With the regular season concluded let’s take a look at our postseason competitors and take a look at how they got here and what the future may have in store for them.
Starting with the NSFC The Yellowknife Wraiths led by quarterback Cooter Bigsby and one of the greatest offenses in recent franchise history finished with a 10-6 record. Good enough to hold the first round bye and will face whoever survives the Wild Card round. Looking back at their season it was hard to imagine this team missing the playoffs. They lost the season opener to the Baltimore Hawks by one point and then they went on a four game winning streak. Since then they’ve lost a couple here and there but have always bounced back. Now for the Wraiths the regular season is the easy part; it's the postseason where the team has struggled in recent years. Can this team leap the last few hurdles and crown themselves league champions or will victory slip their fingers yet again?
Tying with the Yellowknife Wraiths at 10-6 the Colorado Yeti are the second seed team in the NSFC. They got here through the heroics of their QB Wolfie McDummy and a defense that can only be described as suffocating but the path wasn’t easy. They won their first two games by the skin of their teeth before losing their next two games. After that the team seesawed between winning and losing for most of the season. By week 12 they were sitting at 6-6. It looked like the Yeti might miss the playoffs all together but the team never lost hope. They rallied in the final month winning their last four games and earning home field advantage in the wild card round. Can the Yeti create a new dynasty or will they be dethroned?
Rounding out the NSFC comes one of the most exciting teams in recent memory. The Philadelphia Liberty is having its first winning season in seven years. The Liberty were carried to the postseason on the backs of their running back duo Fuzzy Dotson and Sam Torenson. Combined with a stalwart defense that excels at stopping the run. The Liberty are heading into the playoffs as the underdogs here but an important fact to note is that the last time the Wraiths and Yeti’s faced the Liberty both teams were soundly beaten. Have the Liberty found a couple of exploits that will see them to the Ultimus or do their competitors have some tricks up their sleeves?
Moving on to the ASFC the first round bye was secured by the Orange County Otters to the surprise of no one. The winningest team in ISFL history finished with an impressive 11-5 record making them this year’s regular season champs. On defense the Otters had the league leader in interceptions Prince Vegeta and on offense they had the league’s number one RB in Tatsu Nakamura. Their path to the playoffs is about as basic as it gets. They entered the season with the petal to the metal and never really let up. The Orange County Otters are back and they are looking to start another dynasty.
Following up the Otters is our second seed team the New Orleans Second Line. This team isn’t all that different from the Ultimus winning team of two years ago. Not only has this team won the same number of games as their previous incarnation but the second seed behind the Orange County Otters was the same placement as well. RB Marcella Toriki and CB Xavien Adams are just two of the many veterans from that fateful team but there are some new faces in the mix as well. Most notably WR Ed Barker and DT Magnus Rikiya. The question is will History repeat itself or have our other teams learned from history?
Last but certainly not least we have the Austin Copperheads. This team is without a doubt the underdog team of the season. These guys just barely squeaked into the playoffs with an 8-8 record. A record they achieved by narrowly winning their last two games of the season by one point and one touchdown respectively. Given their struggles in the regular season it may seem tempting to write these guys off but I wouldn’t be so quick to judge. QB Easton Cole paired with his number one receiver Net Gaines is one of the deadliest combos currently in the league. While the Copperheads might not seem as competitive as the other teams in this year's playoffs they play at their best when the lights are at their brightest and the pressure is at its highest. They are definitely capable of winning it all.
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