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Chiefs standouts receive accolades
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Posted on Dec 02 2004
The sloppy gridiron that hoisted the championship game of the 2004 Commonwealth Football League has had about a week to heal—so too have the wounds of the Shell Chiefs and the Verizon Nitro.
While the players no longer gather upon the CPA Airport field to hear the sounds of the cheering fans and the honking horns, a couple of them have heard and felt the validation of their season’s worth of hard work.
During a meeting of the CFL board of directors on Tuesday night, running back Stanley Tapua’ ialupe Iakopo and linebacker Chico Reyes of the Shell Chiefs were confirmed as the offensive and defensive most valuable players from the regular season, respectively.
Iakopo spearheaded the ground game for the Red and Yellow, and accounted for over a quarter of the Chiefs’ total yardage and a third of their touchdowns in five of the six games played in their undefeated championship season.
On the defensive side, Reyes prowled the field in search of opposing ball handlers with a quickness that was matched only by his intensity. Whether or not he was in on the tackle, Reyes was a part of every defensive play. Opposing teams knew that they would have a difficult time running his direction, and for his efforts in the regular season, Reyes earned the CFL “Hard Rock” award as the defensive most valuable player.
Iakopo’s 43 rushes for 372 yards and six touchdowns accounted for over a quarter of the Chiefs’ total yardage and a third of their touchdowns in five of the six games played in their undefeated championship season.
On defense end, Reyes found himself in more plays than any other player in the league. Reyes single-handedly wrapped up 15 ball carriers, assisted on another 25 tackles, recorded 4.5 quarterback sacks, blocked three punts, and scored a touchdown.
