While San Diego’s GLBT basketball league begins the machinations for starting its season, playoffs begin for the Southern California Scorpions of the Women’s Professional Football League (WPFL).

With an overall record of 6-2, the Scorpions cemented their place in the tournament by virtue of a 35-18 undressing of the Las Vegas Showgirls on Oct. 13 at La Jolla High School.

With the third best record in its conference, the Scorpions will travel up I-5 next Saturday, Nov. 3, to try and tame the Amazons of Los Angeles in a playoff game that represents the third meeting of the two teams already this season.

With a record of 7-1, the Amazons sit atop the American West conference. Los Angeles won the first battle against the Scorpions 15-13 in a tight game that featured an interception returned for a touchdown and a missed PAT (point after touchdown) by the Scorpions, along with a late, fourth-quarter rushing touchdown and a successful, game-deciding two-point conversion by the Amazons.

When the teams reunited in Los Angeles three weeks later, special teams and PATs again had an impact. The Scorpions blocked two PAT attempts and converted on two of their own, one of them following a Scorpion recovery of an Amazon fumble in L.A.’s end zone. The Scorpions went on to win the game 23-12, and tie the series at one game a piece.

The win sent the then-struggling Scorpions on a four-game win streak, turning their 2-2 season around in a hurry, and making them one of the hottest teams going into the playoffs.

With the Amazon offense struggling to score during its first two meetings, Los Angeles might have to make the play book wide open. But it may need to be cautious against an opportunistic Scorpion defense that has already scored two touchdowns against them.

The winner of the Wild Card game will advance to the American Conference Championship (ACC) against the undefeated Empire State Roar, who beat the Scorpions earlier this year 28-6.

Should the Scorpions win the ACC game, they would earn the right to host WPFL Championship IX against the eventual winner of the National Conference. But first, the Scorpions must get by the Amazons. Tickets for that game are only $10 and are available by following the links at www.socalscorpions.com.

Scorpions owner Ann Bagala is pleased with her team’s season, and their entry into the playoffs. “The players have worked very hard this season to give themselves and the fans this opportunity,” she said.

This coming Sunday, Oct. 28, San Diego’s gay basketball league, the SD Hoops, will be hosting its 8th annual draft announcement party at Pecs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. This event will mark the unofficial beginning to the season as players find out for the first time who their teammates will be and for what team they’ll be playing.

According to Hoops commissioner Don Greene, the coaches in the league will meet earlier in the day to discuss and draft each player then head to Pecs where they will make the announcements.

Greene says following draft day, there will be two scrimmages, Nov. 1 and 8. Players will take that pre-season to gel and get to know each other as teammates so that when the season begins on Nov. 15, everyone should be locked in and ready.

Games are played Thursday nights at Alliant University’s Sports Center in the Scripps Ranch area, just east of I-15 and the Miramar/Pomerado Road exit. Games start at 7 and 8 p.m. This week’s game is cancelled due to poor air quality in San Diego County as a result of the fires. Greene expects between 7 and 8 teams to be formed, with 7 to 8 players per team.

“As far as I’m aware,” Greene says, “SD Hoops is the only sports league that holds a draft on a yearly basis.”

The season lasts for 14 games and is followed by semifinals and, ultimately, a championship game. The season wraps up March 27, 2008.

Player fees are $75 each. To join the league, visit the Web site at www.sdhoops.net and click on the “board members” link at the top of the page. Click on a board member’s e-mail and indicate your interest in joining up. Greene says teams are comprised of all skill levels, so everyone is encouraged to participate. Interested players can also log onto the site and click on the “Register” link, but it is recommended to follow that up with an email.

In the middle of the season, during the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend in January, the Hoops will host other gay basketball teams from across the U.S. and Europe for the Hillcrest Classic. Greene calls the annual tournament “one of GLBT basketball’s biggest.”

After a raucous start with the traditional rugby drinking song, “Monday is a Wanking Day,” the San Diego Armada sold off some of its most eligible bachelors in a date auction at The Hole this past Saturday in an effort to raise money for the Bingham Cup, gay rugby’s answer to the Rugby World Cup. In 2008, the Bingham Cup will be held in Dublin, Ireland, and the Armada has committed to sending a team. Named for 9/11 hero Mark Bingham, a gay rugger from San Francisco, the Bingham Cup is the largest gay rugby tournament in the world.

Last weekend’s fund-raiser, according to Armada president Carlos Legazpi, raised nearly $1,500. The money is a good start to the goal amount of $20,000 the club hopes to raise to send its members “across the pond” next year.

Next up for the Armada, a Fall Rugby tournament hosted by the Huntington Beach Unicorns on Saturday, Nov. 17. For more information, visit www.sdarmada.org.