HIGH OCTANE defeated BILLY GOATZ in the Steel Conference Championship to move on to the league championship game.  They faced a highly-skilled SUICIDE SQUAD, who was just coming off a big win of their own against PRIMETIME for the Iron Conference Championship.  This game was exactly the type of play you want to see in a championship – a back-and-forth game coming down to the final seconds.  HIGH OCTANE showed their strength in those final seconds and earned themselves a PFFL championship.  Without further ado, here’s a recap of the game.

SUICIDE SQUAD started the game off strong with a touchdown on their opening drive.  After two completions, QB Cornell Mack connected with Josh Vermilian on a long bomb for the touchdown.  A successful extra point to Brandon Seachrist gave SUICIDE SQUAD an early 7-0 lead.

SUICIDE SQUAD continued their defensive goal-line stands from the Iron Conference Championship in this game as well.  HIGH OCTANE drove the ball down the field, only to turn the ball over on downs just shy of the endzone.  SUICIDE SQUAD took advantage of HIGH OCTANE’s failed opportunity on their next drive.  On second down, Mack went long again, this time to Brandon Seachrist who made a great catch for the touchdown.

Down 13-0, HIGH OCTANE knew they need to get things going on offense.  Responding to the deficit, QB Lance Brunsell went deep to Danny Pepper on first down for a big gain.  Two downs later, Brunsell found Pepper again, this time cutting into the endzone for the touchdown.  A failed extra point kept the score at 13-6 going into halftime.

HIGH OCTANE’s touchdown before half built momentum for them going into the second half.  Coming out of halftime, HIGH OCTANE sustained a six-play drive down the field.  After several completions to Pepper, Brunsell found Marrio Poston wide open in the endzone for the touchdown.  The extra point was good to Pepper and HIGH OCTANE tied the game at 13 all.

HIGH OCTANE’s momentum didn’t slow down there.  SUICIDE SQUAD got the ball back and began to quickly work their way up the field on several completions by Mack, including a long rush by himself to put his team within inches of the endzone.  Mack got hurt on the play, limping afterward, but stuck with it to try to lead his team to victory.  However, the opposite happened when he was picked off in the endzone by Q. Dean for the turnover.

HIGH OCTANE took the ball and began their longest and what proved to be their most important drive of the game.  Brunsell worked his team down the field with several completions to Marrio, Pepper, and Bryan Maldonado.  On fourth down of the eight-play drive, Brunsell threaded the ball to Marrio in the middle of the endzone for the touchdown, his second of the game.  A successful extra point by Pepper gave HIGH OCTANE the 20-13 lead.  

SUICIDE SQUAD got the ball back with under two minutes to go in the game.  They worked hard to get the ball down the field, with several completions from Mack to Josh and DJ Douglas.  Just outside the endzone, Mack capped off the drive with a touchdown to Josh to bring SUICIDE SQUAD within one point of HIGH OCTANE.  However, HIGH OCTANE came up with a game-saving defensive stand on the extra point to earn them the championship victory by a final score of 20-19.

This game was no doubt a great matchup between two talented teams.  We had two highly-skilled and experienced quarterbacks in Lance Brunsell and Cornell Mack and solid veteran wide receivers in Danny Pepper, Marrio Poston, and Bryan Maldonado of HIGH OCTANE and Josh Vermilian and Dane Williams of SUICIDE SQUAD.  The teams played their hearts out but the game came down to something teams typically take for granted – the extra point.  HIGH OCTANE’s successful extra point the drive before and their defensive stand on the extra point attempt by SUICIDE SQUAD resulted in them holding the title of Fall 2016 PFFL Adult League Champions.