Mackenzie Armwood intercepted a Marcus Johnson pass on the Gunslingers opening drive then caught two of Jason Battle's four touchdown passes (among them, the game-winning score with just :45 remaining) on the offensive side of the ball to earn Most Valuable Player honors as the Rocky Mount Raiders, presented by Carolina Ale House, ended the six-year hold Raleigh teams held on the Independent Flag Football League's Grand Bowl Cup, yanking it away from the Gunslingers in dramatic fashion, 25-22.

The game's early stages much resembled a chess match, with the Gunslingers turning the ball over via the Armwood interception on the opening drive, then keeping defense the focus of the first half as the teams would score just 18 points, the lowest total since Grand Bowl X.  Rocky Mount's first half points came on a pair of Jason Battle to Chris Barnes touchdown strikes, while the fleet feet of Gunslinger quarterback Marcus Johnson would account for the 'Slingers six points.

The offense opened up in the second half, but early on it seemed as if the Raiders were going to put the game away early, scoring on their opening drive via a Battle to Armwood touchdown pass and then immediately following it with a single to build a 19-6 lead.  But the Gunslingers would then come back to score 16 unanswered points, first from a Marcus Johnson to John Sellars touchdown pass, then by a remarkable safety by Johnson on defense (sacking Raider quarterback Jason Battle in the end zone), then scoring another touchdown via run that gave the Gunslingers a 22-19 lead with 3:40 remaining.

The Rocky Mount offense would mount one final offensive drive, consuming nearly three minutes off the clock and concluding it with a Jason Battle to Mackenzie Armwood touchdown strike with :45 remaining. While it would prove to be more than enough time to allow the Gunslingers to go downfield and score, but Jamonte Battle would prove the Raiders' hero, snaring Johnson's second interception of the day with a leaping catch in the back of the end zone with :03 remaining, securing along with the ball the team's 12-1-0 record and the IFFL championship.

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Rocky Mount quarterback Jason Battle threw for five touchdowns (two each to Mackenzie Armwood and Chris Barnes), including a strike to Fred Whitaker with :05 remaining as the Raiders ended a see-saw affair by defeating the Apex Stingrays in their Divisional Playoff meeting, 32-27.  The game featured nine lead changes, one of which occurred with :50 remaining as Stingrays' quarterback John Robertson scored on a rushing touchdown to give Apex the advantage, but 50 seconds proved to be 45 too many as the Raiders moved on to Grand Bowl XIII in their first league season.

Derek Parker snared three Marcus Johnson touchdown passes, helping the Gunslingers build a 20-6 lead on the team's way to a 26-19 Divisional Playoff win, earning the team's second Grand Bowl appearance in three seasons.  Ryan Borowitz would throw for a pair of touchdowns (to Dontae Fogg and Randal Winstead) and rush for a third in the losing effort.  The Gunslingers would go on to play the Rocky Mount Raiders in Grand Bowl XIII, the team's second consecutive spring championship game appearance.

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Without the presence of starting quarterback Justin Lo, the Apex Stingrays defense ate the Mean Machine alive by intercepting four passes, cruising to a 46-19 victory in their Wild Card playoff meeting.  John Robertson threw for two touchdowns and rushed for three others in the victory, but it was the defensive play of Frankie Evers, Lane Memorial Award winner Josh Brewer and Elo Hankham that proved decisive as the Stingrays moved on to the Divisional Playoff round, where they would face division rival Rocky Mount.

The defending champion Dragons stumbled out of the gate early, and the top-seeded Rocky Mount Raiders, presented by Carolina Ale House, would capitalize on their way to a 32-26 victory in their Wild Card playoff meeting Saturday.  Mackenzie Armwood, who later in the day would leave the field with Grand Bowl XIII MVP honors, intercepted a Ryan Shands pass on the Dragons opening drive, then tossed for four touchdowns (three to Chris Barnes and a fourth to Terry Whitaker) filling in for Jason Battle at quarterback.

In a first-round battle between the champions of the Bell and Rozelle Divisions, each point would prove precious as the Rolesville Thunder would advance to the Divisional Playoffs by just one, 30-29.  Rolesville's advance would be helped by Matt Raydo's interception of Assassin quarterback Antwon Anderson, as well as by the Assassins failure to convert on two of its extra point conversions.  While the Assassins would get a break by virtue of a successful onside kick attempt in the game's final minute, Anderson and his receiving corps would prove incapable of capitalizing, allowing the Thunder to move on.

The Gunslingers and Revolution played something of a chess match in their Wild Card playoff meeting Saturday, trading touchdowns back and forth and with it the game's lead.  The game's pivotal event would come by way of the Gunslinger defense, when Revs back-up quarterback Gerald Rasool threw a key interception to Andre Berry, putting an end to what would likely have been a game-tying drive. 

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The Youngsville Aftershock concluded the Independent Flag Football League's Spring 2008 "Best of the Rest" tournament by playing a dominant second half in the Oak City Bowl, adding 15 unanswered points to a 19-12 lead to earn the league's unofficial title of "Best of the Rest."

Rob Wilcox threw for five touchdowns in the contest, finding J.D. Patton for a pair of scores and splitting the remainder between Mark Schlitter, Steve Cruickshank (who lateraled the ball back to Wilcox), and game MVP Franklin Harvey.

The "Best of the Rest" tournament wins redeemed Youngsville's season somewhat as the team finished with a 6-6-0 overall record.  The Pride meanwhile also have something to take into the fall, a 4-8-0 season that was a vast improvement on their Fall 2007 campaign.

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Long-time Rolesville Thunder kicker/receiver Rob Standley is recovering from a severely dislocated elbow suffered Saturday.  Standley, who was taken off the field in a stretcher by paramedics following the injury, reported that doctors had put the elbow back in its joint but that orthopedic specialists will be examining him to determine if there is any tendon or ligament damage.  Everyone in Capital Area Team Sports hopes for Rob's quick recovery, and his return to the field when our fall season kicks off September 6th!

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