Hawai'i Wayfinders 2049

[Guest]

The season is upon us, ohana! As ever, there is a ton of optimism surrounding the latest iteration of the HAWAI'I WAYFINDERS football team. Some of it is warranted, but there are still some big question marks to watch as we kick off the 2049 OSFL season.

Reasons for Optimism:

• An outstanding draft. The Wayfinders rookie class has had a tremendous training camp and preseason, with four of the five players taken in the first four rounds expected to start in Week 1. (Yeah, one of these is a punter--but in fairness, he's a really good punter.)
• The biggest need was addressed--and how! Hawai'i has been in desperate need of receiver help for the better part of a decade now, so it was no surprise that they went and drafted WR Peter Saucier at #10 overall. What was a bit more of a surprise was the Wayfinders spending their third round pick on another pass-catcher, WR Willie Green. Saucier has impressed enough to be immediately penciled in as the Wayfinders' #1 wideout. Green is still raw, but has impressed coaches with his home run ability and should see plenty of work as the Wayfinders' slot receiver. The addition of these dynamic rookies alongside veteran WR Karl Willis and TEs Connor Preston and Glenn Wright give the Wayfinders plenty of options to work with in the passing game.
• The run game returns. RB Shawn Middleton ran for 1776 yards last year and has averaged well over 100 yards per game in his three seasons as the Wayfinders' franchise running back. The entire offensive line is back and the chemistry with that group is fantastic. There is no reason to think that the run game will slow down now, and if the passing attack can make a modest improvement in efficiency, this offense is going to be extremely difficult to stop.
• The pass rush is improved. DE Xavier Sims showed off some jaw-dropping moves in training camp and looks to be even more of an impact player in 2049 than he was in 2048. Second round pick DE Darius Kaplan can play every position on the defensive line and specializes in collapsing the pocket. DT Douglas Cooks and DE Scottie Schepper are pass rushing specialists. A trip to Honolulu isn't going to be much of a vacation for opposing quarterbacks this year.

Reasons for Pessimism:

• Can the quarterback still play? Veteran gunslinger QB Heath Morton has generally underperformed over the course of his entire career in the OSFL--his career passer rating is only 71.6 and he's only ever finished one season with a QBR above 90--but he's going to get at least one more season as a signal caller. To be fair to Morton, he's never had a deep group of receivers to throw to in Hawai'i. The additions of Saucier and Green make this his best receiving corps yet, but they're still young and working to digest the playbook. This could be Morton's last chance to prove that he is worthy of the millions he's made playing professional football.
• The secondary is questionable. SS Claude Dugger is in the twilight of his career and can't anchor this unit forever. There are a few solid players in this group, but little in the way of top-end talent or depth, especially behind Dugger at safety. An improved pass rush would take a lot of the pressure off the defensive backfield. The team traded for CB Max Fredrickson, who should be an asset as the nickel corner, but this was the only real move made to improve a unit that was exposed far too often last season.

What to Watch:

• Can this team stay healthy? As ever, much is decided in this league by the injury factor. The Wayfinders have some depth, but there are several position groups (such as the aforementioned secondary) where an injured starter would be difficult to replace effectively.
• How quickly can the young players absorb the playbook? The top three picks are all disgustingly talented, but will also all be thrown immediately into a trial by fire. The spotlight is going to be shining bright on Saucier, Kaplan, and Green right from the opening kickoff as they will be playing critical full-time roles for this team. If they're not ready, the Wayfinders will certainly struggle. But if they can handle the pressure, we could be in for some real exciting football in Hawai'i.

The Schedule:

The Wayfinders' schedule is somehow both friendly and brutal. Their bye is relatively late in the season at week 11, but they also play five of their first seven games on the road. That's a ton of travel early in the season, but also a lot of away games played before the cold weather really sets in on the mainland. Four out of the last five games will be played at home with the only away date being at Memphis, so if the Wayfinders can survive that early gauntlet, they could find themselves in prime position to finish strong down the stretch.

The Week 1 opener will be played at Yuma. The Aces are coming off their seventh straight winning season and are looking to field yet another quality team in 2049. The battle for the division is going to be hotly contested this year, as each of the four teams possess a ton of talent. An early road win over a rival would be huge for the Wayfinders, but by no means will it be easy, as Hawai'i will be tested against one of the league's top franchises.

***

That's it for us from Honolulu. Good luck to everyone around the league, and as always...

GO WAYFINDERS!!!

[Sharkn20]

The season is upon us, ohana! As ever, there is a ton of optimism surrounding the latest iteration of the HAWAI'I WAYFINDERS football team. Some of it is warranted, but there are still some big question marks to watch as we kick off the 2049 OSFL season.

Reasons for Optimism:

• An outstanding draft. The Wayfinders rookie class has had a tremendous training camp and preseason, with four of the five players taken in the first four rounds expected to start in Week 1. (Yeah, one of these is a punter--but in fairness, he's a really good punter.)
• The biggest need was addressed--and how! Hawai'i has been in desperate need of receiver help for the better part of a decade now, so it was no surprise that they went and drafted WR Peter Saucier at #10 overall. What was a bit more of a surprise was the Wayfinders spending their third round pick on another pass-catcher, WR Willie Green. Saucier has impressed enough to be immediately penciled in as the Wayfinders' #1 wideout. Green is still raw, but has impressed coaches with his home run ability and should see plenty of work as the Wayfinders' slot receiver. The addition of these dynamic rookies alongside veteran WR Karl Willis and TEs Connor Preston and Glenn Wright give the Wayfinders plenty of options to work with in the passing game.
• The run game returns. RB Shawn Middleton ran for 1776 yards last year and has averaged well over 100 yards per game in his three seasons as the Wayfinders' franchise running back. The entire offensive line is back and the chemistry with that group is fantastic. There is no reason to think that the run game will slow down now, and if the passing attack can make a modest improvement in efficiency, this offense is going to be extremely difficult to stop.
• The pass rush is improved. DE Xavier Sims showed off some jaw-dropping moves in training camp and looks to be even more of an impact player in 2049 than he was in 2048. Second round pick DE Darius Kaplan can play every position on the defensive line and specializes in collapsing the pocket. DT Douglas Cooks and DE Scottie Schepper are pass rushing specialists. A trip to Honolulu isn't going to be much of a vacation for opposing quarterbacks this year.

Reasons for Pessimism:

• Can the quarterback still play? Veteran gunslinger QB Heath Morton has generally underperformed over the course of his entire career in the OSFL--his career passer rating is only 71.6 and he's only ever finished one season with a QBR above 90--but he's going to get at least one more season as a signal caller. To be fair to Morton, he's never had a deep group of receivers to throw to in Hawai'i. The additions of Saucier and Green make this his best receiving corps yet, but they're still young and working to digest the playbook. This could be Morton's last chance to prove that he is worthy of the millions he's made playing professional football.
• The secondary is questionable. SS Claude Dugger is in the twilight of his career and can't anchor this unit forever. There are a few solid players in this group, but little in the way of top-end talent or depth, especially behind Dugger at safety. An improved pass rush would take a lot of the pressure off the defensive backfield. The team traded for CB Max Fredrickson, who should be an asset as the nickel corner, but this was the only real move made to improve a unit that was exposed far too often last season.

What to Watch:

• Can this team stay healthy? As ever, much is decided in this league by the injury factor. The Wayfinders have some depth, but there are several position groups (such as the aforementioned secondary) where an injured starter would be difficult to replace effectively.
• How quickly can the young players absorb the playbook? The top three picks are all disgustingly talented, but will also all be thrown immediately into a trial by fire. The spotlight is going to be shining bright on Saucier, Kaplan, and Green right from the opening kickoff as they will be playing critical full-time roles for this team. If they're not ready, the Wayfinders will certainly struggle. But if they can handle the pressure, we could be in for some real exciting football in Hawai'i.

The Schedule:

The Wayfinders' schedule is somehow both friendly and brutal. Their bye is relatively late in the season at week 11, but they also play five of their first seven games on the road. That's a ton of travel early in the season, but also a lot of away games played before the cold weather really sets in on the mainland. Four out of the last five games will be played at home with the only away date being at Memphis, so if the Wayfinders can survive that early gauntlet, they could find themselves in prime position to finish strong down the stretch.

The Week 1 opener will be played at Yuma. The Aces are coming off their seventh straight winning season and are looking to field yet another quality team in 2049. The battle for the division is going to be hotly contested this year, as each of the four teams possess a ton of talent. An early road win over a rival would be huge for the Wayfinders, but by no means will it be easy, as Hawai'i will be tested against one of the league's top franchises.

***

That's it for us from Honolulu. Good luck to everyone around the league, and as always...

GO WAYFINDERS!!!

Great read! Can't wait for week 1!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[Guest]

HONOLULU - The HAWAI'I WAYFINDERS stand at 1-1 after their home opener, winning in thrilling fashion after a big play on fourth down from veteran WR Karl Willis set up the game-winning field goal as time expired. Hawai'i was far from perfect in the second half, but they were able to finish out an important victory thanks in large part to the contributions of the receiving corps, whose offseason overhaul is paying some early dividends for the Wayfinders. The two rookies have hauled in 12 catches apiece, and first round pick WR Peter Saucier is third in the league in receiving yards with 177 after yesterday's big performance.

Now our intrepid voyagers hit the seas again, heading to Dakota for their first of three away games in a row. The Totems' talented defense will be a big tough nut for the Wayfinders' offense to crack, especially relying as they do on so many young players, but they seem eager to meet the challenge and show what they're capable of. TE Glenn Wright in particular is looking for opportunities to make plays after being largely overshadowed in the first two games; keep an eye on him in this one!

That's all for this report ohana--and as always...

GO WAYFINDERS!!!

[Guest]

Hawai'i got off to a good start on their road trip today, battling through adverse conditions and a stingy Totems defense to a 20-12 road win. The Wayfinders defense showed up big, keeping Dakota's offense out of the end zone and creating a pair of second-half takeaways that helped turn the tide in their favor. DL Dashawn Schulz receives credit for a clutch strip-sack and recovery with less than 2 minutes to go in the game, allowing the Wayfinders to run out almost all the time remaining in the game. The secondary was tested heavily in this one, as Dakota dropped back to pass 50 times while running the ball only 9 times, and they played a terrific game in coverage, aided in large part by a strong pass rush from DE Carlos Glenn and DE Xavier Sims.

Next for the Wayfinders: a trip out to the east coast to take on the Sentinels in Charlotte. While we have seen some success the last two weeks, the offense has some work to do, especially on the ground. RB Shawn Middleton was absolutely stuffed by a tough Totems defense, and is averaging less than 3.5 yards per carry on the season. Those numbers absolutely have to improve to keep the offense on track. And while QB Heath Morton is off to one of the best start of his career, the team has had to overcome a costly interception in each of the last two games. On the bright side, the young receivers continue to impress: WR Peter Saucier had another hundred-yard game, joined this time by second-year TE Connor Preston. Saucier remains third in the league in receiving yards with 288, and Preston leads all tight ends with over 240. They will need to keep up the good work, especially if the run game continues to struggle.

We are looking forward to this next matchup. The division remains wide open, with three teams tied at 2-1 for the lead. Until next time...

GO WAYFINDERS!!!

[Guest]

We are at the quarter mark of the season, and your HAWAI'I WAYFINDERS are off to a fast start, bouncing back from a season-opening division loss at Yuma by reeling off three wins a row. The Wayfinders now stand alone at the top of the division with a 3-1 record, with the other three teams tied at 2-2 apiece.

The lion's share of the credit for their early success has to go to the newly improved receiving corps. TE Connor Preston leads the team in receiving yards, and #1 among tight ends league-wide (4th among all receivers). Rookie sensation WR Peter Saucier is just behind him as the #5 receiver in the OSFL. Both Preston and Saucier are on pace for over 1300 yards, and the other first-year man, WR Willie Green, is only just shy of the 1000-yard pace.

Their success has put the Wayfinders in a surprising position: they currently lead the league in passing yards.QB Heath Morton is also on pace for a career year. If he keeps up this pace, he will set new personal bests for passing yards, average yards per attempt and completion, and fewest interceptions thrown, as well as matching his career-highest passer rating. The only thing we aren't seeing from this passing attack is a wealth of points; drives seem to be often stalling in the red zone, and the passing offense has only a modest 5 touchdowns to their credit.

Another part of the reason for their passing success: teams are absolutely loading box against RB Shawn Middleton, and in that area, they are succeeding: the Wayfinders are 24th in the league in rush yards per game, and 31st in yards per carry. The interior of the offensive line is struggling to create gaps for Middleton. While he is on pace for another 1000-yard season, it's purely by volume at this point. However, with the way the offense is moving the ball through the air, teams won't be able to keep a safety in the box full-time for very much longer.

And with all this talk of offense, offense, offense--what about that D, ohana?! I can tell that some of you commenters out there are already furiously clacking away at your keyboards because I'm not giving the defense the credit it's due. Well here it is: 17.3. That's how many points this defense is giving up per game. 8th best in the OSFL. They've been OK covering the pass, and the pass rush has seen a bit of an improvement, but the real strength here is that they have been tremendous against the run: 3rd best run defense in the league. That defensive front, led by MLB Rod Foster, OLB Marshall Simmons, and DT Jimmie Gordon, has been tough as nails. DE Carlos Glenn has been a terrific addition as well, and has combined with DE Xavier Sims for 4 sacks and 10 hurries on the year. Taken as a whole, this certainly isn't one of the league's elite defensive units, but they are markedly better than last year and just a modest improvement in coverage/pass rush away from being one of the best around.

That's all for this quarter-point update. We still have a lot of football left to be played, and there's still plenty of places for this team to improve. The pieces are in place for some really great football this year. I can't wait to see these guys put it all together. Mahalo for reading and, as always...

GO WAYFINDERS!!!