Xtreme Advances to Final

The XFL’s first championship game, to be played Saturday at the Coliseum, will be an all-California affair.

The Los Angeles Xtreme will play the San Francisco Demons.

The Xtreme advanced to what is being called the “Million Dollar Game” by defeating the Chicago Enforcers, 33-16, Sunday in a first-round playoff game before 13,081 at the Coliseum.

The game was billed as a matchup between the Xtreme’s Tommy Maddox, the XFL’s best passer, and the Enforcers’ John Avery, the league’s leading rusher.

The matchup fizzled worse than the fireworks that were repeatedly set off in the bright sunlight. Maddox was a lopsided winner.

He completed his first five passes and by halftime was 14 for 18 for 143 yards and two touchdowns. He finished 18 for 24 for 171 yards.

Avery, who finished with 14 carries for 59 yards, was overshadowed by the Xtreme’s Saladin McCullough, who had 21 carries for 164 yards and scored a touchdown on a 43-yard run in the fourth quarter.

The Xtreme’s final touchdown came on an 88-yard interception return by Clifton Abraham with 2:21 left.

Xtreme players, who earned a $7,500 bonus for Sunday’s victory, can pocket another $26,000 from a $1-million pool with a victory in the “Million Dollar Game,” which will be televised by NBC.

“When you start the year off, you want to be playing at the end of the season,” Maddox said. “We’ve got one game left. We’re not done yet.”

Although Maddox and McCullough were the stars, Xtreme Coach Al Luginbill was particularly pleased with his team’s defense, which had been inconsistent until the last two games.

“The defense did a great job of keeping Avery and [receiver Aaron] Bailey under wraps,” Luginbill said. “We haven’t given up an offensive touchdown in two weeks. We’ve made teams go the length of the field.”

The Enforcers led briefly, 10-9, after scoring on blocked punt late in the first half.

But the Xtreme came right back, needing only 1:34 to go 63 yards in eight plays to score with 11 seconds left in the second quarter. Maddox passed to Damon Gibson for a seven-yard touchdown, then passed to Darnell McDonald for a two-point conversion that made the halftime score 17-10.