Mudcats beat Fayetteville to give Heroes playoff spot

HUNTINGTON -- The Huntington Heroes are in the American Indoor Football Association playoffs.

The Mississippi Mudcats edged the Fayetteviille Guard, 43-41, Saturday night in Fayetteville, N.C., to knock the Guard out of the playoff picture and put the Heroes in at 6-8.

The top two teams in each division advance to the playoffs. Mississippi (13-1) won the Western Conference's South Division.

Fayetteville ends the season 5-9. Carolina, 5-8, going into its finale against winless Florida, could tie the Heroes for second, but Huntington won the regular-season meeting and that gives it the bid.

Huntington's first-round game likely will be July 7 at Florence. The Phantoms won the Eastern Conference (10-4) and split with the Heroes in the regular season.