Two more games, that is all that’s left in the first regular season of the rebooted AAL. It has been a solid first season filled with stability and competitive football, as we saw this past weekend! Columbus-Wheeling gave us a look into how wild things can get in the future, while Mississippi showed promise, and Jersey showed us what three-quarters of dominance can really look like! We cover all of this, and even the AAL2 Playoffs. All in this week’s Everything AAL!
Table of Contents
Week 9 AAL Game Reviews
Columbus 32 Wheeling 31
WesBanco Arena was electric Saturday night as the Wheeling Miners welcomed the Columbus Lions for their second showdown of the season. Despite coming up short in their revenge game, the Miners battled to the final whistle in a hard-fought 32-31 contest.
The lone shadow on an otherwise bright performance came on special teams, specifically the kicker, but Wheeling has already addressed that by signing local standout kicker Austin Nestor. With one game remaining in the AAL regular season, the Miners sit at 4-2 and are focused on closing out the year with momentum heading into the postseason.
The quarterback battle featured plenty of fireworks, with Daryll Clark throwing for 155 yards and two touchdowns while also tossing three interceptions. On the other side for the Lions, Blaine Espinosa passed for 162 yards and four touchdowns but was intercepted three times, including a pick-six by Miners defensive back JT Taylor that caused an eruption with the home crowd.
Clark also led Wheeling on the ground, turning just two carries into 44 yards and a touchdown. Rainius Daramola led the receiving corps with eight catches for 83 yards and a score, while Alex Coleman added seven receptions for 67 yards. In a rare sight this season, Coleman was held out of the end zone for all four quarters.
Outside of Clark’s explosive runs and a handful of sneaky scrambles from Espinosa, neither offense found much consistency on the ground. For Columbus, Jacob Smith led the way with six catches for 58 yards and a touchdown, while Marco Lee chipped in three receptions for 42 yards and a score.
Wheeling’s defensive front applied pressure throughout the night, consistently forcing Blaine Espinosa out of rhythm despite never recording a sack. However, that pressure paid dividends as the Miners’ defense came away with three interceptions.
JT Taylor led the way with two game-changing takeaways, including a pick-six and another interception in the end zone that erased a potential Lions touchdown. Isaiah Robinson, who spent the night contributing on both sides of the ball despite being primarily a wide receiver, added an interception of his own.
For Columbus, the Lions defense recorded the game’s only sack and, aside from Clark’s explosive scoring run, effectively nullified Wheeling’s ground attack. The Lions also forced three turnovers through the air, with Droell Greene, Jakhari Thomas, and Denoris Wardlow each coming away with an interception.
By Shane Majoris
Jersey 70 Mississippi 18
If you took a look at this one early, took a break, and came back in the fourth, you wouldn’t have thought it was the same game. The first eight or so minutes of the game gave us a good bit of back and forth before the difference in overall talent became apparent.
The Wolfpack lost quite a bit of talent over the season to other leagues, injury, and other things, and it has worn the boys from Tunica down over the course of the season. Midway through the first, it was just 14-6, with boy squads having a turnover on downs and putting up points, not long after a couple of long drives, and no points for Mississippi, we saw a 22-6 end to the quarter.
The dam would break loose, going into half, ending 42-12. Most thought it was 18 for Mississippi, but a mishandling of the goldball saw the Wolfpack run it in instead of passing. We could go into detail, but ultimately, Mississippi came out extremely flat in the second half, and Jersey came out with all they had, laying a massive 70 on Mississippi, whose defense was already struggling. Matteo looks stronger and stronger week over week going into the playoffs, while Mississippi has struggled to really put it all together with a multitude of the recently added pieces.
Week 10 AAL Game Previews
Mississippi At Wheeling (-18.5)
The Miners now shift their focus to the Mississippi Wolfpack, who will roll into WesBanco Arena on Saturday, June 20th, for Wheeling’s final home game of the regular season. The Miners will look to keep their streak of strong performances going against a Wolfpack squad searching for answers. Mississippi enters the matchup at 2-5 after a lopsided 70-18 loss to the Jersey Bearcats.
While the Wolfpack may not pose a major threat on paper, arena football has a way of delivering surprises when teams become complacent. Wheeling will need to maintain the focus and intensity that has propelled its success all season. Unlike this year’s battles with Columbus, special teams are unlikely to be the deciding factor, but fans should expect to see a much-improved unit as the Miners make their final regular-season appearance and prepare for a playoff run.
By Shane Majoris
Jersey At Columbus (-21.5)
While the Bearcats have hit their stride coming into the back half of the season, we don’t know how competitive this one will be. Jersey has cemented itself as a solid number three in the AAL, but the imbalance of talent that Columbus has is going to be obvious early. Matteo Rodriguez will not be a threat if the Jersey OL can’t contain guys like DeAndre Brown on the front three. The last two games have been earmarks of a QB that is hitting his season peak, but he is only one of eight on the offense.
If we take into account the fact that this game is in Columbus, and the ruckus environment that comes with a Lions home game, it may get away from them early. Even in a two-interception game, Blaine Espinosa is dangerous downfield, even more so against a Jersey secondary that has had a habit of giving up downfield plays against elite teams. Overall, expect a game that looks fairly similar to the game that Jersey just had against Mississippi. They will fight early, stay close for a bit, but down the stretch, the score gap will only grow.
Standings:
Wildhogs Press Conference
The WildHogs had their official press conference to announce joining the AAL, check it out on the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DCprNzTEz/?mibextid=wwXIfr
AAL2
Scores:
Ohio Legends 38 Michigan Raptors 54
AAL2 Playoff Games this Week:
South Division First Round
Predators at Aviators
We can’t just sit by and pretend this one will be close; this is a battle of the undertalented against a well-oiled machine. Despite the previous year’s success, the Preds are nothing to talk about; their season has seen them lose in blowout fashion on multiple occasions. On the other hand, the aviators seem to be hitting their stride, with the only team that gave them issues lying in wait for the South Championship game. This game won’t be very close at all. We fully expect the Aviators to walk away from this with a 40+ point victory.
East Division Championship
Eagles at Stampede
This is another fairly cut-and-dry game, though it isn’t because NJ has had a rough year; instead, it’s more to do with the product Steel City is putting on the field. The Stampede offense has seemed to barely be tested. The Eagles may keep this close for a quarter or two, but this will be another lopsided affair. Expect the Stampede to get up early and coast along as the clock winds down.
North Division Championship (Game of the Week)
Raptors at Outlaws
The North Division Championship is set as the Pittsburgh Outlaws host the Michigan Raptors on Saturday, June 20th. The Outlaws earned the top seed in the North and enter the matchup following a first-round bye, while the Raptors come with momentum after an impressive 54-38 road victory over the second-seed Ohio Legends. Both teams have established themselves as powerhouse contenders throughout the season. Michigan has proven to be one of the league’s toughest road teams, closing the regular season strong and carrying that success into the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s rise has been nothing short of remarkable. In just their second season of AAL2 competition, the Outlaws have gone from not beating an AAL2 opponent a year ago to one victory away from being crowned Kings of the North. The two-time WIF champions have made an impressive turnaround and now control their own destiny as they continue to chase their dream of an AAL2 championship.
By Shane Majoris
Playoff Bracket:
AAL2 Graphics Credit: Shane Majoris
We won’t include this week’s News section, as there isn’t alot of pressing news that has come out as of recent.
It has been an amazing season, every team is going to finish the season, and every single team, while in their own ways, has seen success! It was better than any casual fan could have imagined and makes day one fans giddy to see! We will bring you a full playoff preview next week! We inch closer to the offseason and plan on bringing you all the in-depth looks at the expansion teams and potential additions! Don’t forget to check out Around the Indoor Football World for all the deep looks and wild opinions on the AAL and every indoor and arena league!
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