Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 4:34 pm
Kohnhead City recruiting class looking good as Richardson looms
Byron Joseph has lead Kohnhead City to a 2-0 record against Richardson, can they get it done on Saturday?
As a Kohnhead City fan you knew it was going to happen, no matter that Northern Moravica University had been the better team in the regualar season, no matter that they had home field advantage against a team that squeaked its way in. No matter that it took a walk off touchdown by a Banjian running back to beat the Cougars, you just knew we would have to face Richardson again.
Now sweeping a playoff team during the regular season is difficult but beating a team three times in one season just doesn't happen. There's a reason we beat Richardson twice during the regular season and we didn't even have Whitworth and were on the road in the final series. This time we are at home, coming off a bye we should be well rested and we should be mentally prepared. However it just doesn't feel like a win is in the cards, it doesn't, we are 2-0 against Richardson and there's a reason for that. However this is the first playoff game in school history and while it's a relief the game is at Chicken King Stadium, Richardson knows what they're doing. They have Kuenda Sello who played for Banjia in the World Bowl they clearly have all sorts of advantages in that department.
We know our defense can shut down Sello in the regular season, however he's probably a different animal come playoff time and Richardson will be hungry for this. There is no reason to fear Beacon Murray at quarterback and while our defense is coming off of allowing 50 points against FSU that will not happen again we assure you. Ultimately it boils down to two things, can Byron Joseph score points against a top tier defense with our rushing attack and can the defense contain Kuenda Sello, he's not a player you can stop you can really only hope to contain him.
Ultimately no matter how we fare in this one it will still be a completely successful season. 2nd place in the BIg Eight, beating out Richardson in the Conference, going 9-4 and earning a first round bye, winning the Squidhead Cup. We haven't reached the point yet where playoff success is required each and every season but wouldn't going 3-0 against Richardson feel really nice. My prediction is that we aren't able to pull it off and Richardson takes the 20-17 win.
Recruiting
High School Football and College Football are two very different games
While of course this year's NSCF team was entirely from Kohnhead, that will not be the case for next year and while no Kohnheadians played in other nations this year that will also not be the case. We have gotten five players to commit and have landed one transfer while four Kohnheadian High Schoolers will be going to other schools.
Where are Kohnheadians going?
5. Zachary Lewis (TE)
School: Northern Moravica (Banjia)
Lewis will get to play for one of the premier teams in college football that being the Cougars from Banjia, once he heard they were interested he happily committed knowing full well what a program like that could do for his college career. As was said in his bio he is a physical freak at 6' 5 and had 230 pounds on him in his Senior season although he may have added a little extra in preparation for college. In addition it was noted that he needs time to develop his route running and learn more of the playbook as he is currently primarily a blocking Tight End, he will not see too much action next year and it will be primarily to block but that is a perfect role for him.
In addition tight end is definitely a future need for NMU as of the three on the roster right now one is a senior and two are juniors which gives Lewis a year to develop but means he has a chance to be their number one soon. Lewis could become a real beast in a few years if his development goes well and Northern Moravica seem like a perfect place for him.
4. Katie Sawyer (Athlete)
School: Felswyr State University (Chromatika)
Sawyer gets to join fellow new school Felswyr State University who are currently up there in terms of title favorites having captured the number one seed after a 12-1 regular season record in their first year of NSCF. Sawyer's best trait is that she can be anywhere on the football field especially on the defensive side which is the side she will be playing on for FSU next season. This completely fits in with the 3-3-5 formation run by FSU that has a lot of emphasis on the nickel cornerback's ability to play at linebacker or at safety in addition to their duties at corner. This completely fits with Sawyer's skill set and because of this she and FSU are a perfect match. She is extremely athletic but needs work at all positions although she can play at all three. We will see if she's named a starter next year but if not she should still see the field a decent amount.
3. Danielle Raynor (OT)
School: Kohnhead City University (Kohnhead)
Raynor is the only one of the KSPN top five to commit to KCU itself and she will probably not get too much playing time next season with the Mighty Eagles also landing Deidre Gott from Chromatika. While Gott will be a day one starter, Raynor who has the ability to start will be in a battle with Gabriella Ross who is currently a junior to figure out who will protect Joseph's blindside. Ross played okay this year and it's clear Raynor will be the starter in her Sophmore year it's just a question of whether she can beat out Ross to earn the job as a Freshman. Either way she's a big pickup for the team that has two seniors and a junior as the top three tackles this year.
2. Elliot Roach (RB)
School: Richardson University (Ranoria)
Roach will travel to one of our Big Eight rivals in Richardson to try and help replace the role of Kuenda Sello who will most likely be heading home to Banjia to play professionally. Now you can't replace someone like Sello with a freshman but Roach can definitely do his best and will help their running game a lot and will probably be in a committe approach year one as they have a lot of youth at the position. Roach will definitely have lots of opportunities to prove himself in his first year in Ranoria. This is normally a run first team and was extremely run heavy last year due to the combo of Sello and the massive question marks at quarterback which have been solved in the short term from the looks of it.
1. Pablo Sandoval (ILB)
School: Loyola University @ Istria
Of course it's Loyola that gets our number one recruit in Pablo Sandoval. While he wasn't going to go anywhere in Kohnhead, and I'm sure glad he didn't go to a school in the Big Eight. He will join multiple top recruits who try to help Loyola the defending champs mind you recover from their least successful seaon in 9 seasons. Sandoval will pair with some high talented defensive recruits the top out of Ranoria in Edge Abram Fairbanks, the top recruit in Northwest Kalactin in Edge Justin Peterson and the 4th best in Chromatika coner Emmitt Krell.
While a starting spot isn't just going to be handed to Sandoval the three of the our starting backers for Loyola are seniors which gives Sandoval a good shot at getting an inside spot. However he will have to compete with current starter sophmore Demba Diouf and Atatafi Atikem another sophmore who is currently the third MLB. Sandoval should be able to earn a starting role as part of a new look linebacker core but if he can't he will still see the field a lot.
Who is Kohnhead City University bringing in?
According to Ranorian reports Kohnhead's class ranks as the 5th best and second best in the Big Eight behind Cold Hill which should be good news for more good results in years to come. And this was before Gott had committed which can only make the class better.
Devin River (DE)
School: Richardson (Transfer)
Year: Sophmore
Devin River will be trading in his red and white Richardson colors for the gold and white of Kohnhead City University. With both Joseph Travis and Fox Middleton our two starting DEs being Seniors we need new players at the position for next year. Travis' production will be hard to place as in 13 games he was our sack leader with 10.5. Enter Devin RIver someone who had become upset with his lack of playing time on a very talented Richardson D-line. River decided to enter the transfer portal knowing full well his own talent and what he could do for his career at another school. The Mighty Eagles have picked him up out of the portal and he will be a starter for us next season most definitely.
Rowena Hastroff (RB)
Nation: Chromatika (#5)
Hastroff can play both offense and defense like a majority of players who come out of Chromatika but she has signed with Kohnhead City to be our speed back with Brandon Potter a senior. While Herman Whitworth was our best running back this year (he has the power covered) KCU are definitely a by committee team and considering how much we run the ball there will be snaps to go around. Potter has not done too well as the feature back since Whitworth went down and Hastroff is a better player than him so despite probably not being the starter until maybe her Junior role she will still have a large role.
Deidre Gott (OT)
Nation: Chromatika (#3)
The second of the Chromatika players who will be donning a Mighty Eagles uniform next season, Deidre Gott surprisingly committed to Kohnhead after being pursued by Z'ai'ai Institute of Technology. He has a massively built frame to play O-line and D-line but ultimately we need him more on the offense where he will be taking over for Peyton Whiteley in protecting Joseph's right side. Gott is currently better at run blocking which is why he will be our starter on the right side which is expected to be a big boost to the offense. Gott has the physical frame to be good in pass protection, we will have to see how that develops but he should be a four year starter on the right side with his run blocking abilities on a run first offense.
Keith Gray (WR)
Nation: Northwest Kalactin (#2)
Keith Gray is a true burner plain and simple, get the ball in his hands and he can score from anywhere on the field evidence by is 4.27 40 yard dash time. Gray will not see the field much as a freshman at least offensively as our current deep threat Jodi Lawrence is still a sophmore (although she's considerably slower running a 4.41) however he figures to immediately be the team's punt and kick returner something that was not a strength for us this season. Despite Ezekial Edwards having emerged in the slot this season he will be a Senior next year and so by his Sophore year Gray should have a big piece in the offense out of the slot where he is able to play. We may however see him this year on deep routes and designed screens, jet sweeps, and others stuff like that designed to get the ball in his hands.
Kalu Alazar (WR)
Nation: Banjia (#2)
This is probably the most surprising commitment the Mighty Eagles picked up as they surprisingly recruited the top offensive player and second best player out of Banjia in wide reciever Kalu Alazar with both Northern Moravica and Raynor both heavily pursuing him. This is an offense that is built on speed especially at the wide receiver position and while Alazar doesn't have the speed of someone like Keith Gray he still has speed. Alazar has the build and good enough speed to be the number one wide receiver for the Mighty Eagles on day one which was certainly a deciding factor in his decision to come here as well as the ambitions of the school to become an elite programs and he will be a big part of.
Albie Terry failed to really live up to his hype this season but Alazar should be able to make a major difference. With all the added talent on offense the hope is Byron Joseph will be able to take his next steps as a passer because as the run first offense worked for most of the season as we saw against FSU it can be stopped and Joseph wasn't good enough as a passer to make up for it.
Byron Joseph has lead Kohnhead City to a 2-0 record against Richardson, can they get it done on Saturday?
As a Kohnhead City fan you knew it was going to happen, no matter that Northern Moravica University had been the better team in the regualar season, no matter that they had home field advantage against a team that squeaked its way in. No matter that it took a walk off touchdown by a Banjian running back to beat the Cougars, you just knew we would have to face Richardson again.
Now sweeping a playoff team during the regular season is difficult but beating a team three times in one season just doesn't happen. There's a reason we beat Richardson twice during the regular season and we didn't even have Whitworth and were on the road in the final series. This time we are at home, coming off a bye we should be well rested and we should be mentally prepared. However it just doesn't feel like a win is in the cards, it doesn't, we are 2-0 against Richardson and there's a reason for that. However this is the first playoff game in school history and while it's a relief the game is at Chicken King Stadium, Richardson knows what they're doing. They have Kuenda Sello who played for Banjia in the World Bowl they clearly have all sorts of advantages in that department.
We know our defense can shut down Sello in the regular season, however he's probably a different animal come playoff time and Richardson will be hungry for this. There is no reason to fear Beacon Murray at quarterback and while our defense is coming off of allowing 50 points against FSU that will not happen again we assure you. Ultimately it boils down to two things, can Byron Joseph score points against a top tier defense with our rushing attack and can the defense contain Kuenda Sello, he's not a player you can stop you can really only hope to contain him.
Ultimately no matter how we fare in this one it will still be a completely successful season. 2nd place in the BIg Eight, beating out Richardson in the Conference, going 9-4 and earning a first round bye, winning the Squidhead Cup. We haven't reached the point yet where playoff success is required each and every season but wouldn't going 3-0 against Richardson feel really nice. My prediction is that we aren't able to pull it off and Richardson takes the 20-17 win.
Recruiting
High School Football and College Football are two very different games
While of course this year's NSCF team was entirely from Kohnhead, that will not be the case for next year and while no Kohnheadians played in other nations this year that will also not be the case. We have gotten five players to commit and have landed one transfer while four Kohnheadian High Schoolers will be going to other schools.
Where are Kohnheadians going?
5. Zachary Lewis (TE)
School: Northern Moravica (Banjia)
Lewis will get to play for one of the premier teams in college football that being the Cougars from Banjia, once he heard they were interested he happily committed knowing full well what a program like that could do for his college career. As was said in his bio he is a physical freak at 6' 5 and had 230 pounds on him in his Senior season although he may have added a little extra in preparation for college. In addition it was noted that he needs time to develop his route running and learn more of the playbook as he is currently primarily a blocking Tight End, he will not see too much action next year and it will be primarily to block but that is a perfect role for him.
In addition tight end is definitely a future need for NMU as of the three on the roster right now one is a senior and two are juniors which gives Lewis a year to develop but means he has a chance to be their number one soon. Lewis could become a real beast in a few years if his development goes well and Northern Moravica seem like a perfect place for him.
4. Katie Sawyer (Athlete)
School: Felswyr State University (Chromatika)
Sawyer gets to join fellow new school Felswyr State University who are currently up there in terms of title favorites having captured the number one seed after a 12-1 regular season record in their first year of NSCF. Sawyer's best trait is that she can be anywhere on the football field especially on the defensive side which is the side she will be playing on for FSU next season. This completely fits in with the 3-3-5 formation run by FSU that has a lot of emphasis on the nickel cornerback's ability to play at linebacker or at safety in addition to their duties at corner. This completely fits with Sawyer's skill set and because of this she and FSU are a perfect match. She is extremely athletic but needs work at all positions although she can play at all three. We will see if she's named a starter next year but if not she should still see the field a decent amount.
3. Danielle Raynor (OT)
School: Kohnhead City University (Kohnhead)
Raynor is the only one of the KSPN top five to commit to KCU itself and she will probably not get too much playing time next season with the Mighty Eagles also landing Deidre Gott from Chromatika. While Gott will be a day one starter, Raynor who has the ability to start will be in a battle with Gabriella Ross who is currently a junior to figure out who will protect Joseph's blindside. Ross played okay this year and it's clear Raynor will be the starter in her Sophmore year it's just a question of whether she can beat out Ross to earn the job as a Freshman. Either way she's a big pickup for the team that has two seniors and a junior as the top three tackles this year.
2. Elliot Roach (RB)
School: Richardson University (Ranoria)
Roach will travel to one of our Big Eight rivals in Richardson to try and help replace the role of Kuenda Sello who will most likely be heading home to Banjia to play professionally. Now you can't replace someone like Sello with a freshman but Roach can definitely do his best and will help their running game a lot and will probably be in a committe approach year one as they have a lot of youth at the position. Roach will definitely have lots of opportunities to prove himself in his first year in Ranoria. This is normally a run first team and was extremely run heavy last year due to the combo of Sello and the massive question marks at quarterback which have been solved in the short term from the looks of it.
1. Pablo Sandoval (ILB)
School: Loyola University @ Istria
Of course it's Loyola that gets our number one recruit in Pablo Sandoval. While he wasn't going to go anywhere in Kohnhead, and I'm sure glad he didn't go to a school in the Big Eight. He will join multiple top recruits who try to help Loyola the defending champs mind you recover from their least successful seaon in 9 seasons. Sandoval will pair with some high talented defensive recruits the top out of Ranoria in Edge Abram Fairbanks, the top recruit in Northwest Kalactin in Edge Justin Peterson and the 4th best in Chromatika coner Emmitt Krell.
While a starting spot isn't just going to be handed to Sandoval the three of the our starting backers for Loyola are seniors which gives Sandoval a good shot at getting an inside spot. However he will have to compete with current starter sophmore Demba Diouf and Atatafi Atikem another sophmore who is currently the third MLB. Sandoval should be able to earn a starting role as part of a new look linebacker core but if he can't he will still see the field a lot.
Who is Kohnhead City University bringing in?
According to Ranorian reports Kohnhead's class ranks as the 5th best and second best in the Big Eight behind Cold Hill which should be good news for more good results in years to come. And this was before Gott had committed which can only make the class better.
Devin River (DE)
School: Richardson (Transfer)
Year: Sophmore
Devin River will be trading in his red and white Richardson colors for the gold and white of Kohnhead City University. With both Joseph Travis and Fox Middleton our two starting DEs being Seniors we need new players at the position for next year. Travis' production will be hard to place as in 13 games he was our sack leader with 10.5. Enter Devin RIver someone who had become upset with his lack of playing time on a very talented Richardson D-line. River decided to enter the transfer portal knowing full well his own talent and what he could do for his career at another school. The Mighty Eagles have picked him up out of the portal and he will be a starter for us next season most definitely.
Rowena Hastroff (RB)
Nation: Chromatika (#5)
Hastroff can play both offense and defense like a majority of players who come out of Chromatika but she has signed with Kohnhead City to be our speed back with Brandon Potter a senior. While Herman Whitworth was our best running back this year (he has the power covered) KCU are definitely a by committee team and considering how much we run the ball there will be snaps to go around. Potter has not done too well as the feature back since Whitworth went down and Hastroff is a better player than him so despite probably not being the starter until maybe her Junior role she will still have a large role.
Deidre Gott (OT)
Nation: Chromatika (#3)
The second of the Chromatika players who will be donning a Mighty Eagles uniform next season, Deidre Gott surprisingly committed to Kohnhead after being pursued by Z'ai'ai Institute of Technology. He has a massively built frame to play O-line and D-line but ultimately we need him more on the offense where he will be taking over for Peyton Whiteley in protecting Joseph's right side. Gott is currently better at run blocking which is why he will be our starter on the right side which is expected to be a big boost to the offense. Gott has the physical frame to be good in pass protection, we will have to see how that develops but he should be a four year starter on the right side with his run blocking abilities on a run first offense.
Keith Gray (WR)
Nation: Northwest Kalactin (#2)
Keith Gray is a true burner plain and simple, get the ball in his hands and he can score from anywhere on the field evidence by is 4.27 40 yard dash time. Gray will not see the field much as a freshman at least offensively as our current deep threat Jodi Lawrence is still a sophmore (although she's considerably slower running a 4.41) however he figures to immediately be the team's punt and kick returner something that was not a strength for us this season. Despite Ezekial Edwards having emerged in the slot this season he will be a Senior next year and so by his Sophore year Gray should have a big piece in the offense out of the slot where he is able to play. We may however see him this year on deep routes and designed screens, jet sweeps, and others stuff like that designed to get the ball in his hands.
Kalu Alazar (WR)
Nation: Banjia (#2)
This is probably the most surprising commitment the Mighty Eagles picked up as they surprisingly recruited the top offensive player and second best player out of Banjia in wide reciever Kalu Alazar with both Northern Moravica and Raynor both heavily pursuing him. This is an offense that is built on speed especially at the wide receiver position and while Alazar doesn't have the speed of someone like Keith Gray he still has speed. Alazar has the build and good enough speed to be the number one wide receiver for the Mighty Eagles on day one which was certainly a deciding factor in his decision to come here as well as the ambitions of the school to become an elite programs and he will be a big part of.
Albie Terry failed to really live up to his hype this season but Alazar should be able to make a major difference. With all the added talent on offense the hope is Byron Joseph will be able to take his next steps as a passer because as the run first offense worked for most of the season as we saw against FSU it can be stopped and Joseph wasn't good enough as a passer to make up for it.