World Bowl XLIV (44) - Everything Thread

[Sarzonia]

Scene: Sarzonia national gridball team manager Gavin Davis's postmatch press conference following Sarzonia's 24-7 defeat to Delaclava at Sullivan Stadium.

OPENING REMARKS

DAVIS: "Well, first of all, I've got to give Delaclava credit. There's a reason they're the second ranked gridball side in the multiverse. Taurus Wright was, what, 21-of-26 for 319 yards and two touchdowns? We couldn't get any pass rush on him and the only sack we got was a coverage sack late in the third quarter with them already up 17-0. We're going to have to do a lot better in every phase of the game to compete with those guys."

"Defensively, I thought we did well, all things considered, but we gave them short fields with three turnovers. Cam [Stars quarterback Cameron Stallworth] threw two interceptions and set them up inside our 30 each time. We've got to do a better job of flipping the field on them. As far as our running game, Ty'Relle Clinton couldn't get untracked because we couldn't block for him. [Clinton rushed 18 times for 44 yards and a one-yard touchdown with 1:36 remaining in the fourth quarter that averted a shutout defeat.] As far a special teams go, we gave up a long kickoff return to start the game and we were fortunate to only give up a 24-yard field goal to open the scoring."

"I'll open it up for questions."

REPORTER: "Glen Hicks, Woodstock Wallbanger. Can you talk a little bit about the team's execution tonight?"

DAVIS: "Our execution? I'm all for it." After waiting for a chuckle or two or stunned looks to dissipate, Davis resumed. "I talked about some of the problems we had. We couldn't clear any running lanes for Clinton and that made us a little one-dimensional out there. Cam had to throw 54 times and I don't see us winning too many games like that." Stallworth completed 29-for-54 for 280 yards, two interceptions, and fumbled once. He ran six times for 14 yards.

"Defensively, we couldn't stop Wright. I like how we played them in the run game, but they were too good on third down (converting 9 for 14), and, again, we couldn't generate enough of a pass rush against those guys."

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TYLER PAIGE

PAIGE: "I like some of the things we did up front in terms of slowing their rushing attack. We held Simmons under 100 and to about 3.5 yards per carry (Simmons ran 26 times for 90 yards), but we couldn't get to Wright even if we blitzed them. They were able to pick our secondary apart when they had bad field position and we gave them short fields way too often."

REPORTER: "Scott Bradley, Portland Press Herald. What kind of lessons do you hope your team learned against Delaclava?"

PAIGE: "For starters, we can't keep giving good teams a short field and expect to win ballgames. Delaclava are one of the best teams in the multiverse. If we're going to beat them at least once out of the two remaining meetings this group stage, we're going to have to play a lot better in all three phases of the game."

After the press conference ended, after the players had showered, dressed and made it back to the hotel, Davis was still sitting in the visiting team coach's office. He stared at the video of the offence, second-guessing his calls and the fact that he wasn't able to adjust his blocking schemes to the stunts and pressure the Phoenixes kept applying. Stallworth was sacked "just" three times, but he was hit six times and he had a couple of errant throws Davis was able to chalk up to the pressure. He saw Paige walk into the office.

"Long night, Gav?"

"Yeah."

"What's going on? You second-guessing yourself?"

"Yeah, kinda." Paige looked at Davis quizzically, then said, "Kinda? I haven't known you all that long, but I know you're doing a lot more than just 'kinda' second guessing yourself."

"It's just, I don't feel like I'm cut out to call plays AND coach this team."

"Let me guess," Paige offered. "You want Jim here calling plays."

"Yeah," Davis said. "That'd make shit a lot easier."

"Unless the Board of Governors gets that stick out their ass, it's a pipe dream," Paige said.

"I know," Davis replied.

Little did either of them know, but the Incorporated Gridball Federation Board of Governors was, in fact, beginning to get that stick removed from their collective ass. Board member Ryan Mast, who had just been elected to the Board, was replacing one of the holdovers who opposed the idea of allowing Woodstock Climbers manager James Arthur to serve double duty as Stars offensive coordinator and as Climbers manager. He also felt as though Davis needed to be able to focus on being more of a CEO than concentrating on offence at the expense of the other two sides of the ball.

He called Marcel Post, another board member who was now wavering on his opposition to Arthur pulling double duty.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you something about Jim Arthur," Mast said.

"I'm thinking we made a mistake in not letting him do both jobs," Post said. "The other coaches pull double-duty and he can lean on Hoskins [Climbers defensive coordinator Chris Hoskins] if he wants.

"Exactly what I was thinking, but we can't undercut anyone else on the board. Let's say we bring it up at the next meeting in a week."

"Sounds good."

[New Gesem]

New Gesem    7  10  14  3  0
Greater Cebu 0  7  0  3  10

Another impressive win over a lower-ranked side to shore up the Pilgrims' resume ahead of next week's test against Ko-oren. Greater Cebu presented a greater (pun not intended) threat than Bendicion, however, and Coach Kearney kept his starting players on the field for most of the game, save for normal rotations. Ko-oren will be the national team's biggest obstacle this World Bowl, and the three games in the group stage will be three of the most important fixtures in the young history of this team, so the reps gained against Greater Cebu and Bendicion will come in useful.

Roth had another standout game, throwing 21 for 25 and two touchdowns, one to Lloyd in the first quarter and one to Olsen in the third. Earl Prince pushed the pile for a TD early in the second quarter, while Randall Roach ran the second-half kickoff back for a TD. Jose Zamora continued his streak of excellence, scoring a field goal on a two-minute drill in the first half and another in the fourth quarter after a stop by Greater Cebu's defense. The Nationals scored twice, a rushing touchdown by Thomas Bradly in the second quarter and a field goal by Jay Pui in the fourth.

Times A-Changin, pt 2
The meeting came to order shortly after Lee had gotten settled with a cup of coffee, and the minutes were approved in perfunctory fashion. Everyone present had already seen the agenda, and there was an air of anticipation as they moved to the reports of standing committees. A motion to have the team development committee brief first passed unopposed. At that, one of the men who had been seated in a chair along the wall stood up and introduced himself as Carlisle Long, assistant general manager of the Alexandroupolis Knights GFL team.

“I was asked by my boss, Mr. Jasper Small, to present to all of you on the recent collective bargaining agreement signed by the GFL and GFLPA and what it might mean for the Pilgrims organization.” Jasper Small raised a hand in acknowledgement from his seat at the table. An LCD TV in the corner of the room came on showing a slide deck, which Long controlled by remote.

“As you may be aware,” Long went on, “The landscape of sports in New Gesem has changed drastically over the past few years, since the Reverend Lee began his project. The very existence of this organization and its relative success, both on and off the field, have had wide-ranging repercussions. We are entering a new era, and the CBA negotiations were made very much with that in mind.”

He clicked the remote, and a new slide emerged, showing a side-by-side comparison of two roster systems. On the left was a GFL roster with which almost everyone in the room was familiar; the classic 53-man roster, which no GFL team could ever exceed at any point in the year. On the right was something else, the classic 53-man, but with an additional column for what looked like new categories of players.

“The 53-man roster was a fixture of every CBA previous to this one,” Mr. Long explained. “The only exception was the injured reserve, which only came about in 2005. The players wanted it this way because it kept their skills in artificially short supply. The teams allowed it because of the deep pool of free agents available to fill gaps at a moment's notice."

There were murmurs of agreement, though few outside the business of football would ever think to question the 53-man roster. It had always been the kind of thing that just was, as much a part of the game as touchback. Long went on.

"With the uptick in international interest in Gesemite football, New Gesem has entered the international market for football talent. GFL teams will soon be able to compete for international talent, and vice versa. As a result of this change, the GFL invoked the force majeure clause in the previous CBA to bring then GFLPA to the table. During negotiations the two sides agreed to greatly expand the allowed roster size, allowing both sides greater security in what will soon be a tumultuous market."

"How are teams signing foreign talent when they never have before?" asked one of the businessmen indignantly. "Who's underwriting them?" The question was not insignificant; immigrants to New Gesem had to purchase expatriate insurance, usually from one of the fraternal banks, as a prerequisite to getting a visa. Depending on the reason and duration of one’s stay, this could be quite costly, and it served to give the major fraternities de facto veto power over immigration policy. Whatever fraternity was allowing its affiliated financial institution to underwrite foreign athletes was taking an irrevocable stance on the issue.

“Most of the underwriting is done by the Quebecois-Gesemite Credit Union, the fraternal bank of the Silver Leaf and Hibiscus Society.”

A few of the board members nodded their understanding, but the one who’d asked the question remained steadfast. “So?” he demanded, growing red in the face. “Why can’t they be brought to task? These foreigners are-”

It was the head coach, Ronnie Marks, who spoke up to silence the errant board member, saying quietly, “If you shut down the QGCU, you’re going against the GBA. Who do you think underwrites all their Quebecois players?”

Realizing his mistake, the red-faced man settled back in his chair, muttering, “I yield my time.”

“Very well,” said the chairman, “Members of the board are reminded to observe proper parliamentary procedure during board meetings.”

Though he had spoken out of turn, Coach Marks was absolutely correct, Lee reflected; the way had been open for foreign athletes to compete along Gesemites almost from the foundation of the Gesemite Basketball Association. The GBA had always been popular among the Quebecois-Gesemite community, and the importation of Quebecois players, mostly graduates from second-rate colleges or those who’d been cut from pro teams in the Royal Kingdom, was part of that league’s DNA. Any attempt to staunch the flow of foreign athletes would risk running afoul of the second-most popular sports organization in New Gesem behind the GFL.

With the scene set, Carlisle Long yielded the floor to Derrick Brown, the Pilgrims’ head of scouting, who brought up a slide deck of his own.

“With the increase in roster size in the GFL, we assess that our original player base is gone,” Derrick said dispassionately. “Those who would normally use the Pilgrims as a springboard to the professional game will instead be signed to practice squads or fill additional slots on GFL rosters. I’ve talked with the boys, we’ve done some homework, and we think we can survive as an organization if we change our recruiting focus.”

He changed slides to show a screenshot of what Lee recognized as a Banijan website that tracked NSCF recruiting.

“It’s worth noting the GCAA is in the same boat as the GFL when it comes to foreign talent,” Derrick went on. “We anticipate players to begin transferring, and Gesemite schools to begin recruiting foreign talent, as well as the reverse, as soon as next year. Scholarships and lucrative NIL deals overseas are likely to draw the best Gesemite players, and subsequently the GFL will look overseas to find the best talent. While two of our best universities presently compete in NSCF, the standard of domestic competition isn’t up to par with other football-playing countries.”

Another slide, this one showing maps of Anaia, Atlantian Oceania, Esportiva, and Rushmore, with certain countries highlighted, as well as a few other countries’ outlines along the side; Lee recognized Ranoria and Drawkland.

“The way we see it, the Pilgrims’ new role is to help fill the gap between Gesemite domestic football and the rest of the world,” Derrick said, his monotone voice belying the significance of the message. “If we focus on bringing in collegiate players who’ve completed their senior season, we can help them increase their GFL draft stock and showcase them to the international football world to help them find contracts abroad, if they want. We can fill out the roster with juco players looking to sign in New Gesem or abroad and elite high school seniors in their greenshirt season. Between those three populations, I’m confident we can field a competitive product.”

[Kavanis]

Q1
7 – 0 TE1 27 yard pass from QB1 (K kick)
7 – 6 Réquan Stephens 7 yard pass from Joe Buchanan (Dom Hughes kick failed)
Q2
7 – 13 Réquan Stephens 36 yard pass from Joe Buchanan (Dom Hughes kick)
14 – 13 RB1 2 yard rush (K1 kick)
14 – 16 Dom Hughes 20 yard field goal
14 – 23 Joe Buchanan 10 yard rush (Dom Hughes kick)
21 – 23 RB2 48 yard pass from QB1 (K kick)
21 – 26 Dom Hughes 28 yard field goal
21 – 33 Réquan Stephens 26 yard pass from Joe Buchanan (Dom Hughes kick)
Q3
21 – 40 Andres Horton 3 yard rush (Dom Hughes kick)
21 – 47 Haroon Ali 54 yard interception return (Dom Hughes kick)
28 – 47 TE1 10 yard pass from QB1 (K kick)
28 – 54 Allvince Carson 10 yard rush (Dom Hughes kick)
Q4
35 – 54 WB2 13 yard pass from QB1 (K kick)

[Saint Kanye]

Whenever anyone talks about the St. Kanye Surge gridiron team, they usually talk about their explosive offense that lays in the arms of R.J. Linetti, the legs of Noah Sherman, and the hands of Bruce Dobler. The defense, while solid, doesn't get much attention. But maybe they will now, after the Surge became only one of two teams to shut out their opponents during the World Bowl XLIV opener. The boys on D were the real heroes of the match, with a total of six sacks, three interceptions and a forced fumble, as the Yeezies rolled past the newcomers from the State of Imperial Russia 25-nil at the newly expanded Pencurve Electronics Field in Kardashia, St. Kanye.

---

1Q STK Moore 29 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 7-0
The visitors won the toss and elected to kick; Taylor Johns returned the ball all the way to the Imperial Russians' 41. Linetti's first pass of the game went to Dobler for thirty, and the second went to Patrick Moore on the other side for twenty-nine and a score.

2Q STK Linetti 13 run (Rasputin kick) STK 14-0
Midway through the second quarter, SIR started their drive at their own 34, but a tackle for a loss on a screen pass and a Simon Carver sack saw them face third and 27. The quarterback dropped back for a long pass, but it was picked off by Aidan O'Connor, giving St. Kanye possession. A few plays later, Linetti would take the ball to the end zone himself, doubling his team's lead.

3Q STK field goal Rasputin 46 STK 17-0
The Surge were limited to three points on a drive that saw Noah Sherman fumble (but get overturned) and the SIR middle linebacker drop what should have been an easy interception. The SIR coach even tried to ice James Rasputin, but to no avail. There's a reason why despite being a kicker, there's just as many #1 Surge jerseys in the stands as there are #8, #12, or #34.

4Q STK Bradman 106 interception return (Fredericks pass from Linetti) STK 25-0
Finally! With three minutes and change remaining in the game, the visitors reached the red zone for the first time. Wanting to remove the huge Cocoabo egg on the scoreboard, the quarterback threw the ball.... only for it to go straight in the hands of the Yeezies' star safety Gary Bradman, who went the entire length of the field, and then some, for the pick six. Upper Westside University star Deshawn Fredericks caught his first pass in purple and lime as the Surge went for two and got it.

---

The Surge (1-0) will stay at home next week, as they square off against the Grim Reapers of Quebec and Shingoryeo (also 1-0 upon beating tournament cohosts, the South Newlandia Elephants, 37-23). The Quebecois, like the Yeezies, have a potent passing attack, led by wide receiver Philippe-Noel Gallant and tight end Charles Dion-Maranda. "A shootout is not out of the question," said Surge head coach Jeff Delphine. "But whatever happens, we gotta do our best. We're better than them on paper [6th vs. 27th in the world rankings], but that means absolutely nothing if we don't prove it on the field."

Here's a look at some of the games in the other groups.

- In Group A, the Ranoria Krauts started their bid for a threepeat on a high note. John Garrett threw four touchdowns to lead his team past the Lisander Lynx, 41-28.
- In Group B, the TJUN-ia Jags outlasted Rocky Canada 27-16. Like the other JG, Jake Griffin also threw four TDs.
- In Group C, the Gyatso-kai Boarcupines had a solid debut, turning back the StrayaRoos Taipans 40-27.
- In Group D, the New Gesem Pilgrims were the only other team to prevent their opponents from scoring, as they forty bombed newcomers Bendicion 40-nil.
- In Group E, the Banija Serpent Eagles drop their opener, having been upset by Bongo Johnson 38-33.
- In Group F, Taurus Wright threw two TDs to help the Delaclava Phoenixes defeat the Sarzonia Stars, 24-7.
- In Group G, two Herman Whitworth rushing TDs lifted the Kohnhead Brains to a shock 28-21 victory over the Chromatika iron Legion.

---

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MD | Opponent                     | Rank | Uniform       | Score   | Record | Place |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1  | State of Imperial Russia     | UR   | Purple/Purple | W 25-0  |  1-0   |  1st  |
| 2  | Quebec and Shingoryeo        | 27   | Purple/Black  |         |        |       |
| 3  | @South Newlandia             | 12   | White/Purple  |         |        |       |
|    | BREAK                        |      |               |         |        |       |
| 4  | @State of Imperial Russia    | UR   | White/White   |         |        |       |
| 5  | @Quebec and Shingoryeo       | 27   | White/Purple  |         |        |       |
| 6  | South Newlandia              | 12   | Purple/Purple |         |        |       |
|    | BREAK                        |      |               |         |        |       |
| 7  | State of Imperial Russia (N) | UR   | Purple/Black  |         |        |       |
| 8  | Quebec and Shingoryeo (N)    | 27   | Purple/Purple |         |        |       |
| 9  | South Newlandia (N)          | 12   | White/White   |         |        |       |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Ranoria]

Cutoff for the Ranorian Half!
I'm sure there's a rain game somewhere, so make sure to bring an umbrella.

Group E

Abanhfleft 7–30 Banija
Kavanis 43–0 Bongo Johnson

P Group E                     Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 Kavanis                       2   2  0   97  35 +62    1.000
2 Bongo Johnson                 2   1  1   38  76 −38    0.500
3 Banija                        2   1  1   63  45 +18    0.500
4 Abanhfleft                    2   0  2   42  84 −42    0.000

Group F

Venmere 3–20 Sarzonia
Kyhun 7–13 Delaclava

P Group F                     Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 Delaclava                     2   2  0   37  14 +23    1.000
2 Sarzonia                      2   1  1   27  27   0    0.500
3 Venmere                       2   1  1   36  23 +13    0.500
4 Kyhun                         2   0  2   10  46 −36    0.000

Group G

United Adaikes 24–36 Kohnhead
Mon Sold 19–29 Chromatika

P Group G                     Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 Kohnhead                      2   2  0   64  45 +19    1.000
2 Chromatika                    2   1  1   50  47  +3    0.500
3 Mon Sold                      2   1  1   35  39  −4    0.500
4 United Adaikes                2   0  2   34  52 −18    0.000

Group H

State of Imperial Russia 32–40 South Newlandia
Saint Kanye 53–17 Quebec and Shingoryeo

P Group H                     Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 Saint Kanye                   2   2  0   78  17 +61    1.000
2 Quebec and Shingoryeo         2   1  1   54  76 −22    0.500
3 South Newlandia               2   1  1   63  69  −6    0.500
4 State of Imperial Russia      2   0  2   32  65 −33    0.000

[Chromatika]

Part 1
Part 2
High Schools in Chromatik High School Gridiron - Origins Behind the Unique Mascots, Part 3

Mountain District
Mining Guild Conference
Z'ai'ai Central High School Hooligans - One of Mt. Niar High School Anacondas' bitter rivals, the Z'ai'ai Central High School Hooligans are named as such because of the hefty concentration of outlaws during the days of the Chromatik Party that made life for the Party a living hell. Sure, some of those outlaws weren't necessarily model citizens nor those that ended up being a part of the Rainbow Revolution, but anyone that bloodied the previous regime's noses earns points in the history books. Also, hooligan is a pretty cool name, isn't it? The mascot is a man or a woman wearing black street clothes.
Mt. Baker High School Abominable Snowmen - Mt. Baker, in the heights of Felswyr, is known for its legends of the abominable snowman. There's hundreds of sightings every year, and the Chromatik government has always maintained a neutral stance when it comes to the presence of the yeti. In a country that has dealt with extraplanar angels and other such phenomena, the existence of abominable snowmen don't feel very far-fetched. Also, they remain quite fearsome, which is why Mt. Baker High School chose them as their mascot.
Randan High School Rapiers - Rapiers are weapons that are both pointy and light, which is especially why Randan High School chose them as their mascot. It helps when the high school's fencing program has produced some of Chromatika's best - including multiple medal winners at numerous summer olympics. The Chromatik Sporting Council has recognized Randan High School as the beginning stage for most of Chromatika's Olympians in fencing, with most of them also then going through collegiate level training at either Pùr State University or Felswyr State University. So, for Randan High, "Rapier" is a term of honor.

Snowy Fields Conference
Brisara Central High School Hammers - Brisara is known for being the city of industry, a place that used to do a lot of industry for the Chromatik Party and now uses that infrastructure and manpower to contribute to the Chromatik economy. Brisara FC, the city's most famous football club, even has Hammers as their nickname. So, Brisara Central High School decided to follow suit to pay homage to the city's heritage and the fact that without the hammers used by those that have had such a huge part in Chromatika's history, the city and the nation itself would not be where it is today.
Dynasty High School Royals - Located in Ming, Dynasty High School was once a high school for the elites of Chromatik society during the days of the Chromatik Party, notably teaching those of the Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels of the Chromatik Rainbow Caste System - namely the children of those that were in the upper echelons of the inner Chromatik Party. After the Rainbow Revolution, the high school has been turned instead to the biggest public high school in the city of Ming. They keep the moniker of Royals to both remind themselves and other Chromatiks of the bitter history.
Brisara Trade School Businessmen - How does a trade school produce businessmen? Chromatika considers business to be a part of other trade classes, and has been teaching just business at the high school level for those that don't want a university-level education. This means that a trade school is a place where one can learn industries like plumbing, welding, etc., but also learn the basics of accounting, finance, and the like as well. Of course, if a student graduates and then decides they want to learn further, they can then go to colleges and universities. Brisara Trade School itself is known best for its various business trade programs, leading to the nickname.

---

World Bowl 44 - Matchday 2

Team        1Q  2Q  3Q  4Q  |  Tot  
Mon Sold     6  13   0   0  |   19
Chromatika   2  10  10   7  |   29

1Q
08:44 MSD TD - Albino Coste 12 yard run (2pt attempt no good)
02:28 CMT Safety - Jill Lia tackle of Jost Freid in end zone

2Q
12:31 MSD TD - Albino Coste 3 yard run (2pt attempt no good)
09:52 CMT FG - Dwayne Markseon 52 yard Field Goal
07:19 MSD TD - Edgat Villa 13 yard fumble return (Jesse Gouveia Kick)
02:17 CMT TD - Alessandra Mio 73 yard pass from Sarai Gwenderyn (Dwayne Markseon Kick)

3Q
09:44 CMT FG - Dwayne Markseon 55 yard Field Goal
05:12 CMT TD - Lana Rhodes 15 yard run (Dwayne Markseon Kick)

4Q
10:28 CMT TD - Victoria Mio 28 yard interception return (Dwayne Markseon Kick)

Venue: Van Nifterik Dome, Mon Sold

The Iron Legion's attack woke up after a sluggish first half, both Mio sisters scored, and Chromatika walked away from Van Nifterik Dome with an important but hard-fought victory over Mon Sold as the World Bowl debutants gave the Iron Legion everything that they could handle. For the first half, the upstarts had the edge over the Chromatiks, converting all three of their touchdowns and not letting Sarai Gwenderyn establish any kind of rhythm save the one long bomb at the end of the Second Quarter. Thankfully, Jill Lia made Jost Fried pay on a drop back into the end zone, and the Gwenderyn-Mio connection was good enough to make it so that the Chromatiks were only down seven at the half.

Then, the Iron Legion reminded everyone why they were the fourth ranked team in the world. Shutting out the Strikers to a tune of 51 yards and 2 first downs in the second half, Sarai Gwenderyn and Lana Rhodes combined to run the ball for 127 yards in the second half alone as the team established dominance and eventually won the game. Victoria Mio caught a desperation heave and returned it for the final margin.

The Iron Legion will end the first third of play with a trip to United Adaikes, a team still looking for their first victory.

---

Lightning Doesn't Strike Twice
Part 3: A Dream

Five months before the World Bowl
Ranoria City, Ranoria

After the initial shock wore off, Alessandra Mio and Sarai Gwenderyn grilled Sara McAllister Drumov for the next fifteen minutes, hearing about the update to her diagnosis, what her husband Michel had told her when she got on the plane to Ranoria, and why it'd taken her so long to find her best friends. Sarai seemed to nod pensively, while Alessandra started to pace - something that she only did if something was truly on her mind. When the pacing didn't stop after a half minute, Sara stopped in the middle of her exposition to address it.

"Is it really that concerning or surprising?" she asked the best Wide Receiver in Chromatika, "That I want to return to the sport that we love the most? Sure, you've the likes of Michelle, Jang, Shirley, or even Markseon, but you know that I'm better than all of them. I'm not saying I'm going to kick in such high-pressured situations, I'm just saying I want to be there to help the team in any way I can - and if that means being the Kicking Coach, I'm willing to take that opportunity."

"That's the problem with you," countered Alessandra, seemingly annoyed, "You automatically go to the limit of what you can do instead of thinking if you should do what you want to do. What if it ends up being too stressful for you and the situation worsens? Do you think you could give it up then? Why begin something at all if it has the possibility of going south? What do you think that would do to your husband, to your teammates, to your country?"

Sara looked at Alessandra, a bit dumbfounded, having not considered that point at all. Could she give it up again if things got worse? Was this really the best thing for her to do? Hadn't she done the hardest thing already by walking away from it, and now, she was just getting back into something that she would eventually give up? As she considered these possibilities, tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. That was when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. It was Sarai Gwenderyn with some tissues.

"These are good questions from Liss, Sara," stated Sarai gently, "Though I doubt you haven't had similar thoughts. You said that it took you a while to get here because you were afraid that we would agree with you to go ahead an go for the opportunity, right? You must have been thinking, then, of what it could mean to be part of the Iron Legion again. This is just logically the next thing to consider before you commit. Where will you yourself draw the line? It's not smart to start something without knowing your limits - especially when it's something that can have negative implications to your health. So, what will it be?"

After a few poignant moments and deeper breaths, Sara answered, "Ever since I hung up the cleats, it's been such a challenge to not think about our sport. The wind, the ball placement, trying to figure out all the different factors that will impact the kick... It was my life for so long, and I was so proud of myself for being a master at it. When I knew I had to give it up for the sake of my happiness, I did it regretfully yet gladly, knowing that there was more to life than just gridiron football and I wanted to enjoy that part of life, too."

She paused for a beat before continuing, "But now that I hear that I can manage this, and that there is a chance, I don't want to avoid my dream anymore. It was all of our dreams to be a part of the Iron Legion for years, to be a part of Chromatika's entrance to the sport and to, hopefully, win the World Bowl title someday. You two are some of the best that our country has, and you'll be in the forefront of the making of history - to whatever end that will be. I understand that my lot in life has made it so that I can't be on the field with you when the time comes. However, I've now found a way to be there in a different fashion."

Then, she reached out her hands for one of Sarai's and one of Alessandra's. They gave their hands to her without much hesitation. Grasping them, she concluded, "I'm not letting this go by. Yes, I still will have to do regular checkups by phone with my specialist, and I'm sure that Dr. Yang will let the national team physios know about my condition so that they can keep an eye on it as well. Hell, I'm sure that with you two around, I won't go a single day without someone checking up on me. While knowing all that, I still want to be involved. Is that enough of an answer for you?"

Sarai nodded silently, while Alessandra replied, "Yes. I'm with you, Sara. I just wanted to make sure you've though of that."

"Vera is going to be overjoyed!" Sarai exclaimed, "And be absolutely glad to have you. She' and Niles have had a hell of a time trying to pick the right Kicker. Nobody better to help them decide your replacement, right?"

"Wait," commented Sara, "It's not automatically Michelle or James?"

"No," countered Alessandra, "They're bringing in Dwayne Markseon, Jang Bo-Ah, and Shirley Woo as well, for starters."

Sarai Gwenderyn picked up her phone and dialed a number before handing it to Sara McAllister Drumov.

"Might as well get started," the Quarterback quipped.

Sara took the phone and pressed it to her ear.

"Eustace Hampton, Jr. speaking. What can I do for you, Sarai?"

RP Notes: Eustace Hampton, Jr. is the Head Coach of the Iron Legion. Niles Crescent is the Special Teams Coordinator, and Vera James is the assistant. Vera James is the Special Teams Coordinator at Felswyr State University, the trio's alma mater.

[TJUN-ia]

After Rocky Canada gave us a little bit of a scare on the opening day, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia were still in somewhat high spirits as this World Bowl Campaign got underway. Sure, there certainly was work to do and Gus McKerrin wasn't exactly too happy with how much Rocky Canada managed to do against the #3 ranked team in the WB, but 1-0 was still 1-0 and that was still a good thing all the same. Playing everyone 3 times should indicate everyone's strengths and weaknesses on the road to Ranoria. with many here hoping that all the kinks could be ironed out over the course of the remaining 8 games.

Today was a special occasion - the home opener at the Field of Dreams in The Gardens of New Washington. The last time we were here, the 8-0 was completed against Saint Kanye and it certainly was a glorious time, and while Theofficaljapan isn't exactly the most glamourous of opponents, it was a perfect opponent to host here - a team no one really knew about and a team we could certainly use to test out those strengths and weaknesses I keep going on about. Theofficaljapan may have a bit of a wacky name, but the team we presume to be from the Land of the Rising Sun certainly was an interesting test. We knew absolutely nothing about them so I think you can excuse us for letting them score 3 TDs and 1 PAT. They certainly had fight and for an unranked team, that's exactly what you need so we hope they win win a game at least. As for us, it was mostly a simple day of trying to hone in these ageing stars once more and getting 29 points was one way to do it, even if 29 is a wacky number to get. So how did we get 29? Well, Jake Griffin only put up 3 TDs today with all 3 of Hubert Valois, Jack Davidson and Chris Davidson getting their names on the board. Chi On-Ma ended up with 2/3 PATs and 2/2 FGs while the final 3 points were given to the backup from the alumni Clayton McGee, which certainly tells of a shift towards the next generation soon enough. Our defence was certainly strong, with Pedro Marquinios certainly a nuisance, but we'll certainly need these guys to become more of a wall in the games to come. 29-19 is still a win, so 2-0 shall be certainly taken.

Up next is Round 1 of the series everyone expects will determine who will win this group, against the only other ranked team in Group B - #17 HUElavia. It will be these games against Raphael Schneiderman and QB Timta Vilca Chaupin that will most likely indicate where both teams stand and with HUElavia hosting the first game, 2-0 vs 2-0 by the way, this is THE BIG GAME of the WB thus far. Can we prevail? Or will we not? Let's see...GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group B)
MD1: @Rocky Canada (UR) W 27-16 (2nd/1-0)
MD2: vs Theofficaljapan (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 29-19 (2nd/2-0)
MD3: @HUElavia (17)
-------------------------Break-------------------------
MD4: vs Rocky Canada (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington
MD5: @Theofficaljapan (UR)
MD6: vs HUElavia (17) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington
-------------------------Break-------------------------
MD7: vs Rocky Canada (UR) - Ranoria
MD8: vs Theofficaljapan (UR) - Ranoria
MD9: vs HUElavia (17) - Ranoria

[Ko-oren]

Gridiron League Extends Contract with Rural Home Stadiums

All 12 teams play one home game at a stadium in their heartland, but explicitly not in their regular metro area. These games are played just before the halfway point in the season, so they're over and done with by the time playoff tickets get divided so the regular home fans get to see all of the crucial late season games. For the rural fans, it's a fantastic way to connect with their teams - while soccer has teams all over the place, gridiron does not. For broadcasters, it's a logistical nightmare but also one of the best watched weeks of gridiron football, not in the least because of panoramic shots of the landscape, and local governments also love to plug their towns with the entire nation watching. Yes, the stadiums are smaller, even with the added temporary stands. But what league relies entirely on tickets sales these days?

EAST Division

Aerellen Explosions - The northeastern islands are theirs, and there's not much else that can be said about that. They used to play these games in Egevea, but they're now moving one island south, to Arboren FC's Aeresa Stadium, seating 12500, able to attract fans from all over the island, which has always felt a little ignored by the 'big cities' Aevanna (where the Explosions play) and Egevea.

Noordrug Astronauts - Trying to claim the entire northeastern peninsula as their own, the Astronauts have moved their rural stadium a bit further west. They themselves are from northern Launott, while their rural bases are, ironically, in more urbanised areas. They're moving from IT-heavy Lamau to Straudum, claiming the Hazel Arena (home of Straudum VV of the Top League) for one week per year.

Schemerdrecht 65ers - With three Intermarean clubs, it's hard to find a spot that's really yours. The 65ers and Admirals, both being from Schemerdrecht, have that problem even more so. The unofficial rule is that the Admirals get coastal Intermare, the 65ers get all of inland central and northern Intermare, and Sterrenwolde gets their southeastern nook. That means that the 65ers will play their annual game in Laringen anyway, awaiting the completion of a larger venue in Oostringen/Honingsweg/Hooival.

Schemerdrecht Admirals - The Admirals try to keep coastal Intermare, so they alternate between Laringen, Rozenvoorde, and other towns. For the forseeable future, they opted to use the idyllic Vleugelbergerveld in, you guessed it, Vleugelberg.

Sterrenwolde Dragonflies - They alternate between three towns that don't encroach on other teams' turf. Ossendal is the most central of them, so they'll get more games in the future. Tuinderbeek and Grimhof are the other two.

Aminey Caspians - They can claim all of Cote Austral, so they have the opposite problem of the Intermarean teams. Whatever they choose, they let down tens of thousands of fans, if not more. To keep travel times to a minimum, and to keep everything in the northern sphere of Cote Austral, they'll play in Soibourg, a short train trip away from Aminey. Amillon was almost certain to get the game, but it wasn't deemed exotic enough. These are RURAL games, not 'slightly smaller city games'.

WEST Division

Eaglebury Emperors - This one's simple. Anyone who dares move this game away from Tarrashall and their rugged, grass-hills-only ground that's normally used for Southern (Aussie) Rules, is wrong.

Mawryshire Centaurs - They have the entire southwestern peninsula, and no desire to move further east into the densely populated breadbasket. There are plenty of scenic grounds here. The slight size advantage by taking the Feddhaw Ddefchosted Stadiwm is the deciding factor, which does put them slightly further east.

Greencaster Godspeed - Where do you go from the biggest city in the country? Nothing remotely close is considered rural, so they have to find a spot a little further away. They ended up in Cooperfall, a rugby town on the coast, east enough to be rural but west enough to not be lumped in with several more dilapidated towns around Cirelbourne.

Willowbourne Saints - Plenty of choice for them: the entire centre of the country to choose from! For the time being, they'll stay in the area, in Huthwich. That's a town that many Willowburnians see as a perfect weekend getaway anyway. Not because of the landscape, but just because... it reminds them of Willowbourne while also being a smaller town? Anyhow, other towns get the same treatment: Touroux, Falkirk, Haedleigh, etc. Huthwich just has a solid stadium infrastructure.

Mayara Destroyers - Amidst rumours that two teams in Mayara is too much and one of them should move to one of the other capitals (Maethoru, Gehrenna, or Senoren), for now the two clubs have defined heartlands far away from one another. The Destroyers are a city team, the Wolves are a team of the entire Mayara province further inland. That said, the Destroyers extended their contract with Maethoru SC's Rikalathen Arena: not the rural images that the tv producers hoped for, but a storied venue nonetheless.

Mayara Wolves - An easy choice: it's near the capital cities and embraces the Gehrennan-ness of its locality, has a decent stadium, and you can see the mountains from there. Gakhithrau is one of several towns that are effectively 'capitals-west', so while it might not be the most beautiful destination, it fits the team perfectly.

[Sarzonia]

The Board of Governors meetings at the Incorporated Gridball Federation headquarters are usually mundane affairs. There's the usual check-ins with the Sarzonian Gridball League, the national team, plus collegiate gridball.

There was a little bit of positive excitement when the Woodstock City College Climbers won an unofficial Banijan national championship by defeating both traditional NSCF powerhouses in Banija. There was the drama surrounding whether the Board would actually write a letter to the Board of Regents at Joe Gibbs University about its decision to not send their team to a second NSCF season, a debate that was made moot when the Board finally buckled under intense pressure from students, staff, faculty and alumni who rightly pointed out the ability to keep up with academic coursework through Zoom and other methods, plus the success the Cyclones had in finishing 9-5 in their first season.

However, this meeting was going to be the place where new member Ryan Mast would officially ask the Board to reconsider its decision to insist that Woodstock University manager James Arthur leave the Climbers managerial role to become offensive coordinator. The debate was divisive and the vote was close, and Mast realised he was damn near the swing vote. He figured the fact he was newly inaugurated as a board member would help sway the vote just by his presence.

He'd watched the Sarzonia-Venmere match on the television in his office at headquarters, and while Sarzonia evened their World Bowl qualifying record to 1-1 with a 20-3 triumph, the win was hardly an offensive tour de force against an unranked opponent. Sure, the Stars scored three touchdowns, and it was a rare missed extra point from kicker Matt Vargas that prevented Sarzonia from putting up 21 points, but Sarzonia still had trouble with the stunts and run blitzes Venmere ran, obviously inspired by Delaclava's defensive game plan against the Stars. Sure, Gavin Davis did a better job of adjusting to the looks, but Mast had to wonder how much of the difference was Davis making adjustments and how much was the talent gap between unranked Venmere and second ranked Delaclava.

When it came time for new business, Mast stood up.

"I'm aware that what I'm about to propose is considered a 'divisive' topic, and in particular, one which relative newcomers to the Board are discouraged from engaging in," he began. He'd heard a stifled groan from Board Chairwoman Hannah Pearlman but decided to go for it anyway. "However, it's clear from the last World Bowl and the early stages of this one that Coach Davis is not well equipped to call plays and manage the team. He's done yeoman's work as a manager of the team, but he needs help from the playcalling standpoint. I propose that we re-examine the decision to offer James Arthur the job with the condition that he step down from the Climbers. I propose we make the same offer to him, but allow him to remain the full-time manager of the Climbers."

Pearlman interjected.

"This is not the time to revisit that decision," she said, taking care to impart her objection being to the timing of putting the decision on the agenda instead of her anger being on the fact Mast was asking for a redo on the decision. However, board second vice chairman Lloyd Argent's quick "Second!" derailed her attempt to squelch the topic. She looked at Argent askance, but he looked back as if to say I dare you to tell me to shut up.

"This meeting's in recess for a half hour," Pearlman said, banging her gavel. "Lloyd, see me in my office." The two walked to her office wordlessly until Pearlman slammed the door shut.

"You have a LOT of nerve-" she began before Lloyd put his hand up.

"The decision was a mistake," Argent snapped. "We should have revisited this before. We can't leave this as an underlying issue festering before it causes the board to fracture."

"We can revisit the decision after our World Bowl participation is over," she countered.

"That will be too late!" Argent said. "We've averaged 13.5 points per game in two matches so far."

"One of them was against the second ranked team in the gridball-playing multiverse," Pearlman said. "Not too many teams are going to put up a shitload of points on the Phoenixes on one of their home pitches."

"I'd buy that argument if we scored like 40 against Venmere," Argent said. "But we scored 20. Make no mistake: Delaclava's almost as good at gridball as we are at lacrosse, but our offence needs the help that a playcaller can bring, and if it's James Arthur, he has the added advantage of being a great leader of players."

That was one thing both people in that office could agree upon. The proof was in the won-loss record as Woodstock had a combined mark of 21-9 in two seasons. More to the point, the Climbers belied their position in what had been considered a weak conference by counting among its scalps the likes of Northern Moravica twice, Loyola-Istria, Sadeg State, and Kohnhead City University. They were one Sequoia Conference team that could beat a Big Eight school, and with two seasons of success, it was hard to dismiss it as a one-year wonder.

Finally, though, when the two of them returned to the room, the debate continued until finally, the Board had a 9-6 vote to offer Arthur a contract as offensive coordinator. Without the requirement that he step down as Climbers manager.

The only question was whether Arthur was receptive, at least for now.

[Ranoria]

Another Huge Day For The Offense, Another Road Win - Ranoria's Home Opener Will Come Against 2-0 South Americanastan


Strong Safety Judas Wolfson played a big role in Sunday's win over Anthor, with 5 tackles and the team's first interception of the season

The offense was explosive in our opener, averaging nearly ten yards per pass attempt, but they were even better against Anthor. With six touchdowns and a chip-shot field goal on the day (though Barry Chlorid was 1/2 on the day, missing his first kick of the tournament), the Krauts scoring unit is looking like it could be the most productive unit in the world this season. Not that that's a huge surprise with the guy we have under center.

Garrett notched another three passing scores in this one, but unlike the opener against Lisander, this ballgame wasn't as competitive throughout. The Krauts jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, assisted by a Judas Wolfson interception in the red zone to keep the Voodoo from notching what had been a guaranteed field goal early. It didn't seem to matter what plays Raul Nieler called - run or pass, it worked. Vice Jackson III and John Garrett each exited the game at the end of the third quarter, letting young guns and Northern Moravica grads in Apollo Esther and Valliente Wagner-Young finish things off.

It was the first action we've seen out of our shiny new quarterback since our disaster or a pre-season game against Banija, and he looked good when he had the ball. Wagner-Young finished 3/3 with 29 yards on the day with Esther carrying the load given the 38-22 score, and he'd end the contest with 13 carries and 61 yards and a score. He's done a good job taking some of the carries from VJIII, who averaged more than 20 per game in World Bowl 43, but has just 36 totes through two games this season. The two maulers should work well together to keep each other fresh for the playoffs and crucial later games of the group stage.

And so far, the biggest game of that group stage will come against South Americanastan. A newcomer to this tournament, they've managed a 2-0 start with hard-fought wins over Lisander and Anthor. It's an admirable first two matches, but they'll get to visit the Karmin-Falce Superdome in week 3 with a chance to shock the multiverse against the Krauts. With both teams unbeaten and tied atop the group, this is as important a match as we'll see early in the group stage this cycle. Huelavia and TJUN-ia, Drawland and Gyatso-kai, and New Gesem and Ko-oren are matchups with similar implications this week.

The Ranorian faithful will show up in droves as they always have, already having been forced to watch from home for the first two contests. No one will discount these Bears, they stunned Anthor in their first game ever and are far from an easy team to gameplan for.

"I have no idea what's going on at times when I watch their film," admitted cornerback Jabyess Hawkins, "I've never even heard of some of the concepts they're running, and it's gonna be a pain in the ass to cover." Our very own Vick Hamilton, a star reporter, excellent analyst, and former athlete himself, was dumbfounded as well, admitting that he wasn't sure how Ranoria could counter the Bears offense because he didn't exactly know what the Bears offense was.

Likewise, John Garrett acknowledged at a presser that this could be a tough matchup, "I always enjoy teams that throw these kinds of schemes at you. They've got a tough defense - they play fast and hard, not too different from our own." While it won't be anything new to Garrett, who plays in a less quarterback-friendly Ranorian league than most, he'll still have to be sure to avoid taking unnecessary hits. Any coach planning for the Krauts worth their salt is aware of Farmboy's injury history, and it's cost us in prior World Bowls.

Of course if he can stay upright, we've got a chance. Whether you're watching at home or making a visit to the superdome, make sure to set time aside this weekend for a showdown of unbeaten teams!

---

QB John Garrett: 56/80, 772 yards, 7 TD, 2 carries, 7 yards
QB Valliente Wagner-Young: 3/3, 29 yards

HB Vice Jackson III: 36 carries, 171 yards, 3 TD, 5 receptions, 31 yards
HB Apollo Esther: 19 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD, 1 reception, 6 yards
HB Eric van Geel: 1 carry, 4 yards, 6 receptions, 47 yards

TE Johnny Farmer: 13 receptions, 163 yards, 3 TD
TE Vasily Schmidt: 5 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD
WR Khalil Hauptmann: 14 receptions, 222 yards, 1 TD
WR Jeremiah Flether: 9 receptions, 150 yards, 1 TD
WR Isaak Rodriguez: 6 receptions, 121 yards, 1 TD

ILB Ross Monarch: 11 tackles, 1 TFL
OLB Sean Morgan-Horne: 11 tackles, 1 PBU
OLB Django Reeves: 12 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL

DE Gideon Kearse: 8 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL
DE Abram Fairbanks: 7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 PBU
DE Albus Vergol: 2 tackles
DE Angelo Gordon: 3 tackles, 1 sack
DT Gudbrand Taurus: 3 tackles, 1 sack
DT Spencer Crutchfield: 2 tackles

CB Darnell Sleight: 8 tackles, 2 PBU
CB Jabyess Hawkins: 11 tackles
FS Alexander Ackermann: 10 tackles
SS Judas Wolfson: 11 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT

[Banija]

Matchday 1, Banija @ Bongo Johnson, 1:34 left in the fourth quarter, Bongo Johnson leading 38-27

Week 1 of World Bowl XLIV had been nothing short of a disaster for the Serpent Eagles. THey had kicked a field goal on their opening drive, yes- but otherwise, the first half was probably the worst half of football head Coach Thomas Hall had ever seen from one of his teams. Going into halftime down by a score of 28-3? Utterly and absolutely disastrous. Absolutely nothing had gone right for Banija in the first half on either side of the football. Bongo Johnson weren't even taking to the air, really, considering the talent in the Banijan secondary. They were simply running the ball for huge chunk plays down the throat of the Serpent Eagles defense. While Hall was obviously a defensive back in his playing days, there is no defensive coach that likes to be wrecked on the ground. It was a record-breaking performance in a bad way for the Serpent Eagles- Bongo Johnson had 192 team rushing yards in the first half, as well as four rushing touchdowns.

Going into the break down 28-3, Thomas Hall ripped his own team a new one. They had gained a lot of confidence after their scrimmage in Ranoria City, but they had followed it up with a poor week of practice, and accordingly, had gotten their asses handed to them by a nation with a long and storied history of gridiron success at this tournament. IT was rare as a coach when you got to use a screamfest that got through to the players. The tantrum was risky. These weren't the 90s anymore. The era of simply being a disciplinarian and getting through to professional athletes was generally done for. But done at the right moment, at the right time, and it would be able to light a fire under players. And this time, they had. The Serpent Eagles came out swinging in the second half. While the home team got the ball to start the third quarter, it was Isaiah Bryce who would start to swing the momentum. The 37 year old backup middle linebacker forced a fumble on a screen pass, with Serpent Eagles linebacker Onindo Agot landing on the football at the Bongo Johnson 17 yard line.

One halfback toss that was ran for 17 yards and a touchdown later, suddenly, the score was 28-10. Still well out of reach, right? But the team had started their comeback. The defense forced a 3 and out, and then the Bongo Johnson punter boomed a brilliant kick, that was downed at the Serpent Eagles 12 yard line. But no matter. 12 plays and 88 yards later(with 6:04 off the clock!), Ifeatu Chineze was throwing a 7 yard touchdown pass to Lamin Kah. Suddenly, it was 28-17. Momentum shift much? The teams were able to each manage another field goal in the 3rd quarter, so they entered the fourth with Bongo Johnson up, 31-20. Chineze was able to throw a 32 yard touchdown pass to Chinweuba Jelan in the fourth quarter, to make this a four point game. Normally, down 31-26 in the fourth, you'd go for two, right? But Jelan got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for celebrating with a throat slash, and the penalty being applied to the PAT made sure we could only go for 1.

31-27. The Banijans force a three and out. But after getting a few first downs, an untimely sack by the Bongo Johnson defensive end forced a punt. And then, their special teams stepped up. Blocked the punt, picked it up, and ran it into the end zone. That brought the Banijans to the situation they were in now. Down by 11, and driving. The OC, of course, was in the booth. They had a 1st and 10 at their own 48 yard line. He spoke to his offensive coordinator, who was in the booth, through his headset. "Hey!" Coach Hall said. "We need to get the ball to Senghore. Their nickel back can't keep up with Lafi. Call a deep cross!" The Offensive Coordinator obliged. He called a deep cross, and it was perfectly timed with a safety blitz. Sello picked up the extra rusher, Chineze lofted a perfect deep ball, and 52 yards later, the Banijans were down just 5.

Thomas Hall was sprinting down the sideline when the ball was thrown. "Let's go! Let's F*(#$(2! Go! We're going for 2 lads!" Hall designed a play that called basically for a pick play, for Alazar to be open in the front corner of the end zone out of the slot. But the play failed, when the pick receiver, Lamin Kah, fell coming off of the line of scrimmage. It happens, right? BUt Chineze was forced to just throw the ball into the fifth row. And when Banija failed to recover the onside kick, that was that. In the post-game, Thomas Hall gave his memorable quote. "Our first half was utterly despicable." He told reporters. "I've never seen a half as bad as that one. And while we did our best to come back... We could not. Let me be clear- you will never see a half like that ever again, as long as I am coach. We are going to make sure we come out, ready to compete and throw down against anybody that is brought in our way."

---

Banija travels to Abanhfleft and blows out the Fleftics to improve to 1-1 after their second road game of World Bowl XLIVC


Banijans celebrate touchdown against Abanhfleft

ABANHFLEFT- There are high hopes invested in the Serpent Eagles in World Bowl XLIV. Despite being ranked just 9th, and falling back to Pot 2, many think that they are legitimate contenders for a trophy. "There are plenty of highly talented players on this squad." Said a TV reporter. "Especially at the skill positions. From QB, to HB, to their ridiculously deep WR corps, they are capable of absolutely blitzing whatever teams they play, and getting into high-octane shootouts." But getting gashed on the ground in Bongo Johnson, the Banijans comeback failed, never getting the ball back with a chance to tie the game, as Bongo Johnson defeated them, 38-33. The Banijans all vowed to come out stronger in their even tougher trip to Abanhfleft on Matchday 2.

And the Banijans were a team of their word. It's always tough to win a road game in the World Bowl, and this particular schedule is pretty tough in and of itself. Starting with a pair of road games is not how any coach would want to start a group stage, and Thomas Hall certainly did not want to fall into an 0-2 hole, early into the tournament. Fortunately, that is not what would happen. Ifeatu Chineze was dealing on the day, throwing for 297 yards on 21/26 passing, and three touchdown passes, as our QB led us to the 30-7 road victory. Sello(112 rushing yards on 27 carries) was also excellent on the ground, adding a score himself. While our kicker had a missed PAT, he made up for it with a 52 yard field goal as time expired in the first half to ensure that the Serpent Eagles cruised on the day.

The biggest difference on the day, for this team, was how they started. A week ago, of course, they went down 28-3 at half, and never recovered. While the first quarter was all around slow, with neither team scoring, the Banijan offense really got going in the second quarter. A 63 yard touchdown pass on the first play of the 2nd quarter, to Chinweuba Jelan, really got the team going, as the quarter was all about the Serpent Eagles offense. 17 points in a quarter is never anything to sneeze at, and Ifeatu Chineze, in particular, was simply throwing darts all across the defense. "Chineze showed exactly why he's a starting quarterback for this national team." Said the head coach, Thomas Hall. "Hostile environment, against a Pot 1 squad, and he wasn't even rattled, even a little bit. He worked quickly to take the crowd out of it, and picked apart the opposing secondary like he used to do in his Richardson days. He led us with our backs against the wall, and is the reason we sit with a win."

But just like in the middle quarters, our offense put up all sorts of points, our defense were utterly dominant throughout the whole. After Q1, it was 0-0. At halftime, it was 17-0, and after 3 quarter, we were winning 30-0 in their own stadium. Their only touchdown was on a 67 yard punt return, in the fourth quarter. Trouble for our punt team for the second week in a row with that blocked punt last week- but that's a discussion for another time. For a defense that got mauled for nearly 200 rushing yards in a single half last week, we really got things going this week. Thomas Hall, the Head Coach and defensive play-caller, was pleased with his defense's performance. "We knew what we needed to do- attack and own the line of scrimmage, and give our guys on the back end the ability to make plays. This is going to be one of the most underrated defenses in this entire tournament, and we will relish in proving people wrong throughout this tournament."

Abanhfleft ended up with just 147 yards of total offense, and no offensive points. They only took 2 snaps on our side of the 50 throughout the entire game. The key? It's all about building your defenses outside in. Banija's got a pair of star corners, with Tabor on one side, and Secka on the other. Trusting those guys on islands, we frequently loaded the box, trying to compensate for all those rushing yards we allowed last week. Two-time NSCF champion starting free safety Ozioma Mazzi had a huge game. Mazzi frequently came high to load the box, and as Abanhfleft tried to use the power run game, putting the extra defender in there worked wonders. That, and getting creative with Birom Ogunsola. Ogunsola was everywhere on the line. Both end spots, sometimes at tackle, sometimes standing up, doing whatever he can. The Fleftics consistently lost track of him, and he wreaked havoc in the backfield. The confusion he caused left all sorts of holes for the rest of the Banijan front 7 to attack, which they did with ferocity.

No turnovers forced, but no problems. Abanhfleft punted the ball 10 times. "Our defense proved their mettle in this game, and for that, I'm proud." Said the Defensive Coordinator David Franklin. "We're going to have a hell of a challenge later on, however." While going 1-1 on their opening road swing, that leads to a trio of consecutive games in Banija- in Lwanga, Istria, and Busukuma, respectively. First, will be the visit of an unbeaten Kavanis squad. "Kavanis, throughout two games, have shown quite the ability to light up the scoreboard." Said Banija's defensive coordinator, David Franklin. "Being unranked, to them, means nothing. All respect to that. Their offense is clicking on all cylinders. To score 54 on the road, in Abanhfleft, to start the tournament? One hell of a start. And then they wrecked Bongo Johnson 43-0 at home just last week? They mean business. They could be one of the surprise Cinderellas of this tournament. We will have our hands full, but we are going to have one hell of a challenge slowing down Joe Buchanan and them. But rest assured- we will be ready."

The conditions will be ripe for a shootout at the Watering Hole. Kavanis has scored 97 points through just 2 games, giving the unranked squad the #1 scoring offense throughout the entire World Bowl. This, of course, is in addition to the fact that it's a dome. "It'll be a challenge for us, even on offense, to keep up." Said Ifeatu Chineze, our QB. "But we'll be ready. I've seen all sorts of people rave about their offensive ability, I'm excited to see if all that holds up at The Watering Hole." It's suddenly a huge game for Banija. It's a chance to move into first place after just three games. But if Banija lose? Well, that will put them 2 games out of first place. Plenty of time remaining, of course. But instead of Banija having a slight advantage to win the group, it will put Banija into chase mode just to reach the top 2 in Group E- a place that we want to avoid being in.

Which team will take possesion of first place in Group E at the Watering Hole on Sunday?

Banijan World Bowl Betting Lines for Week 3.
Guide
If a team is +(aka Banija +4 against Ranoria), then they are the underdog.
If a team minus(aka Ranoria -4 against Banija) they are the favorite.
If a line is listed as +/- (aka Cold Hill scoring +/- 8.5 points) then that is the line you can bet the over/under. In example, at that, you could bet that Cold Hill will score more than 8.5 points, or less than 8.5 points.
Banija Serpent Eagles- Team Bets
- Banija -4 against Kavanis at home
- Banija v. Kavanis total score: 63.5 points over/under (as in the total points scored, by both teams combined in this matchup, will be either over or under 63.5 points)
- Banija over/under 4.5 penalties
- Kavanis over/under 3.5 false starts due to Banijan crowd noise
- Banija defense forces over/under 1.5 turnovers forced
Banija Serpent Eagles- Individual Player Bets
- QB Ifeatu Chineze over/under 2.5 touchdown passes
- WR Kalu Alazar over/under 4.5 receptions
- WR Chinweuba Jelan over/under 90.5 receiving yards
- HB Kuenda Sello 95.5 rushing yards
Rare Opportunity Bets
- Banija- 75:1 odds on 'Quick Strike' Touchdown- scoring an offensive touchdown on the first play of any drive against Kavanis
- Banija- 75:1 odds on 'Length of the Field' Touchdown- scoring a 75+ yard offensive touchdown
- Banija- 5:1 odds on 'Style Points'- Banija racking up an excessive celebration and/or taunting penalty
Around the World Bowl Bets
- South Americanastani Stunner- 50:1 odds that South Americanstan beats Ranoria on the road on Matchday 3
- James Arthur to the rescue- 10:1 odds that Woodstock City College HC James Arthur answers his national call to duty by becoming the Offensive Coordinator for the Sarzonian national team
- St. Kanye -3.5 against South Newlandia on the road

[South Americanastan]

4th Quarter, 2:27 Left
17-17 Tie

"Welcome back from our commercial break, folks. This is the South Americanastan Bears on SABC, and we have tight one here."

"Tie game, about two and a half minutes left in the fourth, can't get much more exciting than this."

"What do you think is the gameplan for the Bears here, Phil?"

"Well, they've got to get down the field and quick. Not much they can do other than kick into gear, Lisander knows the pass is coming and they'll be defending against it."

"And would you say that a Run 'n' Gun scheme like the one the Bears use helps here?"

"We'll see."

Jimmy Echavaria and the rest of the Bears offense trot out onto the field, and set up in the Shotgun. Echavaria exchanges a glance with Tom Malhop, before snapping the ball. He steps up in the pocket as both ends go around the outside, and looks in Malhop's direction. Noticing that Malhop is covered, and so are all the other reads, he darts forward between the two defensive tackles.

"And now Echavaria will pull it down, cuts towards the outside, around the linebackers, and goes out of bounds just beyong the 1st down marker. Phil, what do you think went wrong there?"

"Well, the Bears play a Run 'n' Gun scheme, which, of course, requires receivers to make on the fly adjustments. And you can see Malhop here has a wide open field to his left he could've cut to, but he sticks to his predetermined route on the right. Really bad mistake there, costs the Bears a potential big play."

"And you can see on the sidelines, Jack Wall is not happy about that one. Malhop is gonna get a good yelling at when he comes off the field."

The offense lines up for the final play before the two minute warning, and Echavaria begins scanning the defense. He notices a gaping hole in the right side and audibles.

"KILL KILL! KILL KILL! TWENTY-NINETY HALIFAX! SET! HUT!"

Echavaria quickly catches the snap and slams the ball into the chest of Sean Forrester, who sprints towards the right side hole in the defense. Forrester spins past a defensive end, and continues sprinting before encountering the Lisanderian cornerback, who he attempts to hurdle. He makes it over, but is knocked out of the sky by the right outside linebacker, and lands flat on his back.

"And Forrester knocked out of the air there. A lot of glitz and glamour for a 10 yard run, I have to say."

"And that'll bring us to the two minute warning. Bears with 1st and 10 at their own 31 yard line, lots of pressure, can they pull through?"

Jimmy Echavaria leads the offense out onto the field after the two minute warning to restart the game. He snaps the ball, and sails one deep to Jan Halmion, but it's deflected by the cornerback, setting up a 2nd and 3 The offense quickly forms up in the shotgun, and Echavaria snaps the ball. Pat Orlen gets blown up by the defensive tackle, and Echavaria tries to escape from the defender, but he grabs a handful of Echavaria's jersey and yanks him to the ground.

"OH! And that sack will set up a 3rd and 15!"

"Bears will need to pull off a big one here to keep the drive going."

The South Americanastanian offense prepares to snap the ball, as the crowd begins to go silent. The ball is snapped, and the announcer takes it away.

“Snap to Echavaria, he drops back, looks to throw, no one open. Now, in comes the defensive end, he spins past, rolls right, throws it up to Holt. AND HE’S GOT IT! A 25 YARD PASS FOR A FIRST DOWN TO SAVE THE DRIVE! WHAT A PLAY BY HOLT TO GO OVER THE TOP!”

“Looking at the replay, looks like Holt trips the defender a little as he goes up. No review, though, and the play will stand.”

“Lisander will not be happy with that no-call”

“One more play for South Americanastan to put themselves in field goal range.”

“No timeouts, they’ll have to hurry up.”

The offense sprints to the line and forgoes a huddle to prepare for the snap. Echo aria takes the snap and drops back before running to his right. He decides to scramble, taking off into open field and gaining 12 yards before going out of bounds.

“Now, 4 seconds left on the clock and South Americanastan will bring out the field goal team”

The field goal crew sets up as Mick Hassel prepares for the snap. He claps his hands together and the long snapper sends the hall to him. He places the ball down and Allan Shepherd boots it towards the field goal.

“The kick is up… AND IT’S GOOD AS TIME EXPIRES! JUST INSIDE THE RIGHT UPRIGHT TO GIVE SOUTH AMERICANASTAN THE WIN! WHAT A WAY TO END THE GAME!”

[Mon Sold]

The Paths We Took

Laurence climbed out of the main access hatch of the submarine and onto the deck. His head was pounding and his eyes hurt. The sun was a welcome but painful change from the artificially lit interior below. Hours had already been spent down in the still unfinished bowels of the prototype vessel, tracing out lines to the engine room and marking them appropriately. It was his job to fully understand where every line ran and what it did. He'd leap onto this assignment the moment his superiors requested volunteers and had been on the short list of candidates in no time. The Navy was undergoing a radical change, but then so was the entire Military, with its outlook on things. New ships were being purchased to replace the venerable fleet of his father and grandfather. The one he was standing on now was a prototype of the new diesel-powered attack submarine being designed by Marquesan for the Grand Duchy and another unidentified party. He'd not seen the other guys here, so they must have their own thing going on elsewhere. Walking down the length of the submarine he took in the salty air of the bay as the wind blew gently in from the south. He was far from home and while not the first time he'd come to that realization it still left him feeling a bit heady. He'd spent his whole life in a quiet valley near Amalrose. Life in Mon Sold was slow -- a bit too slow at times but he knew it was his youthful rebellion that made him fee that way. One day he would pine for the nostalgia of his youth as change gradually crept in and things would be a touch more hectic. Still, that he was standing on a warship that he might even one day sail in left him feeling excited. It would be his job to train the upcoming crew of this sub and he was making damn sure he was up to the task.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and began to scroll through his news feed. Cell phones were technically not allowed in a prototype shipyard but he had been vetted by the Marquesians and the submarine was going to his country so it wasn't like he would be selling the technical specs out to the highest bidder. As part of his break routine he pulled up Mon Sports! home page to catch up on the latest news. It was the one thing he and his grandfather never did agree on. "Sports are for lazy layabouts and fascists" he'd grumble when he caught Laurence playing friendly football matches with his friends on the weekends. The old man had been willing to forgive and overlook the matter because the wedge it drove between them. Besides, his grandfather knew there would be no putting a stop to it -- Laurence's father was completely in favor of it. His dad had been a football fan since the moment the Grand Duchy lifted the ban on organized sports. Sports had been the wedge that drove his father and grandfather apart for a long time. One has supported lifting the ban since the Troubles were over and the other always raved that he saw what those "pompous athletes" had done to society with their strong backs and weak minds.

"Strikers humbled against Chromatika!"

The title caught his eye and he clicked. The national grid iron team had been defeated in their second match of the World Bowl series. Their opponents, the Chromatika Iron Legion had lived up their imposing name and won by a solid 10 points. Laurence grumbled a bit until he read further down the article and saw the name he was looking for -- Albino Coste! Albino was a long-time friend of Laurence and had been the one to get him interested in sports during their childhood. Many times he would show up with their other mutual friend, Valeriano Assies, and played in his backyard with other neighborhood kids. The game alternated between football and grid iron as both his friends had their favorites. He was never passionate about sports like they were, likely the tempering influence of his grandfather's subtle disapproval at work, and so always went with the flow. They both had been excellent and even back then he would've been surprised if they didn't make professional play. Reading through the article he saw Albino had played a critical role in trying to turn the tide but it clearly wasn't enough. He saw that the Strikers would be up against Kohnhead next. He'd have to try and find someway to watch the game, Mon Sports had recently decided to advance into the modern world and created a free streaming app for international games -- a bid to entice prospective customers in and then try and convince them to pay for the domestic packages.

As he closed out and the app, sliding the phone back into his pocket, he found it odd how all of them had taken different paths in life. Sports was never in the cards for him despite an athletic build and "a heap of fucking talent" as Albino told him in one of his many attempts to get Laurence to join their high school football team. He'd never even broached the subject with his parents. His dad would've jumped on board enthusiastically and his mother would've worried overmuch about his health. But, once again, it was his grandfather whom he'd grown very attached to over the years and whose approval he knew he sought more than his own fathers. The day after graduation he'd come home and informed his family at their routine Sunday lunch after church that he had enlisted in the Navy. Sunday lunches were a big deal in his homeland and was almost like a feast. After he spoke the words he expected trepidation from his mother at least but instead a resounding applause erupted from the table. His grandfather stood up and shook his hand, man-to-man, for the first time in his life. His father spoke to him more equally as well, as if his son had grown into a man before his very eyes. Military service was not a particularly lucrative career path in Mon Sold, but his grandfather had served during the Troubles and his family had a deep reverence for the service.

"Who knows," he thought idly, "Maybe in another life, I'd have been a football player"

He descended back down the ladder and back to tracing lines ....

[South Newlandia]

Day three cutoff for Groups A-D; Music. This is also a reminder that tomorrow is a scheduled off-day.

Group A

Lisander 9–9 Anthor (9–15 OT)
Ranoria 16–14 South Americanastan

P Group A              Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 Ranoria                3   3  0  102  64 +38    1.000
2 South Americanastan    3   2  1   64  49 +15    0.667
3 Anthor                 3   1  2   57  88 −31    0.333
4 Lisander               3   0  3   50  72 −22    0.000

Group B

HUElavia 29–10 TJUN-ia
Theofficialjapan 9–44 Rocky Canada

P Group B              Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 HUElavia               3   3  0  107  36 +71    1.000
2 TJUN-ia                3   2  1   66  64  +2    0.667
3 Rocky Canada           3   1  2   72  76  −4    0.333
4 Theofficialjapan       3   0  3   42 111 −69    0.000

Group C

Gyatso-kai 23–17 Kriegiersien
StrayaRoos 17–13 Drawkland

P Group C              Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 Drawkland              3   2  1   93  44 +49    0.667
2 Gyatso-kai             3   2  1   73  75  −2    0.667
3 Kriegiersien           3   1  2   64  91 −27    0.333
4 StrayaRoos             3   1  2   63  83 −20    0.333

Group D

New Gesem 3–23 Ko-oren
Bendicon 32–24 Greater Cebu

P Group D              Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 Ko-oren                3   3  0   60  12 +48    1.000
2 New Gesem              3   2  1   77  33 +44    0.667
3 Bendicon               3   1  2   35  78 −43    0.333
4 Greater Cebu           3   0  3   40  89 −49    0.000

[Kavanis]

Q1
0 – 6 George Bradley fumble recovery in end zone (Dom Hughes kick failed)
Q2
0 – 13 Andres Horton 36 yard rush (Dom Hughes kick)
0 – 20 Andres Horton 10 yard rush (Dom Hughes kick)
0 – 23 Dom Hughes 28 yard field goal
Q3
0 – 29 Tyndall Peterson 10 yard pass from Joe Buchanan (Dom Hughes kick failed)
Q4
0 – 36 Kevin Buckner 1 yard rush (Dom Hughes kick)
0 – 43 Uterius Barnett 1 yard pass from Adam Powell (Dom Hughes kick)

[-Anthor-]

V's Struggle to Perform, Harriot is Benched
Commentary Brought to you By: ABC Sports Network

As the whistle sounds begin to fade as the third games finish playing in this year's World Bowl, the results so far for Nicholas Harriot and the Voodoo's has been less than stellar, as it took until this third game for the V's to come up with a win, and even then barely managing to squeeze one out in overtime, a meek 22-yard pass on an off-route to Markus Spurr from the arm of Dirk Wallace. That will allow us to zero in on one of the V's worst struggles, and that is the offense, having only put up 57 points in the three games, and only managing to score more than three touchdowns in one game so far, their blowout 44-22 loss in Game 2 to the perennial heavyweight Ranoria. On the ground side of the ball is the only place solid production can be found, with Lewis Davis and Philip King both having breached 250 rushing yards, and King crossing the endzone line three times while Davis has just once, and Randall Boone has even managed to get 100 yards rushing in accompanied by a sole touchdown. In the air however, Nicholas Harriot has struggled mightily, having thrown just two touchdowns in three starts, while also turning the ball over six times (four interceptions, and two fumbles), and having yet to pass for more than 200 yards in a game. These struggles are a mighty shock to us AGL fans, as he had finished just in fourth place in total yardage for the last season, so the fact he has yet to find any footing was unexpected to say the least. After the OT win this evening against Lisander, which is the only team performing worse than the V's so far in Group A, head coach Joel Turnbull announced in his post-game press release that starting with Game 4, Nicholas Harriot will be benched and replaced as starting quarterback Dirk Wallace.

While the benching of Harriot has been met with plenty of upset fans, there is an equal clamoring in support of Wallace; he's been at the forefront of gridiron news in Anthor since his freshman start for Bowerstone University, where in the four years there he set school records for total passing yards and touchdowns and helped the University win their first ever NCAAF conference title, and three straight bowl wins. He made the successful transition to the AGL, being drafted first overall by Jedborough Bards and has helped elevate that team out of the divisional cellar in his three seasons with them and into a annual playoff contender - which is especially notable when you consider they share their division with the Monmouth Bulls, Nicholas Harriot's team and the champion three of five times in the last half-decade. Wallace's playstyle is notably different than Harriot, whereas the latter has evolved into the traditional field general mold that has brought him much success over his career, Wallace is a much more deep threat, and is more mobile in the pocket, having found notable success with scrambles where he's been able to rip off big chunks of yards. It will be interesting to see if Turnbull, a staunch traditionalist by AGL standards, will adapt some shotgun or even wildcat formations for Wallace to play out of - in the AGL, only 20% of Wallace's snaps last year were taken under center.

Despite the offensive struggles, which hopefully the change at QB will address, the defense has been solid for most starts; although Ranoria had a field day at their expense racking up 44 points in their matchup, the other two times the V's have taken the field opponents have been limited to less than 2 touchdowns - Lisander even struggled, only scoring via three field goals off of Mariano Aiamonte's leg, although their running backs found several holes in the V's defensive line; Dino Norman in particular was able to rip off three 20+ yard rushes, but they were able to prevent the Lynx from capitalizing on them.

[New Gesem]

New Gesem 0  3  0  0  3
Ko-oren   7  10 3  3  23

A disappointing result, if not at all surprising given the delta of experience between a team of fresh college graduates and one of seasoned professionals with multiple World Bowls under their belts. The Pilgrims played well considering, managing a drive downfield in the second quarter that ended with a field goal and forcing the Dragonflies to settle for field goals on numerous occasions where a lesser team would have given up a touchdown.

Roth threw 10-for-15 with four interceptions, one of which gave Ko-oren the second of their two touchdowns. He almost spent more time on his back than throwing the ball, being sacked a gut-wrenching eight times and hurried four more as the Ko-orenite defensive line swarmed his protectors. The defense fared better, giving up few big plays and bottling most of Ko-oren's drives, but even their staunch play could not keep the green and blue team out of the end zone.

Time’s A-Changin’, pt 3
The first game of football in New Gesem was played in 1881 between teams representing the Alexandria chapters of the Wapitis and the Aurochs fraternities. Individual fraternal lodges commonly sponsored teams in baseball, athletics, and wrestling, and would challenge each other in annual tournaments. The popularity of football soon spread throughout the country; contemporary newspapers from the mid-1880s show tournaments being held in Alexandroupolis, Constantinople, and Damascus as well as Alexandria. Baseball had recently turned professional, and there was widespread discussion of a professional football league until 18 June 1888, when it all came to a stop.

William Valencia was eighteen or nineteen years old and a probate of the Aurochs Lodge #56 in Alexandroupolis when he failed to stand up after a routine tackle during a football game. Contemporary reports conflict as to Valencia’s injury, but it is known he was dead before a doctor could reach the scene. The subsequent outcry spread across the country, and soon the Aurochs, as well as the Sphinxes, against whom Will Valencia had been playing, released proclamations forbidding their members from playing football and their lodges from sponsoring games. The Knights of Constantine, Wapitis, Griffons, and many smaller lodges quickly followed suit, effectively pulling support from football nationwide.

Collegiate football, which had been in its infancy when William Valencia died, sputtered alongside its fraternal counterpart. Determined to keep the game alive, students at Constantinople and Alexandroupolis formed secret societies, the “Reds” at Constantinople and the “Grays” at Alexandroupolis, to arrange for unsanctioned, off-campus games. These games, while not included as part of the programs’ records, are considered part of the history of Gesemite collegiate football.

Collegiate football was re-sanctioned in 1911, following extensive lobbying by student organizations, under the auspices of the fledgling Gesemite Collegiate Athletic Association. The GCAA organized the teams into Metro and River Conferences, with the former consisting of teams from in and around Alexandria and the latter of teams upriver in Rosetta, Alexandroupolis, and Constantinople. The first-ever New Gesem Bowl was played in 1912 between Rosetta University and Oakwood College.

The early years of collegiate football were dominated by smaller, private colleges which could afford to put their entire teams on scholarship. Public universities in that era tended to focus on sports where fewer scholarships could go further, such as basketball, wrestling, and track and field. Oakwood and Excalibur dominated the Metro and River conferences, respectively, and together accounted for twenty-two championships between 1912 and 1946. The Mountain Intercollegiate Athletic Association was founded in 1932 and admitted to the GCAA in 1941 as the Mountain Conference.

The Metro Conference, historically the strongest, has struggled in recent decades against a surging River Conference. Thebes has the most conference championships, followed by Oakwood, which last won the title in 1972; then Alexandria. Metro East and Anthrakis have only two titles apiece, with Metro’s coming in 1992 and ‘93 and Anthrakis’s in 2001 and 2002. Founders University, a small liberal arts college located in downtown Alexandria, has yet to win a conference title in football.

The River Conference has eclipsed the Metro as the GCAA’s most successful conference in recent decades, to the point that both Gesemite institutions competing in NSCF, Alexandroupolis and Constantinople, are from the River. Those universities have the most conference titles between them by far, though the landscape has changed recently with ‘Polis and ‘Nople joining the NSCF for the spring season and allowing their players to opt out for the regular GCAA season. The result has been greater parity, but also a diminished importance on domestic contests in the once-great conference. Besides the big two, the South Constantinople Marauders are the next-most successful team with three conference championships, all won in the eighties, while Rosetta and Eriksberg University have one each.

The newest conference, the Mountain, is by far the weakest in football, though it dominates in other sports, including wrestling and track and field. Part of the reason for the Mountain’s weakness in football is that two of its members, Griffin University and its sister school, John Griffin College, were vetoed from joining the GCAA for decades because of their close association with the Gryphons fraternity. While many institutions in New Gesem have fraternal executives on their boards and are heavily influenced by New Gesem’s fraternities, as are many walks of Gesemite life, only GU and JGC are explicitly sponsored by a fraternity. Only by agreeing to allow non-Gryphons to serve on its board and in key leadership roles such as the athletic director did the two colleges manage to gain admission to the GCAA.

[Saint Kanye]

We're still a long way from the World Bowl XLIV championship match, but the noise coming from Pencurve Electronics Field in Kardashia, St. Kanye made it feel like it's already happening. Filling one half of the stands were purple and lime-clad Yeezies cheering on the Surge, as the national gridiron team is called, while the other half was occupied by the equally faithful supporters of the Grim Reapers team out of Quebec and Shingoryeo, decked out in black and red. It was a tightly contested, back and forth match between the two sides.... at least during the first two quarters.

Up just 20-14 at halftime, the Surge would then live up to their nickname and surge ahead, turning that slim lead into a 53-17 annihilation of the visiting side. Quarterback R.J. Linetti had what must have been the best game of his career so far, completing 31 of 37 passes for 426 yards and five touchdowns (for an almost perfect passer rating of 154.22). "They [Reapers] gave us some trouble in the first half," he told reporters. "Thankfully we were able to make adjustments and pull away from them. It's an amazing win, but we might have to watch our backs because they have two shots at revenge, one of them in their own backyard, where the fans might play a factor like they did here tonight."

---

1Q QUE Gallant 32 pass from Lautner (Kweon DS kick) QUE 0-7
Scouting reports indicated that Philippe-Noel Gallant will be one of, if not the primary scoring threat for the Quebecois. It held true here, as a pass to him from quarterback Ian Lautner enabled the visitors to strike first.

1Q STK Jeffers 8 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) Tie 7-7
The Reapers stuffed Taylor Johns on the succeeding kick return, forcing the Surge to start from their own 29-yard line. However, Linetti led a long scoring drive, capped by three straight passes for first downs and one for a Hussein Jeffers touchdown.

2Q STK Malloy 78 punt return (Rasputin kick) STK 14-7
Greg Malloy, the Yeezies' other tight end, also got in on the scoring action. The Reapers faced fourth and long after being stuffed by the St. Kanye D, only for Malloy to catch the punt and return it to the house.

2Q QUE Gallant 25 pass from Lautner (Kweon DS kick) Tie 14-14
Several sequences later, however, Gallant would record his second TD reception of the day, a one-handed catch in the end zone for the equalizer.

2Q STK Dobler 47 pass from Linetti (Kick failed) STK 20-14
The Surge would head to the locker rooms with the lead, however, as Bruce Dobler sailed over two defenders and caught the bomb from Linetti for the score. In a rare occurrence, James Rasputin would not make the extra point, but that was because it had been blocked.

3Q STK Moore 30 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 27-14
Another long drive for the home team, as Patrick Moore turned it into a two-possession game for the first time tonight.

3Q STK Safety, Varley tackled Lautner in end zone STK 29-14
Faced with third and five on their own 38, Linetti tried to move the chains himself, only for veteran end Vontaze Ahn to burst through the offensive line and take him down for a six-yard loss. The punt unit was brought out, and Chris Florence was able to pin the Reapers on their own six. With five wideouts, Lautner dropped back for a long pass, only for linebacker Justin Varley to do what Ahn did earlier and tackle the signal caller hard as he stepped onto the end zone, awarding the Surge two points.

3Q STK field goal Rasputin 45 STK 32-14
Rssputin added another three to the Surge's score, sinking his only field goal attempt of the contest.

4Q STK M. Jackson 6 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 39-14
A screen pass to Dobler almost turned into an 80-yard touchdown, but he was stopped at the Reapers' two. Linetti tried to run the remaining distance himself, only for Ahn to once again sack him, this time for a loss of eight yards. However, he would complete two successive passes to fullback Marco Jackson, the second one for six points (seven with the Rasputin PAT).

4Q STK Fredericks 20 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 46-14
Welcome to the World Bowl, Deshawn Fredericks! The newcomer out of the Upper Westside University caught a pass for a two-point conversion last week, but now he has officially recorded a touchdown as St. Kanye made it 32 unanswered points since the 14-all deadlock in the first half.

4Q QUE field goal Kweon DS 28 STK 46-17
Kweon Dong-Seon prevented Quebec from going scoreless in the half, sinking a rather short field goal to cut the lead to 29.

4Q STK Sherman 65 run (Rasputin kick) STK 53-17
The Surge went to the ground in the final minute to eat up some clock. Noah Sherman was only supposed to try to get a first down, but seeing a clear path ahead of him, he decided why not, and sprinted for the score.

---

St. Kanye (2-0) posted the best offensive showing of Matchday 2, not to mention the only score above fifty points. Quebec fell to 1-1, same as the South Newlandia Elephants, who outlasted the State of Imperial Russia (0-2) by a score of 40-32. Next week, the Surge will go on the road for the first time, playing the Elephants at Elephant Field. "I don't really mind the heat," admitted Sherman. "My question is, how are they gonna fit all those Surge supporters in such a small stadium?" (Elephant Field seats just 15,400. Pencurve Electronics Field, in contrast, has a capacity of 80,085.) The Reapers, on the other hand, will host the Imperial Russians.

In other groups...
- In Group A, the South Americanastan Bears improved to 2-0, edging the Lisander Lynx 16-13 and sending them down to 0-2.
- In Group B, HUElavia (2-0) dropped a forty bomb on Rocky Canada (0-2), beating them 40-12.
- In Group C, Kriegersien move up to 1-1, their first win of the tournament coming against StrayaRoos (0-2) by a score of 30-19.
- In Group D, the New Gesem Pilgrims (2-0) take off to their best start yet, winning 34-10 at the expense of the Greater Cebu Nationals (0-2).
- In Group E, Kavanis (2-0) obliterated Bongo Johnson (1-1) by a score of 43-nil, a week after the latter upset the Banija Serpent Eagles.
- In Group F, the Delaclava Phoenixes (2-0) defeated Kyhun (0-2) in a low-scoring affair, 13-7.
- In Group G, the Kohnhead Brains (2-0) move to the top of the group with a 36-24 road win over the United Adaikes Scorpions (0-2).

---

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MD | Opponent                     | Rank | Uniform       | Score   | Record | Place |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1  | State of Imperial Russia     | UR   | Purple/Purple | W 25-0  |  1-0   |  1st  |
| 2  | Quebec and Shingoryeo        | 27   | Purple/Black  | W 53-17 |  2-0   |  1st  |
| 3  | @South Newlandia             | 12   | White/Purple  |         |        |       |
|    | BREAK                        |      |               |         |        |       |
| 4  | @State of Imperial Russia    | UR   | White/White   |         |        |       |
| 5  | @Quebec and Shingoryeo       | 27   | White/Purple  |         |        |       |
| 6  | South Newlandia              | 12   | Purple/Purple |         |        |       |
|    | BREAK                        |      |               |         |        |       |
| 7  | State of Imperial Russia (N) | UR   | Purple/Black  |         |        |       |
| 8  | Quebec and Shingoryeo (N)    | 27   | Purple/Purple |         |        |       |
| 9  | South Newlandia (N)          | 12   | White/White   |         |        |       |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Delaclava]

The remote press conference following Delaclava's 13-7 road win over Kyhun is about to begin. Jim Norris and Mike Howard are both sports reporters for the Quinniville Communique. They're joining the conference from the same office. Jim is already there when Mark walks in.

"Jim, how are you?"
"Ugh."
"Yeah, me too. But a win's a win, right?"
"That's all it was... Where you coming from?"
"They had it on at O'Hare's. You know the game's bad when they start doing karaoke instead. You've been up here the whole game."
"Yup, finishing up that profile on Cheyanne Natera - want to get that story out before we hit the summer grass swing."
"Oh yeah - can't wait to pick up the season again."
"I just can't believe... how do you miss that many kicks? It's your one job!"
"Right? Game 2 and Conley's already lost his nerve."
"And they were all just...not there. One win over the Stars and they're messing around on the sidelines, laughing and playing slap-ass while some fourth-rate team is giving them a fight."
"Well Jim, let me tell you, nothing's better than slap-assing in the second window with boys."
"I'm sorry, what?
"Uh...nothing! Nothing. But yeah, Taurus Wright might just be a bit too relaxed out there, just slinging passes from his back foot, throwing no-look laterals. We all know he's good, he just needs to lock it down and get the basics right."
"Newman was not happy, let me tell you. He's one more game like that away from benching him."
"Forget that, we may just see Willis next week."
"Well, it is what it is, we got the win, Taurus still found the end zone once. And Azatar Mamedov? Holy cow, that dude is a beast."
"You think he's clean?"
"No way, he's on that shit that makes your head grow. But I wouldn't mind getting on that program."
"You think that'll be good for your sex life?"
"Well, you can't lose what you never had."
"Sure... you know, this should have started by now, right?"
"Right. Let me shoot Sam Newman a text, see what's up."
"Sam Newman?"
"Frank's grandkid. He's tagged along as an assistant for a couple of years. Good kid. Pretty solid quarterback himself."
"That was quick. What do you got?"
"...uh...yeah, no press conference. Seems that Frank's got other plans for them."
"Other plans?"
"Yeah, like running laps.
"Oh boy. Well, can you blame him?"
"Not at all. And it's not as bad as what he put them through after they lost to Busoga Islands."
"Nope! Well, I'm gonna go sleep this off. You go home at some point!"
"Sure thing. See ya."

[Ranoria]

Cutoff for the Ranorian Half!

So who's stadium is the most hopeless place?

Group E

Bongo Johnson 6–12 Abanhfleft
Banija 54–26 Kavanis

P  Group E                    Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 Banija                        3   2  1  117  71 +46    0.667
2 Kavanis                       3   2  1  123  89 +34    0.667
3 Abanhfleft                    3   1  2   54  90 −36    0.333
4 Bongo Johnson                 3   1  2   44  88 −44    0.333

Group F

Delaclava 30–13 Venmere
Sarzonia 26–0 Kyhun

P  Group F                    Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 Delaclava                     3   3  0   67  27 +40    1.000
2 Sarzonia                      3   2  1   53  27 +26    0.667
3 Venmere                       3   1  2   49  53  −4    0.333
4 Kyhun                         3   0  3   10  72 −62    0.000

Group G

Chromatika 30–3 United Adaikes
Kohnhead 32–34 Mon Sold

P  Group G                    Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 Mon Sold                      3   2  1   69  71  −2    0.667
2 Chromatika                    3   2  1   80  50 +30    0.667
3 Kohnhead                      3   2  1   96  79 +17    0.667
4 United Adaikes                3   0  3   37  82 −45    0.000

Group H

Quebec and Shingoryeo 27–14 State of Imperial Russia
South Newlandia 35–9 Saint Kanye

P  Group H                    Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 Saint Kanye                   3   2  1   87  52 +35    0.667
2 Quebec and Shingoryeo         3   2  1   81  90  −9    0.667
3 South Newlandia               3   2  1   98  78 +20    0.667
4 State of Imperial Russia      3   0  3   46  92 −46    0.000

[Mon Sold]

Mon Sports!

Domestic and International Sports Wire from the Grand Duchy!

Team        Q1   |   Q2   |   Q3   |   Q4
Strikers     0       7        24       3
Brains      16       9        7        0

Strikers squeak out a victory over the Brains!

By: Hannelore Hintzen
KOHNHEAD CITY, Kohnhead - Coming off a recent defeat against Chromatika the Strikers arrived in Kohnhead City intent on recouping their losses. Coach Nereo Dykstra had been adamant after the team's recent loss that hope for continued advancement in the World Bowl was entirely possible, delivering a passionate speech with his typical fiery personality over radio broadcast to fans gathered eagerly in cafes. The match was set to take place in Chicken King Stadium and the weather was ideal even if a overcast sky threatened (but never delivered) on rain showers. The coin toss would see possession handed initially to the Brains. The first quarter was entirely dominated by Kohnhead, with the star really being the team's Quarterback, Bryon Joseph, who proved that his previous injuries had clearly not slowed him down. Joseph maintained control of the ball and dominated the Mon Soldian defense with a tight and controlled passing game that left defense coach Severin Jonckers spitting piss and vinegar. The first touchdown would be an almost telegraphed short 15 yard pass to Wide Receiver Ezekial Edwards, followed up by successful 2 point conversion rush completed by Herman Whitworth. Sent reeling back this initial opening play the Strikers was caught off balance and failed to stop a final drive just before the end of the quarter that saw yet another successful pass touchdown by Bryon Joseph, this time to William Carey. The second quarter was little better for the Strikers had possession of the ball kept swinging back and forth with our own Quarterback Jost Freid throwing no less than 3 interceptions. One of these interceptions led to a successful 73 yard run return by Safety Shane Holman. Swinging on this success the Brains followed this up with a successful 2 point conversion carried by Herman Whitworth.

The only saving grace of the entire first half was during the last drive before halftime when Jost Freid shifted gears, abandoning his throwing game and pushing the ball down the field with calculated rush plays made by Albino Coste. This strategy would leave Albino under heavy guard by the time the Strikers made it into the red zone, but a quick shift to Fullback Judikael Orellana allowed him to hammer into the defensive line and just barley make it over the line before the clock ran out. A successful extra point saw Mon Sold put some kind of score up on the board. Halftime seemed to be a pivotal moment for the team as whatever miasma surrounded them during the first and second quarter seemed to be lifted. The team that came out for the second half was not the same one that went in.

If the first quarter was dominated by the Brains than the third quarter was essentially owned by the Strikers. Following up on their successful run game the team seemed to focus heavily on Coste and Orellana alternating rushing plays between them and maximizing their gains. A successful breakout play and 22 yard rushing touchdown by Orellana signaled a shift in fortunes. Coste would prove instrument by making key plays that helped push the ball downfield where a shift saw Wide Reciever Santiago Alo make his first World Bowl touchdown with a successful 11 yard catch in the end zone. The Brains began to take the momentum back during the last few minutes of the quarter their offense steadily, but slowly making gains down the field. But a sudden collapse of their offensive line and a fumble saw Linebacker Edgar Villa pick it and run it back for a 37-yard touchdown. Kohnhead would retake possession of the ball and towards the end of the quarter manage a successful long distance (42 yard) passing touchdown caught by William Carey. Still with a comfortable lead the Brains dug in and shutdown a promising drive downfield that turned what could've been a touchdown into merely a field goal.

Both teams entered the fourth quarter with tensions running high. Neither team was able to really gain the momentum here with interceptions made by both sides and solid drives sputtering out before they could reach critical mass. With only 35 seconds on the clock our boys managed to push just inside of field goal range and score the critical points needed to carry them over the line. The Brains retook possession of the ball and despite excellent usage of their timeouts were unable to make enough headway to get into field goal range themselves. With the hard fought match over, the final score of 34-32 left Mon Sold the victory.

[Sarzonia]

The pressure of having to prove oneself can be overwhelming regardless of when it falls on you.

Gavin Davis knows that pressure well. He felt it as the Sarzonian national gridball team’s signal caller, even during the “glory years” of Sarzonia in the sport, which saw the Stars advance to four World Bowl finals in six competitions. It won two of them, defeating and losing to both Bluth Corporation and Delaclava.

He feels it now as the manager of the team after taking over suddenly from the fired Les Steckhall, first as interim manager, then as the permanent full-time boss. He’s guided the Stars into the knockout rounds the past two World Bowl qualifying efforts and even won a play-in match, but he still feels as though he has something left to prove.

That feeling also holds true for Cameron Stallworth, the current man under centre. He got off to a great start as teams suddenly were faced with a big, tall, mobile quarterback with a rocket arm after Sam Rosen was booted from the team. His team only generated seven points of offence in its opening match of World Bowl XLIV qualifying.

Stallworth is aware of his reply guys’ response to questions about his ability to efficiently run the Stars offence. Against Venmere, they dominated the line of scrimmage, controlling time of possession, and it didn’t matter that the score was a lot closer than anyone wanted, even though it was still a three-possession match. As for that opening match where the Stars only scored one garbage time touchdown? It was an away match to No. 2 Delaclava, who are not only one of the best gridball teams in the entire multiverse, but are also an archrival of Sarzonia’s.

The problem is, the offence bogged down too many times against Venmere resulting in a missed extra point by kicker Matt Vargas, who is usually automatic in that regard. It also resulted in uncharacteristic missed field goals by Vargas and four-and-outs that gave the ball back.

As for the match against Kyhun, Vargas didn’t get a chance to redeem himself. The team’s doctor approached Davis with news. Vargas tested positive for the SARS 2 novel Coronavirus. Fortunately for Vargas, he was fully vaccinated and only experienced a slight cough. However, by protocol, he was out for the match against Kyhun. Punter Evelyn Sutton would have to kick field goals and extra points in his absence, and Stallworth would be the holder.

That adjustment came back to bite the Stars in the first quarter as Sutton lined up for the kickoff after her 26-yard field goal gave the Stars the lead. Her first kickoff went out of bounds, giving Kyhun the ball on the 35-yard line after a penalty. Fortunately for Sarzonia, Tyler Paige’s defence forced a three-and-out. Hayden Gregory was back to return the punt and she took it back for a 76-yard touchdown. Stallworth kneeled down in position to accept the snap for Sutton to add the extra point. She missed badly, leaving Sarzonia ahead nine. As she stormed off the pitch, she was glowering at Stallworth.

“You didn’t spin the fucking laces!” she screamed within earshot of Davis. He jumped in.

“Don’t make excuses,” Davis said. “Focus on the kick.” He glared at Sutton as if to say, I don’t wanna hear jack shit from you. The Stars ended up winning the match 26-0 in front of a home crowd of 71,845 at Joe Gibbs Stadium in the first of a three-match home stand. However, the team won’t be playing all three matches at Joe Gibbs Stadium.

The next match for the Stars at home will pit the 10th ranked Stars against No. 2 Delaclava, but instead of the traditional home pitch, the match will take place at what amounts to Sarzonia’s national stadium, Dave Wilson Stadium and its capacity of 105,900. The football team already had to adjust to playing at Nottingham Pavilion, although with matches going on against lesser teams, it wasn’t as big a deal as playing, say, Audioslavia at Nottingham Pavilion would be. But the football team were complaining about the state of the pitch after Woodstock University defeated Northern Moravica in NSCF play.

Stallworth looked out at the field as he emerged from the tunnel leading back to the dressing room at Dave Wilson Stadium. The field was already lined for gridball. The white football goals had been removed in favour of gold painted gridball uprights. The field was lined with yard markers. One end of the pitch had navy paint with two helmets adorned with silver stars and the word STARS painted with silver paint in capital letters between the helmets. The other end of the pitch had a similar set up, only the name SARZONIA was painted between those helmets in the same silver paint.

Stallworth didn’t recognise the logo painted at midfield, and it took Davis himself to tell him the logo was the old one previously used to denote the Cyanea Kickoff Classic, the exhibition series of gridball matches from the glory days of the Big Three of World Bowls long past.

It was getting real. Real fast.

And the question of whether both men would get their coveted opportunity to truly prove themselves to the gridball-playing multiverse was about to be answered on this venerated field against a rival as old as tradition itself and as bitter as archrivalries go. Granted, there was also the close friendships that typically showed up after the hurly-burly of each match was done, after each contest was lost or won. But that congeniality would have to wait until after the final whistle had been blown.

Both teams had a job to do, and both teams wanted the win desperately to assert their dominance for this Phase 2 of the three-phase group stage. Sarzonia wanted to beat their archrivals in front of an extremely large navy and silver-clad fanbase. Delaclava wanted to steal the away match in front of their own sizeable contingent of purple and gold who would make trips of varying lengths to Dave Wilson Stadium.

A win for Delaclava? They would assume a two-match lead over second place, and while the nine-match group stage means they wouldn’t clinch a spot in the knockout rounds, it would mean a much tougher road for Sarzonia to get there themselves.

A victory by Sarzonia? They would even the series with Delaclava, resulting in both teams sporting 3-1 records. They would get the statement match that would allow Davis and Stallworth to feel as though they had proven themselves in their roles. They would signal that the second half of qualifying would remain a competitive affair and force the third meeting on neutral ground to tell a tale that wouldn’t be finished with this epic battle.

It was getting real. Real fast.

[Banija]

Serpent Eagles light up the scoreboard as they blitz Kavanis for a 54-26 victory in their home opener at World Bowl XLIV


Banijan WR Lafi Senghore uses a baseball celebration after a touchdown against Kavanis

LWANGA, BUGANDA- Welcoming the national team back to Lwanga felt like a dream come true for Lwanga residents- especially for such a big contest. "Battle for first place, even in the early goings- always something that I'll pay to see!" Said a fan that we found tailgating outside the stadium, two hours before kickoff. "Undefeated Kavanis, the same squad who has put up 97 points through just 2 games- I'm pumped for it." And Lwanga, like it always does, provided a huge home field advantage for the Serpent Eagles. Of course, considering the matchup, that is of no surprise. Many thought, originally, that this game be probably the easiest of the competition for Banija. Unranked nation nobody's ever heard of, in our home opener in week 3. Easy dub, right? Not a chance. Kavanis beat two ranked teams, including wrecked a Bongo Johnson team 43-0 that beat Banija the week before. And with a Fleftic win in a close, low-scoring contest earlier in the day, that meant the winner of this game would take early possesion of first place in Group A.

"One-third of the way through the group stages, I'm not worried about the table." Said the Head Coach. "We're out here trying to beat everybody. Kavanis has established themselves as the best team in this group through two games, evidenced by the fact that they are the only undefeated squad in this group. That is simply reality. We wanna be the best, and if we wanna be the best, we've got to beat the best. And that starts with beating a squad like Kavanis." Kavanis has quickly made a name for themselves, lighting up scoreboards all across the tournament. What was more surprising? Them going to Abanhfleft, led by sudden showstopper Joe Buchanan, and putting up 54 in a win over Abanhfleft? Or them showing that wasn't a fluke by blowing out Bongo Johnson? Whatever the answer was, it was the Serpent Eagles who would have the challenge of trying to slow down Joe Buchanan and co. And if they did it, of course- it would be the first time.

Now, what do they say a best defense is? A good offense. And on this day, the Serpent Eagles had more than a good offense- they had a great offense. They were always going to get after Kavanis, as we wanted to remind all these people, both inside and outside of the country, who the real favorites were to finish atop Group A. Our first drive of the ball game? A 12 play, 77 yard, 6:33 drive, that ended in Sello diving into the end zone at the back end of a four yard touchdown run. Shouldn't say just like that, but losing the coin toss wasn't so bad, was it? An early 7-0 lead for the Serpent Eagles. And we started to really put pressure on them after that. They would get 4 yards each, on back to back running plays. But on 3rd and 2, they called a play-action for Joe Buchanan. But he stepped up right into former NSCF superstar Birom Ogunsola, who brought him down for the sack.

Force a punt, and then we're back on the field. The drive was really shot forward by a 40 yard pass from Ifeatu Chineze to Kalu Alazar. Unfortunately, the Serpent Eagles weren't able to get all the way into the end zone, but that was OK. A 10-0 lead in the first quarter was always a great way to fire up the home crowd, in this dome. But that's when Joe Buchanan, who's been nothing short of excellent for two weeks, made his first mistake of the tournament. Kavanis were facing a 2nd and 15 at their own 20, after a false start, and then an incomplete pass. As Hall loves to do, he brought pressure- bringing the entire front 7. Almost a straight up engage 8, right? The idea, of course, is to have a free rusher. We had a free rusher, and Buchanan tried to force the football, off his back foot, to Réquan Stephens. "The Ballhawk" Makang Secka stepped in front of the pass, picked it off, and waltzed into the end zone.

The crowd was roaring. It was 17-0 in the first quarter, and Serpent Eagles fans absolutely could not be having a better day than this one. Buchanan would lead the visitors on a touchdown drive to start the second quarter, with RB Andres Horton diving over the top of the pile on a fourth and goal to net the visitors their first points of the game. 17-7. But the Banijans were ready to respond. They would need just 3 plays to respond, after Chinweuba Jelan returned the ensuing kickoff to the Banijan 42 yard line. A 15 yard toss to HB Kuenda Sello that would get the Banijans a first down, and more importantly- across midfield. Then, a 12 yard out route to Lamin Kah, for another first down. And then after that, a wheel route to Kalu Alazar, our slot WR. The Kavanis nickel back was simply never going to catch up with Kalu Alazar, and caught a perfectly thrown ball at the front pylon. Chineze's first TD pass of the day, 24-7 to the Serpent Eagles.

Both teams would score again during the second quarter. Joe Buchanan would lead his team down the field, throwing a 37 yard TD to Jamaad Baker with just 3 minutes left in the half, to make the score 24-14. But Ifeatu Chineze took that as a challenge. He went out there and operate the 2 minute drill like a surgical physician. If Kavanis had gotten a stop, they could've potentially made it a one possession game before the half. But that was not on the cards in this one. Facing a 3rd and 7 on the first series, Chineze threw a 15 yard skinny post, as he took a hit from a Kavanis DT. HE placed it perfectly between the corner and the safety, right where only Lafi Senghore could catch the football. At the end of the drive, it would be the veteran WR, Lamin Kah, who would have the fourth touchdown of the day, scoring on a corner route with 15 seconds left in the half. Our kicker missed the PAT, but that happens. We went into halftime up 30-14.

Kavanis got the ball to start the second half, and all they would need was one play. Expose the Banijan rush defense, eh? Leave it up to HB Andres Horton. First play from scrimmage of the half, at the 27 yard line. A simple halfback counter, right? But the Kavanese O-Line played it perfectly. They opened up a hole that was as wide as the red sea, and Horton hit the whole with speed. With brilliant second level blocking from his WRs and Tight Ends, 73 yards later, he had gone to the house, untouched. A 10 point game. Naturally, Kavanis went for 2 to try and make the score a one possesion game, but Essa Marong knocked Buchanan's pass down at the line of scrimmage so the 2PAT would fail. Still, an entire half left. And some momentum in a game that was 30-20.

But that's when the Serpent Eagles decided to put a clamp on the game. We had another long drive after their one shot drive. This one was 17 plays, 81 yards. We went a ridiculous 4/5 on third down. It took a stunning 7:30 off the clock- aka, half the quarter. On third and goal from the four, we had called a brilliant play-action for our tight end, Zedekiah Akoth. Akoth's defender was not fooled, however, and inside linebacker Josh Howard knocked the football away from Akoth. A drive that long, only to end in 3? While Hall surely wanted to go for it, he made the smart call- taking the points. From that point on, the rest of the game would be all Serpent Eagles. The offense staying aggressive, and Ifeatu Chineze taking to the skies- and being rewarded handsomely for it. Chinweuba Jelan caught a touchdown in the 3rd quarter, and at the end of Q3, the score was 40-20.

Doubling them up was not enough. In the fourth quarter, of course, it was no time to simply rest on our laurels- it was time to put the game to rest. Everybody knew how good Buchanan and co. could be. But the Serpent Eagles defense was lockdown. Cleaning up the run defense, and our corners on the outside going into lockdown mode. After that Andres Horton TD run to start the second half, the Serpent Eagles defense simply said no. Kavanis only got two first downs between that moment and the two minute warning, never once crossing the 50. Chineze's fourth TD pass of the day was a pass to Lafi Senghore. An incredible day for Banija's star studded WR corps- four different WRs having a receiving touchdown.

At that point, it was 47-20. And then, Buchanan threw another interception under pressure, this one to Koman Tabor. While Tabor was tackled at the Kavanis 23 yard line, Banija's starters on offense would come in for one last star studded series. Chineze would throw his fifth TD of the game. But this time, they got creative. They threw 37 year old MLB Isaiah Bryce at the TE spot. Showing power-I, they faked the handoff, and Isaiah Bryce was unguarded in the corner of the end zone. Chineze would loft it to him, and the veteran linebacker would catch his first career World Bowl touchdown. 5 TD passes on the day for Chineze, as it was 54-20. That was it for Banija's starters on offense, as the backups came in after that and simply ran clock. Kavanis' backups would score a TD against the backups on Banija's defense with 12 seconds left in the fourth, but missed the 2PAT. That left us our final score, a 54-26 victory for the Serpent Eagles.

Ifeatu Chineze, the star of the day, with 5 TD passes to 5 different WRs, was ecstastic. "We wanted to show the country, hell, the group- hell, the entire damn competition- that this offense has still got it in Banija." Chineze told reporters walking off the field. "It was a big game. Kavanis were undefeated, and sitting in first place in the group. They are going to be fierce competitors the whole way, as we try to finish top two and reach the knockout stages. And we showed them- they put up a shutout just last week. And yet, we lit them up for 54. We can score against anyone."

Banija improves to 2-1 in group play, joining Kavanis(2-1) atop Group A at the one/third mark. With Abanhfleft and Bongo Johnson both sitting at 1-2, Group A is starting out as the tightest group in the standings so far. Banija will play the second game of its three game homestand next week, when Bongo Johnson pay a visit to the Istria Olympic Stadium to take on the Serpent Eagles.

Kavanis @ Banija Game Summary- Turnovers and Scores

Game played at The Watering Hole in Lwanga, Buganda. Sellout crowd of 63,000.

First Quarter
09:20 BNJ TD- HB Kuenda Sello 4 yard TD run. PAT is good (7-0 Banija)
04:56 BNJ FG- 31 yard field goal by K Komani Achaje (10-0 Banija)
04:04 KAV INT- Kavanis QB Joe Buchanan pass is INTERCEPTED by Makang Secka, returned 28 yards for a TOUCHDOWN. PAT is good (17-0 Banija)

Second Quarter
13:12 KAV TD- Kavanis HB Andres Horton 1 yard TD run on Fourth and Goal. PAT is good (17-7 Banija)
11:44 BNJ TD- Banijan QB Ifeatu Chineze 31 yard TOUCHDOWN pass to WR Kalu Alazar. PAT is good (24-7 Banija)
03:01 KAV TD- Kavanis QB Joe Buchanan 37 yard TOUCHDOWN pass to WR Jamaad Baker. PAT is good (24-14 Banija)
00:15 BNJ TD- Banijan QB Ifeatu Chineze 17 yard TOUCHDOWN pass to WR Lamin Kah. PAT hits upright, no good (30-14 Banija)

Third Quarter
14:45 KAV TD- Kavanis HB Andres Horton 73 yard TD run. 2 Point Conversion attempt fails (30-20 Banija)
07:08 BNJ FG- 22 yard field goal by K Komani Achaje (33-20 Banija)
02:11 BNJ TD- Banijan QB Ifeatu Chineze 12 yard TOUCHDOWN pass to WR Chinweuba Jelan. PAT is good (40-20 Banija)

Fourth Quarter
12:24 BNJ TD- Banijan QB Ifeatu Chineze 27 yard TOUCHDOWN pass to WR Lafi Senghore. PAT is good (47-20 Banija)
11:01 KAV INT- Kavanis QB Joe Buchanan pass is INTERCEPTED by Banijan CB Koman Tabor, who is brought down at the Kavanis 23
09:42 BNJ TD- Banijan QB Ifeatu Chineze 2 yard TOUCHDOWN pass to MLB Isaiah Bryce. PAT is good (54-20 Banija)
00:15 KAV TD- Kavanis QB Adam Powell 32 yard TOUCHDOWN pass to WR Jakobe Caldwell. 2 Point Conversion fails (54-26 Banija)

Banija WINS 54-26

Offensive Statistical Leaders
Banija
Passing
BNJ- QB Ifeatu Chineze. 32/41, 416 yards, 5 touchdowns.
BNJ- QB Amazu Chibuzo. 1/1, 15 yards.

Rushing
BNJ- RB Kuenda Sello. 14 carries, 87 yards.
BNJ- RB Christopher Isto. 5 carries, 22 yards.
BNJ- RB Elasah Okumu. 5 carries, 17 yards.
BNJ- RB Philip Apondo. 2 carries, 6 yards.
BNJ- QB Amazu Chibuzo. 1 carry, 7 yards.

Receiving
BNJ- WR Chinweuba Jelan. 9 catches, 87 yards, 1 touchdown.
BNJ- WR Lamin Kah. 4 catches, 68 yards, 1 touchdown.
BNJ- WR Kalu Alazar. 9 catches, 154 yards, 1 touchdown.
BNJ- WR Lafi Senghore. 5 catches, 72 yards, 1 touchdown.
BNJ- RB Kuenda Sello. 4 catches, 33 yards.
BNJ- WR Berechiah Ramogi. 1 catch, 15 yards.
BNJ- MLB Isaiah Bryce. 1 catch, 2 yards, 1 touchdown.

[Kriegiersien]

Group C in World Bowl XLIV becoming a real nailbiter.

P Group C              Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win % 
1 Drawkland              3   2  1   93  44 +49    0.667
2 Gyatso-kai             3   2  1   73  75  −2    0.667
3 Kriegiersien           3   1  2   64  91 −27    0.333
4 StrayaRoos             3   1  2   63  83 −20    0.333

Old fashioned coach of the Kriegiersien dwarven team pretty angry to not be able to use ancient dwarven football equipment from Kriegiersien Football.


"If we are not allowed to use a Steamroller anymore, we have to release our orcish player. A pitty that we have to resort to such an ugly, bloody machine to win games."

[TJUN-ia]

After taking down Theofficaljapan in the home opener by only 10 points, many fans of the TJUN-ia Jaguars were in two frames of mind as we entered the first big game of the group stage. On the one hand, 2-0 was 2-0 and nobody was going to going to be complaining about an undefeated record anytime soon...but an aggregate score of 56-35 against unranked opposition does make some people nervous about how we would fare against opposition that has a lot more expectations. Gus McKerrin, of course, knew that stronger tests were to come in the near future and he hoped that his team would be up for those tests...but up next would be Round 1 with HUElavia, on the road no less, and some were worried that we could be exposed against Raphael Schneiderman's hot side.

In the end, home-field advantage certainly played a part here as the ravenous crowd here in HUElavia wanted to go 3-0 and there was almost nothing that was going to stop them. To be fair to this team, they certainly tried - Jake Griffin found Hubert Valois for our only TD and Chi On-Ma found both a PAT and a FG - so it's not as if we were useless in this contest...but HUElavia's defence was very solid, with players like Chidie Ogbonnia and Maximiliano Fernandino certainly very difficult to deal with, and that certainly allowed Maurício Pinto Machado plenty of time to fire some shots into our hearts. He found both Najeeb al-Zaman and Udo Obasie twice to certainly put the game to bed while Lutz Schulz was just about consistent enough to be passable - 3/5 overall, 2/4 on PATs and a 35-yard FG. In the end, we fell 29-10 in a well-deserved win for HUElavia...but all is not yet lost.

We will have 2 more chances against everything in our group, so slipping up in only 1 game isn't the end of the world at all. As long as we can fight and keep winning games, we can succeed. Rocky Canada make the trip to New Washington next time, so we hope to bounce back from there. GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group B)
MD1: @Rocky Canada (UR) W 27-16 (2nd/1-0)
MD2: vs Theofficaljapan (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 29-19 (2nd/2-0)
MD3: @HUElavia (17) L 10-29 (2nd/1-2/+2PD)
-------------------------Break-------------------------
MD4: vs Rocky Canada (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington
MD5: @Theofficaljapan (UR)
MD6: vs HUElavia (17) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington
-------------------------Break-------------------------
MD7: vs Rocky Canada (UR) - Ranoria
MD8: vs Theofficaljapan (UR) - Ranoria
MD9: vs HUElavia (17) - Ranoria