Maassluis Merchantmen (IHOF), part 2

[MIJB#19]

This is a continuation of the initial IHOF: Maassluis Merchantmen (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=21067) dynasty report. This thread kicks off with quick reviews of the first 12 seasons of the Maassluis Merchantmen and then carries on like 'normal'.

As with the old thread, I'm not sure when and if I will update, but I'll try to and hope you enjoy reading.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2004

Off Season
The year 2004 saw the start of the International House of Football. The league kicked off with determining the 32 locations and Maassluis was one of them. Maassluis is located about 10 miles out of the west coast of the Netherlands. The team's nickname was decided to be Merchantmen, hinting to the Netherlands' golden era when the dutch ships ruled the seven seas. Games would be played in Oranje Haven, which is dutch for Orange Harbour. Orange for the national color, harbour as a link to the home of the sailors.

The Merchantmen were assigned to the Atlantic Ocean Conference, playing in the European Division. Their division rivals were decided to be two french teams, the Bordeaux Vineyards and the Paris Muskteers, and the swedish Gothenburg Giants. The other conference was named the North American Conference, as all 16 teams there were located in the United States of America.

The allocation draft resulted in mixed feelings in Maassluis. The team ended up with a lot of talented receivers and front seven players. The team lacked any quality at cornerback and on the offensive line. Rookie Justin McDavid was tagged starting quarterback, mostly by the lack of better options. A mobile quarterback, who would turn out to be a popular player.

Around McDavid, was a talented group of players. No less than four young, but potential star wide receivers would be around McDavid: Gregory Monti, Bryce Ewald, Fredric Vargas and Raul Marshall. The fifth guy, Amos Collins, was traded for offensive tackle Harold Hurtado to give McDavid a little bit more support on the line. Completing the offense would be work horse running back Randy Harris and the always open tight end Jerry Aubrey.

On defense, the Merchantmen were just really green. The backbone was going to consist of defensive tackle Charles Gomez, middle linebacker Cody Cluff and strong safety Lincoln Gilmore. Around them, defensive ends Harold Wells and Deon Chapa were considered potential sack machines. Mike Kershner was switched from inside to outside linebacker for his all around skills. The only decent cornerback was veteran Dennis Preciado, whom was acquired in trade for young defensive tackle in Robert Duong.

Season
Looking at the Merchantmen, it quickly showed the team had weaknesses. Playing catch up for most games, the Merchantmen ranked 27th in rushing yards and 18th in passing yards, combining for 24th in points scored. The Merchantmen had what looked like a decent pass defense (4th), but it wasn't worth much, knowing that teams ran all over them (32st) while those opponents were usually leading. The team allowed 22.4 points per game, which was 31st overall.

Quarterback Justin McDavid lead all rookies in passing yards (2904) and touchdowns (19), but also had the third most interceptions (22) of all quarterbacks. With a passer rating of 63.9 and a league high 13 fumbles, it was clear that despite being the best option right now, he shouldn't be the long term answer.

There were some brigth lights though. Running back Randy Harris proved to be efficient, running for 1027 yards with 4.1 yards per carry. Tight end Jerry Aubrey earned All-IHOF honors with team high 67 catches for 760 yards and 6 touchdowns. Left tackle Harold Hurtado also received all-IHOF honors with 31 key run blocks and allowing only 5 sacks in 520 passing plays.

On defense, Cody Cluff earned Rookie of the Year Honors. It wasn't worth much, given that the defense was on the field a lot. Cluff posted 99 tackles, 1 sack and 1 interception. Harold Wells lived up to his potential, posting 9 sacks and 65 tackles. Dennis Preciado seemed to be the only decent pass defender, posting 11 defended passes, however 7 came in a single game, meaning he hardly made a difference.

As expected, the season was loaded with rookie mistakes. Following an 0-2 start, the first home game of the season, against the Gothenburg Giants, resulted in a 31-27 win. But despite putting up a fight most of the time, the Merchantmen failed to win another game, resulting in a league worst 1-15 record. The Bordeaux Vineyards (9-7) would become the first European division champions and lost in the first round of the playoffs. In IHOF Bowl I, the NAC's Fairbanks NorthStars (13-3) beat the AOC's Stillwater Outlaws (10-6).

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2005

Off Season
Things had to change and fast. The Merchantmen management didn't hesistate at all. The #1 overall draft pick was soon traded for multiple picks and linebacker Ellsworth Thelen. And that was only the start of it. Offensive tackle Wilson Grimaldo came over from the Paris Musketeers to bolster the offensive line. Injured guard Alvin Causey was traded in for the future. Wide receiver Frederic Vargas was traded to move up in the draft. And before the season kicked off, also wide receiver Raul Marshall had left the building.

All the wheeling and dealing resulted in the selection of four players in the first round of the draft. Quarterback Leonard Lyon was taken as the face of the franchise, while center Brant Heinrich and guard Butch White were picked to protect him. Cornerback Tai Wayne was taken to improve the defense. He was joined there by two safeties, signed as free agents: Richard Muller and Wiley McGhee. And to add some experience to the defensive line, Albert Bernardo was also signed as a free agent.

Season
The season started with quarterback controversy. Despite being a first round pick, Leonard Lyon had all but impressed the management and 2004 starter Justin McDavid was looking over his shoulder. Lyon got the start in week one, but slowed down by a couple of injuries, McDavid got a couple of starts early on. The Merchantmen actually posted better resulted with McDavid at the helmet, until the controversy ended in week 11. McDavid blew out his knee, requiring knee surgery that would sideline for the rest of the season and at least the entire 2006 as well.

Once freed from the controversy, Lyon started to improve, but never looked like a future star. While seeing playing time in 10 games, Lyon threw for 1,814 yards, 9 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, posting a 61.6 passer rating. All in all, worse than McDavid's rookie season. Overall, the offense wasn't much improved, if at all. The Merchanmen ranked 22nd in passing yards, 21st in rushing yards and 25th in points scored.

The revamped defense (with five new starters) didn't improve much either. Being competitive, and forced by a decent run defense, teams started throwing against them. While the pass defense ranked 27th overall, the run defense ranked 11th. In the end, the team allowed a respectable 16.9 points per game, ranking them 15th in the league.

The defensive improvement resulted in All-IHOF honors. Defensive end Harold Wells posted 13 sacks, defensive tackle Charles Gomez had 6.5 sacks and 70 tackles. Both were awarded with All-IHOF second team honors. Rookie cornerback Tai Wayne didn't post any interceptions, but did record a team record 13 defended passes. Strong safety Lincoln Gilmore proved to be the best pass defender. Despite having started the season in a backup role, he fought back and had a key role in the team's strong finish of the season.

Despite the terrible offense and just a decent defense, the Merchantmen seemed ahead of schedule in their improvement plans. The team stayed alive for the playoffs throughout week 15 and posted a respectable 7-9 record. The Merchantmen finished third in the division behind the Bordeaux Vineyards (11-5) and Gothenburg Giants (9-7). The Vineyards eventually lost in the AOC Championship game to the Conyers Condors (12-4). The Condors then had a total off day in IHOF Bowl II, which was won by the Ann Arbor Anachronism (13-3).

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2006

Off Season
Another season, another new quarterback. To the surprise of a lot of people, the Merchantmen traded quarterback Leonard Lyon to the Springfield Isotopes for quarterback Mel Atkins. And that was just the start of another busy, traded loaded off-season. But this time, the team focussed on just one player in the draft.

Quarterback Louie Flannery was taken 5th overall in the 2006 draft to become the Merchantmen's franchise quarterback. A strong armed pocket passer, who doesn't play worse when under pressure of needing to convert plays. The potential downside appeared to be his tendency to throw interceptions.

Flannery wasn't the only new face. Tight end Jim Reiser took over te starting role from Jerry Aubrey haflway 2005 and locked up the job as Aubrey got traded in the off-season. Guard Timothy Lacy joined the offensive line, taking the place of Arnold Cassay, who played only 2 games in 2005. Fullback Jamel Rosenberry was acquired to both block for Randy Harris and become the third down back.

On the defensive side of the ball, both young defensive ends Harold Wells and Deon Chapa were traded away. With both having huge salary demands and the Merchantmen in a bit of a cap hell, there wasn't much choice there. Fourth round pick Omar Gougeon would be the new starting end, opposite Albert Bernardo. Seventh round pick Andy Weliczka became Charles Gomez new partner at defensive tackle.

Cornerback Tai Wayne was expected to get a new partner, but following a season-ending injury in week one, both Gus Stoffers and Johnnie Stidham became starters. Safety Wiley McGhee got traded away, while Richard Muller picked up a career-threatening concussion in the pre-season, paving the way for free agent Emile William to a starting role.

Season
Despite all the changes, the Merchantmen kicked off the season very well. At the mid-way point, the team had played admirably well and was leading the division at 5-2. Louie Flannery was clearly the best passer the team so far had seen, but a streak of four games with 3 or more interceptions ended his great start. Flannery ended the season with 2765 yards, 15 touchdowns and league high 23 interceptions. His passer rating of 64.4 wasn't all that impressive either.

At the end of the season, the passing game ranked 25th overall in the league, the rushing game 23rd. Not as good as hoped, but given that the team ranked 9th overall in points scored, the offense had actually been pretty good. The disappointing part of the team was in fact the defense, that ranked 29th in points allowed, 23rd in the run defense and 32nd in pass defense by a margin of 15 yards per game.

The defensive disaster actually helped one player into posting a phenominal season. Charles Gomez racked up 99 tackles and 12.5 sacks, an amazing score for a defensive tackle. Cody Cluff also took advantage of it, posting 120 tackles, as did Johnnie Stidham, who intercepted 7 passes. On the other hand, Stidham defended only 5 passes, making Lincoln Gilmore once again the only bright spot of the secondary.

On offense, there wasn't much good news. Flannery had been inconsistent, altering great games with terrible ones. He had trouble connecting with his wide receivers, yet he did build a chemistry with tight end Jim Reiser, who caught 79 passes for 693 yards. Randy Harris posted his third straight 1000-yard season, but actually split the touchdowns with Jamel Rosenberry.

The Merchantmen finished the season 8-8, resulting in consolidation of third place in the division. The Bordeaux Vineyards (11-5) once again won the division, but this time the Gothenburg Giants (10-6) joined them into the playoffs. The Vineyards beat the Giants in the first round, but followed up by losing in the conference semi finals. The North Plainfield Plague (12-4) became the first AOC based league champions, as they defeated the Chesapeake Chitterlings (12-4) in IHOF Bowl III.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2007

Off Season
With the last two off-seasons fresh in memory, the Merchantmen were expected to once again go on a trading spree and replace their quarterback. Instead, the Merchantmen decided to do something different this time around. The Merchantmen acquired the #10 overall pick, but it was only a diversion tactic, as sent that pick to the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums for left tackle Ivan Jacques.

A surprise move in the opinion of some, as earlier in the off-season, the Merchantmen had moved out right tackle Wilson Grimaldo for the younger Cornelius Rice. Left tackle Harold Hurtado was getting old and Jacques looked like the perfect body guard for Louie Flannery. Additionally, the Merchantmen acquired rookie wide receiver Jerry Beyer for the earlier selected return specialist Cris Lyons in a trade with, again, Brooklyn.

Running back Rodger Mowery was added to the team to improve the depth behind Randy Harris and more so to improve the punt returning. On the defensive line, defensive end Wally Wilcox was signed as a free agent, while no less than three potential starters were taken in the draft with Aaron Sherrill, Andrew Rasmussen and second round pick Shaun Shiroma.

The secondary went through another rebuilding cycle, forcing Gus Stoffers off the team, but bringing in veteran Winford Endicott and promoting 2006 undrafted rookie Myron Stevens to nickelback. An important chance, as the Merchantmen decided to implement a pass defense that would heavily rely on a 2-deep zone defense system.

Season
The new defensive system and personnel paid off. The Merchantmen became hard to beat through the air. The team lead the league with 44 sacks and ranked 3rd in lowest completion percentage allowed. Overall, the team finnished the season 10th in pass defense and 13th in run defense, that combined for leading the league in least points allowed.

Supported by that great defense, the offense mamanged to play very well. With 22.6 points per game, the team ranked again 9th overall in scoring. Overall the were 12th in both the running and passing game. Quarterback Louie Flannery clearly improved, posting 3768 yards, with 25 touchdowns and 19 interceptions for a 82.4 passer rating.

Flannery's numbers were kind of surprising given that none of his target really stood out. Bryce Ewald had only 48 catches for 774 yards, Jim Reiser had a team high 59 receptions. Randy Harris seemed to make the best of it all, racking up 1306 yards on the ground and 13 total touchdowns.

Still, the defense had carried the team. Charles Gomez received All IHOF second team honors for it, having racked up 49 tackles and 8 sacks. Around him, Albert Bernardo (8.5 sacks), Aaron Sherrill (6.5 sacks) and Omar Gougeon (4.5 sacks in 10 games) formed a fearsome pass rush. Additionally, both Tai Wayne and Winford Endicott proved to be good cornerbacks, with 16 and 14 defended passes respectively.

The overall improvement of the team also showed in the results. The Merchantmen kicked off with a 3-0 start and following two losses at home, they posted a six-game winning streak. In week 15, they demolished the Gothenburg Giants to clinch their first European division title. With their 13-3 record the Merchantmen clinched a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

Their first playoff game ever turned out to be an epic one. The San Antonio Volunteers (12-4) had beaten them in Oranje Haven earlier that season, but the Merchantmen were out for avengance. Boosted by an early defensive touchdown and winning the turnover battle, the Merchantmen managed to hold ground. With a 27-24 victory, the Volunteers were sent home.

In the AOC Championship game, the Merchantmen visited the Infestadium to meet the defending IHOF Champions, the North Plainfield Plague (13-3). They wish they never got there. Supported by two three-and-outs, an interception and a sack for a safety, the Plague recorded four touchdowns to take a 30-0 lead before the first quarter was over. The Merchantmen tried to recover, but never overcame the early lead. The Plague won 43-10 and repeated as league champions, beating the Outer Banks Ospreys (9-7) in IHOF Bowl IV.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2008

Off Season
Following the total collapse of the Merchantmen in the 2007 AOC Championship game, there wasn't much need to change things. The retirement of Rodger Mowery would require the addition of a new punt returner and backup running back, which was found in Joseph Schoen. Quarterback Thad Pilkington was acquired to mentor Flannery, as the management thought that was missing.

Otherwise, there was really much need to change the team and add players. Sean Smalley was drafted to replace punter Roscoe Corrales at some point during the season. Defensive end Erwin Baranowski, cornerback Sammie Kennedy and free safety Borderick Schultz were added to improve depth in the defense. Linebacker Bernie Surry was a fifth round pick, but made good progress in training camp and broke into the starting line up.

Season
In 2008, the standards of the Merchantmen defense were similar as the season before. That unit lead the league in turnovers (11 fumbles, 23 interceptions), but ranked only 11th in points allowed. Which wasn't all that bad, given that the defense fell to 14th in run defense and 26th in pass defense. That didn't tell the whole story though, the defense had mainly fallen in overall numbers because of a somewhat less effective offense.

The offense fell back to 20.3 points per game, which was 14th overall in the league. Given that the passing game (22nd) and especially the running game (29th) had been below average, that was actually pretty good. Louie Flannery didn't make too many steps back though. With 21 touchdowns versus 14 interceptions in 14 games, his figures were almost on par with 2007.

Still, Flannery had once again trouble connecting with anybody. Jim Reiser posted just 50 receptions, while Bryce Ewald's 574 yards receiving was a team high. Randy Harris didn't help much either, racking up only 732 yards on the ground with a disappointing 3.2 yars per cary average.

Charles Gomez had yet another All IHOF worthy season, posting 78 tackles and 7 sacks. Around him, Erwin Baranowski (8.5 sacks) and Omar Gougeon (8 sacks) provided the pass rush pressure. The pass defense wasn't all that bad either, with Winford Endicott, Tai Wayne, Lincoln Gilmore and Bernie Surry all posting double-digit pass defense figures. Surry's season was even more impressive, considering that he also made 4 interceptions and recovery 3 fumbles, scoring twice from a turnover.

Cleary it was the defense that kept the team competitive all season long. Despite showing a trend of winning one week, losing the other, the Merchantmen stayed alive in the race for the European division through week 17. Going into that week with an 8-7 record, all hope was gone, but they would suck out with a victory over the Paris Musketers and if the Gothenburg Giants would beat the Bordeaux Vineyards.

Amazingly, the suck-out scenario came to live. The Maassluis Merchantmen won and defended their European division title with a 9-7 record. The Gothenburg Giants (9-7) and Bordeaux Vineyards (9-7) finshed really close, but the Merchantmen won the division based on results between those three teams.

The Merchantmen went into the playoffs and ended up facing the Rochester Lake Momsters (10-6). In the previous seasons in the league, the Lake Monsters had been some sort of inter-divisional rivals for the Merchantmen, with exciting games in the series so far. But this playoff edition turned out to be boring. The Lake Monsters dominated from the start and posted a 27-3 win in their first ever playoff game.

The Lake Monsters followed up by losing bit at the North Plainfield Plague (14-2) in the conference semi finals. The Plague marched on, winning another AOC Championship, going into IHOF Bowl V heavily favored to 'threepeat'. The Plague came short though, losing in a close game to the Fairbanks NorthStars (12-4).

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2009

Off Season
Coming off a disappointing season, the Merchantmen management decided not to change too much of the team. Only seven new players made the 2009 roster, of whom two spent the entire season on injured reserve. Four of them were rookies, of whom defensive end Wally Mattingly and running back to wide receiver converted Jesse Vielma became regular starters.

Season
Thinking they could lean on the success of the 2007 season and thinking 2008 was based on some bad luck, the Merchantmen were proven wrong big time. The defense tried to live up to their standards, but ended up allowing 19.6 points per game (18th overall). They were actually below average in overall run defense (19th) and pass defense (21st).

The offense was even worse, all season long. With the worst running game and mediocre passing game (17th overall), the team ranked only 27th in the league with just 16.3 points per game. Disappointing and far from the step forward that fans and media were expecting.

Quarterback Louie Flannery didn't play so bad at all, throwing for 3550 yards and 16 interception. But then, he threw for only 15 touchdowns, of which 6 game in a single game. The inability to score touchdowns was seen throughout the team as Randy Harris scored a team high 5 touchdowns.

On defense, Charles Gomez played like he always does, receiving All IHOF honors once again for his 82 tackles and 7.5 sacks. But aside from Gomez, nickelback Myron Stevens (10 defended passes, 3 interceptions, 19 catches allowed) was the only defensive player with respectable stats.

Based on those trends, the Merchantmen started the season with three losses and were staring at 2-7 in week 10. Amazingly they bounced back with six wins in their last seven games, but 8-8 clearly wasn't enough to make the playoffs. The Gothenburg Giants (10-6) claimed their first European division title, while the Merchantmen finished third on head to head results against the Bordeaux Vineyards (8-8, 2nd) and Paris Musketers (8-8, 4th).

The Giants were decent representative of the division, upsetting the Boston Rhinos (13-3) in Gothenburg. The didn't stand a chance at the North Plainfield Plague (14-2) though, unlike the San Antonio Volunteers (12-4), who unseated the Plague as AOC Champions. The Volunteers in turn were no match for the Frederick Red Menace (12-4) in IHOF Bowl VI.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2010

Off Season
Following two quiet off-seasons, clearly something had to be done to bring the Merchantmen to a higher level. Veterans Center Ned Cozart, cornerback Tommie Canon and wide receiver Jewell Simpson joined the team through trades. On the free agents market, defensive tackle Frank Bernard and linebacker Albert Boggess were acquired. Veterans defensive end Albert Bernardo and tackle Harold Hurtado were released, while Ellsworth Thelen was traded to the North Plainfield Plague.

Season
But 2010 wasn't going to be the year either. Slowed down by a second most 36 turnovers, the Merchantmen offense was once again incapable of winning games. They finished the season 26th in scoring, 25th in passing yards and 19th in rushing yards.

Thankfully, the defense reclaimed some of their fame. The Merchantmen allowed 16.9 points per game, second only to the defending league champions Frederick Red Menace. Overall they ranked 2nd in passing yards allowed and 24th in rushing yards allowed.

Newcomer Tommie Canon was the surprisingly impressive player on defense. Canon posted 5 interceptions and 12 defended passes against just 22 catches allowed. Tai Wayne and Lincoln Gilmore also had 12 defended passes and less than 30 catches allowed, making them one of the strongest secondaries in the league.

In front of that secondary, Charles Gomez (78 tackles, 4.5 sacks) and Cody Cluff (118 tackles) did their usual tricks. For Gomez it resulted in All IHOF second team honors. On the other hand, their performance didn't make up for once again an ineffective offense.

Louie Flannery had another mediocre season, throwing for 2659 yards, 20 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Thad Pilkington filled in for Flannery a couple of times due to injuries. Fullback Jamel Rosenberry lead the team with 77 catches. Bryce Ewald posted 773 yards and 6 touchdowns. Supposed to be star receiver Simpson had only 38 catches for 635 yards and 3 scores. Randy Harris got demoted to a backup role behind Joseph Schoen, but amazingly racked up 930 yards and a 4.5 yards per carry average from the bench.

In the end it was just another dramatic season. The Merchantmen kicked off with two wins, bit quickly fell into a black hole and were staring at 3-6 in week 10. Trying to bounce back, the Merchantmen dominted in teir next four games, but managed to record only one win, en route to finishing the year at 6-10.

The Bordeaux Vineyards (8-8) won the European division, just barely ahead of the Paris Musketeers (8-8) on a head to head sweep. As to be expected of a team without a winning record, they exited in the first round of the playoffs, losing to the Rochester Lake Monsters (12-4). Rochester followed up with a loss to the Syracuse Mohawks (12-4), who rolled on. In IHOF Bowl VII, the Mohawks posted an amazing 99-yard drive to unseat the Frederick Red Menace (13-3) as league champions.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2011

Off Season
Looking at the last coule of seasons, the Merchantmen had clearly moved into some sort of .500 land team. That 2007 season had been nothing but a fluke. It hurt, but it was the most logical explanation. Or was it?

Randy Harris and Tommie Canon retired in the off-season. To fill those voids, the Merchantmen knocked on the door of the Boston Rhinos and acquired running back Courtney Osgood and cornerback Brian Spears. Later on, the Merchantmen would also add running back Quentin Hatchette from the Gothenburg Giants for Joseph Schoen, but Osgood won the starting job.

But more off-season moves were made. Flannery's mentor Thad Pilkington was traded to the North Plainfield Plague and former second round picks quarterback Josh Webb and wide receiver Jerry Beyer were roster cut day casualties. Their places were taken by free agent quarterback Richard Bell, rookie quarterback Harvey Nimmons and free agent receiver Drew McConnell.

Aside from Nimmons, the draft brought along guard J.J. Reilly and safety Eddie Cole, whom both started the year as backups, but due to injuries from others were regular starters by the end of the season.Cornerback Sammie Kennedy ended up being the true replacement of Tommie Canon opposite Tai Wayne.

Season
Despite having a career low 2493 yards passing, Louie Flannery actually looked like the player of the season. Flannery missed 3 games and a good chunck of another, which were all lost, twice resulting in a shutout. Flannery clearly cut down on interceptions (11) and finally grew into the role of team leader.

Once again, none of Flannery's receivers stood out, but Bryce Ewald (7 touchdowns) and Jewell Simpson (6 scores in 11 games) became important targets for him. Not to mention the reliable running game that Courtney Osgood (1301 yards) and Quentin Hatchette (607 yards) turned out to be. Both posted 4.6 yards per carry.

It came back in overall figures, as the team ranked 25 in passing yards and 11th in rushing yards, The team ranked only 20th overall in scoring, but that was more than ever result of having a strong defense. The Merchantmen allowed 15.0 points per game, which was 3rd in the league. It also showed in the yardage area with a 3rd place in passing and 10th place in rushing.

On that defense, Tai Wayne posted a monster season, with 24 defended passes and 1 interception versus 24 catches allowed. Sammie Kennedy missed a couple of games, but proved to be a good side kick with 13 defended passes in 12 games. The pass rush was back with Omar Gougeon (8.5 sacks), Wally Mattingly (6.5 sacks) and Charles Gomez (6.5 sacks).

Leaning on that strong defense, the Merchantmen started the season strong, winning their first four games. In the mid-season, Flannery missed some time, but the team bounced back, finishing with five straight wins for an 11-5 record and a third European divison title. The Paris Musketeers (8-8) and Gothenburg Giants (8-8) finished at a respectable distance.

based on that regular season, the Merchantmen thought they would be able to upset the Syracuse Mohawks (10-6) in the first round of the playoffs. The Mohawks turned out to be no match for the Merchantmen, yet they failed to convert their impressive ground game (203 yards rushing) into points. The Merchantmen lost 17-12, the Mohawks advanced.

The Syracuse Mohawks bounced back in the conference semifinals, beating the Georgia Gridlock (12-4), but saw their repeat dreams end when they lost at the Vicksburg Vipers (11-5) in the AOC Championship. The Frederick Red Menace (12-4) won their third NAC Championship in a row and got icing on their cake in the shape of IHOF Bowl VIII.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2012

Off Season
With that early playoff exit fresh in memory, the Merchantmen management decided it was time for a big move in the off-season. IHOF's most productive wide receiver Alfredo Bass was targeted. The Minnesota Miners appeared to be willing trade partners and Bass shipped across the Atlantic Ocean for a future first round pick.

Next, guard Butch White was swapped for Paris Musketeers' defensive end Lonnie Badalyan. A bunch of draft picks was then traded to the San Luis Obispo Burn for veteran tackle Christopher Perdomo. Fullback Jamel Rosenberry got traded to the Anaheim Visigoths, paving the way for third-year pro Quentin Malicki to break into the starting lineup.

Young quarterback Harvey Nimmons got traded to the Georgia Gridlock, to make room for rookie quarterback Kevin 'Coyote' Cote. Two other rookies would prove to be good additions for depth and future starting roles: defensive end Luther Hansen and outside linebacker Lee Burns. Third round pick Tracy Winslett became the new third down back.

Season
All other player moves aside, the addition of Alfredo Bass proved to be the key to the Merchantmen's 2012 season. The veteran broke all franchise receiving record, hauling in 92 catches for 1271 yards, 9 touchdowns and earning All IHOF second team honors. It also helped Louie Flannery to step up his play, finally giving him a deep threat receiver.

With opponents (unsuccesfully) focussing on Bass, the running game almost provided two 1000-yard backs. Courtney Osgood ran for 1037 yards, while Quentin Hatchette came half a game short at 960 yards. Overall, the running game ranked 11th in the league, while the passing game was only 20th overall. In scoring, the Merchantmen ranked 16th overall.

As per usual, the lack of a powerful offense was made up by a strong defense. The Merchantmen allowed 15.4 points per game, which was 2nd in the league. Even more impressive where the yardage rankings. With a 4th place in passing and 3rd place in rushing, the Merchantmen were top4 in the three major categories on defense.

Interestingly enough, no individual player really stood out on defense. Cody Cluff (112 tackles) played a decent role there, filling in for Charles Gomez (55 tackles, 4 sacks) who had clearly lost some of his speed and power. In the pass defense, Sammie Kennedy and Tai Wayne played well, but neither had spectacular numbers, nor did strong safety Lincoln Gilmore.

The results of games showed a strange trend. The Merchantmen kicked off with a five-game winning streak. The streak ended in week seven, when the Boston Rhinos used one big punt return to overcome being outgained by over 200 yards. The Merchantmen got into a slump and needed weeks to recover from that. The bounced back though, finishing the season 10-6 and securing a playoff spot in week 16.

Although having finished the second in the European division behind the Bordeaux Vineyards (10-6), the Merchantmen were expecting good things. At Bordeaux they proved to be the better team. They almost choked a 24-7 half time lead, and a fumble inside their own red zone almost cost them the game in the fourth quarter. Tai Wayne posted three defended passes in four plays and secured the win.

For the conference semi finals, the Merchantmen had to visit the Tucker Tigers (15-1). Although being underdogs, football fans were excited about this encouter between the top offense and top defense in the league. Sadly, it never was a game. As a flashback to the 2007 AOC Championship game, the Merchantmen posted two three-and-outs, a fumble and an interception in the first quarter. After just 18 minutes of play, the Tigers were leading 24-0. The Merchantmen added three more turnovers, en route to a 37-12 loss.

The Tucker Tigers got to host the Vicksburg Vipers (10-6) in the AOC Championship game and saw their quarterback Shaun Duncan throw the game away and end their dreams. The Vipers defended their conference title with success and followed up with a 27-23 victory over the Ann Arbor Anachronism (13-3) in IHOF Bowl IX.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2013

Off Season
The disappointing end to the previous season appeared to have ended an era in Maassluis. With most players getting into their thrities, a youth movement was looming. No less than nine players retired. Although most of them had been backups during the 2012 season, either on defense or on the offensive line.

Despite all the retirements, a record low number of two trades were completed in the Merchantmen front office, both simple picks for picks trades. The draft did produce a couple of late round players who turned out to be contributors in third down back Brenden Boone and right guard Johnnie Griffin.

Season
Despite a painful 35-7 loss at the hands of the Frederick Red Menace in week, the Merchantmen managed to play decent football troughout the majority of the season. With a tough stretch of games to go in the last five games, the Merchantmen were 7-4, trailing the Bordeaux Vineyards on tie-breakers.

Still, clearly the Merchantmen had fallen back to mediocrity. The defense allowed 20.8 points per game, ranking them 23rd overall. And it wasn't based on fluke performances, the Merchantmen ranked 29th against the run and 20th against the pass. The once so fearsome defense had totally vanished.

Alfredo Bass lead the offense with his usual form, racking up 84 catches for 1,087 yards and 9 scores. And in relief of oft injured Courtney Osgood, Quentin Hatchette posted 1,002 yards rushing. But neither managed to really make a difference. The Merchantmen finished the season 22nd in passing and 11th in running. Together it combined for 19.3 points per game, 15th in the league.

Being in the race turned out to be more wishful thinking than standing a true chance. With just one win in their last five games, the Merchantmen fell back to 8-8 and were actually eliminated from contention going into week 16.

The Bordeaux Vineyards (10-6) represented the European division well, beating the Boston Rhinos (10-6) and upsetting the Tucker Tigers (12-4) en route to the AOC Championship game. The turned out to be no match to the Rochester Lake Monsters (12-4), who won 37-13. The Lake Monsters finsihed off a brilliant turnaround season, beating the Chesapeake Chitterlings (13-3) 32-29 in IHOF Bowl X.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2014

Off Season
Guard Timothy Lacy was the most promintent player quitting from the game. He was joined by wide receiver Jewell Simpson. who never lived up to the hype of being acquired for a first round pick. Despite that, the Merchantmen decided to revisit that kind of gamble. Linebacker Rernando Reese came over from the Knoxville Rebels, the new name of Simpson's last franchise.

But more new players were acquired. The Merchantmen were holding the #16 overall pick, but decided to send it to the Fort Worth Fury. Coming across the ocean were tackle Albert Brookshire and safety Kennedy Gillespie, who was expected to become the replacement for Lincoln Gilmore in the secondary. Gilmore had suffered a terrible knee injury in 2013 and was going to spend the 2014 season on injured reserve.

With Brookshire being relatively old, the Merchantmen also acquired left tackle Quinn England from the Syracuse Mohawks. England was looking like the perfect succesor to Ivan Jacques. The Merchantmen swapped their second round pick for a third round pick to get England.

On draft day, the Merchantmen acquired three players who looked like long-term players. Quarterback Everett South had been projected as a first round talent, but fell to 55 overall, where the Merchantmen picked him. Thirteen picks later, the Merchantmen traded up to acquire return specialist Cary Flowers. Their third rookie was tight end Darryl McDaniel.

Three players who didn't survive the roster cuts were Omar Gougeon, Devin Henson and Myron Stevens. Gougeon had been a succesful pass rusher, Henson the team's top kickoff returner and Myron Stevens was usually a nickelback. Neither was a true key player, but they were both prototypical Merchantmen players.

Season
The 2014 regular season turned out to be like a rollercoaster ride. The Merchantmen managed to sweep their two French divisional rivals, but found themselves unable to beat the Gothenburg Giants. The Giants were surprisingly good, turning their offense over to quarterback Ben Randolph after Charles Vance had gone down injured.

Alfredo Bass had once again been the key target for Flannery. Bass missed three games, but still managed to rack up 1,229 yards and 9 scores on 82 catches. Courtney Osgood helped to keep the chains moving. Osgood averaged 5.61 yards per carry and scored 8 times on the ground.

The team eventually ranked 18th in scoring, 19th in rushing and 20th in passing. Not very stellar, but good enough for Louie Flannery to post a career year. Flannery completed over 68 percent of his passes and added career highs in touchdown (26) and passer rating (96.9), while recording only 10 interceptions in 519 pass attempts.

At times the old Merchantmen defense seemed to be back. Allowing 19.8 points per game, they ranked tied for sixth. It didn't really translate into the yardage categories, as the defense ranked 22nd against he pass and 19th against the run.

Cody Cluff ended up leading the league in tackles. Cluff posted a career high 127 tackles and saw his new partner Fernando Reese add 109 tackles. But with a struggling secondary, Cluff and Reese were merely doing the work other players seemed uanble to do.

When everything was said and done, the Merchantmen had been playing .500 ball. A lucky three game winning streak at the end of the season helped them to a 9-7 record, but they missed out on the last wild card due to head to head losses to both other 9-7 teams in the AOC. The Gothenburg Giants (12-4) had been a surprise team, winning the European division.

Following a bye week the Giants beat the Georgia Gridlock (10-6) to set up for an AOC Championship game against the Boston Rhinos (16-0). The Rhinos kept winning, beating the Giants 41-28. Even the Chesapake Chitterlings (14-2) and their 55 touchdowns throwing Ron lyle couldn't stop them. The Rhinos won IHOF Bowl XI, meaning every franchise in their division had won at least one league championship.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2015

Off Season
The off-season started with the news of the retirement of two super stars. Defensive tackle Charles Gomez and wide receiver Alfredo Bass both decided to step away from football as a player. They were joined by running back Courtney Osgood, who's decission came as a bit of a surprise.

Without looking back, the search for a new running back started. Quentin Hatchette was still around and coming off an 800-yard season, but the management was pressing to add three new backs. Alonzo Summers joined in a trade from the Chesapeake Chitterlings, Tommy Wheeler was taken in the fourth round and Morris Allen joined as a rookie free agent.

The top free agent signing of the season was Charles Carreno. The recently crowned IHOF champions was hired on a $7 million dollar deal as a one-year substitute Gomez. Wide receivers Dean Fulton and Vince McAlister joined to fill the shoes of Bass. McAlister came in a trade from the Boulder Blizzard, whereas Fulton was a roster cut day casualty in Gothenburg.

Season
Although failing to match his career year, Louie Flannery was pleased with his new receivers. Especially McAlister turned out to be a great fit, racking up 77 catches for 1,116 yards and 8 scores. At times it even seemed the offense actually carried the team. Offensively the team finished 14th in scoring, 12th in passing and 23rd in running.

On the other end, the defense was totally falling apart. The Merchantmen ranked 31st against the pass. Granted, supported by a 6th ranked running game, the Merchantmen forced teams to pass, but they seemed unable to withstand. They ended 19th overall in points allowed.

Cody Cluff finshed the season once again leading the league with 124 tackles. This time around he earned All IHOF first teams honors for it. At the same time, it shows how bad things really had been. Cluff had to do too much all over the field to play even decent defense.

Despite an 0-2 start of the season, the Merchantmen bounced back. Following a five-game winning streak, they found themselves leading the European division. In an epic game against the Gothenburg Giants, the Merchantmen choked a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter and not only lost the game in overtime but pretty much lost the entire season.

Several games were lost afterhaving taken an early two-score lead and all of a sudden the Merchantmen found themselves needing to win their last two games to save the season. Week 17 turned out to be a head to head battle with the Giants for the European division title. In style they choked another early 14-0 and lost the game on a touchdown with 3 minutes left.

That week 17 results meant the Gothenburg Giants (8-8) defended their European title succesfully. The Giants even managed to win their first game in the playoffs agianst the North Plainfield Plague (9-7), but found their Waterloo at the Fort Worth Fury (13-3). In their first playoff visit ever, the Fury followed up with a convincing 31-19 win at the Rochester Lake Monsters (13-3).

In IHOF Bowl XII, the Chesapeake Chitterlings (10-6) were the Fury's opponents. Hoping to end their streak of IHOF Bowl losses, the Chitterlings marched into a 24-7 lead. In a crazy fourthquarter, the Fury turned the score around to 28-24 and crownded themselves league champions.

[MIJB#19]

Wew, that wraps up the past seasons. Just in time for draft day 2016...

[Joe]

champions!

[MIJB#19]

Summary of results so far
Below is a quick table of how the Merchantmen have been doing so far:
<table border='1'><tr><td>year<td>rk<td>record, playoffs
<tr><td>2004<td>4th<td>1-15
<tr><td>2005<td>3rd<td>7-9
<tr><td>2006<td>3rd<td>8-8
<tr><td>2007<td>1st<td>13-3, lost in AOC Championship
<tr><td>2008<td>1st<td>9-7,lost in wild card round
<tr><td>2009<td>3rd<td>8-8
<tr><td>2010<td>3rd<td>6-10
<tr><td>2011<td>1st<td>11-5, lost in wild card round
<tr><td>2012<td>2nd<td>10-6, lost in divisional round
<tr><td>2013<td>2nd<td>8-8
<tr><td>2014<td>2nd<td>9-7
<tr><td>2015<td>2nd<td>8-8</table>

Other notable comments going into the 2016 season:
* The Merchantmen were the second franchise (after the North Plainfield Plague) to have recorded a win against every other franchise. To date four franchises have completed the 'league sweep'.
* The Merchantmen rank 14th all-time in regular season wins, with a 98-94 record. The Merchantmen have three division titles, 4 playoff appearances and a 2-4 record in playoff games, without any IHOF Bowl appearances. 14 different teams have played in IHOF Bowls, the Chesapeake Chitterlings have the most (4 visits), but are also the only franchise with multiple visits and without a IHOF Bowl win.
* Louie Flannery has established himself as a solid quarterback in career stats. He ranks 4th in completions, 5th in attempts, 7th in yardage and 8th in touchdowns. Flannery also ranks 7th in most wins, having a respectable 90-68 record.
* Alfredo Bass ranks a 1st on the career receptions list. Bass caught 865 passes in his career, 158 more than the number two, David Marquis. Bass still ranks 1st in receiving yardage, but is likely to be surpassed by Chesapeake Chitterlings' Jefrey Banta, who is only 196 yards behind. Bass ranks 2nd in receiving touchdowns, 3 behind IHOF's first ever amateur draft pick Tyrus Shaye.
* Cody Cluff is the all-time career leader in tackles. His closest competition retired in the 2016 off-season, the closest active player is Ben 'Furby' Tompkins. Furby is 164 tackles behind Cluff's current figure of 1,246 tackles. Cluff ranks 3rd in assists, but the top two players have both retired, meaning he needs 15 assists to tie the career lead.
* Charles Gomez ranks 6th all-time in sacks. Right in front of him are Harold Wells (4th) and Deon Chapa (5th), whom both, like Gomez, are retired from football.
* Cary Coles ranks 4th in most field goals scored. The top two kickers appear to be out of reach, but 3rd ranked Bill Vickers is only 6 field goals ahead. Coles also ranks 4th all-time in points scored.
* Tai Wayne ranks tied for 9th place in passes defended.

[MIJB#19]

Another year, another streak of retirements

At the brink of the new season, IHOF general managers anxiously await for players to fill their retirement papers. The Maassluis Merchantmen were hit hard. Although not entirely unexpected from most of them, six players cleared out their lockers for the last time: Charles Carreno, Ivan Jacques, Mike Kershner, Jim Reiser, Darren Walsh and Tai Wayne.

The biggest surprise of the list was probably Tai Wayne. The 32-year old cornerback was about to enter his eleventh season. Wayne wasn't much of a ballhawker, but was instead known for being able to make opposing receivers look invisible. He was a key starter ever since he got drafted 12th overall in the 2005 draft. Wayne enmassed 147 regular season games, in which he posted 135 defended passes and 12 interceptions. His best season was 2011, when he defended 24 passes and made 1 interception, while allowing 24 receptions.

Left tackle 'Indestructable' Ivan Jacques didn't play his entire career in Maassluis. Jacques was a starter with the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums in 2004 and 2005. After spending a year on the bench, Jacques wanted out and ended up in Maassluis. Jacques was a tremendous blocker for Louie Flannery, allowing only 23 sacks in 110 regular season games. Until last season he was a regular starter. Merchantmen G.M. M.IJ.B. said: "Such a great player. Looking back, I wish we had started Jacques at guard last season when Griffin was out. Maybe it could have changed his mind to stick around for one more season."

Tight end Jim Reiser spent his entire IHOF career in Maassluis. After a season and a half on the bench behind All-IHOF first teamer Jerry Aubrey, Reiser broke through in 2006. Reiser posted a career high 79 receptions and established himself as Louie Flannery's favorite target. Reiser remained the top tight end for about six seasons, until the better blocker Arnold Ramirez took over. Reiser still saw a lot of action until last season. He clearly wasn't happy being deep down on the depth chart and decided to quit, rather than find a new team.

Mike 'Mickey' Kershner called it quits after 12 seasons with the Merchantmen. The 34-year old linebacker hadn't played much the last couple of seasons. Over the years, Kershner was usually the rotation backup. With injuries to starters, Kershner managed to get a good number of starts. After a strong 2009 campaign he seemed to finally have become a starter, but a severe knee injury sidelined him for most of the 2010 season and he never was the all round stud he used to be. Kershner was popular with the fans and will be missed on and off the field.

Defensive end Darren Walsh played two seasons in Maassluis. He posted 7.5 sacks, 4 blocked passes and 31 hurries in 30 games for the Merchantmen. Defensive tackle Charles Carreno only spent the 2015 season in Maassluis. Carreno had a 'Gomez-like' season, posting 4.0 sacks, 20 hurries and 58 tackles. Both had a championship ring when then arrived in Maassluis. Walsh was an IHOF champion in 2008 with the Fairbanks NorthStars. Carreno was part of he undefeated Boston Rhinos in 2014.


Elsewhere around the league, 18 other players with Merchantmen roots called it quits. The full list, before going into detail on the most notbale ones: wide receivers Willie Bennett and Jerry Beyer, running back Brenden Boone, defensive tackle John Bryant, offensive tackle Tommie Burns, defensive ends Britt Bycroft and Deon Chapa, quarterback Kevin Cote, defensive end Cecil Doney, safety Lincoln Gilmore, offensive lineman Norman Holliday, wide receivers Richard Kiesling and Raul Marshall, safeties Rob Praw and Randall Smith, cornerbacks Myron Stevens and Gus Stoffers, and fullback Aldo Stubbs.

Strong safety Lincoln Gilmore stands out from the off-roster retirements. 'The Comeback Kid' played 142 games in IHOF, all with the Merchantmen. Gilmore was the third member of the defensive backbone, behind Charles Gomez and Cody Cluff. Gilmore was a tremendous run stopper, but also a key player in the Merchantmen two-deep zone defense. Late in the 2013 season he suffered a very serious knee injury. Gilmore spent the 2014 on injured reserve and was released in the 2015 off-season, no longer being able to play football at IHOF level. Gilmore is the all-time Merchantmen leader in interceptions and number three in tackles behind Cluff and Gomez.

Cornerback Myron Stevens wasn't a very gifted player. He went undrafted in 2006, but apparently did have the right skills to play in the Merchantmen two-deep zone defense. Stevens was a nickelback and occasional starter between from 2006 through 2012. Stevens was a popular figure in the locker room and even established himself as a mentor figure later on. After having spent most of the 2012 season on the inactive roster, Stevens was released in the 2013 off-season. The Merchantmen tried to bring back Stevens during the 2015 season as a safety for the last couple of games, but they failed to fill the required papers and after two years out of football, Stevens decided to retire.

Defensive end Deon Chapa had his best days outside of Maassluis. Chapa was the Merchantmen's fourth round pick in the 2004 league draft. After a so-so 2005 campaign, in whichChapa looked fragile and unable to rush the passer, the Merchantmen decided to trade him, also to get rid of his exorbitant salary requests. Chapa kept struggling with his health, but still managed to enmass 74.0 sacks in 143 games, ranking him fifth, just between his 2004 and 2005 teammates Harold Wells and Charles Gomez.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen bring back OC, hire new DC and lead scout

The Maassluis Merchantmen brought back offensive coordinator J.T. Pulliam. After five seasons in the coaching staff, Pulliam was out of contract. The Merchantmen management is happy with what he has done so far and decided to give him a new 5-year contract. Pulliam was hired in the 2011 off-season as an unproven OC and has been a crucial in the development of many young offensive players.

Benjamin Nixon was hired as the new defensive coordinator. He left the Albuquerque Wrong Turns after nine seasons and signed a 5-year contract in Maassluis. General manager M.IJ.B. was happy about the signing: "Nixon has a good reputation as a player developer. We were very happy with Omar Carden, but his salary was getting too expensive and Nixon appeared more than happy to sign for a much lower fee." Omar Carden signed with the Fort Worth Fury, the IHOF defending champions.

Another new face in the staff is Gus Downs. The 53-year old is the new lead scout for the Merchantmen. Downs has a very good reputation in scouting receivers and offensive linemen. He also hes an excellent reputation with secondary players, which could be very useful given the need for new cornerbacks. Downs signed a 5-year contract.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen very active on free agent market

The 2016 off-season has started well for the Maassluis Merchantmen. No less than eleven players have been acquired as new signings, while five players decided to return to Maassluis. Two players from last season's roster were hired away. A short intro to all the new players.

Running back Chad Hayes was the first new signing. Hayes signed a three-year contract to add depth to the backfield. Hayes never started a game in IHOF, but was the premier backup for the Miami Sharks last season. Hayes has a great reputation as a short yardage back.

Defensive tackle Robert Duong received the biggest contract. Duong signed a one-year contract worth $6.5 million. It marks Duong's return to Maassluis. He was initially the Merchantmen's third round pick in the 2004 league draft, but got traded to the Fairbanks NorthStars before playing a regular season game. Duong is known as an excellent run stuffer, who can also support the pass rush.

Left tackle Drew Foreman joins a crowded offensive line. Foreman is entering his eleventh season in IHOF and has been a starter throughout his career. Foreman was a sixth round draft pick in the 2006 amateur draft for the RayCo Raiders. He hung around for nine seasons, but was released last season on roster cut day and then signed with the Rochester lake Monsters.

Strong safety Earl Wayne finally joins the Merchantmen. In the past he was part of trade talks when he still played with the Georgia Gridlock. Wayne started in every game for the Oakland Black Panthers in 2014 and for the Tucker Tigers last season. Wayne was an All-IHOF first teamer in 2014, as he posted 9 interceptions.

Guard Damon Hoover signed a two-year contract. After seven seasons with the North Plainfield Plague, Hoover became expendable. He hopped around from the Telluride Outlaws through the Oakland Black Panthers to end up with the Outer Banks Ospreys last season. Hoover played in only one game last season, but has a good reputation as a pass blocker and should fit in with the Merchantmen in a backup role.

The six other free agent signings were kicker J.T. Linquist, left tackle Terry Hoover, cornerbacks Dana Bueter and Douglas Oakley, defensive end Tim Forsey and quarterback Harvey Nimmons. Nimmons played his rookie season (2011) in Maassluis. All six have been signed with the potential to make the 53-men roster, but none of them are a lock to evn make the 60-men pre-season roster yet.

The five players who extended their stay with the Merchantmen are wide receiver Bryce Ewald, offensive linemen Rondell Fulcher and Cornelius Rice, safety K.C. Cross and linebacker Matt Sellers. Cornerback Ross Greene went to the Telluride Outlaws. Wide receiver Dean Fulton signed with the Tucker Tigers.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen sell house to get WR Gabe Springer

The Maassluis Merchantmen had a first round pick for the first time in seven years. And once again they traded it away, but this time to trade up, not out. The Merchantmen packed the #17 overall pick with their 2017 first round selection to acquire the #8 overall pick. Arrived there, they decided to select wide receiver Gabe Springer.

An interesting decission, given that Springer wasn't a highly rated rookie. After missing the rookie workout, undersized Springer was tagged with a second round grade (5.2). The 23-year old Ohio wide receiver was generally regarded the fourth best wide receiver in this draft. The top three all went in the first six picks. The Merchantmen management panicked, not expecting Springer to fall to them at #17 overall.

"A risky move, but that's life in IHOF," said Merchantmen G.M. M.IJ.B. "Going into the draft, wide receiver was one of the positions we were expecting to look at. After Dean Fulton decided to go to the Tucker Tigers instead of staying around, I felt the need to address that void as soon as possible. We scouted Springer extensively and think he'll be a a very good receiver, well worth a top ten pick."

The move leaves the Merchantmen a bit shy of draft picks in future drafts. Earlier this off-season they traded their 2017 third and 2018 second round picks to acquire low second and third rounders in this draft. The Merchantmen are still holding the 2.22, 2.30, 3.15, 3.29, 4.07, 4.19 and 5.13 picks. Everybody expects them to package it all to move up in the draft or for future picks. But it's unsure whether they'll manage that in what appears to be a relative weak draft...

[NoSkillz]

Merchantmen very active on free agent market

Defensive tackle Robert Duong received the biggest contract. Duong signed a one-year contract worth $6.5 million. It marks Duong's return to Maassluis. He was initially the Merchantmen's third round pick in the 2004 league draft, but got traded to the Fairbanks NorthStars before playing a regular season game. Duong is known as an excellent run stuffer, who can also support the pass rush.

Best of luck with Duong. I had an embarrassment of riches at that position with him, "Irrelevant" Boyer and Sanders all available at tackle. I made an offer to keep him but his production dropped off quite a bit last year with sporadic playing time, as I played Sanders at end often to get all three on the field.

I hope he works out for you! Cheers!

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen pick two defensive linemen

With their second and third picks in the 2016 amateur draft, the Maassluis Merchantmen took two defensive linemen. First they sent the #54 overall pick to the Rochester Lake Monsters for a future second round pick and the #126 overall pick. Next, Keith Mathews and Roman Waldroup heard their names called and linked with the Merchantmen.

Keith Mathews out of Colorado turned 24 last March. The defensive tackle had a decent rookie combine, scoring well on his agility test and clocking a roughly average 40-yard dash time. Mathews is said to be a primairy run stuffer with some pass rush technique potential. The Merchantmen picked him 62nd overall in the draft.

North Carolina State graduate Roman Waldroup was picked #79 overall. The 23-year old defensive end showed his speed in the rookie workout. Waldroup timed the second best agility score and fourth best 40-yard time for defensive ends. The Merchantmen scouting staff believe Waldroup will prove to be a decent pass rusher and run stuffer.

Subsequently, Roman Waldroup became the first player ever taken by the Merchantmen with a draft pick not (re-)acquired through a trade. For whatever that's worth...

[MIJB#19]

Best of luck with Duong. I had an embarrassment of riches at that position with him, "Irrelevant" Boyer and Sanders all available at tackle. I made an offer to keep him but his production dropped off quite a bit last year with sporadic playing time, as I played Sanders at end often to get all three on the field.

I hope he works out for you! Cheers!Thanks. I'm expecting him to be just a one-year plug, if he doesn't show up out of shape after training camp. Duong had a good career in Fairbanks and I thought it would be funny to bring him back for a year at his original team. (Yeah, Kodos, I opted to try and hire Amos Collins too ;)).

[Kodos]

Nice to see this back in action. I missed out on Collins as well. :(

[MIJB#19]

Tight End Watson drafted by Merchantmen

The Maassluis Merchantmen finished off a traditional trading spree with a fourth draft day selection. Tight end Glenn Watson out of Michigan was taken 126th overall. Watson is expected to be a good run blocker and a shouldn't be a decent option on passing downs.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen complete their draft with Foley

The Maassluis Merchantmen used their seventh round pick on cornerback Glen Foley. The Miami, Florida graduate had a lowsy combine and might go anywhere from being a full time starter to a roster cuts casualty at the start of pre-season.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen trade backs with Lake Monsters

Good and bad news out of Maassluis. The Maassluis Merchantmen decided to trade away running back Alonzo Summers to the Rochester Lake Monsters. Coming back are a third and fourth round pick in future drafs, as well as another running back in Perry Clinton.

Summers was acquired last off-season from the Chesapeake Chitterlings. Summers played in 15 games, mainly as a change of pace back behind rookie Tommy Wheeler. Summers played admirably well though, posting career bests with 709 yards rushing, averaging 4.20 per carry and 8 touchdowns. Summers tied the Merchantmen single-season record with that last figure.

Perry Clinton is coming over from Rochester. Clinton was a fourth round draft pick for the Lake Monsters in 2011. Clinton is coming off a career year of his own, collecting 869 yards on the ground, with 8 touchdowns and a 4.08 per carry average. Clinton was dubbed 'Crapheap' following a fumbles laden season. He fought back last season, posting only 2 turnovers on 226 ball touches, while forcing another fumble on special teams.

[MIJB#19]

Vince McAlister demands a pay day

Maassluis Merchantmen player Vince McAlister today annouced to go into hold out mode. The fifth year wide receiver had a breakout season and wants a better contract. McAlister was scheduled to make the veteran minumum for the upcoming 2016 season.

Maassluis Merchantmen General Manager M.IJ.B. was surprisingly mild about the decission: "Vince made a good point. We've been negelcting to offer him a better contract so far. He had a great season and we're happy with him. The drafting of Gabe Springer is in no way a reflection on Vince's performance. We failed to persuade Dean Fulton to stay and needed a second receiver to play together with Vince."

Reports are McAlister seeks a five-year contract, worth about $12.5 million. The Merchantmen management has hinted to be open to pay McAlister what he's asking for. McAlister made 77 receptions last season, enmassing 1,116 yards and 8 touchdowns. Those numbers respectively rank him fifth, third and fourth all-time in single-season franchise records.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: Training Camp looms!
And it won't be pretty.

Yes, readers, the dynasty is back again. A couple of seasons went by almost unmentioned, but it was time for change. This team is too much fun to run and we haven't been all bad in those seasons. Granted, no playoffs, but we haven't exactly fallen off the face of the earth either. We're 98-94 all-time in regular season games, which is .500ish, but not so bad considering the 1-15 start and being in historically the stronger Atoantic Ocean Conference. Yes, the division is historically kind of weak, but the Bordeaux, Gothenburg and Maassluis all three are part of group of 17 winning franchises, plus all three made it to the AOC Championship game at some point.

Anyway, training camp is around the corner. We've currently got 61 players on roster, which is one over the pre-season limit. If you know me a bit, you'll be expecting 70 bodies going into training camp and I think you'd be right. I mean, right now I don't execpt us to make it all the way to 70, but I do expect to go out and try to hire a handful of undrafted rookie free agents. Maybe a pre-draft restricted free agent here or there?

The big picture of the 2016 season is pretty clear though. I don't have any expectations set yet, but our line ups are more or less set already. We'll see some roster spot battles here or there, but a lot of positions are settled. I'll run down the roster position by position.

Quarterbacks
Louie Flannery will be our starter once again. Everett South has made some progress over the first two years of his career but is far from ready to take over. Our new scout is less optimistic about South's abilities, so we'll see what it's worth. In principle we didn't hire him to tell us how good South is, he got here to help upgrade the secondary and find a good wide receiver in the draft. It's up to Harvey Nimmons in camp and pre-season to prove us wrong about his earlier departure and show he's better than South. Or at least to be there as an emergency option in case something bad happens to one of the top two guys. Justin McDavid will, of course, make our roster.

Running Backs
Ah, yes, the coin flipping and dice rolling group. A grand total of five guys are on our roster and will be fighting it out for up to four roster spots. Quentin Hatchette is the most grizzled of the bunch, although he was disappointing in the first half of last season. With 6 fumbles in 7 games, he's by no means sure of his roster spot. Tommy Wheeler was our starter for most of last season. I was pleased with his performance and he's definately going to have a role on our team. Chad Hayes is the new guy in town and has the potential to be a great third down back. He might have the skills to carry the load, although he's lacking the stamina to carry more than 15 times. Morris Allen is the underdog to make the roster, but he proved to be an okay short yardage back last season. Perry Clinton will join us soon and is actually coming of a 800-yards season as a #2. He's definatley going to have a shot to make our roster.

Fullbacks
Not much new here. Quentin Malicki is a pure run blocker and we'll expect him to play that role again this season. We sent secone-year pro Dwayne Williams to the Summer League to gain some experience, but so far I've been unimpressed by his improvement.

Tight Ends
Arnold Ramirez is still around and that's a good thing. With Jim Reiser finally calling it quits, we'll be needing Ramirez as a blocker and as a receiver. Of course, I'm hoping that either third-year pro Darryl McDaniel or rookie Glenn Watson makes a strong impression in training camp and pre-season to provide us some depth here. Good thing we can always rely on Winston Van Pelt who's not just your average long snapper, he's an elite guy at it and is good enough to play on offense too.

Wide Receivers
A position group where things are pretty clear already. Vince McAlister is coming off a career year and definatrly will be back as as starter. The question is who will be playing on the other flank. Rookie Gabe Springer cost us a lot to get, so unless he decides to play baseball, he'll be the man. If needed, Drew McConnell could step in, like he's been dong quite a lot in the past five seasons. Not to forget third downs specialist Bryce Ewald, who's been around since forever. Cary Flowers should expect to be making much catches, we'll be relying on him as a return specialists, especially on punts.

Interior Linemen
Yeah, I went there. I decided to group the centers and guards together as we have five of them on roster. Right now it's undecided who will be the middle man. Brant Heinrich has been around since the 2005 season, but Rondell Fulcher is actually the more technically gifted blocker. Around the center, it'll be J.J. Reilly on the left and Johnnie Griffin on the right. Both have proven to be good enough by now, although I am a bit worried about Griffin coming off a serious ACL knee injury. Veteran Damon Hoover was hired to back them up as a pass blocking expert.

Offensive Tackles
A crowded bunch right now. Andre Brookshire is the most gifted of them and will likely start another year on the right side. Quinn England was out left tackle last season, yet he's been not as reliable in the pass protection as we hoped he'd be. Drew Foreman allowed only one sack in 16 starts with the Lake Monsters and might even get the start over England. Cornelius Rice has been a problem last season, but burried deep down on the depth chart, we hope to not need him. Which will kind of depend on how much progress the still very green left tackle Terry Hoover will make.

Defensive Ends
A mix of old and new here. Wally Mattingly and Luther Hansen were last year's starters. Both should be expected to play a lot again in 2016. With Hansen not having much stamina, there is much need for a reliable third guy in the rotation. Fourth-year pro Lester Henson has yet to live up to expectations, but he'll have a shot. Free agent hiring Tim Forsey is still very green and has been hired mostly based on potential. Rookie Roman Waldroup, is currently the expected third guy in rotation. I wouldn't be shocked if he turns out to be close to, or even a better run blocker and rusher than Forsey and Henson. We might even make him a day one starter.

Defensive Tackles
Another mixed group, but with more good candidates. Andrew Rasmussen has started for us the last four seasons and deserves some credit. Robert Duong is the free agent signing and gets a chance to end his career as a starter, after having been a backup in Fairbanks last season. Keith Mathews as a second round pick shouldn't be dismissed yet, if he looks good in camp, he will see a lot of playing time. Which will come at the expense of Melvin Galloway, who was our #4 guy last season and was taken only four picks later than Mathews in a draft three years earlier. Leaves Andy Weliczka unmentioned. Weliczka spent the entire 2015 on the inactive roster, but it's not unlikely he'll stick around for another full season.

Linebackers
Grouped together. We have six guys signed and that's likely our full group for 2016. We lost Mike Kershner and didn't hire anybody new. Cody Cluff will likely be our "Mike", unless father time made a visit this off-season. Fernando Reese is one of the best "Sams" in the league, while pass defender Bernie Surry and pass rusher Lee Burns will alternate as "Will". Terrance White is the premier backup in the middle, while Matt Sellers is likely to make the roster as the sixth linebacker.

Cornerbacks
No more Tai Wayne, which will definately hurt an already bad pass defense. Sammie Kennedy can play the top cornerback role, although I'm not sure we really want that. He's much better off as a #2 guy or as a nickelback. Jeffrey Karsten was a free agent signing last season, but didn't live up to expectations. A newer free agent, Dana Bueter is a man-to-man expert and is a candidate to start. As is last season's nickelback Warren Pennell. We hired Douglas Oakley primarily to mentor a potential rookie. We got one in Glen Foley, who as a seventh round pick shouldn't be expected much from. In potential he reminds me of Tai Wayne, but those are big shoes to fill.

Safeties
A place with depth. Eddie Cole has slowly become our strong safety, a zone defender and stellar run stopper. Kennedy Gillespie should be the second starter, although we might play him in a nickelback role now or then. Since we signed Earl Wayne as a free agent, we actually have great depth at this position. Wayne as a All-IHOF selection in 2014 deserves some credit to even be considered as a starter. That doesn't mean Broderick Schultz is done, as he will likely stick around as the #4 guy. It's K.C. Cross who should worry about roster cut day as he's currently listed as our fifth safety.

Kickers and Punters
Sean Smalley will be our punter once again, no question there. Where I do have some decission to make is at kicker. We've currently got three guys on roster going into training camp. Al Bettis is the kickoff expert, maybe even the best in IHOF. Leaves the field goals and extra points duties. Cary Coles has been around since day one of the team, but has gone downhill the last years. His percentage is still okay, but his leg isn't strong enough to hit the big ones, forcing us to lower the field goal range in games. Sadly, J.T. Linquist isn't much stronger in the leg, but our scout thinks Linquist is much more accurate. It'll be his second training camp in Maassluis after 2012 and this time around, he's probably the favorite to make the roster.

All in all, the retirements hit hard the last two seasons. Alfredo Bass has been replaced by Vince McAlister and now Gabe Springer as well. Charles Gomez was initially replaced by Rasmussen in the middle, but after Charles Carreno's good one-year stint, we opted to do it again with Robert Duong. Ivan Jacques was riding the bench last season already, but Quinn England hasn't proven to be the true inheritant yet. Tai Wayne could even be the toughest break, as right now I have no clue yet who will be our starting cornerback(s).

Bottom line, it'll be an interesting training camp and pre-season. Can't wait for it to start!

[MIJB#19]

Lester Henson traded to Miami Sharks

The spree continues. Today the Maassluis Merchantmen saw the completion of another trade. Defensive end Lester Henson was swapped with a fifth round pick from the Miami Sharks. In three years with the Merchantmen, Henson never lived up to expectations and spent most of his time inactive. Henson played in 11 regular season games, starting twice and making 2.0 sacks in those games.

[MIJB#19]

McAlister and Springer sign five-year deals

Happy faces at the press conference. The Maassluis Merchantmen today presented their receiving duo for the next five years to the media. Vince McAlister ended his hold out after signing a contract worth roughly $12.5 million. Rookie Gabe Springer posed in his 86 jersey after signing a contract worth about $22 million.

The Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. was smiling ear to ear: "Yes, I'm happy. Today we signed two talented wide receivers who could be come the best duo in franchise history." Over the years the team struggled to have productive receivers. The arrival of Alfredo Bass changed that four years ago and now the team seems to want a new tradition. Contrary to the old run first, pass later philosophy.

Additionally, the Merchantmen agreed terms with all four of their other rookies. Cornerback Glen Foley, defensive linemen Keith Mathews and Roman Waldroup, and tight end Glenn Watson all signed a three-year contract. On top of that, the Merchantmen signed free agent cornerback Teddy Rackers, whom as a rookie spent the 2013 training camp in Maassluis.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen sign rookies Mallon and Sanderson

The Maassluis Merchantmen hired two new players. Running back Byron Mallon and safety Ray Sanderson each signed a one-year contract. Both rookies were not selected in the recent draft. The scouting staff mentioned that Mallon is a talented return specialists. Sanderson was praised for his man-to-man defense experience and will be moved to cornerback. With these signings, the Merchantmen increased their roster to 63 players, which is expected to be their final training camp number. Barring trades of course.

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes

Nothing major, just a re-post of my writing in a thread at the IHOF Forum. It's an early look at all rookies on the Merchantmen roster at the training camp stage.

1.08 WR Gabe Springer - scouted as very underrated - very likely a starter from day one
update: scouted at 35/59 - that's pretty high for a player said to be 31% developed and makes him alreadythe highest rated WR on roster. :lol:
update2: now rated 42/64 - still pretty green in some areas, but the kid has the getting downfield and big play combo, plus has the route running and drops avoiding potential to be a Super Duper receiver.

2.30 DT Keith Mathews - scouted as very underrated - can go anywhere from being a starter and being inactive all season
update: scouted at 25/48 - being 55% developed, I kind of doubt he'll reach that full potential, especially the potential as a run stopper.
update2: now rated 30/44 - mixed feelings with that, but with all the other DTs having ran into walls this off-season, Mathews has a good chance of being an opening day starter.

3.15 DE Roman Waldroup - scouted as very underrated - will likely make the roster as an active member
update: scouted at 19/43 - greener than hoped he'd be, meaning his chances to make the roster went down a little bit
update2: now rated 25/43 - still very green, but I've got hopes that he'll be an okay end. Being a decent (for Merchantmen standards) run stopping DE, this kid has a shot at being a more than just a rotation guy.

4.30 TE Glenn Watson - unscouted - might not survive roster cuts, but could also end up being our 2016 starter
update: scouted at 30/47 - said to be better than our 3rd year youngster who was supposed to see an increased role the upcoming season. If it holds up, he'll be one of our two oft playing tight ends.
update2: now rated 32/44 - his run blocking isn't as good as hoped. In fact, Watson is looking like a 53-men roster cuts casuality right now, barring a rash of injuries in the pre-season.

7.25 CB Glen Foley - unscouted - can go anywhere from post-camp roster cut down casualty to a starter this season
update: scouted at 26/47 - I still don't buy it, but if this is for real, I think I got something that someday might look like a decent cornerback, especially since I'm not buying the kid's scouted ability in BnR defense.
update2: now rated 29/43 - has potential in all coverages and has a nose for interceptions. But the competition at CB is heavy. Still up in the air between being a 53-men casualty and an active roster project player.


Undrafted rookies:
CB Ray Sanderson - 24/42 - took a hit in potential in training camp, but his M2M and zone combo could still be enough to even make the regular season roster.

RB Byron Mallon - 26/32 - punt returner with good hole recognition and a total lack of route running, just the type of RBs I like. Pretty much locked up a regular season roster spot already.

FB Skip Franklin - 25/41 - last-minute hiring, but actually looks like he'll be better than our 2nd year Summer League visiting Sparkplug Williams. Verdict isn't out yet, but Franklin is alive for a roster spot.

G Greg Steadman - 16/30 - another training camp walk-on. can't run block, but has very good pass blocking potential. Not sure about him yet, but might have a shot at the 10th OL roster spot.

DE Alvin Stone - 10/23 - spent a training camp with us, that cashed him a $10K signing bonus for finding out he's not IHOF worthy.

MLB Ricky Schroeder - 18/34 - another last-minute hiring. Interesting run blocking potential, but with no value in the passing game, unlikely to make the team.

CB Steven Kolb - 18/24 - Hi and bye!

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen sign six free agents

Just in time for training camp, the Maassluis Merchantmen signed six new players. They are fullbacks Skip Fulton and Ernest Nixon, guard Greg Steadman, defensive end Alvin Stone, middle linebacker Ricky Schroeder and cornerback Steven Kolb. Nixon is a veteran with mentor skills, the five others are all undrafted rookies.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Training Camp Report 2016

Training Camp is over, it's time to evaluate the roster. I'll run down the roster position group by position group. Players are ordered in their currently projected order in depth chart hierarchy. For all players I've posted their overall figures (rounded to x0 or x5) and their training camp "improvement".

Quarterbacks
65/65 (=0/=0) Louie Flannery
37/48 (+5/-2) Everett South
05/05 (-2/-2) Justin McDavid
30/42 (+3/+1) Harvey Nimmons
Overview: It's cut and dry. Flannery will be our starter, "Going" South should be our project guy and #2."Fumblin" Justin will stick around to mentor South. And Nimmons will be cut after pre-season, barring season ending injuries to one of the top3 guys.

Running Backs
40/40 (+8/+5) Tommy Wheeler
35/40 (+1/=0) Perry Clinton
35/40 (-4/-7) Chad Hayes
25/30 (=0/-4) Byron Mallon
20/35 (+1/+2) Morris Allen
30/30 (-6/-6) Quentin Hatchette
Overview: Guess who locked up his starting role? That's right, "Free" Wheeler! Hayes doesn't look as shiny as advertised on the FA market, but he'll still be a good short yardage option. Mallon will make our team based on his punt returning skills, providing he looks good in pre-season. "Crapheap" Clinton will make for an okay change of pace back, he might even sniff at starting if he proves his fumbling days are really over. Allen looks like he'll miss out on that short yardage back role due to Hayes' arrival. Hatchette is about done, as advertised in the trading block. He's still got some of his hole recognition left, but last year's fumbles will clinch it. Did I really write that? Hatchette doesn't fumble, I promise!

Fullbacks
40/40 (-5/-5) Quentin Malicki
25/40 (??/??) Skip Franklin
20/40 (+1/-4) Dwayne Williams
15/15 (??/??) Ernest Nixon
Overview: Ugh. Don't get me wrong, Malicki remains as a reliable run blocker and with that a reliable starter. And with Hatchette heading out the door, the Quentinial Conflict should be over. "Sparkplug" Williams was supposed to be my future project, but he hasn't made any progress as a blocker. Rookie Franklin actually seems to be the better guy of the two now. Nixon might stick around throughout pre-season to give some additional hints to Franklin or "Sparkplug", but that'll be the end of it.

Tight Ends
35/35 (-3/-3) Arnold Ramirez
30/45 (+3/=0) Darryl McDaniel
30/45 (+2/-3) Glenn Watson
30/30 (-4/-8) Winston Van Pelt
Overview: Tough decissions to make. The sure thing here is Van Pelt, our state of the art long snapper. Ramirez looked quite okay in camp and I'm feeling comfortable in letting him stick around as our starter, or at least the run blocking #2 end. Where it's getting interesting is the Watson-McDaniel duel. McDaniel made good progress and looks like he'll be ready to at least be a good #2 blocker by opening weekend. Watson, however, is looking green as a run blocker and turns out to lack the somewhat desired big play ability. The onlyt good news there is that our initial first round tight end target disappointed.

Wide Receivers
40/65 (+7/+5) Gabe Springer
35/35 (=0/=0) Vince McAlister
25/25 (-2/-2) Drew McConnell
25/25 (-4/-4) Bryce Ewald
30/30 (+2/-6) Cary Flowers
Overview: Springer didn't disappoint. Okay, still a bit green, but I'm really liking this Springer-McAlister combo! McConnell and Ewald remain as reliable cohesive backups. Flowers showed once again to be a pure return specialist. It's okay though, we can really, really use a guy like that.

Centers
50/50 (=0/=0) Rondell Fulcher
45/45 (-7/-7) Brant Heinrich
Overview: Less Heinrich, more Fulcher. Merchantmen fans, get ready for that. Heinrich is the cohesion bomb of the team, but Fulcher is clearly the more skilled pass protector. Obviously both will make the team, but the man who used to be the centre of our line is going to see a lot more of the sidelines in 2016.

Guards
50/50 (=0/=0) J.J. Reilly
45/45 (=0/=0) Johnnie Griffin
40/40 (-1/-1) Damon Hoover
15/30 (??/??) Greg Steadman
Overview: Looking good here. Reilly is already one of the best guards in the league, while Griffin came back strong from his knee injury. D.Hoover appears to be a reliable backup all over the line (except the left tackle spot). Steadman has awesome upside as a pass blocker, but the staff doesn't think much of the kid's run blocking. As it looks now, he'll stick around through pre-season and then we'll decide whether we'll keep 10 linemen and whether he'll be that tenth man.

Offensive Tackles
85/85 (-2/-2) Andre Brookshire
40/40 (=0/=0) Quinn England
35/35 (-6/-6) Drew Foreman
35/35 (-2/-2) Cornelius Rice
20/45 (+4/-1) Terry Hoover
Overview: So much for that depth. Brookshire remains as one of the elite tackles in the league. England is still a talented pass blocker, but I surely hope he'll improve on the number of sacks allowed last season. Lucky for him, Foreman showed up out of shape and now looks like a backup, at best. T.Hoover might even get the backup left tackle spot over, although it will likely depend on his pre-season. Rice took amother step back, but will remain as an okay guy to use if injuries hit.

Punter
65/65 (=0/=0) Sean Smalley
Overview: Smalley, once again, locked up the punter job. Well done, Sean.

Kickers
55/55 (+1/+1) J.T. Linquist
45/45 (-2/-2) Cary Coles
45/45 (=0/=0) Al Bettis
Overview: The loyal Merchantmen fans should be surprised here, Coles is listed second. Linquist appears to be the more accurate kicker and have a stronger leg. With Bettis handling kickoffs, Coles' days are counted. Only pre-season injury yo Linquist can save Coles' job in Maassluis.

Defensive Ends
35/35 (+1/+1) Luther Hansen
30/30 (-6/-6) Wally Mattingly
25/45 (+6/=0) Roman Waldroup
30/40 (+3/=0) Tim Forsey
10/25 (??/??) Alvin Stone
Overview: This position is about settled. Hansen is the clearcut starter, if it wasn't for his lack of stamina. Waldroup has the run stopping skills to play, but like Hansen also misses stamina. That means a likely timeshare and Mattingly on the other end of the front line. Forsey looks good enough to be an occasional pass rusher, but I'm not sure yet I'll keep him as the eight defensive lineman. Stone is outta here before pre-season starts.

Defensive Tackles
45/45 -11/-11 Robert Duong
30/45 (+5/-4) Keith Mathews
35/35 (-9/-9) Andrew Rasmussen
40/40 (+2/+2) Melvin Galloway
25/25 -12/-12 Andy Weliczka
Overview: A lot of bad news. Rephrase, terrible news. Re-rephrase dramatic news. Duong is listed on top, but only because he's a very good run stopper. His speed to rush quarterbacks has apparently vanished. Mathews had a mixed training camp, but I'm seeing a starter in him, over time. Rasmussen and Galloway are the more alread guys, but right now they project as backups. One of them might be starting early on, with Mathews coming in from time to time. Weliczka is done. Still an okay run stopper, but he's lost the speed and power to be considered good enough to play for us. It'll be sad to let him go, but inevitable.

Inside Linebackers
50/50 (-7/-7) Cody Cluff
30/30 (-3/-3) Matt Sellers
20/35 (??/??) Ricky Schroeder
25/25 -10/-10 Terrance White
Overview: Right now I wish we had kept Renaldo Dunlap, two pre-seasons ago. Cluff slowed down a bit, yet remains as a run stopping expert. Sellers ditto, although being nothing but a run stopper. Schroeder is basically a younger, greener version of Sellers. White used to be our well-respected backup, but the mad is out of shape and I'm only considering to keep him due to his better pass defense skills than Cluff.

Outside Linebackers
55/55 (-1/-1) Fernando Reese
55/55 (+1/+1) Bernie Surry
45/45 (=0/=0) Lee Burns
Overview: Good thing we still have these three guys. Reese remains as a complete "Sam". Surry is still a tremendous run stopper with lots of intangibles. Burns is still the defensive end type and we might have to consider using him as a blitzer.

Cornerbacks
35/35 (-4/-4) Sammie Kennedy
40/45 (+5/=0) Jeffrey Karsten
30/45 (+2/=0) Warren Pennell
35/35 (=0/=0) Teddy Rackers
25/40 (+4/-5) Ray Sanderson
30/35 (+4/+1) Dana Bueter
30/45 (+3/-4) Glen Foley
25/25 (-5/-5) Douglas Oakley
20/35 (??/??) Steven Kolb
Overview: Oof... Nine guys on roster and none who look even close to the pass defender we used to have in Tai Wayne. Karsten made good progress and seems ready to go. Kennedy is a left-over from the 2-deep zone only era. He's still okay, but I'm not sure how else to use him than as a nickelback type. Pennell is more and more turning into a pure return specialist, including after interception. But Pennell is no coverage guy. Rackers looks okay and could be an alternative. Sanderson looks almost as good as Rackers, but with more potential. Foley is more complete, but also green as grass. Bueter is a pure man-to-man coverage guy, but contrary to others actually has some bump-and-run experience. Oakley isn't much more than a mentor. Kolb is as good as Oakley, but without the experience and intelligence to make the others better. Indeed, it's "Hi" and "Bye!" to Kolb. All in all, it looks like we're heading for a mix of Karsten, Rackers and Sanderson in the regular season. And it ain't lookin' pretty.

Safeties
50/50 (=0/=0) Eddie Cole
40/40 (-4/-4) Kennedy Gillespie
40/40 (=0/=0) Earl Wayne
20/20 (-3/-3) Broderick Schultz
15/15 (-7/-7) K.C. Cross
Overview: Contrary to the cornerbacks, I like our safety situation a bit better. Cole is the strong safety of the team, without any doubt. Earl Wayne is a pure zone defender, but still useful as a backup to Cole. Gillespie is another zone expert, but with the nose for interceptions. Schultz is a long-time member, and still good enough to play second or third string. Cross, the man-to-man guy, won't make our regular season roster.

[MIJB#19]

Hatchette and Weliczka released

The Maassluis Merchantmen are preparing for the 2016 season. With the pre-season roster limit set at 60 players, the Merchantmen had to release nine players. Today they announced the names of the unlucky ones. Most notable are running back Quentin Hatchette and defensive tackle Andy Weliczka.

Quentin Hatchette's time in Maassluis is over. The 28-year old running back leaves after five season. Hatchette never was the full time starter, but as the primairy backup he carrier the ball 838 times for 3,671 yards and 13 touchdowns. Hatchette's had one 1,000-yard season and always averaged over 4.10 yards per carry. Last season he saw action in seven games. Especially his great number of fumbles made him a somewhat obvious target for release.

Andy Weliczka leaves the Merchantmen after ten seasons. The 33-year old nose tackle was a surprise starter in his rookie season as a seventh round pick. After four seasons in the starting lineup better defensive tackles took over. The run stuffer spent the entire 2015 season on the inactive roster. Weliczka played 94 regular season games for the Merchantmen.

Of the seven other players released, five were recent free agent signings. Cornerback Dana Bueter as a second year pro, linebacker Ricky Schroeder, defensive end Alvin Stone, cornerback Steven Kolb and guard Greg Steadman are all rookies. Safety K.C. Cross started 3 games for the Merchantmen last season in the injury depleted secondary as mid-season acquisition. Fullback Dwayne "Sparkplug" Williams was a sixth round pick in the 2015 draft, but even a visit to IHOF's Summer League couldn't get him into the right shape to play for the Merchantmen in 2016.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen lose to Bums in pre-season

The Maassluis Merchantmen started the 2016 pre-season on a negative tone. The Brooklyn Fightin' Bums left Oranje Haven as 21-16 winners. The only good news of the day was the lack of injuries for the home team.

"So we lost, it's just pre-season." said quarterback Louie Flannery during the post-game press conference. It was a widely shared emotion for the Merchantmen players. Flannery completed 10 of 14 passes for 65 yards in his limited action.

Wide receiver Gabe Springer was the much-anticipated new player that fans wanted to see. Springer saw a lot of action, being targeted eight times. He completed 2 passes from Flannery for 13 yards and 3 more from backup quarterback Everett South for 35 yards.

Most notable was the Merchantmen's lack of ability to score touchdowns. The only six-pointer of the game was scored by cornerback Sammie Kennedy on a 73-yard interception return. The Merchantmen settled for a 19-yard field goal twice, while a 28-yard field goal completed the 16 points. The Bums missed two field goals, but eventually won on a 1-yard touchdown pass with 76 seconds left.

[MIJB#19]

Everett South looking good in pre-season win

The Maassluis Merchantmen posted win number one of the 2016 season. In a pre-season game at the Asheville Axemen, the Merchantmen posted a 23-16 score. Defensive end Luther Hansen received MVP honors, but quarterback Everett South received the most praise.

"Going South" got a new meaning for the Merchantmen. Management of the dutch IHOF team looked like they feel okay with relying on Everett South in the future. South completed 20 of 26 passes for 188 yards and a 96.3 passer rating.

Although playing well, South was supported well by the running game. Tommy Wheeler ran for 64 yards and a score, while Byron Mallon ran for 47 yards and Chad Hayes added a second touchdown. Both Wheeler and Mallon averaged more than 5 yards per carry. Kicker J.T. Linquist added three field goals to complete the 23 points.

On defense, the new Merchantmen cornerbacks are still struggling. Axemen rookie receiver Brandon LaCour caught no less than 8 passes for 126 yards. On the bright side, the pass rush fared well, racking up 7 sacks en route to break 13 of 38 passing plays. Luther Hansen posted 3.0 sacks to earn game MVP honors.

The bad news of the game came from rookie receiver Gabe Springer. Early in the second quarter he hurt his hand when he was blocking for running back Chad Hayes. Springer sprained a finger and didn't return to the game. The injury doesn't look serious, but he's expected to sit out the next pre-season game out of precaution.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen lose to Chitterlings in pre-season

The Maassluis Merchantmen lost their third pre-season game. The Chesapeake Chitterlings dominated from the second quarter. The three-time defending North American Conference champions won 28-10.

The Merrchantmen posted another pre-season loss at home. The Merchantmen played it slow and hardly impressed. Louie Flannery completed 10 of 14 passes, Everett South completed 8 of 14 for a touchdown. Perry Clinton ran 14 times for 52 yards.

Defensively nothing seemed to work. The pass rush broke up only 4 of 37 passing plays. Cornerback Teddy Rackers defended 3 passes and looks ready to grab a starting job for the regular season. Rookie Ray Sanderson posted an interception a fumble recovery and 11 tackles.

Kicker J.T. Linquist went 1 for 2 in field goals. The miss was credited to bad holding from quarterback Louie Flannery. Despite that miss, Linquist is likely to make the regular season roster. It will likely mean the release of Merchantmen all-time leading points scorer Cary Coles.

The real bad news of the game were injuries. Tackle Drew Foreman picked up a foot injury. Linebacker Terrance White sprained a knee. Kickoff return specialist Warren Pennell strained a quadriceps muscle. All will miss the last pre-season game and are not expected to be fully recovered in time for opening weekend.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen win last pre-season game

The Maassluis Merchantmen finished pre-season 2-2. A 31-16 win at the Outer Banks Ospreys brought them to .500 land. Louie Flannery posted his first touchdown of the pre-season, Everett South his second. Cornerback Sammie Kennedy won MVP honors with his second defensive touchdown of the season.

The bad news came from return specialist Cary Flowers. The wide receiver sprained an ankle. Flowers will likely be a game time decission in week one against the Paris Musketeers. It's especially bad given that Warren Pennell, the team's other kickoff return specialists, is nursing a quadriceps muscle injury. Backups tackle Drew Foreman and linebacker Terrance White are both expected to miss opening weekend with minor foot injuries.

[MIJB#19]

Cary Coles released by Merchantmen

It's over. After twelve seasons with the Maassluis Merchantmen, kicker Cary Coles today was named amongst seven players released. Coles had been the franchise's top points scoring player since week seven of the innaugural IHOF season. Coles played 188 regular season games and 6 playoff games with the Merchantmen. Coles still holds an IHOF record 40 consecutive field goals converted between week 11 of 2010 and week 17 of the 2011 season.

Joining Coles into free agency are fullback Ernest Nixon, cornerback Douglas Oakley, tackle Terry Hoover and quarterback Harvey Nimmons, who had been off-season acquisitions. Cornerback Glen Foley was a seventh round pick, but lost out to undrafted rookie Ray Sanderson. The seventh player release was running back Morris Allen, who was the Merchantmen's short yardage back during the 2015 season.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen 2016 Schedule

Below is the schedule for the Maassluis Merchantmen in the 2016 season. It starts with three road games, sees a 'bye' in week 5 and has a four game stretch at home between week 11 and 14. The European Division has matchups with the Deep South, which cotains the IHOF Champions as well as three teams whom 'clinched' the top3 picks in the most recent draft and is historically the weakest division in the conference. The inter-conference games are against the Atlatic Coast division, which had historically the weakest division in the entire league, until they finally passed the Western Division by half a win last season.
<table border='1'>
<tr><td><font size='1'>week<td><font size='1'>opp<td><font size='1'>2015<td><font size='1'>series
<tr><td><font size='1'>01<td><font size='1'>at Paris Musketeers<td><font size='1'>4-12<td><font size='1'>we lead 16-8, we lead 8-4 in Paris, they won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>02<td><font size='1'>at Outer Banks Ospreys<td><font size='1'>10-6, lost in wild card round<td><font size='1'>tied at 1-1, 1-1 in Outer Banks, we won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>03<td><font size='1'>at Conyers Condors<td><font size='1'>8-8<td><font size='1'>they lead 4-2, they lead 1-0 in Conyers, we won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>04<td><font size='1'>vs San Antonio Volunteers<td><font size='1'>4-12<td><font size='1'>they lead 5-3, they lead 4-3 in Maassluis, they won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>05<td><font size='1'>
<tr><td><font size='1'>06<td><font size='1'>vs Vicksburg Vipers<td><font size='1'>4-12<td><font size='1'>tied at 2-2, they lead 2-1 in Maassluis, they won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>07<td><font size='1'>at Forth Worth Fury<td><font size='1'>13-3, IHOF Bowl XII winners<td><font size='1'>we lead 5-2,we lead 4-2 in Fort Worth, we won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>08<td><font size='1'>vs Paris Musketeers<td><font size='1'>4-12<td><font size='1'>we lead 16-8, we lead 8-4 in Maassluis, they won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>09<td><font size='1'>at Telluride Outlaws<td><font size='1'>4-12<td><font size='1'>we lead 2-1, we lead 2-1 in Telluride, we won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>10<td><font size='1'>at Bordeaux Vineyards<td><font size='1'>6-10<td><font size='1'>they lead 13-12, they lead 7-6 in Bordeaux, we won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>11<td><font size='1'>vs Gothenburg Giants<td><font size='1'>8-8, lost in divisional round<td><font size='1'>they lead 14-10, tied at 6-6 in Maassluis, they won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>12<td><font size='1'>vs Asheville Axemen<td><font size='1'>4-12<td><font size='1'>we lead 2-0, we lead 2-0 in Maassluis, we won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>13<td><font size='1'>vs North Plainfield Plague<td><font size='1'>9-7, lost in wild card round<td><font size='1'>they lead 8-1, we lead 1-0 in Maassluis, they won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>14<td><font size='1'>vs Miami Sharks<td><font size='1'>5-11<td><font size='1'>we lead 2-0, we lead 1-0 in Miami, we won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>15<td><font size='1'>at Gothenburg Giants<td><font size='1'>8-8, lost in divisional round<td><font size='1'>they lead 14-10, they lead 8-4 in Gothenburg, they won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>16<td><font size='1'>at Knoxville Rebels<td><font size='1'>13-3, lost in NAC Championship<td><font size='1'>tied at 1-1, we lead 1-0 in road games, we won last meeting
<tr><td><font size='1'>17<td><font size='1'>vs Bordeaux Vineyards<td><font size='1'>6-10<td><font size='1'>they lead 13-12, tied at 6-6 in Maassluis, we won last meeting</table>

[MIJB#19]

Musketeers crush Merchantmen on opening weekend

Another opening weekend loss. For the third season in a row, the Maassluis Merchantmen were on the losing side of the ball in week one. The Paris Musketeers defended their own Parc des Prince. The French team won 35-23 and snapped a six-game winning streak of the Merchantmen at Paris.

"A horrible showing," said headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude, "we had no answer to their passing game." Paris quarterback Kim Andrews completed 25 of 36 passes for 353 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 1 interception. An impressive performance, given that Andrews spread the ball as he connected with eleven different players, of whom none made more than five receptions.

Merchantmen quarterback Louie Flannery displayed a much different type of diversity. Flannery started the game with interceptions on his first two drives. He recovered well, completing 22 of 32 for 23 yards and 3 touchdowns, but never got his team within a score. Rookie Gabe Springer quickly showed to be Flannery's new favorite target, making 8 catches for 77 yards. Last season's revelation Vince McAlister made 4 catches for 72 yards, while veteran Bryce Ewald hauled in the touchdowns.

Despite the pretty productive offense, there was little reason to be optimistic. The Merchantmen posted four turnovers on offense, got penalized eight times and allowed a shocking 446 yards of total offense. Truth be told, te Merchantmen overcame the 96 total yards less by posting 183 yards on kickoff returns, but in the end three early turnovers set up for an already lost game. That's something that has to chance if they think they can challenge for the European division title.

[MIJB#19]

Incredible comeback gives Merchantmen first win

The Merchantmen posted win one of the 2016 season. With an unbelievable comeback, they beat the Outer Banks Ospreys on the road 37-31 in overtime. Louie Flannery guided his team back from three scores down to post an amazing win.

Long faces in disbelief filled the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Over 68 thousand fans had watched their favorite football team choke a 21-point lead. The Ospreys had shown a lot of confident throughout the game. On four of five first half drives they scored points. Another touchdown-drive that began at the start of the second half put them up 31-10 for what seemed a secured victory.

The Merchantmen responsed with a seven-and-a-half minute drive to score back. The Ospreys were still leading and had one play left before the fourth quarter. Quarterback Nick Lincoln got overconfident, trying to throw a long bomb to quickly secure the win. Merchantmen safety Broderick Schultz, activated to replace injured Kennedy Gillespie, intercepted the pass. The thrid quarter was over, but the core of the game was abuot to begin.

The Flannery Air show had only begun. A first quarter 56-yard touchdown to Vince McAlister had already shown the potential of the Merchantmen passing game. And the first drive of the half had already resulted in rookie Gabe Springer's first touchdown in the IHOF. From there on, that passing game appeared unstoppable. Flannery seemed to complete every pass thrown, alternating between Springer and McAlister. In no-time, the Merchantmen had scored another touchdown and were trailing 7 points with nine minutes to go.

For a change the Merchantmen defense appeared able to stop the Ospreys. They forced a punt, which however pinned the Merchantmen back at their own 3-yard line. It didn't matter. Flannery, Springer and McAlister returned to the field and provided another take of the Flannery air show. Although never looking pressured by the clock ticking away, Flannery kept making good decissions. With just a minute left, his team had marched into the red zone. Running back Chad Hayes was fed the ball and he ran the rock in from three yards.

The Ospreys started a last chance drive to win the game before overtime. Nick Lincoln moved his team quickly up field. In his enthusiasm he tried to long bomb to Travis Joseph, who had surprisingly had been given a free pass by the Merchantmen for most of the game. Linebacker Cody Cluff got a good read, intercepted the pass at his own 11-yard line and ran it back to the Merchantm 39-yard line. Nine secons were left and the Merchantmen went for it. Flannery connected with Springer for a 22-yard gain. The time out was called. One second remained on the clock. Sadly, kicker J.T. Linquist missed the 56-yard field goal, forcing overtime.

The Ospreys got the ball first and managed to move to the middle of the field. Linebacker Fernando Reese stepped up with a big tackle and a deflected pass to force a punt. Return man Cary Flowers made a nice play and set his offense up at their own 21-yard line. Gabe Springer had the important 23-yard gain, while McAlister provided a third down conversion to march into Ospreys' territory. A great catch frim tight end Darry McDaniel put the Merchantmen into field goal range, while Tommie "Free" Wheeler ran the ball into the red zone. On third and five, Flannery found McAlister once again for the touchdown and the first victory of the season.

All things considered an important win. The Merchantmen defense once again allowed over 450 total yards. However, Louie Flannery was unstoppable, completing 35 of 41 passes for 427 yards and 4 scores. Gabe Springer made 12 catches for 153 yards and 1 score. Vince McAlister outperfomed the rookie with 12 catches for 178 yards and 2 scores. An amazing comeback, but once again a clear sign that the Merchantmen can no longer win games leaning on their defense. They'll need more Flannery Air shows to be competitive this season.

[MIJB#19]

Condors humiliate Merchantmen in week three

The Maassluis Merchantmen are back to earth. The Conyers Condors defended their own house well, posting a 34-10 victory. The Merchantmen fall to 1-2, while the Condors remain front runners for a wild card position this early in the season.

A painful loss. The Maassluis Merchantmen stood no chance at all against the Condors. Sure, they scored on the first drive of the game, but that's where it pretty much ended as well. The Condors were passing at will, enmassing 478 total yards, of which 349 were through the air. With a humiliating 11.6 yards per pass play average.

On their own possessions, the Merchantmen didn't even do so bad. Louie Flannery completed 20 of 28 passes, yet for only 159 yards. The running game was okay, with 4.0 yars per carry, but that was on 15 carries for just 60 yards. A grand total of 203 total yards on offense was a clear signal of things not going well.

Interestingly enough, Flannery's two main receivers both posted respectable numbers. Vince McAlister made 7 catches for 69 yards and a score. Gabe Springer made 7 catches for 77 yards and remains as one of the front runners for rookie of the year honors.

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude didn't come out of the game without any blame. Not only did the pass defense look horrible for most of the game, the Merchantmen looked undisciplined. It resulted in several penalties for unnecessery roughness and other bad tempered actions.

Elsewhere in the IHOF, the Paris Musketeers suffered their first loss of the season, falling 15-13 to the Tucker Tigers. Defending European champions Gothenburg Giants fell to 1-2 after a 20-13 loss to the Rochester Lake Monsters. The Bordeaux Vineyards were the only winning team in the division, posting their second straight by running all over the Boston Rhinos in a 33-7 victory.

The Orlando Knights and Syracuse Mohawks are the only teams in the AOC with a perfect record. The San Antonio Volunteers are the only team without a win, and they'll be the next opponent for the Merchantmen in 2016's first regular season game in Oranje Haven.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen shutout Volunteers

The Maassluis Merchantmen notched win number two of 2016. In their first home game of the season, they shutout the San Antonio Volunteers. With a 20-0 score, the Merchantmen moved to 2-2 and tied for second place with the Gothenburg Giants and Paris Musketeers. The Bordeaux Vineyards (2-1) didn't play and remained division leaders.

The San Antonio Volunteers are no longer the AOC powerhouse they used to be. After the retirement of quarterback John McMasters, things have quickly gone downhill. Last season they posted a 4-12 record and going into this week they were the only winless team of the entire conference.

At Oranje Haven the Merchantmen looked quite good. On defense the team seemed to struggle at times, yet they played good enough to stall drives and force punts on and off. Especially the pass rush was crucial to the performance, with defensive ends Wally Mattingly, Luther Hansen and Roman Waldroup combining for 4.5 sacks. Cody Cluff recorded a crucial interception. The Volunteers did get a short field goal attempt, but Deangelo Royston botched the 38-yarder.

Given the shutout and the corresponding lead for most of the game, the Merchantmen played a balanced offensive game plan. Louie Flannery completed an impressive 23 of 29 passes for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns. Rookie Gabe Springer made 8 catches for 81 yards and 1 touchdown to claim the IHOF lead in receptions. Vince McAlister caught 4 passes for 30 yards, while tight end Arnold Ramirez claimed the second score. J.T. Linquist converted 2 of 3 field goal attempts to complete the 20 points.

All in all an interesting performance after three games of defensive disaster. Three consecutve opponents gained 460 yards on offense and scored more than 30 points. With 221 yards and the shutout, the Merchantmen seem to have resolved some of their problems. Of course, as harsh as it may sound, they did play the San Antonio Volunteers, who may be the worst team in the league right now.

[MIJB#19]

Flannery and Springer still league leaders

Despite their open weekend, both quarterback Louie Flannery and wide receiver Gabe Springer remained as league leaders. Louie Flannery leads all quarterbacks with a 118.9 passer rating. Rookie Springer leads the league with 35 receptions. In four games so far, Flannery completed 100 of 130 passes for an amazing 76.9 completion percentage. Springer and Vince McAlister have been his main targets so far, both on pace for about 100 receptions and 1,400 yards.

The Maassluis Merchantmen have moved back into the European Division race. In their open weekend, the Bordeaux Vineyards lost at the Vicksburg Vipers, moving them down to a 2-2 record. With wins from the Paris Musketeers and Gothenburg Giants, all four teams have losttwo games. Paris and Gothenburg do share the lead with a win more.

European Division
<table><tr><td>tm<td>rec<tr><td>Gotenburg<td>3-2<tr><td>Paris <td>3-2<tr><td>Bordeaux<td>2-2<tr><td>Maassluis<td>2-2</table>* Gothenburg leads the division based on conference record, Maassluis ranks ahead of Bordeaux on strength of victory

Passing Leaders
<table><tr><td>who<td>tm<td>comp<td>att<td>yds<td>td<td>int<td>rate<tr><td>Flannery<td>MAA<td>100<td>130<td>1,045<td>10<td>2<td>118.9<tr><td>Zuck<td>SYR<td>77<td>110<td>1,300<td>7<td>4<td>115.7<tr><td>Percy<td>FRE<td>85<td>143<td>1,140<td>12<td>2<td>107.0<tr><td>Wolf<td>ORL<td>117<td>180<td>1,389<td>16<td>5<td>106.4<tr><td>Donaldson<td>CON<td>117<td>172<td>1,394<td>11<td>4<td>104.2</table>
Receiving Leaders
<table><tr><td>who<td>tm<td>rec<td>yds<td>td<tr><td>Springer<td>MAA<td>35<td>388<td>2<tr><td>Brelsford<td>GEO<td>34<td>407<td>4<tr><td>Horton<td>GEO<td>30<td>386<td>3<tr><td>Kassem<td>TEL<td>30<td>484<td>4<tr><td>Mueller,B<td>BOU<td>30<td>208<td>2<tr><td>Mueller,R<td>NPL<td>30<td>443<td>2</table>

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2016

Off Season
The 2015 season wasn't easily forgotten. The epic 48-42 overtime loss against the Gothenburg Giants appeared to have broken the spirit of the team. No less than four prominent figures for the Merchantmen decided to step away from football. Tight end Jim Reiser, 'Indestructable' Ivan Jacques and linebacker Mike Kershner were all done with riding the bench and took the easy way out. They were joined by cornerback Tai Wayne, who felt that he was done with football at the age of 32.

The off-season continued with more departures. Wide receiver Dean Fulton felt the need to go play elsewhere. He signed with the Tucker Tigers, not knowing he wasn't going to make their final 53-men roster that season. Shortly before week onehe was picked up by the Georgia Gridlock. The Merchantmen didn't even pursue Fulton, as they made bigger moves in that off-season.

A huge press conference was called by the Merchantmen management days before training camp. A hefty draft day trade gave the Merchantmen the rights to wide receiver Gabe Springer. Their 2017 first round pick was sent to the Boulder Blizzard, but in return they moved up from 17th overall to pick Springer at the #8 pick of the draft. Springer signed a nice 5-year deal before camp. Vince McAlister also signed a nice 5-year contract, ending his holdout after his breakout performance in the 2016 season.

The Merchantmen made more moves. Defensive tackle Charles Carreno left after just one season and was replaced by Robert Duong, whom the Merchantmen traded away in aftermath of the 2004 IHOF league draft. Running back Alonzo Summers was surprisingly traded to the Rochester Lake Monsters, after the Merchantmen signed short-yardage back Chad Hayes in free agency.

And then there was even more. The Merchantmen picked two defensive linemen in the draft, with defensive tackle Keith Mathews and defensive end Roman Waldroup. Kicker J.T. Linquist returned for another training camp and managed to unseat the supposed to be untouchable Cary Coles, ending Coles stay in Maassluis after 12 seasons. A bunch of cornerbacks were signed as free agents, but only undrafted rookie and converted safety Ray Sanderson showed signs of being a decent pass defender.

Season
Despite all the wheeling and dealing, signing and releasing, only one acquisition really made in impact. A monstrous impact! Gabe Springer made a splashing entrance to the International House of Football, enmassing a league record 128 receptions. On those catches he gained 1,574 yards and scored 8 times. In his shadows, Vince McAlister made 68 receptions for 895 yards and 7 scores as the number two option for Louie Flannery. With those two receivers, the Air Flannery show was born. Flannery completed an impressive 71.8 percent of his passes for 4,348 yards and 31 touchdowns against 15 interceptions and a 102.6 passer rating.

With that in mind, you'd think the Merchantmen had an excellent season. The answer: not quite. Especially early in the season, the Merchantmen staff was still puzzling with how to have Flannery throw the ball to Springer and McAlister, without taking too much risk. The team had up and down results and following a 4-game losing streak found themselves at 2-6 at mid-season.

The defense was clearly struggling, which is clearly demonstrated by their 30th ranked pass defense and 24th place in points allowed. For the second half of the season, things started clicking on offense, especially in the passing game. The Merchantmen turned out to have the 4th ranked passing game in the league. A three-game winning streak got the team back into swing and one game behind Bordeaux and Gothenburg. Then two losses were added and the season was basically over.

Another three-game winning streak couldn't avoid the team from finishing 8-8 and second. The Paris Musketeers managed to pull an amazing come from behind, with five straight wins to their first European division championship at 9-7. The Bordeaux Vineyards (four straight losses) and the Gothenburg Giants (five straight losses) really fell apart in december.

The Musketeers were no match for the Tucker Tigers (10-6) and were destroyed 38-14 in their own house. Those same Tigers moved on to play at the Orlando Knigts (15-1), whom had cruised through the regular season. Despite 4 interceptions, Ted Wolf guided his Knights into the AOC Championship game. Overthere the Knights beat the Rochester Lake Monsters (11-5) in overtime. Running back Alonzo Summers and kicker Cary Coles had added a touchdown and 5 points respectively to the scoreline. In IHOF Bowl XIII the Knights returned to their juggernaut form, thrashing the surprise NAC champions, the Knoxville Rebels (10-6), 41-21.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2017

Off Season
Cody Cluff's retirement headlined the 2017 off-season. Cluff was named Legend of the Game after 13 seasons and a tackles total that will unlikely be broken in the next decade of IHOF football. Cluff was joined by wide receivers Bryce Ewald and Drew McConnell, former starters who were playing a backup role in 2016. Defensive tackle Robert Duong left after just one season while tackle Albert Brookshire retired after three seasons in Maassluis.

Despite the departures, the late season surge boosted the Merchantmen's expectations for the 2017 season. The Merchantmen decided to bring back Dean Fulton to team him up with Gabe Springer and Vince McAlister as Louie Flannery's receiver trio. Fulton was just one of many new faces on the team that season.

Some sort of rebuilding project was started. The Merchantmen decided to make another hefty traded and ended up acquiring veterans left tackle Jesus X. Zuccolotto and defensive tackle Maurice Sawyer from the newly named Ann Arbor based Michigan Prowlers. Linebackers Jeffrey Watson and Fernando Turnbull were acquired to form a middle-linebacker duo in the new 3-4 defense.

But that wasn't all. Through the draft, the Merchantmen added center Keith Swift to be the long awaited replacement for Brant Heinrich. Running back Tom Bone, dubbed T-Bone, linebacker Alonzo Sales and defensive backs Dave Castillo and Brian Campbell were all taken as future starter projects. As was fullback Malcolm McClimans, but he ended up being just a one-year backup, while sixth round pick quarterback Tommy Garner failed to make the final 53-men roster. Safety Broderick Schultz ended up being the only marque name on the list of roster cuts.

Season
Leaning on their passing game, the Merchantmen thought they were in for an exciting season. They kicked off with an overwhelming 35-6 victory over the Gothenburg Giants, whom only scored on two 55-yard field goals. But that game showed to be misleading. The defense was in no way resurged and started falling apart. In the next five games, the Merchantmen posted three close games and two big defeats. The season was just underway and they were already sitting 1-5, lightyears away from playoff hopes.

Guided by three team interceptions and an unstoppable Gabe Springer (12 catches for 189 yards), the Merchantmen bounced back with a 27-0 win over the Conyers Condors. In the next three games they beat both the Bordeaux Vineyards and Gothenburg Giants for a good divisional record boost. In between they played an admirable road game at the Orlando Knights, although a late 66-yard receiving touchdown from Dean Fulton made things look closer than they basically were.

After a 2-2 streak, including wins over the Chesapeake Chitterlings and Bordeaux, the Merchantmen were 6-8, but still alive for the European division title. Frankly, it was all wishful thinking. The Gothenburg Giants managed to post one more win in their last two games, to win the division at 9-7. Meanwhilst the Merchantmen dropped two more games and at 6-10 only managed to finish second because of the even weaker French franchises from Bordeaux and Paris.

Statistically it wasn't a memorable season either. Despite another 4,000-yard performance, Louie Flannery was only average for quarterback standards, even leading the league in picked off passes. Gabe Springer posted another century, with 105 catches for 1,283 yards and 12 scores. Vince McAlister had his best season yet, with 78 receptions for 1,191 yards and 10 scores.

Despite the 6-10 record, the overall statistics weren't all that bad. On offense, the Merchantmen ranked 7th in passing, 31st in rushing and 22nd in points scored. On defense they were 11th against the run, 22nd against the pass and tied for 16th in points allowed. What really hurt them over the season where the big numbers of penalties and turnovers. Especially Flannery's 21 interceptions hurt.

The Gothenburg Giants represented the European division quite well, leaning on running back Hershel Tatum they upset the Rochester Lake Monsters (12-4) 31-21 in Sweden. In the next round they tried to play along with the Orlando Knights (15-1), but the defending league champions turned out to be unstoppable, 38-17 Orlando. The Knights were then stunned in the AOC Championship game, falling 45-24 to the Syracuse Mohawks (12-4). The Mohawks marched on to capture their second league crown, beating the surprise NAC champions, the Williamsburg Colonials (10-6), 28-14 in IHOF Bowl XIV.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2018

Off Season
Coming off the worst season in over a decade, the Merchantmen figured it wasn't going to be their year in 2018. They said goodbye to three popular faces. Quarterback Justin McDavid, linebacker Bernie Surry and defensive end Wally Mattingly retired after nine or more seasons in Maassluis. Surprisingly they were the only three retirements. Later on the Merchantmen cut ties with tackle Cornelius Rice and defensive tackle Andrew Rasmussen after eleven seasons.

What arrived in the 2018 off-season was pretty underwhelming. Draft picks were collectively sent away for 2019 picks, which was tagged as the comeback season. The draft produced four new players in run stuffing linebacker Dwight Kurpeikis, cornerback Hurt Daddy Gaines, kick returner/running back Maurice Evjen and defensive end Broderick Amadro. Only the last one ended up being a starter that season, with Evjen marching up the depth chart late in the season.

The team also acquired a bunch of veterans. The biggest name was obviously running back Ray Ray Lyle, the active career leader in rushing yards. Lyle ended up playing only a handful of downs for the Merchantmen that season. More heavily contributing arrivals were defensive end Jermaine Burks and linebacker Dale Everhart, both roster cut day casualties elsewhere. Earlier that off-season, quarterback Teddy Francis signed to be the new emergency guy and fullback Lonnie Harless became the new star run blocker of the team.

Season
The biggest news going into the season was a different opening day quarterback. Louie Flannery was nursing a knee injury, paving the way for Everett 'Going' South. The Merchantmen surprisingly demolished the Bordeaux Vineyards 41-28, with South posting a 309-yard, 3-touchdown performance. In his second start, South threw for only 165 yards in a 16-14 loss. Moreover, he doubled his interception total to 4 in just 2 games, while he completed only 9 passes to Gabe Springer.

With Louie Flannery back, the Merchantmen didn't get their engines running either. The Houston Outlaws, Syracuse Mohawks and Rochester Lake Monsters had little trouble against them. The Merchantmen coaching staff was warned and instructed to go back to a much safer game plan. Although the offense somehwat returned to 2016 form. The offense gained 4,026 yards through the air for the season.

Still, the team never got into a real swing. The defense allowed 20 or more points in every game after that week two 16-14 loss. The most troubling figure was perhaps the high number of 100-yard rushers the defense allowed. The Merchantmen finished the season dead last in run defense, allowing almost 150 yards per game. The Merchantmen allowed the 4th most points, posted the 5th most giveaways and had another heavily penalised season.

To make things worse, wide receiver Vince McAlister severly hurt his knee halfway the season. Without his quality partner, Gabe Springer still managed to catch 118 passes for 1,563 yards and 16 scores to receive his second All-IHOF second team honors. Ironically, without McAlister, the Merchantmen posted a late-season recovery with three straigh wins. They improvedto a 6-10 record, which kept them far away from the expected top5 draft pick.

The Gothenburg Giants held ground as European champions, posting yet another 9-7 season. A clear signal how weak the European division had become over the last three or so seasons. To everybody's surprise, the Giants matched up well in their wild card round game against the defending IHOF champions, the Syracuse Mohawks (11-5). Somehow they choked an 18-point lead, losing 52-45 at the end of regulation. The Mohawks eventually lost 27-24 in the NAC Championship game at the Orlando Knights (14-2). The Knights marched on, beating the Chesapeake Chitterlings (12-4) in IHOF Bowl XV. It marked the Knights second win, as well as the Chitterlings fifth loss in as many bowl games.

[MIJB#19]

How about that end of that 9-and-a-half-month hiatus?

Honestly, as usual, I'm not sure I'm going to update this thread regularly, if it all in the future. At least I felt about updating this thread and decided to write recaps of the three most recent seasons. Recaps for those three were missing anyway.

Given that I hope to graduate 'college' in April, requiring to write a paper by the end of March, I can use the flow and desire to write again. I could really use the writing exercise. As long as I don't spend all my creativity and inspiration on this, I should be good, no? ;)

That's all for now, folks.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2019

Off Season
It was time for change. Following two straight 6-10 seasons, clearly things were broken in Maassluis and needed fixing. Contrary to the usual wheeling and dealing, the off-season started with a much bigger change.

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude was shown the exit after 14 seasons. A tough decission, but inevitable. It became apparent that VDW wasn't able to keep his team disciplined enough, which kept resulting in truckloads of penalties. Costly penalties. So in came inexperienced Edward Wolfe (who went 5-11 with the Vicksburg Vipers in 2017) and coming with him was the Houston Outlaws' defensive coordinator, Les Adderly.

Defensive end Jermaine Burks was franchise tagged. A somewhat dumb move as it made his agent think he was worth star player money. For monthst the Merchantmen management and Burks' agents negotiated. End result: a two-year contract wort $25 million that made Burks a top ten player in highest salary. So much for that unwillingness to give defensive ends pay days...

But Burks was kept for a reason, the Merchantmen management wanted to keep him and 2018 rookie Broderick Amadro together as the pass rushing duo. To boost the defense, two big name cornerbacks with championships on their resume were brought in. Randall Allen left the Rochester Lake Monsters, while Ben Greer came over from the Fairbanks NorthStars. To complete a studly secondary, San Antonio Volunteers' safety Sherman McDaniel joined the Merchantmen on a one-year $7 million contract. More trades and free agent signings happened, but those were just for depth.

The draft brought along two new starters. Wide receiver Freddie Upshaw was taken in the second round to fill big shoes. Vince McAlister suffered a career ending knee injury in the 2018 season, creating a huge gap on the Merchantmen offense.

Left tackle Ronald Dole was the other draft day addition to te starting lineup. Dole was originally taken in the first round by the Georgia Gridlock, but for mysterious reasons they felt the need to trade him right away for a low third round pick. The Merchantmen lived up to their reputation and quickly jumped into the trade opportunity. Only to second guess themselves two games into the regular season after Dole was carried off the field with a compound leg fracture. End of season and a likely miss of spring training as well.

The other big news in the off-season were the hold outs of quarterback Louie Flannery and linebacker Fernando Reese. But both were quickly talked into signing a new deal and reported in Maassluis for training camp. Roster cut day ended not only Vince McAlister's stay in Maassluis, but also running back Tommy 'Free' Wheeler. The Merchantmen decided to put more carries on T-Bone (Tom Bone) and go from five to four running backs. The second shocking release was of Winston Van Pelt. The long snapper was released after 10 seasons of service and replaced by Aaron Blake.

Season
to be continued...

[MIJB#19]

2019 Merchantmen roster breakdown
To get y'all acquainted with the Merchantmen roster, here's a quick roster overview. I'll break down the roster by position group.

Roster
<table border=1><tr><td>pos<td>#<td>name<td>age<td>when and how acquired
<tr><td>QB<td>14<td>Louie Flannery<td>36<td>2006 - drafted 5th overall in the 1st round
<tr><td>QB<td>1<td>Everett "Going" South<td>26<td>2014 - drafted 55th overall in the 2nd round
<tr><td>QB<td>9<td>Teddy Francis<td>32<td>2018 - free agent signing
<tr><td>RB<td>23<td>Tom "T-Bone" Bone<td>24<td>2017 - drafted 157th overall in the 5th round
<tr><td>RB<td>43<td>Maurice Evjen<td>23<td>2018 - drafted 123rd overall in the 4th round
<tr><td>RB<td>22<td>Byron Mallon<td>25<td>2016 - free agent signing (rookie)
<tr><td>RB<td>25<td>Ray "Ray Ray" Lyle<td>33<td>2018 - free agent signing (re-signed in 2019)
<tr><td>FB<td>21<td>Lonnie Harless<td>25<td>2018 - free agent signing
<tr><td>FB<td>29<td>Quentin Malicki<td>31<td>2010 - drafted 74th overall in the 3rd round
<tr><td>TE<td>7<td>Darryl McDaniel<td>26<td>2014 - drafted 173rd overall in the 6th round
<tr><td>TE<td>85<td>Aaron Blake<td>26<td>2018 - free agent signing (re-signed in 2019)
<tr><td>TE<td>82<td>Marty Stewart<td>22<td>2019 - drafted 203rd overall in the 7th round
<tr><td>WR<td>86<td>Gabe Springer<td>26<td>2016 - drafted 8th overall in the 1st round
<tr><td>WR<td>84<td>Freddie Upshaw<td>23<td>2019 - drafted 42nd overall in the 2nd round
<tr><td>WR<td>89<td>Dean Fulton<td>29<td>2017 - free agent signing
<tr><td>WR<td>88<td>Xavier Marshall<td>24<td>2017 - drafted 95th overall in the 3rd round
<tr><td>WR<td>2<td>Cary Flowers<td>26<td>2014 - drafted 68th overall in the 3rd round
<tr><td>C<td>60<td>Keith Swift<td>23<td>2017 - drafted 92nd overall in the 3rd round
<tr><td>C<td>53<td>Donnie Steverson<td>30<td>2017 - trade acquitision
<tr><td>G<td>76<td>J.J. Reilly<td>30<td>2011 - drafted 75th overall in the 3rd round
<tr><td>G<td>61<td>Johnnie Griffin<td>27<td>2013 - drafted 111th overall in the 4th round
<tr><td>G<td>68<td>Grant Carlisle<td>23<td>2019 - drafted 125th overall in the 4th round
<tr><td>G<td>66<td>Junior Gomez<td>27<td>2019 - free agent signing
<tr><td>LT<td>64<td>Jesus X. Zuccolotto<td>30<td>2017 - trade acquitision
<tr><td>LT<td>65<td>Ronald Dole<td>22<td>2019 - trade acquisition
<tr><td>LT<td>69<td>Quinn England<td>28<td>2014 - trade acquisition
<tr><td>OT<td>62<td>J.R. Franklin<td>28<td>2019 - trade acquisition
<tr><td>DE<td>94<td>Broderick Amadro<td>24<td>2018 - drafted 141st overall in the 5th round
<tr><td>DE<td>98<td>Jermaine Burks<td>26<td>2018 - free agent signing (franchise tag in 2019)
<tr><td>DE<td>93<td>Roman Waldroup<td>25<td>2016 - drafted 79th overall in the 3rd round
<tr><td>DE<td>73<td>Luther Hansen<td>29<td>2012 - drafted 94th overall in the 3rd round
<tr><td>DT<td>97<td>Maurice Sawyer<td>32<td>2017 - trade acquitision
<tr><td>DT<td>74<td>Keith Mathews<td>26<td>2016 - drafted 62nd overall in the 2nd round
<tr><td>ILB<td>59<td>Jeffrey Watson<td>30<td>2017 - trade acquitision
<tr><td>ILB<td>58<td>Alonzo Sales<td>24<td>2017 - drafted 153rd overall in the 5th round
<tr><td>ILB<td>52<td>Fernando Turnbull<td>26<td>2017 - free agent signing
<tr><td>OLB<td>96<td>Fernando Reese<td>30<td>2014 - trade acquisition
<tr><td>OLB<td>55<td>Dale Everhart<td>32<td>2018 - free agent signing (re-signed in 2019)
<tr><td>OLB<td>91<td>Lee Burns<td>29<td>2012 - drafted 155th overall in the 5th round
<tr><td>OLB<td>56<td>Dwight Kurpeikis<td>23<td>2018 - drafted 74th overall in the 3rd round
<tr><td>OLB<td>99<td>Omar Bitkowski<td>24<td>2018 - free agent signing
<tr><td>CB<td>27<td>Randall Allen<td>28<td>2019 - trade acquisition
<tr><td>CB<td>38<td>Ben Greer<td>32<td>2019 - trade acquisition
<tr><td>CB<td>33<td>Ray Sanderson<td>25<td>2016 - free agent signing (rookie)
<tr><td>CB<td>40<td>Dave Castillo<td>24<td>2017 - drafted 205th overall in the 7th round
<tr><td>CB<td>39<td>Warren Pennell<td>26<td>2015 - free agent signing (rookie)
<tr><td>CB<td>26<td>Hurt Daddy Gaines<td>24<td>2018 - drafted 81st overall in the 3rd round
<tr><td>S<td>35<td>Eddie Cole<td>32<td>2011 - drafted 70th overall in the 3rd round
<tr><td>S<td>42<td>Sherman McDaniel<td>29<td>2019 - free agent signing
<tr><td>S<td>44<td>Brian Campbell<td>24<td>2017 - drafted 152nd overall in the 5th round
<tr><td>S<td>45<td>Kennedy Gillespie<td>34<td>2014 - trade acquisition
<tr><td>K<td>6<td>J.T. Linquist<td>27<td>2016 - free agent signing
<tr><td>K<td>8<td>Al Bettis<td>35<td>2006 - free agent signing (rookie)
<tr><td>P<td>11<td>Sean Smalley<td>33<td>2008 - drafted 63rd overall in the 2nd round</table>

Quarterbacks
Still our guy is Flannery. He's getting up there in age, but still has that strong arm and decission making skills. And that interception proneness. South thinks it's about time to get the starting job, but I disagree. I wouldn't mind giving him the ball, but I prefer to see where we go with Flan' first. The old man is on a mission to break a couple of league records in the career section. South has superior decission making skills, but has a weaker arm and is less accurate than Flan'. Francis was purely a mentor signing. With South having that ability too now, Francis became our short-term emergency quarterback. In fact, we might go out there and pickup a promising fourth quarterback during the season. We actually have a roster spot to spare...

Running backs
During training camp T-Bone showed flashes of being a better runner than he used to be. This season he's going to be a 15-carries back. Evjen was supposed to become our feature back, hence spending the summer Solecismique. But Evjen fails to make progress. Depending on my mood he's either the #2 or #3 option. Mallon is a punt returner first, a running back second. Yet, Mallon has proven to be a ypc type of back. Ray Ray is the big name here. He's still got some of his speed, but has a clear case of fumblitis, which made me decide to push him back to the #4 role, which is usually an inactive player.

Fullbacks and Tight ends
I'm quite pleased with Harless and Malicki. Harless is a skilled run blocker, technically even the most gifted in the league. Malicki is a welcome backup to him, still having the skills to play ball. D.McDaniel has become our clearcut starter, even though he never reached his potential in run blocking skills. Blake is actually the overall better blocker, but for cohesion reasons I prefer McDaniel's sticky receiving hands. Blake is also our long snapper. Stewart isn't exactly what I hoped he would be. He's still very green in run blocking experience. I'm not sure he's going to be with us in 2020.

Wide receivers
The star of the team is Springer. He's been a beast and posted three straight 100-catch seasons. Upshaw looks promising to me. He's got the speed and agility combo I like in receivers. Fulton is even faster than Upshaw, but doesn't have the creativity and hands to be a anymore than a 750-yard receiver. He makes a fine #3 guy. Marshall never lived up to the hype, but does seem to be a good in 3+ receiver formations and also serves as a kickoff return alternative. Flowers is still just that: a return man.

Centers and guards
For a late third round pick, Swift turned out to be quite okay. Low on power and stamina, but makes up with his technique. Steverson backs up Swift, but also serves in our rotation at the guard positions. Reilly and Griffin remain as our starters at guard. Carlisle is green, but has the looks of a Griffin-like lineman. J.Gomez appears to be a nice backup option, but in the first bunch of games has been a bit of a weak spot when given a chance to play.

Offensive Tackles
With Dole out for the season, we're down to only three guys. Zuccolotto is as good as any other left tackle in the league, aside from the true elite guys. He fits nicely in the Merchantmen left tackle tradition. England has never lived up to the hype of being a true pass blocking star, but does start because of Dole's injury. Franklin was acquired to play the right side, but father time came along and told him he's backup material from here on.

Defensive Linemen
I really like the Amadro and Burks duo here. They're both very fast and have the technique to go around the tackles and pressure the passer. Waldroup is still in the mix for the end slots due to his superior run defending skills. Hansen remains to be a solid backup option as a pass rusher. Sawyer is a typical Charles Gomez look-a-like: an all-round talented defender. Mathews is mostly a run stuffer, which is the key ability a defensive tackle should have. I don't worry if he has to start as our nosetackle.

Linebackers
Playing a 3-4 defense these days, we brought along seven linebacker. Bitkowski doesn't count as he entered the season on injured reserve for a pre-season injury. Reese is our run stuffer on the strong side, Everhart our blitz-backer. In between, Sales is our top run defender. Watson is the allround middle man, while Turnbull has enough skills to be a reliable backup. Burns also has the speed to play blitz-backer, while Kurpeikis is quietly turning into a solid run-stuffer, who can be relied on when forced onto the field.

Cornerbacks
With Allen and Greer we have a shutdown star duo. If it wasn't for the San Antonio Volunteers' younger tandem, these guys would be considered as the best cornerback duo in the league. Sanderson is our premier backup, based on his man-to-man and zone defense skills. Castillo and Pennell are our nickelback and dimeback, because both have superb ballhawking skills. Gaines would have missed the cut, had he not picked up a very minor injury in pre-season.

Safeties
We still rely on Cole as our strong safety. As we're trying to mingle more pass defense variaty in our game plan, Cole is a bit of a weakness now, being mostly a zone defender. Yet his run stopping skills make him an almost irreplacable guy. S.McDaniel was a welcome addition in the off-season. He's a complete pass defender. Campbell his quickly grown into being our rotation backup. He's got the man-to-man and zone defense skills to not be a weak spot on our defense. Gillespie has lost some of his speed and agilty, but remains to be a guy who knows how to force interceptions.

[fantastic flying froggies]

That Springer guy's a pretty decent WR, I'd say...

[MIJB#19]

Wow, nearly 4 years (real time) have passed by, which in FOF years in IHOF means no less than 17 seasons, including the "where were we?" 2019 season. As you can imagine, that's quite some time! I'll try to do what I did to start this second dynasty thread: recap all the seasons that have gone by and show where we are now.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2019

Off Season
It was time for change. Following two straight 6-10 seasons, clearly things were broken in Maassluis and needed fixing. Contrary to the usual wheeling and dealing, the off-season started with a much bigger change.

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude was shown the exit after 14 seasons. A tough decission, but inevitable. It became apparent that VDW wasn't able to keep his team disciplined enough, which kept resulting in truckloads of penalties. Costly penalties. So in came inexperienced Edward Wolfe (who went 5-11 with the Vicksburg Vipers in 2017) and coming with him was the Houston Outlaws' defensive coordinator, Les Adderly.

Defensive end Jermaine Burks was franchise tagged. A somewhat dumb move as it made his agent think he was worth star player money. For monthst the Merchantmen management and Burks' agents negotiated. End result: a two-year contract wort $25 million that made Burks a top ten player in highest salary. So much for that unwillingness to give defensive ends pay days...

But Burks was kept for a reason, the Merchantmen management wanted to keep him and 2018 rookie Broderick Amadro together as the pass rushing duo. To boost the defense, two big name cornerbacks with championships on their resume were brought in. Randall Allen left the Rochester Lake Monsters, while Ben Greer came over from the Fairbanks NorthStars. To complete a studly secondary, San Antonio Volunteers' safety Sherman McDaniel joined the Merchantmen on a one-year $7 million contract. More trades and free agent signings happened, but those were just for depth.

The draft brought along two new starters. Wide receiver Freddie Upshaw was taken in the second round to fill big shoes. Vince McAlister suffered a career ending knee injury in the 2018 season, creating a huge gap on the Merchantmen offense.

Left tackle Ronald Dole was the other draft day addition to te starting lineup. Dole was originally taken in the first round by the Georgia Gridlock, but for mysterious reasons they felt the need to trade him right away for a low third round pick. The Merchantmen lived up to their reputation and quickly jumped into the trade opportunity. Only to second guess themselves two games into the regular season after Dole was carried off the field with a compound leg fracture. End of season and a likely miss of spring training as well.

The other big news in the off-season were the hold outs of quarterback Louie Flannery and linebacker Fernando Reese. But both were quickly talked into signing a new deal and reported in Maassluis for training camp. Roster cut day ended not only Vince McAlister's stay in Maassluis, but also running back Tommy 'Free' Wheeler. The Merchantmen decided to put more carries on T-Bone (Tom Bone) and go from five to four running backs. The second shocking release was of Winston Van Pelt. The long snapper was released after 10 seasons of service and replaced by Aaron Blake.

Season
to be continued...Maassluis Merchantmen 2019

Season
The regular season kicked off with a nice bang. Gabe Springer enmassed 16 catches for 229 yards and 2 scores in his Merchantmen debut against the Paris Musketers. Louie Flannery connected for no less than 364 yards and 4 touchdowns. Things looked bright and hopeful. A week three 24-13 victory at the North Plainfield Plague made an even bigger promise. The Merchantmen looked ready to break back into the upperechelon of teams.

Well, not quite. After a 2-1 start, the Merchantmen lost 8 games straight. Naturally, six of those were by a single score. And as to be expected with the Merchantmen, of the final five games, four were won. It meant the difference in draft position, but by now people know that the Merchantmen don't care for that late in the season. The end results was just a 6-10 record and a surprisingly high 6th overall pick for the 2020 draft, winning tie-breakers over six other 6-10 teams.

For the first time in his career, Springer actually missed some games, but in 13 games he still posted 105 catches for 1,379 yards and 9 touchdowns. Rookie Freddie Upshaw proved to be a useful #2 receiver, recording 75 receptions for 773 yards and 6 scores. Louie Flannery had an okay season, but also finished his 14th season with a career low of 12 games played.

The European division was won by the Bordeaux Vineyards with a 9-7 record. Divisional record seperated them from the Gothenburg Giants, whom also finished at 9-7. The Merchantmen finished third, with a 6-10 record, holding off the Paris Musketeers on divisional record as well. The Vineyards proved to be playoffs unworthy, getting demolished 59-21 by the 10-6 Tucker Tigers. The Tigers lost 38-31 in the next round at the 13-3 op seeded Syracuse Mohawks. In turn, the Mohawks lost at the 12-4 Houston Mustangs 44-13. In their second season in Houston, the Mustangs already march into the IHOF Bowl! The 13-3 Asheville Axemen eventually won IHOF Bowl XVI with a 28-26 score, the game-winning play being a Lamont Holm interception at the Axemen 23-yard line with a minute left to play.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2020

Off Season
The 2020 off-season became a turning point in Merchantmen history. With the 6th overall pick in hand, management was convinced that it would be possible to move up to the number one overall pick and to select Russell Harrison, an impressive Navy quarterback. The San Antonio Volunteers were the trade partners and settled for thatc 6th overall pick and the 2021 first round pick, which surely would be a high one, considering the change to a new quarterback. It started talk about whether Harrison would get the start from the get go, like Louie Flannery did back in the day, or that Flannery would get another season to show his skill, since he decided to stick around.

The off-season saw the departure of several key players, especially in the secondary with the legendary Ben Greer leaving after just one season in Maassluis, safety Kennedy Gillespie joining Greer into retirement and safety Sherman McDaniel walking away as a free agent. Running back Ray Ray Lyle retired, but never really made an impact in Maassluis, guard J.J. Reilly decided that he wasn't going to be a pass protector for a new quarterback and also quit. But possibly most notably was the release of Al Bettis, the best kickoff kicker in IHOF history.

To fill some of the empty holes, the Merchantmen acquired All IHOF guard Phillip Hastings from the Syracuse Mohawks for a third round pick, drafted satey Jimmy Chellino, kicker Paul Welker, tight end/long snapper Rondell Bowers, third round pick defensive end Roosevelt McCarthy and grabbed a steal in blitz backer Todd Clemens in the seventh round. Wide receiver Vince McAllister returned as a free agent, but didn't survive roster cuts.

Leading up to the regular season, the main decission was whom to make the quarterback. After investing the first overall pick on Russell Harrison, it seemed obvious to go with the rookie, but Flannery was still the better passer of the two. Everett South stuck around to mentor Harrison, as Flannery proved to be incapable of doing such a favor. Shortly before opening day, the Merchantmen announced that a decission was made. Russell Harrison would be the 2020 opening day starter.

Season
Harrison's debut game proved to be a disappointment. In a loaded Oranje Haven, Harrison at times looked rusty and saw three of his passes intercepted, including one late in the fourth quarter that was returned for a touchdown, as the Merchantmen were rallying to come back from 21-19 behind. Despite the picks, Harrison had a decent game, completing 28 of his 41 attempts for 282 yards and 2 scores. Gabe Springer showed a good connection with the new passer, catching 11 passes for 117 yards. Following the 28-26 loss to the Gohenburg Giants, the next game was lost 35-14 at the Outer Banks Ospreys. Harrison had a respectable performance, completing 17 of 22 passes for 164 yards and a score, with one pass intercepted.

The next seven games included five on the road. The Merchantmen recorded wins at Boston and Georgia, but lost the other five games. The 42-10 hammering at the 2018 champions Orlando was an eye-opener. Gabe Springer was missing and it showed that the wide receiver was crucial for any chance to win a game. But in true Merchantmen spirit, the team wasn't disorted from the 2-7 record. In a 45-17 demolition of the Gothenburg Giants, Harrison and Springer connected 14 times for 157 yards and 3 scores. And one week later, the Merchantmen fans saw progress for Harrison as he recorded his first home game victory. In a second half comeback, Harrison guided his team from a 13-0 deficit towards a 28-19 victory over the reigning IHOF champions, the Asheville Axemen. A breakout game of sorts, especially given that Springer was held to 69 yards and scoreless by the Axemen defense.

The Merchantmen finished the season 7-9 losing the final game to the Paris Musketeers. Paris won the division at 9-7, but the Merchantmen finished a respectable second, but improved only one win compared to the previous three 6-10 seasons. After the slow start, 'Rusty' Harrison earned rookie of the year honors as he completed 375 of his 565 passes (66.4 percent) for 3,877 yards, 27 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Springer had 116 receptions for 1,413 yards and 12 touchdowns with eight 100-yard performances.

Overall, the AOC was on an off year, as only four teams finished the season with a winning record. The Paris Musketeers (9-7) survived the wild card round with a 14-10 victory over the Syracuse Mohawks (8-8). In the conference semi finals, the Fort Worth Fury (10-6) needed a field goal in overtime to win 23-20. The Fury lost the AOC Championship game to the Tucker Tigers (13-3) 23-21. The Tigers had to take a road-game route, finishing second in the Southeast division behind the Orlando Knights (14-2) and subsequently derailed the Knights 42-35 in the conference semi's. In IHOF Bowl XVII the Tigers defeated the defending champions, as the Asheville Axemen (12-4) had no solution to wide receiver Kenny Delgado's 9 receptions for 137 yards.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2021

Off Season
After the change of seasons, the Merchantmen were relieved that only one player decided to quit the game: left tackle Jesus X Zuccolotto. The merchantmen decided not to address that position, thinking that Quinn England would be able to make from the right to the left, with Ronald Dole playing on the right side. On the inside center Brent Hickman was acquired from thre Boulder Blizzard for a third round pick. On the line, fullback Quentin Malicki was released after many years of service and replaced by fourth year veteran Luke Campbell.

The most important part of the team, the skill positions on offense, were improved. The Merchantmen sent a third round pick to the Vicksburg Vipers for their starting running back Bryant Rickman, with T-Bone dropping a slot in the depth chart. Quarterback Russell Harrison made good progress in training camp and was happy to have the same guys behind him on the chart. Veteran tight end Darryl McDaniel failed to make the final cut, as the team decided to go back to three tight ends.

Other notable chances were seen at punter, where Sean Smalley was replaced by rookie J.R. Copeland, a second round pick. Safety Martin Clayton was hired as a free agent to become the new punt returner. At linebacker Deoin Van Verth was signed as a free agent to play in the middle of the 3-4, replacing the released veteran Fernado Turnbull.

Season
Following the surprisingly decent 2020 campaign, expectations were higher than the past few seasons. The Harrison to Springer connection was said to have the potential to become one of the best in the league in the near future. But any hopes for that coming true in 2021 were overal after just one game. A couple of plays into game two of the regular season, Gabe Springer had one of his hamstrings snap and was ruled out for the rest of the season, ending the year with just 12 catches for 122 yards and 2 scores, all from one game of action. To add to the horror, Harrison also left the week two game early, with an ice pack on his sore knee. Despite a nice 2-0 start - with a 20-17 win at the Bordeaux Vineyards and a 27-17 win over the Frederick Red Menace - the season was already tagged a lost season. Running back Rickman proved to me a bit of a mis match and lost his starting job to T-Bone five games into the season. The passing game severly missed left tackle Zuccolotto and the Offensive line allowed 26 sacks of Harrison in 14 games, a huge setback after only 14 sacks in the previous season.

In the following 15 weeks of the season, the Merchantmen disappointed heavily and managed to record only 3 more wins and lost 11 games, their worst season since the innaugural IHOF season. Despite that, the overall level of football played in the European division was abmyssal and the Merchantmen were still in the division title race for a long time. In fact, after week 13 Maassluis was only 4-8, but still lead the division on tie-breakers over Gothenburg and Bordeaux, with Paris just one game behind the rest.

Eventually the Gothenburg Giants (8-8) crowned themselves European champions with a four-game winning streak to finish the regular season. In the wild card round they actually had a shot at upsetting the visiting Georgia Gridlock (12-4), but turnovers haunted them and forced them into a 40-21 loss. The Gridlock survived another road game, winning 35-20 at the Vicksburg Vipers (12-4). In the AOC Championship game, the Girdlock choked a 9-point lead late in the fourth quarter and lost 31-30 on a 49-yard field goal with just over a minute left to play. The Tucker Tigers (12-4) repeated as AOC champions, but despite an once again on-fire Kenny Delgado fell to the Chesapeake Chitterlings (13-3). It marked the Chitterlings first IHOF Championship in their sixth IHOF Bowl appearance.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2022

Off Season
After 16 seasons of service, the Merchantmen said goodbye to Louie Flannery. All in all, he played 239 regular season games for the Merchantmen, throwing for 47,472 yards, 327 touchdowns and 223 interceptions. He came a season short of the magic 50K mark, but also goes down for his infamy as an interceptions thrower. Flannery guided the Merchantmen to one AOC Championship game in four playoffs campaigns. He was joined into retirement by long-time rotation defensive end Luther Hansen and veteran guard Phillip Hastings.

Hastings' departure lead to further revaming of the offensive line after last season's disasters. Veteran Johnnie Griffin was released and in the lineup replaced by Casey Kappers, who joined the Merchantmen in 2020 as an undrafted rookie. The big fishes of the off-season were guard Reuben Perez and tackle Harold Lucas. Perez was acquired for a third round pick from the Miami Sharks and was regarded as an elite interior lineman. Lucas was argued to be the best offensive lineman to play in IHOF, holding championship rings with the Boston Rhinons and Orlando Knights (two rings), and joined as a free agent. Another key free agent signing was quarterback Patrick McDonnell, as an insurance policy in case Harrison shows injury proneness.

Despite the 5-11 record, the Merchantmen held only the eight overall draft pick in the draft. Attempts to trade down failed and cornerback Greg Proehl was their choice of player. Later on, the Merchantmen added young defensive lineman with Donnie Sinclair as a third round pick and run stuffing tackle Winston Tanaka as a late round selection. Pass rusher Tyrus Willis joined as a rookie free agent.

Season
The Merchantmen started the 2022 season with a visit to the Paris Musketeers. In a close game, the Merchantmen forced overtime, but running back Bryant Rickman funbled the ball early and the Musketeers replied with a succesful field goal attempt. A week later, the Merchantmen bounced back with another fourth quarter rally, to come down from 14-0 behin and win in overtime over the Albuquerque Wrong Turns, also on an early fumble being replied by a succesful field goal. A couple of freak games that set the tone for the first half of the season.

The next bunch of games were as much of a rollercoaster as the first two, losing one game and winning another. The trend continued throughout the first 10 games of the season, including four convincing wins over the San Antonio Volunteers (31-3), at the Houston Mustangs (27-17), at the Fort Worth Fury (28-10) and the Gothenburg Giants (38-7), but also four disappointing home game losses at the hands of Syracuse, Vicksburg, Paris and Bordeaux. The final five games the Merchantmen looked uninspired and lost all of them.

With the loss in the final game, the Merchantmen dropped to fourth place in the division with a 5-11 record, not quite what was expected with the personnel around. The Paris Musketeers (10-6) won the division and joined a playoffs field crowded with 10-win teams. Paris actually received a bye into the second round and beat the Orlando Knights (10-6) 28-21 to reach the AOC Championship game. The Boston Rhinos (10-6) were the visiting opponents and completed a three-on-the-road series with a 40-28 score. In IHOF Bowl XIX Boston played the juggernaut of the season, the Asheville Axemen (15-1). Despite their regular season play and a productive second quarter, the Axemen struggled in second half and needed an unanswered fourth quarter touchdown to win 34-31. It marked Asheville's second championship in four season, also losing another IHOF Bowl in between.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2023

Off Season
The first news of the 2023 campaign was the retirement of Harold Lucas after just one season in Maassluis. He was joined by defensive tackle Maurice Sawyer and backup running back Bryant Rickman. To re-boost the team, the Merchantmen were holding the fifth overall pick, but after the selection of cornerback Proehl last season, what good would come from that?

The Merchantmen management worked the phones and traded down from fifth to eighth and then nineth overall. In the process they added enough fodder to make a couple of blod moves. The nineth pick was used to select wide receiver Terry Thomason, a speedy receiver who should become an awesome one-two with Gabe Springer. With the added fodder, the Merchantmen managed to acquire the 15th and 20th overall picks to select linebacker R.J. Knight and defensive tackle Andy Cottle respectively. Offensive tackle Pete Jamison was acquired for a second round pick from Orlando and the Merchanmen looked ready to make strides.

Not so fast, a day or two before the first game, the Merchantmen improved their offense by sending future first and second roud picks to the Neverland Ranch Hands for running back Stanley Givens. With Harrison, Givens, Springer and Thomason, the Merchantmen had collected a tremendous quartet of skill players.

Season
The Merchantmen marched into the regular season with three straight victories. The Gothenburg Giants were beaten on the road in the opening game, with both Givens and Thomason scoring their first two touchdowns for the Merchantmen. In week two the Superior Intellects had an answer to the Merchantmen offense, 'Rusty' Harrison had to run a touchdown in by himself to force overtime and in overtime the speacial teams unit won it with a blocked punt recovery in the end zone. The third game before the bye week was a 31-17 thumping of the Fort Worth Fury.

After the bye, the Merchantmen lost a barnburner to the Tucker Tigers, 38-35. Harrison was tossing touchdown passes left and right, Givens was racking 100-yard games and Springer, Thomason and Freddie Upshaw were making the recptions. Despite the loss, the Merchantmen proved to be a potent team. The Merchantmen stumbled on the Goergia Gridlock in week 6, losing 20-14, but the 477 total yards on offense. From there on, the 'Air Show' continued for the Merchantmen. A 3-interception game against the Paris Musketeers was won 34-23, and in week 8 the Snapfinger Jazz were demolished 38-21. But disaster struck as well, with 6 minutes left to play, Harrison went to the ground after a late hit and a shoulder injury would rule him out for the next six games.

At that point, the arrival of Parick McDonnell a season earlier proved worthy. The Merchantmen struggled at first, barely winning at the Bordeaux Vineyards (41-34) and losing at the Orlando Knight (24-17). In week 11, McDonnell found his swing, and mostly Gabe Springer. McDonnell threw for 460 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 267 yards and 3 touchdowns to Springer, in a 55-14 demolishion of the Gothenburg Giants. The Chicago Norsemen (23-20), North Plainfield Plague (27-17) and Minnesota Miners (20-7) were also beaten.

On Rusty Harrison's return, the Merchantmen were 10-3 with the division title pretty much clinched. In one and a half quarter against the Bordeaux Vineyards, Harrison threw five touchdown passes, before getting injured and replaced midway through the game. The Merchantmen ended up winning 55-7, with both Harrison and McDonnell throwing for 200 yards and multiple scores. McDonnell then guided the Merchantmen to a 42-17 win over the Muscatine Mosquitoes, but in the final game, with Harrison back, the Merchantmen choked a 20-7 lead against the Paris Musketeers to lose 24-20 there and miss out on a bye week, despite a 12-4 record.

The Merchantmen did end the regular season as European division champions, scoring a league high 507 points. The Paris Musketeers (10-6) finshed second, but miss the playoffs, in a top-heavy AOC, with all playoff teams being 11-5 or better. No less than seven teams in IHOF finished with a 12-4 record, not counting the 14-2 Rochester Lake Monsters. Individually, Harrison and McDonnell both topped 2,000 yards with 20+ touchdown passes and 6 interceptions each. Givens scored 19 touchdowns, Springer and Thomason 12 each, with Springer also IHOF's second in receiving with 1,669 yards.

In the wild card round, the Merchantmen were to host the Tucker Tigers (12-4). The Tigers scored first, but the air show quickly replied and took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Paul Welker missed a field goal, but converted another late in the second quarter for a 10-6 half time lead. After a Stanley Givens touchdown run, Maassluis extended the lead, but apparently that also woke the Tigers up. Kenny Delgado scored a touchdown, then Harrison got intercepted, which led to another Tucker touchdown. Givens replied with his second touchdown run, banking on his 180 yards for the whole day. Late in the fourth quarter another Tucker touchdown turned things around, but with 150 seconds left, the Merchantmen were confident to score last. The Merchantmen marched towards the 5-yard line, but penalties pushed them back, Paul Welker was to attempt a 34-yard field goal to tie the score, but failed. A disappointing end for the best Merchantmen team to date.

The Tucker Tigers (12-4) failed to follow up on their win in Maassluis, losing 44-35 at the Rochester Lake Monsters (14-2). In the next round, the Lake Monsters struggled in the AOC Championship game and lost 20-10 to he Vicksburg Vipers (12-4) at home. IHOF Bowl XX looked like a good matchup with the Viscksburg Vipers (12-4) and Superior Intellects (12-4), but ended up being a painful loss for the Vipers, with turnovers in three of their first four possessions. Superior lived up to their name and won 38-10.

[MIJB#19]

That's it for now. As you can see, it takes almost 45 minutes per season to summarize. Five down, twelve more to go!

[MIJB#19]

Oh boy, that's 13 more season to recap. Y'know what? I'll postpone the recaps for a bit with a series of flashbacks. For know, I'll pick up where we are now: two days after IHOF Bowl XXXIII, the 2036 season league championship game.

[MIJB#19]

Start of the 2037 season retirement news

"Welcome to the 2037 season!" Yup, the IHOF is about to enter its 34th season since inception. Consequently, this will be the Maassluis Merchantmen's 34th season as well. The news of today is the retirement of four players players on roster and a couple of former Merchantmen that were released in the previous off-season. Who are calling it quits?

Wide receiver Travis May leaves Maassluis after four seasons. In the 2033 off-season, May was acquired from the Tucker Tigers in a trade for a first round pick, to boost the passing game after a series of disappointing 9-7 non-playoffs seasons. May played 52 regular season games for the Merchantmen, in which he scored 16 receiving touchdowns, excluding one score in the 2035 playoffs. May was a regular starter in his first two seasons, but failed to record a 1,000-yard season. In 2035 he played the WR3 role and last season May spent most of the game on the sidelines in his street clothes.

Defensive end Steven Clark leaves half a year after his 30th birthday. Selected in the 4th round of the 2029 season, he spent his entire IHOF career with the Merchantmen. Clark played 109 games and barring his first and last season was a regular player in the rotation mix. Clark was said to be a run stopping expert, usually bumping and pushing linemen to make room for the faster and bigger linemen.

Linebacker Harvey Owens was a 3rd round pick in the 2024 draft. Owens never emerged as a regular starter, playing second-string to the legendary middle linebacker R.J. Knight, but still spent 13 seasons on roster. He played in 175 regular season games and 10 playoffs games.

Defensive end Dwight 'Double' Dibble joined the Merchantmen through trade in the 2032 season. Dibble arrived after an All IHOF first team 14.0-sack season with the Neverland Ranch Hands, but never lived up to the hype. Dibble played and started in 76 regular season games, recording 26.5 sacks, with a season-high of 6.5. He ranks 10th overall in all-time sacks in Maassluis.

Defensive end Bryce Ferich joined the Merchantmen in the 2026 season as a 3rd round pick in the draft. Ferich was a large pass rusher, but never was a regular starter. In 10 seasons, Ferich was a regular player in the rotation and noted 30.0 sacks, which makes him rank tied for 7th all-time in Maassluis. Ferich left the Merchantmen in the 2036 pre-season, being a roster cuts casualty, and didn't get any calls from elsewhere in the IHOF.

Wide receiver J.J. Gabay was est known for his kickoff returning. Gabay joined the Merchantmen in 2028 as a 3rd roudn draft pick. Gabay played in 127 regular season games, missing just one game in an 8-season stint. In those games he scored 5 touchdowns, one of them on a kickoff return. Gabay still ranks second overall in kickoff return yardage for the Merchantmen. Gabay was a 2036 pre-season roster cuts casualty and failed to find a new team.

Running back Mark McConnell is the Maassluis Merchantmen's all time rushing touchdowns leader. McConnell was a late 5th round pick in the 2027 season, yet emerged as a suitable change of pace back from the start. In his fourth season he promoted into the starting lineup, posting his only 1,000-yard season, with 10 touchdowns and a stellar 5.1 yards per carry average. After the arrival of Darrin Keegan he returned to the second string and in 2035 he was demoted to an inactive role. McConnell played in 131 regular season games, scored 42 touchdowns, but is mostly known for his 277-yard single game performance in 2032 against the Tucker Tigers, which also marks the franchise high single game for all-purpose yards and yards from scrimmage.

Also leaving the game after less spectacular stints in Maassluis are quarterback Craig Porter (2 games, 1 start in 2035), wide receiver Lawrence Rendon (scored 3 touchdowns in 16 games in 2032), linebacker Arnie Drake (played 49 games in 2027-2030), linebacker Victor Clifton (played in all games in 2035), cornerback Rex Frisch (played 2 games in 2026), cornerback Colin Powell (emergency start in late 2035 season), cornerback Artie Plangeard (4 interceptions in 2031-2032), cornerback Arnie Sisco (emergency starter in 2035) and safety Leroy Powell (dimeback in 2033-2034).

All in all, we lose one starter (Dibble), three thrid-string backups (Clark, May and Owens) and saw three 2036 roster cuts casualties with second-tier roles in Maassluis leave the game. Thanks to all of them for their efforts!

[MIJB#19]

2037 start of the off-season overview

We're entering the 2037 off-season with 49 players on roster, 9 draft picks in hand and $21.11M negative cap space. Factoring n the draft picks, we're supposed to find $30.56M of cap room to start the season. We've got several key players with large salary figures signed long-term to have enough space potential to get under the cap. Here's our position by position breakdown. As per usual I'm rounding up/down to 5s.

Quarterback
QB: 60/60 Jay McGee, 35/35 Kerry Lewis, 15/25 Harry Osborne
McGee is roughly a top10 quarterback in talent, he's coming off his best season and now is in a last year of contract situation. We've got him signed for a $5.14 cap figure, which is peanuts for a starting quarterback of his caliber. Odds are that he'll go into hold out mode if we don't give him a new contract and I suspect he'll ask for something like $15M-20M per season over 3 or 4 years. Barring cap miracles, we'll have trouble to afford that. McGee doesn't have a strong arm, yet showed an ability to connect with the gazelles around him, especially with two new starters last season. Also, in recent years seems to have gotten rid of his turnover proneness, except for recent playoff games that is...
Behind McGee we have Osborne and Lewis, in that order in my opinion. Osborne was our 2035 third round pick and made some improvements while riding the bench, but is yet to live up to his very decent combine scores. In limited action (3 games) he played good, but far from great. I was tempted to push him into the satrting role last season, but McGee finally picked it up when he got a couple of new receivers and Osborne could be left to waiting for when McGee becomes unaffordable. Lewis has been our kick holder and emergency quarterback for 8 seasons and I won't worry if for whatever reason we'll have to see him throw the ball for the first time in his career.

Backfield
RB: 70/70 Darrin Keegan, 35/40 Alfred Brew, 20/25 J.T. Patterson
FB: 50/50 Albert Shalon, 45/45 Aaron Carter
Keegan is entering his 6th season and I won't be surprised if he's going to lose some of his speed. In his first five seasons with us we've let him carry the ball quite a lot, with a 264-carry figure as his minimum. We've been blessed that he missed only 3 games so far, but has slowly turned into a bit of a fumbler as well (10 last season). Keegan remains reliable at 4.7 yards per carry and is destined to become our all-time rushing leader.
Patterson is mostly here as one of our two kickoff return specialists. Last season we promoted him from no-carrier to change of pace back. I don't really think much of his running skills, he's basically just an elusive guy. Brew is also elusive and has hole recognition as well. He was a stellar RB2 in 2035, with a 4.7 average and 100-yard performances in his two career starts. Perhaps he deserves more credit after that and should be back as our RB2 in 2037. Both Patterson and Brew will have to be talked with for a contract extention, being in their last years.
Carter is our blocking fullback, Shalon is basically our 3rd down back. Shalon converts roughly 2/3rd of his 3rd down carries for a 1st down, which makes him one of the best in league history. forecasting training camp, I expect both of the to look worse than before.

Tight end
TE: 40/40 D.J. Cahill, 35/35 J.T. Hall, 10/10 Rusty Arpaci
Cahill was our 1st round pick for us 7 seasons ago and always plays above his ratings, so to speak. We can basically expect 500 yards and 4 scores from him per season. Hall is a a pure run blocker and relaively new to the team, but is bound to lose some speed entering his 9th pro-season. Arpaci will enter his 13th season in IHOF, he's purely a long snapper and odds are I'll look for a replacement this off-season. Hall and Arpaci are both in a last-year situation and might be extended if they make the 53-men roster.

Wide receivers
WR: 50/50 Russell Holliday, 40/40 Terrell Haskell, 40/40 Casey Brown, 35/35 Adam Brautlacht, 30/30 Skip Dillon, 25/35 Charles Pomeranz
Haskell was our 6th overall draft pick last season and comes off a rookie of the year campaign. That's quite the feat in IHOF, as he's only the third wide receiver to ever get the award. Reality is that he won it because Harlem's running back Tommy Anthony got hurt mid-season. Haskell's overall 'ratings' are perceiving, he's got the getting downfield and big play talent to be a productive WR2. With Holliday around, Haskell was able to play that role well and lead the team in catches, yards and scores. Holliday is a reliable flanker and will occasionally draw the double coverage away from Haskell. Brautlacht has been a quality WR3 and will be in the mix for the punt return duties, which I might take him out of after a 5-fumble season. Dillon and Pomeranz are fast backups and can punish defenses for focussing on the top two guys too much. Second year player Pomeranz is a restriced free agent as he joined us on a one-year contract last season. Brown lacks the big-play ability to be considered into the mix, the sole reason to keep him has been about his gunner skills. He's a restricted free agent, but I'm undecided on whether we'll lock him up in the pre-draft free agency. Holliday is in his last year, but won't be talked with until after training camp because of his age.

Offensive line
C: 50/50 Arnie Croft, 40/60 B.J. Samuels, 40/40 Shawn Hudspeth
G: 90/90 Ricky Castillo, 50/50 Gilbert Rhodes, 50/50 Nate Hurnblad, 35/45 Julio Ferich
T: 75/75 Kerry Zumdahl, 50/50 Tom Bush, 50/50 Edwin Crangle
A quality unit, anchored by the most talented guard and second most talented left tackle in football. Bush is a tremendous run blocker, but we can change gears by putting Crangle in as a pass blocking expert. Rhodes and Hurnblad basically are a tag team, lacking stamina, but both being all around quality linemen. Croft is our starting center, Samuels is talented and Hudspeth is a 13th season veteran with plenty left in the tank to do well if we need him. We'll have to get around the table for extentions with Craft, Rhondes, Hurnblad and creepy Ferich.

Kickers
P: 65/65 Edward Rice
K: 60/60 Charles Anthony, 30/50 Al Beuvelot
Rice is a decent punter entering his 7th season in IHOF. No need to look elsewhere, barring injury or training camp disaster. Anthony is a top-notch kickoff returner and a very reliable short field goals kicker. We don't let him attempt many long kicks, but he's been able to go against the odds and kick 50-yarders at times. Beuvelot is a pure kickoff kicker and entering his second season. We drafted him as a potential replacement for Anthony, but didn't need him to play last season. Anthony turns 36 in the off-season, which for a kicker isn't extremly old. We've bot Beuvelot ready to step in, if needed, but we'd likely also need a true field goals and PAT kicker as well then.

Defensive line
DE: 40/40 Johnnie Warren
DT: 50/50 Ralph Campbell, 45/55 Jerome Tyson, 45/45 Brenden England, 35/40 Dwight Hutton, 30/30 Roger Finch
After Dibble and Clark both retired, we're short on true defensive ends. Warren has been a quality all-rounder, but we need a decent backup behind him because of his lack of endurance. England played that role last season, behing our DL5 and surprisingly being the most active lineman and getting all IHOF 1st team honors. Campbell and Tyson are all around players, with Campbell a potential target for ageing. Hutton is a run stoper and Finch a pure pass rusher. We'll have to add two defensive ends in the off-season to cover the losses of Dibble and Clark. We'll need one of them to be a pass rusher, even though we're still pretty deep there with the returning bunch.

Linebackers
ILB: 40/55 Wesley Devine, 40/40 C.J. Boo
OLB: 80/80 Fred McCorkle, 30/30 Trent Kaiser, 25/25 Cole Dooley, 50/50 Butch VandenBosch
VandenBosch is out for the entire 2037 season, which means we're missing our WLB. McCorkle is the SLB for us, being arguably the most talented passing downs linebacker in football. Devine and Boo have both shown good play, with Devine the better pass defender and Boo being all around decent. Kaiser could be used as a blitzback. Dooley is a free agent after a late-season signing when both VDB and McCorkle were on IR. We might try to re-sign Dooley as a pass defending expert. At the very least we'll have to look into option for the replacement of VDB. Both Devine and Boo are talented enough to start, but I'd prefer Boo to play the LB4 role as backup to both the SLB and MLB, with Kaiser or Dooley as the second WLB option.

Secondary
CB: 60/60 Herman Hatton, 40/40 Tito Close, 35/50 Britt Rice, 35/35 Carlton Hall, 30/30 Winfred Alcott, 25/35 Bernie Gordon
S: 50/50 Thurman Hopper, 45/45 Perry Walker, 40/40 Quentin Gonzalez, 15/45 Xavier Witt
Hatton is good enough to be a shut-down corner. Close has been around long enough to be a good enough option at CB2, but don't be shocked if I'll try to improve our team once more at this position. Rice was a new signing last season and emerged as a decent nickelback and our premier kickoff returner. Hall missed most of last season and will miss the games before our open weekend this season as well. He might return incapable to return as our rotation backup CB. Gordon might be better suited to play safety, so I'm likely to switch him to that this off-season. Alcott is purely a punt returner and we actually didn't use him there last season.
Hopper is a quality free safety and is indisputable. Walker is our strong safety and is basically our weakest link in the pass coverage, I may demote him this off-seasn, but I'm undecided so far. Gonzalez was a very reliable dime back for us and is good enough to actually play free safety if needed. Witt is a special teamer and might be a better cornerback, so I'm opting to switch him to that.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen Ring Of Honor

Retroactively, I decided that any professional american football team isn't complete without a 'Ring of Honor'. My decission was to make it a limited club of players, meaning only one player can be entered at every start of the season. I decided that the ring of honor had to be started in 2014, as a celebration of ten years Maassluis Merchantmen. I wanted the candidacy to be as objective as possible, laying down the following ground rules:
1. a player is eliglible as soon as he is retired. This means a player that retired at the start of the 2037 off-season can be introduced into the Ring of Honor immediately.
2. players with 10 seasons of service with 100 or more starts, including playoffs games, are automatic candidates, have priority over non-qualifying players and will all eventually be inducted. The order in which they are introduced is subjective and based on 'likeability' factor.
3. if there are no candidates based on the 100+10 rule, a player with exceptional talent and achievements will be introduced into the Ring of Honor. Again the 'likeability' factor will be there as a subjective tie-breaker.

In effect, most players introcuded will have met the 100+10 rule, some of them will have been on the waiting list for a couple of seasons. To put into perspective, entering the 2037 season, 22 different players have met the 100+10 rule. One of them (Shawn Hudspeth) is still active. The 100+10 rule can be unrewarding to special teams specialists, which makes it that much more important for them to do exceptionally well. At the same time it makes sure only those that played at a very high level of football and spent a majority of their career in Maasssluis will be honored.

The (retroactive) list of players inducted includes:
<table border=1><tr><td>year<td width=175>player<td><font size=1>Write up (* denotes non-member of 100+10)
<tr><td>2014<td>28 RB Randy Harris<td><font size=1>* Starting running back for 6 seasons. Four 1,000-yard seasons and 46 touchdowns. Scored the first IHOF touchdown in Oranje Haven. Franchise high 7,151 rushing yards (through 2036).
<tr><td>2015<td>78 DT Charles Gomez<td><font size=1>Starting nose tackle for 11 seasons. Six-time All IHOF 1st or 2nd teamer. Franchise high 72.5 sacks, 43 blocked passes and 206 hurries (through 2036).
<tr><td>2016<td>47 CB Tai Wayne<td><font size=1>Starting cornerback for 10 seasons. Franchise high 135 defended passes (through 2036). Franchise high 9 seasons with double-digit passes defended (through 2036). Member of the 2-deep zone defense.
<tr><td>2017<td>50 MLB Cody Cluff<td><font size=1>Starting inside linebacker for 13 seasons. IHOF and franchise high 1,350 tackles (through 2036, includes special teams tackles prior to 2013 season). Franchise high 3 interception return touchdowns (through 2036). Legend of the Game.
<tr><td>2018<td>46 SS Lincoln Gilmore<td><font size=1>Starting strong safety for 9 seasons. Formed the defense's backbone with Gomez and Cluff in the first decade. Key member of the 2-deep zone defense.
<tr><td>2019<td>54 C Brant Heinrich<td><font size=1>Starting center for 9 1/2 seasons. Franchise second-most 218 key run blocks. Allowed 33 sacks in 4385 pass plays.
<tr><td>2020<td>87 WR Bryce Ewald<td><font size=1>Starting wide receiver for 8 1/2 seasons. Scored franchise first touchdown. Career 498 catches for 6,859 yards. Scored 44 touchdowns.
<tr><td>2021<td>56 OLB Bernie Surry<td><font size=1>Starting linebacker for 6 1/2 seasons. First late round draft pick to reach 100 starts +10 years on roster. Member of the 2-deep zone defense.
<tr><td>2022<td>14 QB Louie Flannery<td><font size=1>Starrting quarterback for 15 seasons. Franchise high 47,472 passing yards and 327 passing touchdowns (through 2036). Franchise high single-game 6 touchdown passes (through 2036).
<tr><td>2023<td>86 TE Jim Reiser<td><font size=1>Starting tight end for 6 1/2 seasons. Franchise high 541 catches for 5,025 yards and 34 touchdowns receiving for non-wide receivers (through 2036). Flannery's favorite target.
<tr><td>2024<td>35 SS Eddie Cole<td><font size=1>Starting safety for 6 1/2 seasons. Successor of Lincoln Gilmore. Franchise fourth-most 726 tackles (through 2036). Franchise high 4 defensive touchdowns (through 2036).
<tr><td>2025<td>63 LT Ivan Jacques<td><font size=1>* Starting left tackle for 8 seasons. Allowed only 23 sacks in 3,643 pass plays. Franchise high 178 key run blocks for non-centers (through 2036).
<tr><td>2026<td>81 WR Alfredo Basso<td><font size=1>* Starting wide receiver for 3 seasons. First player with 1,000-yard season. 1,000-yard receiver in all three seasons on roster.
<tr><td>2027<td>20 RB Stanley Givens<td><font size=1>* Starting running back for 3 1/2 seasons. Franchise high single-game 5 non-passing touchdowns (through 2036). Carried team into playoffs in all four seasons on team.
<tr><td>2028<td>86 WR Gabe Springer<td><font size=1>Starting wide receiver for 10 seasons. Franchise high nine 1,000-yard seasons (through 2036). Franchise high 1,077 catches, 14,531 receiving yards and 105 receiving touchdowns (through 2036). Franchise high 106 non-passing touchdowns (through 2036). Franchise high signle game 267 receiving yards (through 2036).
<tr><td>2029<td>27 CB Randall Allen<td><font size=1>* Starting cornerback for 5 seasons. Double-digit passes defended in each of his five seasons on roster.
<tr><td>2030<td>84 WR Freddie Upshaw<td><font size=1>Starting wide receiver for 5 1/2 seasons. Franchise third-most 604 catches, 7,539 receiving yards and 47 receiving touchdowns (through 2036).
<tr><td>2031<td>87 TE Rondell Bowers<td><font size=1>Starting tight end for 7 seasons. Second late round draft pick to reach 100 starts +10 years on roster.
<tr><td>2032<td>48 S Jimmy Chellino<td><font size=1>Starting safety for 11 1/2 seasons. Franchise high 26 interpetions (through 2036). Franchise high 766 tackles for non-linebackers (through 2036). Legend of the Game.
<tr><td>2033<td>77 G Casey Kappers<td><font size=1>Starting guard for 8 1/2 seasons. Allowed only 20 sacks in 3,749 pass plays.
<tr><td>2034<td>52 MLB R.J. Knight<td><font size=1>Starting middle linebacker for 10 1/2 seasons. Franchise second-most 978 tackles (through 2036). Franchise high 28 forced fumbles (through 2036).
<tr><td>2035<td>5 QB 'Rusty' Harrison<td><font size=1>Starting quarterback for 11 seasons (twice 1/2 a season). One of two quarterbacks to win offensive rookie of the year. Franchise second most 33,162 passing yards and 266 passing touchdowns (through 2036). Franchise only 1st overall draft pick.
<tr><td>2036<td>80 WR Terry Thomason<td><font size=1>Starting wide receiver for 12 1/2 seasons. Franchise second-most 842 catches, 11,996 receiving yards, 91 receiving touchdowns (through 2036). Franchise high single-game 4 receiving touchdowns (through 2036).
<tr><td>2037<td>92 DT Andy Cottle<td><font size=1>Starting defensive tackle for 12 1/2 seasons. Franchise second-most 44.5 sacks, 42 blocked passes and 128 hurries (through 2036). Legend of the Game.
</table>

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen hire new lead scout

Today the Maassluis Merchantmen announced the signing of Erik Cheshier as their new lead scout. Cheshier is new to IHOF and brings young blood to the office as a 37-year old staff member. Cheshier takes over from Thomas Lowe, whom spent only one season on the Merchantmen staff. General Manager M.IJ.B. explained: "We thank Thomas (Lowe) for his hard work to discover Terry Haskell, amongst others. This season we're looking in different positions and we have faith in Cheshier to fill the role in many years to come."

The Merchantmen are known for out of nowhere staff changes. Prior to the 2036 season, the entire coaching and scouting staff was replaced, despite that the team snapped a drought of playoffs-less seasons. Rumor has it that former IHOF Coach of the Year Pete Hernandez is on the hot seat and the Merchantmen are looking for a significantly younger replacement. Gossip News reports that former Merchantmen cornerback Myron Stevens has been interviewed recently, but for now all eyes are on Jeremy Monroe.

The jobs of coordinators Joe Boulware and Nick Jennings are said to be save. Both are former IHOF pro football players and have been praised for bringing that additional experience into the team. Offensive Coordinator Boulware ran over 10,000 yards in IHOF, whilst Defensive Coordinator Jennings has over 10,000 yards receiving on his resume.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen fire HC Hernandez

After a one-season spell, the Merchantmen already fired head coach Pete Hernandez. Despite an 10-6 season with a wild card round victory, the Merchantmen found Hernandez responsible for a high number of games where team discipline was horribly low. "Penalties were a big reason why we lost 6 games in the regular season," said General Manager M.IJ.B., "plus, it kept us from upsetting the Tucker Tigers."

As his replacement, the Merchantmen hired the 29 years younger unknown Jeremy Monroe. A short resume around the league resulted in surprising results, claiming Monroe is one of the worst coaches in the league, but has a very good reputation in disciplining his team. The Merchantmen hope to groom Monroe and have him develop into being one of the best coaches in football.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2024

Off Season
Following the disappointing wild card round exit, the Merchantmen found themselves in a good spot to build on the previous season's success. Granted, no less than nine players retired and some of them had been reliable starters, like cornerback Randall Allen and center Ted Hickman. Others retiring were former starting wide receiver Dean Fulton, long time startering safety Eddie Cole, rotation starter/backup linebacker Fernando Reese, tight end Corwin Piniella and return specialists Cary Flowers, Byron Mallon and Warren Pennell.

With little cap space to work with, the Merchantmen focussed on keeping the key players together. With quarterbacks Rusty Harrison and Patrick McDonnell, running back Stanley Givens, wide receivers Gabe Springer, Terrry Thomason and Freddie Upshaw on offense. On defense the team relied especially on tackle Andy Cottle, linebackers R.J. Knight and safety Jimmy Chellino.

With a severly weakened selection of draft picks, the Merchantmen only acquired a couple of backup defensive backs in Burt Washington, Rick Jannot and undrafted Kent Burroughs, as well as linebacker Harvey Owens and undrafted kick holder/quarterback Alan Logan. Most notable free agency acquisitions were kickoff returner Horace Lowell and backup tight end Pete Fredrickson.

Season
All expectations for the 2024 season were severly hurt just minutes into the season. Quarterback Rusty Harrison suffered a severe hamstring injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the season. In relief, Patrick McDonnell was called upon, without too much fear for loss of performance after his amazing 2023 campaign. McDonnell lead the Merchantmen to a convincing 37-13 victory over the Bordeaux Vineyards, keeping the hopes for repeat of last season's success up.

In the next stretch of games, the Merchantmen went into up and down mode, alternating between impressive wins and horrific defeats. By mid-season, the Merchantmen even had to replace McDonnell for a bit, nursing his own severe injury. Journeyman Jermaine Guthrie was signed off the street and started a couple of games, but failed to record any wins. During Guthrie's stint, former Flannery understudy Everett 'Going' South was still around and came off the bench to guide the team to a 17-13 victory over the Paris Musketeers.

McDonnell returned just in time to play in the crucial road game at the Bordeaux Vineyards. Running back Stanley Givens carried the team with 150 yards on the ground, whilst McDonnell threw for 217 yards and 2 scores towards a convincing 30-14 victory.

In the last four games of the regular season, the Merchantmen stepped it up and won three straight. In the middle of that streak, Stanley Givens aggravated a shoulder injury bad enough to be ruled out for the season. It meant the Merchantmen would miss another key player in the week 17 clash with the Gothenburg Giants, which turned out to be a winner takes the division clash. On a rainy night, the Merchantmen defense dominated Oranje Haven and kept the Giants scoreless for 55 minutes towards a 13-7 victory.

In a twist of faith, the Merchantmen (11-5) and Giants (9-7) would repeat their clash right away, encoutering again in Oranje Haven in the wild card round. The Giants had the best possible start, seeing Kendrick Moss score on the first kickoff return of the game. On their first possession, McDonnell was sacked, fumbled and set up for a short Gothenburg touchdown and a 14-0 lead within two and a half minutes. From there on, McDonnell's receivers Gabe Springer and Terry Thomason both topped 100 yards, yet McDonnell himself struggled and added 2 interceptions to his turnover tally. Trailing 17-10, the Merchantmen punted with 2 minutes left and capitalized on a 30-yard pass play that charged their final time out.

The Giants wouldn't keep on running, falling early and hard at the Tucker Tigers (12-4) with a 30-3 score. The Tigers marched on, winning the AOC Championship game at home, beating the Syracuse Mohawks (12-4) 27-13. In IHOF Bowl XXI the Tigers would fall to the Boulder Blizzard (12-4) on a touchdown scored in the final minute for the 24-20 final score.

One and done, just like last year. Not quite what was anticipated with the so-called best quarterback, running back and wide receiver triangle in football...

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen 2025

Off Season
Retirement Day was not too bad for the Merchantmen, going into the 2025 off-season. Accoladed guard Reuben Perez called it quits, as did irreliable left tackle Quinn England and tight end/long snapper Aaron Blake. At the end of the off-season long time members like defensive end Roman Waldroup, defensive tackle Keith Mathews and notorious cornerback Hurt Daddy Gaines failed to make the final 53-men roster. The same applied to long time backup quarterback Everett 'Going' South and and running back T-Bone.

At the other end of the spectre, the Merchantmen had a good draft, adding three linemen with the potential to start for years to come: center Shawn Hudspeth, pass blocking guard Wes Mason and run blocking tackle Jorge Harding. Through trade, the Merchantmen acquired cornerback Thomas Nordbye and from the free market a couple of special teamers joined in rookie long snapper Rusty Arpaci and two-time IHOF champion kickoff return legend J.R. Ritter.

Season
In the first four games before the bye, the Merchantmen had all their starts active and played their fabulous football, yet failed to blow away their opponents. Still, aside from the first tie in franchise history, recorded at the Frederick Red Menace, the Merchantmen won all their games by a field goal.

After the bye, the offense got into scoring mode, scoring 34+ in three games against Deep South opponents. Rusty Harrison picked up his annual mid-season injury, but the Merchamtmen didn't really care, remaining undefeated with good old Patrick McDonnell in.

Week 11 resulted in the first Merchantmen loss of the season. The Gothenburg Giants silenced Oranje Haven just like last season, forcing turnovers, taking a first half lead and holding off a comeback attempt with a 17-12 win. It turned out to be the start of a four-game losing streak, despite Harrison's return to the lineup.

In week 15 the Merchantmen got their vengence, of sorts, winning 26-20 at the Gothenburg Giants and pretty much ending the Giants' playoffs hopes. A week later the Merchantmen went wild on the Williamsburg Colonials, scoring touchdowns on their first four drives towards a 38-13 victory. In a road game the the Bordeaux Vineyards they had minimal chances to win a bye week, which they ended up missing, despite a 27-20 win.

Being the AOC's fourth seeds, the Merchantmen (11-4-1) were to host the defending conference champions Tucker Tigers (11-5). With all their starts active, the Merchantmen felt confident to end the one-and-done trend from the previous seasons. But barely a minute into it, a Harrison pass was intercepted and returned 51 yards for the 7-0 Tucker lead. After an unsuccesful drive, the Merchantmen would get the ball back following a sack and fumble of Shaun Duncan, with Winston Tanaka responsible for both stats. Several first down passes later, Harrison found Gabe Springer in the end zone for the 7-7 score. The Tigers managed to take the lead and extend it to 17-7 in the second quarter. At that point Rusty Harrison had been pulled by the coaches, after he got hurt once again, yet claimed to still be able to play.

Patrick McDonnell once again had to take over at quarterback, yet halfway into the third quarter, the Tigers improved to a 20-7 lead. A 34-yard kickoff return from Xavier Marshall, a 33-yard reception for Terry Thomason and a pass interference penalty then set up a 6-yard touchdown pass to Thomason to narrow the margin to one touchdown. After series of punt exchanges, the Merchantmen were pinned deep inside their own red zone, yet a massive catch and run from Freddie Upshaw for 98 yards turned things around, giving Maassluis the 21-20 lead. A Paul Welker field goal with 8 minutes left increased the lead to 4 points, which was upheld into the two-minute warning. Long bombs galored and the Tigers managed to score a touchdown with 49 second left. A 29-yard catch for Thomason get the Merchantmen into field goal range with 13 ticks on the clock, however Paul Welker missed... Game over.

In the next round, the Tucker Tigers looked out of energy, getting hammered 44-3 at the Georgia Gridlock (13-3). In the AOC Championship game the Gridlock marched on, destroying the Houston Mustangs 37-10. In IHOF Bowl XII, the Gridlock were to face the defending IHOF champions Boulder Blizzard (12-4). In a bit of a defensive struggle, the reigning champions lead 13-7 at half time, scored a kickoff return touchdown to start the second half and were tough enough to hold on and win 30-10.

For the Merchantmen, the fan base was left in tears, having seen, by far the best collective of players to ever play together in Maassluis, but three one-and-done post-season trips later, they had nothing to show for it.

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes: Cap Magic Day!

A beatiful day today, as we managed to get out of a $20 million cap hole and end up with $20 million to work with. My spreadsheets tell me we saved $40.54 million in cap space, which should assure us to keep this team together for another year. To top that, this should keep all these players happy for a while. By my estimation, we're going to spend about $8 million of that relief to extend some contracts, most notably those of quarterback Jay McGee, wide receivers Russell Holliday and Adam Brautlach, center Arnie Croft, defensive lineman Brendan England and linebacker C.J. Boo.

Butch VandenBosch will spend the 2037 season on injured reserve. VDB was one of the 17 players that we renegotiated with. We gave him a signing bonus of roughly $3.5 as compensation for a total salary reduction of about $2 million spread over four year.

Another thing that we're going to do is telling our second-year pro's Bernie Gordon and Xavier Witt they will switch positions, with Gorden moving from cornerback to safety and Witt the other way around. Our scouting staff expects Gordon to be better suited for safety, despite that he's undersized for a safety. Witt might not be better off, but both of them will have to work their bottoms off to make the final 53-men roster anyway.

Jerome Tyson will be our entrant to the Ligue Solecismique this season. Our first round pick from last season was a regular starter last season, but we feel he still needs to improve a lot to stick around as a starter. Brendan England made a case for being a starter last season, although it won't really matter, given that we're going to stick with a rotation of six to eight linemen anyway.

Free agency is starting in two days and we're hoping to get some useful players for a decent price. We might have a bout $10 million to play with, after aforementioned contract renegotiations and having spent signing bonus money on incoming rookies.

Our draft position is mixed, with no picks in the first and second round, but a grand total of four third round picks to compensate for it. We also have an additional fifth round pick to play with, aside from our own fourth through seventh rounders. It's no secret that defensive end should be our main target. We're in the market for linebackers, with VDB out, but might be better served with a veteran replacement. I'm always looking for wide receivers, offensive linemen and defensive backs, so we'll be likely to spend some picks in those areas.

Interviews with rookie prospects had some interesting results. We talked with three quarterbacks and one of them could be an interesting prospect. We're not really looking for a new passer, with the current threesome, but it's always a position where everybody thinks they can come up with a new super star.

More importantly, and a position of similar high expectations, we talked with a lot of wide receivers and there's one of them that I feel we could make an attempt to trade up for to get. We could play the waiting game for him to fall to the third round, but there aren't many suitable and similar prospects out there.

All in all, we talked with 60 rookies, but most of them were the kids that skipped the combine. After recent success in the draft, I feel that we've built a good knack for finding talent based on film from their combine workouts. For the fun of it, I'll give a list of arguably the top 5 players in the class. With no top picks and no ammo to make a move for them, there's little risk to give a top 5 of sorts, afterall, we're not going to get any of these players anyway.
1. Duke QB Gino Greenburg
2. Temple WR Norm Pineo
3. Pittsburgh WR Levon Paeth
4. Alabama - Birmingham RB Vinny Keck
5. Nebraska TE Seth Schroeder

[MIJB#19]

2037 Early Off-Season Report

Not much going on in Maassluis at the moment. The IHOF draft started and free agency has kicked off as well. The draft is somewhat dull for now, with our higest pick in the third round. Free agency is also very quiet with just $10M of cap room available and most of that reserved for renegotiations with some of our last-year players.

We agreed terms with wide receivers Charles Pomeranz and Casey Brown for new two-year contracts, both were restricted free agents. Pomeranz should be our WR4 next season, Brown or gunner and hopefully stay far away from our team when the offense enteres the field.

We also hired a new player. Cornerback and kickoff return specialist Melvin Karluk signed a three-year deal with us. It's not like it we'll actually use him in 2037, Karluk is recovering RCS and league doctors rule him out for the entire season and the next one as well. He might see the field in 2039, until then he'll be a Merchantman on injured reserve. Karluk previously played with his first pro team, the Iowa Cobbers.

Last but not least, our contract negotiations with Jay McGee have started. McGee and his agent turned down our first offer for $55M over 4 years. A bit of a bummer, since the overall value was simialr to what they were asking for, except we offered less guaranteed money.

[MIJB#19]

2037 Off-Season Mini Update
Our contract talks with Jay McGee resumed today, we made McGee an offer that's very similar to what his agent put on the table as his requests. We've toned down the salaries across the board, will offer slightly less bonus money and moved balanced the year 1 and 2 salaries to be equal. It could be pretty crucial to get him to sign now, because McGee went into hold out mode 5 years ago and we can't really afford him to repeat, or worse, to not want to sign anything. Plan B would mean going to another quarterback on roster and trading McGee...

[MIJB#19]

McGee agreed terms with Merchantmen
No stale-mate in Maassluis, the Merchantmen and their quarterback Jay McGee agreed terms on a new contract. McGee and the Merchantmen today signed a new four year countract, with a value of $55 million, including a $22 million signing bonus. McGee is coming off his best season in Maassluis and was in his last year of contract, being due just over $5 million this season. McGee's agents hinted that McGee would hold out if there wasn't a new deal signed before the end of the draft.

The signing also ends all talks about the Merchantmen looking away from McGee and handing over the offense to third-year quarterback Harry Osborne. Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. said: "McGee is a top ten quarterback in this league, he deserves the benefit of doubt now after a stellar 2036 campaign." On Osborne, M.IJ.B. added: "We had a plan with Harry, we still do, but at this point he'll have to improve a lot to be our starter. We gave him a shot in 2035 and one game last season against Tucker to prove himself, I'm not convinced he's there yet." Kerry Lewis is expected to go into his nineth season as the Merchantmen's emergency quarterback. M.IJ.B. said: "Kerry is a team player, if we'll need him at some point, I'm convinced he'll do well."

Aside from McGee, four more players signed a new contract. Backup running backs J.T. Patterson and Alfred Brew were extended through the 2038 season, as was pass rushing lineman Roger Finch. Linebacker Cole Dooley, a mid-season signing last year, signed a three-year contract in Maassluis. Dooley was hired after Butch VanDenBosch went out for the season and with VDB ruled out for the 2037 season as well, a longer stay foor Dooley was an obvious option. The Merchantmen did look for other options, but settled with Dooley.

[MIJB#19]

2037 Draft: Merchantmen pick DE Matheson

The Maassluis Merchantmen filled a gap on their roster. Harold Matheson was seleced in the amateur draft as their new defensive end. The Florida graduate clocked the third fastest 40-time amongst defensive linemen. With the retirements of Dwight Dibble and Seven Clark, the Merchantmen were down to just one defensive end on roster. General Manager M.IJ.B. explained: "Matheson will immediately jump into the rotation. We expect him to be an all downs player, with the speed to be an immediate replacement for Dibble in our pass rush."

The Merchantmen used the seventh pick in the third round on Matheson. Earlier on the day, the team traded their three other third round picks to the Outer Banks Ospreys for a collection of future second, third and fourth rounds picks, one each for every round. General Manager M.IJ.B. added: "We had too many decent picks for the number of open roster spots. We could use another player or two, but that will be it. We'll take a gamble with the later round picks and hope to make good value of those future picks."

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes: 2037 Draft late round picks report
Last night we finished our draft selection with five late round picks. One pick was a need pick, the other four were basically gambles in hopes of getting a useful player that may or may not unseat one of our veteran backups.

Because of the void at defensive end, I used our 4th round pick also on a defensive end, just like the 3rd round pick. Eugene Johnstone out of Auburn ran a decent 40-time, which usually is a sign for good pass rush technique. Johnstone scored average or above average on every part of the scouting combine.

From there on we just gambled on skill position players. Running back Donald Terry was our first 5th round pick. He ran the third-fastest 40-time of his class. Wide receiver Brian DiPaolo ran a decent 40-time as well and was our second 5th round pick. In the 6th round we took a gamble on underrated tight end Carlos Dixon, yet another player with a fast 40-time. We finished our picking with combine-skipping wide receiver Jack Money, whom we picked for his return skills.

[MIJB#19]

FOF-technically, the post draft stage is very interesting to see which players are better than their ratings. Today's most notable differences in ratings (2 or more points shifted) are:
-3/-3 QB Jay McGee - he's still 55/55ish, does enter his 11th season as pro
-2/-1 RB Alfred Brew - around 30/40ish, could lose his spot to rookie Terry
-2/-2 WR Casey Brown - roughly 40/40, just a gunner, unsafe to make team
+6/+6 WR Terry Haskell - now 45/45ish, the rookie of the year is for real
+3/+2 WR Charles Pomeranz - still 25/35ish, increased his odds to stay here
-1/-2 C B.J. Samuels - now 40/60ish, still projected to be starting material
+2/+2 G Julio Ferich - about 35/45ish, remains to be our future third guard
-2/-7 K Al Beuvelot - now 25/45ish, not the new Al Bettis, soon to be cut
+2/+2 DT Jerome Tyson - now 50/60ish, maintained that 1st round value
+3/+3 DT Dwight Hutton - now 40/40ish, the 6th rounder stays in rotation
+6/+5 MLB Wesley Devine - 50/60ish now, not done improving so it seems
+2/+2 MLB C.J. Boo - 45/45ish, should be a starter for us with VDB on IR
-2/-2 SLB Fred McCorkle - still 80/80ish, remains as an all-world linebacker
-3/-6 CB Britt Rice - became 30/45ish, at least his kick return skills are real

All in all, awesome news. The 2036 first round picks are bound to make anoter one or two of those jumps and become legit first round picks by the numbers as well. The downers of the day are Beuvelot (not going to be a better kickoff kicker than Anthony) and McGee (on the decline), but neither really makes me feel bad. Once we're past training camp, we'll know where we stand, but right now, I feel good about this roster being on par with last season.

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes 2037
Good news from around the roster. Five of six rookies signed the first offered contract. Only defensive end Harold Matheson decided to turn our initial offer down, we'll pick that up right before the draft. The scouting staff made assesments of how good they are, see below.

At the moment I'm very happy about Terry and Money. Obviously there's a big chance neither will turn out to be as good as advertised here, but for now I'll cherrish these kids. DiPaolo is half-decent and will have a hard time to make the team. I fully expect Jonhstone to be better than that, so I have no real concers there as of yet. Haroldson hasn't been reviewed yet, the verdict there is still up. Dixon looks to be underrated, he doesn't look like one at all, but he could grom up to become an okay tight end some day.

Speaking of tight ends, we hired fourth-year tight end Mike Bernstein. His strong points are his run blocking technique and his big-play ability, ain't that the best combo for a good tight end? He's no lock to make the roster, obviously, he's going to need to unseat J.T. Hall as our TE2 and hold off the rookie Dixon as well.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen sign FA rookie DE Lynn
The Maassluis Merchantmen announcent the signing of undrafted rookie free agent Joel Lynn. The former Bowling Green defensive end put his signature under a two-year contract. Lynn wasn't highly regarded in this year's draft class, but surprised with a decent 4.77 time in the 40-yard dash. General Manager M.IJ.B. said: "Lynn's 40-time was good enough to get an extra look. With Lynn on roster, we're also in a position where we have no pressure to sign Matheson."

[MIJB#19]

2037 Project Starting Lineups
Below is an image of the projected starting lineups as I see them, pre-camp. Only a couple of spots could be battled over in training camp and (unlikely) in pre-season. Notes on that: Shalon and Carter usually share the FB role based on what kind of play we're about to run. Holliday might lose the starting WR role to Brautlacht. England is listed as the LDE, but we might put him in his natural DT role or make him the DL5 again, which would make room for rookie DE Matheson.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen sign rookie CB Brady
The Maassluis Merchantmen announced the signing of David Brady. The Northern State cornerback signed a two-year contract with the dutch IHOF franchise. Brady is regarded as a guy with a nose for interceptions and has decent experience in special teams play. Brady is expected to make the Merchantmen's pre-season roster, as they're heading into it with 60 players on roster, but is a long shot to make the final 53.

[MIJB#19]

2037 Training Camp Report
The long awaited training camp rolled around and for the Maassluis Merchantmen things went pretty good, overall. The Merchantmen spent the majority of training camp in the United States, at the newly opened training facilities at UMass, built in a joint ventury with the university. Here you'll get a position by position breakdown per position or position group. Bolded are player names, in brackets you'll get the rough scouting assessments in current ability.

Quarterbacks
Jay McGee (60ish) looked like the same player that he was last season. Very good in seeing the pass rushers coming, good arm strength and his same old preference to throw short. McGee locked up his starting role in Maassluis, at least for the first couple of games. Kerry Lewis (35ish) is the same old, good decissions maker, but not so overwhelming in abilty to connect with receivers. Harry Osborne (20ish) is not living up to expectations. Our scouts say he's fully developed and in every area of the passing game he's outdone by Lewis. Here's your first big change in our depth chart: Lewis won the battle for the backup role in 2037.

Backfield
Darrin Keegan (65ish) enters his sixth IHOF season and showed no signs of having slowed down, yet. Overall he's a good to very good runner, excelling in his hole recognition ability. His fumbling troubles last season have been a concern, but it could be a side effect of overfeeding him. J.T. Patterson (20ish) remains to be the elusive backup type. Alfred Brew (35ish) looks better overall, with his excellent elusiveness and a good eye for holes in the defense. Donald Terry (25ish) is the awesome rookie with an impressive breakaway speed and very good elusiveness. Terry is our new RB2. Patterson and Brew are hanging on for now, but after pre-season one of them will likely be gone. Fullbacks Aaron Carter (35ish) and Albert Shalon (45ish) both lost some of their speed and power. Carter will remain as the premier run blocker, but Shalon will be used as well there. Shalon still looks like the best option on the team for the third and short carries.

Tight ends
J.T. Hall (35ish) appears to have lost the battle for the running downs role to Mike Bernstein (30ish). Both are good run blockers, where Hall has a little edge in knowing the game plan better, but Bernstein will provide the team with a better receiving option. D.J. Cahill (40ish) remains as the starter on passing downs, although Bernstein did show he's better in gettinh open downfield. Rusty Arpaci (5ish) will hang on, but not because of his receiving or blocking skills. Carlos Dixon (5ish) didn't show enough of his speed or any ability to block in training camp to make the pre-season roster. Hall and Bernstein are still in a roster spots battle, although Arpaci might be the eventual loser there.

Wide receivers
Russell Holliday (50ish) and Terry Haskell (45ish) both showed their speed and agility in camp to prove they are a top five receiver tandem in the league. Adam Braulacht (35ish) maintained his role on the team as the third option at wide out. Skip Dillon (30ish) lost the battle for the fourth slot to Charles Pomeranz (30ish) once again. Pomeranz showed more speed. Dillon will not return to Maassluis after training camp. Brian DiPaolo (20ish) showed good speed and fair overall potential, but he won't make the team. Jack Money (20ish) isn't much of a receiver, but just like Casey Brown (40ish) sticks around for other duties.

Offensive Line
For the third season in a row, the exact same ten men will be the Merchantmen offensive line. Roles will be somewhat reshuffled though. Kerry Zumdahl (75ish) remains as the complete left tackle. Ricky Castillo (85ish) remains as the all-round excellent right guard and Tom Bush (55ish) will once again play right tackle as the team's best run blocker. Veteran Gilbert Rhodes (60ish) looked better than ever and is going to play the left guard role. Nate Hurnblad (55ish) is the same old and with the lack of endurance for both Rhodes and Hurnblad, they will time-share anyway. B.J. Samuels (50ish) looks ready to step in at center, hopfully living up to his very good potential. Arnie Croft (50ish) remains as a quality alternative for Samuels or the guard positions, if needed. Edwin Crangle (40ish) appears to be a bit slower and sluggier than before, but is still a quality backup left tackle. Julio Ferich (40ish) made good strides and if injuries strike, he'll be a good option at right guard. The veteran of the bunch, Shawn Hudspeth (40ish) will likely spend the season as an emergency backup, although the center is still a good option to plug holes up the middle.

Defensive Line
All eyes were on the rookie defensive ends, to see whether they can do what Dwight Dibble did the past seasons. Harold Matheson (30ish) made some progress, but didn't wow. He showed decent pass rush speed, but could spend most of the season watching from the bench. Eugene Johnstone (20ish) made good progress in camp and despite being the weakest link on the line so far, the Merchantmen might use him in rotation as a left end. Johnnie Warren (40ish) is the best defensive end on the team now and will once again face opposing left tackles. Five defensive tackles will return from last season's roster. Rookie Jerome Tyson (45ish) made little progress over the past couple of months, despite spending some extra time in Le Ligue Solecismique. Brenden England (45ish) hopes to follow up his All-IHOF campaign and will be the team's premier pass rusher once again. Roger Finch (30ish) showed good speed again, but will likely spend most of the season inactive, requiring injured teammates to get an opportunity to play. Dwight Hutton (40ish) showed good progress and will get more looks as a run stuffer in 2037. Ralph Campbell (50ish) was once again the bets run stuffer and tackler of the bunch and will see a lot of action on all downs. Undrafted rookie Joel Lynn (20ish) showed good potential in his pass rush abilty, but the defensive end won't make the team.

Linebackers
Fred McCorkle (70ish) looked out of shape in camp, but is still considered the most talented player on defense. He'll be the team's SAM again. Inside linebackers Wesley Devine (50ish) and C.J. Boo (45ish) will play the Mike and Will roles, with Devine as the all around talented man in the middle and Boo as the slightly better passing downs option. Pass rusher Trent Kaiser (25ish) is getting up there in age and will just make the team in a backup role. Pass defender Cole Dooley (20ish) didn't do much better in camp, but will still make the team because of the lack of others on roster. Injured reserve Butch VandenBosch (50ish) will miss the 2037 season, recovering free knee injury. The Merchantmen are likely to hire a sixth linebacker at the expense of not keeping a fourth tight end or fourth running back.

Defensive Backs
Herman Hatton (60ish) will be the shutdown cornerback, Tito Close (40ish) the fast veteran second corner, Perry Walker (50ish) the strong safety and Thurman Hopper (50ish) the all-over-the-place-plays-making free safety. Carlton Hall (30ish) was the projected backup corner, but he'll be out until October, recovering from a nasty hip injury. Britt Rice (35ish) grabbed the opportunity and solidfied his role as the backup corner. Winfred Alcott (30ish) somehow made the training camp roster again and somehow will make the final roster again, mostly based on his contributions in other areas than the pass defense. Rookie cornerback David Brady (15ish) didn't impress in camp and will be cut. Second-year pro Xavier Witt (15ish) had a decent camp after the switch from safety to corner, but it won't be enough to make the team. Corner Melvin Karluk (45ish) is out through the 2038 season, nursing repetetitive concussion syndrome. Quinn Gonzalez (35ish) will be the team's backup safety and nickelback. He's a very good option in the zone defense and showed his intercepting ability in camp. Second-year pro Bernie Gordon (25ish) made decent move from cornerback and did well enough to make the team as the fourth safety.

Special Teams
Kicker Charles Anthony (50ish) showed his usual accuary, but on kickoffs he looked worse than before. Still a top player in IHOF, but the team will take a look at Al Beuvelot (25ish) in pre-season as the kickoff man. Despite that Beuvelot has shown close to no improvement in his ability. Edward Rice (65ish) showed once again that he's a top-notch inside the 20 punter. In the return game, rookie Jack Money (65ish KR) will be the new kickoff returner, providing he doesn't fumble a lot in pre-season. Britt Rice (75ish KR) and J.T. Patterson (60ish KR) are the second and third options for kickoffs, Melvin Karluk (90ish KR) is on injured reserve. Adam Brautlacht (65ish PR) will be the punt returner again, with Jack Money (50ish KR) getting pre-season to prove himself as the alternative. Winfred Alcott (80ish PR) is league wide scouted to be a top three punt returner in football, but right now there's more faith in Brautlacht. Kerry Lewis (100ish KH) will stick as the kick holder, Rusty Arpaci (100ish LS) is likely to stay around as a pure long snapper, although D.J. Cahill (95ish LS) is a decent alternative.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen release WR Dillon, 5 others
The Maassluis Merchantmen today cut ties with six players. The releases followed in the lead up to the 2037 pre-season opener against the Albuquerque Wrong Turns. Most notable casualty was wide receiver Skip Dillon, after 98 games of service. Also recent draft picks wide receiver Brian DiPaolo and tight end Carlos Dixon were cut, as well as 2036 5th round pick cornerback Xavier Witt. Lastly, rookie free agent signings cornerback David Brady and defensive end Joel Lynn failed to make the 54-name roster.

All six would have been allowed to stick around under the 60-man pre-season roster limits, but the Merchantmen decided to take their chances with the remaining 54 players. Still on the fench for the final roster cuts are several players at several positions. The Merchantmen are thin at linebacker, having only 5 healthy players signed, whilst they carry an extra running backs, tight end and kicker. After the final pre-season game the Merchantmen will decide on the final roster spots.

Wide receiver Skip Dillon failed to get through another pre-season in Maassluis. Dillon joined the Merchantmen as free agent in 2031, initially on a one-year deal. Dillon burst into a starting role, catching 73 passes for 960 yards and 6 touchdowns. A year later he was switching between the WR2 and WR3 role, which resulted in lower production in catches and yardage, but he did record a career high 8 touchdowns. He spent three more seasons in the WR3 role, scoring 14 more touchdowns combined. Last season his activity was limited to just 10 catches, dspite being active in all regular season and playoffs games. Dillon leaves as a top10 member in Merchantmen history with 3,022 receiving yards and 28 receiving touchdowns.

Contrary to Dillon, the others released had little experience with the Merchantmen, to date. Brian DiPaolo was a 5th round pick in the recent draft and was a longshot to make the team, hence the release of Dillon. Carlos Dixon's odds initially looked better as a 6th round pick, but those where gone as soon as the Merchantmen signed fourth-year pro Mike Bernstein. A 5th rounder in the previous draft, Xavier Witt was a signed mid-season and in training camp switched from safety to cornerback to improve his chances, but those were pretty low, eventually. Undrafted rookie David Brady's odds were equally slim. Joel Lynn showed good upside, but was fighting an uphill battle against two draft picks that in the end showed more progress in camp.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Lose 2037 Pre-Season Opener
The Maassluis Merchantmen started the pre-season with a loss. The Albuquerque Wrong Turns won 20-17 in overtime on a 47-yard Thurman Leboeuf field goal. Kerry Lewis was the Merchantmen player of the game, completing 27 of 38 for 318 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In their home opener of the 2037 pre-season, the Merchantmen decided to play with their second string. Key starters Terry Haskell, Herman Hatton, D.J. Cahill and Ricky Castillo watched the game in the stands, whilst other starters like Jay McGee, Darrin Keegan, Russell Holliday and Kerry Zumdahl watched from the sidelines and played a couple of snaps on special teams.

The Merchantmen struggled in the first quarter. The Wrong Turns made play after play, resulting in a 5-yard touchdown pass from Antonio Grande to J.B. Dawkins for the 7-0 lead. After a fumbled kickoff return by rookie Jack Money, the Wrong Turns kicked and missed a 50-yard field goal. The first Merchantmen drive resulted in a three and out, boosted by a holding penalty and a sack on 1st and 20. Tito Close intercepted Grande on the first play after the punt, but the Merchantmen offense followed up with another three and out. Antonio Grande connected on a 29-yard catch and run from J.B. Dawkins for the 14-0 lead to end the first quarter.

In the second quarter the teams exchanged punts several times. Kerry Lewis finally got it going for the Merchantmen, eventually throwing it to Charles Pomeranz, who turned a short pass into a 42-yard touchdown. The Wrong Turns ran out the clock to go into halftime with a 14-7 lead.

In the third quarter both teams started with a three and out. The Merchantmen followed up with a 12-play drive, settling for a 24-yard field goal kicked by Al Beuvelot. Following return of punts, the Wrong Turns marched upfield, but Perry Walker picked off an Antonio Grande pass in the Merchantmen red zone. The quarter ended with the Merchantmen in possession at midfield.

Following the short break, the Merchantmen tried to go for it on fourth and 1, but a screen pass to Casey Brown resulted in a loss and turn over on downs. Antonio Grande connected with Herman Maxfield for 28 yards and with rookie Buddy Giba for 16 yards to set up a 20-yard field goal for the 17-10 Albuquerque lead. On their next drive, the Merchantmen once again went for it on fourth and short in Albuquerque territory, this time seeing rookie Donald Terry getting stopped for no gain. Following a three and out, the Merchantmen went into play-after-play mode, finishing it with Lewis' second touchdown pass of the game, finding new signing Mike Bernstein from 1 yard out in the endzone. The Wrong Turns failed to score back in the final 47 seconds, forcing overtime with the 17-17 score.

The Merchantmen won the coin toss. They failed to make enough ground to get out of their half of the field and punted the ball away. Albuquerque's Antonio Grande guided his team up field, anchored by a 28-yard completion to Buddy Giba. The Wrong Turns decided to kick from halfway the Merchantmen half and ended the game with Thurman LeBouef's 47-yard field goal for the 20-17 final score.

Merchantmen quarterback Kerry Lewis earned MVP honors, completing 27 of his 38 pass attempts for 318 yards, 2 scores and the 113.7 passer rating. He did get sacked 5 times behind a line that included three starters from last year. Charles Pomeranz was Lewis' favorite target, catching 10 passes for 137 yards and a score. Rookie running back Donald Terry ran for 54 yards with a 2.5 average and 1 fumble.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen get crushed in second pre-season game
The Maassluis Merchantmen lost their second pre-season game of the 2037 campaign. The Iowa Cobbers dominated the game, winning 26-6 in their own stadium. Kicker Al Beuvelot put all point on the board for the Merchantmen, with a two for two field goal stat line. Kerry Lewis completed 19 of 36 for 204 yards and 1 interception. Rookie receiver Jack Money returned 4 field goals for a 37.0 average and was one of few sparkles in the night for Maassluis. The Merchantmen pass defense had a complete off day, recording not a single defended or intercepted pass, not counting two blocked passes by the two rookie defensive ends Harold Matheson and Eugene Johnstone.

Merchantmen headcoach Jeremy Monroe showed disappointment in the performance. "A sloppy showing," said Monroe, "these players got a chance to prove they are starting material and few of them made a splash. Their showing last week at home was much better." On the bright side, the backups played the Albuquerque starters close and Iowa was also at full strength. "It's just pre-season," said veteran center Shawn Hudspeth, "we tried hard at home, but on the road we let the fans back home down. These results don't worry me, we didn't win much in pre-season last year and did well when it mattered. With these young guns like Adam [Brautlacht], Charlie (Charles Pomeranz, red) and the Terries (Terry Haskell and Donald Terry, red), we're ready for a long season."

[MIJB#19]

First Merchantmen win in 2037 pre-season
The Maassluis Merchantmen recorded their first win in the 2037 season's preperation games. The Merchantmen flew home from a visit to Alaska, after beating the Fairbanks Northstars 31-21. Darrin Keegan scored four touchdowns to guide the way.

After two losing efforts earlier on, the Merchantmen changed their pace by going to their starting lineups. Quarterback Jay McGee was the biggest disappointment, throwing 3 interceptions as he went 21 of 37 for 211 yards and no scores. In contrast, the running game florished, with Darrin Keegan paving the way with 131 yards gained and Albert Shalon adding 64 yards on the ground. Keegan hauled four short runs in for an equal number of touchdowns. Russell Holliday was the main receiver of the day, catching 5 passes for 71 yards. Terry Haskell was held to 1 reception for 4 yards.

[MIJB#19]

Second win to end Maassluis 2037 pre-season
The Maassluis Merchantmen finished pre-season on a winning mood. The Merchantmen defended Oranje Haven, beating the Chicago Norsemen 21-10. Jay McGee didn't improve on his showing last week, throwing 3 more interceptions. Darrin Keegan carried the Merchantmen once again, whilst D.J. Cahill hauled in two touchdown catches for the points needed to win this game.

Darrin Keegan was good old Keegan for the second straight game. Keegan ran 23 times for 121 yards, carrying the offense all day long. Jay McGee tried to keep the opponent guessing, but got picked off 3 times, resulting in a yawning facing around Oranje Haven. McGee completed just 16 of 37 passes for 226 yards and 3 scores. Tight end D.J. Cahill was his favorite target, catching 4 passes for 42 yards and 2 scores. Russell Holliday scored the other touchdown as he caught 3 balls for 70 yards. Terry Haskell looked bleak again, catching just 3 passes for 37 passes, ending his pre-season with just 4 catches for 41 yards.

Kicker Charles Anthony and his holder Kerry Lewis looked not so sharp today. Anthony shanked a 40-yard field goal attempt, making him score just once in three attempts this pre-season. Youngster Al Beuvelot was perfect on his three kicks, heating up the talk about who should kick the field goals. But head coach Jeremy Monroe urged to not worry: "Anthony is coming off a 1-miss season, he was IHOF's most reliable kicker last season."

But the talk of the town has been the quarterback situation. Jay McGee threw 6 interceptions in pre-season and had trouble gelling with his main receivers. In the meantime, Kerry Lewis looked pretty decent in the first two games, whilst last year's number two Harry Osborne spent the entire pre-season on the bench. Lewis quietly became a popular pick when asked who could start on opening weekend. Lewis himself held the pressure off: "Jay [McGee] had a great season, it would be silly to bench him." About the number two role, Lewis added: "Surely, being a football player, I'd love to see some action. But as it is, we've got two talented guys."

Harry Osborne's role - or lack there of - in pre-season was a surprise to many, the projected starter for right about this season has not improved much so far. Head coach Monroe: "Osborne is an interesting player. A daredevil, with good feet. He's been hyped, I believe, after his activity two years ago." With him not seeing the field in pre-season, the Merchantmen seem to hint they are looking at Lewis as the main backup this season. Which is a scary thought, having a 30-year old backup whom has yet to throw a single pass in 8 years of service.

On the bright side, the Merchantmen have been winning despite Jay McGee's mistakes this pre-season. He's got a fast foursome of receivers, whilst newly signed Mike Bernstein showed some promise, catching 11 passes for 125 yards and 1 score. Darrin Keegan looked like his old self. And if the defense does a half-decent job from time to time, the Merchantmen could be in for a fun season and able to overcome McGee's picks and the ongoing fumblitis.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen put Carlton Hall on IR
Today the Maassluis Merchantmen announced that cornerback Carlton Hall will miss the 2037 season. After suffering from degenerative hip condition, Hall missed half of the 2036 season and was still out going into the 2037 pre-season. With Hall not ready in time for pre-season to get some football in his legs, the decission was made to put him on injured reserve. Hall had been the Merchantmen's third corner the past four seasons, backing up home-grown first round picks Herman Hatton and Tito Close.

This move ended speculation on which player would be cut after pre-season by the Merchantmen, as this puts them down to 53 players on roster, excluding injured reserves. This appears to have saved Winfred Alcott's job, making the team as the fifth cornerback and potentially coming back into the picture for punt return duties. Alcott signed a new three-year deal in pre-season, already hinting that he was going to make the final roster. It also means the Merchantmen will carry four tight ends, four running backs and two kickers this season. Merchantmen management was unwilling to confirm these conclusions as of yet. There's no secrecy about their attempts to sign a sixth linebacker, which would come at the expense of another player.

[MIJB#19]

2037 season preview
Tomorrow the 2037 IHOF season kicks off. A lot of eyes are on IHOF's game of the week, to be played in Oranje Haven, as the Maassluis Merchantmenwill host the Paris Musketeers, the reigning European Division Champions. Both teams reached the semi finals of the AOC last season and are highly motivated to get deeper this season. But to get there, the first step is to make the post season and it won't come easy.

The European division will play head to head with the AOC Deep South and the NAC Mid-Atlantic divisions. The Deep South is currently lead by the Vicksburg Vipers, whom the Merchantmen beat last season in the wild card round, but also contains the improved Fort Wayne Fury, the stout Houston Mustangs and the young but very impressive San Antonio Tidal Force. San Antonio arguably have the most talented quarterback and wide receiver tandem combo. The Mid-Atlantic sent three teams into the playoffs last season (just like the European division), with the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums as division champions and the conference's top two historical teams Chesapeake Chitterlings and Frederick Red Menace as the wild cards. The fourth team are the Williamsburg Colonials, who look at their rookie quarterback Gino Greenburg and his young receivers for cool stuff down the road.

For the Merchantmen, the 2037 campaign will kick off with a crucial home game. The Paris Musketeers as the defending division champions are the obvious rivals for the division title race. The Bordeaux Vineyards' star players are getting up there in age, and the Gothenburg Giants don't look ready to compete just yet. Last season the Musketeers won both head-to-head clashes with last minute scores. Especially their home win with 16 unanswered points in the last 20 minutes left mental wounds in the Merchantmen players' minds.

The Paris Musketeers like all good teams in IHOF rely heavily on their skill players. Quarterback Roosevelt 'Rosey' Hansen is entering his second season in Paris and hopes to build on his 4,258 yard, 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Good old wide receiver Tito Aguillard enters his 12th IHOF season as a Paris Musketeer and looks fast and agile as he always has been. Dana Battle will once again be his tandem buddy, coming off his first 1,000-yard season. Their running game could be tricky, as in pre-season, Rennie Garrison looked slower than he used to be. The Paris defense is about average for league standards, severly hurt by the absence of Tom Bush due to Repetetitive Concussion Syndrom.

The Merchantmen lost some speed in the pass rush with Dwight Dibble retired, but other than that should be similar than the team that won 10 regular season games and stunned the Vipers in the playoffs. Against Paris, it will be crucial to put a lot of pressure on the weak offensive line and scare Hansen. Cornerback Herman Hatton will have the task to try to shutdown Aguillard, which the Merchantmen somewhat did last season with just 8 receptions for 108 yards combined. Combined with, supposedly a superior special teams unit, the Merchantmen have a good chance to draw first blood in the crucial first home game.

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes: Opening Week Depth Chart
No real surprises for opening weekend, as can seen below. The most important notes for the lineup compared to last season:
* At QB Lewis moves up and Osborne down in the backups department
* At RB2 Terry comes in fresh as the new change of pace back, Patterson and Brew move down
* At TE Cahill and Bernstein will split time, Hall will be the TE3, Arpaci the pure LS
* At C Samuels takes over from Croft as the starter
* At LG Rhodes takes over from Hurnblad as the starter, but with their endurance it won't change much
* At DE Matheson jumps in fresh on the right, Warren moves to the left, Dibble retired
* At DT Campbell and Tyson are the neutral situation starters, England will play all over the DL
* At WLB Boo will start, Kaiser will be the rushing backup, VanDenBosch is on IR
* At NB3 Hall is on IR, B.Rice is the new NB
* At KR Money jumps in as the #2 option
* At PR Alcott returns for the time being, with Brautlacht the backup again

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes: Opening Week Starters and Key Backups
See below for the scouted bars of our starters, key/rotation backups and special teamers.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen shutout Musketeers in 2037 opener
The Maassluis Merchantmen started the 2037 season on a strong note. In the home game season opener, the Merchantmen defeated the Paris Musketeers 21-0. The tenth shutout win in team history, the first ever in a divisional game. Jay McGee threw three touchdown passes leading the way for the Merchantmen. Darrin Keegan left the game injured and is ruled out a couple of weeks.

Touted as a possible shootout, with the fire power on both offenses, the Paris at Maassluis game was hyped to IHOF Game of the Week. Instead, the Musketeers found themselves unable to move the ball, especially in the Merchantmen half of the field. In turn, the Merchantmen played good, but not great, leading to a one sided, low scoring affair.

The Musketeers had first possession, but a 9 play drive wasn't enough to reach field goal ranch. After both teams were went three and out, the Merchantmen got the first productive drive of the game going. Anchored by 15 and 22 yard catches of Adam Brautlacht, the Merchantmen moved into Paris territory. A 16-yard pass to Terry Haskell marched them into the red zone and Adam Brautlacht hauled in the first points of the day with a 12-yard catch.

In the second quarter Paris looked ready to punch back, however a Rosey Hansen pass was intercepted by Thurman Hopper at the Maassluis 41. The joy for the home fans was shortlived, as two plays later Jay McGee was intercepted on a long pass to Terry Haskell by Paris safety Nolan Henry in their redzone. The Musketeers continued their smalls plays trend and were forced to punt after a 12 play drive. Three plays later, the Merchantmen were back into Paris turf after a tremendous catch and run from tight end Mike Bernstein for a 40 yard gain on 3rd and 5. Another big 3rd down catch from Bernstein put the Merchantmen at the 10-yard line and the other tight end D.J. Cahill grabbed McGee's second touchdown pass of the day. Two penalties hurt the Musketeers on their last drive of the half, whilst the Merchantmen decided not to risk their 14-0 lead in the last bunch of plays.

The second half started with a 30-yard kickoff return by rookie Jack Money to put the Merchantmen nearby midfield right away. Darrin Keegan made a big run on 3rd and 7 to move into Paris turf, whilst another pass from Jay McGee to Adam Brautlacht put the Merchantmen in field goal range. On 3rd and 5 McGee found Terry Haskell wide open in the red zone, improving the lead to 21-0. Both teams got the ball back on punt various time after that, but neither got much closer than punting it away. The most important play was a 2-yard gain for Darrin Keegan, where he seemed to pull his calf muscle which forced him out for the remainder of the game.

In the fourth quarter, the Merchantmen were pinned deep, but moved upfield a bit and punted it back to Paris. Starting at their onw 32-yard line, Paris finally found some life as Rosey Hansen connected with Tito Aguillard on a 19-yard pass play. On 3rd and 8 Hansen found tight end Leo Kennedy for a 12-yard gain and on 3rd and 10 Rennie Garrison gained 5 yards to give the Musketeers a 47-yard field goal attempt. William Blades rushed it a bit and the kick fell short. Paris got the ball back after three short Merchantmen runs and Hansen looked like he finally got his engines going: 11 yards to Fred Ahmed, 12 to Tito Aguillard, a 12 yard run and 8 yards to Dana Battle on 4th and 6 got them going. Momentum was over when he got sacked for an 8-yard loss and on 4th and 8 Tito Closed batted down a Hansen pass in the Merchantmen red zone. A crucial 3rd and 1 conversion by Albert Shalon cost the Musketeers their time outs. Donald Terry fumbled in Paris territory to spark some light for Paris, but after going 4 and out, the Merchantmen were able to run down the clock.

Jay McGee completed just 17 of 32 passes, but they did go for 252 yards and 3 scores with 1 interception. Terry Haskell was his top receiver with 4 catches for 88 yards and score, Adam Brautlacht was close behind with 4 catches as well for 62 yards and a score. New tight end Mike Bernstein had 3 catches for 61 yards. Star wide receiver Russell Holliday was shutout by the Paris secondary for 0 catches.

Darrin Keegan gained 54 yards on 14 carries with 0 catches and left the game hurt. The calf muscle injury turned out to be bad enough to rule him out for the upcoming road game at the Frederick Red Menace, but the Merchantmen expect him to be back in action after the bye week, possibly even in their home game before the bye against San Antonio Tidal Force.

The Merchantmen defense got a standing ovation from the home town fans, recording their first shutout in nearly 7 years. The previous shutout in Oranje Haven was in week 13 of the 2030 season against the Orlando Knights with a 24-0 score. The front seven recorded 2 sacks, 2 blocked passes and 6 hurried passes, whilst the secondary noted 1 interception and 6 defended passes on 40 pass plays. Defensive tackle Ralph Campbell praised the team: "Impressive showing today. Paris looked nothing like the team that beat us twice last season. More so, beating a good team like them is a boost for our confidence."

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen lose at Red Menace, week 2 2037
The Merchantmen are back on earth. After their impressive shutout of the Musketeers, their raod game at the Frederick Red Menace ended in a dreadful defeat. Frederick quarterback Ralph Michaels threw 3 touchdown passes in the 21-10 victory. Wide receiver Terry Haskell was the Merchantmen top performer with a 153 yards, 1 score performance.

The first quarter was a defensive battle. The Red Menace failed to get into field goal range on their first possession, whilst the Merchantmen only lost yardage on their first drive. The Red Menace replied with a long drive, keeping the ball for nearly 9 minutes on a 16-play drive with three third down conversions, yet their longest play was a 13-yard gain, their touchdown scoring play was a Ralph Michaels pass to Gilbert Grabulis into the endzone. The first quarter ended as Jay McGee got sacked on 3rd and 8.

In the second quarter the Red Menace were stopped at midfield. The Merchantmen had to start at their own 22-yard line, but it looked like Jay McGee and his receivers found their rhytm. Terry Haskell had a third down catch and Adam Brautlacht made a 14-yard reception to move into Frederick territory. Then Haskell made a 25-yard catch inside the red zone, saw tight end J.T. Hall move the chains with a 10-yard catch and Haskell himself tied the score 7-7 with a 4-yard catch. The Menace were forced to punt and give the ball back just before the two-minute warning. Jay McGee found Russell Holliday for a 17-yard gain to move into Frederick turf, and then found tight end Mike Bernstein for a 13-yard gain to get into field goal range. Clock mismanagement then hurt the Merchantmen, as they failed to use all three time outs and were forced to kick a 28-yard Charles Anthony field goal for the 10-7 half time lead.

The thrid quarter started with a 12 yard run for Merchantmen rookie David Terry, but was soon followed by Jay McGee's first interception of the game. The Red Menace were three-and-outed but did manage to pin the Merchantmen deep at their 5-yard line. McGee immediately found Terry Haskell for a 39-yard catch and run, only to get intercepted for the second time, just two plays later. This time the Red Menace did get things going with their short gains game plan. Ralph Michaels recorded his second touchdown pass, finding Lance Coles in the end zone for the 14-10 lead. For the remainder of the third quarter both offenses struggled against the stout defenses in the game, with the Red Menace able to win the position battle and end the qwuarter with a 17-yard run from Luther Auyeung to get into field goal range.

After the short break, Ralph Michaels connected with Lance Coles three times, the third catch being a 10-yarder for a touchdown: 21-10 Red Menace. The defense took over again and neither offense really got things going until the two minute warning arrived, with the Merchantmen back at their own 14-yard line. Terry Haskell made a 16-yard catch to move forward and followed up with a big 53-yard catch to move into the red zone. Despite going out of bounds, the Merchantmen wasted a time out and were left without any after Jay McGee got sacked. After a tripping penalty the Merchantmen were 32 yards away from the end zone and McGee failed to find any of his receivers turning the ball over with 16 ticks left. The Red Menace went into victory formation and secured their first win of the season, handing the Merchantmen their first loss.

The Merchantmen offensivee line struggled, as the ground game gained just 70 yards and McGee got sacked 4 times. Jay McGee threw for 237 yards and a score, but was also intercepted twice. Terry Haskell was his top receiver with 7 catches for 153 yards and that single score. Rookie Donald Terry ran for 37 yards, replacement starter running back Alfred Brew was held to 13 yards.

Linebacker Fred McCorkle left the game with a seperated shoulder, adding to the missery. All three European division rivals managed to win in week two, pushing the Merchantmen back to second place, behind the 2-0 Bordeaux Vineyards, with the Paris Musketeers and Gothenburg Giants both at 1-1 just as Masssluis, with the Merchantmen in front on divisional record.

[MIJB#19]

Second shutout as Merchantmen beat Greenjackets
Week three of the IHOF 2037 season saw the Maassluis Merchantmen pull their second win. In their own Oranje Haven they beat the Augusta Green Jackets 26-0, posting a secdon straight shutout win in Oranje Haven. Jay McGee threw two touchdown passes, whilst Charles Anthony scored on 4 of 5 field goal attempts. Defensive lineman Brendan England earned player of the game honors with a 3.5-sack showing to lead the league in quarterback sacks.

Despite a 22-yard pass from Jay McGee to Russell Holliday, the first quarter saw the Merchantmen punt on their first possession. Johnnie Warren sacked Augusta quarterback Cornelius Porter on their first offensive play setting up for the three and out. Luckily, punter Edwin Rice pinned the Greenjackets at their own 8-yard line, and the Merchantmen forced a second three and out to get the ball back at midfield. Alfred Brew ran for 11 yards and Jay McGee found Russell Holliday for a 15-yard gain to reach the red zone. A couple of short runs later, Charles Anthony kicked a 33-yard field goal for the 3-0 lead. After the kickoff the Greenjackets found themselves deep inside their own red zone again. Cornelius Porter failed to connect with his targets time after time and eventually Augusta was forced to punt again.

Wide receiver Adam Brautlacht made a nice 20-yard catch and run to have the Merchantmen start the second quarter at midfield. A holding penalty and a dropped pass from Casey Brown slowed down the drive and Edward Rice had to punt again. Cornelius Porter found tight end Morris Mathis on a screen pass, whick Mathis ended up running forward for a 45 yard gain. The Merchantmen defense woke up quickly after, as Brendan England sacked Porter on second down and Tito Close made the interception in the end zone on third down. Jay McGee marched his team upfield with a key passes to J.T. Hall (12-yard catch), whilst Donald Terry made the big play, running 30 yards into field goal range. Tight end D.J. Cahill made the reception inside the red zone. McGee then ran into the Greenjackets defensive line twice, bringing Charles Anthony back for a 19-yard field goal and the 6-0 score. The Greenjackets responded with a long drive with many short gains that eventually resulted in a 52-yard missed field goal. The Maassluis Merchantmen returned the favor shortly before the end of the half with a missed 54-yarder.

The second half started in the same fashion for the Augusta Greenjackets as the first half did. On their first play, Cornelius Porter was sacked by Brendan England and they had to punt it after a three and out. Both defenses played strongly for about ten minutes, but the Greenjackets kept getting pinned deep, whilst the Merchantmen time after time got it back at the middle of the field. The Merchantmen broke the trend with 5 minutes remaining in the quarter as McGee found D.J. Cahill for a 21-yard gain right into the red zone. Intentional Face Mask moved the chains further and McGee found Russell Holliday on third down in the endzone for the 13-0 lead. Another strong showing from the Merchantmen special teams unit and defense gave the Merchantmen the ball back inside Augusta turf.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Jay McGee found Terry Haskell short for the first down, however, Haskell made some good moves and outran the Greenjackets defenders for a 47-yard receiving touchdown. With the 20-0 lead, the Merchantmen felt confident that their second win was in the making. The field position battle continued its trend and Maassluis got the ball back in Augusta territory. A 32-yard catch by Terry Haskell got them into field goal range and Charles Anthony converted a 23-yard kick to make it 23-0. A fruitless Augustus drive followed and the Merchantmen replied by pinning the Greenjackets at their own 2-yard line. Cornelius Porter looked rushed and his second pass attempt went into the hands of Merchantmen safety Thurman Hopper at the 14-yard line. Charles Anthony scred a 25-yard field goal to extend the lead to 26-0. From there on the Greenjackets gave up, whilst the Merchantmen didn't try anymore. Final score: Maassluis 26, Augusta 0.

Another shutout win for the Merchantmen marks a tremendous start of the season, at least in home games. It's the first time in team history that Maassluis pulls two shutouts in the same season. Brendan England received player of the week honors with his 3.5 sacks for the day, improving his season to date figure to 5.5 sacks. The Merchantmen pass rush broke 13 of 49 pass plays, whilst the secondary posted 6 defended passes and 2 interceptions. Supported by the special teams unit, the Merchantmen have done a good job so far pinning opponents deep in their own territory and keeping them there as well.

On offense, Jay McGee somwhat recovered from his so-so game in week two. McGee completed just 18 of 34 passes, but they went for 260 yards and 2 scores. His favorite target Terry Haskell made 4 catches for 88 yards and a score, D.J. Cahill made the most catches, grabbing 5 times for 69 yards. Rookie running back Donald Terry gained 81 yards rushing.

Elsewhere around the league, the Paris Musketeers dropped to 1-2, falling 27-24 in overtime to the undefeated Boston Rhinos. The Bordeaux Vineyards recorded their first loss against the Rochester Lake Monsters, whom recorded their first win of the season with the 28-16 score. The Gothenburg Giants improved to 2-1 with a 23-16 win over the Orlando Talons. Bordeaux leads the division on division and common games record, with Maassluis in second and Gothenburg in third.

The Merchantmen did lose another starting linebacker to injury, as C.J. Boo suffered a broken arm, putting him out until mid November. He joins Fred McCorkle, still out with a seperated shoulder, and injured reserve Butch VanDenBosch. Blitzbacker Trent Kaiser has been promoted into a starting role, whilst the Merchantmen signed free agent Stan Spry to keep a healthy number of linebackers on roster. The Merchantmen will likely sign another linebacker in the coming days. To make room for Spry, the Merchantmen released second-year kicker Al Beuvelot and anticipate the release of tight end J.T. Hall to make more room.

The Merchantmen will play their next game at home against the winless San Antonio Tidal Force. San Antonio will bring along second-year quarterback Dwayne Hastings and fellow top two picks Byron Humphrey and Norm Pineo as his wide receivers. To date they've looked green this season, bu they're bound to break out sooner or later. It seems unlikely they Oranje Haven shutout of visitors will continue for much longer.

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes: pre-game week 3 of 2037
Crazy times are here. We're not built around defense, but guess what: we're the #1 defense in the league right now, giving up 255 yard and 7 points per game. Granted, sample size and all, the shutout combo is pretty awesome. The most interesting figure to date is the 8.4 yards per catch allowed. We're not just defending the pass (177 yards per game), but we're forcing teams to not throw deep. We're tied first in sacks (3.3 per game), but figures like passes defended are average.

The offense is far from clicking, in my opinion. Losing Keegan for 2 1/2 games didn't help, given that we try to use a run first, pass later game plan. Our receivers are doing their job, having a 14.7 yards per catch average, but the yards per attempt isn't much better than average (7.5 per attempt). Our offensive line has done a below standard job of proecting our quarterback Jay McGee, the pass rush percentage of 26.9 is 4th from the bottom. Again, sample size and all.

I've looked in the history books and we're not the first team to pull two shutouts in thw same season. We are the first to reach it by week 3, giving us 13 games to be the first team to pull the first three in one season. Five other teams have managed to shutout opponents in back to back games, two of them were in back to back weeks (North Plainfield in 2010 and Knoxville in 2015), two other franchises pulled back-to-back shutouts in consecutive weeks including a road game.

We're having woes on defense going into week 3 though. We're without our star linebacker Fred McCorkle, prompting us to play Wesley Devine at SLB. Trent Kaiser, our blitzbacker will move to MLB, as C.J. Boo is also missing against San Antonio. I'm still considering who to put at WLB, it's either zone defender Cole Dooley or recently signed blitzbacker Stan Spry. In the secondary we need Herman Hatton to come up big, he hasn't made a good play this season. On the other side, Tito Close has been lights out so far, but he seems tired, is recovering from a broken finger and misses his nickelback Britt Rice for support. We're down to Winfred Alcott as the third corner; we'll need the safeties to come up big again. Thurman Hopper and dimeback Quinn Gonzalez have been doing well so far, so there's a plus. We'll likely activate Bernie Gordon to give him a chance to play his second career game.

The good news for Monday's game is that Keegan will be back in action, giving me a chance to put Donald Terry back into the change of pace role and deactivate Alfred Brew. J.T. Patterson will also be active against San Antonio, but will be limited to special teams activity, primarily as the second kick return option. Rookie Jack Money has done pretty well as the primary kick returner so far. We'll also promote him to WR5 ahead of Casey Brown, who should play exclusively on special teams from here on. Jay McGee targeted Brown 6 times this season, resulting in 1 7-yard catch, 1 dropped pass and 4 more incomplete passes. They simply don't gell.

Rookie defensive end Eugene Johnstone has spent the first three games inactive. He's clearly better than scouted, but we're so deep at the line, he's just lost in the numbers. Sooner or later one of the other seven guys gets hurt and he'll be in action. Third round pick Harold Matheson has been pretty good so far, in both shutout wins he broke 3 pass plays.

Lastly, I'll elaborate a bit on our recent cuts.

We released kicker Al Beuvelot before the week 3 game. We drafted Bevelot in the 2036 draft in the late 5th round as a potential replacement for Charles Anthony (in his 12th IHOF season already!) as an excellent kickoff prospect. Beuvelot spent two training camps in Maassluis, but didn't wow us with improvement. It's not like he stinks, I think he's a top10 kickoff kicker in the league, but we've got a top3 guy in Anthony already and we simply lacked the roster room for a second kicker after the linebacker injuries hit. We had him active a couple of games late in the 2036 season and give him a chance in two games in both pre-season with us. He scored 5 field goals and 5 points after touchdown, but did miss 30 and 36-yard kicks in his rookie campaign. If injury woes hit at kicker, we'll try to re-hire him.

Two days ago I decided that J.T. Hall was our casualty for yet another linebacker addition. We're still talking with a couple of free agents, but Hall has to go to make a roster spot available. Hall was in his third season with us, joining us in 2035 as a free agent as a run blocking tight end and special teamer. In his time with us, he missed just one game with a knee injury. Last season he scored 3 touchdowns. He was our third tight end this season, with four signed, but since Rusty Arpaci is also our expert long snapper, Hall was the more obvious release.

[MIJB#19]

Jay McGee hitting 100 games for Merchantmen
With a start tomorrow, Jay McGee will record his 100th game played for the Maassluis Merchantmen. McGee is in his eighth season with the Merchantmen and was the regular starter in five previous seasons. To date he played in 95 regular season games and 4 playoff games. McGee will become 92nd player to reach 100 games for the Maassluis Merchantmen.

Of the current roster of the Merchantmen, McGee will be the 13th player to reach the century mark. Long snapper Rusty Arpaci, center Shawn Hudspeth, left tackles Edwin Crangle and Kerry Zumdahl, kicker Charles Anthony, fullbacks Aaron Carter and Albert Shalon, quarterback/holder Kerry Lewis, guard Nate Hurnblad, safety Perry Walker, tight end D.J. Cahill and defensive end Johnnie Warren preceeded McGee. Warren reached the century in week one of this season, against the Paris Musketeers.

McGee didn't start in 4 of the previous 99 games, which means he can also reach 100 starts for the Merchantmen later on this season. D.J. Cahill and Johnnie Warren will record their 100th starts for the Merchantmen against San Antonio, if they are in the starting line up. They will be the 27th and 28th player to record 100 starts for the Merchantmen. McGee is likely to be the 29th to achieve that.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen beat San Antonio golden boys
The Maassluis Merchantmen remained undefeated in Oranje Haven for the season. With a 52-24 score, the San Antonio Tidal Force was beaten with a late game route. Jay McGee passed for four touchdown passes in his 100th game for the Merchantmen. The Merchantmen handed the Tidal Force's golden boys top two picks from the last three drafts their fourth straight loss of the season. Maassluis also took the division lead, taking advantage of Bordeaux' bye week.

The 2037 week four home game started strong for the Merchantmen. They got the ball at their own 48-yard line after a three and out and turned the short field situation into a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jay McGee to Terry Haskell. In return, second-year quarterback Dwayne Hastings found Bobby Horn for a 30-yard gain to set up a 29-yard Tracy Galloway field goal. Russell Holliday quickly responded with a 42-yard catch and run to reach San Antonio territory, whilst Terry Haskell made the 14-yard catch into the red zone. Darrin Keegan's 13-yard run set up a 2-yard touchdown pass from Jay McGee to fullback Albert Shalon and the 14-3 lead. San Antonio was quickly stopped on their next drive and the Merchantmen finished the first quarter with Jay McGee's 34-yard bomb to Adam Brautlacht.

McGee started the second quarter with passes to the tight ends, finishing ithe drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Mike Bernstein. As the Merchantmen crowd was still cheering the 21-3 lead, San Antonio's Deion Bronson ran a short kickoff back for 85 yards and a touchdown. Darrin Keegan showed his comeback after injury with 15, 13 and 8-yard gains to set up a 31-yard field goal from Charles Anthony: 24-10. San Antonio looked underwhelmed and replied with a 12-play drive, anchored by a 30-yard catch for rookie top pick Norm Pineo, to reduce the deficit as Korey Lazier pounded it in from 2 yards out. The show was far from over though, Jack Money had a nice 44-yard kick off return into San Antonio turf, Terry Haskell made a 27-yard catch and run into the red zone and Darrin Keegan ran it for 9 yards and the 31-17 lead. San Antonio drove downfield, went out of bounds to stop the clock but had to settle for a 46-yard field goal attempt, that was missed by Tracy Galloway to end the half 31-17 in Merchantmen advantage.

Following the exciting high scoring first half, the third quarter seemed dull, as neither team managed to score. The fourth quarter started with a 4th down go for it situation for San Antonio that failed misserably, yet Albert Shalon shortly after fumbled and San Antonio's Trent Neilson ran it upfield towards the Merchantmen 36-yard line. Dwayne Hastings completed 17 and 15-yard passes to Norm Pineo, the second one for the touchdown and trailing by 7 points again. Things got even better for them as Jay McGee saw one of his passes intercepted at around midfield and ran back to the Merchantmen 30-yard line. After an ill timed holding penalty, the Tidal Force was 40 yards away and when the Merchantmen secondary came up big with defended passes from Herman Hatton and Perry Walker, they had to punt. Jay McGee and his targets responded in fashion, with four back-to-back first down catches foloowed up by an 18-yard touchdown catch by Terry Haskell. 38-24 Merchantmen. The final five minutes of the game things went from bad to worse for San Antonio. Herman Hatton intercepted a Dwayne Hastings pass and returned it for 21 yards and a score. A failed fourth down try near their own red zone later, the Merchantmen made the Tidal Force spend their time outs and Darrin Keegan pounded it in from the 1-yard line for the 52-24 lead. San Antonio raised the white flag, punted after a three and out and Jay McGee kneeled it for the game end.

After two shutout wins earlier on, it was the Merchantmen offense's turn to show up. Jay McGee went 24 for 34 with 344 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 pass picked off. Terry Haskell had 9 catches for 125 yards and 2 scores, making him McGee's favorite target for the day. Darrin Keegan also scored 2 touchdowns as he ran 24 times for 142 yards. Overall, the Merchantmen offense gained 508 total yards.

Cornerback Herman Hatton earned defensive player of the week honors, returning his interception for the score and defended 2 passes. Hatton was a bright light for the defense, as overall the Merchantmen allowed a season-high 343 total yards. The pass rush was virtually non-existent, recording 7 broken plays without any sacks.

The Merchantmen go into their bye week with a 3-1 record, leading the European division. They're closely follwed by the 3-1 Gothenburg Giants, fter a convincing 27-3 win at the Houston Mustangs, and the 2-1 Bordeaux Vineyards, whom had their bye week. The Paris Musketeers improved to 2-2 with a 30-27 win in their first home game of the season, beating the Fort Wayne Fury. Overall, the European division looks even stronger than last year. Gothenburg and Maassluis lead the league with the best defenses in yards allowed and points allowed respectively. Paris has the second most productive offense in yards gained and Bordeaux keeps on winning despite a league worst -2 turnover margin per game.

No new injuries arose right before the bye for the Merchantmen and linebacker Fred McCorkle is expected to return in week 6 against the Vicksburg Vipers. All three European rivalls will be in action in week 5. Gothenburg gets a chance to take the lead with a road game at Fort Wayne (2-2), Bordeaux will visit Vicksburg (2-1) and Paris will visit winless San Antonio.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen warmup for Vipers rematch
Enjoying their bye week, the Maassluis Merchantmen are preparing for the crucial week 6 clash with the Vicksburg Vipers. It marks a rematch of last season's playoff game in the wild card round, in which the Merchantmen surprised with a 13-10 win with a defensive domination. Leading up to the rematch, the Merchantmen rank tops in the league in points allowed and second in total yards allowed.

In 2036, the Vipers beat the Merchantmen in the regular season, scoring 41 first half points towards a 41-10 win in Vicksburg. Ricky Summers sparkled all night long, hauling in 9 catches for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns. In the rematch in the post-season, the Merchantmen focussed their game plan on Summers, keeping him to 2 catches on 10 targets for 20 yards, without any yards after catch. In tomorrow's game, they hope to do more of the same with Herman Hatton as the designated shutdown corner.

The Vipers are pretty much injury free, sporting a couple of minor bruises and only their backup tight end Jared Mascarenas doubtful. In return, the Merchantmen appleaud the return of Fred McCorkle, one of their defensive stars. On offense they're as healthy as they can be (*knock on wood*). It sets up for a potentially spctacular IHOF game of the week between the top two AOC challengers behind Tucker and Boston. The Vipers lead the Deep South with a 3-1 record, 1 game ahead of the Fort Wayne Fury and 1 game in hand. The Merchantmen trail the Gothenburg Giants, but hope to stay in pace and hop past them in week 7.

[MIJB#19]

Vipers withstanding Merchantmen take European lead
The Maassluis Merchantmen remain undefeated in Oranje Haven this season. The visiting Vicksburg Vipers were beating 27-24 on a last minute fieldgoal. Despite a dominating performance, the Merchantmen came back from behind to win the game. The Merchantmen withstood Vipers wide receiver Ricky Summers, who had 9 catches for 170 yards and 2 scores for the Vipers. Charles Anthony received much praise, scoring a 55-yard field goal in the first half and the game winner in the last minute of the game.

In the first quarter the Merchantmen dominated the game, consistently getting into the Vipers territory, forced to punt and pinning them deep in their own territory. Neither side really managed to get anything going, until Jay McGee got strip sacked late in the quarter and lost it at midfield. Ryan Norris found the Merchantmen defense off guard and Ricky Summers promoted a short pass to a 40-yard gain into the red zone. Bob Jonhston ran it in two plays later from 3 yards out for the 7-0 lead to end the quarter.

The field position battle remained as it was, with the Merchantmen dominating. After both sides punted on short drives, Maassluis started an 11-play drive, gaining ground in small steps. Fullback Albert Shalon had a couple of key first down converting runs to reach the red zone, whilst Terry Haskell grabbed an 11-yard pass from Jay McGee to set up Darrin Keegan's touchdown run to tie the score 7-7. After a series of defensive stands, the Merchantmen got the rock back with 4 minutes left to play. On a time consuming drive, anchored by a 22-yard catch and run by Terry Haskell, the Merchantmen decided to attempt a 55-yard field goal. Charles Anthony completed it for the 10-7 lead with 1:11 left on the clock. The Vipers attempted to get downfield, but it took too much time to reach Maassluis territory.

After the break, the Vipers got their engines running. Ryan Norris connected with running back Jeremy Connell and Ricky Summers for 12 yard gains into the Merchantmen half and followed up with a 22-yard pass to fullback Marvin Wilburn to reach the red zone. The Merchantmen red zone defense prevailed and the Vipers settled for a 34-yard field goal, converted by Billy Russell for the 10-10 score. The Merchantmen looked underwhelmed and replied with a strong drive on their own. Strong runs from Darrin Keegan were alternated between productive passing plays. Russell Holliday made the 15-yard catch to set up a 2-yard touchdown reception by Adam Brautlacht: 17-10 Merchantmen. After a trhee and out the Merchantmen got the ball back and marched down field. On the next to last play of the quarter, Jay McGee got intercepted around the Vipers 34 yard-line by J.C. Abrams and it was ran back towards the 42-yard line. On the last play before the fourth quarter, Ricky Norris found Ricky Summers for a 26-yard gain into the red zone.

On the second play of the fourth quarter, again Ricky Summers was Norris' open target, this time inside the end zone: touchdown Vipers, game tied at 17-17. The Merchantmen looked stunned and were held inches short on the next drive, forced to punt. Despite being pinned at their own 7-yard line, the Vipers replied strong. Ryan Norris found Andy Kovarik near midfield for the long bomb 40-yard gain. Cory Berry then ran with the ball four plays in a row to reach field goal range. Next, Ryan Norris found Ricky Summers for what looked like just a short gain at the 24-yard line, but Summers escaped his defenders and and promoted it to a 29-yard catch for the touchdown for a 24-17 Vipers lead. The Merchantmen didn't hesistate, on the second play after that touchdown, Jay McGee found Russell Holliday for a long bomb 48-yard reception into the red zone. Darrin Keegan moved the chains and eleventh choice target Casey Brown caught the 2-yard touchdown pass in a crowded endzone to tie it again: 24-24. The Vipers once again started inside their own redzone, were quickly forced to punt and the Merchantmen got the ball back from their own 42-yard line. Jay McGee spread the ball around to move upfield and to reach the Vipers territory right before the two-minute warning. Darrin Keegan ran the ball from 3rd and 5, but was held just short at the Vipers 25-yard line. With 44 seconds left, the Merchantmen sent Charles Anthony out there to kick the 42-yard field goal. Anthony succeeded, making it 27-24 for the home team. The Vipers had little time left, but Ryan Norris managed to find a doubler covered Ricky Summers past midfield and Summers managed to get all the way to the 37-yard line. A time out got called to attempt a 54-yard field goal, but Billy Russell missed wide to the right to end the game. Final score: Maassluis 27, Vicksburg 24.

Right after the missed kick, an outburst of joy arose in Oranje Haven. The Merchantmen dominated the first half, but failed to put points on the board and set themselves up for a painful loss. Instead, the team bounced back, got a big play themselves and eventually won the late game clock management battle to record their fourth home game win of the season.

Rookie head coach Jeremy Monroe was relieved after the win: "A hard fought, but much earned win. We needed this to gain the confidence for the upcoming road game series." The Merchantmen next will play three on the road, with two games at Deep South locations visiting the Fort Wayne Fury and the Houston Mustangs, splitting that stretch with the return game of the series versus the Paris Musketeers.

Jay McGee struggled at times against Vicksburg. With an interception and a lost fumble, McGee blamed himself for the close game: "Tough breaks, but we bounced back and the guys made the plays to win this one." McGee completed 25 of 39 for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns. Russell Holliday was McGee's top receiver with 6 catches for 107 yards. Terry Haskell made 6 catches for 72 yards. Darrin Keegan ran 23 times for 117 yards and one score.

Elsewhere in Europe, the Bordeaux Vineyards came back from 10 points down to beat the Fort Wayne Fury 27-17 to improve to 3-2. Roosevelt Hansen thre 5 touchdown passes for the Paris Musketeers in a 45-23 victory at the Gothenburg Giants to put both teams at 4-2. The Merchantmen now lead the division at 4-1, with Paris in second place, Gothenburg third and Bordeaux fourth. An all around strong division, which could find all teams tied at 4-2 next week, as Bordeaux visits the winless San Antonio Tidal Force and Maassluis make the aforementioned visit to the 2-4 Fort Wayne Fury.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen fumble to OT loss at Ft Wayne
The Maassluis Merchantmen dropped to 4-2 after a 16-13 loss at the Fort Wayne Fury. Four Merchantmen turnovers kept the the Fury in the game and eventually handed them the field position to kick a game winning field goal in overtime. In a running game dominated matchup, the Merchantmen leaned on their special teams unit and running back Darrin Keegan to make the plays. Jay McGee struggled, completing 14 of 25 for 166 yards, with no scores and 2 turnovers. Punt returner Winfred Alcott had two fumbles, one for the turnover. Keegan made the game deciding fumble in overtime.

Elsewhere, the Bordeaux Vineyards won 38-14 at the San Antonio Tidal Force. Both the Gothenburg Giants and Paris Musketeers enjoyed a bye week. With these results all four sit at 4-2 after 7 weeks of action in the 2037 season.


Paris beats Maassluis on Last Second Field Goal
In a crucial European division clash, the Maassluis Merchantmen lost 20-17 at the Paris Musketeers. Kicker William Blades kicked the game winning 43-yard field goal as time expired. In a turnovers laden showing, the Merchantmen choked a 3-point lead into a deficit. Jay McGee was picked off twice, whilst Darrin Keegan lost his second fumble of the season. The game was dominated by the Merchantmen special teams unit, creating good field position all day long, but the lack of takeaways to nullify the giveaways did the Merchantmen in at the end of the day.

Elsewhere in Europe, the Gothenburg Giants were upset 34-20 by the San Antonio Tidal Force, whom recorded their first win of the season. The Bordeaux Vineyards beat the Houston Mustangs 30-9, intercepting Houston quarterback Emarlos Blaylock 4 times. After week 8, Bordeaux lead the European division at 5-2, with Paris also at 5-2, but in second on division record. Maassluis dropped to third at 4-3, holding also 4-3 Gothenburg off on division record.


Merchantmen record first road win at Houston
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back in the winning mood. A 13-7 win at the Houston Mustangs gives them their first road victory of the season. The Merchantmen held the Mustangs until midway into the fourth quarter, but needed Fred McCorkle's interception of Emarlos Blaylock in the Merchantmen red zone to secure the win. The Merchantmen struggled on special teams, but held the Mustangs to 208 total yards to improve to 5-3.

The Paris Musketeers recorded a miracle comeback win at the Vicksburg Vipers. They came back from 38-24 down as Rosey Hansen tossed his fourth and fifth touchdown passes of the game in the final three minutes to tie it and William Blades kicked an 18-yarder in overtime for the 41-38 win. The Gothenburg Giants won 10-3 in a defense dominated game at the Bordeaux Vineyards, seeing Jack Yoo run in the sole touchdown of the game late in the fourth quarter. With these scores, the mid-point standings in Europe are:
1. Paris 6-2
2. Bordeaux 5-3
3. Maassluis 5-3
4. Gothenburg 5-3
Bordeaux leads Maassluis on common games, Gothenburg is last on division record.

[MIJB#19]

GM Mid-season notes
What a Jeckyll and Hide season. We're destroying opponents at home (4-0 with a 31-12 average score), but on the road we're struggling to control the ball and went 1-3, averaging a 13-16 score). It's easy to write it off to turnovers and claim we're supposed to be 7-1 here, but turnovers are part of football, heck, they downright determines games every now or then. We've lost two big ones as we lost the turnover margin by 3 and 4, despite that I felt we were the better team, although just slightly at Paris.

Our quarterback Jay McGee is averaging 19 for 32 with 254 yards per game, with 14 touchdowns against 9 interceptions and 1 lost fumble. With those numbers, he's on pace to post his first 4,000-yard season, but also to greatly 'improve' his single season interceptions figure with us from 12 to 18. His yards per attempt figure is better than ever, improving from last season's 7.7 to 7.8, not counting his 8.5 average in 5 games in 2034 as a backup to Rusty Harrison.

McGee's targets are doing so-so. Terry Haskell has been his #1 target, making 40 catches for 687 yards and 5 scores, which are good numbers. Russell Holliday is the #2 targets and seems to draw a lot of double coverage, making 26 catches for 383 yards, 1 touchdown and a disappointing 8 dropped passes. Tight ends D.J. Cahill and Mike Bernstein are making up for Holliday's struggles, combining for 42 catches for 538 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Darrin Keegan missed a couple of games but is still in pace to be a 1,000-yard back this season. He ran 20 times per game for 580 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 2 fumbles. Fullback Albert Shalon has been the good old third down conversion machine (61%), but his average is only 1 per game. Donald Terry has been a decent RB2 with 230 yards and 4.4 per carry.

Our special teams unit has been tremendous this season. Good coverage and quality returnmen have made us dominate all but two games so far this season. Rookie Jack Money is quickly becoming one of my favorite players, already being our #1 kick returner at the season start and now taking over as the #1 punt returner after Adam Brautlacht got hurt and Winfred Alcott went to his odl fumbling habits. Money averages 32.1 yards per kickoff, without scores. His punt return average is subject to sample size, but so far 16.8 on 5 returns looks promising.

The defense ranks #1 in points allowed (14 per game), #3 in yards allowed (290 per game), but also last in turnovers (6 in 8 games). Our secondary is doing a good job, with nobody really standing our or looking bad. Our pass rush is good, but not great. Defensive tackle Brenden England appears to do it all alone, ranking him third in the league with 8.5 sacks so far. Harold Matheson has racked up 4.5 to date, ranking him first amongst rookies. The run defense ranks #7 overall with 111 yards per game, but that's subject to that teams prefer to pass against us, also based on that we're usually in the lead. The lack of turnovers really surprises me, but at the same time makes it that much more impressive that we're still showing top-notch defensive numbers out there.

The second half of the season won't be easy. We'll kick off with home games against Bordeaux and Gothenburg, then follow up with a home game against Brooklyn, whom are 4-4 and defending divsion champs in the strong Mid-Atlantic,scoring the most points in their conference. Then we'll get road games at Syracuse (3-6, but always tough), Chesapeake (5-3 Mid-Atlantic leaders) and Gothenburg. The last two games are at home against Williamsburg (4-4 and much improved with rookie QB Gino Greenburg) and on the road at Bordeaux. None of those games will be easy wins. It'll be crucial to win at least 3 of the European division games to stick around in the playoffs race, preferably as division champions...

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen pick off Vineyards to victory
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back at it. Lead by three interceptions of Quinn Kooiker, the Bordeaux Vineyards were beaten 20-13 in Oranje Haven. Jay McGee threw for 199 yards and 2 scores en route to a 6-3 record. Russell Holliday was the leading receiver with 6 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown.

Elsewhere, the Paris Musketeers won 20-7 against the Houston Mustangs and improved to 7-2, whilst the Gothenburg Giants lost 27-10 at home to the Vicksburg Vipers, dropping to 5-4. Paris lead the European division, with Maassluis one game behind and both Bordeaux and Gothenburg two games out.



Merchantmen demolish Giants
With a steamrolling performance, the Maassluis Merchantmen posted their third straight win. The Gothenburg Giants were beaten 34-3 in a divisional clash that for only 29 minutes was the close game it was supposed to be. Jay McGee completed 24 of 37 passes for 323 yards and 1 score with 1 interception. Terry Haskell made 6 catches for 73 yards and a score as the top receiver. The Merchantmen defense dominated the game, allowing only 211 total yards and forcing two turnovers. All the Giants had only two drives where they gained more than 16 yards, the first leading to the sole field goal and the second being cut by the game end.

In France, the Bordeaux Vineyards flabbergasted the Paris Musketeers with a 48-20 win after taking a 21-0 lead and socring touchdowns on 6 of their 11 drives. Paris dropped to 7-3 and are now tied with the Merchantmen, with Maassluis regaining the division lead on division record. Bordeaux is a single game behind, Gothenburg is two games behind the division leaders.



Fightin' Bums spanked by Merchantmen
The Maassluis Merchantmen improved to 7-0 at home this season with a 28-5 spanking of the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums. The Bums were held to just 139 total yards, with 48 coming on their game ending final drive. Merchantmen quarterback overcame two interceptions, throwing for 241 yards and 3 touchdowns. Terry Haskell grabbed 10 passes for 104 yards and 2 scores. Darrin Keegan kept the chains moving as he ran for 129 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Eugene Johnstone recorded 2 sacks in his second active game with the Merchantmen.

The 7 home game wins is a Merchantmen franchise record, tying the 7 wins from the 2023 season. Including playoff games, the Merchantmen also recorded 7 home wins in 2027 and 2035, as they won 6 in the regular season and 1 game in the post-season in each of those seasons. The 7 straight home wins extends the franchise high, after setthing a new record last week against Gothenburg.

In other stadiums around the Atlantic Ocean, the Paris Musketeers fell 21-14 to the Chesapeake Chitterlings, the Bordeaux Vineyards lost 20-14 at the Frederick Red Menace and the Gothenburg Giants lost 13-3 at the Williamsburg Colonials. With these results, the European division standings now are:
1. Maassluis 8-3 (3-1 in Europe)
2. Paris 7-4 (2-2 in Europe)
3. Bordeaux 6-5 (2-2 in Europe)
4. Gothenburg 5-6 (1-3 in Europe)

[MIJB#19]

General Manager notes
This Jay McGee kid is starting to bug me. Yes, we're still winning, but I'm not sure we're utilizing McGee in the right way. After 11 games he's showing Flannery like numbers with 12 interceptions, already tying his 'record' with us. His personal best is 16 in 16 games in his second season with the Fort W. Fury. But downgrading to Kerry Lewis or Harry Osborne feels like it wouldn't do any good. Afterall, we're still winning and McGee does find his receivers. Terry Haskell keeps bailing him out though, as he leads the league with 416 yards after reception.

The defense keeps surprising me in a good way. 11 games in, with 7 at home to taint the numbers quite a bit, we're allowing 12 points and 275 yards per game, both are the top numbers in the league. Not a single player really jumps out as the start of the defense, they're all putting their best efforts out there. Not bad given that we've been playing roster fillers at linebacker in a couple of games and lost our best lineman in the off-season.

Our rookie returnman Jack Money keeps amazing me as well. He's now on double duty and ranks second in punt return yards average (12.8 per) and first in kick return yards average (32.3 per), amongst qualifiers. With Money and his support unit, we're finding ourselves at the 50-yard line to start a half in a lot of games. That certainly helps to take leads or to hold off opponents. With no fumbles to date, he's a great guy to have on the team.

After 4 straight wins, the playoff picture looks quite good now. Inside the division we're 1 game ahead of Paris. At the moment we still hold the tie-breakers, but depending on which games they win and we don't, they are still capable of catching us and winning the division on tie-breakers, especially if they catch is in week 17, when we visit Bordeaux and they host Gothenburg. Paris has 4 home games left too, they're not to be underestimated.

In the other AOC divisions, the Northeast is lead by two 7-4 teams: the Boston Rhinos and the Harlem Apollos. We don't play either of them this season, so the conference record is where the tie-breakers are. Boston is 2 games behind, but Harlem only 1 game. To keep that up and to get the common games tie-breaker as well, a win against Syracuse in week 13 would do wonders for us. In the Deep South the Vicksburg Vipers are our only true rivals. At 7-4 they're one game behind, but the tie-breakers are with us now and are likely to stick, especially with the head-to-head win as a booster. In the Southeast, the Tucker Tigers lead us by 1 game and they have a tie-breakers lead as well. Home field advantage is further away than it appears to be, despite that the Tigers are missing their four-time league MVP quarterback Jackie Collier.

[MIJB#19]

Haskell's five scores pull Merchantmen past Mohawks
All hail to Terry Haskell. The Maassluis Merchantmen wide receiver scored five receiving touchdowns en route to a 38-12 victory over the Syracuse Mohawks. Haskell tied the IHOF record single-game receiving touchdowns, set by Kelly Hutton with the Boston Rhinos in 2022 and tied by Ricky Summers with the Vicksburg Vipers in 2032. The Merchantmen overall were unstoppable, gaining 445 total yards, with 326 yards passing and 5 scores for Jay McGee, 154 yards and 5 touchdowns receiving for Haskell and 110 yards rushing for Darrin Keegan. The Merchantmen defense was once again stingy, keeping the Mohawks out of the endzone to keep the Merchantmen the top defense in IHOF in scoring and in yardage.

The Paris Musketeers fell 30-27 at home to the 10-2 Tucker Tigers, losing on a two-minute drill touchdown. Paris dropped to a 7-5 record. The Bordeaux Vineyards improved to 7-5 with a 26-0 pounding of the Snapfinger Jazz. The Gothenburg Giants lost their fourth straight, getting beaten 24-17 at the Harlem Apollos, despite a seemingly superior perforance in yardage. The Merchantmen now lead the European division with a 2-win lead over the French teams. Gothenburg at 5-7 looks done for the season, being 2 games away from the wild card spots, both held by 7-5 teams.



Impressive Merchantmen win at Chesapeake
The Maassluis Merchantmen keep on rolling. With a 31-10 defeat of the Chesapeake Chitterlings, the Merchantmen recorded their 6th straight win, improving them to 10-3. Terry Haskell had his third straight 100-yard game, catching 7 passes for 114 yards and a score against IHOF's second ranked defense. Jany McGee completed 20 of 27 passes for 239 yards and 2 scores, whilst Darrin Keegan ran for 96 yards and a score. The game wasn't as lopsided as the final score makes it look, as the Merchantmen scored two touchdowns on short field situations in the last five minutes. The Merchantmen defense now ranks first in points allowed, rushing yards allowed, passing yards allowed and naturally also in total yards allowed.

Despite their 10-3 record, the Merchantmen are unlikely to secure the European division next week. The Bordeaux Vineyards destroyed the Williamsburg Colonials 55-23 to improve to 8-5. The Paris Musketeers also moved to an 8-5 record, winning 20-17 at the Brooklyn Fighin' Bums. The Gothenburg Giants fell to 5-8 following a heartbreaking loss, losing 31-17 at home, despite outgaining the Frederick Red Menace by 90 total yards. The Merchantmen next visit Gothenburg, whilst the French teams go head-to-head in Paris.

[MIJB#19]

Playoffs Bound Merchantmen Beat Giants
The Maassluis Merchantmen steamengine keeps on rolling into the playoffs. With a 35-7 score, the Gothenburg Giants were beaten on the road to secure a post-season trip. It marked the 7th straight victory for Maassluis. Jay McGee completed 24 of 30 passes for 340 yards and 5 touchdowns, claiming player of the game honors. Terry Haskell was once again his favorite target, catching 6 passes for 137 yards and 3 scores. Adam Brautlacht hauled in 2 touchdown receptions.

The Merchantmen defense continued their stellar play, allowing 168 total yards on offense. They even added a couple of turnovers as safety Thurman Hopper made 2 interceptions. After 14 games, the Merchantmen have allowed 97 yards rushing per game, 190 yards passing per games and 272 total yards per game, with 11.6 points per game allowed. Despite a league low 13 takeaways, the Merchantmen rank first in aforementioned statistics.

McGee moved up in the stats charts, now ranking tied for first in IHOF with 32 touchdown passes, sharing that lead with Paris' Rosey Hansen. It puts McGee 1 shy of the Merchantmen franchise record of 33 scoring passes, set by Louie Flannery in 2017 and tied by Rusty Harrison in 2026. McGee's 32 ties his personal best, which he recorded last season.

Terry Haskell has made the majority of those scores, leading IHOF with 18 receiving touchdowns, 2 more than Vicksburg's Ricky Summers. He's already past the old Merchantmen record, set by Gabe Springer in the 2018 season. The all-time IHOF record is 22 receiving touchdowns, set by Kelly Hutton in 2018 and tied by Ricky Summers in 2034. Haskell earlier tied both players' shared single-game touchdown record, which neither of them set in those record-setting season.

Of course, the stats just tell the story of the season. The Merchantmen have the indisputable best defense this season and sport a tremendous skill player trio in McGee, Haskell and running back Darrin Keegan - Keegan ranks fourth in rushing yards, despite missing 2 games. In the end, there's only one stat that really matters: the number of wins. With an 11-3 record in the regular season, the Merchantmen are still capable of tying the franchise high of 13 wins, set in the 2007 cinderella story season. The goal more than ever is being victorious in week 21, the IHOF Bowl.

The Merchantmen route to the IHOF Bowl goes through the playoffs and the Merchantmen qualified for it with the win. In France, the Paris Musketeers defeated the Bordeaux Vineyards 34-6, putting the Musketeers in the driving seat for the first wild card in the AOC with a 9-5 record. The Vineyards dropped to 8-6 and currently rank eighth on tie-breakers behind the also 8-6 Harlem Apollos and Fort Wayne Fury. The Gothenburg Giants dropped to 5-9 and are no longer in contention.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen beat Colonials to clinch bye week
The Maassluis Merchantmen secured a bye week for the playoffs. With a 37-19 score, the Williamsburg Colonials were beaten in Oranje Haven. It marks Maassluis' first season going undefeated in (regular season) home games. The Merchantmen also extended their winning streak to eight games, posting their fourth straight game with 30+ points.

The Williamsburg Colonials proved to be a worthy opponent and a serious test for the Merchantmen defense. But, despite gaining 430 total yards, the Colonials were unsuccesful in the red zone. The majority of their points came from fieldgoals, including three kicks of 34 or less yards. In return, the Merchantmen offense didn't have to do much, as the team took maximum profit from Jack Money's kickoff return skills. Money ran for 254 yards on 6 returns, resulting in a 16-yard average drive start advantage, with the Merchantmen starting 4 of 12 drives in Williamsburg territory, excluding turnovers. Money did record his first career fumble, but possession didn't change on that play.

Jay McGee had another big day, completing 18 of 28 passes for 226 yards and 4 scores. McGee was picked off once, being the only Merchantmen turnover of the day. For a change, Russell Holliday was the top receiver with 5 catches for 78 yards and 2 scores. Terry Haskell was held scoreless and to 54 yards, but Adam Brautlacht and Charles Pomeranz stepped in with a receiving touchdown each. Darrin Keegan ran only 14 times, gaining 63 yards rushing.

The Merchantmen improved to a 12-3 record and secured the division title and simultaneously grabbed a bye week in the playoffs. The Paris Musketeers beat the Frederick Red Menace 34-23, but at 10-5 are too far behind to catch up. The Bordeaux Vineyards lost 36-10 at the Chesapeake Chitterlings, dropping Bordeaux to 8-7 and to a long shot sitation for making the playoffs. The Gothenburg Giants posted their 7th straight loss, falling 16-12 at the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums and sitting 5-10 at the bottom of the division.

The Merchantmen are still alive for the top seed spot in the AOC, but the require the Tucker Tigers to lose a home game against the Augusta Greenjackets, who have been knocked out of the playoffs after week 16's results. The Merchantmen obviously need to win their last regular season game at the Bordeaux Vineyards as well and need to maintain a lead in the strength of victory tie-breaker, which relies on Gothenburg and to a smaller degree to Chesapeake, Boston, Syracuse and Asheville.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen backups win in Bordeaux
The Maassluis Merchantmen wrapped up the regular season with a 16-7 win at the Bordeaux Vineyards. The Merchantmen fielded most of their backup players, leaving key players like Darrin Keegan, Terry Haskell, Russell Holliday and Herman Hatton inactive, whilst injured starters Fred McCorkle, Perry Walker and Brenden England were also held out of the game. Quarterback Jay McGee was active, but spent the entire game on the bench. Having secured a bye week and seeing little incentive to hope for the best and get a chance at home field advantage, the Merchantmen gave the second and third stringers a chance to see some action. The Merchantmen go into the playoffs seeded second in the AOC, with the bye week and sporting and sitting on a nine-game winning streak.

The Vineyards were playing for the final wild card and needed already playoffs bound Boston Rhinos and Vicksburg Vipers to pull a win for them. The Rhinos fell 22-10 at the Harlem Apollos, whom leap-frogged past the Ft Wayne Fury after their 30-17 loss to Vicksburg. The Tucker Tigers demolished the Augusta Greenjackets 50-24 to secure the top seed in the AOC. A loss for Tucker would have put Maassluis at the top. The Paris Musketeers go into the post-season as the 5th seeds, posting their fourth straight win against the Gothenburg Giants.

Despite their qualified situation, the Merchantmen still had something to play for. Had they held the Vineyards to 3 or less points, a new points allowed record would have been set. Sacrificing the single touchdown, the Merchantmen finish the season with 188 points allowed, which is third-best all-time behind the 185 points for the North Plainfield Plague in 2004 and the Ann Arbor Anachronism in 2012.

Quarterback Kerry Lewis received MVP honors in his first start for the Merchantmen. The nineth year veteran had played in 146 games as the kick holder, but to this game hadn't played a snap on offense. Lewis completed 19 of 37 passes for 220 yards and a score without any turnovers. Adam Brautlacht caught 6 of those passes for 86 yards, whilst long snapper Rusty Arpaci scored the sole touchdown of the game for Maassluis. Fourth string running back Alfred Brew ran for 59 yards as the lead rusher for the day.

Wide receiver Terry Haskell held on to the league lead in receiving touchdowns. In his second season in the IHOF, Haskell has quickly emerged as a key player. Veteran tight end D.J. Cahill praised Haskell: "He's our man now. Surely, having a former All-IHOF receiver at the other side helps, Russell [Holliday] draws a lot of attention, but Terry has the speed and agility to make plays. He leads the league in YAC, in touchdowns, he broke a couple of franchise records."

But Haskell's performance isn't all there is. Jay McGee recovered late in the season from his earlier turnover woes. He finished the season with 14 interceptions, his highest figure in oranje-white-and-blue, but he also broke the passing touchdowns record, doing 3 better than Louie Flannery and Rusty Harrison in their best days. Darrin Keegan quietly had another 1,000-yard season rushing, despite missing 3 games. Jack Money was phenomenal in punt and kickoff returning. And then there was the nearly record breaking defense, that allowed less than 100 yards rushing and less than 200 yards passing per game.

"But it's all worthless if we don't find our way into the IHOF Bowl," said veteran center Shawn Hudspeth, "I've been to the AOC Championship game before, but this team is even better. The playoffs? We're in it to win it. Three more games to go!"

[Kodos]

Go Merchantmen!

[MIJB#19]

FOF technical observation
As a FOF player, what's cool to me is that, even though we have a decent QB and set of WRs, they're not the obvious world beaters (QB 58 rated, WR duo 49 and 45 rated - although the 45-rated player appears to be a masked superstar, he's an all-IHOF first teamer this season, it could be a moot point altogether). The defense isn't screaming top notch either in the red bars area, but we're getting the job done this season and we get it done very well. 188 points allowed is unheard of in this era of IHOF, it's the lowest figure since the 2012 season (FOF-techincally, that was the last FOF2004 season).

I'm not going to disect my own team and game plan as of yet, but it's by far the best season defensively and special teams technically, despite that I madeonly marginal changes to our game plan. On offense, we've done better, but that was in the times we had Rusty Harrison, Stanley Givens, Gabe Springer and Terry Thomason as our fantastic four. And that was before the offensive domination fix patch.

Moreso, more than ever, I have a feeling this team finds ways to win, rather than ways to lose. We keep bouncing back after turnovers. Interception? No worries, we'll stuff 'em, force a field goal, make a big kickoff return and score a quick touchdown to get a 4-point advantage. And we're winning games not just by a field goal or on a late touchdown, most games one way or another we grab a two-score lead in the fourth quarter, force the opponent to get one-dimensional, our dominant pass rush takes over and we'll be in possession sooner than later. Only one or two won games were close and the three lost games, in two of them we were the obviously better team and the third was seemingly a complete off-day of sorts.
Now we're into the post-season.

All things considered, as much as I hope to avoid the current Tucker Tigers juggernaut, playing them would be a great test to see how real we are. But for that to happen, we'll have to beat a pretty good team first (and so do they), but two of them we've beaten already this season and the third has fallen apart in the second half of the season.

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes: Back to the drawing board
One and done, just like in 2028, when we also had the top defense in the league. In a complete 180 degree turn towards the regular season, we lost at home (first of the season), giving up 38 points (our season high was 24) and we choked a comeback (from 14-0 down to a 17-14 lead, to a 38-20 loss).

In the first quarter we long-bombed ourself quickly into field goal range, but instead of getting a shot at it, we (our rookie Donald Terry) fumbled and let the Vicksburg Viper drive all the way for the touchdown. From there on it was a back and forth punting and making ground game, until the Vipers took advantage and started from their own 46-yard line, eventually seeing top wide receiver Ricky Suppers score for the 14-0 lead.

We fought back, driving 64 yards for a touchdown, forced a three and out, then had McGee toss the inevitable interception and get lucky that Vicksburg's Bill Russell missed a 41-yard field goal.

In the second half momentum shifted. Vicksburg tight end Wally Jongling fumbled and we got the ball in the Vipers red zone, which sadly turned into a three-pointer. We forced a punt after a semi-long drive and had a 45-yard catch and run from Darrin Keegan into the red zone to set up our go-ahead touchdown (17-14). Vicksburg bounced back on a 46-yard long bomb into our red zone and re-took the lead. After we were forced to punt, Summers had a 47-yard lomb bomb catch into our end zone for the 11-point deficit (28-17).

In the fourth quarter we drove into their territory, but we decided to kick on 4th and short in their red zone, putting them up 28-20, which felt like waving the white flag. We go for it there, we score the touchdown and we have a chance. Luckily, we forced them to punt, but were then stalled as well and got the hopes destroying touchdown against for a 15-point deficit with just 3 minutes left to play. On 3rd and 10 in our own half, we didn't even try to go upfield, McGee tossed a short pass that even got intercepted; game over, pretty much. Vicksburg converted the field goal for the 38-20 and final score.

An unrewarding result after showing the league we had the best defense and best special teams unit. Not just this season, but arguably the best in the modern era*. To combine with it, we had a top5 running back and top2 wide receiver, with our quarterback in the MVP mix until we made him sit the last game.


The Vicksburg Vipers weren't an automatic win, obviously, being the third seeds and playing us really close earlier in the season. They avenge us for last season's playoffs, when we pulled an upset win at their place. We dropped to a 7-13 all-time playoffs record, tying the Bordeaux Vineyards (11-17 all-time) in worst margin at -6.

So just like that, it's all over. It's on to next season...

We'll start the off-season with all but four players signed. The free agents will be two injury-depletion fill-in linebackers, injured reserve and never to play again cornerback Carlton Hall, and restricted third string guard Julio Ferich. We'll be about $60 over the cap, to begin with, but we'll be able to get over it. The tricky part will be retirements.

Ugh, 'next season'. I wanted to write about next game...


* FOF technically: FOF2007 seasons, opposed to the first 9 seasons in FOF2004

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes: Start of cap strapped 2038 off-season
The new off-season is on the horizon. The Maassluis Merchantmen management is preparing for the new season. We're in a good financial situation, we're the third highest profit making team, far behind the Tukcer Tigers and close behind the Bordeaux Vineyards, but surprizingly just ahead of the current IHOF champions: the Chesapeake Chitterlings. The rest of the league is in a completely different ballpark, although the Outer Banks Ospreys are catching up in this area.

Our staff has done a good job the past season. Heck, #1 defense, #1 special teams, a top5 offense, what more to ask? There are some excellent new head coach prospect coming available from the collegiate ranks, so we might take a look there, but overall I shouldn't complain about Jerry Monroe.

Our roster situation is tricky, but workable. Granted, we're roughly $60 million in the red, including draft pick projections. We'll have to do quite the cap magic to get this sorted out. But I'm confident we'll have a shot at getting it done without needing to sacrife one of our star players. We're carrying over 50 players from last season's roster, not counting restricted free agent guard Julio Ferich, whom we'll try to bring back. Emergency signing Percy Compton might want to return to our linebackers package, he's our only unrestricted free agent into the off-season.

Our draft situation is interesting. We're lacking a first round pick, we sacrificed the 29th overall pick to get our current middle linebacker Wesley Devine, by position the leader of our state of the art defense. In return, we have an excess of later round picks. We have additional picks in every round from the third down, with a third pick in the fourth round to boost, adding up to 12 picks in total. I'm not quite intersted in keeping all of those, obviously, given the number of players still signed through 2038 and later.

As I mentioned, there are 52 players returning to IHOF this season, which by the loyal fans' math means we lost 4 players to retirement.

Cornerback Melvin Karluk never played a single down for us. We signed Karluk last off-season after his contract with the Iowa Cobbers expired. Karluk had been an exceptional return specialist, but suffered a very serious concussion early in the 2036 season and had been sidelined ever since. Karluk spent 2037 on injured reserve and doctors advised him to not pursue an extended career in football. We wish Melvin the very best in his post-football player life.

Cornerback Carlton Hall was a more familiar name and face. After four years with the Gothenburg Giants, he signed with the Merchantmen. Mostly playing as our nickelback and filling in when Tito Close or Herman Hatton was hurt, Hall played in 42 games with us. In his first season he emerged as a popular player, hauling in 4 interceptions. In 2034 he defended 10 passes. In 2035 he suffered a broken fibula in week 9 and missed hlaf the season, reinjuring in the first and only playoff game with the Merchantmen. In 2036 he played half a season, until he got sidelined with a degenerative hip condition. Hall was a shallow copy of the football player he used to be and never played a down from there on, spending his last one and a half seasons on injured reserve.

Linebacker Stan Spry had a short stint in Maassluis. After a seven-season stay with the San Antonio Tidal Force as a starter, he was released in the 2036 off-season. The Asheville Axemen hired him for the 2036 season, but Spry failed to impress and was released in the final roster cuts for 2037. In week 3 he joined the Merchantmen as a stop gap for injury woes at linebacker and hung on for the remainder of the season. He was active in 14 regular season games and in the lost divisional round game.

Linebacker Trent Kaiser was the biggest surprise of the departees. As a second-round pick, Kaiser joined the Paris Musketeers in 2028. Despite his pass rush stats in limited play as a rookie, he was released after the 2029 training camp. In 2030 the Snapfinger Jazz Hands picked him up as a special teamer. The Syracuse Mohawks picked him up in 2031 and kept him active throughout the season. In 2032 his move to Maassluis took place, as he signed a three-year minimum contract. Kaiser became a regularly playing backup and special teamer. In the past two seasons he was taken of the special teams unit, but moved up in the linebacker ranks, in part forced by injuries from other players. Kaiser actually came off his most active season to date, but decided 10 seasons of football was enough. He fared through it pretty injury-free and moves back to the USA with the wife and two young kids. The Merchantmen respect his decission and wish the Kaiser family a prosperous future back home.

[MIJB#19]

Haskell and England All-IHOF choices
The Maassluis Merchantmen congratulate Terry Haskell and Brenden England with their selection for the All-IHOF team of the 2037 season.

Terry Haskell was the first team wide receiver, opposite Vicksburg Vipers' Ricky Summers. Haskell had 90 receptions (5th in IHOF) for 1,347 yards (2nd in IHOF behind Summers) and 18 receiving touchdowns (1st in IHOF), which was also IHOF's highest number of total touchdowns scored. Haskell had 579 yards after catch, which ranks 10th all-time in the IHOF history books. Haskell was 6th in IHOF in yards per target, with a 10.1 yards per target average. His receiving touchdown figure ranks tied for 8th all-time. It's a nice sophomere season after his rookie of the year campaign.

Brenden England was picked as a first team defensive tackle. He ranked in the top ten in all pass rush stats, as he made 11.0 sacks, 28 hurries and 18 quarterback knockdowns. His 8.1 pass rush percentage figure is also in the league's top10, 6th amongst defensive linemen. England also made the All-IHOF selection in 2037.

Haskell and England were also selected as starters for the honorable DogBytes Pro Bowl team as part of the Atlantic Ocean Conference team. Joining them in the all-AOC team are quarterback Jay McGee, running back Darrin Keegan, cornerback Tito Close and safety Thurman Hopper. Close and Hopper were also listed as starters.

Quarterback Jay McGee finished third in the DogBytes Offensive Player of the Year race. The award went to Paris Musketers quarterback Rosey Hansen, with Kansas Creationists quarterback Mercury Lynn as the runner up. Lynn in turn received the Solecismic League MVP award.

Rookie defensive end Harold Matheson finished second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race. With 5 sacks, 19 hurries and 7 blocked passes, he came just short of Bordeaux Vineyards' defensive end Percy Starks.

Rookie return specialist Jack Money didn't receive any league wide awards, but did receive the Merchantmen Jack of All Trades award. Money ranked 1st in kickoff return yards average and third in punt return average, despite not scoring a single touchdown. Money was one of four players topping 10 yards per punt return and one of three with more than 30 yards per kickoff return (amongst qualifiers). His kickoff return average (34.3 yards per return) ranks 10th all-time in IHOF history.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Axe HC Monroe
The Jeremy Monroe saga is over. After just one season as the Maassluis Merchantmen head coach, Monroe has been released of his duties. Monroe coached the Maassluis Merchantmen to a franchise best 13-3 record, including the first undefeated season at home in the regular season, only to lose in the divisional round at home to the Vicksburg Vipers. A stumped Monroe was unavailable for comment. Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. explained: "Jeremy was a stop-gap for when we'd find our franchise coach. He did a fantastic job and we wish him good luck. I'm sure he'll find another IHOF franchise to show his skills."


Merchantmen present new HC Witten
There's a new captain on ship. Today, the Maassluis Merchantmen presented Charlie Witten to the public as their new head coach. Witten hass built a very good reputation at Massachusetts University and the Merchantmen found him the right man to guide the team to a new level, one with success in the playoffs. 55-year old Witten was delighted: "The Merchantmen are a great team. They have a strong defense, quality skill players. I'm looking forward to going into the majors with this team."

Merchantmen general manager smiled ear to ear: "This is our franchise head coach. With coach Witten we'll continue our defensive domination and expect to go deep in the playoffs." Witten is the fourth head coach in as many years and the nineth in franchise history. Leroy Van Der Woude remains to be the head coach with the longest stint in Maassluis, coaching the Merchantmen for 14 seasons from 2005 until 2018. Van Der Woude leads all Merchantmen head coaches with 2 post-season wins, which in 2027 was tied by Huey Gervais.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen cut Quinn Gonzalez, Britt Rice
The salary cap woes are hitting in Maassluis. In their task to get out of a situation of $58 million over the cap, the Maassluis Merchantmen released two players and restructured contracts with 21 others. These combined moves freed nearly $50 million in cap room. Additionally, the Merchantmen traded away their second round pick to the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums for a future draft pick. The Merchantmen still have to find an additional $5.5 million of cap space to get under the cap and then need roughly $6 million to sign incoming rookies and to have a full 53 men roster.

Casualties of the moves were safety Quinn Gonzalez and cornerback Britt Rice. Both were contracted for a $3.8 million salary. Both joined the Merchantmen in the 2036 off-season and became the team's nickelback and dimeback in their arrival and played. Gonzalez played in all games in the past two season and started in 14 games, either as the nickelback or as an injury replacement. Gonzalez made 6 interceptions and was a very reliable pass defender for the Merchantmen. Rice also played a big role on the pass defense. In two seasons he missed 5 games. In 2036 Rice also had kickoff return duties in his tasks. Last season he lost that role to rookie Jack Money.

"A tough decission," said Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B., "Quinn and Britt were resepcted members of the leagues number one defense and special teams unit. We might try to re-sign them." M.IJ.B. added "There's still nearly $12 million to find, not counting inevitable contract extentions of several key players. We still have to talk with quarterback Jay McGee about a new contract and it's likely we'll have to sacrifice another player or two."

The Merchantmen were unwilling to confirm rumors on the release of defensive tackle Ralph Campbell, a four-year starter with the Merchantmen. Campbell's release would save roughly $5.7 million. Quarterback Jay McGee - as mentioned - and offensive tackle Tom Bush are the other obvious candidates for contract restructing to create cap room. Cap analists claim that these three moves would together save the Merchantmen roughly $10 million short term and put them under the cap. All IHOF franchises are required to be under the cap before the post-draft free agency.

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes
Tough times here. As much as I loath it, there was a business decission to be made: the departure of players. For a bit I've considered to trade a couple of highly paid players, but in the end I figured we can stick this team together for another year if we just release our nickelback and dimeback. Additionally, we'll release our expensive veteran defensive tackle Campbell, whom we can easily replace with young upcoming run stuffer Dwight Hutton. We still have Jerome Tyson as the all-around defensive tackle and have the pass rush experts Brenden England and Roger Finch around.

Speaking of England, I suspect we'll have to talk about a new contract, fast. He's signed for the minimum veteran salary and a holdout is imminent. Another option is to put him on the market for trade, a two-time All-IHOF selection should be worth something, no?

Another decission is at the quarterback front. Jay McGee is entering his 12th season in IHOF. I'm far from convinced Harry Osborne will ever live up to my expectations of him, but at the same time we could throw Kerry Lewis out there. Granted, neither will be able to play a near MVP kind of season, but we should be able to do good enough in the passing game with our gallopin' gazelles Terry Haskell, Adam Brautlacht and Charles Pomeranz. You're in good attention if you're missing Russell Holliday in that list. Our veteran receiver is due a contract extention and we'll have to agree terms with him first to be able to claim he's going to be part of the 2038 squad. Obviously we want to keep him, but in IHOF never say never...

The draft will be a part where we'll make a step back compared to a lot of teams. It's a deep draft, especially the first round will be loaded with quarterbacks, wide receivers and top-notch players at the other positions. I suspect every pick in the first round will be a very good one. Because of salary cap woes, and our track record with mid-round picks, I traded our second round pick away for a future pick. In 2039 we'll have three second rounders, which should be a decent consolation when retirements hit us hard.

There's one more position where I think we'll be able to get some cap room. We've got two starting material centers in B.J. Samuels and Arnie Croft. Veteran Shawn Hudspeth is a decent backup, providing he looks ok in training camp. And if Hudspeth does, don't be shocked if we'll try to trade Samuels or Croft.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen cut DT Campbell, sign CB Pisano, LB Compton
One in, one out, one stays put. The Maassluis Merchantmen sign, release and re-hired a player today. On top of that, about a dozen players extended their contracts with one or two seasons. The Merchantmen released defensive tackle Ralph Campbell, hired cornerback Zach Pisano and re-signed linebacker Percy Compton.

The release of Campbell came as a surprise to the fans, but the news had been out already. Campbell joined the Merchantmen in the 2034 season as a free agent. In four years, Campbell was in the rotation onf defensive linemen, missing only 4 regular season games in that time span. He was outperformed left and right by younger and newer tackles, resulting in release after he was scheduled to make the most money of all defensive linemen.

Percy Compton signed a new contract in Maassluis. In the 2037 season he joined the Merchantmen as an injury replacement. Compton spent most of the season inactive, seeing action in two regular season games and the playoffs loss to the Vicksburg Vipers.

Zach Pisano is the Merchantmen's first new signing of the off-season. Pisano joined IHOF in 2034 as a rookie free agent with the Syracuse Mohawks. After a year starting for the Mohawks, Pisano moved on to the Minnesota Miners. In 2036 he moved on to the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums for a two-season stint. Pisano is said to be a good zone defender and would also be a good addition to the special teams unit.

Merchantmen fans can also be happy about the longer stay of eleven players. All-IHOF defensive tackle Brenden England signed a new three-year contract, as did fellow defensive tackles Dwight Hutton and Roger Finch. Punt returner/cornerback Winfred Alcott, quarterback Kerry Lewis and kickoff returner/running back J.T. Patterson also extended through the 2040 season. Wide receivers Adam Brautlacht, Charles Pomeranz and Casey Brown, as well as tight end Mike Bernstein and running back Alfred Brew all signed contracts through the 2039 season.

The Merchantmen now have 49 players signed, with roughly $2.4 million in cap room. 42 players are signed through the 2039 season. The $2.4 million insn't enough to get to a full 53-men roster, which means the Merchantmen still have to find some cap room.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen move out of draft
The Maassluis Merchantmen made a surprise move on the draft. They traded no less than 11 picks in the current draft away for the Kansas Creationists second round pick in the next draft. "A cap initiated move," said general manager M.IJ.B., "we can't afford all those rookie salaries and signing boni. Besides, with 49 players signed, we simply lack the roster spots to sign them all." This moves leaves the Merchantmen without any draft picks in the 2038 IHOF draft. Barring a trade back in, it marks the first time the Merchantmen will not make a single pick in the draft. Their previous low was 3 picks, which occured six times.

With this move, the Merchantmen improved their 2039 draft situation, holding all of their own picks and having added 3 second round picks from the Brooklyn, Kansas and Outer Banks franchises.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen trade back into draft
In a fully expected move, the Maassluis Merchantmen traded back into the 2037 IHOF draft after having traded all of their picks away. The Merchantmen acquired 3 sixth round picks in exchange for fifth and sixth round picks in the next draft.

The Merchantmen selected wide receiver B.J. Baxter, safety Kevin Pritchett and fullback Malcolm Finley. Baxter is a fast 5'11" receiver out of the Air Force. Northwestern graduate Karl Pritchett will be looked at to fill the role of dimeback, leaning on his ability to intercept passes. Blocking fullback Finley was selected out of UCLA.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen cut Hudspeth, lose Ferich, sign 8 rookies
A long stint ended, Shawn Hudspeth won't return for a fourteenth season in Maassluis. The Merchantmen today released the franchise's all-time leading key run blocker. Hudspeth was a late second round pick in the 2025 draft and immediately was plugged into the starting lineup. Hudspeth didn't miss a game in his first five seasons, playing his 100th game for the Merchantmen mid-way his sixth season. In 2034 he missed all but one game because of a broken ankle. In 2036 he lost the starting job and became the third string center behind Arnie Croft and B.J. Samuels. Hudspeth made 287 key run blocks for the Merchantmen, 69 more than Brant Heinrich, the previous record holder. Hudspeth ranks nineth in all-time starts for the Merchantmen and is considered a lock to make the team's Ring of Honor.

The Merchantmen lost a second offensive lineman today. After failing to agree terms during the restricted free agency period, guard Julio Ferich signed a bigger contract with the Snapfinger Jazz. As a former fourth round pick, Ferich had been considered a prospect for the future, to move up in the depth chart in coming seasons. Ferich played in only 7 games in 3 seasons.

In contrast with the departures, the Merchantmen singed 8 rookies, including their 3 draft picks. Fullbacks Jose Douglas, Terry Wilkerson and sixth round pick Malcolm Finley, sixth round pick wide receiver B.J. Baxter, center/long snapper Donny Gaines, defensive ends Kim Lowe and Deron Ogunleye, and sixth round pick safety Karl Pritchett.

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes: Training Camp 2038 on the horizon
It's tight. We're currently $560K under the cap, with 57 players on roster. We're so close, the league mandated super computers didn't allow us to sign new players, despite that we have cap room and should be able to spend $1.1 million on a single new player. Oh well, c'est la vie.

At many positions the team will - barring some training camp miracles or disaster - look exactly the same way as last season. Going into camp, we'll have a big pile up at the fullback position. Don't tell him yet, but I'm fully expecting to have to release Aaron Carter after training camp. Albert 'the Shovel' Shalon is safe and we'll let the three rookies battle for the other roster spot. Release of Carter frees up roughly $1.5M, depending on which other players miss the 53-men cut. We need some of that money to extend contracts on our center B.J. Samuels, veteran wide receiver Russell Holliday and all-around backup linebacker C.J. Boo.

Of the rookie fullbacks, Terrell Wilkerson is the special teams standout and the most developed blocker. Quite obviously, he's in the lead right now. Malcolm Finley is the second best blocker, is a mismatch for special teams and is the only one of the three who can run the ball half-decently. Jose Douglas is the underdog of the rookie, the greenest blocker with some potential to become a special teamer. And then there's the veteran Carter, a proven player, whom you hardly notice actually plays.

At wide receiver, B.J. Baxter joins the mix as the seventh player in camp. He's got the speed, proven with his 4.44 40-yard dash, but what else you've got for us Buster James? The rest of the bunch are lock to make the team.

On the offensive line, we're only nine players deep, including rookie long snapper Donny Gaines. We've released our legendary run blocker up the middle. Shawn Hudspeth, you machine, you will be missed. Julio Ferich moved on, wasn't interested in waiting in the wings for another season, he makes a well-deserved promotion to the Snapfinger Jazz, they will be pleasently surprised about Ferich's skills. On the other hand, we hardly used them in the past two seasons. Barring injury disaster, that wasn't likely to change for 2038. Gaines is no lock to make the 53-men roster, but he's an interesting prospect to take the long snapper role away from Rusty Arpaci, our 6'8" tower tight end. The fans might remember his touchdown at the Bordeaux Vineyards in week 17 last season, thrown by our kick holder kerry Lewis - yes, it was a legit offensive play, no trickery in a kicking situation.

We've brought along rookie kicker Ernie Lichter as our 57th player. He'll be a 1000:1 underdog to unseat Charles Anthony, our veteran field goal and kickoffs machine. Anthony was perfect again in the kicks short than 40 yards, but missed 3 of 7 40-49 yarders and had a career high 3 misses at 50-yarders. That said, we're happy with Anthony.

On the defensive side, we signed rookies Deron Ogunleye and Kim Lowe to battle for one rushing end roster spot. We lost Ralph Campbell to the Gothenburg Giants - we released him, so we can't blame anybody for it - but I suspect we won't miss him much, with the four guys that hung around, combined with our fast mistakes forcing defensive ends.

We're sort of short on linebackers, with six on roster, and defensive backs, with eight on roster. I do fear we'll miss Britt Rice and Quinn Gonzalez, both played quite a lot on the best IHOF defense in roughly 25 seasons... But Bernie Gordon is waiting in the wings, providing he actually makes the team, I think his salary is overpaid. On the bright side here, we'll see Butch VandenBosch back as our weakside linebacker, to rejoin our awesome duo of Fred McCorkle and Wesley Devine.

Last note, guys, please don't tank in camp, we could really use another regular season like last season was!

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen training camp report
Out of shape. That's the line that was used on several key players of the Merchantmen during the recent training camp sessions. Running back Darrin Keegan, guard Ricky Castillo, rush tackle Brenden England and cornerback Tito Close were the most prominent names. All four players looked like on a steep slope of their decline. The overall recap, position by position group.

Quarterbacks
Jay McGee looked good as always. McGee is destined for another season as the starter. Kerry Lewis showed some downfall, but nothing too major. Harry Osborne once again failed to make the big splash improvement that he's been hyped to make. Lewis looks ready to again play the backup role, with Osborne as the emergency option. Lewis will also return as the kick holder.

Backfield
Darrin Keegan lost some of his speed and versatility, but appears to have assured himself of another season as the workhorse back. Sixth gear Donald Terry showed his speed and is expected to play the change of pace role. Elusive Alfred Brew will stick around as the third option if needed and J.T. Patterson will make a comback of sorts as the alternate kickoff return. Fullback Albert Shalon will put his bulldozer reputation on the line again, having lost more of his speed and power, but returning as the third down back. Aaron Carter's future is still hanging in the air. Carter made the pre-season roster, but has also been asked to tutor undrafted rookie Terrell Wilkerson.
Roster cuts: neither Joe Douglas nor sixth round pick Malcolm Finley managed to impress. Both rookies have been released going into pre-season.

Tight ends
Mike Bernstein is the man. Not like he made big strides, or that D.J. Cahill dropped dead, Bernstein's skill set fits better these days. Both might get more involved as the Merchantmen might go to a more one-back type of offense. Rusty Arpaci is a pure long snapper and is actually on the chopping block after the arrival of rookie center Donny Gaines. For the time being, Arpaci is expected to make the 53-men roster.

Wide receivers
There's Terry Haskell, who seems to have gotten even faster and become a more complete receiver. Russell Holliday at 36 years old will remain as the flanker, being the punishment if team try to double team Haskell. Adam Brautlacht's agility still puts him in the #3 role, but Charles Pomeranz is noticably faster. B.J. Baxter lived up to expectations as a fast, yet clumsy receiver. He'll likely make the cut as the fifth receiver. Jack Money obviously makes the team as an elite returnman. Casey Brown will hang around as a stand out special teamer.

Offensive line
The same gang returns to Maassluis, but all thee offensive guards look like they lost some of their speed and agility. Overall, this unit remains strong and pretty deep with eight starting material players. left tackle Kerry Zumdahl and right guard Ricky Castillo remain to be the anchorman. B.J. Samuels beat Arnie Croft for the center role. Gilbert Rhodes gained ground on Nate Hurnblad for the left guard role. Tom Bush remains to be the undisputable run blocking right tackle. Edwin Crangle hangs around as the alternate pass protection left tackle. Donny Gaines is the new face on the line, being the third center and exclusively sticking around as the future long snapper, providing he doesn't unseat Rusty Arpaci this season.

Kickers
Kicker Charles Anthony worked hard and looked like he actually improved his accuracy. Edward Rice was good as always.
Roster cuts: Ernie Lichter learned a lot, but didn't unseat Anthony.

Defensive Line
At defensive tackle, Jerome Tyson made good strides and looks more complete than last season. Dwight Hutton will move into the balanced defense starting role, with Brenden England as the pass rush specialist and Roger Finch as the reliable backup rush tackle. On the outside of the line, Eugene Johnstone showed his promise and will promote into a starting role on the left. Harold Matheson defended his starting role on the right end with good progress. All round talented endJohnnie Warren will become the passing downs starter and rotation backup. Rookies Deron Ogunleye and Kim Lowe improved during camp, but failed to impress. Both made the pre-season roster, but it's likely Ogunleye won't make the 53-men lost of opening day.

Linebackers
Plenty of talent. Butch VandenBosch makes a promising comeback as the run defending specialist. Wesley Devine is getting better and better, becoming an elite mike. Fred McCorkle remains as the untouchable sam, leaning heavily on his pass defending skills. C.J. Boo might be the best backup linebacker in the league. Percy Compton and Cole Dooley remain to be roster filler types, but both have showed flashes of decency and know the defense well enough to stick around.

Secondary
Three of the starter of this unit look good as always. Cornerback Herman Hatton and safeties Perry Walker and Thurman Hopper return as starter. Tito Close ran into a wall, but because of his experience in the Merchantmen scheme will likely remain as a starter. Newly hired Zach Pisano looks good enough to be the backup corner. Bernie Gordon made good progress and will promote into the dime back and backup safety role. Rookie Karl Pritchett looks good, but nog good enough to be a regularly active player. Cornerback Winfred Alcott once again made the pre-season roster. He remains to be the third option at punt returning duties, but he's no lock to make the 53-men roster.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen cut rookie Ogunleye
Defensive end Deron Ogunleye has been released by the Maassluis Merchantmen. Ogunleye has been signed as an undrafted rookie and spent training camp and pre-season with the Merchantmen. In the first two exhibition games, Ogunleye was active and lead all Merchantmen players with 1.5 sacks. Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. explained: "Deron played well and we'll give him another chance if injuries pile on. He's fast and could be a rotation pass rusher in this league."

The release of Ogunleye means the Merchantmen go into the 2038 season with three fullbacks on roster. Aaron Carter had been rumored to be a potential cut after pre-season, but he made the team nevertheless. "Aaron has played 10 seasons with us. He was a starter last season. He's here to mentor Terrell Wilkerson, whom we believe will be a suitable successor," said M.IJ.B. about the fullback situation.

The off-season movement appears to not be over yet in Maassluis. The team is relatively short on offensive linemen and defensive backs, whilst contracts of center B.J. Samuels and fullback Aaron Carter have yet to be extended. Safety Bernie Gordon is also scheduled to become a free agent next off-season, but he will be restricted. Samuels' demands and value ask for a bigger cut in cap space than the Merchantmen can afford. Carter could end up being the odd man in this situation.

[MIJB#19]

I'm feeling a bit inspired to do some writing, hence the bump. But as always, I'm not promising to make any regular updates as of yet.

I'll pick up where we I stalled the last time: the 2038 pre-season.

[MIJB#19]

2038 Recap

Week 1
The season started with a typical Merchantmen victory. Leaning heavily on the defense and field position, the Gothenburg Giants were beaten 31-6 on the road. Jay McGee threw for just 144 yards, Darrin Keegan ran for 106 yards. Keegan and fullback Albert Shalon ran for scores, whilst wide receivers Russell Holliday and Casey Brown caught McGee passes. Former Merchantmen kicker Melvin Hornbaker scored two field goals for the Giants.

Week 2
In a barnburner, the Albuquerque Wrong Turns held ground at their place, beating the Merchantmen 33-28. Jay McGee was intercepted 4 times, which was a big factor in the outcome of the game, with Gino Nyren accounting for 3 picks. McGee still threw for 4 touchdowns (to Adam Brautlacht 2x, Russell Holliday and D.J. Cahill) and 359 yards, but the turnovers decided the game.

Week 3
Field position and red zone efficiency were a major factor once again. Despite seemingly similar offense production, the Boston Rhinos were beaten 40-16 on the road. Jay McGee connected for 3 touchdowns with tight end Mike Bernstein, whilst Terry Haskell carred the team with 15 catches for 157 yards and 1 touchdown. Fullback Terrell Wilkerson accounted for the fifth receiving touchdown.

Week 5
After the bye week, the first home game of the season, the Tucker Tigers juggernaut was coming to town. The Merchantmen dominated the game, holding the Tigers to 219 yards on offense, whilst gaining 424 yards themselves, but still tried hard to keep their choking and meltdown tradition alive with a negative turnover margin. In a field goals heavy scoring game, the Merchantmen eventually prevailed 26-23, icing it with a ball control heavy drive in the last five minutes. Jay McGee connected with both his star receivers Terry Haskell and Russell Holliday for a touchdown.

Week 6
Following the inspiring win over the Tigers, the Merchantmen travelled back to the USA for a game at the Augusta Greenjackets. The entire team looked motivated and the Merchantmen steamrolled to an easy 34-10 victory. In absence of Darrin Keegan, Alfrew Brew ran for 99 yards and a score, whilst third stringer Donald Terry had a receiving touchdown. Jay McGee also connected with Russell Holliday and Charles Pomeranz for touchdowns.

Week 7
The road game heavy early season schedule continued with a game at the Paris Musketeers. The Merchantmen had trouble getting through the French team's defense, but in return held the Musketeers out of the endzone. End result was a 20-9 victory, with the touchdowns scored by Alfred Brew and Donald Terry on the ground.

Week 8
Despite a superior performance, the Merchantmen struggled at home against the Snapfinger Jazz. Darrin Keegan returned with 115 yards on the ground, but Jay McGee's three touchdown passes to his top three receivers Adam Brautlacht, Terry Haskell and Russell Holliday were the important scores towards a 24-13 win.

Week 9
The first divisional home game against the Bordeaux Vineyards was dominated by both teams' pass defenses. Jay McGee struggled towards 155 yards and no scores, but on the other end safeties Thurman Hopper and Perry Walker had crucial interceptions of Bordeaux' Rusty Malone. The Merchantmen won 16-7, with Darrin Keegan scoring the only Merchantmen touchdown.

Week 10
A road game at the Orlando Talons saw yet another underwhelming clash. Both teams were held to under 200 yards passing, but the crucial part was the turnover battle. The Talons intercepted Jay McGee 3 times and added 2 fumble recoveries en route to a 20-3 defeat of the Merchantmen.

Week 11
Jay McGee's struggles continued, as he was held to 140 yards passing against the Gothenburg Giants. The Merchantmen running game carried the team through, Darrin Keegan gained 101 yards and scored 1 touchdown, as did Albert Shalon. McGee and Russell Holliday connected for one passing touchdown as the Merchantmen won 27-17 at home.

Week 12
The Oakland Black Panthers were a welcome opponent to invest in optimism for the Merchantmen. With a strong return game and pass defense, the Black Panthers were easily beaten 38-13. Darrin Keegan ran twice for a touchdown, whilst Jay McGee completed scoring passes to Terry Haskell and Russell Holliday.

Week 13
A chance to avenge the Vicksburg Vipers arose, as the 2037 playoffs opponents returned to Maassluis, struggling to win games so far with a 6-5 record. The Merchantmen steamrolled to a 21-3 lead late in the second quarter, as Jay McGee threw touchdown passes to Terry Haskell (twice) and Adam Brautlacht. However, they appeared unable to stop the Vipers offense from there on. Running back Cory Berry ran for 161 yards, completely dissecting the usually tough Merchantmen defense. Donald Terry ran for a fourth Merchantmen touchdown, but even a missed Vipers field goal was not enough to stop them. Vicksburg won 34-27 to keep their chances to reach the playoffs alive.

Week 14
The Merchantmen bounced back after the disappointing loss last week. The Fairbanks Northstars were easy targets, as the Merchantmen ran away in the fourth quarter towards a 38-14 victory. Jay McGee overcame his 2 interceptions with touchdown passes into the hands of Mike Bernstein (impressive 47-yarder), Terry Haskell and Russell Holliday, whilst McGee also pounded in a 1-yard rushing touchdown. Darrin Keegan scored once on the ground. Combined with a 23-3 Gothenburg Giants loss at home to the Albuquerque Wrong Turns, this win secured the European division title for the Merchantmen.

Week 15
Despite playing at home, the Bordeaux Vineyards posed no threat to the Maassluis defense. The Merchantmen notched their first shutout of the season, winning 28-0 at their traditionally biggest rivals for the division title race. Terry Haskell gained 117 yards receiving, with 2 touchdowns, including a big 53-yarder. Adam Brautlacht and Russell Holliday accounted for the other two receiving touchdowns, all coming from the arm of Jay McGee.

Week 16
With a playoffs bye week in reach, the Merchantmen hosted the Colorado Cutthroats. The Merchantmen had a short field all day long, as they forced 5 turnovers, without any giveaways in return. Jay McGee connected to Russell Holliday (twice) and Albert Shalon for the touchdowns in the 34-7 rout.

Week 17
Despite a 12-3 record, the Fort Wayne Fury were still pushing the Merchantmen for a bye week, behind the 14-1 Tucker Tigers. The Merchantmen were hosting the Paris Musketeers, who in turn needed a win and the Vicksburg Vipers to lose to reach the playoffs. The Musketeers struggled, as their running game was no match for the Merchantmen defense and were forced into a one dimensional offense. Jay McGee connected with Terry Haskell (a 46-yarder) and Adam Brautlacht in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead. The Musketeers tried to fight back, but were unable to stop the Merchantmen offense between the 20's. Despite no more touchdowns, the Merchantmen kicked themselves into a 29-16 win and the bye week.

Conference Semi Finals
According to the seeding, the Merchantmen were hosting the third seeded Fort Wayne Fury. The Fury went 12-4 in the regular season and defeated the reigning AOC champions, the Vicksburg Vipers 24-17 at home. The Merchantmen dominated early on, forcing three and outs on the first two Fury drives, whilst they replied both with a touchdown. Jay McGee found Charles Pomeranz for the first score and Donald Terry pounded the ball in for an early 14-0 lead. The Fury eventually scored back, but the Merchantmen played their ball control and shorter field advantage into a 17-7 half time lead.
The second half wasn't a much different story. The Fury were unable to get through the Merchantmen defense and turned it over twice. The Merchantmen expanded their lead to 27-7 as McGee found Russell Holliday in the end zone. Backup quarterback Nathan Schwartz found the Fury's top receiver Leland Tanner in the end zone with 2 minutes left, but the Merchantmen recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock towards the 27-14 victory.

AOC Championship game
Overly motivated by the impressive win over the Fury and the dominant game in week 5, the Merchantmen felt they had a shot to beat the Tucker Tigers on the road. The first quarter set the tone for a high scoring affair, as both teams took points from their first two possessions. An 80-yard Brant Clark receiving touchdown put the early 14-10 Tucker lead on the score board, with Jay McGee having ran for the Merchantmen touchdown.
In the second quarter, the Merchantmen defense took control of the game. Running back Mo Battle fumbled in his own territory and the Merchantmen took the lead as McGee found Casey Brown open in the end zone. After an exchange of punts, a false start penalty and a sack of Jackie Collier, the Tigers were pinned back at their own 3-yard line. A holding penalty resulted in a safety and gave the ball back to Maassluis. The Merchantmen played out the clock, but didn't forget to score either, as McGee found Russell Holliday in the end zone for the 26-14 half time lead.
In the second half, the 12-point lead didn't hold for very long. The Tigers scored a field goal and on their second possession marched down field at high speed to trim the score down to 26-24. The third quarter ended with Maassluis still leading and Tucker having the ball back at their own 36-yard line.
Things would quickly get worse for the Merchantmen. Collier connected with Earl Howard for a 68-yard passing touchdown to put the Tigers up by 5 points. The Merchantmen looked like they were on the move again, but Casey Brown fumbled after a 12-yard catch and the Tigers cornerback Donovan Sumpter stripped the ball and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. McGee was unable to get his team into scoring position and the Tigers replied with a fast 87-yard drive into a 19-point lead. McGee started taking risks and former Merchantmen safety Kennedy Maxwell intercepted him around midfield. The Merchantmen avoided another touchdown, but down 48-26 and just 2 minutes left to play, the game was basically over. The Merchantmen reached the Tigers' red zone, but ran out of downs with just under a minute left, waving the white flag on the Tigers knee drop play.


All in all, a strong effort by the Merchantmen, for the second straight season winning 13 regular season games and for the third time reaching (and losing) the AOC championship game. The Tucker Tigers were beaten in the regular season, but in the playoffs once again turned out to be too much to handle. The Merchantmen finished the regular season 3rd in scoring and 2nd in points allowed, with a major factor being the field position battle, on average having roughly an 80-yard advantage over opponents on punt and kickoff return yardage.

Jay McGee completed 60.2% of his passes for 3,581 yards, 37 touchdowns (tied 2nd in IHOF), with 15 interceptions. Darrin Keegan ran for 1,126 yards and 6 touchdowns. Terry Haskell had 76 receptions for 1,119 yards and 10 touchdowns, whilst Russell Holliday scored 11 touchdowns on 73 catches for 845 yards. Guard Ricky Castillo lead the IHOF with 46 key run blocks, whilst allowing only 2 sacks. Jack Money ranked first in kickoff return average and second in punt return average, despite not scoring any touchdowns.

[MIJB#19]

2039 Off-season
Following another tough playoffs loss by the hands of the Tucker Tigers, the Maassluis Merchantmen found themselves in salary cap woes. The off-season would be a busy one and fear for a step back in the quality of the team kept the fans sleepless at night.

Retirements
Wide receiver Russell Holliday called it a day after three seasons in Maassluis and 13 in total in the IHOF. Holliday had seven 1,000-yard seasons in his career, but none of them in Maassluis. He did score 19 touchdowns in his three-year stint with the Merchantmen.
Long time veteran tight end/long snapper Rusty Arpaci stepped away from football. Arpaci in Maassluis was nicknamed 'The Tower' for being the tallest player to play on the team. In 2038 he lost the long snapping duties to undrafted rookie center Donny Gaines, but hung around the entire season. Arpaci spent 13 seasons with the Merchantmen, missing just 6 regular season games in the first 12. He scored 8 touchdowns in those seasons.
Backup left tackle Edwin Crangle left football after 13 seasons with the Merchantmen. A former third round pick, Crangle became a starter in his fourth season, but in all those years flip flopped from backup to starter back and forth. Together with kicker Charles Anthony, Crangle is the only player to play in both the 2027 and 2038 lost AOC championship games.

Blockbuster trades
With the cap room troubles to work with, the Merchantmen looked at their highest paid players and decided to put four of their key offense players on the trading block. Quarterback Jay McGee, running back Darrin Keegan, guard Ricky Castillo and left tackle Kerry Zumdahl all were told a move away from Maassluis was likely.
But first, the Merchantmen decided to tone down on their draft day costs. They packaged the 30th overall pick and a grand total of four 2nd round picks together and traded them to the Rochester Razorbacks for the 12th overall draft pick.
The big one came shortly after as both Ricky Castillo and Kerry Zumdahl were traded to the Tucker Tigers, an unpopular move with the fan base. The Merchantmen received first and second round picks in 2040 in return, but obviously this meant the need for a complete renewal of the offensive line.
Darrin Keegan then was traded to the rebranded North Plainfield Plague, for as little as a fourth round pick. Combined with the two linemen, this freed roughly $37 million of cap room, which was the majority of the massive $65 million gap the Merchantmen had to crawl out of.

Draft Day
As the draft arrived, the Merchantmen were determined to use the 12th overall pick, rather than trying to trade it for future considerations. The Merchantmen tried to trade up, but failed and settled for wide receiver Vincent Cox, a Tulsa product that ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds and showed no real weaknesses in the combine.
In the third round Rutgers' Lamont Whitfield was taken to fill the hole the opened by the departure of Castillo. Whitfield showed good combine scores and was said to be a all around decent prospect, with some additional pushing skills to help make holes for the running game.
In the fourth round, the Merchantmen grabbed Greg Brass out of Marshall. Listed as a fullback, Brass was considered the future replacement of Albert Shalon. Brass really excelled with his bench press and broad jump scores.
Another guard was taken in the fifth round in O.J. Treftz. A smart Syracuse graduate, Treftz had an all around decent combine and was considered a good prospect.
Eventually all four draft picks would end up making the team for the regular season. They were joined by two rookie free agents. South Carolina kicker Lenny Russell was the newest attempt to get a top-notch kickoff specialist. Tight end Cary Harriman left Texas - El Paso in hopes to make it in pro football and was signed by the Merchantmen, initially as a special teamer.
Texas quarterback Marshall Terry also was signed as an undrafted free agent, but didn't make the final 53-men roster. Terry wound up with the Vicksburg Vipers, starting three games late in the season and notching three consecutive wins against the Houston Stallions, Texas Sharks and San Antonio Tidal Force.

Free Agency
Around the draft, the Merchantmen were far from active in free agency. Just four veteran players joined the Merchantmen in the off-season. Linebacker Alton Bradley was signed with the intent to play a backup role behind Butch VandenBosch and Fred McCorkle, boosting the pass rush and being a decent pass defense option. Linebacker Jay Meier was signed to boost the special teams unit as a new gunner option.
Right tackle D.J. Dunn was signed to take the spot of Zumdahl. Dunn would take the right side role, with Tom Bush moving to the left side, also making the running game more left-side oriented.
Defensive end Gerald Large was hired to boost the pass rushing depth on an already fast line. Large would end up making the team at the expensive of second-year player Kim Lowe.


Training Camp Report
Offense
Quarterback - Jay McGee made the team despite talks of trade. Kerry Lewis stayed ahead of Harry Osborne, who just barely beat undrafted rookie Marshall Terry to make the team as the third stringer.
Running back - Donald Terry and his breakaway speed beat out Alfred Brew for the starting role on 1st and 2nd downs. J.T. Patterson hung around as the third stringer, primarily as the second option for kickoff returns.
Fullback - Blocking specialist Terrell Wilkerson was announced the starter. Rookie Greg Brass also beat veteran Albert Shalon both for the backup role and for the short yardage carries. Shalon was kept to mentor the two youngsters.
Tight end - Mike Bernstein remained as the starter. D.J. Cahill was announced as the TE2, being in the mix on passing plays. Rookie Cary Harriman made the team based primarily for his special teams role, but showed glimpses of potentially being a decent blocker and receiver as well.
Wide receiver - Terry Haskell once again looked like the primary target for McGee. Adam Brautlacht moved up in the hierarchy and was announced the WR2. Rookie Vincent Cox and Charles Pomeranz proved themselves as worthy backups. B.J. Baxter made the team, but only as a replacement option if one of the top four would be injured and if a roster spot would be available. Casey Brown made the team once again as a special teamer and Jack Money obviously hung around as the league's best return specialist.
Offensive Line - Guard Gilbert Rhodes was announced as the new left tackle, leaving Tom Bush on the right side. On the inside, B.J. Samuels remained as center, Nate Hurnblad moved up from a backup spot to the starting right guard and center Arnie Croft was announced as the left guard. D.J. Dunn made the team as the top backup tackle and guard, rookie Lamont Whitfield was announced as the seventh best lineman, starting the season inactive. Center Donny Gaines became the actual seventh active lineman, focusing on long snapping duties. Rookie O.J. Treftz made the 53-men roster, but with the intent to leave him inactive as much as possible.
Defense
Defensive Line - As had become the trend in Maassluis, there were no obvious starters announced. Jerome Tyson was returning as the all downs defensive tackle, Dwight Hutton as the neutral and running downs specialist, Roger Finch as the passing downs rotation backup. Harold Matheson and Eugene Johnstone were announced as the starting defensive ends, with Johnnie Warren the obvious breather replacement for both. Brenden England and Gerald Large were the reserves, with England being the top choice to become active if injuries would hit.
Linebackers - Fred McCorkle and Wesley Devine returned as the obvious starters on the strong side and in the middle. On the weakside, Alton Bradley was deemed better than Butch VandenBosch. C.J. Boo was returning as the top backup to McCorkle and Devine. Jay Meier made the team as a pure special teamer.
Secondary - Herman Hatton returned as the shutdown corner. Zach Pisano unseated Tito Close as the second starting cornerback. At safety, Perry Walker and Thurman Hopper were announced the returning starters. Bernie Gordon once again made the team as the backup safety. Karl Pritchett stuck at safety, but the intention was to keep him inactive, unless injuries forced him into action. Winfred Alcott just barely made the 53-men roster, once again as an emergency cornerback and as the backup backup punt returner.
Punter - Edward Rice's role was uncontested in camp.
Kicker - Charles Anthony became the team's longest standing player, returning for another year as the field goals kicker. Lenny Russell looked good enough in camp to take over the kickoff duties.

Overall, the Merchantmen lost quite the experience and talent on offense, replacing four starters. Defensively, natural replacement was happening, which says little. Optimism wasn't high, but Merchantmen management, coaching staff and players felt that the team was still strong enough to play like second-best behind the seemingly untouchable Tucker Tigers...

[MIJB#19]

2039 Regular Season Recap

Week 1
The Merchantmen 2039 regular season started with a road game at the Bordeaux Vineyards. Historically usually a loss, but the previous three visits all resulted in victories. The Vineyards were coming off a 6-10 campaign, after a 3-9 start and their off-season changes were underwhelming. It ended up being a close game, with the Merchantmen kicking the go ahead field goal on the two-minute warning and the 26-21 victory clincher in the dying seconds. Jay McGee connected on a 48-yard play with Terry Haskell for the opening score and completed a second touchdown to Donald Terry, who ran for 105 yards on the ground.
The bad news of the day was that Thurman Hopper was out for the season. The Merchantmen brought back Quinn Gonzalez as the third safety, with Bernie Gordon moving into Hopper's role as free safety.

Week 2
The first home game of the season was scheduled against the Kansas Creationists, with quarterback Mercury Lynn and wide receiver Tyrone Jones as their key players. Jay McGee struggled with his accuracy, getting picked off 3 times to force a game tighter than necessary. He did manage to keep the chains moving in the short field that he was getting, connecting with Terry Haskell for his lone touchdown pass, whilst Donald Terry scored twice on short runs. The Creationists looked like they were making the game wining drive going into the two-minute warning, but Herman Hatton picked off Lynn's pass to secure the 21-17 win.

Week 3
The toughest game of the regular season was here, in a rematch of the 2038 AOC Championship game. The Merchantmen were going to the Tucker Tigers, hoping to see improvement compared to the previous season. Well, think again. In a classic Merchantmen fashion, usually only seen in the playoffs clashes with the Tigers, turnovers and a no-show of the usually impressive defense, resulted in a disastrous start. After just 22 minutes of play, the Tigers were up 38-0 and both coaches decided to pull their quarterbacks and go into pre-season mode. What ensued was AOC championship game unworthy, with both offenses struggling to play decent football. Eventually the Tigers added three field goals resulting in a 47-7 loss for the Merchantmen. Rookie Greg Brass scored his first IHOF touchdown, pounding it in from 2 yards out.

Week 5
After a much needed week off, the Merchantmen regrouped in the home game against the North Plainfield Plague. The defense held all-time Merchantmen rusher Darrin Keegan to 24 yards, whilst intercepting quarterback Timo Ross twice. Jay McGee wasn't overly impressive, but got the job done with touchdown passes to Terry Haskell and tight end D.J. Cahill to guide his team to a 20-6 win.

Week 6
The road game a the Rochester Razorbacks became an uncharacteristic game for the Merchantmen. Jay McGee had a strong outing, throwing for 276 yards with four touchdowns and no picks. In the first quarter he connected with Terry Haskell for a 47-yard touchdown and added short scoring passes to rookie Vincent Cox and tight end Mike Bernstein for a 21-0 first quarter lead. Fro there on the game was pretty even, but the early lead was enough to hold on for a 47-34 win. McGee added touchdown pass to Charles Pomeranz, whilst Donald Terry ran for a 43-yard score to anchor his 111-yard performance. Haskell had 140 yards receiving on 8 receptions.

Week 7
After the high-scoring affair in Rochester, the Merchantmen rolled on against the Toronto Lake Monsters. The offense was clicking very well, never being forced to punt and gaining 479 total yards. Jay McGee completed 27 of 39 passes for 394 yards. Terry Haskell had 8 catches for 155 yards and a score, Adam Brautlacht scored the other receiving touchdown. Donald Terry scored on a 30-yard run to showcase his potential to win the rushing title. Lack of red zone efficiency kept it closer than needed, as two fourth quarter field goals finalized the 33-17 victory.

Week 8
Aside from the Tucker visit, the road game at the Paris Musketeers looked like the toughest one on the schedule. The Musketeers were sharing the division lead at 5-1 each, making this a crucial game for tie-breakers as well. The Musketeers dominated the game from the start, keeping Donald Terry in check for just 31 yards on 16 carries. Terry would eventually score, but that came when a 20-0 deficit was on the score board. Jay McGee improved his stats for the day to respectable in a last chance drive, completing a touchdown pass to Terry Haskell in hopes to comeback from behind and tie it up. The onside kick was recovered by Paris, and the 23-15 loss for Maassluis had been finalized.

Week 9
Donald Terry rebounded quickly in the mid-season point game. With 203 yards rushing and a score, he carried the Merchantmen offense at the Harlem Apollos. But it was to no avail, Jay McGee had another wild day, throwing 4 interceptions with no scores to compensate, completely anchoring the 17-10 loss.

Week 10
At home against the Bordeaux Vineyards it was confidence tanking time. The special teams unit and defense did their work tremendously, resulting in an average drive start at the 50-yard line. Donald Terry ran for 108 yards and 2 scores, soliciting for the rushing title once again. The passing game was basically unnecessary with the short field, Jay McGee threw for only 160 yards, completing touchdown passes to Charles Pomeranz and Terry Haskell (twice) to put the 38-14 win on the scoreboard.

Week 11
The Gothenburg Giants became the next victim of the rolling Merchantmen machine. Once again dominating the field position battle, the Merchantmen marched to a 37-10 victory. Jay McGee struggled once again, getting picked off twice and completed only 6 passes for 50 yards to his wide receivers. Tight end Mike Bernstein and running back Donald Terry stepped up with scoring catches. Terry once again carried the offense, gaining 148 yards on just 14 carries, with a second touchdown coming on the ground. Defensive tackle Jerome Tyson made the fourth touchdown on a fumble recovery.

Week 12
The road game at the Chicago Norsemen became a memorable one. The Norsemen showed up with quarterback Mercury Lynn and wide receiver Tyrus Jones, acquiring them through trade from Kansas after the Creationists decided to blow up the team after the loss in week 2. The first quarter was a defensive struggle, but slowly the Norsemen took control, breaking out with Lynn's 52-yard pass to Ethan Honaker for a 10-0 half time lead. Despite his 384 yards passing, with 155 yards to Wally Blake and 137 to Honaker, Lynn failed to get points on the board. The Norsemen settled for two field goals in the third quarter, giving them a 16-0 lead going into the fourth quarter. It proved to be too little. Out of nowhere, the Merchantmen and Jay McGee woke up. McGee connected with Adam Brautlacht to get on the board and then completed a 41-yard pass to tight end D.J. Cahill to make it a 2-point game. On the next drive Chicago marched forward, but Perry Walker stepped in with a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown. With a minute left to play, Cahill added his second receiving touchdown of the day, completed an amazing come back from behind 28-16 win.

Week 13
The Merchantmen were far from done, extending the winning streak to four in the home game against the Fort Wayne Fury. Terry Haskell had 114 yards receiving, whilst Charles Pomeranz scored two touchdowns from the hands of Jay McGee to anchor the 20-13 win.

Week 14
Playing on the road at the Minnesota Miners, the Merchantmen looked unstoppable. Donald Terry had another big day, running for 119 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Greg Brass scored the team's fourth rushing touchdown. Jay McGee was on fire between the 20's, throwing for 315 yards, with the majority to Terry Haskell, who gained 172 yards receiving. McGee and Haskell also gelled on the only passing score for the Merchantmen on a 45-yard play to solidify the 41-13 victory.

Week 15
Contrary to the in on-fire form for the Merchantmen, the Paris Musketeers were coming to Maassluis after a 3-3 stretch. It put the division lead into dutch hands, leading by 1 win and making it a winner takes all game, although the division title wasn't to be clinched yet. It became an evenly matched game, with opportunities on both sides, wasted with silly turnovers and missed field goals. The Musketeers were more efficient in the red zone early on, but their last visit in the final minutes resulted in a crucial sack. Rosey Hansen lost the ball in the struggle and the Merchantmen recovered it. They still got the ball back, but the punt returner also fumbled to end the make it a 20-14 win for the Merchantmen. Adam Brautlacht was Jay McGee's most effective target with two touchdowns and Donald Terry had yet another big game with 125 yards rushing.

Week 16
The Paris win visible had boosted the confidence of the Merchantmen, although at home against the also 11-3 Iowa Cobbers it seemed to swing too far. The Merchantmen were playing sloppy and were playing from behind all day long. Trailing 24-17, the Merchantmen settled for a field goal, gambling on getting the ball back in the final two minutes. Right after the time outs had ran out, Herman Hatton made an important interception in Iowa territory. Maassluis decided to take a small gains approach and ran out of time as they were stopped at the Iowa four-yard line for the 24-20 loss. Jay McGee had 2 touchdown passes, with running back Donald Terry and fullback Terrell Wilkerson bringing them in. With Paris winning, the third straight division title wasn't there yet.

Week 17
On a rainy day, the Gothenburg Giants hoped to play spoilers in their own house. On the first play of the game, not counting the kickoff for a touchback, Jay McGee found Terry Haskell wide open and an 80-yard run-after-catch later, the Merchantmen were already 7-0 up. The Giants put up a fight, until defensive tackle scored his second touchdown of the season, returning an interception for 33 yards. Charles Anthony had a busy day, kicking 5 field goals and Charles Pomeranz accounted for the important two-score lead, as McGee made his second scoring pass of the game. Backup quarterback Stanley Bissel got picked off twice in the final minutes to seal a 36-20 win and the division title for the Merchantmen. Moreover, with the San Antonio Tidal Force lost at home against the Vicksburg Vipers, giving the Merchantmen the unexpected bye week in the playoffs, marking the third straight season as the AOC's second seed behind the Tucker Tigers.

Stats
Jay McGee finished the regular season with 3,661 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, which wasn't all the impressive. Donald Terry took the IHOF rushing title, gaining 1,489 yards on 266 carries, with an impressive 5.6 yard average and 12 rushing touchdowns (he didn't miss Kerry Zumdahl and Ricky Castillo at all!) Terry Haskell had 84 catches for 1,286 yards and 10 scores.
Jack Money again lead the league in kickoff return yards, improving his personal best to 36.5 yards per return. At 8.9 yards per punt return and 0 fumbles on 69 returns, he was clearly the best return specialist in the league, despite lacking any touchdowns to boost his performance.
Wesley Devine lead the IHOF with 115 tackles, sharing the lead with Paris' Roger Harvey, Harold Matheson was third in the IHOF with 12.0 sacks, the most of all defensive linemen.

Of course, the important part of the season was yet to come... The playoffs!

[MIJB#19]

2039 Playoffs seeding order
Atlantic Ocean Conference
1 Tucker Tigers 14-2
2 Maassluis Merchantmen 13-3
3 San Antonio Tidal Force 12-4
4 Harlem Apollos 11-5
5 Fort Wayne Fury 11-5
6 Paris Musketeers 11-5
Rochester (11-5), Vicksburg (10-6) and Gothenburg (9-7) misses the playoffs

North American Conference
bye week: Iowa (13-3), Outer Banks (12-4)
div champs: Frederick (10-6), Hanalei (6-10)
wild cards: Chicago (11-5), Chesapeake (10-5)

2039 Wild Card round
The San Antonio Tidal Force made the playoffs after 28 seasons without making it. As third seeds with a phenomenal passing game, they were favorites to beat the Paris Musketeers. But the Musketeers were unimpressed, holding much-touted quarterback Dwayne Hastings to 10/23 for 103 yards. The Musketeers pulled the 34-16 upset and were scheduled to play the conference semifinals on the road at the Tucker Tigers.
The Merchantmen opponent then had to come from the Harlem-Fort Wayne matchup. The hosting Apollos struggled all game long and never looked like the strong team that beat the Merchantmen. The Fury defense dominated and allowed just 160 total yards. Quarterback Wally McBrayer lead his offense completing 34 of 42 passes for 298 yards and 2 scores (with 1 interception) en route to a 20-0 victory.
In the NAC, the Chesapeake Chitterlings upset the Frederick Red Menace 28-21 on the road, whilst the heavy underdogs Hanalei Dragons surprised the Chicago Norsemen with a comeback from behind last minute 24-23 home victory.


2039 Conference Semifinals
Despite playing at home against the team they beat last season at this stage, the Merchantmen looked nervous in the first quarter. The Fort Wayne Fury took the 3-0 lead on the opening drive and their defense forced a three-and-out. An 86-yard drive later, the Fury were 10-0 up and the trouble was far from over. On the next play after the kickoff, Jay McGee got picked off and the Fury cornerback Nichols ran it back to the 4-yard line. Another two plays later it was 17-0 and Oranje Haven was getting really quiet. But not for long, as Jack Money had one of his usual big kickoff returns. Two first down tossed later, McGee had his team in Fury turf and on a sneaky third and 6, backup running back Alfred Brew broke free for a 35-yard touchdown run, his first score of the entire season. The first quarter ended with the Firy pinned back at their own 10-yard line, but up 17-7.

McBrayer seemed to orchestrate a long Fury drive, but after 10 plays they had to punt anyway. Anchored by a 27-yard reception for tight end D.J. Cahill, the Merchantmen went from red zone to red zone, despite settling for the field goal, making it a one-score game again. A three-and-out later and the Merchantmen were into Fury turf again, but rookie Greg Brass fumbled the opportunity. The Merchantmen defense held ground, but the offense had to start from their own 10-yard line. A quick 29-yard run after catch from Haskell moved the Merchantmen forward, but time was scarce and the Merchantmen settled for an impressive 54-yarder from supposedly powerless Charles Anthony. The Merchantmen were down 17-13 going into the half time break.

The second half started with a strong kickoff return from J.T. Patterson towards midfield and was followed up with a fast moving passing game. Donald Terry was held short for a touchdown run, but Brass pounded it in for the 20-17 lead. The Fury looked like they were going to reply quickly, but linebacker Wesley Devine got in position and intercepted a McBrayer pass. Momentum was with the Merchantmen for just so long, three plays later McGee got sacked halfway the Merchantmen half and lost the ball in the ensuing fight for the ball. The Fury took the opportunity and took the lead again at 24-20. Money once again delivered a big return into Fury turf, but the drive ended in a punt, with Edward Rice nailing it at the Fury 3-yard line. Three plays later, Jerome Tyson broke through, sacked McBrayer and Eugene Johnstone recovered the ball inside the Fury redzone. Brass scored from 8 yards out and the Merchantmen were up again: 27-24.

In the fourth quarter, both teams had a long, but unsuccessful drive, leaving just under seven minutes on the clock. With the Fury trying to move up field, Jerome Tyson once again got through the pass protection and with his sack forced another fumble, that got recovered by Harold Matheson just outside the redzone. The Merchantmen pushed and pushed, but the endzone was too much to ask and another field goal made it 30-24. With two time outs left and less than two minutes left, the Fury got things going. A crucial fourth down conversion kept possession for the Fury and a big 31-yard pass play to Clyde Hall gave the Fury one more shot at the endzone with 11 seconds left. McBrayer targeted Hall again, who caught the ball as well, but safety Perry Walker was there in time to end the play, and the game.

The Merchantmen had done it again: they were going to the AOC Championship game!

Elsewhere, the Tucker Tigers demolished the Paris Musketeers 48-27, Jackie Collier completed 25 of 32 passes for 405 yards and 4 touchdowns, marking a perfect passer rating. In the NAC, the top-seeded Iowa Cobbers tripped over the stout Chesapeake Chitterlings defense with a 30-6, whilst the Outer Banks Ospreys took care of the Hanalei Dragons (17-7) with a strong defensive showing on their own.

[MIJB#19]

Atlantic Ocean Conference Championship 2039

In 2007, the Maassluis Merchantmen reached their first AOC Championship game. They had surprised the world with their 13-3 regular season play and beat the San Antonio Volunteers in the conference semifinals. In the conference championship game at the North Plainfield Plague, everything that could go wrong went wrong in the first quarter. The Plague steamrolled to a 43-10 victory.
In 2027, the Merchantmen went 11-5 in the regular season and beat the Harlem Apollos and Rochester Lake Monsters on their way to a second conference championship game. The Tucker Tigers were the better team that day and down by 22 points, the Merchantmen pulled their quarterback 'Rusty' Harrison in the fourth quarter. Tucker held on to win 32-14.
In 2038, the Merchantmen dominated the first half and looked ready to win their first Atlantic Ocean Conference championship. The Tucker Tigers felt differently and came back with 34 unanswered points to win 48-26 in a crushing fashion.
In 2039, the Merchantmen were making their fourth attempt, once again playing on the road and once again playing against the Tucker Tigers. In the regular season, the Tigers won 47-7 at Venable Field. More interestingly, the Tigers were on a streak of AOC championship game appearance, which had started in that 2027 edition. In all previous head-to-head clashes in the playoffs, the Tigers had gone 7-0. Tucker had to be the favorites, by a landslide.

The game started with a lucky break for the Merchantmen. Tucker kicker Benjamin Alexander botched the kickoff and Adam Brautlacht ran it back to around midfield. Jay McGee connected with B.J. Baxter on a crucial third down and the Merchantmen were into scoring position. Another third down play saw McGee found Terry Haskell midway the redzone open and able to run it in for the 7-0 lead. The following drive the Tigers quickly reached Merchantmen turf, but a holding penalty pushed them back and on the next two plays the pass rush was too intense. Matt King punted for Tucker and placed it perfectly at the 1-yard line. A couple of plays later, the inevitable Jay McGee interception showed up, Derrick Oster got in position at the 34-yard line. Tucker failed to score back, Johnnie Warren made his second sack of the day and Jerome Tyson got the ball for Maassluis. McGee found Haskell for a 29-yard gain and a second score was in the making. Donald Terry converted a big fourth down and three plays later got into the endzone for the 14-0 lead. And it wasn't quite over yet, on the next play Zach Pisano picked off a Collier pass at midfield.
Baxter made another crucial third down catch at the start of the second quarter, getting his team in scoring position. Terry ran into the red zone and Greg Brass made a third down catch to set up a short touchdown pass from McGee to Mike Bernstein. The Merchantmen were leading 21-0! The Tigers finally draw a line and got their engines going. Collier found Brant Clark for 25 yards to get over the middle and a couple of plays later found Russell Glenn for a 20-yard touchdown pass (21-7). The next Merchantmen drive stalled after six plays and a minute later it was a 53-yard catch and run for Russell Glenn that made it a game again (21-14). Jack Money was unimpressed and made his first play of the game with a 35-yard kickoff return. McGee slowly, but steadily, kept his team moving forward and just before half time found Bernstein again for a surprise 24-yard pass play to take a 28-14 lead.
The first drive after the break was an uncharacteristic drive for the Tigers. Slowly they moved the ball up field and they got into scoring position. Collier thought he had Skip Dillon open in the end zone, but linebacker Alton Bradley got in between and picked it off. This stalling was just short term, though, as the Merchantmen went three and out, quickly followed by a typical Tigers drive. Collier found Wes Banks for 19 yards, Clark for 30 yards, Glenn for 13 yards and Earl Howard for 13 yards into the endzone (28-21). On the following drive, McGee quickly responded with a 19 yard scramble and handed off to Brass and Donald Terry for 10 yard runs. McGee finished the run-heavy drive off with a 9-yard pass to running back Alfred Brew into the endzone, doubling the lead again. The quarter ended with Maassluis leading 35-21.
The fourth quarter started with the Tigers getting stopped and having Matt King display a second perfect punt, pinning the Merchantmen at their 1-yard line. The Merchantmen went run-heavy to gain ground, but at best got 3 minutes off the clock, seeing their own punter choke a 28-yarder that rolled to a stop at midfield. The Tigers answered with their typical mid-long passing plays, finishing off with a 12-yard touchdown run by Mo Battle (35-28). Maassluis appeared to get a two-score lead after a 41-yard Money return and 20-yard Haskell catch, but the Merchantmen decided to punt and pin the Tigers at their 3-yard line. The Merchantmen pass defense was getting into the game now and forced another punt with 3 minutes left. The Merchantmen failed to get much time off the clock on their possession and Tucker got it back. Before the two-minute warning, Collier found Howard for a 20-yard gain towards midfield. Three plays later, Collier found Clark for a 20-yard gain to the 21-yard line and over a minute to play. First down, Collier to Clark, dropped pass. Second down, Collier pressured, no catch. Third down, Collier pressured again, no catch. Fourth down, false start on Tucker, 15 yards to go now. Fourth down again, Collier to Skip Dillon... Pass dropped! Three knee drops later, the game was over. The Merchantmen were victories 35-28 and going to IHOF Bowl XXXVI!

In the NAC, the Chesapeake Chitterlings continued their on the road routine, beating the Outer Banks Ospreys 27-9. Gene Carraway completed 26 of 36 for 361 yards and 3 touchdowns, completing 12 for 202 yards and 2 scores to Dixon Horner. The four-time IHOF champions qualified for their league record 13th IHOF Bowl, to play against the first-time bowling Merchantmen.

[MIJB#19]

IHOF Bowl XXXVI: Maassluis Merchantmen vs Chesapeake Chitterlings
This was is. The biggest moment in franchise history. The Maassluis Merchantmen are playing in the big game for the first time. The route to get there went through the Tucker Tigers, the all-time record holders in most IHOF championships. The opponent in IHOF Bowl XXXVI are the all-time record holders in bowl appearances, the Chesapeake Chitterlings. Place of business: Memphis, Tennessee.

After a 12-4 regular season and the impressive showing at Tucker, the Merchantmen felt they were the favorites. With a 10-6 regular season record and needing all the help to even get into the playoffs, the Chitterlings were basically just happy to be here. Of course, with all the IHOF Bowl experience, a lot of the Chitterlings were doing it all over again. The Merchantmen roster was heavily home-grown, it was a completely new experience.

First quarter
Maassluis won the coin toss and hoped to get their type of game going from the start. The Chitterlings kicked away from Jack Money, creating confusing on the Merchantmen and resulting not only in a short Adam Brautlacht return, but also in a holding penalty. The first drive was a short one, with a quick three and out, giving the Chitterlings the ball around midfield. On second and long, Gene Carraway found his favorite target Dixon Horner open for a 46-yard gain, into the redzone. The Merchantmen defense tried to hold ground, but broke after six plays, with Carraway to Horner also being the first touchdown of the game (7-0 Chesapeake). Jack Money responded with a big kick return to midfield, but it was called back for another holding penalty. Jay McGee found Vincent Cox and Terry Haskell to get the Merchantmen at midfield, but on third down, a pass towards Cox was intercepted by safety Perry Schwartz and ran back 86 yards for the 14-0 Chesapeake lead. Donald Terry replied with his first decent runs, but the Merchantmen were stopped at midfield. The stout defenses exchanged strong three and outs, with Edward Rice pinning the Chitterlings at their own 6-yard line to end the first quarter.

Second quarter
A couple of strong third down runs from Mo Kuffrey and a pass interference call on the Merchantmen moved the Chitterlings to midfield. On third and long, Gene Carraway found Dixon Horner for a 22-yard gain, putting them into scoring position. The Merchantmen defense recovered well, kept the Chitterlings far from the redzone and forced a field goal opportunity. Shaun Jizmejian missed the 45-yarder, keeping it a two-score game. The Chitterlings defense held ground, keeping Greg Brass from a crucial third and short conversion. Scottie Evans ran for two decent gains and Carraway to Horner came to another good connection to move the Chitterlings forward, but were brutally halted when Scottie Evans was stuffed behind his line and Perry Walker picked up the stripped ball at the Chesapeake 41-yard line. In the ensuing drive, still struggling offensively, the Merchantmen needed a big fourth and short to get into scoring position. Jay McGee failed to reach Terry Haskell and it was a change of possession again. Helped by a false start penalty, the Merchantmen pulled another three-and-out to get the ball back in their own redzone. Donald Terry was struggling to gain ground, but Jay McGee twice hit Terry Haskell for big third down conversions to move into Chesapeake territory. With under a minute left, the Merchantmen went for it on third and short again. Greg Brass got the ball, but got stuffed. The Chitterlings failed to get anything going on their final three plays, ending the first half in a 14-0 Chitterlings lead.

Third quarter
The Chitterlings got the ball first and immediately made an impact. Mo Kuffrey had a nice 16-yard run to move the chains to midfield, while Gene Carraway completed passes to his alternate targets Leland Rossel and Matthew Leiter to get into field goal range. Shaun Jizmejian was called in to kick a 48-yarder and made it this time (17-0). The following play, Jack Money got the kickoff return, but for the first time this season lost possession of the ball during the tackle. The Chitterlings had the ball back, in field goal range. Carraway found Leonard Edwards for a 19-yard gain into the redzone, but the Merchantmen defense quickly regrouped and kept it to a 29-yard field goal attempt. Jizmejian scored and put his team 20-0 up. The Merchantmen offense appear to have woken up, starting with a typical Money return towards the 44-yard line. Donald Terry made a couple of good runs and the Chesapeake 33-yard line was reached. The drive stalled there as well, as Jay McGee got sacked and his receiver on third down failed to get a first down. The Chitterlings saw their tight end Burt Jarrett make a couple of plays, setting up another big Dixon Horner catch into Merchantmen turf. Leland Rossel then caught the ball near the 34-yard line, but fumbled it while going down and Zach Pisano returned the ball to the Maassluis 45-yard line. Donald Terry ran for 8 and 7 yards, while Terry Haskell made a big 18-yard catch and Greg Brass finally made a big third and short conversion to get into the redzone. The Merchantmen were in scoring position, but trailing 20-0 to go into the fourth quarter.

Fourth quarter
Donald Terry got stuff on the first play, but on second and long he caught the Chitterlings off guard and ran it into the endzone for 23 yards. Chesapeake 20, Maassluis 7, it wasn't completely over yet. Gene Carraway was unimpressed, found Burt Jarrett for a 20-yard gain to get his team into the opponent's half and completed a pass to Matthew Leiter for a big fourth down conversation. The Chitterlings settled for a 38-yard field goal, making it a 16-point lead. On their next drive, the Merchantmen managed to reach the redzone again, key play coming on a 15-yard Jay McGee pass to Vincent Cox. With just under four minutes left, the Merchantmen decided to not go for it on fourth and five, Charles Anthony kicked the 33-yarder, but down 23-10, things looked pretty dim for Maassluis. The Chitterlings failed to get a good drive going, but did manage to drain all Merchantmen time outs before the two-minute warning. The Merchantmen went into pass-only mode, but the Chitterlings secondary did a fine job holding off. Terry Haskell made a big 16-yard catch on fourth down, but the clock was ticking away. On fourth and ten with 22 seconds left, it was an all or nothing play. Jay McGee didn't get enough time from his offensive line and the hurried pass fell incomplete. Opportunity gone and game over. Chesapeake 23, Maassluis 10.

Analysis
The Merchantmen got their opportunities to get on the score board (level in turnovers, missed field goal), but struggling on key plays to keep the chains moving. Donald Terry ran for 102 yards and a score, but Jay McGee clearly struggled as he completed 20 of 37 for 159 yards and 1 interception. The usual field position advantage based on the kickoff and punt returns wasn't there, the defense was decent enough, the passing game just wasn't strong enough to keep it close. A disappointing end to an otherwise very good season, anchored by the end of losing streaks in AOC championship games and playoff games versus the Tucker Tigers. On to 2040 it was...

[revrew]

Aw, MIJB. How exciting to beat Tucker! And then Chesapeake wins anyway. Ben and QS can be such killjoys.

Even better luck next year!

[MIJB#19]

2040 Off-Season
Cap troubles continued to pile up in Maassluis, relief was on the horizon for 2041, but in 2040 the room just wasn't there yet to make a splash in free agency. In fact, more expensive players were forced to leave Maassluis.


Retirements
Surprisingly the Merchantmen went through the off-season relatively free from retirements. Last season's signing Jay Meier was the only exception. Leaving an easy to fill hole as gunner and third string linebacker.


Roster Cuts
The biggest news of the 2040 off-season was the release of quarterback Jay McGee. There may have been other routes to find cap space, but the release of McGee was the easiest, saving about $11 million. McGee eventually signed with the Iowa Cobbers, backing up Perry Coleman. McGee left Maassluis after 10 seasons of service, guiding the franchise to its first conference championship and IHOF Bowl appearance.

Defensive tackle Jerome Tyson was the second big release. Tyson was coming off an All-IHOF season, releasing him would save over $9 million in cap space this season and build a $7 million dead cap figure in the much wealthier 2041 season. Tyson left Maassluis after four seasons and ended up with the rebranded Moontown Darksiders.

Fullback Albert 'the Shovel' Shalon was also released. Not so much a cap initiated move, Shalon lost the roster spot battle to his inheritor Greg Brass. Shalon spent 11 seasons on the Merchantmen, although sitting out the entire 2039 season, setting his name as an expert third down carrier.

Linebacker Butch VandenBosch left Maassluis after nine seasons. 'VDB' was cut over cap reasons, saving over $4.5 million. A torn ACL in his knee cut his 2036 campaign short and kept him inactive throughout the 2037 season, but he came back strong in 2038. VandenBosch ended up with the Oakland Black Panthers later on as a special teamer.

Cornerback Winfred Alcott failed to make the pre-season roster. The punt return specialist lost his playing time when Jack Money emerged as IHOF best return specialist and was no longer considered a legitimate option in the secondary. It came as no surprise as Alcott sat out the entire 2039 season. In the free agents pool, he found Kennedy Maxwell, his former fellow punt returner. Both remained unsigned throughout the 2040 season and retired after the season.

Guard O.J. Treftz was the final released player in the off-season, before training camp. As a rookie, Treftz was active in just one game and had to clear out his locker to make room for a new rookie guard.


Suspension
Defensive tackle Roger Finch had the dishonor to become the first Merchantmen player to be suspended for a season. Reasons were undisclosed, but it meant he was to miss the entire 2040 campaign.


Pre-draft Free Agency
With the release of McGee, the search for a replacement quarterback started. Journeyman Stanley Bissel signed as a free agent to a three-year contract, becoming the first candidate to become the new starting quarterback, ahead of veteran Kerry Lewis and the disappointing Harry Osborne. This move was honed by the Merchantmen fans, as they quickly found out had an underwhelming track record with 32 career touchdown passes and 46 interceptions in 10 seasons. His limited action against the Merchantmen resulted in two losses as a starter and a horrible late game fill-in job last season.

The second free agent signing prior to the draft was defensive tackle Kelly Pfingsten. As a pass rusher he hopped around the lion share of his career as a substitute in the Midwest division. He played a minor role with the Tucker Tigers last season.


Big Trade
With the cap relief, the Merchantmen saw the opportunity to acquire a talented veteran wide receiver. Also fighting for cap room, the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums shopped J.T. Pritt and the Merchantmen snagged him up for their 2041 first round pick and three second round picks in future seasons. An expensive price for a player entering his tenth season, but he had a good track record in staying healthy and by the management was considered as the perfect guy to start opposite Terry Haskell to become one of IHOF's best receiver tandems.


Draft
The Zumdahl and Castillo trade last season left the Merchantmen with an extra late first round pick. Attempts to trade one of the first round picks failed and the Merchantmen decided to stay put and draft two very talented defensive players with picks 30 and 31: Cornerback Mark Crum from Pittsburgh and linebacker Daniel Duncan from Penn State. Crum stepped into a Merchantmen tradition of first round cornerbacks, following the likes of Tai Wayne (2005), Greg Proehl (2022) and more recently Tito Close (2032) and Herman Hatton (2033), the last two still playing in Maassluis. Duncan joined two former first-round picked Merchantmen linebackers with Fred McCorkle (2031) and Wesley Devine (2036).

The cream of the crop was there with Crum and Duncan, but the Merchantmen added nine more rookies to their roster. Defensive tackle Brian Lincoln was picked in the third round, then not knowing Finch would be suspended. In the fourth round kicker J.B. Briggs and punter Winston Forbes were taken. Both with the intent to keep get signed if one of the returning veterans would look out of shape in camp. The fifth round brought along guard Vinny O'Neill, defensive end Harvey Durham, running back Scott Fulcher and quarterback Rickey McElrath. In the seventh round linebacker Rickey Koelling was picked as a special teams prospect and tight end Cedric McPhillips was picked based on his fast 40-yard dash. Center William Barker went undrafted, but was picked up shortly after the draft, as was wide receiver Leon Foley.




Training Camp
Quarterbacks
In and after camp, all eyes were on Stanley Bissel, knowing how Harry Osborne had been pushed aside without getting much of a chance behind Jay McGee and knowing that career backup Kerry Lewis had moved into the second string role in recent seasons. Rookie Rickey McElrath failed to impress in training camp and was cut before the pre-season started. Planned depth chart:
QB1 Stanley Bissel
QB2 Kerry Lewis
QB3 Harry Osborne
<strike>cut Rickey McElrath</strike>

Running Backs
Returning as the leading rusher in IHOF, Donald Terry's position was undisputed. Alfred Brew had to run for his life with rookie Scott Fulcher emerging quickly, forcing Brew down the depth chart. J.T. Patterson was undeniable as well, still sporting his kickoff return skills. Fullback Greg Brass showed more improvement in camp in his power running and remained as the third down back. Terrell Wilkerson held Brass off as the lead backfield blocker.
RB1 Donald Terry
RB2 Scott Fulcher
RB3/ST J.T. Patterson
FB Terrell Wilkerson
FB2/RB Greg Brass
RB3 Alfred Brew(inactive)

Tight End
Not much news to report at this position. Mike Bernstein's starting position wasn't up for grabs. Second year pro Cary Harriman did show improvement and managed to unseat D.J. Cahill as the primary backup tight end. With the arrival of Pritt, tight end would become a less important position in the passing game anyway, making Harriman's blocking skills much more important than Cahill's receiving skills. Cedric McPhillips was exposed as a workout warrior and was cut after camp.
TE1 Mike Bernstein
TE2 Cary Harriman
TE3 D.J. Cahill (inactive)
<strike>cut Cedric McPhillips</strike>

Wide receivers
Newly acquired J.T. Pritt didn't disappoint and it was clear that he would become the new starter opposite Terry Haskell. Second year pro Vincent Cox barely beat Adam Brautlacht for the primary backup role. Charles Pomeranz also made the team as the fifth receiver. Jack Money obviously made the team as a return specialist and Casey Brown made the opening day roster purely based on his special teams skills. Youngsters B.J. Baxter and Leon Foley became the victims of the arrival of Pritt and were both released, with Foley hanging around throughout pre-season. Both eventually ended up with the Bordeaux Vineyards as regular season signings.
WR1 Terry Haskell
WR2 J.T. Pritt
WR3 Vincent Cox
WR4 Adam Brautlacht
WR5 Charles Pomeranz
WR6/ST Casey Brown
WR7/PR/KR Jack Money
<strike>cut B.J. Baxter</strike>
<strike>cut Leon Foley</strike>

Offensive Line
One of the interesting decisions in training camp was to move Gilbert Rhodes from left guard to left tackle. It made room for run blocker Tom Bush to move back to the right side and for D.J. Dunn to move back to a backup role for both tackle positions. B.J. Samuels won the center role, but center Arnie Croft also grabbed a starting position as the left guard. Rookie Vinny O'Neill was the biggest surprise of training camp, showing quite the experience and potential to be a quality right guard. Nate Hurnblad and Lamont Whitfield settled for backup roles at guard, with Whitfield being the 47th man and only able to become active with injuries on the line or elsewhere. Donny Gaines made the team again as long snapper. William Barker had an uphill battle that he was unlikely to win, despite his talent.
LT Gilbert Rhodes
LG Arnie Croft
C B.J. Samuels
RG Vinny O'Neill
RT Tom Bush
OT3 D.J. Dunn
G3 Nate Hurnblad
OL8 Lamont Whitfield (inactive)
OL9/LS Donny Gaines
<strike>cut William Barker</strike>

Punter
Veteran Edward Rice showed up in good shape, making it unnecessary to sign Winston Forbes.
P Edward Rice
P2 Winston Forbes (unsigned)

Kicker
Charles Anthony looked ready for his 15th season in the IHOF. The 2026 mr. irrelevant made the team again as the field goal kicker. Lenny Russell looked good enough to stick around as the kickoff specialist, although doubt were arising about his potential. J.B. Briggs wound up unsigned.
K(FG) Charles Anthony
K(KO) Lenny Russell
K3 J.B. Briggs (unsigned)

Defensive Line
With Earnest Johnstone emerging, the defensive end starting roles went to him and leading sacks machine Harold Matheson. Johnnie Warren still made the team as the primary backup defensive end. Rookie Harvey Durham didn't impress and made the team as an inactive member. On the inside, Dwight Hutton had grown into a decent replacement of released Jerome Tyson. Rookie Brian Lincoln and free agent signing Kelly Pfingsten both looked good enough to be pass rushing experts. Brenden England had lost more of his power and agility, but still made it as the eighth lineman. Veteran Gerald Large was underwhelming again and after one season as an inactive backup was released. Roger Finch's suspension made him irrelevant for the depth chart battles, he remained signed.
LDE Earnest Johnstone
LDT Brian Lincoln
RDT Dwight Hutton
RDE Harold Matheson
DE3 Johnnie Warren
DT3 Kelly Pfingsten
DL7 Harvey Durham (inactive)
DL8 Brendan England (inactive)
susp Roger Finch
<strike>cut Gerald Large</strike>

Linebackers
The Merchantmen brought six linebackers into training camp and decided to bring only five into the season. Middle linebacker Wesley Devine's position was undisputed. Rookie Daniel Duncan quickly emerged as an all-around quality player and was moved into the starting role on the strong side. Alton Bradley's pass defending and pass rushing skills made him the weakside starter, ahead of veteran Fred McCorkle. C.J. Boo once again was announced as the all-round backup. Johnnie Koelling failed to impress, even as a special teamer, and was cut after camp.
SLB Daniel Duncan
MLB Wesley Devine
WLB Alton Bradley
LB4 C.J. Boo
LB5 Fred McCorkle
<strike>cut Johnnie Koelling</strike>

Secondary
The arrival of Mark Crum looked important to an already quality secondary. Crum impressed and was announced as the shut down corner. Herman Hatton held of Zach Pisano as the second starter. Tito Close looked even slower than last season, but held on just enough to make it again, leaning heavily on his knowledge of the system. Thurman Hopper returned without much of a scar after a season on injured reserve and was announced the free safety again, with Perry Walker returning as the strong safety. Bernie Gordon got demoted back to the second string role, but still high enough on the chart to see a lot of action on passing downs. Quinn Gonzalez made it as the fourth option at safety and Karl Pritchett as the nineth defensive back.
CB1 Mark Crum
CB2 Herman Hatton
SS Perry Walker
FS Thurman Hopper
CB3/NB Zach Pisano
S3/DM Bernie Gordon
S4 Quinn Gonzalez
CB4 Tito Close (inactive)
S5 Karl Pritchett (inactive)

With all the big moves at several key positions, pundits around the league doubted the Merchantmen would repeat as conference champions, even wondering whether they could hold of the Paris Musketeers and the improving Gothenburg Giants. Despite the confidence in the front office, elsewhere - with Stanley Bissel at quarterback - expectations were pretty low going into the season.

[MIJB#19]

Regular Season - September 2040

Week 1 at Paris Musketeers
The seasons started with a big test for the Merchantmen, playing on the road at the most likely biggest rivals for the division title. Like last season, Donald Terry struggled against the Musketeers, but still managed to score the first touchdown of the game, catching a Stanley Bissel pass. The teams exchanged field goals after that and halfway into the second quarter Stanley Bissel found Terry Haskell for a 53-yard touchdown pass. The Musketeers struggled with ball control from there on, ending the game with five turnovers to destroy all their chances on scores. Stanley Bissel replied one interception with a pick on his own account, but eventually the Merchantmen would add another field goal towards the 20-3 win.

Brew cut
Running back Alfred Brew was cut after the victory over Paris to make room for linebacker Harvey Christman. An injury to rookie Daniel Duncan forced the Merchantmen to make a roster spot available for Christman.

QB Harvey Corbett aquisition
The Maassluis Merchantmen had started trade talks before the week one win at Paris, attempting to acquire quarterback Harvey Corbett from the Snapfinger Jazz. Corbett had become a persona-non-grata overthere and Maassluis was underwhelmed by Bissel's pre-season showing. Talks expanded past week one and were finished shortly before the week two game. Ironically, the Merchantmen and Jazz failed to fill the paperwork in time to have Corbett on the sidelines. They had already decided to go with Bissel again, to give Corbett some practice in Maassluis first.

Week 2 at Outer Banks Ospreys
After the Ospreys missed a field goal on their first drive, the Merchantmen lost a bit more on their first drive. Stanley Bissel got hurt on his first pass attempt and limped off the field, unable to return. Surprisingly, Harry Osborne was pushed forward as Bissel's replacement. A surprise move, given that Osborne was the obvious casualty of the Corbett trade. Osborne started his action with a couple of his famed scrambles and the fans back home feared for a loss. The Merchantmen defense showed up big time though and forced three first half fumbled to help the hurt offense. Donald Terry ran for a score, Dwight Hutton recovered a fumble in the end zone and Charles Anthony scored three field goals. In the second half, Harry Osborne lived up, as he went 30 of 37 for 291 yards and 1 touchdown for the day, earning game MVP honors. Terry Haskell accounted for the receiving touchdown. The Merchantmen held on and went home with a 36-3 victory in the bags.

Corbett arrival
The earlier announced arrival of Harvey Corbett arose a quarterback controversy in Maassluis. Stanley Bissel was out and promptly put on injured reserve after just one game and a bit, avoiding the need to release Harry Osborne after his heroic showing in Outer Banks. Osborne was announced the starter of the first home game of the season, with Corbett working on his jetlag and getting warmed up to get into action later on in the season.

Week 3 vs Harlem Apollos
The twist of turns continued as Harry Osborne had one of the best passing games in Merchantmen history. The Apollos were no match for the steamrolling Merchantmen as Osborne completed 24 of 31 passes for 388 yards and 6 touchdowns, posting the first perfect game in Merchantmen history. J.T. Pritt, Terry Haskell, Charles Pomeranz (85-yard bomb) and Mike Bernstein (three times) were on the receiving end of the scores. Maassluis was very happy with the 45-14 victory.


Week 4 vs San Antonio Tidal Force
Expecations were that San Antonio and Maassluis would show a barnburner. Instead, the Merchantmen defense continued their hot run and kept the Tidal Force in their own territory for the entire first half. Harry Osborne threw his first interception of the season with the scoreboard blank, but in the second quarter he found Terry Haskell and J.T. Pritt for touchdown passes and a 14-0 half time lead. A 76-yard bomb to J.T. Pritt gave Osborne his fourth score of the game to secure a surprisingly easy win. Osborne finished the day with 20 for 26, with 282 yards 3 scores and 1 pick. San Antonio did manage to score twice in the second half, but a Scott Fulcher touchdown run in between maintained the two-score lead throughout. The Merchantmen held on for the 28-14 win and a 4-0 start to the season.

[revrew]

That's funny. I've been out of IHOF for a few seasons now, but I was the one who actually first drafted Stanley "Carpet Cleaner" Bissel.

I was happy to snooker Paris in trading him away. Never was impressed with him.

[MIJB#19]

Regular Season - October 2040

Week 5 - open
A welcome bye week to lick some wounds, but the big ones were unlickable. Adam Brautlacht came out of the San Antonio game with a severe hamstring injury, ruling him out for the rest of the regular season. Rookie Daniel Duncan aggravated his elbow injury against San Antonio and was called unlikely to return this season. The decision was made to keep him inactive and reevaluate for the playoffs.

Week 6 vs Vicksburg Vipers
The Vipers were coming to Maassluis at 3-1 and continued a stretch of games against teams than went 10-6 or better last season. The Merchantmen struggled offensively in the first half, but on the other end of the ball had a tremendous red zone defense to keep the Vipers to a couple of field goals. On the next drive, Donald Terry broke free on the first play and scored the game-leading touchdown with a 61-yard run. In the final minute of the half, both teams' kickers missed field goal for the 7-6 half time score. Defenses kept dominating the game, as the Merchantmen settled for four more field goals, whilst the Vipers quarterback Roy Lynn saw his best drive ends with picks in the arms of Perry Walker and rookie Mark Crum. Donald Terry was the big man, running for 168 yards in the 19-6 victory.

Week 7 at Fort Wayne Fury
The hard schedule continued at the Fury, that went 11-5 last season. But the Fury were struggling this season, sitting at 2-4 going into this game. Defenses ruled the day in a low scoring affair. Harry Osborne found Vincent Cox for a 53-yard bomb for the only touchdown of the night, completing just 12 of 19 passes for 153 yards and 1 interception. Donald Terry added 103 yards and linebacker Fred McCorkle had a crucial 47-yard interception return to anchor the 10-3 win.

Week 8 vs Paris Musketeers
Another big test for the Merchantmen arrived. The Merchantmen drew first blood as Harry Osborne let his legs speak, going 10 yards for the touchdown. after Paris' Max Pinner fumbled in Musketeers territory. On the next offensive play, Paris' Rosey Hansen threw it in the hands of rookie Mark Crum for a second turnover. Harry Osborne replied with an interception in his own around midfield and Paris eventually tied it up. After 49-yard kickoff return from Jack Money, Maassluis seemed to take the lead again, yet Harry Osborne got his second interception of the day in the Paris red zone. Following a punting battle, Harry Osborne fumbled on a scramble and gave Paris good field position, luckily they settled for a 19-yard field goal. Still before the half, Charles Anthony tied it up for a 10 all half time score, notching a 51-yarder.
Early in the second half, Thurman Hopper intercepted Rosey Hansen in the Merchantmen red zone to keep it level. Harry Osborne regrouped and guided his men to a 7-point lead, finding Charles Pomeranz for 24 yards into the endzone. In the fourth quarter, Osborne lead his team from their own 2-yard line into the redzone again, although settling for a field goal, taking a two-score lead. Paris responded with a field goal and forced a quick three-and-out, only to get the punt returner stripped from the ball by Thurman Hopper for his second takeaway of the day. Five plays later, Donald Terry ran it in for the 14-point lead. Rosey Hansen guided a strong pass-only comeback, throwing for a touchdown, trimming the deficit to 8 points, after the missed PAT. The onside kick failed for Paris, but rookie Scott Fulcher fumbled in Paris territory to give the Musketeers a last chance. Rosey Hansen failed to find his receivers and after three incomplete passes, decided to run for it and fall short. Terry Haskell had 8 catches for 114 yards as the top target for Harry Osborne, who completed 23 of 35 for 245 yards and scores passing and running, but also adding three turnovers in the crucial 27-19 victory.

Quarterback Controversy
Despite the victory over Paris and the 7-0 record, the Merchantmen management felt the need to bring in Harvey Corbett and replace Harry Osborne. A tactical decision to make this move in a road game at the 1-6 Houston Mustangs, staying away from the Oranje Have fan base that showed adoration of Osborne over the recent heroics...

[MIJB#19]

Regular Season - November 2040

Week 9 at Houston Mustangs
A shocking decision: the Merchantmen benched their red hot Harry Osborne in favor of trade acquisition Harvey Corbett. It resulted in a mixed bag of sorts. The Merchantmen defense held the Houston Mustangs to 42 yards rushing and forced four turnovers. In return, Harvey Corbett brushed away his own 2 interceptions with touchdown passes to Mike Bernstein, D.J. Cahill, J.T. Pritt and Terry Haskell, finding twice with a 57-yard bomb to finalizes the 38-3 steamroller.

Week 10 at Bordeaux Vineyards
Playing at the 2-6 Vineyards, Merchantmen management felt they had to keep Harvey Corbett in there. Bordeaux played slow, but decent football, staying away from turnovers and playing the Merchantmen really hard. Bordeaux took an early 10-0 lead, but things were level at half time after Harvey Corbett found Mike Bernstein for a 22-yard score and Charles Anthony scored a field goal. In the second half, Corbett found J.T. Pritt for a 44-yard score, yet Bordeaux' Terrance Squires replied with a 40-yard bomb to Daniel Cleary for a tied game going into the fourth quarter. Driving for the lead, Corbett threw his third interception in two games and the Vineyards eventually scored after a long drive, with Squires finding Cleary again. In the final minute, the Merchantmen got the engines running again, but came time short to avoid their first 'L' of the season, a 24-17 loss.

Week 11 vs Gothenburg Giants
Play time was over and Harry Osborne returned to the starting lineup. It didn't work at first as the Giants took control with a 14-0 lead deep into the second quarter. Harvey Osborne replied with a 33-yard touchdown pass to J.T. Pritt and shortly after ran for a score after rookie cornerback Mark Crum had set him up with an interception. The Merchantmen took the lead in the third quarter, with Osborne again finding J.T. Pritt in the end zone. Gothenburg leveled the score with a 40-yard pass from R.J. Ginsburg to Jessie Hartman, setting up for a thrilling fourth quarter. Field position became the subject of the action and a 20-yard Scott Fulcher run set up a Charles Anthony field goal for the Merchantmen lead. The Giants ran out of downs on their next drive, not getting the rock back anymore. A typical Maassluis win with field position determining the 24-21 victory.

Week 12 vs Capital City Blues
Hosting the 7-3 Blues, the Merchantmen fans got another big game to look at. First highlight of the game came from Thurman Hopper as he blocked a 53-yard field goal attempt. Ironically, it quickly was followed up with Edward Rice getting a punt blocked that set the Blues up for a 3-0 lead. The Merchantmen ran out of downs in Capital City territory on their next drive and then saw Harry Osborne get picked off shortly before the end of the first quarter. Capital City scored a second field goal, which Osborne replied with a 57-yard bomb to Donald Terry to set up a Maassluis field goal. A Scott Fulcher lost fumble didn't affect the score and on their next drive, Osborne connected with Terry Haskell for an amazing 70-yard catch and run for the 10-6 lead. The Blues came a couple of yards short on their next drive and settled for a field goal and a 10-9 deficit at the big break. The Merchantmen scored a pair of field goals at the start of the second half, with the second set up by Thurman Hopper's interception of Burt Spamer. Bit the Blues were only getting started and finally found the end zone to tie it up as Spamer threw for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Osborne got picked off shortly after, but as the Blues were driving for a score, Spamer got sacked in the Merchantmen redzone and off-season acquisition Kelly Pfingsten came away with the strip-sack-fumble-recovery. The drama continued as Perry Walker also intercepted Spamer on the first play of the fourth quarter, helping his team back into a 19-16 lead. The Blues got frustrated and back to back unnecessary roughness penalties set up another Charles Anthony field goal. With three minutes to go, the Blues went for it on fourth and inches in Merchantmen territory, but veterans Fred McCorkle and Perry Walker accounted for the big stop. The Blues got the ball back one more time, but another pair of ill timed penalties cut them short. Maassluis celebrated once again, with 22-16 on the scoreboard.

At 10-1, the Merchantmen were looking good, with a journeyman quarterback as their unexpected savior. Next up? A crucial rematch of last season's AOC Championship game, facing the still undefeated 11-0 Tucker Tigers, with their veteran quarterback Jackie Collier playing his best season so far. After last season's win, there was some confidence, but with the Tigers motivated to set something straight, that could set up for an ugly start to the month of holidays...

[MIJB#19]

That's funny. I've been out of IHOF for a few seasons now, but I was the one who actually first drafted Stanley "Carpet Cleaner" Bissel.

I was happy to snooker Paris in trading him away. Never was impressed with him.In retrospect, I think I should have gone with Osborne (or Kerry Lewis) right away, their cohesion values seem to outweigh Bissel's strong arm. But I got him so cheaply and with talks about Corbett started before week 1, never expected to even put Bissel out there. His leg injury was a blessing in disguise, setting up Osborne's breakout season.

[MIJB#19]

Regular Season - December 2040

Week 13 at Tucker Tigers
The game of the season, without a doubt. The two franchises with the most regular season wins over the past five seasons in the league, the two teams with the best records this season, playing in a rematch of last season's thrilling AOC Championship game between.
Both teams were a bit shaky on their first drives, but midway into the first quarter the Tigers drew first blood: Jackie Collier to Earl Howard for 32 yards and the touchdown. The Merchantmen responded with a strong drive anchored by a 38-yard pass from Harry Osborne to fullback Terrell Wilkerson, but the drive abruptly ended on an interception in Tucker's redzone. In their traditional style, the Tigers needed little time for the punishment. Jackie Collier found Earl Howard for 35 yards and 28 yards on back-to-back play, the second one in the endzone for the 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter started with Harry Osborne's 48-yard bomb to J.T. Pritt, setting up the first Merchantmen touchdown a couple plays later, with Osborne finding Charles Pomeranz open in the end zone. The Merchantmen forced a three-and-out and in their own ball control playing style and tied up the score: Donald Terry's touchdown was called back for holding, but two plays later Osborne found Cary Harriman in the endzone. The Tigers had the final possession of the half, settling for a field goal with a 17-14 half time lead.
The second half started with Harry Osborne heavily under pressure, getting sacked twice and the Tigers got the ball back at midfield. Collier found Howard again, now for a 49-yard bomb into the end zone. Osborne was getting uncomfortable, getting sacked on the next play and getting intercepted as a follow up. Collier needed only one play to get the ball into the endzone again, Wes Banks was open for the 31-10 lead. Two plays later Osborne added his third interception of the day. His defense forced a three-and-out, but the Merchantmen got immediately pinned back at their own 1-yard line. Tucker forced the three-and-out and two plays later former Merchantmen Skip Dillon grabbed a 35-yard pass from Collier for a 38-14 lead. The Tigers missed a field goal before the end of the third quarter, but the game was pretty much over already.
The Merchantmen were stopped at midfield and saw the Tigers respond with a field goal, set up by a 48-yard bomb from Collier to Wes Banks. The Merchantmen tried to rebuild some confidence, but the score wasn't changed anymore. Harry Osborne finished the day 18 for 33 with 231 yards, 2 scores and 3 interceptions, in contrast to Jackie Collier's perfect game (20 for 28 with 406 yards and 5 touchdowns). Back to the drawing board after the 41-14 loss?

Week 14 vs Texas Sharks
In an unpopular move, the Merchantmen benched Harry Osborne and put Harvey Corbett back into the lineup for his Oranje Haven debut. The Sharks had first possession, but the first play on offense for the Merchantmen, Corbett quickly won the support of the fans, finding J.T. Pritt for a 43-yard touchdown pass. It set the tone for a steamrolling performance, with Donald Terry added two rushing touchdowns, one after an 81-yard interception return from Zach Pisano, and Corbett finding Terry Haskell for the 28-7 half time lead. The second half was much less exciting. Corbett got intercepted, but also added a third scoring pass, finding Terry Haskell again, who had 10 catches for 111 yards. The Merchantmen defense did the rest, keeping the Sharks far away en route to the 38-7 win.

The victory against Texas also clinched the fourth straight division title, as the Paris Musketeers fell 41-13 at the Capital City Blues and dropped to 8-5, three games behind the Merchantmen with the head-to-head sweep in dutch favor.

Week 15 at Gothenburg Giants
Despite the division title locked up and a strong lead on the other bye week hopefuls, the Merchantmen weren't completely uninspired in Gothenburg. However, the Giants had the painful loss in Maassluis on their mind and looked inspired to set something straight. R.J. Ginsberg completed 22 of 30 passes for 295 yards and 2 scores, while J.C. Fitzgerald ran for 126 yards, anchoring the Giants offense's 460 total yards. Harvey Corbett responded with 20 for 29 with 255 yards and 3 touchdowns (to J.T. Pritt, Casey Brown and Donald Terry), including guidance to an early 10-0 lead. But Corbett also continued his trend of throwing an interception in every game that he played this season. The game ended up being an up and down game, with the lead switching sides several times in the second half. The last score proved to be the winner, as Patrick England ran it in with 20 seconds on the clock for the 34-30 final score.

Week 16 at Moontown Darksiders
With a struggling Harvey Corbett (20 of 36 for 228 yards and 2 interceptions), the Merchantmen had trouble with the 5-9 Darksiders. Donald Terry went back to his 2039 form, carrying the team with 123 yards rushing and a score. Greg Brass and Scott Fulcher also ran for touchdowns, while the defense and special teams unit helped overcome 4 turnovers. The Merchantmen got away with a 24-17 victory. With the Vicksburg Vipers 23-21 loss at home to the Iowa Cobbers, the Merchantmen were gifted the playoffs bye week, marking the fourth straight season for the Merchantmen to be second seeds in the AOC.

Week 17 vs Bordeaux Vineyards
With the bye week locked up, the Merchantmen decided to inactivate several key players, like Donald Terry and Terry Haskell. Charles Pomeranz made 8 catches for 107 yards, but also had 2 fumbles, paving the way for Harvey Corbett to earn the player of the game honors. Corbett's starting was heavily discussed, with pundits wondering whether this was a sign for Harry Osborne's return as the starter in the playoffs. Corbett overcame the absence of Haskell and limited action of J.T. Pritt, completing 25 of 39 passes for 242 yards and 2 scores (Cary Harriman and J.T. Pritt). More importantly, Corbett marked his first game without interception. The final say was for Greg Brass, who pounded in a 2-yard touchdown run to settle the 24-14 final score.

European standings
13-3 Maassluis
10-6 Paris
7-9 Gothenburg
3-13 Bordeaux
Paris missed the playoffs

Playoffs picture
AOC:
1 Tucker Tigers 15-1
2 Maassluis Merchantmen 13-3
3 Vicksburg Vipers 11-5
4 Toronto Lake Monsters 9-7
5 Orlando Talons 12-4
6 Augusta Greenjackets 11-5
NAC:
1. Williamsburg Colonials 13-3
2. Outer Banks Ospreys 13-3
3. Chicago Norsemen 11-5
4. Oakland Black Panthers 7-9
5. Capital City Blues 12-4
6. Minnesota Miners 9-7

Merchantmen individual stats
Harry Osborne completed 63% for 2,099 yards and 17 touchdowns with 9 interceptions in 9 games; Harvey Corbett completed 67% for 1,514 yards with 15 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
Donald Terry ran for 1,184 yards (5th in the league) and 6 touchdowns.
Terry Haskell had 86 catches (tied 7th in IHOF) for 1,074 yards and 9 touchdowns (tied 9th in IHOF); J.T. Pritt had 73 catches for 1,033 yards and 10 touchdowns (tied 7th in IHOF).
Rookie Mark Crum made 6 interceptions (tied 5th in IHOF) and defended 13 passes.
Jack Money average 36.1 yards per kick return (1st amongst qualifiers), 9.1 yards per punt return (5th amongst qualifiers).

The defense ranked 1st in least points allowed (14.9 per game), the offense ranked fourth (26.0 per game). The defense also ranked 1st with 35 takeaways and the team ranked 4th with a +11 margin.


But all those regular season stats were no guarantee for success in the playoffs. Wide receiver Adam Brautlacht was ready to return as the fourth option and second returnman. Rookie linebacker Daniel Duncan's recovery process was going too slow and he was placed in injured reserve. The biggest decision was yet to be made though, who would be the starting quarterback?

[MIJB#19]

2040 - Playoffs

Wild card round - bye
There wasn't much to report from Maassluis. Or was there? The first news was the Vicksburg Vipers 34-0 victory against the Augusta Greenjackets, meaning Vicksburg and their star receiver Ricky Summers were scheduled to come to Maassluis again. The Orlando Talons beat the Toronto Lake Monsters on the road 34-28, setting themselves up for a road game at the Tucker Tigers.
For the Merchantmen fans, the most important question was: would the Merchantmen management revert back to the first half of the season hero Harry Osborne or stick with interception insurance Harvey Corbett?

Conference Semifinals - vs Vicksburg Vipers
Corbett it was. And how. On the first play of the game, Harvey Corbett set the tone for the game and it wasn't a good one. His first pass of the game got intercepted and gave the Vipers the ball barely outside the redzone. Lucky for Corbett, two plays later the Merchantmen defensive line swarmed Vicksburg running back Terry Ferrara and came out of the melee with the ball. But halfway through the first quarter, Vicksburg was up 7-0 afterall, heavily leaning on a 37-yard Roy Lynn to Ricky Summers pass. The ensuing Merchantmen drive ended in Corbett's second picked off pass of the night and the Vipers kicked a field goal for a 10-0 lead after the first quarter.
The second quarter was dominated by the defenses and the first scoring opportunity of the quarter came with less than a minute left to play. The Merchantmen reached the Vipers 33-yard line, were pushed back for a flase start penalty and eventually saw Charles Anthony miss a 55-yard field goal opportunity. In limited time, the Vipers managed to reach the Merchantmen 30-yard line, but their 47-yard kick also fell short. The Vipers went into the big break leading 10-0.
Halfway into the third quarter, the Merchantmen seemed to gain momentum as defensive end added a blocked field goal to his earlier fumble recovery, but inside Vicksburg territory, Corbett recorded his third interception of the day. Vipers' Roy Lynn responded with a couple of strong passes to get his team up field and the drive ended with a Ricky Summers receiving touchdown for the 17-0 score at the end of the quarter.
With some luck, the Merchantmen looked to pound back immediately after, but Corbett's throw into the endzone was picked off, flushing all remaining hope away. The Vipers responded with an impressive 62-yard reception by Wally Jongling, setting up their third touchdown of the day for the 24-0 lead. The Merchantmen reached Vipers turf two more times, but the first time ran out of downs and the last one just ran the clock out and the 24-0 loss was finalized.
An embarrassing shutout loss at home ended a season that had started with such a strong run. Harvey Corbett completed 21 of 39 passes for 213 yards, but everybody just remembers his 4 interceptions. Would it mean his early swansong, or will the Merchantmen coaches and management forgive the fourth year quarterback, let alone the fans?


Conference Championships and IHOF Bowl XXXVII
The Vicksburg Vipers posted back to back shutouts to reach the AOC Championship game, but were no match for the Tucker Tigers (who destroyed the Orlando Talons 41-21 in the previous round). The Tigers struggled offensively, settling for five field goals, but also managed to spread chaos on the Vipers offense, holding them to 248 total yards en route to a 36-10 solid victory.
In the North American Conference, the Chicago Norsemen took the IHOF Bowl berth. The Norsemen hosted the Capital City Blues, steamrolling to a 40-26 victory after scoring 34 points in the first half. Both Chicago and Capital City had gone there with on the road victories.
IHOF Bowl XXXVII was an instant classic, as the Tucker Tigers marched to an early 17-0 lead, but struggled with fumbled and choked a 37-17 lead in the fourth quarter. The Norsemen settled for a 23-yard field goal in the dying second to force overtime. The Tigers then displayed a dominant, yet uncharacteristic long drive that lasted for 16 plays and well over 8 minutes and resulted in the game winning touchdown: 43-37.

[MIJB#19]

2041 Off-Season

Retirements
Nothing noteworthy happened in the retirement area. Linebacker Harvey Christman retired, but he joined the Merchantmen as an early season injury fill-in.

Free Agency
It was a busy pre-draft free agency in Maassluis. The Merchantmen kicked it off by franchising defensive tackle Dwight Hutton and quickly signing him to a new five-year contract.

Iowa Cobbers backup Quarterback Skip Perron signed a three-year deal with the Merchantmen. Perron has a strong arm, can adjust when the pressure is on and uses his feet quite often. Perron is a former third round pick, but aside from his underwhelming rookie campaign didn't start a single game.

Third-year cornerback Marc Pomato was acquired through trade from the Minnesota Miners for a future first round pick. Pomato is a former first round pick and started all gimers for the Miners last season, but was underwhelming with just 1 interception and 6 defended passes.

Kicker Charles Anthony decided to stay in Maassluis, signing a new three year contract. Anthony didn't receive any offers from other team, but the Merchantmen were happy to return the most accurate kicker of last season, despite entering his 16th season.

Quarterback Perry Coleman became the biggest free agency fish. Coleman was the full-time starter with the Iowa Cobbers last season, completing 65 percent of his passes for 3,367 yards, 20 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Coleman is entering his 13th season and last season was his first in five year to play a full season. Coleman is all around a quality quarterback, considered about top15 talent wise.

Guard Blaine Sulfsted signed as a free agent from the Chesapeake Chitterlings. Sulfsted spent 10 injury-plagued seasons with the Chitterlings, managing to play only three full seasons. He's all around talented, excelling as a run blocker and lacking a bit in stamina.

Former Chicago Norsemen defensive end Quentin Toohil joins an already strong defensive line. Veteran Toohil wil bolster the pass rush. He hopes to improve his playing time after a season of riding mostly the bench.

Defensive tackle Dennis Lucas signed a four-year contract in Maassluis. He leaves the Oakland Black Panthers after his three-year rookie contract ended. Lucas is said to be one of the fastest players at his position and has yet to miss a game in his pro career.

Linebacker Lester Gilman inked a three-year contract. In his third season with the Colorado Cutthroats he broke into the starting lineup. Gilman is a weakside linebacker, with all around decent to excellent skills. He should fit well in both the pass defense and run defense.

Draft
Ah yes, the draft. The Merchantmen were low on picks, both due to trades in the previous off-season and due to trades this off-season to get future picks in return. They kept their third and fourth round picks, selecting workout warrior kicker Karl Segalas and fast defensive tackle Harold Gallery.

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes: Training Camp 2041!

Boy, was 2040 a strange season. We started without a legit quarterback. Then we acquired a quarterback and simultaneously found out that Harry Osborne apparently can play ball. Eventually we went with Harvey Corbett, on paper the most talented player, but Osborne's leadership skills and knowledge of the system got him through. In retrospect, I think we should have told Corbett that 2041 would be his season and we should have stuck with Osborne for 2040. Going into the 2041 training camp, we decided to hire as many as two new quarterbacks on top of the four returning fellas. Also, the draft was pretty bad, but with the addition of four talented defensive players and a quality offensive lineman, we had a strong off-season after all. Here's a breakdown of our post-training camp roster.

Quarterbacks
68/68 Perry Coleman
16/16 Harry Osborne
31/31 Kerry Lewis
46/46 Harvey Corbett (inactive)
44/44 Skip Perron (released)
40/40 Stanley Bissel (released)
Coleman is the real deal and our best quarterback in over a decade. Is it a guarantee to success? I doubt it, he's new to the team, so doesn't bring any cohesion value. I'm sold on Osborne, he can get the job done, despite his scouted overall value. Corbett sticks around, because Coleman is brittle and we might need a 4th quarterback at some point. Bissel is out, despite that he played pretty well with us and Perron, well, he got stuck in a wrong place at the wrong time situation.

Backfield
26/26 Donald Terry
31/31 FB Terrell Wilkerson
22/30 Scott Fulcher
50/50 FB Greg Brass
10/10 J.T. Patterson (inactive)
Terry wasn't as good last season as he was in our conference championship run. We might need to readjust the line to have him play well again, but that's an OL issue. Terry is still the elite player of breakaway speed, making him a unique player in the league. Fulcher is a decent backup with decent breakaway speed, elusiveness, third down ability... Patterson has detoriated into just a kickoff returner and we're going to put him below Adam Brautlacht at that as well this season. Wilkerson is still the better blocker of the fullbacks. It doesn't really matter though, as we're using Brass primarily as our third down bulldozing ball carrier. We'd still want Wilkerson dozing in front of him to pave the way.

Tight Ends
31/31 Mike Bernstein
36/36 Cari Harriman
23/23 D.J. Cahill (inactive)
Bernstein has the big-play ability and run blocking skills to make him a starter in this league. Harriman is a decent blocker and a strong special teamer. Cahill will be our backup long snapper and isn't a horrible option in the passing game, if injuries strike.

Wide Receivers
58/58 J.T. Pritt
57/57 Terry Haskell
42/46 Vincent Cox
38/38 Adam Brautlacht
39/39 Charles Pomeranz
36/36 Casey Brown
32/32 Jack Money
Pritt and Haskell are top-10 talent in big-play ability. Pritt also brings third-down skills and sticky hands, while Haskell has getting downfield ability to boost. Neither has a weakness, they're just ridiculously lowly valued. Cox, Brautlacht and Pomeranz all have big-play abilty with decent getting downfield skills. Brown is a special teamer, nothing more. Money is our state of the art return specialist, with Brautlacht as his understudy.

Offensive Line
33/33 T Gilbert Rhodes
64/64 G Blaine Sulfsted
60/60 C B.J. Samuels
52/52 G Vinny O'Neill
36/36 T Tom Bush
49/49 C Arnie Croft
39/39 T D.J. Dunn
46/53 G Lamont Whitfield
22/22 C Donny Gaines
27/27 G Nate Hurnblad (released)
Although we're listed five starters, I'm not sold yet on which five names will be our best set. Whitfield is gaining on O'Neill and might eventually get past him. Rhodes is our best pass protection option for the left side. Bush is our star run blocker. Samuels and Croft are both quality centers, Sulfsted is our best lineman and might play at LT eventually, making room for Croft or Whitfield on the inside. Dunn is a skilled pass protector. Gaines is our long snapper.
To release Nate Hurnblad, it took me a couple of seconds to think it over. He's been with the team 11 seasons, started for us in our unique IHOF Bowl appearance. Never was a state of the art lineman, but he was decent enough, came off the bench well when needed. We could keep him in a mentoring role for Whitfield, but he's going to play his games anyway.

Punters and Kickers
63/63 P Edward Rice
37/37 K Charles Anthony
19/29 K Lenny Russell
48/55 P Winston Forbes (released)
29/30 K Karl Segalas (released)
Rice is the punter, Forbes was a decent pick last draft, but there's no denying Rice. Rice rocks! The kicker position was a tougher decision than it may seem to be. Russell is the best kickoff guy, I want him to stick around, but he's no Al Bettis. Anthony has been reliable and didn't lose too much of his accuracy. Segalas looks underrated, might top much higher that '30', but I don't have the patience to wait, we want to win it all this season.

Defensive Line
45/45 DE Euguene Johnstone
34/39 DT Brian Lincoln
47/47 DT Dwight Hutton
40/40 DE Harold Matheson
50/50 DT Dennis Lucas
41/41 DE Quentin Toohil
24/24 DE Johnnie Warren (inactive)
23/23 DT Roger Finch (inactive)
30/30 DT Kelly Pfingsten (released)
27/37 DE Harvey Durham (released)
14/14 DT Brenden England (released)
17/26 DT Harold Gallery (released)
It was a crowded field in camp with three new bodies and Finch returning from suspension. Johnstone is the do-it-all guy, he's going to play a lot. Matheson is our first choice on the right side. Toohil is slightly faster, but we'll use him in rotation quite often anyway. Warren is on the decline, but still good enough to make us release Durham after just one season. It's early, but I doubt he'll ever end up being the pass rusher that Matheson is and Warren was. On the inside, Hutton is our plughole for running downs. Lincoln is talented enough to make big plays. Lucas will see plenty of time in rotation and on passing downs. Finch was basically the best of the rest, being better for cohesion than Pfingsten. England has lost it, a bummer for the two time All-IHOF selection. Gallary might be good some day, but right now I'm not seeing it.

Linebackers
64/77 OLB Daniel Duncan
71/71 MLB Wesley Devine
58/58 OLB Lester Gilman
48/48 ILB C.J. Boo
28/28 OLB Fred McCorkle
36/36 OLB Alton Bradley (inactive)
Six in, six stay. The last couple of seasons we learned that bringing five linebackers into the season will make us cut somebody and hire some scrub. With Duncan back after injury and Gilman newly hired, we've got arguably the best bunch of the league. Boo is a very talented backup option across the position. McCorkle is, well, McCorkle. How can I release this legend? He'll hang around as a special teams option. Bradley and his pass rush and pass defense skill will come into action if one of the top four get hurt.

Secondary
75/75 CB Mark Crum
67/67 CB Marc Pomato
41/41 S Perry Walker
36/36 S Thurman Hopper
43/43 S Bernie Gordon
44/44 CB Zach Pisano
32/32 CB Herman Hatton
42/42 S Karl Pritchett (inactive)
17/17 S Quinn Gonzalez (released)
17/17 CB Tito Close (released)
Mark and Marc, what a combo! Walker and Hopper still takes the cake for funniest name combo though. Crum is our shutdown corner, Pomato is a bit less reliable with his disappointing endurance. Pisano has shown he can play ball though. Hatton didn't lose much of his power, speed and agility, we'll feel not too worried if he needs to play again. It will be his first season as a backup though, he's never started a game on the bench for is, so he might not like it... Gordon has basically caught up with Hopper and Walker, he'll see quite some action in relief. Pritchett still looks underrated, but mostly makes the team again because the veterans Gonzalez and Close have lost some steps.
Tito Close has been with the Merchantmen for nine seasons. In 2032 we traded a first round pick to get him at 14th overall. He wasn't much of a ballhawker, but we put him out there anyway, as he wasn't a bad option and part of the legendary 2037 defense and started in IHOF Bowl XXXVI. Last season he was inactive for all but one game, the meaningless home game against Bordeaux. Not a guy to remember as a legendary figure, but still reached the century mark.

[MIJB#19]

2041 - Pre-Season Action!

Pre-Week 1 open
Nothing worthwhile to report in Maassluis.

Pre-Week 2 vs Oakland Black Panthers
The Merchantmen kicked the pre-season off with their starters and posted an easy 17-9 victory over Oakland, last season's NAC West champions. Perry Coleman made his unofficial debut in oranje-white-blue, completing 16 of 25 for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns. Terry Haskell and tight end Mike Bernstein accounted for the touchdowns. Donald Terry ran 18 times for a total of 106 yards. Defensively the Merchantmen didn't allow any touchdowns, forcing two turnovers.

Pre-Week 3 at Chicago Norsemen
The North American Conference champions defended their home well. The Merchantmen struggled, most notably Perry Coleman who got intercepted 3 times. The Norsemen came back from behind to hand the Merchantmen a 34-24 loss, clinching it with Darrell Booker's 87-yard punt return touchdown. Coleman completed 17 of 34 passes for 206 yards and 2 scores, with Terry Haskell and Donald Terry on the receiving end.

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes: Let's go!

Sweet. Pre-Season's over. Bring it on, baby! We finished the pre-season with a couple of losses: 7-6 at the Fairbanks NorthStars and 28-20 at home against the Iowa Cobbers. We gave team to Harry Osborne again, fully expecting him to be our QB2 this season. He didn't wow, but didn't blow either. He was just missing the other offensive weapons to throw to.

We'll open the season at home against the Gothenburg Giants. And after that comes another season with a lot of games against strong team. As a division we'll have to face the AOC Southeast (three playoffs teams last season) and the NAC Mid-Atlantic (all 8-8 or better in the last two seasons).

Do I believe in Perry Coleman at quarterback? His first activity in orange-white-blue wasn't encouraging, with 126 yards one game and 3 interceptions in the other game. But we've got the team to make a run, I really like every other aspect of this team. We just need a leader for the offense to stay mistake free. He was just that in 47 games with the Cobbers, with 16 fumbles and 18 interceptions. But they played a short passing game, while we'll try to stretch the field. Besides, he's got a track record like Rusty Harrison had with injuries, we'll be looking at our QB2 at some point...

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 1

Merchantmen trash Giants
The Maassluis Merchantmen have started the 2041 season in a record setting fashion. The Merchantmen demolished the Gothenburg Giants, tying the team single game point scored record and the largest margin of victory with a 55-7 win. Quarterback Perry Coleman left the game injured early and did not return.

The Merchantmen started strong, with a traditional Jack Money kickoff return for a short field to set up Perry Coleman's first passing touchdown for his new team, finding Casey Brown on a 21-yard pass. Down 7-0, Giants quarterback R.J. Ginsburg was sacked inside his own red zone, fumbled the ball and Quentin Toohill recovered it for the Merchantmen. Donald Terry ran the ball in two plays later for the 14-0 lead.

Giants' Cole Meier scored on a 40-yard run early in the second quarter to make it 14-7, but the Merchantmen followed up with a long drive that resulted in Donald Terry's second touchdown of the game, shortly after followed with a Greg Brass scoring run, set up by Perry Coleman and Terry Haskell connecting for 43 yards. Two plays later Daniel Duncan intercepted a R.J. Ginsburg pass, immediately followed with Greg Brass' second touchdown run. But it wasn't over yet. Charles Anthony converted a 51-yard field goal for a 38-7 half time lead.

The second half became unbearable for the Giants fans. R.J. Ginsburg added three more interceptions to his tally, without making any progress with his good passes. The Merchantmen lost Perry Coleman in the third quarter, but saw Harry Osborne fill in without much trouble. Osborne connected with Cary Harriman and J.T. Pritt for touchdowns and Charles Anthony added another field goal in between. Giants kicker Melvin Hornbaker missed a 47-yarder late in the game, but by then it was all over.

Offense
Coleman 17/24, 216 yds, 1 td;
Osborne 9/12 110 yd, 2 td, 1 int
Terry 16 for 62 yd, 2td; Brass 7 for 26, 2 td
Haskell 6 for 113; Pritt 6 for 99, 1 td;
Harriman, Brown 1 td each

Defense
interceptions: Walker, Devine, Gordon, Duncan
fumble recoveries: Toohil, Duncan
sacks: Toohil, Lucas

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 2

Efficient Merchantmen beat Red Menace
The Maassluis Merchantmen keep on rolling. With a 24-9 victory, they snapped their losing streak at the Frederick Red Menace after 36 seasons. Red zone efficiency combined with a superior return game were crucial all game long.

Despite the win, Merchantmen quarterback Perry Coleman's performance wasn't hailed in with much praise, as he completed 14 of 20 passes for just 154 yards, 2 scores and 2 interceptions. Both picks came in Frederick territory, both after starting the drive on the opponent's half of the field. At the same time, Coleman must be doing something right, as the Merchantmen rank first in scoring on offense and defense. Next up will be another game of the week, hosting the 2-0 Toronto Lake Monsters.

Offense
Coleman 14/20, 154 yd, 2 td, 2 int
Terry 19 for 82, 1 td
Haskell 4 for 54 yd
Cox, Harriman 1 td each

Defense
interception: Pisano
fumble recovery: Pomato
sacks: none

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 3

Coleman shines in Futility Bowl win
The classic Futility Bowl clash between the Merchantmen and Lake Monsters went to the hosting team once again. The Maassluis Merchantmen were victorious 30-23 in a near comeback game for the Toronto Lake Monsters. Perry Coleman had his best showing for his new team so far to keep his team undefeated this season.

The Merchantmen drew first blood as Coleman found Terry Haskell in the end zone halfway the first quarter, setting it up with a 31-yard pass to J.T. Pritt, combined with Donald Terry's 15 yard run. The Lake Monsters trimmed the score to 7-3, after Marcus Robbins found Brett Pearson for 46 yards and Jeffrey Brew converted a 43-yard field goal. A couple of plays into the second quarter, Brew scored his second field goal of the day for the 7-6 score.

Leaning heavily on Jack Money's return skills, the Merchantmen had a short field most of the time. That helped them get a quick touchdown after Coleman completed four consecutive passes to set up Donald Terry's rushing touchdown. Three plays later, linebacker Daniel Duncan came up with a pick interception, picking off Marcus Robbins on a deep pass and running it 38 yards. Two plays later, Coleman had Vincent Cox wide open for the 21-6 lead. On the ensuing kickoff return, Toronto's Todd Schultz didn't protect the ball well, Casey Brown pulled it out of Schultz' hands and Jack Money recovered the loose ball. The Merchantmen failed to completely take advantage and settled for a field goal. Still in the second quarter, the Merchantmen appeared to drive for the knockout punch, but J.T. Pritt lost possession after a catch inside the Lake Monsters red zone to leave it at 24-6 for Maassluis at half time.

The third quarter became a defensive battle, with three and outs on both ends of the field. Eventually the Merchantmen broke the trend, as Coleman found Terry Haskell for 23 yards and J.T. Pritt for 40 yards on back to back plays. Again, the Merchantmen settled for three points. Martin Anthony responded with a 41-yard reception, although the Lake Monsters also settled for a field goal.

The fourth quarter the Merchantmen focused on maintaining the three-score lead. They held ground for a while, helped by Zach Pisano's interception, marking Robbins' second of the day. Perry Coleman then found Cary Harriman wide open, resulting in a 52-yard pass play. Donald Terry ran into the end zone two plays later, but a holding penalty called it back and the Merchantmen again settled for a field goal. In the final five minutes, the Lake Monsters offense finally woke up. Marcus Robbins guided his team into two scoring drives, both finished with passing touchdowns, but their drives took too much time off the clock to have any time left for a final drive to tie it. Resulting in a 30-23 victory for the Merchantmen.

Perry Coleman received his second player of the game honors as the Merchantman quarterback. The Merchantmen now sit 3-0 a top the European division, one game ahead of the two French teams, as both Paris and Bordeaux are 2-1. The Gothenburg Giants fell to 0-3, choking a 23-10 lead in the final two minutes, to lose 26-23 in overtime. The Merchantmen follow up in week 5, with a home game against the Tucker Tigers, who are still undefeated as well, going into their week 4 road game at the Augusta Greenjackets.

Offense
Coleman 20/32, 287 yd, 2 td
Terry 22 for 83, 1 td
Pritt 6 for 119 yd; Haskell, Cox 1 td each

Defense
interceptions: Duncan, Pisano
fumble recovery: Money
sacks: Toohil 1.5, Devine 0.5

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 5

Tigers pull comeback over Merchantmen
The Maassluis Merchantmen notched their first loss of the season. The highly anticipated clash with the Tucker Tigers resulted in a 24-23 loss, as kicker Benjamin Alexander kicked a game winning field goal in the final minute. It marked the Merchantmen's first lost after the bye since 2035, when the Tucker Tigers also pulled a last minute come back from behind victory in Oranje Haven.

The game started slowly, as both offenses struggled in the first quarter. The Merchantmen took the early 3-0 lead on a field goal and went into the half time break still leading by three, as Perry Coleman found Terry Haskell in the end zone for the 10-7 score. The Merchantmen took control of the game in the third quarter, doubling their points on Donald Terry's impressive 38-yard scoring run and Charles Anthony's second field goal for the 20-7 score.

The fourth quarter was where it was at though. The Tigers offense finally got their engines going and Jackie Collier found Wes Banks for a quick 40-yard scoring bomb to bring it back to a one score deficit. The Merchantmen shortly brought it back to two scores on Charles Anthony's third field goal, yet another 41-yard bomb from Jackie Collier to Wes Banks put the Tigers just two points down. The Merchantmen failed to score after that, but pinned the Tigers at their 20-yard line with just over 2 minutes on the clock and no time outs left. Jackie Collier then orchestrated an impressive drive, to march into Merchantmen territory, setting up a 45-yard field goal attempt with 18 seconds remaining. Benjamin Alexander converted and it left too little time for the Merchantmen to pull back head. An impressive 24-23 comeback from behind win was the result for the Tucker Tigers in a slow starting, but eventually turnovers free exciting fourth quarter finish, that left behind a big home crowd sobbing in disbelief.

Offense
Perry Coleman 21/44 for 279 yd, 1 td, 0 int
Donald Terry 18 for 123 yd, 1 td
J.T. Pritt 9 for 115 yd; Terry Haskell 1 td

Defense
interceptions: none
fumble recoveries: none
sacks: Duncan 0.5, Lucas 0.5

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 6

Merchantmen bounce back in Augusta
The Maassluis Merchantmen flushed away their sour loss from last week with a comeback from behind 23-20 win at the Augusta Greenjackets. Perry Coleman threw for 276 yards and ran for the game winning 20-yard touchdown.

The Greenjackets and Merchantmen made for an offense dominated game, both punting only once all game and without a single three and out. The lead switched back and forth at various times, as the two teams appeared roughly equal in their performance and efficiency. The Merchantmen were the lucky ones, forcing the only turnover of the game in the fourth quarter and scoring last.

Offense
Coleman 23/35 for 276 yd, 1 td, 0 int
Terry 19 for 82 yd; Coleman 1 td
Pritt 6 for 84 yd; Wilkerson 1 td

Defense
interceptions: none
fumble recovery: Johnstone
sacks: Duncan, Lincoln, Matheson

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 7

Musketeers unmask Merchantmen
The Paris Musketeers pulled ahead in the European division. With a disappointing 26-14 loss, the Maassluis Merchantmen dropped to 4-2, whilst the Musketeers improved to 5-1. Rosey Hansen threw for 292 yards to guide his team to the field goal heavy victory. The Merchantmen were held to only 252 yard total offense, whilst giving up over 400 for the fourth straight game.

The Musketeers opened the score with an uncharacteristic 40-yard run from quarterback Rosey Hansen. Barely into the second quarter, Greg Brass pounded in from 1 yard out to tie it up. The Musketeers scored two field goals to pull ahead 13-7 at half time. The Merchantmen managed to take the lead in the third quarter, as Perry Coleman found Terry Haskell in the end zone, but in the last 25 minutes the Musketeers defense forced five straight three and outs, whilst the offense added 13 more points towards the 26-14 victory.

Prior to the game, the Merchantmen put defensive end Quentin Toohil on injured reserve. The offseason acquisition left the clash with the Tucker Tigers with a knee injury, which has been diagnosed as damaged ACL. The Merchantmen haven't signed any replacements, sparing the roster spot for potential emergency injury replacements.

Offense
passing: Coleman 18/33 for 173 yd, 1 td, 0 int
rushing: Terry 11 for 42 yd; Brass 1 td
receiving: Pritt 7 for 69 yd; Haskell 1 td

Defense
interceptions: none
fumble recoveries: none
sacks: Hutton, Lincoln, Finch 0.5, Warren 0.5

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 8

Merchantmen luckier than Jazz
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back to their winning ways. It wasn't pretty, as the Snapfinger Jazz enmassed 483 total yards on 79 plays, but the Merchantmen did just enough to pull a 35-18 victory. Donald Terry ran for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns to get himself back in the mix for the rushing title.

The Merchantmen defense, highly touted as it is by local media, keeps failing to deliver. For the fifth game in succession, the defense gave up over 400 total yards. With their short field trend, the Merchantmen usually set themselves up for a close total yards battle, but with the talent on defense, expectations where much higher than what's going on right now. And scoring technically, the defense has been top five regardless of the yardage figures.

Luckily, the Merchantmen have the players to make big plays on offense as well, making them top five in scoring. Against the Jazz, Donald Terry had a big day, rushing or 190 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 37-yarder game clincher. The passing game also added to it, as Perry Coleman connected for a 50-yard bomb with Terry Haskell and a 47-yarder to J.T. Pritt.

Elsewhere, the Paris Musketeers dropped to 5-2, losing 38-31 at the Tucker Tigers. It brings the Merchantmen back in the division title race, trailing Paris on tie-breakers on the earlier head-to-head loss in Paris. At 4-3, the Gothenburg Giants are clinging on as well.

Offense
passing: Coleman 13/20, 233 yd, 2 td, 0 int
rushing: Terry 21 for 190 yd, 3 td
receiving: Haskell 4 for 106 yd, 1 td; Pritt 1 td

Defense:
interceptions: Crum 2
fumble recoveries: none
sacks: Gilman, Warren, Duncan 0.5, Walker 0.5

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 9

Merchantmen defense rives in Bordeaux
The Maassluis Merchantmen defense has bounced back. The streak of games allowing 400 yards ended at the Bordeaux Vineyards, where the Merchantmen posted an easy 27-9 win. Perry Coleman took MVP honors, throwing for 278 yards and 3 touchdowns. His games without interception streak did end, as he got picked off once in Bordeaux.

Offense
passing: Coleman 20/27 for 278 yd, 3 td, 1 int
rushing: Terry 18 for 44 yd
receiving: Haskell 9 for 157 yd, 2 td; Pritt 1 td

Defense
interceptions: none
fumble recoveries: Crum
sacks: Matheson 1.5, Gordon, Boo 0.5, Devine 0.5, Warren 0.5

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 10

Merchantmen roll on in Orlando
It took Bernie Gordon's humongous 79 yard fumble recovery touchdown to pave the way, but the Merchantmen reinstalled themselves as European division leaders. The Merchantmen cruised to a 34-10 victory at the Orlando Talons, whilst the Paris Musketeers fell 30-27 at the Gothenburg Giants in overtime.

The Merchantmen didn't overly impress, but with their usual field position advantage and decent defensive performance, the offense was given an easy day. The Talons did draw first blood with an impressive 98-yard drive for the 7-0 lead, but the Merchantmen took things in their hands shortly after. A big play from safety Bernie Gordon, picking up the fumbled ball just outside the Merchantmen red zone and running it to the house, changed momentum indefinitely. In the fourth quarter the Talons raised the white flag, pulling quarterback Randal Cohn and replacing him with interceptions machine Dale Perkins.

Offense
passing: Coleman 24/37 for 244 yd, 2 td, 0 int
rushing: Terry 19 for 86 yd, 1 td
receiving: Pritt 9 for 88 yd, 2 td

Defense
interceptions: Hatton, Pomato
fumble recoveries: Gordon (td), Hutton
sacks: Devine, Johnstone, Lucas, Matheson

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 11

Merchantmen outlast Giants
The Maassluis Merchantmen took out on of their two division title rivals. The Gothenburg Giants played along for the most part, intercepting Perry Coleman twice, but failed to overcome the field position disadvantage. Charles Anthony kicked a last minute field goal to ice it for the Merchantmen.

The Merchantmen didn't necessarily struggle, as Perry Coleman had a strong outing, but a couple of unlucky interceptions helped the Giants to keep it close and going into the fourth quarter with a tied score. Overall, the Merchantmen were more efficient offensively and did a better job in forcing the opponent to punt, pulling a deserved victory.

Offense
passing: Coleman 20/28 for 224 yd, 2 td, 2 int
rushing: Terry 19 for 79 yd
receiving: pritt 9 for 118 yd; Haskell 1 td, Pomeranz 1 td

Defense
interceptions: Duncan
fumble recoveries: none
sacks: Lucas 1.5, Johnstone 0.5

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 12

Merchantmen showcase against Fightin' Bums
Happy faces everywhere in Oranje Haven. After a slow start, the Merchantmen took control and completely outplayed the visiting Brooklyn Fighin' Bums en route to a 41-10 victory. The defense clicked, the offense gelled and Perry Coleman posted the second perfect passer rating in Merchantmen history.

The game started with a defense heavy trend. Punts went over and down until the seventh possession of the game resulted in Donald Terry fumbling the ball inside the Merchantmen red zone. Brooklyn settled for an 18-yard field goal after the first quarter. But from there on things drastically changed on drives where the Merchantmen had the ball, seven consecutive drives resulted in scoring plays, playing out the first half with three touchdowns and a 21-10 lead. Perry Coleman lived up big time, piling up the big throws to complete 25 of 28 pass attempts for 346 yards and 3 scores, without having any of his targets getting 100 yards or more receiving.

Offense
passing: Coleman 25/28 for 346 yd, 3 td, 0 int (perfect game)
rushing: Terry 22 for 122 yd, 2 td
receiving: Pomeranz 4 for 98 yd; Haskell 6 for 84 yd, 2 td; Harriman 1 td

Defense
interceptions: none
fumble recoveries: none
sacks: Lucas

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes

After a couple of tough losses in October against Tucker and Paris, we bounced back and have a five game winning streak going. I'm far from confident it will last much longer, as we're going to visit the Vicksburg Vipers (also 9-2) and Chesapeake Chitterlings (7-4) in the next two games. We'll close out the regular season with a threesome of home games, hosting the disappointing Bordeaux Vineyards (2-9), underwhelming Williamsburg Colonials (4-7 after last season's 13-3 campaign) and the all-important home game against the Paris Musketeers (8-3). The Gothenburg Giants (6-5) have fallen behind and it looks like they're out of the division title race.

We've had a shocking stretch of five games where we gave up over 400 yards on defense, but we've bounced back a bit and are back in better half of the league in yards allowed. The offense is clicking, we're 6th in yardage, despite having our usual field position advantage with Jack Money's league leading kick returns. On the scoreboard, we're in great shape, scoring the second most (30.2 per game) and allowing the fourth least (16.3 per game), giving us the second best scoring margin (+13.9, trailing the Tucker Tigers by 1.8 points per game).

It's going to be tight down the stretch, the Vipers game will be very important for the seeding order in the AOC, assuming we'll get into the playoffs. Currently we're sitting in 3rd place on inferior conference record, but losing top Vicksburg would put us down in head-to-head to both Tucker and Vicksburg. The overall cut currently is at 7-4, so we're far from there yet. Hence, with Paris on our tail, a week 17 loss against the Musketeers would put us behind them on the head-to-head sweep.

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 13

Merchantmen avenge Vipers
The Maassluis Merchantmen avenged the playoffs loss against the Vicksburg Vipers from last season. In a close game, the Merchantmen held on just enough to win 24-20. Terry Haskell had a big role with a couple of receiving touchdowns. The victory puts the Merchantmen a game ahead of the Vipers and also gives them the important head-to-head tie-breaker in the race for a bye week in the playoffs.

The second and third best teams in the AOC made for an interesting game. The Merchantmen drew first blood, scoring on the first drive of the game as Perry Coleman found Terry Haskell in the end zone. They had set it up a couple of minutes earlier with a 43-yard play to get into scoring position. Vicksburg's Roy Lynn replied with a 49-yard bomb to Ricky Summers, but Harold Matheson made an important third down sack to hold the Vipers to a field goal. Helped by a couple of unnecessary roughness penalties, the Merchantmen reached the Vipers red zone and Perry Coleman ran it in himself from 8 yards out for the 14-3 lead after the first quarter.

The second quarter started with a Merchantmen field goal, which the Vipers replied with their first touchdown of the game, as Roy Lynn found Ricky Summers in the endzone. The Merchantmen quickly marched into the Vipers redzone in an attempt to restore the two score lead, however Perry Coleman had a pass intercepted. The Merchantmen defense returned the favor a couple of plays later, as Johnnie Warren sacked Roy Lynn and Harold Matheson picked up the ball that Lynn lost on the play. Greg Brass ran for a nice 17-yard gain and three plays later it was another Coleman to Haskell touchdown. The Vipers took some risks to try to trim their deficit, but Perry Walker picked off Roy Lynn to end the first half, the Merchantmen leading 24-10.

The second half started with defensive superiority, until the Vipers reached the Merchantmen territory. They went for it on fourth and one, but Ricardo Turnbull was stopped for no gain and the loss of possession. The third quarter ended with Roy Lynn's 27-yard pass to tight end J.C. Krenn to get onto Merchantmen turf, but the possession ended with a punt. Maassluis kept struggling offensively and Roy Lynn found Jorge Hunte for a 66-yard bomb to set up a short touchdown pass to tight end Monty Heffner. The Vipers got the ball back on their own two-yard line, still trailing by a touchdown. Roy Lynn found Ricky Summers for another 46-yard bomb to get into the red zone, but another well timed sack pushed the Vipers back and they settled for a 30-yard field goal with just under 3 minutes left to play. The Merchantmen professionally ran out the clock and punted it back to Vicksburg, with 9 ticks left on the clock without any time outs. On that last play of the game, Roy Lynn tried to buy time, but failed as Harold Matheson broke through and laid Lynn on his back to end the game.

The victory maintains the Merchantmen a top the European division, one game ahead of the Paris Musketeers (they beat the Rochester Razorbacks 17-12). That result also bodes well for any bye week hopes, putting the Merchantmen 2 games ahead of Rochester and 1 game plus tie-breakers ahead of Vicksburg. The Gothenburg Giants kept their hopes alive with an impressive 27-17 victory at the San Antonio Tidal Force.

Offense
Passing: Coleman 15/29 for 210 yd, 2 td, 1 int
Rushing: Terry 18 for 55 yd; Coleman 1 td
Receiving: Haskell 7 for 128 yd, 2 td

Defense
Interceptions: Walker
Fumble recoveries: Matheson
Sacks: Matheson 2, Warren, Johnstone 0.5, Lucas 0.5

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 14

Chitterlings beat Merchantmen again
No payback for the IHOF Bowl XXXVI loss. The Chesapeake Chitterlings gathered an early big lead and held on plenty enough to hand the Merchantmen a 31-21 loss in their last road game of the regular season.

The statistics looked good for Maassluis, but the numbers were racked up heavily late in the fourth quarter after the Chitterlings had already built a 24-point lead. At crucial moments, the Merchantmen defense faltered, allowing many third down conversions, while the first quarter resulted in more penalty yards than yards gained on offense. The comeback was decent, with two unanswered touchdowns, but time was way too short to make up for the remaining 10 points.

The Merchantmen drop to second place in the European division as the Paris Musketeers won 21-14 at the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums. The Gothenburg Giants packed their division race hopes after a sour 38-34 loss at home by the hands of the Frederick Red Menace. There also was some good news from elsewhere in the AOC, as the Vicksburg Vipers fell 24-21 at the Hanalei Dragons to keep them a game behind the Merchantmen.

Offense
Passing: Coleman 23/37 for 240 yd, 3 td
Rushing: Terry 14 for 106 yd
Receiving: Pritt 9 for 104 yd, 1 td; Pomeranz 7 for 78 yd, 2 td

Defense
Interceptions: none
Fumble recoveries: Pomato
Sacks: Warren

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 15

Struggling Merchantmen steamroll Vineyards
Despite a struggling performance, the Maassluis Merchantmen did what they had to do. The winning streak over the Bordeaux Vineyards in Oranje Haven was extended to eight games with a 31-7 victory. Donald Terry accounted for the scarce good plays on offense, scoring twice.

The first half was a complete trainwreck of a football game. Neither team seemed to be able to do anything. The Merchantmen started their first four drives all in Bordeaux territory but came away with a single field goal, despite staying turnover free on offense. In between, Vineyards quarterback Dusty Hughes orchestrated an 14-play 80-yard scoring drive, which was finalized with J.C. Fitzgerald's 14-yard run for a touchdown. Defenses ruled the remainder of the first half and the Merchantmen players were booed off the field with a disappointing 7-6 deficit at half time.

The Merchantmen came out of the gates much stronger. Perry Coleman was still struggling, but kept the chains moving and eventually it was Donald Terry who ran it in from 14 yards out to put the Merchantmen ahead 13-7. It didn't get much better after that drive, although the Merchantmen defense did their job as they picked off Dusty Hughes on three straight drives. Still, it wasn't until halfway into the fourth quarter when Perry Coleman found J.T. Pritt in the end zone. Greg Brass ran the ball in for 2 points to put the Merchantmen up by 14. The Vineyards went in go for it mode after that and twice were stalled inside their own red zone, giving the Merchantmen 10 easy points, with Donald Terry scoring his second touchdown of the game. The final 3 minutes were played off the clock by the Vineyards.

The Merchantmen ended the game with just 243 total yards on offense and their longest drive being only 55 yards long. Despite that, the defense had a big part in the game, with 5 turnovers and 4 sacks of Dusty Hughes, that resulted in the Bordeaux quarterback's 12.9 passer rating as he completed just 17 of 50 pass attempts for 190 yards and no scores.

Offense
Passing: Coleman 17/32 for 124 yd, 1 td
Rushing: Terry 15 for 94 yd, 2 td
Receiving: Pritt 6 for 57 yd ,1 td

Defense
Interceptions: Crum, Gordon, Hatton, Pomato
Fumble recoveries: Warren
Sacks: Warren 1.5, Johnstone, Walker, Matheson 0.5

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes

With two games to go, we've reached an interesting situation. We're tied with the Paris Musketeers at 11-3 each and have a week 17 clash in Oranje Haven that will determine who wins the European division this season, regardless of what happens in week 16. The only caveat being that a tied game will favor Paris. More interestingly, if we win that clash, we'll have at least a 12-4 record and that will guarantee us a bye week, because the only other AOC teams in contention are the Tucker Tigers (12-4 at worst - they have tie-breakers over us) and the Vicksburg Vipers (12-4 at best - we have tie-breakers over them).

As a result, and eventually it was a pretty easy decision, we're going to keep a lot of injured starters out of the depth chart, even inactivating some of them, most notably quarterback Perry Coleman, fullback Greg Brass, tight end Mike Bernstein, tackle Tom Bush, linebackers Wesley Devine and Donald Duncan, and safety Thurman Hopper. We're also moving cornerbacks Mark Crum and Marc Pomato into backup roles, while we'll inactivate our running back Donald Terry and wide receivers J.T. Pritt and Terry Haskell.

It will likely end Donald Terry's race for the rushing title this season. He's currently second in IHOF with 1,250 yards, but 85 yards behind Capital City Blues' John Loukas jr, making it a steep hill anyway. Besides, it should come as no surprise that we're not interested in individual accolades in Maassluis, Terry's performance is a team based one anyway, the only thing that matters is winning the big game at the end of the season.

Despite that, this won't mean we'll be playing with a bunch of stiffs against the Williamsburg Colonials. At quarterback, we'll welcome back Harry Osborne and his tremendous record. Charles Pomeranz and Vincent Cox will be the wide receivers and rookie Steven Fulcher will get his first career start. On defense we'll be happy to give our veteran cornerback Herman Hatton his first start of the season and on the offensive line it will be Lamont Whitfield getting the same privilege.

Do I fear defeat by the hands of the Colonials? 'Fear' is a big word in this context. It will be a tough opponent as they are, with quarterback Gino Greenburg, but the Colonials are hurting at wide receiver, with Roy Walton out this week and Edwin Freedman not back at 100% after breaking his clavicle in week 11. I think we'll still stand a decent chance to win, especially at home. But the important part is to have our key players stay injury free as much as possible. Week 17 will be the crucial game, beating the Colonials would be icing on the cake, providing we bake that cake. And if we somehow lose the last two games, we'll still be the top wild card team in the conference and have a road game at Vicksburg, Rochester or Toronto.

[MIJB#19]

2041 week 16

Merchantmen B-team fumble to deficit
The Maassluis Merchantmen recorded their fourth loss of the season, falling 16-10 to the Williamsburg Colonials in Oranje Haven. The Merchantmen kept most of their key players off the field, as the outcome of the game would have no effect on the playoffs seeding order. The B-team played decent football, but turned the ball over 5 times, three times in scoring position.

Offense
Passing: Osborne 19/28 for 153 yd, 1 td, 2 int
Rushing: Fulcher 26 for 154
Receiving: Brown 8 for 85; Pomeranz 1 td

Defense
Interceptions: none
Fumble recoveries: Bradley, Crum
Sacks: Matheson

[MIJB#19]

Donald Terry diagnoses with impaired vision
A tough blow for Maassluis Merchantmen running back Donald Terry. An infection to his left eye has taken its toll, limiting Terry's vision severely enough to be able to play football. The diagnosis was made as 'impaired vision' and doctors can't estimate how long this condition will stick. Terry was inactive in the Merchantmen's 16-10 loss to the Williamsburg Colonials, but that decision was made before he suffered illness. Terry will miss the crucial final home game of the season, as the Merchantmen host the Paris Musketeers in a battle for the European division title and a bye week in the playoffs.

[MIJB#19]

2014 week 17

Merchantmen lose control of Europe
Maassluis' reign of Europe has ended. After four consecutive division titles, the Merchantmen came to a halt as the Paris Musketeers invaded Oranje Haven to claim the 2041 European division title. The disillusioned Merchantmen lost 24-5 and will not have a bye week in the playoffs for the first time in five years. The AOC's top wild card was already secured as the worst case scenario several weeks ago.

The Merchantmen started the game on good notes, as Jack Money returned the opening kickoff all the way to the Paris 44-yard line. But the Musketeers quickly set the tone of their own game, stuffing Scott Fulcher on his first carry and intercepting Perry Coleman on the second play of the game. Despite that the Musketeers were forced to punt shortly after, they took the lead on their second drive, marching 85 yards up field and finishing it as Rosey Hansen reached Dana Battle in the end zone. Coleman marched his team forward on the next drive and ran the ball in on third and goal, but a holding penalty took the touchdown off the board and the Merchantmen settled for a 34-yard field goal for a 7-3 Paris lead after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Musketeers were stalled early at pinned the Merchantmen deep. Perry Coleman guided his team forward with a couple of first down conversions, but that came to a halt as he was intercepted at midfield, the second giveaway of the game. Paris gained just enough yards to convert a 46-yard field goal. The Merchantmen got the ball back late in the second quarter, but completely mishandled the clock and scored no points despite reaching the Musketeers 26-yard line.

The third quarter started with a three and out for Paris and was followed up with Maassluis' Edward Rice pinning the Musketeers at their own 2-yard line. Rice copied his play with an even longer punt to the 2-yard line after neither team failed to make much ground. Sadly for him, it didn't keep the Musketeers from starting a long drive that brought them at the Merchantmen 3-yard line at the end of the third quarter, still leading 10-3.

Rosey Hansen found Dana Battle for the second touchdown of the duo and the game to start the fourth quarter. Jack Money had another kickoff return into Paris turf, followed up with yet another big punt from Edward Rice to the Paris 4-yard line. The Merchantmen got the ball back, but Coleman got intercepted again near the 50-yard line. Rosey Hansen replied it with a 37-yard bomb to veteran Fred Ahmed and an 11-yard score to Gus Lockhart for the three-score lead and 9 minutes left to play. Maassluis was stalled again and Edward Rice pinned Paris at their 1-yard line, setting up a safety on the next play as Donovan Bertleson got tackled by Bernie Gordon in the end zone. Maassluis got the ball back, but after a three and out, with just 5 minutes left to play and down by 18, the game was basically over. Maassluis got the ball back, with just over a minute to play and without any time outs. A face saving score was too much to ask and the season ended with the biggest loss of the season.

Offense
Passing: Coleman 17/31 for 224 yards, 0 td, 3 int
Rushing: Fulcher 10 for 23 yd
Receiving: Cox 3 for 61 yd

Defense
Interceptions: none
Fumble recoveries: none
Sacks: Matheson, Lincoln 0.5, Warren 0.5

[MIJB#19]

2041 Regular season standings

European division
13-3 Paris
11-5 Maassluis
8-8 Gothenburg
2-14 Bordeaux

Paris goes into the playoffs seeded 2nd in the AOC, behind the Tucker Tigers (14-2). The Vicksburg Vipers (12-4) will host the Fort Wayne Fury (10-6). The Merchantmen (11-5) will visit the Toronto Lake Monsters (9-7). In the NAC, Capital City and Chicago are the top two seeds, Oakland hosts Minnesota and Chesapeake hosts Outer Banks, with all four wild card round teams having a 10-6 or worse record.

Statistical leaders
Passing: Coleman 62.8% complete (6th in IHOF), 3,508 yd, 26 td, 9 int; Osborne 3 td
Rushing: Terry 1,250 yd (6th in IHOF), 13 td (1st), 4.98 avg (9th); Brass 3 td, Coleman 2 td
Receiving: Pritt 92 rec (7th in IHOF) for 1,114 yd (14th), 7 td; Haskell 65 rec for 945 yd, 11 td (7th in IHOF); Pomeranz 4 td, Harriman 3 td, Cox 2 td, Brown 1 td, Wilkerson 1 td

Defense
Interceptions: Crum 3, Duncan 3, Gordon 2, Pisano 2, Pomato 2, Walker 2, Devine 1, Hatton 1, Hopper 1
Sacks: Matheson 8.0, Warren 6.0, Lucas 5.5, Johnstone 3.0, Lincoln 2.5, Toohil 2.5, Devine 2.0, Duncan 2.0, Walker 1.5, Gilman 1.0, Gordon 1.0, Hutton 1.0, Boo 0.5, Finch 0.5

Other statistics:
Jack Money averaged 11.0 yards per punt return (4th in IHOF) and 32.9 yards per kickoff return (2nd).
Charles Anthony scored 28 field goals, with a 96.6% efficiency (1st in IHOF) and 45 extra points for 129 point (10th).
Dennis Lucas was 11th in the league in pass rush percentage, adding 30 hurries (2nd in IHOF) and 2 blocked passes to his 5.5 sacks.
No less than four players had double digit defended passes, with Mark Crum (12), Bernie Gordon (12), Daniel Duncan (11) and Marc Pomato (11).

Overall statistics:
6th in scoring offense
4th in scoring defense
top5 pass defense and pass rush, top5 pass protection

[MIJB#19]

2041 Wild Card Round

Lake Monsters upset Merchantmen in barnburner
The Maassluis Merchantmen will have to wait another season to get their ultimate goal achived. The Merchantmen lost 35-34 at the Toronto Lake Monsters, after an up and down turnover free game, where the lead switched hands four times. Lake Monsters quarterback Marcus Robbins threw for 332 yards and 4 touchdowns to guy his team in the game winning late fourth quarter drive.

Offense
Passing: Coleman 25/42 for 352 yd, 3 td
Rushing: Fulcher 62 yd, 1 td
Receiving: Pritt 122 yd, 1 td; Haskell 11 yd, 1 td; Bernstein 1 td

Defense
Interceptions: none
Fumble recoveries: none
Sacks: Duncan 1, Finch 0.5, Lincoln 0.5, Matheson 0.5, Warren 0.5

[MIJB#19]

2042 Retirement wave

The Maassluis Merchantmen will be down 4 men going into the upcoming 2042 season. Tom Bush, D.J. Cahill, Herman Hatton and Gilbert Rhodes filled their retirement papers. All of them played more than 100 games with the Merchantmen, starting a large majority of those games.

Tight end D.J. Cahill earned the biggest accolades in Maassluis. Although never living up to the firth round pick hype, Cahill hung around for 12 seasons. Following a disappointing 2030 rookie campaign, Cahill improved his game, but never became a big weapon, peaking at 609 yards in 2033 and 7 touchdowns in 2034. Cahill was a regular starter for eight season and didn't miss a game in the lost IHOF Bowl XXXVI campaign. After that game, Cahill's playing time significantly reduced. He retires with 167 regular season games played (115 starts) for 4,205 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns. He also played in 9 playoffs games (4 starts) and this upcoming pre-season, Cahill is a nominee for induction into the Merchantmen Ring of Honor.

Cornerback Herman Hatton was a 2033 first round pick and spent his entire IHOF career with the Merchantmen. Hatton immediately jumped into the starting lineup, but recorded his first interception in his second season. He was a starter in each of his first eight seasons, including the IHOF Bowl XXXVI loss. Last season, Hatton was pushed aside to make room for rookie Mark Crum and newly signed Marc Pomato. He retires with 136 games played (121 started), excluding 12 playoffs games (11 starts).

Offensive tackle Tom Bush began his football career in Florida with the Miami Sharks as a fourth round pick. After having slowly grown into a starting role, the franchise moved to Texas and decided to part ways with Bush. The Maassluis Merchantmen traded a fourth round pick to acquire Bush, but planted him on the bench for that 2033 season. After that season, Bush was promoted to a starting role and kept it until his retirement. Bush was a crucial run blocker in all of those season, including en route to the lost IHOF Bowl XXXVI. Bush totaled 162 games (107 starts) for the Merchantmen, not counting 10 playoffs games (all started).

Guard Gilbert Rhodes had a strange career path. The 2029 fourth round pick didn't earn a single start with his first team, the Houston Mustangs. After his first playoffs appearance, he signed with the Orlando Talons in 2032, but was kept on the bench for three full seasons there as well. The Maassluis Merchantmen came along in 2035, signing him as a free agent and giving him his first starts in the last two regular season games. The 2037 season was Rhodes breakthrough, as he burst into the starting lineup and maintained that status throughout. In 2039 Rhodes played his first games at left tackle and in 2040 he moved to that role indefinitely. Rhodes retires with 108 regular season games played (82 starts) for the Merchantmen and with 12 playoffs games played (8 starts), including the lost IHOF Bowl XXXVI.

Elsewhere, Quarterback Jay McGee retired after one season with the Paris Musketeers. McGee was a first round pick for the Fort Wayne Fury in 2027, but lost the starting role in 2029 and subsequently got traded to the Merchantmen in 2030 after 'Rusty' Harrison's departure to the Rochester Lake Monsters. McGee had decent campaigns, but failed to guide the Merchantmen to the playoffs. In 2033 he was demoted to a backup role as Harrison returned in Maassluis. That and the following season, McGee played second string, yet got plenty of action as the injury prone legend Harrison lived up to his reputation. Following 'Rusty's' retirement, McGee finally broke through, guiding the Merchantmen to the playoffs after a six-season drought. It started a five season string as the full time starter, ending in the lost IHOF Bowl XXXVI. McGee was released for salary cap reasons and moved on to the Iowa Cobbers in a second-string role. The Paris Musketeers signed him as their understudy for the 2041 season, but he didn't play a single down. McGee retires with 10 seasons of service in Maassluis, with 149 regular season games played (145 starts) and 10 playoffs games played (all started). He's been nominated for induction into the Merchantmen Ring of Honor.

Guard Nate Hurnblad didn't play any football in 2041, but only now decided to officially retire, following a full season without. Hurnblad was a fourth round pick in 2030 for the Merchantmen and spent his entire active career in Maassluis. Hurnblad had ups and downs, usually being in a starting role, but also losing it for full seasons in between. Eventually he played 168 regular season games (105 starts) and 11 playoffs games (7 starts), including being a starter in the lost IHOF Bowl XXXVI. Hurnblad was released after the 2041 training camp and remained out of a football job throughout the season. He's been nominated for induction into the Merchantmen Ring of Honor.

Cornerback Tito Close played nine seasons with the Merchantmen, the first seven as a starter, after being picked in the first round of the 2032 draft. He still had a very active role in 2039, helping the team reach IHOF Bowl XXXVI. In 2040 his role was greatly reduced, being active in only one game. Last season he was released after training camp and didn't find a roster spot elsewhere.

Other Merchantmen alumni that officially retired this off-season include wide receiver Skip Dillon (2031-2036), defensive tackle Ralph Campbell (2034-2037), defensive tackle Brenden England (2036-2040) and safety Quinn Gonzalez (2036-2037, 2039-2040).

[MIJB#19]

2042 Off Season News

Merchantmen hire Himes as Head Coach
Graham Hines is the new harbor master. The Maassluis Merchantmen fired head coach Charlie Witten after four season, picking Himes third overall in the staff draft. Himes had been the San Antonio Tidal Force defensive coordinator for 12 seasons and was happy to jump into this opportunity: "It's a big opportunity to get a career move here."

The release of Witten came as a surprise to some. Despite the recent one and done season, Witten coached the Merchantmen to their first IHOF Bowl appearance, posting a 52-19 record. Last season the Merchantmen failed to win the European division for the first time after four straight division titles. Witten was hired by the Capital City Blues as their new head coach.

The Chesapeake Chitterlings also found their new head coach in Maassluis, signing former defensive coordinator Howie Kolb. As a replacement for Kolb, the Merchantmen hired Harlem Apollos' defensive coordinator Lenny Boyd, former Chesapeake Chitterlings linebacker.

Additionally, the Merchantmen hired assistant coach Josiah Reid and strength coordinator Sammy Donaldson.

[MIJB#19]

2042 Off Season news

Good news for Donald Terry
Maassluis Merchantmen running back Donald Terry had good news to report. Last season, Terry was diagnoses with impaired vision and consequently missed the last three games of the season. Following suitable rest and required therapy, sight returned to normal for Terry and he's expected to return to Maassluis for the 2042 season. "I'm thrilled to be back," Terry said, "it was quite the shocker when the problems began."

Merchantmen star wide receiver Terry Haskell called in from his vacation resort: "Awesome news! Donnie (Donald Terry) is a big part of this team, he carried us to the IHOF Bowl. Our goal is to get back there and with Donnie we'll have a bigger shot at it, we really missed him down the stretch last season."

[MIJB#19]

Summary of results so far
<table border='1'><tr><td>year<td>rk<td>record, playoffs
<tr><td>2004<td>4th<td>1-15
<tr><td>2005<td>3rd<td>7-9
<tr><td>2006<td>3rd<td>8-8
<tr><td>2007<td>1st<td>13-3, lost in AOC Championship
<tr><td>2008<td>1st<td>9-7,lost in wild card round
<tr><td>2009<td>3rd<td>8-8
<tr><td>2010<td>3rd<td>6-10
<tr><td>2011<td>1st<td>11-5, lost in wild card round
<tr><td>2012<td>2nd<td>10-6, lost in divisional round
<tr><td>2013<td>2nd<td>8-8
<tr><td>2014<td>2nd<td>9-7
<tr><td>2015<td>2nd<td>8-8
<tr><td>2016<td>2nd<td>8-8
<tr><td>2017<td>2nd<td>6-10
<tr><td>2018<td>3rd<td>6-10
<tr><td>2019<td>3rd<td>6-10
<tr><td>2020<td>2nd<td>7-9
<tr><td>2021<td>3rd<td>5-11
<tr><td>2022<td>4th<td>5-11
<tr><td>2023<td>1st<td>12-4, lost in wild card round
<tr><td>2024<td>1st<td>11-5, lost in wild card round
<tr><td>2025<td>1st<td>11-4-1, lost in wild card round
<tr><td>2026<td>2nd<td>10-6, lost in divisional round
<tr><td>2027<td>1st<td>11-5, lost in AOC Championship
<tr><td>2028<td>1st<td>12-4, lost in divisional round
<tr><td>2029<td>2nd<td>9-7
<tr><td>2030<td>4th<td>5-11
<tr><td>2031<td>2nd<td>9-7
<tr><td>2032<td>2nd<td>9-7
<tr><td>2033<td>3rd<td>6-10
<tr><td>2034<td>3rd<td>9-7
<tr><td>2035<td>1st<td>11-5, lost in divisional round
<tr><td>2036<td>2nd<td>10-6, lost in divisional round
<tr><td>2037<td>1st<td>13-3, lost in divisional round
<tr><td>2038<td>1st<td>13-3, lost in AOC Championship
<tr><td>2039<td>1st<td>12-4, lost in IHOF Bowl XXXVI
<tr><td>2040<td>1st<td>13-3, lost in divisional round
<tr><td>2041<td>2nd<td>11-5, lost in wild card round
</table>

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen Ring Of Honor, update

Retroactively, I decided that any professional american football team isn't complete without a 'Ring of Honor'. My decission was to make it a limited club of players, meaning only one player can be entered at every start of the season. I decided that the ring of honor had to be started in 2014, as a celebration of ten years Maassluis Merchantmen. I wanted the candidacy to be as objective as possible, laying down the following ground rules:
1. a player is eliglible as soon as he is retired. This means a player that retired at the start of the 2042 off-season can be introduced into the Ring of Honor immediately.
2. players with 10 seasons of service with 100 or more starts, including playoffs games, are automatic candidates, have priority over non-qualifying players and will all eventually be inducted. The order in which they are introduced is subjective and based on 'likeability' factor.
3. if there are no candidates based on the 100+10 rule, a player with exceptional talent and achievements will be introduced into the Ring of Honor. Again the 'likeability' factor will be there as a subjective tie-breaker.

In effect, most players introcuded will have met the 100+10 rule, some of them will have been on the waiting list for a couple of seasons. To put into perspective, entering the 2042 season, 29 different players have met the 100+10 rule. Four of them (DE Johnnie Warren, LB Fred McCorkle, S Perry Walker and S Thurman Hopper) are still active. The 100+10 rule can be unrewarding to special teams specialists, which makes it that much more important for them to do exceptionally well. At the same time it makes sure only those that played at a very high level of football and spent a majority of their career in Maasssluis will be honored.

The (retroactive) list of players inducted includes:
<table border=1><tr><td>year<td width=175>player<td>Short bio (* denotes non-member of 100+10)
<tr><td>2014<td>28 RB Randy Harris<td><font size=1>* Starting running back for 6 seasons. Four 1,000-yard seasons and 46 touchdowns. Scored the first IHOF touchdown in Oranje Haven. Franchise second-most 7,151 rushing yards (through 2041).
<tr><td>2015<td>78 DT Charles Gomez<td><font size=1>Starting nose tackle for 11 seasons. Six-time All IHOF 1st or 2nd teamer. Franchise high 72.5 sacks, 43 blocked passes and 206 hurries (through 2041).
<tr><td>2016<td>47 CB Tai Wayne<td><font size=1>Starting cornerback for 10 seasons. Franchise high 135 defended passes (through 2041). Franchise high 9 seasons with double-digit passes defended (through 2041). Member of the 2-deep zone defense.
<tr><td>2017<td>50 MLB Cody Cluff<td><font size=1>Starting inside linebacker for 13 seasons. IHOF and franchise high 1,350 tackles (through 2041, includes special teams tackles prior to 2013 season). Franchise high 3 interception return touchdowns (through 2041). Legend of the Game.
<tr><td>2018<td>46 SS Lincoln Gilmore<td><font size=1>Starting strong safety for 9 seasons. Formed the defense's backbone with Gomez and Cluff in the first decade. Key member of the 2-deep zone defense.
<tr><td>2019<td>54 C Brant Heinrich<td><font size=1>Starting center for 9 1/2 seasons. Franchise third-most 218 key run blocks (through 2041). Allowed 33 sacks in 4,385 pass plays.
<tr><td>2020<td>87 WR Bryce Ewald<td><font size=1>Starting wide receiver for 8 1/2 seasons. Scored franchise first touchdown. Career 498 catches for 6,859 yards. Scored 44 touchdowns.
<tr><td>2021<td>56 OLB Bernie Surry<td><font size=1>Starting linebacker for 6 1/2 seasons. First late round draft pick to reach 100 starts +10 years on roster. Member of the 2-deep zone defense.
<tr><td>2022<td>14 QB Louie Flannery<td><font size=1>Starting quarterback for 15 seasons. Franchise high 47,472 passing yards and 327 passing touchdowns (through 2041). Franchise high single-game 6 touchdown passes (tied in 2040, through 2041).
<tr><td>2023<td>86 TE Jim Reiser<td><font size=1>Starting tight end for 6 1/2 seasons. Franchise high 541 catches for 5,025 yards and 34 touchdowns receiving for non-wide receivers (through 2041). Flannery's favorite target.
<tr><td>2024<td>35 SS Eddie Cole<td><font size=1>Starting safety for 6 1/2 seasons. Successor of Lincoln Gilmore. Franchise fifth-most 726 tackles (through 2041). Franchise high 4 defensive touchdowns (through 2041).
<tr><td>2025<td>63 LT Ivan Jacques<td><font size=1>* Starting left tackle for 8 seasons. Allowed only 23 sacks in 3,643 pass plays.
<tr><td>2026<td>81 WR Alfredo Basso<td><font size=1>* Starting wide receiver for 3 seasons. First player with 1,000-yard season. 1,000-yard receiver in all three seasons on roster.
<tr><td>2027<td>20 RB Stanley Givens<td><font size=1>* Starting running back for 3 1/2 seasons. Franchise high single-game 5 non-passing touchdowns (through 2041). Carried team into playoffs in all four seasons on team.
<tr><td>2028<td>86 WR Gabe Springer<td><font size=1>Starting wide receiver for 10 seasons. Franchise high nine 1,000-yard seasons (through 2041). Franchise high 1,077 catches, 14,531 receiving yards and 105 receiving touchdowns (through 2041). Franchise high 106 non-passing touchdowns (through 2041). Franchise high single game 267 receiving yards (through 2041).
<tr><td>2029<td>27 CB Randall Allen<td><font size=1>* Starting cornerback for 5 seasons. Double-digit passes defended in each of his five seasons on roster.
<tr><td>2030<td>84 WR Freddie Upshaw<td><font size=1>Starting wide receiver for 5 1/2 seasons. Franchise third-most 604 catches and 7,539 receiving yards, fourth-most 47 receiving touchdowns (through 2041).
<tr><td>2031<td>87 TE Rondell Bowers<td><font size=1>Starting tight end for 7 seasons. Second late round draft pick to reach 100 starts +10 years on roster.
<tr><td>2032<td>48 S Jimmy Chellino<td><font size=1>Starting safety for 11 1/2 seasons. Franchise high 36 interpetions (through 2041). Franchise second-most 766 tackles for non-linebackers (through 2041). Legend of the Game.
<tr><td>2033<td>77 G Casey Kappers<td><font size=1>Starting guard for 8 1/2 seasons. Allowed only 20 sacks in 3,749 pass plays.
<tr><td>2034<td>52 MLB R.J. Knight<td><font size=1>Starting middle linebacker for 10 1/2 seasons. Franchise second-most 978 tackles (through 2041). Franchise high 28 forced fumbles (through 2041).
<tr><td>2035<td>5 QB 'Rusty' Harrison<td><font size=1>Starting quarterback for 11 seasons (twice 1/2 a season). One of two quarterbacks to win offensive rookie of the year. Franchise second-most 33,162 passing yards and 266 passing touchdowns (through 2041). Franchise only 1st overall draft pick.
<tr><td>2036<td>80 WR Terry Thomason<td><font size=1>Starting wide receiver for 12 1/2 seasons. Franchise second-most 842 catches, 11,996 receiving yards, 91 receiving touchdowns (through 2041).
<tr><td>2037<td>92 DT Andy Cottle<td><font size=1>Starting defensive tackle for 12 1/2 seasons. Franchise second-most 44.5 sacks and 128 hurries, franchise third-most 42 blocked passes (through 2041). Legend of the Game.
<tr><td>2038<td>70 G Wes Mason<td><font size=1>Starting guard for 7 seasons. No outstanding individual stats.
<tr><td>2039<td>73 C Shawn Hudspeth<td><font size=1>Starting center for 10 seasons. Franchise most 287 key run blocks. (through 2041).
<tr><td>2040<td>65 LT Ronald Dole<td><font size=1>Starting left tackle for 9 seasons. No outstanding individual stats.
<tr><td>2041<td>83 WR Vince McAlister<td><font size=1>* two-time 1,000-yard receiver. One of six Merchantmen receivers with 10+ single season receiving touchdowns. Career cut-short by career-ending ACL knee injury.
<tr><td>2042<td>t.b.d.<td><font size=1>t.b.d.
</table>

[MIJB#19]

2042 Off-season: Free Agency

Freidkin, Bradley stay in Maassluis
Linebacker Alton Bradley and offensive tackle Clifton Freidkin signed new three-year contracts with the Maassluis Merchantmen. Bradley has been with the Merchantmen since 2039, while Freidkin was a mid-season signing last year. Both hope to improve from their roles in backup roles.

Alton Bradley joined in 2039 as a free agent from the Kansas Creationists. The pass rushing linebacker unexpectedly broke into the starting lineup right away, although he was listed as a reserve for IHOF Bowl XXXVI. Last season, Bradley's role was limited, seeing action in 6 regular season games.

Clifton Freidkin joined in week 11 of the 2041 season as injuries depleted the Merchantmen at offensive tackle. Freidkin's activity was limited, however, playing sporadically in 8 games, including the lost wild card round game. With the retirement of both starting offensive tackles Tom Bush and Gilbert Rhodes, Freidkin might be a candidate to break into the starting lineup.

[MIJB#19]

2042 Off-season: Free agency

Merchantmen hire T Robinson, TE Lowe
The Maassluis Merchantmen bolstered their team with two new signings on the free agents market. Offensive tackle Dwayne Robinson is considered to be a key signing, after the earlier retirement of both starting tackles Tom Bush and Gilbert Rhodes. Tight end Troy Lowe was signed to become the new long snapper in Maassluis.

Dwayne Robinson had a slow start in his pro football career. After his graduation from Florida State, the Minnesota Miners drafted Robinson early in the second round of the 2031 draft. For four seasons he rode the bench, but in 2035 he took over a starting role. After an injuries plagued couple of seasons, Robinson left last season and was hired by the Toronto Lake Monsters. He started the first 7 regular season games, but then was benched for the remainder of the season, including the victorious wild card round game against the Merchantmen. Robinson was released this off-season and signed a three year deal in Maassluis.

Troy Lowe is a rare Harvard graduate in the IHOF. Despite going undrafted, Lowe managed to find a backup role with the Boston Rhinos as a special teamer. After the ownership change and rebranding to the Toronto Lake Monsters, Lowe hung around for four more seasons, although seeing his special teams role diminish. Last season he was released in the off-season, but was quickly welcomed back in week 7. In Maassluis he'll be asked to play the long snapper role.

[MIJB#19]

2042 Off-season: Rookie Draft

Merchantmen trade for TE Clark, RB Riley
A busy day in the Maassluis Merchantmen war room resulted in trade of all their draft picks in the 2042 draft to help acquire two first round picks. Another consequence was losing their first round picks in the next two drafts, as well as their second rounder in the next draft.

The Merchantmen first acquired the 25th overall pick to select tight end Irving Clark. The Colorado graduate was considered the top prospect at his position, boosting it with a tremendous combine. The Merchantmen saw his available and contacted the Kansas Creationists initially for the 23rd overall pick. After lengthy talks, the Merchantmen settled for the 25th overall pick, sacrificing their first and second round picks next draft and swapping their three fifth round picks for a single fifth rounder next draft.

Four picks later, again the Kansas Creationists were the selling party. At pick 29 overall, the Merchantmen took Notre Dame running back Harold Riley, who ran the 40-dash in 4.48 seconds and the agility test in 7.00 seconds. To get Riley, the Merchantmen gave up their 2044 first round pick, a third rounder next draft and their remaining picks this draft in rounds 3, 4, 6 and 7.

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes 2042

A relative quiet off-season is about to finish here. Granted, free agency isn't over yet, but we're heading for the post-draft stages with 52 players signed and a couple of first round picks about to arrive. Most likely, we'll have a lot of contract talks upcoming with many players in their final year of contract. A league mandated punishment for all franchises has resulted in a tight cap season, with roughly $50 million less to spend than originally planned. Talks with Terry Haskell, our star receiver, were unsuccessful.

Now, Haskell is locked up for a couple of seasons, but that isn't the case for 25 other players. We'll have to anticipate losing some of them to the open market next off-season, because we'll have about $13 million to work with after the rookies have arrived. Amongst the final-year players are quarterback Harry Osborne, running back Scott Fulcher, fullbacks Terrell Wilkerson and Greg Bass, tight end Cary Harriman, wide receivers J.T. Pritt and Vincent Cox all-world returnman Jack Money, center Arnie Croft, punter Edward Rice, defensive linemen Eugene Johnstone and Brian Lincoln, linebacker Wesley Devine and defensive backs Marc Pomato and Perry Walker. It'll be rough to keep them all...

That said, our #1 goal is to keep this team together now, to give ourselves a shot at the IHOF Bowl. With the likes of Perry Coleman, Donald Terry, Harold Riley, Irving Clark, Mike Bernstein, Vincent Cox, J.T. Pritt, Adam Brautlacht and Terry Haskell, this offense has all the firepower to make some noise. The defense remains rock solid, depending on how good Perry Walker and Thurman Hopper will turn out to still be at safety.

[MIJB#19]

2042 Off-season

Merchantmen sign DE Chu, KR Dawson
The Maassluis Merchantmen announced the signing of two free agents. Defensive end Carlton Chu signed a three-year contract, as did safety Sammie Dawson. Chu became a free agent after the Rochester Razorbacks released him earlier this off-season. Dawson was without a team in 2041, after being released by the Kansas Creationists at the end of the 2040 season. Chu is a proven pass rusher with 32.0 career sacks. Dawson is primarily signed for his kickoff returning skills, albeit having an underwhelming resume with just 17.0 yards per return as a rookie in his only active season.


Merchantmen sign rookies Clark and Riley
As per new IHOF guidelines, all drafted rookies receive guaranteed contracts. Tight end Irving Clark signed a four-year deal worth roughly $17 million, with a $9.6 million signing bonus. Running back Harold Riley also inked a four-year deal, giving him a $8.6 million signing bonus on a contract worth roughly $16 million.


Stars Pritt and Terry announce hold out
The Maassluis Merchantmen will have some work to do. Player agents of leading receiver J.T. Pritt and leading rusher Donald Terry communicated that their players will hold out for a better contract and plan on missing training camp. Merchantmen management responded that the league mandated salary cap reduction has hit hard and made it impossible to work out better contracts before the draft, promising to hit the tables with both players' agents as soon as possible. The Merchantmen currently have 56 players under contract, including Pritt and Terry. Nearly half of them are out of contract after the upcoming season and Merchantmen management hopes to rework the contracts of most of these players to keep them at least until the 2043 season. With roughly $12.5 million of cap space to work with, it will be a challenge to work it all out.

[MIJB#19]

2042 News

Cahill, Hurnblad and McGee nominated for Merchantmen Ring of Honor
The Maassluis Merchantmen Fan Club today announced the official nomination of D.J. Cahill, Nate Hurnblad and Jay McGee for induction in the Merchantmen Ring of Honor. As per the guidelines stipulated in 2014, players with 100 or more games started for the Merchantmen in 10 or more years of service are automatic nominations. Only if no suitable candidates with these requirements are available, the fan club will ask their members to nominate players. Tight end Cahill, guard Hurnblad and quarterback McGee all met the 100+10 rule and retired this off-season. Merchantmen fans can vote until the start of pre-season. In the home exhibition game against the Kansas Creationists, the winner will be announced.

Former Merchantmen first round pick D.J. Cahill could become the third tight end inducted into the ring of honor, after Jim Reiser and Rondell Bowers. Initialy expectations for Cahill were sky high. The Merchantmen scouting staff as well as the league scouting agency thought Cahill could be a force in the passing game as a playmaker. He had a couple of good seasons, but failed to surpass Reiser in catches or yardage. Cahill did surpass Reiser in receiving touchdowns, making Cahill the Merchantmen's leading non-wide receiver in that category.

Merchantmen fourth round pick of the 2030 draft, Nate Hurnblad would become the third guard added to the Merchantmen Ring of Honor, following footsteps of Casey Kappers and Wes Mason. Hurnblad immediately stepped into a starting role as a rookie, taking over Kappers' role at right guard and several years later moved to left guard when Mason was demoted. The Merchantmen have a tradition of grooming their own offensive linemen and that has resulted in little turnover of starters over the years. Hurnblad was the eighth offensive lineman to meet the Ring of Honor automatic nominee criteria.

Despite the achievements of Cahill and Hurnblad, their former-teammate Jay McGee is the favorite to win the vote between these three former Merchantmen players. McGee would step into the footsteps of Louie Flannery and 'Rusty' Harrison as the third quarterback inducted, who also preceded McGee as the starting quarterback in Maassluis. Unlike Flannery and Harrison, McGee wasn't drafted by the Merchantmen, although he was acquired for a first round through trade from the Fort Wayne Fury. With a shortage of initial seasons, McGee just barely failed to catch up with his predecessor in stats, coming about 1/3rd of a season short to catch up with Harrison in yardage and touchdowns. Flannery's numbers were never really in sight.
Like Flannery and Harrison, McGee guided the Merchantmen to the AOC championship and, unlike Flannery and Harrison, he managed it twice and the second time also guided the Merchantmen to the IHOF Bowl, although they lost in a disappoint game to the Chesapeake Chitterlings in IHOF Bowl XXXVI. Shockingly, contract negotiations after that lost game resulted in the Merchantmen releasing McGee. He finished his career with stints on the Iowa Cobbers and Paris Musketeers rosters, riding the bench with both teams. Meanwhilst, the Merchantmen have gone one-and-done in the playoffs, twice, after McGee...

[MIJB#19]

2042 Off-Season: News

Pritt and Merchantmen agree terms
One down, one to go. The Maassluis Merchantmen agreed terms with star wide receiver J.T. Pritt on a new two-year contract, after Pritt had threatened to hold out throughout the 2042 season. Pritt was on his final year of contract, but opted to re-sign a contract worth over $25 million, with an $11 million signing bonus.

The Merchantmen have yet to get Donald Terry re-signed. Their leading rusher is signed for two more years, but is signed on a minimum salary this season. Terms were not made public, but the IHOF's 2039 league leading rusher's agent said that their demands are below his market value, rumored to be around $10 million for a new 3-year deal. The Merchantmen management has said that they are willing to pay the value of the deal, but are struggling to find the required cap space.

The Merchantmen also worked out new three-year contracts with star linebacker Wesley Devine and punter Edward Rice to lock to extend their contracts and create some cap space for Terry. Cornerback Marc Pomato turned down a new 4-year deal worth roughly $55 million, but Merchantmen management said they are still talking with Pomato's agency and as with Devine and Rice hope to both extend the contract and save some cap space to re-sign Terry.

In the meanwhile, Donald Terry's chances to remain as the starting running back look small, as the Merchantmen drafted Harold Riley in the first round and may not feel too worried with Scott Fulcher after his 154-yard performance in his first start in IHOF. "We'll need three running backs to get through the season, we'll find touches for all of our stars," said Merchantmen General Manager M.IJ.B.


Merchantmen sign rookie cornerbacks
After the retirements of Herman Hatton this off-season and Tito Close's departure before last season, the Merchantmen are looking for new blood at the cornerback position. Suggestions to move Karl Pritchett to cornerback where shot down. Four undrafted rookies where signed and will get a chance to prove themselves in training camp and the upcoming pre-season.

Virginia Tech's Horace Hicks combine scores made him an interest prospect, scoring a 28 in the Solecismic score, a 45 in the position drill and running the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds.

Ohio State's Mack Gonzalez' combine scores were less impressive, but a 40 drill score and a 4.52 40-yard dash made him an interesting prospect. Gonzalez also played a lot of special teams in college, making him a decent addition for special teams duties.

Wake Forest's Corbin Newhart also sports special teams experience, quite possibly the most of all four rookies. It's likely the main reason the Merchantmen signed him, as Newhart was slower and score lower in the position drill than the three other rookies.

Baylor's Lee Pretko at 6'2" is easily the tallest guy of the bunch. League scouting had Pretko as the third highest graded cornerback amongst undrafted rookies and ran the fasest agility score of all undrafted rookie cornerbacks. He scored a decent 37 in the position drill had the most bench press pushes of all undrafted rookie corners.

[MIJB#19]

2042 Off-season news

Donald Terry joins Merchantmen training camp
Running back Donald Terry stays with the Maassluis Merchantmen. After threats to sit out the season, Terry's agents had been in talks with Merchantmen management to get a new deal worked out. Shortly before training camp, agreement was reached on a three-year, $10 million contract.


Pomato extends with Merchantmen
Marc Pomato stays with the Maassluis Merchantmen. The 25-year old cornerback sign a new four-year contract, worth $52 million, including a $14.5 million bonus. Pomato was acquired from the Minnesota Miners last season and was a full time starter in Maassluis.

This deal locks up another key member of the Merchantmen, leaving 24 players in their final contract with the Merchantmen, most former starting quarterbacks Harry Osborne and Harvey Corbett, fullbacks Greg Brass and Terrell Wilkerson, star return specialist Jack Money, center Arnie Croft and safety Perry Walker.


Merchantmen release rookie corners
The Maassluis Merchantmen have announced the release of two rookie cornerbacks. Horace Hicks and Neil Robinson were both signed to compete for the fourth cornerback roster spot, but didn't make the pre-season roster. This leaves Mack Gonzalez, Corbin Newhart and Lee Pretko competing for the roster spot.

[MIJB#19]

GM Notes 2042

Fighting against a tough salary cap figure, we managed to keep the team together, draft a new tight end and running back, and sign an offensive tackle to fill the gap from retirements. We'll inspect the roster after our first series of pre-season games, playing mostly our second stringers in these games. The starters will come into action in the second series of games. Although, at several positions I think we're deep enough that it doesn't matter too much who we'll put out there, except for the obvious positions (wide receiver and quarterback).

A slight problem is still having 24 players subject to being a free agent next season. We've got just under $4 million of cap space, potentially a bit more after our final pre-season cuts. We'll have to mull over which players are worth extending their contracts. We'll make that decision before the regular season starts. We did manage to restructure enough contracts to expensive and key players to lock up our wide receivers, our linebackers and cornerbacks. But having a third of our players out of contract, that just isn't our roster building game plan. At the same time, we're living today too, an attempt to sign free agent star wide receiver Norm Pineo failed, but would have been icing on what I think is already a strong team.

[MIJB#19]

2042 Pre-Season

Merchantmen stand ground at Fairbanks
The Maassluis Merchantmen started the pre-season with a decent 17-10 victory at the Fairbanks Northstars. The Merchantmen played mostly with their second string, aside from quarterback Perry Coleman, who completed 20 of 35 passes for 230 yards and a rushing touchdown. Leaning on the special teams unit, the Merchantmen took a 14-3 lead just before half time, saw it trimmed down to 17-10 in the third quarter and held ground in the fourth quarter. The game clinching play was an interception from off-season signing Scottie Dawson at midfield. First round picks Irving Clark and Harold Riley had a slow start, with Clark catching 2 passes for 18 yards and Riley running for 49 yards on 18 carries.

Passing: Coleman 20/35 for 230 yd
Rushing: Riley 49 yd; Brass 1 td, Coleman 1 td
Receiving: Money 75 yd; no td

Interceptions: Dawson 1
Fumble Recoveries: none
Sacks: Matheson 1, Chu 0.5, Finch 0.5


Merchantmen demolish Kansas
With an all around stellar performance, the Maassluis Merchantmen welcomed crushed the Kansas Creationists in Oranje Haven. The 38-6 victory took shape in the first half with a 17-0 half time score and was steadily improved with three consecutive touchdown drives in the third quarter. First round pick Harold Riley ran for 91 yards and a score, while fellow first round pick Irving Clark made 3 catches for 28 yards. The Creationists were held to just 120 yards on offense, while the Merchantmen had the ball for 39 minutes, gaining 458 yards on offense. Many Merchantmen starters were inactive or played in a backup role, with Perry Coleman being an exception.

Passing: Coleman 24/30 for 327 yd, 3 td
Rushing: Riley 91 yd, 1 td; Fulcher 1 td
Receiving: Brautlacht 98 yd; Brown 1 td, Money 1 td, Pomeranz 1 td

Interceptions: none
Fumble Recoveries: Devine 1
Sacks: none




Merchantmen release cornerback Pretko
Undrafted rookie Lee Pretko has been released by the Maassluis Merchantmen. Pretko was signed together with four other undrafted rookie cornerbacks to compete for one roster spot. He saw limited action in the first two pre-season games, but his inferior special teams play made him the casualty. Mack Gonzalez and Corbin Newhart remain as the two players competing. With 58 players signed, there's no guarantee either of them makes the final roster, as 5 players will have to be released after pre-season.

[MIJB#19]

2042 Pre-Season

Dragons tamed by Merchantmen
The Maassluis Merchantmen continued their strong pre-season run. With a solid defensive performance, the Merchantmen had an easy 17-3 win over the Hanalei Dragons. A solid performance as the Merchantmen overcame 4 turnovers on offense, with 3 interceptions of quarterback Harry Osborne. Terry Haskell caught 9 passes for 148 yards and a score to carry the offense. Rookie running back Harold Riley had a rough day, being held to -7 yards on 4 carries, while fellow rookie Irving Clark hardly saw the field.

Passing: Osborne 17/29 for 299 yd, 1 td, 3 int
Rushing: Terry 57 yd, 1 td
Receiving: Haskell 148 yd, 1 td

Interceptions: none
Fumble recoveries: none
Sacks: Johnstone 1, Lincoln 1


Merchantmen crush NAC champion Minnesota
The Maassluis Merchantmen have completed their perfect pre-season. On the road at the defending NAC champions, the Minnesota Miners, the Merchantmen strolled to a 48-10 victory. Harry Osborne scored 4 touchdowns, adding a running score to his 3 scoring passes. Rookie Harold Riley scored the opening touchdown, but was held to just 3 yards on 4 scores the rest of the day. Fellow rookie Irving Clark was invisible on the offense.

Passing: Osborne 21/32 for 231 yd, 3 td
Rushing: Terry 133 yd, 0 td; Brass 1 td, Osborne 1 td, Riley 1 td
Receiving: Haskell 131 yd, 2 td; Cox 1 td

Interceptions: Duncan 1, Walker 1
Fumble recoveries: Toohil 1
Sacks: Johnstone 1.5, Lucas 1, Bradley 0.5, Chu 0.5, Devine 0.5, Matheson 0.5, Toohil 0.5


Merchantmen cut Warren, Patterson, Corbett
At the end of the pre-season action, the Maassluis Merchantmen today announce the release of five players: quarterback Harvey Corbett, running back J.T. Patterson, center Donny Gaines, defensive end Johnnie Warren and cornerback Mack Gonzalez.

The Merchantmen traded for Harvey Corbett in 2040 with the intent to make him the starting quarterback. Instead he rode the bench for half the season as Harry Osborne emerged as a game winning team captain. Corbett eventually started 7 games late in the season, including a devastating 24-0 loss in the playoffs at home to the Vicksburg Vipers. Last season Perry Coleman was signed as the new short-term starter, leaving Corbett inactive all season. This past training camp Corbett looked out of shape and uninspired to pick up the quarterback battle for the post-Coleman years.

Running back J.T. Patterson joined the Merchantmen in 2033 as a rookie free agent. Despite never starting a single game, Patterson had his role on the team as a special teamer, most notably as a kickoff returner, which translated into his only touchdown. Last season he fell on the depth chart in that role as well and this off-season became expendable after the signing of Scottie Dawson. Patterson is the last Merchantmen player to score on a punt or kickoff return, with a 96-yarder right after half time in a 35-20 victory over the Gothenburg Giants in the 2035 season.

Center Donny Gaines signed with the Merchantmen in 2038 as a rookie free agent. Gaines immediately made his name as the team's long snapper, which was his primary role the past four seasons. As IHOF evolved, Gaines became too heavy for a long snapper and lost the roster spot battle to newly signed Troy Lowe.

Defensive end Johnnie Warren was a surprise cut. The undrafted rookie free agent signing in 2031 quickly grew his reputation, becoming a starter in that rookie season. In recent seasons, Warren wasn't listed as a starter anymore, but in rotation still had his role on the team. With 43.5 sacks, he ranks third in Merchantmen history, just one sack shy of tying second ranked Andy Cottle. Warren played 11 seasons with the Merchantmen, missing just 3 games in that time span and being listed as a starter for IHOF Bowl XXXVI.

Cornerback Mack Gonzalez was released after spending the pre-season in Maassluis. The rookie lost the roster spot battle to fellow undrafted rookie Corbin Newhart.

[MIJB#19]

2042 Season Preview

Here we go again! Another season were we (I) think weve got a legitimate chance of going all the way to the IHOF Bowl and to win it. Afterall, getting there means getting past the Tucker Tigers and their spectacular quarterback Jackie Collier. So, what does our team look like? Let's break down the roster and I'll give you each player's scouted current ratings, rounded to factors of 5.

<table><tr><td>position<td>#<td>first<td>last<td>age<td>szn<td>rating<td>notes
<tr><td>QB1<td>7<td>Perry<td>Coleman<td>35<td>2nd<td>65<td>top12 talented QBs, our path to glory?
<tr><td>QB2<td>4<td>Harry<td>Osborne<td>30<td>8th<td>20<td>scrambling team leader
<tr><td>QB3<td>8<td>Kerry<td>Lewis<td>35<td>14th<td>30<td>holder, and nothing bu a holder
<tr><td>RB1<td>29<td>Donald<td>Terry<td>29<td>6th<td>25<td>fastest breakaway seed in IHOF
<tr><td>RB2<td>24<td>Harold<td>Riley<td>22<td>Rookie!<td>35/40<td>1st round pick, speedy and elusive
<tr><td>RB3<td>21<td>Scott<td>Fulcher<td>22<td>3rd<td>30<td>like Terry and Riley
<tr><td>FB1<td>22<td>Greg<td>Brass<td>25<td>4th<td>55<td>run blocker, 3rd down back
<tr><td>FB2<td>25<td>Terrell<td>Wilkerson<td>27<td>5th<td>25<td>decent run blocker
<tr><td>TE1<td>12<td>Mike<td>Bernstein<td>31<td>6th<td>35<td>decent run blocker, big-play guy
<tr><td>TE2<td>16<td>Cary<td>Harriman<td>25<td>4th<td>30<td>ok blocker, sure hands
<tr><td>TE3<td>10<td>Irving<td>Clark<td>24<td>Rookie!<td>30/40<td>1st round pick, ok receiving prospect
<tr><td>WR1<td>89<td>Terry<td>Haskell<td>29<td>7th<td>70<td>top10 WR, complete receiver
<tr><td>WR2<td>18<td>J.T.<td>Pritt<td>33<td>3rd<td>60<td>top25 WR, big-play guy
<tr><td>WR3<td>88<td>Vincent<td>Cox<td>34<td>4th<td>45<td>balanced receiver
<tr><td>WR4<td>85<td>Charles<td>Pomeranz<td>29<td>7th<td>45<td>all around decent
<tr><td>WR5,PR<td>83<td>Adam<td>Brautlacht<td>31<td>9th<td>35<td>downfield receiver, punt returner
<tr><td>KR,PR,wr<td>87<td>Jack<td>Money<td>29<td>6th<td>30<td>return specialist
<tr><td>ST,wr<td>84<td>Casey<td>Brown<td>31<td>9th<td>30<td>special teamer
<tr><td>LT,g<td>73<td>Blaine<td>Sulfstedt<td>35<td>2nd<td>65<td>our best all-around lineman
<tr><td>LG<td>70<td>Lamont<td>Wihtfield<td>24<td>4th<td>50<td>home grown, no real weakness
<tr><td>C1<td>75<td>B.J.<td>Samuels<td>30<td>8th<td>60<td>good run blocker, no weakness
<tr><td>RG,c<td>77<td>Arnie<td>Croft<td>31<td>10th<td>45<td>lost some strength, still good
<tr><td>RT<td>79<td>D.J.<td>Dunn<td>32<td>4th<td>40<td>pass blocker
<tr><td>OL6,lt<td>67<td>Clifton<td>Freidkin<td>28<td>2nd<td>30/35<td>pass protector, low stamina LT
<tr><td>OL7,t<td>68<td>Dwayne<td>Robinson<td>34<td>1st<td>45<td>pass blocker, better but newer
<tr><td>OL8,g<td>71<td>Vinny<td>O'Neill<td>25<td>3rd<td>40<td>okay lineman, best on running plays
<tr><td>P<td>13<td>Edward<td>Rice<td>33<td>12th<td>55<td>best coffin-corner punter
<tr><td>PAT,FG,k<td>17<td>Charles<td>Anthony<td>41<td>17th<td>35<td>still accurate at age 41!
<tr><td>KO,k<td>15<td>Lenny<td>Russell<td>25<td>4th<td>20<td>kickoff specialist
<tr><td>LDE<td>91<td>Eugene<td>Johnstone<td>26<td>6th<td>50<td>complete lineman, no weakness
<tr><td>LDT<td>95<td>Brian<td>Lincoln<td>24<td>3rd<td>45<td>top-notch pass rusher
<tr><td>RDT<td>96<td>Dwight<td>Hutton<td>28<td>8th<td>40<td>run defense anchorman
<tr><td>RDE<td>99<td>Harold<td>Matheson<td>30<td>6th<td>30<td>still decent pass rusher
<tr><td>DT3<td>56<td>Dennis<td>Lucas<td>27<td>2nd<td>50<td>elite pass rusher
<tr><td>DE3<td>90<td>Quentin<td>Toohil<td>35<td>2nd<td>40<td>quality pass rusher
<tr><td>DE4<td>93<td>Carlton<td>Chu<td>29<td>1st<td>40<td>quality pass rusher
<tr><td>DL8<td>97<td>Roger<td>Finch<td>33<td>10th<td>15<td>old, but still pretty fast!
<tr><td>SLB<td>54<td>Daniel<td>Duncan<td>25<td>3rd<td>75<td>complete linebacker
<tr><td>MLB<td>55<td>Wesley<td>Devine<td>29<td>7th<td>80<td>elite linebacker
<tr><td>WLB<td>58<td>Lester<td>Gilman<td>26<td>2nd<td>55<td>quality linebacker, no weakness
<tr><td>LB4<td>53<td>C.J.<td>Boo<td>29<td>9th<td>40<td>pass defense specialist
<tr><td>LB5<td>57<td>Alton<td>Bradley<td>31<td>4th<td>35<td>passing downs specialist
<tr><td>LB6<td>51<td>Fred<td>McCorkle<td>33<td>12th<td>20<td>over the hill, good on special teams
<tr><td>CB1<td>36<td>Mark<td>Crum<td>26<td>3rd<td>65<td>top15 corner
<tr><td>SS<td>32<td>Bernie<td>Gordon<td>29<td>7th<td>40<td>zone defender, decent against run
<tr><td>FS<td>49<td>Thurman<td>Hopper<td>35<td>12th<td>35<td>zone defender, forces turnovers
<tr><td>CB2<td>30<td>Marc<td>Pomato<td>25<td>2nd<td>50<td>top25 corner, stamina weakness
<tr><td>CB3<td>33<td>Zach<td>Pisano<td>30<td>5th<td>40<td>good corner, low man-to-man speed
<tr><td>S3<td>42<td>Perry<td>Walker<td>36<td>13th<td>40<td>good enough for active backup role
<tr><td>KR,s<td>41<td>Scottie<td>Dawson<td>24<td>1st<td>30<td>kickoff return specialist
<tr><td>S4<td>45<td>Karl<td>Pritchett<td>28<td>5th<td>40<td>all round decent defender
<tr><td>CB4<td>39<td>Corbin<td>Newhart<td>23<td>Rookie!<td>20/25<td>special teamer, zone prospect</table>

[MIJB#19]

2042 Week 1

Merchantmen lose Coleman, win game
The Maassluis Merchantmen kicked the 2042 season off with a routine 27-6 victory over the Bordeaux Vineyards. Quarterback Perry Coleman left the game with a broken foot in the first quarter, but Harry Osborne stepped in and guided the team to victory. Tight end Mike Bernstein scored two first half touchdowns to anchor the win.

The first quarter started with the Merchantmen being stopped early. The Vineyards appeared to take the lead first, but Byron Greenburg's 43-yard field goal was blocked by Dwight Hutton, keeping the scoreboard empty. On the next play, Perry Coleman got stuck between two other players after a dump pass and was carried off the field with what turned out to be a broken foot. Harry Osborne stepped in and steered his team to a 7-0 lead, finding Cary Harriman in the end zone. The quarter continued with Alton Bradley intercepting Bordeaux' Geoff Cobb, only to have Harry Osborne fumble after a sack inside the Vineyards red zone.

In the second quarter it was the Merchantmen dominating the field position. The Vineyards were pinned back deeper and deeper, miraculously escaping from a safety a couple of times. But half way in, Harry Osborne connected with a wide open Mike Bernstein for a 42-yard touchdown pass and the 14-0 lead. Following a three-and-out, the Merchantmen offense displayed a time consuming drive, completing it with another Osborne to Bernstein combo, on a short pass to take a 21-0 lead at half time.

The second half it was Bordeaux looking stronger early on. They reached the red zone, but as the Vineyards got stopped on third down, they saw their field goal position wasted after a face mask penalty pushed them to a 50-yard attempt. The remainder of the third quarter was a defensive battle, with Maassluis slowly gaining ground through special teams play, leaning heavily on Donald Terry's leg to get into the Bordeaux red zone.

Charles Anthony converted a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, extending the Merchantmen lead to 24-0. The Vnieyards finally got a break as they blocked an Edward Rice punt from around midfield and needing only 30 yards to reach the end zone. Ronnie Parrish made it happen on their third play with a short run into the end zone. The two-point conversion failed, keeping it a three-score game at 24-6. The Merchantmen replied with an impressvie 7 minute, 34 seconds drive, to leave a minute and a half on the clock, with Bordeaux without timeouts and trailing 27-6 after Charles Anthony's second field goal. By the hands of backup quarterback Bo Hansen, the Vineyards got up field, but came time short to score again, making the final score 27-6 in Merchantmen advantage.

Merchantmen offense
Passing: Osborne 17/20, 117 yd, 3 td
Rushing: Terry 116 yd
Receiving: Haskell 73 yd; Bernstein 2 td, Harriman 1 td

Merchantmen defense
Interceptions: Bradley 1
Fumble recoveries: none
Sacks: Lucas 1

[MIJB#19]

2042 Week 2

Dragons expose Merchantmen
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back on earth. In a lackluster display of football, the Merchantmen lost 41-16 at the Hanalei Dragons. Two first half interceptions returned for a touchdown and a red zone lost fumble from Harry Osborne put the Dragons in an early 17-3 lead and never looked back. Osborne struggled all day long, completing just 14 of 29 passes, 3 interceptions and 4 sacks. He completed only 2 passes to Terry Haskell and none to last week's scoring tight ends Mike Bernstein and Cary Harriman. The Merchantmen defense did their share of the bargain, holding the Dragons to 220 total yards, equaling the Merchantmen production for the day.

Merchantmen offense
Passing: Osborne 14/29 131 yd, 3 int
Rushing: Brass 50 yd; Osborne 1 td
Receiving: Pritt 84 yd

Merchantmen defense
Interceptions: Devine 1
Fumble recoveries: none
Sacks: Devine 1

[MIJB#19]

2042 News

Kerry Lewis getting snaps with Merchantmen
Following the disastrous thwarting at the Hanalei Dragons, the Merchantmen staff is working out Kerry Lewis in the first team offense for the week 3 game at the Fort Wayne Fury. Harry Osborne showed his famed heroics in a week one victory over the Bordeaux Vineyards, but at Hanalei set up his own team to defeat with 3 early turnovers that accounted for 17 points. Lewis has one career start, a week 17 win over the Bordeaux Vineyards in 2037 when a playoffs bye week was already secured. Combined with one more game active in relief, Lewis has completed 28 of 60 passes for 317 yards, 1 touchdown and no interceptions.

Perry Coleman is still out with a broken foot and is expected not to return for another couple of weeks. "A tough situation," said Merchantmen head coach Graham Hines, "we'll make the best of it. We've got a talented team, with two quarterbacks that know this franchise in and out. Osborne and Lewis can step in and step it up."

In the mean time, the Merchantmen have signed sixth year veteran Jerald Jefferson as their new third string quarterback. Jefferson had stints with the Moontown Darksiders and Frederick Red Menace, primarily as the emergency quarterback and kick holder. Last season he threw his first IHOF passes, playing in relief in three games for the Red Menace. Jefferson was already active in the road game at the Hanalei Dragons. Rookie quarterbacks Marco McKinnis (Oregon) and Ronald Frederick (Colorado) worked out for the emergency quarterback roster spot, but they lost the battle to Jefferson.

[MIJB#19]

2042 News

Giants lead AOC Europe Division
The Gothenburg Giants have taken the sole lead in the AOC Europe division. The Giants posted a 30-7 victory at the Oakland Black Panthers, leaning heavily on interceptions of Oakland quarterback Nathan Thompson. They followed up their impressive 24-3 win over the Paris Musketeers, the reigning European champions. The disillusioned Maassluis Merchantmen dropped to second place, following their 41-16 loss at the Hanalei Dragons. The Paris Musketeers improved to 1-1 with a 20-13 defeat of the Colorado Cutthroats. The Bordeaux Vineyards extended their regular season losing streak to 15 games, dating back from week 4 of the 2041 season, hitting rock bottom with a 23-0 shutout loss at home against IHOF's worst team from last season, the Fairbanks Northstars.

<table border=1><tr><td>rk<td>aoc<td>team<td>W-L<td>tie-breakers
<tr><td>1.<td>1.<td>Gothenburg<td>2-0<td>
<tr><td>2.<td>t-7.<td>Maassluis<td>1-1<td>1-0 in division
<tr><td>3.<td>t-9.<td>Paris<td>1-1<td>0-1 in division
<tr><td>4.<td>t-15.<td>Bordeaux<td>0-2<td></table>

[MIJB#19]

2042 in review

Week 3
The Merchantmen travelled to the Fort Wayne Fury and played an incredibly close game. Helped by three interceptions and a 90-yard Harry Osborne to Terry Haskell connection, the Merchantmen built a 27-24 lead going into the final two minutes. The Fury drove for the tying field goal to force overtime. In the overtime, the Fury got the ball first and drove 64 yards for a 33-yard field goal, which Xavier Bishop surprisingly missed. The Merchantmen didn't take advantage, as Harry Osborne got sacked twice on the ensuing drive, losing the ball on that second sack, turning the ball over again. A holding penalty pushed the Fury back, yet Xavier Bishop attempted a 52-yard field goal and succeeded for the Merchantmen's 30-27 loss in OT.

Week 5
Still missing Perry Coleman, the Merchantmen put Harry Osborne out there at the North Plainfield Plague. It wasn't much of a success, as Osborne lost a fumble and threw two interceptions, twice resulting directly into a touchdown. Late in the fourth quarter, the Merchantmen finally scored their only offensive touchdown of the night, unable to make the 38-24 loss look any better.

Week 6
With Perry Coleman back under center, the Merchantmen regrouped, as Coleman guided his team to a 31-6 victory over the Rochester Razorbacks. Harold Riley scored two touchdowns on the offense, while the Merchantmen defense had no influence on the points allowed, as the Razorbacks scored on an interception return.

Week 7
Hosting the Toronto Lake Monsters, the Merchantmen hoped to build on the previous win. With the score tied 10-10 just before half time, Perry Coleman got hurt again, dampening expectations in this futility bowl matchup. In the fourth quarter, the Lake Monsters took a 17-10 lead, while the Merchantmen struggled to push back and settled for a field goal. With five minutes left to play, the Merchantmen forced a fumble in their territory and replied with a strong drive. Inside the two-minute warning, the Merchantmen tried to run it fro 4 yards out, but Harry Osborne himself came inches short. From the 1-yard line, the Merchantmen failed to score, turning things over. The Merchantmen defense then forced three and out. With 4 seconds left from the Toronto 32-yard line, Harry Osborne managed to connect with tight end Irving Clark in the end zone for the game ending touchdown, giving the Merchantmen a 20-17 victory.

Week 8
Hosting the Paris Musketeers, the Merchantmen had a crucial game in the race to the European division. Riding high on their defense, the Merchantmen had every opportunity to make something of this game. Harry Osborne, however, didn't have his best of performances, getting picked off 4 times. In the final 43 seconds of the game, the Merchantmen got a chance to tie again after a missed Musketeers field goal attempt. Harry Osborne found J.T. Pritt for a decent gain, but still 19 yards away from the end zone, resulting in a 20-13 loss for the Merchantmen.

Week 9
Leaning heavily on the running game and defense, the Merchantmen regrouped from their divisional loss. At the Harlem Apollos a 20-7 victory was the result. Harlem's quarterback Darnell VanValkenberg completed only 12 passes on 42 passing plays.

Week 10
With Perry Coleman back again, the Merchantmen went into the Bordeaux Vineyards house with confidence. Completing 29 of 38 passes for 248 yards, Coleman lead his offense as usual, and towards a well earned 20-7 victory.

Week 11
Going to the Gothenburg Giants with a 5-4 record, the Merchantmen felt that a victory was required to stay alive for the division title and possibly even for the playoffs at all. Despite getting the ball first, the Merchantmen failed to score first as Perry Shifflett returned an interception 76 yards for a Gothenburg touchdown. But Perry Coleman wasn't impressed and replied by guiding his team 76 yards into the right direction, finishing off with a touchdown pass to Vincent Cox. Things went back and forth from there on, and the Giants held a 21-14 lead going into half time. Just like in the first half, it took the Giants' Perry Shifflett few plays to get on the scoreboard, scoring a 50-yard interception return touchdown for the hometeam. Harold Riley ran for a touchdown in the third quarter and scored the game tying touchdown in a last chance drive with 26 seconds remaining. In overtime, the Merchantmen quickly forced the Giants to punt. Coleman steered his team downfield, but Charles Anthony missed the game winning 37-yard field goal attempt. Almost 10 minutes into overtime, the Merchantmen capitalized on a long third down pass and failed to avoid the 31-28 loss in OT.

Week 12
Despite a bit of an off day for the offense, the Merchantmen rebounded with a 17-10 victory over the Oakland Black Panthers and their unimpressive one man offense.

Week 13
Although expecting a big test, the Merchantmen steamrolled over the Augusta Greenjackets to a 31-0 victory. Harold Riley ran for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns, most of it coming on a 69-yard score in ther fourth quarter. The defense accounted for two touchdowns with a fumble recovery for Quentin Toohil and an 82-yard interception return from Thurman Hopper.

Week 14
Against the Fairbanks Northstars, the Merchantmen continued their winning streak with a 20-14 victory. Despite a somewhat struggling offense, the defense and especially the special teams unit gave the Merchantmen a 21-yard advantage on every drive, despite losing the turnover battle.

Week 15
A crucial divisional game arrived, as the Merchantmen travelled to the Paris Musketeers in week 15. Following the unnecessary home loss earlier on, the Merchantmen were determined to set a thing or two right. And they really showed it in Paris. The defense was all over Rosey Hansen, sacking him 7 times and making 3 interceptions. The 23-3 victory was a well deserved result of a game dominated by the Merchantmen. The divisional standings after week 15:
1. Gothenburg 9-5 (3-0 head-to-head)
2. Maassluis 9-5 (1-2 head-to-head)
3. Paris 9-5 (1-3 head-to-head)
4. Bordeaux 4-10

Week 16
Keeping momentum, the Merchantmen travelled to the Colorado Cutthroats, knowing back to back victories would still result in a European division title. Harold Riley had a memorable game, rushing for 175 yards and a score. Terry Haskell added 142 yards receiving and a score in a strong showing of the Merchantmen offense. This time around, they actually needed the offensive performance to complete the 36-24 victory. Elsewhere, both Gothenburg and Paris lost, making the week 17 showdown between the 10-5 Merchantmen and the 9-6 Giants a European division final. Paris' only hope to make the playoffs was a Merchantmen victory.

Week 17
In a sold out Oranje Haven, in a rainy setting, the Merchantmen were to host the Gothenburg Giants in a winner takes the division clash. The Giants got the ball first, but arrived inside the Merchantmen red zone, they turned it over as Mark Crum intercepted R.J. Ginsburg. After series of punts, it were the Giants after all to open the score, as Cole Meier ran on five straight plays, eventually landing in the end zone.

In the second quarter, the Giants had to start at their own 2-yard line, but were not easily stopped. R.J. Ginsburg was finding receivers left and right, ending a 98-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Landon Reid for a 14-0 lead. Back to back lost fumbles and a Merchantmen punt put the Giants deep inside their own red zone, leading to running back Joshua Addai getting tackled inside his own end zone. The remainder of this quarter, the Giants held ground and maintained their 12-point lead.

In the third quarter, it looked like the Giants were going to lock the game up. Connecting on and off with Jesse Hartman, R.J. Ginsberg drove his team down field, until linebacker Lester Gilman came in between the tandem and ran the ball back for 84 yards and trimming the deficit to 5 points. The defense took over from there on and neither side managed anymore points in that quarter.

The deadlock was broken again in the fourth quarter, as Ginsberg resumed his stellar passing performance, finding a wide open fullback Eugene Fletcher for a 32-yard touchdown pass. The Merchantmen replied with a 29-yard field goal, but trailing by 9 points, they arrived at the two-minute warning. Perry Coleman connected with Terry Haskell for 30 yards to reach the Giants' red zone, setting up a 23-yard field goal and one final chance to come back from behind. The following onside kick return went to Maassluis, but with the clock running out, the 20-15 loss became final.

Regular Season standings
<table border=1><tr><td>1.<td>Gothenburg Giants<td>10-6
<tr><td>2.<td>Maassluis Merchantmen<td>10-6
<tr><td>3.<td>Paris Musketeers<td>10-6
<tr><td>4.<td>Bordeaux Vineyards<td>4-12</table>

With how the scores went elsewhere across the Atlantic Ocean Conference, the Giants ended up with the 3rd seed, far behind the Tucker Tigers (13-3) and San Antonio Tidal Force (12-4), but ahead of the Toronto Lake Monsters (9-6-1). The Orlando Talons (10-6) ended up with the top wild card, ahead of Maassluis (10-6). Paris finished the season in seventh place, outside the playoffs. This also set up a rematch of Gothenburg-Maassluis, to be played in Gothenburg.

Wild card round
Visiting the Gothenburg Giants, the Merchantmen knew this could be a tough game to win. After all, the Giants swept the regular season series, with a lucky victory at home, but also a convincing victory in Maassluis.

Helped by Jack Money's 43-yard kickoff return, the Merchantmen managed to score on the opening drive, settling for a 30-yard field goal. On the Giants first drive, Perry Walker intercepted R.J. Ginsberg's first pass attempt of the game, setting up another short field goal for a 6-0 lead. Despite that the Giants regrouped, a couple of penalties stalled their drive and forced them to punt from inside Merchantmen territory. The Merchantmen would respond with a couple of short gains, leading 6-0 at the end of the quarter, with the ball in possession at midfield.

On the continuing drive, the Merchantmen decided to go for it on fourth and one at the Gothenburg 31-yard line, but Harold Riley got tackled for no gain, forcing turnover. But after a quick three and out, the Merchantmen got the ball back and on the following drive they finally improved their lead. Anchored by a 31-yard Coleman to J.T. Pritt pass, the Merchantmen offense marched into the Giants red zone and eventually saw Riley pound it in from a yard away for a 13-0 lead. Drama continued from there on as the Giants drove downfield, only to see a 17-yard touchdown called back for holding and two plays later missing a 44-yard field goal attempt. The Merchantmen looked to lock it up before half time, driving all the way to the Giants red zone, only to see Perry Coleman intercepted by Perry Shifflett and to see the cornerback run the ball back 97 yards for a Giants touchdown. Although still leading 13-7, the Merchantmen went into the break much less confident about their chances.

The second half started with a defensive battle. Neither team managed to make any big plays, until the Giants' R.J. Ginsberg found Jesse Hartman for 28 yards and setting up a 30-yard field goal. They marked the only two high lights of the entire third quarter.

The fourth quarter, the Giants were still trailing, but had visibly taken control of the game. On the first drive of this quarter, Ginsberg connected with Robbie Downs for a 49-yard gain. Three plays later, Cole Meier surprised the Merchantmen defense, running for a 11-yard touchdown and a 17-13 Giants lead, their first of the game. The Merchantmen continued to struggle, while the Giants looked rejuvenated and increased their lead to 7 points as Al Malone converted a 46-yard field goal with less than 3 minutes remaining. After a couple of three and outs, the Merchantmen got the ball back with 1 minute to go an no time outs remaining. Coleman quickly found Terry Haskell for 9 yards, but the next attempt to gain ground resulted in Coleman getting stuffed and on the fourth down, Coleman's pass attempt was blocked. Season over for the Merchantmen, a 20-13 loss.


Representing the European division well, the Giants continued with a surprise 13-10 overtime win at the San Antonio Tidal Force. The Tidal Force missed a last second 38-yard field goal in regulation, then saw their first overtime drive end in an interception and finally the Giants scored on a 34-yard field goal.

In the Atlantic Ocean Conference game, Jackie Collier and the Tucker Tigers proved to be one game too many for the Giants. Despite scoring first and having the more productive offense, the Giants lost 30-13 in Tucker, coming one win short of going to IHOF Bowl XXXIX.

In IHOF Bowl XXXIX, the heavily favored Jackie Collier Tucker Tigers won the turnover battle 4-2, but struggled on offense. In a memorable game, the Capital City Blues pulled off their finest hour to win 30-17 and the first league championship since their franchise renaming.

[MIJB#19]

2043 off season

Retirements
In the annual retirement wave, the Merchantmen said goodbye to kicker Charles Anthony after 17 seasons of service, in which he scored a franchise high 2013 points in the regular seasons and played in a franchise high 265 regular season and 19 playoffs games. Anthony played in three conference championship games for the Merchantmen, including the 2039 season victory en route to IHOF Bowl XXXVI. Anthony initially was a Mr. irrelevant 2026, but got released by the Colorado Cutthroats in pre-season of his rookie season. The Merchantmen then signed him in week 9 of the 2026 season, keeping him around until his retirement.

Linebacker Fred McCorkle was the second player with a long standing reputation in Maassluis. McCorkle was a highly rated rookie and was taken 14th overall in the first round of the 2031 draft. McCorkle was a day one starter, although missing a good bit of his regular season with an ankle injury. McCorkle continued to be a starter for 10 seasons, dropping to a depth role in his penultimate season and finally seeing action in only 3 games in his final season.

The Merchantmen also lost starting defensive end Quentin Toohil and starting guard Blaine Sulfsted. Both were veteran free agent signings in the 2041 off-season and retired after just two seasons with the Merchantmen. They are joined by Dwayne Robinson, who was signed last season as a free agent, but failed to become a starter. All three retired after 12 seasons in IHOF.


Free Agency
Unusual for the Merchantmen, the off-season saw a couple of key players run off in free agency. Tight against the cap last season, contracts of guard Lamont Whitfield and wide receiver Vincent Cox were not extended, making both available on the open market. Whitfield had just emerged as a starter in 2042, which combined with Sulfsted's retirement leaves the Merchantmen with just Vinny O'Neill at the guard position. Cox hasn't been a starter, but was active in all games last season and was expected to become a starter opposite Terry Haskell in the upcoming season(s).

In return, the Merchantmen signed four veterans before the draft. Mark Grevan signed to become the new right tackle, meaning Vinny O'Neill would be able to move back to right guard again. Guard Artie Cortez was signed to become the new left guard. Defensive tackle Patrick Doyle was signed to improve the run defense and also be a decent pass rush option. Mack Heatherly was signed as the new kicker.


Draft
As a result of the 2042 draft day trades to be able to select tight end Irving Clark and running back Harold Riley in the first round, the Merchantmen were without picks in the first three rounds, but had one extra fifth round pick. The taken players:
<table border=1><tr><td>4th round<td>G Sean Schwimmer
<tr><td>5th round<td>G D.J. Sampson
<tr><td>5th round<td>DE Mark Cosell
<tr><td>6th round<td>QB Conrad Van Pelt
<tr><td>7th round<td>K Rich Maurice</table>
Schwimmer and Sampson were need picks, with the departure of Sulfsted and Whitfield. Both looked like potential starters, with Schwimmer the more experienced one of the two. Cosell was a typical pass rusher pick, likely to make the team as a future project. Van Pelt was an obvious project pick, unlikely to take the job away from any of the three returning veterans (Perry Coleman, Harry Osborne and Kerry Lewis). Maurice was picked for his kickoff ability, but would have to prove to be better than Lenny Russell, the veteran kickoff kicker.

Post-draft free agency
The Merchantmen signed six free agents after the draft: quarterback Malik Weaver, defensive linemen Tim Howe and Bucky Snyder, linebacker Neil Ralph and cornerbacks Jack Pryor and Marty Styles.

Trades
There were no off-season trades. Would this mark the first season in IHOF history without a trade of the Maassluis Merchantmen?

[MIJB#19]

2043 training camp / pre-season roster evaluation

During the pre-season, we acquired wide receiver Scott Dupuis from the Texas Sharks for a third round pick in the 2044 draft. Dupuis' stand out ability is kickoff returning, which is the main reason why he was acquired.

We'll run down the 2043 roster below.

Quarterbacks
starter: Perry Coleman (60)
backups: Harry Osborne (20), Kerry Lewis (25), Malik Weaver (15/25)
released: Conrad Van Pelt, Marco McKinnis
Last season showed how fragile Coleman is, which meant we brought along six quarterbacks in camp and decided to go into the regular season with four of them making the team. Coleman is the clear starter for another season. Osborne can be hot and cold, he'll get another season with us. Lewis is our kick holder and emergency quarterback. Weaver beat Van Pelt and McKinnis for our future project roster spot.

Running Backs
starters: Harold Riley (40), FB Greg Brass (55)
backups: Donald Terry (20), FB Terrell Wilkerson (15), Scott Fulcher (25)
Riley had a fine rookie campaign, rushing for 1,186 yards and 9 touchdowns. He's proven to be a starting caliber back. Breakaway speed monster Terry remains as our change of pace back. Brass remains to be our blocking fullback and also our third down back. Wilkerson isn't as good as he used to be, expect us to use our tight ends more often and favor us to use them in the blocking roles when we expect Brass to carry the ball. Fulcher has became a special teams backup.

Tight Ends
starter: Mike Bernstein (30)
backups: Irving Clark (40), Cary Harriman (30)
As we're getting thinner at the fullback position, we'll likely increase our playing of tight end heavy formations. Small sized Clark can't block, but is a valid receiving option. Bernstein and Harriman can catch the ball, if needed, but also have the ability to use their body frame to block.

Wide Receivers
starters: Terry Haskell (70), J.T. Pritt (55)
backups: Charles Pomeranz (45), Scott Dupuis (40), Adam Brautlacht (35), Jack Money (25)
released: Casey Brown
Haskell is our star wide receiver. He's returning from a career high 111 receptions for 1,447 yards. We're obviously counting on him to carry the team again. Pritt is a quality player, although coming of an off season (734 yards, 1 touchdown). Pomeranz and Dupuis will be our options as WR3 and WR4, as Brautlacht is becoming more of a pure return specialist (0 catches in 14 games last season). Money already was a pure return specialist. Brown got released. He used to be our gunner, but we have decent other options and were no longer willing to reserve a roster spot for him.

Offensive Line
starters: LT Clifton Freidkin (35), C Arnie Croft (45), C B.J. Samuels (60), G Vinny O'Neill (40), T Mark Grevan (50)
backups: G Artie Cortez (35), T D.J. Dunn (35), G D.J. Sampson (15/35), G Sean Schwimmer (25/50)
Last season we let Croft ride the bench, but later on in the season it became clear that he's still one of the best five linemen on the team. With Samuels as the undisputable center, Croft will play at guard. With Grevan added to the team, O'Neill moves back to guard, putting Cortez in the bench. Cortez didn't impress us, but could come into action at some point after all. Freidkin is still our best pass protection option for the left side. Dunn is the alternate. We're putting the technical Sampson ahead of the stronger Schwimmer, but both will see little action in their rookie seasons.

Defensive Line
starters: DE Eugene Johnstone (50), DT Brian Lincoln (45), DT Dwight Hutton (40), DE Carlton Chu (35)
backups: DT Dennis Lucas (45), DT Patrick Doyle (45), DE Mark Cosell (20/30), DE Harold Matheson (30)
released: DE Tim Howe, DT Bucky Snyder
The starting lineup isn't as clear cut as listed above. Johnstone and Lincoln are the all around complete players. Hutton will preferably see more action on running downs, which also applies to Doyle. Chu and Lucas are passing downs players, probably our two best pass rushers at the moment. Matheson is past his prime, but remains to be decent enough to come in when injuries occur. Cosell impressed in camp, but is stuck behind a strong group of players and will start the season in an inactive role. Neither Howe or Snyder was able to beat Cosell or Matheson for the final roster spot.
Veteran defensive tackle Roger Finch was released during the 2042 regular season to make room for injury replacements. He was cut in his 10th season with us.

Linebackers
starters: SLB Daniel Duncan (75), MLB Wesley Devine (75), WLB Lester Gilman (45)
backups: OLB Neil Ralph (30), MLB C.J. Boo (30), OLB Alton Bradley (30)
Unwilling to go through the motions of signing and releasing players, we decided to go into the 2043 season with six linebackers. There's not much to tell here though, as Duncan and Devine are arguably the best linebackers duo in IHOF, possibly even the best in the history of the league. Gilman is a decent all around linebacker. Ralph is primarily our gunner, but will also serve as a backup to Gilman and the two stars. Pass defender Boo and pass rusher Bradley are both declining a bit, but they're still good enough to jump in if injuries arise.

Secondary
starters: CB Mark Crum (65), SS Bernie Gordon (40), FS Thurman Hopper (35), CB Marc Pomato (50)
backups: CB Zach Pisano (30), S Perry Walker (30), S Karl Pritchett (40), CB Scottie Dawson (15/25)
released: CB Jake Pryor, CB Marty Styles
They may seem to be just average, but this unit is pretty good, if you'd ask me! Crum and Pomato are a capable shutdown corner duo. Gordon and Hopper are our zone defending safeties. Walker was still a starter last season, but Gordon has improved enough, while Walker declined a bit, to make the switch. Pritchett is more of a running downs player than the rest of the bunch. Dawson is a decent kickoff returner, but his role will be limited this season.
During the 2042 season, we released cornerback Corbin Newhart. He was low on our depth chart and we needed to make space on the roster for injury replacements.

Special Teams
punter: P Edward Rice (50)
field goals kicker: K Mack Heatherly (55)
kickoff kicker: K Lenny Russell (20/25)
kick holder: QB Kerry Lewis (100)
long snapper: LS Troy Lowe (90)
kick returners: Jack Money (85), Scott Dupuis (100)
punt returners: Jack Money (70), Adam Brautlacht (80)
released: K Rich Maurice
Maurice wasn't better than Russell, which means he had to leave after just one training camp. Heatherly showed up a bit out of shape compared to the reputation he had, he might be just a one-year solution. Lewis and Lowe are the supporting act for the kicker. Rice is slowly declining, but still good enough to stick with him. Money will be our top return specialist, despite that his technique is scouted lower. Money has proven he can get the job done, while Brautlacht is slightly worse. Dupuis could be the best in the game, but he'll need some time to get used to the rest of the unit. We've got a good number of players able to play on special teams. The release of Casey Brown has been a result of the signing of Neil Ralph, possibly the best gunner in football.

Overall, we have to feel confident that this team is on par with the 2042 team.

[MIJB#19]

2043 Season

Week 1
The Merchantmen 2043 regular season kicked off at home against the Paris Musketeers. Perry Coleman connected with J.T. Pritt for the only Merchantmen touchdown in a 16-14 victory. Coleman threw for 284 yards, without any 100-yard receivers. Kicker Mack Heatherly was perfect on his three field goal attempts.

Week 2
Despite a strong defensive performance, the Kansas Creationists proved to be a stingy team to beat on the road. Perry Coleman completed two first half touchdown passes to Terry Haskell and one in the fourth quarter to J.T. Pritt. But it proved insufficient, as the Merchantmen lost 27-21 in Kansas. Coleman threw for 242 yards.

Week 3
Back home, the Merchantmen had no trouble with the Orlando Talons as they won 24-6 in a one-sided game. Perry Coleman threw to J.T. Pritt for a 59-yard touchdown, Greg Brass ran for a 62-yard touchdown and Harold Riley scored a late game victory clincher. Brass ran for 103 yards, while Coleman threw for 276 yards. The Merchantmen defense sacked the Orlando quarterbacks 7 times.

Week 4
What was said to be a shootout with the San Antonio Tidal Force[b], turned out to be a lopsided game. The Merchantmen took an early 21-0 lead, with Perry Coleman finding J.T. Pritt and Terry Haskell (twice) for touchdowns. Greg Brass added a ground game touchdown, while Irving Clark scored a late game fumble return to finalize the [b]41-10 victory. Coleman threw for 306 yards, while Haskell accounted for 124 of those yards. Harold Riley ran for 103 yards without a score.

Week 6
Following a bye week, the Merchantmen kept on rolling. The Atlanta Vipers struggled offensively, but held the Merchantmen to five field goals in the first three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Merchantmen ran up the score, as Perry Coleman connected with Irving Clark and Terry Haskell en route to a 29-0 shutout victory. Coleman threw for 289 yards to eight different players, seven of them with multiple receptions.

Week 7
The trip to the Fort Wayne Fury turned out to be a low scoring affair. Despite a pretty stellar offensive showing, the Merchantmen scored only two field goals in the first three quarters, while the Fury leaned heavily on a blocked punt touchdown. Down by four points, the Merchantmen drove for a comeback from behind touchdown but came no closer than the Fury 35-yard line, giving up a 10-6 deficit. Harold Riley ran for 117 yards, while Perry Coleman passed for 234 yards.

Week 8
After the week 1 showdown, the Paris Musketeers had gone on to win their next five games, setting up a big clash for the European division lead. The Merchantmen were entering the game just one game behind, tied with the Gothenburg Giants. It turned out to be a wild football game, as the Merchantmen ended up winning 41-35. The Musketeers missed two field goals, but needed a last minute touchdown to come within 6 points. Greg Brass and Harold Riley ran for scores, while Perry Coleman threw for touchdown passes to Terry Haskell (twice) and Mike Bernstein. Harold Riley ran for 145 yards, while Terry Haskell received 122 yards of Perry Coleman's 345 yards passing. This result and Gothenburg's victory over San Antonio put the three European rivals tied at 5-2 each.

Week 9
In the final game of the series against the AOC Deep South, the Merchantmen visited the Houston Mustangs. Despite a half time deficit, the Merchantmen bounced back for a 20-17 victory. Perry Coleman found Terry Haskell for a touchdown in the third quarter, while Harold Riley scored the game winner on a 7-yard rush. Coleman threw for 280 yards, with 147 yards toward J.T. Pritt. Harold Riley ran for 110 yards. The Merchantmen pass rush once again received a lot of praise, sacking Cary Joyner 4 times and breaking up 7 more attempts on 35 passing plays.

At the half way point, the European division was tight, with three teams tied:
1. Maassluis 6-2 (2-0 vs Paris and Gothenburg)
2. Paris 6-2 (0-2 vs Maassluis, 1-0 vs Gothenburg)
3. Gothenburg 6-2 (0-1 vs Paris)
4. Bordeaux 1-7


Week 10
The Merchantmen machine was running on and the home game against the Bordeaux Vineyards was no exception. Perry Coleman threw touchdown passes to J.T. Pritt, Adam Brautlacht and Irving Clark, while Marc Pomato scored on an interception return. Final score was a 28-6 victory. Harold Riley ran for 172 yards, while Charles Pomeranz amassed 103 yards receiving. Elsehwere, both Paris and Gothenburg won, improving all three teams at 7-2.

Week 11
Visiting the Gothenburg Giants the Merchantmen for the first time were outmatched. In the previous losses, the Merchantmen had actually played a better game of football, but in Gothenburg that wasn't the case. Despite that Gothenburg's touchdowns were both defensively, they scored two touchdowns on four turnovers, on offense they were more productive as well. The Merchantmen had possession of the ball just under 23 minutes in this 26-14 loss. Harold Riley scored a rushing touchdown, while Perry Coleman connected with Charles Pomeranz for a passing touchdown. With Paris winning against Houston, Maassluis dropped to third place, despite a 7-3 record.

Week 12
Hosting the Chicago Norsemen the Merchantmen hoped to bounce back into the winning ways. In an even match, the Norsemen struggled in the red zone and settled for four field goals, excluding two missed three-pointers. Mean whilst, Perry Coleman connected with Terry Haskell (twice) and Mike Bernstein for touchdowns, resulting in a 21-19 victory. Haskell accounted of 132 yards from Coleman's 249 yards passing. Linebacker Daniel Duncan earned the MVP honors, making 1.5 sacks and the game ending interception.

Week 13
And then week 13 came around. The 7-4 Rochester Razorbacks appeared determined to stay in the race for the playoffs and caught the Merchantmen on their biggest offday since the invention of football. The Merchantmen lost four fumbles on the day, three of them on return plays. The Razorbacks didn't even impress on offense, but still pulled off a 35-0 shutout loss for the Merchantmen.

Week 14
Coming home from the largest deficit in team history, the Merchantmen immediately bounced back against the Minnesota Miners. Perry Coleman had a perfect passer rating day, as he completed 20 of 27 passes for 324 yards and 6 touchdown, anchoring the 49-23 victory. In between his passes, Harold Riley ran for 200 yards, although the sole running touchdown was from Coleman himself. The touchdown passes went to Mike Bernstein, Terry Haskell, J.T. Pritt (twice) and Charles Pomeranz (also twice).

Going into week 15, the European division race was still wide open:
1. Paris 11-2
2. Maassluis 9-4
3. Gothenburg 8-5
4. Bordeaux 1-12
The wild card race was also ongoing, with the Snapfinger Jazz (8-5) the only competition for the European teams.

Week 15
Remembering the deficit earlier this season and the threesome from last season, the Merchantmen were determined to end their losing streak against the Gothenburg Giants. The Giants struck first on a 75-yard R.J. Ginsberg to Robbie Downs touchdown pass, but the Merchantmen turned the score around on threesome of Harold Riley touchdown runs and a Daniel Duncan interception return touchdown for a 30-10 lead into the fourth quarter. But knowing the determination of the Giants, this game wasn't over yet. The Giants scored touchdowns on their next two drives and were driving for a game leader. Luckily, Ginsberg fumbled on a 13 yard scramble in Merchantmen territory and Perry Walker came away with the loose ball. Helped by a couple of Gothenburg penalties, the Merchantmen ran out the clock, ending the losing streak with a 30-24 victory, securing a playoffs ticket in the process. Elsewhere in Europe, the Paris Musketeers lost at home against the Bordeaux Vineyard, trimming their lead back to one game over Maassluis.

Week 16
Visiting the Iowa Cobbers, the Merchantmen got cocky and expected to cruise to an easy victory. Two off-seasons ago, the Merchantmen signed Perry Coleman and Skip Perron, both from the Cobbers. After training camp, Perron was shown the door again, to return back to Iowa and take over the starting role that used to be Coleman's. With that in mind, the Cobbers players had more reason to have a desire to beat the Merchantmen. And it showed, as they overcame a couple of lost fumbles to hand the Merchantmen a 20-13 loss. Perry Coleman completed a pass to Greg Brass for the only Merchantmen touchdown of the day. The good news of the day was the Paris Musketeers loss in Chicago, keeping chances of a European division title going.

Week 17
Despite playing at the Bordeaux Vineyards, the Merchantmen players were distracted from the game at hand, to win the division requiring a Paris loss to the eliminated Gothenburg Giants. In Bordeaux, the Merchantmen saw Perry Coleman threw touchdown passes to J.T. Pritt and Terry Haskell, while running for another one for a 24-0 half time lead. The Vineyards were unable to fight back and the game was quickly over, with a 27-0 victory for the Merchantmen.

Elsewhere, in a wild fourth quarter, the Musketeers came back from 13-10 down to a 16-13 lead with a couple of field goals. With 3 minutes remaining, the Giants turned the score around, taking a 20-16 lead. The Musketeers were not beaten yet, converting a crucial fourth down in the Gothenburg red zone to keep their hopes alive. Two plays later they scored a touchdown, which got called back for holding. With 32 second left, Paris needed to gain 20 yards on fourth down to get a first down. Rosey Hansen tossed it into the end zone and an open tight end Donny Dumont caught it for a wild 23-20 victory.

Regular season standings:
<table border=1><tr><td>1.<td>Paris<td>12-4
<tr><td>2.<td>Maassluis<td>11-5
<tr><td>3.<td>Gothenburg<td>9-7
<tr><td>4.<td>Bordeaux<td>2-13-1</table>
With these results, Paris ended up as third seeds, hosting the Snapfinger Jazz, while Maassluis as fifth seeds were to visit the Atlanta Vipers.


Wild Card round
In the game at the Atlanta Vipers, the outcome was pretty much determined in the first quarter. Zach Pisano intercepted a Roy Lynn pass in the Merchantmen red zone to keep the Vipers from opening the score. The Merchantmen replied with a 12-play 71-yard drive ending in a Perry Coleman to J.T. Pritt touchdown pass. The Vipers' second drive stalled earlier, as Mark Crum intercepted Lynn on the second play of the drive at midfield and returning it to the Vipers 23-yard line. Four plays later, Harold Riley ran it in for the 14-0 lead. The third Vipers drive also resulted in an interception around midfield, this time Thurman Hopper made the pick, just before the end of the quarter. Two minutes into the second quarter, Coleman found Terry Haskell for the 21-0 lead. The Vipers would add a field goal later on, while the Merchantmen would score another Harold Riley touchdown for a 28-3 half time score.

The second half, the Vipers fans got some of their faith back, as Mack Heatherly missed a field goal for Maassluis, while the Vipers would add 3 points on their side of the scoreboard and following it up with a defensive three and out. But those hopes all flew away on the following drive, as Roy Lynn got intercepted for a fourth time, Perry Walker being the man for Maassluis this time. Neither side managed to score for a while as the fourth quarter rolled around. The Vipers' misfortune continues, as Leonard Carrigan fumbled the ball and Merchantmen safety Thurman Hopper came away with it. The Vipers would pull a last chance long drive, getting stopped on the Merchantmen 1-yard line. In the garbage time, Mark Crum added a fifth interception for the day and sealing the 28-6 victory for the Merchantmen.


Divisional round
The road game at the Rochester Razorbacks proved to be a more thrilling one for the Merchantmen. After a scoreless first quarter, things got wilder in the second quarter, with Perry Coleman finding J.T. Pritt for a 63-yard score opening touchdown. But Rochester would come out of the first half leading after all, as Norman Browning found Ricardo Meynardie for a 41-yard long bomb touchdown pass at the time-minute warning and Browning to Meynardie also setting up a 46-yard field goal as time runs out.

The second half started with back to back drives ending in interception. Johnny Sharp struck first in Rochester favor, but linebacker Daniel Duncan returned the favor to give Maassluis the ball back at mid field. A crazy turn of events later, Mack Heatherly attempted a 31-yard field goal and tied the score again with it. A defensive battle followed, until the Merchantmen finally broke through into the Razorbacks red zone, shortly before the two-minute warning. A holding penalty pushed the Merchantmen back and Heatherly ended up missing a 43-yard field goal attempt. In the final minute of the game, the Razorbacks managed to get down field and with three seconds remaining stopped the clock to attempt a 42-yard game winning field goal. Marlon Weber converted, making the Merchantmen fly back home with a 13-10 loss to end the season.


Atlantic Ocean Conference Championship
In the Atlantic Ocean Conference game, the Razorbacks ended up losing 14-13 at the Tucker Tigers, capitulating on a last minute 11-yard touchdown pass from Jackie Collier to Alan Cooley.

IHOF Bowl XV
The Tucker Tigers and Capital City Blues went for a rare rematch, both returning as the respective conference champions. In a lopsided game, the Tigers avenged the loss of a year earlier, coming back from 14-0 down to tie before half time and in the fourth quarter cruising to a 20-point lead. A punt return touchdown after the two-minute warning made it a two-score game, but it didn't get any more closer than that, as the Tigers prevailed 34-21.

[MIJB#19]

2044 Off-season


Retirements
With the Merchantmen roster building tradition to keep veteran players around longer than the average team does, there's always a bigger risk to lose players to retirement. The 2043 to 2044 roll over resulted in a surprisingly high number of eight retirements.

Safety Perry Walker left Maassluis after 14 seasons. A fifth round pick in the 2030 draft, Walker wasn't a day one starter, but did see quite some action in his first two seasons. In 2032 he became a regular starter and the tandem with Thurman Hopper got really started. Aside from sitting out December 2038, Walker was always available. Walker remained a starter for 11 seasons, but last season was downgraded to a nickel/dime formations role. With Walker, the Merchantmen reached the playoffs in all of the past nine seasons. Like most Merchantmen players of the past bunch of seasons, Walker's highlight was playing (albeit losing) in IHOF Bowl XXXVI.

Tight end Mike Bernstein was the biggest shocker on the list of football quitters. Bernstein was yet to turn 33 and had been a starter in Maassluis the past seven seasons. Initially a seventh round pick with the Fort Wayne Fury, he wasn't active in his rookie season and saw limited action in the following two seasons. The Merchantmen signed Bernstein after the 2037 draft and immediately added him in the mix of offensive players. Bernstein scored a pair of touchdowns in the victorious 2039 season Atlantic Ocean Conference championship game en route to IHOF Bowl XXXVI, which marked his career highlight.

Wide receiver J.T. Pritt spent just four seasons in Maassluis, but certainly made an impact. Pritt was acquired through trade from the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums in the off-season after the lost IHOF Bowl XXXVI, in hopes to bolster the passing game. Pritt had a couple of 1,000-yard seasons and scored 26 receiving touchdowns in his time with the Merchantmen.

Others retiring were cornerback Zach Pisano, linebacker Alton Bradley, defensive end Carlton Chu, guard Artie Cortez and linebacker/special teamer Neil Ralph. Pisano was a free agent signing in 2038 and spent most of his time in a nickelback role, reaching the playoffs in all those season, including IHOF Bowl XXXVI. Bradley had spent the entire 2043 season inactive, although he was a starter in the IHOF Bowl XXXVI reaching season. Chu spent two seasons in Maassluis, but never lived up to the pass rushing machine hype that he was brought in with, despite being a starter last season. Cortez was signed in 2043 and eventually became a starter, but eventually decided it was enough. Ralph had also just spent a single season in Maassluis, although it became clear he wasn't happy with just a special teams role as a former three-time All-IHOF first teamer.


Cap Moves
In a tight cap situation, the Merchantmen struggled to get kicker Mack Heatherly to sign a cap saving new contract and decided to release him after just one season, early in the off-season. This left the Merchantmen with just kickoff kicker Lenny Russell on roster, clearly hoping to find a new kicker in the remainder of the off-season.


Free Agency
Only three players were hired in the pre-draft free agency.

Fullback Harvey Miller was signed from the Toronto Lake Monsters to become the new blocking fullback. Maassluis became his seventh IHOF franchise in his eighth season, hoping this to be his first playoffs bound stint.

To fill the gap of the retired Perry Walker, the Merchantmen signed Kelvin Shepherd from the Oakland Black Panthers. He was a starter for the Tucker Tigers in IHOF Bowl XXXVIII, but missed most of his second season in Tucker with an ankle injury and was subsequently released. He rejuvenated his career in Oakland last season and hopes to return to the big game with the Merchantmen.

Left tackle Fred King leaves the Williamsburg Colonials after two seasons to sign with the Merchantmen. King was be brought in to battle with Clifton Freidkin for the left tackle role for the upcoming season.


Draft 2044
As a result of the 2042 draft day trade to be able to acquire running back Harold Riley, the Merchantmen went into the draft without a first round pick. They were also missing a third round pick because of the trade for Scott Dupuis in the 2043 pre-season. During the draft, the Merchantmen traded their 2045 sixth and seventh rounders to the Kansas Creationists for picks in the same rounds in this draft, giving the Merchantmen seven picks after all. It marked the only trade of the entire off-season.
<table border=1><tr><td>round<td>player
<tr><td>2<td>P Malachi Pennell
<tr><td>4<td>CB Lonnie Browning
<tr><td>5<td>G Bryant Huffman
<tr><td>6a<td>TE Wyatt Stephens
<tr><td>6b<td>LB Trevor Rodgers
<tr><td>7a<td>K Jay Diamond
<tr><td>7b<td>WR Jaylen Swann</table>
Some might say Pennell was a reach, but at that stage of the draft, there wasn't much left that seemed worthy of a second round pick. Pennell might be the best punter to join IHOF in nearly a decade, making this well worth it. Browning was picked to fill in for the retired Pisano, hopefully becoming a decent coverage corner. Huffman ran a decent agility score and showed signs of being a better alternative that last season's D.J. Sampson. Stephens was another forced pick, with Bernstein retiring, he turned out to be more of a blocker than a pass catcher. Rodgers looked all around decent and with Ralph retired, a linebacker spot was vacant. Diamond was picked in hopes to be the solution to the kicking woes after release of Heatherly earlier on. Swann was a combine skipper, but management felt he was worth a shot in the seventh round, also somewhat forced with a vacated spot on the receivers corps.


Post-draft Free Agency
After the draft, the Merchantmen signed fourth year veteran kicker Marvin Creekmur, who had been with the Capital City Blues and should be an immediate improvement over the departed Heatherly. The Merchantmen also signed four undrafted rookie free agents: linebacker Frank Weaver, defensive linemen Freddie Malone and Kendrick Ramirez, and safety Tim Manalang.


Recap
The off-season was pretty straight forward. All spots vacated by retirements were filled with rookies or the few veteran signings, while the kicker had been replaced. Going into training camp, Maassluis had to hope the remaining veterans would hold up well and some of the drafted players in this and other recent drafts would be ready to step in...

[MIJB#19]

2044 Training Camp

Below is our training camp report from the 2044 season. An under whelming camp it was, with a couple of bright spots. Although the main concern was in seeing our key players maintaining their level of play. Especially Perry Coleman, Terry Haskell and the defensive starters were a risk.

Quarterbacks
starter: Perry Coleman (60=)
backups: Harry Osborne (15-), Kerry Lewis (15--), Malik Weaver (15=/20-)
After training camp, there was no doubt that 2044 would be a Coleman or nothing season. Weaver showed little improvement compared to the previous training camp, but as both Osborne and Lewis looked like they are on the decline, Weaver made the cut again, just in case Coleman does go down and Osborne falls into the turnover habits he showed in the 2042 season.


Running Backs
starter: RB Harold Riley (40=), FB Greg Brass (55=)
backups: FB Harvey Miller (35=), RB Scott Fulcher (20-), RB Donald Terry (15-)
released: FB Terrell Wilkerson
Riley and Brass are our guys again. Riley can be an all downs back, but with the steam engine shovel Brass around, short yardage situations won't be Riley's. Miller will be in the mix as a blocker. Fulcher promoted back to the number two role, but basically is number three behind Brass. Terry lost more of his speed, but survived the final cuts as we didn't see any free agents which would be an improvement over Terry and his knowledge of the playbook.


Tight Ends
starter: Cary Harriman (30=)
backups: Irving Clark (40=), Wyatt Stephens (20=/30=)
A mix of players this is. Harriman is the most all around guy, despite that he lacks the speed to really contribute to the passing game. Clark will move in on the obvious passing downs, which certainly will happen at times, while Stephens is decent enough to be our second blocker. We still hope Clark will live up to his first round status and become a 50-catch receiver after seasons of 29 and 30 catches.


Wide Receivers
starter: Terry Haskell (65=), Charles Pomeranz (40-)
backups: Scott Dupuis (45=), Adam Brautlacht (25-), Jaylen Swann (20/25+), Jack Money (20-)
Unsirprinzingly, Haskell remains to be our far and beyond best player on offense. Pomeranz and Dupuis will be the number two and number three, possibly even losing some playing time to our tight ends. Brautlacht and Swann are the emergency guys, while Money will just focus on returning duties. Swann will start the season in an inactive role, but made the team nevertheless and will be activated as our fifth receiver if there's a roster spot available.


Offensive Line
starter: LT Clinfton Freidkin (30-), C Arnie Croft (40-), C B.J. Samuels (60=), G Bryant Huffman (35+/50+), T Mark Grevan (50=)
backups: G Vinny O'Neill (40=), G Sean Schwimmer (35+/50=), LT Fred King (40=), G D.J. Sampson (25+/40+)
released: T D.J. Dunn
With the increase in sacks last season, it became apparent that either this unit isn't as good as it used to be, or Perry Coleman is becoming more prone to getting sacked. At the same time, Harold Riley is just a second year running back and we'll need cohesion on the line to make him successful. However, both Huffman and Schwimmer are emerging as guys that need just half a season to become legit starters. Samuels is indisputable, while Croft knows this offense too well to not make him play. For similar reasons, O'Neill is still our best alternative at guard and right tackle. But left tackle is the problem position. Freidkin is lacking stamina, but King is new, while Grevan just can't play on the left, making us start Freidkin after all. Sampson showed good progress and we hope to give him another season to grow, but most likely we'll try to trade one of the young guards in the next off-season.


Defensive Line
starter: DE Eugene Johnstone (50-), DT Brian Lincoln (45=), DT Dwight Hutton (30--), DE Harold Matheson (20--)
backups: DT Dennis Lucas (45=), Patrick Doyle (45=), DE Mark Cosell (20=/30-), DE Freddie Malone (10/20=)
released: DT Kendrick Ramirez
This unit, requires some explanation, why are Hutton and Matheson listed as starters and Lucas and Doyle as backups? Quite simple, they're not. both will see plenty of action in the rotation system, especially Lucas on obvious passing downs. Johnstone and Lincoln are the complete linemen of the team. Hutton is a run stopper, while Doyle is a run stopper too, with some rushing speed. Lucas is our best pass rusher, which he has proven with back to back All-IHOF First Team honors. Matheson goes into the season ahead of Cosell and Malone, as the youngster are still a bit green, while Matheson is a proven veteran with All-IHOF honors in our IHOF Bowl run season. Ramirez looked interesting, but in an already crowed unit, he got stuck on the wrong team to test the waters of IHOF.


Linebackers
starter: SLB Daniel Duncan (75=), MLB Wesley Devine (80=), WLB Lester Gilman (40=)
backups: MLB C.J. Boo (25-), OLB Frank Weaver (20=/35=), OLB Trevor Rodgers (20=/35-)
Another unit which is self explanatory. Our Double D's are so overwhelming and hard too miss, we'll cherish them as long as we can. Gilman is the best of the bunch, still, although Weaver and Rodgers look like they can step in if Gilman decides to quit or would he have lost some of his versatility. Boo's knowledge of the defense makes him the main backup, but realistically we'll use defensive backs if we're going to take a linebacker off the field.


Secondary
starter: CB Mark Crum (60-), SS Bernie Gordon (40=), FS Thurman Hopper (30-), CB Marc Pomato (50=)
backups: CB Lonnie Browning (25-/30-), S Tim Manalang (30=/40+), S Karl Pritchett (35-), S Kelvin Shepherd (30=)
released: S Scottie Dawson
No changes in the starting spots, the same quartet will be our backfield on defense. Rookies Browning and Manalang impressed enough with their interception skills to make us put them in the nickel and dime roles from the start. Pritchett and Shepherd won't see much action this season. Pritchett should be familiar with that role, while Shepherd is about equal with Gordon and Hopper in talent, but being the new man and a veteran, he's the odd man out, despite making the team, because you never know when we need to dig deep in the depth chart. Dawson is out after a season of inactivity.


Special Teams
punter: Malachi Pennell (80+++/90+++)
kicker: Marvin Creekmur (80=)
kickoff kicker: Lenny Russell (20-)
punt returner: Jack Money (50), Adam Brautlacht (65)
kick returner: Jack Money (70), Scott Dupuis (100)
others: Kerry Lewis (100 holder), Troy Lowe (90 long snapper)
released: P Edward Rice, K Jay Diamond
Pennell made a big impression in training camp and without hesitation we released Rice and made Pennell the new punter. Creekmur was the other off-season acquisition and, unlike Heatherly last season, held up with his reputation. Russell hangs on for another season, but he better starts improving his kickoffs, or we'll give that role to Creekmur too and break tradition and go with an all duties kicker. We're set here for the next decade, hopefully. In return duties, Money is still the man, but don't be shocked if Dupuis takes over in the kickoff return role at some point this upcoming season. Brautlacht has yet to impress us in real games, making Money the primary punt return option still. Although we're starting to get disappointed with Money's increase in fumbles of the past couple of seasons.

[MIJB#19]

2044 Season

Pre-Season
The Merchantmen rolled through the exhibition games with a 4-0 record, although inflating the results by playing with their starters in all four games and barely taking them off. In a way, it caused a bit of a scare, as 4-0 is seen as a jinx.


Week 1
If there were any doubts about the Merchantmen's ambitions, they were perfectly clear after the first home game of the season. After seasons of struggles against them, the Gothenburg Giants were no match this time, as the Merchantmen steamrolled to a convincing 52-6 victory. Perry Coleman ran for a couple of touchdowns, while completing scoring passes to Charles Pomeranz and Terry Haskell. Fullback Greg Brass had a trademarked short yardage touchdown, while Harold Riley scored on 13-yard run. Cornerback Mark Crum made the last touchdown of the game with a 32-yard fumble recovery.

Week 2
As convincing as the week one game was, the Outer Banks Ospreys proved a bigger obstacle. Despite a stellar defensive performance, the Merchantmen struggled themselves, settling for field goals on their first two red zone visits and coming downs short in the final minutes to avoid a 10-6 defeat.

Week 3
Back home, the Merchantmen regrouped against the Fort Wayne Fury. But despite the 23-10 victory, the story of the game was quarterback Perry Coleman's departure from the game with a knee injury. Coleman still received the game MVP honors, throwing touchdown passes to Charles Pomeranz and Terry Haskell. Harry Osborne went into the game as the injury replacement, completing 4 of 6 passes for 25 yards and no turnovers.

Week 4
Despite not playing, the Merchantmen had big news as Perry Coleman was diagnose with a torn MCL in his knee and out for the rest of the season. All hopes on having a championship run immediately dampened and the Merchantmen and fans realized that there were only two possible scenarios: going back to Harry Osborne or giving the reigns to Malik Weaver earlier than hoped. Granted, with the Merchantmen there's always a possibility of a trade, but the Merchantmen decided against that. Osborne was announced the week 5 starter, at home against the Tucker Tigers, of all teams. Hoping that Osborne would show his running speed while proving his knowledge of the play book would make him the obvious choice over the possibly even more athletic Weaver.

Week 5
Boy, was Perry Coleman missed. The Tucker Tigers took full advantage of the absence of the Merchantmen quarterback. Maassluis looked lost at sea and at the end of the night were lucky to lose 38-3, not getting crushed by double the margin. The Tigers already lead 31-3 by half time, with the Merchantmen field goal coming seconds before the break. Tucker scored a field goal on their first drive and touchdowns on each of their next five. In return, the Merchantmen saw Harry Osborne struggling, albeit completing 17 of 26 passes for 220 yards, a couple of interceptions and a lost fumble reminded the fans and management of why Malik Weaver was brought in to challenge Osborne for the backup role.

Week 6
On the road at the Augusta Greenjackets, the Merchantmen went to their third quarterback of the season, giving Malike Weaver his debut. And what a debut. On his first play, Weaver immediately got intercepted, 'Welcome to IHOF, Malik!' But Weaver remarkably recovered from yet another interception, throwing touchdown passes to Terry Haskell and tight end Cary Harriman. After Augusta appeared to have scored the winning touchdown with just a minute left, Weaver guided his team downfield and saw Marvin Creekmur convert a 49-yard field goal to force overtime. However, Weaver copied his first play of the game, which set up the 26-20 overtime loss.

Week 7
At the Paris Musketeers, the Merchantmen decided to switch quarterbacks again, reverting to Harry Osborne. In a traditionally close divisional clash, the Merchantmen kept it close. Down by four points, eventually they had to go for it and failed, resulting in a 31-27 loss. Osborne remarkably stayed turnover free and completed a 70-yard touchdown pass to Charles Pomeranz. Harold Riley ran for a touchdown, while long snapper Troy Lowe returned a fumble for a score.

Week 8
Convinced by the turnover free game, the Merchantmen staff stuck with Harry Osborne against the Snapfinger Jazz. Expectations were low with the fans, for the first time this season not selling out their tickets in Oranje Haven. The Merchantmen responded with a strong defensive performance, holding the Jazz to 196 total yards in a 19-3 victory. Especially the pass rush of the Merchantmen received a lot of praise, breaking up 16 of 51 passing plays. On the offense, Osborne connected with Terry Haskell for the only touchdown of the game.

Week 9
In an unexpected turn of events, the Bordeaux Vineyards were in for a surprise when it turned out the Merchantmen went to Malik Weaver as the quarterback. It paid off as Weaver completed 18 of 25 passes for 335 yards. Weaver threw touchdown passes to Scott Dupuis and Terry Haskell, while running for another, in the 27-14 victory on the road. Especially Haskell looked rejuvenated, gaining 238 yards on 9 catches on the night.

At the mid-season point, the Merchantmen were still hoping to challenge for the division title, knowing a week 17 home game against Paris could become a winner takes all game.
<table border=1><tr><td>rk<td>team<td>w/l
<tr><td>1<td>Paris<td>5-3
<tr><td>2<td>Maassluis<td>4-4
<tr><td>3<td>Gothenburg<td>2-6
<tr><td>4<td>Bordeaux<td>2-6</table>

Week 10
At the Orlando Talons, the playoffs hopes in Maassluis took a hit. Malik Weaver opened the game with another first play interception. Although the scoreline remained 0-0 after that pick, the Talons would eventually open on a Weaver pass, as safety Ernie Douglas intercepted him for 59 yards and a touchdown. Maassluis hardly recovered from that mistake, stumbling to a 23-10 loss. Weaver did throw for the only Merchantmen touchdown of the game, completing a 10-yard pass to Terry Haskell.

Week 11
Still believing in Malik Weaver to turn the tide, the Merchantmen went to the Gothenburg Giants. Harold Riley and Scott Fulcher ran for a touchdown each in the first quarter on the first two Merchantmen drives, before the Giants took control of the game. Down by seven, the Merchantmen were stopped 3 yards shy of the tie. A safety with 18 seconds left on the clock gave the Merchantmen another chance, but it was too much to ask to avoid the 27-22 loss. Weaver completed only 13 of 32 passes for 128 yards and 1 interception, surely this would commence the return of Osborne in the lineup?

Week 12
At home against the Capital City Blues, the Merchantmen staff committed to youngster Malik Weaver. Helped by the defense, the Merchantmen kept it close, despite a couple of interceptions thrown by Weaver. In the final four minutes of the game, Weaver orchestrated a couple of touchdown drives to trim the scoreline to a 23-17 deficit, running for a score and throwing for another to his favorite target Terry Haskell.

Week 13
On the road at the Harlem Apollos, the Merchantmen were playing for their last chances to keep even the slimmest of chances for the playoffs alive. Malik Weaver got the start again and once again gelled perfectly with star Terry Haskell. Weaver threw for 339 yards and 2 touchdowns, with Haskell being on the receiving end 11 times for 230 yards and both scores. Harold Riley, Greg Brass and Scott Fulcher all added a running touchdown to complete the 35-10 victory.

Week 14
The Texas Sharks removed any remaining Merchantmen hopes for the post-season. In his typical fashion, Malik Weaver struggled until the fourth quarter, adding more to the running game than the passing game. A 42-yard touchdown pass to Terry Haskell in the dying seconds of the game was far from sufficient to avoid the 27-13 loss.

Week 15
Free of any remaining hopes, the Merchantmen crushed the Bordeaux Vineyards with a 38-7 victory. Harold Riley ran for three touchdowns, while Scott Dupuis scored his first kickoff return touchdown for the Merchantmen and Malik Weaver threw to Terry Haskell in the fourth quarter to finalize the score.

Week 16
Hosting the Moontown Darksiders, the Merchantmen made it back to back victories. A first play of the game interception return touchdown from Wesley Devine gave Maassluis the first lead. After giving up a set of field goals, the Merchantmen saw Malik Weaver respond with a 61-yard touchdown pass to Scott Dupuis to regain the lead. In the final minutes, Scott Fulcher ran for the 24-9 victory clinching touchdown.

Week 17
With nothing on the line anymore, a sold out Oranje Haven crowd was in for a big surprise as Perry Coleman was cleared by the medical staff. The Merchantmen staff decided to stick with Weaver after the recent victories in a game where they could play spoiler for the Paris Musketeers to keep them from a bye week in the playoffs. The Merchantmen fans were in for a disappointing evening, witnessing a 26-7 loss. Despite the loss, the Merchantmen fans were in for a happy moment as well. After a horrible performance, Weaver got replaced in the fourth quarter and Coleman came in to complete 5 of 7 passes for 44 yards and the only Merchantmen touchdown of the day, connecting with Terry Haskell on an 18-yard pass.

After the game, the crowd was divided between emotions of disappointment for missing the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons, and the joy of seeing Perry Coleman wear the orange-white-and-blue at least one more time. Unanimous sources were claiming the knee injury could trigger Coleman's retirement plans...

European Division standings
<table border=1><tr><td>rk<td>team<td>w/l<td>notes
<tr><td>1<td>Paris Musketeers<td>11-5<td>#2 seed
<tr><td>2<td>Maassluis Merchantmen<td>7-9<td>
<tr><td>3<td>Gothenburg Giants<td>6-10<td>
<tr><td>4<td>Bordeaux Vineyards<td>3-13<td></table>

Playoffs
The Paris Musketeers followed their bye week with a thriller against the Tucker Tigers. Leading 13-10, the Musketeers thought the had the victory, only to give up a 54-yard field goal in the final seconds of regulation. The Tigers scored a field goal on their first overtime drive, but taking full advantage of the new overtime rules, the Musketeers replied with a strong drive on their own, finishing it with Rosey Hansen's 14-yard touchdown pass to Max Pinner for the 19-16 victory.

In the Atlantic Ocean Conference Championship game, the Musketeers hosted the Augusta Greenjackets, who went 11-5 in the regular season as well. The Greenjackets scored touchdowns on their first two drives and controlled the clock for the remainder of the game, en route to a 33-16 victory.

In IHOF Bowl XVI, the Augusta Greenjackets faced the Chesapeake Chitterlings, who went 13-3 in the regular season. The Chits' quarterback Charlie Grillot threw for 237 yards and 3 touchdowns to a convincing 34-13 victory and the franchise's sixth league title. It was their first league championship since beating the Merchantmen in IHOF Bowl XXXVI.

[MIJB#19]

2045 Off-Season


Retirements
The 2045 Off-Season started with the news that safety Thurman Hopper and wide receiver Adam Brautlacht both retired from football. Neither came as a big surprise, given their respective ages.

Thurman Hopper was a first round pick in the 2031 draft, spent his rookie season on the bench, but from his second pro season was key starter on the Merchantmen defense. As a free safety, he formed a remarkable duo with Perry Walker as the locks on the defense. Hopper was a crucial element in the pass defense and retired as the all-time Merchantmen leader with 42 interceptions. With Hopper, the Merchantmen reached the playoffs nine consecutive season. Hopper sat out all but one game of the 2039 season with a nagging elbow injury, which meant Hopper was on injured reserve during the Merchantmen's only IHOF Bowl appearance to date.

Adam Brautlacht was a third round pick in the 2034 draft. A fast and agile receiver, Brautlacht was brought in to challenge for the WR2 or WR3 role. There were also hopes he could grow into becoming a premier return specialist, but eventually was just an alternate punt returner, mostly a result of his fumbling woes. In his first six seasons, Brautlacht did have quite the contribution to the passing game, usually being good for 500 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns. Brautlacht was a starter in IHOF Bowl XXXVI for the Merchantmen. In 2040 Brautlacht missed a good portion of the season with a hamstring injury and from there on his role became more limited. At the time of retirement, he ranks 9th all-time in receiving touchdowns for the Merchantmen.


Free Agency
In an unusual pre-season, the Maassluis Merchantmen didn't sign a single player before the draft. Instead, three veteran players were released to help create enough cap room to be able to sign rookies. Quarterback Harry Osborne, defensive end Harold Matheson and kickoff kicker Lenny Russell were all cut. The biggest news in free agency was the blockbuster trade the Merchantmen made...


IHOF Draft 2045
Following the woes at quarterback during the 2044 season, the Merchantmen management was determined to get the replacement of Perry Coleman in the 2045 off-season. At the top of the draft board sat a number of intriguing quarterback prospects. The Merchantmen worked the phoned, attempting to move up in the draft from 12th overall to within the top five. And as to be expected with the masters of trade, they succeeded, moving up to first overall. The Merchantmen traded their 2046 first and second round picks, all their 2045 draft picks (first through fifth round), including that 12th overall pick. The end result was a draft with just one player acquired: Illinois quarterback Bryson Chow became the 2045 number one pick. Chow smiled ear to ear at the press conference, showing his new #1 Merchantmen jersey. In line with IHOF regulations, Bryson Chow was signed to a pre-determined four-year contract, worth $49 million dollars over four years, with a $39.8 million dollar signing bonus.

Despite that the Merchantmen coaching staff was unimpressed with Bryson Chow, general manager M.IJ.B. was convinced Chow was the best of the bunch in a draft dominated by quarterback picks. In a historic draft, eight quarterbacks were taken in the first round: the Houston Mustangs selected Jayce Powell second, the Harlem Apollos selected Declan Knight third, the Fairbanks Northstars selected Bryan Rhodes fifth, the Iowa Cobbers took Bo Scott nineteenth, the Frederick Red Menace picked Emmitt Latham twentieth, the Tucker Tigers took Ethan Beyer twenty-fifth and the Chicago Norsemen took Ernie Hatcher twenty-eighth overall. The top of the third round saw two more interesting quarterback picks, as the Bordeaux Vineyards took Bryson Kleinsasser and the Oakland Black Panthers selected Mel Briggs, both became starters in their rookie season.


Post Draft Free Agency
After the draft, the Merchantmen signed either rookie free agents: running backs Marty Finley and Asher Tyler, wide receiver Noah Rico, defensive linemen Caleb Hanson and Rob Fjelstad, cornerback Paxton Podbevsek, safety Santiago Poole, and kickers O.J. Blades and Pete Cummins.

With no cap room to work with, the Merchantmen also made the tough decision to release running back Donald Terry. The 2039 rushing leader and as such a key player in the IHOF Bowl XXXVI reaching campaign, Terry had been a backup player in the past two seasons, carrying just 7 times in 2044.

Safety Tim Manalang signed with Snapfinger Jazz, as the Merchantmen were unable to make a decent enough offer to retain the second-year pro. Donald Terry failed to find a new team, as was he faith of aforementioned Harold Matheson and Lenny Russell. Quarterback Harry Osborne did find a new home, becoming the mentor of Oakland Black Panthers' Mel Briggs.

[MIJB#19]

2045 Training Camp


In Maassluis Merchantmen tradition, here we'll take a look at the 2045 Maassluis Merchantmen roster. We'll break down the roster by position or position group, give some insight on training camp and pre-season impressions and what the depth chart is going to look like for the upcoming season.


Quarterbacks
starter: Bryson Chow (20+/45--)
backups: Perry Coleman (50--), Malik Weaver (20=/25=), Kerry Lewis (10-)
The word spread quickly around the league. Scouts from all over IHOF looked at Chow in his first action and their expectations quickly downgraded from potential super star to below average starter material. Despite that, the Merchantmen felt that Bryson Chow would be ready to start from day one, mentored by Perry Coleman as his understudy. Kerry Lewis retained his emergency quarterback and kick holder role. Malik Weaver did just enough to stick around as the backup backup, just in case Chow or Coleman would get hurt bad enough to avoid having to release another player and at least have a quarterback ready who knows the playbook. Although that argument could be frowned upon with the aged veteran Lewis always being available.


Running Backs
starters: Harold Riley (40=), FB Greg Brass (50-)
backups: Marty Finley (30=/40=), FB Harvey Miller (35=), Asher Tyler (25=/35+), Scott Fulcher (15-)
Harold Riley retained his premier runner role, with Greg Brass as the third down back and splitting the fullback duties with Harvey Miller. In the change of pace department, Marty Finley outran his fellow undrafted rookie Asher Tyler, while veteran Scott Fulcher made the team once again in an emergency role.


Tight ends:
starters: Wyatt Stephens (25=/25-), Irving Clark (40=)
backups: Cary Harriman (25-)
In our rotation of skill players, it's hard to say there is one particular starter at tight end. Wyatt Stephens is the blocker of the two, while Irving Clark is quite possibly the second best receiving option on the entire offense. Both will see their share of action, rotating with the wide receivers, fullbacks and running backs. Cary Harriman also retained his roster spot.


Wide Receivers
starters: Terry Haskell (60--), Charles Pomeranz (30--)
backups: Scott Dupuis (45=), Noah Rico (15=/25=), Jack Money (15-)
released: Jaylen Swann
Terry Haskell remains to be the face of the franchise and might at times be the only wide receiver on the field. Charles Pomeranz just barely maintained the best of the rest designation, being the one that knows the offense best. Scott Dupuis will be the clear WR3 option. The roles of Noah Rico and Jack Money will be limited to special teams playing time. Rico is the new punt returner, although he could still lose that role to fellow rookie Santiago Poole. Money will be the backup kickoff returner to Dupuis. Jaylen Swann was the only non-kicker that we released after training camp. He might be lucky enough to find a new team someday. If injuries deplete our wide receivers depth chart, we'll be ready to give him a call.


Offensive Line
starters: LT Fred King (45=), LG Sean Schwimmer (45+/50=), C B.J. Samuels (60=), RG Bryant Huffman (45+/55=), RT Vinny O'Neill (40=)
backups: C Arnie Croft (40=), T Mark Grevan (45-), LT Clifton Freidkin (25-), G D.J. Sampson (20-/35-)
The choices on the offensive line are based on more than just raw talent. Fred King beat Clifton Freidkin for the left tackle role. On ther right side, veteran Vinny O'Neill will play out of position again, holding of Mark Grevan in favor of cohesion on the line. B.J. Samuels as the best lineman once again anchors the line. Sean Schwimmer and Bryant Huffman both made enough progress to deserve a starting role. Their relative newness to the team is risky and there's a good chance we'll reinstall Arnie Croft as a guard to improve cohesion on the line. D.J. Sampson was underwhelming in camp, barely making the final 53-men roster by lack other candidates to not make the team.


Defensive Line
starters: DE Eugene Johnstone (45=), DT Brian Lincoln (45=), DT Dennis Lucas (40--), DE Caleb Hanson (30+/35=)
backups: DT Patrick Doyle (45=), DT Dwight Hutton (25-), DE Mark Cosell (20=/30=), DE Freddie Malone (15=/20=), DT Rob Fjelstad (10=/15=)
As in past seasons, this will be a position group with a lot of rotation. Eugene Johnstone and Brian Lincoln are the all downs starters on the left side. Dennis Lucas is the pass rush monster of the team and will likely be rotated in often enough to consider him the real starter, despite that his games started statistics won't show it. Rookie Caleb Hanson impressed enough to become the new defensive end in place of Harold Matheson. Patrick Doyle and Dwight Hutton will see their share of action on neutral and running downs. The verdict on Mark Cosell and Freddie Malone isn't out yet. We like both their pass rush potentials, but we're so stacked, they might never grow into the rotation. The same applies to rookie Rob Fjelstad, who failed to impress in camp to make him move up in the hierarchy.


Linebackers
starters: SLB Daniel Duncan (70-), MLB Wesley Devine (80=), WLB Lester Gilman (40-)
backups: WLB Trevor Rodgers (25=/35=), SLB Frank Weaver (25+/35=), MLB C.J. Boo (20-)
We love our Double D; who wouldn't? Daniel Duncan and Wesley Devine are undisputed as our most important pieces of the defense. Lester Gilman is still the best of the rest and will be our weak side option on running downs, making room for the nickelback on obvious passing downs. Trevor Rodgers and Frank Weaver easily made the team again, both being potentially good enough to replace Gilman when needed. C.J. Boo's role is slowly decreasing.

Secondary
starters: CB Mark Crum (55-), CB Marc Pomato (50=), SS Bernie Gordon (40=), FS Kelvin Shepherd (30-)
backups: CB Lonnie Browning (30=), S Karl Pritchett (35=), CB Paxton Podbevsek (15=/25-), S Santiago Poole (15=/25-)
With the legendary Hopper and Walker duo retired, we're entering a transitional period, with veterans Bernie Gordon and Kelvin Shepherd stepping in. Gordon had been waiting in the wings for quite some time as our nickelback and will enter his fourth straight season as a full time starter. Shepherd joined with us last season and barely saw any action. But he learned the playbook now and, frankly, is our best option to step in now. Mark Crum and Marc Pomato are still our shutdown corners. Lonnie Browning isn't making the progress that we hoped to see him make, but he is our best nickelback option. Karl Pritchett remains to be a hard to define player. Paxton Podbevsek is said to have a nose for interceptions and we'll hope to see him show it, if we need him as an injury replacement. Santiago Poole will be on our active part of the roster as well, being our second best option for punt return duties.


Special Teams
kicker: Marvin Creekmur (80=)
punter: Malachi Pennell (90=)
long snapper: Troy Lowe (90)
holder: Kerry Lewis (100)
kickoff returner: Scott Dupuis (90), Jack Money (70)
punt returner: Noah Rico (45), Santiago Poole (45)
Malachi Pennell is an elite punter, while Marvin Creekmur is a top-notch kicker. Nothing to complain about. Dupuis and Money are excellent kickoff return options. The punt return role is to be filled with the undrafted rookies Rico and Poole. We'll have to keep an eye on their respective development to figure out whether either of them is a long term answer. We released both rookie free agent kickers Pete Cummins and O.J. Blades in pre-season.

[MIJB#19]

2045 Season


Week 1
In an even game at the Bordeaux Vineyards, the Merchantmen struggled in the red zone, failing to score any touchdowns on offense and converting three of four field goals. Combined with a first quarter interception return touchdown for Daniel Duncan, it wasn't enough to avoid the 20-16 loss. Chow had a decent debut, despite not scoring and getting picked off, also showing his ability as a second running option.
Passing: Chow 21/34 for 180 yd, 1 int
Rushing: Chow 54 yd
Receiving: Pomeranz 71 yd
Sacks: Johnstone 2 sk
Interceptions: Duncan 2 int, 1 td


Week 2
In his Oranje Have debut, the Frederick Red Menace proved to be a welcome first opponent for Bryson Chow. Despite not throwing for a touchdown, Chow did run for a score in, while being helped by the defense and special teams en route to a seemingly easy 34-16 victory.
Passing: Chow 15/27 for 154 yd, 1 int
Rushing: Riley 88 yd, 2 td, Chow 1 td
Receiving: Haskell 87 yd
Sacks: Devine 2 sk, Johnstone 1 sk, 4 players 0.5 sk
Interceptions: Pomato 1 int, 1 td


Week 3
Hosting the Atlanta Vipers, the Merchantmen struggled. Especially Bryson Chow failed to connect with his receivers down field, being held without a passing touchdown for the third straight game. A strong red zone defense forced the Vipers to kick four times, but their last minute drive resulted in a touchdown. On the ensuing play, Bryson Chow took all the risk required, but got intercepted as he tried to avoid the 18-13 loss.
Passing: Chow 13/29 for 99 yd, 1 int
Rushing: Riley 116 yd, 1 td
Receiving: Haskell 31 yd
Sacks: Lincoln 1 sk
Interceptions: none


Week 5
After their early bye week, the Merchantmen travelled to the North Plainfield Plague. Bryson Chow finally threw for his first touchdown, but the offense struggled nevertheless, gaining just 228 total offense. The defense and special teams unit saved the day, as defensive tackle Patrick Doyle returned a fumble 67 yards for a touchdown, while Scott Dupuis ran a kickoff back for 91 yards and a touchdown at the end of the second quarter. End result a 29-22 victory, despite being outplayed.
Passing: Chow 13/22 for 145 yd, 1 td, 1 int
Rushing: Riley 62 yd, 1 td
Receiving: Miller 29 yd, 1 td
Sacks: Lucas 1, Rodgers 1
Interceptions: none

A tough decision came after the victory on the road. Merchantmen management decided to switch gears, benching Bryson Chow and going back to veteran Perry Coleman, hoping to give a boost to the passing game. Chow's 1/4 td/int ratio, combined with a lack of 200-yard games made the management realize that it was too early to hand over the offense in Chow's rookie season.


Week 6
Hosting the Rochester Razorbacks, the Merchantmen hoped to keep momentum going with Perry Coleman back in the lineup. It was to no avail, the Merchantmen struggled equally with Coleman in place of Chow and for the first time end up losing by more than a single score, needing a late game touchdown to trim the deficit to a 24-10 loss.
Passing: Coleman 23/37 for 201 yd, 1 td
Rushing: Riley 64 yd
Receiving: Pomeranz 67 yd
Sacks: 2 players 0.5 sk
Interceptions: none

Following the game, the Merchantmen management announced more changes for the offense. Harold Riley was demoted to third string behind rookies Marty Finley and Asher Tyler, with Finley getting the 'starter' tag. It also resulted in the benching of young guards Sean Schwimmer and Bryant Huffman, making room for Arnie Croft to return into the lineup, while adding Mark Grevan to the right side and moving Vinny O'Neill to his old position at guard.


Week 7
The reshuffling of personnel appeared to pay of. The Merchantmen hosted the Toronto Lake Monsters, coming into the game as favorites to win this Futility Bowl. Perry Coleman and Terry Haskell played like in their best days, gelling on three touchdown drives, with Haskell's 11 catches for 169 yards nearly doubling his seasonal production. All was plenty enough to anchor a big 33-3 victory.
Passing: Coleman 23/33 for 304 yd, 3 td
Rushing: Finley 109 yd, Tyler 1 td
Receiving: Haskell 169 yd, 3 td
Sacks: Cosell 1 sk, Johnstone 1 sk, Lucas 1 sk
Interceptions: none


Week 8
At the Paris Musketeers, the season continued with a crucial game for the division race. Sitting 4-2 at the top of the division, the Musketeers were the favorites going in, but the Merchantmen stormed to a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The game continued as an even matchup and the Musketeers trimmed their deficit to 8 points as William Blades scored a 54-yard field goal at the end of the first half. The Merchantmen held ground, leading by 5 points with four minutes left to play. But the Musketeers and their quarterback Rosey Hansen are not easily beaten and they drove downfield in an impressive fashion. Hansen found his tight end Donny Dumont in the end zone with 36 seconds left to play and then found his fullback Max Pinner to hand the Merchantmen a 20-17 loss.
Passing: Coleman 15/26 for 187 yd, 1 td, 2 int
Rushing: Finley 124 yd, 1 td
Receiving: Pomeranz 59 yd, Haskell 1 td
Sacks: Lucas 2 sk, Duncan 1 sk, Hanson 1 sk, Rodgers 1 sk
Interceptions: none

Following the defeat in Paris, the Merchantmen management announced a switch back to Bryson Chow at quarterback. Trailing the Paris Musketeers by 3 wins, the quarterback position would be re-evaluated after each game and based on the upcoming opponent, leaning towards giving Chow the ability to gain experience.


Week 9
At the Harlem Apollos, the return of Bryson Chow had an immediate impact. The Merchantmen defense managed to shut down the Apollos' running game, but fellow rookie quarterback Declan Knight made less mistakes than Chow. Harlem safety Clyde Byers intercepted Chow 3 times, running back a 49-yarder and a 82-yarder for touchdowns. In the forth quarter, Chow did add a couple of touchdowns on the right end for his team, and a scramble on the onside kick gave the Merchantmen one more chance to comeback from behind, but they failed to avoid the 21-16 loss.
Passing: Chow 20/46, 208 yd, 2 td, 3 int
Rushing: Chow 58 yd
Receiving: Haskell 83 yd, Pomeranz 1 td, Finley 1 td
Sacks: Lucas 1 sk
Interceptions: Duncan 1 int

At the virtual mid-season point, the Merchantmen were 3-5 and already unlikely to have a shot at the playoffs. Upcoming home games against Bordeaux and Gothenburg could be crucial to stay on the Bordeaux' tail and remain hopeful for a wild card for the post-season.
European Standings
<table><tr><td>1.<td>Paris<td>6-2
<tr><td>2.<td>Bordeaux<td>5-3
<tr><td>3.<td>Maassluis<td>3-5
<tr><td>4.<td>Gothenburg<td>1-9</table>


Week 10
Despite the near comeback, the Merchantmen management reverted back to Perry Coleman for the crucial home game against the Bordeaux Vineyards. It didn't help, as the Vineyards pressured the immobile Coleman all day long, sacking him 5 times and forcing three turnovers. A late game fumble near the Vineyards' red zone gave Perry Coleman and his offense a chance to tie the score, but his throw was mistimed, sealing the 24-17 loss at home. Interesting note of the day was rookie Asher Tyler's 2 touchdowns on an equal number of ball touches.
Passing: Coleman 25/39 for 282 yd, 1 td, 2 int
Rushing: Finley 50 yd, Tyler 1 td
Receiving: Haskell 92 yd, Tyler 1 td
Sacks: Duncan 1 sk, Johnstone 1 sk, Lucas 1 sk
Interceptions: none


Week 11
With the season pretty much done, the Merchantmen hosted a disappoint Gothenburg Giants team. The Merchantmen reinstalled Bryson Chow, who ended up having his best game to date. Supported by the still going strong defense, who had Caleb Hanson add a fumble return touchdown in the first quarter, Chow had a decent game. A lack of scoring kept it somewhat close and a fourth quarter field goal was required to secure the 17-7 victory.
Passing: Chow 20/27 for 192 yd, 1 td
Rushing: Finley 68 yd
Receiving: Haskell 50 yd, Pomeranz 1 td
Sacks: Hanson 1.5 sk, 1 player 0.5 sk
Interceptions: none


Week 12
At the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums, the Merchantmen resparkled their season with a convincing 31-6 victory. Bryson Chow connected with Terry Haskell 6 times for 100 yards, finally getting that problem fixed, of sorts. The Merchantmen cornerback duo Mark Crum and Marc Pomato had an interception each, with Pomato having a game changing 91-yard touchdown return.
Passing: Chow 15/20 for 185 yd, 1 td, 1 int
Rushing: Finley 92 yd, 2 td
Receiving: Haskell 100 yd, 1 td
Sacks: Lucas 2 sk, Cosell 1 sk, Lincoln 1 sk
Interceptions: Crum 1 int, Pomato 1 int, 1 td


Week 13
In a game where the Merchantmen were arguably the better side, the home playing Augusta Greenjackets were more efficient. Bryson Chow was picked off twice, while kicker Marvin Creekmur missed two field goals, all adding up to a 24-3 loss.
Passing: Chow 21/39 for 190 yd, 1 int
Rushing: Finley 81 yd
Receiving: Haskell 67 yd
Sacks: none
Interceptions: Shepherd 1 int


Week 14
The home game against the Chesapeake Chitterlings became a crazy game. The respective quarterbacks combined for 5 interceptions, with the home team's Bryson Chow responsible for 3 of those. But Chow responded well to his mistakes, completing 25 of 35 passes for 290 yards in a 27-10 victory.
Passing: Chow 25/35, 290 yd, 2 td, 3 int
Rushing: Finley 61 yd
Receiving: Haskell 120 yd, 1 td, Clark 1 td
Sacks: Doyle 1 sk, Johnstone 1 sk
Interceptions: Shepherd 2 int, 1 td


Week 15
Hoping to play spoiler, the Merchantmen hoped to go all out on the Paris Musketeers to give the fans a good reason to show up for a sell out in the last home game of the season. But as to be expected, clearly Europe's best team this season, quarterback Rosey Hansen and his Musketeers had another strong showing. The Merchantmen red zone defense kept them in the game and gave the offense an opportunity to pull back a bit and make it a more respectable 23-17 loss.
Passing: Chow 18/38 for 160 yd, 1 td, 1 int
Rushing: Finley 87 yd
Receiving: Clark 51 yd, Dupuis 51 yd, Haskell 1 td
Sacks: Lucas 1 sk
Interceptions: none


Week 16
With the season basically done, the Merchantmen looked relaxed at the Williamsburg Colonials. The red zone defense was there once again, forcing the Colonials to kick field goals four times, while intercepting the underwhelming Gino Greenburg three times. Chow was mistake free and guided his team to a nice 30-19 victory.
Passing: Chow 22/31 for 260 yd, 2 td
Rushing: Finley 49 yd
Receiving: Haskell 111 yd, 2 td
Sacks: Duncan 1 sk, Rodgers 1 sk
Interceptions: Browning 1 int, 1 td, Duncan 1 int, Pomato 1 int


Week 17
The Merchantmen season ended in a road game at the Gothenburg Giants. After the previous meeting, the Giants won four of their five games and were playing for a chance to finish the season with a winning record at home. The Merchantmen played ok, but were unable to avoid the 21-13 loss.
Passing: Chow 16/36 for 188 yd
Rushing: Finley 99 yd, 1 td
Receiving: Pomeranz 69 yd
Sacks: Duncan 1 sk, Hanson 1 sk
Interceptions: none

European Division
<table><tr><td>1.<td>Paris<td>12-4
<tr><td>2.<td>Bordeaux<td>8-8
<tr><td>3.<td>Maassluis<td>7-9
<tr><td>4.<td>Gothenburg<td>6-10</table>

The Paris Musketers made the playoffs as the Atlantic Ocean Conference's top seeds. After their bye week, they steamrolled over the North Plainfield Plague 34-10 and followed up by destroying the Tucker Tigers and Jackie Collier 23-0. It turned out to be Collier's last game in IHOF...

In IHOF Bowl XVII, the Musketeers weren't all that bad, but they simply ran into a team on fire, as the Capital City Blues represented the North American Conference even better. The Blues won 30-19 in their eleventh straight victory to end the 2045 IHOF season.