Rocky Mountain Football League

Season’s closer, here’s some more worthwhile reading material.

Take this for what it’s worth, it’s my opinion. If you don’t like it, oh well, if you do, great. But just because you’re mentioned in this post doesn’t mean I don’t like you or that I like you. It’s just reading material because the RMFL website sucks. Please don’t take what is said in this post and get all butthurt and want to beat me up. I’m 28, I don’t fight. If you still fight and it’s not in a cage, you’re a douchebag.  Hopefully you can use this as motivation like many of you did when “The Follower” use to post things like this. If you look back since 2005, it was always myself and The Follower with posts that were somewhat readable or relevant. Some called us the Batman and Joker of the RMFL. It was something to read, to get excited for.  Hell, for some, it was nice to know that someone else knew your name! But either way, it’s just reading material. So take your Midol and read along. If you don’t like it, prove me wrong.

UNDERRATED/OVERRATED

I’m going to take a look at each of the AAA teams and state some overrated things about them and well, some underrated things about them, or someone. Again my opinion, don’t cheap shot me because of this.

Mudducks

The interesting fact about this team is this, Scott Alger registered their quarterback stats last season, yet there is no Hans Hatchett in the record books. I know that when we played them, Hans was the QB. Illegal player use maybe? Who knows, but let’s start there. This team comes into this year having won one game, but let some close games slip away. What can you say about this team that makes them overrated? Really though?  Easy—quarterback play.

For whatever reason, the first 3 games had Balser playing quarterback. With Balser at QB the Ducks lost by 5 to the REV, lost by 6 to the Stampede, then lost by 10 to the Spartans. Pretty close games, but for whatever reason, they switched it up. Their next game they lost by 22, then 33, then finished up with close losses. So the overrated mark goes to whomever thought that they had a better chance with Hans then Balser to finish out the season.

The underrated mark, well, Balser. He had a great season finishing second in catches and leading the AAA with yards, but when you’re down that much and you’re the only reliable target, well, alright then. Overall though he’s one of the better players on this team and they need to utilize him where it will help the team the most. Wide receiver wasn’t that position. Had Balser had the ball in his hands at all times, then well, maybe they would’ve beat Great Falls and made the playoffs. Who knows though, is Balser coming back?? We’ll have to see.

Shock

Overall this team is overrated. We allegedly played the “we suck” card too much, but we haven’t made an appearance in the championship since the devastating 10-3 loss in 2010. As a team, this team has been a let down to a lot of people, not only myself. But let’s talk overrated. When you think about how successful this team has been because of their offense, what has been the biggest let down for the Shock in key games? The offense. They’re good, yes they are, and they have the best QB and in my opinion WR core in the league, but guess what, until they’re able to do what they want, when they want, deep into the season. The Shock offense s overrated. There, I said it.

Now you’d think I’d say the defense is underrated, but we’re not. The underrated I’m going to talk about is a few key guys on the team. The WRs of the Shock get talked about a lot. But to me, the most underrated part about the Shock is their RBs. Actually, let’s say the whole running game. Between Allums, Kjar and Christensen last year, they accounted for over 900 yards. The rushing game accounts for just over 1200 which may not seem much, but when the passing yards was barely over 1700, not many people notice the rushing game of the Shock. What happens if the running game gets better? Only time will tell.

Rebels

Hard to say something is overrated about a team that is just that good. But I can. Throughout the Salt Lake Valley through the years, you’ll always get young guys out of high school or college who just think they are the cream of the crop. Only issue is that when these young adults face off against grown men, well, it’s a different story altogether. Again, I respect the team and players of Dixie, but seriously, overrated? Well, the Vargas kid who plays DB. Dude, do something. You are surrounded by one of thee best if not thee best defense and yet you can’t succeed in that defense? Pulver probably will admit that he’s able to do what he does as a corner because of the defense. Why is it that you talk so much on all these social media sites, but the only claim to fame is that you were a part of a team who really never needed you anyways? Good thing the Dias brothers are gone, or else you’d talk about how great the view is from the sidelines. Just saying.

Underrated? Easy. Brandon Thompson, with all the big names that you hear so often from this defense, you need to watch Mr. Thompson. He’s a freak athlete who is everywhere. Those who play offense knows this guy. Although they may be worried about Wayne and MIsi and some of the other big names, Brandon Thompson gets the underrated nod from me.  Don’t worry if you don’t know the name Sione Tapuosi, you will real soon, when you look back as his jersey after he trucks you too…

REV

Hmmm… Overrated. I bet some people think I’m going to say CP17, but I’m not. I could say old man JD, but I’m not cuz he’ll probably crack me or beat me up or something. But I’m going to take it a step further and say the Rev organization. When the Revolution was taking the field in 2009, they were suppose to be the team that took semi-pro to new heights. They had just secured Bingham High School, they had their own song, a cheer team, a television deal. What happened? I remember the Shock/REV 2009 games as being one of the two best games ever in RMFL history. After 2009, when strangers to the league watched that championship game, I thought, maybe just maybe the RMFL was going somewhere.

Well, we went to 2013. 5 teams in the AAA. Where did the REV go wrong? Where did the Shock go wrong? Where did this league go wrong? They had the vision, the tools, but bam. Don’t be offended, I had to pick something.

It’s hard to do a list like overrated and underrated because people can and will get easily offended. Hell, I’m just typing this up because I have nothing better to do on Friday night but to practice using my fingers on the home row. But what really stands out to me as underrated is the Revolution defense in KEY situations and KEY games. The numbers may not say it, so on paper, they may not be as good as in the past, but I was able to catch these guys in key games, in key situations. The offense with CP17 is expected to score points, to gain ground, but the defense was never talked about as much as they should’ve been.

Remember it was the defense who made key stops on key drives in last year’s championship when the offense didn’t kick a FG at half. This defense strives on being told they aren’t that good. Well, I’ll say it. You guys are very underrated.

STEALTH

THE CHAMPS!! Their hands are heavy from their rings and they are just perfect as they are! False. It’s easy to identify the overrated part of this team. The cornerback position in Ev’s defense. With a defensive line like the Stealth’s, the LB corps like the Stealth, and with Harward and Ragin over the top. Um, how could you not succeed? I’ve had the luxury of playing cornerback in Ev’s defense for one quarter one all star game. Let’s just say I had a pick 6. Go look at my stats and see how many of those I’ve had in my 9 years in the RMFL. If you can’t admit that the easiest position and the most overrated for the Stealth is their cornerbacks, well, alright then. I almost want to play corner again so I can chase some records or something.

Underrated part of this team is Jeff Wissler. People forget his age, and although he’s made some critical mistakes at times, he’s still able to have his guys listen to him, protect him, and do as he pleases in order for them to be successful. Wiss has been around a long time and doesn’t get mentioned very much with the elite’s of the RMFL, but he’s able to manage the game, and he’s the quarterback of the defending champions.

Old man Wiss has got it. And for today, for this article, he gets the underrated nod for the Stealth.

Don’t get butthurt.  Get over it and move on. Hope you all enjoyed this. It’s better than knowing the league meeting is a week away and some team in the RMFL is still having practices!