Football Friday - 7/9/21

Isaac Zico's TD catch gives Linemen Spring League title 

Happy Friday!

It isn't fall but there are still some football leagues both indoor and outdoor playing throughout the world.  Let's take a look at this week's news....

It's playoff time in the Champions Indoor Football (CIF) league this weekend.  The Sioux City (IA) Bandits will play at the Omaha (NE) Beef in one semifinal while Dodge City (KS) Law will play at the Salina (KS) Liberty in the other.  

The Columbus (GA) Lions and Albany (NY) Empire are currently tied for first place in the National Arena League (NAL) with 4-1 records.  Both teams have this week off.  

Now halfway through the 2021 season, the Indoor Football League (IFL) presented its Week 10 Coaches Poll. The coaches panel is represented by the 11 head coaches across the league. After routing the Tucson Sugar Skulls, 54-38, in Week 11, combined with the Massachusetts Pirates upset win over the Frisco Fighters, the Arizona Rattlers earned the top spot in the coaches poll for the first time since Week Five. Quarterback Drew Powell put on another stellar performance, completing 16 passes on 21 attempts for 173 yards and five touchdowns. Powell, who leads the league in rushing, also had eight attempts on the ground for 32 yards and one touchdown. Since losing their first game of the season, the Rattlers have won five-straight games and lead the league in points per game (49.0) as a team.

The American Arena League (AAL) announced it would not have a championship game and would instead name three division champions. The East Division champion Charlotte Thunder and West Division champion North Texas Bulls then scheduled their own league championship game regardless of the league's approval; the Midwest Division champion West Michigan Ironmen were not involved. In June 2021, it was reported that league president and commissioner Tony Zefiretto had sold the league to the ownership of the Jersey Bearcats and Indianapolis Enforcers. The new ownership reportedly approved of the game between the Thunder and Bulls, which was won by the North Texas Bulls 60–43 on June 26.

Idaho Horsemen are the top team of the American West Football Conference (AWFC).  In their game against the Tri-City Rush last week, the Horsemen went into the game with their 4th starting quarterback of the year Giovanni Sanders and he did not disappoint leading the Horsemen to a 35-7 point lead going into half-time.   In the second half, the Rush started to get it together and put points on the board on multiple touchdown strikes by QB Les Obie.  But as the Rush would score, the Horsemen would continue to put points up on the board holding off the (4-1) Rush 61-48.  

The division leaders in the Gridiron Developmental Football League (GDFL) this week are:

Eastern Impact North:  Huntsville Rockets (2-0)

Eastern Impact South:  Memphis Blast (2-1)

Western Impact Northwest:  Salt Lake City Senate (4-0)

Western Impact North:  Inglewood Blackhawks (8-0)

Western Impact South: Beach City Giants (7-1)

Eastern Xtreme East:  East Penn Raiders (4-0)

Eastern Xtreme North: Cleveland Rams (3-0)

Eastern Xtreme Northwest:  Greensburg Golden Hawks (2-0)

Eastern Xtreme South:  Columbus Fire (3-0)

Eastern Xtreme West:  Erie Express (4-0) 

The Crescent City Kings won the President's Cup championship in the Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League (APDFL) by defeating the Alabama Blackhawks 13-7.  The Kings defeated the Gulf Coast Gators 33-32 in the first round, Bayou Lacombe Cardinals 23-21 in the quarterfinals and Mississippi Dynasty 21-20 in the semifinals. 

Linemen Beat Jousters to Win 2021 The Spring League (TSL) Mega Bowl. Isaac Zico's 16-yard touchdown catch with 52 seconds remaining capped off the Linemen's 26-23 comeback victory over the Jousters in the 2021 Mega Bowl to cap off the Spring League season. 

The German Football League featured 10 of the 14 teams in action while Finland’s Maple League saw three games. The Austrian Football League wound up the regular season for all but two teams while there were key playoffs games in Sweden, Poland and Italy.  The Hamburg Sea Devils were just too much for the Barcelona Dragons to handle in the European League of Football after taking a 32-0 lead and cruising to a 32-14 win.  The Bydgoszcz Archers continued their unbeaten streak in the Polish Football League by whipping the Silesia Rebels Katowice 50-8 in their semifinal matchup this past weekend. With the win, the Archers advance to the Polish Bowl for the first time in their history.  The Helsinki Wolverines captured their first win of the Finnish Maple League season scoring two touchdowns in the last 37 seconds of the game to defeat the United Newland Crusaders 27-22.  The Helsinki Wolverines captured their first win of the Finnish Maple League season scoring two touchdowns in the last 37 seconds of the game to defeat the United Newland Crusaders 27-22.  In the Italian semifinals, the undefeated Parma Panthers were simply too good for the Firenze Guelfi, whipping them 55-20 to advance to the title game.