Robbed:
It was unfortunate to see the Yellowknife Wraiths miss the playoffs this season. The Wraiths put together a good season with an 8-6 record and a +54 point differential. Normally a winning record and a positive point differential is a recipe for a playoff trip, but the Wraiths missed out due to a strong NSFC with the Baltimore Hawks and the Colorado Yeti both finishing with better records and better point differentials. On the other hand, the Orange County Otters made the playoffs with a 7-7 record and a -52 point differential due to playing in a weaker ASFC with two rebuilding teams. In the regular season, the Wraiths beat the Otters twice by a combined score of 57-3. Based on record, point differential, and head to head results, the Wraiths seem to have been a stronger team than the Otters this season but missed out on a playoff spot to them due to playing in a tougher conference. So while the Wraiths missed the playoffs and the Otters made the playoffs fair and square based on the league's playoff rules, it does seem like the rules may have kept a stronger team out of the playoffs. The Wraiths had a 4-4 record against playoff teams this season, so it's possible that they could have made some noise and potentially pulled off an upset if they had been able to make it to the playoffs this year. The Wraiths showed some high potential, but failed to get the job done in several games where they were favored and that cost them a chance to make one last playoff run with some of their veterans.
New Talent:
The Hawks made a big move at the trade deadline by trading for wide receiver Carter Bush. They exchanged their third round pick this year for a fourth round pick and in return brought in Bush for the rest of the season with the Liberty retaining his salary. Bush made it known that he planned to opt out of his contract and return to the Liberty after the season, so this was a one year rental that the Hawks hoped would put them over the edge and help them win the championship this year. They already had a star receiver in Trey Willie and a good second receiver in Budda Browning, but the addition of Bush gave them another star receiver that opposing secondaries would have to manage. The Hawks spread the ball around in their first playoff game against the Colorado Yeti but it was Bush who led them in receiving yards that game with 78 yards on 6 catches. Bush put together another strong showing in the championship game as he had 102 yards on 7 catches and scored the Hawks' first touchdown of the game. Overall, Carter Bush was a major contributor for the Hawks in the playoffs as he led the team with 13 playoff receptions and put up 180 receiving yards and a touchdown. If the Hawks hadn't made the move to trade for Carter Bush, it's possible that they may have gone home empty handed instead of winning the championship.
Playoff Predictions:
NSFC Championship Game:
@ 
The NSFC Championship Game will be a rematch of last season with the Baltimore Hawks hosting the Colorado Yeti. The Hawks look like the team to beat in the NSFL this year after a 13-1 finish in the regular season. On paper they look like the favorites in this one as they scored more points on offense than the Yeti while also allowing less points on defense. The Hawks will have home field advantage and were 7-0 at home this season and they also swept the Yeti in the season series. I think the Hawks will come away victorious and return to the Ultimus Game.
Prediction: 24 37
ASFC Championship Game:
@ 
The ASFC Championship Game is also a rematch from last season as the Orange County Otters will travel to New Orleans to take on the Second Line. The Second Line look to be the better team in this one as they allowed less points on defense while also scoring more than twice as many points on offense as the Otters. The Otters did beat the Second Line in Orange County in the regular season, but the more recent game in New Orleans was a blowout in the Second Line's favor. The Second Line look to be the stronger team and have home field advantage so I think they will make it back to the Ultimus Game and get the chance to defend last season's title.
Prediction: 20 40
NSFL Championship Game: @
The NSFL Championship Game will be a rematch from last season, but this time it will be taking place in Baltimore instead of New Orleans. Both teams were dominant this year, with the Hawks having a better record but the Second Line having a better point differential. They split the regular season series with each team winning their home game and the Second Line handing the Hawks their only loss of the regular season. Overall, both of these teams are very good so I think the deciding factor will be the home field advantage with the Hawks bringing home their first Ultimus trophy.
Prediction: 28 31
Playoff Review:
NSFC Championship Game: @
The NSFC Championship game was a close game early on with both teams trading touchdowns early on before the Hawks made a field goal with just over two minutes left to take a 17-14 lead into halftime. The Yeti took their first lead of the game with a touchdown midway through the third quarter, but the Hawks responded with a touchdown of their own on the following drive to regain a 24-21 lead entering the final quarter of the game. The Hawks pulled away as they scored a field goal on their next drive before returning an interception 63 yards for a touchdown on the Yeti's next drive to take their first double digit lead of the game as they went up 34-21. The Yeti drew closer with a touchdown, but the Hawks chewed a lot of time off the clock on their next drive before kicking a field goal and there wasn't enough time for the Yeti to score again as the game ended in a 37-28 Hawks victory.
ASFC Championship Game: @
The ASFC Championship game seemed like one with the potential to get out of hand quickly as the Second Line had scored 61 points the last time they hosted the Otters. However, the Otters' defenses held strong this time as they shut out the Second Line in the first half. Unfortunately, the Otters' offense was also sluggish as their only score before halftime was a field goal but they took a 3-0 lead into the locker room. The Second Line came to life on their first drive of the second half as they scored a touchdown to take a 7-3 lead. The defenses dueled back and forth until the Second Line extended their lead midway through the fourth quarter with a field goal to make it 10-3. The Otters got one final drive going with just under three minutes remaining and a chance to tie the game but ultimately ran out of time as the clock expired with them on the 9 yard line and the Second Line held on for a 10-3 win.
NSFL Championship Game: @
The NSFL Championship Game started with the Second Line taking an early lead as they jumped out to a 10-0 start with a first quarter touchdown and field goal. The Hawks scored a touchdown late in the first quarter to cut it to a 10-7 deficit. The Second Line extended their lead back to 10 points with a touchdown early in the second quarter and the Hawks tried to take a lead, but were forced to settle for a field goal in the red zone three times that quarter as they still trailed 17-16 at halftime. The Hawks took their first lead of the game on the first drive of the second half with a field goal to make it 19-17, but the Second Line responded right back with a touchdown to give them a 23-19 lead after a missed extra point. This didn't last for long as it took the Hawks just two plays on their next drive to score a touchdown and take a 26-23 lead. The Hawks would extend their lead one more time on their next drive with a field goal to make it a 29-23 game. The Hawks' defense held strong after this as they did not allow any points in the fourth quarter, sealing the game with a stop on 4th and 11 as the Second Line were driving into their territory with just over two minutes left. The Hawks hung on to win their first Ultimus 29-23.
It was unfortunate to see the Yellowknife Wraiths miss the playoffs this season. The Wraiths put together a good season with an 8-6 record and a +54 point differential. Normally a winning record and a positive point differential is a recipe for a playoff trip, but the Wraiths missed out due to a strong NSFC with the Baltimore Hawks and the Colorado Yeti both finishing with better records and better point differentials. On the other hand, the Orange County Otters made the playoffs with a 7-7 record and a -52 point differential due to playing in a weaker ASFC with two rebuilding teams. In the regular season, the Wraiths beat the Otters twice by a combined score of 57-3. Based on record, point differential, and head to head results, the Wraiths seem to have been a stronger team than the Otters this season but missed out on a playoff spot to them due to playing in a tougher conference. So while the Wraiths missed the playoffs and the Otters made the playoffs fair and square based on the league's playoff rules, it does seem like the rules may have kept a stronger team out of the playoffs. The Wraiths had a 4-4 record against playoff teams this season, so it's possible that they could have made some noise and potentially pulled off an upset if they had been able to make it to the playoffs this year. The Wraiths showed some high potential, but failed to get the job done in several games where they were favored and that cost them a chance to make one last playoff run with some of their veterans.
Quote:274 Words
New Talent:
The Hawks made a big move at the trade deadline by trading for wide receiver Carter Bush. They exchanged their third round pick this year for a fourth round pick and in return brought in Bush for the rest of the season with the Liberty retaining his salary. Bush made it known that he planned to opt out of his contract and return to the Liberty after the season, so this was a one year rental that the Hawks hoped would put them over the edge and help them win the championship this year. They already had a star receiver in Trey Willie and a good second receiver in Budda Browning, but the addition of Bush gave them another star receiver that opposing secondaries would have to manage. The Hawks spread the ball around in their first playoff game against the Colorado Yeti but it was Bush who led them in receiving yards that game with 78 yards on 6 catches. Bush put together another strong showing in the championship game as he had 102 yards on 7 catches and scored the Hawks' first touchdown of the game. Overall, Carter Bush was a major contributor for the Hawks in the playoffs as he led the team with 13 playoff receptions and put up 180 receiving yards and a touchdown. If the Hawks hadn't made the move to trade for Carter Bush, it's possible that they may have gone home empty handed instead of winning the championship.
Quote:246 Words
Playoff Predictions:
NSFC Championship Game:
@ The NSFC Championship Game will be a rematch of last season with the Baltimore Hawks hosting the Colorado Yeti. The Hawks look like the team to beat in the NSFL this year after a 13-1 finish in the regular season. On paper they look like the favorites in this one as they scored more points on offense than the Yeti while also allowing less points on defense. The Hawks will have home field advantage and were 7-0 at home this season and they also swept the Yeti in the season series. I think the Hawks will come away victorious and return to the Ultimus Game.
Prediction:
24 37ASFC Championship Game:
@ The ASFC Championship Game is also a rematch from last season as the Orange County Otters will travel to New Orleans to take on the Second Line. The Second Line look to be the better team in this one as they allowed less points on defense while also scoring more than twice as many points on offense as the Otters. The Otters did beat the Second Line in Orange County in the regular season, but the more recent game in New Orleans was a blowout in the Second Line's favor. The Second Line look to be the stronger team and have home field advantage so I think they will make it back to the Ultimus Game and get the chance to defend last season's title.
Prediction:
20 40NSFL Championship Game:
@ The NSFL Championship Game will be a rematch from last season, but this time it will be taking place in Baltimore instead of New Orleans. Both teams were dominant this year, with the Hawks having a better record but the Second Line having a better point differential. They split the regular season series with each team winning their home game and the Second Line handing the Hawks their only loss of the regular season. Overall, both of these teams are very good so I think the deciding factor will be the home field advantage with the Hawks bringing home their first Ultimus trophy.
Prediction:
28 31Quote:384 Words
Playoff Review:
NSFC Championship Game:
@ The NSFC Championship game was a close game early on with both teams trading touchdowns early on before the Hawks made a field goal with just over two minutes left to take a 17-14 lead into halftime. The Yeti took their first lead of the game with a touchdown midway through the third quarter, but the Hawks responded with a touchdown of their own on the following drive to regain a 24-21 lead entering the final quarter of the game. The Hawks pulled away as they scored a field goal on their next drive before returning an interception 63 yards for a touchdown on the Yeti's next drive to take their first double digit lead of the game as they went up 34-21. The Yeti drew closer with a touchdown, but the Hawks chewed a lot of time off the clock on their next drive before kicking a field goal and there wasn't enough time for the Yeti to score again as the game ended in a 37-28 Hawks victory.
ASFC Championship Game:
@ The ASFC Championship game seemed like one with the potential to get out of hand quickly as the Second Line had scored 61 points the last time they hosted the Otters. However, the Otters' defenses held strong this time as they shut out the Second Line in the first half. Unfortunately, the Otters' offense was also sluggish as their only score before halftime was a field goal but they took a 3-0 lead into the locker room. The Second Line came to life on their first drive of the second half as they scored a touchdown to take a 7-3 lead. The defenses dueled back and forth until the Second Line extended their lead midway through the fourth quarter with a field goal to make it 10-3. The Otters got one final drive going with just under three minutes remaining and a chance to tie the game but ultimately ran out of time as the clock expired with them on the 9 yard line and the Second Line held on for a 10-3 win.
NSFL Championship Game:
@ The NSFL Championship Game started with the Second Line taking an early lead as they jumped out to a 10-0 start with a first quarter touchdown and field goal. The Hawks scored a touchdown late in the first quarter to cut it to a 10-7 deficit. The Second Line extended their lead back to 10 points with a touchdown early in the second quarter and the Hawks tried to take a lead, but were forced to settle for a field goal in the red zone three times that quarter as they still trailed 17-16 at halftime. The Hawks took their first lead of the game on the first drive of the second half with a field goal to make it 19-17, but the Second Line responded right back with a touchdown to give them a 23-19 lead after a missed extra point. This didn't last for long as it took the Hawks just two plays on their next drive to score a touchdown and take a 26-23 lead. The Hawks would extend their lead one more time on their next drive with a field goal to make it a 29-23 game. The Hawks' defense held strong after this as they did not allow any points in the fourth quarter, sealing the game with a stop on 4th and 11 as the Second Line were driving into their territory with just over two minutes left. The Hawks hung on to win their first Ultimus 29-23.
Quote:606 Words
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