8) Awards season is a big part of the offseason festivities. Take the stand, in 400 words or more, for one or more players that are not your own, and argue why they should receive awards glory. They can be your teammates or anyone in the league. How did their stats and on the field contribution contribute to their case this year?
Coming into the ISFL isn’t easy for any player. Each season rookies perform admirably but often take a while to reach the dizzying heights of the more veteran players In the league which is why offensive and defensive rookie awards exist. This season the Offensive rookie of the year will be Doug Howlett, the wide receiver from Baltimore. However, I think he should also win Wide Receiver of the year. Howlett had an incredible season, he came into Baltimore as the top receiver as they had lost Nick Kaepercolin and Asher Quinn both to the Berlin Fire Salamanders in expansion due to close ties with the new GMs there. However it couldn’t have been predicted just how great his season would be. With the gunslinging skills of Chika Fujiwara throwing him the ball, Howlett raced his way into the receiving yardage lead early into the season and never let up. He finished with a highly respectable 11 TDs and more impressively 1646 yards. Only 3 players have ever had more receiving yards than this and to do it in his rookie season is unthinkable. He finished a whole 200 yards above the next highest WR and so in my view is this years WRotY. While he may be 4 TDs behind Lim, the sheer yardage puts him over the top.
Awards season often sees the rise of new upcoming talents in the league, players just hitting their prime, but Defensive End of the Year should with absolute certainty be going to the oldest player in the position, Nero Alexander. Nero isn’t just fractionally older, he’s a full 3 seasons more than any other Defensive End in the league. While most of his career hasn’t been filled with awards and accolades, the solid performer has finally had a season worthy of the earning and commitment he has put in. TFL are the biggest DE stat and Nero has lit up the league this season with 23, the second highest single season TFL total. He blew every other player out the water, finishing a full 5 ahead of Ocewilder in 2nd and his 7 sack total was only marginally behind Ocewilder’s 8. Add in a Forced Fumble for good measure and 68 tackles, also the highest in the league and Nero had an exceptional season.
Nero has long been one of the great DE’s in the leagues history, this season he also took the lead in career TFL’s from the infamous Jayce Tuck and cemented himself as a Hall of Famer. The DEotY award will just further cement his legacy as he wins in runaway fashion this season.
9) It’s always important to look forward to the future. Examine your team, and in 400 words or more, talk about how they can improve themselves to get a stab at trophy contention next year. Are you loaded with draft capital for the next draft? Do you have plenty of cap space to sign free agents? Go through the roster and note the different strengths and weaknesses, and how you think those will change over the next few seasons. How should your team adapt?
The Yellowknife Wraiths are coming off another disappointing season having missed playoffs for 2 seasons straight. Suffering from an extended Ultimus hangover, new QB Colby Jack hasn’t yet played his first playoff game at the ISFL level. However Colby Jack is one of the biggest strengths for the Wraiths. The S22 Draftee is beginning to hit the peak of his career which as the QB of the team is one of the biggest things for a team’s success. Around Colby there is also a strong core of players with a similar maxing timeframe. The S22 class was an excellent one for Yellowknife as they still have 7 players from that season, in addition to an S21 LB and S23 WR. This core of the team is just beginning to peak and should be a strong team in the upcoming seasons.
There are definitely obvious areas for the Wraiths to improve in. The first would be in the defensive backfield, with L’Carpetron Dookmarriot’s contract being up at the end of the season, there is a gap in the team and veteran CB Mervin Leonard likely has 1 more season before retirement. The first way to fill this gap would be through Free Agency. While rumours are that divisive CB Zamir Kehla is signing with the Colorado yeti, ex-Philidelphia CB Brandon Booker is still a free agent and rumoured to be the top target for Yellowknife. The other position of need is at receiver. With Chris Kross missing from training sessions, Yellowknife have also been rumoured to be looking elsewhere. They also have other methods of strengthening these positions with several players sent down to the DSFL and also owning the #4 pick in the upcoming draft. While the draft isn’t quite as deep as the previous draft class, the top prospects are excellent, and Yellowknife are almost guaranteed to pick up a game changing player. From the previous draft class there is still Donald McBobby and Djibutee McJimmerson as max earning players who can come in and fill slots where needed on the team. Although they are currently playing LB and TE in the DSFL, as strong all around athletes, the Yellowknife scouting team saw potential in them for many positions, especially on defence.
Over the next few seasons the team should go from strength to strength. Only a few players are regressing and while future HoFer Nero Alexander will be missed along the DLine, the main core of the team should be intact.
Coming into the ISFL isn’t easy for any player. Each season rookies perform admirably but often take a while to reach the dizzying heights of the more veteran players In the league which is why offensive and defensive rookie awards exist. This season the Offensive rookie of the year will be Doug Howlett, the wide receiver from Baltimore. However, I think he should also win Wide Receiver of the year. Howlett had an incredible season, he came into Baltimore as the top receiver as they had lost Nick Kaepercolin and Asher Quinn both to the Berlin Fire Salamanders in expansion due to close ties with the new GMs there. However it couldn’t have been predicted just how great his season would be. With the gunslinging skills of Chika Fujiwara throwing him the ball, Howlett raced his way into the receiving yardage lead early into the season and never let up. He finished with a highly respectable 11 TDs and more impressively 1646 yards. Only 3 players have ever had more receiving yards than this and to do it in his rookie season is unthinkable. He finished a whole 200 yards above the next highest WR and so in my view is this years WRotY. While he may be 4 TDs behind Lim, the sheer yardage puts him over the top.
Awards season often sees the rise of new upcoming talents in the league, players just hitting their prime, but Defensive End of the Year should with absolute certainty be going to the oldest player in the position, Nero Alexander. Nero isn’t just fractionally older, he’s a full 3 seasons more than any other Defensive End in the league. While most of his career hasn’t been filled with awards and accolades, the solid performer has finally had a season worthy of the earning and commitment he has put in. TFL are the biggest DE stat and Nero has lit up the league this season with 23, the second highest single season TFL total. He blew every other player out the water, finishing a full 5 ahead of Ocewilder in 2nd and his 7 sack total was only marginally behind Ocewilder’s 8. Add in a Forced Fumble for good measure and 68 tackles, also the highest in the league and Nero had an exceptional season.
Nero has long been one of the great DE’s in the leagues history, this season he also took the lead in career TFL’s from the infamous Jayce Tuck and cemented himself as a Hall of Famer. The DEotY award will just further cement his legacy as he wins in runaway fashion this season.
9) It’s always important to look forward to the future. Examine your team, and in 400 words or more, talk about how they can improve themselves to get a stab at trophy contention next year. Are you loaded with draft capital for the next draft? Do you have plenty of cap space to sign free agents? Go through the roster and note the different strengths and weaknesses, and how you think those will change over the next few seasons. How should your team adapt?
The Yellowknife Wraiths are coming off another disappointing season having missed playoffs for 2 seasons straight. Suffering from an extended Ultimus hangover, new QB Colby Jack hasn’t yet played his first playoff game at the ISFL level. However Colby Jack is one of the biggest strengths for the Wraiths. The S22 Draftee is beginning to hit the peak of his career which as the QB of the team is one of the biggest things for a team’s success. Around Colby there is also a strong core of players with a similar maxing timeframe. The S22 class was an excellent one for Yellowknife as they still have 7 players from that season, in addition to an S21 LB and S23 WR. This core of the team is just beginning to peak and should be a strong team in the upcoming seasons.
There are definitely obvious areas for the Wraiths to improve in. The first would be in the defensive backfield, with L’Carpetron Dookmarriot’s contract being up at the end of the season, there is a gap in the team and veteran CB Mervin Leonard likely has 1 more season before retirement. The first way to fill this gap would be through Free Agency. While rumours are that divisive CB Zamir Kehla is signing with the Colorado yeti, ex-Philidelphia CB Brandon Booker is still a free agent and rumoured to be the top target for Yellowknife. The other position of need is at receiver. With Chris Kross missing from training sessions, Yellowknife have also been rumoured to be looking elsewhere. They also have other methods of strengthening these positions with several players sent down to the DSFL and also owning the #4 pick in the upcoming draft. While the draft isn’t quite as deep as the previous draft class, the top prospects are excellent, and Yellowknife are almost guaranteed to pick up a game changing player. From the previous draft class there is still Donald McBobby and Djibutee McJimmerson as max earning players who can come in and fill slots where needed on the team. Although they are currently playing LB and TE in the DSFL, as strong all around athletes, the Yellowknife scouting team saw potential in them for many positions, especially on defence.
Over the next few seasons the team should go from strength to strength. Only a few players are regressing and while future HoFer Nero Alexander will be missed along the DLine, the main core of the team should be intact.