3, All about the Quarterbacks
This year’s Ultimini championship featured the reigning champions Portland Pythons versus the Palm Beach Solar Bears. The matchup featured another big quarterback showdown as defending MVP Franklin Armstrong went up against this season’s probably MVP winner Easton Cole.
Cole threw 2266 yards with league best TD/INT ratio 17/9. His completion percentage led the league at a mighty 64.2%. He also sported the league best passer rating of 88.1. Armstrong on the other hand did not quite reach the heights he reached in his previous season. He had 2322 yards, with a TD/INT ratio of 14/9. He had a 57.7 completion percentage and a 77.1 rating.
While a disappointing year for Armstrong compared to his season 14 performance, this was still a QBotY performance outside of Cole beating him in most categories. Both teams sported similar records of 7-7 for the visiting Pythons and 7-6-1 for the Solar Bears. Armstrong has struggled on the road, losing nearly every game but on the flip side nearly winning all home games. The Pythons are up for a tough matchup as they have lost to the Bears in both previous matchups this season. This matchup of Armstrong and Cole is one of the best in recent Ultimini memory and it’s nearly a sure thing that this game will feature epic quarterback performances from both.
8. Strategies
The number one strategy for the Pythons to get back to the Ultimini involves good drafting. The main purpose is to replace some pieces that will inevitably be lost in the offseason. Such as top tier talents like Lanzer Grevious and Xerces Ridley. The amount of talent leaving the team from the S14 Championship season continues to increase. Franklin Armstrong has been told that he’ll be playing in his last DSFL season before he gets called up to the NSFL to play for the Otters. To lose your starting QB at any level will be tough and S16 might be the indication of the Pythons windows closing for a couple seasons. Outside of Armstrong, the Pythons should double up on some WRs and TEs. The Season 15 team just had a hard time moving the ball up and down the field and the issue reared its ugly head again in the Ultimini against Palm Beach. It was a painful loss cause the road only gets harder from here.
Another thing the Pythons could improve is their composure on the road. Their road games this season were generally full of turnovers and mental errors which led to them nearly losing every single road game last season. This of course also played a part in losing the Ultimini this season as it was yet another road game where dumb mental errors were made.
12. Sit-down with a fan with @PDXBaller
1. How would you compare your sophomore season to your rookie season in the DSFL?
My rookie season was hard to top. I won pretty much everything. An Ultimini victory, Season 14 DSFL Quarterback of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable player. This season has been more of a struggle with have a 7-7 team and eventually losing in the Ultimini against the Polar Bears.
2. What went wrong in the Ultimini Game against Palm Beach
The Ultimini came down to the Portland Pythons simply being outmanned. On the offensive side of the football we just didn’t have much to go off. Our wide receiving core had been hurt from call ups and we just couldn’t get a rhythm going. The turning point was at 17-24 with a chance to tie the game and we ultimately bungled it and turned over the football. This has been generally the theme of the season for us in S15.
3. Have you signed with an agent or are you considering one?
I did sign with an agent. I don’t need one currently but I thought it might be smart to have one after my initial contract is up. Considering I negotiated a 16 million dollar deal on my own, I probably don’t need the help to be fair.
4. What expectations do you have for next season if you come back to Portland?
Next season will be my last in a Pythons uniform. I intend to get back into the Ultimini and try to win it. I’d like to end my DSFL career on a high note. I am itching for a chance to get into the NSFL though. Being the quarterback of the future for the Orange County Otters is an honour.
13. Sit-down with a star with @PDXBaller
1. What went right in the S15 playoffs for the Hawks to win the championship?
Everything! Everything went right with the Hawks this season to get us where we wanted to be and to win the Ultimus. Our offense was the best this season and I think a big part of that was Gambino’s passing ability and our receiver depth that we had. On the defensive side of the ball, we had the best that the league had seen. Everything just clicked this season and it was easy to see how smoothly things were going.
2. How does it feel to be the S15 ultimus champions?
Losing in the NSFC playoffs last season made this all the sweeter. Beating the Liberty gave us our redemption and shutting out the SaberCats was a massive boost to our morale. Being the S15 Ultimus champion is one of my career’s defining moments. This is a unique team that proved to everyone that they were unstoppable and I’m happy to be a part of it all.
3. What is the expectation in the Hawks locker room on how you guys can get back to the big game in S16?
We’ll have to see how the expansion draft pans out for our team. I’m certain we won’t have the impact players we had last season because of that and with Gambino retiring there’s a lot of things in the air right now on the offensive side of the ball. I think that if Harvan can perform close to Gambino’s level last season and we retain most of our defense that we have a great shot at getting back to the Ultimus game again and (hopefully) going back to back.
4. Are there any defensive beasts in the S16 draft that you hope to play alongside in a Hawks uniform?
That is a great question. I think Chad Maulolo (@Graciejj2000) would be an amazing fit for our defensive line and he’s a great guy overall. Another defensive lineman that I’d love to play alongside is Alberto McGwire (@kentuckycolonel). He only played 6 regular season games, but I think he has great potential to hold down the line in the NSFL immediately. Blake Faux (@AlexF) is one player that I think is very underrated because of Lanzer being on the Pythons, but he’s got amazing potential to be a stud linebacker in the NSFL right away. We would need someone like him to replace Charlie Trout next season.
This year’s Ultimini championship featured the reigning champions Portland Pythons versus the Palm Beach Solar Bears. The matchup featured another big quarterback showdown as defending MVP Franklin Armstrong went up against this season’s probably MVP winner Easton Cole.
Cole threw 2266 yards with league best TD/INT ratio 17/9. His completion percentage led the league at a mighty 64.2%. He also sported the league best passer rating of 88.1. Armstrong on the other hand did not quite reach the heights he reached in his previous season. He had 2322 yards, with a TD/INT ratio of 14/9. He had a 57.7 completion percentage and a 77.1 rating.
While a disappointing year for Armstrong compared to his season 14 performance, this was still a QBotY performance outside of Cole beating him in most categories. Both teams sported similar records of 7-7 for the visiting Pythons and 7-6-1 for the Solar Bears. Armstrong has struggled on the road, losing nearly every game but on the flip side nearly winning all home games. The Pythons are up for a tough matchup as they have lost to the Bears in both previous matchups this season. This matchup of Armstrong and Cole is one of the best in recent Ultimini memory and it’s nearly a sure thing that this game will feature epic quarterback performances from both.
8. Strategies
The number one strategy for the Pythons to get back to the Ultimini involves good drafting. The main purpose is to replace some pieces that will inevitably be lost in the offseason. Such as top tier talents like Lanzer Grevious and Xerces Ridley. The amount of talent leaving the team from the S14 Championship season continues to increase. Franklin Armstrong has been told that he’ll be playing in his last DSFL season before he gets called up to the NSFL to play for the Otters. To lose your starting QB at any level will be tough and S16 might be the indication of the Pythons windows closing for a couple seasons. Outside of Armstrong, the Pythons should double up on some WRs and TEs. The Season 15 team just had a hard time moving the ball up and down the field and the issue reared its ugly head again in the Ultimini against Palm Beach. It was a painful loss cause the road only gets harder from here.
Another thing the Pythons could improve is their composure on the road. Their road games this season were generally full of turnovers and mental errors which led to them nearly losing every single road game last season. This of course also played a part in losing the Ultimini this season as it was yet another road game where dumb mental errors were made.
12. Sit-down with a fan with @PDXBaller
1. How would you compare your sophomore season to your rookie season in the DSFL?
My rookie season was hard to top. I won pretty much everything. An Ultimini victory, Season 14 DSFL Quarterback of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable player. This season has been more of a struggle with have a 7-7 team and eventually losing in the Ultimini against the Polar Bears.
2. What went wrong in the Ultimini Game against Palm Beach
The Ultimini came down to the Portland Pythons simply being outmanned. On the offensive side of the football we just didn’t have much to go off. Our wide receiving core had been hurt from call ups and we just couldn’t get a rhythm going. The turning point was at 17-24 with a chance to tie the game and we ultimately bungled it and turned over the football. This has been generally the theme of the season for us in S15.
3. Have you signed with an agent or are you considering one?
I did sign with an agent. I don’t need one currently but I thought it might be smart to have one after my initial contract is up. Considering I negotiated a 16 million dollar deal on my own, I probably don’t need the help to be fair.
4. What expectations do you have for next season if you come back to Portland?
Next season will be my last in a Pythons uniform. I intend to get back into the Ultimini and try to win it. I’d like to end my DSFL career on a high note. I am itching for a chance to get into the NSFL though. Being the quarterback of the future for the Orange County Otters is an honour.
13. Sit-down with a star with @PDXBaller
1. What went right in the S15 playoffs for the Hawks to win the championship?
Everything! Everything went right with the Hawks this season to get us where we wanted to be and to win the Ultimus. Our offense was the best this season and I think a big part of that was Gambino’s passing ability and our receiver depth that we had. On the defensive side of the ball, we had the best that the league had seen. Everything just clicked this season and it was easy to see how smoothly things were going.
2. How does it feel to be the S15 ultimus champions?
Losing in the NSFC playoffs last season made this all the sweeter. Beating the Liberty gave us our redemption and shutting out the SaberCats was a massive boost to our morale. Being the S15 Ultimus champion is one of my career’s defining moments. This is a unique team that proved to everyone that they were unstoppable and I’m happy to be a part of it all.
3. What is the expectation in the Hawks locker room on how you guys can get back to the big game in S16?
We’ll have to see how the expansion draft pans out for our team. I’m certain we won’t have the impact players we had last season because of that and with Gambino retiring there’s a lot of things in the air right now on the offensive side of the ball. I think that if Harvan can perform close to Gambino’s level last season and we retain most of our defense that we have a great shot at getting back to the Ultimus game again and (hopefully) going back to back.
4. Are there any defensive beasts in the S16 draft that you hope to play alongside in a Hawks uniform?
That is a great question. I think Chad Maulolo (@Graciejj2000) would be an amazing fit for our defensive line and he’s a great guy overall. Another defensive lineman that I’d love to play alongside is Alberto McGwire (@kentuckycolonel). He only played 6 regular season games, but I think he has great potential to hold down the line in the NSFL immediately. Blake Faux (@AlexF) is one player that I think is very underrated because of Lanzer being on the Pythons, but he’s got amazing potential to be a stud linebacker in the NSFL right away. We would need someone like him to replace Charlie Trout next season.
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