1.
Big congrats to the Norfolk Seawolves on their Ultimini! In a division that was hotly contested between 3 great teams, the Seawolves managed to separate themselves by a pair of wins and convert that regular season title into a real title. It wasn't an easy path despite what their record suggests. Many of their games were close against teams that didn't have the same roster quality, and much of the hype was around a potential back to back title for Tijuana. By yardage, Norfolk was a league average team on both sides of the ball. As somebody put it to me during scouting "a NorfoLk falloff is inevitable." So how did they manage to win 11 games and a title?
The key is points. No matter how many yards they didn't gain or did give up, Norfolk excelled at converting the opportunities they were given into points and preventing their opponents from doing the same. 27.0 PF per game was good enough for #2 in the league, only slightly behind runner-up Minnesota, while 18.7 PA per game lead the league. Despite how vaunted the Tijuana offense was and how well they gained yards, they couldn't match the point production of Norfolk. These points meant that they were able to take losses in a more rare, scattered fashion while their division rivals went through periods of highs and lows.
A big part of this team was the players. QB Maximus Boudreaux wasn't the most accurate passer this season, but #3 in passing yards and a league-leading 27 touchdown passes is a solid performance for offensive rookie of the year. Of course we can't talk about Norfolk's passing attack without mentioning DSFL MOP and MVP Stetson David. The WR hauled in 85 passes for 1480 yards and accounted for 16 of Boudreaux's 27 touchdowns. Also worth mentioning is his counterpart in the WR2 spot, Tyler Hunt. He caught for 100 fewer yards than the MVP, but was nonetheless a dangerous threat that forced defenses to split their attention. For rushing, Oskar Clark's late arrival was a spark for the team, scoring 7 touchdowns and rushing for 768 yards.
The Seawolf defense was a force to be reckoned with, featuring 4 first team All-Pros in DE Tunkha Danstrol, LB Frederico Americano, and CBs Sticky Hands and Robert Rossi. As a team, they combined for the most TFLs by a wide margin, the most interceptions by a wide margin, and forced the 2nd most fumbles in the league. In sacks they were 2nd as well, though well off the pace of the Grey Ducks.
Making it to the playoffs is one thing, but winning the big game at the end is another thing entirely. To get there, they had to get past the division championship game. Though it was a fierce fight, their opponent would be the Tijuana Luchadores-- the best offense in the league by yardage. It was a tight game into halftime with Tijuana leading by 6, but Norfolk exploded in the second half. Rookie QB C.G. Breezy Jr. threw two interceptions to the Norfolk secondary, including a game-icing pick 6 with 2:30 to go in the 4th quarter. Boudreaux spread the love in this one as 4 different receivers would get a touchdown, including a 79 yard burner from Tyler Hunt to answer a Luchadore touchdown in the 1st quarter. A 38-19 win earned the Seawolves a date in the Everglades with the North champions: the Minnesota Grey Ducks.
The Ultimini didn't start very strongly for Norfolk as they allowed 17 unanswered points while stifled by the Minnesota defense. They would score as time was running down in the first half, and from there the seeds of the comback were set. Boudreaux threw his sixth TD pass of the postseason midway through the 3rd to cut the deficit to 3, then a field goal tied it early in the 4th. With 7:26 left in the game, Stetson David made a beuatiful catch that turned into a 48 yard touchdown. Having gone from allowing 17 unanswered point to scoring 24 unanswered, the Seawolf defense held firm. A chance for Minnesota to score with 2 minutes remaining was shut down when Sticky Hands made what is likely the most impactful interception of the season. A fantastic game all around.
Big congrats to the Norfolk Seawolves on their Ultimini! In a division that was hotly contested between 3 great teams, the Seawolves managed to separate themselves by a pair of wins and convert that regular season title into a real title. It wasn't an easy path despite what their record suggests. Many of their games were close against teams that didn't have the same roster quality, and much of the hype was around a potential back to back title for Tijuana. By yardage, Norfolk was a league average team on both sides of the ball. As somebody put it to me during scouting "a NorfoLk falloff is inevitable." So how did they manage to win 11 games and a title?
The key is points. No matter how many yards they didn't gain or did give up, Norfolk excelled at converting the opportunities they were given into points and preventing their opponents from doing the same. 27.0 PF per game was good enough for #2 in the league, only slightly behind runner-up Minnesota, while 18.7 PA per game lead the league. Despite how vaunted the Tijuana offense was and how well they gained yards, they couldn't match the point production of Norfolk. These points meant that they were able to take losses in a more rare, scattered fashion while their division rivals went through periods of highs and lows.
A big part of this team was the players. QB Maximus Boudreaux wasn't the most accurate passer this season, but #3 in passing yards and a league-leading 27 touchdown passes is a solid performance for offensive rookie of the year. Of course we can't talk about Norfolk's passing attack without mentioning DSFL MOP and MVP Stetson David. The WR hauled in 85 passes for 1480 yards and accounted for 16 of Boudreaux's 27 touchdowns. Also worth mentioning is his counterpart in the WR2 spot, Tyler Hunt. He caught for 100 fewer yards than the MVP, but was nonetheless a dangerous threat that forced defenses to split their attention. For rushing, Oskar Clark's late arrival was a spark for the team, scoring 7 touchdowns and rushing for 768 yards.
The Seawolf defense was a force to be reckoned with, featuring 4 first team All-Pros in DE Tunkha Danstrol, LB Frederico Americano, and CBs Sticky Hands and Robert Rossi. As a team, they combined for the most TFLs by a wide margin, the most interceptions by a wide margin, and forced the 2nd most fumbles in the league. In sacks they were 2nd as well, though well off the pace of the Grey Ducks.
Making it to the playoffs is one thing, but winning the big game at the end is another thing entirely. To get there, they had to get past the division championship game. Though it was a fierce fight, their opponent would be the Tijuana Luchadores-- the best offense in the league by yardage. It was a tight game into halftime with Tijuana leading by 6, but Norfolk exploded in the second half. Rookie QB C.G. Breezy Jr. threw two interceptions to the Norfolk secondary, including a game-icing pick 6 with 2:30 to go in the 4th quarter. Boudreaux spread the love in this one as 4 different receivers would get a touchdown, including a 79 yard burner from Tyler Hunt to answer a Luchadore touchdown in the 1st quarter. A 38-19 win earned the Seawolves a date in the Everglades with the North champions: the Minnesota Grey Ducks.
The Ultimini didn't start very strongly for Norfolk as they allowed 17 unanswered points while stifled by the Minnesota defense. They would score as time was running down in the first half, and from there the seeds of the comback were set. Boudreaux threw his sixth TD pass of the postseason midway through the 3rd to cut the deficit to 3, then a field goal tied it early in the 4th. With 7:26 left in the game, Stetson David made a beuatiful catch that turned into a 48 yard touchdown. Having gone from allowing 17 unanswered point to scoring 24 unanswered, the Seawolf defense held firm. A chance for Minnesota to score with 2 minutes remaining was shut down when Sticky Hands made what is likely the most impactful interception of the season. A fantastic game all around.