THREE WEEKS BEFORE PLAYOFFS- 10 TEAMS IN THE HUNT

There are just 3 weeks remaining in the PFL season. 10 of the 16 teams remain in the running for the 8 play-off places. These last 3 weeks all feature exclusively divisional contests.

Tonight the Bears who are in the 8th spot entertain the Knights in an important match up. If the Bears lose, the Miners can gain ground on the 8th spot. The Knights are one game behind the 96ers at the top of the PFL East and will be looking to keep this competitive until the two meet on the final day. The Landor 96ers host the Melborg Giants at noon on Sunday.

Also competing for the final play-off place, are the Chakota Wasps, who will need to win all their remaining 3 games to have even a chance. They are away to the Oakland Ravens this week. The Ravens themselves, being two games behind the Adelphia Phoenix will be looking to continue to press for the PFL Central divisional title. The 12-3 Phoenix are away to the Rochester Trojans, who will be looking for revenge for their earlier thrashing.

The PFL North has been headed by the Caligara Bulldogs since day one, with the Ballymore Tigers coming over a losing streak to maintain a challenge from the runner-up position. The number one seed Bulldogs are at home to the abysmal Harteford Hawks, whilst the Tigers entertain the equally woeful Steelers. With a three-game lead, the Bulldogs are still expected to be the divisional winner and the number one seed.

It’s been a one team show in the PFL West, with the Hallas Stars running through the opposition. The San Angelo Miners have been at around .500 the entire season, they need victories to end the season to gain the final play-off place. The Aragorn Eagles began the season in disarray, when Cameron read had to leave the team for personal reasons so that he could return home to America. They have been 3-6 since his return, which is not bad bearing in mind he’s had to hit the ground running.

The St George Sharks have been a disaster this season, with quarterback Dre Nalen suffering a regression and later injury. The team will likely be moving on from Nalen in the 2021 draft, unless somebody becomes available in free agency.

Current play-off standings:

	PLAYOFF ORDER
	PFL	P	W	L	D	PF	PA	PCT	PD
1	Caligara Bulldogs	15	13	2	0	426	306	.867	120
2	Landor 96ers	15	12	3	0	429	333	.800	96
3	Adelphia Phoenix	15	12	3	0	475	316	.800	159
4	Hallas Stars	15	10	5	0	459	345	.667	114
5	N.C. Knights	15	11	4	0	396	339	.733	57
6	Ballymore Tigers	15	10	5	0	383	356	.667	27
7	Oakland Ravens	15	10	5	0	384	335	.667	49
8	Bristow Bears	15	9	6	0	342	345	.600	-3
–	San Angelo Miners	15	7	8	0	361	340	.467	21
–	Chakota Wasps	15	6	9	0	407	364	.400	43
x	Melborg Giants	15	5	10	0	313	354	.333	-41
x	Rochester Trojans	15	4	11	0	330	429	.267	-99
x	Iomagh Steelers	15	4	11	0	245	411	.267	-166
x	Eregon Eagles	15	3	12	0	281	384	.200	-103
x	St. George Shark	15	2	12	1	284	391	.167	-107
x	Harteford Hawks	15	1	13	1	214	381	.100	-167

‘-‘ in contention, ‘x ‘eliminated

Week 18 fixtures:

Bristow Bears		vs		New Chester Knights (FRI)
Landor 96ers		vs		Melborg Giants
Rochester Trojans		vs		Adelphia Phoenix
Ballymore Tigers		vs		Iomagh Steelers
Caligara Bulldogs		vs		Harteford Hawks
St. George Sharks		vs		Eregon Eagles
Oakland Ravens		vs		Chakota Wasps (SUN Night)
San Angelo Miners		vs		Hallas Stars (MON)

PFL WEST 2020-21 REVIEW

PFL West: Eregon Eagles | Hallas Stars | San Angelo Miners | St. George Sharks

EREGON EAGLES

What type of Eagles team will turn up for the 2020-21 season? It is not helped by QB Cameron Reed having to return to the US over family issues. Veteran QB Bo Mills has just been added in. The Eagles have a good balanced team, who on their day can compete. The problem for the past three seasons has been if the do in fact, show up.

HALLAS STARS

The Stars are looking to rebound from THAT defeat in the playoffs. Chase Hand had a terrific season under Centre, throwing for 5,000 yards and 39 TDs. The defence, for most part played excellently. If not for that second-half slump in a playoff game, we could have been looking at the new champions. They will have to shake off that loss to be stronger this time around.

SAN ANGELO MINERS

The Ryan Bruce era begins! The former Trojan QB is now heading up the Miners. San Angelo are stacked with talent as they have gone all in for the ‘now’. Last season, it didn’t work, but with Bruce’s relatively cap-friendly deal (for a starting QB), it allowed them to other key retain players. Allen and Higgins are hungry young runners, the receiving corps is great. Should be challenging for top of the PFL West- with the Stars.

ST. GEORGE SHARKS

The Sharks are another team that are hard to read, They often struggle against lesser teams, whilst bringing it on against the league’s finest. QB Dre Nalen is a top-tier passer, whilst the defence, lead by Finnish nationals Heikki Karppinen and Niku Laukkanen is good enough to challenge anyone. The hardest team to predict, as they could as easily win the division as sit at the bottom.

PFL NORTH 2020-21 PREVIEW

PFL North| Ballymore Tigers | Caligara Bulldogs | Harteford Hawks | Iomagh Steelers

The PFL North is a balanced division, in that there are two very strong teams and two very weak teams! Due to the new format, Ballymore and Caligara faced off for the championship in 2018-19. Harteford and Iomagh have been battling it out at the bottom, not what either fanbase would like.

BALLMORE TIGERS

The Tigers are still a strong team, with Cam Rogers at the helm, the Tigers are still the main team that took the title two years ago.

The defence is still the focus of the team, with a little bit of sprucing up, they could become elite in 2020. Drafted Alfred Foster to pick up from Sam Randall as the pass rusher. Patrick Harper left under FA, so Bob Taylor and Freddie Boyle will compete.

CALIGARA BULLDOGS

The defending champions are still stacked with talent, but do they have the hunger after successive Crystal Bowl appearances? Jon Palmer is a great young head coach, who let’s his experts do their jobs. If there’s no need to tinker with a winning formula, they could well be biting their foes in the playoffs. Zack Slater (QB) to Seth Slater (WR) is still an extremely good combination.

HARTEFORD HAWKS

Last season was a progression for the mean green flyin’ machine. The Hawks went from 2-16 to 6-12. This year they will look to build on that siccess (9-9?). They are a balanced team, they will need either rookie QB Aaron Murphy or Dexter Williams to come good. If the defence is stronger, it should help even out the scores too. Veteran RBs Marshall Knight and Donovan Kelly were massive upgrades for the run game.

IOMAGH STEELERS

Iomagh were a disaster last season, going 2-16, with a couple of horrendous blowouts. Off-season trades were aplenty, and they were very active in the free agent market. Brandon Mullen and Kelvin Stewart (remember when he was the golden boy?) will compete for the starting role at QB. Thomas Linderholm returns from injury to help what was a leaky front line last term. Will do well do double their victory count from last year, though.

PFL CENTRAL 2020-21 PREVIEW

PFL CENTRAL: Adelphia Phoenix | Chakota Wasps | Oakland Ravens | Rochester Trojans

The PFL Central lost the Tallassea Oilers but gained the two-time Crystal Bowl winners Adelphia Phoenix in 2020. This will be a great line-up for a strong, competitive, division.

ADELPHIA PHOENIX

The Phoenix picked up quite the coup, picking up RB Kylian Floyd in the draft. He, along with Jamal Davies (first round pick in 2018), should mean that they will have replaced Marshall Knight. QB Matt Kelly shows know sign of ageing yet, and a good receiver core means the attacking force is strong.

The defence is still a worry. The line is good, with Blake and Dez Williams being particularly strong. The midfield is mixed, whilst the back four have been suspect for the last two seasons. 50-50 to make the playoffs.

CHAKOTA WASPS

With Trent Harris or Eric Chandler at the helm, the Wasps look hot on the offensive. Neil James is a standard RB and the line is good holding off the defence just enough. Defensively, they are hit and miss, Like Adelphia, this could cost them when it counts.

OAKLAND RAVENS

With a young,dynamic QB in Tayvon Coles (from Ohara) running this team, they should pound their enemies into submission. A tough team from top to bottom. I fancy them to win the division as the most balanced team.

ROCHESTER TROJANS

The Trojans took a chance with QB Josh Hennigan, and that could easily prove to be a good move. The Trojans will need to keep everyone around him healthy. Moving on from Ryan Bruce was a good idea, now they need to be ruthless in other areas. They won’t have enough to challenge for the division this year, but should not exactly be walkovers either.

PFL EAST 2020-21 PREVIEW

PFL EAST: Bristow Bears | Landor 96ers | Melborg Giants | New Chester Knights

The 2020-21 starts on Friday 18th September, with the champion Bulldogs hosting the Tigers in the big kickoff. The PFL East doesn’t have long to wait though, as they start on Sunday September 20th. League newcomers Bristow, who replaced the outgoing Tallassea Oilers have a difficult placement.

BRISTOW BEARS

The Bears have on paper a decent squad, with some PFL journeymen and great young players. Will this be enough to get the team in the playoffs? It is unlikely, but QB Brad Robinson is accurate and they inherited deep-ball threat Edjerious Jones and RB Lamar Hall give the team more than hope. Coaching could be the key to that fine line between success and failure for the Bears.

LANDOR 96ERS

The ‘Sixers have a tremendous defence, that will play havoc with ANY team’s gameplan. The Attacking options are going to be the key. Veteran QB Kurt Sierra is injury-prone, whilst WRs Robert Johnson and Asante Brown are not getting any younger. If the ‘O’ play strong this team could very well go all the way to CB 51.

MELBORG GIANTS

The Giants are still in a bit of a rebuild mode. QB Tom Tomkowski has not been the steal that some thought he would be. His accuracy improved last year, as his running stats went down. Their vocal home support the ‘G-Fence’ will need to carry this team somewhat.

NEW CHESTER KNIGHTS

The Knights are going to be there or thereabouts once again this season, aren’t they? Elijah Brooks will always make time to find people, the plethora of receivers always keeps the passing game good and defence honest. Veteran RB Chauncey Smith will have help in 2020-21.

The Knights have a good, young defence, lead by AMF Stephen Cooks and CMF Cooper Riley. Will battle with the 96ers for the division title, now Adelphia are in the Central.

Vin Marshall fronts PFL 2021 game cover

As Supreme Sports release their latest PFL simulation football game, PFL2021, 2019-20 Defensive MVP Vin Marshall of the Landor 96ers was chosen to appear on the front cover.

As Vin also headed the University Football game series in 2017, he became only the second player to appear on both games’ covers.

PFL Draft 2020

PFL University Graduates | Players Draft 2020

The first round selections for the 2020 PFL Draft took place on Friday 5th June in the city of Chakota.

There were a few trades, including the number two and number five pick, but the teams picked mostly as predicted.

Michago’s highly rated End Tony Boswell was selected first by the Iomagh Steelers. He is expected to bring an intensity and pass rush that has been lacking for the steel men.

Next up, new entrants the Bristow Bears (replacing Tallassea Oilers) traded their selection to the Harteford Hawks for their bookend Lock (Offensive Tackle) Paul Ortiz. This is Ortiz’s third team in only four seasons! With that selection, the Hawks picked End Eugene Webber from Alberta. Quick and great in pursuit, he is a great addition for the Hawks.

The Eregon Eagles boosted their forward line with Sam Grayson, a Lock (Offensive Tackle) from Stamford. He will be expected to immediately replace retired veteran Reggie Cobb.

Melboro surprised a few in the fourth pick on day one, they needed a good running back and it was between Oakland’s Eric Foster and Granada’s Kylian Floyd. The Giants thought that Foster’s running style suited them best so selected him. This meant that the Adelphia Phoenix were immediately on the phone to Harteford, who held the no. 5. After agreeing a swap of first round picks and a few further later picks, Adelphia held the number five pick and chose Kylian Floyd. They now have two good ball carriers in the backfield.

Another Granada graduate went next, as Winger Andre Peters was chosen by the San Andreas Sharks. Lock Mike Sanders from Alberta followed, by the Rochester Trojans.

The Ballymore Tigers boosted their ageing midfield core with Madison’s Alfred Foster, before the New Chester Knights used their acquired pick from the Ravens to get lineman Marcus McDougal (Oakland State) and then their next pick was End Harrison Walters (O’Connell).

The Hawks picked at 12, acquired in  the deal with the Phoenix. Granada’s QB Aaron Murphy was their choice. Another first-round QB to try and turn the team around.

Selection thirteen was Clementine’s Guard Kyrie Gibson, who will be spending his days blocking for the San Angelo Miners. Gibson is a hot-headed but skilled lineman. Another lineman followed at 14, where the Hallas Stars chose Cody Jackson to block for Chase Hand.

The Wasps and champion Bulldogs closed out the first round. Chakota Wasps picked DB Nate Hanks out of Oakland State’s defensive backfield. He can play anywhere in the back four spots.  The Caligara Bulldogs chose Ohara’s outstanding outside Midfielder Jerious Faulk, who they will be very pleased to have got at the end of the first round. A year ago, he was projected as a potential top five pick by some experts.

The Complete First Round:

#	Team	Player	Pos	University	Notes
1	Steelers	Tony Boswell	DE	Michago
2	Hawks	Eugene Webber	DE	Alberta	From BEARS
3	Eagles	Sam Grayson	L	Stamford
4	Giants	Eric Foster	RB	Oakland
5	Phoenix	Kylian Floyd	RB	Granada	from HAWKS
6	Sharks	Andre Peters	WR	Granada
7	Trojans	Mike Sanders	L	Alberta
8	Tigers	Alfred Foster	MF	Madison
9	Knights	Marcus McDougal	G/L	Oakland State	From RAVENS
10	Knights	Harrison Walters	DE	O’Connell
11	96ers	Darren Roberts	QB	Eregonia State
12	Hawks	Aaron Murphy	QB	Granada	From PHOENIX
13	Miners	Kyrie Gibson	G	Clementine
14	Stars	Cody Jackson	OT	Ohara
15	Wasps	Nate Hanks	DB	Oakland State
16	Bulldogs	Jerious Faulk	AMF	Ohara

Crystal Bowl 50: Bulldogs leave it late to snatch victory

Crystal Bowl 50 | PFL Championship

CHAKOTA WASPS  24
  CALIGARA BULLDOGS  25

	1	2	3	4	ET	FT
CHAKOTA	7	3	7	7	–	24
CALIGARA	6	3	3	13	–	25

1st Quarter:
CAL   FG Wright 41; 3-0
CAL   FG Wright 44; 6-0
CHA  Harris 46 pass to Tucker (Wall kick); 6-7
2nd Quarter:
CAL   FG Wright 37; 9-7
CHA  FG Wall 39; 9-10
3rd Quarter:
CAL   FG Wright 31; 12-10
CHA  Harris 27 pass to Blackmon (Wall kick); 12-17
4th Quarter:
CAL   Slater 8 pass to Morales (Wright Kick); 19-17
CHA  Harris 12 pass to Rogers (Wall kick); 19-24
CAL   Slater 36 pass to Slater (Conver failed); 25-24

The Caligara Bulldogs required two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter from QB Zack Slater to come from behind to gian redemption from last year’s title game loss.
Slater had an uncomfortable first half, completing only six of thirteen passes. RB Jeremy Franklin had gained nearly 100 yards to keep the Bulldogs competitive.

The Wasps had a good performance from Trent Harris at the helm, gaining 274 yards through the air and three touchdowns. Harris overcame a second quarter interception, to lead the team to 10-9, 17-12 and 24-19 leads. His second interception effectively ended the game with 00:54 remaining.

Going into the fourth quarter, trailing 17-12, the Bulldogs regained the lead on an 8 yard pass from Slater to Morales. The lead didn’t last long, as Harris drove the Wasps downfield through the air, completing the drive with a 12 yarder to Shyrone Rogers.

The Bulldogs, with six minutes remaining needed another drive. Franklin gained two quick first downs on draw plays. Slater then found his namesake Seth on 9 and 11 yard gains. The Wasps were in their prevent defence and it was seeping gains (Ken Anderson limped off and Stephen Schmidt was playing hurt.

With 3:47 left on the clock, Zack found Seth- the Slater-to-Slater combination once more on a quick bubble screen. Seth evaded Schmidt and ran the remaining 36 yards for the score. The Bulldogs led by one point, so they attempted a two point conversion. Slater to Martinez didn’t work this time, so it remained a one point lead.

The Wasps final drive, needing just a field goal to win, ended when Kyle Neal intercepted a pass intended for Blackmon.

In just his second year as a Head Coach, Jon Palmer has topped the Mountain, an incredible achievement.

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Coaching Casualties after Reg. Season Ends

Several Teams have announced Coaching releases following the conclusion of the 2019-20 PFL Regular Season

 

IOMAGH STEELERS

General Manager Brian Watkins decided to retain Head Coach Chuck Johnson. Following conversations on Sunday night and through Monday, both coordinators have left by mutual agreement.

Fired – Attack Coordinator: Den Simpkins
Defence Coordinator: Simon Davies

 

MELBORG GIANTS

Giants management retained Head Coach Neil Fagan, but he let both his coordinators go and will announce their replacements soon.

Fired- Attack Co-ordinator: Fred Quinn, Defence Co-ordinator: Bill Brocker

 

ROCHESTER TROJANS

Owner John Michael Westerly and Chief Executive Kerry Marshall reportedly met with General Manager Cary Young and Head Coach Will James. They have fired Coach James, along with Deputy Coordinator Dory Lewis and Defensive Coordinator Ian Rudolph

Fired- Head Coach: Will James, Deputy Offensive Coordinator: Dory Lewis and Defensive Coordinator: Ian Rudolph.

 

 

 

Final Week: What went down and who got in

PFL Regular Season | Week 20

It was the final week of the PFL season this weekend, with ten teams vying for th eeight playoff spots. Six teams were guaranteed sports, so some needed a bit of help to get in. What wasn’t secured were the Divisional titles for the PFL East and PFL West.

PFL EAST

Adelphia Phoenix 26-10 Landor 96ers

Matt Kelly threw for 404 yards and 2 TDs, along with Jamal Davies getting 102 yards on the ground as the Phoenix overtook the 96ers to top spot in the East. The Phoenix defence contained veteran QB Kurt Sierra and his supporting cast, holding them to 210 total yards on the day. (Frank Bowman just 66).

The 96ers defence held the Phoenix to 3TDs and 3 FGs, when it could have been much worse. The 96ers also lost WB Edgar Jammer for the playoffs, as he nurses a broken collarbone. Disasterous day for the Sixers.