[MIJB#19]

2035 - 2039 Jay McGee period

With Harrison no longer in front of him, Jay McGee looked like a better version of himself. The running game of Keegan behind Castillo, Zumdahl and veteran center Shawn Hudspeth, supported with the defense anchored by safeties Thurman Hopper and Percy Walker, gave McGee the freedom to lead a run-heavy offense. 2035 was the start of an unprecedented period of double digit victory seasons combined with victories in the playoffs. In the 2036 draft, the Merchantmen first acquired the #20 overall pick from Paris and then packaged it with the #26 overall and a bunch of 3rd round picks to be able to move up to #6 overall to select wide receiver Terry Haskell as a replacement for just retired Terry Thomason. They then traded their 2037 and 2038 1st round picks to be able to draft defensive tackle Jerome Tyson at #26 overall and linebacker Wesley Devine in the second round. Set to step into Andy Cottle's shoes, Tyson turned out to be a bit of a bust. Devine quickly became the centerpiece of the defense, setting new standards for what a Merchantmen middle linebacker should be like. Haskell started his career with a 1,000-yard season and earned rookie of the year honors. Albeit failing to top 4,000 yards, McGee continued to improve from season to season, still leaning heavily on that running game and defense. Especially in the 2037 season, when the Merchantmen allowed only 188 points all season. Three times in four seasons, the Merchantmen were beaten by Jackie Collier and the Tucker Tigers in the playoffs.

In the 2039 off-season, cap problems piled up and the Merchantmen became a trading house once again. Castillo and Zumdahl together where shipped to the Tucker Tigers for basically all of their 2040 draft picks. Darrin Keegan was traded to the North Plainfield Plague for a fourht rounder. The craftly acquired quartet of second round picks were pacakged with the #30 overall pick for a move up to #12 overall to be able to select wide receiver Vincent Cox (he turned out to be a major bust and left the team after just 4 seasons with just 80 receptions for 938 yards and 5 touchdowns). After all was set and done, the Merchantmen running game seemed to be gone. But the contrary turned out to be true. Third year pro former fifth round draft pick Donald Terry became a sensation. Terry ran for a league leading 1,489 yards and 5.6 yards per carry from behind a line anchored by former third round center B.J. Samuels. The Merchantmen once again had to face Jackie Collier's Tucker Tigers, but this time finally broke the trend and advanced to the IHOF Bowl for the first time. While Terry played like he did in the regular season, McGee struggled against the Chesapeake Chitterlings. The Merchantmen had no answer to them and fell 23-10, never really having a chance.

2035 11-5 (4th) conference semifinals
2036 10-6 (5th) conference semifinals
2037 13-3 (2nd) conference semifinals
2038 13-3 (2nd) conference finalist
2039 12-4 (2nd) conference champion