Lions face Myrtle Beach with undefeated season on the line

For all the success the Columbus Lions have had in their 10 seasons of existence, a win today at Myrtle Beach will give them a first: their first undefeated regular season in franchise history.

The Lions have mowed through the opposition in their first season in American Indoor Football. They have outscored their opponents in seven games by a combined score of 547-159 — an average of 78 points per game. They tallied their second 100-point game in franchise history in their last game on May 7, a 100-21 drubbing of the Savannah Steam.

The Lions’ dominance doesn’t end on the offensive side of the ball. In five of the seven games so far this season, the defense has held the opposition to 21 or fewer points. In the fast-paced world of indoor football, where the winning team usually scores 50 or more points in a game, holding opponents to three touchdowns or less is a tremendous feat.

The Lions have played Myrtle Beach once already this season, defeating them 65-15 at home on April 16. The trip to play the Freedom in a rare Monday night contest is the longest road trip for the Lions this season and just the third game away from the friendly confines of the Columbus Civic Center. They defeated the Central Florida Jaguars 90-42 on March 26 in Lakeland, Fla., and beat the Georgia Firebirds 73-19 in Albany on April 30 in the only other road games so far this season.

Columbus has wrapped up the South Division title in AIF and will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Their first postseason game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, June 4. Their opponent has not yet been determined. The semifinals will be on June 11, with the championship game slated for June 18 should the Lions advance.

While the Lions have enjoyed success in the AIF since coming over last season from the now-defunct Professional Indoor Football League, the other team to make the PIFL-to-AIF jump, the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, hasn’t enjoyed the same level of success as Columbus. The Steelhawks dropped a low-scoring affair against Central Penn on Saturday night, falling to the Capitals 37-29. It is the second straight loss against Central Penn, which also defeated Lehigh Valley 65-56 on Apr. 30. The thought of a Columbus-Lehigh PIFL reunion for the AIF championship has gone from an inevitability to a harder task on the Steelhawks’ end, as they now may be on the road for their first playoff game against a stout North Division opponent.

On the Lions’ side of the playoff bracket, a repeat showdown with the Florida Tarpons may very well be in the cards for the AIF semifinal game. The Tarpons gave the Lions the most competitive game of the season by far with a narrow 68-54 loss to Columbus on Apr. 23. The loss is their only blemish so far on a 6-1 season, with a Sunday night game against Savannah not complete as of press time. However, half of their schedule has come against a 2-6 Central Florida team, with the Tarpons outscoring the Jags 311-97 in the four wins against them.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 1:51 AM with the headline "Lions face Myrtle Beach with undefeated season on the line."