Season 30 Season Preview - ASFC Edition
With the start of the 30th season of the International Sim Football League (formerly National Simulation Football League) upon us, it’s time to do a little bit of a preview for each of the fourteen teams hoping to hoist the Ultimus Trophy in about eight week’s time. In this article, I’m going to preview each team in the ASFC and talk about the players that I think we should all be paying attention to, and who I think will have the biggest impact on their success, or failures, this upcoming season.
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ARIZONA OUTLAWS
Big story for Season 30: Is the Nakamura era over?
As you are well aware, since being traded to Arizona before the start of Season 27, Tatsu Nakamura has been the definition of a Bell Cow Running Back, as he’s led the league in carries and yards the last three seasons in a row, while leading the league in rushing touchdowns twice during that span. That being said, all good things must come to an end, and with Tatsu getting a little long in the tooth, many out there are wondering if the Outlaws will look to lessen his workload.
Enter the football equivalent of the Swiss Army Knife – RB Deadly Memes. Memes has been more than happy to defer to Nakamura these past three seasons, but now that Tatsu seems to be slowing down a little bit, will that attitude continue? Those in the Arizona camp have been pretty quiet on the topic, and during training camp Nakamura still took the lion’s share of snaps with the first team offense, while Memes once again reprised his role playing seemingly every position, from Fullback to Towel Boy.
Luckily for all of us wondering how the team will split the backfield this coming season, we shouldn’t have to wait too long, as we expect to get our answer during the first week of the season.
Offensive Player to Watch: Tight End Ragnar Krashwagen @CementHands
Tight End seemed to be an afterthought in the desert in Season 29, as the Outlaws appeared to throw just about everyone at the position that they could. To that end, the front office knew they needed to find a real fix to their lack of depth at the position, and I believe they did that with just about the least splashy offseason signing of the season – former Honolulu Tight End, Ragnar Krashwagen. Krashwagen was a steady force at Tight End for the Hahalua over the past three seasons, hauling in 259 catches for 2188 yards and 16 touchdowns over that span. The move also allows the Outlaws to move Wide Receiver Darren Pama out wide, where he looks to take over at the undisputed second options behind Taro Raimon.
Defensive Player to Watch: Cornerback Rich Triplet @Kotasa
After a bona fide breakout campaign in Season 28 which saw him win an All-Pro spot as well as almost snag a CB of the Year award, many wondered if Triplet would continue to ride high into Season 29. While not a bad season by any means, Triple posted his lowest totals for Interceptions and Passes Defended since Season 26. While the Outlaws still had a great season as a defensive unit, it’s well-known that they expected Triplet to be a steady force since signing him prior to Season 28, and some feel that the organization believes he didn’t live up to his end of the bargain. We’ll see which Triplet shows up for Season 30, his third with the organization.
Potential Breakout Player: Wide Receiver Darren Pama @ztarwarz
As hinted in my write-up on Krashwagen, his signing as well as Pama’s stellar development have open the door to him finally being cemented as the true #2 receiver for the Outlaws this season. Now, it might seem weird to consider a player who posted a 1100 yard and 8 touchdown season someone primed for a breakout, but hear me out. Pama posted those numbers while not only being the third receiving option for the Outlaws, but also while playing out of position AND for a team that fell in the bottom half of the league for passing attempts last season. This is the perfect combination of player improvement and opportunity, which makes him primed for a real breakout.
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AUSTIN COPPERHEADS
Big story for Season 30: How long do hangovers last?
After a magnificent run through the playoffs in Season 28 which saw them just barely losing to the Yellowknife Wraiths in the championship, many had the Copperheads pegged for a dominant run in Season 29. Unfortunately for Austin fans out there, it appeared that Ultimus hangovers are a real thing, and the team stumbled throughout the season, ending up with a final record of 5-10-1, leaving fans wondering, “what the hell happened?”
If there is one constant in life it is that things change, so Austin is hopeful that last season was merely a fluke and not the norm. Keep in mind – this is a team that in many ways was BETTER than the team that played for the Ultimus the previous year.
With much of the ASFC getting older, a squad with a little bit more youth at its core like Austin might have a great shot to be a surprise this season. It just remains to be seen if the football gods wish to continue punishing them for losing the Big One.
Offensive Player to Watch: Running Back Zoe Watts @Kyamprac
Okay so maybe it’s cheating to choose one of the league’s top Running Backs as the player to watch for Austin, but hear me out: since joining the league, Watts has been nothing if not consistent, especially the last two seasons where she posted more than 1300 combined yards and 14 touchdowns both seasons. The thing about Watts is she was posting those seasons with a mostly inexperienced offensive line. This season though, the Copperheads are entering into the season with arguably the best OL in the league, led by team stalwarts Connor Quigley and Slurms McKenzie. Add to this the fact that the Copperheads WR corps is a little bit on the shallow side, and Watts looks poised to post a career season, which, by her standards, could be an Offensive Player of the Year-type season.
Defensive Player to Watch: Safety Evan Jones @Faelax
There has been no single team in recent league memory more open to making trades for strong players looking for a new start than the Copperheads, and what would an ISFL season be without them being involved in yet another blockbuster trade, like the one they made with the Chicago Butchers for star in the making, Evan Jones. Jones looks to fill a hole in the Copperheads’ secondary, and I expect him to have a big season, as teams will be on the lookout for Annie May, which potentially will leave him open to make plays at all levels of the field.
Potential Breakout Player: Wide Receiver Bayley Cowabunga @JKortesi81
As I touched on in the write-up on Watts, the Austin receiving corps is on the thinner side compared to other teams of similar talent. Videl-San is still considered one of the league’s top pass catchers, but next to him is Doug Howlett, a player who has started to fade in recent seasons. Cowabunga had a very successful rookie campaign, posting an extremely high 15.7 yards per catch, and his 769 yards was third among all rookie WRs last season. Now he’s entering his second season and poised to be the second receiving option for the Copperheads. Lookout for him to take major strides in his sophomore season.
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HONOLULU HAHALUA
Big story for Season 30: Will Christ Jr. grow after trial by fire?
After the somewhat sudden retiring of Quarterback Chika Fujiwara following Season 28, the Hahalua were forced to start rookie Joliet Chris Jr in Season 29. The son of Hall of Fame QB Joliet Christ, Christ Jr. showed flashes at times during the season, such as in Week 15 when he threw for nearly 400 yards and the Hahalua mounted a 17 point fourth quarter comeback on the road against the New York Silverbacks. Unfortunately for Christ Jr, his moments of looking like a rookie outnumbered these glimpses of greatness, as Honolulu finished the season with a 3-13 record and one of the league’s worst offenses.
With a full season of action under his belt, fans are excited to see what Christ Jr. can do, especially with the two stars in making on his offense – RB Cobra Kai and WR Eleven Kendrick-Watts. Honolulu fans are hopeful that their Quarterback of the future will take strides forward and that they’ve got a true three-headed-monster on offense that will be peaking all at the same time.
Offensive Player to Watch: Running Back Cobra Kai @OrbitingDeath
If you ask around the league for players poised for a breakout season, I can guarantee one of the first names you’ll hear is the fourth-year player Cobra Kai. When you look at the situation he’s entering this season, it’s hard to find any way to argue that assumption. For the first three seasons of his career, Kai was stuck behind Nicholas Ayers in the backfield and was more of a receiving option than a true runner.
This season however, Ayers is long gone, and Kai is ready to take over as the lead back. He has been an efficiency monster as a backup, never averaging less than 4.5 yards per carry in a season, as well as averaging over 800 yards receiving. If you’re looking for a player to put on your pre-season shortlist for not only fantasy breakout, but also Offensive Breakout Player of the Year, look no further than Cobra Kai.
Defensive Player to Watch: Linebacker Guy Fields @r0tzbua
When looking at the Hahalua roster, one player sticks out above the rest, and that’s Linebacker Guy Fields. After being the rare day 1 starter after being drafted before Season 25, Fields is now the old man on campus and the undisputed leader of the defense. As a unit, the Hahalua defense will be starting its fair share of youngster this season, so the team will be leaning on Fields to be a leader on and off the field. On the field, Fields has shown steady improvement every season since joining the ISFL, and last season was truly his coming out party, as he led the league in tackles, and also posted personal bests four major statistical categories. I fully expect more of the same in Season 30 out of Fields.
Potential Breakout Player: Defensive Tackle Jason Bradshaw @Gumbaman
I could cheat here and just name Cobra Kai as a breakout candidate for the Hahalua this season – heck, I just said he would be on my shortlist for breakout player of the year – but that’s lazy. You, my readers, deserve more in-depth analysis than that. That’s why for Honolulu I’ve chosen DT Jason Bradshaw as their breakout player for Season 30. He has all of the ingredients needed – skill and opportunity. Honolulu’s defensive line depth is extremely top heavy, with retiring Big Edd and established star Asher Montain. Bradshaw looks to fit in perfectly on the interior for Honolulu, and with those other two linemen eating up blockers, it means that Bradshaw should be facing single blockers frequently, and I believe he has more than enough skill and ability to win those matchups.
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NEW ORLEANS SECOND LINE
Big story for Season 30: Does Slothlisberger have another run left in him?
One of the bigger storylines during this offseason down in New Orleans was whether or not long-time franchise QB Ben Slothlisberger had enough juice left in the tank to hold of budding star Is He… ReallyInvisible for one more season. Slothlisberger answered the question as only he can: smoking an entire cigarette in one breath and then giving the reporter a middle finger. After being more of a middle-of-the-pack for much of his career for the Second Line, Slothlisberger has had a bit of a late-career resurgence, leading NOLA to three playoff berths, including two Ultimus appearances, as well as winning the Season 27 MVP. New Orleans will be looking to him to lead the team on one more deep run this season, and with any luck, send him off with that elusive championship ring.
Offensive Player to Watch: Running Back Mike Rotchburns @SchoolboyShue
In case you just skipped to this specific part of the article, you know that Slothlisberger is on the older side of players in the league these days. What you might not know is that much of the Second Line’s skill position players are all getting up there in age, including Ben’s two favorite pass catchers – Ed Barker and Brock Bodenhammer. It will be interesting to see if this means that the team opts to go with a more balanced or even more run-first mentality this season. Rotchburns had a breakout season of his own last season, nearly doubling his yards from Season 28, as well as finding the end zone twelve times. I believe If they expect to make a deep run this season they’re going to need to keep feeding him the ball.
Defensive Player to Watch: Linebacker Vincent Jones Jr @huck24
A consistent force in run defense, as well as a capable pass rusher, during his short time in the ISFL, Jones Jr showed that the work he put in over the off-season to round out his skills was a massive success, as he snatched three interceptions and had 11 passes defended in Season 29, leading to a spot of the All-Pro First Team. Season 29 the Second Line defense was exposed at times, but their biggest weakness was their run game, giving up a league-worst 116.9 yards on the ground per game, including 226 yard on the ground to the Hahalua in a Week 7 loss. If they want to have a shot at another playoff berth they'll need to shore that up, and Jones Jr looks to be the one to do it.
Potential Breakout Player: Free Safety Jonathan Shuffleboard @mee
Pop-quiz: There were three Free Safeties in Season 29 that scored multiple defensive touchdowns. Who were they?
If you guessed Cuco Clemente, Joel Drake, and Jonathan Shuffleboard, well, good for you for using context clues! That’s right. Despite splitting time in the defensive backfield with Second Line legend Mason Blaylock in Season 29, Shuff had a fantastic season in pass coverage, posting 4 interceptions, two of which were returned for scores. With Blaylock retired, that means that is’ up to Shuffleboard to take his place, and if Season 29 was any indication I believe he’ll show he’s up to the task.
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NEW YORK SILVERBACKS
Big Story for Season 30: How heavy lies the crown?
Season 29 ended with an Ultimus for the ages, as we were all treated to the ever-elusive Expansion Bowl between the Silverbacks and Fire Salamanders. Sadly for Berlin, the excitement ended there, as New York showed they were the better team from whistle to whistle, en route to a convincing 40-20 win. Coming into this season, however, the Silverbacks most definitely will have a target on their back, and it will be interesting to see if the pressure of being defending champions gets to them or if they will be the first back to back champions since the Sabercats.
Offensive Player to Watch: Quarterback Sam Howitzer @Trautner
Season 29 was a breakout season for a lot of players in the Big Apple, but one that flew under the radar was their signal-caller, Sam Howitzer, who improved his completion percentage by nearly five full percentage points (61.3% to 66.2%) and more than doubled his touchdown production from Season 28 (15 to 31). While the Silverbacks definitely continued to be a run-first team in Season 29, leading the league with over 115 yards per game on the ground, Howitzer showed that he was more than a game manager. If New York hopes to make it back to the playoffs for a chance to defend their title, they’ll need more of the same this season from Hi-Heat Howitzer.
Defensive Player to Watch: Cornerback LeSean Paris-Crooks @The_Kidd
After some roster reshuffling on defense during the off-season the Silverbacks were left with a giant hole at Cornerback. To remedy that, they brought in former Copperheads Cornerback Paris-Crooks to fill the void left by Colt Mendoza. Crooks has long been one of the more under-the-radar players at CB, and despite the recognition he put up a very strong Season 29, posting one of the best catch rates in the ISFL (60% catches allowed) while also hauling in three interceptions and 27 passes defended. As the offensive arms race in the league keeps churning, defensive backs are becoming more and more important, and the Silverbacks are hoping that playing under the bright lights of New York won’t keep Paris-Crooks from doing what he does best.
Potential Breakout Player: Wide Receiver Tugg Speedman @zakkyjohns
One of the biggest free agent surprises this past offseason was New York’s top WR, Jackson Kingston, moving down the coast to sign with Sarasota. As is a common theme when looking at breakout players, this void on offense leaves a perfect opportunity for Speedman, the former San Jose player, to make high mark on the league. Tugg had a pretty decent Season 29, going for over 1,000 yards as he oscillated between the second and third option behind the aforementioned Kingston. This season, however, there is no dispute over Speedman’s place in the receiver’s room, as he is the clear-cut number one option for New York.
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ORANGE COUNTY OTTERS
Big Story for Season 30: Is the Generation Shift Underway?
A problem that every team in the league faces at some point is their players essentially aging out. It’s a delicate balance for every front office – deciding how long they want to hold onto players nearing the end. All you can hope is that you’ve planned well enough for the future and will have young players ready to take over. It’s also exciting to see how those new players will perform when called up, and this season, I think we’re set to have a lot of excitement out on the West Coast. Yes, there are some old stalwarts still running the ship – Ramza, Tank, Despacito, Joestar, and Booker, among others – but this season they’re bringing in a number of younger players into prominent roles, including Bender Rodriguez as the clear #2 LB and Rean Schwarzer at Safety. This dynamic came to a head at Otters training camp this season where a fight reportedly broke out after one of the rookies replied, “Okay boomer” to one of Suleiman Ramza’s commands during drills. It remains to be seen how this all plays out on the field, but I believe there are a lot of reasons to believe in Orange County.
Offensive Player to Watch: Tight End Zack Dinozzo @Haseo
For anyone that’s followed the ISFL this decade, especially if you’ve played Fantasy Football, you’re well aware of Heath Evans. Playing Tight End for the Otters for the past handful of seasons, Evans was widely regarded as one of the best at his position. Even in his final season before retiring, Evans posted very respectable numbers of 803 yards and six touchdowns. The Otters have shown no reluctance to get their Tight Ends involved, except this season it won’t be Evans there any longer, as they bring in the rookie Dinozzo, after a very productive DSFL career which saw him average 636 yards and just shy of 4 touchdowns a season.
Defensive Player to Watch: Cornerback Richard Leaking @ReverendOReily
As I mentioned in the first paragraph on OCO, one of their former leaders who looks to be entering the twilight of their career is Cornerback Brandon Booker. There was some surprising discussion this offseason that he might be giving up the number one spot on the roster his partner in crime, Richard Leaking. If that comes to pass, it will be interesting to see if he is up to the tasks. This league has become more and more focused on throwing the ball due to the recent rule changes to pass interference and illegal touching, and the Otters are lucky to have not one, but two first tier Corners to stymie opposing offenses.
Potential Breakout Player: Wide Receiver Sam the Onion Man @Duilio05
If you haven’t caught on by now, the common thread for my breakout players are players getting a chance at more opportunities due to player movement or retirement. This time, however, we’re going in a slightly different direction – a player who is on an expiring contract and might be looking to audition for potential landing spots in free agency. Sam the Onion Man has been at times the fourth option in the passing game since joining the Otters, but with the retirement of Heath Evans and Garfield Despacito Jr getting a little older, I think that management might find a way to get him more involved in the passing game, and I’m very confident that he’ll want to show what he can do in the new role.
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SAN JOSE SABERCATS
Big Story for Season 30: Do the Cats have more magic left in them?
If there’s one statement that holds true when talking about San Jose’s recent track record, it might be, “they love to be the underdog.” Coming into Season 30, not many experts are high on the Sabercats, due to a combination of an aging roster and the top of the ASFC looking to be just on another level. Being “outmatched” is where the Sabercats seem to shine, as evidence by their back-to-back Ultimus run in which both wins were seen as massive upsets at the time. The Sabercats look like a team just about to transition to a new roster makeup, so it is yet to be seen if the old guard have one more run left in them.
Offensive Player to Watch: Running Back Jamar Lackson @BenDover
For a number of seasons, Lackson has been viewed as one of the best dual-threat Running Backs in the league, a title he proved to be worth of last season when he posted over 1700 total yards and 16 total touchdowns, en route being named to the All-Pro team as a O-Flex player. This season he should again be the focal point of the offense, especially as it looks like franchise QB Montery Jack might be nearing the end of his tenure under center. I fully expect Lackson so once again be a playmaker both as a runner and a receiver, but I imagine the team might rely on him more as a runner to keep from putting too much pressure on the aging arm of Jack.
Defensive Player to Watch: Defensive End Raylan Crowder @Asked Madden
As the league transitions more and more towards a pass-happy league, defenses need to adjust and learn how to slow them down. One of the best counters to a passing game is a good pass rush. Enter Season 25 first round pick, Raylan Crowder. After having a breakout season in Season 27 in which he had 8 tackles for loss and 14 sacks, Crodwer has regressed towards the mean a little bit the past two seasons. I believe that he is much better than the numbers show, however, and I fully expect him to have a bounce back Season 30.
Potential Breakout Player: Cornerback Juno Hu @j00
After being a day one call-up in Season 28, Hu showed that he still needed a little bit of time to get used to the speed of the ISFL, as in his second season the cover man still gave up over a 70% catch rate and had 11 missed tackles. The third season in a player’s career is typically when we see the biggest growth in their abilities. Speaking to Hu this offseason, there’ one thing that’s very noticeable – he’s ready to show people he was worth that early draft pick. During training camp he was flying all over the field in 7 on 7 drills, and the trademark confidence he had as a player for Tijuana was on full display. Look for Hu to have a monster season this year as the CB2 for San Jose.
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CLOSING REMARKS
Thank you for taking the time to read this long, drawn-out media piece. I was really hoping to do notes for all fourteen teams in one article, but it was pretty apparent early on that this was going to be a fair hefty piece. If I get the time I’ll put one together for the NSFC, but for now, I hope this gets you as excited for Season 30 of the ISFL as I am!
With the start of the 30th season of the International Sim Football League (formerly National Simulation Football League) upon us, it’s time to do a little bit of a preview for each of the fourteen teams hoping to hoist the Ultimus Trophy in about eight week’s time. In this article, I’m going to preview each team in the ASFC and talk about the players that I think we should all be paying attention to, and who I think will have the biggest impact on their success, or failures, this upcoming season.
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ARIZONA OUTLAWS Big story for Season 30: Is the Nakamura era over?
As you are well aware, since being traded to Arizona before the start of Season 27, Tatsu Nakamura has been the definition of a Bell Cow Running Back, as he’s led the league in carries and yards the last three seasons in a row, while leading the league in rushing touchdowns twice during that span. That being said, all good things must come to an end, and with Tatsu getting a little long in the tooth, many out there are wondering if the Outlaws will look to lessen his workload.
Enter the football equivalent of the Swiss Army Knife – RB Deadly Memes. Memes has been more than happy to defer to Nakamura these past three seasons, but now that Tatsu seems to be slowing down a little bit, will that attitude continue? Those in the Arizona camp have been pretty quiet on the topic, and during training camp Nakamura still took the lion’s share of snaps with the first team offense, while Memes once again reprised his role playing seemingly every position, from Fullback to Towel Boy.
Luckily for all of us wondering how the team will split the backfield this coming season, we shouldn’t have to wait too long, as we expect to get our answer during the first week of the season.
Offensive Player to Watch: Tight End Ragnar Krashwagen @CementHands
Tight End seemed to be an afterthought in the desert in Season 29, as the Outlaws appeared to throw just about everyone at the position that they could. To that end, the front office knew they needed to find a real fix to their lack of depth at the position, and I believe they did that with just about the least splashy offseason signing of the season – former Honolulu Tight End, Ragnar Krashwagen. Krashwagen was a steady force at Tight End for the Hahalua over the past three seasons, hauling in 259 catches for 2188 yards and 16 touchdowns over that span. The move also allows the Outlaws to move Wide Receiver Darren Pama out wide, where he looks to take over at the undisputed second options behind Taro Raimon.
Defensive Player to Watch: Cornerback Rich Triplet @Kotasa
After a bona fide breakout campaign in Season 28 which saw him win an All-Pro spot as well as almost snag a CB of the Year award, many wondered if Triplet would continue to ride high into Season 29. While not a bad season by any means, Triple posted his lowest totals for Interceptions and Passes Defended since Season 26. While the Outlaws still had a great season as a defensive unit, it’s well-known that they expected Triplet to be a steady force since signing him prior to Season 28, and some feel that the organization believes he didn’t live up to his end of the bargain. We’ll see which Triplet shows up for Season 30, his third with the organization.
Potential Breakout Player: Wide Receiver Darren Pama @ztarwarz
As hinted in my write-up on Krashwagen, his signing as well as Pama’s stellar development have open the door to him finally being cemented as the true #2 receiver for the Outlaws this season. Now, it might seem weird to consider a player who posted a 1100 yard and 8 touchdown season someone primed for a breakout, but hear me out. Pama posted those numbers while not only being the third receiving option for the Outlaws, but also while playing out of position AND for a team that fell in the bottom half of the league for passing attempts last season. This is the perfect combination of player improvement and opportunity, which makes him primed for a real breakout.
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AUSTIN COPPERHEADS Big story for Season 30: How long do hangovers last?
After a magnificent run through the playoffs in Season 28 which saw them just barely losing to the Yellowknife Wraiths in the championship, many had the Copperheads pegged for a dominant run in Season 29. Unfortunately for Austin fans out there, it appeared that Ultimus hangovers are a real thing, and the team stumbled throughout the season, ending up with a final record of 5-10-1, leaving fans wondering, “what the hell happened?”
If there is one constant in life it is that things change, so Austin is hopeful that last season was merely a fluke and not the norm. Keep in mind – this is a team that in many ways was BETTER than the team that played for the Ultimus the previous year.
With much of the ASFC getting older, a squad with a little bit more youth at its core like Austin might have a great shot to be a surprise this season. It just remains to be seen if the football gods wish to continue punishing them for losing the Big One.
Offensive Player to Watch: Running Back Zoe Watts @Kyamprac
Okay so maybe it’s cheating to choose one of the league’s top Running Backs as the player to watch for Austin, but hear me out: since joining the league, Watts has been nothing if not consistent, especially the last two seasons where she posted more than 1300 combined yards and 14 touchdowns both seasons. The thing about Watts is she was posting those seasons with a mostly inexperienced offensive line. This season though, the Copperheads are entering into the season with arguably the best OL in the league, led by team stalwarts Connor Quigley and Slurms McKenzie. Add to this the fact that the Copperheads WR corps is a little bit on the shallow side, and Watts looks poised to post a career season, which, by her standards, could be an Offensive Player of the Year-type season.
Defensive Player to Watch: Safety Evan Jones @Faelax
There has been no single team in recent league memory more open to making trades for strong players looking for a new start than the Copperheads, and what would an ISFL season be without them being involved in yet another blockbuster trade, like the one they made with the Chicago Butchers for star in the making, Evan Jones. Jones looks to fill a hole in the Copperheads’ secondary, and I expect him to have a big season, as teams will be on the lookout for Annie May, which potentially will leave him open to make plays at all levels of the field.
Potential Breakout Player: Wide Receiver Bayley Cowabunga @JKortesi81
As I touched on in the write-up on Watts, the Austin receiving corps is on the thinner side compared to other teams of similar talent. Videl-San is still considered one of the league’s top pass catchers, but next to him is Doug Howlett, a player who has started to fade in recent seasons. Cowabunga had a very successful rookie campaign, posting an extremely high 15.7 yards per catch, and his 769 yards was third among all rookie WRs last season. Now he’s entering his second season and poised to be the second receiving option for the Copperheads. Lookout for him to take major strides in his sophomore season.
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HONOLULU HAHALUA Big story for Season 30: Will Christ Jr. grow after trial by fire?
After the somewhat sudden retiring of Quarterback Chika Fujiwara following Season 28, the Hahalua were forced to start rookie Joliet Chris Jr in Season 29. The son of Hall of Fame QB Joliet Christ, Christ Jr. showed flashes at times during the season, such as in Week 15 when he threw for nearly 400 yards and the Hahalua mounted a 17 point fourth quarter comeback on the road against the New York Silverbacks. Unfortunately for Christ Jr, his moments of looking like a rookie outnumbered these glimpses of greatness, as Honolulu finished the season with a 3-13 record and one of the league’s worst offenses.
With a full season of action under his belt, fans are excited to see what Christ Jr. can do, especially with the two stars in making on his offense – RB Cobra Kai and WR Eleven Kendrick-Watts. Honolulu fans are hopeful that their Quarterback of the future will take strides forward and that they’ve got a true three-headed-monster on offense that will be peaking all at the same time.
Offensive Player to Watch: Running Back Cobra Kai @OrbitingDeath
If you ask around the league for players poised for a breakout season, I can guarantee one of the first names you’ll hear is the fourth-year player Cobra Kai. When you look at the situation he’s entering this season, it’s hard to find any way to argue that assumption. For the first three seasons of his career, Kai was stuck behind Nicholas Ayers in the backfield and was more of a receiving option than a true runner.
This season however, Ayers is long gone, and Kai is ready to take over as the lead back. He has been an efficiency monster as a backup, never averaging less than 4.5 yards per carry in a season, as well as averaging over 800 yards receiving. If you’re looking for a player to put on your pre-season shortlist for not only fantasy breakout, but also Offensive Breakout Player of the Year, look no further than Cobra Kai.
Defensive Player to Watch: Linebacker Guy Fields @r0tzbua
When looking at the Hahalua roster, one player sticks out above the rest, and that’s Linebacker Guy Fields. After being the rare day 1 starter after being drafted before Season 25, Fields is now the old man on campus and the undisputed leader of the defense. As a unit, the Hahalua defense will be starting its fair share of youngster this season, so the team will be leaning on Fields to be a leader on and off the field. On the field, Fields has shown steady improvement every season since joining the ISFL, and last season was truly his coming out party, as he led the league in tackles, and also posted personal bests four major statistical categories. I fully expect more of the same in Season 30 out of Fields.
Potential Breakout Player: Defensive Tackle Jason Bradshaw @Gumbaman
I could cheat here and just name Cobra Kai as a breakout candidate for the Hahalua this season – heck, I just said he would be on my shortlist for breakout player of the year – but that’s lazy. You, my readers, deserve more in-depth analysis than that. That’s why for Honolulu I’ve chosen DT Jason Bradshaw as their breakout player for Season 30. He has all of the ingredients needed – skill and opportunity. Honolulu’s defensive line depth is extremely top heavy, with retiring Big Edd and established star Asher Montain. Bradshaw looks to fit in perfectly on the interior for Honolulu, and with those other two linemen eating up blockers, it means that Bradshaw should be facing single blockers frequently, and I believe he has more than enough skill and ability to win those matchups.
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NEW ORLEANS SECOND LINE Big story for Season 30: Does Slothlisberger have another run left in him?
One of the bigger storylines during this offseason down in New Orleans was whether or not long-time franchise QB Ben Slothlisberger had enough juice left in the tank to hold of budding star Is He… ReallyInvisible for one more season. Slothlisberger answered the question as only he can: smoking an entire cigarette in one breath and then giving the reporter a middle finger. After being more of a middle-of-the-pack for much of his career for the Second Line, Slothlisberger has had a bit of a late-career resurgence, leading NOLA to three playoff berths, including two Ultimus appearances, as well as winning the Season 27 MVP. New Orleans will be looking to him to lead the team on one more deep run this season, and with any luck, send him off with that elusive championship ring.
Offensive Player to Watch: Running Back Mike Rotchburns @SchoolboyShue
In case you just skipped to this specific part of the article, you know that Slothlisberger is on the older side of players in the league these days. What you might not know is that much of the Second Line’s skill position players are all getting up there in age, including Ben’s two favorite pass catchers – Ed Barker and Brock Bodenhammer. It will be interesting to see if this means that the team opts to go with a more balanced or even more run-first mentality this season. Rotchburns had a breakout season of his own last season, nearly doubling his yards from Season 28, as well as finding the end zone twelve times. I believe If they expect to make a deep run this season they’re going to need to keep feeding him the ball.
Defensive Player to Watch: Linebacker Vincent Jones Jr @huck24
A consistent force in run defense, as well as a capable pass rusher, during his short time in the ISFL, Jones Jr showed that the work he put in over the off-season to round out his skills was a massive success, as he snatched three interceptions and had 11 passes defended in Season 29, leading to a spot of the All-Pro First Team. Season 29 the Second Line defense was exposed at times, but their biggest weakness was their run game, giving up a league-worst 116.9 yards on the ground per game, including 226 yard on the ground to the Hahalua in a Week 7 loss. If they want to have a shot at another playoff berth they'll need to shore that up, and Jones Jr looks to be the one to do it.
Potential Breakout Player: Free Safety Jonathan Shuffleboard @mee
Pop-quiz: There were three Free Safeties in Season 29 that scored multiple defensive touchdowns. Who were they?
If you guessed Cuco Clemente, Joel Drake, and Jonathan Shuffleboard, well, good for you for using context clues! That’s right. Despite splitting time in the defensive backfield with Second Line legend Mason Blaylock in Season 29, Shuff had a fantastic season in pass coverage, posting 4 interceptions, two of which were returned for scores. With Blaylock retired, that means that is’ up to Shuffleboard to take his place, and if Season 29 was any indication I believe he’ll show he’s up to the task.
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NEW YORK SILVERBACKS Big Story for Season 30: How heavy lies the crown?
Season 29 ended with an Ultimus for the ages, as we were all treated to the ever-elusive Expansion Bowl between the Silverbacks and Fire Salamanders. Sadly for Berlin, the excitement ended there, as New York showed they were the better team from whistle to whistle, en route to a convincing 40-20 win. Coming into this season, however, the Silverbacks most definitely will have a target on their back, and it will be interesting to see if the pressure of being defending champions gets to them or if they will be the first back to back champions since the Sabercats.
Offensive Player to Watch: Quarterback Sam Howitzer @Trautner
Season 29 was a breakout season for a lot of players in the Big Apple, but one that flew under the radar was their signal-caller, Sam Howitzer, who improved his completion percentage by nearly five full percentage points (61.3% to 66.2%) and more than doubled his touchdown production from Season 28 (15 to 31). While the Silverbacks definitely continued to be a run-first team in Season 29, leading the league with over 115 yards per game on the ground, Howitzer showed that he was more than a game manager. If New York hopes to make it back to the playoffs for a chance to defend their title, they’ll need more of the same this season from Hi-Heat Howitzer.
Defensive Player to Watch: Cornerback LeSean Paris-Crooks @The_Kidd
After some roster reshuffling on defense during the off-season the Silverbacks were left with a giant hole at Cornerback. To remedy that, they brought in former Copperheads Cornerback Paris-Crooks to fill the void left by Colt Mendoza. Crooks has long been one of the more under-the-radar players at CB, and despite the recognition he put up a very strong Season 29, posting one of the best catch rates in the ISFL (60% catches allowed) while also hauling in three interceptions and 27 passes defended. As the offensive arms race in the league keeps churning, defensive backs are becoming more and more important, and the Silverbacks are hoping that playing under the bright lights of New York won’t keep Paris-Crooks from doing what he does best.
Potential Breakout Player: Wide Receiver Tugg Speedman @zakkyjohns
One of the biggest free agent surprises this past offseason was New York’s top WR, Jackson Kingston, moving down the coast to sign with Sarasota. As is a common theme when looking at breakout players, this void on offense leaves a perfect opportunity for Speedman, the former San Jose player, to make high mark on the league. Tugg had a pretty decent Season 29, going for over 1,000 yards as he oscillated between the second and third option behind the aforementioned Kingston. This season, however, there is no dispute over Speedman’s place in the receiver’s room, as he is the clear-cut number one option for New York.
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ORANGE COUNTY OTTERS Big Story for Season 30: Is the Generation Shift Underway?
A problem that every team in the league faces at some point is their players essentially aging out. It’s a delicate balance for every front office – deciding how long they want to hold onto players nearing the end. All you can hope is that you’ve planned well enough for the future and will have young players ready to take over. It’s also exciting to see how those new players will perform when called up, and this season, I think we’re set to have a lot of excitement out on the West Coast. Yes, there are some old stalwarts still running the ship – Ramza, Tank, Despacito, Joestar, and Booker, among others – but this season they’re bringing in a number of younger players into prominent roles, including Bender Rodriguez as the clear #2 LB and Rean Schwarzer at Safety. This dynamic came to a head at Otters training camp this season where a fight reportedly broke out after one of the rookies replied, “Okay boomer” to one of Suleiman Ramza’s commands during drills. It remains to be seen how this all plays out on the field, but I believe there are a lot of reasons to believe in Orange County.
Offensive Player to Watch: Tight End Zack Dinozzo @Haseo
For anyone that’s followed the ISFL this decade, especially if you’ve played Fantasy Football, you’re well aware of Heath Evans. Playing Tight End for the Otters for the past handful of seasons, Evans was widely regarded as one of the best at his position. Even in his final season before retiring, Evans posted very respectable numbers of 803 yards and six touchdowns. The Otters have shown no reluctance to get their Tight Ends involved, except this season it won’t be Evans there any longer, as they bring in the rookie Dinozzo, after a very productive DSFL career which saw him average 636 yards and just shy of 4 touchdowns a season.
Defensive Player to Watch: Cornerback Richard Leaking @ReverendOReily
As I mentioned in the first paragraph on OCO, one of their former leaders who looks to be entering the twilight of their career is Cornerback Brandon Booker. There was some surprising discussion this offseason that he might be giving up the number one spot on the roster his partner in crime, Richard Leaking. If that comes to pass, it will be interesting to see if he is up to the tasks. This league has become more and more focused on throwing the ball due to the recent rule changes to pass interference and illegal touching, and the Otters are lucky to have not one, but two first tier Corners to stymie opposing offenses.
Potential Breakout Player: Wide Receiver Sam the Onion Man @Duilio05
If you haven’t caught on by now, the common thread for my breakout players are players getting a chance at more opportunities due to player movement or retirement. This time, however, we’re going in a slightly different direction – a player who is on an expiring contract and might be looking to audition for potential landing spots in free agency. Sam the Onion Man has been at times the fourth option in the passing game since joining the Otters, but with the retirement of Heath Evans and Garfield Despacito Jr getting a little older, I think that management might find a way to get him more involved in the passing game, and I’m very confident that he’ll want to show what he can do in the new role.
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SAN JOSE SABERCATS Big Story for Season 30: Do the Cats have more magic left in them?
If there’s one statement that holds true when talking about San Jose’s recent track record, it might be, “they love to be the underdog.” Coming into Season 30, not many experts are high on the Sabercats, due to a combination of an aging roster and the top of the ASFC looking to be just on another level. Being “outmatched” is where the Sabercats seem to shine, as evidence by their back-to-back Ultimus run in which both wins were seen as massive upsets at the time. The Sabercats look like a team just about to transition to a new roster makeup, so it is yet to be seen if the old guard have one more run left in them.
Offensive Player to Watch: Running Back Jamar Lackson @BenDover
For a number of seasons, Lackson has been viewed as one of the best dual-threat Running Backs in the league, a title he proved to be worth of last season when he posted over 1700 total yards and 16 total touchdowns, en route being named to the All-Pro team as a O-Flex player. This season he should again be the focal point of the offense, especially as it looks like franchise QB Montery Jack might be nearing the end of his tenure under center. I fully expect Lackson so once again be a playmaker both as a runner and a receiver, but I imagine the team might rely on him more as a runner to keep from putting too much pressure on the aging arm of Jack.
Defensive Player to Watch: Defensive End Raylan Crowder @Asked Madden
As the league transitions more and more towards a pass-happy league, defenses need to adjust and learn how to slow them down. One of the best counters to a passing game is a good pass rush. Enter Season 25 first round pick, Raylan Crowder. After having a breakout season in Season 27 in which he had 8 tackles for loss and 14 sacks, Crodwer has regressed towards the mean a little bit the past two seasons. I believe that he is much better than the numbers show, however, and I fully expect him to have a bounce back Season 30.
Potential Breakout Player: Cornerback Juno Hu @j00
After being a day one call-up in Season 28, Hu showed that he still needed a little bit of time to get used to the speed of the ISFL, as in his second season the cover man still gave up over a 70% catch rate and had 11 missed tackles. The third season in a player’s career is typically when we see the biggest growth in their abilities. Speaking to Hu this offseason, there’ one thing that’s very noticeable – he’s ready to show people he was worth that early draft pick. During training camp he was flying all over the field in 7 on 7 drills, and the trademark confidence he had as a player for Tijuana was on full display. Look for Hu to have a monster season this year as the CB2 for San Jose.
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CLOSING REMARKS
Thank you for taking the time to read this long, drawn-out media piece. I was really hoping to do notes for all fourteen teams in one article, but it was pretty apparent early on that this was going to be a fair hefty piece. If I get the time I’ll put one together for the NSFC, but for now, I hope this gets you as excited for Season 30 of the ISFL as I am!
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