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3/18/2021 3:33 pm  #231


Re: Escalian Football League

1972 Playoffs: Second Round 

Wrauport Pirates @ Norfolk Lumberjacks 
No one expected the Pirates to escape out of Ashonta alive, and now that they barely took that goliath they now need to face another in the Lumberjacks. Their luck began to run out right at the start, as on their first 3 drives they went 3 and out all each of them. Norfolk’s gears were fairly rusty for being the top seed in the league, and they fared equally as the Pirates, and failed to get past the 50 on their first few drives of the quarter. The ‘Jacks got some momentum going later into the quarter, spurred by a 34 yard run by RB Bruno Fontaine. Their momentum didn’t last for long though, as their drive quickly stalled out and had to be bailed out by K Isaac Brandt to take a 3-0 lead. Both teams went back to doing almost nothing for the remainder of the quarter.
END OF Q1: 3-0 NOR
Whatever lack of interest people had for the first quarter, people suddenly gained interest after WRA QB Kerry Knight threw a dime right to WR Ian Bourdillion for 79 yards before Bourdillion tripped right at the 3 yard line to not score a touchdown. The Pirates would end up scoring a few plays later when RB James Radcliff punched it in to take a 7-3 lead. Norfolk got right back to their regular season form after that drive, as MVP Nathan Slezak capped off a stellar drive by tossing a short 5 yard pass to TE Riley Ott to retake the lead. After these two drives, both teams almost stalled out, but both tacked on field goals to keep the difference at 3 by the end of the half.
END OF Q2: 13-10 NOR
Norfolk came out of the second half swinging, with Slezak landing another dime into the arms of WR Al Hartman, who took the ball another 30 yards to increase their lead to 10. The Pirates could not find an answer for the Lumberjacks defense in the second half, as NOR DC Vincent Rutton made the proper adjustments to halt the fiery Wrauport offense in its tracks. Because of this, they failed to get into any sort of scoring range throughout the quarter, with some semi-successful drives peppered with three-and-outs and other punts. Norfolk on the other hand, was slightly more successful on offense, stalling out for a bit during the middle of the 3rd, but did find enough footing for Brandt to nail another 3 on the board to go up by 13.
END OF Q3: 23-10 NOR

With a solid lead in front of them, all the Lumberjacks had to do was put it in cruise and hold the stalling Pirates offense. Things got scary for them at the beginning of the quarter, when their D let Radcliff right through the center of the field for a 56 yard gain, but was wrapped up at the 10 by rookie DB Titus Sheer. With that scare over, the Lumberjacks once again held Wrauport from getting into the endzone as the Pirates settled for 3 to cut the lead back down to 10. Slezak wasn’t content with only being up by 10 with half the quarter remaining, so he led another drive to put the game away, ending with RB Bruno Fontaine smashing his way in from 3 yards out to seal the game for the ‘Jacks. Wrauport could not get back on their feet for the remainder of the quarter, ending their Cinderella run to the Escalian Cup. Instead, Norfolk makes it back for their chance to become the first team to win 3 Cups.
FINAL: 30-13 NOR 



Duvall Dragons @ Ellesby Mariners 
Seashore Park was even more crowded than in recent playoff games, even though the temperature was nearly below freezing with strong winds blowing in from the ocean. The Mariners were somewhat used to this type of weather, but they struggled all throughout the first. The Dragons’ defense halted the Mariners offense’s production all through the first, coupled with multiple turnovers by QB Matt Kollen and RB Freeman Lockwood. Duvall didn’t prepare enough for the Ellesby defense, as their offense was stifled by the #2 defense in the league. Their offense was good enough to get into scoring range, but either stalled out or were stopped by the Mariners, and settled for field goals on both occasions to end the quarter up by 6.
END OF Q1: 6-0 DUV
After spending nearly all the first quarter in hibernation, the Mariners offense finally decided to show up. Kollen found his rhythm that he had in the regular season, and hit WR Dan Hersch for 20 yards to score the first TD of the game and to take the lead. Duvall sputtered out in the second quarter, with the Mariners preventing them from reaching the 30 the entire quarter. They could have taken the lead, but K Jem Wyatt sailed one wide from 40 yards out. Ellesby on the other hand, did manage one final score before the end of the half, with their K Marlon Scott nailing a 42 yarder to end the half up by 7.
END OF Q2: 13-6 ELB
The Dragons finally broke through the Mariners D on their first drive of the half, with QB Harold Bauer putting together a solid drive that ended with RB Placid Smith punching in the Dragons for 6 from 4 yards out. The game would not be tied however, as Wyatt hit the crossbar on the PAT, and so the Dragons still trailed only by 1. The Mariners almost reverted back to first quarter form with another fumble by Lockwood, but still were once again held scoreless throughout the third quarter. Duvall didn’t have much luck either, stalling out on most of their drives this quarter but did manage another field goal to retake the lead.
END OF Q3: 15-10 DUV
Ellesby still struggled on offense heading into the final quarter. Kollen could not hit his targets on each of their first drives, and had to be carried by Lockwood. Lockwood almost had every yard on their second drive, where he plowed his way for 60 yards and a TD on that drive for the Mariners to retake the lead. The Dragons went back into their funk, and struggled to even get past midfield. The Mariners struggled a bit less, finding their way into the redzone on two more occasions but only came out with 3 each time. That didn’t matter all that much, as Seashore Park erupted with cheers when the clock finally hit 0 and Ellesby would get a chance to take home their first against the #1 seeded Lumberjacks.
FINAL: 23-15 ELB


(Completely unrelated, but I think this may be my favorite uniform matchup in the EFL. Not sure which would come second though)

13th Escalian Cup Preview: Ellesby Mariners @ Norfolk Lumberjacks

Previous Matchups: 1971 W6: ELB 10-46 NOR 
The top two seeds meet each other for the first time this season in the game where it matters the most. Although their game last year was a complete blowout by the Lumberjacks, this year’s matchup should be different. Both teams have potent defenses that have stuffed opponents to low scores, while the offenses differ between the two. Norfolk has the incredibly reliable MVP Nathan Slezak and receiving core to consistently put up points, but Ellesby’s offense seems to be more wishy-washy as of late. Winning will come down to whoever’s offense performs at their best when they need to.
Escalian Sports Magazine Prediction: With the Mariners’ offense showing their flaws in the cold and Norfolk not having a problem with it, the Lumberjacks will come out on in a chilly but close game in Saint Blaise. 20-14 NOR 



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Founder of the EFL and the AFL
 

3/18/2021 3:44 pm  #232


Re: Escalian Football League

No surprises here, Jacks over Mariners for Escalia.

Last edited by Sevsdast (3/18/2021 5:19 pm)



Owner of the Indiana Cardinals (2005 AltBA Champions) the owner of the Memphis Kings, and new owner of the Milwaukee Mallards! #HoosierBirds #KingUp #QuackQuack
 

3/18/2021 4:21 pm  #233


Re: Escalian Football League

I think Ellesby will get the win in this one





 
 

3/18/2021 4:46 pm  #234


Re: Escalian Football League

C'mon Mariners, let's do this!



2x Alt Champion :: AltLB Champion Oklahoma City Bison - 2022 :: AltFL Champion New York Emperors - 2022

 

3/18/2021 6:38 pm  #235


Re: Escalian Football League

Both teams can jump in a lake, but since Ellesby is in our division, I'll root for Norfolk as the lesser of two evils.



AHS Admin. Creator of the THLPUCHWHA: Redux and Retroliga.
 

3/23/2021 1:43 pm  #236


Re: Escalian Football League

13th Escalian Cup: Ellesby Mariners @ Norfolk Lumberjacks 



The atmosphere at Cathedral Field was louder than it has even been at an Angels game, as swarms of fans in blue and green flocked the stadium to see what may have been the most anticipated game of the season between the top two teams. Ellesby got lucky that it was warmer in Saint Blaise, as they got right to work on their first drive of the Cup. QB Matt Kollen started his work early with a 30 yard dime to WR Dan Reeves to set the Mariners up within field goal range. His early work, however, would go to waste as the Lumberjacks defensive line stalled RB Freeman Lockwood from plowing into the endzone, resulting in a 3-0 lead for the Mariners. Norfolk oddly stalled out on their first couple of drives, as Ellesby’s defense held rock solid in the first quarter by not allowing a point on offense. The Mariners didn’t fare much better on offense, losing momentum at the worst moments on their drives and tacked on another field goal to go up 6 by the end of the first.
END OF Q1: 6-0 ELB
Just as Ellesby’s weather woes looked to be behind them, clouds began gathering over Cathedral Field in the beginning and raindrops began falling. The field conditions soured so poorly that the run game was the only viable option for the meantime. This then became a duel between Lockwood and Norfolk’s RB Bruno Fontaine, to which Fontaine would significantly outperform Lockwood. Fontaine’s ground-and-pound style wore out the Mariners defense starting in the 2nd quarter. Fontaine plowed through them on 4 straight plays to score the first TD of the game by going 6 yards up the middle. While the Mariners continued to be stuck in the mud, Fontaine continued running right through Ellesby and right into the endzone on a 23 yard rush. Their lead would only increase to 7, with K Isaac Brandt nailing the crossbar on the PAT attempt. Ellesby continued to stall out with their next drives, before the half finally ended their misery and a chance to recoup.
END OF Q2: 13-6 NOR
The rain continued to pour down throughout halftime and into the third quarter, but this time the Mariners held up stronger on the offense than in the last half. Fontaine kept plowing through their defense, but was held to less yards than in the first half, and stopped the ‘Jacks to only a field goal on the first drive of the half. Ellesby’s offensive woes still continued, although they seemed to improve by making it past the 30 yard line on two separate drives but K Marlon Scott got bad snaps on two kicks and missed both FG attempts. Norfolk’s offense was held scoreless after that, with Slezak coughing up two turnovers to ELB CB Raleigh Gibson, preventing any sort of momentum going into the last quarter.
END OF Q3: 16-6 NOR
With the rain now clearing up and leaving the field a muddy mess, Ellesby took the advantage to swing the momentum in their favor. Kollen got to work on two quick passes to Hersch and WR Sal Reeves, and a few plays later finally got in the endzone with a run by Lockwood up the middle. On the defensive side of the ball, the Mariners held strong, stunting the Lumberjacks on offense while letting through some scares. Fontaine almost broke free several times but luckily was wrapped up shortly before getting in the clear. Ellesby had some time on the clock, and Kollen put together another clutch drive to get the Mariners in scoring range and potentially take the lead. They would only tie the game up with a field goal, but that would be all they needed to extend the game and send the Escalian Cup into overtime for the first time
END OF REGULATION: 16-16
Norfolk won the coin toss and elected to begin with the ball. The Mariners held out strong only for another 4 plays, and Slezak tossed the ball to Fontaine, who then shook off 3 defenders on his way to a 67 yard touchdown to give Norfolk their 3 Escalian Cup win.
FINAL(OT): 22-16 NOR 



In a shock to almost no one, Norfolk’s Bruno Fontaine took home MVP honors, becoming the first running back to win Escalian Cup MVP since Duvall’s Carson Adams in the 7th Escalian Cup. His 142 yard, 2 TD performance carried the ‘Jacks to their third title, and ties Ashonta’s Daniel Haumann as youngest MVP at 25 years old.  



Up Next: The 1972 UFL Season. C&C Appreciated!



Founder of the EFL and the AFL
     Thread Starter
 

3/23/2021 2:10 pm  #237


Re: Escalian Football League

Congrats to Norfolk! Great game between them and the Mariners, who don't seem to be able to win their first championship





 
 

3/23/2021 2:38 pm  #238


Re: Escalian Football League

Nice!  Great game and wonderful way to win the championship!  




 

3/23/2021 3:40 pm  #239


Re: Escalian Football League

Woah a team finally won a 3rd championship! Nice.
Mother nature was not happy during the game either. 


 

3/29/2021 8:18 pm  #240


Re: Escalian Football League

1972 UFL Season:

The inaugural UFL season seemed to go off without a hitch, with the first game being a blowout by the Stars against the Bison in primetime 28-3. Colnica would cruise right through onto the United Bowl thanks to QB Terry Rogers pulling off one last great year at 36, and rookie RB Thomas Amsel putting up sizable numbers for a rookie. Their only other competition this year would be the Wizards down in Arcanfall, where first year head coach Eddie Caldwell put together a well-oiled machine of misfits where they upset the Stars to give them their only loss of the season. While those two teams practically dominated the league, the other teams fared worse. The Roosters put together a decent .500 season, but had some promise with a very young core. Minola only finished a game back from .500, and showed similar promise for a young team. The Bison and Explorers had poor on-field showings and poor ticket sales, and Montagrada was rumored to be bleeding money behind the scenes, with owner Carlito Escarcega being furious at commissioner George Curtis for giving his team less resources than all the other teams. By week 9, the Explorers seemed like they were going to fold at the end of the season, but Curtis came in at the last moment with investors to infuse the struggling team with the money they needed at the beginning of the season. In fact, Curtis found every other team some sort of investment to keep them going, except for the Stars which he directly owned. 

With disaster nearly avoided before the season even ended, the Wizards met the Stars in the inaugural United Bowl held in Curtis’ hometown of Colnica. Both teams kept it close through the first half, with ARC QB Javier Perez sneaking in a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to go up at the half 12-11. This excitement would not last for long, as Rogers and the Stars steamrolled the Wizards all through the second half to take home the first United Bowl 33-18. The league showed some promise in its first season, with Rogers finally taking home a championship as a starter after years of frustration, and had some solid TV ratings bringing home a good amount of revenue. However, almost every team was losing money in the process, and the league’s financial future looked to be up in the air after their first season...



Founder of the EFL and the AFL
     Thread Starter
 

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