1958 Award Winners

 1958 Award Winners 

Most Valuable Player - QB Jean Matieau OTT
Matieau takes home his third NAAF MVP which ties him with RB Élisée Marchal for most all-time. Over his 7 seasons under centre, Matieau has done nothing but continue to be great, putting up top stats year-after-year. This season, he led the Royals offence to 363 points for which is the most ever for a team in a NAAF season. Even with all the weapons around him, Matieau was working with a weaker O-line this season and still managed to do what he usually does, another great season for a legend in the making. 

Playoff MVP - LB Rusty McVee LI
McVee took home the McCallister Cup MVP and was dominant throughout the entirety of the playoffs taking home defensive player of the week during the division finals. He had 2 forced fumbles, 2 Sacks and 17 Tackles over the two games helping Long Island to their first title in the NAAF. 

Offensive Player of the Year - RB Scott Mallard-White MTL
A very close vote between Mackenzie Jones and Scott Mallard-White, but the young running back came away with the win after a monster 3rd season in the NAAF. The former #1 pick led the league with 20 rushing touchdowns and even scored through the air once as well. He had the most rushing yards this season as well. Montreal appears to have found their next centrepiece on offence and will look for him to lead the way into the future. 

Defensive Player of the Year - LB Brent Harper BOS
For the second year in a row, Brent Harper will take home the defensive player of the year. He joins DB Lee Wolfe (PRO) and LB Quinton Brewer (MTL) as the 3 players who have done this in their career. Harper led the league in tackles and forced fumbles this season and played a vital role in keeping the Independents in contention this season. 

Special Teams Player of the Year - K Henderson Schumacher LI
Schumacher came through with a strong year kick, putting up 92 points this season off of a league-leading 23 field goals. Following in K Thomas McFadden’s footsteps, Schumacher continues the team’s tradition of strong kicking. Schumacher’s award adds to McFadden’s 5 Special teams awards with the franchise giving the Hawks/Raiders 6 out of the 10 of the awards. 

Rookie of the Year  - RB Dareion Fields LI
The top 4 players in the draft this season were poised to have an all-out battle for rookie of the year, but by the end of the season, the race was between QB Nathaniel Braddock and RB Dareion Fields. A single vote separated the two by the end and Fields took home the rookie of the year. He was the weapon that the Raiders were desperate for as he put up 13 touchdowns and the 3rd most rushing yards out of all RBs this season.

Coach of the Year - Joseph Curry OTT
After taking over the Royals just before 1954, Joseph Curry has been one of the best coaches in the league. He’s been to every McCallister Cup since taking over as head coach and in fact, he won his first 8 playoff games as well. However, this season was a true measure of his success with a 12-0 season being the first to coach a team to wins in all of their regular-season games in the NAAF. His coaching abilities are next to none, and he is finally being recognized for it.  

Breakout Player of the Year - QB Stanislav Ovechkin MTL
The second half of the season saw Ovechkin flash his full potential. The Rouge gambled when trading for the young QB and it seems to have paid off. While it took some time to get comfortable, Ovechkin showed that he can get it done through the air. He threw a career-high 9 touchdowns this season and had the 4th most passing yards in the league. Hopefully, Ovechkin can keep it up next season and get the Rouge back to the playoffs.  

All-Stars

West Division All-Stars
QB Riley Kiernan LDN - 2
RB Dareion Fields LI - 1
OL Jean Matieu-Baptiste BUF - 2
OL Ulysses Fairgrove LDN - 2
OL Bruce Wesley LI - 3
OL Magnus Gunnersson LDN - 1
OL Moses Griffin LI - 1
WR Wilbert Benjamin LDN - 2
WR Benedict Spencer LDN - 2
WR Darryl Duke LI - 1
TE Johann Traeger BUF - 1

DL William Sanderson IND - 2
DL Olympus Heights LDN - 1
DL Vernon Spears LI - 2
DL Sean Bowen BUF - 9
LB Aengus Lynch LDN - 5
LB Rusty McVee LI - 3
LB Silas O'Brien LOU - 1
DB Slay Mitchell LI - 3
DB Ricardo Salvador LDN - 1
DB Kelly Kirkland IND - 1
S Frazier Brooks BUF - 3 
K Henderson Schumacher LI - 1

East Division All-Stars
QB Jean Matieau OTT - 4
RB Scott Mallard-White MTL - 1
OL Andrew Furrson BOS - 9
OL Maxence Castex MTL - 1
OL Charlie Bennett OTT - 2
OL Cliff Strautzenberger WOR - 4
OL Sal Valcano BOS - 1
WR Mackenzie Jones OTT - 1 
WR Ellis Lindholm BOS - 2
WR Chester Bennett OTT - 3
TE Jervonte Howell OTT - 5

DL Calias McDonough PRO - 3
DL Olaf Viktorsson OTT - 5
DL Vinny Brown WOR - 2
DL Zakary Turbide PRO - 4
LB Brent Harper BOS - 3
LB Scotty Williams WOR - 7
LB Konrad Aust BOS - 2
DB Quenton Xavier MTL - 3
DB Uzzia Hayes OTT - 1
DB Lee Wolfe PRO - 9
S Drew Porter BOS - 1
K Maurice Lafayette OTT - 1

41st McCallister Cup Host - Mount Royal Stadium - Montreal, QC
The blaring crowd of Montreal would be the host of the 41st McCallister Cup. The 32nd and 33rd editions were held at the stadium after Montreal had the best record for back-to-back seasons, but this year will be the first neutral-site host for the city. Mount Royals Stadium gets loud and crazy during the Rouge season so expect it to get even louder for the McCallister Cup come October. 

1958 NAAF Award Nominations

1958 NAAF Award Nominations 

MVP
LB Brent Harper BOS
Harper made his way into the MVP talks for the second straight season, helping the Independents stay afloat this season while their offence was struggling without WR Ellis Lindholm. Harper once again found himself at the top of the league in forced fumbles this season with 8 and finished 2nd in tackles behind LB Scotty Williams. Harper is the centrepiece in the Boston defence and continues to show him importance with his performance this season 

QB Jean Matieau OTT
Matieau led the Royals to be the first team to win all their regular-season games this season. He did this by leading the league in both passing yards and passing touchdowns (25). He had 6 more TDs than Riley Kiernan who had the second most passing TDs this season. The two-time MVP continues to show why he is one of the best to ever play and without him, the Royals would likely not be at the same level they are. 

WR Mackenzie Jones OTT
Joining his teammate is Mackenzie Jones who outshined every other WR this season. He had the most receiving touchdowns, 12, which was 3 more than Wilbert Benjamin in second, and he led the league in receptions and receiving yards. Jones has quickly become Matieau’s most reliable target, drawing a lot of comparisons to WR Allen Atkins and his role with the Royals in the past. Jones is quickly becoming a shining star in the league and an important member of the Royals offence. 

Offensive Player of the Year
QB Riley Kiernan LDN - 19 Passing Touchdowns (2nd), 3rd in Passing Yards
Kiernan had a huge comeback season for the Tigers this season. After only tossing 4 TDs in Worcester last season, Kiernan threw 19 this season which was the second-most in his career. 
RB Scott Mallard-White MTL - 20 Rushing Touchdowns (1st), 1st in Rushing Yards
Mallard-White came alive as the league’s next dominant running back. He led the league in most rushing categories and scored 4 more touchdowns than fellow draftmate RB Clifford Russell who was second.
QB Jean Matieau OTT - 25 Passing Touchdowns (1st), 1st in Passing Yards
Self-explanatory for the top QB in the league, lead the league in all categories and lead a team to the top of the league.
WR Mackenzie Jones OTT - 12 Receiving Touchdowns (1st), 1st in Receiving Yards
Jones was easily the best wideout this season, no one could stop him from scoring. 

Defensive Player of the Year
LB Brent Harper BOS - 2nd in Tackles, 8 Forced Fumbles (1st)
Harper was once again a huge difference-maker for the Independents reeling in 8 forced fumbles
LB Rusty McVee LI - 5th in Tackles, 4 Forced Fumbles (T-6th), led all LBs in Sacks this season
McVee wasn’t super impressive statistically, compared to some, but his presence was known in the Raiders’ defence leading all linebackers in sacks this season. 
DB Quentin Xavier MTL - 6 Interceptions (2nd), 1 Defensive Touchdown (T-1st), led in plays defended
Quentin Xavier continues to be the bright spot in the Rouge defence pulling in 6 interceptions and a defensive TD.
LB Scotty Williams WOR - 1st in Tackles, 6 Forced Fumbles (2nd), 1 Interception
Despite a rough season in Worcester, Williams was able to lead the league in tackles and bring in 7 total turnovers. 

Special Teams Player of the Year
K Donald Brewer BUF - 22 Field Goals (2nd), 17 Extra Points, 83 Points (3rd)
Donald Brewer was a key to Buffalo’s scoring this season after their offence took a step back from last season.
K Henderson Schumacher LI - 23 Field Goals (1st), 23 Extra Points, 92 Points (2nd)
Schumacher continues the legacy of strong kickers in the Hawks/Raiders franchise with another strong season.
K Maurice Lafayette OTT - 19 Field Goals (T-4th), 42 Extra Points, 99 Points (1st)
Lafayette did a whole lot of kicking this season and was on point for almost every kick putting up almost 100 points on his own this season. 

Rookie of the Year
QB Nathaniel Braddock BOS - 12 Passing Touchdowns (4th), 5th in Passing Yards
The highly sought after #1 pick had a strong first season putting up 12 passing touchdowns and landing in the top 5 in passing yards joining Matieau, O’Rourke, Kiernan, and Ovechkin.
RB Rodney “Hot Rod” Clark IND - 7 Rushing Touchdowns (10th), 12th in Rushing Yards
Clark had an unfortunate start to his career with an injury that kept him out for most of the season, but his comeback to still crack the top 10 in rushing touchdowns was worthy of being a ROY nominee.
RB Dareion Fields LI - 13 Rushing Touchdowns (4th), 3rd in Rushing Yards
Fields was overlooked by the Braddock-Bishop talk, but the rookie back has fit in perfectly to the Raiders need for a top tier running back. He would rush for 13 TDs and would be top 3 in rushing yards with Mallard-White and Marcus Devonshire. 

Coach of the Year
Maurice Evanson IND - Record: 5-7
Evanson finds himself as a nominee after taking what was expected to be a 1-11 Victors squad to a solid 5-7 finish.
Jimmy Sargent LI - Record: 7-5
Sargent was able to get the Raiders defence going during the middle part of the season helping the team to finish atop their division for the second time since joining the NAAF.
Joseph Curry OTT - Record: 12-0
The question about how Curry has not yet won a coach of the year award. This season, he went above and beyond leading the Royals to become the first team to win every game during the season. 

Breakout Player of the Year
LB Konrad Aust BOS - 3 Forced Fumbles (T-11th), 1 Fumble Recovery, 1 Defensive Touchdown, 3 Sacks, 10th in Tackles
Aust came on with a strong season this year being an all-around player. Brent Harper often overshadows the former 2nd overall pick, but Aust showed his value this season.
DB Kelly Kirkland IND - 5 Interceptions (T-3rd), 1 Defensive Touchdown
Kirkland came through as one of the top DBs this season in the Victors' defence. He brought in 5 interceptions this season which was more than some typical stars like Alexander Bradley and Uzzia Hayes.
QB Stanislav Ovechkin MTL - 9 Passing Touchdowns (5th), 4th in Passing Yards
Ovechkin broke through and proved to the Rouge that he’s the QB they have wanted. While the first half of the season was rough, Ovechkin turned it up in the second half leading the Rouge to 3 straight wins to close out the season. 

41st McCallister Cup Host

Buffalo Civic Stadium - Capacity: 38,530 - Last Host: 1952
One of the loudest McCallister Cup games was the 34th edition in Buffalo which featured the Blue Wings and Independents. Buffalo is hoping to bring the game back to that atmosphere and let the city of Buffalo show its passion for the game.

Mount Royal Stadium - Capacity: 46,500 - Last Host: 1951
There hasn’t been a McCallister Cup game played in Montreal since the league implemented the neutral site games. The Montreal crowd is certainly a fun one that would love to bring the game back to one of the loudest arenas in all of football.

Long Island Stadium - Capacity: 40,450 - Last Host: 1955
Following the team’s first title, the Island is hoping to bring the game back to the big apple. The first game in the 1955 season was a huge boost to the Raiders’ and NAAF fan base, and after Long Island took home the Cup, might be a good time to bring back the game. 

40th McCallister Cup

40th McCallister Cup

Ottawa Royals VS. Long Island Raiders - Victory Stadium - October 5, 1958 - 6 PM ET 

1st Q
Indianapolis was buzzing for the McCallister Cup. Fans from across the league were at the game to see the unbeaten Royals take on the defensive powerhouse of the Raiders. Out of the gate, the Raiders’ defence would make their mark. On Ottawa’s second drive of the game, QB Jean Matieau would drop back to pass and the Raiders would pull out the “Rusty Blitz” which sent LB Rusty McVee into the backfield. Matieau would try to get the ball off but McVee was able to knock it loose instead. DL Vernon Spears would fall on the ball and give the Raiders’ offence great field position. Rookie RB Dareion Fields would capitalize on the drive taking in a touchdown to give the Raiders an early 0-7 lead. Ottawa’s offence would recover from the turnover. On their ensuing drive, Matieau would get the team back to scoring range before tossing his first TD of the game to his favourite target, WR Mackenzie Jones. The game would be tied after the opening quarter.
7-7

2nd Q
The Raider’s offence would continue to move the ball well. RB Dareion Fields was leading the charge, with QB Lyle Painter making only 6 pass attempts in the first half. The defence was also playing strong against the tough Royals’ offence. LB Elijah Goldwater would earn a forced fumble on WR Chester Bennett, which was picked up by McVee. Behind Fields on offence, the Raiders would put up two field goals to make it 7-13 heading into the break.
7-13 LI

3rd Q
The Royals’ struggles uncharacteristically carried on after halftime. On an early drive, Matieau would get the Royals up to their own 46-yard line, but his pass attempt towards Mackenzie Jones was off the mark and DB Slay Mitchell was in a great position. Mitchell would bring in the ball for an interception to give Long Island a huge chance to extend their lead. The Royals’ defence was still having no luck in stopping Dareion Fields. The rookie back would break off for 3 straight 1st down runs before taking in a 13-yard run for a touchdown to extend the Raiders’ lead; 7-20. The Raiders were in full control of the game. The Royals’ offence could not get the ball moving and the defence had no answers for Dareion Fields. However, late in the third quarter, the Raiders were driving once again. Fields took a handoff up the middle and found a hole once again, but this time he wouldn’t get away with rookie LB Douglas MacDougall getting his arm on the ball. Fields was not expecting it and lost control. LB Alister Henry would pick it up for the Royals and get the defence off the field. This was the perfect opportunity for a momentum shift. Within a couple of plays on offence, Matieau would hit WR Chester Bennett for a 28-yard touchdown pass to pull the game back within 6.
14-20 LI

4th Q
The Royals would carry the momentum into the final quarter. Their defence would make a big stop early in the quarter forcing the Raiders to punt. The offence would get out there and go on a tear. Matieau ripped apart the defence as they inched closer to the end zone. Matieau would get them down to the 8-yard line before tossing his third TD pass of the game. Once again, WR Mackenzie Jones would catch the pass to give the Royals the lead 21-20. The Raiders would be reeling from the comeback. Their offence was still not able to get moving and would have to punt again on their next drive. The Royals would continue to ride off of the momentum shift and would take it down the field to add to their lead and forced Long Island to have to reach the endzone in order to get back in front; 24-20 Royals. The Raiders would still try to get Dareion Fields going, but he was starting to run into issues with overuse leading to RB Connor Riley getting some carries as well. Neither back was able to get going with the Royals defence finally figuring them out. The weight of the game was slowly shifting onto QB Lyle Painter’s shoulders. While the former 1st overall pick has been solid, he hasn’t had the extra star power to take over a game, but this was his chance to prove critics wrong. The Raiders would get their last chance with 1:37 to go in the game. Painter would need to get the team to the end zone. The final attempt would start slow with a quick pass to WR Darryl Duke for 8 yards, before a screen to Fields for a first down and a bit more. Then, Painter took a true shot and found WR Robert Lang for a 17-yard pass along the sideline. The play sparked some confidence and Painter kept it up getting the Raiders down to the 19-yard line with 0:26 to go. Painter would then roll out on the next play with pressure coming from DL Robert Garrison. He was looking for an option, but saw no one and had to throw it away. On second down, he would once again feel the pressure, but this time he would find Darryl Duke open. Duke caught the ball at the 9-yard line before slipping past DB Mingan Oliver and headed towards the end zone. He had a bit of space and got down to the 4-yard line before Mingan Oliver and Uzzia Hayes tackled him in bounds. Painter hurried it up to get a play off and stop the clock from running anymore. He would get the play off with 0:08 left. On what would likely be the deciding play, Painter dropped back and then would scan the field. Time ticked away and Painter would roll out and then see Darryl Duke get a bit of space crossing the back of the endzone. Painter would fire the low pass which Duke would reel in to score the touchdown with 0:02 left on the clock. Following the extra point, the Raiders would kick the ball along the ground to try and force the game to end. The Royals would try to pitch the ball to keep the play alive, but Rusty McVee would tackle Mackenzie Jones to seal it. The Raiders hold on to win their first title in Long Island and first in team history since 1938, while Painter becomes just the 6th different QB to win the title in the NAAF era. 

McCallister Cup MVP 

LB Rusty McVee LI - 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Fumble Recovery, 9 Tackles, 1 Play defended. 

1958 McCallister Cup Champions
s

1958 NAAF Season Recap

1958 Playoffs

1958 Division Semi-Finals

EAST DIVISION SEMI-FINAL
Boston Independents VS. Providence Gold Stars - Richardson Stadium - September 21, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st Q
The classic rivalry with two QBs vying for their first career playoff win started slow. Boston’s defence was strong out of the gate forcing the Gold Stars to a 2 and out on their opening drive. However, the offence was not much better as QB Nathaniel Braddock would find WR Ronald Vernon for a first down, but they would be stuffed on back to back rushing attempts on the next set of downs. The opening quarter would continue with the back and forth until Braddock found rookie WR Paul Franklin open for a gain of 24 yards which would set up K Johnnie Berg for a field goal to make it 3-0 Boston.
3-0 BOS

2nd Q
Providence would look to counter the field goal early in the second quarter, but they still were not moving the ball well. Midway through the quarter, the Gold Stars were finally into Boston territory when O’Rourke would toss the ball to WR Sammy Moss. The receiver would look to turn it upfield but would run right into LB Marco Price. Price’s hit would jar the ball loose leading to DB Carson Scott jumping on top of it. The momentum seemed to shift further into Boston’s favour off of the fumble. However, only a few plays later, DL Calias McDonough and DL Zakary Turbide would bring the pressure on Braddock. The rookie QB would panic a bit in the pocket taking a hit from Turbide from behind and having the ball knocked loose by McDonough. McDonough would land on the ball and the Gold Stars would take over on the Boston 34. O’Rourke would lead the Gold Stars down to the 4-yard line before giving it off to RB Johnnie Stafford who would punch it in to make it 3-7 heading into the half.
3-7 PRO

3rd Q
The Gold Stars looked to build off of their touchdown in the second with a strong first drive out of the break. O’Rourke would eventually find WR Sammy Moss open for a 23-yard touchdown pass which would help Moss make up for his earlier fumble. Boston’s offence would continue to struggle in the second half with Braddock unable to get the ball moving through the air and RB Kendall Morgan struggling on the ground. They would be able to get into field goal range late in the quarter to cut the lead to 8 heading into the final frame.
6-14 PRO 

4th Q
The Gold Stars were wary about the final quarter, especially after blowing their lead in the second half against Ottawa in the playoffs last season. Braddock would look scary out of the gate grabbing a couple of first downs getting the Independents to midfield, however, he would get pressure from McDonough and would force a pass to WR Joseph Barry. It was wildly underthrown and DB Victor Bean would pounce all over it grabbing Providence’s second turnover of the game. Fortunately, the Boston defence was able to force Providence to a 2 and out and get the ball right back. Braddock looked to recover, but on the second drive in a row, he would throw a pick, this time it was DB Lee Wolfe coming down with it. Providence would take over and burn the clock on a long drive that would end with RB Johnnie Stafford’s second touchdown of the game. Boston would have nothing left in them, failing to get to the endzone and turning it over on downs on their last couple of drives. Thus leading to Providence’s first playoff win since 1953. 

WEST DIVISION SEMI-FINAL
London Tigers VS. Buffalo Blue Wings - Western Fair Stadium - September 21, 1958 - 4 PM ET 
There was sad news in the Tigers’ locker room following their week 12 win against Louisville. QB Riley Kiernan was not himself last season while playing with the Athletics and he had only mentioned that there were some personal issues he was dealing with. It was finally revealed what the issues were. Bill Kiernan, Riley’s father, was sick and had been in and out of the hospital over the past year. While his condition had improved over the summer, during the season it got worse and eventually, Bill passed away on the Monday following the Tigers’ game in Louisville. The team supported Riley and they would be willing to play without him, but the star QB decided to stay in London and play this game. 

“My father pushed me to keep playing last season when I wanted to step away and spend time with him. I know that right now I should be with my family, but I know my father would want me to be out there on the field living my dream. That’s why I’m playing.” - Riley Kiernan

1st Q
When the teams took the field in London, the atmosphere was thrilling. London filled up the stadium along with many fans that made the trip over from Buffalo or Kitchener to see the classic rivalry in action. The noise in the stadium never seemed to get quiet even when the Tigers would take the field on offence. The Blue Wing fans were loud enough to rally a consistent buzz in the stadium. The Tigers would look to get going early, but would only pick up a single first down before punting. However, Buffalo had worse luck on their opening possession. RB Arthur Conner would take the ball up the middle only to have the ball be punched loose by DL Dee Floyd. DL William Collins would fall on top of it for London shifting the momentum heavily in the Tigers’ favour. Kiernan would retake the field and would be picture perfect on the drive down to the endzone where he would toss it to WR Wilbert Benjamin to make it a 7-0 game early. Kiernan would point to the sky after throwing the touchdown, saluting his father. The Tigers would continue to put up the pressure and would get another field goal to make it 10-0 after the 1st quarter.
10-0 LDN

2nd Q
Buffalo came out in the second with a little more aggressiveness in their play. It helped them get to around mid-field before being forced to punt where K Donald Brewer would pin the Tigers on their own 7-yard line. However, Kiernan was not letting that stop him. He would take the Tigers down the field on a 93-yard drive which was capped off on a RB Clifford Russell sweep to give the Tigers a 17-0 lead. Buffalo would manage to get a field goal with time running out in the half to cut into the lead, but they were still down 17-3.
17-3 LDN

3rd Q
The first score of the second half would come from the Tigers after Kiernan found WR Benedict Spencer open for a 29-yard pass to put them in field goal range. K Nathaniel King would put the Tigers up 20-3 on the 32-yard attempt. Buffalo would look to get back in the game following the field goal. QB Angelo Medina started to rely on his legs and arm to make things happen as the Tigers’ defence was clogging up the run lane for Arthur Conner. Medina would make a couple of plays, and he broke out of the pocket and then threw a pass to WR Daniel Irons. However, the pass was a bit high and would tip off of Irons’ hands and end up falling into DB Jackson Miles’. The Tigers would take over and Kiernan would lead them back to the endzone again. WR Benedict Spencer would bring in the pass from 11-yards out to give the Tigers a 27-3 lead heading into the 4th.
27-3 LDN

4th Q
Medina would not give up for the Blue Wings despite being down by 24. He would get the offence going and would hit WR LeRoy Krueger deep for a 45-yard touchdown pass. They would punch in the 2-point conversion to cut the lead to just 16. The Blue Wings started to come back to life and found themselves moving down the field again, but this time they would not be as lucky with WR Toni Radovanvic losing the ball to LB Aengus Lynch after catching a short pass. The Tigers would take over and Kiernan would find WR Wilbert Benjamin for another touchdown to give the Tigers a massive 34-11 lead. Buffalo was unable to get anything else going. Medina would throw one more pick this time to DB Ricardo Salvador that would ultimately put them to bed.  The Tigers rallied behind Kiernan in the game and they tore up the field winning their first-ever postseason game in franchise history. Kiernan was emotional after the win and even returned to the field to pray and salute his father after the stadium had emptied, taking it all in.

Injury Report
LB Konrad Aust BOS - Day-to-Day 

Players of the Week

OFF: QB Riley Kiernan LDN - 3 Passing Touchdown, 310 Passing Yards 

DEF: DL Calias McDonough PRO - 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Fumble Recovery, 2 Sacks, 6 Tackles 

Division Finals Preview 
EAST DIVISION FINAL
Ottawa Royals VS. Providence Gold Stars - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - September 28, 1958 - 1 PM ET
Head-to-Head: W3 PRO 17-23 OTT; W7 OTT 27-14 PRO
While the Royals have dominated this entire season, their matchup against the Gold Stars might be a lot closer than you’d think. In both matchups this season, the first half was a shootout between the teams with the Gold Stars leading 14-10 in the week 3 match and the team’s being tied 14-14 in the Week 7 game. The true difference was the Royals’ defence in the second half. If the Gold Stars can keep their offensive production up and not let the Royals take control, they will certainly find themselves in the game. I will say these are the two best teams record-wise over the second half of the season, with the Gold Stars going  6-2 over their last 8 games and the Royals of course winning every game this season. However, even with the Gold Stars playing at this level, the Royals are still the Royals and have continued to find ways to win games. I expect them to come out on top in a very tight game.
My Pick: Royals 

WEST DIVISION FINAL
Long Island Raiders VS. London Tigers - Long Island Stadium - September 28, 1958 - 4 PM ET
Head-to-Head: W2 LI 16-25 LDN; W10 LDN 10-20 LI
The matchup in Long Island is certainly an interesting one. The Raiders and Tigers split their season series with the Raiders taking the most recent matchup with their strong defence shutting down the Tigers. The key for the Raiders has been getting early points and taking control of the game with their defence. In the first match between the team’s the scoring was quite split which allowed the Tigers to keep the Raiders on their heels, while in the second Long Island was up 14-0 which was tough for the Tigers to find a way out of. If Kiernan can continue his strong play from last week, the Tigers could find themselves in a good place, however, if Long Island’s defence can lock them down, the Raiders could find themselves back in the McCallister Cup. I have a feeling the Tigers might just be hitting the right stride and they come out with a narrow win in Long Island.
My Pick: Tigers 

1958 Division Finals 

WEST DIVISION FINAL
Ottawa Royals VS. Providence Gold Stars - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - September 28, 1958 - 1 PM ET 
1st Q
The rematch of last year’s East Division Final would live up to the excitement that was surrounding it. The game would open with a strong Providence drive. QB Connor O’Rourke would get the Gold Stars down to the 14-yard line on their opening drive. The Royals seemed to be having trouble with the Gold Stars’ offence that was finding ways to keep the ball moving. O’Rourke would toss a touchdown pass to WR Peter Brooks from 14 yards out to give the Gold Stars a 0-7 lead. While the Royals' defence got off to a slow start, their offence was not in the same boat. QB Jean Matieau would take the Royals back the other way on a very similar drive that would end with an 8-yard TD pass to WR Mackenzie Jones to tie the game back up. The rest of the quarter, no one would score, but the Gold Stars were getting close to the endzone again.
7-7

2nd Q
Providence would keep the ball moving on the drive that crossed over into the second. O’Rourke would take another shot at the end zone, however, this time DB Uzzia Hayes would be able to get a hand in the way and break up the attempt to WR Cedric Peterson. Unfortunately during that play, Peterson would come down awkwardly after jumping for the pass and was unable to finish the game. Providence would settle for a field goal to make it 7-10. Ottawa’s offence would counter the field goal with another strong drive. Matieau would find WR Chester Bennett for a 48-yard play that would put the Royals at the 11-yard line. On the next play, RB Alexei Volkov would find a hole break it into the endzone giving the Royals back the lead. With time running out, Connor O’Rourke would lead the Gold Stars on a very quick drive. He even was able to take another shot at the end zone, but the play would be broken up again. They would still get a field goal to cut the lead down to 1 heading into the half.
14-13 OTT

3rd Q
Out of the break, the Royals would keep up their strong offensive play and would get a field goal on the opening drive to make it 17-13. Providence would not take long to respond by getting back the field goal on their next drive out making it 17-16. Following the field goal trade, bad news would strike the Royals as star DL Olaf Viktorsson would go down with an injury while trying to break past OL Varo Giovanni. He would leave the game and not return which severely hurt the Royals D-line, especially with Troy Hunt also being hurt earlier in the game and was replaced by his twin brother Tim Hunt. To make matters worse S Lester Greer would also leave in his first game back, after re-aggravating his injury in the first half. The Gold Stars offence was already having success with the Royals defence, this only added to it, however, no one would score until the final quarter.
17-16 OTT

4th Q
In the final frame, the Gold Stars had momentum shifting in their favour. As the Royals were driving, Jean Matieau would look to WR Chester Bennett for a 23-yard pass, but a rare miscue from the Royals would result in DB Lee Wolfe coming down with an interception. The Gold Stars took the ball and ran with it, literally. On 2nd and 3, O’Rourke would hand the ball off to RB Johnnie Stafford who would break right through the Royals defence and take it in for a 42-yard touchdown run to give the Gold Stars a narrow lead with 5 minutes to go. They would miss the convert attempt, but it seemed that they had control of the game. However, they are still playing Jean Matieau, and you can never count the Royals out with him under center. The Royals would get right back into it, driving down the field. The Gold Stars luck seemed to run out as Matieau was able to find open players, play after play. They would get down to the 5-yard line where Providence looked to stop them. On 1st and Goal, the Gold Stars would stop RB Alexei Volkov after a gain of 1, then 2nd down would be an incomplete pass. After a timeout, the Royals would look to try and punch it in on 3rd and goal. Matieau would drop back but would get immediate pressure from DL Calias McDonough. Volkov was able to step in and help OL Aaron Spears block. However, McDonough still grabbed a piece of Matiaeu’s jersey. Matieau struggled to escape, but he kept his eyes up and would see an open target. Matieau would get the ball off with McDonough pulling him back. The ball sailed to the endzone and WR Truman Harry would come down with the catch to score the touchdown and give the Royals back the lead. The Royals would also tack on the 2-point convert on a pass to Mackenzie Jones to make it 25-22. Providence did not give up as O’Rourke would try to lead the offence back to score. As time ticked away, O’Rourke would look to put the ball into field goal range on 2nd and 10. His pass to WR Sammy Moss would be broken up by DB Mingan Oliver which led to 3rd and 10. On the next attempt, O’Rourke could not find a man and the pass attempt to WR Peter Brooks would fall incomplete. The Royals would hold on to their unbeaten season and head to their 5th straight McCallister Cup.  

WEST DIVISION FINAL
Long Island Raiders VS. London Tigers - Long Island Stadium - September 28, 1958 - 4 PM ET 
1st Q
After the Tigers put up 34 points against the Blue Wings last week, their offence was not quite as top-notch in the division final against the Raiders. On their opening drive, QB Riley Kiernan would pick up a first down on a pass to WR Benedict Spencer, but on the new set of downs, RB Clifford Russell would be stuffed and then Kiernan was sacked by DL Vernon Spears, forcing them to punt out of the gate. The Raiders offence was a bit slow out of the gate as well, but QB Lyle Painter would let rookie RB Dareion Fields take over. Fields would find some gaps leading to a strong drive near the end of the 1st. Fields would eventually scramble in on a 15-yard run to give the Raiders a 7-0 lead after the opening frame.
7-0 LI

2nd Q
In the second, Kiernan was able to get a little bit of life into the Tigers’ offence making a 26-yard throw to WR Wilbert Benjamin that would set up a field goal to cut into the Raiders’ early lead. However, that was all the offence could get going in the frame. On their next drive, RB Clifford Russell would lose the ball to LB Rusty McVee who would hit him from the side forcing the ball out. LB Elijah Goldwater would land on top of it giving the Raiders the ball. K Henderson Schumacher would nail a 35-yard field goal to make it 10-3 heading into the break.
10-3 LI

3rd Q
The Raiders continued to control the game in the second half, which was exactly what the Tigers needed to avoid. The Raiders’ defence would stuff the Tigers on their first 3 drives, forcing 2-and-outs on all three. In that time, the Raiders would tack on another field goal to their lead to make it 13-3 nearing the end of the quarter. With the Tigers backed against the wall, Riley Kiernan would have to step up to make things happen. On their next drive, he would get the team moving, finding WR Max Sutton for their first 1st down of the half. They would continue to move, but eventually, the Raiders would still hold them back forcing a punt near midfield. K Nathaniel King’s kick would pin the Raiders deep in their own territory. Now it was the Tigers’ defence that needed to make a play. They would come up big with Lyle Painter looking to pass on 2nd and 8 from the Raiders’ 27-yard line, DL Olympus Heights would get through the Raiders’ O-line and would land a hit on Painter. Painter, who was mid-throw, would launch the ball forward, but it would flutter right into LB Aengus Lynch’s hands giving the Tigers great field position. 
13-3 LI

4th Q
Kiernan would take the field and would lead the Tigers on a charge to close their gap to the end zone. Eventually, Kiernan would drop back and would throw a pass to WR Wilbert Benjamin to cut the lead to just 3. The Raiders would have to get things going on the offensive side to try and tip the field position back in their favour. Lyle Painter would do this on a pass to WR Darryl Duke which would get the Raider out of their own end. They would punt soon after, leaving the defence to get back in control. On first down, DL Tyrone Affalo would put pressure on in the backfield which would force Kiernan to throw the ball away. On second down, LB Rusty McVee would make a charge on the blitz and would get to Kiernan bringing in a sack. On third, the Tigers would have to make up 16 yards so they would punt putting the Raiders in a good position on offence. Painter would make a throw to WR Robert Lang to grab a fresh set of downs on the second play of the ensuing drive. After the 14-yard gain, the ball was back into the hands of RB Dareion Fields. Fields would take the ball down the rest of the way and would punch in his second TD of the game, putting the Raiders up 20-10. The Tigers would still make a huge effort with time winding down. Kiernan was able to find WR Wilbert Benjamin for a long gain which would get them into field goal range. They would settle for a field goal after back-to-back incompletions to make it a one-score game. The Raiders would kill a lot of clock on their next drive giving it to Dareion Fields, but the Tigers would force them to a 3rd and 3 and a punt. The Tigers' last chance would start strong with a pair of first-down catches. Kiernan would keep it up, getting the Tigers back into Raiders’ territory. On 1st and 10 from 33 yards out Kiernan would look to make a play to Wilbert Benjamin. He would roll out and toss it down the field, but it was a risky throw and DB Slay Mitchell would manage to get a hand in the way tipping the ball up. S Johan Eckhart would run under it to grab the pick all but sealing the fate of the game, as the Raiders would hold on to the win and book their ticket to their second McCallister Cup in 4 years.  

Injury Report
DL Timmy Kerr LI - Day-to-Day
DL Olaf Viktorsson OTT - 1 Week
DL Troy Hunt OTT - 2 Weeks
S Lester Greer OTT - 1 Week
OL Sydney Good PRO - 2 Weeks
WR Cedric Peterson PRO - 4 Weeks 

Players of the Week 

OFF: RB Dareion Fields LI - 2 Rushing Touchdowns, 149 Rushing Yards 

DEF: LB Rusty McVee LI - 1 Forced Fumble, 8 Tackles, 1 Sack 

40th McCallister Cup Preview
Ottawa Royals VS. Long Island Raiders - Victory Stadium - October 5, 1958 - 6 PM ET
Head-to-Head: W8 OTT 24-17 LI
The Royals and Raiders will face off for the second time in the McCallister Cup in a rematch of the 37th edition of the game. However, this time around the teams are a lot closer matched. It will be the league’s top offence in Ottawa versus the league’s best defence in Long Island. The Royals offence was able to get the best of the Raider defence in their lone game this season, but Long Island’s defence seems to have more momentum at the moment. While the battle of the top offence and the top defence will be interesting, the key to the match may be the Raiders offence taking on the Royals’ battered defence. If RB Dareion Fields, a key piece in the win last week over London, can get going, the Royals defence will have a hard time stopping the Raiders. At the end of the day, the Royals’ experience will still be a factor in this situation, but it will certainly be a close game in Indiana. I’ll be sticking with my predictions from before the season and take the unbeaten Royals in their 50th year of existence.
My Pick: Royals 

1958 NAAF Season

 1958 Week 1

Buffalo Blue Wings - 20, Ottawa Royals - 27 - Buffalo Civic Stadium - June 27, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
3-0 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
3-7 OTT - TD RB Alexei Volkov
2nd
10-7 BUF - TD TE Johann Traeger
10-10 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
3rd
10-17 OTT - WR Chester Bennett
10-20 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
4th
13-20 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
20-20 BUF - TD RB Arthur Conner
20-27 OTT - TD WR Mackenzie Jones 

The rematch of the McCallister Cup came down to the wire with Ottawa narrowly sneaking away on an impressive Mackenzie Jones catch over DB Lou Lake for the touchdown.
The Blue Wings, who were down by 10 in the 4th would come back with a big forced fumble from DL Sean Bowen which would set up the Arthur Conner score.
DB Uzzia Hayes came away with a pick for the Royals in the 3rd to help give them the 10-point lead. 

Montreal Rouge - 23, Providence Gold Stars - 13 - Mount Royal Stadium - June 28, 1958 - 3 PM ET
1st
2nd
7-0 MTL - TD RB Scott Mallard-White
7-7 PRO - TD WR Sammy Moss
10-7 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
3rd
13-7 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
4th
20-7 MTL - TD RB Scott Mallard-White
23-7 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
23-13 PRO - TD WR Peter Brooks 

The Rouge shock the Gold Stars in a huge 23-13 win in their season opener.
RB Scott Mallard-White had a huge game with 161 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. 
The Gold Stars offence struggled with DL Dexter Barbarcos getting to O’Rourke twice in his rookie debut and DB Quentin Xavier reeling in a pick.
O’Rourke made a last-ditch effort to come back but missed the 2-point convert after the Brooks touchdown which ultimately sealed the game. 

Boston Independents - 17, Worcester Athletics - 6 - Richardson Stadium - June 28, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
7-0 BOS - TD WR Ellis Lindholm
2nd
10-0 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
10-3 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
3rd
10-6 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
4th
17-6 BOS - TD RB Eddie Thompson

After the hype of the Braddock versus Bishop match, the game was a complete letdown.
While Braddock made it real interesting early throwing his first career touchdown to Ellis Lindholm, he would soon leave the game with an injury thrusting QB Bart Swayze into action for the rest of the game. 
QB Gene Bishop was not good at all in his first game throwing a pair of picks to DB Lester Murphy and S Drew Porter.
Boston’s defense overall controlled the game and held on for the win. 

Louisville Thunder - 19, Long Island Raiders - 24 - Thunder Stadium - June 29, 1958 - 2 PM ET
1st
0-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
2nd
0-10 LI - TD RB Dareion Fields
3-10 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
3rd
3-17 LI - TD WR Robert Lang
10-17 LOU - RB Lawrence Sharp
13-17 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
4th
13-24 LI - TD RB Dareion Fields
19-24 LOU - TD WR Truman Harry 

Louisville gave the home crowd a show for the first game in their new stadium coming back down 3-17 in the 3rd.
QB Leonidas Dumont had a rough start with a pair of picks in the first half, but he pulled it together in the second half to bring them back into it
RB Dareion Fields came through with a huge performance in his first game with a pair of touchdowns for Raiders.
QB Lyle Painter, besides a pick thrown to S Johnny Berger, and LB Rusty McVee had much better performances than last season which spells good news for the Raiders. 

London Tigers - 34, Indiana Victors - 4 - Western Fair Stadium - July 1, 1958 - 2 PM ET
1st
7-0 LDN - TD RB Clifford Russell
14-0 LDN - TD WR Benedict Spencer
2nd
14-3 IND - FG K Albert Carney
21-3 LDN - TD WR Benedict Spencer
3rd
21-4 IND - Single K Albert Carney
24-4 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King
4th
31-4 LDN - TD WR Wilbert Benjamin
34-4 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King 

The London faithful were excited to see their new team take the field at the new stadium in London. 
The Tigers would go with QB Christian Stewart despite many wanting to see QB Riley Kiernan, and he would start really well with a passing TD in the 1st quarter, however, his day was cut short when DL Benjamin Hart hit him in the shoulder during a throw. QB Riley Kiernan would take over, but played just as well with 2 touchdowns, leading the Tigers to their first win of the season.
The Victors offence has zero answers for the Tigers’ defence who was able to bring in 4 turnovers in total
LB Aengus Lynch and LB Benjamin Pittman would force fumbles off of RB Rodney Clark, and DB Ricardo Salvador would grab a pair of interceptions.

Injury Report
QB Nathaniel Braddock BOS - 1 Week
DB Clayton Malone BOS - 12 Weeks
DB Jared Francis BUF - Day-to-Day
DB Ollie Guy IND - Day-to-Day
DB Dustin Wind IND - Season
QB Christian Stewart LDN - 4 Weeks
WR Thomas Oezescki LOU- 5 Weeks
OL Jose Whitney MTL - Day-to-Day
DL Troy Hunt OTT - 1 Week
OL Wilfred Gibson PRO - Day-to-Day
OL Bernard Gide PRO - 1 Week
OL Harold Paul WOR - Day-to-Day 

Players of the Week 

OFF: RB Scott Mallard-White MTL - 2 Rushing Touchdowns, 161 Rushing Yards, 34 Receiving Yards 

DEF: DB Ricardo Salvador LDN - 2 Interceptions, 4 Tackles, 2 Plays Defended

Standings
WEST
London 1-0
Long Island 1-0
Louisville 0-1
Buffalo 0-1
Indiana 0-1

EAST
Boston 1-0
Montreal 1-0
Ottawa 1-0
Providence 0-1
Worcester 0-1

Power Rankings
1 - Ottawa -
2 - Long Island -
3 - London -
4 - Boston -
5 - Buffalo -
6 - Montreal +2
7 - Providence -1
8 - Worcester -1
9 - Louisville -
10 - Indiana -

Week 2 Games
BUF (0-1) @ BOS (1-0) - JUL 4 - 4 PM - 4th of July Game
LOU (0-1) @ PRO (0-1) - JUL 5 - 3 PM
MTL (1-0) @ OTT (1-0) - JUL 5 - 7 PM - Saturday Night Football
LDN (1-0) @ LI (1-0) - JUL 6 - 1 PM
IND (0-1) @ WOR (0-1) - JUL 6 - 4 PM

1958 Week 2 

Boston Independents - 20, Buffalo Blue Wings - 10 - Richardson Stadium - July 4, 1958 - 4 PM ET
1st
7-0 BOS - TD WR Ellis Lindholm
2nd
10-0 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
3rd
10-3 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
13-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
4th
13-10 BUF - TD RB Arthur Conner
20-10 BOS - TD RB Kendall Morgan  

With Bart Swayze under centre, the Independents would manage to come away with a strong defensive win over the defending champions on the 4th of July.
WR Ellis Lindholm would make several Blue Wings miss en route to a 32-yard touchdown.
The Boston defence would play well with LB Brent Harper coming up with a forced fumble and then DB Carson Scott and DB Lester Murphy with interceptions.
Buffalo had a last-ditch effort with S Frazier Brooks coming down with a pick to set up the Arthur Conner touchdown.  

Providence Gold Stars - 24, Louisville Thunder - 6 - New Providence Stadium - July 5, 1958 - 3 PM ET
1st
7-0 PRO - TD RB Johnnie Stafford
7-3 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
2nd
14-3 PRO - TD WR Cedric Peterson
3rd
14-6 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
4th
21-6 PRO - TD WR Cedric Peterson
24-6 PRO - FG K Ira Foster 

Providence would lose their young WR Sammy Moss with an injury, but their rookie WR Cedric Peterson would make up for it with a pair of touchdowns.
Providence looked a whole lot better compared to the game against Montreal, especially the defence with DL Calis McDonough with a fumble, then DB Lee Wolfe with an interception.
Louisville struggled again, and late in the game QB Ollie Rogers took some snaps with QB Leonidas Dumont having a rough go. 

Ottawa Royals - 38, Montreal Rouge - 20 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - July 5, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
0-7 MTL - TD RB Scott Mallard-White
7-7 OTT - TD RB Alexei Volkov
2nd
7-10 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
14-10 OTT - TD WR Mackenzie Jones
21-10 OTT - TD RB Alexei Volkov
3rd
28-10 OTT - TD WR Chester Bennett
28-13 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
4th
28-20 MTL - TD RB Scott Mallard-White
31-20 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
38-20 OTT - TD DB Mingan Oliver 

The Royals and Rouge rivalry was an offensive battle with the Royals ultimately pulling away, but Montreal hung around for till the final 5 minutes.
RB Scott Mallard-White had a big game again to continue his strong start. 
Ottawa’s offence played really well with Matieau throwing a pair of TDs and Volkov scoring a pair of TD’s as well.DB Mingan Oliver came away with the game-winning interception on a check-down shot to Mallard-White 

Long Island Raiders - 16, London Tigers - 25 - Long Island Stadium - July 6, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st
3-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
3-7 LDN - TD WR Max Sutton
2nd
10-7 LI - TD RB Darieon Fields
10-10 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King
3rd
10-17 LDN - TD RB Clifford Russell
13-17 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
16-17 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
4th
16-23 LDN - TD WR Wilbert Benjamin
16-25 LDN - 2PT TD TE Paul McDowell 


In his first official start as a Tiger, Riley Kiernan dominated the game with 2 touchdowns.
The Raiders’ defense was still strong, but the offence struggled with the Tigers’ defence and could not get to the endzone outside of RB Dareion Fields in the 2nd quarter. 
DL Olympus Heights had a pair of sacks and a forced fumble to give him a strong performance for the Tigers. 

Worcester Athletics - 23, Indiana Victors - 18 - Worcester Stadium - July 6, 1958 - 4 PM ET
1st
7-0 WOR - TD RB Marcus Devonshire
2nd
10-0 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
16-0 WOR - TD DB Alexander Bradley
3rd
16-6 IND - TD RB Laurent Brazeau
16-8 IND - 2PT RB Laurent Brazeau
4th
23-8 WOR - TD WR Christian Venegas
23-11 IND - FG K Albert Carney
23-18 IND - TD RB Laurent Brazeau 

The Athletics had a strong first half going up 16-0, but the Victors with Brazeau leading the comeback effort, they would get close by the end of the game.
Worcester did hold on with QB Gene Bishop finding Venegas for his first career touchdown pass to get the win.
RB Rodney Clark would struggle early, but he would get hurt during the 2nd quarter thrusting Brazeau into the game. 
QB Duane Logan was better in the second half, but he hasn’t seemed to work as well with Clark which plays into some tension in the locker room in Indy. 

Injury Report
DB Patrick Lindsay BOS - Day-to-Day
DB Jared Francis BUF - Day-to-Day
RB Rodney Clark IND - 4 Weeks
DL William Collins LDN - 3 Weeks
DL Leroy Armstrong LOU - 2 Weeks
DL Clyde Dale MTL - Day-to-Day
S Jumon Cobb MTL - Day-to-Day
OL Bravon Covington OTT - 2 Weeks
WR Sammy Moss PRO - 2 Weeks
DB Dennis Kirchner WOR - 2 Weeks

Players of the Week 

OFF: RB Alexei Volkov OTT - 2 Rushing Touchdowns, 121 Rushing Yards 

DEF: DL Olympus Heights LDN - 2 Sacks, 4 Tackles, 1 Forced Fumble

Standings
WEST
London 2-0
Long Island 1-1
Buffalo 0-2
Louisville 0-2
Indiana 0-2

EAST
Ottawa 2-0
Boston 2-0
Montreal 1-1
Providence 1-1
Worcester 1-1

Power Rankings
1 - Ottawa - 
2 - London +1
3 - Boston +1
4 - Long Island -1
5 - Buffalo - 
6 - Montreal -
7 - Providence -
8 - Worcester -
9 - Louisville -
10 - Indiana -

Week 3 Games
BUF (0-2) @ IND (0-2) - JUL 11 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
LOU (0-2) @ LI (1-1) - JUL 12 - 2 PM ET
BOS (2-0) @ LDN (2-0) - JUL 12 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
OTT (2-0) @ PRO (1-1) - JUL 13 - 1 PM ET
WOR (1-1) @ MTL (1-1) - JUL 13 - 4 PM ET 

1958 Week 3

Indiana Victors - 9, Buffalo Blue Wings - 16 - Victory Stadium - July 11, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
2nd
6-0 IND - TD RB Laurent Brazeau
6-7 BUF - TD RB Pierre LeStrange
3rd
6-8 BUF - Single K Donald Brewer
4th
9-8 IND - FG K Albert Carney
9-14 BUF - TD WR LeRoy Krueger
9-16 BUF - 2PT RB Pierre LeStrange 

A very boring battle between the Victors and Blue Wings was the feature on Friday Night Football.
Buffalo would lose RB Arthur Conner to injury, but Pierre LeStrange would come through with a solid effort to give Buffalo their first win of the season.
QB Duane Logan would still struggle and the Victors may be looking to Caldwell Higgins III to start next season. 

Long Island Raiders - 27, Louisville Thunder - 10 - Long Island Stadium - July 12, 1958 - 3 PM ET
1st
3-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
10-0 LI - TD RB Dareion Fields
2nd
17-0 LI - TD WR Darryl Duke
3rd
24-0 LI - TD RB Dareion Fields
24-7 LOU - TD RB Lawrence Sharp
4th
27-7 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
27-10 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden 

The Raiders offence came through with a strong win in the rematch with the Thunder.
RB Dareion Fields would find his way into the endzone 2 more times to continue to make his early case for rookie of the year.
Louisville wasn’t too bad, they just ran into the stronger Raiders’ defence with LB Rusty McVee and LB Elijah Goldwater coming up with a forced fumble and DB Slay Mitchell bringing in an interception.
QB Leonidas Dumont hasn’t been amazing so far, but he is still showing some promise so far.
DB Jayden Mills did get his first career interception in the game for the Thunder as well. 

London Tigers - 31, Boston Independents - 35 - Wester Fair Stadium - July 12, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
7-0 LDN - TD WR Benedict Spencer
7-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
14-3 LDN - TD WR Wilbert Benjamin
2nd
14-6 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
14-13 BOS - TD RB Eddie Thompson
21-13 LDN - TD RB Clifford Russell
3rd
21-19 BOS - TD WR Ellis Lindholm
21-21 BOS - 2PT RB Kendall Morgan
24-21 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King
4th
24-28 BOS - TD WR Ellis Lindholm
31-28 LDN - TD WR Benedict Spencer
31-35 BOS - TD WR Ellis Lindholm 

Saturday night brought fireworks from Riley Kiernan and Nathaniel Braddock with the two combining for 6 passing touchdowns.
WR Ellis Lindholm would end up being the star for Boston scoring 3 touchdowns in the team’s win including breaking free of DB Ricardo Salvador for a 38-yard touchdown to win the game.
Both defences were not strong in the game but both came away with turnovers; LB Aengus Lynch and DL Dee Floyd would come up with a forced fumble each, while DB Jackson Miles would grab a pick for the tigers, and Boston would have LB Brent Harper grab a forced fumble and DB Lester Murphy would pick off Kiernan. 
Boston also achieves a 3-0 start for the first time since 1949. 

Providence Gold Stars - 17, Ottawa Royals - 23 - New Providence Stadium - July 13, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st
0-7 OTT - TD WR Mackenzie Jones
7-7 PRO - TD WR Peter Brooks
2nd
14-7 PRO - TD RB Johnnie Stafford
14-10 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
3rd
14-17 OTT - TD RB Alexei Volkov
4th
14-20 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
17-20 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
17-23 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette 

Ottawa’s offence was not as dominant in this week’s showdown with the Gold Stars, but their defence came up strong in the second half holding Providence to only 3 points.
DB Uzzia Hayes had a pick and LB Douglas MacDougall had his first career forced fumble to go along with DL Olaf Viktorsson’s second of the season.
Providence was strong in the first half with O’Rourke getting the team to the endzone twice, but they fell flat in the second half.  

Montreal Rouge - 17, Worcester Athletics - 24 - Mount Royal Stadium - July 13, 1958 - 4 PM ET
1st
0-3 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
7-3 MTL - TD RB Scott Mallard-White
7-10 WOR - TD RB Marcus Devonshire
2nd
7-17 WOR - TD RB Marcus Devonshire
3rd
10-17 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
10-24 WOR - TD QB Gene Bishop
4th
17-24 MTL - TD WR Derek Cross 

RB Marcus Devonshire came alive in the first half for a pair of touchdowns en route to the team’s second win of the season.
QB Gene Bishop showed off his legs with a rushing touchdown of his own.
Montreal had a comeback attempt coming in the final quarter, but Worcester would hold them off with LB Scotty Williams with a pick.  

Injury Report
RB Arthur Conner BUF - Day-to-Day
S Neil Graham LDN - 3 Weeks
OL Lewis David LI - 10 Weeks
OL Moses Griffin LI - 2 Weeks
WR Marty Jay LOU - Day-to-Day
TE Eli Grant MTL - 2 Weeks
WR Floyd Wilcox PRO - 1 Week
DB Elvin Waters WOR - 1 Week 

Players of the Week 

OFF: WR Ellis Lindholm BOS - 3 Receiving Touchdowns, 143 Receiving Yards 

DEF: LB Scotty Williams WOR - 1 Interception, 1 Forced Fumble, 10 Tackles

Standings
WEST
London 2-1
Long Island 2-1
Buffalo 1-2
Louisville 0-3
Indiana 0-3

EAST
Ottawa 3-0
Boston 3-0
Worcester 2-1
Montreal 1-2
Providence 1-2

Power Rankings
1 - Ottawa -
2 - Boston +1
3 - London -1
4 - Long Island -
5 - Buffalo -
6 - Worcester +2
7 - Montreal -1
8 - Providence -1
9 - Louisville -
10 - Indiana -

Week 4 Games
IND (0-3) @ MTL (1-2) - JUL 18 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
LDN (2-1) @ LOU (0-3) - JUL 19 - 3 PM ET
BOS (3-0) @ OTT (0-3) - JUL 19 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
LI (2-1) @ BUF (1-2) - JUL 20 - 1 PM ET
PRO (1-2) @ WOR (2-1) - JUL 20 - 4 PM ET

1958 Week 4 

Montreal Rouge - 17, Indiana Victors - 19 - Mount Royal Stadium - July 18, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
0-3 IND - FG K Albert Carney
7-3 MTL - TD RB Scott Mallard-White
2nd
7-10 IND - TD DB Kelly Kirkland
3rd7-16 IND - TD WR David Burrows
14-16 MTL - TD RB Scott Mallard-White
4th
17-16 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
17-19 IND - FG K Albert Carney 

QB Duane Logan came through in the second half to help get the Victors their first win of the season, which came after HC Maurice Evanson gave him one last shot before getting Caldwell Higgins ready to go. 
Logan would get David Burrows a touchdown and then would lead the game-winning drive in the 4th.
Kelly Kirkland also came up big with a pick-6 to get the Victors some more points.
RB Mallard-Whtie continued his strong start with a pair of touchdowns. 

Louisville Thunder - 26, London Tigers - 26 - Thunder Stadium - July 19, 1958 - 3 PM ET
1st
7-0 LOU - TD WR Truman Harry
7-7 LDN - TD WR Wilbert Benjamin
2nd
10-7 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
10-14 LDN - TD RB Clifford Russell
17-14 LOU - TD RB Lawrence Sharp
17-15 LDN - Single K Nathaniel King
3rd
23-15 LOU - TD LB Charlie Finster
23-18 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King
4th
23-25 LDN - TD RB Clifford Russell
26-25 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
26-26 LDN - Single K Nathaniel King 

The Thunder managed to pull off a shocking tie with the Tigers, they managed to get close to the win.
K Nathaniel King had a shot to win, but he would miss and the ball would just reach the back of the endzone giving them the single to tie the game.
LB Silas O’Brien would make his mark on the defence with a huge forced fumble which Charlie Finster would pick up and take the distance for the touchdown.
QB Leonidas Dumont would come through finally with a strong game throwing a touchdown and only 1 interception.  

Ottawa Royals - 23, Boston Independents - 20 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - July 19, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
3-0 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
2nd
10-0 OTT - TD WR Mackenzie Jones
10-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
3rd
10-10 BOS - TD WR Joseph Barry
10-13 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
13-13 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
4th
20-13 OTT - TD RB Alexei Volkov
20-20 BOS - TD RB Eddie Thompson
23-20 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette 

The Royals and Independents duked it out on Saturday night which came down to the wire with the Royals sneaking away with a field goal to win it.
The Boston defence was strong in the first half despite letting the Royals score in the second quarter. 
S Drew Porter grabbed a pick for the Independents and DB Uzzia Hayes would grab one for the Royals.
QB Jean Matieau was able to breakthrough in the final quarter to get the Royals to win. 

Buffalo Blue Wings - 30, Long Island Raiders - 24 - Buffalo Civic Stadium - July 20, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st
3-0 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
3-7 LI - TD RB Dareion Fields
6-7 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
2nd
13-7 BUF - TD WR Daniel Irons
13-10 LI - FG Henderson Schumacher
3rd
13-17 LI - TD WR Robert Lang
4th
20-17 BUF - TD RB Arthur Conner
27-17 BUF - TD QB Angelo Medina
27-24 LI - TD RB Dareion Fields
30-24 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer 

The 3rd quarter seemed to be the turning point in Long Island’s favour, but it ended up being their downfall when the Blue Wings would lose DB Lou Lake for the season.
Lake would bring in a pick and on the run back was hit in the head by TE Johnny Mantle IV who knocked him out completely, he would be stretchered off and the bad blood boiled over. 
Buffalo would march back in a huge 4th quarter to win the game against the Raiders.  

Worcester Athletics - 18, Providence Gold Stars - 11 - Worcester Stadium - July 20, 1958 - 4 PM ET
1st
7-0 WOR - TD WR Christian Venegas
2nd
7-7 PRO - TD RB Johnnie Stafford
3rd
10-7 WOR - FG Tevoris Francis
10-10 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
4th
10-11 PRO - Single K Ira Foster
16-11 WOR - TD RB Marcus Devonshire
18-11 WOR - 2PT QB Gene Bishop 

QB Gene Bishop played his best game so far in a win over the Gold Stars to improve to 3-1.
The Gold Stars' struggles continued with the offence unable to get far against the Athletics defence, and they still only managed 4 points in the second half.
DB Alexander Bradley would come down with a pick and it would set up the Worcester touchdown in the first quarter.

Injury Report
DB Lou Lake BUF - Season
OL Maxence Castex MTL - Day-to-Day
OL Varo Giovanni PRO - Day-to-Day 

Players of the Week

OFF: QB Angelo Medina BUF - 1 Passing Touchdown, 1 Rushing Touchdown, 167 Passing Yards, 34 Rushing Yards

DEF: LB Silas O’Brien LOU - 9 Tackles, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Play Defended 

Standings
WEST
London 2-1-1
Buffalo 2-2
Long Island 2-2
Indiana 1-3
Louisville 0-3-1

EAST
Ottawa 4-0
Boston 3-1
Worcester 3-1
Montreal 1-3
Providence 1-3

Power Rankings
1 - Ottawa -
2 - Boston -
3 - Worcester +3
4 - Buffalo +1
5 - London -2
6 - Long Island -2
7 - Louisville +2
8 - Indiana +2
9 - Montreal -2
10 - Providence -2

Week 5 Games
MTL (1-3) @ BOS (3-1) - JUL 24 - 7 PM ET Thursday Night Football
WOR (3-1) @ LDN (2-1-1) - JUL 25 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
OTT (4-0) @ IND (1-3) - JUL 26 - 3 PM ET
BUF (2-2) @ LOU (0-3-1) - JUL 26 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
PRO (1-3) @ LI (2-2) - JUL 27 - 2 PM ET

1958 Week 5 

Boston Independents - 34, Montreal Rouge - 10 - Richardson Stadium - July 24, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
7-0 BOS - TD WR Ellis Lindholm
10-0 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
2nd
17-0 BOS - TD RB Eddie Thompson
24-0 BOS - TD WR Ronald Vernon
3rd
24-7 MTL - TD RB Scott Mallard-White
27-7 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
27-10 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
4th
34-10 BOS - TD WR Ellis Lindholm

Both teams suffered several injuries on the league’s debut of Thursday night action.
Boston still managed to dominate on offence putting up 34 points in the win, with QB Nathaniel Braddock tossing 3 touchdowns.
The defence held Montreal to nothing for most of the game, LB Brent Harper had a forced fumble and a sack on a surprise blitz. 
The Rouge would have a little offence out of the half but fizzled out in the 4th as they fall to 1-4.

London Tigers - 27, Worcester Athletics - 22 - Western Fair Stadium - July 25, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
7-0 LDN - TD RB Clifford Russell
7-3 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
2nd
7-9 WOR - TD RB Marcus Devonshire
10-9 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King
10-12 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
3rd
10-19 WOR - TD RB Marcus Devonshire
13-19 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King
4th
13-22 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
20-22 LDN - TD WR Benedict Spencer
27-22 LDN - TD WR Wilbert Benjamin

It was a back and forth affair in London with Riley Kiernan proving his former team wrong with a pair of TD passes in the forth to come back and win. 
The Athletics defence was able to get into Kiernan’s head earlier on with a pick from S Shawn Jensen and LB Scotty Williams which helped Devonshire get to the endzone twice. 
QB Gene Bishop was not as strong throwing a pair of picks himself in the 4th trying to keep the Athletics in the lead.DB Ricardo Salvador and DB Amos King had the picks.

Indiana Victors - 16, Ottawa Royals - 32 - Victory Stadium - July 26, 1958 - 3 PM ET
1st
0-3 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
0-10 OTT - TD WR Chester Bennett
2nd
0-17 OTT - TD WR Mackenzie Jones
3-17 IND - FG K Albert Carney
3-24 OTT - TD RB Alexei Volkov
3rd
6-24 IND - FG K Albert Carney
6-31 OTT - TD WR Mackenzie Jones
4th
9-31 IND - FG K Albert Carney
9-32 OTT - Single K Maurice Lafayette
16-32 IND - TD RB Laurent Brazeau

The Royals continued their reign of terror with a dominant win over the Victors.
QB Jean Matieau threw 3 touchdowns in the win with WR Mackenzie Jones bringing in two of them.
The defence kept the victors from the endzone until the final quarter when Brazeau broke through after the Victors put QB Caldwell Higgins III into the game.
DB Petr Westerburg brought in a pick, and DL Olaf Viktorsson and DL Robert Garrison knocked out the ball twice from the Victors’ grasp for a forced fumble each. 

Louisville Thunder - 24, Buffalo Blue Wings - 16 - Thunder Stadium - July 26, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
0-3 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
7-3 LOU - TD WR Marty Jay
14-3 LOU - TD RB Lawrence Sharp2
nd
14-6 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
3rd
14-9 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
17-9 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
4th
24-9 LOU - TD RB Stavros Black
24-16 BUF - TD TE Johann Traeger

Louisville comes through with another strong performance and grabs their first win of the season.
QB Leonidas Dumont would pull through with a touchdown pass in the win and no interceptions.
Buffalo’s offence struggled against the Thunder defence and they could only grab field goals throughout the game.
LB Silas O’Brien continued to find his place in the Thunder defence with another forced fumble. 

Long Island Raiders - 20, Providence Gold Stars - 0 - Long Island Stadium - July 27, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
3-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
10-0 LI - TD RB Dareion Fields
2nd
13-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
3rd
20-0 LI - TD WR Darryl Duke
4th 

The Raiders' defence absolutely shut down the Gold Stars offence in this game.
Long Island forced 5 turnovers with LB Rusty McVee, LB Gene Bensen, and DL Tyrone Affalo getting a forced fumble, and then DB Slay Mitchell and DB Clinton Gates grabbing a pick each.
The Offence was pretty laid back with QB Lyle Painter tossing a touchdown and Dareion Fields scoring as well.
Providence is in full panic at this point with both HC Roy Aguirre and GM Virgil Gross gaining heavy criticism from the media and fans. 

Injury Report
LB Marco Price BOS - 1 Week
DB Carson Scott BOS - Day-to-Day
TE Richard Stewart BOS - Day-to-Day
DL Benjamin Hart IND - 7 Weeks
DL Dexter Barbarcos MTL - Season
S Jumon Cobb MTL - Day-to-Day
OL Emiel Cole OTT - 4 Weeks
LB Harrison Bennett WOR - 4 Weeks 

Players of the Week 

OFF: QB Nathaniel Braddock BOS - 3 Passing Touchdowns, 267 Passing Yards 

DEF: LB Rusty McVee LI - 1 Forced Fumble, 9 Tackles, 2 Plays Defended 

Standings
WEST
London 3-1-1
Long Island 3-2
Buffalo 2-3
Louisville 1-3-1
Indiana 1-4 

EAST
Ottawa 5-0
Boston 4-1
Worcester 3-2
Montreal 1-4
Providence 1-4 

Power Rankings
1 - Ottawa -
2 - Boston - 
3 - London +2
4 - Worcester -1
5 - Long Island +1
6 - Buffalo -2
7 - Louisville -
8 - Indiana -
9 - Montreal -
10 - Providence -

Week 6 Games - RIVALRY WEEK
LI (3-2) @ WOR (3-2) - AUG. 1 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
BOS (4-1) @ PRO (1-4) - AUG. 2 - 1 PM ET
LOU (1-3-1) @ IND (1-4) - AUG. 2 - 3 PM ET
OTT (5-0) @ MTL (1-4) - AUG. 3 - 2 PM ET
LDN (3-1-1) @ BUF (2-3) - AUG. 3 - 5 PM ET

1958 Week 6 

Changes in Providence
The Gold Stars continued to get consistent criticism throughout the week, and GM Virgil Gross was getting even more piled on by owner David Maxwell. Maxwell, following the loss to Worcester in week 4, went to Gross and told him he had to do something or it was his job.  Over the next week, Gross was looking for trades or moves to make, but nothing was working. Following the 20-0 loss in Long Island, Gross would push but no real deals that Gross liked. With the fans mad and seeing a desperate move, he made the call to fire HC Roy Aguirre on Thursday, just two days before their game against Boston. OC Dean Parrish would be promoted to Interim Head Coach and QB Coach Ted McMahon would take over as Interim OC.  

However, Maxwell did not see that as the move and ultimately fired Virgil the moment he came into the office on Friday morning. Maxwell will act as GM until he hires a replacement. 

Worcester Athletics - 6, Long Island Raiders - 13 - Worcester Stadium - August 1, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
0-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
3-3 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
2nd
3rd
3-6 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
4th
6-6 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
6-13 LI - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Darryl Duke 

A defensive affair ended up coming down to a touchdown with Lyle Painter finding Darryl Duke for a TD to win the game
Both defences played strong games forcing many 2 and outs.
There were also only 2 turnovers with DL Vernon Spears (LI) punching it out of QB Gene Bishop’s hands and then LB Scotty Williams (WOR) taking it away from RB Dareion Fields’ grasp. 

Providence Gold Stars - 28, Boston Independents - 17 - New Providence Stadium - August 2, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st
7-0 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
14-0 PRO - RTD RB Johnnie Stafford
2nd
14-7 BOS - RTD RB Eddie Thompson
21-7 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Cedric Peterson
3rd
21-10 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
28-10 PRO - RTD RB Johnnie Stafford
4th
28-17 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> TE Richard Stewart 

Despite the shocking coaching decision, Providence’s offence broke loose to dominate the 4-1 Independents. 
With Ted McMahon, who has been coaching O’Rourke since he entered the league, as the OC, O’Rourke would have his will with the offence which seemed to work for the team in this game; he ended up throwing 2 touchdowns and no interceptions for his best performance of the season.
QB Nathaniel Braddock showed a bit of his inexperience throwing 2 interceptions and completed 45% of his passes.  

Indiana Victors - 17, Louisville Thunders - 16 - Victory Stadium - August 2, 1958 - 4 PM ET
1st
0-7 LOU - RTD RB Lawrence Sharp
0-10 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
2nd
3-10 IND - FG K Albert Carney
3-13 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
3rd
10-13 IND - RTD RB Laurent Brazeau
4th
10-16 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
17-16 IND - PTD QB Caldwell Higgins III -> WR Clifford Church 

The Victors went with Caldwell Higgins III under centre in this one and came up with a come from behind win. 
Louisville had a strong start, but QB Leonidas Dumont and WR Truman Harry would leave the game with injuries that dampened the offence.
QB Ollie Rogers did what he could, but he couldn’t finish any drives.
Higgins was able to march the Victors down at the end of the game to score the game-winning touchdowns. 

Montreal Rouge - 7, Ottawa Royals - 42 - Mount Royal Stadium - August 3, 1958 - 2 PM ET
1st
0-7 OTT - RTD RB Alexei Volkov
2nd
0-14 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> TE Jervonte Howell
0-21 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones
3rd
7-21 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
7-28 OTT - RTD RB Alexei Volkov
4th
7-35 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones
7-42 OTT - RTD RB Iyannough Moreland 

The Royals smacked the Rouge to improve to 6-0 for the first time since 1955. 
QB Jean Matieau had 3 passing touchdowns before eventually taking a seat in the final few drives of the game letting QB Brian Meadows take the reins.
The Rouge had nothing to stop the Royals on defence, and the fans were not a fan of the performance.

Buffalo Blue Wings - 20, London Tigers - 14 - Buffalo Civic Stadium - August 3, 1958 - 5 PM ET
1st
3-0 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
2nd
3-7 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
6-7 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
3rd
12-7 BUF - RTD RB Arthur Conner
14-7 BUF - 2PT QB Angelo Medina -> WR Daniel Irons
17-7 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
4th
17-14 LDN - RTD RB Clifford Russell
20-14 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer 

Buffalo managed to pull off a huge win in the battle of the great lakes. 
London’s offence struggled in the second half and Buffalo was able to hold them off to win via field goals. 
The Tigers’ defence held strong on many drives forcing them to have to go for the field goals.
Buffalo’s defence was able to rise up and give Kiernan some pressure with DL Sean Bowen knocking the ball from Kiernan and forcing him to throw a pick to S Frazier Brooks.

Injury Report
LB Alan Young IND - Day-to-Day
OL Kazmir Smirnov LDN - Day-to-Day
DL Matis Baril LI - 1 Week
OL Moses Griffin LI - 2 Weeks
QB Leonidas Dumont LOU - 2 Weeks
WR Truman Harry LOU - Day-to-Day
DB Victor Bean PRO - 1 Week
DB Paul Gregory PRO - 3 Weeks
DL Zakary Turbide PRO - Day-to-Day

Players of the Week 

OFF: QB Jean Matieau OTT - 3 Passing Touchdowns, 312 Passing Yards 

DEF: S Frazier Brooks BUF - 1 Interception, 7 Tackles, 3 Plays Defended 

Standings
WEST
Long Island 4-2
London 3-2-1
Buffalo 3-3
Indiana 2-4
Louisville 1-4-1 

EAST
Ottawa 6-0
Boston 4-2
Worcester 3-3
Providence 2-4
Montreal 1-5

Power Rankings
1 - Ottawa -
2 - Long Island +3
3 - Worcester +1
4 - Boston -2
5 - London -2
6 - Buffalo -
7 - Providence +3
8 - Indiana -
9 - Louisville +1
10 - Montreal -1

Week 7 Games
IND (2-4) @ LI (4-2)  - AUG. 8 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
PRO (2-4) @ OTT (6-0) - AUG. 9 - 3 PM ET
BOS (4-2) @ WOR (3-3) - AUG. 9 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
MTL (1-5) @ LOU (1-4-1) - AUG. 10 - 1 PM ET
BUF (3-3) @ LDN (3-2-1) - AUG. 10 - 4 PM ET

1958 Week 7 

*Forgot to mention yesterday that I have added the passing QB in the Passing touchdown information*
Long Island Raiders - 23, Indiana Victors - 3 - Long Island Stadium - August 8, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
3-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
2nd
6-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
13-0 LI - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Darryl Duke
3rd
13-3 IND - FG K Albert Carney
20-3 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
4th
23-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher 

The Raiders’ defence continued to dominate holding the Victors to only 3 points and keeping their points against to only 9 points in the last 3 games.
The Raiders’ D-line, led by DL Vernon Spears, put loads of pressure on QB Caldwell Higgins III which helped defend the pass without DB Slay Mitchell and DB Amyre Rouleau.
The Victors were back to struggling after a win last week against the Victors. 

Ottawa Royals - 27, Providence Gold Stars - 14 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - August 9, 1958 - 3 PM ET
1st
7-0 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Ben Roland
2nd
7-7 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
14-7 OTT - RTD RB Alexei Volkov
14-14 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Cedric Peterson
3rd
21-14 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Chester Bennett
4th
24-14 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
27-14 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette

A back and forth first half was overlooked by a controlling second half from the Royals. 
Ottawa’s defence ended the game on a strong note by stuffing the Gold Stars’ offence, while they would lose DB Mingan Oliver and S Lester Greer, but DB Henderson Durant and S Neari Charles would enter the game and hold off the passing attack from Providence.
WR Cedric Peterson scored in his first game in his hometown of Ottawa with his parents in the stands; a special moment for him.
The win would give the Royals a 7-0 record and their best start in team history.
*Ottawa clinches the first playoff spot 

Worcester Athletics - 13, Boston Independents - 28 - Worcester Stadium - August 9, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
0-7 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Ellis Lindholm
3-7 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
2nd
3rd
3-14 BOS - RTD RB Eddie Thompson
10-14 WOR - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
4th
10-21 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> TE Richard Stewart
13-21 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis13-28 BOS - RTD RB Eddie Thompson 

The Independents would start real hot, but following his touchdown, WR Ellis Lindholm would suffer a major injury that would take him out of the regular season. 
However, QB Nathaniel Braddock showed his potential with a strong second half without his top WR, throwing a touchdown and getting in position for RB Eddie Thompson to grab a pair of TDs.
Rookie DB Patrick Lindsay had his first career interception for Boston, while LB Brent Harper had a forced fumble.
Worcester looked a bit flat against their regional rival with the defence struggling and QB Gene Bishop having a similar game to Braddock’s last week. 

Louisville Thunder - 24, Montreal Rouge - 41 - Thunder Stadium - August 10, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st
3-0 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
3-3 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
10-3 LOU - RTD RB Lawrence Sharp
2nd
10-10 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
10-17 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
3rd
17-17 LOU - PTD QB Ollie Rogers -> WR Marty Jay
17-20 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
17-27 MTL - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> WR Derek Cross
4th
24-27 LOU - RTD RB Lawrence Sharp
24-34 MTL - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> TE Eli Grant
24-41 MTL - DTD DB Quentin Xavier 

The Rouge and Thunder went back and forth in a high-scoring battle with the Rouge running away at the end off of Eli Grant and Quentin Xavier’s touchdowns. 
QB Stanislav Ovechkin had his best game with two passing TDs to finally break his drought.
Louisville wasn’t too bad in the game, putting up a strong performance, but fell short by the game’s end with Xavier picking off Rogers to seal the game.*Also marked the first time Montreal scored 40+ points since their first-ever NAAF game which was a 45-0 win over the Tigers. 

London Tigers - 21, Buffalo Blue Wings - 19 - Western Fair Stadium - August 10, 1948 - 4 PM ET
1st
0-3 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
7-3 LDN - RTD RB Clifford Russell
2nd
7-9 BUF - RTD QB Angelo Medina
14-9 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
3rd
15-9 LDN - Single K Nathaniel King
15-16 BUF - PTD QB Angelo Medina -> RB Arthur Conner
4th
21-16 LDN - RTD RB Clifford Russell
21-19 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer 

Another tight battle between the Tigers and Blue Wings would end with the Tigers inching out with a win. 
RB Clifford Russell would come up big for the Tigers with a pair of touchdowns including the game-winner.
Buffalo fell just short, but unfortunately, they would lose DL Sean Bowen again with a 5-week injury which could put a big dent in their defence.
DB Jackson Miles would have a pick for the Tigers with DL Olympus Heights snagging a fumble off of Angelo Medina.
S Frazier Brooks would have another pick for the Blue Wings in another strong game for him.
*First time since 1952 the teams split their home and home; the last 5 years have had one or the other winning both games - series winners - Tigers (1954,1956), Blue Wings (1953,1955,1957)

Injury Report
WR Ellis Lindholm BOS - 6 Weeks
DB Lester Murphy BOS - Day-to-Day
DL Sean Bowen BUF - 5 Weeks
OL Edward Hodges IND - 1 Week
TE Paul McDowell LDN - 2 Weeks
DB Amyre Rouleau LI - 2 Weeks
DB Slay Mitchell LI - 3 Weeks
DL Angus MacTavish LI - 6 Weeks
DB Mingan Oliver OTT - Day-to-Day
S Lester Greer OTT - 6 Weeks
DL Randy Benjamin PRO - Day-to-Day
OL Nazario Baldassare WOR - 4 Weeks 

*Lots of major injuries as the Football Gods need their dues paid*

Players of the Week 

OFF: RB Clifford Russell LDN - 2 Rushing Touchdowns, 134 Rushing Yards 

DEF: DB Quentin Xavier MTL - 2 Interceptions, 1 Touchdown, 6 Tackles, 2 Plays Defended

Standings
WEST
Long Island 5-2
London 4-2-1
Buffalo 3-4
Indiana 2-5
Louisville 1-5-1

EAST
Ottawa 7-0 -x
Boston 5-2
Worcester 3-4
Montreal 2-5
Providence 2-5

Power Rankings
1 - Ottawa -
2 - Long Island -
3 - Boston +1
4 - London +1
5 - Worcester -2
6 - Buffalo -
7 - Providence -
8 - Montreal +2
9 - Louisville -
10 - Indiana - 

Week 8 Games
LI (5-2) @ OTT (7-0) - AUG. 15 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
LOU (1-5-1) @ BOS (5-2) - AUG. 16 - 3 PM ET
LDN (4-2-1) @ IND (2-5) - AUG. 16 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
MTL (2-5) @ BUF (3-4) - AUG. 17 - 1 PM ET
WOR (3-4) @ PRO (2-5) - AUG. 17 - 4 PM ET

1958 Week 8 

Providence Brings in New GM
Two weeks after the firing of Virgil Gross, the Gold Stars would name Allen Hutchinson as the new general manager. Hutchinson had been in the lower levels of the team’s front office, but owner David Maxwell got along much better with Hutchinson and believes that he will do the best for the team moving forward. 

Ottawa Royals - 24, Long Island Raiders - 17 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - August 15, 1958 -  7 PM ET
1st
7-0 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Chester Bennett
7-7 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
2nd
3rd
10-7 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
10-10 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
10-17 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
4th
17-17 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones
24-17 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Chester Bennett 

The Raiders rode to a 4th quarter lead on the legs of rookie RB Dareion Fields, but they would not be able to stop QB Jean Matieau with an injury-riddled secondary and would fall behind and lose.
The Royals keep their win streak alive with Matieau tossing 3 touchdowns.
Long Island’s defence was still strong in shutting down RB Alexei Volkov, with LB Elijah Goldwater forcing a fumble on the running back. 

Boston Independents - 13, Louisville Thunder - 0 - Richardson Stadium - August 16, 1958 - 3 PM ET
1st
2nd
7-0 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
3rd
10-0 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
13-0 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
4th 

A defensive win for the Independents as they shutout the Thunder en route to a 13-0 win.
LB Brent Harper grabbed two forced fumbles, S Drew Porter would also reel in a pick.
 Louisville had nothing for the Independents despite the defence putting on a strong performance for themselves.  

Indiana Victors - 23, London Tigers - 20 - Victory Stadium - August 16, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
3-0 IND - FG K Albert Carney
10-0 IND - RTD RB Rodney Clark
2nd
10-3 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King
3rd
17-3 IND - PTD QB Caldwell Higgins III -> WR David Burrows
17-6 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King
4th
20-6 IND - FG K Albert Carney
20-13 LDN - RTD RB Clifford Russell
23-13 IND - FG K Albert Carney
23-20 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Wilbert Benjamin 

The Victors held off the Tigers’ comeback in a shocking win at home.
The offence started off well with a pair of TDs in the first half and the defence coming up with big turnovers.
DB Ollie Guy and S Carl Dawson had interceptions with LB Roland Hensley and DL William Sanderson grabbing a forced fumble each.
Kiernan was able to lead the Tigers in a comeback effort, but he was notably frustrated with the play calling from OC Clyde Wall.  

Buffalo Blue Wings - 36, Montreal Rouge - 26 - Buffalo Civic Stadium - August 17, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st
3-0 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
9-0 BUF - RTD RB Arthur Conner
2nd
9-3 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
9-10 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
15-10 BUF - RTD RB Arthur Conner
3rd
15-16 MTL - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> WR Ray Lopez
15-18 MTL - 2PT RB Scott Mallard-White
22-18 BUF - RTD RB Arthur Conner
22-19 MTL - Single K Arthur Kettinger
4th
22-26 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
29-26 BUF - PTD QB Angelo Medina -> WR LeRoy Krueger
36-26 BUF - KRTD RB Eric Sydney 

Buffalo and Montreal battled in an offensive battle with the Blue Wings walking away with a kick return touchdown off of a missed field goal to seal it.
RB Arthur Conner looked like his old self with a 3 touchdown performance, while the younger Scott Mallard-White had a pair of his own.
The defence was really lacking in the showdown with only one turnover with QB Angelo Medina throwing a pick to DB Jontray Cox.

Providence Gold Stars - 21, Worcester Athletics - 20 - New Providence Stadium - August 17, 1958 - 4 PM ET
1st
0-7 WOR - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Clyde McIntosh
0-14 WOR - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
2nd
0-17 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
7-17 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> RB Johnnie Stafford
3rd
7-20 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
4th
14-20 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Peter Brooks
21-20 PRO - RTD QB Connor O’Rourke 

Connor O’Rourke mounted a 4th quarter comeback on his own to keep the Gold Stars in the hunt for the playoffs.
He surprisingly took off out of the pocket and ran in the touchdown to win it, which was not a common thing for the QB.
Worcester looked good right until the 4th quarter started when everything fell apart.
Gene Bishop would look to get the Athletics back in front, but he would throw an interception to DB Lee Wolfe which would seal the game. 

Injury Report
WR Paul Franklin BOS - Day-to-Day
DB Patrick Lindsay BOS - Day-to-Day
LB Sebastian Andrews MTL - Day-to-Day 

Players of the Week 

OFF: QB Connor O’Rourke PRO - 2 Passing Touchdowns, 321 Passing Yards, 1 Rushing Touchdown, 12 Rushing Yards 

DEF: LB Brent Harper BOS - 2 Forced Fumbles, 12 Tackles

Standings
WEST
Long Island 5-3
London 4-3-1
Buffalo 4-4
Indiana 3-5
Louisville 1-6-1

EAST
Ottawa 8-0 -x
Boston 6-2
Worcester 3-5
Providence 3-5
Montreal 2-6

Power Rankings
1 - Ottawa -
2 - Long Island -
3 - Boston -
4 - Buffalo +2
5 - London -1
6 - Providence +1
7 - Worcester -2
8 - Indiana +2
9 - Montreal -1
10 - Louisville -1

Week 9 Games
IND (3-5) @ LOU (1-6-1) - AUG. 21 - 7 PM ET - Thursday Night Football
BUF (4-4) @ LI (5-3) - AUG. 22 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
OTT (8-0) @ WOR (3-5) - AUG. 23 - 1 PM ET
LDN (4-3-1) @ MTL (2-6) - AUG. 23 - 4 PM ET
PRO (3-5) @ BOS (6-2) - AUG. 24 - 2 PM ET
*BOS clinches playoff with win

1958 Week 9 

Tigers Make Surprise Late Season Coaching Change
The news just a few weeks ago was the Gold Stars firing HC Roy Aguirre after just over two years with the team. Well the week following the firing, Aguirre was reportedly in London for their rematch against the Blue Wings. GM Joseph Johnson had always wanted Aguirre to be the team’s head coach but had stuck with Lewis Gallegos which ultimately landed Aguirre in Providence. That left former Tiger DB Clifford Jacobson in charge of the team. Jacobson was not exactly feeling comfortable in the position, as he felt more confident focusing on the defence. The confidence was not helped after falling to 4-8 last season despite a 3-1 start.  With that, the Tigers made the surprise move to hire Aguirre as the team’s head coach. Jacobson would be moved back to Defensive Coordinator.  

Offensive Coordinator Clyde Wall would get the boot after a visible conflict with QB Riley Kiernan and a rough performance against the Victors. Wall was going to the extent of potentially starting Christian Stewart over Kiernan in this week's game, but even Stewart thought Kiernan deserved to be starting based on the season he was having. As for DC Ben McMillan, he would be moved to Offensive Coordinator, however, it seems to be more of a placeholder role with McMillan handling more of the player interactions on the sideline, while Aguirre will call the shots on offence. Despite being a DC, McMillan has been both a WR and DB coach in his past so he certainly has the knowledge to help all around. 

TRADE ALERT
The Royals looked to fill some needs heading into the final stretch of the season. GM Jon Weal looked to his HC Joseph Curry as well as QB Jean Matieau on players they liked. Ultimately they wanted to bring back a longtime Royal in OL Aaron Spears. Louisville was very much interested in moving their captain as he was getting on the older side, but they would want a solid piece coming back. In the end, the Royals would give up 2nd year WR Ben Roland who hasn’t fit too well behind WR Chester Bennett and WR Mackenzie Jones. Roland might be better suited to compete for a #1 spot with Marty Jay in the Louisville offence. Of course, the Royals wouldn’t give up the former 1st round pick without filling his spot hence WR Truman Harry coming back the other way. Harry has been solid for the Thunder and has made a name for himself, which grabbed the attention of the Royals. The Thunder would also pick up the Royals’ 3rd round pick in the move to compensate for the loss of two solid players, but with Louisville at the+ bottom of the standings, grabbing future assets seems like the smart thing to do. 

Also, QB Leonidas Dumont, who returns to the lineup this week, will have an “A” added to his jersey and will serve as an assistant captain with DB Jesse Scott and K Thomas McFadden.

Louisville Thunder - 19, Indiana Victors - 20 - Thunder Stadium - August 21, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
0-3 IND - FG K Albert Carney
2nd
7-3 LOU - PTD QB Leonidas Dumont -> WR Ben Roland
7-10 IND - RTD RB Rodney Clark
3rd
10-10 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
13-10 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
4th
13-17 IND - RTD RB Rodney Clark
13-20 IND - FG K Albert Carney
19-20 LOU - PTD QB Leonidas Dumont -> WR Thomas Oezescki 

Louisville would gamble for the win going for two instead of kicking the extra point, unfortunately, Dumont’s pass would fall incomplete in TE Christopher Gist’s hands. 
Indiana sneaks away with another win as they are sticking in the fight for the playoffs despite their weaker squad.
Rookie RB Rodney Clark, who has missed a lot of the early season, was able to show his abilities since returning to the lineup.

Long Island Raiders - 16, Buffalo Blue Wings - 3 - Long Island Stadium - August 22, 1958 - 7 PM  ET
1st
3-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
2nd
10-0 LI - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Robert Lang
3rd
10-3 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
13-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
4th
16-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher 

After the Royals foiled the Raiders’ defence last week, Long Island was able to get right back to their game holding the Blue Wings to only 3 points.
Lyle Painter tossed a long TD to Robert Lang as the main excitement in the game, the rest of the game ended up being super defensive again.LB Rusty McVee and DL Tyrone Affalo had a forced fumble and S Johan Eckhart had a pick as well. 

Worcester Athletics - 18, Ottawa Royals - 31 - Worcester Stadium - August 23, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st
7-0 WOR - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
2nd
7-7 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Chester Bennett
10-7 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
10-14 OTT - RTD RB Alexei Volkov
3rd
10-21 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> TE Jervonte Howell
16-21 WOR - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
18-21 WOR - 2PT QB Gene Bishop -> WR Marqués Gardner
4th
18-28 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Truman Harry
18-31 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette 

Jean Matieau was able to pick apart the Athletics secondary especially behind Alexander Bradley where it is very weak; Truman Harry proved to be a big help with the top two receivers being covered well by Bradley and S Shawn Jensen.
Worcester RB Marcus Devonshire had a better game than most he’s had this season, but his two touchdowns were nowhere near enough against the Royals. 
Royals join the '56 Athletics and '51 Rouge as the only teams to be unbeaten after 9 games.

Montreal Rouge - 10, London Tigers - 27 - Mount Royal Stadium - August 23, 1958 - 4 PM ET
1st
3-0 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
3-7 LDN - RTD RB Clifford Russell
2nd
3-14 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Wilbert Benjamin
10-14 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
3rd
10-17 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King
10-20 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King
4th
10-27 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton 

The Tigers came through with a strong performance to get back on the winning side. 
Aguirre was still using plays from Wall’s playbook but sprinkled in some plays from his short stint in Providence and from his previous tenure with the Tigers. 
Kiernan thrived with the offence and had a pair of TDs in the win.
Montreal still struggled a lot as their playoff hopes begin to fade further. 

Boston Independents - 13, Providence Gold Stars - 20 - Richardson Stadium - August 24, 1958 - 2 PM ET
1st
3-0 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
3-7 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Cedric Peterson
2nd
6-7 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
6-10 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
3rd
13-10 BOS - RTD RB Eddie Thompson
4th
13-13 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
13-20 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> TE Micheal Bowman III 

The Gold Stars fight to win the season series against Boston pushing themselves back into a playoff spot despite their rough start.
Connor O’Rourke has been a true leader in the last few weeks which have helped the team go 3-1 since the firing of HC Roy Aguirre. 
The Independents missed having WR Ellis Lindholm out there, as Braddock was unable to get Boston back down the field near the end of the game. 

Injury Report
LB Silas O’Brien LOU - 3 Weeks
DL Charles Hoover OTT - Day-to-Day
DL Alexander Miller WOR - Day-to-Day 

Players of the Week 

OFF: QB Jean Matieau OTT - 3 Passing Touchdowns, 276 Passing Yards 

DEF: DL Tyrone Affalo LI - 1 Forced Fumble, 4 Tackles, 2 Sacks

Standings
WEST
Long Island 6-3
London 5-3-1
Buffalo 4-5
Indiana 4-5
Louisville 1-7-1

EAST
Ottawa 9-0 x
Boston 6-3
Providence 4-5
Worcester 3-6
Montreal 2-7

Power Rankings
1 - Ottawa -
2 - Long Island -
3 - London +2
4 - Boston -1
5 - Buffalo -1
6 - Providence -
7 - Indiana +1
8 - Worcester -1
9 - Montreal -
10 - Louisville -

Week 10 Games
LI (6-3) @ LDN (5-3-1) - AUG. 30 - 3 PM ET
*LI clinches playoff spot with Win + IND Loss*
OTT (9-0) @ BOS (6-3) - AUG. 30 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
*OTT clinches East Division with Win or Tie
*BOS clinches playoff spot with Win or IND Loss + BUF Loss
MTL (2-7) @ WOR (3-6) - AUG. 31 - 2 PM ET
LOU (1-7-1) @ BUF (4-5) - SEP. 1 - 1 PM ET - Labour Day Game
PRO (4-5) @ IND (4-5) - SEP. 1 - 4 PM ET - Labour Day Game

1958 Week 10

TRADE ALERT
The Raiders looked to fix up their secondary depth by adding DB Paul Gregory from the Gold Stars. With Slay Mitchell still out for another week, Gregory, who is himself returning from injury, will slot in to fill the final DB spot for their game against the Tigers. The Gold Stars picked up a 4th round pick in return for the 33-year-old, which replaces their lost 4th rounder from trade with Ottawa in the offseason. 

London Tigers - 10, Long Island Raiders - 20 - Western Fair Stadium - August 30, 1958 - 3 PM ET
1st
0-7 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
2nd
0-14 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
3-14 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King
3rd
3-17 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
10-17 LDN - RTD RB Clifford Russell
4th
10-20 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher 

The Raiders came out with a strong defensive performance again holding the Tigers to 10 points.
The Tigers had a late push to get back into the game, but unfortunately, the Raiders held strong and prevented the Tigers from getting into the endzone.
DB Clinton Gates pulled in an interception for the Raiders while LB Gene Bensen came away with a forced fumble.
LB Wilson Rockwood-Barnes would come away with a forced fumble for the Tigers. 

Boston Independents - 14, Ottawa Royals - 25 - Richardson Stadium - August 30, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
7-0 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
2nd
14-0 BOS - DTD LB Konrad Aust
14-3 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
3rd
14-9 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones
14-11 OTT - 2PT RB Alexei Volkov
14-18 OTT - RTD RB Alexei Volkov
4th
14-25 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Chester Bennett 

The Independents came out with a superb first-half keeping the Royals to only 3 points.
LB Konrad Aust would take back a forced fumble for a touchdown to make it 14-0 in the second quarter.
However, the Royals were able to make the adjustments during the break to put up 25 unanswered and become the first team to become 10-0 and have now clinched the East Division. 

Worcester Athletics - 24, Montreal Rouge - 28 - Worcester Stadium - August 31, 1958 - 2 PM ET
1st
7-0 WOR - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
7-7 MTL - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> WR Darek Cross
2nd
14-7 WOR - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
14-14 MTL - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> TE Eli Grant
3rd
14-21 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
21-21 WOR - PTD QB Andrew Glover -> WR Christian Venegas
4th
24-21 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
24-28 MTL - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> RB Scott Mallard-White

Worcester made a switch at QB after dropping 5 straight games, taking out QB Gene Bishop for QB Andrew Glover.
Glover was able to get some offence going with major help from RB Marcus Devonshire, but they would come up short with QB Stanislav Ovechkin having his best game since joining the Rouge.
The Rouge would score on their final drive with Mallard-White breaking through on a short toss underneath.
Ovechkin would toss 3 touchdowns in the win to give Montreal their 3rd win of the season for the first time since 1954 and keep them in the hunt for the playoffs. 

Buffalo Blue Wings - 26, Louisville Thunder - 24 - Buffalo Civic Stadium - September 1, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st
7-0 BUF - RTD RB Arthur Conner
7-3 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
7-6 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
2nd
10-6 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
10-12 LOU - RTD RB Lawrence Sharp
3rd
13-12 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
13-18 LOU - PTD QB Leonidas Dumont -> WR Ben Roland
4th
16-18 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
23-18 BUF - RTD RB Arthur Conner
23-24 LOU - RTD QB Leonidas Dumont
26-24 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer 

A close battle between the Blue Wings and Thunder ended with QB Angelo Medina leading the Blue Wings back to field goal range in the final 40 seconds.
Louisville continues to come up just short as Leonidas Dumont continues to show his improvements as the season has gone on.
DB Jayden Mills was able to bring in a pick for the Thunder while S Frazier Brooks grabbed a pick for the Blue Wings. 

Indiana Victors - 11, Providence Gold Stars - 27 - Victory Stadium - September 1, 1958 - 4 PM ET
1st
2nd
0-7 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Peter Brooks
7-7 IND - RTD RB Rodney Clark
3rd
7-14 PRO - RTD RB Johnnie Stafford
8-14 IND - Single K Albert Carney
8-17 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
4th
8-24 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
11-24 IND - FG K Albert Carney
11-27 PRO - FG K Ira Foster 

The Gold Stars continue their hot streak with another win on the road to pull within one win of the Independents in the East Division.
Connor O’Rourke continued his hot pace throwing another pair of TDs in the win while Johnnie Stafford also broke into the endzone.
DB Lee Wolfe also came away with a huge pick in the first half to set up their field goal before the end of the 3rd.
Indiana finally showed its cracks in this one as they drop their first since Week 7. 
*Boston and Long Island clinch playoff spots with Indiana’s loss to Providence 

Injury Report
OL Randy McFadden BOS - 1 Week
RB Eddie Thompson BOS - Day-to-Day
WR Toni Radovanoic BUF - Day-to-Day
WR Marty Jay LOU - 2 Weeks
S Johnny Berger LOU - Day-to-Day
TE Paul McDowell LDN - 1 Week
DB Jontray Cox MTL - Day-to-Day
S Jumon Cobb MTL - 1 Week
OL Aaron Spears OTT - 1 Week
OL Bernard Gide PRO - Day-to-Day 

Players of the Week 

OFF: QB Stanislav Ovechkin MTL - 3 Passing Touchdowns, 214 Passing Yards 

DEF: LB Gene Bensen LI - 1 Forced Fumble, 8 Tackles, 1 Play Defended

Standings
WEST
Long Island 7-3 -x
London 5-4-1
Buffalo 5-5
Indiana 4-6
Louisville 1-8-1 

EAST
Ottawa 10-0 -y
Boston 6-4 -x
Providence 5-5
Montreal 3-7
Worcester 3-7 

Power Rankings
1 - Ottawa -
2 - Long Island -
3 - London -
4 - Providence +2
5 - Boston -1
6 - Buffalo -1
7 - Indiana -
8 - Montreal +1
9 - Worcester -1
10 - Louisville -

Week 11 Games
LDN (5-4-1) @ OTT (10-0) - SEP. 5 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
*LDN clinches a playoff spot with a Win or IND Loss
BOS (6-4) @ LI (7-3) - SEP. 6 - 1 PM ET
*BOS clinches home playoff game with Win + PRO Loss
*LI clinches East Division with Win or LDN loss
MTL (3-7) @ PRO (5-5) - SEP. 6 - 4 PM ET
*PRO clinches playoff spot with Win
IND (4-6) @ BUF (5-5) - SEP. 7 - 1 PM ET
*BUF clinches playoff spot with Win
WOR (3-7) @ LOU (1-8-1) - SEP. 7 - 4 PM ET

1958 Week 11 

Ottawa Royals - 34, London Tigers - 31 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - September 5, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
7-0 OTT - RTD RB Alexei Volkov
7-7 LDN - RTD RB Clifford Russell
2nd
14-7 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones
14-10 LDN - FG K Nathaniel King17-10 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
3rd
17-17 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Wilbert Benjamin
20-17 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
4th
20-24 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Benedict Spencer
27-24 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> TE Jervonte Howell
27-31 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Wilbert Benjamin
34-31 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones 

The final quarter between the Royals and Tigers was full of fireworks with both teams trading touchdowns right down to the wire. 
Matieau would get the last laugh tossing his second of the game to Mackenzie Jones.
Kiernan was close but ultimately the Royals would stop their last-ditch effort and the Tigers would fall short.
The defence had their moments with DB Mingan Oliver grabbing a pick for the Royals and then S Neil Graham picking off Matieau in a rare mistake. 

Long Island Raiders - 7, Boston Independents - 17 - Long Island Stadium - September 6, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st
0-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
2nd
7-3 LI - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Robert Lang
7-10 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Joseph Barry
3rd
4th
7-17 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan 

Despite the Raiders' recent defensive success, the Independents’ defence was able to come through with a better performance. 
Braddock was able to get the offence going against the Raider defence finding the endzone through the air for the first time since Lindholm went down in week 7.
LB Brent Harper came through with a forced fumble, while LB Konrad Aust grabbed a pick.  

Providence Gold Stars - 16, Montreal Rouge - 29 - New Providence Stadium - September 6, 1958 - 4 PM ET
1st
0-7 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
6-7 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
2nd
6-13 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
6-15 MTL - 2PT QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> WR Nathan Green
3rd
13-15 PRO - RTD RB Johnnie Stafford
13-22 MTL - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> WR Ray Lopez
4th
16-22 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
16-29 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White

The Rouge came through with a huge win over the Gold Stars to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Scott Mallard-White had a huge game putting in 3 touchdowns to give the Rouge the big win.
Providence’s offence looked flat against the Rouge as the D-line ended up getting a lot of pressure on O'Rourke and kept him from getting in a groove.
DB Quentin Xavier reeled in a pick and DL Sam Laframbroise forced a fumble on O’Rourke. 

Buffalo Blue Wings - 23, Indiana Victors - 10 - Buffalo Civic Stadium - September 7, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st
7-0 BUF - RTD RB Arthur Conner
2nd
10-0 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
3rd
17-0 BUF - PTD QB Angelo Medina -> WR LeRoy Krueger
17-3 IND - FG K Albert Carney
4th
23-3 BUF - RTD RB Arthur Conner
23-10 IND - RTD RB Rodney Clark 

Buffalo comes through with a strong win at home to clinch their second straight playoff spot and a chance to defend their title.
S Frazier Brooks had a strong game for the Blue Wings reeling in a pick and breaking up 3 plays.
Indiana struggled to get things going throughout the first half, which led to QB Caldwell Higgins III being replaced in the second half by Duane Logan.
Unfortunately, Logan did not fare much better, and with the loss, the Victors would be eliminated from playoff contention. 

Louisville Thunder - 14, Worcester Athletics - 22 - Thunder Stadium - September 7, 1958 - 4 PM ET
1st
0-3 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
0-10 WOR - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
2nd
7-10 LOU - PTD QB Leonidas Dumont -> WR Ben Roland
7-13 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
3rd
7-19 WOR - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
4th
14-19 LOU - RTD RB Lawrence Sharp
14-22 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis 

Worcester ended their 6-game slide with a win in Louisville to keep their own playoff hopes alive alongside Montreal.
Marcus Devonshire put in two touchdowns in the win in his best performance of the season.
Louisville still looked good with Dumont continuing to show his growth in another strong showing. 

Injury Report
S Drew Porter BOS - 1 Week
DL Wesley Highgate BOS - Day-to-Day
OL Georgio Stephan BUF - 4 Weeks
LB Ben McCray BUF - Day-to-Day
DL Olympus Heights LDN - 1 Week
DB Slay Mitchell LI - Day-to-Day
TE Christopher Gist LOU - 3 Weeks
OL Jose Whitney MTL - Day-to-Day
S Shawn Jensen WOR - Day-to-Day

Players of the Week 

OFF: RB Scott Mallard-White MTL - 3 Rushing Touchdowns, 180 Rushing Yards 

DEF: LB Konrad Aust BOS - 1 Interception, 8 Tackles, 1 Play Defended

Standings
WEST
Long Island 7-4 -y
Buffalo 6-5 -x
London 5-5-1 -x
Indiana 4-6
Louisville 1-9-1

EAST
Ottawa 11-0 -y
Boston 7-4 -x
Providence 5-6
Worcester 4-7
Montreal 4-7

Power Rankings
1 - Ottawa -
2 - Long Island -
3 - London -
4 - Boston +1
5 - Buffalo +1
6 - Montreal +2
7 - Providence -1
8 - Worcester +1
9 - Indiana -2
10 - Louisville -

Week 12 Games
BUF (6-5) @ PRO (5-6) - SEP. 13 - 1 PM ET
*BUF clinches home playoff spot with Win or LDN Loss
*PRO clinches playoff spot with Win or WOR Loss + MTL Loss
BOS (7-4) @ MTL (4-7) - SEP. 13 - 4 PM ET
*MTL clinches playoff spot with Win + PRO Loss + WOR Loss
WOR (4-7) @ OTT (11-0) - SEP. 14 - 1 PM ET
*WOR clinches playoff spot with Win + PRO Loss
LOU (1-9-1) @ LDN (5-5-1) - SEP. 14 - 4 PM ET
*LDN clinches home playoff game with Win + BUF Loss or Tie
LI (7-4) @ IND (4-7) - SEP. 14 - 7 PM ET

1958 Week 12 

Providence Gold Stars - 17, Buffalo Blue Wings - 10 - September 13, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st
2nd
0-7 BUF - RTD RB Pierre LeStrange
0-10 BUF - FG K Donald Brewer
3-10 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
3rd
10-10 PRO - RTD RB Johnnie Stafford
4th
17-10 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss 

After falling behind 10-0 in the first half, the Gold Stars put up 17 unanswered to clinch the final playoff spot in the East Division.
O’Rourke was able to find Sammy Moss in the endzone for the game-winner to finish at 6-6 on the season. Buffalo had a strong first half but after RB Arthur Conner got hurt they were not quite as effective on offence. 
Both teams would have injuries on defence, but that seemed to affect the Blue Wings more with the Gold Stars being able to get going in the second half. 

Montreal Rouge - 27, Boston Independents - 6 - Mount Royal Stadium - September 13, 1958 - 4 PM ET
1st
7-0 MTL - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> WR Derek Cross
10-0 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
2nd
10-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
17-3 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
3rd
24-3 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
4th
24-6 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
27-6 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger 

Despite their playoff hopes being shot hours before, the Rouge would come out with a strong win over the Independents to close out the season.
Scott Mallard-White had a strong game again and was able to get Montreal another win showing their potential heading into next season.
Boston did start second-year QB Terry Bourbon to see what they have in him.
Bourbon performed okay, but he would throw a pair of picks in the game and fumbled one as well.  

Ottawa Royals - 37, Worcester Athletics - 33 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - September 14, 1958 - 1 PM ET
1st
7-0 OTT - RTD RB Iyannough Moreland
7-3 WOR - FG K Tevoris Francis
2nd
10-3 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette10-10 WOR - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Christian Venegas
17-10 OTT - PTD QB Brian Meadows -> WR John Osborn
17-17 WOR - RTD RB Leo Ravelli
3rd
20-17 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
27-17 OTT - RTD RB Iyannough Moreland
30-17 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
4th
30-23 WOR - RTD RB Leo Ravelli
30-30 WOR - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> TE Duane Halloway
30-33 WOR - FG Tevoris Francis
37-33 OTT - PTD QB Brian Meadows -> WR Truman Harry 

With the Athletics being knocked out of contention on Saturday before, they would turn to the younger players against the Royals who were also resting many players.
Gene Bishop returned as the starter and put on a good effort and even came back down 13.
However, Brian Meadows getting the start would prove he’s still a viable QB tossing for a pair of TDs and only 1 interception.
The Royals would go for the win on their final drive instead of settling for the field goal on 3rd and 7 at the 17-yard line.
Ottawa would finish 12-0 and become the first team to ever win all their regular-season games.

One particular play stood out to a lot of fans which was on Iyannough Moreland’s first touchdown of the game; TE Phineas Vandenlangenberg would make a huge block-rocking DL Maxime Rivard with a hit to allow for Moreland to score.
What stood out to people was the extremely long name on the jersey which required the name to be curved and squished on the back of the jersey. 

London Tigers - 28, Louisville Thunders - 9 - Western Fair Stadium - September 14, 1958 - 4 PM ET
1st
7-0 LDN - RTD RB Clifford Russell
2nd
7-3 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
14-3 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Benedict Spencer
3rd
14-6 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden
4th
21-6 LDN - RTD RB Clifford Russell
28-6 LDN - PTD QB Christian Stewart -> WR Max Sutton
28-9 LOU - FG K Thomas McFadden 

The Tigers would go for the home field advantage starting Kiernan against the Thunder.
Kiernan would lead the Tigers to a comfortable lead in the 4th which allowed Christian Stewart to get some snaps in the 4th quarter. 
Stewart would throw a touchdown in his effort sealing the game for the Tigers and their first-ever above .500 finish in a season and home playoff game. 
Louisville would try to get things going, but they struggled against the Tigers’ defence and would fail to get to the endzone. 

Indiana Victors - 25, Long Island Raiders - 23 - Victory Stadium - September 14, 1958 - 7 PM ET
1st
7-0 IND - RTD RB Rodney Clark
2nd
7-7 LI - RTD RB Amando Amaro
10-7 IND - FG K Albert Carney
10-10 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
10-13 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
3rd
17-13 IND - RTD RB Rodney Clark
4th
17-16 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
23-16 IND - PTD QB Stanley Troyer -> WR David Burrows
25-16 IND - 2PT - RB Rodney Clark
25-23 LI - PTD RB Amando Amaro -> QB Rigobert St. Hilaire

The Victors would pull out a win in their final game of the season with rookie QB Stanley Troyer getting his first start.
Troyer was alright but threw his first career touchdown that would set up RB Rodney Clark for the game-winning 2-point convert to win.
Clark had a great game overall finishing off a tough rookie campaign, which he started with an injury, on a good note.
The Raiders seemed relaxed in their play but still pulled out a play with Amaro, a former QB, tossing a pass to St. Hilaire for a touchdown.
However, it was turnovers that became their issue with 3 fumbles and an interception thrown to DB Kelly Kirkland.

Injury Report
DB Jared Francis BUF - Day-to-Day
DB Kenneth Wade IND - 4 Weeks (Season)
DL William Sanderson IND - 2 Weeks
WR Kenny Davis LOU - Day-to-Day
DB Victor Bean PRO - Day-to-Day 

Players of the Week 

OFF: RB Rodney Clark IND - 2 Rushing Touchdowns, 145 Rushing Yards 

DEF: DL Calias McDonough PRO - 1 Forced Fumble, 3 Sacks, 7 Tackles 

Power Rankings
1 - Ottawa -
2 - Long Island -
3 - London -
4 - Boston -
5 - Providence +2
6 - Buffalo -1
7 - Montreal -1
8 - Indiana +1
9 - Worcester -1
10 - Louisville - 

Season Round-Up

Playoff Preview 
EAST DIVISION SEMI-FINALS
Boston Independents VS. Providence Gold Stars - Richardson Stadium - September 21, 1958 - 1 PM ET
Head-to-Head: W6 PRO 28-17 BOS; W9 BOS 13-20 PRO
A classic rivalry will kick off the playoffs as the Gold Stars visit the Independents. The Gold Stars seemed to have Boston’s number this season winning both of the matchups. However, Providence has not been good when it comes to playoff games in Richardson Stadium as they have lost their previous two playoff games in Boston. Now that was when Larry Larson was still playing for Boston, but Nathaniel Braddock is certainly no slouch and will be aiming to earn his first career playoff win just like Connor O’Rourke on the other sideline. The battle should be a tight one, but if I’m going with the hot hand I'll have to put my faith in O’Rourke and the Gold Stars this time.
My Pick: Gold Stars 

WEST DIVISION SEMI-FINALS
London Tigers VS. Buffalo Blue Wings - Western Fair Stadium - September 21, 1958 - 4 PM ET
Head-to-Head: W6 BUF 20-14 LDN; W7 LDN 21-19 BUF
Another rivalry will get to be displayed in London’s first home playoff game. The two rivals split their season series for the first time since 1952 and they seem to be pretty evenly matched. Buffalo will have DL Sean Bowen back in the line-up, and the Tigers will be back at full health heading into the game. At the end of the day, I think it will come down to the performance of London's key players like QB Riley Kiernan, RB Clifford Russell, and LB Aengus Lynch. If they fall flat, the experienced Blue Wings team will not hesitate to take advantage. I still think the Tigers will ultimately come out on top in a close battle.
My Pick: Tigers