Asahi Soft Drink Challengers

Last updated
Sekisui Challengers
Established1978
Based in Amagasaki, Hyogo
Head coachTakashi Kubo
General managerShigeru Kaji
Owner(s)Katsuhiko Kishigami
League X-League
DivisionWest
Colors   Asahi Blue and White [1]
Mascot(s)Orange Bayarisu boy
Japan X Bowl titles:2 (2000, 2001)
Division titles3 (1998-1999, 2008)
Website http://www.challengers-net.com/

The Sekisui Challengers are an American football team located in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan. They are a member of the X-League.

Contents

Team history

Seasons

X-League Champions (1987–present)Division ChampionsFinal Stage/Semifinals BerthWild Card /2nd Stage Berth
SeasonDivisionRegular SeasonPost Season ResultsAwardsHead coaches
FinishWinsLossesTies
1997West6th140Hiroshi Yamazaki
1998West1st500Lost semi-finals match (at Recruit) 16-21Satoshi Fujita
1999West1st500Lost semi-finals match (Asahi Beer) 15-20Satoshi Fujita
2000West2nd510Won Wild card match (Asahi Beer)
Won Semi-finals match (at Recruit)
Won Tokyo Super Bowl XIV (at Matsushita Electric Works) 20-18
Won 54th Rice Bowl National Championship game (Hosei) 52-13		Satoshi Fujita
2001West2nd430Won Wild card match (Asahi Beer) 24-6
Won Semi-finals match (at Kashima) 21-13
Won Tokyo Super Bowl XV (Matsushita Denko) 14-7
Lost 55th Rice Bowl National Championship game (at Kwansei Gakuin) 27-30		Satoshi Fujita
2002West2nd420Won Wild card match (Kashima) 28-10
Lost semi-finals match (at Obic) 0-30		Takeshi Yamakawa
2003West2nd510Won Wild card match (Obic) 16-9
Lost semi-finals match (at Onward) 17-41		Takeshi Yamakawa
2004West2nd420Lost Wild card match (Asahi Beer) 7-10Masato Takahashi
2005West2nd510Lost Wild card match (Asahi Beer) 19-22Masato Takahashi
2006West3rd420Masato Takahashi
2007West2nd520Lost Wild card match (Onward) 0-20Masato Takahashi
2008West1st710Lost semi-finals match (Kashima) 7-24Yoshito Fujimoto
2009West2nd620Won 2nd stage match (Nihon Unisys) 55-13
Lost 2nd stage match (Fujitsu) 21-43		Yoshito Fujimoto
2010West2nd610Won 2nd stage match (Meiji Yasuda) 29-24
Lost 2nd stage match (Kashima) 23-38		Yoshito Fujimoto
2011West2nd521Won 2nd stage match (All Mitsubishi) 24-3
Lost 2nd stage match (Obic) 13-20		Yoshito Fujimoto
2012West2nd520Lost 2nd stage match (at Asahi Beer) 20-26 OT
Lost 2nd stage match (at Obic) 12-29		Yabe
2013West2nd520Lost 2nd stage match (Asahi Beer) 10-34
Lost 2nd stage match (at Obic) 17-44		Yabe
2014West3rd530Lost 2nd stage match (Lixil) 7-23
Lost 2nd stage match (at IBM) 10-37		Tatsuhide Fukuda
2015West2nd620Lost 2nd stage match (at Obic) 9-52
Lost 2nd stage match (IBM) 20-37		Naoto Matsumoto
2016West3rd360Won Wildcard match (All Mitsubishi) 20-6 [3]
Lost quarterfinals match (at Fujitsu) 6-42
Won Super9/Battle9 classification match (AS ONE) 39-7		Naoto Matsumoto
2017West3rd450Won Super9/Battle9 classification match (AS ONE) 27-7Takashi Kubo
2018West3rd450Takashi Kubo
2019X1 Area West1st900Lost X1 Area Final (at Asahi Beer) 31-34Garret Safron (X1 Area MVP & ROY)Takashi Kubo
2020X1 Area West1st300Takashi Kubo
2021X1 Area West1st510Takashi Masahige
2022X1 Super Div. B4th340Lost quarterfinals match (at Panasonic) 28-38Takashi Masahige
2023X1 Super Div. A5th340Takashi Masahige
2024X1 Super4th530Won Quarterfinals Match (Tokyo Gas) 21-0
Lost Semifinals Match (at Fujitsu) 21-52		Takashi Masahige
Total126601(1997–2024, includes only regular season)
16240(1997–2024, includes only playoffs)
142841(1997–2024, includes both regular season and playoffs)

Head coaches

CoachYearsRecord
Hiroshi Yamazaki19971-4 (.200)
Satoshi Fujita1998-200126-7 (.813)
Takeshi Yamakawa2002-200315-5 (.750)
Masato Takahashi2004-200718-10 (.630)
Yoshito Fujimoto2008-201127-10-1 (.730)
Yabe2012-201310-8 (.556)
Tatsuhide Fukuda20145-5 (.500)
Naoto Matsumoto2015-201611-11 (.500)
Takashi Kubo2017-present21-11 (.656)

Current import players

Jersey #NamePositionYears with the teamAlma MaterAchievements
#1Boogie Knight [4] WR 2023-present Louisiana-Monroe X1 Super ROY (2023)
2x All X1 Super Team member (2023-24)
#0Tre'Vaughn Craig DB 2023-present Central Oklahoma All X1 Super Team member (2024)
#8Garrett S. Safron QB 2019-present Sacramento State X-League Area MVP & ROY (2019)
All X1 Area Team member (2019)
All X1 Super Team member (2024)

Former Import players

NamePositionYears with the teamAlma MaterAchievements
Robert Earl Johnson II WR 2018-22 Mississippi State All X-League Area Team member (2019)
Davion Washington DB 2022 Wingate
Robbie Wallace LB 2022 Wingate
Brison Burris DB 2019-21 Miami University All X-League Area Team member (2019)
Michael R. Taylor Jr. LB 2019-21 Florida All X-League Area Team member (2019)
Clint Floyd LB 2017-18 Arizona State
Alex Niznak [5] QB 2017-18 Central Michigan
Brandon Berry LB 2018 Buffalo
Donnie King WR 2015-17 Hawai'i
Makani Kema-Kaleiwahea DL 2017 Hawaii
Darwin Rogers TE 2016 Arizona State
Paul Porras SS 2016 Rice
Albert Griffin DE 2015 Lindenwood
Kaniela Tuipulotu DT 2014 Hawaii
Siasau Matagiese DT 2014 Hawaii

References

  1. ↑ "X-League profile, Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers". April 17, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers changes team name to 'Sekisui Challengers'". xleague.jp. January 18, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  3. ↑ Marantz, Ken (November 7, 2016). "Challengers, Finies notch wild-card victories". xleague.com. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  4. ↑ Shaffer, Mike (June 16, 2023). "Jefferson grad Knight runs different route in football dream". starbeacon.com. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  5. ↑ Marantz, Ken (May 21, 2017). "Continental Drifter". insidesportjapan.com. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
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