1950 Season Preview

League Update:
Toronto Tigers:
Following the award ceremony, the league committee discussed possibilities for the league moving forward. The hot topic was, of course, the Toronto Tigers and their very rough first season in the NAAF. While there were many ideas the top options are either contraction and sticking with six teams moving forward or possible relocation of the Tigers to a different market. Ryan Jameson and several owners (mainly Ottawa and Buffalo) want to be able to keep the team afloat and in the league. The conclusion for this offseason was to assist the Tigers financially this season and hope that things will improve and be open for more ideas to keep the Tigers in the NAAF. 
Worchester Athletics:
Another topic was some possible interest from other clubs wanting to join the NAAF. While most interest is very preliminary and more just ideas the serious consideration comes from a former NEFC club in the Worchester Athletics who did not return to the professional level after the war but maintained a small amateur team in a regional league. After seeing the success the football club is interested in returning to professional football and rejoin their former league-mates in the NAAF. The discussion will continue throughout the offseason and 1950 season with hopes to bring the Athletics to the NAAF within the next few seasons. 

1950 Season Schedule:
The upcoming schedule was also released with some changes from last year's format.
 - Weeks 5 and 6 will have only 2 games instead of a single game week
 - The determining factor for the teams that would face multiple times was based on 1949's standings
1 v 3 v 5 v 7 v 2 v 4 v 6 v 1 Alternating between positions to decide who plays who twice. 
 - The season will kick off with a McCallister Cup rematch in Boston between the Independents and Gold Stars

1950 Offseason Headlines

QB ANGELO MEDINA LOOKS TO JOIN THE NAAF
Young 25-year-old QB Angelo Medina decided to leave the Pennsylvania Football Association’s Pittsburgh team to pursue an opportunity to compete in the NAAF. The declining health of the PFA is affecting all the teams financially, so Medina felt that it might be smart to make the jump to the successful and promising NAAF. Medina was quickly a target of the Toronto Tigers after veteran starter Ellis Sears was leaving and they had no real confidence in the younger Michael Kramer. Surprisingly, but also not, two other teams were also showing interest in Medina. Buffalo had decided to gamble and not resign QB Evan Morrow and opt to hold onto backup Andrew Glover, so they could target Medina. Hartford also put their name in the hat even after signing their long time starter Oliver Callahan to 2 more years. After weighing the deals Medina decided the best place for him was in Buffalo and signed a four year deal with the Blue Wings. The teams that lost out on Medina, scrambled for the other QB’s available. The Tigers added Evan Morrow and the Hawks picked up Ellis Sears to back up Callahan. 

ELLIS LOVE MOVES ON FROM PROVIDENCE
Ellis Love had a solid 1949 season after the Gold Stars RB Gene Fischer had gone down with an injury for most of the season. Love performed well in Fischer’s absence even collecting a Player of the Week Honour. When Fischer returned it was obvious the Gold Stars favoured the younger Fischer over Love. They still ran a 2 RB system for their playoff run but Love wanted the starting role. Two teams showed major interest. The two, of course, being the losers of the Medina sweepstakes, Toronto and Hartford. Both teams had no run game in 1949 and were desperate to add a solid back like Love. In the end, Love was easily persuaded to stick closer to home and play for the Hawks who will now have more weapons at Oliver Callahan’s disposal.  

1950 Power Rankings and Season Preview 

1 - Boston Independents
The defending champions come into the second season as heavy favourites again. The Independents were able to maintain most of the team that won it last year while also adding to the roster with a former Philadelphia DB Francis Veillette. Larry Larson and Joel Bonner lead the way once again and are expected to do better than they had last year with many people predicting an undefeated run by the Boston Club 

Biggest Adds:
DB Francis Veillette (Philadelphia PFA)
OL John Richards (Springfield - Amateur)
OL Kwanzaa Graves (Syracuse - NYFL) 

2 - Providence Gold Stars
The Gold Stars were quite underrated last year but had proved everyone wrong with the upset in the semi-finals to compete for the championship. While they still have yet to beat the Independents since their return to playing each other, they may have a shot with the roster they have. Providence was just as good or better than Boston at keeping most of their players and added depth pieces to help the team that is growing a lot after the first season. Even with the loss of backup RB Ellis Love the Gold Stars added RB Ruben Armstrong who shows some potential as a solid power back. Overall, many of their young players are getting better this season and could make the Gold Stars a contender for a while. 

Biggest Adds:
RB Ruben Armstrong (Brooklyn - NYFL)
LB Lewis Whitfield (HAR)
DL Tykeim Moss (Pittsburgh - PFA)

3 - Montreal Rouge
The Rouge had what would be an okay off-season as they do keep their defence locked in, however, they were unable to add in places of need. The downfall of the Rouge last season was their air attack as Maurice Norris didn’t have a lot of options at through the air and is not a prolific passer himself. While some wanted to see the Rouge target Angelo Medina, they decided to stick with Norris and Beliveau at QB. They were in the hunt for WR Willard Brooks who came from Baltimore but ultimately lost out to the Royals for the deep threat receiver. Those losses will not be the end of the Rouge as they still remain a top squad but will want to avoid embarrassment and disappointment when games become more important. 

Biggest Adds:
DL Zakary Turbide (McGill University)
OL Eugésippe Chalifoux (Laval)
OL Claude Montgomery (Sherbrooke - LFQ) 

4 - Ottawa Royals
The Royals had a big issue to deal with in the offseason and that was defence. Unfortunately, they fell short on DB Francis Veillette who went to Boston but were able to add two young DB’s in Timothy Key and Uzzia Hayes. The two corners may not be super impactful initially but they have the potential to break loose in a year or two and give the Royals a deadly secondary. They also were able to snag WR Willard Brooks away from the Rouge to add to the passing attack alongside WR Allen Adkins.  Duane Logan will be more determined this season to be more consistent and keep up with the three juggernauts ahead of them. 

Biggest Adds:
WR Willard Brooks (Baltimore - APFA)
DB Timothy Key (Rochester - NYFL)
DB Uzzia Hayes (U of Ottawa) 

5 - Buffalo Blue Wings
The Blue Wings had probably the most exciting off-season with the addition of QB Angelo Medina. Medina is only 25 and still has some room to grow into one of the top QB’s in the NAAF being the perfect franchise quarterback on a team oozing of potential. They made improvements in the air attack with the addition of former Royals #2 reciever Kenneth Mullen who is going onto his last legs of his career but alongside Travis Gallagher and Joseph Barry they Blue Wings could be flying up the field. Medina will also have Arthur Conner in the backfield to help out. The Blue Wings also improved on defence and could make a name for themselves behind the play of Oscar Patterson in the secondary and Jonathan Brown on the D-line. Buffalo will be an exciting team to watch this season and the near future. 

Biggest Adds:
QB Angelo Medina (Pittsburgh - PFA)
WR Kenneth Mullen (OTT)
DL Jefferson Maynard (MTL) 

6 - Hartford Hawks
The Hawks were somewhat aggressive during the off-season, being in the conversation on most top free agents. They were able to grab up Ellis Love to give Callahan a run game but they fell short on a lot of players as well. They did snag LB Landon Ashley from Boston which will add a veteran presence to the middle of the defence. They also acquire WR Jay Baxter from Providence to add depth at the wideout position. Hartford still is a ways away from being a championship contender but they have made some improvements that will hopefully turn into an extra win or two.

Biggest Adds:
RB Ellis Love (PRO)
LB Landon Ashley (BOS)
WR Jay Baxter (PRO)

7 - Toronto Tigers
The lowly Tigers had a quietly good offseason. They never made any big splashes but the team was able to still acquire players that will hopefully stabilize a very dysfunctional team from the horrid 1949 season. QB Evan Morrow is the new go-to guy and the Tigers are just hoping for more of the same from his time with the Blue Wings. Morrow played pretty well but he is definitely not the long term answer. Missing out on Medina and Love was still hard for the Tigers but they recovered well picking up young RB Laurent Brazeau who has the potential to become a regular back in the NAAF. Another area that the Tigers look good in is their secondary which is young (aside from 1949 all-star Clifford Jacobson) but could be the centerpiece of the Tigers developing defence. The Tigers may still end the season winless, but there is renewed hope that the team will at least show some fight this year and that is all fans could ask for.  

Biggest Adds:
QB Evan Morrow (BUF)
RB Laurent Brazeau (Quebec City - LFQ)
WR Wlibert Benjamin (U of Toronto) 

WEEK 1 Games
PRO @ BOS *McCallister Cup Rematch
OTT @ HAR
MTL @ TOR

1949 Season

Ottawa Royals - 17, Boston Independents - 20 

The opening game was an interesting one. There was both excitement and worry in the air as the new rules were being put to the test of the general public for the first time. The first quarter started slow for the Independents. On their first drive, they got a first down but were stopped short on a 2nd & 5 just two plays later. Ottawa was a little more loose and capitalized on Boston’s early struggles defensively and drove the field. QB Duane Logan eventually hit WR Allen Atkins for a 22-yard touchdown pass to score the first points in league history taking a 7-0 lead. The remainder of the 1st was a lot slower as Boston tightened their defences and shut Ottawa down but still had QB Larry Larson getting warmed up. With the final drive of the first Boston would get close enough to put 3 points on the board off of their trusty K Arthur Wall.

​The second quarter was all Boston. After a Royals 2 and out, Boston drove the field forcing the ball on the ground with star RB Joel Bonner. Bonner would take the rock all the way to paydirt on a 3-yard rush to put Boston up 7-10. With about 6 minutes left in the half, Ottawa was pinned deep. Boston started to pressure Duane Logan a bit more and it paid off. Logan attempted to get the ball to Atkins but was intercepted by DB Lester Murphy. Boston would capitalize with Joel Bonner’s 2nd TD. 7-17 Halftime.

To start the 3rd, Duane Logan started slinging the ball with more accuracy than before and managed to lead Ottawa down the field going 4 for 4 on pass attempts. This set up an Ottawa FG to pull it back to within 1 score. Boston was a little flat out of the gate for the second half and ultimately could only muster a FG early in the fourth. Ottawa was doing everything they could to try and get back into the game. Unfortunately, a second interception thrown by Logan stifled a long drive deep into Boston territory. They would recover and score on the ensuing drive on a 7-yard pass to Kenneth Mullen to make it 17-20. Boston would try to run the clock down as much as possible but we're a little less thoughtful of the shorter clock and less downs and had to give the ball back. The Royals stepped on the field one last time to try and at least tie the game. Logan started the drive with two quick completions for a first down. On the first play of the new set of downs, they tried a screen-play with RB Ray Middleton that only got 3 yards. On second, Logan took a shot down-field looking for Atkins but the pass was broken up by S Michael O’Brian. On 3rd and 7, game on the line, Logan tried to throw the ball over the middle to Kenneth Mullen. While Mullen had the ball in his hands and enough for a first down, LB Carlos Bennet decided to change that fact and collided with Mullen knocking the ball out of his hands and onto the ground to seal the victory for the Independents.  

Following the game, Ryan Jameson blew a sigh of relief over the successful game giving the quote: “I was a little nervous at first but that was the perfect start to the NAAF! I couldn't be happier.” 

Even Former NEFC commissioner John McCallister had something to say: “While I had my doubts at first, I will say, that was some of the best football I have ever seen. My son made the right call for the NEFC. I am proud and excited to watch this league and my son grow.”

(For most games I will just make some points about the game and leave the long descriptions for the important or special occasion games) 

Montreal Rouge - 45, Toronto Tigers - 0 

 - Élisée Marchal was the top star in this game scoring 4 of Montreal’s 6TDs

 - The Rouge allowed only 2 first downs all game

 - Ellis Sears (TOR) was sacked 7 times before being pulled for backup youngster Michael Kramer, who threw 2 INT in the 4th

 - Toronto also lost starting RB Curtis Hoffman to an ankle and chest injury and will miss the next couple

weeks 

Providence Gold Stars - 20, Buffalo Blue Wings - 8 

 - Great start for Providence as QB Bruce Woodard threw 1 TD with no turnovers

 - TE Marion Warren was the only TE to score a TD this week

 - Buffalo became the first team to score a single on a missed field goal late in the first half which ended 13-1

​ - RB Arthur Conner got the TD for Buffalo as they got some groove in the second half, just too little too late.  

Standings:

Montreal 1-0

Providence 1-0

Boston 1-0

Hartford 0-0

Ottawa 0-1

Buffalo 0-1

Toronto 0-1

Power Rankings:

Boston

Montreal

Providence

Ottawa

Buffalo

Hartford

Toronto

Player of the Week: 

RB Élisée Marchal 4 Touchdowns, 206 Rushing Yards

Boston Independents - 29, Hartford Hawks - 9 
 - QB Larry Larson (BOS) was very good throwing 2 touchdowns with no turnovers
 - RB Joel Bonner (BOS) added to his 2 TD’s in week 1 with 3 more in week 2
 - Hartford was very much still adjusting to the new rules of the game and had a slow start but managed field goals late
 - QB Oliver Callahan (HAR) threw 2 Interceptions including one on his first throw
 - DB Lester Murphy for Boston had his second pickoff of that throw

Ottawa Royals - 23, Montreal Rouge - 24 
 - QB Duane Logan (OTT) was great, throwing for 2 TDs again with only 1 Interception
 - Montreal’s defence struggled against the heavy pass attack from Ottawa but had held the Royals to field goals late which was key in the win
 - RB Élisée Marchal was the star of the offence once again scoring twice more including a 63-yard rushing TD.
 - However, it came down to QB Maurice Norris (MTL) needing to make a play for the win. On one attempt down 20-17, Morris threw his first interception of the season which lead to an Ottawa score, but he had another chance. After Marchal took them down the field, Norris had to throw on 3rd and Goal. Since Ottawa expected the run to Marchal they sent a blitz which Norris threw right over into WR Richard de la Fontaine's hands for the game-winning touchdown. 

Toronto Tigers - 3, Buffalo Blue Wings - 19 
 - QB Evan Morrow (BUF) played a lot better in week two passing for a touchdown to WR Travis Gallager.
 - Toronto looked a bit better in this game but the lack of run game didn’t help the unreliable arm of QB Ellis Sears.
 - The game felt a lot more like home for Buffalo as many of their fans went up to Toronto to watch the game. This is expected to be the biggest crowd in Toronto all season. 

Standings:
Montreal 2-0
Boston 2-0
Providence 1-0
Buffalo 1-1
Ottawa 0-2
Hartford 0-1
Toronto 0-2

Power Rankings:
Boston - 
Montreal -
Ottawa +1
Providence -1
Buffalo - 
Hartford - 
Toronto - 

*Ottawa moves up because they have lost to the top two teams by less than 3 points

Player of the week:

RB Joel Bonner (BOS) 3 touchdowns, 127 Rushing Yards

Boston Independents - 14, Providence Gold Stars - 10 
 - The rivalry showdown was very slow to start before teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter
 - Casualties on the field as K Arthur Wall of Boston was knocked down at the knee after a field goal attempt by Providence DL Marc Ferrell, and Providence lost RB Gene Fischer to an ankle injury on an awkward hit on a run sidelining him for 4 weeks.
 - Back-up RB Ellis Love took the field and scored the Gold Stars lone TD.
 - QB Larry Larson (BOS) had another passing TD claiming this week’s player of the week honour.
 - RB Joel Bonner (BOS) tied the league lead for TD’s with his 6th of the season. 

Standings:
Boston 3-0
Montreal 2-0
Providence 1-1
Buffalo 1-1
Hartford 0-1
Ottawa 0-2
Toronto 0-2

Power Rankings
Boston -
Montreal - 
Providence +1
Ottawa -1
Buffalo - 
Hartford - 
Toronto - 

Player of the Week

QB Larry Larson BOS - 1 Passing Touchdown, 128 Passing Yards

Buffalo Blue Wings - 24, Toronto Tigers - 4
RB Arthur Conner (BUF) was the best player for Buffalo scoring two touchdowns and 109 yards on the ground
 - Buffalo’s defence was a major factor forcing 3 turnovers including a fumble returned for a touchdown by DL John Prince
 - Toronto had nothing going their way. Even when they had an excellent play with QB Sears running for his life and finding a receiver for a 14 yard gain, they fumbled and Buffalo scored a touchdown just one play later.Players are quickly becoming frustrated in Toronto. The team is struggling in every part of the game and team owner Garry Durran is going to go to Ryan Jameson and the owners of the league to see if they can help.

Hartford Hawks - 16, Ottawa Royals - 31
 - QB Duane Logan throws two more touchdowns and puts himself into the player of the week conversation
 - RB Ray Middleton (OTT) finally shines and score two TDs on the ground
 - Hartford’s lack of run game is affecting their ability to get deep into enemy territory and finish drives
 - They did, however, score a touchdown on their first drive on a 9-yard pass to WR John Rivera from QB Oliver Callahan 

Montreal Rouge - 27, Providence Gold Stars - 13
 - RB Marchal becomes unstoppable and scores 3 touchdowns, including the league’s first punt return touchdown
 - Providence struggles with the Rouge defence with early turnovers but take a lead in the 2nd quarter, but are then stopped for the remainder of the game
 - RB Ellis Love (PRO) replaced the young star RB Gene Fischer this week and scored a touchdown and helped the Gold Stars move the ball, they are expecting him to become a weapon against weaker defences 

Standings:
Montreal 3-0
Boston 3-0
Buffalo 2-1
Ottawa 1-2
Providence 1-2
Hartford 0-2
Toronto 0-3

Power Rankings
Montreal +1
Boston -1
Ottawa +1
Providence -1
Buffalo -
Hartford - 
Toronto - 

Player of the Week

RB Élisée Marchal MTL, 2 Rushing Touchdowns, 1 Punt Return Touchdown, 132 Rushing Yards

Providence Gold Stars - 31, Toronto - 7
 - RB Ellis Love (PRO) continued to play great in the absence of starter Gene Fischer and scored 3 touchdowns in the Gold Stars win
 - Backup QB Adrian Little also got some reps for Providence late leading the team to a field goal
 - Young Providence DB Lee Wolfe took over the game with 5 tackles, 3 knockdowns, and 2 interceptions
 - QB Ellis Sears split snaps with backup QB Michael Kramer for most of the game
 - Sears did throw the Tigers first touchdown of the season to WR Clifford Chapman

Montreal Rouge - 13, Boston Independents - 10
 *Possible championship preview*
 - Defensive showdown with the first half ending 6-0 Montreal.Both teams slowed down the opposing team’s star RB
 - The Rouge managed to cause 2 turnovers on the Independents who had none coming into the game
 - RB Marchal still scored the lone touchdown for Montreal on an 8-yard scramble to take back the lead and win the game 

Hartford Hawks - 21, Buffalo Blue Wings - 19
 - Star DB Oscar Patterson (BUF) gets his 3rd interception of the season (previous 2 against Toronto)
 - RB Arthur Conner had both Blue Wing touchdowns for another solid week
 - WR John Rivera scored the first Hartford TD off a pass from QB Callahan
 - On Buffalo's second touchdown, they attempted the league's first 2-point try and missed on an incomplete pass from QB Evan Morrow looking for WR Joseph Barry
 - The game came down to a field goal attempt from Hartford K Thomas McFadden down 18-19. McFadden would knock home the 38-yard attempt to claim Hartford’s first win of the season 

Standings
Montreal 4-0
Boston 3-1
Buffalo 2-2
Providence 2-2
Ottawa 1-2
Hartford 1-2
Toronto 0-4

Power Rankings
Montreal - 
Boston - 
Ottawa - 
Providence - 
Hartford +1
Buffalo -1
Toronto - 

Player of the week

DB Lee Wolfe PRO - 5 Tackles, 3 Knockdowns, 2 Interceptions

Ottawa Royals - 17, Providence Gold Stars - 27
 - Providence finally gains some major respect with an upset on the road in Ottawa
 - Huge win that could be a playoff factor at the end of the season
 - DB Lee Wolfe (PRO) continued his hot streak with another interception
 - RB Ellis Love (PRO) continues to build a possible running back controversy scoring another 2 touchdowns
 - QB Bruce Woodard (PRO) found the endzone with WR Eugene Burns for his second passing TD
 - QB Duane Logan (OTT) only had 1 touchdown pass in the game after throw 2 in each of his last three
 - Royals fans are becoming a bit worried now that their team is 1-3 heading into the second half of their season 

Buffalo Blue Wings - 16, Hartford Hawks - 9
 - The Blue Wings came out strong in this game going up 9-3 at halftime before WR Travis Gallagher made it 16-3
 - DB Oscar Patterson also came up with another pick this week and the defense forced 1 other turnover as well
 - K Thomas McFadden (HAR) continues to be the top kicker so far this season after hitting 3 more field goals to bring his total up to 11 which leads the league. 

Toronto Tigers - 1, Boston Independents - 37
 - This was ugly.
 - Boston had a 14-0 lead at 11:48 left in the 1st Quarter off of an RB Joel Bonner TD and a WR Samuel Floyd 40-yard TD catch following an interception thrown by Tiger back up QB Michael Kramer
 - QB Kramer (TOR) had his first start today but was pulled after the first having no completions on 5 attempts, an interception, and sacked 2 times
 - QB Ellis Sears replaced him with little success himself though he got them to Boston territory which resulted in a punt that the Independents surrendered in the endzone for the single
 - It isn’t necessarily either QB’s fault as Boston’s D-line is right along the Rouge for best in the league and the Tigers have no weapons and a swiss cheese O-line. Boston’s backups also got some action and QB Jordan Boyle threw a touchdown to WR Samuel Floyd to make it 37-1
**Toronto is officially eliminated from playoff contention** 

Standings:
Montreal 4-0
Boston 4-1
Providence 3-2
Buffalo 3-2
Ottawa 1-3
Hartford 1-3
Toronto 0-5 - e

Power Rankings:
Montreal -
Boston - 
Providence +1
Ottawa -1
Buffalo +1
Hartford -1
Toronto - 

Player of the Week

RB Ellis Love PRO - 2 Touchdowns, 97 Rushing Yards

Providence Gold Stars - 16, Boston Independents - 25
 - Gold Stars wear whites at home to force Boston out of their regular white jerseys and use their dark greens for the first time (this was an attempt to take a jab at Boston by the owner)
 - RB Ellis Love (PRO) had his first game without a score and was completely shut down by the Boston D-line
 - QB Bruce Woodard (PRO) stepped up though throwing a touchdown to WR Eugene Burns and keeping the Gold Stars fighting down to the end
 -QB Larry Larson (BOS) was the star of the show however as he threw 2 touchdowns on the day, connecting with WRs Samuel Floyd and Dewey Doyle
 - WR Samuel Floyd continued to show his speed and scored a 67-yard TD after PRO DB Ollie Guy got discombobulated and injured his ankle trying to turn after him and no one else could catch him
**Boston becomes the first team to seal a playoff spot in the NAAF** 

Buffalo Blue Wings - 10, Ottawa Royals - 28
 - Buffalo is playing for a playoff spot and Ottawa is playing to stave off elimination
 - The Blue Wings were competitive early scoring on their second drive to go up 3-0 and then took back the lead on an RB Arthur Conner TD 10-7
 - It was Ottawa’s day though and more specifically the Logan and Atkins' show
 - After throwing an early pick to DB Oscar Patterson (BUF), QB Duane Logan went off throwing 4 touchdowns, three of which were picked up by WR Allen Atkins and the other to TE Dennis Hawkins
 - WR Allen Atkins was fighting for the game and had made a daring 35-yard TD reception breaking 3 tackles en route
 - The Royals defense also came up huge and shut the Blue Wings down after the first half and caused 3 turnovers all-day
 - S Victor Webb took had his first pick of the year on a deep ball that was completely overthrown 

Hartford Hawks - 13, Montreal Rouge - 30
 - Another game, another 3 touchdowns for RB Élisée Marchal (MTL) as he starts to make it pretty hard to argue against him being the regular-season MVP
 - Hartford did have a good first Drive with QB Oliver Callahan finding WR John Rivera in the endzone, but the wideout had to leave the game after taking a rough hit on the touchdown catch, lucky Rivera will not miss the next game

Standings:
Montreal 5-0
Boston 5-1 - x
Providence 3-3
Buffalo 3-3
Ottawa 2-3
Hartford 1-4
Toronto - 0-5 - e

*x = Clinch playoff spot
*e = Eliminated from playoff contention
**Montreal has not clinched a playoff spot because they play the Royals one more time and could possibly still finish below the Royals**

Power Rankings:
Montreal - 
Boston - 
Providence - 
Ottawa -
Buffalo - 
Hartford -
Toronto - 

Player of the Week

QB Duane Logan OTT - 4 Touchdown Passes, 314 Passing Yards, 1 Interception

Providence Gold Stars - 24, Hartford Hawks - 20
 - Hartford was playing to stay alive while Providence wanted a shot at a playoff spot
 - QB Bruce Woodard (PRO) started off hot getting the ball into the endzone twice in the first half one to WR Eugene Burns and another on a handoff to RB Ellis Love, he would add a second TD pass finding WR Peter Brooks
 - Hartford played their hearts out getting a huge touchdown in the first which they followed it up with an interception from DB Michael Connor who almost took it back for six but fell short. That play set up the Hawks second TD to WR Stephan Kovach
 - The Hawks drove the field near the end of the game after falling behind 24-20 and came up just short as QB Oliver Callahan’s pass to Burns was intercepted DB Lee Wolfe at the 5-yard line to seal it for the Gold Stars
**Hartford is officially eliminated from the playoffs**

Boston Independents - 25, Montreal Rouge - 19
 - This game started slow with the first quarter ending 1-0 Boston after replacement K Charles Jefferson missed a field goal
 - However, Boston would go on to add two back-to-back TD’s from WR Ethan Walters and RB Joel Bonner
 - The Rouge was shocked being down 15-0 and could only get a field goal in the first half 15-3
 - After another Rouge field goal, QB Larry Larson got the ball downfield again finding WR Walters on a 22-yard pass and RB Joel Bonner would punch it in again to go up 22-6
 - QB Maurice Norris (MTL) was having a rough day under center, throwing 2 interceptions in the first half and having a hard time moving the ball in the second
 - RB  Élisée Marchal (MTL) also was being contained well by the Independents but he finally broke free in the third to pull Montreal back into the game but a missed 2-point try leaves them down 10; 22-12.
 - Boston would remain conservative as they just need to keep the score at a greater distance than Montreal had in order to hold the tiebreaker, however, even when handing the ball off to RB Bonner the Rouge were able to come up huge with a forced fumble that was returned to the endzone by LB Quinton Brewer.
 - Boston wanted the tiebreaker so they went back to aggressive and they got to the 34-yard line of Montreal and had a chance at the field goal, unfortunately, they had K Charles Jefferson who had missed both FG attempts in the game, but he drilled the 40-yard kick to give Boston the win and the tiebreaker. 

Toronto Tigers - 6, Ottawa Royals - 24
 - Ottawa was merely just looking to win the game and in sportsmanship after scoring their 3rd touchdown, they decided to run the clock down instead of running up the score out of respect for the struggling Tigers and fellow former OFU counterparts. Owner Rudolph Wilson, who has a good relationship with Tigers owner Gary Duran, instructed coach Otis Ward to do so and the team was completely okay with it
 - QB Duane Logan (OTT) still had another 2 touchdown passes finding WR Allen Atkins on a 45-yard bomb to the endzone and prospect WR John Osborn for the second
 - QB Ellis Sears (TOR) has shown his frustration with the team’s play and is not likely to return under center for the Tigers next season, however, he had one of his best games leading the Tigers down the field to score two field goals 

LEAGUE ANNOUNCEMENT
The Owners had come together to meet a couple of weeks ago discussing the Toronto Tigers situation as well as how the first season of the NAAF had been. League commissioner released a statement that talked about how the league had been able to compete with other league and even grow in attendance with each game especially in Providence, Hartford, and Ottawa which had some weaker fan bases compared to Montreal, Boston, and Buffalo. Unfortunately, Toronto was at the bottom of the barrel and the league would be discussing the process for which the rest of the league owners would help or possibly the next move for the team moving forward. 

Standings:
Boston 6-1 - x
Montreal 5-1 - x
Providence 4-3
Ottawa 3-3
Buffalo 3-3
Hartford 1-5 - e
Toronto 0-6 - e

Power Rankings:
Boston +1
Montreal -1
Providence -
Ottawa -
Buffalo -
Hartford - 
Toronto - 

Player of the Week

DL Jon Lewis BOS - 8 tackles, 4 for loss, 1 Sack (Played a large part in containing RB Marchel against Montreal)

Montreal Rouge - 20, Ottawa Royals - 23
 - The first major upset in the league so far
 - Montreal got off to a great start in this one going up 10-3 early in the first half off of RB Élisée Marchal’s 15th touchdown of the season
 - Ottawa would tie it up after that on a WR Kenneth Mullen TD
 - Before the half Montreal padded their lead with a field goal which was followed up by a 45-yard Marchal touchdown: 20-10 MTL Halftime
 - The tide started to change as Ottawa scored a field goal to make it a 7-point game again, but on a pass attempt for Montreal in the third QB Maurice Norris was hit on the hand. Norris struggled to hold a ball comfortably and had to leave the game thrusting green QB Théophile Béliveau into the game.
 - For the rest of the third Montreal just ran the ball and Ottawa would play to stop them knowing that the Rouge would avoid throwing.
 - QB Duane Logan would then lead Ottawa on a march to the endzone, capping the drive off with a touchdown pass to WR Allen AtkinsWith the game tied and the run game being stopped, Montreal was forced to throw, and it did not end well.
 - Béliveau ended up throwing an interception on his 3rd attempt which put Ottawa in prime field position, and although the Rouge defence would force the 2 and out, Ottawa was in field goal range and took the lead 20-23
 - Béliveau was unable to get Montreal downfield completing a few shorter passes but had trouble getting it deep.
 - Ottawa pulled off the upset and after their 3rd straight win are headed to the playoffs(This is the start of a rivalry right here)
**Ottawa clinch playoff spot if Buffalo loses the next day **Boston clinches first place in the league 

Boston Independents - 26, Buffalo Blue Wings - 17
 - Must win for Buffalo to stay alive
 - Boston played their starters for the first half and got out to a big lead off of a RB Joel Bonner touchdown and a touchdown to WR Samuel Floyd
 - QB Jordan Boyle (BOS) played the second half and fair alright getting the Independents into field goal range
 - He did throw an interception which DB Oscar Patterson (BUF) took back to the house on an unreal run to pull Buffalo back into the game, however, the Buffalo offence could not move the ball and fell well short of the win on the road
**Providence clinches playoff spot **Ottawa officially clinches playoff spot **Buffalo is eliminated from the playoffs 

Toronto Tigers - 10, Hartford Hawks - 26
 - Toronto had in this game their first lead of the season up 3-0 (and even 10-7), and the first game with at least 10 points
 - QB Ellis Sears (TOR) played his best game today with no turnovers and a touchdown pass to WR Clifford Chapman, unfortunately, he had to leave the game early with a lower-body injury and Michael Kramer took over with little success
 - DB Clifford Jacobson (TOR) also had an interception and his best game of the season
 - QB Oliver Callahan (HAR) had a mediocre day with just 1 touchdown and an interception but only completed 56% of his passes, WR John Rivera was the TD scorer
 - RB Randolph Grant (HAR) who has had a rough year scored as well
 - K Thomas McFadden had the best day of the season with 4 field goals 

Standings:
Boston 7-1 - y
Montreal 5-2 - x
Providence 4-3 - x
Ottawa 4-3 - x
Buffalo 3-4
Hartford 2-5
Toronto 0-7

*x = clinch playoff spot
*y = clinch 1st place

Power Rankings:
Boston -
Ottawa +2
Montreal -1
Providence -1
Buffalo -
Hartford -
Toronto - 

Player of the Week

WR Allen Atkins OTT - 1 Receiving Touchdown, 134 Receiving yards, 9 receptions

Buffalo Blue Wings - 13, Montreal Rouge - 31
 - Huge bounce-back game for Montreal
 - RB Élisée Marchal had his second 4 touchdown day of the season
 - QB Théophile Béliveau (MTL) was able to throw the ball a little more (considering he will be the starter in the semi-finals with Maurice Norris still injured)
 - Buffalo started 26-year old QB Andrew Glover for the first time giving him an opportunity to play, and he was able to throw his first touchdown pass finding WR Joseph Barry in the endzone
**Montreal claims home-field advantage in the semi-finals 

Ottawa Royals - 25, Toronto Tigers - 8
 - QB Duane Logan threw for a single touchdown to WR Allen Atkins, and lead the Royals to a 15-0 lead before being rested for promising back-up rookie QB Jean Matieau
 - Matieau played very well and got the ball to the endzone on his second drive finding WR John Hall
 - QB Ellis Sears returned after leaving last week and while splitting snaps again lead Toronto to their only TD drive and scored a 2-point convert as well
 - Toronto enters the offseason with expectations of having the biggest overhaul of any team in the league 

Hartford Hawks - 14, Providence Gold Stars - 20
 - Providence decided not to rest starters this week and gave RB Gene Fischer a chance to get back to playing since missing most of the season with an injury
 - Fischer would score a touchdown in the game alongside teammate WR Eugene Burns
 - Hartford had their moments while K Thomas McFadden has been one of the best he missed only  his second field goal of the season in this game on a 47-yard attempt
  - RB Randolph Grant (HAR) got into the endzone for the Hawks today as well

Standings:
Boston 7-1 - y
Montreal 6-2 - x
Providence 5-3 - x
Ottawa 5-3 - x
Buffalo 3-5
Hartford 2-6
Toronto 0-8

Power Rankings:
Boston -
Ottawa -
Montreal -
Providence -
Buffalo -
Hartford -
Toronto -

Player of the Week

RB Élisée Marchal MTL - 4 Rushing Touchdowns, 198 Rushing Yards

Playoff Preview

Ottawa Royals @ Boston Independents - Richardson Stadium, September 24th, 1949 
 - A rematch of the league's first game comes in the league's first playoff game.
 - This time the battle will be taking place in Boston where the Independents remain unbeaten.
 - Boston won the season opener 20-17.
 - Both teams enter the game on a four-game win streak and are considered the two hottest teams right now
 - Expect an offensive shootout in this one as both teams carry the most dynamic offences in the league

Providence Gold Stars @ Montreal Rouge - Mount Royal Stadium - September 25th, 1949
 - First meeting Montreal won 27-13 over Providence at this very stadium
 - Montreal will be without starting QB Maurice Norris and will have to start QB Théophile Béliveau
 - Montreal comes into the game having lost 2 of their last 3
 - Providence is coming off back to back wins against Hartford
 - Expect Montreal to stick to RB Marchel with QB Béliveau under center and Providence will likely focus on slowing him down alongside using likely both of their own running backs to try and break through the Montreal D-line

1949 Semi-Finals

Ottawa Royals @ Boston Independents - Richardson Stadium, September 24th, 1949
1st Q:
Boston came out with power, running the ball down Ottawa’s throat and then passing the ball over top every few plays. The opening drive ended with a Boston field goal off of K Arthur Wall. Ottawa started the game slow and had difficulty moving the ball, however, their defence was able to contain Boston for most of the opening quarter
3-0 Boston
2nd Q:
A late 1st quarter drive by the Independents came to an end at the start of the 2nd with the first touchdown of the game. RB Joel Bonner (BOS) carried a couple of Ottawa linebackers as he powered his way into the endzone on a 5-yard run. Boston would then add a field goal off of a QB Duane Logan (OTT) interception around 6 minutes before the half. The Royals were looking for any offence after they had fallen behind 13-0. They found a bit after Logan connected with WR Allen Atkins for a 25-yard gain that set them up for a field goal just before the half.
13-3 Boston
3rd Q:
Ottawa took the momentum they gained at the end of the 1st half and came out strong with a couple of good drives. While their first drive ended with a punt, the second drive of the half would end in an WR Allen Atkins touchdown in the back of the endzone. Ottawa was finding their way back, but as they did Boston also turned it up. They countered the Royals score with a touchdown of their own on a slant pass to WR Samuel Floyd who outran the Royal linebackers and into the endzone to give Boston the 10-point lead
20-10 Boston
4th Q:
Ottawa was not ready to give up as they were in a similar situation a couple of weeks ago against Montreal and had come out victorious. Duane Logan started the 4th by getting the team down the field completing 5 of 6 attempts on the drive, however, it was RB Ray Middleton that found the endzone to cut the lead to 3. Boston got shut down on their next drive giving Ottawa an opportunity to go and take the lead.
The Royals marched again with success but as they entered Boston territory, the Independents tightened up and forced Logan to try and make a play. WR Atkins got loose on the outside on 2nd and 8 and Logan took the shot, however, Boston S Michael O’Brian went in and snagged the ball away from Atkins as the ball was touching his hands. O'Brien came down with the interception and Boston would then roll over the Ottawa defence en route to another RB Joel Bonner touchdown. 
The Royals were not short on time and had to do anything they could, while they got a field goal to make it a one-score game Boston was able to run the clock down so the Royals didn’t have enough time to score by the time they got the ball back. Boston sealed its ticket to the first NAAF Championship Game.
27-20 Boston 

Following the game, several fans started speculating about the Royals purple jerseys being “cursed” as they went 1-4 in them this season only beating the winless Tigers, while they were unbeaten while wearing white. Some of those fans want the Royals to be the second team to wear white at home with that as evidence 




Providence Gold Stars @ Montreal Rouge - Mount Royal Stadium - September 25th, 1949
1st Q:
Both defences were heavily prepared for battle today and shut down any attempts at offence early on. The Rouge focused on getting the ball to RB Élisée Marchal which was helping the team move the ball. Providence had prepared well to stop the run with QB Norris out. On the other side, the Rouge defence continued to be their usual selves stopping the Gold Stars offence leaving the first quarter scoreless
0-0
2nd Q:
The trend continued into the second quarter, but it was the Gold Stars who were able to break through first after QB Bruce Woodard found WR Eugene Burns downfield for a 40-yard reception that set up a field goal. Providence continued to hold back the Rouge offence and after QB Théophile Béliveau (MTL) threw a pick to S Randy Maynard, they doubled their lead with another field goal
0-6 Providence
3rd Q:
Montreal tried to adjust to start the third and had QB Béliveau throwing a bit more to free up some space for RB Marchal. While it took a couple of drives, eventually Marchal was able to break through and score a touchdown to give Montreal the lead 7-6. Montreal started to take back momentum and QB Théophile Béliveau started to show some potential and made some plays to keep Montreal moving up the field, but he still wasn’t perfect and was picked off for a second time by DB Lee Wolfe. This would steal the momentum back to the Gold Stars and they started to march downfield. One of the strategies for the Gold Stars was using both of their running backs Gene Fischer and Ellis Love to spread the ball out. They then used a reverse with both backs that sent Love on a 28-yard scramble to set up the eventual 12-yard touchdown run by Gene Fischer. The Gold Stars attempted the 2-point but failed on a knocked down pass from Montreal. 
7-12 Providence
4th Q:
Montreal was becoming desperate and QB Béliveau was becoming a little more gun shy trying not to mess up again. RB Marchal was still finding a decent run here or there but could never break the Providence defence. Providence held strong and would add another field goal to make it an 8-point game. As the clock wound down Montreal began one last push. Marchal had talked to Béliveau about just giving it everything and not letting the big game get to him. The pep talk seemed to help Béliveau as he led them down the field alongside Marchal. The Providence defence, however, was having a good day and was able to slow the Rouge drive forcing two 3rd down attempts as they neared the end zone. Marchal was able to pick up the first one, but on the second 3rd down attempt, the Rouge relied on Béliveau to make the play. The ball was tossed incomplete over the middle which sealed the fate of the Rouge and gave the Gold Stars the huge upset win to send them to the championship. 
7-15 Providence 

Player of the Week:

RB Joel Bonner BOS - 2 Rushing Touchdowns, 114 Rushing Yards

Championship Preview

Providence Gold Stars @ Boston Independents - Richardson Stadium - October 2nd, 1949
 - 3rd meeting between the two rivals this season, Boston won the first two 14-10 and 25-16
 - The two clubs have played in the NEFC final for the last 4 years of the league and were about to clash again in the NAAF playing for the same trophy they always have
 - Boston and Providence are very similar in how their teams are, but in most cases, Boston has a slight edge over the Providence Gold Stars
 - Expect Providence to utilize the dynamic RB duo in Love and Fischer while also moving the ball through the air, and their defence to crack down on RB Joel Bonner to shut down one part of the offence
 - Expect Boston to play like they have all season, run it with Bonner and then throw it over top when you need to. While the style isn’t overly aggressive it is a formula that has worked for them this season. The defence will have to be adaptable to the changes Providence has with their two RBs healthy 

1949 NAAF Championship

LEAGUE NEWS
As the first championship game approached there was plenty of excitement as the two former NEFC teams were playing in the final, but unfortunate news hit the league on the Wednesday prior to the game. NEFC founder, former commissioner, and father of NAAF committee member Harold McCallister, John McCallister had passed away. It left many players and owners that were part of the older league in shock. QB Larry Larson and HC Peter McDuffin of the Boston Independents had been good friends with the McCallister family along with QB Bruce Woodard of the Gold Stars. Larson spoke about the passing ahead of the game: “It was hard to hear that such a passionate and great man had passed away. It makes this game more important we are playing for his trophy. We are playing this game for John.” 

Providence Gold Stars @ Boston Independents - Richardson Stadium - October 2nd, 1949
Before the kickoff, there was a moment of silence held for John McCallister. The soldout crowd of 46,245 at Richardson Stadium joined them for a long pause which was followed by a loud cheer and honour of the late commissioner.
1st Q:
As the game got underway both team’s defences started strong shutting down most of the offence. Boston would be able to strike first once again after a long drive headlined by RB Joel Bonner, that put the Independents into field goal range. That was all any team could get in the first leaving the score at 3-0
3-0 Boston
2nd Q:
Providence got their Offence kickstarted in the second with a bit drive lead by QB Bruce Woodard that ended with a game-tying field goal. After Boston countered with a field goal of their own to reclaim the lead, Woodard led the Gold Stars on another drive. He found both WR Eugene Burns and TE Marion Warren a couple of times to keep the ball moving downfield alongside RB Gene Fischer, before finishing the drive with a 13-yard pass to WR Eugene Burns for the first touchdown of the game. The Gold Stars would shut down Joel Bonner and the Boston run game and go into the half with the lead.
6-10 Providence
3rd Q:
Boston came out of the second half more aggressive and started to look to pass more frequently. They had been avoiding the air and the Gold Stars secondary which was one of the best in the league staring DB Lee Wolfe. While their first couple drives were stopped, they were slowly tipping the tables of the field position battle in their favour. Eventually, the Independents were finally able to break through to the endzone after sneaking RB Bonner out and over the middle to catch the ball and take it 11-yards in for the touchdown. The Gold Stars would not let that get to them and would counter with another field goal to tie it heading into the 4th
13-13
4th Q:
The crowd was ecstatic going into the final quarter of the game. Both teams were fighting for everything, but the difference maker was QB Larry Larson. Larson started the 4th playing on another level. He meticulously picked apart the Providence defence with each pass and was helped with runs from RB Bonner. After one drive that was stopped around mid-field. The Independents would go all the way retaking the lead on a 17-yard pass to WR Ethan Walters in the endzone. To counter QB Woodard would become more aggressive but would end up throwing an interception into the hands of Boston S Michael O’Brien. The Independents would capitalize and score another field goal which would all but seal the title. 
23-13 Boston 

Birth of the McCallister Cup
During the trophy presentation after the game, Ryan Jameson would allow Harold McCallister to present the NEFC Championship Trophy, which was officially announced to be renamed the John H. McCallister Cup in memory of his father, to the Boston Independents. This would be the 17th time Boston has won the trophy but the first as known as the McCallister Cup. It was Larry Larson's comments "we are playing for [John McCallister's] trophy" that had spurred the idea into full effect for Ryan Jameson who suggested the name to Harold. 

Championship MVP:

QB Larry Larson BOS - 2 Passing Touchdowns, 212 Passing Yards

Championship Banner:

John H. McCallister Cup:

The trophy was refurbished and added a proper plate with all the former champions from the NEFC then the new level of NAAF Champions. There is a gap between 1941-1946 for the years the trophy wasn't rewarded during WW2.

1949 Season Summary:

1949 NAAF Awards and All-Stars:

Awards for the first season of the NAAF were given out a couple of weeks following the McCallister Cup. MVP of the Regular Season, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Special Teams Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Playoff MVP were handed out to players during a private event in Boston.

Most Valuable Player - RB Élisée Marchal MTL
Marchal was the obvious selection for the league's MVP as he led the league with 20 touchdowns for the Rouge this season. Montreal would not likely have had the offensive production they had without their star running back

Playoff MVP - QB Larry Larson BOS
Larson's McCallister Cup performance will be one to be remembered as he led the Independents from down 6-10 to the 23-13 win for the team's 17th overall championship and first of the NAAF.

Offensive Player of the Year - RB Joel Bonner BOS
The league looks to avoid repeat winners so opted to give the OPOTY to Boston's star running back who was up there in production with Marchel. While Bonner did not reach the endzone nearly as much as Marchal he was super helpful for the Independents' success this season.

Defensive Player of the Year - DB Lee Wolfe PRO
While both S Michael O'Brien and DB Oscar Patterson had fantastic seasons, it was Wolfe who had been the most impactful for the Gold Stars and is the key piece of their great secondary. Wolfe had 1 player of the week nod which was one of two given to defensive players this season. (Next season there may be both offensive and defensive player of the week awards handed out)

Special Teams Player of the Year - K Thomas McFadden HAR
While McFadden was not looked at as the best kicker in the league he was by far the most productive and important to the Hawks this season who relied on their kicker for much of their scoring this season. He had 21 field goals on 23 attempts

Coach of the Year - Peter McDuffin BOS
No surprise the championship-winning coach would get this nod. After losing the only game this season against Montreal, he led the Independents to six straight wins towards the title. There's no question he was one of the best out there.

The league also announced the All-star team made of the best players at their position this season (they gave 2 RB spots due to the position's importance to teams & special teams all-star is with the defence)