The 2016 IFL season is only one month old and is already promising to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable seasons in years.
In the North, the two-time defending national champion Milano Seamen have already dropped two games and the only unbeaten team in the division is the Milano Rhinos (led by NCAA coaching legend Chris Ault), who finished the 2015 season with a 5-5 record.
The IFL South was ruled by the Lazio Marines and Ancona Dolphins last season, both finished 9-1 with their only losses coming to one another. The 2016 season looks to be no different as the Dolphins are off to a perfect 3-0 start while the defending division South champions from Rome are 2-0. Perhaps the most improved team of the division is the Aquile Ferrara, who are currently 2-1 with their only loss coming on the road to the Ancona Dolphins.
On Sunday, the Aquile will get another chance to prove they belong among the league elite when they travel to the Eternal City to face the Marines. The Marines, led by 2nd-year head coach Stan Bedwell, have picked up where they left off in 2015. They have outscored their first two opponents by a combined score of 78-8.
Top L-R: Quandan Christian, Tyler McCulloch. Bottom L-R: Tyler Hansen, Stan Bedwell Photos: Lorenza Morbidoni, Claudio Bugatti, Matteo Masotti
At the helm of Bedwell’s air raid offense is Swedish phenom Anders Hermodsson. The longtime national team quarterback had a storied career in Scandinavia, that has included four consecutive national championships with the Carlstad Crusaders, an IFAF Champions League title in 2015, and numerous individual and MVP awards along the way. He currently leads the IFL with 295.5 yards of total offense per game.
The Marines defense has proven to be just as dominant as the offense. First-year defensive coordinator Claudio Faccini (formerly head coach of rival Roma Grizzlies) has done an imppecable job in the installation of a new 3-4 system. The Marines starting defense has not surrendered one point this year and the overall unit is tops in Italy in virtually every single statistical category. A big reason for that is import linebacker Quandon Christian, who was a four-year starter at the University of Clemson.
The Aquile offense is piloted by domestic quarterback Nicolo Scaglia, whose storied career has seen him play at Southern Virginia University and as an import in the 2nd league of Germany. Scaglia’s top target this season has been Tyler McCulloch, a four-year starter for the University of Colorado. McCulloch leads the IFL with 19 receptions for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, the Aquile will rely on linebacker Tyler Hansen. The former Humboldt State star has been a tackling machine early this season with 26 total tackles.
