NSCF 14 (Everything Thread)

[Costa Aluria]

Islanders Approve Name Change To Kalalau
Story by Basil Amundsen

MOSAIC--In a historic move Friday, South Seas Islanders voted overwhelmingly to rename the nation in favor of a more traditional namesake heritage. The South Seas Islands will now be known under the name of Kalalau.

The name returns Costa Aluria to its original namesake, one which the original inhabitants designated for perhaps these islands' lushest valley. The name Kalalau has been used by native South Seas Islanders, but has never received as high a favorable opinion until this week's overwhelming decision. With fewer than 200 votes still to be counted, the measure to rename Costa Aluria had garnered nearly four-fifths of the vote, an amount that was considered unsurpassable by referendum officials.

The return to the 'aina Kalalau revival reached its culminating momentum over the past two months. While the sentiment of the Kalalau mana has been present for many Islanders since birth, the force to change the nation's name in an official capacity took flight in the days and weeks following Hurricane Kainoa. While the aftermath of the storm left Costa Aluria with the great destruction, it also fueled nationalist pride for what many Islanders describe as the true Aloha spirit of the land. Such spirit has manifested itself in the rebuilding of Costa Aluria post-Kainoa.

The former name of Costa Aluria was a carryover from a number of non-native sources. It is rumored that Captain Cook, upon first setting eyes on the islands, commented that "such an alluring coast has heretofore never been seen by the likes of civilization d man.". It is further stated that the nation's name came from this account mixed with influences of Spanish culture when certain individuals were stranded in the days of Spanish colonialism. Though many might wish to keep 'Costa Aluria' as a sentimental keepsake, official records of the nation's history, including all documents, will begin to phase out 'Costa Aluria' in favor of Kalalau immediately. Designations of 'South Seas Islands' will likely remain in an unofficial capacity.

Isabella Pualani, owner of Allure Botanicals and in of the campaign organizers, found herself full of emotion following Friday's vote. "This has been a long time coming," she stated with tears in her eyes. "Costa Aluria is a great name, but it is time to remove ourselves from outside influences. We South Seas Islanders go our own way. The time was ripe to return the glory of the Kingdom of Kalalau."

Local resident Nelson Waipio may have summed up the entire nation's sentiments when he spoke after casting his 'yes' ballot in Ku'u'ku'u. "This land is about Aloha, about sharing what we have with others. Even in the midst of the storm, this is a land that shares it's bounty with us. The land gives us all we need; we don't need anything more. South Seas Islanders should be proud of their beautiful heritage."

Ali'i Nui Crusoe also made Aloha Spirit a central theme in a late statement. "Have you seen these islands?" he questioned. "This is Aloha. For years in prosperity we have shared these islands with our many visitors, and they have taken the Aloha with them. And now, in our times of peril, it is time for South Seas Islanders to share the Aloha with ourselves and with our lands. While our tourists on holiday will continue to play a huge part in our day to day lives, we must fight for each other that calls this place home in this time of transition." Crusoe returned to his opening with a rejoinder at the end of his speech : "Have you seen these islands? This is Aloha. This is Kalalau."

[Costa Aluria]

Honu to Don Ceremonial Name of Harbor College for NSCF Final

MOSAIC--The South Seas University football program
announced today that they will reveal a special jersey for the NSCF championship game against Loyola-Istria. The jerseys will show the team name as the Harbor College Honu.

The move comes on the heels of the nation's Friday vote to change the official country name to Kalalau, a vote for that Costa Aluria is hope will help the nation return to historical roots in the continued rebuilding after Hurricane Kainoa. The jersey designation is meant to mirror the rebuilding phase that the islands have understand undergone in the past few months.

Speaking at the jersey reveal press conference, coach Goose Carneghy summed up the team's decision. "The team really came together on this one. We just felt that, for South Seas University, our engagement with the rebuilding process really began at Mosaic Harbor. Seeing the devastation throughout our islands was tough, and there was no way to take in the magnitude of the destruction. But when the university began to purchase much of the historic harbor, it really gave us a rallying point--not just for the team, but for all of Costa Aluria....excuse me, for all of Kalalau. We really wanted to honor that inspiration for our team, and pay homage to that national pride felt in one of the islands most recognizable landmarks. I'm proud that this team gets to do just that with these jerseys."

The jerseys mark the first time in NSCF that the Honu have changed their style, a fashion statement that should not be overlooked. Carneghy has received criticism at times for his ever changing jersey tactics of NSCFs 11-13. Many in the media accused the Honu of being more focused on the fashion show than the football side of business. And while the Honu had ans added the call in NSCF 14, for the title tilt the team appears content with a new look.

In addition to the name change, the players will wear commemorative patches in the shape of a hurricane, with "Kainoa" emblazoned immediately under.

Interestingly, when the team travels to Loyola-Istria, the Honu will have the option of wearing the home jerseys despite playing in the Blue Thunder's home stadium, as the Honu have earned the designation of home team by virtue of owning the higher seeding. For this reason, the team unveiled two jersey combinations at the reveal, one for the home designation and one for the optional away designation. It is not yet known which combination the team will choose for the game.

Should the Honu choose the home designation, it will be a designation in name alone, as the Blue Thunder will play host to 70,000 plus fans, virtually all of whom will be rooting for Loyola-Istria. In an odd twist of fate, the two teams will meet for a rematch of possibly the best game of the season, a week 13 non-conference matchup that South Seas won with just two seconds on the clock. In the first matchup, a Jenkins Leroy interception sealed the victory for the home team Honu.

Now, however, the team's will get a chance to clash in Loyola's home turf, a field that has rendered a victory for the Blue Thunder in every single game this season. It is an advantage that Loyola-Istria had to earn outright, as the loss to the Honu in week 13 sent the Blue Thunder on the road in the second round of the playoffs by virtue of lower seeding. The Blue Thunder parlayed that road trip into an impressive win against the unanimous #1 seed and unquestioned football powerhouse Utica University.

We have seen how much home advantage helped or hindered in week 13, and now we will get a chance to see what happens when the tables are flipped. Honu defensive back Jenkins Leroy, who made the definitive play of the week 13 game, gave his thoughts about the upcoming rematch: "Yeah, the fans may not have to travel very far to get to the game, and that may be good for them. We'll see if they go home to their televisions watching old reruns of Mulligan's Island instead of game highlights on SportsCentral."

Leroy has never been one to mince words, but he may wish to keep his comments in check, for sake of the wrath of both Goose Carneghy and the possible fallout that might happen with Chip Maydress and Deter A. Piff on Last Minute. While there has been no official statement, our bets are on Maydress siding with the outspoken Leroy.

For now, at least, the attention of the NSCF world turns to Istria Lightning Yard, where Leroy and the rest of the Honu look to win under the designated nickname of Harbor College. For Honu fans, the hope will be that the team brings restoration on the field; this is especially true after the team failed to make the playoffs in NSCF 13 after an equally disappointing championship match loss to St. Michael's University in NSCF 12.

And just as Mosaic Harbor, the NSCF 14 championship tilt hopes to be the Honu centerpiece for rebuilding from the destruction. Let's hope that South Seas University doesn't encounter a second hurricane at Istria Lightning Yard.

For the immediate future, our hope is in the team that will travel further to the game, regardless of if they choose the nominal home or away designation.

Stay tuned.

[Costa Aluria]

CHILDS PLAY, PART 5

Xs and OS and Caramel Mangoes: A Boardwalk Banter with the Goose
Story by Alexander Santos

He asked me to meet him at the candy store. He, of course, was Goose Carneghy, the head coach of the South Seas University football team, and the candy store, of course, was...well, the candy store. Was it because of some super-sweet recipe that Carneghy was cooking up for the NSCF championship game that he invited me here? I was certain it was, which, with the Goose, probably meant I was dead wrong. This is hardly a man who can usually be taken at face value.

And so I headed to the boardwalk in the Chatoyent Cove neighborhood, home of Bartlett's Salt Water Taffy & Confectionary. The boardwalk itself sits in a dreamy atmosphere, reminiscent of a simpler time when all that was needed for a holiday was the easy come and go of the tides and the laid back "busy-ness" of the boardwalk shops. In fact, the rhythm of this pace of life easily belied that just a few months earlier the boardwalk was under assault from Hurricane Kainoa. But when the pace of life is so simple, one would suppose the rebuilding from such a catastrophe is easy enough as well; it is hard to repair what was never there was in the first place.

As I arrived, a handful of visitors watched as Saul Bartlett began to stretch a fresh batch of taffy right there. At least I think it was Saul, but it may very well have been his twin brother Amos. The two had been the next men up to the helm from a long line of the Bartlett family. Whichever Bartlett it was, there was still a small group viewing, the spectacle of the stretching as much a sight today as it must have been 100 years ago. Such is the life on the boardwalk, and such is life lived to the rhythm of the ocean.

The Goose had already arrived and had made his way into the confectionary. I found him amongst the barrels of taffy, sampling a few pieces here and there, slowly unwrapping the candies from their wax paper and chewing with deliberate bites. When he noticed I had arrived, he barely even stopped. Instead, he shoved a handful of variously colored Taffies in my hand, saying simply, "They're delicious."

Looking at the candies, I couldn't help but wonder what the hidden agenda might be on today's docket. It seemed with the Goose that there was always something on his mind, some hidden nugget to be mined from the vast treasure field of his mind. Knowing this, I wasn't certain how to start; it probably made no difference anyway as the conversations always followed his lead anyway. Certain of one thing--with the Goose there would be no certainties--I figured I might as well jump right in. If it wasn't where the Goose was going--he goes where the wind is blowing--he would guide me there anyway.

"Big game coming up," I started. "Rematch with Loyola-Istria for the NSCF championship. You got big plans in the works for the game?"

As he so often does in our conversations, he didn't answer. Instead, he picked up another piece of taffy, unwrapped it, and pipped it in his mouth.

Okie dokey. I had played the Goose's game before, and it looked like we were in for another full round. "Certainly you must be worried about playing Loyola in their own stadium for such an important finish."

Again, Carneghy grabbed a piece of taffy, though this time he spoke. "I'd love to answer your questions," he said. "But you see, I've got this taffy." And with that he unwrapped the piece and likewise popped it in his mouth in what seemed to me like midsentence, and in what I am certain was not midsentence for the Goose. And then, with eyebrows raised in intrigue, he motioned with his eyes toward the bins of taffy.

Well, if that is where we were going, that is where we were going. Resigned to whatever might happen next, I grabbed an orange colored piece decorated with a brown triangle in the middle. With a quick twist of the wrapper, I followed suit.

And it was, true to the Goose's summation, quite delicious.

"That is a caramel mango," the Goose whispered, nodding as he raised his eyebrows once more.

I quickly reached for another piece, and to my amazement, Carneghy motioned for me to take my time.

"Slowly," he stated. "I have to tell the players the same thing. Don't get so caught up in the moment that you forget to enjoy it. Take time to savor the flavor."

I shrugged my approval. And the I reached for another candy anyway. "So what's the deal with your championship game plans?" I asked between bites. "Last we spoke you were a little concerned about the team's lack of spectator appeal despite the winning ways."

"I told you they were delicious," was his reply. "And addicting. It only takes one good one and you are hooked."

At this point in the conversation, I wasn't quite sure ho to interpret the response. Were we still savoring the flavor of the candies or talking football? Again, in our conversations, I knew not to take the Goose at face value.

I chose not to pursue the question any further. It was, after all, pointless to try to guide the conversation. We would get where we were going, sooner or later.

We stood together, the Goose and I, perusing the barrels of taffy without further statement. Coming to a particular barrel, he handed me a solid black candy.

And where the Goose goes, you have to follow. So I took the taffy, gave it a twist, and took a bite. But the repulsion that followed was not what I expected. Black licorice. The expression on my face surely gave myself away.

With a nod and a shrug, the Goose continued as I tried to get the wretched flavor down. "Yeah, I don't like those either. I don't know anybody that does."

Now clear of my black licorice debacle, I exclaimed my disgust. "Why would they even make that flavor?"

The Goose shrugged again. "Only takes one bad one to sour the experience, yeah? But I guess we we wouldn't enjoy the caramel mangoes so much without the framing of the black licorices."

I think I was starting to get it. "You're afraid that overexposure to the razzle-dazzle makes people unappreciative of what they have."

There was no response from the Goose. It wasn't a question, so I don't know why I expected an answer. In fact, I don't know why I would expect an answer anyhow.

Then a thought occurred to me. I kept trying to converse with the Goose on my terms, never once speaking his language. "Well, you have had to change your philosophy this year to get back to the championship game, feeling much more black licorice than caramel mango."

Surprised, the Goose took a gander at me with a bit of bewilderment, perhaps taken aback by my newfound ability to translate. With the tables now turned, it appeared I had now confused him; he had to stop and think for a moment before continuing. "Hmmmm. It certainly hasn't been caramel mango, but it hasn't been a flat out blunder like black licorice. We would have finished 0-13 if it was black licorice."

It was a few brief seconds before I realized the smirk forming on my face. Maybe I had figured out how to steer a conversation with this rodeo after all.

And then, just as quickly as I had stumped the Honu head coach, he seemed to get even more energy from the conversation, as if I had added fuel to the fire. In a match of wits, the Goose came prepared.

"I would say the season has been much more vanilla," he continued.

I waited, ready to head down the rabbit trail when he was ready to do so. I didn't have to wait long.

"You know the history of vanilla?" he asked. "It is actually a wonderful flavor. For years and years and years, it was THE exotic flavor that people desired. Bartlett's made a pretty good business out of vanilla. Vanilla worked. So well, in fact, that vanilla became mainstream. And then a strange thing happened. Even though vanilla is sill good, it was seen as a bit boring. But vanilla still works, unlike black licorice." And after a slight pause, he added, "But it may not have the sensation of a caramel mango."

The point made, we walked back out to the boardwalk, where the Bartlett brother was still stretching the taffy with a now larger crowd.

The Goose pointed. "You see Amos?"

Of course it was Amos and not Saul as I had previously thought. In our conversations, my first assumption was almost always wrong.

The Goose continued, perhaps unaware of my silent dialogue with myself. "Amos has the stretch going. Good taffy comes from a lot of stretching."

As always, I wasn't sure where this was headed. I waited as we watched, but the response I was expecting never quite came. Five minutes turned to ten. There on the boardwalk, the taffy continued to be stretched. With a pair hooks, Amos had been stretching the taffy, folding it in on itself, and repeating the process. I for one, could not have imagined the candy could stretched as far as it was.

As I watched, I became engrossed with the spectacle of the stretching, and forgot about the conversation. And at just that moment, the Goose took it back up. "You know, sometimes you have to go through a lot of stretching to get a good end product. When Hurricane Kainoa hit, most people though it would break us. Instead, we hooked in and went through some stretching. We might just be able to eat our taffy now."

I nodded, silently affirming what he had said as we continued to view the stretching. Another few moments passed, the taffy receiving several more folds.

At last, the Goose continued. "Those folds trap air in the taffy. Keeps the taffy nice and soft. The taffy would be no good with the stretching process, but also inedible without the air-trapping process."

The pause wasn't nearly as long and awkward this time around. "I guess," he continued, "in the midst of the stretching, one has to do their best to keep it light and airy."

By now, my wonder at the stretching of the taffy had worn thin, but I was uncertain how long to let it linger. As Carneghy has done so many times, he waited until the very moment I was going to ask before he spoke: "You know, they have machines that do this also." And then gesturing to the small crowd, he added, "But we all know this is as much about the spectacle of the show."

Again, we continued to watch the stretching for some moments. I was certainly ready to move on from taffy at this point, and since I knew the Goose would take me wherever he was going, I decided to move on. "So, about the championship game...."

Without hesitation, the Goose continued, as if the conversation had moved along the whole time. "People get so caught up in the moment--eating caramel taffy--but they forget how much work it takes to get thefrom

"So we ARE talking about the championship game..." I began.

"Oh, is that why you came out?" the Goose rejoined. "I invited you to come out just to share some taffy with you."

And in classic Goose Carneghy style, he returned to his original statement. Shoving a handful of colorful Taffies in Mt hand, he exclaimed, "They're delicious!"

It was then that I realized that perhaps face value is the ONLY thing to take this Goose at. So I took an orange piece with a brown triangle in the middle, and gave it a little twirl.

[Costa Aluria]

Two hours before game time, Honu locker room:

"Alright gentlemen (and lady), huddle up. We have one more agenda item we have to decide." The voice was that of Goose Carneghy, with the team now at Istria Lightning Yard. This was it, nearly game time for the NSCF 14 championship.

Of course, Loyola-Istria was in the house. Their house, as it turned out. Nobody could have known prior to the season that Loyola's bid to host the title tilt would result in a home game for the Blue Thunder. Well, home, that is, in location at least. By virtue of the higher seeding, the Honu were the ones who would determine which team played as the nominal home team.

"Alright, alright, alright! Quiet down!" Carneghy needed to save as much of his voice as possible. The Loyola fans and pep band were already wreaking havoc in the seats above the locker room. One thing is certain; with 70,000 plus fans in the house and nearly all rooting for the Blue Thunder, it was going to be a raucus day for the Honu.

"Come on, quiet down! One, two, three, eyes on me!" Carneghy paused for a brief moment as the remainder of the side conversations died out. "Alright, the time has come. We need to decide what jerseys we are going to wear."

Most of the players looked around and the room, waiting for a definitive answer from the others. There was no definitive answer coming. The truth was that the team, through all of the tribulations of the current season, had put their jersey shenanigans to rest with the previous seasons. Frankly, it didn't matter to most of them; the jersey didn't define the team.

Finally, one member of the team suggested wearing the visitor jerseys as the stadium was in fact Loyola's home turf. With the suggestion, most in the room nodded their approval out of sheer lack of wanting to prolong the moment any longer.

But one voice in the back wasn't ready to make an affirmative vote just yet. "Hold on moment." The voice spoke slowly, calmly, confidently. The voice came from tight end Phineas Clocktower, the same individual who had been so influential in the team's mutiny immediately after Hurricane Kainoa. Clocktower had at that time convinced the entire team of players to remain in Costa Aluria to begin the rebuilding process, instead of traveling to Cosumar to play the then #2 ranked Ramusok Capital Dragons. And he had more to say now.

"Hold on a moment. While I think we all understand the importance of being gracious hosts ourselves, and how significant it might be for the crowd to see their team trot out in the Blue jerseys...let's just ask one question. What did Loyola do to earn that designation? Really, though, what did they do? Short of their committee putting in a bid to host the championship game, nothing."

"Would the designation have any other significance if we were playing in any other stadium had the championship game venue been there? No. So let me ask why we are worried about the significance here. What is the difference here?"

"I will tell you what the difference is. There are 70,000 people here screaming their heads off to see if their team. Their team, wearing their jerseys, on their turf. And we need to play to the crowd and audience that is here."

"I suggest we wear our home jerseys, the ones we earned the right to wear, and go out proudly wearing them in front of each and every one of these 70,000 fans. Let them understand at least for a few brief moments that home is more than location. Remember our own stadium? We played most of our games outside of the Plumeria Garden this year, even when designated the home team. No, home is more than location. Home is the sense of pride one has for that place, the spirit one takes to boast of the connections there. Home is about your ohana[/] and your [I]mana, not just your 'aina[/]. First let's take their [I]mana--their spirits, when we come out in our home jerseys. Then we will take their 'aina, their turf."

"When the game starts getting tough, and their fans are screaming and cheering their team on, we will look at our jerseys. Our HOME jerseys. And we will think of OUR home. We will think of our own Plumeria Garden--after all, what team is the home crowd typically cheering? The one in the home jerseys. So we will hear their chants and their cheering, and imagine when we look at our jerseys that they are cheering FOR us rather than against."

"And then we will think of OUR home. Not the Plumeria Garden. Kalalau. We will think of all those so far away, man ng sacrifices for us to be here. Just as we sacrificed after the hurricane, because the land needed us. So too, now, OUR home, OUR land, needs us. Home is more than physical location. And that is why we MUST play as the home team."

And with that, Clocktower finished his diatribe. There was nothing more that needed to be said. As each player's eyes met the the others in the room, the team that had been so difficult to quiet coming into the meeting now sat in complete silence. One by one, they nodded their approval, and in so doing, nodded their resolve.

And with one word on their minds, the team made its final preparations: HOME.

[Yesopalitha]

NSCF 14 Championship @ Liberty Stadium (70,000), Istria, Moravica, Banija

#4 Loyola University (BNJ) 20–16 #2 South Seas University (ALU)

Congratulations to the Champion, commiserations to the runners-up, and see you next edition! (With hopefully more nations RPing!)

[Costa Aluria]

Goose Carneghy's post game press conference:

"I told you there was nothing to see here."

Ooc: congrats Banija!

[Banija]

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

Loyola-Istria crowned NSCF champions after 20-16 victory over the South Seas University


Travis Georgopoulos(#80) gets back onto the field after the defense forces a turnover on downs on South Seas final possesion

ISTRIA- For the second time this season, the University of Loyola-Istria avenged a loss away from home within their city limits. Like their last one, when they were declared conference champions after their 9-3 victory over Northern Moravica, this time they are declared champions of the NSCF with a 20-16 victory over the South Seas University. A team that had defeated Loyola-Istria with a pick six on the game's final play, just a few months after Banija fell in the World Bowl semifinals on a pick six in overtime, finally was able to overcome those demons and clinch victory here, playing turnover-free football on their way to a 20-16 victory and now are officially the champions of the NSCF.

The first half was very evenly matched between these two football teams. Both teams were able to move the ball down the field under they crossed their opponents 40 yard line, where drives began to stall. But long kicks by both sets of field goal kickers made sure that the score was 6-6 at the end of the 1st quarter. The scoring in the 1st quarter started with a 38 yard kick that split the uprights by South Seas sophomore Camerynne Eider, then responded to with a 34 yarder by true freshman Noab Ahungena, then both kickers each hit a 37 yarder and that was how the score was 6-6 at the end of the 1st quarter.

The second quarter was largely a defensive battle until there was 1:50 left in the quarter. The Blue Thunder had the football at their own 23 yard line, and the 2 minute drill was on. With the South Seas defense tightening up, the change of pace did wonders for this offense, and just 1:12 later, this team scored to make the game 13-6 with 38 seconds left in the half. Most unfortunately for the fans of the Blue Thunder, their opponents were also able to move the football, though they ran out of time and Eider had to settle for a 44 yard field goal to make the score 13-9 going into halftime. Just a slim four point lead for the "visitors", inside the electric pro-Blue Thunder atmosphere at the Liberty Stadium.

The 3rd quarter saw South Seas University take their first lead of the football game, thanks largely to a trick play. After an offsides, it was a 1st & 5, which was the perfect time for South Seas University to try a trick play. This time, that runs a zone read offense in order to empower its playmakers, had what seemed to be a reverse play to Estancio Abascal. However, with the entire defense in pursuit, or frankly, in overpursuit, he was able to hand the ball off to track and field specialist Laird Prefontaine. He got the football, and with his speed, simply ran around the defense and was not going to be caught down the sideline. 64 yards later, South Seas had retaken the lead, and with the extra point, the game was 16-13 in favor of South Seas University. The Liberty Stadium was silent.

No major action really happened in this game until the 4th quarter. After a holding penalty on a punt return, Loyola-Istria started with possesion at their own 17 yard line, with 9 minutes left in the ball game. What happened next, was a drive that will forever go down in Blue Thunder lore. A 16 play, 6 minute drive was able to see the Blue Thunder cross the goal line. This team was 3/3 on third downs from this drive, including a 3rd & 7 pass to Christos Cosse at the sticks, a 3rd & 2 swing pass to Justice Greenspan that netted 5 yards, and a 3rd & 13 slant to Travis Georgopoulos, also right at the sticks. They scored on 2nd & goal from the 4 yard line, with a naked bootleg that saw Zervos leave Rudyard Obsidian in no man's land and he threw a simple lob over his head to Christos Cosse, who caught the ball in the back of the end zone to give his team a 19-16 lead with 3 minutes left. The point after attempt made the score 20-16.

The Blue Thunder defense then stepped up. With the electric atmosphere in Liberty Stadium going crazy for the men in white(as the team with the higher seed, South Seas was entitled to wear their home jersey), South Seas was forced to adopt a silent count for the remainder of the game. The crowd was crazy loud, and the fact that they were in a domed stadium didn't help things for the offense. 4 straight incomplete passes later, the Blue Thunder had the football back with 2:33 left in the game, at the Honu 33 yard line, and could smell a championship. However, they'd need to pick up a couple of first downs, and this is where Justice Greenspan stepped in.

Greenspan picked up 8 yards on 1st down, giving his team a 2nd & 2 at the 25 yard line. South Seas was forced to use a timeout there, and on the next play, Greenspan picked up 4 yards and got a first down to his opponent's 21 yard line. They did not elect to use one of their two remaining timeouts there, so the next snap was with approximately 1:45 left on the clock. While a timeout was used after both 1st and 2nd down, they had a 3rd down play coming up while their opponents had no timeouts. Greenspan broke a tackle with a juke move just 2 yards from the sticks, but he dove forward to the 8 yard line for a 7 yard gain and the season's final first down. With South Seas using all their timeouts, the clock kept running the crowd knew that the championship was there's. The Blue Thunder lined up in the victory formation, and with two kneeldowns later, the team was on the field, the confetti was everywhere, and Istria turned into a party.

This is South Seas University second straight loss in this stadium, as they were here 2 years ago when they played in the NSCF 12 Title Game, but fell in that game. For the Blue Thunder, this first championship is the pinnacle of the season where their goal was to pass Northern Moravica as the dominant team in the Celestia Conference, and they went above & beyond in doing that, beating every single opponent they played at least once en route to the NSCF 14 title. Alastair Jobs, of course, was excited. "First of all, hats off to the boys from South Seas University. They played their hearts out for their hometown, and that hurricane was devastating and heartbreaking. It was a great game from two great teams, and unfortunately, somebody had to lose. Hats off to them, and I wish them long-term success."

"But I'd like to speak about this team. Before the season, nobody- I mean nobody- thought we'd be able to get here. People thought Northern could get here, but nobody thought that the Blue Thunder would be able to find ourselves in this position. We won the Celestia Conference championship, clinching the trophy against Northern and because of our season sweep against Vietussia Academy, and we won 11 regular season games, a record for any Banijan school at this level of competition. We then beat blue bloods Raynor University, who are a very storied program in their own right in this competition. Then, we went to Utica University, probably the most storied program in the history of the NSCF, and upset them en route to come back here, to play this title game in the friendly confines of the Liberty Stadium."

"The atmosphere was absolutely electric tonight. Just a few miles from campus, we had 70,000 Blue Thunder fans pack this stadium, and this is quite possibly the most electric atmosphere for a football game that I've ever seen in my life. I'd like to thank the fans, who provided this absolutely fantastic atmosphere for us to play a football game in. That added element surely helped in bringing a major international title, for the very first time, back to Banija. This week, we will rightly celebrate our accomplishments, as a 14-2 record en route to a NSCF title is something that should be celebrated, but next week those returning will start preparing for their title defense. We celebrate now, but must get back to work because next season, we will be the hunted instead of the hunters. We must be ready for everybody's best shot, as that is the perks of being the defending national champions."

"And as for those within this country who told us that we'd never overtake Northern Moravica- I'd like you to take a look at this season's results. We won 9 conference games, more than Northern won in either of its Celestia Conference championship winning seasons. We won 11 regular season games in total this season, more than Northern has ever won in the NSCF. We won the Celestia Conference championship outright while Vietussia Academy finished 3rd. While Northern has never won a playoff game, we have never lost a postseason game, winning our bowl game last season and winning our 3 playoff games this year en route to the NSCF title. This program did not reach Northern's level- we surpassed Northern, and we were able to show our fans and their fans who truly has the best college football program in the country."

With those serious shots fired at Northern Moravica after clinching the NSCF title, I am sure that those archrivalry games will have an extra meaning next season when these two teams meet in Celestia Conference play. But until then, this is the end of our NSCF coverage until next season. It was a pleasure writing about Banijan football, and we look forward to our readers coming back next year for NSCF 15!