QF WEEKEND- TOP SEEDS FALL EARLY AT HOME

PFL Post-season | Play-off Quarter-finals

The Quarter-final weekend was a memorable one, with four interesting games. We ended the dreams of four teams, leaving us with the final four teams for next weekend.

QUARTER FINAL 1:

HALLAS STARS	32	AET
NEW CHESTER KNIGHTS	35

The Hallas Stars suffered another devastating home defeat as the Knights came from behind to win on the road. Chase Hand had a great first half with the Stars, but they faded, especially in the fourth quarter. The Knights came back from 32-17 and 29-24 to take the lead late on.

The Stars levelled things up at the death, so an additional period was called for. In ET, the Stars went three and out, leaving the Knights to march downfield and Potter kicked the game winning field goal from 24 yards out.

QUARTER FINAL 2:

LANDOR 96ERS	27	F
BRISTOW BEARS	29

The number 8 seeds pulled off a huge upset on Saturday night as the came from behind to beat the heavily favoured Landor 96ers in the capital.

Bears QB Brad Robinson was in tremendous form on Saturday.

The number one seeds had beaten the Bears in both divisional matchups this season, so it was third time that was the charm for Bristow. The Sixers led 17-16 at the half and 20-19 after three, with Frank Bowman getting two scores on the ground, before Kurt Sierra found Asante Brown for a TD in the final period. The 96ers led 27-26 with 2:18 left to play.

QB Brad Robinson threw for 256 yards and 2 TDs. He was instrumental on the final drive, producing the field position for kicker Rick Bell to kick his fifth , and game winning field goal. The team from the Capital bowed out in a historic night for the Bears.

QUARTER FINAL 3:

CALIGARA BULLDOGS	35	F
OAKLAND RAVENS	20

The Ravens blew a 14 point first quarter lead to the number 2 seed Caligara Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon. Dante Fulcher scored on a 76 yard screen pass and then a 4 yard run as Oakland stormed out in front.

The Bulldogs comeback began in the second quarter with a 88 yard drive, capped off with a 2 yard Tony Franklin run. Zack Slater then threw TD passes to Mark Martinez and Dennis Morales. It was 21-14 at the break. Ravens QB Tayvon Coles was intercepted at the end of the half.

The Bulldogs attack is cool in the face of pressure.

In the second half , the Ravens could only muster up two field goals, whilst the Bulldogs scored two more touchdowns, via Franklin and a Seth Slater reception.

QUARTER FINAL 4:

ADELPHIA PHOENIX	31	F
BALLYMORE TIGERS	17

Ballymore got off to a great start in Adelphia , with Tito Hawkins busting out a 49 yard touchdown run in the first minute. The Phoenix equalised when Matt Kelly connected with Anchor (TE) Patrick Schwartz from 2 yards out. Both teams traded touchdowns and field goals, with it tied at 14-14 at the half, 17-17 after three.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Matt Kelly hit Kyle Walters to take their first lead of the game. On the subsequent drive, Tigers’ QB Cam Rogers threw a pick-six to Phoenix defender Adrian Sheppard (39 yards). That was it for the Tigers.

Matt Kelly threw for 323 yards and 3 Touchdowns in the win.

Semi-Finals
That means that, following rule changes for 2020-21 onwards, the re-seeding occurs as the no.1 team were eliminated. The revised bracket means home games for Adelphia and Caligara.

Caligara Bulldogs vs Bristow Bears
Adelphia Phoenix vs New Chester Knights.

The winners will face off in the Crystal Bowl at Adelphia’s DIY Depot Arena.

REG SEASON ENDS- PLAYOFFS SET

2020-21 Regular Season | Week 20

That’s it! Eighteen games over twenty weeks. 144 games in total. This has now finalised the 8 play-off seedings and matchups.

HOW WE GOT THERE

There were head-to-head title deciders matchups in the PFL East and Central. Landor 96ers took the East with a 30-24 victory over New Chester Knights. The Adelphia Phoenix clung on to a 27-24 win against the Oakland Ravens, ensuring at least one home play-off game as no.3 seed.

Caligara Bulldogs already had sewn up the North and needed a late touchdown to beat Iomagh Steelers 19-16. They rested most of their stars in that game. The Ballymore Tigers lost to Harteford Hawks 20-17 in a way that only they can! They always slip up to a losing team late in the season.

The Chakota Wasps restored some pride with a victory over Rochester. The Trojans led early, but Chandler threw two fourth quarter TD passes to bring them back to a 24-17 win.

Hallas wrapped up their regular season with tidy 37-24 win against the St. George Sharks. The Stars are the no.4 seed. At 2-15-1, the Sharks know they need to rebuild. Relocation is also a possibility.

This left two teams fighting over the number eight spot:

San Andreas, knowing they had to better the Bears’ score, stormed out to a 31-13 first half- lead against the Eregon Eagles. The Bears were losing at half-time to the Melboro Giants 21-14, even though the Giants had only three first downs at that stage.

In the second half, the Miners added two more TD’s – Ryan Bruce passed for 413 yards and 5 touchdowns… but it was to no avail.
The Bears rallied to lead 34-31 with a game-tying 45 yard field goal set up for the Giants with just one second left on the clock. Veteran kicker Billy Young hooked the kick wide right.

AND SO, THE BEARS GO THROUGH VIA HEAD-TO-HEAD.

NUMBER ONE DRAFT PICK

The race for the number one draft pick was nearly lost by the Hsrteford Hawks, who only went and beat the play-off bound Ballymore Tigers. The Sharks also finished 2-15-1, with the tie the game between the two.
Following confirmation of the tiebreakers in this case- The Hawks retained the worst record by virtue of conceding more points and worst points- difference.

They have the first pick in June’s draft.

NEXT WEEKS PLAYOFF MATCHUPS:

Hallas Stars	4	vs	5	New Chester Knights
Caligara Bulldogs	2	vs	7	Oakland Ravens
Landor 96ers	1	vs	8	Bristow Bears
Adelphia Phoenix	3	vs	6	Ballymore Tigers

Just seven games remain before we crown the 2020-21 champions. Who will it be standing in the podium at Crystal Bowl 51?

PFL WEST 2020-21 REVIEW

PFL West: Eregon Eagles | Hallas Stars | San Angelo Miners | St. George Sharks

EREGON EAGLES

What type of Eagles team will turn up for the 2020-21 season? It is not helped by QB Cameron Reed having to return to the US over family issues. Veteran QB Bo Mills has just been added in. The Eagles have a good balanced team, who on their day can compete. The problem for the past three seasons has been if the do in fact, show up.

HALLAS STARS

The Stars are looking to rebound from THAT defeat in the playoffs. Chase Hand had a terrific season under Centre, throwing for 5,000 yards and 39 TDs. The defence, for most part played excellently. If not for that second-half slump in a playoff game, we could have been looking at the new champions. They will have to shake off that loss to be stronger this time around.

SAN ANGELO MINERS

The Ryan Bruce era begins! The former Trojan QB is now heading up the Miners. San Angelo are stacked with talent as they have gone all in for the ‘now’. Last season, it didn’t work, but with Bruce’s relatively cap-friendly deal (for a starting QB), it allowed them to other key retain players. Allen and Higgins are hungry young runners, the receiving corps is great. Should be challenging for top of the PFL West- with the Stars.

ST. GEORGE SHARKS

The Sharks are another team that are hard to read, They often struggle against lesser teams, whilst bringing it on against the league’s finest. QB Dre Nalen is a top-tier passer, whilst the defence, lead by Finnish nationals Heikki Karppinen and Niku Laukkanen is good enough to challenge anyone. The hardest team to predict, as they could as easily win the division as sit at the bottom.

PFL Half-season report card

PFL 2019-20 Half-season report card

by Ryan Sollis

After ten weeks of action, everyone has completed nine games in league play. We have graded all 16 teams’ progress to date:

PFL EAST

Landor 96ers (6-3) – B+

The 96ers have been a great defensive team, led by DE Vin Marshall, who has become an elite pass rusher. The offence is still good, but there are signs that veteran QB Kurt Sierra is perhaps coming to the finish line sooner rather than later.

Hall of LEGENDS- Ralph Adams

Ralph Adams (Guard) Harteford Hawks  1998-2010 | PFL Legend Class of 2016

Ralph wasn’t just  a reliable figure at Guard for 13 seasons- he was the leader of the line and the person that Defenders tried to avoid in blocking assignments. Following an impressive UniBall career at the University of Michago, Adams was picked in the first round in the 1998 draft (yes, the same one as Billy Humphrey!)