In an electrifying Week 9 showdown, the Washington Federals edged out the Memphis Showboats 42-37 in a high-stakes, back-and-forth affair. Washington quarterback Jim Honensee stole the show, throwing for 366 yards and five touchdowns, including three to star receiver Wayne Walters. Walters dominated with 11 catches for 257 yards, consistently keeping Washington in contention. Memphis quarterback Walter Lewis answered with 290 passing yards and three touchdowns of his own, but it wasn’t enough to stop the relentless Federals.
The game began explosively, with both teams trading touchdowns early, highlighted by a 71-yard strike from Lewis to Derek Crawford and a 54-yard touchdown from Honensee to Walters. Memphis appeared to seize momentum in the second quarter, leading 24-14 after a fumble return touchdown by Ray Odums. But Washington rallied back quickly, with a crucial 75-yard touchdown pass from Honensee to Walters and a last-minute score to close the first half trailing just 24-21.
In the second half, the teams continued to trade blows, with Washington’s Gerald Taylor returning the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to take the lead. Memphis briefly regained the upper hand in the fourth quarter after a 6-yard touchdown pass from Lewis to Gerald Bradley, but Honensee’s 27-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Steve Sewell sealed the dramatic victory for Washington, pushing them to a 6-3 record.
