World Bowl 42 [rosters/RPs/results]

by **Delaclava** » Thu Aug 05, 2021 2:42 pm

The police station of the West Forest precinct rarely rose above a dull hum, and this was no clearer than on a Sunday morning like this one. The windows were open, taking in the crisp air, keyboards clattered slightly at the completion of paperwork, and officers and secretaries chatted while sipping their morning espresso.

Outside, Mark Pratt pulled into a parking space and hurriedly got out of the car. The offensive lineman was in his fourth year as a pro, and had been a teammate and friend of the likes of Taurus Wright and Robbie Hahn, all starting in the league within a few years of each other and showing each other the ropes. Pratt ultimately was traded to the Quinniville Aces, but remained in touch with many of his teammates. It was the obvious call for Robbie Hahn to make.

Now, Pratt was freaking out, only knowing that Taurus was okay and no one else had been hurt, but having no idea of how this had actually happened. He burst into the police station, the heavy steps of the lineman interrupting the tranquil mood and startling the officer at the front desk. who nonetheless smiled and asked, "Good morning, how can I help you?"

"I'm here to pick up someone here," Mark said with worry. He leaned in and said a bit more quietly, "Taurus Wright?"

"Ryan, I got this," said an older officer in the bullpen, who walked out to the reception area. "Mark, thanks for coming. I'm Deputy Dave Saunders. Walk with me, alright?"

Mark nodded, and Saunders opened a door to a separate hallway, which they began to slowly walk down. "Now, I thought Taurus had called someone else?"

"Yes, Robbie Hahn. The national team left for Buffalostan less than an hour ago."

"Got it, got it... well, I've got to say, Taurus is incredibly lucky. I found him up by one of the overlooks just off Route 2. He was dozing off just outside his car. I woke him up and he was clearly drunk, he had an open bottle with him. Now, he wasn't operating while impaired then. I don't know how he got to the overlook, I think it's very likely he drove there impaired, but I can't prove that, and even if he did, no one got hurt, so everyone's very fortunate in this situation."

"That's good. What's he being charged with?"

"Nothing, we did not arrest him, we detained him. I cited him for public intoxication, but because he was just sleeping and not doing anything, that's an infraction, and because he was still impaired, he spent the night here. He still has to pay the impound fee for his car, but since you're here to pick him up, he is free to go."

They finished their walk to a separate set of holding rooms, which were not jail cells, rather rooms with beds where the department would keep people out of danger. They approached Taurus' cell and Saunders opened the door. Mark was happy to see him, and on some level relieved to see Taurus in his own clothes rather than prisoner's garb and cuffs. He hugged his former teammate and said, "You ok?"

"Yeah," Taurus replied. "Sorry."

"Let's get out of here." The two players and Saunders walked down the other side of the hallway, stopping by the front desk again. The officer Ryan handed Saunders a small bag of items collected from Taurus, who received them. Saunders stood there, opting not to lecture the quarterback any further, instead simply saying, "Have a nice day, gentlemen."

"Thanks," they replied. Outside, Taurus got in the passenger seat and Pratt started driving. He passed the sign for the impound lot. Taurus replied, "Mark, my car's in there."

"I'll get your car later," Mark replied.

"Where are we going?"

"The airport."

Taurus stared at him. "There's no way I can play now, Mark. No way Newman will let me."

"Ok, first of all, you do want to play, right? I know it's been a tough season, but this is what you've been working for."

Taurus thought a minute, before saying, "Yeah," not entirely sure if that was true.

"Well, you're a leader now, Taurus. I know it's new, I know it's different, but that's the truth and you've got to deal with it. That means taking initiative. Maybe Newman won't play you, but I know if you don't try to meet the team there right now, you'll have no chance, and you won't play for them ever again. If you show him you want it, you have a chance, right?

"Right, I suppose."

"And second of all," and Mark now turned his head slightly to stare at Taurus as much as he could while keeping his eyes on the road, "I don't really give a shit if you don't play. Hell, you probably don't deserve to. Whatever you were doing last night, it was so selfish of you. The night before your team goes to try and win a championship and you pull that? What were you thinking?"

"Thanks, man."

"Come on, I know you know that was stupid. The point is, you can't fix this by being more selfish, or staying home and pitying yourself. You need to be with the team, you've got to think of them. Even if you don't play a single snap, you owe it to them to support them the whole way, because this isn't going to be easy at all."

Taurus sat there in silence for a few moments. "Yeah, alright."

A few more moments passed. Mark asked, fearfully, "What the hell's going on, man? How did we get here?"

Taurus shook his head. "I don't know. I don't know when it started, I feel like this all snuck up on me."

"Alright, well, I think you want to take this trip. If that's true, let's do that first. After that, we're going to figure all of this out."

"Okay." Taurus smiled. "Thanks."

They pulled up to the airport. Unbeknownst to the quarterback, Mark Pratt, Robbie Hahn, and Kevin Alés had been in contact over the last hour - Hahn and Alés from the plane - and Alés had called in a favor to get ahold of a private jet. In all likelihood, Taurus would arrive at the Heartland Frontier around the same time as his teammates. After that, what would happen was anyone's guess.

Mark looked at Taurus one last time. "Look, I gave you the speech and all of that, but you really don't have to do this if you're not ready. So... you ready?"

Taurus nodded, sure this time. "Yeah."

by **Sarzonia** » Thu Aug 05, 2021 3:12 pm

The night before the Sarzonian national gridball team was getting ready to face Ko-oren, Gavin Davis was taking no chances.

"Curfew's 10 p.m., gentlemen," he said, then he looked at his third-string quarterback and punter, "and ladies."

"But coach," came a couple of plaintive cries.

"No buts," Davis said. "Look, I've played for this team before. I know you wanna go have fun and live it up, but we've got a game to play tomorrow night and we can't afford to not be at our best. In fact, I'm having security confiscate all alcohol in your possession. If I catch any bleary eyes, you're not starting. Got it?"

The players who'd wanted a night out, or even a night in to drink, or even to sit up and play cards, would walk away disappointed. A couple of reserve defenders were gathered in their rooms at 9:48 p.m., looking blankly at their phones. All of a sudden, reserve cornerback Clancy Rollingford got a text on his phone.

"Wait," he said out loud, drawing the attention of defensive tackle Harvey Quace who now looked intently at his teammate.

"What's going on?"

"Taurus Wright was taken into custody in Quinniville. Missed the team flight. Apparently he was asleep outside his car and there was an open bottle nearby."

"No shit. Maybe that's why coach is such a hardass about alcohol," Quace said.

"That may be," Rollingford said with a smirk growing on his face, "but I got this," he said as he pulled out a bottle of Benataran brandy. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"We gon' get crunk tonight, yo," he said.

"Not so fast," Quace said. "You heard what coach said about getting to the stadium drunk tomorrow. He's gonna have your ass. And you're a reserve corner? C'mon. He'd rather play Rosen at cornerback to prove a point. You know how he did Rosen!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Rollingford said. He looked back at his phone. It was 9:55. Time for him to get back to the room he shared with fullback Wilson Marquez. When he got in at 9:58 after he'd fumbled with his keys for a moment, he saw Marquez looking at game film of Ko-oren.

"Hey, what you lookin' at, bruh?"

"Ko-orenite defence," he said. "I'm hoping to pick up their tendencies so we can help our blockers out. We're going to need all the help we can get to move the ball on those guys."

"Yeah, that defence is tough as shit, man."

"Yeah. I'm thinking you're going to have to mimic Camille Dutertre. He's tough as shit."

"Yeah, I know. I've been watching his tendencies all week, hoping I can do a good job of pretending to be him."

The roommates continued to study as Rollingford finally lost the battle with temptation and took a quick swig of brandy to take the edge off his anxiety about the next night's game. He then thought about Wright and the fact he got drunk on the eve of his team's departure to Buffalostan.

I'd better not get too drunk, he thought to himself. As the clock reached 11:30 p.m., he decided it was time to join Marquez (figuratively, that is) and also turn in. He looked at that surreptitious bottle of brandy and took another swig as he heard the coaches make their way down the hall to ensure that all the players were in their rooms. He'd mistakenly left the bottle on the nightstand; fortunately, however, the coach who looked in was more concerned with seeing the players in their room than about the possibility that either one sneaked in booze.

by **Banija** » Thu Aug 05, 2021 3:23 pm

OOC: Way late, but it's a very interesting prompt, so I want to write about it regardless. This is a response to the MD6 RP Prompt from our host.

The Colonial History of Banija

Maybe you just spent your time watching the Serpent Eagles intercept third string Sarzonian QB Wendy Bartlett 5 times in Woodstock. Maybe you were wondering- "has Banija ever put a beatdown on a geopolitical foe like we did against Wendy Bartlett?" The answer, most unfortunately, is a hard no. A beautiful game that was. Chineze throwing 4 touchdowns, not even playing the fourth quarter. Although we had a missed extra point, we were up 37-7 by the end of 3, with 5 touchdowns scored and a 50 yard field goal. Aka, it was exactly the type of performance the Serpent Eagles would want against a playoff team before entering the World Bowl playoffs.

And then the next question of course, is this- has Banija ever dominated another nation politically over the long-term like we've dominated Sarzonia over the past few World Bowls? And the answer to that question as well, most unfortunately, is also no. We've gone 5-0 against Sarzonia in this sport since Thomas Hall became head coach. A rivalry game each time, and yet, they all end the same way. Twice in the World Bowl XL group stages. We eliminated them from World Bowl XLI in the Round of 16. And twice again in these group stages, including this blowout on their home field.

We're all about gridiron right now with the World Bowl in full swing, and Banija one of a few co-favorites to make a deep run in Buffalostan. But we aren't a sports website. We can't give you the X's and O's about how a matchup looks with the Rockets. What we can teach you about, however, is Banija's history. And specifically, the colonial history.

Now remember, after the Unification of modern-day Banija, Banijans called ourselves an Empire, and our monarchs assumed the title of Maharajas, or Emperors. Now you wouldn't consider most of modern day Banija a colony at that point. Part of the reason we called ourselves an empire was that we were not an adventurous, sea-faring people. Others came to Banija in search of minerals. But until colonization in 1815, we really didn't have any sort of conception of the multiverse beyond the Glorious Southwest. We thought we had conquered a huge portion of the known world- when in reality, we were a small speck.

So an empire we called ourselves. But no true colonies. None until 1799, that is.

The Conquering of the Busoga Islands

The only history of Banijan 'colonialism'. If you want to call it that. Maharajas, repeatedly, on and off, had been trying to forcefully conquer the Busoga Islands for decades. The Islanders proved resilient- it's much easier to defend an island, especially when there's no technological superiority in either direction. Maharaja after Maharaja tried to sail across the Shango-Fogoa Basin and conquer the island, and each time, failed, Until, of course, Akena III.

1799. "The Siege of Lakiska." As it is known in Banijan circles. The sack of Lakiska in Busogan circles. The Sultan of the Busoga Islands at his capitol city. The Banijan Royal Navy, which seemed to come, like a clock, 2 or 3 years after the ascension of any new Banijan Maharaja, came knocking at his door. But the Sultan was ready- or so he thought. This time, the Banijans had come with a much better plan than before. Record amounts of ships at the harbor. Blasting the Busogan Navy out of the water. They were able to beach at Lakiska.

There was a simultaneous siege of Busoga's other major coastal city up north, Dukuma. Similar strategy. Dukuma quickly fell, adn Banijan troops made landfall and quickly went over taking over the North Island. But the South Island, Lakiska held out. The siege started. Banija's strategy to starve out the city, and specifically, the royal family worked. It took 4 months of siege, and holding on, but the Busogans eventually surrendered unconditionally. It made Akena III "The Conqueror of the Busogans", a title he generally is not referred to as anymore since the Treaty of Belle Haven normalized relations between Banija and Busoga.

The colony status of Busoga as subordinate to Banija only lasted 16 years. Then, of course- you get dished to you what you dish to others, right?

1815-1835: The First Quebecois Colonization

Came the first Quebecois Colonization. Quebec came from what was then northern Atlantian Oceania, now called the Anaia Region, and they were in expansion mode for their empire. Banija, by and large, up to this point, hadn't had much contact with outsiders. We weren't completely isolated per say- at this point in time, Teus Catholic missionaries had been in the country for about 200-300 years or so, and therefore we had interactions with Siovanija & Teusland, as well as our land neighbors in Timuria and Geisenfried. Minimal contact with some other neighbors, like Valanora, Equestria, and Farfadillis, but otherwise, we pretty much kept to ourselves.

That was, of course, until the Quebecois colonization came to force. Ships outside Busukuma, Istria, and Herzegovina City. Military technology that had never been seen on these shores before. The military advances of their ships were decades beyond ours, and we were routed in the sea. And with our major cities on the coast lines, we were simply up for bombardment. There was only one option- surrender, and the Maharaja at the time, Karungu, issued an unconditional surrender.

There was not a heavy hand of Quebecois colonization- it was a live and let live kind of deal, although of course loyalty oaths were sworn to Her Majesty, Queen Arlene of Quebec. They let the Maharaja stay on as a Pretender. Karungu, shamed due to his emphatic military defeat to a foreign power, abdicated in his role as head of house and eventually committed suicide in the ensuing years out of 'a deep sense of shame'. 20 years later, Sebowa was able to restore the Monarchy, negotiate independence from Quebec, but in such a way that guaranteed his own tribe, the Kasanke, superiority under the law.

1835- The Restoration and Independence. But that Constitution led into a brutal civil war. WEll over a million dead in the fighting, indiscriminate violence everywhere, and at its head, Sebowa and his sons all being murdered in captivity by a minority tribe, the Kitara. The Quebecois, seeing the bloodletting happening in Banija, came back to end the bloodshed and start..

1841-1906: Second Quebecois Colonization

The second period of Quebecois Colonization. They needed a much more hands on approach, and they gave us one. Cultural exchanges between Quebecois Christian missionaries and the country's Mormon Church led to the establishment of Loyola University, Banija's first broad-scale formal University. Ran, of course, by the Mormon Church. Established in Istria. Northern Moravica University was quickly established after that, and many more cultural exchanges took place.

Once again, the Quebecois way was never the heavy hand. It was a light, collaborative touch. Sebowa's successors, of course, refused to take any sort of Royal Title while swearing loyalty to Quebecois Monarchs, and were therefore styled as Pretenders. The 65 year period was largely peaceful. Very little violence, Banijan administrators got along fairly well with their colonial administrators, although there was an undercurrent of resentment by many members of the Banijan high class of having Quebec City's representatives permission to do, well, anything.

Then, in the early 1900s, the Colonial Administrator, a member of the Quebecois House of Lords, spent much of his time not in Busukuma, but back home in Quebec for the famous Korea debates, when the Quebecois seriously debated for years to help their ethnic brethren on foreign planet in a country called Korea. The general focus of Quebecois Administrators there led Banijans to see an opportunity to end the Colonial period. The Busukuma riots of 1905 saw widespread rioting and looting in the Banijan capitol, demanding immediate independence and a return to locally dominated Governance.

With the Quebecois attention focused elsewhere, they were not going to fight a war for this colony, and Quebecois authorities quickly put Banija on a one year path towards independence, while we set up local institutions and democratic governance. At that point, Banija pursued its own path, and in 1906, after some fierce Constitutional debates, we officially were established as the Kingdom of Banija. We have, by and large, kept the same governing structure that was established in 1906.

And there you have it- Banija's Colonial history. Although of course, a few notes.

#1 Banija has long held a territorial claim on Nyowani Kitara since independence, although that is internationally unrecognized and largely ignored by foreign nations- although it is the basis of why Banija and Nyowani Kitara have never established diplomatic relations.

#2 Banija, as an independent nation, acted as a colonial administrator of Quebec's other ethnically African colonies in the 1930s through 1960s on their behalf, but these were never actual Banijan colonies. As Quebec's close partners, viewing ourselves as equals, it was viewed in our best interests to keep our fellow African nations in the Quebecosphere, as well as our chance to take a leading position among other nations in the Quebecosphere.

by **Buffalostan** » Thu Aug 05, 2021 4:54 pm

RP cutoff for Round of 16.

Round of 16
Ko-oren 3–0 Sarzonia
Squidroidia 20–33 Kohnhead
Drawkland 20–9 TJUN-ia
Ranoria 30–14 Allamunnic States
Banija 44–26 Newmanistan
Saint Kanye 20–10 Karditan
Abanhfleft 13–18 Chromatika
Delaclava 26–3 Tumbra

by **Chromatika** » Thu Aug 05, 2021 9:43 pm

Team   1Q  2Q  3Q  4Q  |  Tot
AFT     7   3   3   0  |   13
CMT     9   3   3   3  |   18

1Q
12:22 CMT FG - Sara McAllister 41 yard Field Goal
06:19 CMT FG - Sara McAllister 48 yard Field Goal
03:51 CMT FG - Sara McAllister 47 yard Field Goal
01:38 AFT TD - Ronnie turgeon 22 yard run (Roland Bass Kick)

2Q
13:27 CMT FG - Sara McAllister 51 yard Field Goal
04:11 AFT FG - Roland Bass 39 yard Field Goal

3Q
11:40 AFT FG - Roland Bass 33 yard Field Goal
06:10 CMT FG - Sara McAllister 53 yard Field Goal

4Q
08:19 CMT FG - Sara McAllister 57 yard Field Goal

Temple of the Sun (cap. ~110,000), Northern Aztec Principality - On a hot day in Buffalostan, the Chromatik Iron Legion didn't need to do anything but rely on the right leg of Sara McAllister as the Chromatik Kicker set a national record, going 6-for-6 with all six kicks going more than 40 yards and three of them being from over 50.

The kicker's last three kicks were from further and further away as Sarai Gwenderyn could only barely get the offense to the Fleftic side of the field; In fact, the Iron Legion never cracked the Fleftic twenty yard line as Gwenderyn's decisions led to some risky plays that ended up not working. They were lucky that the signal caller's miscues did not result in turnovers, as the Fleftic secondary dropped two interceptions that could've turned the game.

For Abanhfleft, Wes Soderland was serviceable, completing 20 of 38 passes for 198 yards, while Ronnie Turgeon added 71 yards on the ground and the game's only score. Mi-Hyeon Park and the Iron Legion kept them in check after that as the team watched McAllister dink-and-dunk the opposition into submission.

It is the very first victory in the knockouts of gridiron football in Chromatik history, and sets them in a collision course with a nation that Chromatik gridiron fans know well - Kohnhead.

Kohnhead City University has fallen to Felswyr State University no less than four times in the last two seasons, two losses being part of the Out of Cnference schedule and the other two times being the NSCF playoffs. This means that if it wasn't for FSU, KCU may have won a title. That animosity will now be realized on the national level.

"They'll come looking to avenge all the losses," says Milo Jones-Smith, "We really think it's a good chance to get to the Semifinals, though, and we're ready to get things rolling."

If McAllister continues to kick like she does, they'll have that side of the ball down, at least.

Seemingly always joined with Kohnhead at the hip in Gridiron Football, one of those nations will reach the Semifinals for the first time. Can Chromatika get over Kohnhead yet again?

by **TJUN-ia** » Fri Aug 06, 2021 5:36 am

Welp.

Not our best World Bowl and Drawkland certainly finished us off in a tight game of gridiron.

We certainly deserved to be there but at 5-3, the Round of 16 seemed to be our expected limit.

Gus McKerrin definitely tried, but this World Bowl certainly wasn't ours.

We will be back, hopefully with a better Group Stage record to build upon.

GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group 5)
MD1: vs Ranoria (3) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington L 20-23 (0-1)
MD2: @Xanneria (21) W 31-7 (3rd/1-1)
MD3: vs Arjunnagar (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 39-7 (2nd/2-1)
MD4: @Tumbra (27) - Gamaliel State University Field, Gamaliel L 34-41 (3rd/2-2)
MD5: BYE
--------------------------BREAK--------------------------
MD6: @Ranoria (3) - The Karmin-Falce Superdome, Ranoria City L 17-33 (3rd/2-3)
MD7: vs Xanneria (21) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 39-7 (3rd/3-3)
MD8: @Arjunnagar (UR) W 34-14 (3rd/4-3)
MD9: vs Tumbra (27) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 20-7 (2nd/5-3)
MD10: BYE (3rd/5-3/+83PD)
-------------------------------------------
Ro16: vs Drawkland (7/7-1) - Life Valley Stadium, Atlantic Malaisia, Buffalostan L 9-20

by **Sarzonia** » Fri Aug 06, 2021 6:07 am

The battle between the Sarzonian national gridball team and Ko-oren was always expected to be a low-scoring affair. The match met that expectation and then some.

Ko-oren got a 39-yard field goal as time expired and those were the only points in the match as the top seeds survived a hard-fought contest with Sarzonia 3-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of World Bowl XLII. For the Stars, it was the Ty'Relle Clinton show as he rushed 29 times for 137 yards in the first half before the Ko-orenites adjusted by employing more run blitzes and eight-man fronts. He was limited to nine yards on eight carries in the second half.

Sam Rosen completed 11-of-21 passes for 97 yards, but played significant time as a defensive back because the Stars benched reserve nickelback Clancy Rollingford, citing "a flagrant violation of team rules," according to a statement released by the Incorporated Gridball Federation. Coach Gavin Davis said he wouldn't announce the violation until he had an opportunity to speak with Rollingford. However, Rollingford told reporters after the match it was because he was drunk on the team bus to the stadium.

"Coach Davis is a hard-ass about discipline," Rollingford said quietly, starting at the floor in the dressing room following the match. "He don't play, man. He's serious about doing things a certain way."

Rosen agreed, saying it was the first time he played defensive back since middle school and the first time he lined up at corner since Pop Warner.

"You saw first hand how serious Coach Davis takes this," he said, referencing his own suspension for insubordination. "He doesn't take shit and he'll do what he feels he needs to to ensure that we're on the same page as a team."

Davis said the team was frustrated with the defensive clampdown put on them by Ko-oren, but said the team knew going in they were going to be tough.

"That team's the most defensive-oriented team I've ever seen as a player or as a coach," he said. "They fly to the ball. They hit. They're the surest tacklers I've ever seen. I'm just glad I didn't have to suit up and play."

The Stars (5-5) head into the international gridball offseason having taken a step backward in terms of record after the World Bowl XLI team finished 6-3, but this team won a play-in match against the host nation Buffalostan, so the IGF will have a lot of things to consider as they approach their post-mortems. However, IGF chairwoman Hannah Pearlman said the Board of Governors was "absolutely thrilled" with the leadership Davis showed as a first-time head coach.

"He acted decisively and he set the tone for a team that he wants to play the right way," she said. "He wasn't timid when he was an interim manager and he certainly hasn't been timid since he got the full-time gig. We look forward to a bright, successful future with Davis as the coach."

by **Saint Kanye** » Fri Aug 06, 2021 11:27 am

For the St. Kanye Surge, the second half of the World Bowl XLII group stages was basically the same as the first. They were able to duplicate their wins against Malandrin, Chromatika and Lisander, but that also meant that they fell to the mighty Allamunic States team for a second time.

The visiting AS squad jumped to a 14-nil lead, getting one touchdown through the air and another on the ground. It could even have been 21-nil, if not for their quarterback throwing a wobbly pass in the red zone right into the hands of Kanyean strong safety Oliver Law. However, the Surge could only add three points on the board, their drive stalling and forcing them to settle for a James Rasputin field goal to prevent them getting shut out at halftime.

After a catch by the AS tight end put the Surge in an eighteen-point hole to begin the third quarter, head coach Jeff Delphine immediately called a timeout. "We're getting massacred out there," he told his players. "I know we're already topping this group, win or lose, but we gotta show that we can't let ourselves get bullied by a higher ranked team." Well, the Yeezies did chip away at the lead, but ultimately, it wouldn't be enough. "At least we were able to turn a blowout into something close, but still, if we hadn't been that slow to heat up, we could have taken the W," Coach Delphine said.

1Q ALS WR1 25 pass from QB1 (K kick) ALS 7-0
2Q ALS RB1 16 run (K kick) ALS 14-0
2Q STK field goal Rasputin 38 ALS 14-3
3Q ALS TE1 19 pass from QB1 (K kick) ALS 21-3
3Q STK Sherman 27 run (Rasputin kick) ALS 21-10
4Q STK field goal Rasputin 43 ALS 21-13
4Q STK field goal Rasputin 40 ALS 21-16

St. Kanye ended the group stages with a 6-2 record, getting the sixth seed in the playoffs, while the AS improved to 5-3 and got seeded fourteenth. The other Group D game was a non-bearing one against cellar dwellers; Malandrin (2-6) went home on a positive note after winning 38-14 against Lisander (1-7). Meanwhile, here is how other teams did in their last group stage assignments:

- The Abanhfleft Armored Revolutionaries (7-1) defeated hosts Buffalostan (4-4) by a score of 55-27. The A-Revs earned the seventh seed, while the hosts were sixteenth, entering the wildcard phase against Sarzonia.
- The defending champ Ko-oren Dragonflies (8-0) ended up the only spotless team heading into the playoffs, winning a close one, 24-17, over the South Newlandia Elephants (3-5). Obviously, the Dragonflies are the top seed, while the Elephants, despite a negative win/loss record, still manage to sneak into the playoffs, their eighteenth seed putting them in a wildcard battle against Kohnhead.
- The Banija Serpent Eagles (6-2) take the fifth seed, crushing the Sarzonia Stars (4-4) by a 40-7 margin. The Stars take the seventeenth seed, and as mentioned above, will need to survive the hosts to advance.
- The Tumbra Misfits (6-2) deny the Ranoria Krauts (7-1) a sweep of the group stages, handing them a shock 33-3 loss. The Misfits are seeded ninth, while the Krauts are tied with Drawkland at third.
- The aforementioned Drawkland Grid Corps (7-1) beat the Kohnhead Brains (4-4) 21-10; the latter get the fifteenth seed.

The St. Kanye Surge, seeded sixth, has the eleventh seeded Karditan Ironworkers as their opponents in the Round of Sixteen. While both teams won six games out of eight during the group stages, the Kanyeans had the edge on points scored (169 to 149) but the Karditanis conceded fewer (74 to 104). It was an even match on paper, and fans of both sides were understandably hyped.

Ye Rusty Kettle Footballe Fielde in Crescentian Colony, Buffalostan, officially only seated about five thousand fans, but it was clear that the attendance in the Surge-Ironworkers match was several times that. In the end, the Kanyean offense would prove to be able to outlast the Karditani defense, and it was the former who would advance to the quarterfinals with a 20-10 victory.

1Q KRD field goal Bull 28 KRD 3-0
The Ironworkers struck first, kicker Jeremiah Bull having no trouble sinking the field goal.

1Q STK field goal Rasputin 30 Tie 3-3
Bull's Yeezie counterpart, James Rasputin, equalized with a kick from two yards further, as if to say "Anything you can do, I can do better".

2Q STK Varley 41 fumble return (Rasputin kick) STK 10-3
A huge hit by Surge nose tackle Robby Edison caused Ironworker running back Zing Zap to cough up the ball; linebacker Justin Varley was the one to pick it up, running all the way to the end zone to put the Yeezies up by six (seven with the XP).

2Q STK field goal Rasputin 35 STK 13-3
Rasputin added another field goal to make it a ten-point lead at halftime.

3Q KRD Druthers 18 pass from Krenkov (Bull kick) STK 13-10
After Eddy Canseco picked off R.J. Linetti on a pass intended for Bruce Dobler, the Ironworkers got the ball back on their own 45. It only took three plays for Asha Krenkov to find Gianna Druthers for a score, cutting the lead down to three.

4Q STK Moore 17 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 20-10
However, Karditan could not capitalize on that. St. Kanye instead sent them packing, sealing the win with a touchdown reception by Patrick Moore.

"I'm glad we won, but it's far from time to celebrate," said Linetti. "Apparently, we face Drawkland next. They're a very tough and accomplished side, but we have to show that we can keep up with them, and if we do things right, we can pull off the upset. Remember, anything can happen." The Surge are projected to be the underdogs in this matchup, given that the Grid Corps, 20-9 winners over the TJUN-ia Jags in their Round of Sixteen game, are one place higher than them in the world rankings and have been to five World Bowl title games, winning two.

Here are the results of all the other playoff games:

- The Ko-oren Dragonflies put up a classic snoozefest against the Sarzonia Stars, winning just 3-nil on a fourth quarter field goal.
- The Delaclava Phoenixes eliminated the Tumbra Misfits, 26-3; they will play Ko-oren next.
- The Kohnhead Brains extended their first playoff appearance in team history, outlasting the Squidroidia Flyers, 33-20.
- Kicker Sara McAllister scored all of the Chromatika Iron Legion's points in an 18-13 win over the Abanhfleft Armored Revolutionaries. The Legion's next opponents will be the Brains.
- The Ranoria Krauts took down the Surge's group stage tormentors from the Allamunic States, 30-14.
- The Banija Serpent Eagles defeated the Newmanistan Rockets 44-26, setting up a quarterfinals meeting with the Krauts.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MD   | Opponent           | Rank | Uniform       | Score   | Record | Place |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1    | BYE                |      |               |         |        |       |
| 2    | Malandrin          | UR   | Purple/Black  | W 28-10 | 1-0    | 2nd   |
| 3    | @Chromatika        | 18   | White/Purple  | W 22-7  | 2-0    | 1st   |
| 4    | Lisander           | 33   | Purple/Purple | W 22-10 | 3-0    | 1st   |
| 5    | @Allamunnic States | 4    | White/White   | L 9-13  | 3-1    | 1st   |
|      | BREAK              |      |               |         |        |       |
| 6    | BYE                |      |               |         |        |       |
| 7    | @Malandrin         | UR   | White/White   | W 41-26 | 4-1    | 2nd   |
| 8    | Chromatika         | 18   | Purple/Black  | W 8-7   | 5-1    | 1st   |
| 9    | @Lisander          | 33   | White/Purple  | W 23-10 | 6-1    | 1st   |
| 10   | Allamunnic States  | 4    | Purple/Purple | L 16-21 | 6-2    | 1st   |
|      | BREAK              |      |               |         |        |       |
| RO16 | Karditan           | 9    | Purple/Black  | W 20-10 |        |       |
| QF   | Drawkland          | 7    | White/Purple  |         |        |       |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

by **Delaclava** » Fri Aug 06, 2021 12:16 pm

The team plane was somewhere over the ocean when Robbie Hahn and Kevin Alés got the same text from Mark Pratt:

"He's coming. Plane from the GG just took off a few minutes ago. Take care of him, please. Have a good trip - and bring back that trophy!"

Robbie and Kevin both breathed a sigh of relief as they looked each other. Kevin said, "Alright, well, that's a start. We'll see what happens."
Robbie asked, "What do you think happens now?"
"I have no idea. It could've been a lot worse, and thank goodness it wasn't. But it's not good."
"Do you think he's okay?"
"No, of course not. But if he's coming with us and he says he's ready to go, we have to believe him."
"Are you gonna let Coach know?"
Kevin looked up the aisle, towards Frank Newman sitting at the front of the plane. "Uh..."
"You're really not gonna tell him?"
"Why get him riled up right now?"
"Because we shouldn't surprise him on the tarmac! If he at least thinks about it on the plane here, maybe he'll be calmer when he talks to Taurus, and I'm sure that'll be better."

Kevin paused. "Yeah, you're right. Be right back." The captain wide receiver walked the length of the plane. Frank Newman was chatting with his QB coach - his son Danny - and one of his assistants - his wife Beth - when he saw Kevin approaching. He said, "Hey honey, Danny, why don't you give us a minute." His family stood up, smiled at Kevin and walked a few rows away, giving Kevin a seat across the aisle from his coach. Newman turned to Kevin.

"You hear from Taurus?"
"Yeah."
"How is he?"
"Fine. He just fell asleep outside his car. They picked him up and let him sleep it off at the station, no charges pressed."
Newman closed his eyes in relief. "Oh thank God."
"Mark Pratt went and picked him up from the station."
"That the kid out of Kitsuartat?"
"Yeah, he was a rookie in Catherina right after Taurus, got traded to the Aces last year. So he was in town."
"Good, good... so do you know where he is now."
"Well, actually, Coach... I called in a favor, and Taurus is on a jet to Buffalostan."
Newman raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Yeah... he's probably going to get there the same time as us."

Newman sat there, silently. Kevin, nervous because he could not read whether his coach was calm or quietly furious, continued, "Look, I know you probably don't want to play him, and I understand that, but I think he should be with us right now. Even if that means he's fetching water bottles the rest of the tournament, he's a part of this team."
Newman nodded. "I understand. Look, I can't blame you for wanting that for Taurus, so don't worry."
Kevin nodded. Newman shook his head, "Wait, who was able to get you a private jet within an hour?"
"The Governor-General's office. I worked there on a project a couple of off-seasons ago. He's met Taurus too and thought highly of him. He was happy to help."
Newman chuckled. "That's a hell of a favor to have in your back pocket."
Kevin shrugged and laughed in return. After a bit of silence, Kevin asked, "So what are you going to do?"
Newman sighed and looked out the window. "Well, you know I cannot condone what's happened here. And he had better know that what he did was incredibly foolish."
"I understand."
Newman turned it back to his captain. "What do you think I should go."
Kevin thought for a second. "Well, again, I absolutely understand if you bench him, or even if you want to send him home. And Taurus would understand that too. But... I think we've all worked hard to get here. We haven't had a perfect season at all, we've had some things go wrong, but we've gotten this far. Now, I know for a fact we can win this whole thing with Michael behind center, but it's too much of a risk for all of us. And don't get me wrong, we all love Taurus, but we also all understand that he was being an idiot. We're not going to get the wrong idea if you let him play.
Newman nodded. "Alright. Thank you."

As Taurus Wright entered the Round of 16 game against Tumbra for the very first drive, exiting the huddle, he thought back to his conversation with Coach Newman at the team hotel. The decisive sentence his coach said stuck in his mind:

"I'm not about to ruin the rest of the team's chances because you did something stupid. So get in there, keep your head forward and do the job I believe you can do."

Taurus nodded to himself, jogged to a few yards behind his Catherina teammate, Alex McFadden. "Sixty-four zero! Red, red, yellow! Set! Hike!"

McFadden snapped the ball, Wright dropped back. He looked off to the right, scanning, then saw that Kevin Alés had broken off the left sideline and cut slightly to the middle, leaving Richard McCreary in his dust. Wright reared back and fired a perfect spiral 35 yards down the field, directly into the hands of Alés, who caught the ball and continued on to the Tumbra 42 before he was brought down.

Wright pumped his fist, gave his running back Dexter George a high-five, and they jogged down the field and kept going. For sixty minutes, Taurus Wright was once again in full command of his offense. While Dan Waters was overwhelmed by the occasion and the blitz, Wright felt himself embracing the moment. It felt natural; every sack or hurry or bad pass wasn't a failure, it was an impetus to do better on the next go. and he did just that.

He knew this game didn't solve all his demons right now. He also knew it wasn't getting any easier, with the comically effective defense of Ko-oren next on the docket. The Dragonflies had shut out the Sarzonia Stars 3-0 and had only allowed 33 points in the group stage, and just three to anyone not named South Newlandia. But if anything, that last fact simply told Taurus that the vaunted Ko-orenite squad was vincible. They had never faced the Phoenixes, the most prolific, dynamic, and well-rounded offense in the tournament. And, feeling a bit of his swagger come back, he thought:

They haven't had to deal with me yet.

Just days after one of the lowest points of his life, Taurus Wright was once again feeling like a man who was up for a challenge.

Tumbra       0 - 0 -  3 - 0 --  3
Delaclava   13 - 0 - 10 - 3 -- 26

1st Quarter
DEL - Taurus Wright 11 yard pass to Robbie Hahn (Kieran Conley PAT missed), 13:44.
DEL - Wright 9 yard run (Conley kick), 4:09.
2nd Quarter - No Scoring
3rd Quarter
TMB - Nick Evans 32 yard FG, 10:23.
DEL - Kieran Conley 47 yard FG, 4:52.
DEL - Wright 71 yard pass to Charlie Coffin (Conley kick), :26.
4th Quarter
DEL - Conley 28 yard FG, 9:37.

by **Ranoria** » Fri Aug 06, 2021 12:58 pm

World Bowl 42 Quarterfinals: 5 Bold Predictions for Ranoria vs Banija

After our 30-14 drumming of the Allamunic States, what started as a 30 team tournament has been cut down to an 8 team field. Ranoria's Krauts and Banija's Serpent Eagles are will square off in Bulls Park of Upper Fargonia, where both teams will be graced with a glimpse of a region locked in the year 1948. Both are quite familiar with playing in games with these kinds of stakes, as each has at least made the quarterfinals in the past two cycles, but neither team is remotely satisfied with this kind of a run. The Serpent Eagles and the Krauts both represent gridiron-loving nations that expect a championship and who's thirst for success will be sated with nothing less.

The Krauts weren't perfect, with a loss to Tumbra a pair of closely-contested matches against that same team and TJUN-ia, but the Serpent Eagles struggled a bit more than is par for the course for them. With an early loss to Bongo Johnson, the Banijan squad only clinched the group with their last victory. To be fair - they had Delaclava in their group, far from a pushover, but a 6-2 campaign is far from the standard set by Thomas Hall. Transitioning to a new quarterback after the retirement of an aging Isaka Jawara was a difficult process, but Ifeatu Chineze pulled ahead ever so slightly of former Blue Thunder star Amazu Chibuzo. Ranoria does have an advantage there with a consistent presence in John Garrett, but by now we doubt Chineze has anything but complete control of his offense.

After a missed opportunity for a Garrett-Jawara rematch in World Bowl 41, we're finally getting the next gridiron edition of Ranoria vs Banija. However, with Garrett and Chineze taking the place of McNair and Jawara, how different will this matchup be? We’ll see, but here are five bold predictions for the upcoming quarterfinal matchup.

5: Neither Team Scores More than 21

That's one to kick things off! The Serpent Eagles averaged a remarkable 30 points per game while Ranoria racked up 28 per clip, but we don't see either offensive powerhouse running it up on the other team in this one. While the Krauts offense is more than potent, it's not quite perfect, and even if it was we doubt the Banijans on the other side would care that much. We're sure you all remember Isaiah Bryce. He's evolved from a dominant collegiate athlete to one of the best linebackers in the world since graduating from Richardson. Along with a nasty defensive line led by Boto Hairte, the trenches will be the matchup to watch when the Krauts have the ball. And for our part?

Well, the Serpent Eagles haven't gotten a taste of Angelo Gordon and Ross Monarch's defense, have they? Of course, there's always the chance they'll be able to exploit a leaky secondary a la Tumbra, but Ifeatu Chineze, one way or another, won't leave this one with a clean jersey.

4: Vice Jackson III, Kuenda Sello Combine for 225+ Yards From Scrimmage

Yup. The thunder and lighting - err, really just a lot of thunder - duo from Richardson are going to be coming into this one as the workhorses for their respective squads. Frankly, with how close they were in college, if we don't see some friendly banter, I'll be disappointed, but there's going to be nothing "friendly" about the bruises they'll hand to any defender who gets in their way. Both teams have monster inside linebackers in Isaiah Bryce and Ross Monarch, and those two are going to win their battles, but with Sello and Jackson III coming up the gut, they won't win every one.

I'm expecting these two to be competing with one another, as well, just as they always did in their collegiate years. Keep an eye on the big runners for these teams.

3: Barry Chlorid - Hit or Miss - Will Have a Kick That Turns the Tide of This Game

The Krauts kicker has been sensational (by Ranorian standards) this season. As much as we'd love to try and get Hillary Mercator or Bo-ah Jang on the field, Chlorid's the best option we have as a professional. And win or lose, these teams are so evenly matched that we think it'll come down to his leg. At some point, he will be asked to kick a long field goal, or perhaps one to end a half. And whether or not he puts it through could be the deciding factor in this contest.

2: The Team That Takes an Early Lead Will Lose

One way or another, we can't imagine a game with the quality coaching and quarterbacking that this one has won't see a comeback. So whoever comes out of the gates hotter, feel free to try and keep your foot on the gas to prove us wrong...just don't let the wheels come falling off in the end.

1: John Garrett Loses Second Straight Quarterfinal

Last season, it was Drawkland. This time, it'll be Banija. Ranoria has always struggled in the World Bowl playoffs, and while this team is more than capable of winning a championship, we don't see it being this season, because guess what - Banija is in the same boat. Hell, this isn't even that much of a bold prediction in a game this evenly matched - it's a coin flip one way or another.

Regardless of whether or not this season was destined to end here, we've gotten another campaign of electrifying football from the Krauts, and we should be grateful one way or another. But head coach Raul Nieler may not have much in the way of job security should this come to pass.

by **Kohnhead** » Fri Aug 06, 2021 1:47 pm

Kohnhead to the quarters in stunning upset set to play Chromatika

Joseph and the offense celebrate after a big score in the fourth

Kohnhead was here in the Round of 16 of the World Bowl for the first time in the nation's history in our 4th appearance but the first under Ranorian Eric Dietrich the former defensive coordinator of Richardson University in the NSCF. Dietrich had come in ready to help this team win and the defense had been much improved since his hire while the offense under new OC Richie Shaw has had to undergo an injury to the starting quarterback and some injury issues along the offensive line. The team itself had to undergo a 1-3 second half Group Stage much like the year before including a 40-6 loss to Newmanistan and yet here we were in the knockouts for the first time.

Following the 30-10 play-in win against South Newlandia, a game we were expected to win but not guaranteed by any stretch of the imagination we prepared to take on the 2nd seeded 7-1 Squidroidia team that had made the Round of 16 in all three of its entries in the World Bowl yet had never progressed past it. They viewed this as their best opportunity to make a run and were heavy favorites against us as one would expect from the 2-15 matchup.

We made sure to continue Squidroidia's trend of losses in the first knockout round with a 33-20 upset victory that has sent us into the quarterfinals. Despite missing two of his starting offensive linemen and the guy whom many conisder to be his favorite target through the air in Ezekial Edwards, Byron Joseph still put up 33 points against this defense leading us to four scores as he threw for one and ran for one as part of his 225 total yards of offense. However the reason we won was in my opinion more because of the bowling ball that is Herman Whitworth bouncing off of tackles even on his bad ankle to 152 yards on the ground and a score in a statement performance.

Joseph was good yes not committing any turnovers and hitting targets left and right but he was able to do that because their defense was so keyed in on stopping Whitworth who had given them full reason to try and stop him at all costs although they certainly could not. With Kohnhead and Squidroidia tied at 13 following an Albie Terry touchdown we started to take over. Sota Miyamoto had led Squidroidia into our red zone but on a ball into the endzone Percy Whitehead jumped up and picked off the pass intended for Kouji Nakano to give us back the ball.

Joseph orchestrated an 80 yard touchdown drive in 15 plays most of which were Herman Whitworth runs as we stormed down the field, scored a touchdown, and made the PAT to make it 20-13. The defense came up big again on the next drive forcing the Squidroidian offense to stall out giving us the ball again. Kohnhead once again found the back of the endzone this time when Joseph kept it on an option as the entire defensive line started to pursue Whitworth expecting him to get the carry.

A few drives later and our defense hadn't broken with the score at 27-13 and the clock was winding down for Squidroidia. Into the two minute drill they went needing a score, an onside kick recovery, and another score in the short time period. Improbable, most certainly, impossible, most certainly not. Suddenly the Squidroidia offense woke up producing their best drive of the day helped by the fact that we were giving them easy first downs over the middle as part of our containment strategy. Miyamoto would hit tight end Kamenashi Keizo in the endzone with 12 seconds left to make it 27-20 and give them hope.

One onside kick later and Squidroidia got even more hopeful as the kick from Flynn De Laurentis was on the ground and short but yet the Kohnhead special teams unit just waited and waited before the ball reached the 10 yards necessary and Squidroidia dove on it. It was a blunder of epic proportions and it might just cost Kohnhead their season in the worst way possible, failing to pick up an onside kick. Had we just grabbed it before the mark we could have won the game then and there, now we had given them hope and momentum.

On their first play they got a solid 13 yard gain and used their final timeout with five seconds remaining. As opposed to taking a shot to the endzone, Squidroidia opted to go with some trickery going short to receiver Kouji Nakano who juked out two defenders before lateralling it across the field to Alexandre Smedley who sent it to fullback Yousuke Mochizuki who tried to hit running back Stein Bell but the pass was bad and it went right into the arms of Rachel Gordon who had nothing but green grass in front of her and pretty much could walk into the endzone ending the game at 33-20.

Kohnhead had pulled off the major upset and now we were into the quarterfinals with a date with Chromatika in the next round. Any followers of the NSCF would know that we have a very one-sided (and not in a good way) gridiron rivalry with Chromatika as KCU has met FSU four teams in two seasons and has lost all four including in a semifinal and a quarterfinal. Ironically the starting quarterbacks for this match in Sarai Gwenderyn and Byron Joseph are the opposing starters from all of those games with Sarai still in college and Joseph having graduated last year. A win against Gwenderyn and Chromatika would certainly feel good for Joseph even though we are even larger underdogs this time around, let's get to the semis.

Injury Report
QB Jackson Watford - IR Collarbone
*RB Herman Whitworth - Q Ankle
RB Elliot Roach - D Calf
WR Kenneth Bradson - O Ankle
WR Ezekial Edwards - D Knee
OT Peyton Whitely - D Neck
*DT Jakub Brush - Q Hip
LB Lyla Barrera - Q Knee
*FS Shane Holman - Q Head
*SS Chris Molina - Q Hamstring

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

by **Ko-oren** » Fri Aug 06, 2021 2:49 pm

Ko-oren 3–0 Sarzonia

'   1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
KOR   0   0   0   3     3
SRZ   0   0   0   0     0

          KOR SRZ
1st downs  11   8
takeaways   3   2
(fumbles)   1   2
(ints)      2   0

yards     301 339

Well, this is a result for the ages. To those that don't vividly remember that previous trophy-winning attempt involving multiple knockout shutouts: you just got a taste of what that was like. It all can fall apart at any moment, and yet the Dragonflies survive drive after drive. Clinton was close to carrying Sarzonia to a touchdown in the first half, but they couldn't convert his long runs into long drives, and long drives into touchdowns or even field goals. It certainly helped that the Stars only had Clinton as a standout performer, with Rosen completing barely 50% of his attempts but also having to compete on both sides of the ball. With Rosen's energy depleting, the defence could focus on the more immediate threat, shutting down Clinton. As the Dragonflies also opted for a run-heavy attack, the clock rapidly went down to zero with neither team able to score. The fact that Parkes couldn't pick on Rosen having to play on both sides is a big slight, though it has to be said that Whitlock and Ranindhen could barely get open before Parkes had to release the ball. Mannussen and Hinken shared carries, with Robineau lining up on crucial plays as well. All three had a meaningful contribution to almost every drive, but that only got the Dragonflies halfway. In order to make it to the endzone, let alone into field goal range, they needed a bit more. Punters on both sides were tremendous and good returns were nearly impossible to pull off, which meant that just about every drive started in a team's own 15. At the very end, with just a few minutes on the clock, Hardman allowed Parkes to cook something up himself, and the quarterback took this opportunity like it was the last one he'd ever get (which, you know, looking at how the tournament is going for him, might not be a weird assumption). Ordering a lot more pre-snap motion, basically designing his own plays with Hinken behind him to block or act as a triple threat, Parkes slung the ball to Schoolhendrik for 23 yards, to Vino for 11, and to Whitlock for 19 to get Camba just in field goal range. Using the final timeout with four seconds on the clock, Camba lined up and saw his attempt go just inside the right post - we would not have to sit through overtime after 60 minutes gave us zero points after all.

Fumbles were an issue all game, with Parkes losing the ball twice on sacks, and Swain lost the ball for Sarzonia trying to extend for a first down. None of those were good looks, but it was Rosen's impatience in trying to force plays that weren't there with deep throws at Largent that sealed the deal for the Stars, one attempt going straight to Wheelwright, and one attempt tipped and caught by Dauntaringun.

Parkes was 19 for 26 and 193 yards on the day, which isn't too bad, though it's a shame that 53 of those yards came on a last ditch effort to get anything done, with all the risks that are attached to that. The Stars were clearly frustrated after the game, but the Dragonflies were too. Again and again, the offensive gameplan didn't get the details right - no matter how good the defence is (because said defence is, well, incredible). Delaclava is up next, and they slaughtered Tumbra 26-3 - they have a good defence and they can score, and with the way that team's going in this World Bowl (and our pre-tournament predictions), that might be the end for us. Sarzonia even had to play an extra game just to make the knockouts, while Delaclava, like us, had the bye. The winner of the quarterfinal takes on Ranoria or Banija - so all our favourite teams are on this side of the bracket. Is Ko-oren's championship window (finally) closing? Or are we on our mandatory off-cycle before going straight back to a gold medal in the 43rd one? It's both annoying and uncanny how the Dragonflies run from a championship to a very mediocre run, when the stalwarts of the previous cycle have left and the search for a new generation is on, back to a championship again. It was specifically Batterink's job to stop the yo-yoing, and it's clear we're not there yet.

by **Banija** » Fri Aug 06, 2021 3:23 pm

QB Ifeatu Chineze, summer between NSCF 18 and NSCF 19, after high school graduation, moving onto campus

The Umebeho King High School grad had just arrived on campus here at Richardson University. He was here with his parents, his younger brothers, and his uncle. They were so proud- the first Banijan QB to go to school abroad. Chineze, the first time he'd come out to live on his own. Following a QB that he had only known about for two years, but one that he fell in love with as a fan of football- Mr. John Garrett, his predecessor, the greatest signal caller in school history, and probably Ranorian history. Hell- up to that point, NSCF history quite possibly.

Richardson was a campus that was very in tune with its gridiron. Ranoria loved gridiron like Banija did- and that meant, at their big gridiron schools, there was nothing like the new 5 star QB recruit landing on campus for move-in day. So there was a small spattering of students there, mostly students who were taking summer classes. Nothing like 150 or so of your classmates screaming your name as you walked into the building for move-in day, right?

And he felt he understood Richardson- plenty of conversations with coaches and players caused him to commit by Signing Day, and he enjoyed the culture. He'd never seen snow before in his life, but he felt as if he could understand winter. As the students largely dispersed after he waved his hand, and was able to focus on move-in with his parents, he walked with his parents through the dormitory. He was living on the sixth floor- plenty of stairs.

As he went to the dorm's mess hall to meet some of the other Richardson freshman and their families, he looked at the walls. Football posters everywhere. And who was on every single one of them? Who do you think- none other than the big man on campus, the man with a plan, John Garrett. There was one of Garrett against Loyola-Istria in NSCF 17. There was another of Garrett winning a national championship. A couple of him just posing on camera.

"Mom?" Ifeatu said.

"Yes baby?" His Mom said.

"You see all those posters of John?" Ifeatu replied.

"Yes, you told me how good he was. And my oh my- I don't know football, but he can surely gun that ball like it's nothing." His Mom said.

"That's the kind of legacy I want. You see those posters? This guy is an idol. He's a class act- everytime I've talked to him, he's been great. All about Richardson. All about this school. I wanna win a championship here. I want, in four years, somebody else to be looking at a poster of me on these walls." Ifeatu said this as his Mom got pulled away, as a staffer gave her a "Proud Richardson Mom" T-shirt. But Ifeatu was motivated. Meet your idols. Be your idols. He would learn from these coaches, and despite the pressures of replacing a talent like John Garrett, Chineze would bow to no man. He would be ready for this moment.

Storylines galore as a massive Quarterfinal tilt looms between and Ranoria at World Bowl XLII

Banijans celebrate a touchdown against Newmanistan in their 44-26 Round of 16 Victory

UPPER FARGONIA, BUFFALOSTAN- Banija's Round of 16 win against Newmanistan was fun, chaotic, and extremely high-scoring. We put up six touchdowns(missing a 2 point conversion after one of them) and a field goal to down the Rockets. And for the third straight tournament, Banija did what they do- win their group, win their Round of 16 game, and punch our way to the knockout stages. In history, the Serpent Eagles have never lost a game in the Round of 16 at the World Bowl- an all-time now 8-0 at that stage of this tournament. *Of course, we've also missed the knockout stages 6 of the 14 times we've entered the tournament, but hey- who's counting?

When it comes to a matchup of this magnitude, there are storylines galore. But some may be uninitiated. Why is this such a huge game? You may or may not have heard about Banijan organizers being frustrated that this game was 'only' at the 28,000 seater stadium rather than the larger 80,000 seater that these two fanbases could surely fill. Of course, it could be worse- the game could easily be at one of the 5,000 seater stadiums, at which point it'd be almost impossible to get in.

28,000- just enough to generate the wall of sound that these two fanbases are sure to bring. But let's get back to the question- why is this such a huge game? Why is it so much more than a quarterfinal? Isaiah Bryce, the team's middle linebacker and defensive captain, told the media that this was a game "we cannot lose." He's never said that before. Offensive captain, the RT Kutubo Nyang, said that "a win here would mean everything- a loss would be utterly devastating." Why such massive language for two teams that have only met once at this level? Let's dive deep.

Explanation of the Rivalry

Here's the question of the day- what makes Banija v. Ranoria such an intriguing rivalry? You have to go to the greatest youth sports competition in the multiverse- not the Di Bradini Cup, not men's football at the Olympiad, not even the NSCAA- but the NSCF. NationStates College Football. Banija and Ranoria both have their two biggest football schools(in terms of prestige and gridiron history, not necessarily student body) in the competition, with Loyola-Istria and Northern Moravica on one side, and Cold Hill and Richardson University on the other.

Two nations that are obsessed with college football are a great match for each other. Loyola-Istria and Richardson are archrivals, playing each other in the final game of every season in the Rebel's Cannon Bowl. And for a few years there, the NSCF was in a lull, being dominated by the four programs from these two countries. From NSCF 19 to NSCF 21, 9 of 12 semifinalists came from these four schools- and all six participants in NSCF championship games. NSCF 19 won by Northern Moravica, NSCF 20 won by Cold Hill, and NSCF 21 won by Loyola-Istria(sorry Richardson!)

Hell, ever since the Banijan return to the NSCF in NSCF 17, for the last 8 consecutive seasons, one of our two nations has put a school in the NSCF Championship Game. So whenever it's Banija v. Ranoria- it's for large stakes in something we care about a lot. And then that rivalry is just ratcheted up in the offseason. Richardson clocks. Loyola beat Richardson in Ranoria City in NSCF 21 and talked smack about it for a year- and now they've lost two in a row there. Northern Moravica was shutout in a championship game by Cold Hill. You've seen a message boards, you know how those look.

But off the field, it's really seen in recruiting. Look at these national team rosters- loaded with players who played in the other country. Our Quarterback, Ifeatu Chineze, was a four year starter at Richardson. So was our starting running back. Same with our starting MLB, Isaiah Bryce. It goes the other way. Look at their WR1, Khalil Hauptmann. Superstar at Loyola-Istria. Sean Morgan-Horne. Same thing. Which leads us to...

Familiarity

With all that we've mentioned, familiarity is what breeds this rivalry. Ranoria is in AO, of course, but geography is not the factor here. Our players have played against their players in college and, to a much more limited extent, in the pros. Hell, many of our players have played with each other. Ifeatu Chineze and John Garrett, the two starting QBs for this game, were both Quarterbacks at the aforementioned Richardson University in Ranoria. Both superstars in their own right.

Ifeatu Chineze has had a hell of a career challenge. In college, as a true freshman, follow up John Garrett, one of the most decorated QBs in not only Richardson, but Ranorian history? And then it doesn't get any better when it gets to the international level- oh, only have to follow up Garrett's rival Isaka Jawara, a man who almost everybody agrees is the greatest QB in Banijan history. Who won everything besides, most unfortunately, a title for his country in this sport.

How much pressure is that? And then, of course, he had to take on and beat Amazu Chibuzo for the job at the national team level. Ifeatu Chineze told the press about the craziness of the matchup. "Your idols become your rivals, eh?" Chineze told the press. "Garrett is a Richardson legend. You have all seen the way this man slings the ball around the field. I saw him do it in college, on TV and up close. Who would've thought that I'd ever get the chance to play against him in a World Bowl? It's not about legacy at the greatest school in the world- Richardson University. It's about who's going to be better tomorrow night at Bulls Park. The Richardson brotherhood will continue the next day- but tomorrow, we're the fiercest rivals on Earth."

Is it? The two running backs for both teams, Sello and Jackson III, played together at Richardson. Isaiah BRyce, the MLB, was there too. "Look- I practiced with Garrett for an entire year." Bryce told reporters. "The ability this guy has is incredible. He can make every throw. Every play. But I've never been more motivated for a matchup in my entire life. I'm sure everybody I know is talking smack and betting on this game. I had so many text messages in my phone from my old teammates, talking about this game."

Of course, the players on this squad who went to, say, Loyola, straight up don't like Richardson. Just ask Birom Danso, the nickel back. "There's nothing I like about em." He told reporters. "Respect? Hell yeah. Like? Not a single thing. The anthem? Hate it. The colors? Lame. But hell, this is the biggest game I've ever played in as a professional- we've got to go out there, give em hell, and leave it all on the mother [redacted] field."

And that leads us into the last point...

Thomas Hall

The ol' ball coach! Defensive standout and longtime defensive coordinator professionally in Ranoria, he left for an ambitious head coaching job- taking the reigns for the Banijan national team. At the time, we had forced Head Coach Alastair Jobs, the same one who famously never lost a NSCF postseason game at Loyola-Istria, out of his job. Six cycles there, could not get the job done. Especially World Bowls 38 and 39- a losing record at World Bowl 38, a 6-4 record at World Bowl 39 that was above .500 but, for the second straight tournament, not good enough for the next round.

What did him in, was the Olympiad. While 3-1 in group play was not bad, that one was an embarrassing loss to Farfadillis on home soil, which is a Banijan neighbor with a lot of migrants in our country who barely play the sport, here or at home. A shame for Jobs career to end like that- but it was clear that he was not going to get the job done for the national team. The Olympic Committee was in crisis mode. There was much better talent than group stage eliminations at three straight major tournaments(two World Bowls and the Olympiad), but who could make the most of the talent, especially with an aging Isaka Jawara?

We cast our net. We looked beyond our own country- the prevailing thought was that we needed an outsider to come in and take charge. And why not the hard charging, hard hitting Thomas Hall? Who was more of an outsider than someone from our country's greatest rival in the sport? And yet- he hit the ground running. He became a hit among Banijan fans immediately(winning helps with that, we know), and cast a wide net to hire a lot of his staff from across Banija.

And of course, like we said- winning helps with that. He quickly changed things back to a more smashmouth, defensive. He said, at the time, that the roster fit that. With Isaiah Bryce as the anchor, a team that hadn't made the knockouts in the last two World Bowls went 10-0 in group play, and bully balled our way to the final, until we got outsmashmouthed by the ladies of Cassadaigua, falling by a score of 7-3 in every old school coach's dream of a game.

We were excellent last World Bowl as well, losing only our opener in the group stages before falling in the quarterfinals to Delaclava. And now, we're back in the quarterfinals for a third straight time. And kudos to Thomas Hall- although it has to give him pain, he's innovating. He's opened up the offense, and all of a sudden, a smashmouth team for two World Bowls are a bunch of up tempo high-flyers. Hell, in the Round of 16, Chineze threw for 402 and 4 TDs, with Jelan and Lamin Kah each having over 130 receiving yards, and, with the former having two scores and the latter having one.

Superstar receivers, superstar running back, open up the offense. It's that kind of flexibility that he hopes will ensure that Banija is always ready for a deep run at this tournament, and that we can finally win a trophy that we've been desperately wanting for a long time- the World Bowl trophy.

So who wins?

You want us to give the Serpent Eagles bad juju, or give the Krauts some motivation, by picking a winner? Not a chance in hell. But with 28,000 going to pack the stadium, and probably 40,000 more fans from both sides packing the bars of Upper Fargonia, this is sure going to be one heck of a special football game, that no matter who wins, will be remembered by both sides for a long time.

It is expected to bust viewing records in Banija- with some even saying that they are cautiously optimistic that it will beat viewership records even from the World Bowl XL Final. Hopefully, all these fans will be witnessing one of Banija's greatest moments of joy, rather than a great moment of sorrow.

Go Banija!

by **Buffalostan** » Fri Aug 06, 2021 5:01 pm

RP cutoff for quarterfinals

Ko-oren 11–12 Delaclava
Kohnhead 23–46 Chromatika
Drawkland 3–26 Saint Kanye
Ranoria 33–7 Banija

by **Chromatika** » Sat Aug 07, 2021 3:18 pm

Team   1Q  2Q  3Q  4Q  |  Tot
KHD     7  10   6   0  |   23
CMT    17  10  13   6  |   46

1Q
12:56 KHD TD - Marco Polisson 23 yard pass from Byron Joseph (Wanda Parkinson Kick)
10:33 CMT TD - Alessandra Mio 61 yard pass from Sarai Gwenderyn (Sara McAllister Kick)
08:21 CMT TD - Sarai Gwenderyn 2 yard run (Sara McAllister Kick)
02:17 CMT FG - Sara McAllister 49 yard Field Goal

2Q
11:31 KHD TD - Herman Whitworth 31 yard run (Wanda Parkinson Kick)
07:40 KHD FG - Wanda Parkinson 41 yard Field Goal
05:21 CMT TD - Niles Gwivern 26 yard pass from Sarai Gwenderyn (Sara McAllister Kick)
00:01 CMT FG - Sara McAllister 51 yard Field Goal

3Q
12:28 CMT TD - Kimberley Fowler 41 yard run (Missed PAT)
08:50 KHD TD - Herman Whitworth 20 yard run (Attempt No Good)
03:29 CMT TD - Alessandra Mio 59 yard pass from Sarai Gwenderyn (Michelle Breille Kick)

4Q
02:28 CMT TD - Cara Setri 39 yard fumble return (Missed PAT)

University of the United Virginian State Sports Field, Buffalostan - For all of one and a half quarters, it seemed like Kohnhead would be able to possibly pay Chromatika back for all the heartbreaking defeats in the NSCF. The score was tied 17-17 midway through the second quarter, with Byron Joseph and Herman Whitworth scoring touchdowns. However, Percy Whitehead had been caught off guard with a double move from Alessandra Mio, and Sarai Gwenderyn looked to be on point.

Chromatika ended up outscoring Kohnhead 29-6 from that point onward, with the Iron Legion's defense forcing three turnovers and the superstar Quarterback contributing four touchdowns in the victory. Gwenderyn went 21 of 27 for 351 yards and three touchdowns while adding 63 yards on the ground with another touchdown; Kimberley Fowler added 103 yards on the ground with a score while Alessandra Mio was Gwenderyn's favorite target, catching 6 passes for 184 yards and two scores. Mio feasted on Whitehead's aggressive tendencies all game long, baiting him with double moves and the pure speed.

After the initial barrage of scoring from Kohnhead, Mi-Hyeon Park and Cara Setri took over the match. Byron Joseph, who had faced those two players in the NSCF previously, was sacked five times in the latter two and a half quarters, resulting in two interceptions and a sack-fumble that resulted in Setri taking the ball to the house late in the fourth quarter. They were able to start diagnosing Kohnhead's plays before they happened, limiting the Brains to one touchdown (with the two point conversion being stopped).

The only downsides to the game for the Iron Legion were allowing Kohnhead to score the early touchdowns and the missed PATs from Michelle Breille. Chromatika has been resting Sara McAllister whenever they can, as the star kicker has a history of injury; Breille, who is also the backup kicker for the Firehawks, missed two out of three extra points in relief. Both times, the kick shanked left as the Freshman kicker is still figuring things out.

Here are some quotes from the Iron Legion's stars after the match:

Sarai Gwenderyn, Quarterback: "We had a dogfight in our hands early, but were able to settle into a rhythm. Alessandra had a monster game in getting open, and I think our Offensive Line held up really well. My hat is off to Kohnhead - they're an up and coming program and one day, our dominance over them will end, but I am very happy that it didn't happen today. We've now had a game where our defense carried us, and then a game where the offense and defense acted in tandem - special teams is always playing well - but I don't think we've had a complete game yet. If we can hit that level, watch out."

Alessandra Mio, Wide Receiver: "The tape said that Perry (Whitehead) was an aggressive corner with the tendency to bite on complex routes. Sarai and I went in thinking we're going to use double moves, and it paid off. I'm a bit surprised they didn't provide safety help over the top, but I'll take it. It's nice to see that the passing attack is coming together, we'll need to be on our best form if we're to make a serious run past the semifinals to the final."

Mi-Hyeon Park, Middle Linebacker: "Kohnhead came out and punched us in the mouth. Herman (Whitworth) is a big man to bring down, and that was definitely a challenge to see Byron (Joseph) again. Thankfully, Coach Jones has a great handle on things, and we were able to adapt pretty quickly. The secondary had a great game, and the front seven rebounded well enough. We will need to make sure we don't get smacked in the mouth early in the games to come."

Cara Setri, Outside Linebacker: "The scoop-and-score? Came around the left side, crashed around the guard and tackle, made sure to smack the ball and not the Quarterback. The ball bounced toward me, I picked it up, and nobody could catch me there. Did I need to score? Probably not, but it would have been more of an offense if I'd held back than if I scored to be honest. It's not like we were running up the score or anything - for a defense, Defensive Touchdowns are just exclamation points."

Chromatika's opponent in the semifinals is a familiar face in the Saint Kanye Surge. The Surge remain the only team to have defeated the Iron Legion so far in this World Bowl, winning the first leg 7-22 and the second leg 8-7 in Saint Kanye. Though Chromatika did close the gap from fifteen points to one point, the Surge have had their number.

"We'll need to be at our very best," stated Eustace Hampton, Jr., about the Surge, "They know what it's like to face us and will be leaning on that experience."

The Iron Legion's players are more than ready for the challenge.

"Nobody gets to beat us three times in one tournament," promises Tight End NIles Gwivern, "Nobody. You can count on it."

This is more than just a semifinal game - it's also time for revenge.

If Gwenderyn and co. play at the level they did against Kohnhead, nobody can really stop them.

by **Ranoria** » Sat Aug 07, 2021 4:53 pm

"Be gentle with him, will ya?" John Garrett remarked as Angelo Gordon stepped over the white line to enter the field of play. "I like the kid."

Gordon stopped on a dime and turned, offered a grunt that almost resembled the word "no", and flipped his helmet on before taking the field.

"Well, no one can say I didn't try." Garrett cringed. It was true - he did like the kid. And Gordon had multiple reasons not to. Ya know, Chineze was Richardson grad, Gordon a Cold Hill legend, there was the whole Banijan-Ranorian rivalry that the two nations had going and of course, Chineze's greatest offense - he was a quarterback. To a man like Gordon, that was unforgiveable.

Down Go The Serpent Eagles! Krauts Dismantle Chineze & Crew En Route to Semifinal Showdown With Delaclava

Angelo Gordon Led The Way to a Krauts Victory With 3 Sacks and a Forced Fumble

The air - even in a stadium smaller than Banija or Ranoria were used to - was electric. It isn't to say these two nations hate each other, or that even the teams do. Hell, our top runner, Vice Jackson III exchanged pleasantries with his Banijan counterpart Kuenda Sello and their quarterback Ifeatu Chineze. Khalil Hauptmann met with a few former teammates from Loyola-Istria. But once that first kickoff was in the air, that electricity sparked.

From the get go, Banijan return man Chinweuba Jelan - another familiar face - of course went to make a play, and paid dearly for it. Sean Morgan-Horne, an old Loyola-Istria star at linebacker, came in on the kicking team and folded Jelan just before he reached the thirty yard line, and, star quarterback or not, we knew both of these teams would come out trying to establish the run. With Kuenda Sello and Vice Jackson III in the backfield, it made sense. Batter up an elite defense with your big running back and win the toughness battle, no coach likes hearing anything more than that his team dominates in the trenches.

Unfortunately, Kuenda Sello was introduced to Ross Monarch - the hardest hitting, run stoppingest middle linebacker some say Ranoria's ever seen. And Vice Jackson III? Well, I'm sure you lot remember Isaiah Bryce - and let's be honest, he's an even better player at that linebacker spot than Monarch.

It didn't go any better.

These coaches exchanged punts - with zero first downs and just one completed pass - on three straight drives, each, with both linebackers comically soaking up runs and shutting them down as any real linebacker is wont to do. It was the Serpent Eagles who finally broke the mold, and they did it on a hard play action. The defensive line bit. The linebackers bit - but we can't really blame them, stopping the pass isn't their job - and one man, Cameron Barbarosa, bit in the secondary. Unfortunately, he happened to be guarding a very pissed off Chinweuba Jelan, who happened to be running a vertical.

To safety Kenny Leinden's credit, he tried to cross the field and make up for the lapse in coverage, but Ifeatu Chineze led Jelan to the outside on the throw to give him just a few extra yards of space and hitting him in stride. Leinden never had a chance.

The small but passionate crowd roared their approval - well, half of them, give or take - at the score. The other half grumbled, mentioned a few obscenities about Darnell Sleight, the Krauts' long time CB1, picking the perfect time to tear his ACL, and so on, but the rest of this day would be theirs, because John Garrett had shown up for this one.

There was no play action on Ranoria's part in answer. Just quick-to-medium throws to its talented targets. Between Johnny Farmer and Khalil Hauptmann, it was too much. Farmer's only challenge seemed to come from fellow Richardson grad Isaiah Bryce, and when the backer managed to run with him, well, John Garrett displayed an old, if perhaps ignored, rule of gridiron - there's no defense for a perfect throw.

Ranoria wouldn't take the lead on that first touchdown, with Johnny Farmer coming down with a 14 yarder on an over-the-shoulder corner route and Barry Chlorid missing his obligatory one kick of the game. But that status wouldn't last long.

Chineze managed to drive a decent way down the field, just inside field goal range on that next drive, commanding the offense in a fashion that no first-year starter should be capable. But with a young offensive line in front of him on 3rd and long, with a seething Angelo Gordon on the other side, he never even saw the hit coming.

Gordon leveled Chineze for a six yard loss for the first of what would end up being three sacks for him - and five total for the defense - to force a long field goal. Komani Achaje has one hell of a leg, as shown by the coaching staff's trusting him at 55 yards out, but the ball would sail left and spell the beginning of the end for this team's championship aspirations. With the second quarter winding down, John Garrett nailed his second touchdown pass of the game to take the lead, 13-7, and he'd get the ball back at halftime after Chineze's crew ran out the clock.

The third quarter was when this got out of hand. Ranoria nailed a pair of field goals from 41 and 46 yards out on their first two drives to make it 19-7. The Serpent Eagles got the ball back with desperation beginning to take hold, and unfortunately a must-score drive wasn't meant to be. On second and short, Chineze was brought down by Zach Skinner. That made a third and long, and this time it was Angelo Gordon's turn. We don't want to fault the Banijan offensive line too much - they're playing two guys who are likely hall of famers - but they just couldn't hold up in this one, and Angelo Gordon ripped the ball away from the Serpent Eagles' first year starter. John Garrett capitalized on a short field with a third touchdown pass - 26-7 - on a long drive that would get us a couple minutes into the fourth quarter.

Garrett would fire off one more touchdown - his sixth of these world bowl playoffs and fourth against the Banijan national team, to cap off a statement win in the latest edition of the biggest rivalry in professional gridiron, a matchup that, if we're being honest, didn't quite live up to the hype. Ranoria dominated throughout a contest that many believed to be a 50/50 game on their way to a second semifinal berth in the last three world bowls, and this time, there's no Dagans to stand in our way.

In fairness - the assumption of this one being a toss up isn't wrong. The Krauts came out and had one of their most surgical performances to date while the Serpent Eagles never quite seemed to find their footing. The shoe could have easily been on the other foot - teams as good as these two often don't let mistakes go unpunished, and the Serpent Eagles made more in Upper Fargonia.

Things will get no easier from here on, however. Despite a pair of impressive playoff wins in which the Krauts have outscored their opponents by a combined 63-21, Taurus Wright's Phoenixes are the next man up. Not only did they score 12 points to bring down the preseason favorites in Ko-oren, but they eviscerated Tumbra's Misfits in the first round by a whopping tally of 26-3. That same Misfit squad that we only managed to edge in the superdome, that same Misfit squad that spoiled our perfect group stage in week 10. With the 2nd ranked quarterback in the world bowl - per RSSN's very own Will Jackson - and the best QB in World Bowl 41 per Chromatik media, we can be sure of one thing - Delaclava isn't going to be held to 7 points, and they aren't going to be held to 14.

In just a few days, John Garrett and Taurus Wright are going to take part in a quarterback duel with the chance to become an instant classic regardless of the victory above New New Reykjavík, in a stadium that can hold more fans than any venue in Ranoria can provide - and all this with a championship berth on the line.

by **Saint Kanye** » Sun Aug 08, 2021 9:08 am

"Five! Four! Three! Two! One! And.... GAME! IT'S OVER! The Drawkland Grid Corps are giants in the world of gridiron, both literally and figuratively, but today, they get taken down! The St. Kanye Surge have pulled off the upset, and they're returning to the semifinals!"

The Drawkians have long been known for their potent offense, led by powerful veteran quarterback Dustin Beck, elusive running back Jack Hoy and speedy receiver Preston Sawyer. They boast of a beastly +113 point differential at the end of the group stages, scoring twice as much points than their collective opponents. However, as they met the Kanyeans at the Transgalactic Sports Node #12 in New Clearwater, Buffalostan, for their World Bowl XLII quarterfinals matchup, that offense seemingly went dead all of a sudden. Beck threw three interceptions, one resulting in a St. Kanye touchdown; Hoy recorded a mere 48 yards on 23 carries, including two where he was tackled for a loss; Sawyer dropped five passes, including one that would have resulted in a score before the half. Meanwhile, their opponents had signal caller R.J. Linetti throw for a TD and rush for another; cornerback Aidan O'Connor record a pick six; and linebacker Justin Varley take down Beck for a safety. Final score: Surge 26, Grid Corps 3.

1Q STK Linetti 23 run (Rasputin kick) STK 7-0
On third and 13, the Surge went with four receivers on their play, but all four of them were being protected well. So Linetti decided to run the ball himself, moving the chains in the process, but he wouldn't stop running until he's in the end zone.

2Q STK field goal Rasputin 54 STK 10-0
James Rasputin made it ten to nil in favor of St. Kanye with a long field goal in the second quarter. A couple inches to the right and it would have been a miss, but thankfully for Surge fans, it wasn't.

3Q STK O'Connor 61 interception return STK 17-0
The Grid Corps were held scoreless in the first half, but after a good kickoff that put them near midfield to start the second, it looked as if they would finally get on the scoreboard. Hoy got tackled for a loss on first down, but a twelve-yard pass from Beck to Abram Navis moved the chains. The Drawkian QB decided to target his young wideout again, but it proved to be the wrong call as O'Connor leapt in front of Navis, snatched the ball in midair, and ran it back to make it a three-possession game.

3Q STK Safety, Varley tackled Beck in end zone STK 19-0
Later, penalties and a botched trick play saw the Grid Corps going backward, with Prokopios Vortigern Roijakkers finding nowhere to go and getting stuffed at the one. Beck scanned the field from his own end zone, looking for someone to throw a deep pass to, but before he could throw the ball, Varley would break through the Drawkland O-line and take him down for two points.

4Q DRK field goal Merit 35 STK 19-3
Only a field goal from David Merit prevented the heavily favored Grid Corps from getting shut out.

4Q STK Jeffers 29 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 26-3
Not satisfied with a sixteen-point lead, Linetti increased it to twenty-three after connecting with tight end Hussein Jeffers on an incredible helmet catch.

"What a result," said Surge head coach Jeff Delphine after the game. "We played well, caused the Drawkians not to, then capitalized. We have to do the same and get all units clicking - offense, defense and special teams - in our next game, the semis, and hopefully, the finals after that." Waiting for the Surge in the next round will be group stage foes the Chromatika Iron Legion, who got rid of the Kohnhead Brains 46-23. "It's true were the only team to beat the Legion in this tournament, and twice at that," said Coach Delphine. "But that's back in the group stages. This is the playoffs. Everything is back to zero. Besides, I'm sure they'll be pulling all the stops in order not to get beaten a third time." Both Surge and Iron Legion fans are hyped and looking forward to some good individual matchups: R.J. Linetti versus Sarai Gwenderyn, Bruce Dobler versus Alessandra Mio, Justin Varley versus Mi-Hyeon Park, and even James Rasputin versus Sara McAllister. Asked about his expectations for the game, Kanyean offensive coordinator Dan Shelby said, "I'm not gonna be cocky and say we'll win, and I'm not gonna jinx us and say we'll lose. The only thing certain here is that we'll do our best, and we're gonna have to be prepared because we know our opponents will do the same."

In the other bracket, reigning bronze medalists the Delaclava Phoenixes will face the Ranoria Krauts, the former nosing out defending champs the Ko-oren Dragonflies 12-11, and the latter dominating the Banija Serpent Eagles 33-7. Unfortunately, unlike in the previous edition of the World Bowl, there will be no third place playoff.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MD   | Opponent           | Rank | Uniform       | Score   | Record | Place |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1    | BYE                |      |               |         |        |       |
| 2    | Malandrin          | UR   | Purple/Black  | W 28-10 | 1-0    | 2nd   |
| 3    | @Chromatika        | 18   | White/Purple  | W 22-7  | 2-0    | 1st   |
| 4    | Lisander           | 33   | Purple/Purple | W 22-10 | 3-0    | 1st   |
| 5    | @Allamunnic States | 4    | White/White   | L 9-13  | 3-1    | 1st   |
|      | BREAK              |      |               |         |        |       |
| 6    | BYE                |      |               |         |        |       |
| 7    | @Malandrin         | UR   | White/White   | W 41-26 | 4-1    | 2nd   |
| 8    | Chromatika         | 18   | Purple/Black  | W 8-7   | 5-1    | 1st   |
| 9    | @Lisander          | 33   | White/Purple  | W 23-10 | 6-1    | 1st   |
| 10   | Allamunnic States  | 4    | Purple/Purple | L 16-21 | 6-2    | 1st   |
|      | BREAK              |      |               |         |        |       |
| RO16 | Karditan           | 9    | Purple/Black  | W 20-10 |        |       |
| QF   | Drawkland          | 7    | White/Purple  | W 26-3  |        |       |
| SF   | Chromatika         | 18   | Purple/Purple |         |        |       |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

by **Delaclava** » Sun Aug 08, 2021 1:14 pm

Frank Newman was hoping, perhaps for one last night in this tournament, that he could get to bed early, without any complications. The Phoenixes had taken a relatively easy 26-3 win over Tumbra to reach the quarterfinals for the second straight World Bowl. The team was in good spirits, and were planning to celebrate - in moderation, after the spot of trouble their quarterback had encountered - and there was no reason there needed to be anything else to address tonight.

But no sooner had the last assistant left the locker room, leaving Newman all by himself, that the phone rang, and the absolute last name Newman wanted to see on the little screen appeared: "Kevin Hoyce". Mouthing curses at the ringing phone, Newman opened and answered, "Hello, Kevin."

"Frank," the president of the Delaclava Gridiron Association answered. "Great win tonight. I'm sure you're quite pleased with it."
"Thank you. The team handled the moment well, I'm very confident in them."
"That's great, that's great. Just, one question for you... why the hell was Taurus Wright playing right after getting arrested?"
"Well, first, he wasn't arrested, he was held overnight—"
"Fine, whatever. He was passed out drunk by his car. He probably drove it that way to wherever he was. How the hell do you possibly take him with you to Buffalostan and not tell me that it's happened?"
"Kevin, I understand your point, but it was a citation. It was a bad mistake, but legally I have no more responsibility to fill you in than if he got a speeding ticket."
"This is serious, Frank, and I guess you didn't even talk to him before the plane left for Buffalostan?"
"Well, actually, he missed the plane. He took his own—"
"He what? Is this the message you're sending your team? That if they have enough money, they can just throw it at the problem it goes away?"
"Kevin, with all due respect, you're way off base here. Again, he wasn't arrested. He was free to go after he slept it off. He came here on his own initiative, and I talked to him and impressed upon him the foolishness of his actions. But I was not about to send out any less than our best team and get in the way of what everyone worked for, not just Taurus. Now, you hired me to coach this team, now you've got to trust me to do that."
"Frankly, I don't trust you at this point. Willis is your starter now, and Wright doesn't take a snap until we've looked into this, and we're having a little chat after the rest of you come back. Am I clear?"
Frank paused. "I understand what you're saying."
"Don't get smart with me. Just do it." Hoyce hung up.

The Phoenixes were already slightly on edge in the subsequent practices. The stakes were high enough in a World Bowl quarterfinal, they had to somehow gameplan for all 1093 of top-ranked Ko-oren's defensive schemes. And now, although Coach Newman hadn't said anything related to his conversation with Kevin Hoyce, it was apparent to everyone that Michael Willis was getting a few more first-team reps than usual. Hoyce had said Wright shouldn't be taking any snaps, but that wasn't specific to practices, so Newman was going to keep his QB fresh. All the same, he had to be prepared if the DGA was going to drag their feet on the issue.

After the last practice before the game, Wright and Willis approached Newman. The two young quarterbacks had become friends over the years as friendly rivals, and as backup quarterbacks in the same boat last year following the injury to Trent Goff. Either was willing to see the other play the game against Ko-oren - they just didn't know what to expect.

"Coach, what's going on?" Willis asked.
Newman hesitated. Wright said, "Look, if it's something to do with me, just let us know. We're ready for anything, but... we want to know what we should be ready for."
Newman responded. "Well, Taurus, it shouldn't be a surprise, but the DGA wasn't happy to hear about your situation. I explained my understanding of it, but they want to investigate it themselves."
"But there's nothing to investigate!" Willis insisted.
"I just think they don't appreciate being left out of the loop. You kids might not remember, but a few years back the soccer coach Tim Landers got fired because he had a big problem on his team, made some personnel decisions that were the right decisions, but he didn't ask the DFA first. It's just like that, really. They want to show they're in charge, not me."
"Are you in trouble?" Wright asked with concern.
Newman laughed. "No, I'll be fine, don't worry yourself about that. Anyway, Taurus, my intent is to start you against Ko-oren, because that's what we've done the whole way." He turned to Michael. "I hope you're okay with that. You know I believe you can get the job done too, and I'm going to need you to be ready if this doesn't go the way we planned."
"Always ready, coach," Michael Willis replied emphatically.
Newman nodded. "Alright then, boys, let's go win a football game."

Gameday came, and Newman and the team didn't have an answer. As they pulled up to the mudhuts of Paleo-Appalachia, everyone got dressed, and it was a bizarre scene, with Wright warming up with slightly less conviction, Willis getting ready with a bit more intention. Newman didn't think he'd be getting a call an hour before gametime, and he still didn't know exactly how to proceed.

The good news: the phone rang; as the players looked over expectantly, Newman's face indicated that the head honcho was calling. The bad news: "Frank, we finished up our investigation. We're suspending Taurus for the tournament. Wish Michael best of luck." That was the end of the call.

Newman sighed, put his head in his hand, and then looked at Michael, who understood implicitly. The rest of the room was shocked, Wright was crestfallen, and Willis all of a sudden was pale and flushed.

The ever-vigilant captain, wide receiver Kevin Alés, immediately saw that the young Willis wasn't ready for his debut start. Not here, not now, not against the toughest defense in the world. He firmly put his foot down. "No, Taurus, you're starting. We're not doing anything different. Let's go get ready to play." He took his own phone out of his bag. "I'll see you out on the field, guys. Just gotta make a call first."

"Who—" Frank quizzically asked.

"Don't worry, coach. I got this."

Frank understood that the captain was about to make a call to the third-most powerful man in Delaclava, the Governor-General. He smiled and said, "Alright, you heard him, let's get out there!"

Ko-oren's reputation was well-earned. The talent, the creativity, the versatility, the calculated aggression - it was all killing the Phoenixes, who had never seen this - as they had never played Ko-oren - or, frankly, anything remotely like this. Their only saving grace at first was that Ko-oren's offense didn't have much more to offer. The Phoenixes had shut down potent, diverse threats like Ifeatu Chineze, Isaka Jawara, Sam Rosen, and Brian Scanlon just recently. And Rem Plasman was good, but he was no generational talent, and it was no secret that Ko-oren usually wasn't winning games because of him.

But soon it was a matter of, Plasman and Spencer Galway were able to pick up a few more yards than Wright and Dexter George, Dhaungekun Tadhinthen had a slightly better punt than Seamus Shore, and the Phoenixes found themselves back on their four-yard line. The defense took care of the rest; two players later, George took a handoff and leaned to the right, he had nowhere to go and was swallowed up by the end Llawglhwn yDaddmhwr. The Ko-orenite celebration was unnerving, like they knew they were going to do what they just did, and that they could do it again if they wanted.

The Dragonflies had the short field position, almost assuring they would score. But the Phoenixes had virtually already cracked the code to Plasman. Contain, make him make a play, and take away all of his options in the air and on the ground. Plasman had all the time in the world and nothing to do with it. The drive stalled on the 11-yard-line, and Boaventura Camba jogged in to knock through the field goal. 5-0 Ko-oren (a football score, really?)

Fine, the Phoenixes thought. That was their quarter - we've got the next three. Ko-oren had options - so did they. Simple runs with George and the longer, more elegant David Conley, option runs with Wright and the wide receivers, all sorts of routes to the wideouts and tight ends - a statistician would have salivated at all of the play-calling permutations between the two sides. The Phoenixes made nothing predictable, they picked up three and four and five yards and kept marching down the field. Even when their luck ran out, they were close enough for Kieran Conley. 5-3. It was an ugly, dirty, tactical game, but it was a game.

The two legendary programs, multiple champions meeting for the first time, continued to battle it out in a similar fashion through the third quarter; 5-3 became 8-3 became 8-6 became 11-6. A shootout by Ko-orenite standards, a dirge by Delaclav measures. The Phoenixes were hanging in there, but they needed something more than trading field goals, they needed something big. They finally got it with six minutes to play. Tate Parker knew they hadn't blitzed Plasman all that heavily; now seemed like a great time to start. He hurtled through the line, Plasman panicked and threw a pass that fell into the hands of linebacker Luke Kennedy. The Phoenixes got the ball at their own 43, the best field position they would get all day. It had to be now.

Wright got to work again. Three yards rolling out to his right. Two yards up the middle from Finney. A six-yard slant to Robbie Hahn. Two yards from George. An incomplete pass to Andre Michel. A complete pass back to Michel, who just barely got the eight yards he needed.

First and 10 at the Ko-oren 37. Wright called a run look, but had an idea. He'd stack Alés and Charlie Coffin on the same side. Coffin was the least-used wideout on the team, but he was a smart route runner and great hands, and he'd gotten the clinching touchdown against Banija and the last score against Tumbra. Yet as they broke the huddle, Wright thought, Surely they'll pick him up, right?

Alex McFadden snapped the ball. Wright faked a handoff to George and dropped off to the side. Alés was well marked up the sideline by Camille Dutertre. Coffin was posting towards the middle and... open? Was it a mistake? What the hell, Taurus thought, slinging the ball up, and Lucas Wheelwright realized too late how the play was developing as Coffin caught the ball in stride and ran into the end zone untouched.

The offense came in and mobbed the lanky, dark-haired receiver, the unlikely hero, but the veterans reminded the unit that they still had a job to do. It was 12-11. The Phoenixes needed two here. The Ko-orenites regrouped. Wright looked for the short pass, he had no options. He tried for Michel. Clinton Dwyer knocked it down. Still a one-point game.

The Ko-oren defense had defined football of the past five years. Now Delaclava's defense was on the verge of defining this game.

Conley kicked a touchback, and it was first down at the 25. First down was a four-run yard up the middle by Jonas Wilson, brute yet effective. Second down, Galway tried to find room on the right. The defensive captain Seth Ružička met him and brought him down after three yards. Third and four, and Plasman dropped back, looking out to his right as Grady Hart came from his left and lit him up within seconds.

Fourth and 8. Was this the game? It wasn't just about the first down - the Dragonflies had too much field to gain and not enough time. The pocket passer Stanley Parkes came in, looking for something massive. He had Jochem Schoolhendrik isolated against the kid, Tecumseh Mallard. This was their last and best chance. Parkes called the snap, dropped back, and fired downfield. Schoolhendrik and Mallard were full gas down the field, and the ball was a bit short. Mallard spotted it first and doubled back. He knew he'd never catch an interception this deep under normal circumstances, but there was a clock to run out. Mallard turned and caught the pass, before jogging towards the middle of the field, evading the Ko-oren offense as long as he could before downing himself and then jumping up to celebrate with his team.

Stij Batterink and his charges were stunned. There were no answers left; all that remained was the victory formation. And so, after three kneels - still cautious and nerve-wracking, as you never knew what witchcraft this defense could wield - the Delaclava Phoenixes had done what no team managed to do since the middle of the World Bowl XLI group stage: defeat the mighty Ko-oren Dragonflies.

And in all of the excitement, the post-game tears and jubilation, Frank Newman very nearly missed an important voicemail, which he only caught much, much later. It was quite a gruff message from Kevin Hoyce: "Hey, Frank. Just got a call from the Governor-General. So, it looks like... this is your team. Do whatever you want with it."

Newman almost laughed at it. He didn't need to be told by anybody that Taurus Wright was his quarterback, but he appreciated the endorsement nonetheless. And now, Delaclava was back in a World Bowl semifinal, and they would take on another first-time opponent, the impressive yet unfortunate Ranoria Krauts, and John Garrett and Taurus Wright were set to have a quarterback duel that pundits had been craving long before this matchup was a probability. The Phoenixes sought to prove they weren't just old news; the Krauts sought to prove they were news at all.

But the Phoenixes were ready to win. They were talented, mentally durable, withstood all, and now every member of the team had the full blessing to play - from their federal government, no less. All that remained was on the field.

Delaclava    0 - 3 - 3 - 6 -- 12
Ko-oren      5 - 0 - 3 - 3 -- 11

1st Quarter
KOR, Dexter George tackled by Llawglhwn yDaddmhwr for 2 yard loss, safety, 5:03.
KOR, Boaventura Camba 28 yard FG, 2:34.
2nd Quarter
DEL, Kieran Conley 39 yard FG, 7:38.
3rd Quarter
KOR, Camba 43 yard FG, 11:20.
DEL, Conley 30 yard FG, 5:28.
4th Quarter
KOR, Camba 33 yard FG, 14:45.
DEL, Taurus Wright 37 yard pass to Charlie Coffin (pass failed), 3:29.

by **Buffalostan** » Sun Aug 08, 2021 5:03 pm

RP cutoff for the semifinals.

Delaclava 16–23 Ranoria
Chromatika 10–20 Saint Kanye

by **Saint Kanye** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 1:51 am

They've survived the grueling group stages. Rolled through Karditan in the Round of Sixteen. Quashed Drawkland in the quarterfinals. The St. Kanye Surge had their eyes set on the World Bowl XLII title match, but before they could get there, they would have to stop the Chromatika Iron Legion in the semifinals.

Before their meeting with the Surge at the Veterans Field in Methopotamia, Buffalostan, the Iron Legion vowed that they will not lose to the same team thrice in a single tournament. Their previous two meetings back in the group stages ended 22-7 and 8-7, both in St. Kanye's favor. Chromatika did their homework, watching tape of those two games in order to scout their opponents. They were ready. Problem was, so were the Yeezies, who debunked the saying that "third time's the charm" and advanced to the finals with a 20-10 win.

Despite the Chromatiks failing to keep their word, Surge head coach Jeff Delphine had nothing but praise for them. "I appreciate the Legion's tenacity. They get knocked down, but they get up again. It's a good thing we manage to get a step or two ahead, because otherwise, we ain't ever going to keep them down."

1Q CMT Fowler ?? run (McAllister kick) CMT 7-0
Much like the first meeting between the two squads, it was Chromatika who would draw first blood. Running back Kimberly Fowler evaded the Surge defense and took the ball to the house.

1Q STK Jeffers 20 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) Tie 7-7
However, that lead didn't last long. Taylor Johns was able to return the ensuing kickoff all the way to the Iron Legion's 32, Noah Sherman had two consecutive six-yard runs, and R.J. Linetti found tight end Hussein Jeffers for the game-tying TD.

2Q STK field goal 31 Rasputin STK 10-7
The Chromatiks got called for pass interference, giving their opponents a huge chunk of yardage, but they made up for it by limiting the Kanyeans to three points rather than seven.

3Q STK Sherman 52 run (Rasputin kick) STK 17-7
Faced with third and 18 in the third quarter, Linetti dropped back, as if to launch a deep pass. However, it was a fake, and he handed the ball over to Sherman, who juked out Cara Setri, dodged several other defenders, and made a beeline for the end zone.

4Q CMT field goal McAllister ?? STK 17-10
Sara McAllister gave the Legion hope in the fourth, cutting the lead back to a single score with her first successful field goal of the day (her attempt to tie the game late in the second period was blocked).

4Q STK field goal 27 Rasputin STK 20-10
The Legion tried several times to equalize and potentially force overtime, but to no avail. A turnover on downs gave the Surge the ball back with a minute and change remaining; they advanced down the field, and despite being iced, James Rasputin would still manage to add three to his team's tally.

As the final whistle sounded, the sea of purple and lime-clad Surge supporters in the stadium went wild. Two seasons ago, their team had gone one and done in the playoffs; last season, they made the semis only to lose. This time, they were able to surpass that once more. The Surge players high fived and fist bumped each other, later going over to where the Iron Legion were to give them hugs and handshakes. "Until next time," Coach Delphine told his Chromatik counterpart Eustace Hampton Jr. "I hope our teams both continue to give their best if, or when, they ever meet in future World Bowls."

So who's waiting on the other side for the Kanyeans as they prepare to face their greatest challenge yet? That would be none other than the Ranoria Krauts, who outlasted the Delaclava Phoenixes 23-16. The Ranorians are big names in international gridiron, ranked third in the world, with plenty of success at the college (NSCF) level and generally doing well during World Bowl group stages (including seven straight wins to start the current edition). However, like the Surge, the Krauts have yet to earn a single title. "They're fearsome, yes," Linetti said of their red-clad opponents. "However, the thing about fears is that they're made to be conquered. We need to be brave, keep our focus, remember that they're only human, they make mistakes. And like what we did against Drawkland, we must force them to do so."

Key Kraut players to look out for include genius quarterback John Garrett, more popularly known as "Farmboy"; do-it-all tight end Johnny Farmer; powerful defensive end Angelo Gordon; and hard-hitting linebacker Ross Monarch. The game will take place at the Bread & Roses Bowl in the People's Socialist Republic of Northern California, which coincidentally has the same number of seats (69,420) as the home of the Surge, Pencurve Electronics Field.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MD    | Opponent           | Rank | Uniform       | Score   | Record | Place |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1     | BYE                |      |               |         |        |       |
| 2     | Malandrin          | UR   | Purple/Black  | W 28-10 | 1-0    | 2nd   |
| 3     | @Chromatika        | 18   | White/Purple  | W 22-7  | 2-0    | 1st   |
| 4     | Lisander           | 33   | Purple/Purple | W 22-10 | 3-0    | 1st   |
| 5     | @Allamunnic States | 4    | White/White   | L 9-13  | 3-1    | 1st   |
|       | BREAK              |      |               |         |        |       |
| 6     | BYE                |      |               |         |        |       |
| 7     | @Malandrin         | UR   | White/White   | W 41-26 | 4-1    | 2nd   |
| 8     | Chromatika         | 18   | Purple/Black  | W 8-7   | 5-1    | 1st   |
| 9     | @Lisander          | 33   | White/Purple  | W 23-10 | 6-1    | 1st   |
| 10    | Allamunnic States  | 4    | Purple/Purple | L 16-21 | 6-2    | 1st   |
|       | BREAK              |      |               |         |        |       |
| RO16  | Karditan           | 9    | Purple/Black  | W 20-10 |        |       |
| QF    | Drawkland          | 7    | White/Purple  | W 26-3  |        |       |
| SF    | Chromatika         | 18   | Purple/Purple | W 20-10 |        |       |
| Final | Ranoria            | 3    | White/Purple  |         |        |       |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

by **Ranoria** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 1:15 pm

Krauts Unravel Delaclava's Championship Aspirations,
Eyes Set on Title Fight With St. Kanye's Surge

Cameron Barbarosa was picked on all night, but had the last laugh with a game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter

By the time we reached the playoffs, the Krauts had already slogged through any pretenders. Regardless, our matchups with Banija and the Allamunic States were dominant showings, worthy of a team who's eyes have been set on the gold throughout this tournament... but anyone who thought it'd be more of the same against Delaclava was sorely mistaken.

Honestly, both of these teams were unfortunate with how the bracket shaped out. Between the four semifinalists, there's a strong argument that Delaclava and Ranoria were the toughest matchups, and when two heavyweights like these teams lock horns, there's always going to be some fireworks.

The man with two RFL titles will become the first Ranorian quarterback to take his team to a World Bowl Championship. And really, he owes a good steak dinner to a Kraut defense that sacked Taurus Wright - arguably the best quarterback in the world - five times.

"Our defense was incredible," insisted John Garrett after the game, "I think the consensus is that we're an offensive team, but Angelo [Gordon], Zack [Skinner], and Ross [Monarch] absolutely took this thing over, especially in the fourth quarter."

That they did. Taurus Wright's athleticism was a boon for the Phoenix passing attack early, helping him to lead his team to an early 10-0 lead after Cameron Barbarosa literally fell over after a quick route by wideout Mateus Eldridge. Uncovered or not, the red zone touchdown was an impressive and quick read by Taurus Wright, who only had a split second opportunity to get the ball out.

With the split crowd largely beginning to think this thing was going to be a blowout, Ranoria started to dig into the playbook a bit. Garrett motioned to get Vice Jackson III off the field, and lo and behold, something they hadn't run all tournament took place - Ranoria had 4 receivers on the turf, with Johnny Farmer for good measure. It was risky no doubt, but midway through the second quarter, it was perhaps necessary. Mario Terrin, the team's fourth receiver, is no slouch and has a ton of experience at a national team starter...but Garrett's the engine here.

With complete control to read the defense that's too stretched to conceal itself effectively and call every single facet of the play at the line, well, all you need is a good arm to finish things off, and it isn't a stretch to say that John Garrett is the most accurate passer in this competition. Guys like Wright or Drawkland's Dustin Beck very well may be more effective overall with their elite running ability, but this kind of thing is Garrett's wheelhouse.

That first drive ended with a Johnny Farmer touchdown to close the gap 7-10. A quick three and out got them the ball back, and Farmboy did the exact same thing. He'd go 5/6 on the following drive, but the Krauts would settle for a field goal with time close to expiring.

Now some may have expected the Phoenixes to take a knee and get out of the half. Score tied, call it a new ballgame. But with Taurus Wright under center, no coach was going to take away an opportunity for him to go make a play. Barry Chlorid kicked the ball out of the end zone for a touchback, and with one timeout and nineteen seconds on the clock, the All-World quarterback got to work.

Quick out route - again - to Mateus Eldridge. Six yard pickup, four seconds off the clock. Barbarosa was a ballhawk though, and they burnt their timeout on the next play to go with a slant, once again picking on the Krauts' top corner. Seven yard pickup, five seconds off the clock, timeout. Wright dropped back once more, and hit Eldridge for a third straight quick completion, this time for eight yards on a fade that let him get out of bounds...and wound the game clock to just two seconds. It was an impressive little streak, and a testament to Wright's faith in his receiver. With no time to make reads, he was essentially dropping back and immedietely pulling the trigger.

Now that might seem like a lot of hullabaloo for nothing, but realize that throwing a touchdown from the 25 yard line is one hell of an ask even for the greatest guys to ever do it. But picking up 21 yards so quickly, that gave them a shot, a real one, at actually making this miracle play happen. What could take it away was Angelo Gordon barreling through left tackle Cody Dean. Wright never saw the hit coming, but somehow managed to stay up, catching himself on the ground with his left hand and stumbling away from the pass rusher, and by then his instincts had kicked in, and he was gone. All that composure of the previous three plays was gone.

Zach Skinner would have caught him, but the defensive end had gone for a spin move after being beaten on his contain rush just a split second earlier. Ross Monarch would've tracked him down, but at age 31 he had lost just a half a step. And we won't get into the secondary, they're worthless. Barbarosa didn't even try. Kenny Leinden looked like he missed his mark by six yards when Wright juked him, and by then it was over. No one was going to catch Taurus Wright in a straight line run, and damn if he didn't know it, spiking the ball in the end zone to take the lead back, 16-10 in dramatic fashion.

Now unfortunately, Kieran Conley just barely missed the PAT - frankly we can't fault him, one would assume that being in a floating platform well above the city of New New Reykjavík, the wind can be inconsistent and suddenly change. It was his first miss on that front all season, but after a play like that, it did little so sap momentum away from the Phoenixes.

With the ball in the second half, coming off that sort of high, one would think that a second touchdown was simply destiny for the Phoenixes, but it wasn't so. Ranoria was fielding one of the best pass rushers in the world, a player who had first burst onto the international scene with a dominant run in the playoffs to help his team to an NSCF semifinal. With three sacks last week, he was well on his way there already, and he kept up the trend here. After a nice run play to set up second and one, Delaclava went with a hard play action - one Angelo Gordon never bit on.

This time, Wright had learned, and slid away from Gordon when he saw him coming straight towards him. A good decision, but as he brought his arm back to throw, the defensive end brought his own forearm up and clubbed the ball out. Wright managed to fall on Gordon before he could get up and take it back, but the damage was done, and a short drive later, Barry Chlorid put up a field goal.

Next drive, two consecutive sacks that combined, knocked Wright & crew out of field goal range. John Garrett carved up the defense in one of his better drives of the day, ending it with an over-the-shoulder throw to Khalil Hauptmann in the back of the end zone to take the first Kraut lead of the day at 20-16.

Wright, unfortunately, just couldn't quite find his rhythm after that. He made his plays, sure, that was never in question, but they were checked by negatives. Skinner and Gordon hitting him as he threw, Ross Monarch bringing down Dexter George or Mark Mayfield down behind the line of scrimmage, and even a batted pass by Kevin Gerhart.

Late in the fourth, after Barry Chlorid notched a fourth field goal (and finished 6/6 on kicks, the second perfect game of the tournament for the best kicker in Ranoria) , Cameron Barbarosa finally got revenge for the way he'd been abused all game long. Wright had driven his team down inside the fifteen with a chance to tie it, and Barbarosa knew he'd be looking to score.

A quick corner fade, and the not-so-savvy veteran high pointed the ball for an interception that put this game on ice. We're not sure if it makes up for the previous allowance of 7 catches,134 yards and a touchdown on seven targets, but no one watching the game was thinking about that now. No, their eyes were set on St. Kanye's Surge, one last mountain we had to climb to stand on the summit of gridiron football.

Angelo Gordon had a bit to say about that after the game himself, "Their quarterback was saying something, fears are made to be conquered, along those lines?" The pass rusher, coated in sweat after a 2 sack performance, shook his hair out, "Kid's gonna be seeing ghosts by the time Skinner and I are done with him."

And on that note - we've got one more game to watch, one more game to root for our Ranorian Krauts as John Garrett looks to lead them to football immortality! We'll see you all in the People's Socialist Republic of Northern California
at the Bread & Roses Bowl!

by **Banija** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 3:33 pm

@VallienteWagnerYoung Rooting for my country tonight in the World Bowl XLII Championship Game! Watching from Herzegovina City, gotta see the Krauts win the title! #KrautNation #BanijaToRanoria

@AlastairJobs I don't understand these twii.tur things or whatever, but I can't like Ranoria. It's ingrained in me not to like them. So I'm backing the Surge tonight. #SurgeForward #StKanyeForGold

@AllBanijaSportsMagazine With a Ranoria v. St> Kanye matchup, the World Bowl XLII Final is expected to get excellent TV ratings in Banija. But Ranoria is the draw in country- will they root for the Krauts, or root against the Krauts, and end up rooting for St. Kanye? Question of the day #SurgeForward #GehenKrauts

@BusukumaPost As Ranoria competes for their first ever World Bowl trophy, the late Derek McNair is remembered. Can they win one for their late signal caller?

@BanijaForeignMinistry It's an all-AO affair at World Bowl XLII, as even a reduced AO, with St. Kanye, Delaclava, and Ranoria, still rules the roost in gridiron. Which team are you rooting for? #SurgeForward #GoKrautsGo

by **Sarzonia** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 3:58 pm

It wasn't the place where Gavin Davis wanted to be.

He was perched in front of his television on the couch in his living room listening to the announcers on the pregame show discussing the matchup between St. Kanye and Ranoria in the World Bowl Final. He remembered the early teens editions of the World Bowl when he was under centre for Sarzonia. The first World Bowl final he appeared in as a player, the 20-10 defeat to Bluth Corporation that still gave him nightmares. His bravado on the final play of World Bowl XI between the Stars and archrival Delaclava, one where he waved off Adam Novak's would-be tying field goal and threw a walkoff touchdown pass to Clark Hennessey for Sarzonia's first gridball title, one that would mark the first time a team finished undefeated by knocking off a fellow unbeaten team in the final.

Then there was the World Bowl final at Joe Gibbs Stadium against Bluth Corporation where he could only crouch on the sidelines, helpless, as Novak lined up a field goal with the Stars trailing by two points with seconds left. There was the field goal Novak hit with ease despite its distance, then the call that would remain etched in every Sarzonian gridball fan's brain for all of time: "IT'S GOOD! IT'S GOOD! IT'S GOOD!" There was the rushing onto the pitch, there was the jubilation of the navy-clad Stars supporters who got to watch their team become the first to avenge a World Bowl finals defeat. They got to watch their team become the first to ever win a World Bowl final at home. They became the second team to win multiple World Bowl titles. The Stars would return to Catherina for another final in World Bowl XV, but they fell short to their neighbours and archrivals Delaclava.

Now? Davis was attempting to lead the Stars back to the promised land. He had never been a head coach at any level before now, but his decisiveness made a mark that even the Incorporated Gridball Federation had to respect. With a full offseason, Davis could then discuss with his technical director his ideas for building the team. He wanted a strong armed quarterback, but also one with greater height than Sam Rosen. He loved Rosen's mobility and his experience. He loved Rosen's competitiveness. He didn't love his insubordination that led him to sit for the Banija and Buffalostan matches. Rosen very well might be back as the starter, but Davis wanted to make him earn his spot under centre.

All of that was window dressing as a couple of coaches were now milling about in the kitchen gathering snacks and adult beverages. Even some of the players were there, with the absence of Rosen, but Rosen was undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery and would begin rehab. He was fully expected to be ready for the start of training camp for World Bowl XLIV. But that was a topic for another day. Right now, the talk was which team the Stars would root for among their region mates in the final.

The consensus was clear. St. Kanye, even though their indoor gridball team defeated Sarzonia's in the semifinals of Arena Bowl VI. The Surge strutted into the semifinals scarcely breaking a sweat, having won all their matches beforehand by wide margins. In fact, their quarterfinals tilt against The Andromeda Archipelago, which St. Kanye won 41-24 was the closest match they had in the entire tournament until they faced the Stars. The Surge prevailed against Sarzonia by four points, by far the lowest margin of victory and also the fewest points the Yeezies would put up. Sarzonia had a chance with an onside kick at the end, but Chad Embry's team couldn't pull off the upset.

No one in the room wanted anything to do with a Krauts victory, even if doing so would honour late quarterback Derek McNair. The Stars wanted Delaclava to defeat Ranoria, but the Krauts edged out the Phoenixes by a touchdown. St. Kanye knocked out the Chromatiks 20-10 to reach the final themselves.

Without a third place playoff, no one will know which team would have been third placed and which would have to settle for pewter, but this final had all the theatre anyone could want.

As the stadium band began to play the first national anthem, the guests at Davis's house started gathering around the tele.

by **Buffalostan** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 5:05 pm

And the winner is...

Thank you everyone for participating in an enjoyable and well-RPed tournament.

by **Ranoria** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:20 pm

41-24 Thrashing of St. Kanye Leaves No Room For Doubters:
Ranoria's Krauts Are the Kings of Gridiron Football

John Garrett - who tossed 4 scores and cleared 400 yards - going wild after tossing his final touchdown of the night

"The work is done men! The work is done!" John Garrett would shout just before leading his team onto the pitch, "No more! We've paid our dues, we've pushed ourselves as far as we can go, the next sixty minutes on that clock," he pointed up towards the scoreboard, "are just a formality! What happens on this field is a result of everything we've put in! This is where we make it permanent! Champions on three!"

"One, Two Three!"

"Champions!"

That one, without a doubt, will go on Farmboy's highlight reel when he's being inducted into the hall of fame. Because by god was he right. All season long, we've noted that this team has come out looking as motivated as possible, playing with ambition and fire in their eyes, and it all came out on this night. From the opening snap, they were the better team. This wasn't about winning. This was about dominating, leaving no room for analysts and sceptics to point out individual plays or holding penalties as things that could've tipped the game the other way. That opening snap went to Vice Jackson III.

Long time veteran tackle Tyler Williams and Johnny Farmer easily won their edge blocks to give the 238 pounder a lane to the outside, and with all that momentum, no one was going to bring him down. Jackson stiff armed linebacker Jasper Heath into the dirt and shrugged off Oliver Law's inspired but fruitless effort on his way to a 75 yard touchdown to get things rolling.

With such a dominant play to open things up, a hungry Ranorian team smelled blood, and the Surge never quite seemed to mentally recover. They'd manage a field goal in answer on their own opening drive, but that was the closest this game got after Jackson's opening score. They were held without another score in the first half - courtesy of a 3 total sacks and an interception. John Garrett meanwhile, after one punt, passed for a touchdown on three straight drives to run away with this one before it got a chance to get started.

It was a truly legendary performance for our passer, who totaled 421 yards and a nice 4 touchdown passes en route to scoring the 3rd most points ever in a World Bowl Championship. After that second pass, a dime to Johnny Farmer, who'd end the night with seven receptions for 113 yards and two of those scores, Garrett's excitement spilled through very visibly when the passer yelled up into the sky, and he was seen embracing Farmer near the end of the fourth quarter once the end was in sight. For Farmer, it's his first ever professional title, as he's only even gotten to one RFL championship, and it secured the first international title for both he and his quarterback, as neither were ever able to reach an NSCF championship.

Johnny Farmer and John Garrett embracing after the win, earning the duo's first international title and Farmer's first professional championship

To their credit, the Surge did manage to make this one look a little better in the second half, scoring three touchdowns in the second stage, but they never really made it close. With constant pressure from Ranoria's edge rushers and the occasional blitzing of Sean Morgan-Horne, Surge signal caller R.J. Linetti looked paranoid by the end of this one, becoming skittish enough that he twice threw the ball away when there was no apparent pressure. He'd also toss a second interception late when Angelo Gordon came off the edge barely touched, forcing the passer to speed up his internal clock to avoid handing Gordon a third sack on the night.

"Fears are made to be conquered," Gordon snorted at a postgame interview in response to a quote from Linetti before the game, "Great quote, love the confidence," the pass rusher shot the camera a smirk, "But I'm a quarterback's worst nightmare, and no [censored] quarterback will ever conquer me."

Indeed, Gordon, who dominated in the playoff rounds with 8 sacks and a forced fumble, has again cemented his position as one of the best pass rushers in the world, and no one with any brains has enough spine to argue that latter point with him.

Unfortunately the victory was bittersweet for some. 40 year old left tackle Tanner Steele, who started on the blindside for every Ranorian World Bowl until Tyler Williams assumed the starting role this season, has announced that he will be retiring. Along with him will go fellow long time OL starters in center Tyler Friedman and RT Trent Sedimite, both of whom took a backseat to younger players this season in their age 36 and 37 seasons, respectively. The team's steady if unspectacular slot corner, Donnie Mandarin, has also announced that this title run would be his final game, and he ended on a good note, with a second half interception for his team.

Every one of these players will go down in Ranorian history for bringing the nation its first professional title on the international stage, and will be missed in the locker room two years from now when the next Krauts take the field to defend our title. But for now, Ranoria sits atop the throne of the gridiron world, and after winning our round of 16, quarterfinal, and championship bouts by 16+ points, there will be no doubters until proven otherwise.

Except for those gosh-darned meddling Misfits. Who the hell do they think they are, ruining our perfect campaign? The absolute nerve of kids these days!

World Bowl 42 [rosters/RPs/results]

NSFB: A Soul For A Soul III: Grid Corp Finish Us Off

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