[MIJB#19]

Divisional reviews: Midwest Division
A division based on defensive reputations, as a group the Midwest teams are arguably in the most competitive of NAC divisions.

Ann Arbor Anachronism
Wins: 13
Rank: 1
Star Player: QB Donald Woods, the obivous leader of the team, saw his rival for the job get traded, passed for 3987 yd, 25 td and 9 int.
Offensive Hero: WR Douglas Arroyo, a guy with limited talent, compensates with big plays, had 70 catches for 1026 yd and 9 td in 14 games.
Defensive Hero: CB Lindsay Liles, on a strong secondary had the most impressive stats, had 4 int and 21 passes defended vs 25 catches.
Top Rookie: RT Nolan Bradford, #30 pick, was called a minor bust, played 3 games with 2 starts, made 1 key run block and allowed 1 sack.
Bummer: Cap situation, the season was pretty much injury free, for 2006 awaits a tough cap situation to work with.
Storyline: After a slow start, the Anachronism motor warmed up and steamrolled to a 15-game winning streak, including IHOF Bowl II.
2006: With the expected cap hell, expectations are that some players are forced out. Rebuilding ain't fun, unless you have the title.

Columbus Architects
Wins: 10
Rank: 2
Star Player: RB Gerald Harris, could live up to his 1668 yd in 2004, ran for 1225 yd and 8 td, had 57 catches for 434 yd and 2 td.
Offensive Hero: LT Charles Singleton, a great linemane to have on your team, made 30 key run blocks and allowed only 1 sack in 16 starts.
Defensive Hero: DT Myles Halliburton, excelled on all downs as he's capable of, made 75 tackles and 9.5 sacks.
Top Rookie: WR Fernando Weaver, #25 pick, emerged as a hot big play receiver on offense, racked up 45 catches for 710 yd and 5 td.
Bummer: RT Billy Carrigan, damaged his knee after 5 games and his career is in danger, his play will probably be affected a lot.
Storyline: Started out strong with an 8-2 record. After losing 4 of the last 6, the Architects still managed to reach the NAC semifinals.
2006: With some good players out of contract, 5 picks in the top 2 rounds in the draft can help. Should be contenders for the division.

Minnesota Miners
Wins: 6
Rank: 4
Star Player: DT Walt Spangler, is the anchorman on the team's amazing run defense, missed 5 games leading to only 35 tackles and 3 sacks.
Offensive Hero: WR Jesse Dirks, plagued by injuries the receivers group was haunted, played well with 72 catches for 906 yd in 13 games.
Defensive Hero: DT Ron McClinton, stepped up as a great sidekick to Spangler, totalled 60 tackles and 6 sacks.
Top Rookie: LT Earl Zeigler, #3 pick, as most rookies do, Ziegler struggled all year, made 15 key run blocks and allowed 13 sacks.
Bummer: OLB Daron Gonzalez, played 7 games with 4 starts, went out with a serious injury and might miss the start of the 2006 season.
Storyline: Locked in a tough division, the Miners went 6-4 outside the division, yet their strong defense can't do it inside the division.
2006: If they can finally find a better quarterback, the Miners could get somewhere. If not, they'll be just competitive in the Midwest.

RayCo Raiders
Wins: 6
Rank: 3
Star Player: QB Brian Hartsock, top quarterback if healthy, but missed 7 games with injuries, passed for 1784 yd, 13 td and only 3 int.
Offensive Hero: FB Joe Stewart, offensive bright light on a team focused on defense, had 68 catches for 468 yd, also had 16 key run blocks.
Defensive Hero: S Harold Strom, the true leader of the secondary, made 80 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 int and defended 14 passes.
Top Rookie: WR Stan Butler, #22 pick, emerged as an excellent starter from day one, had 41 catches for 594 yd and a league high 7 td.
Bummer: RB Rodger Mowery, ran for 1337 yd in 2004, missed 7 games in 2005, totalled just 497 yd and 3 td for the year.
Storyline: The Raiders started very well with a 5-2 record. Then injuries to Hartsock and Mowery hit and they lost 8 of the last 9 games.
2006: The Raiders defense is capable of stopping the opposition, but he offense still won't make a fist. Especially if Hartsock retires.