New York Sentinels

2024 New York Sentinels Season
The New York Sentinels are a virtual American football team playing in the Valiant Football League, and are based out of New York City, New York. The team is a part of the VFL's Atlantic Conference, being a member of the Atlantic Conference's Coastal Division. Their team colors are navy blue, gold and white.
Formed in 2014, the Sentinels were one of the first twelve teams in the league. Since their inaugural season, the Sentinels have appeared in the league's championship game twice, in 2015 and 2016, losing both times to the Los Angeles Bolts and the Vegas Demons respectively. The Sentinels have won the Atlantic Conference Championship twice, and have earned the number one seed in the Atlantic Conference once, which came in the 2015 season after the team finished with a 4-2 record.
The Sentinels are currently coached by Aaron Best, who assumed control of the position following the termination of Mike Singletary's contract, who served as the first head coach of the franchise from 2014 until 2021.
The team currently plays their home games at Red Bull Arena.
== History ==
=== The Chad Kelly era (2014-2021) ===
In the 2014 UFL Quarterback Draft, the Sentinels drafted former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Josh Freeman in the first round, followed by Chad Kelly in the second round. During training camp, head coach Mike Singletary awarded the starting Quarterback position to Kelly, making him the starter for the first week of the season, which would see the Sentinels defeat the Lynx 24-12. In the 2014 season, the Sentinels would finish with a record of 4-2, good for the second seed in the Atlantic Conference. After being eliminated in the Atlantic Conference Championship Game by conference-rival and eventual champions the Connecticut Stampede, the Sentinels would make more moves in the following off-season, trading Quarterback Josh Freeman to the Vegas Demons in exchange for a 2015 UFL Draft pick, which the team would use on cornerback Devonte Almore. In the 2015 season, Chad Kelly and the Sentinels would finish with a 4-2 record again, defeating the Connecticut Stampede in the final game of the season after Stampede quarterback Zachary Serra went down earlier in the year with a torn shoulder. The 4-2 record would be good enough to earn the Sentinels the top seed in the Atlantic Conference and home-field advantage, which would help them in their path of making the Spalding Ball that year. However; the Sentinels would lose to the Los Angeles Bolts, ending their season just short of the league championship.
In 2016, the Sentinels extended Chad Kelly's contract for the following three years, ensuring that Kelly would remain the team's quarterback until 2019 at the earliest. Defensive struggles would cost the Sentinels a Week 4-2 game, jeopardizing the team's playoff hopes in a grueling Atlantic Conference. Chad Kelly would go on to assist the Sentinels in winning their final two games of the season, finishing with a 3-3 record, good enough for the second best record in the conference, tied with the Atlantic Bravehearts and Kansas City Core, and two games behind the top seeded Baltimore Capitals. In another magical run much like the previous year, the Sentinels would go onto defeat the top seeded Baltimore Capitals to clinch their second-consecutive Atlantic Conference Championship, and another berth into the league championship, this time against the Pacific Conference Champion Vegas Demons. The Sentinels would once again fall in the championship game, losing 17-3 to the Saquon Barkley-Trace McSorely led Demons to lose their second-consecutive league championship game.
The following year, the Sentinels defensive struggles would persist, causing the team to drop their two final games of the season after a 4-0 start, dropping the Sentinels into the fourth seed in the Atlantic Conference, behind the Kansas City Core and Connecticut Stampede, as well as the top seeded expansion franchise Orlando Crusaders. In 2018, the league would expand their conference structure by adding divisions, which would see the Sentinels added to the newly formed Atlantic Coastal Division, alongside rivals Orlando Crusaders, Baltimore Capitals, and Connecticut Stampede. With the new divisional format, the Sentinels would find themselves fighting injury woes throughout the season, with Quarterback Chad Kelly suffering a concussion that would take him out of action for two games. The Sentinels would finish 2-4, behind the Connecticut Stampede in the division, but ahead of the 2-4 Orlando Crusaders, and the league-worst 1-5 Baltimore Capitals, allowing the team to limp into the playoffs. After defeating the 2-4 St. Louis Eagles in the Wild Card Round, the Sentinels would upset the top seeded Kansas City Core in the Divisional Round to advance to the Atlantic Conference Championship Game, where a late second missed holding penalty would cost the New York Sentinels their game against the Atlanta Bravehearts, ending their season.
In the 2019 off-season, the Sentinels would sign backup quarterback Jason Pellerin, who would be confirmed as Chad Kelly's backup in case of an injury. Despite head coach Mike Singletary insisting that Pellerin was brought in to simply be on hand in case of an emergency, media speculation questioned whether or not Chad Kelly's time with the Sentinels was in jeopardy after two seasons with injury concerns. In 2019, the league expanded their season from six games to sixteen games. Chad Kelly would suffer an injury in a Week 3 game, forcing Pellerin into his place. After starting the season at 4-3, Pellerin was benched by Singletary in favor of Kelly once he was healthy, with Kelly finishing out the season with a 3-6 record, dropping the Sentinels into last place in the Atlantic Conference Coastal Division, forcing them to miss the playoffs for the first time in team history. Much speculation grew from Kelly's finish to the season as to whether or not Kelly would be spared in the 2019 UFL Free Agency Pool Draft, but the Sentinels would squash the rumors by using one of their afforded saves on Chad Kelly, signing him to a two year deal to remain the starting quarterback for the Sentinels.