Conference ChampionshipsAXCDakota Blizzard 20
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Buffalo Skull Crushers 28
This was an odd game where Buffalo capitalized on turnovers while Dakota kept shooting themselves in the foot. The game started with Buffalo getting the ball 1st and after getting a quick pass interference call on Dakota, they went 3 and out and punted.
Dakota wound start on their own 21 and went on a 10 play/79 touchdown drive capped by a QB Jason Matson 18 TD pass to WR Jackson Davis to make it 7-0.
Buffalo would answer quickly when on 1st and 10 from their 29, WR Samuel Baker burst up the middle for a 71 yard TD run to tie the game at 7-7.
On Dakota's next drive, RB Barry Williams fumbled the ball on their 31 and Buffalo CB Ronald Brown recovered it to give Buffalo 1st and 10 from tbe Dakota 31 yard line.
Buffalo would need just 4 plays to punch it into the endzone with a WR Joseph Ishmael 2 yard TD run to take an early 14-10 lead.
Dakota would attempt to answer back after a QB Jason Matson 42 pass to WR Jacques Foster set them up with a 1st and 10 from the Buffalo 25 yard line. 2 plays later, Matson would be picked off by CB Ronald Brown at the 16 yard line.
Buffalo went on a quick 5 play/84 yard drive highlighted by a QB Ricardo Dodds 53 yard completion to WR Samuel Baker setting up a 2 yard TD pass from Dodds to WR Joseph Taylor to extend the lead to 21-7 with 14:15 remaining in the 2nd quarter.
Dakota would answer with a 6 play/75 yard drive highlighted by a RB Edward Levi 53 yard run which set them up at the Buffalo 17 yard line. 3 plays later RB Barry Williams ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make the score 21-14 with 12:01 left in the 1st half.
Buffalo would start the next drive on their own 25 and 3 plays later WR Samuel Baker coughed up the football after 3 consecutive runs where he lost yardage and Dakota's SLB Richard McCracken recovered the ball setting up Dakota on the Buffalo 19 yard line.
Dakota needed just 3 plays to hit paydirt with a QB Jason Matson 5 yard TD pass to WR Jacques Foster but Robert Combs missed the extra point to make the score 21-20 Buffalo with 9:11 left in the 1st half.
The rest if the 1st half saw Buffalo punt twice while Dakota punted 1 time and had the ball last with 2:38 remaining at their own 19 where they allowd the clock to run out sending the game into halftime 21-20.
Dakota got the ball to start the 2nd half and went on a 11 play/53 yard drive which stalled on a 4th and 5 from the Buffalo 22 yard line so they elected to kick a 39 yard fieldgoal and K Robert Combs spanked it keeping the score 21-20 Buffalo.
The next 5 possessions became a battle for field position where Buffalo punted 3 times combining for just 6 yards of offense while Dakota punted twice netting just 21 yards of offense.
Dakota's next possession started on their 39 yard line and they moved the ball into Buffalo territory at the 45 yard line before QB Jason Matson threw his 2nd interception of the game to DT Matthew Polo who set Buffalo up with a 1st and 10 from the Dakota 46 yard line.
Buffalo responded with a 26 yard pass from Dodds to WR Leon Martin followed by a 20 yard TD pass from Dodds to Joseph Taylor to extend their lead to 28-20 with 12:39 left in the game.
The next 4 drives were all punts as both teams battled for field position until Dakota took over with a 1st and 10 from their own 16 with 6:20 left in the game.
Dakota would move the ball down to the Buffalo 38 yard line before the drive stalled leaving them with a 4th and 10 from the Buffalo 38 yard line with 1:51 left in the game. Dakota decided to go for it and QB Jason Matson completed a 10 yard pass to WR Derek Looney but there was a flag on the play and Dakota was called for holding. Before accepting the penalty, the refs stretched the chains and Dakota was inches short from making the 1st down so the penalty was declined and the ball was turned over on Downs.
Buffalo ran the ball forcing Dakota to use all their timeouts until insanely on 3rd and 10 from Buffalo's 44 yard line with 56 seconds left in the game and Dakota with no timeouts....Buffalo threw an incomplete pass to stop the clock.
Buffalo was forced to punt and after a touchback, Dakota had the ball 1st and 10 on thier own 20 with 45 seconds left and no timeouts remaining. After 2 quick completions and a facemask penalty on Buffalo stopped the clock, Dakota gas 1 last chance from the Buffalo 47 yard line and DT Matthew Polo sacked Jason Matson to end the game.
NXCSaint Paul Punishers 44
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Vegas Black Aces 30
A battle between 2 francises looking to make their first XFL Title game.
This game started with Saint Paul getting the opening kickoff and they started 1st and 10 from their own 25 and they opened with a 7 play/75 touchdown drive capped by a QB Kenneth Powers 23 yard TD pass to WR John Marrero to give Saint Paul a 7-0 lead.
Vegas was able to answer with a 6 play/46 yard drive highlighted by a QB John Hammock 37 yard pass to WR Guy Greene which eventually stalled at the Saint Paul 29 yard line where Vegas settled on a 47 yard fieldgoal to make the score 7-3.
Saint Paul's 2nd drive was a 7 play/62 yard drive centered around a QB Kenneth Powers 45 yard pass to RB James Dolphin which set up a 30 yard fieldgoal when the drive stalled at the Vegas 13 yard line pushing their lead back to a touchdown at 10-3.
Vegas's 2nd drive started out with a 15 yard pass play but stalled at their own 43 forcing a punt.
Saint Paul started this drive on their own 11 but they responded with an 8 play/89 yard drive running the ball 3 times 23 yards and QB Kenneth Powers went 4/5 for 65 yards and a TD pass to WR John Marrero to take a 17-3 lead with 0:56 left in the 1st quarter.
Vegas found themselves down 10 and responded by going on a 8 play/75 yard touchdown drive by staying balanced with 4 runs and 4 passes highlighted by RB William Pearson 29 yard run and QB John Hammock 27 yard pass play to WR Guy Greene. Vegas succeeded in a 2 point conversion to make the score 17-11 with 12:27 left in the 1st half.
Saint Paul's 4th possession ended just like the first 3 with points. They went on a 10 play/73 yard drive fueled by runs of 14,15 & 16 yards which set up a 20 yard fieldgoal when Saint Paul played it safe on a 4th and 1 from the 2 yard line. This made the score 20-11 with 8:03 left in the 1st half.
Vegas was forced into a 3 and out and was forced to punt on a 4th and 1 from their own 35. They just couldn't risk it since Saint Paul hadn't been stopped on their 1st 4 possessions.
Saint Paul started 1st and 10 from their 36 yard line and hindsight dictates Vegas should have went for it on 4th and 1 because Saint Paul went on a 5 play/64 yard touchdown drive capped by a QB Kenneth Powers 26 yard TD pass to TE Patrick Johnson which extended the lead to 27-11 with 5:31 left in the 1st half.
Vegas was forced into a 3 and out and Saint Paul was finally forced to punt on thier 6th possession before Vegas moved the ball to midfield but a QB John Hammock sack by LDE Robert Craig ended the momentum and Vegas was forced to punt again and Saint Paul ran out the clock and they went into halftime with the score 27-11.
Vegas got the ball to start the 2nd half but the 3rd quarter became a field position battle as the quarter started with 6 consecutive punts before finally Vegas went on a 5 play/80 yard touchdown drive highlighted by a QB John Hammock 21 yard TD pass to WR Valentine Ball to make the score 27-18 Saint Paul with 2:27 left in the 3rd quarter.
The next 3 drives (Saint Paul 2/Vegas 1) were 3 and outs followed by a punt before Vegas started their next drive at their 1 yard line with 14:50 left in the game.
Vegas went on a 7 play/75 yard drive which started with a QB John Hammock 59 yard pass to WR Clifford Mays and stalled at the Saint Paul 33 yard line where on 4th and 3 they elected to kick a 51 yard field goal. The kick was good but Saint Paul was flagged for offsides and Vegas accepted the penalty taking 3 points off the board. Vegas managed to move the ball down to the 23 yard line but in the end had to settle for the fieldgoal to make the score 27-21 with 11:11 left in the game.
Saint Paul scored on thier 1st 5 possessions but they hadn't scored since the 5:30 mark of the 2nd quarter and in their next drive RB Leon Romero fumbled after catching a pass and Vegas RDE Steven Nichols recovered the ball on the Saint Paul 21 yard line.
Vegas had 1st and 10 from the Saint Paul 21 yard line down 27-21 but LT Cornelius Showers was called for holding making it 1st and 20 from the Saint Paul 31 then QB John Hammock was sacked by LDE Robert Craig back at the Saint Paul 45 yard line making it 2nd and 35. Vegas ran twice picking up 19 yards setting up a 45 yard fieldgoal to cut the lead to 27-24 with 8:15 left in the game.
Saint Paul watched their once 27-11 point lead shrink to 27-24 as they hadn't scored since the 2nd quarter so this next drive was critical for Saint Paul as the demons of 4 Conference Championship failures seemed to be floating around the stadium. They found themselves in 3rd and 11 on their own 24 when QB Kenneth Powers hit WR Robert Mayberry for 18 yards and a 1st down. The next play was a QB Kenneth Powers 10 yard 1st down pass to WR Claurence Chu followed by a QB Kenneth Powers 48 yard TD pass to RB James Dolphin to extend their lead to 34-24 with 5:55 left in the game.
This put Vegas is desperation mode and on 4th and 10 from their own 25 yard line with 5:47 left in the game and down 10...they went for it and failed.
Saint Paul took over and took the air out of the football running 3 times for 4 yards, 11 yards and a 10 yard TD run to put the game on ice 41-24 with 4:17 left in the game.
Vegas would answer with a QB John Hammock 60 yard TD pass to WR Clifford Mays but failed to convert on a 2 point conversion making the score 41-30 with 4:05 remaining in the game.
A failed onside kick gave Saint Paul 1st and 10 from the Vegas 44 yard line. They ran 3 plays and elected to kick a 54 yard fieldgoal which was good but Vegas was called for offsides so Saint Paul accepted the penalty and took the 3 points off the board making it 1st and 10 from the Vegas 32 with just 2:04 left in the game. Saint Paul ran the ball 3 straight times exhausting the 2 minute warning while Vegas burned 2 timeouts and still hit a 53 yard fieldgoal to make the score 44-30.
Vegas had the ball, down 14, 1st and 10 from thier own 21 with 1:43 left in the game. Saint Paul played prevent defense and Vegas moved the ball to their own 44 yard line before Saint Paul CB Jose Anthony picked off QB John Hammock to seal the deal.
Last edited at 7/28/2021 9:20 am
