2012 X League season kicks off

(September 5, 2012) - The 2012 X League season began last weekend with easy wins for most of the traditional powers and a historic debut: Former UCLA QB Kevin Craft and former Oregon State QB Lyle Moevao became the first ever american quarterbacks to play in the X League. Craft officially became the first american quarterback in X League history when he almost lead his team, the IBM BigBlue, to an upset againts the Fujitsu Frontiers, losing 24-20 on August 30. The 26-year old who played for UCLA in 2008 and 2009 completed 49 of 60 pass attempts for 439 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His two touchdown passes, both to fellow american John Stanton, gave the BigBlue a 14-3 lead after the first quarter.

Moevao's debut with the Elecom Kobe Finies against Panasonic Impulse on September 1 was not as bright as Craft's performance. He had a good start too, throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to give the Finies a 7-0 lead after the first quarter. But the Finies eventually lost the game 27-17 with Moevao completing just 16 of 34 pass attempts for 193 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

For further information check the following articles in English on www.xleague.com:
Week 1 Wrapup
Game Report Rise vs Silver Star
Game Report Frontiers vs BigBlue

(Text: Dieter Hoch)

Scores and Standings X League

Seagulls win at Dresden

(May 20, 2012) - QB Shun Sugawara threw for 204 Yards and two touchdowns to help his Obic Seagulls to a 29-17 win against the Dresden Monarchs from Germany's top league, the GFL. In front of 5.900 fans at Dresden's Glücksgas Stadium Sugawara finished the Seagulls' first possession (10 plays, 66 yards) with a 5-yard pass to WR Ryoma Hagiyama for a 7-0 lead and threw a 33-yard strike to WR Kentaro Mori for a 17-3 lead on the Seagulls' third possession - a one-play drive that followed a fumble by Monarchs RB Larry Croom when he was brought down seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. The Seagulls scored on all four possessions of the first half. K Yosuke Kaneoya kicked two 25-yard field goals and the japanese champion took a 20-3 lead into halftime. K Jan Hilgenfeldt scored the only points in the first half for the Monarchs on a 48-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter.

The home team made the game more interesting in the second half. On the second play of the third quarter DB Ladislav Jensik intercepted a deep pass to the left side by Sugawara at the Monarchs 37-yard line. The only mistake by Obic's offense was followed by an impressive six-minute drive (13 plays, 63 yards) and a 1-yard touchdown run by Warren Smith to cut the deficit to 20-10. And following a 41-yard field goal by Kaneoya on the Seagulls' ensuing possession the Monarchs went 75 yards in six plays and Smith threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to WR Radko Zoller on the first play of the fourth quarter to bring the Monarchs within six points (23-17).

The Seagulls, though, never got in danger to lose the game. After the two teams traded punts the Seagulls took over at the Monarchs 44-yard line and six plays later QB Manabu Tatsumura threw a 6-yard touchdown pass over the middle to WR Ken Shimizu for a 29-17 lead with just over five minutes left to play. A Tatsumura pass for a potential two-point conversion failed. The Monarchs got the ball back twice in the final minutes but first had to punt after five plays and later reached the 36-yard line of the Seagulls before time ran out.

The offense of the Obic Seagulls ran up 361 total yards on the
Dresden Monarchs defense.

(Text: Dieter Hoch / Photo: Michael Hundt)

Game Statistics

Seagulls face "big challenge" at Dresden

(May 16, 2012) - For Makoto Ohashi, the head coach of five-time japanese national champion Obic Seagulls, the upcoming game against the Dresden Monarchs in Dresden, Germany, on May 19 is a great opportunity for his players to gain rare and valuable international experience. "In 1999, the 1st World Cup of America football was held in Italy. The 2009 U-19 team’s World Cup was also held in Europe. In the football world, 'International' is the key word and the sport is becoming more and more international. Now Japanese footballers need to be more physical and more athletic. Right now, only Japan national team members are able to experience international games against foreign teams. So I would like my teams' players to experience playing an international team. I think the experience to go to Dresden will be a big challenge for our team. A challenge that we must meet to become stronger", Ohashi says about the trip to Germany.

Not that the Seagulls are in dire need of international experience. For the past couple of years they are probably the best american football team outside of North America. The roster of the record japanese champion is filled with players who have represented Japan as members of the Japan national team and with DE Kevin Jackson, LB Karl Noa and OG Frank Fernandez includes three american players who belong to the best players of the X League. Still, contrary to the situation in Europe there is a lack of regular international competition for the teams of the X League. The top teams in Europe face each other regularly in competitions like the Eurobowl and the EFAF Cup. For X League teams the only potential opponents for regular international games would be teams from South Korea where the level of play is much lower than in Japan.

Therefore the game at Dresden is a great opportunity for Ohashi's team to play against a quality opponent from one of the top leagues in Europe, Germany's GFL. "I recognize that Germany has the best football in the Europe. The GFL is very developed. Whenever I watch GFL games, I am always impressed by the favorable environment for football and the large fan presence", says Ohashi. "I appreciate what Mr. Huber, president of GFL, and Mr. Asada, president of JAFA have done for making this game possible."

(Text: Dieter Hoch)