Scott Adamson, Author at Adamsonmedia.com

Stallions head to Alamodome

The Birmingham Stallions (8-0) and San Antonio Brahmas (6-2) find themselves in almost identical situations heading into Week 9 of the inaugural United Football League season.

Both have already locked up spots in their respective conference championship games, and both will play the same foes in Week 10 that they’ll meet in the opening round of the postseason.

**Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.**

But before Birmingham faces Michigan twice and San Antonio tangles with St. Louis in back-to-back contests, the USFL Conference rep Stallions and XFL Conference’s Brahmas go toe-to-toe in the Alamodome. And Saturday’s 2 p.m. showdown (on ABC and ESPN Xtra on SiriusXM) could potentially be a sneak preview of the UFL Championship Game.

“San Antonio has a really good football team at 6-2, and statistically they’re probably the best defense in the league, giving up the fewest amount of points,” Birmingham coach Skip Holtz said. “I think they pose some problems for our offense, and I think it’s got a chance to be a great matchup and we’re looking forward to it.”

True, the Brahmas have allowed only 131 points this season, placing them at the top of that category.

And San Antonio safety Jordan Mosley leads the UFL in total tackles with 67, teammate Tavante Beckett, a linebacker, is second with 63, and LB Jordan Williams is tied for third with 58.

“Coach Phillips, if you look at his track record of success and what he’s done, especially with his defensive background, his football team right now is very aggressive,” Holtz said. “They’re built on speed … it’s not so much the problems they give you schematically as much as it is athletically with what they’ve done.”

Yet, as tough as the Brahmas resistance is, the Stallions are No. 1 in total defense (242.8 yards per game), with safety A.J. Thomas’s three interceptions tying him for first in the league. And nose tackle Carlos Davis has six sacks, which gives him a share of the top spot in that group.

On the flip side, Birmingham leads the UFL in all major offensive categories, which has the full attention of Brahmas boss Wade Phillips.

“Their offense is No. 1 in the league and their defense isn’t quite as good as their offense, but that makes them a good team,” he said. “The things they do well has them undefeated at this point and they haven’t lost a game in two years. They’re doing it with a lot of the same people and running the same offense they’ve run for three years.”

By way of comparison, the Stallions score 29.5 points per game to 20.4 for the Brahmas; put up 371.8 yards on average to 295.6; and have tallied 27 touchdowns to 19 for the Texas club.

“Ricky Pearson just continues to be a warrior and a force running the ball,” Holtz said of his back, who has 329 yards and six rushing scores. “He’s doing a really nice job. And I think (quarterback Adrian Martinez) has been very diligent and calculated with what he’s doing in the way he’s running the offense right now.”

Martinez is the circuit’s rushing leader with 431 yards (he’s also scored three times running the ball) and is 102-169-2 passing for 1,375 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had a hand in five TDs and totaled 217 yards in last Saturday’s 35-28 victory over Houston.

“Their quarterback leads the league in rushing and has more yards that (San Antonio running back) John Lovett, but he can also pass, too, obviously,” Phillips said. “You can force him to throw the ball, but he had 200 and something yards last game. He’s the leading MVP player so far this year.”

Thirteen different receivers have caught passes for Birmingham, with Deon Cain amassing 400 yards and three touchdowns on 29 catches and Marlon Williams scoring four times and racking up 251 yards on 19 receptions.

Jace Sternberger also continues to excel, and has been on the paydirt side of two tosses while racking up 291 yards.

Chase Garbers started the season at quarterback for San Antonio but was sidelined due to injuries after going 75-106-1 through the skies for 586 yards and six touchdowns. Phillips said he’s available on Saturday, although Quinten Dormady has run the offense in five of the Brahmas’ eight games.

Dormady is 85-142-6 for 974 yards and five TDs. He was outstanding in a 20-15, Week 8 win over Arlington, going 17-25-0 for 320 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Jontre Kirklin has 45 receptions for 421 yards and five touchdowns, with Cody Latimer contributing 35 catches for 366 yards and a score.

Lovett paces the ground game with 422 yards and five touchdowns.

“They’re hard to run against, but I think we’ll be able to run the ball against anybody, so we’ll see,” Phillips said.

As for the Stallions, it’s a matter of rinse and repeat as they seek their 16^th consecutive victory dating back to 2023.

“I think what we have to do right now is we have to continue to get better and continue to strive for improvement as we get ready for the playoffs,” Holtz said. “We’re excited about where we are, and excited about the opportunities in front of us.”

The realtor

“Hey, look!”

Jenny Parker pulled her Honda Civic next to the curb in front of 1974 Chameleon Lane, pointing at the “For Sale” sign in the front yard of the ranch-style house. Her husband, Chase, rolled down the window and gave the property a once-over.

The gray roof looked new, as did the bone-colored aluminum siding. Twelve Whitestone steps led up to a spacious porch and a large, red front door.

“Looks promising,” Chase said. “But a lot of houses we’ve looked at were promising until we found out the cost. Let me take a picture of the number on the sign so we can call and check it out.”

Just as Chase aimed the camera on his smartphone at the sign, the front door swung open and a man wearing a tan linen suit stepped out.

“Hello,” he said, smiling and waving at the couple. “Are you guys interested in looking at the house?”

Jenny and Chase couldn’t get out of their car fast enough.

“Yes!” Jenny said, excitedly. “We moved down from Bridleton about eight months ago for my new job, but we’ve had no luck finding a house. We’re getting really tired of apartment living.”

“Thing is,” Chase piped in. “It’s a seller’s market, and we’ve only got so much we can afford.”

The man walked down the steps and extended his hand.

“I’m Norv Paxton of Mockingbird Realty,” he said. “To set your mind at ease, what do you think this house is going for – just a ballpark guess. I’ll bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Jenny and Chase looked at the house, then looked at each other.

“It’s what … 23, 2400-square feet?” Jenny asked. “This is mostly a rural area so that might knock the price down some. I’m gonna say about $800,000. But right now we’re on a tight budget, so that would be a pretty big stretch for us.”

“What if I told you,” Norv said, “that you can have this house for $650,000?”

Chase laughed.

“No way,” Chase said. “Seriously? If that’s what you’re asking there must be some serious structural issues. Don’t tell me … the basement floods, right? There’s gotta be something wrong.”

Norv motioned for the potential buyers to follow him into the house.

“OK, “ Norv said, after Jenny and Chase had made their way inside. “Walk with me. There are no structural issues – at all. It’s four bedrooms, two and half baths, hardwood floors in the living room with cathedral ceiling and a gas log fireplace. You’ve got a dining room with great natural lighting and a kitchen with everything you need.

“The primary bedroom has a bath with a double vanity, and the lower level has a bonus room, laundry room and half bath. Come down and I’ll show you.”

Everything looked perfect – until Jenny spotted a large, dark stain on the floor of the bonus room.

“Ah,” she said. “That looks like there are some water issues down here.”

Norv shook his head.

“No,” he said. “No water issues. But that stain is the reason we’re offering this house at such a huge discount. By law, I have to let you know that there has been a violent death in this house in the last three years. And because you look like nice people, I’m going to be completely honest – it was a pretty grisly murder.”

“Ugh,” Jenny said. “I think I already know the answer, but is that stain … blood?”

Norv, who had been grinning continuously, suddenly turned serious.

“Well,” he said. “It’s whatever chemicals they used to clean the blood. Look, I realize how off-putting something like that can be. This is hardly a high-crime area, it was just a random act. And, the killer is spending life in prison without a shot at parole, so the house is not some kind of target.

“I tell you what … I’ll talk to the trustee. I think I can get them to go as low as $600,000. Whaddya say? You’ll never, ever find a deal this good – not for a house this great.”

“Excuse us just for a second,” Jenny said.

The couple whispered quietly to each other as Norv walked a few feet away.

“Norv,” Jenny said. “I think you might have a deal. This is the perfect size for us – and the perfect price – and houses don’t have memories, do they? Can we meet back with tomorrow morning around 11 and set the wheels in motion?”

Norv pumped his fist.

“We most certainly can!” he exclaimed. “Let me check everything inside and lock up the house, and I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

Jenny and Chase got back in the car, cranked it up, and drove away.

“Is it creepy that we’re gonna move into a house where somebody got killed?” Jenny wondered.

Chase shrugged.

“A little maybe,” he said. “But I’d rather feel creepy than feel broke. We can just put a rug down and …

“Shit!” Jenny shouted. “I have to meet with a client tomorrow at 11. I completely forgot. Call the number real quick and see if we can do it after, say, 12:30.”

Chase looked at the photo of the sign and punched in the numbers.

“Yes,” he said. “This is Chase Parker. My wife and I just met with a Mr. Norv Paxton over here at, uh, 1974 Chameleon Lane, I believe it is. He wants to meet us at 11 a.m. tomorrow to discuss – excuse me? Yes, Norv Paxton. No, I’m not kidding, I …”

Jenny glanced at Chase, who stayed on the phone another 30 seconds or so before dropping it onto his lap.

As he turned to Jenny, she could see all the color had drained from his face.

“What’s wrong, Chase … You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said.

“I guess I did,” he said. “Whoever I just talked to thought I was making a sick joke. She said Norv Paxton used to live at 1974 Chameleon Lane.

“He was murdered there three years ago.”

‘Just be where your feet are’

Skip Holtz is 32 games into his pro football coaching career and has been calling the shots as the head man for 305 games in all.

During that time, his message has never changed.

“We didn’t try to go 21-3,” he said last summer after his Birmingham Stallions won their second consecutive United States Football League championship. “We tried to win one game at a time, and every time we’ve taken the field, we’ve just tried to win one game.”

The “1-0 mentality” continues to serve Holtz and company well in the United Football League. At 8-0, Birmingham is the league’s only undefeated team. Since starting their spring football journey in April, 2022, the Stallions are 29-3 and are currently riding a 15-game winning streak.

Thing is, Holtz and his team aren’t talking about that last part.

At all.

“I didn’t even know what that number was,” Holtz said on Tuesday. “I mean, honestly, we don’t talk about it.”

He then started adding up the numbers.

“We’re 29-3 right now, but we didn’t start out three years ago to go 29-3,” he said, repeating a familiar theme. “We started out to try and beat New Jersey in the opening game. We’re fortunate we won that game and then we tried to win the next one and the next one … when it’s all over, I think we’re gonna look back and go, that 15-game win streak, or 16 or whatever that number ends up being, is a great accomplishment.

“But right now, beating our chests or patting ourselves on the back about what we’ve done just means our eyes aren’t forward.”

Birmingham’s last loss came in its final USFL season in 2023. The Stallions were upset by the Houston Gamblers, 27-20, which dropped their record to 3-2 and – at the time – third place in the South Division.

Holtz’s crew then proceeded to win their next seven, capped off by 28-12 conquest of the Pittsburgh Maulers in the USFL Championship Game.

Birmingham has the distinction of playing in the first and last games of the modern USFL.

In 2024, of course, the winning has continued. Saturday’s foe –the San Antonio Brahmas – stand in the way of 16 straight “Ws.”

To put the accomplishment in perspective, the longest winning streak in professional football history is 23. That belongs to the Indianapolis Colts, who won nine in a row to end the 2008 National Football League season and started the 2009 campaign with a 14-game winning streak.

The Calgary Stampeders lead the way among Canadian Football League franchises, stringing together 22 victories over the 1948-49 seasons.

And when it comes to alt-football leagues (excluding the myriad semi-pro clubs), both the Hartford Knights of the Atlantic Coast Football League (1968-69) and Carolina Storm of the American Football Association (1982-83) won 20 in a row, while the Charleston Rockets finished 14-0 in the second season of the Continental Football League (1965), but lost the final game of the 1964 season and opening game of the 1966 campaign.

The Rockets join the 17-0 Miami Dolphins in the Perfect Pro Season Club: the Stallions need four more victories to join them.

“We don’t talk with them about yesterday’s history,” Holtz explained. “What happened yesterday is over, it’s in the books … you can’t change it. All you can do is learn and grow from it. Tomorrow’s a mystery because we don’t know what tomorrow brings. We don’t know what the injury situation is gonna look like. Today is where our focus needs to be.

“And right now, the talk in the team meetings and the talk on the practice field is what we’ve got to do today to get better and what we have to do today to prepare for our upcoming game.”

With three upcoming clashes against San Antonio (an XFL Conference playoff qualifier), Michigan, and Michigan again in the USFL Conference Championship Game, Holtz says the Stallions are, for all practical purposes, already in the postseason.

And that makes the “1-0 mentality” more important than ever.

“When it’s all over, when the season’s done and we don’t have anything in front of us, I think we’ll look back and we’ll say, ‘Wow.’ It’s kind of like climbing a mountain. You can’t get halfway up and start looking down and say, ‘Look at how far we’ve come.’ You wait until you get to the top and when you get to the top, you look back, You take a deep breath.

“That’s kind of how we’re looking at this season. We’re climbing a mountain and as soon as we start looking up or looking down, we’re gonna lose our footing. Our focus is, what do we have to do today? We have a saying around here … just be where your feet are. Our feet are today.”