Kingdom of Dancougar College Football
Season capsules: Competition 2043/44, Classification 2044/45
Carnegie Tech's 2042 season hadn't been its best. At 5-8-1, they were good enough to capture second in the conference, and the margin of victory in their five wins was almost three goals. But if they had that kind of strength... why couldn't they turn more of those draws into wins? In other years, that might have been enough to creep into the tournament as an at-large, but there would be no breaks for a champion this time. Carnegie were out, and so too were any chances of defending their IUCC XIV crown, right?
Wrong. When the IUCC committee looked at the Dancougaran entrants, Friedmann College were thrown out and replaced by Tech, who were to have qualified as defending champions. Once they got to the tournament, they rediscovered their winning ways in the group stage, taking seven points from three matches to advance to the quarterfinals. Their compatriots at Amada were even stronger, winning all three. It was to be expected, said the analysts, from playing in the Big East, where the overall quality of play can be murderous even in down years. National champion Pine Bluffs, though, was badly exposed by this level of competition, as they failed to win a game.
In the knockout stages, Carnegie Tech were the first to fall, although Amada would go through to the final where they went up against Valanora's Hondo College. There would be no denying the quality of elven football on this day, as Hondo cruised to a 3-0 victory.
With entry deadlines for IUCC XVI coming before the 2044/45 season and tournament could be completed - fluid time is fun like that - the teams selected were based on their 2042/43 results. That meant that the next season would see teams play for a spot in the future seventeenth edition.
2043/44: Competition: Lunarossa set a new standard by putting four teams in the final Top 25 poll, the most of any conference, although critics immediately pointed out that it wasn't that impressive in a conference of fifteen teams as, say, the Big West's three out of nine the previous year. It was the usual suspect, University of Lunarossa, at the top, although joining them in the top five were some unfamiliar faces. The University of Juusenkitai were shock winners of the Big East; here was a team that had only won four games each of the last two seasons and bottomed out at 1-2-11 less than ten years ago. And they didn't just win the Big East, they obliterated it, finishing eleven pooints ahead of second-place Daikon Academy. Their achievement overshadowed the strong year by Barclay State, which had its first nine-win season in over twenty years.
Top 25
1 University of Juusenkitai 12-0-2, 25/12, 1st Big East
2 Shapiro State University 11-0-3, 31/15, 1st Shapiro CPL
3 University of Lunarossa 9-2-4, 38/23, 1st Lunarossa CPL
4 Barclay State College 9-3-2, 24/14, 1st Yuki CPL
5 Crane State College 9-5-2, 29/19, 1st South Central
6 Grandborough Tech 8-4-2, 26/18, 1st Shiba Valley
7 Baum State College 8-4-3, 24/15, 2nd Lunarossa CPL
8 Wenger College 9-3-4, 30/18, 1st Big North
9 Chastain College 9-4-3, 28/22, 1st Northern Plains
10 Thane College 8-2-4, 39/29, 2nd Shiba Valley
11 Waugaman City College 8-3-3, 27/18, 1st Red River
12 Morrison College 9-2-3, 29/11, 1st Metro East
13 Barynsk College 7-6-1, 27/18, 1st Igor Valley
14 University of Zorbados 8-6-2, 35/25, 1st Gilderome River
15 Branstein College 9-1-4, 30/23, 1st Helmut CPL
16 Friedmann College 8-4-4, 23/16, 1st Big West
17 Neville Island St College 8-4-3, 26/21, 3rd Lunarossa CPL
18 Regola University 8-2-4, 26/17, 2nd Red River
19 Koi Shores Technical College 8-3-3, 24/18, 1st Big Northeast
20 Okinomiya Academy 7-5-2, 15/ 8, 1st Kotaru CPL
21 Craig State College 8-3-4, 24/21, 4th Lunarossa CPL
22 Keats Island University 7-6-3, 32/22, 2nd Keats Island CPL
23 Fremont University 8-4-4, 27/23, 1st Keats Island CPL
24 Trafford Technical Institute 9-2-5, 32/21, 1st Sullivan CPL
25 Pollock College 8-2-4, 29/22, 1st Coastal Plains
Despite that, the Big East managed to get Daikon and third-place Jefferson into the tournament, where they had mixed results. Jefferson would go through after crushing Hinamizawa 5-1, but they would fall in the Conference Round. So, too, would Juusenkitai. Here, nobody was sure if it was the curse of the No. 1 ranking or just the fact that Juusenkitai, which had drastically overachieved during the regular season, were simply not up to the task against a solid perennial, Pollock. Lunarossa's four tournament teams were immediately reduced to two when Neville Island and Craig State crashed out in the first round. The most entertaining tie? That would have to be Angel Grove and Hazuki State. Nobody was sure what to expect of Angel Grove, but they were good enough for force Hazuki State to score five in the home leg to scrape through.
In the Conference Round, it was Juusenkitai bowing out as said before, and Barclay State were also exposed. They had the unfortunate luck to draw Lunarossa, setting up No. 3 and No. 4 in what was billed as the best fixture of the round. Not even close. Lunarossa win the road leg 4-0 and cruised at home 5-2 to produce a contender for the most lopsided result of the entire tournament - Shapiro State would have the last word on that. Onward, then, to the Sweet Sixteen, where Friedmann slapped around Pollock, apparently fuming about their IUCC omission and determined to prove a point by winning big in the tournament. There was another high-seed draw that pitted No. 2 Shapiro State and No. 3 Lunarossa, and this time it was much closer. A 3-1 home win for Shapiro State, though, was the difference.
Shapiro State established themselves as the favorites in the quarterfinals by romping over Donneley 8-0 on aggregate. Thane College also looked good, putting six past Shiba over two legs to win 6-1. But analysts were quick to point out that they hadn't played the strongest opposition remaining in the round, but that was the random draw for you. Fridmann kept going, though, 3-2 over Okinomiya. The other quarterfinal saw Branstein look the most impressive of the bunch, taking down Keats Island comfortably 5-2. They should have been the favorites, although Thane would beat them on penalties in the semifinals.
Friedmann were also into the semifinal and took on Shapiro State, and while they were undoubtedly playing to prove themselves, the only thing visible was the gap in talent between them and the opposition. Friedmann hosted the first leg and went down early, eventually losing 2-0. Shapiro State then won at home to set up a final with Thane, and they were expected to win their second tournament title. Thane, located in the northeast corner of Lunarossa but in the Shiba Valley league, had never made a final and were hoping to avoid getting blown out. They were pleasantly surprised when Shapiro State came out flat and they ran up a 2-0 lead en route to a 3-1 victory, giving
Thane College its first college title.
Short stay for collegians at SBCC: There were more victories this time around, and Dancougar did put a second team into the group stage. But once again, nobody was able to advance beyond it. Nevertheless, the quality of some of the early round victories was excellent, so that while Dancougar's college teams are always in over their heads by entering the SBCC, it's comforting to know that the depth of talent in Dancougar has remained fairly high, all things considered.
Rizzi College were happy to learn that the SBCC did not overflow as Amada had predicted when they jumped to the IUCC instead. Of course, placed in the first preliminary round, they and Barynsk had the longest possible road ahead of them. Things started brightly enough, with Barynsk squeezing past Aterro FC while Rizzi obliterated Starblaydia's Tribe Urjali 8-2 on aggregate. The reborn Starblaydia football system still has a ways to go, it seems, to recapture its former luster. But were Rizzi for real? In the next round, they blasted Pasarga's Paulinthal FC 5-1. Analysts were quick to point out that against most established leagues, Rizzi would be in trouble. Witness Barysnk's second-round defeat to Taeshan's Loachen Yellow Jackets.
Rizzi finally lost their pace in the third round and were dumped by Deportivo Peralta 5-1. Shiratori, though, made a splash in their opener, downing Daehanjeiguk's Sanseo by a combined 4-1. That put them into the group stage, where they joined champions Pine Bluffs. Now, Pine Bluffs had crashed out of the IUCC rather spectacularly... could they regain some face here? The answer was an emphatic no, as they managed a single point from six matches. Shiratori did much better, two losses at home killed their chances. They finished with seven points, one behind Melin & Nader, and were out.
2044/45: Classification: Barclay State were quickly back to medriocrity following their escapades the previous year, although the University of Juusenkitai were only two points out of third in the Big East and could very well have made the tournament if it weren't for their six losses. The committee has long been loath to grant an at-large bid to teams with that many, so it was when Alameda Academy, 7-5-4 and third in the Keats Island CPL, were granted a berth whereas the team above them in the standings, 9-1-6 Mountain View, were not. Helmut and the Kishin Delta had very strong years, as six of their combined fifteen schools made the Top 25. Would it translate to tournament success? By comparison, Lunarossa saw only one team make the tournament and none finish in the media poll. It was the result of an incredibly competitive season which saw only seven points separate 2nd place from 14th.
- Code: Select all
End of season media ranking in parentheses.
Asterisk denotes tournament bid.
Yuki Collegiate Premier League 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (21) Carling College 14 9 2 3 24 14 10 29 *
2 Carling Military Inst 14 6 4 4 19 15 4 22
3 Dancougar Royal Academy 14 5 5 4 25 18 7 20
4 University of Dancougar 14 6 2 6 28 22 6 20
5 Barclay State College 14 5 5 4 14 15 -1 20
6 Dancougar Army Academy 14 4 6 4 21 18 3 18
7 Yuki State University 14 3 6 5 15 21 -6 15
8 Kishin Academy 14 2 2 10 15 38 -23 8
Kishin Delta Collegiate Premier League 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (12) Fujiwara St College 16 8 5 3 32 25 7 29 *
2 (18) Eastport State Univ 16 9 2 5 24 17 7 29 *
3 (22) Port Royal Univ 16 8 4 4 29 22 7 28 *
4 Gabthley University 16 8 2 6 26 25 1 26
5 Raizon College 16 7 4 5 25 21 4 25
6 Kildare Maritime Academy 16 7 2 7 22 18 4 23
7 Nara College 16 5 3 8 22 28 -6 18
8 Weston Technical Inst 16 3 5 8 24 29 -5 14
9 Dancougar Naval Academy 16 1 5 10 20 39 -19 8
Shiba Valley Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (4) Thane College 14 11 1 2 30 17 13 34 *
2 Shiba State University 14 7 4 3 27 21 6 25 *
3 Pembrooke Academy 14 6 4 4 20 14 6 22
4 Lansing College 14 5 3 6 21 22 -1 18
5 Grandborough University 14 4 5 5 17 22 -5 17
6 Grandborough Tech 14 4 3 7 23 27 -4 15
7 Shiba Technical College 14 4 2 8 18 27 -9 14
8 Ochoa City College 14 2 4 8 17 23 -6 10
Coastal Plains Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (6) Southport City Col 14 9 3 2 21 14 7 30 *
2 Yuki Technical Institute 14 8 2 4 26 16 10 26 *
3 Mandrake City College 14 6 3 5 22 25 -3 21
4 Hinata Academy 14 5 3 6 23 26 -3 18
5 Hale University 14 5 2 7 22 25 -3 17
6 Pollock College 14 4 4 6 23 23 0 16
7 Kanata State College 14 5 1 8 22 23 -1 16
8 Yuki State - Helmsley 14 3 4 7 18 25 -7 13
Hazuki Collegiate Premier League 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (24) Hazuki State Univ 16 8 5 3 28 23 5 29 *
2 Ouran College 16 8 4 4 27 21 6 28 *
3 University of Hazuki 16 7 4 5 25 24 1 25
4 Kimstown City College 16 5 8 3 27 25 2 23
5 Mugen Bend State College 16 6 5 5 18 16 2 23
6 Kasai Academy 16 6 3 7 18 17 1 21
7 Chester Academy 16 3 8 5 25 27 -2 17
8 Briggs College 16 3 6 7 21 27 -6 15
9 Beresford College 16 1 7 8 13 22 -9 10
Big Northeast Football Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Foster College 14 7 4 3 26 19 7 25 *
2 Muddy Banks State College 14 7 3 4 29 17 12 24 *
3 Koi Shores Technical Col 14 6 3 5 24 28 -4 21
4 Port Vigilance City Col 14 6 2 6 26 26 0 20
5 Dyson College 14 5 3 6 27 26 1 18
6 Maribito University 14 5 3 6 19 20 -1 18
7 Northeastern Masato Univ 14 5 3 6 27 29 -2 18
8 Zane Island State College 14 3 3 8 20 33 -13 12
Shinobu Valley Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (10) Callihan College 14 9 2 3 28 15 13 29 *
2 Brackston College 14 7 4 3 21 18 3 25
3 Reyes Academy 14 5 4 5 21 19 2 19
4 Deimon City College 14 5 4 5 18 18 0 19
5 Shapiro State - Dawes Pte 14 5 4 5 17 17 0 19
6 Maehara University 14 4 6 4 21 23 -2 18
7 Shinobu State University 14 2 6 6 14 22 -8 12
8 Akiba College 14 1 6 7 12 20 -8 9
Helmut Collegiate Premier League 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (19) Granger Island Col 14 9 1 4 20 11 9 28 *
2 (23) Schwartzer College 14 9 1 4 25 18 7 28 *
3 (25) Branstein College 14 8 3 3 29 15 14 27 *
4 Jena College 14 5 3 6 21 21 0 18
5 University of Helmut 14 5 3 6 19 19 0 18
6 Lake Gandor State Univ 14 4 3 7 19 25 -6 15
7 Helmut State University 14 3 4 7 20 32 -12 13
8 Kimei Academy 14 4 0 10 20 32 -12 12
South Central Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (8) Kinnikun College 16 8 6 2 30 22 8 30 *
2 Shikibu Northwestern 16 7 4 5 29 25 4 25
3 Shiratori University 16 6 5 5 28 24 4 23
4 Derry College 16 6 5 5 30 30 0 23
5 University of Shikibu 16 6 4 6 23 25 -2 22
6 Benton College 16 4 7 5 23 27 -4 19
7 Crane State College 16 5 3 8 27 28 -1 18
8 Leona College 16 4 6 6 22 26 -4 18
9 U of Shiba - Grandborough 16 4 4 8 23 28 -5 16
Red River Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (3) Rizzi College 14 8 6 0 32 17 15 30 *
2 Masato State University 14 6 5 3 26 22 4 23
3 Hyland College 14 6 4 4 21 18 3 22
4 Waugaman City College 14 6 2 6 25 25 0 20
5 Regola University 14 4 4 6 14 24 -10 16
6 Raymaley College 14 2 9 3 23 26 -3 15
7 Meadowridge University 14 3 4 7 23 22 1 13
8 Seanor City College 14 1 6 7 23 33 -10 9
Big West Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (9) Univ of Desugaia 16 9 4 3 31 23 8 31 *
2 Friedmann College 16 7 5 4 26 17 9 26 *
3 Mount Fujiko State Coll 16 8 2 6 21 16 5 26
4 Eastern Desugaia Univ 16 6 4 6 18 19 -1 22
5 Air Force Academy 16 6 2 8 21 25 -4 20
6 Inbit College 16 5 4 7 18 19 -1 19
7 Randall College 16 5 4 7 18 22 -4 19
8 Pine Bluffs State College 16 6 1 9 23 29 -6 19
9 West Valley College 16 4 6 6 24 30 -6 18
Lunarossa Collegiate Premier League 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Forbes College 15 7 6 2 23 20 3 27 *
2 Wightman College 15 6 6 3 21 23 -2 24
3 Shuuei Academy 15 6 5 4 22 20 2 23
4 Craig State College 15 5 7 3 22 16 6 22
5 Lunarossa State Univ 15 5 7 3 22 18 4 22
6 Neville Island St Coll 15 6 4 5 20 16 4 22
7 Baum State College 15 5 6 4 18 13 5 21
8 Morewood Technical Inst 15 6 3 6 24 21 3 21
9 Stanwix College 15 6 3 6 26 25 1 21
10 Lakeport University 15 6 2 7 20 21 -1 20
11 Negley Run Academy 15 5 4 6 22 23 -1 19
12 Shadyside Academy 15 4 7 4 20 21 -1 19
13 Aiken College 15 5 3 7 18 21 -3 18
14 University of Lunarossa 15 3 8 4 33 34 -1 17
15 Bouquet College 15 3 4 8 18 30 -12 13
16 Bigelow University 15 1 7 7 19 26 -7 10
Big North Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (11) Kotetsu Tech 16 10 1 5 23 15 8 31 *
2 (13) Baptista College 16 7 7 2 33 19 14 28 *
3 Billick College 16 8 3 5 21 17 4 27
4 Hibiki University 16 8 1 7 16 21 -5 25
5 Wenger College 16 7 2 7 29 24 5 23
6 Kabuto University 16 6 2 8 19 29 -10 20
7 Gotei College 16 4 5 7 19 23 -4 17
8 University of Masato 16 4 4 8 17 24 -7 16
9 Tetsuya State College 16 4 3 9 25 30 -5 15
Metro East Football Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (5) Porter College 14 11 2 1 26 6 20 35 *
2 Wean State College 14 7 5 2 27 17 10 26 *
3 Doherty College 14 7 3 4 23 18 5 24
4 Morrison College 14 6 0 8 23 26 -3 18
5 Hornbostel University 14 4 3 7 21 26 -5 15
6 Purnell College 14 4 3 7 13 20 -7 15
7 Cyert Technical Institute 14 3 5 6 14 19 -5 14
8 Hamerschlag University 14 2 3 9 13 28 -15 9
Igor Valley Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (1) Katya City College 14 10 3 1 30 11 19 33 *
2 Pearson University 14 6 3 5 24 20 4 21
3 Barynsk College 14 6 3 5 20 26 -6 21
4 Darrough University 14 4 5 5 21 21 0 17
5 Earlsburg College 14 4 5 5 25 26 -1 17
6 South Kotaru State Univ 14 5 2 7 15 20 -5 17
7 University of Igor 14 3 5 6 16 20 -4 14
8 Andrews College 14 4 2 8 24 31 -7 14
Big East Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (14) Vartla City College 14 9 1 4 21 12 9 28 *
2 (16) Amada University 14 8 3 3 28 20 8 27 *
3 Daikon Academy 14 7 2 5 21 16 5 23
4 Mainstead City College 14 6 4 4 23 19 4 22
5 Sanders College 14 6 4 4 22 18 4 22
6 University of Juusenkitai 14 7 1 6 22 23 -1 22
7 Amesborough College 14 5 6 3 17 16 1 21
8 Chirico College 14 5 5 4 19 18 1 20
9 Masaharu College 14 5 3 6 19 21 -2 18
10 Seiei University 14 5 2 7 22 21 1 17
11 Marble Cliffs State Col 14 5 2 7 17 21 -4 17
12 Konoha Academy 14 5 1 8 19 22 -3 16
13 University of Fujiwara 14 4 3 7 17 26 -9 15
14 Moore-Worth College 14 3 4 7 16 22 -6 13
15 Jefferson College 14 3 3 8 19 27 -8 12
Shapiro Collegiate Premier League 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Shapiro State University 14 8 1 5 22 19 3 25 *
2 Bremley College 14 7 2 5 29 20 9 23
3 Souichiro City University 14 6 3 5 21 23 -2 21
4 Eimoto College 14 5 4 5 16 15 1 19
5 Gekiban College 14 4 6 4 20 20 0 18
6 Karin Technical School 14 5 2 7 19 22 -3 17
7 Canton College 14 5 2 7 13 16 -3 17
8 Castillo University 14 4 4 6 19 24 -5 16
Kishin Plains Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Frickstowne College 14 7 4 3 27 19 8 25 *
2 Carnegie Technical Inst 14 6 5 3 25 13 12 23 *
3 Clay Academy 14 6 4 4 26 24 2 22
4 Bloomfield College 14 6 4 4 23 24 -1 22
5 University of Shiba 14 5 3 6 18 14 4 18
6 Montefiore College 14 5 2 7 20 25 -5 17
7 Buhlsborough City College 14 3 5 6 12 22 -10 14
8 Herron University 14 3 3 8 13 23 -10 12
Kotaru Collegiate Premier League 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (15) Hinamizawa College 14 8 4 2 26 18 8 28 *
2 Irie City College 14 9 0 5 29 19 10 27 *
3 Akasaka University 14 7 2 5 22 20 2 23
4 Takano University 14 6 4 4 21 16 5 22
5 Okinomiya Academy 14 5 3 6 21 21 0 18
6 Furude College 14 4 4 6 16 23 -7 16
7 Kotaru University 14 4 2 8 18 26 -8 14
8 Ryuugu Academy 14 2 3 9 15 25 -10 9
Gilderome River Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 University of Gilderome 16 9 1 6 26 27 -1 28 *
2 Portola City College 16 7 4 5 31 22 9 25
3 Stoneridge University 16 7 4 5 27 22 5 25
4 University of Zorbados 16 7 3 6 18 22 -4 24
5 Vasco College 16 6 5 5 21 16 5 23
6 Murrieta University 16 6 2 8 19 24 -5 20
7 Shadow Cliffs State Col 16 5 4 7 25 23 2 19
8 Concannon College 16 5 4 7 18 22 -4 19
9 Pleasanton College 16 4 5 7 18 25 -7 17
Northern Plains Conference 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (7) Akatsuki University 16 9 4 3 24 16 8 31 *
2 (17) Chastain College 16 8 5 3 31 18 13 29 *
3 Misamaru College 16 7 3 6 30 26 4 24
4 Stoneridge Technical Inst 16 7 2 7 27 23 4 23
5 Donovan Academy 16 6 5 5 27 30 -3 23
6 Daigoji College 16 6 2 8 18 25 -7 20
7 Gilderome State Univ 16 5 4 7 28 27 1 19
8 Big Mountain State Col 16 5 2 9 21 29 -8 17
9 Angel Grove State College 16 4 3 9 21 33 -12 15
Shikibu Collegiate Premier League 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (2) Monagham St College 14 10 2 2 35 15 20 32 *
2 Ledesma College 14 7 1 6 19 21 -2 22
3 Donneley College 14 7 0 7 23 21 2 21
4 Nikkei Academy 14 6 2 6 29 26 3 20
5 Ogasawara City College 14 6 2 6 19 21 -2 20
6 Stoddart-McLean College 14 5 3 6 25 25 0 18
7 Port Gintoki University 14 4 3 7 17 27 -10 15
8 Ladsdburg College 14 3 3 8 19 30 -11 12
Sullivan Collegiate Premier League 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Mifflin College 16 8 3 5 30 24 6 27 *
2 Coraopolis University 16 7 4 5 27 23 4 25
3 Trafford Technical Inst 16 5 7 4 30 29 1 22
4 Wexford College 16 5 6 5 27 30 -3 21
5 Sullivan State University 16 5 6 5 24 29 -5 21
6 Monroeville College 16 5 5 6 28 27 1 20
7 Kensington University 16 5 5 6 18 19 -1 20
8 Glassport City College 16 4 6 6 30 29 1 18
9 University of Sullivan 16 4 6 6 20 24 -4 18
Keats Island Collegiate Premier League 2044
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 (20) Redwood City College 16 8 5 3 26 20 6 29 *
2 Mountain View State Col 16 9 1 6 29 27 2 28
3 Alameda Academy 16 7 5 4 29 23 6 26 *
4 Millbrae University 16 7 3 6 23 24 -1 24
5 Keats Island University 16 6 5 5 22 21 1 23
6 Hayward College 16 5 5 6 21 21 0 20
7 Berkeley State University 16 6 1 9 27 26 1 19
8 Fremont University 16 5 4 7 17 19 -2 19
9 Richmond College 16 3 3 10 16 29 -13 12
So Mountain View were of course upset by the lack of a tournament berth, while Billick and Wightman also felt like they deserved a closer look. Again they bemoaned the apparent favoritism given to former champions like Carnegie Tech, who made the field despite an average 6-5-3 record. Wean State's berth out of the Metro East was also questioned. Yes, they only had two losses, but they came in the Metro East. But the field is the field, and the only optioned left to the snubs was to watch and hope for the "undeserveds" to get beaten in the first round.
Friedmann College 4-0 (#23) Schwartzer College
Wean State College 5-4 Shiba State University
Yuki Technical Institute 4-3 (#22) Port Royal University
(#18) Eastport State University 3-6
(#17) Chastain College(#13) Baptista College 3-1 Carnegie Technical Institute
(#25) Branstein College 2-5
(#16) Amada UniversityOuran College 3-6
Alameda AcademyIrie City College 4-2 Muddy Banks State College
Carnegie Tech duly bowed out, but Wean State did well to win 3-2 on the road in order to top Shiba State. If anything, it was looking like the Kishin Plains and Helmut CPL had been overrated. Schwartzer? Blanked by Friedmann. Branstein? Crushed by Amada. There were tears all over the twin cities of the east when both Port Royal and Eastport were beaten, so of those much-lauded "six out of fifteen", all of the at-large entries were bounced in the first round. Ouch.
(#7) Akatsuki University 3-1 (#1) Katya City College
(#13) Baptista College 5-4 University of Gilderome
Foster College 2-1 (#14) Vartla City College
Callihan College 5-1 Alameda Academy
Frickstowne College 3-3 (#12) Fujiwara State College
(#11) Kotetsu Tech 2-1 Friedmann College
(#24) Hazuki State University 3-1 (#15) Hinamizawa College
Irie City College 2-2 (#16) Amada University
Yuki Technical Institute 3-6
(#17) Chastain CollegeMifflin College 5-6
Wean State College(#8) Kinnikun College 4-0 (#9) University of Desugaia
Shapiro State University 4-2 Forbes College
(#19) Granger Island College 0-2
(#2) Monagham State College(#4) Thane College 3-5
(#20) Redwood City College(#6) Southport City College 7-3 (#21) Carling College
(#5) Porter College 5-4 (#3) Rizzi College
And then the champions of the Kishin Delta and Helmut CPL were finished off, too. Monagham State, a former world champion which had pounded the Shikibu CPL into submission, won both legs by 1-0 scores. Fujiwara State came closer to advancing but were ultimately beaten on penalties by Frickstowne. There was no shortage of entertaining football elsewhere, where the random draw produced No. 1 vs No. 7 (where, once again, the number one seed was out early), No. 8 vs No. 9 (Kinnikun rolled over Desugaia), and No. 3 vs No. 5 (Porter's 3-2 home win being all the difference). Wean State seemed to have taken all the pre-tournament criticism to heart and continued to be the most entertaining team of the tournament, beating Mifflin 6-5 after surviving a scare on the road leg.
Irie City College 4-0 (#5) Porter College
Callihan College 2-6
(#13) Baptista College(#11) Kotetsu Tech 6-6
(#17) Chastain College(#24) Hazuki State University 3-0 (#7) Akatsuki University
(#8) Kinnikun College 1-4
(#20) Redwood City College(#6) Southport City College 3-1 (#2) Monagham State College
Wean State College 6-1 Foster College
Frickstowne College 3-3 Shapiro State University
Monagham State bowed out, but Wean State were running rampant, scoring three goals in both legs against Foster. And with the draw conspiring to eliminate some of the better teams, there was real talk of them going the distance. Of course, some teams just played dreadful football, like Porter against Irie City. Chastain and Kotetsu Tech produced the most entertaining tie of the round, with both road teams winning their matches. Chastain's 4-3 victory was offset by a 3-2 result that forced penalties, and in the shootout, who else but Chastain were going to win it?
(#24) Hazuki State University 5-4 Irie City College
(#6) Southport City College 5-3 Wean State College
(#17) Chastain College 7-2 (#20) Redwood City College
Frickstowne College 2-4
(#13) Baptista CollegeWean State were finally undone by Southport, but at least they went down fighting, to the tune of 5-3. Southport's 3-1 home win was the difference, and although they weren't able to deliver a win for their own fans, Wean State were applauded off the pitch at the end. Chastain were now looking like the favorites after hammering Redwood City by scores of 4-1 and 3-1. But a familiar name was also present in the bracket... Hazuki State. Although they weren't the offensive juggernaut they were in previous seasons, they were playing solid football and were getting goals at crucial junctures rather than folding.
(#6) Southport City College 6-3 (#17) Chastain College
(#13) Baptista College 2-3
(#24) Hazuki State UniversityAs soon as Chastain were pegged as favorites, the floor fell out from underneath them, and Southport rolled with a pair of three-goal performances to advance to the final. It would be their second appearance; the first was a 1-0 victory over Kishin Academy nine years previous. Their opponents were Hazuki State, who once again played smart football. A 2-0 home victory overcame a first-leg deficit and they were into their third final. They'd lost the previous two; would this be the same?
GRAND FINAL(#6) Southport City College 3-4
(#24) Hazuki State UniversityNobody could ever fathom why Hazuki State had never won a title. Statistically, they were one of Dancougar's elite programs. A third of their seasons had resulted in at least ten regular season wins. They had produced some of the most feared striking talent in the country. And for all that, they had never won the big one. They would always choke in the tournament, no matter how far they got. The monkey was gone. Southport City could not hold a 2-0 lead and Hazuki State used a three-goal second half to earn their first long-awaited tournament crown.
Dancougar announces international qualification: The Kingdom of Dancougar nominates four college teams for the SBCC and three for the IUCC. Do to a timewarp, teams for the upcoming IUCC XVI have already been chosen, so these are the tentative entrants for IUCC XVII.
IUCC1: #24 Hazuki State University (national champion)
IUCC2: #13 Baptista College (College Alliance selection)
IUCC3: Wean State College (College Alliance selection)
SBCC1: #24 Hazuki State University (national champion)
SBCC2: #6 Southport City College (national runner-up)
SBCC3: #1 Katya City College (regular season #1)
SBCC4: #17 Chastain College (fan voting)
Unlike Amada before them, Chastain decided to take a chance on the size of the SBCC field and kept the fourth slot that they earned in fan voting. There were some rumors that Katya City might actually vacate their third slot and thus bump Chastain up, but nothing came of it. The College Alliance was left to fill in the IUCC field, and they went with Baptista and Wean State for their admirable runs through the tournament.