(S12) - PT 4 - Midseason Review

[Leafs4ever]

As a SaberCat, to say that our first half of the season was a success would be a gross understatement. After finishing a dreadful 1-13 last season, I don't think many expected much from our squad. However, our team is very young and we all had another season in our books to get better and improve. Improve is exactly what we did. Currently, we have a 7-0 record, good for best in the NSFL. Our defense has been our driving force, only giving up 98 points, or 14 points per game. Our offense has been much steadier with the continued development of quarterback Joliet Christ and running back Jerrod Canton. A very young team is quickly hitting their stride and taking the league by storm.

Looking ahead to the second half, we need to keep our foot on the gas. Even with a 7-0 record, the Orange County Otters are right behind us at 6-1. They are a very talented team and we know they won't let up. If we want to carry success over to the playoffs, having home field advantage will be key. We can't let the Otters pass us in the standings and have a match up in the playoffs in their stadium. Week 11 is going to be important as we travel to Orange County to face the Otters. That could decide the division. Outside of that, we're excited to continue this season, as we're playing lights out and can't wait to see how far we can go.

(252 words)

[Dangles13]

SHL PT

[speculadora]

Jaylon Broxton is feeling cautiously optimistic about where the Orange County Otters stand at this point in the season. They have won 6 games and lost just once, but trail the San Jose Sabercats, who are undefeated, in the standings. The Otters' only loss came in San Jose to those Sabercats and it was a nail-biter to the very end. Even though the Otters are in second place, they picked up a crucial road win against the Baltimore Hawks that, assuming things go according to plan, will position them to take the top spot in the conference in the second half of the NSFL season. The Sabercats still have to travel to Baltimore for a game and to Orange County. Both of those games are going to be tough. They also still have to face a New Orleans team that is still kicking and a Philadelphia team that is likely playoff bound, both games on the road. Orange County has to meet those same two challenges, but on the flip side they will face San Jose and Baltimore both in Orange County rather than away from it. It will hardly be an easy task, but it feels as if home field advantage is Orange County's to lose despite San Jose's outstanding start to the season. Still, if there's anything we know about this league it's that things rarely go according to plan. No matter what, the battle for the ASFC crown will be one to watch in the second half of the season.

SHL: Paq

[RedCydranth]

This season was supposed to be the Otters season definitively. Everyone had them as the #1 contender all off season and going into the season, everyone expected the team to absolutely dominate. And, to be fair, they haven't been a let down. At 6-1, they are dominating. Their sole loss, though, is to the San Jose Sabercats, who secretly have usurped the Otters as the front runners to take the division and win the whole kit and kaboodle. It would seem that their incessant tanking for 3-10 years is finally paying off with a big season. Instead of keeping their head above water and making playoffs every year, like Orange County has, and still finding a way to be a top tier franchise, San Jose's route seems to be slightly more efficient. There's still half a season left to go, and who knows how the final set of games will turn out. San Jose has yet to play in Orange County, so if the Otters can take a win there and tie it up, it'll be interesting to see how it all shakes out. San Jose is more defensive while Orange County is more offensively imposing. An interesting turn of events to this season, indeed.

(207 words)

[majesiu]

PBE Affiliation

[Justice]

SHL PT

[Bwestfield]

James Bishop plays for the Colorado Yeti. Bishop himself has been having a good year. He currently ranks 11th in the league in receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. He has taken great strides in his rookie year competing with older wideouts. He is currently second on the depth chart behind the legendary Howard Miller. With Micycle McCormick under center Bishop and Miller will be a great duo for years to come. Bishop hopes to eclipse the 1000 yard mark for the first time in his career and in his rookie year in the NSFL. As a highly touted entrant in the S12 draft he has yet to disappoint.

The Yeti on the other hand have been a little disappointing this year. They were able to get in the playoffs last year but with a lot of players out and a lot of new players in over the offseason only a fortune teller could see where the team was heading. However the team despite its bad record, seems to be getting better. A lot of key skill positions were replaced but with good upcoming talent. If they do not make the playoffs this year they certainly will next year. The season is only half over so time will tell the direction they are truly heading.

[maxcrazy]

Steven Moore is feeling pretty good this season. He continues to work hard and get better each week. He's quietly making a name for himself. While he isn't as talkative as some people on his team, he doesn't mind the limelight. He just wants to keep on grinding and working towards becoming the greatest tight end (some would even say the tighest end) in the league. ANd he thinks he's pretty much right on track with that. And while he's extremely happy in what he himself as been able to accomplish and get done, as a team they just can't seem to catch a break. Some games Steven thought were in the bag, easy wins or if not easy, simple games that they should've had a fighting chance against and they just couldn't complete it and put a "W" up. Sometimes football will football, and sometimes you just don't have it. But when you think you have it, and to be completely honest, should have it but done, it can kind of bring down your morale. I do think the team is on the right track and we'll be in it soon, Moore just wants to get over that hurtle and put the hurt to the other teams finally.

[Mavfatha]

As a player for the San Jose Sabercats and GM for the Kansas City Coyotes, I've gotta say that it's been a really fun season so far. I'd like to see more tackles and especially tackles for a loss out of Freezer but it's nice to lead my rookie DT class in sacks and be tied for the lead in sacks among all DT's. Of course the team overall has been playing great, starting with our lockdown defense that has allowed 25 fewer points than any other group in the league. Our offense isn't quite as stellar but really only in comparison, as they've been the 3rd best group in the league and score almost twice as many points as we give up. I don't know that we can go the whole season undefeated but it's been a fun ride so far and a very impressive turnaround for the squad as a whole. The Second Line or Outlaws would need an amazing improvement on the defensive side of things to get anywhere near us or the Otters this season in the ASFC. The Coyotes are at 6-2, and despite that being a little bit on the lucky side considering the overall point differential of the team I'm really proud of everyone and they put up a good fight week in and week out.

[BWIII]

If you were to tell me that we'd be 3-4 through our firs seven games of the year before the season began I probably wouldn't think that'd be too good, but then again I'm always trying to achieve top marks. Nevertheless, looking at it right now that 3-4 record actually looks pretty good and I think we're standing in a pretty good spot right now. The Hawks have only managed a 4-3 record and the Wraiths and Yeti have stumbled a bit out of the gates, leaving us in the second spot in the NSFC. We definitely have some holes that we've tried to fill on defense and it's been a bit of an up and down process so far and I think the results reflect that. We're still extremely young and our players are trying to develop so we'll see how that comes along. On offense at times we look extremely well balanced and can move the ball with ease and then at other times we look lost and confused. Again we're still pretty young on the offensive side of the ball as well and a lot of players are still trying to find their identity. All in all I think we're in a good spot and continue to improve and push for that 2nd playoff spot.