IHOF: Maassluis Merchantmen

[Alf]

Sud-Ouest , Sept 27th

It is with a raining day that the Vineyards will open the season vs Maassluis. These two trading partner teams are also playing in the same division and some familiar faces will have changed jerseys during the off-season. DE Wells is the most notable guy. The press in Bordeaux is predicting him to run all over rookie QB Flannery and put pressure on him constantly.

Despite being favored by 3 points in Vegas, we expect Maassluis to lose vs Bordeaux to respect tradition.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Alf

Sud-Ouest , Sept 27th

It is with a raining day that the Vineyards will open the season vs Maassluis. These two trading partner teams are also playing in the same division and some familiar faces will have changed jerseys during the off-season. DE Wells is the most notable guy. The press in Bordeaux is predicting him to run all over rookie QB Flannery and put pressure on him constantly.

Despite being favored by 3 points in Vegas, we expect Maassluis to lose vs Bordeaux to respect tradition.

The breaking news is that Bordeaux today announced the addition of two- time Offensive Player of the Year and two-time rushing leader Huey Gervais. Not good for us at all, yet, Gervais won't be playing a lead role for the Vineyards in week 1 as it is a last minute trade, or that's what we hope... :o

If needed, we'll put Cody Cluff and Charles Gomez on him, those are guys Gervais never faced before and, granted, Gervais can't do it against the better run defenses.

It's also interesting news for former-Merchantmen quarterback Leonard Lyon, who now has the rookie #3 overall pick Raymond Flowers running from behind him.

Talking of former Merchantmen players, here's a list of ex-Merchantmen who have a job elsewhere in the IHOF:
TE Jerry Aubrey - Rochester - backup tight end
FB Mark Burger - Fort Worth - starting fullback
LG Alvin Causey - Bordeaux - starting left guard
DE Deon Chapa - Rochester - starting right end
WR Amos Collins - Rochester - starting split end
DE Cecil Doney - Tucker - running downs end
DT Robert Duong - Fairbanks - starting defensive tackle
SS Percy Francis - Outer Banks - backup safety
DT Andrew King - Springfield - running downs defensive tackle
FB Vincent Lopez - Boulder - starting/backup fullback
QB Leonard Lyon - Springfield - starting quarterback
WR Raul Marshall - Fairbanks - backup flanker/#3 wide-out
SS Wiley McGhee - Georgia - starting #2 cornerback
DE Junior McKeehan - Columbus - backup left end/released?
CB Dennis Preciado - Conyers - nickelback/dime back
MLB Matt Sellers - Fairbanks - backup mid-tackle
QB Antoine Shepard - Paris - #3 quarterback/released?
FS Randal Smith - Paris - starting/backup safety
CB Angel Tong - Astoria - role as nickelback
WR Fredric Vargas - North Plainfield - starting split end
DE Harold Wells - Bordeaux - starting left end

As you can see, at least 10 players are likely to be starters this opening round of games, being optimistic it could add up to about 15. Substract the number of acquired starters we have (13) and te figure makes perfectly sense.

[MIJB#19]

Week 1 Recap

Merchantmen lose, Flannery shines, Wayne out for season
The Maassluis Merchantmen played the Bordeaux Vineyards in the first game of the 2006 season. The Vineyards were clear favorites to win and pulled it of with a 27-21 victory on the road. The score looked close, yet the Merchantmen defense was horrific and allowed 159 yards rushing and 216 yards passing. The offense couldn't make up for getting out yarded 3:2 while having a -2 turnover margin. Especially the third down numbers from Bordeaux were worrisome.

Louie Flannery tried to do his best to avoid a big loss. Flan' made his pro debut and put his name on the headlines, leading the league this week with 3 passing touchdowns. In total, Flannery completed just 15 (of 28) passes, yet the yardage total of 199 and the touchdown figure (3) made up for the big mistakes. Flannery threw 1 interception and he fumbles also once, yet recovered his own fumble and Randy Harris' a few plays later. With a passer rating of 97.1, Flannery ranks sixth in the IHOF after one weekend.

The defense took a big blow in the game. Cornerback Tai Wayne got injured early in the game and was diagnosised with a high ankle sprain. Wayne is expected to miss the entire season and will be put on injured reserve. After losing safety Richard Muller for the year and trading veterans Dennis Preciado and Wiley McGhee, all four starters in 2005 are unavailable for the Merchantmen. The new secondary will be formed by former Orlando Knights Gus Stoffers and Johnnie Stidham, 2004 starter Lincoln Gilmore and 2005 backup John Cole. It doesn't bode well for the already very weak pass defense.

European rivals in action
The Gothenburg Giants played like they always were without Jerry McGee and won easily with 28-14. Duane Davis struggled a bit, but made up in the end and tossed for 263 yards and 1 score versus 1 interception. Davis added a rushing touchdown to make up for the fact that his interception was returned for a score. The Musketeers scored only one offensive touchdown. Horace Hornbeck, acquired from Gothenburg in trade, made a 55-yard reception on a pass from Mario Hudson. 'Super Mario' passed for 200 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. It seems Hudson is not completely done maturing.

Other news around the IHOF
The team of the week I called out, the Boulder Blizzard, kicked off with a small win on the road at the San Luis Obispo Burn. Fumbles almost made them lose the game, but new quarterback Julius Irvine was the personification of the new Blizzard team with 218 yards passing, 30 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns.

In other news, the defending champions Ann Arbor Anachronism started with a 23-13 victory. The AOC champions Conyers Condors lost 10-27 at home to the Orlando Knights. The other favorites to get far into the post-season had disappointing season starts. The Telluride Outlaws lost 24-27 at San Antonio Volunteers, the Chesapeake Chitterlings lost 17-18 in a fourth quarter comeback from Frederick Red Menace and the North Plainfield Plague were beaten 10-19 at the Boston Rhinos. The Fairbanks Norhtstars escaped in overtime with a 20-17 win at the Anaheim Matterhorns.

Some other notable results: the Rochester Lake Monsters kicked of with a 29-21 victory of the hated Syracuse Mohawks. Ex-Merchantmen fullback Mark Burger had a key role in Fort Worth Fury's 21-0 big win over the Vicksburg Vipers. With 266 yards passing, Leonard Lyon earned MVP honors in his Springfield Isotopes debut as he lead his men to a big 31-17 win over the division holders Outer Banks Ospreys. And last, but not least, the #1 pick Seth Dwight quarterbacked his Astoria Heroes to a 20-12 victory with 190 yards passing and a touchdown.

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

Schedule
Gothenburg visits Anaheim Matterhorns. The Matterhorns almost pulled of the upset against the 2004 champs from Fairbanks,
Bordeaux plays at home against Fairbanks. For both teams it will be a true test to see how ready they are for the league title.
Paris plays at home against the Boulder Blizzard. The Blizzard hope to already double their 2005 wins with a revamped team.
Maassluis goes back to California for a game against the San Luis Obispo Burn. This pre-season, the Burn won 14-12 while Louie Flannery showed an amazing fourth quarter comeback to almost tie the score, yet the two-point conversion failed with no time remaining.

[MIJB#19]

General manager notes
Let's sum up what happened:
* we lost the game
* we sucked on pass defense
* we lost our best pass defender
* we allowed Rashad Burse to 121 yards, while we held him to 50 twice in 2005
* Flannery looked good
* Kershner is still not developing, despite having a personal mentor
* our backup linemen think they are too good to ride the bench

First the bad news mentioned first. We lost and it wasn't good at all. If we didn't have that young quarterback passing for us, this game had been over before the fourth quarter. Our defense sucked and the new pass defense scheme was tested and didn't look good at all. Granted, Joe Johnson to Toby Williams is tough to stop, especially if the only guy able to contain Williams, Tai Wayne, goes out for the year.

The fact that Mike Kershner is still not developing worries me too. I acquired Josh Weisberg to be a worthy backup and personal mentor to make him a better linebacker, yet he still isn't developing enough. Maybe it's because of our tendency to pull him for a nickelback. C'mon Mike, you're our future!

Then the backup linemen. Eric Dietrich and Edgar Dunkin, clearly backups on the team, both think they deserve more than just being a backup player. Morons... The addition of mentor Lane Stedman seems to help and both starters at guard (Butch White and Timothy Lacy) seem to improve. Dietrich should see he's the number three there. And Edgar Dunkin? Well, backup up Harold Hurtado, a former All IHOF second teamer, that should be an honor. Especially if there's a big name like Wilson Grimaldo mentoring you. Right now, I have no idea how to cope with it...

Next game, San Luis Obispo. The Burn are cursed or something, they have 15 players battling injuries, of which one has been put on injured reserve. Their quarterback, Curtis Corbett, is a guy to watch with interesting weaknesses in several areas of passing distances. The Burn have been underachievers in the past and we can only hope they'll be again this Thursday.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention my player of the year nominees this week. Five names for the first three points, from fifth to best this week, I rank:
0 points for Gregory Monti - the flanker had 4 catches for 78 yards, including 1 touchdown
0 points for Butch White - the left guard had 3 key run blocks (75%) and didn't allow a sack
1 point for Ellsworth Thelen - the strong side linebacker made 7 tackles and defended 2 passes while allowing 1 catch
2 points for Charles Gomez - the defensive tackle made 9 tackles, 5 assists and hurried the quarterback into a bad throw 2 times; in all three areas he lead the team
3 points for Louie Flannery - the quarterback tossed 3 touchdowns in his first game and kept the team closer that we really were

And for those wondering, Louie Flannery got sacked twice, indeed once by Harold Wells and indeed it was the play forcing Flan' to fumble...

[Alf]

A few Bordeaux notes on the game

- our 3rd down conversion of 70+% is great news to us
- we hold the ball over 40:30 minutes to Maassluis 18:30 minutes. That is decisive too
- Burse did ran well, but this is primarily due to the fact that Bordeaux has an improved OL (4 new starters) rather than a truely sucky Maassluis DL
- Gervais only dressed up as RB#3 due to miscommunication between me and his agent
- Flannery got sacked twice, once by DE Wells, once by DT Hammer, but he did looked good. Good pick Matthijs !
- The injury to CB Wayne is a crucial loss. I think this will make the playoffs even more difficult to reach for Maassluis

[MIJB#19]

A couple of replies to Alf's notes:

Originally Posted by Alf

- our 3rd down conversion of 70+% is great news to us

Yes, that was aweful. I wish there were special third down settings to change, yet they hardly exsist in the game. It probably has to do with the new pass defense allowing too much free room to run through. I guess I need two game plans from now on: the one I used for bad passing offenses and a special risks on passing downs game plan for teams like Bordeaux with a great passer and receiver.

Originally Posted by Alf

- we hold the ball over 40:30 minutes to Maassluis 18:30 minutes. That is decisive too

I didn't even see the time management stats until you pointed this out. That's just plain horrible, the worst time of possession I've seen so far in the IHOF, I think.

Originally Posted by Alf

- Burse did ran well, but this is primarily due to the fact that Bordeaux has an improved OL (4 new starters) rather than a truely sucky Maassluis DL

No excuse, the run defense was our charm and even if we held the Vineyards to 3.2 yards per carry, 159 yards is too much.

Originally Posted by Alf

- Gervais only dressed up as RB#3 due to miscommunication between me and his agent

Week 10, Gervais will show how good he can be against us.

Originally Posted by Alf

- Flannery got sacked twice, once by DE Wells, once by DT Hammer, but he did looked good. Good pick Matthijs !

Thanks.
I knew that Flannery already knows all the formations we use, so I figured he'd fit right into our offense, at least better than Leonard Lyon. His 2-minute offense skill and 3rd down skill will be crucial over time, I think, altough we've been a good 3rd down offense in the past with McDavid, who isn't a 3rd down specialist.

Originally Posted by Alf

- The injury to CB Wayne is a crucial loss. I think this will make the playoffs even more difficult to reach for Maassluis

Guess who'll be starting: It's either both the two corners we got from Orlando or at least one of them joined by undrafted rookie Myron Stevens.

[flere-imsaho]

Tough first loss, but I'll be rooting for you to pull it together!!!

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Tough first loss, but I'll be rooting for you to pull it together!!!

Thanks. It will be a tough season, afterall. Our roster is ranked as the worst of the AOC conference and with the "most improved" tag, people might even expect something from us. The Bordeaux loss was bad, worse than the score reads and without Tai Wayne it won't get much easier.
I'm currently making the game plan for week 2 against San Luis Obispo, I can only hope that having Flannery is enough to be 1-1 next Thursday.

[MIJB#19]

Week 2 Preview

European Division previews
Maassluis at San Luis Obispo
After a disappointing 0-1 start at home, there's nothing wrong with the desire to set things straight in week two. The Burn are still trying to find ways to win games, or even better, avoid losing them. The Merchantmen have found winning ways in 2005 and Louie Flannery looks like an upgrade over Leonard Lyon. Both team currently rank in the worst 5 in rushing yards allowed and the worst 10 in yards per pass attempt and third down defense. The fans in California should get ready for a high scoring game, set the over/under at 50 points people!

Gothenburg at Anaheim
The Giants hardly missed Jerry McGee or Alfredo Bass and that is a good thing for them. The Matterhorns are of similair quality as Paris so this won't be a real test yet to see whether the Giants are potential division winners.

Bordeaux versus Fairbanks
The IHOF's game of the week has a big matchup here with the two conference runner-ups. Fairbanks went of with a narrow escape win in overtime after having a difficult off-season, while Bordeaux traded in fresh meat to go for a win-now scenario.

Paris versus Boulder
The Musketeers were 2-14, the Blizzard 1-15, both were their conference's worst. The big difference is the way the team are rebuilding: Paris drafted rookies, Boulder traded their draft pick value for players. For both this will be a big test to see whether they can beat relative weak opponents.

MIJB's power rankings
The first round of games are in, let's see how team progressed and such. Given are the rankings, last weeks rankings and the current record.

32 (32) - Paris (0-1) - The rebuilding is continuing, 2006 will be a long, but not longer than 16 games.
31 (31) - Georgia (0-1) - 234 total yards and a completion percentage of 45% scream for a losing season.
30 (30) - San Luis Obispo (0-1) - The way the Burn manage to give games away, it's almost art.
29 (24) - Miami (0-1) - Still relying on Woodrow Taylor, there will be more choking in 2006.
28 (29) - Anaheim (0-1) - They almost beat Fairbanks. Indeed, almost.
27 (21) - Maassluis (0-1) - The pass defense was already woeful and now they lost Tai Wayne too, ouch.
26 (20) - Minnesota (0-1) - New quarterback, same old story: too many touchdowns thrown the wrong way.
25 (17) - Vicksburg (0-1) - Guess we'll be seeing the earl 2005 Vipers and not the 5-1 season end Vipers.
24 (19) - Brooklyn (0-1) - When you're facing 3rd and 9 again and again, scoring will be tough all year.
23 (27) - Springfield (1-0) - Huey-who? The Isotopes are 1-0 without him.
22 (23) - Boulder (1-0) - Julius Irvine makes his mark, the Blizzard are a team to watch out for.
21 (28) - Orlando (1-0) - The Knights are not rebuilding, they're the same old with just a new passer.
20 (26) - Asheville (1-0) - Who's talking about Thad when Ben Erb runs for 145 yards a scores 4 times.
19 (25) - Boston (1-0) - Winning is good, but it was mainly due to David Conti's 3 interceptions.
18 (18) - Frederick (1-0) - A great fourth quarter comeback win, but it doesn't show they're better.
17 (15) - Conyers (0-1) - The Condors picked up where they left in 2005, with a big loss.
16 (22) - Gothenburg (1-0) - Duane Davis passes the first test, he can win games without Jerry McGee.
15 (14) - Syracuse (0-1) - A defense with Joe Teeters giving up 379 yards, that's not playoff material.
14 (16) - RayCo (1-0) - If only they could play the Miners offense 16 times, they'd reach the playoffs.
13 (11) - Outer Banks (0-1) - The score was a bit wacky, but stats were clear, the Ospreys were unlucky.
12 (10) - Columbus (0-1) - It's a miracle if a defense allowing 468 yards can keep the team in the game.
11 (07) - Chesapeake (0-1) - Knowing 48% and 2 picks is bad, Canter looks over his shoulder.
10 (12) - Astoria (1-0) - Air Force One has landed winning the first battle, but the war isn't over yet.
09 (08) - Telluride (0-1) - 50% completed, 2 interceptions, too early to call Norm Rizzo too old?
08 (13) - San Antonio (1-0) - That first win was great, but they need to fix the leaky offensive line.
07 (09) - Fort Worth (1-0) - The offense clicks, the defense makes plays, don't underestimate the Fury.
06 (03) - North Plainfield (0-1) - We'll see the old Plague back, Conti won't be that bad all year.
05 (06) - Tucker (1-0) - Nothing wrong with that week 1 performance, the Tigers are playoff material.
04 (05) - Rochester (1-0) - The Lake Monsters are starting strong again, can they keep it up this year?
03 (02) - Fairbanks (1-0) - Great teams sometimes win lucky games, that makes Joey Allen & co. great.
02 (04) - Bordeaux (1-0) - They were just the Merchantmen, but the dominance bodes well for more.
01 (01) - Ann Arbor (1-0) - The champs kickoff with an amazing show, only the big score was missing.

[Kodos]

I can't help but think the Lake Monsters are overrated in your poll. Not that I mind.


TE Jerry Aubrey - Rochester - backup tight end

Jerry is indeed the backup, but he will get a lot of PT, as we use a lot of 2 tight end sets and have him as the lone tight end in a couple of formations. And he already has his first TD as a Lake Monster.

[Alf]

According to MIJB, Fairbanks at Bordeaux should be the game to watch. That's good news as Dr K from MNF agrees too ! I am flattered.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I can't help but think the Lake Monsters are overrated in your poll. Not that I mind.


TE Jerry Aubrey - Rochester - backup tight end

Jerry is indeed the backup, but he will get a lot of PT, as we use a lot of 2 tight end sets and have him as the lone tight end in a couple of formations. And he already has his first TD as a Lake Monster.

I noticed that too. I know Aubrey plays better than rated.

[flere-imsaho]

I may be gravely mistaken, but didn't someone on the IHOF boards do Week reviews of the games last year. They'd include a line that said "It was over when..." Or was that someone's dynasty?

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

I may be gravely mistaken, but didn't someone on the IHOF boards do Week reviews of the games last year. They'd include a line that said "It was over when..." Or was that someone's dynasty?

It was the Dr K. week review.

[Darkiller]

great to see power rankings, I felt this is something that had to be done : great stuff.
however, sad to see us ranked 32nd and last. But until we get a win, we won't be considered.

Looking at the European teams schedule in week2, I can't help but think we have a shot at coming right back into it :
Bordeaux Vs Fairbanks : the Northstars can (should ?) win.
Gothenburg...is on the road : no sure thing.
Maassluis...is on the road : no sure thing, at all.
Paris is home and plays Boulder (an improved team that won in week 1, but still, 1-15 last year and the worst record overall in the league's first two seasons) : we have a chance.

All in all, Paris has a shot at being 1-1 with Bordeaux and Gothenburg being 1-1 as well, and Maassluis 0-2 (or 1-1).

[MIJB#19]

Press release: Merchantmen put cornerback Wayne on IR
The Merchantmen management is devasted having to announce that cornerback Tai Wayne was put on injured reserve. Wayne suffered a high ankle sprain early in the home game against the Bordeaux Vineyards. With Wayne expected to not be completely recovered until midway the playoffs, the team has decided not to risk agrevating injuries.

Drafted at #12 overall in the 2005 draft, Tai Wayne has been seen as the Merchantmen's answer for a shutdown cornerback. Wayne's 2005 campaign wasn't very succesful, but his dominant pre-season play against backup receveires told the team he was ready for single-handedly improving the poor pass defense shown in 2005.

The supposed to be backup Dennis Preciado was traded after training camp. To fill the void, the team is weighing the options. One option is to find a backup elsewhere in the IHOF who would be an immediate upgrade for the Merchantmen. The other option is to go with the current personnel.

For the road game at the San Luis Obispo Burn the team will probably move Gus Stoffers from #2 to #1. Either nickel back Johnnie Stidham or dime back Myron Stevens will be the #2 cornerback. Another option would be to play backup safety Emile William at cornerback and activate late fifth round pick Lamar Singleton.

As a sidenote, the addition of guard Lane Stedman from the Columbus Architects hasn't gone unnoticed. Stedman and left tackle Harold Hurtado are not the best of friends, while backup guard Eric Dietrich fears for his role. On the other hand, young starting guards Timothy Lacy and Butch White are mentored well and made good progress the past week.

[MIJB#19]

Week 2 Recap

Merchantmen win, Flannery flames the Burn to defeat
In an exciting game of football, the Maassluis Merchantmen have won a big shootout game at the San Luis Obispo Burn. In overtime, defensive tackle Charles Gomez returned a fumble after sacking the Burn quarterback Curtis Corbett 8 yards for the game winning score. The final score of 36-30 marked the first time in IHOF history a losing team score 30 or more points. Quarterback Louie Flannery earned MVP honors in the win.

The Merchantmen took an early lead and basically led most of the game. At half time, the visiting team had a 16-6 lead and kept the margin alive until midway the fourth quarter. As Matt Offord ran 88 yards on a big punt return to score, the Merchantmen went up 14 points and the win looked secure. Dana Stenstrom pulled a big play on the next play with a 84-yard touchdown run. What followed was some big fourth quarter heroism from Curtis Corbett ending in his onw 3-yard touchdown run. Elas, in overtime Corbett fumbled after getting sacked near his own endzone and Charles Gomez made the early leaders of the game the winners.

The San Luis Obispo Burn dominated the game on offense and defense for mostof the game. Quarterback Curtis Corbett lead the team with 337 yards passing as the team gained 547 yards total on offense in less than 30 minutes of possession. With almost 200 yards less on offense, the Merchantmen did pull the upset with some excellent special teams play, forcing very little returning yards and making one big play on their own. Rookie Matt Offord had a great 88-yard punt return, punter Roscoe Corrales excelled and didn't allow a punt return and kicker Cary Coles scored 3 field goals and 3 extra points. Also very interesting was kicker Al Bettis' showing as he made several touchbacks and never saw the kickoff returner exceed the 21-yard line.

Louie Flannery completed 26 of 37 passes (70%) for 264 yards (7.1 per attempt, 10.2 per completion) and 1 touchdown. His main target, Bryce Ewald, caught 8 passes for 115 yards, while tight end Jim Reiser had an equal number of receptions for 69 yards and the score. The only other offensive touchdown was scored by Jamal Rosenberry on a 1-yard run. With this showing, Flannery ranks fifth in the league in passer rating and second in touchdowns. Amazingly, two other European division playcallers, Duane Davis (Gothenburg) and Joe Johnson (Bordeaux) are the top two in passer rating.

Good news is that the team didn't see another injury come to haunt the team. Gregory Monti is still not completely healthy, yet could return into action next game against the Orlando Knights. Brant Heinrich got injured during the game, but is fully recovered. The long term injured quarterback Justin McDavid, cornerback Tai Wayne and safety Richard Muller of course won't play either. Based on the season so far, this game looks like another big passing game with rookie quarterbacks leading the two teams on offense. Fans of passing football should really look forward to Dutch Bowl II.


European rivals in action
The Bordeaux Vineyards pulled one of the biggest wins in team history. With excellent third down play, the Vineyards kept the team going and they took advantage of a 2-0 turnover figure to win 27-21 in a close game. Our former star player Harold Wells excelled with 3 sacks and 6 tackles, winning him Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Gothenburg played a more efficient game than the Anaheim Matterhorns. In a pretty even matchup, the Giants scored touchdowns, where the 'horns settled for fields goals a lot. The final score 30-9 for the raod playing Gothenburg was impressive nonetheless.

Paris was hoping for a break-out game from Mario Hudson against the Boulder Blizzard and clearly he kept pace with Julius Irvine. Hudson passed for 236 yards and earned MVP honors in a 16-14 win. The game winning field goal came with 13 seconds left on the clock, yet a win is a win.


Other news around the IHOF
Our good friends from Rochester, who went of to a great start in week one, lost a game completly focussed on the running game. The Asheville Axemen won 10-9 in a game with 79 rushing plays and just 31 passing plays. The Lake Monsters drop back to second place tied with the winning North Plainfield Plague and winning Syracuse Mohawks. The last mentioned beat Leonard Lyon's Springfield Isotopes 22-7 with Bill Vickers scoring 5 field goals. The Plauge shutdown the Outer Banks Ospreys in a 14-0 road victory.

In other action, the 2005 champions Ann Arbor Anachronism were upset on the road at the Georgia Gridlock. Tim Wilkes tossed for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns in the upset. Other favorites who lost in week one, the Telluride Outlaws and Chesapeake Chitterlings, bounched back with 42-3 and 38-10 wins over the Frederick Red Menace and Fort Worth Fury respectively.

The Orlando Knights, who beat the AOC champions Conyers Condors last week, lost in overtime to the Minnesota Miners. The Condors themselves and star quarterback Everett Glenn looked lost at the Columbus Architects and are 0-2. Then there are a couple of teams who are silently sitting 2-0. The RayCo Raiders beat the Tucker Tigers 24-21 while the San Antonio Volunteers won 24-16 at the Astoria Heroes.


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


Schedule
Bordeaux faces another big test. The 0-2 Conyers Condors come to France and the Vinyeards will gladly avenge the loss in the 2005 AOC championship game. Gothenburg goes to fellow 2-0 team San Antonio. Duane Davis is on fire and wants to continue leading the league in passer rating. Paris goes to 0-2 Vicksburg. For the Vipers an opportunity to see whether they are cellar dwellers or just below average.

Maassluis will be playing at home in Dutch Bowll II against the Orlando Knights. Rookie Michael Prescott tossed 5 interceptions so far, yet also posted back-to-back 250-yard games. With 3 touchdowns against the strong Minnesota Miners defense, Prescott is looking good. Running back Israel Mars is on fire too so far, with 2 touchdowns in week one and 138 yards rushing in week two. Interesting tidbit: three players of the Merchantmen's terrible secondary were backups for Orlando in this matchup last season. Gus Stoffers and Johnnie Stidham are Maassluis' starting cornerbacks, Emile William seems to be the primary backup at any position.


Merchantmen player of the year lists
The Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. has nominated five players for the Merchantmen player of the year lists after the game against San Luis Obispo. The five are listed from five to one in terms of perfromance. Listed below that are the current leaders in the seperate categories like best newcomer and best rookie.

Week 2 nominees:
0 points for linebacker Cody Cluff, who had 8 tackles, and right guard Timothy Lacy, who had 3 key run blocks.
1 point for Matt Offord - the wide receiver returned 1 punt for 88 yards and a score, had 3 kickoff returns for 58 yards and had a 1-yard reception.
2 points for Bryce Ewald - the wide receiver had 8 catches for 115 yards, making him an important target for Louie Flannery.
3 points for Louie Flannery - the quarterback passed for 264 yards and 1 touchdown.
4 points for Jamel Rosenberry - the fullback scored on a 1-yard run as he totalled 21 yards on 5 runs. He also added a 1-yard reception and made 2 key run blocks, both on third down plays forcing a first down.
5 points for Charles Gomez - the defensive tackle scored the gamewinning fumble recovery touchdown after making the only sack of the game. He also made 5 tackles.

Overall point total:
7 - DT Charles Gomez
6 - QB Louie Flannery
4 - FB Jamel Rosenberry
2 - WR Bryce Ewald
1 - WR Matt Offord, LB Ellsworth Thelen

[Dutch]

Maassluis will be playing at home in Dutch Bowll II against the Orlando Knights.

We are looking forward to making the trip across the big pond to meet up with the Dutchmen. We are looking forward to avenging last year's loss. We plan on unleashing the F****** Rookie (to paraphrase HFP's great logo). See you Maassluis.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Dutch

We are looking forward to making the trip across the big pond to meet up with the Dutchmen. We are looking forward to avenging last year's loss. We plan on unleashing the F****** Rookie (to paraphrase HFP's great logo). See you Maassluis.

Well, it will be interesting to see the two best rookie quarterbacks in yards (Prescott 1st, Flannery 2nd) and touchdowns (Flannery 1st, Prescott 2nd) so far this season play against eachother.

I sure hope to find a way to gain a bigger lead than the 14 points against the Burn, this story of upset wins is getting really annoying. We take a lead by miracle, defend it by stopping teams in the red zone, yet do allow the opposing QB to set some impressive franchise and personal passing records.

That said, the Merchantmen have never lost a game where we allowed 500 yards passing and rushing in total. In 2+ years of IHOF play, 10 times a team allowed 500 or more yards, eight of those times that team lost (all were different teams). The two times the Merchantmen allowed so many, 501 versus Conyers in 2005 and 554 versus San Luis Obispo in 2006, our team managed to win. Maybe we should add something to the game plan to represent this: make sure we give up 500 yards and we win.

[MIJB#19]

General manager notes
Well, what can I say after week 2?
* Flannery keeps playing very well.
* Our special teams unit is playing like I planned it to see it play, the hang time of the kicker and punter make returning kicks for long games difficult, especially if Cody Cluff and Mike Kershner are coming at you. Rookie Al Bettis seems to be worth the roster spot I kept open for him.
* Our defense sucks, big time: 188 rushing yards per game (4.9 per carry), 276 passing yards per game (63% complete, 7.8 per attempt, 12.2 per completion),just 1 sack so far, 0 interceptions, second worst in 3rd down conversions allowed (61%) and even our old cherry on the pie, the red zone defense, has turned sour, we allow 5.6 points per visit.
* Our running game is really looking aweful. We rank 31st in yards per game (67), 32nd in yards per carry (3.0). Yet our third down running and short yardage rushing is not bad. That said, Flannery clearly loves to throw a lot and doesn't know how big Randy Harris is around here.
* Our passing offense? Well, with Flannery is part of a passing game with a completion percentage of 63%, 231 yards per game, 7.1 yards per attempt, 11.2 yards per completion and 4 touchdowns versus 1 interception. Of course, I expect that last number to increase over the course of the season.
* Flannery's pace to pull havoc on Justin McDavid's rookie passing records? 230 yd per game is on pace for 3,700 yards, 4 touchdowns means on pace for 32. The record figures are 2,904 and 19 respectively.
* Gregory Monti is still questionable with a sprained knee. I have no idea how to cope with that, whether I should make him active or not. David Henkel as a replacement was decent (4 receptions, 48 yards), he's averaging 15 yards per reception so far.

MIJB's IHOF Power Rankings - post week 2
32 (29) - Miami (0-2) - Like expected, more Woodrow Taylor interceptions, 2006 will be tough.
31 (30) - San Luis Obispo (0-2) - When you think losing can't be more painful, the Burn set a new record.
30 (32) - Paris (1-1) - If this defense can shutdown more opponents, Paris might surprise some.
29 (25) - Vicksburg (0-2) - At least they are on the scoreboard this time, yet it's still not pretty.
28 (23) - Springfield (1-1) - All of a sudden, the loss of Huey Gervais looks big after all.
27 (28) - Anaheim (0-2) - The score made things look worse than they were, yet the Matterhorns are 0-2.
26 (27) - Maassluis (1-1) - With Louie Flannery passing like a veteran, the Merchantmen will win some.
25 (22) - Boulder (1-1) - Apparently the Blizzard's talented starters aren't completely clicking yet.
24 (31) - Georgia (1-1) - Hey, there is one team in the IHOF that has found a way to beat Donald Woods.
23 (21) - Orlando (1-1) - The offense keeps producing, yet now the turnovers start messing things up.
22 (24) - Brooklyn (1-1) - The Bums force 4 turnovers and finally visit .500 land for the first time.
21 (26) - Minnesota (1-1) - The defense was gone, but the turnover battle helped the Miners to win.
20 (18) - Frederick (1-1) - Difference in yardage: -10, difference in points: 39, reason: 6 turnovers.
19 (13) - Outer Banks (0-2) - Was week one a close game, week two was almost hopeless.
18 (17) - Conyers (0-2) - Can somebody please return the real Everett Glenn, the Condors need him, now.
17 (19) - Boston (2-0) - So far, the Rhinos are mistake free, but Fabian Parker is so unpredictable.
16 (20) - Asheville (2-0) - Thad has changed his plans, this year he makes first quarter heroics.
15 (10) - Astoria (1-1) - Still a good team with a strong offense, but 'AFO's' mistakes will be pricey.
14 (07) - Fort Worth (1-1) - The offense is so-so, the defense got spanked, don't overestimate the Fury.
13 (16) - Gothenburg (2-0) - And the Duane Davis show keeps going strong, time for real competition.
10 (15) - Syracuse (1-1) - The red zone offense needs to improve and where the hell has Joe Teeters been?
11 (12) - Columbus (1-1) - A great rebound to go 1-1 against last season's IHOF Bowl teams, not bad.
12 (14) - RayCo (2-0) - The Raiders are silently beating good teams and are one of few unbeaten teams.
09 (05) - Tucker (1-1) - And so the playoff caliber Tigers are back to their usual 'win one, lose one' habit.
08 (09) - Telluride (1-1) - Good ol' Norm Rizzo played so well, his successor got some playing time too.
07 (04) - Rochester (1-1) - So, maybe Rochester isn't a real top dog yet, with just a normal 1-1 start.
06 (08) - San Antonio (2-0) - And so the Volunteers are 2-0 against playoff teams and are back on top.
05 (11) - Chesapeake (1-1) - No room for discussion, Jaime Canter makes clear week one was a fluke.
04 (03) - Fairbanks (1-1) - Joey Allen is still an elite passer, but the rest is losing it a bit.
02 (06) - North Plainfield (1-1) - Conti rebounds and the defense avenges with it's first shutout.
03 (01) - Ann Arbor (1-1) - Every winning streak has to end some day, let's call it an off-day.
01 (02) - Bordeaux (2-0) - Week two should make clear that for the title, a team has to beat Bordeaux.

[MIJB#19]

General manager notes
Well, not much to tell, really. I've been working the past week to get two players who should be good additions to the team. The two players, I can't give away names as of yet, will have to be team players as they will probably not even make the active roster. It's probably not so much interesting, but to me 10 little moves can make as much impact as 1 big move. Making that 1 big move would obviously have my preference, but sometimes, especially when cap management is not going well, you have to settles with the little moves.

Additionally, there are some players complaining about playing time. Additional to Eric Dietrich and Edgar Dunkin, now our other new backup guard, Lane Stedman, wants more playing time. Some players just don't understand that when we trade for them, it doesn't mean they will be starters. A kind of a similair problem is here in the secondary. There are some serious conflicts between the players there. John Cole seems to not be a popular leader. I have to take better notice of birthdates of players when hiring them the next time...

[MIJB#19]

Week 3 Recap

Merchantmen become top scoring team in Dutch Bowll II win
In a matchup between two teams lead by rookie quarterbacks, the Maassluis Merchantmen kept the imaginary Dutch Bowl in the Netherlands as they beat the by 'Dutch' owned Orlando Knights 24-13. The teams kept the score close all game, yet the more efficient Merchantmen kept the Knights from converting third downs and won in their own fashion.

The first quarter of the game set the tone for the rest of the matchup. In three drives, the Merchantmen saw Randy Harris run wild, Jamel Rosenberry make a key third down run and had Louie Flannery to spread the ball around the receivers. In the end, Harris made the scoring run from 8-yards out, yet the score was not bigger than 7-0 due to a Flannery interception.

Also in the first quarter, the Merchantmen defense set the tone for the game of the Orlando Knights. Rookie Michael Prescott was intercepted on his second pass attempt and fumbled after a sack on his fourt attempt, while on his third attempt he was forced to scramble with the ball. In their third possession, the Knights moved forward with big receptions and great runs from Israel Mars, yet going into the second quarter, the team failed on fourth down and turned the ball over.

As the game kept going, young Prescott got over the bad start and started connecting with the very good Knights' receivers. Orlando kept moving and eventually the tying touchdown came on a 24-yard pass after a 21-yard pass.
As the time ran out, both teams added a field goal to see a 10 all score at half time.

In the third quarter, the Knights got into some trouble early on. After three consecutive holding penalties, of which one was declined, Prescott was sacked for a loss of 7 yards and he faced third and 42. Louie Flannery quickly returned the favor with an interception on his first pass attempt and the Knights turned into into a 13-10 lead.

Then came the moment Flannery really got his team together. Down by three, Flannery connected twice with Jim Reiser and a big pass to David Henkel for a 43-yard gain put the Merchantmen into a scoring position. Runs from Harris put the Merchantmen to third and 2 and the three yard line, to use the Jamel Rosenberry's specialty to score from a few yards out.

In his next drive, Michael Prescott got intercepted by former Orlando cornerback Johnnie Stidham. Some back and fort punting helped the Merchantmen to get to the Knights' territory. Flannery spread the ball around, while Harris kept the predictability out of the way with some fine 4-yard runs and it resulted in Flannery's first touchdown pass of the game as Bryce Ewald grabbed the ball after a 5-yard pass.

In the remaining six plus minutes, the Merchantmen defense kept the Knights far away from the endzone and forced two three-and-outs. The Merchantmen concerned more about clokc management and eventually won the game with a total of 34:46 minutes of possession. Speacial teams play kept the Merchantmen going and eventually it looks like a relative simple victory.

After the game, it turned out that the 24 points were just enough to move the Merchantmen into first place for the league in points per game. with 81 points in three games, the Merchantmen keep their divisional rivals Bordeaux and Gothenburg behind them in what seems to be an early European domination in the AOC conference. Despite that all, the Merchantmen defense still ranks second to worst in both passing and rushing yards, while the overall total points to a league worst.

But that's trouble for later, the Merchantmen have a week off and have all the time to get ready for the road game at the Syracuse Mohawks. The new secondary leader, Laurence Gerry, who was flown on the day of the game against Orlando to join the active roster, seems to have a positive influence. Young John Cole made some enemies on the team, while the former Astoria Heroes' veteran keeps the group a happy bunch. Some even claim that Gerry was part of the reason for the Merchantmen's win, yet game MVP Randy Harris called it a team performance. As long as all three parts of the game keep making plays, the Merchantmen could be dark horses to even reach the playoffs.


European rivals in action
The Bordeaux Vineyards keep winning against the great teams. Last week Fairbanks, this week the Conyers Condors choked after a 14-0 lead to see the home team Vineyards get rolling and win 26-14. Everett 'Aces' Glenn looked more like the good old league MVP, but the pressure was on him most of the game and the IHOF's alltime leading rusher Huey Gervais won the battle of big names with 112 yards rushing, 40 yards receiving and 1 score.

Gothenburg had it's first big test in San Antonio, Texas, against the also 2-0 Volunteers. Quarterback Duane Davis and running back Cecil Maxwell formed the backbone of the Giants, while the defense really managed to keep the Volunteers from playing well. The 19-13 win looks closer than it was as San Antonio needed a last minute touchdown to get closer from 13 points down.

Paris hoped to get into a 2-1 record with a game against the winless Vicksburg Vipers. Rookie running back Ronnie Kemp put his motor legs on as he racked up 153 yards on 30 runs with 2 touchdowns, of which one was a receiving score. Fernando Ramsey, a familiar face to the European division as Ramsey used to be Bordeaux' hero, played a bad game as he missed 2 extra points and a 29-yard field goal. Final score was Vicksburg 29, Paris 18.


Other news around the IHOF
A lot of surprises once again this week as some of the league favorites are really not doing very well so far this season. The league champions Ann Arbor Anachronism lost 23-24 on a missed extra point at home to the Outer Banks Ospreys. In the game, Donald Woods tossed 3 interceptions, but so did his former understudy E.G. 'The Great' Lumpin. The pressure to win games is back on Ann Arbor, yet the champs did have a 1-2 start in 2005 as well.

In a big matchup against the Chesapeake Chitterlings, the 2004 champions Fairbanks Northstars were shutdown 21-0, with 14 of those points coming from interception return touchdowns. The North Plainfield Plague steam rolled over the Telluride Outlaws with a big 24-6 victory, yet the game was dominated by 3 turnovers from Outlaws' Norm Rizzo. The RayCo Raiders wasted their unbeaten status with a 17-19 loss at home, despite not allowing a single offensive touchdown, except a fumble return. The other 2-0 team, the Boston Rhinos, lost 17-31 at the Georgia Gridlock.

Other interesting scores? The Rochester Lake Monsters outplayed the Tucker Tigers with 418 to 282 yards, yet needed a late touchdown to win 29-28 on the road. The Joe Teeters gang allowed the Fort Worth Fury to gain more yards, yet saw Brent Peterman show some of his promised talent as the Syracuse Mohawks won 13-12 at home. Seth Dwight, the #1 pick, made the headlines with a touchdown pass in both directions in a close 10-13 loss at home against the Columbus Architects.


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


Schedule
Bordeaux visits 2-1 Boston for a tough game. In 2004, the Rhinos won 23-10 in the same matchup. This time, Bordeaux will be the clear favorites with the big wins against Conyers and Fairbanks in the pocket.

Gothenburg gets another big test as they visit North Plainfield. If the Giants win this game, they'll join the list of serious contenders for a playoff ticket, if they aren't already there after the win over San Antonio.

Paris goes to Rochester to warm up the Lake Monsters for the more important week 5 matchup against North Plainfield. The Musketeers won the last time these two teams played eachother in a freezing atmosphere as Joe Teeters set a mark with 17 tackles. It's also the game between Kevin Wiggins and Joe Boulware, who switched teams in a trade between the two teams. Wiggins is the Lake Monsters' new star rusher, while Boulware is Paris' promising runner.

Maassluis is enjoying a week off and hopes to see enough 2-1 AOC teams lose games to for the first team in franchise history be listed in a playoff position. Even as it would come after 3 7/8th of the season, it's still something new to the Merchantmen. After that, they'll be visiting the Syracuse Mohawks.


Merchantmen player of the year lists
The Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. has nominated five players for the Merchantmen player of the year lists after the game against Orlando. The five are listed from five to one in terms of performance. Listed below that are the current overall standings.

There were no points for the linemen Wilson Grimaldo, Timothy Lacy and Butch White, who all made 3 key run blocks while allowed 0 sacks, no points for Bryce Ewald, who had 78 yards receiving and scored 1 touchdown and also zero points for Cody Cluff, who made 7 tackles and defended 1 pass. The top players so far? Louie Flannery completed 18 of 29 passes for 235 yards and 1 touchdown, yet the 2 interceptions he tossed kept him from a nomination, while Charles Gomez' 5 tackles and 1 quarterback hurry are also insufficient to make this week's top five.

Week 3 nominees:
One point for David Henkel - The wide receiver had just 4 receptions, yet gained 94 yards for a 23.5 average.
two points for Johnnie Stidham - The cornerback made an interception and allowed just 1 catch.
three points for Albert Bernardo - The defensive end made 1.5 sacks, blocked 1 pass, recovered 1 fumble and made 2 tackles.
four points for Gus Stoffers - The cornerback made 1 sack, forced 1 fumble, defended 1 pass and made 4 tackles, while allowing just 2 catches.
five points for Randy Harris - The running back ran for 115 yards and 1 touchdown and had an 11-yard reception.

Overall point total:
7 - DT Charles Gomez
6 - QB Louie Flannery
5 - RB Randy Harris
4 - FB Jamel Rosenberry, CB Gus Stoffers
3 - DE Albert Bernardo
2 - WR Bryce Ewald, CB Johnnie Stidham
1 - WR David Henkel, WR Matt Offord, LB Ellsworth Thelen

[Kodos]

Paris goes to Rochester to warm up the Lake Monsters for the more important week 5 matchup against North Plainfield. The Musketeers won the last time these two teams played eachother in a freezing atmosphere as Joe Teeters set a mark with 17 tackles. It's also the game between Kevin Wiggins and Joe Boulware, who switched teams in a trade between the two teams. Wiggins is the Lake Monsters' new star rusher, while Boulware is Paris' promising runner.


Wiggins is the leading rushing in IHOF. Here's hoping he schools Joe this Thursday.

[Alf]

believe me, Boston is making me more worried than Fairbanks or Conyers...

[MIJB#19]

Week 4 Recap

Merchantmen enjoy week off, trade for new quarterback
As the Merchantmen had no game this week, the team had a little relaxed week to get ready for week 5. It didn't go unnoticed though as star defensvie tackle Charles Gomez had a short meeting concerning his contract this week with the Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. and he caught a bad cold during the meeting. M.IJ.B. had a hard time finding excuses for turning in for work with a bad cold, leading to Gomez' minor problems.

During the week, it appears the Merchantmen manager worked the phones a lot to seal a trade with the Rochester Lake Monsters. The Merchantmen are committed to get Louie Flannery a mentor and Dominic Lynch seems to be a welcome fourth quarterback. The Merchantmen give up two third round picks in 2007, yet get two fifth rounder in return, in addition to Lynch. With the recent signing of Laurence Gerry, it does mean that the Merchantmen need to open up a roster spot for him.

With this off week, the Merchantmen kept their status as top scoring team in the league. With 27 points per game, the Dutchmen have a 1.25 points margin over number two Rochester's 25.75 per game, while Boulder ranks third with 25.33 points less per game. In the defensive yardage rankings, the Merchantmen still stink with 31st in passing yards and 32nd in rushing yards per game. The offense does make plays, especially with the passing game, but it could help that they play the relative lowly ranked Orlando and San Luis Obispo.


European rivals in action
The Bordeaux Vineyards went to Boston and got completely wasted. The total yards difference (195 vs. 358) was even worse than the score could hide (just 10-13). Boston actually needed to go for it in the last two minutes, being down 9-10 and got the desire touchdown. Bordeaux then gambled with 11 seconds left to run rather than try a 42-yard field goal.

Gothenburg came down to earth after a 28-18 beating at North Plainfield Plague. They were'nt that bad, yet simply failed to turn yardage into scores.

Paris suffered a terrible beating at the Rochester Lake Monsters. Paris was held to 152 total yards with 3 turnovers, while the home team fared well with zero turnovers and 315 total yards. The final score of 36-7 was a true representation of how the teams are playing. Minor detail: Paris quarterback Mario Hudson was pulled in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive game. To be continued?


Other news around the IHOF
A couple of power house teams resotred their image a bit, yet the AOC Southeast division turned into the biggest upset of the entire league. The three playoff teams in 2005 (Conyers, Orlando and Tucker) all suffered the third loss in three weeks, while the Georgia Gridlock extended their winning streak to three to give them a big lead. The AOC champions Conyers Condors are even 0-4.

In the AOC Northeast division, all three team beat their European opponents, putting Boston, North Plainfield and Rochester all at 3-1, while Syracuse sits 2-1 in last after an open weekend. 2005 IHOF champions Ann Arbor rebounded to be 2-2 with a big 23-9 win over Anaheim. 2004 champions Fairbanks beat Columbus 16-14 on the road to also sit 2-2. The current top favorites Chesapeake played with backup Ron Lyle under center, but still managed a 21-14 win over Miami at home. Asheville extended the winning streak to four, making them the only unbeaten team after four weeks of play. The RayCo Raiders also keep going with a win over now 0-4 San Luis Obispo, to stay in second place of the NAC with a 3-1 record.


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


Schedule
Bordeaux and Paris are not playing in week 5.

Gothenburg failed their second big test at North Plainfield, yet another big one awaits. The 3-1 Boston Rhinos visit Sweden to see one of these two teams move up to 4-1. Despite the good start in weeks one to three, the loss to the Plague and Bordeaux loss to Boston don't promise much good for the Giants.

Maassluis has a real tough game with road game at the Syracuse Mohawks. Quarterback Brent Peterman is playing better than ever before for Syracuse. Joe Teeters is very much focussed to post double digit tackle numbers or make his first sack against the Merchantmen. In his year at Paris, Teeters didn't make much plays against Maassluis, other than an interception in Oranje Haven. Maassluis still ranks first in points per game and dead last in defensive yardage rankings.


Merchantmen player of the year lists
As in 2005, the Merchantmen general manager makes his own list of top player per week and gives them points for the purpose of overall rankings.

Week 4 nominees:
None, the Merchantmen didn't play.

Overall point total:
7 - DT Charles Gomez
6 - QB Louie Flannery
5 - RB Randy Harris
4 - FB Jamel Rosenberry, CB Gus Stoffers
3 - DE Albert Bernardo
2 - WR Bryce Ewald, CB Johnnie Stidham
1 - WR David Henkel, WR Matt Offord, LB Ellsworth Thelen

[MIJB#19]

Editor's note
The Power Rankings tradition I started for the 2006 has been ended. Well not really, I decided to only post the Power Rankings over at the IHOF board, although if there's desire to post them here too, I'll reverse my decission and simply add the power rankings to the dynasty report.


General manager notes
At last, we've got a mentor quarterback!
Dominic Lynch has arived in Maassluis after a trade with our good friends from Rochester. The Lake Monsters needed some cap space and hoped that trading Lynch would be enough. Apparently it didn't work out, but they have until gameday to resolve it, I presume.

Lynch has made a splash of an entry, he's having affinity with Harold Hurtado and Gregory Monti, while Flannery is the guy he should be working with. All I can hope for is that it's worth it. Now I can only hope that Lynch isn't unhappy with being our #4 quarterback and #5 once McDavid returns in 2007, although by that time either Atkins or Bower, or even Lynch himself, will be expendable.

Imagine this: If you compare our three initial quarterbacks with the five we have now, you can see the world of difference I created, Atkins, Bower and Flannery are all better than McDavid was just 2 1/4th seasons ago.

But then, seeing our offensive line, we might have to come up with a good plan to stop sack machine middle linebacker Joe Teeters on Monday, Butch White and Timothy Lacy won't be able to stop that guy from haunting Louie Flannery. I'm thinking out my options and, to be honest, I think I know what to do, but it's too early to tell what it might be. Perhaps something Chubbish? I'll spare the details for after the game...

[MIJB#19]

Editor's note
I've created a couple of weekly updates, but I'll try to compilate a huge recap to get you all up to date with how the Merchantmen have fared. Little teasers to get you interested again: We've had an amazing start with for the first time ever sitting in a playoff spot during the season, we've got a top scoring RB duo and a turnover collecting defense. And, as usual, had some heart breaking moments over the course of the first 10 games. More later, probably after the week 12 games (Goal is next Thursday or Friday)...

[Kodos]

Woo-hoo! We're back!!!

[MIJB#19]

Recap of weeks 5 to 11
With the outage of FOFC, the Merchantmen dynasty was on hold and a couple of historic moments got lost in the momentum. To recap what happened, here's a short overview of the games and main happenings after the week 4 games.

Week 4-5 mid-week
In exciting last second transactions, right tackle Russell Malave moved to the Telluride Outlaws in a trade of picks, moving a 2008 second rounder up to 2007 and getting fifth rounders in 2007 and 2008. Coming in from our good friends from the Rochester Lake Monsters was mentor quarterback Dominic Lynch with two fifth round picks for two third rounders we still had in 2007.

Week 5
In a defense dominated game, the Syracuse Mohawks (2-1) beat the Merchantmen (2-1) 20-14 at home with two field goals in the final two minutes. On the Merchantmen side, strong side linebacker Ellsworth Thelen recorded no less than 14 tackles, while the offensive line together held league monster linebacker Joe Teeters to just 3 tackles and 0 sacks.

Week 5-6 mid-week
With right tackle Wilson Grimaldo sidelined due to injury, we signed left tackle Kerry McLaurin as an immediate replacement. McLaurin never started in the IHOF, but was a member of the 2004 champions Fairbanks NorthStars and the 2005 AOC champions Conyers Condors. McLaurin's arrival also ment the release of backup fullback Doug Nelson. The sixth rounder was probably the worst player on team and didn't warrant enough skill yet to make him an active roster member.

Week 6
With an adjusted game plan, ment to stop Rochester (4-1) running back Kevin 'Chief' Wiggins, the Merchantmen (2-2) won Futility Bowl III (the nickname of the Maassluis-Rochester matchup). Randy Harris totalled 159 yards rushing, while Louie Flannery had two passing touchdowns to make the offensive share of a 20-10 win at home. Wiggins was held to 69 total yards for the day. Desmond Craig made his mark on defense with an interception in his first start ever as Gus Stoffers was injured and unable to play.

Week 6-7 mid-week
Due to injury of center Brant Heinrich, we saw Bubba 'Gump' Kearney on the market. We decided to offer the former-Bordeaux draft pick a contract and let him work out together with rookie free agent Duane Bishop for the roster spot. Kearney was amazingly released by the Boulder Blizzard by the staff behind the back of the general manager. Kearney won the workout, meaning Bishop was quikcly released again, as was linebacker Karl Mercer, who had been inactive all season.

Week 7
After a failed two-point conversion, the Boston Rhinos (3-3) loss a pretty one-sided event in Oranje Haven. The Merchantmen (3-2) played as well as against Rochester, despite seeing Randy Harris held to 54 total yards. Rookie Louie Flannery gained his second MVP honor for a game, although the defensive effort was more important. Cody Cluff and Charles Gomez recorded 8 tackles each, while Johnnie Stidham made his second interception of the year.

Week 8
The Paris Musketeers (2-4) came into Oranje Haven in an exciting European matchup. The Merchantmen (4-2) took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter with a touchdown from Randy Harris and a field goal from Cary Coles. In the remainder of the game, the defense kept the game exciting, but eventually prevailed with interceptions. Desmond Craig returned one for a score, while Johnnie Stidham returned one of two picks for 83-yards and a sealing score. In the 24-14 victory, Louie Flannery struggled for the first time, recording 3 interceptions, despite completing 2/3rd of his passes for 205 yards. Randy Harris earned the MVP honors with 117 yards rushing and 62 yards receiving.

Week 8-9 mid-week
The win over Paris ment that the Merchantmen captured the second wild card spot in the AOC behind Gothenburg Giants (6-1) and Bordeaux Vineyards (5-2) with all other non-division leaders being 4-3 or worse.

Week 9
For the game at the North Plainfield Plague (4-3), the Merchantmen (5-2)went back to an old game plan and, clearly, made a big mistake. The Plague defense made it a horrible day for the Dutch team, recording their highest point total and also recording Maassluis' biggest points allowed figure. Final score was 40-14 for North Plainfield. Louie Flannery completed 1/3rd for his passes for only 1119 yards, no scores and 3 interceptions, marking his worst game ever. Randy Harris (88 yards rushing including a 59-yard run) and Jamel Rosenberry (59 total yards including a 44-yard touchdown run) did move into a position of being one of the best scoring back field tandems in the IHOF.

Week 9-10 mid-week
With a 5-3 record, the Merchantmen dropped to eight place in the AOC based on tie-breakers. With divisional tie-breakers getting preference, they ranked behind Rochester (despite winning head-to-head), Bordeaux and North Plianfield, all being 5-3 as well. Also, the Orlando Knights were 5-3 division leaders in the Southeast division.

Week 10
In another European matchup, the Merchantmen (5-3) were competitive against the Bordeaux Vineyards (5-3), but did lose 17-24. Louie Flannery recorded the third straight game with 3 interceptions, yet did find the end zone again. Jim Reiser emerged as his new main target with 8 receptions for 70 yards at the absence of Gregory Monti and Bryce Ewald being all sore. Scot Dick won the sacks battle versus Harold Wells with 2.5-1.0, yet with Wells' team being, he might still be the better end of the trade. Stat of the game was IHOF legend Huey Gervais (twice seasonal rushing leader and still all time rushing leader) being held to 21 rushing yards, his lowest total ever. On the other hand, Gervais did score twice, but the stat remains as a fact.

Week 11
As the Gothenburg Giants (7-2) worked their way up to the #2 spot in the AOC behind San Antonio Volunteers (8-2), they were very eager to reach the #1 position with a win over the Merchantmen (5-4). For the first time all season, Gothenburg's Duane Davis struggled with just 183 yards passing, no scores and 1 interception, but did earn MVP honors in a 20-10 victory. It didn't mena much as Louie Flannery got hurt early on and struggled the rest of the day into 4 interceptions. Having 196 yards passing and a score didn't heal the wounds. Randy Harris ran 86 yards and added 3 catches for 37 yards and a score to keep his name as potential team MVP going.

Week 11-12 mid-week
Louie Flannery is questionable with a sprained knee, which is an injury warrenting cautiousness. With the Anaheim Matterhorns (2-8) coming to Maassluis, the matchup looks favorable, Las Vegas gives Maassluis a 9-point handicap, yet the Matterhorns won 2 of their last 3, Maassluis lost their last 3 on the road. Flannery is a game time decission and Shane Bower has been taking a lot of snaps as the #1 quarterback in training sessions.


Offense review
Louie Flannery made a lot of progress. On the scouting reports, Flannery has reached 40 out of 100 already and his star is rising, although his stats are dropping fast. With 1921 yards passing in 10 games, he seems to be on pace for a franchise passing record, although the 11-19 touchdown-interception ratio is worrying. Flannery's weakness, the nose for interceptions, is turning up with 13 in the last 4 games.
Randy Harris is even hotter than before. With 757 yards rushing and 5 scores, while also catching 29 passes for 284 yards and 4 scores, he's on pace for 15 touchdowns for the year. It's just a matter of time to see him surpass 1,000 yards rushing for the third time in his career.
Jamel Rosenberry is emerging as a great pickup, despite being a fullback. With 4 rushing touchdowns and 1 receiving touchdown in just 51 ball touches, he's making a case for being an elite fullback.
Jim Reiser has moved up to second place on the scouting report in the IHOF's best tight end charts. With an already career high 52 catches and 463 yards (3 shy of tying his personal best) he's making a case for being the AOC's best tight end.
Gregory Monti and Bryce Ewald struggled through injuries. Togehter they have just 47 receptions for 659 yards and 3 scores. Third receiver David Henkel is struggling with dropped passes, yet does get the big plays with a 15.5 yards per catch figure.
Butch White is making key run blocks like it's his job to do. Of course it is, but for a second year guy to record 2 key blocks per game is not nothing. With a team high 4 sacks allowed, which isn't bad, you already see that the line is protecting Louie Flannery well. Harold Hurtado remains a great leader and Wilson Grimaldo a huge skilled guy, while the other guard, Timothy Lacy is learning fast from mentor Lane Stedman. Center Brant Heinrich is struggling with injuries, again, and with 4 sacks in 8 games looks like the weakest link so far.

Defense review
Ellsworth Thelen (71 tackles) and Cody Cluff (69 tackles) looks like the big ones on the defense. However, with both allowing 2.5 catches per game and 0 passing plays broken, they're not contributing to the pass defense, at all. Mike Kershner is still struggling with development, despite having his personal mentor in Josh Weisberg.
Scot Dick made 4.5 sacks and broke 13 more passing plays to make him a nice addition to the team. With Charles Gomez, John Bryant and Albert Bernardo at 3 sacks each, the defensive line is making plays again, although most of that game in the past 6 games. Gomez also shows up with 54 tackles, making him a candidate for another All IHOF recognition.
Johnnie Stidham makes himself known in the league, being in the top 10 in interceptions. With 5 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles, he's a key turnover man. Desmond Craig emerges with 3 interceptions in 5 starts as a good starter as well. Gus Stoffers looked good in the 5 games he played, allowing just 6 catches in 158 plays. Safety Lincoln Gilmore and John Cole also show up with over 30 tackles each and combining 10 passes defended or intercepted versus 30 catches.

[MIJB#19]

General manaer notes
Rats! I just figured out that Harold Wells has moved up to third place in the all-time sacks tables, with 32 sacks in 42 starts, including 10 for Bordeaux this season. Drop the two sack machine linebackers and you have the one and only #1 sacking defensive end in the IHOF. Wish we could have kept him now...

Another fact to noticed:
After 10 games, Louie Flannery has a lower all-time Merchantmen passer rating than the two other rookie starters, despite being scouted as the most talented of the three. Mainly his interception percentage hurts his rating:
62.3 Fumblin' Justin McDavid (2004 (15 gs), 2005 (7 gs), 2006 (IR))
61.6 Leonard Lyon (2005 (9 gs))
60.5 Louie Flannery (2006 (10 gs))

[MIJB#19]

MIJB Merchantmen Player Rankings
Including the week 12 games, here are the current standings of the player of the year race. The week 12 game against the Anaheim Matterhorns will be reviewed later.

22 - RB Randy Harris
20 - DT Charles Gomez
10 - CB Johnnie Stidham
7 - QB Louie Flannery, LB Ellsworth Thelen
6 - LB Cody Cluff
5 - DE Albert Bernardo, CB Gus Stoffers
4 - FB Jamel Rosenberry
3 - DT John Bryant, DE Scot Dick, LT Kerry McLaurin
2 - WR Bryce Ewald, OT Wilson Grimaldo, TE Jim Reiser
1 - SS Lincoln Gilmore, WR David Henkel, WR Matt Offord, LG Butch White

[MIJB#19]

Week 12 recap

Merchantmen keep losing, hand win to lowly Anaheim
In a matchup between the two teams owned by a Matt, the Matterhorns took a 24-13 win on the road to move up to 3-1 in the last four games. The Merchantmen looked hopeless on offense with black and blue quarterback Louie Flannery unable to field a passing game. The Merchantmen defense allowed sophomeres quarterback Claude Maxwell and running back Kurt Basso to shine and keep the chains going. Hopes for the playoffs should go into the toilet after the longest losing streak since the league record 14 losses that stopped in early 2005.

With three offensive scores for the Anaheim Matterhorns, the Merchantmen failed to answer that all game. The offense was held to 214 yards in their own home and the only touchdown came on a fumble recovery by defensive end Albert Bernardo from 10 yards out. With the usual long snapper absent, Cary Coles missed two of four field goal attempts, both misses being longer than 45-yard kicks. The Matterhorns kept playing and overcame a -2 turnover margin to record their third win in four games, yet it won't be enough to even dream about the playoffs at 3-8.

Given the Matterhorns record, the Merchantmen should have won to prove they are payoff material this season. Of course the 10-point wins over the Orlando Knights and Rochester Lake Monsters are proof enough, but after four straight losses they have dropped from a wild card spot at 5-2 to at least two games away. The four straight losses are disappointing, even given the tough schedule going into the Anaheim matchup. Maybe being 5-6 is the best this team can do with a roster ranked as single to worst in the league.

Louie Flannery played mostof the game, although the rookie quarterback was nursing a sprained knee and the team had earlier on announced Shane Bower as starting quarterback. Flannery completed 8 of just 16 attempts for 61 yards. Flannery lacked the speed to avoid 3 sacks, but did end a streak of games with interceptions. After 13 in the last four games, Flannery was mistake free. Bower relieved Flannery in the fourth quarter, yet he looked unfamiliar with the system as of yet. Bower completed only 3 of 8 passes, although he lamost surpassed Flannery in yardage with 58 yards. In an attepmt to close the eight point gap with a long pass, Bower tossed an interception that eventually set up the game deciding field goal.

Bright lights for he Merchantmen were running back Randy Harris, strong safety Lincoln Gilmore, defensive tackle Charles Gomez and linebacker Cody Cluff. Of course, that isn't all new to the team, Harris, Gomez and Cluff have been the team's stars over the past two seasons as well, while Gilmore managed to regain his starting job over Wiley McGhee, who is now on pace for All IHOF with the Telluride Outlaws after being surprisingly released by the Georgia Gridlock after 8 games.

Harris ran for 94 yards and entered the top 10 rushing in the IHOF as Orlando's Israel Mars had only 153 in the last three games, Fort Worth's William Wood hasn't topped 70 yards in the last four games and Asheville's Ben Erb was held to less than 10 yards in two of his last four games.

Gomez recorded his fourth sack of the season. With Scot Dick suffering a season ending injury against Anaheim, the pass rush will be more leaning on Gomez' shoulders than before. With 8 tackles he adds up to 62 and easily ranks first amonst defensive linemen.

Cluff made 9 tackles and surpassed Ellsworth Thelen on the team total tackles rankings. With Cluff's 78 and Ellsworth's 75, they are in the race for the most tackling duo in the league.

Gilmore recored his first interception of the season to illustrate he's becoming a key player on defense. With 4 tackles he's totalling 35 for the season to compensate for defending 1 pass per 2 catches allowed.

Next up are the Fort Worth Fury. Last season, this head-to-head was between two 1-1 team who both faced the opportunity to go over .500 for the first time ever. This time around, the 5-6 Merchantmen visit the 6-5 Fury in an important matchup for the last wild card ticket. With the level of play in the Northeast divsion by Syracuse, North Plainfield and Rochester it's unlikely they will not clinch at least one of the wild card spots. The second is likely to go to the runner up in the European division battle between Gothenburg and Bordeaux. Both Fort Worth and Maassluis know they need to win all of their remaining games to have a chance to reach the post season. Given the injuries of key players on both sides, it's tough to predict what will happen.


European division in action, week 12
The division leading Gothenburg Giants beat the Boulder Blizzard (now 6-5) to go untied in leasing the AOC conference at 9-2. The Bordeaux Vineyards pulled an amazing fourth quarter comeback from 10 points behind to win 27-20 at winless San Luis Obispo Burn. The Paris Musketeers upset the quarterback-less Fairbanks NorthStars 27-3 on the road, giving the first IHOF champions an 8-3 record.

Standings
9-2 Gothenburg
8-3 Bordeaux
5-6 Maassluis
3-8 Paris

Schedule
Gothenburg hosts the Tucker Tigers, who at 5-6 need a win to stay in the playoff tickets hunt. Bordeaux visist the used-to-be AOC power house Telluride Outlaws, who at 4-7 are practically eliminated from the post-season. Another 4-7 team, the Georgia Gridlock are visiting Paris in hopes to win again and finally clinch having their best season ever in terms of total wins.

The playoffs race in the AOC is not so tight at all, it's basically narrowed down to 7 contenders and 4 pretenders:
Northeast: 8-3 Syracuse, 7-4 North Plainfield, 7-4 Rochester
Deep South: 8-3 San Antonio, 6-5 Fort Worth, 5-6 Vicksburg
Southeast: 7-4 Orlando, 5-6 Tucker
European: 9-2 Gothenburg, 8-3 Bordeaux, 5-6 Maassluis

It's a bit too early to tell which teams will have to do what, but for the Merchantmen's sake, what would be required to get there? Winning the division looks impossible as Gothenburg would have to lose all 5 games and Bordeaux all 4 games other than the Gothenburg matchup, while we would need to win all 5, we can't win tie-breakers against our divisional foes. The first wild card will be tough as it will require, again Bordeaux to drop all but 1 game and will require two Northeast teams to win 2 games max of their last 5.

The second wild card could still go our way, but it will require Gothenburg or Bordeaux to take the first wild card. It will require Syracuse or North Plainfield to win the Northeast as our best case scenario would have Rochester ending up second with the same record. Otherwise, we'll need the advantage in victories. What happens in the Southeast won't matter, much. Orlando and Tucker won't beat us on tie-breakers. The Deep South's only serious rival is Fort Worth as San Antonio is too far ahead. Beating Fort Worth will be crucial to be able to end up above them.

Bottom line, to stay in the playoff race, we need to win against Fort Worth Fury. Beating Paris (on the road, week 15) and Gothenburg (week 17) will be the next priorities for conference record, beating Fairbanks (week 14) and Boulder (on the road, week 16) will be required to have a sufficient win total. If we can reach the playoffs at 9-7, it can only happen if the sole loss comes against Fairbanks or Boulder.

[MIJB#19]

General manager notes
Seeing the upcoming rival currently scouting the dynasty, I have to be careful whatto say.

The verdict is still not out on whether Louie Flannery will be quarterbacking, and if he will whether we'll emphasis more to the run to protect the sore knee. The complete injury report:
QB Fumblin' Justin McDavid - The used-to-be franchise quarterback is on injured reserve with ACL knee surgery, he'll return in 2007.
QB Louie Flannery - The new franchise quarterback will be questionable with a sprained knee.
TE Charlie Martins - The long snapper is almost back to form after a knee injury.
LG Butch White - The key run blocker will miss the Fury matchup with a hyperextended knee.
DT Charles Gomez - The defensive anchorman should be able to play through a sore heel.
CB Tai Wayne - The franchise cornerback is on injured reserve, although he's listed as questionable with high ankle sprain.
CB Myron Stevens - The dime back could be limited in playing time with a bruised stenrum.
FS Richard Muller - The 2005 starting free safety might not return to the field before 2008 as he's suffering from repetetive concussion syndrome.

Playing time report:
LG Lane Stedman - Being a mentor and backup to Butch White and Timothy Lacy, he's unhappy, but might get a shot the upcoming games.
LT Kerry McLaurin - The injury-fill-in for Wilson Grimaldo thinks he's more than the primairy backup.
OC Bubba 'Gump' Kearney - The injury-fill-in for Brant Heinrich thinks he's more than the primairy backup.
OC Eddie Taylor - Clearly he expected more than being third stringer.

Other things to note?
We hired an astronomical advisor for future player signings. We can't tell how it has effected results, but at least all three recent signings (Kerry McLaurin, Bubba Kearney and our new backup fullback Greg Berk) are good for the chemistory, or so I am told. Coincidence or not, with McLaurin and Kearney starting, we won 2 games. I'm going to have more looks on how this might effect our results. Expect some important chemistry building with future signings.

[MIJB#19]

Gossip News: Reshuffle on offensive line
Your loyal inside-out information source on the Merchantmen strikes again. We managed to get someone inside yesterday's secret training session and have some important information, the offensive line is reshuffled like it has never been before. The names of Wilson Grimaldo and Brant Heinrich were given as potential backups, rather than their usual starting roles.

It all started with left guard Butch White's injury. White has become a key run blocker in his second season after having a tough rookie campaign. With White absent, the Merchantmen need to find a replacement. Our reporters claim that no less than five players were in the hunt for the spot. Let's see who they are.

Lane Stedman, left guard, hired mainly to mentor Butch White and the new right guard Timothy Lacy. Stedman is reported as the best pass blocking guard and could help to stop the recent spree of sacks limiting Louie Flannery in his success. Granted, with Flannery's knee injury making him less mobile, it makes sense he's sacked more often. Pretty crucial is Stedman's ongoing beef with left tackle Harold Hurtado.

Eric Dietrich, right guard, hired to be the primairy backup guard. Dietrich is yet to see significant playing time. Traded in from the Vicksburg Vipers, Dietrich was supposed to be an important backup, but so far the starters kept healthy. With his official side being the right, Dietrich is not likely to start.

Edgar Dunkin, left tackle, hired as backup for Harold Hurtado. Dunkin has the talent to be a playable backup, however his limited stamina seems to keep him out of the lineup as of yet. With the arrival of another backup, who's more skilled and seems to be good for chemistry, Dunkin could be inactived for the Fort Worth Fury matchup.

Kerry McLaurin, left tackle, hired as injury fill-in. With Wilson Grimaldo injured, McLaurin was hired and started three games. Amazingly enough, the Merchantmen won all three games with McLaurin on the right side. His stats were not so impressive in two of three games, but his pass protection skills might justify starting him at one of the two left side spots.

Bubba Kearney, center, hired as injury fill-in. When Brant Heinrich was injured, Kearney got the chance to play and with him starting, the Merchantmen won two games. His stats were far from impressive, but chemistry seems to be good. The only concern is his weak stamina.

It's clear that one of these five guys will play. We hear that the Merchantmen might move around a couple of players. Options would be Lacy on the left side, Wilson Grimaldo at guard with McLaurin at right tackle, McLaurin as left tackle with Hurtado at guard, or Kearney playing side-by-side with Heinrich at the center and one guard position.

The verdict on Louie Flannery is also not out yet, however Shane Bower's 3 of 8 completion efficiency with 1 interception as reliever might have cost him the shot at being the starter at Fort Worth. An anonymus source even told us there are odds of seeing Mel Atkins playing a significant role against the Fury. Whatever happens, it will be crucial for the required reshuffle on the line. If there are important changes to be noted shortly, Gossip News will pop up with the news for you.

[MIJB#19]

Week 13 recap

Merchantmen snap losing streak, almost choke in Fort Worth
In an all important game to keep the last hopes on a first ever playoff appearance alive, the Fort Worth Fury and Maassluis Merchantmen showed an exciting game of football. The Merchantmen took a big half time lead, only to almost blow it and escape on a last second field goal to win 23-21. Especially Charles Gomez stood out for the Merchantmen and inspired his defensive line with magnificent play to haunt the Fury backfield for most of the game.

Going into the game, both teams knew that losing today could end the playoff aspirations. Although the Fort Worth Fury (6-5) still have a key matchup against their rival San Antonio Volunteers (8-3), the Merchantmen (5-6) needed to start a five-game winning streak. Inspired or not by that fact, but the Fury were hot going into the game with 5 straight wins, while the Merchantmen were cold with 4 consecutive losses.

In the first half, the power of the Fury looked tempered and the Merchantmen leaned back on their defense to haunt the Fury backfield and never let them leave their own half of the field. With Johnnie Stidham's sixth interception of the year, the young cornerback is making a case for being mentioned amongst the IHOF's elite. Inspired by the defense, going into half time, the Merchantmen offense put a nice 20-0 lead on te board with two touchdown passes from rookie Louie Flannery and two field goals from Cary Coles. Especially the 46-yard kick with 18 seconds left was impressive.

In the second half, the Fury needed former Merchantmen fullback Mark Burger to enter Maassluis' territory for the first time. The first time inspired the offense and quarterback Lionel Helfirch connected with Dylan King for the touchdown. Although the time was already running out fast, Helfrich managed to complete a 46-yard pass with Nathan Ward to start the fourth quarter with possession inside the Merchantmen's red zone. Two players later, again Dylan King grabbed a Helfirch pass to narrow down the score to 6-points behind.

As the Merchantmen kept struggling on offense, Randy Harris was held to 53 yards all day, while Louie Flannery passed for only 165 yards, the Fury got marching. After a drive of 14 plays that lasted almost seven minutes, the Fury went three out of three in possessions and touchdowns for the entire second half, William Wood ran in from 1-yard out to take a 21-20 lead.

It didn't do much to Louie Flannery. The rookie passer made big plays in the remaining 4:22 minutes and the Merchantmen ran out the clock well enough to be the only team in possession the remainder of the game. With a big ten-yard run on third-and-nine, fullback Jamel Rosenberry earned respect from his teammates. A few plays later, with six seconds left and the Merchantmen calling their last time out, Cary Coles got all the time to convert the 29-yard field goal and he succeeded.

Looking back, it wasn't so much the Merchantmen being so great, but the Fort Worth Fury being two faced that made this game so strange. Not reaching the oponnents turf in the first half and being perfect in the second half is an amazing achievement and it's really interesting to see this can happen. The last possession by the Merchantmen, however, was classy and it almost looked like the visiting team never expected to lose te game after taking the early lead.

Louie Flannery earned MVP honors in the game. Having two touchdown passes, one to Gregory Monti and one to Jamel Rosenberry, Flannery got to spread around the ball a lot. Flannery was helped by his offensive line, as only 2 pays were rushed, yet the real heroes were on defense today. Cody Cluff recorded 8 tackles to keep the running game shut down. Charles Gomez added 3 sacks his 8 tackles and should have been the real game MVP. With interceptions for Johnnie Stidham and defensive end Albert Bernardo, the defense really made plays. For the day, the defense wasted 13 of 42 passing plays. Free safety John Cole had 2 passes defended and didn't allow a catch to make him another honorary mention.

Next up for Maassluis are the Faribanks NorthStars. The used-to-be dominant IHOF team have lost their last two games a combined 31-66 as they are without their first and second string quarterbacks. Especially the absence of league legend Joey Allen has hurt the team, yet at 8-4 they still are a candidate for the NAC West division title or a wild card. Accorrding to the Las Vegas people, the Merchantmen are 2-point favorites to win at home. But with or without Joey Allen, the NorthStars have a great team and could hand the Merchantmen a demoralizing seventh loss of the season.


European division in action, week 12
Gothenburg kept the lead in the division with a 17-9 win over the Tucker Tigers. Duane Davis had a tremendous game, if it wasn't for the two interceptions. At least he played much better than Joe Johnson did for Bordeaux. In a game where Johnson completed only 11 of 32 passes for 131 yards, the Bordeaux Vineyard went down pretty hard at the Telluride Outlaws: 19-3. Yet it wasn't as big a loss as the Paris Musketeers fell victim to in their own house. Against the Georgia Gridlock, Paris had just 44 yards on offense less, yet were overpower with a 27-3 score.

Standings
10-2 Gothenburg
8-4 Bordeaux
6-6 Maassluis
3-9 Paris

Schedule
Gothenburg play their last home game of the season against the only winless IHOF team, the San Luis Obispo Burn, who clinched the biggest losing streak in league history, tied with the 2004-2005 Merchantmen. In retrospect, the Bordeaux Vineyards play their last game on the road at the Boulder Blizzard, who at 7-5 clinched the biggest turn around in league history, tied with the 2005 Merchantmen. Paris goes to Anaheim in a matchup between two 3-8 teams with no hopes of a playoff ticket anymore.

The playoffs race in the AOC is narrowing down a bit more after the week 13 games. Most 5-6 teams lost and now it seems only teams at 6-6 or better still have a shot at making it:
Northeast: 9-3 Syracuse, 8-4 North Plainfield, 8-4 Rochester
Deep South: 8-4 San Antonio, 6-6 Fort Worth
Southeast: 7-5 Orlando
European: 10-2 Gothenburg, 8-4 Bordeaux, 6-6 Maassluis

It's a bit too early to tell which teams will have to do what, but for the Merchantmen's sake, what would be required to get there? Winning the division has become impossible as we can't win tie-breakers against Gothenburg. The first wild card will also be tough as it will require, again Bordeaux to drop all but 1 game and will require two Northeast teams to win 1 games max of their last 4.

The second wild card could still go our way, but it will require Gothenburg or Bordeaux to take the first wild card. It will require Syracuse or North Plainfield to win the Northeast as our best case scenario would have Rochester ending up second with the same record. Otherwise, we'll need the advantage in victories. What happens in the Southeast won't matter, much. The Deep South's only serious rival is Fort Worth, who we'll beat on tie-breakers, while San Antonio is too far ahead.

After winning the all important game against Fort Worth, what do we need next? Beating Paris (on the road, week 15) and Gothenburg (week 17) will be the next priorities for conference record, while beating Fairbanks (week 14) and Boulder (on the road, week 16) will be required to have a sufficient win total. If we can reach the playoffs at 9-7, it can only happen if the sole loss comes against Fairbanks or Boulder. But making the playoffs at 9-7 looks impossible now, unless Bordeaux and North Plainfield stop winning games.


GM MIJB's Merchantmen Player of the Year
In the surprising win over the Fury, it's been tough to call out five heroes for the game, but in the end, it wasn't as tough as it seemed at first. Who get the points this week?
0 points for Mike Kershner - the weak-side linebacker made 4 tackles and defended 1 pass in his limited playing time
0 points for Albert Bernardo - the defensive end made 47-yard interception return and added 2 quarterback hurries to his 1 tackle
0 points for Johnnie Stidham - the cornerback returned an interception 53 yards, while adding 5 tackles
0 points for Brant Heinrich - the center made 3 key run blocks and didn't allow a sack
1 point for Jamel Rosenberry - the fullback made 6 receptions for 26 yards and 1 touchdown, while also running for 12 yards and recording a key run block
2 points for John Cole - the free safety made 2 tackles and defended 2 passes while not allowing a catch all day
3 points for Louie Flannery - the quarterback completed 19 of 28 passes (62%) for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns
4 points for Cody Cluff - the middle linebacker had 8 tackles and 1 quarterback hurry
5 points for Charles Gomez - the defensive tackle had 8 tackles and 3 sacks

Overall standings:
25 - DT Charles Gomez
22 - RB Randy Harris
10 - LB Cody Cluff, QB Louie Flannery, CB Johnnie Stidham
7 - LB Ellsworth Thelen
5 - DE Albert Bernardo, FB Jamel Rosenberry, CB Gus Stoffers
3 - DT John Bryant, DE Scot Dick, LT Kerry McLaurin
2 - FS John Cole, WR Bryce Ewald, OT Wilson Grimaldo, TE Jim Reiser
1 - SS Lincoln Gilmore, WR David Henkel, WR Matt Offord, LG Butch White

[MIJB#19]

General manager notes
In the recent injury report, I failed to mention that our sacks leaders after 11 games, defensive end Scot Dick, has been put on injured reserve with a torn rotator cuff. I have no idea what kind of injury it is, yet, but the duration of the recovery asked for this decission. It means that rookie Omar Gougeon and second year player Britt Bycroft will see an increased role on the defensive line. Ian Degrange will not play more, his personality doesn't fit with the team and we'll probably let him leave the team after the season.

The injury made room for a new signing. I decided that it would be smart to hire a new backup fullback. After the release of Doug Nelson we had no backup to Jamel Rosenberry, but now we signed another rookie in Greg Berk. Berk has been cycling from team to team in the preseason, but didn't make a regular season roster.

Our backup left guard Lane Stedman is becoming a trouble maker. If it wasn't for his role as mentor, he'd be out of a job with the Merchantmen already. Granted, we're giving some left tackle preference over him right now, but we are 4-0 with Kerry McLaurin starting. If only we had a scouting report telling us he's so important based on talent rather than a lucky streak...

The call for playing time is getting out of hand with more players. What once was the achilles heel of our team is now probably our best unit. Even if we'd start five backups like C Bubba Kearney, LG Lane Stedman, RG Eric Dietrich, LT Edgar Dunkin and LT Kerry McLaurin, we'd have a better line than in the initial IHOF season. Now our quarterback Louie Flannery isn't doing much better than Justin McDavid did, but it does make a difference as Flannery is more of a pocket passer, while McDavid has (had?) the insight and speed to avoid sacks.

Talking of quarterbacks, looking ahead already to the 2007 season, we could be in a tough situation. With five quarterbacks signed, we'll have to make a choice on who to keep and who to dump. Shane Bower, who was acquired as the one year fill in for McDavid, might be looking at a situation where he's on the tradable players list. Things can change fast. Who are the five guys and what are their roles now?

Justin McDavid
The once called franchise quarterback was a rookie records setter (although one IHOF owner doesn't want to recognize them, maybe because his rookie ended up second in all those categories.) After fumbling four times in one game, he earned the nickname Fumblin' Justin, which was carried over as a well known name. McDavid beat first rounder Leonard Lyon for the future job in 2005, until he got a serious knee injury. McDavid missed half of the 2005 season and has been on injured reserve since preseason of the 2006 season. McDavid should be the #2 quarterback in 2007, barring the injury doesn't limit his skills too much.

Mel Atkins
Atkins was traded in as replacement for Leonard Lyon. I decided that Lyon would never become a worthy starter, although I didn't realize then that our excellent scout underrated Lyon. Atkins has a season as starter on his resume, which makes him a reliable #3 passer. With his outstanding holding, he's a useful player for the special teams unit too.

Shane Bower
With McDavid out, I realized that, whether or not we could get a rookie quarterback, we needed a backup to fill in when the rookie is down. Bower has a similair profile as McDavid has, making him an interesting backup. Signed longer than one year, he was supposed to be a one-year replacement for McDavid. So, once traded in to be our starting quarterback, he might see himself not wearing orange-white-and-blue in 2007, unless the Minnesota Miners want him.

Louie Flannery
The rookie quarterback made a tremendous start in the IHOF. After five games he was amongst the IHOF elite in most passing categories and he was te first Merchantmen to record three consecutive wins. After a little downfall at mid-season with 13 interceptions in four games, he bounced back. I never even concidered benching him, although when he was listed as questionable, I did pull a trick to temporarily call him the backup. The fact that he got the start afterall should show I dare to hand Flannery the keys to our future. That is despite his tendency to toss an extra interception every second game.

Dominic Lynch
Well, what's to say about Lynch? We traded him in from Rochester Lake Monsters with only one goal: to mentor Louie Flannery. And it paid off, our scouting staff reports that Flannery's increased progress has been going hand-in-hand with the arrival of Lynch. Given the potential of Flannery, it's more than likely we'll bring Lynch back for his first full year with us in 2007.

For those wondering how Leonard Lyon is doing.
Lyon has been one of the worst passing quarterbacks in the league as starter for the Springfield Isotopes. He does play better than Mel Atkins did, but it only makes sense as Lyon has more experience than Atkins had in his rookie season. For the Isotopes, I hope Lyon proves wrong and turns out to be starter material, but right now, I think it won't happen. That said, I do wonder how Lyon would have done in Flannery's place with this team. I even think we could have been 7-5 or 8-4 with Lyon making the calls. The fact that I always check out Lyon's stat line for the week, it should be clear I wish he succeeds.

[MIJB#19]

Week 14, year 2006, preview of Maassluis versus Fairbanks
Parity. It's important to see people maintain interest in a sports league. But to make it more interesting, the league also needs one or two teams to hate or root against. Preferably a team that's been very succesful over time. And it's always fun to have a team to root for to win, simply because they suck and never seem to be able to end a football game victorious.

In the IHOF's first season, the Fairbanks NorthStars won a league high 13 games and added three more in the playoffs to crown themselves the 2004 champions. After a 15-1 record in the next season, the NorthStars made clear they are a dominant team. In the 2006 season they started out 8-2, but now they've fallen back after seeing their top two quarterbacks go down with season ending injuries. At 8-4, they are just one of many teams to have a shot at making the playoffs.

On the other end of the spectrum are the Maassluis Merchantmen. In a heart-breaking 1-15 campaign in 2004, including mostly close losses, they team from the Netherlands acquired a name as dark horse to win a game every week. But a splashing 2005 campaign with a 7-9 record, a miracle win over the eventual AOC champion Conyers Condors and an almost shutout of the 13-3 Chesapeake Chitterlings in their own home, the Merchantmen gained some respect. With again the weakest roster of all AOC teams, the 2006 season has been an up-and-down year, landing them at 6-6 and just barely in the playoff race.

It's week 14 of the 2006 season. The leading team of the IHOF is going to visit Maassluis for the first time and are underdogs. That's right, the Vegas experts see the Merchantmen winning by two. But how will they manage to do that? 6-6 is not bad, but the team is still underestimated and concidered amongst the worst in the league by some.

As written earlier, the NorthStars are having troubles to field a quarterback of starter quality. Joey Allen is Fairbanks' 2004 IHOF MVP, but required back surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the season. In relief, James Hatch played some fine ball, being active in three victorious games, but after going down with a career threatening knee injury, he's going to miss the rest of 2006 and some of the 2007 season as well. The NorthStars have cycled through quarterbacks in their two recent losses and might have found their guy in Timothy Hardaway. Hardaway completed 36 percent of his passes for 49 yards and 1 touchdown in 2 games so far.

On the opposite, the Merchantmen have been haunted by injuries on their secondary. With star cornerback Taj Wayne out since week 2 and free safety Richard Muller since pre-season, no-names had to step in and make plays. So far, cornerback Johnnie Stidham has made his name heard with 6 interceptions and 152 return yards, which puts him in the IHOF's top five in both categories. Add two forced fumbles and you can see that Stidham has been a turnover monster in Wayne's absence. In the meanwhile, strong safety Lincoln Gilmore and cornerback Gus Stoffers have also emerged as decent starters, while nickel back Desmond Craig is also moving the world with 4 interceptions and a forced fumble.

In the upcoming game, it is clear to expect the NorthStars to emphasize on the run. So far, running back Mark Halley has racked up 1034 yards (86 per game) and 8 touchdowns. It won't be an easy game for his as he's facing defensive tackle Charles Gomez, who's leading the IHOF in sacks with 7 and in tackles with 70 at his position. Lineing up behind him is middle linebacker Cody Cluff, who's on pace to break the magical 100 tackles barrier. With 86 tackles, 5 defended passes and 2 forced fumbles, he's being an important player and his occasional interception is yet to come. Add strong lineback Ellsworth Thelen (80 tackles) and you have a better run stopping unit than the 129 yards per game pretend them to be.

The NorthStars haven't been impressive on defense, while the Merchantmen do little on offense themselves. For Fairbanks the standout players are linebacker Jeffry Boggs (9 sacks) and most of their secondary unit. On the Merchantmen offense, running back Randy Harris is on pace to hit the 1,000 yard mark for the third time and with 9 touchdowns in total, he's a key player in scoring position. Tight end Jim Reiser ranks fourth in the IHOF in receptions, while fullback Jamel Rosenberry has 6 total touchdowns to carry some of the weight. But if rookie quarterback Louie Flannery can't return to early season form, it'll be a tough game to win for Maassluis.

All in all, it's an interesting matchup between two teams still hoping for a post season appearance. The IHOF power house Fairbanks NorthStars as the visiting team and the dark horse Maassluis Merchantmen as the unlikely two-point favorites. The Merchantmen players believe in an upset, maybe the expect rain can help out. The NorthStars are dome-people and have played in the rain just twice before. But maybe it doesn't call for good things, the Merchantmen are 4-6 in home games with rain, while Fairbanks never lost in the rain. Get dressed orange-white-and-blue for a big game. Don't forget to bring your umbrella with you.

[MIJB#19]

Week 14 recap

Merchantmen have record win, keep playoff dreams alive
On a day that alomst everything seemed to click for the Maassluis Merchantmen, they pulled down an amazing 36-10 victory over the IHOF's all time best team, the Fairbanks NorthStars. Guided by rookie Louie Flannery, the running backs excelled and keep the Merchantmen in the race for the playoffs.

36 wins and 8 losses, that was the score for the NorthStars going into the matchup. The Merchantmen were looking at a 14-30 all time regular season record and the fans figure their team wouldn't stand a chance. But then you'd simply ignore the fact that the visiting was missing their star player Joey Allen, the two time All IHOF selection at quarterback.

The Merchantmen took no message from the absence of the Fairbanks' star, the defense rolled from the start and the offense responded with a socring drive, including a 31-yard run from Randy Harris and finished off with a 1-yard pass from Louie Flannery to Jamel Rosenberry. Followed by two scoreless drives, the NorthStars regained possession, but Merchantmen rookie cornerback Myron Stevens intercepted a pass and returned it 47-yards for the score and a 13-0 lead after the first quarter, kicker Cary Coles misses the first extra point kick.

With a wild running Randy Harris and a decent looking Flannery, the Merchantmen offense kept moving and saw Cary Coles score a 20-yard field goal. After a fumble on the kickoff return, the Merchantmen got the ball in the red zone and saw Coles score a 29-yard kick for a 19-0 lead. On the next possession, the NorthStars got on the scoreboard witha 33-yard field goal from Wes Hillis, but as Devin Henson responed with an 86-yard kickoff return for a score, the Merchantmen improved the lead. With defense making plays next, the home team went into the break with a huge 26-3 lead.

In the second half, the NorthStars failed to make a fist and the Merchantmen just extended the lead a little bit. Mark Halley ran a touchdown in to close the gap a bit, but as Cory Coles scored on a 23-yard kick and Jamel Rosenberry ran a score in from 1 yard out, the game was wrapped in and got a big tie around it. At 36-10, the final score looks like a terrible beating and based on game stats it was maybe a little bit closer.

Louie Flannery earned his fourth MVP award of the season by completing 19 of 29 passes for 205 yards and 1 touchdown. The interception he threw on the first Merchantmen drive in the second half hardly changed things. To run the clock out, Randy Harris eventually had 22 touches for 114 yards, marking his fourth century of the season. It was enough to clinch his third consecutive 1,000-yard season as well. In the shadow of Harris, fullback Jamel Rosenberry scored twice and has now scored 8 touchdowns for the year.

The victory means that the Merchantmen remain as a contender for the playoff tickets, yet, being 2 games behind the two AOC wild card ticket spots, it'll be a longshot to get there. With two 9-4 rivals playing each other, it is apperant that 10-6 is the least a team will need to take the first wild card. The second will likely be for a 10-6 team, but 11-5 is also still in the options.

To stay in the race, a win in Paris next week is crucial for the Merchantmen to maintain the record of six losses. The Musketeers are playing at home and in two previous meetings, the Parisiens allowed just 10 points in total. Especially the 2005 game was humiliating for the Dutch team as they were handed their then biggest loss in franchise history. The Merchantmen are playing with a new quarterback for the third time in the matchup and Louie Flannery has already tasted the sweetness of beating Paris. That was despite his three interceptions versus no touchdown passes. Flannery has something to set right.


European division in action, week 14
Gothenburg got involved in the upset of the week. The top ranked team in the IHOF lost at home against the winless San Luis Obispo Burn 14-31, with two defensive touchdowns make the difference for the visiting underdogs. The Bordeaux Vineyards rested Joe Johnson, which led to a 14-17 loss at the Boulder Blizzard (now 8-5). The Paris Musketeers also rested their quarterback, with Eugene Westcott doing well in Mario Hudson's place, yet couldn't avoid a 28-38 beating at the evenly ranked Anaheim Matterhorns (now 4-9).

Standings
10-3 Gothenburg
8-5 Bordeaux
7-6 Maassluis
3-10 Paris

Schedule
Gothenburg and Bordeaux face of in the French wine city to potential end the race for the division title. The Giants take the European crown with a win, while Bordeaux would require a ending up tied in total wins to get there. For the Maassluis Merchantmen first place is out of the options, yet a Bordeaux loss would make a seceond place still in te options. To get there, of course they need to win in the other French city, at the Paris Musketeers.


The playoffs race in the AOC is narrowing down more after the week 14 games. Most 5-8 teams are clearly out, yet to win a wild card, teams already require a winning record. Who are still in the race:
Northeast: 10-3 Syracuse, 9-4 North Plainfield, 9-4 Rochester
Deep South: 9-4 San Antonio, 6-7 Fort Worth
Southeast: 8-5 Orlando, 5-8 Tucker
European: 10-3 Gothenburg, 8-5 Bordeaux, 7-6 Maassluis

For the Merchantmen to get there it will require a 10-6 record, so it seems, and a best case scenario would having Rochester Lake Monsters to finish second in the Northeast with a 10-6 record or having Bordeaux ending up with one win less than Maassluis.


GM MIJB's Merchantmen Player of the Year
After the amazingly big win over Fairbanks, which players deserve a honorary mentioning?
0 points for Gregory Monti - The wide receiver had 4 catches for 70 yards.
0 points for Devin Henson - The wide receiver had one ball touch, an 86-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
0 points for Charles Gomez - The defensive tackle made 1 sack, 4 tackles and 3 assists.
0 points for Johnnie Stidham - The cornerback made 2 tackles and didn't allow a catch.
0 points for Louie Flannery - The quarterback completed 19 of 29 passes for 208 yards and 1 score with 1 interception.
1 points for Cody Cluff - The middle linebacker made 7 tackles and defended a pass.
2 points for Myron Stevens - The dime back return an interception 47 yards for a touchdown, blocked a pass and had 4 tackles.
3 points for Albert Bernardo - The defensive end made 2 sacks, 3 tackles, 2 assists and had 1 quarterback hurry.
4 points for Randy Harris - The running back ran for 114 yards with 5.1 yards per carry.
5 points for Jamel Rosenberry - The fullback had a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in just 8 ball touches.


Overall standings:
25 - DT Charles Gomez
22 - RB Randy Harris
11 - LB Cody Cluff
10 - QB Louie Flannery, FB Jamel Rosenberry, CB Johnnie Stidham
8 - DE Albert Bernardo
7 - LB Ellsworth Thelen
5 - CB Gus Stoffers
3 - DT John Bryant, DE Scot Dick, LT Kerry McLaurin
2 - FS John Cole, WR Bryce Ewald, OT Wilson Grimaldo, TE Jim Reiser, CB Myron Stevens
1 - SS Lincoln Gilmore, WR David Henkel, WR Matt Offord, LG Butch White

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes

Dear readers and fans,

Readers and fans because technically it's not the same as some readers are pseudo-fans, they sometimes rather see me lose when my 'men face their players.

I'm not writing to let you all know how smart I am in using words and don't think I'm going to retire. Becoming the g.m. of the Maassluis Merchantmen is a dream coming true. That is if you don't count returning to the first team of the local volleyball club and something about finding true love, of which the first has worked out in the mean time...

Anyway, I'm here to tell you all I think I can keep the current 53 players (okay, most of the 58) together for the 2007 and 2008 seasons. I've done my homework, I know we're projected $20 million over the cap in 2007, but that includes $15 million of bonus money paid to former players like Harold Wells, Wiley McGhee, Leonard Lyon and Dennis Preciado. I'll still need to have some talks with tight end Jim Reiser, wide receiver Gregory Monti and a couple of backups, plus some overpaid players will have to go.

That means that we can afford $15 million more for 2008 compared to 2007 and this season as well. I've done some research and we might be able to restructure contracts enough to get the $20 million we'll be needing at the start of the draft, yet with the draft picks we hold, I doubt I'm going to use them all. As it looks like now, we'll be having four draft picks in the mid second round area (picks in the 40 to 50 region) and six fifth rounders, who will account for cheap backups with hot prospect status in key areas for their positions. Players like Lamar Singleton, Charlie Martins, Myron Stevens and Andy Weliczka.

The four second rounders will be up for grabs as soon as the pre-season starts. I'm going to advertise the picks and will try to get good value out of them to have some rebuilding options in 2009, when we'll really be working against the cap. That's also when a few players will be gone. And maybe our tackles Harold Hurtado and Wilson Grimaldo will stay around until then, which would really help.

Yes, we're 7-6 and still in the race, but it's uncalled for to think we can see a miracle scenario go through with the Merchantmen reaching the playoffs. Ending up 10-6 is still possible, but even then we'll be needing other teams to choke. No, 2007 and 2008 will be our years. We have the roster sitting ready and we left some highly paid contracts untouched to be sure those deals will be editable in the 2007 off-season.

Like I said, some players will be going out. Four players should be seen as making sense as leavers. It's too early to reveal the names, but when the time is right, we'll try to start negotiating with other teams. I mean, as soon as we're eliminated from contention, we will be able to start talking trades.

Oh yes, trading will still be a key element in the Merchantmen organization, but the general manager has a life next to it. 2007 and 2008 look like the ideal seasons to be less active in that area and just focus on the games.

Some good news, by the way, our medical staff and scouting staff are making sure that Tai Wayne will be back to his old self at the start of 2007. He's already upgraded to questionable, but sitting on injured reserve he's not going to play. Just face it, he's done basically nothing to our success and had no role in reaching the playoffs. Imagine where we'd sit with Wayne starting every week over Gus Stoffers at left cornerback. We might be looking at 8-5 or 9-4 in stead!

On the other side of the coin is agrevation of Louie Flannery's knee injury. He's downgraded from probable to questionable. In normal cases, we'd bench the player until he's fully recovered, but Flannery is a key player. I know that it's a long shot to reach the playoffs, but it would be foolish not to try now. We'll always play with young players. Just look at our starters and you'll see we're young and rising. Guys like Jim Reiser and Charles Gomez are big players, while Randy Harris, Jamel Rosenberry, Johnnie Stidham, Cody Cluff, Ellsworth Thelen and Butch White are showing up as good players.

Enough wishful thinking for now. Just remind me of how confident I was back at the week 14-15 stop of te 2006 season about our cap situation. No doubt I'm going to second guess things at the start of the 2007 off-season and that I'll be going out on some stupid trade to get a high first rounder. But then, maybe we can find a missing piece to the puzzle in the draft, if we still need a piece of the puzzle that is...

Let's hope we can keep it up and make the progress we made count in 2007. Being ranked seventh in the power rankings as per Solecismic system, we have nothing to lose anymore. The Merchantmen have won 14 of the last 28 games, we're a middle of the road team who can beat every team in the league. I mean, give me all the teams that have a perfect record over both the Fairbanks NorthStars and Chesapeake Chitterlings. That's right, there's only one: the Maassluis Merchantmen.

Before I start looking like the Astoria Heroes general manager, I'll counter act with stating that we still hold the longest losing streak, although tied, in IHOF history and have recently lost the status of most improved team in IHOF history. Let's first beat Paris before I continue bragging about this team.

Thanks for reading in the past, well, how long it has been. Keep reading, there'll be more to come, that's for sure!

[Chubby]

we're perfect against Fairbanks and Chesapeake too. Nice try

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Chubby

we're perfect against Fairbanks and Chesapeake too. Nice try

No way, your Mohawks never beat the Chitterlings. I've double checked it, there are some 1-0 life time against one of the two, but Maassluis si the only at 100% against both.

Besides, the Mohawks are basically one leg into the playoffs, you don't have to take some obscure big wins over two elite teams as the highlights of your franchise.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis at Paris preview
The IHOF has 32 teams and like every other league out there the IHOF has elite teams, mediocre teams and cellar dwellars. In almost three seasons since the start of the league, the Maassluis Merchantmen and Paris Musketeers each have won just one third or less of their games. Despite that, every season one of the two was able to be in the playoffs reace for most of the season. And with the highly drafted quarterbacks they have, it makes some interesting matchup.

The quarterbacks rivalry. Mario Hudson versus Louie Flannery. Both tagged as the franchise quarterback of the future, Hudson for the Musketeers, Flannery for the Merchantmen. Hudson was drafted fourth overall in the 2005 draft, Flannery fifth overall in the 2006 draft. But besides their almost identical draft situations, there are more areas where they can be compared.

Hudson played for Tennessee in college, Flannery played with Middle Tennessee State. As you can see, the two playcallers learned to play the game in the same US state. And that's not all. Flannery is just 88 days old as both are born in 1982. Hudson is 6'3" feet tall, Flannery is just 1 inch taller at 6'4". And in weight, Flannery's 232 pounds is just 1 more than Hudson's 231. And when you think it's not enough already, ironically, both guys are nursing the same injury: a sprained knee.

Looking at their on field performance, they even have pretty similiar stats. Both have a career completion percentage of 57 percent and a yard per attempt average of 5.9. Where the two differ is the touchdowns and interceptions area. Flannery has a bit more per game in both areas. But what really seperates Flannery from Hudson is the most important thing: Flannery won 7 of 13 games (54%), Hudson just 5 of 27 (19%).

Another thing to note is that Flannery seems to mature a lot faster than Hudson does. Our scouting department now rates Flannery higher than Hudson, yet at season start, Hudson ranked a lot higher. Who's to blame is unclear, but it seems the Merchantmen is doing a better job to get their young quarterback the tools to work his way up into the starting calibre quarterbacks. But with both quarterbacks hurt, however, it might be unclear who of the two are going to play. We might see them both or neither. The progress in the past time has no meaning, all that matters is what they can do now. Head to head, Flannery has the edge after the win in Maassluis, in a game where both tossed 3 interceptions.

Merchantmen offense versus Paris defense
PY/gm. - 186 vs 206
PY/att. - 5.9 vs 7.1
PY/cm. - 10.4 vs 11.3
comp% - 57.1 vs 62.6
sackyd - 11.7 vs 10.2
Yd/gm. - 112 vs 146
Yd/att. - 4.2 vs 4.3
3rd dw. - 41.4 vs 52.1
turnover - 23 vs 19
red zone - 5.3 vs 5.0
Expectations: Maassluis should be able to record 200 yards passing if Flannery plays to his normal level, which is not a certainity with his sore knee. Especially him being even less mobile than usual should be a little troublesome. That said, Paris isn't the best run stoppoing team, which is good for the Merchantmen, having Randy Harris, Jamel Rosenberry and Jonathan Smith doing prett well. Especially when Butch White is expected back in te lineup. With Paris' bad play on third downs and the Merchantmen's ability to have a better yards-to-go situation, it makes sense to expect the Dutch team to do well on offense. The only thing that might be a bit worrying is that Harris hasn't scored in the last three games.

Merchantmen defense vs Paris offense
PY/gm. - 226 vs 178
PY/att. - 6.7 vs 6.0
PY/cm. - 11.4 vs 10.6
comp% - 59.0 vs 56.7
sackyd - 13.5 vs 12.8
Yd/gm. - 130 vs 114
Yd/att. - 4.2 vs 4.2
3rd dw. - 48.1 vs 37.8
turnover - 25 vs 18
red zone - 5.6 vs 4.5
Expectations: The Merchantmen have an interesting defense, to say the least. A poor pass defense in terms of talent, yet it seems these guys make up with turnovers and know how to play well on key plays. With Joe Boulware, Paris has a fine looking running back, but with injuries to both of their guards, there's reason to expect no 100-yard game from him. Seeing how Paris played with Eugene 'Westcoast' Westcott in the last game, expect him to be the playcaller again. As of now, Westcott is in fact the better passer of the team, so there shouldn't be a dropoff in stats, but rather an increase. The good news for Maassluis is that Charles Gomez is again back to his old self. He's having a career year and makes a serious run for All IHOF honors.

Overall
The surprizingly good Merchantmen special teams unit and the ability of their defense to force turnovers have been crucial along the way. With Johnnie Stidham and Desmond Craig combining for 10 interceptions they're making mistakes count. The Merchantmen should expect to win for the first time ever on the road in a divisional matchup. Really, with their success so far this season, it's the least to expect. After this game comes a tough road game at the Boulder Blizzard, possibly in snow, and a home game against the Gothenburg Giants. If they want to win eight games, this is the one where they should set their new highlight.

[MIJB#19]

Week 15 preview, playoff scenario update
With the Merchantmen still hoping for a playoff ticket, which games in week 15 will have an impact on their chances?

Maassluis @ Paris - Clearly, this game where it all starts, no win is basically no playoffs already.

Bordeaux vs Gothenburg - Bordeaux' final win total will have a huge impact on the Merchantmen's hopes. Technically Gothenburg can be tied in wins at 10-6, but they are still going to beat Maassluis on tie-breakers. A Bordeaux win would eliminate a losing Maassluis. A win for Gothenburg would clinch their first European title.

Rochester @ North Plainfield - Both are 9-4 and immediate rivals for the wild car tickets. Maassluis has a positive tie-breakers scenario over Rochester, but negative over North Plainfield. Depending on te final rankings, it would be best to see Rochester in second place at 10-6 in the Northeast division and with North Plainfield or Syracuse in third.

Syracuse vs. Boston - Syracuse can still be a spoiler at 10-6, a win will ensure at least an 11-5 record.

Fort Worth vs. San Antonio - Not really interesting as Maassluis will win tie-breakers over both teams, but San Antonio win will ensure division championship for them.

Orlando vs. Tucker - Not really interesting as Tucker is out of the wild card race, while Orlando will likely win the division and have no fear for the negative tie-breakers versus Maassluis.

[MIJB#19]

Week 15 recap

Merchantmen dreams collaps, get a beat up in Paris
The Maassluis Merchantmen's playoff scenario was already looking like a miracle, but the Paris Musketeers ended the story with a painful 40-20 victory. With 613 yards passing and rushing in total, the Musketeers extended the all time worst figure, that the Merchantmen already held after week two of the 2006 season. With just two wins in the last seven games, the Merchantmen can still record a winning season, being 7-7.

It was a longshot, but a victory over Paris would at least keep it going. The Merchantmen were the 2005 most improved team at 7-9 after a 1-15 season and reaching the playoffs in the third season would make the turnaround complete. With only the already injured reserve players missing and quarterback Louie Flannery a bit limited due to a sore knee, the Merchantmen expected to have the team to win.

Eugene Westcott started under center for Paris and in his second start he showed he's the better passer. Second year 'franchise quarterback' Mario Hudson was nursing a sprained knee and Paris wanted a healthy passer. It was a wise decission, Westcott got sacked six times, a figure that would likely aggrevated Hudson's injury and turned the tide early in the game.

Westcott was the smart choice and made a case for remaining as the backup in the coming seasons. With 419 yards passing and three scores, Westcott put his name in the Paris record books and had a great share in a record breaking night for the Musketeers. With Joe Boulware racking up 173 yards on the ground and Henry Gayle recording 212 yards receiving and being the target of two of Westcott's scoring passes, the trio gave the Parisians something good to look back to. The win eliminated a rival and that's always a nice feeling.

For the Merchantmen only one player really played well enough to leave the field facing his nose up. Second year role player Devin Henson made his name better known with his third and fourth career touchdowns. His role in the passing game has been limited, but as a return specialist, Henson moved up to the IHOF elite. With 193 yards on 6 runs, including a 89-yard run for a touchdown, Henson has moved up to an untied lead in kickoff return scores in the league. His second score of the day came after an 18-yard run from running back Randy Harris. Harris fumbled the ball, yet Henson picked up the free ball and ran it in for the six points from 56 yards away.

Next up for Maassluis are the Boulder Blizzard. The NAC West runners' up are 8-6 and the 2006 version of the most improved team. Where Maassluis went from 1-15 to 7-9, the Blizzard already clinched a bigger turnaround, coming off a 1-15 season as well. The Blizzard currently hold the second wild card spot and losing against Maassluis would end their options to win the division and could drop them back in the race for the last wild card, with another 8-6 and four 7-7 teams in pursuit.

In the 2006 draft, the Blizzard management handed a big help in the Merchantmen's ability to draft Louie Flannery. A handshake potential trade for the #12 pick made the Merchantmen draft situation great, but a go ahead call from Boulder to go pursuit the #5 pick to get Flannery helped the Merchantmen to get the rookie passer. Also, these teams are the only two franchises ever to record a 1-15 season and the only two to ever record a win-improvement of more than 3 wins are in good terms with eachother. And with the Merchantmen likely starting their younger players, the Blizzard might not have to worry about the starting wide receivers Gregory Monti and Bryce Ewald, cornerback Gus Stoffers and defensive end Albert Bernardo. Of course, with the mentioned Flannery, star running back Randy Harris, tight end Jim Reiser and defensive tackle Charles Gomez, the Blizzard won't have an easy day anyway.


European division in action, week 15
In a game that could have handed the Gothenburg Giants the division title, the Bordeaux Vineyards say their defense step up to allow not a single touchdown in their own home. Guided by the former Merchantmen defensive end Harold Wells, the Vineyards took a half time 20-6 lead and kept the score facing positive to their side for the remainder of the game. The 20-18 win means that Bordeaux now needs to win one more game than Gothenburg in te last two rounds to win their third consecutive European title.

Standings
10-4 Gothenburg
9-5 Bordeaux
7-7 Maassluis
4-10 Paris

The playoffs race in the AOC has narrowed down to just seven teams. The Merchantmen drop out at not being able to be better than 9-7, seeing the first wild card go to a 10-6 or better team in the Northeast division and knowing that the best possible ranking inside the division is at number three. So, who are left in the race?
Northeast: 11-3 Syracuse, 10-4 North Plainfield, 9-4 Rochester
Deep South: 10-4 San Antonio
Southeast: 9-5 Orlando
European: 10-4 Gothenburg, 9-5 Bordeaux


Schedule
Te Gothenburg Giants visit the Fairbanks NorthStars, who are still without their quarterback stars, but who did return to winning ways after a 45-10 win over San Luis Obispo Burn. The Burn are the Paris Musketeers opponents in week 16. The Bordeaux Vineyards take on the Anaheim Matterhorns, who won 4 of their last 5 games, who were Claude Maxwell's second to sixth career stars. The Vineyards and Giants are still battling for their playoff hopes and for their European divisional rankings, while Maassluis and Paris are locked at third and fourth place respectively.


GM MIJB's Merchantmen Player of the Year
A disappointingly bad loss and yet I have to name three players who made their salary figure worthwile.
1 point for Randy Harris - The running back had 16 carries for 92 yards and made 3 catches for 30 yards. Harris did fumble, but luckily possession didn't get lost.
2 points for Charles Gomez - The defensive tackle recorded 7 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks and a quarterback hurry to increase his All IHOF chances.
3 points for Devin Henson - The wide receiver returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and scored on an offensive fumble with a 56-yard run. For the game, Henson had 193 kickoff return yards on 6 carries.


Overall standings:
27 - DT Charles Gomez
23 - RB Randy Harris
11 - LB Cody Cluff
10 - QB Louie Flannery, FB Jamel Rosenberry, CB Johnnie Stidham
8 - DE Albert Bernardo
7 - LB Ellsworth Thelen
5 - CB Gus Stoffers
3 - DT John Bryant, DE Scot Dick, WR Devin Henson, LT Kerry McLaurin
2 - FS John Cole, WR Bryce Ewald, OT Wilson Grimaldo, TE Jim Reiser, CB Myron Stevens
1 - SS Lincoln Gilmore, WR David Henkel, WR Matt Offord, LG Butch White

[MIJB#19]

General manager notes
Merchantmen and sinking, two words that shouldn't go well together. In fact we're 7-7, clinched being at least as good as in 2005 and it's more than likely that we'll be coming of a season with 9 games played against playoff teams, already, the 'worst case' scenario is 7 games against playoff teams, were the league average will always be 6 games against playoff teams.

Sinking? Is that possible? Well, concidering what I have up my sleaves, two losses might pull the jack in the box out to call me out. Thing is, the defense has not moved the world at all and I really, really want to find a way to get the worst secondary in the IHOF perform like at least average. Otherwise we'll never be a force in this league. Especially concidering we'll be with practically the same personnel the coming two seasons.

What I probably will do for sure is starting the young wide receivers, young defensive ends and maybe even the young wide receivers. It could turn out to be an ugly game at the Blizzard, but playing in the snow, we'll be having a disadvantage anyway. And if we manage to beat the Blizzard, it'll turn out as a passed test and give me confidence to keep playing the spoilers role in week 17 against Gothenburg. Sure, they deserve going to the playoffs, but being 1-4 all time against the Giants and 3-14 all time against divisional foes, going 2-4 this season in divisional games would show a bit more progress.

Our good friends from Rochester are currently just barely in the race. They lost their quarterback Jackie Williamson for the season and at 9-5 are only keeping Bordeaux behind them on head-to-head record. To reach the playoffs, the Lake Monsters need to stay in pace with Bordeaux, however, if the Vineyards would move up to a division title, Gothenburg all of a sudden can knock Rochester out at 11-5. It's going to be a thrilling battle for the wild cards in the AOC.

I've been counting and right now I'm going to root for Orlando and Rochester to reach the AOC championship game, with Fairbanks in the NAC title game. If possible, I'd also like to see Boulder get there after we beat them in week 16. Wouldn't it be cool to have beaten all four teams playing in the conference finals in one season?

Oh, I failed to mention, at this point we're the eight best team in the AOC. If we can win one and avoid losing the other game, we clinch having a winning record and with that clinch a top half ranking in the AOC. Plus, it would put us at 16-16 over the past two seasons, a mark I'd really love to see us reach.

And one last thing: I will never let SLB Ellsworth Thelen play at WLB and WLB Mike Kershner at SLB, ever, again. Two times we did it, twice our defense set the new mark for total yards allowed. Go me...

[MIJB#19]

Gossip News: Merchantmen playing their backups
Our sources in Merchantmen land have discovered interesting happenings in the training sessions. It seems that the Merchantmen are resting a couple of players who have minor injuries and are putting a few usual starters in backup roles. Especially the wide receivers situation is emerging as a weird situation.

Devin Henson and Matt Offord are the #4 and #5 receivers in Maassluis. Behind long time starters Gregory Monti and Bryce Ewald, as well as big-play #3 guy David Henkel, they are mainly on team as return specialists. In recent training sessions, it showed that Henkel is unlikely to play and that Henson and Offord could be getting more looks than usual. Some sources even claim that it could be to increase the involvement of Randy Harris, Jamel Rosenberry and Jim Reiser as Louie Flannery's top three targets. Plus, Gregory Monti and Bryce Ewald could be surprisingly good #3 and #4 options in the 3 or 4 wideout sets.

On the defensive line, the team is said to start with rookies Omar Gougeon and Andy Weliczka. Weliczka has been starting since John Brynat got hurt, while Gougeon seems to get the go ahead over sack machine Albert Bernardo, to play opposite third year player Britt Bycroft. Bernardo is expected to have a lot of playing time anyway as the Merchantmen seem to rotate a lot with personel in the defensive line.

In the secondary, we hear that rookies Myron Stevens and Lamar Singleton could be starting cornerback and free safety. Usual starting strong safety Lincoln Gilmore is hurt and the team seems to move free safety John Cole to the strong side, as he's being a better run stopper than Singleton. Stevens would be starting over Gus Stoffers, who has missed some games, but yet allows only 2 catches per game.

One of our reporters says that Maassluis is going to try a new defensive scheme after the total humiliation in Paris, where the Merchantmen allowed a league high 580 yards, including the loss of 33 yards on 6 sacks. But when they're expected to start with four rookies, what can you expect? Charles Gomez, Cody Cluff and Johnnie Stidham won't be enough to stop Julius Irvine's offense.

With the two injury prone star wide receivers benched, forcing the return specialist to play more and thus have little threat on the return duties, it'll be a tough passing game on offense too. Only having your backs and tight end open won't be helpful. Nope, our conspiracy theories man believes in a walk over for the Boulder Blizzard, something that has been part of the conditions for the #5 pick overall trade going on for Maassluis after sealing a deal with the Blizzard for the #12 pick.

Or it's just smoke to keep the eyes away from what's really going on, the Merchantmen seem to already published their 2007 trade block. Names of Gus Stoffers and John Bryant (both supposed to be benched come Thursday), Ian Degrange, Jonathan Smith and Lane Stedman have been found on a list. Gossip News found it and as usual will keep you up to date with all the ins and outs on the Merchantmen.

[MIJB#19]

Press release: Merchantmen deny losing on purpose theory
The Maassluis Merchantmen management wants to acknowledge that the team will not lose the game at the Boulder Blizzard on purpose. Recent accusations from Gossip News are not true. The Merchantmen will not tank the game at Boulder and there has never been an escape clause that the Merchantmen would try hard to lose the week 16 matchup against Boulder after nullifying a proposed trade for the #12 draft pick overall.

The Merchantmen are trying to improve on the 7-9 finish in the 2005 season. Winning the last road game of the season in the snow of Boulder would mark a new highlight in team history. It is true that the team will experiment a bit with a new defensive scheme. The defensive scheme of recent games was abused very well by the Paris Musketeers in week 15 and it calls for changes. With some injuries, the team will not take any risks at seeing injuries aggravate, except with Louie Flannery's sprained knee.

The team wants to address the gossip on a new trading block list circling around on the internet with a "no comment". It should be clear that the Merchantmen management is always looking to the future, hence the starting role for some rookies who are supposed to be less experienced right now. That means that players with potential for trade are already identified, yet the team will not officially publish the list until the season is over, which will be after the week 17 against the Gothenburg Giants.

On the benched wide receivers issue, the team is not trying to get Jim Reiser to get more carries to beat out Astoria Heroes' Brendon Drumm for the All IHOF honors. Bryce Ewald and Gregory Monti are key players to the passing game and should start every game. The Merchantmen management does admit that Devin Henson and Matt Offord will have increased roles against the Boulder Blizzard, but how it works out will be kept secret until gameday.

[MIJB#19]

Editor's note
Readers, I'm having difficulties with my laptop, which is the only pc where I have the game installed, so I have to forfeit a long week 16 update.


General manager notes of week 16
Well, the game in the snow at the Blizzard was a dissaster. We never were able to make a fist and the 13-10 loss was not how the game really went. Highlight of the game was Randy Harris 10-yard run for a score to put us 10-7 up in the fourth quarter, but the lead was a result of four missed field goals from Boulder side. With a last second 45-yard field goal, the home team won and took what they deserved after outscoring us 399-184 in yardage and by winning the turnover battle 2-0 on two by Louie Flannery thrown interceptions.

Our divisional rivals had a tough week too, except for the Bordeaux Vineyards, who are now in pole position for the European title. The Gothenburg Giants, however, are the European team that clinched a playoff ticket, while Bordeaux can still miss the post-season with a 10-6 record, in favor of the Rochester Lake Monsters. Ironically, it would require us to lose to Gothenburg, which means the Merchantmen will be trying to keep the Lake Monsters out of the playoffs in week 17. Despite the loss, being 7-8, we had already clinched being at least as good as in 2005 (when we were 7-9). With a win over Gothenburg, we could be 8-8, despite playing 9 games against playoff teams, providing that Boulder takes the NAC's second wild card and Bodeaux taking one of the AOC wild cards.

The three players deserving of a honorary mentioning were:
Wilson Grimaldo, the right tackle, who's been anchoring an offensive line that allowed just 24 sacks all season, with Grimaldo being the leader with just 1 sack allowed in 12 games. Against Boulder, the team allowed 1 sack and Grimaldo led the team with 2 key run blocks.

Charles Gomez, the defensive tackle, extended his chace for the Defensive Player of the Year honors with 9 tackles, 3 assists and 2 quarterback hurries.

Al Bettis, the kickoff kicker, scored a 30-yard field goal and an extra point, while replacing Cary Coles as placekicker. The rookie also kicked off 3 times for an average of 70.3 yards, with 1 touchback and being part of a special teams unit that allowed 25.5 yards per kickoff return and 17 yards per kickoff.

That means that the overall standings in my Merchantmen player of the year race are now:
29 - DT Charles Gomez
23 - RB Randy Harris
11 - LB Cody Cluff
10 - QB Louie Flannery, FB Jamel Rosenberry, CB Johnnie Stidham
8 - DE Albert Bernardo
7 - LB Ellsworth Thelen
5 - OT Wilson Grimaldo, CB Gus Stoffers
3 - DT John Bryant, DE Scot Dick, WR Devin Henson, LT Kerry McLaurin
2 - FS John Cole, WR Bryce Ewald, TE Jim Reiser, CB Myron Stevens
1 - K Al Bettis, SS Lincoln Gilmore, WR David Henkel, WR Matt Offord, LG Butch White

Yes, that means that Charles Gomez is already the best player, while Randy Harris wins offensive player of the year and Louie Flannery wins rookie of the year. The newcomer of the year award is still up in the air between Flannery, Jamel Rosenberry and Johnnie Stidham.

Also note that of the team, I think the following players are in the race for the All IHOF awards ceremonies:
FB Jamel Rosenberry - With a big game against Gothenburg he might be able increase his 8 touchdowns scored, which is exceptional for a fullback
TE Jim Reiser - Has made 75 receptions already and is more than likely to finish the season in the league's top 10 in receptions.
OT Wilson Grimaldo - Has made 21 key run blocks in 12 games, with a a success percentage of 36 and just 1 sack allowed in 376 passing plays.
LDT Charles Gomez - With 90 tackles, 32 assists, 9.5 sacks and 18 more passing plays broken up, he's already a lock for All IHOF first team honors.
MLB Cody Cluff - It's a longshot, since Cluff doesn't make pass rushing plays, but his 111 tackles are top 10 in the IHOF and ith 6 passes defended it could count.
SLB Ellsworth Thelen - Lacking the pass rush numbers, but with 97 tackles he could end up as the fourth best mentioned outside linebacker.
CB Johnnie Stidham - A longshot, but with 6 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles, he's a turnover machine. With 5 defended passes and 44 tackles, he might be a darkhorse for the fourth cornerback spot.

[MIJB#19]

Week 17 recap

Merchantmen finish season victorious, beat Gothenburg
In a game of turnovers, the Merchantmen end the season with a 20-16 win over the Gothenburg Giants. Anchored by a determined Charles Gomez, the defense forced enough turnovers to make the offense win the game. It gives the Merchantmen new franchise highlights.

Last game of the season, the Gothenburg Giants were coming to Maassluis and it was clear that the visiting team was already with their heads in the first round playoffs game they had to play. Cecil Maxwell was kept out of the game, making the Giants play focussed on the passing game. And with the Merchantmen's ability to defend an early lead, the Giants could be facing a fourth loss in a row.

A motived Merchantmen offense picked things up well and gave the team an early lead. The game started with a 60-yard run from fullback Jamel Rosenberry. With a 22-yard field goal by Cary Coles and a 12-yard pass from Louie Flannery to Jim Reiser, the Merchantmen had a 10-0 lead after eleven minutes. With the defense's ability to force the Giants into three-and-out in between, it called for a big game for the Dutch team. Especially when Emile William return an interception 60 yards for the score to put the Merchantmen 17-0 up after barely 13 minutes of game time. In the second quarter, the Giants tried to fight back and got on the scoreboard with a touchdown pass from Duane Davis to William Walker. A missed field goal kept the 10-point gap alive at the start of the second half.

The Giants came out the locker room determined to win this game. In the remainder of the game, the Merchantmen failed to force the Swedish team to punt. By not allowing another touchdown and stopping two drives with interceptions, made by Johnnie Stidham and Ellsworth Thelen, the Giants had to settle for three field goals, all converted by Damien Deming.

The Merchantmen offense was horrible in the second half and it was really a miracle how the Giants failed to turn the tide enough to win the game. In fact, the Merchantmen offense accounted for a total of -2 yards in the second half, altough Cary Coles did score a 19-yard field goal to finish a drive that started at the Gothenburg 6-yard line.

For the Merchantmen, Charles Gomez earned MVP honors for the game, as he accounted for 9 tackles, 3.0 sacks and a forced fumble. Ellsworth Thelen turned out to be a good number two though, having recorded a sack and an interception at key moments to add to his 12 tackles. Well, that is if you ignore that he allowed 7 catches for the day. Gomez racked up his season totals, but whether it's enough to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors is yet to be seen. But the loyal Gomez couldn't care less: "We're the worst defense in the league, do you really think a guy playing on that defense deserves such an award?"

With the eight win of the season, the Merchantmen clinched a one-win improvement from the 2005 to 2006 season. Additionally, the win over Gothenburg means that the 2006 season will go into the books as the first with two divisional wins and one with a 6-2 record at home. A season with a record high win over Fairbanks and one withtwo negative records. The Merchantmen are the first team to allow 500 yards on offense in two games in one season, setting the new worst standard twice this season. Additionally, the 2006 Merchantmen are the first team to allow 40 points in two different games.

General manager M.IJ.B. is optimistic: "In 2007 the young players will all be a lot better. Since we're planning to keep the core of the team, about 40 to 45 players, together, we expect to see chemistry and cohesion take a bigger role too. Clearly, we haven't found the working defensive game plan, but I'm optimistic about the game plan we used in 10 of the 16 games. We went 6-4 in those games." Looking forward to next season's schedule, he was even more optimistic: "We're again facing our friends from Rochester, which means Futility Bowl IV. We're going to face the Georgia Gridlock, who have never been better than 5-11 and we know we'll play the Fort Worth Fury again too, we're 2-0 life time against them, in their stadium. And with the way we've played in divisional games, I expect the team to win at least 3 of those games."


European Division In Action
Other than Maassluis' win over Gothenburg, the Bordeaux Vineyards took two Mario Hudson interceptions to the endzone to anchor a 24-10 victory at home against the Paris Musketeers and clinch a playoff ticket. But with the Gothenburg loss, the outcome of this game had as much effect on the final standings. The scores do mean that in the first round of the playoffs, the two European rivals will face each other in Bordeaux.

11-5 Bordeaux Vineyards
10-6 Gothenburg Giants
8-8 Maassluis Merchantmen
4-12 Paris Musketeers

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen season in a review

Off-season
The off-season was dominated with two major headlines. The Merchantmen gave up on defensive end Harold Wells by trading them to divisional rivals Bordeaux Vineyards. In return, the Merchantmen traded enough draft picks to acquire the #5 pick overall and used it on quarterback Louie Flannery. This came after the earlier moves that put the whole quaterback situation in a strange situation with Justin McDavid on injured reserve, 2005 first round pick Leonard Lyon traded to Springfield for 2005 second round pick Mel Atkins and the trade for Shane Bowers as the temporary fill-in for McDavid. Other important moved were te trade of tight end Jerry Aubrey and defensive end Deon Chapa to Rochester Lake Monsters, the acquisition of cornerbacks Gus Stoffers and Johnnie Stidham from Orlando, trades with Bordeaux that gave them guard Alvin Causey and Maassluis safety Emile William and running back Cedric Rubio. There were trades that gave Maassluis mentors in David Lynch (quarterback from Rochester) and Lane Stedman (guard from Columbus). And finally on the trading deadline, the Merchantmen traded their last initial offensive lineman Russell Malave to the Telluride Outlaws.


Injuries during the season
Injuries didn't have much effect on the Merchantmen, well, that is if you ignore the haunted secondary, at some point all four starters were unavailable. Safety Richard Muller was up for trade, until he was hit by the repetitive concussion syndrome that sidelined him for the entire season and possible the entire 2007 season as well. He joined quarterback Justin McDavid, who was sidelined since the mid 2005 season. Joining the two after the week one game was Maassluis' first rookie draft cornerback Tai Wayne with a high ankle sprain. At mid-season, defensive end Scot Dick joined the injured reserve list, while Louie Flannery suffered a sprained knee that limited his mobility in the second half of the year. Others who missed a good number of games with injury were: right tackle Wilson Grimaldo, cornerback Gus Stoffers and wide receiver Gregory Monti.

Results
After losing the first game against Bordeaux, stealing a win in overtime at San Luis Obispo and dominating Dutch Bowl II versus Orlando, a 2-1 record put us into a good start. After a loss at Syracuse on a 46-yard field goal after interception, we got on fire with three consecutive home game wins. At 5-2 we were one of only eight teams still looking in the race for the playoffs in the AOC. A three-game losing streak on the road dropped us back and a devastating loss to Anaheim put the playoffs out of the picture. A nice two-game winning streak against the F-teams brought us into a miracle scenario situation, but a loss at Paris ended the dreams. With a humiliating loss at Boulder, although sealed with a last second 45-yard field goal and a sort-of stolen win over Gothenburg, the season amazingly ends at 8-8 and us being nineth in the AOC based on common games record compared to the Telluride Outlaws.

Scores
Wk01 . L 21-27 . Bordeaux (11-5, #1 European Division)
Wk02 . W 36-30 (ot) . at San Luis Obispo (2-14)
Wk03 . W 24-13 . Orlando (10-6, #1 Southeast Division)
Wk04 . open
Wk05 . L 14-20 . at Syracuse (12-4, AOC Wild Card #1)
Wk06 . W 20-10 . Rochester (10-6, missed playoffs)
Wk07 . W 21-19 . Boston (5-11)
Wk08 . W 24-14 . Paris (4-12)
Wk09 . L 14-40 . at North Plianfield (12-4, #1 Northeast Division)
Wk10 . L 17-24 . at Bordeaux (11-5, #1 European Division)
Wk11 . L 10-20 . at Gothenburg (10-6, AOC Wild Card #2)
Wk12 . L 13-24 . Anaheim (6-10)
Wk13 . W 23-21 . at Fort Worth (6-10)
Wk14 . W 36-10 . Fairbanks (10-6, #1 West Division)
Wk15 . L 20-40 . at Paris (4-12)
Wk16 . L 10-13 . at Boulder (10-6, NAC Wild Card #2)
Wk17 . W 20-16 . Gothenburg (10-6, AOC Wild Card #2)

Player Reviews
In the quarterbacks department Louie Flannery had a hot start, being a top quarterback after the first six games. Than a streak of 13 interceptions in four games dropped him back and he ended the year with a league high interceptions figure at 23. Flannery ends the year with a decent completion percentage of 57.5, 2765 yards and 15 touchdowns. The previous starting quarterback Justin McDavid spent the year on injured reserve, recovering from ACL knee surgery. Shane Bower filled in for Flannery in two games, however he struggled in his limited playing time. Mel Atkins saw only action as the holder on special teams, while Dominic Lynch was hired to mentor Flannery.

In the backfield Randy Harris had his best season so far, as he ran for 1,203 yards with a 4.1 yard per carry figure. His yardage total was the tenth best in the IHOF. By scoring 10 touchdowns, including a team high 4 receiving touchdowns, Harris was a key player for the offense. He was supported by Jamel Rosenberry at fullback. Rosenberry scored 8 touchdowns as the third down specialist. Jonathan Smith scored his first career touchdown, but with 69 ball touches he had a limited role. Cedric Rubio was limited to just 3 ball touches, Kyle Montoya didn't even play a game. Fullback Greg Berk was signed during the season to replace the earlier on released Doug Nelson.

From the receivers, tight end Jim Reiser was the big man. With 79 receptions, he ranked sixth overall in the IHOF. Gregory Monti and Bryce Ewaldstruggled as the starting wide receivers. Both missed playing time due to injuries and with 42 and 39 receptions respectivelty, their roles were limited. Ewald scored just 1 touchdown after 5 in the 2005 season, while Monti had a career high 3. Third receiver David Henkel was hired for his big play threat in three-receiver sets, but on 23 receptions, Henkel gained only 320 yards and didn't score. Tight end Charles Burley didn't catch a ball, despite being the second tight end. Second year player Devin Henson had his first career touchdown in a win against Boston, while rookie Matt Offord had just 2 catches. Both Henson and Offord were return specialists. So was the late season acquisition Donovan Bradley, who had 3 receptions, and long snapper Charlie Martins, who had no receptions.

On the offensive line Harold Hurtado amazed by not missing a single game. The left tackle had a fine season, until he was 'credited' with 3 sacks in the last game, to destroy the team's acquired position as team with the least sacks allowed. With 28 key run blocks, Hurtado anchored the running game. He was supported best by left guard Butch White. White had 24 key run blocks in 14 games and just barely missed the 40% mark in effective run blocking. Right guard Timothy Lacy had an up-and-down first season, with a run blocking percentage of 23%. Right tackle Wilson Grimaldo missed 3 games, which the team all won, however, with just 1 sack allowed in 400 passing plays, Grimaldo was clearly the pass protection anchorman. Center Brant Heinrich had a decent year, but didn't stand out. Left tackle Kerry McLaurin was hired during the year and in five stars at right tackle and left guard he clearly made a difference as the team won all those games. Center Bubba Kearney was hired during the year, but looked aweful in two starts. Rookie center Ernie Taylor played just one game. The trade acquisitions guard Eric Dietrich and left tackle Edgar Dunkin hardly played a down for the team, but amazingly both were 2-on-2 on run blocking. Lane Stedman was hired to mentor the young guards White and Lacy. Right tackle Russell Malave was active in the first few games, but didn't play a down and was traded after four games to the Telluride Outlaws.

On the defensive line, injuries limited playing time of most players. Tackle Charles Gomez was hardly affected by it and recorded 99 tackles and 12.5 sacks, two amazing figures for a player at his position. Left end Albert Bernardo contributed with 7.5 sacks, right end Scot Dick had 4.5 sacks in 11 games. Rookie end Omar Gougeon made 3.0 sacks, which could have been more if he hadn't been slowed down by injury. Right tackle John Bryant was limited by injuries and started only 5 games after starting all 32 previous Merchantmen games. As a pass rush slecialist, he did record 3.5 sacks. Bryant was sharing time with nose tackle Andy Weliczka, who made 2.0 sacks and 32 tackles in 11 starts. Left end Britt Bycroft showed some skill as a premier backup all around the line. Right end Ian Degrange didn't play a game after it turned out he was bad for team chemistry. Tackle Stanley Jacke spent the season on injured reserve, although he wouldn't have seen much, if any playing time.

In the linebackers department, middle linebacker Cody Cluff topped the team with 120 tackles and 35 assists. strongside linebacker Ellsworth Thelen supported with 109 tackles, but the duo was mainly active as a receptions allowing duo. Together, the two allowed 93 catches, the second highest of all duos around the league. Weakside linebacker Josh Weisberg was hired to mentor Mike Kershner, but Kershner failed to see much progress. Kershner was limited in his role due to the frequent use of the nickel back formation and made just 54 tackles and 1 sack. Weisberg had just 3 tackles and 2 assists, which are the same totals as inside linebacker Carl Meier had. Karl Mercer was released during the season.

The secondary was missing two supposed to be starters all season. Cornerback Tai Wayne played just one game, but didn't allow a catch in that limited action. Johnnie Stidham took advantage and excelled this season with 7 interceptions, which rank him in the IHOF's top five. The other starting corner was supposed to be Gus Stoffers, but he suffered through injuries as well. Desmond Craig was promoted to nickel back for most of the year and even started 5 games. Craig recorded 4 interceptions, which would have been a franchise record, hadn't Stidham been here too. Rookie Myron Stevens got his playing time and sadly accounted for no less than 37 catches. He did return an interception for a score one game, but that just doesn't do enough to make up for the loss. The last corner on the team Laurence Gerry played in 7 games and was mainly hired to be the leader of the secondary, as the team clearly lacked a leader. Free safety Richard Muller could have been a leader, but wasn't and he even missed te entire season while suffering from repetitive concussion syndrome. In his place, strong safety Lincoln Gilmore had 9 passes defended or intercepted versus 22 catches with 54 tackles in 13 games. Supported by fumbles forcing free safety John Cole and backup safety Emile William, the safeties played a bit better than the other pass defenders. Rookie Lamar Singleton had 1 interception, but didn't show much more to make him a promising future starter, he's terrible in supporting the run.

The special teams unit had some interesting role this season. Cary Coles was the field goals and extra points kicker, with which he accounted for 97 points. Rookie Al Bettis was hired as kickoff kicker and it seemed he played his role well. Punter Roscoe Corrales didn't turn out with impressive punting numbers, but with his excellent hang time, he's helping to keep the kickoff return as short as possible. Kickoff returner Devin Henson scored twice on his returns and with that leads the IHOF, untied. In fact, he's only the third player to accomplish it. With 25.7 yards per return he didn't run for peanuts on the 30 other returns either. Rookie Matt Offord added a punt return touchdown, which was one of only six recorded in the IHOF this season. Charlie Martins proved to be an excellent long snapper, as 2 of the 6 missed kicks this season where recorded in his one game absence.Mel Atkins was the holder all season and it looked like he did it very well.

Team statistics
Here's a collection of the team stats. It's scary to know that we rank in the both ten of all four main categories. If you wonder how we made up for that bad play, maybe you should look at the number of penalties, for the second year in a row, we're the least penalized team. Other reasons are possible our turnover margin improvement to +1, decent red zone offense, but that is all cancelled out by allowing the most touchdowns in red zone defense. Maybe it all tells us that special teams can make so much of a difference after all?
Passing - 178 yd/gm (#25 in IHOF)
Rushing - 109 yd/gm (#23 in IHOF)
Pass Df - 248 yd/gm (#32 in IHOF)
Run Def - 128 yd/gm (#23 in IHOF)
Turnovers: 27 committed vs. 28 forced