MitchSwanson94 wrote:

Wouldn’t mind seeing the expansion draft as part of the offseason recap, but I think it should be just a list of the teams players and their respective positions, not a full on recap. Also, any chance Milwaukee will get a franchise? (A market that’s right in the leagues bread and butter that has not been mentioned as part of the PAFC) Just seems like a natural fit.

Milwaukee does have a PAFC team, the Milwaukee Maroons. I've mentioned them once at the very beginning, but none since. The reason for that is that they've mostly languished as an awful to a very mediocre team since the AFL split off. In the past 4 years, they finished 4th, 4th, 9th, and 6th. Fan interest is beginning to dwindle, and both Chicago teams are looking to expand their presence there. It's possible that the AFL takes a stab at Milwaukee like they did with St. Louis, but it's more likely than not they'll look at larger markets before going to Milwaukee.

1955 Draft Preview

AACA Top 20:
1) Oklahoma - 10-0
2) Chicago Christian - 8-1
3) Calvert - 10-0
4) Los Angeles State - 9-1
5) Ohio - 7-2
6) Southwestern Christian - 9-1
7) Mississippi - 8-1-1
8) Atlanta State - 8-1-1
9) St. Joseph’s - 8-2
10) Alabama A&M - 9-1
11) U. Kansas City - 7-3
12) Michigan - 7-2
13) ULA - 6-4
14) Miami State - 6-3
15) U. Cleveland - 9-0
16) Brooklyn College - 6-3-1
17) Texas State - 7-2-1
18) Army - 6-2-1
19) Monongalia State - 8-2
20) Navy - 6-3

AACA Bowls:
Tournament of Roses Bowl (Los Angeles, CA) - (16) Brooklyn College 14-17 (4) Los Angeles State
Palm Bowl (Miami, FL) - (3) Calvert 20-6 (10) Alabama A&M
Magnolia Bowl (Houston, TX) - (6) Southwestern Christian 14-13 (1) Oklahoma
Columbian Bowl (Chicago, IL) -  (2) Chicago Christian 7-0 (9) St. Joseph’s
Gold Bowl (San Francisco, CA) - (5) Ohio 34-14 (13) ULA
Cigar Bowl (Tampa, FL) -  (11) U. Kansas City 25-13 (12) Michigan
Syrup Bowl (New Orleans, LA) - (7) Mississippi 33-20 (15) U. Cleveland
Sun Bowl (El Paso, TX) - (19) Monongalia State 21-14 (17) Texas State
Orange Bowl (Orlando, FL) - (8) Atlanta State  7-6 (14) Miami State

AFL
1) OL Chris Cutchen - Iowa A&M - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower
2) LB Duane Ackerman - Oklahoma - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower
3) QB Richard “Rocco” Vanthourenhout - University of Kansas City - Sidney Boggs - DireBear
4) LB Bob Jessup - St. Joseph’s - Sidney Boggs - DireBear
5) WR Justin Harris - Minnesota State - Bernard King - Kingsfan11
6) RB Arthur Busch - University of Cleveland - Sidney Boggs - DireBear
7) LB Cade Masters - Chicago Christian - Johnny Armando - Stickman
8) OL Stevie Cockburn - Ohio - Jimmy Jones - Dan O’Mac
9) DB Sammy Weems - Ohio - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower
10) TE William Hunter - University of the Tri-Cities - Jimmy Jones - Dan O’Mac
11) S Jackson Jones - University of Buffalo - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower
12) S Quinn Keeley - Alabama A&M - Isaac “Deuce” Martin - idm
13) OL Toby Killigan - Michigan A&M - Johnny Armando - Stickman
14) DB Jeff Brother - Wisconsin State - Jimmy Jones - Dan O’Mac
15) WR Al Cannon - Calvert - Isaac “Deuce” Martin - idm
16) DL Martin Stark - Idaho - Sidney Boggs - DireBear
17) DB Jason Brother - Wisconsin State - Isaac “Deuce” Martin - idm
18) QB Sam Eagleburger - Chicago Christian - Isaac “Deuce” Martin - idm
19) DB Ray Furness - University of Cleveland - Sidney Boggs - DireBear
20) DL Leroy Brockhaus - Chicago Christian - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower

Oklahoma once again claimed a piece of the national title after another 10-0 season, even after moving from the Red River Conference to the Missouri River Valley Conference. In their second straight undefeated regular season, they claimed another national title thanks to an incredibly stout defense led by LB Duane Ackerman among others. The captain of the defense was the only player who declared for the AFL, as the other seniors in that defense were scooped up by the PAFC in their rookie signing window. They played in the Magnolia Bowl for the third straight year, and their hopes of the mythical national championship were ruined by former conference mate Southwestern Christian, who had a turnaround season and upset the Tornadoes on a late touchdown to ruin any chances of a national title. The team that ended up gaining a larger claim of the title was Calvert, who also put together their second undefeated season in 3 years and were selected to play in the Palm Bowl against Southern Conference winner Alabama A&M. The Terriers easily disposed of their competition, with WR Al Cannon overpowering the smaller S Quinn Keeley for a 2 touchdown game. The Roses Bowl once again featured Brooklyn College and Los Angeles State, though neither at the same level that they were both at last year. Brooklyn finally regressed though still won the ECC, while Los Angeles State lost their undefeated season to Idaho thanks to DL Martin Stark shutting down the Bulldogs’ offense. The Terriers kept with the Bulldogs for the entire game, though failed to convert on a field goal that would have tied the game and gave LA State the bowl game for the 2nd time in 3 years. Chicago Christian topped the CAC, sporting the next-best defense to Oklahoma and a solid QB-WR combo of Sam Eagleburger and Isaiah Morris. They hosted the Columbian Bowl against the equally defensive St. Joseph’s, whose LB Bob Jessup became the first defensive-only player to receive votes for the Bernheim Trophy, and managed to finish a surprising second place. In a defensive battle for the ages, Chicago Christian came up on top 7-0 on a forced fumble from the overpowering DL Leroy Brockhaus and returned by LB Cade Masters for the touchdown. DB J.T. Marteau would get the game-sealing interception late in the 4th to finish the lowest-scoring Columbian Bowl since its inception. The player that would end up winning the Bernheim Trophy would be UKC QB Richard “Rocco” Vanthourenhout, who almost single-handedly won the Yellow Jackets a conference title if not for a close loss to Oklahoma. Vanthourenhout torched Michigan in the Cigar Bowl 25-13, and looks to be the top QB prospect that teams (specifically Tri-Cities) will need to start a turnaround. Finishing third in voting for the Bernheim was UCleveland RB Arthur Busch, a bruising back that plowed through defenders to keep himself going. He effectively carried the Wildcats to a Great Lakes Conference title, thus earning a bowl bid to the Syrup Bowl against Mississippi. Strong play by DB Ray Furness in the secondary and Busch on the ground was not enough for Mississippi intercepting QB Mick Casey three times and the Wildcats’ underdog season ended in a 33-20 loss. The Gold Bowl was another rematch between Ohio and ULA, and for a second straight year the Buckeyes would run over the Aztecas 34-14. DB Sammy Weems would boost his draft stock by intercepting two passes and returning them both for touchdowns. In the other two bowls not featuring AFL talent, Monongalia State proved to be worldbeaters once again by taking down Texas State 21-14 in the Sun Bowl, while Atlanta State and Miami State fought a rough defensive battle in the Orange bowl with the former narrowly taking a 7-6 win in unpleasant conditions.

The best player in the draft, OL Chris Cutchen from Iowa A&M, should be able to anchor the offensive line no matter where he goes. It would be surprising if he does not get picked within the first two picks, as both New York and Boston need his size and strength to become decent teams in the league. The other two offensive linemen rated in the top 20 will also make great immediate starters, with Ohio’s Stevie Cockburn providing great physical prowess on the line while Michigan A&M’s Toby Killigan is more of a well-rounded lineman. This draft class may not be the best in terms of high-end wide receiver talent, with Justin Harris from Minnesota State and his excellent route-running and catching abilities making him a projected top 5 pick. Besides him, there is no consensus next best after him, meaning that the later rounds will be a wash in terms of who is best at that position. On the other hand, the defensive back position is incredibly deep. Including names already mentioned such as Sammy Weems, J.T. Marteau, and Ray Furness, sibling DB's Jason and Jeff Brother join them near the top. Both were shutdown players while at Wisconsin State, providing a lone bright spot on a down season for that team. Included in the talks for best players in the secondary available is S Jackson Jones from the University of Buffalo. He is able to track down and take down the ball carrier with great ease, though he is getting put lower on teams’ draft boards due to his lack of muscle, relying on other methods to take players down. There’s really only one excellent player coming from west of the Mississippi, that being Idaho DL Martin Stark, a player that has turned heads in more ways than one. He bullied players on the offensive line just by using his size and stature, and looks like a clear lock to be a starter if he can adapt to the pros. However, his attitude issues are a major red flag for all teams, as he assaulted another high schooler after a football game and was suspended for a majority of his junior year for starting a benches-clearing brawl against Montana State. If any of his anger can be tempered by any team, then he would be a surefire top 10 pick, but teams aren’t willing to take the risk if they bring a character like Stark to their team.

Rocco Vanthourenhout is an easy lock to go within the top 5, while Sam Eagleburger and Mick Casey might follow shortly after for any team looking to reach for a QB. Vanthourenhout is larger than average for a QB, allowing him to stay in the pocket for longer and find the receiver he can throw to, able to sling it pretty much anywhere downfield. Eagleburger is more of the prototypical deep passer compared to Vanthourenhout, though he gets dropped down a step for trying to force plays too often and potentially ruin offensive drives. Casey was the QB that Cleveland needed to support its run game, and as such may not be drafted until a team that utilizes the run needs someone like him. The rest of the remaining available QB’s are a mixed bag. Wyoming State’s Dwayne Dessena has incredible football smarts but lacks some of the physical talents needed to be an effective QB. He’s a great leader when under center, but may need some time to develop and learn the offense before getting any sort of starting time. Any quarterback from Ohio would usually be getting more of the spotlight, but Gil Stacy had trouble throwing deep when his primary attribute is having a cannon for an arm. Although he is able to throw it pretty much anywhere on the field, more often than not it’s either too deep or underthrown and in the arms of the secondary. He will also be a project while improving his accuracy under the current starter of whatever team takes him. Massachusetts State’s Salvatore Saab can be seen on equal footing to Stacy, though he seems more starter-ready.

Draft Picks/Needs:

1 - New York Lions
Picks: 1, 11, 21, 31
Needs: RB OL WR DL LB DB S P

2 - Boston Dragons
Picks: 2, 22, 32, 44
Needs: WR TE DL LB S

3 - Tri-Cities Hawks
Picks: 3, 13, 33, 43, 49
Needs: QB RB WR TE DL LB DB

4 - Detroit Knights
Picks: 4, 12, 14, 20, 24, 34, 42
Needs: QB OL WR LB DB

5 - Pittsburgh Shamrocks
Picks: 5, 25, 35, 45
Needs: OL WR TE DL LB DB

6 - Cincinnati Rivermen
Picks: 6, 16, 26, 36, 46
Needs: RB OL TE LB DB S

7 - Buffalo Hammers
Picks: 7, 17, 27, 37, 47
Needs: QB OL WR DL LB

8 - Washington Federals
Picks: 8, 18, 28, 38, 48
Needs: OL TE DL LB

9 - Cleveland Crows
Picks: 15, 19, 29, 39
Needs: OL WR TE LB

10 - Chicago Hogs
Picks: 9, 10, 23, 30, 40, 41, 50
Needs: RB OL DL LB DB

C&C Appreciated! Any draft predictions?

1955 AFL Draft



Round 1
1 - New York - LB Duane Ackerman - Oklahoma - Wallflower
2 - Boston - LB Bob Jessup - St. Joseph’s - DireBear
3 - Tri Cities (from CHI via TRI) - QB Richard “Rocco” Vanthourenhout - U. Kansas City - DireBear
4 - Detroit - OL Chris Cutchen - Iowa A&M - Wallflower
5 - Pittsburgh - OL Stevie Cockburn - Ohio - Dan O’Mac
6 - Cincinnati - LB Cade Masters - Chicago Christian - Stickman
7 - Buffalo - WR Justin Harris - Minnesota A&M - Kingsfan11
8 - Washington - OL Toby Killigan - Michigan A&M - Stickman
9 - Chicago (from CLE) - RB Arthur Busch - UCleveland - DireBear
10 - Chicago - DB Jason Brother - Wisconsin State - idm

The AFL draft welcomed two new franchises into their league by holding the 1955 draft in the Warwick Hotel in New York City. With New York and Boston not interested in taking a QB, the discussion then shifted to which linebacker would the Lions take. They wanted someone to build their defense around, and Oklahoma’s Duane Ackerman became the first defensive player to be drafted first overall. Ackerman led the Tornadoes to an undefeated season with a never-say-die attitude fighting for every tackle he made. He should make a key focal point to a defense ready to build for the future. Boston had their decision made for them, taking the second-best LB with Bob Jessup from St. Joseph’s. Jessup was the more physical of the two, with a punishing blow that could stun ball carriers or whoever happened to be in his way. Both Ackerman and Jessup should become immediate and potentially long-term starters for these two teams without a clear-cut top man in the middle. With the expansion teams out of the way, the Tri-Cities Hawks used their pick (which they got back from Chicago) to take their QB of the future in Rocco Vanthourenhout. Vanthourenhout is a QB that should fit right into the Hawks’ system; a big, strong passer who can sling it anywhere on the field while being tough to take down. He should be the piece to kickstart their offense back to what it once was, but he may take a year or two to develop behind current starter Gilbert Clay. Detroit and Pittsburgh spent the next two picks not on playmakers but instead improving their offensive line so those playmakers could actually make plays. Both teams took physical linemen to bully defensive players from getting to the ball: the Knights selected the sneakily strong Chris Cutchen out of Iowa A&M while the Shamrocks followed up by selecting the hulking Stevie Cockburn out of Ohio. Cincinnati followed Boston and New York by taking a linebacker of their own in Cade Masters from Chicago Christian. Masters was an incredibly athletic player and fiery leader for the Crusaders, though his personality and injury history caused him to slip a little in the pre-draft rankings. He should suit up nicely with a young Rivermen linebacking core consisting of Jeff Blankenship and Edgar Abney. With their receiving core beginning to show its age and needing a weapon for ROTY Brendan Turnbull, the Buffalo Hammers were happy when Minnesota State WR Justin Harris fell into their hands. Harris combined being an excellent route runner with exceptional hand-eye coordination and strong hands to make contested catches to lead the nation in receiving yards amongst college players and was easily the top wideout in the draft class. Now two years removed from a title, Washington went the way of Detroit and Pittsburgh and shored up their offensive line after losing longtime starter Mitchell Beck by selecting Michigan A&M’s Toby Killigan. Killigan is a fairly typical lineman, being fairly strong and very quick with his hands and feet, though his size brought some doubt to his longevity in the league. Nonetheless, he’ll be competing for a starting spot on the Federals’ o-line now that a massive hole opened up for a new starter. The Hogs lucked out to end the round with back-to-back picks, and were very happy when RB Arthur Busch fell through the cracks to them at 9. He’ll make the perfect replacement for the recently departed Jeffery Spears, a bruising power back that can plow through anyone in short-yardage situations. He might not have the stamina to get multiple rushes in a row, but reigning MVP RB Billy Gould is glad he’ll have someone to take the pressure off of him for a play or two. With the final pick of the round, the Hogs reached to take DB Jason Brother from Wisconsin State. The Hogs pretty much only had 1 good member of their secondary left going into the draft, and preferred Brother’s skillset of a lockdown back compared to the other secondary players available.



Round 2
11 - New York - DL Leroy Brockhaus - Chicago Christian - Wallflower
12 - Detroit (from BOS) - DB Sammy Weems - Ohio - Wallflower
13 - Tri-Cities - TE William Hunter - University of the Tri-Cities - Dan O’Mac
14 - Detroit - LB Jacob Garfield - Wisconsin State - idm
15 - Cleveland (from PIT) - OL Steve Bochinski - St. Joseph’s - Wallflower
16 - Cincinnati - S Jackson Jones - University of Buffalo - Wallflower
17 - Buffalo - DL Martin Stark - Idaho - DireBear
18 - Washington - DL Kermit Johnston - Massachusetts State - Wallflower
19 - Cleveland - S Quinn Keeley - Alabama A&M - idm
20 - Detroit (from CHI) - WR Al Cannon - Calvert -  idm

Due to acquisitions from other teams, Cleveland and Detroit combined for half of the picks in the second round. The Knights fixed their gaping hole in the linebacking core by selecting Jacob Garfield from Wisconsin State, made their secondary a bit more competitive with DB Sammy Weems from UOhio, and attempted to move on from the drama that was WR Lloyd Lawson by drafting his replacement in Calvert WR Al Cannon. Cleveland selected OL Steve Bochinski from St. Joseph’s after losing two offensive linemen in the expansion draft and added some much-needed secondary depth with S Quinn Keeley from Alabama A&M. The second round was a fairly defensively-focused round, with all but 3 picks taking defensive pieces. The only other offensive pick was used by Tri-Cities to select hometown TE William Hunter, who will help in the running game and to give another option for their new QB.

Round 3
21 - New York - DB Jeff Brother - Wisconsin State - Dan O’Mac
22 - Boston - WR Isaiah Morris - Chicago Christian - Kingsfan11
23 - Chicago (from TRI) - DB Ray Furness - University of Cleveland - DireBear
24 - Detroit - QB Mick Casey - University of Cleveland - Wallflower
25 - Pittsburgh - DB J.T. Marteau - Chicago Christian - Darknes
26 - Cincinnati - WR Deon Marquise - Lehigh Valley - Stickman
27 - Buffalo - LB Jackie Cross - Ohio - Jayhawk
28 - Washington - DB Benjamin Glass - Cincinnati State - DireBear
29 - Cleveland - WR James Redd - Palmer* - Dan O’Mac
30 - Chicago - DL David Thomas - Central Michigan - DireBear

The third round continued the trend set by the second, with a majority of teams passing on offensive talent to take more pressing matters on defense, with a particular trend in improving secondaries. New York started by taking the other Brother sibling to give their secondary competition for the starting job, Chicago used their pick from Tri-Cities to select DB Ray Furness to round out their improved defensive back room, while Pittsburgh’s J.T. Marteau and Washington’s Benjamin Glass will provide decent backup options when their secondaries get injured throughout the year. Detroit made a semi-controversial pick when they took UCleveland QB Mick Casey 24th overall instead of the top QB on the board. The Knights brass reassured that they were merely drafting a backup for starting QB Terry Kadlec, but many were wondering if they were possibly drafting a potential replacement, with many vocal of Kadlec’s poor performance in the past few years and wanting to start fresh. The Knights might be giving their QB’s a short leash this season in an attempt to turn their fortunes around, or it’s all smoke and mirrors and they just needed a backup. The first player from a Lower Division school was also taken this round, as Cleveland selected the shifty WR James Redd from Palmer (IN) to bolster their receiving depth.



Round 4
31 - New York - RB Eddison Caan - New York State - TheEnigmaticOne
32 - Boston - S Joachim Pitre - Audubon - DireBear
33 - Tri-Cities - DL Albert Young - Maine State - DireBear
34 - Detroit - WR Johnathan Kindrachuk - University of the Iron Range* - Wallflower
35 - Pittsburgh - TE Steven Pearson - Monongalia State - DireBear
36 - Cincinnati - OL Jack Ferguson - Eastern Ohio - Jayhawk
37 - Buffalo - LB Kingsley Quinn - Northern Illinois State* - idm
38 - Washington - RB Rodney Taylor - Northern New York - idm
39 - Cleveland - TE Bill Mollineaux - Akron State - Jayhawk
40 - Chicago - S Charlie Pope - University of Montgomery - DireBear

After Detroit took a quarterback in the previous round, many anticipated a run on the position at some point in this round. However, no such run occurred, and teams focused more on recovering from the expansion draft. New York and Washington both selected running backs. The Lions chose the elusive Edison Caan from New York State to develop behind the newly acquired Jeffery Spears. The Federals selected the lightning-quick Rodney "Galaxy" Taylor from Northern New York to be a potential complementary option to Rip Rooney. Taylor received his unique nickname from his coach during his freshman year, who said that he must have been the "fastest man in the galaxy." He should be a good asset for Washington if he can work his way through the depth chart. Two southern players were also selected in the draft. Boston selected ballhawk safety Joachim Pitre from Audubon (LA), and Chicago selected hard-hitting safety Charlie Pope from the University of Montgomery. The Lower Division also received some representation in the fourth round. Detroit selected technical wide receiver Johnathan Kindrachuk from the University of the Iron Range (MN), and Buffalo selected quick-thinking linebacker Kingsley Quinn from Northern Illinois State.

Round 5
41 - Chicago (from NY) - WR Xander LeFleur - Southeastern* - Kingsfan11
42 - Detroit (from BOS) - WR Dakota Cochrane - Wilford Woodruff - DireBear
43 - Tri-Cities - QB Sam Eagleburger - Chicago Christian - idm
44 - Boston (from DET) - QB Salvatore Saab - Massachusetts State - TheEnigmaticOne
45 - Pittsburgh - WR Dante Weatherspoon - Douglass* - Kingsfan11
46 - Cincinnati - DB Benoit Dupois - Central Iowa - Stickman
47 - Buffalo - QB Gil Stacy - Ohio - idm
48 - Washington - K Lawrence Singer - Michigan - Jayhawk
49 - Tri-Cities (from CLE) - OL Luther King - Alabama A&M - idm
50 - Chicago - RB Warren Igl - Ohio - Dan O’Mac

QB Sam Eagleburger, who was ranked in the top 20 prospects to begin the draft, kept falling and falling when teams didn’t immediately need a starting-caliber QB. After two wide receivers to begin the final round of the draft, he would finally get selected by Tri-Cities 43rd overall after being ranked as the 18th best prospect in this year’s class. The Hawks seem to believe that 1st round selection Rocco Vanthourenhout is their quarterback for the foreseeable future, so Eagleburger might carve out a job in the ASPFL for the time being until a roster spot opens up for him. Eagleburger’s selection caused two other teams to look for a QB in the final round, as Boston took the mobile Salvatore Saab from Massachusetts State 1 pick after the Hawks, where he might bounce around from backup to ASPFL starter. Buffalo took the man with a cannon for an arm known as Gil Stacy from Ohio, who will serve as the third string for the time being. Washington selected the first special teams player in the history of the draft, taking K Lawrence Singer from Michigan with the 48th overall pick. The Federals were not pleased with current starter Eugene Hickman’s development as a starter, and Singer’s drafting will cause some competition between the two to increase their abilities. The Hogs finished out the draft by selecting RB Warren Igl, a shifty back from Ohio.



Undrafted
QB Dwayne Dessena - Wyoming State - idm -> Cincinnati
RB Jack Cottons - Brooklyn College - Stickman -> New York
RB Christopher Flynn - Lehigh Valley - Direbear -> Buffalo
RB Malik Jackson - Huntsville State - Kingsfan11 -> Boston
RB Jon Taggart - Mississippi State - DireBear -> New York
OL Cleo Murray - University of Omaha - DireBear -> Cleveland
DL Horatio Duckett - N/A - idm -> Boston
K Harry Booty - Platte State - Dan O’Mac -> Tri-Cities
K Russell O’Neill - Pennsylvania - idm -> Pittsburgh
P Ozzie Rhule - Maine State - idm  -> Cleveland

C&C Appreciated! Sorry for the unintentional hiatus, life got in the way and all that jazz. Hopefully I get back on a more "normal" posting schedule for the future.

1955 Season Preview



1 - Chicago Hogs
1954 Record: 8-2 (1st West)
1954 Result: Won Championship
Despite the retirement of longtime quarterback Alfred Walton, the Hogs are still expected to dominate the AFL. Second-year quarterback Nathan Aldenburg has big shoes to fill, but the pressure of filling the starting role will be eased by a certain running back and a stout defense. The Hogs have learned from last year and added running back Arthur Busch to help reigning MVP Billy Gould with short-yardage situations and when Gould cannot carry the offense by himself. Second-year defensive lineman Benjamin Walkins, Jr. has formed an incredible duo with fellow defensive lineman Eric Forbes, and they will be a threat to offensive lines for years to come. Chicago should be expected to win the new West Division, gaining two games against both Cleveland and Detroit and only having to play a single game against Washington. The West Division will be a three-horse race, but Chicago has the experience to win the division once again. Their main weakness lies in the secondary, with only two starters having any starts prior to this year (DB Clarence Newman and S Jeffery Irwin). To get the bye in the expanded playoffs, the Hogs simply need to continue their success from last year and not give their opponents too much time to exploit their young secondary.

2 - Cincinnati Rivermen
1954 Record: 5-5 (3rd West)
1954 Result: Missed Playoffs
Another year, another season with high expectations for the Rivermen. Cincinnati managed to go 5-5 in a very competitive West Division last year without star WR Alfred Dunn, and a fully healthy team will go toe-to-toe with the Hogs for the division title. Their offense is the best in the league; QB Lester Parker is arguably the best at his position, they have the best 1-2 punch at RB with Perry Ferguson and Billy Garcia, and a top-5 WR in Dunn. Their defense is also one of the best in the league. They might not have the starpower compared to Chicago outside of DB Kerry Lantz, DC Dan Manning knows how to manage a unit to its fullest potential. All they have to do now is live up to the expectations placed upon them for the past half decade. They’ve fallen short to Washington the past 2 years in the last week of the season, but this season they get the Feds in week 1. They’ve fallen short of expectations since losing to Chicago in the West Play-off in 1952, and they’re out for revenge without Washington to pull the rug out from under them at the last possible moment. As long as they’re healthy, this team will easily make the playoffs.

3 - Washington Federals
1954 Record: 7-3 (2nd West)
1954 Result: Lost West Division Play-Off
Washington may have just lucked out in the realignment. They will move to the East in exchange for Cleveland and Detroit moving westward, and have the perfect conditions for them to dominate. The new East now includes two expansion teams in Boston and New York and two teams that constantly got in their own way last year in Buffalo and Pittsburgh. And to add on top of that, they won’t have to play Chicago and Cincinnati 4 times a year. With Johnnie Sellers at the helm commanding players like RB Rip Rooney and WR’s Joseph Atkins and Darius Sanderson, they’re nearly unstoppable. Their defense is full of young talent, with players like S Josh von Bank, LB Howard Treadaway, DB Johnathan Moon, and DL’s Robert Stanton and Daley Norris anchoring one of the league’s best starting units. Their main issue stems from their lack of depth. Their team is relatively top-heavy, and any major injuries will hamper their ability to go far past the regular season. They haven’t had major injury issues in the past, so they will hopefully avoid that caveat and cruise to an East Division title.

4 - Cleveland Crows
1954 Record: 6-4 (1st East)
1954 Result: Lost Championship
Cleveland knew they were in some trouble when they would be slotted in the West, and they made perhaps the biggest trade of the offseason to acquire DL Ralph Rogers from Tri-Cities to keep up with their new division foes. They were only 1 year removed from blowing up their old core, and then won the final two games last season to clinch their first East Division title.  Third-year QB Denzel Collingsworth truly came into his own last year, especially with options on offense like WR’s Joey Staniskovski and Jerry O’Keefe and the next-best RB after Billy Gould in Max Panders at his disposal. The Crows now have two big issues if they want to compete for their second straight division title. The first is now being in a division with a juggernaut in Chicago, a constant threat in Cincinnati, and an underachieving-but-nippy team in Tri-Cities. The second issue they now face is what every miracle team has to face in the year after: following up on their run to sustained success. Their core is very young, and losing OC Vincent Merritt to Buffalo might be detrimental to their success. However, if last year proved anything, they are a competitive team under HC Ike Schwann and will continue to fight tooth and nail for a playoff berth.

5 - Pittsburgh Shamrocks
1954 Record: 4-6 (3rd East)
1954 Result: Missed Playoffs
The Shamrocks had a truly disappointing season last year, failing to follow up upon a championship berth with a sub-.500 season and missed the postseason entirely. Pittsburgh fans placed the blame on first-year starting QB O.J. DeMille, who struggled to run an offense with few viable options. They have attempted to remedy the situation by bringing in a new OC, Barry Edwards from the perennially potent Chicago Christian. In the running game, RB Paul Barker is ready to take on the majority of carries from longtime starter Marion Waters, who struggled to end the season and is now going to split carries with Barker for the time being. The road to Pittsburgh’s success though, runs through their defense. It wasn’t in the same form as it was when they entered the league, but it is enough to take them far. Players like DL’s Roy Forbes and Archie Webber, LB’s Barry Moore and Alex Lee, and secondary threats such as DB Jerry Pruitt and S Raymond Walters are all ready to shut down any opposing offenses coming their way. They’ll be fighting with Buffalo and the two expansion teams for two playoff spots, and if they can play anywhere to the potential they were at two years ago, then they should have a relatively solid path to the postseason. They just have to improve upon from last year and meet those expectations once again.

6 - Buffalo Hammers
1954 Record: 5-5 (2nd East)
1954 Result: Lost East Division Play-Off
Buffalo is in a similar predicament to their twin Pittsburgh; most of their core that brought them to the playoffs is beginning to age. Reigning ROTY winner QB Brendan Turnbull did bring some youth to one of the oldest teams in the league, but many are skeptical of the Hammers seeing how they dropped 4 out of their 5 last games played including a loss to the Crows in the playoffs. Most of their key contributors to their 1948 NYPL title run are either beginning to decline or have already retired, leaving them in a state of transition. They still have a couple of veterans mostly on defense leading the charge, with DL Ray Payne, DB Joe Merritt, and S Jacob Dolan as the main contributors. RB Calvin Townsend is another one of the Hammers’ core veteran players, but he is 29 this season and is planning on sharing snaps at the position. Still, there is some youth ready and able to compete for the playoffs. Turnbull now has two young WR’s to throw to in this year’s first round pick Justin Harris and 1953 3rd rounder Harry Chilton emerging as receiving targets. On the defensive side, DB Rogelio Amos is quickly proving himself as one of the top secondary players in the league in only his 2nd season, and 2nd rounder DL Martin Stark could be a threat if the Hammers know how to manage him correctly. They should challenge for a playoff spot in a fairly weak division.

7 - Boston Dragons
1954 Record: -
1954 Result: -
The Dragons seem like they want to be competitive right out of the gate. One of their first actions as a franchise was to acquire WR Lloyd Lawson from the Knights to have a top target for their QB for the near future. They would be a shoo-in if they acquired other stars in the expansion draft, but mostly took unproven backups and are attempting to mold them into starting-caliber players. QB Adrian Alfonso won the battle for the starting position in the offseason over longtime starter Dave Spencer, has not a single start to his name since being drafted in 1952 by the Hammers. Their RB core of Pete Abbott and Jim Riggs were both forced out of the starting position in Cincinnati and Tri-Cities, respectively, so their production will be reliant on whether or not they can return to starting form. Their defense as well is a hodge-podge, consisting of former NEFL stars (DL Ralph Stark and DB Jim Downs), and AFL fringe starters (LB Killian Graves, S Carl Allyn, and DB Lynn Sharp) and backups. The Dragons could play up to their potential if all of the team performs to their strengths, and could potentially sneak into the playoffs if the other teams in the East cannibalize one another for the remaining two playoff spots. Even in their first season, the Dragons could be dark horses in a fairly weak East.

8 - Tri-Cities Hawks
1954 Record: 2-8 (4th West)
1954 Result: Missed Playoffs
The Hawks realistically have one more shot at making the postseason with their current core before handing off their future to #3 overall pick Rocco Vanthourenhout. Their offense is still as potent as ever, with a RB combo of Brian Bruce and Spike Roosevelt and WR tandem of John McLean and Max Ausloos at the disposal of whoever is the QB. The Hawks don’t want to rush Vanthourenhout out too quickly, but if starting QB Gilbert Clay continues to struggle like he had done last season then they’ll have no other option. One reason as to why the Hawks were sluggish on the offensive front was their offensive line, which has regressed into one of the worst in the league. The Hawks also have another hurdle with their players if they want to compete: they traded away arguably the best defensive linemen in the league, Ralph Rogers, and don’t have anyone to immediately make an impact in his absence. They replaced a majority of their defense as well, patching up by signing a mixture of NEFL and NYPL players that didn’t want to play in the minor league. Their future outlook may be mixed, and they’ll just have to power through an extremely tough West if they want to even have a chance at making the playoffs, or else the Hawks may just have to completely rebuild.

9 - Detroit Knights
1954 Record: 3-7 (4th West)
1954 Result: Missed Playoffs
The first year in the Terry Kadlec era was a major disappointment. A team with the weapons at his disposal should be able to win games; RB Jesse Brown finished third for rookie of the year and seems to be the lead back for the future and was paired with a killer tandem of WR’s in Lloyd Lawson and Paul Kent. That perfect pairing came tumbling down last season when Kadlec proved ineffective at worst and average at best while at the helm of the Knights. Lane was so upset with Kadlec’s game that he nearly got into a fight with Kadlec, and was later benched and traded to Boston where he could thrive. The Knights seem like they are going all-in on Kadlec, which is a problem if both Mick Casey, this year’s 3rd round selection, and Mike Major, a 5th round pick from last year, are outperforming him in training camp. Maybe it was just his first year and needed to get acclimated to the league, but if Kadlec underperforms yet again his job is in jeopardy. Their defense may also be another culprit as to why they might not be good this year, sporting one of the worst front sevens in the league. They have a few solid players in the secondary (S Charlie Fischer and DB Arnold Wolf), but they won’t be enough if everyone can slip through the trenches. Unless Detroit makes a drastic change under center, they will be near the bottom of the league for the 5th year in a row.

10 - New York Lions
1954 Record: -
1954 Result: -
The New York Lions might be a good team, eventually. They’re in no position to compete for a championship in the near future, but are gearing up for a future where they can. They’re in a similar situation to Boston, as they primarily took younger, more inexperienced players in order to flesh out their team. The Lions did manage to acquire RB Jeffery Spears from the Hogs after a resurgent season, so he’ll be managing the carries along with RB Bernard Parks for what should be a relatively solid tandem. They also acquired QB Roy Woodward, the now-disgraced former starting QB from Detroit who was cast off due to allegedly poor play. He’ll have a chance to revitalize his career with Spears, who he played with for 6 years. They know Woodward and Spears are a stop gap while they develop talent elsewhere, so they’ll be leaning on them to move the offense along. On defense, 1st overall pick LB Duane Ackerman has proven he is the best player on that side of the ball, which could either mean he is that good or the rest of the defense is not as good. The Lions have some moxie and something to prove, and it won’t be easy for the rest of the league to believe they can just walk over them.

C&C Appreciated!

Last edited by DireBear (1/26/2024 10:08 pm)

East Division
The first true expansion teams in the AFL would meet in the first week of the season, with the New York Lions falling at home against the Boston Dragons 19-13 in the first game for either team. Boston would narrowly win against Pittsburgh the following week and they quickly looked like they could be in competition for a playoff spot. However, it all came crashing down that week. The Dragons were extremely unlucky during that game, losing 4 players in their starting front 7 for multiple weeks during the middle of the season. Now starting mostly backups, the Dragons would lose their next 7 games and quickly fell out of playoff contention, only being mathematically eliminated after a loss to the Lions in the penultimate week of the season. The New York Lions on the contrary started out cold, losing their first 4 games though each by a single possession. Their first win in the AFL would come against a hapless Detroit squad, silencing them in a 19-0 trouncing on the road. Now with the two expansion teams in an already weak division, the new East was incredibly top-heavy.  The biggest turnaround and early favorite to win the division was Buffalo, roaring back from a 5-5 regular season where they lost the division title in the last week to start 5-1 in the first half of the season. Second-year QB Brendan Turnbull improved upon his Rookie of the Year campaign with the addition of two young wideouts in second-year Harry Chilton and ROTY winner Justin Harris, narrowly winning Offensive Player of the Year over division foe Johnnie Sellers and Cincinnati’s Lester Parker. Vincent Merritt got right back into his groove as a head coach, having a squad just about as talented as the 1950 Hawks team he lead to a title. The Hammers had a two-game lead over new division rival Washington, who started out with a rough 3-3 record and left many baffled at why they couldn’t perform at the level they had been over the past few years. After a narrow loss to the Lions in week 7, the Feds would go on a tear winning 4 out of their next 5 behind Sellers and Washington’s incredible offense. The Hammers would go .500 for the remainder of the season, allowing Washington to sneak up on the division lead and take it in the last week. Both teams needed each other to lose for them to win the division, and it came down to the final week for the division title to be decided. As for the two remaining teams competing for the last remaining spot, the Shamrocks and Lions were the epitome of mediocrity. The Lions struggled on offense, as they were heavily reliant on QB Roy Woodward and RB Jeffery Spears to make most of the plays on offense while the defense struggled to mesh together. Though through this, they limped to a 4-7 record and were still in it until the final week. The Shamrocks still had the same issues as last year, though RB Paul Barker broke through to become the featured player on a new-look offense. OJ DeMille struggled less than he did last year, though he mostly handed the ball off to the new tandem of Barker and Marion Waters, who is more likely than not playing his last year as a pro. They started out 3-2 but have since lost 5 of their last 6 and needed to win in the last week to make the playoffs. In the final week of the season, Buffalo went on the road against Cleveland, Washington hosted New York, and Pittsburgh was the visiting team to Boston. Buffalo was the only team the decisively beat their opponent, destroying the Crows 27-12 and had to hope that the Federals lost to the Lions. The Boston-Pittsburgh game was a back and forth affair, with Boston able to take a late 27-23 lead on a quick TD pass to WR Lloyd Lawson. Pittsburgh looked like they were stalling out on offense, but RB Paul Barker took a handoff inside and ran past the entire Dragons defense for a touchdown and the lead. The Shamrocks did leave a little too much time on the clock, and the Dragons had one last chance to score. Boston QB Adrian Alfonso was flushed on a second down and quickly threw a pass over the middle to WR Henry Conley, and Conley made two steps before LB Barry Moore knocked the ball loose and recovered by Pittsburgh to ensure the Shamrocks made the playoffs. The New York-Washington game was close but significantly less dramatic, as the Federals pulled out to a lead where the Lions weren’t to come back from, clinching the East Division title with a 16-10 win. The Buffalo Hammers blew a division title for the second straight year, and they’ll have to play one more game if they want to face the Federals for the championship.

West Division
To the surprise of absolutely no one, the Chicago Hogs claimed the best record in the league behind another MVP campaign by the sensational RB Billy Gould. Gould was able to pair perfectly with rookie RB Arthur Busch, whose brute force fared nicely in short yardage situations where Gould was not enough. QB Nathan Aldenberg proved that he is a worthy successor to Alfred Walton, though many thought that inheriting the starting QB role with the league’s best offensive line and backfield was nearly impossible to screw up. Aldenberg proved that he can lead an offense, and one good enough to carry them to a 7-0 start. Most knew that the final two playoffs spots would come down to a combination of Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Tri-Cities, and early on it looked like the Crows and one of the Rivermen or the Hawks would make it past the regular season. The one team that was never in this conversation was the perennially disappointing Detroit Knights. The Knights looked like they were going to repeat their 1953 winless campaign, starting out at an abysmal 9 points per game and allowing over 24 in the first 5 games of the season. QB Terry Kadlec had been on the hot seat entering the year, and his ineffectiveness at leading the Detroit offense was showing. It was at this time that the ailing August Riddle finally let the Kadlec experiment end after a 3-12 record for the young QB, promoting second-year Mike Major to the starting job after their week 6 bye. Major would get shellacked in his first outing as a starter, throwing 4 interceptions in a 17-3 loss to Buffalo, but rebounded to remain around the .500 mark entering the final week of the season. Their offense did improve significantly, doubling their points per game to be a more competitive team on that front. Their defense now held a lot of the blame as to why they kept on losing games, as the young offense struggled to keep up. The rest of the West for the year was a dogfight between Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Tri-Cities. The Crows were 4-2 by the middle of the year, with the Rivermen and Hawks not too far behind them at 3-3. Cleveland had a relatively easy end to the year, ending with games against Detroit, Boston, and New York as games that they should be able to win to get into the playoffs. However, they would blow all of those games by single-digits, and a humiliating loss to rival Cincinnati in the penultimate week would ultimately take them out of the playoff hunt with a disappointing 5-7 record to end the year. Cincinnati would ultimately take charge during the final half of the season, with QB Lester Parker nearly winning Offensive Player of the Year in his efforts to get the Rivs over the hump and back into the playoffs after a 2 year absence by finishing 4-1 before the final week. The Hawks would do the same in what many thought was going to be a “lame duck” year before the Rocco Vanthourenhout era started. HC Hugh Harrison made the best out of his players, propelling them to play above their potential and push their way to their first postseason appearance in 5 years. The Hogs had already locked up the division, and were going to play their backups against the Rivermen on Thanksgiving. Cincinnati would do the same, marking the first career starts for Dwight Moon (Chicago) and Addison Golden (Cincinnati). The Rivermen would get out to an early lead, but the Hogs came roaring back in the second half to take a late 23-22 lead on a field goal. Golden would try his best to get into the endzone, but was stopped just short of K Brian Singer’s field goal range. Knowing they would have to win to get a home game in the playoffs, HC Alfred Joseph decided to go for a 48-yarder. His gamble would pay off, as the kick sailed through the uprights to end the first regular season Thanksgiving game as an all-time classic. The AFL would not get to celebrate its Thanksgiving victory for long, as the very next day Detroit Knights owner August Riddle died at the age of 79. His son, Florian, would personally meet with the ailing Knights squad the day before their final game of the year against the Hawks, inspiring them to win one in his honor. Tri-Cities had decided to rest their starters knowing they already were in the playoffs, but still needed to outscore the Knights by 12 in order to clinch the second seed. They underestimated a newly reinvigorated Knights team, who silenced them 23-14 in the memory of their late owner. Tri-Cities HC Hugh Harrison defended his position of resting his starters, stating that he was not worried about losing because their primary squad had already fought so hard to reach their current position that they needed the rest before the following week. While many were furious in the moment, it didn't matter to some, as the Hawks were officially back in the postseason.

Awards:
Most Valuable Player: CHI RB Billy Gould
Offensive Player of the Year: BUF QB Brendan Turnbull
Defensive Player of the Year: CIN DB Kerry Lantz
Rookie of the Year: BUF WR Justin Harris
Coach of the Year: CIN Alfred Joseph

West Division Semifinal: (3) Tri-Cities Hawks @ (2) Cincinnati Rivermen
1955 H2H: W2 - CIN 14-21 TRI, W8 - TRI 10-19 CIN
Historic H2H: 5-4-1 CIN
Playoff H2H: 0-0

Two teams that have been struggling to get back to the championship face off against one another to move on in the playoffs. This is the first postseason game for both of these teams’ cores, with Cincinnati revamping its RB since last making it in 1952 and Tri-Cities finally making it back since their 1950 title. The Rivermen and Hawks are roughly equivalent in offensive power, but the Hawks’ defense has been suspect all year. Ever since trading away their best player DL Ralph Rogers and not finding anyone to fill his spot, the Hawks have been relying on their secondary, especially DB William Owens and S Tom Meltzger, to make plays and stop teams from gashing their front seven. Unluckily for them, Cincinnati has one of the league’s best backfield RB combinations of Perry Ferguson and Billy Garcia that will make mincemeat of defensive lines if they are not careful.
My Pick: Cincinnati

East Division Semifinal: (3) Pittsburgh Shamrocks @ (2) Buffalo Hammers
1955 H2H: W1 - BUF 9-22 PIT, W9 - PIT 16-20 BUF
Historic H2H: 4-2 BUF
Playoff H2H: 1-1

Buffalo’s offense was on fire to begin the year, but now has mellowed out and as a result saw their division title slide right out of their hands in the final weeks. QB Brendan Turnbull improved upon his rookie year with an OPOY award thanks to ROY WR Justin Harris and new HC Vincent Merritt’s coaching. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, limped into the playoffs. Their offense scored the second-most points in the league this season, but still finished with a negative point differential as they got blown out 3 times this year. Besides that, the Shamrocks could be a pain to deal with if they get their act together and play how they were at the beginning of the year. Both teams are coming off of collapses to end the year, so one of them will have to break their losing streaks and rise up if they want to get any further. The Hammers’ offense did not slow down to end the year, so it will more likely than not be them to come out on top.
My Pick: Buffalo

C&C Appreciated!