IHOF: Maassluis Merchantmen [Archive] - Page 6 - Front Office Football Central

MIJB#19

07-24-2006, 09:34 AM

General Manager Notes: 2011 Was Good, But Not Great
Meh...

So, one would say that after two seasons of .500 ball and below, you should be happy with an 11-5 record and a division title. Well, I'll be honest and say that crashing out in the wild card round was far from my hoped achievment. The Merchantmen defense grew into the league's best unit and set our offense up for easy wins week in week out. We failed. Sure, it was against the defending IHOF champs, but we were the better team and choked.

So, the Mohawks advanced, they knocked out the top seed Georgia Gridlock and returned to the AOC Championship game. Their surprising opponents were the Vicksburg Vipers, whom recorded their first playoff victory ever over the Rochester Lake Monsters. Our Futility Bowl rivals missed quarterback Jackie Williamson and were doomed from the start. The Vipers, lead by running back Ronnie Kemp, upset the Mohawks and advanced to IHOF Bowl VIII.

In IHOF Bowl VIII, the Vipers will meet the Frederick Red Menace. The 'commies' recorded their third consecutive NAC championship, tying the league record set by the North Plainfield Plague with AOC crowns from 2006 through 2008. The Red Menace overcame a superiour Ann Arbor Anachronism with the help of their quarterback. Zach Downing set a new playoffs record as he threw for 5 interceptions in a single game. One more than in 13 regular season games. It's going to be an interesting final, with two strong defenses. Boy, would the Merchantmen defense look good out there...

Anyway, our season is over and that makes for a good moment to review the entire 2011 roster. Player to player, I'll report on how they did and what you can expect from them in the upcoming season. Rest asured, we're currently expecting to start the 2012 off-season being about $4 million over the salary cap, but as the league office is negotiating for a new tv contract, we could luck into a healthier cap situation. Point being that every player on roster should be able to stay around. I'll start with the least important players and move down to the team's key players.

Kicker Paul Fabrizio joined us for the wild card game. He wasn't hired to do anything else than not kicking for our opponents. I've called it the worst $3 million dollars spent ever. It could be that indeed. In the upcoming off-season we expect him to retire. If he doesn't, we've got a shiny franchise tag for him and won't hesistate to trade him for a low draft pick to a team far away from being able to beat us.

Cornerback Tom Richmond was an emergency signing when Brian Spears picked up a season ending injury. Richmond could be a useful backup for us, but in the end he played in only one game and got too little playing time to really judge him. We could try to keep him through a free agency bid, but it will mostly depend on Brian Spears' return.

Running back Marquis Ong was acquired to be a locker room leader, but injury in pre-season made him an easy target for the injured reserve tag. Sadly it meant he couldn't join the team to mentor the young running backs like Scott Bagley and Quentin Hatchette, but he'll get plenty of opportunity next season. We don't expect Ong to flirt with retirment, but you never know with running backs.

Defensive tackle Shaun Shiroma was the fifth wheel on the wagon. We like Shaun's winner mentality and his skills, but we had four others capable of starting. He'll return next season and get another attempt to make our 53-men roster as one of eight defensive linemen. If only for the ability to play My Sharona one more time in Oranje Haven.

Guard Daniel Decastro was a late signing to the team. When we drafted J.J. Reilly, we felt that there was a need to get him a mentor. Decastro had the experience and playing skills to be a perfect candidate. In 2012, Decastro will likely be playing elsewhere. First of all, he's out of contract. Second, Decastro doesn't like his role anymore, but we won't forget to thank him for making Reilly into the player he is now.

Center Todd Serra is unhappy with his role. When we saw him unsigned, the scouting staff pressed for the abilityto get such a talented lineman. Serra was acquired mostly for 2012, to step in when Ned Cozart retires. Clearly, Serra isn't going to extend his contract past 2012 unless he knows for sure he's going to get more playing time. And that could be troublesome after the good season others on the line had.

Defensive end Aaron Sherrill is one of the favorite players of the management. In limited playing time he proved once again to be a worty guy in our defensive linemen rotation. Depending on what Erwin Baranowski will do, Sherrill is going to be a candidate once again for a roster spot in 2012.

Quarterback Harvey Nimmons pushed hard in pre-season and eventually won the 'hot prospect' roster spot over former second round pick Josh Webb. Sadly for him, Nimmons was rushed into play a couple of times and he completed only 3 of 12 passes, with 1 interception. That said, Nimmons guided the team in an impressive drive to beat the Bordeaux Vineyards and will more than likely get another chance in the 2012 off-season to win the 'hot prospect' role.

Kicker Al Bettis was once again a silent contributor. Over the years, Bettis became the IHOF's best kickoff specialist and he proved it once again in 2011. As always there will be a roster spot for him, but also as always, there will be some negotiations to make sure he doesn't get paid like an all downs starter.

Tight end Winston Van Pelt again proved to be a reliable player. In three seasons, he has been active in few passing plays, but when he was targets, he made the catch and played well. Van Pelt is still regarded as one of the best long snappers in the league and he's proven to be part of the reason why Cary Coles set a new consecutive converted field goals record. Talks for a contract extension will start as soon as the off-season kicks in.

Linebacker Carl Meier made a step back on the depth chart, but isn't complaining. Meier is an important figure in the locker room and has been very crucial in young Terrance White's improvement. When needed, Meier will step up and make plays for the team. Meier is end of contract after next season, so it seems likely he'll be presented a new two year contract somewhere in 2012.

Wide receiver Jesse Vielma had his least productive season to date. The arrival of competition for the #3 receiver role cost him a lot of playing time, and in his limited action, Vielma shined in dropping passes more than anything else. That said, it is believed that Vielma still has upside and as a much better option for depth than a green rookie.

Running back Scott Bagley once again made the team as our second kickoff returner. His cap figure was a little bit over the top, but that had a lot to do with the signing bonus of his rookie contract. His kickoff return average plummeted, meaning we're seriously going to reconsider his roster spot for 2012. Perhaps he'll be old and wise enough to grow into a mentor role next season?

Quarterback Justin McDavid once again did the team good for jersey sales. The idol of a lot of fans didn't see the field this season, sadly. McDavid is slowly growing into a role of a PR stunt, but still has great value as a mentor to young quarterbacks. As long as Justin's happy with his role, we're happy. Despite having played only 25 games for the team, he'll be a monument to the management and the fans.

Cornerback Winford Endicott once again showed how important he is to the team. With his experience and leadership, he brings the best out of the younger defensive backs and it paid back big time. The secondary has grown into being the Merchantmen's strongest unit. As Endicott will turn 35 in training camp, we're aware that 'Endi' might retire. If he doesn't, we'll be more than happy to have him stick around for another year.

Linebacker Terrance White has big shoes to fill, once he gets a starting role. Whether that will happen, time will tell, but so far he looks good to at least become a reliable rotation backup. White showed pass defense skills during the season, while he also showed the ability to make big plays. 2012 will be a bit of a season of truth, as we're expecting the older guys to continue to struggle and thus White going to start in more games. At least he can say he starting in games where we beat two of the league's strongest teams.

Safety Eddie Cole was rushed into a starting role early in the season. As was to be expected, Cole struggled and looked like the weakest link in the secondary. That said, a well timed interception against the Paris Musketeers kept the eyes on him. Cole is expected to see more playing time in 2012 as the full time rotation backup to both starting safeties.

Fullback Quentin Malicki had an unlucky season. Midway the season, Malicki suffered a broken fibula and was robbed from the opportunity to get playing time during starter Jamel Rosenberry's absence. In limited playing time, Malicki showed to be the wanted run blocking fullback, while he also showed his ability to make plays on passing downs. It's a matter of time for when 'Q' will become te full time starter at fullback.

Guard J.J. Reilly is the newest product in a long line of not so fancy draft picks. Reilly was caught as a failry developed rough diamond and was plugged into the starting lineup early in the season when injuries hit hard throughout the offensive line. With Reilly's good, but not great performance, he gained the respect of the other linemen and the fans. As a pass blocking expert, Reilly doesn't fit in the traditional Merchantmen guards profile, but he's already show progress in that area too.

Guard Butch White was the biggest victim of the apparent depth along the offensive line. Following a disastrous streak of games, White was benched and never recovered from a horrible season with a very low run blocking percentage and a scary high sacks allowed percentage. With White's paycheck, his future on the team is in serious jeopardy with the emergance of rookie J.J. Reilly.

Safety Emile William missed a couple of games early in the season. In previous season that wouldn't have been a problem, as William has become the main backup, but this season it was. The arrival of Eddie Cole didn't demote William to being a reserve player yet, but his playing time was lower than ever before in Maassluis. He's still a valuable member of the team, but could be a late roster cut casualty in 2012, in favor of a young new defensive back.

Quarterback Richard Bell was a relative cheap acquisition the past off-season. In a heated battle with a couple of youngers quarterbacks, Bell came out of pre-season as the new #2 quarterback. IN seven games of activity, Bell had mixed results, from an impressive game against Bordeaux to two shutouts. With a quarterback rating of 72, Bell didn't impress, but for now he looks like the best option as #2. But you never know what the 2012 off-season brings.

Defensive tackle Andy Weliczka gained a lot of respect. After four years as a starter, including the succes years 2007 and 2008, Weliczka dropped to a role on the inactive roster in 2011. Weliczka didn't stir trouble and took his role as it was. With injuries always hitting, Weliczka got to play in six games afterall, but his time as a starter looks over. Roster spots mathematically allowing, Weliczka will be held to his contract and stick around through the 2013 season. But it will depend on his willingness to tone down his salary cap figure.

Defensive tackle Andrew Rasmussen has been called a future starter long ago. Following his decent 2011 season as the rotation backup, Rasmussen is still regarded as the future starter in case Chalres Gomez or Frank Bernard calls it quits. Perhaps it will happen sooner and Rasmussen takes control in 2012?

Cornerback Myron Stevens again lived up to his role. As the fifth best cornerback on the team, Stevens has to step up when the team is in the worst state, when injuries have hit hard. Stevens managed to get playing time in all games this season and only once was really blown away by the opposing wide receivers. Stevens once again showed to be a worthy rotation backup to the starters.

Defensive end Erwin Baranowski has likely played his last game in Oranje Haven. With another decent performance as a rotation backup, Baranowski looked good last season. But time isn't Bara's friend, during the 2012 season he will turn 38. It is hoped that he brought enough information over to the younger guys to start mentoring the new fourth end of the unit in 2012. He'll be greatly missed if he retires.

Cornerback Brian Spears had a rollercoaster season. After an impressive performance in the first seven games, with 3 interceptions and 7 defended passes, Spears looked on pace to get a starting role. Then faith called, Spears suffered a torn rotator cuff and has missed the second half of the season, including the playoffs. The verdict isn't out yet, but once Spears returns, fear is there he won't be able to live up to his great 2011 form.

Tight end Arnold Ramirez is a quiet contributor. Over the years, he got plenty of playing time at tight end and even fullback. In 2011 injuries hit more than before and Ramirez had to step up more often. His numbers weren't impressive, but the management is confident that Ramirez is one of the best backup tigt ends in the league.

Running back Quentin Hatchette surprised a lot of people. In relief of Courtney Osgood, Hatchette got a lot of carriers, especially mid-season. With over 600 yards and an average of almost 4.6 yards per carry, Hatchette was a very good backup. With four fumbles during the season, Hatchette did show some weakness. In 2012 he's expected to provide even more depth after having spent more time on the team.

Offensive tackle Cornelius Rice put his future into danger. Following three seasons as a starter with 6 sacks allowed, Rice reached the same figure in just half a season. He will definately kept around for cohesion, but his time as the starting right tackle could be over. Unless Rice starts working on his weaknesses.

Offensive tackle Louis Bell had an up and down season. Bell emerged into a starting role, but didn't shine all the time. With 8 sacks allowed in 14 games, Bell was one of the reasons why the pass protection was one of the team's weaknesses. In return, Bell played a reliable role for the running game and will still be regarded as the replacement left tackle when Ivan Jacques is unavailable.

Guard Timothy Lacy had a strange season. In two different games, Lacy proved to be the team's best run blocker, leading the team with 6 key run blocks. But in the six remaining games he played, he added only six more, and saw the team go 1-5 in those games. Lacy suffered several injuries and turned out to be replaced easily. He'll continue to be seen as a top run blocker on the team, but could be a reserve until Ned Cozart retires.

Defensive end Wally Mattingly was the team's best pass rusher in 2011. With 33 broken passing plays, Mattingly was a dangerous player and was part of the reason why the team has one of the best pass defenses in the league. Depending on the arrival of a new defensive end in 2012, Mattingly is expected to continue to start. Interesting note is that Mattingly was one of only four players to start in every game of the season.

Wide receiver Devin Henson can't be happy about 2011. Following the success of others, Henson lost his title as the league's best kickoff return specialist, as he dropped to third in most career kickoff return touchdowns. That said, Henson was once again a top ten returner and didn't fumble in any of his return attepmts. His role as a wide receivers seems over though, so he's going to have to step it up again as return specialist next year.

Defensive tackle Frank Bernard has some trouble living up to the hype. Being Charlez Gomez' sidekick, people are expecting impressive statistics from a guy like Bernard, but he's always a tad weaker than Gomez. Still, his talent is undeniable and he did played his role in making our defense go from one of the better to one of the best.

Wide receiver Drew McConnell quickly grew into being the #3 receiver. With 339 yards receiving, he set a new career best. With his leadership, McConnell is an important figure in the locker room to maintain peace amongst the players. And with a season under his belt here, he should be able to improve his play next season.

Punter Sean Smalley once again did a decent job. sadly his figure of In20's dropped, but his overall average was on par with 2010. Highlight of the season was his screamer early in the playoff game, where he nailed the ball at the Mohawks one-yard line, to set up a safety.

Linebacker Albert Boggess finished the season on injured reserve. The latest news is that he is likely returning at full strenght next season, which is a good sign. In 2011, Boggess became a starter and showed his importance for the run defense. His pass defense skills could use some improvement, but with 2 interceptions, he was just one shy of being one of the team leaders.

Linebacker Mike Kershner returned to action following what seemed to be a career ending injury. Of course his hurt knee limited his ability to play from time to time, but with activity in 12 games, including 8 starts, he came back pretty strong. Kershner is going to be out of contract after 2012, so his future in Maassluis, especially given his age and knee problems, could be non-existent.

Safety Broderick Schultz missed the start of the season, but after his returned he managed to survive and post his best season in Maassluis in statistics. With 3 interceptions, 7 defended passes and only 13 catches allowed, Schultz even ended up in the higher regions of defensive backs in pass defense quotient.

Cornerback Sammie Kennedy was regarded as a problem child the past seasons. After three seasons of fear he wouldn't live up to his potential, he showed that he exceeded the early expectations. With 2 interceptions and 13 defended passes, Kennedy was one of the best cornerbacks in the entire league. He was tied for first in pass defense quotient amongst cornerbacks with at least 300 passing plays. Tied with teammate Tai Wayne.

Fullback Jamel Rosenberry had a disappointing 2011 campaign. Rosenberry got hurt a bit too often and eventually played in only 10 games. For starters, with 27 receptions, he was 50 below his 2010 production. Rosenberry is expected to stick around as the third down specialist, but it isn't a sure thing. being in the last year of his contract next season, it could very well be his last in Maassluis.

Kicker Cary Coles was awarded All IHOF first team honors by the FOF selection committee. With 32 out of 33 field goals converted, Coles set a new IHOF record in field goal percentage at 96.9. Sadly, his streak of consecutive kicks ended in the last game of the season, after he had scored on 46 straight three-pointers. Don't be shocked if Coles is going to ask for a raise in his salary figures this off-season.

Defensive end Omar Gougeon finished the season in the league's top ten sack machines. With 8.5 sacks in 14 games, Gougeon was a major threat for loss of yards to opposing offenses. Gougeon appears to be fully developed and really makes the best from his career. 8.5 sacks equalled his personal single-season best. A good sign after having missed most of last season.

Wide receiver Jewell Simpson will never live up to expectations. After he was acquired for a first round pick, Simpson had a lot of pressure and media attention to cope with. That aside, in an injury plagued season, missing a third of it, he managed to have his highest figures in catches (46) and touchdowns (6) ever. Maybe the deep threat receiver is finally getting warmed up?

Center Ned Cozart has been underused by us. He's arguably the best run blocker on team, but with our other center doing such a great job, Cozart started in only 9 games, and most of them at guard. He isn;t getting any younger either, while he's been disgruntled over lack of playing time. If he doesn't retire, we've got to make a serious decission about whether we're going to keep him, or not.

Center Brant Heinrich was the best offensive lineman of the team. Granted, in talent he isn't even top five, but in performance, he was the most reliable run blocker as well as the most reliable pass blocker. An amazing comeback, after missing most of the 2010 season in a backup role.

Linebacker Bernie Surry is more and more turning into a quiet performer. His pass defense statistics weren't as impressive as in the past, but in return he worked hard to become the team's top tackler. In the end he came 1 tackles short to beating Cody Cluff in that figure.

Tight end Jim Reiser once again led the team in catches. But in contrast to that figure, he posted his lowest yards per catch figure ever as a starter. His run blocking support is also still far from stellar, meaning there could be traditional contract negotiations to make Reiser drop a few spots in the fat contract list of the team. Afterall, we also has Arnold Ramirez, a guy who can start too.

Safety Lincoln Gilmore had a very good season. With 53 tackles, 3 interceptions and 7 defended passes, his numbers are not screaming all-world, but we know he is one of the best strong safeties in the league. Like with most of our players, his salary figure is slowly rising, so we've got to look out for how long we need to keep him. Don't get me wrong, Gilmore is arguably the best fit four our system, but we do have an Eddie Cole waiting in the wings now.

Wide receiver Bryce Ewald set two franchise records this season! First he set the new receiving touchdowns record at 7 and then he added enough yards to post the first season of over 800 yards in Maassluis, gaining 850 yards. All in all very amazing since we missed passing for 200 or more yards per game for the first time since the abmisal 177.7 yards in 2006.

Linebacker Cody Cluff saw an impressive streak ended. After seven seasons of at least 90 tackles, the former Defensive Rookie of the Year was held to 65 tackles this season. Cluff missed seven games (including the one where he got hurt very early on) due to injury. But Cluff came back strong as soon as he returned. Under his guidance, we went back from a good defense to arguably the best in the league.

Cornerback Tai Wayne became one of the best players in te league this season. With 24 defended passes and 1 interception, Wayne became the league's leading cornerback in pass defense quotient. With 51 tackles, he also was a great support to help out elsewhere on the field when he wasn't busy covering his receiver. He is never going to be a leader in interceptions, but to us he's a perfect shutdown cornerback.

Running back Courtney Osgood was, according to some, the breakout player of the year. Personally, I think it's a bit too much honor for a guy who never got a chance to start, but his stats don't lie. Far behind the two league's 2000-yard rushers, Osgood finished eleventh in rushing yards with 1,301 yars, coming only 5 short to tie the franchise record. His 4.6 yards per carry average was even more impressive, as was his total of seven 100-yard games, including 150 in the playoff game again the Mohawks.

Quarterback Louie Flannery turned out to be irreplacable. Under his guidance, the team won five games in a row, twice, while during his absence, the offense got shutout twice (including a game where he left early). With 11 interceptions, Flannery clearly improved his mistake-free game. But at the same time, Flannery had a career low in passing yards, missing the 2,500-yard mark for the first time.

Left tackle Ivan Jacques had another impressive season. With only 2 sacks allowed in 510 passing plays, he lived up to his normal pass protection standards. In the running game, he did his share of support as well, making 26 key run blocks. Minor injuries are more and more slowing Jacques down a bit, while the big day day is coming up soon. But Jacques was the most important player of the team, as the two games he missed were the two were we were shutout.

Defensive tackle Charles Gomez is mentioned last because he's still the best player of the team. His overall production has gone down a little bit as he looked a little bit slower and weaker than in the past seasons. Gomez even missed the FOF committee All-IHOF honors for the first time since 2004, ending the league's longest active streak of being awarded. Gomez didn't start in two games, and just like with oter top players, these were the two shutout losses. Just another sign of how important he really is.

With all that covered, one thing still has to be done. I have to announce the final standings of the 2011 Merchantmen PLayer of the Year, based on my own points for players. Courtney Osgood, Bernie Surry and Wally Mattingly picked up the last bits of points, resulting in the following standings:

1. Courtney Osgood 32 points
2. Tai Wayne 21 points
3. Louie Flannery 20 points
4. Cody Cluff 14 points
5. Bryce Ewald and Omar Gougeon 13 points
7. Jewell Simpson 10 points
8. Cary Coles and Wally Mattingly 9 points
10. Lincoln Gilmore, Charles Gomez and Bernie Surry 8 points
13. Sammie Kennedy 7 points
14. Ivan Jaqcues 6 points
15. Timothy Lacy 5 points
16. Richard Bell, Albert Boggess, Broderick Schultz and Terrance White 3 points
20. Jim Reiser, Cornelius Rice and Brian Spears 2 points
23. Erwin Baranowski, Frank Bernard, Brant Heinrich and J.J. Reilly 1 point

MIJB#19

07-25-2006, 08:36 AM

2012 Retirement Day: Merchantmen Lose Baranowski
It's that time of the year again, general manager all around the IHOF kept close to their phones. Players in the IHOF get one day to fill the retirement papers and that day was yesterday. The Maassluis Merchantmen saw defensive end Erwin Baranowski retire. Around the league other former Merchantmen players. Who called it quits?

"Erwin Baranowski was a role model," said Merchantmen defensive coordinator Thomas Dotson, "A great example to the younger linemen." Baranowski played four season in Maassluis following three years with the Asheville Axemen and a lone season with the Outer Banks Ospreys. With the Ospreys he played in IHOF Bowl IV. At the time of his retirement, Bara' ranks 21st all-time in career sacks, with 49.5 quarterback tackles for a loss.

Defensive tackle Charles Gomez was sad to see Baranowski go: "Bara' was a great guy, always working hard and a fast pass rusher, even at his older age." Linebacker Bernie Surry said: "With Bara', I knew what to do. We had a good understanding of who would do what. Bara' would say things like: 'I will keep that tackle buys' and he'd always do what he said."

Baranowski played 61 games for the Merchantmen. In those game he recorded 20.5 sacks, 41 quarterback hurries, 12 blocked passes, 76 tackles and 28 assists. Baranowski was part of the European championship roster of 2008 and 2011. In week 16 of the 2010 season, Baranowski had his best game, as he recorded 3 sacks and 6 tackles to earn Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Baranowski wasn't the only player to play for the orange-white-and-blue who called it quits. Three players retired from roster of other teams, while ten men retired as a free agent.

Running back Joseph Schoen upset the Gothenburg Giants management by calling for an early retirement, at the age of 29. Schoen joined the Giants through trade last off-season, coming over from the Merchantmen. Schoen played 43 regular season games for the Merchantmen, in which he ran for 1,438 yards. Schoen scored 18 touchdowns in that period and provedc to be a decent punt return option. His longest stint with a team was at teh Georgia Gridlock. There nicknamed 'The Shoe' after the Dutch translation of "shoe" being "schoen", he posted two 1,000-yard seasons before he got traded. At the time of retirement, Schoen ranks 40th overall in yards from the line of scrimmage.

Quarterback Josh Webb was a big surprise retirement. The 28-year old play caller was drafted in 2010, 53rd overall. Webb was touted as the future #2 quarterback of the franchise, but he didn't work out in the early years. Webb lost the competition to Thad Pilkington for the #2 role in 2010, while in 2011 he lost to Richard Bell and Harvey Nimmons for the roster spots. Webb played in six games as the kick holder, while in one game he was thrown into the mix. With Webb at quarterback, the Merchantmen lost 20-0 to a winless Telluride Outlaws team, as he completed 5 of 13 passes for 35 yards and an interception.

Fullback Henry Poston also never lived up to the hype. Poston was the last survivor of the 2007 5th round quintet. Poston played 21 games in 2007 through 2009, while he spent 2010 on injured reserve. Eventually Poston lost the roster spot battle to Quentin Malicki, who appears to become the 2012 starter. Poston didn't find a new team after release from Maassluis.

Guard Alvin Causey didn't play much in Maassluis, but he's an interesting figure on the retired players list. Causey earned All-IHOF second team honors in his first season with the Asheville Axemen and decided to quit at the peak of his game. Before Asheville, Causey played five years for the run-oriented Bordeaux Vineyards. He moved to Bordeaux in a trade from Maassluis. Causey played only 2 games for the Merchantmen, whom acquired him in a trade from the Orlando Knights, when Causey was still recovering from injury. Causey eventually played 100 career games, with 202 key run blocks and only 21 sacks allowed.

Linebacker Josh Weisberg surprised the Springfield Isotopes management. Weisberg had been an important figure to the yonger linebackers on the team. Weisberg played four seasons in Maassluis, including the 2007 season, when he saw the most action. After that season, 'Wizz' devoted his time to mentoring Bernie Surry. Weisberg joined Maassluis through trade after two seasons with the San Luis Obispo Burn. He left the Merchantmen also in a trade, to play two years in Springfield. Weisberg played 92 regular season games, withhalf of them for Maassluis.

Other retiring players with Merchantmen history have a less impressive story to tell. Linebackers Nicholas (11 games in 2010) and Daniel Ruelas (10 games in 2007) played a marginal role ion Oranje Haven. Running backs Desmond Carlisle and Hunter Stelmack, fullback Robert Watkins, defensive ends Jose Carrington, Edward Wolflick and Brendan Henderson, and cornerback Danny Person never played a game for Maassluis.

MIJB#19

07-27-2006, 06:42 AM

Merchantmen Replace Two Staff Members, Rehire Head Coach
The Maassluis Merchantmen have been busy the past days. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude was rehired at the same position for the next five seasons. In addition, defensive coordinator Thomas Dotson was released, in favor of the newly signed Omar Carden. And the team's lead scout was also replaced. Russell Jefferson was hired to replace Donald Preston.

Leroy Van Der Woude stays in Maassluis. The so-called success coach, with three division crowns in seven years was re-hired after becoming a 'free agent' this off-season. The Merchantmen had two-time IHOF winning options at their disposal in Matthew van Pelt and Grady Northern, but decided to stick with their own hero. So, the man with the Dutch name was offered an increased salary and signed another five-year contract.

Van Der Woude looked happy at the press conference. Van Der Woude said: "It's good to be back. After the loss to the Mohawks, I felt it was a bit of the end of an era. But then M.IJ.B. gave me a phone call and pointed out how much potential this team has to have another run or two. I think he's right. I'm in for avenging the numerous playoff losses to Northeast team."

While Van Der Woude was re-hired, the Merchantmen surprisingly replaced two other staff members, despite having a contract through the 2013 season. Lead Scout Donald Preston was the first to go. Preston spent three seasons with the Merchantmen and adviced in the aquisition of players like running back Courtney Osgood, wide receiver Jewell Simpson, defensive tackle Frank Bernard, defensive end Wally Mattingly, linebacker Albert Boggess and guard J.J. Reilly.

General Manager M.IJ.B. thanked Preston for his work, but pointed out that a man with knowledge in other areas was required. M.IJ.B. said: "Donald discovered J.J. Reilly and we thank him for it. When you need a new offensive line, he's the man to hire, he knows all about that. But right now we're in search for a young quarterback, a wide receiver and defensive linemen. Russell Jefferson has a better reputation in those areas."

Most shocking was the dismissal of Defensive Coordinator Thomas Dotson. Under Dotson's guidance, the Merchantmen defense grew from one of the best into arguably the best in the league. Manager M.IJ.B. said: "Thomas did a tremendous job and we won't forget that. After Bernie Hicks' success, we though Dotson was the right man to build on what was left behind. Now, we're looking once again at another younger guy to take over continue this defense to be the league's best."

The new face in the staff is Omar Carden. The 53-year old has eigh years of experience in the IHOF, in contrast to Dotson, who was new to the league. Carden started his career with the Asheville Axemen and was part of the 2004 success when they won their only Atlantic Coast division title. Carden was also part of the team that guided the Boston Rhinos to the playoffs for the first and only time. With a 13-3 record the 2009 Rhinos still rank as the best non-division champion ever. Now, the Merchantmen hope Carden will be part of the Merchantmen's first Conference championship, or even better, their first IHOF Bowl victory.

MIJB#19

07-31-2006, 10:23 AM

2012 Off-Season Officially Started: Merchantmen Makes Two Trades
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back in business. Today they announced two trades to kickoff their off-season movement. First they traded their highest draft pick in the draft away for two picks slightly lower. The moved from 45th overall down to 63rd and 80th in trade with the Boulder Blizzard. Additionally, they traded kicker Paul Fabrizio to the Williamsburg Colonials. Fabrizio had been franchised and was swapt for the 143rd pick overall in the upcoming draft. What the rest of the off-season brings will remain a mystery for now...

wade moore

07-31-2006, 10:30 AM

albionmoonlight

07-31-2006, 12:52 PM

Nice pickup for the Merchantmen where they essentially get a 5th round pick for nothing, since they picked up Fabrizio in the post-season, tagged him, and traded him without ever using him or sacrificing any needed cap space.

Agreed. And, MIJB took one for the league by taking Fabrizo off the UFA market in the first place.

MIJB#19

07-31-2006, 04:31 PM

Thanks for the kind words. I hope this will start a new wave of updates in the coming weeks. I just realized that I've been slacking a bit lately in some areas, mostly in my league-wide rext. I failed to do an IHOF Bowl VIII write-up, haven't posted an All MIJB 53-men selection since the 2010 season and I'm not even planning to do a Fan's Choice Player Of The Year poll (well, the last edition collected less than 5 votes, so what's the point then? :)). And what's up with the Gossip News not being all over the place to start rumors on the next Merchantmen trade acquisitions? We still have a coule of future 1st round picks to waste on career backup cornerbacks, interception prone quarterbacks, punt return fumbling wide receivers and overrated deep threat wide receivers.

If you're still reading and are missing something, just let me know what that is you miss. ;)

MIJB#19

08-01-2006, 02:15 PM

Merchantmen Sign Return Specialist Jimmy Stavrinos
The Maassluis Merchantmen today signed their first addition of 2012. Cornerback Jimmy Stavrinos sign a one-year contract. Stavrinos turned down a similar offer from the San Luis Obispo. Last season he played with the Syracuse Mohawks. In 13 games he was mainly used as a kick return specialist. Returning kicks is exactly what he's expected to do in Maassluis next season. Before his year in Syracuse, Stavrinos spent a year with the Ann Arbor Anachronism and started his career with two seasons at the Williamsburg Colonials. Stavrinos will instantly be a candidate to become the #1 punt returner.

Merchantmen Lose Biddings Wars
Despite the siging of cornerback Jimmy Stavrinos, the Merchantmen have had little luck in contracting free agents. Offensive tackle Alphonso Gant decided to leave Europe, following five seasons with the Gothenburg Giants, to play for the Springfield Isotopes. Another offensive tackle with European experience, Howard Bingham chose the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums over flying to the other side of the Altantic Ocean. The Merchantmen are reported to be in negotiations with defensive end Bennett Ruano and kickoff return specialist Randall Herrmann.

MIJB#19

08-01-2006, 05:15 PM

Merchantmen Acquire Four-Time All-IHOF Receiver Alfredo Bass
The Maassluis Merchantmen today announced their big trade of the off-season. In what turned out to be fairly quick negotiations, the Merchantmen managed to acquire Alfredo Bass from the Minnesota Miners. Bass will boost a passing game that failed to surpass the 200 yards mark. The Merchantmen sacrifed their 20133 first round pick, but consequently traded up in the draft from 114th to 75th overall.

Alfredo Bass has been an elite wide receiver. With four 1,000-yard seasons he ties for third all-time. With 8,044 yards receiving Bass is second all-time and he leads the career standings with 607 receptions. Clearly a big addition for any team. Bass has been critized for his lack of big-play ability, but never gave up. This move bring his back to Europe, following his two-year stint in Gothenburg. Interesting enough, Bass missed both Minnesota's games versus Maassluis in 2008 and 2011.

General Manager M.IJ.B. was quick to show his happiness: "We're the masters of trade, we get what we want." Rumor has it that trade talks for Seymour Barber, second all-time in receptions, failed. M.IJ.B.: "Yes, Barber was our previous target, but Bass is a much bigger fish to get. Not to mention that we finally achieved the tradefecta, every franchise has made a trade with us now."

Merchantmen Swap Butch White For Paris Defensive End
After four seasons of struggle to return to 2007 form, Butch White was traded away by the Maassluis Merchantmen. His new team became the Paris Musketeers. Defensive end Lonnie Badalyan went the reverse route. The teams also swapped future draft picks to compensate the imbalance.

White played seven seasons in Maassluis before the trade. With mixed success. In his rookie season, White clearly battled with growing pains and posted far from impressive numbers. The next season his growth made a giant leap. In 2007 he followed it up with his best year to date, as he made 32 key run blocks and allowed only 3 sacks.

White's faith turned the following seasons. Struggling with injuries, White mever played more than 12 games and his production also dropped. Last season the ultimate relegation was completed as rookie J.J. Reilly was thrown into the lineup to replace White after three games. White did sign a new three-year deal recently, meaning the Merchantmen are going to have to live with a loss of $1 million.

Defensive end Lonnie Badalyan fills a void on the team. Following Erwin Baranowski's retirement, the Merchantmen had been looking for a new experienced defensive end. Negotiations with free agent Bennett Ruano were started, but today they were cancelled following the addition of Badalyan.

That said, Badalyan doesn't have the resume to show for it. In 74 games for the Paris Musketeers, he produced only 2.0 sacks. Butthe Merchantmen scouting staff convinced the management of Badalyan's pass rush technique. He's expected to play the rotational backup role for the upcoming seasons and possibly mentor a newly drafted end.

MIJB#19

08-03-2006, 06:53 AM

Merchantmen Add Left Tackle Christhoper Perdomo To Team
The Maassluis Merchantmen bolstered their offensive line today. Left tackle Christopher Perdome was acquired from the San Luis Obispo Burn to fill the open spot after the departure of gaurd Butch White. Perdomo was acquired in a draft picks laden trade, which technically cost the team two third and one fifth round pick. Perdomo will become the insurance policy for current left tackle Ivan Jacques.

Christopher Perdomo has a good reputation around the IHOF. In 82 games, the 34-year old lineman gave up only 20 sacks, with a season high of 6. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "A guy like that give the protection a quarterback wants and needs." Perdomo is also a skilled run blocker, but never really contributed to that element of the game. His career tally of 84 key run blocks tells the story.

The flip-side of Perdomo's resume is that in eight years in the league, he had only two seasons where he played 16 games. In two seasons his activity was limited to just 2 games. General Manager M.IJ.B. said: "People would say he's fragile and injury-prone, but that's the risk we're willing to take." In 2007 Perdomo was by some claimed to be the best left tackle in the game, but his performance hasn't really dropped over the years. He'll nicely fit into an overcrowded offensive line unit, with ten players who all could start for half of the other IHOF teams.

Kodos

08-03-2006, 12:12 PM

No mock draft? ;)

MIJB#19

08-03-2006, 02:42 PM

No mock draft? ;)
Good point.

MIJB#19

08-03-2006, 03:37 PM

Merchantmen Management First Round Mock Draft 2012
Due to overwhelming demand, the Maassluis Merchantmen management has decided to publish their mock draft of the first round. This is just one of many ways how a draft can flow, this is in no way a guarantee of what will happen, nor a guideline for other franchises to find out what they should do and expect the team in front of them to do. With the disclaimers out of our way, here is how the Merchantmen management sees the first round unfold (all trade info is expected on draft day).

<table><tr><td>#<td>team<td>player<td>trade info
<tr><td>1<td>Bou<td>QB Gray, Billy
<tr><td>2<td>Roc<td>T Jamison, Pete<td>from Spr
<tr><td>3<td>Con<td>DT Gibbons, Duane
<tr><td>4<td>Ana<td>RB Colt, Robert
<tr><td>5<td>Got<td>RB Pearson, Jamal<td>from FtW
<tr><td>6<td>Ray<td>G Perez, Reuben
<tr><td>7<td>Spr<td>Dobbins, DeAngelo<td>from Roc
<tr><td>8<td>Tel<td>DT Wyatt, Donnie
<tr><td>9<td>FtW<td>CB Hayes, Cary<td>from Got
<tr><td>10<td>Spr<td>T Duran, Bennie<td>from Roc
<tr><td>11<td>Min<td>RB Addinson, Ryan
<tr><td>12<td>SAo<td>S McDaniel, Sherman
<tr><td>13<td>Mus<td>DE Kinney, Walter<td>from Bkn
<tr><td>14<td>Mia<td>DE Bridges, Wes
<tr><td>15<td>Bkn<td>OLB Westbrook, Alex<td>from Mus
<tr><td>16<td>Che<td>G Peters, Tyrone
<tr><td>17<td>Mus<td>T Guerrero, Patrick<td>from Ash
<tr><td>18<td>FtW<td>G Kido, Buddy<td>from Got
<tr><td>19<td>SLO<td>T Thornber, Roger
<tr><td>20<td>Orl<td>G Sanders, Arnold
<tr><td>21<td>AAr<td>S Doering, Jackie
<tr><td>22<td>Wil<td>DT Glenn, Marty
<tr><td>23<td>Bos<td>S Gohl, Travis<td>from Mus through Bkn
<tr><td>24<td>Ash<td>G Villarial, Marco<td>from Mus
<tr><td>25<td>Fbk<td>FB Hudson, Cary
<tr><td>26<td>Roc<td>S Huie, Martin
<tr><td>27<td>Bkn<td>DT LeFavor, Derrick<td>from Bos
<tr><td>28<td>OBx<td>S Syvrud, Terry
<tr><td>29<td>Bkn<td>TE James, Benny<td>from Bos
<tr><td>30<td>Ash<td>OLB Sellers, Joel<td>from Mus
<tr><td>31<td>Vic<td>DT Brann, Troy
<tr><td>32<td>Ray<td>ILB Hammer, Donnell
</table>

Kodos

08-04-2006, 07:15 AM

Thanks, sir! I see with interest that we will trade up to 1.2. I can tell you that is quite unlikely. :)

Warhammer

08-04-2006, 09:33 AM

I really hope the draft doesn't go down that way.

MIJB#19

08-04-2006, 10:33 AM

Thanks, sir! I see with interest that we will trade up to 1.2. I can tell you that is quite unlikely. :)That was specially designed for you to happen. :cool:

MIJB#19

08-06-2006, 04:32 AM

Merchantmen Signed Veteran Safety Eubanks
The Maassluis Merchantmen signed a new player to the team. Free agent Joseph Eubanks signed a three-year contract with the Merchantmen. Eubanks last played with the Bordeaux Vineyards in the 2011 season. Before that, he played for the San Luis Obispo Burn (2004-2008) and the Orlando Knights (2009-2010). With 6 interceptions and 15 defended passes, his career stats aren't impressive, but the team primairily hired him for his experience to mentor young second year pro Eddie Cole in training camp and pre-season. If injuries hit hard, Eubanks could stick around for the regular season.

MIJB#19

08-07-2006, 06:56 AM

Rosenberry Out, Rookies Winslett And Hansen In
Overshadowed by the publicity of the 2012 IHOF Draft, the trade of Jamel Rosenberry almost flew under the radar. The Maassluis Merchantmen agreed terms with the Anaheim Visigoths to sent the fullback back to the USA. In return the Merchantmen receive a 2013 third round pick. Right before that trade, the Merchantmen selected fullback Tracy Winslett as Rosenberry's replacement and picked defensive end Luther Hansen to boost an already overcrowded defensive line unit.

Rosenberry will be missed. In six seasons with the Merchantmen, 'Rosie' had his share in three division titles. In his first season in Maassluis, Rosenberry scored 8 touchdowns. It turned out to be his most succesful season. After three years of running for more than 5 yards per carry, his rushing performances dropped as he was more and more becoming a short yardage and passing plays specialist. That resulted in 77 receptions in 2010, two shy of the franchise record. He played 85 regular season games for the Merchantmen.

Tracy Winslett was the Merchantmen's first selection in the 2012 draft. Taken in the third round, 75th overall, Winslett immediately fills the void left behind by Rosenberry. Winslett was the second fastest fullback at the combine and posted the highest bench press repetitions figure. The management believes that Winslett is a reliable third down back.

Luther Hansen was a somewhat surprising selection. It didn't look like the team needed a new defensive end, but Hansen impressed at the combine with the fastest 40-yard time amongst defensive linemen. Hansen is expected to be able to jump into the pass rush rotation from the start. Hansen was taken 94th overall after the Merchantmen decided to trade down from 71st overall with the Vicksburg Vipers, also receiving a future 3rd round pick for the 143th pick overall in compensation.

MIJB#19

08-08-2006, 05:17 AM

Draft 2012: QB Cote And LB Burns In, QB Nimmons Out
For the Maassluis Merchantmen the 2012 IHOF draft came to an end. With the selection of quarterback Kevin Cote, the Merchantmen made a surprise selection. Shortly after that selection, the Merchantmen traded second-year quarterback Harvey Nimmons to the Georgia Gridlock for rookie linebacker Lee Burns.

Nebraska graduate Kevin Cote is the new quarterback project in Maassluis. Cote had shown some impressive play. The Merchantmen were not likely to select a quarterback, with five passers on their roster, but Cote was convincing at the combine. With his impressive 6'6" 243 pounds body, he's more like a tight end. Cote is regarded as one of the most experienced quarterbacks in this year's class.

Linebacker Lee Burns was the fourth and last draft day acquisition. Burns was technically selected by the Georgia Gridlock, but the Gridlock and Merchantmen already had a trade on the table sending Burns from Georgia to Maassluis and quarterback Harvey Nimmons vice versa. A former Texas Longhorn, Burns had a pretty good combine. Burns posted the fastest agility test amongst linebackers. Additionally, Burns was regarded as one of the most experienced players at his position.

Quarterback Harvey Nimmons leaves Maassluis after only one season. Taken 141st overall in the 2011 draft, Nimmons joined a very crowded quarterback corps. But Nimmons held up in pre-season and beat out former second round pick Josh Webb for the fourth quarterback spot. In regular season play, Nimmons was thrown in the mix in three games. His highlight was a scoring drive against the Bodeaux Vineyards to guide the Merchantmen to a 17-10 victory. In Georgia, Nimmons is expected to become the new #3.

MIJB#19

08-09-2006, 06:44 AM

Gossip News: Justin McDavid About To Leave Maassluis
Merchantmen fans, get ready for some big news. Your favorite player is about to leave for a different team. Rumor has it that the Merchantmen are in on-going negotiations with several teams to give McDavid a new home. Reasons being that McDavid's experience is widely recognised and his mentor ship hasn't flewn under the radar.

McDavid's agent Leland Hanks was quoted saying: "We've been getting some interest for Justin. The teams are askingfor secrecy, but I can asure you that at least four teams have been interested in Justin. I'm expecting a move soon, but for Justin's sake can't say much more."

It's widely known that the Merchantmen have failed to draft a young quarterback who ended up being the new #2. Last season's free agent signing Richard Bell looks like he secured that role for another season already. His main competition, Harvey Nimmons has already been traded, while the selected rookie Kevin Cote looks like the new #3. Cote could use some mentoring, but in the meanwhile Justin is reported to be unhappy with his role on the team.

Despite the attempts to get Justin a new home, it appears that the quarterback mentor market has been hot lately. On of the reported interested teams, the Boulder Blizzard acquired Gabe Macaluso from the Vicksburg Vipers to mentor top pick Billy Gray already. The San Luis Obispo Burn traded for Asheville Axemen's Dominic Lynch, who's a familiar face with the Merchantmen organization as Louie Flannery's mentor. Reportedly other teams interested included the Rochester Lake Monsters, Asheville Axemen (who already acquired Thad Pilkington), the Muscatine Mosquitoes and the Tucker Tigers.

The Lake Monsters look like the most logical new place, given their selection of Bubba Raymond tenth overall in the draft. Raymond became quickly the hottest quarterback in the IHOF after a formidable rookie combine. The Merchantmen management responded with the typical "no comment", but Rochester looks like a good fit. But then, the Lake Monsters will visit Maassluis in week 6 of the 2012 season to face-off in Futility Bowl VIII. These rivals have a history of acquired other's ex-players. Even wide receiver Jerry Beyer recently joined the Monsters.

As logical all seems, again, the Merchantmen management keeps telling us their old "no comment" reply. To Gossip News, it's a clear sign that something is happening. McDavid is a fan favorite and a jerseys selling machine, but the Merchantmen are hoping to go into 2012 with only three quarterbacks. The offensive and defensive lines have proven to be overcrowded, while the addition of wide receiver Alfredo Bass screams for cap space. Get ready for an earth shaking transaction.

Kodos

08-09-2006, 06:25 PM

Imagine if we could get McDavid and Joe Boulware (http://www.fof-ihof.com/player/player.php?playerid=1031&stat=9) on the field at the same time. We could fumble the ball on every drive!

MIJB#19

08-10-2006, 05:20 AM

Press Release: Merchantmen Call Lake Monsters Out
The Maassluis Merchantmen management will be pursuing legal action against the Rochester Lake Monsters. Following their unethical approach on Justin McDavid to play for the Lake Monsters, Rochester caused a problem in the Merchantmen locker room. McDavid has called in sick and has been unavailable for autograph signing sessions. The Merchantmen claim it's all part of a scam to get some locker room trouble in Maassluis, giving the Lake Monsters a free pass to win Futility Bowl VIII.

Lawyer Moe Money will be handling the complaints for the Merchantmen. Money points out that: "With the way Rochester promissed McDavid to get a big role in Rochester, back in his homeland, he was all excited. When he wasn't informed of the trade with Orlando to give Paul Hamrick the role assigned, McDavid has been depressed for a couple of days and hasn't spoken a word for weeks. The Merchantmen psycho therapist S. H. Rink hasn't been able to cure McDavid yet."

The Merchantmen management has threatened to release every player with Rochester roots. General Manager M.IJ.B. said: "We're distinguishing from these kind of actions. It's on for Futility Bowl VIII. They'll be dressing up in a public toilet, the visitors' locker room will be locked down. That'll show them for approaching McDavid's agent behind our backs and making him all excited over nothing."

These actions follow on the facts being revealed by Gossip News (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=1217446&postcount=1278). Under normal circumstances the Merchantmen management doesn't take Gossip News serious, but these assumptions were all too close to reality. What actions the Merchantmen will take will follow in a couple of days after lawyer Money has dug into all the details. You haven't read the last word of this situation.

Kodos

08-10-2006, 11:51 AM

We may have "dropped the ball" here. :)

cthomer5000

08-10-2006, 01:50 PM

General Manager M.IJ.B. said: "We're distinguishing from these kind of actions. It's on for Futility Bowl VIII. They'll be dressing up in a public toilet, the visitors' locker room will be locked down. That'll show them for approaching McDavid's agent behind our backs and making him all excited over nothing." I can just imagine the Lake Monsters having to get dressed in a pub bathroom across the street from Oranje Haven.

Kodos

08-10-2006, 04:51 PM

And why the hell are our games ALWAYS in Maassluis???????????? I blame Buzzbee. Or possibly evil scheduling gnomes.

MIJB#19

08-11-2006, 04:35 AM

And why the hell are our games ALWAYS in Maassluis???????????? I blame Buzzbee. Or possibly evil scheduling gnomes.
We bribed the commish back in the spring of 2006? ;)

MIJB#19

08-15-2006, 10:46 AM

Merchantmen Welcome Three Rookies To Mini-Camps
The Maassluis Merchantmen mini camps saw three new faces join today. Defensive end Luther Hansen, quarterback Kevin Cote and linebacker Lee Burns reported for their first drills in orange, white and blue. It followed after all tree signed their rookie contracts. Hansen signed a four-year deal, while Cote and Burns put their autographs under three-year contracts. In cotrast, fullback Tracy Winslett turned down a lucrative four-year contract.

Kevin Cote looked thrilled in his new shiny uniform. The Nebraska graduate looked stellar in in his first few drills. Going by his style, people quickly saw a resemblance to the short passing playing style of Justin McDavid. Cote said: "It's a new chapter in my life, a step closer to playing professional football. Coach told me I should focus on the learning proces, talk a lot with McDavid. Right now I just hope to make the regular season roster." And those chances look good, the plans are to make Cote the #3 quarterback.

Defensive end Luther Hansen has much more competition. With newly acquired Lonnie Badalyan and Aaron Sherrill, the competition for the third and fourth end roles behind Omar Gougeon and Ivan Mattingly is strong. The expectations are nevertheless high, Hansen was drafted higher the three hoem-grown ends who played the past seasons in Maassluis. Hansen even received a number in the 70's in 73, just like starters Mattingly and Gougeon.

Lee Burns made a strong impression in his first drills. Burns isn't a text book example linebacker for the Merchantmen. Burns' pass defense skills seems to be lacking a bit, but in return he's a showing pass rush ability. Burns could be put into a defensive end's role, hence his jersey number (91). In addition, Burns quickly showed that he's got the run stuffing skills the Merchantmen love to see with linebackers. Burns has a bright future in Maassluis, providing he makes the 53-men roster.

Whether talks with fullback Tracy Winslett will resume, remains to be seen. Winslett turned down a four-year contract, as his agent told the team they want only a three-year deal for him. Brandon Mersky is new as a player agent with the Merchantmen. Early signals are that the management is likely going to sign a free agent fullback to fill the roster for now, instead of talking about a three-year deal. Tracy's 19 months older brother Ike has been linked with the Merchantmen, as well as a dozen other young free agents to join the team for training camp.

MIJB#19

08-15-2006, 11:52 AM

Merchantmen Sign Gene Dewit And Three Rookie Free Agents
The Maassluis Merchantmen today signed four new players. All four signed a one-year contract, meaning they get a shot to win a pre-season roster spot if they can impress during training camp. Safety Gene Dewit is the most familiar name. Dewit spent the 2009 and 2011 camps in Maassluis, making him the first player to sign with the Merchantmen for the third time. The three others are all rookies. J.T. Linquist is a young, promising placekicker. Hugh McNeil is a punter from Kansas. Jimmy Arbuckle is a third down back. Especially Arbuckle might stand a chance to make the final 53-men roster, if fullback Tracy Winslett decides to hold out throughout the season.

MIJB#19

08-16-2006, 05:42 PM

Press Release: Merchantmen Fire Staff Members
The Maassluis Merchantmen management today fired pharmaceutical manager Q. U. Ack and psycho therapist S. H. Rink. These events follow on the Justin McDavid saga. McDavid had been diagnosed depressed and hadn't spoken for a few weeks. Internal investigation from the Merchantmen organization lead to this decission.

Pharmaceutical manager Q. U. Ack has been fired for giving a wrong description. Justin McDavid had complained about a bad cold and apparently Ack subscribed the wrong medicine. It resulted in things aggravating, consecuentaly McDavid's throat got all sore, which lead to the temporary inability to speak. McDavid's ability to speak is back.

Psycho therapist S. H. Rink was also fired following a wrong diagnosis. Rink had examined McDavid during the period of inability to speak and had diagnoses it as a psychosomatic effect to failed trade negotiations resulting in depression. It turned out that McDavid's down period was caused by a wrong description of medicine.

The Merchantmen organization will offer their apologies to the Rochester Lake Monsters organization for the earlier accusations. The Lake Monsters will be very welcome in Oranje Haven for Futility Bowl VIII. The Merchantmen regret the bounced trade negotiations for Justin McDavid, but the management sees him as indispensable to the club.

MIJB#19

08-17-2006, 04:52 AM

Merchantmen Sign Three Youngsters For Training Camp
The Maassluis Merchantmen are quickly adding new bodies to their roster. Two days before training camp they added defensive end Mitchell Boyd, cornerback Bubba Lesky and fullback Ike Winslett to the team. Boyd is an experienced pass rusher, for a rookie. Lesky has been said to be a talented zone defender. Ike Winslett is a third down runner and run blocker. Ike Winslett is also the older brother of drafted Tracy Winslett, who is still negotiating terms for a contract with the Merchantmen management.

MIJB#19

08-17-2006, 11:45 AM

Tracy Winslett And New Linebacker Report For Camp
The Maassluis Merchantmen agreed terms with fullback Tracy Winslett on a four-year contract. The contract was signed just in time to have Winslett report for training camp. The recent siging of Ike Winslett, Tracy's brother was one of te reasons to sign the contract, Tracy said: "Being able to play football with my brother is a dream come true, even if it is for just a month." Additionally, the Merchantmen signed linebacker Michael Penton. The veteran played in every previous IHOF season with three different teams: the Astoria Heroes (2004), the Ann Arbor Anachronism (2005-2008) and the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums (2009-2011). Penton was also part of the 2005 IHOF championship roster.

MIJB#19

08-17-2006, 01:56 PM

Aaron Sherrill Biggest Merchantmen Training Camp Casualty
Four days before the first pre-season game, the Maassluis Merchantmen announced their 60-men roster. Eight players will be released, although not officially until tomorrow night. Seven players were recent sigings, only defensive end Aaron Sherrill spent longer than the past training camp in Maassluis. Safety Gene Dewit was released for the third time in four seasons. Fullback Ike Winslett, kicker J.T. Linquist, cornerback Bubba Lesky, running back Jimmy Arbuckle, defensive end Mitchell Boyd and punter High McNeil were told to get packing and offered a plane ticket for their flight back to the USA.

Defensive end Aaron Sherrill was the most prominent released player. Sherrill had been in Maassluis the past five seasons. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2007 draft, the odds were slim Sherrill would see a lot of playing time. But when Omar Gougeon got injured, Sherrill stepped in and started 15 games. The next few seasons, Sherrill fought for playing time, and lost. In 2008 he played in 15 games, in 2010 he returned with five starts after sitting 2009 out on injured reserve. Last season Sherrill was used in only two games. Sherrill leaves Maassluis after 43 regular season games in which he made 12.5 sacks, blocked 9 passes and recorded 20 quarterback hurries.

MIJB#19

08-21-2006, 09:38 AM

Merchantmen Training Camp Report
Training camp is over. The Maassluis Merchantmen are preparing for their first pre-season game. Who impressed in camp, who's making a push for promotion on the depth chart? Here's a position by position breakdown.

Quarterbacks
Louie Flannery was a class of his own again. Flannery didn't look as good as in past training camps, but is still the best passer on the team. Behind him, Richard Bell made good progress. Bell has clinched the #2 role. Justin McDavid will stick around for PR reasons. Kevin Cote will get his chance in pre-season. Cote's regular season roster spot isn't safe yet.

Running Backs & Fullbacks
Running back Courtney Osgood looks ready to run wild for another season. Behind him, Quentin Hatchette made some progress, but his pre-season performance might help him get more carries. Marquis Ong will be the #3 at best, while Scott Bagley didn't look good and will have to step it up to even make the roster at the #2 kickoff returner. Fullback Quentin Malicki made good progress and looks ready to start. Rookie Tracy Winslett didn't make a strong impression, but is likely to play the third down role afterall. Free agent signings Ike Winslett and Jimmy Arbuckle have been released.

Tight Ends
After years of 50+ receptions, Jim Reiser might be playing a slightly smaller role. Reiser lost some of his power and speed, others will play more. Arnold Ramirez will be playing more downs, while Winston Van Pelt will stick around as #3 and long snapper.

Wide Receivers
With the addition of Alfredo Bass, this unit looks stronger than before. Bass is still at his peak and hopes to be the needed star receiver. Bryce Ewald and Jewell Simpson will rotate until it's clear who makes the better #2. Drew McConnell has #4 role written all over, while Devin Henson as return specialists is going to hang around too. Jesse Vielma has one more pre-season to extend his stay in Maassluis

Centers & Guards
Brant Heinrich emerged as one of the league's most efficient centers last season. Ned Cozart is probably better and will push Heinrich for the starting role, depending on how the guards will play. Timothy Lacy looks better than ever before, while J.J. Reilly looks like a guy who can still improve. In relief, Todd Serra isn't happy, but looks like a guy who can play ball. Daniel Decastro hopes makes a good enough 10th lineman, providing he proves to be 53-men worthy in pre-season. The management is still optiong to introduce a rotation system on the line.

Offensive Tackles
"Indestructable" Ivan Jacques turned out to be a MVP type of player last season. But father time visited and Jacques doesn't look like the best left tackle in the IHOF anymore. Arrived veteran Chris Perdomo showed to be an excellent backup to Jacques in training camp. Louis Bell and Cornelius Rice, who fought it out for the right tackle duties last season, will still see plenty of playing time in case of injuries. The management is still optiong to introduce a rotation system on the line.

Defensive Ends
Omar Gougeon is emerging as the biggest pass rush threat on the team. Behind him, Ivan Mattingly and newcomer Lonnie Badalyan are trying to hold off the speedy rookie Luther Hansen. Hansen has great potential and if he makes good progress in pre-season, he could become the rotation starter. Aaron Sherrill was released after many years of service, being surpassed by Hansen. Rookie Mitchell Boyd didn't look good enough to beat out the strong cometition on the defensive line, but should be picked up by a pass rusher seeking team.

Defensive Tackles
Charles Gomez isn't the monster tackle and sack machine he used to be. For the second training camp in a row he had to tone down his involvement as time as catching up. Frank Bernard had the same problem, meaning he's officially on the trade block for a great offer. Andrew Rasmussen emerged as a serious candidate to start next to Gomez. Pre-season will be Rasm's to prove it. Otherwise, the proven combo of Andy Weliczka and Shaun Shiroma will be revived.

Linebackers
Another unit where the team has strong depth. Cody Cluff has proven to be an elite middle linebacker. Behind him, Terrence White is making progress, but not fast enough to make Cluff worry. Carl Meier will stick around as a locker room leader. Bernie Surry is a sure thing at strong linebacker, meaning injury prone Mike Kershner and Albert Boggess will fight it out for the weak-side position. That is if Lee Burns doesn't live up to the hype in pre-season, to take the starting role. Michael Penton will leave the team after pre-season.

Cornerbacks
It's a strong competition as always. Tai Wayne was a superstar last season and will be regarded as the best defensive back in Maassluis. On the other end of the field, Sammie Kennedy will mimic Wayne's production, just like he did last season. Brian Spears came back from injury, but lost some of his speed. It gives room for Myron Stevens and Winford Endicott to think about playing time. Jimmy Stavrinos will make he roster as return specialist. Rookie Bubba Lesky disappointed in training camp and lost the battle for the roster spots.

Safeties
Lincoln Gilmore is a crucial player to the team and made progress once again. His free safety buddy will be Broderick Schultz again. In relief, Eddie Cole will be playing the backup role to both, while Emile William will stick around to jump in when injuries hit hard. Joseph Eubanks has been brought along to mentor Cole and is likely to leave after pre-season. Gene Dewit didn't survive into pre-season for the third time in four seasons.

Special Teamers
Kicker Cary Coles made a case for being an elite placekicker last season. Coles will receive faith to do it again. Al Bettis has grown into being the IHOF's best kickoff kicker. Sean Smalley is still the best option the team can afford at punter. Rookie Hugh McNeil didn't impress at all and has been released. Rookie J.T. Linquist showed great promise as a field goal kicker, with very good accurace. But there's simply no roster spot for him in Maassluis this season.

MIJB#19

08-25-2006, 07:03 AM

Linebacker Carl Meier Misses 2012 Season
The Maassluis Merchantmen today places linebacker Carl Meier on injured reserve. This action followed after Meier suffered a severe hamstring pull in an exhibition game at the Miami Sharks. Meier was diagnosed to miss the majority of the regular season and team management decided to end his season early. This injury increased rookie Lee Burns' chances to make the final 53-men roster. In the meantime, third year pro linebacker B.J. Monroe was signed to fill out the roster. Monroe had been released by the Rochester Lake Monsters shortly before training camp.

MIJB#19

08-29-2006, 07:40 AM

14 Nominated Merchantmen Players Await Roster Cut Day
The Maassluis Merchantmen players have a tough couple of hours coming up. Roster cut day is here and by noon today, the Merchantmen have to officially announce their seven releases. Seven releases, as the Merchantmen roster is injury free, aside from injured reserve linebacker Carl Meier. The Merchantmen management toned the list of candidates down to fourteen names this morning and told the affected players to report to the office this morning. These players are quarterback Kevin Cote, running backs Marquis Ong, Scott Bagley and Tracy Winslett, wide receivers Jesse Vielma and Drew McConnell, center Todd Serra, guard Daniel Decastro, defensive tackle Shaun Shiroma, linebacker Lee Burns and defensive backs Winford Endicott, Jimmy Stavrinos, Myron Stevens and Joseph Eubanks.

MIJB#19

08-29-2006, 04:08 PM

Merchantmen Release Shaun Shiroma And Six Others
The Maassluis Merchantmen made their roster cuts to go down to 53 players official. Quarterback Kevin Cote, running back Scott Bagley, wide receiver Jesse Vielma, defensive tackle Shaun Shiroma, linebackers B.J. Monroe and Michael Penton, and safety Joseph Eubanks were all released. Especially Shiroma, Bagley, Vielma and Cote were tough decissions, being regarded as part of the future.

Shaun Shiroma always had trouble living up to expectations. Back in the second round of the 2007 draft, the Merchantmen picked him to be the side kick to Charles Gomez. Shiroma ended up playing a passing downs role, splitting time with Al Weliczka. As a rookie, Shiroma earned player of the game honors in the Merchantmen's only playoff victory in team history. Last season Shiroma sat the season out on injured reserve. In the previous four seasons, Shiroma played 45 regular season games, in which he made 6.5 sacks, 52 tackles and 28 assists.

Running back Scott Bagley was another tough release. Bagley was once regarded as the future feature back, but never lived up to the expectations. Still, the 2008 second round pick kept working hard to make the roster in each of the past four seasons as a kickoff return specialist. In his first four seasons he topped the 24.0 yards per kickoff return mark, but following a 20.8 season he dropped to a 23.8 career figure. Bagley scored one touchdown in 62 regular season games: An 18-yard run against the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums in 2009.

Wide receiver Jesse Vielma also failed to make the final 53 names. The arrival of Alfredo Bass and Jewell Simpson in recent off-seasons made him expendable. Vielma was drafted in the third round of the 2009 draft as a running back. Vielma quickly addapted to his new position as flanker. As a rookie, Vielma started 12 games. After his first two seasons, with 15.0 yards per carry, the 2011 season was a bit of a down season. Vielma played 37 regular season games, making 61 receptions for 847 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Quarterback Kevin Cote was a minor surprise as a release. The Merchantmen drafted Cote in the fifth round of the recent amateur draft. Cote played on all offensive snaps in pre-season. Cote completed 56 of 107 passes for 521 yards, with 2 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. His performance wasn't good enough to win the project quarterback role the Merchantmen had been using the past few seasons. It also means Justin McDavid will move back up to third quarterback for the 2012 season.

Linebacker Michael Penton and safety Joseph Eubanks were released after spending training camp and pre-season in Maassluis. Penton made 13 tackles and 7 assists. Eubanks posted 2 interceptions, 16 tackles and 4 assists. Both were used to tutor younger future starting projects. But barring injuries, neither was likely to make the final roster. Which also counts for linebacker B.J. Monroe, who was only signed after Carl Meier suffered a season-ending injury in the second pre-season game.

There were several other notable releases around the league. Former Merchantmen quarterback Mel Atkins was released by the San Luis Obispo Burn, as Atkins failed to win a backup role behind rookie John Vanderpool and Dennis Cressio the cousin of the Burn's general manager. Safety Martin Huie was drafted in the first round of the recent amateur draft, but Huie failed to impress the Boulder Blizzard coaches and was released. The Miami Sharks released quarterback Lionel Helfrich, despite him being a part-time starter for the Sharks in each of the past two seasons.

MIJB#19

08-31-2006, 10:33 AM

Merchantmen Prepare For First Game Of 2012
The smoke is up, the starting lineup has been announced. The Maassluis Merchantmen are an hour away from their first regular season game of the 2012 season. First opponents are the Bordeaux Vineyards in Oranje Haven. With a 5-3 record in Maassluis, the Vineyards are no guaranteed win, at all. Even worse, the Bordeaux roster looks capable of upsetting the defending European champions. But the old power house of the continent is on the decline, with only one division title in five seasons. Heck, it even was one with an 8-8 record. In return, Maassluis won three out of the last five. The old versus the new power house? Watch and find out!

Merchantmen Depth Chart vs Bordeaux
<table><tr><td><td>Offense<td>
<tr><td>pos<td>starter<td>backup
<tr><td>WR1<td>87 Ewald<td>85 Simpson
<tr><td>TE<td>89 Ramirez<td>86 Reiser
<tr><td>LT<td>63 Jacques<td>68 Perdomo
<tr><td>LG<td>76 Reilly<td>55 Cozart
<tr><td>C<td>54 Heinrich<td>55 Cozart
<tr><td>RG<td>65 Lacy<td>55 Cozart
<tr><td>RT<td>71 Rice<td>68 Perdomo
<tr><td>WR2<td>81 Bass<td>88 McConnell
<tr><td>RB<td>30 Osgood<td>21 Hatchette
<tr><td>FB<td>29 Malicki<td>48 Winslett
<tr><td>QB<td>14 Flannery<td>10 R.Bell
<tr><td><td>Defense<td>
<tr><td>pos<td>starter<td>backup
<tr><td>LDE<td>73 Hansen<td>70 Mattingly
<tr><td>LDT<td>78 Gomez<td>98 Rasmussen
<tr><td>RDT<td>72 Bernard<td>98 Rasmussen
<tr><td>RDE<td>74 Gougeon<td>83 Badalyan
<tr><td>SLB<td>56 Surry<td>95 Kershner
<tr><td>MLB<td>50 Cluff<td>99 White
<tr><td>WLB<td>95 Kershner<td>97 Boggess
<tr><td>LCB<td>47 Wayne<td>24 Spears
<tr><td>SS<td>46 Gilmore<td>35 Cole
<tr><td>FS<td>36 Schultz<td>35 Cole
<tr><td>RCB<td>38 Kennedy<td>32 Stevens
<tr><td><td>Special Teams<td>
<tr><td>pos<td>starter<td>backup
<tr><td>PK<td>18 Coles<td>8 Bettis
<tr><td>KOK<td>8 Bettis<td>18 Coles
<tr><td>P<td>11 Smalley<td>8 Bettis
<tr><td>H<td>14 Flannery<td>11 Smalley
<tr><td>LS<td>82 Van Pelt<td>89 Ramirez
<tr><td>KR<td>83 Henson<td>45 Stavrinos
<tr><td>PR<td>45 Stavrinos<td>85 Simpson
<tr><td>ST<td>50 Cluff<td>86 Reiser
</table>

Schedule of home games:
Week 1: Bordeaux Vineyards
Week 3: Outer Banks Ospreys
Week 6: Rochester Lake Monsters (Futility Bowl VIII)
Week 7: Boston Rhinos
Week 8: Paris Musketeers
Week 12: Asheville Axemen
Week 14: Miami Sharks
Week 17: Gothenburg Giants

MIJB#19

09-01-2006, 07:31 AM

Alfredo Bass Guides Merchantmen To Fantastic Start
The Maassluis Merchantmen kicked the 2012 off with an impressive victory. Hosting the Bordeaux Vineyards, the Merchantmen posted alomst 500 yards of offense in the 34-21 victory. Wide receiver Alfredo Bass was the star, smashing all the franchise receiving records in his first game. The defense held the two 1,000-yard backs from Bordeaux to a total loss of 5 yards. The bad news came from linebacker 'Mickey' Kersher and quarterback Louie Flannery, who picked up injuries.

The Merchantmen fans have a new hero. In his first game in orange-white-and-blue, Alfredo Bass made the high expecatations reality. And what a performance it was. With 12 receptions for 211 yards and 3 touchdowns, Bass smashed all the Merchantmen single-game receiving records. And simultaneously broke his own personal records. Great accolades to boost his chances to make it into the IHOF Hall Of Fame in a couple of years.

Quarterback Louie Flannery was happy with his new receiver: "Bryce (Ewald) and (Jewell) Simpson are good guys, but Bass is a phenomenon. It's great to have a guy like that on the team. He's a playmaker, always open. This is going to be a great season." Thanks to his new target, Flannery took the league lead with 377 yards passing and 4 touchdowns, but also added 3 interceptions on the way. Flannery said: "Stuff happens. As they say in Bordeaux: a win is a win is a win."

Despite his good play, Flannery didn't come out of the game looking all so happy. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude in the post-game press conference said: "Louie (Flannery) twisted his knee in the fourth quarter. It was a freak play as it was on a running play. On the hand off to Courtney Osgood, he felt a pain in his knee. On the next play he was clearly still recovered, hence getting sacked. Whether he will play next week remains to be seen."

But for now, the Merchantmen can be happy. With 498 total yards on offense, the team smashed a franchise record, that was set in the 2007 season. Cornerback Tai Wayne watched the offense play and said: "This unit is getting places this year. We're so deep everywhere now. Quentin Hatchette runs for almost 100 yards when Osgood has a bad day, we've got eight or nine starting calibre linemen. Even Richard Bell looked ready to step in when Flannery is hurt. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season."

Defensive Coordinator Omar Carden was another praised man. Carden was hired the past off-season to improve an already strong defense. The Merchantmen defense looked very good though, forcing Bordeaux to pass all game long. And when they ran, things didn't go well. The two 1,000-yard backs from last season, 'Bam Bam' Jamerson and Casey Mercer had only 8 carries for a total loss of 5 yards. But here was bad news too, the defense allowed a 70-yard fumble return and a 50-yard pass resulting in touchdowns. Carden: "We still have a lot to work on. In this game, you have to keep improving, because the opponents will get better."

Next up is a road game at the Outer Banks Ospreys. The Merchantmen are in for a rough game there. In pre-season the Ospreys posted a 27-0 win over the Merchantmen. And in week one, the Ospreys kept the Springfield Isotopes scoreless through the first three quarters, posting an easy 20-7 win. But their pass defense showed a weakness, allowing 25 of 35 passes completed for 322 yards. Maybe Alfredo Bass can bosst his already impressive resume next week.

MIJB#19

09-05-2006, 04:17 PM

Merchantmen Hold Ospreys Off To Remain Unbeaten
The Maassluis Merchantmen notched another victory. In a battle between two teams with strong defenses, the Merchantmen stood their ground. The home playing Outer Banks Ospreys were beaten 13-10. Alfredo Bass once again received the accolades to make it possible. His buddy wide receiver Bryce Ewald went out for the season with a severe knee injury.

The Merchantmen sail on. The Outer Banks were dangerous, but the masters of trading survived well. Louie Flannery and crew loated the coast and returned home with the second win of the season. Flannery didn't even complete the game, being replaced shortly after half time, having completed 11 of 13 passes for 114 yards. Richard Bell kept the ship straight and secured the victory.

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude looked happy. Van Der Woude said: "Another great team performance. We really feared for this team, but everybody worked hard to get the win. The running backs kept rumbling, the defense kept making key plays and Alfredo Bass was in his own class again."

A good win against a strong team, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. The Merchantmen defense allowed four red zone visits. Granted, they allowed only 10 points, but it helped that Rex Beckwith missed a 34-yard filed goal, while Rufus Preston hurried one of his passes into an interception from 15 yards out on a second and first situation.

Cornerback Tai Wayne had been figthing it out with Toby Williams a lot and wasn't happy. Wayne said: "I had a rough night. It happens, but, you know, I don't want to let the team down. Gomez apparently twisted his knee or something, we might be missing him at Georgia next week."

Charles Gomez was spotted with a bag of ice on the sidelines when the offense was on the field. Gomez said: "I'll live. We've got plenty of guys who can do the job. Andy (Welickza) and Andrew (Rasmussen) have proven they can play. I'm more worried about Bryce Ewald's knee."

Bryce Ewald looks done for the season. As the Merchantmen were leading 7-3, he was on the field with the field goal unit. Tight end Jim Reiser saw it happen: "Bryce was making his block and all of a sudden he let his man walk. I yelled at him, not realizing he was in serious pain. Bryce is a warrior, he'll be back." Ewald is the Merchantmen receiving franchise record holder with 5,539 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Injury or not, the season will continue. The Georgia Gridlock will be arriving in Maassluis next week. The Gridlock are league wide concidered to be a title contender, boosted by the AOC best 12-4 record last season. Following the bye week the season continues with games against the Syracuse Mohawks (2010 champs), the Rochester Lake Monsters and Boston Rhinos, whom both started the year 2-0.

WSUCougar

09-06-2006, 03:32 PM

Congrats to the Merchantmen on a hard-fought win. Following the play-by-play, it seemed like the Dutch boys were the better squad on that day, but we had some tough breaks with the end zone INT and the late missed field goal. Sorry about Ewald.

MIJB#19

09-06-2006, 07:04 PM

Bryce Ewald Placed On Injured Reserve
The Maassluis Merchantmen today put wide receiver Bryce Ewald on injured reserve. Ewald picked up a nasty knee injury that will sideline him for about five months. He wasn't unlikely to be back in time for the IHOF Bowl. Thus forcing the franchise record holder in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns to miss the season.

To replace Ewald, the team today presented Brady Pascal. The fourth year pro wide receiver had been out of a job since pre-season ended when the Williamsburg Colonials released him. Pascal used to be with the Bordeaux Vineyards, whom drafted him in 2009. Pascal has 35 career receptions for 434 yards and 3 scores. Aside from coming in as the fifth wide receiver, Pascal also joins the mix for kickoff return duties. Following Jimmy Stavrinos' fumble against the Ospreys, Pascal could potentially move into the #2 role behind Devin Henson.

Who the starting role from Ewald will take remains to be seen. Offensive Coordinator J.T. Pulliam today said it's still undisclosed: "We've got several options. Jewell Simpson makes the most sense, but we really like him as the #3 guy. Drew McConell is our next best receiver, but we're not sure ha can produce as a starter. Our gimmick would be playing more two tight end sets with Arnold Ramirez and Jim Reiser. We haven't used Reiser much yet this season, but he still has the speed and power to beat the linebackers and safeties he faces."

Additional to Ewald's injury, cornerback Brian Spears broke his arm and will be missing about half of the season. Spears hasn't been lucky in Maassluis so far, for the second year in a row he picks up a long-term injury after becoming the team leader in interceptions. With a pick in each game, Spears had been a key player on the defense in the nickelback role. Reliable long time backups Myron Stevens and Winford Endicott are pushed up on the depth chart again to cover the loss.

Defensive tackle Charles Gomez is expected to miss the game against the Georgia Gridlock. Gomez is already aiming for a full recovery to shine in the game against the Syracuse Mohawks. The Mohawks defeated the Merchantmen last season in the wildcard round. Andrew Rasmussen made good progress in the off-season, meaning he'll be likely to start for the eight' time in six seasons with the Merchantmen. Andy Weliczka, a starter in 2006 through 2009, returns to the active roster to backup Rasmussen and Frank Bernard.

Last but not least, Louie Flannery's knee trouble are getting less dangerous. But despite that, the team isn't willing to risk him much. Richard Bell has taken a lot of snaps in training with the first team to get him ready in case he has to start. Ironically, Bell had his first start for the Merchantmen last season against the Georgia Gridlock. Bell then completed 21 of 33 passes for 214 yards and a score, but couldn't avoid the fifth loss to the Gridlock in as many games in IHOF history.

MIJB#19

09-07-2006, 04:49 PM

Merchantmen End Losing Streak Against Grodlock
The 2012 season continues to be good in Maassluis. The Merchantmen posted a 21-18 victory over the Georgia Gridlock. The win ended a five-game losing streak in the head-to-head series. Backup quarterback Richard Bell was the unsung hero with a big touchdown pass to tight end Jim Reiser.

The curse is over, the Gridlock has been beaten. With a stellar performance, the Merchantmen defeated one of the main contenders for the conference title. With wins over Bordeaux, Outer Banks and Georgia, the talk is more and more about vanquishing the bad taste from the 2007 conference final. But the road ahead is long.

Quarterback Louie Flannery once again played only half a game. Holding a 14-7 lead, the coaching staff felt safe to let Richard Bell take over shortly after half time. Flannery completed 14 of 18 passes for 123 yards and a score, keeping his season production high on leaders lists. With 80 percent of his passes completed, people wonder who the new Flannery is.

Louie Flannery said it isn't all that surprising: "Is a matter of personel. Last season I didn't get much time or opportunity to connect with the receivers. I had to rely a lot on (tight end) Jim Reiser. With Alfredo Bass around, defenses either give him double coverage, opening room for others, or I get Bass as a superb target downfield. Either way, it's much improved. And the offensive line does better as well."

Backup quarterback Richard Bell fullfilled his role as reliever well. Bell completed 5 of 8 passes for 117 yards, including an 81-yard bomb to Jim Reiser. Bell said: "Coach pressed me to hand off to the running backs a lot. I did just that. The touchdown pass was just a great play by Jim (Reiser). I noticed he was open and did a great job dodging the defenders to score."

The big fear for the Gridlock offense turned out to be overstated. The absence of running back Randy Reagor, who set the single season rushing record at 2,423 yards last season, played a big role. Quarterback Nate Sutter didn't get the passing game going, completing only 13 passes for 164 yards.

But as the Gridlock missed Reagor, the Merchantmen were playing without their star Charles Gomez. The linebackers Bernie Surry, Cody Cluff and Albert Boggess combined for 24 tackles, 8 assists and 1 interception, to give Andrew Rasmussen an easy day in Gomez' role.

With a 3-0 start of the season, there are happy faces all around. The Merchantmen did it twice before. The first time was in 2007, when the team managed to reach the AOC Final. Last season they managed it again en route to the European Division title. They came short in the wild card round against the defending IHOF champions, the Syracuse Mohawks. And those same Mohawks will be the next opponents in week five, following the bye week, eager to win as they will bring an 0-3 record into that game.

MIJB#19

09-13-2006, 06:47 AM

The Month That Was: September 2012
Welcome back, Merchantmen fans. In contrast to past seasons, I won't be writing an article about the team after every week. In stead, I'll be doing a monthly review about what happened. As always, there will be a Player of the Year ranking. And some traditional musing on what's been and what's yet to come.

How did we do? The Maassluis Merchantmen cruised to a surrpsing 3-0 start this season. Nothing new compared to last year, but with games against the Bordeaux Vineyards, Georgia Gridlock (AOC's #1 seed last season) and at the Outer Banks Ospreys (NAC Atlantic Coast division champs), it was a pretty tough schedule. Behind us, the rest of Europe did their job well though and amazingly enough we're not te only unbeaten team in the division.

Standings
3-0-0 Maassluis
3-0-1 Paris
3-1-0 Bordeaux
1-2-1 Gothenburg

Individually, Alfredo Bass was a monster. The future hall of famer injected new life to our passing game. Correction, he created a passing game that we never had! Louie Flannery completed 80 percent of his passes for over 200 yards per game and 2 touchdowns per game. Mind you, Flannery sat out the second half of two of the three games we played!

In the Player of the Month race, the winner wasn't a big surprise. Wide receiver Alfredo Bass collected 24 passes for 392 yards and 3 touchdowns. Behind him, Louie Flannery took second place with his reliable passing. Quentin Hatchette ran for 218 yards so far, with a stellar 5.1 yards per carry average. Timothy Lacy made 10 key run blocks on 15 opportunities, making him the top blocker on the team. Jim Reiser completes the top five based on the longest catch in the league of the season so far.

Standings September 2012: 1. Alfredo Bass 10 points, 2. Louie Flannery 6 pt, 3. Quentin Hatchette and Timothy Lacy 5 pt, 5. Jim Reiser 4 pt, 6. Frank Bernard, Sammie Kennedy and Courtney Osgood 3 pt, 9. Bryce Ewald and Broderick Schultz 2 pt, 11. Albert Boggess and Brian Spears 1 point.

Upcoming in October are four games that could go either way. We kick off with a road game at the Syracuse Mohawks. The 2010 champions started the season 0-3 and are bound to want revenge. Then we'll have three home games. The first one will be Futility Bowl VIII against the Rochester Lake Monsters. The Lake Monsters are the defending Northeast champions and lead their division with a 3-1 record. The 2-2 Boston Rhinos are our week 6 opponents. Following a disappointing 6-10 season, the Rhinos are desperate to get wins out of the team now. We'll end the month with a much anticipated game against the Paris Musketeers. For them it will be the perfect opporunity to prove they are ready for their first division title.

Other things to note around the league? We, the Merchantmen, are one of only three teams left that won all their games. The Ann Arbor Anachronism recorded their second 4-0 start in league history. The first time they managed that was in the 2004 season, when they eventually posted a 13-3 record and lost the NAC Championship game. The Chesapeake Chitterlings are also on their second 4-0 start. In 2010 they also had a hot start, but in the end they lost the division in week 17 to the Fredrick Red Menace and crashed out in the wild card round, despite a 12-4 record.

For us, the previous two times we started the season 3-0, we had succesful years. As the die hard fans may remember, in 2007 we kicked off strong, ended up 13-3 and made it to the AOC Championship game. Last season we even posted a 4-0 start, won the European division at 11-5, yet crashed out in the wild card game against the Syracuse Mohawks. Our upcoming opponents. The team is ready for revenge. And so am I.

Kodos

09-13-2006, 08:13 AM

Crush dem Mohawks!!! A couple more losses and they're done for the season! :D

MIJB#19

09-15-2006, 05:32 AM

Sweet Revenge For The Merchantmen
The Maassluis Merchantmen continue to win. With a 9-3 score, the Syracuse Mohawks were added to the list of beaten teams. It kind of made up for the 2011 playoffs exit. Louie Flannery struggled, but saw the defense bail him out. Veterans receiver Drew McConnell and tackle Chris Perdomo left the game with elbow injuries.

Four down, twelve to go. Granted, there are no serious expectations for a perfect season, but sitting at 4-0 the fans and players are slowly starting to dream about it. Beating the Syracuse Mohawks was a big step forward. The Merchantmen once again showed to be a strong team in defense dominated battles. While on offense, the running game proved to be very strong.

"These guys are amazing," Louie Flannery said. Posting just 88 yards passing and 3 interceptions, Flannery had one of his worst games to date. The 88 yards were his second worst of his career. Flannery said: "Oh well, I'm only human, I didn't really expect to complete 80 percent of my passes all year long. The running backs really made the day."

The Merchantmen posted 209 yards rushing for the day. For some IHOF teams 200 yards is pretty normal, but in Maassluis it happened only twice before. Courtney Osgood (110 yards) and Quentin Hatchette (80 yards) proved once again to be a great tandem. Both average 5 yards per carry. Osgood said: "Yes, we have the speed and versatility to make plays, but without a strong line, you're hopeless. And a strong line is what we've got here." It shows as four linemen are averaging more than 2 key run blocks per game.

Despite the running game, it was the defense that made a strong case for being the league's best once again. They allowed 196 total yards, while holding the Mohawks to 2.4 yards per carry and letting Brent Peterman complete only 13 of 32 passes. Especially the second half was impressive. The Merchantmen posted three conescutive three and outs, holding the Mohawks to -4 yards.

On the bad side of the news were a couple of new injuries. Wide receiver Drew McConnell, who had been replacing Bryce Ewald the past games, left the game with a strained elbow tendon. He's expected to need a month to fully recover. Offensive tackle Christopher Perdomo also left the game with an elbow injury. Perdomo had his first start for the Merchantmen in absence of Cornelius Rice. Perdomo is expected to be back in about three weeks. Fullback Quentin Malicki got a knock too, but should be able to play next week.

Next week is going to be another big game: Futility Bowl VIII. The Rochester Lake Monsters will visit Maassluis for in a somewhat historical edition of the game. The Lake Monsters won their first division title last season, meaning it will be the first Futility Bowl between two defending division champions. Arises a big question, after both teams made the playoffs three times in the past five seasons, is this game still futilty, at all?

Kodos

09-15-2006, 07:50 AM

For my team, yes. We have the best regular season record of any team that has never appeared in the IHOF Bowl. :(

Floyd B. Boudreaux

09-15-2006, 08:15 AM

MIJB#19

09-15-2006, 10:29 AM

Defense wins championships. 9-3 is like music to my ears. It's like I said on IHOF Radio, you guys are going to win it all. And Mr. Bass is going to have about 1,700 yards by the time it is all said and done.There's still a long road ahead with numerous teams that can beat us (like any team we face this season). Granted, I believe that this team has the players to go all the way, but like last season, we've also got a team capable of crashing out of the playoffs in the wild card round in a heart breaking loss. It would be really freaky if the Boston Rhinos would complete the Northeast playoffs sweep over us... :S

First Rochester. Man, Jackie Williamson is one heck of a quarterback. I hope we can Pretenderman him too...

Kodos

09-16-2006, 08:53 PM

He's having a crappy season so far. Maybe a trip across the ocean will help.

MIJB#19

09-20-2006, 05:38 AM

Futilty Bowl Win Keeps Merchantmen Undefeated
The Maassluis Merchantmen remain undefeated. In a crazy fourth quarter comeback, the Rochester Lake Monsters were beaten 24-21. The Merchantmen are now the only remaining undefeated team in the Atlantic Ocean Conference. Alfredo Bass had another big game, keeping himself on pace to threaten all IHOF single season receiving records.

The fans love this rivalry. With 75,400 fans attending, Oranje Haven saw it's biggest attendance since week 17 of the 2005 season. The Rochester Lake Monsters bring along a lot of former Merchantmen players and the head to head series has been a close one. Never mind the humiliating playoff loss in the 2008 season, when the Lake Monsters left Oranje Haven devastated following a 27-3 defeat.

Futility Bowl VIII proved to be a classic, a game to remember. After a slow start in the first quarter, neither team managed to score (Rochester missed a 35-yard field goal), things started to get wild in the second term. Ray England opened the score for the visiting Lake Monsters. The Merchantmen immediately came back strong. Two big runs by Quentin Hatchette and a pass to Bass set up a 1-yard touchdown run for Courtney Osgood. In the remainder of the first half, neither team scored again. Cary Coles came close, missing a 56-yard field goal attempt.

In the second half a former Merchantmen player put the Lake Monsters up again. In a drive where the Monsters ran all over the Merchantmen defense, wide receiver Amos Collins scored on a 38-yard reception. It marked the only score of the quarter, meaning the Lake Monsters went into the fourth period leading 14-7. The Merchantmen got the ball back and knew there was a lot to do. But they were nailed at their own 4-yard line to start the final period.

First down! Jewell Simpson, repromoted to a starter with two other receivers out, made a big 33-yard catch to move his team up field. With another big pass to tight end Arnold Ramirez, Louie Flannery guided his men into Rochester territory. Consecutive running plays didn't move the team any closer than just into the red zone. A Cary Coles field goal narrowed the score down to 14-10. The Lake Monsters got the ball back at their own 13-yard line.

Interception! Sammie Kennedy had a perfect read on what quarterback Jackie Williamson was going to do. He didn't manage to run the ball back, but the Merchantmen had the ball back in Rochester territory. Louie Flannery didn't need much time. A quick pass to Bass on the first play immediately resulted in a touchdown. Merchantmen 17, Rochester 14, the stadium was about to explode. The Lake Monsters were stopped on their next drive and the Merchantmen looked ready to secure the win with 4:30 left.

But no such luck. Following a play were Courtney Osgood was stuffed, Louie Flannery made a horrible mistake. Flannery looked downfield and tried to do a medium long pass. Gene Troup intercepted the pass and found his way through the Merchantmen offense to run the ball 45 yards back for the touchdown. The Lake Monsters looked like the winning time again, leading 21-17. The Merchantmen needed a touchdown again to win the game, or even force overtime.

Amazingly enough, Louie Flannery didn't panic. Lead by Flannery the offense regrouped and did their trick. Run here, pass to Bass there, the Merchantmen marched up field and were facing third and three at the Rochester 42 yard line with 100 seconds left. Flannery called a weak formation, making it look like they were going to run. The Lake Monsters adjusted to it. And then Alfredo Bass escaped his receiver. Flannery threw a bomb into the endzone. Bass grabbed the ball and the stadium exploded again. Maassluis 24, Rochester 21.

In the final 91 seconds of the game, the Lake Monsters tried to get their act going again, but the Merchantmen pass rush avoided that. A sack by Charles Gomez and a hurry by Luther Hansen helped set up a fourth and four situation in Rochester territory. The Lake Monsters had no choice but to go for it. The Merchantmen sat back in dime personnel, but decided to let dimeback Winford Endicott blitz. Nobody saw the man coming and so didn't Jackie Williamson. Endicott made the sack and the game was over, Merchantmen win!

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude knew there was nothing to complain about: "Well, it was a tight game, but our fourth quarter play really overshadowed Rochester's play in the first half. Louie Flannery made good decissions most of the time and Alfredo Bass once again showed why he's the IHOF's top receiver. We're blessed to have this guy on our team." Bass had 5 receptions for 127 yards and 2 scores.

By holding Rochester to 275 total yards on offense, the Merchantmen are keeping more than a winning streak alive. In five games this season, the Merchantmen defense held every opponent below 300 yards. And the offense takes full advantage of it. The 84 yards difference against Rochester was the slimmest of the season.

Upcoming is another home game against a Northeast team. The division leading Boston Rhinos have been pretty good this season so far. Last weekend they gave the Paris Musketeers their first loss with a dominant showing (403 versus 265 yards). If it wasn't for a big interception return for Paris, the score might have been more than just the tiny 3-point margin.

The Rhinos have posted three 400 yards performances already. Quarterback Robby Gonzalez has thrown 12 touchdowns (at least one in ever game) against only 4 interceptions (one each in the last four). But they are not invincible. In both their losses the Rhinos were held below 300 yards. Their defense took a big loss recently when middle linebacker Lloyd Dye went out for the season. And with Gonzalez plagued by a sore knee, the Merchantmen might stand a chance to win. And simultaneously tie the franchise record in consecutive victories at six.

Kodos

09-20-2006, 07:47 AM

It was tough losing such a close game. Maybe next season we can host a futility bowl. Or maybe in the playoffs. ;)

cthomer5000

09-20-2006, 09:15 AM

Thanks Maassluis!;)

Kodos

09-20-2006, 11:33 AM

We are really no threat to NPL this season. Not that that is news. :(

MIJB#19

09-24-2006, 05:44 PM

Rhinos End Merchantmen Unbeaten Streak
The Maassluis Merchantmen won't post a perfect season. Despite a stellar performance, an 89-yard punt return turned the tide. The Boston Rhinos win 18-15 in Oranje Haven ended a five-game winning streak. The Merchantmen defense posted the second best showing in least yards allowed, bringing up memories to the Fumblin' Justin game.

And that was that. Just as the media hype about their unbeaten record started, the Merchantmen bounced back on earth. Well, not entirely, the Merchantmen outgained their opponents by over 200 yards. And there's no time to cry about it, an all-important game against the Paris Musketeers awaits.

Running back Courtney Osgood had a big day. With 115 yards on the ground, Osgood proved his former team wrong for not making him the feature back. Boston's Brian Patten struggled as he was held to just 21 yards on 8 carries. It marked Osgood's eight 100-yard game for the Merchantmen.

"Ignore that freak play and we win that game," Courtney Osgood said after the game, "I think I even warned the punting unit. I've seen Glen Acton (who returned a punt for 89 yards and te game winning touchdown) in practise on the punt return unit in my Boston days. 6-0 would have looked a lot cooler."

Defensive tackle Charles Gomez was furious after the game. The IHOF's most awarded player anchored a defense that allowed only 168 total yards, the second best game in Merchantmen history. "It was 2004 all over again." Back in week 9 of the 2004 season, the Merchantmen lost 17-17 to the Conyers Condors on two fumble return touchdowns. That day the Fumblin' Justin nickname was born.

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude wasn't in Maassluis those years: "I don't remember that game as a head coach. A freak game, but we know what we're capable of. We're ready for Paris, possibly the weakest of the teams we face so far. Don't be mistaken, they're good, it's just that we had a tough schedule so far."

The Paris Musketeers will come to Maassluis being 3-2-1. With the Bordeaux Vineyards at 4-2, this game is a crucial one for both sides for the playoff race. Maassluis can use a win to strenghten their division title chances, while Paris pretty much needs a win to stay in the race. The Gothenburg Giants sit in last place at 1-5-1.

MIJB#19

09-29-2006, 10:08 AM

Musketeers Upset Merchantmen
The European Division lead is slipping through their fingers. The Maassluis Merchantmen dropped to 5-2 following a 19-6 defeat to the Paris Musketeers. The Merchantmen outgained their French rivals by 146 yards, but failed to turn yardage into points again. Quarterback Louie Flannery received the lionshare of the complaints from Merchantmen fans, players and staff members.

450 yards in the plus, 16 points in the negative. There isn't much room for stranger things, but this is what Maassluis looked the the last two games. First the Boston Rhinos overcame being outgained, now the Paris Musketeers managed it. The Merchantmen season is quickly going south.

"Just dreadful," linebacker 'Mickey' Kershner said, "we keep them away from our territory, but we still find a way to lose. I don't want to point fingers, but this offense has to stop making turnovers. Yeah, I'm pissed, this is not whatwas supposed to happen. Beat Paris and we're a shoe in for the division title, now it's going to be a long season."

Quarterback Louie Flannery after the game found the courage to give a short speech to the fans who didn't leave Oranje Haven mid-way the fourth quarter. Flannery appologized for the mistakes he made (2 interceptions) and promised the fans the team will be leading Europe when te team returns to Maassluis in week 12.

Upcoming is a tough road game at the North Plainfield Plague, who are likely to see star quarterback David Conti back. The Merchantmen defense haven't allowed a team to gain 300 or more yards yet, but the Plague have a history of beating the Merchantmen. Expectations are it will be a shootout, or at least a close game determined by a field goal.

MIJB#19

09-29-2006, 10:08 AM

The Month That Was: October 2012
Unbelievable. If we hadn't gone througha streak like this before, I'd say it's something that doesn't go hand in hand with this team. But it clearly does. In 2009 we lost two consecutive games where we outgained the opponent by 150 yards. We did it again. 5-2, not so bad going into the season, but right now it's just silly. I guess the undefeated talk stalled us.

Thankfully, the rest of the division isn't doing well either. The Bordeaux Vineyards lost two games at home, while the Paris Musketeers rebounded from a two-game losing streak against us. Only the Gothenburg Giants are looking bad right now. Charlie Vance may just be a rookie quarterback, but without him the Giants couldn't do anything good.

Standings
5-2-0 Maassluis
4-2-1 Paris
4-3-0 Bordeaux
1-7-1 Gothenburg

The month wasn't so bad afterall, it was pretty rough to leave some players out for the player of the month race, especially since I limit myself to only three credible players in lost games. Courtney osgood was the star of the team. With two 100-yard games, Osgood anchored the offense, totalling 328 yards and 2 scores in 4 games. Alfredo Bass didn't copy his monster numbers, but with 21 catches for 274 yards and 2 scores he was crucial. Charles Gomez was back in his old shape with 1.5 sacks, 2 blocks and 8 hurries.

Standings October 2012: 1. Courtney Osgood 8 points, 2. Alfredo Bass and Charles Gomez 5 pt, 4. Cody Cluff, J.J. Reilly, Jewell Simpson and Sean Smalley 4 pt, 8. Lonnie Badalyan, Lincoln Gilmore and Quentin Hatchette 2 pt, 11. Myron Stevens and Bernie Surry 1 pt.

Standings 2012 Season 1. Alfredo Bass 15 points, 2. Courtney Osgood 11 pt, 3. Quentin Hatchette 7 pt, 4. Louie Flannery 6 pt, 5. Charles Gomez and Timothy Lacy 5 pt, 7. Cody Cluff, J.J. Reilly, Jim Reiser, Jewell Simpson and Sean Smalley 4 pt, 12. Frank Bernard and Sammie Kennedy 3 pt, 14. Lonnie Badalyan, Bryce Ewald, Lincoln Gilmore and Broderick Schultz 2 pt, 18. Albert Boggess, Brian Spears, Myron Stevens and Bernie Surry 1 point.

November awaits with four games, with only the last one at home. We start with the North Plainfield Plague, who are also 5-2 by now. They are our top rivals for the playoff seedings right now, behind the Tucker Tigers (6-1) and above the Vicksburg Vipers (5-3). Then we continue with a trip through Europe with road games at Bordeaux and Gothenburg. Especially the game against Bordeaux is going to be crucial. We end the month with a home game against the Asheville Axemen. Not a gimme, since the Axemen are flirting with a division title at 6-1.

All in all, I think we have to go 3-1 in November to keep pace for the division title. Anything below 2-2 would be a major disappointment. We can't afford to lose many more games now if we want to continue to fight for the top AOC seeds. We've already lost 2 games in the conference. With games against the Plague and Vicksburg Vipers yet to come, these are crucial games for the seeding procedure. And the division could come down to a crucial week 15 game in Paris and their visit to Bordeaux in week 17. Things are getting too close again...

MIJB#19

09-29-2006, 10:09 AM

Comeback Conti Exposes Merchantmen
David Conti is back. The Maassluis Merchantmen noticed in their 23-17 defeat at the North Plainfield Plague. In a close game, Conti guided his offense to the first 300-yard performance against the Merchantmen defense. The Merchantmen failed to take advantage of a Conti injury, as Louie Flannery threw two costly interceptions.

Things are going from bad to worse in Maassluis. Following two unneeded losses to apparently weaker teams, the Merchantmen found their match in the North Plainfield Plague. Lead by David Conti and 'Aces' Glenn in the second half, the Plague offense took full advantage of Louie Flannery's mistake loaded passing.

But the Merchantmen didn't have much choice. Flannery had to pass, as the team was missing a running game all game long. Courtney Osgood left the game injured after just 9 carries for 32 yards, while Quentin Hatchette was held to 2.7 yards per carry for 49 yards. Alfredo Bass posted another century with 125 yards receiving, but couldn't score for his team.

The lack of a running game was two-fold. Yes, Osgood got hurt early on, but other injuries also hurt the team. Right guard Timothy Lacy is the team's top run blocker and Lacy has been missing in action with a knee injury. Against the Plague, star left tackle Ivan Jacques was also missing. His replacement Chris Perdomo left the game on a stretcher after just two plays with a knee injury that will likely sideline him until late November.

With a game at the Bordeaux Vineyard to come, it's going to be interesting to see what the Merchantmen can do. The defense is still considered the best in the league, but the offense is looking to old habits. The only bright light there is still Alfredo Bass. The future hall of famer is on pace to break the league record in receptions, while he should break all receiving record for the Merchantmen. The receiving yards and touchdowns record could be broken as early as next week. Bass needs only 59 yards and 2 scores to equal Bryce Ewald's 850 and 7 from last season.

MIJB#19

10-03-2006, 06:30 PM

Bordeaux Runs Over Merchantmen
The Maassluis Merchantmen lost their fourth game in a row. With a last minute field goal, the Bordeaux Vineyards were victorious: 23-20. The Merchantmen defense allowed over 300 yards for the second time this season. Quarterback Louie Flannery received more critic, following another game with multiple interception.

What a drive. The Bordeaux Vineyards saw their star runningback duo held to negative yards in week one at Maassluis. At home, Billy Jamerson and Casey Mercer ran all over the Merchantmen. In a 10-minute long drive, the Vineyards ran 16 times (and passed only once) to an early 7-0 lead.

The Merchantmen scored back and even took a 10-7 lead following an interception by Lincoln Gilmore, but it didn't hold up. The Vineyards kept running and bashed their way to victory. If it wasn't for a fumble return for a touchdown by defensive end Lonnie Badalyan, the Merchantmen wouldn't have been within a score.

Quarterback Louie Flannery fled to the visitors locker room following the game. Flannery completed 12 of 25 passes for only 113 yards and 2 interceptions. People almost forgot that he did throw a touchdown pass to put his team into a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. But the die-hard Merchantmen fans had serious trouble supporting their quarterback.

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude admitted that the offense struggled: "We don't like to pull the injury card, but apparently it's part of the loss. We were missing two wide receivers, Courtney Osgood and had to rush Ivan Jacques and Tim Lacy into action due to other injuries."

All in all, the Merchantmen have gone from one high to another. The game today was the third worst offensive production in team history with only 161 yards. A big contrast with week one of this season, when they set a new team record at 498 yards, ironically against the same Bordeaux team. The seven following games were all but one in the team's top 30 with 350 or more yards. The non-top30 was the 9-3 win over the Syracuse Mohawks.

Upcoming is a road game at the Gothenburg Giants. It's easy to see that the Giants are struggling all season long, hence their 1-7-1 record. Rookie quarterback Charles Vance had a couple of heartbreaking losses, seeing his team lose by a single score, while he threw multiple touchdowns. Cornerback Harley Gowan is ready for a big game, as he has 7 career interceptions against the Merchantmen in 16 games.

MIJB#19

10-03-2006, 06:31 PM

Gossip News: Louie Flannery Benched!
Stop the presses, there's news in Maassluis. Gossip News' European correspondent Isaac. M. Bogus reports that quarterback Louie Flannery will be benched for Sunday's game at the Gothenburg Giants. Flannery has thrown 2 interceptions in each of the last three games and is on pace for a career high in picked off passes.

Rumor has it that the Merchantmen have officially listed quarterback Richard Bell as their starter. An interesting move following a strong season start, in which the Merchantmen won five games in a row and lost two games by a bit of bad luck, most notably Flannery's interceptions.

The Merchantmen management wasn't willing to respond, but guard Daniel Decastro was willing to comment on the issue. Decastro said: "Flannery sucks. I've worked with 'The Donald', I can tell you, a guy like Flannery is a disaster for a team. Every time you think you're going to score or on a game tying drive, he's going to throw the ball to an opponent. He's been annoying to watch."

Richard Bell has reportedly made good progress in training camp and now the sixth year veteran looks ready to take over when Flannery struggles. Bell relieved Flannery in the first two games and came out of it well with a 102.8 quarterback rating. Especially his 81-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jim Reiser was an impressive play.

And if Bell falls out of favor too, the team can always rely on Justin McDavid.

MIJB#19

10-03-2006, 06:31 PM

Press Release: Flannery Will Play Sunday
The Maassluis Merchantmen would like to report that Louie Flannery is still the starting quarterback. The Merchantmen management wants to make clear that reports from Gossip News (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=1264131&postcount=1317) are false. Guard Daniel Decastro will be disciplined accordingly following his foul words towards Flannery.

General Manager M.IJ.B. states: "Louie Flannery is our franchise quarterback. He's a flamboyant player and throws more interceptions than one would like him too. But that's his style, he loves to throw it deep. There's no doubt that Flannery is our long term answer at quarterback. Don't be fooled, Flannery will play on Sunday."

About Decastro, M.IJ.B. said: "Daniel (Decastro) didn't use nice words about Flannery. We're going to talk with him about team spirit and he'll be accordingly disciplined. If he doesn't show remorse for his actions, we'll have no choice but to suspend him, or worse."

Reports that Richard Bell is listed as the starting quarterback right now are true. The management is taken some pressure off Flannery's shoulders and is giving Bell some time to work with te first team. Who the starter is in Gothenburg will be a game day decission.

MIJB#19

10-06-2006, 07:17 AM

Longest Losing Streak In 7 Years For Merchantmen
The Maassluis Merchantmen are falling apart. The Gothenburg Giants upset the Merchantmen with a 23-15 victory in Sweden. The Giants rookie quarterback Charles Vance guided his offense to 400 total yards, the biggest production against the Merchantmen so far this season. Wide receiver Alfredo Bass set a new franchise record.

The defense isn't what it used to be. After 13 regular season games of less than 300 yards allowed (in which they Merchantmen went 10-3, with 10 consecutive wins), the Merchantmen allowed their first 400-game since week one of 2011. Ironically, that came also at the Gothenburg Giants' Palace Of Ice And Frost.

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude wasn't happy: "It's mind boggling how this is happening. Since the second half of the 2011 season, we've provided the best defense in league history. Yet, following two freak losses, the team decided to lose all faith and fall into a big hole. Now we've got five losses in a row. I'm clueless in how to get the ship sailing North again."

Some critics point to Van Der Woude himself. Despite his excellent play calling decissions, he's never been much of a motivational speaker. The Merchantmen have a trend to lose again after a loss. Coordinators J.T. Pulliam and Omar Carden have their hands full on strategic plans, which is hopeless when the coach can't avoid a collective depression.

Bad luck happens, but the loss in Sweden was the fifth in a row. The longest losing streak under Van Der Woude's guidance. Especially the chemistry with Louie Flannery seems over. Flannery got rid of interceptions againstthe Giants, yet completed only half of his passes for a depressing 151 yards.

Wide receiver Alfredo Bass didn't struggle. In what used to be his first IHOF home, Bass played two seasons for the Gothenburg Giants, he set a new single season receiving yards record. With 889 yards, Bass already did better than Bryce Ewald's 850 yards last season. With six games to go, Bass stands a good chance to break the remaining receiving records. Bass currently leads the league with 62 receptions and made 5 touchdowns.

The next Merchantmen game is in their own Oranje Haven. Their opponents are the Asheville Axemen. With an 8-2 record, the Axemen are leading the NAC Atlantic Coast division by a three-game margin. Their schedule so far has been relative easy, although they did beat both teams with a winning record they faced. Especially on defense, the Axemen are plagued by injuries. The only previous encounter with the Axemen resulted in a Merchantmen victory, a surprising 19-10 victory with Justin McDavid at quarterback in his first start after ACL Knee Surgery.

Alf

10-06-2006, 07:24 AM

Bordeaux Runs Over Merchantmen

What a drive. The Bordeaux Vineyards saw their star runningback duo held to negative yards in week one at Maassluis. At home, Billy Jamerson and Casey Mercer ran all over the Merchantmen. In a 10-minute long drive, the Vineyards ran 16 times (and passed only once) to an early 7-0 lead.
/me liked that drive very much indeed. I hope we could have such drives on a more regular basis.

MIJB#19

10-06-2006, 10:20 AM

Merchantmen Replace Decastro With Obryan
The Maassluis Merchantmen added a new player to their team. Guard Milton Obryan was signed right before the road game at the Gothenburg Giants. Obryan even joined the active roster for that game. Guard Daniel Decastro was released after one and a half seasons of service.

Milton Obryan had been a free agent since the end of the 2011 season. He signed with the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums that season to play the veteran backup role on one of the deepest teams at that position. Before that, Obryan played 70 games for the Vicksburg Vipers. As one of the blockers for all-time IHOF rushing leader Ronnie Kemp, Obryan was known as a member of the Crunch Bunch, as well as former Merchantmen tackle Wilson Grimaldo.

Daniel Decastro's release was a little bit unexpected. Decastro had been playing a backup role in Maassluis and had become unhappy about the situation. This move had been hanging in the air for a couple of weeks already, as Decastro was considered a locker room problem. Recent criticism of quarterback Louie Flannery made the decission easier. Decastro played in four games with the Merchantmen.

MIJB#19

10-09-2006, 06:35 AM

Irregular Interviewing: Justin's Comeback, Four Years Later
The losingest Merchantmen since 2004. Being at a respectable 5-5, that doesn't sound fair, but the reality is that the Merchantmen have lost five in a row. Five straight makes for the longest losing streak since the historic feat of 15 straight between week 4 of 2004 and week 1 of 2005. Today, we speak with a player who has been with the Merchantmen since day 1, the starting quarterback during that 15-game losing streak and an idol to a lot of fans: 'Fumblin' Justin McDavid.

Questioner (Q): The Merchantmen are sturggling on offense. Rumors were spread that Louie Flannery was going to be benched. Upcoming is a game against the Asheville Axemen, the last time the Merchantmen played them, the Merchantmen won with you at quarterback. Shouldn't you be starting, Justin?
Justin McDavid (JMcD): No. We're currently on the dim side of normal life cycle flows. People are quickly forgetting how great this team was at the end of 2011 and the first seven games of this season.

Q: Sure, but most of the success was the defense playing so well.
JMcD: Yes and no. Going strictly by statistics, we can even claim to have been the best defense in the league the past season and a half, but the defense is hopeless if the offense can't keep the chains moving.

Q: Flannery is struggling to make that happen.
JMcD: No. We work hard as a team to make plays on offense. There will always be good games and bad games. In the first seven games the offense gained 300 yards or more. Like I said, there will always be bad streaks. We've always had them. Any team faces them.

Q: In contrast to most teams, injuries are hard to blame.
JMcD: Injuries... They are so overrated. Look at the Axemen. They're missing half of their starters. Have you seen their record? 8-2. Yep, they are hurting, but tough it out and continue to win games. The last thing we should do know is underestimate our next opponent because of their injuries.

Q: Talking of injuries, the story with your knee troubles have been forgotten a bit.
JMcD: Yeah. Look, it's almost impossible to play without pain, but I haven't needed to skip practise ever since the surgery.

Q: That was one devastating injury. Did the return to the Palace Of Ice And Frost last week make you have flashbacks.
JMcD: Yes. I mean, we play there every season, but I will always remember it as the site that changed my career.

Q: How hard is it to play a backup role?
JMcD: It's not. I mean, back then, it was Leonard or me. We were completly different quarterbacks, but kind of equal as well. I may have gone a bit overboard in taking risks back then to fight for my starting role. I was young and eager.

Q: You're still young.
JMcD: (laughs) I'm in my thirties! You know you're old when your team management ask you to be a mentor to rookies. It was kind of freaky when it started, I was just back from injury. But it also made sense, I'm good in explaining stuff to others. Too bad neither of the guys really panned out to stick around.

Q: Maassluis is a bit of a Waterloo to quarterbacks. There are 16 on the list of former players.
JMcD: That's life in the IHOF. Besides, Louie (Flannery) has been the starter for his seventh straight season, without being replaced, aside from injuries. The management has spent a lot of time on finding a good number two guy. It's become my duty to mentor young guys to get them ready for that role. Of course, the management never expected Richard Bell to do so well.

Q: What's Bell for a kind of player?
JMcD: Well, let me start with saying that Richard (Bell) was a bit of a walk-on. He was signed right before training camp to fight for a roster spot. Somewhat surprising since we had five guys on roster back then. Richard showed what he was made of in training camp and rightfully claimed the #2 role.

Q: Wait a minute, six quarterbacks?
JMcD: Yeah. Back then we had two young guys for the future #2 role in Josh Webb and Harvey Nimmons. Of course, today, they are elsewhere, Josh retired, Harvey plays for the Georgia Gridlock. We also had Thad Pilkington, but the management had told me then that either Thad or I would get traded.

Q: Your name has been linked with trades a lot the past off-seasons. There were rumors you were close to a deal with the Rochester Lake Monsters the past off-season.
JMcD: (laughs) Rochester is a nice place to play football. You know there's still a good management relationship between Maassluis and Rochester. When the Lake Monsters drafted Bubba Raymond, the managements talked about me going there to tutor Raymond. In the end they chose for Dominic Lynch. A great choice. 'Domino' had a great resume as a mentor. He's some sort of quarterback coach. Raymond's first few plays looked really good. It's going to be interesting to see what the big work-out warrior can do next game.

Q: The Merchantmen's next game, Asheville at home. Don't tell me it doesn't do anything to you.
JMcD: It does. Randy Harris (former Merchantmen running back) gave me a phone call the other day. He said: "Justin, look at how times have changed. Half of the offense has been replaced since that day." He's right.

Q: What are your memories to that game?
JMcD: I was really nervous. I hadn't played a single down since the injury. But the stadium was going wild. Really, the crowd was making so much noise. And when Lincoln Gilmore made that interception, I knew this was it. He walked up to me and said: "That was for you. Do your thing, Justin. This is your moment of glory."

Q: What happened?
JMcD: We went into the huddle and I remember looking into Randy Harris' eyes. It was like I had never been gone. I called the play and it was just all like a dream. I passed to Rosenberry and ran for the first down on the next play. Bryce (Ewald) made a great third down conversion. And then came the touchdown. We went into the huddle again and Devin (Henson) said: Justin, I'll get open and get you your touchdown. He kept word. When I walked to the side line, everybody was crying. The Head Coach, Charles Gomez, Big Al (Albert Bernardo), Cody Cluff, Lincoln Gilmore...

Q: Wow.
JMcD: It was so bad, kicker Cary Coles was too emotional to score the extra point. He set things right on the next drive by converting his field goal attempt. We were leading 16-0 at half time, the Axemen had no idea where they were, the atmosphere was overwhelming. Of course, after the break, they came back strong and I remember thinking we were going to choke the lead when we kept failing to score.

Q: What's this game against the Axemen going to be like?
JMcD: Like any other the last couple of years. I'll be on the sideline, making notes to help Louie (Flannery) as best I can. Really, I'm only going to see the field if both Louie (Flannery) and Richard (Bell) get hurt.

Q: Will you guys snap the losing streak?
JMcD: We'd better! Some of the younger guys are losing their confidence, but with that defense, we should know that things will get back on track. Charles Gomez has been really pissed the last couple of days.

Q: Is that a good sign?
JMcD: Gomez is always like that. But when it gets this bad, you know somebody is going to pay for it. I think Gomez and Cluffy (Cody Cluff) have big plans to take the Axemen's running game out.

Q: Alright, Justin. Thanks for your time. Good luck to you guys.

MIJB#19

10-10-2006, 07:09 AM

Merchantmen Shutout Axemen
The Maassluis Merchantmen can still win. With an impressive 28-0 score, they beat the Asheville Axemen. With losses by both French rivals, the Bordeaux Vineyards and Paris Musketeers, the Merchantmen keep hopes on a second straight European title alive. Wide receiver Alfredo Bass added another Merchantmen receiving record to his resume.

At last. After five losses, with the last three being really bad, the Merchantmen avenged their own lack of success. The third shutout in franchise history gave more strenght to the win. Granted, the Axemen were depletted by injuries, but the Axemen had been serious contenders for the #1 seed position in the North American Conference.

Oranje Haven loves Louie Flannery again. With a completion percentage of 79.3 and 3 touchdown passes, Flannery was the effective leader of the team. In recent weeks, Flannery was the center of all negative media attention, but today his team silenced the critics.

The Merchantmen defense also returned to early season form. The Axemen came never closer than the Merchantmen 33-yard line. Star defensive tackle Charles Gomez said: "This is how we do it. Everybody worked hard and we kept them in check all day long." Special praise went to rookie linebacker Lee Burns, who was te biggest pass rush threat, coming out of a to him unfamiliar left defensive end position.

Wide receiver Alfredo Bass added a fifth Merchantmen receiving record to his resume. Bass hauled in two catches for touchdowns, adding up to 7 scores for the season. Injured receiver Bryce Ewald set the franchise high at 7 last season. Bass leads the league with 71 receptions, being 8 shy of tying the Merchantmen single-season record.

A good win, but there's no team to enjoy the win at all. Next is road game at the Vicksburg Vipers, the defending Atlantic Ocean Conference champions. At 8-3, the Vipers are competing for a bye week in the playoffs, providing they can hold the emerging Fort Worth Fury (7-4) off. The Vipers are running high on the back of Ronnie Kemp, who still holds the record most single-game rushing yards in a game against the Merchantmen.

MIJB#19

10-10-2006, 08:47 AM

The Month That Was: November 2012
Worst month ever. Okay, not entirely, but what the [beep] happened? After seven games of dominating every team we faced, the team had a total collapse and stunk up the joint at North Plainfield, at Bordeaux and at Gothenburg. In the end, you wonder how we even managed to stay within 8 points in all three games. Thankfully the team rebounded with a good shutout victory over the injury plagued Asheville Axemen.

While we were struggling, the Bordeaux Vineyards took full advantage. With a crucial 9-3 win at the Paris Musketeers, the Vineyards moved back to the top. Sadly for them, they lost quarterback Joe Johnson for possibly the rest of the regular season. The Paris Musketeers meanwhilst are starting their traditional collaps. A little bit early though, usually they wait until December. Last but not least, the Gothenburg Giants went 2-0 since their bye week and improved to .500 at home.

Standings
7-4-0 Bordeaux
6-4-1 Paris
6-5-0 Maassluis
3-7-1 Gothenburg

Alfredo Bass was once again the player of the month, for obvouis reasons. With 26 catches for 302 yards and 2 scores, Bass was a major factor in winning and not losing big. Bass broke the single season receiving yards (already upped it by 118 yards) and tied the touchdowns record. Louie Flannery's second placed was despite his 4 interceptions. He challenged those turnovers with 7 touchdown passes and 753 yards passing. Lincoln Gilmore was the top pass defender with 1 interception and 3 defended passes. Rookie Linebacker Lee Burns was also worth mentioning for his 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 1 blocked pass in two starts this month at defensive end.

Standings November 2012: 1. Alfredo Bass 10 points, 2. Louie Flannery and Lincoln Gilmore 5 pt, 4. Charles Gomez and Courtney Osgood 3 pt, 6. Quentin Hatchette and Jewell Simpson 2 pt, 8. Lee Burns, Cary Coles and Bernie Surry 1 point.

Standings 2012 Season: 1. Alfredo Bass 25 points, 2. Courtney Osgood 14 pt, 3. Louie Flannery 11 pt, 4. Quentin Hatchette 9 pt, 5. Charles Gomez 8 pt, 6. Lincoln Gilmore 7 pt, 7. Jewell Simpson 6 pt, 8. Timothy Lacy 5 pt, 9. Cody Cluff, J.J. Reilly, Jim Reiser and Sean Smalley 4 pt, 13. Frank Bernard and Sammie Kennedy 3 pt, 15. Lonnie Badalyan, Bryce Ewald, Broderick Schultz and Bernie Surry 2 pt, 19. Lee Burns, Albert Boggess, Cary Coles, Brian Spears and Myron Stevens 1 point.

December won't be easy. Leading up to the week 17 game against the Gothenburg Giants, we'll have a lot of must-win games. Well, the week 15 game at the Paris Musketeers clearly jumps out. If we lose there, we can forget about the playoffs. But first we're going to visit the Vicksburg Vipers (8-3, AOC champs) and host the Miami Sharks (2-9), who we thank for beating Paris last week. In week 16 awaits a road game at the Springfield Isotopes, one of three teams the Merchantmen never beat.

What makes the remaining five games all must-win games, is the current playoff situation. Our conference record is 4-5, meaning we're heavy underdogs for tie-breaker situations. Not to mention that we're a game behind the top three teams in the AOC wild cards race. Especially the Boston Rhinos (with their head to head win and a 6-3 conference record) are a team to fear. We're probably going to be stuck with either winning the division or getting into a three-way tie with Syracuse Mohawks and Georgia Gridlock, the teams we beat. It'll be an nerve-wrecking month.

Kodos

10-11-2006, 02:24 PM

Q: Your name has been linked with trades a lot the past off-seasons. There were rumors you were close to a deal with the Rochester Lake Monsters the past off-season.
JMcD: (laughs) Rochester is a nice place to play football. You know there's still a good management relationship between Maassluis and Rochester. When the Lake Monsters drafted Bubba Raymond, the managements talked about me going there to tutor Raymond. In the end they chose for Dominic Lynch. A great choice. 'Domino' had a great resume as a mentor. He's some sort of quarterback coach. Raymond's first few plays looked really good. It's going to be interesting to see what the big work-out warrior can do next game.

I think we can safely say the Raymond's second outing was not all that impressive. Jackie Williamson may well see the playing field in our next game. :(

MIJB#19

10-13-2006, 08:36 AM

Merchantmen Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
The Maassluis Merchantmen kept their goal for the 2012 in reach. With a convincing 17-3 win at the Vicksburg Vipers, the Merchantmen moved up to 7-5. They're back in the wild card race and European division title race, being only behind on tie-breakers. Louie Flannery continued a good streak of games with a nice showing. Rookie linebacker Lee Burns impressed again at defensive end.

Beating the Vipers was nice for team confidence. The Vipers were 8-3 going into the game and are the defending AOC champions. Thanks to losses by both the Bordeaux Vineyards (9-6 in overtime against the Tucker Tigers) and the Paris Musketeers (14-7 against the Conyers Condors), the Merchantmen are back in the division title race. It will require a Bordeaux mistake somewhere to win the division, as the Vineyards already clinched the tie-breakers over Maassluis.

All in all a good win. Granted, the offense continues to struggle with turning yardage into points, but the Vipers provided a stout defense. Keeping star running back Ronnie Kemp and his offense to 236 total yards and 3 points is a very good performance. Cody Cluff was a major factor in holding Kemp to 3.1 yards per carry, as Cluff racked up 9 tackles and 1 assist.

On the offensive side, Louie Flannery looked sharp again. Flannery had a good day in combining with his wide receivers Jewell Simpson (6 catches for 114 yards) and Alfredo Bass (5 catches for 95 yards and a touchdown). More importantly, Flannery stayed away from turnovers, marking his third straight game without interception. If he can do it again next week, Flannery would tie his personal best of four games without being picked off.

Rookie linebacker Lee Burns received more kudos. Burns recorded another sack in his third start. So far in three starts, Burns racked up 2.5 sacks, 3 hurried passes, 7 tackles and 3 assists. Defensive tackle Charles Gomez praised Burns: "He's getting the job done. Our regular starting ends have been struggling with injuries and Lee (Burns) has picked it up well. Pretty good for a linebacker."

Next game Burns might be pulled back to play at linebacker again. Albert Boggess (shoulder) and Mike Kershner (groin) are injured. Both could play, if need to, but the Merchantmen usually don't start injured players. But with injuries to star conrerback Tai Wayne (groin) and defensive end Omar Gougeon (groin), there will be more players shuffled around. Charles Gomez said: "No big deal, we got about 20 guys who can start on defense."

On the offensive side, left tackle Ivan Jacques re-injured his thumb. He was almost recovered from a torn thumb ligament, but he aggrevated the injury against the Vipers. Additionally, center Brant Heinrich suffered a strained calf muscle and will definately miss the next game against the Miami Sharks. Most likely it will be center Ned Cozart taking Heinrich's position, while just recovered Chris Perdomo will be placed in Jacques' role.

Upcoming is a game against the Miami Sharks. Being 3-9, the Sharks may look like an easy win, but it would be a horrible mistake to underestimate them. The Sharks have won their last two games against wild card hopefulls Paris and Anaheim. The Sharks tend to pass more than run and rank 28th in scoring. Their pass defense is decent while their run defense can be effecitve at times. It should be another low scoring affair in Oranje Haven.

Kodos

10-13-2006, 08:52 AM

Good luck. Somebody must represent the Futility Bowl in the playoffs, and it ain't gonna be us this season. :(

MIJB#19

10-13-2006, 10:55 AM

Good luck. Somebody must represent the Futility Bowl in the playoffs, and it ain't gonna be us this season. :(Isn't it usually Maassluis that represents the Futility Bowl in the playoffs, while Rochester does their traditional 10-6 with worse tie-breakers trick? ;)

All kidding aside, it's possible, but it's not a given that we'll make it. If this team keeps playing like they did in all but three games so far, we should be able to get knocked out in the wild card round while dominating our opponents 350 to 200 yards... :o

MIJB#19

10-19-2006, 08:51 AM

Merchantmen Succesfully Defend Their Harbor From Sharks Invasion
The Maassluis Merchantmen have improved to 8-5. With a 20-14 victory over the Miami Sharks, the Merchantmen kept pace with all of their playoff race rivals. The Merchantmen offense showed a good outing, although failed to run up the score. The Sharks rallied for a fourth quarter comeback, but came time short to complete it. Louie Flannery tied his own record of games without interception.

What a game. When the two-minute warning was called, the game looked over. The Merchantmen were leading 20-7, but despite about to punt, the Sharks had only one time out left. Sean Smalley nailed the ball at the Sharks' four-yard line, pretty much ending the game. The Merchantmen fans were already crying victory and started asking for results elsewhere across the globe. But things turned out a little bit different.

Young Sharks quarterback Clay Porter decided to go for it. With a 33-yard pass to Clyde Potter and a 47-yard bomb to Adrian Groff, the Sharks burst into the Merchantmen redzone. Time started running out as incomplete passes followed, but Porter found Groff again for a big gain and followed it up with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Scottie Handwerker. Less than 30 seconds left, there was only one thing left: the onside kick.

And yet it wasn't over. As the referees starting unwrapping the pile of players, it turned out Sharks' fullback Tommie Foley was holding the ball. Quarterback Clay Porter had two more plays. On his last chance, Porter connected with Adria Groff again. As Groff tried to escape his defender Sammie Kennedy, it was nickel back Brian Spears who helped Groff to the ground to end the game in Merchantmen territoty.

Merchantmen quarterback Louie Flannery received accolades for his performance. Flannery completed 18 of 25 passes for 172 yards, with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Granted, no all-world passing numbers, but it marked Flannery's fourth consecutive game without interception, a personal best.

Alfredo Bass has been a key in Flannery's recent success. With 70 or more yards receiving in each of those four games, pass to Bass has been Flannery's new motto. For the season, Bass has added up to a league-high 80 catches for 1,137 yards and 8 touchdowns. With that many catches, it means Bass has now taken his sixth Merchantmen receiving record, completing the sweep of all single-game and single-season records.

Running back Courtney Osgood also posted good numbers. Despite the absence of lead blockers Ivan Jacques and Brant Heinrich, Osgood ran for 104 yards on 22 carries, marking his third century of the season. Including the playoff game against the Syracuse Mohawks last season, Osgood has posted ten 100-yard games in just 29 games for the Merchantmen.

At 8-5, the Merchantmen are currently in a wild race for playoff tickets. In the European division they rank second behind the Bordeaux Vineyards (8-5). The Merchantmen can't win the division on tie-breakers, so they need the Vineyards to loss (or tie) at least one of their three remaining games. For the wild cards, the Merchantmen are in a healthy position thanks to victories over three of the five competitiors. However, the Merchantmen need the Fort Worth Fury to fall out of the race by either losing or passing the Vicksburg Vipers.

Next mission for the Merchantmen is a tough road game in Paris. The home playing Musketeers (6-6-1) have fallen far behind for the playoff tickets. With a victory over the Merchantmen, the French team can regain some of their pride following a four-game losing streak. The traditional chokers stamp has already been put back on them. The Musketeers are expected do their best at taking the Merchantmen down with them into missing the post-season.

MIJB#19

10-22-2006, 08:25 AM

Merchantmen Eliminate Musketeers
The Maassluis Merchantmen season continues to be exciting. With a 26-10 win at the Paris Musketeers, the Merchantmen improved to 9-5. With losses by rivals, the Merchantmen returned to a playoff ticket spot. Louie Flannery set a unqiue streak of games. Cornerback Brian Spears was unlucky again.

They needed some help across the Atlantic Ocean from other teams, but they're back in it. The Merchantmen improved to the second wild card spot in the AOC, being one of six teams at 9-5 or better. Especially the Fort Worth Fury's loss to their arch-rival San Antonio Volunteers was crucial.

But it didn't look like it would be an easy win. The Musketeers started young quarterback Kim Andrews over Edmundo Lumpkin and the kid had a hot start. A touchdown pass to Grady Richards after four minutes opened the score. A field goal seven minutes later gave the home team a strong 10-0 lead.

With the Musketeers you never know how long they hold on to their leads. The Merchantmen offense got rolling as they scored 16 unanswered points in the second quarter. The Musketeers offense saw running back Steve Stokes enmass 105 yards, but it turned out far from enough to make his team win.

At the end of the day, quarterback Kim Andrews didn't look quite ready. His 8 runs for 46 yards looked heroic, but with only 12 completed passes for 136 yards and 3 interceptions, Andrews couldn't get a passing game going. The Merchantmen scored another field goal and touchdown to post their third straight win in Paris.

Merchantmen quarterback Louie Flannery had similar troubles to get a passing game going. But as Flannery went 19 for 37, he did post 204 yards and a score, without interception. In fact, it marked his fifth straight game without interception, something he never did before. In those 5 games, Flannery completed 94 of 152 passes for 1,003 yards and 10 touchdows.

Cornerback Brian Spears was unlucky once again. The injury plagued nickelback ruptured an elbow tendon and is out for the rest of the season. The first analysis says that Spears is likely going to part of the 2013 as well, following recuperation. It continues a sad trend for Spears, as he ended the 2011 season on injured reserve as the team leader in interceptions as well.

Cornerback Tom Richmond was quickly signed in preperation for the next game. The 27-year old player joined the Merchantmen on a one-year contract. Iroically, Richmond joined the Merchantmen last season too after Brian Spears was placed on injured reserve. In contrast to last season, Richmond is expected to see action ths season as cornerbacks Tai Wayne and Winford Endicott are unlikely to play in week 16.

Week 16 will bring the Merchantmen to the Springfield Isotopes. The IHOF's all time most losing franchise is crippled by injuries, having lost their top two quarterbacks to season ending injuries. Ex-Merchantman passer Mel Atkins is expected to start again for the Isotopes following a stellar performance last week. A Merchantmen win would make the Isotopes the first franchise to lose to every other IHOF franchise. The Merchantmen would love to make that happen...

MIJB#19

10-26-2006, 07:17 AM

I've got some computer problems at home, meaning updating the dynasty is a little bit harder than usually. I'll try to get the week 16 recap, December review and week 17 recap and possible playoffs preview posted by the end of the weekend.

MIJB#19

10-30-2006, 08:39 AM

Merchantmen Secure Playoff Spot
The Maassluis Merchantmen season won't end next week. With a 22-14 win over the Springfield Isotopes, the Merchantmen did their part in clinching a playoff ticket. Losses by other teams across the Atlantic Ocean secured a playoff berth. The offense sturggled to score again, allowing the Isotopes to rally for a late comeback.

Five field goals. Kicker Cary Coles doesn't have trouble in doing his thing, but it would be a little bit safer if his team managed to score some touchdowns. The Maassluis Merchantmen are headed for the playoffs, but they seem to lack the ability to turn red zone visits into six-pointers. If they can't fix that problem, they'll be in for more late comebacks and nailbiting finishes.

The Springfield Isotopes showed another example. After three quarters of non-productivity, the Isotopes woke up and came only 13 yards and a two-point conversion short to tie the game. Something that shouldn't happen, given the Merchantmen's drive chart: the Merchantmen punted only once in nine possessions.

Quarterback Louie Flannery had saw a streak of games without interceptions end. The Merchantmen playcaller had gone five games without being picked off. Flanenery completed 22 of 33 passes for 215 yards and a score. Flannery connected with nine different players and was a big factor in the 431 total yards on offense.

Running back Quentin Hatchette was another big factor in the game. Hatchette posted his biggest game so far with 18 carries for 106 yards. The backup running back got more carries than starter Courtney Osgood, who ran 13 times for 91 yards and a 7.0 average per carry. For the game, the Merchantmen posted 221 yards rushing, a new team record.

Upcoming is a game at the Gothenburg Giants. Victory and a Bordeaux Vineyards loss to the Paris Musketeers will recrown the Merchantmen as European champions. If that happens, the Merchantmen will end up as third seeds for the playoffs. A loss will likely result in sixth seeds, barring a Boston Rhinos loss, which would move the Merchantmen up to fifth seeds.

MIJB#19

10-30-2006, 08:40 AM

Merchantmn Choke European Title
Abmyssal. Following 20-0 and 26-6 leads, the Maassluis Merchantmen managed to lose the last regular season game 27-26 to the Gothenburg Giants. The Merchantmen had already clinched a playoff berth, but by the loss minute loss gave away the European division title to the Bordeaux Vineyards. On the bright side, running back Quentin Hatchette had a big game and was a big factor in a new team rushing record. That record had been set only a week ago.

As Cary Coles converted his fourth field goal of the game, the game looked over. With a 26-6 lead, the Merchantmen had the game locked up. The Giants had gained roughly 200 yards on offense and there was no way they would score three touchdowns to win the game. Guess again. When the clock was blinking 36 seconds left, the scoreboard read Merchantmen 26, visitors 27.

After the game, the Merchantmen coaching staff questioned their decission to replace Louie Flannery at half time. Flannery had been a key player in the recent five-game winning streak. With 2 touchdown passes in the first quarter, Flannery had his hand in the early lead. Backup Richard Bell completed only 7 of 13 passes for 44 yards.

Granted, as the Merchantmen were leading, it made sense to run more and pass less. Running back Quentin Hatchette was given the starting role following his 100-yard game last week. With 137 yards with a 6.2 average, Hatchette proved his point. Hatchette finished the season only 40 yards short of the 1,000-mark. Staters Courtney Osgood gained 43 yards, which was enough to post his second 1,000-yard season in Maassluis.

Looking back, a loss like this should never happen. With a road game against the Bordeaux Vineyards forthcoming, there's no reason to expect that the team will take an early big lead. After the big debacle of week one where the Merchantmen held the Vineyards running backs to -4 yards, the Vineyards are running wild again and know they can shut down the Merchantmen offense and run all over that defense. With the game played in Bordeaux, the French are the favorites.

MIJB#19

10-30-2006, 08:40 AM

The Month That Was: December 2012
Blech. It was such a great start and we had so much success in the December games. Yet, a badly timed collaps cost us our chance to get level with Bordeaux in European titles. Instead they gained ground and doubled the gap to a 5-3 lead.

But really, it wasn't all misery. It started with an impressive 17-3 win over the Vicksburg Vipers, the defending AOC champions. The wins over the Miami Sharks (20-14), Paris Musketeers (26-10) and Springfield Isotopes (22-14) were to be expected, but as a Merchantmen fan you know not a single game is a guaranteed win. And to be honest, it's kinda cool for the Giants to beat us. Back in 2008, the Giants helped us into the playoffs and a European title by beating Bordeaux in week 17.

Final Standings
10-6-0 Bordeaux
10-6-0 Maassluis
7-8-1 Paris
6-9-1 Gothenburg

Life with Louie was great again. We all know that he's going to cost us games from time to time, but in December he won more than he lost. Flannery completed 61 percent of his passes for 941 yards, with 8 touchdowns and only 1 interception. A great way to bounce back from the five-game losing streak in October and November. Sure, Flannery isn't a flashy quarterback, but without much attention, Flannery moved up to 10th place on the all-time list in wins for quarterbacks. Not bad, huh?

December wasn't all about Flannery. It was also the month of Cody Cluff. With 9 tackles he played a major role in holding league star running back Ronnie Kemp to 3.2 yards per carry in the 17-3 win over Kemp's Vicksburg Vipers. Cluff also played a big role in the wins over Miami (8 tackles) and Springfield (1 interception). Courtney Osgood and Quentin Hatchette almost completed a double 1,000-yard season. In December they worked together in breaking the team single-game rushing record twice. Osgood gained 354 yards, Hatchette 335 yards. Broderick Schultz had 2 interceptions against the Paris Musketeers. Quentin Malicki made 10 key run blocks in December.

Standings December 2012: 1. Louie Flannery 12 pt, 2. Cody Cluff 9 points, 3. Courtney Osgood 8 pt, 4. Quentin Hatchette 6 pt, 5. Quentin Malicki and Broderick Schultz 5 pt, 7. Charles Gomez 4 pt, 8. Sammie Kennedy, Brian Spears and Tai Wayne 3 pt, 11. Alfredo Bass, J.J. Reilly, Jewell Simpson and Myron Stevens 2 points.

Standings 2012 Season: 1. Alfredo Bass 27 points, 2. Louie Flannery 23 pt, 3. Courtney Osgood 22 pt, 4. Quentin Hatchette 15 pt, 5. Cody Cluff 13 pt, 6. Charles Gomez 12 pt, 7. Jewell Simpson 8 pt, 8. Lincoln Gilmore and Broderick Schultz 7 pt, 10. Sammie Kennedy and J.J. Reilly 6 pt, 12. Timothy Lacy and Quentin Malicki 5 pt, 14. Jim Reiser, Sean Smalley and Brian Spears 4 pt, 17. Frank Bernard, Myron Stevens and Tai Wayne 3 pt, 20. Lonnie Badalyan, Bryce Ewald and Bernie Surry 2 pt, 23. Lee Burns, Albert Boggess and Cary Coles 1 point.

With the playoffs to come, the player of the year rankings isn't complete yet. Alfredo Bass has a strong lead and should win it. Louie Flannery and Courtney Osgood could challenge him if we managed to win a couple of games. Hatchette is a bit of a surprise at fourth. Cluff and Gomez struggled a bit, meaning the finish behind the running backs, despite that they are probably more important to the team. J.J. Reilly ranks only tied for 10th, but the second year guard has moved up on my favorite players list. He was our top run blocker and allowed only one sack all season.

So, Bordeaux now. Again. It won't be easy, I'm sure of that. Our offensive line is banged up, which is pointed out by the recent signing of tackle Joseph Fitch. Funny story, Fitch played games for all three European rivals. Our linebackers are all but one back. Terrence White was placed on injured reserve with a season ending injury. Former Bordeaux Vineyards draft pick Ross Nunes was signed and already saw action against Gothenburg. It's going to be easy: stop the run and we win. Don't and we're in for a long game...

MIJB#19

10-31-2006, 07:55 AM

Merchantmen Notch Win In All European Playoff Game
The league championship dreams stayed alive. The Maassluis Merchantmen came home following a 27-23 win at the Bordeaux Vineyards. The Merchantmen defense shut down the feared Vineyards running game. Yet three badly timed Merchantmen turnovers almost handed the Vineyards the victory. The 15-1 Tucker Tigers are the next opponent for the orange-white-and-blue.

"We did it!" Maassluis Merchantmen quarterback Louie Flannery screamed it out after he had planted his knee on the Bordeaux turf to end the game. Flannery had a big game, yet saw his offense go in suicide mode and almost fumble the victory away. He said: "It was painful. We took an easy 24-7 lead at half time and things looked over. And then, we do like the past weeks, almost choke."

The Merchantmen committed three turnovers against Bordeaux' zero. Usually it's a recipee for defeat, but today the defense held their ground and kept the Vineyards to just one touchdown on offense. Of course, those who made the turnovers had their share in the in too. Fumbling running backs Courtney Osgood and Tracy Winslett each ran the ball into the endzone. And quarterback Flannery played almost perfect, aside from the interception, completing 22 of 28 passes for 250 yards and a score.

Aside from the turnovers, the Bordeaux Vineyards looked very weak. The Maassluis Merchantmen defense shut down the Bordeaux running game. Billy Jamerson carried 14 times for 37 yards, while change of pace back Casey Mercer was held to 3 yards on 5 carries. It forced an all pass offense in the second half, which didn't do so bad. Joe Johnson completed 14 of 31 passes for 197 yards and 1 touchdown. But it wasn't enough to win.

The Merchantmen advance and will now face the most impressive team of the season. Better yet, with their 15-1 record, the Tucker Tigers tied the all-time IHOF best regular season record. The Tigers had the most productive team, with almost 30 points per game. That performance comes with league best yards per run and yards per pass attempt figures on offense.

Luckily, the Merchantmen have proven to have a strong defense. In fact, it's fair to say the Merchantmen have the best defense in the entire Atlantic Ocean Conference. With them facing the Tigers' offense, true football fans should be looking forward to this game. And when the Merchantmen have the ball, all eyes should be on Alfredo Bass, the IHOF's career leader in recetions and receiving yards. The Tigers' defense is beatable and that's food for optimism. With a bit of luck and their best play, the Merchantmen could mark the upset of the season.

MIJB#19

10-31-2006, 08:38 AM

General Manager Notes: Tucker, Here We Come!
Woohoo!

It's here, it's finally here. After the Tigers and us (the Merchanmen) started out as the two hottest teams in the Atlantic Ocean Conference, people were talking about this being the AOC final. Then, while the Tigers kept winning and moved on and posted a still going 12-game winning streak, we returned to earth with a 5-game losing streak. But look again, here we are now, facing the Tigers in the conference semifinals!

What a game to advance, by the way. First we allow a kickoff return touchdown (must be a result of Al Bettis' injured knee, forcing him to be more careful with his kicks), but then we followed up with an amazing first half, to take a 24-7 half time lead. Sure, turnovers almost killed us, but that's what makes the win so much sweeter, we managed to win despite turnovers. In the past we would have lost such a game.

Let's take a quick look at the Tucker Tigers. The star of their team is the third year quarterback Shaun Duncan. The kid passed for 3,566 yards, 44 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions in the regular season. That's really impressive. His favorite target is wide receiver Tyrus Shaye, who totalled 1,034 yards and 17 touchdowns in just 12 games. He's back from injury and will keep our Tai Wayne busy all day.

On defense, the Tigers haven't been impressive, but shouldn't be underestimated. The stars of their unit are cornerback Jimmie Strawn and linebacker Leland Moorehead. Strawn used to be the best shutdown corner in the league, back when the North Plainfield Plague were his team. Today, he's a cornerstone of the Tigers defense. Starwn made 5 interceptions and 13 defended passes as he allowed 31 catches in 13 games. Moorehead is the all-time IHOF leader in tackles and returned to old form a bit with 89 tackles and 29 assists.

Elsewhere around the United States of America, six other teams hope to keep their championship dreams alive. The Fairbanks NorthStars are visiting the Ann Arbor Anachronism in a classic matchup. The NorthStars saw quarterback Joey Allen return from injury to knock out the IHOF champions, Frederick Red Menace with a 29-11 score. The triple A's are the top seeds in the NAC, following a 13-3 season in which their defense showed one of the most dominant seasons in league history. The NorthStars won 20-17 at home in the regular season, plus have a 2-1 record at Ann Arbor's Weena Eloi Memorial Park.

Also in the North American Conference is a rematch of the 2007 NAC final. The Outer Banks Ospreys are the underdogs in this game after a 10-6 season. Following a 3-5 start, the Ospreys bounced back and eventually took advantage of a collaps from the Asheville Axemen. In the wild card round, the Ospreys beat their division rivals again. They now visit the Chesapeake Chitterlings, who went 12-4 in the regular season. The Chits are coming of a 16-0 loss to the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums and are out for revenge. Having beaten the Ospreys 51-7 in the regular season, the Chitterlings are heavy favorites.

Last, but not least is a game between the North Plainfield Plague and the Vicksburg Vipers. The Plague bounced back from an 0-2 start to go 13-3 in the regular season. They claimed back the Northeast division after having missed the division crown the past two seasons. The Plague are in great shape, averaging 39 points in their last 5 games and allowing 7 per game in their last four. The Vipers, however, are the defending AOC champions. The Vipers lost 3 of their last 5 regular season games, but are not to be underestimated as they defeated both conferences' top seeded teams, the Tucker Tigers and Ann Arbor Anachronism.

As you can see, no cupcakes at all. Funny enough, of the teams remaining, we beat two of them (Vicksburg, Outer Banks) and lost to just one of them (North Plainfield). We're 6-3 against the NAC representation, with none of them having a winning record against us. Historically we lead the series against the Tigers and Vipers, 2-1 each. Only the Plague are historically owning us, with their 5-1 record. Our road to the final will go through road games, given our 6th seed status. Tucker's Venable Field comes first, a stadium where we've never played before. We'll probably lose, but I know my team has what it takes to upset the Tigers. Go Merchantmen!

MIJB#19

11-02-2006, 08:34 AM

Merchantmen Crash Out In Old Fashioned Fumblefest
No return to the Atlantic Ocean Conference championship game. The Maassluis Merchantmen showed an old fashioned turnover loaded performance. The Tucker Tigers knew their way with it and marched on with a 37-12 victory. Tigers' Running back R.J. Ellard had a career game, with 214 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns.

"Inexplicable." was the quick game summary of Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude, "Excuse my speechlessness, but I think I'm going to my office, cry for an hour and send the team on a vacation until May." Merchantmen General Manager M.IJ.B. was more elaborate: "Unbelievable, it's a returning phenomenon. Come playoff time, this team finds a way to totally vanish and be night and day different compared to 3/4th of the regular season games."

Die-hard Merchantmen fans had flashbacks to the AOC Final in January 2007. A road game at the North Plainfield Plague, where the Merchantmen were trailing 30-0 before the first quarter was over. Former Merchantmen wide receiver Gregory Monti was in the stands of Venable Field and concurred: "Amazing how quickly this game was over. And everytime the team showed flashes of life, something freaky happened to end the drive and see that Ellard guy pound the ball in for another score."

The Tucker Tigers drive chart tells the full story. Three of their first six possessions started in Merchantmen territory following a fumble or interception. Add in a 49-yard pass from Shaun Duncan to Forrest Pruett and you've summarized the first quarter of the game. Well, if you're omitting R.J Ellard's stellar running in the game.

With a 24-0 lead, the Tigers did nothing else aside from running to get the game done with as quickly as possible. In return, the Merchantmen had no choice but to abandon their usual run-heavy playing style and pass a lot. Quarterback Louie Flannery added another interception on a hail mary pass early in the game to pretty much lock the game up. In the remainder of the game, the Merchantmen kept pace, but never managed to make it look like a contest.

The Tucker Tigers advance and will play their second playoffs home game in team history. Their oppoents will be the defending AOC champions, the Vicksburg Vipers. With a fourth quarter comeback victory over the North Plainfield Plague, the Vipers showed they can get it done. Important detail: the Tigers only loss this season came against the Vicksburg Vipers.

For the Merchantmen the long off-season started today. Contract negotiations with a handful of players will start. Talks with star Alfredo Bass were supposed to start as well, but it appears that Bass' demands are too big to work with right now, pretty much forcing the Merchantmen to use the franchise tag on Bass.

The Merchantmen are getting old and a drastic rebuilding plan seems to be arising. Young players have been added to the team in recent seasons, but the core of the team has remainded the same and is getting old. Especially the backbone of the defense of Charles Gomez (33), Cody Cluf (31) and Lincoln Gilmore (31) jumps out. By the start of the 2013 season, every starter on defense will be at least 29 years old. With the offensive line in a similar state, 2013 will most likely be this generation's last chance to go all the way. But as long as this team can't stay away from turnovers, this team will never win silverware.

MIJB#19

11-07-2006, 03:06 PM

The Month That Was: January 2013
It's a wrap. The 2012 season has finished, following the exciting IHOF Bowl IX. The Vicksburg Vipers avenged their IHOF Bowl XIII loss with a brilliant come back from behind win. With 27-23 score they held the Ann Arbor Anachronism from their second league title. The Anachronism were the IHOF Bowl II winners. For the Merchantmen, the season ended with a place in the conference semi finals.

What a horrible way to end our season. After beating the Bordeaux Vineyards in the wild card round, despite turnovers, I thought we'd stand a chance against what was arguably the best offense in league history. We even managed to shutdown Tigers' quarterback Shaun Duncan, who had passed for 44 touchdowns in the regular season. But no. 24-0 down within 18 minutes. Game, set and match.

ALfredo Bass was once again my player of the month. With a century performance against the Bordeaux Vineyards, he won the game for us. Pretty good for the league's leading recever in his his first playoffs appearance. Bass totalled 11 catches for 164 yards and 1 touchdown in two playoff games. Behind him, Louie Flannery (67% completed passes, 394 yards) and Cary Coles (4 for 4 in field goals, incuding a 51-yarder) were the other top performers.

January 2013 standings: 1. Alfredo Bass 5 points, 2. Louie Flannery 4 pt, 3. Cary Coles and Quentin Hatchette 3 pt, 5. Cody Cluff and Winford Endicott 2 pt, 7. Ivan Jacques and Tai Wayne 1 point.

Final Standings 2012 Season: 1. Alfredo Bass 32 points, 2. Louie Flannery 27 pt, 3. Courtney Osgood 22 pt, 4. Quentin Hatchette 18 pt, 5. Cody Cluff 15 pt, 6. Charles Gomez 12 pt, 7. Jewell Simpson 8 pt, 8. Lincoln Gilmore and Broderick Schultz 7 pt, 10. Sammie Kennedy and J.J. Reilly 6 pt, 12. Timothy Lacy and Quentin Malicki 5 pt, 14. Cary Coles, Jim Reiser, Sean Smalley, Brian Spears and Tai Wayne 4 pt, 19. Frank Bernard and Myron Stevens 3 pt, 21. Lonnie Badalyan, Winford Endicott, Bryce Ewald and Bernie Surry 2 pt, 25. Albert Boggess, Lee Burns and Ivan Jacques 1 point.

Alfredo Bass saved our face in the league wide honors. Bass was chosen All-IHOF Second team wide receiver by the FOF committee. Bass was our third offensive player selected since tight end Jerry Aubrey and left tackle Harold Hurtado follwing the 2004 season.

In the individual statistics categories, some of our players did well too. Louie Flannery finished fifth in completion percentage (61.7%) amongst qualifiers and eight in passing touchdowns (24). Quentin Hatchette ranked sixth in yards per carry (4.70) amongst qualifiers. Alfredo Bass was second in receptions (92), fourth in receiving yards (1,271) and tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns (9). Cary Coles was tied for fourth in field goals made (28) and tied for nineth in field goal percentage (80.0%). Sean Smalley was nineth in punting average (43.2) and tied for fourth in In20's (34). Cody Cluff tied for fifth in tackles (112) and was nineth in tackle percentage (18.8%). J.J. Reilly was one of few linemen with only 1 sack allowed in 16 starts (one player had 0 in 16 starts). Lonnie Badalyan was tied for fourth in recovered fumbled (3).

Before and after our loss to the Tucker Tigers, contract negotiations took some time. Ten players signed a new long-term contract with us. Guard J.J. Riley and linebacker Albert Boggess signed a 5-year contract. Cornerback Sammie Kennedy put his name under a new 4-year deal. Running back Quentin Hatchette, linemen Brant Heinrich and Christopher Perdomo, and safeties Lincoln Gilmore and Eddie Cole signed a new 3-year deal. Linebacker Carl Meier and center Todd Serra extended their stay with at least the 2013 season.

That leaves seven players of the current roster unsigned. Six of them, linemen Joseph Fitch and Milton Obryan, cornerback Tom Richmond, linebacker Ross Nunes, and return specialists Brady Pascal and Jimmy Stavrinos, were signed this season to one-year deals. Wide receiver Alfredo Bass wasn't offered a new contract. That means we'll used the franchise tag on him in the off-season, providing he doesn't call it a game. Given his first taste with the playoffs, I doubt he's going to want to quit already.

While Bass may not retire, others may do so. Center Ned Cozart turned 36 during the playoffs and is considering it following two seasons in a backup role. Cornerback Winford Endicott is 35, yet in the playoffs made his first interception since the 2008 season. Left tackle Christoper Perdomo played incredibly well for us, yet may find himself too old to keep playing at the age of 35. Others who have turned 34 by the start of the season are linebacker Carl Meier, safety Emile William and defensive tackle Charles Gomez. Especially the latter would be a monumental loss.

As we await the new season, we're also looking out for the recovery of the injured. Wide receiver Bryce Ewald is expected to return to the team in March following recovery from ACL damage to his knee. Cornerback Brian Spears' elbow injury may require more time to heal, possibly all the way through the entre 2013 season. That would be very sad for him after a season in which he ranked as the league's best pass defender.

As you can see, a lot of cliff hangers as we enter a two month break in the IHOF. I hope to bring the Merchantmen back for another playoff run in the 2013 season. We've built the defense for it, while the offense had franchise record breaking seasons. In the past three seasons only four defenses allowed less than 300 yards per game. The Ann Arbor Anachronism and Muscatrine Mosquitoes did it both this season. The Maassluis Merchantmen each of the last two. We've got a reputation to withold next season.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, we end the season with a 73-71 regular season team record. Not bad after that 1-15 start, don't you think? And that all thanks to Louie Flannery? Not really, Flannery ranks fifth all-time in interceptions. But on the bright side, Flannery notched win 65 against the Vineyards in the playoffs. That puts him in 10th place on the all-time list. And with a 21-11 regular season record in the past two seasons, we're tied for 6th in the league. 2007 was awesome, but these could be our golden ages...

MIJB#19

12-07-2006, 05:56 AM

Merchantmen Memories - 2004: Rookies With Growing Pains
Weeks have gone by since the day of IHOF Bowl IX. Since then the International House of Football has been on a small hiatus. Still, the tenth season of the league is on the horizon, it's only a matter of weeks until things will continue. As will the reports about the Maassluis Merchantmen. For the time being, we'll do a season by season flashback on past events. We'll kick off with the 2004 season.

Rookies with growing pains. That sums up the Maassluis Merchantmen's 2004 season well. A rookie general manager for a team loaded with rookie players. Including some crucial positions as quarterback, wide receiver, middle linebacker, strong safety and all over the offensive line. Well, if you could even call that an offensive line...

The 2004 began in a special way. As the International House of Football was formed, the 32 teams' lead scouts joined together for a 53-round draft. The Maassluis Merchantmen sent their scout away with the mission to build an offensive line, a secondary and get a top-notch quarterback. By doing so, he was pressed to go for young prospects first. Well, things turned out a little bit different than planned.

As the draft unfolded, it became clear that the Merchantmen scout had received different orders. Yes, he was working on putting a young team together, but the preferences on positions had been communicated in some sort of reverse language. Instead of a strong offensive line and secondary, the Merchantmen loaded on defensive linemen and wide receivers. It became clear that Oranje Haven would see a ship stocked with trade ware.

Finger pointing was easy. It was clear that Merchantmen General Manager M.IJ.B. had been making rookie mistakes. After all, he was a rookie, but should have prepared better. As a true inexperienced manager, M.IJ.B. panicked. The Merchantmen put promising wide receiver Amos Collins and defensive tackle Robert Duong on a plane back to the USA, as they were traded to the Rochester Lake Monsters and Fairbanks NorthStars respectively. Both went on to start for their new teams, with Duong even winning IHOF Bowl I.

Coming back where two veterans. Cornerback Dennis Preciado was the first arrival from Fairbanks. Left tackle Harold Hurtado arrived mid-way the pre-season from Rochester. Both players became prominent figures in the locker room to put some hierarchy in the young team. Hurtado did that successfully. With 31 key run blocks and only 5 sacks allowed, he played admirably well. He went on to receive accolades for his role, earning All-IHOF second team honors.

Dennis Preciado had much less success. In a historic first home game of the Merchantmen against the Gothenburg Giants, Preciado had his greatest moment. Preciado deflected 7 passes of rookie Duane Davis. A record that to date hasn't been tied, let alone broken. However, in the rest of the season, Preciado would manage only 4 more defended passes and 2 interceptions. Not really a text book example of a shutdown corner.

The Merchantmen's first game ever was one that received an asterisk. General Manager M.IJ.B., who was responsible for making orders about the depth charts, managed to get private issues in the way. M.IJ.B. was missing in action when the team arrived in New York for their first IHOF game. Freaky enough, shortly before kickoff, the team still had to trim the roster down from 60 to 53 names and the scouting staff decided to exterminate contracts of a couple of projected starters.

With time coming short to practice in the planned starting lineups, the coaching staff decided to make a strange decision. Instead of fielding the best players, they figured that for cohesion reasons, it was best to start the same players as in the last pre-season game. Defensive tackle Charles Gomez and middle linebacker Cody Cluff were amazingly held to backup roles, as were the veterans Harold Hurtado and Dennis Preciado.

Thankfully, not everything that day went wrong. The Merchantmen played respectably well against the North Plainfield Plague. With a 13-10 loss, the Merchantmen kept it close to a team that went on to record a league best 13-3 record. Of course, there was little praise for Calvin Snider. The rookie quarterback went on to complete only 12 of 35 passes for 114 yards, with 3 interceptions and 3 sacks. It turned out to be Snider's first and last IHOF game at the same time.

For the second game of the season, the Maassluis Merchantmen travelled to France. At the Paris Musketeers, the Merchantmen would play their first divisional game. This time the depth chart was set as supposed to be and the Merchantmen played better football. Rookie quarterback Justin McDavid completed only 47 percent of his passes, yet stayed away from turnovers and wrote down a touchdown pass. It was the only score of the game though, as the Merchantmen lost 10-7.

Hope for a good season was still there. After two 3-point losses, the Merchantmen were shaking off an early indication that they would be front runners for having the worst record. In their first home game ever, they would meet the then winless Gothenburg Giants. It would turn out to be a historical game.

The Dutch fans were presented with a great game of football. Both teams were motivated to do well and in points scored it would become the most productive game of that season in Maassluis. Scoring happened left and right, but neither team managed to take a big lead. The Merchantmen went into half time leading 14-10, result of two rushing touchdowns by Randy Harris.

In the second half, the Merchantmen defense kept the Giants offense in check. In return, the Merchantmen offense showed their first signs of what would become their style of play. Good plays were mixed with terribly timed turnovers. The Giants saw their stars cornerback Harley Gowan and defensive tackle Chris Nagel convert it into scores. The Merchantmen saw themselves down 27-24 late in the fourth quarter.

No problem, quarterback Justin McDavid went on to initiate a great drive. With a bomb to wide receiver Bryce Ewald (43 yards) and a go-to pass to Gregory Monti (13 yards), the Merchantmen burst into the red zone. Running back Randy Harris came out with a great run again, hauling the ball in from 19 yards out. It was Harris’ third score of the game, a league-wide single-game record that would only by tied in the following seven years. 31-27 Merchantmen, that should lock it up.

Not quite, the Giants were far from beaten. Quarterback Duane Davis showed his own ability to lead his team to success. However, another feature of the Merchantmen's way of winning was exposed there. The Merchantmen defense came up big, this time with two interceptions in the final two minutes. Strong safety Lincoln Gilmore ended the game by picking off a Hail Mary pass, intended for running back Jerry McGee, at the Merchantmen 4-yard line.

Sadly, the victory over the Giants turned out to be a fluke. In the following two games, the Merchantmen looked green. Despite holding the Columbus Architects to 25 yards rushing, the team lost the turnover battle 3-0 and the game 13-3 with that. Their first game against the Bordeaux Vineyards pointed out how far from competitive they were. The Vineyards won the game 28-7.

Week six saw the start of the Futility Bowl rivalry. Visiting Maassluis were the Rochester Lake Monsters, whom were told to have made the same communication mistake at the day of the inaugural draft. Before the season, the game was dubbed Futility Bowl and both teams wore the tag in pride ever since. Though unlike the Merchantmen, the Lake Monsters were winning games and at 3-2 were flirting with a playoff position.

Lead by quarterback Jackie Williamson, the Lake Monsters started the game well. After both teams had scored a single field goal in the first quarter, the second quarter saw Williamson's unit wake up. He marched his men up field and connected with fullback Nick Nightingale for 22 yards to set up the first touchdown of the game. League legend Joe Boulware made the catch in the end zone to take the lead.

The rest of the second quarter, the game turned into a turnover disaster. But where the Lake Monsters recovered two of their own fumbles, the Merchantmen were less lucky. Quarterback Justin McDavid added two interceptions to his early first quarter mistake, setting up another Rochester touchdown and a field goal in the dying seconds.

In the second half, the Merchantmen bounced back. On the first drive, Justin McDavid found tight end Jerry Aubrey for a 28-yard score to come closer. However, the Lake Monsters scored back and held the Merchantmen to a 46-yard field goal from Cary Coles, to hold a 27-13 lead going into the fourth quarter.

It wasn't over yet. The Merchantmen defense came up big. With two fumble recoveries, the field was made short for the offense and both times it resulted in a field goal. After a bunch of punts, the Merchantmen had just over 2 minutes left to score 8 points and tie the game.

Justin McDavid tried to spread the ball around, but nobody looked able to make a catch. Still, wide receiver Bryce Ewald made a big play on 4th and 13, to keep things going. Fredric Vargas then converted a 4th and 10 and overtime was looming. McDavid found Gregory Monti for 7 yards and a two-point conversion was keeping the team away from a tied score. Sadly, Randy Harris failed to run the ball in and the on side kick wasn't recovered. Rochester wins, 27-25.

From there on, the Merchantmen sailed from disaster to disaster. The Minnesota Miners trashed them 33-13, followed by a Boston Rhinos 24-17 close win. It was the lead up to another marquee moment in team history, the home game against the Conyers Condors.

In week 9 of the 2004 season, the career of quarterback Justin McDavid would make its first big turn. That day, the Merchantmen defense would go on to hold the Condors to 163 total yards, but it didn't suffice. The Merchantmen fumbled the ball 6 times, resulting in 3 turnovers. To make things worse, the Condors defenders would return two of these 62 and 73 yards for touchdowns. Justin McDavid fumbled four times and a nickname was born: Fumblin' Justin.

Despite a bye week following that defeat, Justin McDavid's spirit looked broken. The Paris Musketeers were victorious in Oranje Haven in week 11 with a 23-14 score. That game McDavid threw 2 interceptions to nullify his teams' more productive offense. A week later, the Ann Arbor Anachronism would win 20-16 in Oranje Haven, scoring their winning touchdown with 90 seconds left to play. McDavid threw 3 more interceptions, posting a passer rating of 8.0.

In week 13, the Merchantmen once again found themselves trapped in turnover woes at the Gothenburg Giants. McDavid added two more interceptions, to basically destroy his own 294-yard game. The Merchantmen lost 37-24, despite outscoring the Giants by 124 yards.

Things hardly got better after that. In week 14, the Bordeaux Vineyards win 10-7, as both sides miss two field goals. Cary Coles missed a 22-yarder in Oranje Haven. In week 15, the Syracuse Mohawks leave Maassluis victorious, 20-10. Three McDavid turnovers set up for another outscoring yardage loss. In the last two road games, the scores were closer than it really was. Both the San Antonio Volunteers (22-14) and RayCo Raiders (34-24) won.

The 2004 season ended with a 1-15 record. The Merchantmen ended the season with a 13-game losing streak and 5 games behind the Gothenburg Giants. The Bordeaux Vineyards won the division at 9-7, thanks to the Giants' upset win over the Paris Musketeers. Paris finished the season 8-8, Gothenburg 6-10.

In all the unlucky losses, the Merchantmen did see bright spots. The team, especially the defense, showed an ability to keep it close and to compete with most teams. Middle linebacker Cody Cluff received defensive rookie of the year for his 99 tackles and 33 assists. Tight end Jerry Aubrey received All-IHOF first team honors with his 67 catches for 760 yards and 6 scores.

Justin McDavid posted a league high 13 fumbles, yet he did lead all rookie quarterbacks with 19 touchdowns and 2,904 yards. All in all, no terrible numbers, especially given that the offensive line was by far the league's worst in talent. Still, the Merchantmen had posted the league's worst record and 'clinched' the top pick in the 2005 amateur draft. Around the league, there was no doubt: Maassluis will pick a quarterback #1 overall.

MIJB#19

12-07-2006, 09:37 AM

Merchantmen Memories - 2005: Masters Of Trading
Weeks have gone by since the day of IHOF Bowl IX. Since then the International House of Football has been on a small hiatus. Still, the tenth season of the league is on the horizon, it's only a matter of weeks until things will continue. As will the reports about the Maassluis Merchantmen. For the time being, we'll do a season by season flashback on past events. Let's take a look at the 2005 season.

Masters of trading, the slogan used by and about the Maassluis Merchantmen. Trading is one of the means to build a roster. The Merchantmen over time have lived up to their franchise nickname and to date traded more than any other team. Although the first two trades were during the 2004 pre-season, the 2005 off-season was were the management lived up to the team slogan.

The 2005 off-season started very early for the Maassluis Merchantmen. Some say it even started before the 2004 playoffs were finished, but reality is that it wasn't. Still, far before free agency kicked off, the Merchantmen announced their first big trade. After their 1-15 record in 2004 they 'clinched' the #1 overall draft pick. They didn't keep it very long.

The Merchantmen management had evaluated their roster and one thing was clear: we don't need a quarterback. Some claimed it on the love affection of Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. for 'Fumblin' Justin McDavid, but his reasoning was slightly different. "We had so many holes to fill, quarterback just wasn't one of them." And it showed, the #1 draft pick was on the trade block.

Days before the official list of draft eligible players was revealed, the Merchantmen struck a deal with the Astoria Heroes. Overall picks #12, #31, #44 and #63 were swapped for the #33 and the top pick. Not to mention that linebacker Ellsworth Thelen was added in the traded to fill a glaring hole at the strong side of the defense. Believe it or not, it was only the start of the trading spree.

Before the amateur draft started, the Merchantmen had swapped around more and more picks. They had added the #6 pick from the Springfield Isotopes, right tackle Wilson Grimaldo from the Paris Musketeers and guard Alvin Causey from the Orlando Knights. The latter was one of the best players at his position, yet still recovering from a torn deltoid muscle. Causey eventually played in the last two games of the regular season, showing he hadn't lost much of his ability.

The free agency period didn't fly by without activity either. The Merchantmen signed defensive end Albert Bernardo away from the Springfield Isotopes. Later on, the Merchantmen completed a double signing. Having negotiated contracts with two safeties, the team ended up signing both Richard Muller and Wiley McGhee, despite wanting only one of them. Eventually both started a lot of games, at the expense of Lincoln Gilmore. Gilmore was dubbed 'the comeback kid' when he moved back into a starting role late in the season.

On draft day, the Merchantmen made a couple more deals. The #6 overall pick was sent to the Astoria Heroes for future picks, but it didn't stop the Merchantmen from ending the day holding four first round picks. At #12 overall, cornerback Tai Wayne became the franchise’s first draft day addition. Guard Butch Wilson and center Brant Heinrich were selected to complete the offensive line with veteran left tackle Harold Hurtado. With Causey still out, right tackle Russell Malave was designated to play the fifth starting role.

The fourth first round addition was quarterback Leonard Lyon. Despite all the talk about not needing a quarterback with Justin McDavid around, the Merchantmen sent their 2006 first round pick for the #28 overall pick to make the addition of Lyon possible. A quarterback controversy was born. One that would keep the fans and media busy throughout most of the season.

In pre-season, Justin McDavid and Leonard Lyon shared playing time as much as possible. Lyon clearly struggled with the play book, whereas McDavid used the 2004 starter experience to his advantage. With a completion percentage of 57.5, and 4:1 touchdown-interception-ratio, McDavid beat Lyon's 48.6% and 1:1. It wasn't enough, the Merchantmen management made clear that first round picks should always start.

In week one the Gothenburg Giants were the Merchantmen's first opponents. In 2004 the Giants were the only opponent whom they beat. The game was in Maassluis' Oranje Haven, setting up for perfect scenario to give Leonard Lyon an easy start. Guess again. Behind a revamped offensive line, Lyon had little to fear. The line protected their quarterback well, yet failed to give him a running game to fall back on. As the game progressed, the Merchantmen slowly lost control of a game they were leading 12-7. Leonard Lyon completed only 16 of 37 passes for 150 yards with 2 interceptions. The Merchantmen choked and ended up losing 27-12.

An interesting discussion arose. Leonard Lyon hadn't played well at all and coincidentally got injured. Rumor had it that Lyon faked the injury to get replaced during the game, but team doctors made clear that Lyon did pull a groin. Lyon was listed as questionable and the Merchantmen decided not to get their expensive first round pick hurt long-term in only his second game. All eyes were back on Fumblin' Justin.

Week two saw a tough road game at the Frederick Red Menace, defending Mid-Atlantic division champions. It didn't matter to McDavid. On their first drive, the Merchantmen offense showed what they were made of and they took an early lead through an impressive drive. McDavid took his team 75 yards forward, finishing it off with a 22-yard pass to wide receiver Bryce Ewald.

From there on, McDavid's play started to decline fast. A 68-yard interception return by Cody Cluff and a 54-yard field goal by Cary Coles gave the Merchantmen a 17-7 half time lead, but it couldn't stop McDavid from being unimpressive. McDavid ended the day 16 for 29 with 161 yards and 1 interception. Granted, he didn't fumble, but that was the only good news. Amazingly, the Red Menace struggled through the game as well and came time short to avoid the 27-24 loss.

With Lyon still hurting, McDavid started again in week three, a road game at the Fort Worth Fury. McDavid's play was familiar, going 16 for 33, with 160 yards and 2 interceptions. With great effort from the defense, the Merchantmen did bounce back from 14-0 behind, scoring 10 points in the last 35 seconds of the first half. Randy Harris' second touchdown of the day set up for the 20-14 win.

The Merchantmen had achieved a winning record for the first time ever. After their bye week, Leonard Lyon was expected to return in week five, but he wasn't 100% fit yet. Against all odds it was Justin McDavid again against the Tucker Tigers. It wasn't his day. Before the first half was over, his interception total was two. With help from turnovers on the other end, the Merchantmen were still in it. Cary Coles even missed a 27-yard field goal when the score was 0-0.

The Tigers got better and better and took advantage of McDavid's terrible play. McDavid completed only 12 of 28 passes for 120 yards, again without scores. But with his admirable runs, he kept the fans cheering for his team. With two minutes left, the Merchantmen scored a touchdown to potentially tie the score at 10-10. Potentially, as Cary Coles missed the extra point, pushing Maassluis to .500 again at 2-2.

With Leonard Lyon fit again, it seemed obvious he was going to start again. There were rumors going around that Lyon, who was also the team's kick holder back then, was responsible for the missed kicks in the last game. Lyon was eager to prove his critics wrong and came out strong in his second start, a game at the Georgia Gridlock.

Lyon lead his offense well and was a blessing compared to Justin McDavid's play. Lyon completed 21 of 33 passes for 227 yards and 3 touchdowns. However, Lyon also had 2 interceptions. Both times the Gridlock turned it into a touchdown. The first one with a 50-yard pass, the second one with the game tying touchdown. Combined with a 78-yard touchdown pass, the defense didn't do much to help Lyon at all.

But Lyon still got a chance to set something right. With 40 seconds left, Cary Coles lined up for a 49-yard field goal attempt. Lyon's hold looked good, but Coles missed it, keeping the score 24-24 and forcing overtime. In overtime, the Merchantmen had first possession, but they failed. The Gridlock needed only one big play from wide receiver Tyrus Shaye to get into field goal range. And the win, Georgia 27, Maassluis 24.

Everybody in the league expected that Leonard Lyon had solidified his position in that game. But the worst was yet to come. In a game at the Paris Musketeers, Lyon threw 4 interceptions, paving the way to a franchise worst 31-3 defeat. Lyon's numbers were still better, but his record was 0-3, McDavid's 2-1. The Merchantmen management looked at that and threw McDavid back in.

Justin McDavid got a perfect match up to steal the Merchantmen fans' hearts. A home game against the Conyers Condors, the team that made him fumble four times in the 2004 season. McDavid hardly impressed, yet anchored by an amazing 96-yard interception return from Dennis Preciado, the Merchantmen managed to win the game 21-17. McDavid fumbled again, yet this time his team won, despite being outscored 479 to 261 yards. The Condors would bounce back and eventually lose IHOF Bowl II to the Ann Arbor Anachronism.

Justin McDavid was dubbed the lucky charm, despite being able to get a completion percentage above 50, pass for more than 160 yards, or make less than 2 turnovers. In the following game at the Bordeaux Vineyards, McDavid just continued his tenure. 141 yards and 2 fumbles later, his team was in tied game late in the fourth quarter. Fernando Ramsey converted a 42-yard field goal with 22 seconds left to make his Vineyards win 16-13.

League pundits felt that the Merchantmen management was making a mistake, holding onto the lucky charm. Week ten's road game at the Orlando Knights ended McDavid's turnover streak. With touchdown passes to tight end Jim Reiser and wide receiver Bryce Ewald, the Merchantmen took a 14-0 lead at half time. From there on, the team just ran the ball, resulting in Randy Harris' first 100-yard game. The Merchantmen held on to the lead and won the game 17-10.

But then came the darkest day in Justin McDavid's career. At the Gothenburg Giants' Palace of Ice and Frost, McDavid blew out his knee. His season was over. Even worse, doctors feared for McDavid's career and already ruled out a return in the 2006 season. During the game, the Merchantmen were visibly shocked by the injury and let a close game slip to a 19-9 loss.

In a way, the Merchantmen were liberated as well, the quarterback controversy was over and so the continuing media attention about internal issues. Despite a shaky performance by Leonard Lyon, the Merchantmen won their next game 24-9 against the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums.

Week 13 marked Futility Bowl II. The Rochester Lake Monsters were back in Maassluis to extend their reign of this inter-divisional rivalry. Leonard Lyon had a good game, completing 18 of 32 passes for 214 yards and 1 touchdown, but lack of third down efficiency eventually cost them the game. The Lake Monsters won 15-10.

The next opponent for the Maassluis Merchantmen were the Chesapeake Chitterlings. Given the form of the home team, there was little hope for the Merchantmen to win there. But against all odds, the Merchantmen played a good game there, albeit helped by three first half turnovers from the Chitterlings. For a long time, the Merchantmen looked like posting a shutout win. A late touchdown pass from Jaime Canter to Darrell Spears made the final score 17-7 in Merchantmen advantage.

Between all the talk about quarterbacks, people were quickly missing the good season the Merchantmen were having. The win over the Chitterlings put the Merchantmen at 6-7 and still in the playoff race. Home games against the Bordeaux Vineyards, Astoria Heroes and Paris Musketeers were awaiting to give the Merchantmen a shot at going from 1-15 to a winning season.

Hopes for that ended pretty quickly. Despite holding the Vineyards out of the end zone, the Merchantmen looked awful on offense and saw Leonard Lyon unable to post a fourth quarter comeback. The Vineyards won 12-10 and extended the head-to-head series to a 4-game winning streak. The Astoria Heroes then posted a 20-7 win in Oranje Haven to 'clinch' a losing season for the Merchantmen.

Week 17 then marked a perfect opportunity to finish the season in a good way. The Paris Musketeers were 2-13 and had humiliated the Merchantmen in Paris. Both sides kept it close, but this time Leonard Lyon played it well. Supported by Randy Harris' 129 rushing yards, Lyon guided the Merchantmen to a 16-13 victory.

At the conclusion of the 2005 season, the Merchantmen had a 7-9 record. They finished the two games behind the Gothenburg Giants, four games behind the Bordeaux Vineyards. Compared to the 2004 season, the Merchantmen were, by far, the most improved team in the IHOF.

Individually, the Merchantmen defensive line jumped out in performance. Defensive tackle Charles Gomez (70 tackles, 6.5 sacks) and defensive end Harold Wells (13 sacks, 43 tackles) both earned All-IHOF second team honors. Defensive end Albert Bernardo (6.0 sacks) and defensive tackle John Bryant (7.0 sacks) supported the stars well. On offense, running back Randy Harris flew under the radar. With 1,114 yards on the ground and 10 total touchdowns (fifth in the league), he made a huge contribution to the team.

Leonard Lyon finished the season with a passer rating of 61.6, having a 6:13 touchdown-interception-ratio. No stellar numbers, but good enough to be considered the franchise quarterback from there on, with a good offensive line in front of him. With the age of the team taken into account, it had to be a matter of time to break into the playoffs. Maybe as early as the 2006 season.

MIJB#19

12-12-2006, 11:58 AM

Merchantmen Memories - 2006: The Year Of Charles Gomez
Weeks have gone by since the day of IHOF Bowl IX. Since then the International House of Football has been on a small hiatus. Still, the tenth season of the league is on the horizon, it's only a matter of weeks until things will continue. As will the reports about the Maassluis Merchantmen. For the time being, we'll do a season by season flashback on past events. Let's take a look at the 2006 season.

The year of Charles Gomez. When Maassluis Merchantmen fans think back to the 2006 season, the performance of defensive tackle Gomez immediately comes to mind. A season that boosted Gomez' hall of fame chances from likely to very likely. A season that saw more questionable trades and more progress towards a potential division champion.

The 2006 off-season kicked off with arguably the worst trade in Merchantmen history. Following a 7-9 season, the Merchantmen management wasn't confident in the quarterback situation. 2004 starter Justin McDavid had been terrible in 2005 and was diagnosed out until the start of the 2007 season with a knee injury. Second year pro Leonard Lyon had played admirably well in 2005, but didn't have the faith of the management.

And thus Lyon was traded. Days before the official list of draft eligible players was published, Lyon was packing his bags. He was traded to the Springfield Isotopes for quarterback Mel Atkins and a slightly improvement in draft picks. A questionable trade, that also aggravated the cap situation. A situation that lead to more big trades.

Defensive end Harold Wells was coming off an All IHOF second team year (13 sacks, 60 total tackles). His cap cost was very large and the Merchantmen decided to go with new defensive ends. Wells was sent to the Bordeaux Vineyards for a first round pick and veteran end Scot Dick. Also traded was Deon Chapa, who didn't produce in his Merchantmen years. Chapa moved to the Rochester Lake Monsters.

The Merchantmen made more mind-boggling trades. Former All IHOF Tight end Jerry Aubrey was sent to the Rochester Lake Monsters to pave the way for Jim Reiser to start. At fullback, the Merchantmen dealt away both Mark Burger (to Fort Worth Fury) and Vincent Lopez (to Boulder Blizzard), filling the void with Syracuse Mohawks' Jamel Rosenberry. Cornerback Dennis Preciado moved to back to the Fairbanks NorthStars. Safety Wiley McGhee to the Georgia Gridlock. Guard Alvin Causey left the team for the Bordeaux Vineyards.

When the draft class was revealed, the Merchantmen were obviously looking at the top quarterbacks. Air Force's Seth Dwight was the top prospect and talks to move up in the draft for the #1 pick were started. Sadly, the Merchantmen couldn't agree terms with the Boulder Blizzard franchise and decided to settle with the through trade acquired #10 overall pick. The new top prospect was Middle Tennessee State's Louie Flannery.

As the top picks unfolded, the Merchantmen started getting anxious. When Louie Flannery was still at the 4th overall pick, trade talks started with the Georgia Gridlock holding that selection. A complicated three-team trade resulted in Georgia trading down to #5, but Flannery was still available. The Merchantmen pulled the trigger and moved up from #10 to #5 to get the strong-armed quarterback.

With their fourth and seventh round pick, the Merchantmen added defensive end Omar Gougeon and defensive tackle Andy Weliczka, who would turn out to be decent contributors to the team. The team also added rookie free agent cornerback Myron Stevens and kicker Al Bettis, who was picked up to handle kickoffs to get some pressure off Cary Coles.

The team also added some players through trade. Cornerbacks Gus Stoffers and Johnnie Stidham came over from the Orlando Knights to fill the open spot left by Preciado. Fort Worth Fury guard Timothy Lacy was acquired to replace the expensive veteran Alvin Causey. Linebacker Carl Meier came over from the Boston Rhinos and wide receiver David Henkel from the Vicksburg Vipers. Quarterback Dominic Lynch arrived from the Rochester Lake Monsters to backup and mentor Louie Flannery.

As much as the management had tried to improve the team, expectations took a huge hit before the regular season started. Safety Richard Muller took a big blow to his head in pre-season. Muller was diagnosed with repetitive concussion syndrome and out for the season. Cornerback Tai Wayne's season ended after 13 plays on defense. 2005 #12 pick Wayne severely hurt his ankle and was placed on injured reserve.

In that first game of the regular season a Merchantmen trend continued. For the third season in a row they had a rookie starting at quarterback. The Merchantmen running game (36 yards) and defense (375 yards) struggled, but quarterback Louie Flannery countered it admirably well. Flannery passed for 199 yards, with 3 touchdown passes, with 1 interception. The Bordeaux Vineyards showed they were still stronger (27-21 win), but the Merchantmen fans had something to look forward to.

In week two it was Charles Gomez time. Although his defense allowed no less than 547 total yards to the San Luis Obispo Burn, it was Charles Gomez who forced, recovered and returned a fumble for 8 yards and the touchdown. Gomez' score was the game winner in overtime for a 36-30 final score. Quarterback Louie Flannery impressed again with a 99.4 quarterback rating for his 264 yards day with a score and no interception.

Of course, around the league there was no doubt that Flannery's rookie mistakes would soon start kicking in. In week three against the Orlando Knights it did. Flannery threw 2 interceptions, but also added 235 yards and a score to counter his mistakes. Especially the improved running game paid off, as Randy Harris' 115 yards on the ground were crucial to the 24-13 comeback win.

As the trading deadline was nearing, the Merchantmen then said goodbye to a popular figure amongst the players. Tackle Russell Malave had fallen to a backup role and was unhappy. Malave was traded to the Telluride Outlaws. With his departure, the Merchantmen had none of their initial 10 offensive linemen left.

Following the bye week, the Merchantmen's season was taking shape. The defense struggled all game long, allowing 381 total yards to the Syracuse Mohawks. Defensive tackle Charles Gomez and linebackers Cody Cluff and Ellsworth Thelen showed to be a good run stopping trio, but the pass defense was heavily struggling. And as Louie Flannery had his worst game of the season (15 for 35, 182 yards), two fourth quarter field goals gave the Mohawks a 20-14 win.

Then Futility Bowl III arrived. Sitting at 2-2, the Merchantmen were underdogs against the 4-1 Rochester Lake Monsters. Running back Randy Harris took the team on his shoulders with 159 yards on the ground. Louie Flannery converted Harris' big runs into touchdowns, completing scores to Harris himself and Gregory Monti. For a change, the Merchantmen had shown signs of a pass defense, holding quarterback Jackie Williamson to a 39.4 quarterback rating.

A week later, the Merchantmen offense struggled one again. Randy Harris was held to 2.1 yards per carry by the Boston Rhinos. Louie Flannery was held to 174 yards and 1 score against 1 interception. The defense, however, forced enough turnovers to defend an early taken 14-0 lead. The Rhinos almost tied the score in the last minute, but a failed two-point conversion attempt gave the Merchantmen a 21-19 win.

Sitting 4-2, the Merchantmen were surprising people. Of course, everybody could see how often the defense was struggling with big gains, yet turnovers kept the team in the game a lot. A home game against the Paris Musketeers proved that. The Musketeers were not much worse, yet the Merchantmen secondary converted two interceptions in touchdowns to anchor the 24-14 win. Desmond Craig and especially Johnnie Stidham, with his 83-yard return, won the game.

The overall standings in the league were getting interesting in Maassluis. The season was almost halfway done and the 5-2 record was pretty impressive. Sadly for the Merchantmen, they weren't the only good team in Europe. The Gothenburg Giants were leading the division at 6-2 and the Bordeaux Vineyards were at the top wild card spot with a 5-2 record. The second wild card position was for the Merchantmen though, being a full game ahead of all other Atlantic Ocean Conference teams not in a division lead.

Louie Flannery was falling back to earth though. With 3 interceptions and no touchdown passes, he was coming off his worst game. With his team going to the North Plainfield Plague, it was a perfect game to get exposed as pretenders. Flannery didn't stand a chance all day, being held to 12 completed passes for 119 yards with 3 interceptions. A humiliating 9.5 passer rating was the result. The Plague marched to a 40-14 win and put the Merchantmen down to earth. The Plague would eventually lose only one more game from there on, en route to IHOF Bowl III victory.

The drama was far from over. In the road game at the Bordeaux Vineyards, things didn't get better. Flannery was throwing a lot and 3 of his 41 passes were picked off. Three consecutive games with three interceptions surely had to take its toll. The Vineyards overcame an aggressive pass rush (5 sacks) to win the game 24-17.

Just as he thought the worst had been over, Louie Flannery got his share of a nightmare at Gothenburg's Palace of Ice and Frost. Flannery sprained his knee and was picked off four times en route to a 20-10 loss. It was easy to see that the turnovers that day cost the Merchantmen the game.

In contrast to the previous season, the Merchantmen decided to stick with their first round quarterback. Yes, Flannery was hurt, but the team already needed him as their leader. Sadly, he couldn't show it in the home game against the Anaheim Matterhorns. Scared to injure his knee, Flannery threw only 16 passes for 61 yards. At least his streak of games with interceptions ended. Late in the game, Shane Bower took over for Flannery, but he proved to be unable to avoid the 24-13 loss.

Flannery had his confidence back. That was the best thing from the game against the Matterhorns. He knew he could be mistake free again and showed it at the Forth Worth Fury. By Flannery two touchdown passes, the Merchantmen looked strong and took a 20-0 half time lead.

In the second half, the Fury bounced back. With three touchdown drives, they fought back and al of a sudden were leading 21-20. There were only four minutes left and Flannery had to step up again. It resulted in an impressive drive by the Merchantmen offense. En route to the Fury end zone, three third and longs were converted. With only 6 seconds left, a time out was called to set up a 29-yard field goal. Cary Coles made it and the 23-21 win was there.

With the losing streak snapped, the Merchantmen had a lot of confidence going into the week 14 game against the Fairbanks NorthStars. With their quarterback Joey Allen unable to play due to back injury, surely the Merchantmen would stand a chance in their own house. Players all over the team were eager to show what they were made off.

Defensive tackle Charles Gomez was once again the master on defense. Gomez lead all players in total tackles and proved to be a strong leader. By Gomez' inspiration, Myron Stevens and Devin Henson scored on big plays. Stevens had a 47-yard interception return, while Henson had a 86-yard kickoff return. Louie Flannery threw for 208 yards, Randy Harris ran for 114 yards and fullback Jamel Rosenberry scored two touchdowns. Final score 36-10, then the largest defeat in NorthStars.

At 7-6, the Merchantmen were back at a winning record, but reaching the playoffs was getting tougher. The wild cards at that point were held by two 9-4 teams. The European division was tough in itself with the Gothenburg Giants at 10-3 and the Bordeaux Vineyards at 8-5. A three-game winning streak would probably be required to get into the post season. With the next game on the road at the 3-10 Paris Musketeers, missing their quarterback Mario Hudson, the playoff hopes were bound to stay alive.

Guess again. The Merchantmen defense struggled all game long and allowed no less than 580 total yards in four quarters. Quarterback Eugene 'Westcoast' Wescott threw for 419 yards, running back Joe Boulware gained 173 yards on the ground. Freaky enough, the Merchantmen stayed turnover free in the 40-20 loss. Merchantmen wide receiver Devin Henson scored twice with a 89-yard kickoff return and a 56-yard fumble return. Amazingly enough, the Merchantmen defense made 6 sacks, 1.5 by Charles Gomez.

Following the loss at Paris, the season was basically over. The Merchantmen management announced that big changes would be made. The game plan was remodeled, especially on defense. A historic moment was there as the team decided to switch to a zone only pass defense system. The management also decided to bench a couple of older players and start some youngsters who could be starters in the near future.

Their next opponent was the Boulder Blizzard. The weather at the Boulder Stadium was living up to the team name. The Maassluis-Boulder game there marked the first snow game in IHOF history. The home team had prepared well to the weather. The Merchantmen had not. The Blizzard walked all over the Merchantmen, gaining 399 yards on offense against Maassluis' 184 yards. Freaky enough, the Blizzard were forced to attempt field goals a lot. Blizzard kicker Deangelo Royston missed four times, yet did convert a 45-yarder in the last second of the game to avoid overtime: 13-10.

The last game of the season then was a home game against the Gothenburg Giants. The Swedish already gave the division lead away to the Bordeaux Vineyards. Fighting for their playoff hopes, the Giants felt the couldn't allow to lose. The Merchantmen showed no mercy and came out of the gates pretty strong. When safety Emile William returned an interception 60 yards back for a touchdown, the Merchantmen were leading 17-0 before the first quarter was over.

The Giants fought back hard, but time after time found themselves pushed back by big defense plays from the Merchantmen. Especially Charles Gomez with 3 sacks, a forced a fumble, 9 tackles and 2 assists. Linebackers Ellsworth Thelen and Cody Cluff also bolstered their tackle totals, adding 12 and 9 solo tackles respectively. Thelen also added an interception. As did cornerback Johnnie Stidham. All together it was enough to give the Merchantmen a 20-16 win.

The Merchantmen season ended at 8-8, marking the first non-losing season in team history. The Bordeaux Vineyards won the division at 11-5, while the Gothenburg Giants made the playoffs at 10-6 on common games tie-breaker against the Rochester Lake Monsters. The Paris Musketeers ended the season as the AOC's worst team at 4-12.

Individually the team saw some franchise records broken. Louie Flannery wasn't all that spectacular, but did post the best single-season quarterback rating. Randy Harris ran for 1,203 yards, a new franchise record. Harris scored 10 touchdowns, which was on par with his 2005 production. Tight end Jim Reiser was Flannery's favorite target with 79 receptions. Cornerback Johnnie Stidham made 7 interceptions. Cody Cluff 120 tackles.

But as said earlier, 2006 was mostly Charles Gomez' year. Gomez earned All IHOF first team honors with his impressive statistics. Gomez made 99 tackles, 34 assists, 12.5 sacks and forced 3 fumbles, of which he return one for a game winning touchdown. Gomez' name was made. Despite his play, the rest of the defense struggled. That was disappointing giving the two earlier seasons when it was the offense that struggled. Of course, the loss of cornerback Tai Wayne had been a major factor in the collapse of the pass defense.

The most important thing was that Charles Gomez proved to be a legitimate star player. Gomez' showed he was well worth being the best paid player on the team. With him the core of a strong defense was there. Gomez was surrounded by the still improving middle linebacker Cody Cluff, safety Lincoln Gilmore and from injury returning cornerback Tai Wayne. And then there were others like safety Emile William, linebackers Mike Kershner, Ellsworth Thelen and Carl Meier, defensive end Albert Bernardo and the rookies Omar Gougeon, Andy Weliczka and Myron Stevens. Could 2007 be the first winning season...

MIJB#19

12-21-2006, 12:17 PM

Retirement Day 2013: Merchantmen Lose Nine
A big hit. A grand total of nine players from the Maassluis Merchantmen filled their retirement papers. With the International House Of Football (IHOF) having adopted a better retirment fund, older players are more and more thinking twice before they play on for another season. The IHOF saw a total of 165 players retire. Not including players who were free agents. Who of those who called it quits had played with the Merchantmen?

Wide receiver Gregory Monti played 82 regular season games between 2004 and 2009. Spent 2010 on injured reserve, went through the 2011 and 2012 seasons as a free agent. In the Merchantmen record book he ranks 5th in receptions (219), 3rd in receiving yards (3,235) and tied for 3rd in receiving touchdowns (16).

Defensive end Albert "Big Al" Bernardo was the first free agency period signing for the Merchantmen. After a year with the Springfield Isotopes, Bernardo played 5 seasons in Maassluis. Bernardo then spent two years with the Vicksburg Vipers, with which he reached IHOF Bowl VIII. Bernardo ranks 3rd in sacks (25.5) for the Merchantmen and scored 2 fumble return touchdowns.

Safety Emile William played 7 seasons with the Maassluis Merchantmen. After backup role years with the Tucker Tigers and Orlando Knights, William settled in Maassluis. William was a starter in the succesful 2007 season, but played a backup role in the year prior and years following that season. He played 96 regular season games for the Merchantmen, in which he defended 25 passes and made 6 interceptions.

Cornerback Winford Endicott is yet another player who started during the 2007 season. Endicott bounced around the league, before he became a permanent member of the Merchantmen roster. "Endi" played with the North Plainfield Plague, Georgia Gridlock and Outer Banks Ospreys. In 6 seasons with the Merchantmen he worked his way up to franchise's 4th all-time in defended passes with 42 deflections.

Defensive tackle Frank Bernard started his career with the Columbus Architects, where he played 66 regular seasons games. In Maassluis, Bernard started in every game in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Last season he lost his starting role. In 3 seasons, Bernard racked up 109 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 28 quarterback hurries.

Center Ned Cozart had his best days outside of Maassluis. In six seasons with the Outer Banks Ospreys, Cozart recorded 189 key run blocks, ranking him second for that franchises. In Maassluis he made 51 key run blocks in 40 regular season games.

Linebacker Albert Boggess leaves Maassluis after just three seasons. Following six years with the Fort Worth Fury, Boggess signed with the Merchantmen as a free agent. He saw his first two seasons end on injured reserve with season ending injuries. In 2012 he was demoted to a rotation backup role. Boggess played 34 regular season games for Maassluis, in which he made 124 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 4 interceptions.

Defensive end Lonnie Badalyan retired after just one season with the Merchantmen. Badalyan had been a backup in his first eight years in the IHOF. He started with the ROchester Lake Monsters and then played 7 seasons for the Paris Musketeers. Yet the majority of his career starts (4 of 7) and sacks (2.5 of 4.5) came in one year with the Merchantmen.

Linebacker Ellsworth Thelen played five seasons with the Maassluis Merchantmen. Back in 2005 "Elly" was acquired in the big #1 overall draft pick trade from the Astoria Heroes. After two years as a full time starter, Thelen became more and more a backup player and was traded to the North Plainfield Plague. Thelen played 76 regular season games for the Merchantmen, racking up 355 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 3 interceptions and 22 defended passes.

Defensive tackle Shaun Shiroma, like many others, had his best Merchantmen days in the 2007 season. As a second round pick, expectations were always high with Shiroma. IN his rookie season he won player of the game honors in the Merchantmen's first ever playoff game. After that things went downhill. Shiroma played only 45 regular season games and spent 2012 as a free agent following a year on injured reserve with a minor injury.

Defensive end Aaron Sherrill ranks 7th all-time for the Merchantmen in sacks. Despite that, his retirement came a bit early. As a sixth round draft pick, Sherrill surprizingly burst into a starting role in 2007. After that he fell to a rotation backup role, even missing the 2009 season on injured reserve with a minor injury. After a year out of football, Sherrill made his retirement official.

Quarterback Thad Pilkington hang up his helmet indefinately after nine IHOF seasons. Thad bounced around from the North Plainfield Plague to the Asheville Axemen, were he had his best years as a starter. He spent the 2008 to 2010 seasons in Maassluis, before he moved back to North Plainfield in 2011 and to retire after the 2012 season in Asheville. Thad played in 10 games for the Merchantmen, with 3 starts, with 560 yards, 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

Other retiring who were with the Merchantmen in 2012 are running back Marquis Ong, guard Milton Obryan and tackle Joseph Fitch. Ong was two seasons in Maassluis, sitting out 2011 on injured reserve and playing in 6 games in 2012. Obryan was a member of the Vickburg Vipers' Ronnie Kemp blockers, called the Crunch Bunch. Obryan spent just a prt of the 2012 season in Maassluis in a backup role. Fitch played just 1 playoff game in Maassluis, yet became the first player to play for all four European IHOF franchises.

Six more former Merchantmen retired this off-season. Guard Brian Hammond (2007-2009) played 22 regular season games for Maassluis. Cornerback Xavier Clyburn (2008-2009) had 4 intercepions and 12 defended passes in 27 regular season games for Maassluis. Defensive tackle Andrew King (2004-2005) played 7 regular season games in Maassluis. Running back Cedric Rubio (2006) played 12 regular season games for the Merchantmen. Quarterback Dominic Lynch (2006) spent a season in Maassluis to mentor Louie Flannery. Kicker Paul Fabrizio (2011) spent a playoff game on the roster.

Last is a list of nine players who never spent a full week on the Maassluis Merchantmen roster. Still, they did spend some time in Maassluis during training camp or as a signing for a workout. They are running back Jimmy Arbuckle, kickers Dwayne Calfee and Myron George, tackle Steven Stanislaw, linebackers Karl Flannery, B.J. Monroe and Michael Penton, cornerback Bubba Lesky and safety Gene Dewit.

MIJB#19

01-05-2007, 04:39 PM

Merchantmen Tag Bass, Burns To Summer League
The Maassluis Merchantmen started their 2013 campaign with a no-brainer decission. Wide receiver Alfredo Bass was given the franchise tag. Bass had been acquired through trade from the Minnesota Miners last season holding just a one-year contract. Since there was no cap room to extend the contract last season, the Merchantmen decided to tag Bass.

Linebacker Lee Burns became the first Merchantmen player assigned to the IHOF's summer league. As a second-year pro, Burns was eliglible to be sent to the special summer camp at the Ligue Solecismique. Burns role could be improved in 2013 following the retirment of defensive end Lonnie Badalyan and linebacker Albert Boggess. Last season, Burns played in 10 regular season games, making 7 starts.

MIJB#19

01-05-2007, 04:43 PM

Merchantmen Lock Up Osgood, Add New Faces
And away they go! The 2013 free agency period started and the Maassluis Merchantmen were part of the early winners. Safety/punt returner Louis Farr and cornerback Trent Orchard joined the team one a two-year contract. Meanwhilst renegotiations have locked up most of the roster through the 2014 season.

Running back Courtney Osgood was the center of attention. Osgood's contract was scheduled to end after the 2013 season. Following his two 1,000 yard seasons in Maassluis, it was clear he was worthy contract extension. Osgood signed a new four-year deal worth over $10 million.

Louis Farr was the first free agent signing of the season. Farr was initially a 4th round pick with the Telluride Outlaws. He played three seasons with them, then one year with the North Plainfield Plague. After having been the primairy punt returner for the Tucker Tigers last season, Farr was given the freedom to continue his career elsewhere. Farr played five seasons in the IHOF, averaging 7.7 yards per punt return with 1 career touchdown.

Another free agent signing, Trent Orchard comes over from the Muscatine Mosquitoes. Selected in the 3rd round of the 2009 draft, Orchard was expected to be a starter some day. Sadly, he never lived up to the hype. Orchard played 51 games in Muscatine with only 4 starts. His best season was 2010, when he defended 6 passes. Orchard fits in the zone defense specialists tradition in Maassluis, but also has experience in bump and run coverage.

Also signed to contract extentions are linebacker Mike Kershner, wide receiver Drew McConnell and long snapper/tight end Winston Van Pelt. All three signed a deal through the 2014 season. Quarterback Richard Bell turned down a two-year contract. If he doesn't sign an extention, Bell will become a free agent after the upcoming season. The same applies to linebacker Carl Meier and offensive linemen Todd Serra and Louis Bell.

The Maassluis Merchantmen roster currently counts 47 players. That including cornerback Brian Spears, who is likely to miss the entire 2013 season with an elbow injury. The team hold eight draft picks for the upcoming draft: one in the second and third round, three each in the fourth and fifth round. The team is actively seeking a trade to move down from the #47 overall pick to the top of the 3rd round. The team already traded their fourth fifth round pick for a 2015 fifth round pick.

Earlier on this off-season, the Merchantmen renegotiated contracts with a majority of the players. Most notable was the two-year contract for franchise player Alfredo Bass. Also on the list of contract extensions were cornerback Tai Wayne, left tackle Ivan Jacques, defensive tackle Charles Gomez, safety Lincoln Gilmore and defensive ends Wally Mattingly and Omar Gougeon.

Other news around the league included some stories from former Merchantmen players. Wide receiver Jesse Vielma signed a new one-year deal with the San Luis Obispo Burn. Vielma started 6 games for them last season. Defensive end Britt Bycroft left the Williamsburg Colonials for the Fort Worth Fury. Bycroft will be reunited with Harold Wells. They never played together in Maassluis, yet were teammates at the Bordeaux Vineyards from 2007 to 2010.

MIJB#19

01-09-2007, 07:27 AM

Merchantmen Sign Three Players, Trade Down
The Maassluis Merchantmen seem to be very busy. With the signing of three free agents and their second trade, activity in the front office is at their off-season peak. Defensive end John Claxton, cornerback Steven Brookshire and offensive tackle Tommie Burns join the team. For the upcoming draft, they traded from #47 overall to #66 overall.

Adding John Claxton gives the defensive line more pass rush options. He's got good pass rush technique and has the experience to mentor second-year pro Luther Hansen. Claxton has been in the IHOF since the 2004 season. His best years were with the RayCo Raiders, where he played 36 games with 12 starts between 2004 and 2007. After that he became a backup role player in the IHOF. He bounced around with stays at the Fort Worth Fury (2008), Williamsburg Colonials (2010, 2011) and San Luis Obispo Burn (2012). Claxton sat out the 2009 season as a free agent, but now hopes to get some action on the respected Merchantmen defense.

Cornerback Steven Brookshire moves over from the Knoxville Rebels. Brookshire's career started as an undrafted free agent signing with the Asheville Axemen. In two seasons there he played in 21 games. During the following 2011 season he started with the Orlndo Knights. After two games he was released, but then quickly got signed by the Fort Worth Fury. Last season he played wih the Springfield Isotopes (now named Knoxville Rebels), where he also made his first career interception. Brookshire is expected to use his intuition for turnovers to battle for a roster spot.

Tommie Burns was a bit of a surprise signing. The Merchantmen already had four tackles on roster. However, with the retirement of Ned Cozart and Milton Obryan, there were some roster spots open on the offensive line. Burns is a former top third round pick of the Orlando Knights. Sadly he never lived up to expectations, seeing action in only 10 games between 2009 and 2011. Last season he moved on, signing with the Anaheim Visigoths. Burns got to see some action there (12 games, 4 starts), yet decided to not stick around after the team's name change to Oakland Black Panthers. Burns is expected to be in the mix for the 10 offensive line roster spots and potentially for a starting role.

Despite all the signings, the Merchantmen made more noise with their second trade of the off-season. The Merchantmen had been advertising their #47 overall draft pick and found themselves in an overload of interested teams. In the end the Telluride Outlaws made the best offer, sending their #66 overall pick, as well as a third round pick in 2015 and a fifth round pick in 2014.

Last but not least were some career moves by former Merchantmen players. Defensive tackle John Bryant played three years in Maassluis (2004-2006) and had been an occasional starter for the Georgia Gridlock. After six seasons there, he decided to move on and sign a one-year deal with the San Antonio Volunteers. Running back Scott Bagley accepted a two-year deal with the Minnesota Miners. Bagley had been sign late in the 2012 season and the management there is happy to keep him as a return specialist and backup runner. Bagley played 62 regular seasons games for Maassluis between 2008 and 2011.

MIJB#19

01-10-2007, 09:04 AM

More New Players For Merchantmen
The Maassluis Merchantmen are quickly stepping over the off-season retirement spree. With three new signings, the number of new faces has been upped to eight this off-season. Center Lance Blackwell and cornerbacks Marco Gonzalez and Ross Greene are the new players on the team.

Lance Blackwell made a bold move. Blackwell's last team in the IHOF had been the Gothenburg Giants. Despite his history being quite injury free, Blackwell's is one of a career backup. The Anaheim Visigoths took him in the sixth round of the 2006 draft. He stayed around for fur seasons, yet never played in more than 6 games. The past three seasons he bounced around, playing with the Muscatine Mosquitoes (2010), Boston Rhinos (2011) and Gothenburg (2012). Blackwell is expected to fight for a roster spot during the upcoming training camp.

Marco Gonzalez had been followed closely by the Merchantmen for years. Despite being an undrafted free agent, Gonzalez has bounced around the league a bit. Initially signed with the Chesapeake Chitterlings, his first IHOF action came in his rookie year for the Vicksburg Vipers. After being backup throughout the 2010 season, Gonzalez got traded in the 2011 pre-season to the Tucker Tigers. Gonzalez saw a lot of action there due to his bump and run pass defense experience, yet didn't hang around much longer than that season. Last year he saw action in two games for the Springfield Isotopes. Now, he hopes to be part of the revamped Merchantmen defense.

Ross Greene was a surprisingly quick signing. Green had only recently been released by the Syracuse Mohawks. Green played five and a half seasons with the Mohawks, the last two in a pretty big role. He also won an IHOF championship there in the 2010 season. Before his tenure with the Mohawks, Greene signed as an undrafted free agent ewith the Ann Arbor Anachronism. He hung around for two full seasons, yet got released midway the 2008 seasons. After being unemployed for about a month he signed with the Mohawks.

Running back Hugh Sipe, who the Merchantmen had been talking to, decided to stay with the Tucker Tigers. Sipe signed a new one-year contract there. Sipe was joined by former Merchantmen quarterback Mel Atkins. Former Boulder Blizzard fullback Jose Gwinn turned down the Merchantmen, signing a two-year deal with the Outer Banks Ospreys. Guard Carl Clarkson left the Minnesota Miners, signing a one-year deal with the San Antonio Volunteers.

MIJB#19

01-16-2007, 08:50 AM

Merchantmen Add Eight Through Draft
It's a wrap. Well, almost. With the seventh round going, another IHOF draft is soon to be in the books. Then, 214 players have been taken by the 32 IHOF franchises. 30 of them will be heading to Europe, eight of them to the Maassluis Merchantmen, who have no selections left. Who did the Merchantmen pick and what should the fans expect from them?

Melvin Galloway was the Merchantmen's first selection. Taken 66th overall, the defensive tackle won't be taken for granted, he'll likely be hrown into the starters rotation. The Arizona graduate ranked 10th amongst his position, yet the Merchantmen scouting staff found him to be underrated. Galloway has all what it takes to be a Merchantmen defensive tackle: abilty to stop the run and the much needed pass rush technique.

Linebacker Renaldo Dunlap was taken 77th overall. The Purdue graduate was assesed closely by the Merchantmen scouts and they believe tht Dunlap is a hot rospect. He'll probably come in a little bit raw, but the 22-year old is said to be a good run stopper and pass rusher. Dunlap might be moved from MLB to OLB, which seems to be a position of need in Maassluis after the retirement of Albert Boggess.

Brenden Boone bolsters the Merchantmen backfield. The 99th overall taken running back was regarded as one of the better backs in a relative weak class. Boone graduated from Louisville and is expected to immediately become the #3 rusher. He might even break into the 3rd down role.

With the 111th overall pick, the Merchantmen took Johnnie Griffin. The young guard from Temple left behind a good impression after the private interviews. Griffin isn't expected to break into a starting role right away, but he is regarded as a very talented player with the potential to become a very good starter some day.

Jessie Rhem was the second lineman taken. The smart center is expected to battle for the backup right away. Rhem was taken 120th overall and comes over from Indiana University, Pennsylvania.

At 129th overall, Lester Henson could be a steal for the Merchantmen. The former Kentucky defensive end ranked eight overall on the IHOF scouts' consensus list, in what is said to be the biggest class in defensive ends. The Merchantmen management believe that Henson is experienced enough to make an immediate impact.

Lorenzo Webster went off the board as 144th overall. The running back looked pretty good after additional scouting and might be able to fight for playing time. The Mississipi graduate is fairly developed and saided to have the hole recognition to fit into the Merchantmen game plan.

Daniel Linder was a bit of a surprise pick. The Oklahoma fullback hadn't been interviewed by the Merchantmen scouting staff. Linder is pure run blocker and worth the gamble at 157th overall.

With these eight added to the roster, the Merchantmen will sit at 61 players. That includes cornerback Brian Spears, who is likely to miss the entire 2013 season with an elbow injury. He's likely to be placed on injured reserve after training camp, right before pre-season starts.

MIJB#19

01-22-2007, 09:27 AM

Gossip News: Breaking News: Cody Cluff Starts Hold Out
Panic in the Maassluis Merchantmen front office! Middle linebacker Cody Cluff has decided to take a stand and demand a contract extention. Cluff is still signed through the 2014 season, but rumors are that he wants a big singing bonus to stay with the team. Reportedly teams around the league have been calling to Maassluis 24/7 to talk trade. The non-retirment of Carl Meier, drafting of Renaldo Dunlap in the third round and contract extension for Terrance White made the Merchantmen four deep at middle linebacker.

Cluff ranks third on the all-time tackles list and was expected to take an attempt to gain the all-time lead. Cluff has 897 tackles, while Leland Moorehead (964 tackles) and Frank Judson (945 tackles) recently retired. A hold out would jeopardize Cluff's chances, as Emanuel Keever (887 tackles) and Johnnie Braithwaite (873 tackles) are close behind him. Keever even recently changed teams to take a chance at the all-time lead, being traded from the Conyers Condors to th Fort Worth Fury. There were no further details on the situation at the current time, but Gossip News will keep you updated.

MIJB#19

01-23-2007, 09:45 AM

Cluff Problems Solved, All Rookies Signed
Peace has restored. Cody Cluff is no longer holding out. Far before the situation could escalate, the Merchantmen management and star linebacker Cody Cluff agreed on a new three-year contract. This means an extension of a year, as well as a signing bonus of around 5 million US dollars.

"I'm just happy to be here," Cody Cluff said, "I wasn't sure we would be a good team this year, but management convinced me." Cluff denied that it was a money issue: "I just want to play football. That's what I love to do." The new deal means that Cluff is likely to retire a Merchantmen player. "We still have a great defense: Charles Gomez, Lincoln Gilmore, Tai Wayne. We'll be a force again in 2013. And that tackle record is too good to pass on."

Meanwhilst, the Merchantmen agreed terms with all eight of their rookies. Defensive tackle Melvin Galloway, linebakcer Renaldo Dunlap, running back Brenden Boone and offensive linemen Johnnie Griffin and Jessie Rhem all signed four-year deals. Defensive end Lester Henson and running backs Lorenzo Webster and Daniel Linder signed three-year deals.

Additionally, the Merchantmen signed an undrafted rookie free agent. Linebacker Clifton Farlow had been on the Merchantmen shortlist for the draft and signed a one-year deal. Farlow spent his college time at Georgia Tech, the same school that linebacker Mike Kershner, safety Borderick Schultz and long snapper Winston Van Pelt attended.

Negotiations with quarterback Richard Bell once again stalled. The Merchantmen management have been talking with Bell's agent a couple of times. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "We like Bell. Clearly, he's not going to be our #1, but any team needs a good backup plan and we really like Bell to stick around as our #2." Bell is still under contract for the 2013 season.

MIJB#19

01-26-2007, 05:45 AM

Merchantmen Fill Up Training Camp Roster
And then there were 69. Players signed that is. The Maassluis Merchantmen signed six free agents to one-year contracts to pretty much fill thei entire training camp roster. The limit is 70 players, meaning there's one spot open. The new players are three running backs, a fullback, a guard and a cornerback.

Kenneth Pratt is the biggest name of the bunch. Sure, the 31-year old running back hasn't ran for 1,000 yards in a single season yet, but he's been around in the IHOF since the league inception. Pratt played football for the Boulder Blizzard (2004-2009) and Springfield Isotopes (2011-2012). In 2010 he spent the season on injured reserve with the Wiliamsburg Colonials.

Fullback Juan Shields joins the Merchantmen seven years late. Shields had been scouted as the future fullback of the team, but management decided to pick Doug Nelson. Nelson was released during his rookie season and today is retired. Shields kept playing, spending time with the Boston Rhinos (2006-2009), Georgia Gridlock (2010) and Springfield Isotopes (2011-2012). Shields has 0 career rushing attempts, yet has 26 receptions and 9 key run blocks.

Chester Capers is also a running back. Capers' elusiveness is phenomenal, while he's also a good kickoff returner. Capers played 7 games for the North Plainfield Plague as a rookie last season. He joined that team halfway the season after having been a roster cut day casualty with the Gothenburg Giants. Capers returns to Europe to prove his first IHOF team wrong by winning a roster spot with their rivals.

Yet another running back. Rookie Jermaine Stanton is joining a now overcrowded backfield. The Georgia graduate didn't overwhelm the Merchantmen scouts before the draft, but with his hole recognition, Stanton makes a good candidate to at least make the pre-season squad. And after that, anything can happen.

The signing of guard Kevin Shepard was't a big surprise. The Purdue graduate had surprised the Merchantmen staff in preperation for the draft. On draft day the team went with Johnnie Griffin, but it's not unlikely Shepard will beat the 4th round pick for a roster spot.

Last but not least, cornerback Teddy Rackers perfectly fits in Merchantmen tradition. Rackers is a fast, smart and volatile player. Rackers' has gained his experience in a zone defense system and brings play diagnosis and interception ability with him. Worst case, Rackers will be used for his special teams skills.

MIJB#19

01-27-2007, 11:02 AM

Merchantmen Complete 2013 Training Camp Roster
The Maassluis Merchantmen have a new player. Speedy wide receiver Willie Bennett received the #80 jersey a day before training camp starts. Bennett played his collegiate career for the small football program of Wagner. Bennett is said to be a guy who's good at out running his cornerback to get open downfield.

MIJB#19

01-29-2007, 07:25 AM

General Manager Notes: Training Camp 2013 Aftermath
I'm back!

Greetings, dear readers. It's been a while, but right now is a good time to come back with a report about the Merchantmen's 2013 plans. Well, it's pretty simple, we want to go all the way to IHOF Bowl X. It'll be tough, but with the team we have, we stand a decent chance. To be quite honest, it might be the last chance for almost half of the team even. First, I'll break down the current roster, position by position.

Quarterbacks
Nothing new on the horizon here. We hoped to draft a talented kid, to give Justin McDavid some work to do, but no such luck. Instead, we're looking at Richard Bell again as our backup. I like Bell, but we're having some trouble in getting him to extend his contract through the 2014 season. Our starter will obviously be Louie Flannery, who has grown into being the strongest quarterback in the league, whatever that's worth...

Running Backs
Here we're currently seven guys deep. Courtney Osgood lost a bit of his speed, but still looks like a potential 1,500-yard back. Of course, he won't get that as long as we keep Quentin Hatchette into the mix a lot. Behind them, the #3 role is up for grabs. Kenneth Pratt won't get it, he's out the door after pre-season. Rookie Lorenzo Webster came out of camp as one of the most experienced rookie runners in the league, yet I don't like him, much. Chester Capers might stick around as a kickoff return option. Brenden Boone was our #99 overall pick, yet I'm not sure what he can do for us. He lacks the hole recognition and isn't a true third down back either. Of course, our coaches recommend we use Boone as a third down back... The only sure thing is Jermaine Stanton as he won't make our pre-season 60-men roster.

Fullbacks
A tough decision to make here. Quentin Malicki is the obvious starter being a very good run blocker. We drafted rookie Daniel Linder with the prospect of being as good as Malicki some day, yet it'll be hard to justify giving him a roster spot. He's so green and fullback is about the last position where we're getting old. Juan Shields hangs around to mentor, but as it looks now, he'll probably only do so for Tracy Winslett, who was last season's third down back.

Tight Ends
Nothing new here. Arnold Ramirez remains as our run block support end, while Jim Reiser hopes to live up to the big play receiver hype for one last time. Winston Van Pelt is still one of the best long snappers in the league and over time has proven to be a reliable receiver when he's on the field.

Wide Receivers
Alfredo Bass. Enough said, no? Bass is a lock to make the IHOF Hal of Fame and we're happy to have him. Age is catching up though and he looked a bit slower than before. Bryce Ewald returned from injury, but we fear he's lost too much of his agility to play a starter. Thus, we're looking at Jewell Simpson again, the guy who loves to go over the middle, get deep and give his passer a open target downfield. Devin Henson looked not so good in camp and our kickoff return legend may be heading into his last season here. Drew McConnell remains as a good #3 option, yet should watch out for rookie Willie Bennett, who looked pretty fast in camp.

Centers
Depth isn't an issue here. Brant Heinrich comes off another very good season and remains our starter. Todd Serra was supposed to be his backup, but he's getting older too and is disgruntled. We're openly advertising Serra for trade right now. We signed Gothenburg backup Lance Blackwell to replace Serra already. And we might need him, as rookie Jessie Rhem was downright disappointing in training camp.

Guards
Long live J.J. Reilly. Our third-year pro has grown and grown and today is one of the most reliable guards in the league. On the right side, Timothy Lacy is the run blocking expert of the team. Behind them, the rookies Kevin Shepard and Johnnie Griffin fight it out for likely only one roster spot. Shepard currently has the edge, but Griffin made huge leaps in improvements, according to the scouting staff. But only time will tell whether either guy is starter material.

Offensive Tackles
They're old, but they're good. Ivan Jacques was clearly slower than he was about six months ago, yet he remains as the obvious blind side protection. Chrsitopher Perdomo, Cornelius Rice and Louis Bell all looked good in camp and will fight it out for the right side, although Bell is likely going to be just our #2 left tackle. Young off-season addition Tommie Burns made some good progress in training camp and isn't eliminated for making the final 53-men roster at all.

Punters/Kickers
Nothing new here. Sean Smalley is still improving and will be our punter for yet another season. The kicking duties will be shared once again: Al Bettis kicks off, Cary Coles does the field goals and extra points. It even looked like Coles improved his accuracy in training camp, which is quite surprising, given that this will be his tenth IHOF season.

Defensive Ends
Good news and bad news here. The bad news came from Omar Gougeon. He looked very out of shape in training camp and looked like the fourth best end. Wally Mattingly, however, looked better than ever before and seems to have locked up a big role as a pass rusher. Luther Hansen is going to be in the mix a lot too, but is still lacking the stamina to be an all downs threat. rookie Lester Henson still needs to work on his technique, yet he looks powerful enough to make plays. Veteran John Claxton will stick around at least throughout pre-season to tutor Hansen and Henson.

Defensive Tackles
Ouch. Charles Gomez used to be rock solid, but today he's just an above average starter. Now, don't get all depressed, the Gomez standards were pretty huge to begin with. Gomez will still be a huge pass rush threat and important for the run defense. Gomez will move to the right side though, to make room for Andrew Rasmussen at Rasm's favorite position. Rasmussen finally broke into a starting role last season and finally gets a chance to show he's the new Gomez. Meanwhile, rookie Melvin Galloway will be thrown into the mix as the rotation backup, while good old Andy Welickza shall be used all around the line as a run stopper. Free agent singing Kelly Stehlik has marvelous upside, but sadly we can't use him yet with the depth we've got.

Linebackers
Ah yes, one of my favorite groups. The retirement of Albert Boggess hurt, but not much. Depth is good and we're still having a great bunch of guys here. Cody Cluff remains as one of the best guys up the middle in the league. On the outside, I'm mulling with options. Mike Kershner sees age catching up, but remains as a good option. Lee Burns made great progress this off-season and looks ready to play a blitz role. Bernie Surry is the best run and pass defender, but his lack of stamina forces us to sub him in and out a lot. Terrence White looks like a great fit in a backup role, while rookie Renaldo Dunlap has the upside of a future starter. Carl Meier sticks around to keep everybody happy and to mentor Dunlap. Rookie Clifton Farlow won't make the pre-season roster.

Cornerbacks
Some tough decisions will have to be made here. After the arrival of five new guys, we have nine corners who can play a decent role. The easy casualties are raw rookie Teddy Rackers and nickel back Brian Spears, who will be placed on injured reserve. The others all have their pros and cons. Ross Greene is a proven man-to-man and bump and run defender. Tai Wayne is another man-to-man expert and also does well in zone defense. Marco Gonzalez is the best bump and run guy on the team. Sammie Kennedy is the best zone defender. Trent Orchard is very good in zone defense and bump and run defense. Myron Stevens makes a serviceable nickel or dime back. And Steven Brookshire could be a good option to fall back on when injuries hit, to use his turnover forcing skills and do his man-to-man trick. Had I to choose now, Brookshire would not make the final 53-men roster.

Safeties
While we're happy about the depth at cornerback, the safety depth is wading. The retirement of Emile William left us with only three guys in the rotation. Lincoln Gilmore's days as the comeback kid might return as camp showed that Eddie Cole has caught the long time starter. Broderick Schultz remains as the team's best zone defending safety and should play a role. Louis Farr is only useful as a bump and run guy, but then he was only acquired to be the team's punt return specialist. Hopefully he'll prove one of the IHOF trends the Merchantmen management has seen: to become a champion, a team needs to have a great punt returner.

All in all, the team is getting older and with that slower and weaker. On the other end, we're going to adapt to the trend that opposing offenses will try to beat us by lining their receivers up in man-to-man situations and avoid our well-oiled zone defense machine. The mass retirement that struck as has been handled with well, I think and I think we anticipated well in a lot of areas with getting young guys like Quentin Malicki, Eddie Cole, Lee Burns, J.J. Reilly and Luther Hansen in past drafts. Hopefully, the new rookies will live up to their potential and make the transition to the new generation of Merchantmen players go smooth enough to not fall into below .500 seasons. For 2013, I give us a 10 percent chance to win our first league title. Let the games begin!

MIJB#19

01-30-2007, 11:19 AM

Merchantmen Trim Roster Down To 60
Nine released, one placed on injured reserve. That was the score of the week for the Maassluis Merchantmen. Going into training camp with 70 players has a downside, 10 of them will be forced off the team before the first pre-season game. Cornerback Brian Spears was placed on injured reserve with an elbow injury that was likly to sideline him for the entire season.

The nine players released were all off-season signings. Cornerback Steven Brookshire was most surprising, since he was expected to stick around as a potential starter. Defensive tackle Kelly Stehlik was the only other non rookie. Center Jessie Rhem and fullback Daniel Linder were also surprised cuts, given that they were drafted recently. So was running back Lorenzo Webster, however, his selection was a result of internal miscommunication. Wide receiver Willie Bennett, running back Jermaine Stanton, cornerback Teddy Rackers and linebacker Clifton Farlow were the last four cuts.

MIJB#19

01-31-2007, 08:02 AM

Overtime Loss In First Pre-Season Game Merchantmen
Football returned to Maassluis. For the first time since the week 17 loss to the Gothenburg Giants. A bunch of new faces, but a lot of familiar faces as well. The Merchantmen starters gave the hometown fans a good look to the 2013 team. The visitig Oakland Black Panthers made it a game and eventually won on a big play in overtime.

Sixteen new players are listed on the Maassluis Merchantmen's pre-season roster. Not all of them dressed up for the game against the Black Panthers, but a good bunch did. Especially in the secondary a good number of new players got into action. Cornerbacks Ross Greene, Marco Gonzalez and Trent Orchard arrived in Maassluis to make the transition to new pass defense rules and trends possible.

The newness of the cornerbacks showed form time to time. The Merchantmen secondary allowed 297 yards passing, including a game winning 74-yard reception. Rookie Nolan Wiggins escaped his defender and ended overtime with a big bang. Ignoring that play, the pass defense wasn't so bad at all, although the pass rush was the key element there.

Long-time starting cornerback Tai Wayne had mixed feelings: "It's going to be tough. Teams are adepting to the 2-deep zone defense we used to play. Management went into the right direction by signing a bunch of experienced new guys, like Ross Greene. The new guys will need some time to get used to playing in this defense, but they should feel comfortable playing on the same side as guys like Charles Gomez and Cody Cluff pretty fast."

On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Louie Flannery called it a day very quickly. Flannery lead the offense for three series. With Flan in charge, the offense had drives of 56, 67 and 65 yards. "Sadly, we fumbled the ball early, but I think we did well," Flannery said, "I was really pleased to see Bryce Ewald back on the team." Flannery completed 8 of 9 passes for 102 yards and a score, posting a 150.9 passer rating.

Wide receiver Bryce Ewald was the surprising team leader in yards from the line of scrimmage. Ewald missed the 2012 season with a knee injury, but came back strong. Ewald had 5 catches for 91 yards, including a 38-yard score. Ewald said: "It's great to back, I've worked so hard to make a comeback. It's great to be back on the field. Football is such a great game."

The running game showed good signs as well. Courtney Osgood and Quentin Hatchette showed their 2012 form as a good tandem. Osgood gained 77 yards, Hatchette 61 yards. Fullback Tracy Winslett added 15 yards to the mix, improving his chances to make the final roster as the team's third down back.

Story of the game was the number of fumbles. Both teams fumbled three times. While the Black Panthers managed to recover all of their own fumbles, including returning one for a score, the Merchantmen found themselves losing possession three times. Backup quarterback Justin McDavid said: "We need to work on that. Fumbling is one thing, recovering is another. You just can't lose the fumble recovery battle 6-0."

For the next two pre-season games, the Merchantmen will fly to the United States. The Muscatine Mosquitoes and the San Luis Obsipo Burn will be the opponents there. It reamins to be seen which players will see action. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude: "We plan to use the first team players in the two home games. On the road, we're going to give the rookies and other youngsters some time to get used to the offense. Being back home [in the USA] will do them good."

MIJB#19

02-12-2007, 09:00 AM

Merchantmen End Pre-Season With Shutout Win
Confidence is back in Maassluis. Following a 20-0 win over the Minnesota Miners, happy faces were all around in Oranje Haven. The team is ready for the regular season, when the Paris Musketeers will visit Maassluis for week one. Last season the Musketeers won that road game, but the Merchantmen are not beaten so easily.

In the last pre-season game, the Merchantmen went back to starting most of their first string players. Louie Flannery didn't see much action (5 for 8, 32 yards, 1 interceptions), yet running back Courtney Osgood (29 carries, 128 yards) and most of the defensive stars (187 yards allowed) looked sharp.

Following the last pre-season game, fullback Tracy Winslett was placed on injured reserve with a severe hamstring injury. It paved the way for Juan Shields to make the 53-men roster as the backup fullback to Quentin Malicki. Other moves were six releases. That included long snapper Winston Van Pelt, who shortly after was re-signed to a one-year deal. Center Todd Serra was booted to make room. The other released players were cornerback Marco Gonzalez (again after being re-signed a day earlier), running backs Chester Capers and Kenneth Pratt, defensive end John Claxton and guard Kevin Shepard.

General Manager M.IJ.B. is looking forward to the 2013 season: "Just look at the team. Yes, we lost a bunch of guys to retirement, but that was to be expected. We've got a great bunch of guys on offense and still have one of the best defenses in the league. The experts may underestimate us, but so be it. I really believe that we have a shot to win our fourth Europeanm title. Ands after that, who knows? The playoffs can be like a coin flip at times."

MIJB#19

02-12-2007, 09:59 AM

Maassluis Merchantmen 2013 Season Opening Day Roster
<table><tr><td>chart<td>player<td>years<td>age*<td> <td>chart<td>player<td>years<td>age*
<tr><td>QB#1<td>Louie Flannery<td>7th<td>31<td><td>LDE#1<td>Luther Hansen<td>2nd<td>24
<tr><td>QB#2<td>Richard Bell<td>3rd<td>27<td><td>RDE#1<td>Omar Gougeon<td>8th<td>30
<tr><td>QB#3<td>Justin McDavid<td>10th<td>32<td><td>DE#3<td>Wally Mattingly<td>5th<td>27
<tr><td><td><td><td><td><td>DE#4<td>Lester Henson<td>1st<td>23
<tr><td>RB#1<td>Courtney Osgood<td>3rd<td>29<td><td>RDT#1<td>Charles Gomez<td>10th<td>33
<tr><td>RB#2<td>Quentin Hatchette<td>3rd<td>25<td><td>LDT#1<td>Andrew Rasmussen<td>7th<td>29
<tr><td>RB#3<td>Brenden Boone<td>1st<td>23<td><td>DT#3<td>Melvin Galloway<td>1st<td>23
<tr><td>FB#1<td>Quentin Malicki<td>4th<td>26<td><td>DT#4<td>Andy Weliczka<td>8th<td>30
<tr><td>FB#2<td>Juan Shields<td>1st<td>31
<tr><td>(IR)<td>Tracy Winslett<td>2nd<td>23<td><td>SLB<td>Bernie Surry<td>6th<td>28
<tr><td><td><td><td><td><td>MLB<td>Cody Cluff<td>10th<td>32
<tr><td>TE#1<td>Jim Reiser<td>10th<td>32<td><td>WLB<td>Lee Burns<td>2nd<td>24
<tr><td>TE#2<td>Arnold Ramirez<td>7th<td>32<td><td>LB#4<td>Mike Kershner<td>10th<td>31
<tr><td>LS<td>Winston Van Pelt<td>5th<td>27<td><td>LB#5<td>Terrance White<td>4th<td>26
<tr><td><td><td><td><td><td>LB#6<td>Renaldo Dunlap<td>1st<td>22
<tr><td>WR#1<td>Alfredo Bass<td>2nd<td>33<td><td>LB#7<td>Carl Meier<td>8th<td>34
<tr><td>WR#2<td>Bryce Ewald<td>10th<td>32
<tr><td>WR#3<td>Jewell Simpson<td>4th<td>30<td><td>LCB#1<td>Tai Wayne<td>9th<td>29
<tr><td>WR#4<td>Drew McConnell<td>3rd<td>30<td><td>RCB#1<td>Trent Orchard<td>1st<td>28
<tr><td>KR<td>Devin Henson<td>8th<td>31<td><td>CB#3<td>Ross Greene<td>1st<td>31
<tr><td><td><td><td><td><td>NB#1<td>Sammie Kennedy<td>6th<td>29
<tr><td>C#1<td>Brant Heinrich<td>8th<td>31<td><td>NB#2<td>Myron Stevens<td>8th<td>29
<tr><td>C#2<td>Lance Blackwell<td>1st<td>29<td><td>IR<td>Brian Spears<td>3rd<td>31
<tr><td>LG#1<td>J.J. Reilly<td>3rd<td>24<td><td>SS#1<td>Lincoln Gilmore<td>10th<td>32
<tr><td>RG#1<td>Timothy Lacy<td>8th<td>30<td><td>FS#1<td>Eddie Cole<td>3rd<td>27
<tr><td>RG#2<td>Johnnie Griffin<td>1st<td>22<td><td>S#3<td>Broderick Schultz<td>6th<td>31
<tr><td>LT#1<td>Ivan Jacques<td>7th<td>33<td><td>PR#1<td>Louis Farr<td>1st<td>28
<tr><td>LT#2<td>Christopher Perdomo<td>2nd<td>35
<tr><td>LT#3<td>Louis Bell<td>5th<td>31<td><td>K-FG<td>Cary Coles<td>10th<td>31
<tr><td>RT#1<td>Cornelius Rice<td>7th<td>31<td><td>K-KO<td>Al Bettis<td>8th<td>30
<tr><td>RT#2<td>Tommie Burns<td>1st<td>26<td><td>P<td>Sean Smalley<td>6th<td>29
</table>
* on 1st of August

Maassluis Merchantmen 2013 Schedule
<table><tr><td>week<td>opp<td>2012 rec.<td>us all-time hth
<tr><td>01<td>vs Paris Musketeers<td>7-8-1<td>11-7, 6-3 in Maa
<tr><td>02<td>at Frederick Red Menace<td>11-5 0-1<td>1-1, 1-0 in Fre
<tr><td>03<td>vs Georgia Gridlock<td>10-6<td>1-5, 1-1 in Maa
<tr><td>04<td>vs San Antonio Volunteers<td>6-10<td>2-4, 2-3 in Maa
<tr><td>05<td>bye
<tr><td>06<td>vs Vicksburg Vipers<td>10-6 4-0<td>2-1, 1-1 in Maa
<tr><td>07<td>at Fort Worth Fury<td>8-8<td>4-1, 4-1 in FtW
<tr><td>08<td>at Paris Musketeers<td>7-8-1<td>11-7, 5-4 in Par
<tr><td>09<td>at Telluride Outlaws<td>3-13<td>1-1, 1-1 in Tel
<tr><td>10<td>vs Bordeaux Vineyards<td>10-6 0-1<td>9-10, 4-5 in Maa
<tr><td>11<td>vs Gothenburg Giants<td>6-9-1<td>9-9, 5-4 in Maa
<tr><td>12<td>vs Brooklyn Fightin' Bums<td>7-9<td>2-0, 1-0 in Maa
<tr><td>13<td>at Boston Rhinos<td>10-6 0-1<td>1-3, 0-1 in Bos
<tr><td>14<td>at Chesapeake Chitterlings<td>12-4 0-1<td>2-0, 1-0 in Che
<tr><td>15<td>at Gothenburg Giants<td>6-9-1<td>9-9, 4-5 in Got
<tr><td>16<td>vs Williamsburg Colonials<td>8-8<td>0-2, 0-1 in Maa
<tr><td>17<td>at Bordeaux Vineyards<td>10-6 0-1<td>9-10, 5-5 in Bor
<tr><td>18<td>tbd
<tr><td>19<td>tbd
<tr><td>20<td>tbd
<tr><td>21<td>tbd</table>

Kodos

02-12-2007, 12:52 PM

Boo! No regular season Futility Bowl!

MIJB#19

02-12-2007, 01:22 PM

Boo! No regular season Futility Bowl!
Futility Bowl IX: Playoff Edition, Part 2, With Avengences?

Kodos

02-13-2007, 10:44 PM

Only if we get to do the avenging. :)

MIJB#19

02-14-2007, 07:34 AM

Merchantmen Beat Musketeers in 2013 Season Opener
A good start for the Maassluis Merchantmen. With a 21-14 victory over the Paris Musketeers, the 2013 season started with a win. Concerns are place though, the highly graded Merchantmen defense looked sloppy and allowed 402 total yards. Quarterback Louie Flannery was a bright light, while the tandem of Courtney Osgood and Quentin Hatchette provided a strong running game.

The first quarter of this European matchup things didn't look so good. The Merchantmen had trouble getting upfield. Thakfully, the Musketeers played even worse on offense and were slowly pinned back in their own territory. Following a great punt from Sean Smalley to the 3-yard line, the Musketeers were looking despertae, resulting in an Edmundo Lumpkin interception. Linebacker Bernie Surry made the turnover and set up the 20-yard touchdown run from backup running back Quentin Hatchette.

Hatchette showed to be more than just a backup. After his big run, the coaching staff decided to give him more carries than starter Courtney Osgood. Hatchette would end the game with 126 yards on 21 carries. Teammate Courtney Osgood was held to 7 carries, yet he gained 54 yards and scored a touchdown as well.

After the Musketeers showed an 84-yard drive resulting in the tying touchdown, the Merchantmen stepped up the pace. With two long drives on their own and a missed field goal by Paris' Joshua Hunt, the lead grew to a 21-7 score. Tight end Jim Reiser hauled in Louie Flannery's first score of the season. Even an interception from Louie Flannery couldn't upset the home team, although he timed the turnover well, doing it on a long pass late in the second quarter, leaving no time for Paris to score back.

In the second half the Merchantmen almost collapsed under the pressure of the Paris passing game. Edmundo Lumpkin ended the game 33 of 53 for 324 yards and a score. Yet a couple of interceptions pretty much ended his team's chances. A pick made by Lincoln Gilmore in the last minute secured the Merchantmen victory.

Louie Flannery received a lot of accolades after the game. Quentin Hatchette received player of the game honors, but Flannery was praised for his leadership and accurate passing. Flannery completed 17 of 25 passes for 197 yards, a good outing for his own standards. Flannery said: "Things went well. Devin (Henson) had a good game and things are clicking again with Bryce (Ewald). And with Alfredo Bass, Jim Reiser and the running backs around, we still have an offense to fear."

The performance on the defensive side of the ball was worrying. Cody Cluff was a shadow of himself, recording 0 tackles for the first time in his career. Charles Gomez had only 1 tackle. Given that they're key to the run defense, that wasn't so much of a disaster. The Merchantmen allowed 402 total yards and never seemed to get a grip on the receivers. Even thought the pass rush broke up 10 of 54 passing plays, yet the pass defense figure was rather low with just 6 deflected passes. Cornerback Tai Wayne even accounted for half of that. Wayne: "Teams are starting to find ways to play against our 2-deep zone defense. We're trying to adjust to something new, but so far we're having trouble getting used to our new schemes."

That means the defense will have a lot of work to do the upcoming week. Going on the road to the Frederick Red Menace, it won't be an easy task. Quarterback Jackie Percy completed 28 of 36 passes for 375 yards and 2 scores in a 34-10 win at the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums. The last time Percy faced the Merchantmen, he guided his team to a 30-3 victory. Not a good forsight on what is about to come...

MIJB#19

02-20-2007, 10:43 AM

Merchantmen Do Sunken Ship Imitation In Week 2 Loss
A game to quickly forget. With a 35-7 loss at the Frederick Red Menace, the Maassluis Merchantmen recorded their first defeat of the season. The Red Menace was impressive on offense, racking up 509 total yards, with running back Steven Stepanovich leading the way with his 120 and a score yards on the ground.

The Merchantmen were looking hopeless. They couldn't do anything on either side of the ball, until a 28-0 score half way the second quarter woke them up. Concerns that the Merchantmen are getting old and past their window of opportunity arose once again. Upcoming is a home game against the Georgia Gridlock, whom started the season 2-0 following two strong showings on defense.

MIJB#19

02-20-2007, 10:43 AM

Merchantmen Impress With Win Over Georgia Gridlock
never write a team off too early. With an impressive 27-14 win, the Maassluis Merchantmen bounced back from last week's loss. The Georgia Gridlock looked aweful until they went into hurry up mode. The bad news of the game was Courtney Osgood's injury. The prolific running back serisouly hurt his knee and will likely be sidelined for about two months.

"We're back!" Defensive tackle Charles Gomez was looking happy after the second win of the season. Under his guidance, the Merchantmen defense had kept the Georgia offense in check for three and a half quarters. Gomez said: "It's early, but things were going well today. Last week is history, today was a better sign of what we're capable of."

Despite a strong defensive showing, the Merchantmen offense couldn't really do much. Quarterback Louie Flannery completed 21 of 31 passes for 223 yards and a score, but knew that his unit didn't win the game. Flannery said: ""Special teams ruled again. Nothing beats a punt return touchdown and forcing a fumble on a kick return in their territory."

Safety Louis Farr received a lot of praise for his first touchdown in orange-white-and-blue. Farr ran the ball back 78 yards for his second career punt return touchdown. Farr said: "The guys were blocking well. When I got past the first wave of tacklers, it was a piece of cake: keep the speed and make the score. It's a blessing to be part of this special teams unit."

Running back Courtney Osgood was part of the day's bad news. Osgood twisted his knee bad and was carried off the field. His backup Quentin Hatchette stepped up well, carrying 38 times for 121 yards and a score. Hatchette moved up to third in the league in rushing yards, despite his backup role. Tight end Jim Reiser explains: "We're not dependant on one or two players, we're a team of depth and workrate. Still, losing a guy to injury never makes you feel happy."

After the game, the Gridlock management complimented the Merchantmen's defense. Especially the overwhelming pass rush pressure caused the visitors to lose. Quarterback Nate Sutter completed only 12 of 28 passes for 137 yards, 9 of 30 pass plays were broken up by the pass rush.

The win also brings the Merchantmen back into the European Division lead. The Bordeaux Vineyards dropped to 1-2 after terrible beating by the hands of the Nort Plainfield Plague (34-3). The Gothenburg Giants moved into second place with a strong 30-14 win over the Orlando Knights. The Paris Musketeers remained winless due to a 13-6 loss at the Syracuse Mohawks.

MIJB#19

04-04-2007, 08:31 AM

The Grand 2013 Season Week 4 Thru 15 Update!

It's been quiet. No, the IHOF didn't stop running and the Maassluis Merchantmen franchise definately didn't retreat from the league. The lack of dynasty reports isn't due to a total collaps after week 3 and it has nothing to do with further potential career ending injuries. Nope, it's been a lazy unmotivated general manager's fault for not keeping you up to date. Until now. It's time for one helluva update. Okay, maybe not a 100-page novel, but at least enough yadda-yadda to keep you busy for at least 15 to 30 minutes.

What Has Been So Far...
The 2012 season had been semi-succesful. The Merchantmen choked the European division title and handed it to the Bordeaux Vineyards. Holding some favorable tie-breakers, the Merchantmen grabbed the last wild card, next stop: Bordeaux. In a classic battle the Merchantmen won 27-23 and advance to the Conference semi finals. Sadly, the top seeded Tucker Tigers were no match (37-12 loss) and the ship had stranded. A chunckload of retirements of mainly backup players followed and the team brought in a couple of new prospects. Yet the core of the team stuck around and the Merchantmen started 2-1. A decent record, but it was obvious that the Merchantmen defense's game plan had been exposed and had become easy to beat.

How It Continued...
Following the abmyssal play by te defense in weeks 1 and 2, the Merchantmen management and coaching staff started working on a new game plan. Mainly on the defensive side of the ball, because for a change the offense was looking like the team's top unit. Even the special teams specialists were unable to win games. The planned bump-and-run heavy pass defense scheme went overboard and a new mix of man-to-man and zone defense schemes was installed. Things had paid off a bit against Georgia already and in week 4, the Merchantmen managed a convincing 31-21 win over the San Antonio Volunteers.

After a bye week, the team went into total self-destruction mode, again. The absence of Courtney Osgood in the running game was a weak excuse and the team looked hopeless at home against the Vicksburg Vipers (28-14 loss) and on the road at the Fort Worth Fury (21-20 loss). It was time for more research, testing and training on the defensive pass schemes. Safety Lincoln Gilmore explained: "Something had to be done. At .500, you know you're not going to make the playoffs in the AOC. The coaches returned with some good hints and (Charles) Gomez said: do as the man says, we're not going to miss the playoffs this season!"

With renewed instructions, the Merchantmen defense looked awesome in their next game. The Paris Musketeers were humiliated 38-13 in the Stade de France and happy faces were all around. A tough road game against the stingy Telluride Outlaws defense was also won and the 'game of the year' loomed. Sitting tied with the Bordeaux Vineyards at 5-3, both teams knew what was on the horizon: a head-to-had game that could determine the face of the rest of the season.

And indeed, Oranje Haven became the arena of a crucial. The game was dominated by the two defenses. Neiter of the offenses managed to get anything going. Yet the Bordeaux running game with in-season acquisition Raymond Flowers and good old 'Bam Bam' Jamerson was winning the field postion battle for the defending European champions. Flowers racked up 107 yards, but it was mostly because young quarterback Lincoln Manning was instructed to keep away from throwing. However, it wasn't Flowers who determined the game. Tied 3-3, 'Bam Bam' Jamerson broke out with a huge 65-yard run to set up his own touchdown. Defenses kept the game in check and the Vineyards grabbed the division lead firmly.

Week 11 marked the return of Courtney Osgood. Fearing that he would be a bit rusty, the Merchantmen switched to a more pass-happy offense and Louie Flannery had mixed success with it. Still, the defense was riding again and guided the team to home wins over the Gothenburg Giants (31-14) and Brooklyn Fightin' Bums (10-3). At 7-4, the Merchantmen were just tie-breakers away from a wild card spot, but knew that a tough schedule was remaining, with 4 of 5 games on the road, including games against the top three teams in the league so far.

In the meanwhilst, safety Lincoln Gilmore had move to the injured reserve list. In the home game against the Gothenburg Giants, Gilmore blew up his knee and it was quickly clear this could be a career destroyer. Early signs are Gilmore wouldn't play anymore in the 2013 season and is unlikely to be back in time for training camp and pre-season 2014. The management made a league wide statement to honor Gilmore for his efforst, Gilmore spent his entire IHOF career with the Merchantmen.

Happier news came from wide receiver Alfredo Bass. At the season start, people were wondering when he would pass the 10,000 yards receiving mark. A couple of good showings in week 8 (153 yards) and week 9 (99 yards) had him ready to reach the milestone in week 11. The Merchantmen were to play Bass' first IHOF team, the Gothenburg Giants, who seemed unwilling to cooprperate. Bass came a big-play short to get to five digits. A week later, Bass knew this would be his game. After his first two catches he had reached 9,999 yards and on his next catch, he broke through the magic barrier. The first IHOF player to do it.

The season continued and things didn't go as hoped. With a horrible showing at the Boston Rhinos. The defense saw no chance to stop quarterback Robby Gonzalez and his receivers. In possession of the ball, the Merchantmen also struggled. Louie Flannery had a disastrous game, throwing 4 interceptions, which were a key factor in the 33-7 loss. Until that game, Flannery had been flirting with the top of the passer ratings table. After that game, it became clear he just isn't a top quarterback.

On the road at the Chesapeake Chitterlings, the defense was looking a bit better, yet failed to impress. A couple of bad drives (or good drives from the Chitterlings) kept the game close and despite a strong offensive showing, the game wasn't in the pocket. Even worse, the second half was a total disaster and the Merchantmen fell from a 21-17 lead to a 38-28 defeat. Even a 450-yard performance by the offense wasn't enough to keep the Chitterlings from clinching a playoff birth.

Looking at the standings, all isn't over yet. Inside the European division, the Bordeaux Vineyards are strong leaders at 9-4, with the Merchantmen at 7-6. The Vineyards even hold the current #1 seed spot. The rest of the AOC is pretty strong too. The Northeast division sees the Boston Rhinos (9-4) and Rochester Lake Monsters (9-4) destined for the post season, while the Syracuse Mohawks (7-6) and North Plainfield Plague (7-6) are still in the mix for the wild cards. In the Deep South, the San Antonio Volunteers (8-5) and Vicksburg Vipers (8-5) are fighting for the division title, with the runners-up going likely to miss the playoffs based on conference record. In the Southeast, the Tucker Tigers (9-4) look ready to win the division, but the Georgia Gridlock (7-6) keep postponing the clinching. The Gridlock look hopeless for the wild cards, having lost to pretty much all other wild card hopefulls.

What Has Yet To Come...
The Merchantmen continue their season with a visit to the Gothenburg Giants. At 4-9, they don't look like in position to play spoilers, even more so after losing quarterback Charles Vance for the rest of the season. Amazingly enough, the Giants signed team legend Duane Davis as a free agent, potentially in hopes to see him relive his big days. The season then continues with a home game against the Williamsburg Colonials (6-7), who have been falling apart the last two months after a 3-1 start.

The season will end with a visit to the Bordeaux Vineyards. That game will most likely be unimportant for the division title race, which is likely to be clinched by then. The Merchantmen playoff scenario department has figured out that a Bordeaux loss to the Paris Musketeers in week 15 is probably the only thing that can postpone the Vineyards' sixth European division title. Besides, if the Merchantmen can finish the season at 10-6, they should be at least in the tie-breaking procedure for the last AOC wildcard.

Stay tuned, or at least visit the IHOF webiste regularly to find out how the 2013 regular season will end...

MIJB#19

05-03-2007, 09:24 AM

The 2013 Season, Lest Us Forget Asap
It's over, the season of horror. No, we didn't go 0-16, but from start to finish things were ugly. The Merchantmen defense turned into arguably the worst in the league. 4th most rushing yards allowed, 4th highest quarterback rating allowed. We were 4th worst in total yards allowed too. Did I mention we had the worst red zone defense, by far? On the bright side, we still managed to win 8 games and but there wasn't much comfort there.

At my last update, we were 7-6 and still alive for the division and the playoffs. A disappointing 38-13 loss at the Gothenburg Giants ended our European division hopes. A week later, a 20-14 win over the Williamsburg Colonials couldn't avoid the elimination from the playoffs, 9-7 was clearly not going to do it this season (any season) in the AOC. The last game was a 20-14 loss at the Bordeaux Vineyards, to our agony with their backup quarterback Earnest Barlow starting.

The most intersting news in the last few weeks was a mental problem with kickoff kicker Al Bettis. Short Al was forced into a rehab clinnic, being diagnosed with tobacco withdrawal system. More injuries hurt us, resulting in some players ending up on injured reserve and the arrival of some new players for a week or two. Running back Scottie Grey played 2 games, with 16 carries for 45 yards, rookie wide receiver Willie Bennett returned to the team as a 'practice squad' player, punter Quinn Ingram played two games as replacement for Sean Smalley and cornerback D.J. Williams received some money for being on inactive roster status.

It's over, maybe I'll get over the horror and into writing a longer season review, but for now, I'd like to turn the black page and get into the off-season mood. Why? We didn't suffer a series of retirements, we've got cap room and we've still got our own first round pick! There isn't much reason to expect we'll get past the Bordeaux Vineyards, who reached the AOC championship game. We do hope to make the playoffs and end up in Futility Bowl IX against the defending IHOF champions. That's right, Merchantmen fans, the team y'all root for when we're out of it, the Rochester Lake Monsters defeated the Chesapeake Chitterlings in IHOF Bowl X!

2014, here we come.

MIJB#19

05-03-2007, 10:04 AM

2014 Retirement Day: Few Surprises for Merchantmen
Much less than feared. At the start of the 2014 season, only four Maassluis Merchantmen players filled out their retirement applications. Wide receiver Jewell Simpson and guard Timothy Lacy were the biggest surprised. They were joined by team nestors linebacker Carl Meier and tackle Christopher Perdomo. Elsewhere, former Merchantmen players filled the headlines with their quitting. Most notable was defensive end Harold Wells.

Wide receiver Jewell Simpson was the most prolific name on the retirements list of the Merchantmen. Following an injury filled 2013 season, Simpson decided to step away from the game. "The Jewel" missed the first 12 games with a hamstring injury and after that recorded only 12 receptions for 91 yards. Simpson had been a controversial player, having arrived from the Springfield Isotopes in a trade for a first round pick. Simpson never lived up to the hype. In four seasons in Maassluis, he made 149 catches for 1,992 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Guard Timothy Lacy's retirement was another surprise. being just 30 years old, people expected him to stick around much longer. Lacy became a pro player aged 20 with the Fort Worth Fury. In the 2006 off-season, the Merchantmen brought in Lacy through trade and gave him a starting role from day one. In eight seasons, Lacy started in 105 regular season games for the Merchantmen. "Tiny Tim" was considered an important blocker for the running game, yet his pass protection abilty was always lacking. Still, Lacy was a member of the Merchantmen in all three division winning seasons.

Linebacker Carl Meier was a popular figure in Maassluis. Meier was a leader to the front seven players and inspired them into becoming one of the best defenses in the league for many years. Meier joined the Merchantmen in 2006 in a trade. After spending that season mostly on the bench, he became a starter during the succesful 2007 season. After that, Meier was demoted to a much more mentoring role, receiving playing time now or then. Meier missed the 2012 season on injured reserve status. In total, Meier played in 104 Merchantmen regular season games, in which he racked up 188 tackles, 71 assists, 4.5 sacks, 5 interceptions and 1 touchdown.

Offensive tackle Christopher Perdomo's stepping away wasn't surprising. Following many injury loaded seasons, Perdomo decided to quit before his body was totally destroyed at the age of 37. Perdomo started his career with the Frederick Red Menace, then moved to the San Luis Obispo Burn for three seasons and spent his last two as a reserve in Maassluis. Perdomo posted impressive season stats in a backup role in 2012, but last season he wasn't able to live up to that. In the end he played 102 regular season games in the IHOF, 20 of those with the Merchantmen.

The Fort Worth Fury's defensive end Harold Wells was one of the biggest surprises on retirement day. Wells was a four-time All-IHOF selection, once making the first team selection. Wells started his career with the Maassluis Merchantmen. After two good seasons, the Merchantmen traded Wells to the Bordeaux Vineyards in a salary cap forced move. Wells spent five seasons there, before moving on to the Fort Worth Fury for three more seasons. At the time of retirement, Wells ranks third all-time in sacks in the IHOF.

Guard Butch White followed his old partner in crime Tim Lacy into retirement. White was a starter with the Maassluis Merchantmen between the 2005 and 2010 season and nicknamed "Bruce" following a name mix up on draft day 2005. Following three injury plagued years, White was demoted to a backup role in 2011 and forced out through trade in 2012. White moved on to the Paris Musketeers, where he was a 16-game starter last season. White, like many Merchantmen players, had his best year in 2007. White allowed only 3 sacks and posted 32 key run blocks in 93 attempts. At the time of retirement, White ranks 4th all-time in Merchantmen history with 117 key run blocks in 85 regular season games.

Other players with Merchantmen ties who retired:
* Tackle Russell "Rusty" Malave, Merchantmen starter in 2004 and 2005, traded during the 2006 season. Played 30 games for the Merchantmen.
* Cornerback Johnnie "Stitch" Stidham, a Merchantmen starter in 2006 and backup in 2007. Stidham still holds the Merchantmen single season record in interceptions with 7 picks.
* Cornerback Carlos Mitchem, who spent the 2007 season in Maassluis on injured reserve.
* Cornerback Gene Sampson, once drafted by the Merchantmen, but traded before the 2007 season started. Retired as a free agent.
* Running back Tyrell Mahoney, jobless in 2013 after having bounced around, played in 14 games in the 2007 season for Maassluis.
* Running back Herb Williams, drafted by the Merchantmen in 2011, failed to make the team and "Herbie" retired after failing to make the Rochester Lake Mosters roster.
* Safety Joseph Eubanks, punter Hugh McNeil and defensive end Mitchell Boyd, all signed by the Merchantmen in the 2012 off-season, but failed to make the regular season roster.
* Linebacker Ross Nunes, who spent a couple of weeks on the Merchantmen roster in 2012, including two playoff games.
* Center Jessie Rhem, a fourth round pick for the Merchantmen in 2013, retired after he failed to make the team for that 2013 regular season.
* Defensive end John Claxton, cornerback Marco Gonzalez, defensive end Kelly Stehlik, fullback Daniel Linder, linebacker Clifton Farlow, running back Kenneth Pratt and running back Jermains Stanton were 2013 free agent acquisitions, but didn't make the regualr season roster.

MIJB#19

05-03-2007, 10:09 AM

First 2014 Trade: Merchantmen Aqcuire OT Quinn England
The first trade of the 2014 IHOF off-season is in the books. The Maassluis Merchantmen were quick to negotiate and complete deal with the Syracuse Mohawks for offensive tackle Quinn England. The Mohawks had just placed England on the trading block. England started all 16 games in his rookie season, making 23 key run blocks and allowing only 5 sacks. The Merchantmen traded their 2nd round pick for England and a 3rd round pick. England was a 4th round pick with Syracuse in the 2013 draft. It marked an expected move, following the retirement of backup tackle Christopher Perdomo, the free agent status of left tackle Louis Bell and the expected decline in performance of starting left tackle Ivan Jacques.

MIJB#19

05-09-2007, 08:51 AM

Merchantmen Start New Trading Spree
Back to business. Following the quiet 2013 off-season followed by a disappointing regular season, time for change arrived. In a matter of days, the Maassluis Merchantmen presented four new players and traded away third string linebacker Renaldo Dunlap. A short recap of recent events and quick introduction to the new faces: Andre Brookshire, Kennedy Gillespie, Garret Singer and Darren Walsh.

The 2014 off-season has been loaded with big trades so far. The Syracuse Mohawks moved up to the #1 overall pick, helping the Conyers Condors (going down from #1 to #2 overall and gaining star cornerback Mike Paradise) and the Minnesota Miners (going from #2 overall to #6, #14 and #45 overall). The Tucker Tigers saw a trade of league MVP quarterback Shaun Duncan get voided, but still acquired the tackles career leading linebacker Emmanuel Keever, veteran tackle James Jones and wide receiver Nick Jennings through trade. The later came over from the Telluride Outlaws, who are obviously clearing house, as can been seen by their trade of quarterback Nicky Lincoln to the Outer Banks Ospreys.

The Merchantmen had their own little spree. Having mixed feelings about the #16 overall pick, the management decided to trade that selection for veteran tackle Andre Brookshire and safety Kennedy Gillespie. On the same evening, the Merchantmen acquired the #74 overall draft pick in return for linebacker Renaldo Dunlap. Dunlap is a promising prospect, but sitting third string in Maassluis behind Cody Cluff and Terrence White.

Andre Brookshire made his first change of teams. The 31 year old offensive tackle was the Fort Worth Fury's second round pick in the 2004 league draft. A surprising move as Brookshire was a rookie back then. After three seasons of slow-starting, Brookshire grew into a reliable tackle, not allowing more than 4 sacks in a single season since 2007. His 2011 season was cut short as he twice broke a clavicle and his 2012 season went to waste with a ruptured elbow tendon. Last season he played in all 16 games. Brookshire is regared the best player on the Merchantmen and teammates already say he's better than Wilson Grimaldo, who starred on the Merchantmen OL in 2005 and 2006.

Kennedy Gillespie was a somewhat less flashy addition. However, The former fourth round draft pick in 2007 had been on the Merchantmen shortlist for years. Team scouts say that Gillespie is the best safety of his kind, with excellent play diagnosis, interception hands and zone defense experience. Gillespie isn't much of a run supporter, which means he'll probably take the free safety role, with Eddie Cole moving to the strong side. Gillespie's ballhawking skills are something the Merchantmen can definately use, given the team's disappointing total of 8 interceptions last season.

The first of two free agent signings of the Merchantmen was Garret Singer. A 33-year old guard who has experience on IHOF Bowl teams as the Chesapeake Chitterlings (runner up in 2006 and 2013) as well as the Syracuse Mohawks (2010 winners). Singer's career had been going downhill recently, being just a backup the last two seasons in Syracuse (2012) and Chesapeake (2013). His role could be similar in Maassluis this season, yet it highly depends on the progress of Johnnie Griffin, currently playing in La Ligue Etrangere Solesismique. Singer will likely see a lot of action as the rotation backup at both guard positions.

A surprising free agent signing was defensive end Darren Walsh. A starter with the Fairbanks Northstars the last two seasons, Walsh wasn't resigned. Walsh spent seven seasons with the Alaskan IHOF franchise, having been a fifth round draft pick in 2008. His biggest moment was in the 2008 season, when he was a regular starter on the IHOF Bowl V winning team. Walsh is coming off a bit of a career year with 9.0 sacks and 19 quarterback hurries. Walsh signed a rather cheap two-year deal, as he was flying under the radar, with Knoxville Rebels' Kris Kosderka being the top defensive end prospect, despite having only 9.0 career sacks in six IHOF seasons.

The Merchantmen dealing is far from over. Backup quarterback Richard Bell and gunner/nickelback Trent Orchard have been placed on the trading block. For both players there has been some interest and chances are they won't be on the Merchantmen roster when the draft starts next Friday. The Merchantmen draft might be quieter than initially expected. The management toned down the total of selections from 10 to 6, with no first or second round picks. The Merchantmen will be big players in the third round, holding the #74, #76, #81 and #86 overall picks. Their collection is rounded out with the #112 and #144 picks overall. The trading is far from over yet...

MIJB#19

05-10-2007, 02:41 PM

Reese And Schaaf Come, Orchard Goes, Van Pelt Stays
More trades, more transactions. The Maassluis Merchantmen didn't want to wait for draft day and cashed four of six remaining picks. In the process, the Merchantmen also traded away their 2015 first round pick and cornerback Trent Orchard. Coming back for it are linebacker Fernando Reese and cornerback Raphael Schaaf, while tigth end Winston Van Pelt signed a new two-year contract in Maassluis.

Raphael Schaaf wasn't a total surprise addition. Following a disappointing 2013 campaign the team could use talent injection at cornerback. Even more so, Schaaf had been a trade target in the past. After six seasons with the Tucker Tigers, Schaaf was no longer needed and moved to the trade block. The Georgia Gridlock outbid Maassluis and landed the cornerback. Now, Schaaf joins the Merchantmen afterall, but isn't getting younger and appears to be more of a depth addition than being written in as a 2014 starter.

Fernando Reese will be a starter. The 26-yeay old linebacker is expected to become the starter on the strong side. Reese was a first round pick for the Springfield Isotopes back in the 2011 draft. Following a decent season, faith decided to haunt Reese, as he tore a patellar tendon. Reese needed a full year to recover and was just happy to be back on the football field. He didn't see much action during the 2013 season though, being a second stringer. The Merchantmen made a bold move and decided Reese is still first round material, despite the injury history.

Tight end Winston Van Pelt signed a new two-year contract with the Merchantmen. Van Pelt has spent his first five seasons in the IHOF with the Merchantmen as well. Last off-season a divorce seemed to have taken place, but Van Pelt had been released by accident and was quickly hired back. For the 2014 season he's expected to once again be the long snapper and get on the field occasionally on two tight-end formations and in goal line situations.

Trent Orchard left the Merchantmen after just one season. Orchard played a big role on the special teams unit, but failed to break into a prominent role on the defense. The former Columbus Architects third round pick was told there is a better chance on playing time back in the States. Orchard quickly packed his bags and reported at the Georgia Gridlock training facilities.

The trading of the past few days means the Merchantmen have gone from ten to justtwo draft picks in the upcoming draft. The Merchantmen still hold the #74 and #76 overall selections. Their 2015 draft picks collection now lacks a first round pick, but in return they now hold additional third, fourth and fifth round picks. Looking forward to the next off-season, not a good sign for a franchise with an aging team...

Kodos

05-10-2007, 05:25 PM

the Rochester Lake Monsters defeated the Chesapeake Chitterlings in IHOF Bowl X!

:cool:

MIJB#19

05-12-2007, 10:38 AM

Jerry Beyer Back With Merchantmen
Problem child is back. A championship ring ritcher, wide receiver Jerry Beyer signed a two-year deal with the Maassluis Merchantmen. A surprise move as Beyer was released by his original team before the 2011 regular season. There's no guarantee Beyer will make the regular roster this time around, the Merchantmen also signed former Fort Worth Fury veteran Aaron Pitcher.

"I was as shocked as you all look," Jerry Beyer said on a press conference today, examining the faces of the journalists present. "Jelly Belly" returns as a free agent to the team that traded first round picked Cris Lyons to acquire second rounder Beyer instead. Following a relative succesful rookie campaign, 32 catches for 519 yards and 3 scores in the 2007 season, Beyer was considered a starter for the future. But good old Gregory Monti and Bryce Ewald kept getting back in the lineup. By the end of the 2010 season, Beyer had added only 47 more catches for 611 yards and 3 scores.

Especially that 2010 season was a personal drama as Beyer played in only 5 games, after being active in all games in the previous three seasons. After release, Beyer moved on and played a year with the Chesapeake Chitterlings. In 2012 he became a regular starter with the Rochester Lake Monsters, but was demoted to a special teamer role last season. Beyer prominently shows his championship ring, saying: "2013 wasn't alwasy fun, but they'll never take this aay from me."

To everybody's surprise another wide receiver was presented to the media. 33-year old Aaron Pitcher was also added to the wide receivers unit. After 10 seasons with the Fort Worth Fury, Pitcher moved on in a free agency move. After eight seasons of being a starter most of the time, his stint was over in Texas. The last two seasons were merely based on mentoring hot prospects Bo Blades and Damon Evans. Pitcher had only 4 receptions for 35 yards last season, but is expected to battle for a 53-men roster spot the upcoming training camp and pre-season. It'll be a challege as the Merchantmen now have seven wide receivers signed.

Joe

05-12-2007, 07:45 PM

Good luck with Brookshire. Due to his injury history, I wasn't expecting as much interest in him as I received. The player I selected with the 1.16, OG Scottie Elliot, should be part of my line for a long time.

MIJB#19

05-13-2007, 05:18 AM

Merchantmen Pick QB South And Returnman Flowers
Another draft in the books. Granted, the fourth round has just been started, and trades are always an option with the Maassluis Merchantmen. But the core of the draft is done. Quarterback Everett South and return specialists Cary Flowers have been selected in the 2014 amateur draft. The Merchantmen traded up during the draft to acquire both of them. South was selected #55 overall, Flowers #68 overall, slightly higher than the #74 and #76 the team was holding going into the draft.

Everett South was the fourth ranked quarterback of this class. A 22-year old playcaller graduating from Washington State University. Merchantmen General Manager M.IJ.B. said: "South came out of our interviews looking like the best candidate, aside from the clearcut #1 overall Tyler Zuck. South will be groomed behind Flannery for a couple of seasons and then we'll see whether he can challenge for a starting job. Getting a first round value quarterback late in the second round was worth trading up." The Merchantmen traded a 2015 fourth round pick to the Vicksburg Vipers to get South.

Cary Flowers amazed people at the scouting combine. The 22-year old wide receiver noted a 10-8 scored on the broad jump, 5 inches further than anyone else. GM M.IJ.B. said: "Cary is the complete return man. He's got one of those guys who can return both kickoffs and punts. I think we'll be happy with him very soon." To be able to get Flowers, the Merchantmen traded another 2015 fourth round pick away, but also received the Muscatine Mosquitoes' sixth round pick in that same draft.

The Merchantmen management announced that their draft is complete, but things are never certain with the masters of trading. Some sources claim that they are still looking for a tight end and cornerback. G.M. M.IJ.B. denied those rumours: "Another selection is unlikely. We'll definately consider trying to trade back in for two or three players who surprized us with individual workouts, but we're not going to trade anything more than a sixth round pick for any of them."

MIJB#19

05-21-2007, 10:14 AM

Merchantmen Agree Terms With Flowers, McDaniel
The Maassluis Merchantmen training camp roster is shaping up. The Merchantmen management agreed terms with third round pick Cary Flowers and sixth round pick Darryl McDaniel. Wide receiver Flowers signed a four-year deal, tight end McDaniel a three-year contract. Quarterback Everett South turned down a four-year offer. The Merchantmen and South's agent will resume negotiating to come to an agreement in time for training camp. Fullback Jose Shields signed a new one-year contract. Shields spent the 2013 season as a backup to Quentin Malicki and will challenge Tracy Winslett for the second fullback roster spot.

MIJB#19

05-22-2007, 06:07 AM

Merchantmen Sign Linebacker Backes
The Maassluis Merchantmen today announced the signing of linebacker Casey Backes. The 30-year old strong side backer will attend the 2014 training camp. After that it depends on roster spots, but Backes could get lucky and make the pre-season roster. Backes played with the Fairbanks NorthStars last season. He was active in 14 regular season games, mostly in a special teams role.

MIJB#19

05-24-2007, 06:36 AM

Merchantmen Add Three Players For Training Camp
The Maassluis Merchantmen are ready for training camp. Three new players were added to the team as free agents, adding the roster total up to 66 players signed. Quarterback Everett South remains unsigned, but a new contract offer is around the corner. Meanwhilst, Tony Hill, Cornell Branch and Ricardo Hemsley tried on their brand new Merchantmen jerseys.

Defensive end Tony Hill is the oldest of the three new players. He kicked off his career with the Tucker Tigers. After six seasons in a backup role, Hill moved on to the Outer Banks Ospreys. he didn't survive roster cuts, but hafl way the season he signed with the Gothenburg Giants. Hill played in 9 games during that 2010 season. After that, Hill spent the 2011 season inactive on the North Plainfield Plague. He spent 2012 on injured reserve with the Outer Banks Ospreys and last season he was a roster cut day casualty for that team. He spent a day on the Plague after that, but was released before seeing any action. Hill decided to stick around in the league and hope for another chance one more time.

Tight end Cornell Branch comes over from the Conyers Condors. Branch spent the last four seasons there, after being a seventh round selection in the 2010 amateur draft. Branch has only 16 career receptions for 121 yards, however, he played in all 16 games last season. Branch is an all round talented tight end. He's smart and the Merchantmen believe Branch can be of great help in mentoring rookie Darryl mcDaniel during the pre-season. It is unlikely Branch will make the opening day roster, barring injuries to the two starters Jim Reiser and Arnold Ramirez.

Wide receiver Ricardo Hemsley was a bit of a surprise signing. Hemsley is said to be a special teams stand out, but not in terms of kick returning. Still, the Merchantmen scouting staff believes Hemsley has some upside with good yards after catch ability. He's unlikely to make the pre-season roster, but stranger things have happened in the past. Never say never.

MIJB#19

05-26-2007, 03:41 AM

South Reports For Merchantmen Camp
The controversy is over. A day before training camp started, Everett South signed a four-year contract with the Maassluis Merchantmen. The second round pick decided to agree with the terms he denied earlier on. Merchantmen General Manager M.IJ.B. was pleased with the decission: "We're seeing upside in South. We're expecting him to become a good IHOF quarterback someday and wanted to give him a couple of years to build experience and character. I'm positive we've got the environment needed for a young quaterback."

Despite the signing Merchantmen fans and league pundits are skeptic about the South signing. One Merchantmen fan was quoted saying: "We've never had any luck with quarterbacks. Aside from Justin McDavid before the knee injury..." Well respected scouts around the IHOF did confirm that South is the most mature rookie quarterback of his class. Even more than #1 overall pick Tyler Zuck and Telluride Outlaws' project player Skip Hicks. Quarterback Louie Flannery said: "Good that he signed. Nobody was getting any better from South holding it for a shorter contract. Now let's get to camp and let the kid show what he's made of." Well said Louie.

MIJB#19

05-26-2007, 04:38 AM

2014 Merchantmen Training Camp Report
Enough discussion about new signings and trades, football is about to start. With lots of drills to improve the player's skills, training camp 2014 was the first big step in preperation for the new season. Or at least in finding out which players will be starters and who will likely be gone before pre-season kicks off. A position by position breakdown.

Quarterbacks
Get ready for more Louie Flannery. The franchise quarterback looked in shape throughout training camp and asured himself of another season as the starter. Behind him it was Richard Bell who is te early favorite to win the backup role. Rookie Everett South didn't live up to expectations, but management does believe that South is going to be a good backup option, possibly even a starting caliber quarterback. Bell is still on the trading block, but chances are he'll get through some pre-season action first. Justin McDavid clearly got older, but with his experience he'll be crucial to South's progress and he's still one of the most popular players in Maassluis.

Running Backs
Running back by committee, here we come. Courtney Osgood has lost some of his explosiveness and speed, while Quentin Hatchette looks like he's catching up. The two backs are likely to be splitting carries and possibly sharing the playing time. Short yardage back Brenden Boone didn't impress either, but he did seem to be getting closer to the top two backs. Late 2013 signing Scottie Grey couldn't convince the management of being worth a roster spot.

Fullbacks & Tight Ends
Quentin Malicki will go into 2014 as the starter. The real question will be who the backup role will get. Tracy Winslett took some serious damage in terms of progression, following the hamstring injury that sidelined him last season. Juan Shields looks like the better blocker of the two, but chances are the Merchantmen take their chances with letting the tight ends play backup fullback roles. Jim Reiser was once again the most reliable pass catcher, however his speed and agilty are waning. Blocker Arnold Ramirez isn't getting any younger either and both are watching out for rookie Darryl McDaniel. Too bad that McDaniel didn't leave any good impressions in Merchantmen camp. 'Mentor' Cornell Branch and long snapper Winston Van Pelt did make some minor progress and both are expected to make the pre-season roster. Branch migt even be the second best fullback on the team.

Wide Receivers
No less than nine wide receivers went intoi training camp. Future hall of famer Alfredo Bass came out of it looking like the best of the bunch. The battling for the #2 and #3 roles has started though. Drew McConnell and Bryce Ewald had those roles last season, but both saw the younger receivers close in. But both have their respective role on the team in avoiding locker room trouble and cohesion. Rookie Cary Flowers left behind the impression that he's just a kick returner. Jerry Beyer had a decent camp and might have won a roster spot, at least for pre-season. Youngster Willie Bennett didn't make as much progress as hoped, while Devin Henson will have to fear for his chances to make the final 53-men as just the second best kickoff returner. Free agent signings Aaron Pitcher and Ricardo Hemsley are unlikely to make the pre-season roster.

Interior Linemen
The retirement of Tim Lacy is still hurting. Center Brant Heinrich assured himself of being the start in the middle again. Lance Blackwell appears to have gotten better, but Heinrich is a crucial player in terms of cohesion, going into his tenth season in Maassluis. J.J. Reilly is clearly the left guard again, being the most effective run blocker in IHOF history. Second year project Johnnie Griffin came back from La Ligue Solecismique looking good. He beat out veteran Garrett Singer for the right guard starting role. Still, Griffin might have to watch out for the offensive tackles as there are several options there who could play at his spot.

Offensive Tackles
No reason to complain here. Andre Brookshire looked impressive and the Merchantmen scouting stuff claims that Brookshire is the second best tackle in the league. On the left side it will be Ivan Jacques again. He's no longer the best pass protecting left tackle in the league, but should still be capable of protecting his quarterback well. Meanwhilst his future replacement Quinn England didn't make much noise in training camp. Tommie Burns made good progress and could be seeing more playing time next season. Cornelius Rice is clearly the biggest loser. Despite a sacks free 16-stars campaign last season, he's going to be the rotation backup for both the right side guard and tackle positions.

Defensive Linemen
Expect a new role for Charles Gomez. Training camp made clear that Gomez may still be the best lineman, but not the best run run stopper. Andrew Rasmussen and especially Andy Weliczka had good camps. As did second-year pro Melvin Galloway, who is expected to play Gomez' role next season. But what about Gomez? He's expected to mentor Galloway and see more action as defensive end. New signing Darren Walsh came out of camp looking like the best end. Omar Gougeon made another step backwards, while Wally Mattingly stayed put and youngsters Lester Henson and Luther Hansen couldn't make a leap foward. Tony Hill isn't going to make the regular season, but depending on cuts at other positions, he might make the pre-season roster.

Linebackers
Mixed feelings about Fernando Reese's first activity in Maassluis. Yes, he's locked himself into being the starting strong side linebacker, but expectations of how good he will be got toned down a little bit. Still, together with Cody Cluff and Lee Burns he'll form one of the best linebacking trios in the league. Terrence White remains as a reliable backup middle linebacker, while Bernie Surry is still a very good backup player. If only he had some stamina... Mike Kershner came out of camp looking like the least impressive, but he was recently polled as the most popular Merchantmen player and because of that is not going to another team. Casey Backes stay in Maassluis is pretty much over.

Cornerbacks
A seperate header since we went into camp with seven corners. Tai Wayne got a visit from Father Time and lost some of his speed. But he's still our best cornerback and has three good candidates to team up with him in the starting roles. Ross Greene is still a stand out pushing and pulling cover corner, while Sammie Kennedy and Raphael Schaaf have the zone defense experience to start or play the nickel or dime roles. Brian Spears looked better than expected on his return, but isn't much more than a dime back. The same can be said about Myron Stevens, who has to fear for his chances to make the 53-men roster. Young D.J. Williams failed to make any progress and isn't going to be on the team in the first pre-season game.

Safeties
Lincoln Gilmore will be out until mid-way the regular season, which means there's a tough decission to make. Does he go to injured reserve or continue to occuppy a roster spot until he's fully recovered? Eddie Cole looked really good in training camp he's said to have become a very good strong safety. Off-season acquisition Kennedy Gillespie clinched the free safety role. Broderick Schultz is yet another casualty of age and does remain as a very good backup option. Louis Farr is a great punt return option, but chances are he'll be traded due to the drafting of Cary Flowers.

MIJB#19

06-11-2007, 08:35 AM

Merchantmen Make Tough Cuts After 3-1 Pre-Season
The compulsory exhibition season has ended. The Maassluis Merchantmen finished 3-1 following a 20-14 overtime win over the Ann Arbor Anachronism. The Merchantmen had already beaten the Boulder Blizzard (28-3), Minnesota Miners (12-6) and lost to the Oakland Black Panthers (45-21). Roster cut day followed and saw the Richard Bell and Myron Stevens axed. Strong safety Lincoln Gilmore was placed on injured reserve.

The pre-season campaign was a moving one. General Manager M.IJ.B. was surprisingly missing in action when the first game was about to be played. The Merchantmen players and staff travelled to Colorado to play the Boulder Blizzard. Overthere in the United States, seven players were released. Amongst them long-time contributors to the team in kick returner Devin Henson, defensive end Omar Gougeon and cornerback Myron Stevens.

As the team returned in Maassluis, Devin Henson and Myron Stevens surprisingly were on the plane too. After the game, General Manager M.IJ.B. had returned to his office and made sure the two respected veterans returned on the team. Young cornerback D.J. Williams and wide receiver Willie Bennett stayed in their homeland.

Following the last pre-season game, the Merchantmen announced their 53-men roster. Amongst them was no place for Myron Stevens. The management decided to break off trade talks for punt returner Louis Farr and let Stevens go. Stevens left the Merchantmen trainging ground in tears. Welcome to the business part of IHOF. Stevens was an undrafted rookie free agent singing in 2006. In 2009 he was the league's most efficient starting cornerback. Stevens leaves the Merchantmen after 8 season and 105 regular season games.

Joining Stevens into free agency is quarterback Richard Bell. After three seasons of backing up Louie Flannery, his stint in Maassluis is over. Bell was forced to start 3 games in the 2011 season, in which the team went 1-2. Bell had pass attempts in 11 games for the Merchantmen. After being placed on the trading block and With the selection of Everett South in the second round of the recent amateur draft, Bell's chances to make the final 53-player list were already slim.

Strong safety Lincoln Gilmore was also present at the press conference. Gilmore wasn't released, but won't make the 2014 roster anyway. Still recovering from MCL knee surgery, Gilmore was placed on injured reserve. The franchise leader in interceptions was diagnosed to miss the first two months of the regular season. The team opted to keep him on the inactive roster, but instead the team decided to keep longsnapper Winston Van Pelt on the team as a fourth tight end.

The four other players released were Jerry Beyer, Cornell Branch, Scottie Grey and Aaron Pitcher. Tight end Branch and wide receiver Pitcher were off-season free agent signings. So was receiver Beyer, who couldn't make the final 53-men roster to kickstart a second chapter with the Merchantmen. Running back Grey had been a late 2013 signing and had be re-signed in the off-season. Despite injury to Quentin Hatchette, the management decided to stick with three running backs and with fullback Tracy Winslett over Grey.

MIJB#19

06-14-2007, 05:26 AM

Merchantmen Cut Devin Henson And Tracy Winslett
The unthinkable happened, again. For the third time this pre-season, the Maassluis Merchantmen released a long time member of the team. Kickoff returner Devin Henson was released 24 hours before the first game of the season. Henson came off a season with a 23.3 yards per kickoff return average and his third in a row without a touchdown. General Manager M.IJ.B. said: "Devin has been a great team player over the years, but he wasn't going to make it this season. We wish him well and will keep the lines open in case we need a kick returner later on this season."

Also released today was fullback Tracy Winslett. His roster spot was given to legendary blocking fullback Aldo Stubbs. Winslett was more of a runner and played the short yardage back role for the Merchantmen in 2012. He spent last season on injured reserve with a severe hamstring pull, which seriously hurt his progress. Especially his lack of improvement in (run) blocking did him in.

Aldo Stubbs will make his Merchantmen debut in Gothenburg, the home of his first IHOF franchise. Stubbs played one season with the Giants and then moved on to the Fiarbanks NorthStars for eight straight seasons. He failed to make the regular season roster last season, but signed with the Oakland Black Panthers a couple of weeks later. This season he missed the cut in Oakland, but the Merchantmen will be happy to revive Stubbs' football career in a backup role to Quentin Malicki.

Second year pro Richard Kiesling also made the week 1 roster. Kiesling was signed for his kickoff return skills and outplayed Devin Henson in practise. Kiesling was released by the Paris Musketeers recently, but the Merchantmen management expect good things from the youngster.

MIJB#19

09-05-2007, 09:15 AM

2014 Season Recap
Ah yes, Merchantmen fans, I've failed you once again. No, I didn't feel like writing, most of the time. The 2014 went by and if you followed along you already know how things went down. If you didn't, here's a recap of how the 2014 season went down.

The last news reported was the release of Devin Henson. The long time Merchantmen member and well respected kickoff returner lost his roster spot to second year pro Richard Kiesling, while the first string duties to rookie Cary Flowers. And Flowers paid back out of the gates. Against all odds he scored his first IHOF touchdown in his first regular season game. Sadly, it wasn't enough to avoid a 26-24 loss at the Gothenburg Giants.

The Giants ended up being a surprisingly tough team to beat all season long. Backup passer Ben Randolph took control of the team when supposed to be franchise quarterback Charles Vance got hurt early in the season. The Giants never looked back and marched to their second European division title in franchise history.

There, the big news is out, we didn't win the European division in 2014. But that doesn't mean we had a bad season. Playing with te oldest team in the league, we had hopes to make some noise. Badly timed losses to the North Plainfield Plague and Orlando Knights in the first half of the season would turn out to be crucial to our post-season chances. As it turned out we ended up tied with those two teams for the second AOC wildcard, all with a 9-7 record. On head to head tie-breakers we were eliminated from contention, despite having the a top12 win-loss record in the league.

As it turned out, it became the farewell season of two big names in the IHOF. Wide receiver Alfredo Bass was back at it with 82 catches for 1,229 yards and 9 scores. With these figures, he managed to end the season leading the career tables in all three major receiving stats: receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. That said, the team turned out not depending so much on Bass anymore. in one of his three games of non-activity, Louie Flannery posted a career game, completing 35 of 39 passes versus the Boulder Blizzard en route to a 31-26 victory. Bass posted 80 catches and over 1,000 years for 9 touchdowns in each of his three season with the Merchantmen.

The other big name retirment after the 2014 season turned out to be Charles Gomez, the face of the franchise. Gomez had been far from his all-world form in the first seven years of the IHOF and was moved outside to play defensive end in his final season. with 7.0 sacks he lead the team for the first time in his career, but in the end it showed he was no longer the once best defensive tackle in the league. Still, he remains as one of the most accoladed players in the league and retires with impressvie totals of 706 tackles and 72.5 sacks, ranking him fifth on the career list amidst the big name defensive ends.

The biggest shocker was Courtney Osgood. The prolific running back decided to call it quits after just eigt seasons of IHOF football. Osgood was coming off a season in which he posted the second highest yards-per-carry average at 5.61. However, the Merchantmen coaching staff had been very consistent in giving him very few ball touches, demonstarted by Quentin Hatchette's 194 carries in 13 games, versus Osgood's 137 carries in 16 games. Osgood did tie the seven-year old rushing touchdowns record, set in 2007 at 8 scores by Randy Harris. Osgood played 4 seasons in Maassluis, posting two 1,000-yards seasons and scoring 24 touchdowns.

The two other players who retired are cornerback Raphael Schaaf and guard Garret Singer after just one year in the Merchantmen uniform. Elsewhere around the league, other Merchantmen alumni called it quits as well. Wide receiver Fredric Vargas, fullback Mark Burger were innitial Merchantmen players. Wide receiver Devin Henson and defensive end Omar Gougeon were the two most prominent free agent retirements with Merchantmen roots. Both played their entire careers for the orange-white-and-blue.

As already said, the 2014 season was good, but not great. We managed to win nine games, which isn't all too bad. But at season's end it turned out that all wins came against teams with a losing record. The sweep of the two French teams, the Paris Musketeers and Bordeaux Vineyards was maybe the highlight of the season, as we managed to do that only once before. But games against playoff teams were all lost. The Georgia Gridlock (31-13), Orlando Knights (20-3) and North Plainfield Plague (21-10) showed us how far we were from having playoff talent. Sadly, as we did manage to play close games with the Giants...

2014 will go down in the history books as the Boston Rhinos' season. With a team designed to go out for one last chance to win at all, the Rhinos delivered to the fans. They steamrolled through the regular season, with only five games ending within one score. Two of those five came in the last two weeks when the Rhinos had already secured homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. There it was, 16-0, the Rhinos posted the first undefeated season. Their playoff record in prior season had the historical knowledged IHOF fans worried, but the Rhinos had no message about their winless decade. The Vicksburg Vipers (30-3) and Gothenburg Giants (41-28) proved no threat to them.

IHOF Bowl XI saw not just the undefeated Boston Rhinos looking juggernautish going into the game. The Chesapeake Chitterlings had steamrolled through the NAC, losing only games to the Knoxville Rebels and Chicago Norsemen. In the playoffs they beat the first time post-seasoners Minnesota Miners (16-8) and their archrivals Frederick Red Menace (37-14) for their third IHOF Bowl appearance. Three times the charm they say, the Chitterlings never won the season final. And it didn't happen this time around either. In a close game, the Boston Rhinos proved to be slightly better and competing the ultimate 19-game winning streak.

Currently, the 2015 off-season has kicked off. A rash of retirments decimated the Rhinos roster to roughly 40 names, including 15 or so free agents. As the first couple of free agent signings are coming out, defensive tackle Charles Carreno announced he's going to bring his Championship ring along as he joins the Maassluis Merchantmen for a one-year $7 million deal. He ain't no Gomez, but he's close and expectations are going up already. But the Merchantmen roster is still the oldest in the league and with big glaring holes at running back and wide receiver.