Top-of-Table Clash Determines Playoffs
In the 8th and final round of the inaugural 2011 USARL competition the Philadelphia Fight and Washington DC Slayers are the journeymen to Florida and Massachusetts.
The Fight will play at Jacksonville to determine the outright competition leaders, minor premiers and who has the right to host the major semi-final (1 vs 4), August 13, in which the winner will then go onto the Championship match August 27.
The top 3 teams, Philadelphia Fight, Jacksonville Axemen and Washington DC Slayers are 6-1. The Slayers are certain of a win in Boston on Saturday against the 2-5 13s and will either host the Fight or travel to Jacksonville, on August 13, for the minor semi-final (2 vs 3).
So a lot rides on the outcome of the Fight and Axemen clash. The Fight are coming off any easy home win last week against the gallant NJ Turnpike Titans and the Axemen are back in Jacksonville after a tough struggle over the DC Slayers.
The Fight are keen to have their ex-Axemen and points scoring machine (a club record 64) winger Mike 'Squirrel' Timpano return to JAX and add to his tally. Aussie's Matt Webster, Capt & prop, Joel Weeks, half-back and Sean Staunton, fullback, along with lock Kevin Wiggins, workhorse Dave Wilmore, centre Pat Quirk and speedy winger Jared Frymoyer should be a handful for the reigning premiers.
The Axemen are a fit side and are conditioned along with Aussie five-eighth Brent Shorten and powerhouse winger Matt Thorton winger and are well prepared for the hot battle in the expected 94deg heat at UNF's Hodges Stadium.
This will be a clash of the USARL 'titans'. In this match last year, the Axemen finally wore down the Fight in the second half to seal a victory and later go on to win the Championship. But the Fight performance wasn't without praise from the Axemen and their coaching staff. The Axemen felt the courageous and determined brunt of the Fight defense which rattled them and was described as the best that had ever showed up at Hodges Stadium in the Axemen's history.
The winner will host the major semi-final on August 13. If it be the Axemen they will play-off at home against 4th placed New Haven Warriors. If it be the Fight who are minor-premiers, the Warriors will travel to Philadelphia and Axemen to DC Slayers.