Playoff Field is Set without the Renegades or Wildcats
Meaningless Game Still a Sell Out for AAF
May 6, 2018
Los Angeles, CA - The final game of the regular season took place in Los Angeles, CA where a sellout crowd of 27,000 greeted the Los Angeles Wildcats at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA. The small venue was rocking from the start of the game to the finish, even though the game was largely won by the end of the 3rd quarter. Los Angeles combined effective passing from QB Jimmy Clausen (20-34-265-1TD) and the dynamic rushing of former San Diego Charger Branden Oliver (16 for 101 yards). But the biggest yell from the crowd came on a fake field goal at the end of the first half.
Down 14-13, everyone thought Los Angeles would settle for a 31 yard field goal, but when backup QB and holder Chad Kelly, took the snap and immediately rolled left, the crowd rose to its feet. The play surprised the Dallas defense and Kelly, a former standout at Ole Miss, easily found TE EJ Bibbs for the TD that made the score 20-14 Wildcats at the half.
With a safety coming as the result of a muffed punt on their first drive of the 2nd half, Dallas found themselves down 22-14, and when LA CB Antoine Cason stripped the ball from Dallas RB Eddie Lacey and gave Los Angeles the ball on the Dallas 7 yard line, the result of the game was pretty much decided. Backup RB Kendall Hunter plunged in from the 2 plays later and the Wildcats had a crowd-pleasing 15 point win.
But this week was not just a win for 8 of the league’s teams, it was a huge win for spring football. The AAF was a tough sell four years ago when announced, but after three seasons that have changed sports forever, fans flocked to the league, and the league responded with high-quality, exciting football that will be sure to sell more tickets and tune in more viewers next season. A great start for an exciting new football league.
Wildcats - 29 Renegades - 14
(5-6)LA: QB Jimmy Clausen - 20/34 265 yards, 1 TD, RB Branden Oliver - 16 carries, 101 yards, 1 TD, WR DaVaris Daniels - 10 catches, 145 yards, 1 TD
(4-7)DAL: QB Tom Savage - 17/33 204 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, RB Eddie Lacey - 14 carries, 62 yards, RB Lance Dunbar - 10 rushes, 61 yards, 1 TD, WR Sammie Coates - 7 catches, 102 yards, 1 TD
Dragons - 38 Fleet - 35
(6-5)SEA: QB BJ Daniels - 22/28 283 yards, 2 TDs, RB Kenneth Farrow - 27 carries, 192 yards, 1 TD, RB Phillip Tanner - 10 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD, WR TJ Graham - 7 catches, 101 yards, WR Derek Hagan - 6 catches, 76 yards, 1 TD
(10-1)SD: QB Colin Kaepernick - 20/37 229 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, RB Kapri Bibbs - 13 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD, RB Bishop Sankey - 10 carries, 60 yards, 1 TD, WR Braxton Miller - 5 catches, 90 yards, WR James Wright - 6 catches, 74 yards, 1 TD
Conquerors - 23 Roughnecks - 13
(7-4)LV: QB Ryan Mallett - 12/26 165 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, RB Terrance West - 20 carries, 68 yards, 2 TDs, WR Brandon Coleman - 6 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD
(1-10)HOU: QB Zac Robinson - 10/30 143 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, RB Bryce Brown - 20 carries, 86 yards, WR Cobi Hamilton - 4 catches, 58 yards, 1 TD
Stallions - 27 Commanders - 24
(8-3)STL: QB Paxton Lynch - 17/22 187 yards, 1 TD, RB Christine Michael - 19 carries, 102 yards, 1 TD, RB Matt Jones - 14 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD, WR Terrelle Pryor - 7 catches, 88 yards, 1 TD
(10-1)SA: QB Tim Tebow - 16/23 183 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, RB Karlos Williams - 16 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD, RB David Cobb - 13 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD, WR Earl Bennett - 6 catches, 87 yards, 1 TD
Predators - 20 *Brigade - 12
(2-9)ORL: QB Christian Ponder - 20/29 283 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, RB Antonio Andrews - 21 carries, 112 yards, 1 TD, WR MeKale McKay - 10 catches, 165 yards, 1 TD
(4-7)BAL: QB Trevor Knight - 8/19 113 yards, 1 INT, RB Lorenzo Taliaferro - 23 carries, 87 yards, WR Keshawn Martin - 4 catches, 71 yards
*Baltimore started recently activated from Austin Generals QB Trevor Knight
Express - 14 *Guardians - 20
(0-11)MEM: QB Christian Hackenberg - 19/28 215 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, RB Zac Stacy - 20 carries, 92 yards, 1 TD, WR Brandon Gibson - 7 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD, WR Jon Baldwin - 6 catches, 75 yards
(10-1)NY: QB Josh Freeman - 10/16 165 yards, 1 TD, RB Orleans Darkwa - 13 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD, WR Demarcus Ayers - 8 catches, 87 yards, WR Hakeem Nicks - 5 catches, 65 yards, 1 TD
*New York replaced QB Josh Freeman at halftime with backup QB Sean Renfree
Alphas - 15 Valor - 21
(6-5)CHI: QB Aaron Murray - 25/30 265 yards, RB Juwan Thompson - 13 carries, 55 yards, WR Shaq Evans - 10 catches, 112 yards, WR Marquess Wilson - 7 catches , 83 yards
(3-8)DC: QB Dalton Sturm - 18/32 326 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, RB Denard Robinson - 17 carries, 94 yards, 1 TD, WR Marlon Brown - 6 catches, 156 yards, 1 TD, WR Aaron Dobson - 6 catches, 133 yards, 1 TD
Iron - 20 Blues - 14
(8-3)BIRM: QB Tahj Boyd - 6/13 101 yards, 1 TD, RB Trent Richardson - 30 carries, 150 yards, 1 TD, WR Greg Ward - 3 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD
(3-8)MIA: QB Stephen Morris - 27/40 299 yards, 2 TDs, RB Montee Ball - 21 carries, 63 yards, WR Leonard Hankerson - 13 catches, 188 yards, 2 TDs
Austin Generals Sold, Likely Leaving Austin
May 8, 2018
Austin, TX - The Austin Generals have been sold. Randy Lerner, the former Cleveland Browns owner has purchased the team and the Austin Generals LLC for $4M from owners Tommie Harris and Eric Bassey.
Lerner also changed the name of the Austin Generals LLC to Generals Football LLC which has only further confirmed rumors that the Columbus, Ohio based Lerner would be moving the team. Lerner is believed to be interested in turning the Generals into the 20th AAF franchise for the 2019 season.
All Austin Generals players and coaches have been released from their contracts, and the players are subject to the AAF offseason of free agency, allocation and/or expansion draft. Joining Lerner on the Generals Football LLC will be former Ohio State and NFL great WR Joey Galloway along with his sister, Nancy Lerner.
Randy Lerner took over the Cleveland Browns in 2002 with the death of his father, Al Lerner and was the owner of the team until 2012. Lerner was also the owner of the English soccer club, Aston Villa FC from 2006 to 2016.
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