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*Pat's Season 33 DSFL Week 1 Round Up - Pat - 01-14-2022
Season 33 DSFL Week 1 Round Up
Happy Friday, fellow ISFLers! It’s been a while since I’ve done any sort of writing and I figured, what better way to get back into the swing of things than writing about the great action we saw last night from the youngins in the DSFL! Last night was chock full of great games and great performances from a lot of our future stars of the league.
Let’s get into it!
Game of the Week
Dallas Birddogs at Tijuana Luchadores
Result: Birddogs win 20-17 in overtime!
When Season 33’s schedule came out, many talking heads questioned why the powers that be would give the season opener to a matchup between a team that won 11 wins in Season 32 and a team that stumbled its way to only 4 wins. Many of the experts believed this game would be a one-sided affair for the Luchadores, and they suggested skipping it if you were a fan of good football.
Well, the schedule makers showed that they knew better than the average fan, and those that decided to tune in were treated to a heart-stopping affair. This game was tight from the opening whistle with the Birddogs stopping the Luchadores’ first drive and then immediately putting together a beauty of a drive that started from their own 4 yard line and spanned 14 plays and over 8 minutes of game time, culminating in a 15 yard touchdown strike to second year Tight End Anthony MacGuire (@Pythonic) from second year passer Christian Marciano. Dallas moved the ball with a balanced attack during the drive, with their two rookie running backs, Rumble Ronson (@MrStennett) and Orange Justice (@gatormatthew) combining for 33 yards on the ground, and Marciano throwing for 45.
Visibly upset at being down early at home, Tijuana Quarterback Live LaughLove (@SwankyPants31) took it upon himself on the next drive to get the Luchadores moving down the field, completing four passes to Wide Receiver Dumais Wells (@Sopath) for 41 yards, taking the Luchas into Dallas territory. Unfortunately, on his fourth catch, Wells was hit by a perfect ball punch from behind by Dallas rookie CB Cuttino Mobley (@stupiduglyidiot), who was able to scoop up the ball, ending the Luchadores’ drive.
After forcing a three-and-out, Tijuana took control of the ball at their own 7 yard line, and the offense came onto the field with a singular mission: put together their own long scoring drive. The Luchadores looked to establish a bit more balance on this drive, feeding rookie Running Back Michaelangelo McTurtle (@slothfacekilla) three times for 29 yards, two of which were third down conversions. The drive ended with LLL connecting on a touchdown strike from four yards out to even the score at 7-7.
The rest of the first half was uglier than the start, with six combined penalties, a three-and-out by Tijuana, a missed field goal by Dallas, and a costly turnover by the Birddogs, where Marciano was picked off by Tijuana Safety Blaze Jennings (@coyotejim) while trying to connect with his TE MacGuire over the middle. Christian’s mistake ended up being softened by the stellar play of the Dallas defense which held the Luchadores’ offense to only seven yards and forced a field goal, ending the half with a 10-7 Tijuana advantage.
Coming out of the intermission, Dallas knew it needed to get a score to avoid the game slipping out of their grasp. Coaches (@ReverendOReily) and (@LordEscanor) proved they knew how to make halftime adjustments as their offense took possession at the start of the half and held it for the next 8 minutes, with another masterful drive which included a clutch 24 yard run on third and 2 by Ronson which took the offense past midfield. Another huge gain of 19 on third and 8 by rookie receiver Derrick Armstrong (@kiddhokage) took the Birddogs to the one yard line. Feeling it was only fair to reward him for his big play, Marciano looked for Armstrong on the next play, which he converted for his first career touchdown!
The rest of the quarter did not play out as seamlessly as the last drive did, as two plays later LaughLove was intercepted while looking for Tight End Herc Kirkby (@Acsolap). However, the Tijuana defense was able to hold strong and forced Dallas into a three-and-out.
Strong play from the defense seemed to give energy to the Luchadores offense as they strung together an efficient drive behind 18 more yards from McTurtle which took them into Dallas territory. The Birddogs, however, showed an ability to bend and not break as they held the Luchas thanks to a key tackle by rookie OLB Sam Sun (@TheNC206) on third and 4 which forced Tijuana into punting the ball. As the teams lined up, it looked as if Tijuana had a miscommunication up front as LB Nordly Banjo Jr (@caniliveforever2) broke through and blocked the punt!
What small amount of Dallas fans which made the trip south of the border in the stands erupted in cheers after the play, and it seemed as if this was the momentum shift Dallas needed to seal the game. On the next play, RB Orange Justice, seemingly running with a rocket strapped to his back, busted through the Tijuana front seven and only had one man to beat. The collision between Justice and second-year safety Talens Farrens (@Napalm) could be heard up in the nosebleeds, as Farrens forced a fumble on the play which was recovered by CB Doc Holliday (@Jerms) for twelve yards into Birddogs territory.
After a short five play drive ended in a missed field goal, the Dallas offense got the ball back at their own 25 and looked primed to put the game away. Dallas moved the ball with a good mix of run and pass, including 19 yards on the ground from Ronson, which helped set them up for a first and 10 at the Tijuana 39 yard line. That’s when Marciano dropped back and saw Armstrong breaking free down the middle of the field. It’s complete! The big-bodied receiver showed his strength as he fought tacklers en route to a 35 yard catch. His desire to gain more yards turned out to be his undoing, however, as it left him open to a clean shot from Farrens who knocked the ball loose at the four yard line and recovered it, killing the Dallas drive.
Taking over at their own three, the Luchadores had one goal - get the ball away from their own end zone. They were able to string together a few plays to get the ball out past their own thirty, but were ultimately forced to punt, which was returned by Justice for 14 yards across midfield.
A costly facemask on first down moved Dallas into field goal range. After a penalty and a negative run, Dallas’ second-year kicker Double Doink (@sarah) came onto the field with change to make it a touchdown game. Visibly annoyed with her miss earlier in the game, it seemed nothing was going to stop Doink from nailing this kick, as she sent it right down the middle from 48 yards out.
Tijuana’s next drive started out promising, with three straight carries by McTurtle going for 22 yards, followed by two quick completions by LLL for another first down. Concerned with the clock, the Luchadores looked to throw it more, which led to four straight incompletions and a turnover on downs with just barely two minutes left in the game.
Looking to hold onto their lead, Dallas looked totally fine with playing it conservative as they run the ball on three straight plays. Unfortunately for them, Tijuana still had all three of their timeouts, and were able to only lose about 20 seconds while forcing Dallas to punt. As Doink’s punt sailed down the field it felt as if someone let all the air out of the stadium. Backing up to his own 7 yard line, Wells could see that Doink had outkicked her coverage. That would turn out to be a costly mistake at this point in the game as Wells received the punt and immediately booked it to the left sideline and was able to bring the ball all the way down to the Dallas 26 yard line for a 67 yard return! Tijuana had been waiting all game for a spark, and they wasted no time using the momentum to their advantage as they only took five plays to score the tying touchdown.
After three short drives followed by punts, the clock read triple zeroes. Overtime was upon us!
Tijuana received the first possession of overtime and thanks to a holding penalty and a sack were forced to punt the ball from their own 11 yard line.
The Dallas defense had done its part and now it was up to the offense to go out and win the game. Starting from their own 36, the Birddogs were stuffed on consecutive running plays. A 7 yard hookup between Marciano and Armstrong led them to a fourth and 1 from their own 45. Instead of punting it and hoping to hold Tijuana to another punt, Dallas decided they wanted to play to win and ran the offense out for an attempt. Justice received the ball up the middle and was met right away by Defensive End George Fantobens (@Fantobens). He kept his legs churning, though, and with a Herculean second effort was able to stretch the ball past the first down marker.
Two running plays and an incomplete pass later, Dallas was forced with another fourth down from the Tijuana 46. Knowing they were out of range for Doink’s leg, the Birddogs again put their fate in the hands of Marciano, who found his WR for a 10 yard strike to keep the drive alive! An incomplete pass on first down led to a second and 10 from the Tijuana 36. Marciano dropped back, made his reads, and found his RB Justice on the wheel route up the left side for a big completion of 22 yards, putting the Birddogs in field goal range. Three plays later, Double Doink came out for her third attempt of the game - none more important than this. With 1:23 left on the clock, the ball was snapped and Doink sent it through the uprights for the Dallas win.
After the game, first year General Manager and Coach for Dallas, LordEscanor, was asked about the team’s aggressiveness in overtime where they went for it on consecutive fourth downs. “We’re here to win. We’re not here to give our opponents opportunities. Being a new coach and GM, and looking at my young team, we all knew instantly we wanted to prove that we were here to take the league by storm. My defense came up big, our offense wanted to show our appreciation to them by finishing what they started. Gotta have that dog mentality, man.”
In his postgame presser, Tijuana GM and Coach @Kotasa was asked what his takeaways from the game were and how his squad can rebound after the tough loss and had this to say: “Defensively I’d say we played pretty good, the philosophy has always been hold them to under 21 and let the offense do it’s thing. We got a lot of new players offensively so I think it’s just getting them all to mesh with what we’ve been running. You know we definitely could’ve gone for a FG at the end of the game but we went to OT and that’s on me not putting my boys in the best spot to succeed. We started 2-2 last season and ended 11- 3 so I know we’ll be ok.”
When asked what last night’s game meant to the team, Dallas’ other GM, ReverendOReilly responded, “After the stellar draft that we had, and the Birddogs' impressive 3-1 showing through the preseason, my hopes were very high for what this team can accomplish this season. You might notice that the one loss we had during the preseason was an away game against the Luchadores, who are consistently one of the best teams in the league, and it was not a pretty game at all from our perspective. For us to go into their house and steal a tight overtime win from them means a ton to me, and it means even more to this team as a unit. I'm so proud of how our guys are doing both on the field and in the locker room, and I really feel like this team is special this season.”
Dallas Offensive Player of the Game: Running Back Orange Justice
Game Stats: 19 carries for 71 yards | 2 receptions for 48 yards | 3 punts for 17 yards
The Birddogs had a number of candidates for their offensive player of the game, including Wide Receiver Derrick Armstrong who hauled in 10 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown, and Rumble Ronson who ended the game with 80 yards on the ground on 18 carries. Justice, however, got the nod here for his ability to make plays rushing, receiving, and returning. When Dallas needed a big play, the coaching staff looked for Justice to provide the spark they needed.
Tijuana Offensive Player of the Game: Wide Receiver Dumais Wells
Game Stats: 12 receptions for 124 yards | 4 KR for 91 yards | 1 PR for 67 yards
Wells was about as reliable of an option as the Luchadores could have asked for as he not only hauled in an insane 12 catches during the contest, but was also a consistent threat in the return game. He ultimately got the nod here because of the 67 yard punt return he had which set the Luchadores up for a tying score. An honorable mention goes out to Running Back Michaelangelo McTurtle who diced up the Dallas defense en route to 101 yards on the ground with an efficient 5.3 yards per carry.
Dallas Defensive Player of the Game: Linebacker Sam Sung
Game Stats: 7 Tackles | 2 TFL | 2 Passes Defended
Sung’s stats might not jump off the page, but anyone who watched the game can tell you that he did a lot more than his numbers might suggest. Sung was asked to be a leader for day one for this defense, and he showed in his debut they were right to place their faith in him, as he continued to make plays early on drives which put the Luchadores in unfavorable down-and-distances. Five of his seven tackles on the night were within one yard of the line of scrimmage.
Tijuana Defensive Player of the Game: Safety Talens Farrens
Game Stats: 7 Tackles | 3 Forced Fumbles | 1 Fumble Recovery | 1 Pass Defended
The Luchadores had a number of players on defense who could have been picked for player of the game. Rookie LB Elessar Jones (@mithrandir) played all over the field as he amassed 11 tackles (1 TFL). Fellow LB Mason Jones lived in the Dallas backfield where he racked up 10 total tackles with three being for a loss. George Fantobens started off his season on a high note, totaling four tackles, 1 for a loss, and 1 sack.
The player of the game for Tijuana, however, was none other than the second year Safety, Farrens, who came up big in crunch time for the Luchadores. He managed to force three fumbles on the night, with two of them being recovered by Tijuana, as well as batting down a pass. The Tijuana defense should feel safe this season knowing they have him covering their backs.
Game Results from the Rest of the League
Bondi Beach Buccaneers (27) at Norfolk Seawolves (28)
An easy candidate for game of the week, this matchup between the Bucs and the Subs was an absolute slobberknocker of a game. Bondi flew out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and took a 21-13 lead into halftime. After three straight field goals by Norfolk put the Seawolves up 22-21, rookie QB Bageshwari Singh (@rapideagle) connected with his RB for a touchdown to go up 27-22. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers were not able to extend the lead to 7 as they failed on the 2 point conversion, leaving the door open for Norfolk. The Seawolves ended up scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a pass from Buckshank (@ConnorM123) to fellow rookie Erwin Kemp (@jdourtled) with under 2 minutes to play, which ended up being the deciding score.
Minnesota Grey Ducks (41) at Portland Pythons (14)
Portland jumped out to an early lead in this one as they took the opening drive 93 yards, ending in a two yard rumble by rookie RB Smasha Face (@The_Juggernaut). It was all Ducks after that point, as they went on to put up 34 unanswered while the Pythons looked lost on both sides of the ball. A single game does not define a season, however, and I’m sure that we’ll see more fight out of Portland in the rematch in Week 8.
Kansas City Coyotes (12) at London Royals (10)
It would be rude of me to say this game was ugly, so instead I’ll use the term, “defensive struggle” to define the product on the field. Neither team’s offense looked to be in midseason form last night, as they combined for only two offensive touchdowns, and even went into halftime with a score of 3-0 London. You’d be forgiven if you fell asleep during this game; but, you would have missed out on a great performance by Coyotes DE Greg Strongjaw (@Amadan).
There are very few things more exciting than the start of a new season, and last night we were all treated to not only some amazing games, but also some amazing individual performances. In this next section I am going to highlight some of those standouts from last night's slate of games.
Top 5 Offensive Performances of Week 1
Number 1
Minnesota Wide Receiver Lane Frost (@LANEFROST)
Game Stats: 7 Receptions | 198 yards | 3 TDs
If you asked any of the experts before this season which team would come out of the DSFL North in Season 33, most of them would have said either Minnesota or their opponent last night, the Portland Pythons. Minnesota had what they considered a bit of a down year in Season 32, finishing in second place in the North with a 7-7 record, and it was obvious they wanted to come out strong to start Season 33. What better way to make a statement than to get the ball to an electric playmaker like Lane Frost early and often.
Frost showed that no matter who Portland tried to cover him with that they would have no chance, as he hauled in catches of 43, 58, and 67 yards last night, with the latter two of which going for touchdowns. The second year Wideout has already eclipsed his touchdowns total from his rookie season (3 to 2) and is well on his way to surpassing his yardage total, also. Look for big things from the young speedster this season.
Number 2
Minnesota Quarterback Tobias Worthington III (@KC15)
Game Stats: 20/23 | 363 yards | 4 TD | 1 INT
Okay so maybe it’s a little cheap to include the Quarterback throwing the ball to our top performer his own spot on the list, but I couldn’t find anyone else who you could argue had a better game throwing the ball. Worthington looked honed-in last night as he completed the rare feat of throwing more touchdowns than interceptions. His 87% completion mark was absolutely unreal, as the Portland defense looked almost powerless to stop him.
Number 3
Bondi Beach Running Back Marvin Toledo (@mook)
Game Stats: 22 Carries | 101 Yards (4.6 YPC) | 2 TDs | 1 Reception | 11 Yards
Compared to the first two players on this list, Toledo’s stats might seem a little pedestrian; but, his importance to the Bondi Beach offense goes beyond his impressive stats. Twelve of his 22 carries last night came on first down, and he was extremely efficient on them, averaging over 5.8 yards per carry on first down. Look for Bondi to continue to look to Toledo early and often as the season goes on.
Number 4
Portland Pythons Tight End Molki Koivu (@Briedaqueduc)
Game Stats: 7 Receptions | 122 yards | 1 TD
The game itself might not have been great for Portland, but at least one player showed up on offense - TE Molki Koivu. I’m not sure what is in the water in the Pacific Northwest, but it looks like yet another season for the Pythons of having a deadly receiver at Tight End. Koivu was as sure-handed as they come, hauling in 7 of his 9 targets on the night, including catches of 23 and 64 yards.
Number 5
Norfolk Seawolves Quarterback Ozamataz Buckshank
Game Stats: 27/44 | 311 Yards | 3 TD | 0 INT
One of Norfolk’s biggest questions coming into this season was, “how will they replace Malcolm Savage?” If last night’s performance by rookie QB Ozamataz Buckshank is any indication, the answer will be, “very easily.” Buckshank showed some raw talent last night, as he had a number of errant throws, but he did a great job of spreading the ball out - at least 2 receptions by 6 different Norfolk players - and protected the ball well.
Top 5 Defensive Performances of Week 1
Number 1
Kansas City Defensive End Greg Strongjaw
Games Stats: 5 tackles | 3 TFL | 2 Sacks | 1 FF | 1 Safety
A lot of experts named Strongjaw as a preseason favorite to make the shortlist for Defensive End of the Year, and last night against the Royals he showed why. Strongjaw may have only had 5 tackles on the night, but boy, they were big. All five of his tackles happened within London’s backfield, three on running plays and two sacks. He even managed to force a fumble on one tackle, and the safety he registered at the start of the third quarter turned out to be the difference maker as the Coyotes won 12-10.
Number 2
Tijuana Safety Talens Farrens
Game Stats: 7 Tackles | 3 FF | 1 FR | 1 PD
As mentioned in the above section, Farrens played out of his mind last night, causing two turnovers at key moments during the game. Without his timely intervention Tijuana’s game against Dallas might have ended with a larger deficit for the Luchadores.
Number 3
Kansas City Cornerback Jack Ryan (@WALDO)
Game Stats: 3 Tackles | 2 Interceptions | 2 Passes Defended
It was a defensive battle last night between KCC and London, and Ryan’s play made the Royals think twice about airing it out. One of his interceptions came on a crucial play late in the first quarter when London was driving down the field, picking off second year QB Shinomya at the KCC 8 yard line, taking potential points off the board.
Number 4
Tijuana Linebacker Mason Jones (@Masu Chan)
Game Stats: 10 Tackles | 3 TFL
Another standout from last night’s game of the week, Jones set up shop in the Dallas backfield, stopping their running backs three times for losses, and even had a touchdown-saving tackle late in overtime that kept the Luchas’ hopes alive for a little while longer.
Number 5
London Linebacker Nick Flint (@Talls)
Game Stats: 12 Tackles | 1 Sack
Flint was all over the place last night as his 12 tackles were the most by any single player. He may have only registered one, “impact” play with his single sack, but Flint kept making plays near the line of scrimmage, as five of his eleven plays in run defense stopped the KC ball carrier for two yards or less. His impact in run defense slowed down the Coyotes offense and helped keep the Royals in the game, even when their offense was having trouble putting points on the board.
A Look Ahead to Week 2
Dallas Birddogs at Bondi Beach Buccaneers
Pat's Prediction: Birddogs win 23-21
Both of these squads outplayed expectations last night, as most fans out there didn't believe either had a chance against their opponent. Week 2 is where the rubber meets the road, as the winner of this will be guaranteed a place at the top of the DSFL South. I expect this to be a tight one throughout, but in the end I think the Dallas offense proves to be too much for the Bondi Beach defense, as they win by two.
Tijuana Luchadores at Norfolk Seawolves
Pat's Prediction: Seawolves win 35-30
If I know these teams like I think I do, neither of them are happy with the performances they put in last night. I think we're going to see both teams open up the offenses and try to simply outscore the other. I expect this to end up as a Quarterback duel, but I foresee Tijuana's Live LaughLove making a costly mistake late to put the Seawolves on top.
London Royals at Minnesota Grey Ducks
Pat's Prediction: Minnesota wins 24-10
If we learned anything from Week 1 it's that Minnesota's offense came to party and London's defense is going to have to win them games this year. I believe this game is going to be much closer than the final score indicates, but at the end of the day the Royals' offensive woes prove to be too much for them to overcome, and the Grey Ducks score a couple of times on a short field.
Portland Pythons at Kansas City Coyotes
Pat's Prediction: Coyotes win 21-20
This game will come down to one question: what's weaker - a stoppable object or a moveable force? Portland's defense looked completely lost last night against Minnesota, and Kansas City's offense looked out of sync from the first whistle. One of these has to give, and I think in the end the Coyotes do just enough on offense to hold serve at home.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this article! There is just something great about getting to write about the DSFL and show excitement for our younger players. Last night made for one heck of a ride, and I hope it sets the stage for what's to come in Season 33.
RE: Pat's Season 33 DSFL Week 1 Round Up - Amadan - 01-14-2022
Best game of my career, and of course everyone fell asleep during it!
RE: Pat's Season 33 DSFL Week 1 Round Up - slothfacekilla - 01-15-2022
Nice write up, hopefully Tijuana proves you wrong next game!