1. The Season 41 Ultimus and Ultimini have officially come to an end. Congratulations to the the Tijuana Luchadores and Cape Town Crash for each winning their respective championships. How did each of the finalists in either the Ultimus or Ultimini arrive at the playoffs? Were there any teams that surprised or disappointed during the playoffs? Did the outcome of either championship game surprise you at all?
So now the season is finally over and I guess it is time to congratulate the Cape Town Crash for breaking their Philadelphia Liberty curse and really making a big Crash on the way there. They definitely had a season to remember as they went 13-3 in the regular season to take the number one seed over in the National Simulation Football Conference.
When we look back at their season, they started off strong by reeling off three consecutive wins and taking advantage of having their first two games at home. It was then, when they really showed that they came to play this season by beating some fierce competition in the Sarasota Sailfish and the previous years Ultimus game runner up, the Yellowknife Wraiths. After beating the Baltimore Hawks to go 3-0 they had a small slip up, which was interesting because it was to the Chicago Butchers and the Orange County Otters, who were not seen as the biggest competition. It was understandable though as they were both tough road games. Now at 3-2 and wondering how their season would look, they really stepped up the gears.
Over the next 7 weeks, the Cape Town Crash would make themselves one of the stories of the league by going undefeated over the stretch. There were easier and harder games mixed into that stretch, but going 7 weeks undefeated is always very impressive, especially with the last of those being an away victory to the Yellowknife Wraiths. After this they had another slip up by losing to the Chicago Butchers and thus not getting the season sweep. They did not let this affect them too much and carried the momentum they had picked up previous, by winning their last three games, with two of those being road victories. With the tide on their side and the number one seed in the National Simulation Football Conference locked up, they set their sights on the always so glorious playoffs
Entering the playoffs as the number one seed, the Cape Town Crash had the luxury of sitting out the first round and seeing what the Sarasota Sailfish and Yellowknife Wraiths got up to in the first round and scout their opponent. That first game was not pretty as the Sailfish took the Wraiths out back for a good old beating and won by a score of forty to sixteen. Now in the National Simulation Football Conference Championship game it was time to see what the Crash were really made of. They started out strong with their star running back Jarvis Harbinger-Marjin scoring on a 20 yard run towards the end of the first quarter. The Sailfish answered back with a Swantavius King field goal to end the quarter. The second quarter was more punches thrown back and forth and at half time it was 17-3. The second half was all Crash as they scored two touchdowns and even a Johnny Blaze Jr. touchdown was not enough as the Crash moved onto the Ultimus with a 34-20 victory.
In the Ultimus they would run into perennial powerhouse and the defending champions, the Arizona Outlaws. This one would be more of a cagey affair as the Crash scored the only touchdown of the first half and otherwise the teams trading field goals back and forth. The second quarter was a touch down for both, scored by Kotoni Staggs and American Boot to make it 14-9 at half time. The third quarter was field goals by both teams to make it a 5 point game in the fourth quarter. With just over two minutes remaining Louis Blondin caught a touchdown pass from Wendell Sailor and that was followed by a failed two point convers giving the Outlaws a one point lead. The Crash would then go march down the field in a minute and a half to kick a field goal which looked to deal the game. In the ensuing 17 seconds, the Outlaws made it to the 18 yard line of the Crash and looked to win the game with a field goal but the team was not able to spike the ball and thus The Cape Town Crash were the Ultimus winners!
So now the season is finally over and I guess it is time to congratulate the Cape Town Crash for breaking their Philadelphia Liberty curse and really making a big Crash on the way there. They definitely had a season to remember as they went 13-3 in the regular season to take the number one seed over in the National Simulation Football Conference.
When we look back at their season, they started off strong by reeling off three consecutive wins and taking advantage of having their first two games at home. It was then, when they really showed that they came to play this season by beating some fierce competition in the Sarasota Sailfish and the previous years Ultimus game runner up, the Yellowknife Wraiths. After beating the Baltimore Hawks to go 3-0 they had a small slip up, which was interesting because it was to the Chicago Butchers and the Orange County Otters, who were not seen as the biggest competition. It was understandable though as they were both tough road games. Now at 3-2 and wondering how their season would look, they really stepped up the gears.
Over the next 7 weeks, the Cape Town Crash would make themselves one of the stories of the league by going undefeated over the stretch. There were easier and harder games mixed into that stretch, but going 7 weeks undefeated is always very impressive, especially with the last of those being an away victory to the Yellowknife Wraiths. After this they had another slip up by losing to the Chicago Butchers and thus not getting the season sweep. They did not let this affect them too much and carried the momentum they had picked up previous, by winning their last three games, with two of those being road victories. With the tide on their side and the number one seed in the National Simulation Football Conference locked up, they set their sights on the always so glorious playoffs
Entering the playoffs as the number one seed, the Cape Town Crash had the luxury of sitting out the first round and seeing what the Sarasota Sailfish and Yellowknife Wraiths got up to in the first round and scout their opponent. That first game was not pretty as the Sailfish took the Wraiths out back for a good old beating and won by a score of forty to sixteen. Now in the National Simulation Football Conference Championship game it was time to see what the Crash were really made of. They started out strong with their star running back Jarvis Harbinger-Marjin scoring on a 20 yard run towards the end of the first quarter. The Sailfish answered back with a Swantavius King field goal to end the quarter. The second quarter was more punches thrown back and forth and at half time it was 17-3. The second half was all Crash as they scored two touchdowns and even a Johnny Blaze Jr. touchdown was not enough as the Crash moved onto the Ultimus with a 34-20 victory.
In the Ultimus they would run into perennial powerhouse and the defending champions, the Arizona Outlaws. This one would be more of a cagey affair as the Crash scored the only touchdown of the first half and otherwise the teams trading field goals back and forth. The second quarter was a touch down for both, scored by Kotoni Staggs and American Boot to make it 14-9 at half time. The third quarter was field goals by both teams to make it a 5 point game in the fourth quarter. With just over two minutes remaining Louis Blondin caught a touchdown pass from Wendell Sailor and that was followed by a failed two point convers giving the Outlaws a one point lead. The Crash would then go march down the field in a minute and a half to kick a field goal which looked to deal the game. In the ensuing 17 seconds, the Outlaws made it to the 18 yard line of the Crash and looked to win the game with a field goal but the team was not able to spike the ball and thus The Cape Town Crash were the Ultimus winners!