S2 - Ultimus Week

[Roshambo]

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:ph34r:


Bottom Half:

The shock of S2 came via heartbreak for the Yeti. A powerhouse in S1, where they won the NSFC Championship, just narrowly missed the S2 Playoffs due to a tiebreaker. Yellowknife drove the proverbial knife into the heart when they “upset” the Otters in a close high scoring battle to close out the season. Despite being sent home early, Colorado didn’t exactly underachieve this season nor take a step backwards. They fielded one of the top defenses in the NSFC with only 216 points allowed (best in the conference), the most tackles in the league (767), and the most forced fumbles and recoveries (12/12). All the pieces are in place and the experience is there, look for the Yeti to come back and be a contender yet again in S3.

A little less surprising to the league is are the two S2 expansion teams; the Philadelphia Liberty and the Las Vegas Legion. Both missed the playoffs by a fairly large margin. (The Liberty less so with a record of 5-9, with the Legion bottom of the league at 3-11). Both of these squads executed offseason plans with completely opposite strategies, one wheeling and dealing for players, the other for picks. There was more hope than expectations for both of these new teams but only time will tell if the plans for the future pay off. Several powerhouse stars litter both rosters, such as Fox North of the Liberty and Mark Ramrio of the Legion, who will no doubt continue to shine and have the sky as the limit once surrounded by a more established side.

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Future Talent

Brice Boggs is inching closer to be the consensus #1 overall pick in the upcoming S3 Draft. Boggs burst onto the scene as a S2 Waiver pickup made an immediate impact for the Yellowknife Wraiths. As a raw linebacker, Boggs is a bit of a swiss army knife who can do whatever is asked of him but has not quite found his niche or specialty. He can rush the passer (6 sacks), stop the run (82 tackles with 5 tackles for loss), and even at times produce in coverage (1 INT and 3 passes defended). The sky is the limit as to the ceiling for this prospect, he lined up as the Weak-side or “Will” Linebacker whose responsibility more often than not forcing a run back inside or covering the slot man. If Boggs is moved inside, or to the strong-side, it is not out of the question for his numbers to soar in S3. Boggs is also currently leading all S3 prospects in TPE, and showing no signs of slowing down, it’s hard to deny Boggs’ potential and dedication to the game. Teams without immediate linebacker need are even looking to make moves to land the player who many see as a future Hall Of Famer. Honorable mention would have to mention JD Boom of the Baltimore Hawks. Boom is a powerful quick-twitch pass rusher who snagged 7 sacks last year.

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Offensive Comparison

The Ultimus will be decided while two thoroughbreds are on the field. The Baltimore Hawks face off against the Arizona Outlaws to decide who will hoist the trophy and crack the champagne after the final whistle. Baltimore sports new rookie sensation and league rushing leader Darlane Farlane who has been the definition of workhorse for the Hawks this year. Farlane has 43 carries and almost 200 yards over his next closest competitor… fittingly the Outlaws’ Reg Mackworthy. Ol’ Mack has the edge over Farlane in just one category, but it’s the one that puts points on the board - 7 touchdowns to Farlane’s 5. It’s not hard to say Mackworthy would be right up there in yardage with Farlane if he had 43 more carries to work with (in fact using Mack’s 3.3 average carry his total would come up 141 yards adding those carries, putting him just 30 yards behind). But both of these running backs will say the real stat that matters is the one that wins the big game. It’ll be interesting to see if Darlane Farlane can grind away and tire out the formidable Outlaw defense - or if star Hawks linebackers Broadway and Harrison can stop Mackworthy from running rampant and taking over the game. We’ll find out tonight! Clydesdale vs race horse!

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Playoff Recap Infographic:



Future Talent