Rocky Mountain Football League

AAA Mid-Season Report Card           

 

We have officially hit the half-way mark in this 2012 AAA RMFL Season.  There have been 19 games played, everyone has traveled at least once, and the stage has been set for a great last half of the season.  I’ve decided to take a moment and grade each respective team on how they’ve done so far in this season.  Let me begin by stating that this is not going to be an in-depth report about each team, but more so just a quick note about how each team is doing, what have been their strong/weak points so far, and what we should expect in the next 4-5 weeks.

 

The grades themselves are not an exact science, as teams with lesser records may in fact receive a higher grade than those with a winning record.  This is due to the almighty “EXPECTATIONS” that each team has at the beginning of the season.  While this is no knock on Magic Valley, but I didn’t “expect” them to be a title contender this season, so the fact that they’re 1-3 could be better than another team with a better record who is supposed to be in the final mix…ahem…Revolution…Either way, take this post for whatever it is (I’m not even sure what it’s supposed to look like right now…) and enjoy the 2^nd half of an already great season…

 

(Listed by Win/Loss Record; from Worst to First)

 

Rocky Mountain Mudducks (currently 0-5)

The Mudducks finished 2011 in a way that made everyone think that they had something positive to build upon.  They had a potent offense and their defense was improving each week.  Come 2012, they lost their leader under center (Soter) but quickly found a viable replacement in Balser.  Two games into the season and the Mudducks decided to pull the old “Change a player’s name and bring him over” trick and recruited Hans Hatchett…err…Dolo to replace Balser at QB.  This move allowed Balser to move out to his more comfortable position at WR.  The Muddies continue to try and put on an aerial show each week as they lead the league in pass attempts by a long shot (roughly 60 more pass attempts than any other team).  Yet all these pass attempts haven’t meant more scoring as they find themselves in 7^th in points/game.  The Mudducks’ defense has performed above par though which has been a great surprise.  Dutton leads the league in tackles and the Mudducks defense has made some big stops along the way.  I still think the opening heartbreak loss to the Revolution took a lot of wind out of the Muddies wings as they haven’t been able to recover yet.  The most haunting loss of the season will undoubtedly be the 6-0 loss to the visiting Stampede as that loss will ultimately keep them from playoff contention.  While they made the playoffs last season and most likely won’t this year, it hasn’t been a total loss as I will go on the record and state that this team comes to play every Saturday and have been impressive even in their lopsided losses.  No high grades for failure are given here, but a passing grade should suffice.  Grade: C

 

Great Falls Gladiators (currently 0-3)

The Gladiators decided to join the AAA ranks (no matter what arm twisting took place the fact is that they still CHOSE to move up…) and after 3 games now have a good idea of the overall difference between AA and AAA.  While no one expected (outside of Great Falls and the Thurber household possibly) the Gladiators to be successful immediately, I think it’s fair to say that everyone thought they’d put up a bigger fight (especially at home considering the fact that “Travel” was supposed to be their biggest adversary) than what they have managed so far in their first three games.  Their offense is stagnant and while new to the league and a great athlete, Matthew Grambell has struggled mightily under center and leading the team.  The worst part though is that the Gladiators have never been accused of having a great offense.  They’ve always managed success through their strong defense and only depended on their offense to manage the game.  This season that same defense has been absolutely porous as they have given up more points/game than any other team, yet have had the benefit of hosting 2 of their first 3 games in Memorial Stadium.  Any way you look at the Gladiators you have to be disappointed in their inability to make Montana relevant again in the AAA.  My prediction is that they finish the season winless and rejoin the friendlier confines of the AA in 2013.  Grade: D

 

Magic Valley Bulldogs (currently 1-3)

As I referenced above, I highly doubt anyone set the expectations for the Bulldogs to be that of a title contending team.  In their third year of AAA competition, it can be argued that Magic Valley should be pushing for a playoff spot by now for them to consider their season a success.  As of right now, they are on the fringe of the playoff contenders as their three losses have come at the hands of three playoff teams (two of which are considered heavy title favorites).  The heartbreak loss for the Bulldogs is without a doubt the overtime failure against the visiting Stampede.  Had they won that game they’d be 2-2 and sitting in the driver seat for the final playoff spot.  Now they have to play Cinderella and try to upset someone down the stretch as I believe it takes 3 wins to get in.  The Bulldogs have shown some strength in their offensive attack as Ben Landrian has been much more efficient this season in the passing game, completing 58% of his passes.  The problem with the Bulldogs is their inability to score touchdowns.  They seem to get decent yards (about 200 per game run/pass combined) but are only averaging a meager 8.2 points per game.  I think the Bulldogs just miss out on the playoffs this season and take a long hard look at moving back down to the AA next year.  Grade: C+

 

Logan Stampede (currently 2-2)

Let this be a lesson to ANYONE who ever considers putting two teams together (AA and AAA) as this is the third case that has proven the fact that it simply does not work.  While I understand that the AA Stampede team is having some success, I believe it has depleted what would otherwise be considered a very strong AAA team.  Simple math states that a roster of 40 is greater than a roster of 19…just saying…Either way, the Stampede stumbled through their first few games as they battled to eek out two wins against two cellar-dweller opponents but had a strong showing (albeit in a loss) against the Rebels as the Stampede’s heart-n-soul on offense returned to lead his team to the most points scored in a game this season by Logan.  With Jenkins back under center, Logan can only hope to win against the teams below them and try and pull off an upset somewhere down the road.  As of right now, they’re looking at the #6 playoff spot whereas #5 would be highly more favorable.  If Logan can get some improved offensive production I could see them stealing a key victory or two and positioning themselves for a strong playoff game.  The Defense continues to be the stalwart and an improved offense will only make them stronger.  I can’t give the Stampede a high grade yet because the truth is that their two wins are against a teams with a combined W/L of 1-8 (with that sole victory coming against another winless team) but I will say that the potential for a strong second-half is still there…Grade: C+

 

Wasatch Revolution (currently 2-2)

The Revolution were ranked 2^nd in my initial preseason predictions as they appeared to be the perfect marriage between a strong offense and solid defense.  However, this experiment is missing a key ingredient…camaraderie!!!  The Revolution stumbled out of the gate and barely escaped a week one embarrassment (win vs the Mudducks).  They quickly used the ensuing bye week to mend their offense and went on to push the defending champions to the limit but ultimately losing when their DEFENSE (who took the bye week off) couldn’t make a stop when it mattered most.  Follow that loss with a big win in Great Falls and it appeared that the Revolution had regained its Ron Paul Charisma only to let down versus the Stealth the following Saturday.  This team can’t seem to find its identity…their offense is averaging 25 points/game (respectable when you consider two of their four games have been against two of the leagues top defenses) but their defense has been absent all year (giving up nearly 22 points/game so far).  They allowed the leagues’ worst team to score 14 points against them and then let the Stealth abuse them for 48 minutes (to which Lang quickly thanked them…how kind)…The fact is that MANY people speculated that if this team met some adversary along the way they’d implode as there are too many egos and not enough ethos on the team.  With the offense producing but having to always look over their shoulder due to the defense continually giving up the big plays I’m curious to see how this team finishes the season.  They still have to face the Shock, Stampede, and travel to Treasure Valley and I don’t see any of those three games as “gimmies…”  With all the hype and hope for this season, and the simple fact that anytime you have the collection of talent that is found on the Revolution’s roster it’s always “Championship or Bust,” I have no choice but to give this team a low grade.  Can they turn it around??? Absolutely…but will they??? Grade: C-

 

Treasure Valley Spartans (currently 3-2)

The Spartans started the season with three home games.  All three games were played at Horsehoebend and all three ended as Spartan victories.  The biggest win was undoubtedly the week 2 upset over the defending champions; however, the games outside of the “bend” haven’t been as friendly to the Spartans.  I initially had the Spartans going 3-5 (much to the chagrin of one little Capt…) this season.  I even predicted them upsetting Dixie in week 2…The Spartans offense is MUCH improved over last season.  Nik Lewis is a strong “Tebow-esque” QB who can make the big play on the ground or in the air.  The defense continues to anchor the team (held Dixie to NO OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS) though and with their recent two road games, that anchor has been broken.  The Spartans currently have 11 starters on the IR and will have to fight to maintain their current playoff seed.  I’ll make an adjustment to my 3-5 prediction and say that I think the Spartans finish with 4 or 5 wins this season depending on how they heal up and travel in their final two road games (at Magic Valley, at Great Falls).  They still have the opportunity to win 6 games as they host a faltering Revolution team in the final week of the season.  If they can win out they’ll be sitting pretty come the playoffs as they’ll be hosting a first round game.  By all measures Treasure Valley has been impressive this season and is setup for a strong finish.  Grade: B+

 

Utah Stealth (currently 3-1)

The Stealth was formed with one purpose, to beat the team down south and win the AAA Championship.  They boast the league’s largest roster, are packed full of All-RMFL talent, and have proven coaches on both sides of the ball.  They have the offensive fire power to score against any team and their defense is just plain scary.  Wissler has seen it all at QB and therefore isn’t fazed by any scheme or pressure thrown at him by his opponents, and the defense is led/coached by Ev Matagi…who has “been there and done that”…multiple times in his coaching career.  With a team this loaded with talent we have no choice but to set the EXPECTATIONS extremely high.  The Stealth only see one measure of success for this season, and that’s hoisting the AAA trophy above their heads on June 30^th.  The Stealth currently have the leagues best defense (giving up less than 13 points/game...) and their offense is extremely balanced as they have three solid RBs who can shoulder the load, four talented WRs who can make little plays turn big quickly, and an offensive line who simply can over power any defensive front.  The Stealth have looked the part of a championship contender in all but one of their games so far, a disappointing 35-12 schlacking at the hands of the Shock.  The question is whether that game exposed their weakness, or if they simply had a bad game that week.  After watching them dismantle the Spartans and Revolution, I’m leaning towards the latter (them having an “off” week) and expect a rematch in late June.  There’s no doubt that this team has been dominant in their wins and for that they’ll receive a high grade.  That being said, for a team built piece-by-piece to win it all, you can’t allow “off weeks” to trip you along the way.  Grade: B+

Dixie Rebels

St. George is the two-time defending AAA RMFL Champions…and all they’ve done this year is reload and toe the line, daring anyone to try and knock them off of the top.  So far this season Dixie appears complacent at times and I think that it may have cost them a game (Treasure Valley) and has made others closer than they should’ve been (Revolution).  The Rebels’offense is abusing their opponents each week as they currently lead the league in yards/game and are 3^rd in points/game.  Their rushing attack is straight up disgusting averaging over 220 yards/game.  If you think you can just load up the box and stop their run then you’re forgetting that their QB (Fields) is ranked #2 in the league in passing efficiency.  The simple fact is that they’re going to score points and so your offense has better come ready to play.  The Rebels’ defense is no slouch either.  However, during their championship runs is was their DEFENSE that was their strong hold on the league…that defense, while still very strong, has slipped a little as they seem to be giving up a few more yards and points each week than in their previous two championship campaigns.  I link this not to the defense being less intimidating in the past, but more so to complacency.  As I mentioned above, their offense is so good that I believe their defense becomes complacent knowing that their offense will score enough to win.  At the half-way point in this season the Rebels have already traveled to Treasure Valley, Logan, SLC, and are heading up to Pocatello this weekend.  They end the season with 2 home games against two of the top teams (Stealth and Shock).  Even with a loss early in the year, the Rebels still completely control their fate as if they win out they will guarantee themselves no more traveling for the 2012 season.  The defense needs to wake up if that is going to be the case, and until they do, I can’t give them the top grade.  Grade: B+

 

Utah Shock (currently 4-0)

For a team that did very little in the offseason (besides bringing over a true defensive coordinator, they didn’t add any real talent to their roster), and with the proverbial “Status Quo” tagline hanging on their shoulders, the Shock have come out in 2012 with a chip on their shoulders and have been the ONLY team in the RMFL to appear dominant each and every week.  The defense of the Shock have made HUGE strides as they currently rank #2 in points/game allowed and they appear to be doing it by committee as none of their defenders are in the top 15 in tackles.  The defense has definitely improved this season and opponents are quickly realizing that it’s not just going to be a scoring fest against the Shock offense.  This improvement has to be directly linked to their new DC in Suka as they really don’t have any new players.  Suka has changed the culture on defense and made the Shock defenders play disciplined yet angry football.  Even with their vastly improved defense, there’s no secret that it’s the Shock’s offense that really worries opponents.  This season the Shock have put on a clinic offensively as they’re averaging nearly 40 points/game.  The scariest part has been that they’ve done damage on the ground and in the air as they’re #2 in the league in both team passing and team rushing.  Jordan Kjar is shattering the QB rating record as he currently sits at a 140 passer rating.  But anyone who thought the Shock’s offense was solely based off having the leagues leading QB, they proved last week that even without JK this team can score points.  They have weapons all over and any defense trying to stop them will have their work cut out for them.  I’ll admit that this team has over-performed by most measures so far this season and deserver a high grade.  However, one bit of warning to the Shock is that this season feels very “2009-ish” in which they dominated most their opponents but then ultimately lost the big game.  They do have to avoid thinking that they’re “good enough” as they still have to face off verse the Revolution and Rebels this season, both teams who outside of the 2009 regular season have shutdown the Shock each time they’ve played.  Also, the Shock are #2 in the league in team penalties and a disciplined championship contender shouldn’t lead the league in penalty yards.  Aside from all that, there’s no doubt that the Shock have been the most consistent team in the league thus far and have hit almost every measure set before them.  Grade: A-

 

This season has already provided its own share of fireworks and we’re only half-way through it.  I must say that the parity found in the top-5 teams this season is admirable and will state that I could see anyone of them winning it all as there are no clear favorites at this point.  I wish success to EVERY team in the RMFL as you finish out this season.  I’ve already downed my share of nachos and other goodies, and I’m committed to keep at it for the remainder of the season.  I’ve greatly benefited from the plethora of double-headers found in SLC and so I haven’t had to travel much at all.  I made a promise to Sarge and Dixie that I’d come down to one of their games and as of right now I’m planning on the June 2^nd matchup with the Shock (no one throws a party like the Rebels), so I’m putting out the challenge to Sarge to get that stadium packed and prepare your concessions…

 

In ending, I’m still 100% committed to this being my last season “Following” this league.  I’ve seen some great things and while there’s still a lot minutia and crap on the message board, for the most part it’s because people really care about this game and want the best for everyone involved.  I haven’t yet decided how exactly I turn over my pen (or laptop in this case) once the final whistle blows on June 30^th but am open to suggestions.  Feel free to PM me…enjoy the rest of the season and remember to keep your Nachos warm and your Pepsi cold…

Dems fightin words there. Blasphemy, I tell you, BLASPHEMY!

(It's so simple a caveman can do it) Follower has already mentioned that the AA has a person that follow up on ya...If ya want to read a post about the AA and how they do this or do that, then find out who that person is and stop beggin'...Follower writes about AAA and AAA only because thats what he set himself out to do...deal with it

-- Edited by XcEsSiiVe on Wednesday 9th of May 2012 08:03:10 PM

-- Edited by XcEsSiiVe on Wednesday 9th of May 2012 08:04:15 PM

Question, Would the AAA survive if there were no AA ??? Sounds like they bring the league more exposure !! Or should I say Additional Exposure.

Follower??? is the AAA reporter for the league. There are a couple of different AA reporters who I do not know. They might post something but I doubt it since they haven't posted on the board yet.

The AA writer has done a great job this season. he did pre season and always does a weekly write up. He does not do a ranking system but his work has always been prompt. Follower has a different ability to write for the AAA because of his exposure and dedication to league. Both writers have been a major improvement from what we have had over the years. Thank you to both of you.

If you are looking for their stuff you can always find it on the RMFL fan page on FB.

Bracken and Jaye...thank you for reading and giving me your opinion. A lot of work goes into this drivvle and it's nice to know that some (even AA folks) enjoy reading them.

Phynn and Kit...save your love towards each other for the bedroom (and PEPSI KILLS COKE)

Last Mid-Season Reports ever...not going to lie...I'm not going to miss writing them much at all...

Capt...as always we can count on you for a well placed post...

This thread was about the AAA Mid-Season Report and you've taken it on your shoulders to debate the legitmacy of the AAA vs AA...that argument is for another place...

Thank you for using my post as an avenue to spew your poison and hatred towards anything associated with the AAA, way to keep hitting a dead subject. I thought it was clear that NOTHING was going to happen between the AA and AAA this season so why keep arguing about it??? I have a feeling you'll get your wish soon enough so until then...LET IT GO!!!

I don't think Follower??? was giving Phynn a pass, I think he was saying let it go.  Phynn's last post was over 3 hours ago and you have had 3 since then.  C'mon Kit you are better than that.  I for one will miss the posts, reviews and predictions and I am not even AAA or from Utah

Gangsta's Paradise>coke cola, Pepsi, purple drink.

Drink that then I turn to a coooooooooold killa, ya feel me?

That was a really good article. I too would like to see one like this for the AA

Great read as always, friend....we will fix our defense...you are absolutely right.

I like that C grade though, CUH! Lol

Great job as always Follower!!! The league will miss you when you're gone. I know I will. --Buhler

Very classy yourself Drew. I always enjoy your back massages.

Oh, OK... Chris Jones. Got it.

Follower???, great write-up as usual. I like the neutrality of it all. Sure, there's room for someone to get bugged but the write-ups are honest observations. I likes.