Post by Banana Cat on Jun 29, 2010 19:54:06 GMT -5
From GoIFL.com
First Round Playoff Recap
June 29, 2010
Richmond, VA: Anticipation met realization as the long awaited 2010 IFL post season got underway. Eight games played out over the course of three days which saw several teams play some of their best football when they needed it most. First round action included two top seeds getting knocked off, including one coming in the IFL Game of the Week.
The IFL Game of the Week featured one of the most deep seeded feuds in all of football. The Green Bay Blizzard (10-5) hosted their Central North rivals, the Chicago Slaughter (7-8). While Chicago went 2-1 against the Blizzard during the regular season, the one loss the Slaughter received from Green Bay came just a week ago. The action remained tight for the entirety of the game. With seconds remaining on the clock in the fourth quarter, Green Bay QB Willie Copeland was picked off by Chicago's Sam Smith. The ball was then lateralled to DB Dennison Robinson who brought in the winning score. Chicago defeated the three seeded Blizzard by a thrilling 46-39 finish. The Slaughter offense was running on all gears for the game. QB Tavares Woodley was 16-25 on his passing attempts, good for 217 yards and four TD passes. "Big Play" Reggie Grey lived up to his moniker as the receiver had three touchdowns and 114 yard off of six receptions. The eight seeded Slaughter will try to play the role of giant killer again when they travel to Sioux Falls for a conference semi-final game against the Storm.
Despite getting out to an early 10-0 lead, the Blooming Extreme (9-6) could not keep down the Wichita Wild (10-5) in first round playoff action. A complete performance turned in by Wild QB Dixie Wooten saw the Wild claw their way to a 61-48 victory over the Extreme. While throwing a pick in the game, Wooten was still able to throw for 191 yards with two touchdowns. He also demonstrated his running ability by rushing in four touchdowns. Not to be left out of the ground game, Wild RB Darius Fudge also played a prominent part in the Wichita win. Fudge had three touchdowns and 86 yards on 18 carries. While the first half saw a fairly even match-up, Wichita was able to pull away starting late in the third quarter. They would not relinquish the lead from there. Due to a few upsets within the United Conference, Wichita will remain at home for the Conference Semi-Finals as they host a hot Rochester Raiders team next week.
If there ever was a time for the Diamonds (12-3) to shine, the playoffs would certainly be the best time for it. Finding themselves down 14-6 early in the first quarter, the Corpus Christi Hammerheads (6-9) could never really find their rhythm against an Arkansas team that was an offensive machine. Corpus Christi only managed 74 total yards of offense, getting eclipsed by the 200 total yards put up by Arkansas. The Diamonds carved out a 44-29 victory in the opening round of the playoffs. Arkansas will hope to continue on their roll as they will now face the Venom in Amarillo when the Intense Conference Semi-Finals get underway.
The sole Sunday game featured the Tri-Cities Fever (7-8) trying to seek retribution against a Billings Outlaws (13-2) team that handed them a loss in the final week of the season. Jumping out to an early 13-0 lead, the defending United Bowl Champions seemed to have the game well enough in hand. Fever QB Houston Lillard did more than his fair share to keep Tri-Cities in the game. The Fever quarterback was 21 for 34 on his passing attempts, netting him 206 yards and three touchdowns. However the offensive explosion the Outlaws received from their quarterback would be more than enough to pull away with the 54-45 win. Chris Dixon went 15 for 20 on his day for 162 yards and five touchdown passes. However, his rushing efforts would prove to be a sticking point for Billings. On eighteen attempts, Dixon ran 134 yards and also came away with a rushing touchdown. This versatility proved too much for the Fever to contain. The Outlaws receiving duo of James Walton and Carl Sims also came up big for Billings. Walton had three catches in the end-zone while Sims came away with two TDs and 72 yards on the day. The defending champs will host again next week when they take on San Angelo in the Conference Semi-Finals.
One of the biggest United Conference rivalries found its way to the playoffs when the second seed Sioux Falls Storm (12-3) played host to their Central West rivals, the Omaha Beef (9-6). While Beef looked hot in the second half of the regular season, they could not keep up the momentum against the Central West champions. Sioux Falls surged past Omaha by a 42-23 final. Omaha had started on the scoreboard early with two Shane Longest field goals to give them an early 6-0 lead heading into the second quarter. Three straight scoring drives by the Storm would put them back in the game with a 21-6 lead. It was all downhill from there for Omaha. While Beef QB Ben Sankey tried to keep his offense moving with a dominating passing game in which he accounted for 236 yards and two touchdowns on 30 completions, Sankey fell victim to the Storm defense. Sioux Falls picked off Sankey three times during the game, the last of which resulted in a Brian McIntire touchdown to cap off the game. Sioux Falls will continue their home field advantage in the Conference Semi-Finals when they host a surprising Chicago Slaughter team.
The Intense Conference's number two seed was also looking for a first round victory as the Amarillo Venom (12-3) took on the visiting West Texas Roughnecks (7-8). While West Texas did get on the board first with a field goal to open the first quarter, they could never maintain momentum and ended up getting snake bitten by a 56-36 loss to Amarillo. The Amarillo offensive flurry included a second quarter where they scored 21 straight points. Odessa's QB Tommy Jones did all he could to keep his team in the game. Jones did throw for 211 yards with four touchdowns, but did give up an interception. His Amarillo counterpart Julian Reese had four touchdowns and only 137 yards passing. The difference maker seemed to be Amarillo's stellar ground game. While West Texas only had 18 yards on the ground, the Venom slithered through with 108 rushing yards. Amarillo will remain in wait as they will be coiled and looking to strike again when Arkansas comes into town for the Conference Semi-Finals.
Only one team beat Richmond in the regular season. The Rochester Raiders looked to accomplish the improbable one more time. Under all the pressure, Rochester (10-5) was able to once again defeat Richmond (12-2) in a close 26-24 contest that saw the Revolution only manage three points in the fourth quarter of the game. Quarterbacks Bryan Randall and Perry Patterson looked to once again out duel each other for the fifth time in 2010. Both men came away with similar statistics in the passing column. Richmond's Randall went 14 for 23 on his completions for 162 yards and three touchdowns. The Raiders Perry Patterson matched him fairly equally by completing 13 of his 27 attempts for one touchdown and 140 yards. With Randall known as quite the mobile quarterback, the QB ran for 23 yards, but none of which for a score. Patterson countered by rushing for 24 yards and coming up with a touchdown. The low scoring game would be decided just over three minutes on the clock when Rochester kicker Adam Lanctot blasted one between the uprights to secure the Raider victory. Rochester hopes to keep their playoff run alive in the Conference Semi-finals when they travel to Wichita for the rights to go to the Conference Championship game.
In the final first round game, the Fairbanks Grizzlies (9-6) traveled quite the distance to head to Texas as they looked to end San Angelo's (11-4) playoff run. Despite a close first half and an offensive onslaught in the fourth quarter, it would be Fairbanks who saw their playoff hopes put into hibernation with a 45-35 San Angelo victory. The game saw a break out performance by the IFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Derrick Ross. The running back managed three touchdowns and 86 yards off of 19 carries to help propel his team into the next round of the playoffs. Fairbanks could not match the Stampede Express ground game, having only 5 total rushing yards for the game in comparison to 102 yards by San Angelo. Grizzlies QB Justin Rummell tried to compensate with a tremendous passing game. The Fairbanks quarterback had 186 yards and three touchdown passes for the game. However, Stampede Express QB Dustin Almond more than matched him with three touchdowns and 172 yards. Overall it was a tight game with the Express capitalizing on a strong ground game to advance. Derrick Ross will hope to put another strong showing when San Angelo travels to Billings to try and knock off the defending United Bowl champions.
June 29, 2010
Richmond, VA: Anticipation met realization as the long awaited 2010 IFL post season got underway. Eight games played out over the course of three days which saw several teams play some of their best football when they needed it most. First round action included two top seeds getting knocked off, including one coming in the IFL Game of the Week.
The IFL Game of the Week featured one of the most deep seeded feuds in all of football. The Green Bay Blizzard (10-5) hosted their Central North rivals, the Chicago Slaughter (7-8). While Chicago went 2-1 against the Blizzard during the regular season, the one loss the Slaughter received from Green Bay came just a week ago. The action remained tight for the entirety of the game. With seconds remaining on the clock in the fourth quarter, Green Bay QB Willie Copeland was picked off by Chicago's Sam Smith. The ball was then lateralled to DB Dennison Robinson who brought in the winning score. Chicago defeated the three seeded Blizzard by a thrilling 46-39 finish. The Slaughter offense was running on all gears for the game. QB Tavares Woodley was 16-25 on his passing attempts, good for 217 yards and four TD passes. "Big Play" Reggie Grey lived up to his moniker as the receiver had three touchdowns and 114 yard off of six receptions. The eight seeded Slaughter will try to play the role of giant killer again when they travel to Sioux Falls for a conference semi-final game against the Storm.
Despite getting out to an early 10-0 lead, the Blooming Extreme (9-6) could not keep down the Wichita Wild (10-5) in first round playoff action. A complete performance turned in by Wild QB Dixie Wooten saw the Wild claw their way to a 61-48 victory over the Extreme. While throwing a pick in the game, Wooten was still able to throw for 191 yards with two touchdowns. He also demonstrated his running ability by rushing in four touchdowns. Not to be left out of the ground game, Wild RB Darius Fudge also played a prominent part in the Wichita win. Fudge had three touchdowns and 86 yards on 18 carries. While the first half saw a fairly even match-up, Wichita was able to pull away starting late in the third quarter. They would not relinquish the lead from there. Due to a few upsets within the United Conference, Wichita will remain at home for the Conference Semi-Finals as they host a hot Rochester Raiders team next week.
If there ever was a time for the Diamonds (12-3) to shine, the playoffs would certainly be the best time for it. Finding themselves down 14-6 early in the first quarter, the Corpus Christi Hammerheads (6-9) could never really find their rhythm against an Arkansas team that was an offensive machine. Corpus Christi only managed 74 total yards of offense, getting eclipsed by the 200 total yards put up by Arkansas. The Diamonds carved out a 44-29 victory in the opening round of the playoffs. Arkansas will hope to continue on their roll as they will now face the Venom in Amarillo when the Intense Conference Semi-Finals get underway.
The sole Sunday game featured the Tri-Cities Fever (7-8) trying to seek retribution against a Billings Outlaws (13-2) team that handed them a loss in the final week of the season. Jumping out to an early 13-0 lead, the defending United Bowl Champions seemed to have the game well enough in hand. Fever QB Houston Lillard did more than his fair share to keep Tri-Cities in the game. The Fever quarterback was 21 for 34 on his passing attempts, netting him 206 yards and three touchdowns. However the offensive explosion the Outlaws received from their quarterback would be more than enough to pull away with the 54-45 win. Chris Dixon went 15 for 20 on his day for 162 yards and five touchdown passes. However, his rushing efforts would prove to be a sticking point for Billings. On eighteen attempts, Dixon ran 134 yards and also came away with a rushing touchdown. This versatility proved too much for the Fever to contain. The Outlaws receiving duo of James Walton and Carl Sims also came up big for Billings. Walton had three catches in the end-zone while Sims came away with two TDs and 72 yards on the day. The defending champs will host again next week when they take on San Angelo in the Conference Semi-Finals.
One of the biggest United Conference rivalries found its way to the playoffs when the second seed Sioux Falls Storm (12-3) played host to their Central West rivals, the Omaha Beef (9-6). While Beef looked hot in the second half of the regular season, they could not keep up the momentum against the Central West champions. Sioux Falls surged past Omaha by a 42-23 final. Omaha had started on the scoreboard early with two Shane Longest field goals to give them an early 6-0 lead heading into the second quarter. Three straight scoring drives by the Storm would put them back in the game with a 21-6 lead. It was all downhill from there for Omaha. While Beef QB Ben Sankey tried to keep his offense moving with a dominating passing game in which he accounted for 236 yards and two touchdowns on 30 completions, Sankey fell victim to the Storm defense. Sioux Falls picked off Sankey three times during the game, the last of which resulted in a Brian McIntire touchdown to cap off the game. Sioux Falls will continue their home field advantage in the Conference Semi-Finals when they host a surprising Chicago Slaughter team.
The Intense Conference's number two seed was also looking for a first round victory as the Amarillo Venom (12-3) took on the visiting West Texas Roughnecks (7-8). While West Texas did get on the board first with a field goal to open the first quarter, they could never maintain momentum and ended up getting snake bitten by a 56-36 loss to Amarillo. The Amarillo offensive flurry included a second quarter where they scored 21 straight points. Odessa's QB Tommy Jones did all he could to keep his team in the game. Jones did throw for 211 yards with four touchdowns, but did give up an interception. His Amarillo counterpart Julian Reese had four touchdowns and only 137 yards passing. The difference maker seemed to be Amarillo's stellar ground game. While West Texas only had 18 yards on the ground, the Venom slithered through with 108 rushing yards. Amarillo will remain in wait as they will be coiled and looking to strike again when Arkansas comes into town for the Conference Semi-Finals.
Only one team beat Richmond in the regular season. The Rochester Raiders looked to accomplish the improbable one more time. Under all the pressure, Rochester (10-5) was able to once again defeat Richmond (12-2) in a close 26-24 contest that saw the Revolution only manage three points in the fourth quarter of the game. Quarterbacks Bryan Randall and Perry Patterson looked to once again out duel each other for the fifth time in 2010. Both men came away with similar statistics in the passing column. Richmond's Randall went 14 for 23 on his completions for 162 yards and three touchdowns. The Raiders Perry Patterson matched him fairly equally by completing 13 of his 27 attempts for one touchdown and 140 yards. With Randall known as quite the mobile quarterback, the QB ran for 23 yards, but none of which for a score. Patterson countered by rushing for 24 yards and coming up with a touchdown. The low scoring game would be decided just over three minutes on the clock when Rochester kicker Adam Lanctot blasted one between the uprights to secure the Raider victory. Rochester hopes to keep their playoff run alive in the Conference Semi-finals when they travel to Wichita for the rights to go to the Conference Championship game.
In the final first round game, the Fairbanks Grizzlies (9-6) traveled quite the distance to head to Texas as they looked to end San Angelo's (11-4) playoff run. Despite a close first half and an offensive onslaught in the fourth quarter, it would be Fairbanks who saw their playoff hopes put into hibernation with a 45-35 San Angelo victory. The game saw a break out performance by the IFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Derrick Ross. The running back managed three touchdowns and 86 yards off of 19 carries to help propel his team into the next round of the playoffs. Fairbanks could not match the Stampede Express ground game, having only 5 total rushing yards for the game in comparison to 102 yards by San Angelo. Grizzlies QB Justin Rummell tried to compensate with a tremendous passing game. The Fairbanks quarterback had 186 yards and three touchdown passes for the game. However, Stampede Express QB Dustin Almond more than matched him with three touchdowns and 172 yards. Overall it was a tight game with the Express capitalizing on a strong ground game to advance. Derrick Ross will hope to put another strong showing when San Angelo travels to Billings to try and knock off the defending United Bowl champions.