The four teams for the X-League playoffs have apparently been set, all of them based in Tokyo. It was a busy day in X-League action on Sunday, as the Panasonic Impulse and Kajima Deers suffered their first losses of the season. In action down in Kansai, the Obic Seagulls scored on an 18 yard pass from Sugawara to Kikuchi with 24 seconds remaining to defeat Asahi Soft Drinks 20-13 in a come from behind victory. In the second game there, after trailing 10-3 at halftime, Fujitsu scored three TDs in the second half to defeat the Panasonic Impulse, 24-10.
Meanwhile at Yokohama Stadium, the Nojima Sagamihara Rise continues their winning ways in their first year in the top division, defeating Kajima in overtime, 27-20.
Both teams moved the ball, but had trouble scoring for most of the contest. Each had problems hat prevented scores- Kajima in the red zone; and Nojima with 4 turnovers. Kajima hit their first FG, missed the next, and then had one blocked. On their next trip to the red zone, they decided to go for it on 4th down, but failed. The Rise led 13-3 at the half on a couple of FGs sandwiching a Sugihara TD. He finished with 104 yards on 19 carries in regulation. Nojima finished with 202 yards on the ground and 194 in the air as Kinoshita was 12-20 with three interceptions, and added another 52 yards on ten carries.
Meanwhile Katoh was 20-30 and Kojima went 6-11 for Kajima, combing for 287 yards, and they picked up 170 yards on the ground on 34 carries, Satoh with 12 of them for 76 yards.Kajima didn't find the end zone till 10:34 remained in the 4th quarter, scoring on a 49 yard pass from Katoh to Nakagawa. Nojima answered with a 5 minute drive and a TD of their own, Miyako scoring from the 1. But Kajima rallied once again, scoring on a 5 yard pass from Katoh to Nakagawa with 3:43 remaining and then recovering the onside kick. They drove into the red zone once again, as Nojima let the clock wind down, and Kajima kicked a 20-yard FG with 11 seconds remaining.
Nojima had the ball first in overtime, and scored when Sugihara took a screen pass in from 8 yards out. Then on first down Kajima threw incomplete. An ill-advised sack on second down was followed by a penalty, making it 3rd and 25 from the 40. Katoh tried to throw long, but it was intercepted by Kitamura near the goal line to seal the victory for the Rise.
Based on a complicated tie-breaking system that takes "strength of schedule" into account, Kajima will still get into the playoffs in spite of the loss. Nojima, formerly the Onward Skylarks, lost its sponsorship after the 2008 season and re-formed as the Sagamihara Rise, but was demoted to the third division and spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons moving up. They lost to Obic in the season opener 24-19, but have since reeled off six in a row.
