Welcome to RainDelay's NSFL in Review series! There will be 6 parts to this, one for each team in record/elimination order. I will be looking at the good things, the bad things, and the future scope of each team. I hope to make this a regular thing each season.
So far in the series:
6. S1 San Jose SaberCats: The Good, Bad and Future
5. S1 Baltimore Hawks: The Good, Bad and Future
4. S1 Yellowknife Wraiths: The Good, Bad and Future
The next team on our list is the Orange County Otters, who finished in 2nd place in the American Simulation Football Conference this season, qualified for the playoffs, and were eliminated by the Arizona Outlaws, who went on to win the Ultimus Cup.
Orange County Otters
9-5
Second in ASFC
Round 1: Lost to Arizona Outlaws
The Good
The Otters were one of the league's powerhouses, and arguably one of the two best teams in the inaugural season. In fact, if they had knocked off Arizona and faced Colorado in the Ultimus Cup, my money would be on the Orange County Otters to take home the hardware. Unfortunately for them, the Outlaws won that game, so we couldn't test that scenario. To start the good, you need not look further than first ever NSFL draft pick, defensive tackle J.J. Reigns. He had a killer season on the field, but his presence was felt even more strongly off the field, as he has been able to craft his fellow defenders' skill sets, allowing them to have the most success up front. Speaking of lines, how about Angus Winchester? Before allowing the fateful sack in the playoffs to Blaster Blade, the man had not allowed a SINGLE sack in fourteen weeks of regular season play. That is an absolutely insane stat, and his first season is certainly one to write home about. While the quarterbacks didn't really stand out all that much, their targets did, as both Bradley Westfield and Robert Phelps had solid seasons, making a name for themselves among the league's top receivers.
The Bad
The Orange County Otters finished the season with nine wins and five losses. That record states that there was not really that much "bad" on the field. Most of their bad, in fact, came off the field. We all know about the quarterback controversy, but for the sake of this article, I will briefly run through it. The Otters began the season with four (yes, four) quarterbacks. Anthony Petrakis decided he would be more useful on the other side of the ball, so he switched to play corner. They were left with Mike Boss, Josh Bercovici and Ethan Hunt. Mike Boss got the job for the first week, and promptly threw six (yes, six) interceptions. Fans and teammate Bercovici were calling for his head after that performance, but it only led to more drama. When Bercovici got his turn, he didn't do that much, and failed to shut the critics up, as they knew he could talk the talk, yet could not walk the walk. Bercovici recently got paid nine (yes, nine) million a season to run the Las Vegas Legion's offense. Ethan Hunt was traded mid-season to the San Jose Sabercats, and went 3-3 with his new club. Even though he had mild success, he expressed that he does not want to play for the 'Cats going forward, despite being on the team this upcoming season.
The Future
Mike Boss is the future at quarterback, at least for now. You just read about the fates of the other three early season options, leaving Boss as really the only option at the moment. The Otters certainly have a bright future, and it would not surprise me in the least if they were able to take the division next season. It will be intriguing to watch Josh Bercovici, now of the Legion, play the Otters two or three times in the season. In other areas, this team is more or less set. A few upgrades could stand to be made, and of course, more offensive linemen are always in demand, but other than that, things do look good for this team. If they can have a clean slate with their off the field incidents, that would do wonders for this team, and they can move forward, putting Season 1 behind them.
So far in the series:
6. S1 San Jose SaberCats: The Good, Bad and Future
5. S1 Baltimore Hawks: The Good, Bad and Future
4. S1 Yellowknife Wraiths: The Good, Bad and Future
The next team on our list is the Orange County Otters, who finished in 2nd place in the American Simulation Football Conference this season, qualified for the playoffs, and were eliminated by the Arizona Outlaws, who went on to win the Ultimus Cup.
Orange County Otters
9-5
Second in ASFC
Round 1: Lost to Arizona Outlaws
The Good
The Otters were one of the league's powerhouses, and arguably one of the two best teams in the inaugural season. In fact, if they had knocked off Arizona and faced Colorado in the Ultimus Cup, my money would be on the Orange County Otters to take home the hardware. Unfortunately for them, the Outlaws won that game, so we couldn't test that scenario. To start the good, you need not look further than first ever NSFL draft pick, defensive tackle J.J. Reigns. He had a killer season on the field, but his presence was felt even more strongly off the field, as he has been able to craft his fellow defenders' skill sets, allowing them to have the most success up front. Speaking of lines, how about Angus Winchester? Before allowing the fateful sack in the playoffs to Blaster Blade, the man had not allowed a SINGLE sack in fourteen weeks of regular season play. That is an absolutely insane stat, and his first season is certainly one to write home about. While the quarterbacks didn't really stand out all that much, their targets did, as both Bradley Westfield and Robert Phelps had solid seasons, making a name for themselves among the league's top receivers.
The Bad
The Orange County Otters finished the season with nine wins and five losses. That record states that there was not really that much "bad" on the field. Most of their bad, in fact, came off the field. We all know about the quarterback controversy, but for the sake of this article, I will briefly run through it. The Otters began the season with four (yes, four) quarterbacks. Anthony Petrakis decided he would be more useful on the other side of the ball, so he switched to play corner. They were left with Mike Boss, Josh Bercovici and Ethan Hunt. Mike Boss got the job for the first week, and promptly threw six (yes, six) interceptions. Fans and teammate Bercovici were calling for his head after that performance, but it only led to more drama. When Bercovici got his turn, he didn't do that much, and failed to shut the critics up, as they knew he could talk the talk, yet could not walk the walk. Bercovici recently got paid nine (yes, nine) million a season to run the Las Vegas Legion's offense. Ethan Hunt was traded mid-season to the San Jose Sabercats, and went 3-3 with his new club. Even though he had mild success, he expressed that he does not want to play for the 'Cats going forward, despite being on the team this upcoming season.
The Future
Mike Boss is the future at quarterback, at least for now. You just read about the fates of the other three early season options, leaving Boss as really the only option at the moment. The Otters certainly have a bright future, and it would not surprise me in the least if they were able to take the division next season. It will be intriguing to watch Josh Bercovici, now of the Legion, play the Otters two or three times in the season. In other areas, this team is more or less set. A few upgrades could stand to be made, and of course, more offensive linemen are always in demand, but other than that, things do look good for this team. If they can have a clean slate with their off the field incidents, that would do wonders for this team, and they can move forward, putting Season 1 behind them.
[OPTION]Height: 6'1"
[OPTION]Weight: 197
[OPTION]Birthplace: Tallahassee, FL
[OPTION]Number: 18
[OPTION]===========================================
[OPTION]Regular Season Stats
[OPTION]S1 (SJS): 72 REC - 1062 YDS - 4 TD
[OPTION]S2 (SJS/YKW): 74 REC - 1078 YDS - 6 TD
[OPTION]S3 (YKW):
[OPTION]===========================================
[OPTION]Playoff Stats
[OPTION]S2 (YKW):
[OPTION]===========================================
[OPTION]Career Highlights:
[OPTION]Drafted 9th Overall by the San Jose SaberCats in the S1 Draft
[OPTION]Named to S1 ASFC Pro Bowl Roster
[OPTION]Traded to Yellowknife Wraiths for WR Darren Smallwood and S3 1st Round Pick
[OPTION]Height: 6'3"
[OPTION]Weight: 184
[OPTION]Birthplace: Syracuse, NY
[OPTION]Number: 16
[OPTION]===========================================
[OPTION]Height: 6'3"
[OPTION]Weight: 184
[OPTION]Birthplace: Greensboro, NC
[OPTION]Number: 10
[OPTION]===========================================