In Week 9, Saturday’s action featured a tight contest between the Philadelphia Stars and San Antonio Gunslingers. The Stars held on for a narrow 28-26 victory, with Chuck Fusina leading a balanced offensive attack. San Antonio’s Rick Neuheisel mounted a late comeback, but a missed two-point conversion left them just short. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Bandits secured a 28-20 win over the Los Angeles Express, thanks to big plays from John Reaves and receiver Eric Truvil. The Denver Gold, behind a relentless rushing attack, surged past the Boston Breakers 36-20 to cap off Saturday’s games.
Sunday’s matchups saw a dominant performance from the Jacksonville Bulls, who overwhelmed the Oklahoma Outlaws 59-13. Jacksonville’s offense exploded, while the Outlaws struggled to find any rhythm. In a closer game, the New Jersey Generals edged the Michigan Panthers 32-28, with Herschel Walker and Doug Flutie delivering key plays in the Generals’ victory. The Oakland Invaders lost a heartbreaker to the Birmingham Stallions, 28-25, as the Stallions rallied late to secure the win. The Washington Federals also earned a thrilling 42-37 win over the Memphis Showboats, thanks to a clutch final drive.
Elsewhere, the Houston Gamblers continued their high-powered offensive show with a 49-24 victory over the Las Vegas Ace, led by another stellar performance from Jim Kelly. The Chicago Blitz took down the Pittsburgh Maulers 31-21, using a strong defensive effort in the second half to stifle Pittsburgh’s attack. In the final game, the Arizona Wranglers dominated the New Orleans Brass 24-3, with their defense smothering the Brass’ offense all game long.
Games
Saturday
San Antonio Gunslingers 26, Philadelphia Stars 28
Los Angeles Express 20, Tampa Bay Bandits 28
Denver Gold 36, Boston Breakers 20
Sunday
Oklahoma Outlaws 13, Jacksonville Bulls 59
Michigan Panthers 28, New Jersey Generals 32
Oakland Invaders 25, Birmingham Stallions 28
Washington Federals 42, Memphis Showboats 37
Las Vegas Ace 24, Houston Gamblers 49
Pittsburgh Maulers 21, Chicago Blitz 31
Arizona Wranglers 24, New Orleans Brass 3
Standings
Players of the Week
Offense: Joey Walters, WR, Washington Federals. In a week of great receiving lines (Dwayne Dixon 10-149, 3TD, Bill Johnson who recorded over 100 yards rushing and receiving, and Derek Holloway 5-151, 2 TD), Joey Walters trumped them both with 11 catches for a game record 257 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Federals’ crazy 42-37 win over Memphis.
Defense: Don Thorp, DE, Tampa Bay Bandits. Thorp terrorized Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon. He sacked the quarterback 3 times, forced a fumble, and recorded 7 other tackles on the day to earn defensive player of the week.
Special Teams: Greg Taylor, KR, Washington Federals. Taylor returned 3 kicks for 118 yards and a 39.3 yard average. Moreover, he returned the opening kickoff of the second half 90 yards for a touchdown and set the tone for a wild second half of football in the game.