You can view the final league stats for the 2017 season here: ![]()
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Now that we’ve recapped the 2017 Pigskin Hooligans season, we would like to give special recognition to this year’s award recipients: Blake receives the team’s MVP award for his performance in the 2017 season. As a member of the CUAA football team his athleticism was crucial to the Hooligans on both sides of the ball. On offense Blake rotated between quarterback and receiver, making good throws while also using his speed to advance the ball. Defensively he made a big impact with 2 interceptions and a forced fumble. Blake also receives the Defensive Player of the Year award for his efforts on defense. He often played the role of free safety on deep passes, sometimes running from one side of the field to another to get in position to make a play. His 2 interceptions (including one for a “pick 6”) led the team. Blake also forced a fumble on a PAT attempt by the Green Hornets and returned it for 2 points. Finally, Blake also receives the Breakout Player of the Year award which is given to the team’s best newcomer. Danielle receives this year’s Brittany Davis Memorial Award, given to the most outstanding female member of the Pigskin Hooligans. She was elevated to the role of co-captain in her first year with the team, making her the first freshman in franchise history to hold that role. Danielle showed amazing leadership in the 2017 season and she showed tenacity on defense to pull flags. She showed good hands and an ability to make catches, and she will be a key franchise player for many years to come. Conner earns the Individual Performance of the Year award in 2016, given to the player with the best single-game effort. He receives the honor for his performance in the team’s first round playoff game against the Wamp Rats. Conner made 2 interceptions which he returned for a “pick 6”, keeping the Hooligans in the game, while also seeing time at QB. He finished just one INT away from tying the franchise single-game record in only one half of play. Conner also receives this year’s Sub of the Year Award, given to the most outstanding midseason addition to the team. Alissa receives this year’s Heart of the Hooligans award, given to the player that best exemplifies the spirit of the franchise. Special consideration for this award is given to players who have sustained an injury. Alissa played in the team’s first game against the Wamp Rats, but unfortunately due to a finger injury she was unable to play the rest of the season. The franchise eagerly anticipates her return next year as she recovers in the offseason. Captain Russell earns this year’s Most Improved Player award. He saw much more playing time than usual this season due to limited personnel and worked hard to develop his game as a receiver. Russell made a career-high 5 receptions and hauled in a receiving touchdown in the Hooligans’ second game of the season against the Green Hornets. Finally, here are the top individual plays of the 2017 season: ![]() Gold Play - Blake Dean’s “pick 6” in the season opener against the Wamp Rats (October 29, 2017) - While the Hooligan offense had difficulty moving the ball against a stifling Wamp Rats defense in their season opener, it was the defense that provided a scoring spark late in the first half. Blake made a great defensive read in the endzone, making an interception and returning it all the way for 6 points. ![]() Silver Play - Conner Forbes’ first “pick 6” in the playoff game against the Wamp Rats (November 17, 2017) - Conner signed with the Hooligans just before their first round playoff game, enabling the team to reach five total players on the field. The Wamp Rats began with the ball and looked to be on their way to a scoring drive. However Conner made a great interception in the endzone and returned it for a “pick 6”, giving the Hooligans their first lead of the year with a 6-0 advantage. ![]() Bronze Play - Mike Russell’s receiving touchdown against the Green Hornets (November 12, 2017) - While the Green Hornets played tenacious defense in the Hooligans’ second game of the season, the team did put together a scoring drive late in the game. Blake Dean lofted a pass to the left side of the endzone which was caught by Captain Russell for the team’s first offensive touchdown of the year. Congratulations to all of the award winners on their achievement! All of these players made great contributions to the Hooligans this year. This concludes our review of the 2017 Pigskin Hooligans season. Be sure to check back next fall to follow the team’s efforts at returning to glory. Until then...ROLL HOOLIGANS! 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! The Pigskin Hooligans fought hard in 2017, battling through massive roster absences and showing heart and determination. The Hooligans took a "team picture" following their narrow first round playoff defeat, although unfortunately many team members were unavailable for the picture:
Pictured (left to right): Co-captains Mike Russell and Danielle Thompson, Darius Wilson Not pictured but played in 2017: Alissa Papsun, Blake Dean, Conner Forbes, Kaushik Thallapally, Ken Simon Stay tuned for a season overview coming soon recapping highlights from the 2017 season! The Pigskin Hooligans organization has the privilege once again this year to announce the 2017 All-Star rosters! Two teams of 12 players each were selected out of a total of 56 league participants this season. League Commissioner Mike Russell captains one All-Star team, while league champion Green Hornets captain Tyler Pummell headlines the second one. In the future, we hope that an actual All-Star game can be played if the season can begin earlier. Let’s take a look at the accomplishments of these players (all interceptions listed are on defense): ![]() Mike Russell (captain) (Pigskin Hooligans) - Pigskin Hooligans captain Mike Russell receives an automatic All-Star bid as league commissioner, his 7th career selection. He led the Hooligans in receiving TDs this year, hauling in the team’s lone offensive score in their match against the Green Hornets. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 1 TD ![]() Blake Dean (Pigskin Hooligans) - Blake earns an All-Star bid after a sensational rookie season with the Pigskin Hooligans. He provided great athleticism to the team on both sides of the ball, leading the Hooligans in defensive INTs with 2 (including a “pick 6”) while also throwing 1 TD pass as QB. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 1 pass TD, 1 TD, 1 PAT, 2 INTs ![]() Drew Borror (O Block) - Drew receives an All-Star selection following a great season with O Block. He showed great versatility throughout the year, seeing time at quarterback and throwing for 2 touchdowns while also hauling in 4 touchdowns and a PAT at the receiver position. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 2 pass TDs, 4 TDs, 1 PAT ![]() Gabe Farr (Hooligangsters) - Gabe earns his third straight selection as an All-Star in 2017. The Hooligangsters captain provided a consistent target on offense, finishing tied for 2nd in the league with 4 PATs while adding 5 touchdown catches. On defense Gabe also recorded an interception. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 5 TDs, 4 PATs, 1 INT ![]() Jacob Baxter (Green Hornets) - Jacob receives an All-Star selection after his rookie year with the league champion Green Hornets. He showed great dependability as a receiver, snagging 2 touchdowns on the year. Jacob also notched an interception on defense. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 2 TDs, 1 INT ![]() Joel Werner (Wamp Rats) - Joel receives the second All-Star selection of his career in 2017. He served as the primary quarterback for the Wamp Rats, passing for 7 TDs on the season while also hauling in 2 PATs. Defensively he forced a fumble and a safety in the team’s season-opening win over the Pigskin Hooligans. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 7 pass TDs, 2 PATs ![]() Malik Johnson (O Block) - Malik earns an All-Star berth after a standout rookie year with O Block. He showed very dependable hands as a receiver in the endzone, hauling in a team-leading 7 TDs which ranks him #2 in the league overall. Malik also snagged 2 PATs for his team. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 7 TDs, 2 PATs ![]() Marshall Oetting (Hooligangsters) - Marshall receives an All-Star selection for the fourth consecutive year in 2017. He showed great play at the QB position, finishing 2nd in the league with 20 pass TDs. His 11 passing TDs against the Wamp Rats set a new all-time CUAA record for a single game. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 20 pass TDs, 1 TD, 2 INTs ![]() Matt Botti (Balls Deep) - Matt earned All-Star honors for the third consecutive year in 2017. The Balls Deep captain demonstrated versatility all over the field, passing for 1 TD while also catching 4 TDs along with 2 PATs. Defensively Matt registered a team-leading 2 interceptions. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 1 pass TD, 4 TDs, 2 PATs, 2 INTs ![]() Paul Zysk (Green Hornets) - Paul receives an All-Star selection following his first year in the league. He showed great dominance as a receiver for the Green Hornets, using his 6’9” height to catch 2 deep touchdown passes on the year. Paul also made an impact on defense with an interception. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 2 TDs, 1 INT ![]() Taylor Kahlstorf (Wamp Rats) - Taylor earned an All-Star bid after her rookie year with the Wamp Rats. She showed good hands as a receiver, notching 2 receiving TDs which ties her for #1 in the league in female TDs. Taylor also made a great juggling PAT catch in her team’s playoff win. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 2 TDs, 1 PAT ![]() Zack Williams (Balls Deep) - Zack receives an All-Star selection after a great rookie campaign in 2017. He showed tremendous speed and good hands as a receiver, finishing 3rd in the league with 6 touchdown receptions on the year. Zack also led the entire league with 7 PATs. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 6 TDs, 7 PATs ![]() Tyler Pummell (Green Hornets) - Tyler leads the second All-Star team, earning his first career berth. The captain of the league champion Green Hornets turned in a solid season, notching 2 TDs and a PAT on offense while also setting good blocks. Defensively Tyler also recorded an interception. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 2 TDs, 1 PAT, 1 INT ![]() Andrew Ripke (Wamp Rats) - Andrew receives the second All-Star selection of his career after the 2017 season. The Wamp Rats captain contributed at multiple positions, passing for 3 TDs while also recording a touchdown and a PAT. On defense Andrew also notched 2 interceptions. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 3 pass TDs, 1 TD, 1 PAT, 2 INTs ![]() Blaine Milheim (Balls Deep) - Blaine earns a third straight All-Star selection in 2017. He showed great speed throughout the year, stretching out big plays and leading the league with 10 receiving TDs. Blaine also saw time at the QB position, passing for 2 TDs, and he had a PAT as well. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 2 pass TDs, 10 TDs, 1 PAT ![]() Brandon Bettcher (Wamp Rats) - Brandon receives his first career selection to the All-Star game in 2017. His bursts of speed allowed him to make an impact on both sides of the ball. Brandon had a “pick 6” on defense while also notching a receiving TD, a passing TD, and a PAT catch. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 1 pass TD, 2 TDs, 1 PAT, 1 INT ![]() Britney Calder (Balls Deep) - Britney earns an All-Star selection after her rookie year in the 2017 season. She made two critical touchdown receptions in her team’s season-opening contest against the Hooligangsters, tying her for #1 in the league in female touchdowns. 2017 stats: 1 GP, 2 TDs ![]() Eric Bugg (Green Hornets) - Eric receives an All-Star selection after a great first season in 2017. He made a huge impact on the defensive side of the ball, recording a league-leading 5 interceptions including 2 that went for a “pick 6”. Eric also passed for 3 touchdowns on the year. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 3 pass TDs, 3 TDs, 5 INTs ![]() Hunter Lastacy (O Block) - Hunter is named an All-Star after his rookie year with O Block in 2017. He handled the majority of the quarterback duties for his squad, passing for 16 touchdowns which places him 3rd in the league. Hunter also saw time at receiver, recording a PAT catch. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 16 pass TDs, 1 PAT ![]() Jamil Freeman (O Block) - Jamil receives a selection as an All-Star following his first year in the league. The captain of O Block showed great speed and agility throughout the year, showing an ability to take swing passes for huge gains. Jamil recorded 2 TDs and a PAT on the year. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 2 TDs, 1 PAT ![]() Micah Oetting (Hooligangsters) - Micah receives his fourth straight All-Star selection in 2017. He saw time at receiver throughout the year, finishing tied for the team lead with 5 touchdowns along with 2 PATs. Micah also notched an interception on defense. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 5 TDs, 2 PATs, 1 INT ![]() Preston Sherman (Balls Deep) - Preston earns an All-Star selection after a standout rookie season. He primarily saw time at the quarterback position, leading the league with 21 passing TDs on the year. Preston passed for 11 TDs in his team’s playoff win over O Block, tying the all-time CUAA record. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 21 pass TDs, 1 TD ![]() Taylor Parsons (Hooligangsters) - Taylor receives the second All-Star berth of his career in 2017. He showed dependable hands as a receiver in the endzone, hauling in 5 TDs on the year including a 4-TD performance in his team’s season opener. Taylor also recorded 3 PATs on the year. 2017 stats: 2 GP, 5 TDs, 3 PATs ![]() Tyler Tweedale (Wamp Rats) - Tyler earns a second straight All-Star selection after the 2017 season. He continued to be a dependable receiver on the Wamp Rats, leading the team with 4 touchdowns on the year. Tyler also recorded 2 interceptions on defense. 2017 stats: 3 GP, 4 TDs, 2 PATs, 2 INTs Congratulations to the 2017 All-Stars! All of these players made tremendous contributions to their team and their athletic ability made for an exciting season. Many of these players will be returning in 2018 so be sure to check back next year to follow the action! |
Written by Mike Russell
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