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2018 LFA season

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2018 LFA season
Duration16 February 2018 – 8 April 2018
North Champions championsRaptors
Central Champions championsMexicas
Tazón México III
Date22 April 2018
VenueEstadio Azul, Mexico City
ChampionsMexicas
Seasons
← 2017
2019 →

The 2018 LFA season was the third season of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional. The season saw all previous teams return with no additional new ones. The Eagles changed their team name to the Mexicas. This would be the first season that saw the championship, the Tazón México held at a neutral site of the Estadio Azul[1] in Mexico City. The league season began on February 16 and concluded on the April 8. The playoffs began on the April 14 and concluded on April 22 with the Mexicas beating the Raptors in Taźon México III.[2]

Participating teams

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Team Head coach City Stadium Capacity
Central Division
Condors Mexico Félix Buendía Mexico City Jesús Martínez "Palillo" 6,000
Mayas Mexico Ernesto Alfaro Mexico City Jesús Martínez "Palillo" 6,000
Mexicas Mexico Rafael Duk Mexico City Jesús Martínez "Palillo" 6,000
North Division
Dinos Mexico Carlos Cabral Saltillo, Coahuila Estadio Olímpico de Saltillo 5,900
Fundidores Mexico Israel González Monterrey, Nuevo León Estadio Nuevo León Unido 1,500
Raptors Mexico Guillermo Gutiérrez Naucalpan, Estado de México José Ortega Martínez 3,700

Preseason Events

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Relevant Events

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On October 28, 2017, Mr. Juan Carlos Vázquez left the presidency of the LFA; the figure of President was eliminated and the figure of the Commissioner was created, which Guillermo Ruiz Burguete occupied.[3]

On January 16, LFA commissioner Guillermo Ruiz Burguete resigned;[4] the league did not announce his replacement. For operational purposes, the activities of the commissioner were absorbed by the president of the league's board of directors, Óscar Pérez.

On March 3, the players of the Mexicas team went on strike due to the lack of medical insurance and other supplies necessary for the professional practice of the sport, so their game for week 3 against Dinos was suspended.[5][6]

On March 8, the Mexicas team was fined $657,820.00 MXN(US35,200) for damages caused to the League, its TV partners, its press partners, the Dinos team, and fans attending the stadium for not having presented to play. It was also determined that said party would not be rescheduled and therefore Mexicas would lose it by forfeit.[7]

The salary cap was 1,100,000MXN(US59,000)

Coaching changes

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The 2018 season saw all but Mayas replace their head coach

Condors: Enrique Zapata was replaced as head coach by Felix Buendía after a 3–4 season

Mexicas: José Campuzano was replaced as head coach by Rafael Duk, who coached the Raptors the previous two seasons, after a 4–3 season.

Raptors: Rafael Duk was replaced as head coach by Guillermo Gutierrez after a 5–2 season.

Dinos: Guillermo Ruiz was replaced as head coach by Carlos Cabral after a 2–5 season.

Fundidores: Leopoldo Treviño was replaced as head coach by Israel Gonzalez after a 2–5 season.

Draft

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On January 13, the 2018 Draft was held in which 47 players were selected who finished their eligibility in Mexican university football[8]

Draft 2018
Rd Sel. LFA Team Player Pos. University Conf.
1 1 Condors Luis Humberto Lopez Tinoco RB Águilas Blancas IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
2 Mexicas Mauricio Jacob Vargas Hernandez OL Potros Salvajes UAEM Liga Mayor ONEFA
3 Condors vía Raptors* Andrés Salgado Gomez WR Pumas CU UNAM Liga Mayor ONEFA
4 Mayas Gildardo Torres Charco OT Pumas CU UNAM Liga Mayor ONEFA
5 Fundidores Ivan Sergio Barragán Leal OL Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
6 Dinos Jose Michell Lopez Valdez OL Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
2 7 Condors Abraham Herrera OL Pumas CU UNAM Liga Mayor ONEFA
8 Mexicas Leonardo Cabrera Mujica DL Águilas Blancas IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
9 Raptors Emigdio Palacios Alcala DL Burros Blancos IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
10 Mayas Sebastian Baig Necoechea DB Linces UVM Liga Mayor ONEFA
11 Fundidores Raymundo Vega Ruíz OL Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
12 Dinos Joaquin Davila Martinez OL Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
3 13 Condors Miguel Angel Urzúa Solís LB Águilas Blancas IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
14 Mexicas José Luis Santana LB Águilas Blancas IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
15 Raptors Deion Sixto Correa Viazcán DB Linces UVM Liga Mayor ONEFA
16 Mayas Mario Alberto Salas WR Borregos Toluca ITESM Liga Premier CONADEIP
17 Fundidores Christian Alejandro Hernández Delgado LB Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
18 Dinos Adrián Alejandro Martínez Armendáriz WR Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
4 19 Condors Aarón Mendoza Gomez WR Borregos México ITESM Liga Premier CONADEIP
20 Mexicas Carlos Santos Rodriguez LB Águilas Blancas IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
21 Condors vía Raptors* Ramses Israel Herrera Vega DB Centinelas CGP Liga Mayor ONEFA
22 Mayas Christian Rene Gomez Sanchez WR Burros Blancos IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
23 Fundidores Edgardo Garza Lerma OL Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
24 Dinos Cesar Daniel Guzman LB Lobos UAdeC Liga Mayor ONEFA
5 25 Condors Erick Antonio Alarcon Merino OL Águilas Blancas IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
26 Mexicas Ditter Emmanuel Smith Espinoza WR Burros Blancos IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
27 Raptors Ramon Arturo Lopez Zepeda LB Potros Salvajes UAEM Liga Mayor ONEFA
28 Mayas Isaac Abraham Medina Cabrajal DL Burros Blancos IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
29 Fundidores Jesus Santana Gonzales WR Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
30 Dinos Mario Alberto Rubio Gonzales WR Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
6 31 Condors Alejandro Mujica Soriano WR Águilas Blancas IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
32 Mexicas Abraham Assennatto Bravo OL Burros Blancos IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
33 Raptors Carlos Garcia Contreras DL Potros Salvajes UAEM Liga Mayor ONEFA
34 Mayas Omar Mendoza Gomez WR Águilas Blancas IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA
35 Fundidores Aaron Isaac Mendoza Ruiz WR Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
36 Dinos Genaro Jose Alfonsín Romero S Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
7 37 Condors Oscar Jesus Capuchino OL Frailes UT Liga Mayor ONEFA
38 Mexicas Fernando Alvarez Duran WR Linces UVM Liga Mayor ONEFA
39 Condors vía Raptors* Jorge Luis Ortiz Carriño WR Pumas Acatlan UNAM Liga Mayor ONEFA
40 Mayas Declined pick
41 Fundidores Francisco Javier Garcia Ramirez CB Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
42 Dinos Francisco De Jesus Mata Charles QB Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
8 43 Fundidores Max Ismael Villareal Maldonado QB Autenticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
44 Dinos Edgar Daniel Razo Cervantes CB Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA
45 Fundidores Daniel Orios OL Lobos UAdeC Liga Mayor ONEFA
46 Dinos Gabriel Tadeo De Hoyos Encinia WR Lobos UAdeC Liga Mayor ONEFA
47 Fundidores Jesus Gerardo Rendon Torres WR Lobos UAdeC Liga Mayor ONEFA
  Complementary selections

* In exchange for QB Bruno Márquez (2nd year), Raptors gave Condors selections in the first, fourth and seventh round of the 2018 Draft.

Season

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Standings

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Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, Diff=Difference between pts. for and against

Teams highlighted qualified for the playoffs

Results

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Week 1
Away Score Home Venue Date Kickoff (UTC-6)
Dinos 0-17 Fundidores Estadio Nuevo León Unido February 16 19:00
Mexicas 36-19 Condors Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" February 18 11:00
Raptors 32-0 Mayas Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" February 18 15:00
Week 2
Away Score Home Venue Date Kickoff (UTC-6)
Mayas 28-25 Dinos Olímpico Francisco I. Madero February 24 15:00
Fundidores 15-44 Mexicas Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" February 25 11:00
Raptors 46-26 Condors Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" February 25 15:00
Week 3
Away Score Home Venue Date Kickoff (UTC-6)
Raptors 15-45 Fundidores Estadio Nuevo León Unido March 2 20:00
Mexicas 0-1 * Dinos Olímpico Francisco I. Madero March 3 16:00
Condors 24-33 Mayas Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" March 4 12:00
Week 4
Away Score Home Venue Date Kickoff (UTC-6)
Mayas 25-14 Fundidores Estadio Nuevo León Unido March 9 20:00
Dinos 29-27 Raptors José Ortega Martínez March 10 17:00
Condors 23-22 Mexicas Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" March 11 12:00
Week 5
Away Score Home Venue Date Kickoff (UTC-6)
Fundidores 20-30 Dinos Olímpico Francisco I. Madero March 17 16:00
Mexicas 30-20 Raptors José Ortega Martínez March 17 17:00
Mayas 28-24 Condors José Ortega Martínez March 18 12:00
Week 6
Away Score Home Venue Date Kickoff (UTC-5)
Condors 41-40 Fundidores Estadio Nuevo León Unido March 23 20:00
Raptors 20-23 Dinos Olímpico Francisco I. Madero March 24 16:00
Mayas 34-35 Mexicas Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" March 25 12:00
Week 7
Away Score Home Venue Date Kickoff (UTC-6)
Fundidores 21-34 Raptors José Ortega Martínez April 7 13:00
Dinos 15-55 Condors Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" April 8 11:00
Mexicas 12-19 Mayas Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" April 8 15:00

* Based on the regulations, the Dinos won the match forfeit with a score of 1 to 0, since Mexicas did not show up for the match.

Statistical leaders

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Category Player Position Team Statistic
Passing
Yards Bruno Márquez QB Raptors Naucalpan 1,882
Touchdowns Bruno Márquez QB Raptors Naucalpan 17
Completions Bruno Márquez QB Raptors Naucalpan 162
Attempts Bruno Márquez QB Raptors Naucalpan 261
Completion percentage Bruno Márquez QB Raptors Naucalpan 62.07%
Rushing
Yards Omar Cojolum RB Mayas CDMX 404
Touchdowns Omar Cojolum RB Mayas CDMX 9
Attempts Omar Cojolum RB Mayas CDMX 68
Yards per attempt Gourdinose Terril RB Mexicas CDMX 8.3
Receiving
Yards Andrés Salgado WR Condors CDMX 586
Touchdowns Andrés Salgado WR Condors CDMX 11
Receptions Jose Manuel Barrios Ortega WR Raptors Naucalpan 62
Yards per reception Aaron Isaac Mendoza Ruiz WR Fundidores Monterrey 23.91
Defensive
Sacks Ricardo Yañez Balderas DL Dinos Saltillo 6
Tackles Christian Alejandro Hernández Delgado LB Fundidores Monterrey 21
Assisted tackles Christian Alejandro Hernández Delgado LB Fundidores Monterrey 19
Interceptions Fernando Ramírez Paredes DB Raptors Naucalpan 6
Returning
Punt returns Mauricio Antonio Jordán Valdes WR Mexicas CDMX 15
Punt return yards Joan Medinosa Tabitas RB Dinos Saltillo 158
Kickoff returns Luis Humberto López Tinco RB Condors CDMX 17
Kickoff return yards Luis Humberto López Tinco RB Condors CDMX 385
Source: LFA[9]

Playoffs

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Playoff bracket

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Division Finals Tazón Mexico III
      
C2 Mexicas 27
C1 Mayas 17
C1 Mexicas 17
N1 Raptors 0
N2 Raptors 21
N1 Dinos 6

Tazón México III

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Tazón México III
Raptors vs Mexicas
(3-4) (4-3)
0 17
Head Coach: Head Coach:
Guillermo Gutierrez Rafael Duk
Teams 1C 2C 3C 4C
Raptors 0 0 0 0
Mexicas 3 14 0 0
Date: 22, April 2018
Kickoff time: 4 p.m.
Weather: Cloudy, 19°
Stadium: Estadio Azul
Attendance: 15,000
MVP: Guillermo Villalobos, WR
Referee: Juan José Arce
TV: 22File:Simple_archery_target.png
← II • Tazón México • IV →

The Tazón México III was held on April 22, 2018, at 4:00 p.m. at the Estadio Azul in Mexico City, with a record attendance for the LFA of 15,000 fans present. Mexicas defeated Raptors 17–0 in a defensive game. This would have been the first LFA championship with a halftime show, however, the group in charge of the show, Panteón Rococó, had to cancel last-minute performance due to Civil Protection recommendations due to the probability of a thunderstorm.[10]

The final between Raptors and Mexicas would have been the last professional activity that the Estadio Azul before its demolition,[11] however, the venue will house more games of the LFA, including the Tazón México IV, since its demolition was postponed to the 2020 year. The MVP of the game was Guillermo Villalobos.

Quarter Time Series Team Annotations Score
Plays Yds TOP RAP MEX
1 2:10 17 65 7:59 MEX Field goal, 28 yards from K Carlos Soria 0 3
2 3:56 10 80 4:49 MEX Touchdown, 40-yard pass from QB Ricardo Quintana to WR Guillermo Villalobos; the extra point is good (K Carlos Soria)) 0 10
2 0:16 9 89 1:48 MEX Touchdown, 10-yard pass from QB Ricardo Quintana to WR Guillermo Villalobos; the extra point is good (K Carlos Soria) 0 17

References

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  1. ^ "LFA Presenta la Temporada 2018 en Estadio Azul" (in Spanish). 8 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Mexicas campeón del Tazón México III" (in Spanish). 23 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Para su tercera temporada, LFA tendrá nueva cara" (in Spanish).
  4. ^ "Renuncia comisionado LFA. Guillmero Ruiz Burgute" (in Spanish). 16 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Juego de Dinos vs Mexicas sigue en el aire" (in Spanish). 3 March 2018.
  6. ^ "LFA fija su postura respecto al seguro de gastos médicos de los jugadores" (in Spanish). 4 March 2018.
  7. ^ "LFA sanciona a Mexicas pero evitan rompimiento" (in Spanish). 8 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Draft 2018" (in Spanish). 14 January 2018.
  9. ^ "ESTADÍSTICAS TEMPORADA 2018" (in Spanish).
  10. ^ "Se cancela participación de Panteón Rococó en el Tazón México" (in Spanish). 22 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Tazón México III: Último evento deportivo en el Estadio Azul" (in Spanish).