IT IS OUR TIME THIS (NEXT) YEAR - Can be completed anytime
Next year could very well be the year of the Wraiths. It may sound funny for a team that went 3-11 and was blown out of numerous games but don’t count it out. A very young team that keeps improving and keeps working is a team that can be dangerous. This season’s offense will be a fair amount more powerful on the ground and will continue to be efficient through the air. The defense will have less time spent on the field by extension, and be able to preserve more energy for later in the game.
Overall the team will be one season older, which is important when half of your team has 3 seasons or less of experience as the Wraiths did last year. On top of that, the Wraiths young coaching staff has another season under their belt to better themselves in their play calling and game decisions. The team is moving in the right direction in all facets, and their conference competitors can’t all say the same thing. This is an important part of viewing thigns, since no matter how much the ASFC might be favored, whatever NSFC team makes the Ultimus has a shot. Given the improvements and drive they show, the Wraiths have no real reason not to be that team.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE YOUTH - Can be completed anytime
The Otters core of receiving threats has had many great names come through its ranks. Robert Phelps, Bradley Westfield, Jordan Yates, and Carlito Crush are among the names of the Otters who have led the league in receiving yards, touchdowns, or both. The Otters have in fact produced the season leader in at least one of those two categories for 9 of the league's 12 seasons. During this Ultimus however, a new name stepped into the spotlight. None Sunnycursed is a rookie who had shown great promise throughout the season. The Wide Receiver then broke out in the Ultimus, catching 6 passes for 99 yards and hauling in two of Gus TT Showbiz’ five touchdown pases en route to the “Otter Slaughter” of the Hawks 48-24.
The extremely speedy young wideout showed tremendous poise and a command of the moment as he looked every bit the dangerous weapon as his elder teammates, Crush and Atwell. He inf act was able to provide such a dangerous threat that the defense had to shift coverage to contain him, which they didn’t really do. However, doing so resulted in a some amazing late game success for Atwell and Crush alike, who managed to piggyback off the work Sunnycursed had done and have monster games near the end. None is going to have a continued and enlarged affect on the game going forward for sure.
QUARTERBACK MATCHUP - Can be completed anytime
I doubt anyone predicted the best QB battle of the playoffs but it made for the league's best playoff game in a good while. When the Hawks played host to the Liberty in the NSFC Conference Title Game, we got to see a young Adriana Falconi take on the former defensive lineman turned QB in Childish Gambino. Falconi is a very inexperienced up and coming QB in a run heavy offense who has struggled but has also come up in big games. Gambino was seen as something of an emergency placeholder for a few seasons once Ryan Applehort unexpectedly moved to northern Canada. Yet between them they produced over 300 yards passing and 3 TDs each.
It’s not just the numbers though. It’s the HOW of those numbers. The two QBs dueled in a tight back and forth game that saw the Hawks continually try to put the game away and the Liberty continually match them right up until the game went into overtime. There, Falconi’s magic finally failed her and the Hawks were able to slowly march down the field at three pace for a Game of Thrones plotline before finally scoring the touchdown that sent them towards their 6th Ultimus appearance.
Unsung Hero:Who was the unsung hero of the playoffs, convince us. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)
Showbiz got the glory. The offense got the recognition. Winchester’s retirement and Ramero’s dominance got the lion’s share of the attention the defense did receive. The unsung hero of the Ultimus win was none other than Andre Bly Jr. Bly provided by a stabilizing veteran presence in the secondary and the kind of threat that made the Hawks try to throw in the other direction for most of the game. He also added his usual spectacular work on special teams, providing the Otter offense with solid footing to work from numerous times.
Traded late in the season from the Wraiths, Bly has had along road to his first Ultimus ring and has long been one of the fiercest and most feared Cornerbacks in the NSFL, racking up PDs and interceptions alike throughout his career. This game was no different as he shadowed Vinny Valentine, broke up numerous passes, and essentially took their 1300 yard WR and reduced him to 37 yards on the day. It’s not secret that the Hawks’ offense relies on balance and striking from multiple places, so essentially losing their #1 Target in the passing game hurt them very badly. Had Valentine been able to have more than one catch in double digit yards (and barely that at 10), the Hawks offense would’ve presented a much greater challenge. This is especially true in the 3rd quarter where the Otters were able to capitalize on quick fruitless Hawk offensive possessions en route to scoring three times in the quarter. A quarter in which Valentine was held to one catch for five yards in the last 80 seconds. THAT’S why Bly is the unsung hero.
Next year could very well be the year of the Wraiths. It may sound funny for a team that went 3-11 and was blown out of numerous games but don’t count it out. A very young team that keeps improving and keeps working is a team that can be dangerous. This season’s offense will be a fair amount more powerful on the ground and will continue to be efficient through the air. The defense will have less time spent on the field by extension, and be able to preserve more energy for later in the game.
Overall the team will be one season older, which is important when half of your team has 3 seasons or less of experience as the Wraiths did last year. On top of that, the Wraiths young coaching staff has another season under their belt to better themselves in their play calling and game decisions. The team is moving in the right direction in all facets, and their conference competitors can’t all say the same thing. This is an important part of viewing thigns, since no matter how much the ASFC might be favored, whatever NSFC team makes the Ultimus has a shot. Given the improvements and drive they show, the Wraiths have no real reason not to be that team.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE YOUTH - Can be completed anytime
The Otters core of receiving threats has had many great names come through its ranks. Robert Phelps, Bradley Westfield, Jordan Yates, and Carlito Crush are among the names of the Otters who have led the league in receiving yards, touchdowns, or both. The Otters have in fact produced the season leader in at least one of those two categories for 9 of the league's 12 seasons. During this Ultimus however, a new name stepped into the spotlight. None Sunnycursed is a rookie who had shown great promise throughout the season. The Wide Receiver then broke out in the Ultimus, catching 6 passes for 99 yards and hauling in two of Gus TT Showbiz’ five touchdown pases en route to the “Otter Slaughter” of the Hawks 48-24.
The extremely speedy young wideout showed tremendous poise and a command of the moment as he looked every bit the dangerous weapon as his elder teammates, Crush and Atwell. He inf act was able to provide such a dangerous threat that the defense had to shift coverage to contain him, which they didn’t really do. However, doing so resulted in a some amazing late game success for Atwell and Crush alike, who managed to piggyback off the work Sunnycursed had done and have monster games near the end. None is going to have a continued and enlarged affect on the game going forward for sure.
QUARTERBACK MATCHUP - Can be completed anytime
I doubt anyone predicted the best QB battle of the playoffs but it made for the league's best playoff game in a good while. When the Hawks played host to the Liberty in the NSFC Conference Title Game, we got to see a young Adriana Falconi take on the former defensive lineman turned QB in Childish Gambino. Falconi is a very inexperienced up and coming QB in a run heavy offense who has struggled but has also come up in big games. Gambino was seen as something of an emergency placeholder for a few seasons once Ryan Applehort unexpectedly moved to northern Canada. Yet between them they produced over 300 yards passing and 3 TDs each.
It’s not just the numbers though. It’s the HOW of those numbers. The two QBs dueled in a tight back and forth game that saw the Hawks continually try to put the game away and the Liberty continually match them right up until the game went into overtime. There, Falconi’s magic finally failed her and the Hawks were able to slowly march down the field at three pace for a Game of Thrones plotline before finally scoring the touchdown that sent them towards their 6th Ultimus appearance.
Unsung Hero:Who was the unsung hero of the playoffs, convince us. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)
Showbiz got the glory. The offense got the recognition. Winchester’s retirement and Ramero’s dominance got the lion’s share of the attention the defense did receive. The unsung hero of the Ultimus win was none other than Andre Bly Jr. Bly provided by a stabilizing veteran presence in the secondary and the kind of threat that made the Hawks try to throw in the other direction for most of the game. He also added his usual spectacular work on special teams, providing the Otter offense with solid footing to work from numerous times.
Traded late in the season from the Wraiths, Bly has had along road to his first Ultimus ring and has long been one of the fiercest and most feared Cornerbacks in the NSFL, racking up PDs and interceptions alike throughout his career. This game was no different as he shadowed Vinny Valentine, broke up numerous passes, and essentially took their 1300 yard WR and reduced him to 37 yards on the day. It’s not secret that the Hawks’ offense relies on balance and striking from multiple places, so essentially losing their #1 Target in the passing game hurt them very badly. Had Valentine been able to have more than one catch in double digit yards (and barely that at 10), the Hawks offense would’ve presented a much greater challenge. This is especially true in the 3rd quarter where the Otters were able to capitalize on quick fruitless Hawk offensive possessions en route to scoring three times in the quarter. A quarter in which Valentine was held to one catch for five yards in the last 80 seconds. THAT’S why Bly is the unsung hero.
![[Image: 68.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/722696337912496132/759304283312881684/68.png)
