Split pay 50/50 between myself and @"Ryan Negs"
S28 Minnesota Grey Ducks Game Balls - Weeks 1 to 4
Hey everyone! In an effort to recognize the efforts of our fellow ducks on the field, we would like to hand out some game balls to the top performers on each side of the ball! Offensive game balls have been written by @"Ryan Negs" while defensive game balls have been written by myself. Without any further ado, here's week 1!
OFFENSIVE WEEK 1 GAME BALL – QB Kazimir Oles Jr. @To12143
15/21, 218 yards, 10.4 Yards Per Attempt, 2 TD, 1 INT, 116.8 Rating
As a former DSFL quarterback, it is hard to ignore the performance that Kazimir Oles Jr put on in our first game and win of the season.
In a high scoring affair, Oles Jr. utilized all of his weapons to put on a show. The first quarter consisted mostly of the Grey Ducks getting used to their first game of the season and attempting to get into rhythm. While Oles led the team down the field for a field goal late in the first quarter, the second quarter is where he started to turn it up. In the beginning of the first quarter on a crucial 3rd and 7 in scoring position, Oles Jr. fired an absolute missile across his body for 8 yards and the first down to his star receiver Joe Bay. On the subsequent first down, Oles Jr. then threw another dart for 7 yards to put us in prime position for their first touchdown of the season. On 2nd and goal, Oles Jr. threw a perfect ball right between the defenders to find Bay in the back of the endzone for his first ever touchdown in the DSFL.
Throughout the game Kazimir Oles Jr. kept giving us scoring opportunities. His second touchdown though came on a beauty of a drive. Late in the third quarter, from his own 46-yard line Oles Jr threw a beautiful deep ball to Joe Bay for 36 yards down the sideline to set Minnesota up on Kansas City’s 17-yard line. Just a few plays later, Oles Jr. found Joe Bay on a comeback route in the endzone for his 2nd touchdown of the day, putting the Grey Ducks up 27-7, a lead which they never let go thanks to the play of Oles Jr. and all the players around him. One of the best first games for a DSFL quarterback I have seen in a long time!
DEFENSIVE WEEK 1 GAME BALL – Team Captain DL Daniel O’Leary @mango8154
With our first game of the regular season, our defense came out strong against the reigning DSFL North division champions, and the leader of the bunch was none other than our newly appointed captain, defensive tackle O’Leary!!
With just the first defensive snap of the game, O’Leary made his presence known by recording the first two tackles of the night back-to-back and helping the Grey Ducks hold the Coyotes to a three-and-out on their opening drive. Throughout the rest of the night, O’Leary constantly made tackles allowing only short gains and put pressure on the QB. But what really set himself apart from the rest of the team were his momentum killing sacks on critical plays!
Early in the third quarter, Kansas City was driving coming out of halftime, trailing 13-7, to try to tie the game or take the lead with a potential touchdown. But on a crucial 3rd and 7 just past midfield, O’Leary pounded Troy Abed with a devastating sack for a loss of 10 yards to take them out of field goal range! This then led to a Grey Ducks touchdown further extending our lead. But the captain wasn’t satisfied until the clock showed 00:00. Continuing to rack up tackles and not letting his foot off the gas even when the end was in sight, O’Leary sealed the game in the final seconds. On Kansas City’s final attempt to hopefully take the lead or tie the game to send it to overtime down 30-24, O’Leary crushed their dreams of a comeback with his second sack of the night! This time for a loss of 11 yards and a turnover on downs! With just 18 seconds remaining, the offense kneeled the ball to victory thanks to the Captain!
O’Leary finished the night with seven tackles, one of which for loss, and 2 critical sacks! O’ Captain! My captain!!
OFFENSIVE WEEK 2 GAME BALL – WR Joe Bay @coderkmatt
6 catches, 148 yards, 2 touchdowns
What a start to a game for the recipient of the offensive game ball for week 2. On the first play of the game, Bay beat the corner back covering him 1 on 1 for a 55-yard catch to start the game off with a bang and immediately set us up in scoring territory! Immediately following up a great catch, Bay kept the onslaught coming with an 8-yard reception on the very next play.
The first quarter was Joe Bay’s world and Portland was just living in it. Right after an interception from the defense, Joe Bay helped to put us up 10-0 with an acrobatic 34-yard reception for a touchdown. It was an insane catch, with Bay high pointing the ball in double coverage and coming down with the ball. Bay ended up not having another reception for the rest of the half, as Portland went so far as to triple team him on some plays throughout the half. Bay was too good to be contained for the entire half, though. Midway through the 3rd quarter, he had a quick seven yard reception to loosen up the defense. However, in the same series, Bay broke away from the defense and was wide open, yet again, for a 39-yard touchdown to keep us in the game. His final reception was a 5-yard catch at the end of the third quarter.
The effect that Bay had on Portland’s defense was immeasurable outside of stats, but he also put up a monster performance that I am sure Portland is not looking forward to seeing again down the line.
DEFENSIVE WEEK 2 GAME BALL – FS ‘Captain’ John Price @SnowyWolfz
Despite our valiant efforts on defense, the Grey Ducks suffered a heart-breaking loss against the evenly matched Pythons. Even with the loss, we still respect the key contributions by our veteran ‘Captain’ John Price, who helped keep the game close!
Having a mostly quiet first half, Price did not record a tackle until the final few minutes of the second quarter. It was not until Portland’s first drive in the third quarter where he made an impact. On 2nd and 10 and just their second snap of the drive, the free safety crushed any hopes the Pythons had to extend their lead by forcing a fumble on wide receiver Spence! After punching out the ball, veteran cornerback Bruckner recovered it. The turnover was eventually converted into an 8-point play thanks to a McCoy rush for a 1-yard touchdown and a 2-point conversion pass by Raske and Lux.
But Price’s fumble streak did not stop there! Early in the fourth quarter with thirteen minutes remaining in the game down by a field goal, Price strip sacked quarterback James III for a loss of 6 yards! Price recovered his own fumble to yet again give the offense a chance to score! Maximus converted the turnover into a solid 3 points to tie the game at 28 apiece. With a few other tackles scattered throughout the night, the defense did just about all they could to resist Portland’s stout offense, and yet it still was not quite enough.
‘Captain’ Price finished the night with 8 total tackles, leading the team, one of which for a sack. He also recorded 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery, as summarized above. Salute the captain for his efforts to right the ship!
DEFENSIVE WEEK 3 GAME BALL – Rookie LB David Frank @Icebear
The third game of the season was a defensive showcase between Bondi Beach and Minnesota; however, it was the Grey Ducks who ended up faltering. Without many big plays to note on either side of the ball, this game balls goes to the rookie who ended up producing the most of them, linebacker David Frank!
Starting off the game with a bang, Frank punished the Buccaneers early by sacking quarterback Zaylren for an 11-yard loss! The sack also forced a three-and-out for Bondi Beach; the first of many on the night. Fueled by his first big play of the night, Frank sought out more and was a constant presence on the defense, making a handful of tackles throughout the night. Unfortunately, however, that is where the story ended for our defense, as Frank’s only other key play was a tackle for a 2-yard loss on running back Sprinter.
The defense as a whole made a solid effort to stop the Bucs, but unable to match the big play production of the Australian pirates, the BBB defense reigned supreme. The only other noteworthy play was a sack early in the second quarter by veteran defensive end Wallace.
Frank ended the night with 6 tackles, one of which for loss, and a single sack. The rookie shows great promise and, with his constant development and improvement on the practice field, will be sure to have many more game ball worthy performances in the future!! To be "Frank," he’ll be a beast!
OFFENSIVE WEEK 3 GAME BALL – Rookie RB John Huntsman @Fronk
21 carries, 86 yards, 4.1 yards per carry
In a tough grit and grind game against the Bondi Beach Buccaneers, our starting running back John Huntsman personified the game as a whole in his performance. Looking at the stats purely, it might not seem that Huntsman had a fantastic game. However, when you go back and look on the tape and situations, he was everything to the offense. Whether it was turning a negative play into a positive highlight, or breaking tackles and trucking defenders, John Huntsman had an absolutely outstanding game. His 4.1 yards per carry showed how hard it was for him to be brought down and illustrated his mentality of “I will not be stopped!”
John Huntsman had some freakish runs in the second half of the game. Nearing the end of the third quarter backed up on our 15-yard line, Huntsman ran down the sideline for a 15-yard gain to give the offense some much needed breathing room and momentum. On that run he had a nasty stiff arm and hurdled a defender at the end of the run to squeak out a few extra yards, showcasing his athleticism and raw strength as a converted offensive lineman!
While everyone else was fatigued heading into the fourth quarter, Huntsman was still grinding. On our first offensive play of the fourth quarter, Huntsman barreled his way to an 18-yard carry which was his longest of the game. Not to be stopped later on in the drive, he had another 14-yard run to move us into the Buccaneers side of the field. It is only a matter of time before Huntsman shows up with yet another game ball from a multi score game!
DEFENSIVE WEEK 4 GAME BALL – Rookie LB David Frank @Icebear
Hoping to break the losing streak, the Grey Ducks faced off in yet another defensive bloodbath against the Tijuana Luchadores. And while Minnesota did not end up leaving Mexico victorious, the game would not have been nearly as close without the dominance of the two starting linebackers, and more specifically, rookie David Frank!
While Frank was quiet most of the first half, letting his teammate and fellow linebacker Bane be the star of the first quarter, the second quarter he began lighting up the field with some solid tackles to hold back the Luchadores. Throughout the night, the Grey Ducks managed to keep Tijuana at bay through the presence of the linebacker tandem. The defense kept putting up critical three and outs and only allowed one score in the first half.
After halftime, the Grey Ducks needed a stop down 7-3. Thanks to veteran cornerback Puntky, they got just that and then some! Puntky intercepted ReallyInvisible’s pass and turned on the jets for a big return of 35 yards! Frank was able to help his teammate by setting up a big block on Tijuana’s tight end who was within arm’s reach of Puntky after the interception. Frank also continued to support Puntky as his cheers could be heard echoing in the shocked and silent crowd during his 35-yard return!
Finishing out the night, Frank helped his team prevent the Luchadores from driving any more after their second score to force the game into overtime. In the extra minutes, Frank did not let up as he and his teammates took the Luchadores to the wire with only one minute left in overtime. Frank then recorded a big stop on first down, blowing up running back Jackson for no gain. However, Tijuana beat the clock and managed to score a last second touchdown to seal the game. Another heartbreaking loss for the Grey Ducks, but Frank said after the game that he and his team are determined to rebound stronger than ever next week!
Frank ended the night racking up 12 total tackles with 2 for loss! A big night for the rookie with his first appearance earning double digit tackles and now his second game ball on the season! The man has ice in his veins!
OFFENSIVE WEEK 4 GAME BALL – Rookie WR Janis Lux @Lukstins88
4 catches, 86 yards, 21.5 yards per reception
While we were not able to come up with the win in week 4 against Tijuana, Janis Lux had their breakout game of the year to set them up for success for the rest of the season! The rookie wasted no time introducing himself to the Tijuana defense. On the first play of the game, Lux made a double move on the left side boundary and beat his corner down the field. Our quarterback Oles Jr found Lux for a 45-yard gain as the pass was barely tripped up and brought down. This got the ball rolling from our offense and put the Luchadores on their heels.
Lux was not done after that. At the end of the first quarter, Lux ran a beautiful slant route and showed off his route running ability with an 11-yard reception. On the first play of the next drive, Lux took a simple screen play and turned it into a 9-yard gain and put us in position to gain a huge first down.
Lux’s next big play came at the end of the first half. Another play that showed off his refined route running, Lux made another double move this time towards the boundary for a 21-yard gain to get the drive rolling to make a run at a score at the end of the half. Although Lux did not have another catch in the second half, his impact was still felt in the game. Tijuana constantly shaded a safety overtop to help on them, and Lux was constantly doubled which opened up the rest of the offense.
This is just the beginning for Lux, and we cannot wait to see how the rookie builds on this performance in the future!
Congrats to all the Ducks for their game ball performances!
Words: 2586
S28 Minnesota Grey Ducks Game Balls - Weeks 1 to 4 OFFENSIVE WEEK 1 GAME BALL – QB Kazimir Oles Jr. @To12143
15/21, 218 yards, 10.4 Yards Per Attempt, 2 TD, 1 INT, 116.8 Rating
As a former DSFL quarterback, it is hard to ignore the performance that Kazimir Oles Jr put on in our first game and win of the season.
In a high scoring affair, Oles Jr. utilized all of his weapons to put on a show. The first quarter consisted mostly of the Grey Ducks getting used to their first game of the season and attempting to get into rhythm. While Oles led the team down the field for a field goal late in the first quarter, the second quarter is where he started to turn it up. In the beginning of the first quarter on a crucial 3rd and 7 in scoring position, Oles Jr. fired an absolute missile across his body for 8 yards and the first down to his star receiver Joe Bay. On the subsequent first down, Oles Jr. then threw another dart for 7 yards to put us in prime position for their first touchdown of the season. On 2nd and goal, Oles Jr. threw a perfect ball right between the defenders to find Bay in the back of the endzone for his first ever touchdown in the DSFL.
Throughout the game Kazimir Oles Jr. kept giving us scoring opportunities. His second touchdown though came on a beauty of a drive. Late in the third quarter, from his own 46-yard line Oles Jr threw a beautiful deep ball to Joe Bay for 36 yards down the sideline to set Minnesota up on Kansas City’s 17-yard line. Just a few plays later, Oles Jr. found Joe Bay on a comeback route in the endzone for his 2nd touchdown of the day, putting the Grey Ducks up 27-7, a lead which they never let go thanks to the play of Oles Jr. and all the players around him. One of the best first games for a DSFL quarterback I have seen in a long time!
DEFENSIVE WEEK 1 GAME BALL – Team Captain DL Daniel O’Leary @mango8154
With our first game of the regular season, our defense came out strong against the reigning DSFL North division champions, and the leader of the bunch was none other than our newly appointed captain, defensive tackle O’Leary!!
With just the first defensive snap of the game, O’Leary made his presence known by recording the first two tackles of the night back-to-back and helping the Grey Ducks hold the Coyotes to a three-and-out on their opening drive. Throughout the rest of the night, O’Leary constantly made tackles allowing only short gains and put pressure on the QB. But what really set himself apart from the rest of the team were his momentum killing sacks on critical plays!
Early in the third quarter, Kansas City was driving coming out of halftime, trailing 13-7, to try to tie the game or take the lead with a potential touchdown. But on a crucial 3rd and 7 just past midfield, O’Leary pounded Troy Abed with a devastating sack for a loss of 10 yards to take them out of field goal range! This then led to a Grey Ducks touchdown further extending our lead. But the captain wasn’t satisfied until the clock showed 00:00. Continuing to rack up tackles and not letting his foot off the gas even when the end was in sight, O’Leary sealed the game in the final seconds. On Kansas City’s final attempt to hopefully take the lead or tie the game to send it to overtime down 30-24, O’Leary crushed their dreams of a comeback with his second sack of the night! This time for a loss of 11 yards and a turnover on downs! With just 18 seconds remaining, the offense kneeled the ball to victory thanks to the Captain!
O’Leary finished the night with seven tackles, one of which for loss, and 2 critical sacks! O’ Captain! My captain!!
OFFENSIVE WEEK 2 GAME BALL – WR Joe Bay @coderkmatt
6 catches, 148 yards, 2 touchdowns
What a start to a game for the recipient of the offensive game ball for week 2. On the first play of the game, Bay beat the corner back covering him 1 on 1 for a 55-yard catch to start the game off with a bang and immediately set us up in scoring territory! Immediately following up a great catch, Bay kept the onslaught coming with an 8-yard reception on the very next play.
The first quarter was Joe Bay’s world and Portland was just living in it. Right after an interception from the defense, Joe Bay helped to put us up 10-0 with an acrobatic 34-yard reception for a touchdown. It was an insane catch, with Bay high pointing the ball in double coverage and coming down with the ball. Bay ended up not having another reception for the rest of the half, as Portland went so far as to triple team him on some plays throughout the half. Bay was too good to be contained for the entire half, though. Midway through the 3rd quarter, he had a quick seven yard reception to loosen up the defense. However, in the same series, Bay broke away from the defense and was wide open, yet again, for a 39-yard touchdown to keep us in the game. His final reception was a 5-yard catch at the end of the third quarter.
The effect that Bay had on Portland’s defense was immeasurable outside of stats, but he also put up a monster performance that I am sure Portland is not looking forward to seeing again down the line.
DEFENSIVE WEEK 2 GAME BALL – FS ‘Captain’ John Price @SnowyWolfz
Despite our valiant efforts on defense, the Grey Ducks suffered a heart-breaking loss against the evenly matched Pythons. Even with the loss, we still respect the key contributions by our veteran ‘Captain’ John Price, who helped keep the game close!
Having a mostly quiet first half, Price did not record a tackle until the final few minutes of the second quarter. It was not until Portland’s first drive in the third quarter where he made an impact. On 2nd and 10 and just their second snap of the drive, the free safety crushed any hopes the Pythons had to extend their lead by forcing a fumble on wide receiver Spence! After punching out the ball, veteran cornerback Bruckner recovered it. The turnover was eventually converted into an 8-point play thanks to a McCoy rush for a 1-yard touchdown and a 2-point conversion pass by Raske and Lux.
But Price’s fumble streak did not stop there! Early in the fourth quarter with thirteen minutes remaining in the game down by a field goal, Price strip sacked quarterback James III for a loss of 6 yards! Price recovered his own fumble to yet again give the offense a chance to score! Maximus converted the turnover into a solid 3 points to tie the game at 28 apiece. With a few other tackles scattered throughout the night, the defense did just about all they could to resist Portland’s stout offense, and yet it still was not quite enough.
‘Captain’ Price finished the night with 8 total tackles, leading the team, one of which for a sack. He also recorded 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery, as summarized above. Salute the captain for his efforts to right the ship!
DEFENSIVE WEEK 3 GAME BALL – Rookie LB David Frank @Icebear
The third game of the season was a defensive showcase between Bondi Beach and Minnesota; however, it was the Grey Ducks who ended up faltering. Without many big plays to note on either side of the ball, this game balls goes to the rookie who ended up producing the most of them, linebacker David Frank!
Starting off the game with a bang, Frank punished the Buccaneers early by sacking quarterback Zaylren for an 11-yard loss! The sack also forced a three-and-out for Bondi Beach; the first of many on the night. Fueled by his first big play of the night, Frank sought out more and was a constant presence on the defense, making a handful of tackles throughout the night. Unfortunately, however, that is where the story ended for our defense, as Frank’s only other key play was a tackle for a 2-yard loss on running back Sprinter.
The defense as a whole made a solid effort to stop the Bucs, but unable to match the big play production of the Australian pirates, the BBB defense reigned supreme. The only other noteworthy play was a sack early in the second quarter by veteran defensive end Wallace.
Frank ended the night with 6 tackles, one of which for loss, and a single sack. The rookie shows great promise and, with his constant development and improvement on the practice field, will be sure to have many more game ball worthy performances in the future!! To be "Frank," he’ll be a beast!
OFFENSIVE WEEK 3 GAME BALL – Rookie RB John Huntsman @Fronk
21 carries, 86 yards, 4.1 yards per carry
In a tough grit and grind game against the Bondi Beach Buccaneers, our starting running back John Huntsman personified the game as a whole in his performance. Looking at the stats purely, it might not seem that Huntsman had a fantastic game. However, when you go back and look on the tape and situations, he was everything to the offense. Whether it was turning a negative play into a positive highlight, or breaking tackles and trucking defenders, John Huntsman had an absolutely outstanding game. His 4.1 yards per carry showed how hard it was for him to be brought down and illustrated his mentality of “I will not be stopped!”
John Huntsman had some freakish runs in the second half of the game. Nearing the end of the third quarter backed up on our 15-yard line, Huntsman ran down the sideline for a 15-yard gain to give the offense some much needed breathing room and momentum. On that run he had a nasty stiff arm and hurdled a defender at the end of the run to squeak out a few extra yards, showcasing his athleticism and raw strength as a converted offensive lineman!
While everyone else was fatigued heading into the fourth quarter, Huntsman was still grinding. On our first offensive play of the fourth quarter, Huntsman barreled his way to an 18-yard carry which was his longest of the game. Not to be stopped later on in the drive, he had another 14-yard run to move us into the Buccaneers side of the field. It is only a matter of time before Huntsman shows up with yet another game ball from a multi score game!
DEFENSIVE WEEK 4 GAME BALL – Rookie LB David Frank @Icebear
Hoping to break the losing streak, the Grey Ducks faced off in yet another defensive bloodbath against the Tijuana Luchadores. And while Minnesota did not end up leaving Mexico victorious, the game would not have been nearly as close without the dominance of the two starting linebackers, and more specifically, rookie David Frank!
While Frank was quiet most of the first half, letting his teammate and fellow linebacker Bane be the star of the first quarter, the second quarter he began lighting up the field with some solid tackles to hold back the Luchadores. Throughout the night, the Grey Ducks managed to keep Tijuana at bay through the presence of the linebacker tandem. The defense kept putting up critical three and outs and only allowed one score in the first half.
After halftime, the Grey Ducks needed a stop down 7-3. Thanks to veteran cornerback Puntky, they got just that and then some! Puntky intercepted ReallyInvisible’s pass and turned on the jets for a big return of 35 yards! Frank was able to help his teammate by setting up a big block on Tijuana’s tight end who was within arm’s reach of Puntky after the interception. Frank also continued to support Puntky as his cheers could be heard echoing in the shocked and silent crowd during his 35-yard return!
Finishing out the night, Frank helped his team prevent the Luchadores from driving any more after their second score to force the game into overtime. In the extra minutes, Frank did not let up as he and his teammates took the Luchadores to the wire with only one minute left in overtime. Frank then recorded a big stop on first down, blowing up running back Jackson for no gain. However, Tijuana beat the clock and managed to score a last second touchdown to seal the game. Another heartbreaking loss for the Grey Ducks, but Frank said after the game that he and his team are determined to rebound stronger than ever next week!
Frank ended the night racking up 12 total tackles with 2 for loss! A big night for the rookie with his first appearance earning double digit tackles and now his second game ball on the season! The man has ice in his veins!
OFFENSIVE WEEK 4 GAME BALL – Rookie WR Janis Lux @Lukstins88
4 catches, 86 yards, 21.5 yards per reception
While we were not able to come up with the win in week 4 against Tijuana, Janis Lux had their breakout game of the year to set them up for success for the rest of the season! The rookie wasted no time introducing himself to the Tijuana defense. On the first play of the game, Lux made a double move on the left side boundary and beat his corner down the field. Our quarterback Oles Jr found Lux for a 45-yard gain as the pass was barely tripped up and brought down. This got the ball rolling from our offense and put the Luchadores on their heels.
Lux was not done after that. At the end of the first quarter, Lux ran a beautiful slant route and showed off his route running ability with an 11-yard reception. On the first play of the next drive, Lux took a simple screen play and turned it into a 9-yard gain and put us in position to gain a huge first down.
Lux’s next big play came at the end of the first half. Another play that showed off his refined route running, Lux made another double move this time towards the boundary for a 21-yard gain to get the drive rolling to make a run at a score at the end of the half. Although Lux did not have another catch in the second half, his impact was still felt in the game. Tijuana constantly shaded a safety overtop to help on them, and Lux was constantly doubled which opened up the rest of the offense.
This is just the beginning for Lux, and we cannot wait to see how the rookie builds on this performance in the future!
Congrats to all the Ducks for their game ball performances! Words: 2586
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