by Anthony Glassman

Columbus--The National Women?s Football Association playoffs are proving a hot time for Ohio fans, as the Cleveland Fusion take on the Pittsburgh Passion for the Northern Conference championship and the Columbus Comets travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Lighting for the Southern Conference title.

If both teams are victorious in their games on July 7, the NWFA championship will be a family affair, with the Fusion and their sisters in the Comets competing in an all-Ohio game.

The Fusion trounced the Connecticut Crush in their first game of the playoffs, pulling off a 53-point shutout on June 23, then went on to take down the Massachusetts Mutiny in a tighter game, winning 12 to 7 on June 30.

The Comets, meanwhile, shut out the Pensacola Power 10 to nothing on June 23, widening their margin of victory to 278 in their June 30 game against the Chattanooga Locomotion.

Columbus did not play Oklahoma City in the regular season, but Cleveland has met the Passion twice. In both instances, Pittsburgh was victorious, although Cleveland put in a strong effort in each game.

Both of the conference championship games will be held away. The league championship will be held on July 21 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Comets-Lightning game will be held at Taft Stadium, NW 27th and North May Avenue in Oklahoma City. Directions are available on the Comets website, www.columbuscomets.com.

The Fusion-Passion game will be at George Cupples Stadium, 930 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh. More information about the can be found at www.clevelandfusion.com.

Both Ohio teams are 6-2 in regular season play this year. The third team in the state, the Cincinnati Sizzle, were unable to pick up a single victory over the course of the season.

Pittsburgh is currently undefeated this year, and Oklahoma City only has one loss below their belts for the season.