S29 Draft Prospect Sam Squanch has already had a storybook beginning to his career. Being claimed on free agent waivers by the Dallas Birddogs and hitting the field for the final two games of the regular season and two games in the playoffs, the Conference Championship Game and the Ultimini Championship Game. The short waiver stint resulted in a stat line of 15 tackles and one pass defense, but most importantly, an Ultimini Championship.
The Season 28 Prospect Bowl Tournament gave Sam Squanch another chance to show what he was capable of and he certainly didn't disappoint. Squanch was selected by the Antarctica Terror Birds.
In the first game, the Antarctica Terror Birds took on the Tahiti Fighting Mangoes. In a closely matched game that saw the Mangoes win with a 43 yard field goal in the last two minutes, Squanch picked up 4 tackles. However, the highlight of the game was a sack by Squanch where he took down Gimmy Jarappalo Jr. for a 7 yard loss. That was the only sack recorded by either team. Squanch also managed to keep himself clean with no penalties called against him in the game.
The next day, the Terror Birds took on the Highland Cows. The Terror Birds really came out swinging in this game, roaring out to a 24-10 lead by the end of the third quarter. Unfortunately for the Terror Birds, star RB Dante King hit his stride in the second half, scoring three TDs. One in the 3rd quarter to bring the Cows within 7, and then two in the 4th quarter (one rushing and one receiving) to push the Cows to a 27-24 victory.
Sam Squanch certainly did his part to try to keep the game close, racking up a team high 8 tackles, including two tackles for loss. Once again, Squanch played a clean game with no penalties.
In the third game of the tournament, the Terror Birds lined up for a rematch against the Tahiti Fighting Mangoes. In a much closer and tightly contested game, the Mangoes once again squeaked out a 3 point victory 17-14. Despite not having quite as many chances, Squanch still finished the game with 3 tackles and 1 tackle for loss.
In the fourth and final game of the tournament, the Terror Birds rematched with the Highland Cows. While the final outcome looked close, the game was a bit lopsided in both directions. The Cows rattled off 20 straight points to take a 20-0 lead into the half. However, the Terror Birds rebounded in the second half, putting up 30 unanswered points, including 27 in the fourth quarter to win the game 30-20. Sam Squanch collected 5 tackles in that game to help secure the victory. It was certainly a game of two halves. Unfortunately, that was the only win for the Terror Birds and they finished the Prospect Tournament with a 1-3 record.
Sam Squanch finished the Prospect bowl with 20 Tackles, 3 Tackles for Loss and 1 sack for -7 yards.
Now, with a couple days before the DFSL draft, rumors are swirling as to where Sam Squanch could be selected. Mock drafts being published list him anywhere between 2nd overall and 10th or lower. Squanch has spoken with all 8 teams, and supposedly those talks went really well and the teams are impressed by his work ethic and dedication.
A large majority of the mock drafts has Squanch going 5th overall to the Tijuana Luchadores, and it certainly seems like they could use a linebacker of Squanch's quality. However, the London Royal have the 3rd overall pick and are losing two linebackers this offseason, so they could certainly snag Squanch before he gets to 5th. Several of the mocks also have Squanch going 7th overall to the Kansas City Coyotes, who certainly got a good scouting look at him, facing off against Dallas in the Ultimini. If Squanch were to last to 8th overall, the Dallas Birddogs would happily snap him up and hold on to a piece of their Ultimini Championship winning team. Based on the mock drafts being tossed around, it doesn't appear that Squanch will drop that low, but surely anything can happen.
There are several other strong Linebacker prospects in this upcoming draft. Tre'Mendus Johnson and Marcus Jones both had good showings at the Prospect Bowl as well. Looking at the team needs, it might not be a surprise to see several linebackers come off the board in the first round.
After the prospect bowl, Squanch returned to Raleigh, North Carolina to workout and practice with his former North Carolina State teammates. Squanch has been primarily working on speed and strength to bolster his pass rushing and tackling skilled. Squanch hopes to make his home base behind the opponents line creating havoc and racking up on sacks and tackles for loss. The difference between a completed pass and a sack can be less than a second. And, the game isn't getting any slower.
As far as Squanch is concerned, he has no preference to where he plays. Just being in the league is an accomplishment enough. Squanch does not care as much about individual awards but is more team focused. Wins and championships are the name of the game. With only Ultimini Title already under his belt, the hunger for more trophies is intensified. The goal of any player in the Developmental League is to make it to the ISFL. We'll have to wait one more year to see if Squanch gets drafted into the big leagues, but if his career arc continues as it has already, Squanch should be a hot commodity when it comes time for the S29 ISFL Draft.
Squanch's long term goals are to build himself into one of the best pass rushers in the game. Squanch will continue his offseason speed and strength training to accomplish those goals. When the day comes, he hopes to hear his name called in the draft, but the work never stops. Celebrations can come later, for now it's work work work.
The Season 28 Prospect Bowl Tournament gave Sam Squanch another chance to show what he was capable of and he certainly didn't disappoint. Squanch was selected by the Antarctica Terror Birds.
In the first game, the Antarctica Terror Birds took on the Tahiti Fighting Mangoes. In a closely matched game that saw the Mangoes win with a 43 yard field goal in the last two minutes, Squanch picked up 4 tackles. However, the highlight of the game was a sack by Squanch where he took down Gimmy Jarappalo Jr. for a 7 yard loss. That was the only sack recorded by either team. Squanch also managed to keep himself clean with no penalties called against him in the game.
The next day, the Terror Birds took on the Highland Cows. The Terror Birds really came out swinging in this game, roaring out to a 24-10 lead by the end of the third quarter. Unfortunately for the Terror Birds, star RB Dante King hit his stride in the second half, scoring three TDs. One in the 3rd quarter to bring the Cows within 7, and then two in the 4th quarter (one rushing and one receiving) to push the Cows to a 27-24 victory.
Sam Squanch certainly did his part to try to keep the game close, racking up a team high 8 tackles, including two tackles for loss. Once again, Squanch played a clean game with no penalties.
In the third game of the tournament, the Terror Birds lined up for a rematch against the Tahiti Fighting Mangoes. In a much closer and tightly contested game, the Mangoes once again squeaked out a 3 point victory 17-14. Despite not having quite as many chances, Squanch still finished the game with 3 tackles and 1 tackle for loss.
In the fourth and final game of the tournament, the Terror Birds rematched with the Highland Cows. While the final outcome looked close, the game was a bit lopsided in both directions. The Cows rattled off 20 straight points to take a 20-0 lead into the half. However, the Terror Birds rebounded in the second half, putting up 30 unanswered points, including 27 in the fourth quarter to win the game 30-20. Sam Squanch collected 5 tackles in that game to help secure the victory. It was certainly a game of two halves. Unfortunately, that was the only win for the Terror Birds and they finished the Prospect Tournament with a 1-3 record.
Sam Squanch finished the Prospect bowl with 20 Tackles, 3 Tackles for Loss and 1 sack for -7 yards.
Now, with a couple days before the DFSL draft, rumors are swirling as to where Sam Squanch could be selected. Mock drafts being published list him anywhere between 2nd overall and 10th or lower. Squanch has spoken with all 8 teams, and supposedly those talks went really well and the teams are impressed by his work ethic and dedication.
A large majority of the mock drafts has Squanch going 5th overall to the Tijuana Luchadores, and it certainly seems like they could use a linebacker of Squanch's quality. However, the London Royal have the 3rd overall pick and are losing two linebackers this offseason, so they could certainly snag Squanch before he gets to 5th. Several of the mocks also have Squanch going 7th overall to the Kansas City Coyotes, who certainly got a good scouting look at him, facing off against Dallas in the Ultimini. If Squanch were to last to 8th overall, the Dallas Birddogs would happily snap him up and hold on to a piece of their Ultimini Championship winning team. Based on the mock drafts being tossed around, it doesn't appear that Squanch will drop that low, but surely anything can happen.
There are several other strong Linebacker prospects in this upcoming draft. Tre'Mendus Johnson and Marcus Jones both had good showings at the Prospect Bowl as well. Looking at the team needs, it might not be a surprise to see several linebackers come off the board in the first round.
After the prospect bowl, Squanch returned to Raleigh, North Carolina to workout and practice with his former North Carolina State teammates. Squanch has been primarily working on speed and strength to bolster his pass rushing and tackling skilled. Squanch hopes to make his home base behind the opponents line creating havoc and racking up on sacks and tackles for loss. The difference between a completed pass and a sack can be less than a second. And, the game isn't getting any slower.
As far as Squanch is concerned, he has no preference to where he plays. Just being in the league is an accomplishment enough. Squanch does not care as much about individual awards but is more team focused. Wins and championships are the name of the game. With only Ultimini Title already under his belt, the hunger for more trophies is intensified. The goal of any player in the Developmental League is to make it to the ISFL. We'll have to wait one more year to see if Squanch gets drafted into the big leagues, but if his career arc continues as it has already, Squanch should be a hot commodity when it comes time for the S29 ISFL Draft.
Squanch's long term goals are to build himself into one of the best pass rushers in the game. Squanch will continue his offseason speed and strength training to accomplish those goals. When the day comes, he hopes to hear his name called in the draft, but the work never stops. Celebrations can come later, for now it's work work work.
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