Obviously, I have to begin by offering sincere congratulations to the Arizona Outlaws. This team has consistently been among the most well-managed teams in the entire International Simulation Football League, akin to the way the Orange County Otters were in my early days in this league. The Outlaws are the type of team that should always be perceived as a threat, they are constantly well-constructed from top to bottom, I simply cannot offer sufficient praise for their efforts and their success, and it is no surprise they were in the running for, and ultimately won, another Ultimus.
That said, I would like to devote most of my time to their opponents from this past season's title contest, my own team, the Cape Town Crash. This team had a bit of a rollercoaster season after trading for Hercules Henry in the offseason, finishing with a disappointing record of nine wins and seven losses. That said, there were some significant accomplishments in Cape Town this season. The team had one of the most efficient rushing attacks in the history of the International Simulation Football League; the four-headed backfield attack of Thor Bollrsveifla, Nakiri Ayame, Hercules Henry, and Scorch von Turbo was borderline unstoppable on the ground, leading to a dangerous season of over two thousand yards and twenty-seven touchdowns for the unit, both league leading figures. The defense tied for the league lead in defensive touchdowns scored with six, The team had a nearly perfect seven wins and only a single loss at home, perhaps one of the benefits of being the lone team on their continent. There were absolutely positives from this season in Cape Town, and the team absolutely executed on those positives to have the success they had in the playoffs.
However, there were also some significant areas of improvement, things that may have cost them in the end against Arizona. The team had the lowest number of pancakes in the league, perhaps suggesting a lackluster pass blocking scheme. And, while Cape Town did have the most balanced offense in the league, they felt almost one dimensional due to the strength of their run game, and they ran far fewer offensive plays then the more successful teams did. And perhaps most critically, they were terrible on the road, winning just two games as the away side in the regular season.
Now, playing in the National Simulation Football Conference, Cape Town did have a significant boost in working their way towards the Ultimus. The Baltimore Hawks, an early favorite for the title, fell victim to the curse of Wolfie McDummy Jr., who threw a record-breaking three pick-sixes in a five interception outing that sent the Crash to Chicago. Chicago, meanwhile, was mediocre at home all season, and the Butchers continued that trend against the Crash, who rumbled their way into an Ultimus meeting with the dreaded Outlaws.
The Outlaws, of course, ultimately proved too much for Cape Town. Arizona was the second most prolific rushing team in the league this season, but were also a top five passing team, and this duality of excellence was more than the Crash could handle. Further, the Outlaws played an exceptional defensive game, and although their regular season statistics weren't altogether telling, they did allow the second fewest points against on the season, with only the San Jose Sabercats allowing fewer. Simply put, the National Simulation Football Conference was not equipped to handle the American Simulation Football Conference this season, and I believe the Ultimus shows just how dominant the top end competitors on the one side were compared to those on the other. The Crash were exciting, they did well to get as far as they did, and the future is bright, but the Outlaws simply outmatched them in the final.
That said, I would like to devote most of my time to their opponents from this past season's title contest, my own team, the Cape Town Crash. This team had a bit of a rollercoaster season after trading for Hercules Henry in the offseason, finishing with a disappointing record of nine wins and seven losses. That said, there were some significant accomplishments in Cape Town this season. The team had one of the most efficient rushing attacks in the history of the International Simulation Football League; the four-headed backfield attack of Thor Bollrsveifla, Nakiri Ayame, Hercules Henry, and Scorch von Turbo was borderline unstoppable on the ground, leading to a dangerous season of over two thousand yards and twenty-seven touchdowns for the unit, both league leading figures. The defense tied for the league lead in defensive touchdowns scored with six, The team had a nearly perfect seven wins and only a single loss at home, perhaps one of the benefits of being the lone team on their continent. There were absolutely positives from this season in Cape Town, and the team absolutely executed on those positives to have the success they had in the playoffs.
However, there were also some significant areas of improvement, things that may have cost them in the end against Arizona. The team had the lowest number of pancakes in the league, perhaps suggesting a lackluster pass blocking scheme. And, while Cape Town did have the most balanced offense in the league, they felt almost one dimensional due to the strength of their run game, and they ran far fewer offensive plays then the more successful teams did. And perhaps most critically, they were terrible on the road, winning just two games as the away side in the regular season.
Now, playing in the National Simulation Football Conference, Cape Town did have a significant boost in working their way towards the Ultimus. The Baltimore Hawks, an early favorite for the title, fell victim to the curse of Wolfie McDummy Jr., who threw a record-breaking three pick-sixes in a five interception outing that sent the Crash to Chicago. Chicago, meanwhile, was mediocre at home all season, and the Butchers continued that trend against the Crash, who rumbled their way into an Ultimus meeting with the dreaded Outlaws.
The Outlaws, of course, ultimately proved too much for Cape Town. Arizona was the second most prolific rushing team in the league this season, but were also a top five passing team, and this duality of excellence was more than the Crash could handle. Further, the Outlaws played an exceptional defensive game, and although their regular season statistics weren't altogether telling, they did allow the second fewest points against on the season, with only the San Jose Sabercats allowing fewer. Simply put, the National Simulation Football Conference was not equipped to handle the American Simulation Football Conference this season, and I believe the Ultimus shows just how dominant the top end competitors on the one side were compared to those on the other. The Crash were exciting, they did well to get as far as they did, and the future is bright, but the Outlaws simply outmatched them in the final.