Boston Independents - 10, Montreal Rouge - 19
The season kicked off with a huge redemption game for the Rouge over the defending champions. The start of the game was defensive as these battles have tended to be. Boston was the first to score on a field goal, but the 2nd quarter drive came at a major cost. RB Joel Bonner was running up the middle where he was tackled by several Rouge players. They came down on him awkwardly and broke his right leg. Bonner was in immense pain and would leave the game with an expected return in week 6. This threw rookie RB Rahil Boone right into the action for Boston. Montreal would take some momentum back as QB Oliver Callahan started to become comfortable in his new team. WR John Rivera made a dent on a couple of catches that would give Montreal 2 field goals and a 6-3 lead. The second half was Montreal’s to control. They would get RB Marchal into the endzone for his first of the year and would steal the ball for the Independents 3 times to hold on for the win 19-10. WR Ethan Walters did have a late TD for Boston but they just couldn’t get the offense going against the Rouge defense especially without Bonner.
Worcester Athletics - 7, Providence Gold Stars - 27
The first game in Worcester did not go too well for the Athletics. The team was overall very conservative as they all adjusted to a brand new team. RB Jacque Montier was solid getting the ball to move down the field a couple of times. QB Adrian Little faced his old team in his first professional start and was able to get the ball to his receivers for the most part. The Athletics would get their first NAAF touchdown in the 3rd on an 11-yard pass to Worcester native WR Dewey Doyle who is starting what will likely be his final season of football. On the other side, Providence looked like their old selves. They were able to move the ball well and take the ball away as well. DB Lee Wolfe grabbed 2 interceptions and WR Peter Brooks would take in 2 touchdowns.
Ottawa Royals - 31, Toronto Tigers - 17
Ottawa wins just their 3rd out of 9 home games in the NAAF. While the final score looks good for Ottawa, this game was a lot closer than that. Ottawa was great through the air all day as Duane Logan looked like his usual self, while WR Allen Atkins caught three of his 4 touchdown passes. The Royals' defense was much better, but the Tigers were keeping themselves in it. Rookie of the year in 1950 and Tigers RB Laurent Brazeau found the endzone twice and had the game tied at 17-17 going into the 4th quarter, but the Tigers were unable to stop the Royals powerful offense and get into the endzone themselves. The teams showed some newer intensity that was born from the 20-20 tie from last season and proved that the divisional rivalries were going to start heating up immediately.
Buffalo Blue Wings - 25, Hartford Hawks - 6
The Blue Wings were able to carry their late-season momentum from last year into the start of this season. RB Arthur Conner stormed in behind the former Hawk OL Melvin Marshall on the first drive of the game. The Hawks had little to answer. QB Maurice Norris made his first start for the Hawks and he was better passing the ball than he had been in Montreal but still lacked the ability to make a huge play when needed. The Blue Wings defense took the ball from the Hawks 3 times. DB Dylan Alston had the first pick and the young S Marvin Tillman had the other, while DL Jonathan Brown knocked the ball out of Norris’ hand and picked it up himself for a fumble. WRs Travis Gallagher and Joseph Barry both caught a touchdown from Angelo Medina to start their season off on the right foot.
Players of the Week
OFF: QB Duane Logan OTT - 4 Passing Touchdowns, 341 Passing Yards, 1 Interception
DEF: DB Lee Wolfe PRO - 2 Interceptions, 4 Tackles, 4 Knockdowns
Standings:
NORTH
Buffalo 1-0
Ottawa 1-0
Montreal 1-0
Toronto 0-1
NEW ENGLAND
Providence 1-0
Boston 0-1
Worcester 0-1
Hartford 0-1
Power Rankings
Montreal +1
Boston -1
Buffalo -
Ottawa -
Providence -
Toronto -
Hartford -
Worcester -
Toronto Tigers - 30, Worcester Athletics - 6
The Tigers showed some might against the expansion Athletics. Toronto played well in front of a slightly larger hometown crowd than usual. DB Louie White was the leader in the dominant win capturing 3 interceptions in the game. That also included one he took back for 6. RB Laurent Brazeau scored two touchdowns on the ground while QB Evan Morrow found WR Wilbert Benjamin on a 32-yard touchdown pass. Overall the Tigers had 5 interceptions with two more from other DBs. Worcester is still finding their feet early on in the season. RB Jacque Montier had his moments for the Athletics and got them to field goal range a couple of times.
Providence Gold Stars - 23, Buffalo Blue Wings - 21
The Gold Stars continue to hold onto the top of the New England Division with a big win over the Blue Wings. QB Bruce Woodard continued to move the ball around well and is looking like he could be having a career year. WR Peter Brooks had another touchdown to bring his total to 3 on the year, while RB Gene Fischer also ran one in for Providence. The defense was solid as well with DB Lee Wolfe coming up with his 3rd pick of the season. The Blue Wings were no slackers though as they came just a 2-point convert short of the tie. RB Arthur Conner led the way on offense with 2 touchdowns and a completed convert. QB Angelo Medina threw the other touchdown to WR Travis Gallagher.
Boston Independents - 24, Hartford Hawks - 0
The Independents continued their stranglehold on the Hawks with a massive 24-0 shutout win. Hawks’ QB Maurice Norris proved that he needs the help he had in Montreal to beat Boston as the Independents defense locked him down. Norris was sacked 6 times all game and threw 2 interceptions. DB Francis Veillette and Lester Murphy had the interceptions, and DL Craig Newman had 3 of the 6 sacks. Boston’s rookie back in Rahil Boone struggled in his first start but did get in for his first career touchdown, but the Independents did have to rely on the air attack a little more in this game. WR Ethan Walters and former Tigers’ WR Clifford Chapman found the endzone in the dominant win.
Montreal Rouge - 21, Ottawa Royals - 21
The final game of the week was an exciting one. Unfortunately, there was no winner to arise from the ashes of battle, but that will make the rematch in week 5 that much more important. Montreal controlled the game early on with a 14-3 lead on the feet of RB Élisée Marchal and in the hands of WR John Rivera for his first TD as a Rouge player. The Royals were able to bring themselves back into it behind the leadership of QB Duane Logan and WR Allen Atkins. Atkins scored a touchdown and had a huge play to give the Royals 3 more. However, Montreal had scored another Marchal touchdown to extend their lead to 21-13. In the final minutes of the game, it was the Royals’ defense that came up huge on an interception by DB Uzzia Hayes. The Royals would take advantage and storm down the field. Duane Logan would find Atkins again in the back of the endzone for Atkins’ 5th of the season. They still were down by two, so they went for the two-point try. While the Rouge lined up expecting the pass, the Royals tricked them and got the delayed pitch to RB Ray Middleton to go in for the game-tying score. The Rouge couldn’t get down the field and the game ended that way.
TRANSACTIONS
The Boston Independents traded for their former backup RB Clayton Owen out of Worcester to fill in for RB Joel Bonner. Rahil Boone proved he may not be quite ready for the starting job, but he can learn behind the longtime Independent in Clayton Owen.
Boston Independents get:
RB Clayton Owen
Worcester Athletics get:
Boston 1952 3rd Round Pick
Players of the Week:
The Tigers showed some might against the expansion Athletics. Toronto played well in front of a slightly larger hometown crowd than usual. DB Louie White was the leader in the dominant win capturing 3 interceptions in the game. That also included one he took back for 6. RB Laurent Brazeau scored two touchdowns on the ground while QB Evan Morrow found WR Wilbert Benjamin on a 32-yard touchdown pass. Overall the Tigers had 5 interceptions with two more from other DBs. Worcester is still finding their feet early on in the season. RB Jacque Montier had his moments for the Athletics and got them to field goal range a couple of times.
Providence Gold Stars - 23, Buffalo Blue Wings - 21
The Gold Stars continue to hold onto the top of the New England Division with a big win over the Blue Wings. QB Bruce Woodard continued to move the ball around well and is looking like he could be having a career year. WR Peter Brooks had another touchdown to bring his total to 3 on the year, while RB Gene Fischer also ran one in for Providence. The defense was solid as well with DB Lee Wolfe coming up with his 3rd pick of the season. The Blue Wings were no slackers though as they came just a 2-point convert short of the tie. RB Arthur Conner led the way on offense with 2 touchdowns and a completed convert. QB Angelo Medina threw the other touchdown to WR Travis Gallagher.
Boston Independents - 24, Hartford Hawks - 0
The Independents continued their stranglehold on the Hawks with a massive 24-0 shutout win. Hawks’ QB Maurice Norris proved that he needs the help he had in Montreal to beat Boston as the Independents defense locked him down. Norris was sacked 6 times all game and threw 2 interceptions. DB Francis Veillette and Lester Murphy had the interceptions, and DL Craig Newman had 3 of the 6 sacks. Boston’s rookie back in Rahil Boone struggled in his first start but did get in for his first career touchdown, but the Independents did have to rely on the air attack a little more in this game. WR Ethan Walters and former Tigers’ WR Clifford Chapman found the endzone in the dominant win.
Montreal Rouge - 21, Ottawa Royals - 21
The final game of the week was an exciting one. Unfortunately, there was no winner to arise from the ashes of battle, but that will make the rematch in week 5 that much more important. Montreal controlled the game early on with a 14-3 lead on the feet of RB Élisée Marchal and in the hands of WR John Rivera for his first TD as a Rouge player. The Royals were able to bring themselves back into it behind the leadership of QB Duane Logan and WR Allen Atkins. Atkins scored a touchdown and had a huge play to give the Royals 3 more. However, Montreal had scored another Marchal touchdown to extend their lead to 21-13. In the final minutes of the game, it was the Royals’ defense that came up huge on an interception by DB Uzzia Hayes. The Royals would take advantage and storm down the field. Duane Logan would find Atkins again in the back of the endzone for Atkins’ 5th of the season. They still were down by two, so they went for the two-point try. While the Rouge lined up expecting the pass, the Royals tricked them and got the delayed pitch to RB Ray Middleton to go in for the game-tying score. The Rouge couldn’t get down the field and the game ended that way.
TRANSACTIONS
The Boston Independents traded for their former backup RB Clayton Owen out of Worcester to fill in for RB Joel Bonner. Rahil Boone proved he may not be quite ready for the starting job, but he can learn behind the longtime Independent in Clayton Owen.
Boston Independents get:
RB Clayton Owen
Worcester Athletics get:
Boston 1952 3rd Round Pick
Players of the Week:
Standings:
NORTH
Ottawa 1-0-1
Montreal 1-0-1
Buffalo 1-1
Toronto 1-1
NEW ENGLAND
Providence 2-0
Boston 1-1
Hartford 0-2
Worcester 0-2
Power Rankings
Montreal -
Ottawa +2
Boston -1
Providence +1
Buffalo -2
Toronto -
Hartford -
Worcester -
Hartford Hawks - 20, Providence Gold Stars - 17
The Hawks defense came alive early in this one. DL Sean Bowen just starting his second season, created some major havoc in the backfield. Within the first half, he was able to get two forced fumbles, both the Hawks would turn into touchdowns. The first would have the offense get it in off of Ellis Love’s feet, and the second was off of the fumble with LB Richard Hensley taking it back to the endzone. The Hawks continued to mess with Woodard and the offense. After WR Peter Brooks scored on the Gold Stars opening drive, they could not hold onto the ball, even after the fumbles, Woodard threw 2 more picks. Down 20-7 at the half, the Gold Star would turn things on a crawl back with a touchdown to start the 4th form Peter Brooks and then a field goal from 20-yards out, which some are criticizing them for not going for the TD at that point. That would be all they could get as they played lazy against the Hawks and couldn’t come all the way back. The Hawks stun the unbeaten Gold Stars and show some of the potential their defense has.
Toronto Tigers - 10, Montreal Rouge - 20
The Tigers put up a solid fight, but the Rouge stay determined and hold on for the win. Led by RB Élisée Marchal, who found the endzone twice, the Offense was efficient and kept the pressure on the Tiger defense. John Rivera continued to make some waves for the Rouge with 68 receiving yards. The Tigers were able to have some good drives led by RB Laurent Brazeau, who got the team's lone major score. The Tigers also had another interception that helped in slowing down the Rouge, but couldn’t get past the defense to take a lead.
Worcester Athletics - 3, Boston Independents - 28
RB Clayton made his long-awaited first start for Boston after being reacquired last week to replace the injured Joel Bonner and rookie Rahil Boone. Clayton was solid already having a grasp on the Boston offensive schemes. He scored a touchdown as well early in the third. Overshadowing Owen, however, was speedy WR Samuel Floyd. Floyd had a slow start to the season over the first two games but climbed back into the spotlight with a 3 touchdown game with just under 200 yards receiving. The defense shut down the Athletics offense with 2 interceptions and not allowing much for drives aside for a late field goal.
Buffalo Blue Wings - 26, Ottawa Royals - 19
Buffalo hosted what seems to be the spark in a new division rivalry. The early season predictions had Buffalo and Ottawa in a tight race for the second playoff spot in the North Division, so it was expected that these two teams would have great games over the season. Both teams had strong first halves on both sides of the ball. WR Allen Atkins would score an early touchdown for the Royals, but Buffalo would counter quickly with RB Arthur Conner. The score was 9-9 at the end of the first half (Buffalo had a single and a TD+2pt and Ottawa with a FG and a TD no PAT). The Blue Wings would get an early field goal to retake the lead, and then Angelo Medina would find WR Travis Gallagher for another touchdown. The Royals would counter with a field goal. In the fourth, Ottawa’s defense became more aggressive and got after Medina. The mobile QB was able to escape but ultimately was hit hard and came up slightly injured. Andrew Glover would enter the game from there and lead the Buffalo to another touchdown (RB Conner). The Royals would get a late touchdown from WR Willard Brooks, but it was too little too late as the Blue Wings pulled themselves back into the division race.
Players of the Week
Standings:
NORTH
Montreal 2-0-1
Buffalo 2-1
Ottawa 1-1-1
Toronto 1-2
NEW ENGLAND
Boston 2-1
Providence 2-1
Hartford 1-2
Worcester 0-3
Power Rankings
Montreal -
Boston +1
Buffalo +2
Ottawa -2
Providence -1
Toronto -
Hartford -
Worcester -
The Rouge continued their hot start by defeating the Gold Stars at home to remain unbeaten. While Providence was able to slow down the new look Rouge offense in the first half, they broke once RB Élisée Marchal found the endzone with less than a minute to go in the half. The Rouge were able to get Marchal back into the endzone again in the fourth alongside another field goal. Providence’s offense was not able to capitalize on the defense’s strong first-half performance and was only able to get a field goal in the first half. QB Bruce Woodard continued to struggle throwing 2 interceptions in the second half when it seemed like the offense found a bit of momentum. WR Eugene Burns had the only touchdown for the team.
Ottawa Royals - 31, Boston Independents - 21
The Royals finally flexed their muscles at home as they dominated the Independents in their return to Lansdowne Park. The Royals found a rhythm fairly early in the game getting a field goal on their second drive. The following drive was then capped off with a WR Allen Atkins touchdown to give the Royals a 10-0 lead. The lead would grow to 17-0 after TE Baudouin Renaud found the endzone for his first TD as a Royal. The Independents looked lost for most of the half, but QB Larry Larson would lead a big drive to end the half with a WR Clifford Chapman touchdown. The second half would start with another Boston touchdown to WR Samuel Floyd who broke it through the Royals secondary. Unfortunately following the comeback, Boston S Michael O’Brien would go down with an injury and jumble up the secondary for the Independents. This allowed for the Royals high flying attack to break loose. WR Willard Brooks would find the endzone next before WR Allen Atkins would be left wide open for another late in the game. Boston would get one more touchdown via WR Ethan Walters but it was too late.
Worcester Athletics - 15, Buffalo Blue Wings - 25
The Athletics played their best game so far. They were surprising when going up against the Blue Wings finding an ability to move the ball more. While they still fell short of the endzone on 3 drives in the first half, they managed to be up 9-8 at the half. The Blue Wings were able to break away in the second half on the back of RB Arthur Conner who had 2 touchdowns on the day. WR Travis Gallagher would add to the Buffalo lead late with another touchdown to seal it. The Athletics did make it close by the end on a WR Jean-Yves Vallatton touchdown.
Hartford Hawks - 20, Toronto Tigers - 18
The Hawks put themselves into playoff contention with a huge win over Toronto. RB Ellis Love led the way on offense scoring a touchdown for the Hawks, while QB Maurice Norris had his first TD pass as a Hawks connecting with WR Stephan Kovach. The defense for the Hawks continued to do what they did last week, shutting down the Tigers offense early. QB Evan Morrow fumbled on an early drive which set up the second touchdown for the Hawks. The Tigers would push back down scoring 11 unanswered off of a RB Laurent Brazeau touchdown plus a field goal and a single. The Hawks would enter the second half with confidence but Maurice Norris would take a massive hit in the 3rd taking him out of the game. Rookie QB Andrew Sexton would get his first action and play pretty well. Although they relied heavily on Ellis Love they were able to extend their lead 17-11. The Tigers would make a late push and score to take the lead back 17-18, but Sexton would lead the Hawks on a game-winning drive that ended in a 38-yard game-winning field goal.
Players of the Week:
Standings:
NORTH
Montreal 3-0-1
Buffalo 3-1
Ottawa 2-1-1
Toronto 1-3
NEW ENGLAND
Boston 2-2
Providence 2-2
Hartford 2-2
Worcester 0-4
Power Rankings
Montreal -
Buffalo +1
Ottawa +1
Boston -2
Providence -
Hartford +1
Toronto -1
Worcester -
The Montreal Rouge continued to dominate as they crushed the Royals in Ottawa. The final score does not show the 24-0 lead that the Rouge held in the 3rd quarter. They were able to shut down the top tier offense of the Royals, forcing 3 turnovers in the first half. DB Jean-Luc Paget had the first interception, and DB Anthony Massey had the second. DL Jean-Michel Duchane did force a fumble as well for the defense. The offense also turned it up through the air as WR John Rivera caught two touchdowns for the first time this season. RB Marchal had the other touchdown. It was a rough day for QB Duane Logan, who was not able to get things going. He got one strong drive late in the third finishing with a touchdown to WR Allen Atkins. In the fourth, however, the Royals decided to give QB Jean Matieau a chance to show his skills. Matieau delivered on his first drive taking Ottawa down the field and scoring with a TD pass to WR Willard Brooks. They would have a couple more decent drives but only getting a field goal or a single.
Buffalo Blue Wings - 24, Toronto Tigers - 22
While both teams have had quite different starts to the season, it seems like meeting up brought out the best in both teams resulting in a great duel. The Blue Wings came out strong with an opening drive touchdown to WR Travis Gallagher. Toronto followed up with a strong drive but could only capture a field goal. However, a couple of Blue Wing Drives later, QB Angelo Medina would throw the ball right into the hands of Tigers DB Jesse Scott setting up a RB Laurent Brazeau touchdown to give Toronto the lead. The Blue Wings would counter in the second quarter with a RB Arthur Conner touchdown. The Tigers would add a field goal just before the half. 14-13. Buffalo came out of the second half flying, scoring another big touchdown on a bomb to Travis Gallagher to extend their lead to 21-13. TIgers had trouble responding until Laurent Brazeau put the offense on his back and took the team down the field. He would eventually break for a 33-yard touchdown. The Tigers would go back to him for the 2-point convert but DL Jonathan Brown saw that coming and stopped Brazeau in the backfield. The Tigers wouldn’t give up as Brazeau would lead them into Blue Wing territory again and set up the field goal to take the lead. Angelo Medina was not ready to lose though and led the Blue Wings on a fast drive down to the 17-yard line where their rookie K Donald Brewer would nail the game-winner. The teams will meet again next week in Toronto, which is expected to be as exciting.
Boston Independents - 24, Worcester Athletics - 4
Not much to talk about in this showdown as Boston crushed the Athletics for the second time this season. WR Samuel Floyd and WR Ethan Walters both caught touchdowns from Larry Larson. RB Clayton Owen got into the endzone as well, extending the lead. They would be pretty conservative from there as they didn’t want to risk more injuries. Even after their best game last week, the Athletics looks flat again. They couldn’t move the ball and had several turnovers throughout. They also lost WR Dewey Doyle on a big hit early in the game. Doyle is planning to retire at the season’s end but that retirement might have come early for the Worcester native.
Providence Gold Stars - 21, Hartford Hawks - 9
The Gold Stars got their revenge for the week 3 loss to Hartford. DB Lee Wolfe was the leader in the win as he sparked the Gold Stars on a first-quarter pick 6. The offense would add to it in the second on a WR Peter Brooks touchdown. Then RB Gene Fischer would add the third TD in the second half. The Gold Stars still looked a bit rough around the edges but the win is the right steps towards being a championship contender again. QB Andrew Sexton made his first start for the Hawks and was alright. Besides some early turnovers, he was able to get the team into field goal range a few times. RB Ellis Love played well in support of Sexton, moving the ball down-field.
Players of the Week
Standings
NORTH
Montreal 4-0-1
Buffalo 4-1
Ottawa 2-2-1
Toronto 1-4
NEW ENGLAND
Boston 3-2
Providence 3-2
Hartford 2-3
Worcester 0-5
Power Rankings
Montreal -
Buffalo -
Ottawa -
Boston -
Providence -
Toronto -
Hartford -
Worcester -
MID-SEASON ANALYSIS
So far the Rouge standout as the heavy favourites to win the McCallister. They have gone through one of the toughest schedules for any team and have managed to come out unbeaten. Buffalo has continued its great play from the end of last season, but they have a tougher stretch in the second half. Ottawa will also have a lighter schedule like Montreal which may help them to catch up to the Blue Wings or Rouge. Toronto unfortunately just doesn't have the team to compete with the top 3 teams at the moment.
In the New England division, Boston is holding on to the top team, but they are getting older and injury battered so some may question their ability to hold on. However, the teams behind them haven't had amazing seasons. Providence had a solid win this week, but they will need to continue the momentum if they want to be considered a true contender. Hartford caught fire over their 2-game homestand but without Norris it is likely this team falls down to Earth. Worcester sits back for now just developing at this point.
QB Oliver Callahan lit up his former team in a dominating show of strength for the Rouge. Callahan was able to connect with both of his former Hawk trade-mates in WR John Rivera and TE Darrell Hubbard for touchdowns throughout the game. He was also able to move the ball well and is looking more and more comfortable in the red jersey. RB Élisée Marchal who still has been playing well, but seems like a down year from the MVP seasons, found a bit of the old flash in the game. He scored 3 touchdowns and had 148 yards on the ground to help in the crushing win. While QB Maurice Norris was unable to play in his homecoming, DB Eugene Christensen was. The former Rouge “benchwarmer” showed that he had plenty of abilities, knocking down 3 pass attempts his way and forcing a fumble out of the hands of Montreal’s rookie WR Ray Lopez. Outside of Christensen, the Hawks really had no answers and fall to 2-4.
Ottawa Royals - 25, Worcester Athletics - 18
The Athletics surprised the Royals with a strong performance on the road. QB Adrian Little found a bit of a zone and got the team moving the ball early. They were able to get RB Jacque Montier into the endzone on the first drive and then would add a field goal to start the second. WR Jean-Yves Vallatton had another touchdown as well in the third giving Worcester their highest point total this season. Ottawa looked a little rough, especially QB Duane Logan. In the first 4 weeks of the season, Logan was playing MVP levels of play, but the last two weeks has come out flat. Logan was still able to connect with WR Allen Atkins for a touchdown but he also threw an interception to former Ottawa S Lewis Benson. Logan was able to get a grasp of his composure late down 13-18 and pull the Royals to the win and avoid complete embarrassment at the hands of the Athletics.
Providence Gold Stars - 13, Boston Independents - 20
The Gold Stars once again collapse against their rivals as their disappointing season continues. Providence was able to jump out to a quick lead in the first half, 10-0, off of a RB Gene Fischer touchdown and field goal. This was about all for the Gold Stars though as Boston quickly stole the momentum. After the Independents had scored a field goal, DB Francis Veillette would steal the ball and give Boston great field position for a touchdown via WR Samuel Floyd. The game went to the half tied up. In the second half, the Independents wouldn’t look back and would add a second Floyd touchdown and another field goal to put up 20 consecutive points. The fans in New Providence Stadium were not happy about the collapse (well except for the decent amount of Boston fans in attendance), and they started booing and yelling. The Gold Stars were just as frustrated. Providence would finally answer in the fourth but all they got was a field goal.
Toronto Tigers - 26, Buffalo Blue Wings - 28
It is officially an annual home and home after the two teams came down to one score for the second straight game. The two teams clearly have it out for each other. Toronto got off to a good start taking the lead on a field goal. Buffalo would tie it but then it was the Tigers offense who went down the field and scored on a WR Wilbert Benjamin touchdown. Down by 7, Buffalo would turn it up in the second with a WR Joseph Barry touchdown following a field goal to give them the lead 10-12 at halftime. The Tigers would play well in the third scoring twice in a row to build an 8 point lead. RB Laurent Brazeau led the way and scored the touchdown. The Blue Wings would find the endzone with RB Arthur Conner but once again could not get the convert. However, the following Tigers drive ended with a DB Oscar Patterson interception. Patterson set up the Medina-led drive to the endzone, capped off once again by Arthur Conner. Down by 5, Brazeau would power his way down the field. He would continue this right into the endzone to reclaim the lead late. They missed the 2-pt try again resulting in a huge chance for Buffalo to do exactly what they did last week. While the largest Toronto crowd was cheering as loud as they could, Medina stayed calm and mounted the drive that ended on a 32-yard game-winning field goal. Unfortunately for the Tigers, because of the loss, the team becomes the first team eliminated from the playoffs.
Players of the Week:
Standings
NORTH
Montreal 5-0-1
Buffalo 5-1
Ottawa 3-2-1
Toronto 1-5 - e
NEW ENGLAND
Boston 4-2
Providence 3-3
Hartford 2-4
Worcester 0-6
Power Rankings
Montreal -
Buffalo -
Boston +1
Ottawa -1
Toronto +1
Providence -1
Hartford -
Worcester -
The Rouge came out determined not to end up like the Blue Wings or Royals who took the Athletics to be a little easier (while they didn’t lose they still were closer games than they should’ve been). They did not allow Worcester to gain any ground and completely steamrolled them. The Defense was the biggest factor forcing 7 turnovers. LB Quinton Brewer had two interceptions leading the way. Control of the ball gave Montreal chance after chance to score and well they would. WR John Rivera had the first touchdown, but it was RB Élisée Marchal who put up 4 touchdowns and 217 Rushing Yards in the game. They went into the fourth up 35-0 and had thrown in the backups to slow down, QB Théophile Béliveau made his first appearance since the 1949 semi-final loss to Providence. He would lead the Rouge to a field goal. The Athletics had no ability to fight in this game looking worse than ever. QB Adrian Little was visibly upset after throwing his 4th pick of the first half resulting in QB Jervonte Simpson to play for the second half, and he fared no better.
Toronto Tigers - 27, Providence Gold Stars - 31 - Kitchener, ON
The fans of Kitchener got treated to one of the best games in NAAF history. While most of the fans came to check out the league and what it offered, by the end they were up and cheering on the players. Providence was fast out of the gate and controlled most of the first half. RB Gene Fischer had both of their touchdowns in the half and their defense was able to contain Toronto. While the fans were not exactly excited about the 6-17 score at the half, they were even less when Providence scored on their opening drive of the second half. WR Eugene Burns had the score and all the momentum for the Gold Stars, but Laurent Brazeau had something to say about it. A couple drives later the Tigers offense had moved the ball to mid-field. QB Evan Morrow took the snap and handed it to Brazeau. The young RB took through the big hole the O-line had made and cut right at the linebackers. He would make a move around LB Leo Davenport and then cut sharp towards the sideline. He sped past most of the defenders and DB Lee Wolfe was the only one to catch up. When Wolfe put his hands out to tackle Brazeau he was met with a powerful stiff-arm. Brazeau shoved Wolfe off of him and sprinted into the endzone to score. The crowd erupted and one of the greatest runs in the history of the game would spark the Tigers. They would pick the ball off from Providence on the next drive leading to Brazeau’s second touchdown. In the fourth, they would take the lead with another Brazeau score. Toronto was determined to hold on and finally get the ever escaping win, but QB Bruce Woodard, who had struggled this season, turned it up and led the Gold Stars on a game-winning drive ending with a WR Peter Brooks touchdown. While the Tigers lost, many of the Kitchener fans were stunned by the performance of Laurent Brazeau and are excited to see the Tigers back next year.
*Providence's win and Worcester's loss eliminates Worcester from the playoffs*
Buffalo Blue Wings - 11, Boston Independents - 13
The two teams engaged in a very defensive affair in Buffalo. After trading field goals in the first quarter, they would start trading defensive stops in the second. Interceptions were a part of those stops with DB Dylan Alston of Buffalo and DB Clinton Benton of Boston trading the turnovers. Boston would finally break through the seam in the third quarter on a WR Ethan Walters touchdown. Buffalo would try to counter but came up short on a long field goal ending in a single. They would take the lead late though with a huge catch from WR Joseph Barry which led to the RB Arthur Conner touchdown. QB Larry Larson may be getting old but he is still one of the best at executing game-winning drives. He would drive the field in a minute and a half leading to an Independents field goal. There was still 2:03 left in the game but the defense held strong and stopped the remaining Blue Wing efforts.
Hartford Hawks - 15, Ottawa Royals - 20
The Hawks continued to be a tough team to beat on the road considering their record this season. QB Andrew Sexton has started to flash some of his potential on some good drives early in the game leading to field goals. The defense also disrupted the potent Ottawa offense that has not been the same since week 4. DL Sean Bowen was aggressive in getting to the backfield and pressured Duane Logan all day, including a huge forced fumble. RB Ellis Love found some form and had a touchdown for the Hawks. The Royals seemed to just be flat on offense. They were able to get into the endzone three times via a WR Willard Brooks catch, a WR John Osborn out route, and WR Allen Atkins explosive 40-yard touchdown catch. QB Duane Logan might be feeling a bit of pressure with Matieau behind him as well as the team trying to catch Buffalo in the race for the playoffs.
Players of the Week:
Standings:
NORTH
Montreal 6-0-1
Buffalo 5-2
Ottawa 4-2-1
Toronto 1-6 - e
NEW ENGLAND
Boston 5-2
Providence 4-3
Hartford 2-5
Worcester 0-7 - e
Power Rankings
Montreal -
Boston +1
Buffalo -1
Ottawa -
Providence +1
Toronto -1
Hartford -
Worcester -
TRANSACTION NEWS:
The Providence Gold Stars have acquired Athletics and Former-Rouge WR Jean-Yves Vallotton for a playoff run. Vallotton was rumoured for a long time to be on the move considering he had one year on his contract and is 33 years old. The Athletics are in no place to compete so they give up the veteran receiver for draft capital in a 3rd round pick. The move also includes Gold Stars’ depth receiver Jay Baxter, since Worcester needed a receiver to play for the injured Dewey Doyle.
Providence Gold Stars get:
WR Jean-Yves Vallotton
Worcester Athletics get:
Providence 1952 3rd Round Draft Pick
WR Jay Baxter
Boston Independents - 16, Toronto Tigers - 9
It was a pretty “boring” game in Boston, considering the Tigers' previous three games. The Independent and Tiger offenses couldn’t get into the endzone today with the only major coming from Boston DB Lester Murphy on a pick-six in the second quarter. The teams would trade field goals throughout the game and it would turn out to be the Murphy interceptions that decided the game and clinched Boston their third straight playoff spot. The Independents also announced that RB Joel Bonner will not return before the playoffs start, but hopes to be back for the New England Semi-Final. *Boston Clinches Playoffs*
Montreal Rouge - 23, Buffalo Blue Wings - 14
The Montreal Rouge takes claim of the North Division with a strong win over Buffalo at home. Montreal controlled this game for most of it, only faltering early when letting up a RB Arthur Conner touchdown in the first half which had tied the game at 7. From that point on RB Élisée Marchal and the Rouge built their lead up to 20-7. Marchal had both of Montreal’s touchdowns and was the main factor on offense. The defense held Buffalo off until the fourth quarter when they pulled it back to within a score in Conner’s second touchdown. Montreal would hold on for the win and clinch the home game in the semi-finals.
*Montreal Clinches Playoff and the North Division*
Providence Gold Stars - 17, Ottawa Royals - 17
The two teams who have seemingly lost their mojo throughout the second half of the season end their matchup deadlocked. The story for each team coming in did not change with this one. The Gold Stars were good out of the gate, scoring early and quickly going up 10-0. WR Peter Brooks had a touchdown. The new addition in Jean-Yves Vallotton had a couple catches as well that helped the Gold Stars eventually extend their lead to 17-3 on a RB Gene Fischer touchdown. However, as stated before the story became the same as Ottawa would mount a comeback. QB Duane Logan was off again for the Royals early on, and their offense was not helped by an early RB Ray Middleton fumble. Once the fourth quarter came around, Logan looked like his old self finding Willard Brooks for the first touchdown and eventually the tying major to his favourite target, Allen Atkins. The Gold Stars had one more chance but fell flat into the tie.
Hartford Hawk - 27, Worcester Athletics - 11
QB Maurice Norris made his return after going down with an injury in week 4. Norris played well leading the Hawks to their 3rd win of the season. This also gives Norris 3 straight wins in games he has started grabbing some attention from around the league or solidifying his starting role in Hartford. He would pass for another touchdown to rookie WR Robert Lang and RB Ellis Love would carry in two more touchdowns. The defense remained solid overall and didn’t give the Athletics too much ground. QB Adrian Little did lead a solid drive ending in a RB Jacque Montier touchdown and had pulled Worcester into the game for a moment. Hawks ultimately keep their playoff hopes alive with the win.
Players of the Week:
OFF: RB Élisée Marchal MTL - 2 Touchdowns, 114 Rushing yards
DEF: DB Lester Murphy BOS - 1 Interception, 1 Touchdown, 4 Tackles
Standings:
NORTH
Montreal 7-0-1 - y
Buffalo 5-3
Ottawa 4-2-2
Toronto 1-7 - e
NEW ENGLAND
Boston 6-2 - x
Providence 4-3-1
Hartford 3-5
Worcester 0-8 - e
Power Rankings
Montreal -
Boston -
Buffalo -
Ottawa -
Providence -
Toronto -
Hartford -
Worcester -
TRANSACTION NEWS:
The Gold Stars and Royals try to get out of their funk by making a late-season swap. The Gold Stars have had a relatively weak O-line and need help protecting and making Bruce Woodard feel more comfortable in the pocket. They acquired 28-year-old OL Benjamin Harrell from the Royals to boost protection, and going the other way is a prospect LB in Leo Davenport, which Providence signed this offseason. The move should be good for both teams trying to compete for the playoffs.
Providence Gold Stars get:
OL Benjamin Harrell
LB Robert Pierce
Ottawa Royals get:
LB Leo Davenport
OL Roger Brewer
Ottawa Royals - 20, Buffalo Blue Wings - 35
The Blue Wings rebounded from their two-game skid in dominating fashion. On the road in Ottawa QB Angelo Medina lit up the Ottawa defense. Buffalo seemed unstoppable early on going up 21-3 at half-time. RB Arthur Conner had two touchdowns in the first half and would add to his total with two more in the second half. The other touchdown was on a 56-yard bomb to WR Travis Gallagher, over all of the Ottawa defenders. The Royals, on the other hand, crumbled under the pressure. With the trade they made this week, former Tigers OL Darryl Garrison made his first start in Ottawa. Garrison struggled a bit early on in the new offense leading to a sack or two in the first quarter, but he picked it up for the rest of the game after that. Those early mistakes, however, caused QB Duane Logan and RB Ray Middleton to struggle early on and lead to the low production. In the second half, Logan stepped it up leading a massive drive for an Allen Atkins touchdown. Then kept up the pressure eventually finding Atkins again for 6 more. The Royals would get hot a bit too late and couldn’t make up enough ground resulting in their first missed playoff since the NAAF started. The Blue Wings, on the other hand, celebrate their first playoff appearance in league history.
*Buffalo Clinches Playoff*
Providence Gold Stars - 24, Worcester Athletics - 10
Providence clinched their 3rd straight playoff appearance with a win at home. The scoring was spread around today with WR Peter Brooks scoring again, RB Gene Fischer as well, and Jean-Yves Vallatton had his first TD as a Gold Star. The defense was comfortable throughout holding the Athletics to 3 points until 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The lone Athletics score goes to RB Jacque Montier. The Gold Stars trade seemed to help them in a strong win over the Athletics, but their true test will come against Boston over the next two weeks.
*Providence Clinches Playoff*
Montreal Rouge - 34, Toronto Tigers - 6
The result of this game was pretty much decided from the first snap as RB RB Élisée Marchal would take the handoff and run it 78 yards to the endzone untouched. From then on it was a bloodbath. The Rouge would pick off the ball from the Tigers' next two drives and turn both of them into touchdowns, one more from Marchal and WR Richard de la Fontaine’s first since returning from injury. The would-be up 21-3 at the half and would add another touchdown in the third via WR John Rivera. The Tigers had no answers this time around.
Hartford Hawks - 16, Boston Independents - 27
The Hawks have shown all season that they are a tough team to play when they are at home. They went up early off a field goal, which was followed by a DB Eugene Christensen interception and eventual WR Micheal Mcleod touchdown. The 10-0 lead on Boston wouldn’t last too long as QB Larry Larson would find WR Samuel Floyd in the endzone and then they would tie it up before halftime. The second half started with another Hawks field goal, but it was the Independents who took over. RB Clayton Owen would get into the endzone as well as WR Clifford Chapman. The Independents’ win clinched them the New England division.
*Boston Clinches New England Division*
Players of the Week
OFF: RB Arthur Conner BUF - 4 Touchdowns, 123 Rushing Yards
DEF: DB Jean-Luc Paget MTL - 1 Interception, 3 Tackles, 4 Knockdowns
Standings:
NORTH
Montreal 8-0-1 -y
Buffalo 6-3 -x
Ottawa 4-3-2
Toronto 1-8
NEW ENGLAND
Boston 7-2 -y
Providence 5-3-1 -x
Hartford 3-6
Worcester 0-9
Power Rankings
Montreal -
Boston -
Buffalo -
Providence +1
Ottawa -1
Hartford +1
Toronto -1
Worcester -
Worcester Athletics - 17, Hartford Hawks - 16
The Hawks opened up the final game starting QB Andrew Sexton and a collection of many younger prospects. They started pretty well with a couple of field goals and a 3-6 lead at the half. The Athletics started the second half strong, however, with RB Jacque Montier leading the team to a touchdown and the lead. Hartford, however, would counter as RB Howard Reid would earn his first career touchdown. The Hawks extended their lead late giving the Athletics about one last push to tie it up. Montier would lead the team down the field but it was WR Dewey Doyle with the finishing touch on his career. After being injured earlier, Doyle returned for his final game in his hometown. No passes went Doyle’s way on the final drive until the final throw. Little wanted to get Doyle the ball at least once and so he called a specific play to get him open. Doyle was in the clear for the touchdown, on what would be his final play to give his hometown team their first win in NAAF history.
Buffalo Blue Wings - 12, Montreal Rouge - 24
The Blue Wings entered the game with mainly back-ups starting QB Andrew Glover. Glover played really well, which may turn some other teams’ heads to look at him as a possible option. He threw for a touchdown and made the game quite interesting early on, however, the Rouge was determined to maintain their unbeaten season and didn’t follow suit with the resting starters. RB Élisée Marchal ran in three touchdowns in the win and has made his case for the third straight MVP award. The Rouge earn the first-ever unbeaten season at 9-0-1, but the real test will be next week when they face the Blue Wings in Montreal.
Toronto Tigers - 34, Ottawa Royals - 31
For a week with no meaning, the Tigers and Royals did not let the games be boring with an offensive showdown. The Royals split reps today between their two QBs with Jean Matieau playing the first half and Duane Logan in the second. The Tigers, on the other hand, had many players trying to prove to the league they were legit. RB Laurent Brazeau and QB Evan Morrow played fantastic leading Toronto an early 10-3 lead. While Matieau would tie it up, Toronto would get a fumble recovery and eventually retake the lead. Unfortunately, it was short-lived as Matieau found the endzone again with WR Allen Atkins to tie it back up. The second half started all Tiger though as Morrow would lead the offense to two straight scoring drives. WR Wilbert Benjamin would score the touchdown, while they would add a field goal from K Nathaniel King. Duane Logan had thrown a pick to DB Louie White on his second drive but from that point, he was all business and led a strong comeback. He would throw back-to-back touchdowns to WR John Osborn and then to WR Allen Atkins. The Tigers had blown another lead, but Brazeau would not let them fall again. He powered his way through the Ottawa defense and eventually found the endzone to give the Tigers their second win of the season. The Royals had not been the same team since the middle of the season and this emphasized it. They will enter the offseason and will have to decide which QB is the QB of the future.
Boston Independents - 16, Providence Gold Star - 14
A game of back-ups once again, well for Boston’s offense primarily. QB Jordan Boyle and RB Rahil Boone had the starting calls but most other starters played. While the Gold Stars kept most of the roster the same they still struggled against the Boston defense. The two touchdowns went to WR Eugene Burns and to RB Gene Fischer, but the Boston defense kept them at bay. Jordan Boyle just had to manage the game and got the team into scoring range enough times to give them the win. RB Rahil Boone had the lone touchdown for the Independents en route to their 8th win of the season.
Players of the Week:
OFF: RB Laurent Brazeau TOR - 3 Touchdowns, 165 Rushing Yards
DEF: LB Carlos Bennet BOS - 8 Tackles, 2 Knockdowns
Standings
NORTH
Montreal 9-0-1 -y
Buffalo 6-4 -x
Ottawa 4-4-2
Toronto 2-8
NEW ENGLAND
Boston 8-2 -y
Providence 5-4-1 -x
Hartford 3-7
Worcester 1-7
Power Rankings
Montreal -
Boston -
Buffalo -
Providence -
Toronto +2
Ottawa -1
Hartford -1
Worcester -
Playoff Preview
NORTH SEMI-FINAL
Montreal Rouge VS. Buffalo Blue Wings - Mount Royal Stadium
Montreal won both matchups this season, 23-14 and 24-12
The Rouge are by far the hottest team in the league and a heavy favourite to claim this year's title. However, their most difficult challenge may come in the semi-finals as the Blue Wings are not a team to just toss away. While Montreal has won both matchups by at least two scores it can't be a complete indicator of how the Blue Wings will play in their first playoff game. It should be a solid battle in Montreal as the rouge try to avoid flopping when it counts most. The other note would be that both QBs are starting their first NAAF playoff game.
NEW ENGLAND SEMI-FINAL
Boston Independents VS. Providence Gold Stars - Richardson Stadium
The Independents have continued their dominance over the Gold Stars with wins in both games this season. The Gold Stars have been a very inconsistent team this season and will need to find some magic in order to return to the McCallister Cup. Boston will have RB Joel Bonner in the line up for the first time since week 1 against Montreal. They're hoping Bonner can give Boston the edge they need to win their third Straight NAAF title.
Montreal Rouge - 34, Buffalo Blue Wings - 22 - Mount Royal Stadium, September 22nd, 1951
1ST Q: MTL 7-7 BUF
The Rouge started the game well on defense forcing the Blue Wings to a two and out. They would get the ball and drive the field going up 7-0 off of a RB Élisée Marchal touchdown. The Blue Wings would tighten up the defense following the quick drive by Montreal. They would pin the Rouge deep and DB Dylan Alston would make a great play deflecting the ball away from WR Richard de la Fontaine. Unfortunately, he would land awkwardly and be forced to leave the game with an ankle injury. The good news is Buffalo was able to capitalize on the defensive stop and score a touchdown to tie it via RB Arthur Conner.
2ND Q: MTL 17-10 BUF
The Rouge started the second with a field goal to counter the Blue Wings touchdown. A couple drives later Buffalo would make a major mistake as Angelo Medina would throw an awkward wobbler into the hands of DB Jean-Luc Paget. The Rouge would take over in Buffalo Territory and Marchal would add to the Montreal lead. The Blue Wings would snag a field goal late in the half but were still down by 7.
3RD Q: MTL 20-16 BUF
The third was the slowest quarter of the game. The Blue Wings defense was able to keep Montreal at bay only allowing a field goal in the quarter. They would find the endzone again, with WR Joseph Barry this time, and pull themselves back to within a score, but the missed convert leaves them down by 4.
4TH Q: MTL 34-22 BUF
The Rouge would break free midway through the fourth off of a huge Marchal run which would lead to a smart play and touchdown for WR John Rivera who got himself open from DB Oscar Patterson. Angelo Medina would step it up late for Buffalo leading them a long 3-minute drive. He would cap it off by running it into the endzone himself. The team would miss the 2-point convert and now be down by 5. The Rouge didn’t have a lot of time to kill so they went to the ground game. The Blue Wings just needed to stop Marchal a couple of times, to get the ball back. They would stuff Marchal after 3 yards on first down, giving them some hope. The hope was swiftly extinguished on the next play as Marchal found a hole and ran past everyone to score his third touchdown of the game and send the Rouge back to the McCallister Cup.
POSTGAME
Montreal’s John Rivera: “This is an unreal feeling! Competing in New England for a long time, you always dream just to play for that trophy, and I'm finally able to do it. Montreal you’ve been good to me”
Montreal’s Oliver Callahan: “Feels good to win, that’s all I need to say.”
Buffalo’s Oscar Patterson: “They are a great team, it hurts but they outplayed us. We’ll be back though. Next year: watch out.”
Boston Independents - 30, Providence Gold Stars - 12 - Richardson Stadium - September 23rd, 1951
1ST Q: BOS 7-6 PRO
The Gold Stars got off on the wrong foot in this one. The first play was a QB Bruce Woodard pass that would deflect out of WR Jean-Yves Vallatton’s hands and into DB Lester Murphy’s of Boston. The Independents would take over and eventually score on RB Joel Bonner’s first touchdown of the season. Providence would stick to their game plan after the interception and would start moving the ball. They would get back-to-back field goals while holding the Boston offense up.
2ND Q: BOS 10-12 PRO
The second quarter saw the Gold Stars reach the end zone as Woodard would find Peter Brooks for the score, however, their 2-point attempt was stopped. The defense was then able to continue their strong play against the Boston offense. They felt in control heading into the half.
3RD Q: BOS 20-12 PRO
The tide of the game turned in the 3rd quarter as the Independents went in and made the right adjustments. They were able to start moving the ball more and find the holes in the Gold Stars defense. This would lead to two scores in the frame with a field goal and then a second Bonner touchdown. On the other side, Providence was unable to change, partly due to the stubbornness of their head coach Gilbert Dale and conflict with offensive coordinator Perry Powel. Powel was trying to get the offense to change it up, but Dale thought his plan would work and kept at it causing frustration to boil over on the sideline. Eventually, Dale took the playbook and called plays himself. With all of this happening the offense would not be able to gain a first down.
4TH Q: BOS 30-12 PRO
The coaching issues spilled over into the fourth quarter with 2 more turnovers on plays that Dale was finally becoming more aggressive. The Independents would fly past the Gold Stars scoring another touchdown via WR Samuel Floyd. Boston continues their streak of McCallister Cup appearances, following their 7th straight win. The fans of the Gold Stars became angry over their team’s continued disappointment calling for change.
POSTGAME
Boston’s Joel Bonner: “It feels good to be back on the field again playing for this city. We’re ready to head into Montreal and go get another championship.”
Providence’s Bruce Woodard: “It’s completely embarrassing. I played terribly, the team was not working together. It was all frustration boiling over. It’s what this place does to this team.”
Providence’s Lee Wolfe: “I don’t even know what happened out there. I am so disgusted with the team. How can we win games if we can’t even move the ball, Come on!”
Players of the Week:
OFF: RB Élisée Marchal MTL - 3 Touchdowns, 164 Rushing Yards
DEF: DB Lester Murphy BOS - 1 Interception, 5 Tackles, 4 Knockdowns
1951 McCallister Cup (33rd) Preview:
Montreal Rouge VS. Boston Independents - Mount Royal Stadium
It's the same two teams, on the same stage, but a lot has changed since the 1950 McCallister Cup. The Rouge have been unstoppable this season going 9-0-1 and winning their last 9 games. The additions from Hartford have skyrocketed the Rouge to another level. However, you cannot discount the Boston Independents who have won their last 7. The Independents have all the experience in winning and they have been able to be successful without their starting running back, and he's back for this game. It's going to be a tight game, the Rouge are hungry, the Independents are looking to cement their legacy with a third straight NAAF Championship. Who's winning?
1951 McCallister Cup (33rd)
Montreal Rouge VS. Boston Independents - Mount Royal Stadium - September 30th, 1951
1ST Q: MTL 3-0 BOS
The opening quarter had both teams trading punts. The defenses were doing a good job slowing down the opposing offenses. Montreal would eventually breakthrough on a 22-yard run from RB Élisée Marchal which would set up a field goal with 4 minutes to go in the quarter.
2ND Q: MTL 10-8 BOS
The Independents would be the next to strike midway through the second. RB Joel Bonner broke through the Montreal line and ran in the touchdown from 6 yards out. Montreal would get a touchdown of their own a few minutes later with Marchal getting into the endzone. The rest of the quarter was much the same, but offenses had started to find their footing. The final drive of the half, Boston was around midfield, but it was just outside field goal range so they decided to get K Arthur Wall to kick it as far as he could for at least a single. It managed to bounce over the Rouge returner and deep into the endzone where the Rouge would sacrifice the point.
3RD Q: MTL 17-11 BOS
The third saw Montreal leap forward. Boston was driving early on, but QB Larry Larson would be hit while throwing the ball. The ball fluttered up and came down into the arms of DB Leonard Lebrun of Montreal. The Rouge would take over and Élisée Marchal would eventually score the touchdown to give Montreal a 2-score lead. Boston would add a late field goal but their offense seemed to be sputtering.
4TH Q: MTL 24-14 BOS
The start of the fourth was still very much leaning in the direction of Montreal, but Boston was finding a way to slow Marchal and the offense. Even still the Rouge found themselves inching towards the endzone at about the 17-yard line. They would fake the handoff to Marchal and QB Oliver Callahan would float one up to WR John Rivera. The ball was inaccurate and DB Francis Veillette was there. The ball was still a little high and Veillette would jump for it. However, he could only get a hand on it as Rivera was there to contest. The ball would be tipped but Rivera managed to find it and come down with it on the 3-yard line. The following play Élisée Marchal would take it in before pointing and running towards Rivera who truly deserved the credit on that score. The Independents would make a final push but only managed a field goal as their magic had finally run out. With just a couple first downs provided by Élisée Marchal, the Rouge had clinched their first-ever McCallister Cup.
POSTGAME:
The game MVP would be RB Élisée Marchal and he would also be the first one to raise the Cup and celebrate before handing it off to LB Quinton Brewer and then on to WR John Rivera who had dreamed of this moment his whole life.
Montreal’s Élisée Marchal: “It’s fantastic! All the hard work has paid off, thanks to Johnny and Ollie, I got to understand what this trophy truly means and it makes it so much more special.
Montreal’s John Rivera: “This is a dream that has come to life, not where I expected to be, but I still won and this is a crazy feeling! Thank you, Montreal in believing and the Rouge for giving me this opportunity.”
Montreal’s Oliver Callahan: “This is for those who thought my career was over...Champion” Boston’s Joel Bonner: “They deserve that one. They outplayed us, but I’m already getting ready for another run next year”
Boston’s Larry Larson: “Can’t win them all, what we’ve done for the past 6 years has been amazing. Can’t ever take that away from me. It still hurts to lose but congrats Montreal, enjoy it.”
McCallister Cup MVP:
RB Élisée Marchal MTL - 3 Touchdowns, 119 Rushing Yards
1951 NAAF Awards
Welcome to the 1951 Awards Ceremony! Congratulations to the Montreal Rouge on winning the McCallister Cup. Now let's get to the first few awards.
NAAF Coach of the Year
Several coaches did well this season. Blue Wings coach Bobby Hooper led Buffalo to a 5-1 start and their first playoff appearance. The winner of the last two years Peter McDuffin of the Boston Independents still managed a strong 8-2 season while missing their star player in Joel Bonner. However, it comes down to the championship-winning coach. Guy Clarke was the man behind the dominant force of the Montreal Rouge this season who didn’t lose a single game this season. The performance earns Guy Clarke the coach of the year award for 1951
Head Coach Guy Clarke - Montreal Rouge
NAAF Rookie of the Year
The rookie class of 1951 was not quite as prominent as 1950. RB Laurent Brazeau took the league by storm last year, but this year the rookie was a much more difficult selection. It came down to a couple of nominees, but it was eventually a two-man race between Hawks backup QB Andrew Sexton and Blue Wings WR Clifford Church. In the end, Clifford Church had a stronger season as a 3rd/4th receiver for the Blue Wings. Both players showed promise this season and we will see how they both perform moving forward.
Wide Receiver Clifford Church - Buffalo Blue Wings
NAAF Special Teams Player of the Year
This award already has a shortlist to start with, but once again the Hawks had to rely on their kicker Thomas McFadden. McFadden was able to be a big help in the wins this season for the Hawks and was one of their leading scorers all season earning his second Special Teams Player of the Year.
Kicker Thomas McFadden - Hartford Hawks
NAAF Defensive Player of the Year
This season the vote for the defensive player of the year featured a nominee from each team. Coming into the final award announcement, we have the 3 nominees:
DB Lester Murphy - Boston Independents
With Boston missing their top weapon this year Lester Murphy stepped up big time helping Boston to a strong defensive performance. They were second behind Montreal in points against allowing 120. Murphy had a defensive player of the week in week 8 and even during the semi-final week. His 2 interceptions during the regular season were a big help and even won them a tight game against Toronto.
LB Quinton Brewer - Montreal Rouge
Last year’s winner once again led the Montreal defense to the best in the league only allowing 110 points all season. Brewer himself was a Defensive Player of the week twice and had a total of 3 interceptions and led the Rouge in tackles.
DB Louie White - Toronto Tigers
White was also in consideration for rookie of the year last year alongside teammate Laurent Brazeau. White took the success from last year and continued to perform in his second NAAF season. White had 4 interceptions this season including 3 in one game in week 2 against the Athletics, capturing the defensive player of the week. White looks like a future star in the league on defense.
This year’s winner is…
Linebacker Quinton Brewer - Montreal Rouge
NAAF Offensive Player of the Year
The vote also came down to three players across the league.
WR John Rivera - Montreal Rouge
Rivera did not take the league by storm this season, but he still put up 6 touchdowns for a Montreal team that rarely scored through the air this season. He also got a player of the week nod early in the season and led the Rouge in receiving yards all season and played a major role in getting the McCallister Cup to Montreal.
WR Allen Atkins - Ottawa Royals
Atkins has been easily one of the most overshadowed stars in the league falling short of this award in the last two seasons to RB Joel Bonner and his teammate QB Duane Logan. Atkins was one of the most dominant receivers leading the Royals in touchdowns with 16 and receiving yards. He also had a player of the week nod early on.
RB Laurent Brazeau - Toronto Tigers
Brazeau’s climb to stardom has been a quick one. In just his second season the powerful running back led the team in touchdowns with 15. He also picked up a player of the week award after putting up 3 touchdowns against Providence and once again in the Week 10 win over Ottawa. Brazeau is easily the most important player for Toronto and what he was able to do with the team around him is amazing.
And the award goes to…
Running Back Laurent Brazeau - Toronto Tigers
NAAF Most Valuable Player
Now for the final award. While several nominees were put into the conversation like Allen Atkins, Quinton Brewer, and Laurent Brazeau, it was pretty much decided that once again there was only one choice.
Running Back Élisée Marchal once again dominated the league proving once again he is in another league. Marchal put up 20+ touchdowns for the third straight season finishing with 22, not to mention the additional 6 he scored in the playoffs. He also led the league in rushing yards all while leading an unbeaten Montreal Rouge team en route to their first championship. He had two Player of Week awards this season. Marchal has had little competition for the best player in the league and things wouldn’t be quite as bright for the Rouge without him
Your 1951 MVP…
Running Back Élisée Marchal - Montreal Rouge
1951 NAAF All-Stars
Offensive
QB Duane Logan - OTT - 2nd
RB Élisée Marchal - MTL - 3rd
RB Laurent Brazeau - TOR - 1st*
OL Casey York - BUF - 2nd
OL Malachi Knowles - WOR - 1st*
OL Joshua Mercer - MTL - 3rd
OL James Knowles - OTT - 3rd
OL Andrew Furrson - BOS - 2nd
WR Allen Atkins - 3rd
WR Peter Brooks - 1st*
WR John Rivera - MTL - 2nd
TE Darryl Hubbard - MTL - 1st*
Defensive
DL Napoléon Chevalier - MTL - 3rd
DL Jonathan Brown - BUF - 3rd
DL Sean Bowen - HAR - 2nd
DL Jean-Michel Duchane - MTL - 1st*
LB Carlos Bennett - BOS - 3rd
LB Quinton Brewer - MTL - 3rd
LB Samuel Grimes - PRO - 3rd
DB Lester Murphy - BOS - 1st*
DB Lee Wolfe - PRO - 3rd
DB Louie White - TOR - 2nd
S Micheal O’Brien - BOS - 3rd
Special Teams
K Thomas McFadden - HAR - 2nd
Standings:
NORTH
Montreal 7-0-1 - y
Buffalo 5-3
Ottawa 4-2-2
Toronto 1-7 - e
NEW ENGLAND
Boston 6-2 - x
Providence 4-3-1
Hartford 3-5
Worcester 0-8 - e
Power Rankings
Montreal -
Boston -
Buffalo -
Ottawa -
Providence -
Toronto -
Hartford -
Worcester -
The Gold Stars and Royals try to get out of their funk by making a late-season swap. The Gold Stars have had a relatively weak O-line and need help protecting and making Bruce Woodard feel more comfortable in the pocket. They acquired 28-year-old OL Benjamin Harrell from the Royals to boost protection, and going the other way is a prospect LB in Leo Davenport, which Providence signed this offseason. The move should be good for both teams trying to compete for the playoffs.
Providence Gold Stars get:
OL Benjamin Harrell
LB Robert Pierce
Ottawa Royals get:
LB Leo Davenport
OL Roger Brewer
Ottawa Royals - 20, Buffalo Blue Wings - 35
The Blue Wings rebounded from their two-game skid in dominating fashion. On the road in Ottawa QB Angelo Medina lit up the Ottawa defense. Buffalo seemed unstoppable early on going up 21-3 at half-time. RB Arthur Conner had two touchdowns in the first half and would add to his total with two more in the second half. The other touchdown was on a 56-yard bomb to WR Travis Gallagher, over all of the Ottawa defenders. The Royals, on the other hand, crumbled under the pressure. With the trade they made this week, former Tigers OL Darryl Garrison made his first start in Ottawa. Garrison struggled a bit early on in the new offense leading to a sack or two in the first quarter, but he picked it up for the rest of the game after that. Those early mistakes, however, caused QB Duane Logan and RB Ray Middleton to struggle early on and lead to the low production. In the second half, Logan stepped it up leading a massive drive for an Allen Atkins touchdown. Then kept up the pressure eventually finding Atkins again for 6 more. The Royals would get hot a bit too late and couldn’t make up enough ground resulting in their first missed playoff since the NAAF started. The Blue Wings, on the other hand, celebrate their first playoff appearance in league history.
*Buffalo Clinches Playoff*
Providence Gold Stars - 24, Worcester Athletics - 10
Providence clinched their 3rd straight playoff appearance with a win at home. The scoring was spread around today with WR Peter Brooks scoring again, RB Gene Fischer as well, and Jean-Yves Vallatton had his first TD as a Gold Star. The defense was comfortable throughout holding the Athletics to 3 points until 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The lone Athletics score goes to RB Jacque Montier. The Gold Stars trade seemed to help them in a strong win over the Athletics, but their true test will come against Boston over the next two weeks.
*Providence Clinches Playoff*
Montreal Rouge - 34, Toronto Tigers - 6
The result of this game was pretty much decided from the first snap as RB RB Élisée Marchal would take the handoff and run it 78 yards to the endzone untouched. From then on it was a bloodbath. The Rouge would pick off the ball from the Tigers' next two drives and turn both of them into touchdowns, one more from Marchal and WR Richard de la Fontaine’s first since returning from injury. The would-be up 21-3 at the half and would add another touchdown in the third via WR John Rivera. The Tigers had no answers this time around.
Hartford Hawks - 16, Boston Independents - 27
The Hawks have shown all season that they are a tough team to play when they are at home. They went up early off a field goal, which was followed by a DB Eugene Christensen interception and eventual WR Micheal Mcleod touchdown. The 10-0 lead on Boston wouldn’t last too long as QB Larry Larson would find WR Samuel Floyd in the endzone and then they would tie it up before halftime. The second half started with another Hawks field goal, but it was the Independents who took over. RB Clayton Owen would get into the endzone as well as WR Clifford Chapman. The Independents’ win clinched them the New England division.
*Boston Clinches New England Division*
Players of the Week
Standings:
NORTH
Montreal 8-0-1 -y
Buffalo 6-3 -x
Ottawa 4-3-2
Toronto 1-8
NEW ENGLAND
Boston 7-2 -y
Providence 5-3-1 -x
Hartford 3-6
Worcester 0-9
Power Rankings
Montreal -
Boston -
Buffalo -
Providence +1
Ottawa -1
Hartford +1
Toronto -1
Worcester -
The Hawks opened up the final game starting QB Andrew Sexton and a collection of many younger prospects. They started pretty well with a couple of field goals and a 3-6 lead at the half. The Athletics started the second half strong, however, with RB Jacque Montier leading the team to a touchdown and the lead. Hartford, however, would counter as RB Howard Reid would earn his first career touchdown. The Hawks extended their lead late giving the Athletics about one last push to tie it up. Montier would lead the team down the field but it was WR Dewey Doyle with the finishing touch on his career. After being injured earlier, Doyle returned for his final game in his hometown. No passes went Doyle’s way on the final drive until the final throw. Little wanted to get Doyle the ball at least once and so he called a specific play to get him open. Doyle was in the clear for the touchdown, on what would be his final play to give his hometown team their first win in NAAF history.
Buffalo Blue Wings - 12, Montreal Rouge - 24
The Blue Wings entered the game with mainly back-ups starting QB Andrew Glover. Glover played really well, which may turn some other teams’ heads to look at him as a possible option. He threw for a touchdown and made the game quite interesting early on, however, the Rouge was determined to maintain their unbeaten season and didn’t follow suit with the resting starters. RB Élisée Marchal ran in three touchdowns in the win and has made his case for the third straight MVP award. The Rouge earn the first-ever unbeaten season at 9-0-1, but the real test will be next week when they face the Blue Wings in Montreal.
Toronto Tigers - 34, Ottawa Royals - 31
For a week with no meaning, the Tigers and Royals did not let the games be boring with an offensive showdown. The Royals split reps today between their two QBs with Jean Matieau playing the first half and Duane Logan in the second. The Tigers, on the other hand, had many players trying to prove to the league they were legit. RB Laurent Brazeau and QB Evan Morrow played fantastic leading Toronto an early 10-3 lead. While Matieau would tie it up, Toronto would get a fumble recovery and eventually retake the lead. Unfortunately, it was short-lived as Matieau found the endzone again with WR Allen Atkins to tie it back up. The second half started all Tiger though as Morrow would lead the offense to two straight scoring drives. WR Wilbert Benjamin would score the touchdown, while they would add a field goal from K Nathaniel King. Duane Logan had thrown a pick to DB Louie White on his second drive but from that point, he was all business and led a strong comeback. He would throw back-to-back touchdowns to WR John Osborn and then to WR Allen Atkins. The Tigers had blown another lead, but Brazeau would not let them fall again. He powered his way through the Ottawa defense and eventually found the endzone to give the Tigers their second win of the season. The Royals had not been the same team since the middle of the season and this emphasized it. They will enter the offseason and will have to decide which QB is the QB of the future.
Boston Independents - 16, Providence Gold Star - 14
A game of back-ups once again, well for Boston’s offense primarily. QB Jordan Boyle and RB Rahil Boone had the starting calls but most other starters played. While the Gold Stars kept most of the roster the same they still struggled against the Boston defense. The two touchdowns went to WR Eugene Burns and to RB Gene Fischer, but the Boston defense kept them at bay. Jordan Boyle just had to manage the game and got the team into scoring range enough times to give them the win. RB Rahil Boone had the lone touchdown for the Independents en route to their 8th win of the season.
Players of the Week:
Standings
NORTH
Montreal 9-0-1 -y
Buffalo 6-4 -x
Ottawa 4-4-2
Toronto 2-8
NEW ENGLAND
Boston 8-2 -y
Providence 5-4-1 -x
Hartford 3-7
Worcester 1-7
Power Rankings
Montreal -
Boston -
Buffalo -
Providence -
Toronto +2
Ottawa -1
Hartford -1
Worcester -
Playoff Preview
NORTH SEMI-FINAL
Montreal Rouge VS. Buffalo Blue Wings - Mount Royal Stadium
Montreal won both matchups this season, 23-14 and 24-12
The Rouge are by far the hottest team in the league and a heavy favourite to claim this year's title. However, their most difficult challenge may come in the semi-finals as the Blue Wings are not a team to just toss away. While Montreal has won both matchups by at least two scores it can't be a complete indicator of how the Blue Wings will play in their first playoff game. It should be a solid battle in Montreal as the rouge try to avoid flopping when it counts most. The other note would be that both QBs are starting their first NAAF playoff game.
NEW ENGLAND SEMI-FINAL
Boston Independents VS. Providence Gold Stars - Richardson Stadium
The Independents have continued their dominance over the Gold Stars with wins in both games this season. The Gold Stars have been a very inconsistent team this season and will need to find some magic in order to return to the McCallister Cup. Boston will have RB Joel Bonner in the line up for the first time since week 1 against Montreal. They're hoping Bonner can give Boston the edge they need to win their third Straight NAAF title.
1ST Q: MTL 7-7 BUF
The Rouge started the game well on defense forcing the Blue Wings to a two and out. They would get the ball and drive the field going up 7-0 off of a RB Élisée Marchal touchdown. The Blue Wings would tighten up the defense following the quick drive by Montreal. They would pin the Rouge deep and DB Dylan Alston would make a great play deflecting the ball away from WR Richard de la Fontaine. Unfortunately, he would land awkwardly and be forced to leave the game with an ankle injury. The good news is Buffalo was able to capitalize on the defensive stop and score a touchdown to tie it via RB Arthur Conner.
2ND Q: MTL 17-10 BUF
The Rouge started the second with a field goal to counter the Blue Wings touchdown. A couple drives later Buffalo would make a major mistake as Angelo Medina would throw an awkward wobbler into the hands of DB Jean-Luc Paget. The Rouge would take over in Buffalo Territory and Marchal would add to the Montreal lead. The Blue Wings would snag a field goal late in the half but were still down by 7.
3RD Q: MTL 20-16 BUF
The third was the slowest quarter of the game. The Blue Wings defense was able to keep Montreal at bay only allowing a field goal in the quarter. They would find the endzone again, with WR Joseph Barry this time, and pull themselves back to within a score, but the missed convert leaves them down by 4.
4TH Q: MTL 34-22 BUF
The Rouge would break free midway through the fourth off of a huge Marchal run which would lead to a smart play and touchdown for WR John Rivera who got himself open from DB Oscar Patterson. Angelo Medina would step it up late for Buffalo leading them a long 3-minute drive. He would cap it off by running it into the endzone himself. The team would miss the 2-point convert and now be down by 5. The Rouge didn’t have a lot of time to kill so they went to the ground game. The Blue Wings just needed to stop Marchal a couple of times, to get the ball back. They would stuff Marchal after 3 yards on first down, giving them some hope. The hope was swiftly extinguished on the next play as Marchal found a hole and ran past everyone to score his third touchdown of the game and send the Rouge back to the McCallister Cup.
POSTGAME
Montreal’s John Rivera: “This is an unreal feeling! Competing in New England for a long time, you always dream just to play for that trophy, and I'm finally able to do it. Montreal you’ve been good to me”
Montreal’s Oliver Callahan: “Feels good to win, that’s all I need to say.”
Buffalo’s Oscar Patterson: “They are a great team, it hurts but they outplayed us. We’ll be back though. Next year: watch out.”
1ST Q: BOS 7-6 PRO
The Gold Stars got off on the wrong foot in this one. The first play was a QB Bruce Woodard pass that would deflect out of WR Jean-Yves Vallatton’s hands and into DB Lester Murphy’s of Boston. The Independents would take over and eventually score on RB Joel Bonner’s first touchdown of the season. Providence would stick to their game plan after the interception and would start moving the ball. They would get back-to-back field goals while holding the Boston offense up.
2ND Q: BOS 10-12 PRO
The second quarter saw the Gold Stars reach the end zone as Woodard would find Peter Brooks for the score, however, their 2-point attempt was stopped. The defense was then able to continue their strong play against the Boston offense. They felt in control heading into the half.
3RD Q: BOS 20-12 PRO
The tide of the game turned in the 3rd quarter as the Independents went in and made the right adjustments. They were able to start moving the ball more and find the holes in the Gold Stars defense. This would lead to two scores in the frame with a field goal and then a second Bonner touchdown. On the other side, Providence was unable to change, partly due to the stubbornness of their head coach Gilbert Dale and conflict with offensive coordinator Perry Powel. Powel was trying to get the offense to change it up, but Dale thought his plan would work and kept at it causing frustration to boil over on the sideline. Eventually, Dale took the playbook and called plays himself. With all of this happening the offense would not be able to gain a first down.
4TH Q: BOS 30-12 PRO
The coaching issues spilled over into the fourth quarter with 2 more turnovers on plays that Dale was finally becoming more aggressive. The Independents would fly past the Gold Stars scoring another touchdown via WR Samuel Floyd. Boston continues their streak of McCallister Cup appearances, following their 7th straight win. The fans of the Gold Stars became angry over their team’s continued disappointment calling for change.
POSTGAME
Boston’s Joel Bonner: “It feels good to be back on the field again playing for this city. We’re ready to head into Montreal and go get another championship.”
Providence’s Bruce Woodard: “It’s completely embarrassing. I played terribly, the team was not working together. It was all frustration boiling over. It’s what this place does to this team.”
Providence’s Lee Wolfe: “I don’t even know what happened out there. I am so disgusted with the team. How can we win games if we can’t even move the ball, Come on!”
Players of the Week:
1951 McCallister Cup (33rd) Preview:
Montreal Rouge VS. Boston Independents - Mount Royal Stadium
It's the same two teams, on the same stage, but a lot has changed since the 1950 McCallister Cup. The Rouge have been unstoppable this season going 9-0-1 and winning their last 9 games. The additions from Hartford have skyrocketed the Rouge to another level. However, you cannot discount the Boston Independents who have won their last 7. The Independents have all the experience in winning and they have been able to be successful without their starting running back, and he's back for this game. It's going to be a tight game, the Rouge are hungry, the Independents are looking to cement their legacy with a third straight NAAF Championship. Who's winning?
1951 McCallister Cup (33rd)
Montreal Rouge VS. Boston Independents - Mount Royal Stadium - September 30th, 1951
1ST Q: MTL 3-0 BOS
The opening quarter had both teams trading punts. The defenses were doing a good job slowing down the opposing offenses. Montreal would eventually breakthrough on a 22-yard run from RB Élisée Marchal which would set up a field goal with 4 minutes to go in the quarter.
2ND Q: MTL 10-8 BOS
The Independents would be the next to strike midway through the second. RB Joel Bonner broke through the Montreal line and ran in the touchdown from 6 yards out. Montreal would get a touchdown of their own a few minutes later with Marchal getting into the endzone. The rest of the quarter was much the same, but offenses had started to find their footing. The final drive of the half, Boston was around midfield, but it was just outside field goal range so they decided to get K Arthur Wall to kick it as far as he could for at least a single. It managed to bounce over the Rouge returner and deep into the endzone where the Rouge would sacrifice the point.
3RD Q: MTL 17-11 BOS
The third saw Montreal leap forward. Boston was driving early on, but QB Larry Larson would be hit while throwing the ball. The ball fluttered up and came down into the arms of DB Leonard Lebrun of Montreal. The Rouge would take over and Élisée Marchal would eventually score the touchdown to give Montreal a 2-score lead. Boston would add a late field goal but their offense seemed to be sputtering.
4TH Q: MTL 24-14 BOS
The start of the fourth was still very much leaning in the direction of Montreal, but Boston was finding a way to slow Marchal and the offense. Even still the Rouge found themselves inching towards the endzone at about the 17-yard line. They would fake the handoff to Marchal and QB Oliver Callahan would float one up to WR John Rivera. The ball was inaccurate and DB Francis Veillette was there. The ball was still a little high and Veillette would jump for it. However, he could only get a hand on it as Rivera was there to contest. The ball would be tipped but Rivera managed to find it and come down with it on the 3-yard line. The following play Élisée Marchal would take it in before pointing and running towards Rivera who truly deserved the credit on that score. The Independents would make a final push but only managed a field goal as their magic had finally run out. With just a couple first downs provided by Élisée Marchal, the Rouge had clinched their first-ever McCallister Cup.
POSTGAME:
The game MVP would be RB Élisée Marchal and he would also be the first one to raise the Cup and celebrate before handing it off to LB Quinton Brewer and then on to WR John Rivera who had dreamed of this moment his whole life.
Montreal’s Élisée Marchal: “It’s fantastic! All the hard work has paid off, thanks to Johnny and Ollie, I got to understand what this trophy truly means and it makes it so much more special.
Montreal’s John Rivera: “This is a dream that has come to life, not where I expected to be, but I still won and this is a crazy feeling! Thank you, Montreal in believing and the Rouge for giving me this opportunity.”
Montreal’s Oliver Callahan: “This is for those who thought my career was over...Champion” Boston’s Joel Bonner: “They deserve that one. They outplayed us, but I’m already getting ready for another run next year”
Boston’s Larry Larson: “Can’t win them all, what we’ve done for the past 6 years has been amazing. Can’t ever take that away from me. It still hurts to lose but congrats Montreal, enjoy it.”
McCallister Cup MVP:
Welcome to the 1951 Awards Ceremony! Congratulations to the Montreal Rouge on winning the McCallister Cup. Now let's get to the first few awards.
NAAF Coach of the Year
Several coaches did well this season. Blue Wings coach Bobby Hooper led Buffalo to a 5-1 start and their first playoff appearance. The winner of the last two years Peter McDuffin of the Boston Independents still managed a strong 8-2 season while missing their star player in Joel Bonner. However, it comes down to the championship-winning coach. Guy Clarke was the man behind the dominant force of the Montreal Rouge this season who didn’t lose a single game this season. The performance earns Guy Clarke the coach of the year award for 1951
Head Coach Guy Clarke - Montreal Rouge
NAAF Rookie of the Year
The rookie class of 1951 was not quite as prominent as 1950. RB Laurent Brazeau took the league by storm last year, but this year the rookie was a much more difficult selection. It came down to a couple of nominees, but it was eventually a two-man race between Hawks backup QB Andrew Sexton and Blue Wings WR Clifford Church. In the end, Clifford Church had a stronger season as a 3rd/4th receiver for the Blue Wings. Both players showed promise this season and we will see how they both perform moving forward.
Wide Receiver Clifford Church - Buffalo Blue Wings
NAAF Special Teams Player of the Year
This award already has a shortlist to start with, but once again the Hawks had to rely on their kicker Thomas McFadden. McFadden was able to be a big help in the wins this season for the Hawks and was one of their leading scorers all season earning his second Special Teams Player of the Year.
Kicker Thomas McFadden - Hartford Hawks
NAAF Defensive Player of the Year
This season the vote for the defensive player of the year featured a nominee from each team. Coming into the final award announcement, we have the 3 nominees:
DB Lester Murphy - Boston Independents
With Boston missing their top weapon this year Lester Murphy stepped up big time helping Boston to a strong defensive performance. They were second behind Montreal in points against allowing 120. Murphy had a defensive player of the week in week 8 and even during the semi-final week. His 2 interceptions during the regular season were a big help and even won them a tight game against Toronto.
LB Quinton Brewer - Montreal Rouge
Last year’s winner once again led the Montreal defense to the best in the league only allowing 110 points all season. Brewer himself was a Defensive Player of the week twice and had a total of 3 interceptions and led the Rouge in tackles.
DB Louie White - Toronto Tigers
White was also in consideration for rookie of the year last year alongside teammate Laurent Brazeau. White took the success from last year and continued to perform in his second NAAF season. White had 4 interceptions this season including 3 in one game in week 2 against the Athletics, capturing the defensive player of the week. White looks like a future star in the league on defense.
This year’s winner is…
Linebacker Quinton Brewer - Montreal Rouge
NAAF Offensive Player of the Year
The vote also came down to three players across the league.
WR John Rivera - Montreal Rouge
Rivera did not take the league by storm this season, but he still put up 6 touchdowns for a Montreal team that rarely scored through the air this season. He also got a player of the week nod early in the season and led the Rouge in receiving yards all season and played a major role in getting the McCallister Cup to Montreal.
WR Allen Atkins - Ottawa Royals
Atkins has been easily one of the most overshadowed stars in the league falling short of this award in the last two seasons to RB Joel Bonner and his teammate QB Duane Logan. Atkins was one of the most dominant receivers leading the Royals in touchdowns with 16 and receiving yards. He also had a player of the week nod early on.
RB Laurent Brazeau - Toronto Tigers
Brazeau’s climb to stardom has been a quick one. In just his second season the powerful running back led the team in touchdowns with 15. He also picked up a player of the week award after putting up 3 touchdowns against Providence and once again in the Week 10 win over Ottawa. Brazeau is easily the most important player for Toronto and what he was able to do with the team around him is amazing.
And the award goes to…
Running Back Laurent Brazeau - Toronto Tigers
NAAF Most Valuable Player
Now for the final award. While several nominees were put into the conversation like Allen Atkins, Quinton Brewer, and Laurent Brazeau, it was pretty much decided that once again there was only one choice.
Running Back Élisée Marchal once again dominated the league proving once again he is in another league. Marchal put up 20+ touchdowns for the third straight season finishing with 22, not to mention the additional 6 he scored in the playoffs. He also led the league in rushing yards all while leading an unbeaten Montreal Rouge team en route to their first championship. He had two Player of Week awards this season. Marchal has had little competition for the best player in the league and things wouldn’t be quite as bright for the Rouge without him
Your 1951 MVP…
Running Back Élisée Marchal - Montreal Rouge
Offensive
QB Duane Logan - OTT - 2nd
RB Élisée Marchal - MTL - 3rd
RB Laurent Brazeau - TOR - 1st*
OL Casey York - BUF - 2nd
OL Malachi Knowles - WOR - 1st*
OL Joshua Mercer - MTL - 3rd
OL James Knowles - OTT - 3rd
OL Andrew Furrson - BOS - 2nd
WR Allen Atkins - 3rd
WR Peter Brooks - 1st*
WR John Rivera - MTL - 2nd
TE Darryl Hubbard - MTL - 1st*
Defensive
DL Napoléon Chevalier - MTL - 3rd
DL Jonathan Brown - BUF - 3rd
DL Sean Bowen - HAR - 2nd
DL Jean-Michel Duchane - MTL - 1st*
LB Carlos Bennett - BOS - 3rd
LB Quinton Brewer - MTL - 3rd
LB Samuel Grimes - PRO - 3rd
DB Lester Murphy - BOS - 1st*
DB Lee Wolfe - PRO - 3rd
DB Louie White - TOR - 2nd
S Micheal O’Brien - BOS - 3rd
Special Teams
K Thomas McFadden - HAR - 2nd
