(S12) - Ultimus Week

[GoonerBear]

1) IT IS OUR TIME (NEXT) YEAR

Written: Write 200 words on your team and either why they should be looked at as Ultimus champions this season, or if your team has been eliminated, next year, or the year after for those non-believers.

The San Jose SaberCats, for the first time since Season 6, qualified for playoffs on the back of a mighty defensive unit and a maturing offensive squad who will only come back better next season. In the first half of the season, San Jose defeated every opponent while only allowing a total of 98 points. The back stretch was much rougher, true, and the Cats entered playoffs on a 2-4 ending run, though even in there, there were close contests we could have snatched. The playbooks and strategies should be wider open next season with our core growing older and bolder.

With Jerrod Canton only getting better from his impressive rookie season and Joliet Christ coming into his own in the pocket, Xavier Flash and Kazimir Oles starring in the wideout corps, a studded defense holding firm and stars who could still break out with the right push, we have enough to make a run for playoffs next season. So long as we can keep most of our key stars, it should remain reasonable to expect to return to playoffs and push again for the franchise's first Ultimus appearance. We've gone in on the "win now" mentality, having traded high draft stock to secure the Penningtons last offseason.

2) SPOTLIGHT ON THE YOUTH

Written: Write 200 words on one of the players in this year's Ultimus Week that are Season 10 or newer and spotlight on how they can affect this year's Ultimus. (Or have affected)

Sunnycursed, wide receiver for the Orange County Otters, had a stellar performance in the Ultimus. Though he was not quite as pronounced in his postseason debut, the Otters' 35-10 victory over the SaberCats in the ASFC Championship Game, making 6 catches for 55 yards compared to Carlito Crush's 6 for 133 yards and a touchdown, he had quite a prominent place in their offense in the title match against the Baltimore Hawks.

Sunnycursed made much more of his 6 receptions in the Ultimus, gaining 99 yards and scoring two touchdowns with a the longest going for 59 yards in the Otters' 48-24 victory. Third in yards for the team, and the rookie ran off a career-making play that was a yard shy of cementing at least a small place in the legacy of the NSFL Championship. Scoring two other times on the day still gave him plenty to crow about. We may have witnessed the beginnings of a wideout star in the making from this contest and a future number one in the organization with his seniors in regression. He made plenty of noise in a game where the Otters restaked their place atop the mountain, and he still has plenty of time to rack up more records and more rings for a potential resurgent dynasty.

3) POST-GAME

Written: Write a 200-word preview or review on one of the Conference Championship Games or Ultimus Games.

The only tight contest of playoffs and it went down to overtime, the NSFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Liberty and the Baltimore Hawks was a tense contest to behold. No one was ever more than 10 points adrift in a showdown between two struggling teams, yet was compelling as the winner could have still managed an upset over the ASFC titlists.

The old and bold Owen Taylor opened scoring with a touchdown run capping off the Hawks' first drive, eight plays and converting two third downs. After two exchanges of possession, Philadelphia ground out a drive for almost five minutes to end the first quarter, finishing with a pass from Adriana Falconi to Jordan von Matt for 18 yards. In the middle of the second, the Hawks converted a turnover off Falconi to a six-play drive ending with Childish Gambino, the DE convert to QB, hitting wideout Vinny Valentine for the go-ahead. Baltimore would stretch that lead a little further on a 47-yard field goal, taking a two-score lead into the half after the Liberty failed to convert their own try from 42.

Philly needed a drive, though they pulled back within a TD pass from Falconi to Carter Bush. They would finally tie again with Kulture Fulture convering a field goal from 27. With an early exchange of touchdowns in the fourth, the remaining time ran out, though with plenty of tension. In what thankfully turned out a fair overtime, the Liberty took possession first, went three and out and never touched the ball again, with the Hawks grinding out a 14-play drive for 85 yards, ending with Gambino returning the Hawks to the title bout after hitting Taylor for a one-yard game winner.

4) QUARTERBACK MATCHUP

Written: Write 200 words on one of the QB matchups in this year's playoffs. What are you most excited to see (Or excited to have seen), who will play better (Or who played better), etc.

The QB matchup I was most excited to have seen was in the NSFC Championship between Adriana Falconi for the Philadelphia Liberty and Childish Gambino of the Baltimore Hawks. Gambino had provided a quick turnaround solution as their former quarterback, Avon Blocksdale, moved off to cornerback for his swan song. In the one tight contest of playoffs, the QB showdown was just as fiercely contested. Gambino came out ahead in the end, however, with the edges in the contest proving considerable.

Gambino went 26/43 on the night for 332 yards and 3 touchdowns for a 107.9 rating. His turnover-free passing gave a slight edge in that department in a contest that ultimately was settled in overtime. He additionally rushed 3 times for 24 yards. While his accuracy could have been better, even his errors did not turn so far for the worst.

Falconi's line ended 21/35 for 264 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception for a 99.7 rating. The one turnover came back in the second quarter, which the Hawks turned into seven points in short order. Falconi was approximately as accurate as Gambino and rushed 5 times for another 20 yards.

Both had plenty of running back support as well, which helped somewhat in the passing game. Gambino had the benefit of two backs, Owen Taylor and Antonio Summer, in a solid pair while Falconi had a solid bellcow to turn to in Marquise Brown, who led all rushers on the night. Both could have hit better passes to take advantage of these rushing performances, though both have plenty in the offseason to build upon.