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| Anthony Toma
August 31, 2009
4:12:19 PM
Entry #: 3261432
| White-
The White team started very strong, beating Green and losing close games to strong Blue and Yellow teams. But the last two weeks have been pretty rough all around for White. Dropped passes, questionable coaching decisions, untimely trades, and mental mistakes have plagued White over the past two weeks. The rookie wideouts Sean Mattia and Pat Kinaya have been nothing short of spectacular. Mohawk adds versatility and speed on both sides of the ball. Lance Sito has stepped up since Max has been traded, and Fadi is steady in his protection of Coach/ QB Mike Zeer. But in the end, White’s fate will come down to the play of their QB. Whether its Mike or someone else, White has to find a way to get the ball to their playmakers. GRADE: C-
Blue-
Other than a beating at the hands of Yellow, Blue has been consistently good. Lead by the league’s best receiver/ corner Eastside Tony Attisha, the league’s best two way lineman Dylan Putrus, and Coach/ QB Chris Zeer, Blue has been difficult to stop. Remarkably, they’ve gotten to this point without top overall pick Brett Burlingame who’s been out with an injured calf. Strong play from Pete Rabban, Randy Narra, and newly acquired Dennis Sarafa have filled the void left by Brett’s injury. Chris Zeer has all but locked up his first playoff appearance as a coach. As a receiver for the Green Machine, Chris played some of his best ball in the playoffs. If he can duplicate that as a Coach/ QB, Blue should be playing for a championship. He doesn’t have to be great, but he has to be consistent. When all else fails… follow Dylan… or throw it up to Tony- I like their chances either way. GRADE: A
Green-
Green Machine one week, then just plain old Green the next. They have looked so good at times (last week vs. Red) and very bad (this past weekend vs. Blue). Regardless, Russ and Bob will pull out all the stops down the stretch and have them in a position to win games. They’ll start by getting Norm more touches. If he gets 10-12 touches a game, he’s scoring on two of them, period. Green’s D has also been very inconsistent and will need to improve for them to make a run. The potential absence of Nolan Karrumi for a few games down the stretch could really affect Green’s playoff outlook. Stay tuned to that situation. GRADE: C+
Yellow-
What seemed like an unstoppable force (great posts on that by the way) finally slowed down last week against an upstart Black team. No 12-0 this year- breathe easy Ron Jona. That said, the Chy Cup champ will almost certainly pass through Yellow and Coach/ QB Nathan Karrumi. Yellow is loaded on both sides of the ball. The emergence of Stefan Kalabat over the past few weeks gives opposing defenses yet another headache to deal with. Nick Urlacher Ammori leads the league in tackles, interceptions, sacks, defensive touchdowns, forced fumbles, tipped balls, big hits, and least maintained facial hair. Justin Orow and Ray Dawood have been quietly consistent on both sides of the ball, and Yellow’s acquisition of Max Sheker bolstered their rush. Rookie of the year lock Mark Hajjar has told me repeatedly that Dylan, Jordan, and Tyson are his toys. Keep an eye on key injuries to Nate (ankle) and two way lineman Derek Putrus (back) as their health is directly related to Yellow’s success. It will be interesting to see how Yellow responds to the upset loss they suffered last weekend. Also, Nate can’t throw. GRADE: A
Black-
This team, although fully dysfunctional, has gotten better every week. Since Offensive Coordinator Shak Esshaki took over, Black looks organized and fluid on offense. JP Namou and Coach/ QB Tarik Kama have lead the way. Sinan has brought his usual intensity, and Chuck Shuck Dalou still catches plenty of passes despite berating his QB on a regular basis. Black has a full head of steam after back to back impressive wins and now find themselves in a 3-way tie for second place. A win this week over Red would put them in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot. This team went from players demanding trades in the first few weeks to believing they can beat anyone. GRADE: B
Red-
Inconsistency has been the theme for this team. Conventional wisdom told us that this team would be at or near the top of the standing all year round. But too many distractions have derailed that up to this point. Ocho Acho has been good for a rookie and will continue to get better. Tim Acho has made some spectacular plays, but has seen his touches decrease in recent weeks. Coach Anthony Toma brings it 1,000,000 MPH every week, and is having another great year in the middle of Red’s D. Red, like others, will need to be more consistent to make a serious run. Jordan Rassan (formerly, yes formerly the Showstopper) looked solid after serving a game suspension, and Brian Najor has been steady as well (when he’s there). Lance Samona has been a huge playmaker at receiver and rookie Dani Jajou has been very effective in Red’s defensive scheme. It’s safe to say that this team has underachieved to this point and has barely scratched the surface of their potential. The good news is, they’ll have five games to turn it around. GRADE: B-
Looking forward to an action packed second half of the season!!
Joseph Jonna
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