What a comeback by Pittsburgh!
Cheering them on in the final.

#SaveTheIronmen

1962-63 NFA Champions Bowl - Pittsburgh Ironmen vs Chicago Zephyrs
Coming into tonight all eyes were on Pittsburgh. With the fate of the Ironmen up in the air, fans from all across the country tuned in as their team took the field to potentially win their third Champions Bowl, in what could be their last game. Rumors swirled that the league was preparing for the team to relocate, but so far no direct evidence showed that that was true. Chicago on the other hand did not have as much to lose. QB Scott Hogg and the rest of the team were at the end of their prime, the dynasty previously thought to be over has managed another Bowl appearance but it’s likely this will be their last, they were aiming to make the best of it and go out with a bang.
The game started off with a formidable drive by the Ironmen. QB Pete Blair and the heavy pass offense worked well against the Chicago defense. Blair isn’t the most mobile QB but he can avoid a few rushers when needed. It wasn’t long before Blair finally connected with WR Bernard Bradshaw on a 9 yard reception for the score. Chicago’s retaliation would start rough. After a bungled handoff caused a fumble, Chicago would get possession but would end up with a scary 3rd and 25. Though, this was nothing for Hogg apparently as he would launch a pass 34 yards to WR Harold Schmitt for the first down. The rest of the drive would go smoothly, with Chicago tying things up at 7 at the end of the quarter.
The second quarter would be much more dramatic. As the Ironmen started their drive, LB Donny Chandler pushed his way through to QB Pete Blair sacking him and forcing a fumble. The ball would almost be corralled by two seperate people before RB Joshua Barlow finally managed to pick it up for the Ironmen. Barlow would try to evade the oncoming Zephyrs as the play devolved into madness. The sophomore RB  would make a very rookie mistake and take a step in the end zone trying to avoid defenders. He would end up being tackled for a safety ending one of the wildest plays in Champions Bowl history. The rest of the quarter would be just as sloppy as both QB’s would throw interceptions, neither resulting in a score for either team however. The score would stay 9-7 going into half.  

It was during the break that news broke that the Coffee family was in talks with Milwaukee Millers owner, Ted Fordham. While this doesn’t necessarily confirm that the team will be moving, at least immediately,  it does damper the chances that the Ironmen could be staying around any longer in the Steel City. The Miller’s current stadium is very rundown and has very low capacity however, it would be the smallest stadium in the NFA, so we’ll have to see how that might affect any Ironmen to Milwaukee relocation. 

The second half would finally arrive to take our minds off the news. Starting with the ball in the first half, the Ironmen started the half on defense. Ever since the first drive Chicago had, the defense had stood tall and forced turnovers. This however would stop here. Hogg and backup RB Carl Horner would lead a quick drive down the field that would result in another 7, giving them a 16-7 lead. Pittsburgh would retaliate with a quick drive of their own, putting them back within 2. With plenty of time in the quarter still, Chicago would quickly get down into the red zone before being stopped and kicking 3 points onto their lead as the quarter came to a close. 
We enter the fourth with Chicago leading Pittsburgh 19-14. The Ironmen, needing a score, would look to Barlow for help. He would come through handsomely, as the emerging star RB broke through a tough line of defense, running a Zephyr over in the process to give the Ironmen a 44 yard rushing TD to put them on top for the first time since the first quarter. This lead wouldn’t last long though as former MVP RB Alfie Raschall would get a flashback of his prime when he rushed for 50 yards on 3 handoffs on Chicago’s way to another score. This put them up again, 26-21. Blair wasn’t going down without a fight however, with plenty of time for a game winning drive he started a drive down the field. With the help of Barlow they had reached midfield before facing a tough 3rd down. The ball was snapped and Blair stepped back, he looked and found WR Walter Brown wide open down the out of bounds line. Brown caught the ball and got on his horse. He would almost outrun everyone until a Chicago defensive player finally pushed him out of bounds at the 6. The Ironmen would give it to Barlow who would push it through for the lead taking score. With time running thin and a 28-26 lead, the Ironmen were starting to look like the winners. Hogg, Raschall and the Zephyrs offense had one last chance though. With one timeout, Chicago started to make it down the field quickly, making sure to get out of bounds and save time. With under a minute left Hogg snapped the ball and immediately fired one to TE Robert Wilson. Wilson carried the ball and a defender 13 yards before being brought down. This just put the Zephyrs in field goal range. As everyone in Redwoods Stadium hushed the kicking team took the field. The world seemed to go in slow motion, the ball was snapped and set, K Stefan Ludwig started in motion, the ball was up, it looked to be short. Here’s the announcers broadcast; “It looks like it’s going to be short folks. Oh it’s going to be a close one and oh my god it’s in, it’s in, the field goal is good by less than an inch! The Chicago Zephyrs have taken the lead with seconds to go!” The Chicago Zephyrs just won their 6th Champions Bowl, the team mobs the field and dog piles Ludwig. The Ironmen and the rest of the crowd stood in shock. Potentially the last ever Pittsburgh Ironmen game was one to be remembered forever. The final score was 29-28, K Stefan Ludwig was given the MVP of the game for his 2 field goals, one of which was the game winner and 3 extra points.


C&C Appreciated! Also, sorry any Ironmen fans, this is a rough one.

Last edited by MyTeamIsDr.Pepper (6/06/2020 8:42 pm)

Now that's a game to end off the Zephyrs' dynasty! That game was really rough for Ironmen fans, finding out that they may relocate after they fought their hardest in the Champions Bowl. 

As for any predictions, I think the Ironmen are somehow going to stay in Pittsburgh, and maybe another round of expansion being announced.

What a way to end a dynasty.