The 2017 season saw the emergence of a young Pigskin Hooligans squad which features great future promise. An unusual amount of schedule conflicts created personnel issues all year - the Hooligans never even managed to field a full 7 players on the field in any game. The team finished with an 0-3 record overall. The league featured 6 teams this season, the largest amount since the 2013 season. Due to the league’s late start time, teams played only a 2-game “regular season” schedule and all 6 teams made the playoffs. Let’s take a game-by-game look at the team’s results: Game 1: Sun, Oct 29 - L 6-64 vs Wamp Rats: The Hooligans opened their season in Cardinal Stadium against the Wamp Rats on a slightly chilly afternoon. The Wamp Rats pitched a shutout for most of the first half until a “pick 6” by Blake Dean put the team on the board. The Hooligan offense made some completions, but a lack of subs led to fatigue late in the game. Game 2: Sun, Nov 12 - L 11-66 vs Green Hornets: The Hooligans played their second game on a drizzly day against the eventual league champion Green Hornets. The team was only able to field 4 players, but the Hornets showed sportsmanship playing 4-on-4 throughout. The Green Hornets played explosive offense and stifling defense throughout the match, but the Hooligans managed an offensive touchdown late in the game as Blake Dean lofted a pass to the endzone that was caught by captain Mike Russell. Game 3: Fri, Nov 17 - L 14-22 vs #3 Wamp Rats: The Hooligans received the #6 seed in the playoffs and the first round featured a rematch with the Wamp Rats. The team was originally only able to field 4 players for the game, but late signee Conner Forbes served as a 5th player and made a huge impact with two “pick 6” INTs on defense. Darius Wilson showed tremendous speed and co-captain Danielle Thompson made great flag grabs, but the Wamp Rats pulled away to lead 22-14 after the first half. With the Hooligans having several players that had to leave at halftime, leaving the team with only 3 players, the game was called after one half of play. The Hooligans used a total of 8 players this year. Let’s look at the individual stats and accomplishments of each team member (players listed in alphabetical order by first name, after captains): Danielle Thompson (co-captain) - Danielle was a fantastic signing for the Hooligans in 2017. She showed phenomenal leadership throughout the year, assisting in the recruitment of many team members. Danielle showed a consistent ability to pull flags on defense and make receptions on offense. She will be a cornerstone of the franchise going forward in the next several years. 2017 stats: 2 GP Mike Russell (co-captain) - Captain Russell continued to work on his personal game in 2017. He made a career-high five receptions in the team’s second game against the Green Hornets and hauled in a touchdown late in the game. Russell improved his pass-catching throughout the year and had many receptions including a couple for first-down yardage. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 1 TD Alissa Papsun - Alissa played in the Hooligans’ first game of the season against the Wamp Rats. She contributed on both sides of the ball, taking a few handoffs on offense while also making several flag grabs on defense. Unfortunately Alissa’s season was ended due to a finger injury, but the Hooligans hope to have her back in the system next year. 2017 stats: 1 GP Blake Dean - Blake was an amazing addition to the Hooligans in 2017. As a member of the CUAA football team he was counted on to make athletic contributions all over the field. Offensively he saw at least half the snaps at QB and used his speed as a receiver to make big gains. On defense he made 2 interceptions, including a “pick 6”, and registered many flag grabs throughout the year. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 1 pass TD, 1 TD, 1 PAT, 2 INTs Conner Forbes - Conner was a great signing for the Hooligans in their first round playoff match against the Wamp Rats. He made a tremendous impact in the defensive game, coming up with two interceptions that went for a “pick 6”. Conner also saw significant time at QB and made solid throws to move the offense down the field. 2017 stats: 1 GP, 2 TDs, 2 INTs Darius Wilson - Darius was a huge addition to the Hooligans in the 2017 season. He showed blazing speed in the team’s first round playoff match against the Wamp Rats, torching the defense for huge gains and advancing the Hooligan offense down the field. On defense Darius also used his speed to track down players and pull their flag. 2017 stats: 1 GP Kaushik Thallapally - Kaushik made great contributions to the Hooligans in 2017. He showed speed as a receiver on the offensive side of the ball, making some receptions and showing his quickness. Defensively Kaushik made some good flag grabs for the team, often diving to get in the right position to lunge for the flag. 2017 stats: 2 GP Ken Simon - Ken was a solid addition to the Hooligans roster in the 2017 season. He saw significant time at quarterback throughout the season, showing good arm strength and accuracy. Ken also played receiver and made some key catches while also featuring a vast array of spin moves to elude defenders. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 1 PAT The Pigskin Hooligans organization firmly believes that the franchise is on the right track for the future. Upper management will be hard at work in the off-season to retain talent from this year’s team and recruit dependable free agents for next year’s squad. Stay tuned next week for the Hooligan Awards Show which will highlight specific accomplishments of individual team players. ROLL HOOLIGANS!
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Written by Mike Russell
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May 2021
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