Code:
Ready to be graded, 6268 words
Ah shit, so I was supposed to make a weekly segment regarding the Palm Beach Solar Bears as they progressed through the season. I actually really enjoyed recapping the games last season and even added in a player of the week segment that rewarded offensive and defensive players for their performances during each week of play. Unfortunately, real life caught up with me over the course of this season, so instead of weekly recaps you are getting one singular massive update on the Palm Beach Solar Bears. Let’s jump right into preseason!
Preseason Game 1: Kansas City Coyotes @ Palm Beach Solar Bears
Let’s face it. Both of these teams struggled mightily last season and are looking for redemption this season. Since rosters hadn’t been updated at this point, the Palm Beach Solar Bears sent QB Apollo Lange out onto the field as first round selection Easton Cole rode the bench. Lange would complete 12 of 18 passes for 147 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for a passer rating of 91.7. He would additionally run for 24 yards on 5 attempts and a touchdown. Bortboy would lead the rushing charts for Palm Beach with 113 yards on 31 attempts. In terms of receiving, Thornton would haul in 4 receptions for 63 yards while Varga would catch 2 receptions for 43 yards. Gabagool and Hardshaft would lead the way for the Solar Bears on defense with 14 and 12 tackles respectively, while Hardshaft would collect 3 tackles for losses and recover a fumble. The Kansas City Coyotes had a great day on offense. QB Rose Jenkins would complete 22 of 30 passing attempts for 233 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for a passer rating of 95.6. In terms of rushing, the Coyotes were led by Farley Hank who had 135 yards on 38 attempts with 3 touchdowns. Nova and Parker led the Coyotes in receiving with 102 on 8 receptions and 61 yards on 4 receptions. Lewis was the star defender for the Coyotes with 7 tackles and a pass defended. In a very close contest that came down to the 4th quarter, the Coyotes would come out victorious with a 20-18 win.
Preseason Game 2: Palm Beach Solar Bears @ Norfolk Seawolves
After a close loss at home, the Solar Bears would make their way up to Virginia to take on the other expansion team from last season, the Norfolk Seawolves… and the Solar Bears would get whooped which is something they were all too familiar with from the previous season. QB Apollo Lange would only manage to complete 14 of 30 passing attempts with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions which was good for a stellar passer rating of 34.2. Bortboy would only manage 76 yards on 19 rushing attempts while Varga would go for 80 yards on 6 receptions. The Solar Bears lone touchdown would come on an 80 yard punt return by Deon Taylor. Gabagool was a standout on defense as he would make 12 tackles and force 2 fumbles. Unfortunately, that defensive prowess would not be enough to avoid the steamrolling the Seawolves would give the Solar Bears. On the other side of the field, Jay Longshaw would complete 27 of 39 passing attempts for 228 yards with a touchdown for a passer rating of 92.7. Jimbo would have a huge rushing day running for 150 yards on 37 attempts with 4 touchdowns… yes I said 4 touchdowns. Espeeyeeseetee managed to bring in 105 yards and a touchdown on 9 receptions. Acho had 7 tackles and Knight had 4 tackles, an interception, and a pass defended. There’s not much that can be said about this one, Seawolves win 40-10.
Preseason Game 3: Palm Beach Solar Bears @ Portland Pythons
So starting off 0-2 isn’t a good way to go about things, even if it is preseason with rosters that haven’t been fully updated. For a second time in a row the Solar Bears found themselves on the road taking on the champions from last season, the Portland Pythons. Apollo Lange got the start for the Solar Bears and he would complete 12 of 20 passes for 112 yards with an interception which was good for a passer rating of 54.6. Bortboy got a huge number of carries as he went for 139 yards on 42 attempts with a touchdown. Woodson would lead the way for the Solar Bears in receiving with 3 receptions for 50 yards, while Chase Jensen would add 32 yards on 5 receptions. Once again, the Solar Bears were led by Gabagool and Hardshaft on defense with Gabagool collecting 11 tackles and a blocked punt while Hardshaft had 12 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack. Franklin Armstrong got the start for the Portland Pythons at QB and he went 15 of 25 for 140 yards and an interception for a passer rating of 58.8. Smallwood-Chess would lead the Pythons in rushing with 127 yards on 34 carries. Jones and Catchyman would have 55 and 51 yards receiving on 3 and 5 receptions respectively. The Pythons were led by Stokely defensively as he would put up 14 tackles and 2 tackles for losses. Overall, this was a real defensive battle with both QBs struggling. The Solar Bears would end up winning their first preseason game by a score of 10-3. Always nice to get at least 1 win before heading into the regular season.
Preseason Game 4: Tijuana Luchadores @ Palm Beach Solar Bears
One last preseason game before they start counting for real and the Solar Bears got a really tough match up against a divisional rival in the Tijuana Luchadores. One last start for QB Apollo Lange as rumors of Easton Cole being ready to go were rising amongst the media folk… and Apollo’s performance is a pretty indication of why the Solar Bears coaching staff was ready to make a move. Lange would complete 9 of 18 passing attempts with 2 interceptions and a passer rating of 27.8. Bortboy was the leading rusher for the Solar Bears where he would run for 98 yards and a touchdown on 23 attempts. Nacho Varga would haul in 5 receptions for 53 yards. Do I need to say any more at this point? Hardshaft and Gabagool were the stars on defense as they would get 12 and 10 tackles respectively, while Hardshaft would add a sack and a pass defended. The Luchadores would pop off in this game though. Havran would manage to complete 27 of 39 passing attempts for 244 yards with a touchdown and an interception for a passer rating of 83.7. Forrest Gump would have an amazing day carrying the ball as he would gain 204 yards and 3 touchdowns on 35 attempts. Tidwell was the star receiver catching 7 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. And then there is Slothface on defense who would get 8 tackles, but also force 2 fumbles and also grab a pick. Really just one of those games where absolutely nothing went right for the Solar Bears and the Luchadores capitalized like crazy off of it. The Luchadores would absolutely whoop the Solar Bears by a score of 41-7.
With preseason in the books and with newly updated rosters, the Solar Bears were ready to take on the regular season. They were well aware of their past records and were ready to change the perception of the franchise. New players, new season, same attitude that there is no one out there that can do it better than the Palm Beach Solar Bears. Time to forget about a 1-3 preseason, time to focus on going 1-0 every single game.
Regular Season Game 1: San Antonio Marshals (0-0) @ Palm Beach Solar Bears (0-0)
Preseason is over, this is the real deal. The Marshals were ravaged by call ups after an incredible season where they were upset in the playoffs. The Solar Bears looking to get revenge for a fairly sad performance from last season. The Solar Bears send out rookie QB Easton Cole and in his debut performance he would complete 9 of 16 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown for a rating of 91.9. Apollo Lange would also get some reps completing 4 of 6 passes for 30 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for a rating of 78.5. The Marshals would go with Larson at QB after Bigsby got the call to move up to the big league. Larson would complete 14 of 31 attempts for 138 yards and 2 interceptions for a passer rating of 31.4. Barclay and Bigby led the way for the Solar Bear offense with 18 and 14 rushing attempts and 85 and 108 yards respectively. Additionally, each RB had a touchdown. Foija and Vaz were the rushing leaders for the Marshals with 17 and 15 attempts for 96 and 57 yards with no touchdowns. Tight end, Chase Jensen, was Cole’s top target with 5 receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown. Big Chest led the way for the Marshals with 6 receptions for 65 yards. Nikko had a stellar day on defense for the Solar Bears with 13 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass defended, and 1 interception. Gabagoole additionally had 8 tackles, 5 passes defended, and an interception. Gott, for the Marshals, had 12 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 passes defended. The Solar Bears put up a fairly dominant performance and win their first game of the regular season by a score of 24-6.
Regular Season Game 2: Tijuana Luchadores (0-1) @ Palm Beach Solar Bears (1-0)
Second game of the season and the Solar Bears draw another divisional opponent. The Luchadores come into this game with a fairly surprising loss to the Kansas City Coyotes. Easton Cole gets the solo start for the Palm Beach Solar Bears, so an official goodbye for the season to Apollo Lange. Cole would complete 15 of 21 attempts for 131 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception for a rating of 83.6. The Luchadores would split reps at QB between Havran and Hendrix. Havran would complete 17 of 26 attempts for 174 yards and an interception for a rating of 68.4 while Hendrix would complete 5 of 7 attempts for 42 yards for a rating of 86.6. Barclay and Bigby got an even split in the running game with 13 and 12 attempts and 72 and 75 yards respectively with no touchdowns. Jensen, once again, was Cole’s top target bringing in 5 receptions for 52 yards. Bigby would bring in the only receiving touchdown, however. The Luchadores rushing attack would do some freaking damage in this game. Roronoa and Gump would each get 20+ carries and both would get 100+ yards rushing. Roronoa would additionally get 1 touchdown, while Gump would get 2. Tidwell would also do a bunch of damage in the receiving game as he brought in 7 receptions for 91 yards. Nikko would have a monster day on defense with 19 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. McKinney would add on another 10 tackles. Slothface would lead the way for the Luchadores on defense with 9 tackles while Mills IX would add 7 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack with a safety. Looks like the type of season where the Luchadores are just going to have the Solar Bears number (FORESHADOWING) as the boys from south Florida fall 39-13.
Regular Season Game 3: Portland Pythons (2-0) @ Palm Beach Solar Bears (1-1)
The Solar Bears split their first two games of the season, while the former champions won both of their games. Rookie QB Easton Cole is starting to look like a very important player for the Solar Bears as he would go out and complete 20 of 31 attempts for 195 yards and a touchdown for a rating of 92.8. Phenom 2nd year QB Franklin Armstrong would go 18 of 24 for 170 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for a rating of 94.1. Breaking from strategy of the first 2 games, Bigby would get a majority of the carries for the Solar Bears with 94 yards on 18 attempts while Barclay would add a touchdown with his limited attempts. The Pythons would split rushing attempts amongst… a bunch of players. NA would go 18 attempts for 90 yards, Janes would have 63 yards on 10 attempts, Smallwood-Chess would have 60 yards on 9 attempts with 3 touchdowns, and Stronglegs would have 7 attempts and go for 48 yards and a touchdown… whew. For the 3rd straight game, Chase Jensen was Cole’s top receiving target with 7 receptions for 104 yards. Smallwood-Chess and McDummy were Armstrong’s top targets with 5 and 4 receptions and 58 and 50 yards respectively. We’re just hearing the same numbers over and over again for the Solar Bears. Nikko on defense would collect 16 tackles and a tackle for loss. Gabagoole would also get 7 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Grievous was the leader on defense for the Pythons with 7 tackles and a pass defended. In a surprising turn of events, the Solar Bears would hand the previous champions their first loss of the season in a very close game. Solar Bears win this one by a score of 31-28.
Regular Season Game 4: Palm Beach Solar Bears (2-1) @ Kansas City Coyotes (1-2)
Could the Solar Bears actually be… good? It’s hard to imagine after the previous season that they could be in a position to possibly go up to 3 and 1 on the season. Lets see if they have what it takes to knock off the Kansas City Coyotes on the road. Rookie QB, Easton Cole, has really come into his own as a starter in the DSFL, but this game solidified his arrival. Cole would complete 15 of 20 passing attempts for 174 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions for a whopping passer rating of 134.2. Rose Jenkins of the Kansas City Coyotes would complete 14 of 30 attempts for 111 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions for a passer rating of 67.5. If you though that Palm Beach would sacrifice their run game to give Cole more chances to air it out you would be incorrect because the Solar Bear running backs went off. Bigby had 27 rushing attempts for 135 yards and a touchdown, while Barclay 21 rushing attempts for 111 yards and a touchdown. Quick for the Kansas City Coyotes had 109 yards on 22 attempts with no touchdowns. You might be tired of hearing “Chase Jensen led the Solar Bears in receiving”, but I’m not. Jensen would bring in 5 catches for 64 yards. Cole’s 2 passing touchdowns would go to Rood, who also put up 42 yards receiving, and Barclay. Nova would lead the Coyotes in receiving with 61 yards on 5 receptions with a touchdown. There is absolutely no stopping Nikko on defense. The linebacker put up 16 tackles with 1 tackle for loss and 2 passes defended. Lewis had a monster day for the Coyotes as he put up 17 tackles and a sack. Lebowski also had a good day with 11 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and a sack. The Solar Bears were on fire this game, stout defense and a deadly balanced offense. Solar Bears win this one by a score of 34-6 and improve to 3-1 on the season.
Regular Season Game 5: Palm Beach Solar Bears (3-1) @ San Antonio Marshals (1-3)
Coming off of a big win against the Kansas City Coyotes, the Solar Bears would be looking to extend their divisional lead over the struggling San Antonio Marshals. Easton Cole at quarterback for the Palm Beach Solar Bears would complete 21 of 32 passes for 243 yards with a touchdown and interception which gave him a passer rating of 85.8. Larson for the Marshals would complete16 of 29 passing attempts for 177 yards with a touchdown and interception for a passer rating of 70.6. Both teams had big days in the rushing department. Bigby for the Solar Bears would run for 160 yards on 25 attempts with 2 touchdowns. Foija would run for 162 yards on 28 attempts with 2 touchdowns for the Marshals. Chase Jensen led the way for the Solar Bears in receiving with 85 yards and a touchdown on 6 receptions, while Timmy Hoss would be Larson’s main target for the Marshals with 85 yards and a touchdown on 7 receptions. Van Buren had a monster day for the Marshals on defense as he would rack up 20 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. Gott would also add 11 tackles and a sack. Nikko led the way for the Solar Bears defense with 10 tackles, a tackle for a loss, and a forced fumble. In a very rare event… we had a game go to overtime and actually end in a tie. I guess neither team really wanted to win this one that badly… This game could come into play later in the season though.
Regular Season Game 6: Palm Beach Solar Bears (3-1-1) @ Tijuana Luchadores (3-2)
So the Solar Bears already got boomed by the Luchadores twice, once in the preseason and once in the regular season. Will this game be any different (nope). Easton Cole would have a rare day where he would struggle for the Solar Bears. He would complete only 15 of 26 passing attempts for 177 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions for a passer rating of 59.3. Corvo Havran for the Luchadores would complete13 of 27 attempts for 159 yards with a touchdown and interception for a passer rating of 63.7. Bigby would be a workhorse for the Solar Bears running the ball 31 times for 119 yards. Gump similarly would be a machine for the Luchadores carrying the ball 30 times for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns. Chase Jensen would haul in 5 passes from Cole for 92 yards, while Rood would bring in the only touchdown. Tidwell would catch 5 passes from Havran for 103 yards. Slothface for the Luchadores defense would get 10 tackles and a sack while Nikko would 12 tackles and a tackle for loss for the Solar Bears. The Solar Bears wouldn’t be able to overcome 2 interceptions from Humuhumunukunukuapua'a and would fall, once again, by a score of 30-13.
Regular Season Game 7: Palm Beach Solar Bears (3-2-1) @ Norfolk Seawolves (4-2)
Alright, so the Solar Bears finally make it to the final game of a 4 game stretch of away games, but the have the take on the surging Norfolk Seawolves. Easton Cole would get redemption after a stinker against the Luchadores as he would complete 11 of 19 passing attempts for 126 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception for a passer rating of 91.1. Longshaw for the Seawolves would pass for 153 yards on 11 completions with an interception for a passer rating of 73.2. The Solar Bears would split carries between Bigby and newcomer Mendonca. Bigby would run 20 times for 112 yards, while Mendonca would run 20 times for 69 yards (nice). Dofus fucking Jimbo would run 40 times 179 yards and a touchdown… geez what a tank. Chase Jensen (unsurprisingly) was the leader in receptions for the Solar Bears with 72 yards on 6 receptions with a touchdown. Thornton was responsible for the other receiving touchdown. Espeeyeeseetee and Mudley both brought in 4 receptions for the Seawolves with 74 and 54 yards respectively. Acho would be the tackle leader for the Seawolves with 14, while Nikko would get 13 for the Solar Bears. This was a very close game statistically and it showed in the score with the Solar Bears just barely edging out the Seawolves by a score of 17-13.
Regular Season Game 8: Kansas City Coyotes (3-4) @ Palm Beach Solar Bears (4-2-1)
The Kansas City Coyotes make their way to Palm Beach for a great match up against the Solar Bears. Easton Cole for the Solar Bears would complete 22 of 34 passing attempts for 188 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for a passer rating of 79. Rose Jenkins for the Coyotes would complete 6 of 10 passing attempts for 72 yards with no interceptions or touchdowns for a passer rating of 82.1. Ludicolo Bigby and Mendonca would split carries for the Solar Bears getting 17 and 15 carries for 84 and 55 yards respectively. Quick would get the majority of carrie for the Coyotes with 144 yards on 28 carries with 2 touchdowns. John would also add 86 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown. Chase Jensen would lead the Solar Bears in receiving with 7 receptions for 67 yards. Plays would lead the Coyotes in receiving with 29 yards on 2 receptions. Nikko would lead the Solar Bears on defense with 14 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and a forced fumble. Lewis led the way for the Coyotes on defense with 18 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. A strong defensive performance would stifle the dominant Solar Bears rushing attack and would eventually lead to a Coyotes victory. Kansas City wins this one by a score of 23-6 and makes the playoff race much closer for the Palm Beach Solar Bears going forward in the division.
Regular Season Game 9: San Antonio Marshals (2-5-1) @ Palm Beach Solar Bears (4-3-1)
The last time the Marshals and the Solar Bears did battle, it ended in an embarrassing tie as neither team could get the job done in overtime. Maybe, just maybe, one of these teams will decide to win the freaking game this time around. Easton Cole would go out there and complete 14 of 17 passing attempts for 109 yards with 2 touchdowns good for a passer rating of 132.6. Larson, on the other hands, would complete 12 of 29 passing attempts for 103 yards with an interception which would get him a passer rating of 37. Once again, Bigby and Mendonca would split their carries with Bigby getting 21 carries to Mendonca’s 20. Bigby would rush for 127 yards and a touchdown while Mendonca would run for 96 yards. Foija and Vaz would split carries for the Marshals with Foija getting 20 carries to Vaz’s 19. Foija would run for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns while Vaz would come up just short on the century mark with 99 yards. Chase Jensen would have a big day in the red zone as he would haul in 2 touchdowns on 5 receptions with 43 yards. Big Chest for the Marshals would have 36 yards on 5 receptions. Nikko would be the defensive leader for the Solar Bears collecting 10 tackles, a tackle for loss, and 2 passes defended. Van Buren for the Marshals would collect 16 tackles and a sack. A couple of quick scores from the Solar Bears in the first quarter proved to be a difficult hurdle to overcome as the Solar Bears would win this contest by a score of 30-20 to once again help create some gap in the divisional standings.
Regular Season Game 10: Tijuana Luchadores (5-4) @ Palm Beach Solar Bears (5-3-1)
The Solar Bears just have not been able to do jack shit against the Tijuana Luchadores all season. Every single time they play, Palm Beach get destroyed despite the fact that their season records are fairly similar. Will this FINALLY be the time that the Solar Bears get a win? Let’s find out and dive into the stats. Easton Cole of the Solar Bears completed 18 of 28 passing attempts for 186 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for a passer rating of 89.3. Corvo Havran of the Tijuana Luchadores completed 9 of 18 passing attempts for 146 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for a passer rating of 77.5. The script on these games is sounding pretty damn repetitive, but Bigby and Mendonca had equal carriers, both running the ball 26 times. Bigby would gain 112 yards, while Mendonca would gain 97 yards. Gump, for the Luchadores, would have a great day carrying the ball 17 times for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns. Moffat would add on an additional rushing touchdown for Tijuana. Chase Jensen would manage to haul in 8 receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. The other Palm Beach receiving touchdowns would belong to Thornton and Rood. Mongo would be the lead receiver for the Luchadores grabbing 3 receptions for 70 yards. In a shocking turn of events, Nikko was not the stats leader for the Solar Bears on defense in this matchup. Gabagoole would put up 6 tackles, a sack, and a pass defended while Coleman would add 5 tackles and a sack. Slothface for the Luchadores would gather up 14 tackles, 3 tackles for losses, and a sack. All-in-all, this was one of Palm Beaches better closer matchups against the Luchadores, but still weren’t quite able to overcome Gump and turnovers. Luchadores win this one of a score of 33-25.
Regular Season Game 11: Palm Beach Solar Bears (5-4-1) @ Portland Pythons (6-4)
The Solar Bears head cross country to take on the reigning champions as they look to bounce back after the close loss to the Luchadores. Easton Cole would once again get the start for the Solar Bears at QB where he would complete 19 of 29 passing attempts for 226 yards and a touchdown which gave him a passer rating of 100.6. Franklin Armstrong would complete 19 of 32 passing attempts for 167 yards with no touchdowns and an interception for a passer rating of 60.3. Bigby would get a majority of the carries for the Solar Bears in this game as he would rush the ball 24 times for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mendonca would add on 86 yards on 17 carries as well. Torrenson would carry the ball 14 times for 41 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Pythons. NA would add on another rushing touchdown for the Pythons along with 39 yards. Cole’s favorite target, Chase Jensen, would bring in 7 receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown. Smallwood-Chess, for the Pythons, would bring in a whopping 10 receptions for 121 yards. Nikko would be back on top of the stats chart in this one with 8 tackles and a tackle for loss, while the OTHER Jensen would gather 8 tackles and 2 passes defended. Grievous would rack up 14 tackles for the Pythons. In a back and forth battle that had lead changes all throughout the contest, the Solar Bears would come out on top by a score of 26-24.
Regular Season Game 12: Palm Beach Solar Bears (6-4-1) @ Tijuana Luchadores (6-5)
The Solar Bears head down south of the border for their last regular season matchup against the Tijuana Luchadores. Same story as before, despite having similar overall records, the Solar Bears just have not been able to do anything against the Luchadores. Maybe… just maybe this last matchup of the regular season will be the time they finally win. Easton Cole would complete 17 of 30 passing attempts for 160 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception for a passer rating of 68.8. Corvo Havran would complete 13 of 24 passing attempts for 138 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for a passer rating of 71.2. Overall, the Luchadores were able to stifle the Solar Bears rushing attack. Mendonca would carry the ball 16 times for 51 yards while Bigby would carry the ball 14 times for 89 yards. Meanwhile, Gump would carry the ball 21 times for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns. Moffat would add 97 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 carries. That right there should tell you how this game really went for the Solar Bears. Jensen brought in 7 receptions for 76 yards, while Thornton brought in the solo touchdown for Palm Beach. Tidwell brought in 3 receptions for 59 yards in a game where the Luchadores passing attack didn’t really need to accomplish much with how their run game was performing. Nikko had 11 tackles and a tackle for loss for the Solar Bears while Slothface had 11 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack for the Luchadores. Different day, same story as the Palm Beach Solar Bears fell to the Tijuana Luchadores by a score of 28-7.
Regular Season Game 13: Norfolk Seawolves (5-7) @ Palm Beach Solar Bears (6-5-1)
We’re getting to the end of the regular season so it’s time for one last battle between the expansion teams. Easton Cole for the Solar Bears would complete 13 of 20 passing attempts for 120 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions for a passer rating of 97.9. Longshaw for the Seawolves would complete 22 of 33 passing attempts for 215 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions for a passer rating of 69.6. We had a very big day from the Palm Beach rushing attack. Bigby would run for 93 yards on 22 attempts with a touchdown, while Mendonca would run for 121 yards on 15 attempts with another touchdown. Jimbo for the Seawolves would run for 101 yards on 20 attempts. In a shocking turn of events, Chase Jensen was not the leading receiver for the Palm Beach Solar Bears. That honor would go to Rood who had 43 yards on 5 receptions with a touchdown. Thornton would add 52 receiving yards on 3 receptions from Easton Cole. The Seawolves really managed to spread the ball around to a bunch of different receivers. Mudley had 49 yards on 5 receptions, Man had 47 yards on 5 receptions, Espeeyeeseetee had 52 yards on 4 receptions with a touchdown, and South had 42 yards on 4 receptions. What is not surprising is Nikko led the Palm Beach defense in stats with 9 tackles. Rambo for the Seawolves would collect 11 tackles and a sack while Josh would have 9 tackles and 2 sacks. Overall, a strong defensive performance and run game from the Solar Bears was too much for the Seawolves to handle. Solar Bears win this one by a score of 30-10.
Regular Season Game 14: Palm Beach Solar Bears (7-5-1) @ San Antonio Marshals (4-8-1)
Final matchup of the regular season and the Solar Bears have qualified for the playoffs after missing the playoffs last season. They head to San Antonio for one last battle before the REAL season starts. Easton Cole for the Solar Bears would complete 15 of 26 passing attempts for 146 yards with no touchdowns and an interception for a passer rating of 57.5. Larson would complete 19 of 29 passing attempts for 148 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions for a passer rating of 89.4. Bigby and Mendonca would struggle against the San Antonio defense. Bigby would run for 86 yards on 17 attempts with a touchdown while Mendonca would add 34 yards on 7 attempts. On the other hand, the Marshals rushing attack would dominate the Palm Beach defense. Foija would run for 125 yards on 22 carries with 2 touchdowns while Vaz would casually add another 112 yards on 21 carries. The planets aligned again and Chase Jensen was the leading receiver for the Palm Beach Solar Bears with 73 yards on 5 receptions. Big Chest was Larson’s favorite receiver as he would bring in 50 yards on 4 receptions with a touchdown. Nikko would have 11 tackles for the Palm Beach defense and McKinney would add another 10. Meanwhile, Van Buren would have 10 tackles for the San Antonio Marshals while Rowland would have 6 tackles and an interception. Just a lazy performance from the Palm Beach Solar Bears, I guess they were already thinking about the playoffs. San Antonio Marshals win this one by a score of 30-13.
Conference Finals: Palm Beach Solar Bears @ Tijuana Luchadores
We in the conference finals the Palm Beach Solar Bears have to take on the Tijuana Luchadores on away turf, a team that they have not managed to beat all season. In fact, in most of their matchups, not only did the Luchadores win they typically dominated. Let’s get right into the statistics from this game. Easton Cole for the Solar Bears completed 6 of 15 passing attempts for 60 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions thrown for a passer rating of 52.1. You might be saying to yourself, “that’s not really a great performance for a quarterback in the playoffs” ohhh boy just you wait. Corvo Havran of the Tijuana Luchadores completed 17 of 40 passing attempts for 266 yards with no touchdowns and 5 interceptions… yep, 5 interceptions for a passer rating of 25.6. It’s going to be pretty tough to bounce back from a performance like that. Mendonca got the majority of carries for the Solar Bears with 21 carries for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns. Bigby added 54 yards and a touchdown while Bortboy added a 4th touchdown. Gump had a fantastic day for the Luchadores, carrying the ball for 142 yards on 27 attempts and scored 3 touchdowns. The Solar Bears really didn’t pass the ball much in this game, but the leading receiver was Chase Jensen with 2 receptions for 16 yards. The leading receiver for the Luchadores was Tidwell with 8 receptions for 124 yards while Forty-Two added 62 yards on 4 receptions. Gilsack was the leader of the Solar Bears defense with 10 tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack, and an interception. McKinney hauled in 2 interceptions and Adok and Sinclaire brought in the remaining 2. Burr-Kirven was the leader on defense for the Luchadores with 10 tackles. In an amazing feat, the Palm Beach defense showed up to completely frustrate Corvo Havran and the Solar Bears beat the Luchadores for their first win over the boys from Mexico all season by a score of 34-23 and move on to the Ultimini Championship Game to take on the reigning champs the Portland Pythons.
Ultimini Championship: Portland Pythons @ Palm Beach Solar Bears
The Solar Bears are coming off of the high of beating the league leading Tijuana Luchadores, while the Portland Pythons dismantled the Kansas City Coyotes by a score of 31-7. Who will come out on top, the pacific northwest or south Florida? Let’s dig into the stats. Easton Cole, who was limited in passing attempts during the conference finals, let loose in the championship. He completed 19 of 40 passing attempts for 236 yards with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions for a passer rating of 45.4. Not great, but then we have Franklin Armstrong who completed 12 of 30 passing attempts for 95 yards with no touchdowns and an interception for a passer rating of 34.7. I guess this game with have to be settled by the running backs and defense eh? Bigby for the Solar Bears would run for 108 yards on 17 carries for 2 touchdowns while Mendonca would run for 77 yards on 12 attempts with 2 touchdowns as well. Torrenson would lead the way for the Pythons with 149 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown while NA would add another touchdown. Chase Jensen led the receivers for the Solar Bears with 4 receptions for 72 yards while Rood would add another 26 yards and Thornton 35. NA would lead the Python receivers with 27 yards on 3 receptions. Nikko would lead the Solar Bears in tackles with 9 and would also add on a sack. Sinclaire would add on 8 tackles and an interception of Franklin Armstrong. Booth was the star of the Pythons defense with 11 tackles and a forced fumble. One team controlled this game from the beginning and it was the PALM BEACH SOLAR BEARS BABY! That’s right, the Palm Beach Solar Bears are your Ultimini Champions! They end up winning the contest by a score of 37-17! We’re going to Disneyworld!
As the co-gm of the Palm Beach Solar Bears, I would like to personally thank all of the players that worked so diligently over the last 2 seasons to help get us to a championship. I would also like to thank PDX for giving me a chance and letting me take this journey with him from a management perspective. It’s really humbling going from last season to winning a championship and I just couldn’t be any more proud of my guys. Thank you again and GO SOLAR BEARS!
Palm Beach Offensive Player of the Year – QB Easton Cole (Completions 224, Attempts 349, Yards 2266, Pct 64.2, TD 17, Int 9, Rating 88.1)
What can I really say about Easton Cole? He came into the season as a rookie QB and dominated statistically. He led all quarterbacks in almost every single statistical category and regularly humiliated his opponents with his efficiency and accuracy. I can’t wait to see what he is able to accomplish at the next level. Congratulations Easton! Thank for paving the path to the championship this last season. @JKortesi81
Palm Beach Defensive Player of the Year – LB Guy Nikko (Tck 166, TFL 9, FF 3, FR 1, Sck 1, Int 1, PD 5)
Nikko was our do it all guy on defense and it really showed. He proved to be an elite linebacker game in and game out and we really couldn’t have asked more from him in any capacity. Relentlessly dedicated and was a major force to be reckoned with all season long and I know that he will do very well at the next level. Congrats again and thank you for all of your hard work over the last 2 seasons. @Duress