DIVISION III.4
Does any Canadian team really know the pain of Venomizer?
Knocked out in the semifinals last season, it ended a run of 6 consecutive seasons under 3 team names in which manager VenomX lost in the league finals and watched the celebration of another promoting opponent.
Will this finally be the year?
Today, they would have to be the favourite.
Led by C Lii Zongwei, they currently have the best balanced attack in the league.
Unfortunately for Venomizer, with the promotion of the Van Cougars, the relegated Silver Palominos have dropped right down into their spot in the Big 8 and will be a problem with another strong 5 man unit and a big Center to match Zongwei in Refael Galili.
Crazy Palomino fact - The relegation ended a run in the same League II since season 2, they even played in that league final for a chance at Naismith a few short seasons ago!
For now, the league's other best team seems to have the other conference all to themselves.
Keep an eye on the Crazy Bongos, not only a finalist last season and with the league's best starting big men in Gumersind Claramunt and Alfredo Luiz Amorim but with the sale of 22 year old up and coming Canadian C Thomas Harte, the Bongs have some money to spend.
FYI: I was actually in Naismith for a season (Season 4) and then was in Div. II up until this season.
Ran into trouble last season - took a couple of chances and it got me relegated.
This season my goal is to just train my young players, then pop back up next season and challenge for Naismith again within a season or two. Without trying to be too arrogant, I don't foresee any issues promoting this year, when my only losses were with backups in the lineup. In fact, this week's loss was a 3-point loss with an entire backup lineup, most in training positions, on TIE, while resting my starting squad for the Cup game.
Still, Venomizer will be a challenge - the only team that will come close to me this year, IMO :)