Hawaii Wayfinders 2048

[Guest]

Hawai'i is rebuilding after a disaster of a season. They were plagued by injuries to key players, most notably their starting quarterback, who was lost for the season before the team could begin to find its stride. Making matters worse, the Wayfinders had traded away their first-round pick, only to find when the dust cleared that they had earned the #1 overall selection.

Ouch, ohana.

But that hasn't deterred the Wayfinders, who are now forging ahead with a (mostly) new coaching staff and putting together a squad to help them forget their 2047 struggles. At the top of the priority has been the O-line, where Hawai'i has acquired Owen Fulton and Mitchell Hernandez to immediately anchor the offensive front. These moves should give new offensive coordinator Tyrone Oster plenty of flexibility as he works to install his offensive schemes in the islands. The thought of Fulton and Hernandez joining longtime Wayfinder Quentin Donaldson in paving the way for Shawn Middleton is likely already causing opposing defensive coordinators to lose sleep.

More changes are on the way in paradise. Stay tuned to see what else is in store for the Wayfinders this offseason!

[Sharkn20]

Hawaii wants to be for real!

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[Guest]

In another league, my team went from winning a division and a playoff game one year to (unexpectedly) 1-15 the next year. I feel your pain! Great thing about football though is you can bounce back the next year (unless you are the Browns).

[Guest]

After a splashy beginning to the free agency period--if a pair of interior offensive linemen can be considered splashy--Hawaii has been relatively quiet, focusing on smaller moves to fill some of the holes on their roster. OLB Rodolfo Buckner and DEs Francisco Perry and Rico Jacke will join the Wayfinders front seven, which had been in flux after the retirement of longtime defensive captain Neil Cibella. The Wayfinders also agreed to terms with RFA defensive lineman Lionel Rockefeller; yet despite signing three solid players, Hawaii still has only five defensive linemen under contract. Expect more moves to be made in this area as the offseason continues.

Hawaii also made their first pick in this year's draft, selecting TE Connor Preston out of Louisville. The pick came as a surprise to pundits and fans alike, who were certain that the Wayfinders would draft a wideout or a defensive player. Hawaii GM nexttwelveexits, when asked about the pick, said, "We had Connor as the best player available on our board. We know that we have more pressing needs than tight end, but we don't really consider need as much as whether or not a player can contribute, and we think Connor will definitely contribute, so we took him." Preston was one of the best receiving tight ends in college football last year, so although he isn't a wide receiver, he will still add a new dimension to the Wayfinders passing attack. He will pair with second-year TE Glenn Wright, also a second round pick, to give Hawaii one of the more dynamic TE duos in the league.

[Guest]

Hawaii ended its spring camp on a high note with a restructured roster that is determined to put last year behind them. Some notes from the first practices of the year:

- The Wayfinders drafted DLs Britt Odum and Kelvin King, both of whom played in a 3-4 scheme in college and will need to transition to Hawaii's 4-3 defense. Both are roughly the same size on paper, but King, who has a smaller frame, will be moving outside while Odum is hitting the weight room in anticipation of playing on the inside.

- As expected, rookie Connor Preston and second-year man Glenn Wright will both be expected to contribute heavily in the passing game from the TE position to take some of the pressure off the wide receiving corps. Expect plenty of 2 TE looks from the Wayfinders this fall.

- The strength of the defensive unit is going to depend heavily upon the development of second-year players, particularly MLB Rod Foster and DE Xavier Sims. CB Rich Grimley and S Shaquille Grolitzer are also second-year players worth watching in the defensive backfield. Both played reasonably well as rookies, but they have some work to do if they are going to earn expanded roles and help the defense take a much-needed step forward 2048.

- Veteran RG Marlon Raines, who grew up in Pearl City just down the road from the team facilities in Aiea, has been spending his off days hosting large groups of his fellow players on team outings. Gatherings have been spotted at out-of-the-way beaches and exclusive restaurants in downtown Honolulu. There is some great camaraderie building in Hawaii; these players seem to genuinely like each other, and it's showing on the field as well, with the team aggressively attacking the task of learning the offensive and defensive schemes being employed by Hawaii's new coordinators.

~~~GO WAYFINDERS!~~~

[Guest]

Love that uni!

[Sharkn20]

Awesome read! Love how the Wayfinders are shaping up!

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[Guest]

Hawaii brought only five rookies to camp, the fewest total in the league, after an active free agency period that left them with only marginal cap room to negotiate with undrafted players. The only UFA in camp with the Wayfinders is RB Ivan Mills, who will compete with Cris Lincoln and RJ Stuart (a fellow UFA who spent last season bouncing around the league's practice squads) to pick up touches behind Shawn Middleton.

Here's a (very) quick rundown of the Wayfinders 2048 rookie class:

TE Connor Preston - 2nd Round - 45/61
DL Britt Odum - 3rd Round - 29/53
C Korey Ryan - 6th Round - 26/59
DL Kelvin King - 7th Round - 29/45
RB Ivan Mills - Undrafted - 24/40

Other training camp roster notes:

• The Wayfinders sent a late-round pick in next year's draft to Lake County in exchange for DT Jerry Burns, who is expected to bring some veteran presence alongside Jimmie Gordon to a defensive line that experienced quite a bit of upheaval during the offseason.
• Second year WR Sherman Sousa, who spent his rookie year as a bench player in San Francisco, agreed to a one-year deal with Hawaii.

[Guest]

The big story today in Hawaii: RB Shawn Middleton and QB Heath Morton took their first live snaps this week since their respective season-ending injuries last year. The two most important players on offense were also the two biggest question marks of the offseason, and they both played like they had something to prove. Middleton finished with 144 yards on 18 carries, and Morton threw touchdown passes on each of his two offensive series under center, moving the team effectively and completing 6 of 7 passes for 76 yards. The starting defense also played well in the first quarter, forcing punts on each of Port City's first two drives. The Wayfinders went on to defeat the Steam 27-20 in the 2048 preseason opener.

While it's never a good idea to read to much into a single quarter of football, much less one that comes in the preseason, it's hard to tell Hawaii fans not to be encouraged by the way their starters played. They displayed an efficiency and intensity that was rarely seen last year. Now it's up to the players and coaches to build on their successes and continue their high level of play into the regular season.

ROOKIE WATCH:

• TE Connor Preston caught all four of the passes thrown his way, totaling 40 yards in his first action as a pro.
• Preston was the only rookie who played because my depth charts/inactives got AI'ed and this game is a ridiculous game.

[Guest]

The 2048 season is finally upon us. A throng of Hawai'i faithful were on hand to see their team off on their long flight to Las Vegas, where they will play their opener against the rival Outlaws. Confidence is high in Honolulu after a strong camp and preseason from the Wayfinders. Some of the bright spots this summer included the development of second-year players Glenn Wright and Xavier Simms, the immediate-impact presence of rookies Connor Preston and Britt Odum, and the return to form of Shawn Middleton following last year's season-ending injury. Heath Morton has been efficient, the run game is firing on all cylinders, and the defense is starting to work as a unit.

Now it's time for this team to lace em up and put it all together for four quarters of real, live, meaningful football. The Outlaws are a tough squad with playmakers on both sides of the ball and their eye on the division crown. The Wayfinders are going to have to play hard tomorrow if they want to prove they're for real in 2048.

[Guest]

Players are warming up. Fans are filling the seats. Football season is here!

We can expect a great game today between the Hawaii Wayfinders and the Las Vegas Outlaws to kick off the 2048 season. Here are the Wayfinders' keys to the game:

• ESTABLISH THE RUN: To no one's surprise, the Wayfinders offense will once again run through RB Shawn Middleton, who will be working behind a retooled offensive line featuring all-pro RG Owen Fulton. Getting the running game going will be critical to Hawaii's success.
• PRESSURE THE QB: This will be an important test for the defensive front, which is breaking in a number of new personnel this season. DE Xavier Simms and LB Marshall Simmons will have to work hard to keep the quarterback on the move and out of his comfort zone.
• LIMIT BIG PLAYS ON DEFENSE: The Wayfinders secondary, led by S Claude Dugger, have a daunting task trying to cover all the weapons available to the Vegas offense. Preventing the Outlaws from gaining big chunks at once will be key.

Now there's nothing left to do but play the game! GO WAYFINDERS !!!

[Sharkn20]

I love this thread. Keep up the good job!

[Guest]

The HAWAI'I WAYFINDERS opened the 2048 season with an important in-division road win over Las Vegas. Here's a quick rundown of the game:

THE GOOD: Special teams played a huge role in this win, with undrafted rookie PR Carson Lincoln scoring the first touchdown of the season on an 88(!) yard punt return. Rookie TE Carson Preston found the end zone for Hawaii's first offensive touchdown of the year to regain the lead late in the fourth quarter. The defense stood strong in the game's final moments, bending but refusing to break and stalling the last Outlaw drive at the five yard line to seal a victory for the Wayfinders.

THEBAD: The keys to the game turned out to be... not so much. RB Shawn Middleton struggled to establish himself against a defense that was stacking the box against him; the defense allowed several big plays both running and passing; and the front four failed to generate consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback, although they did come up big when it mattered most.

THEUGLY:Penalties. It was a sloppy game all around, with the two teams being assessed a total of 19 penalties. Several more flags were also thrown with the infractions being declined.

For the present, the Wayfinders are happy with the win, but there is clearly plenty more work to be done in Honolulu to bring this team up to standard. A stern test awaits as the team must travel to Ohio to take on the champs. This will be the second of four consecutive away games to start the season. The schedule doesn't look to be loosening up anytime soon, so the Wayfinders will have to keep working hard to get better. There's always plenty to enjoy about a big road win, especially against a division opponent, but there's definitely still room to get better.

Other assorted notes:

• This game was a baptism-by-fire of sorts for CB Connor Rives, who spent most of the game on the field for the Wayfinders defense despite only being signed to the roster in the middle of the week. Rives was targeted often and gave up several completions, but also broke up a pair of passes and made several crucial tackles that helped keep the Outlaws out of the end zone. Hopefully his play will improve as he gains more experience with the Hawai'i D.
• FL Bernie Jelinek, a player many Hawaii fans wanted to see released or relegated to a minor role this year, led the Wayfinders in receiving yards this week with 90.

[Guest]

ALOHA OHANA!!

Hawaii spent the week in Ohio preparing for this week's matchup against the Sharks. It's going to take a solid performance to manage a win on the road against the defending champions. Here are Hawaii's keys to tonight's contest:

• CONTROL THE CLOCK: The Wayfinders cannot afford to let Ciszek and the potent Sharks offense stay on the field and dictate the pace of the game. To that end, the offensive line, led by OT Quentin Donaldson, must be consistent against the Ohio River front seven and keep the down and distances manageable for QB Heath Morton and RB Shawn Middleton.
• WIN ON SPECIAL TEAMS: This was a huge factor last week, when the Wayfinders were able to score on a punt return and did a good job of covering their own kicks. Another solid effort from K Bryant Mitkov and P Winfred Nedney will be needed to keep Hawaii ahead in field position and on the scoreboard, and another big return from PR Carson Lincoln wouldn't hurt, either.
• LIMIT THE MENTAL MISTAKES: Hawai'i was able to eke out a win at Las Vegas despite a plethora of penalties and being minus in the turnover margin. They need to improve in both of these areas and play a clean game to give themselves a chance at an upset.

Week 2 is upon us. Time to go play ball! Let's see what these guys are made of--and GO WAYFINDERS!!!

[Sharkn20]

ALOHA OHANA!!

Hawaii spent the week in Ohio preparing for this week's matchup against the Sharks. It's going to take a solid performance to manage a win on the road against the defending champions. Here are Hawaii's keys to tonight's contest:

• CONTROL THE CLOCK: The Wayfinders cannot afford to let Ciszek and the potent Sharks offense stay on the field and dictate the pace of the game. To that end, the offensive line, led by OT Quentin Donaldson, must be consistent against the Ohio River front seven and keep the down and distances manageable for QB Heath Morton and RB Shawn Middleton.
• WIN ON SPECIAL TEAMS: This was a huge factor last week, when the Wayfinders were able to score on a punt return and did a good job of covering their own kicks. Another solid effort from K Bryant Mitkov and P Winfred Nedney will be needed to keep Hawaii ahead in field position and on the scoreboard, and another big return from Carson Lincoln wouldn't hurt, either.
• LIMIT THE MENTAL MISTAKES: Hawai'i was able to eke out a win at Las Vegas despite a plethora of penalties and being minus in the turnover margin. They need to improve in both of these areas and play a clean game to give themselves a chance at an upset.

Week 2 is upon us. Time to go play ball! Let's see what these guys are made of--and GO WAYFINDERS!!!

Good luck buddy! Always a challenge to play against a young GM (FOF ways) with a stud Roster.

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