IT’LL BE NORTHERN UTAH (CACHE VALLEY & RHINO-RAIDERS), IDAHO FALLS… AND “THE REST” AS PARITY REIGNS SUPREME FROM 4 THRU 9

 

RMFL Team Reviews/Projections: by Jared Neumeier

 

PLAYERS!! READ THIS FIRST!!

 

This preview is NOT the official word from your coaches on who will start and who will not!  Every position is competed and will continue to be competed at each practice and each game.  If you are hearing differently from your coaches lately, take THEIR word for it, not mine!  .

 

RMFL – If this truly is my last set of pre-season previews I will ever scribe, I have to say, it was definitely the most interesting.

 

Oh, the #1 and #2 teams have been pretty set for quite a while, maybe a little waffling back and forth between them, but the next 7 pre-ranking positions, 3 thru 9 have changed a dozen times since I first began writing the previews.

 

I was finally able to generate enough confidence in the Idaho Falls Mustangs vastly improved defense to stick them in as a hard #3, but I have to tell you, the next six teams, the Lionz, Speed, Wolverines, Muddogs, Predators and Heat are about as evenly matched… at least from this writers perspective, as can be.

 

At least 5 of those 6 spent temporary time as my #4, and like a great landscape, I cannot continue to look at the ranking without somehow thinking there is some way I can improve it…how I ranked the 4 thru 9 teams.  Further, if any of those 4 thru 9 teams thinks they should be ranked somewhere else in that range, they are absolutely RIGHT.

 

I apologize.

 

Each of those middle 6 have strengths and weaknesses… or question marks.

 

Madison still will have an explosive offense… questionable defense.

 

Boise will have a good defense, questionable offense.

 

Wolverines… see Boise above.

 

Muddogs… see Madison above

 

Pocatello…solid defense, but questionable offense with a raw, young quarterback

 

Utah Heat… Decent defense, solid rushing attack… abysmal passing

 

It was particularly easy to pick the Seminoles to go last place, at least if I’m wrong with that one, I’ll share company with all of the other RMFL prognosticators around. I can’t be too embarrassed if that expansion team proves to be more than expected.

 

But those 6 middle teams will be fighting for what I see are the 3 “up for grabs” playoff spots, one of them a home game in the first round and they all have just about an equal chance… from my perspective of grabbing it.

 

Picking between the Bears and Rhino-Raiders for number one was a little easier.  Both teams were tops last year; obviously the Rhinos were head and shoulders above the rest.  However, I am convinced that the Bears have made just the right moves to position them to take over the #1 spot.  Their offensive line will be key and their defensive line will be tops.  Bears quarterback, Ryan Harris, has a year under his belt and will be more familiar with Norvel Young and the league’s fastest man, Anthony Stewart.

 

You all have to admit, an RMFL Championship game featuring the Rhino-Raiders and the Bears would be a “sell out” affair.

 

The Idaho Falls Mustangs, however, lurk as a potential spoiler of that Championship party, they are just the most balanced and dangerous team on offense, with a new coach that knows how to use his players.

 

Any team beyond  Idaho Falls would have to be an extremely dark horse for an RMFL Championship, however, a real legitimate contender for any of at least 3 playoff spots.

 

PLAYOFF PROJECTIONS: 

 

The scenario of this reporters preview is that the Bears will emerge as the #1 seed. I project them defeating the Rhino-Raiders in the second week, however, being surprised by someone else, perhaps Idaho Falls, so they too will have a loss.  They would get the number 1 seed tie-breaker over the Rhinos by virtue of the head to head.  Idaho Falls is strong, but are fully capable of losing to teams like the Lionz or Wolverines in Utah, as well as the Rhino-Raiders and/or Bears.  With 3 losses, they get the #3 seed.  The rest of the field is extremely murky.   My scenario has Eastern Idaho, with that explosive offense and what always seems to be an over-achieveing defense, grabbing the #4 seed with the Speed, by virtue of their great home field advantage and some good defense, back into the #5 seed and the Wolverines overcome Pocatello, the Muddogs and the Heat for the last spot.  I could easily see flip-flopping the Wolverines and Speed, though. Take your pick.  The Muddogs are the most likely of the other three to knock out either of the Lionz, Speed or Wolverines.  The first round would then have Idaho Falls hosting the Wolverines and the Lionz hosting the Boise Speed.  The Mustangs should win easily if healthy and Eastern Idaho wins because of home field advantage… only.

 

This sets up a semi-final pitting Madison at Cache Valley, a replay of last season’s semi-final, won by the Lionz in the last minute and the Idaho Falls Mustangs at the Rhino-Raiders.  There could very easily be an upset in one of those contests and rather than take the easy out and just predicting the highest seeds always winning, I’ll venture out on the limb and suggest that the Mustangs are the team to pull off the upset.  They have the ability to make the Rhinos blitzing defense pay for it like no other team. They can control the ball for long stretches.  If last years Lionz o-line couldn’t handle the Rhinos and their blitz schemes, I just can’t see them handling a full boat of Fiefia’s in a playoff game.

 

That would put Idaho Falls at Cache Valley.  I just don’t see Idaho Falls pulling off two upsets. They won’t get enough pressure on Harris and they will need both Roth and Brandon Reed full-time to try to stop Stewart and Young.  To see the match-up, however, of the Mustangs’ offensive line against the Bears defensive line… and Travis Boden crashing into that linebacker group just has to make a true football fan salivate anxiously await the post-season.

 

 

But… its all a dream, for now.

 

This is just the make believe world of pre-season previews.  Everyone is 0-0… The top ranked teams still have to EARN their wins, if they get them at all… and the lower ranked teams still have time to play football ON THE FIELD… and not just talk about it on the internet.


Good luck to you all!!

 

TEAM PRE-SEASON RANKINGS:

 

1 –
Cache Valley Bears

 

2 –
Rhino-Raiders

 

3 –
Idaho Falls Mustangs

 

4 –
Eastern Idaho Lionz

 

5 –
Boise Speed

 

6 –
Utah Wolverines

 

7 –
Muddogs 

 

7 –
Pocatello Predators                  

 

9 –
Utah Heat        

 

10 –
Salt Lake Seminoles

 

 

 

 

                                      STANDINGS PROJECTION

 

 

W

L

GB

Cache Valley*

8

1

-

Rhino-Raiders*

8

1

-

Idaho Falls*

6

3

2

Madison*

5

4

3

Boise*

5

4

3

Utah Wolverines*

4

5

4

Muddogs

4

5

4

Pocatello

3

6

5

Utah Heat

2

7

6

Salt Lake

0

9

8

 

 

 

 

 

* Would qualify for playoffs