World Bowl XXVIII Everything Thread (IC)

by **Banija** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 10:34 pm

The All-Banija Sports Magazine
The only nationwide publication that is all sports, all the time!

Banija falls 28-26 to Frenline after last second 55 yard field goal attempt sails wide left

Nard Holling, in white, attempts 55 yard field goal on the last play of the game that sailed wide left

ROUYN-NORANDA - In what was billed as a very important matchup for both teams, as Banija was fighting for their lives in this tournament, while Frenline Delpha literally had a do-or-die elimination game against Banija, Frenline Delpha barely pulled out on top, clawing out a hard-fought, 28-26 victory over the Banijans to hand our team their first loss of this tournament. Even though Kovach threw for two second half touchdowns, and the Banijan special teams put plenty of points on the board, ultimately the game came down to a missed 2 point conversion attempt in the 4th quarter to tie the game, and a missed 55 yard field goal attempt to win the game in its dying moments.

This game was an excellent, hard-fought, back and forth battle from the start. Banija started the game with all the momentum, as their defense forced a 3 & out from Frenline Delpha on the game's very first possession. Frenline Delpha punted the football, and Mechiel Veltmans, the Banijan punt returner, fielded the football at the 27 yard line, made a man miss, and used his speed to take the ball to the house. All of a sudden, 2 minutes into the game, the Banijans were up 7-0 after the special teams touchdown and they had all of the momentum. However, while Banija started the first half hot, it was Frenline Delpha who would do well for the rest of the half.

A team fighting off elimination halfway through the group stage is not going to take a score like that lying down, and they sure did not. Frenline Delpha was able to drive down the football field, and one long, methodical drive later, after dissecting the Banijan defense like a surgeon dissecting a patient, Frenline Delpha quarterback Steve Moors threw a 9 yard touchdown pass to tight end Earl Marquez to tie the game at 7. More of the same happened in the following possesion for both teams. Banija moved the ball a little, gaining 2 first downs, though they eventually had to punt. On the very next drive, on 2nd & 6, Moors threw a 70 yard bomb to Carl Smith, who waltzed into the end zone to give his team a 14-7 lead at the end of the first.

In the 2nd quarter, Frenline Delpha continued its momentum. They had what we'd like to call a 'normal' drive, taking 4 minutes to travel the length of the field, and Moors threw his 3rd touchdown pass of the game halfway through the 2nd quarter to Leo Fall, giving Frenline Delpha a 21-7 lead. After starting well, Banija was getting the game handed to them, and it seemed as if there was nothing they could do to stop Frenline Delpha. Of course, in situations like these, it is the defense that must make a play, and they did.

After Frenline Delpha forced another 3 & out, Frenline Delpha took the ball at their own 37 yard line with 3:55 left in the 2nd quarter. They would try to extend their lead by adding at least a field goal, and there was plenty of time to get the ball into the end zone to give themselves a 21 point cushion at the end of the 1st half. It started well for them, with the drive starting with a 15 yard pass to Carl Smith, followed by a 12 yard screen play to halfback Toby Sexton. However, Banijan captain cornerback Dragutin Tomikj made a huge play. Banija, on a 2nd & long, dropped 8 into zone coverage and rushed 3 in contain, and Steve Moors made his first mistake of the game, throwing the ball towards Tomikj, who made the interception and returned the ball 17 yards to midfield to give Banija the football. They got more than the football there though. They got momentum, and more importantly, regained the confidence built from their first three games.

Banija was then able to drive the football down the field, and as the half expired, Nard Holling kicked a 44 yard field goal to put Banija down 21-10 at the half. While it was not where Banija wanted to be, they realized the game could be much worse. Frenline Delpha had been moving the ball seamlessly down the field without much trouble for most of the 1st half, and they were still within 2 possessions of the game, as well as receiving the ball at the 2nd half. On the 1st play from scrimmage in the second half, Kovach threw a slant to Vena Resnick, and after some confusion, Resnick raced up the field for a 66 yard gain, only being brought down at the Frenline Delpha 6 yard line. One play later, Kovach had thrown the ball 6 yards to his tight end, Wlodzimierz Cerny, and with 14 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Banija was only down 4, 21-17, and had all the momentum on its side.

Frenline Delpha, however, had an answer. Steve Moors, the quarterback who had been burning them all game, made his return to the field after the 2nd quarter interception. His confidence was not shot after the interception, and he picked apart the Banijan defense all the way down the field. He thew a 7 yard touchdown pass with 8:32 left in the 3rd quarter to Carl Smith, who had his 2nd touchdown reception of the game, and Frenline Delpha had built a 28-17 lead. It looked as if the game was simply out of reach for Banija- there was nothing they could do to come back. But boy, did they try.

In the beginning of the 4th quarter, Banija had finally forced a punt from Frenline Delpha, their first punt since their opening drive of the game in the 1st quarter, though Banija did force that turnover late in the 2nd quarter. Mechiel Veltmans, the punt returner who had scored earlier in the game, once again burned Frenline Delpha, this time gaining 33 yards on the return and setting the ball up in great field position for Banija, at the Frenline Delpha 34 yard line. One 29 yard Nard Holling field goal later, and all of a sudden, it was a one possession game again, with Banija being down a score alongside a two point conversion.

It would once again take a major defensive play to put Banija within grasp of this game. The ball, once again, was put in the hands of Steve Moors, the Frenline Delpha quarterback. He had 4 touchdowns already, and they were going to stick to their game plan. They were able to move the ball down the field with relative ease, until they had a 3rd & 4 at the Banijan 33, with 7:40 left in regulation. With Banijan fans nervous and Frenline Delpha fans excited, Banijan defensive coordinator Lance Bearings called a fake blitz, stacking the line of scrimmage but dropping 8 back into zone coverage. The package confused Steve Moors, and he threw the football errantly, and it was picked off by Free Safety Branislav Burian, and returned to the Banijan 25. Banija had life, and their first legitimate chance to tie the game since the 2nd quarter.

Banija attempted to make the most of this opportunity. Kovach was able to engineer a drive that would move Banija down the field. Ultimately, with 2 third down conversion, and one gutsy 11 yard scramble on a 4th & 7 from the Frenline Delpha 44 yard line, Kovach was eventually able to find the end zone. With 5:33 left, he threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Vena Resnick, and Banija was suddenly only down by 2. After what seemed to be a long discussion by coaches, Banija decided to attempt to tie the game. Kovach ran a read-option, but the Frenline Delpha held up strong, and the fade route to Vena Resnick was well defended by Oliver Lockwood, and the Banijans could not tie the game.

Banija got the ball back with 2:13 left, 1 timeout, and the ball at their own 18 yard line. They had one chance to attempt to win this game, and they tried to make the most of it. Kovach led a gutsy drive down the field, and was able to use short passes to drive his team down the field, and effectively use the sidelines. A big play came however, on the second last play of the drive. With 12 seconds left, Banija had the ball at Frenline Delpha's 30 yard line. However, a blitz dialed up by their defensive coordinator got home, and Kovach took a major 8 yard sack from Levi Cunningham in that crucial moment in the game.

With 3 seconds left, and the ball on their own 38 yard line, Banija decided to trot out their kicker for a 55 yarder. This would be a tough field goal, but considering all they had been through during this game, they felt as if Holling could hit this field goal, even in the sideline to sideline winds here in Quebec. Ultimately though, while he got the distance, he was not able to fight off the wind, and the kick hooked just wide left as Frenline Delpha celebrated their first victory of this tournament. Banija's next game is a key game against Kaboomlandia after their bye, which will be important in determining whether or not they can escape the first round of this tournament.

by **The Royal Kingdom of Quebec** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 11:12 pm

Matchday Five Results

Let's make this match memorable for centuries.

Group A
The Fair Republic 6–3 Levivania
The Republic of Maltaland 0–45 Royal Kingdom of Quebec
Barunia 13–0 German Ohio

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      4    4   0   0   137   34 +103    12
2 Barunia                      4    3   0   1    86   85   +1     9
3 HUElavia                     4    3   0   1    78   42  +36     9
4 The Fair Republic            5    3   0   2    80   71   +9     9
5 German Ohio                  5    1   0   4    60   86  −26     3
6 Levivania                    4    1   0   3    35   83  −48     3
7 The Republic of Maltaland    4    0   0   4    23   98  −75     0

Group B
Schottia 37–16 San Jose Guayabal @ Stade Lorne-Goonja de Dosan, Chicoutimi. Kickoff at 7:30 a.m. because of broadcasting arrangement between the hosting committee and SBC that allowed the game to be broadcasted in primetime television.
Regalius 7–26 Abanhfleft
Gim 0–10 Ethane

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Schottia                5    5   0   0   185   69 +116    15
2 Abanhfleft              4    3   0   1   113   36  +77     9
3 San Jose Guayabal       4    3   0   1    93   61  +32     9
4 Sioux Lookout           4    2   0   2    53   52   +1     6
5 Regalius                4    1   0   3    42   94  −52     3
6 Ethane                  5    1   0   4    30  130 −100     3
7 Gim                     4    0   0   4    16   90  −74     0

Group C
Nassau-Hessen 17–0 Dunpa
Atlanta-Breyer 3–32 Firebolt
Pittastria 25–20 Renetopia

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Nassau-Hessen           5    5   0   0    83   26  +57    15
2 San Llera               4    4   0   0   125   34  +91    12
3 Firebolt                4    3   0   1   104   49  +55     9
4 Dunpa                   4    2   0   2    43   69  −26     6
5 Pittastria              4    1   0   3    28   92  −64     3
6 Renetopia               5    0   0   5    56  103  −47     0
7 Atlanta-Breyer          4    0   0   4    40  106  −66     0

Group D
Gregoryisgodistan 25–0 Ruarikstan @ Imperial Copper Stadium, Rouyn-Noranda. Kickoff at 8:30.
Rennidan 13–10 Kaboomlandia @ Imperial Copper Stadium, Rouyn-Noranda. Kickoff at 13:35. Shortly after the final whistle rang, thousands of fans, in and outside the stadium, stormed the field with their marijuana and tailgate food, turning it into a massive post-game party with music provided by on-stadium DJ.
Frenline Delpha 43–17 Oisinistan

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Gregoryisgodistan       5    5   0   0    99   15  +84    15
2 Banjia                  4    3   0   1    79   41  +38     9
3 Rennidan                4    2   0   2    48   44   +4     6
4 Kaboomlandia            4    2   0   2    82   46  +36     6
5 Frenline Delpha         4    2   0   2    93   87   +6     6
6 Oisinistan              5    1   0   4    44  139  −95     3
7 Ruarikstan              4    0   0   4    10   83  −73     0

Group E
Greater Vakolicci Haven 23–3 Kingdom of Ruckus
Allamunnic States 27–6 Nanocemia @ Steelers Stadium, Saint John. During the halftime, a very tall man with the appearance and costumes of Bane from the Batman series landed with a machine gun while under the parachute. With the machine gun, one gave cakes to hundreds of people in attendance, drawing the surprise of everyone in what's the good alternative to a halftime show that day.
United States of Devonta 25-18 The Great Pond

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Allamunnic States            4    4   0   0   129   21 +108    12
2 United States of Devonta     4    4   0   0    61   21  +40    12
3 Greater Vakolicci Haven      5    3   0   2    84   68  +16     9
4 The Central Shadow Nation    4    2   0   2    38   43   −5     6
5 The Great Pond               5    2   0   3    87   83   +4     6
6 Nanocemia                    4    0   0   4    33   89  −56     0
7 Kingdom of Ruckus            4    0   0   4    14  121 −107     0

Group F
Taeshan 22–0 Nuevo Caracas
Kohr 3–31 The Nation of Downination
Neu Engollon 6–6 Armeia (6–9 OT)

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Armeia                       5    5   0   0   101   50  +51    15
2 Taeshan                      5    4   0   1   117   54  +63    12
3 Neu Engollon                 4    2   0   2    52   68  −16     6
4 Alphatheta                   4    2   0   2    37   36   +1     6
5 The Nation of Downination    4    1   0   3    55   55    0     3
6 Nuevo Caracas                4    1   0   3    30   65  −35     3
7 Kohr                         4    0   0   4    30   94  −64     0

Group G
Ko-oren 13–0 Shytysle
Bongo Johnson 33–10 Peuples Nordiques des Fleurs
Thereisnogodistan 25–3 Drawkland @ Pavel Wilson Stadium, Kingston. Kickoff at 20:45 (original kickoff time: 19:20) after the initial referee was arrested of 5 cases of sexual assault involving minors. This led to the man getting showered with coconuts, feces, marijuana blasts (from the very same ole rocket launchers) and so on for 30 minutes before getting sent to custody. Fortunately the replacement referee was only 12 minutes away from the stadium and was able to get to the stadium by the time all the mess was cleaned.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Thereisnogodistan               4    4   0   0    98   19  +79    12
2 Ko-oren                         5    4   0   1    83   10  +73    12
3 Drawkland                       5    3   0   2    96   76  +20     9
4 Shytysle                        4    2   0   2    47   56   −9     6
5 Bongo Johnson                   4    2   0   2    65   81  −16     6
6 The Boatia                      4    0   0   4    53  102  −49     0
7 Peuples Nordiques des Fleurs    4    0   0   4    21  119  −98     0

Group H
Equestrian States 47–7 Britonisea
Silvacometopia 0–40 Cosumar @ Iqaluit Stadium, Iqaluit. Kickoff at 5:30 a.m. due to broadcasting arrangement between QBC and the hosting committee.
Youhavenorightsistan 23–26 Chromatika

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Equestrian States       5    5   0   0   163   37 +126    15
2 The Sword Bloke         4    4   0   0    94   27  +67    12
3 Cosumar                 4    3   0   1   121   40  +81     9
4 Chromatika              5    2   0   3    61  119  −58     6
5 Britonisea              4    1   0   3    40  108  −68     3
6 Youhavenorightsistan    4    0   0   4    53  118  −65     0
7 Silvacometopia          4    0   0   4    34  117  −83     0

by **Ko-oren** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 3:29 am

Dragonflies win - Defence paramount

With Ko-oren's 13 points over Shytysle, the Dragonflies stay on the heels of Thereisnogodistan to move on into the second round. With one game to go it sure looks like we're advancing, albeit in second place. Thereisnogodistan won 25-3 against Drawkland and they still command the group, still with a game in hand too.

The 13-0 win over Shytysle marks the fourth victory and third shutout in just five games, and the defence has established itself once again as one of the, if not the, strongest defence in the multiverse. Some facts to help you appreciate this unit even more:

1) Ko-oren is first in points allowed. Just 10 points allowed in five games. This was a Thereisnogodistani field goal and a Drawkland touchdown. Drawkland's touchdown came after an insanely successful drive where every run and every pass counted: no drops, no defended passes, no passes out of bounds, and no runs halted before the line of scrimmage.

2) Ko-oren is first in yards allowed per game. Ko-oren barely allows any opposing offence so far to advance the ball more than 150 yards on average. Thereisnogodistan and Drawkland definitely got this number up, but the other teams (especially the shutouts) helped keep this number low. The 144 yards are made up of 117 passing yards and 27 rushing yards.

3) The defence has now outscored the offence. Ko-oren's 83 points recorded in five games (including the zero points posted against Thereisnogodistan) were scored by the defence (38 points), offence (27 points) and special teams (18 points). PATs were added to the unit that scored the original touchdown. Field goals were attributed to the special teams. For a further breakdown:

Drawkland 7–13 Ko-oren: two offensive TDs (one missed PAT and one successful PAT)
Bongo Johnson 0–39 Ko-oren: three defensive TDs (all successful PATs), one offensive TD (successful PAT), one punt return (missed PAT), one safety, one field goal
Ko-oren 0–3 Thereisnogodistan: no points
Ko-oren 18–0 Peuples Nordiques des Fleurs: one field goal, one safety, one defensive touchdown (missed PAT), one offensive touchdown (successful PAT)
Ko-oren 13–0 Shytysle: two field goals, one defensive touchdown (successful PAT)

One more game to go in the group stage. Inevitably the defence will clean the house. We'll tell you more about this unit next time.

by **The Nation of Downination** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:00 am

Jags Win their First Game in Blowout Fashion

With so much frustration, the Jags went all-out, and finally received the win they deserved. All throughout the game was all in the Jags favor, and by the time the game reached the fourth quarter, Coach Greene ordered the first-team to rest, and sent out the second and third stringers. Fans around the nation celebrate their first win, and while that was happening the capital building decided to throw it's own party after the game.

"WE WON! WE ACTUALLY WON! They listened to my complaints," datdownie enthusiastically spoke. "THEY ACTUALLY THREW IT MORE TO THOMPSON!"

Wide Receiver Allen Thompson, who only caught three receptions before the game, now has 16 receptions for 228 yards and three touchdowns. He was running wild and capitalized on the opposition multiple times, causing Defensive Holding and Defensive Pass Interference.

"This is the kind of spark we needed; a blowout victory," Thompson said in an emotional way.

Coach Greene, who promised to sub out Delaney Hoffman for a game, may have made the right decision. However, Coach Greene left the game as it ended, and nobody knows where he is at. We'll have more updates as the stories come in.

Next game for the Jags: Alphatheta, who have two a piece with wins and losses. A win here will send the Jags up to third place if Neu Engollon loses to Nuevo Caracas.

by **Bongo Johnson** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 12:08 pm

BongoBeat.net - your source for Incorporated sports!
Presented by Hanko Manufacturing

NOT DEAD YET - Bongo Johnson stays afloat in 33-10 victory
Posted by Wendy Samsun at 02:24

I.S.B.J. 33 | 10 P.N.d.F.

Your Mighty Kitties landed square back on track in the World Bowl last night in a jubilant 33-10 victory over the Fleurs. A loss may have effectively shut the door on Bongo Johnson's hopes of getting past the group stage but the players ran amok, with legendary QB Jimbo Jangles going 21 for 25 on completions and tossing four touchdowns, a new team record for the World Bowl. After suffering a devastating blowout to group favorites Ko-oren, this type of victory is exactly what the doctor ordered. BongoBeat spoke to right tackle Balrog Teabaghar after the game:

BB: You've bounced back after a heavy shutout sustained against Ko-oren. How does it feel to chalk another one up to the wins column?
BT: I'll tell yah' what, it's something special. I speak for most of mah' boys in the lockah' room when I say we all took it real hard in that loss, but Jimbo, swear to God, there was something in him tonight I just ain't seen in a while. The defense held their ground and let us execute the gameplan on offense. Ah' lot of credit has gotta' go to old man Murbag on this one, he been running himself ragged past couple nights worried about something but Chrahst' Almahty he seemed happier'n a pig in mud when we gave him that Gatorade showah'.

BB: You mentioned Coach feeling worried, does the team feel like they lack an effective leader when the Coach isn't confident?
BT: Now yah' know I hate when you sports journahlists come out here with that talk, actin' like it ain't normal for a man to be worried. Zack Murbag eats, sleeps, lives Bongo Johnson football. He cares about the playah's sometimes a little more than he cares for his own well-being. He just don't want to let us down, is all. It's been a long long time since we been out here playin' the good ole football and he just wants to see that ole' spark from before. And Lawd' I know I seen it in him.

BB: How about Jimbo? Critically injured in that last G.A.F.A. game years ago, have you noticed any difference in his performance so far?
BT: All I'm gonna' say about that man is he could throw a pigskin clear over them mountains back there. He ain't talk much, but goddamn if he ain't tossin' some of the finest footballs he ever thrown.

With the victory, Bongo Johnson stands strong mid-table at 6 points. Though difficult, it remains wholly possible for Bongo Johnson to secure an advancing spot. They will need two victories to ensure that advancement proceeds through tiebreakers, and they will need one win and at least one loss from Drawkland, Shytysle, or Ko-oren to allow them to move up to that second seed. Though there is a chance that Thereisnogodistan will lose their top spot with two games left to play, it remains highly unlikely as far as results have shown so far.

We certainly are experiencing one of the greatest World Bowls of our time, and these last two games are going to be absolutely critical for the Bongo Johnson boys. If you've got a sporting fiber anywhere in your body, you'll want to tune into BongoVision these next couple nights and support your team.

Go! Go! Bongo for the Bowl!

by **Banija** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 12:12 pm

The All-Banija Sports Magazine
The only nationwide publication that is all sports, all the time!

Banija faces biggest test so far in upcoming Kaboomlandia matchup

Head Coach Horace Browning coaching during their last game against Frenline Delpha

ROUYN-NORANDA - This week, Banija had its bye week of the group stages, coming in week 5. The timing was good for Banija, as it gives the team the chance to heal and rest up before its two toughest games of the tournament- against Kaboomlandia right after the bye, and then against the group's #1 team Gregoryisgodistan, who is 5-0 and is one of the early favorites to win the entire World Bowl. Even though they used the week to rest their bodies and heal, Banija knows that it is on a mission and that is to get out of the group stages. The team in front of them for their next matchup is Kaboomlandia, a team that is 2-2, but are ranked #12 in the world.

During Banija's bye week, the first major upset in group play happened when Rennidan, the hard-hitting opponents who Banija put away in overtime in Week 1 of this tournament, defeated Kaboomlandia by a score of 13-10, coincidentally the same exact score Banija defeated Rennidan by. This upset let Rennidan fans to storm the field in their excitement, as they knew what a victory of that magnitude meant. Of course, Banijan fans may have wanted to storm the field right alongside them. Rennidan, with its hard-hitting, physical style of football, gave Banija a blueprint on how to defeat Kaboomlandia.

Head Coach Horace Browning said that it was clear what Banija needed to do to win this game- play its style of football. "I believe that if we play our style of football, which is hard-nosed defense, continue to run the football and pound the rock, and most importantly, keep their defense on the football field, we have as good as a chance as anybody to win this game. Football games are won in the trenches, as was shown in our loss to Frenline Delpha. We have a great opportunity to learn from that loss, as it showed Frenline Delpha controlled the line of scrimmage from start to finish in that game. We could never get pressure without the extra man, and therefore when we blitzed, we were exposed in the secondary and Steve Moors killed us. We cannot allow the same thing to happen against Kaboomlandia, or else we will be ran out of the stadium."

Head Coach Horace Browning was also asked how they could stop the Kaboomlandia offense. "They have some great talent on the offensive side of the football, with Andrew Michaels leading that rushing attack. As I said before though, we have very similar offensive styles. We both like to run the football, so playing Kaboomlandia will be like playing a mirror version of ourselves. Of course, Kaboomlandia can say the exact same thing. This game will be won and lost in the trenches. I intend to aggressively keep rotating our offensive & defensive linemen, to keep them fresh and playing hard every single down. We need them to be able to give 100% every play, which is why we will need all of them to play. In practice, we are working on rotating our down linemen on both sides of the football, so that we do not lose any quality with our substitutions."

While Horace Browning declined to give a prediction, to avoid billboard material, he did have this to say about his team. "These boys understand what's on the line here in this tournament. They are not just playing for their school tonight- they are playing for their country. Each and every single person here is playing for his country, and we relish the fact that the entire nation is supporting us at this tournament. It is always special when you put on a uniform for your country, and we hope to do this great country proud."

It is clear- Horace Browning believes that this team can advance, and they are firmly in hold of second place in Group D, which is enough to advance. Of course, they have their two toughest games left, and we will see if Banija can truly compete with the big boys, starting with Kaboomlandia, who will also be fighting to stave off elimination in this tournament, just as Frenline Delpha was last week.

by **Gregoryisgodistan** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:38 pm

Gregoryisgodistan 25–0 Ruarikstan @ Imperial Copper Stadium, Rouyn-Noranda. Kickoff at 8:30

"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and slaves. Welcome to Imperial Copper Stadium for today's World Bowl game between Gregoryisgodistan and Roozywatchamacalit. Gregoryisgodistan has won the coin toss and chosen to defer, so Mathematics Teacher 2737ASH will kickoff. Roozyboozy was too incompetent to submit a roster, so we'll use highly insulting fake names. Fanny Fartypants is back deep to return, and here's the kick from Mathematics Teacher 2737ASH. Fartypants takes it at the goal line, gets out to the 15 before being tackled by English Teacher 1381377DQ.

"And it's 1st and 10 for Rukukumquat, as Bumbum Butthide drops back to pass, oh, and he's absolutely drilled at the 8 yard line by Enemy Crusher Yorgen von Streudel. It will be 2nd and 17. Butthide drops back to pass again, and he's drilled in the end zone for a safety by Enemy Crusher Yorgen von Streudel. And now Enemy Crusher Yorgen von Streudel is going to celebrate by crushing Butthide to death as the other Enemy Crushers storm the stands to crush opposing fans. Crushing, crushing, they will go, crushing crushing, yay yay! 74 fans are dead, all from Rukukaka. What fun! And now Gregoryisgodistan will have the free kick receive.

...

"6:13 left in the first quarter, Backup quarterback Clowney Clowney Coo Coo drops back to pass from his own 23. Enemy Crusher Carl Paladino drills him, the ball pops loose, and it's recovered by Enemy Crusher Yorgen von Streudel, who runs it in for a TOUCHDOWN! And now Enemy Crusher Carl Paladino is celebrating by crushing Coo Coo, while Enemy Crusher Yorgen von Streudel runs into the stands and crushed 68 Rukanallamala fans all by himself. This is incredibly awesome! And now all the Enemy Crushers storm the field and crush the entire Ruakxlam first string offensive unit as they are coming off the field. They'll need all the backups and the third string quarterback, as it's 9-0 Grid Slaves.

...

"12:08 left in the second quarter, third string quarterback Rara McFool drops back to pass from his own 7 after a good punt, it's a blitz, and Enemy Crusher Yorgen von Streudel launches himself at McFool full speed, knocks him square in the chest, and knocks him to the ground for a safety! What a hit! And that hit at least knocked the wind out of McFool, and may have killed him from the impact! The paramedics are running onto the field to tend to McFool and are trying to give CPR and a defibrillator but Enemy Crusher Yorgen von Streudel is going to crush them all before they can and McFool is dead. Rookoomama is out of quarterbacks and will have to use someone else come the next possession.

...

"3:06 left in the second, 11-0 Gregoryisgodistan, and Ruachruach punter Morun Icantspell drops back to pass and it's a blitz again, hit as he throws by Enemy Crusher Yorgen von Streudel and it's picked off by Defected New York Jet Darrelle Revis who returns it all the way for a touchdown! With the PAT it will be 18-0 Grid Slaves! But wait..... Icantspell is being crushed by the Enemy Crushers, who have crushed him and now they run into the stands and crush 98 Ruarkisncach fans!

...

"1 second left in the second quarter, and kicker Lala Poo, the fifth string quarterback, gets drilled by Enemy Crusher Yorgen von Streudel, ball pops loose, and Enemy Crusher Porky Fatana returns it for a touchdown! And now all the Enemy Crushers are storming the field and crushing all the Ruashawatever players except for 11 so they can play, and now they're storming the fields and crushing 1,209 Ruarkistinian fans and they're all dead. And now the refs are trying to stop it but in the meantime the PAT is good and now they're crushing 5,013 more Rushushushu fans to death as well as all the Ruakicnawatever coaches! This is awesome! But now flags fly all over the place. Let's get to the call.

"Personal foul, crushing, all the Enemy Crushers, they're all ejected, 15 yard penalty will be enforced on the kickoff for the second half.

...

"And that's halftime. Gregoryisgodistan has lost their Enemy Crushers for the game and Ruksharuksharuskah has only 11 players, so this will likely be a very boring second half.

...

"And indeed, a very boring second half, Ruskahsroofies just took the knee to avoid more crushings and Gregoryisgodistan did the same after realizing what they were doing. So it was incredibly boring. Roofiehouse will have to add new players for their last game, but who cares? They're heathens! Thousands of players and fans were killed! This is so incredibly awesome! All hail the Enemy Crushers!"

by **Kaboomlandia** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 6:57 pm

Phoenix on the ropes against Banija

Kaboomlandia, who were supposed to be a favourite to go through to the Round of 16, have faltered as of late, with consecutive losses to Gregoryisgodistan and Rennidan leaving them fighting for their playoff lives. With two games to go, the playoff picture looks like this:

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Gregoryisgodistan       5    5   0   0    99   15  +84    15
2 Banjia                  4    3   0   1    79   41  +38     9
3 Rennidan                4    2   0   2    48   44   +4     6
4 Kaboomlandia            4    2   0   2    82   46  +36     6
5 Frenline Delpha         4    2   0   2    93   87   +6     6
6 Oisinistan              5    1   0   4    44  139  −95     3
7 Ruarikstan              4    0   0   4    10   83  −73     0

As we can see, Gregoryisgodistan is all but assured a playoff berth, while Oisinistan and Ruairikstan bring up the rear. Rennidan and Banija have both been surprisingly good in the group stage. So what does this all mean for the Kaboomlandians? Tonight's game is an absolute must-win game for the Phoenix. If Banija wins, the Phoenix are eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in three World Bowls. To advance, the Phoenix need to beat Banija and Ruairikstan, then hope that Gregoryisgodistan and Frenline Delpha win their final games against Banija and Rennidan, respectively. Rennidan's game tonight is against lowly Oisinistan, further muddying the Group D playoff picture. Kaboomlandia is in further trouble when you consider the following tiebreaker: Rennidan has the head-to-head point differential against the Phoenix after the upset loss last night.

by **Armeia** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 7:15 pm

Scandal - Part Two

Juro Kaito's POV

Walking through Batavia feels like walking through the dragon's den, the heart of darkness, but if we want to get our story, we'll have to look the part. "This feels wrong," I state, pulling a newly bought Indies University hoodie over my sweatshirt. "Like treason of the highest sort."

Sato chuckles as he puts his own hoodie on, the black of his contrasting the red of mine. "It's for a good cause. Hitting the IU Warhawks where it hurts, with sanctions."

"Yeah, let's find what we need to start the story and go," I sigh, feeling uneasy. Nobody is going to react kindly if they find out why we're here, and that makes me kind of uneasy. Very uneasy, actually. "Where do we head first? The football facilities, or somewhere where there's a lot of students?"

"We head to the training field and wait for after practice, and find someone who's close enough to the team to know whats going on," orders Lexa, taking charge again. "If they're working with the team, we probably can't just drill them for info, but they must have leads. And the further we get from the actual team, the more of the truth will come out."

Lexa's theory seemed to be decently accurate, because after talking with one of the ball boys, and then following a lead he mentioned to us, we ended up at a bar, speaking to a girl named Sinta, who supposedly knew about recruiting violations by Indies. We changed our cover, too, saying that we're investigators from the school, conducting an internal investigation. "Let me do the talking for now," Lexa says, before leading us over to the table where we're meeting Sinta.

"Hello, thanks for meeting with us. We're here to help the university out with an internal investigation on violations by the football team, in recruiting or other areas," she says to Sinta, sitting down and putting a fake smile on her face. "We were told that you may have information, can you tell us everything you know in the order that it happened?"

Me and Sato exchange a look before looking back at Sinta, who sighs but nods. "Okay, well, let me explain some background. I don't work for the team. I just work different part time jobs sometimes, and at those jobs, I've overheard things. What you hear from me may or may not be accurate."

"It's fine, we just need everything we can get for now."

Sinta paused, as if she's thinking, before nodding. "If you're looking for violations, you're going to have to look into Seth Jarra. The freshman quarterback. Again, this is just something that I overheard, but apparently that sports car he drives, that wasn't given to him by his parents like he claims it was. And I know for a fact that he doesn't do classes, I know because the guy that does his work for him is in some of my classes."

I think we all knew that something was up with Seth Jarra, but this just confirms it. "Do you know about anything else?"

"Well, there is something else, but I don't know the details. Reportedly, the three starting wide receivers all got in trouble for various crimes in the first few weeks of the season and the school covered it up. I don't know what the crimes were, the rumors vary wildly. You'll have to look into that more, I know some others who know more," Sinta explained.

"Thanks, just give us the names and we'll check it out. Oh, and by the way, if anyone asks, we weren't here, the school is keeping this secret for now," Lexa stated, flashing that fake smile again. She was smooth, that was for sure, like any investigative journalist had to be sometimes. I'm just glad she's working for us, and not them.

by **Armeia** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 7:48 pm

FightOfDragons.ari
Armeia stays undefeated after OT win

Kyle Raj made his national team debut at quarterback after Paulo Alecjo was pulled at halftime following a lackluster performance, and he led Armeia back from a 6-0 halftime deficit to a 9-6 overtime win to remain undefeated. While not throwing any touchdowns, Raj and his mobility created chances for Armeia where Alecjo would have been sacked, and he threw short passes more accurately to finish with a total yardage number of three hundred and eighty. Armeia's best chance for a touchdown came in the fourth quarter, when Raj scrambled and dodged a lone safety to make a thirty yard gain, but a resulting stop on third and inches caused them to settle for a game tying field goal.

Overtime against Neu Engollon started off rough for Armeia, but the game winning field goal was eventually set up by an interception by Taesha Kendrick, who jumped the route on a slant play in the red zone. Backup running back Tin Bojas was key in the resulting drive to set up the field goal, rushing eight times for sixty yards.

"It's likely that Kyle [Raj] is the starter heading into next game," commented head coach Takumi Maki. "His mobility adds another dimension to our attack, and we like his ability to throw accurately. As for the defense, the secondary impressed us again and we have plans for shaking things up with them next time out."

by **Rennidan** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 8:11 pm

The elderly local simply nodded when I asked if the fish were still biting. He must have been three times my age, but didn't seem to struggle under the weight of the auger and fishing gear slung over his shoulder.

The ice shanty he pointed me at seemed to predate even his existence, it's torso sized wooden wheels rotten through, glossy with moss.

Warriors of old would meditate through poetry and art.

I've been told my tongue is too loose with words and that my hands are not delicate enough for the brush.

I find my meditation not through artistry, but through mentality. I do not take downtime between my wars, but find inner peace during the conflicts.

At night there are always flashbacks. The hits, for and against, the blood, mine and theirs.

Fishing is as much a fight as any game we play here. The patience, the timing, the thirst for blood.

At least with the fish I feel bad when I clobber it's head in.

___________

"--eleven big guys just roll up out of their bus at Jin's birthday barbecue. I thought we were about to get our heads smashed in. We'd seen the videos of them online, didn't cast them as the most hospitable of people.

They get up close, then start chucking us bags and bags of fish. Burrying beers in the snow. Said it was their tradition to give new friends food.

So we ate and drank with them.

It was a crazy night. They crashed here then rolled on out for their next matc--"

by **The Sword Bloke** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 8:57 pm

SWORDEANS CELEBRATE NATIONAL 'DEATH TO DUMPY O'RUMPY DAY'

Yes, the figure of Dumpy O'Rumoy has been in the news recently, following the burning of Dumpy O'Rumpy dolls before a Gregoryisgodistan World Bowl game. The Swordeans hate Dumpy O'Rumpy with a passion, and as a result, named the 12th of November 'Death to Dumpy O'Rumpy Day', and boy what a day that was today.

The Swordeans celebration of Dumoy O'Rumpy's hopeful death was great fun. Swordean towns were filled with thousands of Dumpy O'Rumpy dolls on sticks, which were then lit alight and thrown into a mass grave. There were sports events throughout the day, including the Owner's Cup final, which That Team won over Amaya Angelou.

The point, however, is that tonight the final part of Death To Dumpy O'Rumpy Day will happen, hopefully; for the Swordeans to defeat Cosumar in the World Bowl, remain unbeaten, and almost certainly guarantee knockout stage qualification for the Swordeans. However, Cosumar are 14 ranks above the Swordeans.

That doesn't make it impossible to win though. Something involving Dumpy O'Rumpy will almost certainly occur on the day in Quebec, and the Swordeans will use arguably the best defence in the tournament to take on the former hosts in an exciting encounter.

So, yea. That's what's happening around The Sword Bloke. Happy Death To Dumpy O'Rumpy Day, let's hope the Swordeans beat Cosumar and Death to Dumpy O'Rumpy.

by **Allamunnic States** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:07 pm

OoC: Roll Tide!

You're not as good as the guys before you. That statement had echoed in each of their heads every game since they had allowed twelve points against the Greater Vakollicci Haven. The Regulars had long been known for a stifling defense, and this unit had allowed more points than they were used to. It had led to some unkind words from news agencies, from reporters and pundits.

You're inadequate. Which was just silly. Because this was still one of the world's premier units, even if they were not playing as flawlessly as many were used to. But right now, they were in a position where maybe, they could prove it.

With their backs to their own endzone. With the opponent having just come off of a big play to get them 43 yards down the field to the two. Essentially no breathing room. Kyl Waalturs lined up in the Allamunnic end zone, watching as the unit lined up in a 4-3 front. He noticed the opponents lined up in a goal line set, and called the appropriate signal.

"Anvil! Anvil! Set!" he called, before seeing the line shift slightly, while SAM linebacker Fradrik Eriksunn moved up and lined up as a defensive end. "Watch motion! Watch motion!" Sure enough, the receiver was breaking into a run toward the quarterback. He didn't need to say anything more; the strong safety was following the motion. The ball was snapped, and the sweep went off. Not that it got anywhere, because Mikel Ulrik actually met him in the backfield, dragging the receiver down for a loss on first and goal.

The Regulars lined up back in the 4-3 front again against a front that loaded up the line of scrimmage. Once more, the strong safety moved up into the box, adjusting them to a 4-4 to deal with the likely run. Once again, Waalturs' call was proven correct, and he took a flying leap to hammer the running back down in the backfield, pushing the offense back even further to the 6-yard line.

Which left only a crucial third down. Once again, the Regulars loaded the box, watching warily after the third-and-long pass. Just before the play, Waalturs called out the adjustment again, but the defense remained stationary.

Until the ball was snapped. Junn Haaldur and Ulrik both dropped back into coverage, watching for the likely pass. As it turned out, it was superfluous in both cases, because they had tried to a quick slant. Rikard Junnsunn expected that, however, which is why he jumped the route, snagging the ball out of the air and turning on his sprint, zipping down the open field untouched for the pick-six to widen the Regulars' lead.

Waalturs, after delivering an unneeded, but legal block, watched and chuckled. Let them talk. We're more than good enough. We'll keep on showing them until they believe us.

When the final whistle blew, the Regulars still had not conceded a touchdown in World Bowl XXVIII.

by **Barunia** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 10:09 pm

The Barunian defence has looked a lot more solid over the last few games, and in the game against German Ohio it all came together to provide the Sea Cows' first shutout of the competition. Defensive tackle Marc DeLeon earned the praises of his coach for his solid defending throughout the game, including a vital role in a successful blitz play deep within Barunian territory. It was Jack Rafinha that got that sack, and the team would add another two for the game through Cameron Anderson and Mark Meyer.

Michael Stewart has been outstanding as middle linebacker, and he continued to show his skills with four tackles and an interception. Other notable efforts from the defence came from Joe Davis and Angelo Moreno.

Offensively, it was a familiar story, the Sea Cows once again relying on the left boot of Bill Holman to put them on the board. Then it was over to Ryan Dunne, who threw his first 30-yard plus touchdown pass of the tournament, Sylvester Dominguez the recipient. It was also Dominguez's first touchdown, the Sea Cows trying out some positional changes by playing him as a wide receiver. The Barunians then added to their score with another field goal, this time from Joshua Bell.

Speaking after the match, DeLeon said, "It's like we're really beginning to get into the swing of it. This is really the only time a lot of the blokes get to play against proper opposition, not just ourselves, so it always takes a bit of time to get warmed up. But yeah, we've hit our stride now, and hopefully we can advance."
While the Sea Cows are currently second, they do have an equal number of points (9) with HUElavia and The Fair Republic. However, Barunia have already defeated both of those teams, so they have the advantage in head-to-head tiebreakers, and the Sea Cows last two games will be against the 6th-placed Levivania and the Republic of Maltaland, who have yet to register a win.

by **The Royal Kingdom of Quebec** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 10:57 pm

Matchday Six Cutoff

It's time for your emotions to erupt like volcano.

Due to an unexpected issue with scorinator and WB files, the scorination will be delayed by a day. I would like to apologise for this inconvenience.

by **The Royal Kingdom of Quebec** » Tue Jan 12, 2016 11:25 pm

Matchday Six Results

Alright, after a delay, it's about time for your emotions to erupt like volcano.

Group A
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 43-12 HUElavia
Levivania 16-33 Barunia
German Ohio 32-28 The Republic of Maltaland @ Stade St.Croix, Quebec City. Kickoff at 23:45 due to an unstated reason.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      5    5   0   0   180   46 +134    15
2 Barunia                      5    4   0   1   119  101  +18    12
3 The Fair Republic            5    3   0   2    80   71   +9     9
4 HUElavia                     5    3   0   2    90   85   +5     9
5 German Ohio                  6    2   0   4    92  114  −22     6
6 Levivania                    5    1   0   4    51  116  −65     3
7 The Republic of Maltaland    5    0   0   5    51  130  −79     0

Group B
Abanhfleft 30-10 Sioux Lookout
San Jose Guayabal 14-3 Gim
Ethane 11-13 Regalius

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Schottia                5    5   0   0   185   69 +116    15
2 Abanhfleft              5    4   0   1   143   46  +97    12
3 San Jose Guayabal       5    4   0   1   107   64  +43    12
4 Regalius                5    2   0   3    55  105  −50     6
5 Sioux Lookout           5    2   0   3    63   82  −19     6
6 Ethane                  6    1   0   5    41  143 −102     3
7 Gim                     5    0   0   5    19  104  −85     0

Group C
Firebolt 11-23 San Llera
Dunpa 8-16 Pittastria
Renetopia 21-7 Atlanta-Breyer

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 San Llera               5    5   0   0   148   45 +103    15
2 Nassau-Hessen           5    5   0   0    83   26  +57    15
3 Firebolt                5    3   0   2   115   72  +43     9
4 Pittastria              5    2   0   3    44   99  −55     6
5 Dunpa                   5    2   0   3    50   85  −35     6
6 Renetopia               6    1   0   5    77  110  −33     3
7 Atlanta-Breyer          5    0   0   5    47  127  −80     0

Group D
Kaboomlandia 11-29 Banjia @ Imperial Copper Stadium, Rouyn-Noranda. Kickoff @ 2:30 (original kickoff time: 1:00) due to a combination of 2 factors: a) arrangement made between hosting committee and Abitibi Tech University (who had to use the stadium for an important alumni football game in the evening), and b) the referee's tongue getting stuck to the goal post with the frost.
Ruairikstan 25-40 Frenline Delpha
Oisinistan 0-25 Rennidan

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Gregoryisgodistan       5    5   0   0    99   15  +84    15
2 Banjia                  5    4   0   1   108   52  +56    12
3 Rennidan                5    3   0   2    73   44  +29     9
4 Frenline Delpha         5    3   0   2   133  112  +21     9
5 Kaboomlandia            5    2   0   3    93   75  +18     6
6 Oisinistan              6    1   0   5    44  164 −120     3
7 Ruairikstan             5    0   0   5    35  123  −88     0

Group E
Nanocemia 24-17 The Central Shadow Nation
Kingdom of Ruckus 16-11 United States of Devonta
The Great Pond 6-38 Allamunnic States @ Steelers Stadium, Saint John. Kickoff @ 20:30 (original kickoff: 19:12) due to the hyperactive inventor-referee's brand new, self-driving car failing to acknowledge traffic on the way and generating multiple near-collisions and a couple of run-ins with the police.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Allamunnic States            5    5   0   0   167   27 +140    15
2 United States of Devonta     5    4   0   1    72   37  +35    12
3 Greater Vakolicci Haven      5    3   0   2    84   68  +16     9
4 The Central Shadow Nation    5    2   0   3    55   67  −12     6
5 The Great Pond               6    2   0   4    93  121  −28     6
6 Nanocemia                    5    1   0   4    57  106  −49     3
7 Kingdom of Ruckus            5    1   0   4    30  132 −102     3

Group F
The Nation of Downination 16-29 Alphatheta
Nuevo Caracas 13-15 Neu Engollon
Armeia 31-3 Kohr

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Armeia                       6    6   0   0   132   53  +79    18
2 Taeshan                      5    4   0   1   117   54  +63    12
3 Neu Engollon                 5    3   0   2    67   81  −14     9
4 Alphatheta                   5    3   0   2    66   52  +14     9
5 The Nation of Downination    5    1   0   4    71   84  −13     3
6 Nuevo Caracas                5    1   0   4    43   80  −37     3
7 Kohr                         5    0   0   5    33  125  −92     0

Group G
Peuples Nordiques des Fleurs 19-10 The Boatia
Shytysle 10-65 Thereisnogodistan
Drawkland 33-35 Bongo Johnson

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Thereisnogodistan               5    5   0   0   163   29 +134    15
2 Ko-oren                         5    4   0   1    83   10  +73    12
3 Bongo Johnson                   5    3   0   2   100  114  −14     9
4 Drawkland                       6    3   0   3   129  111  +18     9
5 Shytysle                        5    2   0   3    57  121  −64     6
6 Peuples Nordiques des Fleurs    5    1   0   4    40  129  −89     3
7 The Boatia                      5    0   0   5    63  121  −58     0

Group H
Cosumar 23-21 The Sword Bloke @ Sobaeksanmaek Field, Winnipeg. Kickoff @ 1:49 a.m. (original kickoff time- 23:11) because a group of high school teenagers, hours before the game, put burritos in all 23 cannons full of super hot sauce 3 hours before the players' entrance. Once the players made the entrance, T-shirt cannon didn't launch T-shirts; the burrito just exploded and sprayed hot sauce all over the hundreds of people in the stands directly below the cannon including the referee's family, causing the delay to the game.
Britonisea 15-18 Youhavenorightsistan
Chromatika 7-0 Silvacometopia

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Equestrian States       5    5   0   0   163   37 +126    15
2 Cosumar                 5    4   0   1   144   61  +83    12
3 The Sword Bloke         5    4   0   1   115   50  +65    12
4 Chromatika              6    3   0   3    68  119  −51     9
5 Youhavenorightsistan    5    1   0   4    71  133  −62     3
6 Britonisea              5    1   0   4    55  126  −71     3
7 Silvacometopia          5    0   0   5    34  124  −90     0

by **Bongo Johnson** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 12:25 am

BongoBeat.net - Special Late Edition

I.S.B.J. Win - But Are Their Playoff Chances Over?

Your Bongo Johnson boys won an incredibly close match tonight against an excellent Drawkland team, 35-33 tonight. However, so did Thereisnogodistan....meaning that for the Murbley men, Ko-oren must lose by at least 43.5 and Bongo Johnson must win by at least 44. This outcome is highly unlikely considering the schedule of the tournament, but miracles do happen.

To be expanded in Monday's edition...

by **Alphatheta** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 10:34 am

NOVOSTI ATLETICO Live dall'Estero

Back to International News Home || Back to Sports Home || Domestic Sports || International Sports || Hockey Central || Curling Central || Olympics Central || Search

Holding Firm In Sept-Iles

World Bowl XXVIII
Game 6:
The Nation of Downination 16-29 Alphatheta
Playmakers
46 Cătălin Jelen
67 Nico Navrátil
88 Petr Abbracciabene
51 Přemek Janz
53 Ivano Richard
05 Pelagios Stenger
Game 7:
Taeshan v Alphatheta

Sept-Iles, QUE MSK+7 10:15pm - Fans were treated to an exciting Game 6 here in Quebec as the team rallied to finally free themselves of their losing streak. Cătălin Jelen was back on the field and Pelagios Stenger back in form after a slightly rough start, with the slightly rudderless defense giving up points in the first quarter to Downination. Jelen rallied the team in the second quarter with the help of his favoured reciever, Nico Navrátil, to turn the game around with a touchdown each in the second and third quarter, each with a flawless field goal put in by Stenger.

Downination put up a fight at the end of the third quarter, bringing their score up to 16 before the fourth to challenge the 21 points the patria had managed to get on the board. With only one quarter left between the two teams in the group struggling for control of the middle, head coach Kip Jornstein apparently gave absolute control over to the team for the last fifteen minutes of play.

"At the end of the day," Coach Jornstein told us after the match, "it's their game. It's Jelen out on the field making calls; it's the receivers lining themselves up or not. You let it sit on their shoulders a little more heavily, and you usually get surprised with how much more they have to give that they weren't giving you before."

Group F Standings Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Armeia                       6    6   0   0   132   53  +79    18
2 Taeshan                      5    4   0   1   117   54  +63    12
3 Neu Engollon                 5    3   0   2    67   81  −14     9
4 Alphatheta                   5    3   0   2    66   52  +14     9
5 The Nation of Downination    5    1   0   4    71   84  −13     3
6 Nuevo Caracas                5    1   0   4    43   80  −37     3
7 Kohr                         5    0   0   5    33  125  −92     0

In a tense last few minutes of the quarter, with the score unchanged from 21-16, Wytréno made a daring running play Jelen passed off to Navrátil for a long-shot touchdown. In the spirit of boldness, Jelen followed the score with a successful attempt at a two-point conversion.

"I wouldn't have told him to go for it," Coach Jornstein mused in an interview. "And we would have been in nearly the same place, true. But their spirit would have been different. That extra point is one of those make-or-break things you see get teams all hyped up over, especially when they manage it for themselves."

Coach Jornstein is hoping the energy--and turned-around offense--will carry the team through their final match in the round. They'll need the good luck; Wytréno's final game is against Taeshan, the highest ranked team in the group.

NILC Returns || Spartak Vorotagrad 1–0 Rapid Trusdvo || Central'nyi Steinstadt 4–1 KL Sborgorod || Chernomorets Vernyygorod 1–0 KL Gavan || Górnik Kholmstad 2–1 KL Bolotoderev

by **The Nation of Downination** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 11:25 am

After Loss, Fans Don't Seem to be Upset at All

After the loss against Alphatheta, not everyone was upset by it. Some fans seem to be looking forward to the next World Bowl, as this Jags regime are looking better and better in some aspects. The offense racks up about 287 yards a game, and the defense tries to hold its own fence several times. For a year that seems to be heading for either a fifth or sixth place finish, the players can at least pat themselves on the back and congratulate the team on their efforts to stay up close and personal to other nations.

As the season comes to a close, datdownie, leader of The Nation of Downination, already confirms there will be a second run to the World Bowl with some adjustments to several players and the play style too. The Jags final game is up against Nuevo Caracas, who have the same record but different point differentials; with the Jags having advantage.

Something Smells Fishy And... Tasty?

As the Salgetian people prepare for the final game, the fans decided it would be best to bring a crate to the stadium for free treats as a "Thank You" gift to the World Bowl. One fan noted that there was "BBQ Horse, Buffalo Wings, Fried Bull, Sweet & Sour Tiger, and more" in the crate.

"It's a sign of peace, in my opinion," replied a local fan, who seems not so aware where she's at.

Some of the Nation of Downination fans disagree, calling it "a waste of food to people we don't even know."

"It's a weird event," one angry midget said. "Giving food to ourselves AND the opposing team? We're not a charity case, mate!"

The Jags fans that are in charge of this "Reinforced Care Package" has been checked frequently to avoid having a nationwide conflict with The Royal Kingdom of Quebec as some may sneak a suspicious item into the crate. Will this crate help the Jags or will i just be a symbol of hope? We will see in the season finale against Nuevo Caracas.

by **Kaboomlandia** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 11:50 am

Banija Shocks Kaboomlandia to Eliminate Phoenix

Wide receiver James Malone sits dejected after the Kaboomlandians lost 29-11 in a rainy game to Banija to end their playoff chances.

It was a game that Kaboomlandia should have had. The Phoenix, ranked #12 in the world, were up against the #97 team in the world, Banija. Yet the plucky Banijans won the game 29-11, capping off an implosion by the Phoenix that saw the team lose three straight and be outscored 59-21 over that streak, being shut out once. The game at first looked like the Phoenix would break through, scoring a first-quarter touchdown by Andrew Michaels. But Banija never let Kaboomlandia get away from them, and after they tied the game in the second quarter, the Banijans never trailed after that, scoring two more touchdowns. The dagger through the heart came in the final minute, with the Phoenix down 21-11 and pressing:

"Tyler Martin takes the snap back. Phoenix at the Banijan 22, looking for Lamar Anderson. Martin airs the ball out but it's tipped up by the cornerback Krasinski, and Jasenko Horny has picked it off! He's flying! Horny keeps going! He's going all the way! It's over! It's over! Kaboomlandia is eliminated from the playoff race! Touchdown, Banija!"

The game is a major upset for Banija, who have not previously accomplished anything significant at the World Bowl stage. Next, the Phoenix will look to save face against a Ruairikstani squad that is in last place in the group.

by **Banija** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 12:49 pm

The All-Banija Sports Magazine
The only nationwide publication that is all sports, all the time!

Banija pulls off 29-11 upset of Kaboomlandia

Strong Safety Jasenko Horny celebrates game-clinching pick 6 in the 4th quarter

ROUYN-NORANDA -In what has to be called the upset of the tournament, at least for Group D, Banija knocked off and knocked out Kaboomlandia, one of the early favorites to progress from this group, by a final score of 29-11. After a slow start, Banija started firing on all cylinders, and it was game over for their struggling opponents. Kaboomlandia, while one of the tournament dark horses entering the World Bowl, struggled in their last three games, losing all three by a combined score of 29-11. Banijan fans, even after waiting an extra 90 minutes for kickoff to start in the subzero temperatures, were ecstatic after this victory.

Kaboomlandia, fighting for its playoff lives, came out of the gate hungry against Banija. Banija received the ball after the kickoff, and due to a holding penalty and a sack, they ended up having a third & 27 at their own 5 yard line. Banija ended up having to punt, gaining a net total of -20 yards on their first offensive possesion. Following that, Kaboomlandia had one of those long, methodical drives down the football field, and they took a 6-0 lead over the Banijans with the Michaels touchdown run. Being aggressive, and with momentum, they successfully converted the two point conversion with a swing pass to Andrew Michaels to give them an 8-0 lead.

Banija, however, had to recover from the 8-0 deficit. In the 2nd quarter, with about 6 minutes left, Veltmans took a punt return from his own 41 yard line. After making a man miss, he raced 59 yards all the way to the house, giving Banija momentum via special teams and pulling his team within 2 points, within 8-6. Horace Browning decided to play it safe and only go for the PAT, rather than the 2 point conversion. The play worked, with Kovach throwing the ball to Vena Resnick and converting the two to make the score 8-7.

Banija got the ball back with 4:30 left in the second quarter, and Kovach ran a brilliant 4 minute offense. They were able to move the ball with urgency, and yet, chew plenty of time off of the clock. With 1:10 left, Banija had scored via a 12 yard touchdown pass to Vena Resnick on 2nd & goal, and all of a sudden, Banija had taken a 14-8 lead. A game, after the first possession, looked like Kaboomlandia would run away with it, was all Banija's.

To start the third quarter, Kaboomlandia was able to drive the ball down the field, and kick a field goal, making it a 3 point game, where it would stay for over 20 game minutes. The defenses took over at that point, with neither team being able to make offensive progress. The Kaboomlandia punter began to punt the ball towards the sidelines and out of bounds, while the Banijan special teams covered well down the field. Nobody turned the ball over, and both teams were playing a sound, clean football game.

In the 4th quarter, Banija forced a punt and got the ball at their own 27 yard line, with 2 minutes left in the game. Both defenses, at this point, had taken over, so everybody expected the Phoenix to have one more opportunity to win this game, especially since they had all three timeouts. They followed the script on first and second down, calling timeouts, making the 3rd & 8 play happen with 1:49 left on the clock. Banija handed the ball off to Zivorad Dvorak, and he made a man miss, then raced 73 yards to the house. He had seemingly put the game away, and the Banijan side of the field had lost it completely.

Kaboomlandia, however, was not going to go away quietly. Even after what seemed to be the backbreaking play with the Dvorak run, they used their timeout wisely, and moved the ball fairly quickly down the field. However, with 45 seconds left, Jasenko Horny ran under a deflected pass, caught it, and 90 yards later found himself in the end zone. Banija converted a 2 point conversion after a misfire on the snap by the holder running it into the end zone himself.

Banijan fans stormed the field after this victory. They knew how much it meant to them, to the team, to the players, to the nation, after this great upset victory. After getting embarassed in the Olympics, where they could not win a single medal in any competition, it was nice to see that Banija could still go out there and compete with the best of the best at the highest levels of competition.

Banija has one game left, and that is against world #3 Gregoryisgodistan. The formula for that game, is simple. Winner wins the group and advances. Now, if Banija loses, it becomes far more complicated. While Banija will definitely be in the running, it could come down to a 3 way tie with Frenline Delpha and Rennidan, or Banija could be tied with either of those two teams. There is still a long way to go to make the knockout stages, but as Horace Browning said, they could not ask for anything more than the ability to control their own destiny going into the last group game.

by **Schottia** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 1:23 pm

This isn't morning, it's the middle of the night.' Grumbled Gabi as she walked over to the break fast table in the hotel. It was so early in the morning that the staff weren't even serving breakfasts and the players had been forced to get some tea or coffee from an urn in the dinning room. 'How do they expect an athlete (an artist) in the peak of their condition to perform at this time of the morning.' In a zombie like state, she lifted a cup from the table, and began to let the thick dark brown liquid trickle from the tap, being careful not to burn her wrists. The main lights weren't even on, as everyone other than the Schottic players must have been tucked up soundly in bed. Gabi was glad of this however, as in the semi-darkness she could at least trick her body into thinking it was still dozing. 'The trick is.' She went on. 'To keep your eyes mostly closed and half asleep until the caffeine kicks in, then spring to life once it takes over. That way you don't have experience the full whack of what this time of day has to offer.'

'It's to do with the television rights.' Said Nathan Johnson, who was sat quietly to the side with a cup already in his hands, stirring it mindlessly. 'Tyran is like, a stupid amount of hours ahead of us. I think I'm still jetlagged if truth be told.' One of the downsides to being a Schottic sportsman or woman was the fact that most tournaments happened far from your shores.

'Oh yay....' Gabi, said sarcastically. 'We get up at three in the morning and play Gridiron on a frozen pitch, so it can be televised to about five-hundred people back home.' Her scepticism of the sport's popularity back home was probably well placed. 'It's the big match in the group as well. Would they not rather their players be refreshed and have a good chance of winning it, as opposed to them being able to sit down, with a beer in their hand, at a decent time to watch.'

Nathan shrugged. 'Pass Gabi. There's probably more to it as well, TV money etcetera. We'll need to wait and see how tough a game it is anyway. I know pretty much nothing about their players, they finished third behind Kaboomlandia in Cosumar, and fourth in Electrum.' Nathan got up and quickly poured himself another strong dark coffee, after sinking his first. 'I guess they're good enough, the kind of side we would have struggled against a few years back, but now... Well we've got one of the meanest offences out there. Largely thanks to the awesome Gabriella Alessi, start Quarterback'

Gabi smiled and took a sleepy curtsy. 'You are too kind young Nathan.' She replied before having a large gulp of coffee herself. 'With such a vote of confidence from an AGL youngster how could I fail to be inspired?' She gave him a wink. 'In fact, if only you guys could sort yourselves out in defence, then we would be laughing.'

Nathan rolled his eyes, conceding the point. 'I'm just looking forward to being back in the hotel, with the three points in the bag, and qualification already sewn up.'

...

Things improved not one bit, as the team stood outside with their kit bags while the team bus reversed through the icy car park. What were tyre grooves and puddles yesterday afternoon were now ominous looking ridges of hard ice, which caused the bus to bounce around as it navigated its way through. The air was bitterly cold and the players' breath collected around them like a freezing fog, which seemed to sink to the ground, giving the street an eerie feel.

It felt, in many ways, a fitting prelude to their biggest game of the tournament so far, against a side that had been around for while, and had been competing in the World Bowl back when most of Schottia's young team had been in school.

It was a date with destiny for the lads and lassies of Schottia, could they make it to the round of sixteen for the third year running?

by **Frenline Delpha** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 1:57 pm

www.frenlinedelphastories.gov/enemies/gregoryisgodistan/martin_wilkins

Hope on a Ledge

It was a sunny day in the capital district. All his friends had warned him that coming here was a bad idea, but that basically summed up Martin Wilkins life. A slew of bad luck and hard times had convinced him that a trip to this isolationist state was a worthy try. He wanted to know that there were people who did worse than he did, and he figured this was the perfect place for it. It had taken three different part-time jobs to cover the expenses, but he had managed to do it. Martin was no stranger to Gregoryisgodistan's ridiculous rules, so he employed a former Gregoryisgodistan defector currently under asylum in Frenline Delpha to help him fit into their mold. He had to memorize a ridiculous list of rules, which read like follows:

Murder, theft, treason, piracy, using or possessing birth control, disturbing the peace, leaving the country without permission, attempting to defect, jaywalking, obscene gestures, pointing your finger like a gun, writing a story about how you shot your neighbor's pet dinosaur, cheese smuggling, whaling, possession of cheese, dancing with a llama, being awake after national bedtime (after 11 PM and before 6 AM) except in order to comply with other laws, dancing with a camel, bringing a camel to the movie theater, putting a camel in a bathtub, putting a donkey in a bathtub, throwing shoes, wearing socks on your hands, standing on a chair, jumping on the bed, talking to fish, slamming doors, bribery, accepting bribes, interference with the duty of a police officer, interference with the duty of a Grammar Enforcement Officer, interference with the duty of a Spelling Enforcement Officer, interfering with the duty of a Mathematics Enforcement Officer, interfering with the duty of a Pervert Chaser, plagiarism, riding a donkey while facing backwards, interfering with the duty of an Enemy Crusher, drunk driving, drug possession or trafficking, criticizing Lord Almighty Gregory, defacing property of the state (which is almost all property), price gouging, public or private nudity, bestiality, failure to attend a public post-execution burning, singing any song other than songs of praise to Lord Almighty Gregory and the state, dancing, farting, hijacking, sticking out your tongue, assassination, gambling, publishing material critical of the state, speaking words critical of the state, using profanity, wearing pants that leave buttocks or underwear exposed, worshiping any deity other than Gregory, failing to publicly worship Gregory at least 37 times a day, public indecency, ticket scalping, fraud, counterfeit, forgery, failure to have a proper shrine to Gregory in one's house, distracting a shrine inspection agent while he is at your house, failure to give a shrine inspection agent coffee within 5 seconds of his arrival at your house, kidnapping, arson, assault, smoking, drinking alcohol, drinking orange juice, drinking pear juice, eating oranges, prostitution (for both the prostitute and client), doing jumping jacks, saying the word "coconut", reading a book that is not on the approved books list, thinking about reading a book that is not on the approved books list, thinking about thinking about reading a book that is not on the approved list, questioning the state or Gregory, thinking about questioning the state or Gregory, thinking about thinking about questioning the state or Gregory, carrying a fish above your head, thinking critical thoughts about Gregory or the state, thinking about thinking critical thoughts about the state or Gregory, burping, eating any food other than government-issued gruel rations, drinking any beverage other than government-issued prune juice rations, having dreams which are critical of Gregory or the state, attempting to figure out which technology the government uses to prove many of the above crimes, hypothesizing that the government does not actually possess the technology and merely accuses people because everyone commits some of these crimes sometimes, asking what you are being charged with upon arrest, talking in your sleep, refusing to accept one's guilt and execution sentence, refusal to accept one's guilt for a crime not punishable by execution, talking during one's trial for a non-capital crime, professing one's innocence of a non-capital crime, owning a car, owning a bike, being bald or having a shaven head, having sexual relations with any partner not authorized by the state, imitating a sheep, calling people "SHEEPLE", failure to bow down to Gregory or his image (such as on a television screen or a statue) immediately upon seeing it, talking to police officers during arrest, trial, prosecution, or any other point, thinking about what you might say to police if you could talk, thinking about thinking about what you might say if you could talk, failure to fly the national flag outside your house, failure to sing the national anthem every hour on the hour, including while asleep (though many citizens set their alarm clocks for 5 minutes to the hour then go back to sleep after singing the anthem) attempting to disable any spy cameras anywhere, including in one's own home, attempting to determine the location of spy cameras, determining the location of spy cameras (even accidentally), talking about the secret police, thinking about the secret police, thinking about thinking about the secret police, thinking about thinking about thinking about the secret police, killing a puppy, killing a kitten, having writing material critical of Lord Almighty Gregory or the state, sneezing, coughing, showering, bathing, blasphemy, looking in sewers, littering, hacking, trespassing, riding ugly horses, rape, attempting suicide, flying a kite, whining, complaining, looking at goats, talking to animals, nosepicking, spitting, forgetting to flush the toilet, mooning, digging in gardens, walking on grass, swimming, cutting something with scissors, wearing a watch, making bad jokes, imitating animals, threatening anyone, possession of pornography, child molestation, kicking a duck, kicking a cow, cow tipping, kicking a chicken, stepping in dog poop, stepping in cow poop, snoring, snorting, grunting, groaning, pouting, moaning, scratching your head, scratching your nose, scratching your butt, singing or playing some, but not all, of the national anthem (except at the end of Creation Day when only the first two verses and the last verse are sung), eating on Creation Day, speaking any language other than English, masturbating, prank calling, singing the incorrect words to the national anthem, electronically transmitting nude or semi-nude pictures, being in public without a shirt (except at beaches and swimming pools), wearing high heels, making a false bomb threat, pulling the fire alarm when there is no fire, possessing spray paint, drinking on Creation Day, going to the bathroom on Creation Day, failure to pronounce Lord Almighty Gregory's name correctly, thinking about committing a capital crime, thinking about thinking about committing a capital crime, thinking about thinking about thinking about committing a capital crime, and hiccuping.

It has been a headache for Martin. Honestly, he hoped that he wouldn't fall victim to a hiccuping fit because he still wanted to return home. He also converted to the church of Gregoryisgodistan, in order to make it easier to not break any laws. After preparing for the trip for three years, Martin was ready to go on a month trip to Gregoryisgodistan. He had all his money converted to greggybucks, and he made plans to purchase some special items before he left. Martin's wasn't just going to see the worse side of life. He had a secret fetish that he never told any of his friends, but it still itched inside him. He had heard that Gregoryisgodistan had some of the best slaves, and he figured that a slave would be the perfect way to settle that itch.

The flight was a long one, as Gregoryisgodistan didn't exist in the same galaxy as Frenline Delpha. However, travel at lightspeed, called Lightning travel, was readily available to Frenline Delpha. However, Gregoryisgodistan didn't have such airports, so Martin had to dock in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, and then he was transported to Gregoryisgodistan on a nine hour flight. He entered Lord Almighty Gregory International Airport, spent three hours clearing customs, and then boarded a cramped regional flight that would take him to District 3, where he would be staying. When he arrived at District 3, Martin was greeted by Prune Farmer XB79D4, who reported to be his host family for his stay. As he wondered the streets towards this man's house, Martin wondered if the run-down, slummy country he had just entered was a mistake. He saw the slaves being peddled like toys, he saw imagery of Gregory all over the place, which he remembered to bow down to, and he saw police roaming the forlorn streets, looking for rulebreakers. He considered saying hello to one of them, but he remembered that that would get him enslaved for his troubles. He just kept on walking until Prune Farmer XB79D4 finally announced, "Here is my humble abode. Thank Gregory for it. It's almost time for the next national anthem. You're just in time to sign praises to Gregory, our lord."

And with that, the Gregoryisgodistan national reverberated all over the district, forcing all who heard it to sing along. After the anthem finished, Prune Farmer XB79D4 introduced Martin to his wife, Shoemaker FRQ240J. He informed Wilkins that hey had yet to have any children, and that it saddened him to not be able to show their love for Gregory with a child. That supper was not a pleasant one for Wilkins, as he had to gulp down prune juice and gruel, as did everyone else in Gregoryisgodistan. That night was not forgiving either. Every hour, he was woke up by Prune Farmer XB79D4 to sing the national anthem, and he wasn't used to being interrupted during his sleep so frequently like this. It left him drowsy and confused, and he had only spent one day in Gregoryisgodistan so far. This was starting to look like the worst decision of his life.

by **Gregoryisgodistan** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 6:15 pm

Enemy Crusher Eating Menu For World Bowl Bye Day

Note: Each player listed shall be given the following food items to eat. They are Enemy Crushers and need lots of food.

Enemy Crusher Drew Flipkens, Enemy Crusher Ulysses Encherido, Enemy Crusher Michael Flipkens, Jr, Enemy Crusher Parker Howell, and Enemy Crusher Bob Howell

Breakfast:

23 pancakes
39 waffles
16 pieces of french toast
8 glasses of orange juice (8 ounces each)
11 bowls of grits
9 bowls of oatmeal

Lunch:

11 grilled cheese sandwiches
6 pounds nachos
19 cheeseburgers
6 strawberry milkshakes
19 chocolate chip cookies
1 whole chocolate cake

Dinner:

5 pounds macaroni and cheese
6 pizzas
6 pounds pasta with alfredo sauce
1 whole strawberry cake
1 whole apple pie

Enemy Crusher Charlie Howell, Enemy Crusher Charles Richardson, Enemy Crusher Harold Flipkens, Sr., Enemy Crusher Michael Flipkens, Sr, and Enemy Crusher Uga Paloga

Breakfast:

23 xylocarps (preferably sapient)
43 pancakes
23 waffles
19 glasses milk (8 ounces)

Lunch:

6 pounds of extra spicy beef chili plus chips for dipping
3 pounds macaroni and cheese
2 whole apple pies
1 whole banana cream pie
1 whole pumpkin pie
Whipped cream and vanilla ice cream (for pie)

Dinner:

16 pizzas
3 cheeseburgers
11 steaks, cooked medium (approx. 1 pound each)
31 chocolate chip cookies
1 whole peach pie with whipped cream

Enemy Crusher Carl Paladino, Enemy Crusher Surly Paladino, Enemy Crusher Jorgen von Streudel, Enemy Crusher Jorgen von Streudel, Enemy Crusher Piotr von Porker, and Enemy Crusher Porky Fatana

Note: These are the biggest, baddest Enemy Crushers and they need more food than the rest to be even bigger and badder

Breakfast:

79 pancakes
68 waffles
34 pieces french toast
Unlimited maple syrup
5 glasses of orange juice (8 ounces)
6 cups coffee
19 bowls of grits
23 bowls of oatmeal
5 pounds hash browns
32 xylocarps (preferably sapient)

Lunch:

13 pizzas
11 pounds macaroni and cheese
24 pounds extra spicy beef chili, with chips for dipping
94 chocolate chip cookies
45 Mallomars
5 Banana Milkshakes
13 Strawberry Milkshakes
49 xylocarps (preferably sapient)

Dinner:

32 cheeseburgers with onions, hot sauce, and jalapeños
14 pounds macaroni and cheese
19 pizzas
17 pounds pasta with alfredo sauce
109 chocolate chip cookies
3 whole apple pies
5 whole cherry pies
7 whole strawberry rhubarb pies
6 gallons vanilla ice cream (by itself or on pie)
69 xylocarps (preferably sapient)

Slaves who do not obey these orders and give the Enemy Crushers their food will be executed with the Brownie Cutter of Death. So obey!

by **Armeia** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 8:00 pm

OOC: Trying screenplay style again... Scandal Part Three might come next round. Also, this is kind of half finished because of time constraints.

Their Stories - The Secondary
An excerpt from the video series being released by Armeian Football after the group stage

FADE IN

CUT TO FIVE PLAYERS(casual dress, relaxed posture) ENTERING A STUDIO. The five players sit down, and a coach, KYO KOBAYASHI, enters and sits down across from them. CUT TO KYO'S FACE.

KYO: I'm sure you five need no introduction, but for the sake of any foreigners watching, can you introduce yourselves?

PAN TO PLAYERS

TRISTA: My name is Trista Prust, I play cornerback for the Knights and I went to school at Illara West.

TY: I'm Ty Leroux, I also play cornerback, and I'm attending Illara West.

TAESHA: <chuckle> I'm the third of the 'three Ts' as we call ourselves, my name is Taesha Kendrick and I play strong safety for the Thunderbolts. I'm proud to say that I'm an Indies U Warhawk.

KRIS: I'm Kris Berksson, free safety and wide receiver. I play at East BC Academy and I'm committed to Loftus College.

SANJA: <making T sign with hands> And my name is Sanja Prust, and I'm a strong safety slash cornerback and a Bastille Tech Firefly.

KYO: Like I said, you're a group that needs no introduction. Some of you were already stars, those of you who weren't grew in reputation when we upset Free Republics in the last World Bowl or when we started six and oh in this one. But, we want to know the story of all of you before you were stars, when you were rising through the ranks and you had to battle to get to where you are now. What was that phase like for you?

TRISTA: Well, me and Sanja have almost been training to be athletes since our birth. I mean, our dad is Nick Prust, three time national champion at Jerawen Tech, and a five time championship winning quarterback in the pros with Redtown. Our mom is Belle Leroux, daughter of a legendary coach and a pretty good hockey player. There was a lot of pressure on us growing up, but we embraced it and used it as motivation not to quit. I think my 'coming out' game so to speak was during my freshman year, when we missed out on the playoffs. It was a loss actually, against Indies. I think Taesha was playing in that game. I played cornerback, quarterback, and receiver, and had something like six hundred yards total if you count a couple interception returns that I had, but we ended up losing 63-58 after our quarterback had a bad fumble near the end. The loss hurt so much, but I put all my effort after that into making sure we came back and destroyed them the next year, when we also won a national title.

TY: I'm also a Leroux, Trista and Sanja are my cousins actually, so I know the pressure. I think what turned me into a star was getting thrown straight into the starting lineup for the national team and facing some of the best competition.. Free Republics, Taeshan, we beat both of those teams with me in the starting lineup, and even though I got burned for a touchdown a couple times, I learned a lot. Our league is pretty new, so I think I'm learning more from the national team than playing back home.

TAESHA: I became a star, at least in my own mind, when I picked off Aage Starke and ran it back for a touchdown to win the first Thunder Bowl, against Barrier City. I had visibility at IU, but when I went pro, I think I fixed the mistakes I made often in the college game and went from great to dominant. But overall, it's all about aggression, that's what sets us five apart from the other secondaries in the World Bowl, nobody is more aggressive than us. We're lucky that we play in the 4-2-5 and not the 4-3 like last season, because this formation is designed to bring that out in us. We blitz more than any other team, we play more one on one coverage than most teams, and we jump routes as much as we can.

KRIS: I don't think I'm a star yet, really. At my hometown, sure, but nationally, I have a long way to go.

SANJA: Like Trista said, there's a lot of pressure on us, and when I was growing up, I used it as motivation not to fail. My biggest game, the one that would make everyone consider me to be a star player, was in the All-Armeian game back in high school. It's way more competitive than it looks on TV, and every receiver was trying hard to beat me one on one because they want to be able to say that they scored on a Prust. I think I finished with one catch allowed, two interceptions, and a couple of pass breakups.

KYO: Each of you have had successful careers so far, but you're all still young. What are you hoping to achieve in the future?

TRISTA: I want to make my country proud. I want to be the one that kids growing up in Armeia look up to, the one that other players aspire to be. I'm not going to be happy until I have a World Bowl ring, because to me, that's what I need to cement my legacy.

TY: I guess I just want to prove that I belong with the others on this team and that I can hold my own against older players.

TAESHA: It's cliche, but I want to be the greatest ever. I want to be feared on the field, and I want everyone to know my name off of it. I want... I don't want everyone to love me when it's all said and done, but I want them all to remember me.

KRIS: I don't know, really, I haven't been in the game long enough to have big goals. But I want to prove to other countries that girls can play football and be good at it.

SANJA: I just want to continue the family legacy. And I want a ring, whether it's with Tech or with the national team, I want to be able to say I started on a winning team. I want to prove myself, too, I feel like I have to show everyone that I would make the cut even if we didn't play with five defensive backs.

CUT TO KYO'S FACE, as the scene TRANSITIONS TO A FEW MINUTES LATER

World Bowl XXVIII Everything Thread (IC)

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