2024 Year in Review - Tiers 2-4
Second League
......A.Spirits.127 63
..Killi.Bayside.121 69
....Otahel City.119 71
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.Nokelto Scouts.116 74
........Takanse.109 81
..Swans Menmapa.104 86
........Fampalo.104 86
.....A.Canaries.103 87
.Ransu Shockers..99 91
........Penhara..93 97
...........Fese..92 98
..........Fachi..92 98
....Nokelto Utd..88 102
.....Yoho Bears..86 104
.....Nipte City..85 105
........Tishmin..83 107
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..Sowichark Utd..78 112
.........Wichku..77 113
Killitash Stars..66 124
..Tenshe.Rubies..58 132
Bayside went undefeated in the final week to secure their first ever promotion to the Elite League, just two years after their first ever promotion to the Second League! They're led by a couple of former Elite League stars, but also some really exciting young players who are new names to me.
The Spirits and Otahel City both bounce straight back up, while the remaining relegated team, Fampalo, couldn't overcome their slow start to that extent. One interesting consequence of the results here and in the EL relegation race is that for the first time since 2002, there will be no teams from the state of Chastara in the Elite League in 2025 (the Second League will have six!). Just a couple years ago, there were three in the EL, but Nokelto Scouts, Fampalo, and now Sitache have all been relegated. For a few years in the 2010s, there were four with the Alilia Captains also being up at that time. The Scouts finish in 4th place for the second straight year.
At the bottom of the 2L, there's some return to form with three of last year's promoted teams going straight back down. Only Fachi is sticking around, but there's a fun storyline there - they will play in the same league as their city's flagship team, Hokrof, for the first time in 2025.
Northern Premier League
............Pale.139 51
..........Onesti.116 74
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...........Linir.115 75
Pelpitimochu Utd.114 76
..........Yasral.108 82
...Sunoki Hearts.107 83
........Moonside.106 84
.....Ransu Ports.105 85
.......Atafe Utd.101 89
.........Shalish.100 90
Enihaka Cyclones.100 90
....Tsutonsu Utd..98 92
......Y.Warriors..93 97
............Kine..83 107
.......Moshelosi..77 113
..........Oyefit..72 118
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........Lisa Utd..72 118
.Alilia Captains..70 120
...........Losap..66 124
............Lulo..58 132
A scenario I described as pretty unlikely in the final week actually came to pass - Onesti (Oyefit, CA) needed to outplay their neighbors Linir (Nokelto, CA) by 4 games over the final week to advance, and that's exactly what they did, 7-3 to 3-7.
At the bottom, this is the first instance of run differential deciding a relegation spot: Oyefit BC had a run differential 19 runs better than Lisa United. Just like their local rivals at Onesti did, Oyefit came from behind in the season's final week to scrape out a result.
Southern Premier League
.........Sokroch.138 52
......Hiolye Utd.111 79
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.........Wikyats.110 80
Killitash Giants.109 81
......Feshuyalya.103 87
...Mamtul Wolves.103 87
........Sachlihe..98 92
South Shore Aksa..97 93
.........Rasenok..95 95
...........Hilas..94 96
......Tokos City..91 99
.........Mewofes..89 101
.....Hechemi Utd..87 103
.........Himespo..86 104
.........Neshori..86 104
....Tinshenikosh..86 104
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.........Shepero..85 105
....Aksa Hornets..83 107
.........Amkutan..80 110
.........Loshtsi..69 121
Hiolye United just scrapes it out over Wikyats Athletic, despite having a run differential advantage close to 200 runs! Their Pythagorean record was better by 18 games, amazingly.
Heartbreaking at the bottom for Shepero, a team that had been in this league uninterrupted since 2009. Shepero is a decent-sized city that should be represented in the top two tiers of the league system, I would think. They would have been spared from relegation if either Neshori or Himespo had lost on the final day, holding the tiebreaker over both.
Northern Super League
..........Alilia.117 67
........Mimo Utd.108 76
....Lempisho Utd.107 77
...........Sakse.105 79
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.........Shusnum.105 79
............Fure.103 81
...........Rukip.103 81
..Hokrof Beavers.102 82
.........Tesoshi.100 84
........Tsatsaye..99 85
.Kepits Bulldogs..99 85
.........Tsapich..92 92
.Sametulshem Utd..90 94
Oshotater Rubies..88 96
.......Fire Ants..88 96
....Fampalo City..86 98
.....Onemasi Utd..86 98
...........Lacho..85 99
Sapoyo Tortoises..80 104
.........Shizpos..79 105
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......Malshe Utd..77 107
...........Lesha..72 112
............Reli..70 114
..Heshatesh City..67 117
The third tier will also be crawling with teams from Chastara, it seems; the top three teams in the NSL all come from that state, making six that will compete in the NPL next year.
Southern Super League
..Hefem Rangers.135 49
.......Sipliyak.120 64
......Air Force.108 76
......Takelehun.104 80
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.Hefem Monarchs.103 81
.......Sapphire.102 82
......Hertulsho.101 83
.........Sheshu.101 83
.......Wuhalale.101 83
.......Neshpeki.100 84
.......Yewetats.100 84
........Renfiso..97 87
....Somno Stars..96 88
......Sashrotse..91 93
.........Tepche..85 99
.Fuwarni Flames..83 101
.........Rontok..81 103
..........Somno..80 104
........Tsanmet..78 106
Tenshemaho City..78 106
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.......NK Royan..75 109
..Olosharpo Utd..70 114
.........Neshta..61 123
....Filtolo Utd..58 126
Hefem Rangers and Sipliyak (Tenshemaho) are both historically important teams, so it's nice to see them go up. The third tier will have a very interesting geographical quirk next year as a result of Air Force's promotion; because 3 of the 4 teams relegated from the Second League are from the south, one extra team needs to move into the NPL rather than the SPL. Air Force plays out of the capital city of Shunna, as does Sachlihe in the SPL, but there are no other good candidates to move to the NPL. Because Air Force is being promoted, I made the choice to put them in the NPL and leave Sachlihe in their current league. It's rare to have teams in the same tier and the same city that need to be separated into different leagues.