Robbed:
The Baltimore Hawks were robbed of a playoff spot. Going 7-7 they only missed the playoffs by half a game to the Yellowknife Wraiths who went 7-6-1. With a 397-351 run differential, it showed that they were better than their 7-7 record indicates. The team is stacked with superstars, from quarterback Avon Blocksdale, to Running Back Owen Taylor, to Wide Receiver Trey Willie, to cornerback Austin Delacour and many others who provide a great service like kicker Turk Turkleton. Their unsung hero might be Noah Goodson, the linebacker who anchors that defense. This team had a ton of talent and had some great wins. The Hawks had some incredibly under-rated wins like beating the later Champions Orange County Otters in Orange County on the road, which is an incredible win that happens very rarely. Beating the future champions on the road is a huge accomplishment. They also beat the Otters at home, which I believe makes them the only team who was undefeated against the Orange County Otters all year. They have a claim to the title this way! Basically they were better than the future champions in a head-to-head way. I wonder if they could have won the third game between these two teams as well!
Playoff Series MVP:
Bradley Madlad was the game-winner for the Otters in the Conference Championship game. With three field goals and three extra points, he was very successful and didn't miss a thing. He also had eleven punts so he was successful in that area too. More importantly, his final field goal was the game-winner with less than a minute to go to send the Otters to yet another Ultimus Title Game. He scored field goals from 22, 32 and 34 yards, with the 34 yarder being the game-winner. The pressure in that situation must have been so high but he made it anyway. What is most shocking is that Madlad has not always been the most consistent but this playoff run showed just how clutch he is, and especially in this game he was the true hero of the Otters. One of his punts also ended up within the opponents 20 yard line and his average per punt was also excellent with 54 yards per punt. He was a man who was active in different aspects of the game and really helped his team win this game, also by setting up the defense with a good field position. What an amazing game from Bradley Madlad!
Championship Game Recap:
All eyes were on the Championship game between the Orange County Otters and the Philadelphia Liberty. The Otters coming in as the heavy favorite, the Liberty actually started out better and had the early 3-0 lead. The Otters responded quickly though and took the lead after a Bradley Westfield touchdown. The Liberty were not done yet though and took the lead again with a Paul DiMirio touchdown. Two field goals, both right before the half within a minute of halftime gave the Otters the slim lead at the half. The third quarter saw no scores, before Robert Phelps gave the Otters what appeared to be the deciding touchdown, putting them up by 10 points in the 4th but Josh Garden returned the ensuing kick-off 102 yards for a touchdown to make the game close again. What an amazing moment, where Garden gave hope to Philadelphia again out of nowhere. Another field goal and no more points after that and the Otters were Champions again. This field goal was a huge deciding factor though, as it meant that the Liberty needed a touchdown to win it, not just a field goal to tie the game. It was a fantastic game from both teams but sadly only one can win.
Unsung Hero:
Bradley Madlad was the unsung hero for the Otters on their championship run. Madlad was flawless in the playoffs with field-goals and extra points, going 6 for 6 on field goals and 5 for 5 on extra points. In the first game he scored the game-winning field goal late, while in the Championship game he turned the tides with two field-goals within the last minute of the first half, bringing the Otters the lead, one of which was a 50+ yarder. He also scored a field goal late to give the Otters a 6 point lead and guarantee that the Liberty needed a touchdown to win, not just a field goal to tie the game up. Bradley Madlad had a flawless playoff run with the Otters, and gave so much value to the team with his field goals. His punting cannot be underrated either, as he also is the team's punter. He had 18 punts in two games, which kept the team in good field position and put the defense in a good spot. His excellent foot work helped this team and sadly often times the kickers are unsung heroes, especially on a team as stacked with superstars like Orange County is. But Madlad was the Adam Vinatieri of this Championship run!
The Baltimore Hawks were robbed of a playoff spot. Going 7-7 they only missed the playoffs by half a game to the Yellowknife Wraiths who went 7-6-1. With a 397-351 run differential, it showed that they were better than their 7-7 record indicates. The team is stacked with superstars, from quarterback Avon Blocksdale, to Running Back Owen Taylor, to Wide Receiver Trey Willie, to cornerback Austin Delacour and many others who provide a great service like kicker Turk Turkleton. Their unsung hero might be Noah Goodson, the linebacker who anchors that defense. This team had a ton of talent and had some great wins. The Hawks had some incredibly under-rated wins like beating the later Champions Orange County Otters in Orange County on the road, which is an incredible win that happens very rarely. Beating the future champions on the road is a huge accomplishment. They also beat the Otters at home, which I believe makes them the only team who was undefeated against the Orange County Otters all year. They have a claim to the title this way! Basically they were better than the future champions in a head-to-head way. I wonder if they could have won the third game between these two teams as well!
Playoff Series MVP:
Bradley Madlad was the game-winner for the Otters in the Conference Championship game. With three field goals and three extra points, he was very successful and didn't miss a thing. He also had eleven punts so he was successful in that area too. More importantly, his final field goal was the game-winner with less than a minute to go to send the Otters to yet another Ultimus Title Game. He scored field goals from 22, 32 and 34 yards, with the 34 yarder being the game-winner. The pressure in that situation must have been so high but he made it anyway. What is most shocking is that Madlad has not always been the most consistent but this playoff run showed just how clutch he is, and especially in this game he was the true hero of the Otters. One of his punts also ended up within the opponents 20 yard line and his average per punt was also excellent with 54 yards per punt. He was a man who was active in different aspects of the game and really helped his team win this game, also by setting up the defense with a good field position. What an amazing game from Bradley Madlad!
Championship Game Recap:
All eyes were on the Championship game between the Orange County Otters and the Philadelphia Liberty. The Otters coming in as the heavy favorite, the Liberty actually started out better and had the early 3-0 lead. The Otters responded quickly though and took the lead after a Bradley Westfield touchdown. The Liberty were not done yet though and took the lead again with a Paul DiMirio touchdown. Two field goals, both right before the half within a minute of halftime gave the Otters the slim lead at the half. The third quarter saw no scores, before Robert Phelps gave the Otters what appeared to be the deciding touchdown, putting them up by 10 points in the 4th but Josh Garden returned the ensuing kick-off 102 yards for a touchdown to make the game close again. What an amazing moment, where Garden gave hope to Philadelphia again out of nowhere. Another field goal and no more points after that and the Otters were Champions again. This field goal was a huge deciding factor though, as it meant that the Liberty needed a touchdown to win it, not just a field goal to tie the game. It was a fantastic game from both teams but sadly only one can win.
Unsung Hero:
Bradley Madlad was the unsung hero for the Otters on their championship run. Madlad was flawless in the playoffs with field-goals and extra points, going 6 for 6 on field goals and 5 for 5 on extra points. In the first game he scored the game-winning field goal late, while in the Championship game he turned the tides with two field-goals within the last minute of the first half, bringing the Otters the lead, one of which was a 50+ yarder. He also scored a field goal late to give the Otters a 6 point lead and guarantee that the Liberty needed a touchdown to win, not just a field goal to tie the game up. Bradley Madlad had a flawless playoff run with the Otters, and gave so much value to the team with his field goals. His punting cannot be underrated either, as he also is the team's punter. He had 18 punts in two games, which kept the team in good field position and put the defense in a good spot. His excellent foot work helped this team and sadly often times the kickers are unsung heroes, especially on a team as stacked with superstars like Orange County is. But Madlad was the Adam Vinatieri of this Championship run!