Wait, did Halifax just... win a game?

1963 Week 2

Boston Independents - 31, Long Island Raiders - 23 - Richardson Stadium - July 4, 1963 - 5 PM ET - 4th of July - Weather: Clear - TV: Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arland
1st Q
7-0 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Paul Franklin
7-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
10-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
2nd Q
17-3 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
17-10 LI - PTD QB Terry Bourbon -> WR Wilson Queensgate
3rd Q
17-13 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
24-13 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
24-16 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
4th Q
31-16 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> TE Tanner Tint
31-23 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields

The Raiders had a much better performance with QB Terry Bourbon under center against the Independents. 
The former Independent threw a touchdown in the game and only 1 interception to DB Lawrence Ralph.
Boston’s offence was clicking with Braddock throwing a pair of touchdowns and RB Kendall Morgan tacking on a couple more. 
The Independents show that they are back with a strong 2-0 start.

London Tigers - 20, Indiana Victors - 29 - Western Fair Stadium - July 5, 1963 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: Clear - TV: Harold Mansfield and Kevin Holcombs
1st Q
0-3 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
3-3 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
2nd Q
3-6 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
10-6 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
3rd Q
10-9 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
10-15 IND - PTD QB Mike Key -> WR Silas Peyton
13-15 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
4th Q
13-22 IND - RTD RB Cody Barnes
20-22 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
20-29 IND - DTD FUM DB Malik Davenport

The Victors came to London and delivered an excellent performance to jump out to their first 2-0 start in franchise history.
The defence came up big late in the game with S Cal Clemmons levelling WR Russell Wilcox which forced the ball loose and was taken back to the house by DB Malik Davenport.
The Tigers struggled to move the ball after RB Clifford Russell went down with a season-ending injury. 
RB Eric Sydney was alright, but a fumble on the day caused by former Tiger, DL William Collins, was not ideal for the veteran back.

Buffalo Blue Wings - 10, Louisville Thunder - 24 - Milton Charles Stadium - July 6, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: Jerry Goldbridge and Jackie Calhoon
1st Q
0-7 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark
2nd Q
3-7 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
3rd Q
3-10 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
3-17 LOU - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> WR Ben Roland
10-17 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
4th Q
10-24 LOU - RTD Rodney Clark

The Thunder rebounded from their tough loss to the Tigers with a strong defensive, shutting down the talented Blue Wings’ offence.
QB Stanislav Ovechkin was strong in his first start in Louisville with a passing touchdown, while RB Rodney Clark stepped it up out of the backfield for a pair of touchdowns of his own.
QB Charles Lemieux struggled against the Thunder secondary, throwing 3 interceptions in the loss (DB Oliver Langstrom, DB Alexander Bradley, and S Johnny Berger had the picks).

Ottawa Royals - 35, Montreal Rouge - 31 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - July 6, 1963 - 7 PM ET - SNF - Weather: - TV: FR Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacques, EN: George Leblanc and Maurice St. Louise
1st Q
7-0 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones
7-7 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
2nd Q
7-14 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Darryl Duke
14-14 OTT - RTD RB Eddie Thompson
14-17 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
3rd Q
14-24 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
21-24 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones
4th Q
28-24 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> RB Corbyn Knight
28-31 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Derek Cross
35-31 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> TE Jervonte Howell

The latest edition of the Montreal-Ottawa rivalry ended up being a stellar shootout. 
Many people thought the Rouge would smack the Royals, but anything can happen in these rivalry games and the Royals, on the back of Jean Matieau, were able to not only compete but pull off the upset.
WR Darryl Duke got his first touchdown as a member of the Rouge in the first half. 
RB Corbyn Knight got an opportunity in the 4th on a screen pass in which he took the distance.
Matieau would lead the Royals on a game-winning drive and would find TE Jervonte Howell for the touchdown.

Providence Gold Stars - 35, Halifax Mariners - 13 - New Providence Stadium - July 7, 1963 - 2 PM ET - Weather: - TV: Bob Walton and Steven Kelly
1st Q
7-0 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> TE Micheal Bowman III
2nd Q
14-0 PRO - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
14-3 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
21-3 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
3rd Q
28-3 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Benedict Spencer
28-10 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
35-10 PRO - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
4th Q
35-13 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin

The Gold Stars would take out their frustration from last week’s loss to the Rouge on the Mariners.
Connor O’Rourke would throw 3 touchdowns and 345 yards in the win, showing that he is hungry to win this season.
The defence was also strong with both DB Neville Falkner and DB Slay Mitchell grabbing picks off of QB Caldwell Higgins III. 
Halifax had a stronger 3rd quarter with RB Stavros Black getting into the endzone following a DL Wayne Baxton forced fumble.

Injury Report
RB Clifford Russell LDN - Season
WR Russell Wilcox LDN - Day-to-Day
OL Scott Harper MTL - 3 Weeks
WR Cedric Peterson PRO - 5 Weeks

Players of the Week

OFF: QB Jean Matieau OTT - 4 Passing Touchdowns, 319 Passing Yards

DEF: S Johnny Berger LOU - 1 Interception, 2 Passes defended, 6 Tackles

Standings
WEST
Indiana 2-0
London 1-1
Louisville 1-1
Buffalo 0-2
Long Island 0-2

EAST
Boston 2-0
Montreal 1-1
Providence 1-1
Ottawa 1-1
Halifax 1-1

Power Rankings
1 - Boston +1
2 - Montreal -1
3 - Louisville +1
4 - Indiana +2
5 - London -2
6 - Providence -1
7 - Ottawa +2
8 - Buffalo -1
9 - Halifax -1
10 - Long Island -

Week 3 Games
BUF (0-2) @ LI (0-2) - JUL 12 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
LDN (1-1) @ OTT (1-1) - JUL 13 - 3 PM ET
BOS (2-0) @ PRO (1-1) - JUL 13 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
IND (2-0) @ MTL (1-1) - JUL 14 - 1 PM ET
LOU (1-1) @ HFX (1-1) - JUL 15 - 4 PM ET

Once again, one of my teams loses a game late against a great QB, Montreal was the victim this time. I hope that Buffalo gets on the winning track at some point this season but GG to the defending champs

Big win for the Rouge this week! Buffalo finally getting their first win of the season is a beautiful sight to see. The game between the two teams next week looks to be a great one.

Last edited by Kingsfan11 (5/28/2021 7:04 pm)

1963 Week 4

Long Island Raiders - 29, London Tigers - 16 - Long Island Stadium - July 18, 1963 - 7 PM ET - TNF - Weather: - TV: Frank Dijon and Kevin Holcombs
1st Q
3-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
6-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
2nd Q
6-7 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan ->  WR Russell Wilcox
12-7 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
15-7 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
3rd Q
15-10 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
15-16 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
4th Q
22-16 LI - PTD QB Stanley Troyer -> WR Casey Coleman
29-16 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields

A strong 4th quarter would lift the Raiders to their first win of the season. 
QB Stanley Troyer was back in the starting role and he was able to keep the offence moving consistently in the game.
WR Casey Coleman would score his first touchdown after slipping into open space and escaping the clutches of the Tigers’ defenders.
The Tigers continued to struggle without a stable run-game and Kiernan ran into issues with the young Raiders’ secondary. 
DB Lauri Hayha had a pair of interceptions in the game showing that he has some excellent game-changing abilities.

Providence Gold Stars - 21, Ottawa Royals - 21 - New Providence Stadium - July 19, 1963 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: - TV: Bob Walton and Steven Kelly
1st Q
7-0 PRO - RTD RB Rashed Smith
2nd Q
7-7 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Chester Bennett
14-7 PRO - DTD DB Neville Falkner
21-7 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> TE Micheal Bowman III
3rd Q
4th Q
21-14 OTT - RTD RB Eddie Thompson
21-21 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones

The Royals mounted a late 4th quarter comeback to save a tie with the Providence Gold Stars. 
Jean Matieau led the way with a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winner.
Providence had a stellar first half, but the offence seemed to quit in the second half and went from 186 yards in the first half to only 58 in the second half.
The Royals came up with several turnovers in the second half with LB Douglas MacDougall grabbing a fumble and DB Mingan Oliver and S Randall Green both having a pick.
Young RB Rashed Smith was able to get on the score sheet for the first time in his career giving Providence the lead early in the game.

Indiana Victors - 20, Halifax Mariners - 23 - Victory Stadium - July 20, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: - TV: Harold Mansfield and Jim Earnest
1st Q
0-3 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
2nd Q
7-3 IND - RTD RB Cody Barnes
10-3 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
3rd Q
10-6 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
13-6 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
13-13 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
4th Q
13-20 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
20-20 IND - PTD QB Mike Key -> WR Alexei Dubois
20-23 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin

The Mariners were able to claim their 2nd win of the season with a strong win over the Indiana Victors on the road.
RB Stavros Black led the way with a pair of touchdowns while the Halifax D-line maintained their strong play with DL Wayne Baxton and DL Pat Butler combining for 3 Sacks and a forced fumble.
Indiana drops their second straight in surprising fashion following Mariners’ WR Jav Kerrigan taking back a late punt into Victors’ territory to give K Elvis Franklin a shot to win the game.

Boston Independents - 17, Louisville Thunder - 16 - Richardson Stadium - July 20, 1963 - 7 PM ET - SNF - Weather: - TV: Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arland
1st Q
0-3 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
2nd Q
3-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
3-6 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
3rd Q
3-13 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark
4th Q
10-13 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Paul Franklin
10-16 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
17-16 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Ellis Lindholm

A defensive battle would end with an offensive comeback from Nathaniel Braddock.
The Thunder defence was able to hold Boston to only a field goal in the first 3 quarters.
Boston’s defence wasn’t playing bad themselves, keeping Louisville in range.
The strong defensive play would pay off with Braddock taking it up a notch in the 4th quarter and throwing for a pair of touchdowns to give Boston their 3rd win of the season.
QB Leonidas Dumont was able to return in the loss but might have been dealing with some lingering issues so the team kept the ball on the ground for the most part.

Montreal Rouge - 24, Buffalo Blue Wings - 13 - Mount Royal Stadium - July 21, 1963 - 2 PM ET - Weather: TV: FR Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacques, EN Jerry Goldbridge and Jackin Calhoon
1st Q
0-3 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
7-3 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
2nd Q
10-3 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
10-10 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
3rd Q
10-13 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
17-13 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Taylor Karis
4th Q
24-13 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White

Montreal came out of the 10-10 tie at the half and stepped up in the second half outsourcing Buffalo 14-3 to get their 3rd win of the season. 
Buffalo looked good in the first half, but they struggled under the pressure in the second half with several mistakes resulting in a couple of turnovers to S Garet deVale and LB Elijah Goldwater.
QB Gene Bishop was strong in the second half with 146 passing yards and a touchdown without any turnovers.

Injury Report
WR LeRoy Krueger HFX - 6 Weeks
DB David Jones IND - Day-to-Day
OL Forrest Green LOU - 1 Week

Players of the Week

OFF: QB Nathaniel Braddock BOS - 2 Passing Touchdowns, 288 Passing Yards

DEF: DB Lauri Hayha LI - 2 Interceptions, 2 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended

Standings
WEST
Louisville 2-2
Indiana 2-2
Buffalo 1-3
London 1-3
Long Island 1-3

EAST
Montreal 3-1
Boston 3-1
Providence 2-1-1
Ottawa 2-1-1
Halifax 2-2

Power Rankings
1 - Montreal -
2 - Boston -
3 - Louisville -
4 - Providence -
5 - Ottawa -
6 - Indiana -
7 - Halifax +2
8 - London -1
9 - Buffalo -1
10 - Long Island -

Week 5 Games
PRO (2-1-1) @ LOU (2-2) - JUL 26 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
BOS (3-1) @ OTT (2-1-1) - JUL 27 - 3 PM ET
IND (2-2) @ BUF (1-3) - JUL 27 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
LI (1-3) @ LDN (1-3) - JUL 28 - 1 PM ET
MTL (3-1) @ HFX (2-2) - JUL 28 - 4 PM ET