Ben Mauk threw four touchdown passes and the Cincinnati Commandos defense forced five turnovers as the Commandos took home the CIFL Championship in their first season of play with a 54-40 win against the Wisconsin Wolfpack Saturday night at the Cincinnati Gardens.
Mauk was named the Championship Game MVP, completing 18 of 29 passes for 195 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.
Mauk was one of several players who played a key role for Cincinnati. Robert Redd had eight catches for 112 yards and a score, Brandon Boehm scored on two of his four receptions, Greg Moore ran 18 times for 58 yards and two scores, and Ray Jackson returned a kick 48 yards for a score after Wisconsin had closed to within 28-24 in the third quarter.
Defensively, Torry Cornett scored the first defensive touchdown in CIFL Championship Game history by recovering a fumble in the end zone in the first quarter and later picked off a pass. Robbie Wilson also had an interception and a fumble recovery, falling on a loose ball James Frazier had knocked out of Wisconsin quarterback Matt Schabert’s hand with the Wolfpack driving in the third quarter. E.J. Underwood also picked off a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage by lineman James Spikes.
Brandon Wogoman put on a one-man show for the Wolfpack. Wogoman set CIFL Championship Game records with 14 catches and 277 all-purpose yards, breaking the marks of 13 catches and 183 yards set by Nick Body of Fort Wayne last year. Wogoman caught two touchdown passes from Schabert, with Marcus Lewis hauling in three scoring passes. Schabert completed 23 of 37 passes for 214 yards with five touchdowns, but was picked off a record-tying three times and fumbled on two other occasions.
The Wisconsin Wolfpack (9-2) held on to beat the Fort Wayne FireHawks (6-5) 25-24 in Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) playoff action Saturday night at the Hartmeyer Arena.
Former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Matt Schabert had another stellar performance, passing for 107 yards and three touchdowns. Schabert rushed for 22 yards and another touchdown.
Marcus Lewis led all receivers with eight catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, former Badgers linebacker James Kamoku recorded eight tackles and newcomer Jim Cichon had seven unassisted and three assisted tackles as well as a pass breakup. Defensive back Quincy Hudson had a late interception in the end zone to secure the Wolfpack victory.
The Wolfpack advance to the CIFL Championship Game next Saturday night in Cincinnati, Ohio, against the Cincinnati Commandos (10-1).The game begins at 8 p.m. ET.
Ben Mauk completed 18 of 28 passes for 201 yards and six touchdowns as the Cincinnati Commandos cruised into the CIFL Championship Game with a 48-24 win against the Miami Valley Silverbacks Friday night at the Cincinnati Gardens.
Cincinnati took advantage of Miami Valley mistakes to build a 21-0 first quarter lead, and the Silverbacks could never pull closer than 16 points thereafter. After Cincinnati scored on the opening possession of the game, James Spikes recovered a botched snap on Miami Valley’s first play from scrimmage and Ray Jackson scored one play later to make it 13-0. A mishandled snap on a field goal attempt by Miami Valley set up a 1-yard touchdown from Mauk to Johnny Long to push Cincinnati’s advantage to three touchdowns.
Even without leading receiver Dominick Goodman, who is now playing in Germany with the Dresden Monarchs, and leading rusher Greg Moore, who had a UFL tryout, the Commandos managed to roll up 256 yards of offense, with Brandon Boehm, Robert Redd, and Long all hauling in a pair of touchdown passes.
Chris Stanford completed 9 of 18 passes for 89 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 48 yards and a score in his first professional start in place of injured Silverbacks quarterback Kyenes Mincy.
The Commandos will host the winner of Saturday’s Fort Wayne FireHawks at Wisconsin Wolfpack semifinal in the CIFL Championship Game at the Cincinnati Gardens next Saturday, July 26.
Thomas McKenzie set a single-game CIFL record with 5.5 sacks in his first game with Fort Wayne, leading the FireHawks to a 48-0 win against the Chicago Cardinals to conclude the CIFL regular season Saturday night at the Odeum Sports Complex in Villa Park, Ill.
Broderick Johnson added 3.5 sacks and when David Hines forced quarterback Gabriel Baker to fumble with 12 seconds remaining, the FireHawks tied the single-game sack record of 9 set by the Lehigh Valley Outlaws in 2006.
The FireHawks scored five of their seven touchdowns on returns by the defense and special teams. Terry Moore started the scoring with a 48-yard interception return 1:22 into the game. Tramaine Billie returned a missed field goal and an interception for a touchdown, Brandon Williams had a fumble return for a touchdown, and Mike Tatum returned another missed field goal for a touchdown.
McKenzie and Tatum are two of the players who came to Fort Wayne after the Marion Mayhem ceased operations, helping the FireHawks record the sixth shutout in CIFL history and second this season.
The win improves Fort Wayne to 6-4 as the FireHawks enter the CIFL playoffs as the No. 3 seed. Fort Wayne will travel to play the No. 2 seed Wisconsin Wolfpack (8-2) at Hartmeyer Arena in Madison on Saturday, June 19.
The top-seeded Cincinnati Commandos (9-1) will host the No. 4 seed Miami Valley Silverbacks (4-6) in the other playoff game at the Cincinnati Gardens on Friday, June 18. The Cardinals finish the 2010 season with an 0-10 record.
The Wisconsin Wolfpack (8-2) ended the Cincinnati Commandos (9-1) bid for perfection, 45-21, in Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) action at the Hartmeyer Arena in Madison Saturday night.
Former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Matt Schabert threw five touchdowns and rushed for another in the victory. Marques Johnson, who entered the game as the third leading receiver in the CIFL, caught five passes for 64 yards and four touchdowns.
On defense, former Badger Kurt Ware recorded 5-1/2 tackles and two sacks. He also recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Another former Badger, James Kamoku, led all tacklers with 13 including two for loss.
For Cincinnati, Dominick Goodman, filling in at quarterback for an injured Ben Mauk, rushed for 90 yards and three touchdowns. Greg Moore rushed for 70 yards on 16 carries as the Commandos racked up 173 rushing yards.
The Commandos outgained the Wolfpack 191 yards to 139 yards and owned the time of possession, holding the ball for over 36 minutes in the game.
The Wolfpack will host a home playoff game on Saturday, June 19, against the Fort Wayne Firehawks (5-4). The team will announce when tickets will go on sale later this week.
Starting cornerback and backup quarterback Chris Stanford was a perfect six-for-six passing for 120 yards and four touchdowns in place of an injured Kyenes Mincy as the Miami Valley Silverbacks (4-6) concluded their regular season with a 58-24 win against the Chicago Cardinals (0-9) Saturday night at the Odeum Sports Complex in Villa Park, Ill.
Stanford also scored a touchdown on a 12-yard fumble return on the game’s first play from scrimmage while still on defense, and had a 1-yard touchdown run on his third snap under center, contributing to six touchdowns in all.
Mincy went out with a shoulder injury late in the first quarter, completing his only pass for four yards, making the Silverback quarterbacks a perfect seven-for-seven on the day. The Silverbacks running game contributed a season-high 158 yards, with receiver Isaiah Cheatham scoring on both of his carries for a total of 50 yards and running back Derrick Moss rushing nine times for 41 yards.
Chicago quarterback Ron Ricciardi was 12-for-28 passing for 108 yards and touchdowns to receivers Shawn McKeown and Brian Tait.
The Cardinals were playing without several key members who had joined the Wisconsin Wolfpack this week.
Chicago will host Fort Wayne next Saturday in the final game of the CIFL regular season at the Odeum.
Miami Valley has two weekends off to prepare for its second playoff appearance in the franchise’s five years, facing the top-seeded Cincinnati Commandos at the Cincinnati Gardens, June 18.
