Football Nov 20, 2020
Rise quarterback Kurt Palandech eager to impress in shortened season
by Kaz Nagatsuka
The UNLV graduate's X League debut was delayed until earlier this month due to the coronavirus pandemic.
More Sports / Football Jun 7, 2020
New Obic quarterback Jimmy Laughrea adjusts to fatherhood while preparing for unique season
by Hiroshi Ikezawa
The former Rise QB is using extra time afforded by the cancellation of the spring season to adjust to his new team's playbook.
More Sports / Football Nov 11, 2017
by Hiroshi Ikezawa
Obic Seagulls head coach Naoki Kosho had never experienced a game in which his team got eight turnovers. It happened in a favorable moment when the X League's knockout round started on Saturday. The Seagulls scored 20 points off five first-half turnovers and their defense ...
More Sports / Football Aug 28, 2017
X League QB Gardner confident on field, comfortable living in Japan
by Kaz Nagatsuka
For a man from the Mitten State, practicing in hot, sticky humid weather in the middle of August in central Japan might be a little daunting. Nonetheless, former University of Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner is in high spirits as he prepares for his second year ...
More Sports / Football Jun 4, 2017
BigBlue, Seagulls advance to Pearl Bowl final
by Hiroshi Ikezawa
IBM quarterback Yuki Masamoto outperformed former Michigan passer Devin Gardner to lead the BigBlue to a 27-19 victory over the Nojima Sagamihara Rise on Sunday at Fujitsu Stadium Kawasaki in the semifinals of the Pearl Bowl Tournament. The defending champion BigBlue will take on the ...
More Sports / Football Feb 22, 2017
Conference attempts to address key problems in Japanese football
by Kaz Nagatsuka
Many individuals in Japanese football circles have long known there are key issues that need to be addressed, but didn't have a place where they could have open dialogue about the problems. They have one now. Last Saturday, the first-ever "football conference" was held, bringing together ...
More Sports / Football Oct 14, 2016
Ex-Wolverines Gardner, Gallon give Michigan football fans enjoyment in Japan
by Kaz Nagatsuka
It's become a trend in recent years for X League clubs to acquire American players, including many who played for prominent U.S. college programs. This influx of talent helps give the football-stadium crowds here a little more international flavor. Recently, the Nojima Sagamihara Rise signed ...
More Sports / Football Aug 28, 2016
Gardner shines in debut but fails to lead Rise to win
by Hiroshi Ikezawa
Devin Gardner's X League debut turned out to be a bittersweet experience. The former Michigan quarterback threw a touchdown pass to Jeremy Gallon, another ex-Wolverine, and scored another, but failed to lead his Nojima Sagamihara Rise to a victory over the Obic Seagulls, who came ...
More Sports / Football Oct 21, 2015
Anderson having instant impact for Rise in X League
by Kaz Nagatsuka
Young quarterback Benjamin Anderson tried to make it to the NFL as a free agent this past spring, but it just didn't work out. A few months later, he is under center taking snaps in the cozy city of Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture. Anderson, a 23-year-old ...
More Sports / Football Jun 7, 2014
Seagulls stage comeback, defeat Rise in Pearl Bowl Tournament semifinals
by Hiroshi Ikezawa
Shun Sugawara hit Ryoma Hagiyama with two touchdown passes as the Obic Seagulls came from behind to beat the Nojima Sagamihara Rise 21-10 in the Pearl Bowl Tournament semifinals on Saturday at Kawasaki Fujimi Stadium. The Seagulls advanced to the Pearl Bowl Final for the ...
More Sports / Football May 18, 2014
Dominant Miyako leads Rise past Lions
by Hiroshi Ikezawa
Nojima and Japan running back Takashi Miyako rushed for 166 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Nojima Sagamihara Rise to a 62-21 victory over the All Mitsubishi Lions in the Pearl Bowl Tournament at Kawasaki Stadium on Sunday. The Rise finished the preliminary round ...
Our Lives | TELLING LIVES Apr 27, 2014
Hawaiian XLeague player Alo finds much that's familiar in his adopted land
by Charles Lewis
For most people around the world, football means just what the word suggests: a sport played primarily with the feet in which the ball is rarely touched with the hands. But there is, of course, another version of football — actually derived from rugby — ...