Orange County Otters
Orange County Otters | |||
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First season: 2016 Play in and headquartered in Santa Ana Stadium Santa Ana, California | |||
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League/conference affiliations | |||
Current uniform
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Team colors | Orange, White, Brown[1] | ||
Personnel | |||
General manager | Speculadora RedCydranth | ||
Team history | |||
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Championships | |||
League championships (3) | |||
Conference championships (4) | |||
Division championships (4) | |||
Playoff appearances (11) | |||
Home fields | |||
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The Orange County Otters are a professional American football franchise based in Santa Ana, California. The Otters currently compete in the National Simulation Football League (NSFL) as a member club of the league's American Simulation Football Conference (ASFC) which currently only has one division. The franchise was established in 2016 (S1) as one of the six original teams. They have a storied rivalry with the Arizona Outlaws, who they have faced in multiple ASFC championship games. The Otters won three back-to-back Ultimus Bowls, between 2019 (S4) and 2021 (S6), under their now iconic slogan "Otter Slaughter".
Contents
History of the Orange County Otters
The Orange County Otters began as the brainchild of Grapehead and OfficialDT in the early days of the NSFL, with the two serving as the organization's first general manager and assistant general manager respectively. After spending the first overall pick in the draft on JJ Reigns (Shaka), the Otters were widely considered a contender for the league's first championship. However, after finishing the season with a 9-5 record, the best defense, the best rushing attack, and League MVP Angus Winchester anchoring the offensive line, the Otters would fall in the ASFC Championship, losing to the eventual champion Arizona Outlaws.
2017 (S2) would start with controversy for Orange County as Gregor Clegane, who had been signed to the Otters as a waiver wire pick up the previous season, entered the draft officially, declaring he would hold out if not drafted by the Californian team. This angered many in the league, but teams decided not to risk calling Clegane's bluff, and the Otters were able to draft him at the end of the first round in the draft. Orange County would overcome a slow start to the season to finish 8-6, but lost again in the conference championship round to the eventual champion Outlaws, while Robert Phelps picked up Wide Receiver of the Year to soften the blow somewhat.
The sudden retirement of defensive tackle turned linebacker Franklin Harris in 2018 (S3) after it emerged he was being charged with first degree murder caused problems for the Otters, but they were able to pick up top prospect Julian O'Sullivan in the first round of the 2018 draft as a replacement. This was also the year that Mike Boss emerged as an elite quarterback, leading the league with 4600 passing yards en route to the Quarterback of the Year award. Bradley Westfield would pick up Wide Receiver of the Year too, but the Otters still could not do better than the previous season's 8-6 record and another conference championship defeat.
Prior to the start of the 2019 (S4) season, the NSFL introduced robots to play along the offensive line, which freed up the Otters' two best offensive linemen to position switch and bolster a struggling defense, as Angus Winchester and Gregor Clegane moved to linebacker and defensive tackle respectively. With several names hitting free agency across the league, Orange County moved to secure their starting quarterback Mike Boss, who signed on for $22 million over three seasons, despite concerns over the Otters playoff struggles. After starting slowly again, the Otters finished 9-5 and turned heads with their league-best passing offense and elite front seven. The ASFC Championship that season went differently, as the Otters overcame the Outlaws in a 27-9 win, sacking King Bronko eight times. A return to Santa Ana Stadium for Ultimus Bowl IV saw them defeat the Yellowknife Wraiths to become only the second team to win the NSFL Championship. Mike Boss was named League MVP, and thus began the Otter Slaughter dynasty.
After picking up San Jose runningback Jordan Yates in free agency on a $21 million deal to replace the now-retired Leroy Jenkins, the Otters would go 11-3 in 2020 (S5), with the fewest points and yards allowed in the league, while racking up the most yards on offense and leading the league in sacks. Yates' record 21 touchdowns on the season set a new league record before the Outlaws were blown away 43-19 in the ASFC Championship. An ugly, defensive battle took place in Ultimus Bowl V, but Orange County came out on top, with Mike Boss retaining the League MVP and Quarterback of the Year awards, while Bradley Westfield claimed another Wide Receiver of the Year title, and rookie Ryan Sierra picked up the Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year awards.
In the 2021 (S6) season, the Otters aimed to become the first team since the Arizona Outlaws to complete a threepeat and win three consecutive championships in the NSFL. Led again by Quarterback of the Year Mike Boss, who also won his third consecutive League MVP award while passing for 5516 yards and 42 touchdowns, the Otters marched to a 11-3 regular season record. Running back Jordan Yates turned in a historic season, recording 1860 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns as the Otters offense continued to terrorize defenses. Wide Receiver of the Year Bradley Westfield also contributed 1540 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Robert Phelps had 1169 yards and 9 touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, linebacker Angus Winchester led the league with 18 sacks while safety Ian Bavitz led the league with 6 interceptions. The Otters marched into the ASFC championship game pitted against a new opponent in the San Jose SaberCats after two fierce battles with the Outlaws in previous seasons. The SaberCats, led by veteran quarterback Chris Orosz and offensive playmaker Darren Smallwood, matched the Otters with an 11-3 regular season record to set up the showdown in Orange County, as the Otters held the head to head tiebreaker. The Otters prevailed 32-29 in a war of attrition, through a big safety score by Ian Bavitz in the 4th quarter and a game winning field goal from kicker Bradley Madlad with 34 seconds left in regulation. The Otters then faced the Philadelphia Liberty in Ultimus Bowl VI. Against quarterback Tyler Oles, the Otters defense stood tall and limited the Liberty to just 2/14 on third down conversions. A 460 yard passing performance from Mike Boss secured victory for the Otters, winning 23-17 and completing the historic threepeat.
Entering 2022 (S7), the Otters underwent significant player overturn. The Otters acquired the supremely talented tight end Carlito Crush and drafted CB Vladimir Fyodorovich, but lost key linebacker Julian O'Sullivan who left through free agency to the division rival New Orleans Second Line in a huge blow to the heart of the defense. Nonetheless, the Otters dominated en route to a 13-1 record in the regular season. Quarterback Mike Boss again led the league in passing yards and touchdowns with 5077 yards and 40 touchdowns. Receiver Bradley Westfield accrued 1620 yards through the air and 15 touchdowns with another Wide Receiver of the Year performance, and weapon Jordan Yates had 1285 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns on the season. Robert Phelps also tacked on 1179 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns, marking another year that the trio of Westfield, Yates, and Phelps each had over 1000 receiving yards. Meanwhile, rookie cornerback Vladimir Fyodovorich won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Linebacker of the Year Angus Winchester recorded a league-high 23 sacks while Defensive Lineman of the Year Gregor Clegane recorded 19 sacks for himself. Safety Ian Bavitz also led the league with 8 interceptions and 2 defensive touchdowns, and also had 13 sacks as a complete defensive force that earned him Defensive Back of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Otters faced the Outlaws in the ASFC championship game, in a complete mismatch. The Outlaws had just a 5-9 regular season record and were overwhelmed in the ASFC championship game, 48-24, as Mike Boss threw for 484 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Otters looked set to complete the fourpeat in Ultimus Bowl VII against the Philadelphia Liberty in a rematch from Ultimus Bowl VI. The Otters were stunned early on in the game, though, when Josh Garden returned the opening kickoff 103 yards for a Liberty touchdown. The Liberty eventually led early in the 2nd quarter 21-3 after a 43 yard strike from quarterback Tyler Oles to Kendrick Hendrix. The Otters struggled to convert on 3rd down, finishing just 5/19 on third down and falling short in the game to lose 28-19. This marked the first time in NSFL history that an NSFC team won the Ultimus Bowl.
The 2023 (S8) season marked another season of personnel change on both players and the Otters management team. BWestfield stepped down from co-GM and speculadora took over, while MolarPistols remained head GM of the team. Meanwhile, the team made a blockbuster trade for safety Jaylon Broxton from the division rival New Orleans Second Line in exchange for Vladimir Fyodorovich and Fuego Wozy among other assets. Linebacker and pass rushing specialist Mason Brown joined the Otters over the offseason, too. Mike Boss again exceed 5000 passing yards for the season, throwing for 5043 yards and 36 touchdowns on the season while winning Quarterback of the Year for the 5th time. Jordan Yates added 1632 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns, while new converted receivers Tegan Atwell and Carlito Crush stepped up in place for the aging Robert Phelps, recording 1239 and 1205 receiving yards respectively. Legendary wideout Bradley Westfield still led the team with 1271 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Angus Winchester recorded 10 sacks for the Otters defense which took a step back. Nonetheless, the Otters topped the ASFC with a 10-4 record and faced off against the New Orleans Second Line in the ASFC championship game. Second Line quarterback Borkus Maximus III threw for 362 yards while Mike Boss struggled to 247 yards on 18/39 passing, as the Second Line won 20-17.
2024 (S9) began as a season for retooling and rebuilding for the Otters as their core players from their threepeat aged. Safety Marcus Kane was the only notable offseason acquisition, and the Otters entered the season with a look for developing the future. Quarterback Mike Boss threw for 5187 yards in his farewell season, with 36 touchdowns. Jordan Yates also rushed for 1033 yards and 12 touchdowns in his last season, also securing 623 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns through the air. Bradly Westfield continued his dominance with 1170 yards and 11 touchdowns, but the real star was Carlito Crush, who was the League MVP and Wide Receiver of the Year with 1532 yards on 100 catches and 17 touchdowns. Rising defensive force Mason Brown led the league in tackles with 130 tackles as he won Linebacker of the Year honors. The Otters secured a 9-5 regular season record before facing the Second Line again in the ASFC championship game. The Second Line overwhelmed the Otters 39-21 before going on to win Ultimus Bowl IV in 2024 (S9).
In the 2025 (S10) season, the Otters faced an incredible amount of player and management turnover. Molarpistols stepped down as GM, ceding his responsibilities to speculadora who was promoted to head GM. RedCydranth joined as co-GM for Otters management. With Mike Boss' retirement, the Otters drafted quarterback Gus T.T. Showbiz who arose from the DSFL this season. Jordan Yates also retired, so running back Ricky Adams also began his rookie season while Danny Grithead joined as the team's first round draft pick as a true rookie. Wide receiver Robert Phelps and legendary safety Ian Bavitz both retired, while receiver Tegan Atwell left in free agency to the Yellowknife Wraiths. The Otters still remained optimistic for their playoff chances. Showbiz threw for 3532 yards and 13 touchdowns, and Carlito Crush had 1425 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. Crush was traded at the trade deadline to the rival New Orleans Second Line in exchange for a second round draft pick. Long-time defensive staple Marc Spector won Defensive Back of the Year for the Otters, with a league-leading 31 PDs along with 7 interceptions. Mason Brown won Defensive Player of the Year, leading the league with 16 sacks. The Otters finished the season with a 7-7 record, making the playoffs, and ultimately faced the New Orleans Second Line for the third consecutive season in the ASFC championship game, pitted against former player Carlito Crush. Even as a heavy underdog, the Otters fell short 10-3 as both teams struggled immensely to move the football in a defensive battle. Otters fans immediately questioned the team's decision to trade away the dynamic Carlito Crush to the Second Line after the closeness of the game.
Feeling the need to get back on top in the ASFC, the Otters first went out and got their quarterback some new weapons as they resigned Carlito Crush, as well as signing Tegan Atwell. After that they targeted their defense and found the Yeti to be a suitor who was selling off their pieces. From the Yeti, Orange County was able to grab defensive end Norman Bagwell and linebacker Ricky Ramero for their 2nd round pick in the 2027 (S12) draft. With the new pieces added onto what was virtually the same roster from the previous season (aside from swapping out one Spector for another), the Otters were hoping to build upon their 7-7 season in 2025 (S10). Despite a strong 3-1 showing in the preseason, the Otters were slow out of the gates and stumbled their way to a 2-3 record. It took a while, but the team would finally gel together and find a nice groove as they would rattle off 7 straight wins. Showbiz would prove to be a good leader for the team throwing for just over 4000 yards and 30 touchdowns and the Otters as a whole would have 3 players with over 950 receiving yards. At the end, Orange County would find themselves with a 10-4 record and still in second place, but prove to actually be a threat to the Second Line. The New Orleans Second Line would ultimately prove to be the real force as they bounced Orange County in the first round 40-13, leaving the Otters with only hope for their future.
Logos and uniforms
Season-by-season records
Players of note
Current roster
This article is pending review by an Approver on the wiki team. Do not award TPE yet. |
Orange County Otters roster
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Quarterbacks
Running backs Wide receivers Tight ends {{{Tight Ends}}} |
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams |
Reserve lists
DSFL Send-downs Rookies in italics
Roster updated May 16th, 2024 | ||||||
Orange County Otters individual awards
NSFL Award Winners | ||
Season | Player | Award |
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2016 (S1) | Angus Winchester (OL) | Most Outstanding Player |
2016 (S1) | Angus Winchester (OL) | Offensive Player of the Year |
2016 (S1) | Angus Winchester (OL) | Offensive Lineman of the Year |
2017 (S2) | Robert Phelps (WR) | Wide Receiver of the Year |
2018 (S3) | Bradley Westfield (WR) | Wide Receiver of the Year |
2018 (S3) | Al Sims (KP) | Kicker of the Year |
2018 (S3) | Mike Boss (QB) | Quarterback of the Year |
2018 (S3) | Mike Boss (QB) | Most Outstanding Player |
2018 (S3) | Mike Boss (QB) | Offensive Player of the Year |
2019 (S4) | Mike Boss (QB) | Quarterback of the Year |
2019 (S4) | Mike Boss (QB) | Most Outstanding Player |
2019 (S4) | Mike Boss (QB) | Offensive Player of the Year |
2019 (S4) | Mike Boss (QB) | Most Valuable Player |
2020 (S5) | Mike Boss (QB) | Quarterback of the Year |
2020 (S5) | Mike Boss (QB) | Most Outstanding Player |
2020 (S5) | Mike Boss (QB) | Most Valuable Player |
2020 (S5) | Bradley Westfield (WR) | Wide Receiver of the Year |
2020 (S5) | Ryan Sierra (DT) | Defensive Lineman of the Year |
Head coaches
Name | Tenure | Regular Season Record | Post Season Record | |||||
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W | L | T | W | L | ||||
Grapehead | 2016 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Shaka | 2016 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
Jbearly | 2017 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
Molarpistols | 2018-2024 | 70 | 28 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
Current staff
Orange County Otters staff
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Franchise records
Passing
Regular Season | Playoffs | Rookie | ||||||
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Career | Season | Game | Career | Season | Game | Season | Game | |
Completions | 3251 | 420 | 41 | 326 | 64 | 37 | 210 | 30 |
Yards | 42278 | 5545 | 522 | 4172 | 829 | 486 | 2334 | 312 |
Touchdowns | 292 | 41 | 8 | 24 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 3 |
Completion Rate | 61.7 | 65.3 | 80 | 53.8 | 63.4 | 69.8 | 59.7 | 65.7 |
Rating | 92.8 | 103.8 | 150.4 | 79.2 | 99.4 | 125.6 | 67.4 | 105.2 |
+ = min. 500 attempts, # = min. 100 attempts, ∗ = minimum 15 attempts
Rushing
Regular Season | Playoffs | Rookie | ||||||
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Career | Season | Game | Career | Season | Game | Season | Game | |
Attempts | 889 | 268 | 35 | 158 | 48 | 29 | ||
Yards | 3482 | 1110 | 148 | 546 | 189 | 103 | ||
Touchdowns | 45 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
∗ = minimum 15 attempts, # = min. 100 attempts, + = min. 500 attempts
Receiving
Regular Season | Playoffs | Rookie | ||||||
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Career | Season | Game | Career | Season | Game | Season | Game | |
Receptions | 703 | 121 | 15 | 67 | 18 | 10 | ||
Yards | 12474 | 1860 | 212 | 1328 | 314 | 158 | ||
Touchdowns | 102 | 17 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 3 |
∗ = minimum 4 receptions, # = min. 20 receptions, + = min. 200 receptions
Other
Regular Season | Playoffs | Rookie | ||||||
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Career | Season | Game | Career | Season | Game | Season | Game |
Returns
Regular Season | Playoffs | Rookie | ||||||
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Career | Season | Game | Career | Season | Game | Season | Game |
Kicking
Regular Season | Playoffs | Rookie | ||||||
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Career | Season | Game | Career | Season | Game | Season | Game |
Defense
Regular Season | Playoffs | Rookie | ||||||
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Career | Season | Game | Career | Season | Game | Season | Game | |
Tackles | 732 | 130 | 20 | 76 | X | 13 | ||
Sacks | 88 | 23 | 5 | 15 | X | 3 | ||
Interceptions | 24 | 8 | 3 | 3 | X | 1 |
Exceptional Performances
Regular Season | Playoffs | Rookie | ||||||
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Career | Season | Game | Career | Season | Game | Season | Game |
References
- ↑ "Orange County Otters Team Info". Official Orange County Otters Info Page. National Simulation Football League. May 16, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2018.