There were some high hopes for Cole Maxwell’s rookie season in the ISFL, but undoubtedly there were also some reservations on what his performance would be, given his position swap from safety to wide receiver and the very common struggles of moving from the DSFL into the big leagues. It would be hard to say if there were any actual expectations on what the young player would produce, but the Yeti management had faith in him, as evidenced by the using their second round pick in Season 28 on him, and believed the DSFL Safety of the Year from the season prior could step in and immediately contribute as the team’s third wide receiver behind superstar William Lim and established number two Raphael Delacour. As it turns out, Cole was able to meet, and perhaps exceed, those expectations for the Colorado Yeti over the season and into the playoff game.
A potential candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year (at least in my own biased opinion), Cole ranked 12th in the league in receiving yards with a whopping 1404 yards in his inaugural season, which led all rookies in the category. The yardage numbers aren’t due to a few giant plays with few catches or lots of catches without any big plays, as he ranked second in rookie receptions with 101 (tied for 9th in the league) and second in rookie yards per reception at 13.9 yards per catch (ranked 16th in the league), showing a balance of usage and big play ability. One area that Cole could work on, however, is his scoring, as he only reached the end zone 3 times over the course of the season. Granted that did tie for 3rd among the rookies for reception touchdowns, but it was still only good for tying for 41st in the league. Another large area of concern this year was Cole’s dropped ball problem, amassing a total of 17 drops during the regular season and 1 in the playoff game. If Cole had been able to haul in even half of those drops it could have boosted his stats considerably, and maybe even added another win or two to the Yeti’s Season 29 total.
To gain a little more clarity into Cole’s rookie season we’ll take a game by game look at how he adjusted to the ISFL and how/if his game improved over his rookie season:
Week 1 vs Sarasota Sailfish (26-23 Win):
Ah, the first game of a new year, the smell of a new field as Cole would take his first snaps for a team in the ISFL. The Colorado Yeti hosted the Sarasota Sailfish, who finished one spot above the Yeti in Season 28 with a 10-6 record and who the Yeti defeated in the first Season 29 Preseason game by a score of 25-22. Weirdly enough the Yeti would win by the same margin in the Week 1 debut. The game started slowly for Maxwell, the first pass he saw (10:34 Q1) fell incomplete and the second pass he flat out dropped (7:31 Q1), but fortunately QB Matthias Caliban didn’t lose faith in the rookie and came back to him the very next play after his drop and hit him for a 14 yard gain and first down as Cole’s first completion (7:18 Q1). Picking up steam, the next pass that went Cole’s way was caught and taken for a 56 yard big play and first down (11:37 Q2). Later in the quarter (1:52 Q2) as the offense was trying to put together a two minute drill to score before the half, Cole made another catch and run of 17 yards, however a big hit from Sailfish safety Clemente knocked the ball free, where Sarasota picked up the fumble and returned it 30 yards, back into Yeti territory. The Yeti forced a turnover and had another shot at the two minute offense, where Cole was targeted twice in a row, the first pass was knocked away by a Sailfish defender (1:11 Q2), but the second was hauled in for a short 3 yard gain, but not enough to convert the first down (1:05 Q2). Entering the second half, Cole was again targeted on just the second offensive play of the quarter, bringing in a 10 yard completion (14:29 Q3). Two plays later he was targeted again, similarly gaining 10 yards and a first down this time around (12:57 Q3). Later in the same drive Caliban finds an open Cole again for an 11 yard pickup and another first down (10:13 Q3). After a long drought Cole has his final opportunity on a 3rd down in the 4th quarter, attempting to ice the game, but is hit with his second drop of the afternoon (2:37 Q4). Overall it was a good first game after moving up to the big league, making 7 catches for a total of 121 yards. The two drops and the fumble were disappointing additions to the game, but not entirely unexpected from a rookie.
Week 2 at Chicago Butchers (36-10 Loss):
Looking to continue on their one game win streak, the Yeti marched into Chicago for their week 2 matchup against the Butchers, who were coming off a close Week 1 loss. The game started off on a terrible note, with the first pass play of the day targeted at Cole, only to be intercepted by the Chicago defender (14:22 Q1). It only got slightly better as the next offensive play was again aimed at getting Cole the ball, only to have it knocked away by the defender (12:48 Q1). Oh well, third time’s the charm, right? Wrong. The next two passes targeting Cole were again batted away by the Chicago defender in coverage (1:13 Q1/ 0:28 Q1). The second quarter saw marginal improvement, as Cole’s next pass was again incomplete, but at least not interfered with by a Butcher (14:04 Q2). Similarly the next play for Cole resulted in the sixth straight incompletion when being targeted (6:07 Q2). Things would regress again however, as the next target was batted away by a Chicago defender (4:01 Q2). On the Yeti’s last third down of the half Cole was again targeted, but the play resulted in a dropped pass and the eighth play for Cole with no positive gain (1:29 Q2). The third quarter brought the only shining moments of the game for Cole, as he finally got a positive notation on the stat sheet, bringing in 3 consecutive passes for 3 first downs, as he brought in passes of 12, 11, and 15 yards respectively (7:09 Q3/ 6:17 Q3/ 5:24 Q3). Three plays later Cole was again targeted on another important third down, and again the pass was deflected away by a Chicago defender (3:32 Q3). The next pass headed Cole’s way would fall incomplete (1:51 Q3). On his last target of the game, Cole was able to make a 9 yard reception on a 3rd down to convert the 1st down (1:14 Q3). This outing was far less impressive for the rookie, amassing only 4 catches for 47 yards on 14 targets and having another drop in the team’s lackluster performance. This certainly wasn’t the direction the team or Cole had hoped his play would go, but everyone has an off week now and again.
Week 3 vs Berlin Fire Salamanders (38-21 Win):
After an incredibly rough Week 2 performance, the Yeti and Cole were looking to get back on track against the Berlin Fire Salamanders, who were similarly coming off a fresh loss and a 1-1 record. Caliban continues to show faith in the rookie, as he targets Cole on just the second snap of the game for an 8 yard completion (13:23 Q1). A few plays later Cole is again in Caliban’s crosshairs, but the pass falls incomplete (9:27 Q1). Just two plays later though the pair are able to connect again on a 6 yard pass (8:33 Q1), setting up a Gilbert rushing touchdown on the very next play. It would take until the second quarter for Cole to see another target, but a little while longer for his next catch, as the pass fell incomplete (13:58 Q2). The next attempt would be successful though, as Cole reels in an 18 yard catch for a first down (6:11 Q2). Four plays later Cole is able to make another catch for 9 yards and another Yeti first down (3:04 Q2). A few possessions roll by without a target, but after a Yeti interception deep in Berlin territory Cole is on the receiving end of a one play 23 yard touchdown drive, his first score of the year (3:11 Q3). On to the fourth quarter, Cole has back to back targets, on second down he faces another battle with his dropped ball problem (12:11 Q4), resulting in the next play being a key third down catch for 8 yards and a first down (11:59 Q4). On the Yeti’s final drive Cole makes a 5 yard catch (5:06 Q4) and a few plays later receives his final target and brings it in for a 15 yard gain and first down (2:36 Q4). Both Cole and the Yeti had a nice bounce back week after the disappointing game against the Sailfish, with Cole contributing big with 8 receptions for 92 yards and his first career touchdown. He still has his issues however, as he dropped another pass that thankfully didn’t cost the team a chance at victory.
Week 4 vs Honolulu Hahalua (33-31 Win):
With a 2-1 record the Yeti came into the week 4 matchup against the winless Hahalua with an air of confidence that nearly cost them. The hard fought game still resulted in a win, but only by the slimmest of margins. It took awhile for Cole to get involved in this game, with his first catch coming in the second quarter, a big 14 yard gain for the Yeti’s first first down of the quarter and bringing the Yeti into Honolulu’s side of the field (13:28 Q2). But not wanting to stop there, the very next play Cole reeled off a 19 yard gain and another first down (12:36 Q2). A few plays later on a third down inside the Hahalua ten yard line, Cole makes his next catch, bringing the Yeti to the 1 yard line with a new set of downs (8:35 Q2), resulting in a Gilbert touchdown plunge the very next play. On the next drive Cole continues his catch streak, bringing in a 6 yard gain (4:12 Q2). The last target of the half Cole sees unfortunately falls incomplete (1:16 Q2). During the first Yeti drive of the second half, Cole makes a huge play for a 30 yard gain and first down, bringing the Yeti into the Hahalua side of the field for the first time in the second half (9:11 Q3). The next target Cole saw however would come on the next series, with a Hahalua defender batting away the ball before he could make the reception (3:05 Q3). Cole’s next target is also one well defended and broken up by a Honolulu defender (11:59 Q4). A few plays later in the same drive, Cole is able to make a 6 yard reception on a third down to get the Yeti a new set of downs (10:00 Q4). The first play on the Yeti’s next offensive series, Cole brings in another catch for another big gain, 27 yards and another first down this time around (3:21 Q4). Unfortunately his next target came from the Honolulu three yard line on third down and resulted in another Cole Maxwell dropped pass, costing his team a touchdown and having to settle for an Opal field goal to tie the game (1:37 Q4). The final drive with the score tied, Caliban finds Cole for a 12 yard gain and first down while putting the Yeti in position to make a game winning field goal attempt (0:29 Q4). The field goal would be no good and the game would advance to overtime, where Cole wouldn’t see any targets, but the Yeti would win thanks to a Rusty Rucker safety. This was another good game for the rookie, bringing in another 8 catches for 120 yards, but unfortunately he still wasn’t able to conquer his drop problem and could have potentially lost the Yeti the game as the drop cost the team 4 points.
Week 5 at Yellowknife Wraiths (43-14 Loss):
Coming off a way too close victory, the Yeti prepared to go into the hostile environment of Yellowknife. The Wraiths seem to always have the Yeti’s number, regardless of how good either team is, so the Yeti knew they would have their hands full from the start. Unfortunately knowing something doesn’t always mean you can prevent it, and as is seemingly tradition at this point, the Wraiths put a good old fashioned beat down on the Yeti. As the Yeti only ran four offensive plays in the first quarter, with one of them being a safety, Cole didn’t see his first target until the second quarter, where on back to back plays he and Caliban were unable to connect and the passes fell incomplete (11:43 Q2/11:34 Q2). The next possession was the same, as Caliban’s third down pass to Cole was also incomplete (4:54 Q2). For the next pass headed Cole’s direction, a Wraith defender was able to step in and break up the pass before Cole could make the reception (1:22 Q2). But on the next target, Cole and Caliban were finally able to connect, resulting in an 8 yard pickup (0:45 Q2). The second half started a little better for Cole, as his first target he was able to bring in for a 15 yard gain and first down (10:14 Q3). However the luck ended there, as his only other target of the quarter resulted in another Yellowknife pass break up (4:53 Q3). After another long hiatus, Cole was again targeted on a third down play, resulting in a 7 yard gain and first down (1:51 Q4). Cole’s last target of the game would come just two plays later, with another catch for 9 yards and another first down (1:25 Q4). Another lackluster performance for both the Yeti and Cole individually, with the rookie receiver only collecting 4 catches for 39 yards. As a sole bright spot he didn’t have any dropped passes this week, but that’s hardly the consolation prize he or his team were looking for.
This will be where we leave off for this post for a couple of reasons, first and foremost I need a little break and don’t want to end up forgetting to come back and submit before the 1.5x media extravaganza ends, especially if I get caught up in Fourth of July celebrations and whatnot. Secondly, and this one is the most important for storytelling, it ends on a sour note, getting just beat down by the archrival, our hero the rookie looking like exactly that, a young and inexperienced player who didn’t show up in the big moment, nobody wants that to be the end of the story so hopefully it will compel you dear readers to come back for Part II when I post it. I mean you already have the spoilers that it does in fact get better since I already told you the season’s statlines, but it’s always fun to see the journey and not just arrive at the destination, at least when it involves football and mythical creatures #yetijoke. Thanks again for reading and I’ll see you at the next part of Cole Maxwell’s Rookie Season Review
A potential candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year (at least in my own biased opinion), Cole ranked 12th in the league in receiving yards with a whopping 1404 yards in his inaugural season, which led all rookies in the category. The yardage numbers aren’t due to a few giant plays with few catches or lots of catches without any big plays, as he ranked second in rookie receptions with 101 (tied for 9th in the league) and second in rookie yards per reception at 13.9 yards per catch (ranked 16th in the league), showing a balance of usage and big play ability. One area that Cole could work on, however, is his scoring, as he only reached the end zone 3 times over the course of the season. Granted that did tie for 3rd among the rookies for reception touchdowns, but it was still only good for tying for 41st in the league. Another large area of concern this year was Cole’s dropped ball problem, amassing a total of 17 drops during the regular season and 1 in the playoff game. If Cole had been able to haul in even half of those drops it could have boosted his stats considerably, and maybe even added another win or two to the Yeti’s Season 29 total.
To gain a little more clarity into Cole’s rookie season we’ll take a game by game look at how he adjusted to the ISFL and how/if his game improved over his rookie season:
Week 1 vs Sarasota Sailfish (26-23 Win):
Ah, the first game of a new year, the smell of a new field as Cole would take his first snaps for a team in the ISFL. The Colorado Yeti hosted the Sarasota Sailfish, who finished one spot above the Yeti in Season 28 with a 10-6 record and who the Yeti defeated in the first Season 29 Preseason game by a score of 25-22. Weirdly enough the Yeti would win by the same margin in the Week 1 debut. The game started slowly for Maxwell, the first pass he saw (10:34 Q1) fell incomplete and the second pass he flat out dropped (7:31 Q1), but fortunately QB Matthias Caliban didn’t lose faith in the rookie and came back to him the very next play after his drop and hit him for a 14 yard gain and first down as Cole’s first completion (7:18 Q1). Picking up steam, the next pass that went Cole’s way was caught and taken for a 56 yard big play and first down (11:37 Q2). Later in the quarter (1:52 Q2) as the offense was trying to put together a two minute drill to score before the half, Cole made another catch and run of 17 yards, however a big hit from Sailfish safety Clemente knocked the ball free, where Sarasota picked up the fumble and returned it 30 yards, back into Yeti territory. The Yeti forced a turnover and had another shot at the two minute offense, where Cole was targeted twice in a row, the first pass was knocked away by a Sailfish defender (1:11 Q2), but the second was hauled in for a short 3 yard gain, but not enough to convert the first down (1:05 Q2). Entering the second half, Cole was again targeted on just the second offensive play of the quarter, bringing in a 10 yard completion (14:29 Q3). Two plays later he was targeted again, similarly gaining 10 yards and a first down this time around (12:57 Q3). Later in the same drive Caliban finds an open Cole again for an 11 yard pickup and another first down (10:13 Q3). After a long drought Cole has his final opportunity on a 3rd down in the 4th quarter, attempting to ice the game, but is hit with his second drop of the afternoon (2:37 Q4). Overall it was a good first game after moving up to the big league, making 7 catches for a total of 121 yards. The two drops and the fumble were disappointing additions to the game, but not entirely unexpected from a rookie.
Week 2 at Chicago Butchers (36-10 Loss):
Looking to continue on their one game win streak, the Yeti marched into Chicago for their week 2 matchup against the Butchers, who were coming off a close Week 1 loss. The game started off on a terrible note, with the first pass play of the day targeted at Cole, only to be intercepted by the Chicago defender (14:22 Q1). It only got slightly better as the next offensive play was again aimed at getting Cole the ball, only to have it knocked away by the defender (12:48 Q1). Oh well, third time’s the charm, right? Wrong. The next two passes targeting Cole were again batted away by the Chicago defender in coverage (1:13 Q1/ 0:28 Q1). The second quarter saw marginal improvement, as Cole’s next pass was again incomplete, but at least not interfered with by a Butcher (14:04 Q2). Similarly the next play for Cole resulted in the sixth straight incompletion when being targeted (6:07 Q2). Things would regress again however, as the next target was batted away by a Chicago defender (4:01 Q2). On the Yeti’s last third down of the half Cole was again targeted, but the play resulted in a dropped pass and the eighth play for Cole with no positive gain (1:29 Q2). The third quarter brought the only shining moments of the game for Cole, as he finally got a positive notation on the stat sheet, bringing in 3 consecutive passes for 3 first downs, as he brought in passes of 12, 11, and 15 yards respectively (7:09 Q3/ 6:17 Q3/ 5:24 Q3). Three plays later Cole was again targeted on another important third down, and again the pass was deflected away by a Chicago defender (3:32 Q3). The next pass headed Cole’s way would fall incomplete (1:51 Q3). On his last target of the game, Cole was able to make a 9 yard reception on a 3rd down to convert the 1st down (1:14 Q3). This outing was far less impressive for the rookie, amassing only 4 catches for 47 yards on 14 targets and having another drop in the team’s lackluster performance. This certainly wasn’t the direction the team or Cole had hoped his play would go, but everyone has an off week now and again.
Week 3 vs Berlin Fire Salamanders (38-21 Win):
After an incredibly rough Week 2 performance, the Yeti and Cole were looking to get back on track against the Berlin Fire Salamanders, who were similarly coming off a fresh loss and a 1-1 record. Caliban continues to show faith in the rookie, as he targets Cole on just the second snap of the game for an 8 yard completion (13:23 Q1). A few plays later Cole is again in Caliban’s crosshairs, but the pass falls incomplete (9:27 Q1). Just two plays later though the pair are able to connect again on a 6 yard pass (8:33 Q1), setting up a Gilbert rushing touchdown on the very next play. It would take until the second quarter for Cole to see another target, but a little while longer for his next catch, as the pass fell incomplete (13:58 Q2). The next attempt would be successful though, as Cole reels in an 18 yard catch for a first down (6:11 Q2). Four plays later Cole is able to make another catch for 9 yards and another Yeti first down (3:04 Q2). A few possessions roll by without a target, but after a Yeti interception deep in Berlin territory Cole is on the receiving end of a one play 23 yard touchdown drive, his first score of the year (3:11 Q3). On to the fourth quarter, Cole has back to back targets, on second down he faces another battle with his dropped ball problem (12:11 Q4), resulting in the next play being a key third down catch for 8 yards and a first down (11:59 Q4). On the Yeti’s final drive Cole makes a 5 yard catch (5:06 Q4) and a few plays later receives his final target and brings it in for a 15 yard gain and first down (2:36 Q4). Both Cole and the Yeti had a nice bounce back week after the disappointing game against the Sailfish, with Cole contributing big with 8 receptions for 92 yards and his first career touchdown. He still has his issues however, as he dropped another pass that thankfully didn’t cost the team a chance at victory.
Week 4 vs Honolulu Hahalua (33-31 Win):
With a 2-1 record the Yeti came into the week 4 matchup against the winless Hahalua with an air of confidence that nearly cost them. The hard fought game still resulted in a win, but only by the slimmest of margins. It took awhile for Cole to get involved in this game, with his first catch coming in the second quarter, a big 14 yard gain for the Yeti’s first first down of the quarter and bringing the Yeti into Honolulu’s side of the field (13:28 Q2). But not wanting to stop there, the very next play Cole reeled off a 19 yard gain and another first down (12:36 Q2). A few plays later on a third down inside the Hahalua ten yard line, Cole makes his next catch, bringing the Yeti to the 1 yard line with a new set of downs (8:35 Q2), resulting in a Gilbert touchdown plunge the very next play. On the next drive Cole continues his catch streak, bringing in a 6 yard gain (4:12 Q2). The last target of the half Cole sees unfortunately falls incomplete (1:16 Q2). During the first Yeti drive of the second half, Cole makes a huge play for a 30 yard gain and first down, bringing the Yeti into the Hahalua side of the field for the first time in the second half (9:11 Q3). The next target Cole saw however would come on the next series, with a Hahalua defender batting away the ball before he could make the reception (3:05 Q3). Cole’s next target is also one well defended and broken up by a Honolulu defender (11:59 Q4). A few plays later in the same drive, Cole is able to make a 6 yard reception on a third down to get the Yeti a new set of downs (10:00 Q4). The first play on the Yeti’s next offensive series, Cole brings in another catch for another big gain, 27 yards and another first down this time around (3:21 Q4). Unfortunately his next target came from the Honolulu three yard line on third down and resulted in another Cole Maxwell dropped pass, costing his team a touchdown and having to settle for an Opal field goal to tie the game (1:37 Q4). The final drive with the score tied, Caliban finds Cole for a 12 yard gain and first down while putting the Yeti in position to make a game winning field goal attempt (0:29 Q4). The field goal would be no good and the game would advance to overtime, where Cole wouldn’t see any targets, but the Yeti would win thanks to a Rusty Rucker safety. This was another good game for the rookie, bringing in another 8 catches for 120 yards, but unfortunately he still wasn’t able to conquer his drop problem and could have potentially lost the Yeti the game as the drop cost the team 4 points.
Week 5 at Yellowknife Wraiths (43-14 Loss):
Coming off a way too close victory, the Yeti prepared to go into the hostile environment of Yellowknife. The Wraiths seem to always have the Yeti’s number, regardless of how good either team is, so the Yeti knew they would have their hands full from the start. Unfortunately knowing something doesn’t always mean you can prevent it, and as is seemingly tradition at this point, the Wraiths put a good old fashioned beat down on the Yeti. As the Yeti only ran four offensive plays in the first quarter, with one of them being a safety, Cole didn’t see his first target until the second quarter, where on back to back plays he and Caliban were unable to connect and the passes fell incomplete (11:43 Q2/11:34 Q2). The next possession was the same, as Caliban’s third down pass to Cole was also incomplete (4:54 Q2). For the next pass headed Cole’s direction, a Wraith defender was able to step in and break up the pass before Cole could make the reception (1:22 Q2). But on the next target, Cole and Caliban were finally able to connect, resulting in an 8 yard pickup (0:45 Q2). The second half started a little better for Cole, as his first target he was able to bring in for a 15 yard gain and first down (10:14 Q3). However the luck ended there, as his only other target of the quarter resulted in another Yellowknife pass break up (4:53 Q3). After another long hiatus, Cole was again targeted on a third down play, resulting in a 7 yard gain and first down (1:51 Q4). Cole’s last target of the game would come just two plays later, with another catch for 9 yards and another first down (1:25 Q4). Another lackluster performance for both the Yeti and Cole individually, with the rookie receiver only collecting 4 catches for 39 yards. As a sole bright spot he didn’t have any dropped passes this week, but that’s hardly the consolation prize he or his team were looking for.
This will be where we leave off for this post for a couple of reasons, first and foremost I need a little break and don’t want to end up forgetting to come back and submit before the 1.5x media extravaganza ends, especially if I get caught up in Fourth of July celebrations and whatnot. Secondly, and this one is the most important for storytelling, it ends on a sour note, getting just beat down by the archrival, our hero the rookie looking like exactly that, a young and inexperienced player who didn’t show up in the big moment, nobody wants that to be the end of the story so hopefully it will compel you dear readers to come back for Part II when I post it. I mean you already have the spoilers that it does in fact get better since I already told you the season’s statlines, but it’s always fun to see the journey and not just arrive at the destination, at least when it involves football and mythical creatures #yetijoke. Thanks again for reading and I’ll see you at the next part of Cole Maxwell’s Rookie Season Review