*Short game summaries are included BELOW.*

Bengals 21, Buckeyes 16 (6-14-00)
     The game began with both teams trading touchdown strikes.  The offenses scored with ease on the second of both possessions.  What followed was a barrage of interceptions, four to be exact, and stingy defense slowed the game down.  Andy Snaza caught a couple of tipped balls for huge gains, and Loock Kouba made some great defensive plays, including a pick in his own end zone.  This was countered by Dave Kloster's speed, just as predicted.  He made some fine catches to keep the ball moving.  In the end of this back and forth TERROR battle, the Bengals got the best of the Buckeyes.

Fighting Irish 20, Vikings 10 (6-14-00)
     Brent Gloege returned two interceptions for scores, the first being right before halftime and the second being the final nail in the coffin.  This Game of the Week was close in the beginning, far in the end.  James Johnson opened the game with a spectacular, diving, shoulder-bruising interception for the Vikings.  That was to be among the few highlights of the day for the Vikes.  Brent Gloege, despite Johnson's extremely tight coverage, made Kevin Cantine's passes appear right on the money. Gloege clearly displayed the talent that put him on the All TERROR preseason team.  His interceptions stole the show...and the game for the Irish.

Gators 20, Jayhawks 18 (6-14-00)
     This was anybody's game up until the last kickoff of the game.  Before that was plenty of good, old run-and-shoot football.  The Gators jumped all over the Jayhawks early.  A quick 8-1 Gator league had the commissioner thinking he'd be picking up the cones real soon.  Not to be! Steve Swenson and Chris Popowski took turns going deep to one another.  Suddenly it was 10-8 in favor of the Jayhawks at halftime.  The momentum had clearly changed sides. Could the young team of Justin Folk and Danny "Marino" Popowski keep their heads in the game?  In a word, "Yes".  Twice on fourth down in their own territory, the Gators chose not to go for the five yards and a first down, but for all the marbles.  And twice Danny Popowski hit Folk in full stride for touchdowns.  The lead changed hands at least five times in the second half.  Then came the finish.  The Jayhawks had just scored to knot the game at 18.  The kickoff was fielded by Dan Popowski, and he was off to the races.  A couple of moves later and he was running toward the sun, which by this time had set.  What a game!  What a finish!!

Raiders 20, Huskers 17 (6-19-00)
     This game was back and forth all the way.  The lead changed hands throughout the game with the margin being no more than three points at anytime in the ballgame.  It was a one point game at halftime.  The Huskers returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the first half and then added a second midway through the second half.  Pat Krause had some excellent break-ups defensively as the Krauses chose to play zone at times.  Darren Tipton and Brian Pauli had patience, however, and waited for the right time to deliver the football.  The strategy worked, and it helped them drive down the field with the score tied at 17.  Tipton then hit Pauli from five yards out for the game's final touchdown.  The Raiders added the extra point to win the game, 20-17.

WEEK TWO   WEEK TWO   WEEK TWO   WEEK TWO   WEEK TWO   WEEK TWO
Vikings 21, Huskers 19 (6-21-00)
     The Huskers and Vikings met on a gusty Wednesday night.  Pat and Brian Krause had the wind behind their backs in the first half.  They took full advantage of the wind and raced out to an 11-4 halftime lead.  Things looked bleak for Steve Thomas and Rick Schwenn as the second half approached.  Their lone hope was that the wind could do for them as the wind had done for the Huskers.  Dropped passes and overthrown balls in the first half were forgotten and the Vikings set the tone early in the second half.  The Vikes scored on their opening possession and again on their second.  They found themselves back in the game.  The Huskers had numerous chances to put the game away, but the veterans would not be denied their first win of the season.  Steve Thomas's interception of a Brian Krause pass tied the game at 19.  Thomas scampered back to midfield.  The Vikings went nowhere on the first three plays setting up a fourth down and game situation.  Thomas and Schwenn connected and a defensive slip gave Schwenn an open field to score.  The Vikings moved to 1-1, while the Huskers fell to 0-2 on their second heartbreaker in three days.

Fighting Irish 20, Bengals 9 (6-21-00)
     The Game of the Week was worthy of that title...for the first half.  The Bengals picked off three Kevin Cantine passes in the first half, but the Irish managed to keep it close.  Scott Cantine's second interception (Dan Mach also had one for the Bengals) enabled the Bengals to take a 7-6 lead despite facing a fierce wind.  However, on the very next play Scott Cantine went deep to Mach, but Gloege stole it away.  His return to the one yard line set up a Gloege to Kevin Cantine touchdown pass.  The conversion sent the game to halftime.  The Irish lead of 10-7 grew steadily as the Bengals were unable to make a run in the second half.  Mach showed great speed and intensity, but Gloege's grabs off the blades of grasses offset that.  The Fighting Irish now find themselves in sole possession of first place in the ATC at 2-0, while the Bengals slipped into second at 1-1.

Bulldogs 20, Dolphins 13 (6-22-00)
     On a calm Thursday night the Bulldogs' second half flurry of points put them in the win column for the first time this season.  The first half gave no indication of what was to come.  The Dolphins and Bulldogs traded touchdowns in the first half.  Bulldog defensive back Rob Volkenaut provided tight coverage, but at times, his cleats didn't sink into the solid ground leading to a couple of Dolphin scores.  The Dolphins sent the game to halftime with a Greg Cantine to Darin Dahle touchdown and conversion.  The 10-8 Dolphin lead was short-lived.  The Bulldogs took the kickoff to open the second half and marched down the field.  Matt Paulson's short touchdown pass to Joe Heinert put the Bulldogs ahead for good.  Paulson went deep to Heinert for two more scores. Another score came on fourth and goal from the ten yard line when Heinert jumped in front of Cantine to grab the ball for the touchdown.  Heinert added a second half interception.  The winning point came on a defensive stop, and the Bulldogs were winners, 20-13.  The Bulldogs jumped into second place in the ATC with a 1-1 record.  The Dolphins find themselves in the cellar at 0-1.

Steelers 21, Buckeyes 9 (6-22-00)
     The team of Chris Conrad and Greg Dohrer scored the first six points of the game as the Steelers claimed their first win of the young season.  Loock Kouba, Jesse Wood, and Andy Snaza had decent coverage, but the balls thrown by Conrad and Dohrer were on target all night.  Conrad and Dohrer chose to go long consistently, and the strategy worked.  The game started out almost perfectly for the Buckeyes.  On the opening kickoff Dohrer caught the ball, took a couple of steps, and threw a weak lateral to a surprised Chris Conrad.  It was anybody's ball until Conrad managed to land on it just beyond the first down line.  The Steelers quickly scored and never looked back.  The Buckeyes deserve credit for not folding against the speed of the Steelers.  Conrad had two interceptions which helped the Steelers move to 1-0.  The Buckeyes fell to 0-2.

Redskins 21, Gators 3 (6-22-00)
     The Scott Wiese to Laramie Unzen connection is difficult to defend.  They proved that fact on a peaceful night at Kalen DeBoer Field on Thursday night.  The Redskins' stingy defense allowed the Gators very few passing yards despite some good looking spirals from Gators quarterback, Jackson Sussex.  The Redskin defense turned turnovers and stops into points to take an 11-0 halftime lead.  The trend continued in the second half.  The shutout was prevented on a Sussex to Dan Popowski pass midway through the second half.  The young Gators, as several TERROR teams who have gotten down by double digit deficits this season, did not quit but did see their record fall to 1-1.  The Redskins raced to the top of the NTC with a 2-0 record.

WEEK THREE   WEEK THREE   WEEK THREE   WEEK THREE   WEEK THREE
Dolphins 20, Raiders 16 (6-27-00)
     On a perfect, overcast Tuesday night, the Dolphins met the Raiders.  Both teams had chances to take control of the game throughout the contest.  Neither team did, and the result was a game that went down to the wire.  The Dolphins and Raiders exchanged touchdowns in the first half.  The key play sent the game to halftime.  Fifteen yards from the end zone and faced with a fourth down, the Dolphins elected to go for the touchdown while tied at 9-9.  Dolphin quarterback Darin Dahle, under a heavy rush from Darren Tipton, threw a floater into the end zone.  Greg Cantine made a left-handed catch with his shoulder for an 11-9 Dolphin lead.  The conversion made it 12-9 at halftime.  Brian Pauli's coverage was sticky, yet the ball seemed to breeze pass his fingertips for completions.  However, a couple of Tipton to Pauli scores tied the score at 16.  The Dolphins scored, then held the Raiders on downs for the win.  Dahle and Cantine each had an interception to help boost the Dolphins to 1-1.  The Raiders fell to 1-1.

Steelers 20, Vikings 16 (6-29-00)
     Tony Howard made his first TERROR appearance after recently signing with the Vikings.  James Johnson was dumped because of nagging injuries.  Tony did his best to make the game memorable for himself and teammates Rick Schwenn and Steve Thomas.  He picked off Brad Snaza's floater, and Schwenn's block near the goal line propelled the Vikings to an early 6-3 lead.  The Vikes had the halftime advantage, but Chris Conrad and Brad Snaza warmed up.  The Steelers put up some quick points on the second half team of Howard and Thomas.  The Steel Curtain took an 18-13 lead before forcing the Vikings into a must-go, fourth down play.  Thomas hit Howard with a perfectly excuted, 17 yard score to tighten the game at 18-16.  However, the Steelers marched down the field and Conrad hit his big tight end for the game winner.  The Steelers jumped into second place in the NTC at 2-0 behind the Redskins.  The Vikings fell to the fourth spot with a record of 1-2.

WEEK FOUR   WEEK FOUR   WEEK FOUR   WEEK FOUR   WEEK FOUR   WEEK FOUR
Gators 22, Vikings 6 (7-3-00)
     Steve Thomas hit Tony Howard in the end zone on the game's opening drive, and Howard then hit Thomas for the conversion to give the Vikings a 3-0 lead.  That was their lone highlight.  From that point on it was all Gators as Justin Folk and Dan Popowski steamrolled to victory.  Thomas was picked off twice in the first half.  Popowski returned one the distance as the Gators built a considerable halftime lead.  A third Popowski interception was also returned for a score to end the game giving the younger Gators their second win of the season.  Nothing clicked for the Vikings.  The quarterback to receiver timing wasn't there.  They did manage a second Thomas to Howard touchdown in the second half, but this was clearly a day for Gators.  Justin Folk harrassed the passer on many downs, while Popowski provided sticky coverage.  The win gives the Gators a healthy 2-1 record. The loss puts the Vikings in a must-win situation to have any shot at the playoffs.

Fighting Irish 21, Dolphins 16 (7-4-00)
     The Irish lit up the scoreboard in the first half of this Fourth of July showdown.  Meanwhile, the Dolphins played the part of duds.  Playing with the wind, the Irish led 9-0 before the Dolphins scored.  Kevin Cantine and Brent Gloege were sparkling on offense as they scored on every possession of the first half.  The Irish went into the half with an 11-3 lead.  The game appeared to be over.  However, one must never underestimate the power of the wind.  The Dolphins had to kick off at the start of the second half, but managed to force an Irish punt.  Jim Beyer, making his initial TERROR presence of the year, then hit Greg Cantine on a couple of high-hanging bombs.  The Irish lead was cut to 11-8 with the wind in their face.  Kevin and Brent answered with their first touchdown of the second half to make it 13-8.  The Dolphins came right back on another Beyer to Cantine touchdown pass of 22 yards to make it 13-11.  The Irish continued to make the plays when they had to throughout the second half, and with the score 18-16 in favor of the Irish, Cantine hit Gloege from one yard out for the game winner.  The Irish maintained their perfect record (3-0) to remain atop the ATC.  The Dolphins fell to 1-2 and third in the ATC.

WEEK FIVE   WEEK FIVE   WEEK FIVE   WEEK FIVE   WEEK FIVE   WEEK FIVE
Bengals 20, Dolphins 17 (7-11-00)
     Dave Kloster and Scott Cantine earned a victory over the Dolphins Tuesday night to help improve their chances for the post-season.  Meanwhile, the loss virtually knocked the Dolphins from any chance at the playoffs.  The Dolphins had their chances but were unable to capitalize.  Greg Cantine hit Darin Dahle for an early 4-1 Dolphin lead.  A Scott Cantine interception seemed to turn things around after that as the Bengals took a 9-5 advantage.  Trailing 9-5, the Dolphins faced a fourth down from the Bengal 10 and elected to go for it.  The older Cantine had the younger one beat deep, the perfectly, on-target ball hit his hands, and the incompletion gave the Bengals a 10-5 halftime lead.  The Bengals did not relinquish the lead in the second half, and they scored the winning touchdown on a first down, Kloster to Cantine pass.  The win puts the Bengals at 3-2 (second in the ATC).  The Dolphins are now 1-3 (third in the ATC).

WEEK SIX   WEEK SIX   WEEK SIX   WEEK SIX   WEEK SIX   WEEK SIX   WEEK SIX
Gators 20, Buckeyes 19 (7-19-00)
     The Gators continued their upward swing with a thrilling comeback victory over the winless Buckeyes.  The Buckeyes appeared to be on the verge of gaining their first win of the season as they took a commanding 15-6 lead.  Sussex, Popowski, and Folk didn't fold, however.  The Gators showed some patience as Folk and Popwski connected on a pair of touchdowns in the second half.  The Buckeyes had some answers for those scores and rolled to a 19-13 lead, just one point shy of victory.  Danny Popowski made some huge plays defensively when the Gators needed it.  Folk and Popowski scored the final seven points of the game for the win.  The Gators improved to 3-1 (2nd in the NTC) while greatly enhancing their playoff chances.  The Buckeyes dropped to 0-5 (5th in the NTC) and have kissed the playoffs good-bye.

Redskins 20, Vikings 5 (7-23-00)
     The team of Laramie Unzen and Scott Wiese brought the heat against the Vikings today.  Thomas and Schwenn failed at moving the football and keeping Unzen out of the end zone.  The Redskins raced to a 13-0 lead before the Vikings notched a score.  Schwenn hit a leaping Steve Thomas down the sideline to set up the Vikes first of two scores on the day.  The Redskins immediately marched down the field with the wind behind their backs to regain the large lead.  The Vikings added a touchdown just before the Redskins finished them off.  Unzen had a pair of interceptions to help spark the Redskin win.  The win places the Redskins back in first place in the NTC with a 4-1 record.  The Vikings ended their season 2-4, currently good enough for third place in the NTC.
     I salute Rick Schwenn and Steve Thomas, the older, crafty veterans of the league.  They were the oldest, not swiftest, team in the league.  They made a strong effort to play each game and missed only one when their opponents had to forfeit.  It is my hope that the younger players in the league take notice of that.  Just because you lose a few games, you don't give in and tank it.  You continue to play because you have pride in yourself.  If you find yourself down by 10 in the third quarter on a Friday night, that means one thing...you need to continue to play, maybe a little bit harder.  Win one for the Flipper!

Bulldogs 20, Bengals 17 (7-23-00)
     Dan Mach and Scott Cantine's Bengals battled Joe Heinert and Rob Volkenaut's Bulldogs down to the wire Sunday evening.  The first half Bulldogs did not impress the Commissioner, who was in attendance for the Game of the Week.  Heinert and Volkenaut struggled with the passing game, and Dan Mach took full advantage.  Mach's two first half interceptions propelled the Bengals into a commanding lead.  Mach and Cantine connected for enough scores to send the game to halftime with a 10-5 lead.  Volkenaut hit Heinert for a touchdown early in the second half, but the Bengals produced a score of their own for a 13-8 Bengal advantage.  The walls then caved in for the Bengals as Volkenaut and Heinert went on a scoring splurge.  The Bulldogs ran off 11 unanswered points for a 19-13 lead.  The Bengals managed to hang on for awhile.  Mach's third interception of a Volkenaut pass cut the lead to 19-17, but the Bengals were downed at their own three yard line.  Following a short Bengal punt, the Bulldogs put the game away when Volkenaut hit Heinert for a quick score.  The Bulldog victory kept their playoff aspirations alive, while a Bengal win combined with a Bulldog loss to the Fighting Irish would put the Bengals into the postseason.

MAKE-UP WEEK       MAKE-UP WEEK       MAKE-UP WEEK       MAKE-UP WEEK
Bulldogs 21, Fighting Irish 16 (7-26-00)
     This game meant everything for the Bulldogs: a win meant postseason play, a loss meant no more play.  Matt Paulson and Joe Heinert opened the game for the Bulldogs.  They were quick out of gate.  Taking the ball on their own 2 1/2 yard line after the opening kickoff touchback, Paulson hit Heinert in full stride down the sideline on the first play from scrimmage.  The touchdown gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead after a failed extra point.  Kevin Cantine then connected with Brent Gloege, and with the extra point, the Irish led, 3-2.  The Bulldogs used the same combo again on the following series to regain the lead at 5-3.  The teams traded touchdowns until the Bulldogs scored to send the game to halftime.  Leading 11-9 at the half, the Bulldogs had a decision to make.  Rob Volkenaut awaited his turn during the first half.  He replaced the hot arm of Paulson, and the crowd of about seven spectators wondered what the change would result in.  The Bulldogs didn't miss a beat, as Volkenaut put the ball in Heinert's hands time after time.  The Bulldogs scored a touchdown on fourth down when Rob went deep, and Heinert used his body to make the catch over Gloege.  The Bulldogs held the Irish on downs once during the second half, followed that with a score, and cruised to the 21-16 victory.  The Bulldogs upped their final regular season record to 4-2, while the Irish suffered their first defeat to finish at 5-1.

PLAYOFF WEEK        PLAYOFF WEEK        PLAYOFF WEEK        PLAYOFF WEEK
Redskins 20, Gators 15 (8-1-00)
     A National Tandem Conference championship showdown was played on August 1, 2000, between the 5-1 Gators and the 5-1 Redskins.  The Gators won the NTC regular season by a lone team point over the Redskins.  The Gators one loss?  That would have been their 21-3 nightmare versus these very same Redskins.
     The Gators approached this game confidently despite that defeat.  They had every right to feel that way as they had been playing some strong football heading into the playoffs.  Folk was showing the league that he could go deep on anybody, and Popowski proved he could cover anybody.  The Redskins weren't feeling any less confident.  Their only defeat was a forfeit loss, a game they most likely would have won.
     The Redskins took the opening kickoff and didn't take long to score.  A deep Wiese-to-Unzen pass had the 'Skins in the early lead, 2-0 (the extra point failed).  The young Gators came right back when Popowski hit Folk on a fly route.  Folk got behind Unzen for the score, and the extra point made it a 3-2 Gator advantage.  The Redskins answered immediately and did not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the game.
     The Redskins took the underneath routes, picked up 10 or so yards on Popowski's strong coverage, and then were able to cap their drives off with touchdowns.  Wiese and Unzen's Redskins took an 18-11 lead late in the game before the Gators put four more points on the board.  Wiese floated one into the right corner of the end zone, and Unzen ran underneath it for the game winner and a 20-15 victory.  The win places the Redskins in the TERROR Bowl on a date to be determined in the near future.

Bulldogs 20, Fighting Irish 9 (8-12-00)
     A large crowd was on hand for this rematch.  The Bulldogs and Fighting Irish had met 17 days prior to this American Tandem Conference championship.  The Bulldogs managed to pull that one out, 21-16, earning themselves another crack at the Irish, only this time in the postseason.  The Paulson-to-Heinert connection worked smoothly in the first half, especially early.  The Bulldogs took an important 6-0 lead after a second Paulson-Heinert touchdown pass.  Brent Gloege caught one in the end zone from Kevin Cantine for the first Irish score.  The Bulldogs, however, took a commanding lead into halftime when they made their trademark substitution.  Rob Volkenaut replaced Matt Paulson to perhaps add some speed defensively.  It worked.  The Bulldogs dominated the second half, while allowing just four second half points.  Volkenaut brought his tight-coverage package, and he hit his big target, Heinert, repeatedly.  The impressive victory sets up the TERROR Bowl match-up of the Bulldogs versus the Redskins.  It should be quite interesting!
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