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, 2020) |
Division titles | 10 (1988, 1996, 2000-2002, 2005, 2010-2013) |
Website | http://www.seagulls.jp |
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.
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 | |
2023 | X1 Super Div. B | 2nd | 7 | 1 | 0 | Won Quarterfinals Match (Elecom Kobe) 17-7 Lost semifinals Match (at Fujitsu) 17-24 | Hiroshi Ono | |
Total | 182 | 45 | 4 | (1988–2023, includes only regular season) | ||||
52 | 19 | 0 | (1988–2023, includes only playoffs) | |||||
234 | 64 | 4 | (1988–2023, includes both regular season and playoffs) |
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) |
Makoto Ohashi | 2020-2022 | |
Hiroshi Ono | 2023-present | |
Jersey # | Name | Position | Years with the team | Alma Mater | Achievements |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#8 | Jason Smith | CB | 2022-present | Auburn | |
#17 | Tyler Kulka | QB | 2023-present | Lawrence Tech | |
#85 | Holden Huff | TE | 2018-present | Boise State | |
Former Import players
Name | Position | Years with the team | Alma Mater | Achievements |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cardell Rawlings | DL | 2022-2023 | Wingate | All X-League Super team member (2020) |
Sean Draper | CB | 2022 | University of Iowa | 2x All X-League Team member (2019 & 2020) |
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) |
Jabali Miller | CB | 2005-2006 | San Jose State | |
The X-League is the top-level professional gridiron football league in Japan. It was founded in 1971 as the Japan American Football League and organized the first X Bowl in 1987. The league changed its name to the X League in 1997. The league is divided into four divisions with promotion and relegation between them. Teams are split into different divisions or blocks, depending on the tier. There are two types of teams, one being a company team in which only employees of that particular sponsoring company may play, and the other being a club team for which anyone can try out.
Noriaki Kinoshita, born December 29, 1982) is a Japanese football wide receiver who currently plays for the Obic Seagulls of the X-League. He was signed by the Amsterdam Admirals in 2005. He played college football for the Ritsumeikan Panthers.
The Japan Basketball Association is the governing body of basketball in Japan. Formed in 1930, it is based in Tokyo. The JBA is a member of FIBA and FIBA Asia.
The Japan national American football team represents Japan in international American football competitions. The team is controlled by the Japan American Football Association, and has been one of the world's strongest international teams since it began participating regularly in international tournaments in the 1990s, and currently possesses the second most American Football World Cups.
Colby Cameron is an American professional football quarterback who played for the Fujitsu Frontiers of the X-League. He played college football at Louisiana Tech University.
The B.League is a professional men's basketball league in Japan that began play in September 2016. The league is operated by the Japan Professional Basketball League and was formed as a result of a merger between the National Basketball League that was operated by the FIBA-affiliated Japan Basketball Association and the independently operated bj league. The merger had been mandated by FIBA as a condition to Japan having its membership resumed following suspension in November 2014.
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The Pearl Bowl (パールボウル) is the championship game of a yearly tournament held in the spring involving the twelve teams from the East and Central Divisions of the X-League, that are based in the Kanto region.
The Fujitsu Frontiers are an American football team located in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. They are a member of the X-League.
The Nojima Sagamihara Rise are an American football team located in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa, Japan. They are a member of the X-League.
The Panasonic Impulse is an American football team based in Kadoma, Osaka, Japan. The Impulse compete in the X-League, and are a member of the top tier X1 Super division along with Fujitsu Frontiers, Obic Seagulls, IBM Big Blue, Nojima Sagamihara Rise, Elecom Kobe Finies, Tokyo Gas Creators, and All Mitsubishi Lions. The team currently holds 7 Japan X Bowl championship titles along with 4 Rice Bowl Championships.
The Oriental Bio Silver Star are an American football team located in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan. They are a member of the X-League.
The Sekisui Challengers are an American football team located in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan. They are a member of the X-League.
The All Mitsubishi Lions are an American football team located in Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan. They are a member of the X-League.
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Skyler Howard is an American professional football quarterback that most recently played for the Obic Seagulls of the Japanese X-League.
Tatsuaki Gyo Shojima is a former professional American Football Center who spent his 3-year career with the Obic Seagulls of the Japanese X-League. Shojima played college football for the UCLA Bruins as a walk-on student-athlete under head coach Jim Mora. As a redshirt junior, Shojima became the first Japanese-born student-athlete of full Japanese heritage, nationality and citizenship to play in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) game.
Kurt Palandech is an American football quarterback for the Nojima Sagamihara Rise in the Japanese X-League. He also played for the Berlin Rebels in the German Football League (GFL).
Toshiki Sato is a Japanese professional gridiron football placekicker and punter who is a free agent. He was most recently a member of the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Waseda. He has also been a member of the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, and the IBM Big Blue of the X-League.