The games get bigger as we roll into week 15, and the drama builds towards a crescendo.
FAMILY DIVISION
The Lynchburg Lemonades (Ryan) continue to make history.
With an incredible 14-0 record, the Lemonades are doing what no team has done in 35 years.
Can they keep the streak alive? This week, the Lemonades play against the Columbus Cowboys (Ben), a team in must–win mode to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Cowboys should present a great challenge to the Lemonades.
The Seymour Hoosiers (Myiah) have locked up the second playoff spot, but the final two positions are still up for grabs.
With two weeks remaining, the race to the finish will be exhilarating as these bubble teams battle for position.
FIRST DIVISION
Oh boy, the standings got even tighter last week. The final two playoff spots will become an intense battle over the next two weeks.
Like the Family division, everyone needs a win this week to stay alive going into the season’s final week. The two biggest matchups of the week feature teams on this bubble.
You gotta love the drama.
DYNASTY DIVISION
While the other divisions are wrapping up their regular seasons, the Dynasty division is heading into the postseason. Here are the final standings.
The Phoenix Heat (Steven) had a clutch victory over the DC Braves (Shehbaz) last week and have secured the number one seed and a bye in the first round.
Now, let’s take a quick look at the other three playoff matchups.
The 7th-seeded Minnetonka Chippewas (Greg) roll into a matchup with the 2nd-seeded and Eastern Conference champion DC Braves. There could not be a more evenly matched contest. The Chippewas scored 831 points during the regular season, while the Braves scored 830. The question, who will score at least one more point than the other in this game.
The 6th-seeded New Orleans Hurricanes (Jamie) go up against the 3rd-seeded Myrtle Beach Wave (Rob D). Rubber match anyone? This will be the 3rd matchup in five weeks between these two teams with each winning once previously. Best two out of three advances to the semis.
The 5th-seeded Dakota Dragons (Butch) face the 4th-seeded West Virginia Rednecks (Wayne) in a matchup of two of the founding members of the league back in 1990. The Rednecks are the hottest team in the league, riding in on a five-game win streak. The Dragons look to follow little bro’s lead from last season and win a title in their first season after getting promoted.
QUICK NOTE: If there is a tie in the playoffs, the team with the higher seed and home field advances. This also holds in the playdowns, if there is a tie, the team with the higher seed survives and the lower seed advances.
PLAYDOWNS
The Minnesota Blizzard (Geri) survived their relegation game last week behind a strong Monday night performance led by Chase Brown. However, this week, they will be joined by the Montana Mountaineers (Chuck) on a bye and wait and see which teams will join them in the playdown semis next week.
The 11th-seeded Houston Hydras (Dakota) pulled off a big win last week, giving they one more chance to pull off a win and avoid the toilet bowl. This week, they get the defending champion Louisiana Lightning (Denny). For the second straight season, the Lightning finished at 7-7. Last year, they got into the playoffs and made an impressive run to the Super Bowl title. This year, a spot in the playdowns. The rule of eight stands.
The 10th-seeded West Virginia Blacklungs (Rob S) face the 9th-seeded Louisville Leafblowers (Shane). These two teams had similar seasons, finishing with identical 6-7-1 records and only nine points separating them on the season. These teams met up all the way back on opening day, and Louisville won. But a lot has changed since then, and this is the game that matters.
Good luck everyone, see you next week.