Sanford Celeryfeds, Dixie League Champions

DIXIE LEAGUE – Sweeping the first two games with ease in the three game Dixie League Championship Series, the Eastern League Champion Sanford Celeryfeds have captured the Dixie Cup and been named Dixie League Champions.  In a stunning display of offense in Game 2 of the series, the Celeryfeds put up 23 runs – the most by any team, in any game all season – in their 23-11 dismantling of the New Orleans Black Hats.  Sanford scored an unbelievable 12 homeruns in the game, led by their quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his 5 homeruns (4 passing and 1 rushing), along with 853 yards of total offense.  They had previously beaten the Black Hats 9-6 in a much closer Game 1 of the series.

The Championship win marks a remarkable season for the Florida team.  They swept the Eastern League Championship Series in two games, as well, beating the Westfield Bombers 13-11 then 16-8 in Weeks 12 and 13.  Those wins sent them to the Dixie Championship, and also gave them a 3 games to 2 advantage over the team that finished the regular season with an identical 12-9-1 record as them.  It was the second best record in the league; New Orleans was 1 win better, but that got settled in the championship.  Sanford won the Homerun Derby in 2016, with 55 touchdowns for the season; they added 22 more in just 4 games in the post season.

Sanford brings back-to-back Championships to Florida, after the now defunct Miami Pirates won the series.  It becomes the fourth time in six seasons that the Championship goes home to Florida, and also keeps alive a 6 year streak of Dixie League Champions coming out of the Eastern League/Division.  No Western Division or Western League team has yet to win the Dixie Championship, and the New Orleans Black Hats have now lost 3 titles in a row, going back to the 2013 season when playing as the New Orleans Breakers.  And now, for another year, the title belongs to the east as the Sanford Celeryfeds are the Dixie League Champions.