Our 26-13 victory over the Surge in Kardashia was certainly a shock to the hosts and everyone knew that both Jeff Delphine and R.J. Linetti would be absolutely gunning for any momentum they could get on route to the playoffs - even if that meant stopping history in its tracks. Couple that with the fact this game was at the Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington's hotbed for sporting chaos, and you've got all the ingredients for THE most important game in the history of the GFA-TJUN-ia and it isn't even close. The theme for this evening would be "NSSCRA Night", the sport both nations love with a passion and are passionate about, in order for the fans to also throw everything they got into this contest. Also fitting the theme was the attendance of both Jaguar Racing (including Lam Chow-Cheung and Gongming Gao, two guys whose current status is unknown at the moment) and Glorious Free Republic Motorsports in TJUN-ian Blue and Orange - a result of the "Bet War" going to 1-1 after Week 5.
So kickoff was very much as electric as a TJUN 600 can be and from there, the battle would begin. Both defences can into this one with a point to prove and the battle between Mohammad Al-Khalifa and Kevin Macintyre would certainly define the contest to come. The 1st Quarter would be decided by the opening drives, with Chi On-Ma hitting a FG before Linetti found Patrick Moore not that long later to make the game 7-3 Surge after the PAT from James Rasputin. The 2nd would see tighter play but a TJUN lead, as Griffin found Jack Davidson for the 25-yard score he just about held onto. but Chi's missed PAT meant that the Jags would enter the tunnel up 9-7, with the game certainly on a knife-edge.
Our friends in GFR switched into Yeezie Purple and Lime for the 2nd half in order to try and push their Surge on and that certainly contributed to another defensive quarter of football, only broken by a Chi FG that saw the game enter its final act with the Jags up 12-7. Many thought the game was over when Vinny Mac terrorised the Surge once more with a 48-yard score, but the drama is always found in the places you expect it to be. The job wasn't over yet. Chi missed his PAT but was hit by Mason Schwartz and so the resulting penalty meant we wouldn't miss his chance and the Jags would be up 19-7. But the Surge wouldn't be over and out just yet and a smart run by Linetti and PAT by Rasputin meant this was a 1-possession game with 4 minutes to play. Griffin struggled to do much, but his defence came clutch in the end - with some big plays and pressures from guys such as Andrew Dallapaz and Graham Polison causing fatal issues for the Surge in the end. The game ended on an incomplete pass, the clock striking zero just before the ball hit the ground and the field-storm that would follow was arguably better than any Kick 6 or Punt 6 would ever do. This bares remembering for all time: TJUN-ia entered this World Bowl #13, stuck in a group with two Top 5 teams and was looking to just ride it out and try and compete for the top spot if that was even possible. But now? These #13 Jaguars had gone 2-0 over Banija, 2-0 over Saint Kanye and 2-0 over everyone else in the group. Not only was this team heading to the playoffs, not only was this team the group winners and heading into the Quarterfinals in Delaclava automatically, but this team..was something more. It was a word many in this stadium and across TJUN-ia could finally say without regret.
Undefeated. TJUN-ia had completed an undefeated group stage, 10-0 in the books, and no one in this Universe numbered 3 can take that away from any of us...it is forever set in stone, the greatest Group Stage in our history and maybe even of all time across all of TJUN-ian sport. This certainly wasn't a fluke...and it felt good to celebrate as such.
TJUN-ia will enter Delaclava as the #2 seeds, our highest ever seeding in WB history, and that number will certainly be a weight upon our shoulders. The RO12 saw upsets galore, with Banija (in OT) and Abanhfleft and even Ko-oren failing to advance and after some movement due to the anti-rematch clause, our Quarterfinal will end up being the most fitting of them all. At Pediomachis in Athens, our gladiators shall face the Grid Corp of #12 Drawkland - the very same Drawkland that knocked us out 2 years ago and the last team to beat us in this competition. They may be the lowest seeds at 5-5 in their group, but Quentin Averfel's side knocked off #6 Abanhfleft by 25 and will most certainly be taken seriously. The first test of our status comes against the last ones to beat us, the last team to outperform us in a huge way. How this game goes will most certainly tell a lot of tales...and may tell how far we have come as a Gridiron nation. Jaguars, to arms! GO JAGS!
SCHEDULE (Group C)
MD1: @United States of Great America (UR) W 16-0 (2nd)
MD2: vs New Gesem (31) - The Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 27-9 (1st)
MD3: @Caleonia (UR) W 27-7 (1st)
MD4: vs Banija (4) - The Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 51-29 (1st)
--------------------------Break--------------------------
MD5: @Saint Kanye (5) - Pencurve Electronics Field, Kardashia W 26-13 (1st/5-0/+89PD)
MD6: vs United States of Great America (UR) - The Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 27-3 (1st)
--------------------------Break--------------------------
MD7: @New Gesem (31) W 29-3 (1st)
MD8: vs Caleonia (UR) - The Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 24-7 (1st)
MD9: @Banija (4) - Istria Olympic Stadium, Istria, Moravica W 30-16 (1st)
MD10: vs Saint Kanye (5) - The Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 19-14 (1st/10-0/+175/#2)
------------------------Playoffs (all games in Delaclava)---------------------------------
QF: vs Drawkland (3/#12/5-5 in Group A) - Pediomachis, Athens