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

May 20, 1982
American Football Association president Roger Gill announces he has finalized an agreement with TotalVision for the syndicator to air some of the league's games this season.

TotalVision, a Houston-based company, has agreed to commit $400,000 to the league.

American Football Association logo 1982                      
American Football Association                    
xx   xxx   xxx   xxx   xxx   xx
  Alabama Magic logo   Austin Texans logo   Buffalo Geminis logo   Canton Bulldogs logo   Carolina Storm logo  
  Alabama Magic   Austin Texans   Buffalo Geminis   Canton Bulldogs   Carolina Storm
Champion
 
                     
  NEED
LOGO
 
  Florida Statesmen logo   Georgia Pride logo   Houston Armadillos logo   Jacksonville Sunbirds logo  
  Charleston Rockets   Florida Statesmen   Georgia Pride   Houston Armadillos   Jacksonville Sunbirds  
                     
  Oklahoma Thunder logo   Racine Gladiators logo   Roanoke Valley Express logo   San Antonio Bulls logo   Shreveport Americans logo  
  Oklahoma Thunder   Racine Gladiators   Roanoke Valley Express   San Antonio Bulls   Shreveport Americans  
                     
  Texas Wranglers logo   Virginia Chargers logo   NEED
LOGO
         
  Texas Wranglers   Virginia Chargers   West Florida Sun          
                     

1982
  American Football Association  
Southwest
Division
Northeast
Division
Southeast
Division
  Austin Texans   Buffalo Geminis   Alabama Magic
  Houston Armadillos   Canton Bulldogs   Carolina Storm
  Oklahoma Thunder   Charleston Rockets   Florida Statesmen  
  San Antonio Bulls   Racine Gladiators   Georgia Pride
  Shreveport Americans     Roanoke Valley Express     Jacksonville Sunbirds  
  Texas Wranglers   Virginia Chargers   West Florida Sun 
 
Map
 
June 5, 1982
The West Florida Sun head coach, Paul Ballentine, says the league has assumed control of the Sun franchise from Brock Register, who withdrew as owner after the Sun lost to the Alabama Magic.

June 26, 1982
AFA commissioner Roger Gill disbands the West Florida Sun franchise and moves the team from Panama City to Lake City, Florida. The team had been on the brink of collapse all year, but Gill made the move when owner Brock Register did not pay the stadium rental for their last home game.

The basis of the new team, still named the West Florida Sun, is a Georgia Football League team named the Clayton Knights with a handful of Suns players. Knights general manger, Tom Durden, said Gill called him and asked if they could play this Saturday and perhaps fill in for the remainder of the year. "We've only been practicing a week or so, because our season (in the GFL) doesn't start until four or five weeks from now."

June 29, 1982
The Roanoke Valley Express ownership and management decide to fold the franchise. Poor attendance and money issues are the culprit.


Team Information and Schedules
 
Alabama Magic logo     Alabama Magic logo
Owner:     Deep South Sports Projects, Inc.
Head coach:   Steve Patton
Stadiums:   Legion Field (76,000)
(1) Memorial Stadium (8,000)
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     Jacksonville Sunbirds 1,978 W 37-32
06/05/1982   at West Florida Sun --- W 33-0
06/12/1982   Florida Statesmen (Anniston, AL) (1)   700 W 28-0
06/20/1982   at Carolina Storm --- L 29-13
06/26/1982   Georgia Pride 1,000 W 17-16
07/03/1982   at Jacksonville Sunbirds --- W 37-9
07/10/1982   West Florida Sun --- W Forfeit
07/17/1982   at Florida Statesmen --- L 19-14
07/24/1982   Carolina Storm 3,500 L 17-14
07/31/1982   at Georgia Pride --- L 16-14
  Final Season Results: 6-4
 
 
Austin Texans logo     Austin Texans logo
Owner:     Mark Rossano
Head coaches:   Ben Dial (preseason and games 1-6)
Bill Martin (game 7)
Dan Kaspar (games 8-10)
Stadiums:   Burger Center (12,000)
(1)
Nelson Field (12,000)
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Preseason
  05/22/1982     at Texas Wranglers --- L 49-0
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     Houston Armadillos (1) 1,500 L 17-16
06/05/1982   at Shreveport Americans   --- L 52-13
06/12/1982   San Antonio Bulls 700 L 20-12
06/19/1982   at Oklahoma Thunder --- L 52-7
06/26/1982   Texas Wranglers 800 L 17-6
07/03/1982   at Houston Armadillos --- L 6-2
07/10/1982   Shreveport Americans ??? L 41-6
07/17/1982   at San Antonio Bulls --- L 56-28
07/24/1982   Oklahoma Thunder ??? L 35-16
07/31/1982   at Texas Wranglers --- L 49-7
  Final Season Results: 0-10
 
 
Buffalo Geminis logo
Owner:     Warren Unholz
Head coach:   Gene Zinni
Stadium:   War Memorial Stadium (45,000)
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     Racine Gladiators 1,323 L 34-13
06/05/1982   at Virginia Chargers --- W 17-6
06/12/1982   Roanoke Valley Express ??? L 13-7
06/19/1982   at Charleston Rockets   --- L 35-6
06/26/1982   Canton Bulldogs ??? L 28-7
07/04/1982   at Racine Gladiators --- L 49-0
07/10/1982   Roanoke Valley Express --- W Forfeit
07/17/1982   Virginia Chargers ??? W 42-6
07/24/1982   at Canton Bulldogs --- L 55-2
07/31/1982   at Charleston Rockets   --- L 48-7
  Final Season Results: 3-7
 
 
Canton Bulldogs logo     Canton Bulldogs logo
Owner:     Guy Cicchini
Head coach:   Bob Commings
Stadium:   Rubber Bowl (35,000)
(1) Paul Brown Tiger Stadium (16,884)
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Preseason
  05/22/1982     at Roanoke Valley Express   --- W 24-7
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     Roanoke Valley Express 4,100 L 13-6
06/05/1982   at Racine Gladiators --- L 12-6
06/12/1982   at Charleston Rockets --- L 24-17
06/19/1982   Virginia Chargers 500 W 72-0
06/26/1982   at Buffalo Geminis --- W 28-7
07/03/1982   Roanoke Valley Express --- W Forfeit
07/10/1982   Charleston Rockets ??? W (OT) 20-17
07/17/1982   Racine Gladiators (1) 3,800 L 23-20
07/24/1982   Buffalo Geminis 2,000 W 55-2
07/31/1982   at Virginia Chargers --- W Forfeit
  Regular Season Results: 6-4
  First Round Playoffs
08/07/1982   at Racine Gladiators --- L 44-6
  Post Season Results: 0-1
  Final Season Results: 6-5
 
 
Carolina Storm logo
Owner:      H. Maynard Clark
Head coach:   Eddie Joyce
Stadium:   Memorial Stadium (25,000)
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     West Florida Sun 3,414 W 62-7
06/05/1982   at Florida Statesmen   --- W 30-0
06/13/1982   Georgia Pride 3,297 W 37-7
06/20/1982   Alabama Magic 3,790 W 29-13
06/26/1982   at Jacksonville Sunbirds   --- W 31-10
07/03/1982   West Florida Sun --- W Forfeit
07/10/1982   Florida Statesmen 3,884 W 28-14
07/17/1982   at Georgia Pride --- W 41-24
07/24/1982   at Alabama Magic --- W 17-14
07/31/1982   Jacksonville Sunbirds 2,012 W 63-0
  Regular Season Results: 10-0
  First Round Playoffs
08/07/1982   Charleston Rockets 6,932 W 61-18
  Second Round Playoffs
08/15/1982   Racine Gladiators 9,598 W 35-8
  American Bowl
08/21/1982   Shreveport Americans 13,798 W 46-22
  Post Season Results: 3-0
  Final Season Results: 13-0
1982 American Football Association champions
 
 
Charleston Rockets
Owner:      Dave Ferrell         
Head coach: Lonnie Warwick
Stadium: Laidley Field (19,000) 
   
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Preseason
05/15/1982   Georgia Pride ??? W 31-16
05/22/1982   at Georgia Pride --- L 28-23
 
  05/29/1982     Virginia Chargers 522 W 71-7
06/05/1982   at Roanoke Valley Express   --- W 51-7
06/12/1982   Canton Bulldogs ??? W 24-17
06/19/1982   Buffalo Geminis ??? W 35-6
06/26/1982   at Racine Gladiators --- L 23-19
07/03/1982   at Virginia Chargers --- W 71-6
07/10/1982   at Canton Bulldogs --- L (OT) 20-17
07/17/1982   Roanoke Valley Express --- W Forfeit
07/24/1982   Racine Gladiators ??? L 28-25
07/31/1982   Buffalo Geminis ??? W 48-7
  Regular Season Results: 7-3
  First Round Playoffs
08/07/1982   at Carolina Storm --- L 61-18
  Post Season Results: 0-1
  Final Season Results: 7-4
 
 
Florida Statesmen logo     Florida Statesmen logo
Owner:      Don Hazelton      
Head coaches:   Steve Hardin (games 1-3)
Detroit Reynolds (games 4-10)
Stadium:   Capital Stadium (7,000)
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     at Georgia Pride --- L 40-9
06/05/1982   Carolina Storm 2,000 L 30-0
06/12/1982   at Alabama Magic --- L 28-0
06/19/1982   Jacksonville Sunbirds 1,000 L 17-14
06/26/1982   West Florida Sun --- W Forfeit
07/03/1982   Georgia Pride 500 W 27-23
07/10/1982   at Carolina Storm --- L 28-14
07/17/1982   Alabama Magic ??? W 19-14
07/24/1982   at Jacksonville Sunbirds   --- W 25-0
07/31/1982   West Florida Sun --- W Forfeit
  Final Season Results: 5-5
 
 
Georgia Pride logo
Owner:      Paul Zarynoff
Head coach:   Paul Zarynoff
Stadiums:   DeKalb Memorial Stadium (15,000)
(1) Tara Stadium (9,000)
(2) Lakewood Stadium (10,000)
(3) Herndon Stadium (15,000)
(4) Etowah County High School
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Preseason
  05/15/1982     at Charleston Rockets   --- L 31-16
05/22/1982   Charleston Rockets 1,000 W 28-23
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     Florida Statesmen 3,000 W 40-9
06/05/1982   at Jacksonville Sunbirds --- W 33-27
06/13/1982   at Carolina Storm --- L 37-7
06/19/1982   West Florida Sun (1) 500 W 69-0
06/26/1982   at Alabama Magic --- L 17-16
07/03/1982   at Florida Statesmen   --- L 27-23
07/10/1982   Jacksonville Sunbirds (2) 2,000 W 15-7
07/17/1982   Carolina Storm (3) 300 L 41-24
07/24/1982   West Florida Sun --- W Forfeit
07/31/1982   Alabama Magic (4) ??? W 16-14
  Regular Season Results: 6-4
  First Round Playoffs
08/07/1982   at Shreveport Americans --- L 42-35
  Post Season Results: 0-1
  Final Season Results: 6-5
 
 
Houston Armadillos logo     Houston Armadillos logo
Owner:      Houston Armadillos, Inc.
Head coaches:   Mike Dukes (preseason and games 1-5)
Steve Kiner (games 6-10)
Stadiums:   Rice Stadium (70,000)
(1) Dyer Stadium (6,000)
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Preseason
  05/15/1982     San Antonio Bulls ??? W 16-14
05/22/1982   at Shreveport Americans --- L 30-20
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     at Austin Texans --- W 17-16
06/05/1982   Texas Wranglers ??? L 40-3
06/12/1982   at Shreveport Americans   --- L 59-0
06/19/1982   at San Antonio Bulls --- L 20-12
06/26/1982   Oklahoma Thunder (1) 750 L 48-7
07/03/1982   Austin Texans (1) 800 W 6-2
07/10/1982   at Texas Wranglers --- L 19-0
07/17/1982   Shreveport Americans (1)   500 L 22-9
07/24/1982   San Antonio Bulls (1) 400 L 40-0
07/31/1982   at Oklahoma Thunder --- L 42-0
  Final Season Results: 2-8
 
 
Jacksonville Sunbirds logo
Owner:      Garrett Newman
Head coaches:     Jerry Disch (preseason and games 1-6)
Alvin Small (game 7)
Malachi Beyah (game 8-10)
Stadium:     Gator Bowl (71,000)
       
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Preseason
05/15/1982   West Florida Suns 1,000 W 45-12
05/22/1982   at West Florida Suns --- W 31-3
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     at Alabama Magic --- L 37-32
06/05/1982   Georgia Pride 3,016 L 33-27
06/13/1982   West Florida Sun 400 W 32-0
06/19/1982   at Florida Statesmen   --- W 17-14
06/26/1982   Carolina Storm 2,000 L 31-10
07/03/1982   Alabama Magic 1,465 L 37-9
07/10/1982   at Georgia Pride --- L 15-7
07/17/1982   West Florida Sun --- W Forfeit
07/24/1982   Florida Statesmen 1,000 L 25-0
07/31/1982   at Carolina Storm --- L 63-0
  Final Season Results: 3-7
 
 
Oklahoma Thunder logo     Oklahoma Thunder logo
Owners:      Roy M. Teel and Lee Rainey
Head coach:   Frank Grimm
Stadium:   Skelly Stadium
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Regular Season
  05/28/1982     Shreveport Americans 3,800 W 20-18
06/05/1982   at San Antonio Bulls --- W 14-0
06/12/1982   Texas Wranglers 5,200 W 26-6
06/19/1982   Austin Texans 3,000 W 52-7
06/26/1982   at Houston Armadillos --- W 48-7
07/03/1982   at Shreveport Americans   --- L (OT) 15-12
07/10/1982   San Antonio Bulls 7,500 W 45-24
07/17/1982   at Texas Wranglers --- L 32-14
07/24/1982   at Austin Texans --- W 35-16
07/31/1982   Houston Armadillos 7,100 W 42-0
  Regular Season Results: 8-2
  First Round Playoffs
08/07/1982   Texas Wranglers 3,400 L 17-13
  Post Season Results: 0-1
  Final Season Results: 8-3
 
 
Racine Gladiators logo
Racine Gladiators
Owner:      Ron Weisman?  
Head coach:   Harry GIlbert
Stadium:   Horlick Field (5,000)
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     at Buffalo Geminis --- W 34-13
06/05/1982   Canton Bulldogs 1,998 W 12-6
06/12/1982   at Virginia Chargers --- W 28-0
06/19/1982   at Roanoke Valley Express   --- W 31-2
06/26/1982   Charleston Rockets 4,080 W 23-19
07/04/1982   Buffalo Geminis 1,631 W 49-0
07/10/1982   Virginia Chargers ??? W 76-0
07/17/1982   at Canton Bulldogs --- W 23-20
07/24/1982   at Charleston Rockets --- W 28-25
07/31/1982   Roanoke Valley Express --- W Forfeit
  Regular Season Results: 10-0
  First Round Playoffs
08/07/1982   Canton Bulldogs 2,542 W 44-6
  Second Round Playoffs
08/15/1982   at Carolina Storm --- L 35-8
  Post Season Results: 1-1
  Final Season Results: 11-1
 
 
Roanoke Valley Express logo
Owner:      Harry Ranier?
Head coach:   Gary Fallon
Stadiums:   William Byrd High School
(1) Jefferson Forest High School
(2) Pulaski County High School
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Preseason
05/14/1982   Virginia Chargers (1) 150 W 46-6
  05/22/1982     Canton Bulldogs (2) 500 L 24-7
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     at Canton Bulldogs --- W 13-6
06/05/1982   Charleston Rockets   1,000 L 51-7
06/12/1982   at Buffalo Geminis --- W 13-7
06/19/1982   Racine Gladiators 682 L 31-2
06/26/1982   at Virginia Chargers --- W 28-0
The Roanoke Valley Express fold
 
 
San Antonio Bulls logo
San Antonio Bulls
Owners:      Roger Gill (games 1-2)
Clinton Manges and Pat Maloney (games 3-10)    
Head coach:   George Pasterchick
Stadiums:   Northside Stadium (9,600)
(1) Harlandale Memorial Stadium (9,501)
(2) Alamo Stadium (18,500)
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Preseason
05/15/1982   at Houston Armadillos --- L 16-14
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     at Texas Wranglers --- L 31-7
06/05/1982   Oklahoma Thunder 2.200 L 14-0
06/12/1982   at Austin Texans --- W 20-12
06/19/1982   Houston Armadillos 6,800 W 20-12
06/26/1982   at Shreveport Americans   --- L 14-7
07/03/1982   Texas Wranglers (1) 5,500 L 7-6
07/10/1982   at Oklahoma Thunder --- L 45-24
07/17/1982   Austin Texans (1) 5,700 W 56-28
07/24/1982   at Houston Armadillos --- W 40-0
07/31/1982   Shreveport Americans (2)   24,000 L 32-23
  Final Season Results: 4-6
 
 
Shreveport Americans logo     Shreveport Americans logo
Owner:      Harold Moore and nine others
Head coaches:   Charlie Hennigan (preseason and game 1)
Tom Rushing (games 2-13)
Stadium:   Independence Stadium (65,000)
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Preseason
05/15/1982   Texas Wranglers 4,430 W 22-20
05/22/1982   Houston Armadillos 2,000 W 30-20
  Regular Season
  05/28/1982     at Oklahoma Thunder --- L 20-18
06/05/1982   Austin Texans 3,007 W 52-13
06/12/1982   Houston Armadillos 2,733 W 59-0
06/19/1982   at Texas Wranglers --- L 20-17
06/26/1982   San Antonio Bulls 3,124 W 14-7
07/03/1982   Oklahoma Thunder 4,000 W (OT) 15-12
07/10/1982   at Austin Texans --- W 41-6
07/17/1982   at Houston Armadillos   --- W 22-9
07/24/1982   Texas Wranglers 5,033 W 21-14
07/31/1982   at San Antonio Bulls --- W 32-23
  Regular Season Results: 8-2
  First Round Playoffs
08/07/1982   Georgia Pride 5,215 W 42-35
  Second Round Playoffs
08/14/1982   Texas Wranglers 5,674 W (OT) 30-27
  American Bowl
08/21/1982   at Carolina Storm --- L 46-22
  Post Season Results: 2-1
  Final Season Results: 10-3
 
 
Texas Wranglers logo     Texas Wranglers logo
Owner:      Horace Adinger      
Head coach:   Rusty Talbot
Stadium:   Mesquite Memorial Stadium (20,000)
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Preseason
05/15/1982   at Shreveport Americans   --- L 22-20
05/22/1982   Austin Texans ??? W 49-0
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     San Antonio Bulls ??? W 31-7
06/05/1982   at Houston Armadillos --- W 40-3
06/12/1982   at Oklahoma Thunder --- L 26-6
06/19/1982   Shreveport Americans ??? W 20-17
06/26/1982   at Austin Texans --- W 17-6
07/03/1982   at San Antonio Bulls --- W 7-6
07/10/1982   Houston Armadillos ??? W 19-0
07/17/1982   Oklahoma Thunder ??? W 32-14
07/24/1982   at Shreveport Americans --- L 21-14
07/31/1982   Austin Texans ??? W 49-7
  Regular Season Results: 8-2
  First Round Playoffs
08/07/1982   at Oklahoma Thunder --- W 17-13
  Second Round Playoffs
08/14/1982   at Shreveport Americans --- L (OT) 30-27
  Post Season Results: 1-1
  Final Season Results: 9-3
 
 
Virginia Chargers logo
Virginia Chargers
Owner:      Robert J. Shaw
Head coach:   Robert J. Shaw
Stadium:   Manassas Park High School
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Preseason
05/14/1982   at Roanoke Valley Express   --- L 46-6
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     at Charleston Rockets   --- L 71-7
06/05/1982   Buffalo Geminis 200 L 17-6
06/12/1982   Racine Gladiators 79 L 28-0
06/19/1982   at Canton Bulldogs --- L 72-0
06/26/1982   Roanoke Valley Express ??? L 28-0
07/03/1982   Charleston Rockets ??? L 71-6
07/10/1982   at Racine Gladiators --- L 76-0
07/17/1982   at Buffalo Geminis --- L 42-6
07/24/1982   Roanoke Valley Express --- W Forfeit
07/31/1982   Canton Bulldogs --- L Forfeit
  Final Season Results: 1-9
 
 
West Florida Sun
Owner:      Brock Register
Head coaches:   Paul Ballentine (preseason and games 1-2)
Stoney Glover (games 3-4)
Stadium:   Memorial Stadium (13,200)
     
Date Opponent   Attendance     Result     Score  
  Preseason
  05/15/1982     at Jacksonville Sunbirds   --- L 45-12
05/22/1982   Jacksonville Sunbirds   ??? L 31-3
  Regular Season
  05/29/1982     at Carolina Storm --- L 62-7
06/05/1982   Alabama Magic 500 L 33-0
06/13/1982   at Jacksonville Sunbirds --- L 32-0
06/19/1982   at Georgia Pride --- L 69-0
The West Florida Sun fold


Game Articles, Statistics, and Photographs
 
  Preseason
 
Photograph
West Florida Sun at Jacksonville Sunbirds
05/15/1982
West Florida: Wayne Bozeman (52), Lawrence Long (43)
Jacksonville: Kenny Bogins (??)
 
Photograph
Texas Wranglers at Shreveport Americans
05/15/1982
Shreveport: Ron Jones (22)
 
Photograph
Texas Wranglers at Shreveport Americans
05/15/1982
Shreveport: Robin Wasson (12)
 
Photograph
San Antonio Charros at Houston Armadillos
05/15/1982
San Antonio: Charles Comer (20)
Houston: Mike Moore (34)
 
Photograph
San Antonio Charros at Houston Armadillos
05/15/1982
Houston: Jerry Maltz (2)
 
Photograph
Austin Texans at Texas Wranglers
05/22/1982
Austin: Brian Burles (11)
Texas: Mark Colston (??)
 
Photograph
Austin Texans at Texas Wranglers
05/22/1982
Texas: Welby Ina (7)
 
Photograph
Houston Armadillos at Shreveport Americans
05/22/1982
Shreveport: Sam Coaxum (68)
Houston: Wendell Hobley (??)
 
  Regular Season
 
Shreveport Americans logo Shreveport Americans
at
Oklahoma Thunder


May 28, 1982
- Skelly Stadium -
Oklahoma Thunder logo
 
Thunder prevails in debut, 20-18
                 
Randy Krehbiel - Tulsa World        
         
     Former professional soccer player Alan Woodward, participating in his first American football game ever, hooked a low lining 27-yard field goal attempt just inside the left goalpost with 1:05 to play Friday night, rescuing a 20-18 victory for the newborn Oklahoma Thunder in an American Football Association opener with Shreveport before 3,800 fans at Skelly Stadium.
     Woodward's field goal, his second of the game, concluded a wild final five minutes that ended with the officials stopping the game 14 seconds before the final whistle.
     Shreveport, facing a fourth-and-26 situation, was flagged for a personal foul and the offending player apparently made threatening remarks to one of the officials. At that point, referee Don Thomas picked up the ball and walked off the field.
     The Americans protested vehemently, but to no avail.
     "I called one penalty and on the second one I told him (the offending player) the game was over, a forfeit," Thomas said.
     But even Tulsa management was unhappy with the decision. It left open the possibility Tulsa's victory would be recorded strictly as a forfeit.
     Owner Skip Teel, however, said, "It is my understanding from talking with the commissioner (Roger Gill) the score will stand. The commissioner said if Shreveport protested he did not expect anything to come of it except a slap on the wrist for the official."
     Shreveport had taken control with eight straight points for an 18-17 lead with 3:07 remaining.
     The Americans' final two points were the result of a safety, which meant they got the ball along with their first lead of the night.
     But with 2:54 to play Shreveport fumbled and Oklahoma's Mike Galloway recovered at the Thunder 37-yard line.
     Oklahoma quarterback Dave Rader drove his team, with the aid of two major penalties,
  to the Shreveport 10 before a fourth-and-four stopped the Thunder. Woodward, familiar to Tulsans from his days with the Tulsa Roughnecks of the North American Soccer League, then popped through his kick to provide the winning points.
     Oklahoma utilized a pair of turnovers and short Shreveport punt for 17 first quarter points. With five minutes left, it appeared those would hold up.
     The Thunder managed to run nearly eight minutes off the clock, and on third and long, Rader, former Tulsa U. quarterback, lofted a pass that was intercepted by Willie Mosley at the one. He was immediately knocked out of bounds at the four.
     Despite the loss of possession, the Thunder was still in an excellent position. But on the first play from scrimmage Ken Smith completed an 89-yard pass to Vernon Wells that carried to the Oklahoma seven.
     Two plays later, Smith found Edwin Scott for the Americans' first touchdown with 4:42 left.
     But holder Clarence Tolliver fumbled the snap on the extra point attempt, and his desperation pass to running back Arry Moody was stopped short of the goal line.
     Oklahoma still led, 17-16.
     The Thunder then ran three plays and tried to punt. But Rader dropped a low center snap and was tackled by Lewis Charles for a safety and Shreveport's 18-17 lead.
     The Americans seemed to have the game in complete control.
     Then came the fumble, however, and Rader (20 for 42 in the game with 193 yards), marched the Thunder into field goal range.
     The biggest plays, however, were two penalties against Shreveport. The first was an interference call against Derrick Battle that resulted in a first down at the Shreveport 32. Three plays later, on third down, the Americans were called for facemasking while sacking Rader for a loss.
       That put the ball at the 15. Two illegal procedure penalties slowed the Thunder, and Rader's third-down pass to Ronnie Smith was five yards short of the first down.
     Oklahoma's scoring began with Woodward's 38-yard field goal on the Thunder's second possession.
     The points were set up by a short Shreveport punt that gave Oklahoma possession at the Americans' 31. Two running plays netted eight yards, but on third down Ball was stopped for no gain and Woodward entered the game for his first attempt ever at scoring in American football. His kick was straight down the middle.
     The Thunder was back in business less than a minute later when one of Shreveport's three quarterbacks, James Mosley, dropped the ball while trying to pass. Oklahoma's Rayfield Williams recovered at the Shreveport 31.
     From there the Thunder scored in eight plays, with Ball getting the first of his touchdowns on a two-yard run off right tackle with 3:02 left in the period. The big plays in the drive were a pair of nine-yard pass completions by Rader, the first to Ronnie Smith on second and 10, the other to Joey Smith on third and three.
     Woodward's point after made the score 10-0, but the margin was short-lived. After fumbling Woodward's kickoff at the one, Shreveport's Larry Smith picked up the ball and ran 99 yards for an answering touchdown that made it 10-7 with the extra point.
     A Shreveport turnover again led to an Oklahoma touchdown, this one with just 47 seconds left in the period.
     On the Americans' second play after Rader punted out of bounds at the Shreveport six, linebacker Leon Bolding tipped a Mosley pass and mate Leon Taliaferro intercepted at the 15. He returned to the Shreve. port four, and Ball scored two plays later for a 17-7 Oklahoma lead.
                 
Score by Quarters
Shreveport       7     3     0     8     -     18
Oklahoma   17   0   0   3   -   20
                         
Statistics
        SH       OK
First downs   8   18
Rushing (att - yards)   24 - 36   47 - 34
Passing yards   239   193
Passing (comp - att - int)   11 - 27 - 2   20 - 42 - 1
Punts - avg   5 - 38   8 - 35
Fumbles - lost   2 - 2   7 - 2
Penalties - yards   10 - 91   9 - 63
         
              
Scoring Summary
OK       Woodward 37 field goal
OK   Ball 3 run (Woodward kick)
SH   Smith 99 kickoff return (Pope kick)
OK   Ball 1 run (Woodward kick)
SH   Pope 37 field goal
SH   Scott 11 pass from Smith (pass failed)
SH   Safety Rader tackled in end zone
OK   Woodward 27 field goal
     
 
 
Jacksonville Sunbirds logo Jacksonville Sunbirds
at
Alabama Magic


May 29, 1982
- Legion Field -
Alabama Magic logo
 
Magic wins... but the crowd is a small one
                 
Don Kausler, Jr. - Birmingham News        
         
     "I've got one ticket on the 50-yard line!" the young man with the beer-gut barked. "Six dollars!"
     What's this? A scalper at the Alabama Magic's inaugural football game?
     Believe it or not, yes.
     But before you go thinking the Magic's 37-32 American Football Association victory over the Jacksonville Sunbirds was played Saturday night before a near-capacity crowd at Legion Field, you should not be deceived. The crowd, by the meticulous count of Magic co-owner and Business Manager Bill Goodwyn, was 1,978.
     So why the scalper?
     Simple.
     "I'm selling this for a player," the young man with the beer-gut said, declining to identify his friend. "It's an $8 reserved seat. A general admission ticket costs $6."
     Now, a little background...
     The Magic's semi-pro players earn one percent of the adjusted gross gate receipts. That means after the $5,000 bill for the use of Legion Field is subtracted. That means after the $700 bill for liability at Legion Field is subtracted. That means after the $490 for officials and the chain gang is subtracted.
     That means...
     "We lost money," Goodwyn said.
     By his estimate, only half of the crowd paid its way in. The other half had complimentary tickets. The team's 60 players - 37 of whom dressed out - were given 600 comp tickets
  alone.
     "I personally witnessed over 50 tickets being scalped that were marked 'complimentary ticket," Goodwyn said. "There's nothing we can do about it.
     "But if I ever catch a ballplayer doing it, he will not play again for us."
     Goodwyn added that the attendance figure did not include some children.
     "I was down by the gate," he said, "and I saw two adults with three toddlers. They paid $16 for the two adults, but when they were told they had to pay for the children, too, they started to walk away. I caught them and brought them in. Better $16 than zero dollars."
     The attendance, of course, disappointed team officials.
     "Everybody told us we wouldn't draw more than 2,000 or 3,000," Goodwyn said. "I guess we were dreaming.
     "But I hope nobody feels embarrassed for us. I hate pity. I've seem some long faces on some of our office people, and I've been walking around like the guy on 'Fantasy Island,' saying, 'smiles... smiles.'"
     Those who did bother to welcome the Magic to Alabama were treated to an entertaining show.
     It was different, that was for sure. How often do you see a head coach give the pre-game invocation, as did the Magic's Steve Patton? How often do you see a majority owner and general manager on the sidelines calling plays,
  like the Magic's Jim Patton?
     But perhaps the most unusual thing was the fact that the Magic won the game.
     "We're two-to-three weeks behind everyone else in the league," Goodwyn said. "We figured we were about a two-touchdown underdog."
     Jacksonville, after all, had been in the league's playoffs the last four years. It won the 1979 league championship, while known as the Firebirds.
     But the Magic, which also will play home games in Anniston and Selma this summer, took a 17-14 halftime lead, then fought back from a 20-17 deficit in the third quarter on two touchdowns by Lawrence Josephson. The 5-foot-7, 170-pound running back from Miles College, swept 21 yards on a pitchout for his first TD, and ran 56 yards with a swing pass for the other score.
     The game even had a controversial circumstance. The Sunbirds announced with 9:29 remaining in the second quarter that they were protesting the game. The basis of their protest is that Alex Prince, a Magic wide receiver who caught six passes for 90 yards, played for Jacksonsville last season and switched teams without a formal release.
     As interesting as the game was, Goodwyn had to fight to suppress a yawn near the end.
     "We were up until 3:30 (Saturday morning) putting the decals on the helmets," he said. "And I've been up since about 5:30.
     "It's been a long day."
                 
Score by Quarters
Jacksonville       6     8     6     12     -     32
Alabama   0   17   14   6   -   37
                         
Statistics
        JA       AL
First downs   15   25
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 89   ? - 241
Passing yards   131   216
Passing (comp - att - int)   13 - 26 - 2   11 - 14 -0
Punts - avg   4 - 32.3   2 - 34.0
Fumbles - lost   2 - 0   1 - 0
Penalties - yards   7 - 48   5 - 38
         
              
Scoring Summary
JA       Walker 41 pass interception (kick blocked)
AL   Miles recovered blocked punt in end zone (Slovensky kick)
AL   Box 8 pass from Cahill (Slovensky kick)
JA   Brown 77 pass from Chester (Foster pass from Chester)
AL   Slovensky 37 field goal
JA   Brown 47 pass from Chester (kick blocked)
AL   Josephson 21 run (Slovensky kick)
AL   Josephson 56 pass from Cahill (Slovensky kick)
JA   Chester 1 run (pass failed)
AL   Robbins 15 pass from Cahill (pass failed)
JA   Boggins 43 pass from Chester (run failed)

Photograph
Jacksonville: Terry Lewis (40)
Alabama: Clifton Brown (90)
 
 
Houston Armadillos logo Houston Armadillos
at
Austin Texans


May 29, 1982
- Nelson Field -
Austin Texans logo
 
Texans come up short, 17-16
                 
George Breazeale - Austin American-Statesman        
         
     Austin's third bid to come from behind was inches off the mark and Houston edged the Texans, 17-16, in the teams' American Football Association Southwest Division opener at Nelson Field Saturday night.
     Quarterback Mike Washington, who stayed fresh on the sideline until late in the third quarter, guided a 68-yard Austin scoring march to put the Texans ahead, 16-14, early in the final period - but his fourth-down pass down the middle to receiver Kim Watts was inches out of reach with two minutes left and the Armadillos ran out the clock to preserve the victory.
     Superb defense by such Texans as Elvis Shaw, Rodney Greene, L.C. Cole, Dave Hansen, Tommy Cox, John Hopson and 170-pound linebacker Arthur Attwood kept the losers in contention all the way - but two critical third-down plays in the second half swung the verdict to Houston.
     Houston's 235-pound quarterback, James Montgomery, hit wide receiver Anthony Brigham on a four-yard cut-in touchdown pass on third down to produce a 14-8 Armadillo lead late in the third quarter.
       Washington, the Texans' offensive backfield coach, then came in to replace starter Wade Kirk and guided Austin 68 yards in nine plays, with running back Ricky Caldwell breaking the final 23 yards off tackle for the touchdown.
     After the conversion snap was fumbled, kicker Ward Bailey picked up the ball and threw to Greene for two points and a 16-14 lead with 13:05 left in the game.
     Houston then moved from its own 34 after the kickoff. Montgomery, wilting under a third-down pass rush by Attwood, dumped a flat pass to running back Paul Hood, who darted 32 yards down the sidelines to the Austin 14. On fourth and four from the Texan 8, Jerry Maltz sent through a 25-yard field goal for the winning margin with 7:24 left in the game.
     Washington twice picked up critical yardage on scrambles after Austin took the kickoff at its 33, his last 11-yard run netting a first down at the 'Dillo 31. But Caldwell lost one, two passes went incomplete and Watts couldn't reach the fourth down effort which would have carried inside the Houston 20.
     Austin lodged the game's first offensive
  threat, riding the runs of Caldwell and Leonard Brantley and Kirk's passes to receiver Wayland Gay, to a first down at the 'Dillo 10. A potential scoring pass to Watts was broken up by Houston's James Bailey and Bryan Bailey was wide left on a 27-yard field goal try.
     A short Austin punt set up Houston at the Texan 35 early in the second quarter and Hood, Billy Cook and Wayne White rammed the distance in five plays, with White going the final 11 yards up the middle and Maltz converting for a 7-0 lead.
     Attwood brought the Texans to life by blocking a Houston punt at the 'Dillo 8, and after Brantley picked up four, Caldwell cut off left tackle for four and the score. He duplicated the run for the two-point conversion and an 8-7 lead.
     Caldwell, a 200-pound Southwest Texas State product, led all rushers with 87 yards on 14 carries and Brantley had 54 on 17. Hood led Houston with 68 on 16 and Washington collected 36 on only four trips. Brigham led the receivers with nine catches for 74 yards.
                 
Score by Quarters
Houston       0     7     7     3     -     17
Austin   0   8   0   8   -   16
                         
Statistics
        HO       AU
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
HO       White 11 run (Maltz kick)
AU   Caldwell 4 run (Caldwell kick)
HO   Brigham 4 pass from Montgomery (Maltz kick)
AU   Caldwell 23 run (Greene pass from Bailey)
HO   Maltz 25 field goal
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Houston: Mark Glover (??)
Austin: Ricky Caldwell (44)
 
Photograph
Austin: Ward Kirk (12)
 
 
Racine Gladiators logo Racine Gladiators
at
Buffalo Geminis


May 29, 1982
- War Memorial Stadium -
Buffalo Geminis logo
 
Geminis open season with a 34-13 defeat
                 
Vic Carucci - Buffalo News        
         
     Gene Zinni coached part of this game from the press box. He swore it was because it gave him a better view of the action, but the feeling among some people in War Memorial Stadium Saturday night was he wanted to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Buffalo Geminis.
     To his credit, Zinni was standing on the sideline for the second half of the Geminis' pathetic 34-13 American Football Association season-opening loss to the Racine (Wis.) Gladiators. In the stands, 1,326 people were listening to their voices bounce off about 39,000 empty seats.
     "We had never seen this team before, so I was sort of scouting them from upstairs," Zinni said. "At halftime (with the Geminis trailing 14-
  0), the players asked for me to be on the sideline to give them more direction. I'll stay on the sideline from now on. I've got to be there to make adjustments."
     The Gladiators' first two touchdowns came on passes of three and 25 yards from quarterback Joe Grenfenhauer to tight end Dan Brunner and running back Greg Johnson.
     The Geminis cut the margin to 14-6 in the third quarter on a two-yard touchdown run by fullback Eric Gadley, who finished the game with nine carries for 79 yards.
     Buffalo had an excellent opportunity to pull within a point shortly thereafter when Racine punter Chris Schnell got a bad snap and had to run the ball, giving the Geminis possession at the Gladiators' 38.
       But on first down, a George Pachucy pass skidded off the finger tips of Domenick Lettieri and into the hands of Racine's Daryle Herrick.
     The Gladiators, with the help of a pass interference call and a roughing penalty on Buffalo's Riley Washington, then drove to the Geminis' one, from where Joe Rodriquez scored to make it 20-6.
     A 31-yard touchdown run by Johnson and John Branch's 20-yard scoring run after recovering a botched lateral by Pachucy gave Racine a 34-6 advantage.
     With less than two minutes left in the game, Buffalo defensive lineman Lynn Rusch intercepted a pass at the two and took it in for a touchdown.
                 
Score by Quarters
Racine       7     7     13     7     -     34
Buffalo   0   0   6   7   -   13
                         
Statistics
        RA       BU
First downs   16   8
Rushing (att - yards)   28 - 121   28 - 150
Passing yards   223   69
Passing (comp - att - int)   15 - 32 - 1   9 - 23 - 2
Punts - avg   3 - 40   7 - 25
Fumbles - lost   0 - 0   1 - 1
Penalties - yards   10 - 60   4 - 56
         
              
Scoring Summary
RA       Brunner 3 pass from Grafenauer (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Thompson 15 pass from Grafenauer (Lindskoog kick)
BU   Gadley 2 run (pass failed)
RA   Rodriguez 1 run (kick blocked)
RA   Johnson 31 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Branch 26 fumble recovery return (Lindskoog kick)
BU   Rush 2 interception return (Perry kick)
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Buffalo: George Pachucy (19)
Racine: Rich Lafford (69)
 
 
Roanoke Valley Express logo Roanoke Valley Express
at
Canton Bulldogs


May 29, 1982
- Rubber Bowl -
Canton Bulldogs logo
 
Canton Bulldogs beaten by Roanoke in opening game
                 
Milan Zban - Akron Beacon Journal        
         
     "We won the statistical war, but lost the battle," said Canton Bulldogs' coach Bob Commings.
     "All I'm interested in is the final score," said Commings' counterpart Gary Falon of the Roanoke (Va.) Valley Express after they downed the Bulldogs 13-6 in the season's opener for both American Football Association teams at the Rubber Bowl Saturday night.
     A crowd of 4,100 didn't see much offense by either team. The defense put all the points on the board.
     The Express got both its scores via interceptions and both came within the final 3:41 of the first half.
     The Bulldogs finally got on the board after the Express stopped them four times on their 1-yard line when defensive tackle Harry
  Forepaugh recovered an Express fumble in the end zone.
     Linebacker Brent Modic stripped the ball loose from Express quarterback Rick Hackenberg and Forepaugh was there to fall on the ball for the six points.
     The Bulldogs' score came with the Express already up by 13 points by virture of the scoring splurge just before the half. Canton's only TD came with 13:05 remaining in the fourth period.
     Express defensive back Terry Palmer, who was called for a personal foul which put the ball on the Bulldogs' 17, made up for his error on the very next play when he came up with an interception and returned it 38 yards to the Canton 39.
     A play later Hackenberg floated a pass over
  the middle to Marvin Seals who caught it and raced to the Canton 5-yard line where he was hauled down from behind.
     Hackenberg rolled out to his right on the next play and found Seals open in the end zone for the game's first score. Chip Lundy's extra point kick was good.
     With 2:11 left in the half, defensive back Walt Bellamy intercepted a Bob Commings' pass intended for Lindsay Latson on the sidelines near the Bulldog bench and ran down the sideline 61 yards for another touchdown.
     Modic tackled extra point holder Vance Price who tried to run with the ball after a high snap from center, but the Express still carried a 13-0 lead into the locker room.
                 
Score by Quarters
Roanoke       0     13     0     0     -     13
Canton   0   0   0   6   -   6
                         
Statistics
        RO       CA
First downs   7   17
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 46   ? - 122
Passing yards   83   98
Passing (comp - att - int)   10 - 22 - 3   12 - 39 - 3
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   13 - 135   4 - 40
         
              
Scoring Summary
RO       Seals 5 pass from Hackenberg (Lundy kick)
RO   Bellamy 61 interception return (run failed)
CA   Forepaugh recovered fumble in end zone (kick failed)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
West Florida Sun
at
Carolina Storm


May 29, 1982
- Memorial Stadium -
Carolina Storm logo
 
Smith, Turner pace Storm to 62-7 victory
                 
David Scott - Charlotte Observer        
         
     The Florida Sun took the hint. After the first play from scrimmage in the Sun's American Football Association game Saturday against the Carolina Storm in Memorial Stadium, it was down a touchdown.
     Knowing it was outclassed, the Sun folded right up for Carolina, and the Storm cruised to a 62-7 victory in its season opener, before 3,414 fans.
     The Storm got on the board quickly. With less than 30 seconds elapsed. Carolina quarterback Ellsworth Turner lofted a 59-yard touchdown pass to Reggie "Super Gnat" Smith.
     Then it got on with the crushing.
     Turner's strike to Smith was was the first of seven touchdown passes he threw, breaking an AFA single-game record. Turner, who completed 18 of 25 passes for 260 yards, held the old record of six.
     Three of the touchdowns went to Smith, who caught four passes for 89 yards. Smith, who played with the AFA's Carolina Chargers in 1979, then went to the NFL's Atlanta Falcons for two seasons, wants to play in the Canadian Football League this year. He will play with the Storm until something comes up in Canada.
       "It was great throwing to Reggie again," said Turner, whose six touchdown passes gave the Storm a 42-0 lead at halftime.
     Things went easily for Turner, Smith and the Storm. In fact, the toughest part of the game might have been figuring out who was playing for whom.
     Both teams had to wear white jerseys, because the Storm's green jerseys haven't arrived yet and the Sun didn't bring its red shirts. The teams' helmets and pants were different colors - Carolina had yellow helmets and pants, Florida wore all white - and that, it seemed, was enough to tell the difference.
     The ease with which the game was won was a surprise. The Storm's talent was evident beforehand because most of the players had been with the Chargers when they were league runners-up in 1979 and 1980. But the team had been practicing together for only two weeks.
     "We might have played better than I thought we would," said Storm coach Eddie Joyce. "I really felt we weren't going to be this sharp. It's probably the best we've looked."
     Said Smith: "This team evidently enjoys playing on Saturday. We really came together."
       The game's first play set the tone. After that, it was just a matter of how large the spread would be. Ray Ellis, for one, wanted it bigger.
     Ellis, an offensive lineman, played last season for Johnson C. Smith, which lost one game 82-0 to S.C. State.
     "I wanted 82 tonight," said Ellis.
     The Storm probably could have gotten it. It led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter, on additional scoring passes to Jeff Thompson and Smith. Turner hit Lonnie Harris, Thompson and Smith in the second quarter.
     Florida got its only touchdown in the third quarter, when Rupert Bennett caught a 68-yard scoring pass from Eddie Williams.
     Then Turner got his seventh, and record-breaking, scoring pass, finding Thompson from 8 yards.
     After that, ex-Appalachian State quarterback Steve Brown took over and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to James Crowder. Carolina finished its scoring on a 16-yard run by Thompson, who played college football at Minnesota and finished the game with four touchdowns.
                 
Score by Quarters
West Florida       0     0     7     0     -     7
Carolina   21   21   13   7   -   62
                         
Statistics
        WF       CA
First downs   6   20
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 30   ? - 299
Passing yards   144   265
Passing (comp - att - int)   14 - 30 - 5   20 - 29 - 0
Punts - avg   2 - 38   9 - 33
Fumbles - lost   0 - 0   0 - 0
Penalties - yards   9 - 120   5 - 65
         
              
Scoring Summary
CA       Smith 59 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Thompson10 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Smith 15 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Harris 35 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Thompson 10 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Smith 5 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
WF   Bennett 68 pass from Williams (Sullivan kick)
CA   Thompson 8 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Crowder 12 pass from Brown (kick failed)
CA   Thompson 16 run (Blum kick)
     
     
Photograph
Carolina: Emmett Hamilton (45)
 
Photograph
Carolina: Ellsworth Turner (15)
 
Photograph
Carolina: Reggie Smith (??)
 
 
Florida Statesmen logo Florida Statesmen
at
Georgia Pride


May 29, 1982
- DeKalb Memorial Stadium -
Georgia Pride logo
 
Pride opens with 40-9 victory
                 
Earnest Reese - Atlanta Constitution        
         
     After struggling with their opponent for the entire first quarter of their American Football Association regular-season opener at DeKalb Memorial Stadium Saturday night, quarterback Anthony Flanagan and his Georgia Pride teammates hit the airways for four second-period touchdowns and coasted to a 40-9 victory over the Tallahassee Statesmen.
     A crowd estimated at 3,000 saw the 6-3, 210-pound Flanagan throw for four touchdowns within a span of seven minutes and 40 seconds to rally the Pride from a 3-0 deficit to a 28-3 halftime lead.
     Flanagan, who completed 13 of 20 passes for 190 yards in the first half, threw seven yards to tight end Larry Powers for the Pride's first touchdown.
       After a five-yard penalty assessed against the Statesmen on the ensuing kickoff, the Pride successfully executed an on-side kick. Two plays and 40 seconds later, Flanagan went up top to wide receiver Mike Frazier for a 33-yard touchdown.
     With the Pride's defense bottling up the opposition's every offensive avenue, Flanagan found former Georgia receiver Gene Washington slanting across the middle for a 25-yard touchdown, followed less than three minutes later by a 13-yard scoring pass to Mike Dowdell.
     Flanagan ran only one time, for a two-yard touchdown in the third period, and sat out most of the fourth period after having completed 16 of 30 passes for 234 yards and
  those four touchdowns.
     Statesman interim coach Steve Hardin, who Thursday night coached his Lincoln High football team in a spring jamboree game back in Tallahassee, sent out a seemingly inspired team against the Pride. The Statesmen were the hardest-hitting team on the field in the first period, when they took a 3-0 lead on placekicker Mike Cox's 34-yard field goal with 8:34 left in the opening quarter.
     In the second period, however, the Statesmen, who ended up with minus one yard total offense in the first half, found themselves short of enthusiasm and long on inability to contend with Flanagan's passing.
                 
Score by Quarters
Florida       3     0     6     0     -     9
Georgia   0   28   ?   ?   -   40
                         
Statistics
        FL       GA
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
FL       Cox 32 field goal
GA   Powers 7pass from Flanagan (??? kick)
GA   Frazier 33 pass from Flanagan (??? kick)
GA   Washington 25 pass from Flanagan (??? kick)
GA   Dowdell 13 pass from Flanagan (??? kick)
FL   Wilson 51 pass from Wooden (kick failed)
GA   Flanagan 2 run (???)
GA   ??? (???)
     
 
 
San Antonio Bulls logo San Antonio Bulls
at
Texas Wranglers


May 29, 1982
- Mesquite Memorial Stadium -
Texas Wranglers logo
 
Wranglers bomb San Antonio, 31-7
                 
Luke Johnson - Mesquite Daily News        
         
     Though they had to wake from some first a half offensive doldrums, the Texas Wranglers got untracked in time Saturday night to take a 31-7 victory over the perennially tough San Antonio Bulls and start off the American Football Association season with a 1-0 record.
     While the offense was experiencing problems, it was the Wranglers' defense that was equal to the task, swiping seven interceptions off the arms of Bulls passers Pete Przyborowski and Richard Avery. The former gave up five interceptions, while the latter suffered two. The big man in the secondary was Rod Gerald, who swiped three Bulls' aerials, but recording the biggest play of the evening was Chris Middleton.
     With the Wranglers trailing 7-3 late in the first half, Middleton stepped in front of wide receiver Thomas Whittier and sped 80 yards with an interception to set up a go-ahead touchdown, giving the Wranglers a lead they would never relinquish.
     "The defense showed a lot of poise hanging in there the way they did in the first half to keep us in the game," said head coach Rusty Talbot.
     The defense had to overcome some early adversity to accomplish the task, after a blocked Wranglers punt gave the visiting team a 7-0 first quarter advantage. Gayle Grant, back to punt deep in his own end of the field, was
  put under heavy pressure and had his kick blocked by 260-pound Ken Mills. Paul Peveglio got the handle on the bouncing ball on the Texas 16 and went in untouched to open the scoring.
     Texas struggled through most of the first half, finding it hard to obtain rushing momentum. A running attack which a week earlier had been able to grind out huge chunks of yardage managed a meager 12 yards on the ground in the first two periods. Fortunately, the Wranglers defense held San Antonio to even less, giving up only nine yards.
     In the second quarter the Wranglers finally got on the scoreboard after seeing a drive die deep in San Antonio territory. When the offense found it could move the ball no further than the Bulls' seven, Grant came in to nail a perfect 24-yard field goal to cut the margin to 7-3.
     In the closing minutes of the first half, Middleton's heroics set up the go-ahead touchdown. Przyborowski and Whittier, who had teamed up for five first half passing connections, tried one time too often. Whittier ran an "out" pattern, which Middleton diagnosed perfectly, stepping in front of the receiver to pick off the pass at the Wranglers' 17 and lugging it all the way to the San Antonio three, stopped as much by the exhausting heat as by the closing Bulls tacklers.
       The Wranglers made short work of it from there, as running back Henry Bush banged across from the three for the score. Grant added the PAT to make it 10-7.
     A leaping third quarter reception by the Wranglers' Mark Owen set up the next Texas score. Joel Briscoe, seeing his first season action in the game, carried in from the 13-yard line and Grant again converted for a 17-7 advantage.
     The passing game got into the act for the next Wrangler touchdown. Quarterback Welby Ina, using a host of receivers, moved the ball crisply downfield to the Bulls' two-yard stripe. Bootlegging to his left, Ina drew defensive pressure and lobbed a perfect two-yard strike to Leonard Medlock in the end zone, pushing the Wranglers in front 24-7.
     On the final scoring drive by the Wranglers, Ina mixed up the offensive calls, balancing the passing attack and running game to move into scoring position. Medlock, who would finish the night with 35 yards on the ground, got the biggest chunk of it in the drive.
     The Wranglers' offense carried the drive to the Bulls' 23, and with the defense anticipating a pass, Medlock took a handoff, swung to his right and turned on the speed for a 23-yard TD.
                 
Score by Quarters
San Antonio       0     7     0     0     -     7
Texas   0   10   7   14   -   31
                         
Statistics
        SA       TX
First downs   17   19
Rushing (att - yards)   32 - 49   43 - 144
Passing yards   121   134
Passing (comp - att - int)   13 - 32 - 7   12 - 28 - 0
Punts - avg   4 - 36.3   7 - 37.1
Fumbles - lost   ? - 0   ? - 3
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
SA       Paveglio 8 blocked punt return (Vega kick)
TX   Grant 24 field goal
TX   Bush 3 run (Grant kick)
TX   Briscoe 12 run (Grant kick)
TX   Medlock 2 pass from Ina (Grant kick)
TX   Medlock 24 run (Grant kick)
     
     
     
Photograph
Texas: Leonard Medlock (??), Joel Briscoe (??), RobertNealy (73), Randolph Morton (74)
 
Photograph
Texas: Leonard Medlock (46), Tony Brown (47)
San Antonio: Ken Mills (??)
 
Photograph
Texas: Henry Bush (33)
San Antonio: Ken Mills (??)
 
Photograph
Texas: Leonard Medlock (??), Welby Ina (??)
 
 
Virginia Chargers logo Virginia Chargers
at
Charleston Rockets


May 29, 1982
- Laidley Field -
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
 
Chargers routed 71-7
                 
Richmond Times-Dispatch        
         
     Mike Tyson and Mike Bailey scored three touchdowns each as the Charleston Rockets routed the Virginia Chargers 71-7 in their American Football Association regular season opener last night.        Tyson got two of his touchdowns in the first quarter, on a 64-yard punt return and a 99-yard kickoff return, and one on an 80-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter.
     Bailey  also scored two of his touchdowns in
  the first quarter, on 4-yard and 6-yard runs. His third touchdown came in the second quarter on a a 3-yard run.
                 
Score by Quarters
Virginia       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     7
Charleston   ?   ?   ?   ?   -   71
                         
Statistics
        VA       CH
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Alabama Magic logo Alabama Magic
at
West Florida Sun


June 5, 1982
- UNKNOWN -
 NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
 
Magic thumps Florida
                 
Birmingham News        
         
     The Alabama Magic ran its American Football Association record to 2-0 Saturday night with a 33-0 win over Florida before an estimated crowd of 500 persons.
     Two former Auburn stars, quarterback Charlie Trotman and end Mark Robbins
  accounted for two of the Magic's touchdowns. Trotman scored on a 1-yard run, and Robbins caught a 36-yard pass from Mark Cahill.
     Other Magic points came on a 2-yard run by Carl Stephens, a 13-yard run by Roy Jones and a 5-yard run by Patrick Carrington. Ed
  Strickland converted three PATs and had two blocked.
     The Magic plays again at 7:30 Saturday night in Anniston against the Tallahassee Statesman.
                 
Score by Quarters
Alabama       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     33
West Florida   0   0   0   0   -   0
                         
Statistics
        AL       WF
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
West Florida: Woodie Smith (12)
 
Photograph
West Florida: Eddie Williams (10)
 
 
Austin Texans logo Austin Texans
at
Shreveport Americans


June 5, 1982
- Independence Stadium -
Shreveport Americans logo
 
Americans roll past Texans
                 
Ron Higgins - Shreveport Times        
         
     Austin Texans head coach Ben Dial pointed at the line on the final statistical sheet following the Shreveport Americans' rousing 52-13 American Football Association win Saturday night at Independence Stadium.
     "That," said Dial fingering the line which showed Shreveport's passing yardage at 368, "was the difference."
     The Americans turned a 21-13 game early in the third quarter into an absolute rout and the basic reason was the play of quarterback James Mosley.
     Mosley came off the bench in the second quarter and finished the night completing 13 of 18 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns.
     His second scoring pass, covering six yards to tight end Gregg Lazzaro with 2:24 left in the third quarter, got the Americans back on track again after quarterback Mike Washington personally led a Texans comeback.
     Washington guided his team 75 yards in 15 plays following the second half kickoff and scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak to pull his team within 21-13.
     But Mosley came back with his scoring pass to Lazzaro, added a one-yard touchdown run himself and turned the controls over to another reserve, Ken Smith.
     Smith helped the Americans get in position for a 49-yard Jerry Pope field goal, a one-yard scoring run by Smith himself and a two-yard TD run by Ron Jones to close out a 24-point fourth
  quarter.
     "Our offense just got untracked the second half," said Shreveport head coach Tom Rushing, winning his first game as the Americans boss. "Mosley had some great play selection and followed it up by playing super."
     The win evened Shreveport's record at 1-1 on the year and the Americans host Houston next Saturday night at 8 in Independence Stadium. The Texans dropped to 0-2.
     Shreveport's offense sputtered for the most part during the first quarter with Robin Wasson handling the quarterback controls. But the Americans finally got things together on their third possession, going 63 yards in eight plays for the game's opening score.
     Two key plays along the way were a Wasson to Reggie Brock 14-yard pass which put the Americans in Austin territory at the Texans 40 and a defensive holding penalty on Austin on a play in which Wasson had a pass intercepted.
     Helped by that good fortune, Wasson four plays later lofted a 32-yard scoring pass to Edwin Scott. Scott had beaten two Austin defenders to the left corner of the end zone and caught the ball through a maze of hands. Jerry Pope kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Shreveport lead with 2:09 left in the quarter.
     Austin never threatened in the opening quarter for two reasons. One was a stout Americans defense and the other was the Texans tried to rely on a running attack which
  only netted 32 yards in eight attempts.
     The Americans got an offensive lift on their first possession of the second quarter when Mosley, who suffered through a terrible performance as the starting quarterback in the season-opening 20-18 loss last week in Tulsa, started hitting receivers all over the place.
     Mosley, completing four of five passes for 79 yards of an 85-yard, eight-play scoring drive, took the Americans into the end zone with 10:10 left before the half. The score came on a 19-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Wells. Pope's kick made it 14-0, Shreveport.
     The Americans added another touchdown five plays into Austin's ensuing drive when strong safety Keith Alexander cut in front of a pass from Austin's Bryan Bailey and returned it 43 yards behind a wall of blockers for six more points. Pope added the extra point for a 21-0 Shreveport margin with 7:16 left before halftime.
     At this point, Austin figured it had to do something offensively and went with the veteran Washington, who had been on the coaching line.
     With Washington completing two passes in as many attempts for 53 yards and Shreveport contributing a pass interference penalty (against American defensive back Mike Back) in the end zone on Texans receiver Waylon Gay, Austin got on the scoreboard.
                 
Score by Quarters
Austin       0     7     6     0     -     13
Shreveport   7   14   7   24   -   52
                         
Statistics
        AU       SH
First downs   17   21
Rushing (att - yards)   41 - 118   20 - 83
Passing yards   174   368
Passing (comp - att - int)   10 - 23 - 3   21 - 37 - 1
Punts - avg   5 - 38   1 - 43
Fumbles - lost   2 - 0   2 - 0
Penalties - yards   12 - 85   7 - 72
         
              
Scoring Summary
SH       Scott 32 pass from Wasson (Pope kick)
SH   Wells 19 pass from Mosley (Pope kick)
SH   Alexander 43 interception return (Pope kick)
AU   Washington 1 run (Bailey kick)
AU   Washington 1 run (kick failed)
SH   Lazarro 6 pass from Mosley (Pope kick)
SH   Mosley 1 run (Pope kick)
SH   Pope 49 field goal
SH   Smith 1 run (Pope kick)
SH   Jones 2 run (Pope kick)
Photograph
Shreveport: Robin Wasson (12)
 
 
Buffalo Geminis logo Buffalo Geminis
at
Virginia Chargers


June 5, 1982
- Manassas Park High School -
Virginia Chargers logo
 
Less than 200 see Chargers lose home opener at MP
                 
Bob Groves - Woodbridge Potomac News        
         
     The American Football Association's (AFA) Virginia Chargers kicked off their homestanding 1982 football sea- son bowing to the Buffalo Geminis 17-6 Saturday at Manassas Park High.
     Playing on a rain soaked field with dense fog rolling in, the Chargers provided the small, but enthusiastic crowd of less than 200 the opportunity to watch professional football.
     Charger owner-coach Bob Shaws' squad bounced back from a 71-7 thumping a week ago against West Virginia and came out in the second half to get back into the ball game, after falling behind 10-0 in the first half.
     The Geminis scored first on a field goal from Joe Perri from 25 yards out, followed by a long drive that resulted in a 2-yard touchdown by fullback Eric Gadley over right tackle. Gadley, a 6-foot, 210-pounder, ran at will against the Chargers defense throughout the evening.
     The Geminis scored its touchdown after an interception by Frank Grzechowiak on an Eddie Cox pass that was intended for Larry Gholson.
     Shaw was naturally disappointed that his team wasn't able to hit the big play when it had to, but felt his team had made a lot of progress after last week's debacle.
     "We felt that after we made some adjustments at halftime we could make the big play to put us back in the game," Shaw said. "Instead we had to settle for the two field goals
which only put us down by four points.
     "But then we had them backed up (third and twenty-three), they hit the big play."
     The big play Shaw referred to was a touchdown pass by George Pachuchy, a product from the University of Delaware, to Dominic Lettieri.
     The Chargers bright spot on offense was the kicking by George Claffey who connected on two field goals from 21 and 15 yards. Cox was one for 24 with four interceptions, but many passes were on the money. With the field so slippery, the receivers really didn't have a fair chance to grab and hold onto the ball before being hit.
     Furthermore, Shaw was disappointed by the small turnout, but he feels with the team having another week to advertise itself that better fan support will be coming. It wasn't until Thursday that the Chargers had a home field set after efforts to play at other sites were unsuccessful.
     This is also the first season of play in the AFA for Buffalo, played in the Mid-Atlantic Football League finishing in third place with a record of 5-5.
     Each team in the league plays a ten-game schedule followed by playoffs for the league championship. Eighteen teams are split into three separate divisions with six teams in each. The two point conversion is also in effect which
can make many games interesting.
     Many NFL and CFL teams have players trying out and signing from the AFA. The Carolina franchise has four players trying out with the Washington Redskins. They are Willie Holly from Eastern Carolina and John Stoutamire from Livingstone College. Both are defensive backs. Frank Carr of North Carolina A&T and Tony Suber of Gardner Webb College, a 6-4, 285-pound defensive tackle, are trying out with the Redskins.
     Former New York Giants quarterback Jerry Golsteyn played last season with the AFA's Orlando franchise, but this season he will be returning to the NFL to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
     Playing under better conditions, the Chargers (0-2) may get added support from the area. The AFA has brought attention to the NFL and CFL, and a good case in point was the Shreveport Steamer attracting 100,- 000 fans during all home games, including 20,000 in their season finale in its first year in the league.
     The Chargers will entertain Wisconsin this Saturday at Manassas Park in its quest to win their first AFA regular season game.
     Tickets for all games will be $5 for adults, and $4 for children.
                 
Score by Quarters
Buffalo       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     17
Virginia   ?   ?   ?   ?   -   6
                         
Statistics
        BU       VA
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   V
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Virgina: Eddie Cox (16)
 
Photograph
Virginia: Harvey Banks (3)
 
 
Canton Bulldogs logo Canton Bulldogs
at
Racine Gladiators


June 5, 1982
- Horlick Field -
Racine Gladiators logo
 
Bulldogs lose 12-6 to Racine
                 
Akron Beacon Journal        
         
     The offense failed to produce a touchdown for the second week in a row as the Canton Bulldogs dropped a 12-6 decision to the Racine Gladiators here Saturday night.      Canton managed only two fourth-quarter field goals by Les Petroff as it fell to 0-2 in the American Football Association. A week ago, the Bulldogs dropped their opener to Roanoke, 13- 6, scoring only on a fumble recovery in the end zone.
     Canton's next game is Saturday against the West Virginia Rockets in Charleston.
                 
Score by Quarters
Canton       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     6
Racine   ?   ?   ?   ?   -   12
                         
Statistics
        CA       RA
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Carolina Storm logo Carolina Storm
at
Florida Statesmen


June 5, 1982
- Capital Stadium -
Florida Statesmen logo
 
Storm stomps Statesmen
                 
Gerald Ensley - Tallahassee Democrat        
         
     Proving for the second week in a row that good football teams are not born overnight, the Florida Statesmen went down to the Carolina Storm 30-0 Saturday night at Capital Stadium.
     In what might, most of the night, have passed for a gang fight, the Statesmen crossed midfield only once, fumbled twice and were assessed 67 1/2 yards in penalties. In a tribute to the difficulties of assembling an offense in less than a month, the Statesmen's longest time of possession was 3:40. The closest they came to a score was a missed 43-yard field goal by Mike Cox.
     The loss gave the Statesmen an 0-2 record in their inaugural season in the American Football Association. Team officials were unable to offer a crowd-count, but an optimistic guess would put the number of spectators at 2,000. The Storm improved its record to 2-0. "Same story as last week," said Statesmen head coach Steve Hardin. "The defense was great; I don't think we've been outhit in two games.
     "But we've got to get some offense. Nine points in two games. We've just got to score more."
     While Hardin praised his defense, particularly defensive back Robert Linton, nose guard Harrell Oliver and linebacker Larry McPherson, the Storm had little nice to say about the Statesmen's defense.
     Much of the Storm's criticism stemmed from a play late in the second quarter. With his
team leading 10-0, Storm receiver Reggie Smith was racing down the sidelines in pursuit of a pass from quarterback Ellsworth Turner. Just before the ball reached Smith, Statesmen defensive back Dwayne Johnson clotheslined Smith. Johnson, who appeared to make no attempt to intercept the ball, defend- ed his tackle, which sent Smith off the field for several minutes.
     "It was a fair shot, a clean hit," said Johnson. "He was going for the ball. I couldn't get to the ball, so I went through him."
     Smith, who spent two years with the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL, did not agree.
     "It was a cheap shot. He wasn't going for the ball, he was bearing in on the ballplayer," said Smith. "I hate to talk bad about them - we have to play them again - but this was the most physical game we've played. I haven't seen another team in this league play that way. If this is the type of ball they are going to play in this league, I don't know about the credibility of the league. Football doesn't need this."
     What the Statesmen don't need is to face another team the caliber of Carolina until they can assemble an offense - and tighten up their defense. Owning the ball for almost three quarters of the game, the Storm scored touchdowns on marches of 43, 79, 30 and 53 yards and added a 23-yard field goal by John Blum after a 47-yard march. The Storm's offense was a good blend of passing and
running. Turner completed 19 of 41 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Storm runners Emmett Hamilton and Art Henderson each ran for a touchdown. Hamilton, the league's leading rusher after two games, carried the ball 25 times for 104 yards, giving him 244 yards rushing in two games.
     Reggie Perkins led the Statesmen in rushing with a gritty 55 yards on 15 carries. The Statesmen managed only 122 yards of total offense, to the Storm's 377. Statesmen quarterback Clyde Walker, who completed 13 of 20 passes for 49 yards, most of them on desperation dumps to Perkins, was sacked four times.
     "I made a couple of mental mistakes, put the ball up for grabs when I shouldn't have," said Walker, who was intercepted three times. "Like last week, I don't think the score reflected our play. We've had improvement."
     Walker had a pair of good receivers in Joe Thomas, who caught three passes for 30 yards, and Greg Shumann, who caught two passes before leaving the field with a slight concussion after the second reception.
     The Storm's Hamilton agreed that the Statesmen played "pretty well overall. But they were a little dirty. They took us out of our game plan because of that, and that's why we were only up 10-0 at half.
     "But we regrouped."
     That's what the Statesmen must do now.
                 
Score by Quarters
Storm       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     30
Florida   0   0   0   0   -   0
                         
Statistics
        CA       FL
First downs   22   14
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 149   ? - 73
Passing yards   228   49
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - 32.0   ? - 37.5
Return yards   51   137
Fumbles - lost   1 - 1   2 - 2
Penalties - yards   ? - 50   ? - 67
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Carolina: Emmett Hamilton (45)
 
 
Georgia Pride logo Georgia Pride
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds


June 5, 1982
- Gator Bowl -
Jacksonville Sunbirds logo
 
Chester can't rally Sunbirds past Pride
                 
Phil Rogers - Florida Times-Union        
         
     Albert Chester ran a marathon last night. Unfortunately for the Jacksonville Sunbirds, their second-year quarterback did the vast majority of his legwork behind the line of scrimmage.
     While his offensive line was acting like moving pockets of cellophane, Chester spent the long evening trying to avoid marauding defenders. Ten times he was unsuccessful, being sacked. Still, he somehow managed to complete 21 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns.
     But when he was through, after Charlie Dorsey had taken his last pass 45 yards before being stopped 20 yards away from the goal line on the game's last play, Chester had only played a role in the second consecutive Sunbirds' loss.
     Taking advantage of two second half breakdowns, the Georgia Pride spoiled the Sunbirds' home opener with a 33-27 victory in an American Football Association game before an estimated 3,016 at the Gator Bowl. The Sunbirds fell to 0-2 while Southeastern Division rival Georgia raised its record to 2-0.
     "They dogged us, blitzed us and caught us off guard," a weary Chester said afterward. "There was not much I could do but try to survive.
     "It was unreal. I can't even think right now."
     "Their defensive line whipped us pretty good in the second half," said Sunbirds' coach Jerry Disch.
     And the first half wasn't pretty either, coach. Chester was sacked six times in that 30-minute segment.
     "Chester is a super quarterback and field leader, and he's a gutty son-of-a-buck," said Disch. "A lot of quarterbacks would have done their best to get out of the game the way he was getting stuck."
     Because Chester was working his magical survival act and Charlie Brown was in the process of catching 12 passes for 129 yards, Jacksonville claimed a 17-14 halftime lead on Allen Leavitt's 54-yard field with 4:38 remaining in the second quarter.
     That lead vanished when punter Steve Amos was unable to pick up a too-high center snap and Georgia's Al Archie recovered in the end zone for a Pride touchdown with 8:34 left in the third quarter. The Atlanta team built its lead to 27-17 on a 6-yard pass from University of Georgia ex Tony Flanagan to Melvin Jenkins.
     Leavitt, another Georgia graduate, booted Jacksonville within 27-20 on a 50-yard field go
with 9:36 remaining in the final quarter. Leavitt then lined the kickoff into up man Clifford McCray and the ball bounced to the Sunbirds' Herman Young to give Jacksonville the ball on its own 44.
     "I thought the momentum was going our way... but it got away from us," said Disch.
     Chester's first-down pass went through Dorsey's hands and was picked off by Georgia's Bubba Brown, who carried it to the Sunbirds' one. Zollie Harris carried for a touchdown on the next play.
     Flanagan, who played for Hawaii in the Continental Basketball Association last year, passed for three Georgia touchdowns.
     Before the game, Sunbirds' general manager Tom Johnston said he planned to review the feasibility of summer football if the crowd fell far under his goal of 6,000. Afterward, while talking about the AFA's recently signed cable television package, he admitted he wasn't pleased with the turnout.
     According to the city's count, 2,775 tickets were sold on a night when they went two-for-one. "With crowds like this," Johnston said, "I don't know that there will be games to televise."
                 
Score by Quarters
Georgia       14     0     7     12     -     33
Jacksonville   7   10   0   10   -   27
                         
Statistics
        GA       JA
First downs   15   15
Rushing (att - yards)   39 - 70   27 - 36
Passing yards   144   278
Passing (comp - att - int)   13 - 26 - 0   21 - 40 - 3
Punts - avg   5 - 36.6   5 - 34.8
Return yards   211   149
Fumbles - lost   3 - 2   2 - 2
Penalties - yards   9 - 96   10 - 90
         
              
Scoring Summary
GA       Washington 28 pass from Flanagan (Brien kick)
JA   Brown 18 pass from Chester (Leavitt kick)
GA   Powers 31 pass from Flanagan (Brien kick)
JA   McLarty recovered fumble in end zone (Leavitt kick)
JA   Leavitt 54 field goal
GA   Archie recovered rumble in end zone (Brien kick)
GA   Jenkins 5 pass from Flanagan (kick failed)
JA   Leavitt 50 field goal
GA   Harris 2 run (pass failed)
JA   Dorsey 20 pass from Chester (Leavitt kick)
     
Photograph
Jacksonville: Charles Owens (41), Authur Mallory (3)
 
 
Texas Wranglers logo Texas Wranglers
at
Houston Armadillos


June 5, 1982
- Rice Stadium -
Houston Armadillos logo
 
Wranglers ride herd on Armadillos 40-3
                 
Houston Chronicle        
         
     Unfortunately for the Houston Armadillos, Welby Ina decided not to try his luck with the Canadian Football League this season.
     Instead, Ina returned to the American Football Association and directed the Texas Wranglers to a 40-3 thrashing of the Armadillos Saturday night in Rice Stadium.
     Two years out of Bishop College in Dallas, Ina, who played high school football at Port Arthur Lincoln, threw for four touchdowns and set up another while completing 15 of 23 passes for 225 yards. The Mesquite, Texas-based Wranglers now have not permitted an opposing offense to score a touchdown in their last three games while outscoring the opposition 120-10.
     Ina, a sales representative for a Dallas trucking firm, picked apart the Armadillo secondary while connecting on 10 of 14 first-half attempts including a three touchdown barrage in the second quarter.
     The 5-foot-10, 182-pounder waited until last week to turn down a tryout with the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who wanted him as a wide receiver. "I signed with Winnipeg in February as a free agent," Ina said, "but I
wasn't sure if I was going or not. My plane was due to leave at 8:45 Wednesday morning, and when I woke up that morning, I knew I preferred staying where I am.
     "I figure I have a great job where I am, the people I work for let me off in time for practice, and I also think I have a good chance to hear from the new league (United States Football League)."
     Ina, 25, began with a 23-yard scoring pass in the first quarter to wide receiver Steve Sullivan, an Austin College ex, following Steve Beck's 23-yard punt return. After a 23-yard field goal by Jerry Maltz, Houston's only scoring play, Ina connected on a 25-yarder to Ethan Ogletree, finishing off a 60-yard touchdown drive early in the second quarter.
     Just three minutes, 16 seconds later, the Wranglers scored again following a 43-yard punt return by Gary Warren, Ina's 25-yard peg to tight end Martin Patterson, and Joel Briscoe's 1-yard touchdown plunge.
     After Ina's 65-yard touchdown pass to Sullivan was nullified by a penalty, the Wranglers moved 76 yards, Ina throwing the final 11 to halfback Tony Brown seven seconds
before the half.
     Ina retired shortly after his 34-yard scoring shot to running back Henry Bush with 1:45 left in the third quarter. Bush accounted for the Wranglers' final touchdown with a 14-yard, fourth-quarter dash.
     With his team now 2-0 in the AFA regular season, Wrangler coach Rusty Talbot said, "We wanted to throw deep on them because they were covering man for man, and they were blitzing a lot of the time. It took us some time in the first quarter to figure them out. I thought our secondary did an excellent job." Talbot and his assistants will coach West Mesquite High School in its first season in Class 4A next fall.
     James Montgomery, Houston's starting quarterback, managed to complete just 10 of 33 passes for 72 yards. Notable in the Wrangler secondary were Cris Middleton (Texas-Arlington), Mark Thorson, who spent parts of two seasons with Green Bay of the National Football League, and former Ohio State quarterback-receiver Rod Gerald.
     Now 1-1 in regular season, the Armadillos play at Shreveport Saturday night.
                 
Score by Quarters
Texas       7     13     13     7     -     40
Houston   3   0   0   0   -   3
                         
Statistics
        TX       HO
First downs   19   12
Rushing (att - yards)   43 - 113   27 - 85
Passing yards   228   99
Passing (comp - att - int)   15 - 23 - 0   13 - 45 - 2
Punts - yards   4 - 106   5 - 129
Return yards   54   230
Fumbles - lost   2 - 2   0 - 0
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
TX       Sullivan 23 pass from Ina (Stringer kick)
HO   Maltz 23 field goal
TX   Ogletree 25 pass from Ina (kick failed)
TX   Briscoe 2 run (Stringer kick)
TX   Brown 11 pass from Ina (Stringer kick)
TX   Bush 33 pass from Ina (kick failed)
TX   Bush 14 run (Stringer kick)
     
     
     
     
 
 
Oklahoma Thunder logo Oklahoma Thunder
at
San Antonio Bulls


June 5, 1982
- Northside Stadium -
San Antonio Bulls logo
 
Thunder drops Bulls, 14-0
                 
Gary Gossett - San Antonio Light        
         
     The Oklahoma Thunder, according to one of its coaches, was tired and sluggish after an all-night bus ride from Tulsa to get to San Antonio for last night's American Football Association home opener at Northside Stadium.
     The Bulls had no such excuse, and more's the pity. San Antonio showed practically no offense in dropping its second straight game before 2,200 fans, this one by a 14-0 tally, and only a fine performance by the Bull defense kept the game from being a complete rout. They didn't allow the Thunder a touchdown, and that could be the only highlight of the game for the locals.
     Oklahoma got its points on four field goals by Alan Woodward, and a safety. Woodward,
somewhat of a sports hero in Tulsa, connected on boots of 32, 34, 50 and 38 yards, and missed on attempts of 44 and 50 yards. The safety came in the second quarter when Bull quarterback Pete Przyborowski was tackled in his end zone while trying to pass.
     The closest San Antonio came to putting points on the board was in the third period when Joe Vega's field goal try from the 28 was wide to the left.
     Credit must go to the Bulls' defense, though, especially Keith Nelms and Jay Lewis. Lewis dropped Thunder quarterback Dave Rader for a nine-yard loss on a third-and-goal play from the Bull 5 in the first period, forcing the visitors
to try a field goal - which was good - and Nelms made two outstanding defensive plays, one of them a five-yard loss for Thunder running back Vincent Orange on a fourth-and-goal situation from the San Antonio 2.
     On the ground, James Roberts led the Bulls with 24 yards in 10 carries.
     Rader, reportedly a last-day cut by the New York Giants last year, hit 14 of 28 passes for 158 yards, but was unable to get the ball into the end zone. Ted Alexander led the Oklahoma rushers with 35 yards on 14 tries and Dwaine Ball had 29 on 10 carries.
                 
Score by Quarters
Oklahoma       3     2     3     6     -     14
San Antonio   0   0   0   0   -   0
                         
Statistics
        OK       SA
First downs   12   8
Rushing (att - yards)   49 - 68   23 - (-9)
Passing yards   158   93
Passing (comp - att - int)   14 - 28- 1   10 - 29 - 3
Punts - yards   5 - 35.2   5 - 34.6
Fumbles - lost   0 - 0   3 - 3
Penalties - yards   6 - 57   4 - 27
         
              
Scoring Summary
OK       Woodward 32 field goal
OK   Safety Przyborowski tackled in end zone
OK   Woodward 34 field goal
OK   Woodward 50 field goal
OK   Woodward 38 field goal
     
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
San Antonio: Pete Przborowski ((??)
 
 
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
Charleston Rockets
at
Roanoke Valley Express


June 5, 1982
- William Byrd High School -
Roanoke Valley Express logo
 
51-7
Rockets try, but can't hold down score on Express;
Some fans walk out on home opener for Roanokers
                 
Randy King - Roanoke Times        
         
     Around 1,000 fans settled into William Byrd High Field in Vinton Saturday night to check out Roanoke's latest venture into summer professional football. Unfortunately, they didn't get to see a football game. They saw a comedy of errors.
     The Roanoke Valley Express, a club that has been thrown together in a matter of weeks, made its home debut Saturday night against the powerful Charleston (W. Va.) Rockets. To put it mildly, the Express was a complete bust.
     "I think we ought to get our money back," complained one disgruntled fan who left at halftime after shelling out $5 to see one of the biggest massacres since Pearl Harbor. "I've never seen anything like it."
     Neither had Express coach Gary Fallon or the rest of the Express. Making almost every mistake in the book, the Express fell behind 44-0 in the opening 25 minutes before settling for the short end of a 51-7 score.
     And it could have been worse. The Rockets, two-time defending American Football Association champions, pulled most of their starters late in the first half. Charleston coach Lonnie Warwick, in an obvious effort to call off the dogs, went with mostly reserves in the second half as most of the crowd filed for the exits.
     "He (Warwick) probably could have run it up some more," said the amazingly composed Fallon. "I appreciate what he did."
     When asked about the fans leaving at halftime, Fallon cracked, "I'd probably been with them, but I've got a job to do. Those
people pay their money so they can leave when they want to. I just hope they know we're a much better football than we showed."
     The beleaguered Express players agreed. They were in a state of shock when they went into the dressing room at halftime.
     "It was total embarrassment, just the worst," said Express quarterback Brian Plunkett, who just joined the club this week. "It all seemed hard to believe. You go into the locker room and try and get up. But, jeez, it's just terrible."
     Express defensive back Ernest Madison added, "I've never been in a situation like that in my entire life."
     After holding Charleston on its first possession, it was an omen of things to come when Rockets defensive back Mike Ogden blew in untouched from the left side and blocked a Willie Adams' punt only six minutes into the game. After Ogden pounced on the ball at the Express' 1-yard line, Mike Bailey scored on a short dive and the rout was on.
     Four minutes later, Rockets quarterback Steve Turk hit wide receiver Keith Oliveira on a crossing pattern over the middle for 28 yards to make it 14-0. Given an eternity to pick out his receivers, Turk made it 21-0 two minutes later with a 47-yard strike to running back Mike Bailey.
     "No preparation, that was the biggest problem," said Express cornerback Kenny Still about Turk's ability to riddle the Roanoke Valley secondary, supposedly the strongest part of the team. "We didn't have any idea what they'd be doing. We didn't go over any of their patterns."
     The Express, which used both Plunkett and Emory & Henry graduate Larry Roberts at quarterback, was stuck in reverse on offense. With the depleted Roanoke Valley offensive line (starters Jeff Ballard and Ed Davenport didn't play) rarely throwing a block, the Rockets teed off on Plunkett and Roberts, sacking the duo 10 times for minus-73 yards. For the game, the Express finished with minus-11 yards total offense.
     Charleston speedster Mike Tyson tacked on a 39-yard punt return, an 11-yard run and a 59-yard return of an Express free kick after Plunkett was sacked for a safety to supply the 44-0 halftime numbers.
     The Express went to the locker room, only to find the door locked. What do you say to your club down 44-0 at half?
     "I told them we got a good a --- kicking the first half, and if you want to throw in the towel you can," Fallon said. "I wanted to have a pizza and a meal in there."
     Charleston ran the count to 51-0 on reserve quarterback Steve Smith's 26-yard scoring pass to Mike Cusumano early in the final quarter. The Express avoided the shutout when Devon Hunter picked up a punt and wriggled his way 70 yards for a score with 9:04 left.
     About the only good thing the Express players could think of after the game was their first paycheck, which should arrive sometime this week. "I just hope we get enough to buy a pizza and a beer," Express running back Alan Houston said.
                 
Score by Quarters
Charleston       14     30     0     7     -     51
Roanoke Valley   0   0   0   7   -   7
                         
Statistics
        CH       RO
First downs   16   5
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 58   ? - (-24)
Passing yards   190   13
Passing (comp - att - int)   11 - 18 - 0   3 - 13 - 2
Punts - yards   6 - 31.0   7 - 23.4
Return yards   193   179
Fumbles - lost   1 - 0   3 - 1
Penalties - yards   8 - 65   5 - 35
         
              
Scoring Summary
CH       Bailey 1 run (Starnes kick)
CH   Oliveira 28 pass from Turk (Starnes kick)
CH   Bailey 47 pass from Turk (Starnes kick)
CH   Tyson 39 punt return (Starnes kick)
CH   Tyson 11 run (Starnes kick)
CH   Safety plunkett tackled in end zone
CH   Tyson 59 kickoff return (Starnes kick)
CH   Cusumano 26 pass from Smith (Starnes kick)
RO   Hunter 70 punt return (Shartrell kick)
     
     
 
 
Florida Statesmen logo Florida Statesmen
at
Alabama Magic


June 12, 1982
- Memorial Stadium (Anniston, AL) -
Alabama Magic logo
 
Crowd misses a Magic win
                 
Charles Goldberg - Anniston Star        
         
     With 1:58 left in the first half there were four people seated in the stands.
     With 1:49 left there were three. Then there were two. Then one.
     To put it mildly, professional football's debut in Anniston was not an overwhelming success Saturday night.
     The Alabama Magic left its home in Birmingham for a home game in Anniston Memorial Stadium. It got its win on the field - a 28-0 triumph over the Florida Statesmen of Tallahassee - but was a loser in the stands.
     The fans, perhaps numbering 700 early in the first quarter, were all but washed out of the park when a severe thunderstorm hit just minutes before the first half was over.
     The second half was witnessed by a couple of dozen fans in the stands and perhaps several dozen more milling around the track lining the field.
     While the American Football Association game had to be deemed an attendance bust, the brand of football was something better. Alabama was strong, showing why it now has a 3-0 record. Florida was no match in falling to 0-3.
     Alabama dominated both offensively and defensively and even got a chance to showcase area star Charles Wood at linebacker. Wood, of Heflin and later of Auburn, was one of the standouts in the game.
     The players, whose paycheck is based on a percentage of the gate after a certain attendance figure is reached, may well have gotten nothing out of the game but a win. Alabama general manager James Patton admitted as much. But he nevertheless steadfastly stood by his team, saying it may well be the best professional team in the state's history.
     That can be argued, as well as the fact that Birmingham's entry in the new United States Football League next year is already hurting the Magic in the eyes of the public.
     "The players have been winning - and they were expecting more money - but we still have
60 players," said Patton. "Their paycheck, if anything, has been very, very small. But they just love to play football."
     A visit to the sidelines revealed a certain love for the game. The players showed genuine enthusiasm through the dirt and sweat.
     But whether that important asset stays with them through many more payless Saturday nights remains to be seen.
     But there's always the dream - that chance an NFL team may see something in that running back or wide receiver and give him a chance at the big league.
     Magic wide receiver Alex Prince of Jackson State may be such a player. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder pulled down a several passes in NFL style. But the whole idea of judging the players was a tenuous proposition at best because of the inexact talent gage that had to be employed.
     The Magic did look good at times, but just how good was Florida?
     Perhaps the game films will answer that. But one will have to look quickly - the Magic quit filming during the third quarter when it was evident they would win.
     The rain, lightning and thunder threatened to be the biggest factors in the game. It sent most fans home at the half, and caused halftime to run an hour.
     The rain finally quit, but the players - to their credit - didn't. But few people saw that or anything else about the game.
     Who did what? Magic quarterback Mark Cahill of Nevada-Las Vegas had a good game. He threw two touchdown passes and set up another score with another a completed toss. He hit 12 of 20 passes for 263 yards.
     Former Auburn quarterback Charlie Trotman caught one of those touchdown passes from his spot at wide receiver, then found time to play a little quarterback of his own.
     Even Louis Green, a hulking 6-3, 265 offensive lineman from Alabama, got to run the ball on an end-around late in the fourth
quarter.
     He lost six yards, but nobody seemed to care. By then, the Magic were having a good time on the field.
     The defense had its biggest moment at the end. Florida took the ball at the Magic 1-yard line with 57 seconds left and appeared set to ruin the shutout. But the Magic defenders kept Florida down when they denied the Statesmen the goal line on five attempts.
     The Magic looked as if it was going to turn its offense loose early, as it had done in 37-32 and 33-0 wins. But its first long drive ended in an interception and its second ended in a fumble.
     Florida wasn't so fortunate the next series. Cahill hits passes of 10 and 24 yards to set up a 20-yard touchdown strike to former Auburn wide receiver Mark Robbins. Ron Slovensky hit the kick conversion to make it 7-0 with 12:35 left in the second.
     The Magic scored on its next possession, again riding the arm of Cahill. He hit passes of 29, 34 and 18 yards to set up a final 18-yard touchdown pass to Trotman. Slovensky's kick put the Magic up 14-0 with 5:16 left in the first half.
     The Magic made it three straight scores when it took its first possession of the second half in for a touchdown. Lawrence Joseph, a fleet 5-7, 170 back from Miles, took the scoring honors from four yards out. Slovensky's kick at 10:51 made it 21-0.
     The defense scored the final touchdown when James Drake, another player from Miles, intercepted a Clyde Walker pass and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown. Slovensky again kicked it through, and the Magic had its final 28-0 margin with 14:10 remaining in the game.
     The Magic substituted freely from there, experimenting with old players in new positions. But even that didn't help Florida.
     It seems the Statesmen were losers all the way around.
                 
Score by Quarters
Florida       0     0     0     0     -     0
Alabama   0   14   7   7   -   28
                         
Statistics
        FL       AL
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
AL       Robbins 20 pass from Cahill (Slovensky kick)
AL   Trotman 18 pass from Cahill (Slovensky kick)
AL   Joseph 4 run (Slovensky kick)
AL   Drake 18 interception return (Slovensky kick)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Alabama: Alex Prince (??)
 
Photograph
Alabama: Roy Jones (??)
 
 
San Antonio Bulls logo San Antonio Bulls
at
Austin Texans


June 12, 1982
- Burger Center -
Austin Texans logo
 
Bulls take first victory
                 
San Antonio Light        
         
     The San Antonio Bulls picked up their first win of the American Football Association season last night with a 20-12 conquest of the Austin Texans.
     Most of the Bull offense came through the air with San Antonio quarterback Steve Przyborowski completing 12 of 28 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Tom Whittier, the league's all time leading receiver, pulled in the first of the scoring aerials, going 16 yards
for the tally with 6:37 left in the first half.
     That opportunity was set up when Willie Hall intercepted an Austin pass five plays earlier and returned it to the Texan 28. It was the first score the Bulls' offense managed this season after San Antonio lost its first two games.
     Austin opened the scoring in the first period on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Mike Washington, a former San Antonio Charro, to Kim Watts. Washington accounted for the other
Austin points, running the ball in from seven yards out with 11 seconds left in the first half. The conversion failed following both Texan touchdowns leaving Austin with a 12-7 lead at intermission.
     Przyborowski took to the air early in the second half hitting Tony Armstrong on a 49-yard scoring strike. Joe Vega booted his second conversion to give the Bulls a 14-12 edge.
                 
Score by Quarters
San Antonio       0     7     7     6     -     20
Austin   6   6   0   0   -   12
                         
Statistics
        SA       AU
First downs   10   15
Rushing (att - yards)   27 - 59   46 - 207
Passing yards   198   122
Passing (comp - att - int)   12 - 28 - 3   7 - 32 - 2
Punts - yards   7 - 36.9   6 - 32.7
Fumbles - lost   1 - 1   4 - 1
Penalties - yards   9 - 90   7 - 60
         
              
Scoring Summary
AU       Watts 20 pass from Washington (kick failed)
SA   Whittier 16 passfrom Przyborowski (Vega kick)
AU   Washington 7 run (run failed)
SA   Armstrong 49 pass from Przyborowski (Vega kick)
SA   Comer 1 run (kick failed)
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Roanoke Valley Express logo Roanoke Valley Express
at
Buffalo Geminis


June 12, 1982
- War Memorial Stadium -
Buffalo Geminis logo
 
Erratic Geminis lose, 13-7
                 
Jim Kelley - Buffalo News        
         
     It would be difficult not to knock the Buffalo Geminis after Saturday evening's 13-7 American Football Association loss to Roanoke in War Memorial Stadium.
     But there really is no need. The team knocked itself, right out of the ball game.
     Except for Mark Arcure's 95-yard touchdown return of an intercepted pitchout, Buffalo's performance was certainly less than crisp as it squandered away all of it its best scoring opportunities.
     Twice Buffalo tailbacks fumbled inside the Roanoke 5-yard line. The punt return team mishandled what should have been an agonizingly simple fair catch and about the only pass the receiving corps caught was supposed to have been dropped.
     "I'm not going to say they (Roanoke) were a better team than us tonight," as exasperated Gemini coach Gene Zinni said afterward. "It was obvious what happened to us out there."
     What happened to the Geminis shouldn't happen to a poisonous snake, but despite the miscues, the team did just enough to stay in the ball game almost to the end.
     Roanoke was protecting a 13-7 advantage through much of the second half and appeared to have the game safely in hand when Buffalo's Domenick Lettieri dropped a Roanoke punt on his own 24-yard line with 4 minutes, 52 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
     Roanoke's David Martin recovered and the Express seemed content to let its steady running game wear down the game's final minutes until quarterback Vance Prince got other ideas.
     Prince, who nearly erased a solid 9 for 16 performance (97) yards), retreated nearly 20 yards in a scrambling effort to get off a pass before Buffalo's David Burke stripped him of the ball and recovered on the Roanoke 43.
     Quarterback Jim Hoysick, who earlier had
replaced starter George Pachucy, immediately threw incomplete, then scrambled for a minus two yards before finding Chris Ellis with a 14-yard strike that put Buffalo on the Roanoke 36 with 31 seconds left.
     After two more plays went nowhere, and with no timeouts remaining, Hoysick hit Ellis again just two yards off the line of scrimmage.
     "He wasn't supposed to catch it," Zinni said. "We were looking for an incompletion just to stop the clock."
     That clinched it for the Express which gleefully watched the final seconds tick off as Buffalo desperately tried to set up a final play.
     Roanoke put the game away with two sustained scoring drives, the first, 67 yards, was capped off by Simon Finch's 11-yard run with 1:10 left in the first half. The second came when the Express took the opening kickoff and drove 72 yards before Price scored on a one-yard plunge.
                 
Score by Quarters
Roanoke Valley       0     6     7     0     -     13
Buffalo   0   7   0   0   -   7
                         
Statistics
        RO       BU
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
BU       Arcure 95 interception return (Perri kick)
RO   Hunter 11 run (kick failed)
RO   Price 1 run (Freeland kick)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Roanoke: Devon Hunter (25), Alan Houston (40)
Buffalo: Mark Arcure (??)
 
 
Canton Bulldogs logo Canton Bulldogs
at
Charleston Rockets


June 12, 1982
- Laidley Field -
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
 
Bulldogs lose to Charleston
                 
Akron Beacon Journal        
         
     Steve Turk passed for 256 yards - including an 85-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Bart Batten - to lead the Charleston Rockets to a 24-17 victory over the Canton Bulldogs in an American Football Association game here Saturday night.      Turk completed 13 of 26 passes as Charleston jumped to a 24-0 lead. Canton scored all its points in the final quarter on touchdown runs of 12 and 4 yards by Lou King and a 47-yard field goal by Les Petroff.
     Canton had the ball on the Rockets' 7-yard
line with 16 seconds left. However, an incomplete pass on fourth down ended the Bulldogs' attempt to tie the score.
     Charleston, the defending AFA champions, raised its record to 3-0. Canton fell to 0-3.
                 
Score by Quarters
Canton       0     0     0     17     -     17
Charleston   0   10   14   0   -   24
                         
Statistics
        CA       CH
First downs   11   9
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 125   ? - 66
Passing yards   117   251
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
CH       Bailey 3 run (Starnes kick)
CH   Starnes 42 field goal
CH   Batten 85 pass from Turk (Starnes kick)
CH   Bailey 1 run (Starnes kick)
CA   King 12 run (Petroff kick)
CA   Petroff 47 field goal
CA   King 4 run (Petroff kick)
     
     
     
     
 
 
Houston Armadillos logo Houston Armadillos
at
Shreveport Americans


June 12, 1982
- Independence Stadium -
Shreveport Americans logo
 
Americans show no mercy in 59-0 win over Houston
                 
Ron Higgins - Shreveport Times        
         
     Time just wasn't on the Houston Armadillos side Saturday night.
     Because the more there was of it, the more the Shreveport Americans scored in rolling to a laughable 59-0 American Football Association win over the Armadillos, a team left in the shell of its former self.
     Other than the fact Houston turned the ball over on seven fumbles, four interceptions and one blocked punt with Shreveport capitalizing on seven of those mistakes, the Armadillos played a perfect game.
     In improving their season record to 2-1, the Americans coasted to a 25-0 halftime lead behind starting quarterback James Mosley, who completed 11 of 24 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns.
     Midway through the third quarter, Mosley gave way to reserve Ken Smith who came on to complete eight of 11 passes for 110 yards and four touchdown passes, covering 19 yards to Vernon Wells, 25 yards to Donnie Sutton, seven yards to Reggie Brock and 12 yards to Sammy Willis.
     The Americans final score of the night came on a 22-yard fumble recovery run by James Williams, who caught the ball in midair from Houston's Herbert Robinson after Robinson was flattened while returning a kickoff.
     "We just attacked their weak spots defensively," said Americans head coach Tom Rushing, whose team had 378 yards total offense (300 passing) while limiting Houston to 172 yards. "Those spots were their defensive
backs and their passing attack. It was weak and we knew if we put that on them we'd get some turnovers out of it."
     "In the second quarter, we turned the ball over to them too many times inside our 40," said Houston head coach Mike Dukes, who watched his team perform dismally in dropping to 1-2 on the year. "You can't play with your back to your goal all the time. Once a team gets on a roll like Shreveport did, it's hard to stop them. Interceptions. Fumbles on kickoffs. It's a nightmare."
     It took a while for the nightmare to steamroll.
     The Americans took a quick 3-0 lead with 10:06 left in the first quarter when placekicker Jerry Pope made good on a 26-yard field goal after Shreveport came up empty on an incomplete Mosley to Edwin Scott pass on a third and goal from the Houston 3.
     The Armadillos had their chance to tie the game when Shreveport's Ron Jones fumbled the ball at the Americans 28 with Houston's James Bailey recovering.
     But Houston picked up only one yard in three plays and placekicker Jerry Maltz's 45-yard field goal attempt was way short and to the right.
     It was towards the end of the opening period when the Shreveport defense began setting up its offense for scoring opportunities.
     First, Americans linebacker Reggie Small knocked loose the ball from Houston's Ronnie Jones with Shreveport's Curley White recovering at midfield.
     That set up a five-play touchdown drive capped by Mosley's 10-yard scoring pass to Scott. On the extra point attempt, holder Coco Tolliver could not get a juggled snap down on the tee, but rolled left and threw a two-point conversion pass juggled and caught by tight end Reggie Brock. It gave the Americans an 11-0 lead with 12:57 remaining in the second quarter.
     On the first Houston offensive play following a 10-yard kickoff return the Armadillos were stripped off the ball again, this time by Shreveport's Ardis McCann. This time, John Kelly recovered for Shreveport at the Houston 35.
     The Americans wasted no time in scoring, using a 30-yard Mosley to Wells pass to move to the Houston 5. That led to a two-yard Mosley-to-Brock scoring pass three plays later and Pope's extra point kick extended the Shreveport margin to 18-0 with 11:02 left before halftime.
     The Americans wasted another scoring chance after Kelly intercepted a pass by Houston quarterback Jim Montgomery and returned it 24 yards to the Armadillo 34. But Mosley had a pass of his own intercepted by Gerald Washington at the Houston 2.
     Mosley made up for that, though, with his third touchdown pass of the opening half, this one a 15-yard strike between two Armadillo defenders to Wells. Pope's kick made it 25-0, Shreveport, with 2:26 left in the second quarter.
                 
Score by Quarters
Houston       0     0     0     0     -     0
Shreveport   3   22   7   27   -   59
                         
Statistics
        HO       SH
First downs   8   20
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 61   ? - 113
Passing yards   165   300
Passing (comp - att - int)   12 - 28 - 4   21 - 42 - 3
Punts - yards   6 - 31.6   4 - 45.5
Fumbles - lost   8 - 7   2 - 1
Penalties - yards   8 - 85   16 - 150
         
              
Scoring Summary
SH       Pope 26 field goal
SH   Scott 10 pass from Mosley (Brock pass from Tolliver)
SH   Brock 2 pass from Mosley (Pope kick)
SH   Wells 15 pass from Mosley (Pope kick)
SH   Wells 19 pass from Smith (Pope kick)
SH   Sutton 25 pass from Smith (kick failed)
SH   Brock 7 pass from Smith (Pope kick)
SH   Willis 12 pass from Smith (Pope kick)
SH   Williams 22 fumble return (Pope kick)
     
     
Photograph
Shreveport: B. J. Harbor (50, Ron Johnson (56)
 
Photograph
Shreveport: Derrick Battle (48)
 
 
Texas Wranglers logo Texas Wranglers
at
Oklahoma Thunder


June 12, 1982
- Skelly Stadium -
Oklahoma Thunder logo
 
Thunder pins Texans, 26-6, with defense
                 
Jeff Necessary - Tulsa World        
         
     The Oklahoma Thunder offense could manage only five first downs and 108 total yards in offense, but the defense took the ball away six times and blocked two punts as the Thunder won its third straight American Football Association game, 26-6, from the Texas Wranglers at Skelly Stadium Saturday night before 5,200 fans.
     The Thunder put the game away with an 11-point second quarter despite not earning a single first down in the period. Tied 6-6 after one quarter, the Thunder used a blocked punt and one of five Wrangler fumbles to score 11 points in a 56-second span late in the half.
     Lonnie Davis fumbled a Gayle Grant punt, and Mike Fields recovered for Oklahoma at the Wrangler one. Fullback Ted Alexander punched over two plays later for what proved to be the winning score, and the Dave Rader-to-Joey Smith tandem - the same pair which clicked for the Thunder's first score - combined for a two-point pass to establish a 14-6 margin.
     Texas' Gary Warren fumbled the ensuing kickoff away at the Wrangler 32, and placekicker Alan Woodward hit his seventh field goal of the young AFA season three plays later
to give Oklahoma a 17-6 halftime lead.
     That margin was in jeopardy for most of the third period, as Oklahoma ran only nine plays and Texas threatened the Thunder end zone for most of the period. One threat died when former Oklahoma Sooner Jimbo Elrod managed to simultaneously block and intercept a Welby Ina pass on a second-and-goal play, and the other threat passed when Grant missed on a 27-yard field goal attempt that was wide to the right.
     Early in the final period, after the Thunder's initial first down since the first quarter, punter Rick Engles, former Tulsa University kicker, dropped a punt deep in Texas territory, which Ethan Ogletree returned to the 15. Ina rolled out on first down and was sacked by Rayfield Williams for a safety. Oklahoma led, 19-6.
     The final Thunder score came after Demitrius Thompson, named the defensive standout for the Thunder for his work in the secondary. filtered through the Texas line to block another Grant punt. He recovered the loose ball at the Texas eight, and, after a Wrangler penalty, TU product Quinn Jones rammed over from the four. Woodward closed the scoring with the
point after.
     Texas outgained the Thunder, 226-108, and registered 18 first downs to Oklahoma's five, but six turnovers and the blocked kicks doomed the Wranglers to their first loss after two AFA victories this season.
     Rader hit only five of 14 passes for 30 yards. He credited the Texas defense with some unexpected wrinkles, but gave the highest praise to the Thunder defense.
     "My hat's off to the defense," Rader said. "They got the turnovers and we turned them into points. They played real well. The one thing we (offense) did right was put points on the board when we got chances."
     Thompson was instrumental in holding Ina down to 138 air yards, batting several Texas passes to the Skelly Stadium turf. "I was getting a good jump on the ball tonight," he said. "I was really putting out for this game because we knew we were going for number one in the league."
     The Thunder puts its 3-0 record on the line next Saturday when the Austin Texans visit Skelly for Oklahoma's third home game in four outings. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
                 
Score by Quarters
Texas       6     0     0     0     -     6
Oklahoma   6   11   0   9   -   26
                         
Statistics
        TX       OK
First downs   18   5
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 88   ? - 78
Passing yards   138   30
Passing (comp - att - int)   15 - 32 - 1   5 - 14 - 0
Punts - yards   5 - 33   12 - 41
Return yards   66   24
Fumbles - lost   ? - 5   ? - 0
Penalties - yards   ? - 87   ? - 55
         
              
Scoring Summary
OK       Smith 4 pass from Rader (kick failed)
TX   Medlock 2 run (run failed)
OK   Alexander 1 run (Smith pass from Rader)
OK   Woodward 46 field goal
OK   Safety Ina tackled in end zone
OK   Jones 4 run (Woodward kick)
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Players unknown
 
Photograph
Oklahoma: Jim Ed Thompson (??), Dwayne Ball (20)
 
 
Racine Gladiators logo Racine Gladiators
at
Virginia Chargers


June 12, 1982
- Manassas Park High School -
Virginia Chargers logo
 
Chargers fall to 0-3 before small crowd
                 
Rudy Woltner - Potomac News        
         
     The Virginia Chargers posted their third loss of the American Football Association season, going down in a soaking wet defeat to the Racine Wisconsin Gladiators Saturday night at Manassas Park High.
     Suffering a 28-0 decision, the Chargers mounted a valiant attempt as they carried the ball inside the Gladiator's 20-yard line eight times during the game played in a persistent rain.
     "We just couldn't score. Because of interceptions or fumbles, we were unable to get the ball across the goal line," said owner-coach Shaw of the Chargers' third loss, giving them a 0-3 record.
     Only 68 adults and 11 children bought tickets to see the game, as the Chargers have drawn less than 300 in their two home games. However, the weather has not cooperative for the Chargers, as both game have been played in poor conditions.
     Each time the Chargers got within sniffing
distance of the goal line, they turned over the ball. Fumbling six fumbles during the evening, the Chargers lost five of them. The visiting Gladiators fumbled twice and lost one.
     Charger quarterback Eddie Cox put the ball in the air 11 times, but was unable to complete one pass. The Gladiators picked off two of his passes, however, and countered with quarterback Joe Grafenauer completing 14 out of 21 passes while losing the ball three times on interceptions.
     "We need improvement in quarterbacking," Shaw said. "If we can get the passing game going, we can get in there with the best of them and be a winning team."
     Shaw said he is not denying Cox's abilities, but he is looking at a couple of new quarterbacks, one of them being Frankie Walker, a recent graduate of James Madison.
     "We have a one-two running punch with Harvey Banks and D. J. Jones," Shaw said. "We also have good receivers and the offensive line
is coming along real well. We do need some improvement in offensive leadership, and that's at the quarterback position."
     Jones ran up 104 yards rushing Saturday night and Banks earned his second 100-yard game rushing for an even 100. The leading rusher for Wisconsin was "Grape Juice" Johnson with 72 yards for the evening.
     "We kept coming back the whole time," Shaw said. "It was just the fumbles that hurt."
     The loss was the Chargers' first shutout as they have scored only 13 points and one touchdown in their initial season in the American Football Association, a minor league organization.
     Shaw is looking forward to the rest of the season's games and hopes that the Virginia supporters will come out and cheer on the Chargers in their remaining seven games, three of which are at home.
                 
Score by Quarters
Racine       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     28
Virginia   0   0   0   0   -   0
                         
Statistics
        RA       VA
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Georgia Pride logo Georgia Pride
at
Carolina Storm


June 13, 1982
- Memorial Stadium -
Carolina Storm logo
 
Carolina unleashes 37-7 storm
                 
David Scott - Charolotte Observer        
         
     Before the Carolina Storm's 37-7 American Football Association victory Sunday over the Georgia Pride in Memorial Stadium, the Storm had been wondering just how good it was.
     Or, rather, was it really as strong a team as it seemed?
     Carolina (3-0) was, say, a little skeptical of how to treat its first two games, easy victories over soft competition. It needed an acid test.
     Against the Pride - said to be one of the league's top teams - the Storm got that test in front of an announced crowd of 3,297. And Carolina, scoring all its points in the second half, passed.
     "I'm really surprised it's been this easy for us," said Storm tight end Jeff Thompson, who caught a touchdown pass. "It's tough to see why these teams aren't playing us tighter. We've found out we're just too dominating for them."
     The Pride (2-1) certainly gave it a shot. If one half counts as a shot.
     Georgia led early 7-0, thanks to a first quarter 1-yard plunge by quarterback Anthony Flanagan. The Pride, with Flanagan at the controls, constantly had the Storm defense on the ropes in the first half. Carolina's pass rush, with Flanagan putting the ball up 19 times in the first half, seemed to be a step away on every play.
     In the meantime, the Storm offense was listless, missing wide receiver Reggie "Super Gnat" Smith, who sat out the game with a knee injury.
     Then, trailing 7-0 at halftime, the Storm took a rest in the locker room. It sized things up. It figured things out.
     "We hadn't seen them on film at all," said Carolina coach Eddie Joyce. "I think, with that being the case, our offense is going to take about a half to get adjusted."
     On Georgia's first third-quarter series, Carolina sacked Flanagan twice. Then, the Storm's Lonnie Harris returned a punt 57 yards to the Pride 1. A play later, quarterback Ellsworth Turner scored, and John Blum's extra point made it 7-7.
     The Storm was in control. Later in the quarter, defensive lineman Richard Tate, substituting for an injured Ed Thomas, intercepted a Flanagan pass and returned it 8 yards for a touchdown. Now it was 14-7 and, even with only a touchdown lead, the Storm was thinking about a rout.
     Carolina got it in the third quarter. Turner, who completed 13 of 21 passes for 169 yards, hit Darrel Jones from 43 yards for the Storm's third touchdown. Then Art Henderson scored from 1 yard, making it 27-7.
     Things were going badly for the Pride. So
badly that when a snap for a Blum field goal was mishandled by holder Steve Brown, he got up and threw a touchdown pass to Thompson.
     Later in the fourth quarter, Blum ended the scoring with a 40-yarder.
     "This tells me that, even if we make mistakes and don't have any continuity, like we did in the first half, we're a pretty good team," said Joyce. "We got it going in the third quarter and it got infectious. And, while you don't have to worry about motivation in this league, it's all up to the players to get themselves going. They did tonight."
     The Storm's second-half domination was so complete that it allowed the Pride, based in Atlanta, only 12 total yards after halftime. Carolina ended with 292 total yards.
     That, really, came as a surprise to the Storm. And Carolina has no thoughts of taking its next two games lightly, no matter how easy things went against Georgia. The Storm is host to another unbeaten team, the Alabama Magic, next Sunday. It then plays at Jacksonville in two weeks.
     "I think we'll really know after next week," said Thompson. "No, it's going to be after the Jacksonville game. If we can get by them, I think we can beat the hell out of everybody, then get ready for the playoffs. But I don't want to think that far in advance."
                 
Score by Quarters
Georgia       7     0     0     0     -     7
Carolina   0   0   14   23   -   37
                         
Statistics
        GA       CA
First downs   14   16
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 48   ? - 124
Passing yards   145   168
Passing (comp - att - int)   20 - 36 - 3   14 - 23 - 1
Punts - yards   3 - 35   5 - 31
Fumbles - lost   3 - 5   0 - 0
Penalties - yards   10 - 80   12 - 91
         
              
Scoring Summary
GA       Flanagan 1 run (Brien kick)
CA   Turner 1 run (Blum kick)
CA   Tate 8 interception return (Blum kick)
CA   Jones 43 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Henderson 1 run (kick failed)
CA   Thompson 7 pass from Brown (Blum kick)
CA   Blum 40 field goal
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Georgia: Geno Washington (??)
Carolina: Tim King (??)
 
Photograph
Carolina: Darrel Jones (83)
 
 
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
West Florida Sun
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds

June 13, 1982
- Memorial Stadium -
Jacksonville Sunbirds logo
 
Sunbirds top West Florida
                 
Pat Dooley - Florida Times-Union        
         
     In a league where enthusiasm is about the only thing most teams have too much of, the Jacksonville Sunbirds put rah-rah aside last night and disposed of the West Florida Sun 32-0 in business-like fashion in the Gator Bowl.
     The Sunbirds plodded along to their first victory in three games as a crowd estimated at less than 400 watched in the rain. The pass-happy 'Birds went to the ground to grind out the easy victory, running the ball 43 times for 200 yards compared to 23 pass attempts.
     "The players knew what they had to do and they just went out and did it," said Sunbird coach Jerry Disch. "They weren't too emotional."
     The Sunbirds had easily disposed of the Sun in two exhibition games, and if that wasn't
enough to dampen their enthusiasm, their first sights of the locker room were.
     "The rain didn't help and the lack of support didn't help," said quarterback Albert Chester. "The big talk in the locker room was to try not to relax against them."
     The Sun brought only 30 players, some of them disguised as empty uniforms, and a new coach in former assistant general manager Stoney Glover. They also brought some turmoil. At one point in the second half, one of the players and an assistant coach began scuffling on the sidelines.
     "That's one problem we have on this team - intra-squad turmoil," said Glover. "But the problem we had was we had too many 170-pound guys going up against 230-pound guys."
     The game had been originally scheduled as a West Florida home game, but was moved to the Gator Bowl when the Sun couldn't come up with a home field. The Sun came to Jacksonville, but the sun stayed home and the game-long drizzle produced sloppy football.
     Still, the Sunbirds were the clearly dominant team. Chester shined early, then watched as Alvin Small took over for most of the second half. Each quarterback threw a touchdown pass and the only other Sunbird touchdown came on Herman Young's 28-yard run.
     The other points came courtesy of Alan Leavitt's right foot. The former University of Georgia kicker booted four field goals, including a 52-yarder in the second half.
                 
Score by Quarters
West Florida       0     0     0     0     -     0
Jacksonville   10   3   13   6   -   27
                         
Statistics
        WF       JA
First downs   12   19
Rushing (att - yards)   34 - 34   43 - 200
Passing yards   94   169
Passing (comp - att - int)   8 - 18 - 1   12 - 23 - 0
Punts - yards   6 - 33.6   1 - 9.0
Fumbles - lost   2 - 1   3 - 2
Penalties - yards   10 - 75   8 - 63
         
              
Scoring Summary
JA       Leavitt 36 field goal
JA   Johnson 28 pass from Chester (Leavitt kick)
JA   Leavitt 40 field goal
JA   Young 24 run (kick blocked)
JA   Bogins 8 pass from Chester (Leavitt kick)
JA   Leavitt 45 field goal
JA   Leavitt 52 field goal
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Jacksonville: David Johnson (24)
West Florida: Eddie Williams (??)
 
Photograph
West Florida: Eddie Williams (??)
Jacksonville: Jerry Young (30)
 
 
Virginia Chargers logo Virginia Chargers
at
Canton Bulldogs

June 19, 1982
- Rubber Bowl -
Canton Bulldogs logo
 
Bulldogs destroy hapless Virginia
                 
Dick Shippy - Akron Beacon Journal        
         
     The Canton Bulldogs buried the Virginia Chargers in their own mistakes, scoring two or more touchdowns in every quarter Saturday night in a 72-0 pasting of the visitors at Rubber Bowl. There were less than 500 in the stands witnessing the runaway.
     It was the first American Football Association victory of the season for Canton after three losses. The outmanned and helpless Chargers had a succession of fumbles, blocked punts and interceptions converted into seven Canton scores as Virginia dropped its fourth straight AFA game. And given the performance of the Chargers Saturday - 43 yards total offense to go with all those mistakes - they appear a good bet to experience nothing but embarrassment the balance of the season.
     In the process of cashing those gift opportunities, the Bulldogs piled up 428 yards rushing, led by Paul Winters' 84, and added 47
by passing.
     Bulldogs coach Bob Commings conceded his team got off as easy as possible and raised the thought that such a ridiculous game proved very little about Canton's status as one of the AFA's stronger clubs. They might find out more next week when they travel to Buffalo.
     Canton pretty much wrapped up the game in the first 10 minutes of play, going 29 yards in six plays for a score after a Virginia fumble, repeating the process over 44 yards and seven plays, then cashing a blocked punt six plays and 18 yards later for a 20-0 edge.
     The Bulldogs' Alan Webster ran 52 yards with a punt to set up a Les Petroff field goal, still in the first quarter, and Webster then dashed 84 yards with 3:44 remaining in the second period to make it 30-0. It was 37-0 at the intermission after Lou King scored the second of his two touchdowns on a 19-yard
bolt up the middle.
     Exactly why Virginia chose to return from the locker room for the second half is not clear. Their miseries could only snowball further - and they did. There was no letup by Canton, not even with a minute to play and the Chargers down by 65. At that point, Canton took over at the Virginia 38 following a poor punt and in half a minute had the final TD, third-string quarterback Rich Brindisi getting it on a 2-yard sneak. Inhuman is what it was.
     Other Canton scores were registered by Gary Wroblewski, Dave Bouldin, Dion Jenkins, linebacker Ted Ginn (on a 29-yard interception return), Dennis Brumfield and Tony Iliano.
     The Bulldogs don't play at home again until July 10 when they face league-leading Charleston at the Rubber Bowl.
                 
Score by Quarters
Virginia       0     0     0     0     -     0
Canton   ?   ?   ?   ?   -   72
                         
Statistics
        VA       CA
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Jacksonville Sunbirds logo Jacksonville Sunbirds
at
Florida Statesmen

June 19, 1982
- Capital Stadium -
Florida Statesmen logo
 
Statesmen soar - but fall to Sunbirds 17-14
                 
Gerald Ensley - Tallahassee Democrat        
         
     It was their finest hour. But somebody always has to lose.
     Playing what was unquestionably the best game of their four-game career in the American Football Association, the Florida Statesmen were defeated 17-14 by the Jacksonville Sunbirds Saturday night at Capital Stadium.
     After leading 14-0 at halftime, the Statesmen fell victim to a dogged Jacksonville offense that scored all its points in the second half. Still, the Statesmen's first victory was nearly within their grasp in the game's final minute.
     With 1:05 showing on the clock, Statesman Valasco Smith fielded Steve Amos' booming punt at the Statesmen's 23-yard line. Cutting to the right sidelines, Smith received a crushing block from teammate Joshua Stephens, sailed up the sidelines, cut to the middle and went into the end zone.
     But a questionable clipping call nullified the score, and the Statesmen's record went to 0-4 in their inaugural season in the AFA. The Sunbirds are 2-2. A crowd of 1,000 attended.
     "I personally didn't see the clip," said Detroit Reynolds, who became the Statesmen head coach last week. "But the ref told me it happened after the play. If that's true, then the penalty should have been assessed on the kickoff.
     "I thought we showed tonight that we've come a long way. But we still need to learn how to win."
     What Saturday's game mainly showed was the value of three players who joined the team last week. Running back Bill Fenn, a bullish 215-pounder, ran 22 times for 71 yards and a touchdown, teaming up with Reggie Perkins for 91 total yards on the ground. It was the Statesmen's best rushing output of the season.
     More exciting was wide receiver Greg Jackson, who acrobatically hauled down eight passes for 128 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown.
     More workmanlike, but just as valuable, was former Florida State receiver Mike Barnes, who caught six passes for 72 yards.
     "I can do better," said Jackson, a former Arizona receiver. "I usually hit the end zone more. I thought me and Billy picked the team up some, but the guys showed enthusiasm and heart."
     "I felt we could pull it off," said Fenn. "But it didn't work out that way."
     The play of the newcomers failed, however, to obscure the fine play of quarterback Clyde Walker. In his best game as a Statesman, the former FSU quarterback completed 21 of 32 passes, with one interception, for 267 yards.
His lone fault was to throw his two worst passes at the worst time.
     With four minutes left to play in the game, Walker overthrew a wide-open Joe Thomas at about the 5-yard line. On the very next play, Walker again threw to Thomas, but underthrew him, with the Sunbirds' Jeff Dixon intercepting.
     "Clyde played an excellent game," said Reynolds. "I thought Fenn was excellent and added some punch to our offense, and Jackson's a great athlete. But Clyde played a great game."
     Walker's counterpart, Sunbird quarterback Albert Chester, a former Florida A&M star, completed 15 of 32 passes for 193 yards. Most of them went to former Florida receiver Charlie Brown, the league's leading receiver, who caught seven passes for 100 yards.
     "My motto is 'Never say die,'" said Chester. "We played a sorry first half, which I'll take the blame for. I didn't play good, but we won."
     The Statesmen's next game is Saturday against the Florida Sun, a team having ownership problems. The game, which is supposed to be played in Panama City or Lake City, may be played in Capital Stadium pending a decision this week by the league.
                 
Score by Quarters
Jacksonville       0     0     7     10     -     17
Florida   7   7   0   0   -   14
                         
Statistics
        JA       FL
First downs   14   17
Rushing (att - yards)   21 - 28   37 - 52
Passing yards   193   277
Passing (comp - att - int)   15 - 32 - 0   21 - 32 - 1
Punts - avg   8 - 46.8   5 - 31.4
Return yards   44   64
Fumbles - lost   2 - 2   2 - 2
Penalties - yards   12 - 72   12 - 75
         
              
Scoring Summary
FL       Fenn 1 run (Cox kick)
FL   Jackson 29 pass from Walker (Cox kick)
JA   Foster 32 pass from Chester (Leavitt kick)
JA   Leavitt 46 field goal
JA   Young 2 run (Leavitt kick)
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Florida: Greg Jackson (86)
 
 
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
West Florida Sun
at
Georgia Pride

June 19, 1982
- Tara Stadium -
Georgia Pride logo
 
The Georgia Pride has their Knight in the sun 69-0
                 
Earnest Reese - Atlanta Journal        
         
     If the Georgia Pride had unmasked their opponents and asked for IDs at Tara Stadium Saturday night, they would have discovered a bunch of impersonators instead of the Florida Suns.
     It seems the Suns, an American Football Association team based in Panama City, were a loosely organized group that may have shone for the last time last week, when they lost their second game in as many tries.
     What a crowd of less than 500 saw Saturday night was the Pride humiliating, 69-0, a team called the Clayton Knights - an entry in the Georgia Football League, not the AFA.
     "We are the Florida Suns," Knights general manager Tom Durden said, before admitting otherwise after some prodding.
     "To tell the truth, we are the Clayton Knights, but we do have some players from the Florida Suns," Durden said.
     Durden said that AFA commissioner Roger Gill reached him by telephone about midweek and asked if his team would fill in Saturday night and possibly play the rest of the Suns' schedule.
     "We've only been practicing a week or so, because our season (Georgia Football League) doesn't start until four or five weeks from
now," Durden said.
     When asked how many members of the Florida Suns were in uniform Saturday night, Durden said, "Let's just say a handful."
     "We received a call late last (Friday) night from Commissioner Gill informing us of the fact that the Suns' franchise has been revoked," Pride owner and coach Paul Zarynoff said. "The way I understand it, this team is the nucleus for a new Florida Suns franchise, and this is an AFA game."
     If that is the case, the Pride will carry a 3-1 record into next Saturday night's game against the Alabama Magic in Birmingham.
     That "handful of Suns" and its supporting case were absolutely no match for the Pride, which held a 42-0 lead after the game was 23 minutes old and led 56-0 at halftime.
     Led by quarterback Anthony Flanagan, running back Gerald Canion and tight end Larry Powers, the Pride scored touchdowns with ease on all eight of their first-half possessions. The most exhausted man on the field at that juncture well may have been Pride placekicker Bob O'Brien, who seemingly was on the field, either kicking off or kicking extra points, every other minute.
     Flanagan, who went to the bench before he
could break a sweat early in the second period, completed six of nine passes for 157 yards and three first-half touchdowns. Powers, the Pride's leading receiver, had two of those receptions for scores of 17 and 38 yards, while Canion had touchdown runs of two and three yards.
     By halftime, the only thing the "handful of Suns" and their cohorts had done to break their dismal performance was clear the way for halfback Lolan Shanks to run 27 yards - by far their best offensive effort of the first half. After that, however, they turned the ball over. Again.
     The "handful of Suns" and their cohorts did get a chance to do some glad hand-slapping before the game mercifully ended. They did it when they stopped the Pride from scoring for the first time for the night at the beginning of the second half. However, their only attempt at preventing a shutout ended abruptly when Pride linebacker Mark Brown blocked a 34-yard field-goal attempt late in the third period.
     For some reason or another, Flanagan returned to the game in the second half and threw another touchdown pass to Powers, their third scoring hook-up of the night.
                 
Score by Quarters
West Florida       0     0     0     0     -     0
Georgia   ?   ?   ?   ?   -   69
                         
Statistics
        WF       GA
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Austin Texans logo Austin Texans
at
Oklahoma Thunder

June 19, 1982
- Skelly Stadium -
Oklahoma Thunder logo
 
Thunder thumps Austin, 52-7
                 
John Klein - Tulsa World        
         
     The Oklahoma Thunder scored the first five times it had the ball and coasted to a 52-7 rout of hapless Austin in an American Football Association game Saturday night before less than 3,000 fans at Skelly Stadium.
     The Thunder led, 38-7, at halftime behind an almost flawless performance by former Tulsa University quarterback Dave Rader.
     Rader hit 15 of 19 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, defensive star Jimbo Elrod intercepted two passes, one for a touchdown and the other that set up a TD.
     It pushed the Thunder's Southwest Division-leading record to 4-0 while the Texans dropped to 0-4.
     The obviously outmanned Texans suffered five interceptions and lost two fumbles. Austin's regular starting quarterback Kirk Ward was left home because of an injury. His replacement, Bryan Bailey, not only was the victim of the five interceptions but he also had a punt blocked.
     The Oklahoma defense, led by Elrod, limited Austin to a mere 15 yards rushing and only four first downs.
     Oklahoma never had to punt while running up 26 first downs and 480 yards in offense.
     The game was virtually over at halftime but Rader did remain in the game long enough in the second half to make it 45-7. However, that did not happen until there was only 15 seconds left in the third quarter.
     Following an Austin punt, Rader found Joey Smith for a 61-yard TD pass. Smith split the Texans' safeties and sprinted to the end zone.
     The Thunder upped that lead to 52-7 midway through the fourth quarter. Demetrious Thompson's interception return to the Austin three-yard line was followed by reserve quarterback Mike Powers' sneak for
the touchdown and the 52-7 lead.
     The Thunder's domination during the first half was just as bad as the 38-7 score indicated.
     Oklahoma's defense, spearheaded by Elrod's two interceptions, limited the Texans to two first downs by halftime. In fact, Austin had a minus three yards rushing by intermission. Bailey hit only two of 11 passes but one of those was a 75-yarder for a touchdown to Wayland Gay.
     Besides Oklahoma's defensive brilliance, the Thunder ran and passed at will against the outmanned Texans. Rader hit eight of 10 passes in the first half for 135 yards and three touchdowns. The Thunder also gained 136 yards on the ground.
     The Thunder did not score its first touchdown until the 7:01 mark of the first quarter but during the next 17 minutes added four more TDs and a 29-yard field goal by former Tulsa Roughneck Alan Woodward.
     Oklahoma scored on its first possession going 80 yards in seven plays following an Austin punt. Thunder running back Dwaine Ball went the final two yards off left tackle and Woodward added the point after.
     Elrod, the former All-America defensive end at Oklahoma University, made it 14-0 just moments later. He intercepted a Bailey pass in the left flat and ran 30 yards untouched for the touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 6:08 still left in the first quarter.
     Elrod added a second interception just three plays to set up yet another Thunder TD. It was his third interception in two games.
     The Thunder went the 30 yards in only five plays with Rader finding Jim Ed Thompson from nine yards out for the TD. Woodward's kick made it 21-0 still 2:41 from the end of the
first quarter and the rout was on.
     The Thunder kept rolling. Following a Texan punt, Oklahoma got a 29-yard field goal from Woodward. The big play in the drive was a 48-yard pass from Rader to Bobby Smith, the former Northeastern State star.
     The Texans, who had three turnovers in the first half, then lost their only fumble of the half on the second play following the field goal. Dave Smith bobbled a handoff and and Lonnie Davis recovered for Oklahoma.
     From that point, Rader directed a mere 26-yard field goal that took nearly five minutes off the clock to conclude. Included in that drive was an interception by Eric Howard that was fumbled back to the Thunder's Smith. Plus, a touchdown pass from Rader to Vincent Orange was wiped out by a penalty.
     Yet, Oklahoma finally got the TD on a Rader to Smith 11-yard pass and a 31-0 lead still 9:36 from the end of the first half.
     But it didn't take long for the Texans to get on the board with their only offensive excitement of the first half. On the first play following Rader's TD pass to Smith, Texan quarterback Bailey found Gay alone behind the Oklahoma secondary for a 75-yard touchdown pass. That cut the lead to 31-7 but only momentarily.
     The Thunder responded by going 66 yards on nine plays capped by another Rader to Smith TD pass of 15 yards. Rader also had a 23 yarder to Randy Butler during the drive. That upped the lead to 38-7 with 4:55 left before intermission.
     The Thunder then got conservative, trying to hold the score down, and ran out the final 4:35 of the clock after forcing an Austin punt.
                 
Score by Quarters
Austin       0     7     0     0     -     7
Oklahoma   21   17   7   7   -   52
                         
Statistics
        AU       OK
First downs   4   26
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 15   ? - 200
Passing yards   135   280
Passing (comp - att - int)   6 - 22 - 5   15 - 19 - 1
Punts - avg   7 - 37   0 - 0
Return yards   132   160
Fumbles - lost   ? - 2   ? - 1
Penalties - yards   ? - 108   ? - 78
         
              
Scoring Summary
OK       Ball 2 run (Woodward kick)
OK   Elrod 30 interception return (Woodward kick)
OK   Thompson 9 pass from Rader (Woodward kick)
OK   Woodward 29 field goal
OK   Smith 11 pass from Rader (Woodward kick)
AU   Gay 75 pass from Bailey (Houston kick)
OK   Smith 15 pass from Rader (Woodward kick)
OK   Smith 61 pass from Rader (Woodward kick)
OK   Powers 2 run (Woodward kick)
Photograph
Oklahoma: Ted Alexander (22)
Austin: Rick Goree (24)
 
 
Buffalo Geminis logo Buffalo Geminis
at
Charleston Rockets

June 19, 1982
- Laidley Field -
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
 
Rockets blast Geminis, 35-6
                 
Buffalo News        
         
     On the positive side for the Buffalo Geminis, they did hold the Charleston Rockets to a 14-0 halftime lead, the best any team has done against them all season long.
     But the defending American Football Association champions roared to a 35-6 triumph over Buffalo Saturday behind a solid defense and timely ground attack. The Rockets,
4-0, lead the Northeastern Division with a 4-0 record, while Buffalo fell to 1-3.
     The Geminis' only points came with nine minutes to play, as Carl Guidotti recoverd a fumble at Charleston's 33-yard line and the Geminis drove it in on quarterback Tim Hoysick's one-yard plunge.
     Charleston held the AFA's No. 2 rusher,
Buffalo's Eric Gadley, to only 50 yards and held the Geminis to 152 total yards, compared to the Rockets' 448-yard attack. The Rocket defense made up for its offense's miscues, as Buffalo got four fumbles in Rocket territory but couldn't score.
                 
Score by Quarters
Buffalo       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     6
Charleston   ?   ?   ?   ?   -   35
                         
Statistics
        BU       CH
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Houston Armadillos logo Houston Armadillos
at
San Antonio Bulls

June 19, 1982
- Memorial Stadium -
San Antonio Bulls logo
 
Bulls earn 20-12 win
                 
Galen Wellnicki - San Antonio Light        
         
     Running back James Tibbs rushed for 103 of his game-high 118 yards in the second half, breathing a hint of life into an inert San Antonio attack, and helped the Bulls escape Memorial Stadium with a 20-12 over the Houston Armadillos last night in American Football Association action.
     Tibbs, a 175-pounder from Bishop College, had individual carries of 32 and 45 yards as the San Antonians, now 2-2 in league play, rolled up 187 of their 280 total yards on the ground.
     New Bulls' owners Clinton Manges and Pat Maloney and their party, which included Democratic state attorney general candidate Jim Mattox, rewarded Tibbs for his efforts with a $200 bonus as the game's "outstanding player."
     The inability of either Keith Shelley, a former Frostburg State standout, or Pete Przyborowski, a New Mexico Highlands' product, to construct a consistent aerial attack forced veteran head coach George Pasterchick to go to a ball-control game in the second half and left general manager Roger Gill scratching his head.
     Shelley, who started, and Przyborowski, who played the final three periods, combined for just five completions in 23 attempts and two interceptions. They fumbled a total of four center snaps and Przyborowski was sacked three times for losses totaling 31 yards.
     While the San Antonio offense was stumbling its way to 20 points, the Bulls' defense was doing a good job of keeping the
Houston attack out of the end zone.
     With strong-armed Jim Montgomery, a 6-4, 235-pounder from Arkansas A&M, providing most of the yardage, the Armadillos jumped to a 12-0 lead with 14:54 remaining in the first half.
     Montgomery, who completed 11 of 32 passes for 161 yards, used the bomb in the first period to move his team into range for successful field goal attempts of 30 and 32 yards by Jerry Maltz. Montgomery completed a 56-yard strike to pint-sized Randy Claiburne on the first drive and hit former Texas A&I standout Clem Franks with a 42-yarder on the second push.
     The Armadillos' only touchdown came on the heels of a 45-yard pass interception return by James Bailey, who picked off Shelley's toss at his own 45 and returned it 46 yards to the Bulls' 9. Two plays later Montgomery lobbed an eight-yarder to former Houston Oiler and Pittsburgh Steeler John Dirden.
     A defensive play pulled the Bulls back into the game. Noseman David McLeod batted a passing attempt by Montgomery into the arms of linebacker Tally Neal, who returned the pass five yards to the 10. Houston was penalized five more yards for a personal foul, setting the stage for the first of two touchdowns by Przyborowski.
     Przyborowski, a 200-pounder, crashed over from the 1 on third down and Joe Vega added the extra point with 13:14 to go in the first half.
     San Antonio took the lead for good with 4:48 remaining in the second quarter on a six-yard run by Tibbs, who squeezed inside the corner marker of the end zone before being slammed to the turf. The play climaxed an eight-play drive that featured a 55-yard pass from Przyborowski to Thomas Whittier and a four-yard pass interference penalty that gave San Antonio a first on the 1. A five-yard penalty on the next snap, however, pushed the ball back to the 6, setting up Tibbs' run.
     The Bulls provided the second half's only score with 14:06 remaining in the game as Przyborowski went over on a three-yard keeper. The 48-yard, six-play drive featured Tibb's 32-yard sprint.
     Houston, now 1-3, made a serious run at the Bulls early in the third period, but a drive deep into San Antonio territory stalled on the 12 for lack of downs.
     The Armadillos' final four possessions of the second half ended at midfield, the Houston 16, the San Antonio 41 and the Houston 10.
     Bulls officials estimated the crowd at 6,800, but some veteran Memorial Stadium observers felt the crowd was closer to 4,000.
     In a move following the game, former Texas A&I head coach and athletic director Gil Steinke, who attended the contest, was named the franchise's director of player personnel.
     The Bulls will visit powerful Shreveport in their next outing Saturday.
                 
Score by Quarters
Houston       6     7     0     0     -     12
San Antonio   0   13   0     7   -   20
                         
Statistics
        HO       SA
First downs   8   18
Rushing (att - yards)   3 - 37   53 - 187
Passing yards   163   93
Passing (comp - att - int)   12 - 33 - 2   5 - 23 - 2
Punts - avg   7 - 35.1   6 - 36.5
Fumbles - lost   1 - 0   6 - 1
Penalties - yards   9 - 100   6 - 50
         
              
Scoring Summary
HO       Maltz 30 field goal
HO   Maltz 32 field goal
HO   Dirden 8 pass from Montgomery (kick failed)
SA   Przyborowski 1 run (Vega kick)
SA   Tibbs 6 run (kick failed)
SA   Przyborowski 3 run (Vega kick)
     
     
     
Photograph
San Antonio: Willie Hall (33), James Valdez (25)
Houston: Russell Raska (87)
 
 
Racine Gladiators logo Racine Gladiators
at
Roanoke Valley Express

June 19, 1982
- William Byrd High School -
Roanoke Valley Express logo
 
'Senior citizens' lead Wisconsin past Express
                 
Doug Doughty - Roanoke Times        
         
     From the way Joe Grafenauer and Jeff White worked together Saturday night, you would swear they've been playing together for years.
     They have.
     "We've been playing together since 1977; one year, we even played in a touch football league," said White, 29, who caught four passes for 132 yards as Wisconsin beat the Roanoke Valley Express 31-2 at William Byrd field.
     Grafenauer, also 29, passed for more than 200 yards, including a 30-yarder to White that gave the unbeaten Gladiators a 17-0 halftime lead in the American Football Association contest.
     When the teams returned from the dressing room at intermission, Roanoke Valley coach Gary Fallon thanked the crowd of 682 (252 paid) and said he hoped things would be different in the second half.
     The Express finally scored with 6:05 left when John Joyce tackled Wisconsin's Michael Larry for a safety, but that just made it 24-2. Roanoke Valley (2-2) has been outscored 82-9 in its two home games.
     To make matters worse, the Express lost three players to knee injuries: defensive tackle Bruce Palmer, offensive tackle Tony Payne and linebacker David Martin.
     Starting offensive guard Joe Freeland played both ways in the second half.
     Compared to the Express, the Gladiators (4-0) looked like an NFL team. The Wisconsin roster includes seven players who weigh 250 pounds or more, and 17 who are over 230.
     A first-year AFA franchise, Wisconsin is located in Racine and gained many of its players from the city's team in the Northern States League. The Gladiators also picked up 11
players from the Delavan (Wis.) team, which, unlike Racine, remains in the Northern States League.
     "There was some unhappiness, of course," said Gladiators coach Harry Gilbert. "There was a lot of discussion in the newspapers, and also a threat of legal action."
     Grafenauer and White were two of the former Delavan players who joined the Gladiators.
     "They were going to sue us," said White, "but how can they possibly think we're doing this for the money?"
     White drives a truck for a living, and did not play football the last two years. He joined the Gladiators in hopes of gaining one last shot at the NFL.
     "I've tried out with the Packers and Redskins and they always tell me the same thing: I don't have any experience," said White, who did not play high school or college ball.
     Even as he approaches 30, White runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds and was more than the Express secondary could handle.
     After Wisconsin had taken a 3-0 lead on a 27-yard field goal by Nils Linskoog, White set up the Gladiators' first touchdown on a 57-yarder from Grafenauer. On the next play, Greg "Grape Juice" Johnson scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 3-yard run.
     Johnson, 30, played for the University of Wisconsin in the early '70s, and had several NFL tryouts.
     Grafenauer, who threw for 176 yards in the first half, played three quarters and then gave way to Larry Metallic. Grafenauer had pin-point accuracy on his short passes, but simply let White run under the longer tosses.
     "When those balls came down, they had frost on them," Fallon cracked. "They were the kind we should have intercepted."
     The Express had 91 yards in total offense and managed one legitimate scoring threat. With Wisconsin leading 10-0, Roanoke Valley's Joe Coletrain recovered a fumble at the Gladiators' 19-yard line. But the Express had a field goal blocked after driving to the 3.
     Quarterback Vance Price had his problems, but received little protection (he was sacked five times for 59 yards in losses). Fallon said starting guard Eddie Davenport failed to show up for the game, which necessitated the shift of John Canty from defense.
     There was some bickering on the Roanoke Valley sideline, but Fallon said he was generally pleased with team morale. There was an occasional rude remark from the stands, and one heckler provoked a response from the Ex- press bench.
     "I am highly disappointed," the fan yelled with about a minute left.
     "Well, take your a-- home," said one of the Roanoke Valley assistant coaches.
     Earlier, a fan suggested, "Hey, turn off the lights so we can score."
     Fallon said he is continuing to seek help at quarterback. As recently as Saturday morning, he tried to contact former James Madison QB John Bowers, an assistant last year under Fallon at Washington and Lee.
     "If Vance Price were an established quarterback, maybe you could jump on him," Fallon said, "but I don't think you'll find anybody on our team pointing a finger at him."
                 
Score by Quarters
Racine       10     7     7     7     -     31
Roanoke Valley   0   0   0     2   -   2
                         
Statistics
        RA       RO
First downs   20   9
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 147   ? - 27
Passing yards   257   64
Passing (comp - att - int)   19 - 33 - 1   5 - 15 - 0
Punts - avg   2 - 32.5   7 - 42.0
Fumbles - lost   2 - 1   7 - 3
Penalties - yards   10 - 110   6 - 35
         
              
Scoring Summary
RA   Linskoog 27 field goal
RA       Johnson 3 run (Linskoog kick)
RA   Johnson 33 run (Linskook kick)
RA   White 30 pass from Grafenauer (Linskoog kick)
RA   McClelland 8 pass from Metallic (Linskoog kick)
RO   Safety Larry tackled in end zone
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Shreveport Americans logo Shreveport Americans
at
Texas Wranglers

June 19, 1982
- Memorial Stadium -
Texas Wranglers logo
 
Wranglers take nail-biter win, 20-17
                 
Keven Newberry - Mesquite Daily News        
         
     Robert Stringer booted a 30-yard field goal with just eight seconds left in the game Saturday night to lift the Texas Wranglers from a 17-17 deadlock with the Shreveport Americans and to a 20-7 win at Memorial Stadium.
     Unlike the previous week when the Wranglers won almost every statistical category against the Tulsa Thunder but still lost the game, this week the Wranglers trailed Shreveport in total yards, first downs, and time of possession. But they were able to capitalize on a short punt and three Shreveport miscues to come out ahead on the scoreboard.
     The short punt proved to be the most crucial to the game's outcome. The scene: The Americans had control of the ball at their own 29 yard line with two minutes left in the game and the score still tied at 17-17.
     On first and 10, Wrangler linebacker Basil Dabbs dropped quarterback Ken Smith for a nine-yard loss. Smith followed with two incomplete passes and Shreveport was forced to turn the ball over. Jerry Pope's short punt to the American 45 put the ball back in Texas' possession with just under a minute left to play in the game.
     Texas quarterback Welby Ina, who completed only 11 of 41 passes on the evening, connected on passes of 10 and five yards to Mark Owen and Steve Sullivan to move the Wranglers to the Shreveport 30.
     On second and five Ina dropped back to pass but saw a gaping hole up the middle and scooted 10 yards to the American 20 yard line. Running back Tony Brown pounded down to the 12 yard line on carries of five and three yards to set up Stringer's 30-yard field goal.
     Texas had to wonder what kind of night it was going to be when it took the opening kickoff and drove from its own 32 to the Shreveport 16 yard line and still came up empty-handed. A 33-yard field goal by Stringer was called back because Texas had 12 men on the field and the Wranglers had to settle for Ina's punt to the American four yard line.
     Texas got the ball back a couple of series later by virtue of a bad snap on an attempted punt by Shreveport from their own 45. Texas took over at the American 33 yard line.
     Texas drove to the 10 yard line on five plays but set up for another field goal attempt when Ina's third and seven pass attempt to Tony Brown fell incomplete. Stringer kicked a 27-yard field goal but it was called back for illegal procedure. He finally got the Wranglers on the board with his third field goal try of the night this one from 32 yards out, to give them a 3-0 lead.
     The Wrangler lead didn't last long however, as Shreveport came back on their next possession with a long march to the end zone.
     After taking the Texas kick at the 33, starting quarterback James Mosley got the Americans into Wrangler territory with passes of 18 and 13 yards. Mosley connected again with Vernon Wells on a 23-yard pass play to the Texas six yard line. A Texas roughing the passer penalty moved the ball half the distance to the goal and the Americans set up shop at the Wrangler three.
     Mosley capped the drive which he had already dominated and took the ball in himself with a one-yard burst up the middle. Pope's extra point put Shreveport out front 7-3 with just two minutes gone in the second quarter.
     Texas got the second of three big breaks in the game after its next drive stalled and Shreveport had the ball at its own 18.
     On the second play of the Shreveport series, Mosley let go of an errant pass and Dabbs picked it off at the 20 and romped all the way in for a Wrangler touchdown. Stringer's extra point gave them a 10-7 lead with 11:20 left in the first half.
     Texas wrapped up its scoring in the waning seconds of the first half capitalizing on an interception by linebacker Don Maxwell at the Shreveport 23.
     Ina went to the air trying to get the Wranglers into the end zone before the halftime
gun sounded and connected on two passes to Ethan Ogletree. Ina hit Ogletree on a 15-yard pass and followed with a 12-yard touchdown pass. Stringer followed with the extra point to close out the first half scoring at 17-7.
     Shreveport wasted no time in the second half in cutting away at the Wrangler lead. Using a 32-yard run by Larry Smith and a 15-yard penalty tacked on to that, the Americans moved from their own nine yard line to the Wrangler 48.
     The Americans drove to the Texas seven in 12 more plays before their drive stalled but Pope pulled them to within a touchdown's distance of the Wranglers with a 17-yard field goal closing the gap to 17-10.
     The Texas offense fell asleep at the half and apparently didn't bother to wake up as it took the field in the second half. The Wranglers managed only four first downs in the final half and left the Americans ample time to get more points on the scoreboard.
     Shreveport took advantage of the opportunity and knotted the score with less than two minutes left in the third quarter. Starting at midfield, the Americans moved to the Texas 15 behind three passes from quarterback Ken Smith who started the series in place of Mosley.
     From there, Smith found wide receiver Wells just inside the right corner post of the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Pope's PAT attempt was good and tied the score at 17-17.
     The score remained tied throughout the final quarter of play as Shreveport squandered two scoring opportunities including missed field goals from 47 and 50 yards out.
     Finally with less than two minutes left, Wrangler linebacker Dabbs capped off a superb night defensively dropping Smith for a nine-yard loss at the Shreveport 20. Smith fired two incomplete passes and then Pope's short punt to the American 45 set up Texas' game-winning drive.
                 
Score by Quarters
Shreveport       0     7     10     0     -     17
Texas   3   14   0     3   -   20
                         
Statistics
        SH       TX
First downs   17   12
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 47   ? - 134
Passing yards   275   117
Passing (comp - att - int)   21 - 46 - 3   10 - 32 - 1
Punts - avg   5 - 37.2   10 - 37.7
Fumbles - lost   1 - 1   1 - 1
Penalties - yards   5 - 42   10 - 103
         
              
Scoring Summary
TX       Stringer 32 field goal
SH   Mosley 1run (Pope kick)
TX   Dabbs 25 interception return (Stringer kick)
TX   Ogletree 25 pass from Ina (Stringer kick)
SH   Pope 19 field goal
SH   Wells 15 pass from Smith (Pope kick)
TX   Stringer 29 field goal
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Shreveport: Donny Sutton (??)
Texas: Steve Jackson (??)
 
Photograph
Texas: Martin Patterson (86)
Shreveport: Chester Grisom (82)
 
 
Alabama Magic logo Alabama Magic
at
Carolina Storm

June 20, 1982
- Memorial Stadium -
Carolina Storm logo
 
Storm puts a 29-13 loss in Magic act
                 
David Scott - Charlotte Observer        
         
     For most of its American Football Association game Sunday night, the Carolina Storm stayed one step ahead of the visiting Alabama Magic.
     Ahead of the pack was Carolina wide receiver Darrell Jones, as the Storm won its fourth straight game 29-13.
     Jones, a speedy wide receiver, caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Ellsworth Turner - one on the Storm's second play from scrimmage, the other late in the fourth quarter - as Carolina (4-0) won its second straight game over a previously unbeaten AFA Southeastern Division opponent.
     Last week, Carolina handed the Georgia Pride its first loss 37-7.
     Against Alabama (3-1), Jones wasn't the game's top receiver, catches-wise. He had four, but three others - Reggie Smith, Lonnie Harris and Jeff Thompson - did, too. Larry Josephson and Herman Lowery had five each for the Magic.
     But Jones did the most with what he had - his catches totaling 120 yards, in addition to the touchdowns. And there was as much trickery as speed (he runs a 4.3 40-yard dash and a 9.4 100) involved.
     Turner's first scoring pass to Jones, for instance, wasn't a Storm-Special Bomb. It was a simple out pass, with Turner throwing the ball to Jones, who simply turned from his spot near the sidelines to catch it.
     "We figured they'd think we'd throw the
bomb at first," said Jones, a Florida alumnus. "And Ellsworth and I have gotten to the point where we can read each other, where we can feel what we're going to do. I just caught it, slipped my man and went."
     At that time, there was 12:27 left in the first quarter, and, after the Storm messed up its point-after attempt, it was 6-0. A similar thing happened a few weeks ago, when the Storm scored early, then routed the Florida Suns 67-7.
     But the Magic turned out to be the Storm's strongest opposition yet. Alabama didn't roll over and let Carolina have its way.
     In fact, whatever the Storm did offensively in the first half, Alabama was able to counter with something.
     So, instead of letting Carolina jump out to a big lead, the Magic came back in the first quarter with a 20-yard field goal by Ron Slovensky.
     The Storm got its second touchdown on the first play of the second quarter on a 1-yard plunge by Emmett Hamilton. That made it 13-3, but, again, back came Alabama.
     This counter came on a 93-yard kickoff return by Josephson, making it 13-10.
     Trying to shake the Magic, the Storm went up 16-10 on a 44-yard field goal by John Blum. But the lead was 16-13 at halftime on a 29-yarder by Slovensky.
     Unlike its victory over Georgia, the Storm had established some offense in the first half.
But, like the Pride triumph (when Georgia led 7-0 at halftime), Storm coach Eddie Joyce was worried at half- time.
     "I think getting those early points just made us sloppier," said Joyce. "And we concentrated less. But we were a little beat up, and that makes it hard to concentrate."
     So the Storm buckled down in the second half, getting more points on another touchdown run by Hamilton and a second Turner-to-Jones touchdown pass.
     "I think this showed that we can score when we have to," said Joyce.
     Jones said it another way.
     "I think it helped get our momentum going," he said. "And there's one thing about this club (which has outscored its opposition 163-27). Once we get started, there's nobody who can stop us."
     With his speed, it sometimes looks as if Jones can score whenever he wants. He has four touchdown passes this season, and helps give the Storm an effective passing dimension. Turner has deep, explosive threats in Smith, Harris and Jones, and a durable, reliable tight end in Thompson.
     Jones left Florida in 1979, after playing for the Gators four seasons. He played for the AFA's Orlando Americans last season. Turner, who began the season with the Carolina Chargers, finished up with the Americans.
                 
Score by Quarters
Alabama       3     10     0     0     -     13
Carolina   6   10   6   7   -   29
                         
Statistics
        AL       CA
First downs   12   26
Rushing (att - yards)   22 - 58   35 - 141
Passing yards   170   240
Passing (comp - att - int)   16 - 33 - 4   18 - 35 - 1
Punts - yards   2 - 42   3 - 34
Fumbles - lost   0 - 0   2 - 1
Penalties - yards   9 - 73   10 - 69
         
              
Scoring Summary
CA       Jones 51 pass from Turner (pass failed)
AL   Slovensky 20 field goal
CA   Hamilton 1 run (Blum kick)
AL   Josephson 93 kickoff return (Slovensky kick)
CA   Blum 44 field goal
AL   Slovensky 29 field goal
CA   Hamilton 2 run (kick blocked)
CA   Jones 25 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
     
     
     
Photograph
Alabama: Herman Lowery (??)
Carolina: Tim King (41)
 
Photograph
Carolina: Joe Crosby (52), Dennis Mathews (40)
 
 
Georgia Pride logo Georgia Pride
at
Alabama Magic

June 26, 1982
- Legion Field -
Alabama Magic logo
 
Magic wins, thanks to blocked kick
                 
Don Kausler, Jr. - Birmingham News        
         
     Charley Wood stands 6-feet-2 and weighs 216 pounds. The former Auburn University linebacker is not what you would call little.
     But somehow he squeezed through a tight opening to block a field goal Saturday night, setting up the Alabama Magic's 17-16 victory over the Georgia Pride at Legion Field.
     A crowd of some 1,000 turned out for the American Football Association contest.
     "I just found a little gap," explained Wood, who earlier in the game blocked an extra-point kick by the Pride's Bob Brien.
     "I ran hurdles in high school. I just managed to get my front leg and my shoulder in first. The guy beside me took the block out on the end. I kind of stumbled on in and dove for it."
     He batted away the 44-yard attempt by Brien earlier in the fourth quarter that prevented the Pride from adding to a 16-14 lead.
     The Magic responded with a 55-yard drive to Georgia's 7-yard line that ended in a game-winning 24-yard field goal by Ron Slovensky with 7:55 left in the game.
     That field goal, Slovensky's fourth in four attempts this season, helped the Magic improve its record to 4-1. Georgia dropped to 3-2.
     The winning drive was set up when Magic receiver Alex Prince was unintentionally tripped on a deep pass route, resulting in a 42-yard pass interference penalty. That gave Alabama a first down at Georgia's 20-yard line.
     The Pride helped sustain the Magic's drive with a face-mask penalty, giving Alabama an automatic first down after quarterback Mark Cahill was stopped on a five-yard quarterback draw in a third-and-16 situation from the 26.
     Georgia led, 10-7, at halftime, and improved that lead to 16-7 early in the third quarter on a 4-yard touchdown run by Louis Kelly.
     The Magic retaliated with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Cahill to former Auburn wide receiver Mark Robbins. That pass followed a 52-yard completion to Prince, and it came with the Pride blitzing.
     "They were hurting us the whole first half and most of the third quarter, they were stunting so much," Cahill said. "It took us a
while to get adjusted. I knew if they were blitzing, somebody should be open.
     "Everybody was coming in on that touchdown pass. If I stepped out of the pocket, I'd have been sacked."
     Pressure from Alabama's line played a big role in the game, too. Brien's blocked field goal was set up by a roughing the punter call. The Pride drove as far as Alabama's 23-yard line before quarterback Tony Flanagan was sacked for a 13-yard loss.
     Late in the game, with the Pride at the Alabama 28-yard line and trailing by one, Flanagan again was pressured. He was called for an intentional grounding penalty that killed Georgia's comeback bid.
     Georgia jumped to a quick 3-0 lead, as it took the opening kickoff and marched 44 yards before Bob Brien kicked a 43-yard field goal with 12:00 remaining in the first quarter. The six-play drive was highlighted by a 35-yard pass from Tony Flanagan to Geno Washington.
     The Magic moved nowhere on its first possession, but the second time it had the ball, Lawrence Joseph broke loose for a 26-yard gain. The drive reached the Georgia 37-yard line before the Pride's Clifford McCray intercepted a Mark Cahill pass over the middle.
     The Pride, however, was unable to take advantage of the turnover. On its next possession, it turned the ball over itself. Zollie Harris fumbled a handoff and Alabama's Billy Lee pounced on the loose ball at the Georgia 25-yard line.
     Three plays later, the Magic took the lead on a 7-yard touchdown run by Joseph. That sweep around left end was set up one play earlier, when Cahill eluded a quick, heavy rush on a second-and-8 play and completed a 16-yard pass to former Auburn wide receiver Mark Robbins.
     The touchdown, Joseph's fifth of the season, came with only 13 seconds left in the first quarter. The conversion kick by Ron Slovensky gave Alabama a 7-3 lead.
     But that lead didn't last long. Flanagan, a former third-string quarterback at the
University of Georgia behind Ray Goff and Matt Robinson, tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Mike Frazier with 8:16 left in the second quarter, culminating a 12-play, 68-yard drive. The kick by Brien put the Pride ahead, 10-7.
     The drive featured nine running plays - including five straight by Melvin Jenkins for 22 yards. Flanagan's touchdown pass, his 11th of the season, was followed by a cloudburst.
     Moments later, Cahill threw his second interception, as Georgia's Ben Scott stepped in front of a pass intended for Alex Prince. Scott's return, plus a 15-yard personal foul by Alabama, gave the Pride a first down at the Magic 23-yard line.
     James Drake, a defensive back from Miles College, kept the Magic from falling further. On a third-and-goal play from just inside the 10-yard line, Flanagan fired a pass to his left toward the goal line, but Drake stepped in front of a Pride receiver for a big interception.
     A personal foul by Georgia and a 24-yard burst up the middle by former Livingston College running back Cedric Stevens helped move the Magic as far as the Pride's 37-yard line before it ran out of downs.
     Georgia managed to get four plays off before the half ended, but it failed to move the ball.
     Although the Pride held a slim halftime lead, the Magic held a statistical edge. Alabama outgained Georgia both rushing (85-55) and passing (84-77). The Magic had 10 first downs to the Pride's eight.
     The Magic moved quickly into scoring position to open the second half, but another turnover - its third of the game - killed the drive.
     The Pride opened the third quarter with an onside kick that the Magic covered at its own 46. On the second play from scrimmage, Cahill floated a to Prince down the right sideline for a 25-yard gain to the Georgia 25-yard line.
     Joseph fumbled a draw on the next play, but an Alabama teammate recovered, limiting the disaster to a 7-yard loss.
                 
Score by Quarters
Georgia       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     16
Alabama   ?   ?   ?   ?   -   17
                         
Statistics
        GA       AL
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Alabama: Cedric Stevens (33), Mark Cahill (11)
 
Photograph
Alabama: Mark Cahill (11), Lawrence Joseph (6)
 
 
Texas Wranglers logo Texas Wranglers
at
Austin Texans

June 26, 1982
- Burger Center -
Austin Texans logo
 
QB Ina leads Wranglers past winless Texans, 17-6
                 
George Breazeale - Austin American-Statesman        
         
     Not quite enough on offense, defense and the kicking game was the story line - again - for winless Austin as the Texas Wranglers stopped the Texans, 17-6, in American Football Association Southwest Division play Saturday night at Burger Center.
     Now 0-5 on the season, Austin was competitive in every phase of play - but Wrangler quarterback Welby Ina coped with a fierce Texan pass rush often enough to author a half dozen big plays as the Mesquite-based team, now 4-1, remained in second place in the Southwest Division.
     While Austin was penned in its own end of the field on offense for the first 20 minutes of play, Ina put the Wranglers on the board on the winners' second possession, throwing six yards to Martin Patterson to cap a 68-yard 11-play
drive midway of the first period.
     Ina's 16-yard fourth down scramble to the six set up the score.
     Robert Stringer's 42-yard field goal sent the Wranglers ahead, 10-0, with 21/2 minutes gone in the second period, but the Austin defense, keyed by linemen Elvis Shaw and John Hopson, linebackers Rodney Greene, Arthur Atwood and L. C. Cole, then asserted itself for the remainder of the first half.
     Austin jumped back into contention when quarterback Bryan Bailey threw a 45-yard scoring bomb to flanker Wayland Gay with 14 seconds left in the half. Gay outfought Wrangler safety Rod Gerald, a former standout at Ohio State, for the ball at the goal line, but a penalty killed the Texans' extra point try.
     The Texan offense dominated the third
quarter, but a drive from the Austin 35, keyed by Bailey's 27-yard pass to Ricky Caldwell, died on downs at the Wrangler 23 after carrying to the Texas eight. Later, Gay took a 30-yard pass to trigger a move to the Wrangler 20, but Bailey was a yard short on a fourth down sneak try.
     Ina, harassed all night long by Atwood's brilliant pass rush, put the game away midway of the fourth quarter after Bailey's 20-yard punt was run back to the Austin 34. On a third-and-25 situation, Ina found Steve Sullivan open down the sideline for a 35-yard scoring throw and Stringer kick concluded the scoring with 4:03 left in the game.
     Gay led all receivers with seven catches for 125 yards while Caldwell paced Austin's ground game with 45 yards on 12 carries.
                 
Score by Quarters
Texas       7     3     0     7     -     17
Austin   0   6   0   0   -   6
                         
Statistics
        TX       AU
First downs   14   12
Rushing (att - yards)   38 - 128   33 - 46
Passing yards   147   178
Passing (comp - att - int)   10 - 32 - 1   13 - 33 - 0
Punts - yards   4 - 45   5 - 30
Fumbles - lost   1 - 0   3 - 2
Penalties - yards   12 - 110   4 - 23
         
              
Scoring Summary
TX       Patterson 6 pass from Ina (Stringer kick)
TX   Stringer 42 field goal
AU   Gay 45 pass from Bailey (kick failed)
TX   Sullivan 35 pass from Ina (Stringer kick)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph 
Texas: Rod Williams (72), Don Maxwell (88)
 
 
Canton Bulldogs logo Canton Bulldogs
at
Buffalo Geminis

June 26, 1982
- War Memorial Stadium -
Buffalo Geminis logo
 
Bulldogs fight to win
                 
Jim Kelley - Buffalo News        
         
     If it's true that practice makes perfect, then the Buffalo Geminis have an excuse.
     "We've had a pretty bad week of practice, as far as guys showing up," Gemini head coach Gene Zinni said after his team absorbed a 28-7 defeat at the hands, feet and fists of the Canton Bulldogs in an American Football Association contest Saturday at War Memorial Stadium.
     Contest is a word that would have to be used in its loosest sense here.
     The Gemini's gave a reasonable effort through the first three quarters, but the combination of a disheartened team and some rather chippy play by the Bulldogs turned the fourth quarter into a farce.
     Flags on nearly every play after the Bulldogs had built a 21-7 lead with about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. Officials were forced to break up a number of post-play altercations and eventually ended the proceedings with 33 seconds left on the clock when it appeared things would get entirely out of hand.
     "That was entirely their (the officials) fault," Zinni said. "They let things get completely out of hand."
     Leaving blame for the fisticuffs aside,
however, blame for the Gems' fourth loss in five starts could be placed squarely in the hands of the quarterback George Pachucy and Jim Hoysick.
     Pachucy was intercepted three times and Hoysick once and two of the errant throws led directly to Canton touchdowns.
     The Geminis were nursing a 7-3 lead at halftime. Eric Gadley's two-yard TD run more than offsetting Les Petroff's 26-yard field goal.
     But Pachucy's third misguided missile ended up in the hands of Bill Armstrong and the Canton safety wasted no time returning the ball 70 yards for a score.
     The Bulldogs, who came into the game with an identical 1-3 record, added another quick six with a scoring drive set up after Tom Roper swiped a Hoysick pass on the Buffalo 25 and returned it to the 12-yard line.
     The Geminis allowed Canton to tack on another 12 points via a 35-yard field goal, a two-point safety when Hoysick was tackled in the end zone and a penalty assisted touchdown drive capped by Dione Jenkins six-yard run with 14:25 gone in the final quarter.
     "I really don't know what the answer is,"
Zinni said of the shabby passing attack that has contributed to back-to-back losses. "I think the receivers are getting open down there, we're just not getting them the ball."
     One bright spot in the Buffalo passing game was the play of Mark Lloyd. The former Canisius College star caught five balls for 57 yards, but on the whole Gemini throwers managed just 10 completions for a measly 107 yards.
     On the ground, this one was pretty much a repeat of last week as the team started strong but failed to finish.
     Gadley dented the Bulldog line for 61 yards on 16 carries, but most of them came in the first half. The running game was virtually nonexistent in the second half as the Gems were forced into countless third-and-long situations. But even when they did try to run, they went nowhere.
     "Right now we have to make up our mind as to what we are and what we want to be," an obviously distraught Zinni said as his team prepared to head into the second half of the season. "We play everybody all over again."
     And who knows, with a little practice the Geminis may not even need an excuse.
                 
Score by Quarters
Canton       0     3     13     12     -     28
Buffalo   7   0   0   0   -   7
                         
Statistics
        CA       BU
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
BU       Gadley 2 run (Perri kick)
CA   Petroff 26 field goal
CA   Armstrong 70 interception return (Petroff kick)
CA   Brumfield 1 run (kick failed)
CA   Safety Hoysick tackled in end zone
CA   Jenkins 6 run (Petroff kick)
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Canton: Paul Wintes (32)
 
 
Carolina Storm logo Carolina Storm
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds

June 26, 1982
- Gator Bowl -
Jacksonville Sunbirds logo
 
Storm bulldozes Sunbirds
                 
Pat Dooley - Florida Times-Union        
         
     The Jacksonville Sunbirds didn't have much trouble with Carolina's "Gnat." It was the bulldozers they couldn't handle.
     The Carolina Storm simply wore out the Sunbirds in the second half of last night's American Football Association game, scoring 28 points and gaining 276 yards in the final two quarters in a 31-10 victory in front of a crowd estimated at 2,000 in the Gator Bowl.
     "They wore us out, beat us physically," said Sunbird coach Jerry Disch. "And our fatigue made them look that much better."
     The Sunbirds, now 2-3, managed to stop Carolina receiver Reggie "Super Gnat" Smith, holding him to two catches for 28 yards, both in the first drive of the game. Smith helped out, dropping two passes in the end zone.
     "The lights, man, these are bad lights," said Smith. "I lost the ball in the lights."
     With Smith doing little and the Storm tied with the Sunbirds 3-3 at the half, Carolina went to a ground attack that is statistically the best in the league. After gaining only 54 yards rushing in the first half, Carolina picked up 149 in the second half and ground out the victory.
     "I knew our offensive line would control the
game," said Carolina quarterback Ellsworth Turner. "You could see Jacksonville's linemen slow down in the second half.
     "They have a good team, but they have a lot of guys out of shape, bellies hanging out over their pants. I couldn't believe one of their players was even on the field."
     Turner did his part by passing for 209 yards and two second-half touchdowns. He leads the league with 14 scoring passes.
     The turning point of the game may have been in the first few minutes of the second half. Allan Leavitt's 27-yard field goal and a 21-yarder by Carolina's John Blum left the score knotted at the half. The Sunbirds' Leo Ethridge recovered a fumble on the second-half kickoff at the Carolina 40 and Jacksonville appeared to be ready to take the lead.
     But after being stopped on three downs, the Sunbirds tried a fake field goal that went for no gain Carolina took over and drove to the game's first touchdown, a 30 yard pass from Turner to running back Jackie Reed.
     On Jacksonville's next possession, Jerome Simmons recovered a Jacksonville fumble at the 9 and Emmett Hamilton, the league's
leading rusher, went in on the next play and Carolina led 18-3.
     But the two touchdowns within 1:03 of each other didn't destroy the Sunbirds. Quarterback Albert Chester marched Jacksonville 76 yards in 2:11 hitting Billy Mims with a 27-yard touchdown pass to make it 18-10.
     Carolina, now 5-0, came right back driving 56 yards, with all but one play coming on the ground. Reed went in for the score on a fourth-and-one play.
     Jacksonville's last-gasp effort was halted when Simmons intercepted a Chester pass at the Carolina 10 early in the fourth quarter. Turner hit former Florida wide receiver Darryl Jones with a 49-yard pass for the final score with 8:46 left in the game.
     "I was worried the humidity might work against us," said Jones. "But it worked just the other way."
     Bruce Duke led Carolina in rushing with 60 yards. Hamilton had 59 and Reed 46.
     "We just didn't take it to 'em," said Chester, who was 16 of 31 for 219 yards.
                 
Score by Quarters
Carolina       3     0     15     13     -     31
Jacksonville   3   0   7   0   -   10
                         
Statistics
        CA       JA
First downs   17   15
Rushing (att - yards)   42 - 203   24 - 24
Passing yards   209   257
Passing (comp - att - int)   10 - 20 - 1   18 - 36 - 2
Punts - yards   2 - 29   5 - 30
Return yards   120   91
Fumbles - lost   3 - 2   3 - 3
Penalties - yards   5 - 53   7 - 74
         
              
Scoring Summary
JA       Leavitt 27 field goal
CA   Blum 21 field goal
CA   Reed 30 pass from Turner (Matthews pass from Brown)
CA   Hamilton 9 run (Blum kick)
JA   Mims 27 pass from Chester (Leavitt kick)
CA   Reed 1 run (Blum kick)
CA   Jones 49 pass from Turner (kick failed)
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Carolina: Dennis Colt (35), Charles Hester (53)
Jacksonville: Billy Mims (83)
 
 
Oklahoma Thunder logo Oklahoma Thunder
at
Houston Armadillos

June 26, 1982
- Dyer Stadium -
Houston Armadillos logo
 
Rain, Thunder, national anthem
all hit Armadillos at wrong time
                 
Houston Chronicle        
         
     As a score of 48-7 might indicate, it was a night in which nothing seemed to go right for the hapless Houston Armadillos. First came the rain. Then came the Thunder - the Tulsa Thunder that is, the No. 1 team in the American Football Association. Then came the kickoff. Then came the national anthem.
     How is that again?
     A recapitulation of the Armadillos' first game at Dyer Stadium is in order.
     Aside from the awful weather, having to face the best team in the league and playing at Dyer field for the first time, all seemed normal - until kickoff.
     As the 750 fans waited to hear blues singer Johnny Copeland's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, all they got was the kickoff. A lack of communication between game officials and the public-address announcer apparently caused the snafu.
     Realizing their error, officials and the announcer stopped play. With the ball spotted and the Armadillos waiting to run their first offensive series, players and fans stood at attention for the national anthem.
     Following suit, however, even Copeland's effort turned sour. Midway through the song, Copeland paused, missing several words in the process. Copeland is a former winner of the W.C. Handy award as an outstanding blues singer.
     Restarting the action, the situation only got worse for the Armadillos. They ran three plays, then lined up to punt. Alas, thunderous Rayfield Williams banged through and blocked the kick, picked up the ball and scored the game's first touchdown less than two minutes deep. It was to be the first of three blocked punts the Armadillos would suffer. All led to Tulsa scores.
     The second aborted kick enabled Allen
Woodard to make good on a 44-yard field goal, which gave the Thunder a 10-0 lead.
     Houston came back for its only score of the night, a 1-yard run by William Cook, to close to within 10-7.
     Then things really got bad. Quinn Jones scored on a 5-yard run and Woodard added another field goal to put Tulsa up 20-7 at halftime.
     Midway through the third quarter, Joey Smith snared a 13-yard scoring pass from quarterback Dave Rader to make it 27-7, and the route was on.
     Three fourth-quarter touchdowns Dwaine Ball's 2-yard run, Mike Dorris' fumble recovery in the end zone and Lonnie Davis 20-yard return of the last blocked punt - nailed down the win for Tulsa, now 5-0 in American Football Association play.
     The Armadillos fell to 1-4 on the season.
                 
Score by Quarters
Oklahoma       10     10     7     21     -     48
Houston   7   0   0   0   -   7
                         
Statistics
        OK       HO
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
Charleston Rockets
at
Racine Gladiators

June 26, 1982
- Horlick Field -
Racine Gladiators logo
 
Gladiators pass to victory
                 
Kenosha Sunday News        
         
     Joe Grafenauer threw three touchdown passes Saturday night as the Racine Gladiators won their fifth straight United States Football League game, beating the West Virginia Rockets, 23-19.
     Grafenauer threw to Joe Rodriguez for a 21-yard TD, to Dan Brunner for a 10-yard TD, and
Jeff White for a 78-yard TD.
     Grafenauer threw the ball 41 times, completing 23, as the Gladiators passed twice for each time they ran with the ball. Greg Johnson gained 53 yards running.
     Cary Stearns kept the visiting Rockets, who went into action 4-0, in the game by kicking
four field goals.
     Kurt Campendahl was credited with Racine's final two points when he sacked the West Virginia quarterback in the end zone.
     The game was played before 4,080 at Horlick Field.
                 
Score by Quarters
Charleston       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     19
Racine   ?   ?   ?   ?   -   23
                         
Statistics
        CH       RA
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Roanoke Valley Express logo Roanoke Valley Express
at
Virginia Chargers

June 26, 1982
- Manassas Park High School -
Virginia Chargers logo
 
'Killer' on the loose fires up road-winning Express
                 
Roanoke Times        
         
     If records mean anything, maybe the Roanoke Valley Express should play all of its games on the road.
     The Express scored its third consecutive road victory Saturday night with a 28-0 triumph over the winless Virginia Chargers before a sparse crowd at Manassas Park High School.
     The victory improved the Express' record to 3-2, including 3-0 on enemy turf. The Chargers, suffering their third shutout, fell to 0-5.
     "I think maybe we play better on the road due to all the adversity we face at home," Express coach Gary Fallon said. "We just seem to play better football under those circumstances. It's hard to explain why."
     John Bowers, a former star at James Madison University, led the Express victory. Bowers threw three touchdown passes as the Express rolled up its biggest point total of the regular season.
     Meanwhile, the Express defense throttled the Virginia offense. The Chargers, who dropped a 46-6 exhibition decision to the Express six weeks ago, never mounted a serious threat.
     The Express defense was buoyed by an unexpected force. George "Killer" Miller, an assistant coach, started at defensive tackle and recovered a fumble to set up Roanoke Valley's first touchdown.
     "The guys were really fired up with George in there. Near the end I think he was trying to get ejected so he could get the heck out of there," Fallon cracked.
     Devon Hunter's 20-yard run after Miller's fumble recovery gave the Express a 7-0 lead. Roanoke Valley made it 14-0 on its second possession when Bowers connected with Wilbur Parsons for a 30-yard scoring pass.
     Bowers, who received a crash course on the
Express offense via a phone talk with Fallon this week, fired touchdown passes of 18 yards to Marvin Seals and of 35 yards to Tim Leavell in the second half to complete the scoring.
     "Bowers did a heckuva nice job for a guy who took the offense over the phone," Fallon said. "He said he would come back this week if we play another game."
     Fallon and the club had a meeting after the game to discuss the future of the team. Unless the team's board of directors raise $1,700 this week, the Express will reportedly fold.
     "We're facing reality," Fallon said. "It's one thing to play and another to need money to buy tape to practice. We've been able to survive so far, but the players and the coaching staff can't go into their pockets any longer. I don't think anybody can consider us a quitter at this point. I just hope this team can continue to play football."
                 
Score by Quarters
Roanoke Valley       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     28
Virginia   0   0   0   0   -   0
                         
Statistics
        RO       VA
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
RO       Hunter 20 run (Freeland kick)
RO   Parsons 30 pass from Bowers (Freeland kick)
RO   Seals 18 pass from Bowers (Freeland kick)
RO   Leavell 35 pass from Bowers (Freeland kick)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
San Antonio Bulls logo San Antonio Bulls
at
Shreveport Americans

June 26, 1982
- Independence Stadium -
Shreveport Americans logo
 
Smith passes, tackles in American win
                 
Ron Higgins - Shreveport Times        
         
     Shreveport quarterback Ken Smith's passing arm never looked better as he threw for two touchdowns, but it was his heel which turned out to be more important in the Americans 14-7 American Football Association win over the San Antonio Bulls here Saturday night at Independence Stadium before 3,124 fans and a Public Broadcasting System television audience.
     The Americans were clinging to that seven-point lead with just over 21/2 minutes left in the game and looked to expand it with third and eight at the Bulls 18. But Smith, being shut off from his favorite receiver, Vernon Wells, on the right side of the field, looked left for tight end Reggie Brock.
     However, Smith hung the ball too high and the Bulls' Keith Nelms intercepted three yards deep into the end zone. With a wall of blockers, he raced 55 yards down the sideline in front of his own bench and was a step away from getting past the last American, Smith, when he cut inside.
     "I dove for him and when he cut inside, he tripped over my heel," said Smith. "Thank God for my heel. The way our defense played, I didn't want it to end that way."
     Still, it could have ended differently if the Americans defense hadn't come up with one more big play. This one belonged to linebacker Marty Smith, who intercepted a Pete Przyborowski pass intended for tight end Tony Armstrong at the Shreveport 19 to kill the Bulls' final threat with 2:18 left in the game.
     "I'd just been on the phones to the press box with Don Rushing (Americans' defensive coordinator)," said Smith, "and he told me when I took my normal drop back to look for
the tight end. The ball came right into my hands."
     It's hard to believe there are actual defensive battles left in the offense-happy AFA, but living up to past tradition of tight, hard-hitting Shreveport-San Antonio games, Saturday's was no different.
     "We had some problems tackling at points during the game, but it was a great defensive effort," said Shreveport head coach Tom Rushing, whose team ran its record to 3-2 to stay within two games of 5-0 Southwest Division leader Oklahoma, who pounded Houston 48-7 Saturday night.
     The Americans defense, which gave up 245 yards total offense and 11 first downs, was at its peak early in the game. And it wasn't by design. They were just thrown into difficult situation after difficult situation.
     While Shreveport's offense, which finished up with 327 yards and 20 first downs started slow, San Antonio had three easy chances to put points on the board in the first half.
     The first came after Shreveport punter Jerry Pope scooped up a low snap and had his kick blocked by San Antonio's Jeff Ritter with teammate Ken Mills recovering at the Americans 33 with 12:10 left in the first quarter.
     The Bulls worked down to Shreveport 11, but on fourth and one as running back James Tibbs tried to shoot over left guard, the Americans' Smith and Curley White stopped him cold.
     San Antonio's Tally Neal intercepted a James Mosley pass and returned it to the Shreveport 13 with 3:13 left in the opening period. The Bulls got to the Americans 2, but a motion penalty sent them back to the 7.
     Four plays later on the second snap of the second period from the Americans 4 on fourth and goal, Tibbs tried to sweep left end, but was decked by Shreveport safety Keith Alexander.
     On the Bulls' next series, they moved to the Shreveport 21 where Joe Vega's 38-yard field goal was partially blocked by American Charlie Lewis.
     That inability to score early in the game hurt us," said Bulls bead coach George Pasterchick, whose team dropped to 2-3."We had those chances to score and the score at the half could have conceivably been 21-7."
     The seven points in the first half belonged to the Americans on Smith's 21-yard pass to Vernon Wells 36 seconds before halftime. On the play, Wells, who added to his league-leading stats with seven catches for 121 yards, faked a short sideline pattern and legged it deep past defensive back Mark Allen to make a diving catch in the end zone.
     Pope kicked the extra point and the Americans took a well-timed lead into the dressing room at the half.
     "We really had to have that touchdown before the half," said Rushing. "We hadn't gotten that close in the first half and we need some points out of it."
     San Antonio didn't seemed to be fazed. On its second series of the third quarter, the Bulls tied the game on a three-play, 56-yard drive.
     The second play of the march was a 56-yard Przyborowski to Armstrong pass. That put the ball at the Shreveport 5 where Tibbs swept around right end for the touchdown. Vega's extra point kick knotted the game with 6:13 remaining in the third period.
                 
Score by Quarters
San Antonio       0     0     7     0     -     7
Shreveport   0   7   7   0   -   14
                         
Statistics
        SA       SH
First downs   11   20
Rushing (att - yards)   29 - 73   32 - 99
Passing yards   172   228
Passing (comp - att - int)   12 - 26 - 1   17 - 34 - 2
Punts - yards   4 - 36.2   4 - 25.2
Fumbles - lost   0 - 0   3 - 1
Penalties - yards   8 - 67   4 - 20
         
              
Scoring Summary
SH       Wells 21 pass from Smith (Pope kick)
SA   Tibbs 5 run (Vega kick)
SH   Wells 31 pass from Smith (Pope kick)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
San Antonio: George Franklin (44)
Shreveport: Charlie Lewis (61)
 
Photograph
San Antonio: Tony Armstrong (88)
Shreveport: Stacey Holder (59)
 
 
Alabama Magic logo Alabama Magic
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds

July 3, 1982
- Gator Bowl -
Jacksonville Sunbirds logo
 
Sunbirds fall short on scoreboard, at gate
                 
Gordon Robbie - Florida Times-Union        
         
     The Jacksonville Sunbirds took the field against the Alabama Magic at the Gator Bowl last night needing a good gate (3,000 paid) to stay alive in the American Football Association.
     The gate fell short with 1,465 going through the turnstiles but the jury is still out on whether the Sunbirds' wings have been clipped for the last time.
     The Sunbirds fell short in the artistic end, also, losing to the Magic 37-9 while using a converted wide receiver at substitute quarterback for a starting quarterback who was a substitute last week.
     "We want to continue playing," said Sunbirds general manager Jim Vance, "but it's up to the players and the league [as to whether the season continues or not]. The players will have to vote to go [to Atlanta next week to play the Georgia Pride], and the league will have to give us some travel money."
     "I think the players want to continue," said former general manager Tom Johnston. "Their spirits are up." But that was before the Sunbirds realized they couldn't perform their own magic and pull the game out of the hat.
     Vance said the team fell short in its attempt
at getting enough funds to make the trip next weekend.
     "I won't let the players down," said coach Jerry Disch, following the defeat and amidst the indecision about continuing to beat a possibly dead horse. "I've never let anyone down and if they want to continue playing, I'll be here with them."
     Quarterback Mark Cahill proved too much for the Sunbirds as the Magic helmsman steered his team to a 16-2 halftime lead and a 30-2 advantage before giving way to rookie George Johnson.
     Cahill, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound graduate of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, engineered four scoring drives, one capped by his 1-yard plunge for the first touchdown of the night after Ron Slovensky's 40-yard field goal opened the scoring.
     A 3-yard pass from Cahill to Mark Robbins before the first half ended made the score 16-2 following a safety by Jacksonville.
     The Sunbirds began the second half with a fired-up offense but, with the Magic in one of its rare poor field positions, a Jacksonville punting attempt went bad when the snap was
high. Steve Amos made a desperate attempt to punt which was touched by a Magic player then picked up by the Sunbirds' Leo Ethridge. But referee Buddy Ward gave the ball to the Magic, ruling the punt did not carry across the line of scrimmage.
     This seemed to take the air out of the Sunbirds. The Magic rolled to two touchdowns, both by Alex Prince on the scoring end of passes from Cahill. One was for 13 yards, the other a 38-yarder that made the score 30-2.
     Alvin Small, at quarterback for Jacksonville following Albert Chester's resignation from the team earlier in the week, was never able to muster a threat before leaving midway in the third period with a separated left shoulder. Disch said he'd be out for 2-3 weeks, assuming there'll be more games.
     Wide receiver Wayne Foster took over and managed to score a touchdown on a 3-yard run late in the game. Cedric Stevens closed the scoring for Alabama with a 2-yard run in the closing minutes. Slovensky kicked his fourth extra point.
                 
Score by Quarters
Alabama       3     13     14     7     -     37
Jacksonville   0   2   0   7   -   9
                         
Statistics
        AL       JA
First downs   24   16
Rushing (att - yards)   39 - 173   27 - 138
Passing yards   279   188
Passing (comp - att - int)   19 - 39 - 1   12 - 26 - 4
Punts - yards   3 - 41.3   3 - 36.3
Return yards   44   141
Fumbles - lost   1 - 0   1 - 0
Penalties - yards   9 - 46   5 - 25
         
              
Scoring Summary
AL       Slovensky 40 field goal
AL   Cahill 1 run (Slovensky kick)
JA   Safety Cahill tackled in end zone
AL   Robbins 21 pass from Cahill (attempt failed)
AL   Prince 19 pass from Cahill (Slovensky kick)
AL   Prince 39 pass from Cahill (Slovensky kick)
JA   Foster 2 run (Leavitt kick)
AL   Stevens 19 run (Slovensky kick)
     
     
     
 
 
Austin Texans logo Austin Texans
at
Houston Armadillos

July 3, 1982
- Dyer Stadium -
Houston Armadillos logo
 
Armadillos' 2 field goals edge Texans
                 
Ellis Johnson - Houston Chronicle        
         
     The Houston Armadillos wipe away the tears from a 48-7 drubbing at the hands of Oklahoma a week ago by correcting their mistakes, toughening their defense and presenting new coach Steve Kiner with a 6-2 victory over the Austin Texans in an American Football Association game Saturday night at Dyer Stadium.
     Jerry Maltz kicked field goals of 30 and 31 yards in the second period and the Armadillo defense asserted itself when it had to at Dyer Stadium to preserve the victory.
     Armadillo quarterback Arnold Holcombe, who relieved starter Darnell Johnson at the
start of the second half, was tackled in the Houston end zone to account for Austin's 2 points.
     The safety came following the most critical threat of the game by the Texans who had registered a first down at the 2 but had been pushed back by a holding call to the 12. They then managed to return to the Houston 1 when, on fourth down, Mike Moore, Errol Graham, Tom Johnson, Audrey Taylor, John Welis and Raymond Robinson rose up to stop Roosevelt Hardin 1 yard short of the touchdown that would have sent them out front with 12:17 left in the game.
     It wasn't the last stand for the defense. They turned the Texans back again at the Houston 35 in the last three minutes of the game to seal the victory.
     Texans mistakes set up both Armadillo scores. Johnson recovered a Texan fumble following a Houston punt on the Austin 25. It took Houston nine plays to register the score with 9:18 left in the period.
     Joe Walker intercepted a Brian Bailey pass and returned it 34 yards to the Austin 14. A personal foul set the Armadillos back to their 29 and three plays later, Maltz added the three-pointer with 1:54 left in the half.
                 
Score by Quarters
Austin       0     2     0     0     -     2
Houston   0   6   0   0   -   6
                         
Statistics
        AU       HO
First downs   9   6
Rushing (att - yards)   27 - 20   28 - 103
Passing yards   95   40
Passing (comp - att - int)   5 - 17 - 1   16 - 37 - 2
Punts - yards   8 - 22.5   4 - 47.5
Return yards   39   98
Fumbles - lost   1 - 0   2 - 2
Penalties - yards   5 - 85   6 - 81
         
              
Scoring Summary
HO       Maltz 31 field goal
HO   Maltz 30 field goal
AU   Safety Holcombe tackled in end zone
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Houston: Paul Hood (20)
Austin: Tommy Gonzalez (??)
 
 
Georgia Pride logo Georgia Pride
at
Florida Statesmen

July 3, 1982
- Capital Stadium -
Florida Statesmen logo 
 
Statesmen slip past Pride 27-23
                 
Katy Williams - Tallahassee Democrat        
         
     The Florida Statesmen got their first field win of the American Football Association season Saturday night, 27-23 over the Georgia Pride, but it wasn't pretty.
     With no points, only one first down and an always-narrowing lead in the second half, the Statesmen barely held off the 3-3 Pride who had embarrassed them 40-9 in the teams' opener five weeks ago. Some 500 fans watched at Capital Stadium.
     Statesmen quarterback Clyde Walker, who was 14-for-26 for 169 yards but had two interceptions, said, "For a minute it seemed like we were trying to lose."
     The Pride closed to within four points with four minutes to play. Bob Brien's 19-yard field goal made it 27-16, and the plays that followed made it rough going for the 2-4 Statesmen.
     Walker, on the Statesmen's 14-yard line, seemed set to lead his team up-field after the kickoff return. Only a Frank Jones sack, and consequently, a Walker fumble, let the Pride score when Jones landed on the ball in the end zone.
     "That play was a mix-up from the start," Walker said. "It didn't get off on the right snap,
and our linemen were waiting too long. But what's important is that we won after all. And whether we win big, or just like this, is a turning point for us. Now we think we can play with anyone."
     The Statesmen almost repeated their mistake of two weeks ago in their 17-14 loss against Jacksonville, when they sat on the halftime lead and played a conservative second half. Saturday, the Statesmen led 27-10 at the half; more points than the previously lackluster Statesmen had gotten in four losses. The Statesman won their first game last week against Panama City by forfeit.
     The 27 points also tied the number that the Pride, talent-heavy with former National Football League types, had allowed in first halves all season.
     The Statesmen got off to a quick scoring start, going up 6-0 just nine seconds into the game. After a Pride fumble on the opening kickoff, Walker immediately threw a magnificent 6-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Greg Jackson. By the game's end Jackson had pulled down seven passes for 75 yards and three touchdowns.
     "I felt good in the first half, I even felt good in the second half," Jackson said. "We had an offensive letdown, but we kept under control. The Pride changed its defense a little in the second, which we misread, but we still felt we could do whatever we wanted."
     The Statesmen couldn't get their strong ground attack going. New running backs Bill Fenn and Sam Thomas combined for just 62 yards.
     The Pride came up with 182 yards rushing for 278 total yards. Quarterback Anthony Flanagan was 10-for-28 for 119 yards but had one interception.
     The Statesmen, bothered by nine penalties for 75 yards, squeaked by with 197 total yards.
     "We made our mistakes," said Detroit Reynolds, the Statesmen coach. "We made some mental errors and let the momentum change. In the end we handled them okay, but it was tense."
     The Statesmen face the Charlotte Storm next week in North Carolina, and return to Capitol Stadium July 17 to play the Alabama Magic.
                 
Score by Quarters
Georgia       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     23
Florida   ?   ?   ?   ?   -   27
                         
Statistics
        GA       FL
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards   ? - ?   ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Photograph
Florida: Terry Davis (83)
 
 
Oklahoma Thunder logo Oklahoma Thunder
at
Shreveport Americans

July 3, 1982
- Independence Stadium -
Shreveport Americans logo
 
Pope kicks Thunder out in overtime, 15-12
                 
Rick Thomas - Shreveport Times        
         
     Jerry Pope drilled a 40-yard field goal with 7:46 gone in the overtime period Saturday night, lifting the Shreveport Americans to a 15-12 win over previously unbeaten Oklahoma as a crowd estimated at 4,000 watched the American Football Association thriller.
     Pope, who kicked three field goals in the game, missed an earlier try in regulation because of a bad snap from center. Shreveport was at the two yard line on that and it resulted in a 30-yard loss.
     But in the overtime, the Americans started their winning drive at their 38, steadily got him into position and then watched the AFA veteran bomb through the winner.
     Quarterback Ken Smith completed a seven-yard pass to Reggie Brock to initiate the winning drive. Arry Moody ran 13 yards and Donnie Sutton followed with a 16-yard gain to get the ball to the 26.
     Three running plays netted only seven yards and Shreveport was penalized back to the Thunder 24 before Pope was called on.
     His kick avenged a season-opening 20-18 loss to the Thunder in Tulsa and it left Shreveport with a 4-2 record in the league's southwest division.
     Shreveport used a two-minute drill to send the game into overtime. The Americans were down by 12-9 when they took over at their 27 with 1:54 to play in regulation.
     Smith then completed four passes in a row to move the ball to the Oklahoma 32.
     A swing pass to Brock then gained 24 yards
to the eight. Following two incompletions, Pope kicked the tying field goal of 25 yards with a second left on the clock.
     Shreveport's defense held the Thunder in check all night and limited Oklahoma to four field goals - all by soccer kicker Alan Woodward. The visitors could gain only 272 yards in total offense.
     Meanwhile, coach Tom Rushing decided to go with Smith at quarterback throughout the entire contest and he responded with 20 completions in 34 attempts for 296 yards and the game's only touchdown. He was intercepted twice.
     Moody had 66 yards in 17 carries and Sutton added 41 in 12 runs.
     In all, Pope had field goals of 21, 25 and 40 yards. Woodward hit from 20, 32, 28 and 37, the last coming with 1:54 left in the game and putting his side on top by 12-9.
     It appeared that would make this game a repeat of the visit to Oklahoma when he kicked a short field goal with two minutes to play. But Smith and Pope saw it differently.
     The win kept Shreveport unbeaten at home in four tries.
     The two teams battled to a 6-all standoff by half, the first 30 minutes of play marred by penalties - there were 21 infractions marked off during the first two quarters.
     Oklahoma scored first - taking advantage of a Shreveport miscue.
     When the Thunder was forced to punt on its first possession, American return specialist
Willie B. Mosley fumbled Rick Engles' kick and Oklahoma special teamer Bobby Smith recovered at the Americans' 26.
     Seven plays flipped off the down marker before Woodward split the uprights on a 20-yard field goal that gave the Oklahomans the lead with 3:32 remaining in the first quarter.
     The Americans, who moved the ball to the tune of 200 yards total offense in the half, later scored on an 80-yard drive of 10 plays. Smith lofted a 28-yard pass to Sutton for the touchdown. But a bad snap marred the point after try, leaving Shreveport on top by just 6-3 with 10:07 remaining before half.
     Smith's passing ignited the Americans' scoring drive. He hit a couple passes good for 15 and 20 yards to wide out Edwin Scott and had a 13 yard completion to tight end Gregg Lazarro.
     Another Shreveport mistake - a fumble off a scramble by quarterback Smith - was recovered by Oklahoma and turned into the tying points in the final 37 seconds of the first half.
     The Thunder, behind a 22-yard pass from quarterback Dave Rader to Smith and a 20-yard run by Vincent Orange, moved to the Americans' nine after the recovery. But defender Keith Alexander's diving deflection of a pass forced the visitors into a fourth down and Woodward kicked a 32-yard field goal that knotted the count at halftime.
     The only score of the third period was Woodward's 28-yard field goal that capped a 78-yard drive.
                 
Score by Quarters
Oklahoma       3     3     3     3     -     0     -     12
Shreveport   0   6 0   6   -   3   -   15
                                 
Statistics
        OK       SH
First downs   15   18
Rushing (att - yards)   42 - 108   32 - 80
Passing yards   164   296
Passing (comp - att - int)   10 - 24 - 1   20 - 34 - 2
Punts - avg   5 - 46.8    3 - 34.6
Fumbles - lost   2 - 1   5 - 2
Penalties - yards 19 - 144 16 - 100
         
              
Scoring Summary
OK        Woodward 20 field goal
SH    Sutton 28 pass from Smith (kick blocked)
OK   Woodward 32 field goal
OK   Woodward 28 field goal
SH   Pope 21 field goal
OK   Woodward 37 field goal
SH   Pope 25 field goal
SH   Pope 40 field goal
     
     
     

Photograph 
Shreveport: Ardis McCann (77), Sam Coaxum (68)
Oklahoma: Vincent Orange (48)
 
Photograph
Oklahoma: Vincent Orange (48), Joey Smith (17)
 
 
Texas Wranglers logo Texas Wranglers
at
San Antonio Bulls

July 3, 1982
- Harlandale Memorial Stadium -
San Antonio Bulls logo 
 
Wranglers nip Bulls, 7-6
                 
Gary Gossett - San Antonio Light        
         
     It wasn't your classical Hail Mary pass, but it accomplished the same results and enabled the Texas Wranglers to take a 7-6 American Football Association (AFA) victory over the San Antonio Bulls last night before an announced crowd of 5,500 at Memorial Stadium.
     The scoring summary shows the Wranglers' winning touchdown was a 32-yard pass from quarterback Welby Ina to wide receiver Mike Milton, and that's all that really counts. What the summary doesn't show is Milton wasn't the primary receiver, and if he hadn't been where he was when he was, the Bulls might have had a 6-0 win.
     It happened this way. With Texas trailing six minutes deep in the third quarter, and facing a second-and-11 situation at the Bull 32, Ina dropped back into the pocket and fired to Mark Owens cutting across the middle. It would have been a first down if Owens had caught the ball, but the bullet ripped through his hands and sailed on downfield - toward the end zone.
     Lo and behold, there was Milton, and the 6-0 TCU graduate snatched that football like a kid snitching a sucker. He was so happy he ran half way to downtown San Antonio before finally turning back onto the field with his six points. Robert Stringer was dead center with the conversion kick, and the Wranglers had their 7-6 margin.
     Most of the crowd probably figured that was the ball game, even though there was still 9:05 on the clock, because the San Antonio
offense had given them no reason to believe it could come back and score the winning points. Two field goals, of 27 and 40 yards, by Joe Vega accounted for all the Bull scoring, and both of those field goals should have been touchdowns.
     Three times in the first half San Antonio moved into touchdown position, and all three times failed to get the six-pointer. Late in the first, the Bulls had a first-and-10 from the Wrangler 11 and had to settle for a field goal try from the 16 on the first play of the second quarter. It was no good.
     With just over eight minutes left in the half, the Bulls had a first-and-10 from the Wrangler 10, and three downs later Vega booted his 17-yarder. Then, with time running out in the second quarter, they moved to a first down on the Texas 23, and three plays later Vega got his 40-yard boot.
     If not for the Bull defense, which probably logs more playing time than Moses Malone, the game might have been a runaway for the Dallas-based Wranglers. Led by defensive back Keith Nelms, linebackers Tally Neal and Raul Reynosa, defensive back Casterdale Green and linemen Ken Mills and Terry Beamer, the Bulls held the visitors to 211 yards total offense, and 140 of that came later in the ball game when they were obviously tiring. In the first half, Texas was in the Bulls' end of the field only once, and that came when linebacker Daron Moseley intercepted a Pete Przyborowski pass on the 26 and returned it five yards. On fourth-
and-7 from the 19, Mills blocked Stringer's field goal try.
     Even in the second half, the Wranglers could not force their way into Bull territory but one time, and that was their touchdown drive. Texas possessions ended on their 47, 37, 48, 34, 45 and 45. As time ran out the Wranglers were on the Bull 17, but that was the result of Mosley's having recovered a Przyborowski fumble on the 19, and the Wranglers were just trying to run out the clock.
     In defense of the San Antonio offense, however, it must be pointed out George Franklin did not play. The highly-touted fullback was in an automobile accident Friday night and injured his knee, and has been advised to stay off the leg completely until Tuesday. It is hoped he will be back for next week's game.
     Bon Dunn, the former Trinity University linebacker turned running back, didn't do badly as a fill-in. Dunn gained 53 yards on 14 carries, just three yards less than the Bulls' leading rusher, James Tibbs, who had 56 yards but rushed 20 times to get them.
     The glaring weakness in the Bull attack is at quarterback. Przyborowski went to the air 40 times and connected on just 11, and few of those incompletions were the fault of the receivers. The New Mexico Highlands product, who obviously has the strength to throw the ball, got excellent protection from his offensive line but just couldn't hit his receivers.
                 
Score by Quarters
Texas       0     0     0     7     -     7
San Antonio   0   6 0   0   -   6
                         
Statistics
        TX       SA
First downs   12   16
Rushing (att - yards)   39 - 68   38 - 83
Passing yards   146   132
Passing (comp - att - int)   12 - 26 - 0   11 - 40 - 2
Punts - avg   9 - 34.8   7 - 35.9
Fumbles - lost   1 - 1   1 - 1
Penalties - yards 4 - 34 4 - 50
         
              
Scoring Summary
SA       Vega 27 field goal
SA   Vega 40 field goal
TX   Milton 32pass from Ina (Stringer kick)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Photograph
Texas:  Rodney Williams (72)
San Antonio: James Tibbs (25)
 
Photograph
Texas: Rodney Williams (72)
San Antonio: James Tibbs (25)
 
Photograph 
San Antonio: Keith Nelms (??)
 
 
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
Charleston Rockets
at
Virginia Chargers

July 3, 1982
- Manassas Park High School -
Virginia Chargers logo 
 
NO ARTICLE
OR
PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE 
 
 
Buffalo Geminis logo Buffalo Geminis
at
Racine Gladiators

July 4, 1982
- Horlick Field -
Racine Gladiators logo 
 
Gladiators sparkle on 4th
                 
Gregg J. Hoffmann - Racine Journal Times        
         
     Joe Rodriguez and Greg "Grape Juice" Johnson of the Racine Gladiators spent their Fourth of July igniting fireworks that blew apart the defense of the Buffalo Geminis.
     Rodriguez gained 120 yards on 18 carries and Johnson 118 on 20 to lead the Gladiators to a 49-0 victory over the Geminis in an American Football Association game at Horlick Field Sunday. It was the first time in the Gladiators' history that two running backs have rushed for more than 100 yards in the same game.
     "We got great blocking today," said the 6-foot-1, 232-pound Rodriguez, who gained most of his yardage inside. "We concentrated on the running game a little more and had it really going."
     Johnson, who individually has eclipsed the 100-yard mark several times for the Gladiators, also praised his line and Rodriguez.
     "I can't begin to say enough about the job our line did," said Johnson. "They are coming together as a unit now. Joe and I also block for each other, and he opens things up outside for me because he is such a power runner inside."
     The Gladiators linemen - enter Jeff Olson (6-foot, 235), guards Tom Houston (6-3, 268) and Nat Dyer (6-4, 275), tackles Lonnie Richardson (6-5, 275)*and John Scardina (6-4, 255) and tight end Dan Brunner (6-2, 235) - were relatively new to each other at the beginning of the season.
     Olson, Dyer and Scardina were with the Gladiators last year, but Houston, Richardson and Brunner played for the Delavan Red Devils. But on Sunday. they played like they had played been lining up side by side for years.
     "Our line has been coming on each game," said Gladiators' coach Harry Gilbert, whose team now is 6-0 in the AFA North Division. "It takes a while for a line to jell as a unit, but they are getting there.
     "I was very glad to see the job they did today and to see both backs go over 100 yards. Rodriguez and Juice are very different types of backs. Joe gets his extra yards by running over and through people. Juice gets his by juking, changing speeds and sliding around tacklers.
     "Last week, Joe Grafenauer threw for 369 yards (in a 23-19 victory over the defending AFA champion, West Virginia) and this week the running game did it. That shows we are getting some balance into the offense."
     The efforts of Rodriguez and Johnson led the Gladiators to 259 rushing yards in the game. Quarterbacks Grafenauer and Joe Matallic contributed 169 yards via passing.
     Almost overshadowed, but not unnoticed, was another excellent defensive effort by the Gladiators, who lead the AFA North in defense.
     The Geminis, now 1-5, managed only 33 total yards - 52 passing and minus 19 rushing. Halfback Eric Gadley, the second leading rusher in the AFA, had 14 yards on 14 carries.
     Racine cornerback Ed Howard led the defensive effort. After singing the national anthem before the contest, Howard exercised more than his vocal chords during the game by recovering a fumble in the first quarter and intercepting a pass in the fourth period. Defensive ends Rick Lafford and Chester Jeffrey and linebacker John Forchette also had good games. Lafford and Jeffrey kept constant
pressure on Buffalo quarterback George Pachuchy, and Forchette hounded Gadley throughout the afternoon.
     "Our defense just continues to be superb," Gilbert said. "You couldn't ask for more from a defensive unit."
     Racine scored first via the pass route, when Grafenauet threw 14 yards to Ray Meinsen for a first quarter touchdown.
     But then the running game took over. Johnson, who came into the game as the fourth leading rusher in the AFA, scored the Gladiators' second touchdown, on a five-yard run to open the second quarter.
     The Gladiators scored twice more in the period, on a seven-yard run by Johnson and a 14-yard run by Rodriguez.
     The third quarter was scoreless, but the Gladiators caught fire again in the fourth period. Racine scored on a one-yard run by Rodriguez, a 16-yard pass from Metallic to James McClelland and a two-yard run by Mike Larry.
     Nils Lindskoog added all seven extra points.
     The only disappointment of the day for the Gladiators was the attendance. Only 1.631 fans watched the game - well below the 5,000 per game Gladiator President Ron Waisman says the franchise needs to survive financially.
     The Gladiators, who lead the AFA North by one game, host Arlington, Va., at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and then go on the road for two important games with Canton July 17, and West Virginia July 24. Their final regular season game will be played July 31 against Roanoke, Va., at Horlick Field.
                 
Score by Quarters
Buffalo        0     0     0     0     -     0
Racine   7   21   0   21   -   49
                         
Statistics
        BU       RA
First downs   6   20
Rushing (att - yards)   23 - (-19)   33 - 259
Passing yards   52   169
Passing (comp - att - int)   8 - 29 - 1   10 - 25 - 2
Punts - avg   9 - 31   3 - 34
Fumbles - lost   5 - 2   3 - 2
Penalties - yards 7 - 72 5 - 45
         
              
Scoring Summary
RA       Meinsen 14 pass from Grafenauer (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Johnson 5 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Johnson 7 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Rodriguez 14 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Rodriguez 1 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   McClelland 16 pass from Matallic (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Larry 2 run (Lindskoog kick)
     
     
     
     

 
 
Shreveport Americans logo Shreveport Americans
at
Austin Texans

July 10, 1982
- Burger Center -
Austin Texans logo 
 
Shreveport wins, 41-6
Texans lose 7th straight game
                 
Michael Hurd - Austin American-Statesman        
         
     The Austin Texans continued their losing ways Saturday night at Burger Center, dropping their seventh decision in as many outings, this time a 41-6 self-destruction at the hands of the Shreveport Americans.
     The only difference in this outing and the other six was that head coach Ben Dial, who left the team to attend to his construction business, was absent. Interim coach Bill Martin said the search is on for a new head coach - and some new players.
     Little wonder. The Texans are resting in the Southwest Division cellar in American Football Association standings, and Saturday's seven turnovers played a big part in the team's loss to Shreveport. Austin's only quarterback, Bryan Bailey of Abilene Christian, threw five interceptions; one of them was picked off by William Johnson and returned 101 yards for a score.
     Three Americans quarterbacks put the ball up a combined 33 times, completing 17 tosses (255 yards) with three interceptions, none of which hurt the Shreveport cause. Ken Smith
(Boston College) had three TD passes. The Americans got on the board first in the opening quarter after the teams exchanged interceptions and Shreveport set up shop on its own two-yard line.
     A running play gained nothing, but on second down, Smith lofted a pass to wide receiver Ed Scott, running behind Eric Howard at the Americans' 40. Scott pulled the ball in over his shoulder, shook free from Howard at the Austin 40 and raced untouched the remaining distance, completing the 98-yard scoring play. Jerry Pope kicked the first of his five extra points and the rout was on.
     Shreveport (now 5-2) scored on its next possession. This time, they drove 63 yards in six plays, with Smith throwing his second TD pass of the night, a 23-yard strike to wide receiver Vernon Wells (5 catches, 149 yards).
     Austin's only score came at the opening of the second quarter. Texan Elvis Shaw rushed Pope, who was attempting to punt, and tackled him at the Shreveport 23.
     Three plays later, on third and seven, Bailey
hit tight end Kim Watts (10 catches, 79 yards) for 17 yards to the Americans' three. Don Smith, Austin's leading rusher on the night with 75 yards on 14 carries, got one yard, then Ricky Caldwell slammed over left tackle for the final two yards. Clarence Houston's point-after attempt was blocked.
     The half ended on a bizarre, if not comical, note. Shreveport went ahead 21-6 with 5:45 remaining in the second period on a 45-yard pass from Smith to running back Ron Jones. But, from their own 20, the Texans drove to the Shreveport 6, with Bailey completing 6-of-12 passes (four to Watts). The drive died there when a pass to Watts in the end fell incomplete.
     But, with 26 seconds left, Smith dropped back in his end zone to pass. Howard intercepted and ran it back 33 yards to the Shreveport 1. On Austin's second play, Bailey passed, but it went straight to Johnson, who intercepted the short pass and ran uncontested 101 yards for a Shreveport score.
                 
Score by Quarters
Shreveport       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     41
Austin   ?   ?     ?   -   6
                         
Statistics
        SH       AU
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards ? - ? ? - ? 
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
 
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
Charleston Rockets
at
Canton Bulldogs

July 10, 1982
- Rubber Bowl -
Canton Bulldogs logo 
 
Bulldogs defeat Charleston in OT
                 
Dick Shippy - Akron Beacon Journal        
         
     Les Petroff kicked a 31-yard field goal with less than two minutes expired in a sudden death period to give the Canton Bulldogs a 20-17 victory over the Charleston Rockets Saturday night at the Rubber Bowl.
     The Rockets, down 17-0 at halftime, had capitalized on Canton mistakes and the Bulldogs' suddenly quiet offense to force the game into an extra period, getting the tying touchdown with only 1:19 left in regulation time.
     But the Rockets gave the initiative right back in the overtime. Charleston was supposed to get the ball first in the extra session, having won the coin flip, but failed to hold possession on the ensuing kickoff. Defensive back Bill Armstrong recovered for Canton at the Rockets' 15-yard line after the ball had bounded off a Charleston player.
     Canton ran Paul Winters, the former University of Akron star, into the line twice for short gains, then Petroff came in and performed his specialty.
     The win was the fourth straight for Canton, including a forfeit victory, after three opening losses and pulled the Bulldogs to within a game of second-place Charleston in their American Football Association division.
     Next Saturday, Canton takes on division-leading Wisconsin (6-1) in an 8:05 p.m. game that has been moved to Massillon's Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
     Wide receiver Tyrone Hicks, the ex-Ohio State star, and Bulldog quarterback Bob Stachowicz connected on a 66-yard touchdown pass that put Canton on top seven minutes into the game.
     Alternate quarterback Sammy Shon drove the Bulldogs 38 yards in six plays after a Charleston fumble for a 14-0 lead, Dennis Brumfield, another Akron U product, getting the touchdown on a dive from the 2. That came in the first minute of the second quarter. And 2:24 before the half, Petroff kicked a 39-yard field goal for the halftime edge.
     Charleston, which had given up notions of
running against the Canton defense to the extent it ran 21 consecutive pass plays in a first-half span, finally got its first score by that route. The score came on quarterback Steve Turk's 11-yard pass to Bo Chambers.
     That came with 2:24 left in the third. Charleston got a 29-yard field goal from Carey Starnes following a 48-yard drive aided by a pass interference call against Canton and it was 17-10 with 7:25 left in the game.
     The Bulldogs, who failed to make a first down for almost 20 minutes, the span covering the third and fourth quarters, were stymied again, had to punt to Charleston and saw the Rockets start their tying scoring drive from the Canton 48. A 29-yard pass, Turk to Albert Anderson, put the ball on the 5-yard line, and one play later Turk passed to Mike Cosumano for the tie.
     Charleston got 177 of its net 191 yards by passes, Turk completing 19 of 44. The Bulldogs had 159 yards rushing and 99 passing.
                 
Score by Quarters
Charleston       7     10     0     0     -     0     -     17
Canton   0   0 7   10   -   3   -   20
                                 
Statistics
        CH       CA
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 14   ? - 159
Passing yards   177   99
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards ? - ? ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
CA       Hicks 66 pass from Stachowicz (Petroff kick)
CA   Brumfield 2 run (Petroff kick) 
CA   Petroff 39 field goal 
CH   Chambers 11 pass from Turk (Starnes kick) 
CH   Starnes 29 field goal 
CH   Cosumano 5 pass from Turk (Starnes kick) 
CA   Petroff 31 field goal
     

 
 
Florida Statesmen logo Florida Statesmen
at
Carolina Storm

July 10, 1982
- Memorial Stadium -
Carolina Storm logo 
 
Storm stops tenacious Tallahassee
                 
David Scott - Charlotte Observer        
         
     It didn't take long, but it was all the Carolina Storm needed.
     The Storm, getting two touchdowns in the last two minutes of the first half, whipped the Tallahassee Statesmen 28-14 Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. The victory clinched the Storm (7-0) at least a tie for second in the American Football Association's Southeastern Division. Carolina next plays Saturday in Atlanta against the Georgia Pride.
     This game had designs on being close. For about 58 minutes, it was. But for the final two minutes of the second quarter, matters got out of hand for the Statesmen (2-5).
     For much of the first half, Tallahassee hung with the Storm 7-7. That was no mean feat, considering Carolina went into the game outscoring its opposition 189-37. It had scored first in the opening quarter on an 8-yard pass from Storm quarterback Ellsworth Turner to Jeff Thompson.
     Then, something happened that happens in most Storm games. It was late in the half, and the Statesmen were to getting tired. Carolina wasn't.
     After a Tallahassee punt, Turner went to work with his main man, Reggie "Super Gnat" Smith.
     Turner, who finished with 332 yards passing, hit Smith for 37 yards to the Tallahassee 11. After he was sacked, he threw Smith an 18-yard touchdown pass. John Blum's kick was blocked, but it was 13-7 with 1:46 remaining in the half.
     The Statesmen got the ball back, and after three plays punted back. Turner stepped out of the pocket to find Darrell Jones downfield - a 56-yard pass play. Four plays later, Turner found Lonnie Harris 6 yards away in the end zone. Holder Steve Brown faked the extra point and threw to Emmett Hamilton for two points.
     Being ahead 21-7 at halftime is a lot different than being up 14-7. That simply set the stage for Tallahassee's big poop-out in the fourth quarter, when the Statesmen couldn't hope to contain the Storm.
     "It's a combination of us being in shape and them not being in shape," said Storm center Reid Squires. "We run in practice all the time. After practice the offensive and defensive lines run. We're in shape."
     Tallahassee, after cutting it to 21-14 in the third quarter, rolled over for the Storm offense in the fourth quarter. Carolina had the ball three times in the final period. On the first possession, Jackie Reed broke a run for 71 yards, but the whole thing fell through three plays later when Hamilton fumbled. A break for the Statesmen.
     The second time, however, Turner completed four straight passes, the final one a 5-yard scoring toss to Harris, making the final 28-14. The Statesmen couldn't keep up.
     "We're in good physical condition," said Carolina coach Eddie Joyce. "It's our mental condition I'm worried about. We've got no intensity. But we do have some talented
football players. That's carried us."
     Joyce traces the lack of ferociousness to the season's first half, when the Storm was winning easily each week. One of those blowouts was a 30-0 triumph over the Statesmen in Tallahassee.
     This was a different Statesmen team, however. Tallahassee picked up some players from the defunct Florida Sun, and they helped.
     The Statesmen, do, however, still have their aggressive defensive backfield. The Storm complained about what Joyce called Tallahassee's "taking liberties," in the teams' first meeting. The Statesmen, evidentially, hadn't changed much.
     For instance: When Carolina's Jones caught the long pass to set up the Storm's third touchdown, he was tackled by Tallahassee's Robert Linton, who dragged Jones down by that face mask. Jones kicked Linton and was thrown out of the game.
     "That kind of thing happens," said Joyce.
     The Statesmen also had Mike Cox, a former Carolina Charger placekicker. Cox was cut by the Storm before the season started. He had been shopping around the AFA looking for a better deal while his lawyer negotiated with the Storm.
     That, evidentially, created some bad feelings among Storm fans, who booed Cox - an Independence High and Gardner-Webb alumnus - every time he took the field.
     Once, Cox caught an overthrown pass along the sidelines. He was booed, then, too.
                 
Score by Quarters
Florida       0     7     7     0     -     14
Carolina   7   14   0   7   -   28
                         
Statistics
        FL       CA
First downs   14   22
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 84   ? - 178
Passing yards   150   352
Passing (comp - att - int)   19 - 34 - 1   24 - 41 - 1
Punts - avg   5 - 36   3 - 34
Fumbles - lost   4 - 1   3 - 2
Penalties - yards 6 - 30 3 - 40
         
              
Scoring Summary
CA       Thompson 8 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
FL   Jackson 9 pass from Walker (Cox kick)
CA   Smith 18 pass from Turner (kick failed)
CA   Harris6 pass from Turner (Hamilton pass from Brown)
FL   Davis 20 pass from Walker (Cox kick)
CA   Harris 5 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
     
     
     
     
     

Photograph
Players unknown
 
Photograph 
Carolina: Reid Squires (66)
Florida: Mike Ardley (??)
 
 
Jacksonville Sunbirds logo Jacksonville Sunbirds
at
Georgia Pride

July 10, 1982
- Lakewood Stadium -
Georgia Pride logo 
 
Sun almost sets on Pride, but blocked kick brings win
                 
Earnest Reese - Atlanta Journal        
         
     It was too much to ask, but it was asked of them anyway.
     After most of their coaching staff quit during the week, and after losing their first two quarterbacks and seeing 22 of 37 players walk out, the Jacksonville Sunbirds rolled into Atlanta to fulfill an American Football Association engagement with the Georgia Pride at Lakewood Stadium Saturday night.
     It was a bit much to ask of the Sunbirds, an AFA breed on the brink of extinction. But under such trying circumstances, Jacksonville gave an admirable account of itself before bowing to the Pride 15-7 before an estimated crowd of 2,000.
     Former Morehouse College standout Ricky Sims blocked a third-period field goal attempt and returned it 66 yards for a touchdown to seal the Sunbirds' fate.
     "We just threw ourselves together to try to save the franchise," said Rudolph Jones, an offensive tackle on a Jacksonville team that made the trip with 28 players packed into three vans. "If we hadn't made this game, we would have had the franchise revoked."
     The Sunbirds, who left Jacksonville about 10 a.m. and arrived at Lakewood just 20 minutes
before game time, didn't know who their coach would be until five minutes before going on the field for warmups. At that point, it was decided that Malichi Beyah, a linebacker, would let injured quarterback Alvin Small handle the chore.
     The week before, Small became the starting quarterback after previous starter Albert Chester quit the team. Small suffered a shoulder separation in a 37-9 loss to the Alabama Magic last Saturday and dressed in street clothes Saturday. He was called upon to replace Jerry Disch, the Sunbirds' coach until Tuesday.
     Disch, an assistant principal of a high school in Jacksonville Beach, quit because of a walkout by players disenchanted with unfulfilled promises - mainly about compensation for playing.
     "We're doing it out of personal pride because we've got some good athletes on this team," Jacksonville free safety Charles Walker said. "Even before this game started, we were prepared for the worst."
     "The worst" didn't occur until less than two minutes remained in the first half. After quarterback Anthony Flanagan had passed 32
yards to tight end Larry Powers to give the i ride a 6-0 lead with 9:23 left in the first period, Jacksonville fought back to take a 7-6 lead that held up until defensive back Sims made the first of two interceptions within a span of 12 minutes.
     The Sunbirds, down to wide receiver Wayne Foster as the quarterback, enjoyed that one-point advantage as the result of a 9-yard run by fullback Jerry Young and Charles Fooshee's point-after. But just before the half, a Foster pass was intercepted by Sims and returned 40 yards to Jacksonville's 15.
     When an offensive effort stalled, Bob O'Brien kicked a 23-yard field goal to give the Pride a 9-7 lead with 27 seconds left before intermission.
     Jacksonville continued its threat of an upset most of the second half, but Sims' return of the blocked field-goal attempt and an interception by Ben Scott at the Pride's goal line late in the fourth period will send the Georgia team into its home game against undefeated Carolina next week with a 4-3 record.
     As for the Sunbirds (2-5), this past weekend may have been their last as an AFA unit.
                 
Score by Quarters
Jacksonville       0     7     0     0     -     7
Georgia   6   3   6   0   -   15
                         
Statistics
        JA       GA
First downs   12   16
Rushing (att - yards)   34 - 103   38 - 156
Passing yards   82   134
Passing (comp - att - int)   3 - 14 - 2   7 - 18 - 2
Punts - avg   5 - 34.4   2 - 42.5
Return yards    74   69
Fumbles - lost   2 - 0   3 - 2
Penalties - yards 5 - 25 10 - 117
         
              
Scoring Summary
GA       Powers 32 pass from Flannagan (kick failed)
JA   Young 9 run (Fooshee kick)
GA   Bryan 22 field goal
GA   Sims 66 blocked field goal return (pass failed)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
 
Houston Armadillos logo Houston Armadillos
at
Texas Wranglers

July 10, 1982
- Mesquite Memorial Stadium -
Texas Wranglers logo 
 
Wranglers flatten Armadillos 19-0
                 
Luke Johnson - Mesquite Daily News        
         
     Despite a slow first half start the Texas Wranglers managed to rediscover their offense in the final period Saturday night at Mesquite Memorial Stadium, in time to take a 19-0 win over the Houston Armadillos.
     Through the first two periods, the Wranglers had managed a total of 58 rushing yards, 57 from running back Henry Bush. Their passing offense did not fare any better, as quarterback Welby Ina had problems making connections with his receivers. On many occasions Ina underthrew or overthrew the receivers, and on other occasions receivers alternately dropped sure passes or quit in the middle of touchdown routes.
     In the second period receiver Mike Milton ran a streak route down the sidelines to beat a Houston defender and Ina put the ball up with enough room in the end zone for the scoring catch. Unfortunately Milton misjudged the loft of the ball and slowed his pursuit of the pigskin at the five-yard line, watching an apparent touchdown throw elude him.
     The same sort of thing took place in the first half with Mark Owens. Running a corner route, Owens had gained a step on the Armadillos defensive back, only to turn the wrong direction for the ball. By the time he turned the other way to look for the pass, it had bounced away from him.
     Fortunately for the Wranglers, they had kicker Robert Stringer waiting on the sidelines to keep them in the game. When a first quarter drive fizzled, Stringer came on to hammer a 44-yard field goal for the team's first three points, clearing the top of the uprights for the score. Stringer added to his point total in the second period when another drive ran out of impetus at the Houston five-yard line. The backup for Tony Franklin while at Texas A&M, Stringer put the 22-year effort high on the grass in the bowl stadium for a 6-0 halftime advantage.
     Neither side could muster sufficient offense to score in the third period, but the Wranglers got untracked last in the period after Houston's Alvin Bailey provided them with a golden scoring opportunity. Bailey mishandled a Stringer punt at his own 19, where Wranglers defensive back Gary Warren fell on the football.
     Bush started the drive off with a rush that was stopped cold before Ina found Owens for nine yards. From there, Bush carried off left tackle for a touchdown he got standing up as the Wranglers cleaned out the entire right side of the Houston defensive line. Ina elected to try the two-pointer with a pass to Owens which was broken up at the back line of the end zone.
     The Wranglers moved across midfield on another drive midway through the final period with Bush carrying for 18 yards and Leonard
Medlock adding another 13 rushing and 12 receiving to set the Wranglers up on the Houston 45. From there, the Armadillos were nailed with a six-yard interference penalty and an additional five yards for disputing the call, moving the home squad to the 34. Bush carried for two and Ina teamed up with Milton for two more to the 30 before fourth down caught up with the Wranglers. Stringer came on to attempt his longest kick of the night, from 47 yards away, but a low snap cut short the effort as he squibbed a knuckleball kick over the defenders.
     Mesquite's Dean Nixon set up the next Wranglers score, as he grabbed his second interception of the game, short-circuiting a Darnell Johnson to Darrell Jones pass at the Armadillos 40 and returning it to the Houston 18. More dispute erupted from the Houston team, drawing a nine-yard personal foul penalty to move the Wranglers all the way to the nine.
     It took the Wranglers only one play to cash in on the scoring opportunity. Ina, under a heavy rush, scrambled away from two tacklers 10 yards deep in the passing pocket and, running to his left, found wide receiver Ethan Ogletree all alone in the left corner of the end zone for the final 19-0 advantage.
                 
Score by Quarters
Houston       0     0     0     0     -     0
Texas   3   3   6   7   -   19
                         
Statistics
        HO       TX
First downs   10   14
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ? 
Passing yards   -50   43
Passing (comp - att - int)   4 - 10 - 2   14 - 28 - 0
Punts - avg   9 - 28.5   4 - 33.8
Fumbles - lost   2 - 1   1 - 1
Penalties - yards 9 - 93 5 - 28
         
              
Scoring Summary
TX       Stringer 44 field goal
TX   Stringer 22 field goal
TX   Bush 5 run (conversion failed)
TX   Ina 9 pass from Ogletree (Stringer kick)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Photograph 
Texas: Leonard Medlock (??)
 
Photograph
Houston: Wendell Hobley (83)
Texas: Gary Warren (??), Fred Williams (75)
 
 
San Antonio Bulls logo San Antonio Bulls
at
Oklahoma Thunder

July 10, 1982
- Skelly Stadium -
Oklahoma Thunder logo 
 
Thunder pins 45-24 loss on Texans
                 
Jeff Necessary - Tulsa World        
         
     The television cameras were in place at Skelly Stadium for Saturday's Oklahoma-San Antonio game in the American Football Association, and both offenses were present. Someone forgot to inform the defenses to show up, though.
     The result was a 45-24 shootout in which the Oklahoma Thunder offense showed a crowd announced at 7,500 fans and a cable television audience some of the firepower that Thunder players and coaches had insisted all along they had. The Thunder defense, while almost invisible, did come up with enough big plays to keep the score from resembling a basketball final.
     The play that finally broke the Bulls' backs was Dwaine Ball's 54-yard jaunt down the right sideline on a basic pitch sweep. The Thunder caught San Antonio in a stunt and Ball needed only one move to score.
     "The touchdown was just a straight pitch," Ball said afterward. "They were stunting and we
picked it up. It was me and the defensive back. I cut in and cut out and that was it."
     Ball shared offensive MVP honors with quarterback Dave Rader, which seemed fitting. Although Ball's run ended all doubt, Rader's right arm - he hit 14 of 30 passes for 282 yards and two scores - consistently threaded the ball to wide-open receivers inside the Bulls' secondary.
     "We were taking what they gave us." Rader explained. "They were gambling a lot and we picked it up. When the offensive line picks them up and I have time I can complete passes."
     Those passes often got big yardage, Rader found Ted Alexander for 56 yards to set up Ball's first score, a one-yard run that gave the Thunder a 10-0 second-quarter lead. After Mike Siganos stole a Tim Bailey pass to set Oklahoma up again, Rader hit Ronnie Smith for 56 yards again, this time resulting in a touchdown.
     Rader and Smith again connected for the Thunder's final score, a 19-yard fourth-quarter
play that provided the final margin.
     After the first Rader-Smith connection, the Bulls fought back into the thick of things. Bailey found tight end Tony Armstrong for a 29-yard score to cut the lead to 17-7, then, after Randy Butler fumbled a punt back to San Antonio at the Oklahoma 33, 230-pound fullback George Franklin, a former St. Louis Cardinal, crashed across from the six to trim the lead to 17-13. Rader then directed a frantic two-minute drill, capped off with his own one-yard sneak with three seconds left in the half, but the Bulls were still in a threatening position.
     San Antonio's Keith Nelms set the Thunder up by fumbling away the second half kickoff at the 38, and former Oklahoma State star Vince Orange cashed in, scoring from the three on the eighth play. Alan Woodward, who opened the scoring with a 22-yard field goal, added his fourth of six extra points for a 31-13 lead.
     The run kept Oklahoma atop the Southwest Division of the AFA with a 6-1 mark.
                 
Score by Quarters
San Antonio       0     13     8     3     -     24
Oklahoma   3   21   7   14   -   45
                         
Statistics
        SA       OK
First downs   13   17
Rushing (att - yards)   22 - 70   34 - 183
Passing yards   223   254
Passing (comp - att - int)   17 - 36 - 3   13 - 30 - 0
Punts - avg   4 - 34.7   1 - 47.0
Fumbles - lost   3 - 2   4 - 3
Penalties - yards 6 - 58 7 - 58
         
              
Scoring Summary
OK       Woodward 22 field goal
OK   Ball 1 run (Woodward kick)
OK   Smith 56 pass from Rader (Woodward kick)
SA   Armstrong 25 pass from Bailey (Vega kick)
SA   Franklin 6 run (kick failed)
OK   Rader 1 run (Woodward kick)
OK   Orange 4 run (Woodward kick)
SA   Pasterchick 33 pass from Bailey (Armstrong pass from Nelms)
SA   Vega 34 field goal
OK   Ball 53 run (Woodward kick)
OK   Smith 19 pass from Rader (Woodward kick)

Photograph
Oklahoma: Alan Woodward (7), Dave Rader (17)
 
 
Virginia Chargers logo Virginia Chargers
at
Racine Gladiators

July 10, 1982
- Horlick Field -
Racine Gladiators logo 
 
Gladiators 'rain' touchdowns
                 
Gregg J. Hoffmann - Racine Journal Times        
         
     There was no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for the Arlington, Va., Chargers Saturday night.
     Instead, the unbeaten Racine Gladiators were waiting there to hand the hapless Chargers their seventh straight loss - a 76-0 beating - in the American Football Association.
     A beautiful double rainbow shown brightly through the light showers that fell before the start of the game at Horlick Field. But once the contest started, it rained touchdowns on the Chargers.
     The Gladiators led 14-0 before the game was two minutes old. They had a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, led 42-0 at halftime and 63-0 by the end of the third quarter.
     And, it could have been even worse had it not been for an officials' decision to run the clock rather liberally in the second quarter.
     "We tried to hold the score down, but I think we probably could have bombed them on practically every play." said Gladiators' coach Harry Gilbert, whose team improved its record to 7-0 in the AFA's North Division.
     "We really didn't get to accomplish much of what we wanted tonight as far as preparation for upcoming games, but we did get everybody into the game at least.
     "It's a shame to see something like what happened tonight, really. I feel sorry for them, but I also give them credit for making the trip all the way here from Arlington and sticking it out."
     The Chargers couldn't help but remind Gladiator fans of the days when Racine ran over teams like the Gary Golden Bears and the Alsip Colts. Only 20 men suited for Arlington. Starting quarterback Joe Rakich had to double as an outside linebacker on defense.
     "We've had a lot of problems with injuries and illnesses," said Arlington coach Bob Shaw. "Plus, we only got into the league a few weeks before the season was supposed to start.
     "But, we want to last out the season. Then, we have eight months to get ready for next season."
     The Gladiators' running tandem of Greg "Grape Juice" Johnson and Joe Rodriguez, who both rushed for over 100 yards last Sunday in a 49-0 win over Buffalo, took it to the Chargers early.
     Johnson, who came into the game as the second leading rusher in the AFA, ran 31 yards for a touchdown on the fifth play of the game.
     Moments later, the Chargers' Leroy Tibbs fumbled Nils Lindskoog's kickoff and Paul Banks recovered for Racine. Three plays later,
Rodriguez ran two yards for a touchdown.
     Before the quarter ended, James McClelland scored the third TD, on a 24-yard pass from Joe Grafenauer.
     Gilbert substituted freely in the second quarter, and the scoring onslaught continued. Mike Larry scored two touchdowns, on a nine-yard pass from Joe Metallic and a three-yard run, and Errol Barnett ran two yards for another touchdown.
     Johnson and Rodriguez returned to the game long enough in the third quarter to each score another touchdown. Johnson's score came on a 19-yard run, while Rodriguez ran nine yards for his touchdown.
     The Gladiators' defensive unit scored the next two touchdowns. Cornerback Bill Panfil returned an interception 30 yards for one, and linebacker Tom Paulus got the other on a 25-yard interception return.
     Quarterback Charlie Bliss, who led the Gladiators to the Minor Professional Football Association title last year, saw his first action of the year in the fourth quarter and passed 34 yards to Ray Meinsen for the Gladiators' final TD.
                 
Score by Quarters
Virginia       0     0     0     0     -     0
Racine   21   21   21   13   -   76
                         
Statistics
        VA       RA
First downs   8   14
Rushing (att - yards)   17 - 36   29 - 240
Passing yards   53   117
Passing (comp - att - int)   9 - 20 - 1   6 - 12 - 0
Punts - avg   3 - 29   0 - 0
Fumbles - lost   8 - 5   2 - 2
Penalties - yards 1 - 5 3 - 25
         
              
Scoring Summary
RA       Johnson 31 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Rodriguez 2 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   McClelland 24 pass from Grafenauer (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Larry 9 pass from Grafenauer (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Larry 3 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Barnett 2 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Johnson 19 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Rodriguez 9 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Panfil 30 interception return (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Paulus 25 interception return (Lindskoog kick) 
RA   Meinsen 34 pass from Bliss (kick failed)

Photograph
Racine: Joe Rodriguez (45), Lonnie Richardson (77)
 
Photograph
Racine: Joe Rodriguez (45)
 
 
Alabama Magic logo Alabama Magic
at
Florida Statesmen

July 17, 1982
- Capital Stadium -
Florida Statesmen logo 
 
Statesmen's defense leads to 19-14 victory
                 
Gerald Ensley - Tallahassee Democrat        
         
     One expected Zero Mostel to walk on the field at the end and sing his famous song from the Broadway musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."
     Because in beating the Alabama Magic 19-14 Saturday night in front of several hundred spectators at Capital Field, the Florida Statesmen certainly provided "Some- thing for everyone... a comedy tonight."
     In many ways, the victory, which lifted the Statesmen's record to 3-5, was a credit to a staunch defense. Spearheaded by defensive back Frank Thomas, who intercepted three passes, the Statesmen's defense held the Magic to 12 points below their average.
     "The defense carried us," said Statesmen quarterback Clyde Walker. "Considering how long they were on the field, it was amazing."
     The Magic, 6-2, scored on the game's second play from scrimmage, but did not score again until less than four minutes remained in
the game.
     In between, Alabama gave the Statesmen the ball at every opportunity, and got called for numerous penalties that led radio announcer Gary Yordon to comment, "The Magic has shown a real imagination for moving the ball backward."
     The game's oddest play, however, was performed by the Statesmen.
     The Magic had scored with less than a minute gone in the game. On the game's first play from scrimmage, quarterback Tom Cahill found wide receiver Alex Prince with a 65-yard pass, moving the ball to the one. The Magic scored on the next play, on a pass from Cahill to Herman Lowery.
     In the opening moments of the second quarter, the Statesmen drew to within a point, as Mike Barnes caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Walker.
     The score stayed 7-6 until 3:29 remained in
the third quarter. Then, it was time for street ball.
     Eddie Williams, in at quarterback for Walker, attempted a flare pass, from the Magic's 48-yard line, to Greg Jackson, who was behind Williams. Jackson dropped the pass, which was at that point a lateral, picked it up and started running. With at least three Magic players hanging onto his legs, though, he shot-putted a pass to running back Sam Thomas. Thomas gathered the ball in on the left side, at about the Magic's 45, reversed field and went down the right side for a touchdown. That gave the Statesmen a 12-7 lead, and though the teams each scored a fourth-quarter touchdown, proved to be the game's turning point.
     "The scoreboard doesn't show razzle-dazzle," said Statesmen coach Detroit Reynolds. "It shows 19-14. What this shows is that we kept our goal, winning, in sight."
                 
Score by Quarters
Alabama       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     14
Florida   ?   ?     ?   -   19
                         
Statistics
        AL       FL
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards ? - ? ? - ? 
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
 
Austin Texans logo Austin Texans
at
San Antonio Bulls

July 17, 1982
- Harlandale Memorial Stadium -
San Antonio Bulls logo 
 
Bulls gore Texans
                 
David Flores - San Antonio Express-News        
         
     San Antonio, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at its foes, exploded for 35 points in the final 10:47 of the game to pin a 56-28 loss on the Austin Texans Saturday night at Harlandale Memorial Stadium.
     The Bulls, snapping their three-game losing streak before a crowd of 5,700, raised their record to 3-5. Austin, 0-10 in its series with San Antonio, sank to 0-8.
     Larry Collins, who finished his career at Texas A&I in 1977 as the most prolific rusher in Texas collegiate history, scored on a 1-yard run with 5:02 left to put the Bulls ahead for good. Joe Vega was successful on all eight of his extra point kicks for S.A.
     On the first play from scrimmage after Collins' go-ahead TD, Casterdale Green picked off a Bryan Bailey pass at the Texan 25 and returned it for another score. Things got progressively worse for the visitors from there.
     Bulls quarterback Tim Bailey hit Steve Pasterchick with a 27-yard scoring strike on S.A.'s next possession. The final Bulls score came when Keith Nelms returned a Bailey interception 40 yards on the final play of the game.
     Collins, who wasn't even expected to suit up because of a pulled hamstring, finished with 42 yards on 12 carries and scored another 1-yard TD in the second period.
     George Franklin, Collins' running mate at A&I, led the Bulls' ground forces with 138 yards in 21 carries. Franklin suffered a mild knee injury in the third quarter and sat out most of the final period. His 1-yard TD dive knotted the score at 7-7 with 4:05 left in the opening quarter.
     Tim Bailey connected on 11 of 28 passes for 149 yards and had three scoring throws. Bailey hit tight end Tony Armstrong with TD strikes of
4 and 20 yards.
     The score was tied at 7-7 after one period and 14-14 at halftime. Bailey's first TD pass to Armstrong put the Bulls ahead 21-14, but then the Texans came roaring back.
     Bryan Bailey hit Wayland Gay with a 63-yard bomb to close the gap to 21-20. Steve Ferrell blocked the extra-point kick by Clarence Houston to preserve S.A.'s lead.
     The Texans, however, took the lead when Bailey threw 11 yards to Kim Watts for a TD with 13:16 left in the game. Ricky Caldwell scored the two-point conversion to make it 28-21, Austin.
     But then the Bulls' Bailey took over, hitting Armstrong with a 20-yard scoring strike at the 10:47 mark. The roof caved in on the Texans after that.
     All told, the Bulls stole six Bryan passes and completely stopped Austin's ground game.
                 
Score by Quarters
Austin        7     7     6     8     -     28
San Antonio   7   7   7   35   -   56
                         
Statistics
        AU       SA
First downs   11   26
Rushing (att - yards)   29 - 24   50 - 211
Passing yards   179   120
Passing (comp - att - int)   13 - 26 - 6   11 - 28 - 2
Punts - avg   6 - 39.5   3 - 10.0
Fumbles - lost   6 - 2    3 - 1
Penalties - yards 19 - 187 11 - 89
         
              
Scoring Summary
AU       Gay 35 fumble recovery return (Houston kick)
SA   Franklin 1 run (Vega kick)
SA   Collins 1 run (Vega kick)
AU    Bailey 1 run (Houston kick)
SA   Armstrong 4 pass from Bailey (Vega kick)
AU   Gay 63 pass from Bailey (kick failed)
AU   Watts 11 pass from Bailey (Caldwell run)
SA   Armstrong 20 pass from Bailey (Vega kick)
SA   Collins 1 run (Vega kick)
SA   Green 25 interception return (Vega kick)
SA   Pasterchick 27 pass from Bailey (Vega kick)
SA   Nelms 40 interception return (Vega kick)

Photograph
Austin: Wayland Gay (33)
 
Photograph 
Austin: Ken Mills (??) 
 
 
Virginia Chargers logo Virginia Chargers
at
Buffalo Geminis

July 17, 1982
- War Memorial Stadium -
Buffalo Geminis logo 
 
Geminis throttle Chargers
                 
David Flores - San Antonio Express-News        
         
     Buffalo Gemini quarterback Jim Hoysick, making his first start, threw for 123 yards and two touchdowns as the Geminis ripped the Virginia Chargers, 42-6, in an American Football Association game at War Memorial Stadium Saturday night.
     The Geminis, 3-5, remained alive in the hunt
for a wild-card playoff spot with their second win over the 0-8 Chargers. Buffalo won its first road game of the year, 17-6, at Virginia.
     Hoysick scored the game's first touchdown on a one-yard plunge, which was set up by Bill Morris' 40-yard punt return. Hoysick hit tight end Steve Downs with a 14-yard TD pass in the
second period on the first play from scrimmage after a poor punt. Hoysick's other TD toss came early in the fourth quarter when he threw 31 yards to wide receiver Perry Jenkins to end the scoring.
     The Geminis totaled 201 yards passing and 83 on the ground.
                 
Score by Quarters
Virginia       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     6
Buffalo   ?   ?     ?   -   42
                         
Statistics
        VA       BU
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards ? - ? ? - ? 
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
 
Racine Gladiators logo Racine Gladiators
at
Canton Bulldogs

July 17, 1982
- Paul Brown Tiger Stadium -
Canton Bulldogs logo 
 
Bulldogs fall short in bid to upset undefeated Racine
                 
Jack Patterson - Akron Beacon Journal        
         
     The Canton Bulldogs scored as many touchdowns on the unbeaten Racine (Wis.) Gladiators as all previous foes combined this season but still couldn't come away with a victory in an American Football Association game at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon Saturday night.
     The Gladiators, 8-0 and Northern Division leaders, had yielded only three touchdowns in seven outings and one of them was on a pass interception. The Bulldogs scored three touchdowns before 3,800 Saturday night but still lost 23-20.
     The defeat set Canton's record at 4-4 and put a serious dent in the Bulldogs' hopes for a wildcard AFA playoff berth with two games left in the regular season. Canton plays the Buffalo Gemini Saturday night at the Rubber Bowl.
     Emotions ran high in Saturday's battle and a total of 27 penalties, 15 on the Bulldogs, figured prominently in the outcome. The Bulldogs gave it their best shot of the season, gaining a 7-7
halftime standoff and actually leading 14-10 in the third period before succumbing.
     Big plays won it for Racine, however. Greg Johnson, the former University of Wisconsin star and the AFA's leading rusher, broke a 57-yard touchdown gallop in the first period. In the fourth quarter, Michael Larry dashed 56 yards to seal the win. His TD made it 23-14, and although the Bulldogs went 33 yards to score on Paul Winters' 4-yard run with 4:41 to play, Racine was able to run out the clock thereafter.
     The Bulldogs evened the score with 23 seconds left before the half on a 67-yard pass from quarterback Sam Shon to split end Alan Webster.
     Racine took a 10-7 lead shortly into the third period on a 39-yard field goal by Nils Linskoog.
     Canton then took its 14-10 lead on a 75-yard march highlighted by the passing of Bob Stachowicz, the running of Winters and two 15-yard penalties, one for roughing the passer
and one for pass interference. Winters ran 6 yards for the tally.
     The Gladiators, however, came back with a 73-yard scoring drive in which a pass interference call on Canton's Charlie Swann gave the visitors possession at the Bulldog 10. Joe Grafenauer passed 8 yards to Jim McClellan for the touchdown.
     That made it 16-14 and Racine decided to go for a two-point conversion after the Bulldogs were penalized half the distance to the goal for encroachment as Racine set up for the kick conversion. The Bulldogs stopped the attempted run.
     Racine's Larry then broke his big touchdown run and the Bulldogs' score in the waning minutes wasn't enough to pull off the upset.
     Racine piled up 204 yards rushing, with Johnson getting 106, and had 129 passing. The Bulldogs had only 89 yards rushing, 73 by Winters, and 186 passing. Canton's Webster had seven receptions for 110 yards.
                 
Score by Quarters
Racine       7     0     3     13     -     23
Canton   0   7   7   6   -   20
                         
Statistics
        RA       CA
First downs   14   17
Rushing (att - yards)   32 - 197   38 - 86
Passing yards   138   178
Passing (comp - att - int)   11 - 20 - ?   13 - 24 - ?
Punts - avg   5 - 38   7 - 37
Fumbles - lost   1 - 1   1 - 1
Penalties - yards 12 - 97 15 - 122
         
              
Scoring Summary
RA       Johnson 57run (Lindskoog kick)
CA   Webster 67 pass from Shon (Petroff kick)
RA   Lindskoog 39 field goal
CA   Winters 6 run (Petroff kick)
RA   McClellan 8 pass from Graefenauer (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Larry 56 run (run falied)
CA   Winters 4 run (run failed)
     
     
     
     

 
 
Carolina Storm logo Carolina Storm
at
Georgia Pride

July 17, 1982
- Herndon Stadium -
Georgia Pride logo 
 
Smith, Carolina stop Pride 41-24
                 
Ed Hinton - Atlanta Journal        
         
     Former Atlanta Falcon Reggie Smith had phoned his old teammate, Wallace Francis, and pleaded: "Come see me, Wallace. I'm burning up the league. Come see me, man."
     Smith, released by the Falcons after last season, is now with the Carolina Storm, which visited the Georgia Pride of the American Football Association Saturday night.
     Francis did come out to watch, and Smith did burn up Herndon Stadium, catching touchdown passes of 29 and 68 yards to lead Carolina's 41-24 victory in a game in which seven of the nine touchdowns scored came on passes in the first half.
     The victory kept Carolina's record perfect at 8-0, while the Pride still struggling for a playoff berth, fell to 4-4.
     The score soared to 28-21, Carolina's favor, before the game was 20 minutes old, all on passing. But then a real Georgia storm of thunder, lightning and heavy rain, forced the game to the ground and kept Smith from
keeping his promise to Francis to catch three touchdown passes.
     "He owes me one," said Francis, who still is not certain about whether he wants to return to the Falcons this year. "He didn't get the third one."
     "I would have, but the rains came," said Smith. "Wallace had told me to get two in the first half, and I did do that for him."
     Smith, playing before a crowd of about only 300 but happy to be playing in Atlanta again just the same, opened the scoring with a 29-yard reception from Ellsworth Turner with 8:43 left in the first quarter.
     Georgia countered on its next possession with a 48-yard bomb from Dale Love to tight end Larry Powers, but Carolina came right back with a 53-yarder from Turner to Darrell Jones when Georgia defender Don Shockley fell and left Jones open. That made it 14-7, Carolina.
     But Georgia tied the game with 1:08 left in the first on Powers' second touchdown
reception, this one nine yards from Anthony Flanagan.
     Smith caught his 68-yarder to open the second quarter, beating rookie Georgia cornerback Ben Scott at midfield and then streaking away from him.
     Georgia tied it again, at 21, on a 58-yard play that was recorded as a pass but actually was mostly a running effort by Zollie Harris, who caught a Flanagan swing pass behind the line of scrimmage and did the rest himself.
     Carolina got in the final scoring pass of the night, 5 yards from Turner to Jackie Reed, just before the downpour began with 10 minutes left in the half.
     From there, the only scoring came on a 38-yard field goal by Georgia's Bob Brien that made it 28-24 Carolina at the half, and short Carolina scoring dives of 2 yards by Emmett Hamilton and 1 yard by Turner in the second half.
                 
Score by Quarters
Carolina       14     14     7     6     -     41
Georgia   14   10   0   0   -   24
                         
Statistics
        CA       GA
First downs   14   17
Rushing (att - yards)   32 - 197   38 - 86
Passing yards   138   178
Passing (comp - att - int)   11 - 20 - ?   13 - 24 - ?
Punts - avg   5 - 38   7 - 37
Fumbles - lost   1 - 1   1 - 1
Penalties - yards 12 - 97 15 - 122
         
              
Scoring Summary
CA       Smith 28 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
GA   Powers 49 pass from Love (Brien kick)
CA   Jones 53 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
GA   Powers 9 pass from Flanagan (Brien kick)
CA   Smith 68 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
GA   Harris 58 pass from Flanagan (Brien kick)
CA   Reed 7 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
GA   Brien 37 field goal
CA   Hamilton 2 run (Blum kick)
CA   Turner 1 run (pass failed)
     

 
 
Shreveport Americans logo Shreveport Americans
at
Houston Armadillos

July 17, 1982
- Dyer Stadium -
Houston Armadillos logo 
 
Houston turnovers lead to 22-9 defeat
                 
Terry Blount - Houston Post        
         
     The Shreveport Americans took advantage of two first-half turnovers by the Houston Armadillos to claim a 22-9 American Football Association victory Saturday night at Dyer Stadium.
     Shreveport, 6-2, remained in contention for the Southwest Division title. The Americans play the division-leading Texas Wranglers next week.
     Houston mistakes led to 10 first-half points for Shreveport. With the Americans leading 3-0, Armadillo quarterback Jim Kelly fumbled the snap at the Houston 11-yard line. Shreveport linebacker Marty Smith recovered and, four plays later, Jerry Pope kicked a 21-yard field goal.
     On Houston's next possession, halfback Paul
Hood missed a pitch from Kelly and Shreveport defensive tackle Sam Coaxum recovered at the Armadillos' 12-yard line.
     Shreveport quarterback James Mosley found Vernon Wells in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown to give the Americans a 13-0 lead with 14:01 left in the first half.
     Wells, the AFA's top receiver, caught four passes for 110 yards on the night.
     Houston receivers and defensive backs had slippery hands all night. Split end Randy Claiborne dropped a possible touchdown pass on the Americans' 10-yard line. Claiborne had a clear field to the end zone.
     Houston cornerback Mark Moore stepped in front of a Shreveport pass at the Houston 5-
yard line but bobbled the ball and lost control.
     Kelly, starting his first game at quarterback, threw the ball well but was victimized by the dropped passes.
     The Armadillos, 2-6, managed to score their first touchdown in three games. Fullback Frankie Lindsey's 3-yard touchdown run capped a 63-yard drive in the third quarter. The extra-point attempt failed.
     Jerry Maltz's 42-yard field goal accounted for Houston's other points.
     The Armadillos suffered seven turnovers, compared to 11 in their first meeting with the Americans this year. The Armadillos lost that game 59-0.
                 
Score by Quarters
Shreveport       6     13     3     0     -     22
Houston   0   3   6   0   -   9
                         
Statistics
        SH       HO
First downs   8   7
Rushing (att - yards)   24 - 85   20 - 83
Passing yards   188   82
Passing (comp - att - int)   11 - 38 - 1   7 - 20 - 4
Punts - avg   ? - 37.0   6 - 27.2
Return yards    109   102
Fumbles - lost   1 - 1   3 - 3
Penalties - yards 6 - 62 9 - 58
         
              
Scoring Summary
SH       Pope 27 field goal
SH   Pope 21 field goal
SH   Wells 9 pass from Mosley (Pope kick)
HO   Maltz 42 field goal
SH   Brock 15 pass from Mosley (kick failed)
HO   Lindsey 3 run (kick failed)
SH   Wells 28 field goal
     
     
     
     

 
 
Oklahoma Thunder logo Oklahoma Thunder
at
Texas Wranglers

July 17, 1982
- Mesquite Memorial Stadium -
Texas Wranglers logo 
 
Wranglers strangle Thunder
                 
Tulsa World        
         
     Welby Ina passed for three touchdowns and ran for another and completed 19 of 32 passes for 253 yards Saturday night as the Texas Wranglers downed the Oklahoma Thunder, 32-14, in American Football Association action at Memorial Stadium.
     The victory moved Texas into sole possession of first place in the Southwest Division of the American Football Association
with a 7-1 record. Oklahoma lost for the second time in three outings and fell to 6-2, same record as the Shreveport Americans.
     The Thunder led 14-10, at halftime but Ina tossed touchdown passes of 22, 40 and 22 yards in the third quarter to stake the Wranglers to a 30-14 lead. Texas picked up a safety five seconds into the fourth period to complete the scoring.
     Tulsa's first score came with 7:24 left in the half. Quarterback David Rader capped a 12-play, 65-yard drive with a four-yard keeper around right end. Alan Woodward made the point-after to put Tulsa ahead 7-3.
     Texas went back ahead, 10-7, and then Oklahoma came back to score with eight seconds to go in the half on a 20-yard pass from Rader to Randy Butler.
                 
Score by Quarters
Oklahoma       0     14     0     0     -     14
Texas   3   7   20   2   -   32
                         
Statistics
        OK       TX
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards ? - ? ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
TX       Stringer 39 field goal
OK   Rader 4 run (Woodward kick)
TX   Ina 8 run (Stringer kick)
OK   Butler 20 pass from Rader (Woodward kick)
TX   Sullivan 22 pass from Ina (Stringer kick)
TX   Owen 40 pass from Ina (Stringer kick)
TX   Ogletree 22 pass from Ina (kick failed)
TX   Safety
     
     
     

 
 
Carolina Storm logo Carolina Storm
at
Alabama Magic

July 24, 1982
- Legion Field -
Alabama Magic logo 
 
Magic caught by Carolina Storm
                 
Don Kausler, Jr. - Birmingham News        
         
     For what it's worth, the Alabama Magic came close to defeating the Carolina Storm Saturday night in an American Football Association game at Legion Field.
     How close?
     Charlie Trotman held his thumb and his index finger and inch or two apart.
     That's how close the wide receiver came to catching a touchdown pass late in the game that would have put the Magic ahead.
     Instead, all he managed was to deflect the ball in the end zone. After one more deflection, Storm safety Tim King intercepted the pass from Alabama's Mark Cahill, clinching a 17-14 Carolina victory.
     The victory kept Carolina undefeated in the AFA's Southeastern Division with a 9-0 record. Alabama fell to 6-3 and must beat the Georgia Pride in next weekend's regular-season finale in Atlanta to win a playoff berth.
     A crowd estimated at 3,500 by Birmingham Park Board Director Frank Wagner watched the game. It was the Magic's largest crowd in four home games this season.
     The crucial interception came on a third-and-11 play from Carolina's 26-yard line. Cahill scrambled to his right under a modest rush and then lofted a pass over the middle to Trotman, who was running a post pattern against three defenders.
     "I had my hand up there," said Trotman, a former Auburn University quarterback. "It hit a little bit. The pass was a little high, but it wasn't too high. I might have had it if I could have gotten a better jump."
     King said the Storm saw the play coming.
     "We knew they were going deep," he said. "It was third-and-long. We had good coverage to the outside.
     "It was a close play, but I wouldn't call it a lucky play. We were where we were supposed to be.
     "Things have been going our way so far this season. Why shouldn't they keep going our
way?"
     Things definitely went Carolina's way in the first half.
     Despite a 126-32 advantage in passing yardage and a 61-26 edge in rushing yardage, the Magic trailed at halftime, 10-7. It trailed because of one costly turnover and one costly penalty.
     The turnover came after the Storm had taken a 3-0 lead on its first possession, thanks to a 40-yard field goal by John Blum.
     The Magic drove as far as the Storm's 38-yard line on its first possession before Cahill bumped into running back Lawrence Joseph on an attempted handoff. The ball popped loose, Carolina's Ken Tillman scooped it up and sprinted 57 yards for a touchdown that helped put the Storm ahead, 10-0, with 6:53 left in the first quarter.
     "He stepped too far." Cahill said of Joseph, "and we collided. We ran that play three times in the first half, and that was the only time it hurt us.
     "A defensive end also came in untouched and grabbed us both at once. That helped knock the ball loose."
     Cahill was the only Magic player who had a chance to catch Tillman, but the 263-pound defensive lineman embarrassed the 200-pound quarterback.
     "I was 5 yards behind him to start with," Cahill said.
     He also was 5 yards behind when Tillman crossed the goal line.
     "I'm just not fast," Cahill said.
     The Magic's costly penalty came in the closing seconds of the first half. It had marched from its own 34 to Carolina's 23 when Joseph took a screen pass from Cahill and darted down the left sideline, stepping out of bounds inside the 5-yard line with 8 seconds remaining.
     But a clipping penalty brought the ball back to the 33. One play later, Alabama's Ron Slovensky attempted a 44-yard field goal, but
his kick was wide to the right.
     Earlier in the second quarter, Slovensky missed another shot at a field goal. That came from 37 yards away, at the end of a 43-yard drive.
     The next time the Magic got the ball, however, it scored. Cedric Stevens ran 3 yards for a touchdown to climax a 52-yard, 10-play drive with 4:05 left in the half.
     The Magic had a chance to take the lead later when Trotman slipped behind four Carolina defenders, but Mike Bartik launched a wobbly pass on an end-around play that fell far short of its target.
     Carolina increased its lead to 17-7 with 8:08 left in the third quarter when quarterback Ellisworth Turner threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to James Crowder, a former teammate at North Carolina A&T.
     But the Magic retaliated with an 80-yard, 11-play drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Stevens with 1:27 left in the third period.
     The Storm drove as far as Alabama's 32-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, threatening to add to its lead, but the Magic's Tyrone King came up with a big interception.
     That interception set up the drive that ended with Cahill's interception, his only one of the game. He had thrown 17 interception in seven previous games.
     Despite the interception, the Magic got one more shot at winning the game. The Storm fumbled the ball in the waning seconds, and the Magic took over at its own 22 with 32 seconds left. Two Cahill passes to Trotman gained 39 yards, but time ran out before the Magic could move into field-goal range.
     "We had our chances," Magic coach Steve Patton said. "We missed those two field goals, and we gave them that one touchdown. That was the play that hurt the most.
     "We outplayed them most of the game, but we didn't come up with the big play."
                 
Score by Quarters
Carolina       10     0     7     0     -     17
Alabama   0   7   7   0   -   14
                         
Statistics
        CA       AL
First downs   15   22
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 97   ? - 116
Passing yards   157   241
Passing (comp - att - int)   12 - 21 - 1   16 - 26 - 1
Punts - avg   5 - 41   4 - 50
Fumbles - lost   1 - 1   3 - 1
Penalties - yards 8 - 62 8 - 70
         
              
Scoring Summary
CA       Blum 40 field goal 
CA   Tillman 57 fumble return (Blum kick)
AL   Stevens 3 run (Slovensky kick)
CA   Crowder 16 pass from Turner (Blum kick) 
AL   Stevens 2 run (Slovensky kick)
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
 
Oklahoma Thunder logo Oklahoma Thunder
at
Austin Texans

July 24, 1982
- Burger Center -
Austin Texans logo 
 
Oklahoma wins, 35-16
Texans lose ninth straight
                 
George Breazeale - Austin American-Statesman        
         
     Austin's offense lapsed into peril with blurring rapidity, but the Texan defense had prolonged miseries and the payoff was a 35-16 win for the Oklahoma Thunder in American Football Association Southwest Division play Saturday night at Burger Center.
     Now 0-9 on the season and destined to go winless at home for the second year in a row, Austin collected a solid 321 yards passing on 24 pass completions, including 12 catches for 189 yards by receiver Wayland Gay. But the Texans self-destructed early - and often - and the 7-2 Thunder was in control all the way.
     Former University of Oklahoma linebacker Jimbo Elrod set the theme on the game's fourth play from scrimmage when he intercepted quarterback Bryan Bailey's over-the-middle pass and returned it to the Austin
33. The Thunder drove the distance in seven plays, with running back Dwaine Ball's fourth-down lunge from the one producing the score. Alan Woodward kicked the first of his five conversions.
     A recovery of a fumbled punt snap set up Austin at the Oklahoma 33 late in the first period, and Clarence Houston kicked the longest field goal of his brief Texan career, a 42-yarder to close the margin to 7-3.
     Quarterback Dave Rader drove the Thunder 64 yards in eight plays after the kickoff, hitting two big third-down passes and scoring from the three on a keep.
     On the next series, Oklahoma rammed 74 yards in six plays. Ball's 45-yard gain on a draw carried to the 10, and Rader threw 10 to Jeff Brown for the score and a 21-3 lead.
     Gay's brilliant pass route down the sideline produced a 40-yard touchdown throw from Bailey five plays after the kickoff, but the Thunder uncorked another backbreaker - an 80-yard, eight- play push, with Rader throwing seven yards to Joey Smith with nine seconds left in the half.
     Austin squandered its last chance to get back in contention after recovering the second-half kickoff at the Oklahoma 30. But Bailey promptly threw an interception into the end zone. Oklahoma then drove 82 yards in five plays, with Ball going the final 22 up the middle. Woodward kicked for a 35-10 edge with 21/2 minutes gone in the third quarter.
     The Texans' final touchdown came on a 31-yard scoring pass from Bailey to Gay.
                 
Score by Quarters
Oklahoma       7     21     7     0     -     35
Austin   3   7   0   6   -   16
                         
Statistics
        OK       AU
First downs   12   20
Rushing (att - yards)   31 - 185   30 - 24
Passing yards   160   321
Passing (comp - att - int)   10 - 20 - 0   24 - 42 - 4
Punts - avg   4 - 29   1 - 45
Fumbles - lost   2 - 2   1 - 0
Penalties - yards 14 - 89 13 - 87
         
              
Scoring Summary
OK       Ball 1 run (Woodward kick)
AU   Houston 42 field goal
OK   Rader 3 run (Woodward kick)
OK   Brown 10 pass from Rader (Woodward kick)
AU   Gay 40 pass from Bailey (Houston kick)
OK   Smith 7 pass from Rader (Woodward kick)
OK   Ball 22 run (Woodward kick)
AU   Gay 31 pass from Bailey (kick failed)
     
     
     

 
 
Buffalo Geminis logo Buffalo Geminis
at
Canton Bulldogs

July 24, 1982
- Rubber Bowl -
Canton Bulldogs logo 
 
'Dogs roll 55-2 to keep alive playoff hopes
                 
John Seaburn - Akron Beacon Journal        
         
     The Canton Bulldogs' chances for a wild-card berth in the American Football Association playoffs kept pace with their dreams as the Bulldogs defeated the Buffalo Geminis 55-2 Saturday night before 2,000 at the Rubber Bowl.
     Canton (5-4) entered the game vying with the Atlanta Pride of the AFA Southwestern Division for a playoff berth.
     Atlanta (5-4) received a forfeit victory over Florida and will meet division leader Alabama in its final game Saturday.
     Canton goes to Arlington, Va., to play Roanoke Valley. Roanoke Valley has been forfeiting its games lately, and likely will forfeit to the Bulldogs Saturday. If Canton receives a victory and if Atlanta loses to Alabama, the Bulldogs will be in the playoffs for the third straight year.
     The Bulldogs scored 27 points in the fourth quarter, but the game was never in doubt.
     Canton's defense scored two touchdowns and pestered the Gemini into numerous mistakes and turnovers that resulted in other Canton scores.
     Canton rolled up 351 yards, including 247 on the ground, while Buffalo accounted for just 77 yards, 52 coming through the air. Canton led in first downs, 19-7.
     Canton took a 6-0 lead with just 24 seconds gone in the game when Bulldog defensive tackle Harry Forepaugh intercepted a Jim Hoysick pass and returned it 33 yards for the touchdown. Les Petroff's kick for the conversion was wide left.
     The Gemini came right back for a two-point safety when defensive tackle Carl Guidotti pulled down Canton quarterback Sammy Shon in his end zone with 8:14 to play.
     Making the best of a bit of razzle-dazzle, Canton took a 9-2 lead when Petroff booted a 34-yard field goal just 51 seconds into the second quarter.
     Canton moved from a fourth-and-6 at its 48 to a first and 10 at its 18 when, in a short punt formation, the ball was snapped to fullback Gary Wroblewski who shuffled the ball through the legs of Melvin Weatherspoon.
     Weatherspoon scampered up the left side and broke two tackles before being pulled down from behind within sight of the Buffalo goal.
     With 5:18 remaining in the second quarter, Canton sent Dennis Brumfield 3 yards to score and when Petroff booted the conversion, the Bulldogs had moved out to a 16-2 lead. Eight plays earlier, linebacker Mark Sullivan had covered Brian Gaines' fumble at the Canton 33 to give the Bulldogs possession.
     Canton held a 19-2 lead at halftime, Petroff
booting a 21-yard field goal with just four seconds to the intermission.
     Canton's lead went to 21-2 with 5:28 to play in the third quarter when Hoysick, back to pass, stepped across the back line of his end zone and was called for intentional grounding, awarding the Bulldogs a safety.
     With 1:23 left in the third period, Canton increased its lead to 28-2 when Shon snuck over from the five and Petroff booted the conversion. Canton linebacker Amos Mims covered Hoysick's fumble at midfield to give the Pups possession this time.
     With just 1 1/2 minutes gone in the fourth quarter, Canton's defense dragged Hoysick down for a big loss and the Bulldogs took over at Buffalo's 31. On the first play of the series, Dave Bouldin carried into the end zone and Petroff's kick lifted Canton to a 35-2 cushion.
     Sullivan soured Buffalo's next series when he picked off a Hoysick pass and ran it back 34 yards to score. Petroff's boot gave Canton a 42-2 lead.
     Dion Jenkins from 2 yards and Rich Brindis from 1 yard scored Canton's final two touchdowns, and Petroff tacked on the point after Jenkins' score but missed after Brindisi's.
                 
Score by Quarters
Buffalo       2     0     0     0     -     2
Canton   6   13   9   27   -   55
                         
Statistics
        BU       CA
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards ? - ? ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
CA       Forepaugh 33 interception return (kick failed)
BU   Safety Shon tackled in end zone 
CA   Petroff 34 field goal 
CA   Brumfield 3 run (Petroff kick)
CA   Petroff 21 field goal 
CA   Safety Hoysick intentional grounding in end zone
CA   Shon 5 run (Petroff kick)
CA   Bouldin 31 run (Petroff kick)
CA   Sullivan 34 interception return (Petroff kick)
CA   Jenkins 2 run (Petroff kick)
CA   Brindis 1 run (kick failed)

 
 
Florida Statesmen logo Florida Statesmen
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds

July 24, 1982
- Gator Bowl -
Jacksonville Sunbirds logo 
 
Tallahassee romps over Sunbirds 25-0
                 
Barb Kingsley - Florida Times-Union        
         
     Before their last home contest of the season, the Jacksonville Sunbirds said they would "pull out all the stops" in their last home contest and open up their passing game with the the long bomb.
     Unfortunately, no one said anything about receivers.
     The Sunbird defense was ruled ineffective as the Tallahassee Statesmen blew the Sunbirds out of the deserted Gator Bowl and took a 25-0 American Football Association victory last night.
     The Sunbirds completed six of 31 passes as player-coach Malachi Beyah was forced to play musical quarterbacks. Beyah used starter Alvin Small, Chuck Graham and wide receiver Leonard Tookes. None, however, was able to move the Jacksonville offense.
     "We didn't execute plays well," Beyah said. "We weren't able to do what we wanted to do. They forced us to play away from our game plan. We had nothing to lose by changing
quarterbacks."
     But with short flare and screen passes, Tallahassee quarterback Clyde Walker managed to inch the Statesmen slowly downfield. The only score of the first half - a field goal - came after Walker's third-down pass to Gregg Jackson was dropped. Mike Drake then came on to kick a 24-yard field goal to cap a 14-play, 50-yard drive.
     "We went to the air too much," said Walker. "Our running game was really good, we should have stayed on the ground."
     The Statesmen passed for 178 yards and completed 23 of 35 while rushing for 95 yards on 35 carries.
     One of the Sunbirds' few legitimate scoring drives was initiated in the fourth quarter when Charlie Dorsey caught a 16-yard pass from Graham. The ball popped in the air, Dorsey grabbed it and ran for five more yards. Graham attempted two touchdown passes, both of
which were overthrown. On the next play Graham was chased out of the pocket and he was forced to ground the ball. Tallahassee took over on the 43.
     Tallahassee's final touchdown came in the fourth quarter when Smalls attempted a pass near his own goal line. Tallahassee linebacker Frank Grady grabbed Small's arm, the ball popped lose and Grady fell on it in the end zone.
     The Sunbird defense, however, did manage some respectability. The Jacksonville secondary managed six interceptions and the defense was credited with four quarterback sacks.
     The loss firmly entrenches the Sunbirds, whose record fell to 3-6, in last place of the Southeastern Conference of the American Football Association. Tallahassee improved to 4-5.
                 
Score by Quarters
Florida       3     0     7     15     -     25
Jacksonville   0   0   0   0   -   0
                         
Statistics
        FL       JA
First downs   20   5
Rushing (att - yards)   35 - 95   23 - 2
Passing yards   178   92
Passing (comp - att - int)   23 - 35 - 6   6 - 31 - 3
Punts - avg   3 - 32.3   8 - 31.7
Fumbles - lost   2 - 1   1 - 0
Penalties - yards 9 - 90 8 - 105
         
              
Scoring Summary
FL       Drake 24 field goal
FL   Davis 8 pass from Walker (Drake kick)
FL   Linton 32 interception return (Drake kick)
FL   Grady fumble recovery in end zone (Davis pass from Williams)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
 
Racine Gladiators logo Racine Gladiators
at
Charleston Rockets

July 24, 1982
- Laidley Field -
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
 
NO ARTICLE
OR
PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE 
 
 
San Antonio Bulls logo San Antonio Bulls
at
Houston Armadillos

July 24, 1982
- Dyer Stadium -
Houston Armadillos logo 
 
San Antonio bullish on Armadillos
                 
Terry Blount - Houston Post        
         
     Don't try and teach your son the fundamentals of football from the Houston Armadillos. He may end up being better qualified for the circus.
     The San Antonio Bulls returned two pass interceptions for touchdowns in the first half and breezed to a 40-0 American Football Association victory Saturday night at Dyer Stadium.
     Houston, 2-7, continued to struggle on offense, turning the ball over eight times. Armadillos quarterback Jim Kelly suffered through a miserable game, throwing six interceptions and completing only 2 of 16 passes for a minus 2 yards. Kelly was replaced late in the second quarter by Arnold Holcombe.
     San Antonio, 4-5, scored at 3:39 of the first
quarter when linebacker Paul Paveglio took a interception 50 yards for a Bull touchdown. The extra-point attempt failed.
     Houston handed the Bulls two more touchdowns before the half was over. Tallefero Neal intercepted Kelly's pass at the Armadillo 18-yard line early in the second quarter. On fourth down, San Antonio quarterback Jim Bailey found Tony Armstrong in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown pass. The Bulls led 12-0 after missing the two-point conversion attempt.
     Houston gave the Bulls one more freebie when defensive back Keith Nelms scored on a 34-yard interception return with 2:45 to go in the second quarter. The point-after was good for a 19-0 halftime advantage.
     After a scoreless third quarter, San Antonio
scored on an 11-play, 78-yard drive when James Tibbs ran in from the Armadillo 1.
     Houston coach Steve Kiner then gave Jim Kelly another chance at quarterback. Kelly took up where he left off, throwing the ball into the hands of Paul Peveglio at the Houston 15. Two plays later, Jim Bailey threw to a wide-open Hal Lewis for a 78-yard completion to the Houston 1. James Roberts dove in for the Bull touchdown.
     Late in in the fourth quarter, the Bulls scored after another interception at the Houston 33. Joel Comer took a pitch from Bailey for a 3-yard touchdown run.
     Houston closes out the 1982 season next week in Tulsa against the Oklahoma Thunder.
                 
Score by Quarters
San Antonio       6     13     0     21     -     40
Houston   0   0   0   0   -   0
                         
Statistics
        SA       HO
First downs   10   8
Rushing (att - yards)   29 - 116   28 - 49
Passing yards   115   94
Passing (comp - att - int)   7 - 26 - 1   10 - 35 - 6
Punts - avg   7 - 35.4   6 - 32.0
Return yards    113   182
Fumbles - lost   0 - 0   2 - 2
Penalties - yards 12 - 149 9 - 90
         
              
Scoring Summary
SA       Paveglio 50 interception return (kick failed)
SA   Armstrong 5 pass from Bailey (pass failed) 
SA   Nelms 34 interception return (Vega kick)
SA   Tibbs 1 run (Vega kick)
SA   Roberts 1 run (Vega kick)
SA   Comer 3 run (Vega kick)
     
     
     
     
     

Photograph 
Houston: Jim Kelly (10)
 
 
Texas Wranglers logo Texas Wranglers
at
Shreveport Americans

July 24, 1982
- Independence Stadium -
Shreveport Americans logo
 
Americans down Wranglers, 21-14
                 
Ron Higgins - Shreveport Times        
         
     Texas Wranglers head coach Rusty Talbot had seen Shreveport Americans quarterback Ken Smith and wide receiver Vernon Wells before.
     So, his pre-game plan Saturday night before the American Football Association showdown between the teams in Independence Stadium was simple: Keep constant defensive pressure on Smith and double-team Wells.
     As it turned out, both chores were performed reasonably well, but Shreveport tight ends Reggie Brock and Gregg Lazzaro combined for nine catches for 146 yards and one score as the Americans downed the Wranglers 21-14 before a crowd of 5,033.
     The seven-point win gave Shreveport a 7-2 record on the year with one game to play at San Antonio and if the Americans win that game, they'll go into the playoffs as the No. 1 team from the Southwest Division.
     "They (Texas) came out doubling our wide receivers," said Americans head coach Tom Rushing in the midst of champagne celebration in the Shreveport dressing room. "We just dragged our tight ends over or under the linebackers and it was pretty effective."
     "We saw they were weak in the middle," said an obviously-tired Brock afterwards. "We just kept hitting the passes in there and they never adjusted."
     The tight end passes were effective to the point where Brock caught eight passes for 139 yards. Lazzaro only one catch for seven yards, but it was a big one - touchdown from Smith with 14:56 left in the final quarter.
     With Wells' extra point, Lazzaro's catch gave Shreveport a 14-7 lead. But Texas came right back, drove to the Americans 6 and prepared to score possibly the tying touchdown.
     But on third and three at that point, Texas running back Leonard Medlock tried to run through right tackle when a trio of Americans - Sam Coaxum, Marty Smith and Keith Alexander popped the ball loose. Smith recovered at the 5 and the Americans promptly drove 95 yards for what turned out to be the deciding score.
     With Americans offensive coordinator Norman Hodgins screaming, "No long passes" into his pressbox headset to Rushing on the field, Smith uncorked a 43-yard bomb on third and 10 at the Americans 15 to Brock. An additional five-yard facemask penalty put the ball at the Texas 38.
     Four plays later, Smith, who completed 18 of 28 passes for 214 yards, got Texas defensive back Rod Gerald to commit a 34-yard pass interference penalty to the Texas 15. A 13-yard Smith to Wells pass put the ball at the Wranglers 2 where running back Arry Moody
crashed in for the score. Wells' extra point handed Shreveport a seemingly safe 21-7 lead.
     But with elusive Welby Ina at the quarterback controls, Texas drove 63 yards on seven plays. The Wranglers' second touchdown, like Ina's earlier 19-yard scoring pass to Steve Sullivan which tied the game at 7-7 with 1:18 left in the second quarter, came on a typical mad Ina scramble.
     He rolled left, danced around for a bit, then bulleted a 12-yard pass to Ethan Ogletree. That and Robert Stringer's extra point only put Texas down with 5:33 left in the game.
     Shreveport opened scoring on the first play of the second quarter when Smith got off a 7-yard scoring pass away to Wells right before being buried by an avalanche of Wrangler rushers. Wells converted for a 7-0 Americans lead with 14:55 left in the quarter.
     Ina's pass to Sullivan tied the game shortly before the half, but the Wranglers had a chance to go ahead midway through the third quarter.
     On fourth and one at the Shreveport 10 with 7:17 left in the third, Texas chose go with Stringer and a 27-yard field goal attempt. He missed and it opened the door for the Americans.
                 
Score by Quarters
Texas       0     7     0     7     -     14
Shreveport   0   7   0   14   -   21
                         
Statistics
        TX       SH
First downs   16   12
Rushing (att - yards)   36 - 158   23 - 44
Passing yards   192   214
Passing (comp - att - int)   18 - 32 - 2   18 - 28 - 2 
Punts - avg   5 - 36.2   5 - 34.0
Fumbles - lost   5 - 2   1 - 0
Penalties - yards 10 - 117 10 - 75
         
              
Scoring Summary
SH       Wells 7 pass from Smith (Wells kick)
TX   Sullivan 19 pass from Ina (Stringer kick)
SH   Lazzaro 7 pass from Smith (Wells kick) 
SH   Moody 2 run (Wells kick)
TX   Ogletree 12 pass from Ina (Stringer kick)
     
     
     
     
     
     

Photograph 
Shreveport: Reggie Brock (??)
Texas: Dean Nixon (26)
 
Photograph
Shreveport: Tony Brown (47)
Texas: Keith Alexander (45)
 
 
Alabama Magic logo Alabama Magic
at
Georgia Pride

July 31, 1982
- Etowah County High School -
Georgia Pride logo 
 
Pride in playoffs with 16-14 win
                 
James Bennett - Atlants Journal        
         
     Georgia Pride defensive back Al Brown shrugged off a high five from Ricky Sims and said, "I want a hug."
     Sims had just intercepted a pass in the end zone with 1:32 remaining to save the Pride's 16-14 win over the Alabama Magic. The victory sends the Pride, now 6-4, to the American Football Association playoffs, where they will play Shreveport on the road next Saturday.
     "It was a lucky play," Sims said of the interception. "But that's what football and defense is all about. I knew he (Magic quarterback Mark Cahill) was going to throw it.
     "The receiver fell down, and I reached up,
and there it was. If he hadn't slipped, it would have been athlete on athlete, and it would have been a hell of a contest for the ball. I had to go get it."
     The Pride jumped out to a 10-0 halftime lead and added to its advantage with a third-quarter, 11-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Flanagan to running back Melvin Jenkins.
     But the Magic came back quickly, scoring on a one-yard Lawrence Joseph run with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter. Moments later, James Drake recovered a Ron Slovensky onside kick and returned it for a touchdown.
     "It just bounced right up there," said Drake.
"They weren't expecting it. We caught them off guard."
     The Pride scored first in the game on a one-yard sneak by Flanagan, two plays after punter Reggie Jones completed a 32-yard pass to Don Shockley from a fourth-down punting formation.
     The Pride's other first-half score came on a 43-yard field goal by Bob Brien at 8:47 of the second quarter.
     "I didn't worry about my distance," Brien said. "I know I have the leg to get it there from 50 to 55 yards."
                 
Score by Quarters
Alabama       0     0     14     0     -     14
Georgia   7   3   6   0   -   16
                         
Statistics
        AL       GA
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards ? - ? ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
GA       Flanagan 2 run (Brien kick)
GA   Brien 51 field goal
GA   Jenkins 14 pass from Flanagan (kick failed) 
AL   Joseph 1 run (Stephens pass from Bartik)
AL   Drake onside kickoff return (pass failed)
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
 
Austin Texans logo Austin Texans
at
Texas Wranglers

July 31, 1982
- Mesquite Memorial Stadium -
Texas Wranglers logo 
 
Wranglers blast past Austin, 49-7
Texas gathering momentum as AFA playoffs approach
                 
Luke Johnson - Mesquite Daily News        
         
     The Texas Wranglers catapulted their way into the American Football Association playoffs Saturday night at Mesquite Memorial Stadium, with a lopsided 49-7 victory over the hapless and helpless Austin Texans.
     The Texans, who came into the game with only 26 players in uniform, were plainly no match for the geared-up Wranglers, who piled up 260 rushing yards and added another 100 through the air. If there was any doubt as to the outcome prior, to kickoff, the Wranglers settled it quickly on the way to an 8-2 season record. Unfortunately for the Texans, they were headed in the opposite direction in the win-loss column, as they absorbed their 10th defeat in as many outings.
     Tony Brown was the big gun in the Wranglers' offensive attack, as he carried 18 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns. He was aided in the decimation of the Texans by Henry Bush, who toted the ball nine times for 44 yards and one touchdown, while adding another on a touchdown pass from quarterback Welby Ina.
     "We just had the whole attack going," said Ina after the one-sided victory. "We were able to run the ball just about anywhere we wanted to.
     "I would have liked to get more yards through the air, but as it turned out, we didn't
need them," Ina continued. "But I still felt good about the passing game."
     Ina finished the night with nine completions in 20 attempts and two touchdowns, though he suffered a pair of interceptions.
     The win puts the Wranglers in a first round playoff contest against the Oklahoma Thunder in Tulsa's Skelly Stadium Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. The Thunder and the Wranglers have split in two meetings this season, with each team winning at home.
     Bush got things off to a fast start in the first quarter, as he worked his way clear for a safety valve pass from Ina in the middle of the Texans' secondary. He high-stepped his way 28 yards into the end zone, splitting two defensive backs at the five-yard line for the score.
     The Wranglers were forced to go only 18 yards for their next score, as Austin's Bryan Bailey had a punt partially blocked in the end zone. The ball was downed on the Texans' 18-yard line and five plays later Brown got the payoff from the one for the first of his two touchdowns in the contest.
     Austin, in its only offensive punch of the evening, managed to cut the Wranglers' lead to seven points. The Texans put together a seven-play, 29-yard drive for the touchdown, which came as Bailey found a wide-open Wayland
Gay alone in the Wranglers' end zone for a one-yard scoring pass. Clarence Houston's PAT would prove to be the final points of the night for the visitors.
     Texas immediately came back on its next possession with a seven-play, 43-yard scoring effort to go up 21-7. Bush did the honors, going through a gaping hole on the right side of the offensive line from four yards out.
     Ina provided some rushing of his own on the next Wrangler drive. After moving his team to the Texans' three-yard stripe, Ina sent the play action to the right side and pulled off a naked bootleg for a three-yard score, just squeezing in at the flag in the left corner of the zone ahead of a closing Austin defender.
     "I didn't think I was going to make it, but I managed to dive across the goal line before he got there," said Ina.
     Adding insult to injury, the Wranglers put on a 21-point blitz in the final 15 minutes. The first of the three scores when Brown scored from 13 yards out after a roughing penalty negated a 45-yard field goal by Gale Grant. Less than three minutes later Ina teamed up with wide receiver Steve Sullivan for a 31-yard scoring connection and reserve running back Pat Noonan, who had 28 yards on two carries, rambled in untouched from the 16-yard line for the game's final score.
                 
Score by Quarters
Austin       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     7
Texas   ?   ?   ?   ?   -   49
                         
Statistics
        AU       TX
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards ? - ? ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Photograph 
Texas: Fred Williams (75)
Austin: Bryan Bailey (??)
 
 
Buffalo Geminis logo Buffalo Geminis
at
Charleston Rockets


July 31, 1982
- War Memorial Stadium -
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
 
Rockets crush Geminis, 48-7
                 
Buffalo News        
         
     Buffalo quarterback Jim Hoysick averted a shutout by plunging across the Charleston goal line with nine seconds left, providing the Geminis' only good memory from a 48-7 season-ending loss to the playoff-bound Rockets. If there was a defensive highlight for the Geminis in allowing 48 points, it had to be the play of Tony Diberatore, who had 15 tackles. 
                 
Score by Quarters
Buffalo       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     7
Charleston   ?   ?   ?   ?   -   48
                         
Statistics
        BU       CH
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards ? - ? ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
 
Jacksonville Sunbirds logo Jacksonville Sunbirds
at
Carolina Storm


July 31, 1982
- Memorial Stadium -
Carolina Storm logo 
 
Storm breezes past Jacksonville 63-0
Carolina enters playoffs 10-0
                 
David Scott - Charlotte Observer        
         
     The Carolina Storm concluded a perfect American Football Association regular season Saturday night with a 63-0 whipping of the Jacksonville Sunbirds in Memorial Stadium.
     It wasn't that close.
     The Storm, leading 35-0 at the end of the first quarter and 54-0 at halftime, really didn't have much of a chance to score in the second half.
     The clock operator, knowing a rout on a rainy, miserable night when he saw one, let the time click by in the second half, stopping the clock only on a few occasions late in the game. Otherwise, it steadily ran down, through pass incompletions and out-of-bounds plays alike. The half lasted less than an hour.
     But it didn't really make any difference. It let both squads and most of the crowd of 2,012 - those who hadn't left in the first half - get out of the rain more quickly.
     It was the Storm's easiest victory of the season, a season that had lots of easy victories. It outstripped Carolina's opening game back in May, when it beat the since-folded Florida Sun 62-7.
     Now the Storm (10-0) can devote its
attention to the AFA playoffs, which begin next week. Carolina is host Saturday to Northern Division runner-up West Virginia in Memorial Stadium.
     The Storm will get more fight from the Rockets than it did from the Sunbirds (3-7). Jacksonville, which lost its last five games - including a 31-10 home loss to the Storm - brought only 27 players. There's been a shortage on that front since mid-season, when most of the Sunbirds' front-line players quit in a money dispute.
     "I know a lot of their players and I've got family in Jacksonville," said Storm offensive lineman Lawrence Faulkner, a Johnson C. Smith alumnus. "So I know what's gone on down there. I truly appreciate that team showing up after all the stuff they've been through. I really appreciate it."
     The Storm struck early and decisively. Saturday afternoon, quarterback Ellsworth Turner had let on that Carolina's first play would be a long pass to Reggie "Super Gnat" Smith. It was.
     Turner hit Smith for 33 yards to the Sunbird 28, and five plays later Emmett Hamilton's 2-
yard run was Carolina's first touchdown. It got four more in the first quarter - a 3-yarder by Hamilton, a 51-yard pass from Turner to Smith, a 1-yard run by Turner and a 47-yard pass from Turner to Smith.
     Every time the Storm got the ball, it scored. Carolina, which didn't punt all night, scored the first seven times it had the ball.
     It finally was stopped in the third quarter, when John Blum - who was perfect in nine point-after kicks - missed a 37-yard field-goal attempt.
     No matter. As soon as Jacksonville got the ball back, Carolina's Mike Graham picked off a pass and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown.
     A good look was had at Lonnie Harris, too. Harris, a 5-6 wide receiver, returned a punt 42 yards for a touchdown and took an end-around run 49 yards for another.
     The Storm rolled up 379 yards total offense. Jacksonville had 102 - 62 on a pass from Wayne Foster to Tyrone Green. Green almost broke it. Appropriately, though, he slipped on the wet grass.
                 
Score by Quarters
Jacksonville       0     0     0     0     -     0
Carolina   35   21   7   0   -   63
                         
Statistics
        JA       CA
First downs   3   18
Rushing (att - yards)   4 - (-4)   29 - 213
Passing yards   106   194
Passing (comp - att - int)   4 - 16 - 2   7 - 16 - 0
Punts - avg   5 - 39.2   0 - 0
Return yards    170   135
Fumbles - lost   3 - 3   5 - 1
Penalties - yards 7 - 66 4 - 25
         
              
Scoring Summary
CA       Hamilton 2 run (Blum kick)
CA   Hamilton 1 run (Blum kick)
CA   Smith 51 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Turner 1 run (Blum kick)
CA   Smith 47 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Reed 4 run (Blum kick)
CA   Harris 42 punt return (Blum kick)
CA   Graham 27 interception return (Blum kick)
CA   Harris 49 run (Blum kick)
CA   Thompson 16 run (Blum kick)
     

Photograph 
Carolina: Jeff Thompson (88) 
 
Photograph 
Carolina: Jeff Thompson (88)
 
 
Houston Armadillos logo Houston Armadillos
at
Oklahoma Thunder


July 31, 1982
- Skelly Stadium -
Oklahoma Thunder logo 
 
Thunder pops Houston to take share of title
                 
Jeff Necessary - Tulsa World        
         
     Oklahoma took advantage of two Houston turnovers for quick first-quarter touchdowns and was never threatened as the Thunder clinched a share of the American Football Association Southwest Division title Saturday night with a boringly easy, 42-0 victory over the Armadillos at Skelly Stadium.
     The game was decided in a one-minute, 28-second span early in the first period. After Houston's Paul Hood fumbled on the game's third play from scrimmage at the Armadillo 29, the Thunder capitalized eight plays later on Dwaine Ball's three-yard run. Alan Woodward, the AFA's leading scorer, added his first of six extra points.
     Four plays after the ensuing kickoff, Houston punter Glen Franks fumbled the deep snap from his 15. The loose ball rolled back into the end zone, where Thunder cornerback
Demetrious Thompson covered the ball for a touchdown. Woodward made it 14-0 at 8:20, only 1:28 after Ball's run.
     The Thunder running game, usually lethargic in nine previous games, was prominent in the first half. Quarterback Dave Rader, who passed for 207 yards and three touchdowns, did not attempt a pass until the 1:12 mark of the first quarter.
     A short punt by Franks set up the third Oklahoma score early in the second quarter. The Thunder drove 41 yards in seven plays, with Rader finding Ronnie Smith for the first of his two touchdown catches from 13 yards out. Woodward closed the first-half scoring at 21-0.
     Whatever doubt remained was ended by the Thunder's first march after intermission, a crisp 67-yard operation that closed with Quinn Jones' one-yard run.
     Franks again mishandled the snap on his next punt attempt, set- ting Oklahoma up on the Houston 18. Rader passed to Jones two plays later for a 16-yard score.
     Houston threatened twice after Thunder fumbles in the third quarter, but came no closer than the Oklahoma 10. The Armadillos could not convert a third-and-two from the 10 in two tries and never came close again.
     The victory ended a successful maiden season for the Thunder, which concluded with an 8-2 regular season record. Coach Frank Grimm said the performance was exactly the prescription for entering Saturday's playoff date with the Texas Wranglers at Skelly.
     Thunder officials estimated Saturday's attendance at 7,100.
                 
Score by Quarters
Houston       0     0     0     0     -     0
Oklahoma   14   7   14   7   -   42
                         
Statistics
        HO       OK
First downs   5   19
Rushing (att - yards)   40 - 28   38 - 107
Passing yards   8   208
Passing (comp - att - int)   2 - 15 - 2   16 - 26 - 1
Punts - avg   5 - 32   3 - 35
Return yards    46   0
Fumbles - lost   3 - 3   3 - 2
Penalties - yards 7 - 50  5 - 45
         
              
Scoring Summary
OK       Ball 4 run (Woodward kick)
OK   Tapps fumble recovery in end zone (Woodward kick)
OK   Smith 13 pass from Rader (Woodward kick)
OK   Jones 1 run (Woodward kick)
OK   Jones 16 pass from Rader (Woodward kick)
OK   Smith 7 pass from Rader (Woodward kick)
     
     
     
     
     

Photograph 
Oklahoma: Quinn Jones (35)
Houston: Errol Graham (53)
 
 
Shreveport Americans logo Shreveport Americans
at
San Antonio Bulls


July 31, 1982
- Alamo Stadium -
San Antonio Bulls logo 
 
Shreveport outlasts San Antonio Bulls, 32-23
                 
Gary Gossett - San Antonio Light        
         
     A fourth-quarter rally by the San Antonio Bulls fell short at Alamo Stadium last night, giving the Shreveport Americans a 32-23 win in the American Football Association regular season finale for both teams.
     The defeat left San Antonio with a 4-7 mark, the first losing record in franchise history. Not since the old San Antonio Toros were formed in the late '60s has a local professional team finished below .500.
     The playoff-bound Americans, who scored on the game's final play, are 8-2.
     The Bulls, down by 10 points late in the game, got a touchdown on a one-yard run by
James Tibbs with just under four minutes to play. Joe Vega's kick left the Bulls with a three-point deficit, but Shreveport drove to the San Antonio 40 and punted the ball out of bounds on the 7.
     San Antonio broke on top on a 20-yard field goal by Vega in the first period. Shreveport, however, scored 19 points in the second quarter on a 46-yard scoring pass from Ken Smith to Reggie Brock and TD passes of 5 and 14 yards to Vernon Wells. Wells was good on one conversion, but missed the other two.
     San Antonio got second period scoring on a 10-yard pass from Tim Bailey to Anton Niles
and another 20-yard field goal from Vega to make the halftime score 19-13.
     Shreveport went 26-13 in the third quarter when Donnie Sutton took a 22-yard pass from Smith. Vega cut the margin to 10 points with his third field goal of the night.
     Shreveport got a freebie on the last play. With 13 seconds to go, Bailey faded back from his 11 to the 4 while attempting to pass. Shreveport defensive lineman Walter Chapman got to Bailey, stole the ball and stepped into the end zone.
                 
Score by Quarters
Shreveport       0     19     7     6     -     32
San Antonio   3   10   3   7   -   23
                         
Statistics
        SH       SA
First downs   19   15
Rushing (att - yards)   23 - 83   30 - 16
Passing yards   367   297
Passing (comp - att - int)   23 - 41 - 2   17 - 44 - 1
Punts - avg   5 - 39.0   6 - 33.5
Fumbles - lost   4 - 2   4 - 2
Penalties - yards 8 - 69 10 - 91
         
              
Scoring Summary
SA       Vega 20 field goal
SH   Brock 46 pass from Smith (Wells kick)
SA   Miles 10 pass from Bailey (Vega kick)
SA   Vega 20 field goal
SH   Wells 5 pass from Smith (kick failed)
SH   Wells 14 pass from Smith (kick failed)
SH   Sutton 22 pass from Smith (Wells kick)
SA   Vega 30 field goal
SA   Tibbs 1 run (Vega kick)
SH   Chapman 4 fumble return (kick failed)
     

 
  Playoffs
 
Canton Bulldogs logo Canton Bulldogs
at
Racine Gladiators


August 7, 1982
- Horlick Field -
Racine Gladiators logo 
 
Gladiators: There was never a doubt
                 
Gregg J. Hoffmann - Racine Journal Times        
         
     Racine Gladiators Coach Harry Gilbert was no longer scared. His team had just beaten the odds, and the Canton Bulldogs, 44-6, Saturday night.
     "I was scared as hell about having to play this team for the third time this season," Gilbert said after the Gladiators' victory before 2,542 fans at Horlick Field. "But we played well tonight on offense and defense.
     "We wanted to win by a blowout if we could. We felt that if we got tied up in another close game with them the odds would catch up with us."
     The win moves the Gladiators into the second round of the American Football Association (AFA) playoffs against the Carolina Storm, a 61-15 winner over the West Virginia Rockets Saturday night. The game will be played at Charlotte. N.C., where more than 6,900 fans watched the Storm's victory.
     The city of Canton hosted the National Football League Hall of Fame game earlier on Saturday, and by halftime at Horlick Field the Bulldogs must have been wishing they had stayed home as spectators.
     Racine marched 60 yards for a touchdown the first time it had the ball. Fullback Steve Fuller ran one yard for the score.
     On the ensuing kickoff, Canton's Dion Jenkins fumbled the ball after a 25-yard return, and the Gladiators' Chris Schnell recovered at the Bulldogs' 33 yard line.
     Four plays later, Racine quarterback Joe Grafenauer sneaked one yard for the Gladiators' second touchdown. Nils Lindskoog's extra point gave Racine a 14-0 lead.
     The Gladiators increased that lead to 23-0 by halftime on a 50 yard field goal by Lindskoog
  and a 15-yard scoring pass from Charlie Bliss to Jeff White.
     Canton's offense was stymied in the first half by four Gladiators interceptions. Racine finished the game with six, led by Earl Anderson who had two.
     "Our front line put on a great rush, and their quarterback (Bob Stachowicz) couldn't get set all night," said Gladiators safety Daryl Herrick, who serves as the secondary's player-coach.
     "He started throwing to spots, and we were just able to out-hustle their receivers for the ball," said Herrick, who had one of the interceptions himself. "We had scouted them very thoroughly which really helped."
     In the second half, the Gladiators' passing attack dominated the game. Grafenauer passed nine yards to White for a third quarter touchdown and 12 yards to tight end Dan Brunner for a fourth quarter score.
     Brunner also caught a 10-yard scoring pass from Joe Metallic late in the fourth period to complete the rout.
     Sandwiched between the Brunner touchdowns was the Bulldogs' lone score, a two-yard run by Paul Winters.
     The Gladiators finished with 325 passing yards. Grafenauer led the way with 15 completions in 27 attempts for 224 yards. Bliss completed five of eight passes for 71 yards, and Metallic had two of five for 30 yards.
     Brunner led all receivers with eight catches for 98 yards. White had six receptions for 83 yards.
     "We studied the films of the first two games and saw that the middle was open quite often," Brunner said. "We decided to exploit that tonight and it worked."
       Grafenauer, who frequently threw to Brunner when they both played for the Delavan Red Devils, said it was about time he started to use his favorite receiver again.
     "We haven't thrown to him as much this year. because the outside stuff has been there," he said. "Also, when he was open I was missing him in a lot of games. But he's a heck of a receiver and tonight we got him the ball.
     "It really helped to have our defense getting us the ball in good field position. They've done a great job all year. Our offensive line also did a good job tonight."
     The Bulldogs had given the Gladiators two tough games during the regular season, losing 12-6 and 23-20. Gilbert thought those two games taught his team a lot about the Canton team.
     "We knew them awfully well," Gilbert said. "We tried to pick on the weaknesses they had shown in the first two games."
     Greg "Grape Juice" Johnson, the Gladiators' leading rusher, did not play after the second quarter because of a knee injury. However, the injury was not serious, and Johnson said he would be ready for the Carolina game.
     Carolina is the only team other than the Gladiators which has an undefeated record in the AFA. The score of their rout over West Virginia originally was reported as 61-18, but the actual 61-15 score still impressed Gilbert.
     "They must have a heck of an offensive football team," he said. "It should be a good football game."
     In another AFA playoff game, Dallas defeated Tulsa, 17-13. The score of the Shreveport-Georgia Pride game was not reported.
                 
Score by Quarters
Canton       0     0     0     6     -     6
Racine   14   9   7   14   -   44
                         
Statistics
        CA       RA
First downs   8   25
Rushing (att - yards)   17 - 126   39 - 117
Passing yards   89   325
Passing (comp - att - int)   10 - 31 - 6   22 - 40 - 3
Punts - avg   3 - 44   2 - 33
Fumbles - lost   2 - 1   3 - 1
Penalties - yards   7 - 60   12 - 115
         
              
Scoring Summary
RA       Fuller 1 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Grafenauer 1 run (Lindskoog kick)
RA   Lindskoog 50 field goal
RA   White 15 pass from Bliss (kick blocked)
RA   White 9 pass from Grafenauer (Lindskoog kick) 
RA   Brunner 12 pass from Grafenauer (Lindskoog kick)
CA   Winters 2 run (pass failed)
RA   Brunner 10 pass from Metallic (Lindskoog kick)
     

Photograph
Canton: Tom Roper (22)
 
 
NO LOGO 
AVAILABLE
Charleston Rockets
at
Carolina Storm


August 7, 1982
- Memorial Stadium -
Carolina Storm logo 
 
Storm defuses Rockets 61-18
                 
David Scott - Charlotte Observer        
         
     The Charleston Rockets' little psyche game didn't work Saturday. All it did was keep the fires burning a little warmer for the Carolina Storm.
     So the unbeaten Storm, kept waiting on the field 20 minutes by the Rockets at the beginning of the game, whipped defending champion Charleston 61-18 in a first-round American Football Association game before a crowd of 6,932 in Memorial Stadium.
     The Storm's victory sets up a semifinal game next Sunday in Charlotte against the also unbeaten Wisconsin Gladiators, 44-6 first-round winners over the Canton Bulldogs.
     Beating the Rockets took a while for Carolina to do. Charleston, led by coach Lonnie Warwick, did everything it could to throw the Storm off its game. But the Rockets' tactics were strictly of the off-the-field variety.
     On the field, it was no contest.
     For the week preceding the game, Charleston - which has won the league's last two championships - kept those who cared in the dark about who its quarterback would be. Steve Turk, the Rockets' quarterback most of the season, was mentioned. Clyde Walker, who didn't join the team until late in the season, was mentioned. Kenny Stabler, who never joined the team, was mentioned.
     Shortly before the game, knowing Walker
was ineligible because his name hadn't been put on the Rocket roster in time, Warwick said his team would go home unless Walker could play.
     The Storm, which had said all week it would not let Walker play, gave in. But Carolina played the game under protest. Turk started the game, but Walker played about half of it.
     That never made a difference. The Rockets were completely outclassed.
     That began to be apparent on the Storm's first possession, when Ellsworth Turner hooked up with Reggie Smith for a 31-yard touchdown pass. It got more obvious when, after Joe Clyburn intercepted the first of four Rocket passes caught by Storm defenders, Turner hit Darrell Jones for a 34-yarder.
     It became crystal clear late in the first quarter after another interception, this one by Dennis Coit deep in Charleston territory. Two plays later, Jackie Reed went in from 5 yards. Although John Blum missed the conversion, it was 20-0 at the end of the first period.
     "Maybe if they had come out and played us on time, they would have played us tougher," said Storm linebacker Ike Huey. "I don't think they were as pumped as we were.
     "We really wanted them after that stunt they pulled. We weren't going to let it upset us. Our minds were ready. We had more
intensity and I bet it took the edge off them."
     After the first quarter, the Storm didn't let up. On and on it went. It was as badly as the Storm had beaten anyone this season - and Carolina had beaten some turkeys. Charleston, though, wasn't supposed to be like that. The Rockets were the champions.
     "We knew about them, though." said Huey. "We had a good scouting report. We knew how they played."
     Charleston didn't know enough about Carolina, though. Then again, maybe that wouldn't have helped much.
     An example: the Storm, which had a few players banged up going into the game and a few more when it was over, had to use wide receiver Jones as a kickoff returner. So in his only appearance this season at that position, Jones raced 94 yards for a touchdown, giving the Storm a 35-6 lead in the second quarter.
     Turner threw for 250 yards and six touchdowns. Five were to Smith, including a 38-yarder on the game's last play. The Storm was by no means trying to hold down the score.
     About the only place the Rockets were effective was through the air. Turk and Walker combined for 264 yards passing.
     But, as it turned out, it never made much of a difference who the Rockets' quarterback was.
                 
Score by Quarters
Charleston       0     6     6     6     -     18
Carolina   20   22   6   13   -   61
                         
Statistics
        CH       CA
First downs   19   19
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 96   ? - 165
Passing yards   235   267
Passing (comp - att - int)   15 - 37 - 4   17 - 20 - 1
Punts - avg   3 - 32   3 - 32
Fumbles - lost   0 - 0   1 - 0
Penalties - yards 9 - 55 15 - 150
         
              
Scoring Summary
CA       Smith 31 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Jones 34 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Reed 5 run (kick failed)
CA   Smith 7 pass from Turner (Brown run)
CH   Riley 2 run (run failed)
CA   Jones 95 kickoff return (Blum kick)
CA   Smith 25 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Smith 25 pass from Turner (kick blocked)
CH   Riley 5 run (pass failed)
CA   Bolton 1 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CH   Oliveira 7 pass from Walker (pass failed)
CA   Smith 38 pass from Brown (no attempt)
Photograph
Players unknown
 
Photograph
Carolina: Darrell Jones (??)
 
Photograph 
Carolina: Tim King (41)
 
 
Georgia Pride logo Georgia Pride
at
Shreveport Americans


August 7, 1982
- Independence Stadium -
Shreveport Americans logo
 
Smith's last-second pass lifts Americans
                 
Jim McLain - Shreveport Times        
         
     Quarterback Ken Smith's 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gregg Lazzaro with 15 seconds left lifted the Shreveport Americans to a 42-35 victory over the Georgia Pride here Saturday night.
     The game-winning touchdown was one of six scoring tosses by Smith on the night.
     The victory in the first round of the American Football Association playoffs, puts the Americans up against the Texas Wranglers, who beat Oklahoma, 17-13, in Tulsa Saturday night.
     The Americans were forced into a last-gasp drive to avert an overtime period after Georgia had tied it up with just 1:12 remaining on a pass from quarterback Anthony Flanagan to Geno Washington.
     Getting the ball on its own 27 after the kickoff, Smith completed passes of 20 yards and five yards to Edwin Scott, hit Donnie Sutton for nine and then tossed to Arry Moody for six to give the Americans a second-and-four at their the Georgia 33.
     "It was a play designed to get the wide receivers out of bounds," said Smith of the winning touchdown. "Their safeties went with our wide receivers and Lazzaro was wide open down the middle. All I had to do was to get it over the safety's head. I'm just praising the Lord for that."
     "I caught it over my shoulder," said Lazzaro, who was subbing for shaken-up starter Reggie Brock on the play. "It was a perfect pass. Any shorter or longer and I wouldn't have gotten it.
Kenny laid it in there real pretty."
     The Americans had gone into the fourth quarter with a 35-21 lead, but couldn't hold it under the relentless passing assault of Georgia of Flanagan.
     Flanagan shortened Shreveport's lead to 35-28 with a one-yard sneak with 10:15 left in the game and then directed a 78-yard drive that tied it up.
     Star safety Keith Alexander, who had seven tackles on the night, said "He (Flanagan) gave us a very tough time. He's a scrambler and by the third quarter, our tackles were tired from chasing him."
     Flanagan completed 21 of 31 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns.
     His performance was overshadowed, however, by Smith who hit 26 of 40 passes for a whopping 406 yards and the six touchdowns.
     Vernon Wells, who had a 90-yard touchdown catch, was the leading receiver with eight for 229 yards. Brock had six catches for 69 and Scott latched onto six for 66.
     The visitors, finishing their season 6-5, had the better of it in the rushing game, outgaining Shreveport 125-58.
     Louis Kelly, one of a fleet of small, hard running backs, led the Pride with 75 yards on 15 carries. The Americans' top rusher was Sutton with 19 yards on six carries. Shreveport jumped its lead after halftime to 35-21 on Smith's 28-yard touchdown toss to Sutton.
     The game lived up to its aerial circus billing in
the first half as Shreveport took a 28-21 lead.
     A 90-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Wells just 20 seconds after Georgia had tied the score, 21- all, gave the Americans their seven-point cushion 2:17 before intermission.
     Georgia broke on top with a 74-yard opening drive, capped by a seven-yard Flanagan to Larry Powers pass.
     The Americans, getting three first downs by the penalty route, hit right back with a 72-yard drive that a scrambling Smith climaxed with a nine-yard toss to Brock.
     The quarter ended 7-7, but the Americans were on top after the first play of the second quarter, a 25-yard Smith pass to Scott.
     An interception by Clif McCray set up Georgia on the Americans' 20 a little later in the quarter and Flanagan tied it up with a one-yard sneak at the 6:54 mark.
     It took the Americans only two plays to go back out front. Reserve quarterback James Mosley fired a 62-yard halfback pass to Wells and on the next play Smith hit Brock from 11 yards out as the tight end was slanting across the goal-line.
     Georgia came back to get good field position as kick returner Ricky Sims raced back a kickoff 46 yards and the Pride started out on the Shreveport 44 after a penalty. Eight plays later, a scrambling Flanagan dumped a short pass off to running back Zollie Harris, who scooted 18 yards into the end zone.
                 
Score by Quarters
Georgia       ?     ?     ?     ?     -     35
Shreveport   ?   ?   ?   ?   -   42
                         
Statistics
        GA       SH
First downs   ?   ?
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - ?   ? - ?
Passing yards   ?   ?
Passing (comp - att - int)   ? - ? - ?   ? - ? - ?
Punts - avg   ? - ?   ? - ?
Fumbles - lost   ? - ?   ? - ?
Penalties - yards ? - ? ? - ?
         
              
Scoring Summary
        Not available
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Photograph 
Shreveport: Keith Alexander (45), Fred Galloway (76), Larry Smith (32)
Georgia: Leon Chadwick (80)
 
Photograph 
Shreveport: Willie Mosley (49), John Kelly (43)
 
 
Texas Wranglers logo Texas Wranglers
at
Oklahoma Thunder


August 7, 1982
- Skelly Stadium -
Oklahoma Thunder logo 
 
Wranglers slip past Thunder in AFA playoff
                 
Jeff Necessary - Tulsa World        
         
     Former Ohio State quarterback Rod Gerald's 61-yard punt return set up the winning touchdown and the Texas Wrangler defense staved off a last-ditch Oklahoma drive as the Wranglers ended the Thunder's inaugural American Football Association season with a 17-13 playoff victory before about 3,400 drenched fans Saturday night at Skelly Stadium.
     Gerald returned a Rick Engles punt from the Texas 20 to the Thunder 19, breaking through on the left sideline and being caught from behind as he cut across the center of the field. The Thunder momentarily appeared to survive this threat, but one final mistake gave Texas new life.
     After three plays went nowhere, kicker Robert Stringer's 36-yard field goal attempt was wide left. An overzealous Oklahoma rush, however, crashed into both Stringer and holder Mark Owens, and the Wranglers had a first and goal at the nine. Quarterback Welby Ina lobbed the ball toward the far sideline for Ethan Ogletree, who scored both Texas touchdowns, and the Wrangler wide receiver took the ball away from Oklahoma cornerback Mike Siganos for the score. Stringer added the 17th Texas point with 9:34 left.
     Oklahoma made one first down after the kickoff, then punted the Wranglers back to their
12. The Thunder stopped fullback Tony Brown on third and one, and Stringer's punt set Oklahoma up at the Thunder 41 with 4:48 left.
     Quarterback Dave Rader directed the Thunder to three first downs, reaching the Texas 24 with 1:13 remaining. Rader scrambled out of bounds on first down, then was face-masked on another scramble. The foul was ruled to be incidental, however, and Texas was assessed only five yards, with no automatic first down awarded.
     The Wrangler pass rush, ineffective all night, suddenly turned vicious. Don Maxwell sacked Rader for a loss of four, then linebacker Basil Dabbs broke through to nail the former Tulsa University star for an eight-yard setback. Oklahoma called time, facing a fourth-and-18 at the Texas 32.
     Rader had enough time on the critical play, but not enough receivers. His pass for Randy Butler, which might not have picked up the first down even if complete, was batted away by linebacker Daron Mosley. Ina fell on the ball twice and the Thunder's perfect home record was ruined.
     The game was delayed 30 minutes by torrential rain, and although both offenses sputtered in the first half, Texas made the most of two intercepted Rader passes for a 10-7 lead.
     Brown fumbled on the second play, with Thunder safety Ron Gibbons recovering at the Texas 27, but the play was a costly one for Oklahoma. Thunder linebacker Jimbo Elrod suffered an eye injury on the play and was taken to St. Francis Hospital overnight.
     Oklahoma capitalized five plays later, as compact running back Dwaine Ball lunged across from the two. Alan Woodward's PAT made it 7-0 after only 2:08 of play.
     Rader's first pass attempt went directly to Texas cornerback Chris Middleton, who raced 35 yards to the Oklahoma 21 before Rader brought him down. That set up a 25-yard field goal by Stringer.
     Rader was intercepted by Steve Beck later in the first period, and Texas marched 39 yards in five plays. Ina found Ogletree in the corner of the end zone for a 31-yard score. Stringer made it 10-7 with 2:10 left in the first.
     Quinn Jones' one-yard plunge gave the Thunder a 13-10 lead with 6:47 to go in the third quarter. A low snap prevented Woodward from attempting the point after.
     Texas advances to meet Shreveport in the AFA semifinals next week. Shreveport scored with 12 seconds left to defeat Georgia, 42-35, Saturday at Shreveport.
     Oklahoma finishes at 8-3.
                 
Score by Quarters
Texas       10     0     0     7     -     17
Oklahoma   7   0   6   0   -   13
                         
Statistics
        TX       OK
First downs   7   9
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 27   ? - 48
Passing yards   117   82
Passing (comp - att - int)   9 - 24 - 2   8 - 19 - 2
Punts - avg   8 - 36.2   10 - 40.9
Return yards    116   -5
Fumbles - lost   ? - 3   ? - 1
Penalties - yards ? - 56 ? - 31
         
              
Scoring Summary
OK       Ball 2 run (Woodward kick)
TX   Stringer 25 field goal
TX   Ogletree 31 pass from Ina (Stringer kick)
OK   Jones 1 run (run failed)
TX   Ogletree 9 pass from Ina (Stringer kick)
     
     
     
     
     
     

Photograph 
Texas: Ethan Ogletree (22)
Oklahoma: Leon Bolding (44)
 
 
Texas Wranglers logo Texas Wranglers
at
Shreveport Americans


August 14, 1982
- Independence Stadium -
Shreveport Americans logo
 
Americans advance with overtime win
                 
Ron Higgins - Shreveport Times        
         
     In a game which probably should have been won in regulation time by the Shreveport Americans, Jerry Pope kicked a 26-yard field goal with 9:37 left in overtime to give the Americans a 30-27 victory over the Texas Wranglers and a spot in next Saturday's American Football Association finals.
     An Independence Stadium crowd of 5,674 fans watched the thriller.
     The AFA grand finale, the American Bowl, will match the Americans and either Carolina or Wisconsin, a semi-final to be played tonight at Charlotte, N.C.
     The Americans drove from their 30 with 3:49 left in regulation play to the Wrangler 27 with 39 seconds left. At that point as Pope was readying himself on the sideline for a field goal try, Shreveport quarterback James Mosley tossed up a pass in the corner of the end zone for tight end Gregg Lazzaro. The pass was intercepted by Texas defensive back Dean Nixon.
     "I was trying to throw the ball out-of-bounds and right when I threw I got hit," explained Mosley.
     The Americans won the coin toss at the start of overtime and chose to receive with Shorty Williams returning the kickoff to the Shreveport 23.
     "We wanted to keep everything short on that final drive," said Mosley, who replaced starter Ken Smith late in the fourth period. "We were running draws, screens, stuff to make them run a lot because they appeared to be tired. All we wanted to do was get in field goal range."
     With running backs Donnie Sutton and Arry Moody chewing up short gains, the Americans moved down to the Texas 36 where Mosley completed a key 19-yard pass to Sutton.
     Three plays later, Pope trotted on, set up his tee and waited through a Texas timeout called to jangle his nerves.
     "Walking around like I was during the timeout helped me not think about nothing," said Pope. "All I wanted to do was hit the kick
like any other."
     And when he did, shooting the ball past the diving arms of Wrangler Rod Gerald. And the Americans had the victory that put them in the finals.
     Shreveport, down 24-14 at the half, came back with two straight touchdowns in the third quarter as Smith flipped a 3-yard scoring pass to Sutton and Larry Smith scored on a 1-yard run. Pope converted one of two extra points following the scores and the Americans actually led 27-24 entering the final period.
     There were four interceptions and one fumble in the fourth quarter by both teams, but only Texas could get any points with Robert Stringer tying the game at 27-27 with 9:51 left on a 40-yard field goal.
     He later missed a 47-yard field goal wide left with 3:49 left to play and Shreveport blew its final shot at scoring in regulation on the Mosley interception.
     Nevertheless, the Americans record now is 10-2 while Texas ended the year 9-3.
     Shreveport's offense didn't have to run off one play to get its first points on the board. On Texas' fifth play from scrimmage, Wranglers quarterback Welby Ina completed a seven-yard pass to tight end Malcolm Patterson.
     But as Patterson turned upfield he was decked by a duo of Americans and fumbled. Williams scooped up the ball and ran 40 yards for the game's opening touchdown. Jerry Pope kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Americans lead with 12:27 left in the first quarter.
     The first time Shreveport did touch the ball on offense, it scored - for Texas.
     Backed up at its own 7, Shreveport came out in a shotgun offense. Smith dropped the snap, picked it up, scrambled and unloaded a pass to lineman Chuck Kelly, an ineligible receiver. Smith was ruled down in the end zone for a safety with 10:24 remaining in the opening period and the Americans' margin was sliced to 7-2.
     Texas moved somewhat on offense, couldn't
score, but gradually gained field position thanks to the punting of Robert Stringer. A 33-yard Stringer punt put the Americans in a hole at their 3 and even a 45-yard Pope punt could not keep Texas from getting prime field position at the Shreveport 36 following a 14-yard Steve Beck return.
     Texas put together a nine-play scoring drive with Ina lofting a six-yard touchdown pass to Steve Sullivan on a quick corner route. Ina followed that with a two-point conversion to Brown and Texas led 10-7 with 14:52 left in the second quarter.
     The Wranglers' first trip into the end zone seemed to wake up the dormant Shreveport offense. Two plays into the next Americans' offense possession at the Shreveport 36, Smith hit Sutton with a short pass which Sutton turned into a 64-yard touchdown. On the play, Sutton ran the last 30 yards holding the ball aloft while almost stepping out of bounds.
     Pope kicked the extra point and Shreveport was back on top, 14-10, with 14:28 left before the half.
     Texas turned on the offensive power with two consecutive scoring drives after that.
     The first drive went 73 yards in eight plays with the key play being Ina's 40-yard pass to Sullivan to the Shreveport 11. Two plays later, Henry Bush dived over for the score from the 2 and Stringer's extra point kick was blocked by Ardis McCann. That left Texas with a 17-14 lead with 11:20 left in the period.
     The Wranglers next drive consisted of 12 plays over 54 yards. Ina completed four of seven passes along the way and Tony Brown scored on a one-yard run over the middle. Stringer's extra point put the Wranglers comfortably ahead at 24-14 with 4:12 left before the half.
     Shreveport drove to the Texas 36 in the closing minutes of the half, but on fourth and 18 Smith was sacked for a 12-yard loss to preserve the 10-point Wrangler lead at halftime.
                 
Score by Quarters
Texas       2     22     0     3     -     0     -     27
Shreveport   7   7 13   0   -   3   -   30
                                 
Statistics
        TX       SH
First downs   14   22
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 104   ? - 63
Passing yards   184   290
Passing (comp - att - int)   16 - 38 - 4   24 - 48 - 4
Punts - avg   5 - 39   6 - 40
Fumbles - lost   3 - 3   2 - 1
Penalties - yards 9 - 84 1 - 15
         
              
Scoring Summary
SH       Williams 40 fumble return (Pope kick)
TX   Safety Smith intentional grounding in end zone
TX   Sullivan 6 pass from Ina (Brown pass from Ina)
SH   Sutton 64 pass from Smith (Pope kick)
TX   Bush 2 run (kick blocked)
TX   Brown 1 run (Simeone pass from Ina)
SH   Sutton 3 pass from Smith (Pope kick)
SH   Smith 1 run (kick failed)
TX   Stringer 40 field goal
SH   Pope 26 field goal
     

Photograph 
Texas: Darren Mosley (??)
Shreveport: Larry Smith (32)
 
Photograph 
Texas: Fred Williams (75)
Shreveport: Larry Smith (32)
 
 
Racine Gladiators logo Racine Gladiators
at
Carolina Storm


August 15, 1982
- Memorial Stadium -
Carolina Storm logo
 
Routs Racine
Storm rolls into finals
                 
David Scott - Charlotte Observer        
         
     The spectacular has become typical for the Carolina Storm. How else does one explain the Storm's 35-8 drubbing of the previously unbeaten Racine (Wis.) Gladiators in an American Football Association playoff semifinal game Sunday in Memorial Stadium?
     Simply, the Storm (12-0) does things with flash and brashness. It doesn't care who it is playing, whether it be the dismal Florida Sun or a supposed power like Racine. Carolina, which will host the league championship game Saturday against the Shreveport Americans, blows out everybody.
     Its next chance comes against the Americans (10-2), who got to the championship - the American Bowl - by edging the Texas Wranglers 30-27 in overtime Saturday in Shreveport, La.
     The Storm hosts the game because it attracted a season-high crowd of 9,598 to watch it thrash the Northern Division-champion Gladiators. The AFA announced earlier this week it would award the championship game to the city with the biggest attendance in the semifinals.
     Shreveport drew 5,674 against Texas.
     So the game will be in Charlotte, where the summer football crowd has begun to discover the Storm. It was the largest crowd to see an AFA game in Charlotte in the three seasons the league has had a franchise here.
     The people came to see the big-play Storm. They came, they saw. Offensively and defensively, Carolina was at its impressive best.
     "It's hard to explain," said defensive defensive lineman Richard Tate. "We were super out there. We got it going early and kept it going."
     The Storm jumped all over Racine early by getting - as has become customary - a touchdown on its first play and some first-quarter interceptions. That is how Carolina beat Charleston 61-18 in a first-round game last week.
     This time, after Wisconsin punted, Storm quarterback Ellsworth Turner hit Darrell Jones on a 40-yard touchdown pass. Turner was to end up with 262 yards passing and four touchdowns.
     By this time, and the game had barely begun, it was apparent that, among other things, there would be no way the slower Gladiators would be able to keep up with the Storm's fleet receivers and running backs.
     Then, the defense took over. It likes to keep its hand in there, as far as setting up touchdowns go.
     Dennis Matthews picked off a Joe Graffenauer pass at the Gladiator 35. A few plays later, Turner threw a 4-yard scoring pass to Jeff Thompson.
     When Racine got the ball back, Joe Clyburn immediately intercepted. The Storm drove 69 yards, getting its touchdown on a 5-yard pass from Turner to Reggie Smith. It was 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.
     The fourth time the Storm had the ball, it scored again. This time, Jackie Reed sprinted 40 yards for a touchdown.
     Reed gained 157 yards, making people forget about the personal duel between Racine's Greg Johnson and Carolina's Emmett Hamilton, the league's top two rushers. For the record, Johnson was an unimpressive winner there, outgaining Hamilton 23 yards to 17.
     After Racine cut it to 28-8 at halftime on a 2-yard scoring pass from Graffenauer to Reggie Johnson, the Storm sat on the ball in the second half.
     Carolina allowed Racine eight offensive plays in the third quarter, not a good number to mount a comeback on.
     In the fourth period, the Storm got its final touchdown on a 38-yard pass from Turner to Smith.
     "Their offense is so overpowering," said Racine tight end Ray Meinsen, who had a good night, catching nine passes for 93 yards. "It demoralized us. It was a cut above all the rest of the teams we've played."
                 
Score by Quarters
Racine       0     8     0     0     -     8
Carolina   21   7 0   7   -   35
                         
Statistics
        RA       CA
First downs   13   31
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 48   ? - 263
Passing yards   152   251
Passing (comp - att - int)   17 - 39 - 4   21 - 39 - 0
Punts - avg   5 - 34   2 - 25
Fumbles - lost   0 - 0   1 - 0
Penalties - yards 7 - 76 13 - 113
         
              
Scoring Summary
CA       Jones 40 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Thompson 4 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Smith 4 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Reed 40 run (Blum kick)
RA   Johnson 2 pass from Graffenauer (White pass from Graffenauer)
CA   Smith 39 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
     
     
     
     
     

Photograph
Carolina: Jackie Reed (25)
 
Photograph
Carolina: Ellsworth Turner (15)
 
Photograph
Carolina: Darrell Jones (??)
 
  American Bowl IV
 
Shreveport Americans logo Shreveport Americans
at
Carolina Storm


August 21, 1982
- Memorial Stadium -
Carolina Storm logo
 
There's no doubt now: It's the Year of the Storm
                 
David Scott - Charlotte Observer        
         
     Memorial Stadium was dressed to kill Saturday night for the American Football Association's championship between the Carolina Storm and Shreveport Americans, a game and league championship claimed by the Storm 46-22.
     CAROLINA and SHREVEPORT were boldly painted in the end zones, the red-white-and-blue AFA logo was at the 50, American flags were around the scoreboard, and a Charlotte franchise-record crowd of 13,798 was in the stands. A fine, competitive game was in the offing.
     Things were indeed special. Then, in a manner typical of the Storm, Carolina stripped the event of all its flashy trappings.
     Getting its usual ton of air yardage from quarterback Ellsworth Turner and bunch of turnovers courtesy the defense, the Storm played a typical game. Which means it won easily.
     In the end. it was another night's work for Carolina (13-0), which got no more of a struggle from the Americans (10-3) than it did from anyone else this season.
     In other words, the 1982 version of the AFA will be remembered as the Year of the Storm And The 17 (or less, depending on how many teams ended up folding) Dwarfs.
     Playing an all-star team from the AFA might be the only way the Storm might lose, and we'll find out about that later. The Storm will
  host the AFA all-stars next Sunday.
     But, that won't count for much. The important game has been played and won. "Everybody was saying take them one at a time," said lineman Lawrence Faulkner. who played both offense and defense much of the season. "But we were always looking for the big one. We finally got it. It was worth it."
     It was also over in the second quarter, which is pretty much how every Storm game went.
     After seeing the Americans tie the game 7-7 midway through the first quarter, Carolina put it away with a 17-point second quarter. Shreveport, which generated more offense than anybody the Storm had seen this season, couldn't get it back.
     Carolina scored on each of its first four possessions, the first coming on a 49-yard pass play from Turner - who threw for 284 yards - to Reggie Smith.
     Then, just for a little while, Shreveport looked like it might make it interesting.
     The Americans answered with a touchdown, ending a 12-play drive with a 10-yard run by Arry Moody.
     After the Storm went back up 14-7 on a 5-yard run by Turner things started going wrong for Shreveport. And the Storm, never one to look away from a few gifts, took advantage.
     The first came on Shreveport's first possession after Turner's touchdown. American quarterback Ken Smith, pressured
  and in trouble at the Shreveport 46, tried to dump the ball to Donnie Sutton. Storm linebacker 1ke Huey stepped in front of Sutton and one-handed the ball, taking the interception to the 9. It took three plays for Turner to pass 1 yard to Smith and a 21-7 lead.
     The next time Shreveport had it, Smith again moved the Americans to within scoring range. At the Carolina 12, Smith threw what looked to be a scoring pass to Reggie Brock. But Shreveport was called for illegal motion, and ultimately had to try a field goal, which was missed from 34 yards by Jerry Pope.
     Carolina, then, ended the half with a 23-yard field goal by John Blum and led 24-7.
     The victory - and league championship - was cemented early in the third quarter, On Carolina's first possession. Turner hit Darrell Jones for an 89-yard touchdown pass. A two-point conversion pass from Steve Brown to Jeff Thompson made it 32-7.
     Then, defensive back Dennis Coit, injured two plays earlier, picked off a Smith pass and went 50 yards for a touchdown, 39-7.
     The teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter, Carolina's coming on a 1-yard run by Emmett Hamilton.
     "We had times when we needed big plays and we got them," said Storm coach Eddie Joyce. "A good team does that."
     And the Storm has proven it's not only good, but it's the best.
                 
Score by Quarters
Shreveport       7     0     7     8     -     22
Carolina   7   17   15   7   -   46
                         
Statistics
        SH       CA
First downs   27   25
Rushing (att - yards)   ? - 62   ? - 189
Passing yards   278   296
Passing (comp - att - int)   23 - 44 - 3   17 - 28 - 0
Punts - avg   0 - 0   2 - 35
Fumbles - lost   1 - 1   2 - 0
Penalties - yards   9 - 50   18 - 154
         
              
Scoring Summary
CA       Smith 49 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
SH   Moody 10 run (Pope kick)
CA   Turner 5 run (Blum kick)
CA   Smith 1 pass from Turner (Blum kick)
CA   Blum 23 field goal
CA   Jones 89 pass from Turner (Thompson pass from Brown)
CA   Coit 50 interception return (Blum kick)
SH   Wells 16 pass from Moseley (Pope kick)
CA   Hamilton 1 run (Blum kick)
SH   Moody 1 run (Wells pass from Moseley)

Photograph 
Carolina: Emmitt Hamilton (45)
 
Photograph
Carolina: Ellsworth Turner (15)
 
Photograph
Carolina: Ed Thomas (72)
Shreveport: Ken Smith (??)
 
 
Advertising 
 
Miscellaneous 
Alabama Magic
 
 MIscellanous
Carolina Storm
 
Miscellaneous
Georgia Pride
 
Miscellaneous
Houston Armadillos
 
Miscellaneous
Houston Armadillos
 
Miscellaneous
Jacksonville Sunbirds
 
Miscellaneous
Jacksonville Sunbirds
 
Miscellaneous
Oklahoma Thunder
 
Miscellaneous
Racine Gladiators
 
Miscellaneous
Racine Gladiators
 
Miscellaneous
Roanoke Valley Express
 
Miscellaneous
Shreveport Americans
 
Miscellaneous
Shreveport Americans
 
Miscellaneous
Texas Wranglers billboard
 
Miscellaneous
Texas Wranglers
 
 
Schedules
 
Schedule Schedule
Austin Texans Charleston Rockets
   
Schedule  
Houston Armadillos  
 
 
Tickets
 
Ticket Ticket
05/15/1982
San Antonio Charros
at
Austin Texans
PRESEASON
06/05/1982
Georgia Pride
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds
   
Ticket Ticket
06/12/1982
San Antonio Charros
at
Austin Texans
06/13/1982
West Florida Sun
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds
   
Ticket Ticket
06/26/1982
Carolina Storm
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds
07/17/1982
West Florida Sun
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds
   
Ticket Ticket
07/17/1982
Alabama Magic
at
Florida Statesmen
07/31/1982
Shreveport Americans
at
San Antonio Bulls
   
Ticket  
08/07/1982
Texas Wranglers
at
Oklahoma Thunder
PLAYOFF GAME
 
 
 
Programs
 
Program Program
1982
Racine Gladiators
The same program was used for all home games

courtesy of Richard Paulk
05/28/1982
Shreveport Americans
at
Oklahoma Thunder
   
Program Program
05/29/1982
West Florida Sun
at
Carolina Storm
05/29/1982
Racine Gladiators
at
Buffalo Geminis
   
Program Program
06/05/1982
Texas Wranglers
at
Houston Armadillos
courtesy of Jeff Creamer
06/12/1982
Texas Wranglers
at
Oklahoma Thunder
   
Program Program
06/13/1982
Georgia Pride
at
Carolina Storm
06/19/1982
Austin Texans
at
Oklahoma Thunder
   
Program program
06/20/1982
Alabama Magic
at
Carolina Storm
06/26/1982
Carolina Storm
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds
   
Program Program
06/26/1982
Georgia Pride
at
Alabama Magic
07/10/1982
Charleston Rockets
at
Canton Bulldogs
   
Program Program
07/10/1982
Florida Statesmen
at
Carolina Storm
07/10/1982
San Antonio Bulls
at
Oklahoma Thunder
   
Program Program
07/17/1982
Alabama Magic
at
Florida Statesmen
courtesy of Richard Paulk
07/24/1982
Carolina Storm
at
Alabama Magic
   
Program Program
07/31/1982
Houston Armadillos
at
Oklahoma Thunder
08/07/1982
Texas Wranglers
at
Oklahoma Thunder
PLAYOFF GAME
   
Program Program
08/15/1982
Racine Gladiators
at
Carolina Chargers
PLAYOFF GAME
08/21/1982
Shreveport Americans
at
Carolina Storm
AMERICAN BOWL VI
 
 
Miscellaneous  
   
1982
American Football Association
All-Stars
OFFENSE
Player   Position    Team
  Ellsworth Turner QB   Carolina Storm
  Greg Johnson RB   Racine Gladiators
  Emmett Hamilton   RB   Carolina Storm
  Wayland Gay WR   Austin Texans
  Vernon Wells WR   Shreveport Steamer  
  Tony Armstrong TE   San Antonio Bulls
  Darius Helton OT   Carolina Storm
  Lorenzo Lilly OT   Georgia Pride
  John Jewell OG   Canton Bulldogs
  Al Lester OG   Carolina Storm
  Russ Compton C   Texas Wranglers
  Brian Bailey P   Austin Texans
  Alan Woodard K   Oklahoma Thunder
  Keith Nelms R/S   San Antonio Bulls
DEFENSE
  Ed Thomas DE   Carolina Storm
  Tim Parks DE   Georgia Pride
  Ken Tillman DT   Carolina Storm
  Harrell Oliver DT   Florida Statesmen
  Jimbo Elrod LB   Oklahoma Thunder
  Gregg Wright LB   Carolina Storm
  Charles Wood LB   Alabama Magic
  Tim King DB   Carolina Storm
  Dennis Matthews DB   Carolina Storm
  Bill Armstrong DB   Canton Bulldogs
  James Drake DB   Alabama Magic
 
   
Miscellaneous  
American Football Association
Newsletter
04/1982
courtesy of Jeff Creamer
 
   
Newsletter   
American Football Association
Newsletter

09/1982
 
 
Miscellaneous
Jacksonville Sunbirds
Business card
 
Photograph
Oklahoma Thunder
Jacket
 
Miscellaneous
Oklahoma Thunder
Child's t-shirt
   
Pennant
Racine Gladiators
Pennant
 
Miscellaneous
Racine Gladiators
Keychain
 
Miscellaneous
Shreveport Americans
Pennant
 
Photograph
Canton Bulldogs
Cheerleaders
 
Miscellaneous
Oklahoma Thunderettes
 
 
Contact Gene Crowley
Last update: August 28, 2026