Washington Valor 2017 Season in Review

The Washington Valor started their inaugural season in the AFL with a bang, defeating the Baltimore Brigade in the first ever game for both teams. After that game, however, things went downhill.

Washington lost ten straight games, including five by double digits. Other than the Brigade, the Valor lost to every other team at least twice. Some of the ugliest games during that stretch included a 59-35 home loss to the Cleveland Gladiators, and a 68-41 defeat against the Philadelphia Soul.

During the losing streak, Washington lost its starting quarterback, Erik Meyer, to injury. Meyer was placed on injured, and he never returned to Washington. He decided to retire after suffering his injury. Washington also lost key wide receivers Mike Washington and T.T. Toliver for a significant amount of time. After losing ten straight games, Washington finally was back in the win column, when they beat the Brigade at home by a score of 34-30.

The Valor were embarrassed in their last home game, when they got blasted by Cleveland, 62-28. Despite a dreadful season, Washington ended the season on a high note. Once again, they beat Baltimore, 41-35, to end the season with a record of 3-11. That was the worst record in the league, and they were the only team to not qualify for the playoffs.

Once Meyer went down, Sean Brackett filled in for the injured quarterback. For the season, Brackett completed 61.1 percent of his passes, while throwing for 1,866 yards and 36 touchdowns. Roger Jackson emerged to become Washington’s best receiver, as he finished with a team-best 780 receiving yards.

Greg Carr was also a bright spot for the Valor, as he caught a team-high 16 touchdowns. On defense, Tracy Belton was a force, finishing with 62 tackles and five interceptions.

Another key contributor was Dominic Addison, who compiled 54.5 tackles for the Valor. Washington’s season obviously didn’t go as planned, but there is certainly hope for the future. The Valor must find a star quarterback, and once they do, they seem to have the pieces to be a better team next year.

Cleveland Gladiators Crush Washington Valor, Elimiate Them From Playoff Contention

The Washington Valor won their first game since April last week, but they weren’t able to carry the momentum over to the next week. The Valor were eliminated from playoff contention after an embarrassing 62-28 loss to the Cleveland Gladiators, who blasted the Valor on their home field.

Cleveland got off to an early lead when fullback Jeramie Richardson scored from one yard out to give the Glads an early 7-0 lead. The Valor responded when quarterback Sean Brackett found Justin Wilson for a touchdown to tie the game at 7. The Gladiators would take the lead back when Arvell Nelson connected with Collin Taylor in the end zone to put Cleveland up 14-7.

Cleveland took a two-possession lead when Nelson found Michael Preston to give them a 21-7 lead. The Glads would add two points to their lead when Brackett was sacked in the end zone, giving Cleveland a 23-7 advantage. Washington would cut the lead to single digits when Jimmy Gordon rushed for a touchdown to trim the lead to 23-14. Cleveland would respond with touchdowns from Preston and Taylor to give them a 36-14 lead after three quarters.

Washington would cut the lead to 15 when Brackett hooked up with T.T. Tolliver for a touchdown. After that Valor touchdown, Cleveland would score four more times to take a commanding 62-21 lead.

Washington stopped the bleeding with a touchdown late in the game to cut the lead to 62-28. The Valor fell to 2-11 on the season, and the loss means the Gladiators will be competing in the playoffs. Washington will close out the season on the road against the Baltimore Brigade, who they’ve beaten twice this season.

The Gladiators will clinch the third seed and take on the Tampa Bay Storm Aug. 14 in the playoffs if the Baltimore Brigade lose to the Valor.

If the Brigade win, they will get the third seed and will play the Storm. Cleveland would travel to play the Philadelphia Soul on Aug. 12.

National Arena League Title Game Preview: Jacksonville Sharks vs Columbus Lions

The Columbus Lions will battle the Jacksonville Sharks in the inaugural NAL Championship Game on Monday night in Jacksonville. The Lions have won back-to-back championships, but they both happened in different leagues. In 2015, the Lions took home the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) Cup, and last year, they won the American Indoor Football (AIF) Championship.

The Lions will look to use that experience when they play in the championship on Monday. Columbus has struggled against the Sharks this season, as the Lions lost both contests with Jacksonville this season.

The first loss was a 56-41 defeat in the season opener, and the second loss was a 37-28 loss in April. However, the Lions have been playing like a different team since that last loss against the Sharks.

Columbus has won seven straight games since that April loss to the Sharks. In order to get to the championship, Columbus defeated the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks by a score of 52-50 in the semifinals. The Lions have two very capable quarterbacks that they can turn to on Monday night.

One of those quarterbacks is Darren Daniel, who has thrown for 1,611 yards and 38 touchdowns this season. The other quarterback is Mason Espinosa, who threw for 1,073 yards and 27 touchdowns this season.

Both of those quarterbacks have plenty of reliable weapons. Wide receiver Mike Reeve caught 21 touchdowns, while Tristan Purifoy hauled in 19 touchdowns this season. Jarmon Forston is another weapon, as he caught 15 touchdowns for the Lions. The Lions defense is anchored by Kyle Griswould, who led the league in interceptions this season with 10.

Jacksonville has been dominant all season, as they were undefeated until they lost to the Monterrey Steel in the last game of the regular season. The Sharks defeated the Steel in order to get to the championship game.

With quarterback Tommy Grady injured, the Sharks have started Damien Fleming in his place. Fleming has passed for 1,047 yards and 18 touchdowns in 10 appearances with the Sharks. Derrick Ross has been a force on the ground, as he’s rushed for 25 touchdowns this season.

Fleming’s top receiver has been Maurice Williams, who has caught 14 touchdowns this season. The first ever NAL champion will be crowned on Monday night in Jacksonville.

Why the Columbus Lions Will Win the NAL Title Game

The Columbus Lions will be taking on the Jacksonville Sharks in the inaugural NAL Championship Game next Monday. The Lions have played very well against the Sharks this season, but haven’t beaten them yet. That doesn’t mean Columbus can’t still win this game, however.

The Lions were dominated by the Sharks in Week 1, but in their matchup four weeks later, the Lions only lost to the Sharks by nine points. Ever since that game, the Lions have defeated every single opponent that they have faced. During their seven-game winning streak, Columbus has won by double digits in five of the seven games.

The Lions have the experience necessary to handle this championship game like professionals. Columbus has played in championships in back-to-back seasons, and they won both of them in dominating fashion. They won the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) Cup in 2015, and they took home the American Indoor Football (AIF) Championship in 2016, both under current head coach Jason Gibson. Experience means so much in championship games, and the Lions have plenty of experience that will help them next Monday.

That experience proved helpful in their playoff game against the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, which ended with the Lions winning by only two points. The Lions have two very capable quarterbacks in case one of them isn’t performing well. Their best quarterback during the regular season was Darren Daniel, who threw for 1,611 yards and 38 touchdowns, which gave him a quarterback rating of 104.17.

If Daniel isn’t playing well, then the Lions can turn to backup Mason Espinosa. Espinosa threw for 1,073 yards and 27 touchdowns, and he completed 66.7% of his passes. Both of those quarterbacks can throw to a very reliable weapon in Mike Reeve, who compiled 809 receiving yards and caught 21 touchdowns this season. The Lions also have Tristan Purifoy, who caught 19 touchdowns this season.

Don’t forget about Jarmon Forston, who reeled in 15 touchdowns this season for the Lions.

The Lions haven’t played well against Jacksonville, but the playoffs are a whole new season.

Columbus has a lot of experience after playing in two championship games, and that will be useful in the game next Monday. The Lions have looked like a new team since last losing to Jacksonville.

Another thing the Lions can use to their advantage is the fact that they have two very capable quarterbacks. The Lions have the perfect combination of experience and recent success to take down the Sharks next Monday in the NAL Championship Game.