Week 4 saw Swag suffer a hard-fought 26-24 defeat to the very athletic Team Pedigree. Despite two touchdown efforts from both Wes Parsel and Jason Holte and another flawless passing day from Dylan Tasher the team just could not manage to hit on their conversions and put themselves over the top. Except for the 2 point attempt that Holte caught behind his back in the back of the end zone, only for the referee 20 yards away whose vision was impeded by all 10 players on the field to rule that he had stepped out of bounds prior to catching the ball. Or a fantastic sliding catch by Neil Payne on a conversion that was incorrectly judged to have hit the ground. And even after 8 penalties Swag had the ball with time winding down and an opportunity to win the game. Tasher would find Neil Payne in the end zone but was flagged for crossing the line of scrimmage before throwing. Oobie Peterson then jumped offside before Tasher found Parsel in the middle of the end zone for what appeared to be the winning touchdown on 4th down with 19 seconds left. Celebrations were cut short, however, when Tasher was flagged for taking too long to get the ball out of his hands. The team protested furiously, prompting the game to be ended 19 seconds early.
Defensively Swag were lights-out all game, providing several key stops without intercepting the ball even once. Matt Huffman recorded a sack.
Player of the Game: Swag defense. Holding Team Pedigree to 26 points in an incredible feat that should have been rewarded with a victory.
Game stats can be found here
Season stats
League Leaders Through Week 4
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Week 3: Nikolenko, Payne Spoil Upset Bid
Sunday's game against lowly PPR was supposed to be one for Swag to pad their stats and iron out some of the flaws on both sides of the ball. Basically, an extended practice. Apparently nobody told PPR. Swag found themselves trailing at half for the first time all season and down by as many as 13 points in the second half. The defense that has been so solid all season long looked vulnerable without Wes Parsel and Brian Ziebelman, and the offense required superhuman performances from Neil Payne and center Andy Nikolenko to eventually hold off their lively opponents. Dylan Tasher completed 15 passes for 305 yards and 6 touchdowns (both season highs) and has now attempted 113 passes and only recorded one interception (on a conversion). Payne caught 9 passes for 150 yards, 2 touchdowns and one 2 point conversion. Nikolenko "only" caught 4 passes, but 3 were touchdowns and he gained 105 yards. Oobie Peterson added a 40 yard touchdown and captain Albert Lu supplemented his impressive defensive play with a clutch 2 point reception that gave Swag a two score lead with time winding down. Jason Holte failed to record a catch after tearing a tendon in his left ring finger on the opening drive of the game. Eli Rodriguez, Matt Huffman, Peterson, Holte, and Tasher joined Lu on the defense and were able to come up with a couple stops as the second half dragged on that allowed the offense to mount their comeback, but giving up 31 points to a team that had scored only 6 total in their opening 4 games was quite a surprise. In the end Swag were able to come out on top 40-31, improving their record to 3-1 with a tantalizing matchup with Team Pedigree looming on the horizon.
Player of the Game: Andy Nikolenko. Swag's comeback was largely predicated on Nikolenko's 3 touchdown performance. Refusing to be stopped by the first defender, it's safe to say PPR were not equipped to deal with his combination of size and speed. Honorable mention goes to Neil Payne for his colossal offensive numbers.
Game stats can be found here
Season Stats
League Leaders Through Week 3
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Week 2 Report: Swag Split Doubleheader with Freek and Embarrassments
After a week of rain and overcast skies, the weather gods decided to crank up the heat on Sunday for Swag's late morning doubleheader. First on the schedule was a meeting with ex-Swag player Tyler Krawiec's Freek Nation, followed by Drunken Embarrassments.
Game 1:
After losing the coin toss Swag's offense trotted out to start the game. It was clear that Freek were not going to let Jason Holte beat them as he saw double coverage on every single play. Swag were expecting this sort of treatment, and on the very first play Holte ran a deep drag which allowed Neil Payne to clear underneath for a solid gain on first down. Then Oobie Peterson worked in the soft spot under Holte for a big gain on an out route, and after a couple more short patterns Neil Payne scored his first touchdown for the team. The extra point would fail, and the blue defense stepped onto the field with a 6-0 lead. Freek found some success on a couple of intermediate routes, but Bryan Ziebelman came up with a huge interception to hand the ball back to the offense. Another confident march down the field was capped with an Oobie Peterson touchdown and Andy Nikolenko 2 point conversion which made the score 14-0 good guys. Freek would respond in a big way, finishing off a solid drive with an impressive leaping touchdown catch by Krawiec. Tyler and Wes Parsel both met the football at its highest point but Krawiec was able to wrestle the ball away from his defender for the 6. The very next play, however, a blown coverage led to a 50 yard catch and run touchdown from Payne to give Swag the 20-6 advantage they would take to halftime.
The second half would be a different story. Freek Nation came out of halftime with a touchdown to cut the lead to 8. Then Swag were held without a score, breaking their streak of 9 straight possessions with a touchdown to start the season. Freek drove right down the field and would tie the game on a diving touchdown catch by Allen Hoekstra and a successful 2 point try. Swag would then be forced to punt after failing to gain a yard on the next possession, and after Hoekstra caught another touchdown pass from Jeff Swanson the blue offense took over with 18 seconds to go and facing a 6 point deficit. Dylan Tasher and Holte failed to hook up on a deep cross on first down, but were able to pick up decent yardage on a second down deep comeback route. With no choice but to go to the end zone on the final play of the game the pass intended for Holte was knocked down. Final Score: Swag 20, Freek Nation 26.
Player of the Game: Neil Payne. With the Freek defense focused on taking away Holte Payne was able to make them pay to the tune of 5 catches for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Game stats can be found here
Game 2:
Swag were out for blood after their shocking loss in the first game, and Drunken Embarrassments were the team unlucky enough to be lined up opposite them. The game started off testy as players and spectators from both sides were chirping at each other. Swag started with the ball and strung together an impressive drive that was capped by an Oobie Peterson touchdown catch. As is starting to become typical the extra point failed but Swag still had a very important early lead. The Embarrassments would answer however, as Ernie Jackson led them right down the field for a touchdown and then a 2 point conversion that gave them an 8-6 advantage. After a couple of short to medium completions came a scary moment for Swag. Looking for Holte on a corner route, Tasher's arm was hit by Will Scott on a blitz, hurting the Swag quarterback. Tempers would flare on both sides and sidelines but after the penalty yardage was marked off Tasher remained in the game, and Andy Nikolenko exacted a little revenge as he trucked 2 defenders on his way into the end zone for a go-ahead score. Payne would add the conversion to put Swag back on top 14-6. The defense would hold the Embarrassments to a punt situation and if not for an impressive flag pull by Andy van Garder, Holte would have been off to the races on the return. Wes Parsel got loose for a 44 yard touchdown reception which gave Swag a 20-6 halftime lead.
Determined not to repeat their mistakes from the first game, Swag came out of halftime incredibly focused and set about building on their lead. Holte and Nikolenko would add touchdowns, Payne would score another conversion and a late Embarrassments touchdown would only serve to make the scoreline a little more respectable. Final Score: Swag 34, Drunken Embarrassments 14.
Player of the Game: Dylan Tasher. Playing through pain in his throwing elbow for most of the game Tasher was still masterful, throwing for 256 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Game stats can be found here
Season Stats
League Leaders Through Week 2
Game 1:
After losing the coin toss Swag's offense trotted out to start the game. It was clear that Freek were not going to let Jason Holte beat them as he saw double coverage on every single play. Swag were expecting this sort of treatment, and on the very first play Holte ran a deep drag which allowed Neil Payne to clear underneath for a solid gain on first down. Then Oobie Peterson worked in the soft spot under Holte for a big gain on an out route, and after a couple more short patterns Neil Payne scored his first touchdown for the team. The extra point would fail, and the blue defense stepped onto the field with a 6-0 lead. Freek found some success on a couple of intermediate routes, but Bryan Ziebelman came up with a huge interception to hand the ball back to the offense. Another confident march down the field was capped with an Oobie Peterson touchdown and Andy Nikolenko 2 point conversion which made the score 14-0 good guys. Freek would respond in a big way, finishing off a solid drive with an impressive leaping touchdown catch by Krawiec. Tyler and Wes Parsel both met the football at its highest point but Krawiec was able to wrestle the ball away from his defender for the 6. The very next play, however, a blown coverage led to a 50 yard catch and run touchdown from Payne to give Swag the 20-6 advantage they would take to halftime.
The second half would be a different story. Freek Nation came out of halftime with a touchdown to cut the lead to 8. Then Swag were held without a score, breaking their streak of 9 straight possessions with a touchdown to start the season. Freek drove right down the field and would tie the game on a diving touchdown catch by Allen Hoekstra and a successful 2 point try. Swag would then be forced to punt after failing to gain a yard on the next possession, and after Hoekstra caught another touchdown pass from Jeff Swanson the blue offense took over with 18 seconds to go and facing a 6 point deficit. Dylan Tasher and Holte failed to hook up on a deep cross on first down, but were able to pick up decent yardage on a second down deep comeback route. With no choice but to go to the end zone on the final play of the game the pass intended for Holte was knocked down. Final Score: Swag 20, Freek Nation 26.
Player of the Game: Neil Payne. With the Freek defense focused on taking away Holte Payne was able to make them pay to the tune of 5 catches for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Game stats can be found here
Game 2:
Swag were out for blood after their shocking loss in the first game, and Drunken Embarrassments were the team unlucky enough to be lined up opposite them. The game started off testy as players and spectators from both sides were chirping at each other. Swag started with the ball and strung together an impressive drive that was capped by an Oobie Peterson touchdown catch. As is starting to become typical the extra point failed but Swag still had a very important early lead. The Embarrassments would answer however, as Ernie Jackson led them right down the field for a touchdown and then a 2 point conversion that gave them an 8-6 advantage. After a couple of short to medium completions came a scary moment for Swag. Looking for Holte on a corner route, Tasher's arm was hit by Will Scott on a blitz, hurting the Swag quarterback. Tempers would flare on both sides and sidelines but after the penalty yardage was marked off Tasher remained in the game, and Andy Nikolenko exacted a little revenge as he trucked 2 defenders on his way into the end zone for a go-ahead score. Payne would add the conversion to put Swag back on top 14-6. The defense would hold the Embarrassments to a punt situation and if not for an impressive flag pull by Andy van Garder, Holte would have been off to the races on the return. Wes Parsel got loose for a 44 yard touchdown reception which gave Swag a 20-6 halftime lead.
Determined not to repeat their mistakes from the first game, Swag came out of halftime incredibly focused and set about building on their lead. Holte and Nikolenko would add touchdowns, Payne would score another conversion and a late Embarrassments touchdown would only serve to make the scoreline a little more respectable. Final Score: Swag 34, Drunken Embarrassments 14.
Player of the Game: Dylan Tasher. Playing through pain in his throwing elbow for most of the game Tasher was still masterful, throwing for 256 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Game stats can be found here
Season Stats
League Leaders Through Week 2
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Week 1 Postgame Report: Swag vs. Step Above Leftovers
When the first week's schedule was released Swag knew they were in for quite a test. Having to start the season against the runners-up from the summer meant a trial by fire for a team with some pretty significant question marks. After all was said and done it was pretty clear that Swag is not a team to be taken lightly by anyone.
Quarterback Dylan Tasher used the first play of the game to play with his new toy Neil Payne, as the pair hooked up for a 7 yard gain. One play later it was 6-0, as Tasher and Jason Holte exploited a defensive mix-up en route to a 43 yard touchdown. The pair would combine again on the 2 point conversion to hand Swag an 8-0 lead. Step Above Leftovers would answer that score with one of their own, but after a failed conversion attempt Swag still held a 2 point advantage. The offense trotted back on the field and after a couple of short completions Holte was able to slip behind the defense again on a deep post, only kept from his second touchdown by a blatant pass interference in the back corner of the end zone. This would only serve to delay the inevitable, however, as Tasher found Holte in the back middle of the end zone to make the score 14-6. Payne caught the conversion out of bounds so there the score would remain. Then came the turning point of the game. With Leftovers facing a 4th and inches at midfield Tasher read the play beautifully and made a crucial deflection. The momentum swung Swag's way and they never relinquished it. Tasher would find Oobie Peterson on a shallow crossing route, and after one cut Peterson was off to the races. Another 2 point miss followed by a huge defensive stop made the halftime score 20-6.
Leftovers came out of halftime with the ball and were able to score to cut the lead to 20-12 but again were unable to stop Swag's offense, which was firing on all cylinders. Held to a rare 4th down, Tasher found Holte on the sideline for a clutch first down, and on the next play hit Holte again in the back middle of the end zone on a fine tumbling catch. This gave Holte his first ever 3 touchdown game, but the boys in blue weren't finished yet. Wes Parsel went the length of the field on a pick-six which was followed by a Payne 2 point conversion that gave him his first career points for Swag. Leftovers scored to make it 34-18 before Tasher's 5th and final touchdown pass of the day to Andy Nikolenko. Final score: Swag 40, Step Above Leftovers 18.
Player of the Game: Dylan Tasher. Tasher threw the ball masterfully all over the field all game, finishing with 226 yards and 5 touchdowns while completing 67% of his passes. Holte's 3 touchdowns were impressive but would not have been possible without the clinic that Tasher put on Sunday. It was Tasher's stop on 4th down that swung the game in Swag's favor for good.
Notes: Swag were lights-out offensively but only managed to convert on 2 of 6 conversion attempts. This is something they will look to clean up in the weeks to come, as they know how crucial those points can be in close games.
Game stats can be found here
League Leaders Through Week 1
Quarterback Dylan Tasher used the first play of the game to play with his new toy Neil Payne, as the pair hooked up for a 7 yard gain. One play later it was 6-0, as Tasher and Jason Holte exploited a defensive mix-up en route to a 43 yard touchdown. The pair would combine again on the 2 point conversion to hand Swag an 8-0 lead. Step Above Leftovers would answer that score with one of their own, but after a failed conversion attempt Swag still held a 2 point advantage. The offense trotted back on the field and after a couple of short completions Holte was able to slip behind the defense again on a deep post, only kept from his second touchdown by a blatant pass interference in the back corner of the end zone. This would only serve to delay the inevitable, however, as Tasher found Holte in the back middle of the end zone to make the score 14-6. Payne caught the conversion out of bounds so there the score would remain. Then came the turning point of the game. With Leftovers facing a 4th and inches at midfield Tasher read the play beautifully and made a crucial deflection. The momentum swung Swag's way and they never relinquished it. Tasher would find Oobie Peterson on a shallow crossing route, and after one cut Peterson was off to the races. Another 2 point miss followed by a huge defensive stop made the halftime score 20-6.
Leftovers came out of halftime with the ball and were able to score to cut the lead to 20-12 but again were unable to stop Swag's offense, which was firing on all cylinders. Held to a rare 4th down, Tasher found Holte on the sideline for a clutch first down, and on the next play hit Holte again in the back middle of the end zone on a fine tumbling catch. This gave Holte his first ever 3 touchdown game, but the boys in blue weren't finished yet. Wes Parsel went the length of the field on a pick-six which was followed by a Payne 2 point conversion that gave him his first career points for Swag. Leftovers scored to make it 34-18 before Tasher's 5th and final touchdown pass of the day to Andy Nikolenko. Final score: Swag 40, Step Above Leftovers 18.
Player of the Game: Dylan Tasher. Tasher threw the ball masterfully all over the field all game, finishing with 226 yards and 5 touchdowns while completing 67% of his passes. Holte's 3 touchdowns were impressive but would not have been possible without the clinic that Tasher put on Sunday. It was Tasher's stop on 4th down that swung the game in Swag's favor for good.
Notes: Swag were lights-out offensively but only managed to convert on 2 of 6 conversion attempts. This is something they will look to clean up in the weeks to come, as they know how crucial those points can be in close games.
Game stats can be found here
League Leaders Through Week 1
Player Profile: Oobie Peterson
Career Stats:
Catches: 45
Yards: 622
YPC: 13.8
TD: 13
PAT: 3
Points: 75
Sacks: 1
Oobie is one of Swag's "Original 6," as one of 6 people to have been on the team since their debut as the Punishers in winter 2009. He posted solid numbers in the Punishers' first season before recording 22 catches for 305 yards and 7 touchdowns in summer 2009. After a two season hiatus he returned to make a cameo with Swag last season (for which no stats were recorded by Top Gun). Back in the fold full-time this season, Peterson brings big-play ability as well as a defensive presence that will come in very handy as the weeks unfold.
Player Profile: Andy Nikolenko
Career Stats:
Catches: 47
Yards: 600
YPC: 12.8
TD: 9
PAT: 8
Points: 62
Andy's soft hands and deceptive speed have already proved to be a valuable asset offensively, and his fierce competitive nature and luscious flowing locks are reminiscent of Troy Polamalu on the defensive side of the ball. Andy can be best remembered for a couple of things from his Swag debut season: nearly hospitalizing an opponent on a Tyler Krawiec interception and having his pants pulled down multiple times in a different game. Here's hoping opposing defenses see even more of Andy's ass this season - as he runs for multiple touchdowns.
Player Profile: Dylan Tasher
Career Stats:
Completions: 718
Comp. %: 56
Yards: 10,356
YPC: 14.4
TD/INT: 181/45
PAT: 171
Catches: 48
Yards: 499
TD/PAT: 6/2
INT: 6
Ret. TD: 2
Dylan is one of Swag's "Original 6," as one of 6 people to have been on the team since their debut as the Punishers in winter 2009. He spent the team's first two seasons as the center and primary underneath receiver before becoming the quarterback in their third season. Once Tasher got his hands on the job he never looked back, exploding for 2,602 yards (third in the league) and 49 touchdown passes (one shy of the league lead) in fall 2009. His ability to spread the ball around to different receivers placed three different Basterds receivers in the top 20: Taylor Lucero (5th), Jason Holte (7th), and Cody Inglis (16th). Dylan backed up his breakout season with an impressive 2,552 yards and 41 touchdowns in winter 2010 despite battling an injured throwing elbow for most of the season. In Swag's playoff season of summer 2010 Tasher posted 2,355 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Memorable Moment: Inglourious Basterds v. MARTY, Winter 2010 Week 6
There's nothing more fun than beating up on your friends. This was the case when IB met their high school friends' team MARTY twice in the winter season, each time doubling up their opponents. In the second matchup Tasher threw the ball excellently, but with Jason Holte suffering from a serious case of the drops (at least 6 of them, 2 of which were wide open touchdowns) Dylan was forced to take matters into his own hands. Playing safety and with Jeff Keller lined up on the opposite side as quarterback, Tasher took advantage of a man that he had played football with since he was a little kid and picked Keller's desperation toss off, taking it all the way back for a touchdown. Basterds win 28-14.
Player Profile: Matt Huffman
Career Stats:
Catches: 82
Yards: 787
YPC: 9.6
TD: 14
PAT: 9
INT: 1
Sacks: 13
Points: 93
Matt is one of Swag's "Original 6," as one of 6 people to have been on the team since their debut as the Punishers in winter 2009. Statistically speaking the first season was quiet for Matt as he adjusted back to football after years of baseball, but in summer 2009 he recorded a team-high 5 sacks and numerous hurries as he helped the Punishers turn up the heat on defense. Due to other obligations he was forced to sit out the team's breakout season of fall 2009 but he returned with a vengeance in winter 2010, tallying 60 catches (team-high) for 529 yards and 10 touchdowns, with 5 PATs. Matt split time with Andy Nikolenko at center in the summer 2010 season but he still was able to contribute some key catches as well as another rock solid season on defense, even recording his first career interception in Swag's playoff loss to Entourage.
Player Profile: Wes Parsel
Career Stats:
Catches: 155
Yards: 2,141
YPC: 13.8
TD: 35
PAT: 41
INT: 16
Ret. TD: 5
Points: 273
Wes is one of Swag's "Original 6," as one of 6 people to have been on the team since their debut as the Punishers in winter 2009. Wes missed significant time in the team's first season due to illness but returned to lead the team in summer 2009 with 29 catches for 412 yards and 10 touchdowns, adding 6 PAT and an interception for good measure. His offensive numbers dropped in IB's breakout season of fall 2009 but he more than made up for that by notching 5 interceptions. Clearly motivated by the previous season, Wes finished winter 2010 atop the team's receiving list for the second time in his career with 57 catches for 740 yards, 11 touchdowns and 16 PATs. In summer 2010 his production fell off again due to the emergence of Tyler Krawiec and Ben Kelchner but Parsel is expected to once again be one of the main focal points of the offense due to their departure.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Player Profile: Albert Lu
Career Stats:
INT: 5
Ret. TD: 2
Sacks: 2
Catches: 57
Yards: 773
TD: 10
PAT: 21
Points: 93
Albert, aside from being one of the "Original 6," is the captain and founder of Swag. Having already played 7 on 7 at the intramural level at UCI Albert heard about Top Gun and began to toy with the idea of getting some of his high school football friends together to make a team. He ran the idea by Jason and the pair started recruiting right away. The Punishers were born. Aside from the other originals, Swag has received contributions throughout various seasons from Taylor Lucero (Impact), Doug Nel, Jake Miles, Josh Zwart, Chris Lee, Robin Lu, Cody Inglis, Adam Garza, and Nick Greenlee. None of this would have been possible without the incredible leadership ability Albert has shown.
Statistically Lu's best season was Summer 2009. Knowing that the team would have to fill the massive void that the loss of Lucero left, Albert slid right into the slot receiver position and delivered 27 catches for 398 yards (second on the team) and 6 touchdowns, while also leading the then-Punishers with 7 PATs and delivering a couple of clutch interceptions. Stats don't show the true value of Albert to Swag, however. It has been his ability to play virtually every position on the field and still deliver solid performances that has contributed to the team's continued success.
Most Memorable Game: Inglourious Basterds v. Lady Bugs, Fall 2009 Week 5
The Basterds were rolling against teams that they should beat, but had yet to deliver against truly competitive teams. On a hot fall afternoon they were asked to play back to back games against two eventual playoff teams - America's Next Top Model and Lady Bugs. After a hotly-contested, physical loss to ANTM spirits were a little low in the Basterds camp. And when the offense got off to a horrible start things started to look worse. Enter Albert and the defense. IB's swarming defense created 5 interceptions and 2 defensive touchdowns, of which Albert had 2 and one, respectively. Albert's pick-six helped ice an improbable 18-6 victory for the Inglourious Basterds and give the team a much-needed wave of momentum that they rode all the way to the playoffs. Oh, did I mention that Albert was just 8 days removed from a motorcycle accident and playing with a heavily-bandaged leg? Because that's kind of important to the drama of the whole thing.
Player Profile: Jason Holte
Career Stats:
Catches: 211
Yards: 3,335
YPC: 15.8
TD: 66
PAT: 55
INT: 5
Ret. TD: 2 (1 punt, 1 INT)
Points: 463
Jason is one of Swag's "Original 6," as one of 6 people to have been on the team since their debut as the Punishers in winter 2009. Jason came into his own when Dylan Tasher took over the reins and the team became the Inglourious Basterds in fall 2009. His 894 receiving yards ranked 7th in the league and 16 touchdowns were good for 4th in Top Gun Irvine. His production dropped off a little bit in winter 2010 but he still managed 697 yards and 15 touchdowns without the benefit of having Taylor Lucero on the opposite side of the field for defenses to worry about. Summer 2010 began horribly for Holte when he struggled in the early going to catch the football. He finished the season strong, racking up 478 yards, 10 touchdowns, and a career-high 14 PAT.
Jason is known around the league for his bright yellow Nike Mercurial Vapor V cleats, and this has been known to work in his advantage at times. Because he has a reputation as the team's primary deep threat, cornerbacks have a tendency to either give him a huge cushion which enables him to easily work underneath the coverage, or else to devote too much attention to him which allows him to create space for other receivers to work in the space provided.
Most Memorable Game: Inglourious Basterds v. Razors, Winter 2010 Week 7
With a playoff berth on the line in the second to last week of the season, Holte put on a spectacular performance that nearly knocked the eventual division champions out of postseason contention. IB spotted Razors a 2 score lead, but in the second half drove right down the field and scored before their defense came up with a spectacular stop that put Razors in a 4th and 20 situation at their own 10. They lined up to punt and Holte took it on one hop at a full sprint and after he split the first 2 defenders he took the punt 40+ yards to the house to give the Basterds their first lead of the day. Razors drove down the field and scored again which gave IB the ball back with under 2 minutes remaining. Facing 4th down and 15 with under a minute left Tasher looked for Holte on the sideline and Holte rewarded his faith with an acrobatic leaping catch, just barely tapping a toe inside the sideline before landing out of bounds, and then the pair combined for what should have been the winning touchdown with 30 seconds to go. Unfortunately Razors were able to drive the length of the field and score one last time with no time remaining, robbing the Basterds of a well-deserved win on a miracle catch between 2 perfectly positioned defenders. Holte finished with 7 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown in addition to the punt return score. The 2 teams would get one more crack at each other the following week, with Razors victorious 42-34. Tasher and Holte again proved unstoppable, hooking up 7 times for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Season Outlook: Swag
After what can only be described as a very successful summer season, Swag look primed to take their game to yet another level as the fall session kicks off. Posting a 6-4 record in the summer and making a return to the playoffs for the first time in 2 seasons, expectations were always bound to be high following the season break.
The team will first have to figure out just how much they are impacted by the loss of 2 huge playmakers in Ben Kelchner and Tyler Krawiec. The pair combined for an amazing 78 catches, over 1,200 yards, 9 interceptions and 26 touchdowns in helping lead Swag back to the promised land. Swag is one of few clubs that can boast two different standouts at the center position in Andy Nikolenko and Matt Huffman, and a truly outstanding quarterback in Dylan Tasher. Tasher has been the full-time starter for the past three seasons, amassing over 7,500 yards and 131 touchdown passes against only 37 interceptions. Most of the lost offensive production will be picked up by the tandem of Wes Parsel and Jason Holte, who have been a staple on the offense since the team first began Top Gun play in January 2009. Both have finished a season ranked in the top 10 in every major receiving category, and have shown at times that they are lethal on combination routes. The team is also excited to get Oobie Peterson back for the fall. Peterson was one of the founding members of the team but due to injury and other commitments hasn't been able to contribute as often as he would have liked to. This doesn't look to be a problem for this season and Oobie can do some pretty great things with the ball in his hand. As for the rest of the receptions? Enter Neil Payne. Payne burst onto the Irvine scene in fall 2008, leading the league with 92 catches for 1,194 yards and 17 touchdowns. Payne is most known for his time with Impact and Swag are incredibly happy to finally bring him into the fold.
Let's not forget about the defense. Team captain Albert Lu is rock solid as a full-time cornerback and Wes Parsel has demonstrated time and again incredible instincts that lead to many interceptions, most of which end up going for touchdowns. Dylan Tasher and Eli Rodriguez will likely split time at safety this season. Tasher is fearless in challenging intended receivers and Rodriguez has seen a healthy increase in the number of passes deflected or intercepted since moving to safety. Peterson, Huffman, and Nikolenko are all expected to contribute on defense as well depending on what scheme is called for on any given day and the team will also likely be bolstered by the addition of another new face: Bryan Ziebelman. When the defense forces opponents into long 4th down situations they also know that Parsel and Jason Holte are very dangerous punt returners.
With the core group intact for another season and the addition of some exciting new players Swag know that anything less than another playoff berth will be considered a disappointment. However the team will not be content with just matching their success from a season ago, they still want to record their very first playoff win and secure a chance to play for all the marbles at season's end. Will they meet or even exceed their lofty expectations this time around? We'll find out for sure in ten weeks' time, but one thing we know for certain is that it will be one hell of a ride along the way.
The team will first have to figure out just how much they are impacted by the loss of 2 huge playmakers in Ben Kelchner and Tyler Krawiec. The pair combined for an amazing 78 catches, over 1,200 yards, 9 interceptions and 26 touchdowns in helping lead Swag back to the promised land. Swag is one of few clubs that can boast two different standouts at the center position in Andy Nikolenko and Matt Huffman, and a truly outstanding quarterback in Dylan Tasher. Tasher has been the full-time starter for the past three seasons, amassing over 7,500 yards and 131 touchdown passes against only 37 interceptions. Most of the lost offensive production will be picked up by the tandem of Wes Parsel and Jason Holte, who have been a staple on the offense since the team first began Top Gun play in January 2009. Both have finished a season ranked in the top 10 in every major receiving category, and have shown at times that they are lethal on combination routes. The team is also excited to get Oobie Peterson back for the fall. Peterson was one of the founding members of the team but due to injury and other commitments hasn't been able to contribute as often as he would have liked to. This doesn't look to be a problem for this season and Oobie can do some pretty great things with the ball in his hand. As for the rest of the receptions? Enter Neil Payne. Payne burst onto the Irvine scene in fall 2008, leading the league with 92 catches for 1,194 yards and 17 touchdowns. Payne is most known for his time with Impact and Swag are incredibly happy to finally bring him into the fold.
Let's not forget about the defense. Team captain Albert Lu is rock solid as a full-time cornerback and Wes Parsel has demonstrated time and again incredible instincts that lead to many interceptions, most of which end up going for touchdowns. Dylan Tasher and Eli Rodriguez will likely split time at safety this season. Tasher is fearless in challenging intended receivers and Rodriguez has seen a healthy increase in the number of passes deflected or intercepted since moving to safety. Peterson, Huffman, and Nikolenko are all expected to contribute on defense as well depending on what scheme is called for on any given day and the team will also likely be bolstered by the addition of another new face: Bryan Ziebelman. When the defense forces opponents into long 4th down situations they also know that Parsel and Jason Holte are very dangerous punt returners.
With the core group intact for another season and the addition of some exciting new players Swag know that anything less than another playoff berth will be considered a disappointment. However the team will not be content with just matching their success from a season ago, they still want to record their very first playoff win and secure a chance to play for all the marbles at season's end. Will they meet or even exceed their lofty expectations this time around? We'll find out for sure in ten weeks' time, but one thing we know for certain is that it will be one hell of a ride along the way.
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