World Bowl XXXVII: Everything Thread

[West Phoenicia]

And it's over for the West Phoenician War Dancers, it has been a remarkable journey for the team, coming so far in there maiden engagement in the World Bowl.

After what appeared to be some flawless playa and having some of the higest scores in their grouping ended today when they played against Velstrania.

While the game was a toss up up to half time, Velstrania was able to take the lead in the final half after the War Dancers defensive line fell apart allowing their opposition quarterback to score a touchdown. While they tried to fight back, it was a tough struggle they couldn't come back from losing to their opposition 30-20.

Head Coach: Salvador Di Monti said he was proud of his team's achievements and this won't be the last of the War Dancers. They will take some time off for a short break, before jumping back into training again. Round of 16 was a good outcome, we also won first place in the Gridiron Demostration event at the Summer Olympic Games in The Free Republics, it's been a very good year; we will be back.

[Trans-Dniesters]

(OOC: RL has messed up my original RP schedule for the World Bowl so forgive me if I advance the Season IV recap straight to the quarterfinals, just to sync it up with the World Bowl playoffs as well.)

Приднестровская Гридиронная Суперлига
PRIDNESTROVIAN GRIDIRON SUPER LEAGUE
SEASON IV RECAP

Hello there, friends, comrades, and fellow fans in gridiron. Today we are finally at the business end of Season IV of the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League, namely the playoffs. Before we get started, let's take some time to remember who made it through and who has to wait for next season for their chance in the big time, but once we have acquainted ourselves with the playoff seeds, we will get right down to business. Enough talk; let's get started.

PGSL Season IV Regular Season Final Standings

   PGSL                     Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD
 1 Dinamo Bender             14   12   2   255  142 +113     Regular season champions, Qualified for playoffs
 2 Yeralenko Torpedoes       14   10   4   291  171 +120     Qualified for playoffs
 3 Admiral Novorossiysk      14   10   4   288  185 +103     Qualified for playoffs
 4 CSKA Tiraspol             14    9   5   288  229  +59     Qualified for playoffs
 5 Macaresti Gladiators      14    9   5   206  170  +36     Qualified for playoffs
 6 Bratsk Dolphins           14    8   6   224  183  +41     Qualified for playoffs
 7 Rheinburg Spartans        14    8   6   219  200  +19     Qualified for playoffs
 8 Antakya Hawks             14    7   7   219  302  −83     Qualified for playoffs
 9 Novonikolaysk Sharks      14    6   8   215  202  +13
10 Sheriff Tiraspol          14    6   8   165  157   +8
11 Lake Begorod Revolution   14    6   8   192  233  −41
12 Dnistrolvovsk Bandits     14    4  10   118  207  −89
13 Kesselburger Kestrels     14    3  11   157  258 −101
14 Vladikrav Red Death       14    0  14    67  265 −198

PGSL Season IV Playoffs Seedings
(1) Dinamo Bender vs. (8) Antakya Hawks

(4) CSKA Tiraspol vs. (5) Macaresti Gladiators

(3) Admiral Novorossiysk vs. (6) Bratsk Dolphins

(2) Yeralenko Torpedoes vs. (7) Rheinburg Spartans

---

PGSL Season IV Quarterfinals

(1) Dinamo Bender              3  3  3  0  9
(8) Antakya Hawks              3  3  3  6  15

@ Dinamo–Stadion, Bender, Transnistria (official attendance 56,781)

And now we're off to our first ever playoff game in PGSL Season IV, Dinamo versus Antakya. Dinamo Bender have been their usual dominant selves in the regular season while Antakya only barely managed to squeeze themselves into the playoffs on the back of their "perfectly balanced" 7–7 record. Don't look at Antakya's point difference because that will ruin the "perfectly balanced" meme-joke. This match was very much ripe for a Dinamo walkover, who must believe that their passage into the PGSL Playoffs is now very much a given, while Antakya are still probably counting themselves lucky that they've even made it this far. The stage, then, is of course set for perhaps the biggest upset ever in the history of the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League. It is the very first time in the league's history that the eighth seed has managed to eliminate the first seed, and what a way for the Hawks to do it. For the first three quarters the game was very much a penalty shootout, and you all know how I feel about penalty shootouts in gridiron. But then early in the fourth quarter, Antakya found the very rare breakthrough against Dinamo and scored the first and only touchdown of the game. Ivan Vartaminenko missed the PAT, but at least he chose this moment to miss and not anytime before in the previous three quarters, much to the relief of Hawks fans and the disapproving disappointment of Dinamo fans. Rodion Tarasenko and crew tried to salvage the situation for the next eleven minutes of game time but surprisingly enough Antakya's defense held firm, and while their offense was unable to carry over the momentum created by Stanislav Yanev's touchdown, it was their defense which saw Antakya through to their first ever PGSL Playoffs semifinal in their club's history. You may think that Antakya's fans are still pinching themselves trying to make sense of what just happened, and you'd be right. It just so happens that everyone else is also pinching themselves trying to make sense of things and wondering if this is all a dream. Especially Dinamo fans. Me, I'm too busy laughing to even pinch myself.

(4) CSKA Tiraspol              7  7  3  3  20
(5) Macaresti Gladiators       0  3  0  0  3

@ New Army Stadium, Tiraspol, Transnistria (official attendance 75,148)

From complicated, we move on to simpler matters. Much simpler matters, given that this was pretty much a routine victory by CSKA Tiraspol over the Macaresti Gladiators. Unfortunately, even though this is CSKA, my favorite team, that we're talking about here, I simply don't have much to report on you about this match. All I can say is that Andrey Nikitich Medvedev and Demyan Nikitich Medvedev did the majority of their work in the first half and just did enough to keep the Army Team machine ticking while at the same time the defense stifled the Gladiators' ground game and forced them into making more passes than they were comfortable doing, and the results show just how effective this was. Better luck next time, Macaresti, although I verily sincerely hope that next time doesn't involve Macaresti facing CSKA in any way possible.

(3) Admiral Novorossiysk      10  3  7  7  27
(6) Bratsk Dolphins            7  0  0  7  14

@ Admiral Stadium, Novorossiysk–na–Dnistr, Transnistria (official attendance 58,912)

Third on our list is Novorossiysk versus Bratsk. A game between two Pridnestrovian cities to whom the seas mean so much, even if for different reasons. Novorossiysk loves the seas because it is the home port and biggest base for the Pridnestrovian Navy, while Bratsk is very much reliant on the seas to maintain its relevance in the Pridnestrovian economical landscape (through matters of trade and fishing). This game also features two of my favorite quarterbacks (after Andrey Nikitich Medvedev, of course) pitted against each other: Stan "The Man" Serban and Kelly "Princess of the Peninsula" Profit. We all know that this could have been a game for the ages. And, in the first quarter, it really looked like we were about to head that way. Admiral started the game with a field goal, and then Bratsk responded with a touchdown, to which Admiral responded in kind with a touchdown of their own. It looked like it was going to be an offensive-minded fan's dream come true. And then both teams were only able to muster one field goal between themselves in the second quarter. But it turned out that this was actually just the prelude for Admiral's offensive "explosion" in the second half of the game. I put the word "explosion" in quotation marks because neither you nor I can hardly call 14 points spread between two quarters an offensive explosion at all. Kelly herself scored Bratsk's second touchdown in the fourth quarter but yet again, it was a case of "too little too late" as Admiral Novorossiysk overwhelmed the Dolphins' defense and left them with little if any time at all to stage a comeback. And that is most probably the difference between a good team that makes the playoffs and a great team that actually progresses in the playoffs. A shame for Miss Profit. I really would have loved to see her and her team make it to the Pridnestrovian Bowl. That is, if CSKA haven't made it there.

(2) Yeralenko Torpedoes        3  0  0  3  6
(7) Rheinburg Spartans         0  7  7  0  14

@ Torpedo–Stadion, Yeralenko, Rivymiyitevko (official attendance 25,021)

And now, last but not the least, we have the Cinderella story of PGSL Season IV pitted against a regular Pridnestrovian Bowl contender. I believe that this is the first time that Yeralenko has ever made it to the playoffs of the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League, while Rheinburg has been perennial challengers for the Pridnestrovian Bowl in two of the three seasons that the league has currently played. So what is this game going to be? Is it going to be a case of the new getting rid of the old or the old putting the new in its place? It turned out to be the latter as Rheinburg taught Yeralenko just how they do it in the playoffs. I think we have now scientifically established by now that Hieronymus Saller is not human, because how else can you explain the transformation that overtakes him whenever he plays in a game where everything is on the line? Yeralenko had the most points scored as well as the highest point differential and were therefore expected to put up a much stiffer resistance than they eventually did against Rheinburg but then again, when you see the hulking mass that is Hiero Saller running towards you, you would be hard-pressed to do anything other than piss your pants and either freeze or run away. That's just the way things are.

And that does it for our recap of the quarterfinals of Season IV of the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League. Undoubtedly the surprise of the series is the Antakya Hawks upsetting Dinamo Bender right here in this very stage, and in front of Dinamo's fans to boot. Thus eight teams have become four, and once we are finished with the semifinals, those four teams will become two. But until then, my friends and comrades, I leave you with a sincere and heartfelt До свидания.

[Ko-oren]

Rain once again - Drawkland Part III coming up

In a muddy affair, the Dragonflies were the better team against Amurbia. The score surely was a lot closer than what anyone would have predicted, and the total number of points... well, that probably was pretty much spot on compared to the over/under. Never expect high-scoring games with the Dragonflies, and with 15 points for both teams combined, the Green and Blue deliver again.

The Sun Valley Stadium, in Busukuma, Banija's capital, was pelted with rain the night before the game, and even though crew worked all day up until kickoff to prepare a great field, it all stayed a bit muddy. Agile backs and quick cornerbacks had a horrible time, slipping all over the place. Offensive lines couldn't always get set, and were pushed around as long as the defensive lines could generate some speed and power. There was barely any rain during the game, but the damage was done. These were conditions not unheard of in Ko-oren. The Eaglebury Emperors can have these rains in all of the second half of the season and the postseason, and the Explosions and the Astronauts have can have wet spells early on in the season (any later in the season, and rain turns to snow over there). The Ko-orenite team has been plagued by bad weather more often than just this Round of 16 fixture, and they come out on top, as the masters of the elements they are. The poor field gave way to a whole different strategy, and special teams were the biggest weapons all night. There were 18 punts, and it was a question of getting your kicker in position to put three points on the board if a punt could be avoided.

Both quarterbacks could direct their units to the other goal line on occasion, but the defence held off 1st, 2nd, and 3rd & Goals every single time. This is where Amurbia's two field goals came from. Ko-oren was steadfast and tried to go for it on fourth down a few times, but couldn't get anywhere. Turnovers and sloppy play from the 16th seeds gave Bennett the opportunity to try a field goal from some 40 yards out a few times, which led to the only Ko-orenite points. Thankfully it didn't go to overtime, as this really wasn't the kind of game you would want to see go on for another second.

In the quarterfinals, we will have part three of the Drawkland Chronicles. For the third time in six games. Both times Ko-oren won, with one blowout among them, but everyone knows that Drawkland always is a great opponent with at least a 50% chance for a win. That's just the status as the number one ranked team - but with great odds comes great pressure. So far, Drawkland couldn't master the pressure against us, leading to our status as first seed. Who knew that those two losses pushed Drawkland down to the 9th seed, so it all would come back around? Something that does work in our favour is that we stay in the same place for this round. Sun Valley Stadium's field should be repaired almost entirely in time for the quarterfinal, and by then it'll be a place familiar to us.

In the other quarterfinals, we see the Free Republics against Velstrania. On the other side of the bracket, hosts Banija play Ranoria, and Pridnestrovia face Torisakia. Pridnestrovia reached the final eight after a 50-37 win over Newmanistan (!!) in a game that could be the complete opposite from our own 9-6 win.

Should conditions be back to normal in Busukuma, Reeman will be the signalcaller, with heavy personnel around him as always. On the defence, it seems that the line finally gave into yFawgaff's strategy. Braakjans will play alongside Avink/Binnenpoorte and Karentathen. Behind them, Henry will continue his hunt for the most sacks of any player in this World Bowl, Gunmothinden will likely be asked to hunt for the backfield and take down backs before they can get dangerous. Fokke and Kinportinden know how to balance coverage duties with challenging the O-line, and Merivan or Keijser will appear every now and again, mostly in coverage. Ko-oren still has an extremely low percentage of blitz plays, though to keep things interesting, Mesjathaunthen could be put in as a pass rusher sometimes. Dollen, Ensink, and Dwyer will do the rest in the secondary.

Gridiron Football - yeah, that's an old game even in Ko-oren - Episode 6

And after we've done the Eastern division, we can't keep the Western division a secret. Here, too, there are two defensive teams, two offensive teams, and two mixed teams.

Like in the Eastern Division, there are two defensive teams, two offensive teams, and two mixed teams, and each team has a dynasty of extremely good players at a certain position for some reason.

Defensively, it's all Willowbourne Saints and Eaglebury Emperors in this one. Climate dictates that the Emperors can use defence efficiently in rainy Eaglebury, where running the ball is just not a viable option all the time. Even if rainy conditions only give you the option to run, it still isn't a great way of advancing the football. Eaglebury tends to have a good secondary, but an even better front 7. Willowbourne keeps their offensive options open, a mixed bag of running, passing, dual threat and anything else coordinators in their time. Their defence is surprisingly consistent, with a lot of linebackers and safeties in the Hall of Fame, or at least the Hall of Very Good. The middle of the field is impossible to penetrate with Willowbourne, but they can get soft on the edges.


For mixed teams, there are the Mayara Wolves and Greencaster Godspeed. The Wolves are associated with running, always selecting coaches that can develop a ground and pound game, and requiring a quarterback that can throw a little, but run very well. To set up the run, they focus on good run blocking - and as that's what their defenders train against, the Wolves have developed some awesome defensive tackles and edges. The trenches, on both sides, are never a lost cause for them. Greencaster Godspeed is built almost exactly the same, both teams sharing a lot of coaches over the years. The Wolves are simply a big and heavy team, while Godspeed does feature a lot more nimble players and trick plays.

There are offensive teams, too: the Mayara Destroyers and the Mawryshire Centaurs. In the endless battle for Mayara, the Destroyers have eschewed the battle in the trenches for passing. A lot. Quick passes, putting the ball in the hands of a lot of different receivers, in well thought out plays. On the defence, they have had a few great linebackers, too. That also makes the Mayara derby fun to watch: fairly mixed teams with entirely different players in key positions. Lastly, there's Mawryshire, who have always had great precision pocket passers, and they focus on a lot of throwing. The defence shouldn't be on the field for very long in their opinion, and instead you should prolong drives with a lot of passes, a lot of pass catchers, and decent enough pass blocking to allow for static quarterbacks to get the ball to a safe destination.

If you wondered where special teams come in, all 12 teams have had periods where they've focused heavily on those. There have been multiple coaches who reinvented special teams from kicking, punting, kickoffs, as well as trick plays - and their voices have only become louder with the age of statistics. Special teams have never been bad in Ko-oren with any team, and every team knows how important a kicker, punter and a returner are, but to say that one team excels at finding them is a stretch.

[Torisakia]

And welcome to another edition of the Sports With Bort blog, I'm your always humble host Bort Stevens. We're continuing our special playoff edition report on Torisakia's World Bowl 37 campaign that we began earlier. Previously, we talked about Torisakia's playoff run and what they did to get there. Today we'll be talking about Torisakia's Round of 16 matchup that was against Abanhfleft and why the hell it was such a nerve wrecking game.

Wow. This game. It took years off my life. Like many years. My life expectancy has been cut in half. I knew Abanhfleft would be a challenge but I didn't expect for the game to be this close. I also didn't expect it to be this low scoring. Abanhfleft runs a pretty conservative play style but I wouldn't have thought that they would be THAT conservative to where they just kick four field goals the whole game. Although it could have just been our defense making stop after stop. It was hard to tell. However I fully expected Torisakia's offense to spit and sputter given that we're without one of our best offensive weapons in Cliff Bolden. We had to rely on the ground attack most of the game and the leg of Matthew DeBerry near the end of the game. Michael Prickett led the way with 276 yards on the ground and the game's only touchdown. As to be predicted, Aaron Spady struggled passing the ball, only completing 10 of his 25 pass attempts and throwing 2 interceptions. Without Bolden it was hard for him to find any reliable targets downfield coupled with the tenacious pass rush from Abanhfleft. On the other side, our defense held up pretty well. Despite Abanhfleft's utter lack of explosive plays, the Ice Birds held them out of the endzone the entire way. They even forced three turnovers, one of which came at a crucial moment in the game that allowed Torisakia to go downfield for the go-ahead score.

Box Score	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Abanhfleft	3	3	6	0	12
Torisakia	0	3	7	3	13

With a score this low I would be complaining on and on about how this game was 'boring'. But given what was on the line I have no room in the entire world to be saying things like that. The first half was very slow. Abanhfleft got on the board first about 3/4 of the way through the first quarter on a 41 yard field goal by Cleveland Hyneman. Torisakia would not answer back until a little ways into the second quarter with a field goal of their own: a 34 yarder by Matthew DeBerry. After some back-and-forth three-and-outs, Torisakia had a chance to take the lead when they got inside the Abanhfleft 15 yard line with around two minutes until halftime. However Aaron Spady would throw an interception in the endzone that gave the ball back to Abanhfleft, which then allowed them to take a 6-3 lead at the end of the half on a 47 yard field goal by Hyneman. It's plain to see that mistakes are what cost the Ice Birds many scores in this game. Whether it be turnovers, botched plays, simply slipping on the turf, you name it. These aren't the kinds of things that true competitors do, especially in a playoff game.

The second half was much more eventful. Although not right out of the gate if you're a Torisakia fan. Abanhfleft got back-to-back field goals on their first two possessions of the half after the Ice Birds turned the ball over on their first possession while deep in their own territory. Abanhfleft led 12-3 halfway through the third quarter and things were looking bleak for the Ice Birds. They were able to turn their luck around on the ensuing possession when Michael Prickett broke free for a 68 yard touchdown run to pull Torisakia within 2 points. It was a simple counter play to the weak side and the offensive line sold it perfectly as Prickett ran untouched and uncontested to the endzone. Michael Prickett had a great game on the ground as I mentioned earlier and this was one of his best performances during this World Bowl. The Ice Birds finally had some momentum behind them and it translated well as Abanhfleft was unable to get anything going for the remainder of the game. The only time they got close to scoring again was with about 5 minutes remaining in the game they had a 3rd & Goal on the 15 yard line.

GAME SUMMARY OF ABANHFLEFT VS. TORISAKIA

1st QUARTER
5:22 AFT - 41 yard field goal by C. Hyneman
END OF 1ST Abanhfleft: 3 Torisakia: 0

2nd QUARTER
9:48 TOR - 34 yard field goal by M. DeBerry
0:00 AFT - 47 yard field goal by C. Hyneman
END OF 1ST Abanhfleft: 6 Torisakia: 3

3rd QUARTER
11:53 AFT - 36 yard field goal by C. Hyneman
7:15 AFT - 39 yard field goal by C. Hyneman
4:34 TOR - 68 yard run by M. Prickett (DeBerry PAT)
END OF 3RD Abanhfleft: 12 Torisakia: 10

4th QUARTER
0:18 TOR - 34 yard field goal by M. DeBerry
END OF 4TH Abanhfleft: 12 Torisakia: 13

On 3rd & Goal from the 15, Abanhfleft ran a screen pass to the right side where quarterback Harrison Aumann connected with fullback Von Colone. They had pretty good blocking downfield and Colone was able to get to about the 5 yard line when he was hit by Rodney McFarlane, whose helmet hit the arm that Colone was carrying the ball in and popped it loose. The ball then bounced and rolled out the back of the endzone for a touchback, preventing an Abanhfleft score. A touchdown would have most likely put the game away and a field goal would have forced the Ice Birds' offense to score a touchdown to take the lead rather than a field goal which was more difficult than it sounded. But the offense was bailed out by the defense for the umpteenth time and gave them another chance at taking the lead.

The offense finally decided to do something meaningful as Aaron Spady was able to complete two clutch passes on 3rd down to get the Ice Birds down the field while running some clock. Torisakia got inside the red zone at about the 17 yard line before they began to just run the ball up the middle to run some clock and set up for a game winning field goal. However Abanhfleft had a few timeouts remaining and the Ice Birds were forced to kick the go-ahead 34 yard field goal with 18 seconds left. Matthew DeBerry had no issues as a good snap, good hold, and good kick went straight down the middle and Torisakia led for the first time in the game 13-12 with 15 seconds left. Abanhfleft would return the ensuing kickoff to their own 22 yard line but a holding and personal foul penalty pushed them back to the 12 yard line with 8 second remaining. Abanhfleft would try for a Hail Mary pass but it would be intercepted by Kyeon Wilkerson as Torisakia survived to move on to the quarterfinals.

Torisakia now moves onto the quarterfinals where they will take on Pridnestrovia, who defeated Newmanistan 50-37 last night. Pridnestrovia is the defending World Bowl champions and the 2nd overall seed in the playoffs. It's easy to see why considering how explosive their offense is. But what they lack is consistent defense, if them giving up 37 points to Newmanistan wasn't indicative enough. Honestly they're neck-and-neck with us. We have an explosive offense and an inconsistent defense so that means that this game should be pretty close and either very low scoring or a complete shootout. Regardless they'll be a great challenge for us and we'll probably never play a more formidable opponent in World Bowls to come. If Torisakia wins, they'll play either Ranoria or Banija in the semifinal. Given how these host nations are and how they like to do all that cheating, Banija would most likely come out victorious to make it to the semifinal regardless if they would play us or Pridnestrovia. The international sports world is full of corruption and greed and I'm making it my mission to expose it!¹

Welp, that's all I have for today. I'll be back with another edition of Sports with Bort soon to discuss the Torisakia-Pridnestrovia matchup as well as take a look at other happenings around the playoffs and either preview the semifinals and Torisakia's next matchup if they win or do a retrospective of Torisakia's World Bowl 37 run if they lose. Take care and ¹WEB HOST NOTE: The views expressed by Mr. Stevens is not necessarily reflect the staff and management of Grassnolewddick Media Networks.

[Banija]

A Defensive masterclass against the Main Nation Ministry puts Banija into the World Bowl Quarterfinals


Jabril Uste(#55) celebrates fourth quarter goal line stand against the Main Nation Ministry

LWANGA, BUGANDA- They say defense wins championships. That used to be true for the Banijan national team. The great teams of World Bowls 29, 30, and 31, the ones that went to three straight semifinals, were built on the backs of strong, suffocating defenses. The quarterbacks of that era, Slawomir Kovach and Myles Debaba, were both serviceable, decent quarterbacks- nothing to write home about. But the defenses on those squad were absolutely nasty. They'd suffocate and dominate their opponents on their way to that historic run, and while they didn't put anything into the medal case, that team was, as you could see by their record then, a consistent competitor for silverware(even if, consistently, they never won any). And now, all these World Bowls later, this team has a new identity- offense. LEd by the electric figure Isaka Jawara at quarterback, this team will spread it out, emphasizes speed in space, and will attack you in many different ways to beat you. Different philosophies for Ezekiel Daniachew and Alastair Jobs. Both, of course, were successful in their own right.

Strong offense does remain important. Look no further than the #2 overall seed for the knockout stages, and the defending champs, Pridnestrovia. They won their League A group in Phase 1 averaging 22.3 points per game, but they amped up their offensive attack, averaging just a hair under 30 points per game in Phase 2. And, of course, in the Round of 16, they put up a stunning 50 points in an elimination game against Newmanistan, a team who, while obviously large underdogs, put up quite a fight against the team that is trying to go back to back. But just look around elsewhere, and you'll see defense as all the rage. Ko-oren, the tournament's top seed, just defeated Amurbia by a score of 9-6. Look at Banija's quarterfinal against them at World Bowl XXXVI. The Serpent Eagles won by a score of just 8-7. Sometimes, your offense doesn't have the greatest day, scoring one touchdown on the day, like Banija's did. A defense needs to be capable of having a fantastic performance, especially in the knockout stages, to carry a team the distance. And most fortunately, this defense is certainly more than capable of doing so.

And on this day, it was the defense, once again, that stepped up in all of its glory and, behind an energetic and sold out home crowd, emphatically put their stamp on this game, keeping Banija's all time record in this round of the World Bowl perfect, going from 4-0 to 5-0 all time in the World Bowl Round of 16. Arun Mato was sacked a stunning 7 times. 7! This front seven was absolutely dominant today, and considering the skill of this opponent, one who swept them in League Play all the way back in Phase 1, this was easily the best defensive performance of the tournament for the host nation. And their offense struggled, mightily. Isaka Jawara had two interceptions of his own, including one in the end zone that killed a drive that had gotten all the way down to the 5 yard line. He also had a key fumble in the fourth quarter. It was the kind of sloppy offensive performance that teams do not want at home, as they take the crowd out of the game, they lower the energy levels, and allow visitors, especially a visiting team as talented as this one, to get back into the game.

But this defense did not allow that. They were always going to be excellent on this night, the battle of two teams that know each other, very, very well. They have now battled four times in the past two World Bowls, and while the Main Nation Ministry won both games in league play, getting eliminated by Banija for the 2nd year in a row surely won't endear them well to the fearsome Leader, a man who himself has a complicated relationship with Banija- just ask any Banijan diplomat or historian. But the biggest moment for them, came in the fourth quarter. With about 14 minutes left, the score was 20-6. Isaka Jawara had fumbled a snap under center, and it was recovered by the Main Nation Ministry at the 9 yard line. And with this opportunity, and considering their inability to move the ball with any consistency, it was always going to be four down territory. They had a four yard run on first down, an incomplete pass on second down, and then a no gain on 3rd down.

On fourth and goal, they brought out their offense. Was this early to go for it? Maybe. But they came to win, and frankly, it was probably the right call, considering the amount of time left in the game, and the game's score, and the strength of the Banijan defense. Arun Mato rolled out to his right, and looked for his tight end, Ture Phaidros. He threw it to him, but it would be Jabril Uste, the starting veteran linebacker, who was in position and knocked the football away from the tight end. That took the wind out of the sails of the Main Nation Ministry, and it was the 14th seeded Banijans, the only team in the knockout stages whose seed exactly matches their World Bowl ranking, pulled off what was the nominal upset over the Main Nation Ministry. But with home field advantage being the great equalizer at one of the country's loudest venues, in a city where the Serpent Eagles have never played before.

And now, all eyes will remain on Lwanga. Why? For the quarterfinal, the team coming in is none other than Ranoria. A Banijan rival, these two teams played a pair of spectacular games in League B. In group play, though they finished with the same record, it was Ranoria who would win, as they won their home game by 4, while Banija won by just one. And even that game, came down to the very last play. It took Barry Chlorid missing a 51 yarder as time expired for the Banijans to triumph over Derek McNair's Ranoria squad, and the Banijans survived, narrowly. OF course, that was the first win of their current run, their best of the World Bowl so far, as they have now won 4 in a row against quality opponents(Ranoria, Terre Septentrionale, Vangaziland, and the Main Nation Ministry). And now, of course, they'll play Ranoria again. Also at home, but now at the Wtaering Hole instead of the gargantuan Stadium of the Restoration. How will the teams fare? These players know each other well- it will be quite the game for the two countries with, arguably, the top four college football programs in the NSCF between them.

The crowd will assuredly be into this one. Considering what happened in league play whenever these two met, we imagine that we'll certainly get a close game between these two nations. Get ready for entertainment, tension, and quite the raucous environment, as only one of these two will make the semifinal in Istria.

[Free Republics]

Sporting World

World Bowl XXXVII: Free Republics defeat Cosumar 17-14 in OT
by: Debra LaFleur

The Free Republics grinded out a hard-fought win over Cosumar to stay alive in the World Bowl. Next up is Katakin Maier's team is Velstrania. Despite playing without 3 starting offensive linemen, starting fullback Makharbi Barsukov and slotback Jonas Hetland after a physical final group stage game against the Main Nation Ministry, Republican quarterback Dania Sandberg ran for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 carries while completing 13 out of 30 passes for 141 yards and 3 interceptions which was enough to secure a victory in spite of 2 missed field goals by Takehiko Susui.

The game opened with Cosumar taking to the air. Their quarterback Francis Hibbert, who has remarkably emerged as a superstar in their domestic league at the age of 38, would complete 5 of 7 passes on the first drive for 64 yards including a 21 yard touchdown pass to Madison Weeldreyer to take a 7-0 lead. Cosumar kicker Alan Highsmith followed that drive with a short kickoff. Marta Remer fielded it and found a hole, returning it into Cosumar territory. Sandberg opened the game with a 23 yard completion to Zack Parkes that moved the ball into the red zone but on the ensuing play she would throw an interception to Iain O'Somni after being hurried by Kol Chessmore.

After a couple punts by each team, the Republicans started with the ball at their own 44. On the first play, Sandberg made the wrong read and handed the ball off to fullback Yuan Chien, who was stuffed for a 2 yard loss by the mammoth Lothar Grunstein. On second down, Sandberg headed outside and pitched to Rita Alaja. Alaja headed downfield as Sandberg landed a block on Cygnus Cason to spring her free for a 37 yard gain. After finding Wang Pan for an 8 yard gain, it was 2nd and 2 at the 11. Sandberg dropped back to pass, saw Chessmore knock center Alex Lund on his rear end and took off for the end zone. On the field, the officials ruled it a touchdown but on review the play was overturned and the ball was placed a foot short of the goal line. Sandberg would score on a quarterback sneak on the very next play to tie the game at 7.

Towards the end of the second quarter, Marta Remer would return a punt to Cosumar's 22 yard line. After 2 incomplete passes from Sandberg, she would be sacked by Colin Trindal for a 12 yard loss on 3rd down. Takehiko Susui would hook the field goal attempt wide right to end the half. After a touchback to open the second half, Sandberg would throw a pick 6 to Cosumar's middle linebacker Thorin Cherufin and Cosumar had a 14 to 7 lead. The game soon settled back into the defensive struggle that it had been in the first half until late in the 3rd quarter when Yuan Chien broke a big one for 43 yards right up the middle of the Cosumar defense. After Sandberg completed a pass to Alauddin Panova for 17 yards, Sandberg followed that up on the first play of the 4th quarter with a 9 yard option keeper to tie the game at 14.

Hibbert would lead Cosumar down the field on a methodical drive. After reaching the Republican 14 yard line, they handed off to Nicolas Perrantes and Pasi Pappila made his presence felt in a big way by stuffing him in the backfield and forcing a fumble. Mateo Nyberg would fall on it and the Republicans would put together a few first downs before pinning Cosumar inside their own 5. After a Cosumar 3 and out, the Republicans started at midfield. A 22 yard run by Sandberg would get the Republicans into field goal range but Susui would miss the game winning field goal. After a Cosumar Hail Mary fell harmlessly to the ground, time ran out on the 4th quarter.

The Republicans won the coin toss in overtime and took the ball. On the first play of overtime following a long kick return by Remer, Sandberg would run for 19 more yards. Then disaster struck on the following play as Chessmore hurried Sandberg again and the young Republican quarterback tossed a wild pass that was picked off by Gilan Nairn for her third INT of the game. However, the Republican defense responded in a big way with an all out blitz. This allowed Alex Dale to get through the Cosumarite line unblocked, knock the ball out of Hibbert's hand as he was trying to throw a pass and fall on it at the Cosumar 33. After 3 safe Yuan Chien runs up the middle for a total of 8 yards and a ton of dust, Takehiko Susui had a chance to redeem himself and somehow missed the kick again as television cameras caught several Republican fans in disbelief. A moment later, the stadium announcer said "There's a flag on the field" and the referee announced that Landry Coventry had jumped offside on the kick. Susui returned to the field for another shot at the game winning field goal and he missed it again! A moment after the kick, Marco Emiliano ran into Susui's non-kicking leg. That was a running in the kicker penalty and Susui got yet another chance to kick the game winning field goal. He finally made the field goal as Kumaran Na'Taneh was called for jumping offside. Katakin Maier declined the penalty and the Free Republics had won 17 to 14 in overtime.

After the game, Katakin Maier told WOLF's sideline reporter Genevieve Cohen that her team would be declining all interview requests from the press and the Republican team appeared to rush out of BCEL Stadium. They will be playing Velstrania in a quarterfinal game at the same stadium, which is located in Jinja City, Hangaza, Banija. WOLF will be airing the game live in the Free Republics.

Debra LaFleur is Sporting World's international football correspondent. Debra graduated from the University of Nejax where she majored in journalism and was a backup quarterback for the Lady Horns women's college football team. While she was expected to start for the Lady Horns in her senior year, she was injured in the first quarter of the season opener and lost her job to true freshman Paige May, who went on to win the Sporting World MVP award for women's college football.

OOC: The ending to this game was inspired by last year's Chargers-Steelers game.

[Banija]

It's never too late! To fight the fight. It's never too late! To keep the night!

It's never too late! To win the day! It's never too late! To break away!

Time will start to move too fast! The time is now my friends!

We're a long way from the start! And four days from the end!

Ohhhhh no! It's time for cutoff!

Quarterfinal Scores

Ko-oren 10–7 Drawkland
Free Republics 27–13 Velstrania
Banija 17–27 Ranoria*
Torisakia 24–31 Pridnestrovia

*= Banijan match scored by Damukuni!

Semifinals

#1 Ko-oren v. #4 Free Republics @ Mavuto Field in Hoima, Ankole

#2 Pridnestrovia v. #11 Ranoria @ Liberty Stadium in Istria, Moravica

[Trans-Dniesters]

Приднестровская Гридиронная Суперлига
PRIDNESTROVIAN GRIDIRON SUPER LEAGUE
SEASON IV RECAP

Hello there, friends, comrades, and fellow fans in gridiron. We are now in the semifinals of Season IV of the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League, but before we get into it, let's all just take the time to remind ourselves of how we got into this position in the first place. First of all, the Antakya Hawks shocked the entire Pridnestrovian Republic by eliminating Dinamo Bender in the quarterfinals of the playoffs, as the eighth seed. Just let that one fact sink in for all of you. The Antakya Hawks, the eighth seed, just knocked out two-time Pridnestrovian Bowl winners Dinamo Bender in the quarterfinals. If that doesn't tell you that this playoffs is going to be lit then I don't know what will. Also, the Yeralenko Torpedoes were unceremoniously knocked out of the playoffs by the Rheinburg Spartans as well. It just goes to show that sometimes seeding doesn't mean a thing in the playoffs. Now that that's done, we can now get into the business of recapping the semifinals of Season IV of the PGSL.

PGSL Season IV semifinals matches
(4) CSKA Tiraspol vs. (8) Antakya Hawks

(3) Admiral Novorossiysk vs. (7) Rheinburg Spartans

---

PGSL Season IV Semifinals

(4) CSKA Tiraspol              6  7  6  6  25
(8) Antakya Hawks              0  7  0  7  14

@ New Army Stadium, Tiraspol, Transnistria (official attendance 76,007)

"Slow and steady wins the race" and GFK CSKA Tiraspol have not really come hand in hand, at least not until now. First of all, let me preface this by saying that CSKA Tiraspol are not and never have been a team that settles for field goals. I'm going to say it: CSKA in general and Andrey Nikitich Medvedev in particular are risk takers. If there's a chance that the team can get a new set of downs then you can be damned sure that they'll take it. But apparently this strategy went out of the window when the Antakya Hawks came to town to play. I don't know why. It's not like the Hawks have the same strategy which they used to great effect against Dinamo when the cards were down and they took that final chance and threw the Hail Mary pass to score the winning touchdown—oh. Okay. Now this makes more sense. So it turned out that playing safe against the Hawks was actually the way to go. It seems counterintuitive but apparently it works. Four field goals in one game. I sincerely cannot remember the last time that this has happened with CSKA. But, like I said, it works. Din Goyal and the Hawks put up an impressive fight against a loud and rabid pro-CSKA crowd, but in the end they were unable to upset the Army Team like they did the Dinamo. Isn't that a relief?

(3) Admiral Novorossiysk      10 14 21  7  52
(7) Rheinburg Spartans         7  3  0  0  10

@ Admiral Stadium, Novorossiysk–na–Dnistr, Transnistria (official attendance 59,227)

And then we have this. What is up with teams acting completely out of character? Admiral scoring 52 points on a whim, and Rheinburg letting 52 points past them? What in the world is going on? I think all this comes down to Hieronymus Saller being forced out of the game after sustaining a helmet-to-helmet collision with Feodor Feodosiyev in the first quarter. After Saller went out, the Rheinburg defense was simply no longer the same. And with Saller's departure, it seems that a beast has been unleashed. Stan Serban was literally unplayable, and this semifinal turned from a game of gridiron to a video game. Where else have you seen such utter domination and demolition? I am frankly running out of words to describe what just happened to Rheinburg, but the fact remains. They will not be able to stage a repeat of Pridnestrovian Bowl III, although given what happened to them when they lost Saller to a concussion, it seems unlikely that they would have been able to change the outcome of Pridnestrovian Bowl IV to suit them.

So that is the stage for Pridnestrovian Bowl IV set. CSKA Tiraspol returns for their second showing at the biggest title in Pridnestrovian gridiron, while Admiral Novorossiysk are on the prowl for their first ever league title in history and also looking for redemption after falling against Dinamo Bender in Pridnestrovian Bowl II. Who will triumph this time? Will CSKA snatch a second Pridnestrovian Bowl and become tied with Dinamo Bender as the winningest team in PGSL history, or will Admiral Novorossiysk do what they failed to achieve two seasons ago and finally lift that coveted title? There is of course only one way to find out, and that is to keep your eyes peeled for the final part of the recap of Season IV of the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League on this very website. Until then, my friends, comrades, and fellow fans in gridiron, I bid you all До свидания.

[Ko-oren]

Sneaky good

Never have there been so many discussions about who should play and what kind of coordinators should we employ. And still, Ko-oren are in the final four as the top seed in the World Bowl, and are up against the Free Republics in one of two semifinals. In the other, we have Ranoria (having beaten the hosts) and Pridnestrovia. Ko-oren move to 3-0 against Drawkland in World Bowl 37.

This one was close. In the league phases, it has happened that the Dragonflies are up against a team that is not well equipped at all to handle our style, and we get near shutouts and blowout victories. In the knockouts, it's been tight. 9-6 just the round before, and now a 10-7. A field goal separates the teams, both offences finding the endzone just once. Will this form carry the Dragonflies into the final? Or will the tiny margins fall to the other team?

For the Grid Corps, Waterman started like he did in the two previous games, with Beck taking over for two drives in the third quarter. The game was so close that Waterman was put in again after that, needing a field goal or touchdown to match the 10-7 lead the Dragonflies had at that time. The do-it-all QB couldn't lead the Grid Corps to the promised land, but it took a blocked field goal to keep Drawkland under 10 points. There weren't as many turnovers as in previous Dragonflies games, both teams putting ball security as their first priority. The quarterbacks made very few errors and generally went with the safer option over the risky one (curling up in a ball after contact rather than slinging it towards the end zone), which is a little against Waterman's tendencies, but he managed.

Henry and Gunmothinden managed a ton of contact with the QB, and were rewarded with several easy sacks. Whenever Waterman didn't go down easily, the ball fell prey to Dwyer and Knight (Ensink missed the 3rd and 4th quarters with a knee injury). Playing a lot of nickel, Aemino was called up a lot and even Wongar had his first World Bowl snaps. In between drives, the punters had a lot of room to pin down the opponents, and as the third installment of a series, it turned out that both teams were pretty well prepared by now. So much so that they largely had the same game plan as each other, with a few curveballs to keep things interesting. Blitzes were now an option, and Ensink, Dollen and Mesjathaunthen all rushed the passer a few times - but only from nickel defences. These did not faze Waterman, though.

Reeman started the offence, but couldn't generate much. There was too little innovation on the offensive side to really pose a threat, but the receiving corps stepped it up a little. Schoolhendrik, almost invisible during this tournament, had five receptions on seven targets for 64 yards. Junstarin had three for three and went 48 yards with them. Passing to wide receivers finally yielded first downs!

The defensive line kept quiet during the pregame pleasantries. Just in time for the semifinals, it looks that every player on the roster accepts their spot and the amount of snaps they get. But, as we've seen today, there are always a few surprises needed, especially against the teams we've already played before. However, Lyman Rule, wide receiver coach, spoke up against Liam Karneveld's broad vision on the offence, remarking to the press that "the receivers finally get what they deserve" as more and more of them are on the field over crowded backfields and heavy tight end sets. Sure, there are talented wide receivers in Ko-oren, and they vary in talent, but is this the time to introduce a new variable in a successful team?

Gridiron Football - yeah, that's an old game even in Ko-oren - Episode 7

Almost wrapping up our series, what might persuade you to find your favourite club, is learning about the rivalries. As you've found out before, the rivalry games are specifically marked on the calendar. The twelve clubs each have a big rival, which are on the agenda, and then there are multiple smaller rivalries which can happen at nearly any time in the year. Maybe you haven't found your favourite team yet, but you have identified which team you hate. Well, look below to find your favourite-by-hate team.

Mayara Derby The battle for the pride of the capital cities of Ko-oren happens between the Destroyers and the Wolves. While the Wolves are the more historically successful team, it's all Destroyers lately.

Southwestern Clash This one is a recent one, and takes place between the Mawryshire Centaurs and Eaglebury Emperors. Out of all six big rivalries, this one is the most tame one. Eaglebury represents the state of West Strand Riding, which is culturally very far removed from Mawryshire's celtic-speaking area. Traditionally, West Strand Riding is on its own and if they have to choose a rival, it'd be the capital cities, or the cities in Leeshire. Mawryshire is all about hating on Grainshire, the region west of Greencaster. Also, the Emperors have only been a team for about 20 years now.

The Metropolitan Ko-oren's two largest cities, Greencaster and Willowbourne, are the final derby of the Western division. Greencaster Godspeed aren't a very old team, but they've taken the place of numerous Greencaster franchises that have all had a special place in their heart for Willowbourne, and vice versa. Godspeed are currently on 5 championships overall, versus Willowbourne's 4, and that stings.

The Northeastern One The northeast does not have a lot of professional teams, and it means a lot to the region that there are two teams from there in Ko-oren's second largest sport/league (after soccer) - the Noordrug Astronauts and the Aerellen Explosions. The Astronauts are the older team (by two years) and both have won four historical championships - the Explosions have added one in the modern era, to get the edge here. This is probably the most hotly contested rivalry, and one of these two annual games between them is played in deep subzero temperatures - two open stadiums in the northeast will do that. After the game, there's nothing but respect between them.

Schemerdrecht Derby It's the 65ers versus the Admirals, two ancient teams (two of the three oldest in the league) with easily over 150 games between them. It's two non-standard colours, the purple versus the orange. The difference between them looks huge, with the 65ers on two historical championships - and the Admirals have zero overall, despite their 100+ year history.

Derbay The two teams left were both established in the same year. Yet there is a body of water between them, the body of water that has shaped such a large part of Ko-orenite history. It's the technological port city of Sterrenwolde versus the artsy port city of Aminey, the Dragonflies versus the Caspians. The Caspians are the league's most successful team and everyone loves to hate them, but nobody hates them more than the Dragonflies - but Sterrenwolde is making up the distance nowadays.

Other rivalries:

Willowbourne Saints - Aminey Caspians: five championships in five years for these clubs, with the Saints-Caspians matchup in three of those Bowls. Between the 22nd and 25th season, it's been all Saints in the West and all Caspians in the East.

Sterrenwolde Dragonflies - Mayara Wolves: these two teams were powerhouses in the league's early days, and those feelings have remained. Few fans will remember those days, but the sentiment is still here.

[Free Republics]

OOC: I couldn't find a current roster for Velstrania but I'm going off of the information in their World Bowl 35 roster.

The Free Republics stepped on the field against the team from Velstrania for their quarterfinal match. With 5 offensive starters still hurting following the Main Nation Ministry game, Katakin Maier made the decision to rest those players for an additional game and utilize a spread offense against the Velsturmen. She looked at the size of those players and decided it would be unwise to attempt to run the ball inside against them.

The Republican gameplan seemed to catch their opposition by surprise as Dania Sandberg came out throwing from the first snap and would eventually throw 54 passes in the game, completing 37 of them for 437 yards and 3 touchdowns. She added an additional 64 yards rushing on 5 scrambles and Park Han carried the ball 10 times for 32 yards with most of his carries coming late in the 4th quarter. Sandberg's 68 yard touchdown pass to Marianna Szep shortly after halftime put the Republicans up 20 to 13 and her 7 yard touchdown pass to Park Han following a turnover in the 4th quarter would seal the win.

In Republica, Scarlett Nicholls watched the game closely. She had just spent the day trying to recruit a consul candidate for the Liberty Party for the election 2 years in the future and had been rejected by her first 5 choices. The party's strongest candidates wanted no part of this consul election as they could see the writing on the wall for their party and didn't want to be part of what looked like a doomed effort. Thanks to the efforts of Kyle Bolton, a fellow member of her party, Scarlett was unable to do anything and the blame for the dysfunction was being placed on her party. The party itself was divided between Bolton's faction that was closely linked to the National Association for Men and Scarlett's faction that was more skeptical of men's rights claims. As Scarlett was the more popular of the 2 figures, the party membership largely favored her but the prime slots on their Assembly list went to Kyle's allies.

---

New City, Orlandiana

Paride Giordano was the chairman of Wolf News Channel, a division of WOLF Corporation. The Wolf News Channel was known for its staunch opposition to Scarlett Nicholls and had taken a very pro-Sebastian Trudeau line in the last consul election. Now, Paride had decided that his channel would promote Common Good in the midterms while taking care to present other views so they had plausible deniability if their bias was called out. His teenage son Matteo had recently started watching Sister Polus's Thoughts on VirtueTube and had converted to the True Church of Iesus Christus. The night before, Matteo Girodano had shown an episode of Sister Polus's Thoughts to his father and the elder Giordano had been impressed with the talent of the Sanctii nun. Paride decided to offer Sister Polus a show on Wolf News. He found the phone number to Barjavel Academy's Republica location and called up the school.

Secretary - Hello, you have reached Barjavel Academy at Republica. This is Martine Patenaude speaking. How may I help you today?

Paride Giordano - I am Paride Giordano of the Wolf News Channel. I'd like to speak with Sister Maria Polus for a comment related to an upcoming story we're going to air.

Martine Patenaude - Thank you for calling Mr. Giordano. Sister Polus is in her office right now so I will connect you.

Sister Polus was in her office after school where she was currently overseeing the punishment of one of her students when the phone started ringing. She ordered the student to stay where they were and picked up the phone.

Sister Polus - Hello. This is Sister Polus speaking.

Paride Giordano - Hello, Sister Polus. I am Paride Giordano from the Wolf News Channel. I'm calling because I saw some episodes of your Sister Polus's Thoughts video series and I would like to offer you a job with Wolf News.

Sister Polus - Is this a prank call? If it is, I will find you and ensure you are brought to justice.

Paride Giordano - Sister Polus, this is not a prank call. I am the chairman of Wolf News. My son introduced me to your videos and I have to agree with him that you're great and the kind of voice that more people in the Free Republics needs to listen to. That's why I want to give you a bigger platform to get your message out.

Sister Polus - I'd love to do that but my calling is to be a teacher so I'd have to respectfully decline.

Paride Giordano - I urge you to reconsider. We are willing to work with you to ensure that your program would not conflict with your teaching responsibilities. We are even willing to film the program in Republica.

Sister Polus - That sounds intriguing. I will have to think about it but I'll get back to you on that soon.

Paride Giordano - Thank you Sister Polus.

Sister Polus - Thank you sir. I'll let you know my decision within the next 48 hours...

[Banija]

What's the move? Can I tell the truth?

If you were doing this for me then you'd have nothing left to prove- but.

This for you though.

You just wanna go out and make it to the final.

And this cutoff will take you there. Trophies!

Semifinals

Ko-oren 44–9 Free Republics
Ranoria 16–17 Pridnestrovia

Third Place Match
#4 Free Republics v. #11 Ranoria @ Albert III Stadium in Dodoma, Bunyoro

World Bowl XXXVII Final
#1 Ko-oren v. #2 Pridnestrovia @ The Stadium of the Restoration in Busukuma, National Capitol Region

[Ko-oren]

We're in the final!

The unthinkable has happened. The Dragonflies are back in the World Bowl final! Eleven tournaments since the Dragonflies first lifted the trophy, the Green and Blue are finally back in the Big One. It will be the fourth final overall, with Ko-oren making the final in the 24th, 26th, and 27th editions - and finally we have a generation capable of equalling their accomplishments. And remember, it hasn't been very long since the 36th World Bowl, hosted by us, was deemed a failure for not making the final in front of a home crowd. Losing to Banija, the current hosts, in the quarterfinals, only for Pridnestrovia of all teams to win the final. Their first World Bowl trophy, after a win over Drawkland (who, and we cannot stress this enough, are 0-3 against us) in the 36th final.

And even Pridnestrovia-Ko-oren is a rematch for this World Bowl. Have we said how much we loved this format yet? In the first Phase, the DPRUSS of Pridnestrovia won the group at 4-2, with us in second place. Leading up to this was a 26-7 loss in round 5, and a 10-6 win for us in round 2. In the second phase, they would go 5-1 after starting with four victories, their sole defeat coming against Velstrania. With a 5-1 and +64 points, they are the second seed, behind Ko-oren, at 5-1 with a +66 point differential.

Round of 16: Ko-oren 9–6 Amurbia and Pridnestrovia 50–37 Newmanistan
Quarterfinals: Ko-oren 10–7 Drawkland and Torisakia 24–31 Pridnestrovia
Semifinals: Ko-oren 44–9 Free Republics and Ranoria 16–17 Pridnestrovia

After that, the Red and Green started rolling. They put up a 50-burger over Newmanistan, a much more impressive win as the second seed compared to our 9-6 over the League C play-in. Torisakia came so close, but eventually lost by a single score, and in the semifinal things were completely different from the first knockout round. Pridnestrovia beat Ranoria by a single point. And now for the main event from that day: the Dragonflies' 44-9 win over the Free Republics, the most points we've put on the board all World Bowl.

The committee of head coaches has been a resounding success, from selecting an initial team, to handing out responsibilities and starting positions, dealing with unhappy teammates, and sticking it to better teams week after week. It all culminated against the Free Republics. Excellent discipline saw us only give up 28 yards on penalties, while Reeman and his offence alone received 45 yards - almost half a field - for free. Reeman started off slow, not able to deal with so much happening before the snap. He does not encounter that on a weekly basis in Ko-oren: there are a lot of pre-snap activities from every defence, but most focus on one or two positions. The Free Republics came on the field with one purpose: confusing Reeman, knowing that they had the speed to cover our wide receivers, and making sure that every stacked box they threw at us would both pressure Reeman as well as make running near-impossible. After the first quarter ended, the nerves were gone, and the great preparation shone through. The offence found a rhythm, the offensive line held up most of the time, and the QB threw to five, six, seven targets every single drive. If the tight end was covered by an agile linebacker, a slot receiver would be open. On other plays, if the fast, deep receivers weren't open, there would usually be a tight end or a running back ready for a checkdown. It was a death by a thousand cuts, and only very few of them came via running plays. The offensive coaches also dumbed down the playbook a little, giving Reeman a first, second, then third read, at most, regardless of the exact pre-snap confusing caused by the defence. Varying up the personnel count and snap count was the only thing that could be done against this much chaos - but it worked. By the end of the second quarter, Ko-oren was up 14-6. Our defence stepped up to the plate, stacking boxes with likely the best linebacker corps of the World Bowl, making it very hard for Sandberg to decide whether Ko-oren was lined up mostly to stop the run or follow receiving options around. She was baited into running herself a few times, without success. The combination of Han and Hetland was something not seen before, while Ko-oren occasionally played around with crowded backfields, having three behind Sandberg was something else. The Free Republics had some success running the ball, even against seven or eight men in the box, but gains were too slow and Jeppe Bak was forced out to return the ball to Zeb Drogace. Green and Blue special teams were on point, Drogace had 131 punt return yards on the day, and was instrumental in giving Reeman a shorter field.

In the second half, a few adjustments were made by both teams. While only eight points apart, the Free Republics still played with their backs against the wall. After Sandberg threw an interception on their first post-halftime drive, to Mesjathaunthen, starting a drive on which Galway eventually ran in a 10-yard touchdown, the Republicans tried playing from formations featuring far more receivers than before. Sandberg passed a lot more, desperate to get the deficit back within a single score. In the fourth quarter, Ko-oren ran away even more, going for more passing plays in turn, away from the strength of the Republicans' 46 defence. The offensive line was obliterated at times, but usually Reeman managed to find a target before anyone could get a hand on him. Two more passing touchdowns to finish up the game gave Ko-oren 44 points on the day. I still don't know what happened in these past four hours, but I know I like it.

All in all, it has been a World Bowl of punching way above our weight. The only teams we've played that were ranked below us at the start of the tournament were New England (two games in Phase I) and Amurbia (Round of 16). After that, we've only seen teams that were better on paper, and were favoured by the bookies nearly every single game. And look at us now. The biggest test has yet to come, but judging from how this team handled 'better teams on paper' so far, we can be confident that the Dragonflies will not let us down. Whatever we're left with at the end of it all, only one emotion remains: pride.

Gridiron Football - yeah, that's an old game even in Ko-oren - Episode 8

Finishing up our series on the professional Gridiron Football teams in Ko-oren, if you're still not certain on which team to follow next season, the last thing I can do is list each team's colours and nicknames.

First of all, each team playing in their region's colours:
Aminey Caspians: everything in Cote Austral is light-blue, and Aminey in particular has adopted this. From Aminey SC, to the Aminey Owls and Buffaloes in rugby league, everything is light blue. The helmet logo is a light-blue flame on a slightly darker background, one of the better helmets as far as I'm concerned.
Greencaster Godspeed: much like the name implies, Greencaster's teams are all green. They all are, from cricket, to rugby union. Godspeed as an expression might be odd to visualise as a team name, and to be honest it wasn't cleared up much better on the helmet. Against a dark green background, there is a staff of Mercury ("caduceus") in light green, a signal of heralds.
Mayara Destroyers: true to the colours of the ancient four cities' kingdom, Mayara still uses green as a primary colour. Paired with white, the Destroyers have a unique colour palette even though four teams have green in some part of their uniform. On their helmet is a capital letter D with some effects that make it look like it's been on that helmet for a very long time.
Mawryshire Centaurs: Again, using green, but with brown as a primary colour, it sounds like Mawryshire do not have a unique pair of colours. With green on brown, with a white trim where necessary, there is a centaur on the side of the helmet (shock). Not the best of logos, but one of the better names, I think.
Noordrug Astronauts: The Noordrug Astronauts have a near-white rocket on a very, very dark blue helmet, with light-blue facemasks. It looks pretty good, but the rocket looks out of place when viewed on an angle. I know you can't make it seem like a gridiron helmet looks like an astronaut helmet, though. With the colours, it's still pretty good.
Sterrenwolde Dragonflies: these guys play in the national green, blue and yellow. A remnant of where the team used to play, in the four capital cities. Sterrenwolde is more a blue place than a green place, but it works. The yellow dragonfly looks good on the green helmet, and the blue facemask completes it. The only thing is that it looks like the national team a little...

Teams playing in different colours:
Willowbourne Saints: Red and orange are rarely found in Ko-orenite heraldry, outside of Yoshima (the eastern islands). Still, the Saints play in an unlikely combo of red and orange, with a shield and two swords on the helmet. The crusade-inspired design is a result of the period when Ko-oren was influenced by foreign religions, and this is how Christianity is remembered here, apparently. The religion is pretty successful outside of Willowbourne's helmet, but that's another story.
Schemerdrecht Admirals: The second best of the league, in my opinion: a dark orange anchor on a yellow field. It's a good symbol, recognisable, even if Eaglebury play in almost the exact same colours. It's just solid.
Schemerdrecht 65ers: Purple is another rare colour, but it's used every now and again and it's making a comeback, too. A pixelated violet '65' on dark purple, it evokes a certain aesthetic. This one comes together pretty well, and it's better than just a logo slapped on the side.
Aerellen Explosions: in an attempt to make everything more minimal and sleek, the earlier psychadelic white-on-black-on-white-on-black circles have been taken off and were replaced with a lowercase white æ on a dark grey helmet. It's the cleanest helmet of the league, but by god, do I hate it.
Eaglebury Emperors: A gold crown on a yellow field: some like it, especially in the Eaglebury area, but it's too gaudy for me.
Mayara Wolves: saved the best for last. A monochrome wolf in light grey to dark grey, with those same colours re-used for the rest of the helmet and facemask, it's so good. Not quite as minimal as Aerellen, but the logo goes so well with the rest. If you're really stuck on choosing a favourite team, this helmet alone should be the decider.

[Trans-Dniesters]

Приднестровская Гридиронная Суперлига
PRIDNESTROVIAN GRIDIRON SUPER LEAGUE
SEASON IV RECAP

Hello there, friends, comrades, and fellow fans in gridiron. The time is now. We are at the culmination of Season IV of the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League. Yes, friends, comrades, and fellow fans, I am talking about Pridnestrovian Bowl IV. Now, in the previous part I have already revealed who will be the two teams who will contest PB IV; they are third seed Admiral Novorossiysk and fourth seed CSKA Tiraspol. None other than my most favorite quarterback of all time, Andrey Nikitich Medvedev, will be going up against arguably my second most favorite quarterback, Stanislav Olegovich Serban. It is most definitely going to be a Pridnestrovian Bowl for the ages. But who will emerge triumphant? There is only one way to find out, of course, and that is to stop talking about the introductions and getting down to business. Here we go.

Pridnestrovian Bowl IV

(3) Admiral Novorossiysk       7  7  6  7  27
(4) CSKA Tiraspol             10  3  7  3  23

@ Stadion mira, Bratsk, Transnistria (official attendance 36,771)

And there we have it. Official confirmation that Admiral Novorossiysk have indeed won Pridnestrovian Bowl IV and lifted their first ever Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League title. It was, as predicted, an evenly matched contest with neither team ever truly having an advantage up to the final minutes of the game. As you can see, CSKA had the early advantage in the first quarter before Admiral turned the tables in the second. CSKA restored their lead in the third and fourth quarters, only for Admiral to win it at the final seconds with an incredible display of toughness from none other than Stan Serban himself. And that was just the summary. Let us now get into the nitty-gritty of Pridnestrovian Bowl IV.

CSKA won the toss and, under the new rules, received the first possession straight off the bat. No more kickoffs; winner of the coin toss starts possession. The only thing they get to choose now is which end of the field they want to go to. In this case, CSKA elected to play right to left, and hence Admiral was destined to play left to right in the first and third quarters. CSKA then moved the ball fairly quickly, and Yefrem Solovyev got the ball into the end zone within four minutes. Admiral responded in kind and quickly as well, Vivian Fortson beating her man on the sidelines and knocking over the pylon for her first playoff touchdown in Season IV. And Kaspar Martinov scored a 37-yard field goal to cap off the first quarter of Pridnestrovian Bowl IV.

Admiral started the second quarter in possession of the ball, but they were unable to do anything about it as their drive stalled right at the halfway line. CSKA increased their lead over the Seamen to six points with a 41-yard field goal from Kaspar Martinov, but a few minutes before the end of the second, Admiral turned that six-point deficit into a one-point lead at halftime from Ganesh Bagchi's rushing touchdown. Antakyan folk singer Ridvan Arap provided the Pridnestrovian Bowl IV Halftime Show, belting out classics such as "Ode to the Gods" and "Farmer's Joy" along with songs from his latest album "The Nation For Which I Stand". Personally, I liked it, but I've heard a lot of other people complain that Arap played it too safe with his halftime show performance. Maybe they've all been spoiled by the Brothers and Sisters of the Red Death performing Pridnestrovia's first ever Pridnestrovian Bowl halftime show. What do I know?

Admiral Novorossiysk held the upper hand at the start of the third quarter, but it wasn't really much of an upper hand seeing as it was only just a one-point lead. However, the Seamen didn't make much use of that particular advantage as they played out a couple of one-and-dones. That being said, CSKA didn't take advantage of this opportunity either as they also played out a couple of one-and-dones. That didn't sit well with the watching crowd, naturally enough. They wanted action! They wanted scores! They wanted gridiron! And at that moment they weren't getting it. But they didn't have to sit for too long to see gridiron once again because CSKA finally punched through the Admiral defense and scored, and who else would be able to do it other than Demyan Nikitich Medvedev himself? He truly is a bulldozer against whom there is simply no defense. Admiral once again attempted to reply in kind, and while Abdulla Abdulganiyev did the job of getting into the end zone, Milan Iliev somehow managed to miss the conversion, a rare feat indeed for one of the best kickers in the league. Milan Iliev just simply doesn't miss field goals. He just doesn't.

So this was how the stage was set for one of the wildest and most incredible fourth quarters ever played in the history of Pridnestrovian gridiron. Both teams had just one objective: score. Actually, it's more like two objectives: score and then make a stop, but you know what I mean. It proved to be very tough going for both teams. Both teams want to go for the touchdown but with both teams also locking down on their defense, getting a touchdown was becoming more and more a difficult proposition. CSKA made the first breakthrough after Kaspar Martinov took a chance on a 52-yard field goal which he made, much to the relief of the CSKA faithful. But in what seemed to be a prelude for his future showings at the current World Bowl, Stan Serban rose to the occasion and began marshaling his team downfield. Some (mostly CSKA fans) might say that the officials actually helped Admiral move downfield by awarding them with beneficial penalties. I for one think that some of the calls made were most definitely to their advantage, while other calls were actually the correct ones, even if they did go against CSKA. But anyway. The killer score would come from none other than Abdulla Abdulganiyev, who looked like a crocodile snatching at its prey the way that he jumped up to receive the 20-yard Hail Mary pass from Stan Serban.

Nobody could believe it. Nobody could believe what they had just seen. Nobody knew how to react. And then the Admiral fans cheered and shouted with joy, while CSKA fans (myself included) had their heads in their hands wondering about what had just happened and what went wrong. It was almost, almost a repeat of the end of Pridnestrovian Bowl III where both teams' scores happened at the end of the fourth quarter, except this time CSKA was on the receiving end of the disappointment. That in itself was a hard pill to swallow, but what truly makes it unbearable is the fact that, for the next few months at least, Admiral Novorossiysk fans would have the license to be completely insufferable about their team's success. Never mind that Novorossiysk has never been the most successful city in terms of sports; they hold the Pridnestrovian gridiron title and for now that's all that matters to them. Now excuse me while I drink away the living nightmare once again.

Congratulations to Admiral Novorossiysk, your Pridnestrovian Bowl IV champions!

---

World Bowl XXXVII Bonus! Pridnestrovia Is Back in the World Bowl Final

And now a final word about the World Bowl before we go. It's incredible to think that, after fifteen games, Pridnestrovia is back in the World Bowl final. This team has survived numerous challenges against their ascendancy and have come out relatively unscathed. The start of the World Bowl was where we were in most danger: two losses in the first three games does not a compelling title defense campaign make. But the Red Army recovered and, barring a close two-point loss against Velstrania in Phase 2, have won and kept on winning ever since. The playoffs have proven to be both easier and harder, as while Pridnestrovia was able to score 50 points against Newmanistan and 31 against a resurgent Torisakia, against rising gridiron power Ranoria the Red Army could only muster up 17 points. Luckily for us, Ranoria scored only 16 and thus we won the game.

And now we move on to the final, where we will face the team from the nation where we won our first ever World Bowl, Ko-oren. They are a very tough nut to crack, as proven in our earlier clashes with this team in this very World Bowl. They won the first meeting 10-6 while we rebounded and handed them a 26-7 loss. The stage is thus once again set for a gridiron clash of titanic proportions. But do we have any history to follow up on with regards to who would actually win? A quick peek in the history books show that in recent editions, the winner of the previous World Bowl was able to make it all the way to the final, only to be beaten by a new team. And so far the cycle appears to continue. We are the defending champions, and therefore it stands to reason that if the cycle were to continue, we are about to lose our title to Ko-oren. Of course, stranger things have happened, but I am not holding out any hope at all that Pridnestrovia will be able to buck the trend and defend our title. And it is on that very happy and positive thought that I bid you all До свидания.

[Banija]

*The setting is the big video screen at the Stadium of the Restoration, where all fans are asked to look up to right before this video, immediately before the team entrances, with matching music playing*


World Bowl XXXVII Ko-oren team highlights shown as the voiceover begins

"I must ask this of you Ko-oren. What shall we see?"

"The promise of togetherness- the grouping of your finest head coaches, all working towards that common goal.

The finest of trophies- will they reach the shores of Ko-oren once more?

Here footage comes in of the Ko-oren World Bowl XXVI victory

Rise, Ko-oren! The Dragonflies must take flight."

Video switches to Pridnestrovia team highlights

You have tasted glory before, Pridnestrovia. The defending champions, the world #1.

You have withstood the pressures of title defense. Again and again, coming out victorious in this most challenging of tournaments.

It's strength vs. strength. A great offense against a great defense. Will your team triumph?

Sing Pridnestrovia! The destiny of your dynasty awaits you tonight."

Fans generally cheer as the video ends. Pridnestrovia, being the lower seed, takes the field first, while Ko-oren takes the field second. The anthems of Banija, Pridnestrovia, and Ko-oren are played, in that order, with native-born singers from each country leading the anthems. The captains come out, the coin toss is made, and then both teams are ready for the 37th World Bowl Final.

[Banija]

In the modern era(from World Bowl 7 onwards) there are only a handful of nations with multiple titles- Sarzonia, Delaclava, Allamunnic States, Cassadaigua, and Drawkland. One of Ko-oren or Pridnestrovia will join them. The question is, who? Will Ko-oren get their second title, or will Pridnestrovia go back-to-back in what is the golden age of dynasties, an era where Vangaziland is the two-time defending champions of the IBC, and where Vilita are the two-time defending World Cup champions?

Find out at this cutoff who is King of the football world.

Third Place
Free Republics 33–15 Ranoria

Final
Ko-oren 6–0 Pridnestrovia

Ko-oren are the champions of World Bowl XXXVII!

Congratulations to the winner! Comiserations to the winner. Thank you for letting me host World Bowl XXXVII, I had a great time reading everybody's RPs, and I'm glad people were up for the new format! Until next time!

[Main Nation Ministry]

Deathrun: Alas Freedom Is Upon Us

At one of the last prison cell blocks, there was a hallway lined to the brim with tasers and electric prods that was surging bolts of electricity at every angle. From the whole day that the deathrun has been happening, the casuality rate had increased for both prisoners and guards. However, the deathrun have devolved into an absolute prison riot, due to one man. A 8 foot giant have been seeing this day as the purging for the tyrants. The crowds of prisoners have been following him for their own safety, since he has been causing destruction to those who stand before him. Brandon and Hoffman were forced to stick behind him, since they knew the prison was bound to collapse upon itself, if they didn't leave.

"Oh this sucks.." Hoffman said, as he was starting to have the look of defeat on his face. Eventually, two prisoners took the first spots to test out the hallway course, however one of them immediately called it quits. "I'm not going through that! I'm going to have a fucking heart attack!" Almost immediately, someone replaced him where the two of them took off running through the taser hallway. In several seconds, they were forced to crawl on their hands and legs, since they were getting constantly shocked as they ran. One of them stood up for a moment, only to go flying from a high school towards the end. "We gotta bear crawl! Come on!" one prisoner yelled, as they proceeded to crawl under most of the tasers that were flying shocks around. Hoffman and Brandon tried to breeze through it in a run, but both had to resort to crawling, since it was a better strategy. Kierlaun didn't even seem fazed that he was being rapidly zapped with hundreds of surges of electricity.

(Fitting Music)

At the end of the hallway was pure sunlight. "I think we did it! Wait, what the..." a prisoner observing the outside of the prison saw that there was one more obstacle standing in their way. It almost looked like it replaced the whole main gate, but the gate was still there. What was there now was a huge jet engine aimed the opposite of the arriving prisoners. There was a control booth directly below it, where there was a soldier reading a magazine, until he suddenly saw the crowd that was approaching the gate. "Well, I get paid for doing this. Might as well please my subordinates!" the soldier said, as he started to power on the jet engine. A powerful tunnel of wind started to flow directly at the crowds, where one prisoner tried to run to the gate. Halfway to the gate, he was suddenly dead in his tracks, where the wind was being thrown at him so hard that he couldn't move an inch. He was stuck standing there, bracing the wind that was coming, where eventually he succumbed to the powerful gusts and was pushed back to the start.

Kierlaun started to go towards the gate, where even though he was being pelted by the powerful wind, he was starting to actually make progress. Some prisoners took this opportunity to go behind him, since he was acting like a shield. "Can't you people just stay in prison!" the soldier started to panic, because their tactic of using Kierlaun was working. In desperation, he started to head to a storage room nearby, where he proceeded to throw random junk at Kierlaun. A small table lamp was flung at the speed of hundreds, where the soldier gave his best throw from a football that was just laying around. The football went flying directly into Kierlaun's face, where he ended up falling backwards. "No! AHH-" those who were behind Kierlaun had the unfortunate fate of being crushed and suffering from many injuries or deaths.

"Holy shit...I don't think this is possible." Hoffman said, as many prisoners were suffering the fate of getting attacked by the winds and the objects being thrown at them. "I don't even care." Brandon said, as he started to walk towards the gate, despite the winds coming towards him. "Brandon, what are you doing?!"
"You don't get it, do you? Anyone who ends up behind bars in Main Nation Ministry is bound to die, anyways."
"But I thought you weren't getting a death sentence?"
"You still don't get it. Even if I do escape by a miracle, it's probably going to be bad fate for me."
"What did you even do to be here? I was just trying to get rid of some punk who was with my kid!" Hoffman tried to reason with Brandon, but Brandon took a deep breath and calmly said,

"I killed several people, Hoffman. It doesn't matter if it was manslaughter. My life is already ruined. No one wants me near them, since I'm a fuck-up."

"Wait what?"
"I tell you a story. You see, I worked in Matso Clinic. You didn't hear about it in the news, since you were already in prison. All I did was mixed up some dosage amounts with another and now I killed several people. The families from those I killed immediately wanted me dead, and I pretty much wanted things over with. After the judge sentenced me, I immediately had them put me on the bus over here."
"You don't have any people who respect you?"
"The only reason that wanted me to survive is that I give, at least, a chance to apologize. They still going to want me to kill myself, but I know that they aren't going to kill me."
"Brandon? I... I don't even know what to say."
"Relax, let me a shot at this."

Brandon started to go down towards the gate, battling the winds that was coming at him. Meanwhile, the soldier at the control booth found an umbrella and decided to chuck it straight at him while it was open. The umbrella became a javelin, at it went flying straight towards Brandon. Hoffman immediately covered his eyes for a moment, until he saw what had happened. The umbrella had impaled Brandon through his chest, but he was still walking towards the gate like it was no big deal. "It is true! God is on his side to stop the tyrants!" a prisoner now brainwashed by one of Kierlaun's beliefs cheered Brandon on, as he managed to get to the gate, where he started to walk away from the prison.

Then, all chaos ensured, when Kierlaun got back up. This time, he looked extremely pissed. He started charging towards the gate, where he was unfazed by the wind, as if it was just a zephyr. Even the soldier was off-guard at this, as he realized that Kierlaun was going to kill him. Obviously, he ran off, just as Kierlaun bursted into the control booth to turn off the turbine. Then, there was rejoicing. A swarm of prisoners, mostly those who were still alive and not seriously injured, proceeded to run out of Holmesburg. Kierlaun started taking off and running towards the border, where it was most likely the authorities were going to send him back to whence he came. Hoffman just only decided to walk, as he saw Brandon still walking. The umbrella deep into his chest, along with a river of blood coating his prison jumpsuit. "Brandon! Brandon!" Hoffman ran to catch up with him. "Hoffman. Just leave. You have a daughter, don't you?"
"But I can take you to a hospital!"
"Hoffman. I'm going to die. Just let me head off to die in peace when I'm done."

Brandon proceeded to continue walking, where a trail of blood was all that was being left behind. All Hoffman could do was take his advice.

---

Brandon didn't know how long he wandered. He was a free man, but he wasn't even several miles away from Holmesburg and he was already coming towards a checkpoint. He turned around, since he knew they were going to try to revive him. He wasn't going to do that. Eventually, he saw the remnants of a graveyard. The original bodies in the graves were moved or were forgotten, where Brandon knelled in front of an unmarked grave. He knew there was someone below underneath, but he might as well make himself an inscription. With the last of his strength, Brandon wrote in his own blood,

"SINNER LIES HERE"

"Now. All I can just do is wait. I still be able to explain myself when I'm on the other side.." Brandon thought, as he proceeded to close his eyes.

DEATHRUN
Status - Death Toll on Acceptable Levels
Subject Brandon: DECEASED
Subject Hoffman: OUT OF RANGE
Subject Kierlaun: DETAINED - Pending transfer to Velstrania

---

THE END

Actually..

---

Epilogue: Jessica's Success

(OOC Note: Upon request from mods or others, I can tone down and censor some of the sexual action in this section if demanded. Overall, this is a bit of a heads-up of some softcore stuff. For this reason, I have covered it with a spoiler, if anyone is not interested in seeing it.)

"So how did it go with Masami?" Jessica was on the phone with Keller, as they were discussing about a trip to a restaurant that Jessica helped get a reservation for the two of them. "It's going..ok. It's not like we're doing interesting stuff. Not that you should keep note of! As long as the Leader doesn't bother me, we should be fine." Keller told Jessica, as she was checking the news by the Truth News, showing a news report about the prison break at Holmesburg. "Alright. Stay safe tonight. Heard on the news that something is going down at one of the prison sectors or whatever? There's a news chopper and everything."
"Alright, see ya."
"See ya, bye." Jessica hung up the phone and sighed for some relief.

Keller and Jason were being together and Keller was being a tsundere as always. Jessica guessed that it has escalated to hand-holding, but Jason will probably tell her more, if he has the chance. Charlie appeared from downstairs, yawning a bit. "You want me to stay here again? Alistair wouldn't mind." Charlie asked her, as Jessica let her stay a bit in both the living room, until she let her stay in the guest room, seeing how the bed was comfy than the couch. "You can do whatever what you want. I'm feeling a little energized, so I doubt I be able to sleep for tonight." Jessica said, as Charlie started to act a bit nervous. "You know. Seeing that we have been roleplaying a bit.. I couldn't stop thinking about what to do after that."

"What you mean?" Jessica said as Charlie sat down next to her. "Well, I know you have been teaching a bit to not be a sadomasochist, but I'm starting to actually feel some stuff."
"Like what?"
"Well, I been playing more attracted to you. And it's been a while since I felt some natural love."
"Oh, Charlie. That's..that actually sweet." Jessica started to blurt, as Charlie leaned a bit closer to Jessica.
"I want to actually feel some of this actual love, but I don't want to accidentally turn into a demon."
"That was once and you managed to do this by your own will. Soldiers got pissed with you, but they shouldn't mess with you, since I'm here."
"Well, I been thinking about that tabloid, though you think people will react positively to us being..together?"

Jessica didn't say a word at first. She knew it was somewhat harmless that the two were imitate together, but the way they were portrayed together made it seem like a bad thing. But people probably wouldn't believe or have heard of it, since the article was denied. Jessica was a bit worried that people will frown at her for some of her other secrets. But she was still glad that there was still some privacy between her. Being overwhelmed, Jessica started to smile and laugh.

"Ha ha.. You are being such a tease!"
"Well, I'm not suggesting that we do..you know."
"But a bit of an exercise?"
"An exercise will do."

Charlie leaned a bit more closer, where she put a hand over Jessica's chest. "You want to have a feel?" Jessica asked her, as Charlie nearly touched nose-to-nose with each other. "I can?" "Hang on." Jessica said, where she proceeded to take off her rockstar vest, revealing her black-colored bra and chest. "They are actually nice.."
"If you want a feel, you can have a feel! Just don't go overboard with it, like you said." Jessica said, as Charlie was about to take off her own shirt. "Can we do this at the guest room?"
"If you want to do this on the bed, let's do it in my bedroom."

Inside Jessica's bedroom, Jessica was sitting on the bed with Charlie, as Jessica helped take off Charlie's shirt. "You went with white, instead of black?" Jessica commented on her bra color. "I do want to be something innocent." Charlie said, blushing a little. "As long as you don't do drugs and shit, you're clean." Jessica said, where she decided to take off her skirt, where she was both wearing a bra and underwater with matching color. "You know, I didn't see what you looked like when you went skin-dipping for fish." Jessica added, where Charlie started to take off her own skirt, so both her and Jessica were wearing the same thing. "I didn't see you at the pool, either."

Jessica scooted over to Charlie, where she wrapped her arms around her where they made some contact with chest to chest. "You still hadn't went ahead and- Oh!" Jessica felt Charlie's hand reach up to her bra, where Charlie was true to her word. Until Charlie leaned forward, where both of them ended up laying on the bed. Charlie was fidgeting with Jessica's bra strap, where Jessica knew what she was trying to do. "We're just doing it by the book. We're not going to actually do it."
"I know, but if you're grabbing my breasts, can I feel yours?"
"Sure!"
"Really?" Jessica said, as she started to help take off Charlie's bra.

Later that night, the both of them were wrapped around each other, as they started to share some kisses with one another. Jessica felt some peace inside her, where she knew Charlie felt the same way. And along that night, both of them were satisfied with a reward of a quiet sleep.

[Ko-oren]

What can be said that hasn't already been said before? The Dragonflies, with an opportunity to seize a second World Bowl trophy at an 11-tournament interval, finally getting us back to the promised land. Two lost finals, and now we have two finals ending in a victory too. Pridnestrovia was going to be a tough foe from the start, having won the previous championship on our soil - and we weren't letting them walk away with a second trophy, taking the first one from our land and the second one from our people.

"I must ask this of you Ko-oren. What shall we see?"

This was a World Bowl where the Dragonflies were trying to find an identity. Sure, there is the defence, but other than that? What are the names we'll find in the newspapers the very next day? The coaches? The playmakers? The quarterback, even? And even with the names cleared up, will we see a Ko-oren struggling to match an opponent in a shootout, or will we see a defence completely shutting down its opponent? How about a good offence and a good defence on the same day? We knew a lot had to go right for us to go this far - and in the end, a combination of offence and defence got us there. And then there was the final, and only one of those showed up. Six points for the special teams, zero for the offence... and zero allowed by the defence. This unit is incredible.

"The promise of togetherness- the grouping of your finest head coaches, all working towards that common goal.

In an insane move ahead of the tournament, in order to secure our spot among the great nations of the gridiron, the national association appointed every single professional team head coach to the national team. With opportunities to steal information about your biggest rivals' best players, trying out plays for your own team, and just an overall feeling of keeping your enemies closer than your friends... it somehow all worked out. There was a lot of defiancy and plenty of sneaky moves, and we'll see the effect in the upcoming season. There is a lot more information out there, seen by the head coaches themselves. But in the end, the twelve greatest minds in Ko-orenite gridiron got together and put their national team in the history books.

The finest of trophies- will they reach the shores of Ko-oren once more?

At every Pridnestrovian play, a touchdown out of thin air would have been enough to tie the game - or even win it, with a successful conversion. It definitely wasn't a big win, and the score might suggest it was extremely close all the time (and it kind of was!), but we just witnessed a shutout in a final. If this isn't a statement to say that defence wins you championships, nothing is.
Then again, World Bowl repeats have been hard to come by lately.

Here footage comes in of the Ko-oren World Bowl XXVI victory

All throughout the tournament, we were reminded of that other legendary team, on the back of a legendary defence, winning it all for our nation for the first time. All that pressure was on the current team's shoulders, after 10 fruitless tournaments, in a nation that takes its gridiron this seriously... it's a miracle they didn't crack.

Rise, Ko-oren! The Dragonflies must take flight."

And the Dragonflies delivered.

This has been the 37th World Bowl, an incredible experience for everything that is even 1% Green and Blue. Made even better by the hosts, who have shown hospitality at every step of the way. Thank you so much for your impeccable organisation, everything was done perfectly. Thank you to our opponents, to whom it must be a little bitter to be thanked for losing to us in the process, but we've created new rivalries and deepened already existing ones, all while playing - and upsetting - the best of the best along the way. Cosumar, Newmanistan, Pridnestrovia, Cosumar again, Drawkland, New England, Amurbia, Drawkland again, Free Republics (I'll be honest, that was a sweet victory after World Bowls XXIV and XXVI), and Pridnestrovia again, thank you very much for an unforgettable tournament.