Difference between revisions of "Sarasota Sailfish"
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After the back of a poor playoff performance in their last game of the previous seasons the Sailfish had high hopes for the upcoming season despite losing franchise stalwart [[Derred de Ville]] in Free Agency, and, despite losing their first game of the season in Colorado to the Yeti, 26-23, these high hopes were proven to be justified, as they won their next six games before losing to the Otters at the halfway point in the season, week 8, to set up themselves up at 6-2 and looking good for the back half of the season. They would again in week 9 before winning 3 of their next 5 games, splitting the final two matchups of the season, losing to the Yeti and beating the Butchers, to set set themselves up with the third seed in the division, meaning no home field advantage in the postseason. This did not discourage the Sailfish in the divisional round however as they brushed the Yeti aside, 33-13, with running back Ichinose rushing for 123 yards and a TD. However this would be as far as the team would get, losing 23-20 in the Conference Championship Game to the Fire Salamanders with Boss Jr. throwing 2 interceptions, including a crucial pick 6 in the fourth quarter which would let Berlin back into the game. At the end of the season it would be announced GM sakrosankt would be stepping down, to be replaced by Mojojojo. | After the back of a poor playoff performance in their last game of the previous seasons the Sailfish had high hopes for the upcoming season despite losing franchise stalwart [[Derred de Ville]] in Free Agency, and, despite losing their first game of the season in Colorado to the Yeti, 26-23, these high hopes were proven to be justified, as they won their next six games before losing to the Otters at the halfway point in the season, week 8, to set up themselves up at 6-2 and looking good for the back half of the season. They would again in week 9 before winning 3 of their next 5 games, splitting the final two matchups of the season, losing to the Yeti and beating the Butchers, to set set themselves up with the third seed in the division, meaning no home field advantage in the postseason. This did not discourage the Sailfish in the divisional round however as they brushed the Yeti aside, 33-13, with running back Ichinose rushing for 123 yards and a TD. However this would be as far as the team would get, losing 23-20 in the Conference Championship Game to the Fire Salamanders with Boss Jr. throwing 2 interceptions, including a crucial pick 6 in the fourth quarter which would let Berlin back into the game. At the end of the season it would be announced GM sakrosankt would be stepping down, to be replaced by Mojojojo. | ||
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| + | ===S38=== | ||
| + | After their S37 loss to the Arizona Outlaws in the Ultimus, the defending division winners would not have a first-round pick after trading it for Baltimore’s S39 Pick and WR Sconnie McSix. However, even with a later round pick, the Sailfish were still able to find incredible value when they drafted WR Johnny Blaze Jr. at the 27 spot. Blaze would go on to becoming one of the franchise’s best wide receivers and lead the line for years to come after the departure of Nick Kaepercolin Jr and Sconnie McSix. With the 41st pick of the draft, the Sailfish would also select Safety Julius McMiller who would never make an appearance with Sailfish, after a disappointing second season with the Norfolk Seawolves. | ||
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| + | Following their Ultimus appearance in the previous season, hopes were high for the Sailfish as they entered into the preseason. However, those hopes were dashed quickly after they were beaten by Chicago (44-20) and Orange County (30-10). Thankfully, the Sailfish were able to get a win over the Hawks (17-12) before losing their final preseason game to the New Orleans Secondline, 20-17, and finishing the preseason 1-3. | ||
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| + | In the first week of the regular season, the Sailfish were able to shake off the disappointing preseason, beating the Yellowknife Wraiths away from home 31-18. The Sarasota defense would hold the Wraiths to just 249 passing yards but would give up 132 rushing yards, 120 of which would go to RBs Kumquat Archipelago and Adebayo Akinfenwa, a duo that would go on to terrorize many a defense in the ISFL over the following years. An interception by CB Calvin Hobbes and four sacks spread across the defensive line and linebackers, would see the Sailfish to their first win of the season. S38 would end up being a disappointing season for the Sailfish, as they were never able to put together a long winning streak over the course of a few close losses to the Chicago Butchers (20-17) in Week 2, the Baltimore Hawks (24-23) in Week 4, and the Colorado Yeti (19-17) in Week 6. There were some bright spots in the season though, as the Sailfish downed the Philadelphia Liberty (34-7) in Week 14 before going on to lose their final two games of the season to Baltimore (15-13) and Berlin (28-24). Of the 9 losses that Sarasota suffered over the course of the S38 season, five of them would be decided by four points or less. Many fans were left feeling pretty disappointed as many of those felt that many of those games should have gone in the Sailfish’s favor. However, even with a disappointing season following their Ultimus appearance, the Sailfish were still able to reach the playoffs after a 7-9 season. | ||
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| + | The Sailfish entered to into the postseason with something to prove, taking on the Berlin Fire Salamanders in the first round. After pummeling the Fire Salamanders in Week 5 with a score of 47-35 and narrowly losing in the final week of the season, hopes were high that the Sailfish could make a run in the playoffs. Their postseason would be cut short after getting walloped 27-3 by the Fire Salamanders. The Sailfish would be held to just 187 total yards with Quarterback Stumpy Jones being sacked 6 times and throwing 3 interceptions. Running backs John Huntsman and Pete Zuh were also gobbled up at the line, only able to combine for 35 rushing yards between the two of them. Licking their wounds, the Sailfish would exit the playoffs disappointingly and look to the S39 Season to make a comeback. | ||
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| + | ===S39=== | ||
| + | After finishing middle of the pack in the S348 Season, going 7-9 in the regular season, the Sailfish used their first pick of S39 Draft to select Running Back Willier Miller, who would eventually be converted to quarterback to take over for the aging Carter Knight. In the second round of the draft, journeyman Cornerback Apollo Program would be selected, and the draft would be rounded out with Safety Demarius Cook. | ||
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| + | Sarasota made a statement in the preseason, winning three of their four games before the start of the regular season. In their 45-42 win over the Austin Copperheads, Carter Knight would pass for 471 yards, with Wide Receivers Nick Kaepercolin Jr, Sconnie Mcsix, and Johnny Blaze Jr would each get 100 plus receiving yards with TE Lucius Salem also chipping in with 86 yards on three receptions. The high-powered Sarasota offense was on full display and fans were itching for the start of the season. | ||
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| + | The Sailfish would come out of the gate hot in S39 winning six of their first seven games of the season. Over this seven-game span, the Sailfish would outscore their opponents by more than 100 points by putting up almost 3000 yards of total offense. Their only loss in this stretch was the hotly contested Week 5 Matchup against the Yellowknife Wraiths, where the Canadian team dominated the second half of the game and beat the Sailfish by a field goal in overtime. Sarasota would cool off over the following weeks only winning game in Weeks 8-13 against the New York Silverbacks in Week 10 and tying with Colorado in Week 13. Anxious to secure their spot in the playoffs, Sarasota would rally in the final three weeks of the season where they dispatched Berlin (23-17), Yellowknife (20-16), and Baltimore (26-13) which would see them qualify for the playoffs finishing second in their division behind the eventual Ultimus Champions the 13-3 Yellowknife Wraiths. | ||
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| + | In the first round of the playoffs, the Sailfish (10-5-1) would take on the Chicago Butchers (10-6). In the regular season, Sarasota had beaten the Butchers away from home in Week 2 and tied them in Week 13 at home so the team was confident they could get a win at home. In the first half, Chicago outscored Sarasota 21-6 and despite holding the Butchers to just three points in the second half, the late rally of the Sailfish was not enough to defeat the Butchers. They would lose the game 24-22 losing in the first round of the playoffs for the second season in a row. | ||
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| + | ===S40=== | ||
| + | Following a second place (10-5) finish and disappointing first round playoff exit in the previous season, the Sailfish looked to the draft restock on defensive talent to push for further playoff appearances. With their first pick of the S40 Draft, the Sailfish selected DE Ginand Toxic. The young defensive end would gain great experience learning from veteran Mrs. Sticks McHits and eventually become one DE2 after Harley Andrews’ switch to Cornerback in S41. With their second pick of the draft, Linebacker Fronky Fresh was brought in to supplement the secondary. The scouts would eventually move Fronk to Cornerback, forming an elite pairing with Andrews in S43. With their third and final pick of the draft, running back Luis Randall would make his way to Sarasota. Unfortunately, the Fish wouldn’t hit on every draft prospect this season as Randall soon fell to the wayside and was eventually cut from the team. | ||
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| + | In the preseason, Sarasota would go 2-2 with wins against the Chicago Butchers (20-10) and Orange County Otters (33-13) and two one-score losses to the Cape Town Crash (30-27) and the Arizona Outlaws (36-29). Sarasota’s high-powered passing offense was on display throughout the preseason with veteran Quarterback Carter Knight passing for over 300 yards in each of the four games. | ||
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| + | Unfortunately, the Yellowknife Wraiths were able to cool off Sarasota’s red-hot offense in Week 1 of S40, holding them only 17 points and sacking the quarterback 6 times and putting up 27 points of their own. For their home opener in Week 2 against the Berlin Fire Salamanders, the Sailfish would get back to winning ways, dousing the Fire Salamanders 34-6 and sending them packing back to Berlin. Pete Zuh lit up the field this week, he racked up 124 rushing yards and 2 TDs and also picked up 51 receiving yards and another touchdown. This game would also see TE Lucius Salem gain 101 yards and 1 touchdown on just three receptions. On the other side of the ball, the defense held Berlin Quarterback Roque Santa-Cruz to just 222 passing yards with don’t draft picking up two interceptions along the way. | ||
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| + | The rest of the season would be a roller coaster for the Sailfish. Their early season hype after the beatdown of Berlin, would be stopped with two tight losses against Baltimore (38-37) and Chicago (27-24) in Weeks 3 and 4. The following two games would see the Sailfish defeat the Colorado Yeti (36-16) and Austin (34-7), improving their record to 3-3. The ups and downs would continue through the rest of the season, with two more losses in Weeks 7 and 8, a win against the Otters in Week 9 in which Dip Dhillon would chip in with the first defensive touchdown of the season. In the next four games, Sarasota would go 1-2-1 with a 20-20 Tie against the Yeti in Week 10. In Week 13, the Sailfish would also trade WR Sconnie McSix to San Jose for WR Cornelius King III. Finally, the season would end on a high note with the Sailfish winning their last three games by wide margins beating the Fire Salamanders 30-16, the Crash 35-17, and the Hawks 45-9. Over the course of these three games, Carter Knight would be unstoppable, putting up a combined 973 passing yards and accounting for 8 touchdowns. This would see the Sailfish finish the regular season 8-7-1, just barely qualifying for the playoffs. | ||
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| + | After the late season push, the Sailfish found themselves facing off against the Yellowknife Wraiths in the first round of the playoffs. Even though the Sailfish would put up over 400 yards of total offense, sadly, the Wraiths were too much for them, eventually beating them 47-31 on the back of Running Back Adebayo Akinfenwa’s four rushing touchdowns. After crashing out of the playoffs, the Sailfish would turn their attention to the S41 draft, eagerly awaiting the rise of a new quarterback and a crop of brand-new recruits. | ||
===S41: It's Miller time baby!=== | ===S41: It's Miller time baby!=== | ||
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The main bright spot of the came in the form of Johnny Blaze Jr.’s historic season. The talisman of the Sarasota offense was able to rack up 1914 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns, accounting for roughly 38% of Sarasota’s receiving yards all season. Rookie Running back Ace Anderson, also was able to chip in with 992 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Finally, Quarterback Willier Miller ended the season with 5070 passing yards (most in the league) and 38 passing touchdowns (second most in the league). Off the back of an impressive offensive performance in S43, the Sailfish worked tirelessly throughout training camp to improve on both sides of the ball, laying the groundwork for what they would hope to be a successful season in S44. | The main bright spot of the came in the form of Johnny Blaze Jr.’s historic season. The talisman of the Sarasota offense was able to rack up 1914 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns, accounting for roughly 38% of Sarasota’s receiving yards all season. Rookie Running back Ace Anderson, also was able to chip in with 992 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Finally, Quarterback Willier Miller ended the season with 5070 passing yards (most in the league) and 38 passing touchdowns (second most in the league). Off the back of an impressive offensive performance in S43, the Sailfish worked tirelessly throughout training camp to improve on both sides of the ball, laying the groundwork for what they would hope to be a successful season in S44. | ||
| + | ===S44=== | ||
| + | Having missed out on the playoffs in the previous two seasons, the Sailfish were eager to return to winning ways and get back to playing postseason football. Preparation for the S44 Season began in the draft, in which Sarasota used their first pick, 7th overall, to draft Safety Jamie Orion from the DSFL Champions Portland Pythons joining Spruce Willis as the starting Safety pairing on defense. Next with the 36th pick of the draft, Sarasota would select CB Geo Roberts and with the 44th pick they would select OL LeBlockus Brickwall both from the London Royals. Finally, they would select TE Theo Blake from Tijuana with their fourth and final pick of the draft. Unfortunately, save for Jamie Orion, the draft picks would not work out as they were replaced at the DSFL by other new recruits. | ||
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| + | Sarasota’s preseason would start off well. Beating three of their four opponents and only losing to the Arizona Outlaws 21-10 in the final preseason matchup of the season. The Sailfish would claim victory over the Chicago Butchers (14-0), Baltimore Hawks (41-38), and the Cape Town Crash (33-22). Having beaten two of the better teams in the league in the Hawks and the Crash in preseason, hopes were high that the Sailfish would make a return to the top of the division after two disappointing seasons without postseason football. | ||
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| + | The Sailfish were brought back to reality quickly, losing there first three games of the season to the Yellowknife Wraiths (24-21), Orange County Otters (31-24), and the Berlin Fire Salamanders (22-20). A worrying start to the season to say the least, especially after S43 when the Sailfish lost most of their games by a single score deficit. In Weeks 4 and 5, Sarasota finally picked up their first wins of the season, taking down the Baltimore Hawks at home 26-23 and the Chicago Butchers away 22-20. Kicker Swantavius King made four field goals that game including a 64-yarder tying the record set by Yellowknife’s Kicker, Double Doink. Johnny Blaze Jr would also rack up 179 receiving yards on just 8 receptions, making sure Sailfish were in good scoring position on each drive. Still, even with the offense finally firing, it was worrisome that the Sailfish were unable to put the game away handedly. Following their first two wins of the season, the Sailfish would go on to lose two more games against the Crash and Yeti in Weeks 6 and 7, making many fans believe the Sailfish would once again miss out on the postseason. | ||
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| + | Entering Week 8, the Sailfish were 2-5 on the season, going up into their toughest three games stretch of the season. In Week 8, the Sailfish faced off against the Arizona Outlaws. They dispatched them easily, beating them 33-27. Running back Ace Anderson was able to find the end zone twice and got the Sailfish 84 yards on the ground while Johnny Blaze Jr. and Thomas Robinson both put up a touchdown each. Fronky Fresh and Dip Dhillon also helped keep the Outlaws at bay as they both were able to intercept a pass each from QB Donovan Winters III. In Week 9, the Sailfish took on the defending Ultimus Champs, the Baltimore Hawks away from home. Going in the clear underdog, the Sailfish were able to again stun their opponents, beating them 24-13 with QB Willier Miller’s 74.3% completion rate finding Blaze, Salem, and Rockbo in the endzone to lead the Sailfish to victory. Finally, in Week 9 the New York Silverbacks were sent packing 30-24 as the Sailfish put up 397 passing yards, seeing Blaze and Anderson both rack up over 100 yards. The league was officially on notice. After their incredible run in Weeks 8-10, the Sailfish finished the season strong, winning four of their remaining six games, including a 13-6 away win against title favorites Cape Town, eventually finishing the regular season 9-7 and finally, making their way back to the playoffs. | ||
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| + | After their end of the season run, the Sailfish would come up against the Baltimore Hawks, a team they had beaten all three times they played them over the course of the S44 Season. However, it looked like the Hawks had learned a thing or two about the Sarasota offense, holding QB Willier Miller to just 213 Passing Yards, his second worst passing game of the season. Even with Ace Anderson two rushing touchdowns, Robinson’s 100 receiving yards, and three interceptions by Ignacious Cleetington, Harley Andres, and Spruce Willis, the Hawks proved to be too much for the Sailfish sending them out of the playoffs with 19-14 victory against the Fighting Fish. Even after the disappointing loss, the Sailfish came out of the season with heads held high after being able to rally following a disappointing start to S44. All eyes turned to S45, as the Sailfish looked to continue improving and chasing their ultimate goal of achieving their second Ultimus win. | ||
==Season-by-season records== | ==Season-by-season records== | ||
{{main article|List of Sarasota Sailfish seasons}} | {{main article|List of Sarasota Sailfish seasons}} | ||
Revision as of 15:16, 12 November 2023
| Sarasota Sailfish | |||
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 Current season | |||
First season: 2037 Sarasota Sailfish season Play in and headquartered in The ??? Sarasota, Florida | |||
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| League/conference affiliations | |||
NSFL (2037–present)
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Current uniform
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| Team colors | Blue, Green & White | ||
| Mascot | Sebastian the Sailfish | ||
| Personnel | |||
| General manager | Mojojojo (Mojojojo) | ||
| Team history | |||
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| Championships | |||
| League championships (1) | |||
Conference championships (1)
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Division championships (1)
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| Playoff appearances (7) | |||
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| Home fields | |||
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The Sarasota Sailfish is a professional American football franchise based in Sarasota, Florida. The Sarasota Sailfish currently compete in the International Simulation Football League (ISFL) as a member club of the league's National Simulation Football Conference (NSFC) which currently only has one division. The franchise was established in 2037 (S22) in the league's third expansion. They were the first of their expansion pairing of franchises to win an Ultimus Bowl, in 2042 (S27).
Contents
History
The Sarasota Sailfish were founded after the historically large Developmental Simulation Football League Draft going into the 2037 (S22) season. Their founding general manager Bailey Cook used the first overall selection in the expansion draft to grab wide receiver Dexter Banks II; who would eventually convert to be their quarterback of the future. Meanwhile in the Season 22 ISFL Draft they traded the second overall selection and did not make their pick until 20th overall where they selected Cuco Clemente. They were also able to get pro bowlers Haha Mango-Panda, James Angler, Ragnar Rok, and Jacob Small in the massive draft.
The season got off to a good start for the expansion team as despite playing three consecutive road games to start the season the team went 2-2 to keep themselves in it. The middle of the season was not as kind as they went just 1-3 and lost just about any hope of a playoff berth. However a trade for quarterback Rose Jenkins before week nine saw them go 3-2 over the last five weeks of the season for a 6-7 record that just got them into the playoffs. They were knocked out in the first round by the eventual Ultimus Bowl XXII winners the Colorado Yeti 36-14, but the fact that they succeeded in making the playoffs in their first season of existence was considered a success by management. Unfortunately before the Ultimus it was announced that star safety Ragnar Rok had declared his retirement which left the team with an extra hole going into the next season.
After the massive draft class that brought them into existence things returned to normal in terms of draft class size as the draft before the 2038 (S23) season was just a third the size of the one that preceded it. Still the Sarasota Sailfish were able to capitalize with two first round selections that saw them get defensive rookie of the year Son Goku and fulfill their need at safety with Raphael d'Alcott. Combined with Dexter Banks II's position change and the Sarasota Sailfish planned to be in the playoffs once again.
Things did not go according to play to start th season though as they went just 2-3 over teh first five weeks; including a brutal loss to the Baltimore Hawks of 40-7 in Baltimore. The middle of the season was not much better as they went just 2-3 over the following five weeks, although with a win against their fellow expansion team the Honolulu Hahalua. They were able to get things in order though for the end of the season though as they finished with a 4-2 stretch including a 34-20 win to make up for their earlier loss to the Baltimore Hawks. Their 8-8 record left them fifth in their conference though and saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in their history.
2039 (S24) signalled changes for the franchise at the helm, as founding General Manager Bailey Cook stepped down to be replaced by Edmund “Mundl” Sackbauer. In the Season 24 ISFL Draft the Sailfish had the 4th overall pick and used it on Defensive Lineman Harrison Andrews, who they soon turned into a cornerback for their team. Aswell as Andrews they picked up some other roster pieces, including quarterback of the future Mike Boss Jr., son of Hall of Famer Mike Boss. All in all the season was shaping up to be another promising one for the young franchise.
The regular season got off to a very promising start for the team, where they racked up six consecutive wins before finally suffering their first defeat to the New Orleans Second Line in Week 7, a 22-13 loss in which they conceded 22 unanswered points after scoring the first 13 of the game. The team went on to lose just 3 more games that season, ending the regular season with a dominant 47-13 victory in Chicago against the Butchers to round their record out to a franchise best 12-4, good only for the second seed in their division. The Sailfish managed to defeat a week Butchers team in the first round of the playoffs 24-17 to pick up their first ever franchise playoff win, before bowing out of the postseason at the hands of the Yeti in the Conference Championship Game. Despite the loss, a first playoff win was a promising sign for the Sailfish. Another positive for the team was quarterback Dexter Banks II picking up the ISFL Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Off the back off their best season to date, the team had high hopes going into 2040 (S25). The draft that season was a remarkably large one, and the team used their 1st round pick, 12th overall, on Cornerback “lil” Peter Patterson. They also managed to pick up future Pro Bowler Teddy Utterstruzen in the 5th round. Retaining most of the roster that season, losing only established Defensive Tackle Big Edd midway through the season, but gaining wideout Tre’Darius J’Vathon and Defensive Tackle Sigismund Sternenstaub in the process, the team was feeling pretty confident heading into the regular season.
The season however, started off very poorly for them as they lost 5 of their opening 7 games that season, picking up wins against just the Chicago Butchers, and the newly formed Berlin Fire Salamanders, an expansion franchise. They rallied though, and managed to win all 9 of their remaining games. Their 11-5 record, similar to last season, was only good for second in the division. This meant that the team once again lacked a first round bye in the playoffs, something they had never achieved. In the first game of the postseason it was the Butchers coming to town to play them, and despite being at home it was the Sailfish sent packing, falling out of the playoffs by a score of 27-20. A silver lining for the franchise however, was long time quarterback Dexter Banks II winning his first ISFL Most Valuable Player Award in his final season with the team before retirement.
2041 (S26) only saw them strengthen as the team managed to pick up former DPOTY linebacker Derred de Ville, who had left the Baltimore Hawks in free agency. The Season 26 ISFL Draft saw them pick up defensive end Demon Jaxson at 10th overall as well as future DSFL MVP LeBron James III, along with a couple of other young talents to help strengthen their youth ranks in the developmental league, where they had a bright future. The only issue for the team was starting a young rookie at quarterback in Mike Boss Jr., an issue which they looked to overcome.
The regular season saw them open out to a hot start, winning 5 of their opening 6 games, with the only loss being a 27-15 defeat to the Colorado Yeti. This form quickly turned though as they managed to win just 3 of their final 10 games of the season landing them with a .500 record. Luckily for them however, 8-8 was just barely enough for them to scrape into the playoffs, thanks to tiebreakers. They won their first round matchup against the Butchers by just a singular point, but lost out 24-22 in the a Conference Championship Game]], to the eventual Ultimus winning Yellowknife Wraiths.
The team was still on the hunt for success going into 2016 (S), and the Season 27 ISFL draft only looked to strengthen those chances, as they drafted Running Back Giovanni Bianchi, wideout Joseph Radetzky, plus a handful of other promising young prospects. The team had also made some trade moves, picking up former 1st round pick and Defensive End Ernest Lover from the Baltimore Hawks, in exchange for their first round pick that season, and a handful of lesser picks.
The team got off to a rough start with their tough schedule, losing 2 of their first 4 to the Yellowknife Wraiths in Yellowknife, and against the Chicago Butchers. Once their schedule calmed down somewhat though, the team really hit their stride and only lost 2 more that entire season. Their 12-4 record was good for not only top of their conference, but the league as a whole. The Sailfish were getting their first ever playoff bye as a franchise and headed straight to the a Conference Championship Game. In the NSFC Championship the Sailfish made light work of the Colorado Yeti, beating them 47-27 to send them to their first ever Ultimus game, to be played against the New Orleans Second Line. When there they did not waste the opportunity. With Touchdowns from Mike Boss Jr., Tre’Davius J’Vathon, Demon Jaxson and Running Back, they took home their first ever Ultimus Trophy in a 34-10 victory.
Off the back of the biggest victory in franchise history, the Sailfish were as optimistic as ever going into 2043 (S28), and did well to strengthen their already strong roster with more depth in the Season 28 ISFL Draft, with picks such as Stumpy Jones in the second round and Saleem Spence in the third. The team started the season off mediocrely, going 2-2 in their first 4 games with losses coming at the hands of the Chicago Butchers and Berlin Fire Salamanders. However this mediocrity did not last long as in Week 5 Sarasota went to Philadelphia and blew out the Liberty 69-14, scoring 9 touchdowns. This set them off on a nice winning streak as they won their next four games before losing again in Week 10 to the Berlin Fire Salamanders by a margin of just 2 points. They managed to steady themselves again and win their next three, but finished the season out very poorly with losses in weeks 13,15 and 16, including a crushing defeat and the 1-14 Baltimore Hawks. The team had done just enough to clinch the third seed, but carried their poor end of season form into the postseason, losing in the first round 23-14 to the eventual champion Yellowknife Wraiths.
After the back of a poor playoff performance in their last game of the previous seasons the Sailfish had high hopes for the upcoming season despite losing franchise stalwart Derred de Ville in Free Agency, and, despite losing their first game of the season in Colorado to the Yeti, 26-23, these high hopes were proven to be justified, as they won their next six games before losing to the Otters at the halfway point in the season, week 8, to set up themselves up at 6-2 and looking good for the back half of the season. They would again in week 9 before winning 3 of their next 5 games, splitting the final two matchups of the season, losing to the Yeti and beating the Butchers, to set set themselves up with the third seed in the division, meaning no home field advantage in the postseason. This did not discourage the Sailfish in the divisional round however as they brushed the Yeti aside, 33-13, with running back Ichinose rushing for 123 yards and a TD. However this would be as far as the team would get, losing 23-20 in the Conference Championship Game to the Fire Salamanders with Boss Jr. throwing 2 interceptions, including a crucial pick 6 in the fourth quarter which would let Berlin back into the game. At the end of the season it would be announced GM sakrosankt would be stepping down, to be replaced by Mojojojo.
S38
After their S37 loss to the Arizona Outlaws in the Ultimus, the defending division winners would not have a first-round pick after trading it for Baltimore’s S39 Pick and WR Sconnie McSix. However, even with a later round pick, the Sailfish were still able to find incredible value when they drafted WR Johnny Blaze Jr. at the 27 spot. Blaze would go on to becoming one of the franchise’s best wide receivers and lead the line for years to come after the departure of Nick Kaepercolin Jr and Sconnie McSix. With the 41st pick of the draft, the Sailfish would also select Safety Julius McMiller who would never make an appearance with Sailfish, after a disappointing second season with the Norfolk Seawolves.
Following their Ultimus appearance in the previous season, hopes were high for the Sailfish as they entered into the preseason. However, those hopes were dashed quickly after they were beaten by Chicago (44-20) and Orange County (30-10). Thankfully, the Sailfish were able to get a win over the Hawks (17-12) before losing their final preseason game to the New Orleans Secondline, 20-17, and finishing the preseason 1-3.
In the first week of the regular season, the Sailfish were able to shake off the disappointing preseason, beating the Yellowknife Wraiths away from home 31-18. The Sarasota defense would hold the Wraiths to just 249 passing yards but would give up 132 rushing yards, 120 of which would go to RBs Kumquat Archipelago and Adebayo Akinfenwa, a duo that would go on to terrorize many a defense in the ISFL over the following years. An interception by CB Calvin Hobbes and four sacks spread across the defensive line and linebackers, would see the Sailfish to their first win of the season. S38 would end up being a disappointing season for the Sailfish, as they were never able to put together a long winning streak over the course of a few close losses to the Chicago Butchers (20-17) in Week 2, the Baltimore Hawks (24-23) in Week 4, and the Colorado Yeti (19-17) in Week 6. There were some bright spots in the season though, as the Sailfish downed the Philadelphia Liberty (34-7) in Week 14 before going on to lose their final two games of the season to Baltimore (15-13) and Berlin (28-24). Of the 9 losses that Sarasota suffered over the course of the S38 season, five of them would be decided by four points or less. Many fans were left feeling pretty disappointed as many of those felt that many of those games should have gone in the Sailfish’s favor. However, even with a disappointing season following their Ultimus appearance, the Sailfish were still able to reach the playoffs after a 7-9 season.
The Sailfish entered to into the postseason with something to prove, taking on the Berlin Fire Salamanders in the first round. After pummeling the Fire Salamanders in Week 5 with a score of 47-35 and narrowly losing in the final week of the season, hopes were high that the Sailfish could make a run in the playoffs. Their postseason would be cut short after getting walloped 27-3 by the Fire Salamanders. The Sailfish would be held to just 187 total yards with Quarterback Stumpy Jones being sacked 6 times and throwing 3 interceptions. Running backs John Huntsman and Pete Zuh were also gobbled up at the line, only able to combine for 35 rushing yards between the two of them. Licking their wounds, the Sailfish would exit the playoffs disappointingly and look to the S39 Season to make a comeback.
S39
After finishing middle of the pack in the S348 Season, going 7-9 in the regular season, the Sailfish used their first pick of S39 Draft to select Running Back Willier Miller, who would eventually be converted to quarterback to take over for the aging Carter Knight. In the second round of the draft, journeyman Cornerback Apollo Program would be selected, and the draft would be rounded out with Safety Demarius Cook.
Sarasota made a statement in the preseason, winning three of their four games before the start of the regular season. In their 45-42 win over the Austin Copperheads, Carter Knight would pass for 471 yards, with Wide Receivers Nick Kaepercolin Jr, Sconnie Mcsix, and Johnny Blaze Jr would each get 100 plus receiving yards with TE Lucius Salem also chipping in with 86 yards on three receptions. The high-powered Sarasota offense was on full display and fans were itching for the start of the season.
The Sailfish would come out of the gate hot in S39 winning six of their first seven games of the season. Over this seven-game span, the Sailfish would outscore their opponents by more than 100 points by putting up almost 3000 yards of total offense. Their only loss in this stretch was the hotly contested Week 5 Matchup against the Yellowknife Wraiths, where the Canadian team dominated the second half of the game and beat the Sailfish by a field goal in overtime. Sarasota would cool off over the following weeks only winning game in Weeks 8-13 against the New York Silverbacks in Week 10 and tying with Colorado in Week 13. Anxious to secure their spot in the playoffs, Sarasota would rally in the final three weeks of the season where they dispatched Berlin (23-17), Yellowknife (20-16), and Baltimore (26-13) which would see them qualify for the playoffs finishing second in their division behind the eventual Ultimus Champions the 13-3 Yellowknife Wraiths.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Sailfish (10-5-1) would take on the Chicago Butchers (10-6). In the regular season, Sarasota had beaten the Butchers away from home in Week 2 and tied them in Week 13 at home so the team was confident they could get a win at home. In the first half, Chicago outscored Sarasota 21-6 and despite holding the Butchers to just three points in the second half, the late rally of the Sailfish was not enough to defeat the Butchers. They would lose the game 24-22 losing in the first round of the playoffs for the second season in a row.
S40
Following a second place (10-5) finish and disappointing first round playoff exit in the previous season, the Sailfish looked to the draft restock on defensive talent to push for further playoff appearances. With their first pick of the S40 Draft, the Sailfish selected DE Ginand Toxic. The young defensive end would gain great experience learning from veteran Mrs. Sticks McHits and eventually become one DE2 after Harley Andrews’ switch to Cornerback in S41. With their second pick of the draft, Linebacker Fronky Fresh was brought in to supplement the secondary. The scouts would eventually move Fronk to Cornerback, forming an elite pairing with Andrews in S43. With their third and final pick of the draft, running back Luis Randall would make his way to Sarasota. Unfortunately, the Fish wouldn’t hit on every draft prospect this season as Randall soon fell to the wayside and was eventually cut from the team.
In the preseason, Sarasota would go 2-2 with wins against the Chicago Butchers (20-10) and Orange County Otters (33-13) and two one-score losses to the Cape Town Crash (30-27) and the Arizona Outlaws (36-29). Sarasota’s high-powered passing offense was on display throughout the preseason with veteran Quarterback Carter Knight passing for over 300 yards in each of the four games.
Unfortunately, the Yellowknife Wraiths were able to cool off Sarasota’s red-hot offense in Week 1 of S40, holding them only 17 points and sacking the quarterback 6 times and putting up 27 points of their own. For their home opener in Week 2 against the Berlin Fire Salamanders, the Sailfish would get back to winning ways, dousing the Fire Salamanders 34-6 and sending them packing back to Berlin. Pete Zuh lit up the field this week, he racked up 124 rushing yards and 2 TDs and also picked up 51 receiving yards and another touchdown. This game would also see TE Lucius Salem gain 101 yards and 1 touchdown on just three receptions. On the other side of the ball, the defense held Berlin Quarterback Roque Santa-Cruz to just 222 passing yards with don’t draft picking up two interceptions along the way.
The rest of the season would be a roller coaster for the Sailfish. Their early season hype after the beatdown of Berlin, would be stopped with two tight losses against Baltimore (38-37) and Chicago (27-24) in Weeks 3 and 4. The following two games would see the Sailfish defeat the Colorado Yeti (36-16) and Austin (34-7), improving their record to 3-3. The ups and downs would continue through the rest of the season, with two more losses in Weeks 7 and 8, a win against the Otters in Week 9 in which Dip Dhillon would chip in with the first defensive touchdown of the season. In the next four games, Sarasota would go 1-2-1 with a 20-20 Tie against the Yeti in Week 10. In Week 13, the Sailfish would also trade WR Sconnie McSix to San Jose for WR Cornelius King III. Finally, the season would end on a high note with the Sailfish winning their last three games by wide margins beating the Fire Salamanders 30-16, the Crash 35-17, and the Hawks 45-9. Over the course of these three games, Carter Knight would be unstoppable, putting up a combined 973 passing yards and accounting for 8 touchdowns. This would see the Sailfish finish the regular season 8-7-1, just barely qualifying for the playoffs.
After the late season push, the Sailfish found themselves facing off against the Yellowknife Wraiths in the first round of the playoffs. Even though the Sailfish would put up over 400 yards of total offense, sadly, the Wraiths were too much for them, eventually beating them 47-31 on the back of Running Back Adebayo Akinfenwa’s four rushing touchdowns. After crashing out of the playoffs, the Sailfish would turn their attention to the S41 draft, eagerly awaiting the rise of a new quarterback and a crop of brand-new recruits.
S41: It's Miller time baby!
Season 41 begins with the Sailfish giving Willier Miller the call up as their future franchise Quarterback. Miller would join the league as a DSFL S38 rookie playing for the London Royals and would be drafted to Sarasota in S39. Along with Miller, Sarasota would also call up rookie RunningBack Eilliot Berry and rookie Defensive Tackle Damarcus Cole.
Though Sarasota would lose the season opener against their conference rivals the Cape Town Crash in a contested 24-17 match, Sarasota would get the job done at the home opener versus Colorado in a 44-23 victory. The first half of the season sees the Fighting Fish go down a 5-3 stretch, taking key conference victories against the Cape Town Crash, Baltimore Hawks, Berlin Fire Salamanders, Arizona Outlaws and suffering only a single conference lose only to the Yellowknife Wraiths. Though the tail end of the season would see the Fish going 4-4, they would absolutely slaughter the Butchers in 51-0 victory that would be the sixth highest scoring shut-out in league history. Miller would lead the Fish to a 9-7 season and a trip to the playoffs.
The Quarterfinals match up would see the Scrapping Sailfish face-off against the Wraiths, having lost both regular season match-ups to Yellowknife the Fish were well aware of what was at stake. Led by Miller's 3TD offensive showing and a strong defensive performance by Linebacker Fronky Fresh with twelve tackles and two sacks, the Sailfish come away with a 40-16 victory and advance to the Conference Championship. Sarasota meets with Capetown for a final showdown in season 41 on an 0-2 record in regular season bouts. Sarasota ends the first half on a 44yd field goal by Swantavius King that's good for three and brings the score to 17-10. That wouldn't be enough for Sarasota though as The Crash keep up the offensive push and come away with a 34-20 victory. Regardless of the loss Aqeel Steele would set a post-season defensive record of 18 tackles and Miller would secure the leagues prestigious MVP award for S41.
S42
The Sailfish look strong in the preseason of S42 going 3-1 with victories against NOLA, Chicago and Austin and only losing to Yellowknife in week 1. Sarasota would also draft rookie Running Back Ace Anderson to the team to bolster the teams running game, Anderson would ultimately supplant Elliot Berry as the teams RB1. Looking to add some muscle to the Line Backing corps Sarasota would also tap Rookie Linebacker Max Honestly on the shoulder and receive the call-up into the big leagues by the Fish.
Entering week 1 of the regular season, the stalwart Sailfish send the Butchers packing with a 45-31 victory at home. Willier Miller gave the fans at Fishnet Stadium an offensive showing that day, throwing for 342 yards and 5 touchdowns, while on the defensive side of the ball Fronky Fresh was able to get the opposing Quarterback twice, with a nice pair of sacks. The next stretch of games for the Fish would take them on a roller coaster going for a lose against the Berlin Fire Salamanders 37-17 in Berlin, a 34-10 win at home versus Cape Town, with star Cornerback Harley Andrews pulling one in for a pick 6, and a lose up in the deep north of Yellowknife only putting up 17 to the Wraiths 33 points. The sailfish would win three of the next four defeating the Otters 45-38, winning a rivalry match-up against the Yeti 30-27, taking a lose in a tightly contested matchup against the Hawks in a 13-12 low scoring affair, and closing out the first half of the season with a victory against the Secondline 38-31.
Don't stop the ride just yet though sports fans, the Fish are not done roller coasting! The second half of the season was just as erratic for Sarasota, trading wins and losses each game in a near perfect amazingly alternating fashion. The final stretch of the season the Fish would go 3-5 and conclude S43 with a remarkably average record of 8-8. Week 15 would see the Fighting Fish facing off against the Butchers at their home field in The Chopping Block. A strong defensive showing led by Free Safety Spike Daniels with two tackles, one pass deflected and and interception, would give the Fish a 22-9 victory. Daniels would retire at the end of season 42 having joined the Fish as a season 31 rookie. Though the season could not have been anymore balanced, the Sailfish did manage to set a season record. Swantavius King sets the punt yards per season record with 51.2 average yards per punt! Though Sarasota is a perennial contender for playoff contention, their 8-8 standings would not be enough for them to make it into the post season.
S43
After a heart-breaking end to the S42 season which saw the Sailfish narrowly miss out on a playoff, the team set off to fix their defensive woes by drafting Defensive End Wing Gundam with their third pick, the Tight End turned Linebacker Ignatious Cleetington at the six spot, and Safety Spruce Willis as the ninth pick and Sarasota’s last pick until Round 3. With their fourth and final pick of the S43 draft, the drafted Running Back Reginald Arceneaux from the Dallas Birddogs to add some depth to the running backs room.
With the draft taken care, the Sailfish turned their attention to the preseason. In their first matchup, Sarasota lost to the Chicago Butcher 17-14 in a hotly contested game that saw veteran Wide Receiver Johnny Blaze Jr. rack up 122 yards on seven receptions with one touchdown, a stat line that would foreshadow his performance over the course of the season. In their second preseason game, the Sailfish would beat the Baltimore Hawks 37-43. Quarterback Willier Miller was able to showcase his arm talent passing for 395 yards and 3 touchdowns, two of those going to Blaze. In their final two games of the preseason, the Sailfish would lose to Cape Town and New York 32-19 and 20-17, respectively.
Following the disappointing preseason, the Sailfish rallied to win their first three games of the season. Defeating the Colorado Yeti in their opening game at Fishnet Stadium, 28-24. Johnny Blaze Jr. ended the game with 172 yards and one touchdown on nine receptions and Rockbot Rockbo would chip in with two more touchdowns of his own. After their wins over San Jose and Yellowknife, welcomed the Baltimore Hawks with high expectations. Unfortunately, the Sailfish would get thrashed by the Hawks, doubling their score and losing 42-26 to the eventual Ultimus Champs. Wide Receiver Rocky Moreaux and Running Back Kumquat Archipelago would combine for 266 yards and account for three of the five touchdowns scored by the Hawks, who took advantage of the largely inexperienced Sarasota defense. In Week 5, Sarasota would bounce back, defeating the Butchers in Chicago 34-17.
After that came the great slump of S43, losing four games in a row, culminating in another beatdown by the Hawks that ended 52-17. Thankfully, a hard-fought win against Arizona (20-17) in Week 9 and a road win against Austin (41-35) would end their drought. But the chances of a playoff appearance were slashed in half with unexpected losses to Colorado and bottom of the table Chicago. At this point in the season, the front office decided enough was enough and the Sailfish could no longer rely on just Johnny Blaze Jr to carry the Sailfish week in and week out. After the loss to Chicago, the Sailfish traded WR Artemis Entreri to Orange County to bring veteran WR Thomas Robinson to Fishnet Stadium. The following game, the Sailfish beat Yellowknife 47-21, their highest points scored in the season. Unfortunately, after losing to Cape Town in Week 15, the Sailfish were unable to punch their ticket to playoffs even after defeating Berlin in the final week of the season.
The main bright spot of the came in the form of Johnny Blaze Jr.’s historic season. The talisman of the Sarasota offense was able to rack up 1914 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns, accounting for roughly 38% of Sarasota’s receiving yards all season. Rookie Running back Ace Anderson, also was able to chip in with 992 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Finally, Quarterback Willier Miller ended the season with 5070 passing yards (most in the league) and 38 passing touchdowns (second most in the league). Off the back of an impressive offensive performance in S43, the Sailfish worked tirelessly throughout training camp to improve on both sides of the ball, laying the groundwork for what they would hope to be a successful season in S44.
S44
Having missed out on the playoffs in the previous two seasons, the Sailfish were eager to return to winning ways and get back to playing postseason football. Preparation for the S44 Season began in the draft, in which Sarasota used their first pick, 7th overall, to draft Safety Jamie Orion from the DSFL Champions Portland Pythons joining Spruce Willis as the starting Safety pairing on defense. Next with the 36th pick of the draft, Sarasota would select CB Geo Roberts and with the 44th pick they would select OL LeBlockus Brickwall both from the London Royals. Finally, they would select TE Theo Blake from Tijuana with their fourth and final pick of the draft. Unfortunately, save for Jamie Orion, the draft picks would not work out as they were replaced at the DSFL by other new recruits.
Sarasota’s preseason would start off well. Beating three of their four opponents and only losing to the Arizona Outlaws 21-10 in the final preseason matchup of the season. The Sailfish would claim victory over the Chicago Butchers (14-0), Baltimore Hawks (41-38), and the Cape Town Crash (33-22). Having beaten two of the better teams in the league in the Hawks and the Crash in preseason, hopes were high that the Sailfish would make a return to the top of the division after two disappointing seasons without postseason football.
The Sailfish were brought back to reality quickly, losing there first three games of the season to the Yellowknife Wraiths (24-21), Orange County Otters (31-24), and the Berlin Fire Salamanders (22-20). A worrying start to the season to say the least, especially after S43 when the Sailfish lost most of their games by a single score deficit. In Weeks 4 and 5, Sarasota finally picked up their first wins of the season, taking down the Baltimore Hawks at home 26-23 and the Chicago Butchers away 22-20. Kicker Swantavius King made four field goals that game including a 64-yarder tying the record set by Yellowknife’s Kicker, Double Doink. Johnny Blaze Jr would also rack up 179 receiving yards on just 8 receptions, making sure Sailfish were in good scoring position on each drive. Still, even with the offense finally firing, it was worrisome that the Sailfish were unable to put the game away handedly. Following their first two wins of the season, the Sailfish would go on to lose two more games against the Crash and Yeti in Weeks 6 and 7, making many fans believe the Sailfish would once again miss out on the postseason.
Entering Week 8, the Sailfish were 2-5 on the season, going up into their toughest three games stretch of the season. In Week 8, the Sailfish faced off against the Arizona Outlaws. They dispatched them easily, beating them 33-27. Running back Ace Anderson was able to find the end zone twice and got the Sailfish 84 yards on the ground while Johnny Blaze Jr. and Thomas Robinson both put up a touchdown each. Fronky Fresh and Dip Dhillon also helped keep the Outlaws at bay as they both were able to intercept a pass each from QB Donovan Winters III. In Week 9, the Sailfish took on the defending Ultimus Champs, the Baltimore Hawks away from home. Going in the clear underdog, the Sailfish were able to again stun their opponents, beating them 24-13 with QB Willier Miller’s 74.3% completion rate finding Blaze, Salem, and Rockbo in the endzone to lead the Sailfish to victory. Finally, in Week 9 the New York Silverbacks were sent packing 30-24 as the Sailfish put up 397 passing yards, seeing Blaze and Anderson both rack up over 100 yards. The league was officially on notice. After their incredible run in Weeks 8-10, the Sailfish finished the season strong, winning four of their remaining six games, including a 13-6 away win against title favorites Cape Town, eventually finishing the regular season 9-7 and finally, making their way back to the playoffs.
After their end of the season run, the Sailfish would come up against the Baltimore Hawks, a team they had beaten all three times they played them over the course of the S44 Season. However, it looked like the Hawks had learned a thing or two about the Sarasota offense, holding QB Willier Miller to just 213 Passing Yards, his second worst passing game of the season. Even with Ace Anderson two rushing touchdowns, Robinson’s 100 receiving yards, and three interceptions by Ignacious Cleetington, Harley Andres, and Spruce Willis, the Hawks proved to be too much for the Sailfish sending them out of the playoffs with 19-14 victory against the Fighting Fish. Even after the disappointing loss, the Sailfish came out of the season with heads held high after being able to rally following a disappointing start to S44. All eyes turned to S45, as the Sailfish looked to continue improving and chasing their ultimate goal of achieving their second Ultimus win.
Season-by-season records
| Season | Regular Season Record | Post Season Record | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | W | L | |||
| 2037 | 6 | 7 | 0 | .462 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2038 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2039 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2040 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2041 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2042 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2043 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2044 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2045 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2046 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2047 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .562 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2048 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2049 | 10 | 5 | 0 | .656 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2050 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2051 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2052 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2053 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2054 | 10 | 5 | 1 | .656 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2055 | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2056 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .562 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2057 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2058 | . | |||||||
| Total | 78 | 47 | 0 | .624 | 5 | 6 | ||
Players and Personnel
Current roster
 | This article is pending review by an Approver on the wiki team. Do not award TPE yet. |
Sarasota Sailfish roster
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| Quarterbacks
Running backs Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
DSFL Send-downs
Rookies in italics
Roster updated January 24th 2024 | ||||||
Current staff
Sarasota Sailfish staff
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References
