07-29-2023, 07:39 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-17-2024, 08:29 AM by Tmoney6996. Edited 2 times in total.)
Welcome to Aztecs Weekly, where this week, we review the biggest winners and losers of the Aztecs middle 3 games. We saw the Aztecs face their toughest challenge yet, and seeing their overall record on the year tumble to 3-3. But, there were plenty of solid performances and prospects who stepped up in crunch time to help lead their team to victory, or to a better box score than the game really entailed.
Winners:
M. Crane, RB: Crane found themselves in our previous round-up of the early season Prospect games, but managed to put on quite a showing in the middle part of the season. Even with the Aztecs suffering amid-season slump, Crane managed to put together 3 solid games: gaining 57 yards on the ground through 15 attempts, and 40 yards on 4 catches (on 4 targets)through the air in game 1. Then, had one of their best games of the season on the ground in Game 2, earning 87 tough yards on 19 carries, and some very late game heroics to help seal the W for the Aztecs. Finally, in game 3, Crane managed66 yards on 11 attempts in game that saw the Aztecs fall behind early and needing to swap to a more aggressive play calling scheme to try and get back into the game. While the stat may not pop off the page, we here at the column thought that Cranes overall demeanor and usage garnered a "Winners"mark for this set of 3 games. After the initial 3 games, we had been impressedwith what Crane brought to the table and knew that the talent was there, it was just a matter of usage and making the most of their opportunities. While mentioned earlier, the Aztecs hit a bit of a slump in these 3 games stretch,Crane found their footing and showed why the Aztecs made them their starter back in week 1. We expect Crane to continue to lead the ground game moving forward, and should see their carries skyrocket here as we get further and further in the season.
D. Lopez de Castilla, WR: Where would the Aztecs be without the play of de Castilla? This stud WR has filled in nicely opposite Parano, and, according to some heads around the league, passed them as the teams true#1 receiver. Last week, we mentioned de Castilla in tandem with Parano and how Paranos play had opened up lanes for their counterpart to produce, but were skeptical on whether or not that kind of play was sustainable. Boy were we ever proven wrong. de Castilla came out swinging in Game 1, hauling 8 receptions for107 yards and 3(!) TDs. Game 2 was also very kind to de Castilla, where they were targeted 9 times, bringing in 4 of those a whopping 126 yards and anotherTD, with the lone TD being the play that sealed the win for the Aztecs. Game 3saw de Castilla come back down to Earth, but we hardly consider that to be the fault of their play. The Redcoats defensive had a brilliant game called that kept most of the Aztecs high-powered offense bottled up. It was really only late in the game that de Castilla found any room to breathe, but managed to make the most of snagging 5 catches for 44 yards on a team high 7 targets.Again, we saw de Castilla find their footing early on in the season, and expected them to make the jump to the next level, but the play these past few games has surely skyrocketed them up the boards and got them on the radar for most teams ahead of the draft. We fully expect de Castilla be the new #1 moving forward.
J. Battle, LB: Battle continues to be the defensive heart of the Aztecs defense, leading them both on and off the field. Last we spoke with Battle, they were thrilled with their own performance, but felt that they could add more consistency to their game. While the Aztecs did lose 2 of the middle 3 games this season, it wasn't because of anything Battle did on the field. In a tough Game 1 against Davos, Battle led the team in tackles with 8, had a forced fumble that they then recovered. In game 2, the entire Aztecs defensive front showed up, with Battle again leading the way for the from 7.They accumulated 6 tackles, had 1 sack, 1 pass deflection, and 1 INT enroute to a win that the Aztecs desperately needed in this competitive prospect season.Game 3, overall, was a defensive letdown for the Aztecs, but Battle managed to bring in 4 solo tackles and 2 pass deflections in the loss. We said it in our early season write-up, and we'll say it again here, Battle has all the tools needed to be a high caliber LB at both the DSFL and ISFL levels. their continued improvement week over week has shown on the field, and even in the losses, has shined and made themselves must watch TV each week. We expectBattle to be in many draft circle conversations come draft season, and any team would be lucky to add this talent to their defensive roster.
Losers:
Defensive Line: This one is tough to write, as the Aztecs defense faced a tough challenge in the middle 3 games on the season. While theLB corps and the Secondary managed to play with some energy and confidence, the same could not be said for the defensive line. Not only were they held without a pressure in game 1 against Davos, but they were limited to only 1 sack in game 3 against London. Game 2 showed what could be a solid day when the stars align, garnering 3 sacks from the front, but in a team sport that requires all position groups to functioning at a high-level game in, and game out, the defensive line was surely a letdown for both the coaching staff and all of the Aztec faithful. We'll see if change is made along the front to help increase pressure rates by this front, but as it stands right now, the defensive line isa weakness for this team, and one that needs to be addressed by the coaching staff in some fashion. We here are the column fear that if this is not righted soon, the Aztecs may be in a rude awakening come playoff time.
Honorable Mentions:
T. Passarelli, TE: When we last discussed Passarelli, they were fighting for position with other elite TEs of this year’s prospect pool, in T. Blake and A. Waffles. Passarelli had failed to live to their expectations coming into the season and found themselves on the outside looking in through the first 3rd of the season. One thing we wanted to see from Passarelli was how well they would respond to the adversity of not playing up to their potentially. While the jury is still out on that, we did see Passarelli make some strides to cement themselves as another elite TE prospect in this years stacked draft. However, there is definitely more than be seen and done by this young player. In game 1 of this season, we saw Passarelli lead TEs in targets with 6, bringing in 4 of those for 29 yards. This game showed that Passarelli could be counted on to the lead the TE room, but with their teammate de Castilla being as hot as they were, it's hard not to fault Passarelli and the rest of the TE room for doing much more this game. Game 2 was again disappointing for Passarelli, catching only 1 pass for 6 yards. Game 3 had Passarelli catching 2 passes for 15 yards on 4 targets, but one of those receptions was alate one-handed grab to keep a drive alive late for a potential score. Game 3saw Waffle and Blake lead the TE room, but all 3 played a major role in the offense in the loss. As stated earlier, we saw signs of growth from Passarelli and fully expect them to continue to improve, but until we see them break out as the star we know they can be, we are hesitant to move them into the winners category.
T. TurnDaBallOva, QB: Tua may be the most confusing QB prospect in this year’s draft. They had a shaky start to the season, posting okay numbers, but had a case of the turnover bug. We had heard from the locker room that the coaching staff was looking to make some roster changes, including a switch toTua as the starter to see if they could shake off some of the rust and make sure that both of their star QBs were ready for action. The Aztecs eventually did make that switch, and Tua looked better. Posting a line of 22/39 for 225yards and 2 TDs, 2 INTs and 2 sacks. In game 2, Tua and the offense couldn't get much going against the stifling San Diego defense, but Tua still managed to post a respectable 11/23 for 198 yards and only 1 sack. In a tightly contestedGame 3, Tua was efficient through the air, completing 13 passes on 21 attempts for 159 yards a TD. However, they also struggled throughout this game getting sacked 4 times and throwing another INT. Like we mentioned in our previous review of Tua, they needed to show more consistency in their game and thought that being made the starter for a few games would help bring the best out of them. We were correct in that assumption, at least partially. TurnDaBallOva is still plagued by the turnover bug, throwing 2 picks (one returned for a TD in game 1) and also fumbling twice. While the improved stat lines are a huge boon for this young gunslinger, they'll need to clean up their game before being able to get a shot at the next level.
Other honorable mentions that we would be remissed to mention are that of staring QB A. Gausman who has played lights out in every game this season, save for the most recent tilt with the London Redcoats. As well as B. Birtha, who played another couple of great games, but couldn't keep the the #1 receiver of the Sand Diego Pirates locked down, on their way to big game.
That will conclude this week’s review of the biggest winners and losers for the Aztecs as we near the homestretch of the season. We saw many of the players we were hoping to see make leaps, do exactly that, but there is always room for improvement in these games. As we approach the end of the season, and with many of these rising star’s eyes toward the draft, we'll see who can rise to the occasion and make their stamp on the Prospect league, before making the jump to the DSFL. With draft positioning and paydays on the line, we fully expect the Aztecs to kick it into high gear for the remainder of the season. Will they be able to separate themselves from the pack with each team at an even keeled 3-3 record? This column believes so, but only time will tell.Catch us next time as we review the entire Aztecs team and look ahead to mocking the first round of the DSFL draft!
Winners:
M. Crane, RB: Crane found themselves in our previous round-up of the early season Prospect games, but managed to put on quite a showing in the middle part of the season. Even with the Aztecs suffering amid-season slump, Crane managed to put together 3 solid games: gaining 57 yards on the ground through 15 attempts, and 40 yards on 4 catches (on 4 targets)through the air in game 1. Then, had one of their best games of the season on the ground in Game 2, earning 87 tough yards on 19 carries, and some very late game heroics to help seal the W for the Aztecs. Finally, in game 3, Crane managed66 yards on 11 attempts in game that saw the Aztecs fall behind early and needing to swap to a more aggressive play calling scheme to try and get back into the game. While the stat may not pop off the page, we here at the column thought that Cranes overall demeanor and usage garnered a "Winners"mark for this set of 3 games. After the initial 3 games, we had been impressedwith what Crane brought to the table and knew that the talent was there, it was just a matter of usage and making the most of their opportunities. While mentioned earlier, the Aztecs hit a bit of a slump in these 3 games stretch,Crane found their footing and showed why the Aztecs made them their starter back in week 1. We expect Crane to continue to lead the ground game moving forward, and should see their carries skyrocket here as we get further and further in the season.
D. Lopez de Castilla, WR: Where would the Aztecs be without the play of de Castilla? This stud WR has filled in nicely opposite Parano, and, according to some heads around the league, passed them as the teams true#1 receiver. Last week, we mentioned de Castilla in tandem with Parano and how Paranos play had opened up lanes for their counterpart to produce, but were skeptical on whether or not that kind of play was sustainable. Boy were we ever proven wrong. de Castilla came out swinging in Game 1, hauling 8 receptions for107 yards and 3(!) TDs. Game 2 was also very kind to de Castilla, where they were targeted 9 times, bringing in 4 of those a whopping 126 yards and anotherTD, with the lone TD being the play that sealed the win for the Aztecs. Game 3saw de Castilla come back down to Earth, but we hardly consider that to be the fault of their play. The Redcoats defensive had a brilliant game called that kept most of the Aztecs high-powered offense bottled up. It was really only late in the game that de Castilla found any room to breathe, but managed to make the most of snagging 5 catches for 44 yards on a team high 7 targets.Again, we saw de Castilla find their footing early on in the season, and expected them to make the jump to the next level, but the play these past few games has surely skyrocketed them up the boards and got them on the radar for most teams ahead of the draft. We fully expect de Castilla be the new #1 moving forward.
J. Battle, LB: Battle continues to be the defensive heart of the Aztecs defense, leading them both on and off the field. Last we spoke with Battle, they were thrilled with their own performance, but felt that they could add more consistency to their game. While the Aztecs did lose 2 of the middle 3 games this season, it wasn't because of anything Battle did on the field. In a tough Game 1 against Davos, Battle led the team in tackles with 8, had a forced fumble that they then recovered. In game 2, the entire Aztecs defensive front showed up, with Battle again leading the way for the from 7.They accumulated 6 tackles, had 1 sack, 1 pass deflection, and 1 INT enroute to a win that the Aztecs desperately needed in this competitive prospect season.Game 3, overall, was a defensive letdown for the Aztecs, but Battle managed to bring in 4 solo tackles and 2 pass deflections in the loss. We said it in our early season write-up, and we'll say it again here, Battle has all the tools needed to be a high caliber LB at both the DSFL and ISFL levels. their continued improvement week over week has shown on the field, and even in the losses, has shined and made themselves must watch TV each week. We expectBattle to be in many draft circle conversations come draft season, and any team would be lucky to add this talent to their defensive roster.
Losers:
Defensive Line: This one is tough to write, as the Aztecs defense faced a tough challenge in the middle 3 games on the season. While theLB corps and the Secondary managed to play with some energy and confidence, the same could not be said for the defensive line. Not only were they held without a pressure in game 1 against Davos, but they were limited to only 1 sack in game 3 against London. Game 2 showed what could be a solid day when the stars align, garnering 3 sacks from the front, but in a team sport that requires all position groups to functioning at a high-level game in, and game out, the defensive line was surely a letdown for both the coaching staff and all of the Aztec faithful. We'll see if change is made along the front to help increase pressure rates by this front, but as it stands right now, the defensive line isa weakness for this team, and one that needs to be addressed by the coaching staff in some fashion. We here are the column fear that if this is not righted soon, the Aztecs may be in a rude awakening come playoff time.
Honorable Mentions:
T. Passarelli, TE: When we last discussed Passarelli, they were fighting for position with other elite TEs of this year’s prospect pool, in T. Blake and A. Waffles. Passarelli had failed to live to their expectations coming into the season and found themselves on the outside looking in through the first 3rd of the season. One thing we wanted to see from Passarelli was how well they would respond to the adversity of not playing up to their potentially. While the jury is still out on that, we did see Passarelli make some strides to cement themselves as another elite TE prospect in this years stacked draft. However, there is definitely more than be seen and done by this young player. In game 1 of this season, we saw Passarelli lead TEs in targets with 6, bringing in 4 of those for 29 yards. This game showed that Passarelli could be counted on to the lead the TE room, but with their teammate de Castilla being as hot as they were, it's hard not to fault Passarelli and the rest of the TE room for doing much more this game. Game 2 was again disappointing for Passarelli, catching only 1 pass for 6 yards. Game 3 had Passarelli catching 2 passes for 15 yards on 4 targets, but one of those receptions was alate one-handed grab to keep a drive alive late for a potential score. Game 3saw Waffle and Blake lead the TE room, but all 3 played a major role in the offense in the loss. As stated earlier, we saw signs of growth from Passarelli and fully expect them to continue to improve, but until we see them break out as the star we know they can be, we are hesitant to move them into the winners category.
T. TurnDaBallOva, QB: Tua may be the most confusing QB prospect in this year’s draft. They had a shaky start to the season, posting okay numbers, but had a case of the turnover bug. We had heard from the locker room that the coaching staff was looking to make some roster changes, including a switch toTua as the starter to see if they could shake off some of the rust and make sure that both of their star QBs were ready for action. The Aztecs eventually did make that switch, and Tua looked better. Posting a line of 22/39 for 225yards and 2 TDs, 2 INTs and 2 sacks. In game 2, Tua and the offense couldn't get much going against the stifling San Diego defense, but Tua still managed to post a respectable 11/23 for 198 yards and only 1 sack. In a tightly contestedGame 3, Tua was efficient through the air, completing 13 passes on 21 attempts for 159 yards a TD. However, they also struggled throughout this game getting sacked 4 times and throwing another INT. Like we mentioned in our previous review of Tua, they needed to show more consistency in their game and thought that being made the starter for a few games would help bring the best out of them. We were correct in that assumption, at least partially. TurnDaBallOva is still plagued by the turnover bug, throwing 2 picks (one returned for a TD in game 1) and also fumbling twice. While the improved stat lines are a huge boon for this young gunslinger, they'll need to clean up their game before being able to get a shot at the next level.
Other honorable mentions that we would be remissed to mention are that of staring QB A. Gausman who has played lights out in every game this season, save for the most recent tilt with the London Redcoats. As well as B. Birtha, who played another couple of great games, but couldn't keep the the #1 receiver of the Sand Diego Pirates locked down, on their way to big game.
That will conclude this week’s review of the biggest winners and losers for the Aztecs as we near the homestretch of the season. We saw many of the players we were hoping to see make leaps, do exactly that, but there is always room for improvement in these games. As we approach the end of the season, and with many of these rising star’s eyes toward the draft, we'll see who can rise to the occasion and make their stamp on the Prospect league, before making the jump to the DSFL. With draft positioning and paydays on the line, we fully expect the Aztecs to kick it into high gear for the remainder of the season. Will they be able to separate themselves from the pack with each team at an even keeled 3-3 record? This column believes so, but only time will tell.Catch us next time as we review the entire Aztecs team and look ahead to mocking the first round of the DSFL draft!