Deontay Wilder, McCoy Crozier, Matthew Slinn, Ross Napoli
Banner Image by J.R. Lawless
The penultimate week of the SFLm season is coming up thick and fast and, despite the sudden changes in the Beat Writing team due to recent events, there is one thing that stops for nothing: the Power Rankings. Ray Bentley’s departure left a hole in our rankings team, so fellow beat writer and Las Vegas GM, Matthew Slinn, has stepped in to help us keep the content coming for you until the end of the season. So, with the pleasantries and explanations over, we’ve got rankings to announce!
(Movement) | Recap |
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|---|---|---|---|
1 |  | (-) | The Annapolis Navigators claim the top spot in the Power Rankings as the minors season comes to a close. The Navigators pulled out a late win against top seed Madison in week 8 to secure the #3 seed in the SFLm playoffs and continue their quest to be crowned the 1st SFLm Champions. QB Cameron Curtis had a solid showing in this one going 26 of 35 for 232 yards with 1 TD and 1 Int. However the star on offense was RB Hugo Reynosa as he carried the ball 24 times for 168 yards and 2 rushing TDs. That gives him back to back starts with 20+ carries and over 100 rushing yards. The entire defense put together a solid effort and was led by LB Erich Hammer’s 8 total tackles. Annapolis now heads to Ottawa to take on the Cavalry in the 1st round of the playoffs. |
2 |  | (▲ 4) | The #1 seed Madison Lynx finish the minors season second in the Power Rankings as they lost a close battle with the Annapolis Navigators 26-21 in the final game of the regular season. Madison led this one with minutes to go but Annapolis scored a late TD in the 4th qtr to seal their fate. The Lynx led 14-10 after the 1st qtr and 21-13 at halftime but failed to score a single point in the 2nd half. QB Derrick Majors completed 57% of his passes for 175 yards while throwing 2 TDs and 1 Int. RB Katherine Horrell put together a solid day rushing 18 times for 113 yards and a TD with 2 receptions for 25 yards and 1 receiving TD. The defense was led by LB De’Ante Stoneville and LB Danny Stinson as they both recorded 11 total tackles each. Madison will host the #4 seed Boise Mud Dogs in the 1st round of the playoffs in their continued quest to become the inaugural SFLm minors Champions. |
3 |  | (▼ 2) | My only concern about this squad was a week 8 loss to Birmingham, a relatively bad team with little promise their opening season. It’s a bad time to begin losing games you shouldn’t be. That being said, you don’t luck into the first seed of playoffs, and I think Ottawa really has the potential and ability to take it all home this season. Tune in to see if they can take their first step in beating the Navigators their first ever playoff game. |
| 4 |  | (-) | It was a good season for Boise. Tying with the other top teams of Annapolis and Madison for 5-3 record, the team has a lot of good to look forward to in the future. Plenty of talent on both sides of the ball promises a good opportunity for this year, and the next years, and coming off a solid win against San Jose, Boise rides with momentum to take on the Madison Lynx and make a splash in the postseason. |
| 5 |  | (▼ 2) | The Atoms had a decidedly mixed season in the SFLm, personified perfectly with their 4-4 record. A strong 2-0 start was quickly derailed with a large loss to the Fuel, which highlighted the Atoms' struggles moving the ball and getting into the endzone. The defense was one of the best in the league all season, but this story will be dominated by the lack of offensive production, which bottomed out the SFLm. A disappointing end too the season for a team that could so easily have made the playoffs. |
| 6 |  | (▲ 1) | The Birmingham Fuel are a much better team thhan their record suggests, and a few points either way could have turned an eventual 3-5 record into a 5-4. The highlight of the season comes in thhe form of a 34-10 humbling of the - then undefeated- Albuquerque Atoms, although losses to Lincoln and Annapolis down the stretch really hurt their chances. A Week 8 drubbing of playoff-bound Ottawa should put some smiles back on Fuel fans' faces though. |
| 7 |  | (▼ 1) | Two of Lincoln's three wins came against Madison and Ottawa - both competing in the playoffs today. That should show you thhe great potential this team had. It's a shame they couldn't put it all together every week, as a couple of narrow losses pushed them the wrong side of the cutoff line. A poor offense lacking in consistency and an occasionally leaky defence consigned the Rattlesnakes to a meek 3-5, forcing them out of the playoffs. |
| 8 |  | (-) | Haaving the worst of anything in a league is never a good thing, especially on defense. Unfortunately, for San Jose, that is what proved to be their undoing. The Flight did put pints upon the board, but they couldn't stop the opposition from scoring with any real consistency. Creditable victoriess over Boise State and the Rattlesnakes showed what they can do on good form, and they pushed many teams close. In the end, they fell just short on too many occasions, often finding themselves propping up our Power Rankings. |
