A Tribute to the American Football Association
1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983		BirminghamProSports.com

1978 Timeline
 
February 1978
The American Football Association enters an agreement for a loose affiliation with the California Football League.

The AFA will be considered the "Southern Division" while the CFL will be considered the "Western Division".

The two leagues will play their normal schedules inside their own division. At the end of the season, the champions of each league will also play to determine an overall champion.

This season, the CFL teams are Long Beach Mustangs, Los Angeles Norsemen, Sacramento Buffalos, San Gabriel Valley Saints, San Jose Tigers, Solano-Napa Flyers, Southern California Rhinos, and the Twin City Cougars.

	xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
		NEED LOGO				NEED LOGO
Long Beach Mustangs		Los Angeles Norsemen		Sacramento Buffalos		San Gabriel Valley Saints		San Jose Tigers
Solano-Napa Flyers		Southern California Rhinos		Twin City Cougars

June 1978

			1978                       American Football Association
xx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xx
	Austin Texans		Houston Titans		Oklahoma Stampede		San Antonio Charros		Shreveport Steamer
	Wichita Falls Roughnecks

June 24, 1978
While only one week into the season has passed, the Austin Texans have major issues.

As the Texans' team bus departed for their game tonight in Oklahoma City, none of the coaching staff was on board, including head coach Jim Davis.

According to reports, there was a huge dispute that erupted on the practice field on Thursday, causing 10 to 12 players to walk off. Several of those players said they would not make the trip on Saturday. However, when the coaches decided not to go, all players boarded the bus.

Texans president Roger Gill tried to get everyone together. "I tried to encourage Jim (Davis) to make the trip, but he felt like it was in the best interest of the team if he didn't go. Several key players wouldn't have gone, and Jim decided it would be best for him to stay home. The players think they can do a better job of coaching themselves. If they win (tonight), they may give their philosophy some credence. If the lose, everybody needs to do a little introspection."

Gill said offensive lineman Bob Daigle and defensive back Richard Black would be joined by one of the team owners, Buck Stienke, as coaches for the game.

Apparently, several team members were unhappy with the play selection in last week's 30-25 loss to San Antonio. Also, there was some complaints about the paychecks, roughly $100 per player. Everything came to a head when Davis asked running back Leonard Brantley to join the kickoff team. Brantley refused, saying he would quit the team. Davis told him to turn in his uniform, and that's when the other players walked off, too.

At a player's meeting on Friday, the biggest problems seemed to be lack of communication between the coaching staff and the players, and concern about their insurance coverage.

Gill said he has a 'wait and see' attitude about the situation. "I'll make a decision on the coaching situation after Saturday's game. This is a weekend trial. We're going to let the players go up there and do their thing."


Team Information and Schedules

AUSTIN TEXANS
Owner:		Roger Gill
Head coaches:		Jim Davis (game 1) Two players and a co-owner (game 2) Ray Jackson (games 3-10)
Stadium:		Nelson Field (12,000)

Date	Opponent	Attendance	Result	Score
Regular Season
06/17/1978	San Antonio Charros	5,000	L	30-25
06/24/1978	at Oklahoma Stampede	---	L	32-20
07/01/1978	Shreveport Steamer	???	L	21-13
07/08/1978	at Wichita Falls Roughnecks	---	W	20-16
07/15/1978	Houston Titans	500	L	21-19
07/22/1978	at San Antonio Charros	---	L	42-14
07/29/1978	Oklahoma Stampede	???	L	33-29
08/05/1978	at Shreveport Steamer	---	L	31-12
08/12/1978	Wichita Falls Roughnecks	???	L	20-0
08/19/1978	at Houston Titans	---	L	57-6
Final Season Results: 1-9

HOUSTON TITANS
Owners:		Fred Pierce, Sammy Keuhn, and Mike Hoffman
Head coaches:		John Douglas and Jim Jones
Stadium:		Butler Stadium (8,000)

Date	Opponent	Attendance	Result	Score
Regular Season
06/17/1978	Oklahoma Stampede	???	W	31-7
06/24/1978	at Shreveport Steamer	---	W	29-28
07/01/1978	Wichita Falls Roughnecks	???	W	15-6
07/08/1978	at San Antonio Charros	---	L	31-27
07/15/1978	at Austin Texans	---	W	21-19
07/22/1978	at Oklahoma Stampede	---	L	32-14
07/29/1978	at Shreveport Steamer	---	L	50-0
08/05/1978	at Wichita Falls Roughnecks	---	L	11-9
08/12/1978	San Antonio Charros	???	W	22-7
08/19/1978	Austin Texans	???	W	57-6
Regular Season Results: 6-4
First Round Playoffs
08/26/1978	at San Antonio Charros	---	L	25-7
Post Season Results: 0-1
Final Season Results: 6-5

OKLAHOMA STAMPEDE
Owner:		League owned
Head coach:		Ben Hart
Stadium:		Taft Stadium (18,000)

Date	Opponent	Attendance	Result	Score
Preseason
06/10/1978	at Shreveport Steamer	---	L	33-6
Regular Season
06/17/1978	at Houston Titans	---	L	31-7
06/24/1978	Austin Texans	400	W	32-20
07/01/1978	San Antonio Charros	400	W	11-10
07/08/1978	at Shreveport Steamer	---	L	42-27
07/15/1978	Wichita Falls Roughnecks	762	W	51-0
07/22/1978	Houston Titans	650	W	32-14
07/29/1978	at Austin Texans	---	W	33-29
08/05/1978	at San Antonio Charros	---	L	15-14
08/12/1978	Shreveport Steamer	???	L	35-33
08/19/1978	at Wichita Falls Roughnecks	---	W	14-7
Regular Season Results: 6-4
First Round Playoffs
09/02/1978	at Shreveport Steamer	---	L	14-0
Post Season Results: 0-1
Final Season Results: 6-5

Owner:		Roger Gill
Head coach:		George Pasterchick
Stadium:		Harlandale Memorial Stadium (9,501)

Date	Opponent	Attendance	Result	Score
Regular Season
06/17/1978	at Austin Texans	---	W	30-25
06/24/1978	Wichita Falls Roughnecks	1,500	W	28-0
07/01/1978	at Oklahoma Stampede	---	L	11-10
07/08/1978	Houston Titans	???	W	31-27
07/15/1978	at Shreveport Steamer	---	L	38-25
07/22/1978	Austin Texans	???	W	42-14
07/29/1978	at Wichita Falls Roughnecks	---	W	48-21
08/05/1978	Oklahoma Stampede	???	W	15-14
08/12/1978	at Houston Titans	---	L	22-7
08/19/1978	Shreveport Steamer	2,000	L	8-6
Regular Season Results: 6-4
First Round Playoffs
08/26/1978	Houston Titans	???	W	25-7
American Football Association Championship
09/16/1978	at Shreveport Steamer	---	L (OT)	17-14
Post Season Results: 1-1
Final Season Results: 7-5

SHREVEPORT STEAMER
Owner:		Harry Lander
Head coach:		Harry Lander
Stadium:		State Fair Stadium (52,000)

Date	Opponent	Attendance	Result	Score
Preseason
06/10/1978	Oklahoma Stampede	5,688	W	33-6
Regular Season
06/17/1978	at Wichita Falls Roughnecks	---	W	32-16
06/24/1978	Houston Titans	7,286	L	29-28
07/01/1978	at Austin Texans	---	W	21-13
07/08/1978	Oklahoma Stampede	6,800	W	42-27
07/15/1978	San Antonio Charros	8,643	W	38-25
07/22/1978	Wichita Falls Roughnecks	8,874	W	90-0
07/29/1978	Houston Titans	13,884	W	50-0
08/05/1978	Austin Texans	11,051	W	31-12
08/12/1978	at Oklahoma Stampede	---	W	35-33
08/19/1978	at San Antonio Charros	---	W	8-6
Regular Season Results: 9-1
First Round Playoffs
09/02/1978	Oklahoma Stampede	10,211	W	14-0
American Football Association Championship
09/16/1978	Shreveport Steamer	8,000	W (OT)	17-14
1978 American Football Association champions
American Football Association vs California Football League   Championship "King Kong Bowl"
09/30/1978	San Jose Tigers	16,500	L	32-6
Post Season Results: 2-1
Final Season Results: 11-2

Wichita Falls Roughnecks
Owner:		???
Head coach:		James Reed
Stadium:		Memorial Stadium (15,000)

Date	Opponent	Attendance	Result	Score
Regular Season
06/17/1978	Shreveport Steamer	5,000	L	32-16
06/24/1978	at San Antonio Charros	---	L	28-0
07/01/1978	at Houston Titans	---	L	15-6
07/08/1978	Austin Texans	???	L	20-16
07/15/1978	at Oklahoma Stampede	---	L	51-0
07/22/1978	at Shreveport Steamer	---	L	90-0
07/29/1978	San Antonio Charros	300	L	48-21
08/05/1978	Houston Titans	???	W	11-9
08/12/1978	at Austin Texans	---	W	20-0
08/19/1978	Oklahoma Stampede	???	L	14-7
Final Season Results: 2-8

Game Articles, Statistics, and Photographs

Preseason

Oklahoma Stampede at Shreveport Steamer 06/10/1978 Players unknown

Oklahoma Stampede at Shreveport Steamer 06/10/1978 Oklahoma: Jo Jo Stanfield (22)

Regular Season

San Antonio Charros at Austin Texans June 17, 1978 - Nelson Field -

Texans fall to San Antonio in AFA season debut, 30-25                   George Breazeale - Austin American-Statesman                        Austin needed better than 50 minutes to go into the lead for the first time - and defending American Football Association champion San Antonio required only three minutes for the score that finally did in the Texans 30-25 Saturday night at Nelson Field.      Down by 14-0 early in the game, Austin finally went ahead 25-23 on an 86-yard drive, climaxed by quarterback Sam Maxie's 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Larry Carter midway through the fourth quarter.      Then San Antonio, rated the country's top minor league team last year, rammed 60 yards in only six plays, with the vital play a 45-yard pass from quarterback Joe Gross to flanker John Tuttle.      Tuttle's brilliant catch set up a first down at the Austin four yard line and three plays later, runningback David Wehmeyer blasted one yard up the middle for the deciding points.      Austin did not come alive offensively until midway in the second quarter when   quarterback Mike Washington, a two-time Little All-American at Texas Lutheran College, came in to spartk a 77-yard touchdown push.      After linebacker Cornell Reese, who sustained a broken ankle in the third quarter, kicked the point for Austin, San Antonio led 14-7. Wehmeyer had capped a 45-yard drive by scoring from the three late in the first quarter and 20 seconds later, following the Charros' recovery of a Maxie fumble, Gross hit flanker Tom Whittier with a 36-yard scoring bomb.      Kicker Rich Lander sent the Charros up 17-7 with a 20-yard field goal late in the second quarter, but Washington hit flanker Bruce Dickey on a 42-yard touchdown throw with 1:42 remaining before halftime.      San Antonio drove 72 yards after the second half kickoff, with Gross' 44-yard pass to Tuttle a big gainer in the push. Gross threw two yards to Whittier for the touchdown and a 23-13 San Antonio lead.      Washington then guided the Texans 65   yards, all on the ground, with fullback Skippy Moore scoring from a yard out, for his second touchdown of the night.      Late in the third quarter, Austin took the ball on downs at its 14. Dickey caught passes for 16 and 13 yards and gained 16 on an end-around and, after Washington went out with a leg cramp, Maxie threw 13 yards up the middle to Carter for the go-ahead score with 8:15 to play.      Washington led all rushers with 12 carries for 78 yards, while Wehmeyer, who had two 100-plus games against the Texans last year, had 68. Manor product Clarence Alberts netted 48 for San Antonio.      The game, the Texans' first of a scheduled five at Nelson Field, attracted a crowd estimated at 5,000.      Shreveport beat Wichita Falls 32-16 and Houston defeated Oklahoma City 31-7 in other AFA openers Saturday night.

Score by Quarters San Antonio       14     3     6     7     -     30 Austin   0   13   6   6   -   25                           Statistics         SA       AU First downs 17   17 Rushing (att - yards)   36 - 148   56 - 223 Passing yards   190   103 Passing (comp - att - int)   10 - 22 - 0   5 - 12 - 1 Return yards   ?   ? Punts - yards   3 - 29   4 - 30 Fumbles - lost   2 - 2   3 - 2 Penalties - yards   10 - 73   9 - 78                          Scoring Summary SA       Wehmeyer 3 run (Lander kick) SA   Whittier 36 pass from Gross (Lander kick) AU   Moore 7 run (Reese kick) SA   Lander 20 FG AU   Dickey 42 pass from Washington (run failed) SA   Whittier 2 pass from Gross (kick failed) AU   Moore 1 run (run failed) AU   Carter 13 pass from Maxie (run failed) SA   Wehmeyer 1 run (Lander kick)

San Antonio: David Wehmeyer (35)

Shreveport Steamer at Wichita Falls Roughnecks June 17, 1978 - Memorial Stadium -

Steamer wins, 32-16                   Shreveport Times                        Eddie Bishop sprinted 92 yards with an intercepted pass in the second quarter and got the Shreveport Steamer into a lead it never relinquished in a 32-16 victory over Wichita Falls as the American Football Association opened its season Saturday night.      Wichita Falls, with a 14-7 lead, was threatening to add to its lead when Bishop, a former Southern University standout who labored for Portland in the old World Football League, stepped in front of a Glen Ray pass and sped down the sideline.      With 4:53 left in the half, Morrison passed to Earnest Williams for 33 yards and a touchdown that gave the Steamer a 23-14 lead at intermission. Morrison threw a two-point conversion to Ruben Jones following the touchdown.      The second half evolved into a defensive struggle with only a safety by each team posted until the final three mintues of play.   Then Williams stepped in again, catching a pass from Clyde Walker, a late addition at quarterback from Florida State. The aerial score was good for 22 yards and was set up by the running of former Booker T. Washington star Donnie Sutton. Sutton was put into action at fullback when Warton Foster was injured early in the ballgame shortly after he ran two yards for the opening score.      The initial touchdown was set up by a short Wichita Falls punt that carried out to the 22-yard line.      The lead lasted until the final two minutes of the quarter when Ray passed to Charlie Hicks for an 18-yard score and then kicked the point and Tony Grant added to that with an 18-yard pass interception for a touchdown that put Shreveport behind in the ballgame.      Shreveport drove 64 yards for the final touchdown and exhibited a wealth of talent at both quarterback and wide receiver where   James Scott and Williams took up the slack when Edwin Scott was pulled out of the ballgame because of a pulled hamstring. Shreveport used Morrison, Walker and James Johnson at quarterback and employed another quarterback, Clarenece Tolliver, as a wide receiver Saturday night.      Shreveport's safety resulted when a snap from center went out of the Steamer endzone. The Steamer defense held the Roughnecks in check while the offense, despite picking up big yards at times, looked ragged in stages and had trouble moving the ball on the ground against the Roughnecks.      In another AFA contest, San Antonio defeated Austin 30-25.      Shreveport will play its first regular season home game Saturday night against Houston in State Fair Stadium.

Score by Quarters Shreveport       7     16     0     9     -     32 Wichita Falls   7   7   2   0   -   16                           Statistics         SH       WF First downs 15   11 Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 107   ? - 93 Passing yards   135   155 Passing (comp - att - int)   18 - 10 - 1   28 - 11 - 2 Return yards   ?   ? Punts - yards   2 - 52   9 - 36 Fumbles - lost   4 - 3   6 - 2 Penalties - yards   16 - 139   7 - 35                          Scoring Summary SH       Foster 2 run (Pope kick) WF   Hicks 18 pass from Ray (Grant kick) WF   Grant 18 pass interception (Grant kick) SH   Bishop 92 pass interception (Jones pass from Morrison) WF   Safety SH   Safety SH   Williams 24 pass from Morrison (Pope kick)

Wichita Falls: Charles Hicks (42)

Oklahoma Stampede at Houston Titans June 17, 1978 - Butler Stadium -

Titans take 31-7 victory                   Houston Chronicle                        Quarterback Garland Montgomery passed for two touchdowns as the Houston Titans opened the 1978 American Football Association season with a 31-7 victory over the Oklahoma Stampede Saturday night at Butler Stadium.      Montgomery had scoring passes of 23 yards   to Jim Wilson and 7 yards to Ralph Limbrick. Wilson also scampered 85 yards for a touchdown, the first one for the Titans.      The Houston entry also got a score from Tim Cotton on a 70-yard pass interception return, while Charles Stafford kicked three extra points   and a 47-yard field goal, worth 4 points in the AFA.      Oklahoma tallied in the second quarter on a 9-yard run by John Eastep.

Score by Quarters Houston       0     13     4     14     -     31 Oklahoma   0   7   0   0   -   7                           Statistics         HO       OK First downs ?   ? Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ? Passing yards   ?   ? Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ? Return yards   ?   ? Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ? Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ? Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ?- ?                          Scoring Summary HO       Wilson 85 run (kick failed) HO   Wilson 23 pass from Montgomery (Stafford kick) OK   Estep 9 run (Hinds kick) HO   Stafford 47 FG HO   Limbrick 7 pass from Montgomery (Stafford kick) HO   Cotton 70 pass interception (Stafford kick)

Oklahoma: Jeff Brown (18) Houston: Karl Watson (??)

Austin Texans at Oklahoma Stampede June 24, 1978 - Taft Stadium -

Stampede wins, 32-20, as Jones, Calip sparkle                   Jim Perry - Daily Oklahoman                        A paltry gathering of an estimated 400 watched as the Oklahoma Stampede notched its initial victory of the 1978 American Football Association season, 32-20, over Austin at Taft Stadium Saturday night.      The victory leveled the Stampede's AFA Western Division record at 1-1. Austin drops to 0-2.      The city franchise was sparked by two newcomers. Actually, quarterback Mike Jones and fleet-footed running back Jim Calip are not new to Oklahoma football, both having played with the now defunct Wranglers and Warriors, but both joined the Stampede late this week.      Jones, most valuable player of the league last season, entered the game midway through the first period with Oklahoma holding a 5-0 lead. He promptly marched the light-blue clad Stampede 88 yards in 11 plays to make it 12-0.        Jones completed four of five passes down that stretch, and George Palmer, formerly of Oklahoma State, crashed over from the three for the first touchdown.      The Stampede had scored earlier on a 52-yard field goal by John Dunlop. The effort was good for five points since it came from more than 50 yards out.      Calip, a former Southwestern State star, entered the game unnoticed and unlisted on the Oklahoma roster.      He quickly made his presence felt by catching a pair of Jones passes in that same drive and later bursting open on a 62-yard scamper when the Stampede was pinned deep in its own territory.      Calip finished the night with 81 yards rushing, high for the game.      The Oklahoma squad almost pulled the   classic fold up, blowing a 19-0 lead. The Texans surged within six at 26-20 with 2:17 left in the game.      The visitors scored 13 points in a matter of 33 seconds.      After a 62-yard drive in nine plays made it 26-13, Oklahoma's Gregory Arnold fumbled the ensuing Texas kick at his own 30 and the entire Austin team recovered.      One play later, quarterback Sam Maxie fired a strike to tight end Don Caldwell for a score. The kick made it 26-20.      Two Texas onside kick attempts failed, however, and the Stampede set up shop at the Texas 41 as the two-minute warning sounded. Seven plays later, Palmer rammed over from the two to account for the final margin.

Score by Quarters Austin       0     7     0     13     -     20 Oklahoma   12   14   0   6   -   32                           Statistics         AU       OK First downs ?   ? Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ? Passing yards   ?   ? Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ? Return yards   ?   ? Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ? Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ? Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ?- ?                          Scoring Summary OK       Dunlop 52 FG OK   Palmer 3run (Dunlop kick) OK   Post 20 interception return (Dunlop kick) AU   Moore 8 run (Pruett kick) OK   Thatcher 18 pass from Jones (Dunlop kick) AU   Maxie 1 run (run failed) AU   Caldwell 30 pass from Maxie (Pruett kick) OK   Palmer 2 run (pass failed)

Oklahoma: George Palmer (35) Austin: David Terrazas (75)

Wichita Falls Roughnecks at San Antonio Charros June 24, 1978 - Harlandale Memorial Stadium -

Defense anchors Charros' win                   Jerry Briggs - San Antonio Light                         San Antonio's Charros recorded their second win in as many games Saturday night, crushing the Wichita Falls Roughnecks 28-0, in American Football Association Southern Division action.      The Charros' 12th victory without a loss in two AFA seasons came before an estimated 1,500 fans at Harlandale Memorial Stadium.      The San Antonio defense held the Roughnecks in check, allowing just three first downs and 68 yards total offense.      Dave Wehmeyer, the Charros' 1,000-yard rusher in 1977, piled up 103 yards on 19 carries to lead the offense. Wehmeyer has 179 yards rushing in two games this season.      After building a 14-0 halftime lead, the San Antonio gridders struck for two fourth period scores to ice the contest.      The first came with 12:04 left when Charros' quarterback Joe Gross tossed seven yards to Tom Whittier, their second touchdown hook-up   of the night. The score was a result of an alert Charros' defense, which recovered a Roughneck fumble at the 15 two plays earlier.      With 7:45 left to go, the Charros scored for the final time on Wehmeyer's two-yard plunge. Rich Lander then booted his fourth consecutive extra point. The big play of the 34-yard drive came on fourth-and-two at the Wichita Falls 26 when Gross found Whittier over the midde for 15 yards.      Whittier recovered his own fumble down at the 2 yard line and Wehmeyer scored on the next play.      The swarming San Antonio defense set up both Charros' touchdowns in the first half.      A blocked punt midway through the second period put the home team in excellent position at the Wichita Falls 23-yard line.      After seven plays, including a key 11-yard swing pass from Gross to Alberts, the Charro   quarterback found Whittier alone three yards away in the end zone for San Antonio's second score.      The Charros' first-period score came with 7:47 to go when linebacker Robert Valdez stepped in front of a Roughneck receiver, picked off Ray's sideline pass and raced 23 yards untouched for the Charros' first score.      The Charros held Wichita Falls' anemic rushing game to 39 yards and sacked Ray four times for 36 yards in losses in the first half.      The Charros' defense dominated the third quarter but the San Antonio club could not add to its lead.      Wehmeyer picked up 60 yards rushing in the third quarter and the Charros put together their longest drive but were forced back by two costly penalties.

Score by Quarters Wichita Falls       0     0     0     0     -     0 San Antonio   7   7   0   14   -   28                           Statistics         WF       SA First downs 3   18 Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 43   ? - 154 Passing yards   25   87 Passing (comp - att - int)   3 - 12 - 3   11 - 26 - 0 Return yards   ?   ? Punts - yards   7 - 35   3 - 26 Fumbles - lost   2 - 2   1 - 0 Penalties - yards   4 - 21   6 - 65                          Scoring Summary SA       Valdez 23 interception return (Lander kick) SA   Whittier 3 pass from Gross (Lander kick) SA   Whittier 7 pass from Gross (Lander kick) SA   Wehmeyer 2 run (Lander kick)

San Antonio: Surcie Thompson (74), Scott DeShay (??) Wichita Falls: Glen Ray (12)

Wichita Falls: Charles Hicks (??)

San Antonio: Roy Hubbard (??), Dudley Keller (??) Wichita Falls: Charles Hicks (??)

Houston Titans at Shreveport Steamer June 24, 1978 - State Fair Stadium -

Late pass topples Steamer by 29-28                   Edward Cassiere - Shreveport Times                         For Shreveport's Steamer, it was a night of finally biting the hand that fed them.       For Houston's Titans, it was a night where winning became secondary.       The Titans intercepted two Clyde Walker passes in the final 90 seconds to preserve a 29-28 come-from-behind victory over the Steamer in the American Football Association Saturday.       Pass thefts by the Steamer's Derrick Battle and Jerry Davis deep in Titan territory gave Shreveport a pair of easy scoring drives from three and six yards out in the second half.       The touchdowns, both scored by fullback Rudy Thomas, had helped bring the Steamer back from a 19-13 halftime deficit to a 28-19 lead.       But the Titans, now 2-0 in the AFA, rallied twice in the final period.       Charles Stafford, who accounted for 16 of Houston's 29 points, booted a 47-yard field goal to make it 28-23. Stafford's last kick was worth four points under league rules.       Then after the Steamer's Jerry Pope missed a 57-yard field goal - it would have been woth five points, not three, if good - the Titans took the initiative again.         Houston drove 60 yards in just seven plays, capped by reserve quarterback James Stewart's 28-yard pass to Dorsey Lee Adams for the score with 7:19 left.       Stafford's extra-point kick proved to be the margin of victory.       The Steamer then drove 66 yards - making five first downs as they drove from their own 8 to the Titan 26 - before James Gross picked off a Walker pass with 1:30 left.       Shreveport got the ball back with 32 seconds remaining, but Walker was intercepted again, this time by safety Clarence Farmer who stepped in front of the intended receiver near midfield.       "I guess that's my fault," said Steamer head coach Harry Lander. "I called the same play we got intercepted on before. We shoud've gone up the middle because they were protecting the corners real good."       And what about Pope's long field goal try?       "The opportunity was there," said Lander. "It looked good at the time because we had a nine-point lead and the defense was in a position to maintain the lead."       But the Steamer defense had already spent most of their time on the field - 21 minutes in   the first half, for example, compared to Houston's nine - and the extra work began to show in the final quarter.       Houston rushed for nearly half of their 137 net yards in the final period - including six of the first seven plays of the go-ahead scoring drive.       While Pope didn't kick a five-point field goal, he did average 51 yards a punt on three boots.       But Stafford kicked a five-point FG - from 50 yards out - to give the Titans a 15-7 lead after the first quarter. The Texas Southern graduate added a 41-yarder on the final play of the first half to make it 19-13.       Thomas' first score from one yard out was set up by Eddie Bishop's steal and 38-yard runback of a Garland Montgomery pass at 2:49 of the second quarter.       Montgomery completed 12 of 26 passes for 182 yards.       The Steamer lost all four of its fumbles in the first half, two of them on missed handoffs.       "That was probably the biggest surprise... that we didn't execute like we should," said Lander. "It was really a case of not being beaten (by Houston), but beating ourselves."

Score by Quarters Houston       15     4     0     10     -     29 Shreveport   7   6   15   0   -   28                           Statistics         HO       SH First downs ?   ? Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ? Passing yards   ?   ? Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ? Return yards   ?   ? Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ? Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ? Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?                          Scoring Summary SH       Williams 7 run (Polk kick) HO   Wilson 32 pass from Montgomery (Stafford kick) HO   Stafford 23 field goal HO   Stafford 50 field goal SH   Thomas 1 run (run failed) HO   Stafford 41 field goal SH   Thomas 3 run (Williams run) SH   Thomas 1 run (Polk kick) HO   Stafford 47 field goal HO   Adams 28 pass from Stewart (kick failed)

Houston: Garland Montgomery (??)

Houston: Ardie Seegars (40), Carl Watson (12) Shreveport: Earnest Williams (??)

Houston: Tony Sharp (??), Ardie Seegars (40) Shreveport: Rubin Jones (??)

San Antonio Charros at Oklahoma Stampede July 1, 1978 - Taft Stadium -

Stampede trims Charros, 11-10                   Joe Claxton - Daily Oklahoman                         Toes made the difference Saturday night at Taft Stadium as a meager crowd of 400 watched the Oklahoma Stampede knock off minor league football's No. 1-ranked San Antonio, 11-10.       Oklahoma kicker John Dunlop's and the Charros' Rich Lander's long range field goal battle ultimately came down to the almost automatic extra point kick after San Antonio scored its lone touchdown of the game to cut the Stampede lead to one point with 1:18 remaining.       Lander, who had boomed a four-pointer from 42 yards in the second quarter, was wide to the left from the three and the clock ran out on the Charros after Oklahoma recovered the second of two onside kick attempts.         Dunlop's 56-yard five-pointer in the third quarter was the lone Stampede scoreboard assault in the second half after owning a 9-4 halftime lead.       The game's two touchdowns came at the beginning and the end of the game. Oklahoma quarterback Mike Jones and halfback John Eastep compbined for six on the second Stampede possession and Charro quarterback Joe Gross teamed with fullback David Wehmeyer on the last ditch San Antonio drive.       Eastep bolted through right tackle to cover the last 14 yards of a quick, five-play, 68-yard march. Jones, the American Football Association's MVP a year ago, accounted for 54 of those yards with three tosses, including a 35-yard strike to tight end James Thatcher.   Though not as costly as Lander's miss, Dunlop shanked the conversion kick.        Gross, who threw 36 passes during the evening, hit three big ones when it counted. Connections of 23 and 19 yards to Tom Whittier got it to the nine and a third straight hookup found Wehmeyer for the TD and set the stage for Lander's miss.       Other than the Charros, the loss probably most disappointed Pro Football Weekly magazine, which had just ranked the San Antonio franchise as the No. 1 team in minor league football.       "I would certainly hope so," deadpanned Stampede head coach Ben Hart when asked if he thought the Stampede would be ranked by Pro Football Weekly next week.

Score by Quarters San Antonio       0     4     0     6     -     10 Oklahoma   6   0   5   0   -   11                           Statistics         SA       OK First downs 14   16 Rushing (att - yards)   38 - 122   42 - 95 Passing yards   66   95 Passing (comp - att - int)   12 - 36 - 1   6 - 19 - 2 Return yards   ?   ? Punts - yards   9 - 29   7 - 42 Fumbles - lost   ? - 1   ? - 1 Penalties - yards   12 - 84   5 - 36                          Scoring Summary OK       Eastep 14 run (kick failed) SA   Lander 42 field goal OK   Dunlop 55 field goal SA   Wehmeyer 9 pass from Gross (kick failed)

San Antonio: Joe Gross (9) Oklahoma: Jim Stone (40)

07/01/1978 Shreveport Steamer at Austin Texans Shreveport: Mike Morrison (9)

07/01/1978 Shreveport Steamer at Austin Texans

© The Austin American-Statesman

07/01/1978 Wichita Falls at Houston Titans

© The Wichita Falls Times

07/08/1978 Oklahoma Stampede at Shreveport Steamer Shreveport: Ernest Williams (20), Andrew Jackson (??) Oklahoma: Milt Kirven (15), Royce Howard (45)

07/08/1978 Oklahoma Stampede at Shreveport Steamer

© The Shreveport Journal

07/08/1978 Austin Texans at Wichita Falls Roughnecks

© The Austin American-Statesman

07/08/1978 Houston Titans at San Antonio Charros

© The Shreveport Journal

07/15/1978 Houston Titans at Austin Texans Houston: Jessie Dumas (??)

07/15/1978 Houston Titans at Austin Texans

© The Austin American-Statesman

07/15/1978 San Antonio Charros at Shreveport Steamer Shreveport: Ron Johnson (89)

07/15/1978 San Antonio Charros at Shreveport Steamer

© The Shreveport Times

07/15/1978 Wichita Falls Roughnecks at Oklahoma Stampede

© The Daily Oklahoman

07/22/1978 Wichita Falls Roughnecks at Shreveport Steamer Shreveport: Clyde Walker (8)

07/22/1978 Wichita Falls Roughnecks at Shreveport Steamer Shreveport: Randy Fry (44)

07/22/1978 Wichita Falls Roughnecks at Shreveport Steamer Shreveport: RB Rudy Thomas (36), Edwin Scott (15)

07/22/1978 Wichita Falls Roughnecks at Shreveport Steamer

© The Shreveport Times

07/22/1978 Austin Texans at San Antonio Charros

© The Austin American-Statesman

07/22/1978 Houston Titans at Oklahoma Stampede Houston: Garland Montgomery (10) Oklahoma: Jim Stone (??)

07/22/1978 Houston Titans at Oklahoma Stampede

© The Daily Oklahoman

07/29/1978 Houston Titans at Shreveport Steamer Houston: Al Barrett (45)

07/29/1978 Houston Titans at Shreveport Steamer Shreveport: Derrick Battle (42), Keith Alexander (47), A. T. Banks (40)

07/29/1978 Houston Titans at Shreveport Steamer

© The Shreveport Times

07/29/1978 Oklahoma Stampede at Austin Texans Oklahoma: John Eastep (??)

07/29/1978 Oklahoma Stampede at Austin Texans

© The Austin American-Statesman

07/29/1978 San Antonio Charros at Wichita Falls Roughnecks

© The Wichita Falls Times

08/05/1978 Austin Texans at Shreveport Steamer Austin: Leonard Brantley (??) Shreveport: Derrick Battle (??)

08/05/1978 Austin Texans at Shreveport Steamer Shreveport: Rudy Thomas (36)

08/05/1978 Austin Texans at Shreveport Steamer Shreveport: Rudy Thomas (36)

08/05/1978 Austin Texans at Shreveport Steamer

© The Austin American-Statesman

08/05/1978 Houston Titans at Wichita Falls Roughnecks

© The Wichita Falls Times

08/05/1978 Oklahoma Stampede at San Antonio Charros

© The Daily Oklahoman

08/12/1978 Wichita Falls Roughnecks at Austin Texans

© The Austin American-Statesman

08/12/1978 Shreveport Steamer at Oklahoma Stampede

© The Daily Oklahoman

08/12/1978 San Antonio Charros at Houston Titans NO ARTICLE AVAILABLE

08/19/1978 Shreveport Steamer at San Antonio Charros Shreveport: Marty Smith (54), Hugh Stanley (51) San Antonio: Tom Whither (81)

08/19/1978 Shreveport Steamer at San Antonio Charros

© The Shreveport Times

08/19/1978 Austin Texans at Houston Titans

© The Austin American-Statesman

08/19/1978 Oklahoma Stampede at Wichita Falls Roughnecks

© The Daily Oklahoman

Playoffs

08/26/1978 Houston Titans at San Antonio Charros

© The Shreveport Times

09/02/1978 - FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF Oklahoma Stampede at Shreveport Steamer Shreveport: Rudy Thomas (36)

09/02/1978 - FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF Oklahoma Stampede at Shreveport Steamer

09/02/1978 - FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF Oklahoma Stampede at Shreveport Steamer Shreveport: Hugh Stanley (??) Oklahoma: Mike Mitchell (42)

09/02/1978 - FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF Oklahoma Stampede at Shreveport Steamer

09/02/1978 - FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF Oklahoma Stampede at Shreveport Steamer

09/02/1978 - FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF Oklahoma Stampede at Shreveport Steamer

© The Shreveport Times

© The Daily Oklahoman

Championship Game

09/16/1978 - AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIP San Antonio Charros at Shreveport Steamer Shreveport: Earnest Williams (20)

09/16/1978 - AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIP San Antonio Charros at Shreveport Steamer

09/16/1978 - AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIP San Antonio Charros at Shreveport Steamer

© The Shreveport Times

American Football Association vs California Football League Championship Game      (also referred to as the "King Kong Bowl")

09/30/1978 - AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION VS CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP San Jose Tigers at Shreveport Steamer San Jose Tigers: Pat Kohlman (44)

09/30/1978 - AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION VS CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP San Jose Tigers at Shreveport Steamer Shreveport: Rudy Thomas (36)

09/30/1978 - AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION VS CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP San Jose Tigers at Shreveport Steamer San Jose Tigers: Craig Kimball (17)

09/30/1978 - AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION VS CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP San Jose Tigers at Shreveport Steamer

© The Shreveport Times

Advertising       Houston Titans           Schedules

Austin Texans

Tickets

06/17/1978 San Antonio Charros at Austin Texans 07/01/1978 Shreveport Steamer at Austin Texans

Programs

07/01/1977 San Antonio Charros at Oklahoma Stampede NOTE: Incorrect year printed on program courtesy of Jordan Morgan	07/08/1978 Oklahoma Stampede at Shreveport Steamer
07/08/1978 Houston Titans at San Antonio Charros	07/15/1978 Houston Titans at Austin Texans courtesy of Richard Paulk
07/22/1978 Houston Titans at Oklahoma Stampede courtesy of Jordan Morgan	08/05/1978 Austin Texans at Shreveport Steamer

Miscellaneous

Oklahoma Stampede jersey courtesy of Jordan Morgan

Cartoon featured in the Shreveport Journal on the day of the AFA Championship game

Shreveport Steamer cheerleaders (l to r) Linda Effinger, Wanda Pickering, Cindy Rowe, Iris Stephens, Terri Pollard

Contact Gene Crowley
Last update: June 18, 2026