IHOF: Maassluis Merchantmen

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Handed First Loss By Ospreys
The matchup screamed game of the week and the Merchantmen felt the pressure. The expected defensive minded game turned out to be more about offense than expected. But the stronger Merchantmen offense failed and couldn't overcome the 14-29 loss. The Outer Banks Ospreys continue their defense of the NAC conference title, while the Merchantmen are lucky to still sit in pole-position for the European title.

Some football experts expected a defensive showdown between two strong defenses. In the first quarter of the game, it turned out to be a correct prediction. The Merchantmen had first possession, but failed to score on the long possession they had. Next up, Xavier Clyburn intercepted Ospreys' Jerry Burchell's pass, but it didn't help much for field position. In the remainder of the first quarter, the Merchantmen had the longer drives, but the Ospreys had the ball when the teams switched sides of the field.

The second quarter burst open on the second Ospreys' offense's play. Jerry Burchell connected with Jason Calder for 50 yards.If it hadn't been for rookie linebacker Bernie Surry, Calder would have ran it to the house. In their own red zone, the Merchantmen defense is strong and Charles Gomez decided to inspire his men. With a tackle and an assist, Gomez helped to stop the Ospreys and made them settle for an 18-yard fieldgoal. Kyle Everett scored, giving the home team the early lead.

Next up was the Devin Henson show. The wide receiver returned a pretty short kickoff for 27 yards towards the middle of the field. Randy Harris provided two short breaks to take a breath, but Louie Flannery had taken notice and decided to use Henson as his top receiver. Henson paid back with a 23-yard catch and a 17-yard catch for the touchdown. The Merchantmen had taken the lead and the game was definately on now.

A now even more determined Ospreys offense got things going now. Jerry Burchell started spreadingthe ball around, while running backs Ed Dodge and Sterling Ahern kept the chains moving. A 23-yard touchdown pass to Danny Wilhite was called back for an illegible receiver downfield penalty, but Ed Dodge decided to set things right a couple of plays later with a great 22-yard rush for the score.

The Merchantmen running back tandem of Randy Harris and Joseph Schoen wasn't impressed and the duo decided to step it up. With great runs and catches, they marched into Outer Banks' territory. Louie Flannery looked sharp and to set up for another touchdown, but was surprised as Bryce Ewald failed to catch the ball and Dana Adelman intercepted the pass.

The Ospreys' tank wasn't empty yet and the blue birds got their act going again. Fullback Burt Burke and tigth end Frank Law made the big plays, but the Ospreys got pushed back for an illegal block penalty. With 41 seconds left, Jerry Burchell decided to go for it and sent his receiver Danny Wilhite deep. Wilhite made the catch 42 yards downfield and advances the remaining 2 yards needed to score. The Merchantmen couldn't make a fist the next play and thus the home team went into the break leading 17-7.

In the second half, the Ospreys got the first touch, but couldn't do much. The Merchantmen defense looked reborn and looked their old selves, forcing a three-and-out. It was the start of an old fashioned field position battle and the Merchantmen looks very good at it. On the legs of Randy Harris, te Merchantmen got their machine running and moved up field. A great 23-yard reception from ex-Ospreys tight end Arnold Ramirez put the Merchantmen at the 1-yard line. Jerry Beyer was the lucky receiver in the end zone to get the ball from Louie Flannery to shorten the Ospreys lead to 17-14.

With that long drive, the fourth quarter was seconds away from starting and the Ospreys started that quarter in a third and three situation at their own 21-yard line. With a nice catch from Frank Law, the Ospreys made the first down, but harldy managed to get into scoring position and eventually punted on fourth and one around the middle of the field.

The Merchantmen were pushed back at their own 4-yard line and were forced even further back as Joseph Schoen was tackled for a loss. Louie Flannery was twice hurried to make a pass and avoided the safety twice. Roscoe Corrales was called on the field and left the field again after a horrible punt. The ball was caught only 24 yards up field and the Ospreys had the ball back at the Maassluis 27-yard line. The Ospreys were in run the clock out mode and saw five different ball carriers run forward, but fail to score. The Ospreys settled for a 23-yard field goal, meaning the game was far from over.

Louie Flannery wasn't impressed by the pass rush provided by the Ospreys and tried to get his offense running again. With a well timed run by him self and a nice play from Jamel Rosenberry to get the first down, the Merchantmen moved forward. And when Flannery connected with Jerry Beyer to have a first down around the middle line, things looked good again. But linebacker Arthur Hollar tackle Berry very hard and Beyer lost the ball. Edward Peterson picked up the loose ball and ran it all the way to the end zone. Ed Dodge failed to score on the two-point conversion attempt, but the lead was now 26-14 and thus demanding two touchdowns from the Merchantmen.

Louie Flannery tried to get his offense going again and things looked good. Nice catches from Gregory Monti and Jim Reiser moved the down markers towards the Ospreys red zone. The two-minute warning was called and Flannery tried to take a risk. His pass was intercepted by Milo Epperson and the game was pretty much over. Ed Dodge broke through for a 38-yard run next and the Merchantmen didn't even try anymore. The Ospreys made the humiliation complete after scoring another field goal follwing a knee drop.

Defensive end Erwin Baranowski, who played only sporadically in the game, analyzed the game between his old and new team. Baranowski said: "It went as to be expected. The Ospreys defense put the pressure on Flannery all game. Flan' worked well with the pressure, but the two interceptions and the fumble return touchdown broke our spirit. And let's not talk about the field goal."

Merchantmen headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude wasn't too shocked: "So we lost, big deal. We had a great streak of games running on the road and now lost the the two conference champions in our last two road games. Too bad we're going to North Plainfield again next week, in any other location I'm confident our team would have brought us to 2-1."

The Merchantmen go to the North Plainfield Plague next and are already anticipating a loss and being 1-2 going into the open weekend. The Merchantmen haven't started worse than 2-1 since the 2004 season. That season the team finished 1-15 and 'earned' the #1 overall draft pick. "We're not even thinking about that," Charles Gomez said, "our goals are sets much higher this season. We want to go all the way and beating the Plague on the road would be a nice."

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
And down to earth we were.

To be honest, 2007 was a great season, but in 2008 our schedule is a little bit tougher and it shows already. We beat the Giants, but the Opsreys were a little bit too much to ask. I mean, we had it in us, but Flannery had his old habit of interceptions return and a badly timed fumble cost us the game.

The rest of the European division wasn't doing much better. Bordeaux got spanked, yes, spanked, by the Miami Sharks. The score ended at 41-10 in Miami advantage. The Paris Musketeers were handed a 10-7 loss at the Springfield Isotopes. Leonard Lyon had a passing touchdown for the 'topes in that game. Only the Gothenburg Giants managed to win this week, beating the Asheville Axemen 24-20.

European standings:
1-1 Maassluis
1-1 Bordeaux
1-1 Gothenburg
0-2 Paris
Maassluis holds head-to-head tiebreakers over Bordeaux and Gothenburg, Bordeaux hold tiebreakers over Gothenburg on divisional record.

Schedule:
Maassluis is involved in another game of the week. In Monday Night Football, they go to the 2-0 North Plainfield Plague for an interesting AOC conference championship game rematch. Bordeaux is going to the 1-1 Boston Rhinos, Gothenburg hosts the 1-1 Vicksburg Vipers and Paris hosts the 1-1 Fort Worth Fury.

Player of the year:
I had a hard time mentioning three players who played their butts off, but in the end it wasn't that hard afterall. Wide receiver Devin Henson played well again with 88 kickoff return yards (29.3 average) and 40 yards receiving, including a touchdown. Cornerback Xavier Clyburn was active as nickelback and had 1 interception and 1 defended pass versus 1 catch allowed. Nickelback Tai Wayne made 3 tackles and 1 defended pass, while not allowing a single catch.

Standings:
5 points - Louie Flannery, Devin Henson
4 points - Lincoln Gilmore
3 points - Cody Cluff
2 points - Xavier Clyburn
1 point - Omar Gougeon, Tai Wayne

As I mentioned already, next up is North Plainfield. The early preview indicates that we're the clear underdogs. A scouting device by the league, which compares the two teams, points out that North Plainfield has the advantage in every position and whatever else they could be. We're the biggest underdogs by Vegas standards this week as well. With a lot of players bruised, black and blue from the last game, I'm concidering to rest some of our banged up starters. As if we even stand a chance against the team that beat us 43-10 and 40-14 in their house the last two seasons.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen At North Plainfield Preview
Maassluis at North Plainfield, game of the year. Not just in Maassluis, but in the entire league people are wondering wheter the Merchantmen can do something about the Plague's supremacy. Two time defending champions and in pole-position for a third title. The Merchantmen will have to be top fit and in their best shape to even be in the game. What will the game be like?

First of, there are three kinds of football teams. The cellar dwellars, the kind of teams that steal a win here or there, but have a hard time getting close to the psychological 8-8 mark. The .500 land, where all the 7-9 through 9-7 type of teams reside. The winning football group, these are the teams who have found their trick to win games at times. The Merchantmen have moved into the last group having gone through the first two, but the Plague have kicked off in 2004 in the winning football group, but the last two seasons became a league of their own.

There's no need to run down the Plague's roster. From quarterback David Conti to linebacker 'Ferby Thompson', from left tackle Isaias Lewis through cornerback Rod Huffman, every single player is perfect for the system. The Plague need only two scoring drives on offense and the defense will do the rest. Look at the score of 24-7 and 27-6 they had against Syracuse and Frederick and you realize they do it to any team.

The Merchantmen are in for a long day and expect a big loss. After the 10-43 and 14-40 spankings by the Plague in recent history, they know they are the underdogs and have little to hope for. But that's what the Merchantmen love to be, the underdogs. But after a 13-3 season, trying to talk like an underdog doesn't do justice to their own team performance in the past season, or to the teams who really are underdogs in the league.

Going back to the 2007 AOC Champions, the Merchantmen saw how their lack of pass protecting linebackers may have cost them the victory. The team drafted Bernie Surry to fill the void, however Surry's pass defense excellence comes with a lack of pass rush technique. Given the recent games, in which the pass rush was disappointing, the Merchantmen are speculating to go back to Carl Meier as strong-side linebacker for the game against the Plague. And the team still has Mike Kershner, although 'Mickey' looks like he's going to sit out a lot this season after the 10 catches he allowed in that AOC Championship game.

In today's Monday Night Football game, the Merchantmen will be missing the long-term injured tackle Cornelius Rice and the recovering defensive tackle Andrew Rasmussen. Also injured and likely to sit out the game are flanker Gregory Monti and center Brant Heinrich. The two best defensive backs of the team, cornerback Tai Wayne and strong safety Lincoln Gilmore are a bit black and blue, but expected to play. The same counts for tackle Harold Hurtado.

The offensive line will be reshuffled, so to say, as three normal contributors are hurt. Right tackle Cornelius Rice is out for most of the season, while Brant Heinrich is a risky play. Harold Hurtado, the substitute lineman for all the tackle and guard spots, will likely get the start over Norman Holliday at right tackle. Disgruntled Heath Ferebee gets the call at center, while disgruntled Brian Hammond will once again be the backup guard.

Ready or not, the Merchantmen will have to avenge the Plague now are be facing a 1-2 start for the first time since 2004. The confidence will take a huge hit and the open weekend won't be coming at the right time. Headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "We want to be above .500 as soon as possible. Going into the open week sitting 1-2, the team will only have more time to question them selves and set up a disastrous scenario for the home game against Tucker."

The panic should not start, as the two losses would be coming off the hands of last season's IHOF Bowl teams, but it isn't fun at all. But then, a victory would boost the confidence sky high, even a close loss could make the Merchantmen feel like in the period they went 11-1. Maassluis at North Plainfield, it's still boding well for a great matchup between two strong offenses and two defenses who can keep their opponentn from scoring. Tune in on MNF tonight, it could turn out to be a game to remember for the ages.

[CraigSca]

Looking forward to this one! Good luck against the Plague. This is one reason why it would be really cool if the games could be played on a server and viewed like an ESPN Gamecast.

[cthomer5000]

Let's hope for a good game today and no injuries.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Steamrolled To 1-2 By The Plague
With a humiliating 6-28 loss at the North Plainfield Plague, the Maassluis Merchantmen are facing a 1-2 season start. The Merchantmen were hopeless on offense and defense once again against the much feared opponent. With the 1-2 record, the Merchantmen have the worst season start since the 2004 season. Jamel Rosenberry went out with an injury. But as things are looking bad, the open weekend may be well timed to have a lot of starters return health for week 5.

The Plague had the Merchantmen's number and they proved once again why they are the #1 favorites to win IHOF Bowl V. In their first three games, the Plague beat three teams that went 11-5 or better in 2007, scoring 24 or more points while allowing 7 or less points in each game. Against the Merchantmen, the Plague had 494 total yards versus 148 for the Merchantmen.

Headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude was sceptic about the loss: "We saw it coming, yet are devastated by the lack of offense power we showed. The Plague played with us like a cat does with a mouse." Quarterback Louie Flannery complained about the lack of pass protection: "It was the toughest game so far for me with the Merchantmen. I really missed Cornelius Rice as a sure thing on the right side. Maybe Norman (Holliday) can do it next game..."

On defense, the linebackers were once again the center of critics. Starters Carl Meier, Ellsworth Thelen and Cody Cluff combined for 14 catches allowed. Add the 7 catches that nickelback Xavier Clyburn allowed and you can see where the Merchantmen were beaten. In contrast, the four starting defensive backs allowed only 4 catches and returned with 2 defended passes and 1 interception.

"We can talk on and off about the game, but we know the Plague are much stronger," Charles Gomez said, "we know we're playing for second place in the conference." Gomez once again disappointed and is talked down in the local media. With 2 quarterback hurries and 0 sacks in three games, people wonder whether Gomez is still doing his best to anchor the Merchantmen.

The 1-2 start means the worst start since the 2004 season. The past three seasons, the Merchantmen were 2-1 or better after three games. But the schedule they had may have had a big role in the start. With a home game against Gothenburg, and road games against the two defending conference champions Outer Banks and North Plainfield, the Merchantmen expected a 1-2 start. "We're focussing on the remaining 13 games," running back Randy Harris explained, "We got to rack up the W total in the winnable games, not the once where we are clear underdogs."

Fullback Jamel Rosenberry won't be available for the next couple of games. Rosenberry sufferss from a broken clavicle and is expected to miss four games after the bye week. Cornerback Xavier Clyburn seriously damaged his elbow and is expected out for one week more than Rosenberry. Guard Timothy Lacy picked up a hamstring injury, but should be able to play. Especially Rosenberry is a key player who the team will have a hard time to replace. Thew options are to activate Henry Poston or move either running back Joseph Schoen, tigh end Jerry Reiser or tight end Arnold Ramirez to fullback.

Owner M.IJ.B. once again stated that the team won't go into panic mode yet: "I think we were due a couple of losses. We've played our two toughest road games of the season already and can now look forward to the rest of the games. It will be crucial to sweep Bordeaux and Gothenburg to repeat as European champions. We've done it last season and could do it this season, but I have to be honest to say that the optimism has waned a bit and that we're expecting 8-8 more than 12-4. The goal is still 10-6 and a playoffs berth, even after being so close to the IHOF Bowl last season..."

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Speechless.

It was expected, yet, seeing the score and watching the game it was aweful. Aweful! I hope we can soon get over this and get back into division title defense mode.

Bordeaux took the division lead with a 27-20 win at the Boston Rhinos. Billy Jamerson finally shined, as he ran for 135 yards. Gothenburg lost a heartbreaking game against the Vicksburg Vipers. a last minute field goal in regulation and a last-second field goal in overtime made the Vipers win 22-19. The Paris Musketeers notched win #1 over the Fort Worth Fury as E.G. Lumpkin returned to form with 3 passing touchdowns towards the 31-6 win.


European standings:
2-1 Bordeaux
1-2 Maassluis
1-2 Paris
1-2 Gothenburg
Maassluis holds head-to-head tiebreakers over Paris and Gothenburg, Paris hold tiebreakers over Gothenburg on conference record.

Schedule:
Maassluis doesn't play, meaning Bordeaux can extend their lead by beating the 1-2 Orlando Knights in Bordeaux. Gothenburg will be hosting the 2-1 Conyers Condors, who are playing without their star quarterback Chris Donaldson. Paris is also on a open weekend, meaning they can nurse their long list of injured players a bit.

Player of the year:
Wow, try finding three top players after the beating we got. Lincoln Gilmore recorded 1 interception and 1 defended pass versus 1 catch allowed, with 3 tackles and 1 assist. Cary Coles was perfect in his limited duties, Coles converted two of two field goals to remain as the leading kicker in the IHOF this season with a perfect record and a 52-yarder on his resume. Mike Kershner was active in only 4 plays and made 1 tackle and 1 defended pass.

Standings:
7 points - Lincoln Gilmore
5 points - Louie Flannery, Devin Henson
3 points - Cody Cluff
2 points - Xavier Clyburn, Cary Coles
1 point - Omar Gougeon, Mike Kershner, Tai Wayne

Next up an open weekend, followed by a home game against the now 0-3 Tucker Tigers. I hope I have better news to report about by then...

[Alf]

back to 1st place

[CraigSca]

Does the Plague's defense have a nickname ala the Steel Curtain, Doomsday Defense, Gang Green?

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

Does the Plague's defense have a nickname ala the Steel Curtain, Doomsday Defense, Gang Green?

Hmmm, come to think of it, not that I remember ever seeing one. With just over four years going, I think there are not many nicknames yet. There are a couple of nicknames invented over time, but the number on a specific position group, or offense is still limited.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Hmmm, come to think of it, not that I remember ever seeing one. With just over four years going, I think there are not many nicknames yet. There are a couple of nicknames invented over time, but the number on a specific position group, or offense is still limited.

I suppose The Black Death might be appropriate, given our jersey color and team name.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen See Starters Heal Wounds In Bye Week
Week 4 of the 2008 IHOF season was a silent one for the Maassluis Merchantmen. With the open weekend scheduled after the trashing at the North Plainfield Plague, the Merchantmen players, staff and fans had something to talk about. But as the Merchantmen licked their wounds, from both the loss and injuries, the main rivals in Europe made the record gap a bit bigger. The Bordeaux Vineyards and Gothenburg Giants won and are taking the top two positions. The Paris Musketeers were with Maassluis and took a rest.

The Merchantmen had a tough schedule to start the season, but everybody expected at least one win and hope on two or more. A loss at North Plainfield would have been acceptable, but a complete humiliation following the unneeded loss at the Outer Banks Ospreys gave food for thought. Sitting 1-2 and having allowed 28 and 29 points in back to back weeks have people wondering what's going on. This was the top defense in scoring last season and all that only lost six backups.

Although the coaching staff wanted to play so the team could get into the winning mood fast enough, the injury list was asking for a week off. The non-action ment that quarterback Louie Flannery, cornerback Tai Wayne, center Brant Heinrich and flanker Gregory Monti could all recover to full health. Sadly, fullback Jamel Rosenberry and tackle Cornelius Rice are still out. Both are key players on offense, for both the passing and running game. Cornerback Xavier Clyburn is also still out, yet the Merchantmen have more roster depth at the secondary than anywhere else.

In the meantime, the Bordeaux Vineyards moved on towards a traditional 3-1 start. The Orlando Knights kept the score close, but were clearly the weaker side on the field all game long. 'Bam Bam' Jamerson ran for 135 yards in the 20-14 fourth quarter victory,but the game wasn't over until Paul Fabrizio scored two 22-yard filed goals in the last two minutes of regulation.

The Gothenburg Giants improved to 2-2 with an easy 27-16 win over the Conyers Condors. The Condors missed quarterback Chris Donaldson, while former #1 pick Randy Reagor struggled once again, racking up just 28 total yards. Giants' quarterback Duane Davis guided his team to the victory with 220 yards passing and 2 touchdowns. Davis' two interceptions were nullified as the Giants' defense totalled 4 interceptions.

With these scores, the Merchentman dropped to third place behid the two active teams. The Paris Musketeers are now in fourth place based on divisional record. The full standings in the European Division after four regular season weeks:
3-1 Bordeaux
2-2 Gothenburg
1-2 Maassluis
1-2 Paris

In week five the pressure is on for the top two teams. Bordeaux will host Gothenburg in a classic top of the division matchup. Gothenburg won the two head-to-head games in 2007 and will take over the division lead with a win. Maassluis gets ready for the visiting Tucker Tigers. The Tigers started 0-4 and will be desperate to notch win #1. The Tigers are leading the all-time head-to-head series 1-0. The Paris Musketeers are hosting the 3-1 Georgia Gridlock in the first of three consecutive home games. All in all enough ingredients for exciting football for the Europeans in week 5 of the 2008 IHOF season.

[MIJB#19]

Gossip News: Merchantmen Owner Sighted With Cheerleader?
It was bound to happen with the young owner, the Maassluis Merchantmen was sighted in the local discotheque the Friday before the nexthome game against the Tucker Tigers. The Merchantmen organization denies rumors, but anonymus sources claim they saw M.IJ.B. dancing his legs off accompanied by one of the Merchantmen cheerleaders.

Usually the Merchantmen cheerleaders are kept out of the spotlights, but today things changed. The IHOF Monthly magazine promoted a couple of cheerleaders around the league, including Maassluis' gorgeous brunette Belou. In the issue, Belou admitted she's got the hots for volleyball players. And since Merchantmen owner M.IJ.B. still plays volleyball, the link was easy set up.

Usually, we wouldn't make any concern about it, but Gossip News picked up a lack of updating of owner M.IJ.B.'s dairy at FOFC.com and also heard that the team didn't submit a game plan and depth chart to the league office for today's game against the Tucker Tigers. Given the bye week, this could be meaningless, but we really think something has been going on there. Gossip News will keep you updated.

[MIJB#19]

So who voted a 1 rating for my dynasty, was it so much more fun when my team was still losing so much? Stupid thread ratings system... I haven't felt like writing recently, but I'll get back at it soon enough.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Back In .500 Land
They licked their wounds and returned to the turf. The Maassluis Merchantmen enjoyed their open weekend and recovered with a 31-14 victory over the Tucker Tigers. Charles Gomez silenced his critics for a bad season start after anchoring his defense like never before. Louie Flannery looked good and evened up his career touchdowns and interceptions. The bad news was the injury to another offensive linemen as Butch White joins three other starters on the injury list.

In the first quarter the Merchantmen defense looked as bad as in the last couple of games. The 0-4 Tucker Tigers moved upfield with a 43-yard reception by ??? Ellard on a pass from Gary Handy. Three plays later the young defensive ends Aaron Sherrill and Omar Gougeon sacked Handy on third down and forced a punt. But as the Merchantmen offense couldn't move, the Tigers got the ball back and Gary Handy started making good calls on third downs. The drive ended as Handy found Monty Avent in the endzone for the 7-0 lead.

The crowd in Oranje Haven wasn't happy and started whistling to the Merchantmen players. Being 1-2 and down to an 0-4 team didn't inspire the fans to support the team. Louie Flannery decided to silence the crowd and found Jerry Beyer for a 20-yard pass. The fans got the confidence back and saw Randy Harris and Joseph Schoen combine for just enough yards to set up a convertable field goal. Placekicker Cary Coles converted the 34-yard kick and the Merchantmen were back in the game.

Having the lead, the Tigers didn't feel like playing it easy yet. But as Monty Avent got stuffed by Mike Kershner and Gary Handy sacked by Erwin Baranowski, a big third down play was needed. Handy found Mark Poehnert for the first down, but as the receiver tried to gain the yards, he fumbled and the Merchantmen gained possession in the Tigers' territory. Louie Flannery then connected with Devin Henson for a nice 18-yard gain that moved the team inside the red zone. After some running and screen passes, Flannery saw Henson open in the endzone on second and two to put his team in the 10-7 lead.

In their next possession, it turned into the Forrest Pruett show. The prolific wide receiver made 4 catches for 42 yards on passes from Gary Handy. But as the Tigers moved upfield, the Merchantmen defensive line once again protected their own territory well. A sack from Charles Gomez and a hurried pass forced by Omar Gougeon made the Tigers punt from the 38-yard line. The Merchantmen offense was fruitless and punted the ball back. The Tigers failed to move forward as they were forced back by a holding penalty and it was time for a field position game.

With five minutes left in the first half, the Merchantmen looked to Joseph Schoen to make plays. But as Schoen gained only 8 yards, the team punted and the field position looked getting worse. A unsportmanlike conduct penalty then forced the Tigers back in their own territory and it looked like Maassluis' punter Roscoe Corrales was winning the punting battle. Louie Flannery got overexcited and with three minutes left saw his pass, intended for Devin Henson, get intercepted by ??? Criner. But on the next play, Tucker's Gary Handy returned the favor as he got sacked by Charles Gomez, who then forced the fumble and recovered the ball.

With just over two minutes left and having first possession in the second half, the Merchantmen wanted to wrap up the game in the first half. Louie Flannery knew who to play and looked like a great leader. A handoff to tight end Jim Reiser resulted in a 12-yard run. After getting sacked, Flannery didn't panic and immediately tossed a bomb to catch for Jerry Beyer near the Tigers endzone. The Merchantmen had a minute left and were pushed back by a false start penalty. Randy Harris had a huge run, but in the end the team settled for a 21-yard field goal by Cary Coles for a 13-7 half time score.

Fresh out of the locker rooms, Louie Flannery looked like the quarterback that amazed the IHOF late in the 2007 season. Flannery connected with Joseph Schoen for 18 yards on third and seventeen, followed by first down passes to Randy Harris and Arnold Ramirez. Then, Flannery connected with his favorite receiver again as Devin Henson was his target for a 40-yard gain. With 11 yards to go, the Merchantmen didn't make a mistake and Flannery found Ramirez for 9 yards on second down to make it 20-7.

After the score, another field position battle started. The Tigers' offense looked a bit better and the Tigers forced the Merchantmen back into their own territory. As Louie Flannery started panicing so close to his endzone, the quarterback once again got intercepted. ??? Lemere made the catch for the Tigers' at the Merchantmen 45-yard line. Set up by a 17-yard run from Monty Avent, Gary Handy connected with Forrest Pruett for a 37-yard touchdown.

The third quarter was about over by then. Louie Flannery looked determined to not let this 6-point lead slip and got his act going again. With great third down catches from Joseph Schoen and Arnold Ramirez (twice), the orange-white-and-blue moved upfield. After a nice 7-yard run from young fullback Henry Poston on third and two, the team was coming closer to the end zone. A handoff to Randy Harris kept the offense from being predictable as Flannery then was able to find flanker Gregory Monti for a nice 21-yard touchdown pass. Joseph Schoen ran in the two-pointer for a 28-14 lead.

But with ten minutes left, the game was far from over. Tigers' quarterback Gary Handy got the motor of his offense running again as his team started running all over the Merchantmen. But by running, the clock was ticking away and less than six minutes were left when the Tigers arrived near the red zone. Gary Handy sent his men into the endzone for a touchdown pass, but instead of closing the gap to 7 points, Merchantmen cornerback Sammie Kennedy intercepted the ball in the endzone.

In their own red zone, the Merchantmen tried to run out the clock, but as Joe Schoen and Randy Harris failed to move upfield, the Merchantmen had to punt with still four minutes on the clock. The Tigers, however, failed to move upfield themselves and were forced to punt with three minutes left. The Merchantmen tried to run out the clock, but again failed and possession was the Tigers' again.

The Tigers were sitting at their own 24-yard line and had to take risks. Gary Handy decided to go into pass-pass-pass mode. First down, the pass was defended by safety Broderick Schultz. Second down, Forrest Pruett dropped a pass for the first time in the game. Third down, Handy saw Shaun Shiroma coming at him and decided to throw the ball away. Fourth down, Handy decided to go for it and as he tried to connect with Monty Avent, Merchantmen safety Lincoln Gilmore came in between and batted down the ball for the turnover on downs.

Starting at the 24-yard line in the Tigers' part of the field, it was a piece of cake to wrap up the game with a field goal. The Merchantmen forced the Tigers into their last timeout after a 1-yard run by Randy Harris and then even threatened for a touchdown as Louie Flannery sent his men forward. On third and one, Louie Flannnery dropped to one knee, but the Merchantmen still had one last trick. Cary Coles was brought on to score the 33-yard field goal to not end the game. On the following kickoff return, the Tigers failed to score and the game was over.

Charles Gomez smiled all over as the recorded 7 tackles, 3 sacks and a crucial fumble forced and recovered. Gomez said: "It was the type of game we needed to get back into the winning mood. The Tigers ain't a true 0-5 team, but after trash talks from their owner we were eager to beat this team (Tigers' owner SkyDog claimed that the Merchantmen first round pick would be a top5 pick). That, and some of us still remember how we lost to them the last time we played them (The Merchantmen lost 9-10 after a missed extra point)."

Louie Flannery was happy about the result, but did start complaining a bit after the game. Flannery: "Injuries are hitting us hard this season. I know it's part of the game, but seeing five different starting linemen get injured in just four different games, it's not making things easier. No offense to Norman Holliday, but it's obvious he's not playing up to his potential yet. He can be as good as (Cornelius) Rice or Harold (Hurtado) some day, but he's not there yet."

Left guard Butch White was added to the list of injured offensive linemen. White sprained his thumb in the game and is expected to play through the pain in the upcoming month or so. Right guard Tim Lacy hardly played due to a sore hamstring, while lineman number six Harold Hurtado was a backup because of a knee injury. right tackle Cornelius Rice is out for the rest of the regular season with an ankle injury. The good news was center Brant Heinrich playing all game after returning from the injury list, yet he didn't look like his usually self.

Head coach Leroy Van Der Woude was pleased with the victory: "I knew we could win this game and knew we could get back on track this fast. We talked a lot during the bye week and I think we have everybody motivated again. Sure, some players are complaining about playing time, but I hope they understand the sacrifice they have to make to be part of a team trying to make a run at the league title. Given all the injuries, I don't understand the complaints from the offensive linemen anyway..."

Next up for the Merchantmen are the Georgia Gridlock. The Gridlock are 3-2 and division leaders in the AOC Southeast. The Georgians need a win to defend the division lead as the Orlando Knights and Conyers Condors are in pursuit at 2-3. The Merchantmen are two wins behind the Bordeaux Vineyards and can't afford a loss in their attempt to defend their European crown. Going to Georgia, the Merchantmen know they are 0-2 all-time versus the Gridlock. Last season, the Gridlock won by 1 point and were the only team to beat the Merchantmen in between 6 and 5-game winning streaks. In 2005 the Gridlock won on a 47-yard field goal in over time. That's plenty history to be determined to take the win and sit 3-2 going to Paris the week after.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
(Sigh of relief)
It wasn't pretty, but I'll take the win over playing great football. Besides, our fans are not used to seeing us score 30 or more points in one game.

A recent statistic showed that our team has faced the toughest schedule in weeks one through four. Our game against Tucker (0-5 now) will probably make us drop on the list, but having played the defending conference champions and having lost at both of them makes us look mediocre at best so far.

How did our European rivals do? The Bordeaux Vineyards shutdown the Gothenburg Giants and are looking stronger than ever. In the 23-10 victory, Billy 'Bam Bam' Jamerson ran for two scores and 119 yards. The yards per carry figure of 2.9 wasn't so great, but I think Bordeaux will take the yardage and scores over the average any day. The Paris Musketeers are impressive all of a sudden. They managed to shutdown Georgia Gridlock and their 2007 rookie of the year quarterback Nate Sutter. The 20-7 victory shows the Musketeers are a team to watch out for this season. And having allowed only 23 points in their last three games, it looks like Paris has a defense now.
euro's

European standings:
4-1 Bordeaux
2-2 Maassluis
2-2 Paris
2-3 Gothenburg
Maassluis holds head-to-head tiebreakers over Paris on divisional record.

Schedule:
The Bordeaux players, staff and fans will sit on their couches, watching the games of the other European teams. The Maassluis Merchantmen play at the 3-2 Georgia Gridlock, the Paris Musketeers host the 2-3 Orlando Knights and the Gothenburg Giants host the 0-5 Tucker Tigers.

Player of the year:
Five heroes for our win, and they were not easy to name with so many candidates. From fifth best to best they were:
Middle Linebacker Cody Cluff, who made 6 tackles, 2 assists and defended 1 pass.
Quarterback Louie Flannery, who nullified two interceptions with 248 yards passing and 3 touchdowns.
Receiver Devin Henson, who had 3 catches for 60 yars and a score, as well as 78 kickoff return yards.
Defensive end Omar Gougeon, who had 2 tackles, 1 defended pass, half a sack and 5 quarterback hurries.
Defensive tackle Charles Gomez, who made 7 tackles, 3 sacks and recovered a fumble after forcing it.

Standings:
8 points - Devin Henson
7 points - Louie Flannery, Lincoln Gilmore
5 points - Charles Gomez, Omar Gougeon
4 points - Cody Cluff
2 points - Xavier Clyburn, Cary Coles
1 point - Mike Kershner, Tai Wayne

So, after 1/4th of the games, how are we doing stats-wise?
Offense
After four games, we're just an average passing offense. The injuries on the offensive line made the pass protection worse than normal and we all know that Louie Flannery is no sacks avoider like Justin McDavid is. With 225 yards per game things look better han they are. A completion percentage of 48.7, a 5.8 yards per attempt average, and 2 sacks per game allowed are not the best of stats. But if you think the passing game is bad, the running game is even worse. Our linemen are all black and blue and can't get key run blocks anymore. Our runners combined for 83 yards per game and a pathetic 3.2 yards per carry.

Defense
What happened here, were we not a top defense last season? Let's start with our charm last season, te pass rush. With 2.5 sacks per game, we're closing in on our average, but this figure was boosted by the 5 sacks against Tucker. Our pass defense is lacking recently. We're allowing teams to complete 61% of their passes for 7.8 yards per attempt and 285 yards per game. Yeah, ouch. Add the 117 yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry rushing and we're looking plain aweful. At least the defense still keeps teams from scoring a lot of touchdowns, although 9 touchdowns in 4 games is not a good average.

Individual Passing Game
Louie Flannery is not making the difference so far. Flan' completes only 49.6% of his passes and for just 6.0 yards per attempt. The good news is that he's got only 5 interceptions so far versus 7 touchdowns. Devin Henson is our top receiver so far, to my surprise. With 10 catches for 174 yards and 2 scores. Gregory Monti has 6 catches for 134 yards and a 22.3 average so far in limited action. Jerry Beyer helps out with 11 catches for 129 yards. Only Bryce Ewald is a bit disappointing with 9 catches for 111 yards. Jim Reiser isn't getting much looks yet, but that's partially due to his temporary role as fullback.

Individual Running Game
Don't look. Really, don't. Randy Harris has ran for 181 yards so far and an average below 3.0. The new backup Joseph Schoen ran for 61 yards and a 2.2 average, go us! In four games, our team has zero running touchdowns, zero! Where is it going wrong? Well, we're missing our run blockers a bit. Jamel Rosenberry got hurt, Cornelius Rice is out for the year, Tim Lacy is hurt, Harold Hurtado is hurt, Brant Heinrich missed time, Butch White is hurt now. I can only hope we can get over the slump.

Individual Pass Rush
Finally something that looks decent so far, although we're entirely leaning on the pass rush pressure we showed against the Tucker Tigers. With 3 sacks from Charles Gomez, the highlight is already mentioned. Omar Gougeon is doing his share with 1.5 sacks and 8 quarterback hurries. Aaron Sherrill, Erwin Baranowski, Shaun Shiroma and Andy Weliczka all added 1 sack, but not much more.

Individual Pass Defense
Guess what: Our rookie Bernie Surry is the charm of the group so far. How bad is that? Okay, granted, we wanted a pass defense linebacker, but if Surry is already our best guy, what's going wrong elsewhere? Lincoln Gilmore has been great as our strong safety, 1 interception, 3 defended passes and 5 catches allowed is a good averages. Others helping out are Tai Wayne (3 defended, 8 catches), Cody Cluff (1 interception, 2 defended, 11 catches) and Borderick Schultz (2 defended, 7 catches). The rest is lacking a bit, especially cornerbacks Winford Endicott (2 defended, 14 catches) and Xavier Clyburn (1 interception, 1 defended, 10 catches). Even Myron Stevens is joining mediocrity with 1 defended pass and 4 catches allowed.

Oh well, the toughest part of the schedule has been survived. We're 2-2 and that's just were I expected us to be. Well, okay, I hoped and expected 3-1, but 2-2 is not bad given our schedule. Outer Banks and North Plainfield are conference champs, while we never beat Tucker before. Gothenburg was a sort of no-brainer, given the 4-0 streak we have against them, yet I'm aware of how good that team actually is. The season is still long and expecting another streak of 10-1 smells like arrogance and insanity. Let's stick with the plan to hope for at least 10-6 and a playoff ticket, okay?

[Kodos]

Figured the readers might appreciate these commemorative shots of Louie Flannery and Benny Hughes from Futility Bowl IV.

Oh, and you're now 108 replies away from this being the most replied to dynasty in FOFC history.

[MIJB#19]

Oh yeah, I got to thank Kodos and others for making Madden pics and photo-edited images of some of the Merchantmen players. I don't remember who all made the photo edits, but I do know that Dutch took the time to make snapshot of all the 2007 starters and important backups. Including the three below, that made for a great trash talk series going into the first Merchantmen playoffs game (or did I share these here already?):
John McMasters, the IHOF's best pass rush is coming at ya today

Albert Bernardo (8.5 sacks)	Charles Gomez (8.0 sacks)	Aaron Sherrill (6.5 sacks)

[MIJB#19]

Charles Gomez Wins Player Of Week Honors
In the 31-14 beating of the Tucker Tigers, Maassluis Merchantmen defensive tackle Charles Gomez played well enough to win the IHOF Defensive Player of the Week honors. In over four years in the league, this was Gomez' first player of the week honor. Gomez made 7 tackles, 3 sacks and recovered a fumbled that he forced to lead the defense to a rebound win after two straight losses.

"The honor is nice, but the real thing is the ring." Gomez said, "We got a goal and we're still far from reaching it." Gomez was the Merchantmen's first round pick in the league draft for the 2004 season and has been the team's best player since the league started. Gomez earned All IHOF First Team (2006) and All IHOF Second Team (2005, 2007) honors before, but was never the defensive player of the week.

This honor is the first and according to some team mates not the last. Middle linebacker Cody Cluff: "Gomez was robbed for Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 and was the Defensive Player of the Week a couple of times that season. Gomez is the top of the backbone, no Gomez no glory." Safety Lincoln Gilmore agrees with Cluff: "Most teams have a quarterback as their start player, we don't believe in stars, but Gomez would qualify as one."

Gomez' star has always been rising, but the big breakthrough came only recently as Gomez was featuring on the front of the 2008 IHOF Monthly Season Preview magazine. Gomez was pictured as the Maassluis Merchantmen's answer to North Plainfield quarterback David Conti. Gomez was then interviewed going into a Monday Night Football preview for the Maassluis at North Plainfield game in week three, but after the game people started to wonder whether the media attention broke his stride.

"No, no, I wasn't slacking." Gomez said. "You know me, I want to work hard for the team and make room for the other guys to make plays. The first three games things didn't go well and I really pumped myself up for the home game versus Tucker." Apparently it worked as Gomez shined and earned the Defensive Player of the Week honors. And with the Georgia Gridlock focussing in the pass with a shacky offensive line, Gomez and co. could be in for another good game.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Oh, and you're now 108 replies away from this being the most replied to dynasty in FOFC history.

Wow, I didn't realize this thread had gotten so big already. Is that a good thing?

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis At Georgia Preview: The Shoe Returns To Georgia
Joseph Schoen returns to Georgia. The two-time 1,000-yard back was traded this pre-season by the Georgia Gridlock to the Maassluis Merchantmen. This weekend, Schoen is expected to be starting against his former teammates and make a case for why he should have been kept around, despite salary cap struggles. But the Georgia Gridlock are not afraid, they beat the Merchantmen last season in Maassluis and lead the head-to-head series 2-0. The only two IHOF franchises with a continued growth in regular season wins are getting ready for an interesting game.

"'The Shoe' is going home." said Georgia Gridlock owner Celeval about two months ago. At that moment, the Gridlock had just agreed terms with the Maassluis Merchantmen to trade Joseph Schoen to Maassluis. Schoen has a dutch lastname and thus has roots on the old continent. But the reason for trade was not a lack of production. In four seasons as Georgia's tailback, Schoen racked up 908 yards rushing per season. But a big salary figure and Georgia being in cap hell made the move possible.

Merchantmen headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude is happy about 'The Shoe': "With the retirement of Rodger Mowery, I pressed for a replacement running back. The management listened and acquired two guys. Scott Bagley is not quite ready for the job, while Schoen can challenge Randy Harris for the starting job." But despite the good words, Schoen has only 117 total yards in four games, including a horrible 2.2 yards per carry average.

"He's a nice guy to have around," Randy Harris said, "I worried for my job, but I know that Joseph and I can share carries and be more productive. It's too bad that we've been playing catch-up so much this season, which means we have to pass more and can't wear down the defense with the running game. And the injuries to our linemen and Jamel (Rosenberry, fullback) haven't made things easier."

Some league pundits expected Schoen to be the new starter in Maassluis, but so far fan favorite Randy Harris is still going strong. Schoen said: "Harris has started every game in franchise history and improved his production every season. It's not easy being in the shadows of a legend. But then, the 2007 showed that the Merchantmen need two great backs to keep winning, I'm happy to be that second guy."

Schoen and the rest of the Merchantmen offense will be facing a tough Gridlock defense. The defensive line will be rotating a lot as te Gridlock have six guys who can contribute. John Bryant is the former Merchantmen player who the fans should recognize, however the likes of Alonzo Millet and Cole Alexander are even bigger names around the IHOF. Behind the line, John Culpepper and Jeffrey Flores anchor a strong linebackers quartertet. And the secondary can't be underestimated with safeties Andrew Remington and Glenn Casares playing all over the field.

The Gridlock offense isn't so bad either. Quarterback Nate Sutter will be given a lot of looks, although he might be a bit worrying about playing Maassluis again. Last season, Sutter got hurt in a freak accident against Maassluis and missed a couple of games. Lucky for him the now retired Fabian Parker stepped up and passed the team to a 28-27 upset victory.

Passing is what Sutter and company will be doing. The Gridlock are focussing a bit more on passing, although Cole Dean will be running from time to time. The fullback is playing tailback this season and has been a good replacement for Joe Schoen so far with 343 yards and a 4.8 average. Wide receiver Jules Benedict and center Bubba Kearney are the ex-Merchantmen players on the offense and could be seeing a lot of playing time against their old teammates.

The starting lineup for the Merchantmen will probably be reshuffled a bit once again. Left guard Butch White hurt his thumb and is expected to play through the pain, but probably be rotating a bit with the backups. But as right guard Timothy Lacy is troubled by a sore hamstring, right tackle Cornelius Rice is out for the season and backup tackle Harold Hurtado has a sore knee, White might be forced into play afterall.

On defense, the Merchantmen expect to play with the usual starters. Strong safety Lincoln Gilmore re-injured his shoulder. He's expected to play through the pain, however the team has confidence Emile William as a replacement. Cornerback Xavier Clyburn is still out, but the Merchantmen think their depth will cover for the injury. The biggest question will be whether Andrew Rasmussen will return to the active roster, as Rasmussen returned from injury and is fully recovered. The management, however, is having a hard time finding an active roster spot for Rasmussen.

Given the historyof the Maassluis-Georgia games, people should expect a close game. In 2005, the Gridlock won in their own house in an overtime classic. Tim Wilkes completed 50 and 78 yard touchdown passes in regulation before watching Edward Wilkes scoring the game winning 47-yard field goal two minutes into overtime. And last season the Gridlock saw Joseph Schoen score twice in a 28-27 shocker. Edward Wilkes once again was crucial, this time scoring a 36-yard field goal with 45 seconds left. Will Edward Wilkes repeat history or will the Merchantmen overcome their fear and end the losing streak versus Georgia? After tomorrow, we'll know the answers...

[MIJB#19]

"Hey MIJB, what's the hold up?"

Some freak scores in 10 of the 13 other IHOF games have made yesterday's scores reason for a bit of a research before being made reality. Once the issue is resolved, I'll get an update in.

"That's lame!"

You call that lame, then you haven't seen the ugly score for Maassluis at Georgia yet...

"And when is soon then?"

If things get bad, it will be on Sunday, I'm going to the coutry's most beatiful beach for most of Saturday.

[Alf]

Doh, I thought all Dutchmen were coming down to sunny France for all beach related activities

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Alf

Doh, I thought all Dutchmen were coming down to sunny France for all beach related activities

Stupid Dutchmen and their compulsory vacation trip with tent to France or Spain. It's always cool when they get rain there and it remains sunny and exhaustingly hot in the Netherlands. If only the humidity wasn't so bad...

Time for a Georgia recap and Paris preview, the Merchantmen are going to France today!

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Suffer Big Loss At Georgia Gridlock
For the third time in franchise history, the Maassluis Merchantmen were beaten by the Georgia Gridlock. In what should have been a close game, the Gridlock marched to a big 38-17 victory. The running game, pass protection and pass rush all failed heavily in the beating. Former Merchantmen players John Bryant and Jules Benedict scored against their old team. Joseph Schoen returned the favor, but couldn't do much as the starter, which also ment that Randy Harris saw a streak of consecutive games started ended at 68 regular season games.

The 2008 season so far looks like a big dissater for the Merchantmen. In six weeks, including a bye week, the team has won only 2 games and thus already tied their 2007 loss total. Big losses on the road to Outer Banks, North Plainfield and Georgia have totally vanished their winning streak in road games, after the team went 8-0 away from Oranje Haven in the 2008 regular season.

Quarterback Louie Flannery looked devastated after the game. The young Merchantmen quarterback completed 21 of 32 passes for 274 yards, yet was not looking happy at all after being sacked 7 times and not having any support from the running game. Flan' wasn't ready to blame the offensive line, but did say: "It comes to show how vulnerable we are when a couple of guys are playing through pain and when (Cornelius) Rice isn't playing."

After a disappointing first four games, fan favorite running back Randy Harris was benched by te Merchantmen management. Headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "Randy looked exhausted and we had good hopes on Joseph (Schoen) to tear apart his former teammates. It's clear that the whole offense is missing (tackle Cornelius) Rice and (fullback Jamal) Rosenberry, who both work hard for the skill players."

On the defensive side, the team couldn't be much happier. After a game in which Charles Gomez earned Defensive Player of the Week honors, Gomez and his defensive line recorded no sacked and only three quarterback hurries. Gomez: "The team wanted to see how good Shaun (Shiroma) would do in more playing time, while we're probably missing Big Al (Albert Bernardo) and his routine on the line as well."

Things are not going well in the Merchantmen locker room. Three prominent players are complaining about playing time and the management is having a hard time to get them happy again. Left tackle Harold Hurtado was supposed to be the sixth linemen, but with a knee injury is still riding the bench, despite seeing three starters injured. Defensive end Albert Bernardo was demoted to #4 end, yet thinks he can provide the pass rush the team has been lacking so far. And linebacker Josh Weisberg is not happy as sixth choice in the 4-3 defense.

"We all have to make sacrifices, but as the team isn't playing well, the desire to step in and make plays is higher than before. It's a good thing, but Harold, Al and Josh should realize that age has slowed them down a bit." These were the words from owner M.IJ.B. and he seems to have a big hand in the playing time of the veterans.

Next up is an all-important game at the Paris Musketeers. Middle linebacker Cody Cluff sprained his ankle, meaning the Merchantmen are most likely going to play without the second segment in the three-men backbone of the run defense. Safety Lincoln Gilmore is expect to play a bit, but not a full game yet with his shoulder injury. Only defensive tackle Charles Gomez is ready to go. The rest of the personnel on defense will have to make up for the absence.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Just when you think things can't get worse, well, they do get worse.

Try finding excuses, but 2-3 is not where we wanted to be. Granted, the losses to Outer Banks, North Plainfield and Georgia all were expected, but they shouldn't have been that big. I'm still believing in our system, but I can't hide the fact that I'm slowly giving up on our anchorman on offense: Randy Harris. Dandy Randy used to be our star touchdown scorer and now he's nothing better than a change of pace back, or so it seems. My heart is breaking over this, but we may have to stick with Joe the Shoe...

How did our rivals do? Well, the Bordeaux Vineyards didn't play, so they laughed their asses of for our big loss. The Paris Musketeers continued their defense top showing, beating the Orlando Knights 34-10. The Musketeers have now allowed 33 points combined in the last four games. And Duane Davis seems to have the Gothenburg Giants back to winning ways, although a 27-17 score versus the winless Tucker Tigers doesn't mean much. And that, my good readers, means we're back in fourth place...

European standings:
4-1 Bordeaux
3-2 Paris
3-3 Gothenburg
2-3 Maassluis

Schedule:
Bordeaux will defend first place for another week, but going to the Conyers Condors (2-3) it doesn't make sense to expect them to do so. If Chris Donaldson is back at quarterback for the Condors, the Vineyards should expect a close game. Gothenburg is going to the Orlando Knights (2-4), who are still missing their quarterback. But the game of the week in Europe is Maassluis at Paris. With a bit of luck, it means we could be back at second place and only 1 win behind Bordeaux. If we're unlucky, we're 3 wins behind Bordeaux and see an 8-game winning streak inside the division end.

Player of the year:
Try finding three non-zeroes in our beating at Georgia... The only qualifiers to me were Bryce Ewald (4 receptions for 92 yards), Bernie Surry (1 pass defended, 1 tackle, 3 assists) and Tai Wayne (1 fumble recovered, 2 passes defended, 3 tackles, 1 assist). Louie Flannery should have qualified with 274 yards passing and completing 21 of 32 passes, yet 2 interceptions and a fumble make him point-less this week.

Standings:
8 points - Devin Henson
7 points - Louie Flannery, Lincoln Gilmore
5 points - Charles Gomez, Omar Gougeon
4 points - Cody Cluff
3 points - Bryce Ewald
2 points - Xavier Clyburn, Cary Coles, Bernie Surry, Tai Wayne
1 point - Mike Kershner

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis At Paris Preview
Maassluis at Paris, a classic to the two owners. The Maassluis Merchantmen have had a bad start and want to get back to .500 with a win here. The Paris Musketeers are aiming for 4-2 and hope to be second on tiebreakers after this week. But both teams are struggling with injuries on their offensive line and can only hope that their defenses will step up and hold their ground for most of the day.

Flannery versus Lumpkin, that's how this game looks in quaterbacks. So far, Lumpkin has the edge over Flan' in the 2008 season. With a better completion percentage (65 vs. 52), more yards (1,246 vs. 1,167) and less interceptions (4 vs. 7), it shows that Lumpkin may be the stronger of the two passers. But Flannery isn't impressed, as their head-to-head record shows a 2-0 lead for Flannery. With 27-17 and 14-6 scores, Flannery and team have beaten paris twice the previous season.

But 2008 shows to be a different season. The Musketeers all of a sudden have a defense, while the highly touted top defense from the Merchantmen has collapsed this season. The Musketeers allowed just over 8 points per game in their last four games and are going on a hot streak. The Merchantmen average 32 points per game allowed so far on the road and can't be feeling happy about this matchup.

Crucial element today will be which offensive line will hold up te best. Both lines are haunted by injuries, but both teams think they can get something done still. Paris have IR'ed tackle Howard Bingham and guard Isaac Bailey, two of their top three linemen in talent, while backup tackle Wilford Eckstein is alo out for the season. But with Louis Bell, Broderick Marsh, Harold Prescott, a dinged up Tony Kuehn and Chris Johnson, the Musketeers can still field a good line.

In Maassluis the total number of injuries is less, but the impact is pretty similair. After seasons of 26 and 28 sacks the past years, Louie Flannery has been sacked 15 times already. The absence of right tackle Cornelius Rice has been mentoined a lot, but it's not all there is. Guards Timothy Lacy and Butch White are hurt and can't play without pain. It means they're taking it easy and the two main run blockers on the line are not giving all their power.

Facing Paris it's not a lucky timing. The Paris Musketeers had two trianing camp surprises in defensive tackles Joseph Battle and Charles Conaway. Lucky for Maassluis, Conaway is out with an ankle injury, while his replacement Parker Jones is taking it easy with a thumb injury. Albert Buxton is getting playing time, but isn't producing a lot so far. The Musketeers have a good linebackers trio behind them and can field a reliable secondary.

For Maassluis there's bad news as middle linebacker Cody Cluff is expected to sit out the game. Carl Meier has borken to be a good backup, but isn't the elite run stopper that Cluff is. In return, Meier helps out the pass rush and pass defense, which could be useful against a pass happy Paris offense. Sided by Ellsworth Thelen and rookie surprise Bernie Surry, Meier could be Cluff-ish. And with Andy Weliczka returning on the defensive line as a run stuffer, the Merchantmen think they have fixed the problem.

But most of all in Paris, the eyes will be on the running backs of both sides. Joe Boulware hasn't produced a lot so far this season, but with 81 yards per game and 3 touchdowns he's helping out. In Maassluis it's a controversy, however, as Randy Harris has only 196 yards in 5 games and averages just 2.9 yards per carry. New acquisition Joseph Schoen hoped to turn the tide, but with just 90 yards in 5 games and a 2.4 per carry average, 'The Shoe' is not ready to carry this offense.

The Merchantmen have won the last two head-to-head games, but with Paris on a hot streak, things could go different this time around. Given the historical results in Paris, the Musketeers could be up for a big win again after the 2006 (40-20) and 2005 (31-3) upset wins. Afterall, it's been a long time since Paris had a better record than Maassluis and they would love to extend that image, while digging Maassluis deeper into last place. The Merchantmen can only hope to extend their European games winning streak to nine and move back up the divisional rankings. Get ready for another episode of the Maassluis-Paris classic...

[MIJB#19]

Irregular Interviewing: Bernie Surry, Bright Light Of 2008?
The 2008 season has been a big disappointment to the Maassluis Merchantmen so far. But two things have been looking good so far. One is the Merchantmen's record in home games. With two wins in as many games, Oranje Haven is once a gain the much wanted harbor to the Dutch american football team. The other bright light is a rookie linebacker. A young kid, drafted in the fifth round of the 2008 draft, who has emerged as a starter on a top defense from 2007 and in one of the league's strongest linebacker groups. Rookie Bernie Surry has lived up to the training camp hype and has become a key player on the pass defense.

Q (Questioner): Bernie thank you for joining us for this interview.
BS (Bernie Surry): I'm happy to contribute to whatever this is for.

Q: This interview is for the Maassluis Merchantmen dynasty website over at the Front Office Football Central website.
BS: Really? Cool! I love FOF! I didn't know there was a site dedicated to the game. Well, I knew a bit, but after going to college I hardly visited.

Q: So, which team did you like to be in FOF?
BS: The Vicksburg Vipers. I grew up like 40 miles from where they play in real life and managing them in a game was fun to do. Although, the Syracuse Mohawks were a close second due to my college time.

Q: How would you like to play either of those teams?
BS: I think that would be a cool experience. I'd love to make a tackle on Ronnie Kemp or defend a paas from Brent Peterman, but then, they're not on our schedule for this season.

Q: Unless you guys meat them in the playoffs.
BS: True. But right now we're not allowed to talk big about the playoffs. Coach (headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude) has ordered us to only be focussed for the next game. Being 2-3, we have no rights to talk playoffs anyway.

Q: What did you expect coming to the Merchantmen as AOC runners' up and European Champions?
BS: Well, I was pretty honored by getting drafted. I heard rumors on the Merchantmen wanting me, but they didn't have draft picks. When they traded into the fifth round, I didn't expect them to pick me. I was quite honored to hear they traded in to get me.

Q: Then, after the draft, people started talking about booms and busts. More often than not, the name of Bernies Surry was mentioned.
BS: That was cool and all, but I really wanted to prove I can play good football. That's what people want from fifth round picks. Besides, I was going to Maassluis, they still had like seven better linebackers.

Q: Good group or not, you've started in four games this season and have been helping out with four defended passes.
BS: I do what I can.

Q: Still, people around the league are amazed how a fifth round rookie with no stamina and no pass rush technique can become the starting strong-side linebacker for Maassluis.
BS: True. I just do my best. I hear 'Mickey' (Mike Kershner) and Carl Meier have allowed too many catches from the strong side position. I think I'm a good zone defender and as the team likes to play it a lot, I try to show what I can.

Q: With 4 passes defended, you rank second on the team.
BS: As I said, I do my best. I want to win at all cost all the time as I hate losing.

Q: How does that contrast with being on the Merchantmen?
BS: Face it: I joined a team that went to the conference championship game. They haven't been big losers for the past seasons at all.

Q: But the Merchantmen still have the image of lovable losers.
BS: Really? Well, I guess they've proven wrong. Just look at some guys around here. They've given faith in Aaron Sherrill and Omar Gougeon. Didn't they start for the best pass rush last season?

Q: True. How do you see your role in the pass rush?
BS: it's a problem. I've played like a safety a bit in college, but changed to pass defense oriented weak-side linebacker in the last two seasons. I never developed any pass rush technique and at time my teammates complain about it. I've decided to try to improve my traits as a run stopper and pass defender.

Q: We hear the management has big things in their plans for you as a long-time starter as pass defender and run stuffer.
BS: That's cool to hear.

Q: You haven't heard or read about it?
BS: I'm still a rookie. Haven't you seen the competition? Cody is the #1 run stuffer in the league, Meier is a great leader and can do it all, Elly (Ellsworth Thelen) is a sack machine, who can stop the run, 'Mickey' (Mike Kershner) is so popular and Josh Weisberg is such a great guy to hang around with, I learn a lot from all these guys.

Q: Something a bit different, how do you get around life in the Netherlands so far?
BS: Hard to say, after I got drafted and signed my contract, we went into traning camp and then had a lot of road games, so we haven't been in Maassluis a lot so far.

Q: But did the other guys tell you about the 'first city at the New Waterway'?
BS: Oh yeah. Ronnie (Myron Stevens) told me about the bikeride interview I did. I purposely turned it down. I may be a good football player, but I don't dare to jump on a bike.

Q: Which guys on the team do you hang out with the most?
BS: Well, the linebackers are all a bit older than me, but I hang out with some of them. I talk a lot with Carl Meier, who's also from the state of Mississippi, but he's like 5 years older. I've had fun with Lamer Singleton as well. He's one day older than me, but knows the team and the area well after two seasons here. Of course, being inactive a lot, he's got plenty of time to get to know the area. (laugh) Sorry, me and Lamar joked about it a bit, since he's been battling for a roster spot for so long here. He's a survivor.

Q: Bernie, what do you think is the reason for the disappointing start so far?
BS: Hard to say. I'm new to the team and not too familiar with how the team managed to go 13-3 last season.

Q: But playing with pretty much the same team as last season, there's got to be something the other players have told you?
BS: Not really. I hear the guys are missing 'Stitch' (Johnnie Stidham) and (Desmond) 'Crazy' Craig a lot. They were the interception masters of the team, or so I heard.

Q: Interceptions, is that what the team is missing?
BS: Well, I understand that te pass rush has been down a bit too. It's hurting me, though, I know I'm not a good pass rusher and just can't help out there. I try to work hard, but maybe the team needs an extra rusher from the linebacker positions?

Q: But Charles Gomez and the defensive ends then?
BS: I'm not sure. Omar (Gougeon) told me that it might have to do with Big Al (Albert Bernardo) having slowed down a bit. Albert has been complaining about it a bit, but still thinks he should be starting and wants to help out.

Q: Shouldn't the management bring in Bernardo and Erwin Baranowski a bit more then? And what about Andrew Rasmussen?
BS: I think we got enough guys who can make a sack. Don't forget 'Elly' and Shaun Shiroma.

Q: Aside from the lack of a pass rush, the biggest problem is still that the linebackers are giving up the most catches.
BS: We work hard to make that figure go down.

Q: But as a group you guys allowed 44 catches, that's about 9 per game!
BS: I know, it's too much, but we'll get over it. Trust me.

Q: Okay, Bernie, a last question before the Paris game: what's your take on going to play Joe Boulware and Brian Spradlin?
BS: I hope Gomez, Carl and 'Elly' take care of Boulware, meaning I can fully focus on Spradlin. It should be a fun game.

Q: Bernie, good luck later today against Paris.
BS: Thanks.

Q: Say "Hi" to old Bernie (defensive coordinator Bernie Hicks) for me, will ya?
BS: Oh, will do, the coordinator will love to hear that!

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Beat Paris With Last Second Field Goal
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back at .500 land. With a 23-20 victory at the Paris Musketeers, the Merchantmen are back in the race to defend their European title. Charles Gomez lead his defense the way to holding the Musketeers offense off from scoring. Randy Harris looked a bit like his old self as he scored his first touchdown of the season and helped the team in coming back from 17-0 down. Injuries hurt again, but the team is confident that it won't hurt too much.

Let's go to maybe the most important play of the game. The Paris Musketeers had gone 17-0 up with a field goal from Jushua Hunt and touchdown passes by E.G. Lumpkin to Henry Gayle and Tyrus Shaye. Louie Flannery was just intercepted in the two-minute warning of the first half. The Musketeers had one minute left from the Maassluis 40-yard line to lock up the game. E.G. Lumpkin steps back to finish it off. Then, 'wham', Charles Gomez rans into Lumpkin, the ball is fumbled and Omar Gougeon picks up the loose ball at the middle line.

Next up, Louie Flannery connects with Bryce Ewald for 20 yards and hands off to Randy Harris for a total of 4 yards rushing to get into a scoring position. Cary Coles gets a timeout to take his time and converts the 43-yard kick. Paris kneels down to end the half, but that one sack, fumble and following field goal turned out to be pretty important run of plays to end a first half in which the Parisians dominated.

Pumped up by the key play, Charles Gomez looked determined and inspired his defense to do great things in the third quarter. Anchored by interceptions from linebackers Bernie Surry and Carl Meier, the defense kept the Paris offense far away from the Merchantmen endzone. And as the Merchantmen offense saw Flannery connect to his new favorite target Devin Henson for a touchdown and Cary Coles scored a 23-yard field goal, the Merchantmen took advantage to the fullest of the interceptions.

Paris bounced back and got their act going on offense again. But being forced to settle for a 32-yard field goal, the score was 20-13 in home team advantage with still eight minutes left. Louie Flannery got his men going and helped by a great third down catch from Bryce Ewald and a 35-yard reception on Jerry Beyer's account, the Merchantmen marched into the redzone. Randy Harris was given the ball and scored from 3 yards out. Harris' first score of the season was an important one as the score was tied again at 20 all.

Paris tried to move forward, but forced back by a false start penalty on third and two and Charles Gomez forcing E.G. Lumpkin into a bad throw on te next play, the Merchantmen got the ball back and realised they could win this thing after having trailed 0-17. In a time consuming possession, Louie Flannery connected with his receivers to move his men into close to the redzone. Knowing a field goal would be enough, the Merchantmen went into all-rushing mode. Randy Harris and Joseph Schoen ran the clock out as the Merchantmen called for a time-out with 7 seconds left. Cary Coles scored the 22-yard field goal and the game was over.

What started ugly ended in domination mode in the second half. The Merchantmen proved to be able to bounce back after trailing and Louie Flannery recorded his fifthfourth quarter comeback victory in his career. Headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "The way Flannery ran this offense, Harris and Schoen ran the ball and the defense ran all over the Paris offense, we showed we're still that same team that won so much last season. I think we're back in the race for the division."

Charles Gomez took the player of the game honors after the crucial sack and forced fumbled at the end of the first half, but also contributed with 7 tackles and 2 assists. Gomez was sceptic about it: "We let Paris score 17 points before stopping them. The defense played well today, but only in the second half. If Bernie (Surry) and (Carl) Meier had not made those interceptions, we'd be having been into an even tougher game. But with how the offense played in the fourth quarter, there was no way we could lose this game."

Rookie linebacker Bernie Surry excelled in the victory and was highly praised by his teammates and the Merchantmen staff afterwards. Surry had 1 interception, 2 passes defended 5 tackles and 3 assists. The fifth round pick is quickly showing he's worth the role as a starter on this team. Charles Gomez said: "Bernie is amazing so far. The kid knows how to keep the tight ends from scoring and somehow still has the energy to support the run. He's making a lot of key plays, despite sharing playing time with others."

The bad news for the day was the addition of four players to the injury list. None very seriously, as long snapper Charlie Martins is the only one listed as questionable, but the team is taking precaution with several starters. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "Jamel Rosenberry and Xavier Clyburn are coming off serious injuries, while we should have good enough reserves to replace Tai Wayne, Cody Cluff and Andy Weliczka. We've got 53 players signed for a reason, not just because it's league policy."

The big smile on the Merchantmen's faces got even bigger after hearing what happened elsewhere in the Bordeaux-Conyers game. Reserve quarterback Justin McDavid explained: "It seems the Vineyards lost in a shocker of a game. But the Condors lost their quarterback to injury again and that's good for us as we're hosting them next week." But of course beingback to .500 land was the most important thing. With all European teams within one win now, the season looks to be a long and close race between four teams...

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Yay! We win and in a nailbiter.

It was a fourth quarter comeback win and maybe undeserved after the first half, but once again we'll take the 'W'. I have good hope that we'll get back to the late 2007 form of steamrolling over our opponentns, but so far we've got to settle with narrow victories. Beating Paris is always nice, since the Musketeers owner and I always love to talk trash on the days leading towards the game. But after having beaten them the last 2 times on the road and last 3 times at home, is it still worth the energy? (eye-wink to Darkiller)

Our 23-20 last second win not only helps us back in the race, but other results make this divison closer than ever before. The Bordeaux Vineyars lost 20-23 at the Conyers Condors (3-3 now). The Gothenburg Giants got home as 23-20 winners from a trip to the Orlando Knights (2-5 now). Giving some pretty close standings for now.

European standings:
4-2 Bordeaux
4-3 Gothenburg
3-3 Maassluis
3-3 Paris
Maassluis holds tie-breakers on head-to-head record (1-0)

Schedule:
With the next round of games, we could face an amazing standings next week. The Gothenburg Giants are on a bye week, thus they stay in the middle of the pack. The Paris Musketeers go to the Tucker Tigers (0-6) in hopes to catch up with the Giants. The Maassluis Merchantmen host the Conyers Condors (3-3) trying to move into second place. And the Bordeaux Vineyards hope not to slip to 4-3 as they are playing at home against the Georgia Gridlock (4-2).

Player of the year:
We beat Paris and it was not difficult to hand out kudos to the five best players. Going from fifth best to best the were: receiver Devin Henson (1 touchdown, 26 yards per kickoff return, 3 catches for 37 yards), safety Broderick Schultz (1 defended pass, 0 catches, 2 tackles), linebacker Bernie Surry (1 interception, 2 passes defended, 5 tackles, 3 assists), left tackle Ivan Jacques (4 key run blocks, 50% blocking, 0 sacks) and defensive tackle Charles Gomez (1 sack, 2 hurries, 1 forced fumble, 7 tackles, 2 assists).

Standings:
10 points - Charles Gomez
9 points - Devin Henson
7 points - Louie Flannery, Lincoln Gilmore
5 points - Omar Gougeon, Bernie Surry
4 points - Cody Cluff, Ivan Jacques
3 points - Bryce Ewald
2 points - Xavier Clyburn, Cary Coles, Broderick Schultz, Tai Wayne
1 point - Mike Kershner

Stats?
Well, we suck in individual stats, none of our passers, rushers or receivers rank in the top20. Cody Cluff is still going strong in the tackles tables (43 tackles), Charles Gomez is moving up the sack machine charts 4.0 sacks), but all other defensive players have no top20 positions. And we also suck in team stats, as the only thing we seem able to do is making turnovers on defense and keeping the opponents from scoring inside our red zone. I can only hope things will change soon, but I've got little hope for that so far...

[MIJB#19]

Chapter Three Of The Fumblin Justin Classic
When the 2007 season ended, two teams were highly touted as surprise teams. The Conyers Condors and Maassluis Merchantmen had turned around from non-winning seasons to reaching the final four of the Atlantic Ocean Conference. But as the 2008 season is moving along, the two teams needed a win last week to move into .500 land. With 23-20 victories over the French IHOF teams, both sides hope to get over their injury troubles and win the third game in one of he IHOF's craziest head-to-head series. Part three in the Fumblin' Justin classic is here.

The Condors were hot last season after picking running back Randy Reagor and quarterback Chris Donaldson first and second overall in the draft. But so far, Reagor hasn't set the world on fire. The highly touted runner has enmassed 236 yards rushing, with just 2.8 yards per carry and 1 touchdown. Chris Donaldson is another story, as the passer did some good things in his career so far, however he's already nicknamed 'mister Glass'. Donaldson already missed 9 regular season games and is ruled out for the game at the Merchantmen.

But the Condors should know that the personnel in this matchup is not guaurantee to win or lose. In the previous meetings, the Merchantmen and Condors both won in an undeserved way. In 2004 it was the Condors' turn. With two fumble recovery touchdowns for over 60 yards, the visiting Condors won 17-16 after being held to 163 total yards on offense. That day Justin McDavid fumbled four times to earn his much hated nickname "Fumblin' Justin".

In 2005 it was Justin's revenge. While the Merchantmen offense racked up only 261 total yards, the Condors were on fire and unstoppable all day. Guided by quarterback 'Aces' Glenn and his 411 passing yards, the Condors were dominant all day, but failed to score enough points. When the last play was played, the home playing Merchantmen were on top of the scoreboard with 21 versus 17 points.

It's about three years later and both teams are battling against injuries to get into the winning records group. At 3-3, both teams are not far behind their respective 4-2 division leaders, but will have to work hard to defend their division titles. The Merchantmen are looking to Louie Flannery to field a passing game, to Charles Gomez to pressure the opposing quarterback and Lincoln Gilmore to set his pass defense right. The Condors will rely on Chris Richardson's sacks, the interceptions of Carter Martinez and Brian Fernando, while the offensive line has to protect their backfield. Enough ingredients for a fun game of football.

[MIJB#19]

Condors Humiliate Merchantmen In Their Own House
The Maassluis Merchantmen continue to struggle in the 2008, as they got beaten up by the Conyers Condors in their own house. The Condors rushed to a 29-0 lead to eventually win the game 39-21. Condors' backup quarterback Reggie Gandy put down a surprise performance, while the Merchantmen defense looked aweful. The Merchantmen lost guard Butch White for most of the rest of the regular season with a broken clavicle. The only good news was that a win against Bordeaux could still be enough to regain the division lead with a 4-4 record.

There's clearly something wrong with the Maassluis Merchantmen this season. After the amazing 2007 campaign, the Merchantmen already clinched having a worse regular season record, with more than half of the season to go. But the most worrying element is the number of points allowed. In their four losses, the Merchantmen allowed 33.5 points on average, with the lowest total being a 28 versus the North Plainfield Plague.

Defensive tackle Charles Gomez was critical towards the management: "Maybe we've gotten a bit too confident in our team. The management decided to bench Cody Cluff and inactivate Tai Wayne. These are guys we can't miss against strong teams like the Condors." Cody Cluff's replacement Carl Meier was mostly held responsible for the loss, allowing 8 catches and not defending a single pass, while Wayne's replacement Sammie Kennedy allowed 3 catches with no defended pass.

The Condors didn't mind the struggles and were happy to see their replacement quarterback Reggie Gandy get wild. With 26 of 45 passes completed, Gandy passed for 351 yards and 2 touchdowns. Supported by Randy Reagor's 2 rushing touchdowns, the Condors' offense combined for 487 total yards. Gandy received his first player of the game honors and for the first time in his career posted a positive touchdown-interception ratio at 2:1.

The Merchantmen offense received a lot of negative critics over their lack of ability to move the chains in the first half. Randy Harris and Joseph Schoen combined for only 19 carries for a respectable 75 yards, but the complaints were mostly on the passing tendencies. Two-third of the plays was a passing play and that doesn't fit in a balanced offense. Louie Flannery didn't even play so bad as he completed 19 of 36 pass attempts for 232 yards, 1 score and only 1 interception. But with his fifth fumble of the season, people are reminded of the fumblitis that haunted the 2005 Merchantmen team. But having a pretty balanced turnover margin this season and particularly in this game, it's no excuse.

Butch White suffered a broken clavicle in the game and is ruled out for most likely the next six games. The left guard is an important player in the running game and will surley be missed. The good news is that sixth lineman Harold Hurtado and fullback Jamel Rosenberry are expected to be ready to play in the next game. The same applies to middle linebacker Cody Cluff and Lincoln Gilmore, while Tai Wayne is also expected to be playing.

Headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude understands the position his team is in: "It looks like we're back to the .500 land ball we played two, three seasons ago. The good thing is that we can bounce back next week by beating Bordeaux. We've still got it in our own hands to repeat our European title." It will require a bit of help from the Georgia Gridlock to beat the Gothenburg Giants, but if both Georgia and Maassluis win, the 2007 European champions will be back in charge of the division.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Blech.

Random conversation in a home of the average Merchantmen family:
"How are the Merchantmen doing, dad?"
"I dunno son, I switched to Life & Cooking when the score got to 29-0."
"You don't wanna see them steamroll over the Condors?"
"Son, the Merchantmen are losing."
"Oh..."

Forget about that plan to win the conference, heck, it'll require a miracle to get the defense back in 'you-won't-score-on-us' mode and the offense rolling like it used to do. But lucky for us, the two French rivals were beaten as well. Bordeaux went down 6-0 versus the Georgia Gridlock, while Paris handed the Tucker Tigers their first win with a 13-20 score.

European standings:
4-3 Bordeaux
4-3 Gothenburg
3-4 Maassluis
3-4 Paris
* Bordeaux holds tie-breakers on head-to-head (1-0)
* Maassluis holds tie-breakers on head-to-head record (1-0)

Schedule:
Who said it was do-or-die for the Merchantmen, we're still in the race for the division, even at 3-4. We're going to Bordeaux, who are without Joe Johnson next week. Well, it doesn't mean much, but at least it could help us beat them. Gothenburg is playing the Georgia Gridlock, while Paris is playing the Conyers Condors. With a bit of good-will, we could see four teams tied at 4-4 next week (and us holding the tie-breakers as we would be 1-0 versus all three rivals).

Player of the year:
Do I have to nominate players?
Okay, here's this weeks top three, who all three were already high on the list:
Linebacker Bernie Surry defended 2 passes, allowed 0 catches, recovered 1 fumble, made 4 tackles and 1 assist; Gregory Monti had 5 catches for 99 yards, including a big 53-yard touchdown; Winford Endicott had 1 interception and 2 defended passes, versus 3 catches, while he recorded 4 tackles. Devin Henson had 0 catches, but did run back a kickoff for a touchdown, but given the timing of te score (being 39-14 down wit 3 minutes left it didn't matter much).

Standings:
10 points - Charles Gomez
9 points - Devin Henson
8 points - Bernie Surry
7 points - Louie Flannery, Lincoln Gilmore
5 points - Omar Gougeon
4 points - Cody Cluff, Ivan Jacques
3 points - Bryce Ewald
2 points - Xavier Clyburn, Cary Coles, Broderick Schultz, Tai Wayne
1 point - Winford Endicott, Mike Kershner

Stats?
Are you kidding me? We've gone back to the cellar dwellars mode this season in offensive and defensive stats. Don't even dare to ask about them. We suck, plain and simple. Oh, maybe worth mentioning: we had no excuse to be humiliated, as we out yarded Conyers 531-509 in all puropse yards. Also worth mentioning: if we want to tie our best points allowed figure, that we set in 2007 as the best defense of that season, we'll have to average 5.8 points per game allowed from now on.

Rookie watch
So, how are the rookies doing? Well, running back Scott Bagley has been looking aroud a lot so far. So far the coaches gave him 1 ball touch, which result in a 7 yard gain. That is if you ignore his 6 kickoff returns for a nice average of 25.2. Punter Sean Smalley is still unsigned, but with injuries piling up and Roscoe Corrales not doing so well, don't be surprised if we sign Smalley after week 9. Linebacker Bernie Surry is te charm of the team so far. With 8 defended passes (1st on the team) and 1 interception versus 8 catches, as well as 21 tackles and 13 assists (1st on team) and 1 fumble recovery, he's a serious rookie of the year candidate in my book.

Next up a game at Bordeaux. I hope we can set some things straight and extend out winning streak in European games to 10, but being 1-3 so far on the road and Bordeaux being on the move back up, I doubt we can do it, even with Joe Johnson ruled out...

[KWhit]

Good stuff, MIJB. Your pre-game writeup of MAA - CON was great, particularly the history of the series.

I'm still amazed at our offensive explosion.

[MIJB#19]

Editor's Note
The IHOF is on hold until June 26th, when the next round of games is going to be played. What this means to the dynasty? I really don't know, yet. My schedule is pretty busy the coming 4 weeks, so I got no clue yet whether there will be extra stuff, or just some small previews and recaps. Do we need some cliffhangers for the next week or so?

Will Maassluis bounce back against Bordeaux?
Will they regain the first plays in Europe?
Is Louie Flannery going to stop committing turnovers?
Will Randy Harris hold Joe Schoen off and remain as the starter?
Is Jerry Beyer going to live up to second round pick material?
Will Shaun 'My' Shiroma live up to expectations?
Is Sammie Kennedy going to live up to his first round pick potential?
When will the rest of the secondary live up to the hype?
Can Charles Gomez fix the apparently broken DL?
Will the OL ever get healthy again?
Is Norman Holliday going to outplay 'good old' Harold Hurtado as RT?
Is this Bernie Hicks last season as defensive coordinator in Maassluis?
Can the management stick this team together for 2009?
Will the Merchantmen be back as masters of trade next off-season?
Will Sean Smalley ever sign a contract with the Merchantmen?
Can Bernie Surry continue his form and win rookie of the year?

Keep reading this summer and maybe you'll find out...

[MIJB#19]

Special Message for Billy 'Bam Bam' Jamerson, high profile IHOF and Bordeaux running back:

Hey Bam Bam, since you never played the Merchantmen in a competitive game before, maybe you should get up to date with the faces you'll be seeing on Monday.

Sherrill	Bernardo	Gomez	Shiroma	Gougeon	Baranowski
Surry	Kershner	Cluff	Meier	Thelen
Wayne	Gilmore	William	Schultz	Stevens	Endicott

These guys rank 24th in rushing yards per game, 30th in yards per carry, 31st in passing yards allowed, 28th in passing touchdowns allowed and 29th in least points per game allowed. Have fun tearing this defense apart!

Once again, thanks for the images, Dutch!

[MIJB#19]

General manager Notes
Hi everybody!

Here's a quick update on what's going on in Maassluis. Your favorite team has analyzed the game tapes of the last seven games and came to the conclusion to make a couple of slight changes to the defensive game plan for the next road game at Bordeaux. I think we have three reasons to not fear the result:
* Bordeaux is playing without a serious quarterback (Joe Johnson is out)
* We can go only one way after the recent 6-28, 17-38 and 21-39 trashings and that's up
* Bordeaux' running back 'Bam Bam' Jamerson has a sore thumb and is questionable

What the change are? Well, get real, the Bordeaux GM is a loyal dynasty reader and it'll be unwise to share the changes. But one thing I can tell: We'll be working more with our strenghs and less with our weaknesses the next games. And since the research showed unexpected weaknesses, we can only hope that Bordeaux won't have a clue what it is...

Still, beating Bordeaux is very important right now. After a slow start, we really have to sweep the division for a second year in a row to even think about the playoffs. It's in the posibilities, but won't be coming easy. Paris and Gothenburg are stronger than ever before, while Bordeuax is still Bordeaux: three-time European champions. Wish us luck, people!

[Alf]

I wish you no luck.

Guess what, Bam Bam will see the ball on over 80% of the plays. No matter what, I need him Monday !

Mr Gomez, be warned !

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Alf

I wish you no luck.

Guess what, Bam Bam will see the ball on over 80% of the plays. No matter what, I need him Monday !

Mr Gomez, be warned !

:P

Actually, it was mainly that I was finding it fun to post pics of a bunch of players, but the Bam Bam message came in handy. AndGomez should be fine, Cluff is back to cover Gomez' back all day long.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis At Bordeaux Preview
The European Division is a toss up so far. With the enitre division going into their eight game, there's a good possibility that all four teams sit 4-4 after their games. The crucial game to make it happen will be played in Bordeaux. The 3-4 Maassluis Merchantmen are defending their European title against the 4-3 three-time European champions Bordeaux Vineyards. What can we expect to happen?

First of all, the Vineyards are without their quarterback. Joe Johnson, who's so much feared in Maassluis, has a strained patellar tendon and is ruled out by the medical staff. Expectations are that Heath Ashe will do the passing today. Ashe's main target is supposed to be running back Billy 'Bam Bam' Jamerson. The IHOF MVP of the 2006 season is however nicked up himself with a sprained thumb. But with flanker Martin Mathias doubtful, 'Bam Bam' will have to play and step it up.

The Vineyards defense is in much better shape. Aside from safety Thomas Windham. And unlike in past seasons, the Vineyards defense is doing a decent job stoppoing the opponents. The one thing Bordeaux always lacked seems to be fixed in 2008 and that should give the Vineyards a legimate reason to expect good things and hope for a playoffs ticket.

The Merchantmen are slowly collapsing under the pressure of being a championship candidate. With four losses, in which they averaged a 14-34 score, the Merchantmen are lookingaweful. The team hardly completes half of their passes (51.5%) and has a terrible running game (84 yards per game, 3.3 yards per carry). Quarterback Louie Flannery at least is even on touchdowns and interceptions, but things don't look good so far.

On defense, things don't look much better. Of course it all starts with an offense that can't keep hold onto the ball, but the defense has been hot and cold as well. With 26 points per game allowed, the team has gone from best to fourth worst. With 281 passing yards per game and 4.6 yards per run, they don't look good at all. But against Bordeaux two of the three backbone stars (Cody Cluff, Lincoln Gilmore) are back from injury to support Charles Gomez. Only cornerback Tai Wayne may sit the game out, however the staff has faith in Myron Stevens to step into the role of shutdown corner.

Despite all the injuries, the Merchantmen management is reluctant to blame the losses on the players' health. Owner/general manager M.IJ.B. said: "We spent our money and future draft picks to have depth this season. he only thing we still miss is a good backup fullback and a good fourth offensive tackle. Henry Poston and Norman Holliday will fit those roles someday, but today they're too green to make good things happen."

But the injury to quarterback Joe Johnson is the best excuse for the Bordeaux Vineyards in case they lose. Still, the Merchantmen are on a nine-game winning streak in European games. The Vineyards are eager to end that streak and build a two-win gap and take the early tie-breakers over the Dutch rivals. The Merchantmen were revolutionair winners in 2007, but in 2008 the traditional standings are back. It's up to the Merchantmen to show the revolution was for real and that Bordeaux is history. Bam Bam versus Gomez and Cluff, a game with potential to be history rewriting...

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Beat Bordeaux To Return On Top
The possibility was there, but seeing it happen was concidered to be a longshot. With a 28-22 score, the Maassluis Merchantmen won at the Bordeaux Vineyards. But thanks to a Gothenburg Giants loss, the Merchantmen return at the top of the European division. Louie Flannery threw for four touchdowns to give the team an unsurmountable half time lead. But it required some excellent special teams play and defensive miracles to hold on to the lead. And in all the action Ivan Jacques and Charles Gomez joined the list of injured players.

In the first quarter of the European showdown, the Merchantmen defense looked dominant. With a highly touted new defensive game plan, the visiting Dutch team held the Vineyards to 2 yards rushing in their first possession. With Louie Flannery coming hot out of the lockers' room, the Merchantmen offense marched forward to the endzone. With one reception by all four wide receivers, the Merchantmen looked dominant. Devin Henson was the receiver with his feet in the endzone to put the 7-0 lead on the scoreboard.

In their second possession the Vineyards and Merchantmen hardly made progress, although the Vineyards won the field position battle a bit. In their third possession, the Bordeaux offense got really going. With powerful runs from Billy Jamerson and David Mercer, the Vineyards slished the Merchantmen run defense in pieces. But on a third and four situation at the Merchantmen 10-yard line, Bordeaux quarterback Heath Ashe was sacked by Charles Gomez and Omar Gougeon to force the home team to settle with a 33-yard field goal by Paul Fabrizio to end the first quarter.

The Merchantmen got their act going again, although failing to score, decided to play the field position game, having a 4-point lead. As the Vineyards failed, they were forced to punt from their own 27-yard line. As Scott Guilen placed his punt, Merchantmen linebacker Ellsworth Thelen broke through to block the punt and force a turnover at the 13-yard line. Three plays later it was Joseph Schoen with a reception on a Louie Flannery pass to increase the lead to 10 points.

With Heath Ashe eager to get he Bordeaux offense going, the Vineyards looked ready to score back. With a nice 16-yard run from David Mercer, the chains were moving, until Charles Gomez put the pressure on Ashe. Scared by the Merchantmen defensive tackle, Ashe tossed an incomplete pass and on the next play, he delivered a bad pass. Merchantmen safety Lincoln Gilmore stepped up and intercepted the pass. As Gilmore ran the ball back 30 yards, he set his offense up for a scoring position. With brilliant third-down and touchdown catches from Bryce Ewald on Louie Flannery passes, the score was getting bigger.

Determined to set things right, Heath Ashe tried to got a passing game going in the next drive. But after a bad pass to Corwin Fenton and seeing his second pass defended by linebacker Cody Cluff, his third pass was intercepted by cornerback Tai Wayne. Wayne almost ran it back for the score as he got tackled at the 3-yard line by Billy Jamerson. Randy Harris failed to score on a run on first down, but on second down, Louie Flannery passed to his running back and the 28-3 lead was there as Cary Coles scored his fourth extra point of the game. The Vineyards got on the scoreboard again with eigh seconds left, yet the second fieldgoal from Fabrizio couldn't mask the dissaster that had been going on.

In the second half the Merchantmen defense decided to play a come and don't score type of strategy. They let the Vineyards run out their energy on five to ten plays to get into Merchantmen territory and then the defense stepped up to make them settle for a field goal. The strategy seemed to work as the Merchantmen held on to their lead and allowed only one field goal in the third quarter. In fact, had a Louie Flannery pass not been intercepted in Bordeaux territory, the Merchantmen could have expanded their lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Merchantmen defense almost collapsed under the pressure, while the Merchantmen offense couldn't make a fist anymore. Bordeaux added two more field goals to sit in a 15-28 score with six minutes left. And as Roscoe Corrales delivered a bad punt, the Merchantmen offense was stuck at their own territory, while not being able to get away. Quarterback Heath Ashe managed to find Corwin Fenton for a crucial third down conversion and for the touchdown on the next play. Bordeaux was back in the game, but still trailing 22-28.

With four minutes left, the Merchantmen looked ready to expand the lead to finish the game. A brilliant 35-yard reception by Gregory Monti moved the Merchantmen forward and a nice 11-yard catch by Joseph Schoen on a third and two situation seemed to make a game winning score a matter of time. But as Schoen got tackled, he fumbled the ball and Bordeaux had one last shot to go for the game-winning touchdown.

In the two-minute warning, the Merchantmen defense stepped up big. As the Bordeaux offensive line looked exhausted, the fit looking Merchantmen defenders made plays. Heath Ashe was hurried into a bad throw time after time, and if he was getting protection, the Merchantmen safeties defended the passes. Still, Ashe managed to get a first fourth down conversion converted, but as the second one failed, the game was basically over. The Merchantmen ran the clock out and notched win number four for the season.

Louie Flannery took the game mvp honors, but spoke of a narrow escape: "The defense bailed us out today. Two picks, a blocked punt, forcing field goals... If we can't get this offense to work, we're doomed, and so far we're not getting things rolling like we did last year." Flannery's four touchdowns still marked the second time in Merchantmen history that a quarterback would throw for four touchdowns. Flannery was also the passer in that first occurance in a huge 40-13 beating of the Gothenburg Giants in the 2007 season.

The 2008 Gothenburg Giants are also struggling. After a 9-27 beating at the Georgia Gridlock, they are tied with the Merchantmen and Vineyards. The three teams all have a 4-4 record, but the Merchantmen hold the head-to-head sweep and thus tie-breakers. Headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude calls it a miracle: "Gothenburg and Bordeaux have good teams, I think we're lucky to be so deep into the division race at mid-season. But beating our rivals has helped and will do us good for our confidence in upcoming games."

In the next game, the team will possibly have to do with out two key players. Left tackle Ivan Jacques suffered a bruised ribcage and is expected to be playing through pain in the next two games. Defensive tackle Charles Gomez hurt his thigh and is expected to see less playing time against the Orlando Knights. Gomez said: "The games against Orlando are always fun, I'd feel disappointed if I had to miss Dutch Bowl III."

The Merchantmen are back on top, but for all they know it could be over in just a week time. The Merchantmen posted three of their four win inside the divison, the team is still 1-4 in non-divisional games. The Orlando Knights are a good team and are likely to play without quarterback Michael Prescott, but that's not enough guaurantee to win. The game is in Florida and the Merchantmen have been 0-3 in the States so far in 2008. But leading the Dutch Bowl series 2-0, the Merchantmen feel ready to go into a winning record for the first time this season. But for now, the joy of being back on top will have to do it for them.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
It feels goo to be back on top.

We've done it, with some help. We're back in the lead for the 2008 European division title after a 28-22 win at the Bordeaux Vineyards. It's not going to be an easy ride, but we've got the pole position again. The Gothenburg Giants got demolished 9-27 at Georgia Gridlock, while Paris was hopeless in a 20-30 loss at the Conyers Condors. At least the new game plan worked out, or so it seems. The defense stepped up, avoided touchdowns and guided us into the early 28-3 lead.

European standings:
4-4 Maassluis
4-4 Bordeaux
4-4 Gothenburg
3-5 Paris
* Maassluis holds tie-breakers on head-to-head record (2-0 vs 1-1, 0-2)
* Bordeaux holds tie-breakers on head-to-head record (1-0 vs 0-1)

Schedule:
There's another European showdown coming up. The Gothenburg Giants are visiting the Paris Musketeers next week in what could be the eliminator for Paris, despite being just one win back so far. This division is going down to division tie-breakers and sitting 0-3 at mid-season could be deadly in the end. Bordeaux is set up to play at the Tucker Tigers, who've gone 2-0 since their bye week. And Maassluis is going to the 2-6 Orlando Knights for Dutch Bowl III, which game will be a Monday Night Football special.

Player of the year:
Time to name five game winners again. I'll start with Louie Flannery, who completed 20 of 32 passes for 185 yards and 4 touchdowns versus 1 interception. Lincoln Gilmore made 1 interception and defended 1 pass versus 1 catch allowed as he made 4 tackles and 3 assists. Broderick Schultz defended 3 passes and made 3 tackles, while allowing 1 catch. Charles Gomez made 7 tackles, 4 assists, 4 hurries and 0.5 sacks. Cody Cluff enmassed 8 tackles, 3 assists and had 1 defended pass.

Standings:
12 points - Louie Flannery, Charles Gomez
11 points - Lincoln Gilmore
9 points - Devin Henson
8 points - Bernie Surry
5 points - Cody Cluff, Omar Gougeon, Broderick Schultz
4 points - Ivan Jacques
3 points - Bryce Ewald
2 points - Xavier Clyburn, Cary Coles, Tai Wayne
1 point - Winford Endicott, Mike Kershner

Statistical Mid-Season Report?
Passing - 227 yd/game (17th), 6.2 yd/attempt (27th), 2.0 sacks/game (20th)
Rushing - 81 yd/game (31st), 3.2 yd/carry (32nd)
Pass Df - 273 yd/game (31st), 7.3 yd/attempt (23rd), 2.0 sacks/game (9th)
Run Def - 125 yd/game (24th), 4.4 yd/carry (29th)
Well, how do you like that? I mean, we're 4-4, but we've played games with night and day differences and our statistics look like a 2-6 team. We're allowing 25 points per game and score 20 per game. We're committing turnovers on offense (2.1/game) and can only be happy to force them as well now (1.9/game). It's a good thing we've got a top ten third down defense and have the special teams unit to force teams into needed about 10 yars per game more to score.

Individual Stats?
Louie Flannery has completed 54 percent of his passes for 225 yards per game with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. It's not all lo0oking good, but what can we do? The system worked in 2007 and I'm confident that if the defense does it's trick again, the offense can produce again.

Okay, maybe we can't produce, our rushing leaders are Randy Harris (349 yards, 2.9 per carry, 1 touchdown) and Joseph Schoen (179 yards, 3.0 per carry, 2 touchdowns). The line clearly missed the injured run blockers Cornelius Rice, Butch White and it doesn't help either when Timothy Lacy is not 100% healthy or your fullback Jamel Rosenberry has missed 4 games.

Our receivers are a toss up on who's the best so far. Bryce Ewald again leads the bunch with 23 catches for 357 yards and 1 touchdown. Devin Henson is on pace for a franchise touchdowns record with 4 scores on 17 catches for 252 yards. Gregory Monti is a deep threat in the IHOF with 18.8 yards per catch as he made 18 catches for 340 yards and 2 scores. Jerry Beyer, the second year pro, has 17 catches for 236 yards and 1 score. And that's not all as Jim Reiser (16 catches, 1 score), Randy Harris (18 catches, 1 score), Joseph Schoen (16 catches, 2 scores) and Jamel Rosenberry (16 catches, 1 score) all do their share.

Devin Henson is also on pace for being a top kickoff returner this season. Was the return kid a special teams player of the year candidate in 2006, he's stepped up his play in 2008 with 30.3 yards per kickoff return and with his 3rd career return touchdown. Backup kickoff returner Scott Bagley doesn't look bad either with 25.2 yards per return. Joseph Schoen is a disappointment as punt returner, although a 5.0 average isn't bad.

On defense, the pass defense was our charm and it is a bit once again. Charles Gomez (4.5), Omar Gougeon (3.0), Erwin Baranowski (3.0) and Aaron Sherrill (2.5) all do their share. In the pass defense, it's rookie Bernie Surry's game still. With 8 defended passes and 1 interception he's the top dog. But Lincoln Gilmore (2 int's, 6 defended), Winford Endicott (1 int, 7 defended), Tai Wayne (1 int, 6 defended) and Broderick Schultz (6 defended passes) do their share. In the tackles area, Cody Cluff is at it again with 53 tackles and 12 assists. Charles Gomez (44 tackles, 14 assists) is also headed for big figures at season's end.

That's it for now, I think we're lucky to be 4-4, but having had a very tough schedule so far, I think we should be happy with the record and hope for more in the second half of the season. Even if that included three more tough European games and games against Asheville (6-3), at San Antonio (5-3) and at Miami (4-4). You'd almost forget the games against Springfield (3-6) and our next game, Dutch Bowl III at the 2-6 Orlando Knights...

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis And Orlando Preparing For Dutch Bowl III
The International House Of Football has 32 teams and thus 1024 different matchups. Not every single one of them has a special character, but the Maassluis-Orlando matchup does. With the Orlando Knights' owner being named Dutch and the Maassluis Merchantmen being a Dutch team, the game was quickly called Dutch Bowl when it was first played. Today, the two teams meet for the third edition of the series: Dutch Bowl III.

The Maassluis Merchantmen are going into the game as the favorites to win. The Merchantmen were 13-3 last season and even though they're struggling so far this season at 4-4, they have the players to win this game. Defensive tackle Charles Gomez is a bit black and blue, but with a healthy Cody Cluff and Lincoln Gilmore behind him, the Merchantmen have their defensive backbone in good shape. The bigger question is whether Tai Wayne will play as the leading cornerback, but as Xavier Clyburn is returning from injury, the Merchantmen have enough options to replace Wayne with either Clyburn or Myron Stevens.

The Orlando Knights offense will be playing a predictable game, or so it seems. Quarterback Michael Prescott is recovering from a stress fracture in one of his legs and is doubtful for the game. Expectations are that running back Israel Mars (758 yards, 4.1 ypc, 6 touchdowns) will have to step up and carry the team to offensive success. But with a wide receiver Reggie Norris aiming for his 300th career catch and having surpassed 5,000 yards receiving in the last game, he can't be overlooked.

The Merchantmen have more trouble to field a healthy offense. Quarterback Louie Flannery is looking sharp and displayed his best play this season against Bordeaux. But with four of five starting offensive linemen injured, Flannery's pass protection looks suspect. It also means the running game will be less than usual. And it showed so far: Randy Harris for the first time in his career is not on pace for 1,000 yards. The pressence of Joseph Schoen doesn't change much, the Merchantmen rank next to last in the league in rushing yards and last in yards per carry.

In Orlando the Merchantmen face the wrong team to have no running game. The Knights have been able to stop the run more often than not this season. With a 3.6 yards per carry allowed, the Knights look good. Against the Merchantmen, they might miss defensive end Danny St. Louis and All IHOF defensive tackle Ivan Sparks. But with defensive linemen like Marty Stoffel (24 tackles, 3 sacks) and All IHOF selection Isaac Gard (25 tackles), the Knights have enough depth. And with Andreas Liddell (51 tackles) and Lorenzo Grier (63 tackles) playing behind the line, there is little hope to rack up over 100 yards for the Merchantmen runners.

Randy Harris did run wild in the Dutch Bowl II. In a game played in Maassluis' Oranje Haven, Harris racked up 115 yards rushing to support a struggling Louie Flannery towards a 24-13 win. The then rookie quarterback completed 18 of 29 passes for 235 yards, but saw two of his passes intercepted and was bailed out by the defense and running game pretty much. That day Reggie Norris racked up 180 yards receiving for Orlando, which immediately shows where the Knights' power then and now is on offense. Michael Prescott was his canon that day, but he's unlikely to see action in Dutch Bowl III.

The likely starting quarterback today is Scottie Hanson. Hason has experience in this rivalry as he was the starter in Dutch Bowl I, which was played in Orlando. With 212 yards and 1 touchdown versus no interceptions, Hanson looked good, but couldn't avoid a 17-10 loss. That day Randy Harris ran for 103 yards, while quarterback Justin McDavid completed 14 of 25 passes for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns. That game was the last one McDavid ended as a winning quarterback before suffering a torn ACL in his knee.

Given today's win-loss records, the Merchantmen are favorites, but the Knights can't be underestimated. The Merchantmen have been playing two types of football this season and it's hard to predict which team will show up. With a black and blue offensive line, the Merchantmen will lean on their defense, which has an injured anchorman in Charles Gomez. The Orlando Knights will have a shot at improviing to 3-6, but it will require some excellent game planning and play calling with their quarterback Michael Prescott sitting the game out. The Monday Knight Football shcedule makers can't be happy for having picked Dutch Bowl III in a somewhat down year for both teams.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Trash Knights In Records Setting Victory
The Maassluis Merchantmen defense looks fixed. With a 47-3 trashing at the Orlando Knights, the Merchantmen look ready to repeat their European division title. The score marked the biggest margin of victory in IHOF league history. The stat of the game were the seven interceptions by the Merchantmen defense, of which three were returned for a touchdown. Both figures tied league single game records.

One could write out the entire game, but the drive chart for the Orlando Knights tells the story of the game:
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 1:50 OWN 20 3 0 Punt
1 10:19 2:40 OWN 20 7 12 Punt
1 4:01 0:12 OWN 30 1 0 Interception
1 1:24 1:24 OWN 20 2 7 Interception
2 15:00 1:06 OWN 20 3 -8 Interception
2 13:54 1:27 OWN 20 3 -1 Punt
2 9:54 5:39 OWN 4 11 60 Missed FG
2 2:58 2:03 OWN 12 3 5 Punt
3 12:37 3:56 OWN 30 6 57 Field Goal
3 1:18 2:33 OWN 22 4 33 Interception
4 12:32 2:04 OWN 3 5 12 Interception
4 9:34 2:12 OWN 13 4 33 Interception
4 7:22 0:34 OWN 18 1 0 Interception
4 4:30 2:04 OWN 13 3 1 Punt
4 0:54 0:54 OWN 27 2 9 Game

With seven interceptions, devided over rookie Mel Aschbacher (4 interceptions) and Timoth Hardaway (3 interceptions), the game was hopeless for the home team. The only two productive drives were stopped by the stout Merchantmen defense, forcing the Knights to settle for a field goal twice, of which Mickey Worlow missed one. Aschbacher still managed to pass for 127 yards and run for 38 yards, including an unexpected 34 yard run. But with the Merchantmen defense leaning back to wait for the interceptions, it was a hopeless game.

Bernie Surry was the hero of the Merchantmen in the game. Surry recorded the first two interceptions, of which he ran the second one 42 yards back for the touchdown. With a team high 5 tackles and a defended pass, the Merchantmen staff comes words short to praise the rookie linebacker. Middle linebacker Cody Cluff said: "Bernie has matured very quickly. This guy is a winner. We were told we needed a pass defending linebacker. Surry has proven he is the solution."

After Surry's picks four others got on the list of interception makers. Nickelback Xavier Clyburn picked off 2 passes and returned one of those for 56 yards and the touchdown. Strong safety Lincoln Gilmore added a 28-yard touchdown return, while Carl Meier and Josh Weisberg added a non-scoring interception. Due to the early big lead, the Merchantmen played a lot of their backups, resulting in defensive stats for 21 different defensive players. With 17 interceptions for the season, the Merchantmen now lead the league as a team.

Despite the defensive showdown, the Merchantmen offense lacked the ability to score for most of the game. Louie Flannery completed 16 of 28 passes for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns, but saw his team forced to go for a field goal more often than not. With 254 total yards, the Merchantmen even got outscored in yards by the Knights, who had 271 total yards. Flannery said: "With this defense, we were able to get away with another so-so performance. It worked today, but we won't get an easy break in all the remaining games."

Kicker Cary Coles unexpectedly won player of the game honors at the end of the day. Coles scored four field goals and five extra points for a total of 17 points. Coles said: "It was a fun game for me, but I think the whole team played well. it was a great game to witness from the sidelines as well. I actually thought that Xavier (Clyburn) or Bernie (Surry) was going to get player of the game honors, but I guess kickers do get recognized in the IHOF."

With the big win in the bags, the Merchantmen are going to prepare for what seems to be another crucial game in the European division race. next week the orange brigade visitis Gothenburg, which is the home of the (also) 5-4 Giants. Headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "We can't expect to win that game on interceptions. It works once, it worked twice for us in consecutive games now, but I doubt we get another shot at it."

But after setting a new league record victory and having a 10-game winning streak in European games, including 4 against Gothenburg, do the Merchantmen have to fear their next game? Right now it mostly depends on how well the Merchantmen offense can play more than anything else. As soon as Randy Harris, Joseph Schoen and the offensive line can show a running game again, this team should be able to defend their European title and make a run in the playoffs.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Just... wow.

One day we're written off at 2-3, four games later we set a league record and are fully back in the race. The secret? I'm not sure, I know we played Bordeaux and Orlando when they misses their quarterbacks, but then, Conyers missed their quarterback and we got trashed. No, I'm starting to think that our new game plan is working out. We've made some changes to our defensive strategy for the game against Bordeuax and shaved a bit for the game against Orlando. I can only say that we got the desired result out of it.

How did our European rivals do? Well, the Gothenburg Giants recovered from a beating and were victorious at the Paris Musketeers. With a 24-21 score, the Giants recorded their first divisional win this season. in this close race, divisional games may end up being crucial for the tie-breakers. The Bordeaux Vineyards lost their fourth game in a row as they lost 6-10 at the Tucker Tigers.

European standings:
5-4 Maassluis
5-4 Gothenburg
4-5 Bordeaux
3-6 Paris
* Maassluis holds tie-breakers on head-to-head record (1-0 vs 0-1)

Schedule:
Two all-European games on the program. The clash between the French teams in Bordeaux is crucial for both teams. Paris needs to win to be able to stay in the division title race, while Bordeaux can't afford to fall 2 wins behind the leaders either. But the big game is played in Gothenburg, as the Merchantmen are invading Sweden. The Merchantmen put the Giants on a two-win game if they win this game as they will hold tie-breakers with a victory.

Player of the year:
After a great show, it's time to name the five best of the game again. Linebacker Bernie Surry was awesome and I can't help it but give him the kudos after he made 5 tackles, 2 interceptions, of which 1 was returned for a touchdown and 1 defended pass. Xavier Clyburn made 2 interceptions, of which he returned 1 for a score and made 4 tackles. Louie Flannery knew his way with the field position as he passed for 186 yars and 2 scores. Cary Coles excelled with 4 field goals and 5 extra points to turn the offensive and defensive efforts into points. Lincoln Gilmore also returned an interception for a score, while he added 3 tackles to support the running game.

Standings:
15 points - Louie Flannery
13 points - Bernie Surry
12 points - Lincoln Gilmore, Charles Gomez
9 points - Devin Henson
6 points - Xavier Clyburn
5 points - Cody Cluff, Omar Gougeon, Broderick Schultz
4 points - Cary Coles, Ivan Jacques
3 points - Bryce Ewald
2 points - Gregory Monti, Tai Wayne
1 point - Winford Endicott, Mike Kershner
* Monti was missing from the list recently

That's it for now. I hope we can continue this good streak of games and win a fourth game on the road in a row. Our winning streak in Europe (10 games) and against Gothenburg (4 games) are impressive, but are no guarantee to beat them again. This is still the team of Duane Davis and the big bad defense that can knock out any opposing offense. But with our goals, the only thing to do is beating Gothenburg and with a bit of help from Paris, we'll smash a two-win gap with the entire divison, wouldn't that be cool?

[Dutch]

That was a horrible game. At home! Ugh. I'd would like to say we'll beat you next time, but obviously, we have to get our act together first before I dare make any suggestions like that.

Good luck the rest of the way, I'll be reading.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Dutch

That was a horrible game. At home! Ugh. I'd would like to say we'll beat you next time, but obviously, we have to get our act together first before I dare make any suggestions like that.

Good luck the rest of the way, I'll be reading.

As I said over at the IHOF board, Orlando is one of the last teams I'd like to beat in such a fashion. I see little honor in putting a record win in the books while being outscored in yardage... I hope you can fix your team soon and be a force in the Southeast again (so you can at least help out to get me past Georgia and Conyers on the seeding list for the playoffs ).

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

As I said over at the IHOF board, Orlando is one of the last teams I'd like to beat in such a fashion. I see little honor in putting a record win in the books while being outscored in yardage... I hope you can fix your team soon and be a force in the Southeast again (so you can at least help out to get me past Georgia and Conyers on the seeding list for the playoffs ).

Consider it a top priority.

[MIJB#19]

Editor's Note
No, I'm not depressed from a recent loss. No, I'm not quitting the IHOF at the team's peak to take up the challenge of being a contender in another FOF2004 league. And no, I'm not moving my dynasty report to http://we.win.com or http://merchantmen.defense.com. Thing is, I've got some serious real life buisness to take care of and that means the Merchantmen dynasty is on hold until July 15th. For those wondering what it's about, this has a lot to do about me wanting to finish college before I turn 25 next February. To manage that, I've got just over six days left to prove I can create a little volleyball text sim. That means I'll probably be away from FOFC entirely so if you want to contact me, you'll be able to find me at the IHOF website. For those dying to know what's going on with the Merchantmen: scores, standings and stats can (of course) be found at http://www.FOF-IHOF.com. Getting a Golden Scribe is fun and proving I deserve it is even more fun, but getting a Bachelor's degree a.s.a.p. has a bit of priority right now. Sorry for any inconveniences!

[MIJB#19]

Editor's Note
Well, I failed, I couldn't not write about what happened with the Merchantmen in the last two games, so here's a little update. It's up in a few mins. Here's a quick week 11 game recap, the week 12 game recap will follow.


Week 11 Recap: Giants End Merchantmen Winning Streaks
The Gothenburg Giants took the lead in the European division by beating the co-leading Maassluis Merchantmen. The Giants' 20-14 win ended a four-game winning streak in this head-to-head series for the Merchantmen and also snapped a 10-game winning streak in European games. Duane Davis passed for 286 yards and earned the player of the game honors. Merchantmen quarterback Louie Flannery sprained his knee in the second quarter and looked bad the rest of the game.