04-12-2022, 08:58 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-18-2022, 12:24 PM by soevil. Edited 2 times in total.)
I started doing this earlier in the season because I thought it would be an easy way to make money but it was actually really tedious and boring (forgot quite how many games there were in a season) so I got 3 weeks in and decided to stop there. Still worked out at quite a lot of words so should go some way to strengthening the bank account for when that training hit comes around, but not quite the "set for life" kind of thing I had in mind when I started writing it. I would be surprised if anyone actually reads this because I feel like it's not the most interesting thing out there but go ahead and knock yourself out if you are so inclined to do so (you have been warned).
Game Recaps
Week 1
Austin Copperheads (0-0) @ Arizona Outlaws (0-0)
The two most alphabetically advantaged teams in the ISFL met in a thrilling Week 1 matchup that welcomed fans back to the league with a bang and really reminded them what they’d been missing during the offseason. The Outlaws roared ahead to a 17-0 lead thanks to a field goal from Cade York and a touchdown pass from Wendell Sailor to Quinton Crash; Sailor is looked at as a potential MVP candidate and will be happy with the way the game opened up when he connected with Taro Raimon for another touchdown to make it a daunting 17-0 lead in the third period. Austin answered back with a field goal but it was another touchdown from the Outlaws that followed that up and stretched it to 24-3. Austin finally woke up and got a touchdown on the board to end the third quarter and showed Arizona that they were here to play, and they answered another Cade York field goal with a 63 yard bomb pass to cut the lead to 10 points. Another field goal got them to within 7 points and fans of Arizona started to sweat, but unfortunately for the Copperheads, their final TD within the 2 minute warning was not enough to run the game closer and ultimately Arizona escaped with a win. Definitely not the best performance you’ll see from the Outlaws, but we’re all used to seeing them choke games (I can make this joke because I used to play there) so escaping with a win here is definitely a good result.
New Orleans Secondline (0-0) @ San Jose Sabercats (0-0)
What is it with thrilling games in the opening week of the season? This one definitely didn’t disappoint either, as two conference rivals in the ASFC went up in Week 1 and put on a thriller for the fans. Despite being close in scoreline, the first half of this game was honestly pretty uneventful. Both defenses kept the other team out of their endzone, and the Sabercats managed to put up 9 points through field goals to get a tight lead over the Second Line, before they finally answered back with a third period touchdown reception from Cliff Burton to make the game just 2 points apart and set up a thrilling fourth quarter. San Jose managed to run one into the endzone to stretch the lead but the Second Line immediately answered back with another Burton touchdown to cut it straight back down. NOLA would really have thought they had a chance here but their defense couldn’t stop San Jose from running yet another TD into the endzone to once again give them a 9 point lead; Rex Crenshaw caught a 38 yard bomb in the endzone to cut the lead back down but ultimately it wasn’t enough to do what they needed to.
Honolulu Hahalua (0-0) @ New York Silverbacks (0-0)
Three games, three incredibly close scorelines; definitely a great week for neutral fans right here. This one played out kinda differently to the others, opening with a scoring explosion as both teams scored a touchdown in the first quarter, before following it up with 3 total in the second quarter; two of which belonged to the Hahalua, special mention going to Sal Ami who caught two goal line touchdown passes from Dexter Zaylren in quick succession. The third and fourth quarter were ultimately pretty quiet, with neither team scoring a touchdown and only managing to trade some field goals. It did come down to the final drive however after New York tied the game with 6 minutes remaining, and Honolulu were forced to drive down the field and score a field goal with only 21 seconds remaining in order to pull ahead and ultimately win the game. A great start to the season for Honolulu, New York can also be proud of how close they kept this one.
Philadelphia Liberty (0-0) @ Berlin Fire Salamanders (0-0)
Two big noises in the NSFC, the Philadelphia Liberty made the long flight over to Berlin for Week 1 of the season. Things in the first half were fairly close, with the Liberty opening things up with a field goal, before a short touchdown pass from the Fire Salamanders pulled them ahead to a 7-3 lead. The teams traded field goals in the second period, before a touchdown from Joilet Christ Jr. ultimately stretched the lead out to 11 points in order to really put their stamp on the game. They were then able to stretch the lead out even further in the fourth quarter, as another field goal made things 24-6 in favour of Berlin. A touchdown from Philadelphia made the end result look a bit sweeter, but they didn’t really come close in this one; a tough way to open the season for them but a great one for Berlin to start things and something that they’ll look to build on into the future.
Orange County Otters (0-0) @ Yellowknife Wraiths (0-0)
The Otters made it all the way to the Ultimus game last season, but had to make the trip to the far north to face the Wraiths in Week 1 of the new season and it didn’t quite go in the way that they would have hoped for. 3 touchdowns in the first 2 quarters gave them a two score lead going into the third, and from there things remained fairly even as the Otters really struggled to get a hold on their game. Every score they made from here was matched by the Wraiths, with both teams getting a field goal each in the third, and a field goal and a touchdown each in the fourth, to close out the game with a 34-23 scoreline. The Wraiths weren’t on many people’s radar going into the season but they put on a really good performance against a team that showed what they could do last season; maybe there’s a few more surprises up their sleeve for this season? Either way, definitely one for the Otters to try and bounce back from going forward if they want to repeat the success that they had last time around.
Baltimore Hawks (0-0) @ Chicago Butchers (0-0)
You can’t help but think that the Baltimore Hawks might have had one beer too many in the championship parade, as the hangover was well and truly evident in Week 1 of the season. Despite being able to get out to a 6 point lead through two field goals in the first 2 quarters, the Hawks capitulated and were run off the field by the Butchers. Going on a 23-3 run, through 2 touchdowns and 5 field goals, the Butchers were able to pull off a statement win by putting it on the reigning champions and will be thrilled with what they’ve been able to do here. Both sides of the ball were really clicking for them, with their offense able to continutally put up points on their drives in the second half. The Hawks will be able to bounce back I’m sure, there’s too much talent on their roster for them not to as I see it, but based off what we’ve seen in their first attempt there’s definitely some things to be worked on going into the season.
Sarasota Sailfish (0-0) @ Colorado Yeti (0-0)
The biggest thrashing we saw in Week 1, the Sarasota Sailfish managed to come back from a 2 touchdown deficit early in the first period to run up 49 points and win by 4 touchdowns. John Huntsman burst into the endzone on four separate occasions and racked up 137 yards to make a huge bid for Running Back of the Year in the first week of the season, and helped put on a dominating performance through the middle of the game. The Yeti put up a touchdown to end the game but it’s clear that they were a long way out of this one; I think a lot of people knew it could be a difficult season given that they have a rookie quarterback, but there definitely looks to be some issues on defense that they need to address if they’re going to go forward and have a respectable season; letting a team put up rushing yards like Sarasota did in this one just can’t be accepted and will have to be rectified going forward.
Week 2
Arizona Outlaws (1-0) @ New York Silverbacks (0-1)
Two tough teams facing off here, and one where New York were looking to bounce back after what happened last week while Arizona want to continue on the path that they set out with a win in their first game. Unfortunately for the Outlaws it didn’t quite work out that way. The Silverbacks put up 13 unanswered points in the first half of the game, and all that Arizona could respond with was a third period field goal, allowing the lead to extyend all the qway up to 23-3. Arizona eventually picked up a garbage time touchdowbn to reduce the lead and save their embarrassment a little, but still not the performance they were hoping for and one that New York will eb very proud of; a great showing by their defense and one that they can use to build the rest of their season from.
San Jose Sabercats (1-0) @ Honolulu Hahalua (1-0)
A matchup between teams that got what they wanted to done in Week 1, San Jose travelled to Honolulu looking to prove their opening win was no fluke. Unfortunately it didn’t start out great, with Dexter Zaylren throwing two touchdown passes in the first quarter; a touchdown pass of San Jose’s own cut the lead to 1 score but a pick six stretched it all the way back again. San Jose did again cut the lead in the third, but two crucial scores from Honolulu stretched the lead back out again and got them enough margin to comfortably win the game in the end. A great showing from Honolulu as they really stated their intent for what they hope to achieve this season, and a loss where San Jose was still able to show great character and take confidence from their efforts.
Colorado Yeti (0-1) @ Baltimore Hawks (0-1)
Two teams that didn’t get the start to the season that they hoped for faced off here, with Baltimore looking to shake off the championship hangover they showed in Week 1 and get back to winning ways. Well unfortunately, they weren’t quite able to do that as they gave up 24 points in the first two quarters of the game and let the Yeti run up a 14 point lead at half time. Rookie QB Live Laughlove deserves a lot of credit for really putting the Hawks to the sword, throwing for 4 touchdowns and 429 yards in the game. This one ended up turning into a blowout for Colorado as they ran the score up at will; a couple of late touchdowns went some way to making the scoreline less painful for Baltimore, but it still finished 48-24 and one that the Hawks will want to forget very quickly.
Berlin Fire Salamanders (1-0) @ Yellowknife Wraiths (1-0)
Someone’s 0 had to go, and after both teams won in their first game of the season it was really important for a team with aspirations like Berlin’s to keep the momentum going on the road. They came out and showed some great intent, Putting up 3 touchdowns and a safety in the first half to get a good lead and put the pressure on the Wraiths. Yellowknife picked up a safety going the other way after half time and managed to add a couple of touchdowns of their own to tighten the game up a little; unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to really make Berlin sweat too much as the clock expired. A perfect start through two weeks for the Fire Salamanders, and a 50/50 one for the Wraiths that still should allow them the chance to build a good season.
New Orleans Secondline (0-1) @ Chicago Butchers (1-0)
Fresh off their Week 1 win over the Hawks, Chicago hosted the Secondline who were still looking for their first win of the season after a disappointing loss in Week 1 against San Jose. It’s fair to say that the Secondline didn’t get the strat that they were looking for in this one, allowing three touchdwons in the opening quarter and being unable to respond to any of these scores with one of their own. They did start to wake up in the second and third quarters however, being able to put up three touchdowns and a field goal of their own without an answer, as Chicago started to lose their grip on the game and fall behind. Another touchdown from the Second Line gave them a fourth quarter security blanket, but things must have got a bit nervy when a late touchdown from the Butchers cut the lead to 3 points with time left on the clock. Ultimately New Orleans were able to hold on and secure a win despite the threat of a comeback, and I’m sure they’re extremely relieved to have been able to get out of this one with their first win of the season.
Orange County Otters (0-1) @ Austin Copperheads (0-1)
Another matchup between two winless teams, the Copperheads’ narrow loss to the Outlaws in Week 1 definitely seemed fo give them some fire going into this one and they took no prisoners as they faced off against the Otters. Scoring an impressive 19 first quarter points, the Copperheads were on their opponents from the outset and really showed their intent from the outset. Leading by 26-6 at half time, the game was theirs to lose and they continued to put the pressure on both sides of the ball. Scoring another 17 points in the second half and allowing only 7 against them, they cruised to a Week 2 victory that gets their season kickstarted and proves exactly why teams should be nervous about facing them. For the Otters, their Ultimus game appearance hangover continues, as they rack up yet another loss.
Sarasota Sailfish (1-0) @ Philadelphia Liberty (0-1)
Sarasota travelled to Philadelphia looking to continue the momentum they started in Week1, while the Liberty looked to bounce back from a disappointing Week 1 loss that could have gone the other way. It was a good start for the Liberty, scoring points on their first 2 drives to stretch the opening score to 10-0, but a touchdown from Sarasota at the end of the first managed to cut into that and keep things close. The second quarter was similarly cagey, with both teams grabbing a touchdown to keep the Liberty a hair ahead of their opponents at half time. The third quarter was a good one for the Sailfish, with a touchdown and a field goal giving them a lead for the first time in the contest and putting Philadelphia on the chase. A field goal and touchdown for the Liberty managed to tie things up in the fourth quarter with just over 2 minutes left, and Philadelphia would have liked their chances of going to overtime and being able to win the game. However, Sarasota didn’t give them the chance, with a touchdown scored in the final minute sealing their fate and given them a hard fought win. A perfect start over two weeks for the Sailfish, and one where the Liberty will be going home disappointed yet again.
Week 3
San Jose Sabercats (1-1) @ Baltimore Hawks (0-2)
San Jose looked to get back to winning ways against the struggling Hawks after dropping to 1-1 in Week 2, while Baltimore looked to get their season going with their first win; could they finally get the job done in their own building? It started promisingly for the Hawks, getting 2 first quarter touchdowns courtesy of Dante King, who pushed them out to a 14 point lead, but it was quickly cut down to 7 points when Zach Crossley forced his way into the endzone. Baltimore regrouped however, and two more TDs made the lead as large as 28-7. Baltimore were probably feeling pretty confident at this point but it was after here that everything started to unravel, with the Hawks proceeding to give up 3 Field Goals and 2 touchdowns, including one in the last two minutes of the game to fall behind 31-28. Baltimore were shut out for 37 minutes of the game, and comprehensively lost this one; San Jose pulled off a stunning comeback and get back to winning ways, but for the Hawks, this one is going to really sting.
New York Silverbacks (1-1) @ Orange County Otters (0-2)
Having won something of an upset in Week 2 against the Outlaws, the Silverbacks went on the road with the hope of picking up their second win of the season against a winless Otters team. Orange County would have been hoping that this was the game where they could finally pull a win out of the bag and get their season going in earnest. It started excitingly for both teams, with Orange County scoring in the first 8 minutes of the game and the Silverbacks answering back less than 5 minutes later, before the Otters managed to pull another touchdown out of the bag to stretch the lead to 7 points once more. A scoreless second quarter kept the game tight, but the Otters were able to secure another touchdown in the 3rd quarter to stretch their lead out to 14 points. New York hinted at a comeback when they secured a 4th quarter touchdown to cut the lead to 7 points, but unfortunately for them they couldn’t capitalise on it, and an OCO field goal took the lead to 10 points and secured their first win of the season for them. A hard fought game that moves both teams to 1-2, it’ll be interesting to see how the two teams involved proceed from here.
Austin Copperheads (1-1) @ New Orleans Secondline (1-1)
Two .500 teams met up in Week 3 with the hope of getting themselves a winning record for the season in an ASFC matchup that could set the tone for both team’s seasons. The Secondline roared out of the gate in this one, putting up 10 points unanswered in the first quarter, followed up by two touchdowns in the early part of the second quarter to take their lead to a daunting 24 points, with quarterback IsHe... ReallyInvisible throwing three touchdown passes in the game’s first half. Austin finally woke up, with a touchdown in the last two minutes of the first half cutting the lead slightly, but still leaving them with a lot of work to do going into the game’s second half. They unfortunately did not do this, with another field goal from New Orleans stretching the lead to 27-7. A touchdown from the Copperheads in the fourth quarter gave the impression that a comeback might be on the cards, but unfortunately there was little to get excited about for Austin’s fans after that. Another New Orleans touchdown and a field goal cemented a big win, taking the margin of victory to 23 points and proving that they are a team to be taken seriously this season. Austin’s up and down form continued, and if they’re hoping to launch a successful season in the remaining weeks, they’ll need to find a more clear level of consistency.
Philadelphia Liberty (0-2) @ Colorado Yeti (1-1)
Two teams that were hoping for a little better than they’d been able to produce so far in the season, the Liberty were hunting desperately for their first win of the season after coming into the year as a team with aspirations of making a playoff run. The game started slowly, with the only scoring through the first quarter being a field goal from the Liberty; there was a second field goal to follow that one up, but it was only at the 2 minute warning in the first half that the game got its first touchdown, with Colorado getting a 73 yard bomb to push them out into the lead. The Liberty answered back with 40 seconds left in the half to reclaim their lead, and went into the break ahead with a fairly slim lead. They came back strong in the third quarter, lining up another touchdown pass to bolster their lead. Colorado answered back with a field goal, but a Liberty touchdown in the fourth quarter likely put the game out of reach. Colorado finished strong, grabbing two touchdowns to cut the lead to just 3 points with 5 minutes remaining. Unfortunately for them, they were not able to get the elusive final score to get them the result they were looking for, but they can take some comfort from the fact that they were able to cut the lead in the way they did and run the game a lot closer than it otherwise would have looked. The Liberty will be delighted to secure their first win of the season, and I’m sure that they’ll be hoping this is going to be the platform from which they can launch a successful remainder of the season.
Chicago Butchers (1-1) @ Berlin Fire Salamanders (2-0)
One of the more exciting games of the week on paper going into it, this saw one of the few unbeaten teams in the league in Berlin host the Chicago Butchers, a conference rival who had been looked at as a contender for the NSFC this season. Berlin would have been hoping for a strong start, but it turned out to be the exact opposite for them, as the Butchers flew out of the blocks and scored 2 touchdowns within the first 7 minutes of the game via passes from Kazimir Oles Jr. Berlin would have been reeling, but were able to open their scoring via a safety; I’m sure they would have seen this as a good chance to launch their comeback, but the offense just couldn’t click, and the defense allowed another two scores in the second quarter to stretch the lead to 24-2. The Fire Salamanders finally got a touchdown to start the third quarter after Joilet Christ Jr. connected with Gronku Muerto, but this was quickly cancelled out by another TD pass from Oles Jr. shortly after. The teams traded fourth quarter field goals, but ultimately the game was out of sight for the Fire Salamanders and they were unable to really make any sort of threat to the Butchers, who were in control for more or less the whole game. After such a strong start to their season with wins in the first two weeks, this will bring Berlin back down to earth a little bit, but they still have a solid record and from here can regroup and push on for a good season.
Yellowknife Wraiths (1-1) @ Sarasota Sailfish (2-0)
Sarasota had looked like one of the very best teams in the league during the first two weeks of the season, and would have been hoping that a game against the Wraiths would have given them the chance to really emphasise how much of a problem they can be for the rest of the league this season. Yellownkife had split their first two games, showing some potential with a good win in Week 1, but they’d been brought back down to earth a little bit with a loss in Week 2. This particular game started well for the Wraiths, with the Sailfish scoring a field goal early but allowing the Wraiths to score a touchdown to give them the lead at the end of the first quarter of the game. From here however, the game shifted very much to Sarasota’s, with them scoring 3 second quarter touchdowns; a touchdown from the Wraiths mitigated the damage to some extent, but they went into halftime looking at a severe deficit and a lot of ground for them to make up. They definitely woke up and gave it a good go, scoring two more touchdowns to the Sailfish’s single third quarter score to cut the lead to just 3 points and give them an opportunity to take this for themselves, however they were not able to secure the lead, and a final field goal from the Sailfish gave them a 6 point lead to end the game. Securing their third win of the season will give Sarasota a lot of confidence about what they can hope to achieve, and I’m sure that they’ll already have a space in the back of their minds devoted to thinking about the playoffs. Yellowknife will be disappointed to have dropped a close one, but there’s still a lot of season left for them to get into rhythm and pick up some more wins for their veteran players.
Honolulu Hahalua (2-0) @ Arizona Outlaws (1-1)
Perhaps the highlight game of the week, the Hahalua had looked an incredibly impressive team through the first two weeks of the game and came up against a perennial contender in the Outlaws, who would be looking to grab another win after dropping their Week 2 matchup. The first quarter of the game was actually very even, with both teams scoring a field goal and a touchdown to get the scoring going, with both kickers hitting long field goals to ensure that their team gave up no ground against their opposition. The second quarter saw the Hahalua start to find their groove on both sides of the ball, picking up another touchdown and a field goal and not letting the Outlaws score any points in order to give themselves a 10 point lead. A third quarter field goal made it 13 points that they led by, but a safety, touchdown and 2 point conversion for the Outlaws to follow this up cut the lead down to a mere 3 points. There was certainly a lot to play for in the game’s final quarter, but it seems like both defenses really didn’t want to let up. Each team gave up only a field goal, and the Hahalua were able to outlast the Outlaws and maintain their perfect record for the season; they look like a serious threat, and I’m sure all the teams out there will be approaching their matchups with the Hahalua with some nervousness based on what they’ve been able to achieve so far. For the Outlaws, this is another disappointing setback for a team with championship ambitions, but we’re still incredibly early on in the season and there is no doubt that they can still regroup and cruise into the playoffs; they simply have too good a roster and too experienced a coaching group to not be in any sort of contention and that’s a fact, they just need to get their heads together on game day a little bit more in the weeks to come.
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