Lots of news!

I was hoping Kruger might solve some of the quarterbacking issues for the Knights but they seemed to get worse. How'd he look?

Excited for the expansion teams and the new UFL!

NeoPrankster wrote:

At what point does cable or satellite TV become available in Escalia?

Is football played at the collegiate level or is there a developmental league in Escalia?

I'm looking forward to the UFL team brands.

Cable TV and Satellite TV come out in Escalia around the same time it becomes widespread in the US, so around the 70's and 80's. I don;t know exactly, since the TV seen isn't something I'll really focus on here except with TV deals with the league.

Escalia does have a college system, which is one of the reasons football gained popularity before the founding of the EFL. 

Steelman wrote:

Lots of news!

I was hoping Kruger might solve some of the quarterbacking issues for the Knights but they seemed to get worse. How'd he look?

Excited for the expansion teams and the new UFL!

Kruger sat behind the newly promoted starter Kieran Cody at the beginning of the season but Cody did not looked great in his promotion and was benched after starting 0-5 on the season. Kruger took over in week 6, and ended up winning his first game over the Bulls, but that was the only win of the season and went 1-6 as a starter, but does look slightly better than Cody. His main reason for his lack of success comes from an inexperienced offensive line, as many of the starters who started under Dane and Acker are gone, so he's experiencing a lot more pressure from the opposing D-Lines than normal.


Anyway, here's the 1970 playoffs!

Norfolk Lumberjacks @ Duvall Dragons

One week after Duvall soundly defeated the Lumberjacks 37-16 at home, they meet again at the same field for Duvall to retake supremacy of the South and for Norfolk to take revenge on the team that has taunted them all year. The ‘Jacks started out first with the ball, and QB Nathan Slezak sliced and diced through the Dragons’ defense to get a 6 yard dime to WR Lucas Baumbach in the endzone for 6. The Dragons were uncharacteristically lacking all quarter, as MVP QB Harold Bauer was sacked twice this quarter by the vengeful Norfolk D-Line. They did get past midfield and into field goal range though, but a missed field goal by K Jem Wyatt held them to 0 for the quarter. Meanwhile, the Lumberjacks kept on moving, as RB Bruno Fontaine broke loose on a 51 yard rush to extend Norfolk’s lead by 14 to end the first quarter.
END OF Q1: 14-0 NOR
The second quarter saw the Duvall defense at least keep up with the Norfolk offense, but the offense still continued to struggle. On two consecutive drives for the Dragons, they punted away the ball from the 50 and had a 49 yard field goal sail wide left by Wyatt. Norfolk’s offensive production slowed slightly, making it to the endzone on their second attempt of the quarter and were held to 3 on a goal-line stand by the Duvall defense. Even with the stop, the Dragons still were held to 0 in the half, the first time they had ever been held scoreless in a half since 1960. The Lumberjacks still had some time before the end of the half, and drove into field goal range to kick another one to end the half going up 20.
END OF Q2: 20-0 NOR
Duvall finally got itself going after an incredibly slow start, with Bauer methodically leading his team down the field into the redzone for the first time, finally getting points on the board on a 2 yard rush by RB Carson Adams. Unfortunately for the Lumberjacks, this drive took nearly half the quarter thanks to stalling by the defense, so they had little time to retaliate. They punted the ball away on their first drive, to which the Dragons did the exact same thing and punted it back to Norfolk. The ‘Jacks did end up putting points on the board for the quarter, being only three as the Dragons D held them to 3 after preventing the offense from getting into the redzone.
END OF Q3: 23-7 NOR
The Dragons’ first drive of the quarter got off to an incredibly quick start, as Bauer threw one deep to WR Alvin Paul for 67 yards before being stopped short of the endzone by Norfolk S Tom Nifterick. Their momentum didn’t last long on that drive, as they went three and out and settled for 3 to cut the lead to 13. A punt by Norfolk put the ball back in the hands of the Dragons’ offense, who made quick work of the situation. Bauer threw another long ball up for Paul, who this time maneuvered his way past the Norfolk secondary on his way to the endzone for 53 yards. Things were looking bleak for the Lumberjacks, who were at risk of blowing away their chances of getting to the Cup with the momentum switching in Duvall’s favor. With 4 minutes left and only being up by 6, they had to score to keep the Dragons from winning. Slezak didn’t fold under pressure, as he led his team on a 3 minute drive capped off with a 1 yard QB sneak by him to put the game out of reach for the regular season champs. Duvall only got to the 30 before time ran out, and Lumberjacks stormed the field to celebrate going back to the Cup for another shot at winning
FINAL: 30-17 NOR



Ellesby Mariners @ Ashonta Miners 

Brown County Stadium was even more full than last year’s playoff game between these two teams, with droves of fans wearing brown and gold cheering on their new hometown heroes in the Miners. The Mariners started out with the ball, but didn’t do much with it and punted it to the Miners. Ellesby’s defense kept the potent Ashontan offense out of the endzone, but didn’t prevent them from points on the board, as they nailed a 35 yard FG to take a 3-0 lead in the middle of the first. Neither team could advance far past midfield after that field goal, as both teams didn’t score for the rest of the quarter.
END OF Q1: 3-0 ASH
While the first quarter was a relative snoozefest, the second quarter saw some action. The Mariners got some good field position thanks to a great return by WR Dan Hersch, and QB Matt Kollen threw a quick slank to Hersch on third down, where Hersch would dart through the Miners secondary to score a 45 yard TD.  Ashonta came back with a drive of their own, with Offensive Player of the Year QB Daniel Baumann found his favorite target in WR Jordan Samson after a long drive for 10 yards to take a 3 point lead. The lead didn’t stay at three for long, as Kollen and the Mariners would get downfield before the end of the half, and RB Wendell Ellis would plunge in from 2 yards out to retake a 14-10 lead going into the second half.
END OF Q2: 14-10 ELB
The beginning of the third quarter was the exact opposite of the 2nd quarter, meaning it was slow and neither team wanted to get into the endzone. Both teams gave up the ball turnovers this quarter, with Ashonta giving up the ball in the redzone on their first drive of the half on a RB Leonard Arts fumble, which gave Ellesby the means to score a field goal to extend their lead by 7, and Ellesby on their second drive threw the ball away to Ashonta DB Peter Tobias for an interception, putting the Miners in good field position to begin the fourth quarter. 
END OF Q3: 17-10 ELB
Arts managed to redeem himself after his fumble early in the 3rd, as on 3rd and 7, he sprinted straight to the left and 40 yards past Ellesby’s defense and right into the endzone to tie the game at 17. The rest of the quarter was an absolute slogfest; no team wanted to give up an inch to the other. Sloppy play went back into effect, as both teams took turns either punting the ball away or throwing an interception into the secondary. It became a game more about who would have the ball last rather than who could score first. Luckily for Ashonta, it was their turn to get the ball after Kollen’s third INT of the game with 50 seconds left. Baumann put on his best two-minute drill and on second down and 13, he threw one up for Samson, who was up against star DB Raleigh Gibson, and the WR managed to keep the ball away from Gibson and haul it in for a catch for 30 yards and put the Miners at the edge of field goal range. With on more rush by Arts, the Miners left it all up to their kicker, Melvin Leach, to win the game. On the 48 yard attempt, Leach had a good snap, and he kicked the ball just enough for it to go over the crossbar and enough to send the Miners back to win their second straight Cup against the Lumberjacks.
FINAL: 20-17 ASH 



11th Escalian Cup Preview: Norfolk Lumberjacks @ Ashonta Miners 

And we’re back for round 2 with these two teams. Norfolk looks to be on their way to redeeming themselves from their past mistakes and look to be one of the best teams in the league, both offensively and defensively. On the other hand, Ashonta is looking hot, and the ever-prevelent Ellesby defense hasn’t stopped them much all year, and they sailed right past the ‘Jacks last year on their way to their first Cup. This looks to be anyone’s game, and another good one at that.
Escalian Sports Magazine Prediction: Norfolk’s defense looks significantly better than last year, and that’ll be more than enough to upset the Miners and win their second in a low-scoring affair. 17-13 NOR 

Solid meh on Norfolk, congrats I guess. (uncaring Knights fan here...haha)

Looking forward to the new teams!

1970-71 Offseason Part 1: Expansion Teams + UFL Team Locations + Other Bits

(Just as a note, I'll be switching up the presenting style a bit, so let me know if you like the new style, as well as the preview of the new uniform template for the rest of the 12 teams)

​1971 EFL Expansion Class: 
The Owners Council welcomed 2 new teams this year, the Fort McLeod Generals, who will be joining the South Division, and the Pattalia Grizzlies, who will be joining the North Division.

Fort McLeod Generals

About the City:
Fort McLeod (mc-loud) is the prominent military city in Escalia, home to the city’s namesake Fort McCleod and the Escalian Military Academy, with multiple defensive contractors moving to the suburbs to set up bases of operations, which has caused the city to boom in population in recent years, moving up to just outside the top 10 most populous cities in the country at #12. Owner Dan Belmonte has been raised in the city since his youth, and proudly served his time in the Escalian military and is extremely popular in the province of Cormarca, briefly serving as mayor during the 50’s, and helped begin the boom the city is experiencing. The team will play in Veterans Stadium, which was financed during the 60’s in hopes of bringing a team here.

About the Team:
Instead of going for a nickname inspired by the population boom of Fort McLeod, Belmonte went for a nickname that represented the origins of the city, settling on the Generals over other names like the Defenders, Guardians, or Rockets. The team settled on a green and gold color scheme, with a unique striping pattern seen nowhere else in the league. Their logo features a G surrounded by 8 stars in a circle, with the secondary logo removing the circle and just having the G and the stars.




Pattalia Grizzlies

About the City:
Nestled between the Wyomite Mountains and Lake Tallokope, Pattalia (pat-tall-ia) is a nature lover’s paradise. Tourism is one of the city’s major industries along with some minor mining and trade to supplement. The money gained from the tourism sector has flowed back to the city, which has built more and more to draw tourists to the natural wonders around the city, including the new Fountain Plaza, which was named as one of the country's great new architectural wonders, which will also house the team’s stadium, Omdahl’s Plaza Stadium. Stadium namesake and owner Roddy Omdahl is the founder of the country’s largest outdoors store, Omdahl’s, and has profited immensely off the city’s blossoming tourism industry, which makes the stadium the first licensed stadium in the league.

About the Team:
Focusing on the nature aspect of the city, Omdahl chose the Grizzlies as the team’s nickname, narrowly beating out the runner-up suggestion of the Pumas. Omdahl decided on cloning his store’s main colors of purple and silver to the Grizzlies, saying that this scheme looks like a team “made in the mountains.” Their primary logo is a grizzly bear’s paw with some extra details to make it look like a P, with a secondary logo having just the paw. 




1971 Entry Draft: 
1st - Fort McLeod: RB Ben Blakesly (Toukier-Hadley)
2nd - Pattalia: QB Eric Sanchez (Montagrada University)
3rd - Kierport: OL Thomas Newton (Tallokope Provincial)
4th - Tallokope City: DL Martin McReynolds (Taerrisia Provincial)
5th - Augusta: QB Rick “Rocky” Martins (Tallokope Provincial)
6th - Homestead: DL Joshua Roderick (Kier University)
7th - Hadley: LB Theo Niklasson (Toukier Provincial)
8th - Adelaide: OL Isaac Addison (Howle College)
9th - Orcaster: WR Don Derrickson (Triplet Lakes University)
10th - Saint Blaise: OL Anderson Graf (Toukier Provincial)
11th -  Ellesby: OL Michael Lane (University of Pattal)
12th - Duvall: RB Conor DuBois (Tallokope Provincial)
13th - Ashonta: OL Giles Albert (Cormarca University)
14th - Norfolk: DB Titus Scheer (Great Plains Provincial)

Retirements: 
Carson Adams (RB DUV 1960-1970): Adams has been a crucial part of the Dragons offense since they burst out onto the scene in the 1965 season, helping QB Harold Bauer to 2 Cup wins and 4 appearances. With 10 years in the league, he finishes 4th all-time in rushing yards with 7,068 yards and third all-time in rushing TD’s with 69.  

Lucas Baumbach (WR NOR 1960-1970): A favorite target of Norfolk QB’s, Baumbach has been one of the premier WR’s in a league that focused primarily on the running game during its early years. He trails behind Andrew Padmore and Abram Radcliff and finishes his career with the 3rd most receiving yards with 7,563. 

Wendell Ellis (RB ELB 1958-1970): Ellis leaves behind a great career in Ellesby, even though he has consistently fallen short of a Cup, he carried a struggling Mariners team through the early part of the 60’s and continued to be a workhorse for them when they went to 5 straight North Division Finals and made the Cup once in 1967. His workload puts him 5th all time in total rushing yards with 6,974 yards. 

Reiner Penders: (DL ADL 1962-1970): A late bloomer to the early 60’s Owls defense, he held strong becoming one of the league’s best linemen, earning him a spot on the All-Decade Team. Unfortunately, a multitude of injuries added up over the years, and forced Penders to retire earlier than he wanted to. Moe Spencer (DB NOR 1960-1970): Being with the team since the beginning, Spencer has shut down pretty much anyone who is unlucky to line up against him, and was nearly picked as part of the 1960’s All-Decade Team, but was snubbed in favor of STB DB Paul Jenson, who had put up more statistics than Spencer up to that point. He helped Norfolk revitalize its defense to one of the best in the league, and will pass the torch to his teammates to continue their dominance.  

Coaching Carousel: 
The only coaching change this offseason was with Tallokope City, who pretty much fired HC Dirk Huffman and OC Luke Linwood on the Monday after the Escalian Cup, called “Black Monday” by owner Jefferey Everhart, in order to create a winning team, as the Anchors have not had a winning season in their short time as a team in the league. Duvall OC Laurence Dale was hired as the new head coach, with Ashonta QB Coach Earl Wood hired to OC. 

Other League News: 
After the winter meetings concluded, current commissioner Jack Merrill announced that he would be stepping down after the 1972 season after this round of expansion concludes. He has named a few potential successors, including Hadley GM Jeff Kiefer and Duvall GM Barrett Cullen, but will announce his successor when he retires. Merrill, 79, is also stepping down as owner of the Gatekeepers effective immediately, leaving his son Charlie as the new owner.  

In fear of star players potentially defecting to the UFL, former league lawyer Werner Horton was picked by the Owners Council to head a players union to keep players happy in the EFL. The Escalian Football Players Union (EFPU) is set to sign contracts with several star players to keep them in the league and prevent the UFL from getting off the ground with any major defectors, or “traitors” as Kierport owner Earl Tozer called them. 

The Hall of Fame construction has been going as per the schedule, and the league is set to unveil the first class in the next offseason. Eligibility for the Hall was also revealed, as any potential inductee has to have been out of the league for at least 4 years, and that it would be open to any player or executive in the league. New inductees will be introduced every other year, with the first class containing “about 6 to 8 faces” in the words of Merrill.  

UFL Unveils Team Locations: 
Buried underneath the rest of the league news was the UFL, being laughed at by EFL owners as a legitimate league, which revealed the locations of the teams set to take place in its inaugural season in 1972. The six chosen cities were: 

Arcanfall, Verbena
Colnica, Pascoa
Decontro City, Decontro
Great Horn, Ekwatora
Minola, Pascoa
Montagrada, Decontro 

(Map for UFL team locations)

The identities of these 6 new teams will be revealed next year, shortly after this year’s Escalian Cup concludes. 

C&C Appreciated! Part 2 with all the other uniform updates will be up soon!

1970-71 Offseason Part 2: North Division Updates

With Zephyr Athletics unveiling their new uniforms for the EFL, many praised them for being ahead of their time, introducing a multi-bar facemask, shorter sleeves, and options for teams to use white cleats and differently colored facemasks. Many teams made changes with these new opportunities

The defending runner-ups in Ashonta made some minor changes, including changing their helmet color for white to brown and adjusting their sleeve stripes to include more white in their design. Previous uniform is here.




Ellesby's uniforms stayed relatively intact, just changing their cleat color to white. Previous uniform is here.




Hadley makes a minor change to their home uniform, changing the home stripe to be Blue/White in stead of the double blue. Previous uniform is here (minus the 10th Season patch).



Kierport's only change was to change their home pants to white instead of gold to be more align with their "classic" uniforms of the early 60's. Previous uniforms are here.


Orcaster removes the black pants for the away jersey, and changes the number colors on the away from red to black. Rumors are circulating that a new, modern jersey design is currently in the works, so minimal changes were made to align more with the fan-favorite black jersey. Previous uniforms are here.


And finally for the North, Saint Blaise changes their facemask color from gray to white, and well as introducing white cleats to their set. Previous uniforms are here.


Part 3 will be up soon as well. C&C Appreciated!