World Bowl XLI Everything Thread

by **Saint Kanye** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 10:24 pm

Victory is sweet. Revenge is sweet. What about victory in a revenge match? Double sweet.

During the first matchday of World Bowl XLI, the South Newlandia Elephants made headlines and stunned the world as they won literally their first game of international gridiron, 9-6, over the world's #12 squad, the St. Kanye Surge. However, since then, the Surge were able to rebound quickly as they won their next three games, while the Elephants failed to bank on the momentum from their upset win, dropping all of their next three assignments. And now, the day of their rematch. The South Newlandians looked to end their losing streak and sweep their much tougher foes. However, the Kanyeans weren't having any of it, prevailing 25 to 3 in front of a sellout crowd at Pencurve Electronics Field in Kardashia, St. Kanye.

"You gotta hand it to the boys," Surge head coach Jeff Delphine said. "They've only gotten better and better since that opening day loss. If we keep going on like that, nothing and no one's gonna stop us on our way to the playoffs."

1Q STK Sherman 32 run (Rasputin kick) STK 7-0
The home team scored on their opening drive with running back Noah Sherman barreling through a wall of defenders for six (seven counting the extra point from Kicker of the Tournament contender James Rasputin).

2Q SNL field goal 35 Corbett STK 7-3
The score wouldn't change until the second quarter, with the visitors getting on the board, but thanks to the St. Kanye defense, it would only be for three points. On third and nine, Robert Stein threw a pass to Olaf Ramsey, who would catch it but get stopped by Aidan O'Connor less than a yard from the first down. The Elephants, instead of going for it, went for the Abdul Corbett field goal.

2Q STK field goal Rasputin 53 STK 10-3
Later, Rasputin would respond with his own FG, this one from beyond midfield. He had done the same in the Surge's previous game, a 40-27 home win over Kohnhead, though that was longer by four yards.

3Q STK Dobler 70 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 17-3
Faced with third and 11 on their own 30, Linetti turned to his trusty receiver Bruce Dobler to help him move the chains. But Dobler did more than just that, jumping over a downed J.J. Norton and running all the way to the endzone for a two-possession Surge lead.

4Q STK Jeffers 24 pass from Linetti (Linetti run) STK 25-3
Early in the fourth period, Simon Carver forced a fumble on Elephants fullback Mark Downs at the SNL 34-yard line. Hansel Jones then dove on the pigskin, giving the Yeezies good field position; two plays later, Linetti would find tight end Hussein Jeffers for his second TD pass of the day. Wanting to shake things up, they would go for two and succeed, Linetti himself running the ball in.

The result of the match made it four wins for St. Kanye and four losses for South Newlandia since the opener, keeping them in the Group E lead and cellar, respectively. In the other match in the group, Kohnhead (3-2) downed the Desiccated States (1-4) in a low-scoring 10-7 affair; the Surge will visit the latter next, after a bye day. "I hear they [the Desiccants] have purple turf over there. It's a good thing we wear white on the road, or we would have been totally invisible," said Linetti. The last meeting between the two sides was also St. Kanye's first win of the season as they prevailed 13-nil.

In other groups:
- The Chromatika Iron Legion (3-2), our hosts, put the Abanhfleft Armored Revolutionaries (2-3) in hot water, sending them down to fourth in Group A after a 27-17 result.
- The Gamaliel State University team, representing the country of Tumbra, upset the Squidroidia Flyers 17-13 in Group B. GSU improve to 2-3, while the Flyers fall to 3-2.
- Geektopia (4-1) silently put up the biggest win of Matchday 6, a 53-7 massacre of Hebitaka (1-4).
- The Cassadaigua Fillies remain unbeaten at 5-0, stopping the Sarzonia Stars 16-3 and keeping them at second with a 3-2 card.
- The TJUN-ia Jags become the tournament's only other 5-0 team with their 23-9 victory over Greater Vakolicci Haven. GVH, like the Stars, fall to 3-2.
- Northwest Kalactin (3-2) boot Sword Island (0-5)out of playoff contention, 23-nil.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MD | Opponent               | Rank | Uniform       | Score   | Record | Place |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1  | @South Newlandia       | UR   | White/White   | L 6-9   | 0-1    | 3rd   |
| 2  | BYE                    |      |               |         |        | 5th   |
| 3  | The Desiccated States  | UR   | Purple/Purple | W 13-0  | 1-1    | 2nd   |
| 4  | @Ko-oren               | 4    | White/Purple  | W 19-10 | 2-1    | 1st   |
| 5  | Kohnhead               | 30   | Purple/Black  | W 40-27 | 3-1    | 1st   |
|    | BREAK                  |      |               |         |        |       |
| 6  | South Newlandia        | UR   | Purple/Black  | W 25-3  | 4-1    | 1st   |
| 7  | BYE                    |      |               |         |        |       |
| 8  | @The Desiccated States | UR   | White/White   |         |        |       |
| 9  | Ko-oren                | 4    | Purple/Purple |         |        |       |
| 10 | @Kohnhead              | 30   | White/Purple  |         |        |       |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

by **Chromatika** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 10:36 pm

Are you on the verge of qualifying or elimination? Let us see! Matchday 7 Cutoff!

Matchday 7

Eliminated nations in RED

Group A Bye: HUElavia
Silvedania 0–13 Chromatika
Abanhfleft 10–0 Ranoria

Group A                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Ranoria                                           5    4   1   121   63  +58
2 Chromatika                                        6    4   2   117   78  +39
3 HUElavia                                          5    3   2    83   62  +21
4 Abanhfleft                                        6    3   3    95   72  +23
5 Silvedania                                        6    0   6    40  181 −141

Group B Bye: Banija
Appalachian Nation 10–20 Squidroidia
Tumbra 19–10 Equestria

Group B                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Banija                                            5    4   1    79   12  +67
2 Squidroidia                                       6    4   2   100   71  +29
3 Tumbra                                            6    3   3    90  119  −29
4 Appalachian Nation                                6    2   4    70  108  −38
5 Equestria                                         5    1   4    40   69  −29

Group C Bye: Geektopia
Hebitaka 30–17 Augusticinia
Allamunnic States 13–12 Anthor

Group C                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Allamunnic States                                 6    5   1    69   52  +17
2 Geektopia                                         5    4   1   160   34 +126
3 Anthor                                            5    3   2    62   50  +12
4 Hebitaka                                          6    2   4    68  139  −71
5 Augusticinia                                      6    0   6    34  118  −84

Group D Bye: BohemiaIV
Xanneria 24–21 Cassadaigua
Sarzonia 26–17 Kriegiersien

Group D                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Cassadaigua                                       6    5   1   177   71 +106
2 Sarzonia                                          6    4   2   109  103   +6
3 Xanneria                                          6    3   3   123   99  +24
4 Kriegiersien                                      5    1   4    67  115  −48
5 BohemiaIV                                         5    1   4    57  145  −88

Group E Bye: Saint Kanye
South Newlandia 3–10 The Desiccated States
Kohnhead 15–9 Ko-oren

Group E                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Saint Kanye                                       5    4   1   103   49  +54
2 Kohnhead                                          6    4   2   138  113  +25
3 Ko-oren                                           5    3   2    46   37   +9
4 The Desiccated States                             6    2   4    50   63  −13
5 South Newlandia                                   6    1   5    42  117  −75

Group F Bye: Greater Vakolicci Haven
TJUN-ia 27–6 Saint-Domingues
United Volcano Isles 3–17 Drawkland

Group F                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 TJUN-ia                                           6    6   0   142   49  +93
2 Greater Vakolicci Haven                           5    3   2    64   46  +18
3 Drawkland                                         5    3   2    83   48  +35
4 United Volcano Isles                              6    1   5    41  117  −76
5 Saint-Domingues                                   6    1   5    56  126  −70

Group G Bye: Karditan
Smosh games 6–16 Royal Kingdom of Quebec
The Transmodian Commonwealth of New England 37–6 Saltstead

Group G                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 The Transmodian Commonwealth of New England       6    5   1   129   74  +55
2 Karditan                                          5    4   1    71   23  +48
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                           6    4   2   137   55  +82
4 Smosh games                                       6    1   5    18  115  −97
5 Saltstead                                         5    0   5    15  103  −88

Group H Bye: Northwest Kalactin
Sword Island 0–10 Mapletish
Delaclava 10–7 Newmanistan

Group H                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Delaclava                                         6    5   1   117   64  +53
2 Newmanistan                                       5    4   1    69   43  +26
3 Northwest Kalactin                                5    3   2    95   51  +44
4 Mapletish                                         6    2   4    36   72  −36
5 Sword Island                                      6    0   6    18  105  −87

by **Mapletish** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 6:14 am

Ball in Motion

The ball in motion
Brings the throbbing heart
By burning clove.
At length we shall shew
Above our different snow,
we draw from everlasting strength
Setting our place against a sacrifice
Making the common vengeance from our eyes
Upon our faces to the world of fire,
Sharing the fire of satisfied desire
Fans the upper air, nor bears the fire
Tossing the streams through our desires.

by **TJUN-ia** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:22 am

After we returned to action in style over in Greater Vakolicci Haven, the 5-0 Jaguars returned to the Field of Dreams in The Gardens of New Washington for the first time since the Kick of Dreams against the Kick Corps. Things were certainly looking good for the Jags at this point, especially since they controlled their own destiny and with GVH and Drawk having to face each other, but Gus McKerrin didn't care. He had been burnt too many times in the past, having opportunities at the playoffs slip from his fingers due to a lost game here and there, and so he made it his goal to drop as little as he could this time around. At 5-0, he's done a good job so far, but it will never be enough to satisfy the hunger in his belly and so, here against 1-4 Saint-Domingues, he certainly went all in once again.

The first half was certainly entertaining here in New Washington as the NAU becomes doubly-Gridiron mad with the debut of the Feathercaps of Trent State in a few days time across the water. It would see both teams scoring TDs and would warm the crowd here into this average TJUN-ian contest. Jake Griffin was on hand to score the first 2 TDs of the evening, both being caught by Jack Davidson in the end zone (12 and 14 yards respectively), but Chi On-Ma could only make 1 of the 2 extra points, making this contest 13-0. Saint-Domingue and Donatien Leclercq saw this as an opportunity and managed a TD of their own, François Houet running in 6-yards for the score, but Régis Popelin also missed his extra point making the score a weird 13-6 at halftime. The 2nd half would be plain and simple as TJUN-ia held their opposition to a scoreless half and scored two more TDs. The 3rd Quarter saw a defensive score as Drew McAllister intercepted a pass on their 23 and ran that into the endzone himself - complemented by the extra point. At 20-6 heading into the 4th, Allister Ghoulson made his expected appearance in this contest and even scored a TD, going for 34 yards via Chris Davidson with Chi on hand for another point as well. That was all she wrote for this contest, the Jags taking one more step to their first playoffs with the 27-6 win here in New Washington.

We are 6-0 and yes, that does feel weird to say out loud. How we got here is not important but what is important is how we compare to everyone else in this World Bowl. With multiple nations losing their undefeated streaks this weekend, TJUN-ia is now the only one left. Yes, you heard that right: TJUN-ia IS THE ONLY TEAM LEFT IN WBXLI THAT IS STILL UNDEFEATED. How that happened is hard to explain but the fact that now Gus McKerrin is the head coach of the only undefeated team in this competition is certainly something I didn't expect to say. Up next is the big game, too - the one that could send us to the Playoffs - as we head to Metropolon for the rematch with #6 Drawkland, a team hungry for revenge after that game in New Washington. Make no mistake, this is the biggest game so far. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group F)
MD1: vs Greater Vakolicci Haven (24) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 10-7 (2nd)
MD2: @Saint-Domingues (UR) W 13-3 (1st)
MD3: vs Drawkland (6) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 25-24 (1st)
MD4: @United Volcano Islands (UR) W 44-0 (1st)
MD5: BYE (1st/4-0/+58PD)
--------------------------BREAK--------------------------
MD6: @Greater Vakolicci Haven (24) W 23-9 (1st)
MD7: vs Saint-Domingues (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 27-6 (1st)
MD8: @Drawkland (6) - Metro Arena, Metropolon
MD9: vs United Volcano Islands (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington
MD10: BYE

by **Ranoria** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 11:15 am

Abanhfleft vs Ranoria: Fleftics Spoil Krauts's
Undefeated Season

Don't look now, but our dominant Krauts team faltered a little earlier than we've become accustomed to this season with a 10-0 shutout loss.

Abanhfleft earned a hard fought win after three straight losses Sunday, knocking off our previously untouchable Krauts ten zilch thanks to a stellar defensive effort. They managed to hold Ranoria to under one hundred offensive yards in the second half despite John Garrett's best efforts. Their pass rushers led the way, sacking Farmboy five times throughout the contest.

John Garrett at the post-game press conference, obviously disappointed in the team's and his performance. Garrett would end the day 17/30 for 159 yards and an interception

The game, if you couldn't tell just by the score, started at a crawl; they exchanged punts three times before Abanhfleft finally broke the deadlock late in the second quarter. The Fleftic squad managed to march down the field, but the Krauts front seven stopped them three straight times inside the two. Rather than take a chip shot field goal to get on the board, Abanhfleft made the bold move to go for the score, and they hammered it right down our throats to get the game's opening sc
ore.

Following that game-defining touchdown, both squads would commit turnovers on their next drive, with Abanhfleft getting stopped cold at their own 40 yard line. However, their decision to take the touchdown paid off. John Garrett lofted a ball to Johnny Farmer for a thirty one yard gain, Ranoria's biggest of the day, but our star tight end was stopped at the goal line. No problem we've got big Vice Jackson III lining up at tailback. Not so. Abanhfleft would go to 2/2 on goal line stands on the day, stopping the Krauts' bulky offensive line and monstrous tail back on four straight plays. Their reward would be the last posession of the half.

Abanhfleft's goal, of course, was to be able to tack on three more points right before halftime thanks to make it a two score game. It looked as if they, with no timeouts remaining, were going to run out of time after Angelo Gordon broke through for a big a sack on third down. But Glenn Poore, their quarterback, got up quickly enough to spike the ball stopping the clock with just a few seconds left, maybe enough for a big completion and a field goal.

With the half drawing to a close, Poore took a five step drop before dialing up a deep shot. Fortunately, CB Donnie Mandarin got a hand on it, and the ball would flutter in the air before hitting the ground just as the second quarter hit double zeros, but the tone of the match was set. As we feared before the first matchup, Abanhfleft's superior leverage and technique were giving our burly fronts all they could handle.

With the ball to start the half, our opponents came out ready to put it away, just as they'd tried to a drive before. Abanhfleft came out much sharper in the second half, marching down the field on the first possession and draining a nice seven minutes off the clock as they did, wearing our defense down with consistent, on schedule running and quick rhythm passes. Fortunately, a Zack Skinner tackle for loss and a second Angelo Gordon sack would stop their march just outside of field goal range.

The Krauts, of course, started with poor field possession. In what was one of our only two successful drives of the day, Ranoria got just close enough for a deep 54 yard field goal, desperately needing a score to get a hair of momentum on their side. But it wouldn't matter. Barry Chlorid, the best kicker in the country, didn't have quite enough leg. The ball bounced off the crossbar, rolling harmlessly on the ground along with our offense's dignity.

Abanhfleft? They punished the attempt at a comeback couple possessions later with a 41-yard field goal to finally get that two score lead they'd been fighting for all game with less than seven minutes to play.

But we weren't out of it by any stretch. With John Garrett at the helm, we still had enough time to have a chance to take the lead. But, yet again on a fourth-and-1 deep inside Abanhfleft's territory, we opted to go for it. The reasoning was solid. This late in the contest, we needed to be aggressive and take the touchdown if it was available. Another Vice Jackson III run, however, proved fruitless, stopped just behind the line of scrimmage. The turnover on downs led to a decent drive and a "here ya go," punt just after the two minute warning remaining.

On the first play of what was our last shot, John Garrett picked a bad time to throw his first interception of the season. Our quarterback had dialed up Mario Terrin deep down the sideline, but the wideout was unable to win what Garrett surely knew was a 50/50 ball and the game ended right there. After the interception, head coach Raul Nieler crouched down on the sideline and held his head in his hands for a moment, then stood up and snapped his clipboard right over his knee as he cursed in frustration. John Garrett, for his part, stared at the scoreboard in disbelief as he jogged to the sideline, and stood with his helmet on, head down, and hands resting on his hips for the remainder of the match.

Abanhfleft ran down the clock with ease after that, picking up the first downs they needed and taking a knee to secure what was the Krauts first loss in the group stage in more than two seasons.

"Obviously not how we wanted things to go," Garrett would say after the game, ""I don't have an explanation, I don't have any excuses. Abanhfleft beat us, they shut us down, and there's not much else to say. We've got more games to play though. Losing that streak is tough, but we're here to win world championships, not group stage matches."

Abanhfleft (3-3), with the win, just barely manages to stay in the hunt for the knockout stages. The Krauts, (4-1) will get a pick me up game against unranked Silvedania(0-5) to bounce back, but Chromatika (4-2) is nipping right at their heels to be the champions of Group A after this stunning loss. No one should worry about our upcoming matchup against Silvedania, but after dropping this away game, who's to say the same can't happen when we take a trip to HUElavia(3-2) a week later?

Now, that said, the biggest game of the group stage has become clear: Matchday ten, against Chromatika. The Krauts will finish the group stage hosting the Iron Legion in our very own Karmin-Falce Superdome in a game that very well could end up becoming the Group A Championship game.

Is John Garrett Playing Through Lingering Injuries, or is our Quarterback
Just Underperforming in Dramatic Fashion?

John Garrett at practice this week

With Silvedania as our next opponent, the Krauts will at least be able to avoid going into a true skid. Unless, god forbid, there's a real collapse going on.

That said, there's real questions to answer about this team. We brushed them under the rug what with our undefeated record and all, but John Garrett hasn't been producing much. Through five contests, he's produced at 80/114, 994 yards, with eight touchdowns and now an interception to his name. We've mentioned in previous articles that the team was running the ball with a ton of success early, but outside of a blowout against Chromatika, Garrett hasn't been able to step up to the plate and take the reigns when asked. A lot of the passing concepts he had a hand in installing don't seem to mesh great with Nieler's run game and previously utilized offensive scheme.

Look no further than our 17-14 win against HUElavia. Our hope had been that, once Vice Jackson III was stopped, John Garrett would be our secret weapon and light up the scoreboard. But even shifting to a more pass-oriented approach in the second quarter, and especially the third, it wasn't until the final period that Farmboy was able to really make any change to the game's outcome, with two touchdown passes in that span. He would end that contest with 229 yards, which is alarmingly his second highest of the season.

And while the passer has deflected questions about lingering issues from the 2024 domestic season (in which he missed six games, and openly played through a shoulder injury in the final ten), the question must be asked. This doesn't look like the Farmboy who terrorized the NSCF for three seasons. Nor does this look like the sensational, two time MVP John Garrett who led the Indianapolis Hogs to the league's first ever undefeated season and earning the Hogs the franchise's first championship, shattering the Ranorian passing touchdown record on the way.

No, this guy looks like 2024 John Garrett. The John Garrett who finished with an 18/12 TD/INT ratio and had easily the worst passing yards per game or overall rushing totals of his career. The Garrett who got picked off in a first round playoff loss. Despite all that though, the black "#7" emblazoned on every helmet on this team is a reminder of Derek McNair's legacy, and it brings up an interesting reminder: This squad went to the semifinals a season ago despite losing their star quarterback, and John Garrett even now is leagues better than Quill or Owens ever could have been.

The other trend we'd like to point out is that our national team went undefeated in the group stage in the past two seasons, only losing one game in those World Bowls, which of course were their last game of the season. If trends happen to hold up...who knows, maybe this loss was just the kick in the ass this team needed as a reminder that they aren't infallible.

You know how we like to end things: Go Krauts!

by **Delaclava** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 3:39 pm

DSGN.com Football

Late Conley field goal wins it for Delaclava
Phoenixes get home revenge on Rockets, move into first place

Kieran Conley extended his season long with a 53-yard field goal with 49 seconds to play, and Delaclava scored their biggest victory of the tournament to date, a 10-7 grind-out over Newmanistan in front of a packed Sullivan Stadium crowd in Quinniville.

For Conley, it was a chance at redemption after he previously missed a 38-yard attempt wide right in the second quarter. "In a defensive battle like this, I know I have to be ready to make the difference," the Corcorran Hammers All-Star kicker said. "I was grateful to have a second chance at the end of the game. I just had to forget all about the first one and do what I've always done." For the Phoenixes, it was their first top-10 win of the season, the second time in three weeks they have picked up the winning score in the final minute - after a last-second Kevin Alés touchdown from Taurus Wright beat the Sarzonia Stars in a 24-20 exhibition - and it at least momentarily puts the Phoenixes in first place in Group H, at a 5-1 record.

The first half seemed to be largely a battle of the defenses and the punters, neither side willing to give an inch. According to defensive coordinator Nate Hines, "We figured out quickly how the flow of the game would be. Our defensive line was getting good jumps, the linebackers were shutting down anything they tried over the middle... We wanted to get the job done as quickly as possible and make the Rockets D get back on the field." And to the extent that punters "put on a show", Delaclava's Oliver Kurzmann and Newmanistan's Nathan Sullivan truly did - each had four punts, all four times pinning the returners inside the 20 and twice inside the 5. For the Phoenixes' offensive part, coach Gorka Bielsa used Michael Willis and Wright in equal measure, but Willis was routinely hassled in the pocket by Dontae Riddick, who had three sacks, and Wright struggled to pick up running yards before getting stopped by the likes of Matthew Cora and Bryce Miller. It was Willis who finally settled in and led the Phoenixes on a 61-yard drive, working short passes to Alés and Chris Cardona. But stood still on the 21-yard line after Mateus Eldridge was robbed of a touchdown by an acrobatic deflection from Tate Weatherman, the Phoenixes opted for the field goal - and Conley shanked it ever so slightly, leaving the game scoreless on his first miss of the season.

"We weren't too worried," Wright said of the halftime mood. "Both offenses were opening up a little more, but we thought we were doing it better. So we just had to keep getting our looks." And indeed they did. Opening the second half, the Phoenixes got inside the redzone - a first for either team - on a Willis 56-yard pass to Andre Michel. The drive fell apart on a Willis interception to Weatherman in the endzone, but the Phoenixes would not be deterred, taking back the ball as Allan Tolliver stripped the ball from Rockets quarterback Brian Scanlon and Ben Dorman recovered. With only 28 yards to the pylons, Taurus Wright and company got in done in six plays, capped with a Mark Mayfield 6-yard run up the middle. As Newmanistan and Delaclava traded punts twice more, it seemed that the Rockets were on their last gasp, but after Tasunka Coleman was flagged for pass interference defending Stephon Sutton on fourth down, the Rockets seized new life and continued to attack Coleman and Jaxx Underwood. The corners seemed more hesitant to make a decisive play, and Scanlon found Sutton and Lucas Jackson for a combined five receptions in a row. With the Rockets inside the 10, the middle of the Phoenixes coverage was vulnerable and Scanlon found Geoffrey Poindexter on the flat for the tying 8-yard score.

Undaunted, the Phoenixes took the field to set up the potential winning drive. With Willis back under center, Dexter George had one of his better drives in getting around the end and picking up yards on the outside. Even as holding penalties by Colton Voigt and Hayden Day held back their progress, George picked up 42 yards on the drive to eventually get Delaclava past midfield. The Rockets defense, desperate to stop the Phoenixes spurred on by their cheering fans, sold out on containing George, but Willis could not find his range to Eldridge or Alés, stalling the drive at the Rockets 36. So it was the Conley field that gave the Phoenixes the 10-7 lead, and Scanlon couldn't find a way to advance the Rockets from their own 25 on the ensuing drive as time expired.

"It was a great game, a good test for all of us," Willis said. "There was a lot of background going into this one... but in the end, we're two evenly matched teams, we had the crowd on our side and the game went our way. Maybe we'll have the rubber match in Chromatika, and that'd be a lot of fun. They've brought out the best in us so far."

While Delaclava next has a bye week, Newmanistan will likely move back into first place with a win over Sword Island. Delaclava's chances of winning Group H are slim, since the Rockets' margin of victory, 30-24 in Week 2, was larger than this most recent low-scoring affair. But at the very least, the Phoenixes are now 1.5 games clear of third-place Northwest Kalactin and cannot be caught by Mapletish or Sword Island; the road to Chromatika is suddenly much better lit. Missing out on the group win simply means that the Phoenixes will have to go against a group winner, theoretically a higher-ranked team in the Round of 16. The primary objective, of course, is the qualification itself, and the Phoenixes aren't too concerned with whom they might face once they get there. The co-captain Alés said, "After today's game especially, we know we can beat high-level teams. We're a high-level team ourselves. That doesn't mean we can't lose to one of the title favorites, but we're surely not going to be scared of losing to them."

"First," he reminded, "we have to take care of the group. But if we've done that, there'll be sixteen teams left, and any of them can win it all. Why not us?"

Scoring Summary

Newmanistan     0 - 0 - 0 - 7 --  7
Delaclava	0 - 0 - 7 - 3 -- 10

1st Quarter - No Scoring
2nd Quarter - No Scoring
3rd Quarter
DEL - Mark Mayfield 6 yard run (Kieran Conley kick), 6:09.
4th Quarter
NEW - Brian Scanlon 8 yard pass to Geoffrey Poindexter (Justin Morris kick), 4:25.
DEL - Kieran Conley 53 yard FG, :49.

by **Cassadaigua** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 4:25 pm

Early Gambles lead to loss,
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

On the Fillies opening drive, Taylor Crimmins and company seemed to move down the field pretty well, and got the ball to the Xanneria three yard line. First and goal, Stacey Carlson seemed to punch it in for the touchdown, but a holding penalty on Cori Finney set them back. From the 13, Crimmins threw incomplete to Alexa Schultz, but on third down hit Kaitlyn Rogers up the middle for a nine yard game. Rogers was not able to break the tackle of Alex Tappernau, but on third and goal from the four, the Fillies went back to Carlson. She could only gain three, setting up fourth down from the one. Go for it was the plan! On fourth down, Lauren McReynolds called for a screen to Alexa Schultz, but Crimmins uncharacteristically air-mailed the pass too high. McReynolds, the offensive coordinator said later that, “Going for it wasn’t the wrong call, the play call was. We should have just run it.”

Cassadaigua contained the Maroons, and again marched downfield, but stalled at the Xanneria 14. On a fourth and two, Cassadaigua decided to go for it again, and this time, they would run the ball. Carlson unfortunately ran into the back of Bryce (not that Bryce) Cole as Xanneria’s JoMarquez Sainz got great penetration. Again, unsuccessful.

Following a Xanneria scoring drive that made it 7-0, a possession that moved into the second quarter would see a missed 55-yard field goal from Kiersten Baker. On that, head coach Megan Schuster blamed herself, “Kicking a 55-yarder there was not smart, we should have just punted to pin them deep. I admit, I was anxious to get something after our first two drives ended up in nothing, and then seeing the Maroons score, and I let that influence my decision incorrectly.” Inheriting good field position, Xanneria moved the ball just enough to get a field goal of their own to make it 10-0 with eight minutes to play in the first half. Finally, the Fillies did score a touchdown to cut the lead to 10-7 with 1:41 left in the half as Crimmins hooked up with Kaitlyn Rogers from 16 yards on a similar play to the one that did not work on the opening possession. However, another bad break occurred on the last second before the half hail mary by the Maroons when Sierra McMurray was called for pass interference in the end zone. Usually, we don’t get called for this, but even the best make mistakes, and this one of them. The inopportune penalty game Xanneria an untimed down at the one yard line, and instead of kicking the field goal, they went for the touchdown and punched it in, making it 17-7 in their favor at halftime.

To make matters worse for Cassadaigua, Xanneria received the ball to begin the second half, and got a long kick return from Lucky Comperelli, setting them up at the Cassadaigua 24. Yes, it should have been called back for a block in the back at the Xanneria 32, but otherwise the refs called a good game. Xanneria capitalized on this, and went up 24-7. This put the Fillies in a bind, as even though Taylor Crimmins engineered two touchdown drives to close to within 24-21, the fact that Xanneria took the big lead allowed them to run down the clock each time they had the ball, and when you keep the ball on the ground like that, you keep it away from Cassadaigua’s strength on defense. The team was not able to get any closer, and suffer their first loss of the campaign.

All in all, nothing much to worry about here, I don’t think, in the big picture. We still lead the group and play only BohemiaIV and Kriegiersien to close it out. We should win those games. The day ended up being a bad one for other unbeaten teams too, such as Ranoria and Newmanistan. TJUN-ia, taking advantage of their first World Bowl in the last three of not having us in the same group as them, is the lone unbeaten team right now. This Cassadaigua team had not lost in a while if you think about it, and maybe that led to some over confident play calls in the first quarter. If we got the touchdowns on them, then we are in a completely different situation at the end of this game. Sometimes, a game like this, that brings you back down to earth a little bit, can keep overconfidence from becoming a later problem.

by **Sarzonia** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:09 pm

The battle always felt like it was going to be between the Sarzonian national gridball team and Xanneria for the second knockout round berth from Group D. Beating world No. 1 and defending champions Cassadaigua felt like an impossible ask. Kriegiersien and BohemiaIV weren't expected to challenge the Stars for a position in the Round of 16.

The Stars did their part, defeating Kriegiersien 26-17 at Joe Gibbs Stadium in Woodstock to improve their record to 4-2 and stay ahead of Xanneria, which stunned the Fillies 24-21 to keep pace with the Stars.

"We still have to beat Xanneria in an away match," said quarterback Sam Rosen, who completed 11 of 17 passes for 146 yards and a 11-yard touchdown pass to running back Ty'Relle Clinton. "We beat them at our place and we expect they'll be playing with a sense of urgency because they'll be out of contention if they lose. Rosen also ran for a one-yard touchdown to give Sarzonia a 17-14 lead with 5:36 left in the second quarter.

If the Stars win the Xanneria match, they would improve to 5-2 and Xanneria would finish no better than 4-4. Xanneria will face Kriegiersien away after defeating them 13-0 on their home pitch on Matchday 3. A loss to Kriegiersien wouldn't necessarily eliminate Xanneria, as the Stars still have two more matches, including the home finale against BohemiaIV.

As for the Kriegiersien match, manager Les Steckhall said he was pleased with the team's improvement from the first outing against them.

"We were better at getting stops," he said. "We still need to do better at coming off blocks and getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks without blitzing. We got caught a couple of times downfield because we walked up an extra player to get in their quarterbacks passing lanes."

Clinton rushed for 166 yards on 33 carries, including a 46-yard touchdown that gave the Stars a 24-14 lead midway through the third quarter. Kicker Matt Vargas pinned Kriegiersien on their own two-yard line on the ensuing kickoff and their left tackle was called for holding in the end zone for a safety.

by **The Desiccated States** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:42 pm

Group E – MD7

      1   2   3   4   F
TDS  10   0   0   0  10
SNL   0   0   3   0   3
BOX                                                               		    TDS  SNL
  1 Sundew Twinklefeather 41 yard field goal  			                     3    0
    Ahnah Tuuluuwaq 8 yard pass from Jarntyr Mornwulf (Sundew Twinklefeather kick)  10    0
  3 Abdul Corbett 43 yard field goal  			                            10    3

“The landers are leaving the planetary surface.”

Threva sat back in the captain’s chair – in her chair. On the main viewscreen, a little swarm of vessels could be dimly seen. Even at low atmosphere ion pulse they’d be intercepting with the main ship in under a minutes.

It had become a little ritual for her to take a break from bridge duty and come down to greet the returning team, whether from Hangar Bay 1, or from a game down on the planet. Recently these meetings had grown increasingly strained, the team returning with few points and fewer healthy players each time. But today’s meeting would be a happier occasion: she could even detect positive emotions from the bridge crew around her. They’d watched some of the game on the viewscreen: the intricacies of the tactics escaped her, but she needed no translation to interpret Skaduwee’s joyous dancing when Ensign Tuuluuwaq caught the ball and ran into the colored section of the field.

“Lt. Núll, you have the bridge.”

A congregation of gray-blue particles began to materialize in a vaguely humanoid shape. Their vibrations sent an affirmative ripple through the air.

On her way down, Threva felt the joy around her as young children, too young to be allowed on the away mission down to watch the game, dashed past her, some carrying crude drawings or sculptures or isometric holo-projections – simple childish things! They depicted Ensign Mornwulf, who’d become something of a hero to the children. Other player, like Ensign Dahu, who’d snagged down an interception in the game to cheers from the bridge crew as they watched on the viewscreen, or Ensign Mirahorn, whose steadfast play had won over many of the Anthros who’d previously been hesitant about his racial ancestry.

A warble of vibrations informed her she had a communication being patched through.

“Dewspark.”

The harsh metallic rasp of Commander Xian’s voice. She shuddered, but kept her tone professional.

“Commander.”

She resisted the urge to correct them. The Metas and Aurors were having the hardest time adjusting to her assumption of the captaincy.

“I must speak with you on return to the ship.”

It was a strange request: the landing craft were just minutes out. Later today she had a meeting scheduled with the senior medical staff; while Dr. U-Mod-79c would no doubt dominate it with bleatings of concern about whatever latest injuries had been incurred during the game – Technician Nassatos had limped off after returning a kick, for example – but as Deputy CMO Commander Xian would certainly have their say.

“Lieutenant Commander, I’m waiting to meet all of you when you dock. Congratulations on your…”

“I must speak with you immediately on return to the ship. Your ready room. Meet me there.”

Dewspark bit her tongue. Aurors’ dismissive attitude was always written off as a product of their inability to read Anthros, but she suspected that Lt. Cdr. Xian knew exactly how rude they were being.

“Lieutenant Commander, I’ll be meeting you and the rest of the team in the Hangar Bay. If there’s anything you wish to discuss we can talk there, or at the medical meeting.”

“Captain,” came the sharp, tinny retort. Her eyes pricked up. “I have essential information I must transmit to you immediately in confidence.”

“Can’t you transmit it to me now?”

“Negative.”

She sighed. She wanted to be there to welcome the team. To celebrate with Lts. Chiasson and Nysathusa, congratulate Ensigns Mornwulf and Tuuluuwaq, speak with Technician Nassatos, revel in her old friend Sundew having made her kick.

“Captain. I must speak with you.” It was the first note of emotion she had heard in an Auror voice in – her lifetime. That pleading scrape of metal on metal.

She sighed, and stopped in the corridor. A child barrelled into her legs, bounced off, and kept running. It had left behind on the floor a simple finger-painting, depicting Mr. Rudd leaping into the air to catch a ball. His knack for interceptions – another two tonight – seemed to have won a great deal of acclaim from the crew, not all of them knee-high. She wasn’t sure how she felt about this development, but Lt. Cdr. Muskkukki assured her nothing was amiss in his behavior so far. She turned back and began trooping to her ready room.

“I’ll meet you there, Lt. Cdr.”

d, e, 10 minutes had passed, with no sign of the surgeon. Threva sat in her ready room, drumming her long fingers on the desk. It still had a few of Captain Hardbear’s personal effects: she hadn’t the stomach to get rid of the picture of his wife and children, yet. She knew the team had arrived: positive emotions swirled throughout the ship like a fog, drifting in even through her sealed doors. How she resented missing out on the hugs and cheers. She pictured Ensign Mornwulf hoisting a happy child onto his shoulders, the way the littlest ones would politely ask to be lifted onto Skaduwee to ride around the Hangar Bay in celebration. Was this some sick Auror trick, in spite of her?

No – a sudden shock rang out. A wash of negative emotions screamed through the ship, so intense she span in her chair. Fear, anger, even guilt. Something had gone terribly wrong.

“Bridge, report.”

Lt. Núll sent a shiver of vibrations through the comm channel that crystallized in her mind: something in the Hangar Bay. She took to flight.

The negative emotions were so strong as she approached that she had to slow her running, as though through a thick swamp. Children who were meant to be celebrating were cowering in fear. The security officers were coralling civilians away but she saw no weapons drawn. More disturbingly, it was not the tactical officers that were the focus of attention – but the engineers. She stepped onto the Hangar Bay.

The wreckage of one of the landers was strewn across the deck. The front half had landed intact, but the rear component had shattered as though a powerful explosion had ripped through it. Safety force fields flickered, but to her admittedly untrained eye there was no immediate structural damage to the Hangar Bay itself.

“Report,” she demanded to the seven senior officers and NCOs running up to her. All seven began reporting at once: with the emotional storm raging through the Bay, she couldn’t tune to any one voice. She silenced them with a wave of the hand.

“Chief.”

The bewhiskered flight deck manager reported. “Lander Kite suffered a systems malfunction when the doors depressurized. Repair teams on standby but no systems damage to the Poseider on first scan.”

“Lieutenant Commander?”

Muskkukki was bandaged – but that must have been from the game. “There was an energy spike 0.43 seconds after the doors began opening. Beyond that…” He shrugged, and looked like he regretted it; he was injured.

“Lieutenant?”

“I am detecting some negative emotions.”

“Thank you Lt. PH03B3.”

Threva spent a few minutes tending to the crew as best she could, dispensing positive emotions and offering words of consolation – and frustrated she could offer nothing more. She was a ship’s captain, not a ship’s counsellor.

The engineers had found nothing so far. Routine malfunction seemed to be the preliminary findings. The celebration had been redirected to the Crew Lounge. At least no one had been injured: there had been no organic matter found in the wreckage, which meant that although the head-count was yet to be fully completed amid the confusion…

Threva stood up sharply, inadvertently scaring the child she was attempting to comfort, as it sat sobbing on Ensign Silver’s outstretched paw.

“No organic matter in the wreckage?” she asked.

Chief Pasurıj’s furry head appeared from amidst a twisted engine scrap. “None,” she said.

“What about inorganic?”

The Chief gave her one of those what do they teach you in the Academy? looks that had withered so many officers over the years. Threva stood a little straighter and tried to ignore the smirk on Lt. Zaaqa’s face.

“Any unusual inorganic findings.”

The Chief summoned up a massive sigh and began running the scans. Her brow furrowed. Threva knew it would be a long wait if she didn’t prompt her.

“Chief?”

“Mercury, gallium, indium… I don’t understand. None of these component parts contain…” Threva had never seen the Chief flustered before, but to her credit, she realized only seconds after her captain did.

“Has anyone seen Lt. Cdr. Xian?” Threva called out. “Lt. Cdr. Xian, report…!”

by **Newmanistan** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 7:54 pm

THE ROCKET REPORT

PUTNAM LAKE PD INVESTIGATE HOTEL

By Taylor Larson,

As the saga continues to unfold concerning Bryce Miller and trying to make sense of the accusations, the Putnam Lake Police Department has had their own problem as they investigate the matter. Police Chief Alan Sonnenberg told reporters in the area that the SummerHill Inn, where Miller and Schaefer had stayed, had been uncooperative with them ever since the allegations began, providing very little information to them. This meant that the police had to get a search warrant, and this took longer than they wanted it too. Not because of any red tape, but because they wanted to make sure that they did everything right and did not leave any stones unturned. Detectives acted on the warrant last night.

“We have not had an easy time with the hotel, and things did not get any easier for us when serving the warrant,” Sonnenberg told news reporters, “we are very discouraged with the way that hotel management has treated us as we get to the bottom of the situation, or simply to get any information we can that can get justice for Jessica Schaefer. This difficulty continued as the hotel lost surveillance for the day in question, despite having it for every other day within the past six months.” Sonnenberg stopped short of saying that he believed the hotel may have deliberately erased the surveillance footage, though his comments seem to suggest that he believes they did, which is a reasonable conclusion for anyone to be making on this topic. Sonnenberg told us that the investigation will continue, but at this time they did not have any useful information that they could provide reporters.

While we are a sports publication here at The Rocket Report, we work closely enough with media outlets that cover a wide range of topics, and one of our sources pointed out that the SummerHill Inn in question is part of a six-hotel operation by franchise owner Harold Keenan. These hotels are mainly in the southwest, two in Putnam Lake and two in Southport, with two others in small localities between those cities. Keenan’s properties have been found guilty of several health code violations in the past, with all of receiving failing marks for issues of cleanliness and sanitary practices. Reviews for his properties online confirm that they struggle in these areas. We were also told that in the last three years, Keenan has had two other properties of his lose their SummerHill branding from the larger company. A representative from the corporate office of SummerHill Inn, based in South Charlotte, told The Rocket Report that, “Mr. Keenan has been one of our franchise owners for the last twelve years, and we are happy for the relationship that we have had. We don’t run the day to day operations of his hotels, so any problems that they have had should be addressed to him directly and not to us at Corporate. If our properties maintain a minimum level of service, then we are happy to keep them along.” The representative did not wish to talk about what it might have been that caused two of Keenan’s hotels to lose their branding, and I was told that, “I thought The Rocket Report was a sports publication, why do you even care?”

Why do we bring up all of this about the hotel in question? Well, a big part of the argument against Jessica Schaefer’s position is that nothing seemed to happen with this hotel. The hotel never called the police, and that there were no guests that apparently were alarmed with the issue. Maybe we should not be thinking this way. If this is a shady operation, and things are beginning to look that way right now with their refusal to cooperate with police and the probable erasing of surveillance footage on the day in question, then maybe the hotel does know something that they are just not telling people. Was there a noise complaint from this room? Did others want the police called? What was Bryce Miller’s demeanor in leaving the hotel bar that day? By the way, that hotel bar was fined a total of $25,000 in the last 12 months for selling alcohol to minors and had a two-month span where they lost their liquor license. The only way we are going to get more information is if other people that stayed there that night come forward. It was the night we drew with Tikariot in World Cup qualifying. We’re only a sports publication (according to SummerHill corporate), but maybe one of our sports fans that are reading this now stayed at the SummerHill on Division Avenue in Putnam Lake that night. Maybe you, like many other Newmanistanians, were in the hotel bar that night. If so, is there anything that you may remember about this? Naturally, if anyone does step up we will want some kind of proof that you did indeed stay in the hotel on that night.

Meanwhile, in Southport, the police there have tried to look into the Hannah Ramsey claim, but say that there were too many people in there and not enough camera angles to see where Bryce Miller’s hand may have been and that they don’t have an angle where they can see them from behind as they pose for the picture. Ramsey vowed that she will continue to fight for justice.

So will we. Is there anyone else out there? If so, if you all come together, you can get justice for everyone.

by **Chromatika** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 8:04 pm

Chromatik Football League, Season 2

Week 8
Qet Lynx 30–10 Brisara Juggernauts
Chromatik City Cyan 16–10 Knetyohai Icebreakers
Depri Sanar Battalion 3–7 Depri Lanar Turtles
Staramara Angels 3–0 Alnio Pirates

Week 9
Staramara Angels 24–10 Qet Lynx
Alnio Pirates 13–10 Depri Sanar Battalion
Depri Lanar Turtles 7–6 Chromatik City Cyan
Knetyohai Icebreakers 15–17 Brisara Juggernauts

Chromatik Football League    Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Staramara Angels             9    7   2   115   76  +39
2 Depri Lanar Turtles          9    6   3   118   82  +36
3 Qet Lynx                     9    6   3   133  103  +30
4 Brisara Juggernauts          9    5   4   134  132   +2
5 Alnio Pirates                9    5   4   104   95   +9
6 Chromatik City Cyan          9    5   4   118  103  +15
7 Depri Sanar Battalion        9    2   7    75  134  −59
8 Knetyohai Icebreakers        9    0   9    74  146  −72

Let's go through each team one by one, with five games left in the season:

The Angels are really hitting their stride mostly thanks to their defense. After shutting out the Pirates - Cara Setri with another monster game of eleven tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception - they held the Lynx - yes, those same Kenner Jones-led Lynx - to ten points. Don't look now, but the team from Chromatika's Gridiron Capital is starting to play like it, and may be serious contenders this year.

Remember after the third week when Deprí Lanar was 0-3? Me neither. The Turtles have been winning close and ugly, but with a defense that's conceded 39 points in the 6-game winning streak - that's good for less than seven points allowed per game, mind you - they're really making some noise. Credit Nikolai Dimitrov, another Felswyr State graduate immediately making a mark in the CFL.

Defending Champions Qet go 1-1 in this stretch of matches, and they are still living and dying by Jones's hand. He was precise in a 30-10 dismantling of Brisara, and then ran into the Staramara buzzsaw. It's not the level of dominance they had last season, but they're doing all right.

Brisara is really struggling. After losing handledy to Qet, the Juggernauts needed Fowler to carry the ball 31 times for 189 yards and two scores to put away a pesky Knetyohai. What would this team be without her?

Alnio remains the topsy-turvy self, going another 1-1; if they finish 7-7, it would be the most Pirate-like thing ever. At least Niles Mikaela-Jones is having another all-pro season.

The most disappointing team has to be the Cyan, who just can't keep Jill Kieran upright. Is it any surprise she threw three picks in the defeat to Deprí LAnar when she's being hit on almost every down? Cierra Oscar is having a bad time to have a down year, as the Cyan look mostly like an also-ran.

The Battalion showed a modicum of life, losing two close games due to their defense. They don't have any kind of stars, but they play hard, and they're way better than their 2-7 record.

As for Knetyohai, it'll be a miracle if they win a game at all. No team would go winless, right?

The Iron Legion in World Bowl XLI
Part 4: The Road Ahead

HUElavia's upset of Abanhfleft, Chromatika's upset of Abanhfleft, and Abanhfleft's dismissal of Ranoria's perfect run has severely complicated matters for Group A of the World Bowl. Let us take a moment to see where things are at for the four nations and the games they have left.

1. Ranoria (4-1)
Remaining Opponents: vs. Silvedania, @ HUElavia, vs. Chromatika
The Krauts have the easiest schedule left, and should still be the heavy favorites to win the group. With a nice bounce-back game against Silvedania first, their biggest challenge will be taking on a HUElavia team that's already taken one big victory on the road. Sure, the Iron Legion visit in the last Matchday, but that'll be from the comforts of their home venue.

2. Chromatika (4-2)
Remaining Opponents: vs. HUElavia, BYE, @ Ranoria
The Iron Legion's job is far from done. Yes, they're a game ahead of Abanhfleft, but they still have to play Ranoria. Abanhfleft holds the tiebreaker over Chromatika due to head-to-head point differential (+17). So, Chromatika needs to beat HUElavia and then hope HUElavia beats Abanhfleft again (no danger there as Chromatika would've swept HUElavia by then) or hope for a miracle upset of Ranoria. Complicated, complicated!

3. HUElavia (3-2)
Remaining Opponents: @ Chromatika, vs. Ranoria, @ Abanhfleft
For HUElavia, they have to beat Chromatika and Abanhfleft to realistically advance. Tough going.

4. Abanhfleft (3-3)
Remaining Opponents: BYE, @ Silvendania, vs. HUElavia
Despite Abanhfleft having three losses, the Revolutionaries are in decent position. They need to beat HUElavia and hope Ranoria takes care of everyone else. They have the H2H over Chromatika, which should help; also, beating HUElavia by more than 10 points will help.

Who will make it out? Conventional wisdom says Ranoria and Abanhfleft. We are still hoping for Chromatika to make it to home soil... somehow.

by **Saint Kanye** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 9:49 pm

Matchday seven of the forty-first World Bowl proved to be the day of upsets. The Abanhfleft Armored Revolutionaries prevailed over the Ranoria Krauts, 10-nil; the Xanneria Maroons outlasted defending champs the Cassadaigua Fillies, 24-21; and the Kohnhead Brains got their revenge over the Ko-oren Dragonflies, 15-9. Ranoria and Cassadaigua also saw their records blemished for the first time, leaving the TJUN-ia Jags as the only unbeaten side with six wins in as many matches.

The St. Kanye Surge were having their bye that day, practicing for their away game against the Desiccated States, but as soon as they were able to see highlights from all the upsets that went on, they watched intently. "It just proves that in the world of international sports, anything can truly happen," said Dan Shelby, the Kanyeans' offensive coordinator. "Also that every team, big or small, has something to offer when it comes to technique."

The Surge have had their share of games in unfamiliar and even hostile environments, but when they arrived in TDS, they thought the place really was something else. Cornerback Mason Schwartz took one look around his environment and exclaimed "Oh, man, am I dreaming right now?" Tight end/punt returner Greg Malloy added, "No, somehow this is all real, and trust me, I'm sober."

"Why are they all staring at us?" asked fullback Marco Jackson, referring to the locals, who are known as Desiccants. Center Gordon Ferguson replied, "You know how back in St. Kanye, everyone and their grandma was mesmerized by these aliens? Well, over here, we're the aliens."

"You know what, team, let's just focus on practice and beating these guys," said head coach Jeff Delphine. "You may think everything looks different, but their gridiron field is just like the ones we have back home. Except for the fact the turf is purple, of course, but all the measurements are exact to World Bowl specifications."

"You know, our team can use some purple turf. It's literally one of the team colors," said the Surge's other fullback, Nico Jackson, Marco's older brother.

"But we play in purple at home too. That would make us invisible," replied Chris Florence, the punter/kickoff specialist. "We'd have to go white at home and purple away. Oh, what the hell. Let's just go practice. We've got a game to win."

"Surge on three!" shouted wideout Bruce Dobler to everyone present. "One, two, three!"

"SURGE!"

by **Northwest Kalactin** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 11:03 pm

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Week 4-Halfway Point
We are at the halfway point of the scheduled plan to turn the Kalactanian nation into a fully governing nation. One of the largest parts of the phase, the businesses have started to buy private lands and started to turn them into government owned lands, where security forces have started to built theirselves into the said police force that they are trying to achieve. The overall cost of the project so far has been 64 Billion NSD, and the starting government spending is expected to be at a base of 361 Billion, which may force businesses to sacrifice their profits for a year or two, to support the government. The total cost of the rest of the project is expected to be over 500 billion, and the total net worth of the 39 Kalactanian Billionaires is 735 Billion, so spending will be tight, although they are committed to making this project happen.

Zac Johnson is soon expected to start his campaign, it is safe to say that the nation is in a Libertarian Phase right now, and that the government has already technically taken charge. Johnson says that “We must start campaigning to ensure that we are in charge when the new government takes charge this Winter.” On top of this, he mentioned that “When the new government takes place this fall, we plan to act swiftly in getting an official military and police force in place. These security companies have done a good job, along with the Quebecois armed forces, but we must create an organized force for us to have an organized nation.”

Wade Bradley, the so called “leader” of the Anarchy, has seen huge losses in his corporate ventures as of late. The Bradley Real Estate Company has had its stock drop by over 38%, and the business revenue has been taking a turn for the worse. Bradley has not been vocal lately, but he does state that if a new government is put in place, he encourages the people to revolt from the state and reform the Anarchy. Currently, that is very unlikely to happen, as the nation has been radicalizing lately, from an Anarcho-Capitalist phase, more into a Centre-Right phase.

Well, in a short summary, it’s going well. The Kalactanians have at this point, some sort of organization and a government is slowly taking place. It is estimated that we may make it to an organized nation even before the 2 month plan is finished. Anarchy has quickly been losing the popularity in the nation, and the Southern reaches are basically ready to start installing their provincial government right now. It may take another month or so before that happens, although it is certainly close at this point. This rapid acceleration has happened in just over the span of 6 months, and that fateful day that there was a meeting in the office of Zac Johnson, may be the day Northwest Kalactin, was changed forever.

by **Chromatika** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 11:44 pm

Is your luck running out, or just coming to fruition? Time to see in this Matchday 8 cutoff.

Matchday 8

Group A Bye: Abanhfleft
Ranoria 60–3 Silvedania
Chromatika 17–0 HUElavia

Group A                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Ranoria                                           6    5   1   181   66 +115
2 Chromatika                                        7    5   2   134   78  +56
3 HUElavia                                          6    3   3    83   79   +4
4 Abanhfleft                                        6    3   3    95   72  +23
5 Silvedania                                        7    0   7    43  241 −198

Group B Bye: Tumbra
Equestria 13–6 Appalachian Nation
Squidroidia 17–20 Banija

Group B                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Banija                                            6    5   1    99   29  +70
2 Squidroidia                                       7    4   3   117   91  +26
3 Tumbra                                            6    3   3    90  119  −29
4 Appalachian Nation                                7    2   5    76  121  −45
5 Equestria                                         6    2   4    53   75  −22

Group C Bye: Allamunnic States
Anthor 23–3 Hebitaka
Augusticinia 0–23 Geektopia

Group C                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Geektopia                                         6    5   1   183   34 +149
2 Allamunnic States                                 6    5   1    69   52  +17
3 Anthor                                            6    4   2    85   53  +32
4 Hebitaka                                          7    2   5    71  162  −91
5 Augusticinia                                      7    0   7    34  141 −107

Group D Bye: Sarzonia
Kriegiersien 16–17 Xanneria
Cassadaigua 27–0 BohemiaIV

Group D                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Cassadaigua                                       7    6   1   204   71 +133
2 Sarzonia                                          6    4   2   109  103   +6
3 Xanneria                                          7    4   3   140  115  +25
4 Kriegiersien                                      6    1   5    83  132  −49
5 BohemiaIV                                         6    1   5    57  172 −115

Group E Bye: Kohnhead
Ko-oren 23–0 South Newlandia
The Desiccated States 20–27 Saint Kanye

Group E                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Saint Kanye                                       6    5   1   130   69  +61
2 Kohnhead                                          6    4   2   138  113  +25
3 Ko-oren                                           6    4   2    69   37  +32
4 The Desiccated States                             7    2   5    70   90  −20
5 South Newlandia                                   7    1   6    42  140  −98

Group F Bye: United Volcano Isles
Drawkland 24–17 TJUN-ia
Saint-Domingues 14–7 Greater Vakolicci Haven

Group F                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 TJUN-ia                                           7    6   1   159   73  +86
2 Drawkland                                         6    4   2   107   65  +42
3 Greater Vakolicci Haven                           6    3   3    71   60  +11
4 Saint-Domingues                                   7    2   5    70  133  −63
5 United Volcano Isles                              6    1   5    41  117  −76

Group G Bye: The Transmodian Commonwealth of New England
Saltstead 14–13 Smosh games
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 12–6 Karditan

Group G                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                           7    5   2   149   61  +88
2 The Transmodian Commonwealth of New England       6    5   1   129   74  +55
3 Karditan                                          6    4   2    77   35  +42
4 Smosh games                                       7    1   6    31  129  −98
5 Saltstead                                         6    1   5    29  116  −87

Group H Bye: Delaclava
Newmanistan 30–7 Sword Island
Mapletish 14–17 Northwest Kalactin

Group H                                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Newmanistan                                       6    5   1    99   50  +49
2 Delaclava                                         6    5   1   117   64  +53
3 Northwest Kalactin                                6    4   2   112   65  +47
4 Mapletish                                         7    2   5    50   89  −39
5 Sword Island                                      7    0   7    25  135 −110

by **The Desiccated States** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 5:28 am

Group E – MD8

      1   2   3   4   F
STK   3  10  14   0  27
TDS   7   7   0   6  20
BOX										     STK  TDS
1   Silver Xin 1 yard rush (Sundew Twinklefeather kick)                                0    7
    James Rasputin 56 yard field goal				        	       3    7
2   Noah Sherman 5 yard rush (James Rasputin kick)                                    10    7
    Ahnah Tuuluuwaq 34 yard pass from Jarntyr Mornwulf (Sundew Twinklefeather kick)   10   14
    James Rasputin 52 yard field goal					       	      13   14
3   Hussein Jeffers 24 yard pass from R.J. Linetti (James Rasputin kick)              20   14
    Nico Jackson 19 yard pass from R.J. Linetti (James Rasputin kick) 		      27   14
4   Jarntyr Mornwulf 16 yard rush (kick failed) 			              27   20

The funeral service for Lieutenant Commander Xian Jie took place in Hangar Bay 1, the crew standing on the purple turf as Dr. U-Mod-79c read out a tribute. Few on the crew could truly have claimed to have known them well, but many had had cause to be treated by Lt. Cdr. Xian, and their tough-tackling play on the team had won additional fans in recent weeks; many tears were shed. Ms Dreralt played a moving piece, vibrating her leg-rocks to produce a high whine not unlike a fiddle being scraped. After saying a few words, Lt. Zaaqa turned to Lt. Boarsblood, who unleashed the torpedo pod carrying what remains Chief Pasurıj had managed to scrape from the wreckage. It disappeared into the black of space as Dreralt held a long, final, chilling trill. Crewman Pitralle let loose a cry of grief and fluttered up into the rafters of the Bay. Lt. Deithornel took flight to find and comfort her old friend.

While sorrow was the prevailing emotion, there was confusion bubbling below the surface. Around half the crew had some form of empathic ability, but even those that did not could see the emotions written clearly on the Captain’s face. Not sorrow. Anger. The tight-jawed rage of Commander Dewspark, one normally given to maudlin lectures on the importance of friendship and teamwork, frankly scared many of the crew. The passengers understood the interpersonal dynamics at play less well, but could easily tell that the Captain’s approach was making everyone uneasy. Alone among them stood Chief Pasurıj, who understood the source of this fury. She overheard Technician Terberis quietly congratulating Ms Dreralt on her performance, saying it was a shame it had taken such a terrible accident to give him the opportunity to hear her sing.

The engineer never had long to wallow in her thoughts: she muttered into her beard as she noticed Cadet Vevkano starting to cry, and hurried over to patch up the deck, which was starting to dissolve beneath ħer as the acid tears burned struck the deck and burned through. But as she was busy working, she did grumpily reflect on the Crag’s comment. This was no accident. She was so busy on her repair-work she did not notice a glowing blue face snap around the moment the thought registered.

For appearance’s sake, Threva had held off on approving the away mission, grounding all landers until a full systems check could be performed. In reality, she strongly suspected that the explosion had not been caused by some engineering failure. But she didn’t wish to signal this to the wider crew. After the appropriate interval had passed, she’d given her blessing to Lieutenant Commander Nonopalet. Safe behind a force field, she watched as his shuttlepod, carrying him, Lieutenant Commander Hammerman, Lieutenant Satarov, and Crewman Oebrid, took off and blasted through the launch hatch. Sure enough it took off smoothly, without a hitch. What had happened was not a random EM spike. It had been targeted.

Lt. Hendra entered the Bay. Ħe dipped ħis antennae in salute, then scuttled closer, presenting her with a PADDD summarizing ħis findings. She scanned it quickly. Concision was not ħis forte, especially when lacking a hive mind to focus ħis thoughts; halfway through the lengthy excursus on cryptography her eyes began to fog over.

“In plain Desiccant, if you will, Lieutenant.”

“The files have been overwritten, Captain. But I cannot recover the original.”

Threva frowned. Her suspicions had been aroused when reviewing Xian’s personal logs – an intrusion, perhaps, but with a murder investigation on her hands, a necessary one. The last two stuck out: they had not been written by them. She could tell, instantly, not from an examination of the code, but from the wording. Xian had been unusually complimentary about her. It must have been a rush job, as anyone who’d been able to get into their files and rewrite them should have been able to review the older entries, full of scathing invective and characteristic Auror bluntness about her abilities. Whomever had rewritten the files had done an excellent job matching Xian’s tone, but had not understood that in their personal logs, Xian would never have written anything positive about Threva. Lt. Hendra’s findings confirmed her gut feelings, and she clucked her tongue in irritation.

“You must be able to find something.”

A compound eye winked unsettlingly at her as Lt. Hendra twisted ħis head about in remorse. “I cannot. The level of cryptographic skill involved exceeds even my own.”

Ħe did not need remind her ħe was the most skilled computer engineer aboard the ship. Well. The most skilled among the crew anyway. But out of everyone currently calling the Poseider home…?

“60% of the time, it works every time.”

Ensign Lardet’s eye-stones widened slowly. He was impressed. He handled the small vial gingerly, then returned it to Rudd’s rather softer hands. His voice was like a whetstone being polished.

“I do not have the credits.”

“Credits? Look where we are! What use are credits to any of us? Don’t worry, it’s yours. All I ask in return is–”

“Whatever it is, don’t pay it.” Lt. Maano’s deeply accented voice cut in. Rudd winced: if only Crag didn’t walk so slow, they might have completed this transaction before they walked smack into the scariest looking security officer in the galaxy.

“Pay? Why Lieutenant, I would be outraged at the suggestion had I not by now acquainted myself to the perpetual anti-Sprite prejudice endemic among this crew. I was merely about to ask the Ensign for–”

Maano was lightning fast, and snatched the vial from his hand. They held it up to a narrow red eye-slit. “He told you it was, what, a drug? Medicine? Something of value?”

Lardet hesitated, but withered under Maano’s angry glare. “A love elixir,” rumbled the Crag, his cheek-stones starting to oxidize in shame.

Maano chucked, and crushed the vial between their fingers. “Worthless junk. Don’t waste your credits.”

“As I was telling my partner in this private business transaction–”

Maano did not explain further. They grabbed Rudd and lifted him into the air, then began hauling him away, leaving Lardet to ponder the ruins of the vial. The Crag turned his head each way to check no one was looking, then reached down and rubbed his finger-stones in the little puddle of liquid. He dabbed it into his neck-stones, and turned around to plod off in search of Grurbokh. Rudd’s protests grew distant quickly: not because of the Crag’s slow gait, but because of the pace at which the burly Halcyon was dragging him.

Not to the brig, though. When they bypassed Deck 4, Rudd grew thoughtfully quiet. He was positively jubilant by the time he was being thrown through the doors of the ready room.

“Why Captain, I–”

He grew distinctly less jubilant on seeing who was sitting next to the captain, and remembered that Maano was only the second scariest looking security officer in the galaxy. Lieutenant Commander Muskkukki unfurled a hand full of razor sharp talons.

“The Captain has a request. I suggest you comply…”

by **Sarzonia** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:25 am

The best case scenario for the Sarzonian national gridball team will be no easy task.

Facing the 18th ranked team in the multiverse in an away contest, Sarzonia must either win or draw to avoid either sweating out tiebreaker procedures or facing elimination from World Bowl XLI knockout round contention.

Sarzonia find itself in this predicament after defeating Xanneria in a 9-7 contest at Joe Gibbs Stadium courtesy of three Matt Vargas field goals, but manager Les Steckhall knows a lot more is riding on this contest.

“We know we can guarantee our spot in the knockouts if we win this one,” he said. “Xanneria are 4-3 and if they win, we would have to win our final match at home against BohemiaIV to get into tiebreaking procedures.” Procedures that would depend greatly on the result of the match. If Sarzonia and Xanneria finish level in the tables, the tiebreaking procedures following wins and head-to-head results include head-to-head point differential, overall point differential, which currently favours Xanneria (+25 to +6), then a coin flip [OOC: I know it's RP bonus, but I needed something IC to say rather than "RP bonus," so I went with that].

About the only result other than a Sarzonia victory or a draw that would help the Stars (5-2) is a loss by one point, which would then give Sarzonia the head-to-head point differential tiebreaker. A two-point victory by the higher-ranked side would then favour Xanneria unless the Stars rout BohemiaIV.

Quarterback Sam Rosen said the team were focused on getting the only result that would guarantee their place in the knockout rounds.

“We want a victory. No more, no less,” he said. “To do that, we need to do a better job of executing on offence.”

Defensive coordinator Kyle Hadley said his unit also needed to be better, even though he was encouraged by signs of improvement from both the Cassadaigua match in Brattleboro and the Kriegiersien match at Gibbs.

“We held the top ranked team in the multiverse to 16 points,” he said. “We also allowed fewer points against Kriegiersien in the return leg than we did at their place. We need to continue to improve our form to get the result away against Xanneria.”

Running back Ty’Relle Clinton added that he and the offensive line gathered at his hotel room to go over game film and they believe they’ve nailed down some deficiencies in blocking techniques.

“We saw a few tendencies that were hurting us in the run game,” he said. “Plus, some things in the passing game we could also nail down to be better. We’re pretty confident we can get those things squared away.”

by **Saint Kanye** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:55 am

World Bowl XLI, Matchday VIII. It's a matchup between two teams that couldn't have been more different. On one side, the Desiccant national team. An assorted mix of genders and species who have never played gridiron before joining this tournament. On the other, the St. Kanye Surge. Fifty-three human males, basically what the average person would picture when asked to describe a gridiron squad. They've been doing this stuff for years, too. On paper, this looks to be a very interesting matchup between these two. In reality.... well, they didn't disappoint.

With twelve seconds remaining in the game, the Desiccants have the ball, but they were down by one score, 20-27. First and ten on their own 22. Center Lufir Mirahorn snapped the ball to his quarterback, the seven-foot-tall Jarntyr Mornwulf. Mornwulf scoped out his receivers, all five of them, looking for an open man (or woman, or both, or neither, for that matter). Ahnah Tuuluuwaq was covered, as was Neanfimh Zodaktec. Retal Nonopalet, however, was not. Target acquired. Mornwulf launched the ball, hoping for the connection and the big gain, but Surge cornerback Bernard Van Pelt batted it away, incomplete. Second and ten, still at the 22. Mornwulf tried again; this time with Zodaktec in his sights. However, St. Kanye's D-line were able to break past the Desiccated States' O-line. Nose tackle Robby Edison, after bringing down Mirahorn, rushed over to Mornwulf and tackled him to the ground before he could even throw. No fumble as the tall QB held on to the ball tightly, but still, it was a loss of six. Third and 16 on the 16. Hail Mary, take three, action. Mirahorn snapped, Mornwulf dropped back. Edison tried to go for another sack, but this time Mornwulf dodged him and was able to throw. The ball made its way in the air toward Tuuluuwaq, who outran the defending corner Aidan O'Connor, then jumped up, raised both arms, grabbed the ball in midair....

.... and promptly dropped it. Incomplete.

Fourth down. The Desiccants decided that they would go for it, but the Yeezies were ready. Van Pelt intercepted the pass to seal it for the Surge, who would kneel down the remaining handful of seconds and come away with the 27-20 road win. That kept them in the Group E lead with a 5-1 slate, a game ahead of both the idle Kohnhead Brains and the Ko-oren Dragonflies, who crushed the South Newlandia Elephants 23-nil. TDS dropped to 2-5, joining the 1-6 Elephants in the "already eliminated from playoff contention" pile.

"This Desiccant team we faced today had a lot more fight in them than the one we beat at home a few games back," said Surge quarterback R.J. Linetti. The matchup in question was lower-scoring but had a bigger margin of victory, 13-nil. "It must be hard for them [Desiccants], losing one of their key players, but even with that, or maybe it was because of that, they stood strong and really made us work for our victory," Linetti continued, referring to free safety Xian Jie, who died in a spaceship crash prior to the game. Added running back Noah Sherman, "Our hearts are with the Desiccants during this time of tragedy for them. We may be as different from them physically as night and day, but deep inside we are bonded by our shared love for the game of gridiron." The Surge decided that their next game, at home against Ko-oren, will begin with a minute and twenty seconds of silence in honor of the late Jie. Desiccant jersey numbers are in base 16, so Jie's #14 actually translates to twenty.

1Q TDS Xin 1 run (Twinklefeather kick) TDS 7-0
The cyan-clad Desiccants, who were playing at home, struck first. Fullback Silver Xin used her big, strong body to mow down the opposition on first and goal.

1Q STK field goal Rasputin 56 TDS 7-3
St. Kanye were forced to go for three after a sack on Linetti and two incompletions. The long distance didn't prove to be a problem for James Rasputin, who drilled his third straight from beyond midfield, dating back to Matchday 5 against Kohnhead.

2Q STK Sherman 5 run (Rasputin kick) STK 10-7
Only two plays were needed for the Surge to take the lead in the second quarter. A 74-yard reception by Bruce Dobler put the white-clad visitors at the five, and Noah Sherman ran the remaining distance for the go-ahead touchdown.

2Q TDS Tuuluuwaq 34 pass from Mornwulf (Twinklefeather kick) TDS 14-10
The lead seesawed back to TDS on their next drive. Ahnah Tuuluuwaq was blanketed by double coverage, but it didn't matter, as she would catch the ball and take it to the house.

2Q STK field goal 52 Rasputin TDS 14-13
The home team would enter halftime with the lead, as they would hold the Surge to a field goal once more inside the two-minute mark.

3Q STK Jeffers 24 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 20-14
Yet another lead change, this time in the third period. Facing third and 12 at midfield, the Kanyeans moved the chains twice. First Patrick Moore caught the ball for a twelve-yard gain, then Linetti changed a pass play at the last second and rushed for fourteen. Finally, the Surge QB was able to fool defenders into thinking Sherman had the ball and swarming him, only to actually toss it to tight end Hussein Jeffers.

3Q STK N. Jackson 19 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 27-14
Linetti's second TD pass made it seventeen unanswered points for St. Kanye. Fullback Nico Jackson showed that he's not just a blocker, he was also a capable receiver.

4Q TDS Mornwulf 16 run (Kick failed) STK 27-20
The Desiccants cut the lead to a single touchdown midway through the fourth on this scramble by Mornwulf. Sundew Twinklefeather's extra point attempt would bounce off the right upright and out, though.

Despite the crucial victory, the Surge still didn't feel too sure about their playoff chances. "The Dragonflies and Brains are breathing down our necks. Our last two games are against them both; we can't afford to stumble even once. They'll both be hungry for revenge as we defeated them both [19-10 against Ko-oren; 40-27 against Kohnhead] in the first half of these group stages," said Surge mentor Jeff Delphine.

There were a lot of interesting games in other groups as well; let's take a look:

- Silvedania dropped their seventh game in as many outings, the latest against perennial powerhouses the Ranoria Krauts (5-1). It was a sixty bomb by the Krauts too - 60-3, to be exact.
- The Banija SerpentEagles (5-1) kept the Group B lead after a close 20-17 win on the road against the Squidroidia Flyers (4-3).
- The Cassadaigua Fillies (6-1) grabbed a playoff seat, pouring their frustrations on their upset loss to Xanneria on a hapless BohemiaIV squad, 27-nil. BohemiaIV, by the way, drop to 1-5 and out of the playoffs.
- And then there were none. The Drawkland Grid Corps (4-2) win at home, 24-17, against the TJUN-ia Jags. Note that before the Jags dropped to 6-1, they were the last undefeated team of World Bowl XLI.
- Northwest Kalactin (4-2) win a close one on the road, 17-14 against Mapletish (2-5). This is the second time in a row that the Kalactinians knock a team out of playoff contention.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MD | Opponent               | Rank | Uniform       | Score   | Record | Place |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1  | @South Newlandia       | UR   | White/White   | L 6-9   | 0-1    | 3rd   |
| 2  | BYE                    |      |               |         |        | 5th   |
| 3  | The Desiccated States  | UR   | Purple/Purple | W 13-0  | 1-1    | 2nd   |
| 4  | @Ko-oren               | 4    | White/Purple  | W 19-10 | 2-1    | 1st   |
| 5  | Kohnhead               | 30   | Purple/Black  | W 40-27 | 3-1    | 1st   |
|    | BREAK                  |      |               |         |        |       |
| 6  | South Newlandia        | UR   | Purple/Black  | W 25-3  | 4-1    | 1st   |
| 7  | BYE                    |      |               |         |        |       |
| 8  | @The Desiccated States | UR   | White/White   | W 27-20 | 5-1    | 1st   |
| 9  | Ko-oren                | 4    | Purple/Purple |         |        |       |
| 10 | @Kohnhead              | 30   | White/Purple  |         |        |       |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

by **TJUN-ia** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 9:49 am

After a comfortable win in The Gardens actually sent us to the Playoffs after all this time, the TJUN-ia Jaguars found themselves as the only undefeated team left in WB41 - and who'd thought you'd say that in Year 4? With the ultimate goal for this World Bowl already completed, you may think that Gus McKerrin would want to just take things easy from here on out - but you would be mistaken. McKerrin may have completed his main goal, but he still knew that every win counted on the road to the Playoffs and especially considering the final road game coming up. Our undefeated record would be going through it's toughest test of all as we headed to the Metro Arena in Metropolon to play the visitors to the #6 Grid Corps of Drawkland. No one could forget what happened in the reverse fixture in New Washington and with a lot on the line for the hosts here, Part 2 was certainly going to be fun.

This game would certainly build-up to the hype and then some, as the first half played out similarly to the first half on MD3. The Grid Corps struck first in their usual ways, Toby Miller catching both the TD and the 2PC from Dustin Beck, before TJUN-ia struck out in the usual way as well, Griffin to Valois and a Chi conversion. Then we did that all again just before the first half was over, with Beck and Griffin contributing 8 and 6 points respectively (Chi with 1). At half time, the eternal score of 16-14 for the Grid Corp was on the board and many wondered how this game might deviate from the first. Well, it certainly did due to Drawkland's defence, who must've taken lessons from MD3 because they became pests in the 2nd half. They certainly troubled Griffin a lot and much of the offence for the Jags stalled, resulting in only a Chi FG for the rest of the game. That was after another 8-point drive for the Corps, Beck finding Lou Reynolds in the corner for a spectacular TD grab. That would end both this game and TJUN-ia's run as the only undefeated left. We may have won the war to make the playoffs, but Drawkland certainly won the battle tonight in front of their own.

Still, we have one final game to play, at home against the United Volcano Islands, and the fans groups have already stated that no matter what happens on the field during that game, the field will be stormed afterwards to celebrate. While we prepare for our final match and the long wait for our playoff opponents, a quick stat for you. The first 2 teams to make the playoffs this time around? TJUN-ia and Cassadaigua. Yeah, even when we aren't in the same group, Jaguars and Dagans find a way to be together in some regard. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group F)
MD1: vs Greater Vakolicci Haven (24) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 10-7 (2nd)
MD2: @Saint-Domingues (UR) W 13-3 (1st)
MD3: vs Drawkland (6) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 25-24 (1st)
MD4: @United Volcano Islands (UR) W 44-0 (1st)
MD5: BYE (1st/4-0/+58PD)
--------------------------BREAK--------------------------
MD6: @Greater Vakolicci Haven (24) W 23-9 (1st)
MD7: vs Saint-Domingues (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 27-6 (1st/OFFICIALLY QUALIFIED)
MD8: @Drawkland (6) - Metro Arena, Metropolon L 17-24 (1st)
MD9: vs United Volcano Islands (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington
MD10: BYE

by **Delaclava** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 10:01 am

DSGN.com Football

Selwyn, Goff abandon Phoenixes; Bielsa under scrutiny
Bosmond Bears staff prioritise their injured quarterback over the team

The Delaclava Gridiron Association announced early Wednesday morning that offensive coordinator Shaun Selwyn and quarterbacks coach Thomas Goff were no longer on the coaching staff of the Delaclava national football team.

"Mr. Selwyn and Mr. Goff informed the organization last night that they would be resigning from the Phoenixes last night," read a statement by DGA president Kevin Hoyce. "The term of their contract was for the duration of World Bowl 41; therefore, we do not consider these to be proper resignations, but rather abandonments of the team and breaches of contract. We as an organization and as a football community are highly disappointed by the choice they have made... However, our focus is always on the players first, and we have faith they will continue to perform at an elite level."

While Selwyn and Goff were not available for comment, and Hoyce did not explicitly state the cause of their departure, it is nearly confirmed that the Bosmond Bears coaches lost interest in their roles on the Phoenixes after Bears quarterback and Thomas's son Trent Goff suffered a tournament-ending knee injury in the first quarter of Delaclava's 20-7 road victory over Northwest Kalactin. Players had spoken out anonymously of the tempestuous team dynamic between the Bears and the rest of the squads. Trent Goff would "blame others for his mistakes in practices and games... A bad pass would just be a bad route run" and was "aloof and standoffish in the locker room... He has no interest in building rapport with the other guys here." Selwyn and Thomas Goff would "keep drawing up Bears plays, plays that work for Trent, but don't fit the rest of this team and what we're good at," and they especially were actively disinterested in working with the other quarterbacks, Michael WIllis and Taurus Wright, both before and after Goff's injury.

The unnamed players also assigned some of the blame to head coach Gorka Bielsa, who has Selwyn and Thomas Goff on his staff and Trent Goff under center with the Bears: "Bielsa's gotten a big head about how good the Bears have gotten the past few years"; "he was OK with and definitely encouraged the favoritism for Trent"; and "he wants the Bears to win, not the Phoenixes". While reports are varied on the cause of the practice-ending brawl just days before Delaclava's opener against Mapletish, blame was assigned to Bielsa for creating a tense and uncollaborative environment, and doing nothing to smooth it over after the fact. Hoyce's statement also read: "We are aware of head coach Gorka Bielsa's possible role in complaints regarding the player experience on the Phoenixes as well as the abandonments of Mr. Selwyn and Mr. Goff. Our intent is that Mr. Bielsa will remain the head coach of the Phoenixes for the remainder of the tournament, and we will investigate to determine whether it is appropriate for Mr. Bielsa to continue in his role in the future."

Publicly, players refused to speak directly about the matter. Wide receiver Kevin Alés said, " We're really pleased with our performance in this tournament so far, how our squad has come together over the past several weeks... The players and staff currently with us are committed to improving and advancing. We're excited about what the next few weeks have in store." And Michael Willis, with respect to the quarterback situation, added, "Taurus and I have really pushed each other, made each other better. We have a strong relationship and realise we both need to be at our best... I'm happy with what we're doing and how we can help our team win."

Technical director Kim McClain, who holds the same role with the Bears, will serve as interim offensive coordinator; she will be the first female to serve a play-calling role in Phoenixes history. Veteran Orton City Miners quarterback Brian Mathis will fill in for Goff as a "quarterbacks advisor"; the 32-year-old Mathis will also serve as the team's third quarterback with the confirmed long-term absence of Trent Goff, although Mathis insisted in a statement he is "focused and happy to provide guidance for Michael and Taurus."

The optimism of the players and remaining staff is a positive omen at a crucial time in the tournament. Newmanistan and Delaclava currently hold the two qualifying spots at 5-1, with Newmanistan holding the head-to-head point differential advantage, and Noorthwest Kalactin knocking at 4-2. Delaclava next plays 0-7 Sword Island; the Phoenixes previously defeated them 13-3 at home, in a game in which Goff was benched in the middle of the third quarter for Willis. If the Phoenixes give a better performance on the road and the Rockets defeat Northwest Kalactin, that would stitch up the two qualifying spots for the Rockets and Phoenixes with a game remaining. Delaclava's qualification is not guaranteed, but they are in control of their destiny.

So it's all left to play for on the road to Chromatika - and despite some personnel changes, it seems that the players will not be deterred in their mission.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:13 am

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independent sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

Gabbing on Gridiron
with Dara Keane

WORLD BOWL XLI RECAP: MATCHDAY SEVEN

Abanhfleft      0  7  3  0  10
Ranoria         0  0  0  0  0

It's not a game you're going to want to replay or watch on demand, but for once, it's not because of what you think. You guys know how there are some games that you just can't stop watching over and over again because of either the result or just because of what happens during the game itself? Well, this game... ain't it, chief. Unless goal stands is your thing, and I don't know why it would be because it's just a bunch of men stopping another bunch of men from getting across a line painted in the grass.

Anyway, an instant classic this is not, nor will it ever probably be. The score just works against it, simple as. No one's just going to want to watch a 10-0 game over and over again. It just won't happen at all. Unless that someone is an insomniac and trying to fall asleep. That being said, the rare moments of action that we did get out of this game would be enough to jolt anyone awake should they happen to doze off before that part, which is always more than likely.

So that's it then for our recap of Abanhfleft versus Ranoria, Part Two at the Imponte Garden. Like I said, nothing much to write home about this game. It was such a classic Glenn Poore performance from the man himself as well: he does just enough to seal the win, but once the post-victory euphoria has worn off, you begin to wonder if the guy actually meant to do everything the way that he did it or if enough things just fell in place for him to be able to claim victory in one way or another? We may never know, really. The inner machinations of poor Glenn Poore's mind are an enigma, after all. An enigma on par with Abanhfleft both being incredibly likely to win against Silvedania and to lose against Silvedania. I swear we are literally the only side who are capable of slipping up against such an obvious doormat of a team. Anselmo Cedro, Anselmo Cedro, Anselmo Cedro....

by **Tumbra** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:23 am

The crowd was raucuous and the atmosphere jovial as GSU Field witnessed another home win for the Tumbran team, running out 19-10 winners with three touchdowns in the last three quarters of the game. The stadium - now packed to capacity with people (about half from GSU, about half from around town, and even a few who said they were from Brades or Nantwich. The hold that the team had on the game was immense - and the supporters seemed to be proving an extra bout of power for the team, who were playing some of the best football they'd played since the start of the tournament. A rocky beginning, to be sure, but once the team got over the hiccups and bump in the road when playing Banija, they'd gotten into a rhythm that culminated in the revenge win against Equestria.

The team had a bye matchday next, before their last two matches against Appalachia and...Banija, once more. They were still in the hunt for qualification, though that required Squidroidia to lose their last game. And then what? They'd need to beat both Appalachia and Banija to get to the playoffs. A respectable run, to be sure, but against the defending world champions? Who'd beaten them 23-0 on the road? The magnitude of the task dawned on several of the more serious players, including Neumann and Davis, but they'd been trying to keep it at bay. The last thing they wanted to do was dampen the atmosphere, and until the next match, they just wanted to bask in the glory of what they'd done so far.

And it was easy to do so, given Dan Waters' magnificent personality. He managed to light up every room he walked into, and made the game seem a nothing more than Sunday afternoon tossabout, and he'd urged everyone to just ignore whatever was coming up next and live in the moment. And as the team jived and celebrated with pizza - Charlie Brown's treat, of course - they reflected on how far they'd come. And where they'd go next.

After the party finished, Charlie switched off the dressing room lights, sat down on one of the benches, took a deep breath of the air-conditioned air, and sighed. He was thirty-five, five years into a job he always wanted, and they paid well. But the thought of how he'd entered the team into the World Bowl, even, still haunted him. Harry put it best, even if he didn't want to admit it. Impersonation of a public servant.

He opened the browser window on his phone again.

Personating a public servant
170. Whoever pretends to hold any particular office as a public servant, knowing that he does not hold such office, or falsely personates any other person holding such office, and in such assumed character does or attempts to do any act under colour of such office, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both.¹

Two years, and the end of his career, possibly. Nobody wanted to hire an ex-felon.

He put the phone down - screen-down, so he wouldn't be disturbed - retrieved a silver cylinder from his pocket, uncapped it, put it into his mouth, and inhaled. Immediately the fumes went to the very bottom of his lungs, momentarily freezing it - or what felt like a freeze - before he breathed out a puff of fragrant, chewing-gum flavoured smoke.

It was better than smoking, both for his lungs and for the sprinkler system in the room, he supposed. Smoking had always been a vice of his, and it was the reason why he'd been relegated on the depth chart in his senior year. But he just couldn't kick the habit, no matter how hard he tried.

The lights switched on suddenly, and he looked towards the entrance of the changing room.

It was probably his worst nightmare.

A man and a woman, with the POLICE identification tag on their lanyards, showing their...well...purpose, really.

"Mr. Charlie Brown?" the woman spoke.

"Yes."

"May I see your identity card?"

Gruffly, he fumbled the cylinder and put it back into his pocket, before withdrawing his blue identity card and handing it to them. The man took the card, scanned the barcode on the card, waited a few seconds and then nodded at his partner, who was looking expectantly at him.

"Why are you here? Can-can I have that back?" he said, pointing at his identity card, which was still being thumbed by the male police officer.

"Mr. Brown, you're under arrest for impersonating a public servant."

"I--what? I want my lawyer."

"That can be arranged," the man spoke, withdrawing a pair of handcuffs from a pouch. "Stand up, please, lest you want this to be a bigger news story than it already is. That's what you wanted, correct? To be in a news story?"

"I--that's not--the--"

"Stand up, Mr. Brown, and face the wall."

Charlie Brown, the short-lived hero of Gamaliel, was marched out in front of a flurry of cameras and camera flashes to the waiting police car, all eager to see his arrest. There would be a lot of questions. And he was right - somehow, throughout the course of the cycle, he'd made it on the news. But why? And for what?

The media would stop at nothing, of course, and they'd go on a massive witch-hunt to find out why.

by **Drawkland** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 1:45 pm

Player Spotlight
Keegan Masters

World Bowl XLI will spell the end for many players on the Grid Corps roster. Most have marked themselves for upcoming retirement, either domestically, internationally, or both, and thus this is most likely their last ride into the sunset. To honor their fight to prove Drawkland as one of the greatest gridiron nations of all time, we're running a short series that highlight some of the superstars, most of which are on their way out after this World Bowl is done.

Keegan Masters has been the longtime anchor for the Grid Corps defense. In a unit that contains some of the best players Drawkland has to offer, most of which are captains of their domestic squads, Masters has been the captain for a majority of the Corps' run. Unfortunately, despite the national team's success, Masters hasn't really had the same level of success within Drawkland's borders.

Coming out of high school, Masters wasn't really a high-touted recruit. He ended up going to a junior college for a couple years before being picked up by a larger school. It was the University of Sadeg (NOT Sadeg State, mind you) that eventually picked him up on the transfer. From there, Masters had improved his game as both a coverage linebacker and a pass rusher. He was especially proficient at getting home on blitzes, but he didn't really have the body type or the exact skillset to make a switch to defensive line. While he did need a little work in coverage, it was still a strong enough suit that his place as a middle linebacker was never questioned.

When the time came for Masters to graduate, it was possible that he could get into the GLD, but not a guarantee. Luckily for him, he was drafted by an already-powerful squad in the Raikennax Stallions. He was their last selection in the draft, mainly picked up to bolster their depth at linebacker. Once he was on the Stallions though, he proved his worth in training camp, and he became a permanent fixture in their backup defense.

One key skill of Masters is his ability to cover the running back in man coverage. He seems to possess good instincts with how running backs tend to move on their routes and blocks and runs, so he built his reputation on that and his blitzing game. When the Stallion's starting middle linebacker sustained a season ending injury, Masters was thrust into the spotlight in his rookie reason. The various backups all split time in this 4-3 scheme, but whenever Masters was on the field, he was a playmaker. This led to him getting more playing time, and thus making himself a bigger name for the playoff-bound Stallions.

Unfortunately for Masters and the Stallions, their playoff hopes were dashed, and they fell in the first round despite winning their division. It was an upset loss to the wildcard Dalumar Thunder, and it slammed the championship window shut for a Stallions squad that would lose a big chunk of their key players to free agency in the next offseason.

From there on, the Stallions entered a sort of rebuilding phase. With the up-and-coming Masters proving himself as a potential starter, as well as being on a cheaper rookie contract, the Stallions coaching staff decided to stick with him as their starting Middle Linebacker for the upcoming season. Even with the team falling from championship contender to being on the outside of the playoff bubble the next season, Masters continued to build himself as a defender that demanded respect from opposing offenses. In his second season, and first season as a full starter, Masters made the All-Pro team at MLB, the same season that the Grid Corps roster needed new blood at linebacker.

With the hot hand, Masters proved to be the perfect force that complemented the Corps' scheme on the World Bowl level, and his place on the roster was cemented despite his younger age. As his career went on, his prowess at his position grew, and it was sometimes hard to remember that he was a barely-relevant player in college and had to fight tooth and nail for his superstar status. By the time his rookie contract was up, Masters was a key piece in a Stallions defense that was the better half of the team. Even with the Stallions no longer in tight playoff contention, Masters liked the scheme and the staff there, and decided to stay put. He was rewarded with a large contract and being elected captain of the defense by his fellow teammates the next season.

Since Masters became the true franchise defender of the Stallions, they've been on a slow climb back to the heights they had when Masters was first drafted. Unfortunately, being in the same conference and division as the now Jack Hoy-led Pilots hasn't made things easy for them, but the Stallions have always managed to put together solid regular seasons and stringing a few playoff wins together. Still, the first championship for Masters and the first in a couple decades for the Stallions continues to elude them. With Masters starting to age, he's approaching the end of his career. There's only a few seasons left for him to get a ring, if he wants it with the Stallions. Time will tell whether this pays off, but at least he has a World Bowl championship under his belt.

Whether Masters is set to be a Hall of Famer remains to be seen, but his place as the centerpiece of the Grid Corps linebackers and defense has certainly made a big case for him so far. Either way, he's gone a long way from a JUCO player, and he's had a hell of a career.

*The Drawkian lifespan is around 150 years. Athletes usually graduate college and enter their pro leagues around the age of 25, and most well-trained, injury-avoiding, and actually-skilled players aim to retire around 50, though plenty athletes don't quite make it there before hanging it up.

by **Banija** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 1:52 pm

Isaka Jawara, down 17-13 with 1:26 left in the fourth quarter at the Squidroidia 21 yard line

"Blue 42!" Jawara yelled in the pre-snap. "Omaha! Omaha!" The quarterback then motioned his slot receiver across, and looked up at the play clock. He saw it ticking down- 04... 03..... "Fuck. Timeout! Timeout!" Jawara yelled as the captain and quarterback urgently made the symbol towards the referee. The referee granted it as the crowd as the 50,000 seater cheered loudly. Jawara jogged towards the sideline to talk to his Coach Hall, the head coach, and Coach Diene, the offensive coordinator.

"What happened there? Why couldn't we get the play off?" Coach Hall said. "That's our last timeout!"

"I know coach, we were slow getting out of the huddle. I'm not sure why- but by the time we were really ready to go, after I had already shifted the blocking to account for the incoming blitz on the left, then that took longer than we thought." Jawara said.

"It doesn't matter." Coach Diene said. Coach Hall nodded. "We'll talk about exactly what happened there during film. We need to get a good play called here. We're going to have Okparro in the game for Sello, he can block. We're on the left hash. We're going to go trips right, with Kah on the outside, Akuchi in the middle of the trips, and Hatabu Jagne as the inside slot guy. Jelan will be on the outside on the opposite side of the field. If you have to roll, roll out right. Akuchi will run a curl at the sticks, Jagne will run a slant, Kah will run an out route to the sideline, and Jelan will be over the top coming across the field. Hopefully, you'll be able to find someone. You know what this play is called. Trips Right Sprint Right 420."

"Ok coach." The referees ended the timeout. Jawara took another swig of water, and jogged back to the huddle. He knelt in the huddle. "Trips right 420!" The players nodded, and they broke the huddle. Plenty of time on the playclock. With the Squidroidians threatening pressure, he shifted protection right. That's where his receivers would be- he wanted to be on that side of the field. They needed 8 yards.

Jawara did his cadence, and snapped the football. Tamanaha Ryutaro seemingly flew across the line of scrimmage, and Jawara had to roll to his right. It was 4th and 8- he couldn't take a sack. He knew they didn't have any timeouts. He saw Akuchi, who had ran his curl, start to break inside. He was open. He looked, and the free safety, Yūki Sosa, broke towards Akuchi. But if the safety was there- he looked up, and saw Jawara sprinting towards the back pylon of the end zone.

Jawara heaved the ball towards that back pylon. Jelan ran under it, caught the football, and got both feet down. "YES!" Jawara yelled as the referee raised his hands for a touchdown signal, as the stadium sat in stunned silence. Jawara was lifted into the air by his right tackle, Kutubo Nyang, while the rest of the team seemingly sprinted to that corner to jump on top of Jelan. As Jawara went back to the sideline, he gave Jelan a big bear hug, and was hugged by Coach Hall. "What a fucking throw Isaka!" The Coach said. "This is why you're a legend. We're going to hold this lead for you if it kills me."

Isaka Jawara inspires the squad to a 20-17 nailbiting victory as Banija punches their ticket to the knockout stages of World Bowl XLI

Chinweuba Jelan celebrates go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Squidroidia

INKOPOLIS CITY, SQUIDROIDIA- The Serpent Eagles travelled to Inkopolis City Stadium in search of their fifth straight victory in the competition. After an ugly, 3-0 overtime defeat in the Appalachian Nation, the Serpent Eagles were winners of their next four. Another ugly 3-0 game in Equestria, although at least that game was a victory. But throw in a 20-6 win over Squidroidia, a 23-0 win over Tumbra, and a 33-3 win over the Appalachian Nation, all at home, this team was moving. Although there were road struggles on offense, their ability to protect their home field was the difference in the group so far.

But they'd need to do a lot more than protect their home field if they wanted to make a run in this tournament. That's where these runs start, of course- your ability to protect your home field at the international level is crucial. But the Banijans wanted to do much more than that. And that meant winning road games. Between our two road games so far in the group, against 4th place Appalachian Nation and 5th place Equestria, both already eliminated, we had managed a grand total of three points. It was an embarassment. And so, against better opposition like Squidroidia, the question was this- could Banija's offense get going away from home?

The answer, fortunately for the Banijans, was yes. Although it would be the Flyers who would take the first lead. We went three and out on our first possesion, and punted the football. Stein Bell fielded the ball at their own 25 yard line, and made a man miss. They had a lane for him, and Bell hit it hard. A Squid blocker lit up Baturu Sanneh, one of our gunners, which set the Squid, Stein Bell, free. 75 yards later, the crowd was roaring as their running back was in the end zone. A 7-0 lead for the Flyers. The Banijan offense would continue to struggle, as the Flyers put the clamps down.

But ultimately, there's too much talent on this offense to continuously get shut down away from home, right? The Banijans had a 3rd & 3 from their own 40 yard line with 8 minutes left in the second quarter, down 7-0. The playcall? Quarterback draw. Jawara had a huge hole, and got the first down easily- but he was looking for more. He stutter stepped and juked out Kuse Kuri with an ankle breaking juke, and then bursted into the seam. Nobody was going to catch him. It was the kind of explosive run that made this quarterback so dangerous, especially at a young age. 60 yards later, the Serpent Eagles had their first road touchdown of the tournament. Unfortunately, a bad snap on the extra point meant the Serpent Eagles couldn't tie it, as the game sat at 7-6. Squidroidia would add a 45 yarder before halftime, making the score 10-6 in favor of the home team.

The Serpent Eagles were looking for a big play on defense to help them take the lead for the first time. And on Squidroidia's opening possesion, they finally found that play. An errant throw under pressure by Sota Miyamoto was intercepted by strong safety Fakebba Niang, who returned the ball to the Flyers 22 yard line. A reverse to Jelan netted the Serpent Eagles 20 yards on the ground, giving our team first and goal at the 2 yard line. We went goal line jumbo. After Sello got stuffed on first down, Jawara rolled out on a play action. The Flyers sold out for the run, so Muhumuza was wide open on the late release. He caught his first touchdown of the World Bowl, and threw down a world-class spike to celebrate.

There was no more scoring in the rest of the half, until the latter stages of the fourth quarter. The two teams were locked in a defensive chess match, but with 5 minutes left in regulation, the Flyers wanted to bust it open. On a 2nd & 1, Alexandre Smedley was lined up against Ensa Faye. Faye was in single coverage. But a great double move by Smedley beat him, and with no safety help over the top, it was an easy pitch and catch. A 55 yard streak down the Banijan sideline for a go-ahead touchdown, to make it 17-13. Flyers fans were through the roof. The Banijans only had 1 timeout left at that point, as they had lost a pair of challenges early in the fourth quarter. Could they hold on against Jawara?

But Jawara did not want to give the ball back. On the ensuing kickoff, the Banijans were guilty of holding, which meant they started the drive at their own 12 yard line. But Jawara's a star veteran. He's seen it all. Even against the backdrop of the hostile crowd, he was unfazed. He drove his team down the field, all the way to Squidroidia's 28, with under 2 minutes. First play, a 7 yard slant to the 21. 2nd & 3. And then, he took a five yard sack, to make it 3rd & 8. A pass knocked down at the line of scrimmage made it 4th & 8. Legend time. Jawara rolled right to buy time, after the Banijans had used their last timeout, and went for it all. He threw the ball on a rope and Jelan brought it down in the back corner of the end zone. Jelan had ran essentially all the way across the field, and he planted his left foot down while dragging his right foot. It was truly a beautiful catch, one that gave the Banijans a 20-17 lead.

But with 1:18 left, and no timeouts for either team, Squidroidia still had a chance. All they needed was a field goal. And they drove. Down to the Banijan 33, with 20 seconds left. They dropped back, and Boto Hairte was able to burst into the backfield, getting a very disruptive sack. Not what the Flyers wanted. And with no timeouts, they had no choice but to rush the field goal unit on. Offensive players were sprinting off the field, and the field goal unit was sprinting on. They barely had time to get set. They got the snap off just in time, but with the inability to get set, the Squid kicker Flynn De Laurentis did not have much of a chance. The 57 yard game tying field goal attempt landed in the end zone, and the Banijans ran onto the field to celebrate.

A 20-17 victory. 5-1. And we have officially clinched a berth in the next round. With Squidroidia and Tumbra both having three losses, the best either squad can do is tie our record. We win a three way tie, since we have three wins combined against those two nations, while the max either of those nations can have is 2. We win a tie with Squidroidia because of our head to head record. If we tie only with Tumbra, it could go either way, but if we're through regardless of whether we're in first or second in that scenario. The thousand or so Banijan fans chanted "We're going to Chromatika", to celebrate.

Thomas Hall said the win was good, and the chance that they clinched was better. But they still wanted to win the group. "WE want to maximize our chances of success in Chromatika- and that means winning this group." Coach Hall said. "We've still got plenty to play for. We've got one more home game, one more chance to shine in front of our fans, and we promise to put on a show as Equestria comes to the Stadium of the Restoration. They are a sub-regional rival. We've gotta go, we've got beat Equestria, and win the group on our home field. This is a great win, but remember- the most important game is always the next one."

by **The Transmondian Commonwealth** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 2:47 pm

The Transmondian Commonwealth had several different professional football leagues started in different worlds, as well as a few teams that played in American or Canadian leagues. In the Home States, the domestic football league was called the NEFL, and Drew Sykes was a recruiter for the Bangor Moose. Sykes introduced himself to Lin Conway after the Saltstead game and asked if he'd be interested in coming to Bangor in the Home States to see the Moose's stadium and meet with the team's management while the New England World Bowl team had some time off. "We'll serve you real food, none of these overpriced sausages and watered down beer that they have in this world," Sykes promised.

"That would be great," Conway said with a bright innocent smile.

They traveled by way of the Carolingian States, where the transportation network was more developed and roads were less congested. Lin Conway thought it looked like something out of a dream with its towering skyscrapers and sparkling lights. He was also very impressed with Bangor of the Home States, a cosmopolitan boom town where people from different versions of northern Massachusetts or Maine or Acadie or various indigenous tribes that occupied the same land came together to trade. The Bangor Moose had a sleek modern stadium with all the amenities. What they didn't have right now was a good quarterback.

The team was owned by a man named Vance Laurent, whose family had made their fortune in the logging industry. The Laurent family had once owned large swaths of northern Massachusetts, but in the last few decades, as people flowed into the Home States from other worlds, they sold a lot of the land to developers and moved the bulk of their logging operation to the Wilderness, the Dark States, and the Rubble States. Vance Laurent asked if Lin Conway would like to come over for lunch, and Conway enthusiastically accepted the invitation. Laurent's house was large and luxurious with sleek pseudo-rustic woodwork, bearskin rugs, and a sprawling garden with stone terraces and artificial ponds. Lunch was lobster-stuffed mushrooms and perfectly roasted venison, all cooked by Laurent's personal chef and paired with a nice wine. After lunch, they took a walk in the garden and Conway was startled to see a familiar-looking sculpture standing atop a fountain. Conway was not exactly an expert on art, or much of anything else that wasn't football, but he remembered seeing a picture in an art history book that looked almost exactly like this sculpture. "Wow, that looks like Michelangelo's David," said Conway. He walked over to get a better look at the statue.

"Do you like it?" said Laurent. "It's the real thing."

"What do you mean?" Conway asked.

"It's not a replica," said Laurent. "It's an original Michelangelo. I bought it from the Rubble Countries."

Just like that, Conway's dream was ruined. He felt like he was going to be sick. "I'm from the Rubble Countries," he told Laurent.

"Well, that makes it even more special for you!" Laurent said cheerfully, completely missing the point.

"My world isn't some playground you can plunder and just take whatever you want."

Laurent took a step back. "I... I didn't mean any disrespect."

It was too little too late. The damage was already done. As beautiful and modern as everything was, Conway didn't think he could ever play in Home Bangor without thinking about how thoughtless the people were. He wanted to go back to Liberated Framingham and get ready for the road trip to Smosh Games.

When he got back, Kyle Joyce could see that something wasn't right. "Are you okay?" the coach asked. "If you want to talk..."

"Yeah, I want to talk," said Conway. They sat down in Joyce's office and Conway explained what had happened.

When he had finished the story, Joyce said, "I know exactly how you feel. In our world, the Nazis looted hundreds of art treasures, and there are a lot that we never found again. I'm not a big art guy, but it's like... It's like they just don't care what these things mean to you or your people. They don't care about anyone but themselves."

by **Chromatika** » Fri Mar 05, 2021 8:35 pm

Chromatik Football League, Season 2

Week 10
Qet Lynx 35–27 Knetyohai Icebreakers
Brisara Juggernauts 16–6 Depri Lanar Turtles
Chromatik City Cyan 27–10 Alnio Pirates
Depri Sanar Battalion 7–0 Staramara Angels

Week 11
Depri Sanar Battalion 17–18 Qet Lynx
Staramara Angels 17–0 Chromatik City Cyan
Alnio Pirates 19–17 Brisara Juggernauts
Depri Lanar Turtles 14–0 Knetyohai Icebreakers

Week 12
Qet Lynx 40–33 Depri Lanar Turtles
Knetyohai Icebreakers 17–19 Alnio Pirates
Brisara Juggernauts 3–0 Staramara Angels
Chromatik City Cyan 7–0 Depri Sanar Battalion

Chromatik Football League    Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Qet Lynx                    12    9   3   226  180  +46
2 Staramara Angels            12    8   4   132   86  +46
3 Chromatik City Cyan         12    7   5   152  130  +22
4 Brisara Juggernauts         12    7   5   170  157  +13
5 Depri Lanar Turtles         12    7   5   171  138  +33
6 Alnio Pirates               12    7   5   152  156   −4
7 Depri Sanar Battalion       12    3   9    99  159  −60
8 Knetyohai Icebreakers       12    0  12   118  214  −96

This league has gone out the window. Really.

Qet? Won all three games, Kenner Jones coming through with nine touchdowns down the stretch. They are the favorites to win the title, aren't they?

Staramara? Only went 1-2, with their QB struggling a bit. The 3-0 affair away at Brisara was ugly - but they just couldn't get anywhere. They did fit in a seventeen point shutout of the Cyan in between, taking care of one Jill Kieran.

There are four teams - yes, four - all at a record of 7-5 heading into the last two weeks. Some of them are above others.

The Cyan are really still in the mix, despite Kieran being utterly shellacked all of the time. Taking care of the Turtles and the Pirates in between a loss to the Angels isn't too bad.

Juggernauts bounce back of a sort, taking the Turtles and Angels to town with a loss to the Pirates in between.

Deprí Lanar finally falls and falls big, losing to the Cyan and the Lynx in a shootout. Thankfully, they've done enough to be in the running.

Alnio? Up, down, up, down.

Deprí Sanar is out but fighting, and Knetyohai might actually go 0-12.

Honestly, if it isn't Qet vs. Staramara or Qet vs. Chromatik City, what is up with this league?

The Iron Legion in World Bowl XLI
Part 5: Almost

Chromatika is currently in second place of World Bowl XLI Group A after shutting out HUElavia, 17-0. Jones passed for 213 yards and a touchdown to Mio, Fowler ran for 87 yards and another score, and McAllister scored a 51 yard field goal for the final margin.

Unfortunately, it may not be enough.

Provided that Abanhfleft beats Silvedania in Matchday 9 (as they should), Chromatika will only be a game ahead. Then, if HUElavia loses to Abanhfleft and Chromatika loses to Ranoria, Chromatika and Abanhfleft will be tied, with Abanhfleft winning the Head-to-Head due to Points Differential. What does that mean?

Chromatika needs to beat Ranoria, or have HUElavia beat Abanhfleft.

No. Big. Deal.

World Bowl XLI Everything Thread

NSFB: How Are WE The Last Hope For 8-0?!?!

NSFB: All Good Things Must Come To An End

Player Spotlight 3: Keegan Masters

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