Semipro Opinion: Playoff Drive And Looking Ahead

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Around Semipro, late-season games are more than just bragging rights and playoff positioning. Setting a tone for the postseason means everything.

Semipro football remains an underrated and woefully unreported sport. Yet, players, teams, and leagues prepare for every Saturday with the same vigor and determination. Regardless of what you see or hear, these individuals are always ready to pad up and head onto the field. However, this Saturday is different. Thousands of miles apart, four teams set the stage for an intriguing Saturday.

Mountain West Clash

Two of the absolute best teams in America clash this Saturday. The Idaho Mustangs and Utah Revolution resume their long-time rivalry. With the top seed in the Mountain West Football League at stake, each team wants to clinch that spot. Yet, with so many eyes on this game, the intensity surrounding grows with each passing day. In a matchup of the most prolific offenses and stingy defenses, something must give. Between them, Idaho and Utah surrendered exactly six total points on defense. Can the Revolution thwart the Mustangs’ ground game? Comparatively, will Idaho’s secondary withstand Utah’s passing game? Head coaches Dee Lynch and Mike Jensen know each other well enough to understand that this game will be their most stern test.

Eastern Fate

Meanwhile, Metro Atlanta hosts a pivotal game in the APDFL Eastern Conference. Two vastly different teams in execution and plan, but maintaining the same goal. For the Georgia Thrashers, this game presents an opportunity to finish the regular season strong. On the other hand, the Columbus Storm presents an interesting challenge. If the Storm defeats  the Thrashers for the second consecutive year, it could send a clear message to the rest of the Eastern Conference. In contrast, if the Thrashers soundly defeat the Storm, the East looks like a fait accompli.

Corner Issues

Thrashers WR DeMarcus Sweat and Storm WR Jerquin Vines will each play immense roles in this contest. While each is talented and expected to bring home league hardware, the onus falls upon the opposing corners. Singled up, can a corner on either team stop them? More importantly, will the opposing defenses take the bold move of leaving their cornerbacks on islands. In addition, will one of the corners stand up and volunteer?

Different Methods Of Success

Both Georgia and Columbus thrive with aggressive defenses. At the same time, they enjoy similar results with vastly disparate processes. While the Storm will send extra rushers, the Thrashers excel by winning with just four. Pressure will determine the outcome of this game. Can the Thrashers’ offensive line withstand the Storm’s blitz-heavy approach? Somewhere in that rush, Amarie Jackson should factor heavily. By the same token, can the Storm block the talented, deep Thrashers’ front?

Final Exams

For some Semipro coaches, the playoffs present a chance to remind your league how great your schemes and playcalling are. Then again, others use the postseason to actually start coaching harder. In the playoffs, every team can play. They all have talent. What many don’t possess is a smart coach on the sidelines. When the regular season ends, the real work starts. Barring serious injury, each team stands on equal footing. Granted, talent differs teamwide. Yet, teams with only twenty0six players win championships. Why? The little things. Changing a gameplan weekly sounds rudimentary, but you’d be surprised how many teams don’t switch it up. Team and scheme fulfill the dream.

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Quick Takes

Teams with a game-ready backup quarterback are ahead of their playoff opponents. The Dynasty, Crescent City Kings, Thrashers, Revolution, Mustangs, and Wolfpack can absorb a loss that would sink others.

Jerome Kennedy and the Sumter Sharks may be the best team that few people discuss. They’re dominating the CFA with ease. The CFA isn’t a pushover league. The Sharks stand as one of the better teams in the Southeast.

If you play in a league where you can score triple digits, you need stronger competition. Those losses demoralize teams and crush the will to play. Granted, football is a contest of heart and aggression, but wiping teams out doesn’t prove anything.

Rumbling

According to multiple sources, there will be serious player movement in the APDFL for 2023. One of the areas looking to welcome players is the eastern half of Alabama. Two separate franchises could hope to split the talent base. What does that mean for existing franchises in the area? Competition. Whether the new franchises come to fruition or not, teams in that area need to organize better.