1963 Award Winners

1963 Award Winners

Most Valuable Player - QB Riley Kiernan LDN
Kiernan becomes the 3rd player in NAAF history to take home 3 MVP awards in his career. It took true leadership from Kiernan to help the Tigers recover from a horrid 1-5 start. He was able to lead the Tigers on a 6-game win streak in the second half to capture the West Division heading into the playoffs. While he may never be seen as better than the great QB Jean Matieau, he has certainly solidified himself as the second-best QB of his era. 

Playoff MVP - QB Connor O’Rourke PRO
While the Gold Stars would fall short of their first NAAF championship, QB Connor O’Rourke had a stellar playoff run. The QB threw for 10 touchdowns in 3 games over their playoff run. He was consistently the best player on the field as he tried everything to get the Gold Stars on top. A fantastic performance for O’Rourke and a well-deserved award.

Offensive Player of the Year - RB Scott Mallard-White MTL
It was a very close vote between Mallard-White and O’Rourke, but in the end, the Rouge running back was the stand-out choice. He led the league with 20 rushing touchdowns this season being a key piece for the league’s highest-scoring team this season. The 20-touchdown season is the first for a RB since Dareion Fields in 1959. Mallard-White would be just the 3rd player to take home a second OPOY award.

Defensive Player of the Year - DB Neville Falkner PRO
It’s another back-to-back winner at the defensive player of the year award with Neville Falkner taking home the award. Falkner has burst onto the scene with fantastic season after fantastic season. Many will be comparing him to Providence’s other great DB Lee Wolfe throughout the rest of his career, but he certainly seems up to the challenge.

Special Teams Player of the Year - K Johnnie Berg BOS
With the STPOY award being overtaken by Nimrod the last three seasons, it is refreshing to see Johnnie Berg claim his second STPOY award. The kicker has been one of the most consistent throughout his career but always seems to be a step behind the top kicker throughout the season. 

Rookie of the Year - DL Wayne Baxton HFX
Baxton quickly put himself miles ahead of any competition for the rookie of the year as he became an immediate impact on the Mariners’ D-line. His strong play would end up helping the Mariners to a 3-2 start this season. Baxton was one of the best DL this season, so the future certainly looks bright for the young star. 

Coach of the Year - Roy Aguirre LDN
Aguirre has a certain ability to just get a team to score. Even when facing all adversity, Aguirre was able to adjust and turn the Tigers around this season. The combination of Aguirre and Kiernan has been nothing but special in the last few years and they both deserve lots of credit for the fantastic rebound. 

Breakout Player of the Year - DB Lauri Hayha LI
It was a close race between Hayha, Karis, and Paisley, but the 1962 3rd overall pick was the narrow winner. Hayha seemed like a big risk pick last year since he was coming from a smaller school, but the Fin came through with a stellar sophomore year that saw him become a top DB in the NAAF. The Raiders have something special on their hands. 

46th McCallister Cup Host - New Providence Stadium - Providence, RI - Capacity: 65,450
It was a heartbreaking loss in the 45th McCallister Cup, but the city of Providence will get to celebrate the team’s 50th anniversary with the 46th McCallister Cup coming to town. The league’s biggest stadium finally wins a vote after getting passed on a couple of times since their last host in 1953.

1963 All-Stars

WEST ALL-STARS
QB Riley Kiernan LDN (6)
RB Dareion Fields LI (4)
OL Taylor Forbes LOU (1)
OL Magnus Gunnersson LDN (6)
OL Elliot Winterbottom LI (5)
OL Bernhard Altermann LOU (4)
OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins IND (1)
WR Max Sutton LDN (4)
WR Ed Edwards IND (2)
WR Zachariah Pembroke BUF (2)
TE Christopher Gist (2)

DL William Sanderson IND (7)
DL Vernon Spears LI (7)
DL Olympus Heights LDN (5)
DL Lonnie Vincent BUF (3)
LB Scotty Williams LOU (12)
LB Dallas Dillard LDN (1)
LB Deon Wiggins LI (1)
DB Jackson Miles LDN (5)
DB Oliver Langstrom LOU (2)
DB Lauri Hayha LI (1)
S Johnny Berger LOU (4)

K Henderson Schumacher LI (3)

EAST ALL-STARS
QB Connor O’Rourke PRO (2)
RB Scott Mallard-White MTL (5)
OL Graham Chambers BOS (6)
OL Maxence Castex MTL (5)
OL Varo Giovanni PRO (2)
OL Ulysses Fairgrove PRO (6)
OL Ward Briscoe HFX (2)
WR Taylor Karis MTL (1)
WR Sammy Moss PRO (3)
WR Ellis Lindholm BOS (5)
TE Eli Grant MTL (2)

DL Wayne Baxton HFX (1)
DL Craig White PRO (2)
DL Olaf Viktorsson OTT (10)
DL Timmy Kerr LI (1)
LB Konrad Aust BOS (6)
LB Brent Harper BOS (8)
LB Sam Fitzroy MTL (1)
DB Neville Falkner PRO (3)
DB Cameron Taylor PRO (1)
DB Mingan Oliver OTT (5)
S Garet deVale MTL (3)

K Johnnie Berg BOS (5)

1963 League Leaders

Passing Touchdowns
1 - QB Connor O’Rourke PRO - 26
2 - QB Gene Bishop MTL - 22
3 - QB Riley Kiernan LDN - 21
4 - QB Nathaniel Braddock BOS - 18
5 - QB Jean Matieau OTT - 14

Rushing Touchdowns
1 - RB Scott Mallard-White MTL - 20
T-2 - RB Dareion Fields LI - 14
T-2 - RB Jimmy Golden BUF - 14
T-2 - RB Kendall Morgan BOS - 14
5 - RB Rodney Clark LOU - 12

Receiving Touchdowns
1 - WR Max Sutton LDN - 12
T-2 - WR Taylor Karis MTL - 9
T-2 - WR Sammy Moss PRO - 9
4 - WR Ellis Lindholm BOS - 8
5 - WR Owen Paisley PRO - 7

Interceptions
1 - DB Neville Falkner PRO - 9
2 - DB Jackson Miles LDN - 8
3 - DB Oliver Langstrom LOU - 7
4 - DB Lauri Hayha LI - 6
T-5 - S Johnny Berger LOU - 5
T-5 - DB Cameron Taylor PRO - 5

Forced Fumbles
1 - LB Scotty Williams LOU - 7
T-2 - LB Konrad Aust BOS - 6
T-2 - DL Wayne Baxton HFX - 6
T-2 - LB Dallas Dillard LDN - 6
T-5 - DL William Sanderson IND - 5
T-5 - DL Olaf Viktorsson OTT - 5
T-5 - DL Craig White PRO - 5

45th McCallister Cup

45th McCallister Cup

London Tigers VS. Providence Gold Stars - Long Island Stadium - October 6, 1963 - 6 PM ET - Weather: Clear 18ºC | 65ºF - TV: Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arland
1st Q
It was a game that could have been very offensive or very defensive. The Tigers would decide very quickly that it should be an offensive affair. They would get the ball first and go right onto the attack. QB Riley Kiernan was able to find little weaknesses in the Gold Stars’ defence and would find WR Max Sutton in the endzone at the end of their opening drive to make it 7-0. Providence was not as successful on their opening drive with the Tigers’ defence standing strong. The Tigers would continue to control the game and would get another great offensive chance. Kiernan would connect with WR Jack Duncan for a big play that would put the Tigers on the goalline. Then, QB Rigobert St-Hilaire would then punch it in on the QB plunge to give London the shocking 14-0 lead.
LDN 14-0 PRO

2nd Q
There was no way QB Connor O’Rourke was going to back down following the bad start. He would take to the field with purpose and lead the offence to a quick score of their own. He would connect with WR Cedric Peterson to make it 14-7. The defence would follow O’Rourke in stepping up. They would send pressure from the defensive line. DL Craig White was able to take advantage of a weaker OL of Jimmy McKay and would almost get to Kiernan right off the snap. However, the QB was able to evade and then would take off up the middle. With Kiernan running, LB Rusty McVee would step up to take him down. Kiernan would do his best to avoid the tackle and would almost escape. Unfortunately, McVee was still able to get Kiernan’s arm and force the ball loose. The fumble would give the Gold Stars great field position. The Tigers would look to fix their mistake with a lot of pressure from the defence. DL Olympus Heights would break off the edge with great speed, however, O’Rourke was able to avoid him. Heights would make the move to go after him, but he was then erased by a RB Marcus Devonshire block. It caught Olympus off guard and sent him to new heights (and out of the game). O’Rourke would then find WR Benedict Spencer open to get down to the 10 before Devonshire scored to tie the game. The Tigers would not be completely silenced in the quarter and would get a late field goal to take the lead into the break.
LDN 17-14 PRO

3rd Q
The 3rd quarter would start with Providence maintaining their momentum. O’Rourke would lead the offence on an early touchdown drive to give them their first lead of the contest. WR Owen Paisley would be on the receiving end. The Tigers would be looking to counter the score, but they ran into more trouble with DB Neville Falkner finding a way to wrestle the ball out of the grasp of WR Max Sutton and pick up an interception. Providence would threaten the endzone once again, but DB Jackson Miles was able to prevent WR Cedric Peterson from making a likely touchdown catch. The Gold Stars would settle for a field goal and a 7-point lead. Kiernan would be able to bounce back from the interception and would keep the Tigers in the battle. He would be able to tie the game back up with a toss to WR Jack Duncan before the quarter ended. 
LDN 24-24 PRO

4th Q
With the game tied, the tension was high. Neither team wanted to give an inch, but both offences were finding ways to move the ball. After a couple of drives were traded, the Gold Stars would get a big boost on an 18-yard run from RB Marcus Devonshire. The play would be followed up with a 17-yard toss to WR Owen Paisley. Providence was making a strong push towards the endzone now. As they approached the goal line, O’Rourke would take his shot. He would throw one of the best passes of his career to WR Cedric Peterson. Peterson, with DB Jackson Miles playing almost perfect coverage, would manage to make a miraculous catch to score and put the Gold Stars up by 7. The Gold Stars would give it all to stay up by 7, but the game was truly a duel of QBs. Riley Kiernan would get back on the horse and would lead the charge back the other way. With a heavy desire to get his second cup, he would get the team down to the redzone again. Providence would start to tighten up and would prevent the Tigers from getting into the endzone on first down. However, on 2nd, Kiernan would toss a pass to WR Russell Wilcox on a crossing route. The WR's speed would catch some players off guard and he would make a break to the corner of the endzone. With a block from WR Jack Duncan, Wilcox would dive and make it in for the score and tie the game once again. With time winding down, the game was going to come down to the next score to decide it. Providence was pushing for a strong drive, but they were stopped short of midfield. They would pin the Tigers deep with the ensuing punt. London would manage to get out of the shadow of their own goalposts but still had to hand the ball back over to Providence. The Gold Stars would look to make a statement late. After an incompletion on first down, O’Rourke would look to his most reliable target in WR Cedric Peterson, but DB Jackson Miles got the better of him this time and forced the Gold Stars to punt again. London would get the last chance of regulation. Providence was mainly trying to prevent a score so they played off a little. Kiernan read it and took advantage, finding WR Max Sutton for a shorter route which he turned into a 21-yard gain. On the next play, he would connect with WR Jack Duncan to put them into field goal range. The time crept down and with 3 seconds left, the game would be on K Nimrod Handsworth. The Gold Stars would try and stall him to build up tension. The building was loud with all the Gold Stars fans trying to do what they can. Then, the ball was snapped and Handsworth kicked the ball. The building fell silent as it flew through the air. Nimrod put his hands up a little early knowing it was going to make it. The Tigers would win on the final play to capture their second McCallister Cup. 

McCallister Cup MVP

QB Riley Kiernan LDN - 3 Passing Touchdowns, 312 Passing Yards 

1963 McCallister Cup Champions

1963 Season

1963 Division Finals

1963 Division Finals

Boston Independents VS. Providence Gold Stars - Richardson Stadium - September 29, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy/Light Rain - 14ºC | 58ºF - TV: Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arland
1st Q
Both offences were able to get the ball moving early on in the classic playoff battle. They would trade drives, picking up a couple of first downs each, but there was no scoring until midway through the quarter. Boston would be able to make some space for RB Kendall Morgan which allowed them to get deep into Providence territory. The Independents would ultimately grab a field goal to make it 3-0. Providence’s offence would start a counterattack as the quarter came to a close. QB Connor O’Rourke would make a great throw to WR Cedric Peterson which would put them into Boston territory on the final play of the quarter.
BOS 3-0 PRO

2nd Q
The Gold Stars would continue their push. O’Rourke would dance out of pressure and find another big play to WR Owen Paisley to set them up in the redzone. A couple of plays later O’Rourke tossed a shot to WR Cedric Peterson to put Providence in the lead. Both teams would continue to buckle down and push to get an advantage. The battle was very closely matched with neither team being able to breakthrough. It would come down to a turnover to make something happen. DL Timmy Kerr and DL Robin Hill were creating a lot of pressure for QB Connor O’Rourke throughout the first half, and eventually, they would get to him. Robin Hill would be able to knock the ball loose and the Independents would grab it. They would look to score a touchdown, but the Providence defence would manage to hold them off and force a field goal. Providence would be able to get the field goal back on the final play of the half after the offence got them quickly into field goal range.
BOS 6-10 PRO

3rd Q
The second half would start off with more back and forth play, however, the game was slowly shifting into Providence’s favour with both defence and offence stepping up. The offence would charge down the field midway through the quarter and would set up near the endzone. O’Rourke would then find TE Michael Bowman III for a touchdown to give them a 6-17 lead. The Gold Stars' defence was giving Boston a lot of trouble with pressure from DL Craig White and DL Calias McDonough getting to QB Nathaniel Braddock. Eventually, the pressure would lead to a major mistake. He would misjudge some coverage and DB Cameron Taylor would jump what looked like a wide-open connection. The Gold Stars would take over and O’Rourke would hit WR Owen Paisley for a touchdown a few plays later to give Providence an 18-point lead heading into the final quarter.
BOS 6-24 PRO

4th Q
Braddock would not let the Independents go out with a whimper. He would counter the second Providence touchdown with a strong drive of his own. He would get the Independents down into scoring range before RB Kendall Morgan would break into the endzone from 9 yards out to cut the lead to only 11. Providence’s defence would tighten up following the touchdown drive which made for a tougher time for Boston. Luckily for Boston, they were still able to find a little bit of a rhythm. The offence was slowly making their way back as the quarter was heading into the final 5 minutes. Providence would be pressuring Braddock and locking down WR Ellis Lindholm with DB Neville Falkner, but Braddock would still manage to find WR Fredrick St.Pierre open to score a touchdown and pull the game to within one score. The Gold Stars would not let the score affect them as they would then stop Boston on the 2-point conversion to keep the 5-point lead. Despite Providence’s best attempts to hold onto the ball, the Independents would get it back. They would start to move into Providence territory again. Braddock was threatening the endzone and he would see WR Evan Clanton get a bit of space over the middle. He would go to throw, but DL Craig White jumped up to block. Braddock would pump-fake and sidestep and make the throw. It was an excellent play, however, the timing was slightly off and the ball tipped off of Clanton’s hands and popped up. S Shawn Jensen was all over the ball and would bring in the pick. Providence would have a chance to try and close out the game, but they would still need to give it back one more time, giving Boston a final chance. The Independents would push to the 40, but time was running thin so Braddock had to make a play. He would look to connect on a deep shot. His throw would be on target for WR Ellis Lindholm, but DB Neville Falkner was playing at his best and was able to knock the ball away. Providence would win and end their league-high 9-year McCallister Cup appearance drought. They will have the tough task of ending their long championship drought that stretches back to 1941.  

London Tigers VS. Ottawa Royals - Western Fair Stadium - September 29, 1963 - 7 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy - 4ºC | 40ºF - TV: Jerry Goldbridge and Jackie Calhoon
1st Q
It was a chilly day in London which would make for one of the coldest NAAF games (since they play summer ball). However, being the two Canadian teams they would embrace it. The Tigers would take advantage early with a strong opening drive to give them a quick 3-0 lead. Ottawa would look to counter, but they were stopped quickly with QB Lee Rogers taking a sack right off the hop from DL Dee Floyd. The Tigers would continue to find a rhythm on offence and would find themselves back in scoring range once again. QB Riley Kiernan would eventually find WR Max Sutton for a touchdown to give London a 10-0 lead. Lee Rogers would struggle in the first quarter taking 2 sacks and throwing an interception to DB Bob Ellis. 
LDN 10-0 OTT

2nd Q
London would keep it up in the second with the defence continuing to cause issues for QB Lee Rogers. Rogers would start to get a little more mobile, but his attempt to get out of the pocket was thwarted by the arms of DL Olympus Heights who would jar the ball loose. The Tigers would turn the fumble into a touchdown shortly after with RB Eddie Thompson taking it in, a difficult one for the Royals to swallow since Thompson was traded to London from Ottawa earlier in the season. The Royals would start to make some progress on their next offensive drive, but it was cut short when DB Jackson Miles came up with an interception for the Tigers. That would lead to another Tigers’ score to give them a strong 20-0 lead heading into the half. Rogers was clearly not handling the Tigers’ pressure well with three turnovers in the first half. His struggles brought into a potential change to youngster QB Landon Ross, but they would continue with Rogers.
LDN 20-0 OTT

3rd Q
The second half would see the Royals get a bit of a kick start. During the break, QB Jean Matieau and HC Joseph Curry would work with Rogers to change up the strategy. It would end up working and would catch the Tigers a little off guard early on in the 3rd. Rogers would be able to lead the Royals down the field to get into scoring range. He would then connect with WR Chester Bennett in the back corner of the endzone to get them on the board. London would not let the score faze them. Kiernan would then take the team back the other way to get another score. K Nimrod Handsworth would kick his 3rd field goal of the game to make it 23-7 heading into the final quarter.
LDN 23-7 OTT

4th Q
The Royals’ defence would also step up the second half putting some pressure on the Tigers. DL Olaf Viktorsson would be able to get to Kiernan early on in the 4th to force the Tigers deep into their own territory. The Tigers would punt 2 plays later which would end up giving Ottawa good field position. The Royals' offence would continue from where they started in the 3rd and would get the ball down to the 5-yard line. RB Corbyn Knight would then take the ball in for a touchdown to pull the game to within 2 scores and a chance to make it 1. Rogers would drop back on the 2-point attempt and would find former Tiger, TE Paul McDowell, for the score to cut the lead to 8. Despite the change in momentum, Kiernan would be able to rebound quickly, taking the Tigers back down the other way. He would soon find WR Jack Duncan for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 15-point lead. The quick drive would break the hearts of the Royals who started to see that they were just outmatched. Rogers would still give them one last hope, but on 3rd and 10 he would be swarmed by DL Olympus Heights and DL Richard Blunt and would be brought down for a loss of 7. The Royals were just not good enough to top the red-hot Tigers who were now headed to their 4th McCallister Cup in 5 years. It was certainly a surprise considering the 1-5 start to the season. 

Injury Report
DL Wesley Highgate BOS - Day-to-Day
LB Dallas Dillard LDN - Day-to-Day
DL Kenny Evans PRO - 5 Weeks

Players of the Week

EDF: QB Connor O’Rourke PRO - 3 Passing Touchdowns, 223 Passing Yards

WDF: DL Olympus Heights LDN - 2 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, 6 Tackles

45th McCallister Cup Preview
LDN VS. PRO - Long Island Stadium - Hempstead, NY
Head-to-Head: None
It is the second playoff matchup we’ve seen this year where the teams didn’t play this season. It means that it is hard to tell how this game is going to go. However, the game will be about the legacy of each QB. QB Riley Kiernan enters his 5th McCallister Cup and despite the many attempts, he’s only been able to win once in his previous 4. He will be aiming to become just the 4th QB to win multiple McCallister Cups in the NAAF era. As for QB Connor O’Rourke, he enters his first McCallister Cup at the spry young age of 32. He has been known as one of the best regular-season QBs but never got it done in the playoffs. Now he will have the chance to challenge his narrative and give Providence its first title since 1941. In the end, I think it is a good matchup, but I like the Gold Stars slightly better. I think they finally get over the hump this year. 
My Pick: Gold Stars

1963 Division Semi-Finals

1963 Division Semi-Finals

Providence Gold Stars VS. Montreal Rouge - New Providence Stadium - September 22, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy - 11ºC | 52ºF - TV: EN Bob Walton and Steven Kelly, FR Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacques
1st Q
The atmosphere was electrifying in the 65,450 seat New Providence Stadium. Revenge was on the mind for the Gold Stars who wanted to reverse the result of the 1962 East Division Final. The game would certainly start in their favour. QB Gene Bishop would lead the Rouge out for the opening drive of the game. He would soon find himself facing a lot of pressure from the Gold Stars’ D-line. He would step up to make a throw on 2nd down but had his own OL Scott Harper pushed into him, knocking the throw off course. DB Neville Falkner of the Gold Stars would jump all over the errant ball and bring in an interception. The crowd in Providence erupted and the Gold Stars grabbed the momentum. QB Connor O’Rourke would make quick work of the Montreal defence before connecting with WR Owen Paisley for a touchdown to make it 7-0 Providence. Montreal would be able to bounce back in the quarter on the next drive with RB Scott Mallard-White getting to the endzone to tie the game back up. The Gold Stars would be well on their way to retake the lead with another touchdown, however, they would fall short. WR Sammy Moss would find some open space in the endzone, but as the ball arrived, DB Jared Francis would lay a hit on Moss and force the incompletion. The play did not sit well with the home crowd especially when WR Sammy Moss would not be able to return to the game. The Gold Stars would still walk away with the lead following a K Ira Foster field goal. 
PRO 10-7 MTL

2nd Q
The second quarter would see Montreal continue to get the ball moving. QB Gene Bishop was getting into a rhythm and would get the team down into the redzone before hitting WR Taylor Karis over the middle for a touchdown to take the lead for the first time. The momentum continued to tip into Montreal’s favour which had the crowd feeling anxious. O’Rourke would come out and ease the crowd with a strong drive. The QB would connect with WR Cedric Peterson to get down into the redzone before he found WR Owen Paisley for the second time in the endzone. 17-14 Providence. The Rouge would have to hurry up with time running thin in the half. Following a couple of quick passes to pick up a first down, Bishop was faced with pressure once again. However, this time he was able to escape the pocket. As Bishop stepped to throw to an open TE Eli Grant, he was hit from behind by DL Calias McDonough which caused Bishop to fumble the ball. Another costly turnover would leave the Rouge down by 6 following a Gold Stars’ field goal.
PRO 20-14 MTL

3rd Q
The Rouge would aim to get back into the game out of the break. Bishop was looking to make a big play for the team and get their confidence up. The Gold Stars were continuing to bring the pressure. Bishop would feel it, but kept his cool and would step up to throw, but would pump fake as he saw WR Derek Cross was not as open as he hoped. He would second guess and then shift his throw for WR Darryl Duke. Bishop’s throw was way off target since the QB did not properly set up for the throw. The ball would land in open field with S Shawn Jensen getting under it and bringing in another interception. Providence would continue to roll back the other way with O’Rourke firing the touchdown to WR Cedric Peterson to give them a 27-14 lead. Bishop would not let the mistakes end their season and he would get right back for a quick field goal to cut the lead to just 10. Montreal’s defence had been fairly quiet throughout the game, but they would come up big in the 3rd. O’Rourke would look to connect with WR Cedric Peterson, but S Garet deVale would get in the way and break up the pass. The ball would get tipped up and DB Quentin Xavier, who was coming up behind Peterson, would grab the pick. Montreal would take the momentum shift and would get down to the redzone again. Mallard-White would score his second of the game on the ground. 
PRO 27-24 MTL

4th Q
The final quarter of play was quite tense for the Gold Star fans who were all too afraid of another choke in the playoffs. Early on in the quarter, the Gold Stars would make a push for the endzone. O’Rourke would connect with WR Benedict Spencer to get the team down to the 2-yard line. On 1st and Goal, the Gold Stars would end up faking the run and would set up WR Cedric Peterson to go one-on-one into the endzone. O’Rourke would toss a perfect pass to the WR who was one of the best in one-on-one situations and he would give Providence a 10-point lead again. Montreal would be able to counter with a field goal to cut the lead back to just 7. The Gold Stars did a good job stalling the Rouge and running the clock, but Montreal was getting another chance with a couple of minutes to go. Looking to make plays through the air, the Rouge would add another WR to the field. Montreal would look to connect on a couple of plays to get the ball rolling. Bishop would step back for a quick throw and would connect with WR Trig Jegman over the middle. Jegman would turn to make a play but he was immediately drilled by LB Rusty McVee. McVee’s hit would launch the ball loose and LB Victor Falkensteig would pick it up and give Providence great field position. The Gold Stars would let RB Rashed Smith and RB Marcus Devonshire run the ball down to the goal line. Devonshire would then punch the ball in to give Providence a 14-point lead and clinch their first playoff win since 1958. 

PRO - 46 DB Neville Falkner

MTL - 40 RB Scott Mallard-White

Louisville Thunder VS. Ottawa Royals - Thunder Stadium - September 22, 1963 - 7 PM ET - Weather: Mostly Cloudy - 21ºC | 71ºF - TV: Clint Georgetown and Jamar Swinton
1st Q
It was a much different game in the West Division with the Thunder and Royals both starting backup QBs. QB Stanislav Ovechkin has been the hot hand this season for the Thunder, while QB Lee Rogers replaces QB Jean Matieau due to injury. This marks the first playoff game Ottawa has had without Matieau since 1950. The game would get off to a rocky start with both offences struggling to move the ball. There were a combined 3 first downs in the first quarter. There was no scoring until late in the quarter, and it would take a freak play to lead to it. The Royals would be punting the ball to the Thunder. WR Julian Santiago was back to field the kick, but he misjudged it and the ball bounced off of his chest. The Royals were quick to pounce on the ball and S Clancy Scott would be able to take it down to the 16-yard line. From there, the Royals would finish off the drive with QB Lee Rogers connecting with WR Mackenzie Jones. 
LOU 0-7 OTT

2nd Q
The Thunder would look to recover from the mistake in the second quarter. QB Stanislav Ovechkin would lead the Thunder down into Royals’ territory. They would get a field goal to break their offensive silence. They would continue to gain some momentum with a huge turnover. QB Lee Rogers would force a deep ball which would land in the hands of S Johnny Berger. The offence would take over and would eventually get near the endzone before RB Rodney Clark took in the touchdown to give Louisville a 10-7 lead. The Royals’ offence was still struggling against the league’s top defence and never got past midfield in the 2nd. 
LOU 10-7 OTT

3rd Q
The Thunder would add to their lead early in the second half with the offence getting down to the redzone. K Frank Hughes would hit his second field goal of the game. With the 6-point lead, the Thunder would start to get comfortable with their defence shutting down the Royals’ offence. However, another freak play would give the Royals an opportunity. As WR Chester Bennett took off for a deep route, he put a quick move on DB Oliver Langstrom. Langstrom would stay with Bennett, however, he planted his foot in an odd spot and would roll his ankle. Bennett would break free and Lee Rogers would hit him with a perfect deep ball. S Johnny Berger would try to get back, but the veteran WR would take it to the house to give the Royals the shocking lead. Langstrom would be unable to return to the game following the play as he could barely keep up with the play while hobbling. 
LOU 13-14 OTT

4th Q
The Thunder would recover from the play in the 4th following a LB Scotty Williams forced fumble. They would get another field goal to retake the lead. They would once again hold the fort quite well. The defence was managing alright without both DB Alexander Bradley and DB Oliver Langstrom, however, HC Joseph Curry of the Royals soon found little weaknesses. Smart playcalling would start to push the ball up the field. It was a tedious battle with the Royals’ offence still only getting a few yards each play. Eventually, Rogers would open up the field with back-to-back passes to WR Carter Henderson which would move the Royals up the field 32 yards. They would get down to the 2 before the Thunder would look to hold them up. After RB Corbyn Knight was stopped just short on first down, QB Lee Rogers would breakthrough on a QB plunge to give Ottawa a huge 16-21 lead. The Thunder were all of a sudden in panic mode. The offence would need to move quickly with time starting to become an issue. Ovechkin would have to make some plays through the air. He would connect with WR Ben Roland for a 28-yard gain to start the drive. The fans were getting back into the game. The Thunder kept moving the ball into Royals’ territory and were starting to threaten. Then Ovechkin would look for Roland once again. The WR was breaking for a post route. The ball would perfectly get to Roland, however, S Randall Green would get there just before Roland and would make a miraculous catch to intercept the ball. The fans let out a gasp of pure shock. The pick killed the Thunder’s momentum and the Royals would hold on to become not only the first crossover team to win a playoff game, but the first sub-500 team to win a playoff game as well. QB Lee Rogers and QB Jean Matieau, who watched from the sideline, would share a hug following the win as they were both ecstatic about the win. 

LOU - 38 S Johnny Berger

OTT - 28 DL Olaf Viktorsson
Injury Report
DB Oliver Langstrom LOU - Day-to-Day
LB Killian Reed OTT - Day-to-Day
WR Sammy Moss PRO - 6 Weeks

Players of the Week

EDSF: QB Connor O’Rourke PRO - 4 Passing Touchdowns, 328 Passing Yards

WDSF: QB Lee Rogers OTT - 2 Passing Touchdowns, 1 Rushing Touchdown, 189 Passing Yards

Division Final Previews

East Division Final - BOS VS PRO - Richardson Stadium
Head-to-Head: W3: PRO 34-20 BOS, W6 BOS 24-20 PRO
The Gold Stars are on a mission to finally break free of their “playoff-choker” title and after their win next week there is a lot of fans thinking they have a chance. However, they do have to ready for the Independents, who always seem to be standing in the way of the Gold Stars. Boston will still be hindered without 2 starting WRs and RB Kendall Morgan coming off an injury, but QB Nathaniel Braddock has been more than making up for it down the stretch. In the games between the teams this season, it seemed like the Gold Stars were the slightly better team, but now that it is playoff time, anything can happen. I still like the offensive power from the Gold Stars, I think they will break through to the final. 
My Pick: Gold Stars

West Division Final - LDN VS OTT - Western Fair Stadium
Head-to-Head: W3 OTT 31-28 LDN
The Royals had come out on top in the meeting between these two teams earlier this season, however, a lot has changed since then. The Royals remain without QB Jean Matieau and the Tigers are one of, if not, the hottest team in the league riding a 6-game win streak. The Royals shocked the Thunder by being able to take advantage of mistakes and shut down their offence. However, they will not likely be able to contain QB Riley Kiernan and the high-flying Tigers’ offence. I think the Tigers are the significantly better team and they will get back to their 4th McCallister Cup in 5 years. 
My Pick: Tigers.

1963 Award Nominations

1963 NAAF Award Nominations

It was suggested to me that I do the award voting earlier this season before we get into the playoffs. I felt that maybe the playoffs would end up having an effect on the awards, which it is not supposed to, so I wanted to try doing the vote before the playoffs kick-off. I won't release the winners until after the playoffs, but I think this will be a good change going forward, especially for my own motivation for this part of the project. 

MVP

QB Riley Kiernan LDN
It was an abysmal start for the Tigers this season which saw starting RB Clifford Russell get knocked out for the season and the team slide to 1-5. However, it was not all lost with Kiernan stepping up for the team. The 2-time MVP QB was able to take over games and win 6 straight to close out the season and turn a 1-5 season into a 7-5 season with a division title. Kiernan’s play has easily been the most important part of the team’s rebound.

LB Scotty Williams LOU
Last year’s MVP made his mark again this season, leading the Thunder defence to set the record for the least amount of points allowed in a 12-game season. If it weren’t for the defence the Thunder would likely not have ended up with a 7-5 record as their offence was 9th in total points this season. 

QB Connor O’Rourke PRO
It was a dominant season under center for QB Connor O’Rourke who led the league in passing touchdowns and passing yards. The strong play from the 1957 MVP winner helped the Gold Stars to another strong 8-3-1 record. O’Rourke has been on a mission to try and get the Gold Stars over the top and he’s playing like an MVP in order to get there.

Offensive Player of the Year
QB Riley Kiernan LDN - 21 Passing Touchdowns (2nd), 2nd in Passing Yards
It was a strong offensive performance for Kiernan, who had to make up for the loss of the team’s top RB Clifford Russell.
WR Max Sutton LDN - 12 Receiving Touchdowns (1st), 1st in Receiving Yards
Sutton was the biggest force through the air this season, which makes sense since he is Riley Kiernan’s favourite target. 
RB Scott Mallard-White MTL - 20 Rushing Touchdowns (1st), 1st in Rushing Yards
Mallard-White was by far the best RB this season having 6 more touchdowns than the next RB in the league. He was a key piece to the Rouge offence this season.
QB Connor O’Rourke PRO - 26 Passing Touchdowns (1st), 1st in Passing Yards
O’Rourke had the best statistical season among quarterbacks lighting up the field with a career-high 26 touchdown season.

Defensive Player of the Year
LB Konrad Aust BOS - 6 Forced Fumbles (T-2nd), 1 Interception, 1 Defensive Touchdown, 1st in Tackles
Aust had a strong season and managed to be the top LB in Boston with his career-best season.
DB Jackson Miles LDN - 8 Interceptions (2nd), 1 Defensive Touchdown, 2nd in Passes Defended
Miles had a great second half to the season, much like the rest of the Tigers, but it was one of his best seasons and will make a push for a DPOY award.
LB Scotty Williams LOU - 7 Forced Fumbles (1st), 2nd in Tackles
The backbone of the Thunder defence was neck and neck with Aust for the top LB statistically this season.  
DB Neville Falkner PRO - 9 Interceptions (1st), 2 Defensive Touchdowns, 1st in Passes Defended
Last year’s winner was the top DB statistically this season with 9 interceptions. Falkner continues to prove that he is making a push for one of the best DBs to ever play.

Special Teams Player of the Year
K Johnnie Berg BOS - 26 Field Goals (T-2nd), 28 Extra Points, 106 Points
Berg had a slow start to the 1963 campaign, but he recovered in the later parts putting up several field goals a game without missing any. He also had the greatest average distance for his kicks. 
K Frank Hughes LOU - 28 Field Goals (1st), 18 Extra Points, 1 Single, 103 Points
Another young kicker makes his way into the STPOY award nominations. Leading the league in field goals this season, however, unlike Berg, his average distance for field goals was one of the lowest. 
K Henderson Schumacher LI - 26 Field Goals (T-1st), 21 Extra Points, 99 Points
Schumacher made his return to the STPOY nominations with a strong season for the Raiders helping the team get back into a more competitive space after the previous two down seasons.

Rookie of the Year
DL Wayne Baxton HFX - 6 Forced Fumbles (T-2nd in League), 10th in Sacks
Baxton made a massive difference on the Mariners' D-line in his first season. He made his presence known right from the get-go helping the Mariners to their 3-2 start. He ended the season with 6 forced fumbles, which was the most among DL in the league.
OL Emil Jennings LDN - He Block Good
Jennings had a slow start to his career, but as he got comfortable, he was able to jump into a larger role and help the Tigers recover from their 1-5 start. With the Tigers’ OL losses over the last couple of seasons, Jennings is a great pick-up
WR Casey Coleman LI - 3 Receiving Touchdowns (T-18th in League)
Coleman looked like he could’ve had an unbelievable rookie season, however, injuries kept him out throughout the season. He showed a lot of potential when in the lineup, but his lack of availability was a concern.

Coach of the Year
HC Ben McMillian BOS - Record: 9-2-1
Boston’s season was full of close games that came down to the wire. In the end, McMillian was able to help the team come out on top of those close games and put their team on top of the league this season. 
HC Roy Aguirre LDN - Record: 7-5
Aguirre, a 2-time COTY winner, showed once again why he is so important to the Tigers. Despite starting 1-5, he was able to turn up the offence (without their top RB) and get the team back to a West Division title. 
HC Emil Riddle LOU - Record: 7-5
Breaking records isn’t something anyone does without putting in the work. Riddle is a great head coach both offensively and defensively, but his chemistry with LB Scotty Williams and the Thunder defence showed this season with the team’s record-breaking points against number this season. 

Breakout Player of the Year
DB Lauri Hayha LI - 6 Interceptions (4th), 1 Defensive Touchdown
It seems the gamble in taking DB Lauri Hayha in the draft last year is paying off. Hayha quickly became a force in the secondary for the Raiders this season and showed that he can be among the best in the league at his position.
WR Taylor Karis MTL - 9 Receiving Touchdowns (T-2nd), 4th in Receiving Yards
Karis became a true endzone threat this season. With many teams trying to shut down the deep threat of WR Derek Cross, it allowed WR Taylor Karis to thrive. The WR is quickly proving that he has #1 WR talent, finding open space and making plays in clutch moments.
WR Owen Paisley PRO - 7 Receiving Touchdowns (5th)
Paisley and O’Rourke clicked this season as Paisley got more snaps. While he didn’t rack up the yards, he was great in the redzone being able to get open in the short field.

46th McCallister Cup Host
Victory Stadium - Indianapolis, IN - Capacity: 48,500 - Last Hosted: 1958
Indianapolis’ Victory Stadium was a great success the first time the McCallister Cup came to town. The colosseum-like stadium certainly paints a great picture for the final showdown.
New Providence Stadium - Providence, RI - Capacity: 65,450 - Last Hosted: 1953
Providence has not hosted the McCallister Cup since 1953, which is the second-longest “drought” in the league. They hope that the biggest stadium in the league can host another championship game in what will be the Gold Stars’ 50th anniversary season. 

1963 NAAF Season

1963 Week 1

just a side note I decided to experiment with putting the play-by-play and colour commentators into the game descriptions just to give a little more life to the world.

Louisville Thunder - 8, London Tigers - 16 - Thunder Stadium - June 27, 1963 - 7 PM ET - Kickoff - Weather: Rain - TV: Clint Georgetown and Jamar Swinton with special guest Johnnie Stafford
1st Q
0-7 LDN - RTD RB Clifford Russell
2nd Q
0-10 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
3rd Q
0-13 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
1-13 LOU - Single K Frank Hughes
4th Q
1-16 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
8-16 LOU - RTD QB Sammy Townsend

The Thunder and Tigers opened the season on a rainy evening in Louisville.
The rain became quite the factor with several fumbles throughout the game, however, the rain ultimately caused several injuries.
QB Leonidas Dumont would go down after tweaking his ankle on the muddy turf, while being tackled and would be replaced by QB Stanislav Ovechkin.= (the play also resulted in a fumble). 
London’s offence was able to gain a little bit of ground against the Thunder defence, while Louisville’s offence struggled without Dumont. 
London would come away with the important win to start the season 1-0.

Buffalo Blue Wings - 23, Boston Independents - 27 - Milton Charles Stadium - June 28, 1963 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: Cloudy - TV: Jerry Goldbridge and Jackie Calhoon
1st 
0-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
3-3 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
2nd Q
10-3 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Julius Drake
10-10 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
3rd Q
13-10 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
13-13 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
16-13 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
4th Q
16-20 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
23-20 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
23-27 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Paul Franklin

Buffalo opened their new stadium in a back and forth duel against the Independents.
They, unfortunately, came up short following an unreal game-winning drive from Braddock to close out the game. 
WR Julius Drake was the first player to score a touchdown in the new stadium and certainly got the crowd going.
Boston’s improved defence ended up being a factor with DL Timmy Kerr getting to Lemieux a couple of times and forcing an interception to LB Konrad Aust.

Indiana Victors - 28, Long Island Raiders - 10 - Victory Stadium - June 29, 1963 - 2 PM ET - Weather: Light Rain/Cloudy - TV: Harold Mansfield and Jim Earnest
1st Q
7-0 IND - RTD RB Cody Barnes
2nd Q
14-0 IND - PTD QB Mike Key -> TE Emmanuel Hines
14-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
3rd Q
21-3 IND - RTD RB Don Gregson
4th Q
21-10 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
28-10 IND - PTD QB Mike Key -> WR Ed Edwards

The Victors came out firing on all cylinders against the Raiders to open the season.
QB Mike Key got the start and had a pair of touchdown passes in the win.
The Raiders struggled with QB Stanley Troyer still getting used to his new offence which led to RB Dareion Fields doing most of the heavy lifting.
Troyer threw a pair of picks in the game to DB Kelly Kirkland and DB David Jones.

Montreal Rouge - 41, Providence Gold Stars - 28 - Mount Royal Stadium - June 30, 1963 - 2 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: FR - Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacque - EN - Bob Walton and Steven Kelly
1st Q
7-0 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
14-0 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop ->TE Eli Grant
14-7 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
2nd Q
17-7 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
17-10 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
24-10 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
24-11 PRO - Single K Ira Foster
3rd Q
24-18 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
24-21 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
27-21 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
4th Q
34-21 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
34-28 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Cedric Peterson
41-28 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Derek Cross

The Rouge and Gold Stars duked it out in an offensive shootout where the Rouge took an early 14-0 lead and was able to maintain the lead for the rest of the game. 
Providence was still strong, but the slow start caused by a S Garet deVale interception hurt the team in the end.
RB Scott Mallard-White seemed to be on a mission with his 3 touchdown performance in the win. 

Halifax Mariners - 23, Ottawa Royals - 18 - Atlantic Stadium - July 1, 1963 - 5 PM ET - Canada Day - Weather: Clear - TV: George Leblanc and Kevin Holcombs
1st Q
7-0 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
7-3 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
2nd Q
10-3 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
10-10 OTT - RTD RB Eddie Thompson
13-10 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
3rd Q
20-10 HFX - PTD QB Caldwell Higgins III -> WR Joshua Lafleur
20-17 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Chester Bennett
4th Q
23-17 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
23-18 OTT - Single K Maurice Lafayette

The Mariners would give their new home crowd something to cheer about in their first game with a huge win over the Ottawa Royals, snapping their franchise 12-game losing streak.
London, ON native, QB Caldwell Higgins III, was given the start, being the first time he was able to start for a Canadian team in his career; he was able to throw a touchdown in the win.
DB Joe Robinson came up with a pick for the Mariners, and rookie DL Wayne Baxton would get a huge forced fumble on RB Eddie Thompson after an unreal hit. 
Ottawa looks out of sorts, but Matieau was able to give them a little bit of life in the 3rd quarter. 

Injury Report
OL Sal Valcano BOS - Day-to-Day
OL Pete Brackenridge BOS - 6 Weeks
WR Orlando Barrack BOS - 7 Weeks
DL Lonnie Vincent BUF - Day-to-Day
LB Aengus Lynch LDN - Day-to-Day
DB Larry Pickett LI - 3 Weeks
QB Leonidas Dumont LOU - 2 Weeks
DL Theo Conte LOU - 2 Weeks
LB George Yokoi LOU - Day-to-Day

Players of the Week

OFF: RB Scott Mallard-White MTL - 3 Rushing Touchdowns, 117 Rushing Yards

DEF: DL William Sanderson IND - 2 Sacks, 6 Tackles, 1 Forced Fumble

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

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

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

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

1963 Week 2

Boston Independents - 31, Long Island Raiders - 23 - Richardson Stadium - July 4, 1963 - 5 PM ET - 4th of July - Weather: Clear - TV: Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arland
1st Q
7-0 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Paul Franklin
7-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
10-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
2nd Q
17-3 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
17-10 LI - PTD QB Terry Bourbon -> WR Wilson Queensgate
3rd Q
17-13 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
24-13 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
24-16 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
4th Q
31-16 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> TE Tanner Tint
31-23 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields

The Raiders had a much better performance with QB Terry Bourbon under center against the Independents. 
The former Independent threw a touchdown in the game and only 1 interception to DB Lawrence Ralph.
Boston’s offence was clicking with Braddock throwing a pair of touchdowns and RB Kendall Morgan tacking on a couple more. 
The Independents show that they are back with a strong 2-0 start.

London Tigers - 20, Indiana Victors - 29 - Western Fair Stadium - July 5, 1963 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: Clear - TV: Harold Mansfield and Kevin Holcombs
1st Q
0-3 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
3-3 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
2nd Q
3-6 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
10-6 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
3rd Q
10-9 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
10-15 IND - PTD QB Mike Key -> WR Silas Peyton
13-15 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
4th Q
13-22 IND - RTD RB Cody Barnes
20-22 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
20-29 IND - DTD FUM DB Malik Davenport

The Victors came to London and delivered an excellent performance to jump out to their first 2-0 start in franchise history.
The defence came up big late in the game with S Cal Clemmons levelling WR Russell Wilcox which forced the ball loose and was taken back to the house by DB Malik Davenport.
The Tigers struggled to move the ball after RB Clifford Russell went down with a season-ending injury. 
RB Eric Sydney was alright, but a fumble on the day caused by former Tiger, DL William Collins, was not ideal for the veteran back.

Buffalo Blue Wings - 10, Louisville Thunder - 24 - Milton Charles Stadium - July 6, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: Jerry Goldbridge and Jackie Calhoon
1st Q
0-7 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark
2nd Q
3-7 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
3rd Q
3-10 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
3-17 LOU - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> WR Ben Roland
10-17 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
4th Q
10-24 LOU - RTD Rodney Clark

The Thunder rebounded from their tough loss to the Tigers with a strong defensive, shutting down the talented Blue Wings’ offence.
QB Stanislav Ovechkin was strong in his first start in Louisville with a passing touchdown, while RB Rodney Clark stepped it up out of the backfield for a pair of touchdowns of his own.
QB Charles Lemieux struggled against the Thunder secondary, throwing 3 interceptions in the loss (DB Oliver Langstrom, DB Alexander Bradley, and S Johnny Berger had the picks).

Ottawa Royals - 35, Montreal Rouge - 31 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - July 6, 1963 - 7 PM ET - SNF - Weather: - TV: FR Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacques, EN: George Leblanc and Maurice St. Louise
1st Q
7-0 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones
7-7 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
2nd Q
7-14 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Darryl Duke
14-14 OTT - RTD RB Eddie Thompson
14-17 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
3rd Q
14-24 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
21-24 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones
4th Q
28-24 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> RB Corbyn Knight
28-31 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Derek Cross
35-31 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> TE Jervonte Howell

The latest edition of the Montreal-Ottawa rivalry ended up being a stellar shootout. 
Many people thought the Rouge would smack the Royals, but anything can happen in these rivalry games and the Royals, on the back of Jean Matieau, were able to not only compete but pull off the upset.
WR Darryl Duke got his first touchdown as a member of the Rouge in the first half. 
RB Corbyn Knight got an opportunity in the 4th on a screen pass in which he took the distance.
Matieau would lead the Royals on a game-winning drive and would find TE Jervonte Howell for the touchdown.

Providence Gold Stars - 35, Halifax Mariners - 13 - New Providence Stadium - July 7, 1963 - 2 PM ET - Weather: - TV: Bob Walton and Steven Kelly
1st Q
7-0 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> TE Micheal Bowman III
2nd Q
14-0 PRO - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
14-3 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
21-3 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
3rd Q
28-3 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Benedict Spencer
28-10 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
35-10 PRO - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
4th Q
35-13 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin

The Gold Stars would take out their frustration from last week’s loss to the Rouge on the Mariners.
Connor O’Rourke would throw 3 touchdowns and 345 yards in the win, showing that he is hungry to win this season.
The defence was also strong with both DB Neville Falkner and DB Slay Mitchell grabbing picks off of QB Caldwell Higgins III. 
Halifax had a stronger 3rd quarter with RB Stavros Black getting into the endzone following a DL Wayne Baxton forced fumble.

Injury Report
RB Clifford Russell LDN - Season
WR Russell Wilcox LDN - Day-to-Day
OL Scott Harper MTL - 3 Weeks
WR Cedric Peterson PRO - 5 Weeks

Players of the Week

OFF: QB Jean Matieau OTT - 4 Passing Touchdowns, 319 Passing Yards

DEF: S Johnny Berger LOU - 1 Interception, 2 Passes defended, 6 Tackles

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

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

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

Week 3 Games
BUF (0-2) @ LI (0-2) - JUL 12 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
LDN (1-1) @ OTT (1-1) - JUL 13 - 3 PM ET
BOS (2-0) @ PRO (1-1) - JUL 13 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
IND (2-0) @ MTL (1-1) - JUL 14 - 1 PM ET
LOU (1-1) @ HFX (1-1) - JUL 15 - 4 PM ET

1963 Week 3

Long Island Raiders - 9, Buffalo Blue Wings - 26 - Long Island Stadium - July 12, 1963 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: - TV: Frank Dijon and William Arland
1st Q
0-3 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
2nd Q
0-10 BUF - QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Zachariah Pembroke
3-10 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
3rd Q
6-10 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
6-16 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
6-19 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
4th Q
9-19 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
9-26 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden

The Blue Wings would top the Raiders for their first win of the season.
RB Jimmy Golden had a strong day with a pair of touchdowns and 134 rushing yards.
Long Island started QB Terry Bourbon again, but he did not have as much success against the Blue Wings defence. 
The offence as a whole struggled with 3 turnovers on the day; DB Dean Hawkins reeled in the pick while DL Lonnie Vincent and LB Orion Carter each had a forced fumble for the Blue Wings.

Ottawa Royals - 31, London Tigers - 28 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - July 13, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: - TV: George Leblanc and Kevin Holcombs
1st Q
0-7 LDN - DTD DL Olympus Heights
3-7 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
10-7 OTT - RTD RB Eddie Thompson
2nd Q
10-14 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Russell Wilcox
17-14 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Chester Bennett
3rd Q
20-14 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
20-21 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
23-21 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
4th Q
23-28 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan - > WR Jack Duncan
29-28 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones
31-28 OTT - 2PT QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones

The Royals came through another shocking win, taking down the Tigers who suffered more injuries in the loss.
It was a very offensive battle besides an early mistake from RB Eddie Thompson which resulted in DL Olympus Heights taking a fumble back for a touchdown to open the score.
The Royals were able to come back behind the arm of QB Jean Matieau once again late in the drive. 

Providence Gold Stars - 34, Boston Independents - 20 - New Providence Stadium - July 13, 1963 - 7 PM ET - SNF - TV: Bob Walton and Steven Kelly
1st Q
7-0 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Owen Paisley
7-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
7-10 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
2nd Q
14-10 PRO - DTD DB Neville Falkner
17-10 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
3rd Q
24-10 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> TE Micheal Bowman III
24-13 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
27-13 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
4th Q
27-20 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Ellis Lindholm
34-20 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Owen Paisley

It was a breakout game for WR Owen Paisley, who scored 2 touchdowns in the big win over the rival Independents.
Despite the Gold Stars holding the ball, up by 7, they decided to still drive the field and put the game away with a big touchdown drive.
Boston certainly wasn’t happy about it and will be aiming for revenge come rivalry week, later this season.
The Boston offence was a bit slow in the game and struggled to produce and keep pace with the Gold Stars.

Montreal Rouge - 42, Indiana Victors - 16 - Mount Royal Stadium - July 14, 1963 - 1 PM ET - Weather: - TV: FR Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacques, EN Harold Mansfield and Jim Earnest
1st Q
7-0 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Darryl Duke
7-3 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
14-3 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
2nd Q
21-3 MTL - RTD QB Gene Bishop
21-6 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
28-6 MTL - DTD DB Quentin Xavier
3rd Q
35-6 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
35-13 IND - PTD QB Mike Key -> WR Alexei Dubois
4th Q
42-13 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Taylor Karis
42-16 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter

The Rouge bounced back quickly from their surprising loss to the Royals with an absolute domination of the unbeaten Victors.
QB Gene Bishop would throw a pair of touchdowns while also taking in a 24-yard scramble.
Indiana ran into a very good and hungry team and stood no chance even with an overall solid performance from some players.
QB Mike Key’s unbeaten start to his career (6-0 as a starter) would come to an end in quite a dramatic fashion.

Halifax Mariners - 14, Louisville Thunder - 22 - Atlantic Stadium - July 14, 1963 - 4 PM ET - Weather: - TV: Benjamin O’Donnell and Maurice St. Louise
1st Q
0-3 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
1-3 HFX - Single K Elvis Franklin
2nd Q
1-6 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
1-13 LOU - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> TE Christopher Gist
4-13 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
3rd Q
11-13 HFX - KRTD WR Jav Kerrigan
11-19 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark
4th Q
11-22 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
14-22 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin

The Thunder get their second straight win, taking down the Mariners in an interesting showdown.
QB Stanislav Ovechkin is able to show that he is still completely capable in the starting role and would throw another touchdown and lead the team to victory.
The day was a tough one for QB Caldwell Higgins III and the Mariners, as the offence could not get anything going.
However, the crowd would get a treat with rookie WR Jav Kerrigan taking back the opening kick of the second half for a touchdown. 

Injury Report
OL Clifford Pratt HFX - 9 Weeks
S Cal Clemmons IND - 3 Weeks
DL Samuel Carrington LDN - 6 Weeks
DB Ricardo Salvador LDN - Day-to-Day
OL Moses Griffin LI - 3 Weeks
WR Ben Roland LOU - 3 Weeks
OL Harrison Ward MTL - Day-to-Day
DB Henderson Durant OTT - 2 Weeks
OL Herman Mecklenburg PRO - 1 Week

Players of the Week

OFF: QB Gene Bishop MTL - 2 Passing Touchdowns, 1 Rushing Touchdown, 324 Passing Yards, 46 Rushing Yards

DEF: DL Lonnie Vincent BUF - 2 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, 6 Tackles
 
Standings
WEST
Louisville 2-1
Indiana 2-1
Buffalo 1-2
London 1-2
Long Island 0-3

EAST
Montreal 2-1
Providence 2-1
Ottawa 2-1
Boston 2-1
Halifax 1-2

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

Week 4 Games
LDN (1-2) @ LI (0-3) - JUL 18 - 7 PM ET - Thursday Night Football
OTT (2-1) @ PRO (2-1) - JUL 19 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
HFX (1-2) @ IND (2-1) - JUL 20 - 3 PM ET
LOU (2-1) @ BOS (2-1) - JUL 20 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
BUF (1-2) @ MTL (2-1) - JUL 21 - 2 PM ET

1963 Week 4

Long Island Raiders - 29, London Tigers - 16 - Long Island Stadium - July 18, 1963 - 7 PM ET - TNF - Weather: - TV: Frank Dijon and Kevin Holcombs
1st Q
3-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
6-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
2nd Q
6-7 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan ->  WR Russell Wilcox
12-7 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
15-7 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
3rd Q
15-10 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
15-16 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
4th Q
22-16 LI - PTD QB Stanley Troyer -> WR Casey Coleman
29-16 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields

A strong 4th quarter would lift the Raiders to their first win of the season. 
QB Stanley Troyer was back in the starting role and he was able to keep the offence moving consistently in the game.
WR Casey Coleman would score his first touchdown after slipping into open space and escaping the clutches of the Tigers’ defenders.
The Tigers continued to struggle without a stable run-game and Kiernan ran into issues with the young Raiders’ secondary. 
DB Lauri Hayha had a pair of interceptions in the game showing that he has some excellent game-changing abilities.

Providence Gold Stars - 21, Ottawa Royals - 21 - New Providence Stadium - July 19, 1963 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: - TV: Bob Walton and Steven Kelly
1st Q
7-0 PRO - RTD RB Rashed Smith
2nd Q
7-7 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Chester Bennett
14-7 PRO - DTD DB Neville Falkner
21-7 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> TE Micheal Bowman III
3rd Q
4th Q
21-14 OTT - RTD RB Eddie Thompson
21-21 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones

The Royals mounted a late 4th quarter comeback to save a tie with the Providence Gold Stars. 
Jean Matieau led the way with a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winner.
Providence had a stellar first half, but the offence seemed to quit in the second half and went from 186 yards in the first half to only 58 in the second half.
The Royals came up with several turnovers in the second half with LB Douglas MacDougall grabbing a fumble and DB Mingan Oliver and S Randall Green both having a pick.
Young RB Rashed Smith was able to get on the score sheet for the first time in his career giving Providence the lead early in the game.

Indiana Victors - 20, Halifax Mariners - 23 - Victory Stadium - July 20, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: - TV: Harold Mansfield and Jim Earnest
1st Q
0-3 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
2nd Q
7-3 IND - RTD RB Cody Barnes
10-3 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
3rd Q
10-6 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
13-6 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
13-13 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
4th Q
13-20 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
20-20 IND - PTD QB Mike Key -> WR Alexei Dubois
20-23 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin

The Mariners were able to claim their 2nd win of the season with a strong win over the Indiana Victors on the road.
RB Stavros Black led the way with a pair of touchdowns while the Halifax D-line maintained their strong play with DL Wayne Baxton and DL Pat Butler combining for 3 Sacks and a forced fumble.
Indiana drops their second straight in surprising fashion following Mariners’ WR Jav Kerrigan taking back a late punt into Victors’ territory to give K Elvis Franklin a shot to win the game.

Boston Independents - 17, Louisville Thunder - 16 - Richardson Stadium - July 20, 1963 - 7 PM ET - SNF - Weather: - TV: Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arland
1st Q
0-3 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
2nd Q
3-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
3-6 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
3rd Q
3-13 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark
4th Q
10-13 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Paul Franklin
10-16 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
17-16 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Ellis Lindholm

A defensive battle would end with an offensive comeback from Nathaniel Braddock.
The Thunder defence was able to hold Boston to only a field goal in the first 3 quarters.
Boston’s defence wasn’t playing bad themselves, keeping Louisville in range.
The strong defensive play would pay off with Braddock taking it up a notch in the 4th quarter and throwing for a pair of touchdowns to give Boston their 3rd win of the season.
QB Leonidas Dumont was able to return in the loss but might have been dealing with some lingering issues so the team kept the ball on the ground for the most part.

Montreal Rouge - 24, Buffalo Blue Wings - 13 - Mount Royal Stadium - July 21, 1963 - 2 PM ET - Weather: TV: FR Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacques, EN Jerry Goldbridge and Jackin Calhoon
1st Q
0-3 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
7-3 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
2nd Q
10-3 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
10-10 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
3rd Q
10-13 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
17-13 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Taylor Karis
4th Q
24-13 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White

Montreal came out of the 10-10 tie at the half and stepped up in the second half outsourcing Buffalo 14-3 to get their 3rd win of the season. 
Buffalo looked good in the first half, but they struggled under the pressure in the second half with several mistakes resulting in a couple of turnovers to S Garet deVale and LB Elijah Goldwater.
QB Gene Bishop was strong in the second half with 146 passing yards and a touchdown without any turnovers.

Injury Report
WR LeRoy Krueger HFX - 6 Weeks
DB David Jones IND - Day-to-Day
OL Forrest Green LOU - 1 Week

Players of the Week

OFF: QB Nathaniel Braddock BOS - 2 Passing Touchdowns, 288 Passing Yards

DEF: DB Lauri Hayha LI - 2 Interceptions, 2 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended

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

EAST
Montreal 3-1
Boston 3-1
Providence 2-1-1
Ottawa 2-1-1
Halifax 2-2

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

Week 5 Games
PRO (2-1-1) @ LOU (2-2) - JUL 26 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
BOS (3-1) @ OTT (2-1-1) - JUL 27 - 3 PM ET
IND (2-2) @ BUF (1-3) - JUL 27 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
LI (1-3) @ LDN (1-3) - JUL 28 - 1 PM ET
MTL (3-1) @ HFX (2-2) - JUL 28 - 4 PM ET

1963 Week 5

Louisville Thunder - 19, Providence Gold Stars - 27 - Thunder Stadium - July 26, 1963 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: Clint Georgetown and Jamar Swinton
1st Q
3-0 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
3-7 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Owen Paisley
6-7 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
2nd Q
6-9 PRO - Safety DL Craig White
9-9 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
9-16 PRO - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
3rd Q
9-17 PRO - Single K Ira Foster
9-24 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Owen Paisley
12-24 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
4th Q
19-24 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark
19-27 PRO - FG K Ira Foster

The Gold Stars pulled off yet another strong win over the defending champs.
QB Connor O’Rourke and WR Owen Paisley showed that they have meshed well together with Paisley catching both of O’Rourke’s touchdowns in the game.
Louisville’s defence struggled for the first time this season, however, the offence didn’t really help them with several turnovers and mistakes on the day.
DL Craig White had a big day with 2 sacks, a safety, and a forced fumble for the Gold Stars.

Ottawa Royals - 17, Boston Independents - 17 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - July 27, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy - TV: George Leblanc and Maurice St. Louise
1st Q
3-0 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
3-7 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
2nd Q
10-7 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Mackenzie Jones
3rd Q
10-14 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Ellis Lindholm
4th Q
10-17 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
17-17 OTT - RTD RB Corbyn Knight

For the second straight week, the Royals walked away from their game with a tie.
The team did have a chance late to get to the endzone but ultimately ran out of time, which some fans were disappointed about and wished that the game would have at least an extra quarter to decide a winner. 
Either way, the Royals continued to show that they are in the hunt in the East while Boston falls back into a tie with the Gold Stars through 5 weeks.

Buffalo Blue Wings - 33, Indiana Victors - 17 - Milton Charles Stadium - July 27, 1963 - 7 PM ET - SNF - Weather: Clear - TV: Jerry Goldbridge and Jackie Calhoon
1st Q
7-0 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Daniel Irons
10-0 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
2nd Q
13-0 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
13-7 IND - RTD RB Cody Barnes
3rd Q
20-7 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
20-14 IND - PTD QB Mike Key -> WR Alexei Dubois
4th Q
27-14 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Zachariah Pembroke
30-14 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
30-17 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
33-17 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch

The Blue Wings offence finally woke up and put up 33 points in a huge win over the Indiana Victors.
Lemieux would be the main leader in the win, throwing a pair of touchdowns.
Defensively the Blue Wings were able to grab a couple of turnovers with S Frazier Brooks and DB Carson Scott each grabbing a pick.
Indiana had another disappointing outing in their 3rd straight loss, which might be leading to the team potentially making a shift towards QB Lyle Painter if things continue to slide offensively.

London Tigers - 7, Long Island Raiders - 26 - Western Fair Stadium - July 28, 1963 - 1 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy - TV: Frank Dijon and Kevin Holcombs
1st Q
0-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
2nd Q
0-6 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
0-13 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
3rd Q
7-13 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
7-20 LI - PTD QB Stanley Troyer -> TE Andrew Mathias
4th Q
7-23 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
7-26 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher

It was another day full of mistakes for the Tigers as they fall for the second straight time to the Raiders.
RB Eric Sydney had 3 fumbles on the day and was eventually pulled for RB Lukas Ivarsson.
DL Pionk Bjorkkstrand, William Washington II, LB Deon Wiggins each had one of the fumbles.
QB Stanley Troyer continued to play well for the Raiders getting the team their second straight win, throwing a touchdown in the win.

Halifax Mariners - 30, Montreal Rouge - 27 - Atlantic Stadium - July 28, 1963 - 4 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy - TV: FR Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacques, EN Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arland
1st Q
7-0 HFX - DTD INT DB Joe Robinson
10-0 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
10-7 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> TE Eli Grant
2nd Q
10-10 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
17-10 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
24-10 HFX - KRTD WR Jav Kerrigan
3rd Q
24-17 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
24-20 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
4th Q
27-20 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
27-27 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Derek Cross
30-27 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin

Another shocking win for the Mariners as they top the Rouge on home field. 
The edge came from big plays on defence and special teams with DB Joe Robinson and DB Dennis Kirchner grabbing interceptions and DL Wayne Baxton and LB Pepper Burress each grabbing a fumble, and then Jav Kerrigan taking back his second kick return touchdown of the season.
Baxton’s fumble came at a crucial moment late in the game which allowed the Mariners to get the game-winning field goal.
Montreal was stunned by the loss, but the turnovers kept the Mariners in the game, and it ultimately cost them at the end of the day.

Injury Report
OL Graham Chambers BOS - 1 Week
DL Ted Madison HFX - Day-to-Day
DL Perry Karl HFX - Day-to-Day
TE Micheal Bowman III PRO - Day-to-Day
TE Danny Harmon PRO - Day-to-Day

Players of the Week

OFF: QB Charles Lemieux BUF - 2 Passing Touchdowns, 289 Passing Yards

DEF: DL Craig White PRO - 2 Sacks, 1 Safety, 1 Forced Fumble, 5 Tackles

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

EAST
Providence 3-1-1
Boston 3-1-1
Halifax 3-2
Montreal 3-2
Ottawa 2-1-2

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

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

1963 Week 6

Long Island Raiders - 34, Halifax Mariners - 31 - Long Island Stadium - August 2, 1963 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: Frank Dijon and Kevin Holcombs
1st Q
0-7 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
3-7 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
3-8 HFX - Single K Elvis Franklin
10-8 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
2nd Q
17-8 LI - PTD QB Stanley Troyer -> WR Casey Coleman
17-15 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
3rd Q
17-18 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
20-18 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
20-21 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
4th Q
27-21 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
27-24 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
27-31 HFX - PTD QB Caldwell Higgins III -> WR Nick Nacker
34-31 LI - PTD QB Stanley Troyer -> WR Wilson Queensgate

A back and forth affair between the Raiders and Mariners kicked off rivalry week in an exciting fashion.
The Mariners were able to get a late score in the game with Caldwell Higgins III connecting with WR Nick Nacker for a score, but the Raiders were able to answer back before the clock ran out with Troyer finding Wilson Queensgate for a touchdown.
Defensively, DB Lauri Hayha was good again for the Raiders with a pick on the day while DL Pat Butler had a strong day for the Mariners with a forced fumble.

Louisville Thunder - 23, Indiana Victors - 0 - Thunder Stadium - August 3, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Light Rain - TV: Clint Georgetown and Jamar Swinton
1st Q
3-0 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
2nd Q
10-0 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark
3rd Q
13-0 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
16-0 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
4th Q
23-0 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark

The Thunder defence completely shut down the Indiana Victors’ offence in their rivalry week match-up.
LB Scotty Williams came up with 13 Tackles on the day and a forced fumble, leading the way for the defence.
Indiana had zero answers for the Thunder and QB Mike Key threw 4 interceptions before being pulled late in the 4th for QB Lyle Painter, who didn’t fare much better.
DB Oliver Langstrom had a pair of interceptions while DB Jayden Mills and S Johnny Berger each had the other picks for the Thunder.
This also marks the first time a team had been shut out since Week 10 of the 1960 season (which also happened to be the Victors losing 51-0 to the Tigers).

Boston Independents - 24, Providence Gold Stars - 20 - Richardson Stadium - August 3, 1963 - 7 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arland
1st Q
7-0 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
2nd Q
7-7 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
10-7 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
3rd Q
10-14 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Benedict Spencer
10-17 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
4th Q
17-17 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
17-20 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
24-20 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> TE Tanner Tint

The Independents were able to get revenge on the Gold Stars in the second meeting of the season with a late Tanner Tint touchdown.
Braddock once again led the late charge to give Boston their 4th win of the season and sole possession of 1st in the East Division.
Providence felt like they might have this one, but with DL Calias McDonough going down with another injury, the Independents were able to take advantage.
DB Cameron Taylor did have a pick for the Gold Stars, while DB Mordecai King had one for the Independents. 

Montreal Rouge - 42, Ottawa Royals - 20 - Mount Royal Stadium - August 4, 1963 - 1 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy - TV: FR Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacques, EN George Leblanc and Maurice St.Louise
1st Q
7-0 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
14-0 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Taylor Karis
2nd Q
14-7 OTT - RTD RB Corbyn Knight
21-7 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> TE Eli Grant
21-10 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
3rd Q
28-10 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
28-17 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Chester Bennett
35-17 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
4th Q
35-20 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
42-20 MTL - RTD RB Hugo Hughes

The Rouge played with a purpose following their difficult loss to the Mariners and came away with a 42-20 win over the Royals.
RB Scott Mallard-White was all over the field with 3 touchdowns and 165 rushing yards.
Rookie RB Hugo Hughes also got on the scoreboard for the first time in his career after the Rouge decided to give Mallard-White some rest. 
Ottawa didn’t have much for answers, their defence just could not keep up with Montreal, especially after LB Douglas MacDougall had to leave the game with an injury.

Buffalo Blue Wings - 27, London Tigers - 24 - Milton Charles Stadium - August 4, 1963 - 4 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy - TV: Jerry Goldbridge and Jackie Calhoon
1st Q
7-0 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Julius Drake
7-7 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Russell Wilcox
2nd Q
10-7 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
3rd Q
10-10 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
10-17 LDN - RTD RB Eric Sydney
10-24 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
4th Q
17-24 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
24-24 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Zachariah Pembroke
27-24 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch

Heartbreak for the Tigers as the Blue Wings pulled off a memorable 14-point 4th quarter comeback to earn their 2nd straight win and give the Tigers their 5th straight loss.
It has been puzzling for the Tigers this season, but the downward spiral is starting to resemble the Long Island Raiders over the past couple of seasons.
The dynamic duo of QB Charles Lemieux and RB Jimmy Golden led the way for the Blue Wings and showed that they have loads of potential to continue to steal games from their opponents.

Injury Report
WR Paul Franklin BOS - Season
DB Dean Hawkins BUF - 2 Weeks
LB Sam Wynn BUF - Day-to-Day
TE Paul McDowell LDN - Day-to-Day
OL Emil Jennings LDN - Day-to-Day
LB Douglas MacDougall OTT - Day-to-Day
DL Calias McDonough PRO - 3 Weeks
OL Varo Giovanni PRO - Day-to-Day

Players of the Week

OFF: RB Scott Mallard-White MTL - 3 Rushing Touchdowns, 165 Rushing Yards

DEF: LB Scotty Williams LOU - 13 Tackles, 1 Forced Fumble

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

EAST
Boston 4-1-1
Montreal 4-2
Providence 3-2-1
Halifax 3-3
Ottawa 2-2-2

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

Week 7 Games
PRO (3-2-1) @ HFX (3-3) - AUG 8 - 7 PM ET - Thursday Night Football
OTT (2-2-2) @ IND (2-4) - AUG 9 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
LOU (3-3) @ LI (3-3) - AUG 10 - 3 PM ET
MTL (4-2) @ BOS (4-1-1) - AUG 10 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
BUF (3-3) @ LDN (1-5) - AUG 11 - 2 PM ET

1963 Week 7

Halifax Mariners - 13, Providence Gold Stars - 23 - Atlantic Stadium - August 8, 1963 - 7 PM ET - TNF - Weather: Cloudy - TV: Bob Walton and Steven Kelly
1st Q
0-3 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
0-10 PRO - RTD RB Rashed Smith
2nd Q
7-10 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
7-13 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
3rd Q
7-20 PRO - PTD QB Christian Stewart -> WR Sammy Moss
7-23 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
4th Q
13-23 HFX - PTD QB Caldwell Higgins III -> WR Joshua Lafleur

Despite losing QB Connor O’Rourke in the first half, the Gold Stars were able to pull off a strong win to keep pace in the very close East Division.
QB Christian Stewart was strong coming in for O’Rourke, throwing for a touchdown.
The defence would be strong for Providence with LB Rusty McVee grabbing a fumble and DB Neville Falkner and DB Slay Mitchell with interceptions.
The Mariners had some late success with WR Joshua Lafleur breaking a tackle and taking in a 31-yard touchdown to cut into the lead.

Indiana Victors - 13, Ottawa Royals - 10 - Victory Stadium - August 9, 1963 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: Rain - TV: Harold Mansfield and Jim Earnest
1st Q
3-0 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
2nd Q
3-7 OTT - RTD RB Corbyn Knight
3rd Q
6-7 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
6-10 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
4th Q
13-10 IND - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Alexei Dubois

The Victors went back with QB Mike Key to start their week 7 game against the Royals, but after only 3 points in the first half, HC Jimmy Sargent decided to change things up and put QB Lyle Painter in.
Painter was solid for the Victors in the second half and was able to lead the team back to a win in the rain, throwing his first TD as a Victor to WR Alexei Dubois.
Ottawa was struggling in the rain with several fumbles caused by the weather.

Long Island Raiders - 9, Louisville Thunder - 20 - Long Island Stadium - August 10, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: Frank Dijon and Jamar Swinton
1st Q
3-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
3-3 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
2nd Q
3-10 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark
3rd Q
6-10 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
6-17 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark
4th Q
9-17 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
9-20 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes

QB Leonidas Dumont went down early once again, reaggravating the earlier ankle injury he had which will take him out for longer.
QB Stanislav Ovechkin was able to help the team maintain the lead throughout the game controlling the field, although most of the credit can be claimed by RB Rodney Clark who was helping the offence march down the field.
Long Island was still solid while looking for their 4th straight win, but the Thunder defence was able to just outdo them and stall drives before they got to the endzone.

Boston Independents - 26, Montreal Rouge - 25 - Richardson Stadium - August 10, 1963 - 7 PM ET - SNF - Weather: - TV: FR Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacques, EN Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arnold
1st Q
3-0 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
2nd Q
3-3 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
10-3 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Evan Clanton
3rd Q
10-10 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
10-17 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Taylor Karis
13-17 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
4th Q
20-17 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
20-24 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Darryl Duke
26-24 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Ellis Lindholm
26-25 MTL - Single K Athur Kettinger

A thrilling battle on Saturday Night Football ended in a shocking missed field goal from K Arthur Kettinger.
RB Tommy Kerr was back to grab the kick but he would sacrifice the single and secure the win for the Independents who maintain their lead at the top of the East Division.
The Braddock-Bishop battle was at its peak overall with both QBs throwing 2 passing touchdowns each.

London Tigers - 28, Buffalo Blue Wings - 17 - Western Fair Stadium - August 11, 1963 - 2 PM ET - Weather: - TV: Jerry Goldbridge and Jackie Calhoon
1st Q
7-0 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Jack Duncan
2nd Q
7-3 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
14-3 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> TE Paul McDowell
3rd Q
21-3 LDN - RTD QB Rigobert St-Hilaire
21-10 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
4th Q
21-17 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
28-17 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton

QB Riley Kiernan willed the Tigers to their first win since week 1 with a 3 touchdown performance.
Buffalo did mount a late comeback led by RB Jimmy Golden, but Kiernan was able to answer back with a touchdown toss to WR Max Sutton.
The defence stepped up with LB Aengus Lynch and DB Jackson Miles both reeling in interceptions on the day.

Injury Report
WR Ronald Vernon BOS - Season
DB Dennis Kirchner HFX - 2 Weeks
DL Pionk Bjorkkstrand LI - 11 Weeks
WR Casey Coleman LI - 4 Weeks
QB Leonidas Dumont LOU - 4 Weeks
WR Piers Key LOU - 2 Weeks
OL Scott Harper MTL - 2 Weeks
OL Jack Workman MTL - 4 Weeks
QB Connor O’Rourke PRO - Day-to-Day

Players of the Week

OFF: QB Riley Kiernan LDN - 3 Passing Touchdowns, 402 Passing Yards

DEF: LB Terrence Patton IND - 1 Forced Fumble, 9 Tackles

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

EAST
Boston 5-1-1
Providence 4-2-1
Montreal 4-3
Halifax 3-4
Ottawa 2-3-2

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

Week 8 Games
MTL (4-3) @ LOU (4-3) - AUG 16 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
HFX (3-4) @ OTT (2-3-2) - AUG 17 - 3 PM ET
BOS (5-1-1) @ LDN (2-5) - AUG 17 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
IND (3-4) @ PRO (4-2-1) - AUG 18 - 1 PM ET
LI (3-4) @ BUF (3-4) - AUG 18 - 4 PM ET

1963 Week 8 

TRADE ALERT
A week before the league’s trade deadline, the Tigers and Royals made a swap. The Tigers desperately needed stability in the backfield and they decided to grab RB Eddie Thompson from Ottawa. The Royals were clearly giving 2nd-year RB Corbyn Knight more attention and decided to move on. They would get TE Paul McDowell in return to help develop rookie TE Ryan Hatcher. TE Jervonte Howell was in the role before, but with his career likely over, the Royals wanted a more long-term option for the role. Howell would be sent back the other way in order to still help the Tigers at the TE position behind TE Tranquille Rousseau.

Louisville Thunder - 17, Montreal Rouge - 12 - Thunder Stadium - August 16, 1963 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: Clear - TV: EN Clint Georgetown and Jamar Swinton, FR Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacques 
1st Q
0-3 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
3-3 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
2nd Q
10-3 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark
3rd Q
17-3 LOU - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> TE Christopher Gist
17-6 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
4th Q
17-12 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Taylor Karis

The Thunder defence came out to play and was able to shut down the Montreal offence.
LB Scotty Williams remained the leader throughout and was able to keep the defence in top shape despite DB Oliver Langstrom getting knocked out of the game.
The offence had a bit more punch in this game despite having an injury-riddled WR core, but RB Rodney Clark and RB Greg Dix were able to find their way through the Montreal defence.
It was a frustrating game for the Rouge, which was starting to show in Gene Bishop, who was riled up on the sideline throughout.

Ottawa Royals - 38, Halifax Mariners - 23 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - August 17, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Clear - TV: George Leblanc and Maurice St.Louise
1st Q
7-0 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Carter Henderson
14-0 OTT - RTD RB Corbyn Knight
2nd Q
21-0 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> TE Paul McDowell
21-3 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
21-10 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
3rd Q
28-10 OTT - RTD RB Corbyn Knight
28-17 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
31-17 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
4th Q
31-20 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
38-20 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Carter Henderson
38-23 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin

The Royals came out swinging in their rematch against the Mariners.
A bit of a youth movement was the cause for the successful day with WR Carter Henderson and RB Corbyn Knight both snatching a pair of touchdowns.
TE Paul McDowell didn’t take long to get acquainted with a touchdown in his first game in Ottawa.
Halifax put up a fight in the end, but falling down 21-0 was certainly a difficult hole to crawl out of.

London Tigers - 33, Boston Independents - 25 - Western Fair Stadium - August 17, 1963 - 7 PM ET - SNF - Weather: Clear - TV: Benjamin O’Donnell and Kevin Holcombs
1st Q
3-0 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
3-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
10-3 LDN - DTD INT DB Jackson Miles
2nd Q
13-3 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
13-10 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
20-10 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
3rd Q
23-10 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
23-17 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> TE Tanner Tint
4th Q
26-17 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
33-17 LDN - RTD RB Eddie Thompson
33-23 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Toni Radovanovic
33-25 BOS - 2PT QB Nathaniel Braddock -> TE Tanner Tint

Boston’s late comeback attempt was far too late as the Tigers’ 33-17 lead was too much to overcome.
The Tigers seem to have gotten their mojo back with a stellar offensive performance.
RB Eddie Thompson, the former backup to Boston’s RB Kendall Morgan, was able to score on his former team and help give the Tigers the massive 4th quarter lead.
WR Toni Radovanovic, who thought he was probably done playing football after going unsigned, was signed to the Independents due to injuries and was able to get the last touchdown to pull the team within striking range.
The loss for Boston will keep the other teams knocking on the door for the division title.

Providence Gold Stars - 27, Indiana Victors - 11 - New Providence Stadium - August 18, 1963 - 1 PM ET - Weather: Clear - TV: Bob Walton and Steven Kelly
1st Q
7-0 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Owen Paisley
10-0 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
2nd Q
10-3 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
17-3 PRO - RTD RB Rashed Smith
3rd Q
20-3 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
20-10 IND - RTD RB Don Gregson
4th Q
27-10 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Cedric Peterson
27-11 IND - Single K Ross Poindexter

The Gold Stars seemed to get a spark off the back of a Boston loss the day before.
The change to retake 1st in the division emerged and they jumped all over it with a great performance from QB Connor O’Rourke and DB Neville Falkner.
Indiana’s offence struggled to get much going, even with QB Lyle Painter starting; Providence HC Harry Meadows was able to stop the system offence in its tracks in the win.

Buffalo Blue Wings - 17, Long Island Raiders - 24 - Milton Charles Stadium - August 18, 1963 - 4 PM ET - Weather: Clear - TV: Jerry Goldbridge and Jackie Calhoon
1st Q
0-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
2nd Q
7-3 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Zachariah Pembroke
7-10 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
10-10 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
3rd Q
10-17 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
10-24 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
4th Q
17-24 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Daniel Irons

The Raiders were able to get back in the win column on the back of RB Dareion Fields, who had 3 rushing touchdowns in the game.
Buffalo struggled to move the ball throughout the game and they had some costly turnovers with Jimmy Golden fumbling to LB Deon Wiggins and QB Charles Lemieux tossing a pick to DB Rutherford Winters.
The win gives the Raiders a 1-game advantage over the bottom 3 heading into the final 3rd of the season.

Injury Report
OL Sun Guanyu BUF - 5 Weeks
LB Alister Henry HFX - Day-to-Day
DL Fred Webster IND - 8 Weeks
WR Ben Roland LOU - Day-to-Day
DB Oliver Langstrom LOU - Day-to-Day
OL Fabrice Beaufort OTT - 3 Weeks

Players of the Week

OFF: RB Dareion Fields LI - 3 Rushing Touchdowns, 120 Rushing Yards

DEF: DB Jackson Miles LDN - 1 Interception, 1 Defensive Touchdown, 3 Tackles, 2 Passes Defended

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

EAST
Providence 5-2-1
Boston 5-2-1
Montreal 4-4
Ottawa 3-3-2
Halifax 3-5

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

Week 9 Games
HFX (3-5) @ BOS (5-2-1) - AUG 23 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
LI (4-4) @ LOU (5-3) - AUG 24 - 3 PM ET
MTL (4-4) @ PRO (5-2-1) - AUG 24 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
BUF (3-5) @ OTT (3-3-2) - AUG 25 - 1 PM ET
LDN (3-5) @ IND (3-5) - AUG 25 - 4 PM ET

1963 Trade Deadline

The deadline would see very little action compared to last season with the Independents and Royals making the only move. With the season-ending injuries to WR Ronald Vernon and WR Paul Franklin, GM Earnest Bryan wanted to bring in some help for QB Nathaniel Braddock down the stretch. They would acquire WR Fredrick St.Pierre from the Royals in exchange for a 3rd round pick for the 1954 draft and a conditional 5th from 1966 which will be given to the Royals if the Independents make it to the McCallister Cup. St.Pierre is a familiar face in the Boston locker room having spent the last 2 seasons with the team. Hopefully, the familiarity will mean a quick transition back into the offence will be easy.

While there was only one trade, there was some other news out of Montreal with the team deciding to suspend WR Trig Jegman after lashing out during the team’s loss to Louisville this past week. Jegman had several altercations with Louisville players, eventually, HC Dean Reed decided to give him even fewer snaps than he had been getting. Jegman did not take this well and it led to several arguments on the sideline. Jegman even looked to attack the coach but was knocked down and away by OL Cliff Strautzenberger. There was a bit of a swarm with Jegman throwing a punch or two but didn’t land much before several other players got involved and defused the situation. Jegman would leave the game with a couple of coaches to the locker room. The suspension doesn’t come as too much of a surprise following the situation, however, it is the first instance of anything like this occurring and it will be a situation to watch over the next week or two.

1963 Week 9

Boston Independents - 44, Halifax Mariners - 17 - Richardson Stadium - August 23, 1963 - 7 PM ET - Weather: Clear - TV: Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arland
1st Q
7-0 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Ellis Lindholm
14-0 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Ellis Lindholm
2nd Q
21-0 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
21-7 HFX - PTD QB Michael Benedict -> WR Joshua Lafleur
28-7 BOS - DTD FUM LB Konrad Aust
3rd Q
28-10 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
31-10 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
34-10 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
4th Q
34-17 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
37-17 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
44-17 BOS - RTD RB Tommy Kerr

The Independents rebounded from their loss against the Tigers with a 44-point showing against the Mariners.
The offence was clicking throughout the game with WR Fredrick St.Pierre fitting right back into the lineup.
They would even lay off the gas, but they kept making it down to field goal range to keep extending the lead.
Halifax decided to finally change things up at QB following 3 straight losses and went with 2nd year QB Michael Benedict, who performed alright in the game with a passing touchdown, but still had a couple of interceptions in the game.

Louisville Thunder - 26, Long Island Raiders - 6 - Thunder Stadium - August 24, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Clear - TV: Clint Georgetown and Jamar Swinton
1st Q
3-0 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
6-0 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
2nd Q
6-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
13-3 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark
3rd Q
20-3 LOU - DTD FUM DL Theo Conte
4th Q
23-3 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
23-6 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
26-6 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes

The Thunder put up yet another strong defensive performance to claim their 4th straight win.
The defence kept their opponents to 12 points or less for the 5th time this season (in fact only Providence has broken the 20-point mark against the Thunder this season).
DL Theo Conte would get a big touchdown following a QB Stanley Troyer fumble that was caused by DL Bjorn Sigmarsson.
The Raiders would sit Troyer after the fumble, but QB Terry Bourbon was no better in his performance leaving the Raiders up in arms.
There was some frustration coming from the Raiders which led to a lot of chatter between the teams.

Providence Gold Stars - 31, Montreal Rouge - 35 - New Providence Stadium - August 24, 1963 - 7 PM ET - SNF - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: Bob Walton and Steven Kelly
1st Q
0-7 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White 
2nd Q
7-7 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Cedric Peterson
7-14 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
14-14 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Benedict Spencer
3rd Q
14-21 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Taylor Karis
14-28 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Derek Cross
21-28 PRO - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
4th Q
28-28 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Cedric Peterson
31-28 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
31-35 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Taylor Karis

A late comeback from the Gold Stars looked to be enough to top the Montreal Rouge, but QB Gene Bishop was able to orchestrate a game-winning drive to counter and give Montreal the win to put them back in the battle in the East.
The touchdown fest might just end up being one of the best games of the season, with very few offensive mishaps and lots of scoring.
DB Neville Falkner still got one pick on the day and S Garet deVale had the lone turnover for the Rouge.

Ottawa Royals - 31, Buffalo Blue Wings - 31 - Royals at Brewer Park - August 25, 1963 - 1 PM ET - Weather: Clear - TV: George Leblanc and Jackie Calhoon
1st Q
7-0 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Chester Bennett
7-7 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
7-10 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
2nd Q
7-17 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
7-24 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Zachariah Pembroke
3rd Q
10-24 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
17-24 OTT - PTD QB Lee Rogers -> WR Carter Henderson
17-31 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
4th Q
24-31 OTT - RTD RB Corbyn Knight
31-31 OTT - PTD QB Lee Rogers -> WR Mackenzie Jones

It was a crazy game between the Blue Wings and Royals that started heavily in the Blue Wings favour.
It began in the 1st quarter with DL Harrison Fink landing a massive hit on QB Jean Matieau which left the veteran QB on the ground and not moving much at all.
The Royals did not take well to the hit and would create some fighting between the teams.
Matieau would not return and QB Lee Rogers would replace him.
The Royals struggled to get the offence going after the hit while the Blue Wings took advantage of several more Royals injuries on the defence.
However, in the second half, HC Joseph Curry would make the right adjustments for Rogers and they would turn up the offence and would march back.
The teams would run out of time which leads to the Royals’ 3rd tie of the season.

Indiana Victors - 24, London Tigers - 29 - Victory Stadium - August 25, 1963 - 4 PM ET - Weather: Clear - TV: Harold Mansfield and Jim Earnest
1st Q
7-0 IND - RTD RB Cody Barnes
7-3 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
2nd Q
7-10 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
7-13 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
14-13 IND - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Ed Edwards
3rd Q
14-16 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
21-16 IND - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Ed Edwards
21-22 LDN - RTD RB Eddie Thompson
4th Q
24-22 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
24-29 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton

The Tigers earned their 3rd straight win on the back of a late touchdown from WR Max Sutton.
The Victors and the Tigers always seem to have a good battle, but the feature of this one came in each team’s top WR in Ed Edwards and Max Sutton who both had a pair of touchdowns.
It was an important win for the Tigers who now jump the Victors in the standings heading into the final 3 weeks of the season.

Injury Report
DL Lonnie Vincent BUF - 2 Weeks
OL Daniel Davidson HFX - Day-to-Day
WR Alexei Dubois IND - 3 Weeks
DB Malik Davenport IND - Day-to-Day
S Cal Clemmons IND - 2 Weeks
OL Bruce Wesley LI - Day-to-Day
DL Quincy Adams OTT - Season
QB Jean Matieau OTT - Season
LB Douglas MacDougall OTT - 5 Weeks
WR Owen Paisley PRO - Day-to-Day

Players of the Week

OFF:  RB Jimmy Golden BUF - 3 Rushing Touchdowns, 121 Rushing Yards

DEF: DL Bjorn Sigmarsson LOU - 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Sack, 6 Tackles

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

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

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

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

1963 Week 10

Long Island Raiders - 10, Ottawa Royals - 20 - Long Island Stadium - August 31, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy - TV: Frank Dijon and Maurice St.Louise
1st Q 
3-0 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
2nd Q
3-7 OTT - PTD QB Lee Rogers -> WR Mackenzie Jones
3-10 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
3rd Q
3-13 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
10-13 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
4th Q
10-20 OTT - PTD QB Lee Rogers -> WR Carter Henderson

It was a vitally important game for the Royals’ and Raiders’ playoff hopes as both teams were on the fringe of the playoff hunt.
It would be a close game by the time the 4th rolled around, but QB Lee Rogers was able to lift the Royals over the Raiders on a 4th quarter touchdown and keep the team right in the hunt.
Long Island made a few mistakes offensively with QB Stanley Troyer throwing a pick to S Randall Green and RB Dareion Fields losing the ball to DL Olaf Viktorsson.

Montreal Rouge - 24, Boston Independents - 26 - Mount Royal Stadium - August 31, 1963 - 7 PM ET - SNF - Weather: Cloudy - TV: FR Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacques, EN Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arland
1st Q
0-7 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
7-7 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> TE Eli Grant
7-10 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
2nd Q
10-10 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
10-17 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
3rd Q
17-17 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
17-20 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
4th Q
17-23 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
24-23 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Taylor Karis
24-26 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg

Another nail-biter between Montreal and Boston ends with the Independents coming out on top. 
Bishop and Braddock were not as big of an impact in the game with each team’s RB doing most of the work, however, Braddock was still able to get the last say on the game-winning drive.
K Johnnie Berg became vital in the win, not only for the game-winning score but for overall scoring with Montreal’s defence stepping up in the second half to help the team stay in the game.
Another frustrating loss for the Rouge puts them in a tough spot down the stretch.
*BOS clinches playoff spot

Halifax Mariners - 3, London Tigers - 24 - Atlantic Stadium - September 1, 1963 - 2 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: George Leblanc and Kevin Holcombs
1st Q
2nd Q
0-7 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
0-10 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
3rd Q
0-17 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Jack Duncan
3-17 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
4th Q
3-24 LDN - RTD RB Eddie Thompson

The Tigers pulled through with their 4th straight win on the back of a 2 touchdown performance from QB Riley Kiernan.
It is the defence that will earn a lot of the credit with a strong performance, giving QB Michael Benedict a lot of trouble.
The young QB threw 3 interceptions in the game which would kill any momentum they could gain in the game.
DB Jackson Miles had one of the picks which he almost took back for 6, but would be stopped by RB Stavros Black.
LB Dallas Dillard also had a stellar day with 10 Tackles and a forced fumble.

Buffalo Blue Wings - 15, Providence Gold Stars - 31 - Milton Charles Stadium - September 2, 1963 - 2 PM ET - Labour Day - Weather: Clear - TV: Jerry Goldbridge and Jackie Calhoon
1st Q
0-7 PRO - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
7-7 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
2nd Q
7-14 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Cedric Peterson
7-17 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
3rd Q
7-24 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
7-31 PRO - RTD RB Rashed Smith
4th Q
13-31 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Zachariah Pembroke
15-31 BUF - 2PT RB Jimmy Golden

The Gold Stars came away with an important game for the East Division race keeping their foot in the door heading into the final 2 games.
The offence was clicking throughout the first 3 quarters putting up 31 points and jumping out to a 24-point lead.
The defence was able to silence the Blue Wings until a late push in the 4th quarter.
Buffalo sees more disappointment in the loss and there are certainly some concerns over the coaching staff at this point, which could likely lead to a change this offseason.
Buffalo now is on their last legs heading down the stretch with slim playoff hopes.
*PRO clinches playoff spot

Indiana Victors - 9, Louisville Thunder - 33 - Victory Stadium - September 2, 1963 - 5 PM ET - Labour Day - Weather: Clear - TV: Harold Mansfield and Jim Earnest
1st Q
0-7 LOU - RTD RB Greg Dix
0-10 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
2nd Q
3-10 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
3-17 LOU - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> WR Ben Roland
6-17 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
3rd Q
6-23 LOU - PTD QB Stanislav Ovechkin -> WR Piers Key
6-26 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
4th Q
9-26 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
9-33 LOU - RTD RB Rodney Clark

The Thunder decided to flex some offensive power in their win over the Victors with backup QB Stanislav Ovechkin throwing 2 touchdowns in the win.
RB Greg Dix would score his first career touchdown in style on a 69-yard run that the Victors were clearly not ready for.
The defence was good as always, allowing only 9 points which keeps them on pace to smash the record for the least amount of points allowed in a 12-game season, the current record is 172 held by the ‘58 Raiders, but Louisville enters the last 2 weeks with only 120 against which means they have a 52-point pillow.
Indiana was not happy with their 3rd straight loss which still doesn’t bode well for the coaching staff heading into the offseason as the team is certainly disappointed with the lack-luster play since their 2-0 start.
*LOU clinches playoff spot

Injury Report
None

Players of the Week

OFF: QB Connor O’Rourke PRO - 2 Passing Touchdowns, 363 Passing Yards

DEF: LB Dallas Dillard LDN - 1 Forced Fumble, 10 Tackles

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

EAST
Boston 7-2-1 -x
Providence 6-3-1
Ottawa 4-3-3
Montreal 5-5
Halifax 3-7

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

Week 11 Games
MTL (5-5) @ LDN (5-5) - SEP 6 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
*MTL clinches playoff spot with Win + LI Loss
*LDN clinches playoff spot with Win
BOS (7-2-1) @ HFX (3-7) - SEP 7 - 3 PM ET
*BOS clinches East Division with Win + PRO Loss
BUF (3-6-1) @ LOU (7-3) - SEP 7 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
*LOU clinches West Division with Win or LDN Loss
IND (3-7) @ LI (4-6) - SEP 8 - 1 PM ET
PRO (6-3-1) @ OTT (4-3-3) - SEP 8 - 4 PM ET
*OTT clinches playoff spot with Win or BUF + LI Loss

Side note mathematically all 10 teams still have a chance to make it however, the bottom dwellers are going to need a lot of things to go right if they want to sneak in.
The Mariners is probably the team with the slimmest chance as they would need to beat both Boston and Montreal, have Montreal also lose against the Tigers, and then have the following results occur in the West:
W11 - IND over LI
W11 - LOU over BUF
W12 - BUF over IND
W12 - PRO over LI

1963 Week 11

London Tigers - 22, Montreal Rouge - 14 - Western Fair Stadium - September 6, 1963 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: EN George LeBlanc and Kevin Holcombs, FR Cyril Etienne and Maurice St.Louise
1st Q
7-0 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Max Sutton
2nd Q
7-7 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
8-7 LDN - Single K Nimrod Handsworth
3rd Q
8-14 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Derek Cross
4th Q
15-14 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Russell Wilcox
22-14 LDN - RTD RB Eric Sydney

The Tigers continued to roll with their 5th straight win on the back of a 4th quarter comeback.
The Rouge held the lead late, but Kiernan was able to get the team down the field twice to give them an 8-point lead.
Montreal’s offence just ran into a confident Tigers defence that was able to create a lot of problems.
DB Jackson Miles grabbed yet another pick while LB Aengus Lynch and LB Dallas Dillard both combined for 18 tackles and a forced fumble.
Montreal faces a tough situation as they are barely holding onto the cross-over playoff spot, all while London clinches a playoff spot after a 1-5 start.
*LDN clinches playoff spot

Halifax Mariners - 19, Boston Independents - 36 - Atlantic Stadium - September 7, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy - TV: Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arland
1st Q
0-7 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
0-10 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
3-10 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
2nd Q
3-17 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Ellis Lindholm
9-17 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
9-20 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
3rd Q
9-27 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Fredrick St.Pierre
12-27 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
12-30 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
4th Q
12-33 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
19-33 HFX - PTD QB Buck Murphy -> WR Nick Nacker
19-36 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg

The Independents rolled to another big win over the Mariners to give them their 3rd straight win.
K Johnnie Berg had another heck of a day with 5 field goals in the win.
As for the Mariners, they decided to give QB Buck Murphy his first career start to see what he has. 
It was a mixed performance with some horrid interceptions, but a couple of solid drives including a late touchdown to WR Nick Nacker to get his career first.
The Mariners were officially out of the fight for the playoffs, however, it seemed like the team certainly knew what was going to happen, but they still played hard for their home crowd which still managed to fill the stadium really well in their home finale.

Louisville Thunder - 12, Buffalo Blue Wings - 13 - Thunder Stadium - September 7, 1963 - 7 PM ET - Weather: Rain - TV: Clint Georgetown and Jamar Swinton
1st Q
3-0 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
3-3 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
2nd Q
6-3 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
9-3 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
3rd Q
12-3 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
4th Q
12-10 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
12-13 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch

The Blue Wings shocked the division-leading Thunder off of a strong 4th quarter comeback.
The Thunder were controlling the game throughout, but one play ended up giving the Blue Wings life as RB Jimmy Golden exploded on a run that the Thunder didn’t see coming.
The running back took off for a 53-yard touchdown run and would pull Buffalo to within 2, but there was not a lot of time left in the game.
Louisville would look to kill the clock, however, DL Mickey Daly would manage to get his hand into the arms of RB Rodney Clark and force a shocking fumble.
LB Sam Wynn would pick up the ball and the Blue Wings would kill the clock before K Ryan Perch nailed the game-winner to keep their season alive.

Long Island Raiders - 35, Indiana Victors - 14 - Long Island Stadium - September 8, 1963 - 1 PM ET - Weather:  - TV: Frank Dijon and Jim Earnest
1st Q
7-0 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
14-0 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
2nd Q
14-7 IND - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Ed Edwards
21-7 LI - PTD QB Stanley Troyer -> WR Larry Mossholder
3rd Q
21-14 IND - RTD RB Cody Barnes
4th Q
28-14 LI - DTD DB Lauri Hayha
35-14 LI - RTD RB Darion Fields

The Raiders pulled off a massive 35-14 win over the Victors to keep their foot in the door to the playoffs taking over the final playoff spot from the Rouge.
RB Dareion Fields took matters into his own hands with a 3 touchdown performance.
Indiana just could not keep up, especially when QB Lyle Painter, who was playing in Long Island for the first time since being traded to Indiana, left the game with a minor injury.
The Raiders stole QB Mike Key’s confidence with a Lauri Hayha pick-6 on only his 4th play of the game.

Ottawa Royals - 21, Providence Gold Stars - 32 - Royals Stadium at Brewer Park - September 8, 1963 - 4 PM ET - Weather: - TV: Jerry Goldbridge and Jackie Calhoon
1st Q
0-3 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
7-3 OTT - RTD RB Corbyn Knight
7-10 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
2nd Q
7-17 PRO - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
3rd Q
14-17 OTT - PTD QB Lee Rogers -> WR Mackenzie Jones
14-19 PRO - Safety DL Calias McDonough
4th Q
14-26 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Owen Paisley
14-29 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
21-29 OTT - PTD QB Lee Rogers -> WR Carter Henderson
21-32 PRO - FG K Ira Foster

The Gold Stars went into Ottawa with the mission of keeping their division title hopes alive, and they walked away having succeeded in doing so.
The offence was making plays all day, but the defence would come up big with DL Calias McDonough getting to QB Lee Rogers for a safety in the 3rd quarter.
Ottawa gave it a shot, but the injuries seemed to really be catching up to the team and they were unable to keep pace with the Gold Stars.

Injury Report
QB Lyle Painter IND - Day-to-Day
WR Max Sutton LDN - 2 Weeks
OL Elliot Winterbottom LI - Day-to-Day
DL Troy Hunt OTT - 4 Weeks

Players of the Week

OFF: RB Dareion Fields LI - 2 Rushing Touchdowns, 130 Rushing Yards

DEF: LB Aengus Lynch LDN - 10 Tackles, 1 Forced Fumble

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

EAST
Boston 8-2-1 -x
Providence 7-3-1 -x
Ottawa 4-4-3
Montreal 5-6
Halifax 3-8

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

Week 12 Games
HFX (3-8) @ MTL (5-6) - SEP 14 - 3 PM ET
*MTL clinches playoff spot with Win + LI or OTT Loss
LI (5-6) @ PRO (7-3-1) - SEP 14 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
*LI clinches playoff spot with Win or MTL + BUF Loss
*PRO clinches East Division with Win + BOS Loss
BUF (4-6-1) @ IND (3-8) - SEP 15 - 1 PM ET
*BUF clinches playoff spot with Win + LI Loss + MTL or OTT Loss
OTT (4-4-3) @ BOS (8-2-1) - SEP 15 - 4 PM ET
*OTT clinches playoff spot with Win or MTL Loss or LI Loss + BUF Loss
*BOS clinches East Division with Win or PRO Loss
LOU (7-4) @ LDN (6-5) - SEP 15 - 7 PM ET - Finale
*Winner clinches the West Division

1963 Week 12

Montreal Rouge - 34, Halifax Mariners - 24 - Mount Royal Stadium - September 14, 1963 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: FR Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacques, EN George Leblanc and Maurice St.Louise
1st Q
3-0 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
10-0 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
10-7 HFX - PTD QB Buck Murphy -> WR Joshua Lafleur
2nd Q
13-7 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
13-10 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
3rd Q
20-10 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Taylor Karis
27-10 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
27-17 HFX - RTD RB Ronald O’Sullivan
4th Q
27-24 HFX - DTD INT DB Joe Robinson
34-24 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Derek Cross

Halifax managed to scare the Rouge late in their season finale, but QB Gene Bishop would not allow the Rouge to lose and would lead the team to the endzone following a costly interception.
It certainly was not the most inspiring win for the Rouge, but they still got the job done and now had to hope either the Raiders or Royals lose.
The Mariners started QB Buck Murphy again, and he played pretty well overall, throwing another touchdown; comparing him to QB Michael Benedict, Murphy has certainly played better in his two games.

Providence Gold Stars - 35, Long Island Raiders - 15 - New Providence Stadium - September 14, 1963 - 7 PM ET - SNF - Weather: Clear - TV: Bob Walton and Steven Kelly
1st Q
7-0 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
7-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
14-3 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Cedric Peterson
2nd Q
14-6 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
21-6 PRO - RTD RB Marcus Devonshire
3rd Q
28-6 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
28-9 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
4th Q
28-16 LI - PTD QB Stanley Troyer -> WR Casey Coleman
35-16 PRO - PTD QB Christian Stewart -> WR Owen Paisley

The Gold Stars rolled over the Raiders to keep their East Division hopes alive. 
Connor O’Rourke threw 3 touchdowns in the win while QB Christian Stewart had one as he replaced O’Rourke in order to give him some rest.
It was a tough loss to swallow for the Raiders as that would mean the end of the season for them, as they are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.
*MTL clinches a playoff spot with LI Loss

Indiana Victors - 31, Buffalo Blue Wings - 17 - Victory Stadium - September 15, 1963 - 1 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: Harold Mansfield and Jim Earnest
1st Q
7-0 IND - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Ed Edwards
7-3 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
2nd Q
7-10 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
14-10 IND - PTD QB Lyle Painter -> WR Ed Edwards
3rd Q
21-10 IND - RTD RB Cody Barnes
24-10 IND - FG K Ross Poindexter
4th Q
24-17 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Julius Drake
31-17 IND - PTD QB Mike Key -> WR Otto Washington

The Victors let their two QBs duke it out in the final game of the season and make their case for the starting job next season.
Both did quite well leading the Victors to a surprise win over the Blue Wings; Painter was slightly better with 2 passing touchdowns, and no interceptions while Mike Key only had one touchdown and an interception.
Buffalo had an utterly disappointing end to the season as with the loss they end up being taken out of playoff contention. 
*OTT clinches playoff spot with BUF loss

Boston Independents - 30, Ottawa Royals - 6 - Richardson Stadium - September 15, 1963 - 4 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy - TV: Benjamin O’Donnell and William Arland
1st Q
3-0 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
6-0 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
2nd Q
13-0 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Ellis Lindholm
20-0 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Fredrick St.Pierre
3rd Q
20-3 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
23-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
3rd Q
23-6 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
30-6 BOS - RTD RB Tommy Kerr

Finding out that the Blue Wings had lost earlier in the day, the Royals decided to rest some of their players, especially after WR Carter Henderson tweaked his ankle during warmup.
They would still start QB Lee Rogers, but would eventually give QB Landon Ross an opportunity to see the field later in the game.
That opened the door for a fairly easy-looking game for the Independents who would go on to clinch the East Division with a league-best 9-2-1 record (the first time they have finished alone with the best overall record since 1949).
The Independents would lose RB Kendall Morgan to an injury which threw RB Tommy Kerr into the game.
The good news is Morgan should be ready for the team’s first playoff game. 

London Tigers - 13, Louisville Thunder - 6 - Western Fair Stadium - September 15, 1963 - 7 PM ET - Finale - Weather: Clear - TV: Jerry Goldbridge and Jackie Calhoon
1st Q
3-0 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
2nd Q
3-3 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes
3rd Q
6-3 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
13-3 LDN - PTD QB Riley Kiernan -> WR Jack Duncan
4th Q
13-6 LOU - FG K Frank Hughes

It was a defensive battle for the division title, but in the end, the slightly better offence would be the one to take home the title. 
Both offences struggled, but QB Riley Kiernan was able to get a 3rd quarter touchdown that would ultimately be the difference to give them their 6th straight victory and their 3rd straight West Division title.
They also got some help defensively with DB Jackson Miles bringing in 2 interceptions off of QB Leonidas Dumont, who was back in the lineup.
Dumont struggled and was eventually pulled in the 4th quarter, but Ovechkin couldn’t pull them back into the game as the Tigers’ defence was playing really well.

Injury Report
RB Kendall Morgan BOS - 1 Week
LB Alister Henry HFX - 6 Weeks
DB Alexander Bradley LOU - 3 Weeks
WR Carter Henderson OTT - Day-to-Day

Players of the Week

OFF: WR Ed Edwards IND - 2 Receiving Touchdowns, 131 Receiving Yards

DEF: DB Jackson Miles LDN - 1 Interception, 4 Passes defended, 4 Tackles

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

EAST
Boston 9-2-1 -y
Providence 8-3-1 -x
Montreal 6-6 -x
Ottawa 4-5-3 -xc
Halifax 3-9

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

1963 Regular Season Recap

Playoff Preview
East Division Semi-Final - Providence Gold Stars VS. Montreal Rouge
Head-to-Head: W1: MTL 41-28 PRO, W9: PRO 31-35 MTL
For the second year in a row the Rouge and Gold Stars will meet in the playoffs. Based on the two previous meetings from this season, this should be an offensive shootout. Montreal did win both of the matchups this season, however, in recent weeks the Gold Stars have been playing better. Montreal proved a lot of people wrong last season with back-to-back wins on the road in the playoffs, but I don’t see a repeat this season, I’ll take the Gold Stars in this one.
My Pick: Gold Stars

West Division Semi-Final - Louisville Thunder VS. Ottawa Royals
Head-to-Head: None
It is tough to get a reading on the Thunder and Royals since they did not face each other this season. The big question will be who will start at QB for the Thunder. Dumont has been dealing with injuries and has struggled a lot this season when in the game, while Stanislav Ovechkin has been at least solid. It is likely Ovechkin will get the call, but Dumont certainly has the championship experience from last season. For the Royals, it will be QB Lee Rogers’ first NAAF playoff start. He’s been alright this season, but it will be a tall task against the Thunder defence. I think the Thunder defence will be the difference and will help the Thunder take the win. 
My Pick: Thunder