1970 Award Winners

Most Outstanding Player - QB Charles Lemieux - Buffalo Blue Wings
Charles Lemieux takes home the second MVP/MOP award of his career. His play on the field was excellent yet again, earning him a 4th All-Star nod. He also led the league in passing yards, something that he had yet to do in his career. A great year for the QB that I don’t think many would argue against being the best in the league at the moment. Lemieux’s win also continues the trend of the Central (formerly West) Division being the holder of the MVP/MOP award with 11 of the last 12 winners being out of the division. Only S Garet deVale from Montreal breaks up the run that started with QB Riley Kiernan with the Tigers in 1959.

Playoff MOP - DB Rutherford Winters - Long Island Raiders
For the first time since 1965, the Playoff MVP/MOP is the same as the McCallister Cup MVP/MOP. Winters had a great playoff run being a steady shutdown corner for a Raiders defence that was able to shut down several strong offences throughout their playoff run. Winters also earned a Player of the Week nod in the Quarter-Finals. 

Offensive Player of the Year - WR Casey Coleman - Louisville Thunder
Coleman had to step into a big leadership position this season and he certainly rose to the occasion having a career year with 16 touchdowns. Coleman was finally let off the leash and could show the incredibly high ceiling he has had since being drafted 9th overall in 1963.

Defensive Player of the Year - LB Kurt Warlock - Providence Gold Stars
Warlock was the definitive winner for DPOY earning a large majority of the votes. His MOP-level season looked a lot like the years that LB Scotty Williams terrorized defences in the 1950s. The former 2nd overall pick is continuing to rise up as the centrepiece in the Gold Stars’ defence that is likely to be making waves in the years to come. 

Special Teams Player of the Year - K Ryan Perch - Buffalo Blue Wings
Perch takes home the Special Teams Player of the Year award for the first time in his career. Perch joins DB Lauri Hayha as the only non-Canadian/American players to take home an award during their career. The overall battle for the award was a close one with Perch winning the award by 1 point.

1970 Kicking Points
1 - Ryan Perch BUF - 109 Points
2 - Nimrod Handsworth LDN - 108 Points
3 - Sterling Brooks VAN - 107 Points
T4 - Thomas Standberry EDM - 104 Points
T4 - Vic Greatwood TOR - 104 Points

Offensive Lineman of the Year - OL Charles Creighton - Edmonton Rangers
The inaugural OLOY is Charles Creighton. Creighton is also the lone WFU player to take home an award this season. His play on the line to set up a very sturdy run game from the Rangers was a big factor in Creighton taking the award this season. 

Rookie of the Year - LB Ricky Wildgoose - Louisville Thunder
Wildgoose becomes the 6th #1 pick to take home ROY. Wildgoose didn’t have an above-average year or anything, but he was consistently being a contributor right from the start showing that he has a very strong floor before he likely takes a massive step forward in the coming seasons.

Coach of the Year - HC Soni Dionne - Minnesota Serpents
The closest vote ended up being the Coach of the Year with Soni Dionne and Tommie Warner coming down to a single vote. In the end, Soni Dionne would win his second consecutive COY award, joining Dannell Willis and Peter McDuffin as the others to complete the feat. Dionne continues to impress with the Serpents having a league-best 10-2 record in just their second season bringing his regular season record as a head coach with Minnesota to 18-6. 

Breakout Player of the Year - WR Tracy Driscoll - Buffalo Blue Wings
Another close vote saw WR Tracy Driscoll take home BPOY. Driscoll is the 3rd Blue Wing to win the award, joining QB Charles Lemieux and WR Zachariah Pembroke. Driscoll’s explosiveness, which was on full display this season, kept the Blue Wings’ offence as fresh as ever and one of the best in the league again.

53rd McCallister Cup Host - New Providence Stadium - Providence, RI - Capacity: 65,450
The 53rd McCallister Cup will be heading back up to Providence. The league’s largest stadium will host its 3rd Cup, the first two happening in 1953 and 1964. 

Previous McCallister Cups in Providence
1953: MTL 22-14 PRO
1964: BUF 20-17 LI

1970 All-Stars

WEST ALL-STARS
QB Kevin Westwood VAN (1)
RB Gary Hubbard EDM (1)
OL Charles Creighton EDM (1)
OL Phillip Caron EDM (1)
OL Elias McCarren MIN (2)
OL David Brewington VAN (1)
OL Claude Balderson WPG (1)
WR Terry Upshaw WPG (1)
WR Keshawn Johnston VAN (1)
WR Sebastian Dassler MIN (1)
TE Johnny Temple VAN (1)
DL Albert Sullivan MIN (1)
DL Steven Montgomery EDM (1)
DL Pete Gingers REG (1)
DL Damien Battles CGY (1)
LB Garrett Roberts MIN (1)
LB Claude Clarke WPG (1)
LB Brett Pride REG (1)
DB Jayson Klyde MIN (1)
DB Chris Berrymore REG (1)
S Nick Palmer VAN (1)
S Gérard LaCroix MIN (1)
K Sterling Brooks VAN (1)

CENTRAL ALL-STARS
QB Charles Lemieux BUF (4)
RB Jasper Dickerson BUF (1)
OL Erik Nelson PIT (4)
OL Jean Baptiste Francois PIT (1)
OL Elias McCarren MIN (1)
OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins IND (7)
OL Emil Jennings LDN (6)
WR Casey Coleman LOU (3)
WR Tracy Driscoll BUF (1)
WR Jake Abbredezzi IND (1)
TE Jesse Butler PIT (1)
DL William Sanderson BUF (14)
DL Mo Kahn LDN (1)
DL Aaron Henderson LOU (2)
DL Arthur Bradshaw PIT (3)
LB Marshall Langenbrunner IND (5)
LB Patrick Hamilton PIT (1)
LB Randall Lambert BUF (2)
DB Neville Falkner IND (10)
DB Zed McLaughlin PIT (2)
S Charles Clerk TOR (2)
S Mathieu Cazenave BUF (1)
K Ryan Perch BUF (2)

EAST ALL-STARS
QB Nathaniel Braddock BOS (5)
RB Reggie Whitehead BOS (2)
OL Gary Bies LI (3)
OL Tommy Reynolds OTT (1)
OL Kane Warwick HFX (2)
OL Elliot Barrett MTL (2)
OL Bradley Clark MTL (1)
WR Taylor Karis MTL (7)
WR Shane Steadman HFX (4)
WR Justin Palmer PRO (1)
TE Luiss de Brands OTT (2)
DL Wayne Baxton HFX (8)
DL Dallas Breaker LI (1)
DL Bartolo Cruz PRO (2)
DL Newton Dalton PRO (1)
LB Kurt Warlock PRO (2)
LB Byron Turner BOS (3)
LB William Washington II LI (6)
DB Rutherford Winters LI (3)
DB Lamar Brown MTL (1)
S Marc Bellecourt OTT (3)
S Tom Parrish PRO (1)
K Woody Woodstock BOS (1)

1970 League Leaders
*Yardage is not tracked, but this is roughly where I think the players would be based on whether teams were more likely to be pass-heavy or run-heavy

Passing Touchdowns
1 - QB Tom Applewhite IND - 28
2 - QB Buck Murphy LOU - 27
3 - QB Charles Lemieux BUF - 25
4 - QB Louis Vaughn PIT - 24
5 - QB Drake Young OTT - 21

Passing Yards 
1 - QB Charles Lemieux BUF
2 - QB Buck Murphy LOU
3 - QB Tom Applewhite IND
4 - QB Louis Vaughn PIT
5 - QB Drake Young OTT

Rushing Touchdowns
T1 - RB Gary Hubbard EDM - 15
T1 - RB Joe Rivers - 15
3 - RB Reggie Whitehead BOS - 14
T4 - RB Jasper Dickerson BUF - 12
T4 - RB John Drexel CGY - 12

Rushing Yards
1 - RB Reggie Whitehead BOS
2 - RB Gary Hubbard EDM
3 - RB John Drexel CGY
4 - RB Jasper Dickerson BUF
5 - RB Joe Rivers WPG

Receiving Touchdowns
1 - WR Casey Coleman LOU - 16
T2 - WR Tracy Driscoll BUF - 13
T2 - WR Jake Abbredezzi IND - 13
4 - WR Taylor Karis MTL - 12
5 - WR Terry Upshaw WPG - 10

Receiving Yards
1 - WR Tracy Driscoll BUF 
2 - WR Casey Coleman LOU
3 - WR Jake Abbredezzi IND
4 - WR Taylor Karis MTL
5 - WR Justin Palmer PRO

Interceptions
1 - DB Neville Falkner IND - 9
T2 - DB Rutherford Winters LI - 8
T2 - DB Zad McLaughlin PIT - 8
4 - DB Aquilio Ruiz LOU - 7
T5 - DB Chris Berrymore REG - 6
T5 - S Charles Clerk TOR - 6 

Forced Fumbles
1 - LB Brett Pride REG - 7
2 - LB Kurt Warlock PRO - 6
T3 - LB Herb Landry EDM - 5
T3 - LB Frank St. John EDM - 5
T3 - DL Wayne Baxton HFX - 5
T3 - LB Claude Clarke WPG - 5

Sacks
1 - DL Bartolo Cruz PRO
2 - DL Dallas Breaker LI
3 - DL Wayne Baxton HFX
4 - DL Arthur Bradshaw PIT
5 - DL Lucas Kipling MTL

Tackles
1 - LB Kurt Warlock PRO
2 - LB Marshall Langenbrunner IND
3 - LB Byron Turner BOS
4 - LB Garrett Roberts MIN
5 - LB William Washington II LI

Field Goals
1 - K Nimrod Handsworth LDN - 29
2 - K Vic Greatwood TOR - 26
3 - K Sterling Brooks VAN - 24
T4 - K Woody Woodstock BOS - 23
T4 - K Thomas Standberry EDM - 22

52nd McCallister Cup

Roster Moves
VAN: DB Christian Allen | Injured Reserve -> Active Roster
VAN: DB Kaden Newsbury | Active Roster -> Reserve List

(4) Vancouver Wolves VS. (2) Long Island Raiders - Mount Royal Stadium - Montreal, QC - October 4, 1970 - 7:00 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy 8ºC | 47ºF - Attendance: 46,468

1st Q
A cooler evening in Montreal proved to be a bitter battleground for the 52nd McCallister Cup. Defence became the central focus of another McCallister Cup as both teams were held silent in the early stages of the opening quarter. The Wolves almost had the first major break with RB Jeremiah Morrow nearly getting through a huge hole, only to be met by LB William Washington II. It would be the Raiders that would strike first after their run-game found the gas pedal, leading to a 0-3 lead after the opening quarter.
VAN 0-3 LI

2nd Q
The tempo of the game did not change much into the 2nd quarter. Both teams took the hardnosed slant for the game plan and it wasn’t getting them very far. Eventually, Vancouver would start to spread the ball out more. QB Kevin Westwood found WR Keshawn Johnston for a big pickup midway through the 2nd to set up a field goal to tie the game at 3. The Raiders would follow suit with the Wolves and sprinkle in more passing plays. The plan would not pay off immediately, going 2 and out, but after a strong defensive stop, the Raiders were marching down the field. QB Ivan Sanchez made some great passes which eventually led to a touchdown from WR Larry Mossholder who made a nice cut to get open. The Wolves tried to counter but ran out of time.
VAN 3-10 LI

3rd Q
The 3rd quarter would see the game have a dramatic change. To start, the Wolves would come out of the break rejuvenated. After the defence stopped the Raiders quickly, Westwood would lead a drive to get the Wolves into the endzone. The Wolves moved down the field with ease before RB Jeremiah Morrow would punch in a touchdown to tie the game again, 10-10. After the Wolves scored, their defence would continue to ride the momentum. DL Qian Zhou would get into the backfield and knock the ball out of the arms of QB Ivan Sanchez. The ball hit the ground and all the players around dove onto it including Sanchez and Zhou. Once the dust had settled, the Raiders still came up with the ball, but there were a couple of casualties on the play. Zhou would leave the game after getting hit in the pile, while Ivan Sanchez was shaking his hand in pain after. In the pile, Sanchez’s hand was crushed by a helmet and he would not be able to grip a ball, forcing QB David Simmons into the game. With their starting QB out of the game, the Raiders’ defence knew they had to step up. They came with some tenacity and some heat. DL Dallas Breaker powered through the line going after QB Kevin Westwood. Westwood would turn to escape only to be hammered from the other side by DL Pionk Bjorkkstrand. Bjorkkstrand would catch Westwood on the chin with his helmet appearing to knock the star QB unconscious. It was a scary hit that lead to Westwood being carted off the field. QB Stanley Evans stepped in to replace him in the tie game that was now relying on a pair of backup QBs to decide a winner.
VAN 10-10 LI

4th Q
While the Wolves were certainly quite concerned about their QB, they still remained focused early in the 4th with QB Stanley Evans leading a field goal drive to give the Wolves their first lead of the game. Evans’ playstyle was similar to Kevin Westwood, so the Wolves could keep their game plan intact, however, the Raiders had to adjust to a more mobile style that QB David Simmons had. It seemed to work as Simmons was finding ways to move the football. Some delayed options to RB Scott Norton, a couple of solid throws, and a run or two himself kept the Raiders moving the ball. They would eventually tie the game again at 13 a piece with the clock starting to get low. In the final 3 minutes, the Wolves were starting to make way on a drive. QB Stanley Evans was making quick passes to get them into Raiders’ territory. The Raiders would force a 2nd and 10 after LB Callum Owen was able to break up one of the quick plays. The Raiders brought more coverage closer to the line with the two safeties holding their position at the first down marker. Evans noted the move and looked for an opportunity to get it over them. Evans dropped back and saw his fastest WR Akira Sakamoto, breaking past DB Ross Conroy right off the line. Evans didn’t hesitate more than a couple of seconds and threw the ball up the sideline. However, after the pass, the trap was sprung. DB Rutherford Winters had drifted slowly into the safety spot from the other side. As soon as Evans turned to Sakamoto, Winters bolted across. Evans’ pass was a little off-target and it gave Winters the ability to get under it. The ball landed in Winters' arms and the Raiders were taking the ball back the other way. After a solid return from Winters, the Raiders’ offence took over and were able to pick up yardage while killing as much time as they could. RB Scott Norton would break off a 14-yard play before QB David Simmons would scramble for a 1st down on the very next play. At this point, they were well in field goal range and K Henderson Schumacher would come onto the field and nail a 24-yard kick to give the Raiders the lead. The Wolves had little time to work with and they wouldn’t get far turning it over on downs to allow the Raiders to kneel out the game and capture their 3rd McCallister Cup in Long Island. 

Injury Report
LI: QB Ivan Sanchez - 4 Weeks
LI: OL Alan Mitchell - Day-to-Day
VAN: DL Qian Zhou - Day-to-Day
VAN: TE Daniel Whitford - 2 Weeks
VAN: QB Kevin Westwood - 8 Weeks

McCallister Cup MVP

DB Rutherford Winters - 1 Interception, 6 Tackles, 3 Passes Defended

1970 McCallister Cup Champions

1970 Season Recap

1970 NAAF Semi-Finals

(6) Pittsburgh Blacksmiths @ (4) Vancouver Wolves - Vancouver Exhibition Stadium - September 26, 1970 - 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PT - Weather: Clear 26ºC | 78ºF - Attendance: 35,135

1st Q
The first playoff game in Western Canada would start with a less-than-stellar first drive from the Blacksmiths. However, the home squad would give the fans something to cheer about, getting into the endzone on their first drive. RB Jeremiah Morrow was the one to break it into the endzone to give the Wolves the early lead. Pittsburgh didn’t get too shaken as they bounced right back with a score of their own shortly after. QB Louis Vaughn would hit TE Jesse Butler for the score to tie the game. Both offences were certainly showing that this game could be higher scoring.
PIT 7-7 VAN

2nd Q
Vancouver kept the offence coming with QB Kevin Westwood picking apart the weaker Blacksmith’s secondary. Both WR Keshawn Johnston and WR Akria Sakamoto caught a couple of passes each and got Vancouver down to the 19 before Johnston would slip by DB Aiden Sargent to get into the endzone and give Vancouver the 7-14 lead. Once again down by 7, the Blacksmith’s offence went to work. They managed to get deep into Vancouver territory and QB Louis Vaughn would take a shot for the endzone, however, his pass would almost cost the team being slightly overthrown. S Takuya Sasaki came over to pick the ball off, however, WR Justin Dubuque would keep running through Sasaki and break up the interception allowing the Blacksmiths to escape with a field goal. While the Blacksmiths did get away with a close call on the field goal drive, they were not so lucky on their next. RB Raymond Green broke out of the backfield only to get sideswiped by LB John Ritter. The jarring hit would send the ball flying over to DB Vern Nowitski giving the Wolves the ball. Vancouver would get a field goal out of the drive to retain their 7-point lead.
PIT 10-17 VAN

3rd Q
The offence slowed down to start the 3rd quarter. Each team had a couple of failed drives, however, it was a single from Pittsburgh that broke the silence midway through the quarter. The single point seemed to be enough to get the ball rolling as Vancouver would answer back with a field goal to take an 11-20 lead. The Blacksmiths were starting to slip behind in this game so Louis Vaughn would turn it up. The star QB would take a shot down the field to WR Orlando Barrack which would connect for a pick-up of 47. That turned into a touchdown a few plays later with Vaughn finding WR Taylor Austin in the back corner of the endzone to cut the lead down to just 2 right as the quarter came to a close.
PIT 18-20 VAN

4th Q
The momentum created by Pittsburgh’s offence carried over to their defence. DL Arthur Bradshaw would get the ball from QB Kevin Westwood after hitting him during his wind-up. Pittsburgh took over after that and the offence continued as they were. They got right back down to the 23 before Vaughn would hit WR Orlando Barrack breaking across the back of the endzone to make it 25-20. The game had completely flipped as the fans in Vancouver got quiet. However, the team was unfazed as QB Kevin Westwood immediately got the ball moving, finding WR Akira Sakamoto to the outside which broke off for an 18-yard play. With each play, the Wolves got closer to the endzone. Once Vancouver got down to the 14-yard line, Pittsburgh sent in extra pressure to try and disrupt the drive. Several players broke through the line, but Westwood stood his ground and waited just a split second for WR Keshawn Johnston to get out of his break. Westwood would take a big hit but the ball would get to Johnston who then rolled into the endzone to give Vancouver the lead. They would miss a 2-point conversion keeping the score at 25-26. Following Vancouver’s touchdown the two sides settled into a punt battle for several minutes. However, the urgency was rising for the Blacksmiths, so they finally elected to go for it on 3rd down with 3 minutes remaining. They were successful on their first attempt after RB Ronald O’Sullivan caught the ball out of the backfield. However, on their next 3rd down play, QB Louis Vaughn was pressured like crazy and had to just try to make a throw as he was being dragged to the ground. The ball hit the dirt 3 yards in front of the intended receiving giving Vancouver the ball. The Wolves would aim to run the clock, but they would end up scoring after RB Jeremiah Morrow slipped through a tackle. There is a possibility that Pittsburgh let Morrow score so they could get the ball back, but it’s all speculation. Vancouver still only went for 1 point despite the fact that a 2-point conversion would make it a 9-point game. Ultimately, it would not matter as Pittsburgh would turn the ball over again on a 3rd down play, sealing the result. Vancouver was off to the McCallister Cup in their first NAAF season.

(7) Indiana Victors @ (2) Long Island Raiders - Long Island Stadium - September 27, 1970 - 7:00 PM ET - Weather: Cloudy 13ºC | 56ºF - Attendance: 40,351

1st Q
Indiana hoped to start the game with a bang to quiet the Raiders’ fans. QB Tom Applewhite would let the ball fly toward WR Jake Abbredezzi on his first pass of the game. Unfortunately, the Raiders were well prepared and S Sully Callahan came bursting from his place and hammered Abbredezzi as the ball got there. The Victors complained about the hit being early but the home crowd drowned it out as they were fired up over the monster hit. The Raiders would get the ball and they would pound the rock. RB Scott Norton and RB Dareion Fields alternated snaps and slowly got the Raiders into field goal range to open the scoring 0-3. The Victors would recover from their quick 2 and out and get down the field for their own field goal not long after. The teams would remain deadlocked heading into the 2nd.
IND 3-3 LI

2nd Q
The deadlock continued into the 2nd. It wasn’t until midway through the quarter when DB Neville Falkner made his mark and picked off QB Ivan Sanchez to give Indiana a shorter field. The offence took the opportunity and drove the rest of the way to get down to the 8-yard line. From there, QB Tom Applewhite would hit WR Jake Abbredezzi on a quick slant to give them the 10-3 lead. The Raiders looked a bit shaken after the turnover and went 2 and out on their next drive. Luckily, their defence stepped up and nearly took the ball back the other way after DL Dallas Breaker got to QB Tom Applewhite, knocking the ball loose. OL Viktor Stahl fell on the loose ball to keep it in Indiana’s possession although at the cost of his health, having to leave the game with a minor injury. The Raiders still got the ball back and were able to get into field goal range before the end of the half to cut the lead down to 4.
IND 10-6 LI

3rd Q
The Raiders aimed to build on the momentum they picked up in the 2nd quarter. However, after a 2 and out from Long Island, the Victors were driving the field again. Indiana would get down to the 31 before making a costly mistake. QB Tom Applewhite would face some pressure and rushed a throw intended for WR Ed Edwards. The ball was behind Edwards and DB Ross Conroy read it well swiping the ball for the Raiders. Long Island capitalized on that momentum eventually turning the field position battle in their favour. After some solid throws from QB Ivan Sanchez, the Raiders would be in striking distance and Sanchez would hit WR Otto Washington for a touchdown to give the Raiders the lead, 10-13. The Victors did what they could to bounce back from the momentum swing, but they were unsuccessful and the Raiders kept it up on their end, scoring another field goal to take a 6-point lead into the 4th. 
IND 10-16 LI

4th Q
It was more of the same to start the final quarter between the two teams. The Raiders' defence kept up the pressure and made it a very frustrating day for the Victors, while the offence was doing a good job of killing time. They would add a field goal to their lead with 5 minutes to go, making it a 2-score game, 10-19. It was starting to become crunch time for the Victors. On the bench, HC Urick Wilkins started to pump up the defence in hopes of them coming up with a big play. The message would get across as the defence would be the ones to make a big play with LB Marshall Langenbrunner hammering RB Scott Norton, forcing the ball loose. Unlike the Raiders earlier in the game, the Victors would come up with the fumble. The offence fed off of the energy and did not waste the opportunity. QB Tom Applewhite would step up and lead a determined drive down the field. Eventually, Applewhite would hit TE Eric Peterson for a touchdown which would cut the lead down to just 2, 17-19. The Victors put faith into their defence to stop the Raiders with time winding down. The faith was well warranted as the defence forced the Raiders to punt after just 4 plays. The Victors got the ball and started to move down the field once again with a quick play to WR Ed Edwards. As they got to their own 44, they would be forced to a 3rd and 6. With limited time, the Victors had to go for it. QB Tom Applewhite would drop back to pass on the play. The Raiders would send some late pressure from S Sully Callahan, forcing Applewhite to scramble. Applewhite was able to get away, but he was not finding an open man. So as he rolled out to the left he started to head up field. LB William Washington II came barreling down. Applewhite braced and dove for the first. Washington made contact right at the marker and the two hit the ground as Washington slammed into Applewhite’s nameplate. The crowd went silent as the refs measured the spot. Then, Long Island erupted as the referee signalled a turnover on downs, giving the Raiders the ball back. Long Island would have a short drive following the stop, ending with another field goal to make it 17-22. The Victors had another chance but with less than a minute left and needing a touchdown. The odds were not in their favour as the Raiders’ defence stood tall and forced another turnover on downs to seal the win and send Long Island to their 6th McCallister Cup in the NAAF era. 

Injury Report
IND: OL Viktor Stahl - Day-to-Day
IND: DB Carl Odebell - Day-to-Day
LI: DB Lauri Hayha - Day-to-Day
PIT: OL Ben Salem - 9 Weeks
PIT: DB Zed McLaughlin - Day-to-Day

Players of the Week

OFF: WR Keshawn Johnston VAN - 2 Receiving Touchdowns, 112 Receiving Yards

DEF: LB William Washington II LI - 11 Tackles

52nd McCallister Cup Preview
(4) VAN VS. (2) LI - Mount Royal Stadium - Montreal, QC - OCT 4, 1970 - 7:00 PM ET
1970 Head-to-Head: Did Not Play
Historic Head-to-Head: VAN 0-0 LI
Historic Playoff Head-to-Head: VAN 0-0 LI
The battle between the Raiders and Wolves will be the first time two teams have ever played each for the first time in the McCallister Cup. The Wolves will be looking to add to their collection this season of the Mackenzie Cup, hoping to prove that they can dance with the best of the best in North America to any who still don’t think they can. The Raiders are arriving in Montreal in hopes of taking home their 3rd McCallister Cup and being able to complete the turnaround from 4-8 last season to potential champions. The two teams are fairly evenly matched. The Raiders may have an advantage defensively with the Wolves having some key injuries to DL Rashawn Sutherland and DB Christian Allen, however, Allen could return next week. The Raiders are a bit banged up on the O-line, but it has not slowed down their offence too much. Both teams have played well in the playoffs and will likely make this game a very close battle that could go either way. In the end, I do think that the QB is going to be the difference maker and the Wolves have the better and more experienced player in Kevin Westwood. 
My Pick: Wolves

1970 Quarter-Finals

Roster Moves
BUF: TE Paul Arturberry | Active Roster -> Injured Reserve
BUF: TE Ben Gibson | Reserve List -> Active Roster
IND: DL Eugene Case | Active Roster -> Injured Reserve
IND: DL Steve Hamm | Reserve List -> Active Roster
MIN: RB Richard Morin | Active Roster -> Injured Reserve
MIN: RB Allen Navarro | Reserve List -> Active Roster
OTT: S Donald Dozier | Injured Reserve -> Active Roster
OTT: S Joseph Ackerman | Active Roster -> Reserve List
PIT: DL Sammy Pickett | Injured Reserve -> Active Roster
PIT: DL Albert Kirk | Active Roster -> Waivers

(6) Pittsburgh Blacksmiths @ (5) Providence Gold Stars - New Providence Stadium - Saturday, September 19, 1970 - 2:00 PM ET - Weather: Clear 22ºC | 72ºF - Attendance: 62,121

1st Q
With clear skies overlooking the biggest crowd of the season in Providence, the 1970 NAAF playoffs kicked off with Pittsburgh receiving the ball. The Blacksmiths were quickly forced to give the ball to Providence after just two plays, however, Providence would have their own 2 and out shortly after. Neither team showed anything special out of the gate, which led to the lack of offence early, however, Pittsburgh was not scared to pull some tricks out of the bag. On their 3rd drive of the game, the Blacksmiths would look to go deep. WR Orlando Barrack was always the favoured target on these plays with his blazing speed, which is exactly why the Gold Stars had made a note to shadow him on deep plays. Pittsburgh HC Ted McMahon figured this and so he used Barrack as a decoy as WR Taylor Austin broke wide open after crossing underneath Barrack’s route. Austin would catch QB Louis Vaughn’s pass in stride and take it the rest of the way for the first touchdown of the game. The crowd went silent but they were given something to cheer about late in the quarter as Providence would put up a field goal.
PIT 7-3 PRO

2nd Q
Providence’s offence continued to find a rhythm and slowly tipped the field position battle in their favour as each team traded short drives. RB Ronnie Byers would eventually escape the Pittsburgh D-line for a play of 24 yards to set up a second field goal. The 2nd quarter remained fairly quiet, however, Providence’s defence was making their mark with a forced fumble from LB Kurt Warlock and a key stop on 3rd and short to create a couple of turnovers. They were unable to score on either of the ensuing drives but it did keep Pittsburgh off the board. Pittsburgh did manage a late push into Gold Stars’ territory, but the clock hit “:00” and they were forced to try a very long field goal. K Al Highlander had quite a leg, but hitting a field goal from 50 yards would have been impossible with his limited accuracy. So he would just give it everything he got to get the ball down there and hope for a single. The plan worked and the ball bounced right though the endzone to give the Blacksmiths a late point.
PIT 8-6 PRO

3rd Q
The pressure was starting to mount for the Gold Stars’ offence, as their defence had done everything they needed to in keeping the Pittsburgh offence quiet, but they were still behind. Luckily, they rose to the challenge. Early in the 3rd, QB Landon Ross would find his groove and slowly pick away at the yards toward the endzone. Eventually, they would hit a snag with a sack at the 23-yard line, forcing 2nd and 14. The Gold Stars would trust their run-game which caught Pittsburgh a little off guard. RB Ronnie Byers would break through a hole and find a lane right to the endzone. The Gold Stars’ fans erupted with excitement as their team took the lead for the first time. The Blacksmiths remained calm and grabbed a field goal shortly after, but they were still down 11-13. Then, a turning point came. As Providence’s offence worked to extend their lead, they would be met with some strong resistance at their own 42. Pittsburgh put on the pressure and it worked almost too well. QB Landon Ross would drop back and turn to make a fake handoff to RB Ronnie Byers. Byers took off, but as Ross turned back upfield DL Matthias Hartmann was right there. Ross put up his arm as a reflex and took a powerful hit from the D-lineman right in the rib cage. The ball squirted loose and Pittsburgh jumped on it. Ross was unable to get up likely with a rib injury. Pittsburgh took over and they would use the short field well marching down to the 6 before RB Raymond Green would put the ball in the endzone under a chorus of boos from the crowd who certainly were not happy. As Providence’s offence took the field for their next drive the excitement returned to the fans as this year’s 2nd overall pick, QB Red King took the field for the first time.
PIT 18-13 PRO

4th Q
QB Red King was having some success throwing the ball on his first few drives, however, he still was making some mistakes under the pressure of the situation. Eventually, King got comfortable and did get the offence to push down the field. They slowly made it into Pittsburgh territory, however, WR Owen Paisley would be stopped inches short of a first down at the 33-yard line. QB Edwin Hunt would get on the field for a short-yardage play. Hunt powered through easily for the first, but then he popped up and called a hurry-up play, catching Pittsburgh off guard. Hunt took the snap and tossed the ball to WR Edward Webb who picked up another 14 yards. Red King retook the field and a few plays later he would hit WR Owen Paisley for his first career touchdown pass to give Providence the lead back. The cheers rang out in Providence as their young star jogged off the field following a missed 2-point try. Despite the excitement, Pittsburgh remained calm and they countered with a strong drive of their own. QB Louis Vaughn got the ball out quick, not giving the strong Providence front 7 a chance to pressure him. The methodic drive would lead Pittsburgh to a field goal to regain the lead. Pressure turned right back over to Red King and the Gold Stars. Pittsburgh did not make the next drive easy as they brought back the pressure. King did his best to make plays, but he was not as accurate as before. King eventually tossed ball into a dangerous place. WR Edward Webb tried to get a hand on it, but it only did more harm as the ball popped off his hand and into the arms of DB Aiden Sargent. Pittsburgh took over in Providence territory and would add to their lead, eventually leading to a big road win for the Blacksmiths.

(7) Indiana Victors @ (3) Buffalo Blue Wings - Milton Charles Stadium - Saturday, September 19, 1970 - 7:00 PM ET - Weather: Clear 16ºC | 61ºF - Attendance: 53,944

1st Q
Two growing rivals met for their 3rd ever playoff meeting. Once again surrounded by the loud Buffalo faithful at Milton Charles Stadium. The home fans had a lot of cheer about early in the contest as Buffalo opened the scoring early in the 1st with a RB Jasper Dickerson touchdown. Indiana’s offence sputtered out of the gate, going 2 and out on their first two drives. Buffalo continued to add to their lead with a field goal, before getting a DL William Sanderson forced fumble off of RB Tresean Jones, leading to a second field goal and a 0-13 lead. 
IND 0-13 BUF

2nd Q
Following the disastrous 1st quarter, Indiana was able to get on the board early in the 2nd with a field goal. Buffalo remained calm and in control, but the Victors were slowly picking away at the Blue Wings’ defence. QB Tom Applewhite would eventually make a risky throw that would pay off, finding WR Ed Edwards on a play where he was double-covered. Edwards made an excellent catch which set up Indiana at the Blue Wings’ 34. It only took a couple of more plays before Edwards would get the ball again, only this time he was in the endzone to cut the lead down to 3. Neither team was able to get anything else before the break.
IND 10-13 BUF

3rd Q
After being shut out in the 2nd, Buffalo was quick to get on the board in the 3rd. QB Charles Lemieux would pick apart the Victors in order to get a quick field goal and extend their lead to 6 points. It took some time for either team to score, but eventually, Indiana would catch a break with a missed tackle on TE Eric Peterson. Peterson would escape the clutches of LB Dallas Dillard and then ramble through DB Dean Hawkins before being taken down by S Wesley Jones for a pick-up of 27 yards. Indiana kept the plays coming and eventually got down to the 3 where RB Tresean Jones would punch it in to give Indiana their first lead of the game. Buffalo would not let the score go unanswered as QB Charles Lemieux immediately followed up the major with one of his own. While the Victors’ DB Neville Falkner had done fantastically in shutting down WR Tracy Driscoll, DB Cameron Taylor was less successful with WR Jimmy Jack. Jack was able to get away from the veteran DB on a 23-yard toss from Lemieux, turning the play into a 38-yard touchdown to give Buffalo the lead back heading into the final quarter.
IND 17-23 BUF

4th Q
The final quarter would be intense with the fans in Buffalo getting their loudest to help their home team. However, Indiana was determined. The loud noise did not faze them as they were prepared for it. The Victors had a set plan in place when the game got loud and QB Tom Applewhite executed it perfectly. The team marched down the field and got right down to the 11-yard line before Applewhite would fire a dart of a pass into WR Silas Peyton’s stomach. Peyton collapsed onto the ball and rolled back into the endzone to give Indiana the lead back, 24-23. The strong drive from the Victors had the Blue Wings’ fans a little worried. Luckily for them, Buffalo answered back with their own strong drive. Buffalo looked to get WR Tracy Driscoll involved for the first time in the game by pulling out a WR screen. The play worked with Driscoll able to use his speed to escape for a 35-yard play. QB Charles Lemieux kept chipping away at the Victors’ defence, but they would eventually be forced to 3rd and 9 deep in Indiana territory. Buffalo settled for a field goal to regain the lead, 24-26. Once again, Indiana needed another drive and Tom Applewhite answered the bell. He got Indiana rolling with a pair of quick first downs. Then, he escaped a potential sack from DL Ned Hedman before finding WR Silas Peyton open for a pick-up of 12. Indiana was now on the edge of field goal range and they wanted to get as close as possible. On their next play, Applewhite would connect with WR Jake Abbredezzi on a big play. Abbredezzi made a great catch over DB Ezra Power. Coming down from the jump, Power landed awkwardly and fell leaving Abbredezzi in the clear. DB Santino Arriola was the next closest defender but was blocked by WR Ed Edwards. Abbredezzi took the ball up the sideline and into the endzone for what would be the game-winning touchdown, sending Indiana to the Semi-Finals. 

(8) Ottawa Royals @ (2) Long Island Raiders - Long Island Stadium - Sunday, September 20, 1970 - 2:00 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy 24ºC | 75ºF - Attendance: 40,394

1st Q
The Raiders’ return to the playoffs started well for the East Division champs. The Royals started the game with the ball, but on just the second play, QB Drake Young would throw an errant pass to DB Lauri Hayha. The Raiders took over in Ottawa territory and found the endzone shortly after with QB Ivan Sanchez finding WR Larry Mossholder for the score. Luckily for the visitors, QB Drake Young shook off the early mistake and was able to counter with his own touchdown drive. WR Colby Bancana would get the score after finding some open space in the endzone. Following the Royals’ score, both teams would step up defensively leading to a 7-7 tie heading into the 2nd quarter.
OTT 7-7 LI

2nd Q
The Raiders’ defence remained all over the Royals’ offence, but their own offence was starting to find some traction. RB Scott Norton was a major factor being able to pick up good chunks of yardage. His strong play would eventually be rewarded with a touchdown midway through the 2nd quarter to regain the lead. Ottawa’s offence continued to struggle. The pressure from the Raiders’ front and the excellent coverage was forcing the Royals to many short drives. The Raiders’ offence on the other side, kept up production and would get another 3 points before the half.
OTT 7-17 LI

3rd Q
The momentum the Raiders had picked up in the 2nd continued early in the 3rd. QB Ivan Sanchez would get a chance to show off his arm by finding WR Frank Drysdale down field for a big pickup which led to a early 2nd half field goal. The pressure was mounting on the Royals’ offence that needed to score to lessen the 13-point gap. It took some trial and error, but eventually the Royals managed to connect on a couple of plays and found some momentum late in the 3rd. QB Drake Young would make a great pass to WR Marshall Leonard and then to WR Cedric Peterson. The 27 yards picked up by the two veterans would set up a great run from RB Corbyn Knight to get the Royals down to the 9-yard line. Young would then find WR Piers Key in the flat on the next play and the veteran would take it in for a score to cut the lead to just 6 heading into the final quarter. 
OTT 14-20 LI

4th Q
Ottawa’s momentum continued into the final frame. Young was able to string together another strong drive early to add 3 more points and cut the lead down to just 3. The Royals’ defence was also stepping up with DL Bernhard Hartmann picking up a vital sack on 2nd and 4 at midfield. However, they could not make anything happen on the next drive as the Raiders’ defence was bouncing back from allowing 10 consecutive points. The 4th became a deadlock between the defences that both didn’t want to give an inch. Eventually, the Royals would catch a break with DL Winfield Winchester knocking the ball out of the arms of RB Scott Norton. Ottawa got the ball with a great chance to try and at least tie the game. However, the luck didn’t stick with them as WR Marshall Leonard would lose the ball right back after taking a big hit from DB Rutherford Winters. The Royals would appear to be defeated with the turnover as the Raiders would run the clock as much as possible before pinning the Royals down at their own 7-yard line. QB Drake Young tried to get the team out of their end, but on 3rd and 3, he would fail in an attempt to pick up the first down on his feet, leading to another turnover. It took only a few plays for RB Dareion Fields to get into the endzone and secure the win for the Raiders and send them to the Semi-Finals. 

41st Mackenzie Cup: (4) Vancouver Wolves @ (1) Minnesota Serpents - Midgard Stadium - Sunday, September 20, 1970 - 7:00 PM ET/6:00 PM CT - Weather: Partly Cloudy 24ºC | 76ºF - Attendance: 50,160

1st Q
The city of Minneapolis hosted its first NAAF playoff game in what was the 41st contest for the Mackenzie Cup. Both teams entered the game determined for different reasons. Vancouver was a little more focused on keeping their trophy in Canada while the Serpents wanted to get past this game and into the 2nd round. Both motives proved to create a tough battle as both teams were not giving an inch early in the game. It would take a missed tackle on WR Akira Sakamoto to allow Vancouver to get into field goal range and open the scoring 3-0. However, Minnesota caught their own break with RB Carter Roy slipping by the Wolves for a big gain to set up an equalizing field goal. 
VAN 3-3 MIN

2nd Q
The game remained hard-fought and deadlocked into the 2nd quarter. Minnesota would catch the next break with DB Austin Sherebernikoff nabbing a pick on QB Kevin Westwood to set up another field goal. Luckily for the Wolves, they would bounce back and answer the field goal with one of their own following a great play from WR Keshawn Johnston to catch the ball with 2 defenders closing in. The pair of field goals would leave the contest knotted at 6 heading into halftime.
VAN 6-6 MIN

3rd Q
As the 2nd half began, the pressure was certainly mounting on both teams to start to put up points. Especially for Minnesota, whose strategy worked best when the team was in front. Unfortunately for the Serpents, they would not get the early break as Vancouver’s RB Nikki Yang would take a punt return back 42 yards to give the Wolves excellent field position. QB Kevin Westwood would take advantage by leading the team the rest of the way down to the 12 before hitting WR Akira Sakamoto for the go-ahead touchdown. The nerves were certainly rising in Minnesota as Vancouver looked very much in control of the contest. Luckily for the home fans, the Serpents would get down the field and put up another field goal by the end of the 3rd to cut the lead down to 4. 
VAN 13-9 MIN

4th Q
The late field goal drive from the Serpents would give the team some hope. QB Martin Keller and the offence kept the ball moving throughout the early stages of the final quarter. Keller specifically needed to step up and make some throws. He did just that by making back-to-back connections with former college teammate, WR Ferdinand Matthews. The offence kept the ball moving on the ground as well utilizing both RB Hugo Hughes and RB Carter Roy. The drive would keep moving and eventually, RB Hugo Hughes would break through to the endzone to give the Serpents the lead they have been looking for. Now with the lead, the Serpents knew the Wolves would be forced to pass more against the Serpents’ strong coverage defence. The Wolves knew this from the previous 2 matchups they had played against them in the season and had lost, so they made some strategic adjustments. A couple of reverses and screen passes started the drive to pick up a couple of first downs. The calls would pull the secondary closer to the line of scrimmage, which opened the door for a big play from QB Kevin Westwood who would drop back to give the ball to RB Jeremiah Morrow. As this was happening, WR Keshawn Johnston tore around back from the outside. The play looked like another reverse, however, Westwood faked both and turned around to see WR Akira Sakamoto had a step on his guy. Westwood would fire it to him. The pass would be a little long, but Sakamoto dove and caught the ball to set up Vancouver deep in Minnesota territory. The Wolves would eventually settle for a field goal to tie the game once again. Minnesota would get the ball back and hope to answer back. Keller did his darndest, but a great breakup on what would have been a first down catch from S Nick Palmer would thwart their attempt. Vancouver would get the ball back and the offence went to work. QB Kevin Westwood would continue to throw in some trick plays, but just as easily picked apart the defence to get back into field goal range. K Sterling Brooks would get on the field for a 34-yard kick which would seal the win for the Wolves who would win their 4th consecutive Mackenzie Cup.

Injury Report
BUF: S Mathieu Cazenave - Day-to-Day
IND: LB Marshall Langenbrunner - Day-to-Day
IND: OL Taylor Alexander - Day-to-Day
IND: OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins - Day-to-Day
LI: DL Tyrone Powers - 1 Week
OTT: OL Tommy Reynolds - 1 Week
PIT: LB Kyle Essena - Day-to-Day
PIT: OL Ben Jammin - Day-to-Day
PRO: WR Justin Palmer - Day-to-Day
PRO: QB Landon Ross - 8 Weeks
VAN: DB Tim Ho - Day-to-Day

Players of the Week

OFF: WR Akira Sakamoto VAN - 1 Receiving Touchdown, 103 Receiving Yards, 25 Rushing Yards

DEF: DB Rutherford Winters LI - 1 Forced Fumble, 2 Knockdowns, 6 Tackles

Semi-Finals Preview

(6) PIT (7-5) @ (4) VAN (9-3) - SEP 26 - 8:30 PM ET
1970 Head-to-Head: W10 - PIT 27-22 VAN
Historic Head-to-Head: PIT 1-0 VAN
Historic Playoff Head-to-Head: PIT 0-0 VAN
Both of these teams came out on top against the league’s two best defences. Now they get to face each other in what is expected to be a bit more of an offensive showdown. Pittsburgh did take the previous meeting between these two teams, but Vancouver showed that it didn’t matter against the Serpents last week. At this point, both teams absolutely have a chance to move on to their first McCallister Cup, but I think the way the Wolves pulled it together last week is enough to convince me that they have the best shot at moving on.
My Pick: Wolves

(7) IND (7-5) @ (2) LI (9-3) - SEP 27 - 7:00 PM ET
1970 Head-to-Head: Did Not Play
Historic Head-to-Head: IND 6-13 LI
Historic Playoff Head-to-Head: IND 0-0 LI
Indiana is just a year removed from a run to the McCallister Cup in 1968, and just like that last season, they had to go into Buffalo and win in the first round. Maybe I am just seeing deja vu, but there’s sneaking suspicion that this Victors team may be destined to move on. However, let’s not discredit the Raiders who probably had the strongest win of the Quarter-Finals winning by 10 points. I do think the Raiders have an advantage here, but there’s still that part of me that thinks the Victors will be the more determined team and pull out another win.
My Pick: Victors