The 2023 season was a fresh new start for the Desciples of Larson. The Off-Season saw much restructuring as Division Realignment overtook the league. It was also decided that you would play each team in your division twice, as well as a few interdivision games to find a true division champion. The Unity Council voted and we added one more week to the regular season as well as creating Bowl Game Names and Trophies for the 3rd, 5th, and 7th place playoff games. Trophies were created and retroactively given to teams all throughout history. The division realignment was voted and written into law to take place every 4 years where the Division Presidents would have the honor of drafting their league members. Hathaway didnt stop there, he employeed construction crews once again to riddle the Hall of Fame with more "progress." He contacted all players throughout history and collected artifacts from every season, creating showrooms for each owner, showcasing leading point scorers from every season since the league's inception right here in this very building in the TEAM HALL OF HONORS page... as well as a complete new re-design for the Uniform History showrooms for every team as well.

It felt like a new.. refreshed cleaner version of the league... all we needed now... was a new champion.

Enter Shaun Rannals... aka.. "New Guy"

Going into his fifth year in the league, Rannals had only recently had his first taste of the playoffs with an early Quarterfinal exit in '22. Just one year later, Rannals decided to hire a new Director of Trade Information and keep all transactions in house and it paid off. After a tough half of the regular season, Rannals and his Delaware Chicken Farmers squad sported a just 4-6 record heading into Week 11 to face Division foe, Creel.

They would not lose again.

Rannals reeled off 6 straight wins including blowouts over Jake and Lowe in the Quarterfinal and Semifinal playoff games to face an unlikely foe in DOL XXI.

Entering his 15th season as owner of Hullett inc, Hank had still never tasted the glory of that Championship Gold. 5-time Division Champion (including 2023), Hullett had come up just short in 2010, and 2014- dropping both DOL BOWL's. After two losing seasons in '21 and '22, Hank seemed to re-find that spark while utilizing an ancient chinese technique of focus for all of his players. The tactic seemed to work as Hullett and company finished the regular season as Division Champions and an impressive, 9 wins- ready to make another deep run into the playoffs where he eliminated both TB Inc and the top seeded opposing Division Champion, Troy Jordan. That semifinal game, with a DOL Bowl Birth on the line saw wide receive Mike Evans and 2023 MVP, Josh Allen put on the performance on the season in what ended up being a 0.34-point victory in what amounted to devestation to T-Roy incorporated and their fans

.

And for the first time since 2012 , we had a DOL Bowl where neither participants had ever hoisted the Kapowski Trophy.

Third time was not the charm however for Hullett, as he would fall for the third time in the big game, tying Jacob Jordan for most Buffalo Bills Runner-Up Awards. Shaun, on the other hand, was estatic. Slipping into the playoffs as the sixth seed, Quarterback Lamar Jackson and tailback Christian McCaffrey would put on a performance of a lifetime with the former winning the DOL Bowl XXI MVP as he celebrated in Jacksonville with the organizations first DOL Bowl Championship Trophy.

Troy, Taf and Jacob were all awarded the 125 regular season career wins Chalice, joining Hathaway in the prestigious club, while Bob, Weston and Hank all broke 100 in 2022 as well.

Lunsford just missed the playoffs but was able to make another run in the ACC Tournament and repeat as ACC Champions but will look to reload in '23 for another run at that coveted Kapowski Jersey.

the 21st season of DOL just felt.. right. New look, New buildings, New Attitude.... New... Champion.

 

2023 (ESPN)
League Name: D.O.L.
1. The Delaware Chicken Farmers: Shaun Rannals (8-6)
2. Shidoshi Senzo Tanaka: Hank Hullett (9-5)
3. Consider Us Miles Davis: Troy Jordan (11-3)
4. Aaron Hernandez' Taxi Service: Bob/Zane Lowe (10-4)
5. Najee Germany: Taf Bentley (9-5)
6. Ozmataz Buckshank: Jacob Jordan (10-4)
7. Matt Saracen's Dream Team: Preston West (7-7)
8. Njigba Rich: Weston Lunsford (3-11)
9. Droppin a lil Duece: Ashton Jernigan (5-9)
10. Corn Row Sleepy Joe Mixon: Bryan Hathaway (5-9)
11. Whitson's Wonderlick Wonders: Stephen Whitson (4-10)
12. Kuppenheimer: Jonathan Creel (5-9)