"Clutch at the right time": Pick the player who had the biggest (positive) impact on their team in the playoffs, especially one who didn't get much attention going into the post-season. $600,000 bonus - min 400 words - September 2
The player I am going to talk about is Rafael Reyes. Going into the postseason, Rafael Reyes was not a commonly known name around the league. Reyes performed well in the regular season, but didn't turn any heads. He was never really a household name during the regular season. In the postseason, he played incredibly for the Baltimore Hawks. In his first game against the Yellowknife Wraiths, the NSFC championship game, Reyes came up big time for the Baltimore Hawks. The Yellowknife Wraiths were marching down the field on the Hawks. It was 1st and 10 at the 39 yard line. Orosz dropped back and fired it down to tight end Ricky Maddox. Little did he know, Rafael Reyes was lurking. Reyes quickly reached up and picked it off. He tried to create something big but lost yardage on the return. Nonetheless, it was a crucial interception to stop the Wraiths' drive that would most likely end in points. It wasn't just a great game for Reyes, it was a great game for the entire Hawks' secondary, as they only allowed 113 passing yards in total, and held Josh Garden to 0 receiving yards. Reyes made a crucial stop in a drive that was on their way to scoring in a 2 point game. In the Ultimus championship game, Reyes came up big again. During garbage time, he picked off Mark Strike. While the game was already decided, Reyes made a great impression on everyone around. 2 interceptions in one playoff game is nothing to hang your head about, seeing that one of them made a large impact on the game. Reyes also recorded two pass deflections in the playoffs, as the Hawks' Ultimus run was stopped short against the Outlaws. No team was expected to beat the Arizona Outlaws, but the Hawks came the closest. They won a heavily contested NSFC that included the Yeti and the Wraiths. On their way to their Ultimus they finished with a perfect 8-0 record at home (7-0 in the regular season, 1-0 in the playoffs). Reyes was instrumental in securing the Hawks' NSFC championship title. He had not received very much attention heading into the playoffs, which is what makes it so interesting. The fates might have been different if the Wraiths had not traded Reyes to the Hawks early in the season for Levon Novel, but it's hard to say, considering Novel was great in special teams for the Wraiths. Part of what makes Reyes' story so interesting is the fact that he was one of the last picks in the draft. Only 11 different players were picked after him, and as the 85th pick in the draft, most teams weren't expecting much out of him. Most people simply knew him as a speedy cornerback with a low ceiling. And although he rarely logs on at this point, he's proven to be someone who's talented in the sim even if they have a low TPE total. These types of players are valuable assets to any team, and he's definitely performing great. He's part of the Baltimore Hawks' fearsome secondary, and he's one of the best underdog stories in the draft. Going from 88th overall to making a crucial play in the NSFC championship is a huge leap, and the Hawks are extremely lucky to have wound up with him. He clearly ended up at the right place at the right time, and although he doesn't have any control over what happens now, he will be remembered as one of the key players in the Baltimore Hawks' S2 championship run. Props to him.
601 words
600,000$ bonus
Graded
Payout=$1,601,000
The player I am going to talk about is Rafael Reyes. Going into the postseason, Rafael Reyes was not a commonly known name around the league. Reyes performed well in the regular season, but didn't turn any heads. He was never really a household name during the regular season. In the postseason, he played incredibly for the Baltimore Hawks. In his first game against the Yellowknife Wraiths, the NSFC championship game, Reyes came up big time for the Baltimore Hawks. The Yellowknife Wraiths were marching down the field on the Hawks. It was 1st and 10 at the 39 yard line. Orosz dropped back and fired it down to tight end Ricky Maddox. Little did he know, Rafael Reyes was lurking. Reyes quickly reached up and picked it off. He tried to create something big but lost yardage on the return. Nonetheless, it was a crucial interception to stop the Wraiths' drive that would most likely end in points. It wasn't just a great game for Reyes, it was a great game for the entire Hawks' secondary, as they only allowed 113 passing yards in total, and held Josh Garden to 0 receiving yards. Reyes made a crucial stop in a drive that was on their way to scoring in a 2 point game. In the Ultimus championship game, Reyes came up big again. During garbage time, he picked off Mark Strike. While the game was already decided, Reyes made a great impression on everyone around. 2 interceptions in one playoff game is nothing to hang your head about, seeing that one of them made a large impact on the game. Reyes also recorded two pass deflections in the playoffs, as the Hawks' Ultimus run was stopped short against the Outlaws. No team was expected to beat the Arizona Outlaws, but the Hawks came the closest. They won a heavily contested NSFC that included the Yeti and the Wraiths. On their way to their Ultimus they finished with a perfect 8-0 record at home (7-0 in the regular season, 1-0 in the playoffs). Reyes was instrumental in securing the Hawks' NSFC championship title. He had not received very much attention heading into the playoffs, which is what makes it so interesting. The fates might have been different if the Wraiths had not traded Reyes to the Hawks early in the season for Levon Novel, but it's hard to say, considering Novel was great in special teams for the Wraiths. Part of what makes Reyes' story so interesting is the fact that he was one of the last picks in the draft. Only 11 different players were picked after him, and as the 85th pick in the draft, most teams weren't expecting much out of him. Most people simply knew him as a speedy cornerback with a low ceiling. And although he rarely logs on at this point, he's proven to be someone who's talented in the sim even if they have a low TPE total. These types of players are valuable assets to any team, and he's definitely performing great. He's part of the Baltimore Hawks' fearsome secondary, and he's one of the best underdog stories in the draft. Going from 88th overall to making a crucial play in the NSFC championship is a huge leap, and the Hawks are extremely lucky to have wound up with him. He clearly ended up at the right place at the right time, and although he doesn't have any control over what happens now, he will be remembered as one of the key players in the Baltimore Hawks' S2 championship run. Props to him.
601 words
600,000$ bonus
Graded
Payout=$1,601,000