|
Post by CF4L on Jun 18, 2011 22:19:34 GMT -5
APFL STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 13 Sioux City Bandits 11-0 Iowa Blackhawks 6-4 Mid-Missouri Outlaws 5-5 Kansas Koyotes 4-6 Springfield Wolfpack 2-8 Florida Scorpions 0-2 Kansas City Matadors 0-3 Week 13 Results18 June (Sat): Kansas City Matadors 6 @ Kansas Koyotes 75 18 June (Sat): Springfield Wolf Pack 6 @ Sioux City Bandits 84 18 June (Sat): Iowa Blackhawks 41 @ Mid-Missouri Outlaws 30 Week 14 Games25 June (Sat): Iowa Blackhawks @ Kansas Koyotes 7:05 PM 25 June (Sat): Mid-Missouri Outlaws @ Springfield Wolfpack 7:05 PM 25 June (Sat): Stockton Wolves @ Sioux City Bandits 7:05 PM (Non-league game)
|
|
|
Post by CF4L on Jun 18, 2011 22:57:11 GMT -5
Iowa takes second seedby Seth Stringer www.sedaliademocrat.com/sports/outlaws-34946-blackhawks-seed.htmlThe Mid-Missouri fans waited patiently, but the fourth-quarter scores, game-changing picks and late defensive stops never came for the Outlaws this time around. Chuck Wright threw for 226 yards, Mell Holliday rushed for four touchdowns and the Iowa Blackhawks clinched the No. 2 seed in the American Professional Football League playoffs with a 41-30 win over the Outlaws on Saturday night at the Mathewson Exhibition Center. Three weeks after coming back from a 40-22 deficit with 22 unanswered points to defeat the Blackhawks (6-4) in Sedalia, the Outlaws (5-5) couldn’t find the late magic. Kyle Middleton, who threw for four touchdowns — two to Darryl Madry — and ran for another, coughed up the ball four times including one with under a minute to play that sealed the win for the Blackhawks. It was the first win in Sedalia for Iowa, who watched the Outlaws twice mount a game-winning drive in the final seconds in front of the home crowd. In a rivalry that’s been decided five times on the last play of the game, Iowa improved to 4-3 against Mid-Missouri. The third-place Outlaws, however, will have a chance to even up the series with a semifinal playoff matchup against the Blackhawks on July 2 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Needing a strong start against a team that had won 33 of 34 games at home, the Blackhawks came out of the gates firing. Just five plays into the opening drive, Wright found Andrew Seymour up the middle for a 3-yard score and Jerry Lakin capped off the 22-yard drive with an extra point. The Outlaws, who were without Marcus James, answered on the legs of Middleton, who scrambled up the left sideline for a 13-yard score. Middleton, though, struggled on the next three drives with three straight interceptions. The Blackhawks, going to the ground game, capitalized on the miscues. Holliday struck first on 2-yard run up the left side and then later on a 1-yard run to stretch the lead to 21-6 with 12:34 left in the second quarter. Down a pair of touchdowns, the Outlaws finally got a handle on the turnover woes and started to move the chains. Halfway through the second, Middleton found Darryl Madry for a 30-yard strike up the right sideline. On the ensuing drive, Outlaws defensive back Ryan Lewis recovered his second fumble of the game, and Middleton capitalized, finding Aaron Luebbe for a 4-yard score in the back of the end zone to close the gap to 21-18 heading into the half. After a defensive stop, the Blackhawks once again went to the run game to expand the lead. Holliday scored from 8 yards out, but the Outlaws once again answered. Middleton connected with Madry for a 7-yard score to cut the lead to 28-24, but the Outlaws defense had trouble getting the big stop. Burton Bosan scored from 1 yard out on the ensuing drive, and Holliday later expanded the lead to 41-24 with his fourth TD of the night late in the fourth. Middleton mustered a little heroics with a late, 8-yard touchdown pass to Moa Palepale, but down 41-30, the Outlaws’ hopes ended with under a minute to play on the Blackhawks’ fourth interception of the night.
|
|
|
Post by CF4L on Jun 18, 2011 23:21:27 GMT -5
Undefeated Bandits methodically stomp Springfieldby Jerry Giese www.siouxcityjournal.com/sports/f....c333a23ae5.htmlSIOUX CITY - Surely, the Sioux City Bandits practice every possible situation. No wonder Scott Jensen has had his share of first-play touchdown passes from scrimmage. He sees every situation possible and executes. Jensen's 40-yard touchdown pass to Fredrick Bruno, one play after a Springfield holding penalty midway through the first quarter, launched the scoring in Saturday night's 84-6 rout of the Wolfpack during American Professional Football League action at the Tyson Events Center. "I just take my time because I've got all day to throw," said Jensen, who passed for three touchdowns and ran for two others as Coach Butch Faulkenberry's Bandits improved their season record to 11-0. "I get great protection from my offensive line. We have great wide receivers who get open. That makes my job easy. Every time we get to the red zone, we try to score." Springfield (2-8) was outgained 204-79 in total offense. Spetlar Tonga topped Sioux City's aggressive defense with nine tackles, one more than Thomas Wells. J.J. Washington had one fumble recovery and one interception for a defense that recorded three interceptions, three fumble recoveries, four quarterback sacks and 10 tackles for losses that totaled 39 yards. As the game progressed, the home team scored in a variety of ways. Damon Mothershead, whose 31-yard touchdown catch gave Sioux City a 35-6 halftime lead, excelled on a flea-flicker play in the third quarter. Mothershead took a soft toss from Jensen and fired a 14-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Pertilla, a former Midland University athlete who had three TD catches. The Bandits' 28-point third quarter also included two defensive touchdowns. Simi Toeaina recorded his second fumble recovery score of the season, as he stepped in from one yard out. Later in the third, Taylor Schumacher grabbed his 11th interception, returning it for a 16-yard touchdown. It was the third interception return TD for Schumacher this season. "Coach Z (John Zevenbergen) does a great job of preparing us every week," said Schumacher. "He has a great game plan. He puts us in the right place. "It's also due to leadership from guys like (Spetlar) Tonga. Those guys have played the game so long, they know when the play comes before it goes." Sioux City's defense tallied its 17th touchdown of the campaign early in the fourth quarter when Rahn Franklin returned his sixth interception 19 yards for a score. Franklin, on the play, avenged a mistake he made in the second quarter when an interception attempt in the end zone bounced off his pads into the opportunistic arms of Charles Rooks, whose 14-yard touchdown catch from Cedrick Dewberry pulled Springfield (2-8) within 14-6. Even Sioux City's special teams set up a score. Marcus Watkins forced a fumble on a Springfield kickoff return after Schumacher's fourth-quarter touchdown and Washington recovered at the Wolfpack 3-yard line. Watkins scored on the next play. The Bandits will host the Stockton (Calif.) Wolves next Saturday, starting at 7:05 p.m. at the Tyson Events Center. Stockton is an independent team that plays teams from California, Nevada and Utah.
|
|
|
Post by CF4L on Jun 18, 2011 23:28:01 GMT -5
Koyotes trounce Matadors, 75-6 by Rick Peterson Jr. cjonline.com/sports/2011-06-18/koyotes-trounce-matadors-75-6It became apparent from the get-go Saturday night that the Kansas Koyotes would have no difficulty securing their spot in the American Professional Football League playoffs. The Koyotes recovered an onside kick on the first play of the game and built a 21-point lead by the first quarter on the way to a 75-6 victory over the Kansas City Matadors at Landon Arena. The win assured the Koyotes the fourth seed in the APFL playoffs. Kansas Koyotes coach Troy Biladeau said he thought his team put together a focused effort. “I told the guys we needed to play for a full 60 minutes, no matter who is out there, and we did that,” he said. “Our first goal was to make the playoffs, and we’ve achieved that. “We started 0-3, and if you saw us those first couple of games, you wouldn’t think this team would make the playoffs. I’m proud of the guys.” Koyotes’ quarterback Carlos Kelly led the way for the Koyotes, tossing five touchdowns and going 10 of 13 for 93 yards. Mike Williams hauled in three touchdown passes, and Naji Shinskia caught two. D.J. Kearse handled most of the carries for Kansas, rushing for 51 yards with one touchdown on nine attempts. The Koyotes’ back-up players also thrived. Cory Dipman played most of the second half at quarterback, going 4-of-4 for 57 yards with two touchdown passes. Josh Lauer and Nick Gawden each caught touchdown passes from Dipman. Biladeau said he was encouraged by the play of his reserves. “Cory Dipman played well at quarterback in the second half,” Biladeau said. “(Josh Lauer) made a great catch, and he hasn’t played any receiver all year. The (back-ups) have been coming to practice all year — and they’re good players, too. We’re a family and it was a total team effort tonight.” Topeka High product Russell Washington scored the lone touchdown for the Matadors on a two-yard carry late in the first half. In three APFL games this season, the Matadors were outscored 263-12. Shinskia left the game in the second quarter after sustaining a helmet-to-helmet hit but was able to walk off on his own power. The Koyotes will close out the regular season Saturday when they host the Iowa Blackhawks. Biladeau said he is feeling good about his team heading into the Iowa game. “I think the guys are feeling good right now,” Biladeau said. “It’ll be nice to have a good test going into the playoffs. So, actually it sets up perfect to play a team like this and then having one more tough game before the playoffs. “The way the guys feel, I think that’ll carry over to next week and the playoffs.” Kansas City Matadors 0 6 0 0 — 6 Kansas Koyotes 21 22 26 6 — 75 Koyotes — Shinskia 13 pass from Kelly (Cox kick) Koyotes — Lawrence blocked kick recovery (Cox kick) Koyotes — Williams 4 pass from Kelly (Cox kick) Koyotes — Kearse 7 run (Cox kick) Koyotes — Shinskia 30 pass from Kelly (Cox kick) Koyotes — Williams 4 pass from Kelly (Cox kick) Matadors — Washington 2 run (kick blocked) Koyotes — Colter block kick return for safety Koyotes — Williams 13 pass from Kelly (Cox kick) Koyotes — Lauer 19 pass from Dipman (Cox kick) Koyotes — Dipman 1 run (Cox kick) Koyotes — Gawden 23 pass from Dipman (kick failed)
|
|
|
Post by Banana Cat on Jun 19, 2011 7:44:49 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by CF4L on Jun 19, 2011 12:08:59 GMT -5
Blackhawks win at Mid-Missourisouthwestiowanews.com/articles/2011/06/19/council_bluffs/sports/doc4dfd6f3ef1e8d874986066.txtSEDALIA, Mo. – After a late interception of a Kyle Middleton pass, the Iowa Blackhawks grabbed a 41-30 win over the Mid-Missouri Outlaws in the rubber match between the two squads. That win gives the Blackhawks the No. 2 seed in the upcoming American Professional Football League playoffs. Iowa led 21-18 at the half and extended that lead to 41-24 early in the fourth quarter after a Mell Holliday one-yard touchdown run. Middleton hit Moe Palepale for a five-yard score to pull his team within eleven but was hit and threw the ball up for grabs on the next possession. Iowa knelt out the clock shortly after. The game had added significance for Iowa coach Mike Wolff. His uncle didn’t make the trip after his father passed away, and he dedicated the victory to him. Now, his uncle can watch the playoffs at the Mid-America Center. “That win was for Uncle Teddy,” Wolff said. “I didn’t want him to have to travel again.” Iowa closes out its regular season next week with a game in Topeka, Kan. against the Kansas Koyotes. “We’re really starting to come together as a team,” Wolff said. “It’s been our goal to peak and play our best football in July. We’re well on our way.” Iowa (6-4) 14 7 14 6 – 41 Mid-Missouri (5-5) 6 12 6 6 – 30
|
|
|
Post by CF4L on Jun 25, 2011 3:55:29 GMT -5
Koyotes seek momentum against Blackhawks by Rick Peterson Jr. cjonline.com/sports/football/2011-06-24/koyotes-seek-momentum-against-blackhawksOn paper, the Kansas Koyotes won’t have anything to gain by beating the two-time defending champion Iowa Blackhawks in their regular season and home finale. In actuality, the game could be their most crucial contest of the season. Though the seeding has already been set for the American Professional Football League playoffs, the Koyotes will be focused on building momentum for the postseason when they host the Blackhawks at 7:05 p.m. Saturday night in Landon Arena. “It’ll be a good test for the playoffs,” Koyotes coach Troy Biladeau said. “You definitely want to play well at home. Iowa’s a great team, very well-coached and they will be the No. 2 seed, so it’s a big game for us.” The Koyotes, who play on the road against the undefeated Sioux City Bandits next week in the semifinal round of the playoffs, dropped a 41-28 decision at Iowa in their only meeting this season with the Blackhawks (6-4). Biladeau said the Koyotes had trouble converting on their opportunities in their first matchup with Iowa. “We turned the ball over three times, and two of those were in the red zone,” he said. “We spent a lot of time this week on our red-zone offense. I thought we moved the ball pretty well but we just stalled out in the red zone. So that was the biggest thing we worked on this week.” The Koyotes are coming off a dominating 75-6 win against the Kansas City Matadors. With several players getting a chance to contribute, Biladeau said the win was a good morale-booster for his squad. “The good thing about that game is that everyone got to play,” he said. “Our backups played really well. “You could just see that there was more excitement at practice this week, not only for this Iowa game but also for the playoffs. This is kind of the fun time of year. These guys are working hard. We just need to have a good game this week and then we’ll see what happens in the playoffs.” Koyotes quarterback Carlos Kelly threw five touchdown passes last week and was 10 of 13 for 93 yards. Mike Williams caught three touchdown passes while Naji Shinskia had two. Biladeau said Shinskia, who left the Kansas City game after sustaining a helmet-to-helmet hit, has been practicing all week and will play against Iowa.
|
|
|
Post by CF4L on Jun 25, 2011 3:57:14 GMT -5
Outlaws seek momentum by Seth Stringer www.sedaliademocrat.com/sports/picture-35092-seek-big.htmlIn the big picture, it’s a meaningless game. Traveling to Springfield for the season finale tonight against the last-place WolfPack, the Outlaws are already locked into the No. 3 seed in the American Professional Football League playoffs, regardless of a win or a loss. With a win over the defending APFL champion Iowa Blackhawks — who have wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and a home, semifinal date with the Outlaws on July 2 — and a Mid-Missouri loss, the 4-6 Kansas Koyotes could pull even with the Outlaws in the win column. But the Outlaws own the points differential tiebreaker, setting up the six-time APFL champion Koyotes for a semifinal meeting in Sioux City against the 11-0 Bandits. So what’s the motivation for this weekend’s game? According to Outlaws head coach Ben Lyles, a lot. For one, an Outlaws win would assure their fifth straight, above.-500 regular season. Secondly, momentum is something not to be taken lightly. “The momentum’s a big thing. We’d like to go into Iowa with a little momentum and also go there healthy,” said Lyles, whose Outlaws roster is frozen along with every other APFL team. While health is a concern, that won’t stop him playing every starter, including oft-injured Marcus James, who sat out last week’s 41-30 loss to the Blackhawks. “We’re going to play the game to win,” Lyles said. “Every one of our guys is going into Saturday with the focus of winning and finishing the regular season above .500.” In mid-April, as the Outlaws vaulted out of the gates 3-0, there was no worry of finishing below .500. But in the midst of a span where they’ve dropped five of seven games, including a program-worst four straight games, the Outlaws have struggled against a schedule lacking nonconference teams. Add in the new-to-the-league Bandits, who have outscored Mid-Missouri 122-38 in just two games, and the Outlaws have struggled under the tutelage of their first-year head coach. “It’s been a learning experience, but we’ve got a chance to redeem ourselves coming up,” Lyles said. And while meaningless, a third win this season over the WolfPack, who were eliminated from the playoff race last week, would go a long way. Dating back to last year’s semifinal, the Outlaws have beaten the WolfPack three straight times. That includes a 28-25 win at the Mathewson Exhibition Center earlier this year and a 72-62 win in Springfield. “We know we’ll get their best shot and they have some great athletes down there,” Lyles said. “They’ve given us problems in the past and even handed us our first APFL loss, so we’re not going to be overlooking them.”
|
|
|
Post by CF4L on Jun 25, 2011 3:59:49 GMT -5
Bandits' eye perfect regular season by Michael Brauer www.siouxcityjournal.com/sports/football/amateur/article_61d742e3-4b1f-5632-85eb-0c4bd8c46f8a.htmlSIOUX CITY -- Before the season started, Butch Faulkenberry questioned having a non-league game on the final week of the schedule. "I was a little bit concerned ... I didn't know how to feel about it," the Sioux City Bandits' head coach admitted. "You worry about injury. You worry, ‘Geez, do we have to have this game?'" Eleven wins and zero losses later, Faulkenberry's no longer having second thoughts. The Bandits face the final obstacle to their undefeated regular season tonight against the Stockton Wolves, perhaps the most capable and definitely the most mysterious opponent Sioux City has faced this season. "I think going into next week, we need this game," Faulkenberry said. "We don't need an 84-7 or 112-0 game, we don't need that going in (to the playoffs). "This is a good game to have. We need to be in a fight." That's something the Bandits, who are outscoring opponents by more than 30 points per game, have rarely seen inside the American Professional Football League. Their toughest test may come by stepping outside of it, against a team from nearly 2,000 miles away. The Wolves, in their second season of existence, were originally from San Jose before moving operations to Stockton, Calif., before the start of this year. The franchise broke from the now-defunct American Indoor Football Association last fall and now plays under the "Western Indoor Football Association" banner with one other team -- the Reno Barons. Those two squads have played four times this season, the Barons being the only team this season to beat the Wolves (7-1). Though it wasn't until Tuesday that Faulkenberry and his crew finally secured some video of their opponent, it didn't take long for them to figure out Stockton's strength. "Speed-wise, they appear on film to be the fastest team that we will see this season," Faulkenberry said. "The one thing we can't get in practice is their team speed." The Wolves have it on both sides of the ball. The offense is led by former Florida A&M quarterback Lemuel Adams, who was the backup signal-caller on the Division I Rattlers' team that won the Mid Eastern Conference Championship in 2001. Stockton's defensive leader -- both de jure and de facto -- is Larry Thompson, a 35-year-old starting defensive back who also happens to be the Wolves' defensive coordinator. Thompson was the National Indoor Football League's Defensive Player of the Year in 2005, back when he helped lead the Odessa Roughnecks to an undefeated regular season (The Roughnecks, now from "West Texas," currently play in the Indoor Football League, which the Bandits split from after last season). Marcus Harper, like Thompson a San Jose State grad, is an enforcer at safety. The hard-hitting son of former San Francisco 49er and Super Bowl champion Willie Harper, Marcus is in his second season starting for the Wolves. That means Bandit quarterback Scott Jensen could be facing the stingiest secondary of the season. To this point, he's carved up just about everyone else, throwing for 1,507 yards, 33 touchdowns and just five interceptions all season long. The Bandits have been perhaps even more efficient on defense, where they have 46 takeaways and hold a ridiculous plus-34 turnover margin. They also have a defensive leader of their own to be reckoned with. Linebacker and team captain Spetlar Tonga has 91 tackles (13 for loss) with a half-dozen fumble recoveries and a trio of interceptions. Of course, Faulkenberry thinks Tonga's most important contributions can't be measured statistically. "Spet, he's just as good as any defensive coordinator playing," Faulkenberry said. "He's the heart and soul of our defensive unit out there. We have veterans, and we have more than one set of eyes to communicate with ‘Z' (Defensive coordinator John Zevenbergen), so that gives us an advantage." As does playing a 7-1 opponent the week before playoffs. After all, an undefeated season means a lot less than a championship -- at least that's how Faulkenberry sees it. "We're capable of showing what caliber of football team we are and this is a good chance to do that," the coach said. "No one here is intimidated, no one's scared -- we're not playing that card. "I think this will set the stage for us going into playoffs," he added. "Because that's what this is about -- winning that ring."
|
|
|
Post by Banana Cat on Jun 25, 2011 5:30:35 GMT -5
This week I got Sioux City, Mid-Mo, and Iowa winning.
|
|
|
Post by Banana Cat on Jun 26, 2011 3:41:18 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Banana Cat on Jun 26, 2011 4:25:32 GMT -5
|
|