(S9) - Ultimus Week

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playoff matchups



playoff recap

ASFC CHAMPIONSHIP

The ASFC Championship was never close - the Otters look like a team past their prime, while the Second Line are hitting their peak. Borkus Maximus had a stellar game, throwing for over 350 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Darren Smallwood put up another 133 yards on the ground. With over 500 yards of total offense, the Second Line easily blew by the aging Otters.

NSFC CHAMPIONSHIP

This game started off with a shock - within seven and a half minutes the heavy underdog Yeti were up 14-0. Unfortunately, the quick lead wasn't enough, as the Hawks quickly caught up. It became a back and forth game for most of the afternoon, as Ryan Applehort outperformed MVP candidate Avon Blocksdale. The Hawks finally managed to pull away in the fourth quarter, thanks to a safety caused by Arbin Asipi Jr. Down by nine, the Yeti coaching staff played extremely conservatively, opting for 31 yard punts and going for field goals at the opposing one yard line. This caution cost them the game, as with less than a minute to go Applehort threw a game sealing interception.

ULTIMUS IX

The highly ballyhooed matchup of the best two teams in the league played out as it should have for the first three quarters, going back and forth on the scoreboard. It was a banner day for both passers, but in the end Maximus reigned supreme as Blocksdale was effectively shut down the entire fourth quarter. What was a 24-19 Baltimore lead at the end of the third spiraled out of control as the Second Line scored 18 unanswered to claim the first Ultimus Trophy for New Orleans.

unsung hero

The unsung hero of not just the playoffs, but the season for the Second Line was aging kicker Iyah Blewitt, who in his swan song season had statistically the greatest kicking season of all time. Through both the regular season and playoffs, Blewitt went perfect on over 90 kicks, finally missing a single extra point in the ASFC Championship game. Kicking reliability is at a premium in this league, and while Blewitt was seen as a sub-par kicker prior to this season, he has immortalized himself with the most consistent kicking season in history. While kicking gimmies is not impressive, Blewitt kicked 15 times in the regular season from 40 or more yards away, making every single one (including a 57 yard kick). Blewitt continued his reliability from distance in the playoffs, where he notably extended the Second Line lead to 5 right before halftime. This kick kept them within one possession throughout the Baltimore-dominated third quarter instead of two, keeping morale high and helping lead to the dominant fourth quarter from New Orleans. Blewitt also helped shift the field position battle, averaging a ridiculous 52.8 yards per punt and even popping out a 64 yard punt, with two punts landing inside the 20. While kickers don't typically get positive attention in this league, Blewitt went all out and helped win an Ultimus in his final season.