Nick Finch: High School to Pros

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madden07eurocat
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Re: Nick Finch: High School to Pros

Postby madden07eurocat » Tue Feb 20, 2018 8:05 am

grabursock55 wrote:Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen.

Jake the Jay herekeeping you up to date with the latest from our Jackson Pines Standout, Nick Finch. Over the last few weeks, Nick had a few subpar efforts as the Jays finished out the regular season and marched into the playoffs. In week 9, Nick had a horriible game against the Hendrickson Steelers throwing for 85 yards and 3 interceptions. It is no surprise that the Jays would lose that game by a score of 3 - 17. The following week, Nick had an average game, throwing for 184 yards and 1 TD against a very strong Mackle Valley squad, who came into the game with an 8-1 record. The Jays would beat the Seminoles by a score of 23 - 10 and enter the playoffs as the #6 team in the Norther Tier.

Week one of the playoffs saw the Jays travel to Burnettsburg to take on the 9-1 Burnettsburg Bandits. The bandits got out to a quick 10 - 0 start against our Jays, but Nick Finch found a rhythm atthat point leading the Jays to 24 consecutive points and a round 1 playoff upset victory.

Round 2 of the playoffs had the Jays pitted against the very strong, second ranked Diamond Falls Miners. The Jays had a reasonably good offensive game, but their defense apparently never got off the bus and the Jackson Pines season ended with a loss to Diamond Falls in the Northern Tier league Semi-Finals.

Clearly, the season didnt go the way Nick wanted... But it was a stretch since so many of last years key players had graduated. The team was pretty one dimensional as Nick had to rely on his arm most of the time because the freshman running back wasnt drawing much attention from the other cordinators.

With the somewhat disappointing season in the books, Nick is now looking to attend colleges. Nick has decided he would like to go to the united states to play his collegiate football, as it will give him a better opportunity to get exposure to the NFL coaches. However, Since Nick is playing in a less than stellar high school league, and had an unremarkable senior year, many big time colleges were hesitant, and ultimately decided not to offer him a scholarship. Nick received many scholarships from FCS programs and some FBS programs (the FBS has been restructured in this universe, by the way) and Nick has narrowed his college choices down to the following schools who have offered him a full ride

The FBS has been restructered where teams are classified into four groups of 32 teams based on their football tradition. The "best" teams are in the AAAA class, while the teams with the least prestige are in the 'A' class. The classes are identified in ()

FBS
Vanderbilt (AA)
Ohio (AA)
Louisiana Tech (AA)
UCONN (AA)
Charlotte (A)
SJSU (A)

FCS
#9 NC A&T St
#10 William and Mary
#12 Furman
#14 Jackson St
#18 Montana State

If you would like to make a case for any of these schools (or your favorite team) drop a line on here. Otherwise, Nick will announce his college decision within the next couple days.

This is Jake the Jay, signing off.

I would have to go with the Ohio Bobcats. I really feel that head coach Frank Solich got kind of a raw deal when he took over for Tom Osborne at Nebraska. He didn't have the success that Osborne did and was not a Tom Osborne, but is a very good coach that has lasted for years at Ohio.
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Re: Nick Finch: High School to Pros

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Re: Nick Finch: High School to Pros

Postby grabursock55 » Sun Mar 25, 2018 7:12 pm

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Jake the Jay coming to you LIVE from the Jackson Pines High School gym, where Nick Finch is soon to make his choice about where he will be spending the next 4 years of his life. Lets get a quick recap of the events leading up to this point.

Nick, who has started for Jackson Pines since he was a freshman, lead the team to their first district championship since 1991 and their first state championship ever. He broke nearly all of the previous school passing records, and has gained scholarship offers from EVERY college football team in Aquatova. However, Nick made it clear that he is expecting his career to go to the pro level, so he came to the conclusion that he will have to travel to the USA to have a chance at making a pro roster.
Aquatova is not known for shipping out quality football players, but Nick is a special exception. No Huge schools wanted to take a chance on him, so his choices were from mid-major and FCS level schools.

Today, we will find out what team he will be playing for next season. On the press table, I see three hats. One is Blue and Gold with a bobcat adorning the front - The FCS level Montana State Bobcats who are no strangers to the big stage, winning the National Championship in 1984 and making the playoffs 8 times. They play in the very tough Big Sky conference and look to be on the cusp of greatness in the FCS. MSU also had quite the recruiting pitch for Nick as he considered his options. He says the campus atmosphere is absolutely amazing.
Next to that, There is a white cap, very sharp, with the word "OHIO" written in green across the front. The Ohio Bobcats have made Nicks short list as well. Ohio offered Nick a full ride and promised him early playing time in their pass heavy offense. In the new set up, Ohio has a chance to win a national championship in a field of just 32 teams, but Nick says hes afraid that even by having a great career at ohio, the new classifications may hinder his chances of getting national attention, as he wont be playing against quality teams on a consistent basis. He thinks an FCS championship would mean more to his career (assuming he gets one, that is).
Finally, on the right hand side of the table, is a Green hat with a Golden "WM" on the front. William and Mary is a powerful school that has a lot to offer Nick. They play a pro style offense and that could translate well into the pros, but they tend to rely more heavily on the running game, and that could prevent Nick from really standing out as a top level QB. Nick is not about personal acheivement by any means, but at this point, he needs to do whats best for his career, and that is STAND OUT!

Ah, here comes nick now, surrounded by his parents. and taking a seat in center stage, I'm sure you can hear the roar of the crowd right now... Nick is saying just a few words here, as this may be one of the last times we see him here in the lovely old gym with the Blue Jays logos... Here we go..

Nicks Pick is...

Spoiler:
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The crowd is in a full uproar as Nick declars his choice. He mentioned very specifically he is excited to play on the national stage and do his part to lead MSU to a national title.

Nick, We all wish you luck, and we wish the best luck to the IT division at MSU's school shop webpage, as I think a lot of Montana State gear is going to be ordered in the next couple hours.

We'll be back soon with more info on Nicks Freshman season at Montana State.

GO BOBCATS!
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Re: Nick Finch: High School to Pros

Postby LT #78 » Thu May 03, 2018 1:23 am

GO BOBCATS indeed! Looking forward to a continuation of this journal!

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Re: Nick Finch: High School to Pros

Postby grabursock55 » Tue Jan 01, 2019 7:27 pm

MONTANA STATE JUNIOR SEASON

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Ugh, not again..." I think to myself as my alarm clock blares and I wake up in my dark dorm room. The bed across the room is unoccupied and neatly made. "Where is Randy?" I ask myself as I groggily scan the room. Just then the door creeks open and Randy walks in with a towel around his waist. "Man, why do you get a shower BEFORE practice - You're just going to need another one afterwards anyway", I snarkily say to Randy. "Well," Randy starts "Today is my first REAL practice with the team. I got up early and couldnt sleep, so I thought I might as well do something productive." Randy was a true freshman QB that was signed out Custer County High School which is in Montana. He showed some potential and was signed to replace me one day, but he doesnt pose a real threat to me now. Even if he did, I dont think I would care much. I have been very down on myself lately, I havent gotten any playing time in my freshman or sophomore seasons, and while our team has played well both those years, we havent won the conference or even made the playoffs. Ever since I was 8 years old playing for the youth team in Jackson Pines, I have been a starter. I am not used to sitting on the bench and honestly, this has been a trying time for me. I was excited like Randy once... But that was a few years ago. I just hope he deals with riding the bench better than I did.

"Hey" Randy said, . I snapped out of my inner-monologue to look over at him, now fully dressed in a grey MSU Football Tshirt and Navy Blue Shorts. "You know, if you dont get to the team meeting, the coaches are just going to GIVE me your job". I glared at him as I stood up and threw on the shirt and shorts I had worn the night before. "Lets just let our play do the talking, ankle-biter" I said back to him as we walked out the dorm door and into the hallway. As I locked my door behind me, I felt a hand on my shoulder and I heard a familiar voice whisper in my ear: "This is OUR year, Finch." An uncomfortable shiver went down my back as whoever this was just seriously violated my personal space bubble. I turned to look at the perpetrator of this strange action and it was none other than our star Wide Receiver and one of my best friends on the team, Virgil Rollins, who I called V. "Man V, why do you have to whisper in my ear like that, its weird!" I said to virgil. He looked at me with his classic Virgil smile and exclaimed "Because I am PUMPED for this season! We are juniors, Im the starting receiver, youre the starting QB, we are going to be All Americans, win the conference, National Championship, the works!!" I looked at Virgil and with a smile said "Those are pretty high hopes for a team coming into the season unranked."
"Whatever- Just throw me the ball and see what happens." - Ok, Virgil. He was always confident in his abilities but he thinks he is better than he really is, if we are being honest.

We packed into the team meeting room with V on my right and Randy on my left. While Randy was a nice guy, I dont think I would have hung out with him in regular circumstances, but I felt like I needed to take him under my wing to help show him the ropes of our school and team. He seemed to be adjusting well to the college lifestyle and was making his own friends without me. He had his blue notebook out and was jotting down route combinations and made up formations to pass the time before coach Simmons came in. I looked up at the drab florescent lights on the ceiling and let my thoughts overwhelm me. "Why didnt I go to a school in Vaughnland, sure, I wouldnt have gone pro, but what are the odds I make a pro roster after sitting two years at an FCS school. At least I would have played at Vaughnland State." I could feel my facial expression subconsciously shifting into a snarl as a metal door slammed shut and snapped me out of it. By the time coach Simmons walked 20 feet from the door to the podium at the front of the room, the room had fallen silent. Coach Simmons stood proudly at the front of the room looking over the sea of faces that he had convinced to come to school here on the western edge of Montana. He wore a grin on his face, showing no teeth, but confidently looking over us. "Boys" he said "If you have been around this program, you know what we expect out of you, the work, the grades, the effort..." He turns to the board and writes out three numbers in large blue marker
"7... 11... 99"

I think to myself, "What happened on July 11th, 1999?" The coach looks at us once again.
"Gentlemen, say hello to your team captains.
#7: Jamel Blount, JR. Cornerback
#11: Nick Finch, JR. Quarterback
#99: Lashaun Rich, Soph. Defensive Tackle"

My jaw hit the floor. Virgil punched my shoulder with his big ol' Virgil smile adorned across his face, I was too shocked to move. "Captains, stand up" Coach said. Lashaun, or L.A. as we called him since he was from Los Angelas, was sitting on the far left of the auditorium, he looked just as shocked as me, and I can't blame him, as he was only a sophomore. Jamel was sitting in the middle of the auditorium, about 2 rows in front of me, he had a smug grin on his face and acted like he knew this was his year to take over as captain. Coach said "Captains, I have chosen you not only from what I had seen in Summer workouts, but your characteristics as well. Jamel, your Swagger and confidence will take you far, and I have seen how you can motivate this team, L.A., you have improved greatly over the Summer, and you will be the voice of the underclassmen, Your strong mind was your greatest asset, now you have a strong body to boot. Finch, you have sat patiently, read the playbooks, and taken the initiative to lead our underclassmen in improving their skills and familiarity with the program, that is how dynasties are formed. Your work in the weight room isnt where it should be, but as a captain, I presume you will begin setting a good example for your teammates. "YESSUR" I yelled, as a nervous reaction. "Good," He replied. "Now lets get to work..."
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Re: Nick Finch: High School to Pros

Postby madden07eurocat » Wed Jan 02, 2019 5:45 am

Everyone has to have a Virgil!

I like the thread and I hope that it continues!
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Re: Nick Finch: High School to Pros

Postby grabursock55 » Wed Jan 02, 2019 4:26 pm

madden07eurocat wrote:Everyone has to have a Virgil!

I like the thread and I hope that it continues!


Lol Virgil. He's a good guy at heart. Thanks for following
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Re: Nick Finch: High School to Pros

Postby grabursock55 » Mon Jan 07, 2019 11:35 pm

So I wrote a really long write up for Nicks college career and the damn page crapped out when I tried to post it.

Ill have to rewrite the thing tomorrow. Im disappointed, but this has happened to me enough to expect it by this point. Hopefully I'll get it tomorrow.

Night guys
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Re: Nick Finch: High School to Pros

Postby grabursock55 » Tue Jan 08, 2019 9:42 pm

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Hello everyone, this is Jake the Jay keeping you up to date on your favorite former Blue Jay, Nick Finch. Its hard to believe its been 4 years since Nick was wearing the Navy Blue of the JPHS Blue Jays, buts its true. Since then, Nick has been in the USA continuing his football career by playing for the Montana State Bobcats football team, an FCS level team that offered Nick a scholarship, despite him hailing from Aquatova. Today, we will be bringing you a review of his collegiate career, as it drew to a close last weekend.

Overall, Nick had a very successful career at MSU, and he certainly improved his skills from his Junior season to his Senior season. He was disappointed in the fact that he didnt get any playing time during his freshman or sophomore years, but began making an impact when he was given the role of starter and captain for his Junior and Senior seasons.
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In his junior year, Nick lead the MSU bobcats to a solid 7 straight vicotories in the first seven games of the year, including a 17-0 vicotry over arch rival Montana to win the Brawl of the Wild game. However, after their 7th win, the wheels came off for the bobcats and they went on a skid, losing 4 of their last five games and finishing the season 8 - 4. Nick had a difficult to describe season. He was a vocal leader in the locker room but struggled to perform on the field as he finished the year with 18 passing touchdowns to 17 interceptions, obviosuly not what you want out of a division one QB. However, Nick must have been hitting the squats in his 2 years of riding the bench because he found the abilty to scramble, something he didnt do much of here at Jackson Pines HS. He ended up rushing for 950 yards in his junior season, and 7 rushing TDs. Nicks running style was more relatable to Tim Tebow, not particuarly fast, but willing to lower his shoulder to take a hit. With Montana State’s tailspin at the end of the year, they finished unranked and did not qualify for the 8 team playoff field.


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In Nicks Senior year, he found his stride and it really showed. He showed a much higher level of maturity in the pocket and was not rushing his throws and he was putting more trust in his receivers.During week 5, Nick lead the Bobcats to a 52-7 Trouncing of the weak Montana Griz squad, a victory that Nick says is one of his favorites from his time at MSU. Nick lead the bobcats to a 6-0 record before sustaining a back injury in the week 7 game that would knock him out for three weeks. Nick was even featured in ESPN the magazine, peaking at number 3 in the heisman voting in the middle of the season. However, the injury cost him a chance at the heisman and perhaps more importantly, cost his bobcats a chance at the Big sky Championship, as they lost two out of the three games he was out for, both of those games were against conference opponents and effectively dropping the Bobcats out of the Big sky race. Nick came back for the last two games with his teams playoff hopes hanging in the balance as MSU was ranked 10th and on the outside of the 8 team playoff bracket with two tough games ahead. In week 11, MSU got revenge on Western Carolina, a team who had defeated MSU last season, by beating them to the tune of 28-0. The win over Western Carolina bumped MSU into 8th place, but their last game would be against #9 ranked Georgia Southern who is ALWAYS contending for a playoff spot. The fanfare leading up to this virtual ‘play-in’ game was huge, being broadcast to a national audience, but the game didnt live up to the hype as MSU Blew out the Eagles 38 - 10, with Nick Finch throwing for a career high 312 yards in his final regular season game.
With the regular season for MSU complete but a few weeks left for other teams, MSU bumped up to #3 in the FCS polls as the playoffs began. Week 1 of the tournament saw the bobcats hosting #6 William and Mary, a team they had beaten early in the season. The tribe game the bobcats a good run, but MSU came out on top by a score of 23 - 16. The second week of the playoffs gave us the #3 Bobcats hosting the upstart #7 Bethune Cookman Wildcats, who were riding high after an upset victory over #2 Furman in the first round. The wildcats were brought back down to Earth HARD, as they struggled to move the ball at all against the strong MSU D. MSU ended up winning 40 - 13, with BCC’s 13 points coming in garbage time when the game was already well in hand. MSU was now in the national championship against the Pennsylvania Quakers, a team that struggled with injuries during the regular season, but got their stars back for the playoffs. Penn was lead by the best FCS rushing attack in the country and were depending on their running backs to tie the game in the fourth quarter with under a minute left. The MSU defence held strong for 4 downs and forced a turnover on the 4 yardline. 2 QB kneels later, the MSU Bobcats were national champions with a final record of 13-2 in Nicks senior year.

Spoiler:
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Stats
Total TDs 41
Total INTS 29
Rush TDs 14
Pass yds 3972
Rush Yds 1693
Record as a starter: 20-4
Conference titles as a starter 0
National Titles as a starter 1

Now that Nick is finished with his college career, he is training hard for his hopeful appearacne in the NFL. Mel Kiper has Nick listed as a player who would not be drafted by an NFL squad, but Nick is staying hopeful for his professional career. We will find out shortly if he makes it to an NFL team. Stay tuned! This is Jake the Jay signing off. Good Night Jackson Pines!
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Re: Nick Finch: High School to Pros

Postby grabursock55 » Wed Feb 26, 2020 7:32 pm

Ladies and gentlemen, its happened. Our former Jackson Pines standout has finnaly received his first professional contract! - This is Jake the Jay, breaking the news first to all the lovely folks here in the Jackson Pines and Greater Port Boyerton Area! Now, mind you, Nick didnt sign with an NFL squad, instead his contract comes from the Philadelphia Brawlers. Interestingly, when Nick was in high school, colleges from Philadelphia seemed to be clammoring to him, before he ultimately decided to go to the Montana State University.
Now, if youre wondering who the Philadelphia Brawlers are, dont feel bad, as they are a team that competes in the United States Professional Developmental Football League (USPDFL). The USPDFL is a 24 team league, and the league is split into 3 divisions where the 8 best teams play in division 1, and the 8 worst teams play in division 3. After each season, the best team in each division moves up to the next highest division, and the worst team in each division is relegated to the division below. The Brawlers are a team in division 3, and are in desperate need of a quarterback to help their TERRIBLE offense. On the other side, the defense for the Brawlers is considered to be one of the best in Division 3. We will see if they are able to turn the team into a contender. Philadelphia has only been in the league for 4 years, but they have never crawled out of D3, in fact, their best finish was a 3-4 record. With Philly being a perrenial cellar-dweller, Nicks reported contract is worth about 65K a year, but with team success, or a trade to a better division, he could certainly make a bigger chunk of change - or, he could be noticed by an NFL team and REALLY jump up in pay. We will have to see what the future holds for Nick.
This was a quick update for our former Jay, but we will certainly keep you updated as Nick heads to the city of brotherly love to begin his training for his first ever professional football gig.
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Re: Nick Finch: High School to Pros

Postby JPK » Thu Feb 27, 2020 11:18 am

Go Brawlers! Glad to see Nick is still going!


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