1958 AFL Draft



Round 1
1 - Cleveland - RB Bo Golden - St. Louis State - Kingsfan11
2 - Chicago - OL Mitch Hunt - Armitage - idm
3 - Tri-Cities - WR Sonny Delvecchio - Brooklyn College - Kingsfan11
4 - Buffalo - OL Jerry Colangelo - Vermont - idm
5 - Pittsburgh - DB Rex Leavitt - Deseret - DireBear
6 - Philadelphia - S David Jefferson - Virginia Commonwealth - idm
7 - Boston - DL Hugo Cumberdale - Indiana - Jayhawk
8 - Tri-Cities (from STL) - DL Lou Spanos - University of Cleveland - DireBear
9 - Washington - OL Alan Varnas - Chicago Christian - DireBear
10 - Detroit - DL Herman Escalante - ULA - DireBear
11 - Cleveland (from NY) - QB Cassius Sterling - Wyoming State - Darknes
12 - Cincinnati - S Will Heckel - Ohio - Kingsfan11

In prior year’s drafts, the first overall pick seemed like it was a fairly obvious choice for the team selecting. This year appears to be different. Cleveland had two gaping holes at skill positions that they needed to fill, needing a top halfback with Max Panders retiring and a receiver after shipping off Joey Staniskovski to New York. They ultimately decided to go with the more impactful position in the backfield, and selected Bo Golden out of St. Louis State. Golden is the complete opposite player to what Panders was, a bruising back that can break through the first attempt at tackling him and is an exceptional extra blocker. Instead of going with a skill position of need, the Hogs instead decided to protect their golden boy at running back and took OL Mitch Hunt from Armitage. Hunt is a more mobile lineman that will fit great in the Hogs’ interior blocking, and should provide the protection that Chicago lacked last year. The Hawks then swooped in and picked the best offensive player available in Brooklyn College WR Sonny Delvecchio to help their young QB out. The Terriers’ leading receiver would regularly sacrifice his body to make the catch, and even if he wasn’t able to he’d find a way to make up for it the next time he saw the ball. The Hammers made an easy decision at 4 and went out to improve their offensive line by selecting Vermont’s Jerry Colangelo. Buffalo wanted an offensive lineman that would work better in their pass-favorable offense, and Colangelo seems to fit the mold that they want to make their offense click once again. Two defensive backs would then go in back-to-back picks, with Pittsburgh taking the mighty tall Rex Leavitt from Deseret and Philadelphia going with the soft-spoken but hard-hitting David Jefferson out of Virginia Commonwealth. Boston and Tri-Cities would also take two positions back-to-back. The Dragons selected Indiana DL Hugo Cumberdale to plug in on the inside to stop the run, and the Hawks used their second pick of the round to select the physical yet agile Lou Spanos out of the University of Cleveland. The Federals broke the trend by shoring up their offensive line by taking the nimble Alan Varnas from Chicago Christian. Detroit would continue the trend of the third defensive lineman drafted in the first round by taking ULA’s Herman Escalante. Escalante was surprisingly fast off of the line, and many offensive linemen had trouble blocking him once he found that opening, meaning he should fit well on a developing Knights defensive front. Cleveland would shock most of the teams by selecting Wyoming State QB Cassius Sterling with the 11th pick. The Crows don’t have anything as close as the high-flying offense Sterling had in college, though this pick likely places current QB Denzel Collingsworth on an incredibly hot seat. The Rivermen closed out the round by taking S Will Heckel from Ohio, who has a knack for feeling out where the ball will be to get in its path for a contested play. 



Round 2
13 - Cleveland - LB Earl Pellington - New Jersey State - DireBear
14 - Chicago - OL Taylor Pike - Rhode Island State - idm
15 - Tri-Cities - LB Jim Byers - Chicago Christian - H-Town
16 - Buffalo - TE Mark Truss - Ohio - Jayhawk
17 - Pittsburgh - DL Duke Winston - Rockefeller - Dan O’Mac
18 - Philadelphia - OL Jim Godowicz - Lehigh Valley - DireBear
19 - Boston - RB Liam Fitzsimmons - Washington State - DireBear
20 - St. Louis - OL Ole Gulbrandsen - Minnesota State - Dan O’Mac
21 - Washington - DL Phillip Knipple - Sacre Couer - Dan O’Mac
22 - Pittsburgh (from DET) - LB Isaiah Lynch - Wisconsin State - idm
23 - New York - WR Kenny Cook - Georgia - idm
24 - Cincinnati - WR Pete Coniglio - Massachusetts State - idm

Offense was the recurring theme throughout the second round, with over half of the teams taking either offensive linemen to bolster their trenches or some sort of back to help out wherever they could. Buffalo desperately needed a TE after shoring up their offensive line in the first round, and selected all-rounder Mark Truss out of Ohio. Boston would end up lucking out with Bernheim-winning RB Liam Fitzsimmons sliding all the way to #19. The bruising back should end up complimenting well with current halfback Lee Cannon, and Boston will now have a more reliable short-yard option. Both the Lions and Rivermen selected receivers to end the second round, as New York took the speedy Kenny Cook from Georgia to pair up with recent acquisition Joey Staniskovski and Cincinnati selected the acrobatic Pete Coniglio out of Massachusetts State as they look to find their replacement for whenever star wideout Alfred Dunn decides to hang up his cleats. On the defensive side of the ball Cleveland, Tri-Cities, and Pittsburgh both went linebacker, taking Earl Pellington from New Jersey State, Jim Byers from Chicago Christian, and Isaiah Lynch from Wisconsin State, respectively, and Pittsburgh and Washington both went with additional defensive linemen, with the Shamrocks taking Duke Winston out of Rockefeller and the Federals selecting Phillip Knipple out of Sacre Couer. 

Round 3
25 - Cleveland - OL Harold Hinkle - St. Joseph’s - Wallflower
26 - Chicago - WR Chauncey McGrath - Calvert - Kingsfan11
27 - Tri-Cities - DB Eddie Patton - Mississippi Tech - DireBear
28 - Buffalo - TE Del Zimmerman - Texas - DireBear
29 - Pittsburgh - DB Tony Forsythe - Oregon A&M - idm
30 - Philadelphia - WR Larry Boyd - Texas Industrial - DireBear
31 - Boston - DB Bernie Woodruff - Florida State - DireBear
32 - St. Louis - RB Rip Peterson - ULA - Dan O’Mac
33 - Washington - S Jack Dillon - Tryon - DireBear
34 - Detroit - LB George Gilchrist - Texas Methodist - DireBear
35 - Tri-Cities (From NY)  - OL Jack Humble - Ohio - Jayhawk
36 - Cleveland  (From CIN)  - WR Michael Kinds - Massachusetts State - Sevsdast

A weaker class than in the past meant that teams went a whole round without drafting another player in the secondary. 17 picks went by before Pittsburgh selected DB Tony Forsythe from Oregon A&M. The next defensive back would go just two picks later, as Boston took Bernie Woodruff from Florida State. Buffalo took another tight end in Texas’ Del Zimmerman just a round after they took their first, likely meaning that position will be up for grabs in the leadup to the season. ULA RB Rip Peterson is surprisingly just the third running back to be drafted in this class, where he is set up to become the short-yardage back for the Stallions. A position that teams did not pass upon were wideouts, as three teams followed Cincinnati and New York in the third. Chicago took the elusive Chauncey McGrath from Calvert, Philly took a jack-of-all trades receiver in Texas Industrial’s Larry Boyd, and Cleveland used their second selection this round to take the solid hands of Massachusetts State’s Michael Kinds.



Round 4
37 - Cleveland - S Van Plancha - Michigan - Dan O’Mac
38 - Chicago - DL Jim Jesso - Texas State - Sevsdast
39 - Tri-Cities - RB Hugh McCready - ULA - DireBear
40 - Buffalo - WR Pat Kavanaugh - Florida State - DireBear
41 - Pittsburgh - RB Eric Bierhals - Indiana Tech - Dan O’Mac
42 - Tri-Cities (From PHI) - OL Jon Smith - St. Joseph’s - idm
43 - Boston - QB Rudy Beers - St. Joseph’s - Dan O’Mac
44 - St. Louis - DB Bernhard Schrecklicher - Rockefeller - idm
45 - Washington - OL Ellis Gadd - Louisville State - idm
46 - Tri-Cities (from DET) - DB H.T. Ferrier - Nebraska State - Dan O’Mac
47 - New York - QB Frankie Lombardo - Genessee - DireBear
48 - Cincinnati - RB Paul Sutherin - Ohio State* - DireBear

Thanks to the Hawks trading away nearly everyone of value, they ended up with three 4th round selections. They spent their first to get ULA RB Hugh McCready to contest in their wide open backfield, their second from Philly to shore up their offensive line with St. Joe’s OL Jon Smith, and their last pick from Detroit to get Nebraska State DB H.T. Ferrier to bolster their very weak secondary. As with the drafts in the past, it took until the 4th round for another quarterback to be taken. Boston went with the big-armed Rudy Beers out of St. Joe’s, and New York gave southpaw and hometown kid Frankie Lombardo a spot on their ASPFL after trading away Billy Ray Boesseler to Pittsburgh. If Lombardo makes a start in the ASPFL or the AFL if the Lions need reinforcements at their playcalling position, he will become the first left-handed QB in the AFL and the first in across all professional levels in nearly 15 years. 

Round 5
49 - Cleveland - DL Colin Studer - New Hampshire - idm
50 - Detroit (From CHI) - LB Walt Sutton - Penn - Kingsfan11
51 - Tri-Cities - DL Clyde Hammersmith - Moss Tech* (IL) - Kingsfan11
52 - Buffalo - OL Harold Rhea - Massachusetts State - idm
53 - Pittsburgh - LB Tyson Gallagher - Armitage - Darknes
54 - Philadelphia - DB Bill Sample - Eastern Maryland^ - DireBear
55 - Tri-Cities (From BOS) - QB Carter Hodge - Ohio - Jayhawk
56 - Tri-Cities (From STL) - OL Roger Wilkinson - Genessee - DireBear
57 - Washington - TE Justin Salas - Eau Claire State* (WI)  - idm
58 - Detroit - S Harlan Duvall - U. Tri-Cities* (IA) - Kingsfan11
59 - New York - DL John Lee Hines - Prairie View State^ (TX) - DireBear
60 - Cincinnati - TE Roy Callahan - U. Cleveland - Kingsfan11

Two notable players would be selected in the 5th round, which were DB Bill Sample out of Eastern Maryland going to Philadelphia and DL John Lee Hines from Prairie View State being drafted by New York. Those two players mark the first time any player from a historically black college was drafted into the AFL. Cincinnati rounded out the draft by taking TE Roy Callahan out of the University of Cleveland. 



Undrafted
QB Tony Johnson - Massachusetts State - Jayhawk -> Detroit
RB Charley Leblanc - Northeast Louisiana* - DireBear -> Cleveland
RB Ricardo Rodriguez - Florida - Darknes -> Cincinnati
TE Tom Brush - Roosevelt - DireBear -> Detroit
DL Samuel Tess - Southwestern Oklahoma* - Dan O’Mac -> Tri-Cities
LB Cal Westbrook - Genessee - Wallflower -> Chicago
DB Billy Treadwell - Alabama Southern - Kingsfan11 -> Chicago
S Vernell Wood - ULA - DireBear -> St. Louis

C&C Appreciated! As per usual, if you want to know about a player of yours I didn't explicitly mention I'll do my best to tell about their fit. I wanted to get this draft our so I apologize for the amount of players that were mine. Hopefully I can get the season preview out before the end of the year with how I move things along, so stay tuned for that whenever I get around to it haha.

East Division
The East in recent years has become the most competitive division in all of professional football, and 1958 was no exception. New York’s miraculous run to the championship seemed like it would be a one-and-done deal if they had not acquired arguably one of the best receivers in the league: Joey Staniskovski. With him added to the offensive arsenal, and the promotion of Newark RB Jon Dawson as a bruising option in the backfield, the Lions offense was a tough one to stop. They also found a diamond in the rough in the draft, as fifth round selection DL John Lee Hines out of Prairie View State made an immediate impact on the line and locked himself into a Rookie of the Year award, becoming just the second player not drafted in the first round to win said award. The Lions were out to prove that last year was no fluke and wanted to make another deep run for potentially their first AFL title. That desire came true, as they were undefeated through the first half of the year and looked like it was their division to lose. It definitely did not help matters to the rest of the division when they acquired two players from the Hawks, DL Moe Greene and LB Martin Maloney, for essentially nothing to keep themselves towards the top of the division. They were not well and away from everyone else, as Washington was still on their tails for the division lead. They had been performing about the same as they had been the past few years, where they could coast to the finish line on talent alone with the rest of the division behind them. That notion was quickly proven wrong when the Federals had to play from behind the division for the first time since they moved to the East 4 years ago. It’s unfortunate for them that there was another team on the heels for the division, and that was Philadelphia. RB Mickey Greene had been emerging as one of the best backs in the league, and this year he proved that he is at the top of that list. The Rattlesnakes’s offense became electric in just a short period of time, and that became more of the case when second-year QB Raymond Oram was promoted to the starting position and formed an immediate connection with WR James Redd. Their offense was rarely able to be stopped, and as a result they climbed right to the top of the East, staying right behind New York the entire season. 

At the bottom once again are the pair of Buffalo and Pittsburgh. The good news for Buffalo is that their defense managed to improve upon the disaster that was last season. DC Hugh Harrison did a decent job of righting that sinking ship, but HC Vincent Merritt may as well already be on his way out. The 1950 champion seems to have lost the touch that he had when he was first hired, and has repeatedly refused to adapt to the changing landscape of pro football. Part of that includes still heavily relying on the run game, which many would consider is the Hammers’ weakest part of the offense. QB Brendan Turnbull has effectively turned into a player that just hands the ball off to whoever is in the backfield, much to the detriment of the much stronger receiving room that Buffalo has. Tension between Turnbull and Merritt definitely seemed to persist during his tenure but came more to the public eye when Turnbull was seen berating Merritt during the final game of the year against Philadelphia, and the two nearly got into a physical altercation but were separated before things got too out of hand. Pittsburgh saw improvement in some places and regressions in the places they did not want to see. Their acquisition of QB Billy Ray Boesseler from New York did not seem to work out, as he could not build any chemistry with any of the existing players outside of handing the ball off to RB Paul Barker. The Shamrocks had already been doing that for the past few years, and teams were quickly finding out how to shut them down. This resulted in Pittsburgh having quite literally the worst offensive season in their history, scoring a paltry 13 points a game on average. Head coach Lester Kimball was brought in to reshape the offensive in what was historically a very defensive team, and the Shamrocks in two years have not managed to improve in either category. His leash is shortening by the day, and in what is now an extremely competitive East Division his time as a head coach in Pittsburgh could soon be coming to a close if there is not a radical change coming.

Boston fell way behind in the first few games, having to deal with a multi-game absence from LB Bob Jessup. It was clear in that absence that he was their entire defense, and coupled with a less-than-stellar 2-4 performance, they needed to change something on their team if they even wanted to get a chance at the playoffs. And so, they made a deal to bolster their defense, acquiring Cleveland DL Ralph Rogers, who wanted to win one last title before he retired, in an attempt to make it back to the playoffs after their sluggish start. The Dragons then went on a tear after acquiring Rogers, not losing a single game entering the last game of the week, though they did tie the Rattlesnakes in week 8. It was a mad dash for the 3 playoff spots in the East in the last week, and surprisingly the division title came down to the penultimate game of the season between New York and Philadelphia. The Lions had already defeated the ‘Snakes in a close week 5 matchup 24-16, so Philly needed to win out from here to get a chance of winning their first title. This game turned out to be another close battle, tied at 14 entering the final quarter. Both teams managed a field goal and seemed at a statement, though New York RB Felix Philipow broke loose for a huge gain to get within range of a game-winning field goal. The Lions decided against going for a field goal, and QB Freddie Hughes tossed a ball to only where WR Joey Staniskovski could catch it, sealing the game and New York’s first division title. Fortunately for Philadelphia, they had enough of a lead over both Washington and Boston that they would guarantee themselves a playoff spot and crucially the #2 seed for the extra home game. Washington and Boston would then have to fight for the remaining playoff spot in the final week of the year. The Federals would be in with a win over the Lions, who would be resting their starters, but the Dragons needed Washington to lose and themselves to win on the road against Pittsburgh as their only chance of making the playoffs. Boston staved off a late comeback attempt from Pittsburgh to win 24-20, and just awaited the results in New York for if they would miss the playoffs yet again or sneak in on a 6 game unbeaten streak. Washington would somehow struggle against New York’s backups, going down 12-6 entering the fourth quarter. Washington then realized they were only playing the backups and finally got into the endzone for the lead, and kicked an extra field goal to stay ahead and narrowly make the playoffs. The Dragons had done all they could, but their early struggles effectively ended any chance of making the playoffs in what should be a cutthroat division moving forward.

West Division
With how each of the teams were looking at the beginning of the year, the West looked like it would be the most competitive it had ever been. That notion would be thrown out the window at only week 2. The Chicago Hogs were looking to rebound after what could only be described as a disaster of a season, and starting the 1958 season with a 40-16 thumping on the road in Buffalo was not a particularly good start. They would have their first home game against the Detroit Knights, who were looking to usurp their old rival. It was a particularly grueling game, with neither team being able to get any sort of drive going. Neither team could manage a touchdown tied 9-9 late in the game, and the Hogs were trying to break said tie. Knights DL Raymond Stone broke free on the outside, and Chicago QB Nathan Aldenberg was forced outside of the pocket. He couldn’t find an open receiver, but was too late to throw away the ball with both Stone and LB Jacob Garfield landing on top of him. Aldenberg’s leg was caught in between the two, and when the dust settled it was in a position it should not normally be in. Aldenberg’s season was effectively over, and to add salt in the wound Detroit would follow that up with a game-winning touchdown drive. The Hogs uncharacteristically struggled for a majority of the season, coming up just short several times throughout the year to get their first win of the year. Most of the blame was once again centered on their OC, this time being Leslie Gustafson for not being able to construct an effective offense. This year was different for some Hogs fans, as they began pointing fingers at Donovan Hasenkamp for not getting with the times and modernizing their offense. It’s been two straight years of disappointment for the Hogs, and their offense has been at the direct center both times. 

Things didn’t work out for either Cleveland or Tri-Cities. Both had putrid starts to the year, each having just a single win through the midway point. The Crows had to win something this year to prove that they still had their championship magic with them, but it seems more likely that they’ll once again be cleaning house to prepare for the future. That proved to be the case when they traded away DL Ralph Rogers to the Dragons in what may be his final year in an attempt to win another championship. That made their already-weak defense look even worse the rest of the year, allowing on average 12 more points a game than they had in the first half of the season. Head coach Benjamin Chambers might now be on his way out if the Crows should rightly decide to fully lean into the rebuild. The Hawks managed to win one more game than the Crows, but that didn’t mean they still haven't fixed any of the issues that have plagued them since they last made the playoffs. Their offense was still being run directly through QB Rocco Vanthourenhout, and to his benefit the offense has gotten slightly better. The offensive line has improved since last year, with second-year Jerry Wineberg making his first All-Star appearance, and the receiving core looks like it will eventually turn out in the right direction. However, their lack of a backfield really hampered any further progress for Vanthourenhout. Their top back Brian Bruce has been in decline since he was shipped here from Chicago, and their depth is a problem if Peter Moss, a better-than-average in the ASPFL last year, comes in and easily stole the #1 spot. Vanthourenhout’s efforts, thankfully, did reward him to his first All-Star appearance. That could not be said about the defense, which was once again one of the worst in the league, arguably being worse than the Crows’ putrid defense in the second half of the year. Owner Bob Hester only inflamed tensions between himself and the fans when he dealt two of their better defensive players to the Lions for a lot less than what should have been given up. The Hawks only got two picks and two players out of what may have been their best players outside of DB Dan Hoover, and fans began to show up less and less with the team having nothing really to play for. The younger Hester does not seem to have the football acumen that his father had, and fans in the Tri-Cities have begun to picket games in order for him to relinquish ownership of the team. It doesn't seem like he’s eager to give it up, and will take something earth-shattering for the Hawks to be back to their glory days.

Midway through the year it was seemingly all but decided that the three teams coming out of the West would be some combination of Cincinnati, Detroit, and St. Louis, and was now going to be a matter of who could finish out on top. The Stallions looked like they were going to come out as division champions, starting out hot at a 6-1 record with just two games separating themselves from the third seed in the playoffs. St. Louis had to endure a rough back half of the season to win the division, but a series of injuries to both key contributors and rotation pieces put them on a 4 game losing streak and out of division title contention. They would end their slump by giving the Hogs their first-ever #1 overall draft pick with a win on the road, though the win was only good enough to secure the final playoff spot in the division. The division title ran through Detroit, as they had the tiebreaker entering a critical week 11 matchup against Cincinnati, who held a game advantage and could tie the season series to retain the division title. Cincinnati naturally had to regress back to the mean after their defense’s historic performance last year. Teams finally figured out how to stop their pass rush, and instead finished towards the middle of the league in what turned out to be a defensively-focused year. Their offense was still the same as it always had been, but with the emergence of other teams in both their division and in the East made their once-dominant offense now seem run-of-the-mill. That regression didn’t seem to stop them from trying for their third straight division title, staying right with both Detroit and St Louis as they broke away from the other three in the West. The Cincinnati-Detroit rematch was expected to be a lot closer than the two possession beatdown the Knights put upon the Rivermen, but it was much worse for Cincinnati. Detroit had the Cincinnati defense figured out, and that came primarily from the progress made on the offense. The Knights made the decision early in the year to continue to put QB Mike Major under center, and that thankfully seemed to be the right one. He became the first quarterback in any professional level to throw for over 3000 yards in a single season, and broke an over-decade old record for passing yards. Having a backfield of Jesse Brown and Brady Walters helped take away some of the pressure put upon him, and a receiving core of Paul Kent and Pat Kimball in their prime helped Major put up the record-breaking numbers. The Rivermen defense that looked nigh-impenetrable last year could not stop Detroit’s offense and were pummeled 31-7 at home. The Knights never looked back, and they secured their first division title since joining the AFL and their first piece of hardware since 1941. Thankfully for the Rivermen, the Stallions’ collapse at the end of the year means they will have another home game to start the playoffs, but their title defense will not come easy running through Detroit and whoever comes out of the East.

Awards:
Most Valuable Player: DET QB Mike Major
Offensive Player of the Year: PHI RB Mickey Greene
Defensive Player of the Year: NY LB Duane Ackerman
Rookie of the Year: NY DL John Lee Hines
Coach of the Year: PHI HC Jimmie Crabtree



East Division Semifinal: (3) Washington Federals @ (2) Philadelphia Rattlesnakes
1958 H2H: W4 - PHI 27-34 WAS, W11 - WAS 9-24 PHI
Historic H2H: 2-1-1 DET
Playoff H2H: 0-0

The Federals did what they usually did in years past and this time it puts them out of a home playoff game for the first time in 5 years. The Rattlesnakes could be seen as a “coming-out-of-nowhere” team like the Lions were a year ago, but they had enough potential last year to not make it seem like they came from absolutely nowhere. They still have the running back tandem of Mickey Greene and Neal Earnhardt, who are quickly proving to be the best backfield in the league. Most of this season’s speculation involved how well rookie QB Raymond Oram would perform after sitting for a year to learn the ropes. He proved himself as quite the capable quarterback, going far above the standard that has been set for current quarterbacks who have flamed out shortly after being promoted. The one thing that Philly lacks is playoff experience, with this being their first postseason appearance in just their third season. Washington should have their number there, given their prior postseason success. The usual faces are here to prove themselves for what could be the last time, with most of the players that won them their first title rapidly approaching 30. Despite having the postseason experience, it still will be a difficult feat for the Federals having to play in front of a newly-emboldened Philadelphia football crowd. The Federals will find a way to make the game close and narrowly win to challenge New York for supremacy of the East.
My Pick: Washington

West Division Semifinal: (3) St Louis Stallions @ (2) Cincinnati Rivermen
1958 H2H: W5 - STL 13-16 CIN, W10 - CIN 31-13 STL
Historic H2H: 3-3
Playoff H2H: 1-0 CIN

After a white-hot start to the year, the Stallions once again find themselves at the third seed having to play at a disadvantage. And instead of having to play an up-and-coming team like Detroit or a Chicago team that self-imploded, they have to play the reigning champion Cincinnati Rivermen. St Louis is coming into this game having lost 4 out of their last 5 games, so if there’s any time to have a change in fortune it would be now. They did manage to prove narratives wrong when they beat the Hogs in their first-ever postseason game, so anything is possible for them. Cincinnati meanwhile is out to prove a message that they are supposed to be the team to beat in the West, but they need to get through this game first before they can prove that. St Louis has coasted on the ragtag group of misfits so far and didn’t really change anything from last year, so if they want to win they’ll need to figure out a way of matching their play if they want a chance of making it to the Division Finals. Cincinnati is the team with the significant talent advantage and proved so during their last regular season matchup. If they are able to replicate that game for this playoff game they should be able to easily beat the Stallions for their pivotal rematch against Detroit.
My Pick: Cincinnati

C&C Appreciated! This has definitely been one of the more entertaining seasons for me behind the scenes with how some things played out. I know it's been a while but I will once again beg for prospects haha. I'm completely out and I'm trying to post at a more frequent rate than last year (I'm average like 1 season a year at this rate) so submissions would be helpful. Stayed tuned for the playoffs and hopefully the Super Bowl is entertaining this year. 

Last edited by DireBear (2/08/2026 1:39 pm)

Been pulling for the Hawks for a while... One day they'll make it!

man, what a way to end a playoff game. that one's gonna sting in cincinnati for a while I bet

since boston got jobbed (crossover rule when) I'm rooting for ... uh ... not new york

1958 Playoffs Division Finals

East Division Final: Philadelphia Rattlesnakes @ New York Lions
For the first time in their history, the New York Lions got to host a postseason game at Metropolitan Stadium. They welcomed their expansion brother in Philadelphia, who was coming off of their first playoff win against Washington. The Lions were attempting to replicate their postseason success from last year, and that included making the rare change to wear their white uniforms at home. They had worn them for every game of last year’s run, and made it clear to both the league office and Philadelphia that they would be wearing white uniforms at home. The Rattlesnakes did not believe the Lions would actually wear their away uniforms, but were proved wrong at the odd sight of both teams coming out of the locker rooms wearing white. Philadelphia tried to protest the change, but since it was made well in advance the game had to be delayed while the Rattlesnakes changed into their gold uniforms without letting issue bother them too much.

Q1
The odd change of uniforms did, in fact, seem to bother Philadelphia. On the third play of the game, QB Raymond Oram threw a ball to the sidelines only to misjudge the pass’s trajectory, and the ball went directly into the arms of DB Joe Bellisario. Bellisario got a decent return for the Lions, and the home crowd roared with excitement. That momentum kept swinging New York’s way, with QB Freddie Hughes getting back-to-back first downs on excellent passes to WR Joey Staniskovski. The Lions mixed it up by giving RB Felix Philipow the ball, who took it to the outside. He got a crucial block from TE Leon Kurtz, and tip-toed down the sideline untouched for a 40 yard touchdown. Philadelphia struggled to regain any ground after that drive from the Lions, going three and out on their follow-up drive. Going three and out would be a recurring trend through the rest of the first quarter, as neither team could move the chains any further. These two teams knew each other well, and their gameplans quickly went out the window with both teams knowing what the other was going to do. The Rattlesnakes prevented Hughes from getting any time to throw and prevented Philipow and RB Jon Dawson from gaining anything on the ground. The Lions’ defense also found a way to stop the two-headed running machine of RB’s Mickey Greene and Neal Earnhardt. This stalemate seemed like it was going to break at any moment, as the Lions finally converted on third down to move the chains for the first time since their first drive.
NY 7, PHI 0

Q2
That first down was a mirage for the Lions, as they went three and out immediately after and punted the ball back to Philly. The ‘Snakes got a first down of their own, but that momentum would be halted on the literal next play. Rookie of the Year DL John Lee Hines came screaming unguarded up the middle, taking down Oram in the middle of handing the ball off to Greene. The ball was knocked loose before Greene could get the ball, and the ball rolled into the hands of New York DL Moe Greene. The Lions once again lucked into getting great field position, and that would come in handy when they couldn’t convert on another third down and K Tyrone Jackson was summoned for an easy field goal. That would have been an automatic kick for him, but the snap was botched and he never got the chance to attempt the field goal. Philadelphia took the chance to make something of their own, as a few plays into their ensuing drive Oram threw an amazing pass to a wide-open WR James Redd for a 36 yard gain, but Redd caught the ball at the sideline and couldn’t get any more yards after the catch. That seemed to get them enough to put them into field goal range, and that was confirmed after a run by Greene and two short passes to Earnhardt went nowhere. K Duke Lake was able to kick the ball through the uprights to keep the game within a possession before they inevitably received the ball in the second half. The Lions would have one last chance to move the ball before the end of the half, and they moved into scoring range with little time left remaining. That time would end up becoming a waste, as QB Freddie Hughes threw a pass to RB Felix Philipow that Philadelphia DB Roosevelt Richter leapt in front of the pass for the interception, ending any chance of additional points in a low-scoring half.
NY 7, PHI 3

Q3
New York tried to get their run game going once again, but the Rattlesnakes seemed to know exactly what their game plan was and shut them down. The Lions also seemed to figure out what Philadelphia’s plan was, and kept players always on both Greene and Earnhardt and that stopped the ‘Snakes right in their path. This standoff would continue throughout the third quarter, and would finally be broken by the Rattlesnakes late into the third. QB Raymond Oram heaved a pass to his favorite deep threat, WR James Redd, who looked over his shoulder to complete the pass. He fell on the opposite shoulder while S George Schmitz fell on top of him, and was writhing in pain after the play was over. Redd was still able to make the big play, but without essentially their only playmaker Philly’s offense took a massive hit. The ‘Snakes had made the first down on a pass from Oram to WR Henry Conley, but the referee did not see Conley not letting the ball touch the ground and ruled it incomplete. Conley argued otherwise, but his arguments fell on deaf ears. K Duke Lake was summoned once again to kick the field goal, hitting a career long from nearly midfield to cut the deficit to a single point. 
NY 7, PHI 6

Q4
The fourth quarter would continue the stalemate that plagued pretty much the entire game, with both teams taking turns punting the ball daring the other offense to actually do something. The Lions took up on that challenge and embarked on a grueling drive that would take up most of the quarter, essentially playing keep-away with the ball. Their drive got them right up to the goal line, and instead of taking their points, head coach Jacob Crowe decided that the Lions would go for the killing blow and potentially end the game. QB Freddie Hughes lined up under center, and leapt over the offensive line directly into a group of Philadelphia defenders. Hughes was sent back over his line and on his feet, and when he attempted to scramble away it was too late and was tackled in the backfield for the loss of downs. Philadelphia still had enough time to get into field goal range for the win, and started a march of their own with a little over 4 minutes left in the game. Despite missing their primary receiver, the Rattlesnakes made work of the Lions secondary, relying on quick throws to their backs or receivers to slowly but surely make their way downfield. They made their way to midfield when QB Raymond Oram stepped back for a longer throw on first down when he saw that DL Moe Greene was staring him down unblocked. Oram could not evade Greene, and Greene whipped around Oram and got the ball loose. Greene would fall on top of it for the fumble recovery, and would essentially clinch the win for the Lions. The Rattlesnakes got the ball with little to no time left after New York could not run out the rest of the clock, but Oram threw one last interception to DB Joe Bellisario on the final play of the game to seal it for the Lions. New York proved that last year was no fluke, and were more determined than ever to win their first AFL title.
NY 7, PHI 6



West Division Final: St Louis Stallions @ Detroit Knights
The gates of Kaiser Field welcome its first postseason crowd in what felt like forever, as the Detroit Knights could finally get a taste of the playoffs after years of holding themselves back. With an invigorated new owner and head coach, the Knights were just a game away from going to their first championship since their days in the MWFC. At their doorstep are the ragtag St Louis Stallions, who usurped the defending champions the week prior and wanted to replicate New York’s miracle last year by taking down arguably the best team in the league. Detroit had seen some light snow earlier in the week and field conditions were a bit hazy, but that wouldn’t stop either team from making their first AFL championship game.

Q1
The Stallions knew they had to get the ball first if they wanted to make a statement against the Knights. They got off to a decent start, with QB O.J. DeMille peppering a few passes across the Detroit secondary before getting a pass across the middle to WR Max Ausloos to put themselves in scoring range. Detroit’s defense held firm after that, stopping RB Spike Roosevelt on two straight carries and a swing pass to him that went nowhere. K Kevin Finch came out for the field goal, and knocked it right through the uprights for the first points of the game. Detroit tried to get QB Mike Major their passing game going that got them here, but St Louis seemed to be prepared for that and kept the Knights to a single first down conversion before forcing a punt back to them.,Luckily for the Knights, the Stallions couldn’t do anything either and gave themselves another chance to take the lead. Detroit would take advantage of St Louis’ relatively weak defensive line and kept running it with backs Jesse Brown and Brady Walters and dared the Stallions to stop them. That strategy worked well enough for Detroit, as they marched on downfield with relative ease and wound up on the 2 yard line, where Brown would get the handoff up the middle for the touchdown. Both teams exchanged the ball another time before the first quarter ended with less fanfare than expected. 
DET 7, STL 3

Q2
The Knights managed to get something going, sparked by a 22 yard run up the middle by RB Jesse Brown. Major would get the Knights within the 10 yard line after evading pressure from the Stallions and firing over the middle to WR Jonathan Kindrachuk. That momentum would fade quickly after, with Major throwing two incompletions and a short pass to Brown getting stopped at the line of scrimmage. K David McGinnis sent the ball through the uprights to put the game at a touchdown’s length between teams. St Louis had two chances this quarter to get into scoring range, but both times they came up just short of getting any points. DeMille had overthrown WR Anthony Wheatland to fail to convert on third and long the first time, and they couldn’t get another yard to put K Kevin Finch within field goal range. So instead of being down by a single point, the Stallions instead were separated by a touchdown that seemed like it was becoming more and more of a challenge. Detroit kept relying on the run game, but at this point St Louis had figured them out and were killing clock more than anything. It seemed to be working though, as they went into halftime still up by a score and had the chance to extend the lead getting the ball out of the second half.
DET 10, STL 3

Q3
Unfortunately for the Knights, they were unable to extend their lead with their first drive of the second half, going three and out. That momentum would swing towards the Stallions, where on their first play of the half, DeMille would get off a pass to WR Anthony Wheatland, who escaped from a tackle and began to gallop towards the endzone. He began to slow before he got to the endzone, and S Thomas Bentley was able to push him out of bounds at the 5 yard line. That play became representative of the next three plays for St Louis, as they failed to get any more yardage and had to settle for a field goal.Both teams would exchange punts and took the clock pretty much down the end of the quarter before anything of note would happen in a so far drab game. Detroit would have the ball and was just trying to get something moving. QB Mike Major would hand the ball off to RB Brady Walters on a second and short, who shook off DL Kerry Haley right after he took the handoff. However, while evading Haley, Walters lost control of the ball and fell out of his reach. It landed within the scrum that was the clashing offensive and defensive lines, and St Louis DL Leo Ziegler would arise with possession of the ball. The Stallions would start out the final quarter with the ball, and potentially the momentum to take the game away from the Knights
DET 10, STL 6

Q4
QB O.J DeMille knew he had to get to work quickly, as he threw over the middle to WR Max Ausloos for a big gain, shoving off a tackler before finally being taken down at Detroit’s 15 yard line. RB Spike Roosevelt would get the pitch a few plays later attempting to go around the end, but found a gap inside where he ran in untouched for the touchdown and the Stallions’ first lead of the game. Finally finding some fight within them, Detroit embarked on a drive of their own. Fully adjusted to their run game, Major showed off why he was named most valuable by finally picking apart the Stallion secondary and getting decent yardage. Momentum stalled out on a third and short, and Major found an opening on a passing play to do something he rarely does to keep their drive alive. He found a small opening to run, and extended the ball over the chains to get the first down. The Stallions would clamp down after that run, bringing K David McGinnis out for the field goal to tie the game at 13 apiece. The Stallions offense would try to respond shortly after, methodically making their way downfield and getting back into scoring range on the back of RB Spike Roosevelt’s 22 yard rush that gave St Louis life they had not seen all game. The Stallions did not seem to have it in them, as they again could not convert on another third down and brought back out K Kevin Finch to give themselves an antsy three point lead with roughly 5 minutes to go in the game. All St Louis had to do was stop the Knights one last time, but that would prove to be harder than it seemed. Major had gotten the read on the Stallions defense, and began to target gaps in the secondary to gain yardage bit by bit. Soon enough, they found themselves on the goalline on a contested 10 yard pass from Major to WR Pat Kimball. Major would hand the reins of the game to RB  Jesse Brown, who took the toss to the outside before diving through Stallion defenders for the endzone. He got the ball into the endzone before a Stallions player could get him down, and the Detroit crowd erupted when the referee signalled the touchdown was good. To add insult to injury for St Louis, Detroit managed to pin the Stallions deep within their own territory, putting QB O.J. DeMille in a rough spot to get a touchdown with a minute to go. That drive would not last long, as DeMille threw a ball towards the sideline, but the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage and fell right into the hands of DB Sammy Weems. The Knights ran down the remainder of the clock, and the home crowd celebrated heading to their first title game in over a decade. 
DET 20, STL 16



Ninth American Football Championship: (W1) Detroit Knights @ (E1) New York Lions
1958 H2H: Did Not Play
Historic H2H: 1-1
Playoff H2H: 0-0

For the first time since the 1953 season, the AFL will see two teams battling for their first championship, and it’s the first time since then when the top two seeds will play each other in the title game. Additionally, it will be the latest the AFL has ever played in a season, with the league pushing the title game back a week after complaints from teams that the stagnated playoffs provided the team with an extra day of rest with an advantage. The All-Star Game will slot in the week before the championship game as a result. It will be a heavy-weight bout between two teams on the rise, and they’ve certainly proved they deserve to be here. A two year turnaround for the Lions has been a sight to behold, bringing life to a sport that was firmly in second place in the city. Their offense led by QB Freddie Hughes, RB’s Felix Philipow and Jon Dawson, and hometown hero WR Joey Staniskovski has propelled them from the basement to a game away from the city’s first football title in a league not centered on itself. Detroit’s offense similarly took them out of the rut they were stuck in for the past decade, with MVP QB Mike Major leading one of the highest scoring offenses in the league with arguably the best supporting cast around him and behind the league’s best offensive line. With two high powered offenses going up against one another, it will come up to their defenses to make the stops necessary to get and stay ahead. The two look about even on paper, but the Lions have done better statistically and held the league’s highest scoring offense to just 6 points the last time they played at home. They have the home field advantage one last time this season, and if New York can hold Detroit on offense the same way they stifled the Rattlesnakes in their last game, they should just narrowly find a way to win their first title. 
My Pick: New York



C&C Appreciated!