NSCF 13 Everything Thread

[Costa Aluria]

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The Heart of the Storm: Visit from Stoneshore Surprises South Seas
Story by Abraham Shepherd

Mosaic--The South Seas University football program received its first loss of the NSCF 13 season at the hands of Stoneshore College on Saturday. The loss came as the Honu had little time to prepare for the defensive-minded Bruins as a result to a scheduling change from the Horizon Conference Commission.

South Seas University had originally been slated to travel to Cosumar to battle Ramusok Capital University. However, hurricane force winds in Cosumar’s Eastern gulf forced an emergency hearing from the Horizon Conference governing authority, with representatives from each of the six schools in attendance either in person or via internet. With both Ramusok Capital University and Stoneshore College affected by the weather, it may have been easier to simply reschedule the Cosumarite schools, but in a show of solidarity, the Commission voted rather to entirely swap the conference’s week four and week five schedules. In further show of support for the institutes from Cosumar, the Honu wore a special helmet sticker depicting a map of Cosumar nation during the game.

On just two days’ notice, South Seas had been forced into the position of changing their travel plans while simultaneously looking to switch their focus from the offensive juggernaut that is Ramusok Capital to the defensive stonewall that has characterized Stoneshore College. Playing behind a team motivated by concern for their loved ones back home, Stoneshore College came away with a narrow victory, 16-14.

While South Seas had been able to remain close to the Bruins, a late safety with just 3:04 remaining in the game put the Honu behind for what would turn out to be the definitive score after Stoneshore stymied a late comeback attempt. After the ensuing free kick, the Honu defense was unable to keep Stoneshore College from running out the remaining clock time and could only watch as time expired.

It is a common adage that defense travels well, and in this tumultuous shortened week facing a squad motivated by external circumstances, this adage proved true against the Honu.

Asked about the loss after the game, Honu coach Goose Carneghy noted the difficulty of preparing on such a short week. “Yeah, that was tough. We had prepared for a different game philosophy, and then the horrible news out of Cosumar really changed that up. But let’s not get lost in that. Hell of a job today by Stoneshore to come in with all of the distractions and win on the road. I’m sure their thoughts and prayers must be with their loved ones, hoping they remain safe. And please don’t try to misconstrue this as South Seas getting the short end of the stick. First off, Costa Aluria is safe right now, which is more than we can assume for Cosumar. Secondly, we prepared for an elite team, and we lost to an elite team. The name on the jersey means nothing. The fact of the matter is at the end of the game, the other team had more points on the board.”

The Honu had been unable to move the ball with any regularity all afternoon, fueled in large part to the one dimensional gameplan which Stoneshore forced. With this battle being fought in the trenches, the South Seas running game sputtered from the opening gate, and Carneghy was forced into a passing heavy aerial attack. The Honu achieved only 68 rushing yards on the day, and without the running game to open up passing lanes, the entire offense had difficulty. Ezra Talbot managed to salvage his statline with two passing touchdowns, but otherwise this was a day to forget for the Honu offense.

Or, perhaps, it was a day to remember for the Honu offense. As South Seas University continues to prepare for the remainder of the schedule, fans should note that the upcoming gamedays are loaded with matchups from teams ranked in the Cosumarite Courier’s top ten rankings. South Seas still must face Ramusok Capital twice, as well as another tilt, on the road at that, against Stoneshore College. And that is just in the Horizon Conference. Also on the schedule is a matchup against Northern Moravica, who currently rests at #12 but could easily return to the top ten by week twelve. And let’s not forget about the upcoming battles with St. Croix University and Utica University. What does this all amount to? Well, the Honu better remember what happened against Stoneshore on this day, because if they don’t, it may be a season to forget.

Assuming the storm passes by Cosumar, the Honu will head on the road to take on undefeated Ramusok Capital in week five. However, despite the additional week of preparation for the current first place team in the Horizon Conference, it is anybody’s guess how the ongoing weather concerns may impact the game. This will certainly be a storyline to watch as the week develops.

The Honu have announced they will continue to wear the Cosumarite map helmet sticker as they travel to Ramusok Capital.

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Box Score	1	2	3	4	OT	F
Stoneshore College	0	7	0	9	N/A	16
South Seas University	0	0	7	7	N/A	14

Scoring summary:
2nd Qtr, 10:28 (SC) Stoneshore College touchdown (XP good) [SC 7-SSU 0)]
3rd Qtr, 4:12 (SSU) Ezra Talbot 10 yard pass to Satchel King (Ranger Cisterns XP) [SC 7-SSU 7]
4th Qtr, 13:44 (SC) Stoneshore College touchdown (XP good) [SC 14-SSU 7]
4th Qtr, 7:36 (SSU) Ezra Talbot 6 yard pass to Barclay Beckett (Ranger Cisterns XP) [SC 14-SSU 14]
4th Qtr, 3:04 (SC) Ezra Talbot tackled in endzone for a safety [SC 16-SSU 14]

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[Cosumar]

The Daily Bruin
Stoneshore College's Student-Run Newspaper

Campus avoids major storm damage as Bruins knock off top-ranked Honu
By Mila Jordrök, Editor-in-Chief

MOSAIC, COSTA ALURIA - While most residents of Stoneshore spent the week either evacuating inland or bunkering down in their homes to ride out Hurricane Arlo, the city's favorite college football team traveled to Costa Aluria to face NSCF's highest-ranked team, the #1 South Seas Honu.

Despite Hurricane Arlo doing all it could to mess with the team's psyche, from a late-notice scheduling switch to concern for family back home, the Bruins of Stoneshore College managed to rally together for a massive win amidst its city's time of crisis. After two extra days in Mosaic, the team was able to return home. They were pleased to find that their beloved city and campus had endured less damage than expected. Coming from the warm southern seas, Hurricane Arlo lost a good deal of its power just before impact thanks to the Jagged Mountains that shield Stoneshore. The bigger cities up north, like Ramusok and Kaldukosic, were impacted even less.

"There's some flooding near the coast, especially on the south side. On campus, we lost some of our big century trees and have a few buildings with minor damage. Some people lost their homes, but it could've been a lot more," Head Coach Walter Hufnagel said. "It's a relief that the storm is gone and that everything can start rebuilding back to normal, both in NSCF and in our lives. I hope our performance against South Seas was able to provide some calm amidst the panic and loss of this week."

Stoneshore College won 16-14 in Costa Aluria, a surprise road win coming on the heels of a loss to countrymen Ramusok Capital the week prior. The passing game, led by Ash Solomon, was once again underwhelming, as Stoneshore relied heavily upon its strong defensive line and running game to get the edge.

Neither coach was exactly thrilled with the sudden schedule change in light of Hurricane Arlo, but both accepted and made the best of it. South Seas even donned Cosumar helmet stickers in a show of support for their opponents. Not all South Seas supporters are going to be as graceful as Goose Carneghy in defeat, however.

"A lot of Honu fans are blaming this result on the Horizon Conference's decision to flip Weeks 4 and 5. We try not to read stuff online, but we see it," running back Alan Aardalen said. "Yeah, they were preparing for a trip to RCU. But in the end, they got to stay home, warm and safe, while we were the ones making an unforeseen and rather long trip. How do you think we felt? We thought we had 0-4 Galturin State. Then all of a sudden we were being sent to the house of the defending runners-up. I think it says a lot about our team that we rose above all the potential excuses."

After a scoreless first quarter, the Bruins and Honu traded touchdowns twice to make it 14-14 with seven minutes left. With the home crowd going stark-raving mad, Ezra Talbot took the field to try to lead his undefeated team on a potential game-winning drive. Instead, he was tripped up in his own endzone by Kamil Yeoman, who blazed around behind Kai Kanoa and hung on to Talbot's shoestrings for dear life.

It took The Plumeria Garden a few seconds to register that it had been a safety, but once it did, the place went so quiet that the shouts of the elated Bruins defense could be heard from the third deck. Just like RCU did to them last week, Stoneshore simply ran the ball for the next three minutes to end the game. Dexter Scofield and that offensive line was winning the battle of the trenches all night and the Honu just couldn't stop them from paving Alan Aardalen's way to moving the chains.

A loss could've dropped the Bruins to 2-2, which would've been their worst start since NSCF 9. As it stands, they now claim the 2nd spot behind RCU in a Horizon Conference that is suddenly a lot more competitive. If South Seas defeat RCU next week, Stoneshore could find themselves back in the lead of this three-horse race.


Scoring Summary

2ND (10:28) - SSC TD - C. Stind 1 yard pass from A. Solomon [7-0 SSC]
3RD (4:12) - SSU TD - S. King 10 yard pass from E. Talbot [7-7]
4TH (13:44) - SSC TD - A. Aardalen 47 yard run [14-7 SSC]
4TH (7:36) - SSU TD - B. Beckett 6 yard pass from E. Talbot [14-14]
4TH (3:04) - SSC SFTY - K. Yeoman sacked E. Talbot in endzone [16-14 SSC]

SSC Offense Leaders
QB Ash Solomon - 9/19 for 107 yards, TD
RB Alan Aardalen - 28 carries for 137 yards, TD, 35 receiving yards
RB Tash Walraven - 10 carries for 46 yards
TE Clemet Stind - 4 rec. for 21 yards, TD

SSC Defense Leaders
LE Kamil Yeoman - 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 safety
LB Ukko Wilms - 8 tackles
DT Maximillian Hall - 4 tackles, 1 FF

SSC and SSU Comparison
SSC: 279 total yards, 15 first downs
SSU: 283 total yards, 16 first downs

SSC: 1 Turnover (1 FUM)
SSU: 1 Turnover (1 FUM)

SSC: 3 penalties for 30 yards
SSU: 5 penalties for 34 yards

[Banija]

Istria Times

Loyola suffers first of the season with 10-0 to archrivals Northern Moravica


Head Coach Alastair Jobs looks on as Northern Moravica runs out the clock in the 4th quarter

HERZEGOVINA CITY- Loyola allowed its first points of the season today in week 4, as their archrivals Northern Moravica became the first team to put points up on the board against them. This was very similar to the Northern Moravica stretch last year, where they opened with 3 straight shutouts before going on the road against an established conference power and suffering their first loss. That is exactly what happened to Loyola, as after their 3 straight shutout wins, they themselves could not put a single point on the scoreboard, and therefore were shut out by their archrivals 10-0 in a hard-fought, violent, physical battle.

The game is almost always a low-scoring, physical contest. There is no love lost between these schools, and as they have championship pedigrees domestically, they have both built strong defenses. Northern Moravica had one of the best defenses in the NSCF last season, opening the season with 3 straight shutouts, a feat that Loyola was able to match this season. Northern Moravica was expected to have the stronger defense, but at the same time, Alastair Jobs and defensive coordinator Joseph Lukwago have had our boys on the defensive side of the football ready to play all season long. Not a single point has been allowed through 3 games, which is a major part of the reason why they entered the game 3-0 and in sole possession of first place.

The first half was one, long, defensive slugfest. While there were no turnovers, both defensive lines were digging in and dominating the respective offensive lines. Nobody was able to run the football, and both quarterbacks were knocked down a frequent amount of times. The dying moments of the 2nd quarter featured a missed 55 yard field goal by Loyola kicker Gregor Leventis, that hit the right upright and bounced forward. Neither team was making much headway on offense. The game was a series of punts, back and forth, and many were wondering what kind of breakthrough either team could make against the other.

The third quarter saw that breakthrough. Contrary to the slow-paced sluggishness of the offenses in the first half, Northern Moravica head Coach Horace Browning and offensive coordinator Peter Ras threw a curveball that Alastair Jobs simply could not see coming. They came out of the break with a 12 yard screen pass to Zivorad Dvorak, and then immediately started running a no-huddle offense. The fast-paced switch worked, as it wore down the Loyola defense, who seemingly weren't ready for this quick change of pace. The drive ended in a 17 yard touchdown run for Northern running back Zivorad Dvorak, and Northern took a 7-0 lead with 11:03 left in the 3rd quarter. While it was still anybody's ball game, in a game this low-scoring, taking the lead first could prove to be the difference, and in this game, it ultimately was.

Northern Moravica added a 4th quarter field goal, but our true freshman quarterback Dennis Zervos simply could not handle the pressure of playing this far down. While he was able to keep his composure in their 3-0 week 1 victory, a game that was tight throughout, this team was simply not going to beat the Northern Moravica defense on this day. On their only drive where they threatened of scoring a touchdown, which went all the way down to the Northern 12 yard line, it ended in Zervos throwing an interception while under heavy pressure that was kneeled down in the end zone for a touchback.

Ultimately, Loyola simply could not put up enough points- specifically, a single point-, and, because of that, Loyola dropped its first ever NSCF game against Northern Moravica. They dropped into a 3 way tie for first place in the Celestia Conference, with Northern, Vietussia Academy, and Loyola all being 3-1. The head-to-head tiebreakers put Vietussia Academy ahead of Northern virtue of their head to head victory, who are ahead of Loyola virtue of their head-to-head victory. However, the majority of the conference schedule is still yet to be played, and all three teams control their own destiny within the conference.

Loyola will host conference tiebreaker leaders Vietussia Academy in a night game on its campus in Week 5. That game will go a long way in deciding where the Celestia Conference trophy will travel to next- Istria, United Vietussia, or the possibility of the trophy staying in Herzegovina City. There's still a lot of time, but Loyola is sitting in a good spot if our goal is for our team to do what our rivals did last year, as in shock the world by winning the Celestia Conference, and then use that conference championship to cement a playoff spot before non-conference play even begins.

We'll see if our boys can knock off Vietussia Academy in week 5, who seem to currently have the confidence to be anybody and everybody that is thrown their way. With their only loss being off of a Hail Mary in week 1, they are most certainly the real deal, and we'll see if Loyola can fight them off to reclaim their spot atop of the Celestia Conference.

[Banija]

Herzegovina City Post

Northern Moravica: Lessons from the World Bowl


Northern Moravica receiver after Banija officially gets eliminated from World Bowl following 8-3 loss to Gregoryisgodistan

HERZEGOVINA CITY- Both teams in the NSCF from Banija have had the opportunity to represent Banija, as a team, on the global stage in this great sport. Loyola competed as Banija in the Multiverse Games, and after a dispute between the association and the Banijan Football League, last season's Northern Moravica team was afforded the right to represent Banija on the international stage. Northern, for one, did not disappoint. The standards for advancing were strict- only 16 teams out of 56 would advance out of the group stages, and teams raced to meet that high standard.

Northern Moravica players, dressed in colors for their country, wound up growing in countless ways, both on and off the field, following their experience in the World Bowl. The highlight of the tournament on the field for them, of course, had to be their upset victory over Kaboomlandia on the 2nd last matchday of the group stages. Banija, ranked 97th in the world, defeated a team 85 places ahead of them as they had an uncharacteristically poor campaign(they being Kaboomlandia). They were so very close to advancing through to the knockout stages, but Frenline Delpha was able to squeeze past Banija in their head-to-head matchup, and those 2 points were the difference for Frenline Delpha to advance ahead of Banija.

The tournament, however, can only be qualified as a success. World Bowl 28 could not be qualified as a success, and it was a damage to the psyche of a nation where football is the country's most popular sport. They needed a team in this sport that could compete with the best of the best, and they got all that and more when Horace Browning roamed the sideline for 6 games in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec. They beat the #12 team in the world, and they had an even matchup the entire game with #3 Gregoryisgodistan, who is one of the favorites to win that tournament.

One of the main lessons learned from that tournament that will be provided to this Northern Moravica team, is that they need the ability to focus in, and defy the critics. While last year, many doubted this team, the expectations this year are much different. They are no longer newcomer members of the Celestia Conference; they are the experienced vets compared to most of this group. Falling to Vietussia Academy at home, especially in the fashion that they lost, did not help perception much at all. They have fallen down all the way to #12 in the rankings now, well out of range of even an at-large playoff spot.

Another lesson learned from the tournament is always believe in yourself and your teammates. The team was only able to be successful at the World Bowl because they believed both in themselves, and each other. Everybody believed that they could be one of the 16 best in the tournament, and although that did not happen, they definitely ensured themselves a nice, large rise up the rankings with what they were able to accomplish in this tournament. This will be important when they go through the season, and have the tough slog of their brutal nonconference schedule, when the teams get tougher and the weather gets colder.

Ultimately, there was a lot learned from the tournament, but that tournament will be a great experience moment for these boys to draw back on as the season gets tougher and tougher. The ability to say that I've been here before, against the very best that the world has to offer, and that as a team, we stood toe to toe with the best of them, will give them confidence when the times seem tough. It will give them encouragement when they have tough trips to make both to Vietussia Academy and Loyola in the second half of the season, easily the most important conference games of the season for Northern Moravica. That can go a long way, though ultimately we'll have to wait until the end of the season to discover the full benefits of Northern Moravica competing for the Banijan national team at the World Bowl.

[Armeia]

HailTech.ari

Tech learns the meaning of 'lost season'...

It's been rough for Bastille Tech, after first and second string quarterbacks Emile Carlisle and Erika Hallbjorn were injured in the second loss. Third string quarterback Treon Lingaard didn't adjust well to the starting job and Tech's usually offensive play style collapsed completely by the last game, a blowout loss at home. As if to add insult to injury, Tech also lost to a communist school this season, the greatest shame that a school proudly representing the Interior Conference can have. Despite excitement for BT's first season of international play, the team has done anything but meet expectations as it sits at 0-4 right now with no hope of playing in a bowl. Even worse, the domestic season is likely lost due to injuries to the most important offensive players. While Hallbjorn and Bokori could possibly make a comeback for the domestic season, coach Evansson hasn't made a final decision yet, not wanting to risk his players being injured further. One thing is sure, critics of Armeia entering an international competition will have plenty of ammunition for their arguments against it next time...

Top Performers
Offense - Tyus Edwards - 650 yards, 2 TDs

Defense - Mark Bokori - 1 TD, 3 INTs

BT INJURIES
Emile Carlisle - torn shoulder, out for one month

Erika Hallbjorn - sprained MCL, out indefinitely

Hakim Pesic - broken hand, out indefinitely

Alek Dragosson - torn ACL, out for the season

Mark Bokori - Concussions, out for next two games

[Valanora]

Matchday 5

Celestia Conference
Loyola University (BNJ) 26–16 Vietussia Academy (UNV)
Alderasca College (NUD) 0–17 Northern Moravica University (BNJ)
Sushington National University (SSH) 7–20 Kanza University (USD)

P Celestia Conference                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Loyola University                          5    4   1    72   26  +46     0
2 Northern Moravica University               5    4   1    60   18  +42     0
3 Vietussia Academy                          5    3   2   101   72  +29     0
4 Alderasca College                          5    2   3    37   53  −16     0
5 Kanza University                           5    2   3    51   75  −24     0
6 Sushington National University             5    0   5    19   96  −77     0

Woodlands Conference
Utica University (OSR) 13–3 University of Damushuto (DKI)
Hampden College (QUE) 0–51 Palæontological-Centered Research (NTN)
University of Iqaluit (QUE) 0–6 Universite St. Croix (QUE)

P Woodlands Conference                     Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Utica University                           5    5   0   121   20 +101     0
2 Universite St. Croix                       5    4   1   148   49  +99     0
3 Palæontological-Centered Research          5    3   2   146   87  +59     0
4 Hampden College                            5    2   3    44  143  −99     0
5 University of Iqaluit                      5    1   4    28   86  −58     0
6 University of Damushuto                    5    0   5    26  128 −102     0

[Cosumar]

Mineral Conference - Matchday 5

Raynor University 31–10 St. Peters College
University of Curumba 6–30 Mar Sara Tech
Levivania Royal University 0–10 Conquerer's Academy

Mineral Conference          Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Mar Sara Tech                 5    5   0   120   31  +89    15
2 Conquerer's Academy           5    4   1    71   30  +41    12
3 Raynor University             5    3   2   126  101  +25     9
4 St. Peters College            5    2   3    76   62  +14     6
5 University of Curumba         5    1   4    45  121  −76     3
6 Levivania Royal University    5    0   5    26  119  −93     0

[Banija]

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

Halfway through the conference season- it is a 3 horse race for the Conference Championship



HERZEGOVINA CITY- With the hard-fought 26-16 Loyola victory over Vietussia Academy, coupled with a second straight Northern Moravica shutout, this time a 17-0 shutout of Alderasca College, the two Banijan teams in the conference have put themselves solidly in the driver's seat to win the conference and make the NSCF playoffs. Halfway through the conference schedule, Northern Moravica and Loyola are tied for first place at 4-1, with Northern having the head-to-head victory advantage, while newcomers Vietussia Academy are in 3rd at 3-2, just one game behind the two Banijan schools for the Celestia Conference title. The difference there is that while Loyola's only loss is to Northern Moravica, who has their only loss to Vietussia Academy, Vietussia Academy has losses to both Loyola and Kanza University, which could really come back to haunt them as the chase for the Celestia conference title goes on.

While many believed that Northern Moravica would be in this position, atop the conference standings halfway through the season, I do not believe that anybody thought Loyola and Vietussia Academy could keep pace with Northern Moravica. Both schools were newcomers, and were not expected to make much noise on the NSCF scene this year. However, both have punched well above their weight, which has made for a competitive conference title chase so far, and which should lead to a thrilling finish in the race for the conference title. Remember, on the line is not only a prestigious conference championship, but an automatic bid to to the NSCF playoffs. Northern Moravica is looking to defend their conference championship from last season, while both Loyola and Vietussia Academy are chasing Northern to take that trophy away from them, and get an automatic bid into the playoffs themselves.

The teams to watch

Vietussia Academy

Vietussia Academy are going to be the most interesting team to watch. In week 1, they lost on a Hail Mary on the game's final play to Kanza University, who honestly have not done much of anything since that game, losing to both Banijan schools as well as Alderasca College. Rather than being crushed by that loss, they used it as a rallying point, ripping 3 wins in a row off, culminating with a 15-6 victory on the road over Northern Moravica, the defending Celestia Conference champions. While they were defeated in their home stadium by Loyola, things are still looking bright for this young team. They still control their own destiny in the conference, and if they win out, they will be conference champions. While that is obviously much easier said than done, if any team could surprise you and make a run, it is this well coached side out of United Vietussia.

Loyola

Loyola are the newcomers from Banija, and Northern Moravica's archrivals. Their defense started the season on fire, starting the season with 3 straight shutouts, almost identical to Northern Moravica's start last season. This team was rising up the rankings, though their loss to Northern Moravica saw them fall all the way to #13 in the entirety of the NSCF. Loyola is also attempting to win a conference championship, and they were able to derail a hot Vietussia Academy team, coming back from their loss against their archrival and winning a gutsy game against Vietussia Academy, 26-16. Loyola, even though they are a newcomer to the NSCF, are seen as the team with the best chance of making the playoffs as an at-large out of the 3. Their non-conference schedule is relatively tame, and it is reasonable that they go at least 2-1 there. A 10 win Loyola would be hard for voters to ignore when putting in their #7 and #8 wild card teams.

Northern Moravica

As the saying goes, it is easy to get on top, but it is much, much harder to stay on top. Those who thought that Northern Moravica would simply cruise to a second straight conference title in a conference full of newcomers were dead wrong. The race for the conference title this year is going to be a street fight, as there are three serious contenders for the trophy currently at the center of the Northern trophy case. Northern struggled in its first few games, culminating with a surprise upset loss to Vietussia Academy at home. While the voters punished them mercilessly in the polls for that loss, the defense seems to have gotten everything back on track after that loss. The defense hasn't allowed a single point since, shutting out archrival Loyola 10-0, and then shutting out Alderasca College as well. Horace Browning is sure to do whatever it takes to rally his team, as he wants to get back to the summit. Northern is the team who is least likely to make the playoff as an at-large, and therefore, must do whatever it can to make the playoffs as conference champion. This is not because of the ability of the team- it is because their nonconference schedule is as brutal as last season's. In Week 11, they travel to #1 Utica, then host #8 South Seas University in Week 12, and host #5 Stoneshore College on senior night. That is a brutal schedule for any team to go through, so it is arguably more important for them to win the conference championship, as that non-conference schedule might add at least a loss or two to the schedule, and may not leave the best lasting impression of Northern Moravica on the voters.

Three Games to watch

Week 8: Northern Moravica @ Vietussia Academy

Northern will have road games in weeks 8, 9, and 11. Of course, they travel to Vietussia Academy and Loyola back to back weeks, which will be a very tiring road trip for them. This game against Vietussia Academy is a vengeance game for Northern who, if everything goes according to plan for them, should be 6-1 entering this road game.

Week 9: Northern Moravica @ Loyola

The rematch of this rivalry game, this time in Istria, will be one of the deciders of who wins this conference. Loyola, barring anything crazy, should be 7-1 going into this game, and if Northern defeats Vietussia Academy in the week prior, this game could be a de facto conference championship game. This game will be one of those games that seperates pretenders from contenders, and decides if teams like Loyola should go bowling at the end of the season, or if they should be playing in the NSCF playoffs.

Week 10: Loyola @ Vietussia Academy

Of course, the game in the final week of the season could be a de facto conference championship game if Vietussia Academy and Loyola both take care of business the rest of the way. While it is certainly much easier said than done, this game is expected to matter in terms of figuring out the conference champion, who most likely won't be determined until after this game has ended. 5 weeks can be forever in football, but this will most certainly be a tough game for all sides involved, as they get ready for non-conference play.

Ultimately, if all 3 teams take care of business weeks 6 & 7, we could be up for a very entertaining finish to the Celestia Conference season. 3 contenders for the conference championship at this point in the season is quite a large number, and fans of the conference should be excited for what the rest of the season has in store. Everything's up in the air, and with a sport like football, almost anything can happen. We'll simply have to wait and see for what happens between the three teams as the weather turns colder, or if an upset or two by any of the bottom 3 teams in the conference can throw everything off.

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

MD5 Results- Horizon and Zephyr Conferences

Horizon Conference
Saint Petyr Rangers 6–29 Drawk Corp University
Ramusok Capital University 30–20 South Seas University
Stoneshore College 26–0 Galturin State University

Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Ramusok Capital University    5    5   0   148   48 +100
2 Stoneshore College            5    4   1   101   37  +64
3 South Seas University         5    3   2   124   63  +61
4 Drawk Corp University         5    2   3    65   88  −23
5 Saint Petyr Rangers           5    1   4    33  152 −119
6 Galturin State University     5    0   5    28  111  −83

Zephyr Conference
Institute of Higher Learning and Technology 7–23 Bastille Tech
Ceneisis Naval Academy 15–3 University of Heavenly Snakes
Thereisnogodistan Community College 34–17 Karl Marx University

Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Thereisnogodistan Community College            5    5   0   122   57  +65
2 Ceneisis Naval Academy                         5    4   1    98   17  +81
3 Karl Marx University                           5    3   2   104   64  +40
4 University of Heavenly Snakes                  5    2   3    77   59  +18
5 Bastille Tech                                  5    1   4    50  128  −78
6 Institute of Higher Learning and Technology    5    0   5    24  150 −126

[United Vietussia]

VIETUSSIA SUFFERS FIRST LOSS AFTER 3 GAME WIN STREAK

United Vietussia- Loyola University became the second team to beat Vietussia this year, picking up a hard fought 26-16 win. Loyola controlled most of the game with all of Vietussia's points coming in the second half. The Vulcans barely missed an oppourtunity to recover an onside kick with 7:39 left, prompting many runs from Loyola which ran the clock out, ending the scoring at 16-0 for the second half in favor of the Vulcans, and the other half being 26-0 in favor of Loyola. Each half was very lopsided, with each team taking momentum very fast at the beginning of each half.

"It stinks to lose right at the halfway point of the season after being at such a high point," head coach Xavier Nogueras says. "You know it can happen each game day in, day out, but it is always hard to take in. I hope I can round up my boys to get a consolation win against Kanza to keep us in contention of the Celestia Conference title for the auto-bid."

Here is what our analysts figure can be the three games to watch for the second half of the season for teams in the Celestia Conference:

Week 13: Vietussia Academy @ Universite St. Croix (February 9)

This game could potentially be a HUGE top 10 matchup if the current rankings can hold, and if neither team can win their conference, this game could decide one of the autobids into the tournament. Currently, St. Croix is one spot ahead of Vietussia, though change is expected after the results of the Vulcans game. This game could really help with deciding other regular season awards if these teams shoot up in the rankings. All in all, a game to keep an eye on.

Week 8: Vietussia Academy @ Northern Moravica University (January 26)

If Loyola blows the next two games, this game could potentially be a conference championship game to decide one of the eight teams in the playoffs. Vietussia was able to knock off then #6 Moravica at home, but the question will be whether Vietussia can pull off the road win with a below average road record for the year. If Vietussia can pull it off, they could be one of the only newcomer teams in the playoff.

Week 10: Vietussia Academy @ Loyola University

After losing this week at home to Loyola, Vietussia is going to have a huge problem given that this could be a conference championship if Northern Moravica loses in Week 8. The Vulcans will need a huge effort to try and win this game to perhaps lock up a top seed for our analysts believe Loyola will shoot up in the rankings after this win. Make sure to keep a watchful eye on this game to see a glimpse of perhaps the sleeper conference team.

The Fuel Arc poll was pushed back due to inclement weather in Vietussia with massive floods pouring through Vietussia.

And there you have it. See you tonight against Kanza, and good niiiight Vietussia!

[Valanora]

Matchday 6

Celestia Conference
Vietussia Academy (UNV) 34–6 Kanza University (USD)
Sushington National University (SSH) 3–19 Northern Moravica University (BNJ)
Alderasca College (NUD) 0–17 Loyola University (BNJ)

P Celestia Conference                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Loyola University                          6    5   1    89   26  +63     0
2 Northern Moravica University               6    5   1    79   21  +58     0
3 Vietussia Academy                          6    4   2   135   78  +57     0
4 Alderasca College                          6    2   4    37   70  −33     0
5 Kanza University                           6    2   4    57  109  −52     0
6 Sushington National University             6    0   6    22  115  −93     0

Woodlands Conference
University of Damushuto (DKI) 14–10 Universite St. Croix (QUE)
University of Iqaluit (QUE) 7–17 Palæontological-Centered Research (NTN)
Hampden College (QUE) 10–35 Utica University (OSR)

P Woodlands Conference                     Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Utica University                           6    6   0   156   30 +126     0
2 Universite St. Croix                       6    4   2   158   63  +95     0
3 Palæontological-Centered Research          6    4   2   163   94  +69     0
4 Hampden College                            6    2   4    54  178 −124     0
5 University of Iqaluit                      6    1   5    35  103  −68     0
6 University of Damushuto                    6    1   5    40  138  −98     0

[Cosumar]

Mineral Conference - MD6

St. Peters College 0–6 Conquerer's Academy
Levivania Royal University 27–29 Mar Sara Tech
University of Curumba 3–19 Raynor University

Mineral Conference          Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Mar Sara Tech                 6    6   0   149   58  +91    18
2 Conquerer's Academy           6    5   1    77   30  +47    15
3 Raynor University             6    4   2   145  104  +41    12
4 St. Peters College            6    2   4    76   68   +8     6
5 University of Curumba         6    1   5    48  140  −92     3
6 Levivania Royal University    6    0   6    53  148  −95     0

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

MD6 Results- Horizon and Zephyr Conferences

Horizon Conference
Saint Petyr Rangers 7–37 Ramusok Capital University
Drawk Corp University 9–22 Stoneshore College
South Seas University 36–13 Galturin State University

Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Ramusok Capital University    6    6   0   185   55 +130
2 Stoneshore College            6    5   1   123   46  +77
3 South Seas University         6    4   2   160   76  +84
4 Drawk Corp University         6    2   4    74  110  −36
5 Saint Petyr Rangers           6    1   5    40  189 −149
6 Galturin State University     6    0   6    41  147 −106

Zephyr Conference
Institute of Higher Learning and Technology 7–23 Ceneisis Naval Academy
Bastille Tech 13–20 Thereisnogodistan Community College
University of Heavenly Snakes 0–10 Karl Marx University

Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Thereisnogodistan Community College            6    6   0   142   70  +72
2 Ceneisis Naval Academy                         6    5   1   121   24  +97
3 Karl Marx University                           6    4   2   114   64  +50
4 University of Heavenly Snakes                  6    2   4    77   69   +8
5 Bastille Tech                                  6    1   5    63  148  −85
6 Institute of Higher Learning and Technology    6    0   6    31  173 −142

[United Vietussia]

VIETUSSIA KEEPS SEASON ALIVE

United Vietussia- The Vulcans scrape a win out of the bottom of the barrel with a 34-6 win over Kanza University, keeping the season alive for now. After the Vietussia loss to Loyola but a consolation win against Kanza, Vietussia dropped 7 spots to 14. Fans around the nation are uniting together to support the team for their grueling road schedule coming up.

Truthfully, there are now three teams in contention for the Celestia Conference title. Here's what you need to know for each one.

Northern Moravica University

Moravica is the team that represented Banija in the World Bowl after many teams battled it out to compete for that spot. These 53 men are battle-hardened with the huge competition stage, making them huge contenders for the title. Currently, Moravica sits at 5-2 tied for the lead of the Celestia Conference with Loyola, but we'll get to them later. They have one of the best defenses in the conference, only allowing 21 points all season to the teams they have played. The offense is somewhat mediocre, ranking 3rd in points for in the conference, so the Moravica defense might be key to their victory of the conference. Northern Moravica's only loss this season came to the Vietussia Academy Vulcans, losing 15-6. Moravica have allowed 6 points to all other teams, making analysts scratch their heads as to whether Northern Moravica can hold up on defense against the Vulcans to secure a win that could capture the conference title.

Loyola University

Loyola University is the other team who is representing Banija in the NSCF, missing the cut for representing Banija in the World Bowl, but still represented Banija in the Multiverse Games. Loyola is 5-1 and tied with Northern Moravica for the lead, possibly leading their next game to cut out one contender for the title race. Loyola also has a great defense, allowing 26 points thus far. Against Vietussia, Loyola won, but gave up 16 points in the process with lopsided halves in the game. Loyola gave up 10 points to all other teams. Our analysts scratch their heads again for the same reason as Northern Moravica is looked upon: can the defense hold up in Week 10? If so, Loyola maybe looking towards the playoffs. Otherwise, it's time to start building a resume.

Vietussia Academy

The Vietussia Academy Vulcans are one of the few surprising newcomer teams. Vietussia has lost to Kanza, but picked up the win to even the series 1-1 this year. As said earlier, the Vulcans lost 26-16 to Loyola University. Vietussia has one of the most prolific offenses in the league, scoring 135 points thus far. The defense is one of the below average ones though, allowing 78 points thus far. If Vietussia can go 2-0 against Northern Moravica, we may be seeing a potential championship game for Loyola and Vietussia to clinch one of the playoff spots.

These teams all have the potential to win the conference, and with all the other teams at 2-4 or worse, no one can really see them getting back into the race unless aliens abduct all three of the teams.

Hope to see you against Alderasca College. Good night everyone.

-theme music ensues-

[Banija]

Herzegovina City Post

For Northern Moravica, it is the defense that wins championships


Northern Moravica players celebrate 19-3 victory by singing school fight song to their travelling fans

SUSHINGTON- Slawomir Kovach threw a 4 touchdown pass on a fade route to Vena Resnick, and Nard Holling was a perfect 4/4 on field goals, and Northern Moravica achieved a 19-3 victory over Sushington National University, who fell further in the Celestia Conference cellar to 0-6 on the season. The game was dominated by the Northern Moravica defense, who forced three turnovers from the Sushington quarterback, which included 2 interceptions and 1 fumble, turning those turnovers into 10 points. Their defense, like they have done all season long, absolutely dominated the game, and have maintained their status as the #1 scoring defense in the NSCF through Week 6.

The Northern Moravica defense has done special things throughout the entirety of the season. They have only allowed 21 points all season, giving them an average of allowing 3.5 points per game. Vietussia Academy, who has the best offense in the Celestia conference by quite a large margin, and one of the best offenses in all of college football, is the only team to score a touchdown against them. Northern Moravica started last season by the mantra that defense wins championships, which makes sense, given the championship defensive pedigree that Horace Browning has brought to the table.

The defense lost a lot of talent from last season's conference champions, but at the same time, they brought back a heck of a lot of firepower. What was thought to be the weakest point of their defense coming into this season has picked up from exactly where they left off a year ago. Last season, both starting cornerbacks, Dragutin Tomikj & Vjekoslav Krasinski respectively, were graduating seniors. While they played extremely well in their last run with Northern Moravica in the World Bowl, the next cornerbacks on the depth chart were heavily exposed in the last 5 games of the season for Northern Moravica last season.

It was a tragic way to end such a promising year. After starting 8-1 and winning the Celestia Conference outright with a game to spare, Northern Moravica was embarrassed for the rest of the way. They were exposed especially badly in the secondary, as the passing game of opposing offenses were simply picking apart Northern's secondary in their 5 game slide to finish the season. Bronislaw Puchta & Stoil Capek have, however, picked up the slack immensely. They are both seniors, and have developed into shutdown cornerbacks on the outside for a team like Northern.

The defense's undisputed leader however, is star defensive end Momir Litvinov, the 5th year senior who actually hails from Istria. He was a terror in getting to the quarterback last season, and everyone thought it would be more of the same for him this season. He surprised everybody and wanted one more year in college however, even though he would have been a top ten draft pick. It was good for him, as his development makes him the consensus #1 draft prospect in the Banijan Football League draft, and he has been a terror for opposing offensive lines this season.

The Northern Moravica defense has done some special things this season. The only team to put up a touchdown on Northern Moravica this year is Vietussia Academy, who scored twice against Northern Moravica on that fateful night in Week 3, giving Northern Moravica their only loss of the season so far. They have bettered their fantastic start from last season. Last season, at this point, they had allowed 24 total points, while this season they have allowed 21 total points. They have three shutouts, and they are looking to continue their success as the conference race heats up towards the end of the conference schedule.

The end of the conference schedule poses some tests for the Northern Moravica squad. Their last 2 away games of the conference schedule are against the two contenders for the conference title, which consist of a visit to United Vietussia in week 8, and then traveling down to Istria for a trip against their archrivals Loyola in week 9. Vietussia Academy will be a big challenge to stop, while they'll have to outbattle the Loyola defense, which has the 3rd best scoring defense in all of the NSCF. Hopefully for them, they will be able to meet them, but first they must take care of business at home against 2-4 Kanza University, who is one of those teams that are always capable of pulling off an upset against teams that look ahead, especially since many assume Northern will be looking ahead to avenge its only loss of the season against Vietussia Academy.

[Banija]

Istria Times

Loyola defeat Alderasca College 17-0; stay on track for season-ending showdowns with Northern Moravica & Vietussia Academy


Tight End Christos Cosse(9) celebrates a touchdown catch against Alderasca College with quarterback Dennis Zervos(7)

ALDERASCA- True freshman quarterback Dennis Zervos threw another touchdown pass to star tight end Christos Cosse, and the Loyola defense pitched its 4th shutout of the season, as Loyola University @ Istria got a 17-0 victory to maintain its position within the Celestia Conference. The defense has taken almost everybody by storm, as they were traditionally never this good, even within Banija. They pitched their 4th shutout of the season, after opening the season with 3 straight shutouts, and that means Alderasca College will just move further down into the cellar of the Celestia Conference.

The first half was largely uneventful. On the opening drive of the game, Dennis Zervos was able to drive his team down the football field and put them in range for a short 3, and a 31 yarder was converted by senior kicker Gregor Leventis to give his team a 3-0 lead in the 1st quarter. That was all Loyola would need for the first half. Their defense stepped up big time in the half, and the Alderasca College offense could not move the ball with any kind of effectiveness against Loyola. They closest they got to crossing the 50 into Loyola territory was reaching their own 44 yard line, but a sack by outside linebacker Colin Garis put them back in a position to punt, and after the defensive struggle in the first half, it was 3-0 at halftime.

Coming out of the gate in the third quarter, Loyola just seemed like the team that was far more suited, and far more ready, to win a football game. Alderasca College started with the football, and on their first play from scrimmage, attempted to take a shot downfield. That was a huge mistake, as senior strong safety Urian Panagos made the interception and returned the football down to the Alderasca College 31 yard line. After two pass plays to get Loyola to the opposing 4 yard line, senior running back and offensive captain Rhodes Maragos was able to punch the football in from one yard away, to give his team a 10-0 lead. The game, all of a sudden close, seemed as if Loyola had an insurmountable lead. Their defense had played so well the whole season long, and they would not relinquish this game against Alderasca College.

In the 4th quarter, Loyola had one of their patented long, methodical drives down the field, moving the football 88 yards, taking 6:55 off of the clock in just 14 plays, and ending the drive with a 13 yard touchdown pass to tight end Christos Cosse to give their team a 17-0 lead, which ended up being the game's final score. The Loyola defense continued to dominate for the rest of the game, only allowing 103 yards of total offense, and getting a game-clinching interception with 3 minutes left in the ball game by senior cornerback Jason Contos.

Head Coach Alastair Jobs was happy after the Loyola victory. "We did some things well, and I am happy that we got a win, but we also did not play a great game all-around. Our defense was able to bounce back after we struggled against a team like Vietussia Academy, but our offense definitely regressed after our last big win. I don't know if it was a let down, but we are capable of playing much, much better. Teams like Vietussia Academy or Northern Moravica could've beaten us today, and I gotta make sure that I have my boys ready. We're looking for that playoff spot, and the only thing we can control is our next game. We play Sushington National next week, and I want my boys well prepared for that game, as they could be growing more dangerous in their chase to achieve at least one victory this season."

The stretch run is coming, and the conference will most likely be decided in the last 3 games of the season. It is an exciting race that it is down to the wire, but Loyola must focus on their game against Sushington National. They cannot afford to slip up before the last 2 games of conference play, which are against Northern & Vietussia, respectively. If they are 7-1 going into those games, they have as good of a chance as anybody to win the Celestia Conference, but if not, the road to the conference title is simply that much tougher. We'll see what happens next week though, when Loyola plays host to conference foe Sushington National, on homecoming night.

[Valanora]

Matchday 7

Celestia Conference
Alderasca College (NUD) 0–13 Vietussia Academy (UNV)
Loyola University (BNJ) 39–10 Sushington National University (SSH)
Northern Moravica University (BNJ) 23–22 Kanza University (USD)

P Celestia Conference                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Loyola University                          7    6   1   128   36  +92     0
2 Northern Moravica University               7    6   1   102   43  +59     0
3 Vietussia Academy                          7    5   2   148   78  +70     0
4 Alderasca College                          7    2   5    37   83  −46     0
5 Kanza University                           7    2   5    79  132  −53     0
6 Sushington National University             7    0   7    32  154 −122     0

Woodlands Conference
Hampden College (QUE) 34–12 University of Damushuto (DKI)
Utica University (OSR) 30–7 University of Iqaluit (QUE)
Palæontological-Centered Research (NTN) 3–17 Universite St. Croix (QUE)

P Woodlands Conference                     Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Utica University                           7    7   0   186   37 +149     0
2 Universite St. Croix                       7    5   2   175   66 +109     0
3 Palæontological-Centered Research          7    4   3   166  111  +55     0
4 Hampden College                            7    3   4    88  190 −102     0
5 University of Iqaluit                      7    1   6    42  133  −91     0
6 University of Damushuto                    7    1   6    52  172 −120     0

[Cosumar]

Mineral Conference - Matchday 7

University of Curumba 3–16 St. Peters College
Raynor University 17–0 Levivania Royal University
Mar Sara Tech 17–0 Conquerer's Academy

Mineral Conference          Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Mar Sara Tech                 7    7   0   166   58 +108    21
2 Raynor University             7    5   2   162  104  +58    15
3 Conquerer's Academy           7    5   2    77   47  +30    15
4 St. Peters College            7    3   4    92   71  +21     9
5 University of Curumba         7    1   6    51  156 −105     3
6 Levivania Royal University    7    0   7    53  165 −112     0

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

MD7 Results- Horizon and Zephyr Conferences

Horizon Conference
Galturin State University 6–33 Drawk Corp University
South Seas University 32–3 Saint Petyr Rangers
Stoneshore College 17–6 Ramusok Capital University

Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Stoneshore College            7    6   1   140   52  +88
2 Ramusok Capital University    7    6   1   191   72 +119
3 South Seas University         7    5   2   192   79 +113
4 Drawk Corp University         7    3   4   107  116   −9
5 Saint Petyr Rangers           7    1   6    43  221 −178
6 Galturin State University     7    0   7    47  180 −133

Zephyr Conference
University of Heavenly Snakes 10–0 Institute of Higher Learning and Technology
Karl Marx University 23–17 Bastille Tech
Thereisnogodistan Community College 18–20 Ceneisis Naval Academy

Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Thereisnogodistan Community College            7    6   1   160   90  +70
2 Ceneisis Naval Academy                         7    6   1   141   42  +99
3 Karl Marx University                           7    5   2   137   81  +56
4 University of Heavenly Snakes                  7    3   4    87   69  +18
5 Bastille Tech                                  7    1   6    80  171  −91
6 Institute of Higher Learning and Technology    7    0   7    31  183 −152

[Banija]

Istria Times

Loyola score touchdowns on first five offensive possessions as they route Sushington National University 39-10


Loyola players celebrate opening drive touchdown against Sushington National University

ISTRIA- Loyola's archrivals to the north, Northern Moravica, struggled mightily during much of their game with Kanza University. Their game with Kanza University was actually surprisingly close. Kanza was one of those teams that has had an extremely disappointing season, expecting to be the conference's dark horse, but being knocked off of that perch by both Loyola & Vietussia Academy, who were both newcomers to the NSCF. They almost blew the game as Kanza was oh so close to pull off the upset, but their game-winning 49 yard field goal attempt went slightly wide right, and Northern was able to survive by the skin of its teeth in that game. They were clearly caught napping and looking ahead to their visit to Vietussia Academy next week, and they almost- no, should've- paid dearly for that mistake.

Our boys right here at home though, Loyola University @ Istria, took care of business in emphatic fashion early on in their game against Sushington National University. After Sushington took the opening kickoff of the game back for a touchdown, Loyola University @ Istria went into full shutdown mode against Sushington National University. They were having a good mix of runs & passes, at least medium-length drives to keep them going, and by the time they had finished their 5th drive of the game, right before halftime, the score was 36-7 and the game was already out of hand. The Loyola starters were pulled out at that point, and both teams only managed a field goal each throughout the entire second half.

The game was dominated by Loyola from start to finish, besides the fact that the opening kickoff was returned for a touchdown by Sushington National University. Dennis Zervos, when he got the football on his first drive, led an 11 play, 5:57 drive down the football field, and thew a 12 yard passing play to tight end Christos Cosse to put 6 points on the board. Loyola Coach Alastair Jobs was feeling aggressive today, and decided to attempt a 2 point conversion. He attempted one, and the play-action pass worked, as Zervos ran the football in himself to give his team an 8-7 lead over the winless Sushington National University.

Sushington National University could not move the ball against the Loyola defense. They stopped kicking to the returnman who had brought the ball 101 yards to the house, but the Sushington National University offense could not make up the slack. They kept getting three & outs, but they had one key turnover in the first half. The Sushington quarterback dropped back on a 3rd down & 4, and then completed a 7 yard pass to his tight end. His tight end, in an effort to pick up a few extra yards, has the ball stripped from him by strong safety Urian Panagos, and the ball recovered by nickel back Simon Rosi at the 50 yard line. That second drive was short, only lasting 4 plays and 1:30, with the drive ending on a 32 yard touchdown pass from Zervos to senior wide receiver Ignatius Baros, to make the game 15-7. At that point, even though it was only a one possession game, everybody knew that the rout was on.

The rout was on for Loyola, as they scored on their next 3 possessions. Those included a Zervos pass to Prometheus Miko, and a pair of touchdown runs by senior captain Rhodes Maragos. Loyola moved the ball with such ease in the first half, it was an absolute embarrassment to the Sushington National defense, the win-less cellar dwellers of the Celestia Conference. Loyola showed, during this game, that they were true contenders for the Celestia Conference title. They were not pretenders- they deserved to be in their position, and as many of their own fans would say, they deserve to be playing in the postseason. They eased up by not playing any of their major starters in the second half, and giving some of the underclassmen, including most of their freshmen, some very valuable reps.

For Loyola, the gauntlet of the Celestia Conference is truly manifested in the last two weeks of conference play. Next week they have to take a trip to Kanza University, but it is a trip that is growing less certain by the moment. Kanza came into Herzegovina City and almost pulled off a victory, and would've if their kicker could convert that field goal in those weather conditions. They must not look ahead to their huge rivalry game with Northern Moravica the next week, no matter how tempting it is to do so. They must focus all of their efforts on Kanza. It is very easy to talk the talk on this one, but walking the walk here is something else entirely. Alastair Jobs will have to keep his team entirely focused on its next match, so that no upsets are pulled and they can enter their rivalry game in 2 weeks time with the ability to control their own destiny within the conference.

[Banija]

Herzegovina City Post

Northern Moravica has conference title hopes on the line in visit to United Vietussia


Northern Moravica Head Coach Horace Browning coaches players in win against Kanza University

HERZEGOVINA CITY- Northern Moravica, the defending undisputed conference champions, have definitely been caught looking ahead. Kanza University has had an extremely disappointing year, being 2-4 entering their visit to Herzegovina City, and all hopes of a playoff spot dashed. Northern Moravica, on the other hand, had things looking up for them. Their defense was only allowing 3.5 points per game, the best in the NSCF, and they had two tough visits to Vietussia Academy & Loyola upcoming. But first, for those to matter as much as they should, they needed to take care of business against Kanza University. And they almost did not do that... Until they were bailed out by the Kanza kicker.

You could say easily that this game was one of the worst coaching job's in the 2 year tenure of Horace Browning. He has usually had his team prepared and focused on the game at hand, but for whatever reason, could not keep his team focused on the game at hand. They struggled in the back & forth battle, and they allowed more points in this game to Kanza University(22) than they allowed in the previous 6 weeks combined(21). The team struggled all around, and it was only Vena Resnick that kept them in the game, catching a short fade route for 6 and then turning a middle screen into a 62 yard touchdown reception.

Kanza University, however, got extremely unlucky against Northern Moravica. The 4th quarter middle screen pass, taken by Vena Resnick 62 yards to the house on a 2nd & 1, gave Northern a 23-22 lead with only 2:11 left in the 4th quarter. They missed the 2 point conversion to make it a three point game, and all of a sudden, Kanza had a great chance to pull off the upset. Kanza was able to move the ball down the field, and with 0:03 remaining on the clock, they had the ball at Northern's 32 yard line. A 49 yard field goal, which is no guarantee at this level but certainly makeable, would cause them to pull off what could be the biggest upset of the season. However, the kick sailed wide right, and Northern Moravica escaped by the skin of its teeth. Horace Browning even said that he'd like to "shake off that ugly game" and focus on their upcoming opponents, Vietussia Academy.

This is the time that Celestia Conference fans have been waiting for. The conference race has long been a three-horse race for the championship trophy- Vietussia Academy, Loyola University @ Istria, and the defending champions, Northern Moravica. Northern Moravica will have to start the slate between the three teams, as they take a visit to Vietussia Academy. Vietussia Academy is the only team to beat Northern this season, and they sit just 1 game behind them in the standings. Vietussia Academy is an offensive school, while Northern is a much more defensive school.

In their last game, in Herzegovina City, Vietussia Academy was able to pull off the 15-6 upset victory. They threw a pick-6, and the notoriously aggressive Vietussia Academy squad went for a 2 point conversion and got it. It was then followed up by a fumble return for a touchdown by quarterback Shane Wolf. While some said the win was "lucky" because of the fumble return, Northern Head Coach Horace Browning called the win "gritty" by their opponents. "They outplayed us in every phase of the game, and we deserved to lose in week 3. Let me mark my words here however- when we get to United Vietussia, we will be ready to play. We will go into their stadium with a winning mindset, and we will leave everything on the field. It is embarrassing when you are out-hustled on your own home field like we were last time against Vietussia Academy, and that is something I will be angry about for a long time.We can only win a game of this magnitude, against a team this good, if we leave everything we have on the field, and I hope that we can do exactly that."

Ultimately, the game will be tough, as it is expected to set attendance records within Vietussia Academy. The crowd will be tough, especially under the night sky, but ultimately, we expect Northern to pull off a hard fought, 13-10 victory. This game will be tough and low-scoring, and that will play right into Northern Moravica's hands. They definitely do not intend to lose to the same team twice in one season, and they will do whatever it takes to make sure that it does not happen.

[United Vietussia]

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS

United Vietussia- Vietussia Academy's (5-2) conference title hopes are on the line tonight against Northern Moravica (6-1). The loser will fall to third in the conference, winner to second to set up against a conference championship against Loyola for an auto bid. As of now, the United Vietussia has opened up the casinos. The line is currently ticking across...UNV -2 at home...I won't disagree. This game is set to break attendance records for the season with a projected sell out, the first of the season. A nation has banded together around the country's university, participating in the "Midnight Yell", adapted from a nearby school you may or may not have never heard them.

War hymns blazed, cheers were roared, and the overall team morale was improved. We are going to our analysts for their predictions.

Brandon Leyton: 13-11 Moravica
Darion Walterson: 20-14 Vietussia
Mercury Osborne: 15-14 Vietussia
Cajitan Babcoke: 10-7 Moravica
Desmond Emmet: 17-6 Vietussia
Silvanus Aston: 20-13 Vietussia
Emil Quick: 21-12 Moravica

Our analysts pick Vietussia 4-3 over Moravica, with a total score of 102-91.

Our analyst's consensus: A gritty, defensive game that Vietussia Academy will edge out to set up a conference championship against Loyola.

Tale of the Tape:

Vietussia Academy:

Record: 5-2
PPG: 21.14
PAA: 11.14
1st Offense in Celestia Conference
3rd Defense in Celestia Conference

Northern Moravica University:

Record: 6-1
PPG: 14.57
PAA: 6.14
3rd Offense in Celestia Conference
2nd Defense in Celestia Conference

Final lines coming across...UNV -2.5...nice to see...good night Vietussia, hope to see you at the game!

[Valanora]

Matchday 8

Celestia Conference
Vietussia Academy (UNV) 23–22 Northern Moravica University (BNJ)
Kanza University (USD) 13–20 Loyola University (BNJ)
Sushington National University (SSH) 3–3 Alderasca College (NUD) (9–3 OT)

P Celestia Conference                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Loyola University                          8    7   1   148   49  +99     0
2 Vietussia Academy                          8    6   2   171  100  +71     0
3 Northern Moravica University               8    6   2   124   66  +58     0
4 Alderasca College                          8    2   6    40   92  −52     0
5 Kanza University                           8    2   6    92  152  −60     0
6 Sushington National University             8    1   7    41  157 −116     0

Woodlands Conference
University of Damushuto (DKI) 3–16 Palæontological-Centered Research (NTN)
Universite St. Croix (QUE) 16–13 Utica University (OSR)
University of Iqaluit (QUE) 7–21 Hampden College (QUE)

P Woodlands Conference                     Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Utica University                           8    7   1   199   53 +146     0
2 Universite St. Croix                       8    6   2   191   79 +112     0
3 Palæontological-Centered Research          8    5   3   182  114  +68     0
4 Hampden College                            8    4   4   109  197  −88     0
5 University of Iqaluit                      8    1   7    49  154 −105     0
6 University of Damushuto                    8    1   7    55  188 −133     0

[Cosumar]

Mineral Conference - Matchday 8

St. Peters College 12–32 Mar Sara Tech
Conquerer's Academy 37–19 Raynor University
Levivania Royal University 20–15 University of Curumba

 Mineral Conference          Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Mar Sara Tech                 8    8   0   198   70 +128    24
2 Conquerer's Academy           8    6   2   114   66  +48    18
3 Raynor University             8    5   3   181  141  +40    15
4 St. Peters College            8    3   5   104  103   +1     9
5 Levivania Royal University    8    1   7    73  180 −107     3
6 University of Curumba         8    1   7    66  176 −110     3

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

Horizon and Zephyr Conference- Matchday 8

Horizon Conference
Saint Petyr Rangers 0–30 Stoneshore College
Ramusok Capital University 37–0 Galturin State University
Drawk Corp University 3–35 South Seas University

Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Stoneshore College            8    7   1   170   52 +118
2 Ramusok Capital University    8    7   1   228   72 +156
3 South Seas University         8    6   2   227   82 +145
4 Drawk Corp University         8    3   5   110  151  −41
5 Saint Petyr Rangers           8    1   7    43  251 −208
6 Galturin State University     8    0   8    47  217 −170

Zephyr Conference
Institute of Higher Learning and Technology 6–33 Thereisnogodistan Community College
Ceneisis Naval Academy 10–13 Karl Marx University
Bastille Tech 24–33 University of Heavenly Snakes

Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD
1 Thereisnogodistan Community College            8    7   1   193   96  +97
2 Ceneisis Naval Academy                         8    6   2   151   55  +96
3 Karl Marx University                           8    6   2   150   91  +59
4 University of Heavenly Snakes                  8    4   4   120   93  +27
5 Bastille Tech                                  8    1   7   104  204 −100
6 Institute of Higher Learning and Technology    8    0   8    37  216 −179