Around the Grounds: Steelheads, Grizzlies Win Stumptown

Stumptown Throwdown – Portland, Oregon
Men – Portland 3-0, Seattle 2-1, Minnesota 1-2, Sacramento 0-3
Women – Seattle 2-0, Minnesota 1-1, Portland 0-2

The Steelheads won their first ever Showdown title, sweeping aside the Grizzlies, Freeze, and Suns en route to the title as they stayed unbeaten for the 2018 season.  They capped off their victory with a handsome 32-point decision over their rivals from Seattle to extend their record to 8-0 on the season.  On the women’s side, the Seattle Grizzlies, assisted by three Sacramento Lady Suns, took out both of their games to lift the women’s title.

EAFL Round 6 – Boston, Massachusetts (RECAP)
Men: Boston Demons 15.10.100 def Baltimore Dockers 6.10.46

What was originally supposed to be a three-way round with North Carolina turned into a full game that saw the Dees hand the Dockers their tenth loss of the season, accounting for the Charm City boys by nine straight kicks.

Seeing as though North Carolina wasn’t able to field a full side for the EAFL matches, they will go into the league table as forfeit wins for Boston and Baltimore.  To keep the 2x20 minute format of the competition intact, the first half of the game counts towards the EAFL ladder, which goes down as a 60-23 Demons win.

The EAFL men’s competition wraps up on September 8 in New York, with the Magpies hosting the Eagles and Demons.  New York, Boston, and idle Columbus are all still alive for the premiership.

Women: Boston Lady Demons 1.5.11 def by Baltimore-Washington/Philadelphia 16.17.113

Five players from the City of Brotherly Love teamed up with seven from the District to kick away to a 102-point win.

Texas Cup Round 2 – Houston, Texas (Recap)
Austin 20.3.123 def Dallas 1.1.7
Houston 1.2.8 def by Austin 12.11.83
Houston 2.6.18 def by Dallas 5.5.35
All American Match: Houston 4.3.27 def by Austin/Dallas 6.3.39

Continuing their torrid pace towards another National Championship, the Austin Crows tore through their Lone Star State brethren, kicking home 32 goals in eighty minutes of football to improve to 6-0 on the year.  Dallas held off hard charging Houston Lonestars by 17 points to gain the split.

An exhibition match made up of all American players was also played, with the boys from Austin and Dallas getting up over a talented Houston contingent by two goals.

Women’s Metro: Blues 8.3.51 def Reds 7.5.47

The Texas Heat women, featuring players from Houston and Dallas, squared off in a tightly contested metro match that found the Blues four point victors.

Bombers vs Dragons – Irvine, California (Recap)
Orange County Bombers 3.3.21 def by Los Angeles Dragons 11.8.74

Pat Nicholls booted home a cool half dozen for the Dragons as they picked up a convincing road win down the 405.

Midwest Showdown – Columbus, Ohio (Recap)
Men: Columbus Cats 9.9.63 def by Nashville/Chicago 13.8.86

Nashville and Chicago came together in Ohio to knock back the Cats by 23 points in Columbus.  Gordon Barnett led the “Swanaroos” with four goals, while the Cats’ Declan Stimson kicked a bag of four in a losing effort.

Women: “Swans” 14.6.90 def “Cats” 4.7.31

Nashville may have found a scoring threat for its emerging women’s side as Natalie Smith led her team with four goals in route to a 59 point win.

Kookaburras v Redbacks – Decatur, Georgia (Recap)
Atlanta Kookaburras 12.8.80 def by Rome Redbacks 12.14.86

Led by rookie Randall Barnett and Australian veteran Linely Laverdure, the Rome Redbacks tasted victory in their very first USAFL game, winners by one point Atlanta in the first ever Peach State Derby.