Obic Seagulls Explained

Obic Seagulls
Established:	1983
Location:	Narashino, Japan
Colours:	Navy, gold, aqua green, and white^[1]
Coach:	Makoto Ohashi
Mascot:	Seagull-kun
League:	X-League
Division:	X1 Super
League Champ Type:	Japan X Bowl titles
League Champs:	9 (1996, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2010-13, 2021)
Div Champs:	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.

Team history

• 1983 Team founded as the "Recruit Seagulls"
• 1989 Promoted from X2 to X1
• 1995 Won first Division Title
• 1996 Won first league and national title.
• 1998 Won second league and national title.
• 1999 Following an economic downturn, the team transitioned from a corporate team under Recruit Co., Ltd., to a club team.
• 2002 Recruit withdraws team sponsorship. Team became a self-supporting club team under the name "Seagulls".
• 2003 Obic Co., Ltd., becomes new team sponsor. Team name changed to Obic Seagulls.
• 2005 Won third League and national title.
• 2012 Went on record as being the 1st club team in Japan (Among currently registered X-League teams) to play in an international exhibition game (Germany/Dresden Monarchs).
• 2013 Played in an international exhibition game in Dusseldorf, Germany vs. the Dusseldorf Panthers. Became the first Japanese team to win 4 consecutive national championships dating back to 2010.
• 2014 Played in a sister cities international exhibition game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.A. vs. the APDFL(Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League) Blazers.^[2]

Seasons

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)

Head coaches

Coach	Years	Record
Eiichi Nakata	1988	5-0
Mitsuru Taisha	1989-1992	8-8-3
	1993-1999	39-13
Makoto Ohashi	2000-2015	129-28
Naoki Kosho	2016-present	37-11

Current Import Players

Jersey #	Name	Position	Years with the team	Alma Mater	Achievements
8	Jason Smith		2022-present
17	Tyler Kulka		2023-present
9	Cardell Rawlings		2022-present		All X-League Super team member (2020)
85	Holden Huff		2018-present

Former Import players

Name	Position	Years with the team	Alma Mater	Achievements
Sean Draper		2022		2x All X-League Team member (2019 & 2020)
Byron Beatty Jr.		2012-21		4x All X-League Team member (2013, 2016, 2019 & 2021)
Jimmy Laughrea		2020-21
Jason Fanaika		2019
		2018-19
Kevin Jackson		2005-2018		10x All X-League Team member (2005-2014) 2x JXB MVP (2005 and 2013) X League MVP (2005)
Ikaika Woolsey^[21]		2017
Kealakai Maivai		2013-2017		X-League Rookie of the Year (2013), 3x All X-League Team member (2013, 2016-17)
Jerry Neuheisel^[22]		2016
Frank Fernandez		2012-2015		2x All X-League Team member (2008 and 2011)
Karl Noa		2009-2011		All X-League Team member (2011)
Jabali Miller		2005-2006

External links

• (Japanese)

Notes and References

1. Web site: X-League profile, Obic Seagulls. X-League. April 17, 2015. October 20, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151009200527/http://www.xleague.com/profile/obic.php. October 9, 2015. dead.
2. Web site: Japanese football team 'awestruck by trip to Alabama practice, Nick Saban intrigued by guests. . Casagrande . Michael . August 15, 2014 . al.com . January 31, 2016.
3. Web site: Seagulls storm to record-setting victory . Marantz . Ken . November 5, 2012 . xleague.com . March 7, 2016.
4. Web site: Seagulls shrug off Challengers to stay unbeaten . November 20, 2012 . xleague.com . March 7, 2016.
5. Web site: Seagulls set down Rise, earn shot at 3-peat . Marantz . Ken . December 3, 2012 . xleague.com . March 7, 2016.
6. Web site: Obic holds on for 1st 3-peat in league history . Marantz . Ken . December 18, 2012 . xleague.com . March 7, 2016.
7. Web site: Seagulls pull of thrilling comeback for 3rd straight Rice Bowl victory . Marantz . Ken . January 5, 2013 . xleague.com . March 9, 2016.
8. Web site: Sugawara leads Seagulls over stubborn Silver Star . November 6, 2013 . xleague.com . March 7, 2016.
9. Web site: Seagulls strike fast, hard in rout of Challengers . November 19, 2013 . xleague.com . March 7, 2016.
10. Web site: Champion Seagulls soar back into Japan X Bowl . Marantz . Ken . December 1, 2013 . xleague.com . March 7, 2016.
11. Web site: Seagulls hold on to deny Frontiers, win 4th straight Japan X Bowl . Marantz . Ken . December 12, 2013 . xleague.com . March 7, 2016.
12. Web site: Obic runs wild to foil KGU again, win record 4th straight Rice Bowl . Marantz . Ken . January 4, 2014 . xleague.com . March 9, 2016.
13. Web site: Slingin' Sugawara, Seagulls bounce back to rout Rise. . Marantz . Ken . November 10, 2014 . xleague.com . March 4, 2016.
14. Web site: Seagulls pour it on to deny Finies, sail into semifinals. . November 23, 2014 . xleague.com . March 4, 2016.
15. Web site: Four time defending champion Obic Seagulls eliminated from X-League title chase . Ikezaka . Hiroshi . November 30, 2014 . japantimes.co.jp . February 28, 2016.
16. Web site: Obic outplays IBM in second-stage opener . Ikezaka . Hiroshi . October 31, 2015 . japantimes.co.jp . February 16, 2016.
17. Web site: Unbeatens Fujitsu, Obic progress into semifinals in similar style . Marantz . Ken . November 13, 2016 . xleague.com . December 12, 2016.
18. Web site: Obic emerges from deluge with OT win ticket to Japan X Bowl . Marantz . Ken . November 29, 2016 . xleague.com . December 12, 2016.
19. Web site: Seagulls ride massive wave of rise turnovers into semifinals . Marantz . Ken . November 12, 2017 . xleague.com . November 26, 2017.
20. Web site: Howard helps seagulls soar toward peak, turn back Rise to reach semifinals . Marantz . Ken . November 12, 2018 . xleague.com . November 12, 2018.
21. Web site: New Seagulls QB Woolsey makes fine connections in debut. . Nagatsuka . Kaz . April 24, 2017 . xleague.com . April 26, 2017.
22. Web site: Former UCLA Quarterback Neuheisel embracing Japanese challenge. . Nagatsuka . Kaz . May 17, 2016 . japantimes.co.jp . May 31, 2016.