Before the season begins, NSFLN wanted to take a look at how the first round rookies from this year’s draft performed in the preseason games.
Weeks 1 & 2
1.Colorado Yeti: Antonio Sandoval
In week one of the preseason, there was immense pressure on Antonio Sandoval to execute well in and prove to naysayers who believed he should have been picked later in the draft. In the first game against the San Jose SaberCats, Sandoval blocked well holding the offensive line for 3 pancake blocks and helped the Yeti score a 20 – 14 victory. The second preseason game against the Philadelphia Liberty proved to be a bit more difficult for him. His performance was comparable to game 1, but he earned a false start penalty to contribute to the laundry list of penalties the Yeti were racking up in game 2. He also allowed one sack and this game showcased how the Yeti struggled against the Liberty’s much improved defense. The offensive line allowed 6 sacks as a whole.
2. Arizona Outlaws: Godfrey King
The defending champions were in prime form this preseason and the addition of Godfrey King has bolstered their defense further. King had an impressive debut with the Outlaws, getting a sack within the first few minutes of the first quarter. Overall, he racked up 2 tackles against the Orange County Otters as the Outlaws sailed to a 41 – 14 victory. Amazingly, King duplicated his performance exactly in game 2 against the Las Vegas Legion who had no chance against the Outlaws in this game.
3. Colorado Yeti: Brice Boggs
Brice Boggs was traded to the Colorado Yeti in one of the biggest trades in the preseason. Boggs had an impressive 7 tackles in the Yeti’s first closely contested preseason game against the San Jose SaberCats. He made several critical tackles in the last half of the third quarter to stop the cats from scoring. This led to a Yeti 20 - 14 victory over the SaberCats. In game 2, Boggs had an absolute heyday against the Philadelphia Liberty and executed an impressive 6 tackles, 1 sack and 1 pass deflection. The game was sealed when he forced a fumble and recovered the ball in the last minutes of the fourth quarter.
4. San Jose Sabercats: Benson Bayley
Cornerback Benson Bayley had a decent start in his first preseason game against the Colorado Yeti. He had 3 tackles and a pass deflection early in the second quarter. Bayley had another good showing against the Yellowknife Wraiths with 3 tackles as well. He’ll have to work on his discipline though since he incurred a Facemask penalty in the opening minute of the game. Surprisingly, the SaberCats defeated the Wraiths in this game 20 - 10 and Bayley’s defense provided much assistance in this win.
5. San Jose Sabercats: Iyah Blewitt
Iyah Blewitt had a quiet, yet solid performance in his first two preseason games. Blewitt went 2/2 on his XP’s, but unfortunately the Sabercats fell short after an unconvincing lost to the Yeti 20-14. In game 2, Blewitt seemed to be of more of an asset as he went on to 2/2 on his extra points and 2/2 from distance; netting 30 and 37 yard FG’s. Although he had what seemed to be a quiet night it must be quite relieving for him after a hectic offseason. The Queen's graduate continued to train hard this offseason banking over 240 TPE and getting the honors of being selected 5th overall as a kicker, yes a kicker. A statement most analysts would cringe at… I mean did you see what happened to Aguayo? He was a 2nd round draft pick for Christ’s sake! Overall, A solid performance from Blewitt seemed to pay off going 1-1 in his first games as Sabercat.
6. Orange County Otters: Julian O’Sullivan
After a disappointing end to a lengthy playoff run, the Orange County Otters looked to bolster their defense in hopes for a better outcome in Season 3. After game 1 of the Otters’ preseason, it is hard to say they did just that with the addition of Julian O’Sullivan. Although the linebacker out of Georgetown did his part, netting 7 tackles and 1 sack, it wasn’t quite enough as the team that knocked them out of the playoffs would be the same team to steamroll them in the preseason. As a team, the Orange County Otters gave up 347 total yards and would lose 41-14 to the two time defending champions Arizona Outlaws. After a game like that it’s hard to put the blame on an inexperienced rookie who did his part. Hey OCO secondary, were you awake for this game? As a team the Otters seemed to wake up in preseason game 2. O’Sullivan would net 11 tackles (1 TFL) and 1 sack. Unfortunately, Orange County would still come up short in game 2 with a close 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Hawks? For O’Sullivan, hopefully he can continue to perform at what seems to be a high level while netting wins in the process. Will O’Sullivan be the one to prove that FCS talent can perform at the next level?
7. Baltimore Hawks: Ricardo Sandoval
From one Sandoval to another, from one side of the ball to other. We head to Baltimore to take a look at how Ricardo Sandoval is performing in his debut for the Baltimore Hawks. Like his brother, Antonio there is a lot of pressure. Although Ricardo was drafted later than his brother, many questioned if he would have the same impact for his team? So far the answer seems to be a resounding yes! In Sandoval’s first outing, he would rack up 5 tackles and 1 sack in a 26-21 win over the Las Vegas Legion. For game 2 Sandoval seemed to remain quiet netting 2 tackles and 1 sack. Although he didn’t perform like he did in game 1, Sandoval’s team was able to back him up in a close offensive battle, as they came out on top 16-13 over Orange County. Will these close battles be able to bail the Hawks out for the remainder of the preseason, even regular season? Who cares, we are only looking at Ricardo Sandoval anyways. ¯\_(?)_/¯
8. Arizona Outlaws: Franklin Harris Jr.
Having large shoes to fill after a successful career from his father, Franklin Harris Sr, Harris Jr joins the defending champions, in hopes for a three-peat. From the way both his offensive and defensive teammates performed it looks like a three-peat could be in their future. In game one of Harris’ preseason outing he would net: 2 tackles, 2 deflections and an interception as he steps into the CB2 role. A stat line like that proved to be beneficial after a route of the Orange County Otters 41-14. Game two didn’t prove to be much different for the Outlaws, and Harris fared even better. In a 52-10 POUNDING over the Las Vegas Legion, Harris would tack on an additional: 3 tackles, 2 pass deflections, and an interception. This only helps to further the case as to why the Outlaws have the best defense in the league.
Weeks 3 & 4:
1.Colorado Yeti: Antonio Sandoval
Sandoval started off week three with a monstrous defensive performance with an incredible 7 pancake blocks! Sandoval will need to continue with this level of performance if the Yeti have any hope of making the playoffs due to a weak offensive line. The Yeti struggled on offense during the first three quarters against the Otters, but Sandoval’s consistent play allowed them to score 10 points in the fourth to clinch a 13-8 victory in game 3. Sandoval pulled off a comparable performance in game 4 against the Las Vegas Legion. He racked up 6 pancake blocks in a smooth 30-13 victory over the Legion. In comparing the first two games against the last two games, it seems like Sandoval has fit in with the Yeti offensive line and has now become an integral part of their successes. He’s lived up to expectations so far and we should see him continue a high level of consistent performance going into the regular season.
2. Arizona Outlaws: Godfrey King
King had a decent performance in game 3, as the Outlaws took on the SaberCats. They continued their dominant streak this preseason with a 23-10 victory over San Jose and King netted 4 tackles and an impressive sack for a loss of 5 yards in the middle of the third quarter. Unfortunately, King did not have a good performance in game 4 against the Liberty. He struggled on defense and wasn’t able to contribute to any meaningful tackles. In analyzing all four games, King incurred a penalty in three of them. Fortunately the Outlaws are good enough to overcome these penalties, but in critical game situations he will have to be mindful about how he conducts himself on the field.
3. Colorado Yeti: Brice Boggs
Boggs was all over the field in game 3 against the Otters. He filled the stat sheet with: 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 pass deflection, and 1 interception at the end of the first quarter. Boggs continues to impress and leaves many wondering if he should have been selected first in the draft. Boggs had another enthralling performance in game 4. In their 30-13 win over the Legion, Boggs netted 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss of 1 yard, and 1 pass deflection. He’s an absolute workhorse and doesn’t seem to run out of steam down the stretch. With recent scandal surrounding the Yeti, both Boggs and Sandoval are crucial components to the Yeti’s future success. Time will tell if they can overcome their recent challenges, but the rookies will make sure they stay in the playoff conversation.
4. San Jose Sabercats: Benson Bayley
Bayley pulled off a great defensive game against the high powered Arizona Outlaws. This was no easy task against the defending champions in Arizona. Bayley had 5 tackles and 2 pass deflections in the second and fourth quarters. He seems to be fitting in well with the defense and has make remarkable improvement over games 1 and 2. The Cornerback also continued to showcase his defensive prowess in game 4 against Hawks. The SaberCats pulled out a 27-14 victory and Bayley had an effective 4 tackles with 2 pass deflections. If he continues to make stark improvements over the season, Bayley will prove to be the best defensive rookie of the season.
5. San Jose Sabercats: Iyah Blewitt
After a solid week one and week two pre-season performance, we return back to San Jose to take another look at Rookie Kicker Iyah Blewitt. In a matchup against the defending NSFL Champions, Arizona Outlaws, we saw what was an unfortunate, but expected loss for the Sabercats. Luckily, they didn’t get blown out! The Sabercats lost 23-10 and Iyah Blewitt only had the opportunity for one XP attempt and a long field goal, both of which he nailed. For his team, we can only hope the new logo is good riddance for the time coming in the regular season! In week four of the pre-season, San Jose headed home for a matchup against the Baltimore Hawks. The Sabercats were able to come out on top 27-14, and Blewitt was much more active in this game. Blewitt added 3 XP’s to his stat sheet, as well as a 33 and 24 YD FG. Blewitt caps off his pre-season as expected; perfect from XP’s and distance. I guarantee we will be hearing this guys’ name called in clutch situations for a long time this season.
6. Orange County Otters: Julian O’Sullivan
We now head over to Orange County to look at a solid D1-A talent player, in Julian O’Sullivan. O'Sullivan was able to perform well in his first two preseason games for the Otters. Unfortunately it would not be enough to earn them a win in either of their games. As for weeks three and four, we saw many similarities as the Otters cap off their preseason with a disappointing 0-4 record. Once again we saw similarities in O’Sullivan’s performance, performing even better in week three then either of his previous starts. O’Sullivan would net 13 tackles and two sacks in a grudge match against the Colorado Yeti, resulting in a 13-8 loss for the Otters. In game 4, O’Sullivan came out not wanting to disappoint once again. O’Sullivan compiled 11 tackles and a sack, as they fall short to the prolific, Yellowknife Wraiths 27-23. If we learned anything by watching O’Sullivan this preseason, it is that this kid is a workhorse. He will bring his “A” game every Sunday and will hopefully lead OCO to the promise land!
7. Baltimore Hawks: Ricardo Sandoval
We now head to the East coast to take a closer look at the defensive beefcake himself, Ricardo Sandoval. After capping of a successful 3-1 preseason Sandoval would play a vital role in their success. For week three, we saw what seemed to be a solid matchup. The Baltimore Hawks took down the Philadelphia Liberty 20-17. Sandoval would rack up 3 sacks in a game that would prove to be a nail bitter up until the 4th quarter. After a successful first 3 games of the preseason, the Hawks were defeated in a surprising upset by the San Jose Sabercats. The Hawks would fall short 27-14, but this would not stop the living beefcake himself. To conclude the preseason, Sandoval would net 6 tackles and sack. Like many rookies this preseason, Sandoval did as expected and will continue his dominating performance as we enter the regular season.
8. Arizona Outlaws: Franklin Harris Jr.
To wrap up our Preseason Rookie Report we head to Phoenix, Arizona. After a successful first 2 weeks of the preseason, Harris balled out with the Outlaws as expected. We would not see much change in week three and four of the preseason as they handed L’s to the Sabercats and Liberty. As the Outlaws faced the Sabercats, Harris would compile 2 tackles, 3 PD, and 1 INT and they came out victorious, 23-10. For the final week of the NSFL preseason, Arizona headed to Philadelphia in an attempt to stop an up and coming, young, talented squad. Arizona would prove that young talent was no match for the two time defending champions as won a closely contested 27-23. Harris would cap off his preseason with a quiet 3 tackles. Overall, Harris has proven he will be able to contribute to this monstrous, Arizona defense as they eye a three-peat this year.
Quote:243050/50 split with myself and @Rindiee
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