Most Valuable Player
I wanted to do some sort of meaningful preamble to this section, but really, I couldn’t come up with anything good to write. This year we had a lot of great individual performances in the DSFL, but only three that I would consider, “MVP-worthy.”
The previous four MVP winners were all quarterbacks, and Season 24 proved to be no different.
Pat’s Winner
Sam Howitzer | QB | Portland Pythons @Trautner
Season stats: 270/434 | 62.2% | 2559 yards | 21 TD | 6 INT
At the beginning of Season 24, a lot of experts out there wondered what the future would hold for the Portland QB. Would he have to languish in the DSFL while Yellowknife had their young star Colby Jack leading the team? Would he make a step forward from his mediocre year in S23 when he threw for 10 TD and 9 INT?
Well, both of those questions were answered emphatically by Howitzer this season, as he had a breakout season in his second year, throwing for an otherworldly 21 TD to 6 INT. He was one score away from tying Franklin Armstrong’s single season record of 22 passing scores. To put it into perspective, the DSFL hasn’t had a QB throw 20 or more touchdowns in a single season since Arizona Outlaws legend, Jay Cue, did it for Portland back in season 19.
Howitzer also apparently caught the eye of GM’s this season as the expansion New York Silverbacks decided to pull the trigger on a blockbuster move to bring Howitzer to the Big Apple. It is assumed that the Portland product has played his last season in the DSFL, and he chose quite the way to cap his career.
Runners-up
Zoe Watts | RB | Dallas Birddogs @Kyamprac
Season stats: 264 carries | 1303 yards | 4.9 YPC | 10 TD
It is said that there are three guarantees in life: death, taxes, and Zoe Watts having a 100 yard game. The Dallas running back was a trendy pick in the preseason to make a clean sweep across all of the major offensive awards in Season 24, and she did not disappoint. How well did Watts do this year running the ball? Well, she led the league in yards and touchdowns, all the while being the face of efficiency, ending the season with the fourth highest yards per carry (minimum 100 carries). You can’t overstate the importance of Watts to the Birddogs’ offense this season, further illustrated by the fact that the Birddogs scored only 23 offensive scores, with Watts accounting for almost half.
Another player that is expected to make the jump to the ISFL this season, Watts is walking away as a bit of a living legend in Dallas. I know she will be disappointed to not win the MVP, but she has nothing left to prove at the DSFL level.
Adam Schell | LB | Tijuana Luchadores @Cincyfan96
Season stats: 123 tackles | 5 TFL | 9 sacks | 3 FF | 2 FR | 8 PD
Let’s get something out of the way: if you don’t think Schell deserves to be in discussion for an MVP after his performance in Season 24, then you weren’t paying attention. Schell was the leader on and off the field for the Tijuana Luchadores’ defense this season, en route to a league-best record of 10-4. The Tijuana linebacker led the DSFL in tackles this season, was second for all linebackers in tackles for loss and sacks, and his three force fumbles were good enough for second in the league.
It’s hard to argue against Tijuana not only being the best team in the DSFL this past season, but also fielding one of the scariest defenses. The Luchadores’ defense was known for being full of playmakers this season, making it even more impressive that Schell’s 123 tackles were 47 more (!) than any other Tijuana defensive player.
Offensive Player of the Year
Offense this year was a bit of an old man’s game, as a large portion of the incoming rookies were on the defensive side of the ball. Many of the players on my short list everyone in the league is familiar with and has been on similar lists before.
Pat’s Winner
Sam Howitzer | QB | Portland Pythons
Season stats: 270/434 | 62.2% | 2559 yards | 21 TD | 6 INT
If you want justification for Howitzer winning Offensive Player of the Year, just go read his write-up in the MVP discussion. Not only did Howitzer turn in the best offensive performance this season, but arguably the best season by a QB in the last five seasons.
Runners-up
Zoe Watts | RB | Dallas Birddogs
Season stats: 264 carries | 1303 yards | 4.9 YPC | 10 TD
Apologies to Zoe here. Any other year and she’s a shoo-in for Offensive Player of the Year, and you can read why in her spot in the MVP discussion. She just couldn’t compete with a historic season like Howitzer had.
Doug Howlett | WR | Tijuana Luchadores @Rufio_NZ
Season stats: 76 receptions | 1002 yards | 7 TD
After being pre-ordained as Season 24’s Wide Receiver of the Year in the preseason, the expectations for the third year received for Tijuana were as high as ever. Howlett not only met expectations but exceeded them. His 76 catches and 1002 yards were both best in the league, and his 7 receiving touchdowns were good enough for third. Howlett was the only 1000-yard receiver in the DSFL for the second straight year. It was no shock that the Luchadores became a run-first team in season 24 after the departure of Ben Slothlisberger to the ISFL, but that didn’t stop Howlett from turning in a second great season.
Sergio Kitchens | RB | Kansas City Coyotes @WannabeFinn
Season stats: 255 carries | 1098 yards | 8 TD | 19 receptions | 70 receiving yards | 2 Rec TD
Kitchens entered Season 24 with a lot of questions surrounding him. He was very productive in Season 23, but a lot of experts were wondering if he could fill the shoes left open by former teammate Kevin Fakon. Kitchens showed this season that he was more than capable of being a feature back, as he ended the season ranking third in carries, fifth in yards, second in rushing yards, and tied for first in total touchdowns, as he took advantage of his limited opportunities in the passing game.
Korbin Brown | WR | Portland Pythons @YoungTB
Season stats: 75 receptions | 886 yards | 9 TD
For a league that’s been considered a running back’s league, the DSFL turned in some very impressive seasons by wide receivers in Season 24, and Brown’s was right up there with Howlett’s for the top. Brown’s ranked second in receptions, third in yards, and first for receiving touchdowns. In fact, Brown’s nine touchdowns ranked just one off the league lead for total scores. I’ve spoken at length about the great season Portland’s QB Howitzer had this season, but we all know that a QB can only do so much if he has no one to throw to. Howitzer should be asking if he can get a second, smaller MVP trophy to give to Brown, since he’s not winning the award without his favorite target.
Defensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year may have been cut and dry for the top spot, as Schell was in many expert’s discussion for an MVP award. Beyond the Tijuana linebacker, however, it got extremely difficult to cut the list down to four other deserving players. The DSFL has always been a defensive league, and this year proved to be no different.
Pat’s Winner
Adam Schell | LB | Tijuana Luchadores
Season stats: 123 tackles | 5 TFL | 9 sacks | 3 FF | 2 FR | 8 PD
If you need more reasons for why Schell should win the Defensive Player of the Year, take a look at my write-up on him above. Season 24 had a plethora of great performances by defensive players, but Schell was just a notch above the rest of them.
Runners-up
Juan Domine | LB | London Royals @Maglubiyet
Season stats: 93 tackles | 6 TFL | 12 sacks | 7 PD
After being snubbed in Season 23 for DPOTY, Domine came into Season 24 believing he had something to prove before making the jump to the ISFL for the Chicago Butchers (who took him first overall in the S24 Draft). In the spirit of a Scooby-Doo villain, he would have done it, too, if it wasn’t for that meddling Schell. Domine was nothing short of dominant this past year, turning in the league lead in sacks, and leading all linebackers in tackle for loss. London turned in not only the best record in the NFC North this past season, but also had the top defense in the NFCN for every single team defensive category. The Royals brought in a lot of young playmakers and had a lot of veterans step up this year, which is a big reason why we saw Domine’s tackles total take a hit from his S23 numbers, but he didn’t lose any production when it came to his pass rushing numbers. The Butchers have got to be more than ecstatic to see the London product make the step up to the ISFL ranks next season.
Tayshawn Crunk | FS | London Royals @Crunk
Season stats: 50 tackles | 1 TFL | 1 sack | 5 INT | 7 PD | 1 Def TD
Remember how I just said that London had a lot of young players step up this year? Well, very few rookies made a splash quite like Crunk did for the Royals this year. I know it might seem weird to have two straight London players on this list, but you can’t overstate the season Crunk had, especially for a rookie. His five interceptions were tied for most in the league, and he even pitched in a defensive touchdown for the Royals.
Goat Tank | DT | Myrtle Beach Buccaneers @Eldorian
Season stats: 59 tackles | 2 TFL | 7 sacks | 3 FF | 3 FR | 1 Safety
At first pass, Tank’s stats might not jump off the page at you. In a vacuum, it’s not the craziest season, especially when you look at the numbers other defensive linemen produced in Season 24. If you look a little closer, however, you see the dominance of Goat’s season. His 59 tackles and 7 sacks were both the high marks for Defensive Tackles this past season. He turned in more than twice as many sacks this year than the second best DT. A true play maker on the interior for Myrtle Beach this year, Tank is highly expected to be one of the top picks in this years ISFL draft.
Byron Blackwell | CB | Dallas Birddogs @thecanadiancanuck
Season stats: 52 tackles | 5 INT | 15 PD | 2 Def TD
Let’s get something out of the way – from a pure numbers standpoint, Blackwell had probably the best season for a defensive back out of everyone in the DSFL. I honestly would have put him just behind Domine on this list, except I’m not sure if he’s an inactive player or not. Regardless, let’s just talk about the kind of year Blackwell had as a coverage corner. His 5 INT were tied for most in the league. His 15 PD were good enough for third among all players. His 2 defensive touchdowns were tied for most this season.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
As opposed to the defensive side of the ball, we did not have a lot of huge performances from rookies on offense this year in the DSFL. That’s not to say that we didn’t have any, but this was honestly the easiest group to whittle down to five players. Assuming these five all get stashed for another season, I fully expect all of them to be in talks for OPOTY and possibly MVP in season 25.
Pat’s Winner
Bronko Mills | RB | Tijuana Luchadores @PaytonM34
Season stats: 239 carries | 1214 yards | 5.1 YPC | 4 TD | 18 receptions | 103 receiving yards
I know that it’s going to seem that I’m a little biased towards Tijuana players, given how I have a number of them smattered throughout my rankings here, but what can I say? When you end the season with the best record and have stats leaders in a number of categories, it’s hard to leave them out.
Mills was nothing short of a beast this year for the Luchadores. Not only did he lead his team in rushing yards, he led all rookies, and finished third in the league. His 5.1 yards per carry was the second highest rushing average. Expected to be the feature back for Tijuana in Season 25, you should be seeing Mills high on the experts’ preseason picks for awards.
Runners-up
Jameson Vermillion | RB | Minnesota Grey Ducks @Vainknight13
Season stats: 219 carries | 1134 yards | 5.2 YPC | 4 TD | 6 receptions | 45 receiving yards
All season these two were neck and neck in so many ways. Built very similarly, both Vermillion and Mills are bruising backs who prefer to run through defenders instead of around. Vermillion finished just barely behind Mills in terms of overall yards, but had a very slight edge in terms of efficiency. He did all of this with another strong RB on the Grey Ducks stealing his carries.
EDITOR'S NOTE: It has come to my attention that Jameson Vermillion is in fact a speed back. So, he's not a bruising back like Mills. Instead he's a little shifty dude who runs around defenders.
Punter Media apologies for the oversight.
Mike Rotchburns | RB | Minnesota Grey Ducks @SchoolboyShue
Season stats: 217 carries | 1017 yards | 4.7 YPC | 6 TD | 7 receptions | 36 receiving yards | 1 Rec TD
You could make a strong case that Rotchburns was not only the superior Grey Ducks running back this season, but that he also deserves to be Offensive Rookie of the Year. I really don’t think I could make a compelling reason why he’s not either of those things. His seven total touchdowns were the most by any rookies this year, and his 1017 yards were good enough for 9th most in the league.
If Minnesota bring both of these runners back in Season 25, I don’t honestly see any way a defense can stop them from running the ball down their throats.
Clay Stallworth | OL | Kansas City Coyotes @Gravtx
Season stats: 71 pancakes | 2 sacks allowed
What can be said about Stallworth? In a season where not many rookies were slotted behind established vets on the offensive side of the ball, the rookie offensive lineman came in and absolutely dominated. Stallworth not only led all his fellow large men in pancakes, he even set a new single season record. That’s right. We had a record broken this year in the DSFL. Congratulations, Stallworth!
Jackie Daytona | QB | Myrtle Beach Buccaneers @Mooty99
Season stats: 125/255 | 55.6% | 1305 yards | 13 TD | 3 INT | 86.3 Passer Rating
So the volume stats for Daytona really don’t jump off the page at you. Aside from his 13 to 3 TD:INT ratio (which, by the way, at 4.3:1 was the best in the league), nothing really looks all that impressive. Except, it really is impressive when you consider that for the first 10 games Myrtle Beach actually employed a rare Quarterback by Committee strategy, with Daytona sharing snaps with Owen Holloway.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, following the Bucs’ tenth game of the season, Holloway announced that he would formally be switching to wide receiver. The move put the Myrtle Beach offense solely in the hands of the young gunslinger. Daytona showed over the last four games that he was up for the task. The Bucs went 2-2 in their final four, and Daytona threw for 765 yards, 8 TDs, and only 1 INT.
If his strong finish is any indication as to how next season will go, Myrtle Beach may have a star on their hands.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
I’m going to preface this section by stating that Season 24 was the Year of the Rookie on the defensive side of the ball. My short list for DPOTY could easily have been filled entirely with rookies and I’m not sure anyone would have complained. There we so many great performances this year by this class, that after my top five I’ll probably just list a whole crap load of players who had great years.
Pat’s Winner
Tayshawn Crunk | FS | London Royals
Season stats: 50 tackles | 1 TFL | 1 sack | 5 INT | 7 PD | 1 Def TD
Tayshawn Crunk had such a great season at Safety for the Royals that he actually made my short list of candidates for DPOTY. If he was good enough for that list, then it makes sense that he would win Rookie of the Year.
Runners-up
Goat Tank | DT | Myrtle Beach Buccaneers
Season stats: 59 tackles | 2 TFL | 7 sacks | 3 FF | 3 FR | 1 Safety
As detailed above, Goat Tank was an absolute animal on the field in Season 24. I fully expect this man to be a day 1 starter in the ISFL next season.
Richard Leaking | LB | Dallas Birddogs @ReverendOReily
Season stats: 102 tackles | 1 TFL | 9 sacks | 9 PD
Dallas may have had a bit of a disappointing this year as they ended up missing the playoffs, but they had to be very pleased with the play of their young LB, Leaking. His 102 tackles were good for 10th most on the season, and his 9 sacks put him in the top 3 for the statistic. He showed he wasn’t just a pass rusher, too, by chipping in 9 passes defended on the season.
Wasrabi Gleel | LB | Minnesota Grey Ducks @Crodyman
Season stats: 105 tackles | 4 TFL | 5 sacks | 1 INT | 3 PD
A true stat sheet stuffer, Gleel lined up all of the field for the Grey Ducks, and showed he was one of the most versatile young linebackers in the class. He made plays at all levels of the defense, racking up the seventh most tackles in the league, as well as showing off his skills as a pass rusher, where he notched five sacks on the season.
Etrigan T. Slayer | DE | Portland Pythons @Thiath
Season stats: 36 tackles | 20 TFL | 2 sacks
One of the best and most apt names in the league, Slayer made a habit of blowing up opposing offenses’ game plans by getting to the ballcarriers behind the line of scrimmage. His 20 tackles for loss were the most in the entire DSFL this season by a margin of three. With a very deep pool of players at the Defensive End position in this draft, some project Slayer to fall to the middle rounds. I project that whoever ends up with him will end up with one of the steals of the draft.
As I mentioned previously, there were just a crap load of rookies that had awesome seasons this year. I’m expanding this section to show some love for those players. If I missed you, I’m sorry. My hands can only type so much!
Honorable Mentions
Tex Wrecks | DE | Tijuana Luchadores @209tacos
Season stats: 48 tackles | 17 TFL | 2 sacks
Gary Goodman | LB | Kansas City Coyotes @ShnarlyDude
Season stats: 99 tackles | 3 TFL | 1 sack | 3 INT | 8 PD | 1 FF
Guy Fields | LB | Dallas Birddogs @r0tzbua
Season stats: 120 tackles | 1 TFL | 2 PD
Jimi DeSoto | LB | Norfolk SeaWolves @Jimi64
Season stats: 78 tackles | 1 TFL | 2 sacks | 2 INT | 3 PD | 1 Def TD
Peter Patterson | CB | Kansas City Coyotes @slate
Season stats: 64 tackles | 3 INT | 12 PD | 2 FF | 2 FR
Albert Ruschmann | DE | London Royals @katarn22
Season stats: 35 tackles | 15 TFL | 5 sacks | 1 FF
Angelo Cerilli | DT | Portland Pythons @angeloc
Season stats: 34 tackles | 9 TFL | 2 sacks | 1 FF
Final thoughts
Season 24 is almost in the books. For most of us here in the DSFL we’re focusing now on the ISFL Draft and thinking of ways to help our teams improve. This is a bittersweet time for a lot of us, knowing that a lot of the players who helped introduce us to the ISFL will be moving on.
Anyways, thank you for reading! Let me know what I got wrong in the comments below.
FINAL FINAL THOUGHTS
Apologies to my kickers and punters out there who I haven't discussed in either of these articles. You guys are important and are people, too. If I'm being 100% honest, I wasn't totally sure how to really add flavor to picks at those positions, and didn't want to just say, "oh yeah uh this guy didn't miss an extra point this year."
So, from the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry if my special teams buds feel slighted. <3
I wanted to do some sort of meaningful preamble to this section, but really, I couldn’t come up with anything good to write. This year we had a lot of great individual performances in the DSFL, but only three that I would consider, “MVP-worthy.”
The previous four MVP winners were all quarterbacks, and Season 24 proved to be no different.
Pat’s Winner
Sam Howitzer | QB | Portland Pythons @Trautner
Season stats: 270/434 | 62.2% | 2559 yards | 21 TD | 6 INT
At the beginning of Season 24, a lot of experts out there wondered what the future would hold for the Portland QB. Would he have to languish in the DSFL while Yellowknife had their young star Colby Jack leading the team? Would he make a step forward from his mediocre year in S23 when he threw for 10 TD and 9 INT?
Well, both of those questions were answered emphatically by Howitzer this season, as he had a breakout season in his second year, throwing for an otherworldly 21 TD to 6 INT. He was one score away from tying Franklin Armstrong’s single season record of 22 passing scores. To put it into perspective, the DSFL hasn’t had a QB throw 20 or more touchdowns in a single season since Arizona Outlaws legend, Jay Cue, did it for Portland back in season 19.
Howitzer also apparently caught the eye of GM’s this season as the expansion New York Silverbacks decided to pull the trigger on a blockbuster move to bring Howitzer to the Big Apple. It is assumed that the Portland product has played his last season in the DSFL, and he chose quite the way to cap his career.
Runners-up
Zoe Watts | RB | Dallas Birddogs @Kyamprac
Season stats: 264 carries | 1303 yards | 4.9 YPC | 10 TD
It is said that there are three guarantees in life: death, taxes, and Zoe Watts having a 100 yard game. The Dallas running back was a trendy pick in the preseason to make a clean sweep across all of the major offensive awards in Season 24, and she did not disappoint. How well did Watts do this year running the ball? Well, she led the league in yards and touchdowns, all the while being the face of efficiency, ending the season with the fourth highest yards per carry (minimum 100 carries). You can’t overstate the importance of Watts to the Birddogs’ offense this season, further illustrated by the fact that the Birddogs scored only 23 offensive scores, with Watts accounting for almost half.
Another player that is expected to make the jump to the ISFL this season, Watts is walking away as a bit of a living legend in Dallas. I know she will be disappointed to not win the MVP, but she has nothing left to prove at the DSFL level.
Adam Schell | LB | Tijuana Luchadores @Cincyfan96
Season stats: 123 tackles | 5 TFL | 9 sacks | 3 FF | 2 FR | 8 PD
Let’s get something out of the way: if you don’t think Schell deserves to be in discussion for an MVP after his performance in Season 24, then you weren’t paying attention. Schell was the leader on and off the field for the Tijuana Luchadores’ defense this season, en route to a league-best record of 10-4. The Tijuana linebacker led the DSFL in tackles this season, was second for all linebackers in tackles for loss and sacks, and his three force fumbles were good enough for second in the league.
It’s hard to argue against Tijuana not only being the best team in the DSFL this past season, but also fielding one of the scariest defenses. The Luchadores’ defense was known for being full of playmakers this season, making it even more impressive that Schell’s 123 tackles were 47 more (!) than any other Tijuana defensive player.
Offensive Player of the Year
Offense this year was a bit of an old man’s game, as a large portion of the incoming rookies were on the defensive side of the ball. Many of the players on my short list everyone in the league is familiar with and has been on similar lists before.
Pat’s Winner
Sam Howitzer | QB | Portland Pythons
Season stats: 270/434 | 62.2% | 2559 yards | 21 TD | 6 INT
If you want justification for Howitzer winning Offensive Player of the Year, just go read his write-up in the MVP discussion. Not only did Howitzer turn in the best offensive performance this season, but arguably the best season by a QB in the last five seasons.
Runners-up
Zoe Watts | RB | Dallas Birddogs
Season stats: 264 carries | 1303 yards | 4.9 YPC | 10 TD
Apologies to Zoe here. Any other year and she’s a shoo-in for Offensive Player of the Year, and you can read why in her spot in the MVP discussion. She just couldn’t compete with a historic season like Howitzer had.
Doug Howlett | WR | Tijuana Luchadores @Rufio_NZ
Season stats: 76 receptions | 1002 yards | 7 TD
After being pre-ordained as Season 24’s Wide Receiver of the Year in the preseason, the expectations for the third year received for Tijuana were as high as ever. Howlett not only met expectations but exceeded them. His 76 catches and 1002 yards were both best in the league, and his 7 receiving touchdowns were good enough for third. Howlett was the only 1000-yard receiver in the DSFL for the second straight year. It was no shock that the Luchadores became a run-first team in season 24 after the departure of Ben Slothlisberger to the ISFL, but that didn’t stop Howlett from turning in a second great season.
Sergio Kitchens | RB | Kansas City Coyotes @WannabeFinn
Season stats: 255 carries | 1098 yards | 8 TD | 19 receptions | 70 receiving yards | 2 Rec TD
Kitchens entered Season 24 with a lot of questions surrounding him. He was very productive in Season 23, but a lot of experts were wondering if he could fill the shoes left open by former teammate Kevin Fakon. Kitchens showed this season that he was more than capable of being a feature back, as he ended the season ranking third in carries, fifth in yards, second in rushing yards, and tied for first in total touchdowns, as he took advantage of his limited opportunities in the passing game.
Korbin Brown | WR | Portland Pythons @YoungTB
Season stats: 75 receptions | 886 yards | 9 TD
For a league that’s been considered a running back’s league, the DSFL turned in some very impressive seasons by wide receivers in Season 24, and Brown’s was right up there with Howlett’s for the top. Brown’s ranked second in receptions, third in yards, and first for receiving touchdowns. In fact, Brown’s nine touchdowns ranked just one off the league lead for total scores. I’ve spoken at length about the great season Portland’s QB Howitzer had this season, but we all know that a QB can only do so much if he has no one to throw to. Howitzer should be asking if he can get a second, smaller MVP trophy to give to Brown, since he’s not winning the award without his favorite target.
Defensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year may have been cut and dry for the top spot, as Schell was in many expert’s discussion for an MVP award. Beyond the Tijuana linebacker, however, it got extremely difficult to cut the list down to four other deserving players. The DSFL has always been a defensive league, and this year proved to be no different.
Pat’s Winner
Adam Schell | LB | Tijuana Luchadores
Season stats: 123 tackles | 5 TFL | 9 sacks | 3 FF | 2 FR | 8 PD
If you need more reasons for why Schell should win the Defensive Player of the Year, take a look at my write-up on him above. Season 24 had a plethora of great performances by defensive players, but Schell was just a notch above the rest of them.
Runners-up
Juan Domine | LB | London Royals @Maglubiyet
Season stats: 93 tackles | 6 TFL | 12 sacks | 7 PD
After being snubbed in Season 23 for DPOTY, Domine came into Season 24 believing he had something to prove before making the jump to the ISFL for the Chicago Butchers (who took him first overall in the S24 Draft). In the spirit of a Scooby-Doo villain, he would have done it, too, if it wasn’t for that meddling Schell. Domine was nothing short of dominant this past year, turning in the league lead in sacks, and leading all linebackers in tackle for loss. London turned in not only the best record in the NFC North this past season, but also had the top defense in the NFCN for every single team defensive category. The Royals brought in a lot of young playmakers and had a lot of veterans step up this year, which is a big reason why we saw Domine’s tackles total take a hit from his S23 numbers, but he didn’t lose any production when it came to his pass rushing numbers. The Butchers have got to be more than ecstatic to see the London product make the step up to the ISFL ranks next season.
Tayshawn Crunk | FS | London Royals @Crunk
Season stats: 50 tackles | 1 TFL | 1 sack | 5 INT | 7 PD | 1 Def TD
Remember how I just said that London had a lot of young players step up this year? Well, very few rookies made a splash quite like Crunk did for the Royals this year. I know it might seem weird to have two straight London players on this list, but you can’t overstate the season Crunk had, especially for a rookie. His five interceptions were tied for most in the league, and he even pitched in a defensive touchdown for the Royals.
Goat Tank | DT | Myrtle Beach Buccaneers @Eldorian
Season stats: 59 tackles | 2 TFL | 7 sacks | 3 FF | 3 FR | 1 Safety
At first pass, Tank’s stats might not jump off the page at you. In a vacuum, it’s not the craziest season, especially when you look at the numbers other defensive linemen produced in Season 24. If you look a little closer, however, you see the dominance of Goat’s season. His 59 tackles and 7 sacks were both the high marks for Defensive Tackles this past season. He turned in more than twice as many sacks this year than the second best DT. A true play maker on the interior for Myrtle Beach this year, Tank is highly expected to be one of the top picks in this years ISFL draft.
Byron Blackwell | CB | Dallas Birddogs @thecanadiancanuck
Season stats: 52 tackles | 5 INT | 15 PD | 2 Def TD
Let’s get something out of the way – from a pure numbers standpoint, Blackwell had probably the best season for a defensive back out of everyone in the DSFL. I honestly would have put him just behind Domine on this list, except I’m not sure if he’s an inactive player or not. Regardless, let’s just talk about the kind of year Blackwell had as a coverage corner. His 5 INT were tied for most in the league. His 15 PD were good enough for third among all players. His 2 defensive touchdowns were tied for most this season.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
As opposed to the defensive side of the ball, we did not have a lot of huge performances from rookies on offense this year in the DSFL. That’s not to say that we didn’t have any, but this was honestly the easiest group to whittle down to five players. Assuming these five all get stashed for another season, I fully expect all of them to be in talks for OPOTY and possibly MVP in season 25.
Pat’s Winner
Bronko Mills | RB | Tijuana Luchadores @PaytonM34
Season stats: 239 carries | 1214 yards | 5.1 YPC | 4 TD | 18 receptions | 103 receiving yards
I know that it’s going to seem that I’m a little biased towards Tijuana players, given how I have a number of them smattered throughout my rankings here, but what can I say? When you end the season with the best record and have stats leaders in a number of categories, it’s hard to leave them out.
Mills was nothing short of a beast this year for the Luchadores. Not only did he lead his team in rushing yards, he led all rookies, and finished third in the league. His 5.1 yards per carry was the second highest rushing average. Expected to be the feature back for Tijuana in Season 25, you should be seeing Mills high on the experts’ preseason picks for awards.
Runners-up
Jameson Vermillion | RB | Minnesota Grey Ducks @Vainknight13
Season stats: 219 carries | 1134 yards | 5.2 YPC | 4 TD | 6 receptions | 45 receiving yards
All season these two were neck and neck in so many ways. Built very similarly, both Vermillion and Mills are bruising backs who prefer to run through defenders instead of around. Vermillion finished just barely behind Mills in terms of overall yards, but had a very slight edge in terms of efficiency. He did all of this with another strong RB on the Grey Ducks stealing his carries.
EDITOR'S NOTE: It has come to my attention that Jameson Vermillion is in fact a speed back. So, he's not a bruising back like Mills. Instead he's a little shifty dude who runs around defenders.
Punter Media apologies for the oversight.
Mike Rotchburns | RB | Minnesota Grey Ducks @SchoolboyShue
Season stats: 217 carries | 1017 yards | 4.7 YPC | 6 TD | 7 receptions | 36 receiving yards | 1 Rec TD
You could make a strong case that Rotchburns was not only the superior Grey Ducks running back this season, but that he also deserves to be Offensive Rookie of the Year. I really don’t think I could make a compelling reason why he’s not either of those things. His seven total touchdowns were the most by any rookies this year, and his 1017 yards were good enough for 9th most in the league.
If Minnesota bring both of these runners back in Season 25, I don’t honestly see any way a defense can stop them from running the ball down their throats.
Clay Stallworth | OL | Kansas City Coyotes @Gravtx
Season stats: 71 pancakes | 2 sacks allowed
What can be said about Stallworth? In a season where not many rookies were slotted behind established vets on the offensive side of the ball, the rookie offensive lineman came in and absolutely dominated. Stallworth not only led all his fellow large men in pancakes, he even set a new single season record. That’s right. We had a record broken this year in the DSFL. Congratulations, Stallworth!
Jackie Daytona | QB | Myrtle Beach Buccaneers @Mooty99
Season stats: 125/255 | 55.6% | 1305 yards | 13 TD | 3 INT | 86.3 Passer Rating
So the volume stats for Daytona really don’t jump off the page at you. Aside from his 13 to 3 TD:INT ratio (which, by the way, at 4.3:1 was the best in the league), nothing really looks all that impressive. Except, it really is impressive when you consider that for the first 10 games Myrtle Beach actually employed a rare Quarterback by Committee strategy, with Daytona sharing snaps with Owen Holloway.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, following the Bucs’ tenth game of the season, Holloway announced that he would formally be switching to wide receiver. The move put the Myrtle Beach offense solely in the hands of the young gunslinger. Daytona showed over the last four games that he was up for the task. The Bucs went 2-2 in their final four, and Daytona threw for 765 yards, 8 TDs, and only 1 INT.
If his strong finish is any indication as to how next season will go, Myrtle Beach may have a star on their hands.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
I’m going to preface this section by stating that Season 24 was the Year of the Rookie on the defensive side of the ball. My short list for DPOTY could easily have been filled entirely with rookies and I’m not sure anyone would have complained. There we so many great performances this year by this class, that after my top five I’ll probably just list a whole crap load of players who had great years.
Pat’s Winner
Tayshawn Crunk | FS | London Royals
Season stats: 50 tackles | 1 TFL | 1 sack | 5 INT | 7 PD | 1 Def TD
Tayshawn Crunk had such a great season at Safety for the Royals that he actually made my short list of candidates for DPOTY. If he was good enough for that list, then it makes sense that he would win Rookie of the Year.
Runners-up
Goat Tank | DT | Myrtle Beach Buccaneers
Season stats: 59 tackles | 2 TFL | 7 sacks | 3 FF | 3 FR | 1 Safety
As detailed above, Goat Tank was an absolute animal on the field in Season 24. I fully expect this man to be a day 1 starter in the ISFL next season.
Richard Leaking | LB | Dallas Birddogs @ReverendOReily
Season stats: 102 tackles | 1 TFL | 9 sacks | 9 PD
Dallas may have had a bit of a disappointing this year as they ended up missing the playoffs, but they had to be very pleased with the play of their young LB, Leaking. His 102 tackles were good for 10th most on the season, and his 9 sacks put him in the top 3 for the statistic. He showed he wasn’t just a pass rusher, too, by chipping in 9 passes defended on the season.
Wasrabi Gleel | LB | Minnesota Grey Ducks @Crodyman
Season stats: 105 tackles | 4 TFL | 5 sacks | 1 INT | 3 PD
A true stat sheet stuffer, Gleel lined up all of the field for the Grey Ducks, and showed he was one of the most versatile young linebackers in the class. He made plays at all levels of the defense, racking up the seventh most tackles in the league, as well as showing off his skills as a pass rusher, where he notched five sacks on the season.
Etrigan T. Slayer | DE | Portland Pythons @Thiath
Season stats: 36 tackles | 20 TFL | 2 sacks
One of the best and most apt names in the league, Slayer made a habit of blowing up opposing offenses’ game plans by getting to the ballcarriers behind the line of scrimmage. His 20 tackles for loss were the most in the entire DSFL this season by a margin of three. With a very deep pool of players at the Defensive End position in this draft, some project Slayer to fall to the middle rounds. I project that whoever ends up with him will end up with one of the steals of the draft.
As I mentioned previously, there were just a crap load of rookies that had awesome seasons this year. I’m expanding this section to show some love for those players. If I missed you, I’m sorry. My hands can only type so much!
Honorable Mentions
Tex Wrecks | DE | Tijuana Luchadores @209tacos
Season stats: 48 tackles | 17 TFL | 2 sacks
Gary Goodman | LB | Kansas City Coyotes @ShnarlyDude
Season stats: 99 tackles | 3 TFL | 1 sack | 3 INT | 8 PD | 1 FF
Guy Fields | LB | Dallas Birddogs @r0tzbua
Season stats: 120 tackles | 1 TFL | 2 PD
Jimi DeSoto | LB | Norfolk SeaWolves @Jimi64
Season stats: 78 tackles | 1 TFL | 2 sacks | 2 INT | 3 PD | 1 Def TD
Peter Patterson | CB | Kansas City Coyotes @slate
Season stats: 64 tackles | 3 INT | 12 PD | 2 FF | 2 FR
Albert Ruschmann | DE | London Royals @katarn22
Season stats: 35 tackles | 15 TFL | 5 sacks | 1 FF
Angelo Cerilli | DT | Portland Pythons @angeloc
Season stats: 34 tackles | 9 TFL | 2 sacks | 1 FF
Final thoughts
Season 24 is almost in the books. For most of us here in the DSFL we’re focusing now on the ISFL Draft and thinking of ways to help our teams improve. This is a bittersweet time for a lot of us, knowing that a lot of the players who helped introduce us to the ISFL will be moving on.
Anyways, thank you for reading! Let me know what I got wrong in the comments below.
FINAL FINAL THOUGHTS
Apologies to my kickers and punters out there who I haven't discussed in either of these articles. You guys are important and are people, too. If I'm being 100% honest, I wasn't totally sure how to really add flavor to picks at those positions, and didn't want to just say, "oh yeah uh this guy didn't miss an extra point this year."
So, from the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry if my special teams buds feel slighted. <3
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