League commissioner Kyle Rhodus says that where the U.S. Forces Japan-American Football League is concerned, he lives for weekends such as this.

All four teams are in action the same day for the first time since the June 3 openers. Defending champion Misawa is at Atsugi on Saturday and Yokosuka is at Yokota on Sunday.

All four playoff berths remain in doubt. The only certainty is that Atsugi cannot win the regular-season championship or finish second and host a playoff game. Misawa and Yokosuka can finish anywhere from first to third place; Yokota could rise up and win its first regular-season title … or drop to the basement.

“It’s exciting, not only from a coaching standpoint but from the fans’ standpoint,” said Atsugi coach Daniel Estrada, adding that there’s “a lot of buzz” on Naval Air Facility Atsugi for Saturday’s 6 p.m. kickoff at Reid Memorial Stadium.

“A lot’s riding on this weekend’s games,” Rhodus said. “Getting a home playoff game in this league is paramount, and history has proven that.”

Misawa won the regular-season title and home field throughout the playoffs last season en route to its first league crown. Yokosuka went the same route to its league titles in 2000, 2002 and 2004; the league championship games in 2001 and 2003 were canceled.

Yokota and Yokosuka have battled each other for USFJ honors since the 1970s.

“We have the best rivalry in the league essentially playing for home field (throughout the playoffs) on Sunday,” Rhodus said.

Misawa, which opened its season by losing two games, has won three straight, sparked by the Marauders’ 30-0 shutout June 24 of Atsugi, which enters Saturday’s game with a 20-game losing streak dating to 2003.

“Misawa’s the hottest team in the league right now,” Rhodus said. “But Atsugi’s due. I sure hope they (Marauders) don’t take them lightly because if they do, they’ll be in for a long bus ride home.”

Rhodus cited Atsugi’s two 20-14 losses to Yokosuka as cause for teams to worry about the Falcons. Toss out Misawa’s blowout wins at home and Yokota’s 20-3 victory June 10 over Atsugi, and the margin of victory in the league’s other six games averages 4.2 points.

“Every one of those games has been one score, one touchdown,” Rhodus said, calling the 2006 season “the most competitive yet.”

Estrada said, his Falcons “don’t talk about the streak. … Every game is a new game. The other teams, maybe they’re thinking about it more than we are. I think we’re going to be ready and give Misawa a run for their money.”

Then Yokosuka and Yokota clash starting at 3 p.m. Sunday at Yokota High School’s Bonk Field.

The Seahawks are coming off a 30-0 rout at the Marauders’ hands on July 22 at Misawa, and a close call against Atsugi, a 20-14 home win on July 29. But coach Robert Cole says his team is focused on one thing: Win Sunday and gain home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Cole said his team isn’t “worried about what anybody else does. … We’re just focused on playing our game.”

USFJ-AFL playoff possibilitiesYokosuka (4-1): A victory Sunday at Yokota would clinch regular-season championship and home-field advantage throughout playoffs. With loss of five points or less to Yokota and a Misawa victory Saturday at Atsugi, would finish second in regular season and host semifinal playoff game. With loss of six points or more to Yokota and a Misawa victory Saturday at Atsugi, would finish third in regular season.

Misawa (3-2): Victory at Atsugi on Saturday and a Yokosuka loss by six points or more to Yokota on Sunday would clinch regular-season championship and home-field advantage throughout playoffs. With a victory over Atsugi on Saturday and a Yokosuka win or a Yokosuka loss by five points or less to Yokota on Sunday, would finish second and host semifinal playoff game.

Yokota (2-3): With a victory by six points or more over Yokosuka on Sunday and a Misawa loss to Atsugi on Saturday and a victory over Atsugi on Aug. 13, would clinch regular-season championship and home-field advantage throughout playoffs. With a victory by five points or less over Yokosuka on Sunday and a Misawa loss to Atsugi on Saturday and a victory over Atsugi on Aug. 13, would finish second and host semifinal playoff game. With a Misawa win over Atsugi on Saturday, would finish no better than third. With a loss to Yokosuka on Sunday and a Misawa loss to Atsugi on Saturday and a loss to Atsugi on Aug. 13, would finish last.

Atsugi (0-5): With a victory over Misawa on Saturday and a Yokosuka victory over Yokota on Sunday and a victory by 18 or more points over Yokota on Aug. 13, would finish third.

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