Obic Seagulls
The Obic Seagulls are an American football team located in the Narashino, Chiba, Japan. They are a member of the X-League. The Obic Seagulls have won over 17 championships during their team history (8 Rice Bowl championships and 9 Japan X Bowl championships) the most of any American football team in Japan.
| Established | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Based in | Narashino, Japan |
| Head coach | Makoto Ohashi |
| League | X-League |
| Division | X1 Super |
| Colours | Navy, gold, aqua green, and white[1] |
| Mascot(s) | Seagull-kun |
| Japan X Bowl titles | 9 (1996, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2010-13, 2021) |
| Division titles | 10 (1988, 1996, 2000-2002, 2005, 2010-2013) |
| Website | http://www.seagulls.jp |
Team history
- 1983 Team founded as the "Recruit Seagulls"
- 1989 Promoted from X2 to X1
- 1995 Won first Division Title
- 1996 Won first league and national title.
- 1998 Won second league and national title.
- 1999 Following an economic downturn, the team transitioned from a corporate team under Recruit Co., Ltd., to a club team.
- 2002 Recruit withdraws team sponsorship. Team became a self-supporting club team under the name "Seagulls".
- 2003 Obic Co., Ltd., becomes new team sponsor. Team name changed to Obic Seagulls.
- 2005 Won third League and national title.
- 2012 Went on record as being the 1st club team in Japan (Among currently registered X-League teams) to play in an international exhibition game (Germany/Dresden Monarchs).
- 2013 Played in an international exhibition game in Dusseldorf, Germany vs. the Dusseldorf Panthers. Became the first Japanese team to win 4 consecutive national championships dating back to 2010.
- 2014 Played in a sister cities international exhibition game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.A. vs. the APDFL(Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League) Blazers.[2]
Seasons
| X-League Champions (1987–present) | Division Champions | Final Stage/Semifinals Berth | Wild Card /2nd Stage Berth |
| Season | Division | Regular Season | Post Season Results | Awards | Head coaches | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | |||||
| 1988 | East | 1st | 5 | 0 | 0 | Eiichi Nakata | ||
| 1989 | East | 2nd | 3 | 1 | 0 | Mitsuru Taisha | ||
| 1990 | East | 5th | 1 | 3 | 1 | Mitsuru Taisha | ||
| 1991 | East | 5th | 1 | 3 | 1 | Mitsuru Taisha | ||
| 1992 | East | 2nd | 3 | 1 | 1 | Mitsuru Taisha | ||
| 1993 | East | 3rd | 3 | 2 | 0 | David Stant | ||
| 1994 | East | 2nd | 4 | 1 | 0 | David Stant | ||
| 1995 | East | 1st | 5 | 0 | 0 | Won semi-finals match (Asahi Beer) 33-27 Lost Tokyo Super Bowl XIX (Matsushita Denko) 20-54 |
David Stant | |
| 1996 | Central | 1st | 4 | 2 | 0 | Won Wild Card match (Sanwa Bank) 27-0 Won semi-finals match (Matsushita Denko) 22-13 Won Tokyo Super Bowl XX (Onward) 30-10 Won 50th Rice Bowl National Championship game (Kyoto) 19-16 |
David Stant | |
| 1997 | Central | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 0 | David Stant | ||
| 1998 | Central | 2nd | 4 | 2 | 0 | Won Wild Card match (Nissan Prince Tokyo) 56-21 Won semi-finals match (Asahi Soft Drinks) 21-16 Won Tokyo Super Bowl XXII (Asahi Beer) 45-24 Won 52nd Rice Bowl National Championship game (Ritsumeikan) 30-16 |
David Stant | |
| 1999 | Central | 2nd | 4 | 2 | 0 | Won Wild Card match (Mycal) 37-7 Lost semi-finals match (Kashima) 13-20 |
David Stant | |
| 2000 | Central | 1st | 6 | 0 | 0 | Lost semi-finals match(Asahi Soft Drinks) 15-23 | Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2001 | Central | 1st | 5 | 0 | 0 | Won Wild Card match (Fujits) 24-14 Lost semi-finals match(at Matsushita Denko) 7-10 OT |
Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2002 | Central | 1st | 5 | 1 | 0 | Won semi-finals match (Asahi Soft Drinks) 30-0 Won Tokyo Super Bowl XVI (Fujitsu) 14-7 Lost 56th Rice Bowl National Championship game (at Ritsumeikan) 13-36 |
Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2003 | Central | 2nd | 4 | 2 | 0 | Lost Wild Card match (Asahi Soft Drinks) 9-16 | Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2004 | East | 2nd | 4 | 2 | 0 | Won Wild Card match (Kashima) 10-3 Lost semifinals match (Matsushita Denko) 7-10 |
Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2005 | East | 1st | 6 | 0 | 0 | Won Semifinals match (Asahi Beer) 13-7 Won Japan X Bowl XIX (Matsushita Denko) 25-16 Won 59th Rice Bowl National Championship game (Hosei) 47-17 |
Kevin Jackson (MVP) | Makoto Ohashi |
| 2006 | East | 1st | 4 | 1 | 0 | Won Wild Card match (Naigai Denki) 74-13 Lost semifinals match (Onward) 13-17 |
Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2007 | East | 2nd | 6 | 1 | 0 | Won Wild Card match (Kashima) 19-13 Lost semifinals match (Matsushita Denko) 26-29 |
Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2008 | Central | 2nd | 6 | 2 | 0 | Lost Wild Card match (Panasonic) 14-20 | Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2009 | East | 2nd | 7 | 2 | 0 | Won 2nd stage match (IBM) 21-7 Lost 2nd Stage match (Panasonic) 20-23 |
Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2010 | Central | 1st | 8 | 1 | 0 | Won 2nd stage match (Suita) 56-2 Won 2nd stage match (IBM) 55-27 Won Final stage match (Kajima) 28-21 Won Japan X Bowl XXIV (Panasonic) 20-16 Won 64th Rice Bowl National Championship game (at Ritsumeikan) 24-0 |
Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2011 | Central | 1st | 7 | 0 | 0 | Won 2nd stage match (All Mitsubishi) 49-0 Won 2nd stage match (Asahi Soft Drinks) 20-13 Won Final stage match (Kajima 45-20 Won Japan X Bowl XXV (Fujitsu) 24-17 Won 65th Rice Bowl National Championship game (Kwansei Gakuin) 38-0 |
Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2012 | Central | 1st | 9 | 0 | 0 | Won 2nd stage match (Asahi Beer) 69-7[3] Won 2nd stage match (Asahi Soft Drinks) 29-12[4] Won Final stage match (Nojima) 24-10[5] Won Japan X Bowl XXVI (Kajima) 27-24[6] Won 66th Rice Bowl National Championship game (at Kwansei Gakuin) 21-15[7] |
Noriaki Kinoshita (MVP) | Makoto Ohashi |
| 2013 | Central | 1st | 6 | 1 | 0 | Won 2nd stage match (Asahi Beer) 21-7[8] Won 2nd stage match (Asahi Soft Drinks) 34-10[9] Won Final stage match (Kajima 21-12[10] Won Japan X Bowl XXVII (Fujitsu) 24-16[11] Won 67th Rice Bowl National Championship game (Kwansei Gakuin) 34-16[12] |
Noriaki Kinoshita (MVP) Kealakai Maiava (ROY) |
Makoto Ohashi |
| 2014 | Central | 2nd | 7 | 2 | 0 | Won 2nd stage match (Nojima) 44-21[13] Won 2nd stage match (at Elecom) 45-0[14] Lost final stage match (at Fujitsu) 17-27[15] |
Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2015 | East | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 0 | Won 2nd stage match (IBM) 34-26[16] Won 2nd stage match (Asahi Soft Drinks) 52-9 Lost final stage match (at Fujitsu) 6-27 |
Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2016 | Central | 1st | 8 | 1 | 0 | Won Quarterfinals match (Elecom Kobe) 35-0[17] Won Semifinals match (Panasonic) 9-6 OT[18] Loss Japan X Bowl XXX (at Fujitsu) 3-16 |
Naoki Kosho | |
| 2017 | Central | 3rd | 7 | 3 | 0 | Won Quarterfinals match (at Nojima Sagamihara) 41-22[19] Lost semifinals match (at Fujitsu) 0-7 |
Taku Li (ROY) | Naoki Kosho |
| 2018 | Central | 2nd | 8 | 2 | 0 | Won Quarterfinals match (at Nojima Sagamihara) 42-25[20] Lost semifinals match (at Fujitsu) 10-13 |
Naoki Kosho | |
| 2019 | X1 Super | 2nd | 10 | 1 | 0 | Lost semifinals match (at Panasonic) 14-24 | Naoki Kosho | |
| 2020 | X1 Super | 2 | 0 | 0 | Won Japan X Bowl XXXIV (Fujitsu) 13-7 Won 74th Rice Bowl National Championship (Kwansei Gakuin U.) 35-18 |
Makoto Ohashi | ||
| 2021 | X1 Super | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 0 | Lost semifinals Match (at Fujitsu) 10-17 | Makoto Ohashi | |
| 2022 | X1 Super Div. B | 2nd | 3 | 1 | 1 | Won Quarterfinals Match (Nojima Sagamihara) 21-9 Lost semifinals Match (at Panasonic) 10-30 |
Makoto Ohashi | |
| Total | 175 | 44 | 4 | (1988–2022, includes only regular season) | ||||
| 51 | 18 | 0 | (1988–2022, includes only playoffs) | |||||
| 226 | 62 | 4 | (1988–2022, includes both regular season and playoffs) | |||||
Head coaches
| Coach | Years | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Eiichi Nakata | 1988 | 5-0 (1.000) |
| Mitsuru Taisha | 1989-1992 | 8-8-3 (.500) |
| David Stant | 1993-1999 | 39-13 (.750) |
| Makoto Ohashi | 2000-2015 | 129-28 (.822) |
| Naoki Kosho | 2016-present | 37-11 (.771) |
Current Import Players
| Jersey # | Name | Position | Years with the team | Alma Mater | Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #8 | Jason Smith | QB | 2022-present | Auburn | |
| #3 | Sean Draper | CB | 2022-present | University of Iowa | 2x All X-League Team member (2019 & 2020) |
| #9 | Cardell Rawlings | DL | 2022-present | Wingate | All X-League Super team member (2020) |
| #85 | Holden Huff | TE | 2018-present | Boise State | |
Former Import players
| Name | Position | Years with the team | Alma Mater | Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Beatty Jr. | DE/LB | 2012-21 | Colorado | 4x All X-League Team member (2013, 2016, 2019 & 2021) |
| Jimmy Laughrea | QB | 2020-21 | UC Davis | |
| Jason Fanaika | DL/LB | 2019 | Utah | |
| Skyler Howard | QB | 2018-19 | West Virginia | |
| Kevin Jackson | DE | 2005-2018 | Hawai'i | 10x All X-League Team member (2005-2014) 2x JXB MVP (2005 and 2013) X League MVP (2005) |
| Ikaika Woolsey[21] | QB | 2017 | Hawai'i | |
| Kealakai Maivai | OT | 2013-2017 | UCLA | X-League Rookie of the Year (2013), 3x All X-League Team member (2013, 2016-17) |
| Jerry Neuheisel[22] | QB | 2016 | UCLA | |
| Frank Fernandez | C | 2012-2015 | Harvard | 2x All X-League Team member (2008 and 2011) |
| Karl Noa | DE | 2009-2011 | Hawai'i | All X-League Team member (2011) |
| Jabari Miller | CB | 2005-2006 | San Jose State | |
References
- "X-League profile, Obic Seagulls". X-League. April 17, 2015. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
- Casagrande, Michael (August 15, 2014). "Japanese football team 'awestruck by trip to Alabama practice, Nick Saban intrigued by guests". al.com. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (November 5, 2012). "Seagulls storm to record-setting victory". xleague.com. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- "Seagulls shrug off Challengers to stay unbeaten". xleague.com. November 20, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (December 3, 2012). "Seagulls set down Rise, earn shot at 3-peat". xleague.com. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (December 18, 2012). "Obic holds on for 1st 3-peat in league history". xleague.com. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (January 5, 2013). "Seagulls pull of thrilling comeback for 3rd straight Rice Bowl victory". xleague.com. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
- "Sugawara leads Seagulls over stubborn Silver Star". xleague.com. November 6, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- "Seagulls strike fast, hard in rout of Challengers". xleague.com. November 19, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (December 1, 2013). "Champion Seagulls soar back into Japan X Bowl". xleague.com. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (December 12, 2013). "Seagulls hold on to deny Frontiers, win 4th straight Japan X Bowl". xleague.com. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (January 4, 2014). "Obic runs wild to foil KGU again, win record 4th straight Rice Bowl". xleague.com. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (November 10, 2014). "Slingin' Sugawara, Seagulls bounce back to rout Rise". xleague.com. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- "Seagulls pour it on to deny Finies, sail into semifinals". xleague.com. November 23, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- Ikezaka, Hiroshi (November 30, 2014). "Four time defending champion Obic Seagulls eliminated from X-League title chase". japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
- Ikezaka, Hiroshi (October 31, 2015). "Obic outplays IBM in second-stage opener". japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (November 13, 2016). "Unbeatens Fujitsu, Obic progress into semifinals in similar style". xleague.com. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (November 29, 2016). "Obic emerges from deluge with OT win ticket to Japan X Bowl". xleague.com. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (November 12, 2017). "Seagulls ride massive wave of rise turnovers into semifinals". xleague.com. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
- Marantz, Ken (November 12, 2018). "Howard helps seagulls soar toward peak, turn back Rise to reach semifinals". xleague.com. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- Nagatsuka, Kaz (April 24, 2017). "New Seagulls QB Woolsey makes fine connections in debut". xleague.com. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- Nagatsuka, Kaz (May 17, 2016). "Former UCLA Quarterback Neuheisel embracing Japanese challenge". japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
External links
- Official website (Japanese)
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