Merchantmen Player of the Year Poll 2009

[MIJB#19]

The 2009 Merchantmen season ended right after the regular season. As usual, here's the newest Merchantmen Player of the Year poll for the loyal readers of the Maassluis Merchantmen dynasty thread. As every season, I nominated nine candidates and will give you the opportunity to vote for your own write-in candidate.

QB Louie Flannery - #14 - age 27
In his fourth year as the Maassluis Merchantmen quarterback, Flannery once again kept the team away from a losing season. Flannery completed 313 of 510 passes, to set a new personal high in completion percentage at 61.3 per cent. With 3550 yards passing and 16 interceptions, there was little reason to complain. Except for a lack of scoring passes. Flannery threw for only 15 touchdowns. And 40% of those passes came in a record-tying effort of 6 in one game in week six' Futility Bowl VI.

TE Jim Reiser - #86 - age 28
With 59 receptions, Jim Reiser was once again the top receiver in Maassluis. Reiser has been Louie Flannery's favorite target since he became the starting quarterback. His season wasn't one of personal records, if even being an average season. But the fans are familiar to great standards from Reiser and he just did as usual, with a reception in every game he played and dropping only one pass all season.

LT Ivan Jaqcues - #63 - age 29
Say 'hello' to the IHOF's most talented left tackle. The Merchantmen scouting department believes that Jacques is the best pass protection a quarterback can have on the left side of his line. Jacques allowed his quarterback to be sacked only four times all season in 545 passing plays. But 'Indestructable Ivan' did more than protecting his passer. With 28 key run blocks, Jacques was the leading blocker for the running game as well.

DE Wally Mattingly - #70 - age 23
The Merchantmen built a tradition with porducing role players. Wally Mattingly is the newest defensive starter acquired low in the amateur draft. In his rookie season, Mattingly made 6.0 sacks and came only half a sack short to tie the Merchantmen rookie record. 'Wally World II' is expected to remain as the starter for several more seasons and provide the run defense support that Merchantmen defensive ends usually don't show.

DT Charles Gomez - #78 - age 30
Gomez was back at it. Despite seeing his team win a game without him, Gomez is headed for another All IHOF selection. Gomez forced 6 fumbles, which was the most by any individual player. But his trade is of course his ability to play tough on every play. With 82 tackles, 28 assists, 7.5 sacks and 24 hurries, he was once again one of te elite defensive tackles.

MLB Cody Cluff - #50 - age 28
'Cluffy' had a season of two faces. Around mid-season, Cluff was leading the league, was on pace for over 150 tackles and even breaking the single-season record. But as Cluff picked up a knee injury, he missed the late season comeback by the team. Despite that, Cluff had a 90+ tackle season for the sixt time in six years as a football player. With 98 tackles and 4 forced fumbles, Cluff had a good season afterall.

OLB Mike Kershner - #95 - age 27
Chances are slim that 'Mickey' Kershner will ever forget his 2009 campaign. After having been a backup player with only gunner duties, Kershner came back strong for a career season. It almost seemed like he played both on the strongside and weakside. With 93 tackles, 33 tackles, 3 sacks, 6 defended passes, 1 interception and 3 forced fumbles, he set personal highs in almost every defensive statistic.

CB Myron Stevens - #32 - age 25
The story of Myron Stevens is a crazy one. Picked up as an undrafted rookie, the Merchantmen management saw good things in Stevens. In his fourth season, Stevens was close to being released after pre-season. Injury to Melvin Shelton saved him as the #5 cornerback. But as injuries hit, Stevens came back strong and grabbed a starting role. With 10 defended passes and 3 interceptions, Stevens ranked fourth amongst starting cornerbacks in pass defense percentage at season's end.

SS Lincoln Gilmore - #46 - age 28
Gilmore has quitely been racking up the numbers. With tackle machines like Gomez, Cluff, Kershner and Thelen in the front seven, people miss how important Gilmore has been to the run defense. With 74 tackles, 27 assists and a team high 4 interceptions, Gilmore was a key player every game.

write in candidate
If the above candidates are not your Player of the Year, choose "write-in candidate" and state who your player of the year was.

[MIJB#19]

For those looking for the trout option, I'd recommend them to pick up reading about the San Antonio Volunteers and their starting guard Charles Trout. Sadly for them, Trout picked up a career threatening injury in the 2009 season and he won't be back until somwhere in the 2011 season, providing he won't retire. Running back Shelton Troutman spent the 2009 season as a free agent after having been a backup player for the Boston Rhinos (2004-2005) and Springfield Isotopes (2006-2008) in the past.

[MIJB#19]

I went with a homer pick, Myron Stevens is my favorite player since QB Justin McDavid has turned into a 4th string mentoring quarterback.

[Alf]

Gomez is too much of a brute force to ever be ignored when gameplanning

[MIJB#19]

Small update: Charles Gomez was selected as being the IHOF's best defensive tackle of the 2009 season by the in-game awards system. All other Merchantmen guys missed the All league 1st or 2nd team honors, as to be expected.

[VPI97]

If you look up Merchantmen in the dictionary, you'd see a picture of Charles Gomez.

[MIJB#19]

Approx. 10 days left to vote. Make it count, people!