Birmingham, Omaha and Columbus Win Football Titles

Birmingham Stallions (2022) - WikipediaOmaha Beef - WikipediaColumbus Lions - Wikipedia
Three football leagues crowned their champions over the weekend as the Birmingham Stallions took the United Football League (UFL) trophy, the Omaha Beef completed a perfect season by taking the title in the National Arena League (NAL) and the Columbus (Georgia) Lions capped a dominant season in the American Indoor Football (AIF) league by winning the crown.

The UFL | Home
United Football League
Birmingham Stallions 25, San Antonio Brahmas 0
The Birmingham Stallions completed a three-peat as they won their third consecutive title with a convincing 25-0 win over the San Antonio Brahmas in St. Louis.  The Stallions had won two titles in the United States Football League (USFL) the previous two seasons then the league merged with the XFL this season.  

Birmingham quarterback Adrian Martinez, the UFL MVP, was also named the UFL Championship MVP. Martinez went 13-for-23 passing for 98 yards and a touchdown and added 54 rushing yards with two rushing touchdowns.

The championship was a matchup of the league's two best defenses. In the title game, the Stallions' defense prevailed, dominating the Brahmas' offense from start to finish to pitch the first shutout of the UFL season. San Antonio was limited to 208 total yards. It had just 52 rushing yards after running for 213 in last week's XFL conference championship. The Brahmas averaged just 3.3 yards per rush and 6.5 yards per completion. They fumbled three times, losing two of them.



Home - National Arena League
National Arena League
Omaha Beef 47, Sioux City Bandits 46 (ot)
Omaha quarterback Tommy Armstrong, threw three touchdowns and scored four on the ground to lead the Beef in a thrilling overtime win. In overtime, Sioux City pulled a trick play on its first play of overtime that had wideout Fred Bruno take the handoff and then throw to a wide-open Brandon Sheperd for the 25-yard touchdown, then they lined up for the PAT kick only to have the holder/quarterback Reed Jr take off only to be stopped short of the goal line. For the second overtime period, the Bandits got the ball first and Reed Jr hit Bruno with a 12-yard pass, but kicker Braden Meints missed the extra point kick. The Beef took over and scored on a six-yard pass from Armstrong to Jordan Barton. The Beef lined up for the PAT try but was called for a false start. Ortiz then would connect on his extra point kick and the Beef players started their celebration of a second perfect season.

With the win, Omaha finished the season with a perfect 9-0 record and extended their 21-game winning streak.  This is the third championship for the Beef (2021, 2023), the first in the NAL, and their fourth straight appearance in a championship game.



Corpus Christi Tritons at Columbus Lions | AIF Championship |#arenafootball
American Indoor Football
Columbus Lions 46, Corpus Christi Trions 20
The game, played at the Columbus Civic Center, became a nail-biter until the final minutes when the Lions pulled away for a 46-20 victory.  The Lions' victory was highlighted by wide receiver Jarmon Fortson, who was named the American Bowl MVP. Fortson made several crucial catches, including key touchdowns that kept the Lions lead in the game and eventually pushed them to victory.  Quarterback Marcus Brooks led the Lions' offense with precision in the fourth quarter, connecting with Fortson for a touchdown that extended their lead. A key interception by cornerback Droell Green stopped a promising Tritons' drive, sealing the game for the Lions.

Columbus has now collected five championships in four different leagues, second in the AIF.  They previously won titles in 2010, 2015, 2016, 2023 and 2024.





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