Week 4 of '24 X League Super- To Win is a Habit

Week 4 of X League Super had few surprises.

As autumn settles in, the focus of the Japanese sports world is not focused at all on our favorite top-tier gridiron league here in the Far East. Especially yesterday, which was a national holiday called "Sports Day." However, right now, the focus of most has not been on amateur sports, but rather the Dodgers and Mets NLCS, which matters more here than perhaps the World Baseball Classic to Japanese baseball fans, or even the current NPB playoffs.

With that said, the X League is flying so far under the radar that us here seem to be the only ones in the English speaking world covering it.  Before you disagree, just know that the other major English language international gridiron news site simply copies, pastes and publishes (do they really have permission?) X League items. Maybe they think no one notices, but we have. Regardless, we do things here the old fashioned way- we use our own words.

Eastern Division Standings

3-1-0 Obic Seagulls

2-1-1 Tokyo Gas Creators

2-2-0 IBM Big Blue

0-4-0 All Mitsubishi Lions

 

Central Division Standings

4-0-0 Fujitsu Frontiers

2-1-1 Nojima Rise

1-3-0 OrientalBio Silver Star

0-4-0 FujiFilm Minerva

 

Western Division Standings

4-0-0 Panasonic Impulse

3-1-0 Sekisui Challengers

2-2-0 Elecom Finies

0-4-0 Pleiades Suns

 

Highlights

Panasonic Impulse 55 FujiFilm Minerva 0

Box Score

Panasonic held FujiFilm to 63 yards rushing and 65 yards passing, while the Impulse defense registered four interceptions and forced one fumble for a touchdown (by Tomoya Shimizu). Panasonic's three QBs threw for a combined total of five touchdowns and 238 yards. Of those receiving touchdowns, Caleb Phillips and Risuke Kuwata each caught two, while Narita Mitsuke caught one. One interception was returned by Yasumasa Komuratani for a touchdown, while Skintaro Saeki kicked two field goals in the win. The Impulse face the Creators in week 5, while the Minerva face a tough task against Big Blue.

Tokyo Gas Creators 24 Nojima Rise 24

Box Score

In a game in which both teams played even the entire game, it was only fitting that it ended up in a tie. For Tokyo, Jerod Evans was 15 for 26, 258 yards and three touchdown passes. While on the other sideline, Rise QB Kurt Palandech was 19 for 28, 208 yards and three touchdown throws. Scoring the TDs for Tokyo were Justin Hobbs (116 yards receiving) with one, and Hiroki Osaka (78 yards receiving) with two. The Rise TDs were scored by Tay Cunningham (99 yards receiving) with two, and Junpei Hashimoto with one. Tokyo had a total of 54 team rushing yards, while the Rise had a total of 106 yards. Nojima was winning, but let the victory slip away when kicker Kanta Takahashi kicked the field goal to tie it up with 12 seconds left in the game. The Gas face their biggest test with Impulse in week four, while the Rise hope to score an easy win against the Suns.

Fujitsu Frontiers 59 All Mitsubishi Lions 0

Box Score

Not much to report in this game as winning continues to be a habit for the Fujitsu Frontiers as they held the Lions to only two yards rushing, 73 yards passing and a goose egg on the score board.  Fujitsu had a total of 274 team rushing yards and combined passing of 138 yards. For the Frontiers they scored two touchdowns via the air, three touchdowns via the ground, and by sea, they returned two punts for touchdowns.  The Fighters next face a Challengers team that looks to prove themselves as being a team to be taken seriously, while the Lions hope to score their first win of the season against Elecom.

Elecom Finies 37 OrientalBio Silver Star 14

Box Score

For Elecom, it was the David Pindell show as he was 12 for 17 and 174 yards, with one TD toss (to Oda Kohei), as well as 91 yards and two rushing touchdowns.  Aside from David on the ground, Minjae Akimoto ran for 75 yards and one touchdown, with the entire backfield rushing output totaling 225 yards. In the air, backup QB Roihito Shinohara threw for an additional 64 yards. On defense, Elecom registered two fumble recoveries and three sacks, while holding the Silver Star to 63 yards rushing. Additionally, kicker Kento Tanigawa booted three field goals. OrientalBio had 196 yards passing with one touchdown hauled in by Devin Phelps, who had a total of 103 yards receiving for the day. The other Silver Star TD was rushed in by Ueki Ohbare.  For week five, the Silver Star have a tough test against Obic, while Elecom looks to secure an easy win over All Mitsubishi.

Sekisui Challengers 30 IBM Big Blue 13

Box Score

The Challenger's kicking game provided nearly 1/3 of the team's points as kicker Hiroaki Fukui was perfect with all three of his field goals. On the ground Rikuto Yamada scored one touchdown. Garrett Safron led the team in rushing with 65 yards and also was 23 for 33, with 190 yards and one touchdown (to Takuro Abe) in the air. Boogie Knight caught nine passes for a total of 81 yards. On defense, Daiki Yamashita returned a  pick six, while the defensive team held IBM to 26 yards rushing. However, though IBM was able to throw the ball with a total of 203 passing yards, their only scores came on a kick off return by Stewart Logan and two Yuto Fukuoka field goals.  IBM hopes to get back in the win column in week five against FujiFilm, while the Challengers hope to score an upset against Fujitsu.

Obic Seagulls 44 Pleiades Suns 10

Box Score

Tyler Kulka went 17 for 22 and 274 yards with three touchdowns (to Jamal Watanabe, Yuuki Sakuma and Akimitsu Mori), with Jamal Watanabe catching seven passes for 175 yards. Total team rushing was 143 yards, with one touchdown by Shichito Nishimura who also rushed for 61 yards. Takeshi Yamazaki kicked three field goals, while Yudai Aratake returned a punt for a touchdown. On defense, the Seagulls held the Suns to 16 yards rushing and had three sacks. For the Suns, they were able to pass for 172 yards in combined yardage, with Atsuya Handa going for 13/26 and 130 yards, with a touchdown throw to Ben Von Jagow. The other score for the Suns came via the toe of kicker Tasei Takagi.  The Suns hope to score their first win against the Rise in week five, while Obic hopes to easily handle the Silver Star.