I had a feeling the bye week would throw a wrench in some teams seasons. Those injuries suuuuck 😣. At least we made a game of it, props to London, they came to play. Let’s hope that we can rebound against an Applewhite-less Victors squad.

1968 Trade Deadline

TRADE 1 - Pittsburgh Grabs Veteran DB, Helps Louisville with Cap Situation
The first trade of the deadline would be a small player-for-player deal where the Louisville Thunder sent DB Ross McCurtry to the Blacksmiths in exchange for DB Davidson Moreno. Louisville needed to make the move in order to activate RB Théodore Lemieux from the IR without exceeding the salary cap, while the Blacksmiths get some veteran experience to add to their group.

TRADE 2 - Montreal Fire Sale Begins
The Rouge had many pieces that were bound to be traded throughout the days leading up to the deadline, and the first pieces to go were LB Calvin Hardy and DB William Quincy. They would be packaged and sent to the Buffalo Blue Wings in exchange for Buffalo’s 2nd Round Pick and LB Billy Frederick. Buffalo appears to be building up for a late-season push with this trade. Both players should be solidifying their depth at each position, but William Quincy may be the more impactful player as the Blue Wings have been dealing with injuries in the secondary all season. As for Montreal, Billy Frederick should be a solid piece for the rest of the season and potentially the future as he is only 26. Montreal does retain $1,750 of Calvin Hardy’s $18,750 salary.

TRADE 3 - Blue Wings’ Make Second Deal for Cap Breathing Room
Shortly after their big trade with the Rouge, the Blue Wings would send OL Lance Mackenzie to the Gold Stars for OL Rick Patterson. The difference in salary should help when OL Clancy Harrison returns for the Blue Wings in the coming weeks.

TRADE 4 - Mariners Get Jav Kerrigan Replacement
With WR Jav Kerrigan set to miss most of what is left of the regular season, the Mariners were looking for someone to help in his absence. GM Anthony Vigneault spoke with several teams, looking for a WR. Those being Boston, London, Long Island, and Montreal. In the end, the team would make a swap with the Raiders who were willing to part ways with WR Troy York. York had been a starting WR for the last couple of seasons but had been beat out this season by breakout WR, Otto Washington, for the job. The full trade would be WR Troy York to the Mariners in exchange for WR Jake Columbus and Halifax’s 1969 3rd Round Pick. Long Island will also retain $4,000 of York’s $17,500 salary. York should be a solid piece to fill Kerrigan’s spot for the next few games. The Raiders shouldn’t see much change to their roster on their end of the deal.

TRADE 5 - Toronto Makes First Move
The rumours about the Steelheads in talks with many teams have put the spotlight on them. Their first move of the deadline would see them acquire 33-year-old OL Varo Giovanni from the Gold Stars in exchange for 25-year-old OL Evan Kilgore and Providence’s 1969 5th Round Pick, which the Steelheads had acquired at the last trade deadline. Toronto gets a veteran O-lineman to help boost their protection and run game down the home stretch. Providence ends up with a much younger OL, although he is not as skilled as Giovanni is.

TRADE 6 - Royals Make Unexpected Move for Raiders D-lineman
The Royals were on the radar for looking for extra help on the D-line, but some expected that they would have had conversations with London or Montreal as the bigger sellers, or even Indiana who has a lot of extra players at the position. However, the Royals would end up going to Long Island and acquiring DL Dean Leanman in exchange for a 1969 2nd Round Pick and DL Keith Gavelstein. Leanman is a true interior lineman, someone who eats up blocks to allow for other linemen to get more chances to get into the backfield. That play style may make Leanman a perfect fit for the Royals' D-line. The 2nd round pick might be a bit of a high price, but the Royals knew they wanted this guy and are clearly not in rebuild mode anymore.

TRADE 7 - Boston Isn’t Giving Up Yet, Acquire LB Yokoi from Montreal
Boston has decided that they are still going to make a push for the postseason with a 3-5 record. The decision is reflected in the team acquiring a 31-year-old LB in George Yokoi in exchange for Boston’s 3rd Round Pick in 1969 and LB Eric Dionne. Yokoi is a smart player who should be able to jump into the Independents lineup right away, but there are some concerns that Yokoi, who hasn’t seen the field as much in Montreal, is not the player he used to be.

TRADE 8 - Raiders and Victors Complete Massive 6-Player Trade
The Raiders appear to not be finished with their two earlier trades and managed to strike a shocking deal with the Victors to acquire DL Ilya Mikaelov, S Sully Callahan, OL Chet Atkins, and Indiana’s 1969 4th Round Pick in exchange for S Clarence Sale, DL Brian Alvagardo, OL Leroy Hankins, and Halifax’s 1969 3rd Round Pick. 

On the Raiders' end, this is a move for the future. Mikaelov should be an upgrade to the D-line for next season. He is currently injured and will likely miss the next couple of games, but the player should slot in as a starter next season with still a year left on his contract. Sully Callahan was the 29th Overall selection in 1967 and should be a nice younger piece for the Raiders to add to the secondary.

As for the Victors, they get Clarence Sale to replace the injured S Tom Parrish for the next few weeks, plus they get some value for Mikaelov, who was hurt and expecting to be a player the team would lose in the expansion draft based on their other pieces on the line. Alvagardo and Hankins also join the team to replace Mikaelov and shore up their offensive line depth respectively.

TRADE 9 - Royals Move One of Their QBs for Defensive Depth
The Royals were rumoured to be looking into moving one of their 5 QBs prior to the expansion draft. The only team to bite was the London Tigers, who are managing an aging QB Riley Kiernan. They would get QB Michael Miranda, who was selected with the 24th Overall Pick in 1966, to add an option to their hunt for their next QB. On top of Miranda, the Tigers would also receive Ottawa’s 1969 3rd Round Draft Pick and DB Gord Honk. The Royals would receive DB Jacques Gaul and London’s 1969 4th Round Pick in return for their assets. Gaul should be a good fit with the Royals as he has played for the team previously and should feel comfortable stepping back into the team’s locker room.

TRADE 10 - Steelheads Make Last Minute Blockbuster Move To Acquire Defensive Lineman
The Steelheads had been the team to watch all week, but it seemed that none of their deals were able to come together. It didn’t help that some of their top targets for D-line trades were starting to make deals with other teams. With the trade hunt winding down, the Tigers were the Steelheads’ last hope of landing a player. Without much leverage, the team would have to spend a little more than expected to pry their guy loose from the Tigers, but they are happy to land long-time Tiger, DL Richard Blunt. The full trade would see the Steelheads get DL Richard Blunt and QB Nikolas Diakos in exchange for Toronto’s 1969 1st Round Pick, DL Daniel Myers, and DL Peter Mongoose. Blunt also waived his no-trade clause in order for the deal to go through. 

The Steelheads certainly have made a pair of the largest upgrades to their starting lineup in comparison to the rest of the league, already getting help on the O-line with Varo Giovanni. Blunt is a force that should make the Steelheads’ pass rush a serious threat to teams down the stretch as they take a shot at the title. 

As for the Tigers, while fans certainly will not like the move to trade a fan-favourite and a London-native in Blunt, it looks like some great handy work by GM Joseph Johnson who is still getting a 3rd Round talent in Daniel Myers, but more importantly a 1st Round Pick. After all, earlier rumours had the Tigers only getting a 3rd in a similar offer. 

The two smaller players in this deal don’t have as big of an effect. Nikolas Diakos was traded due to the Tigers picking up QB Michael Miranda, and Peter Mongoose was acquired to fill the roster spot left by Blunt. Though it is fun to point out that Mongoose was traded last year during the deadline from the Tigers to the Steelheads, so he has now been returned.

Blunt was interviewed later in the week on his arrival in Toronto and had this to say: “I love my hometown, I will always be a Tiger. Double-J (GM Joseph Johnson) gave me a shot to compete for a title in a place that’s just down the road… I couldn’t turn it down. I hope to be back though, London is always my home.”

TRADE 11 - Mariners Finally Land a RB with Last Trade of the Deadline
The Mariners had been searching for a suitable RB to replace Ronald O’Sullivan for the next game or two, but they were not having a lot of luck. There was early talk with the Independents over RB Rodney Clark, but Boston decided to stay the course and keep their RB depth. In the end, the Mariners would have to go to Montreal and acquire RB Ronald Kociba and Montreal’s 1969 5th Round Pick in exchange for Halifax’s 1969 4th Round Pick and RB Yancy Harrison. Kociba, doesn’t have a lot of starting experience, but still has more than Adam Zingaro, who struggled with 2 fumbles in the loss to London.

Alright, I have a week off so we are going to try and rip through the rest of this season so here we gooooo! (not sorry for the expected whiplash)
And to respond to RaysUp...this playoff push is about to get nuts.

1968 Week 10

Roster Moves
LI: LB Deon Wiggins - Injured Reserve -> Active Roster
LI: LB Jeremy Trudeau - Active Roster -> Waivers
LOU: RB Théodore Lemieux - Injured Reserve -> Active Roster
LOU: RB Mario Leclair - Active Roster -> Reserve List
OTT: OL Daren Olsen - Waivers -> Reserve List
PRO: WR Johnny Starwood - Waivers -> Reserve List

Pittsburgh Blacksmiths - 42, Louisville Thunder - 20 - Riverfront Stadium of Pittsburgh - August 22, 1968 - 7 PM ET - TNF - Weather: Cloudy
1st Q
7-0 PIT - PTD QB Louis Vaughn -> WR Orlando Barrack
14-0 PIT - RTD RB Tresean Jones
2nd Q
14-7 LOU - RTD RB Théodore Lemieux
21-7 PIT - PTD QB Louis Vaughn -> WR Taylor Austin
21-10 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
3rd Q
28-10 PIT - PTD QB Louis Vaughn -> WR Taylor Austin
28-13 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
4th Q
28-20 LOU - PTD QB Buck Murphy -> WR Lloyd Lane
35-20 PIT - RTD RB Tresean Jones
42-20 PIT - DTD INT DB Aiden Sargent

The Pittsburgh Blacksmiths would look to grab their 2nd straight win with a hot start against the Thunder to go up 14-0.
Louisville was able to get a touchdown from Lemieux in his return, to cut the lead in half, however, the Blacksmiths would add another TD after to regain their 14-point lead.
The Thunder offence struggled to get into the endzone but had gotten a pair of field goals, however, they were falling further behind following another Pittsburgh touchdown.
Buck Murphy would finally get the Thunder into the endzone on a pass to WR Lloyd Lane, but the Blacksmiths quickly countered with their own touchdown to maintain their 15-point lead.
Murphy attempted to still crawl back into the game but ended up throwing a pick-6 to DB Aiden Sargent to seal the game for the Blacksmiths.
The win does seal the first at least .500 season by a team in Pittsburgh for the first time since the early 50s.

Ottawa Royals - 21, Montreal Rouge - 14 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - August 23, 1968 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: Cloudy
1st Q
7-0 OTT - RTD RB Corbyn Knight
2nd Q
10-0 OTT - FG K Ira Foster
10-7 MTL - RTD RB Hugo Hughes
3rd Q
17-7 OTT - RTD RB Corbyn Knight
17-14 MTL - DTD INT S Garet deVale
4th Q
18-14 OTT - Single K Ira Foster
21-14 OTT - FG K Ira Foster

In the rematch of the classic Ottawa-Montreal rivalry, the Rouge fared much better than in the 7-30 loss they suffered in Week 6 to the Royals.
However, they still fell into a 10-0 hole before Hugo Hughes was finally able to break their silence in the 2nd quarter.
In the second half, the Royals would extend their lead, but a bad throw from Tyrion Gainsborough would result in a touchdown from S Garet deVale.
Luckily for Gainsborough, the Royals defence would hold off the Montreal attack and win their 7th game of the season extending their now 5-game win streak.

London Tigers - 24, Boston Independents - 22 - Western Fair Stadium - August 23, 1968 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy - Game of the Week
1st Q
0-3 BOS - FG K Woody Woodstock
7-3 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Cole Fletcher
2nd Q
7-10 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Zachariah Pembroke
14-10 LDN - RTD RB Austin Andrews
17-10 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
3rd Q
18-10 LDN - Single K Nimrod Handsworth
18-16 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Felix Fontaine
4th Q
21-16 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
21-22 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Alexei Dubois
24-22 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth

After Boston’s promising win over the Steelheads, they came into London a little flat-footed.
The Tigers would take an early 7-3 lead on a Cole Fletcher touchdown, but Boston would bounce back with their own touchdown, however, LB George Yokoi would make a mistake on his coverage allowing RB Austin Andrews to take home a 45-yard touchdown in the second.
The Tigers would get up to an 8-point lead before the Independents would strike back in the 3rd, but in the end, they would fail to get a 2-point convert to tie the game.
In the final quarter, the Tigers would get a field goal to push their lead back up to 5, but Braddock would march down the field to get the Independents into the endzone to take the lead, but again failed to get the 2-point attempt after DB Bernard Wilkins made a great pass deflection.
The Tigers would fail to score immediately, but when Boston received the punt, RB Rodney Clark would lose the football on a hit from LB Oscar Wilkins. 
The Tigers didn’t have to go far to be in Handsworth range and the reliable kicker would nail the game-winner.
*With Boston’s Loss, the Royals have clinched their first playoff berth since 1963.

Buffalo Blue Wings - 34, Long Island Raiders - 23 - Milton Charles Stadium - August 23, 1968 - 7 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy/Muddy (Post Rain)
1st Q
0-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
7-3 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
2nd Q
14-3 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Jimmy Jack
21-3 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
3rd Q
21-6 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
28-6 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> TE Paul Arturberry
28-13 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
4th Q
28-16 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
31-16 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
31-23 LI - PTD QB Ivan Sanchez -> WR Otto Washington
34-23 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch

The Blue Wings continued their comeback tour with a solid start against the Raiders, jumping out to a 21-3 lead.
The Raiders struggled out of the gate with QB Ivan Sanchez throwing a pick in the first half, which led to the team throwing QB Landon Ross onto the field for a few drives throughout.
Ross would help get the Raiders back into the game in the 3rd with a touchdown drive. 
However, Buffalo remained far ahead, so the Raiders would allow Ivan Sanchez back into the game and he used his arm to get into the endzone to make it a 1-score game.
However, Buffalo’s defence would shut them down the rest of the way to get their 2nd straight win.

Providence Gold Stars - 30, Toronto Steelheads - 28 - New Providence Stadium - August 24, 1968 - 1 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy
1st Q
3-0 PRO - FG K Elvis Franklin
10-0 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Cedric Peterson
2nd Q
10-7 TOR - PTD QB Todd Baker -> WR Al Allmendinger
10-14 TOR - RTD RB Max Tracy
3rd Q
13-14 PRO - FG K Elvis Franklin
20-14 PRO - RTD RB Rashed Smith
20-21 TOR - RTD RB Max Tracy
4th Q
23-21 PRO - FG K Elvis Franklin
30-21 PRO - RTD RB Rashed Smith
30-28 TOR - PTD QB Todd Baker -> WR Samuel Petri

The Steelheads' new acquisitions did not make a huge difference early on against the Gold Stars as they would fall behind 10-0 in the first, following a DB Perry Ferris Interception.
The second quarter would be much better with the Steelheads grabbing a pair of TDs to take the lead into the half.
Providence bounced back in the 3rd, but Max Tracy’s 2nd TD of the game would help the Steelheads maintain the lead.
In the final quarter, the Gold Stars would grab back-to-back scores, with a K Elvis Franklin field goal and Rashed Smith touchdown.
The Steelheads, down by 9, would bounce back with a touchdown of their own, but still needed another score to get back the lead, but the Gold Stars would hold them off to secure the win.

Indiana Victors - 20, Halifax Mariners - 16 - Victory Stadium - August 24, 1968 - 4 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy
1st Q
3-0 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
2nd Q
3-3 HFX - FG K Albert Wickerweaver
10-3 IND - PTD QB Lee Rogers -> WR Ed Edwards
3rd Q
10-10 HFX - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Shane Steadman
13-10 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
13-13 HFX - FG K Albert Wickerweaver
4th Q
13-16 HFX - FG K Albert Wickerweaver
20-16 IND - PTD QB Lee Rogers -> WR Silas Peyton

An important battle in Indianapolis would start slow with Indy only able to get a field goal to start.
Halifax would tie it up before QB Lee Rogers would use his arm to find WR Ed Edwards in the back of the endzone to give the Victors the lead at the break.
In the second half, the Mariners would bounce back with a touchdown from Shane Steadman, while each team would get a field goal to leave the game tied heading into the final quarter.
In the final frame, the Mariners would get a field goal, while their defence was doing a good job keeping the Victors from scoring, however, a missed tackle would allow WR Silas Peyton to slip out and get the Victors in scoring range.
A few plays later the Victors would seal the victory with a touchdown from Silas Peyton, who would make the catch with DB Janek Rodoslav all over him, giving the Victors a huge win.

Injury Report
TE Hunter Ziegelbauer MTL - Day-to-Day
OL Andrew Parsley TOR - 6 Weeks

Players of the Week

OFF: QB Louis Vaughn PIT - 3 Passing Touchdowns, 276 Passing Yards

DEF: S Garet deVale MTL - 1 Interception, 1 Defensive Touchdown, 7 Tackles

Standings
WEST
Pittsburgh 6-3
Buffalo 5-4
Indiana 5-4
London 5-4
Toronto 5-4
Louisville 3-6

EAST
Ottawa 7-2 -x
Halifax 6-3
Providence 4-5
Long Island 3-6
Boston 3-6
Montreal 2-7

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

Week 11 Games
BUF (5-4) @ BOS (3-6) - AUG 30 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
LI (3-6) @ HFX (6-3) - AUG 31 - 3 PM ET
*HFX clinches playoff spot with Win or PRO Loss
LDN (5-4) @ PIT (6-3) - AUG 31 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
PRO (4-5) @ MTL (2-7) - SEP 1 - 2 PM ET
OTT (7-2) @ TOR (5-4) - SEP 2 - 2 PM ET - Labour Day
LOU (3-6) @ IND (5-4) - SEP 2 - 6 PM ET - Labour Day

Last edited by Wallflower (7/29/2022 8:13 pm)

It only gets crazier, another week hot off the grill

1968 Week 11

Roster Moves
BUF: OL Clancy Harrison - Injured Reserve -> Active Roster
BUF: OL Rick Patterson - Active Roster -> Waivers
LI: LB Jeremy Trudeau - Waivers -> Reserve List
PRO: DL Newton Dalton - Injured Reserve -> Active Roster
PRO: DL Terry Lynch - Active Roster -> Waivers

Boston Independents - 35, Buffalo Blue Wings - 28 - Richardson Stadium - August 30, 1968 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: Clear
1st Q
0-7 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
3-7 BOS - FG K Woody Woodstock
10-7 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Zachariah Pembroke
2nd Q
17-7 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Alexei Dubois
3rd Q
20-7 BOS - FG K Woody Woodstock
20-14 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Jimmy Jack
20-21 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
26-21 BOS - RTD RB Reggie Whitehead
28-21 BOS - 2PT QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Felix Fontaine
4th Q
28-28 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Julius Drake
35-28 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Alexei Dubois

Boston, with their backs against the wall, had a difficult matchup with the Buffalo Blue Wings in order to keep their season alive. 
The first quarter would be a close battle with the Independents’ offence getting the team out in front 10-7.
Braddock would extend the lead in the 3rd quarter to take a 10-point lead into the break.
The 3rd quarter would see a spike in scoring with the Blue Wings getting back-to-back touchdowns to retake the lead. 
However, just before the end of the quarter, the Independents would get a touchdown and 2-point conversion to extend their lead to 7.
In the final quarter, the Blue Wings would tie the game up on a strong drive led by Charles Lemieux, however, Braddock would have the last laugh, leading his own clutch drive to win the game 35-28.

Halifax Mariners - 17, Long Island Raiders - 20 - Atlantic Stadium - August 31, 1968 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy
1st Q
0-7 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
2nd Q
0-14 LI - PTD QB Landon Ross -> WR Larry Mossholder
7-14 HFX - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Shane Steadman
3rd Q
7-17 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
14-17 HFX - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Troy York
4th Q
17-17 HFX - FG K Albert Wickerweaver
17-20 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher

The Mariners got off to a horrid start against the Raiders, falling behind 0-14 while the offence had a couple of turnovers.
The Raiders, who were seeing what QB Landon Ross could do, were thriving early with the great field position. 
Halifax started to counter at the end of the 2nd with a touchdown to WR Shane Steadman before Troy York would catch a score against his former team in the 3rd quarter.
Halifax would be able to tie the game in the final quarter, however, the Raiders would get the last chance to score and K Henderson Schumacher would kick the game-winning field goal to give the Raiders the win and the Mariners their 3rd straight loss.

Pittsburgh Blacksmiths - 17, London Tigers - 23 - Riverfront Stadium of Pittsburgh - August 31, 1968 - SNF - Weather: Cloudy
1st Q
0-3 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
2nd Q
3-3 PIT - FG K Al Highlander
3-10 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Cole Fletcher
10-10 PIT - PTD QB Louis Vaughn -> WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence
3rd Q
10-17 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Cole Fletcher
4th Q
10-23 LDN - RTD RB Austin Andrews
17-23 PIT - PTD QB Louis Vaughn -> WR Taylor Austin

The Blacksmiths got off to a rocky start when trying to defend their 4-1 record at home.
QB Louis Vaughn would throw an interception in the first half to allow the Tigers to get up 3-10.
Luckily, Vaughn would get the touchdown back shortly after to tie the game up before halftime.
However, Vaughn continued to struggle in the 3rd quarter throwing 2 more interceptions.
As for the Tigers, WR Cole Fletcher would show his speed and elusiveness taking home a pair of long touchdowns in the game.
The Blacksmiths would hope to recover from the rough 3rd quarter, but the Tigers would maintain their lead and shock the Blacksmiths for their 4th straight win.

Montreal Rouge - 16, Providence Gold Stars - 10 - Mount Royal Stadium - September 1, 1968 - 2 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy
1st Q
7-0 MTL - RTD RB Hugo Hughes
7-3 PRO - FG K Elvis Franklin
2nd Q
10-3 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
3rd Q
13-3 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
13-10 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Owen Paisley
4th Q
16-10 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger

The Montreal Rouge were set on playing spoiler for the Gold Stars, who many deemed to have the easiest final 3 games of the season compared to other teams fighting for the final playoff spots.
RB Hugo Hughes would get Montreal’s lone touchdown in the 1st quarter, while the defence and the crowd noise was making things difficult for the Gold Stars’ offence
Providence would finally get to the endzone in the 3rd quarter when Connor O’Rourke found WR Owen Paisley for just his 2nd receiving touchdown of the season.
However, Montreal’s defence would shut down the Gold Stars in the final quarter to secure their first win since Week 5.
The loss also makes the Gold Stars 0-4 against the division this season.
*With this result the Mariners have clinched a playoff spot despite their 3-game losing streak

Toronto Steelheads - 8, Ottawa Royals - 27 - Anderson Stadium - September 2, 1968 - 2 PM ET - Labour Day - Weather: Cloudy
1st Q
0-7 OTT - PTD QB Tyrion Gainsborough -> WR Marshall Leonard
7-7 TOR - RTD RB Max Tracy
7-10 OTT - FG K Ira Foster
2nd Q
7-17 OTT - RTD RB Corbyn Knight
3rd Q
7-20 OTT - FG K Ira Foster
8-20 TOR - Single K Vic Greatwood
4th Q
8-27 OTT - PTD QB Tyrion Gainsborough -> WR Marshall Leonard

The Royals would roll into Toronto on labour day and dominate them throughout the game.
Aside from Max Tracy’s first-quarter touchdown, the Steelheads struggled to move the ball all day long. 
The Royals’ offence fared just fine against the Steelheads as WR Marshall Leonard had a strong day with a pair of receiving touchdowns.
Even QB Tyrion Gainsborough had his missteps with an interception in the 3rd, but the Steelheads were came away with 1 point.
The loss is Toronto’s 3rd straight and they are quickly slipping in the playoff race, while the Royals now have won 6 straight games and are looking like the standout team as the playoffs near.

Indiana Victors - 36, Louisville Thunder - 26 - Victory Stadium - September 2, 1968 - 6 PM ET - Labour Day - Weather: Clear
1st Q
7-0 IND - RTD RB Raymond Green
7-7 LOU - PTD QB Buck Murphy -> WR Lloyd Lane
14-7 IND - PTD QB Lee Rogers -> WR Silas Peyton
2nd Q
17-7 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
17-14 LOU - PTD QB Buck Murphy -> WR Casey Coleman
20-14 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
3rd Q
23-14 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
23-17 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
23-23 LOU - PTD QB Buck Murphy -> WR Lloyd Lane
4th Q
26-23 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
33-23 IND - RTD RB Raymond Green
33-26 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
36-26 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter

QB Lee Rogers continued to play well in the absence of QB Tom Applewhite and would lead the team to a 17-7 lead to start the rematch with the Thunder.
Louisville was looking for any way to end their 5-game losing streak and would pass on a great majority of plays in this game evident by Buck Murphy’s 2 first-half passing touchdowns.
Indiana remained in control, but Buck Murphy’s 3rd passing touchdown would leave the game tied heading into the final quarter.
In the final frame, the Victors would get a pair of scores to increase their lead to 10 before Louisville was able to get another field goal back.
Unfortunately for the Thunder, they were unable to stop the Victors from getting a first down as they burned most of what remained of the clock and then extended their lead back up to 10.
The Thunder have now dropped 6 in a row, going from McCallister Cup contender to now being in line to get a top 3 pick in the draft. 

Injury Report
K Nimrod Handsworth LDN - 5 Weeks
WR Joshua Lafleur LDN - 5 Weeks
OL Varo Giovanni TOR - 2 Weeks
WR Al Allmendinger TOR - Day-to-Day

Players of the Week

OFF: WR Cole Fletcher LDN - 2 Receiving Touchdowns, 139 Receiving Yards

DEF: LB William Washington II LI - 12 Tackles

Standings
WEST
Indiana 6-4
London 6-4
Pittsburgh 6-4
Toronto 5-5
Buffalo 5-5
Louisville 3-7

EAST
Ottawa 8-2 -x
Halifax 6-4 -x
Long Island 4-6
Boston 4-6
Providence 4-6
Montreal 3-7

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

Week 12 Games
HFX (6-4) @ MTL (3-7) - SEP 6 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
BOS (4-6) @ OTT (8-2) - SEP 7 - 12 PM ET
*OTT Clinches East Division with Win or HFX Loss
PIT (6-4) @ BUF (5-5) - SEP 7 - 3:30 PM ET
*PIT Clinches Playoff Spot with Win or TOR + BOS Loss + PRO + LI Tie
TOR (5-5) @ IND (6-4) - SEP 7 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
*IND Clinches Playoff Spot with Win or BUF + BOS Loss + PRO + LI Tie
LDN (6-4) @ LOU (3-7) - SEP 8 - 1 PM ET
*LDN Clinches Playoff Spot with Win + BUF or TOR Loss or BUF + TOR + BOS Loss + PRO + LI Tie
PRO (4-6) @ LI (4-6) - SEP 8 - 4 PM ET

Last edited by Wallflower (7/20/2022 11:10 pm)

Slapshot Kirby wrote:

Alright! Ottawa is back in the playoffs! I'm pleasantly surprised by how they are doing considering how great players like Jean Matteau don't always make great coaches (Not that I am saying that the Royals shouldn't have hired him in the first place or anything, even if it wasn't like Wayne Gretzky coached the NHL's Coyotes into the next Stanley Cup winning dynasty or anything, but rather I am saying that Matteau looks like he could buck that trend in sports). 

Anyway, let's keep it up Royals!

You are totally right on the players don't always translate, but I think I always had Matieau being someone who had a knack for it. Even helping QB Lee Rogers rejuvenate his career when he was in Ottawa backing up Matieau. So I figured it would be an excellent fit.