12-30-2020, 03:10 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-02-2021, 06:41 AM by Asked Madden.)
We are coming up to the last few games of the regular season in the DSFL, a season that has seen the reigning Ulitimini champions, the Tijiuna Luchadores, match up against some really tough competition in their SFC South conference. The Luchadores are currently sitting at a record of 4-7, trailing the three other teams in the conference, Norfolk Seawolves, Dallas Birddogs and the Bondi Beach Buccaneers all of these teams are sporting a 6-5 record.
Some might think that the season is all wrapped up for the Luchadores, 2 games back with only 3 games to be played might be an insurmountable hurdle to overcome. But these people are most likely forgetting that the Luchadores from Tijuana just snuck into the playoffs last season and once they had their foot in the door, they did not relent and after two massive games on the road, they were the team left standing, holding the Ultimini trophy.
Now, by no means am I saying this is going to happen again this season, the Luchadores are definitely behind the eight ball here, but there is still a chance that this can happen. And as long as there is a chance, the Luchadores will be preparing for the most important games of the season, which are every single one they will play.
The Luchadores finish their season with two of their remaining three games against teams from their own conference. They are up against the Dallas Birddogs on the road next week, followed by home match ups against the Portland Pythons in week 13 and closing out the season at home in week 14 against the Norfolk Seawolves. Looking back at their previous match ups against these teams we see that in week 5, at home, the Luchadores took on the Dallas Birddogs, beating them by a score of 24-17. The following week, week 6, were on the road against the Portland Pythons and were defeated by the top team in the league by a score of 27-14. And against the Norfolk Seawolves in week 7, on the road again, they were beaten by the Seawolves, 26-17.
So, this team around, they’ve got the three same teams they played from week 5 to week 7 with a 1 - 2 record in that span. This time they will have to attempt to sweep all three games to give themselves the best chance at making the playoffs again and defend their Ultmini title. As I mentioned earlier, this will not be easy, and even if they win out, there is still a chance that they are watching the playoffs from home, but there is a chance and the Tijuana Luchadores faithful are holding on to that.
Now let’s take a moment to talk to one of the Luchadore players, Vincent Jones Jr. A second year DSFL player who knows what it takes to win it all.
Q: Good afternoon Vincent. Many thanks for taking the time to sit down with us today.
A: Glad to be able to do it.
Q: We wanted to talk today about a few things, we of course wanted to talk about how the season has been going for you so far, both as a team and as an individual. And also, how you feel the remainder of the season and the playoffs to follow will go. And lastly, we wanted to talk about the next step in your career, joining the team that drafted you 5th overall in the S26 ISFL entry draft, the New Orleans Second Line.
A: That’s a lot of things to talk about! Let’s see what we can answer for you.
Q: So starting with how this season has been going for your Tijuana Luchadores, what is your take on that?
A: I feel that we have definitely had some bright spots this season so far. We lost a lot of players to the ISFL this past off season and we drafted some amazing rookies to the team. We’ve got the pieces to win each and every game we play, but we’ve haven’t had the greatest luck so far this season. We’ve had a couple of games where we had some big calls go against us, those ones hurt for sure. But we aren’t about to give up, we all know there is still a chance for us to make it into the playoffs, but it’s going to be tough. We’ve got to play every game like it’s the last one of the season. We are do or die from now on out.
Q: What do you think your chances are at going 3 – 0 over these last three games?
A: I’m just looking at these games one at a time. We have a 50 – 50 chance of winning any game, you either win or loss. I know we’ve got Dallas up first, we may have gotten a win over them earlier this season, but I’m not counting on rolling past them easily. They got a running back who has been lights out this season in Cobra Kai. It’s going to be our defense to try and contain him and I know that we are up for the challenge. And then going up against the leagues best team in the regular season after that will be a big test for us as well. We have shown before that we can run with the best teams, if I remember correctly, the London Royals had the best record last season and I think everyone knows what happened when we faced off against them in the Ultimini game. And for our final game, we are up against the Norfolk Seawolves, another team with an amazing running back in Mr. Forty-Two. I can’t wait until Forty-Two and I are on the same team in New Orleans, it’s not fun playing against him, he always has a trick or forty-two up his sleeves.
Q: So, we’ve covered who the Tijuana Luchadores have done so far as a team, but let’s switch gears a bit and talk about how you feel your season has gone personally?
A: I think I’ve said this before and I’ll probably have to say it again, I don’t really care too much about personal stats. This is a team game, every tackle that is made is because the entire defense played as a unit. We are all in this together, when one player has what you might call a great game, we all share in that. So, if you are asking me how well I think I have been playing this season compared to last, I don’t have an answer for you. We aren’t 11 – 0 right now with a bunch of shutouts, so I guess myself and my teammates could be playing better than we have been, but I feel we’ve been playing some really great football.
Q: That’s fair, but just so you know, you are statistically not quite where you were last year, you are on track to have less tackles but more sacks than you did last season.
A: Thanks for letting me know.
Q: Well, moving along, it is expected that you will be moving on from the Tijuana Luchadores after the conclusion of this season, can you confirm or deny that?
A: I can. I just spoke with the New Orleans Second Line front office today actually. I will be making the move up to the big leagues for next season. I’m pretty excited about that. Can’t wait to start playing with the best of the best in the ISFL. I know I’ve got a lot of work to do still to make sure that I’m ready, but I’m willing to put the work in. I’m ready to show NOLA what they got when they selected me in the draft. I want to thank them by showing it on the field.
Q: Have you been following the Second Line’s season so far?
A: I have, I try to catch all of their games. They’ve been playing some fantastic football this season. They have some big games coming up that will determine how the playoffs will line up for them. I feel a couple of big wins coming up! It’s been fun watching them play, but it’s been really making me want to get in there. It’s going to be wild playing with and against some of the players I’ve been watching in awe over for the past two seasons. Watching NOLA defenders stop some of the most high powered offenses around has been wild. I just hope I can add something to the team when I join. And let’s not forget about the offensive side of things in New Orleans, Slothlisberger has had a couple of amazing games and stole a couple of wins for sure. Barker is one of the top 5 receivers in the league right now and McCormick is probably top three for tight ends. And the duo of Rotchburns and Toriki in the battlefield is the best tandem in all of the ISFL. Things are looking good for the Second Line right now, and like I said, I just hope I can add a little bit to them next season when I’m wearing those beauty jerseys.
Q: That’s a pretty good rundown! I’m looking forward to seeing you play in New Orleans next season too! Two final questions, basically the same question twice, who do you see winning the Ultimini this season and if it can’t be your team, which team do you think it will be. Second question is the same, but for the Ultimus, and it can’t be New Orleans.
A: Well, obviously I think we are going to repeat as Ultimini champions again. A Tijuana Luchadore back to back would be pretty amazing. But, if for some crazy reason, we don’t win it all again, I’d have to pick the Portland Pythons to take it. They’ve had a very solid season and it shows with their 10 – 1 record right now. But as we all know, anything can happen in this game. We’ve still got three weeks left in the season, a lot of things can change from now until then. But I do think that Portland has a good chance at making some waves once the playoffs start. For the Ultimus, if I can’t pick the New Orleans Second Line, and I really want to pick them because I think that they have a great shot at it and have proven time and time again this season that they are one of the top teams in the league, I would probably have to go with the Yellowknife Wraiths. Now I’m not just pick the team with the best record again, I went with the Wraiths because they are tied for first with NOLA for points for and have the lowest points against in the league. Those two stats are telling for me. A team that can stop other teams from scoring and still be able to score a lot of points themselves is a sign of a very good team. An just in case you were wondering, the Second Line have the 5th best points against, so everyone should really be keeping an eye out for NOLA come playoff time!
Q: Well Vincent, I think that about wraps it up. We really appreciate you sitting down with us and talking Luchadore and Second Line football with us. It was great to be able to get a players point of view.
A: Not a problem, it is always nice to be able to talk football whenever I can.
Q: Thanks again Vincent, good luck with the rest of the season, your final one with the Tijuana Luchadores. Hope you guys win out and make the playoffs! Would love to see the Luchadores pull off that back to back Ultimini!
A: You and me both my friend!
Thanks for reading and good luck to everyone with these final few games of the season!
Word count - 2000 - 2x media bonus
Some might think that the season is all wrapped up for the Luchadores, 2 games back with only 3 games to be played might be an insurmountable hurdle to overcome. But these people are most likely forgetting that the Luchadores from Tijuana just snuck into the playoffs last season and once they had their foot in the door, they did not relent and after two massive games on the road, they were the team left standing, holding the Ultimini trophy.
Now, by no means am I saying this is going to happen again this season, the Luchadores are definitely behind the eight ball here, but there is still a chance that this can happen. And as long as there is a chance, the Luchadores will be preparing for the most important games of the season, which are every single one they will play.
The Luchadores finish their season with two of their remaining three games against teams from their own conference. They are up against the Dallas Birddogs on the road next week, followed by home match ups against the Portland Pythons in week 13 and closing out the season at home in week 14 against the Norfolk Seawolves. Looking back at their previous match ups against these teams we see that in week 5, at home, the Luchadores took on the Dallas Birddogs, beating them by a score of 24-17. The following week, week 6, were on the road against the Portland Pythons and were defeated by the top team in the league by a score of 27-14. And against the Norfolk Seawolves in week 7, on the road again, they were beaten by the Seawolves, 26-17.
So, this team around, they’ve got the three same teams they played from week 5 to week 7 with a 1 - 2 record in that span. This time they will have to attempt to sweep all three games to give themselves the best chance at making the playoffs again and defend their Ultmini title. As I mentioned earlier, this will not be easy, and even if they win out, there is still a chance that they are watching the playoffs from home, but there is a chance and the Tijuana Luchadores faithful are holding on to that.
Now let’s take a moment to talk to one of the Luchadore players, Vincent Jones Jr. A second year DSFL player who knows what it takes to win it all.
Q: Good afternoon Vincent. Many thanks for taking the time to sit down with us today.
A: Glad to be able to do it.
Q: We wanted to talk today about a few things, we of course wanted to talk about how the season has been going for you so far, both as a team and as an individual. And also, how you feel the remainder of the season and the playoffs to follow will go. And lastly, we wanted to talk about the next step in your career, joining the team that drafted you 5th overall in the S26 ISFL entry draft, the New Orleans Second Line.
A: That’s a lot of things to talk about! Let’s see what we can answer for you.
Q: So starting with how this season has been going for your Tijuana Luchadores, what is your take on that?
A: I feel that we have definitely had some bright spots this season so far. We lost a lot of players to the ISFL this past off season and we drafted some amazing rookies to the team. We’ve got the pieces to win each and every game we play, but we’ve haven’t had the greatest luck so far this season. We’ve had a couple of games where we had some big calls go against us, those ones hurt for sure. But we aren’t about to give up, we all know there is still a chance for us to make it into the playoffs, but it’s going to be tough. We’ve got to play every game like it’s the last one of the season. We are do or die from now on out.
Q: What do you think your chances are at going 3 – 0 over these last three games?
A: I’m just looking at these games one at a time. We have a 50 – 50 chance of winning any game, you either win or loss. I know we’ve got Dallas up first, we may have gotten a win over them earlier this season, but I’m not counting on rolling past them easily. They got a running back who has been lights out this season in Cobra Kai. It’s going to be our defense to try and contain him and I know that we are up for the challenge. And then going up against the leagues best team in the regular season after that will be a big test for us as well. We have shown before that we can run with the best teams, if I remember correctly, the London Royals had the best record last season and I think everyone knows what happened when we faced off against them in the Ultimini game. And for our final game, we are up against the Norfolk Seawolves, another team with an amazing running back in Mr. Forty-Two. I can’t wait until Forty-Two and I are on the same team in New Orleans, it’s not fun playing against him, he always has a trick or forty-two up his sleeves.
Q: So, we’ve covered who the Tijuana Luchadores have done so far as a team, but let’s switch gears a bit and talk about how you feel your season has gone personally?
A: I think I’ve said this before and I’ll probably have to say it again, I don’t really care too much about personal stats. This is a team game, every tackle that is made is because the entire defense played as a unit. We are all in this together, when one player has what you might call a great game, we all share in that. So, if you are asking me how well I think I have been playing this season compared to last, I don’t have an answer for you. We aren’t 11 – 0 right now with a bunch of shutouts, so I guess myself and my teammates could be playing better than we have been, but I feel we’ve been playing some really great football.
Q: That’s fair, but just so you know, you are statistically not quite where you were last year, you are on track to have less tackles but more sacks than you did last season.
A: Thanks for letting me know.
Q: Well, moving along, it is expected that you will be moving on from the Tijuana Luchadores after the conclusion of this season, can you confirm or deny that?
A: I can. I just spoke with the New Orleans Second Line front office today actually. I will be making the move up to the big leagues for next season. I’m pretty excited about that. Can’t wait to start playing with the best of the best in the ISFL. I know I’ve got a lot of work to do still to make sure that I’m ready, but I’m willing to put the work in. I’m ready to show NOLA what they got when they selected me in the draft. I want to thank them by showing it on the field.
Q: Have you been following the Second Line’s season so far?
A: I have, I try to catch all of their games. They’ve been playing some fantastic football this season. They have some big games coming up that will determine how the playoffs will line up for them. I feel a couple of big wins coming up! It’s been fun watching them play, but it’s been really making me want to get in there. It’s going to be wild playing with and against some of the players I’ve been watching in awe over for the past two seasons. Watching NOLA defenders stop some of the most high powered offenses around has been wild. I just hope I can add something to the team when I join. And let’s not forget about the offensive side of things in New Orleans, Slothlisberger has had a couple of amazing games and stole a couple of wins for sure. Barker is one of the top 5 receivers in the league right now and McCormick is probably top three for tight ends. And the duo of Rotchburns and Toriki in the battlefield is the best tandem in all of the ISFL. Things are looking good for the Second Line right now, and like I said, I just hope I can add a little bit to them next season when I’m wearing those beauty jerseys.
Q: That’s a pretty good rundown! I’m looking forward to seeing you play in New Orleans next season too! Two final questions, basically the same question twice, who do you see winning the Ultimini this season and if it can’t be your team, which team do you think it will be. Second question is the same, but for the Ultimus, and it can’t be New Orleans.
A: Well, obviously I think we are going to repeat as Ultimini champions again. A Tijuana Luchadore back to back would be pretty amazing. But, if for some crazy reason, we don’t win it all again, I’d have to pick the Portland Pythons to take it. They’ve had a very solid season and it shows with their 10 – 1 record right now. But as we all know, anything can happen in this game. We’ve still got three weeks left in the season, a lot of things can change from now until then. But I do think that Portland has a good chance at making some waves once the playoffs start. For the Ultimus, if I can’t pick the New Orleans Second Line, and I really want to pick them because I think that they have a great shot at it and have proven time and time again this season that they are one of the top teams in the league, I would probably have to go with the Yellowknife Wraiths. Now I’m not just pick the team with the best record again, I went with the Wraiths because they are tied for first with NOLA for points for and have the lowest points against in the league. Those two stats are telling for me. A team that can stop other teams from scoring and still be able to score a lot of points themselves is a sign of a very good team. An just in case you were wondering, the Second Line have the 5th best points against, so everyone should really be keeping an eye out for NOLA come playoff time!
Q: Well Vincent, I think that about wraps it up. We really appreciate you sitting down with us and talking Luchadore and Second Line football with us. It was great to be able to get a players point of view.
A: Not a problem, it is always nice to be able to talk football whenever I can.
Q: Thanks again Vincent, good luck with the rest of the season, your final one with the Tijuana Luchadores. Hope you guys win out and make the playoffs! Would love to see the Luchadores pull off that back to back Ultimini!
A: You and me both my friend!
Thanks for reading and good luck to everyone with these final few games of the season!
Word count - 2000 - 2x media bonus
Vincent Jones Jr. - S26 LB - Tijuana Luchadores
sig by jangorhino