Week 5 in X1 Super- Battle for Position

As we ended the fifth week of the season, one thing has become apparently clear, as it usually does in Japan, and that is the fact that the top teams remain the top teams (Fujitsu, Panasonic and Obic), while the bottom teams are the ones, like the Suns, who really are quite literally out of their league. 

If the X League ever wants to be taken seriously and fill stands like the LFA and ELF is doing, then they need to address the parity issue that is nagging the league ever since our little podcast here began. Of course the same problem holds true in the college ranks as the KG Fighters win the national title nearly every year. 

Sigh...

Eastern Division Standings

4-1-0 Obic Seagulls

2-2-1 Tokyo Gas Creators

2-2-1 IBM Big Blue

0-5-0 All Mitsubishi Lions

 

Central Division Standings

5-0-0 Fujitsu Frontiers

3-1-1 Nojima Rise

1-4-0 OrientalBio Silver Star

0-4-1 FujiFilm Minerva

 

Western Division Standings

5-0-0 Panasonic Impulse

3-2-0 Sekisui Challengers

3-2-0 Elecom Finies

0-5-0 Pleiades Suns

 

Highlights

IBM Big Blue 17 FujiFilm Minerva 17

Box Score

IBM came into the came hoping to win, but in the end walked away with just a tie and a playoff spot pretty much assured, courtesy of the foot of Yuto Fukuoka. During the game IBM QB Yuki Masamoto was 13/23 for 167 yards and a TD pass to Taka Suzuki., while on the ground the team registered 134 yards with a TD run by Keita Suzuki. On the other sideline, FujiFilm's William Akira ran for 139 yards and scored one TD, with, while running back Ryota Osako scored a second TD. Only one field goal was made, on three attempts by Minerva kicker Ikuya Ohno. Total team rushing for FujiFilm was 191 yards, while QB Takashi Suzuki was 11/14 for 113 yards.  Next week IBM has a basically a hopeless task against Fujitsu and Minerva wraps up their season against the Sekisui Challengers.

Fujitsu Frontiers 35 Sekisui Challengers 7

Box Score

Though the Frontiers failed to shut out the Challengers, they were able to neutralize Boogie Knight and deny him access to the end zone. However, Boogie was not really slowed down as he gained 120 yards on 11 catches during the day, while Garrett Safron was 22/35 for 192 yards and a single TD pass to Akira Kameyama. With that all said, Boogie and Garrett each coughed up the ball, while total team rushing for the team was 56 yards.  For Fujitsu, the team had 145 combined rushing yards with Tra' Shaun Nixon running for 93 of them and one TD, and Takaki Miyake rushing for another 2 TDs.  QB Tsubasa Takagi was 13/22 for 184 yards and a TD toss to Anthony Sakamoto.  Elsewhere, Grant Somergy returned a punt for a TD, while Bronson Beatty recorded an INT and Takamoto Iwamoto recorded sacks all for the Frontiers. The Frontiers take on IBM in the final week, while the Challengers take on FujiFilm.

Nojima Rise 42 Pleiades Suns 21

Box Score

The Suns led for most of the first half as a result of TD passes by QB Atsuya Handa to Takato Ito and Yuki Iwanaga. Another Suns TD was scored on a TD pass by Irisa Kazuki. The Suns ran for a total of 61 yards and had a total team passing performance of 242 yards.  On defense, the Suns picked off one pass and recorded two sacks.  For Nojima, Kurt Palendech was 16/26 for 343 yards and five TD passes (three to Tay Cunningham and one each to Junpei Yoshimoto and Sorato Otani. Kurt also ran for one TD and had a total of 57 yards rushing, while Sho Yoshizawa rushed for 110 yards. On defense, the Rise recorded two interceptions and two sacks. The Rise face the Impulse in the final week, while the Suns hope to score their first X League Super win against Tokyo Gas.

Elecom Finies 49 All Mitsubishi Lions 0

Box Score

The hapless Lions were powerless as David Pindell was 12/13 and 238 yards with 3 TD passes to Uchida Daiki (2) and Kondo Tenka (1). On the ground, Elecom ran for a total of 161 yards with two runs for TDs by Malone Mataele, one by Yuki Shirakami, and one by Akimoto Minjae. Total team passing was 310 yards, which included Pindell's total, plus the 72 yards thrown by Shinohara Roihito. On defense, Elecom had one sack and forced two fumbles, and held the Lions to a total of 80 yards rushing, 172 yards passing, and forced them to punt six times. The Lions face the Silver Star in the final week, while the Finies face off against the Seagulls.

Panasonic Impulse 27 Tokyo Gas Creators 13

Box Score

Panasonic QB Yuya Araki was 14 for 23, 106 yards and no TDs, while their kicker got the job done with four field goals. Victor Mitchell ran for one TD and Genmei Tachikawa ran for another. The Impulse had a total of 191 team rushing yards. On defense, the Impulse recorded two sacks, and held the Gas to, wait for it, -34 yards rushing. In the air, Jerod Evans was 14 for 19 with 242 yards passing and TD to Yuji Hayashi, while Park Yong-Jun kicked field goals for the Gas. The Gas face the Suns during the final week, while the Impulse face the Rise.

Obic Seagulls 45 OrientalBio Silver Star 7

Box Score

The Seagulls completely dominated in this game with the first TD coming on a fumble recovery by Kento Ikeda. Obic scored two TDs on the ground, while Tyler Kulka was 18 for 22, with 221 yards and three TD throws to Holden Huff, Jamal Watanabe and Kyohei Kokaji. Meanwhile, the Obic defense held OrientalBio to 45 yards rushing, while in the air they were held to 166 yards and one TD to Ueki Ohbare. The Seagulls face Elecom in the final week of the season, while the Silver Star face the Lions.