Playoff Series MVP:
Darren Smallwood stood out as a player in the playoff series between the New Orleans Secodn Line and the Orange County Otters. The Second Line came into the game as a clear underdog, trying to better the favorite Otters. Smallwood rushed 9 times for 41 yards, which is a solid 4.6 yards per carry. Additionally he caught 8 balls for 85 yards, leading the Second Line in catches and 2nd in yards. Smallwood did not manage to get a touchdown, but his contribution in both the rushing and passing game were unparalleled. Additionally, Smallwood had 3 kick returns for 100 yards, giving the Second Line a better field position as well, helping them win the game 20-17 in the end. Smallwood came up big in several situations, creating important first downs along the way and he had a big impact on the game. It would have been really fitting if he had also gotten a touchdown but alas, the rushing touchdown went to Bubba Nuck instead. Perhaps Smallwood will be able to fix that in the Ultimus game! Darren Smallwood was the clear Most Valuably Player of that game for me, after he already had a fantastic season in the regular season.
That Magic Moment:
The Orange County Otters were facing the New Orleans Second Line. For the Otters, they were trying to get back to the Ultimus game. They had previously won three times from Season 4 to Season 6, before losing last season in the first round of the playoffs. They were the clear favorites. The Second Line managed to take an early lead, 10-0 and it looked like they could pull out an unlikely win. Just before halftime, the Otters managed to score a field goal to pull closer. After Otters tied the game twice in the rest of the game, it looked like overtime was inevitable, but Borkus Maximus had one more drive in him. With great use of timeouts, the Second Line got themselves into field goal range and managed to score a 46 yard field goal with 10 seconds left to pull out an incredible last second win against the dominant Otters and they are heading to their first ever Ultimus game. The moment itself was filled with terror and excitement, as the incredible New Orleans' fans were waiting with fear, whether this gutsy kicker Peg Leg would be able get the kick through the uprights, but he managed to, especially from that far, a great accomplishment. It was great to see the absolute ecstasy in the Second Line locker room after the game and seeing how excited everyone was.
Hate the player or the game:
The Philadelphia Liberty were Ultimus champions last season. This year, they ended with a 7-7 record, tied with the Hawks, but based on tiebreakers missed the playoffs. What the hell happened?! How can a team that won the Ultimus fall apart this quickly and miss the playoffs. Even just one win more would have meant they were in the playoffs again. Not only did management have several issues this season, with leadership changing more than once I believe. Additionally Liberty also traded away some big talent to build for the future, but at what cost? Even one win more and they are in the playoffs and have a shot at another title. It seems like a massive waste. This team was 5-2 at one point earlier in the season and these trades made them go 2-5 down the stretch to miss the playoffs, including a stretch where they lost four out of five games. You cannot expect to get to the playoffs that way, but come on, as champions last season you have to fight harder than that for success. Where will the Liberty go from here? I think the uncertainty regarding leadership could end up causing them to drop further next season. I would be shocked to see them in the Ultimus next season.
Sit-Down with a Star:
Interview with Angus Winchester @timeconsumer
Q: The Otters had three titles in a row from S4 to S6 and were looking to get back into the Ultimus game this season but came up short. How is the mood now in Orange County after the loss yesterday?
A: I think mostly the players feel like they let themselves down. Everyone knows how we could have played better on both sides of the ball to flip the script on this game. We didn't make any major mistakes, but it was a combination of several small mistakes that led to us losing that game. Had we played to the level of our expectations we could have put up a better fight, and some guys are kicking themselves a little bit over those small mistakes. However we are going into the offseason looking to improve and find some young talent to help us stay competitive.
Q: What do you feel went wrong for the Otters in the game? Did you underestimate the opponent?
A: Hah, the last thing we would do is underestimate New Orleans. They were a strong team before the tradeline and became a powerhouse after it. I think the most obvious issues were that we struggled to stop the run on defense and that we sputtered on offense. You can't expect to win a game with a time-of-possession difference like we had.
Q: Who do you think will win the Ultimus game now?
A: It's going to be a really close one I think. I'd probably give the edge to Yellowknife, both with the game being on their turf as well as how dominant they have played all season. But I'm certainly not writing off New Orleans, I know first hand how hard they are to beat.
Q: What are the expectations in Orange County and for you personally heading into next season?
A: Our expectations are the same they have always been. Get a little bit better every season. We took a bit of a step back this season, and that is bound to happen sometimes. So we intend to make a few tweaks and as always, find some good young talent in the draft. I'm loving what some of these new guys like Mason Brown, Jaylon Broxton, and (kind of new?) Atwell and Crush did this season. Personally I just want to try and keep up with these new guys. I'm getting old and these young guys on our defense are fast as hell.
Darren Smallwood stood out as a player in the playoff series between the New Orleans Secodn Line and the Orange County Otters. The Second Line came into the game as a clear underdog, trying to better the favorite Otters. Smallwood rushed 9 times for 41 yards, which is a solid 4.6 yards per carry. Additionally he caught 8 balls for 85 yards, leading the Second Line in catches and 2nd in yards. Smallwood did not manage to get a touchdown, but his contribution in both the rushing and passing game were unparalleled. Additionally, Smallwood had 3 kick returns for 100 yards, giving the Second Line a better field position as well, helping them win the game 20-17 in the end. Smallwood came up big in several situations, creating important first downs along the way and he had a big impact on the game. It would have been really fitting if he had also gotten a touchdown but alas, the rushing touchdown went to Bubba Nuck instead. Perhaps Smallwood will be able to fix that in the Ultimus game! Darren Smallwood was the clear Most Valuably Player of that game for me, after he already had a fantastic season in the regular season.
That Magic Moment:
The Orange County Otters were facing the New Orleans Second Line. For the Otters, they were trying to get back to the Ultimus game. They had previously won three times from Season 4 to Season 6, before losing last season in the first round of the playoffs. They were the clear favorites. The Second Line managed to take an early lead, 10-0 and it looked like they could pull out an unlikely win. Just before halftime, the Otters managed to score a field goal to pull closer. After Otters tied the game twice in the rest of the game, it looked like overtime was inevitable, but Borkus Maximus had one more drive in him. With great use of timeouts, the Second Line got themselves into field goal range and managed to score a 46 yard field goal with 10 seconds left to pull out an incredible last second win against the dominant Otters and they are heading to their first ever Ultimus game. The moment itself was filled with terror and excitement, as the incredible New Orleans' fans were waiting with fear, whether this gutsy kicker Peg Leg would be able get the kick through the uprights, but he managed to, especially from that far, a great accomplishment. It was great to see the absolute ecstasy in the Second Line locker room after the game and seeing how excited everyone was.
Hate the player or the game:
The Philadelphia Liberty were Ultimus champions last season. This year, they ended with a 7-7 record, tied with the Hawks, but based on tiebreakers missed the playoffs. What the hell happened?! How can a team that won the Ultimus fall apart this quickly and miss the playoffs. Even just one win more would have meant they were in the playoffs again. Not only did management have several issues this season, with leadership changing more than once I believe. Additionally Liberty also traded away some big talent to build for the future, but at what cost? Even one win more and they are in the playoffs and have a shot at another title. It seems like a massive waste. This team was 5-2 at one point earlier in the season and these trades made them go 2-5 down the stretch to miss the playoffs, including a stretch where they lost four out of five games. You cannot expect to get to the playoffs that way, but come on, as champions last season you have to fight harder than that for success. Where will the Liberty go from here? I think the uncertainty regarding leadership could end up causing them to drop further next season. I would be shocked to see them in the Ultimus next season.
Sit-Down with a Star:
Interview with Angus Winchester @timeconsumer
Q: The Otters had three titles in a row from S4 to S6 and were looking to get back into the Ultimus game this season but came up short. How is the mood now in Orange County after the loss yesterday?
A: I think mostly the players feel like they let themselves down. Everyone knows how we could have played better on both sides of the ball to flip the script on this game. We didn't make any major mistakes, but it was a combination of several small mistakes that led to us losing that game. Had we played to the level of our expectations we could have put up a better fight, and some guys are kicking themselves a little bit over those small mistakes. However we are going into the offseason looking to improve and find some young talent to help us stay competitive.
Q: What do you feel went wrong for the Otters in the game? Did you underestimate the opponent?
A: Hah, the last thing we would do is underestimate New Orleans. They were a strong team before the tradeline and became a powerhouse after it. I think the most obvious issues were that we struggled to stop the run on defense and that we sputtered on offense. You can't expect to win a game with a time-of-possession difference like we had.
Q: Who do you think will win the Ultimus game now?
A: It's going to be a really close one I think. I'd probably give the edge to Yellowknife, both with the game being on their turf as well as how dominant they have played all season. But I'm certainly not writing off New Orleans, I know first hand how hard they are to beat.
Q: What are the expectations in Orange County and for you personally heading into next season?
A: Our expectations are the same they have always been. Get a little bit better every season. We took a bit of a step back this season, and that is bound to happen sometimes. So we intend to make a few tweaks and as always, find some good young talent in the draft. I'm loving what some of these new guys like Mason Brown, Jaylon Broxton, and (kind of new?) Atwell and Crush did this season. Personally I just want to try and keep up with these new guys. I'm getting old and these young guys on our defense are fast as hell.