S2 - Ultimus Week

[tlk742]

Future Talent (Graphics and written):



JD Boom has been nothing short of good. Yes he didn’t perform as well when he went to Arzona, but he did something in the conference that cannot be ignored, he helped the defense of the Hawks shut down the high-octane offense of the Wraiths. The stats show the Boom got one sack and five tackles. What the stats also show is that Orosz went twelve for twenty five and threw for 4.5 average per pass. Here’s what the stats don’t show. The pressures that Boom helped create. When you have great receivers like Garden and Cook you’d expect deep passes, but when you only have two seconds to throw, you’re going to make short passes which will hurt your chances for first downs. When Boom enters the draft, he’s going to be a highly touted rookie who has proven that he can play against one of the top offenses in the league and be a disruptive member of the line. This is why JD Boom is a top prospect after the draft and was a key factor in the Hawk’s rise to the NSFL Champions and the Ultimus game. You cannot dispute, that he makes offensive lines explode as Boom rushes through.

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203 words

Playoff Series MVP:
I have to Talk about C.A. Chess. The man went from third on the depth chart to hero for the Outlaws in the ASFC Championship game. If Chess didn’t grab that 23 yard touchdown, and they settled for a field goal, the Outlaws would have lost to the Otters in the ASFC game. The man doesn’t get a lot of catches in the field, but that’s ok. He makes the most of them when he gets the ball and it shows. He’s becoming a dominant end zone threat and with Evans and Jackson, the teams cannot afford to throw their best defensive players at him, nor will it help. Chess has dragged bodies down the field in ways that are just painful to watch. He’s made a monstrous impact in his rookie season, and behind the scenes he rose to GM, but his wide open play didn’t just help in the ASFC game. In the Ultimus Game Chess repeated his wide open heroics and scored the opening score for the Outlaws in what would be a flurry of points. He became a threat that no one could stop as the season wrapped up and will likely continue to do so.

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200 words

Conference Final MVP Sig:

@4D Chess

Championship Banner:
It's a sig for the co-GM of the winning team, because GMs are just as vital as the players.

[Pat17]

[HENDRIX]

1. Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

In this comparison we will be heading out to the ASFC to take a close look at two of the best wide receivers in the league, Mayran Jackson of the Arizona Outlaws and Robert Phelps of the Orange County Otters. First we will look at physical attributes before examining the stats. Phelps checks in at two inches taller than Jackson and three pounds heavier. That extra size helps explain why Phelps is a much more powerful player and better blocker. Jackson has his advantages as well. He is a faster reciever and possesses a much higher football IQ. Both players have similarly good hands. Now let us get into how each player produced this season. Through 14 starts both of these WRs caught 83 balls, which was tied for 2nd in the league. Phelps was more efficient in his targets however, he had 11 drops this season compared to 26 for Jackson. Looking at receiving yard totals and you will once again find both player in the top four league wide, both between 1200-1400 yds. In the touchdown department Jackson found the end zone eight times this season (which was second in the league) compared to just five TDs for Phelps. (201) @Kendrick @DrunkenTeddy

2. Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

In this defensive comparison we will be looking at two of the best linebackers in the ASFC, Franklin Harris of the Orange County Otters and Jaylon Lee of the Arizona Outlaws. Lee is a slightly bigger linebacker and is the strongest in the league at the position, he throws would be blockers out of the way. Harris makes his mark utilizing his tremendous speed in pursuit of the QB and ball carrier, his first step explosiveness is in the top tier in the league. Both thrive in their respective roles. Lee plays the MIKE position in the Outlaws 4-3 base defense and has been an absolute tackling machine this year. His 139 tackles led the league and was just six short from breaking the single season record. Harris starts on the outside in the Otters base defense and in a game against the Hawks this season set a new single game record for tackles with a mark of 16. Being on an outside position Harris has a greater chance to accumulate sacks and tackles for loss, and he did just that. He had six TFLs compared to Lee's one and nine sacks compared to Lee's seven. In pass coverage the only interception between the two belongs to Lee while Harris had slightly more pass breakups. (215) @Apache_Chief @youngcricket

3. Playoff Review: Write a short review of the playoffs and each of the matchups. Must be completed after the Championship Game

The NSFC championship game had a close final score, but looking deeper at the stats would lead one to believe it was a blow out. The Hawks had 23 first downs compared to 7 for the Wraiths, 452 total yards to 191, and possessed the ball for nearly forty minutes of game action. This game represents just how important turnovers and special teams are. The Hawks had two long drives come to an end via turnover and the Wraiths were immediately able to answer a Hawk touchdown by scoring a 92 yard kick return of their own. The Wraiths ended up with the final possession deep in their own territory to possibly steal the game, but it was a bridge too far.

The ASFC championship game featured to arch rivals, the Otters and Outlaws, in a rematch of last season's battle. Unfortunately for the Otters it was the same result. This was another close score game but both teams had trouble getting much going on offense. The QBs combined to complete just 39 of 84 passes, both teams averaged between 2.5-2.6 yards per carry, and there were four turnovers. The Outlaws were able to do just enough and shutout the Otters in the fourth quarter to earn the win.

The championship game was not a close result like the conference games were. The Outlaws dished out a beating to the Hawks, winning 33-6. Offense, defense, special teams, you name it and the Outlaws outperformed their counterparts in that phase. This season ended with a surprise matchup in the Ultimus game but an unsurprising result. (264)

4. Future Talent: Write about which S3 waiver pickup will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good

JD Boom, a defensive linemen for the Baltimore Hawks will play a huge role for the team in the playoffs. Boom hails from a small town in Camden, Maine and played his college football at the University of Michigan. The Hawks were fortunate enough to win a bid for him on the waiver wire in the middle of the preseason. He then proceeded to make all 14 starts at defensive tackle and has performed equally well against the rush and pass this season. He accumulated 40 tackles and seven sacks all the while showcasing his talents to GMs and improving his draft stock for the offseason. In my honest opinion he been the best and most important waiver wire pickup in the league this season. The Hawks were very good at bringing the pass rush pressure from all directions this year, Boom along with DT partner Metas performed admirably applying that pass rush up the middle. In the NSFC championship game Boom tallied a sack and was a big reason for holding Wraith's star running back Nuck to under three yards per carry. In the championship game that same pass rush will be critical in throwing Outlaws QB Bronko off his game. (202) @BOOM™

5. Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them. Must be completed after the playoff series you write about

In the NSFC championship game we witnessed one of the best performances of Scrub Kyubee's career. The Baltimore Hawks QB finished with a final stat line of 34 for 51(67%) with 336 passing yards and a touchdown pass. The Hawks made a concentrated effort to air the ball out this game and feed their big wide receivers Matt Vincent and Cooper Christmas. In the beginning of the game Kyubee got off to a rough start. His first snap of the game he was sacked by Shelton and his next two passes were batted down and dropped. In the second offensive series he made a couple first down throws to Baker and Vincent but the drive eventually stalled out and resulted in a punt. The next possession he completed 4/5 passes and got Turkleton in FG range to put the first score on the board. In the beginning of the second quarter Kyubee put on an absolute clinic. He spread the ball around to all his weapons and completed seven straight passes, which combined with a couple rushes by Farlane resulted in the first touchdown drive of the game. Throughout the rest of the game he continued to spread the ball around and keep the chains moving. The Hawks time of possession in this game was nearly 40 minutes, due in large part to Kyubee's efficiency. (225) @DollarAndADream

[Sanctus]

Top v Bottom

S3 Guy

O v O

D v D

MVP

[Molarpistols]

Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

Today we'll be comparing Mike Boss and King Bronko, the quarterbacks of the Orange County Otters, and the Arizona Outlaws respectively. Each QB has lead their squads with efficiency into the postseason, a feat only 50% of quarterbacks can claim.

After a tough start to the season, Mike Boss's heroics on the field helped the Otters climb from the bottom of the ASFC basement to make the playoffs as the second seed in the conference. Their 8-6 regular season record tied with three other teams to get second place for overall record.

Mike Boss's 320 pass completions were second in the league over 14 games, second only to the Wraiths' Orosz. Those 320 passes went for a staggering 3609 yards, again, second only to Orosz. In a vast improvement from a tough first season, Boss managed 21 touchdowns to earn the second most, and only 16 interceptions, which was middle of the pack.

King Bronko, on the other hand, managed only 285 completions during the regular season, good for 5th place in the league through 14 games. His 3130 yards were nothing to scoff at, but again was only good for 5th place in the league. Where Bronko excelled were his touchdowns. He led the league with a whopping 25 TD passes, while throwing only 15 interceptions, good for 3rd least in the league.

Needless to say, the Conference Playoff will be a doozy, with the better quarterback likely winning the game for his team.

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260ish

Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

The Arizona Outlaws boast arguably the best linebacking corps in the entire NSFL. Vital to that success is the addition of rookie linebacker Luke Luechly. The kid was a monster this past season, tallying 98 tackles, 8 of which were for a loss. Luechly forced two fumbles, but wasn't able to recover either of them. His 11 sacks on the season helped the Outlaws hefty pass-rush, but he wasn't a one-sided player.

Luechly also managed two interceptions and 8 passes defensed on the season, not too shabby for a rookie adjusting to the faster pace of the NSFL.

Ian Bavitz, the second-year player from the Orange County Otters boasted very similar stats to Luechly. Seemingly taking a step back from his pro-bowl rookie season, Bavitz recorded only 96 tackles, two of which were for a loss. Bavitz recovered the only fumble he forced on the season.

Bavitz really improved his game in one area, sacks. Bavitz tripled his sack total from his rookie season, tying for 6th in the league in sacks. His pass-rush skills helped the Otters keep the team in games, especially with his fellow linebacker Franklin Harris transitioning from DE and the 3rd linebacker spot being covered by FS Dominic Verns.

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204

Bottom Half: Write about why two of the four teams were not able to make the playoffs. Can be completed at any point

The Philadelphia Liberty played in their first season of the NSFL this year. The expansion team built a solid core of players from the expansion draft, picking several difference makers from around the league. The Liberty didn't take the same aggressive approach, like their expansion counterpart Las Vegas Legion did. Instead they stockpiled draftpicks, making many solid additions to the roster.

The Liberty were not able to make the playoffs in their inaugural season, but it should be fairly expected. An expansion team coming in and making a name for themselves in their first season shouldn't be expected to make a big splash into the post-season, especially when they made measured moves while building for the future.

A large portion of why they were not able to make the playoffs also has to do with their conference. Three of the four teams in the NSFC, of which the Liberty are a part, ended the season with a winning record of 8-6. The Colorado Yeti narrowly missed the playoffs by the points gained tie-breaker. The fact that the Liberty earned 5 wins in their first season, in such a highly competitive conference shows great things could be possible in the future.

The Las Vegas Legion were incredibly aggressive with their offseason moves. The Legion sold off most of their draft from both season two and season three to grab already established players from around the league.

Unfortunately for the Legion, it didn't go as planned. After a disastrous start to the season, the Legion players appeared to give up, mailing it in for the paycheck and hoping for next season. Needless to say, it's not a winning formula.

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277

Playoff Review: Write a short review of the playoffs and each of the matchups. Must be completed after the Championship Game

Otters at Outlaws.
The Outlaws and Otters are bitter rivals, stemming from their meetings in the first season of the NSFL. In their second season, the Outlaws continued getting the better of the Otters, ending the regular season with a perfect 2-0 record against the Otters. Catching the game at home, the Outlaws were in a good position to go on to the Ultimus.

The defensive matchup ended in a 17-13 victory for the Outlaws. The Otters had several chances to take the lead in the final quarter, but fell short each time. The Otters received the ball at their own 20 yard-line with two-minutes in the game, down by 4. In a puzzling move, the Otters called TWO run plays in that series in a quick 3-and-out, ending the game.

Wraiths at Hawks
In our second Conference Championship matchup, the Hawks and Wraiths squared off. In a game marred by controversy, the Hawks escaped their own stadium with a narrow 16-14 victory. The Hawks victory is mired in controversy, possibly forever to be placed with an asterisk next to it. Unfortunately, a Hawks player was found to have been doped with performance enhancing drugs, through no fault of his own. He had minimal impact on the outcome, but fans will forever be left to wonder; what if?

Hawks at Outlaws
In our Ultimus game, the Outlaws handily beat the Hawks 33-6. The Outlaws defense was on fire, and the offense nigh-unstoppable. Perhaps the distractions from the previous playoff game left the Hawks unprepared?

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254

Championship Game Recap: Do a recap of the best play from the championship game. Must be completed after the Championship Game.

In a game as lopsided as the Arizona Outlaws 33-6 victory over the Baltimore Hawks, it's difficult to choose a specific best play of the game. The Outlaws ran rampant over the visiting Hawks, taking the lead early in the First Quarter on a 25-yard touchdown pass from King Bronko to their promising young receiver, Chess. From then on, they never looked back.

After that touchdown, the Hawks never really stood a chance. Arizona scored 6 more times before the Hawks even put some on the board. Wonderful defensive performances from Arbin Asipi, Jaylon Lee and Luke Luechly helped destroy any hope the Hawks had of winning the Ultimus this year.

The best play, wasn't actually a single play but a short succession of plays in the second quarter. After a field goal by Ronaldo, the Hawks started their next possession at their own 6-yard line. On first down, Hawks QB Scrub Kyubee was sacked by Arizona's Isaiah Rashad for a 4-yard loss. On the ensuing play, Kyubee was sacked AGAIN, this time by Arbin Asipi for a loss of 5-yards, resulting in a safety. Putting more points on the board, the Outlaws got the ball back on a free kick, further cementing the Hawks' misery.

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206

[Perry87]

[MacTonight]

Playoff Review:

The NSFC Championship game featured a huge matchup between QBs Chris Orosz (YKW), arguably the best performer in the regular season, and Scrub Kyubee (BAL). A tight fought contest which saw a dramatic drop in completion percentage for the hotly favoured Orosz. Turk Turkleton put the game out of reach in the 3rd and despite a Bailey Cook late in the 4th it was not enough. Hawks 16 – 14.

The ASFC Championship game featured competition heavyweights Arizona (12-2) taking on the Otters (8-6). In a tight game where both offenses struggled at times. The Otters struggled to find traction on the ground against a potent front seven, with the Outlaws securing the win with a 3rd quarter score from Charles Arthur Chess. Outlaws 17 – 13.

The Ultimus Championship was decided in dramatic fashion with both sides coming off close victories the week before. The Outlaws controlled the tempo early, scoring 28 unanswered points until late in the 3rd quarter. Turk Turkleton was the only Hawk to score in the Ultimus, notching a pair of late field goals to deny the shutout. Cristiano Ronaldo, the Arizona Special Teams all-rounder contributed 17 points and punted for 255 yards to win the OPOG. Outlaws 33 – 6.

(203 Words)

Bottom Half:

The Philadelphia Liberty (5-9) have too many roster gaps to fill in one post-season. The Liberty will not be able to compete against the playoff teams with their lack of offensive line strength leading to the worst rushing attack in the NSFL last season. Struggling to establish a running game consistently lead to Jameis Christ needing to save the team in 3rd down situations. Christ passed the ball more frequently than any other quarterback in season 2. Defensively the team will improve with the continued development of the front seven, will improve the second worst pass defence in the league, but it still won’t be enough to get the Liberty in the playoffs next year.

A lot has been said about the Las Vegas Legion (3-11) with a lack of talent available to them in the upcoming draft the Legion will need to find some late gems, or rely on the talent which currently sees them sit with the worst record in the NSFL. Vinny Cox and Mario Ramiro helped the Legion into the top half of the league in rush defence. However, as with the Liberty there are just too many areas the Legion need to improve for a fast turnaround.

(202 Words)

[TheWoZy]

Offensive Comparison: Compare one offensive player from each team in a series. Can be completed at any point

Candidate for the rookie of the year, Darlane Farlane will be the spotlight for the Hawks offense. He finished first in rushing yards with 1267. He has been the best offensive player for the hawks, thanks to their OL. It's not easy to be the best player at your position in your first year. But he has proved during the regular season he could be the best talent at the running back position. But he's real test would be to go against last year MVP, Bubba Nuck. This is his first playoff appearance and it's very possible that he have a bad game and can the Hawks rookies OL will be able to help Farlane.

Last year MVP Bubba Nuck didn't have a better season. He had less than 200 running yards compare to the last season and average less than 4 yards per carry. He had a dominant regular season last year but he hasn't been playing on the same level since their lost against the Yeti where he only run for 69 yards and got 0 TD for his team. If the wraiths want to be dominant, they need Nuck to be as good he was during his first year. He will have to show to the rookie what a MVP can really do.

Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series in a side by side graphic. Can be completed at any point

Who would have predicted that Erasmo Broadway become a superstar. Probably him and his teammate. Not only that he had a huge improvement in his stat compare to last season, he has been the best linebacker this season. He had over 100 tackles and over 10 sacks and passes defended. He has been a nightmare for the opposition offensive team. He can stop both the run and the pass. Broadway breakout season helped the hawks to clinch the home field for their first playoff appearance and to take down the Yeti and the wraiths. Now he will face the best team in league. Can he beat them too?

The outlaws has the most dominant defense in the league. No offense can compete against them, thanks to Harrif Ernston. Jayce Tuck will probably win the most oustanding player of the year but Harrif Ernston also deserve it. He had the third most sacks this season and he had over 100 tackles. He also five interceptions and nine passes defended. He has been the best all-round linebacker with Broadway and this final series will prove who is the best linebacker in this league. Ernston has been the most consistent from his first day in the league to right now. He also has a ring which he was a big impact for the outlaws during last year run.

Bottom Half: Write about why two of the four teams were not able to make the playoffs. Can be completed at any point

The biggest upset that happened this season was the Hawks topping the Yeti during the regular season. No one would expected the Yeti to fall this season. There's many factors on why the Yeti missed the playoffs. First, they had the second worst offensive line in the league. The teams that made to the playoffs, allowed an average of 26 sacks. The Yeti offensive line allowed 55 sacks. That's 30 more sacks than the playoffs teams. If I was their GM, I would try to get as many OL in the draft. They have built an amazing defensive team and they an elite quarterback and running back with the best receiving squad.

Expansion team Las Vegas Legion payed a lot of picks to get LeClair, Stormblessed, Varga and Ramrio. Even with acquering superstars players, they missed the playoffs and had the worst record. They just don't have enough depth. Ramrio, Cox and Varga but Maddox is the only good defensive back they have. Also three stars defensive line isn't enough to be a playoffs team. Also their offensive line is very bad. They got a good quarterback but he's been hammered every game against the AFSC defense so he has zero chance even with Savea, Stormblessed and LeClair. And now, they have a low number of picks so their depth isn't getting better.

Future Talent: Write about which S3 waiver pickup will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good

Did Jaxon Tuck touchdown run save the outlaws in the ASFC final against the otters? I would say yes. The otters started the game with a field goal early in the game. Then, Bronko get sacked and their offense couldn't get any big yards. It looks like the outlaws offense wasn't ready for the game but luckily their defense is still the best and they were able to recover the ball from a fumble on the otters redzone. Bronko try to get a pass in the endzone but he couldn't find anyone open. Mackworthy tried to run in the endzone and he was stopped. What will they do now? Give the chance at their rookie Jaxon Tuck. If they get a touchdown, they will have a huge momentum and Tuck knows it. That was Tuck biggest challenge in his life and he was able to get the ball in the endzone for a touchdown, giving the lead to the outlaws. Arizona would eventually win the game 17 to 13. Jaxon Tuck touchdown was the key factor for the game as both scored the same amount in each quarter except for the first one thanks to Jaxon Tuck giving a lot of momentum to his team.

S2 Champion sig

[adam2552]

Offensive Comparison:


Defensive Comparison:


Future Talent:

@BucksDude1

Final MVP Sig:


Championship Banner:

[Den_Tex_Mix2]

Bottom Half
Philadelphia Liberty- Being one of the two expansion teams already set the expectation that this team wasn't going to make the playoffs, with many believing that it would take a long time before this team showed any signed of being able to compete with the original 6 teams. During the preseason this showed to be true as they were blown out constantly, the lack of TPE really killed this team. As the season rolled on however, the amount of active users this team has really turned around the season for them. They were able to show that maybe they could sneak into the playoffs, but ultimately blew the opportunity with a blown 24-10 lead against the Hawks eliminating them from the playoffs. Look for this team to compete for playoffs next year.
Colorado Yeti- Unfortunately for the Yeti, going 8-6 was not good enough to make the playoffs as they lost the tie breaker to the Wraiths for the last playoffs spot in the NSFC. The season overall had been a lot of up and downs for the Yeti. They were the first team to lose to both expansions teams, one of which was to the Legion at home in the week 12 of the regular season. That was their six lost and probably the one lost on the schedule were if your a Yeti fan you would point back to and say you want back. Another thing a fan would want back would be their Qb Noble's season, constantly throwing interceptions and taking bad sacks for one of the highest TPE Qb's in the league is really disappointing and costed them some critical games. Look for the Yeti to make a push to add some free agent talent on their roster to avoid another playoff miss.
Playoff Recap

Championship Game Recap
The Ultimus Championship game started out right for the Outlaw as the their defense was asked start the game off first. After a seven play drive for the Hawks that only gained one first down the Hawks were forced to punt the ball to the the Outlaw. The Outlaw offense looked to match the great start that their defense had starting at their own 20 yard line. after a short run by Mackworthy, the Outlaw turned to King Bronko and the passing attack to quick get them to the Hawks 45 yard line. From their C.A Chess decided to take over the game, first with a 12 yard reception finished with punishing hit on his tackler R. Reyes. Then from the Hawks 25 the play that set the statement for the game happened. "First and ten from the Hawks 25, the Outlaws are marching. King Bronco takes the snap, drops backs..... AND HE HAS CHESS OPEN AT THE HAWKS TEN, CHESS THROWS A MAN OFF OF HIM, FIVE, TOUCHDOWN OUTLAW, C.A CHESS JUST WILLED HIMSELF INTO THE ENDZONE, BREAKING A TACKLE AND DRAGGING A DEFENDER INTO THE ENDZONE WITH HIM. Man, and they say Wrs don't like contact. That ladies and gentlemen is how you win a championship." From that point on the Outlaw had a firm control of the game, never giving up their lead, ending the game as champions with a 33-6 victory over the out matched Hawks.
Playoff Review
Hawks vs Wraiths- a low scoring defensive game, the Hawks looked to gain a early lead as they were able to get a 10-0 lead by early in the second quarter. The Wraiths would respond with a touchdown themselves to bring it to a 10-7 game, and before the end of the half the Hawks were able to extend their lead to 6 with another field goal. To start the second half the Hawks kick another field goal to make it 16-7, this would be prove to be enough as the Wraiths were only able to get one more touchdown late in the fourth to make the game 16-14. The Wraiths ultimate down fall would be their inability to convert 3rd downs as they went 2-15 and allowing the Hawks to pass for 336 yards and seeing Farlane rush for 101 yards.
Outlaws vs Otters- just like the Hawks vs Wraith game, this was a low scoring game. The Otters were off with a good start by taking the lead early with a field goal. The veteran Outlaw team was ready for this however as they were able to quickly put up ten straight point to make it 10-3. Luckily for Otter fans they were able to respond before half with another field goal to make it 10-6 at half. Coming out of half the Outlaw made a powerful statement with a touchdown drive to ultimately put the game out of reach at 17-6 as their defense would lock down the otters, only allowing one touchdown to preserve the lead and the game 17-13. Going 0/16 on three down conversions makes it tough for any team to have a drive that would lead to points as the otters found out as they were unable to put up any forth quarter points, and combined that with 9 penalties makes the out come of this game make sense.
Hawks vs Outlaws- The two best regular season teams were able to face off in our leagues championship game, However this game was a complete blow out. The Outlaws sprung out to a quick 18-0 lead by half scoring in all kind of ways, field goals, touchdown, even a safety, in all facets of the game they dominated. The second half was a little bit better for the Hawks as they were able to put up 6 points to avoid the shutout, however the Outlaws finished with 33 points. Hawks were out matched from the very beginning, the Outlaw truly deserved being crowned back to back champions.