World Bowl 42 [rosters/RPs/results]

by **Chromatika** » Sun Aug 01, 2021 1:13 pm

Team   1Q  2Q  3Q  4Q  |  Tot
STK     3   0   2   3  |    8
CMT     0   7   0   0  |    7

1Q
12:19 STK FG - James Rasputin 43 yard Field Goal

2Q
04:28 CMT TD - Niles Gwivern 27 yard pass from Sarai Gwenderyn (Sara McAllister Kick)

3Q
07:33 STK Safety - Sarai Gwenderyn tackled by Robby Edison in the end zone

4Q
04:11 STK FG - James Rasputin 59 yard Field Goal

PENCURVE ELECTRONICS FIELD, KARDASHIA, ST. KANYE - After a narrow loss where Chromatika was only able to score one touchdown only to have the Surge clip them at the end of the game, Head Coach Eustace Hampton, Jr. stated that he will rest all of his starters in the last game of the group stage against Malandrin.

"They've all had a long season in the CFL and the NSCF and deserve a game off," he stated, "Our backups should be able to handle Malandrin, and even if they don't, we have still qualified for playoffs and will be fine."

Some pundits across Chromatika have taken offense at the statement. Gridiron columnist Mark Nasair of the Z'ai'ai Times admonished, "The Iron Legion have so much work to do if they are to take down any quality opposition in the playoffs, and this lack of knowledge of where they stand against the rest of the world is a great cause for concern. They will absolutely lose in the Round of Sixteen at this rate."

Others have praised Hampton for his call. Kris Appleton, the Head Sports Editor of the Eagle's Roost, a newspaper from Qet, comments, "It takes a great coach to know how much his players have been pressed. Hopefully by resting the starters, Chromatika will be even better equipped for the journey to come."

Jill Kieran will get the start, with James Morreau being the running back, Pouncey Jones and Vance Limeau from the receiving core and Kathryn Nance from the tight end position. on defense, Nolan Marr will take the position occupied by Mi-Hyeon Park and hope that Victoria Mio and Larry Oyama will be able to handle the receivers.

Malandrin is a team that has only scored 111 points through 6 games while conceding 225. Even with the starters sitting out, the Iron Legion are the heavy favorites.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to increase our Point Differential and secure a good seed as one of the better second-placed teams," said Kieran.

The Chromatik Football League: Who are the Teams? Part 4

Sanar Battalion
5-9. 5-9. 4-10. Perennial bottom feeders, the Battalions play smashmouth football but aren't very good at it. With a new Head Coach and some different players, maybe they'll have a better shot in Season 4. Ronald Mimisimi is a good piece to build around.

Staramara Angels
5-9, 9-5, 9-5, but the Angels won the last title. With so much talent on defense, Staramara is the best team in the league. Six players in the Iron Legion squad. Some great offensive linemen and then all that talent on the defense, with Vi Nia-Kaid, Cara Setri, Nikolai Dimitrov, and Larry Oyama. A perennial contender to come.

by **Ranoria** » Sun Aug 01, 2021 2:39 pm

Garrett Tosses 2 Touchdown Passes, Krauts Dominate Xanneria In 33-13 Win

Kicker Barry Chlorid had his best game of the tournament, going 7/7 on kicks with 4 field goals

We all know the Maroons have had a down year. Why that is no one can really say, but one of the better teams in international (interstellar, if you want to count the reigning champs) gridiron has been nothing short of a hot mess at 1-6 this season, and what many fans anticipated to be a very winnable but competitive pair of matches turned into just another group stage beatdown. Fortunately, the Jaguars and Misfits have shown that they are more than willing to step up to the plate to offer some competition, so Ranorians haven't exactly gotten bored watching this World Bowl.

We're sure as the offseason goes on, the Maroons will make changes and get back into fighting shape for the next World Bowl, as this edition has probably been the source of some embarrassment for a program with a solid history. For now though, they were a hot mess. Josh Tyrell couldn't move the ball against our defense at all, with the Krauts' front four dominating in any fashion they decided, be that power, speed, finesse, or stunts. The team would record four sacks on the day, including two for big man Kevin Gerhart in the middle and one from outside backer Sean Morgan-Horne, who's a first year player on this stage. He wasn't shy about celebrating his first sack in the World Bowl either, beating his chest and pumping a fist in the air after the play.

Unfortunately, in the later stages that pass rush is going to have to be just as effective against other opponents. With Ranoria's secondary standing on one leg on a good day, they aren't exactly apt to cover anyone for a long period of time. Cameron Barborosa - the biggest name in the unit - has recorded a whopping 3 interceptions in just 6 games, but he's also allowed four touchdowns and is routinely targeted by the opposition. Kenny Leinden is probably the most reliable of the group at safety, but admittedly he's not much to write home about either.

Fortunately (haha, see what I did there?), we can win a shootout. John Garrett has been on a warpath, with 16 touchdown passes against just 1 interception thus far. Farmboy has weapons galore, a good offensive line in front of him, and a run game that can take some pressure off him in the rare occasion that he needs it. Khalil Hauptmann and Johnny Farmer are both game-breaking talents and Calvin Hale is no slouch. Vice Jackson III at running back is a well-known bulldozer. And while Javier Gilmore's play has been...uninspiring to say the least, he has provided a high percentage of big plays when he does get the ball in his hands. The streaky pass catcher has struggled, repeatedly being taken out of games with just the slightest bit of attention paid to him, but he's there, and as the #3 reciever, he hasn't had to carry the load.

Right, and that offense? Again, good for three touchdowns. Calvin Hale actually had his best game of the tournament, with over a hundred receiving yards his second touchdown grab, while Farmer chipped in another and Vice Jackson III hammered one home on the ground.

Next up: Ranoria's got an easy matchup to get loose and warmup when we host Arjunnagar in the superdome in a game that will be overshadowed by a looming rematch with Tumbra's misfits, who came within 2 of dragging the Krauts down in the Ranoria City. In their own territory, expect that to be the toughest match of our group stage, even more so than our early nail-biter against the Jags.

Results:
Week 1: @ TJUN-ia: W 23-21
Week 3: vs Xanneria: W 26-0
Week 4: @ Arjunnagar: W 51-14
Week 5: vs Tumbra: W 16-14
Week 6: vs TJUN-ia: W 33-17
Week 8: @ Xanneria: W 33-13

Player Stats
QB John Garrett: 123/175, 1,832 yards, 16 TD, 1 INT, 10 carries, 52 yards, 2 TD
QB Jeremiah Quill: 5/9, 29 yards, 7 carries, 30 yards
HB Vice Jackson III: 105 carries, 591 yards, 4 TD, 15 receptions, 120 yards
HB Emilio Annaise: 29 carries, 137 yards, 7 receptions, 51 yards
TE Johnny Farmer: 38 receptions, 567 yards, 6 TD
WR Khalil Hauptmann: 33 receptions, 499 yards, 5 TD
WR Calvin Hale: 27 receptions, 421 yards, 2 TD
WR Javier Gilmore: 4 receptions, 84 yards, 3 TD

ILB Ross Monarch: 59 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack
OLB Sean Morgan-Horne: 33 tackles, 1 sack, 2 PDef, 1 INT
DE Angelo Gordon: 29 tackles, 7 sacks, 3 TFL, 1 FF/1 FR
DE Zach Skinner: 23 tackles, 4 TFL, 4 sacks
DT Kevin Gerhart: 10 tackles, 3 sacks
CB Cameron Barborosa: 20 tackles, 3 INT, 1 PDef

by **Buffalostan** » Sun Aug 01, 2021 4:05 pm

MD9 cutoff

Each MD I will be offering a small prompt. These prompts are not required and there is no extra bonus for doing them compared with doing a match report or any other type of RP; they’re simply there because, with a long group stage format and many tournaments competing for attention, inspiration may be running thin. Feel free to respond in whatever format you like – or ignore them entirely.

Today's cutoff is brought to you from the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi time bubble of 1870. Resisting Buffalostani colonization, the proudly independent Kingdom is the last remaining monarchy in the Buffalostani states. Does your country have a monarchy, or a nobility? If so, how did it work -- elective or inherited? If your country became a republic, what happened to the old royal families' palaces and properties (and heads)?

Group A

Squidroidia 16–20 Abanhfleft
New Gesem 49–9 Equestria

                          Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Squidroidia               7    6   1   215  111 +104
2 Abanhfleft                7    6   1   199  137  +62
3 Buffalostan               7    4   3   197  176  +21
4 New Gesem                 8    2   6   196  215  −19
5 Equestria                 7    0   7    85  253 −168

Group B
South Newlandia 12–20 Karditan
South Americanastan 0–16 Ko-oren

  Group B                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Ko-oren                   7    7   0   114   16  +98
2 Karditan                  7    5   2   126   55  +71
3 South Newlandia           7    3   4   137   96  +41
4 HUElavia                  7    3   4   124  159  −35
5 South Americanastan       8    0   8    49  224 −175

Group C
Bongo Johnson 37–13 Sarzonia
Delaclava 42–17 Mertagne

  Group C                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Delaclava                 8    6   2   274  151 +123
2 Banija                    7    5   2   200  152  +48
3 Sarzonia                  7    4   3   190  175  +15
4 Bongo Johnson             7    3   4   145  240  −95
5 Mertagne                  7    0   7   158  249  −91

Group D
Lisander 10–23 Saint Kanye
Chromatika 10–6 Malandrin

  Group D                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Saint Kanye               7    6   1   153   83  +70
2 Chromatika                8    6   2   181   95  +86
3 Allamunnic States         7    4   3   159  153   +6
4 Lisander                  7    1   6   144  188  −44
5 Malandrin                 7    1   6   117  235 −118

Group E
Ranoria 39–0 Arjunnagar
TJUN-ia 20–7 Tumbra

  Group E                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Ranoria                   7    7   0   221   78 +143
2 TJUN-ia                   8    5   3   238  155  +83
3 Tumbra                    7    5   2   190  118  +72
4 Xanneria                  7    1   6    85  201 −116
5 Arjunnagar                7    0   7    61  243 −182

Group F
Drawkland 46–3 Kriegiersien
Newmanistan 40–6 Kohnhead

  Group F                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Newmanistan               8    6   2   246  172  +74
2 Drawkland                 7    6   1   205  103 +102
3 Kohnhead                  7    4   3   173  122  +51
4 Bollonich                 7    2   5   114  221 −107
5 Kriegiersien              7    0   7    91  211 −120

                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Ranoria                   7    7   0   221   78 +143
 2 Ko-oren                   7    7   0   114   16  +98
 3 Delaclava                 8    6   2   274  151 +123
 4 Squidroidia               7    6   1   215  111 +104
 5 Newmanistan               8    6   2   246  172  +74
 6 Saint Kanye               7    6   1   153   83  +70

 7 Drawkland                 7    6   1   205  103 +102
 8 Chromatika                8    6   2   181   95  +86
 9 Abanhfleft                7    6   1   199  137  +62
10 TJUN-ia                   8    5   3   238  155  +83
11 Karditan                  7    5   2   126   55  +71
12 Banija                    7    5   2   200  152  +48

13 Tumbra                    7    5   2   190  118  +72
14 Kohnhead                  7    4   3   173  122  +51
-------------------------------------------------------
15 Buffalostan               7    4   3   197  176  +21
16 Sarzonia                  7    4   3   190  175  +15
17 Allamunnic States         7    4   3   159  153   +6
18 South Newlandia           7    3   4   137   96  +41

by **Delaclava** » Mon Aug 02, 2021 7:20 am

DSGN.com Football

Phoenixes blitz through Mertagne to cap off qualifying
Delaclava heads to Buffalostan with top-12 seed secured

The fans in Quinniville and around Delaclava showed up over capacity to send off their football Phoenixes in style to Buffalostan, and the Phoenixes delivered.

All three quarterbacks saw action and registered touchdowns as Delaclava pulled from Mertagne in the second quarter to coast to an impressive 42-17 win, capping off a 6-2 season and a five-game winning streak that establishes Delaclava as one of the in-form teams heading into the World Bowl playoffs.

"Today was exactly how we wanted to end the regular season," quarterback Taurus Wright said. "To have a tough game against these guys last time, then take care of business today, it shows we're only getting better. We're just getting started."

Despite an unfortunate winless record, Mertagne have made a memorable debut and established themselves as a tough matchup for three world-class football programs. Indeed, when the Phoenixes made the trip to Mertagne, the Limeys led 17-10 at halftime, and trailed by just five points with only minutes left before Delaclava escaped with a 32-20 win.

Mertagne held similarly tough to begin, even as Delaclava jumped out to a 14-0 lead with their fans rallying them on. The run-heavy option game, utilizing the quarterback Taurus Wright and Dexter George as well as David Conley and wide receivers Andre Michel and Kevin Alés, left the Stags scrambling, and the Phoenixes were able to get George and Wright into the endzone within the first nine minutes. But Mertagne continued to attack the air, with Maenwallon Vane spreading out his targets and marching down the field until he caught Tommy Iturri, unmarked across the middle, for the 20-yard score.

After an Apat Labeaga field goal in the opening minutes of the second quarter, Delaclava led just 14-10 - but soon, they would turn the game on its head within a span of about forty seconds. Wright would efficiently lead his team down the field, capped by a screen pass to Alés, who managed to turn and evade down the sideline for the 27-yard score. Obdulo Farukhan covered Conley's kickoff to take down Hargin Piñeiro, and just two plays later, Vane looked for Iturri up the middle again, but linebacker Luke Kennedy stepped in to intercept the pass, sprinting past the offensive line and Vane before they could bring him down.

"That was already my mistake, letting them run that route on the touchdown," said Kennedy, whose play was his first interception and first defensive touchdown of his international career. "For sure I wasn't going to let them get away with it twice."

Wright and George exited after the first half; Wright tallied a 10/14 passing day for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception, as well as nine carries for 48 yards and a touchdown; George had 12 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown. Michael Willis played the third quarter and went 8/11 for 102 yards and one 8-yard touchdown to Christian Gooden, shaking off an interception earlier in the half. Stafford Thomas played the fourth quarter, largely in the role of handing off to David Conley and Ryan Finney, but registered on the score sheet himself with a 2-yard QB sneak touchdown in the closing stages of the contest.

"That's a good last game for us," coach Frank Newman said. "Get away early, let your depth players get some reps, because you bet we'll need them down the stretch... It looked tight early, but this is a team that makes big plays when you need them."

The win, in conjunction with Sarzonia's shocking 37-13 loss in Bongo Johnson, has ensured that Delaclava will finish ahead of the Stars in the top two of the group, advancing immediately to the round of 16 in Buffalostan. With Delaclava's schedule complete, they now await the outcome of the Banija-Sarzonia rematch; Banija won at home 34-20 the first time. If Banija takes the rematch in enemy territory, they will win the group with a 6-2 record equal to Delaclava and on a head-to-head point differential tiebreaker of just one. But if the Stars can successfully defend their home ground, Delaclava will win Group C and gain a more favorable draw in Buffalostan.

Either outcome is far from what the Phoenixes could have expected after opening the group stage 1-2 with losses to the Serpent Eagles and Stars. But they have found new life and new focus in the second half of qualifying, not only avenging the losses to Banija and Sarzonia in the return legs, but also doing what their rivals could not: go 4-0 against lower-ranked sides Bongo Johnson and Mertagne.

"We're nothing if not consistent," the co-captain Alés said. "At our worst, we still win the games we're supposed to win and are a tough out for even the best teams."

"At our best, we're just about unstoppable."

Mertagne       7 - 10 - 7 - 0 -- 17
Delaclava     14 - 14 - 7 - 7 -- 42

1st Quarter
DEL, Dexter George 8 yard run (Kieran Conley kick), 11:45.
DEL, Taurus Wright 13 yard run (Conley kick), 6:23.
MRT, Maenwallon Vane 20 yard pass to Tommy Iturri (Apat Labeaga kick), 3:08.
2nd Quarter
MRT, Apat Labeaga 29 yard FG, 10:24.
DEL, Wright 27 yard pass to Kevin Alés (Conley kick), 7:11.
DEL, Luke Kennedy 21 yard interception return (Conley kick), 6:34.
3rd Quarter
DEL, Michael Willis 8 yard pass to Christian Gooden (Conley kick), 7:12.
MRT, Vane 45 yard pass to Mesot Albistur (Labeaga kick), 2:13.
4th Quarter
DEL, Stafford Thomas 2 yard run (Conley kick), 5:09.

by **Sarzonia** » Mon Aug 02, 2021 7:39 am

Woodstock Daily Mail

Stars, Rosen blow it big time in BJ

From Staff Reports

Sarzonian national gridball team coach Gavin Davis already secured himself the permanent full-time job prior to his team's final away match against Bongo Johnson, but if he hadn't, the Incorporated Gridball Federation might be reconsidering whether to offer him the job.

The Stars stank up the joint in Bongo Johnson as the home team scatted away from the Stars with a 37-13 blowout win that reminded everyone why Sarzonia national team managers remind their charges of so-called trap matches before battles with major rivals.

"We just played like shit," Davis said bluntly. "There's no way around that, and that's completely on me."

The Stars (4-3) still managed to qualify for the knockout rounds anyway despite the shocking result, one Davis said after the match he hoped to wash away from the team's memory. Sarzonia outscored Bongo Johnson in the two-match aggregate 46-44, ensuring that even a defeat to Banija and a Bongo Johnson victory over winless Mertagne would not send the Stars home before the knockout rounds begin.

"I don't know what we can take away from this other than the need to put forth effort on every play for 60 minutes," Davis said. "There wasn't anything special they did against us. They creamed us, plain and simple."

Sam Rosen completed 11-of-26 passes for 141 yards and three interceptions before Davis sent backup quarterback Mike Barnett onto the pitch early in the third quarter. He was sacked and fumbled for another score and injured his left (non-throwing shoulder) on the play. Rosen refused to return to the match, resulting in punter Evelyn Sutter taking snaps at quarterback. Davis said Rosen would be benched for the first series against Banija at Joe Gibbs Stadium in Woodstock. Davis stayed away from using third string quarterback Wendy Bartlett because if she had gone into the match, Rosen would not have been able to play in the event of an injury to Bartlett.

"That was inexcusable," Davis said. "Not playing because you're pouting that you were benched? This is professional gridball. Sam needs to grow the fuck up."

"I wasn't playing that bad," Rosen said. Davis said he would have a conversation with Rosen but hinted it was possible that Bartlett would start the match against Banija.

"I'm not leaving any options off the table," he said. "I've played quarterback. I know the mentality. I'm going to have a nice, long conversation with Sam quarterback to quarterback about his actions tonight. How he handles that conversation will go a long way toward deciding who takes the snaps against the Serpent Eagles."

At the team's first practice following the defeat to Bongo Johnson, the team may well have had their answer. Bartlett was taking snaps with the first team whilst Rosen was not on the pitch. However, Rosen had a valid reason for missing practice. He was taking his daughter to a dance recital because his wife was in hospital undergoing surgery.

"He cleared that absence with us before we left for Bongo Johnson," Davis said. "He didn't blow anything there."

by **Saint Kanye** » Mon Aug 02, 2021 9:39 am

With a 23-10 road win over the Lisanderian national gridiron squad, the St. Kanye Surge have officially clinched first place in their World Bowl XLII group with still a game left to play.

The score was tied at ten apiece when the teams headed to the lockers at the halfway mark. However, a great performance for the Yeezie defense as well as kicker James Rasputin helped them pull away and improve their record to 6-1, while sending already eliminated Lisander down to 1-6. Over in Chromatika, the Iron Legion rested their starters but still managed a victory against Malandrin; the former ended their schedule with a 6-2 card while the latter fell to 1-6. If the Surge survive their final assignment, a rematch against the Allamunnic States, they will be a game ahead of the Iron Legion, but if not, the tie will be broken by head to head, with the Kanyeans having defeated the Chromatiks both times they've met.

"I suppose it's only right that we didn't let our guard down against Lisander," said Surge quarterback R.J. Linetti. "I've said it before that teams like Lisander, even if they're eliminated, they'll still be dangerous. They have only pride to gain, nothing to lose, but one misstep against them could still have huge playoff implications."

1Q LIS field goal K 35 LIS 3-0
The home team were first to put points on the board - three to be exact, courtesy of their kicker.

1Q STK Faris 26 fumble return (Rasputin kick) STK 7-3
After the kick, St. Kanye had the ball, but they went three and out. Lisander had a shot to increase their narrow lead; unfortunately, their drive was cut short after a fumble by their running back was picked up by Yeezie linebacker Alvin Faris and returned to the end zone for six (seven with the PAT).

2Q STK field goal Rasputin 30 STK 10-3
Rasputin made it a one-touchdown Surge lead with his first field goal of the day, from thirty yards out.

2Q LIS WR1 47 pass from QB1 (K kick) Tie 10-10
But Lisander would even things up on a 47-yard pass from their quarterback to their primary receiver.

3Q STK field goal Rasputin 31 STK 13-10
3Q STK field goal Rasputin 55 STK 16-10
St. Kanye's kicking machine was a perfect 3 for 3 in his field goal attempts, nailing two in the third quarter to add to the one during the second.

4Q STK Moore 24 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 23-10
During the fourth, the Lisanderians tried, but they couldn't find a way to score the go-ahead touchdown. It didn't help that the Surge were able to make it a two-possession game after a very long drive that ended with Patrick Moore hurdling downed defenders on the way to the end zone after receiving a screen pass from Linetti.

"We're ready against the AS," said Jeff Delphine, head mentor of the Surge. "It'll be nice to have the home crowd on our side as we try to get our payback for them beating us in the first part of the group stages, not to mention the momentum from the three wins we've had since then."

This matchday is a very eventful one, not only for the Surge; here's what happened elsewhere in the tournament:

- The Abanhfleft Armored Revolutionaries (6-1) stain the previously perfect record of the Squidroidia Flyers (also 6-1), escaping with a narrow 20-16 victory.
- The Karditan Ironworkers (5-2) become the latest addition to the playoffs cast, winning 20-12 against the South Newlandia Elephants (3-4).
- Bongo Johnson (3-4) had the upset of the day, toppling the Sarzonia Stars (4-3) 37-13. However, even if B.J. win their final game and the Stars lose theirs, the latter are the ones who will advance due to their superior aggregate score (46-44).
- Like the Surge, the TJUN-ia Jags (5-3) win their third straight, closing out their schedule with a 20-7 victory over the Tumbran Misfits (5-2).
- The defending runners-up Drawkland Net Corps (6-1) forty bombed Kriegiersien (0-7), 46-3 to be exact.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MD | Opponent           | Rank | Uniform       | Score   | Record | Place |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1  | BYE                |      |               |         |        |       |
| 2  | Malandrin          | UR   | Purple/Black  | W 28-10 | 1-0    | 2nd   |
| 3  | @Chromatika        | 18   | White/Purple  | W 22-7  | 2-0    | 1st   |
| 4  | Lisander           | 33   | Purple/Purple | W 22-10 | 3-0    | 1st   |
| 5  | @Allamunnic States | 4    | White/White   | L 9-13  | 3-1    | 1st   |
|    | BREAK              |      |               |         |        |       |
| 6  | BYE                |      |               |         |        |       |
| 7  | @Malandrin         | UR   | White/White   | W 41-26 | 4-1    | 2nd   |
| 8  | Chromatika         | 18   | Purple/Black  | W 8-7   | 5-1    | 1st   |
| 9  | @Lisander          | 33   | White/Purple  | W 23-10 | 6-1    | 1st   |
| 10 | Allamunnic States  | 4    | Purple/Purple |         |        |       |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

by **Ranoria** » Mon Aug 02, 2021 10:37 am

Playoff-Bound Krauts To Lock Horns With Misfits One More Time Before Playoff Push

John Garrett tossed another few hundred yards and some touchdowns, the defensive front seven was dominant again, and Emilio Annaise and Jeremiah Quill played the entire fourth quarter in lieu of the starters in a blowout win. We know, we know. What about the playoffs on everyone's mind right now?

As the 2^nd highest ranked team in the tournament, our expectations are, of course, to go undefeated in the group stage. As a nation where gridiron dominates domestic sport, our viewers' expectations are to dominate in every match...which just isn't possible. But Ranoria's done that plenty now. Two straight World Bowls of unbeaten runs in the group stage in World Bowl 39 and World Bowl 40, and just one loss in World Bowl 41 before the playoffs. By now, the narrative is set - Ranoria's tough, and they'll clean house in the group stage, but come the playoffs they're just as good as any old team.

Fans are growing restless. Raul Nieler has arguably been the most successful coach in the World Bowl since his tenure started, but without a title - or even a title appearance - he'll never be off the hot seat. John Garrett's healthy now. No quarterbacks being killed off by their mistress - there's no excuses this time. Ranoria is coming into these playoffs fully loaded, looking nothing short of hell-bent on wresting football's highest honor from those damn Drawkians. If we lose, realistically, nothing may have gone wrong. We aren't the only nation in the world with an incredible resume of gridiron. But our fans may not see it that way. The Ranorian Football League, who sponsors this team, may not see it that way.

We're currently the top seed, which is fair given the best point differential in the tournament by more than 20. That'd have us facing off with South Newlandia or HUElavia, depending on how the next game goes. South Newlandia we should all be familiar with after the World Cup (assuming most of you gridiron-gobbling meatheads had the decency to watch the greatest of the international sporting events), and they're the native land of the Owlephant. If we were to lose in the first round to one of those two teams - who to their credit, are quality squads - the calls for Nieler's job would reach a cacophony. This needs to be a championship run, not a one and done.

Raul Nieler himself was unfazed when asked about the lofty expectations of this team, and the weight that puts on their shoulders.

Weight on their shoulders? People, I've got a bunch of offensive linemen who squat six hundred pounds in their sleep. There's no weight on anyone's shoulders.

Seriously, we understand what we're doing here, and we don't care. It makes no difference to us. It would mean the world to bring a trophy home to Ranoria, but do you think Angelo Gordon needs that extra motivation? Vice Jackson III? Farmer? Garrett? Ross Monarch? No. These guys are giving everything they have regardless of the outside's expectations.

That's great coach. But you almost lost to Tumbra's Misfits a few weeks back. How the hell are you going to stand up to the likes of Drawkland, Banija, or that looming juggernaut that is Ko-oren's defense? Yeah, Tumbra's 5-2, in a group with Arjunnagar (do they even play football?) and a Xannerian team that's been collapsing on itself from day one. They aren't a problem. Or at least they shouldn't be. And if they can get in our heads, then who the hell's to say our team won't choke up against one of the real heavyweights of international gridiron?

We'll see how it ends up. Next up: The twi.ttur bowl, part 2, as the Krauts head to Tumbra for a climactic group stage finale!

Results:
Week 1: @ TJUN-ia: W 23-21
Week 3: vs Xanneria: W 26-0
Week 4: @ Arjunnagar: W 51-14
Week 5: vs Tumbra: W 16-14
Week 6: vs TJUN-ia: W 33-17
Week 8: @ Xanneria: W 33-13
Week 9: vs Arjunnagar: W 39-0

Player Stats
QB John Garrett: 146/202, 2,094 yards, 18 TD, 1 INT, 13 carries, 65 yards, 2 TD
QB Jeremiah Quill: 7/13, 38 yards, 7 carries, 30 yards
HB Vice Jackson III: 125 carries, 678 yards, 5 TD, 17 receptions, 155 yards, 1 TD
HB Emilio Annaise: 41 carries, 201 yards, 1 TD, 8 receptions, 70 yards
TE Johnny Farmer: 44 receptions, 628 yards, 7 TD
WR Khalil Hauptmann: 37 receptions, 529 yards, 5 TD
WR Calvin Hale: 31 receptions, 473 yards, 2 TD
WR Javier Gilmore: 5 receptions, 91 yards, 3 TD

ILB Ross Monarch: 72 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks
OLB Sean Morgan-Horne: 38 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 PDef, 1 INT, 0 FF/1 FR
DE Angelo Gordon: 33 tackles, 7 sacks, 4 TFL, 2 FF/1 FR
DE Zach Skinner: 28 tackles, 5 TFL, 5 sacks
DT Kevin Gerhart: 12 tackles, 2 TFL, 3 sacks
CB Cameron Barborosa: 23 tackles, 3 INT, 1 PDef

by **Banija** » Mon Aug 02, 2021 12:10 pm

An introduction to the Banijan Royal Family

Have you ever wondered about the Banijan Royal Family? Why they refuse to officially anglicize their titles? WHat the hell is going on with these people in Busukuma who have a warped concept of divine right while in a Democracy? In this guide, you can learn all you want to know(and all you don't want to know) about the Banijan Royal Family, how it works, and what makes it unique.

What are the titles of the Royal Family?

Here is the list of the titles of the Royal Family, and the official English translations as provided by the Royal Family, the House of Katende(we'll come back to that later).

Active Titles
Kabaka - King
Luguba - Queen Consort
Sarauniya - Queen Mother
Isebantu - Crown Prince
Omugabe/Omugaba - Prince/Princess
Omulangira/Kyabazinga - Duke/Duchess
Kagere/Kiweewa - Lord/Lady

Defunct Titles
Shujaa- Chief
Maharaja- Emperor

While in official government terminology you can refer to someone's position as their English language equivalent(aka referring to Kabaka Mwanga as the "King"), the title when combined with somebody's name cannot be used in English. For example, one could never say "King Mwanga", or "Prince Mutungi." If one did so in any sort of official communication, they would be immediately corrected. Per royal custom, in terms of maintaining the Bantu heritage of Banija, royals must be addressed by their vernacular title, and nothing else.

What is the history of the Royal Family?

The Royal Family were, functionally, the Shujaas of the Kasanke Tribe, which are Banija's largest ethnic group. Currently consisting of around 70% of the population, the original land area of the Kasanke was northwestern Banija, the present day Moravica Region, especially around Istria and Herzegovina City. They also occupied a lot of northern Banija, particularly the Aksum Region.

But who are they? Banija is a multi-ethnic tribal nation, even if a lot of those tribal divides, functionally, are erased. Even in the early 1200s, what is understood as the Kasanke Tribe consisted of a bunch of seperate clans and villages, who consistently warred against each other, but all while speaking the same language(Olusanke). Then, the traditional myth goes like this.

"Pale-faced invaders" (understood by modern-day Banijan scholars as white humans, in comparison to the nearly 100% black population of Banija) came on their ships and with their colorful flags to concur Banija in the 1200s. It is unknown to history as what country these invaders were from- the oral tradition at the time did not make note of the color of the flags, and while there are evidence of battles, without flag descriptions it's hard to tell what historic empire these invaders came from. However, in the face of being overrun by, as tradition calls it, "foreign pagans", Kizza I of the Herzegovina Clan united the clans of the Kasanke to defeat the invaders, sink their ships, and kill every last one of their soldiers. The founding date of the Kasanke Tribe, and the victory over these mystery invaders, is 1215.

Since then(remember, these are the pre-Mormonism days), Kizza I consolidated power and declared the Kasanke Tribe, with him at its head and his sons as his successors. And largely, they existed peacefully for about 400 years, until the establishment of Mormon Christianity in the country.

Mormon Christianity was not brought to the country by foreign missionaries. On the other hand, the golden plates were presented by the angel Shango, to Kirunda Museveni, who was the only brother of the Shujaa at the time, Kabonero III. When Kabonero III converted, the religion spread like wildfire through the Kasanke lands. The angel Shango was then said to appear in a vision to Museveni and Kabonero III, and told to spread the Church of Latter-Day Saints "from Timuria in the north to the Kuanen River in the East." After a few years of violent expansion, Kabonero III took over all of Modern-day Banija, and the name 'Banija' was granted to the country by God himself.

Ever since then, the Royal Family has existed in some form for all of Banija.

Constitutional Role

The Constitutional role of the Royal Family is complicated. But it goes like this. After the foundation of Banija, it existed as the Banijan Empire for 200 years, until we were colonized by Quebec in 1815 for 20 years. The Royal Family were deemed Pretenders, and then lost their numbering and titles. They worked closely with the Quebecois, branding them colloborators. In 1835, independence was granted with the Kasanke Tribe establishing a country where they were given formal authority to govern, to the exclusion of Banija's other tribes.

This sparked a six year violent civil war, which ended with the capture and beheading of Maharaja Sebowa, his brothers, his sons, and his nephews, and the violent end to his house. Seeing the absolute chaos unfolding in Banija, Quebec had no choice but to come back and re-establish sovereignty in the country. Rokani, a male cousin, is named the official Pretender, and Banija went through a series of pretenders during the second colonization, before the Busukuma Independence Riots of 1905 lead to Independence in 1906.

The establishment of the Constitution led to a power struggle between the first elected Lukiiko, the Mormon Church, and the Royal Family. The compromise was this. The Royal Family would not be involved in domestic politics. The Kabaka would be responsible for Foreign Affairs and the national defense, and his heir, if at least 25 years of age, would serve as foreign minister. The Kabaka would appoint half the members of the six member Guardian Council, that would serve as the nation's court of last resort, as well as the highest supreme authority over the Constitution. The Kabaka does both roles on his own, not on the advice of the Katikkiro, or Prime Minister.

The Guardian Council does not act often. Consisting of 3 bishops and 3 members of the Royal Family(although the Kabaka cannot appoint himself or his immediate heir), they must have the support of at least 5 of 6 members before they act on anything. They can act on any act of the Lukiiko(Parliament) to repeal it if it goes against constitutional grounds. They are most well known for consistently banning the 'Radical Republicans' political party from the ballot every election season, a political party that advocates the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of a secular state, on 'anti-constitutional principles'.

That is generally the source of political power for Royal Family members who are not first in line to the throne. The present royal members of the Guardian Council are Omugaba Immaculate(Chairwoman, oldest daughter of Kabaka Mwanga), Omulangira Basamula of Herzegovina(younger brother of Kabaka Mwanga), and Omugabe Ttembo(the second son of Kabaka Mwanga).

Members

The highest 22 members of the Royal Family are listed here.

In terms of their interests, this upcomign Summer Olympiad in Electrum, no less than 5 members will be competing as athletes. Omugaba Zandaba will compete in Women's shortboard surfing, while the men's 3x3 basketball team are all grandsons of Kabaka Mwanga. Omugabes Ssekamanya, Ssemanda, Kato, and Lallo will all be on the men's 3x3 basketball team.

Succession

Succession for the Royal Family is Agnatic Primogeniture. Aka, the monarch's sons are placed before the monarch's brothers in the line of succession. It is male-only- a woman cannot ascend to the throne under Banijan law. So it goes under a traditional monarchial succession, aka, the first son of the Kabaka inherits the throne when he dies. That is how it traditionally goes, and is how it has gone since independence well over a century ago except for one time.

The Southern Rushmori War, while widely remembered for heroic allied victories of Valladares and Quebec and allies over the Nazi forces of Vaugania and Norskie Zasoust, caused a constitutional crisis in Banija. The long story short- when Quebec joined this war in Rushmore, she called upon her allies in the Quebecois Commonwealth to come to her aid. This sparked intense debate in Banija- while the Kabaka at the time, Mugisha II, was firmly in favor, many felt that we shouldn't go to war 'for a country that would never lift a finger(Valladares) to protect us if the time had come'.

The day before the Parliamentary vote on Mugisha II's decision to send 15,000 troops, his own son, the first in line, Isebantu Sanyu, openly criticized his Father's move, and said that Banijans 'should not be dying on the beaches of Rushmore for men who do not like us anyways'. Many credited that with the turning of the tide, and his father suffered an embarassing defeat. They ended up compromising and sending a much smaller unofficial force, but the damage was done.

A year later, Isebantu Sanyu was unilaterally disinherited and exiled from the Royal Family, by the royal decree of Mugisha II. After many debates regarding the legality of the move, it stood, and Sanyu, while still being allowed to remain in Banija, chose to leave for Quebec City. His younger brother, Mutungi, took his role as Crown Prince. Since then, the crown has passed peacefully from first son to first son.

Marriage

The rules for marriage are fairly straightforward, although there are different for men and women. Everybody involved must be an adult(18 years of age). The marriage of any royal must be approved by the reigning Kabaka if they want to maintain their titles, rights, and privileges, and for their children to have inheritance rights, titles, and privileges.

Furthermore, any male must marry a Mormon. That rule was very recently repealed for women in the Royal Family. Since Mormonism is functionally only major in Banija, this means that Banijan royals marrying commoners happens very often. Due to this royal, no Banijan Royal has ever married a member of a foreign royal family.

by **Buffalostan** » Mon Aug 02, 2021 2:41 pm

MD8

      1   2   3   4   F
SQR  14   7   0   7  28
BUF   7   3  13   0  23
BOX                                                                                 SQR  BUF
  1 Kouji Nakano 26 yard pass from Sota Miyamoto (Flynn De Laurentis kick)            7    0
    Yousuke Mochizuki 1 yard run (Flynn De Laurentis kick)                           14    0
    Zinc Strangegear 20 yard pass from Jack Anderson (Jaessa Kimimoto-Chávez kick)   14    7
  2 Yashima Kafu 1 yard pass from Sota Miyamoto (Flynn De Laurentis kick)            21    7
    Jaessa Kimimoto-Chávez 42 yard field goal                                        21   10
  3 Xococoehua Tlachihuani 99 yard kick return (run failed)                          21   16
    Jack Anderson 1 yard run (Jaessa Kimimoto-Chávez kick)                           21   23
  4 Stein Bell 1 yard run (Flynn De Laurentis kick)                                  28   23

MD9 – Bye

Offensive play of the game: maddax;octapian's 76 yard catch was hauled back just short of a touchdown, but it set up the Janissaries to drive over two plays later, quarterback Jack Anderson toughing out a stinging hit to roll over himself. It capped an exhilarating 8 minute start to the second half that had seen the Janissaries nullify an 11-point deficit after opening up the half by running back the kick 99 yards. Sadly, the lead would not hold into the fourth quarter.

Defensive play of the game: Jack Anderson wins his first game award -- on the defensive side of the ball. As injuries accrue and roster strength dwindle, he's seen increasing time on both sides, and threw himself into the mix as free safety with a bell-ringing hit on Stein Bell to force loose the ball. Ezra Carrington picked up the ball and rumbled to the end zone seemingly untouched -- but was called back on a controversial call for being down by contact at the site of the recovery. Sadly, Anderson, now under center, couldn't convert the drive and punted away, which proved to be the story of a frustrating final 20 minutes for the Janissaries.

Special teams play of the game: Xococoehua Tlachihuani is running out of ways to score, having returned a pick and a punt and caught a touchdown, and added a kick return. The "Aztec Falcon" was particularly indebted to Ghaag, who mowed a lane for him with him uncompromising brutality. The cavewoman has not been a real fixture on the line, too prone to penalties and jumping the snap, but her unique commitment to astonishing violence has served well as a destructive blocker, wiping out half the Squads' coverage team and leaving a massive lane for Xococoehua to fly down.

by **Buffalostan** » Mon Aug 02, 2021 4:18 pm

MD10 cutoff

Each MD I will be offering a small prompt. These prompts are not required and there is no extra bonus for doing them compared with doing a match report or any other type of RP; they’re simply there because, with a long group stage format and many tournaments competing for attention, inspiration may be running thin. Feel free to respond in whatever format you like – or ignore them entirely.

Today's cutoff is brought to you from the Mesozoic SoCal time bubble of c. 140m BCE. RRRRRRRRAAAAARGH! DINOSAURS!

Group A
Equestria 14–40 Squidroidia
Abanhfleft 55–27 Buffalostan

                        Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Squidroidia             8    7   1   255  125 +130
2 Abanhfleft              8    7   1   254  164  +90
3 Buffalostan             8    4   4   224  231   −7
4 New Gesem               8    2   6   196  215  −19
5 Equestria               8    0   8    99  293 −194

Buffalostan are awarded the Equally Balanced In All Things Trophy for being the only team to both score and concede over 200 points, despite having a neutral style modifier. 

Group B
Ko-oren 24–17 South Newlandia
Karditan 23–19 HUElavia

  Group B                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Ko-oren                   8    8   0   138   33 +105
2 Karditan                  8    6   2   149   74  +75
3 South Newlandia           8    3   5   154  120  +34
4 HUElavia                  8    3   5   143  182  −39
5 South Americanastan       8    0   8    49  224 −175

South Newlandia are awarded the Feisty Elephant Trophy for scoring 30 of the 33 points conceded by the Dragonflies' literally disgusting defense.

Group C
Mertagne 33–10 Bongo Johnson
Sarzonia 7–40 Banija

  Group C                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Banija                    8    6   2   240  159  +81
2 Delaclava                 8    6   2   274  151 +123
3 Sarzonia                  8    4   4   197  215  −18
4 Bongo Johnson             8    3   5   155  273 −118
5 Mertagne                  8    1   7   191  259  −68

Delaclava are awarded the Extremely Suspiciously Shaped Trophy for the raging, rock-hard, red-blooded potency of their offense.

Group D
Malandrin 38–14 Lisander
Saint Kanye 16–21 Allamunnic States

  Group D                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Saint Kanye               8    6   2   169  104  +65
2 Chromatika                8    6   2   181   95  +86
3 Allamunnic States         8    5   3   180  169  +11
4 Malandrin                 8    2   6   155  249  −94
5 Lisander                  8    1   7   158  226  −68

Allamunnic States are awarded the Margaret Memorial Trophy for completely defying the no-roster=no-rank rule to end the group stage with a winning record and an automatic playoff berth. It is unclear whether anyone will turn up to collect the award.

Group E
Tumbra 33–3 Ranoria
Arjunnagar 36–20 Xanneria

  Group E                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Ranoria                   8    7   1   224  111 +113
2 Tumbra                    8    6   2   223  121 +102
3 TJUN-ia                   8    5   3   238  155  +83
4 Xanneria                  8    1   7   105  237 −132
5 Arjunnagar                8    1   7    97  263 −166

Ranoria are awarded The No Wait Don't Touch It No Hold Still No No Oh God I'm So Sorry Honey I Can Try Again In Five Minutes Zzzzzzz Trophy for prematurely exploding just short of a perfect group stage record and potential #1 seed.

Group F
Kohnhead 10–21 Drawkland
Kriegiersien 14–13 Bollonich

  Group F                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Drawkland                 8    7   1   226  113 +113
2 Newmanistan               8    6   2   246  172  +74
3 Kohnhead                  8    4   4   183  143  +40
4 Bollonich                 8    2   6   127  235 −108
5 Kriegiersien              8    1   7   105  224 −119

Kohnhead are awarded the Empty Bowl Trophy because we've run out of joke trophies to give out, but they use Bills players for their face-claims so this might be the only way they get their hands on some silverware.

Playoff seeding

                           Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Ko-oren                   8    8   0   138   33 +105
 2 Squidroidia               8    7   1   255  125 +130
=3 Drawkland                 8    7   1   226  113 +113
=3 Ranoria                   8    7   1   224  111 +113
 5 Banija                    8    6   2   240  159  +81
 6 Saint Kanye               8    6   2   169  104  +65

 7 Abanhfleft                8    7   1   254  164  +90
 8 Delaclava                 8    6   2   274  151 +123
 9 Tumbra                    8    6   2   223  121 +102
10 Chromatika                8    6   2   181   95  +86
11 Karditan                  8    6   2   149   74  +75
12 Newmanistan               8    6   2   246  172  +74

13 TJUN-ia                   8    5   3   238  155  +83
14 Allamunnic States         8    5   3   180  169  +11
-------------------------------------------------------
15 Kohnhead                  8    4   4   183  143  +40
16 Buffalostan               8    4   4   224  231   −7
17 Sarzonia                  8    4   4   197  215  −18
18 South Newlandia           8    3   5   154  120  +34

Ranoria and Drawkland are exactly tied with the same record and points difference, and no head-to-head tiebreaker. They will play Allamunnic States and TJUN-ia; since Ranoria v TJUN-ia is a group stage rematch and would need to be flipped anyway, Ranoria will play Allamunnic States and Drawkland will play TJUN-ia.

August 3: Play-in round

PI1: (15) Kohnhead v South Newlandia (18) @ Municipal Stadium (cap. ~18,000 seating plus segregated standing areas), Lower Fargonia
PI2: (16) Buffalostan v Sarzonia (17) @ NutriSLURP MegaBowl (cap. ~250,000), Liberty Base

August 4 is an off-day for everyone.

August 5: Round of 16

RS1: (1) Ko-oren v Winner of PI2
RS2: (2) Squidroidia v Winner of PI1
RS3: (=3) Ranoria v Allamunnic States (14)
RS4: (=3) Drawkland v TJUN-ia (13)
RS5: (5) Banija v Newmanistan (12)
RS6: (6) Saint Kanye v Karditan (11)
RS7: (7) Abanhfleft v Chromatika (10)
RS8: (8) Delaclava v Tumbra (9)

August 6: Quarterfinals

QF1: Winner of RS1 v Winner of RS8
QF2: Winner of RS2 v Winner of RS7
QF3: Winner of RS3 v Winner of RS6
QF4: Winner of RS4 v Winner of RS5

August 7 is an off-day.

August 8: Semifinals

SF1: Winner of QF1 v Winner of QF4
SF2: Winner of QF2 v Winner of QF3

August 9: Final

It's the final, Einstein.

by **Kohnhead** » Mon Aug 02, 2021 6:17 pm

Kohnhead loses to Drawkland to close out Group Stage, will take on South Newlandia in play-in

Joseph has cooled off since his red hot start

It was simple, to lock a ticket into the round of 16 all we needed to do was take down 6-1 Drawkland who had beaten us 23-10 last time and are the reigning runners up. So maybe not that simple after all. However we shouldn't have needed to be in this position at all because we had beaten Newmanistan 34-22 back in our third game to bring us to 3-0 meaning that even if we lost to Drawkland twice and Newmanistan in the rematch we would still end with a 5-3 record. Bollonich who we had crushed in our first meeting undid all of that beating us 24-23 as we yet again seemed to choke away a playoff spot after taking down a very good team by losing to a new team who we crushed in our first meeting. In case you don't know what I'm referencing here we lost to South Newlandia 24-17 in the 41st World Bowl to drop to 4-3 and shake up the playoff picture ultimately leading to us being on the outside looking in yet again.

Going up against the Grid Corps for the second time this tournament we were once again just outplayed at Chicken King Stadium. Joseph commited three turnovers with a fumble and two picks as the last two games have really shown some flaws that he has. Drawkland took the lead early and neutralized our ground attack with Joseph and Whitworth inefficient and we all know what happens when Byron Joseph is forced into throwing the ball 40 times in a game.

Defensively we were slow in stopping Dustin Beck early in the game as Drawkland scored on both of their opening drives but adjustments from Dietrich and Shaw limited them to just one score for the rest of the game. It wasn't the defense that let us down as our defense has actually been pretty good, obviously not Ko-oren levels but with the exception of allowing Newmanistan to score 40 we haven't let our opponents score over 25 points.

Kohnhead locked up the 15 seed as the best of the 4-4 teams and a 15 seed would normally just give us a birth in the round of 16 against the 2 seed. However this time around there is a play-in tournament of sorts with us taking on the 18 seed and the 16 and 17 doing battle for the final two spots. The 18 seed as hinted at above is South Newlandia a nation that Kohnhead are quite familiar with across multiple sporting competitions and a country we do have gridiron history with.

Again South Newlandia were the big reason we didn't get past the Group Stage last time around however the first time we met The Brains dominated 53-27 with Jackson Watford having the best game of his international career. The second time we met over in South Newlandia went less well for us as described above and was pretty humiliating for a team that had just knocked off eventual champs Ko-oren in an emotional victory. Many say that the South Newlandia loss combined with us falling to Saint Kanye and missing the playoffs was the final straw in Sparks' tenure as our coach.

The players know this, the coaching staff knows this, we need to beat South Newlandia not just to advance but to make up for the loss last time.

Dietrich was asked about Joseph's struggles in the last two games and dismissed them saying "I'm not one to make excuses, neither is Byron and that's why we see him every morning first one there ready to get better and motivated after his performances the last two weeks but the two teams we just played are really really good and for a guy with two seasons of playing time in the RFL and being the backup on the National Team what he has done is phenomenal. He hung 34 on Newmanistan just a few weeks ago as we got a huge upset and has looked so good throughout the tournament. I have full confidence that he will bounce back because I know him, I know the way he operates, and I know how desperately he wants this. I see the hunger in his eyes every day whether it's studying film or working with the team and I know that he is our guy."

Kohnhead are hurting after the last two games but South Newlandia are hurting as well as they 1-up us by being on a three game losing streak since they entered their second bye at 3-2. However we know that this is a quality team as they have scored 30 of the 33 group stage points against reigning champions Ko-oren known for their best in the world defense. While I do give our Brains a slight advantage I do think that the game could go either way and wouldn't be surprised if we walked away not in the Round of 16 yet again.

Injury Report
QB Jackson Watford - IR Collarbone
*RB Herman Whitworth - Q Ankle
WR Kenneth Bradson - O Ankle
WR Ezekial Edwards - D Knee
OT Peyton Whitely - O Neck
OG Mildred Plumbing - Q Shoulder
*DL Albie Snow - Q Illness
LB Lyla Barrera - D Knee
*SS Chris Molina - Q Hamstring

*will undoubtably play through but is listed as not 100% in practice

by **Sarzonia** » Mon Aug 02, 2021 7:44 pm

Gavin Davis isn't taking timid steps into his new role as the full-time head coach of the Sarzonian national gridball team.

After banishing defensive tackle Colin Grassley from the team for simply talking about placing a bounty on Delaclava quarterback Taurus Wright, Davis saved his most dramatic act for the group stage finale against rivals Banija. He benched starting quarterback Sam Rosen for the match and started third string quarterback Wendy Bartlett. He stayed with her for the entire match despite her completing just eight-of-26 passes for 136 yards and five interceptions.

Davis said he didn't even consider putting Rosen into the match.

"We talked the day after the Bongo Johnson match," Davis said. "I'll leave it at that." Rosen left the dressing room without comment. Davis wouldn't commit to Rosen for the play-in match against host nation Buffalostan. Defensive coordinator Kyle Hanley said it wouldn't matter who was under centre for the Stars.

"It's an away match against the hosts," he said. "Like that's a coincidence," he said, rolling his eyes.

"It's going to be 11 v. 18 when we face that team," running back Ty'Relle Clinton said. "They wanted to face us so they could beat the shit out of us."

Davis wouldn't comment publicly about the reactions of Hanley or Clinton, except to say "I don't do conspiracy theories." As for benching Rosen, wide receiver Steve Swain said Davis made his point by refusing to play the signal caller.

"He's willing to take a loss against one of our bitter rivals and send us to an extra match to make the point that he won't tolerate insubordination" Swain said. "From what I hear from the [Incorporated Gridball Federation] folks, they wanted him to play Rose. A couple of them wanted him to start the match. But Coach G stuck to his guns. You gotta respect that."

Incorporated Gridball Federation Chairwoman Hannah Pearlman and the IGF Board of Governors certainly respected Davis's stance. She said the IGF felt "vindicated" by his decision to effectively suspend Rosen for the Banija match.

"He decided that sending a message to the player that no one is above the game or the rest of the team was more important than winning or losing," she said. "The Board saw that straight away," and we feel even more confident that Davis is the right coach for the job.

[OOC note: As I told the host via TG, the accusations I made were solely IC and are essentially letting off steam after three straight losses including two blowouts and two losses to archrival teams. They are not an implication of the host in any way and should not be taken as the OOC views of the player.]

by **Tumbra** » Tue Aug 03, 2021 3:27 am

second chances
a documentary series

DAN WATERS
STARTING QUARTERBACK

"Bet ya'll were expecting something mad, like a 50-0 blowout of TJUN-ia, since we were talking about them so much in the previous part, huh? Ooh, it's a rematch, they're probably overaroused because every time they lose they seem to lose their collective minds, eh? Well. About that."

HANS KWAITKOWSKI
STARTING CORNERBACK

"To put things nicely, we got pump—"

DAN WATERS
STARTING QUARTERBACK

"—PSYCH! We lost. Smashed. Utterly broken. Played terribly, played like chumps, went 20-7. Yeah, I figure I'd rip off that bandaid before we all collectively got a bit too misty-eyed, a bit self-congratulatory, a bit...well, we really shouldn't dwell on it either. Our hotel got discovered, they made noise outside it all night..."

NICK EVANS
STARTING KICKER

"Okay, Dan talks a lot of shit all the time, but he's right on this one. We lost, yeah. We were too chill about the match — after all, we'd just qualified. Several of us woke up with barely four hours of sleep. Those fans, they can be passionate."

TYLER DAVIS
STARTING HALFBACK

"More than can possibly be said for our own countrymen. We'd qualified for the playoffs, but after losing to Ranoria, it seemed like attention was focusing back on the other type of football. Didn't help that there was an actual title fight that year, too."

FRANCIS MARR
STARTING WIDE RECEIVER

"But we pressed on. Coach didn't make too much light of that match. As I think some of us mentioned, after we'd qualified for the playoffs he rather looked like he had a weight taken off his shoulders. None of us knew why, of course. None of us still do. None of the 53 of us, not Harry, not Simon, not Andrea. It's all been wild guesses since —"

DAN WATERS
STARTING QUARTERBACK

"Skipping ahead, people, skipping ahead. We've got more games to cover — well, just one, really, but this one really does deserve its own play-by-play for just how goddamn good it is."

TYLER DAVIS
STARTING HALFBACK

"Talk about not getting too misty-eyed."

DAN WATERS
STARTING QUARTERBACK

"Hey, y'know what? We're all entitled to this. We did this, together, as a team. I think we earned the right to get misty-eyed about this one match."

TYLER DAVIS
STARTING HALFBACK

"I guess you're right."

Despite reports of coach Charlie Brown being satisfied with his team's performance following a disappointing 20-7 loss to TJUN-ia, the mood in the Tumbran camp was relatively low following the defeat and travel back to Tumbra. The whole process of qualifying for the World Bowl, spread over four months, saw a short break — of about few weeks — before the final group stage match before Ranoria. Back at home base in Gamaliel, the team carefully weighed up their plans for the return match against Ranoria.

RUSSELL DEAN
STARTING TIGHT END

"So we were 5-2 after seven games played. TJUN-ia had finished their schedule, see — they went 5-3. So for us to overtake them, we had to win against Ranoria — already a difficult task — and then we had to win by more than twelve points."

FRANCIS MARR
STARTING WIDE RECEIVER

"Yeah, not the easiest task by any means. They were third in the world, second of the teams participating this edition — we were all ready for another loss, perhaps being consigned to having to play a play-in game before the actual knockouts, yada yada."

HANS KWAITKOWSKI
STARTING CORNERBACK

"Really makes you wonder what was going through their minds. They were 7-0. Easily could've matched Ko-oren. All they had to do was kick us — the literal equivalent of a can on the road — aside."

SEBASTIAN NEUMANN
STARTING CENTER

"But we had one advantage. One. Just one."

DAN WATERS
STARTING QUARTERBACK

"They were coming to us. And we were going to Give. Them. Hell. If they wanted that 8-0, well, they'd need to fight for it."

"Actually, Seb, when you think about it we really had two —"

SEBASTIAN NEUMANN
STARTING CENTER

"Please don't ruin the moment."

DAN WATERS
STARTING QUARTERBACK

"Right. Yeah. And we were going to exploit the hell out that one opportunity we'd get."

"Still wouldn't be easy, though."

SEBASTIAN NEUMANN
STARTING CENTER

"For fuc—"

The Krauts were looking good for going flawless. Only two teams at this point had the possibility of doing that — the Dragonflies of Ko-oren, reigning world champions, World Cup 87 finalists, amongst numerous other accolades. The other were, well, Ranoria. Ever since their near-miss since Tumbra they'd hit back in imperious form — 33-17 against TJUN-ia, 33-13 against Xanneria, and a 39-0 shutout against Arjunnagar. There were rumours that in Ranoria they'd already begun paying out on a Ranoria victory — the only question was how big the winning margin would be.

Tumbra had two advantages heading into the game.

One, they would be playing at home. A twenty-three thousand university stadium wasn't the most intimidating of places, compared to, say, the Henza Center in Chromatika, which seats 66 thousand, the Stadium of the Restoration in Banija, which seats 91 thousand, or even the mighty impressive Karmin-Falce Superdome in Ranoria, which seats a hundred and twenty-one thousand. But it was still home, nonetheless, and the match against Ranoria would see a capacity crowd (and more) fill in the stadium. A last ditch-attempt to move the match to Serrapince Park, which sat seventy-four thousand, failed when the team realised that the pitch was too small for gridiron. That, and the fact that the city of Serrapince would've murdered the Misfits if they tore up the field and caused a loss of momentum. Which, to them, was vitally important, since Serrapince were in their own hunt for the title and, well, the Misfits were playing to not miss out on a better playoff berth.

Football fans can be superstitious as all hell, sometimes.

The second advantage?

Tumbra wrote:
HANS KWAITKOWSKI
STARTING CORNERBACK

"Think they were scared shitless of us, for some reason. We were twenty-seventh. They were third [in the world], and had just smashed everyone."

HANS KWAITKOWSKI
STARTING CORNERBACK

"...They were, somehow, still scared of us. They'd won against us! There was no reason why they should've been scared of us!"

TED BUTCHER
STARTING MIDDLE LINEBACKER

"There was, actually. Us. If you look at our defensive lineup — Chris (Jowell), Evan (Alvarado), Andrew (Lazenby) and Gary (Watts), there's a good chance I'd be scared, too. Now, they weren't available for this — but you only need to look at game footage to see how menacing they were. Staring the opposite line in the eye. And right behind them? Us. Ling (Tan Linghe), me in the middle, and Marco (Bennett), on the right. I think we, somehow, got to their quarterback, John Garrett, I think it was. I know I did. Stared him straight in the eyes, I did."

"And he stared back like a deer in headlights."

TAN LINGHE (陈灵何)
STARTING LEFT OFFENSIVE LINEBACKER

"We knew — well, I knew, at least, that if we were to shut their offence down, we had to mess up their Tight End. So we did."

Ranoria's offence combined for a combined total of zero touchdowns across the four quarters that night in Readale. With Andrew Lazenby and Ted Butcher marshalling the defence, the most they gave up was a field goal — in itself a victory of their own. John Garrett was far from his usual blazing best in Tumbra, his famed partnership with his tight end Johnny Farmer disappearing up in smoke as the two of them got nowhere.

If Ranorian armchair analysts were up in arms after Garrett's first-quarter interception, they would've been livid at Garrett being sacked. Not just once, but several times. It was a humbling night for the Krauts, but the worst was still to come.

DAN WATERS
STARTING QUARTERBACK

"..."

FRANCIS MARR
STARTING WIDE RECEIVER

"You're not saying anything, Dan."

SEBASTIAN NEUMANN
STARTING CENTER

"That smirk on his face tells us all we need to know. I'll make good use of these rare opportunities where Dan actually bothers to shut up to tell our side of the story. So we attacked second. On their first three downs they made up a total of seventeen yards up the pitch, and their fourth down only went an additional four. When we took the pitch, we knew that we were now really on the cusp of something special."

DAN WATERS
STARTING QUARTERBACK

"They were properly rattled. So it was my time to have fun. Sailed through them like paper. Francis and John ran through their defences. Inch-perfect, on point, great passes every time."

"We were twenty-nil up by half-time."

Team 1Q  2Q
TMB  12   8
RAN   0   0

"Three touchdowns."

(The game footage shows brief cuts of John Soples scoring the first touchdown, while Francis Marr scores the second and third)

"One converted two-pointer."

(Russell Dean scoring the two-point conversion)

"A rattled opposition."

(John Garrett, looking despondent, hands on his head)

"This was our night."

(Dan Waters, flanked by his team, trying to contain himself but with a massive smile on his face as the team walks off at the second quarter)

SEBASTIAN NEUMANN
STARTING CENTER

"...somehow I knew that moment of silence wouldn't last long."

DAN WATERS
STARTING QUARTERBACK

"Third quarter? Another touchdown. Fourth quarter? Another one. We even let Nick out to let him kick the ball, get him in on the action. It took them the best part of an hour of play to notch points up on the board. But we knew they were done."

Team 3Q  4Q
TMB   6   7
RAN   0   3

"We didn't even care too much about the field goal they scored."

"A complete performance, a victory for the ages, one of everyone's very best matches. Readale was loud and proud that night. Twenty-three thousand, my ass. There were at least thirty there that night. And that's not even counting the Ranorians who made the trip from AO."

TED BUTCHER
STARTING MIDDLE LINEBACKER

"I know I did. Could've been a washout. But the moment they elected for the field goal and not the fourth down I knew they just wanted some points on the board."

DAN WATERS
STARTING QUARTERBACK

"And that was it. We'd won. We were 6-2. Second in our group. Won by more than twelve points. We did everything that we needed to do. We forced our way back into second, though really it made no difference, but it was something to be proud of."

"And that, really, was all that mattered."

HANS KWAITKOWSKI
STARTING CORNERBACK

"We had a few celebrations on campus that night. Well, I say just a few, but —"

DAN WATERS
STARTING QUARTERBACK

"We celebrated like we'd won the whole thing. The whole nine yards and all that. We went crazy."

"I see that look on your face. No, you couldn't say we hadn't earned it. Not every day you go toe-to-toe with the undefeated world n.3 and come out victorious."

"But that wasn't the end of our story. Far from it. Well, maybe closer than the phrasing might suggest, but —"

SEBASTIAN NEUMANN
STARTING CENTER

"Dan, for God's sake, stop ruining the fuc—"

On a warm night in Readale, the Tumbran national gridiron team recorded a win for the ages. A classic underdog story. There were, of course, the usual tropes of it bringing hope, and love, and all that to the team. After all, with the win, they'd gone up to second in the group. Ninth in the overall playoff table.

The beginning of a new age in gridiron, some said. Here was the start of a new era. There were talks of a professional league, everything. This was the win that changed everything. The stuff of legends.

They were right on that bit. This win would go down, in times to come, as a legend, both in Ranoria and Tumbra. But they were so, so wrong about everything else.

Team   1Q  2Q  3Q  4Q  Score
TMB    12   8   6   7     33
RAN     0   0   0   3      3

by **Ko-oren** » Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:55 am

A look back at our group stage

Eight games done, and hopefully a few more to go. The Dragonflies have certainly positioned themselves well for a deep run as the only team with eight victories from eight attempts. Squidroidia, Drawkland, and Ranoria got close with 7 wins. Ranoria was 7-0 until their loss to Tumbra (33-3). Squidroidia made it to 6-0 before they lost to Abanhfleft (16-20). Drawkland started 0-1 (30-6 loss to Newmanistan) but have won everything since. Abanhfleft also have seven wins, but fell to second place after Squidroidia. Five wins out of eight was all it took to make it into the knockout rounds proper. Four wins were enough in all cases to make the play-in round at the very least, and only South Newlandia have a mathematical shot at the title despite going 3-5 in a group with us and Karditan.

Ko-oren 12–0 HUElavia
Clean Sheet Counter: 1 | TD counter: 1 | FG%: 100 (2/2)
QB: Plasman 28-38, 232 yds, 1 TD, 1 int
Good start - or actually, great start. The Dragonflies are always a little slow out of the gate so seeing that the defence, despite missing a few famous names, is still able to operate at such a high level is commendable. The offence is always a little slower than the defence to find their groove, but Plasman threw his first touchdown and Camba was perfect on field goals, what more can you want?

Karditan 3–7 Ko-oren
Clean Sheet Counter: 1 | TD counter: 2 | FG%: 100 (2/2)
QB: Parkes 16-29, 152 yds, 0 TD, 1 int
We all knew this was going to be a close one. Parkes was given his first start, with his skills to extend plays and offer a bit more unpredictability on the offensive side. He wasn't perfect by far, though. The interception was unnecessary but the amount of ruined plays when Parkes tried to overextend plays and force the ball into windows that weren't there was egregious.

Ko-oren 42–0 South Americanastan
Clean Sheet Counter: 2 | TD counter: 8 | FG%: 67 (2/3)
QB: Plasman 33-38, 347 yds, 4 TD, 0 int
This was a perfect game from start to end. 60 minutes of sheer dominance, with Plasman setting a rhythm and barely missing throws on the offence, to the defence keeping fields extremely short by forcing punts or turnovers deep on the South Americanastani half.

South Newlandia 13–18 Ko-oren
Clean Sheet Counter: 2 | TD counter: 10 | FG%: 75 (3/4)
QB: Plasman 20-30, 159 yds, 1 TD, 1 int
South Newlandia ups our points allowed from three to sixteen - and we'll never forgive them for that. Another tough game, though this time this was entirely on the opponent. The Elephants played lights out but came up short anyway, and this is where you can see that the Dragonflies aren't just a good group with good tactics: they're an elite team with a fantastic staff. They won't be rattled by a looming upset and get that win.

HUElavia 0–10 Ko-oren
Clean Sheet Counter: 3 | TD counter: 11 | FG%: 80 (4/5)
QB: Parkes 25-35, 171 yds, 1 TD, 1 int
Make that zero points scored by HUElavia against us in this World Bowl. We had some doubts going into this game (and the previous) but the wheels came off of the opponents over the course of the tournament. It wasn't a great victory, and Parkes is again unable to find his form and his place on this offence - on paper, he should be a Swiss army knife but in practise there's a lot of 'almosts'. The defence records its 10th interception, which is something.

Ko-oren 9–0 Karditan
Clean Sheet Counter: 4 | TD counter: 11 | FG%: 77 (7/9)
QB: Parkes 21-39, 101 yds, 0 TD, 2 int
... And that's the end of the Parkes experiment at QB. Plasman has started every game since and starts in the knockouts as well - with Enkwist behind him rather than Parkes. The game was salvaged by special teams, and saved by the ubiquitous defence keeping their fourth total clean sheet keeping a Karditan team that smelled blood away from the endzone.

South Americanastan 0–16 Ko-oren
Clean Sheet Counter: 5 | TD counter: 13 | FG%: 80 (8/10)
QB: Plasman 24-36, 190 yds, 2 TD, 1 int
And that's two teams fully shut out. South Americanastan manages to keep us within sight, but score zero points on us across 120 minutes. The defence gets its 10th fumble recovery, Dakitherinthen recovers his first in the national team to get the milestone. Holmgroen gets his 5th career national team interception, and Braakjans gets his 30th career NT sack. Add a few more tackles for loss, and this was a masterclass.

Ko-oren 24–17 South Newlandia
Clean Sheet Counter: 5 | TD counter: 16 | FG%: 75 (9/12)
QB: Plasman 22-35, 229 yds, 3 TD, 1 int
Plasman is the starting QB going forward, but can't shake his interception habit. He throws his fourth in five games, which is too many for a conservative team that needs to score on its drives or risk getting stuck under 10 points. Then again, he was magical on some other throws to a wide receiver group that finally pops out of its cocoon. Schoolhendrik hasn't been the impactful player we expected, but Ranindhen is a fair complement towards the end of his career.

Must-watch games
Of course we'd say to watch them all, but that doesn't fit into everyone's schedule. If you can catch just one game: make it the Dragonfly one. If you can watch two or three: Kohnhead versus South Newlandia in the Play-in round should be a good one. Both teams will be a bit cautious, but have gone above and beyond to make things tricky for every opponent so far. The Elephants can take some inspiration from their NSCF team. The Brains just turned their staff upside down and it's somehow working. Two inexperinced head coaches have an opportunity to secure their jobs for a while, leading mature, if defensive, teams.

In the Round of 16, we've got Ranoria versus Allamunnic States, Banija versus Newmanistan, and potentially Ko-oren versus Sarzonia. Ranoria vs Allamunnic States[i] comes closest to old guard versus new blood. The Allamunnic States' successes are well documented, and even though Ranoria are hardly a new face, we predict this is the cycle that they're making it to the top 3. Despite Ranoria's rank, they've only been up in the top three once - this is their chance to cement themselves there. [i]Banija vs Newmanistan being both 6-2 in the group stage is criminal: both can do a lot more. It helps that we see these names everywhere in every competition. Sure, we'll be watching out for the Serpent Eagles who are trying to finally take that final hurdle to the World Bowl title.

by **Sarzonia** » Tue Aug 03, 2021 8:56 am

Woodstock Daily Mail

Davis: Rosen will not start vs. hosts

From Staff Reports

WOODSTOCK -- Sarzonia national gridball team coach Gavin Davis announced before the team's flight to Liberty Base, Buffalostan that quarterback Sam Rosen will not start the team's knockout round match against 16th seeded host nation Buffalostan.

Reserve quarterback Mike Barnett will start at least the first series and may work the entire first half against Buffalostan.

"We've had further conversations with Sam and, while they've been productive, we feel the underlying issues that led to his insubordination remain, and, therefore, we will continue to hold him out as a starter until those issues get resolved," Davis said.

Rosen declined to comment on the decision, saying, "it's a coach's decision," as he walked onto the team bus headed to the Woodstock International Jetport for the team's flight.

Davis said the team would employ a short passing game to complement running back Ty'Relle Clinton's bruising running style, but he would also use halfback Paul Edgerton for occasional series as a changeup back and for passes out of the backfield.

"Mike doesn't have the same arm Sam does, so we're going to have to make some adjustments to perhaps take some of the downfield passing plays out of the equation," Davis said. "Mike's as mobile as Sam is, so we can still utilise some of the bootlegs and design rollouts and maybe get him out of the pocket."

The other play-in match features No. 15 Kohnhead taking on eighteenth seeds South Newlandia. Whichever team wins the Sarzonia-Buffalostan match will face top seeds and defending champions Ko-oren in the Round of 16. The Ko-orenites have won two of the last three World Bowl titles, interrupted only by Cassadaigua in World Bowl XL. The Stars are making their second consecutive trip to the knockout stages of the World Bowl after 4-6 and 6-4 records in World Bowls IXL and XL. The Stars went 6-3 in the previous World Bowl, only to be eliminated by Banija in the knockout stages.

For Davis, the tumult of the current edition which saw him elevated from position coach to head coach means that whatever the team do in the knockout rounds here will be "gravy.

"We've had a lot of things that didn't go our way, including being assigned to the group of death with Banija and Delaclava," he said. "Our last two results didn't show us at our best. We're going to have room to improve for sure."

by **Buffalostan** » Tue Aug 03, 2021 9:08 am

MD10

      1   2   3   4   F
BUF   6   7   0  14  27
AFT  21  20   7   7  55
BOX                                                                              BUF  AFT
  1 Hayden Bruso 3 yard pass from Glenn Poore (Roland Bass kick)                          0    7
    Kyle November 4 yard run (kick failed)                                                6    7
    Palmer Morel 42 yard pass from Glenn Poore (Roland Bass kick)                         6   14
    Leon Vrieze 20 yard interception return (Roland Bass kick)                            6   21
  2 Grexmex Shadowgleam 26 yard pass from Jack Anderson (Jaessa Kimimoto-Chávez kick)    13   21
    Ronnie Turgeon 9 yard pass from Glenn Poore (kick failed)                            13   27
    Ward Elgin 63 yard interception return (Roland Bass kick)                            13   34
    Palmer Morel 10 yard pass from Glenn Poore (Roland Bass kick)                        13   41
  3 Ronnie Turgeon 6 yard run (Roland Bass kick)                                         13   48
  4 Thaddeus Farr 21 yard pass from Jack Anderson (Jaessa Kimimoto-Chávez kick)          20   48
    Eldon Warne 23 yard run (Roland Bass kick)                                           20   55
    Evan O’Lonergan 33 yard pass from Jack Anderson (Jaessa Kimimoto-Chávez kick)        27   55

End of Group Stage Review

Offensive Most and Least Valuable Players: Jack Anderson is not going to leave this World Bowl in the running for any Most Valuable Quarterback awards, but he has earned a place in Buffalostani hearts (at least in those time-zones that still use hearts; elsewhere, his place has been in Buffalostani fluid cycling and oxygenation pumps) with his tough play. Knowing the team couldn’t afford the luxury of sitting for the final group stage game as they battled for a win that would avoid a tricky play-in game, his gunslinger instincts came out as he threw three touchdowns (and two interceptions, but by then the game was already dead). He’s run the ball, battled hard for every yard, and helped out the team on defense and special teams. He’ll probably pitch in for gas money for the team bus, too.

With Millard Simpson and Zinc Strangegear rested, Anderson had to rely on the like of Kyle November. The flower-child trooped over for a touchdown and celebrated by cleansing his auras, but has otherwise not been very reliable as a back-up back during the campaign, forcing Simpson to stay in the game. November’s third eye hasn’t helped him spot holes and his willowy physique hasn’t helped with yards after contact. His long hair has also proved an inviting target for opposing linebackers to grab onto. The cloud of marijuana smoke he leaves in his wake perhaps explains his sleepy commitment to napping through blocking assignments.

Defensive Most and Least Valuable Players: Samuel Eriksen has made a real impact as an edge rusher, leading the team in sacks and forced fumbles. Not the biggest, though lining up next to Braedyn Barnett he doesn’t need to be as there wouldn’t be room for two such chonkers on the field at once, Eriksen is also not super fast, but has been reliably smart at getting past linemen with a good first step. Once he makes he’s been absolutely tenacious, wrestling down bigger backs and splatting smaller ones.

ShaynX8Sáez has been a disappointment in the linebacker corps. Too small to rush, too slow for coverage, they don’t have a real role. Which is fitting because no one is really clear who, or what, they are, which has made communicating defensive assignments extremely challenging.

Special Teams Most and Least Valuable Players: Xococoehua Tlachihuani, the Aztec Falcon, has been a jet on the return team. As a defensive back their speed has sometimes led to them gambling and overrunning throughs, but on kicks they’ve been a force, running back two scores and gunning down opposing returners with equal gusto. Which makes the fact that their Empire is about to collapse to plague and genocide all the more tragic. Just think of the return yards they’re going to lose out on.

Evan O’Lonergan botched another snap against Abanhfleft (though the eventual margin of victory made a solitary missing PAT matter somewhat less). He did catch a pass towards the end proving that he is capable of understanding the concept of a ball travelling into his hands and not bouncing out, which just proved his performance as holder through the group stage all the more frustrating. Jaessa might have had better kicking stats had the ball not been out of position half the time.

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Aug 03, 2021 3:40 pm

Trash is as trash does

Ko-oren          14  3  7  0   24
South Newlandia   0  3  7  7   17

Against Ko-oren, the Elephants, predicably, lost. It was closer than expected, with the Elephants scoring 17 points, but half of those were essentially garbage time. A late touchdown to make it a one-score game does not shine over the fact that the Dragonflies were in control every step of the way. If they hadn’t missed two field goals and turned the ball over two more times on top of that, this game wouldn’t have been remotely close. The Dragonflies, having locked up the group already, had little to prove – they wanted to go 8-0, maybe put up a little bit of a show for the fans. Doing that against the Elephants takes little effort. South Newlandia, losing the fifth of the last six games, dropped to a 3-5 record on the tournament, with their once string defense falling apart down the stretch.

And yet, they are in the playoffs. The Elephants have Karditan to thank, who held HUElavia to 3-5 as well, allowing the team of Victorino to sneak in on tiebreaks. Their opponent, fittingly, will be the Brains, who had been 4-4 in a tough group. We’ve played them before, last group stage, and the Elephants actually took a game off the Kohnheadians, who are the undoubted favourites in the Municipal Stadium. They’ll go on to face Squidroidia. Hardly a single fan expects the Elephants to do anything of note in that game.

Nevertheless, this will have been a good cycle. Making the playoffs (even with a negative record) and winning a (albeit meaningless) trophy is more than anyone could’ve bargained for. Have you seen that elephant walk? It’s been worth it. We’ll be back.

by **Buffalostan** » Tue Aug 03, 2021 4:01 pm

Play-in round cutoff

PI1: Kohnhead 30–10 South Newlandia
PI2: Buffalostan 13–27 Sarzonia (scorinated by South Newlandia)

August 4 is an off-day for everyone.

by **Delaclava** » Tue Aug 03, 2021 6:01 pm

DSGN.com Football

Phoenixes lose group to Banija, draw Tumbra
Tiebreaker pushes Delaclava down to eighth seed, but confidence running high

While the Delaclava football team had the luxury of getting a few extra days of rest before heading to Buffalostan, they still hoped for the additional bonus of a Sarzonia defeat of Banija, which would elevate Delaclava to the group win.

They would be quickly disappointed, as Banija crushed the Stars 40-7 in Woodstock to improve their record to 6-2. Equal to Delaclava, Banija won the group by outscoring the Phoenixes in their two contests 46-45. The Serpent Eagles took the 5th seed that the Phoenixes would have held, instead pushing Delaclava down to the 8th seed.

The silver lining for the Phoenixes is they know their opponent, and will have plenty of time to game-plan their victory. The foe is Tumbra, who put together a strong 6-2 record in Group E against the likes of Ranoria, TJUN-ia, and Xanneria. In fact, as Delaclava watched, Tumbra concluded their own campaign with a shocking 33-3 demolition of Ranoria, ending an undefeated group stage for the Krauts and leaving the Misfits in good spirits heading to the Heartland Frontier.

A hallmark of this Phoenixes team has been an increased inclination to pre-game taunting, and it didn't take long for the matchups to be announced before defensive captain Seth Ruzička got the war of words started: "Their style is almost painfully simple. It's crude, derivative, unoriginal. It's nothing we haven't seen and dealt with before."

He continued, "Beating Ranoria isn't what it used to be - that's so easy, even Jeckland did it," referencing the famous World Bowl XXXIX result in Coleport now remembered as "The Standard Shocker". "Just wait until they get a team like us with speed, efficiency, intelligence. They'll think they're in a temporal tornado all over again."

"They're happy to be here. We'll be even happier to wish them a safe trip home."

It is the Phoenixes with the five-game winning streak and the higher strength of schedule - and should they check off that box, Delaclava will likely take a six-game winning streak into a tussle with top seed Ko-oren, although the Sarzonia Stars will very much have a say in the matter following their 27-13 play-in victory over hosts Buffalostan. Also of note in the Round of 16 are the matchups Ranoria vs. Allamunnic States and Banija vs. Newmanistan.

by **Chromatika** » Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:55 pm

Team   1Q  2Q  3Q  4Q  |  Tot
CMT     7   3   0   0  |   10
MDR     0   0   3   3  |    6

1Q
04:38 CMT TD - Kathryn Nance 2 yard pass from Jill Kieran (Michelle Breille Kick)

2Q
01:33 CMT FG - Michelle Breille 41 yard Field Goal

3Q
11:21 MDR FG - Kicker 38 yard fField Goal

4Q
07:21 MDR FG - Kicker 42 yard Field Goal

HENZA CENTER, D'REA, CAPITAL DISTRICT, CHROMATIKA - Resting all their usual sorters, the Iron Legion managed to score ten points in the first half and have that be the points that they needed as the Iron Legion finished their Group Play with a victory.

Kathryn Nance was the only one to score a touchdown in the match as she caught a pass in the flat and took it into the end zone.

In the second half, Malandrin would cross the Chromatik side of the field twice but didn't get inside the Chromatik twenty.

Victoria Mio, Parry Mioto, and Nolan Marr starred for the Chromatiks on the defensive side.

"It was fun to give everyone a chance to play," stated Eustace Hampton, Jr.

Upset? - World Bowl 42 Edition
How Likely Each World Bowl Round of Sixteen Match is to Result in an Upset

Welcome to Upset?, where we look at all the matchups in the World Bowl Playoffs and determine how likely each match is to result in an upset (where the lower seed wins). Each match will be categorized as green (safe), orange (possible), and red (danger zone). Without further ado, let's take a look!

RS1: (1) Ko-oren v Sarzonia (17)
Ko-oren: 8-0, 1st Group B; 138 PF, 33 PA, 105 PD
Sarzonia: 4-4, 3rd Group C; 197 PF, 215 PA, -18 PD
Summary: Ko-oren's defense is the best in the World Bowl, and they're the only team to go perfect in the Group Stage. Sarzonia struggled in a group with strong contenders Banija and Delaclava.
Verdict: Red - Ko-oren is far too good to be upset at this stage. Sarzonia isn't named South Newlandia, so don't expect them to score too many points against them.

RS2: (2) Squidroidia v Kohnhead (15)
Squidroidia: 7-1, 1st Group A; 225 PF, 125 PA, 130 PD
Kohnhead: 4-4, 3rd Group F; 183 PF, 143 PA, 40 PD
Summary: Though Squidroidia went 7-1, the quality that is Kohnhead will be a challenge here. The Brains have a legitimate shot, as their losses came mostly against Drawkland and Newmaninstan, two capable sides.
Verdict: Yellow - Kohnhead will have a legitimate chance, but Squidroidia remains the favorite.

RS3: (=3) Ranoria v Allamunnic States (14)
Ranoria: 7-1, 1st Group E; 224 PF, 111 PA, 113 PD
Allamunnic States: 5-3, 3rd Group D; 180 PF, 169 PA, 11 PD
Summary: Ranoria was one loss to Tumbra from a perfect Group Stage record; Allamunnic States, on the other hand, needed to sweep Saint Kanye to get here. Despite Allamunnic States's history in gridiron football, it's Ranoria's time to shine.
Verdict: Red - The Krauts will be looking to prove that the loss to Tumbra was a fluke. They should succeed.

RS4: (=3) Drawkland v TJUN-ia (13)
Drawkland: 1st Group F; 226 PF, 113 PA, 113 PD
TJUN-ia: 3rd Group E; 238 PF, 155 PA, 83 PD
Summary: Scoring twice the points that they gave up? Drawkland is clicking on all cylinders. TJUN-ia was displaced by Tumbra, but remain a very good side, having scored the most points in their group.
Verdict: Yellow - The Jaguars will be an absolutely tough out for the Grid Corps. This will be a game to watch.

RS5: (5) Banija v Newmanistan (12)
Banija, 6-2: 1st Group C; 240 PF, 159 PA, 81 PD
Newmanistan, 6-2: 2nd Group F; 246 PF, 172 PA, 74 PD
Summary: An instant classic here. The fact that Banija has to play Newmanistan in the Round of Sixteen is a bit of a shame. One of the Serpent Eagles and the Rockets will have to go home ahead of schedule.
Verdict: Yellow - The game of the round, for sure. Banija are favored, but by how much?

RS6: (6) Saint Kanye v Karditan (11)
Saint Kanye, 6-2: 1st Group D; 169 PF, 104 PA, 65 PD
Karditan, 6-2: 2nd Group B: 149 PF, 74 PA, 75 PD
Summary: Saint Kanye only won the group due to sweeping Chromatika, while Karditan only lost to Ko-oren. Karditan's defense is just nasty, though.
Verdict: Yellow - Depends on which Saint Kanye shows up. If they play like they did against the Allamunnic States, Karditan will pounce.

RS7: (7) Abanhfleft v Chromatika (10)
Abanhfleft, 7-1: 2nd Group A; 254 PF, 164 PA, 90 PD
Chromatika, 6-2: 2nd Group D; 181 PF, 95 PA, 86 PD
Summary: Abanhfleft only lost to Squidroidia, while Chromatika only lost to Saint Kanye. Chromatika absolutely has the edge on defense, but Abanhfleft does lead offensively.
Verdict: Yellow - It'll be a close game, but the Iron Legion have a legit shot.

RS8: (8) Delaclava v Tumbra (9)
Delaclava, 6-2: 2nd Group C; 274 PF, 151 PA, 123 PD
Tumbra, 6-2: 2nd Group E; 223 PF, 121 PA, 102 PD
Summary: The best offense in the tournament against the surprise of the tournament. Can Tumbra eclipse their victory over the Krauts?
Verdict: Yellow - Yes, this isn't a green. Why? Tumbra has magic behind them.

by **Ranoria** » Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:54 pm

No Room Left For Error;
Krauts Set To Kick Off Playoffs Against The Allumanic States

Angelo Gordon leaving the field after a disastrous outing against Tumbra's Misfits

Well, that was a disaster. John Garrett threw more picks in one quarter than he did the entire rest of the season, and totaled three throughout the contest in a disastrous affair. In Tumbra's home stadium, the Misfits never let up. Our star quarterback looked rattled and frustrated throughout the affair as drive after unproductive drive slipped away. The Misfits seemed totally content to allow Calvin Hale and Javier Gilmore to take one-on-one matchups if that meant they could throw the book at Khalil Hauptmann and Johnny Farmer. Both were affixed with bracket coverage throughout the day. To be frank, Charlie Brown's defensive gameplan was masterful.

While for the most part Khalil Hauptmann would face a vertical bracket and Farmer a horizontal in order to account for their particular route tendencies, analysts and avid fans of the team noted that the team changed those up depending on Ranoria's formation to account for the most common routes of the two. Again, it left Hale and Gilmore with one-on-one matchups, but Brown seemed to accept that if it was those two that beat his upstart squad, then so be it. And they didn't. Javier Gilmore was completely helpless with Farmer and Hauptmann being so thoroughly accounted for, and Garrett paid twice for looking his way. The two have chemistry dating back to their days in Richardson and now through a good deal of professional experience, but it's clear now who's been elevating who. Not that Garrett was faultless here. At some point early in the second quarter, after Garrett's third interception, Ted Butcher stared Farmboy right in the eyes, and the latter seemed absolutely helpless, mouth just slightly agape at what was happening.

Hale? No shame in admitting it, he just couldn't get the job done. The kid's talented and solid in every aspect, but he isn't a world beater like the team's top two targets, and he isn't going to be able to carry an entire passing offense on his own. And with the Misfits playing out of their minds, every throw had to be perfect. Garrett's a generational talent, but even he can't be asked that. Hale would finish the game with an impressive 109 receiving yards, but those came on 8 receptions, and the team only totaled 201 yards throughout the contest. With our offense's constant turnovers and a few three and outs to go along, the defense never got a rest, and well, you can guess what happened next.

Our suspect-at-best secondary was torn to ribbons, and exposed again and again. The offensive gameplan was simple - keep Angelo Gordon and Zach Skinner off quarterback Dan Waters just long enough to hit on plenty of quick verticals, slant routes, and crossers. When you have a secondary that - frankly, has one man quality enough to start for most professional teams, you don't even always need to have more than three men running routes. Doubling up both of the team's monstrous edge rushers didn't keep Waters on his feet all game, but it limited the duo to just one sack and plenty of too-little too-late quarterback hits. If Waters was in pain, he never showed it, grinning ear to ear as the score got farther and farther out of reach in a game that would go down in history for both nations.

Of course, with a loss in each of the last two group stages, both John Garrett and Raul Nieler are hearing calls for their heads aplenty. The team had the second best offense in the world last time around, but still, that didn't mean much as they struggled to put up points, and this go around they've been impressive, if not as much against their tougher opponents. Nieler shook the criticism off as best he could, and Garrett simply stated that the team was onto the next one - the Allumanic States.

Fortunately, loss or not, we had qualified for the playoffs well before this one. This hiccup hurts our seeding, and it's frustrating to see a team so many want to dominate everyone they play, but if we're going to slip up, the group stage was the time to do it. And many could point out that many good athletes - regardless of their drive and work ethic - can get complacent with too much success. Perhaps we needed a good kick in the ass to get the best out of some of the best players in the world.

With the 14th ranked Allamunnic States first up, Ranoria's going to have a fight on their hands. The Allamunnic States scraped by to get into the postseason at 5-3, and while Chromatika and Saint Kanye are both formidable draws, the group overall was the weakest in the tournament. We're expecting nothing short of a dominant showing - and we better get it or this team is going to be completely uprooted - in this first round on our way to the quarterfinals. With John Garrett - who finished the group stage with a passer rating of 119.86 and more than 2,000 passing yards - at the helm, we've got a shot no matter what happens.

And in that same vein - when Ranoria opens up their playoff run with a three time MVP at quarterback, a pair of pass rushers with four defensive player of the year awards between them, and a tight end with a claim to be the best in the world - it'll be must watch football in Sunbeltopolis. And I hope plenty of you will be there to say it with me!

Go Krauts!

Results:
Week 1: @ TJUN-ia: W 23-21
Week 3: vs Xanneria: W 26-0
Week 4: @ Arjunnagar: W 51-14
Week 5: vs Tumbra: W 16-14
Week 6: vs TJUN-ia: W 33-17
Week 8: @ Xanneria: W 33-13
Week 9: vs Arjunnagar: W 39-0
Week 10: @ Tumbra: L 3-33

Player Stats, Final, Group Stage
QB John Garrett: 146/206, 2,023 yards, 16 TD, 4 INT, 10 carries, 52 yards, 2 TD
QB Jeremiah Quill: 5/9, 29 yards, 7 carries, 30 yards
HB Vice Jackson III: 117 carries, 601 yards, 4 TD, 17 receptions, 142 yards
HB Emilio Annaise: 31 carries, 139 yards, 9 receptions, 64 yards
TE Johnny Farmer: 40 receptions, 584 yards, 6 TD
WR Khalil Hauptmann: 37 receptions, 619 yards, 5 TD
WR Calvin Hale: 35 receptions, 530 yards, 2 TD
WR Javier Gilmore: 4 receptions, 84 yards, 3 TD

ILB Ross Monarch: 73 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack
OLB Sean Morgan-Horne: 41 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 PDef, 1 INT
DE Angelo Gordon: 34 tackles, 7 sacks, 4 TFL, 1 FF/1 FR
DE Zach Skinner: 27 tackles, 5 TFL, 5 sacks
DT Kevin Gerhart: 12 tackles, 3 sacks
CB Cameron Barborosa: 24 tackles, 3 INT, 1 PDef

by **Sarzonia** » Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:10 am

A lot of teams like to talk about building momentum for the knockout rounds in any tournament by winning matches to close out the group stage. They like the feeling of walking in with a winning streak and feeling like they're peaking at the right time. Many teams also extoll the virtues of "no distractions" and decry anything they say could divert attention from the focus on winning matches.

If you looked at the Sarzonian national gridball team in the three matches leading up to their play in match against host nation Buffalostan, you'd see a team in turmoil. The head coach, who took over after a jump from being a position coach because the head man was fired just before the season, benched the starting quarterback for insubordination and kept him on the bench for a critical match against an archrival. The starting quarterback refused to get put back in the game after his backup was injured. The coach kicked a player off the team for even talking about placing a bounty on a rival quarterback. And the Stars lost three straight matches, the last two by blowouts.

So what did the Stars do in their first knockout round match under Coach Gavin Davis? Why, they knocked out host nation Buffalostan 27-13 behind two touchdown passes from backup quarterback Mike Barnett and a 123-yard rushing day from running back Ty'Relle Clinton, who rumbled for a 67-yard touchdown to break a 13-13 tie just before the end of the third quarter. Barnett completed 15-of-21 passes for 287 yards and did not turn the ball over once. As for the Stars defence, they held Buffalostan to 197 yards total offence, sacked the Buffalostan quarterback five times, and forced four turnovers.

It was a vintage performance for the Stars (5-4) who recalled the days when it was Davis under centre for Sarzonia and he was leading them to two World Bowl crowns, including one in Woodstock. Davis said he was glad to put the notions of "momentum" and "distractions" to rest with the performance.

"I was pleased with our effort today," he said. "We played hard, we played well, and we played as a team for each other."

Davis said he considered sending Rosen on for a kneeldown to end the match after the Stars forced a turnover on downs against Buffalostan following a last ditch effort to drive for a score to make it a one-possession match, but decided he wanted Barnett to close things out. He said Rosen would start the match against Ko-oren.

"I've made my point, and Sam gets it now," Davis said. Rosen sat out the last two matches following his benching against Bongo Johnson. He said he apologised to the team for being "an asshole."

"Look, I'm a competitor and I hold grudges sometimes, but I also realise when I need to grow up," Rosen said. "Coach Davis made that clear. I'll be happy to be back under centre and doing what I can in hopes of bringing us a World Bowl title."

But first, Sarzonia will have to face defending champions and No. 1 overall seeds Ko-oren, who sailed through the group stage with an unblemished 8-0 record and have won two of the last three World Bowl titles. Everyone on the Stars acknowledges beating them will be a tall order, but the Stars are undeterred.

"Look, if we think we're going to lose to them no matter what, we're most likely going to find a way to make that happen," Clinton said. "We're going to get after it and play our brand of gridball."

The Stars feel they've proven the notion of "momentum" and preventing distractions are complete bullshit by winning a match in front of a hostile crowd in Buffalostan against the host nation. They also feel being in the Group of Death with archrival nations like top five powers Banija and defending bronze medalist Delaclava helped toughen the team for the knockout rounds.

"Every match was a battle," Davis said of the group stage for the Stars. "You had Banija and Delaclava, both of which are archrivals. You had Bongo Johnson, and we each took turns blowing our respective matches. And you had Mertagne, who were competitive throughout. There wasn't a single match where you could just relax."

Rosen said he realised it was possible that the team's victory over Buffalostan would be their final hurrah of the tournament with the defensively stingy Ko-orenites set to face them, but he echoed Clinton's comments.

"On paper, we probably have no chance," he said. "But they don't play these matches on paper."

by **TJUN-ia** » Wed Aug 04, 2021 7:39 am

As the Trent State Feathercaps were getting handed to by Mar Sara Tech on the road, the TJUN-ia Jaguars were looking to try and claim 2nd in their group at the World Bowl...for now, at least. For this team to somehow claim 2nd in this group, they had to beat the Misfits of Tumbra at home and hope that Tumbra also falls to the undefeated Ranoria Krauts on the Final Day of this group. Gus McKerrin always had an eye on the Group Table throughout this WB but on this night, his main focus was solely on getting his side of the job done before Fate decided who he must face in Buffalostan.

If McKeerin wanted a resounding performance to prove to the rest of the world that TJUN-ia still had something, then that was what he absolutely got in New Washington. The TJUN-ian defence came alive in this contest and absolutely ate Dan Waters alive with sacks and interceptions wherever possible. Waters did get a TD through Francis Marr, with Nick Evans kicking the extra point, but that would be the only points they would score for the entire game. Jake Griffin, meanwhile, got three for himself in this game, all of them going to all 3 of his wide receivers (Hubert Valois, Jack Davidson and Chris Davidson). While Chi On-Ma wasn't perfect at 2/3 on conversions, that would be definitely enough to seal the deal for the Jags. It may have been difficult at times, but 5-3 is certainly a winning record and they will enter Buffalostan with some momentum on their side.

While Tumbra did go on and upset the Krauts 33-3 to take 2nd place, TJUN-ia could still be happy they were in the mix at all after losing 3 games against the Top 2 in the group. The Life Valley Stadium in Atlantic Malaisia shall host our Round of 16 game as we take on the Grid Corps of Drawkland, who also went 7-1 in order to win Group 6. Many expect this Top 10 showdown to be a tight affair but if that is the case, many hearts back home may not be able to deal with that. The Grid Corps await us. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group 5)
MD1: vs Ranoria (3) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington L 20-23 (0-1)
MD2: @Xanneria (21) W 31-7 (3rd/1-1)
MD3: vs Arjunnagar (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 39-7 (2nd/2-1)
MD4: @Tumbra (27) - Gamaliel State University Field, Gamaliel L 34-41 (3rd/2-2)
MD5: BYE
--------------------------BREAK--------------------------
MD6: @Ranoria (3) - The Karmin-Falce Superdome, Ranoria City L 17-33 (3rd/2-3)
MD7: vs Xanneria (21) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 39-7 (3rd/3-3)
MD8: @Arjunnagar (UR) W 34-14 (3rd/4-3)
MD9: vs Tumbra (27) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 20-7 (2nd/5-3)
MD10: BYE (3rd/5-3/+83PD)
-------------------------------------------
Ro16: vs Drawkland (7/7-1) - Life Valley Stadium, Atlantic Malaisia, Buffalostan

by **Delaclava** » Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:09 pm

In the pitch black, Taurus Wright was one of the last people to stumble out of Kevin Ales' mansion and to his car.

Kevin still lived months of the year in Quinniville, even though his career with the Aces had concluded, and the team had come over to get together, celebrate another successful run to the playoffs, and keep an eye on the remaining group stage action, with the Phoenixes already finished with their own schedule.

They had been hoping to see a Stars victory, which would give them the group win and a higher seed, but even though that result was out of the question within minutes, the players all had a good time. Kevin's wife Marieel had put together quite the spread and the team was making the most of their last casual night before making the flight to Buffalostan, where the real work would begin.

Taurus Wright had come over, but quite reluctantly so. Truth be told, he was feeling quite alone on the team this season. He was used to being part of the team, in high school, at Lansing State, with Catherina. And that was his intent when he was brought on as the third-string quarterback last year. Now, the world was looking at his as the star of this team, and he was feeling that from his teammates too. The expectations were different, the stakes were higher for him than for anyone else.

At some point, as the games wound down, the TV had been turned to DSGN's Nightcap, reviewing the night's sporting action. As the anchors reviewed the World Bowl results, they mentioned that Delaclava had officially clinched the honor of most prolific offense in the group stage. That got a round of cheers and high fives from the players. Taurus Wright was standing next to the veteran defensive captain Ben Dorman, who smiled and said something along the lines of, "think you can keep it up?"

Ben probably meant the entire offense, but Taurus heard "you". It was his responsibility to get points on the board so the team could win. Well, at least for tonight, he didn't want to think about whether he was really good enough to handle that responsibility. In an all-too-familiar move over the past several weeks, he walked over the bar to pour himself a generous portion of bourbon on the rocks.

Too much drink and not enough time later, Wright managed to excuse himself from the small group of players that remained and headed outside, keys in hand, thinking he just needed to get out and drive. To somehow clear his mind, even though that was going to be impossible until he'd slept it all off. Rolling down the long gravel road and managing to stay within the lines, Wright turned to head past the farm estates, and up to a seaside overlook he'd grown fond of in his multiple recent trips to Quinniville.

Standing atop the cliff, Taurus zoned out to the sound of the waves crashing and the leaves lightly rustling. He took a few sips from another bottle he kept in his car, looking out on the sea, feeling temporarily at peace, numb to the fears of disappointment and solitude that had intermittently coursed through his brain for months now. After a while of minding only the elements, he sighed and smiled, then turned back to his car, tripping over his feet slightly. Nah, I'm just tired, he thought. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep in tonight.

It was morning, and the itinerary from the Quinniville International Airport to Heartland Frontier began at 9:00 sharp. Frank Newman had immense belief in his players, meaning that he trusted his players to show up on time, ready to go...and he felt comfortable enough to leave behind anyone who didn't.

Yet as 8:30 became 8:40, 8:45, and the remainder of the team trickled up to the private plane at varying levels of caffeination, even Newman was starting to sweat a little bit in the absence of his starting quarterback. 8:50, and still no Taurus Wright. He walked over to Kevin Alés, knowing he'd hosted the get-together the night before; he wanted to trust him fully, but he had to know. Quietly and intensely, he asked, "Too much partying last night?"

"No, sir," Alés replied, equally confused. "Everyone was gone before midnight."

Newman nodded and paced away, leaving Alés to wonder himself, what had Taurus gotten up to in the past ten hours so that he was at risk of missing one of the most important flights of his life. By 8:55, the rest of the team was well aware that Taurus Wright was nowhere to be found. Dismayed but resolute, Newman turned to his team and said, "Alright, let's start boarding."

Alés walked over to Robbie Hahn, who was continuing to dial his friend's number. "Any luck?"

"No, man. You know what's going on?"

"No... look, hopefully we can figure this out later, but we gotta go, okay?"

Hahn nodded, and picked up his duffel bag to walk over to the luggage conveyor, when his phone began to ring. Hahn looked. It was a number he could not recognize, but vaguely deciphered it as a police number. He answered, "Hello?"

He listened for a few seconds, then shook his head in his other hand. "Okay, hang tight... I can't come get you, we're going to Buffalostan, right now actually. I'm calling Mark right now and he's going to get you, alright?" He paused, listened a bit more, then looked first over at Coach Newman, watching Robbie and Kevin intently, then at Kevin himself, before stuttering, "I... I don't know. One thing at a time, alright? Call you when I can."

He snapped his phone shut and looked at Kevin and Coach Newman, who had wandered over to the pair. Robbie bit his lip slightly, part frustration and the rest concern, and almost whispered, "Yeah, we got a problem."

by **Kohnhead** » Thu Aug 05, 2021 10:46 am

Kohnhead comfortably take down South Newlandia 30-10

The offense celebrates after an early score

The team knew what was at stake in this play-in match, a chance for our first trip to the Round of 16 at the World Bowl and a chance to get revenge for our 24-17 loss to South Newlandia last time that kicked us out of playoff contention. In his first year at the helm with an injury to his starting quarterback in the first game Eric Dietrich had led us to the play-in game but he was not satisfied with a loss here especially against a 3-5 South Newlandia squad that had lost three straight.

The team came out firing on all cylinders with Byron Joseph trying to make up for two straight horrible games against Drawkland and Newmanistan. Because of this and the fact that we are a run-first team many including the South Newlandia defense it seems expected us to start with Whitworth or a QB keeper on the ground but instead Dietrich showed the trust he has in Joseph to turn it around by calling three pass plays to start off the game. It was a risk yes but it was a calculated one as Joseph started 3/3 with 45 yards including a 29 yard pass to Marco Polisson.

After that we went back to the ground with Herman Whitworth and Joseph both getting some carries (as well as backup Butler) as we made our way down the field before Joseph hit James in the back of the endzone for our first score of the day. Unfortunately Parkinson missed the kick and so it was only 6-0 Kohnhead, still a very successful drive. The question was whether our defense could follow it up by stopping Stein and the improving South Newlandia offense.

The answer, a resounding yes with Firth stopping Read in the backfield for a three yard loss on first down before Espinosa almost got the sack on second forcing Stein to roll out and throw it away just in the nick of time. On third and long we would get to Stein with Haney coming on a blitz unblocked right through the middle to sack Stein before celebrating with the defense after the three and out. It was the perfect start for Kohnhead on both offense and defense and thanks to an uncharastically short punt from Christian Ballard their punter the offense came back out with very good field position.

By halftime the score was 20-3 with our defense forcing an interception thanks to Chris Molina and a forced fumble when Decker ripped the ball out from Diego Holland and Travis fell on it. Joseph had thrown two scores with the second going to Polisson and Whitworth had scored on a 19 yard run where he had a signature Herman Whitworth bulldozes defender moment. We don't truly know if Whitworth is at or will ever again be at 100% but whatever he is at is still pretty darn good even at the World Bowl as evidenced by his 75 first half rushing yards.

The second half was mainly us running the ball a lot with a combination of Joseph, Whitworth, Butler, and Deacon chewing out the clock for pretty much the entire quarter and so we only scored 10 points thanks to a Joseph five yard run on an option where he dove into the endzone and celebrated with the offense (pictured above). It was 30-3 late in the fourth when South Newlandia finally got a touchdown as our backups entered the game as Mark Downs punched it in from five yards out to make the score look a bit more respectable in the end at 30-10.

It was good to see not just the offense but the entire team get some momentum after a bad two game stretch especially with the Round of 16 coming up very soon. First up we have the 2nd seeded Squidroidia who are appearing in their third straight World Bowl and third straight Round of 16. The Flyers had made the Round of 16 in both prior appearances yes but they had yet to progress past it and view this as their best chance to do so. Squidroidia went 7-1 in the Group Stage with their only loss coming to Abanhfleft after starting the Group Stage at 6-0.

While Squidroidia are big favorites especially with their Group Stage performance they aren't the worst draw in the first round as they have never gotten past this round and had a decently easy group and were only a pot three team heading into the tournament (although the best pot three team by far). An upset isn't out of the cards especially if we can get off the to the same type of start that we got off to against South Newlandia but it does remain doubtful and will be difficult. Dietrich for his part is certainly not done yet and says that we will give it our all to try and get to the quarters and believes that we certainly have the capability to do so.

Injury Report
QB Jackson Watford - IR Collarbone
*RB Herman Whitworth - Q Ankle
WR Kenneth Bradson - O Ankle
WR Ezekial Edwards - D Knee
OT Peyton Whitely - D Neck
OG Mildred Plumbing - Q Shoulder
DT Jakub Brush - Q Hip
LB Lyla Barrera - D Knee
*SS Chris Molina - Q Hamstring

*will undoubtably play through but is listed as not 100% in practice

World Bowl 42 [rosters/RPs/results]

NSFB: A Soul For A Soul II: Onwards With A Win!

Who is online