Determining the playoff format for the World Football
League’s 1974 season proved to be a reflection of the overall chaos surrounding
the entire operation. A structure was finally agreed to that would include six
teams and allow the Memphis Southmen and Birmingham Americans, the clubs with
the best records, to have a bye for the first round. While The Hawaiians upset
the Southern California Sun in one contest,
the Florida Blazers defeated the Philadelphia Bell in the other. On November 29
the Blazers traveled to Memphis
to take on the Southmen in a Semifinal Playoff game.
The Blazers hadn’t been paid in 13 weeks due to lack of
income compounded by organizational flux and lawsuits that prevented the league
from stepping in to compensate the players. In addition, the Blazers were angry
because they had to beat Philadelphia to advance
to the Semifinal game while Memphis and Birmingham drew
first-round byes.
Head Coach Jack Pardee held the team together through all of
the adversity, and Florida
had topped the Eastern Division with a 14-6 record. The offense was directed by
QB Bob Davis, formerly of the Oilers, Jets, and Saints, and had the WFL’s
leading rusher in rookie RB Tommy Reamon (pictured above). The defense was one of
the league’s best and contained All-League selections DE John Ricca, DT Mike
McBath, and CB Miller Farr, an ex-NFL star primarily with the Oilers and
Cardinals.
The Memphis Southmen (or “Grizzlies”, as the local fans
preferred to call them), coached by John McVay, were well-funded as well as
successful on the field, having topped the Central Division with a 17-3 tally. 31-year-old
veteran QB John Huarte, a journeyman backup in the AFL and NFL, competently directed
an offense that featured a solid stable of running backs led by rookie J.J.
Jennings and a fine receiver in WR Ed Marshall. CB David Thomas was the
featured player on defense. Moreover, the Southmen had not lost at home all
season.
There were just 9692 fans in attendance at Memphis Memorial
Stadium (aka the Liberty Bowl) on a cold and rainy Friday night. Memphis scored
in the first quarter on a one-yard carry by Jennings. The Southmen got another
TD before the opening period was over thanks to a completion by Huarte to Marshall that covered 45
yards. While Jennings successfully ran for the action point following his
initial score, the attempt failed following the second TD, but Memphis was out
in front by a score of 15-0 (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points
and were followed by an “action point” that couldn’t be kicked).
It only seemed to get worse for the Blazers in the second
quarter when Bob Davis suffered a rib injury and was replaced by rookie Buddy
Palazzo, who had thrown just five passes during the regular season. But while
there was no further scoring in the first half, most notably thanks to an
interception by Miller Farr of a Huarte pass in the end zone, Florida began to close the gap in the third
quarter.
First, capping the Blazers’ first series of the second half,
Dave Strock kicked a 25-yard field goal and then Tommy Reamon ran for a 21-yard
touchdown. The action point was successfully added and the tally was at 15-11
heading into the final period.
It looked as though it would stay that way until the Blazers
got a break late in the fourth quarter. Forced to punt after Palazzo was sacked
deep in in his own territory, David Thomas fumbled the kick and TE Luther
Palmer recovered at the Memphis 22 with 1:13 remaining. Four plays later RB
Richard James ran four yards for the go-ahead touchdown. The pass attempt for
the action point was intercepted but the Blazers were ahead by three.
Memphis
still had a chance, but Bob Etter’s 40-yard field goal attempt with seven
seconds on the clock was blocked by DE Louis Ross. Florida advanced to the WFL Championship
game by a score of 18-15.
The Blazers gained just 58 net passing yards but more than
made up for it with 213 yards on the ground. They also had the edge in first
downs (17 to 15). There were three turnovers, with Memphis giving up two of them.
Tommy Reamon was the offensive star as he rushed for 125
yards on 25 carries that included a touchdown. Bob Davis completed only three
of 10 passes for 20 yards with one intercepted before exiting the contest and
Buddy Palazzo was good on three of six throws for 47 yards with no TDs but also
no interceptions. TE Greg Latta led Florida’s
receivers with three catches for 26 yards.
For the Southmen, J.J. Jennings rushed for 106 yards on 24
attempts. John Huarte (pictured at left) was successful on 17 of 22 passes for 198 yards and a
touchdown and had one picked off. WR Jack Ettinger had 9 catches for 105 yards.
“We beat Memphis,
the World Football League, and their money,” exulted Florida LB Larry Ely
afterward. It was a stunning win for the underfunded underdog team.
“We were mad and hungry,” summed up Coach Pardee. “We played
that way.”
The Blazers came up short in the league title game, called
the World Bowl, by a 22-21 score against the Birmingham Americans. It marked
the end for the team, as what was left of the franchise was transferred to San
Antonio for the WFL’s second (abbreviated) season in 1975, including around 20
of the leftover players.
