5) Write 800 words or more on something that interests you. It could be related to statistics, to a league issue you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s Werewolf server. Be warned that freedom comes with risk, and this category will be judged especially stringently for anyone trying to spew complete nonsense.
This story is a combination of multiple of the other tasks, so I figured it'd fit this one best. The story of the Second Line and their road to the S21 Ultimus Championship.
The Ultimus is the ever coveted trophy for the ISFL. The work that goes into getting one is really untold. It takes tons of hours of dedication, a lot of behind the scenes maneuvering, and its own fair share of luck. I've only ever played in one Ultimus game in my career, but I remember the path to get there all too well. The S21 championship went to the New Orleans Second Line. A team who had a shaky history and a long road to hoist a title. To begin this journey, we have to go all the way back to S14.
In S14, the GM of the Second Line stepped down and passed the role over to Juosu. Juosu had a ton of league experience under her belt and GM experience in other leagues, but she was a rookie just beginning her career on Stan Francisco. She was handed over a team that was a skeleton of its former self. The S08-S11 glory days were long behind this team and what Juosu took over was a ghost ship. Most of the team were veterans who were either IA or mostly IA. The few who were marginally active were staring regression in the face. Juosu had a tough job rebuilding the team, but she was more than willing to step up to the task.
She started off with a strong draft in S15 where she picked up the core group of players who would shape this team going forward. Quenton Bode, Johnny Slothface, Forest Gump, Deon Taylor, and Brave Ulysses. This core group of players became the team's war room and two of them would end up serving as coGM of this team in some capacity in the future. First up was Hippo who GMed the team with Juosu from S15 though S17. During that time, they picked up Ben Tu’inukuafe and Jordan Andrews, key members of this Second Line championship squad. They also picked up a few others, but they wouldn't make it as far as S21.
In S18, TomHanks took over as coGM of the Second Line. New Orleans managed to get a couple key picks in this draft. Givussafare Rubbe, David Rector and Bjørn Ironside became three main stays on this squad. Two became pivotal war room members leading up to S21. Givussafare Rubbe became the unquestioned best OL int he league, David Rector ended up being a massive steal and one of the top players in this draft and Ironside was quick to step in and begin helping the team build for the future. As such, S18 was a huge season for the Second Line. By trading a few players they picked up in S17 and S18, this team not only managed to pick up an incredible talent in Blake Faux coming to the team, but they also managed to pick up multiple major draft picks for the S19 draft.
This was the season that changed everything for New Orleans. They managed to pick up high profile free agent Marcella T?riki, the first free agent the team had gotten in this run. What they did in the draft though was magical. Austin McCormick, Jed Podolak, Mack Arianlacher, Mason Blaylock, and Herbert Prohaska all joined the team in this mind blowing draft. This was the off-season that everything changed for the Second Line. This is when the team went from a husk to well oiled machine that was going to march forward and win the championship in S21. The impact was seen immediately as with this new squad of players, New Orleans went 8-5 and made the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. Things just kept getting better for this squad though.
They traded out of the S20 draft to grab the last key component to this championship squad. Xavien Adams came in to fill the nickel role on one of the most stacked secondaries the league had ever seen. The team kept marching forward and had another decent showing in S20. They made the ASFC championship for the second season in a row where they lost to the Copperheads. This team was young though. They'd been developing. They kept their heads up and looked to S21. They knew they had a loaded roaster. All they needed to do was take it.
It became clear early in the season that this was a new New Orleans team. They started off at a red hot 9-0 and became the first team to lock in their playoff spot. They quickly became the favorite to win it all as they marched through initially unhindered. Unfortunately things bounced the wrong way at the end and they lost out, ending at 9-4 and giving up the first seed to the Otters.
They had slacked and people were starting to question them as playoffs began. This dominant looking team, one of the best the league had ever seen had faltered and looked almost human. They regained steam in the playoffs though as they handily dismissed the Copperheads in the first round and then went to their third consecutive championship game. They were up against the league titans, the Orange County Otters and they had to do it on the road. They dug deep though and in one of the most exciting games in league history, they punched their ticket to the Ultimus in overtime.
At home in the Ultimus, the Wraiths had no real chance against this juggernaut and the Second Line closed out the playoffs in dominant fashion. They'd finally done it. A long road, a ton of development, countless trades and swaps as they built this roster from basically scratch. The only remaining players from S14 were Stan Francisco and Bona’beri Jones. This team had clawed its way from nothing and was finally champions again. Will they manage to pull it off again? Only time will tell.
This story is a combination of multiple of the other tasks, so I figured it'd fit this one best. The story of the Second Line and their road to the S21 Ultimus Championship.
The Ultimus is the ever coveted trophy for the ISFL. The work that goes into getting one is really untold. It takes tons of hours of dedication, a lot of behind the scenes maneuvering, and its own fair share of luck. I've only ever played in one Ultimus game in my career, but I remember the path to get there all too well. The S21 championship went to the New Orleans Second Line. A team who had a shaky history and a long road to hoist a title. To begin this journey, we have to go all the way back to S14.
In S14, the GM of the Second Line stepped down and passed the role over to Juosu. Juosu had a ton of league experience under her belt and GM experience in other leagues, but she was a rookie just beginning her career on Stan Francisco. She was handed over a team that was a skeleton of its former self. The S08-S11 glory days were long behind this team and what Juosu took over was a ghost ship. Most of the team were veterans who were either IA or mostly IA. The few who were marginally active were staring regression in the face. Juosu had a tough job rebuilding the team, but she was more than willing to step up to the task.
She started off with a strong draft in S15 where she picked up the core group of players who would shape this team going forward. Quenton Bode, Johnny Slothface, Forest Gump, Deon Taylor, and Brave Ulysses. This core group of players became the team's war room and two of them would end up serving as coGM of this team in some capacity in the future. First up was Hippo who GMed the team with Juosu from S15 though S17. During that time, they picked up Ben Tu’inukuafe and Jordan Andrews, key members of this Second Line championship squad. They also picked up a few others, but they wouldn't make it as far as S21.
In S18, TomHanks took over as coGM of the Second Line. New Orleans managed to get a couple key picks in this draft. Givussafare Rubbe, David Rector and Bjørn Ironside became three main stays on this squad. Two became pivotal war room members leading up to S21. Givussafare Rubbe became the unquestioned best OL int he league, David Rector ended up being a massive steal and one of the top players in this draft and Ironside was quick to step in and begin helping the team build for the future. As such, S18 was a huge season for the Second Line. By trading a few players they picked up in S17 and S18, this team not only managed to pick up an incredible talent in Blake Faux coming to the team, but they also managed to pick up multiple major draft picks for the S19 draft.
This was the season that changed everything for New Orleans. They managed to pick up high profile free agent Marcella T?riki, the first free agent the team had gotten in this run. What they did in the draft though was magical. Austin McCormick, Jed Podolak, Mack Arianlacher, Mason Blaylock, and Herbert Prohaska all joined the team in this mind blowing draft. This was the off-season that everything changed for the Second Line. This is when the team went from a husk to well oiled machine that was going to march forward and win the championship in S21. The impact was seen immediately as with this new squad of players, New Orleans went 8-5 and made the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. Things just kept getting better for this squad though.
They traded out of the S20 draft to grab the last key component to this championship squad. Xavien Adams came in to fill the nickel role on one of the most stacked secondaries the league had ever seen. The team kept marching forward and had another decent showing in S20. They made the ASFC championship for the second season in a row where they lost to the Copperheads. This team was young though. They'd been developing. They kept their heads up and looked to S21. They knew they had a loaded roaster. All they needed to do was take it.
It became clear early in the season that this was a new New Orleans team. They started off at a red hot 9-0 and became the first team to lock in their playoff spot. They quickly became the favorite to win it all as they marched through initially unhindered. Unfortunately things bounced the wrong way at the end and they lost out, ending at 9-4 and giving up the first seed to the Otters.
They had slacked and people were starting to question them as playoffs began. This dominant looking team, one of the best the league had ever seen had faltered and looked almost human. They regained steam in the playoffs though as they handily dismissed the Copperheads in the first round and then went to their third consecutive championship game. They were up against the league titans, the Orange County Otters and they had to do it on the road. They dug deep though and in one of the most exciting games in league history, they punched their ticket to the Ultimus in overtime.
At home in the Ultimus, the Wraiths had no real chance against this juggernaut and the Second Line closed out the playoffs in dominant fashion. They'd finally done it. A long road, a ton of development, countless trades and swaps as they built this roster from basically scratch. The only remaining players from S14 were Stan Francisco and Bona’beri Jones. This team had clawed its way from nothing and was finally champions again. Will they manage to pull it off again? Only time will tell.