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.

Early Days

Looking to run a high-octane, offensive scheme, the duo brought in quarterback Anthony Petrakis and runningback Jackson Harris as their league-permitted agent players. Leading up to the inaugural draft, Grapehead identified several talented minds he wanted to add to the team in order to help build a dynasty. One of these, he spent the first overall pick in the draft on; selecting defensive tackle JJ Reigns (Shaka). Although the selection of Reigns is widely considered a bust pick, the influence of Shaka behind the scenes in Orange County is said to be a major factor in the organization's future successes.

After the inaugural draft, the Otters had a surplus of quarterbacks, so many of their selections who primarily played that role changed positions along with Petrakis. This would lead to debates over the Otters' starting quarterback role, as three players – Mike Boss, Ethan Hunt, and Josh Bercovici – vied for the position. The decision to install Mike Boss was controversial, and early in the 2016 (S1) season, after seeing Boss throw eight interceptions in two games, Grapehead benched him in favour of Bercovici.

(S1) 2016

For the inaugural draft of the ISFL, the Orange County Otters were awarded the first draft pick in league history. Filled with league legends, pro bowlers, and Hall of Famers galore, teams were looking to fill their teams with the most promising talent available and with the first pick of the draft, the Otters were in prime position to land some of the most exciting players entering the league. A full recap of Orange County’s S1 Draft can be found here.

Round 1 - Pick 1
The first pick ever in the ISFL draft would be defensive tackle JJ Reigns from Wisconsin. With incredible size and strength, Reigns was instrumental in the Badgers’ run defense before being drafted to play in the ISFL. The future Pro-Bowler would feature on the line for Orange County for three seasons. His rookie season was his most prolific with 46 tackles, 4 TFLs, and 14 sacks - tying for first in sacks among defensive tackles that year. After three seasons, Reigns made an uncommon switch to Wide Receiver - he was able to slim down and with his impressive hand and footwork, his transition to a pass catcher was a surprise to many. He would play behind Robert Phelps and Bradley Westfield, who both had 1500+ receiving that season. Despite being the third choice target on the team, Reigns was able to haul in 81 passes for 832 yards with 5 touchdowns on the season. In the following season, he would make the switch to Colorado where he would play a bit part role for the Yeti before ending his career in New Orleans in S7.

Round 2 - Pick 12
Orange County’s second pick was Adamle Tomlinson, a defensive end from Buffalo. Tomlinson, another future Pro-Bowler, would play for the Otters for four seasons before joining New Orleans in S6. Known for his pass rushing ability while at Buffalo, the defensive end was able to make his impact felt in the pocket, forcing 10 sacks in his rookie season. Tomlinson would end his career in Orange County with 167 tackles, 47 TFLs, and 33 sacks. In his second season in the league, he would also force three safeties - a league record at the time.

Round 3 - Pick 13
Stanislaw Maddox would be the next name on the board for Orange County to add to an ever-improving defensive unit. The first member of the secondary to be drafted, Maddox would only play one season for the Otters before moving onto Las Vegas. Finishing his career with them in S6 after their move to New Orleans. His first season with Orange county was a prolific one with 47 tackles, 8 PDs, 2 Interceptions, and 2 defensive touchdowns - the second most in the league.

Round 4 - Pick 24
Orange County’s first offensive pick would be Quarterback Ethan Hunt from Idaho State. Hunt would very quickly make the move to San Jose as the Otters would draft Hall of Famer Mike Boss later in the draft. The quarterback would split the snaps with Jameis Christ and in his first season pass for just 1209 yards and 6 touchdowns but would secure the starting role for the SaberCats in Season 2.

Round 5 - Pick 25
Their next pick would be Offensive Lineman Angus Winchester, joining the team with JJ Reigns from Wisconsin. Winchester would quickly establish himself as one of the best offensive lineman in the league where he would lead the league in pancakes in S1 (65) and finish in second in S3 (75). With their first two picks leaving the team in S4 and S5, Winchester was moved to Linebacker, where he truly began to shine. Over the course of his career, he would make 757 tackles, 15 TFLs, 115 sacks, 68 PDs, and 2 interceptions before retiring in S12 after spending his entire career in Orange County.

Round 6 - Pick 36
Arby Krimlaw would join the Otters next. A linebacker out of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Krimlaw would never quite reach the heights of the other players in his position. Despite that, he would still go on to have a solid career with the Otters before retiring in S6. He would make 430 tackles, 20 TFLs, 26 sacks, 45 PDs, and 3 interceptions - also chipping in with 2 defensive touchdowns.

Round 7 - Pick 37
Orange County’s second Hall of Famer in the draft would come in the 7th Round in the form Linebacker Ian Bavitz. Bavitz would play for the Otters his entire career before retiring in S8. He was an integral part of the threepeat Ultimus winning teams in S4, S5, and S6. He would end his career with 732 tackles, 15 TFLs, 70 sacks, 51 PDs, and 21 interceptions splitting his playing time between Linebacker and Safety.

Round 8 - Pick 48
The Otters’ eight pick of the draft was arguably their most important. Quarterback Mike Boss would fall late into the draft and win the starting job over the other two QBs selected in S1. Boss would go on to become a Hall of Famer and hold many records for Orange County over the years. To this day, Boss still holds the record for Passing Yards in a career for the Otters and is second overall in the league. He has a heavy lead on passing touchdowns in a career, Passing Yards in a season, and many single game records. He would end his career with Orange County in S9 having played for them his entire career. With 6 5000+ passing yard seasons in a row, Mike Boss would go down as one of the most successful and legendary quarterbacks of the entire league.

Round 9 - Pick 49
Following the selection of Mike Boss, the Otters selected Running back Omar Wright from Rutgers. The future pro bowler would only play one season for the Otters before moving onto the Liberty and then would finish his career with Arizona. In his first and only season with the Otters, Wright would have 218 rushing attempts, picking up 999 yards and 3 touchdowns. He would fail to break 1000 rushing yards despite getting close in S1-S3.

Round 10 - Pick 60
Their 10th pick of the draft would be another Running Back, Leroy Jenkins. Another eventual Pro-Bowler, Jenkins would split carries with Omar Wright in S1 before Wright’s departure following the end of the season. Jenkins’ Rookie Season would be his best year with 207 rushing attempts, 955 rushing yards, and 4 touchdowns. Before retiring in S4, Jenkins would split carries with a number of backs, never quite reaching his totals in his rookie year as the team relied heavily upon Mike Boss and the passing game.

Round 11 - 61
Orange County would pick up Offensive Lineman Marcus Boyd in the 11th Round of the draft. Another player that would only feature for one season with the Otters, Boyd would record 46 pancakes while only giving up three sacks before retiring in Season 3 with the Philadelphia Liberty.

Round 12 - Pick 72
Orange County’s third Hall of Famer in this draft would be Wide Receiver Bradley Westfield. The Wide Receiver from Buffalo would make an immediate impact in his rookie season, hauling in 61 catches for 983 yards and 8 receiving touchdowns. Westfield’s performances would make a dramatic increase in S3-S9 coinciding with Mike Boss’ continued improvement. He would have five seasons in a row recording 1500+ receiving yards and 10+ touchdown catches. Westfield currently sits at #8 for all time receiving yards in league history and second for receiving touchdowns in a career making him one of the most effective wide receivers in league history.

Round 13 - Pick 73
Joining Westfield in the Orange County wide receiver room would be Robert Phelps out of the University of Washington. Alongside Westfield, Phelps would form a dangerous receiving duo, helping to lead the Otters to three consecutive Ultimus Titles during his tenure with the team. Despite not reaching the same highs as Westfield, Phelps would still have seven seasons in a row where he would have over 1000 receiving yards with one season of 1601 yards. The wide receiver would retire in S9 after playing his entire career with the Otters.

Round 14 - Pick 84
Kicker Brandon Walsh would be selected at the end of the 14th round. Walsh would have a short lived career in the ISFL, retiring after just his third season in the league. In his first year with the Otters, Brandon would convert on all extra point attempts and only miss one attempted field goal in the season.

Round 15 - Pick 85
Quarterback Romeo Devitt would be the next off the board, although he would quickly be converted to a defensive tackle due to his size. Devitt would only play one full season with the Otters before retiring in Philadelphia following the end of S2.

Round 16 - Pick 96
Josh Bercovici would be the next player selected by the Otters. Another quarterback, Bercovici would get stuck behind Mike Boss his first season in the league, registering just 581 passing yards. He would make the move to Las Vegas and would start for the Legion for two seasons before falling out of favor with the team. Round 17 - Pick 97 The Otters would pick up Cornerback King Arthur at the start of the 17th round. Mostly a developmental option in the secondary, King Arthur would only play one season in the ISFL, recording 25 tackles before being released prior to the start of S2.

Round 18 - Pick 108
Orange County’s penchant for discovering diamonds in the rough in the later rounds of the draft would continue with Tight End George Wright Jr. He would play his first three seasons with the Otters as a tight end, racking up 1502 receiving yards and seven touchdowns before being converted to defensive end. On defense, Wright Jr. would go on to make 257 tackles, 70 TFLs, 39 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles over the course of career before retiring after S10.

Round 19 - Pick 109
The team from Orange County would again select another Quarterback in the 19th round with Cliff Hamilton joining the team. Like Romeo Devitt before him, would be converted to lineman but in this case, Hamilton would end up on the Offensive Line. In three seasons with the Otters, he would make 134 pancakes and only allow 14 sacks.

Round 20 - Pick 120
To add to their defensive frontline, the Otters would select DL Lightskin Thor with the 120th pick of the draft. He would only play two seasons with the Otters, making 59 tackles, causing 9 TFLs, and 7 sacks in his career.

Round 21 - Pick 121
Pro-Bowler Dominic Verns would join Orange County’s secondary as a safety and feature for the team through their second Ultimus win in S5 before moving to New Orleans for three seasons before ending his career in S10 with Philadelphia. In his second and third season with the Otters, Verns would make 104 and 127 tackles per season, respectively. Verns would also make 6 interceptions in S4, good enough to tie for third in the league among defenders.

Round 22 - Pick 132
Glennie Retro, a linebacker out of Georgia Southern, would be the Otters’ second to last pick of the inaugural draft. Retro would only make 4 tackles in orange before being released.

Round 23 - Pick 133
Tight End Josh Davidson would be the last pick for Orange County. He would only play two seasons with the Otters before leaving the league, recording just 197 receiving yards during his time in the ISFL.

Prior to the draft, each team had two players assigned to them. First, would be Cornerback Jackson Harris from Florida State. While there was much hype surrounding Harris, he would only go on to play one season in the secondary for Orange County. Released from the team before the start of S2, Harris would end his ISFL career with 39 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Sack, and 9 PDs. Cornerback Anthony Petrakis would be the other player assigned to the Otters. Luckily, he would pan out more than their first assigned player. Petrakis would play with the Otters until S6 before moving on to San Jose and retiring following the end of S8, Petrakis would play the vast majority of his career at Cornerback for the Otters but would make the switch to Wide Receiver in S5 where he was a serviceable wideout for the Otters but would never reach the heights of the players around him.

S1 Season Recap
Following the draft, all eyes turned to the start of S1. Largely considered a favorite to win the ISFL’s first Ultimus, Orange County would struggle in the preseason, going 2-2 with wins against the Arizona Outlaws (16-3) and the San Jose SaberCats (17-10) before losing to the Baltimore Hawks (16-9) and the Yellowknife Wraiths (27-13). Ending the Preseason with two losses, the team fell down pundit boards when it came to Ultimus winning odds but they were not out of the race yet.

In their first ever regular season ISFL matchup, the Orange County Otters would face the Arizona Outlaws. In terms of total yardage, the Otters would drastically outplay their opponents with their 430 total offensive yards to Arizona’s 182. However, Mike Boss’ inexperience would lead to the team’s downfall in their first game, as the young quarterback would throw for 312 yards but also give up 6 interceptions to the Outlaws’ defense with no passing touchdowns. Conceding the ball to the Outlaws in favorable field positions would put too much pressure on the young Otters defense and despite having 248 more offensive yards than their opponents, the Otters would lose to the Outlaws 27-12. On the back of an embarrassing opening day loss, Orange County would rally in Weeks 2-4, outscoring their opponents 53-26 taking down the Baltimore Hawks (13-10) and San Jose SaberCats twice (23-10, 17-6). After throwing 3 more interceptions in the Week 2 matchup against the Hawks, Mike Boss would lose the starting job to Josh Bercovici until he was promoted to the starting position again after a heavy loss to the Colorado Yeti (30-16) in Week 5. They would lose a close game against the Yellowknife Wraiths (16-13) away in Week 6 but would hit their stride in Weeks 7-14, only losing two more games. Finishing the regular season 9-5, the Otters would qualify for playoffs and find themselves up against the Arizona Outlaws in the ASFC Championships. The Outlaws had beaten the Otters in three of their four matchups over the course of the season and were the definite favorites going into the divisional championships. Again, turnovers would plague the Otters offense with the Arizona defense coming up with four crucial interceptions to set their offense up in good scoring positions. When the dust settled, the Outlaws had beaten the Otters badly, 36-13 on their way to their first Ultimus win against the Yeti the following week.

The heartbreaking loss was underlined by the turnover problem the Otters had all season. Their offense gave up the most interceptions with 24 over the course of the season spread among three different quarterbacks. Despite that, there were multiple individual performers on the team. Leroy Jenkins and Omar Wright would each rush for just 1000 yards and they would have two Wide Receivers near the top of the list in yardage with Robert Phelphs gaining 1142 receiving yards and Bradley Westfield with 983. The core of a championship winning team was in the making if Mike Boss could improve upon his accuracy and limit turnovers going forward.

(S2) 2017

In the S2 ISFL Draft, the Otters would look to strengthen key positions that let them down in the previous season. First, it was clear that second year Quarterback Mike Boss would need some additional protection, the running back position needed to be sorted out, and the secondary was in need of some reinforcements.

Round 1 - Pick 6
After the inaugural season of the ISFL, it was clear that Quarterback Mike Boss had potential to be a championship winning team leader, however, he needed more protection in the pocket to limit his turnovers. With that in mind, the Otters’ first pick of the draft would be Offensive Lineman Greg Clegane from the House of Clegane. The future Pro-Bowler would feature on offense for three seasons, putting up 144 pancakes and only allowing 15 sacks in that time frame. Eventually, Clegane would be moved to the defensive side of the ball where would make 321 tackles, 35 TFLs, and 81 sacks before his retirement following the end of S12.

Round 2 - Pick 14
Orange County’s second pick of the draft would look to address the issues in the running back room. With no clear winner between Leroy Jenkins and Omar Wright, it was thought that another running back was needed to come in and challenge for the Number 1 spot. Ardie Savea would be the player chosen to fill that position. However, Savea would never feature for the Otters, immediately making the move to San Jose. During his career, he would have three 1000+ yard rushing seasons before ending his career in S10 with New Orleans.

Round 3 - Pick 22
Safety Ragnar Kronen would be the Otters’ first pick designed to address the issues in the defensive secondary. Kronen would go on to have an average, playing three seasons in Orange County before bouncing around the league in free agency and ending his career in S10 with Philadelphia.

Round 4 - Pick 30
With their first few picks largely turning out to unsuccessful long term solutions, Cornerback Marc Spector would be the first player that would come good for the Otters from the S2 Draft. The future Hall of Famer would be a part of the team that would win three Ultimuses in a row. Spector would make 605 tackles, 187 PDs, 31 Interceptions, and chip in 5 defensive touchdowns over the course of his nine year career with the Otters.

Round 5 - Pick 38
Defensive Lineman Ben Green from Liberty University would be the next pick for the Otters. Green would, unfortunately, fizzle out of the league after just one full season. He would only make 23 tackles with 3 sacks in his short lived career.

Round 6 - Pick 46
Orange County would add another safety to the mix in Isaiah McGinn from Michigan. This would be another miss on the Otters’ part as McGinn would ultimately not be re-signed after the completion of the second season of the ISFL.

Round 7 - Pick 54
With Brandon Walsh moving to Las Vegas following the end of S2, a spot opened up for another Kicker/Punter on the Orange County Roster. Orange County would use their 54th pick on Joey Langdon. A social media star, Langdon gained notoriety for making long field goals online and the Otters decided to give him a shot in the big leagues. Unfortunately for them, Langdon wouldn’t pan out either, only playing one season in the ISFL, only converting on 72.4% of his field goal attempts.

Round 8 - Pick 62
With their final pick of the draft, the Otters would select another Offensive Lineman Shjom Finkenlarkin from Temple. As with most later round draft picks, Finkenlarkin was a developmental pick who would only play two seasons in the ISFL. In his first and only season with the Otters, he would have 42 pancakes and allow 7 sacks.

S2 Season Recap
Looking to start the second season of the ISFL off right, the Otters began to focus their efforts on putting up a solid performance in the Preseason. Much work had been done over the offseason to improve their team cohesion and offensive efficiency. The Otters would have a tough preseason with four away fixtures. With three wins in four games, fans of Orange County would get a little vengeance in their 20-19 win over the Arizona Outlaws in Preseason Week 3. Crucially, Mike Boss was able to limit his turnovers enough for the offense to just barely eke out a win.

Despite ending the preseason with a 3-1 record, the S2 Regular Season started off slowly for the Otters. In Week 1, they would face the Outlaws in Arizona. Again, Orange County dominated play, with 404 total offensive yards, 204 more than their opponents, they were still unable to get the ball into the endzone. Their only points on the day came from three field goals made by Joey Langdon. While Mike Boss was able to limit his turnovers, his sole interception of the day would be returned for a touchdown. A final touchdown from the Outlaws with 7:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, would put the game out of reach for the Otters, seeing them lose to their bitter rivals 17-9. In their Week 2 matchup against the Baltimore Hawks, they would be shut down by the Baltimore defense and they would give up 6 sacks during the game with rookie linemen Greg Cleganeand Shjom Finkenlarkin giving up two sacks each. With Mike Boss being limited to just 181 passing yards under constant pressure, the Otters offense was only able to find the endzone once through a 14 yard pass to Bradley Westfield. With their offense completely nullified, the Otters would go on to lose to the Hawks 15-7. Things would finally turn around in Week 3, with the Otters picking up their first victory of the season against the Philadelphia Liberty, beating them 22-13 in their first home game of the season. Robert Phelps would have an impressive outing, hauling in five receptions for 117 yards. Over the course of the season, the team would continue to improve, eventually ending the season with an 8-6 record and qualifying for the playoffs. Notably, their offense would be the third highest scoring in the league with their defense also allowing the third fewest points against. Quarterback Mike Boss was able to limit his interceptions throughout the season as well, only throwing 16 interceptions, compared to last season’s 24. The Otters would go 3-3 in conference play for the season and finish in second in the ASFC. However, that would mean they would find themselves up against the 12-2 Arizona Outlaws away from home in the Semifinals of the playoffs.

Unfortunately, the Outlaws would get the best of Orange County again, beating them 17-13 on their way to their back-to-back championship win against the Hawks, 33-6. While the team would limit their turnovers, with Mike Boss only throwing one interception and the defense forcing three interceptions, the Otters’ young offensive line would allow Boss to get sacked 7 times on the day. Inefficiencies in the red zone would again hamper the Otters, as they were only able to convert one touchdown through a 38 yard touchdown pass to Bradley Westfield. The league’s best defense in Arizona was just too much for the Otters to overcome and they would fall to the Outlaws in the first round of the playoffs for the second season in a row.

(S3) 2018

Following their second defeat in the semifinals in as many years, the Otters would look to the S3 Draft to continue to improve their young team. The S3 class would be smaller than the previous seasons, with most teams having a fully fleshed out roster. This would also be the first year that a DSFL Draft had been held with second division teams helping to develop talent for the teams in the ISFL. Draft Pipelines were beginning to form and the amount of league ready talent available to the ISFL franchises was on the rise. As their offense continued to develop, Orange County used this draft to strengthen their defensive unit.

Round 1 - Pick 6
Orange County’s first pick would come late in the first round with future Hall of Famer Julian O’Sullivan being selected with the sixth pick of the draft. O’Sullivan’s effectiveness during the S4, S5, and S6 Ultimus winning Otters teams cemented him as one of the premiere linebackers in the league. The Linebacker from Georgetown would play four seasons with the Otters before moving on to New Orleans in S7. There, O’Sullivan would really come into his own. The Linebacker would record over 100 tackles in five of the seven seasons he spent in New Orleans solidifying his legacy as one of the best linebackers the league has seen since its inception.

Round 2 - Pick 14
With Orange County’s reliance on the passing game, the hunt was still on for a running back that could truly help carry the offense if Mike Boss had an off day. Enter Erlich Burnsman, a running back from the University of Texas. After being claimed off waivers in S2 by the Wraiths, Burnsman would officially enter the draft prior to S3 and be their second pick. Like the other running backs before him, Burnsman would play an auxiliary role to the heavily pass oriented offense of the Otters and split carries with Leroy Jenkins. On just 151 carries in his first season, Burnsman was able to rack up 552 and 11 touchdowns on the season after taking over the RB1 in the backfield. In S4 and S5, Burnsman would see less than 100 carries each season as Mike Boss established himself as arguably the best quarterback in the league, with the running back having less than 300 yards in each of these two seasons. In S6 and S7, however, Burnsman would have his two best seasons, rushing for over 1000 yards in each season and would score the opening touchdown in the Semifinals against the SaberCats in S6, helping to secure the Otters a spot in the Ultimus and their eventual victory. Burnsman would retire following the end of S8 with one Ultimus ring and a few Pro-Bowl appearances.

Round 3 - Pick 22
Defensive Lineman Jimmy Cox from the University of Tennessee would be the next player to be picked up by Orange County. Cox would only play one season with Orange County, where they would have 34 tackles, 7 TFLs, and 5 sacks. Mostly a rotational option in the league, Cox retired with Colorado in S9.

Round 4 - Pick 25
Joining Cox on the defensive line would be JD Boom out of Michigan. The defensive end would only play two seasons for Orange County before being released. They would record 73 tackles, 11 TFLs, 14 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles before hanging up their cleats after S4.

Round 5 - Pick 35
The Otters would use their fifth pick of the draft on future Pro-Bowl Cornerback Jonathan King. Hailing from the University of Florida, the speedy cornerback would play seven full seasons with the Otters. King would be a part of the S5 and S6 Ultimus winning teams with a crucial interception in the S5 Ultimus against the Wraiths and 4 tackles in S6 against the Liberty. King would end his career following the end of S13. He would make 407 tackles, 2 sacks, 102 PDs, 18 interceptions, and have 1 defensive touchdown in his career with the Otters.

Round 5 - Pick 38
Kicker Al Sims would be the next selection for the Otters. Plagued with kicking troubles since the start of the ISFL, Sims was viewed as the answer to those problems. However, He didn’t make it in the league post S3 even though he had a solid record of 46/48 extra points made and 26 of 28 field goals made.

Round 6 - Pick 46
Nate Atasuke, a promising player who spent his college years at Auburn, would join a talented Otters wide receivers as the 46th pick of the draft. Unfortunately, Atasuke was unable to live up to his potential and was released from the team prior to the start of S4 despite having a promising S3 rookie season with 57 receptions for 590 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Round 7 - Pick 54
Linebacker Rick Sanchez would join his Texan teammate, Erlich Burnsman, later in the draft at Pick 54. Sanchez would be cut during preseason workouts, the team would cite a lack of work ethic as reason for his release.

Round 8 - Pick 62
Orange County’s eight and final draft pick would be another kicker, Stephon Simpson, also from the University of Texas. Simpson would also not impress the coaches in preseason workouts and would never feature for the Otters.

S3 Season Recap
S3 would start out painfully for the Otters, losing all four of their preseason matchups. In Preseason Week 1, the Otters would be blown out by the two-time Ultimus winning champs, the Arizona Outlaws, 41-14. Mike Boss would be limited to just 102 passing yards, while Leroy Jenkins and Erlich Burnsman would struggle to make up 72 yards between the two of them. After their disappointing preseason, pundits began to wonder if the other teams in the league had started to catch up to the perennial #2 team in the ASFC.

Orange County would shut the naysayers down in Weeks 1 and 2 of the regular season, defeating the Philadelphia Liberty (55-10) and the Colorado Yeti (34-6). Against the Liberty, Mike Boss would pass for 398 yards with Robert Phelps and Bradley Westfield both having 100+ yard receiving games. The defense was equally impressive, forcing two interceptions and 6 PDs to limit a talented Philadelphia wide receiving corps, holding quarterback Clifford Rove to just 182 yards and former Otter Omar Wright to 66 rushing yards on their way to a dominant win. In their next game, the Otters would be equally impressive - with Mike Boss again passing for over 300 yards and Westfield’s second game with 100+ receiving yards in a row adding two touchdowns to his name. The defense would force four interceptions, with star safety Dominic Verns accounting for two of them. They would hold the Yeti to just 109 passing and 124 rushing yards to keep the Yeti out of the endzone for the entire game. Things took a short downturn in Weeks 3-5 with a crushing defeat by the Yellowknife Wraiths (34-9) in Week 3 and another loss to the Outlaws (28-21) in Week 5 at home. Coupled with their 24-7 loss to Outlaws in Week 10, in regular season play, the Otters had only beaten their toughest divisional rival in the Outlaws once, losing to them in all six of their seven outings through the end of S3. Things would pick up for the Otters as the season progressed, in Weeks 6-9, the Otters would go on a four game winning streak where they outscored their opponents 167 to 64. Following an up and down, win-loss rollercoaster at the end of the season, Orange County would finish the season 8-6, qualifying for the playoffs in second place of the ASFC behind the 13-1 conference leaders and two time defending Ultimus champs in the Arizona Outlaws.

Unfortunately for the Otters, qualifying for the playoffs meant having to play the best team in the league that they had only beaten once in regular and postseason play since the beginning of the ISFL. The team from Arizona had turned Outlaw Stadium into a fortress, only losing two games at home over the course of three seasons. Despite their continued improvement on defense and now highly efficient offense, the Otters were unable to overcome the Outlaws away from home, losing to them 27-7. Mike Boss was more effective this season as he was able to pass for 236 yards but only found the endzone on one occasion. It was clear that Phelps and Westfield were two top targets for Boss as they accounted for 200 of his 236 passing yards that game. Ehrlich Burnsman was unable to get anything going on the ground with just 34 rushing yards on the day. While the defense did perform admirably, the Outlaws offense proved impossible to stop with over ten more minutes of possession than the Otters. Quarterback King Bronk would rip the Otter’s secondary apart, passing for 344 yards with running back Reg Mackworthy contributing another 99 on the ground. Their defense would hold the Otters to just 270 yards, forcing 2 interceptions, and 10 sacks as they pummeled Orange County on their way to another Ultimus win in S3.

(S4) 2019

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 Anaheim 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.

(S5) 2020

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.

(S6) 2021

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 5,516 yards and 42 touchdowns, the Otters marched to a 11-3 regular season record. Running back Jordan Yates turned in a historic season, recording 1,860 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns as the Otters' offense continued to terrorize defenses. Wide Receiver of the Year Bradley Westfield also contributed 1,540 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Robert Phelps had 1,169 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.

(S7) 2022

Entering 2022 (S7), the Otters underwent significant player turnover. 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 5,077 yards and 40 touchdowns. Receiver Bradley Westfield accrued 1,620 yards through the air and 15 touchdowns with another Wide Receiver of the Year performance, and weapon Jordan Yates had 1,285 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns on the season. Robert Phelps also tacked on 1,179 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns, marking another year that the trio of Westfield, Yates, and Phelps each had over 1,000 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.

(S8) 2023

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.

(S9) 2024

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).

(S10) 2025

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.

(S11) 2026

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 to start the 2026 (S11) season. 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.

(S12) 2027

After the devastating loss in the playoffs to end S11, the Otters decided not to toy too much with their team as they felt they were right on the brink of something good and instead just relied on their draft to fill holes. In the draft the Otters took two receivers, Sunnycursed and Tommy Helanen along with cornerback Jonathan Rice. Banking on the hopes that their team progressed enough with what they currently had the Otters went an even 2-2 in preseason, which had many questioning why they didn't go all in on this year and trade some younger players for proven assets. All questions would be put to rest though as ain the season opener Orange County dropped 51 points on Colorado. The Otters would continue forward with an offensive onslaught that would see them only lose one game, a 6 point deficit on the road to San Jose. At the trade deadline though they decided to make a move they felt would seal the deal for them as they traded for Andre Bly Jr.. After the trade though Orange County would go 3-2, enough to win the ASFC and have home field advantage in the playoffs, but still had some feeling uneasy. In the first round of the playoffs they'd have another go with the San Jose Sabercats who they split the season series in two close contests, however, this game wasn't close at all as Orange County destroyed the Sabercats. Another shot at an Ultimus title, the Otters would play host to the Baltimore Hawks who barely made it past the Liberty, needing overtime to advance. For the first two quarters the game would be a close contest, however, as Orange County came out from halftime, it appeared that their coach made some adjustments and they paid off as the Otters would go on a tear, scoring 28 unanswered points and guiding the Otters to another Ultimus Championship!

(S13) 2028

2028 (S13) was another winning season for the Otters. The roster remained intact, and the team was ready to repeat as Ultimus champions. But they had to make it there. Them finishing with a 9-5 record, 2nd in the ASFC didn't help, as they had to travel to state rivals San Jose Sabercats for the Championship game. The game was close, but the Otters managed to get a narrow 31-21 win, marking their return to the big game to defend their crown. In front of them, a poised Colorado Yeti team that was ready for war. And so it was. The Otters proved why they were a dominant dynasty, edging the Yeti, 27-24, for the 5th Ultimus Victory in franchise history, and 2nd in two seasons, solidifying themselves as the perennial dynasty.

(S14) 2029

In 2029 (S14), Orange County continued their dominance over the league, winning the 9 of their last 10 games, propelling themselves to yet another division title, setting up another chapter in the storied Otters-SaberCats rivalry, this time for the ASFC Championship and a trip to the Ultimus, this time in Anaheim. Once again, the away team prevailed, and the Otters' dream of another three-peat was dead. But there was a streak the Otters kept alive with that game. They had a perfect playoff attendance record, 14 playoff trips in 14 seasons.

(S15) 2030

The Otters were mediocre in 2030 (S15), but they won enough games (8-6) to make it to the post season for the 15th straight season. Their offence and defence remained among the top in the league, and with their experience, they were capable of pulling any upset. They had to face the 12-2 SaberCats in the ASFC Championship game, in San Jose. They could pull it off, but San Jose was a bit too much. 37-17 win for the 'Cats, and Orange County's season ends at the hands of their rivals.

(S16) 2031

In 2031 (S16) the Otters were unrivaled, finishing atop the ASFC after two years, with a 10-3 record, earning a bye to the Championship game. They had the best offence and defence in the league, and they were determined to win it all. They got to host Arizona Outlaws in the ASFC Championship Game, but they never showed up at their own party. The Outlaws outclassed and dominated the Otters, beating them 31-3, on their way to an Ultimus victory. The Otters had amazing front office, and they would come back. Everyone knew it was their time again. Three years without a trophy were too much for them. QB Gus T.T Showbiz retired at the end of the season.

(S17) 2032

And so it happened 2032 (S17) saw the return of the Otters to the winning ways they only accepted. Because of a rocky 7-6 regular season, there were people asking for the real Orange County Otters to "please stand up", and casted doubt on rookie QB Franklin Armstrong. And, come playoffs, they did. 20-13 escape over San Jose in the ASFC WC Game, 37-20 beatdown of the Outlaws in the Conference Championship, and 28-17 routing of the Baltimore Hawks in the Ultimus Bowl XVII, to secure the 6th Ultimus win in franchise history, a NSFL record at the time.

(S18) 2033

2033 (S18) was more of the same for the Otters, only this time, they finished the season atop the ASFC, with a 10-3 record, after a 5-game winstreak to end the season. This meant they would earn a bye to the ASFC Championship game, where they hosted the Arizona Outlaws for the third year in a row. The Otters prevailed once again, and travelled up north to play the Yellowknife Wraiths in the Ultimus Bowl XIII. The game was close, but Orange County prevailed, winning their 2nd straight title, and 7th total, improving on their own record.

(S19) 2034

2034 (S19) was again a winning season for the Otters. They started the season 7-0, and that was enough to secure yet another divisional title, despite them going 2-4 to end the season. 19th straight playoff appearance for Orange County, and another bye to the Championship Game. There, they hosted NOLA, making easy work of them, going up north for the second straight year to play Yellowknife in the Ultimus Bowl XIX. Like last season, the game was a nailbiter, but the Otters emerged victorious yet again, 30-27, hoisting their 3rd Ultimus in a row, and 8th total, completing the three-peat for the second time in both the franchise and league history.

(S24) 2039

Orange County’s 2039 (S24) season would be marked as an important one for the team as it would be the last season of legendary quarterback Franklin Armstrong's career. The three time MVP and Ultimus champion had declared the season to be his last, so hopes were high for the Otters to provide their signal caller one last ring before he hung his cleats up. The season would not get off to a great start with the Otters losing their first three games. The rest of the season would be one of peaks and valleys, with the Otters going nine and seven after the regular season concluded. Throughout the season, the Otters were able to go on a four game win streak, which put them into contention for the top seed of the American Simulation Football Conference. Yet in the competitive conference, four teams would finish up with a record of nine wins and seven losses, and ultimately, the San Jose Sabercats would secure the top seed of the conference. The Otters would square up against the New Orleans Second Line in the wild card game and would come out on top thirty-one to twenty-one. The next step would see the Otters head into San Jose in their crusade to win Armstrong a fourth ring. However, they would not be so lucky, losing the game seventeen to three. And with that, the Armstrong era of Orange County would end, as the Otters would look to their future and to usher in a new offensive core.

(S25) 2040

The 2040 (S25) Orange County Otters season was one of many firsts. It saw the debut of many new faces on both offence and defence. Notably Suleiman Ramza at quarterback, Owen Holloway at wideout and Goat Tank on the defensive line. Questions about whether the Otters would be able to maintain the success they had achieved under the old offensive stalwarts were quickly put to rest as the Otters would win their first nine games, tying the Second Line with the best consecutive win streak in league history. The final seven games were a bit more hit or miss, including a snafu of offensive lineman Grant Iridian playing the linebacker position. However, the Otters had done enough to ensure themselves the top seed of the American Simulation Football Conference with a record of eleven wins and five losses. The results of the crazy American wild card game led to the Otters having to rematch against the team who crushed their hopes last season. The only difference being that this time, the Sabercats were heading to Anaheim. The 2041 American Conference Championship Game was a hard fought affair, but unfortunately for the Otters a late interception thrown by Ramza would seal the Sabercats’ return to the Ultimus. Throughout the offseason, the Otters have already brought in marquis free agents such as Rotticus Scott and Heath Evans. Heading into the 2042 season, the Otters will be looking to develop their growing offence and maintain the excellent standards of their defence in the hopes of establishing a new dynasty.