I chose option 2 with 800 words.
I haven’t been around the league long, but I feel the S24 season for the San Jose SaberCats was legendary. A team that wasn’t expected to make an Ultimus run let alone win one is impactful. When talking about the SaberCats and their national title run, we need to take a step back and look at the previous year and the build-up to what they were working with when coming into the season. It was the end of season 23 and the SaberCats are at the bottom of the ASFC. Looking to rebuild most teams take at least a couple of offseason to develop into a team that can compete for an Ultimus let alone win one. After having a strong draft class and some even stronger call ups the saber cats were ready to make an improvement on the previous year. Rolling into season 24 the SaberCats were much improved moving into the season rolling through the season breaking even the entire way through. Their final two games were going to be the biggest difference seeing as how the rest of the conference was pretty neck and neck they couldn’t afford to slip but luckily they had to home games with that sweet sweet shitty home-field advantage that our great lord and savior draft day sports bestowed upon us. The SaberCats won out both of their home games leaving a four-way tie to end the regular season. Due to the elite tiebreakers from the SaberCats, they got to hold the top spot and secured the easier of the two games, going against the Outlaws.
The SaberCats did what the SaberCats do best and shut down the opposing team’s offense allowing only 10 points bringing the final score to 20 – 10 giving the SaberCats the edge and moving onto the Semi-Finals. The SaberCats got to this point from heavy and slow tempo allowing their defense to dominate so why change something that is winning. Well, that’s what they did…. nice and slow and suffocate the opposing team the Otters. Looking into this match everyone expected this to be a slugger, but no one expected it to be so one-sided. The SaberCats were able to come out on top of the defensive battle completely shutting the Otters offense down and limiting them to a single field goal bringing the final tally to 17 - 3. Time to move on to the big game, the Ultimus itself. Before the playoffs even started the Yeti were the clear favorites moving into this game.
They dominated the regular season only dropping two games along the way. In the playoffs, they secured their wins up to this point as expected. One thing to take note of though, the Yetis work securing all their victories by a close margin. Won by three against the Wraiths, and only won by four against the sailfish. Was this the plan all along to try and throw everyone off their real strategy going into the Ultimus game or was this the beginning of a whole in the Yeti’s impenetrable armor. Moving into the game everyone still expected San Jose to get trampled without a second thought. It was finally time for the showdown and battle for it all the ULTIMUS. The SaberCats got the ball to start the game and to no one's surprise, it ended in a punt. The ball going to the Yetis which also led to a punt. This back and forth continued throughout the entire first quarter of the game excluding a field goal for each team. Going into the second quarter tied no one felt any different they knew this would most likely be a close defensive game but were still very sure of the Yeti’s victory. Colorado started the second quarter started and out of nowhere, McDummy threw an interception…. the roars hushed…the fifty…. the forty…. the thirty…. the twenty…. ten…. five…. TOUCHDOWN. Matt Krause had what would later be known as the play of the game, as he picked off McDummy and returned the ball sixty-two yards for a touchdown. You could feel the air leave the stadium as the Yeti’s sideline stood still and their fans grew quiet. This was the moment that doubt started to creep into the thoughts of everyone on the Yeti sideline and doubt festers and can completely change the swing of a game. The SaberCats ecstatic were reinforced with the fact that they can do this and were showing everyone else what they already knew…the SaberCats can win this. To compound this error the Yeti went out and had a three and out on their previous drive. To build on the SaberCats knew what they needed to do. They drove downfield pounding and demoralizing that Yeti defense to secure a second touchdown. The Yeti had another three and out, but with the SaberCats driving, they were unable to beat the clock and secure any additional points before the half was out. The third quarter was another constant defensive battle with zero points and leaving both punter's legs tired. In the fourth, the Yeti started climbing their way back into the game. They secured a Touchdown, then had a huge special teams/defensive play. Punting the ball all the way down to the SaberCats two and sacking Montey Jack to secure the safety. Momentum started to swing back in the Yeti's favor as they were getting the ball back. Though the SaberCats defense was stout and allowed no additional points to be scored and securing the upset. Along with it came the highly coveted Ultimus trophy it was a great day for the SaberCats.
GO CATS BACK TO BACK CHAMPS BABY!!!!
I haven’t been around the league long, but I feel the S24 season for the San Jose SaberCats was legendary. A team that wasn’t expected to make an Ultimus run let alone win one is impactful. When talking about the SaberCats and their national title run, we need to take a step back and look at the previous year and the build-up to what they were working with when coming into the season. It was the end of season 23 and the SaberCats are at the bottom of the ASFC. Looking to rebuild most teams take at least a couple of offseason to develop into a team that can compete for an Ultimus let alone win one. After having a strong draft class and some even stronger call ups the saber cats were ready to make an improvement on the previous year. Rolling into season 24 the SaberCats were much improved moving into the season rolling through the season breaking even the entire way through. Their final two games were going to be the biggest difference seeing as how the rest of the conference was pretty neck and neck they couldn’t afford to slip but luckily they had to home games with that sweet sweet shitty home-field advantage that our great lord and savior draft day sports bestowed upon us. The SaberCats won out both of their home games leaving a four-way tie to end the regular season. Due to the elite tiebreakers from the SaberCats, they got to hold the top spot and secured the easier of the two games, going against the Outlaws.
The SaberCats did what the SaberCats do best and shut down the opposing team’s offense allowing only 10 points bringing the final score to 20 – 10 giving the SaberCats the edge and moving onto the Semi-Finals. The SaberCats got to this point from heavy and slow tempo allowing their defense to dominate so why change something that is winning. Well, that’s what they did…. nice and slow and suffocate the opposing team the Otters. Looking into this match everyone expected this to be a slugger, but no one expected it to be so one-sided. The SaberCats were able to come out on top of the defensive battle completely shutting the Otters offense down and limiting them to a single field goal bringing the final tally to 17 - 3. Time to move on to the big game, the Ultimus itself. Before the playoffs even started the Yeti were the clear favorites moving into this game.
They dominated the regular season only dropping two games along the way. In the playoffs, they secured their wins up to this point as expected. One thing to take note of though, the Yetis work securing all their victories by a close margin. Won by three against the Wraiths, and only won by four against the sailfish. Was this the plan all along to try and throw everyone off their real strategy going into the Ultimus game or was this the beginning of a whole in the Yeti’s impenetrable armor. Moving into the game everyone still expected San Jose to get trampled without a second thought. It was finally time for the showdown and battle for it all the ULTIMUS. The SaberCats got the ball to start the game and to no one's surprise, it ended in a punt. The ball going to the Yetis which also led to a punt. This back and forth continued throughout the entire first quarter of the game excluding a field goal for each team. Going into the second quarter tied no one felt any different they knew this would most likely be a close defensive game but were still very sure of the Yeti’s victory. Colorado started the second quarter started and out of nowhere, McDummy threw an interception…. the roars hushed…the fifty…. the forty…. the thirty…. the twenty…. ten…. five…. TOUCHDOWN. Matt Krause had what would later be known as the play of the game, as he picked off McDummy and returned the ball sixty-two yards for a touchdown. You could feel the air leave the stadium as the Yeti’s sideline stood still and their fans grew quiet. This was the moment that doubt started to creep into the thoughts of everyone on the Yeti sideline and doubt festers and can completely change the swing of a game. The SaberCats ecstatic were reinforced with the fact that they can do this and were showing everyone else what they already knew…the SaberCats can win this. To compound this error the Yeti went out and had a three and out on their previous drive. To build on the SaberCats knew what they needed to do. They drove downfield pounding and demoralizing that Yeti defense to secure a second touchdown. The Yeti had another three and out, but with the SaberCats driving, they were unable to beat the clock and secure any additional points before the half was out. The third quarter was another constant defensive battle with zero points and leaving both punter's legs tired. In the fourth, the Yeti started climbing their way back into the game. They secured a Touchdown, then had a huge special teams/defensive play. Punting the ball all the way down to the SaberCats two and sacking Montey Jack to secure the safety. Momentum started to swing back in the Yeti's favor as they were getting the ball back. Though the SaberCats defense was stout and allowed no additional points to be scored and securing the upset. Along with it came the highly coveted Ultimus trophy it was a great day for the SaberCats.
GO CATS BACK TO BACK CHAMPS BABY!!!!