Then and now

Football fans, welcome to my opinions and insight section here on IronmanFootballLeague.com! In the coming weeks and months, you will get to read my opinions and analysis of players, teams, games, and more and hopefully, get a better understanding for this game and this league that so many of us enjoy seeing every Saturday and Sunday night during the summer. Before I delve into this week’s section, I should probably introduce myself.

This is my third year with the IFL and currently, I am the league’s lead public address announcer. I’ve announced many of the regular season games over the last three seasons, and in addition, I’ve covered the playoffs, the last couple Iron Bowl’s, and also last season’s All-Star Bowl. This year, I am the lead PA announcer for the IFL’s Milwaukee Venom, Spring City Cyclones, and St. Francis Monarchs, and part-time PA announcer for the Wauwatosa Spartans. In addition to that, I provide game analysis for the “IFL on Time Warner Sports” and write many of the postgame reports for the league website.

At the beginning of the year, every fan gives their opinion as to which two teams will make it to the championship. This season, my picks for Iron Bowl XII were the Madison Mustangs and Roscoe Rush. Both teams had similar scenarios last season and were heavy favorites coming into this season.

Last year, the Rush and Mustangs advanced to their respective conference championships and both came just short of making the trip to Iron Bowl XI. The Rush, who previously upended the Franklin Outlaws in the 2007 opener, could not seal the deal when it counted most. The same is true with Madison. It took three overtimes for Muskego to knock off the Mustangs in the National Conference Championship, and barring an offensive turnover inside their own five yard line, Madison and Muskego may still be battling for that lucrative trip to the Iron Bowl.

Right now, in the midst of week 9, both teams remain poised for deep playoff runs. The Rush is getting hot at the right time and has won four straight heading into their season finale. QB Jason Hufford was injured earlier in the season but their last few games have been against the likes of St. Francis and Spring City. These contests should allow him to get healthy again and gear up for the playoffs. The worst that Roscoe could finish is third in the American Conference, since they won the head-to-head matchup with McHenry County, who will likely finish fourth. The best they could finish would be second, depending on their game this past weekend against Burlington. Likely, their first round playoff matchup will pit them against Burlington or Wauwatosa. If they meet the Spartans, Roscoe will be looking to avenge their week four defeat, and they may have their best opportunity to do so, since Wauwatosa has recently been riddled with injuries.

On the other hand, you have the most dominating team in the IFL this season, the Madison Mustangs. The Mustangs have been unrelenting since the beginning of the season, outscoring their opponents 441-30. Their spread offense attack led by QB Marques Korpela is the most dangerous in the league, and few teams have the speed or size at defensive back to match up with the likes of WR Reggie Davis and company. The closest team to match them was the Rush, and back in week 2, Roscoe held Madison to 16 points. Since then, the Mustangs have burst out offensively. Madison has full control of first place in the National Conference and even with a week 9 lose, they still would sit in the driver’s seat. With things shaping up the way they have been, Madison will likely either face Fond du Lac or West Allis in the first round of the playoffs. After that, who’s to say what could happen. Regardless, the National Conference Championship and Iron Bowl are going through Madison…literally. The Mustangs are riding an eight game undefeated streak, but they must not get too high on that wave. All they have to do to keep focused is look at the New England Patriots, who went undefeated in the regular season, but couldn’t close the door in the Super Bowl.