2003 LFFL Week 14 Power Poll

1) Prospect Pioneers- (9-1) Clinched 1^st place- Prospect is simply put the best team in the LFFL bar none. Having only lost to Koppel because of Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison dropping an atomic bomb on Sunday Night Football two months back, Prospect is the points leader and a force to be reckoned with. With first place sealed up, Prospect looks to knock Chewton out of playoff contention with a win this week, on their way to host the 4^th playoff seed, yet to be determined.

2) Koppel Koonhunters- (6-4) Clinched 2^nd place- Koppel embarrassed Allentown last week, defeating them by over 40 points. The Koonies need a win because there was still a chance they’d miss the playoffs all together if certain circumstances came to pass. However, that’s no worry as their reborn high power offense looks to close out the season with a respectable record of 7-4 with a win over Edinburg. If their offense continues to click, they’ll have the best chance to upset Prospect.

3) Ellwood Dishsoaps- (5-5) In the hunt- The Dishsoaps are the Cinderella team of the LFFL having won several straight and are a win away from clinching a playoff birth. A win or Chewton loss will send the ‘Soaps to the postseason. Ellwood still has outs, even if they should lose, as stated in the playoff scenario post. The Dishsoaps are lead by Matt Hasselbeck at QB and have a potent WR corps with Randy Moss and respectable backfield with Edgerrin James rushing. The ‘Soaps have the weapons to upset in the playoffs, they just need the luck.

4) Allentown Iron Men- (5-6) In the hunt- The Iron Men are not the 4^th best team in the league, but their early season success is keeping them in the playoff picture. Last week the Iron Men struggled to earn 60 points and lost out on their chance to secure a playoff birth and a winning record. This week Allentown is idle and will attempt to add enough total season points to fend for a tiebreaker challenge from Chewton or Ellwood, should it come to that. While the Iron Men are not the best team of the field still looking for a playoff birth, they do have the best chance to make the playoffs, where the records will become 0-0 and all will have a chance under the “any given Sunday” philosophy. Allentown will need QB Steve McNair to return to MVP form and RBs Ahman Green and Stephen Davis to find the end zone, unlike last week. If the WRs, who are the underachievers, can just show up, Allentown will have a chance.

5) Chewton Champs- (4-6) In the hunt- Chewton will need both a win and some help to make the playoffs. But it still is possible, and Chewton will play like it. While the odds are long that they’ll upset Prospect, if Culpepper has a big day, and Jamal Lewis returns to early season form, Chewton might keep it close. If Chewton were to make the playoffs, they’ll meet Prospect next week as the 4^th seed most likely, in an interesting matchup.

6) Akron Assault- (?) Hopeless- The Assault have no playoff hopes, but can still play for pride and a victory in the loser’s bracket, as this week’s outcome will determine final positions. The addition of Marc Bulger was a good one, but proved to be too little, too late for Akron.

7) Edinburg Epidemic- (?) Hopeless- The Epidemic join Akron in playing for pride and position in the loser’s bracket. This week they can take some wind and momentum out of Koppel’s sail with a win. While the early season showed promise for Edinburg, they’ve collapsed in the second half of the year, and slid below Akron. If the Epidemic wants to consume anyone, they’ll want to win the loser’s bracket and walk away from the 2003 season with a moral victory.

2003 LFFL Week 4 Power Poll

Across the league big time players remain important through week 3, resulting in many upsets across the LFFL. While it’s early in the season, the standings are the standings.

1) Edinburg Epidemic- After their first week in competitive play, Edinburg appears to be the real deal. QB Patrick Ramsey is a smart, tough, white competitor, who refuses to go away, even in the Redskins loss to the New York Giants. His stellar play on the field lead the Epidemic to their first win. Combine this with Priest Holmes’ ridiculous numbers and you have a solid team that can go toe to toe with any other club in the LFFL.

2) Koppel Koonhunters- With RB LaDainian Tomlinson back to his old form, and Koren Robinson back on the field, Koppel has the ability to become the most explosive offense in the LFFL. Despite a back injury, QB Culpepper bowled a good game, and the Buffalo defense scored well in their loss to Miami. Perhaps the only thing that can stop the Koonhunters is an act of God.

3) Chewton Champs- A poor day for the WRs lead to Chewton’s loss to Edinburg. QB Peyton Manning delivered a respectable performance, and RB Jamal Lewis had another solid day of running. Ironically, it was Manning’s good day that lead to the Jacksonville defense’s poor showing, taking home only two points. That being said, Chewton is the best 1-1 team going in the LFFL.

4) Prospect Pioneers- The Pioneers were off this week, and they needed it badly. They were the third lowest scoring team in the league this past week. RB Ricky Williams was stellar again this week, and looks to continue anchoring the Pioneers behind QB Brett Favre. The only question mark is the age of this team.

5) Allentown Iron Men- The Iron Men squeaked by the Dishsoaps this week, winning by a mere 0.28 points, easily the closest game in LFFL play. Allentown’s only touchdowns on the day came from QB Brad Johnson and the New England defense. Overall, the Iron Men have been underachieving all year, and risk falling behind powerhouses like Edinburg and Koppel.

6) Akron Assault- Akron suffered a major blow this past week, as RB Marshall Faulk broke his hand and will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks. However, the addition of Moe Williams will help, as the Assault turns to the Tampa Bay defense and QB Jake Plummer to pick up the slack over the coming weeks. This week’s game with Allentown will be a must win for Akron, who hope to avoid a 0-3 record.

7) Ellwood Dishsoaps- The Dishsoaps by all accounts have a potent and powered offense that is waiting for their breakout game. After a heartbreaking loss to Allentown this past week, Ellwood will try and avoid 0-3 with strong performances from Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, who have one TD each this season thus far.

Offensive Players of the Week- Priest Holmes, RB- Edinburg Epidemic- Holmes is a monster, what else can be said about this man playing against boys. He’s tough and balanced, and if properly seasoned, he will eat you. Patrick Ramsey, QB- Edinburg Epidemic, Ramsey had a stellar game against the Giants last week, and looks to anchor the Epidemic in the coming weeks as they pursue the Koonhunters for the league lead.

Joke of the Week- Travis Henry, RB- Allentown Iron Men- For the second straight week, the joke player of the week goes to an Allentown Iron Man. This week, the nod goes to RB Travis Henry, who on Sunday Night Football gained a blistering 7 yards, and managed to throw an interception on an ill-fated half back pass. Combined, Henry raked in a cool -1.65 points total.

Defense of the Week- Tampa Bay, Def- Akron Assault- The Bucs scored 16 points for the Assault, but it wasn’t enough to get them past the Koonhunters.

Close Call of the Week- The Close Call of the Week goes to the Allentown Iron Men who won this week by the smallest margin ever in LFFL history. Their .23 point edge was enough to get them past the Ellwood Dishsoaps, but help came in the form of a horrible game for Drew Bledsoe, and a sub par game for the Oakland defense. The game came down to the wire, with the last few seconds of the Monday Nighter making the difference. Congrats to the Allentown Iron Men for their close call of the week.