With our last game played, the HC of the Piculets gets ready to review the last season. A lot of new players, players moving around, good and bad performances, bitter goodbyes, and better footing for S66.


Starters at the beginning of the season.


OTL Rory Mealamu - Gone
OTR Dionisio Robles - Gone
OGL Sreæko Bronson
OGR Issac Jenkins - Gone
OC Li-Liang Tsymbalar - Our S64 QB
WRL Patrick Bartók
WRR Salem Jeffers
WRL Marcel Dixon - Gone
WRR Toma Mužík
HBC Nicolas Delong
QB Butch Mtembu


DER Ning Tiew
DEL Doug Faenzi
NT Darrel Norwood - Gone
MLB Noé Humbert
MLB Tyson Rahnspach
OLBR Blagoje Pribicevic
OLBL Levi Dover
CBR Randal Tauriainen
CBL Rayko Rock
SSL Giustino Kadijevic
FSR Åsmund Kitchens


End of season starters


OTL Sun Kok
OTR Loris Sansone
OGL Sreæko Bronson
OGR Martin Jahoda
OC Li-Liang Tsymbalar
WRL Aladdin Salah
WRR Patrick Bartók
TEL Nicolas Vecht
TER Davendra Prakash Augspurger
HBC Ianis Suorsa
QB Butch Mtembu


DER Ning Tiew
DEL Evan Daly
DTR Sharif Ommar
DTL Suriwongse Ang
MLB Dominik Topinka
MLB Blagoje Pribicevic
OLBR Noé Humbert
OLBL Scott Pfüti
CBR Ángel Pagán
CBL Yussufu Nyirabarame
FSC Zoran Ivković


FA additions during the season:


Sabri Sulayman - CB
Angel Pagan - CB
Sedat Qassem - CB
Yussufu Nyirabarame - CB
Miguel Robles - CB

Sun Kok - OL
Bart Weber - OL
Martin Jahoda - OL
Henry Glass - OL
Wally Correa - OL
Loris Sansone - OL
Lyle Johns - OL (YA)

Scott Pfüti - LB
Dominik Topinka - LB

Nicolas Vecht - TE

Horst-Dieter Fuchs - RB
Hugo Oliveira - RB
Ianis Soursa - RB

Frank King - SF (YA)
Divino Rudolph - SF
Zoran Ivković - SF

Frederik Jensen - DL
Evan Daly - DL
Suriwongse Ang - DL
Tarik Kaleel - DL

Tyrus Willis - WR
Zuri Adeyemi - WR
Aladdin Salah - WR

Leonardo Cortés - FB


Noticeable departures:

Marcel Dixon - 600 receiving yards in S65

Great physicals but he was just not improving as much as we hoped, coupled with a better option being found in the transfer market.

End of season rankings:

Passing offense - 19th
Passing defense - 4th

Rushing offense - 16th
Rushing defense - 26th

Our passing attack dropped significantly at season's end while our rushing got a bit better. The defense never really got passed on because we were too easy to run on, and mostly behind on the score. There are areas of improvement EVERYWHERE.

Notable players this season

Butch "General" Mtembu / Rookie QB

4,734 passing yards
631 rushing yards - Led the team
45 pass TDs
6 rush TDs - Led the team
42 broken tackles - Led the team
8 MVP awards

Our 43rd pick did amazing on his first year as a full starter, he competed against strong teams, sometimes he had bad games, he beat up on the weak teams, and he took the leadership role instantly. Some players have taken to calling him "General" Mtembu or "Sarge", he has definitely grown on the Piculets' fanbase, we hope he just keeps improving in seasons to come.

Patrick Bartók / WR

958 receiving yards - Led the team
9 receiving TDs - Led the team

The main target for the general, Bartók broke out this year and showed steady improvement through the entire season. Even when the FA additions threatened his spot, he still delivered.

Blagoje "Pillar" Pribicevic / LB

106 tackles - Led the team
3 defensive TDs - Led the team
8 sacks - Led the team
5 INTs - Led the team
1 fumble forced
1 MVP award

The representation of the defensive culture for the Piculets. Through the whole season, Pribicevic was making play after play after play. The defense runs through him and he has full command on the field.

Ning "Big" Tiew / Rookie DL

33 TFLs - Led the team
5 Sacks
2 FF - Led the team

The big man on the edge, he showed why he was the Piculets first round pick. Dominant run stopper with the ability to rush the QB as well, things might get better for the Piculets run defense if he keeps developing.


Final record for the season

League:
S65 - 6-10

SuperCup:
S65 - 10-6 - Loss to the Mordor Orcos in the first round off the playoffs.


As we look back on this season, I can see provable improvement. Even with the high point of beating the Hightowers 34 - 19, there was also the low point of losing to the Conquerors 76 - 0. The improvement came against our division opponents, the Packers. The first meeting was a demolition job by St. Pauli, 51 - 3, but the second round was a half decent performance from the Piculets, ending in a loss still, but by a far narrower margin, 14 - 44. There is still a lot of work to be done, but the team has shown clear improvement, this season was a success.

The first season as the Piculets' manager has been a bit lackluster, we had to figure out what positions our players would be a best fit for, get the facilities and stadium going, make a new playbook and figure out the teams identity going forward. That being said, we look towards the future with bright eyes and hope on the horizon.

We have a young core of talented young players, and a developing supporting cast as well as new additions on the way within our youth academy.

With continued improvements on the teams management, stadium and coaches we should be able to be competitive within our division in the next 2 to 3 seasons.

Our coaches, led by none other than HC Khan Ommar, are coming up with new tactics for our playbook and helping our young players find their footing in this unforgiving league.

I believe the future for this team is a bright one, we just need to start putting our best foot forward consistently now.