GDFL "Road To Atlanta" Continues This Weekend

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GDFL "Road To Atlanta" Continues This Weekend
Impact Conference Semifinals and Xtreme Conference 2nd round action on slate

Total Sports Coverage
Total Sports Coverage

Football
Updated Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:24:58 CT


ATLANTA, GA - The GDFL Playoffs will continue this weekend with a wonderful feast of games as the "Road to Atlanta" continues this weekend.

We start with the Impact Conference where the conference semifinals are upon us. The Derby City Thunder and the Kentucky Wolverines will square off in one semifinal while the Oklahoma Thunder and the Indianapolis Tornados will tussle in the other semifinal.

The Wolverines defeated Derby City last season in the playoffs enroute to finishing as the 2010 league runner-up. Derby City has outscored their two playoff opponents so far 62-2 with a shutout of the Music City Stars. Kentucky on the other hand had a fight in it's first round winning 14-0 over the Tri-State Sharks and then winning a shootout in round two against the Columbus Gladiators 46-30. Bragging rights for the state of Kentucky are on the line as well as an spot in the conference finals. Kentucky enters the game undefeated.

The Indianapolis Tornados will load the bus and head to Tulsa, OK to face the Oklahoma Thunder who escaped-sounds funny saying that huh, last week with a 24-22 win of the Dallas Diesel. The two points was the lowest margin of victory for Oklahoma this season. The Tornados didn't advance without a fight with the Tennessee Hurricanes winning 13-12 to advance. This match up has all the makings of a classic playoff game with not only two good football teams but two quality organizations in the front office. This will be the first meeting of these teams in their history and not to mention a spot in the conference finals is on the line.

The Xtreme Conference is a round behind due to Hurricane Irene postponing most of the first round action in the playoffs.

The Carolina Warriors, who are the defending GDFL Champions, are the only team in the Xtreme Conference with their ticket punched to the conference semifinals and have a bye. The Warriors defeated the Beaufort Hornets 31-12 last week in their second round game and will play the winner of the Henry County Horsemen and South Georgia Noles.

The Horsemen had a bye last week as the South Georgia Noles had to replay their first round game against the Georgia Jets in which they won 40-20 after coming from behind 20-6 to do it. Henry County used a late punt return for a touchdown to skate pass the Jefferson County Warriors 17-13 in their first round match-up. The Noles and the Horsemen will be a very interesting game with both teams having solid offenses and defenses. Reports have surfaced that Horseman quarterback Charles McCollum will be in uniform. McCollum has not been with the Horsemen of late due to workouts with other professional teams. Both teams enter the game undefeated.

The Chambersburg Cardinals will host the Hampton Roads Hurricanes. Chambersburg defeated the Virginia Cougars 48-20 in the first round while the Hurricanes won a low scoring affair 10-0 over the South Jersey Lynx. Chambersburg is undefeated on this season.

Lastly the Fayetteville Horizon and Asheville Grizzlies will do battle in the Tar Heel state for a shot at the semifinals. The Horizon are not as quiet anymore but are still undefeated and a solid contender. Fayetteville is coming off a 31-5 win over the Carolina Bulldogs. The Grizzlies have done nothing but win since a mid-season setback to the Carolina Bulldogs and are game for the Horizon. The winner will face the Chambersburg/Hampton Roads winner.

Plenty of action in the GDFL Playoffs this weekend. If your in the market of a GDFL Playoff game get out to the stadium and get the first hand experience of the GDFL. For gameday scores and updates be sure to follow the GDFL on Twitter @thegdfl and Total Sports Coverage at @tsportscoverage. Tune in Sunday Night at 10pmEST/9pmCST for the GDFL Game Center Playoff Show exclusively on Total Sports Coverage online at www.totalsportscoverage.com with host JHillsman and Charles Thompson as they recap the playoff weekend and interview guest from around the GDFL.

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gdfl.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/GDFL-Playoff-Bracket-Semi.pdf

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Chambersburg Cardinals await arrival of Hurricanes
By MIKE MILLER Staff writer

Chambersburg,PA-Perhaps it's fitting that the Chambersburg Cardinals will battle with the Hurricanes tonight.

The Hampton Roads Hurricanes, that is.

After much of the area has weathered the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee this week, it seems only right. While Lee battered central Pennsylvania with heavy rains, flooding and general inconvenience, the Hurricanes will look to use their size and athleticism to knock the Cardinals out of the Gridiron Developmental Football League playoff picture.

"They have a lot of talent, they have speed and they're just as big as us," Cardinals coach Chad Fauson said. "They're no slouch. The big question for any team that travels is 'Do they travel well?' We're expecting to be in a heavyweight fight."

The winner of tonight's game will face either the Asheville (N.C.) Grizzlies or the Fayetteville (N.C). Horizon next Saturday. If it's the Cardinals, they will have home field advantage.

Like most area high school teams affected by the deluge of rain, the Cardinals were unable to practice this week. Of course, an impromptu break at this point in the year is never welcome.

Fauson believes the team is ready and said a number of players reported to the Chambersburg YMCA last night to work on some drills and get some much-needed repetitions. With fields too soggy for use and weather unplayable, players were reduced to film work over the normal Wednesday-Thursday practice schedule.

"I'm never going to say we shouldn't practice," Fauson
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said. "If we could practice five nights a week, with the talent and personnel we have, I'd have no doubt about facing any opponent. Right now, there's little doubt that we're prepared. I believe we are, but there's still that unknown factor. We'll meet up earlier Saturday to do a walkthrough and make sure we are as prepared as possible, given the circumstances."

Through their 10-game regular season schedule, the Hurricanes amassed 232 points and yielded only 71 in the North Atlantic South Division. The Cardinals racked up 415 points and allowed only 54 in nine games.

Hampton Roads has three quarterbacks listed on its roster, including Tyree Sanderson, Levy Price and Jimmy Saunders, whom the Cardinals knocked out of a game last year when he was a member of the Southern Virginia Trojans.

"I know they're going to try and go long and stretch the field," Fauson said. "We're fully prepared for that. They have a lot of speed and I know they have a couple of quarterbacks. One can scramble out and the other (Saunders) is a pocket guy."

Chambersburg is coming off what Fauson believes was its most complete game of the season, a 48-20 first-round beatdown of the Virginia Cougars. In that one, the Cardinals rushed for over 200 yards (105 by Keon Lattimore) and picked off a pair of passes.

Although the team hasn't been together as a full squad since that contest, Fauson is optimistic the Cardinals can keep the momentum rolling.

"It was just like a light switch turned on for a few guys last week," he said. "Some of those teams during the regular season we might've played twice and overlooked a team or two knowing the game wouldn't be as competitive. But now the guys know that if they want to live to see next week, they need to step their game up. I think that was pretty obvious last week. Hopefully this week we can capitalize and turn it up another notch or two."

Though Fauson is cognizant of the Hurricanes' athleticism and strength, he thinks it will be a good matchup size-wise. Chambersburg has eight players with a listed weight of over 300 pounds; the Hurricanes have 11 players 300 pounds or above.

"I don't think there's anyone who matches up blow-for-blow with our guys," Fauson said. "Look at guys like Adam Hoffman. Our guys can probably pull the bus to an away game."

These two teams almost met in early August when the Bergen (N.J.) Hawks folded abruptly before a scheduled game at Trojan Stadium. However, a scheduling conflict prevented the Hurricanes from traveling to Chambersburg.

This time, it's on the big stage with a season at stake. The games mean something now and there's a lot to play for. It's not hard for the Cardinals to get excited, but they also understand the gravity of tonight's game.

"It's as exciting as can be," Fauson said. "But there's also the possibility that it ends in an instant, so that's the downfall about a game like this. You can be on cloud nine in one second and be on the floor wondering what happened the next. That's where we're at."

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Mike Miller can be reached at 262-4788, or [e-mail].

Cardinals-Hurricanes at a glance

Game data: Hampton Roads Hurricanes at Chambersburg Cardinals ... Today, at Trojan Stadium, 7 ... Gridiron Developmental Football League second-round playoff game.

Ticket prices: Adult ($10), 65-older ($5), ages 11-18 ($7), ages 7-10 ($5), 6-under (free).

The teams: In last week's first round, the Cardinals (10-0) defeated the Virginia Cougars 48-20 ... The Hurricanes (10-1) beat the South Jersey Lynx 10-0.

Series: First meeting.

P.O. pick: Cardinals by 7.