By BOF BROCCOLI

MANSFIELD, Ohio. (AP) - Kurt Warner may have carried this team through the first half of the season, but it was the Raider defense that stepped up Sunday to lead the Idiots to their first MACCFL title.  The Idiots got two touchdowns on the defensive side to help them knock off the War Mongers 74-55.

The 101 Boys finished where they spent most of the season: one game behind the Idiots.  They jumped out to an early lead over the Woody's, then held on to win 56-51.  The victory meant that the Idiots had to win, since the 101 Boys held the lead in the tie-breaker.

And for awhile it looked like the Idiots might lose, but then Eric Allen intercepted a pass and returned it 37 yards for the touchdown that put the Idiots ahead for good.

The 101 Boys were looking for their second title, after winning it all in 1998.  The Dunces are the only two-time champion in league history, winning in 1996 and 1999.  The Rooks (now Woody's) won it all in 1995, and the Sea Birds were champions in 1997.

In other news, Marshall Faulk of the Vipers was named the MVP of the 2000 season.  Faulk scored an incredible 104 points in the final three games, finishing with a total of 257 points.  That's the fourth highest total in league history, after Terrell Davis (279 points in 1998), Emmitt Smith (271 in 1995) and Steve Young (268 in 1998).

The Skid Marks are now on the clock...