Horrors turn Stones

Can we say Amityville found a way? After finishing the season with three straight losses, embarrassing ones at that, without WR "Dangerous" Lee Azens, the Horrors were crawling into the playoffs with deflated hopes. Where would they find the offense to help draw coverage from big guns RB O.J. Didit and WR Hugo Gurl? Well, how about just dominate with them anyway?

Didit, the league's leading rusher, had 82 yards and two touchdowns. Flint had no answer for Gurl, who beat them on short scoring plays, on long bombs, for example a 55-yarder to set up Didit's 8-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter to make it 31-9, and on the other catches to move the chains. But once the big guns paved the way, the other Horrors joined the party: QB Houghton Holler and RB Lyle Little breaking some big runs of their own, TE Ivan Tukacherdikov grabbing a TD catch. The Horrors even blocked a Flint punt to get things started, setting up their first points from a 23-yard Rod Ram field goal.

And defensive effort may have been more impressive, certainly more what the Horrors needed after blowout losses. Flint QB Sly Drooler threw for only 166 yards and RB Dick Payne was held to 45 yards rushing. Flint was forced to settle for field goals on any meaningful drives, K Johnson Company hitting three on five attempts. Horrors fans hope that this is the spark to ignite the engines, because their reward for this win is a rematch with arch-rival Manhattan, who just beat them last week 52-7.

Logs roll past Rednecks

Missiles v. machine. It started out as the showdown anticipated from the big-strike aces of Tucson and the inexorable machine of Lincoln. And it showed just how that could work, both ways. After a 47-yard field goal from Lincoln K Burt Call in the first quarter, Tucson WR Avery Cunningham scored on 60-yard pass play. Lincoln answered with another field goal, and Cunningham with another TD catch, this one of 13 yards. Tucson led 14-6 in the first quarter.

But Lincoln went on, scoring on their next two possessions, the second made by a fumble, RB Hugh Sick giving the ball back on the Tucson 47. Lincoln QB Jason Butterfleis scored two plays later on a 36-yard run. Lincoln had missed a two-point conversion attempt on the previous TD, and after the extra point this time led 19-14. The Logs scored on a another field goal to lead 22-14 at half

From there the showdown turned into the lesson of the more consistent lineup against the big guns, the flush against aces. The Logs ground it out, controlling possession and extending their lead to 11, keeping the Rednecks more than a strike away, but just that. That of course held the game in suspense for another of those big plays. But Lincoln held the Tucson's other ace, RB Dick Burns, to just 17 yards rushing and 25 receiving. Tucson kept it close, but after turning it over on downs late in the fourth quarter, Lincoln finished it off with another score, a 41-yard pass to Lester Moyle, who was something of a surprise star in this game.

The Logs will travel to Idaho to meet their division foes again. Lincoln beat them 38-7 in their season meeting, though Idaho was without RB Ruud van Nastibooy.