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 3rd-seeded Rise suffered one of their most miserable performances of the season with a shocking nine turnovers, losing to the 6th-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 2nd 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 3rd 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
2nd 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 4th 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 4th & 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 3rd & 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 18th at Tokyo Dome. The winner will face the collegiate champion in the Rice Bowl, traditionally held on January 3rd.
