Another week has passed and I cannot believe the amount of growth we have seen from all of the little sneks down in the DSFL. All of our future Austin Copperheads played 3 more games this week and below we have a breakdown of how each one of them did! Enjoy!
Chathack’rius Smith IV @Rockiesfan4ever
At some point Chathack’rius Smith IV is going to have to make plays. Plays, plural, with an s. All of the Austin faithful have heard what a talent this free safety can be and everything he did while at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but it just has not translated to the DSFL yet for this youngster. The first game of this weekly recaps seems like the perfect one for the Chathack Attack to make an impact as they prefer the passing game rather than the run heavy attacks that the Buccaneers have seen recently. The first drive saw exactly that as the Minnesota Grey Ducks threw on over 50% of their plays and just marched right down the field on the Bucs. Chathack’rius was nowhere to be found as passes were completed around him ala an air raid. After a quick drive for the Bucs was stalled by a penalty, Smith and the defense found themselves facing another heavy passing drive as the Grey Ducks completed a pair of 16 yard passes before a 5-yard dump off pass was wrapped up by Smith putting him on the stat sheet with a tackle. A 3rd 16 yard pass of the drive led the Grey Ducks inside the Buccaneers 5 yard line, but, as we’ve seen all season, the Buccaneers’ defense will bend but will not break; holding the Grey Ducks to a chip shot field goal. The start of the 2nd quarter saw more action from Chathack’rius as he was able to get a hand in front of a pass intended for WR Joe Bay and register his first pass deflection in quite a while. A couple of back and forth punts, with a 23 yard FG for the Grey Ducks, saw the Grey Ducks head into halftime leading and Smith head into the locker room with 1 tackle and 1 deflection to his name.
A couple of plays in the first drive of the second half won’t show up on the stats sheet but Chathack’rius Smith was in the hip pocket on a couple of throws and, while he didn’t deflect the pass, his presence definitely played a role in them falling incomplete. The next time he registered on the stat sheet was the 3rd and 4th plays of the 4th quarter when he was able to stop a pass play from breaking free and chasing down RB John Huntsman from behind and then RB Lawrence McCoy on a swing pass just 1 yard from the line of scrimmage. That is the type of play the Bucs needs to see from Chathack’rius if they want to make the playoffs and go far. Unfortunately the next, and last time, Smith’s name was called was on a pass interference penalty to start a Grey Ducks drive with just over 5 minutes left. Smith has seemed to get called more and more for penalties lately, you have to wonder if he is pressing to make plays.
While the first game was an air assault, the second game saw the Portland Pythons run the ball almost 4 times more than they passed it which allowed Chathack’rius to get involved. He started off slowly in the first quarter with only 1 tackle, coming after the ball carrier had already gotten a first down, but picked up 3 additional tackles on the Pythons’ second drive of the second quarter. However, much like the first, Chathack’rius is hitting the ball carrier after they’ve already past the line to gain. Good at preventing big plays from getting bigger, but not good at limiting the plays to just a couple of yards. Another Chathack’rius Smith penalty (this time a facemask) pushed the Pythons deep into Bondi Beach territory when Smith took advantage of good coverage and was able to drop QB James III 11 yards behind the line of scrimmage for his 2nd sack of the season. However, a 10 yard run 2 plays later will make it all for naught as the Pythons score anyway. Without that second quarter, Smith’s stat line looks pretty mundane as he only registers a couple of more tackles at the end of the game, another Bondi Beach loss. At least we were able to see him get in the backfield and show some flashes of his excellence.
The game against Dallas was more of the same for Smith as he racked up a fair amount of tackles (7- which led the team), and had another pass deflections, but couldn’t register a sack or a turnover. I wanted to take some time and look at where Chathack’rius Smith’s tackles occur. Obviously, as the free safety, a lot of his tackles will occur when the running back breaks free or the receiver breaks loose, however, it is starting to be a trend for Smith. Take the Bird Dogs game for example he made initial contact with the ball carrier, 19, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 16 yards from the line of scrimmage. That means, on average, Smith wasn’t making a play on the ball until almost 16 yards from the line of scrimmage. Either something is wrong with Smith’s understanding of the scheme and he’s playing too deep, or he just isn’t attacking the ball like he needs to be. Sure, it’s good to prevent big plays, but you can prevent big plays 6 yards from the line of scrimmage instead of 16.
Gluteus Maximus @UpperNet
I mean, a write-up about a kicker is gonna be pretty boring right? They kick the ball, grab their little tee, and run off the field before they get hit. Wrong! Enter Gluteus Maximus, the butt-kicking (and ball kicking) kicker for the Minnesota Grey Ducks. They squared off first this week against the Bondi Beach Buccaneers hoping to crush their playoff dreams and Maximus came to play for sure. Right from the opening kick-off you could tell Minnesota had a higher energy level and want in this one than the Buccaneers. Maximus took that opening kick all the way down to the Buccaneers’ 3 yard line and their fantastic coverage unit helped pin the Bucs inside their own 20 to start a drive that would end in a punt. Immediately the Grey Ducks take possession and march methodically down the field for the first touchdown of the game, capped off with a perfect extra point from Gluteus Maximus. His monster leg sent the kick-off flying down to the Bucs goal line as their coverage team was able to keep them inside their own 25 yard line again. It was rinse and repeat for the Grey Ducks as their defense was able to force a punt and their offense drove down the length of the field. However, this time, they decided to give Gluteus the spotlight as he banged home a 22-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10. All hyped from his field goal Maximus sent the ensuing kick-off so deep into the end zone that the Buccaneers returner Tingzpahcbol had no choice but to kneel it. Unfortunately the Grey Ducks weren’t able to hold as the Bucs scored and the Bucs defense held, forcing Maximus into his first punt of the game. This one came from his own 20 and went a monstrous 56 yards, with only a 1-yard return; talk about a perfect punt! More time went by without any Gluteus action, but another Grey Ducks drive stalled inside the Buccaneers’ 10 yard line and Maximus had to bail them out with a 23-yard FG. As the game went on Maximus’ leg only got stronger as his next kick-off went a booming 78 yards. A 52 yard punt from Gluteus ended the first half and it was a very strong showing. Heartbreak struck in the 4th quarter as the Grey Ducks sent Maximus out to attempt a 42 yard field goal and he pushed it just to the right, only his 3rd miss of the year. More booming punts and kick-offs happened in between but the 8 points accounted for by Maximus was more than the difference as the Grey Ducks won 26-22.
Man, if you like kickers, especially Gluteus Maximus, this game was for you. I am going to spoil it a bit early and say that no offensive player scored a point despite 21 points being put up, so, you know what that means! Field goals! Maximus hit on all of his field goals for the game. 2 from 29 yards out and another from 41 yards while the Luchadores’ kicker hit from 37, 38, 53, and 55, but he doesn’t do the punting like Maximus. Maximus also had 8 punts on the day for 353 total yards and 4 of those were downed inside the 20. That’s an average of almost 45 yards per punt! It’s safe to say, even though Maximus wasn’t able to put up as many field goals and his team lost, we still know who the better kicker was in this game. Game 3 of the series was not much better for the Grey Ducks as the offense failed to produce with Maximus putting up 100% of their points yet again. Maximus hit from 40 yards and another from 21 as the offense could not push in the redzone for more points. Besides the field goals Maximus had another 8 punt performance with a booming long of 63 yards (better than the other punter’s 61 yard punt) and had 4 punts against down inside the 20; he knows how to flip that field. His 8 punts totaled 368 yards (more than the Grey Ducks’ offense) and averaged 46 yards per punt.
Bayley Cowabunga @JKortesi81
Week 8 (@Kansas City):
The Dallas Birddogs and Bayley Cowabunga looked to get their revenge after dropping the previous week’s game to the Coyotes. Cowabunga got the first drive going well with a huge 35 yard reception, followed up by a 22 yard reception to put the Birddogs in the red zone. However, an interception prevented a score from happening. Cowabunga came down with a 19 yard reception, but a fumble on the very next play turned the ball over again. In the middle of the 2nd quarter, a huge 31 yard reception from Cowabunga put the Birddogs within striking distance of the endzone. They would score their first TD a few plays later.
Cowabunga struggled in the 2nd half early with a dropped pass and short yard gains. But a 10 yard reception from Cowabunga set up a Dallas touchdown on the next play. On the last drive of the game, with the Birddogs down by a score, Cowabunga made play after play in hopes of driving Dallas down the field. Unfortunately, Dallas were caught at their own 48 when time ran out to end the game. Despite the 22-17 loss, Cowabunga put up a ferocious statline of 9 receptions and 153 yards.
Week 9 (vs. London):
Dallas sought to remedy their string of losses with a strong home game against the Royals. Cowabunga put in immediate work with a 67 yard touchdown on the first play of the game. That would be Cowabunga’s only reception in the 1st half, however, in what was a high-scoring battle between both clubs. Cowabunga would not catch another pass until the middle of the 3rd quarter after being hounded by the Royals’ defense time after time. A 16 yard reception continued a drive that ended in a 29 yard touchdown from Cowabunga, his 2nd TD of the game.
Cowabunga would set up another touchdown in the middle of the 4th with a 17 yard reception. Down by two scores late in the 4th, the Birddogs were able to score again off of a 15 yard reception from Cowabunga that set up a huge TD pass 2 plays later. Unfortunately, it was too little too late and the Royals sat on the ball to take the high-scoring affair 47-42. Cowabunga brought in 2 of his team’s 6 touchdowns, as well as 144 yards off of 5 receptions. But great defense against the star wide receiver complicated things for the Birddogs throughout the game.
Week 10 (vs. Bondi Beach):
The Birddogs did not want to continue their losing streak and sought a big home win against their division rival. Cowabunga came down with a 19 yard reception in the middle of the 1st quarter. But they were later called with an Unnecessary Roughness penalty that forced a punt. The refs, as usual, were seeking to screw Cowabunga over. Cowabunga would get an 11 yard reception late in the 1st on a drive that saw the Birddogs score their first TD of the day. Great defense prevented Cowabunga from getting a reception for most of the 2nd quarter. Cowabunga came down with a 13 yard reception to end the half with no scoring.
Cowabunga was, once again, a victim of great Buccaneer defense and did not come down with a single reception in the 3rd quarter. But Cowabunga would redeem themselves with an 11 yard touchdown in the middle of the 4th quarter. Down by two scores with possession, once again, the Birddogs sought to mount some offense. Cowabunga secured a 32 yard pass and a 16 yard pass a few plays later. That set up another Birddog touchdown. Unfortunately, there was no time left for Dallas to do anything more as they fell to Bondi Beach 34-28. Despite the loss, Cowabunga was their spectacular self. 6 receptions for 102 and a touchdown only continues to pad Cowabunga’s dominant season.
Carter Fox @FuzzISFL
Week 8 - Portland vs Tijauana (Part 2)
The Pythons just keep winning, and Fox keeps on coming up with clutch plays. A 7 tackle night for the youngster, + a forced fumble is a solid night as the Pythons take a 44-31 win against the Luchadores. Something I’ve begun to appreciate in my time doing write ups, are defensive plays directly preceding punts or pointless drives. For example, on the very first drive of the game, Tijuana tries to set up a rush chance and Fox smothers the carrier for a 1 yard gain. They then avoid the ground for the next two plays via (unsuccessful) passes and they have to settle for a punt. In fact, Tijuana doesn’t attempt a rush play for a whole attempted drive. And when they do come back to the rush game following a Python’s score off of an interception? Fox is there again to set up his 2nd 1st quarter tackle on Jackson. The Luchadores do end up scoring twice in the opening frame, one off of a rush play (boo) and another off of a passing play. Fox picks up his 3rd tackle and Tijuana’s 3rd ‘drive-opening’ rush attempt to end the quarter. Fox has a relatively quiet 2nd quarter. A tackle that doesn’t impact the game, and that’s about it. Same with the 3rd quarter as well. He does get another tackle a couple plays before a forced fumble + recovery for Walls, but I can’t attribute that to Fox. It’s not until a 2 minute stretch in the 4th quarter that Fox pounces. With Tijuana on a 2nd and 6 situation, Fox holds down the fort to force a 3rd and 6 situation, which is followed up by a crucial turnover on downs. The Python’s scored on their first attempt following the turnover, and Fox then forced a fumble with a strong tackle. All in all, nothing to complain about for Carter’s night as he made multiple key stops to force turnovers in a high-scoring affair.
Week 9 - Pythons vs Buccaneers
There wasn’t much to talk about this time. Fox only collected one tackle early on in the 2nd quarter as Portland went on to win another close game by a score of 24-21. Fox’s only tackle directly preceded a punt from Bondi Beach, so that’s good. Not much else to say, though.
Week 10 - Pythons vs Grey Ducks
Similar output as last week, for Fox. 2 tackles and one forced fumble in a defensive masterclass from Portland en route to a 20-7 win against Minnesota. Fox’s first tackle of the game was a big play. On 3rd and 1 Fox lays down a crushing hit on McCoy that leads to an unrecovered fumble, but also leads to a punt from Minnesota’s own 40 to start the 2nd quarter. His other tackle in the game forced a “3rd and inches,” situation which I’ve never seen before, but that then turned into a 1st down on the next play. While Minnesota did end up punting to end off the drive, Fox can’t be claimed to be the main contributor. Unfortunately Carter slowed down this week, but if past performance is indicative of anything, we’d all best expect him to put up some solid numbers over the next 3 weeks.
Aleksandr Vasilev @aimbotalex
Week 8 Recap
It’s the time of the week again, where I look over Aleksandr Vasilev’s games from the last week of DSFL action, last week was an up and down one and we’ll if he could improve for the three games this week, first up was the week 8 game vs the Tijuana Luchadores, the game was a tale of two quarters for the pythons where there 1st and 4th quarters were able to put down Tij, Vasilev himself had a magnificent game leading Python wide receivers for the day in receptions, recording 6 receptions for 54 yards averaging 9, with his longest for the day being a 17 yard reception, not only was he a threat in receiving but he was also able to record a pancake as well showing his versatility, he was targeted another 2 times, one of which was broken up by Tij and one pass missing the mark, this was a much better turn out for Vasilev and a performance he will want to replicate in the games coming up and future games for Portland, and with that game we go on to Portland’s game against Bondi Beach.
Week 9 recap
Second game of the week, and it’s Portland vs Bondi Beach for the battle of the green teams, this game was a tale of two halves as Portland strolled ahead in the first half shutting Bondi Beach out, however in the second Bondi Beach threatened a comeback but Portland was able to finish them off, we’re here to talk about Vasilev however, and while Portland's wr’s didn’t have the best day Vasilev lead them in receiving in almost all stats, recording 4 receptions for 36 yards averaging 9 yards a reception with the longest going for 13 and recording the only TD from a wr for Portland, for another week in a row Vasilev showed he could out muscle defenders getting a pancake, unfortunately he did get a large penalty for 15 yards for unnecessary roughness in the first quarter, however it didn’t cost Portland too much and they were able to get 3 points in the drive. Vasilevs TD came in the second quarter, being Portland's 1st TD of the game, this game must be pleasing for the young receiver and he must be happy about his seemingly improved consistency, we’ll see if he keeps it up in the next game which is Portland vs my Minnesota Grey Ducks (so maybe don’t have such a good game).
Week 10 recap
Third and final game of this DSFL week, and it’s against my Ducks, and unfortunately for me the Pythons dominated the game not allowing a TD only FG’s, never letting the breaks off, for Vasilev however it was a so-so game, not great but not bad either, his stat line read 3 receptions for 29 yards averaging a solid 9.7 with his longest going for 12, he also got another pancake, making it 4 games in a row where he recorded one, he was targeted once more but the pass failed to reach him, he helped the offence keep the momentum throughout the game and should be pleased with his contribution but hope on improving it, we’ll see next week whether or not Vasilev can keep the good times rolling at Portland.
Daniel O’Leary @mango8154
It was a hot set of games for future Austin Copperhead Daniel O'Leary, as he really made an impact in this week's set of games for the Minnesota Grey Ducks! In these three games, O'Leary's Ducks took on the Bondi Beach Buccaneers at home, the Tijuana Luchadors on the road, and the Portland Pythons at home once again. All three teams he and the team went up against our big players in the playoff race, but you can be certain that didn't deter our boy from making waves!
First up in week 8, it was a big win over Bondi Beach, as the Ducks defeated them 26-22! In what was O'Leary's quietest game of the set, he managed to record 3 tackles, with all of them allowing 2 or fewer yards allowed. Once again, O'Leary's speed to wrap opposing RBs up is a sight to behold, especially when the DSFL is such a big RB league. And as usual, the majority of O'Leary's tackles in this game came on 1st and 10 situations. Be it sheer luck or consistency, there's something about the start of a drive or a new set of downs that makes O'Leary an absolute beast! His first tackle of the day was actually the very first tackle of any drive on the day, stopping the Bondi Beach RB for only a gain of 1 on the first offensive play of the game. That drive went on to immediately go 3 and out. His next tackle came on the first play of the final drive of the first half, shutting down the opposing RB for a gain of 1 yard again in a drive that would never come close to finishing on time. And then lastly, on a 4th and 1, O'Leary managed to kick into the clutch and take the RB down for a gain of 2. It may not have stopped the drive, but it stopped Bondi Beach from picking up any extra yards in a drive that was a make it or break it final attempt to win in the fourth quarter. Overall, another solid game!
Moving on to week 9, it was a close loss to the Tijuana Luchadores with the score being a tight 12-9. Defense was king in this game, and that's especially true for O'Leary who had a pretty active day with 6 tackles and a recorded tackle for loss! As usual, an O'Leary tackle starts like many other O'Leary tackles: a tackle on the RB in a 1st and 10 situation for only a short gain. And in what seems to be a common theme, an O'Leary tackle usually sets the tone for the drive, as the Luchadors quickly went 3 and out on that drive afterwards. This situation repeated in full on his next tackle, as late in the third, O'Leary would stop the RB on 1st and 10 for a short gain on an immediate 3 and out drive. Now we arrive in the fourth quarter, and this game is TIGHT. But O'Leary seems to have known it was do or die, as he recorded the majority of his tackles in this portion of the game. On another 1st and 10, you better believe O'Leary stopped the RB for just a gain of 2, though the Luchadores were already in field goal range at this point, so no three and out result this time, technically. But his next tackle would be another 1st and 10 short gain stop that led into a three and out, so it seems things went right back to normal. And of course, again, this same situation plays out on his next tackle. At this point, it seems almost appropriate to start dubbing it the "O'Leary Factor", as it just happens way too often for it to be lucky at this point. Though, to switch things up, on his final tackle of the game, with 31 seconds left in overtime, O'Leary brought down the RB for a loss of 2 on the play, which almost sealed the entire game. Unfortunately, the Luchadores managed to throw for a 12 yard gain and kick a 55 yarder to win it with 7 seconds left, but if not for that one unlucky play, O'Leary would have been THE man who stopped the loss. All in all, a great day for a great player!
Lastly, we shift focus to the week 10 matchup against the Portland Pythons, which wasn't as close of a loss, but the Pythons were held to only 20 points, which is in all regards, an actually impressive performance. Even better, O'Leary didn't just match his results from last week, but he 1-upped it! Recording 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack, O'Leary was easily the star player of the defense in this game! It's easy to tell that despite the playoff race not looking great for the Ducks, O'Leary's focused on still putting in as much effort as possible to send this season off on a brighter note. And that brighter note starts here, with O'Leary for a change, making a tackle in a 3rd and 4th situation, stopping the runner short of a first down for a quick three and out to start the game! He gets right back to business in the next drive though, making a tackle on 1st and 10 for a short gain. But then here comes the killer, as the final play of the first quarter was a brutal one, with O'Leary sacking the Portland QB for a loss of 10 yards! Portland wouldn't even have time to recover, as the very next play and the start of the second quarter, O'Leary would hit the RB for no gain on the play, ensuring there was NO SHOT at gaining momentum here. Old habits die hard though, because you guessed it, O'LEARY TACKLE ON 1ST AND 10 FOR A SHORT GAIN! And finally, O'Leary wrapped up his performance with a tackle on 2nd and 9, only allowing a short gain. You gotta love a player who can make an impact like this late in the season, regardless of how said season is going. Two very high effort performances in a row after solid play all season long is a great way to lead into the final games of the season. And regardless of how things go for the Ducks, we can at least say that things have been pretty positive for someone who will no doubt be a star in the ISFL.
Siege Cameron @cjmccarley
It’s that time of the week again. Time to go for our weekly check in with our baby snek down in Kansas City, their star cornerback Siege Cameron. At the halfway mark of the DSFL season Siege is sitting with an impressive 37 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception and 8 pass deflections. His team the Kansas City Coyotes have a 3-4 record up to this point.
In week 8 it was the 2nd part of the home doubleheader against the defending Ultimini champions, the Dallas Birddogs, with Kansas City looking to win again. Siege had a really impressive performance in that week 7 game as he picked up his 1st interception of the season and he was able to have another impressive performance with an insane 10 tackles and a pass deflection. Managing to get 10 tackles from the CB position is very impressive and shows a different part of Siege’s game as Dallas were throwing all over the place with Siege being there to stop them 10 times. Kansas City were also able to pull out a win, 22-17.
On to week 8 and Kansas City make the trip to Norfolk for the 2nd time this season to play the Seawolves, a team that they beat 40-14 in their 1st matchup. This game wasn’t much different as Kansas City easily defeated them 33-14, with Kansas City going on a 33 point unanswered streak after Norfolk went up 14-0 at the start of the 2nd quarter. Siege wasn’t able to put up double digit tackles again but he was able to play his part in a great team defensive performance with 5 tackles and 1 pass deflection. That 1 pass deflection takes him to double digits for the season. Another impressive stat line from the cover master.
A big game in week 9 as the league leading London Royals made the trip to Kansas City. Siege had a great game the last time the two teams met back in week 2 with 6 tackles, 1 forced fumble and a pass deflection. He had another good game here with 3 tackles, a pass deflection and the only interception for Kansas City on the day. Unfortunately Kansas City couldn’t pull out the win as they fell to a 24-21 loss.
Another great week for Siege. His team went 2-1 and he put up a string of impressive performances. His stat line through 10 games is 55 tackles, which is 3rd in the league among Cornerbacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 interceptions and 11 pass deflections. A great season so far for the 2nd year player and hopefully it continues for the rest of the season. Be sure to check out next week to find out how he’s getting on!
PLEASE DIVIDE UP PAY IN THE FOLLOWING WAY - THANKS!!
@RDBSouthPaw - Opening Statement
@Rockiesfan4ever - Smith IV and Maximus
@TheRealMazatt - Fox
@Dagumpa - Cowabunga
@mango8154 - Vasiliev
@GlimsTC - O'Leary
@frazzle14 - Cameron
Chathack’rius Smith IV @Rockiesfan4ever
At some point Chathack’rius Smith IV is going to have to make plays. Plays, plural, with an s. All of the Austin faithful have heard what a talent this free safety can be and everything he did while at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but it just has not translated to the DSFL yet for this youngster. The first game of this weekly recaps seems like the perfect one for the Chathack Attack to make an impact as they prefer the passing game rather than the run heavy attacks that the Buccaneers have seen recently. The first drive saw exactly that as the Minnesota Grey Ducks threw on over 50% of their plays and just marched right down the field on the Bucs. Chathack’rius was nowhere to be found as passes were completed around him ala an air raid. After a quick drive for the Bucs was stalled by a penalty, Smith and the defense found themselves facing another heavy passing drive as the Grey Ducks completed a pair of 16 yard passes before a 5-yard dump off pass was wrapped up by Smith putting him on the stat sheet with a tackle. A 3rd 16 yard pass of the drive led the Grey Ducks inside the Buccaneers 5 yard line, but, as we’ve seen all season, the Buccaneers’ defense will bend but will not break; holding the Grey Ducks to a chip shot field goal. The start of the 2nd quarter saw more action from Chathack’rius as he was able to get a hand in front of a pass intended for WR Joe Bay and register his first pass deflection in quite a while. A couple of back and forth punts, with a 23 yard FG for the Grey Ducks, saw the Grey Ducks head into halftime leading and Smith head into the locker room with 1 tackle and 1 deflection to his name.
A couple of plays in the first drive of the second half won’t show up on the stats sheet but Chathack’rius Smith was in the hip pocket on a couple of throws and, while he didn’t deflect the pass, his presence definitely played a role in them falling incomplete. The next time he registered on the stat sheet was the 3rd and 4th plays of the 4th quarter when he was able to stop a pass play from breaking free and chasing down RB John Huntsman from behind and then RB Lawrence McCoy on a swing pass just 1 yard from the line of scrimmage. That is the type of play the Bucs needs to see from Chathack’rius if they want to make the playoffs and go far. Unfortunately the next, and last time, Smith’s name was called was on a pass interference penalty to start a Grey Ducks drive with just over 5 minutes left. Smith has seemed to get called more and more for penalties lately, you have to wonder if he is pressing to make plays.
While the first game was an air assault, the second game saw the Portland Pythons run the ball almost 4 times more than they passed it which allowed Chathack’rius to get involved. He started off slowly in the first quarter with only 1 tackle, coming after the ball carrier had already gotten a first down, but picked up 3 additional tackles on the Pythons’ second drive of the second quarter. However, much like the first, Chathack’rius is hitting the ball carrier after they’ve already past the line to gain. Good at preventing big plays from getting bigger, but not good at limiting the plays to just a couple of yards. Another Chathack’rius Smith penalty (this time a facemask) pushed the Pythons deep into Bondi Beach territory when Smith took advantage of good coverage and was able to drop QB James III 11 yards behind the line of scrimmage for his 2nd sack of the season. However, a 10 yard run 2 plays later will make it all for naught as the Pythons score anyway. Without that second quarter, Smith’s stat line looks pretty mundane as he only registers a couple of more tackles at the end of the game, another Bondi Beach loss. At least we were able to see him get in the backfield and show some flashes of his excellence.
The game against Dallas was more of the same for Smith as he racked up a fair amount of tackles (7- which led the team), and had another pass deflections, but couldn’t register a sack or a turnover. I wanted to take some time and look at where Chathack’rius Smith’s tackles occur. Obviously, as the free safety, a lot of his tackles will occur when the running back breaks free or the receiver breaks loose, however, it is starting to be a trend for Smith. Take the Bird Dogs game for example he made initial contact with the ball carrier, 19, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 16 yards from the line of scrimmage. That means, on average, Smith wasn’t making a play on the ball until almost 16 yards from the line of scrimmage. Either something is wrong with Smith’s understanding of the scheme and he’s playing too deep, or he just isn’t attacking the ball like he needs to be. Sure, it’s good to prevent big plays, but you can prevent big plays 6 yards from the line of scrimmage instead of 16.
Gluteus Maximus @UpperNet
I mean, a write-up about a kicker is gonna be pretty boring right? They kick the ball, grab their little tee, and run off the field before they get hit. Wrong! Enter Gluteus Maximus, the butt-kicking (and ball kicking) kicker for the Minnesota Grey Ducks. They squared off first this week against the Bondi Beach Buccaneers hoping to crush their playoff dreams and Maximus came to play for sure. Right from the opening kick-off you could tell Minnesota had a higher energy level and want in this one than the Buccaneers. Maximus took that opening kick all the way down to the Buccaneers’ 3 yard line and their fantastic coverage unit helped pin the Bucs inside their own 20 to start a drive that would end in a punt. Immediately the Grey Ducks take possession and march methodically down the field for the first touchdown of the game, capped off with a perfect extra point from Gluteus Maximus. His monster leg sent the kick-off flying down to the Bucs goal line as their coverage team was able to keep them inside their own 25 yard line again. It was rinse and repeat for the Grey Ducks as their defense was able to force a punt and their offense drove down the length of the field. However, this time, they decided to give Gluteus the spotlight as he banged home a 22-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10. All hyped from his field goal Maximus sent the ensuing kick-off so deep into the end zone that the Buccaneers returner Tingzpahcbol had no choice but to kneel it. Unfortunately the Grey Ducks weren’t able to hold as the Bucs scored and the Bucs defense held, forcing Maximus into his first punt of the game. This one came from his own 20 and went a monstrous 56 yards, with only a 1-yard return; talk about a perfect punt! More time went by without any Gluteus action, but another Grey Ducks drive stalled inside the Buccaneers’ 10 yard line and Maximus had to bail them out with a 23-yard FG. As the game went on Maximus’ leg only got stronger as his next kick-off went a booming 78 yards. A 52 yard punt from Gluteus ended the first half and it was a very strong showing. Heartbreak struck in the 4th quarter as the Grey Ducks sent Maximus out to attempt a 42 yard field goal and he pushed it just to the right, only his 3rd miss of the year. More booming punts and kick-offs happened in between but the 8 points accounted for by Maximus was more than the difference as the Grey Ducks won 26-22.
Man, if you like kickers, especially Gluteus Maximus, this game was for you. I am going to spoil it a bit early and say that no offensive player scored a point despite 21 points being put up, so, you know what that means! Field goals! Maximus hit on all of his field goals for the game. 2 from 29 yards out and another from 41 yards while the Luchadores’ kicker hit from 37, 38, 53, and 55, but he doesn’t do the punting like Maximus. Maximus also had 8 punts on the day for 353 total yards and 4 of those were downed inside the 20. That’s an average of almost 45 yards per punt! It’s safe to say, even though Maximus wasn’t able to put up as many field goals and his team lost, we still know who the better kicker was in this game. Game 3 of the series was not much better for the Grey Ducks as the offense failed to produce with Maximus putting up 100% of their points yet again. Maximus hit from 40 yards and another from 21 as the offense could not push in the redzone for more points. Besides the field goals Maximus had another 8 punt performance with a booming long of 63 yards (better than the other punter’s 61 yard punt) and had 4 punts against down inside the 20; he knows how to flip that field. His 8 punts totaled 368 yards (more than the Grey Ducks’ offense) and averaged 46 yards per punt.
Bayley Cowabunga @JKortesi81
Week 8 (@Kansas City):
The Dallas Birddogs and Bayley Cowabunga looked to get their revenge after dropping the previous week’s game to the Coyotes. Cowabunga got the first drive going well with a huge 35 yard reception, followed up by a 22 yard reception to put the Birddogs in the red zone. However, an interception prevented a score from happening. Cowabunga came down with a 19 yard reception, but a fumble on the very next play turned the ball over again. In the middle of the 2nd quarter, a huge 31 yard reception from Cowabunga put the Birddogs within striking distance of the endzone. They would score their first TD a few plays later.
Cowabunga struggled in the 2nd half early with a dropped pass and short yard gains. But a 10 yard reception from Cowabunga set up a Dallas touchdown on the next play. On the last drive of the game, with the Birddogs down by a score, Cowabunga made play after play in hopes of driving Dallas down the field. Unfortunately, Dallas were caught at their own 48 when time ran out to end the game. Despite the 22-17 loss, Cowabunga put up a ferocious statline of 9 receptions and 153 yards.
Week 9 (vs. London):
Dallas sought to remedy their string of losses with a strong home game against the Royals. Cowabunga put in immediate work with a 67 yard touchdown on the first play of the game. That would be Cowabunga’s only reception in the 1st half, however, in what was a high-scoring battle between both clubs. Cowabunga would not catch another pass until the middle of the 3rd quarter after being hounded by the Royals’ defense time after time. A 16 yard reception continued a drive that ended in a 29 yard touchdown from Cowabunga, his 2nd TD of the game.
Cowabunga would set up another touchdown in the middle of the 4th with a 17 yard reception. Down by two scores late in the 4th, the Birddogs were able to score again off of a 15 yard reception from Cowabunga that set up a huge TD pass 2 plays later. Unfortunately, it was too little too late and the Royals sat on the ball to take the high-scoring affair 47-42. Cowabunga brought in 2 of his team’s 6 touchdowns, as well as 144 yards off of 5 receptions. But great defense against the star wide receiver complicated things for the Birddogs throughout the game.
Week 10 (vs. Bondi Beach):
The Birddogs did not want to continue their losing streak and sought a big home win against their division rival. Cowabunga came down with a 19 yard reception in the middle of the 1st quarter. But they were later called with an Unnecessary Roughness penalty that forced a punt. The refs, as usual, were seeking to screw Cowabunga over. Cowabunga would get an 11 yard reception late in the 1st on a drive that saw the Birddogs score their first TD of the day. Great defense prevented Cowabunga from getting a reception for most of the 2nd quarter. Cowabunga came down with a 13 yard reception to end the half with no scoring.
Cowabunga was, once again, a victim of great Buccaneer defense and did not come down with a single reception in the 3rd quarter. But Cowabunga would redeem themselves with an 11 yard touchdown in the middle of the 4th quarter. Down by two scores with possession, once again, the Birddogs sought to mount some offense. Cowabunga secured a 32 yard pass and a 16 yard pass a few plays later. That set up another Birddog touchdown. Unfortunately, there was no time left for Dallas to do anything more as they fell to Bondi Beach 34-28. Despite the loss, Cowabunga was their spectacular self. 6 receptions for 102 and a touchdown only continues to pad Cowabunga’s dominant season.
Carter Fox @FuzzISFL
Week 8 - Portland vs Tijauana (Part 2)
The Pythons just keep winning, and Fox keeps on coming up with clutch plays. A 7 tackle night for the youngster, + a forced fumble is a solid night as the Pythons take a 44-31 win against the Luchadores. Something I’ve begun to appreciate in my time doing write ups, are defensive plays directly preceding punts or pointless drives. For example, on the very first drive of the game, Tijuana tries to set up a rush chance and Fox smothers the carrier for a 1 yard gain. They then avoid the ground for the next two plays via (unsuccessful) passes and they have to settle for a punt. In fact, Tijuana doesn’t attempt a rush play for a whole attempted drive. And when they do come back to the rush game following a Python’s score off of an interception? Fox is there again to set up his 2nd 1st quarter tackle on Jackson. The Luchadores do end up scoring twice in the opening frame, one off of a rush play (boo) and another off of a passing play. Fox picks up his 3rd tackle and Tijuana’s 3rd ‘drive-opening’ rush attempt to end the quarter. Fox has a relatively quiet 2nd quarter. A tackle that doesn’t impact the game, and that’s about it. Same with the 3rd quarter as well. He does get another tackle a couple plays before a forced fumble + recovery for Walls, but I can’t attribute that to Fox. It’s not until a 2 minute stretch in the 4th quarter that Fox pounces. With Tijuana on a 2nd and 6 situation, Fox holds down the fort to force a 3rd and 6 situation, which is followed up by a crucial turnover on downs. The Python’s scored on their first attempt following the turnover, and Fox then forced a fumble with a strong tackle. All in all, nothing to complain about for Carter’s night as he made multiple key stops to force turnovers in a high-scoring affair.
Week 9 - Pythons vs Buccaneers
There wasn’t much to talk about this time. Fox only collected one tackle early on in the 2nd quarter as Portland went on to win another close game by a score of 24-21. Fox’s only tackle directly preceded a punt from Bondi Beach, so that’s good. Not much else to say, though.
Week 10 - Pythons vs Grey Ducks
Similar output as last week, for Fox. 2 tackles and one forced fumble in a defensive masterclass from Portland en route to a 20-7 win against Minnesota. Fox’s first tackle of the game was a big play. On 3rd and 1 Fox lays down a crushing hit on McCoy that leads to an unrecovered fumble, but also leads to a punt from Minnesota’s own 40 to start the 2nd quarter. His other tackle in the game forced a “3rd and inches,” situation which I’ve never seen before, but that then turned into a 1st down on the next play. While Minnesota did end up punting to end off the drive, Fox can’t be claimed to be the main contributor. Unfortunately Carter slowed down this week, but if past performance is indicative of anything, we’d all best expect him to put up some solid numbers over the next 3 weeks.
Aleksandr Vasilev @aimbotalex
Week 8 Recap
It’s the time of the week again, where I look over Aleksandr Vasilev’s games from the last week of DSFL action, last week was an up and down one and we’ll if he could improve for the three games this week, first up was the week 8 game vs the Tijuana Luchadores, the game was a tale of two quarters for the pythons where there 1st and 4th quarters were able to put down Tij, Vasilev himself had a magnificent game leading Python wide receivers for the day in receptions, recording 6 receptions for 54 yards averaging 9, with his longest for the day being a 17 yard reception, not only was he a threat in receiving but he was also able to record a pancake as well showing his versatility, he was targeted another 2 times, one of which was broken up by Tij and one pass missing the mark, this was a much better turn out for Vasilev and a performance he will want to replicate in the games coming up and future games for Portland, and with that game we go on to Portland’s game against Bondi Beach.
Week 9 recap
Second game of the week, and it’s Portland vs Bondi Beach for the battle of the green teams, this game was a tale of two halves as Portland strolled ahead in the first half shutting Bondi Beach out, however in the second Bondi Beach threatened a comeback but Portland was able to finish them off, we’re here to talk about Vasilev however, and while Portland's wr’s didn’t have the best day Vasilev lead them in receiving in almost all stats, recording 4 receptions for 36 yards averaging 9 yards a reception with the longest going for 13 and recording the only TD from a wr for Portland, for another week in a row Vasilev showed he could out muscle defenders getting a pancake, unfortunately he did get a large penalty for 15 yards for unnecessary roughness in the first quarter, however it didn’t cost Portland too much and they were able to get 3 points in the drive. Vasilevs TD came in the second quarter, being Portland's 1st TD of the game, this game must be pleasing for the young receiver and he must be happy about his seemingly improved consistency, we’ll see if he keeps it up in the next game which is Portland vs my Minnesota Grey Ducks (so maybe don’t have such a good game).
Week 10 recap
Third and final game of this DSFL week, and it’s against my Ducks, and unfortunately for me the Pythons dominated the game not allowing a TD only FG’s, never letting the breaks off, for Vasilev however it was a so-so game, not great but not bad either, his stat line read 3 receptions for 29 yards averaging a solid 9.7 with his longest going for 12, he also got another pancake, making it 4 games in a row where he recorded one, he was targeted once more but the pass failed to reach him, he helped the offence keep the momentum throughout the game and should be pleased with his contribution but hope on improving it, we’ll see next week whether or not Vasilev can keep the good times rolling at Portland.
Daniel O’Leary @mango8154
It was a hot set of games for future Austin Copperhead Daniel O'Leary, as he really made an impact in this week's set of games for the Minnesota Grey Ducks! In these three games, O'Leary's Ducks took on the Bondi Beach Buccaneers at home, the Tijuana Luchadors on the road, and the Portland Pythons at home once again. All three teams he and the team went up against our big players in the playoff race, but you can be certain that didn't deter our boy from making waves!
First up in week 8, it was a big win over Bondi Beach, as the Ducks defeated them 26-22! In what was O'Leary's quietest game of the set, he managed to record 3 tackles, with all of them allowing 2 or fewer yards allowed. Once again, O'Leary's speed to wrap opposing RBs up is a sight to behold, especially when the DSFL is such a big RB league. And as usual, the majority of O'Leary's tackles in this game came on 1st and 10 situations. Be it sheer luck or consistency, there's something about the start of a drive or a new set of downs that makes O'Leary an absolute beast! His first tackle of the day was actually the very first tackle of any drive on the day, stopping the Bondi Beach RB for only a gain of 1 on the first offensive play of the game. That drive went on to immediately go 3 and out. His next tackle came on the first play of the final drive of the first half, shutting down the opposing RB for a gain of 1 yard again in a drive that would never come close to finishing on time. And then lastly, on a 4th and 1, O'Leary managed to kick into the clutch and take the RB down for a gain of 2. It may not have stopped the drive, but it stopped Bondi Beach from picking up any extra yards in a drive that was a make it or break it final attempt to win in the fourth quarter. Overall, another solid game!
Moving on to week 9, it was a close loss to the Tijuana Luchadores with the score being a tight 12-9. Defense was king in this game, and that's especially true for O'Leary who had a pretty active day with 6 tackles and a recorded tackle for loss! As usual, an O'Leary tackle starts like many other O'Leary tackles: a tackle on the RB in a 1st and 10 situation for only a short gain. And in what seems to be a common theme, an O'Leary tackle usually sets the tone for the drive, as the Luchadors quickly went 3 and out on that drive afterwards. This situation repeated in full on his next tackle, as late in the third, O'Leary would stop the RB on 1st and 10 for a short gain on an immediate 3 and out drive. Now we arrive in the fourth quarter, and this game is TIGHT. But O'Leary seems to have known it was do or die, as he recorded the majority of his tackles in this portion of the game. On another 1st and 10, you better believe O'Leary stopped the RB for just a gain of 2, though the Luchadores were already in field goal range at this point, so no three and out result this time, technically. But his next tackle would be another 1st and 10 short gain stop that led into a three and out, so it seems things went right back to normal. And of course, again, this same situation plays out on his next tackle. At this point, it seems almost appropriate to start dubbing it the "O'Leary Factor", as it just happens way too often for it to be lucky at this point. Though, to switch things up, on his final tackle of the game, with 31 seconds left in overtime, O'Leary brought down the RB for a loss of 2 on the play, which almost sealed the entire game. Unfortunately, the Luchadores managed to throw for a 12 yard gain and kick a 55 yarder to win it with 7 seconds left, but if not for that one unlucky play, O'Leary would have been THE man who stopped the loss. All in all, a great day for a great player!
Lastly, we shift focus to the week 10 matchup against the Portland Pythons, which wasn't as close of a loss, but the Pythons were held to only 20 points, which is in all regards, an actually impressive performance. Even better, O'Leary didn't just match his results from last week, but he 1-upped it! Recording 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack, O'Leary was easily the star player of the defense in this game! It's easy to tell that despite the playoff race not looking great for the Ducks, O'Leary's focused on still putting in as much effort as possible to send this season off on a brighter note. And that brighter note starts here, with O'Leary for a change, making a tackle in a 3rd and 4th situation, stopping the runner short of a first down for a quick three and out to start the game! He gets right back to business in the next drive though, making a tackle on 1st and 10 for a short gain. But then here comes the killer, as the final play of the first quarter was a brutal one, with O'Leary sacking the Portland QB for a loss of 10 yards! Portland wouldn't even have time to recover, as the very next play and the start of the second quarter, O'Leary would hit the RB for no gain on the play, ensuring there was NO SHOT at gaining momentum here. Old habits die hard though, because you guessed it, O'LEARY TACKLE ON 1ST AND 10 FOR A SHORT GAIN! And finally, O'Leary wrapped up his performance with a tackle on 2nd and 9, only allowing a short gain. You gotta love a player who can make an impact like this late in the season, regardless of how said season is going. Two very high effort performances in a row after solid play all season long is a great way to lead into the final games of the season. And regardless of how things go for the Ducks, we can at least say that things have been pretty positive for someone who will no doubt be a star in the ISFL.
Siege Cameron @cjmccarley
It’s that time of the week again. Time to go for our weekly check in with our baby snek down in Kansas City, their star cornerback Siege Cameron. At the halfway mark of the DSFL season Siege is sitting with an impressive 37 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception and 8 pass deflections. His team the Kansas City Coyotes have a 3-4 record up to this point.
In week 8 it was the 2nd part of the home doubleheader against the defending Ultimini champions, the Dallas Birddogs, with Kansas City looking to win again. Siege had a really impressive performance in that week 7 game as he picked up his 1st interception of the season and he was able to have another impressive performance with an insane 10 tackles and a pass deflection. Managing to get 10 tackles from the CB position is very impressive and shows a different part of Siege’s game as Dallas were throwing all over the place with Siege being there to stop them 10 times. Kansas City were also able to pull out a win, 22-17.
On to week 8 and Kansas City make the trip to Norfolk for the 2nd time this season to play the Seawolves, a team that they beat 40-14 in their 1st matchup. This game wasn’t much different as Kansas City easily defeated them 33-14, with Kansas City going on a 33 point unanswered streak after Norfolk went up 14-0 at the start of the 2nd quarter. Siege wasn’t able to put up double digit tackles again but he was able to play his part in a great team defensive performance with 5 tackles and 1 pass deflection. That 1 pass deflection takes him to double digits for the season. Another impressive stat line from the cover master.
A big game in week 9 as the league leading London Royals made the trip to Kansas City. Siege had a great game the last time the two teams met back in week 2 with 6 tackles, 1 forced fumble and a pass deflection. He had another good game here with 3 tackles, a pass deflection and the only interception for Kansas City on the day. Unfortunately Kansas City couldn’t pull out the win as they fell to a 24-21 loss.
Another great week for Siege. His team went 2-1 and he put up a string of impressive performances. His stat line through 10 games is 55 tackles, which is 3rd in the league among Cornerbacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 interceptions and 11 pass deflections. A great season so far for the 2nd year player and hopefully it continues for the rest of the season. Be sure to check out next week to find out how he’s getting on!
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