Ancient Madness


Pumpkins Squash Lions.

That's quite a headline. Coach George was able to do something five other coaches failed to accomplish, and with a great offensive showing. The game featured the league's two best rosters, and a battle of wits between two coaches who know each other well.

New Deal fans shouldn't panic. All-World corner Mark Russell ran back a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, and Scott Hennig had his normal, amazing day. Darnell Austin was notably absent from the highlight films, but Matt Thomas ran strong and long with newly acquired agility. Look for New Deal to coast into the playoffs. Their lead over Long Beach is too large.

Haddonfield made a strong showing at just the right time. A loss in this game would have mired the mighty Central Division in a 3-way tie. As it stands, the last two weeks will be needed to sort out the tangle of powerhouse teams. Haddonfield will almost certainly make the playoffs, with either Arkham or the amazing Choson as the wild card selection.

Kenny Proctor put up some great numbers for Haddonfield, although he only got 14 rushing attempts. Jeremy Flagler had a great game, but was injured. Look for Josh Treem to carry a large load next week.

In a high-scoring game like this one, it's often difficult to fund defensive heroes. But Haddonfield's linebacking tandem of Jenner Wynn and Tim Greenleaf combined for 23 tackles and a 4-yard average. It's great news for them, but revealed how much the loss of John Barr hurt the Pumpkin front four.



Texas gave up 35 points to the Choson ones, but still won by 13. Don Jackson was absolutely unstoppable. His steroid-boosted assault on the APFL will only grow stronger as the playoffs approach. 300 yards on 54 carries is too much.

The Texas defense is now officially suspect, as the undermanned Choson scored often through the air. The Chosun have a serious shot at a wild-card berth. If they can somehow beat Arkham and Haddonfield in the final three weeks, they could even win the division. All hats must be taken off for Coach Z, the undisputable Coach of the Year.



Virginia Beach continued its role as a spoiler. Angelo Dominic had a career game, going deep, often, to James FriedRice. Coach Webster can look forward to a great draft and a great season in APFL 3.

Trouble continues in Albuquerque, however. Once again, the Scorpions failed to ride on the Chris Barnes Express, and they paid with a close loss. Richard Naden looked good against a very tough Panther defense, but Barnes didn't get nearly enough carries for Albuquerque to win. The sharp contrast was obvious, as the Panthers' newly installed rushing game set up a fantastic aerial attack.

Coach Powell is facing some playoff trouble. Long Beach is the favorite for the wild card bid, leaving Albuquerque in a difficult position in the lowly Western Division. The Scorpions will make the playoffs if they win their next three, but don't expect that to happen.



Long Beach embarrassed the Arkham defense with 74 points. Al Toon finally got a chance to shine, and he didn't disappoint. The All-Stars are making a terrifying playoff run. Pick them each week until playoff time, and look for them in the wild-card spot.

Long Beach's rise is nicely matched with Arkham's fall. The Grave Robbers have lost three of their last four games, including a pair of poundings from the Southern Division. Their feeble defense has been exposed, and their offense dissected by the better coaches of the league. Arkham needs to beat both Seoul and Haddonfield in the next three weeks to ensure a wild card berth. That won't be easy. They need better play from bipolar Harold Carter, and a return to the consistent rushing game.

Perhaps the only bright spot for Arkham was a decent rushing day from no-talent speedster Kerry Terrell.



Oh, the Moose. Duluth effectively ended its season with a close loss to the lowly Rams. Key injuries crippled the Moose offense, and Owasso found just enough space in the short passing game to win.

After some bad trades and injuries, the Moose must look to next season for help on the offensive line, the secondary, and for a deep threat at wideout. With more careful game planning, and some good draft picks, the Jamey Thomas-led Moose can be one of the elite franchises.

Owasso is still a couple seasons away from a great roster, but they have found a way to win with their limited personnel. Look for coach Aaron to expand his offensive repetoire considerably in the upcoming draft.



Pullman shut out Baton Rouge, who continues to devolve as the season progresses. The Bengal loss effectively removes them from the playoff picture in the lowly Southern Division.

Pullman's offense looks emasculated with the loss of Darnell Austin. Kwame Cook had a strong game. The expected improvement in passing that came with Sam Atkins' new weight program was absent with Ed Ward at the helm. Pullman can still make the playoffs with a diversified offensive attack. A win next week should give them the division title.

Jed Wooden Update
Jed went 0 for 2 in his last two games, lowering his lifetime record as a Bengal to 2 field goals in 8 attempts. Marco Cheah is reportedly talking with several APFL teams about leaving the sinking ship in Baton Rouge harbor. When asked for comment on his performance, Wooden was unable to line his mouth up with the microphone.



The playoff picture will become clearer as we approach Week 10. Here is the situation today:

Out of It
Duluth, Owasso, Baton Rouge, Virginia Beach

Definitely In
Texas, Haddonfield, New Deal, Long Beach

On the Bubble
Arkham, Seoul, Pullman, Albuquerque

Pullman faces Albuquerque next week. If you look at their remaining schedules, the winner will almost guarantee a playoff berth, while the loser will be out. BIG game. The contest in the Central is too close to call. If Haddonfield beats both Seoul and Arkham, it could come down to a Week 10 finale between the Grave Robbers and the Choson. Any stumbles in the next two weeks will probably prove fatal.



Unsung Game Balls to:
Angelo Dominic, who learned the value of a balanced attack,
Ken O'Brien, who went long repeatedly,
Al Toon, who finally got the damn ball,
Kerry Terrell, who needed more carries to help Arkham,
Rams' defense, who stuffed Percy Paze eight times,
Daryll Taylor, who racked up half those stuffs,
Tim Scott, with 246 receiving yards in the loss,
FriedRice, with 236 receiving yards and hands like stone,
Gilbert Ford, who went 4 for 4 on field goals in an amazing performance,
and
the Long Beach defense, with seven interceptions.




Check out Nicholas Collard. Seventeen tackles with a 6.5 yard average. And he returns punts, too.

Marco Cheah will return!