Steeling Records
SUPER 16 – It was a huge record breaking weekend, and one of those storybook moments in Week 11 in the Super 16, when everything aligns for a thrilling game. The Game of the Week featured a pair of division rivals, each in must win situations and both playing under the lights in primetime, one on Thursday night and the other on Sunday. Beyond division foes, it was the second ever edition of the Pennsylvania Classic, a rivalry game between instate rivals Steel Curtain and Eagle has landed, both teams in a mad dash to try to make it into the playoffs. The League’s Pittsburgh franchise, Steel Curtain came into the game as underdogs with a 4-6-0 record and their season on the line, while Bob’s Eagle squad was 5-5-0, riding a 4 game win streak and trying to climb back into the division race.
It really was a game for the ages, beginning with Steel Curtain’s Thursday night performance, leaving everyone in the league stunned at their 203 points to lead off the match. They were nearly perfect, posting 7 total touchdowns plus 4 field goals thrown in with 5 sacks, 4 interceptions, and even a blocked kick on defense. Their Thursday night total was higher than half the of the final scores of the league’s total scoring leader Arizona. But the Killer Bees weren’t done yet, giving the scoreboard a workout through Sunday and into Monday night. The Eagle did what they could, in the end, posting 191 total points, a score that would have beaten ten league teams in Week 11, but of course, that wasn’t enough. When the smoke had cleared, Steel Curtain had shattered the League’s All-Time Single Game Scoring Record of 296.00 points held by the iconic Ice Cold Bruschis since Week 2 of 2015, cracking the 300 point barrier for the first time in League history with their final score of 308-191. Steel Curtain, just in their second season in the Super 16, now holds the #1, #4, and #5 all time scoring records.
With a loss by the Northern Fins (6-5-0), 137-170 to the Indy-structibles, and another by Geno’s Jaw Breakers (5-6-0), 102-129 to AF#13 SF’s BowMen, Steel Curtain moves to within a game of the East Division lead and has a points advantage to overcome a standings tie. With two weeks to go in the regular season, the S16 East is anyone’s division, including Eagle has landed who are now 5-6-0 also with their own scoring advantage over the Fins and Jawbreakers. The most thrilling part of it all, is the fact that these two will meet again for a rematch in Week 13 for the season finale in what could turn out to be a Division Championship Game.
While the East Division is still wide open, the S16 South is now all sewn up after Week 11, the AF#13 Birds of Prey backing into the South Division title, despite a 200-245 shootout loss to Dem Bucking Broncos who’s score puts them in the record book as the 16th best score of all time. Just their third loss of the season, BoP secures the division and clinches the playoffs based on their rival Who Dats’ own shootout loss, 212-252 to The Dawg Pound. The Who Dats led through much of the game, but couldn’t prevent the Cleveland Dawgs’ epic comeback, largely on the arm of their quarterback who put up 52 points on Monday night…..against the Birds of Prey’s parent organization, Atlanta. Although not as incredible as Steel Curtain’s score, the Dawgs’ 252 points is a franchise record and comes in at #9 in League history for all time scoring. Dawg Pound advances to 7-4-0 on the season, but still cannot claim the North Division title, thanks to their rival in Motor City going to 6-5-0 after beating BEARMINATORS 178-170 in a defensive SimulPlay battle. The North Division is also setting up a climactic Week 13 finale when the Dawgs and Kitties face off again.
Out West, the AF#3 Arizona Firebirds had to come from behind against their oldest rival, beating WTH HOUSTON 191-178 to advance to a 9-2-0 record, yet still cannot clinch the division, thanks to victories by both BowMen (7-4-0) and AF#25 1 Eye Til I Die (7-4-0) who beat BIGDOGINTEX 171-127. The toughest division in all of the Association this season, it has the AF#3, AF#13, and AF#25 teams, the current league #1, #3, and #4, as well as the current #1, #3, and #6 total scorers. There’s a chance this one goes to the Week 13 finale between Arizona and 1 Eye, also, and best odds right now are that both Wild Cards will come out of the West this season, setting up some interesting possible playoff match-ups.