With the conclusion of the 2010 IM Flag Football season, it's time to take one last look back at the Hooligans' season. Here are this year's specially recognized award winners as well as notes on the important contributions of every player throughout the season:
Team MVP - Zach Johnston: Johnston's steady presence at quarterback was key for the Hooligans all season long. He showed great poise in the pocket and awareness in finding open receivers. When blitzed, he was able to use his speed to run from the QB position for huge gains. He demonstrated great leadership in organizing the defense as well and was solid as a pass rusher. Brittany Davis Memorial Award for Outstanding Girl Performance - Thuy Phan: Thuy recorded a sensational season for the Hooligans. She attended every game throughout the year and recorded 5 TDs on offense. Defensively she was a flag-grabbing machine and recorded an interception in the second game of the season against the Phlaming Belly Buttons. Breakout Player of the Year - Josh Ulm: New signee Josh Ulm made an immediate impact for the Hooligans. He was a tall dependable receiver and may very well have led team in receiving TDs. Defensively he also contributed several interceptions. Most Outstanding Sub - Michelle Baumgardner: Michelle returned to the franchise she founded in 2006 for a few games and made a big impact. She scored 2 key TDs on the year - once for the winning score against the Ninety-Fives, and one that put the team ahead late in an eventual loss to the Ragin' Cajun Hot Stixxx. Most Improved Player - Mike Russell: Mathematically speaking, going from 0 career touchdowns to 1 is an infinite improvement. Captain Russell entered the season with much better conditioning having played ultimate frisbee in the fall, and he showed greatly improved pass-catching ability for several key receptions on the year. Zach Milner: Zach was another new signee to the Hooligans and made his presence felt in the league. He brought explosive speed to the team which was an asset on both offense and defense. When he lined up in the backfield he drew the respect of defenses in watching for the handoff. Max Joseph: Max was one of the returning Hooligans from last year. Offensively he was able to stretch plays out with against defenses and he came up with several TD receptions. Defensively his athleticism also helped the Hooligans. Bernard Joseph: While football and track limited his availability this year, Bernard was dominant in the games he played in. His 3-TD performance in the Hooligans' second-round playoff loss kept the team in it the whole way and gave the team a clutch receiver to look for. Steve Lestock: Steve brought his skills from Two Dollar Bill's championship run to the Pigskin Hooligans this year. The veteran came up with several clutch TDs when the Hooligans needed a score. Sarah Mowery: Sarah was on the Hooligans' opening roster after being recruited in the off-season. She proved to be a dependable pass-catcher and caught a TD on a crazy tipped pass in the Hooligans' opening game against the Pebble Creek Punishers. Ali Diallo: A late-season addition to the Hooligans, Ali proved to be a great find with his speed. He contributed to the team right away scoring 3 TDs in the Hooligans' 61-46 victory over the Pebble Creek Punishers. Jeni Bollenbacher: Jeni made a definite impact in her one and only Hooligans appearance. She was a sure-handed receiver and scored a TD and a 1-pt conversion in the Hooligans' 23-19 victory over the Gamecocks. Ryan Noack: Ryan signed midway through the season with the Hooligans after playing for the team the last two years. He provided a tall target on offense which led to several receiving TDs on the year, and he filled in at QB in the absence of Zach Johnston. Ryan also played solid defense, providing tight coverage on opposing receivers. The Hooligans would like to thank all of our players and fans for making this a great season! Be sure to follow along next year as the team goes for the championship yet again...ROLL HOOLIGANS!
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Thurs, Dec 9 - The Pigskin Hooligans were well-represented in the All-Star game as flag football season officially came to a close Thursday. Zach Johnston and Josh Ulm represented the Hooligans on Team Choi, while Captain Mike Russell was a late addition to Team Gumm. Team Gumm started on offense, and Hooligan Zach Johnston immediately made his presence felt with an interception. After a few crazy lateral plays, Johnston found Bri Sonnenberg in the endzone for a quick 9-pt girl score. Team Gumm would answer as Tyler Case led his team down the field and found Kevin Hohnstadt in the endzone. Johnston moved Team Choi down the field again and this time found Justin Litzner in the endzone; they converted a 3-pt play as well to go up 18-8. Team Gumm had an answer as Hohnstadt caught another score and Phil Brown tapped his toes in bounds on the 2-pt conversion to keep it close, 18-16. Team Choi would manage to score two more times before half including a Zach Johnston TD on a few laterals with Justin Litzner, and the halftime score was 34-16.
In the second half, Team Choi continued to assert itself offensively with another score to go up 40-16. Team Gumm found some life, however, as Tyler Case scrambled from the QB position for the TD and Mike Russell used his knees to haul in a 2-pt conversion pass. Andrew Gumm nearly had a game-changing interception on the next series, but Team Choi marched down the field and Bri Sonnenberg hauled in yet another TD which would push the score to 51-24. Team Choi was not done scoring as Hooligan Josh Ulm hauled in his second TD catch of the day and Zach Johnston added the 3-pt conversion to make it 60-24. With time running out, Team Gumm wanted to get at least one more score in to make the score somewhat more respectable. They used the sidelines effectively and were forced to use a timeout just short of the endzone. Andrew Gumm wanted to score a touchdown. Bri Sonnenberg cried out "Gumm hasn't scored a touchdown since the first grade". That may have touched a string in Tyler Case's heart as he hooked up with his Punishers teammate to give Gumm a TD and make the score 60-30. Team Choi would not score with 1 second remaining and they came away with the win. For Team Choi, Josh Ulm finished the day with 2 receiving TDs, 1 passing TD, and an interception for Team Choi. Zach Johnston passed for who knows how many TDs on the day as well as recording 2 picks. Justin Litzner recorded a TD, Ryan Burmeister had a TD, and despite being the only girl Bri Sonnenberg showed she can play with the boys with 2 TDs. Sam Choi was the official captain but had to ref the game. For Team Gumm, Mike Russell had 2 receptions including the 2-pt conversion and a flag grab of Hooligans teammate Josh Ulm. Tyler Case took the reps at QB, and Phil Brown and Paul Neumeyer had many key receptions. Kevin Hohnstadt could only stay a half but scored the 2 first-half TDs, and Andrew Gumm had several long gains and the late TD. Both teams were significantly undermanned as many on either roster didn't show. Tue, Dec 7 - The Hooligans' season came to an end on Tuesday as they lost a close one to the Gamecocks in frigidly cold conditions. The Gamecocks started the game on offense and Kevin Krysiak got them started with a touchdown to go up 7-0. On the Hooligans' first possession they suffered a key loss that very well may have affected the outcome of the game - Max Joseph was ejected from the game after complaining following a swearing penalty. Brother Bernard Joseph came in to take his place, and he made an impact by catching a TD pass to push the score to 7-6. The teams traded scores and Joseph again came up with the TD; the failure on the extra-point try kept the score 14-12 in favor of the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks scored again and the Hooligans looked to answer with a score before halftime. The team moved into Gamecocks territory, but a Zach Johnston pass intended for Thuy Phan just bounced off her hands and was intercepted by Ashley Hart; the score at half stood 21-12 in favor of the Gamecocks.
The Hooligans began the second half on offense, and Steve Lestock made a sensational toe-dragging catch in the back of the endzone to give the Hooligans life; after the 1-pt conversion the score was 21-19. The Gamecocks drove down the field on their next possession, and Ashley Hart came up with yet another impact play as she dove for a TD catch despite drawing coverage to put the Gamecocks up 31-19. With time ticking, the Hooligans drove down the field and Ali Diallo got into the endzone to make the score 31-25, giving the team hope. With 2:17 to go the team needed a stop, but the Gamecocks came up with a deep strike to push the score to 38-25. Bernard Joseph cranked off his 3rd TD of the day on the next possession to make the score 38-31, and with about 1:30 left and their timeout the Hooligans still had hope. Ali Diallo nearly came up with a clutch interception, but the Gamecocks were able to get the first down and seal the game. Captain Mike Russell had one of his best offensive performances of the season as he came up with 3 receptions on the day and pulled off a sensational juke-spin move. Thuy Phan continued to be a flag-grabbing force for the Hooligans. Zach Johnston provided a steady QB presence and helped direct the defense as well. Josh Ulm continued to be a dependable receiver for the Hooligans, coming up with several solid receptions. Zach Milner arrived in the second half and gave the Hooligans speed on defense. The team finishes the season 7-5, the second straight winning season in franchise history. The state of the team next year is still to be determined, but the Hooligans organization would like to thank all of the fans and players who have supported the team throughout the year. Be sure to look for one final update regarding all of the contributions from every player that has played this year. The Gamecocks will now take on the #1 Pebble Creek Punishers in the championship game tomorrow, Wednesday, at 4pm. Due to schedule constraints, Ryan Noack has withdrawn from the Hooligans for the playoffs. The Hooligans organization would like to thank him for his solid contributions to the team both this year and in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. With that, the Hooligans are happy to announce the season's final signing:
Breannea King, junior - Breannea will be joining the Hooligans for the playoff stretch run. She has been a fixture on the Concordia softball team for the past two years and has been a solid contributor from the third base position. Breannea will bring some solid athleticism to the Hooligans' roster and should be the final piece of the puzzle to a championship run. Upon signing with the team, Breannea had this to say: "I am ecstatic!" Wed, Dec 1 - Just as on Monday, the #3-seed Hooligans collected an automatic 14-0 forfeit victory in the first round of the playoffs over the #6-seed Phlaming Belly Buttons. The win brings the Hooligans' record to 7-4 on the season. Due to the new scheduling changes the Hooligans will now play on Tuesday, Dec 7th at 4pm in the second round against the #2-seed Gamecocks. During the season the Gamecocks defeated the Hooligans in the teams' first matchup 50-41, but the Hooligans won the rematch 23-19.
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Written by Mike Russell
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