1998 Final Four Previews

League's ninth champ will be first timer

STOW (AP) - A 2-10 season by LTP ensured that this year's Fantasy Bowl champ would not be a repeater. A wild weekend of quarterfinal playoff action made sure no other former champs would take the top prize either.

Three division winners and the regular season points champion will advance to the Erie League's semi-final round, with the top-seeded Donikers-DTL taking on the high-scoring Kardiac Kids while the brothers Rzyczycki duke it out in yet another matchup between Captain Tripps and the Cosmic Monsters.

Sam Profio's Donikers are in the final four for the third time in four years after holding off Jim White's Screaming Eagles 103-91. The Buffalo combination of QB Doug Flutie and WR Eric Moulds piled up 54 points to lead Profio's squad to the victory, their tenth in 13 contests this year. The Screaming Eagles closed out their season with a mark of 7-7.

The Kardiac Kids and their owner Jody Barth advanced to the money round by outlasting Bryan Vince's Psychedelic B's (8-5) 75-65. Wide receiver Randy Moss did it again for the Kids, scoring three touchdowns on the way to a 28 point evening. Barth's team, now 10-4, will try to knock off Profio's Donikers for a third time this season.

Both Matt and Brad Rzyczycki are back in the final four for a second straight year as Matt's Captain Tripps club upended Kirk Pavelich's Midnight Vigilantes 102-76 while younger brother Brad's Cosmic Monsters defeated Keith Kuratko and the Atomic Punks 136-79.

MVP candidate Terrell Davis came up huge again for Tripps (9-4), scoring three touchdowns on the way to amassing 30 points. The Vigilantes bow out at 9-5 despite another stellar afternoon from RB Jamal Anderson.

The Cosmic Monsters shattered last week's 118 point playoff record set by the Vigilantes by scoring an unbelievable 136 points. The performance is good for second place in the history of the Erie League, just two points shy of the all-time mark set by Dave Bell's Bonecrushers in 1996. Running back Fred Taylor led the way for the Monsters with 32 points, followed by 25 and 24 point afternoons from wideouts Terry Glenn and Joey Galloway.

#1 - Donikers-DTL, 10-3 (Sam Profio): 5-3 in the post-season. Captured the top seed with a league-best 9-3 regular season record. 984 points scored (75.7 average). 1998 Club Division Champions. Fantasy Bowl runners-up, 1995 and 1996. Final Four Appearances: Lost to Psychedelic B's 74-63 in 1996 Fantasy Bowl; Beat Atomic Punks 75-72 in 1996 Semi-finals; Lost to Midnight Vigilantes 103-80 in 1995 Fantasy Bowl; Beat Legion of Doom 77-46 in 1995 Semi-finals. 1998 Top scorers: RB R.Smith (injured) 158, QB Flutie 157, WR Moulds 128, Atlanta team 123, RB Dillon 120, WR Stokes 90, K Stoyanovich 82, WR Irvin 81.

#6 - Kardiac Kids, 10-4 (Jody Barth): 2-3 in the post-season. 1998, 10-4 record. 1,158 points scored (82.7 average). Winner of the Bradley Rzyczycki Regular Season Points Scored Champion Trophy for the second consecutive year. This week's win over the Psychedelic B's was the second post-season win in the history of the franchise. First appearance in the Final Four. 1998 Top scorers:  QB Bledsoe 226, WR Moss 192, RB E.Smith 186, RB B.Sanders 173, WR Mathis 131, Oakland team 111, WR Jett 85, K Jaeger 75.

Last meeting - Week 12, 1998, won by Kardiac Kids 97-56. Kids also won Week 3 meeting this year 73-45. Series tied 2-2. First post-season meeting.

#2 - Captain Tripps, 9-4 (Matt Rzyczycki): 3-6 in the post-season. 1998, 9-4 record. 1,011 points scored (77.8 average). 1998 Spade Division Champions. Final Four appearances: Defeated by LTP 92-60 in 1997 Semi-finals. 1998 Top scorers: RB T. Davis 291, QB T.Green 190, WR T.Owens 146, QB Moon 113, San Francisco team 102, WR Muhammad 101, K Hollis 84, WR R.Moore 72.

#4 - Cosmic Monsters, 9-4 (Brad Rzyczycki): 7-4 in the post-season. 9-4 record. 1,080 points scored (83.1 average). 1998 Diamond Division Champions. Fantasy Bowl runners-up in 1994 and 1997. Final Four appearances: Lost to LTP 60-59 in 1997 Fantasy Bowl; Beat Gargoyles 95-52 in 1997 Semi-finals; Lost to Stormtroopers 69-50 in 1994 Fantasy Bowl; Beat Young Guns 71-61 in 1994 Semi-finals. 1998 Top scorers: QB Favre 234, RB F.Taylor 208, WR Galloway 138, WR J. Smith 137, RB Staley 114, Green Bay team 97, WR T. Glenn 82, K G.Davis 67.

Last meeting - Week 5, 1998, won by Captain Tripps 64-32. Cosmic Monsters lead series 4-3. First post-season meeting.