*Muddy's Matchup Review S50: Week 10

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Muddy's Matchup Review: Week 10 ISFL

Week 10 Matchups

Austin Copperheads (6-4) 28 - 41 San Jose Sabercats (4-6) SJS

Colorado Yeti (3-7) 34 - 31 Berlin Fire Salamanders (2-8) BER

Baltimore Hawks (7-3) 21 - 16 Honolulu Hahalua (6-4) HON

Osaka Kaiju (5-5) 27 - 20 Cape Town Crash (6-4) CTC

Yellowknife Wraiths (7-3) 19 - 17 Sarasota Sailfish (6-4) SAR

Orange County Otters (0-10) 18 - 38 New Orleans Secondline (5-5) NOLA

Arizona Outlaws (6-3-1) 21 - 31 New York Silverbacks (6-3-1) NYS

Game Of The Week: Battle of the Basement, Colorado outguns Fire Salamanders in Wild Shootout COL

The Yeti pulled off a narrow 34-31 victory over the Fire Salamanders in a thrilling back-and-forth matchup that showcased impressive offensive performances from both teams. Quarterback Katya Zamolodchikova was the driving force behind the Yeti’s win, throwing for 368 yards and four touchdowns, including a game-winning field goal drive in the final seconds. On the defensive side, cornerback Bell Peepo made key contributions with seven tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.

The first quarter saw an explosive start with Zamolodchikova connecting on a 1-yard touchdown pass to La'Fluke Paris-Johnson, putting the Yeti up 7-0. The Fire Salamanders quickly responded as Tuna TurnDaBallOva hit American Dream for a 6-yard touchdown to tie the game. However, Zamolodchikova struck again late in the first, finding Tim Riggins for a 25-yard touchdown to take a 14-7 lead.

In the second quarter, the teams traded field goals, with the Yeti extending their lead to 17-10 going into halftime. The third quarter saw a flurry of scoring, starting with the Fire Salamanders tying the game at 17-17 on a 10-yard touchdown pass from TurnDaBallOva to Willie Swaggert. Zamolodchikova didn't let that slide and fired back with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Alexander Rockstone. The Fire Salamanders immediately countered, tying the game again at 24-24 on a 48-yard bomb from TurnDaBallOva to Pitter Patter.

In the fourth quarter, Swaggert put the Fire Salamanders ahead 31-24 with a 1-yard touchdown run. But with just over two minutes left, Zamolodchikova orchestrated a 3-yard touchdown pass to Dazen Guile, leveling the score at 31-31. The Yeti sealed the win with a 37-yard field goal by Cameron Oswald-Newton with just 14 seconds remaining, giving them a hard-fought 34-31 victory and an impressive 10 points in 2:06.

Honolulu Heartbreaker: Hawks Swoop In for Last-Play Victory BAL

The Hawks narrowly edged out the Hahalua in an entertaining game, securing a 21-16 victory in the final moments. The Hahalua started strong with a 42-yard field goal by Ray Baker early in the first quarter. However, the Hawks responded swiftly when quarterback Wolfie McDummy Jr. connected with María Teresa de la Rosa for a 22-yard touchdown pass, putting them ahead 7-3. Late in the first quarter, the Hahalua regained the lead with a 21-yard rushing touchdown by Lenard McRobinson, ending the quarter 10-7 in favor of the Hahalua.

The second quarter was a defensive battle, with the only score coming from the Hahalua’s Ray Baker, who added a 47-yard field goal to extend the lead to 13-7. Despite some strong offensive efforts, neither team could break through further in the half.

In the third quarter, the Hawks closed the gap when McDummy Jr. found de la Rosa again, this time for a 7-yard touchdown, reclaiming the lead 14-13. The Hahalua fought back in the fourth quarter with Baker’s third field goal of the game, a 30-yarder, to put them ahead 16-14 with just over 11 minutes remaining.

However, the Hawks stunned every watching. With 37 seconds left on the clock, McDummy Jr. delivered an 82-yard touchdown pass to Anakin Skywalker, who turned in a spectacular performance with 146 receiving yards. These late-game heroics sealed the Hawks' 21-16 victory, despite a strong defensive effort from the Hahalua. We will never know why Honolulu decided to call Engage 11 in a prevent situation (this one hurts me still and I am devastated).

Back and Forth: Wraiths Barely Get The Win In Sarasota YKW

The Wraiths edged out the Sailfish 19-17, sealing victory with a clutch 57-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter in an important conference matchup. The Sailfish struck first, building an early lead with a 24-yard field goal by Marshall von Hildebrand at 4:04 in the first quarter, followed by a 1-yard touchdown run from Bugs to make it 10-0. The Wraiths responded in the second quarter with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Maximus Boudreaux to Lane Wilson at 4:53, narrowing the score to 10-7. Just before halftime, Space Dino kicked a 47-yard field goal, tying the game 10-10.

The Wraiths took control in the third quarter, with Space Dino adding two more field goals from 43 and 36 yards, pushing the Wraiths ahead 16-10. The Sailfish battled back in the fourth quarter with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Bugs to Zigzag Zipstep, regaining the lead at 17-16. However, with 3:07 left in the game, Space Dino drilled a 57-yard field goal to give the Wraiths a 19-17 advantage.

Despite a valiant effort from the Sailfish, including a strong performance by their quarterback Bugs with 251 passing yards and a touchdown, the Wraiths' defense, led by Ronald McDonald with 5 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery, held firm. Space Dino was perfect on field goals, going 4 for 4, and was instrumental in securing the Wraiths' victory this week.

Week 10 All-Stars

QB Elijah Dyson - 15/28, 188 yards, 2 TD | 7 Att, 163 yards, 2 TD

SJS

RB Kit Fisto - 21 Att, 116 yards, 2 TD | 3 Rec, 54 yards, 1 TD
BAL

RB Anakin Skywalker 9 Att, 41 yards | 6 Rec, 146 yards, 1 TD

AUS

WR Seer Ial - 6 Rec, 126 yards, 1 TD
SJS

WR Orange Julius - 8 Rec, 152 yards, 1 TD
NOLA

WR Thomas Passarelli - 7 Rec, 85 yards, 2 TD
COL

TE Secret Squirrel - 4 Rec, 30 yards

CTC

DL Luke Laraque - 7 Tck, 2 TFL, 1 Sck
NOLA

DL Doctor Who - 6 Tck, 2 TFL, 2 Sck

AUS

LB Crasher Wake - 12 Tck, 3 TFL, 1 PD
BER

LB FTBLLCMR4D RUS-KCKR-001 - 16 Tck, 1 PD
CTC

LB Scorch von Turbo - 11 Tck, 1 TFL, 1 Sck

AUS

DB Gajeel Redfox - 4 Tck, 2 PD, 2 Int
SAR

DB Toller Retriever - 3 Tck, 2 PD, 2 Int

YKW

K Space Dino - 4/4 FG (47, 43, 36, 57), 1/1 XP

League Review YKW

With only six games left in the season the playoff picture is heating up fast, and things just got spicy in the ASFC. The New York Silverbacks took down the Arizona Outlaws in a crucial showdown, moving to 6-3-1 and claiming first place outright. That’s right, the Silverbacks are officially in the driver’s seat, riding a two-game win streak, and with the tiebreaker over Arizona, their path to a first-round bye looks a lot clearer now if they can continue to ride this momentum. With their next three games all winnable, they have to be feeling great about their chances.

As for the Outlaws? That loss drops them to 6-3-1 as well, but they’re far from out of the hunt. This is the same team that rattled off a five-game win streak earlier in the season, so don’t count them out just yet. They’re still right in the thick of things, but they’ll need to bounce back fast if they want to reclaim that top spot. Much like the Silverbacks, Arizona's schedule for the rest of the season isn't that hard and will keep them in the top two for the conference almost guaranteed.

Meanwhile, the Austin Copperheads and Honolulu Hahalua are both hanging around at 6-4, but they’re starting to wobble. Both teams have dropped two straight games, and their grip on playoff spots is slipping and slipping fast. Austin’s next game will be against Sarasota which is never an easy opponent. If they hope to get moving again, that 12th-ranked offense is going to need to be putting some more points on the board. Honolulu on the other hand gets a nice two-game stretch with the Fire Salamanders and the Sabercats. If they just play their game and not give a bunch of penalties as of late, those should be won.

And let’s talk about the New Orleans Secondline, don’t sleep on them! They’ve won four straight, clawing their way back to 5-5 after a horrible start to the year. They now find themselves right in the middle of the playoff race. However, with all six of their remaining games against playoff-caliber teams, with 4 of them on the road, their path ahead is anything but easy. But if they can keep this hot streak going, they might just pull off something special and try to get three championships in a row.

The San Jose SaberCats finally snapped their losing streak with a win this week, improving to 4-6. Their playoff hopes are still hanging by a thread, but at least they’ve stopped the bleeding for now. Meanwhile, the Orange County Otters continue their march toward an 0-10 season, and at this point, their only goal is to avoid being remembered as one of the worst teams in ISFL history.

The NSFC playoff race is looking like a wild ride, and the Yellowknife Wraiths are leading the charge after bouncing back to 7-3 after dropping two important games. They’ve been one of the most balanced teams all season (offense and defense in the top 5), and with a few key games ahead, they’re in a prime position to secure that top seed. But right on their heels are the Baltimore Hawks, also sitting at 7-3 and on a two-game winning streak. The Hawks have been quietly building momentum and are looking like a serious threat down the stretch. Their next couple of games could easily determine who takes that top spot.

The Sarasota Sailfish and Cape Town Crash are both 6-4, but last week’s losses put them in a tricky spot. Sarasota has been unbeatable on the road, but they’ve struggled at home, which could make or break their playoff chances. Thankfully for them, their last 4 out of 6 will be away. Cape Town, meanwhile, has been solid all season, but they need to shake off last week’s loss and get back on track.

Then there’s the Osaka Kaiju, sitting at 5-5 and clinging to their playoff hopes. They’ve been inconsistent all season, but with a win last week, they’re still in the mix. If they can string together a few more victories, they might just sneak into the postseason. But the margin for error is razor-thin.

Further down the standings, the Colorado Yeti finally broke their losing streak, moving to 3-7. It might be too late for a playoff push, but they could still play spoiler to teams ahead of them. The Berlin Fire Salamanders, sitting at 2-8, are pretty much out of the playoff conversation, but they’re still scrapping for pride. They’ll be looking to end the season on a high note and could throw a wrench into someone’s playoff plans.

The NSFC is shaping up to be a battle to the wire, with the top four teams all within a game of each other. Every matchup counts, and with so many playoff spots still up for grabs, expect some fireworks in the final stretch of the season!

Muddy's Power Rankings

1.