2017 Japan X-League QUARTER-FINALS

Japan X-League QUARTER-FINALS Yokohama Stadium 2017-11-11

Obic Seagulls 41, Nojima Sagamihara Rise 22

Saturday was the 99th anniversary of the Armistice concluding World War I, which ended at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of that year. The 2017 X-League quarterfinals triple-header coincidentally kicked off at 11 AM on 11/11 (Japan Time). Three teams would go down to defeat, as three familiar powers prevailed.

Like much of the league, the Nojima Sagamihara Rise endured bad weather this year- wind and rain affected many of their regular season games, including their turnovers in a 14-0 loss to the Obic Seagulls in September. The weather at Yokohama Stadium on Saturday was fine for a change, and so this time, there was no such excuse.  Devin Gardner and the 3^rd-seeded Rise suffered one of their most miserable performances of the season with a shocking nine turnovers, losing to the 6^th-seeded Seagulls 41-22, and knocking them out of the playoffs.

Sagamihara's opening drive went three and out, and they proceeded to turn the ball over on their next five possessions- including four times within five offensive plays and a botched kickoff return.  Obic scored three TDs and two field goals the first five times it had the ball, and led 27-0 by early in the 2^nd quarter.

While they actually out-gained the Seagulls 441 to 336, the Rise were simply dominated by the Obic defense. “We couldn’t run the ball, so now we’re passing it the whole game. Jump off the bus, 14 down,” said Gardner.

Gardner and the Rise finally responded with an 86 yard drive for a TD, and nearly had another on a 65 yard drive when Sione Houma carried it to the Seagull's one yard line. But Nojima was stopped on the final play of the first half.

Devin did hit Takahide Dejima on a 9 yard scoring pass mid-way through the 3^rd quarter to make it 27-13, and amazingly it seemed that Nojima was back in the game, but that was as close as they got.

Shun Sugawara followed that taking the Seagulls on a 9-play 63 yard drive, connecting with Aruto Nishimura from 23 yards out. Then the Rise suffered another catastrophe when they failed to field the ensuing kickoff, and Obic recovered at the 20. On the very next play, WR Noriaki Kinoshita threw it to an open Ryoma Hagiyama and it was 41-13.

For the most part, Nojima's receivers were no match for Obic's physical defensive secondary, and their defensive line was putting relentless pressure on Gardner all throughout the game. “They got pressure whenever they wanted,” he said. Seagull’s defensive end B.J. Beatty (Colorado) said they only blitzed about 10% of the time. Beatty and Kevin Jackson (Hawaii) and the rest of the Obic defensive line continually overwhelmed the Sagamihara offensive line, and Jackson and Beatty even had one interception apiece.
Devin was frustrated throughout the game and disappointed afterward, and said it was difficult for Nojima because they couldn't run the ball, so play action passes had little effect. Leaving more in to block didn’t seem to help either, and Obic was in tight zone coverage downfield. The Seagulls were jumping all the quick timing routes, and the rush was too fierce for slower developing routes.


Gardner, who often had Seagulls defenders hanging on to him as he threw, was 27 of 52 for 378 yards and 2 touchdowns, but with a season-high 6 interceptions. Devin admitted that sometimes, “You just got to chuck it and see what happens…You got to hope your guys make a play for you.” Unfortunately, not enough plays were made, although Yuhei Yagi did have10 catches for 148 yards and one touchdown.

Gardner also ran or scrambled 11 times for 30 yards and 1 TD rushing, and Houma carried 9 times for 36 yards and a fumble, and caught two passes for 15 yards. Taku Lee carried 8 times for 84 yards and a touchdown for Obic.





Fujitsu Frontiers 34, Elecom Finies 7
2^nd seeded Fujitsu scored on six of its first eight possessions and cruised to a 34-0 lead by midway through the 3rd quarter.  Colby Cameron (Louisiana Tech) threw for two TDs and 202 yards on 16-21 passing with one interception.

Elecom could only manage a 4^th quarter touchdown by Jordan Canzeri (Iowa). Canzeri rushed 19 times for 80 yards, but with 12 TFLs (including three sacks by Trashaun Nixon (New Mexico State), the Finies netted only 48 yards on the ground. Kosuke Kamiyama filled in for the injured Gino Gordon for the Frontiers, scoring two touchdowns on 12 carries.



IBM Big Blue 51, Lixil Deers 31
Certainly the most competitive game of the day was the last.
IBM linebacker Kevin Coghlan intercepted Lixil QB Shuhei Katoh’s pass on the first play from scrimmage and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. This was immediately followed by a 96 yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Naoki Maeda, and the game was already 7-7 after the just 31 seconds of play.

The two offenses moved the ball pretty easily in the first half. Kevin Craft (UCLA), advanced the Big Blue- sometimes with his arm, at others with his feet, and two scores netted 10 more points. Katoh responded with a drive and a score of his own, scrambling up the middle on 4^th & 2 reaching the end zone to bring the score to 17-14.

But both teams seemed unsatisfied with running out the half. IBM drove and Toshiki Satoh added a field goal, and after a Lixil punt, Craft took over with a six point lead and 1:38 remaining in the period. However his throw down the left sideline was picked off and run back for a touchdown by Tadanori Sano, and the Deers had the lead for the first time, 21-20.

Undaunted, Craft came back throwing, and his receivers repeatedly made tough catches as they moved down the field. Aided by a facemask penalty, they marched down to the Deers' 25 with 2 seconds left in the half, close enough for Satoh to try a 42 yard field goal, but he missed this one wide right.

Big Blue running back Tomokazu Sueyoshi split the defense right up the middle going 80 yards on the first play from scrimmage of the second half, and a Jet sweep for the 2 point conversion put IBM back on top 28-21.

Lixil’s Katsuya Nakagawa returned the following kickoff all the way to the Big Blue 21 yard line, and a field goal made it 28-24 less than a minute and a half into the second half.

Then IBM's Keita Suzuki matched that by returning the ensuing kickoff to the Lixil 19. Three plays (and just over a minute) later, Craft hit Atsushi Uehiro for a TD and it was 35-24. For the day, Craft was 29-40 and 272 yards passing with the one interception and four touchdowns. Katoh was 17-30 for the Deers.

Craft later put together a drive that bridged the third and fourth quarters mixing runs and effective passes, finally hitting TE John Stanton in the end zone to go up 42-24.

With a twisting 29 yard run, RB Yuuki Shirakami put Lixil in back business at the IBM 17. On 3^rd & 9 Katoh hit Maeda for a 16 yard TD to make it 42-31 with 8:40 to play.

But Craft responded with yet another drive, finding Suzuki easily in the end zone for a 13 yard touchdown to put the game effectively out of reach at 49-31. It was their fourth touchdown in five possessions in the second half. Big Blue defensive end James Brooks added a sack for a safety with 1:46 to play to make the final score 51-31.

Obic will meet rival Fujitsu in Kawasaki in one semi-final game on 11/26 in a rematch of the regular season finale won 13-10 by the Frontiers in overtime; while the IBM Big Blue will go down to Osaka to face the top-seeded Panasonic Impulse for the other semi-final. The Japan X Bowl will be held on December 18^th at Tokyo Dome. The winner will face the collegiate champion in the Rice Bowl, traditionally held on January 3^rd.

Japan X-League 2017 Regular Season Finale

The final weekend of the 2017 X-League season means lots of big games scheduled.

It's expected to be another unseasonably wet weekend at that, as Typhoon Saola hits the Japanese mainland this weekend. Last week, Typhoon Lan drenched Japan making for sloppy conditions in many of the games, as it brought heavy rains, wind, and damage to some areas of the country, .

Regardless, triple headers are scheduled throughout this weekend. Beginning on Saturday at Yokohama Stadium, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Eagles will face the Bulls AFC @11AM; Tokyo Gas Creators vs Meiji Yasuda PentaOcean Pirates @2; and FujiXerox Minerva vs Nagoya Cyclones, @5PM.

On Sunday, Yokohama Stadium will host Nojima Sagamihara Rise (4-1) vs Panasonic Impulse (5-0) in a  big game for first place; Fujitsu Frontiers vs Obic Seagulls; and Asahi Beer Silver Stars vs All Mitsubishi Lions, at 11, 2, and 5 respectively.

At nearly the same time on Sunday, Expo Field in Osaka will host the Asahi Soft Drink Challengers vs IBM Big Blue;  Elecom vs Lixil Deers; and As One Black Eagles vs Club Hawkeye in the early, middle and late games.

Play-in games will be held next weekend, and quarter-final games will be on November 11th and 12th; semifinals on November 26th; and the Japan X-Bowl at the Tokyo Dome on Monday, December 18th. The Rice Bowl, against the Japanese college football champion, is traditionally held on January 3rd.

Japan Football X-League 2017!

The 22nd X-League fall season opened last weekend in the Tokyo area with Asahi Beer Silver Star beating Fuji Xerox Minerva AFC 38-6, and the Fujitsu Frontiers blanking the LIXIL Deers 30-0 in the Eastern Division, in Lixil's  rookie head coach Hajima Tominaga’s debu, replacing Kiyoyuki Mori. The Deers committed five turnovers to help the defending league champion to an easy victory.

Central Division action begins this weekend at Fujitsu Stadium with the All Mitsubishi Lions facing the Meijiyasuda PentaOcean Pirates on Saturday, and the Nojima Sagamihara Rise meeting the Bulls on Sunday. Both games kick off at 2 PM.

The Rise can be expect to be cheered on by their contingent of University of Michigan fans, especially now 105kg  fullback Sione Houma, and 115kg defensive end Mario Ojemudia join former Wolverine teammate Devin Gardner, who is in his second year with the rise. Jeremy Gallon, who led the league in receptions last year with 43, has departed.

Action continues during the week with games at the Tokyo Dome: the Tokyo Gas Creators face the Keishicho Eagles on Monday night, and OBIC Seagulls will take on IBM Big Blue on Tuesday night in a rematch of the Pearl Bowl held in June. IBM added the what will be the largest player in the league, DL Charles Tuaau out of Texas A&M-Commerce (1.96m, 141 kg).
Those games will kick off at 7.

Perennial leaders the Panasonic Impulse are still the team to beat in the West, but expect a challenge from Asahi Soft Drinks and Elecom.

Pearl Bowl XXXIX

In another thrilling championship game among the premier teams in Japan's X-League, the Obic Seagulls defeated IBM Big Blue 29-27. Obic has now won three of the last six Pearl Bowls, the game which culminates the spring season of football in Japan.

The kicking game was a big part of this game's excitement- there were a total of five(!) blocked kicks in the game, and each ran back a kick for a TD, in addition to other long returns that generally gave each team good field position to start their drives.

Both teams were able to keep their opponents running game somewhat in check- IBM could only manage 60 yards on 27 carries. Obic was a little better, with 117 yards on 30 carries, with #43 Asaki Mochizuki accounting for 72 yards on 15 carries himself. #12 Ikaika Woolsey added 24 yards on the ground and 165 yards in the air (12-17) and three TD passes.

 Obic was on the board early, with a good return of the opening kickoff leading to a 37-yard field goal. On the ensuing drive, IBM starting QB #2 Yuhki Masamoto was intercepted by Seagulls DB #27 Yudai Tanaka who returned it to the 15, and Woolsey quickly found #84 Aruto Nishimura on a Post-Corner for a TD and it was 9-0. A two point conversion pass attempt was batted down.

Following the kickoff return to their own 42, IBM started their next drive on the ground, and then Masamoto began finding receivers, connecting with #81 Shouta Matunaga, the second time on a 3-yard pass that put the  Big Blue on the board. Their extra point attempt was blocked. "Big guys in the middle of the line," said IBM head coach Shinzo Yamada simply, referring to Obic's #11 Kevin Jackson who blocked an extra point and one field goal, and IBM's #34 James Brooks, who manage to block two Obic field goal attempts and an extra point, despite having some trouble with cramping.







But in a pattern that would repeat itself throughout the game, whenever the Big Blue would draw close, the Seagulls would pull away again. #83 Taro Mizuno took the next kickoff, found a hole on the left side, and went 98 yards for a touchdown. This extra point conversion was successful, and Obic led 16-6 with four minutes of play remaining in the first quarter.


IBM responded with a 15 play, 66-yard drive bridging the quarters, which ended when Jackson blocked the 33-yard FG attempt. Obic responded with a a 33-yard FG attempt of their own...which was blocked by Brooks.


Masamoto was somewhat off-target throughout the half, and was intercepted on IBM's next drive. QB #3 Kevin Craft, who started last year but has been sitting out most of spring, came in to direct the Big Blue offense on an eight play, 66-yard drive, culminating in threaded pass to #81 Takashi Kurihara in the back of the end zone to bring the score to 16-13.


But Woolsey responded with a six play, 62 yard drive in the waning moments of the half, hitting Mizuno on a 31 yard post, to make the score 23-13 at halftime.


Midway through the half, Obic moved into IBM territory, but #6 Shun Sugawara, in place of Woolsey,
was intercepted by #20 Takato Yabe. Masamoto was back in at the controls for IBM, and he engineered an eleven play, 79 yard drive, running it in from two yards out, to bring the score to 23-20.

Another 33 yard FG attempt by Obic was blocked along the way, but in the final period, Woolsey directed a ten play, 82 yard drive that resulted in a TD, hitting #85 Ryoma Hagiyama from 12 yards out, to make it 29-20. The extra point was no good.

Kurihara took the kickoff at his own seven, and ran it back 93 yards, and suddenly the score was 29-27 midway through the fourth quarter.

At this point Obic began using their running game to chew up time. IBM did get the ball back with under four minutes left, but were hurt badly on a 3rd down intentional grounding by Masamoto, forcing IBM to kick from their own 3.

Obic was able to keep the ball, throwing on fourth down to maintain possession, and run out the clock.


IBM won the Pearl Bowl last year. Obic also won it in 2014 and 2012, as well as in 2005.

The two teams will face each other once again at the Tokyo Dome on September 5th, in the opening week of the fall season.