a bit more than a half. Tucson RB Dick Burns ripped off a 47-yard run on the third play from scrimmage, but running mate Hugh B. Sick fumbled away to Boulder two plays later. Boulder went three and out. The Rednecks then drove it in, with WR Avery Cunningham getting five receptions including a 21-yarder and a one-yarder for the TD. The Types went right back the other way, 80 yards in eight plays including a 19-yard run by RB Wayne King and the 20-yard TD pass from QB Pierre Pressure to TE Bud Wipe.

Tucson scored again in the middle of the second quarter, another pass from QB Hugh Jasso to Cunningham, this time eight yards. Again, the Types answered, with a 12-play, clock and possession-hogging drive, including four receptions by Wipe, capped by a 3-yard TD run by RB Rico Pott. Then Tucson TE Dick Wick fumbled, giving the ball right back to Boulder on the Tucson 20. Pott went right back to the end zone on the next play, a 20-yard run that caught the Rednecks guarding the pass, and Boulder reversed the lead right before halftime.

It didn't last long in game time. The Types got the second half kickoff but failed to take advantage, and had to punt without making a first down. They were also punting from their own end zone, and K Lars von Tree, attempting to avoid a block or worse, got the ball off quickly but poorly. It landed at the 23, and then a Redneck, Les Moore, ran up and snatched the ball of the ground and returned it to the two. Jasso threw to Wick in the end zone on the next play, and the extra point tied the game at 21.

Tucson would score again later in the third, on a drive with, after a 5-yard run by Burns, four straight receptions by Cunningham, including the 17-yarder for the TD. The teams would battle out with punts, a missed field goal and blocked punt, until a little past midway in the fourth quarter, when Cunningham finished of a 45-yard pass play and three plays later, Burns took in from 10 yards. Tucson K Donny Brook missed the extra point, the otherwise the suspense was over. The Rednecks had scored all the points in the second half but it wasn't until this point that the gap was beyond one score.

Jasso completed 20 of 31 passes for 232 yards and 4 TDs, and carried 4 times for 23 yards, and Cunningham had 10 catches for 122 yard and 2 TDs, but it was Burns who edged them for MVP. All three players came up big for their first playoff game since Jasso came to Tucson. The Rednecks held Pressure and the Types to 130 yards passing and one TD, and -7 net yards on 8 carries for Pressure, including sacks.

Tucson travels to Baton Rouge for a division rematch. The Swamp Rats beat the Rednecks 24-3 April 23.