BREAKING NEWS!!!

Here are the nominees for the 2009 WSPYs.  

There are four categories open for fan votes: Team of the Year, Player of the Year, Story of the Year, and BreakOUT Team of the Year.

In order to vote on the awards, you must be registered.

 

The TOTY is awarded to the team with the most outstanding season in WI amateur football.

Madison Mustangs (IFL) 12-0
Reason: The Mustangs completed their second straight undefeated season, and have now won 24 games in a row.  The Mustangs outscored opponents in 2009 576-96 en route to the Iron Bowl Championship, amassed over 4300 yards on offense, and averaged 48 points per game.  

Racine Threat (MSFL) 9-3
Reason:  The Threat finally got the Leyden Lions monkey off their back, defeating the Lions 27-17 in the playoffs along the way to their first ever Mid States Championship.  The Threat rushed for over 2500 yards, outscored opponents 410-222, and placed 9 players on the MSFL All-Star squad.

Chippewa Valley Predators (NEFL) 10-0
Reason: After beating the Crush and Stampeders, both of whom went undefeated in the regular season last year, the Predators came from behind to top the Fox Valley Force, the 2008 WSFL Champions, to win their first Elite Bowl title and an undefeated season.  The Predators led the league in scoring with 292 points and allowed an average of 10.6 points per game.

West Bend Junkyard Dogs (WSFL) 11-1
Reason: The Dogs won their second WSFL Championship in 5 years by outscoring opponents 411-136. They held the high scoring M&M Timberjacks to just 14 points in the Championship Game.  Following their lone loss in week 5, the Dogs bounced back to win their next three games by a combined score of 132-17. 

The BOTOTY is awarded to the team that surpassed all expectations and finished the season in a far more surprising spot than history would have predicted.

River City Rattlers (WSFL)
Reason:  Following a 5-5 seasonwhere all 5 wins came against teams with a combined 4-36 record, the Rattlers exceeded expectations and battled through a tough 1-4 start to finish 4-1 and secure a playoff berth.  The Rattlers took the eventual champion West Bend Junkyard Dogs down to the wire in the playoffs, falling short by a field goal 17-14.  

Central Wisconsin Spartans (NEFL)
Reason:  Only one team scored more points than the Spartans in the NEFL in 2009, and that team won the championship.  The Spartans led the league in passing and total offense, and improved upon a 1-7 2008 season (as the Panthers) to finish 6-2 and secure a playoff spot.

Green Bay Vipers (WSFL)
Reason:  After winning just 5 games in the previous two years combined, the Vipers went 5-5 this season to surpass expectations, and outscored opponents for the first time in franchise history.

VOTING CLOSED

The SOTY nominees are the most interesting, controversial or astonishing stories that occurred during the 2009 calendar year.

IFL Overturns Roscoe Win - It occurred in week 8 and featured a play that was seen on Sports Illustrated's website.  When Herculano DeCosta booted a 57 yard field goal as time expired to help the Roscoe Rush top the Burlington Blue Devils, the chaos that ensued on the field was nothing compared to what would happen in the next 48 hours.  Following a phone call from Blue Devils owner Tom Hawkins to protest clock management by the officials, IFL Co-owners Chris Chudada and Pete Narrai nullified the kick and awarded the win t Burlington without even seeing the game film, igniting a firestorm.

When Roscoe protested and posted the video for all to see, camps were quickly divided, as there was ample evidence that the refs botched one clock call, but nearly all concluded Roscoe would have had time to attempt the game winner regardless of any call.  Eventually Roscoe would resign from the IFL prior to the playoffs, fueling further controversy and leading to a retaliatory article posted by the IFL disparaging the Rush before cooler heads prevailed.

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Spartans Take Mustangs to OT in Iron Bowl - No one outside of Wauwatosa gave the Spartans much of a chance, seeing as how Madison had already dismantled the Spartans 55-19 earlier in the season.  But with two weeks of preparation, Wauwatosa put on a defensive clinic and stymied the high-powered Mustang offense for most of the day.  Despite showing a chink in the armor two weeks earlier when the Hitmen played them tough, the Mutangs had appeared to be consensus champs right up to kick-off.

However, as the game progressed, it became clear to the small crowd gathered at the Chula Vista Dome that the Spartans scheme was more than a match for the 'Stangs.  It took a crucial turnover and an OT field goal to secure the victory, but Madison managed to hang on for their second straight Iron Bowl win in arguably the most entertaining Iron Bowl to date.

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West Bend Leaves WSFL - For the second time in as many years, the WSFL Champion fled from the autumnal league for a summer schedule.  While 2008's champions went north (Fox Valley to the NEFL), the Dogs jumped south to the IFL.  In and of itself, the story is interesting, but once news came out that the Lake Country Cyclones and Saukville Demons had merged, the WSFL is now looking at 6 teams remaining in the league with two of the best teams having left in consecutive years.  

West Bend's move comes following a change in ownership prior to the 2009 season.  Ownership now faces a challenge in retaining as many players as possible while recruiting to fill any open spots created by conflicts created with a summer schedule.  Given the team's strong history, numbers shouldn't be a problem in 2010.

VOTING CLOSED

The POTY is awarded to the most outstanding player in WI amateur football in 2009.

David Pietrowiak, QB, Madison Mustang.  Passing: 120-211, 1817 yds, 24 TD, 7 Int; Rushing: 81 carries, 209 yds, 11 TD.

Zak Shutte, RB, M&M Timberjacks.  Rushing: 228 carries, 1908 yards, 22 TD.  Receiving: 6 Rec, 109 yds, 4 TD.

Greg Sanders, RB, Racine Threat.  Rushing: 235 carries, 1801 yards, 15 TD.

Joe Flick, DE, Wauwatosa Spartans.  Defense:  41 Tackles, 17 sacks.  3 Forced fumbles, 1 Int, 1 blocked punt, 1 Def. TD.

Solomon Cabell, S, Milwaukee Venom.  Defense:  15 Interceptions, 3 returned for TD.

Reggie Davis, WR, Madison Mustangs.  Receiving:  36 Rec, 587 yds, 13 TD.

Will Thomsen, WR, Lake Country Cyclones.  Receiving: 45 Rec, 714 yds, 10 TD.  Returns:  1 KR TD, 26.8 yd avg KR, 17.8 yd avg PR.

VOTING CLOSED

BreakTHROUGH Team of the Year - BTTOTY is awarded to the team that finally achieved the level of play everyone expected of them:
Wauwatosa Spartans (IFL), Chippewa Valley Predators (NEFL), West Bend Junkyard Dogs (WSFL)

Offense of the Year - Awarded to the Most Outstanding offense in WI amateur football
Racine Raiders (NAFL), Madison Mustangs (IFL), Central Wisconsin Spartans (NEFL), Chippewa Valley Predators (NEFL) West Bend Junkyard Dogs (WSFL), M&M Timberjacks (WSFL)

Defense of the Year - Awarded to the Most Outstanding Defense in WI amateur football
Racine Raiders (NAFL), Madison Mustangs (IFL), Wauwatosa Spartans (IFL), West Bend Junkyard Dogs (WSFL), Chippewa Valley Predators (NEFL)

Website of the Year - Awarded to the best Team Website in WI amateur football including updated content, ease of navigation, loading time, relevance, and innovation
Racine Raiders, Chippewa Valley Predators, Madison Mustangs, Eau Claire Crush