World Bowl 45 Everything Thread

by **Cassadaigua** » Tue Sep 20, 2022 3:22 pm

Split gives Fillies #10 seed,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

After falling to Ko-oren by the score of 26-14, the Fillies overcame a resilient squad from StrayaRoos to split their final two games of the World Bowl group stage. This results in a 6-4 record, and since the team had the tiebreaker on Ranoria due to head to head point differential, Cassadaigua finished second in the group, earning the #10 seed overall. That sets up a date with Gyatso-Kai, and that will be played in Pria, Chromatika. You can find that in the Coastal District. Advancing to the playoffs as an unranked side is a pretty decent accomplishment, even as often as we want to say that ranks are just a number. “This team worked hard to get to the playoffs,” coach Jennifer Cole said after the StrayaRoos victory, “there were highs and lows, some games you praise the offense and others you praise the defense, but that’s going to happen sometimes. We had enough games where we put it all together on both sides of the ball. Now, in the playoffs, anything can happen.” Quarterback Brittany Carrington told me that, “It would have been a big let down to not get to Chromatika. I can’t wait to get there and be a part of the actual World Bowl. Players don’t dream of group stage games in qualifying. They dream of the real thing, and we were able to accomplish that.”

They almost weren’t able to do so, but more on that in a moment. First, there was the matter of a game against Ko-oren and a determined Dragonflies team looking to avenge their earlier loss to us. They are known for defense, but with the way Brittany Carrington carved them up in the first quarter, it certainly did not seem like that. For as good as the opening drive looked, one that finished with Carrington finding Rachel Williams in the end zone from seven yards out, there were too many drives where the defense shut the team down. You expect that from Ko-oren, and the Fillies were getting great defensive play themselves, so when Carrington found Allie Raymond from 22 yards out late in the second quarter, you had to feel good about the 14-10 lead. However, the second half was a struggle, with the Dragonflies showing why they are a true defensive juggernaut. Add in 16 unanswered to finish off the game, and it’s a twelve point loss for the Fillies.

Cassadaigua, therefore, entered the final game against StrayaRoos in a must win situation. If the team lost, then they would have the same record as the Taipans, and they would have the tiebreaker, and not us. That would have also had us a game behind Ranoria, therefore out of the playoffs. Now, it’s possible that they still would have snuck in, based on point differential as the best fourth place team, but that’s not how you want to get in. In the long run, they would not have done so, since Abanhfleft won by 23, so a Fillies loss would’ve had them 17th. Cassadaigua would get four field goals from Jenna Lewis, all coming in the first half (from 31, 45, 24, and 40 yards), to jump out to a 12-3 lead at the break. Offensively, the team was not terrible, but shot themselves in the foot with penalties a couple times. Thankfully, the defense completely shut down the opponent, allowing another field goal in the third to make it 12-6, before finally the team would find end zone. A 47-yard run by Morgan Phillips was the clinching play, to make it 19-6. A lot of people probably wondered why Cole did not go for two at that point, and when asked that after the game, she said that, “I thought about it, but it was too early in the game still to think about matching up sevens and threes. Plus, our defense was playing well.” That they were, but a Taipans score with 6:08 left in the fourth quarter had some wondering if the team did make the wrong call to not go for two. Fortunately, it would not be something we would have to worry about it as the visitors did not score again.

This brings us to the playoffs, against an opponent in Gyatso-Kai that finished 7-3, and in second place in Group A. They were tied South Newlandia for that spot, but thanks to beating them twice, they get the seven seed while the Elephant lovers settle for 11th and a date with Delaclava. We’ll hope for an extended stay in Chromatika, but it sure is nice to be there.

by **Banija** » Tue Sep 20, 2022 4:23 pm

The knockout stages are upon us- and TJUN-ia are the opponents

LANAR, RAINBOW DISTRICT- Banija are the winners of their group at the World Bowl, with their title defense a mixed bag so far. While they can still score with the best of them, their defense has severely regressed from their world championship level, which has caused Head Coach Thomas Hall all sorts of stress. From launching his headset 12 yards, to breaking a clipboard with his knee, he has been quite something to watch while the Serpent Eagles defenders are on the field. And yet, the Banijans are still in a good place. #4 seed in the knockout stages, 8-2, and of course, they got to the Round of 16 while their smack talking group rivals, South Americanastan, have been eliminated from the World Bowl and not even making it to Chromatika.

Head Coach Thomas Hall said that the team will be 'whipped into shape' for the knockout stages. "Yes, of course, there's been some stress here in this title defense- you know how the defense has been playing. It hasn't exactly been pretty on that side of the ball." Thomas Hall told reporters. "But the regular season is behind us- those games are behind us, and now, it is not about how we've played- it is about how we are going to play. We know how these knockout stages go. It's either 4 and won, or one and done. And damnit, you know which one I prefer. We can play with just about anybody, with the type of talent we have. When you've got dudes like Ice Chineze, Kalu Alazar, etc... All on the field, well, anything can be done."

TJUN-ia are sitting as the #14 overall seed, and the teams have been matched together thanks to re-seeding. The Jaguars were just .500 during the knockout stages, and so you'd think the Banijans would be big favorites. But the talent of their defense, and the lacking performances of ours, make this game a tossup. The line at Banija -3.5 seems just about reasonable. If this game is a shootout, obviously Banija will take it. Too much offensive firepower- we scored over 38 points per game. But if it's a defensive showdown? If it comes down to who can get a stop? Well... A low-scoring game, clearly, favors TJUN-ia. That defense doesn't just force punts. Forcing turnovers, big plays with sacks, creating chaos- TJUN-ia can do quite a bit.

"Look, the Banijans are favorites- but only the slightest of favorites at the Hawk's Nest." Said Banijan QB turned analyst, Isaka Jawara. "I think, of course, that they are beatable. But we've got so much we have to clean up on the defensive side of the football. Our CBs are really the only ones playing well anywhere on this defense. Especially teams that run the football, our front 7 has been dominated on many, many occasions throughout this tournament. A ball control offense that keeps ours off the field, is certainly capable of ending our title defense in its tracks. And TJUN-ia can definitely do that. Can Coach Hall do what it takes to fix things on defense and get back to the quarterfinals?"

Who's ready for a hell of a strength v. strength, Ro16 KO stage matchup?

The ABSM Gambling Section- Your guide to betting the World Bowl Round of 16

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- Sports gambling, eh? For all of us degenerates out there, Here's the real fun way to follow the Round of 16. You're gonna watch all the games anyways, you know that- may as well have some skin in the game, right? Let's check all the lines, and check some bets from each of these contests.

Banijan World Bowl betting lines for the Round of 16.
Guide
If a team is +(aka Banija +4 against Ranoria), then they are the underdog.
If a team minus(aka Ranoria -4 against Banija) they are the favorite.
If a line is listed as +/- (aka Cold Hill scoring +/- 8.5 points) then that is the line you can bet the over/under. In example, at that, you could bet that Cold Hill will score more than 8.5 points, or less than 8.5 points.
Negative odds mean you need to bet a higher risk than a return. Aka, a -110 line means you need to bet $110 to win $100, -420 line means you need to bet $420 to win $100
Positive odds mean that you have a higher return than risk. Aka, a +110 line means you can win $110 if you beat $100, +420 line means you can win $420 if you bet $100.
Red- You should avoid this bet
Green- You must jump on these odds
Black- make your choice

Game Spreads
Drawkland (-9.5) v. Abanhfleft
Kohnhead (-4.5) v. HUElavia
Banija (-3.5) v. TJUN-ia
Ko-oren (-2.5) v. Sarzonia
Gyatso-Kai (+4.5) v. Cassadaigua
Chromatika (-11.5) v. Quebec - While Chromatika are the favorites and at home, that spread is way too large for the KOs. Take Chromatika at the under.
Saint Kanye (+3.5) v. Ranoria - Toughest bet of the tournament. I mean, the Krauts are the freaking Krauts. And yet.. They're 6-4? What happened? Follow your gut- take Ranoria and the points, if it fails, it fails.
Delaclava (-3.5) v. South Newlandia

Select Individual Bets
Chromatika QB Sarai Gwenderyn +/- 340 yards total offense (passing + rushing). Rec: Take the over. Gwenderyn on home soil at a World Bowl? Expect her to show her full array of talent.
Banijan HC Thomas Hall longest throw of his headset in frustration +/- 7.5 yards. Rec: Take the over. Have you SEEN that defense?
Drawk QB Dustin Beck +/- 1.5 trucks. Rec: Take the over. Have you SEEN him run? Have you seen his size? Most punishing runner as a QB, probably ever.
Ko-oren defense allowing +/- 0.5 touchdowns. Rec: Did they seriously set the line at half an offense touchdown for the Stars? Damn. That said, take the under... That Dragonflies defense is nasty.
Delaclav QB Michael Willis +/- 3.5 touchdowns(passing/running/receiving). Rec: Take the under. Setting the line at nearly 4 touchdowns? That's excessive. Maybe we'll eat our words...

Rare Opportunity Bets
Both Farmer brothers scoring a touchdown in Ranoria's contest: +9,000. I mean, how many times have you seen two separate backup tight ends score in the same game, for the same damn team? That said, these might be the best two backup TEs in existence. It's just that Russell Farmer is literally a baby(aka still in college), and Johnny Farmer is a grandpa(a 35 year old tight end probably walks like a grandpa). That said, if you've seen any film on these dudes whatsoever, and if you think that Ranoria is going to change things up at 6-4... Why not increase the involvement of the best tight end group in the sport??

by **Saint Kanye** » Tue Sep 20, 2022 5:41 pm

Finally, the tough ten games of the World Bowl 45 group stages have all ended. However, that doesn't mean that the St. Kanye Surge can rest easy, despite them winning eight of those ten, including a sweep against the same team that swept them in the previous edition, the TJUN-ia Jaguars. And why is that? Because despite earning the third seed in the tournament, they were matched up against an extremely talented squad, one that had won two of the last three Bowls, getting past the Surge both times in the process. We are talking, of course, against the beasts in ~~red~~ blue (yes, they've changed their uniforms), the Ranoria Krauts.

"Some might say that being seeded 13th and falling to a fifth rank in world gridiron is a sign that the Krauts have lost a step, but I don't believe it at all," St. Kanye head coach Jeff Delphine said. "They still kept some of the players from their back to back title squads. But me and my boys, we're not pushovers. We'll work our hardest and do our best. Anything can happen."

Before we get to the Round of Sixteen matchup between the Surge and Krauts at the Island Dome in Myana Island, Chromatika, which many gridiron fans are calling a potential clash of epic proportions despite both teams not having key players on offense (wide receiver Bruce Dobler and quarterback John Garrett, respectively, both due to injury), let's look at the events of the last two group stage games for the purple and lime. First was a 28-3 dismantling of the Jags in Surge Field that evened the all-time series against them at 3-3, playoffs included. R.J. Linetti threw for 368 yards on 27/31 passing in this one, including four touchdowns (QBR 155.71), while his TJUN-ian counterpart Jake Griffin was shackled by the St. Kanye defense, throwing only 112 yards on 13/28 passing, zero touchdowns and one interception (QBR 42.56). In fact, during both matches involving these two teams, only kicker Chi On-Ma was able to provide points for the Jags. "We always give a hundred percent against every opponent," said Surge defensive captain Justin Varley, "but these Jags, we gave them special treatment."

1Q STK Moore 54 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 7-0
Patrick Moore and Deshawn Fredericks continued to step up in the absence of Dobler, who had broken his foot against HUElavia. The former made the first TD reception of the day, and a beautiful one at that, as he leapt over one black-clad defender and spun past another one before taking it to the house.

2Q STK Fredericks 42 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 14-0
A quarter later, it was Fredericks' turn to score. Seeing no Jag within tackling distance of him, he ran the last ten yards to the end zone backward.

2Q TJU field goal Chi 30 STK 14-3
With both the air and ground attacks proving ineffective for TJUN-ia that day, it once again fell to Chi to try and save his team from being shut out.

3Q STK Fredericks 17 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 21-3
Fredericks was once again the hero for the Surge on a long drive that saw two different Jag defenders get whistled for pass interference.

4Q STK Moore 71 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 28-3
Martin Grevers was able to pin the Yeezies at their own five after an excellent punt. Noah Sherman moved the chains twice, gaining twelve yards both times, after which a deep throw to Moore and a James Rasputin PAT made for the final tally.

For matchday ten, Coach Delphine and the rest of the Surge staff decided to rest their starters against 4-5 Squidroidia. Tim Hunt, Gregory Silk and the rest of the backups were still able to secure victory though, 14-7.

1Q STK Silk 79 run (Rasputin kick) STK 7-0
Hunt absorbed a huge sack on his first play of the game, then threw an incompletion when the ball slipped out of Taylor Johns' grasp. Faced with third and 17 on their own 21, he instead went to the ground, handing off to Silk, who showed the speed he was known for and made like a bat out of hell to the end zone for six (seven with the extra point from Rasputin, who remained in the lineup despite rumors that punter Chris Florence would handle kicking duties against the Flyers).

3Q SQU TE1 13 pass from QB1 (K kick) Tie 7-7
There was little scoring in this game, the next one coming midway through the third on a short pass to the Squidroidian tight end to tie things up at seven.

3Q STK Lane 38 pass from Hunt (Rasputin kick) STK 14-7
However, the very next drive ended in a score by the Surge as the two Hunts completed a connection - Tim and wideout Hunter Lane.

And just like that, the playoff picture is complete. Other notable matchups include our hosts, the Chromatika Iron Legion, facing the Quebec & Shingoryeo Grim Reapers; the Banija Serpent Eagles squaring off against the Jags; and the Gyatso-kai Boarcupines playing the returning Cassadaigua Fillies. All pretty exciting games, but for fans throughout the Glorious Free Republic, only one matters. Shock 'em, Surge!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MD | Opponent      | Rank | Uniform        | Score   | Record | Place |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1  | HUElavia      | 11   | Purple/Purple  | W 55-13 |  1-0   |       |
| 2  | @Tlacocuilco  | UR   | White/Purple   | L 30-33 |  1-1   |  4th  |
| 3  | Kriegiersien  | 16   | Purple/Black   | W 37-13 |  2-1   |  1st  |
| 4  | @TJUN-ia      | 4    | Purple/Purple* | W 14- 6 |  3-1   |  1st  |
| 5  | Squidroidia   | 29   | Purple/Purple  | W 32-19 |  4-1   |  1st  |
| 6  | @HUElavia     | 11   | White/Purple   | L 26-40 |  4-2   |  1st  |
| 7  | Tlacocuilco   | UR   | Purple/Black   | W 37-14 |  5-2   |  1st  |
| 8  | @Kriegiersien | 16   | Purple/Purple**| W 38- 3 |  6-2   |  1st  |
| 9  | TJUN-ia       | 4    | White/White*   | W 28- 3 |  7-2   |  1st  |
| 10 | @Squidroidia  | 29   | White/Purple   | W 14- 7 |  8-2   |  1st  |
|RO16| Ranoria       | 5    | Purple/Black   |         |        |       |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

by **Delaclava** » Tue Sep 20, 2022 7:01 pm

"Hmm, I haven't done anything crazy in a while," Robbie Hahn thought to himself, winking to you as he got on the plane to head to Chromatika. It would be his second trip to the nation, but the first fun one. First of all, he was a much "better" person now, but also, the travel from Sonnel to Anaia was a lot more difficult than the travel from Atlantian Oceania to kind-of-also Atlantian Oceania.

He got on the plane, sat down, and then turned to Kendrick Diaz, his new teammate and protege in debauchery. "See, the trick is, I'm pretty leveled out right now between the cocaine for my back and the DMT for my 'anxiety'", again winking at us. "So it's basically like starting from zero," he said, pulling out a gold-and-diamond plated espresso machine and a gallon of purple stuff (but not a gallon of PCP this time).

"Look, are you sure this is safe?" Kendrick asked with concern.

"It starts from zero," Robbie said firmly. "Trust me, bro." He got out two espresso cups, pulling a shot of premium Inferno espresso in one and pouring the purple drank into the other. "So, the trick is, you gotta do a lot of small doses at a time to really enjoy it. Keep that pinky out, keep it classy. Also, this fine china I got as a 72-hour sobriety gift really completes it."

"72 hours?" Joe Mendelsohn asked.

"Longest I've been sober," Robbie said proudly. "I'd do it again for a new absinthe infuser, or for a ring on this finger." He finished pulling his shot. Holding both cups up, he said, "Cheers," and clinked them against Kendrick's shoulder before slurping them both in from each corner of his mouth. He spotted someone coming down the aisle. "Ah, here's my lawyer, Mr. Eagle."

"Your lawyer?" Joe was surprised.

"Don't judge me, man," Robbie chuckled.

"No, that's... actually the smartest thing you've ever done," Joe laughed in return.

"Mr. Eagle, your plumage is looking immaculate today," Robbie complimented with a smile.

"Robbie, always a pleasure," Mr. Eagle squawked with only a modicum of sincerity.

"Why are you holding my suitcase?" Robbie asked.

Mr. Eagle slapped a book down, snapping the table tray down and sending the espresso machine and china crashing to the ground. "Oh no," Robbie cried out.

"There, it's okay," Kendrick cooed, giving Robbie a kiss on the forehead. He leaned down. "See? None of it broke."

"How is that possible?" Joe asked.

"That's all on nandrolone," Robbie replied unflinchingly.

"What do you mean they're on—" Mr. Eagle asked, before catching Joe's glance and shaking his head, dropping the question. "Anyway, Robbie, that's all the laws of Chromatika. And here's your bag, you can't bring, well, basically anything in here."

"How come?"

"Robbie, you have eight ounces of weed in here. You're allowed three grams."

"Alright, well, I don't know... surely you can find 73 other people on this plane to take some grams."

"I'm not going to do... wait, did you just do the math on that?"

"He's a savant when it comes to drug math," Kendrick said, proudly patting his mentor on the shoulder.

"You know it," Robbie replied. "Look, that's what I'm paying you for, Mr. Eagle. Get those wings flapping."

"Fine. But the cocaine, the molly, the LSD, the codeine—"

"No, I'm drinking all of that on the plane. And a gallon of espresso. So we're good there."

"You can't do that."

"There's a law against that?"

"No, you'll die. Well, actually..." Mr. Eagle scratched his beak nervously. "You know what, you do you. I tried. But the rest of it you can't bring."

"Fuck, what can I bring?"

"Basically, cigarettes and that's it."

"Cigarettes? How fucking old do you think I am, 12? Are there adults where we're going?"

"Look, you're paying for legal advice, that's what I can tell you. I'll leave it here for you to figure out." Mr. Eagle stood up, shook out his feathers, and flew away, suitcase dangling from his talons. Robbie looked over at Kendrick.

"It's your time," he said.

"Dude, all of this?" Kendrick asked, his eyes growing wide.

"Not all of it! You know I can take a lot on board, you know what I'm saying? Get in there and take care of, like, that much, I'll do the rest." Robbie nudged him reassuringly, and Kendrick took a bundle of drugs to the back of the plane.

Robbie sighed, took another shot of espresso and another shot of purple, closed his eyes, and said, "Ah yeah, this is going to be a good trip. I'm going to be seeing elephants before you know it."

Joe looked at us, shook his head, and said, "This motherfucker's really gonna think he's hallucinating. Idiot." He smiled and turned back to Robbie.

Five hours later...

Taurus Wright got off the plane, breathed in the fresh, cool air and smiled. There was something about the landscape, the architecture, the scents of Chromatika that were quite comforting. It reminded him of a simple time when he was playing unhindered by pressure or expectation, when he felt confident in himself, when anything seemed possible. A lot had happened in the years since. But who knew, maybe he'd get his opportunity to shine one more time in the country where it all began.

He looked over to his good friend, the venerable center Alex McFadden. "Good to be back, isn't it?"

Alex smiled back, "It sure is."

Taurus said, "You ready?"

Alex replied, "Yeah, let's win this thing."

"Oh, actually, I meant..." and Taurus pointed to the suspiciously large duffel bag on the ground.

Alex rolled eyes. "Yeah, let's do this."

They each picked up a side of the bag. A shape of a head protruded from Taurus' end. Taurus patted it affectionately. "Just take deep breaths. We're almost there."

by **Ranoria** » Tue Sep 20, 2022 8:56 pm

Top Of The Food Chain:
Which Players Can Make a Claim To Be The Best At Their Position?
Part 2: Defense

Didn't think we'd leave off the best pass rusher in the RFL, did you? That's Abram Fairbanks, for those among you who have yet to be enlightened

Let's just start this off with our preface - we're leaving quarterbacks out of it. That position more than any other in sports is glorified and evaluated by a completely different standard. Sorry in advance superstars like Sarai Gwenderyn, Ice Chineze, RJ Linetti - you're not gonna get any press to read tonight. That lot gets enough attention as is, so we're going to turn to some of the "unsung" heroes, if you can even call them that. Starting with, fittingly, the offensive line!

*we'll also throw in a few players who we think have a chance to make the leap to this kind of tier in the near future - names to keep an eye on!

Please note, this list is not intended to be a definitive ranking. This is just a group of players who we believe can make a legitimate case to be the class of their position.

Island Dome
Myana, Chromatika
A few hours before kickoff

John Garrett, Johnny Farmer, Angelo Gordon. A begrudgingly friendly trio given Gordon's duels with the other during their collegiate tenures, but three of the best Ranorians to ever play the game. For Farmer, maybe the best tight end to ever do it, period.

"How many times are we gonna have to go through these guys?" Garrett grumbled - lopsided past results aside, anyone with half a mind knew that this was a team on the rise. For a Krauts team that hadn't lived up to their reputation in the last two World Bowls, this may be the perfect opportunity for the Surge to make a deep run again.

"Three." Angelo Gordon answered bluntly. All of these guys were getting old. Farmer and Gordon had lost their starting jobs, and Farmboy was lucky to get through a game with his battle scars. "None of us have the gas left in the tank to make it back on this team in two years. We've got one more shot."

Johnny Farmer nodded his agreement, "I agree with that half-wit brain of yours for once." He met Gordon's eye, "Same as always - we have to put them away early, or they'll never go away. On you to keep Linetti in the dirt after that."

Angelo Gordon, a three time RFL DPOY, had lost his spark for the most part. He just wasn't the fiery player he was in his heydey, but he had a certain dislike for RJ Linetti - no one really knows why, but mind you Gordon doesn't like anyone. And at the suggestion of getting the Surge's superstar on the ground again, his eyes almost visibly lit up. "One more ride, gentlemen." He turned to the two of them, "Let's make it count."

He clapped Johnny Farmer on the shoulder and stalked back to the locker room, breathing deeper already, and Johnny looked down to his quarterback, sitting in beach position against the wall of the Island dome. "Shoulder?"

"Good enough." John laughed, "You think we can get past these guys again? It'd be almost poetic, to start our last ride beating the team we got past to start this whole thing."

Farmer rolled his eyes, "We can get through anyone. It's just a matter of doing it." He reached down to the man who'd been his closest friend since their childhood, and pulled him to his feet, "They're thinking the same thing - put their demons to rest, end the dynasty that started against them in World Bowl 42."

The rest of the team began to roll out to start warming up, and Garrett flashed a grin that'd have wooed far too many if he wasn't happily married, "Johnny," he scooped the tight end's helmet off the ground and unceremoniously plopped plopped it on him, "We only lose to Drawkland in the playoffs, remember? Let's go have some fun big guy."

by **Chromatika** » Tue Sep 20, 2022 10:16 pm

Record-Setting Deep Freeze Threatens World Bowl
"We're prepared," promises tournament officials

CHROMIA, CAPITAL DISTRICT - When the Chromatik Football Federation bid to host the World Bowl, it came with the understanding that the tournament's playoffs would be held in the late fall/early winter, in late October/early November. Typically, Chromatika starts getting cold that time of the year, but the country didn't have much to fear - Chromatika is a cold nation, after all, and gridiron football is a sport that is celebrated for playing in adverse conditions.

However, no tournament official or officiating body could've seen this coming. It is the eve of the Round of Sixteen, with the World Bowl taking place in the next three weekends, and Chromatika is heading into a deep freeze along with several winter storms that could throw the entire tournament upside down. The matches this weekend all have pretty decent weather conditions - just some rain here, some wind there, but nothing major. What's worrying though, is the forecast to come.

Starting the Tuesday following this first round of the Playoffs, the storm - which has already reached the tips of the Coastal District and the Island of Dorri - will descend upon the rest of the main island, even clipping the northern part of Urrhed Island and parts of Myana Island. In fact, except for the city of Eyrods, which is in its own insulated climate in a temperate jungle, all of Chromatika is expected to be subject to the deep freeze, with the highs in the mid thirties and the lows in the low teens, or even single digits in some places in the Mountain District.

Tournament officials and stadium personnel have started to make preparations. Though there isn't a single stadium with a closed roof that is hosting the World Bowl, both teams' benches will be heated, plenty of heaters and heat packs will be available for fans, and all players from the participating teams will be transported using vehicles that are meant for the snow.

"We live in a cold country," stated Felswyr State University Groundskeeper George Ewan, "Sure, it's rough to have it for so long of a stretch, but we know how to handle this. It'll be up to the teams to handle it on the field, but off of it, we'll make sure everyone is treated well."

Some teams, like the Ko-oren Dragonflies, the Ranoria Krauts, and the Iron Legion - are expected to do well in the cold weather. Some others, who are more used to the warm sunshine or humidity, might have an entirely different set of trials in their hands.

"Playing gridiron in subzero temperatures is something else," admitted Sara McAllister, retired Iron Legion kicker who consults on the team, "For Kickers, it's a nightmare, while runners have to make sure they really protect the ball, and Quarterbacks need to put more into the throw. The team that can utilize the conditions more to their advantage, or at least not be stopped by the weather, will have a decisive advantage."

The Chromatik Tourism Commission is not expecting the number of foreign fans attending to decrease.

"Our country is known throughout the world for being a cold weather destination," explained Spokeswoman Ellenore Grimes, "In fact, we think that some may show up just to enjoy the winter wonderland of Chromatika."

'Winter Wonderland' may be a bit of a stretch, but if you're going to be stuck somewhere cold, there are far worse places than Chromatika.

Even in the middle of a deep freeze.

With this added variable into the equation, it will be very interesting to see which team ultimately comes out on top.

by **Drawkland** » Tue Sep 20, 2022 10:30 pm

"Why didn't you tell me about the trip?" Dustin Beck nudged Jack Hoy's arm from the seat next to him.

The Grid Corps were taking the flight to Chromatika, and the team was split up all around the plane. Being team vets, Dustin and Jack often sat in the same row, which they'd done for many cycles.

Jack took a moment to collect his thoughts. This was immediately worrisome for Dustin, who'd never seen Jack think before speaking in his entire life. The question was half a joke and half serious, so seeing Jack immediately opt for a measured response was odd.

"It's complicated," Jack sighed after a moment. "First and foremost, the organizers of the trip wanted to keep it as lowkey as possible. It's a miracle that I heard enough about it to get involved."

"Well I heard about it." Dustin replied quickly. "Most of the Corps vets heard about it. I just didn't know you and Leo were going."

"That's the other thing." Jack vaguely motioned in front of him. "Leo and I ... we were in a similar situation. It was the perfect time to try something stupid like this, because we're single and getting old and have no clue what to do if we leave the game. You're different, Dusty. You got a wife and kid, you couldn't risk leaving them behind. I love Brooklyn, I would hate myself forever if I were responsible for you not being there for her."

"Y'know I was only half serious when I asked, but I guess that tracks." Dustin turned to look out the window. He wasn't exactly envious of Jack and Leo's newfound immortality, but the trio had been the core of the Corps for a long time. It felt weird to him that they'd went without even saying something to him.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be. Not yet, anyway." Jack sighed again, which was still bothering Dustin with the serious tone. Jack never acted like that.

"We're still young, right?" Dustin grinned to cheer him up. "Well, maybe not anymore, but we still have a long ways to go. I do, at least. Once you see me get all old, fat, and crotchety, that's when you'll really feel it."

"That'll really seal the deal." Jack cracked a smile, and the two chuckled together. They went back to their reading or snoozing for a few minutes, until Dustin spoke up again.

"Can you take care of them for me?" Dustin asked suddenly.

"Who?" Jack replied.

"My kids. My family. I know I'll be gone someday ... and I guess you won't be. They know you, they trust you. You can be there for them when I can't."

"I can do that," Jack said after a moment. He nodded, looked like he would say something again, then decided against it.

"Thank you." Dustin said simply, and the two went on in silence for the rest of the flight.

by **Chromatika** » Tue Sep 20, 2022 10:31 pm

Who makes it through the Round of Sixteen and a step closer to the Henza Center and the World Bowl Title? Cutoff!

World Bowl 45 Round of Sixteen

R1: (01) Drawkland 22-19 (16) Abanhfleft
Riders' Arena, Pùr, Heartland District (Cap. 35,210)
Kickoff: 12PM Conditions: 43F, clear skies

R2: (08) Kohnhead 16-33 (09) HUElavia
Dragon's Nest, Anfanhar, Heartland District (Cap. 48,210)
Kickoff: 4:25 PM Conditions: 46F, slight drizzle

R3: (04) Banija 40-21 (14) TJUN-ia
Hawks' Nest, Lanar, Rainbow District (Cap. 112,000, 38,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 7:30 PM Conditions: 34F, cloudy

R4: (05) Ko-oren 29-7 (12) Sarzonia
The Hive, Sanar, Rainbow District (Cap. 122,000, 42,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 12PM Conditions: 44F, foggy

R5: (07) Gyatso-kai 17-13 (10) Cassadaigua
The Pack, Pria, Coastal District (Cap. 67,290, 19,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 4:25 PM Conditions: 40F, slight wind

R6: (02) Chromatika 31-20 (15) Quebec & Shingoryeo (Scored by Tumbra)
The Cove, Lhor, Coastal District (Cap. 51,265; 28,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 4:25 PM Conditions: 42F, slight wind

R7: (03) Saint Kanye 20-44 (13) Ranoria
Island Dome, Myana, Myana Island (Cap. 133,000; 35,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 7:30 PM Conditions: 35F, decent winds

R8: (06) Delaclava 44-20 (11) South Newlandia
The Jungle, Eyrods, Myana Island (Cap. 74,590, 26,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 12:00 PM Conditions: 45F, decent winds

World Bowl 45 Quarterfinals

Q1: (01) Drawkland vs. (09) HUElavia
United Center, Urrheddiao, Urrhed Island (Cap. 120,000, 28,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 12PM Forecast: 37F, rain

Q2: (04) Banija vs. (05) Ko-oren
Johnston Memorial Stadium, Staramara, Urrhed Island (Cap. 4,500)
Kickoff: 4:25 PM Forecast: 40F, sleet

Q3: (07) Gyatso-kai vs. (02) Chromatika
Firehawks' Roost, Felswyr, Mountain District (Cap. 38,000)
Kickoff: 7:30 PM Forecast: 23F, clear skies

Q4: (13) Ranoria vs. (06) Delaclava
Z'ai'ai Field (Cap. 113,000, 40,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 4:25 PM Forecast: 33F, light snow

(O.O) · by **TJUN-ia** » Thu Sep 22, 2022 5:03 am

And that...is that. The modern era of TJUN-ian Gridiron is over, just like that.

Banija did what they needed to do, sweeping us aside 40-21 in order to continue their World Bowl quest.

As for us...well, that's that. It's time to say some goodbyes.

We will be back. In what form, no one really knows.

GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group C)
MD1: vs Tlacocuilco (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 31-6 (2nd/1-0)
MD2: @Kriegiersien (16) - Hall of Stone, Aturim Deephides Stonecutter School L 13-13 (19-22OT) (2nd/1-1)
-----------------NSFB-WB-----------------
MD3: vs Squidroidia (29) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 41-17 (3rd/2-1)
MD4: vs Saint Kanye (8) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington L 6-14 (3rd/2-2)
-----------------NSFB-WB-----------------
MD5: @HUElavia (11) L 23-24 (4th/2-3)
MD6: @Tlacocuilco (UR) W 16-13 (4th/3-3)
-----------------NSFB-WB-----------------
MD7: vs Kriegiersien (16) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 60-7 (3rd/4-3)
MD8: @Squidroidia (29) L 6-10 (3rd/4-4)
-----------------NSFB-WB-----------------
MD9: @Saint Kanye (8) - Surge Field at Pencurve Electronics Stadium, Kardashia L 3-28 (3rd/4-5)
MD10: vs HUElavia (11) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 39-32 (3rd/5-5/+71PD)
-------------------------------------------------------
Ro16: vs Banija (2/#4/B1/8-2) - Hawks' Nest, Lanar, Rainbow District, Chromatika L 21-40 (5-6)

by **Ko-oren** » Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:40 am

Gridiron - Season 51 Results

*                                   Pld    W   D   L    Win % 
 1 Mayara Wolves (WEST)              16   11   0   5    0.688 LWWWWLWWLWWWWWLL #1 WEST
 2 Noordrug Astronauts (EAST)        16   10   0   6    0.625 LWLWWWLWWWWLLWLW #1 EAST
 3 Sterrenwolde Dragonflies (EAST)   16   10   0   6    0.625 WLLWWLWWWWWLWLWL #2 EAST
 4 Schemerdrecht 65ers (EAST)        16   10   0   6    0.625 WWWWLLWWWLLLWWLW
 5 Willowbourne Saints (WEST)        16    9   1   6    0.594 WWWLDWLLLLLWWWWW #2 WEST
 6 Aerellen Explosions (EAST)        16    8   0   8    0.500 WLLLLLLWLLWWWWWW
 7 Mayara Destroyers (WEST)          16    7   1   8    0.469 WLLWDWWLLLLWLLWW
 8 Eaglebury Emperors (WEST)         16    7   0   9    0.438 LLWLLWLWLWLLWLWW
 9 Greencaster Godspeed (WEST)       16    7   0   9    0.438 WWWWLWLLLWWLLLLL
10 Schemerdrecht Admirals (EAST)     16    6   0  10    0.375 LLLLLWLLWWLWWLWL
11 Aminey Caspians (EAST)            16    5   0  11    0.312 LLWWLWWLWLLLLLLL
12 Mawryshire Centaurs (WEST)        16    5   0  11    0.312 LLWLLWWLLLWLLWLL

The

Mayara Wolves head into the postseason as the best team in Ko-oren, going 11-5 in a league that seems to have 11-5 and 5-11 as its perennial upper and lower limits. You just won't see a team go much better or worse than that - it does happen sometimes, though - but it's rare. Some concern for them as they were 11-3 at some point and lost two in a row to close out the regular season. That might be an even bigger concern if you know how the schedule is set up:

The Schedule

The schedule is nearly the same every year. You play your division (West or East) mates twice and the teams in the other division once. That's 16 games in total. The out-of-division games take place in weeks 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The in-division games take place in weeks 2, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18. Divisional games are concentrated in the back two-thirds of the season, so if a team starts strong and tapers off, that's usually a sign they've been figured out by their division rivals - and given that the first week of the postseason is West v West and East v East, that's potentially even more reason for concern.

A quick note on weeks 11 and 15: in these weeks, the rivalry games take place. Wolves versus Destroyers. 65ers versus Admirals. Godspeed versus Saints. Dragonflies versus Caspians. Astronauts versus Explosions. Emperors versus Centaurs. There are never byes in these weeks.

Another quick note on weeks 7, 8, and 9: these games take place in a team's alternate home venue: a smaller venue, with a beautiful backdrop - be it ocean, national parks, or skylines - located in the home team's heartland.

We can see that the Wolves have lost their final two games (Saints and Emperors). And look at that: the

Willowbourne Saints have finished second in the Western division and will take on the ailing Wolves in the semifinal. The Saints had a godawful stretch in the middle of the season, partially due to injuries, partically mentally, but righted the ship just in time to steer clear of the Destroyers' 7-8-1 record. With five consecutive wins, the Saints have the best playoff preparation out of all playoff teams. The

Aerellen Explosions did a little better, winning the final six games of the season and still not getting into the postseason - in fact, they finish fourth out of six in the East. After a few years of the Eastern division not pulling its weight, they're back and then some. The

Schemerdrecht 65ers miss the playoffs at 10-6, while the two Eastern semifinalists finish on the same record, just with better head to head and point differential.

Both the

Noordrug Astronauts and the

Sterrenwolde Dragonflies make the postseason on the back of a fantastic middle stretch. The Astronauts get some losing out of the way early, but then do drop games at the end, finishing 2-3. The Dragonflies do more or less the same thing, with three early losses and three late ones, but never back to back.

Some early season predictions had the

Greencaster Godspeed taking a playoff spot after their 4-0 (and 5-1) start, before going into divisional games and losing nearly all of those to end up 7-9, including five straight to close out the season. The

Aminey Caspians even lose the last seven of the year, starting 0-2, then going 5-2, and then 0-7. The

Schemerdrecht Admirals were pretty much done from the start, opening 0-5 before adding a respectable 6 victories.

by **Banija** » Thu Sep 22, 2022 11:08 am

"We Don't Fear the Cold" - With deep freeze setting in across Chromatika, Serpent Eagles remain confident that they can make a run here in Anaia

Banijan football players celebrate their Round of 16 win over TJUN-ia

STARAMARA, URRHED ISLAND, CHROMATIKA- Despite having the coldest temperatures for their gridiron contest for their Round of 16 matchup, with 34 degree weather at kickoff(it rarely gets below 60 in Banija), nothing was going to stop the Serpent Eagles and their ascent to the quarterfinals. The group stage was largely an up and down affair for the defending champs. They were scoring points by the motherload, averaging just over 38 points per game as their offense continued to prove to all the doubters exactly why they were the best in the world. It was the defense, however, that gave this team a lot of trouble. They never once allowed under 20 points in any of the contests they played in, and everybody agrees- that's their achilles heel.

But this contest, here against the Jaguars, didn't really do much to change anybody's perspective on this team. This offense is so high-powered, they are basically capable of blitzing anybody and everybody that they go up against, and that's exactly what they did to TJUN-ia. It's always a great day when your quarterback throws four touchdown passes to four seperate receivers, with 9 total players catching at least one pass from the always efficient field general, Ifeatu Chineze. All the defense needed to be was decent, and that's all that they were. Ice Chineze carved up the Jaguars defense like he has every defense he faced in the last tournament, and even in this tournament, so far. Everyone's getting the football, he's getting the ball into the end zone, and there was nothing that the Jags could do to slow him down. The Banijans got all 40 of their points in the first three quarters, larging playing their second team in the fourth.

They could score in all sorts of ways in this playoff game. They used the art of the big play- they had 4 plays for 45 yards or more in this game, showing that they could get huge chunks of yardage at once. That included Ifeatu Chineze, on the game's first play from scrimmage, going over the top to slot WR Kawsu Gaye, for a 75 yard touchdown pass to kick off the contest. That included involving their veterans, as Kuenda Sello had a play where, spelling the starter, he caught a ball on a screen pass and took it 47 yards to the house. And that even included some red zone aggressiveness, that paid off. When Coach Hall went for it on 4th and goal, from the 2 yard line, in the first quarter, Chineze sold the play-action perfectly, and found the rarely used third string TE Corban Aoko in the back of the end zone for a wide open touchdown.

The Banijans were simply too dominant on the day offensively, and the Jaguars offense could not keep up. Of course, they had some points- but simply put, the defense did enough, and they simply could not match the Serpent Eagles score for score. "To have this kind of performance, especially offensively, in a playoff game, is special." Coach Hall told reporters. "Anyone who's followed this game for any amount of time knows that it's more difficult to score in this tournament, the deeper you go into it, so to put up 40 points in three quarters, in a playoff game, is a highly impressive feat by this squad. People are going to say whatever the heck they want, but here's what I know- we won a playoff game, and we've got an upcoming quarterfinal against a Ko-oren squad, that is a rematch of last year's World Bowl Final."

Of course, the days of Banija's offense blitzing everybody seem to be coming to an end- it takes a very different kind of play style to play against Ko-oren. "What makes Ko-oren so dangerous, what makes them so good, why they've got so many titles, is because no matter who they are playing, they are able to force their opponents into playing their game." Said Thomas Hall. "Trying to dictate things like pace, etc... Against the Dragonflies is so often just a fruitless endeavor. We want to run tempo? Their defense is dominant enough to slow things down. They run the ball well, to keep their defense fresh. They play clean football. They never turn the ball over, they don't commit stupid penalties- never pinning their defense back, always giving themselves a lot of field to work with. That's how they keep these games low-scoring."

Thomas Hall talked further about how this matchup was an intriguing one. "Anytime you have a matchup of the previous World Bowl Final, in the knockouts, it's always going to be a matchup." He told reporters. "In fact, this is probably the most anticipated quarterfinals we've had in years, with the hosts against Gyatso-Kai, and Ranoria taking on Delaclava? But we see the way the media is talking about us. 'Deep freeze in Chromatika means the Eagles wings are clipped'. People are doubting us- at home, here in Chromatika, across the multiverse. It's us against the world- we can win in any either. Rain. Hail. Sun. Blizzard. Hurricane. And even the sleet we're about to get. This team can adapt to anything, and I promise you- we will be ready for the Dragonflies AND the elements."

When asked about going from a playoff game in front of over 100,000 in a standing room only stadium, to playing their next playoff game in a stadium of under 5,000 people, he simply offered no comment. No Banijan officials would comment on the record, although on twii.tur, plenty of diehard Banijan gridiron fans are complaining that the stadium capacity meant they couldn't get tickets to see their team, meaning ticketless Banijans and Ko-orenites are bound to be taking over bars and town squares across Urrhed Island.

Banijan World Bowl betting lines for the Round of 16.
Guide
If a team is +(aka Banija +4 against Ranoria), then they are the underdog.
If a team minus(aka Ranoria -4 against Banija) they are the favorite.
If a line is listed as +/- (aka Cold Hill scoring +/- 8.5 points) then that is the line you can bet the over/under. In example, at that, you could bet that Cold Hill will score more than 8.5 points, or less than 8.5 points.
Negative odds mean you need to bet a higher risk than a return. Aka, a -110 line means you need to bet $110 to win $100, -420 line means you need to bet $420 to win $100
Positive odds mean that you have a higher return than risk. Aka, a +110 line means you can win $110 if you beat $100, +420 line means you can win $420 if you bet $100.
Red- You should avoid this bet
Green- You must jump on these odds
Black- make your choice

Game Spreads
Drawkland (-10.5) v. HUElavia. They're the #1 seed, but c'mon. 10.5 point spread? For a quarterfinal? Drawkland should win, but the HUElavians should cover.
Banija (+2.5) v. Ko-oren. Ko-oren's the deserved favorites in the rematch of the World Bowl 44 Final. They've looked more consistent, and frankly put, seem to be peaking at the right time- 29 points for the Dragonflies in the playoffs is a ton.
Gyatso-Kai (+6.5) v. Chromatika. The hosts are deserved favorites. It's been a fantastic run for the only other AO nation still remaining, but when you have both Sarai Gwenderyn AND home field advantage, you're simply going to be too much for mostly anybody to handle. What's that, you say? The saying goes its' hard to beat the same team three times in a season? I mean, you're not wrong- that is the saying. But Chromatika seem like a team of destiny.
Ranoria (+1.5) v. Delaclava. This is a coin toss. Ranoria's got 4 losses, yet.. But did you SEE Their Round of 16 match? And Willis has transitioned to the QB1 role quite easily, in Taurus Wright's place. It's the game of the round, a rivalry with massive playoff implications. The Phoenixes are deserved favorites, but make sure you're watching this one. It'll be a doozie.
Banija v. Ko-oren combined over/under: 25.5. That's a puny over/under. That SAID, their championship matchup in the last World Bowl was just 20(at a 13-7 score), so those Ko-orenite over/unders tend to be tiny. Honestly, I'd probably take the under?

Select Individual Bets
Banija defense +/- 1.5 turnovers. Difficult. The Dragonflies almost never turn it over. Short fields are basically the only way to score more than once against these guys, however. I know Banijans will want desperately to take the over, to will it... But stay away!
Chromatik QB Sarai Gwenderyn +/- 3.5 touchdowns. Includes both passing and rushing.
Ranoria LB Angelo Gordon +/- 8.5 tackles. Have you seen this guy? Take the over and then some.

Rare Opportunity Bets
Chances that the World Bowl trophy stays in Atlantian Oceania: +475
Chances that we have a first-time World Bowl winner: +350

by **Chromatika** » Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:37 pm

Gwenderyn, Iron Legion Beat Grim Reapers, Head to Firehawks' Roost

THE COVE, LHOR, COASTAL DISTRICT - It took until middle of the Third Quarter for Chromatika to take the lead, but the Iron Legion ultimately prevailed with two touchdowns in the Third and Fourth Quarters as Sarai Gwenderyn found Alessandra Mio twice to allow Chromatika to move on to the Quarterfinals of the World Bowl.

For the first half, Quebec's Grim Reapers kept up with Chromatika, holding the Iron Legion to 219 yards of total offense and two touchdowns while scoring seventeen points, relying on a kickoff return and a big play on a busted coverage for their scores. Gwenderyn was having limited success finding her targets, and the Offensive Line was having issues keeping her upright as Quebec's pressure was all over them.

At halftime, though, Gwenderyn and Naia Curentino got together, and figured out how to handle it: three steps only, released the ball fast, and allow the receivers to make the plays that they know how to make. This change paid dividends immediately as Alessandra Mio ran by her corner for a 71 yard strike, and when she duplicated the success in the fourth quarter on a 49 yard bomb, the game was pretty much over.

"It took us far too long to get going," admitted Gwenderyn, "But we got the job done in the end. Thanks to the fans for sticking by us - I know it was rough sledding for a while."

Their opponents in the Quarterfinals will be one Gyatso-kai - the same team that the Iron Legion have swept twice this tournament already. Gyatso-kai defeated Cassadaigua narrowly in the Round of Sixteen.

"It is very difficult to beat the same team three times in one tournament," stated Curentino, "But we know how they play, and we will have the full might of the crowd at the Firehawks' Roost behind us."

Indeed, Park Mi-Hyeon, Alessandra Mio, Nellie Katt, and Sarai Gwenderyn will be returning to their home venue during their collegiate years, as the Firehawks' Roost will host a World Bowl Playoff game for the very first time.

"I can't wait to come back to our home," admitted Mio, "It's the field that I have felt the most home at through my career, and it will be great to play there one more time."

The Iron Legion will be massive favorites to win - along with first seeds Drawkland. The other matches will be much closer - with Banija facing Ko-oren at Johnston Memorial Stadium (albeit with extra seating) and Ranoria facing Delaclava at Z'ai'ai Field. Snow, sleet, and the winter storm is supposed to be atop Chromatika by then, and it will be interesting to see just how that impacts the games in general.

Chromatika is well on its way to try to win its first World Bowl title - and a stop back at some of the stars' old hunting grounds seems fortuitous.

by **Delaclava** » Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:39 pm

DSGN.com Football

Willis channels Boreas, dominates Elephants
Phoenixes weather conditions and set up trilogy match

The air was colder and windier than the Phoenixes would have liked, but Michael Willis didn't let that bother him any more than the nerves of his first World Bowl playoff game.

The Manchester Pirates signal-caller's postseason debut was a masterpiece, with three touchdowns and 351 passing yards on 27-of-34 passing, and Delaclava steamrolled South Newlandia 44-20 to advance to a fifth straight World Bowl quarterfinal.

"All this talk of whether Michael could meet the standard this team's set in the past, he put it all to rest," coach Frank Newman said. "Everyone stepped up on both sides of the ball and played the complete game we've been looking for all season."

The South Newlandia Elephants promised to be a formidable challenge to the Phoenixes. Notably, they pushed the Phoenixes to steal the game on the very last play in a quarterfinal in Manchester, and came into the game with a 7-3 record, including a victory over third-ranked Chromatika. It was certainly a tougher opponent than Delaclava's previous Round of 16 adversary, Kavanis. Indeed, while the Phoenixes started with the ball, Delaclava and South Newlandia traded scores in the first quarter, with Willis and Robert Stein employing similar effective strategies of patient gains up the field, utilizing the tight ends and running backs. Willis' first score was to Robbie Hahn, who made a miraculous recovery after leaked footage showed him almost comatose in a hotel ice machine.

Willis broke pattern with a huge 64-yard touchdown to Justin Vandaele, who caught a short pass and then burned Carolyn Bray before taking the ball all the way to the endzone, and Delaclava got its first break by stalling a South Newlandia drive a bit early thanks to a brilliant pass deflection by Tate Parker. Abdul Corbett would salvage three points, but Delaclava would retain its first lead with the ball.

After a Conley field goal made the game 17-10, it would be a play from Luke Mussett that would blow the game open. Mussett blitzed on a third-down situation and the South Newlandia line couldn't pick him up. Stein never saw the cornerback coming as he brought him down hard, jarring the ball loose for Thomas Schuettler to jump on. Delaclava would only convert it for another three points - a 54-yard field goal that was Conley's longest of the season - but with so many defensive options and pressure coming, Stein and the Elephants largely stalled for the next stage of the game, allowing the Phoenixes offense to get back on the field sooner and keep the Elephants defense out longer.

Conley nailed his third three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Phoenixes a 23-13 halftime lead, and the well-oiled machine of Willis and Co. would only pick up speed in the third quarter. After one drive came to an unfortunate end after a fumble by Evgeniy Morozov, Willis would cash in on the next drive in just ten plays, capped by a 22-yard run for Wildemar Davis. A few minutes later, Morozov would redeem himself with a well-executed route that stymied the Elephants safeties and Willis hit him on a dime for his third touchdown in the last minute of the quarter.

Taurus Wright would take over duties in the fourth quarter, looking strong as ever in both the passing game and the running game as the Phoenixes sought to wound down the clock. Wright would make his mark on the scoreboard with an 8-yard strike to Hahn, who immediately ran to give his Catherina Crushers teammate and friend a warm embrace in Wright's first game action since Week 2 against The Jovannic.

Notably, Newman declined to compare Willis specifically to Wright, the quarterback leading the way in the past four playoffs. When asked about the quarterback plans going forward, Newman answered with a common refrain during this season: "Michael is the guy right now, but as a team we're ready for anything."

Willis, in his own right, was very pleased with his performance and the team's play. "I think I was ready for this moment. With the work I've done and the help of my sex therapist - I mean, therapist - to work on my mental game, I've really grown into the pressure situations. This wasn't all that different. And yeah, we all stepped up and made some really big plays, particularly on the defensive side, I think there's a young corps that's starting to come into their own."

Delaclava next faces fifth-ranked Ranoria in what is projected to be a cold, snowy game at Z'ai'ai Field. The teams previously met in the semifinals of World Bowls 42 and 43, with Ranoria recording victories of 23-16 in Buffalostan and 37-10 in Catherina; the Krauts would go on to win both titles. Recent history, however, has not been kind, with the Krauts going just 6-4 in a home World Bowl and losing a round of 16 game to Drawkland; they carried a middling 6-4 record into this Round of 16 also. Ranoria did score an impressive 44-20 victory over Saint Kanye to reach this quarterfinal, and Willis believes it's a strong indicator that there's plenty left in one of the all-time great squads of World Bowl history.

"It's been hard to know what to make of their form," Willis said. "They were unstoppable for two seasons there. I may be biased, but I truly think that game they played against us in Catherina is the best game they've ever played and shows the level they were at. Now that they've won two titles, it's hard to know what that does mentally. Of course, we have no idea. I think they've taken some bruises, and I know John Garrett and Johnny Farmer and the rest aren't getting younger. But they're fantastic talents with such a wealth of experience that I think makes them really dangerous regardless of what the win-loss records say. All that matters is that they're here now.

Willis wasn't willing to concede that the Krauts will take a mental edge in the matchup as a result of their two previous victories over the Phoenixes, particularly the demoralizing defeat in Catherina. "I think we've both evolved so much since that performance. We've had a ton of roster turnover, especially on the defensive side. Those games just don't say what the pundits would want them to say. And you know, we have teams we've lost to, we keep learning and keep figuring it out, I think we're ready to do the same against them... And Ranoria, the reality is, they've been so off their game, I think it would take some real mental gymnastics to convince themselves they have the same capabilities that they did two seasons ago. Maybe their old tricks will work; maybe they'll have to get creative. It's going to be real interesting."

Willis would admit one thing, though: "Our dream has been to somehow avenge what happened in Catherina. We've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. John Garrett, you better be ready, because I'm coming on that ass."

South Newlandia  10 - 3 -  0 - 7 -- 20
Delaclava        14 - 9 - 14 - 7 -- 44

1st Quarter
DEL - Michael Willis 8 yard pass to Robbie Hahn (Kieran Conley kick), 12:21.
SNL - Robert Stein 12 yard pass to Dhruv Valentine (Abdul Corbett kick), 8:38.
DEL - Willis 64 yard pass to Justin Vandaele (Conley kick), 6:45.
SNL - Abdul Corbett 50 yard FG, 2:39.
2nd Quarter
DEL - Kieran Conley 41 yard FG, 13:50.
DEL - Conley 54 yard FG, 7:24.
SNL - Corbett 32 yard FG, 1:29.
DEL - Conley 37 yard FG, 0:00
3rd Quarter
DEL - Wildemar Davis 22 yard run (Conley kick), 5:34.
DEL - Willis 30 yard pass to Evgeniy Morozov (Conley kick), :50.
4th Quarter
SNL - Stein 32 yard pass to Olaf Ramsey (Corbett kick), 13:12.
DEL - Taurus Wright 8 yard pass to Robbie Hahn (Conley kick), 5:07.

by **Gyatso-kai** » Thu Sep 22, 2022 9:02 pm

╚╗BETWEEN THE UPRIGHTS╔╝
Official ASPN Coverage of World Bowl XLV in Chromatika

TEAM			1	2	3	4	|	FINAL
GYATSO-KAI Boarqupines	0	7	7	3	|	17
CASSADAIGUA Fillies		0	13	0	0	|	13

┤ SCORING ├

SECOND QUARTER
11:01 --- GKI --- A’den Kato 10yrd pass from Mit Webot (Tam Prater kick) --- GKI 7 – 0 CDG
07:24 --- CDG --- Jenna Lewis 39yrd field goal --- GKI 7 – 3 CDG
00:32 --- CDG --- Jenna Lewis 43yrd field goal --- GKI 7 – 6 CDG
00:10 --- CDG --- Brittany Carrington 1yrd rush (Jenna Lewis kick) --- GKI 7 – 13 CDG

THIRD QUARTER
09:45 --- GKI – Tachibana Huang 12yrd rush (Tam Prater kick) --- GKI 14 – 13 CDG

u[]FOURTH QUARTER[/u]
08:21 --- GKI --- Tam Prater 41yrd field goal --- GKI 17 – 13 CDG

┤ TEAM STATS ├

STATISTIC		GKI		CDG
First Downs		22		8
Rush-Yds-TDs		40-160-1	16-18-1
Cmp-Att-Yd-TD-INT	20-25-201-1-1	15-22-153-0-0
Sacked-Yd		2-19		2-13
Net Pass Yds		182		140
Total Yds		342		158
Fumbles-Lost		2-2		0-0
Turnovers		3		0
Penalties-Yds		3-37		3-30
Third Down Conv.	6-12		1-10
Fourth Down Conv.	1-1		1-1
Time of Possession	36:37		23:23

¬In what was one of the most entertaining and nail-biting games of the Forty-Fifth Edition of the World Bowl, the seventh-ranked Boarqupines faced off against the tenth-ranked Fillies of Cassadaigua, before emerging victorious in Chromatika’s Coastal District 17-13

While the Fillies – who are remerging after four cycles following an edict from then-Queen Cassie II similar to our own Silence – had a successful group stage, this was the test of whether the team had returned in the same form that had won the entire competition in World Bowl XL, and came close to repeating in World Bowl XLI. On the group stage, the Fillies had faced off against many of the sporting multi-verses powerhouse nations, many of which are household names back in Gyatso-kai – Ko-oren, Ranoria, StrayaRoos, Anthor – and finished the group stage with a respectable 6-4 record and a +17 Point Differential. Many in the ASPN news room who are knoweldgable on gridiron expected this to be the game to show whether the Boarqupines where a fluke in success, or if the team had actually done something that hadn’t been done since the Fifteenth World Cup of Hockey…

A new Avatarian team coming out of the gate as a contender…

For the Fillies, this tournament could best be summed up as a “Return to Greatness”, something many in Gyatso-kai would expect to see from the great nation of Cassadaigua. The nation became famous for our somewhat-rivalry in Ice Hockey; three straight faceoffs in the first three World Cup of Hockey Gyatso-kai was in. While we have not faced off against them since our return to the sport after The Silence, many in the Avatarian Republics carry a great deal of respect in the sporting world whenever the acronym CDG is seen in the box score.

For the Boarcupines, going into their first playoff match on the multi-verse stage, this game was win or die; win and continue the push into the World Bowl, or lose and return home, having shown that the successes of the AO Bowl were nothing but a fluke. While the situation with the Boarqupines is nowhere near as dire as the ever-infamous Kad’e Tay’haai era of football, there are quite a few members of the National Sports Council who are seeing Nabru Re’yem’s tenure at the helm of the Boarqupines as nothing short of miraculous given the results so far. In their first appearance, the team managed to just narrowly miss the post-tournament, falling in a tie-breaker. In the AO Bowl, the Avatarian team stunned the region, pushing far beyond what anyone expected and earning the silver medal in an exciting game against Delaclava; a game which ended in 17-17 at regulation, but through quite a few overtimes found the Boarqupines losing by a score of 33-30.

And now… in their second World Bowl appearance, the Avatarians continue into the Quarterfinals.

Moving into the Quarterfinals, the Boarqupines are facing a familiar foe in the Iron Legion of Chromatika, the host nation of the World Bowl. The third-ranked nation in the multi-verse, Chromatika emerged at the top of Group A – right ahead of Gyatso-kai – with nine solid wins and one lone loss at the hands of South Newlandia on Matchday Seven 47-37. Gyatso-kai, on the other hand, lost three games; Matchday 2 saw the 13-12 defeat to Sairona, and then two other defeats at the hand of a single team.

Chromatika… 23-19 on Matchday 3, 27-17 on Matchday 8…

The old adage “The third time is the charm” could really come into helping the Boarqupines, as they prepare to take the field against arguably one of the best teams in the multi-verse, who are playing on their home field. Playing to a sold-out home crowd, in their own tournament, on their own field… the only thing going for the Boarqupines is the fact that they will be wearing home jerseys. The weather for the game – the coldest in the Quarterfinals at a balmy -5°C – will also see the only favorable skies in the Quarterfinals; while the other games see the skies opening with rain, sleet, and even light snow at Z’ai’ai Field for the Ranoria/Delaclava match in the shadow of Mt. Kùrn.

Regardless of the outcome, the Boarqupines have made their mark in Gyatso-kai sports history, and for one of the lesser sports in the Avatarian Republics, to see the kind of viewership and attendance at these tournament games is nothing to snuff at. Comparable to the emergence of the Ice Bisons all the way back in 2011.2, the Boarqupines look to continue to push into the World Bowl further.

The only thing in their way… is the Iron Legion.

:: IN OTHER NEWS :: FROM GYATSO-KAI

Ice Bisons Prepare for World Cup; Ishii Hakoda Speaks to AHL Tonight
National Sports Council Announces Roster for World Cup 92; Wong Haru Preps for 4th Tournament as HC
Professional Quadball Association Announces Search for Host Cities; Eight Teams Announced
LDP Confirms Chancellor Li Meiqi for a Fifth Term

Copyright 2022.3 Avatarian Sports Programming Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.aspn.com.gk/articles/gridironworld/00203408
© 2022 Avatarian Sports Programming Network

by **Ranoria** » Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:07 pm

Z'ai'ai Field, Chromatika
Pre-Game Warmups before Ranoria vs Delaclava

Duke Beckett was the last Krauts running back on the field in Z'ai'ai Field, wearing full sleeves in the only slightly-above freezing tempratures. He took his spot as third man up for warm drills just as their coach stepped onto the field, but Vice Jackson III held a hand to pause for a moment.

"Duke, what do you think you're doing?" The big back was going with "suns down, guns still out," as is custom, but poor Beckett never thought anything of it, stopped dead in his tracks.

He glanced over to running back coach Eins Turner, and back to VJIII when he got nothing. "Excuse me?"

Jackson gestured to his torso with a disappointed sigh, as if he were losing hope in a potential successor by the second. "The sleeves, you're wearing sleeves. Why?"

"Iiiit's a little chilly?" His voice raised near the end, clearly not understanding his mistake, and now he talked fast to get an explanation in. "I mean I'm a receiving back Vice I have to be able to catch, can't catch if I can't feel my fingers right?"

Jackson gestured to the other members of the running back room, where the young, in-their-prime studs in Apollo Esther and Gauge Lawson's chiseled musculature was on display for all the world to see. "No one in my running back room wears sleeves."

Duke couldn't decide whether to immedietely capitulate or be in shock. A third option, however, presented itself when he saw John Garrett walking by.

"There! See! John's wearing sleeves!"

John Garrett stopped and surveyed the four of them. He didn't say a word yet, but he saw what was happening, and rolled his eyes. "Take them off, Duke. I'm old, I've paid my dues with the whole tough guy act and I have to feel my fingers to throw. You're just embarrassing the team."

"A-are you serious right now?"

Garrett, again, just stared the poor guy down. Duke sighed, the running backs laughed, and he started pulling off his shoulder pads to get the long sleeves off. Garrett chuckled and pulled on his helmet to get back to warm ups, clapping fellow Richardson alumn Vice Jackson III with a laugh, and pointed back to Beckett.

"Get a load of this guy. Typical Raynor grad."

This Story Again? Sorry, But It's Our Favorite!
Krauts' Slated For Consecutive Playoff Bouts With Surge and Phoenixes For Third Time In Four Seasons
And we wouldn't have it any other way - it's a tried and true formula to bring home the gold

First-year starter Konstantin Vollmacht celebrates a 3rd down sack by 34 year old Angelo Gordon

When asked how John Garrett looked in his first start since week 7, Raul Nieler couldn't contain his smirk. "Looked good, no concerns over the shoulder, clearly. Still handsome."

Yep - while other teams may be lamenting the drop in temperatures, the Krauts welcomed it. And while the Island Dome's climate control largely mitigated the conditions, the Surge were still throttled as badly in this third matchup between the two teams as they had been in the prior editions, including the World Bowl 42 final. Thrice now have the Krauts gone from one of these teams to the other - in World Bowl 42 from a thrilling semifinal with Delaclava to a final against Saint Kanye, and in 43 we went through the Surge to take on the Delaclavs in the semis yet again. Those who don't learn their history are doomed to repeat it - the World Bowl 45 Krauts destiny may already have been written.

The formula was largely the same as it had been before - line up one of the best defensive lines in the world against some of the most electric offensive talents in the game and hope to god they can mitigate the damage enough for Farmboy to put the game out of reach. As has been the case in this one-sided rivalry so far, they did their job there in what was the most lopsided contest these teams have had so far. From the opening snap, it was clear that Konstantin Vollmacht and Gudbrand Taurus would control the line of scrimmage and draw blockers, as the push they generated forced RJ Linetti to roll out and right into the path of a train coming full-steam-ahead in Gideon Kearse after poor tackle Burton Baxter was absolutely manhandled on the snap to give the fearmonger a clean shot. Linnetti fumbled, and while Noah Sherman reacted quickly enough to dive on it, it was still a huge loss and an immediately demoralizing play for a team that had put so much time in to finally bring down Ranoria.

The next two plays were aggressive incompletions as they tried to get the ball back down the field, and Farmboy would have no such struggles. Despite Matt Dawson getting pressure, the 13 year pro stepped up through a wide open center of the pocket caused by the Surge's interior line both rushing outside the guards and immedietely went deep to big Khalil Hauptmann.

Aidan O'Connor's eyes were on the ball the entire time, and with it being a tight corner route down the sideline, safety Gary Bradman just couldn't quite get there in time to help him over the top. O'Connor timed it right, made the jump, but it was a beautiful ball going to a man who's a chicken biscuit away from being a tight end - Hauptmann snatched the ball out of the air and stumbled over the falling O'Connor only for Bradman to knock him out of bounds before he could get a full head of steam. The GFLB superstar rolled right back to his feet and signaled for the first down on a 33 yard gain. It was early, sure, but this was already starting to look like every other matchup between these two squads, and when John Garrett hit big tight end Vasily Schmidt for a touchdown, it was seven-zip more quickly than anyone would've liked to admit.

The Surge got the ball and it was clear, early troubles or no, Linetti wasn't rattled yet - this was never going to be easy. But his mobility, for the second drive in a row, was completely stifled. Konstantin Vollmacht and Gudbrand Taurus are two of the best interior rushers in the game, and the game plan this week was clearly to have them maintain their rush lanes and squeeze the middle of the line. Sure, it limited their sack opportunities, but it plugged up the middle of the field and put two many bodies in the way for Linetti to have a chance at dashing through open space that way. And while Kearse and Fairbanks were far more liberal in their tenacious approach off the edge, Judas Wolfson played almost every snap of this game, and all but two of those came in the box. Sage Sterling took his spot back deep at strong safety as the coaching staff clearly trusts the disciplined youngster in a starting role now, and Wolfson served as a quarterback spy. Linetti can beat most teams with his arm alone, but the Krauts are not most teams and their front four looked ruthless in this showing as they recorded a second first quarter sack, this one coming from Abram Fairbanks after a ghost rush left him virtually unblocked on the superstar's blindside - it's a wonder he held onto the ball, really.

Fairbanks roared his triumph into the stands with a mix of Chromatik, Ranorian, and Yeezie fans - this ball was coming right back, and they had no intention of slowing down yet. Another march down the field as John Garrett went 5/7 on the drive and hooked up with Isaak Rodriguez this time on a stop-and-go on a slant that Mason Schwartz only half-bit on. But with a guy as fast as Rodgriguez, you don't get second chances - he cut right up the field between the two safeties for a 13 yard touchdown, and ran straight through the back of the end zone before flipping the ball into the stands with a hop and a skip.

Before the end of the half, it was up to a 21-3 game, with Linetti having pulled one of the most ridiculous plays of the World Bowl to get into field goal range. After an Albatross Vergol sack on second down put him back at 3^rd and 18, Linnetti stepped up to try and find a receiver, only for Konstantin Vollmacht to bowl his center right back into him. Somehow, the Surge's superstar stayed up, pushing himself off of Vollmacht's freakishly large arm and backpedaled, pulling back to throw just as Abram Fairbanks cut his legs out from under him.

It was off platform, off-rhythm, and Sean Morgan-Horne was running right with Deshaun Fredericks, but the young wideout was able to flash his lands late and snag a dime of a pass for a ten yard gain to get them in range for a 58-yarder from James Rasputin. Desperate this early maybe - but they needed their star kicker to get them on the board, and he was able to do that.

After getting a three and out to open the second half, Linnetti had good field position to start his first drive of the period, but finally Gudbrand Taurus lost his discipline for one play and tried to make an outside move on his rush, opening the middle of the field for Linetti - he made him pay for it. Kaiser Belfort's a good linebacker, but he's just not fast enough to catch the dual-threat in space, and with Bricks Sterling playing just a bit closer, Agnor Viridian was the only one who'd get a shot - Surge wideout Patrick Moore gave just enough of a block to watch his quarterback run in for a 58 yard score to get this one to 21-10.

For the first time since this thing started, Yeezie fans had a glimmer of hope. The Krauts, though, drove right down the field, and it'd be
Vice Jackson III running in a touchdown from seven yards out to make it 28-10.

Surge WR Deshawn Fredericks - who's taken a bigger role with superstar Bruce Dobler out for the season - got another highlight-worthy play on the next drive. Linetti managed to get close enough to take a shot, and on 3^rd and 9 from the 21, rather than go for the first, they went for it all. Fredericks - lined up against much-maligned Sterling Dillon, ran a sharp post into the goal line. He and Dillon have some history in the RFL, with Dillon breaking up a pass in what was not only their mutual rookie year, but first ever contest, and celebrating by waggling a finger in Fredericks' face before the wideout took him for a 44 yard score. Fredericks - who also caught 5 for 70 yards on him the next season, has made that same gesture on each catch on Dillon since, and he did it again here as the worst starter on this Krauts team was absolutely torched against a budding star.

Exciting as it was, it was the last of these two going back and forth - John Garrett made it 35-17 with his fourth touchdown pass of the night before the Krauts started pounding the rock - whether it was Apollo Esther, Vice Jackson III, or Gauge Lawson, it seemed the Surge had no answer in what was already a blowout - they allowed three straight field goal drives as Ranoria ran it up to 44-20, with Lawson being the man to break through on 3rd and 1 to run the clock down enough to make this score official.

Watch: John Garrett puts the Surge to bed with his fourth touchdown
on the day

John Garrett could be seen speaking with both Saint Kanye quarterbacks RJ Linetti and Tim Hunt - both of whom he's shown a positive attitude towards off the field, and after his 358 yard, four touchdown performance - we're pretty sure his shoulder's good to go. Once again, while these are two elite teams, it seems that on the field, whether it's a matchup issue or - more unlikely - a sheer talent differential, there's a gap between these two squads. And for the second time, Ranoria will be passed from Saint Kanye's World Bowl 42 runner up squad to a Delaclava team that's been two four straight semifinals, but has lost to our Krauts in two of them.

One of these two trends has to give - will the quarterback change to Michael Willis open the floodgates for a team with the talent to go the distance, or be stumbling block for a team that's been so dominant for so long? The Delaclav superstar was vocal in saying that it took the Krauts' best game ever - and we're not sure we can argue with him - to throttle the Phoenixes 37-10 in the World Bowl 43 semifinal last time these two teams met, and that he wants to avenge that nightmare in Catherina.

He'll get his shot - but can he overcome a team looking to get one last ride out of some of the best players in recent gridiron history? Phoenixes will rise again and again, but the cold of the upcoming "Freeze Bowl" may not be as kind to their flames as it is to a team fielding three running backs who took 300+ carries last RFL season.

Anyway, you won't have to wait long to find out - Delaclava vs Ranoria, round 3 is coming on tonight!

by **Chromatika** » Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:24 pm

Welcome to the Quarterfinals in the deep freeze! Who makes it to the Semifinals? Cutoff!

World Bowl 45 Quarterfinals

Q1: (01) Drawkland 30-7 (09) HUElavia
United Center, Urrheddiao, Urrhed Island (Cap. 120,000, 28,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 12PM Conditions: 38F, rain

Q2: (04) Banija 7-6 (05) Ko-oren
Johnston Memorial Stadium, Staramara, Urrhed Island (Cap. 4,500)
Kickoff: 4:25 PM Conditions: 37F, sleet

Q3: (07) Gyatso-kai 24-37 (02) Chromatika (scored by Tumbra)
Firehawks' Roost, Felswyr, Mountain District (Cap. 38,000)
Kickoff: 7:30 PM Conditions: 18F, clear skies

Q4: (13) Ranoria 46-25 (06) Delaclava
Z'ai'ai Field (Cap. 113,000, 40,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 4:25 PM Conditions: 31F, light snow

World Bowl 45 Semifinals Draw

S1: (01) Drawkland vs. (04) Banija
RCK Field, Alnio, Capital District (Cap. 100,400, 32,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 4:25 PM Forecast: 22F, blizzard

S2: (02) Chromatika vs. (13) Ranoria
The Shock, Wirr Tsi, Capital District (Cap. 51,350, 18,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 7:30 PM Forecast: 11F, blizzard

by **Drawkland** » Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:36 pm

CORPSGUY725'S BLOG

World Bowl XLV Quarterfinal Preview
It's All About Careful Optimism ...

Let's review the footage here. The Grid Corps somehow managed to not bungle the end of the group stage. Drawkland went on to play a somewhat-heated rival in the first round of the playoffs, and came away with the win. Now we sit with the second-easiest quarterfinal draw, with the inside track for a semifinal berth and a potential final. You would've expected the Grid Corps to falter before this point, or perhaps right now. So far, though, Drawkland has won games when it counted.

How long can that last? I'll dive a little bit deeper into that later in the post, but for now let's do a quick review from where we left off.

End of the Group Stage

With two games left to go in the group stage, Drawkland held the #1 spot in the group. The Corps was fresh off defeating Delaclava, which came off the heels of our first loss of the group stage, a bizarre upset to Arjunnagar. Instead of letting that failure kill all momentum, the Corps pivoted and proceeded to spank the Phoenixes in front of the roaring home crowd in Metropolon. Not only did this give us sole control of the top spot in Group E, but it gave us the head-to-head tiebreaker over Delaclava, on top of a one game lead. With just two games to go, Drawkland had already clinched a playoff berth. A single win would clinch the top spot in the group, and winning out would ensure the #1 seed in the playoffs. Everybody was wondering if the Corps could handle the pressure and go into the playoffs with real momentum.

The penultimate matchup would be against our old rivals in Abanhfleft. We blanked them 21-zip in the first leg, but that was at home in Metropolon. Against an old rival, on home turf, looking to get revenge for the embarrassment 5 weeks prior, it was no secret that this was going to be a tough game. This isn't even mentioning that Abanhfleft were chasing one of the few remaining playoff spots, and that Drawkland still had a home game against the group's unranked team to give some wiggle room. Drawkland were favored in this matchup, but if I were a betting man, I would've taken the under.

This game was physical and hard-fought. Both defenses absolutely came to play. The first leg against the Revolutionaries was won in the trenches, after all. The Corps defense won on the line of scrimmage and stymied the Fleftic run game, while also limiting the passing game. Meanwhile, the Corps O-line bullied the Fleftic front and allowed the Drawkian running back committee to run wild all game. This second leg featured a similar brand of possession-based, mistake-limiting football. This time, the Fleftic O-line had a more effective gameplan for containing Leo Cross. It's difficult to contain him, but even more difficult to contain him while continuing to protect against the other weapons in the Drawkian front seven (Wimbley, Dawson, Hartwell, Holt, etc). They did a better job, but not perfect. Abanhfleft would open the scoring on their second drive with a nice pass from Wes Soderlund to Palmer Morel, a 30-yard strike on 2nd down. Drawkland wouldn't respond until the second quarter, when Jack Hoy busted open a 42-yard run for paydirt. With a two-point conversion successful (Dustin Beck read option), Drawkland had the lead. Both teams would go into the locker rooms at halftime with the score 7-8.

While Drawkland was winning the time of possession and field position battle, the Corps offense was finding it hard to complete drives. A couple aggressive fourth down calls that didn't work out ended several drives in field goal range with no points, and though Beck had some solid passes, the Fleftic secondary was doing a good job at taking away the deep ball. Late in the third, the Corps offense would finally put together a long scoring drive. Dustin Beck threw a short pass to Jonathan Kimbrough on the goalline, and Matt Adams would get the ball on a triple option to complete the 2-point play. Now Drawkland had a two score lead going into the fourth, but this is where Soderlund clutched up and got Abanhfleft into the red zone. Their drive would fizzle out and only result in a field goal, but now the lead was shrunk to just six points.

The next Drawkian drive got past midfield and took away a lot of the clock, but we couldn't get into field goal range before being forced to punt. Jared Flan did his job perfectly and pinned the Fleftics inside the five, but they managed to roll all the way down the field. Time was running short by now. Needing a touchdown to stay alive, the Revolutionaries got into the red zone with just a minute left on the clock and no timeouts. The home crowd's hopes were dashed, though, when Soderlund got sacked and lost the football with thirty seconds left. It was none other than Prokopios Roijakkers, lined up at linebacker, who slipped past the D-line and careened into Soderlund's blind spot at the perfect time to jar the ball loose. A knee later, and it was over. Drawkland had just swept Abanhfleft for the tournament, or so we thought at the time.

With the group title now in hand, and just needing a win against the unranked Jovannic at home, the last game could've been cruise control. Glenn Romano didn't want to risk a loss though, so he kept the starters in for the home finale. It would be a beautiful game for all the Drawkian fans in attendance, as the Corps would score six touchdowns en route to a 48-7 win. Even Lane Proudfoot would score a touchdown, thanks to a red zone screen pass to Mike Banks in garbage time. Wow, he can actually throw the football? I'm shocked, really ...

Round of 16 (Abanhfleft)

The group stage ended, and the playoff seedings were confirmed. Drawkland, at 9-1 and a hefty +174 differential, had easily snagged the #1 seed in the playoffs. The only other 9-1 team was the hosting Chromatika, who didn't even break 100 PD. Sad! For the first time in World Bowl history, Drawkland would be the top seed in the playoffs. You may think that's surprising, but Drawkland has been known to have only half-decent group stages and go off when it counts in the playoffs. Mostly.

Meanwhile, Abanhfleft rebounded from their second defeat at Drawkian hands with a 23-point win against Arjunnagar. Thanks to Kohnhead only slightly choking against South Americanastan rather than completely collapsing, Abanhfleft's point differential was enough to earn them the final playoff spot as the best-performing fourth place group finisher. This set them up for a date with none other than the Grid Corps, for the third time. The hosting administration in Chromatika was willing to swap lower seeds to avoid group stage rematches in the first round, but our very own Quebec & Shingoryeo occupied the 15 seed, so that would be a group rematch either way. Thus, the stage was set for Drawkland vs Abanhfleft III: the ultimate rubber match.

This matchup was definitely going to be scary. Abanhfleft had come terrifyingly close to getting a last-second touchdown to take the lead and the win in the second group stage match. Without young Proko's heroics, we might've lost that game. If there was ever a time for Abanhfleft to finally get their revenge in this rather one-sided rivalry, the time was now. Drawkland finally looked to be in position to make a true title run again, and wouldn't it be so convenient for our old rivals to nip it at the bud?

For the most stressful ten football minutes of my life, it almost seemed that way.

It was neck-and-neck from the opening drive. Drawkland got the ball first, and we drove down the field with authority. Dustin Beck barely had to throw the ball thanks to the churning wheels of Hoy and Adams, but he still went 4/4 with a couple clutch passes on third down. This opening drive took up a lot of clock thanks to the lack of incompletions and most plays being runs. By the time Jack Hoy punched it in from two yards out, the first quarter was halfway over. Beck would hit Jackie Morris on a fade route for the two-point conversion, a ballsy call that worked out in our favor. Abanhfleft would respond immediately with a long touchdown drive of their own, capped with a short Eldon Warne run. In a bit of a surprise move, the Fleftic squad opted to go for two as well, to try and keep up with the aggressive Corps tactics. Soderlund's pass went wide, though, and the Revolutionaries had to settle for six.

By now it was almost the second quarter. The Corps would punt on our next drive, and Abanhfleft responded with a field goal to take the lead, 8-9. The Corps would pull off another long drive down the field, but fail on fourth and goal to come away with zero points. Abanhfleft responded by driving 90 yards down the field themselves, but against the defense tightened in the clutch and forced them to take a field goal as time winded down in the second quarter. The score was 8-12, but it felt like Drawkland would come back at any moment.

That moment came midway through the third quarter thanks to Dustin Beck. The Drawkian drive got a much-needed jolt when the veteran Beck sprung from the pocket on third and long and scrambled fifteen yards for the first down and then some. This loosened up the Fleftic defense considerably. On the very next play, the offensive line protection broke down again, and Beck rolled to his right. He jab stepped up the field to shake the pursuing linebacker, giving him just enough space to heave downfield and hit Kenneth Hewitt on a deep bomb inside the five yard line. First and goal, Jack Hoy got stuffed, but second and goal featured Beck keeping the ball himself and plunging into the end zone to take the lead. Unfortunately the two-pointer would fail, and we'd have just a two-point lead, 14-12.

Punts were traded off, and Abanhfleft proceeded to put things together on an unbelievable drive that featured five conversions on third down. Soderlund would hit Luther Dunleavy on a bullet right down the middle to score the touchdown. This time they went sensible and kicked the PAT, and now Drawkland had a little over eight minutes to make something happen.

The first attempt would fall short, as Beck was shoved back on a QB sneak on 4th and 1 just past midfield. It seemed like hope might have been lost, but against the defense clutched up and forced a three and out. There was now just three minutes left to play, and still a five-point deficit to worry about. Once again, Dustin Beck would put the team on his back, finding room for his receivers and taking the ball himself when necessary. Effective play calling and clock management got the Corps to first and goal from the nine yard line with a whole minute left to play.

First down, Beck finds Kimbrough in the middle of the field, short of the goalline but moving the ball closer.

Second down, Beck tries a fade pass to Hewitt in the corner, but sails it.

Third down, Beck pump fakes a quick pass from shotgun, then rockets past the line and dives to the end zone.

Touchdown Drawkland. Two pointer, a shovel pass to Adams, brings us a three point lead with pitifully few seconds left on the clock.

A couple incompletions later, and Drawkland had once against beaten Abanhfleft, completing the tournament sweep. How's that for some drama?

Quarterfinal Preview (HUElavia)

The win over Abanhfleft brings both good news and bad news to the table for the Grid Corps going forward. The good news: the Corps is clutch, and can come away with the win even in a close game when it matters most. The bad news: Drawkland had trouble beating a team barely in the top fifteen rank-wise, and now we're facing a team of similar caliber. Sure, point to the fact that we beat Delaclava twice, but I think at this point that the Phoenixes are washed anyway.

HUElavia has a solid squad, but I think many pundits agree that a quarterfinal appearance is their ceiling right now. It would be bizarre if the Corps loses this game, but I've seen some way more bizarre shit in my lifetime watching this team. Please, nobody remind me that the Greater Vakolicci Haven exists. Still, the HUElavians did beat Kohnhead in the last round, and the Brains are a hardy team. Ultimately I think this game should be a win, but you never know what could happen.

I have to go to sleep now. The portal lag has done a number on me and I have to fly to Urrheddiao tomorrow. By the way, who the FUCK thought it was a good idea to hold a World Bowl when a polar vortex is a possibility? All I have is a hoodie, but that's because I wear a hoodie everywhere to mask the insecurity about my body. Nobody told me I needed a goddamn parka and snow boots to watch these games! Let me post this real quick before I die of frostbite.

corpsguy725 out

by **Banija** » Fri Sep 23, 2022 6:08 pm

"Stand up and be counted"- Banijan defense finally answers the bell in tight, 7-6, quarterfinal victory over Ko-oren

Serpent Eagles celebrate forcing and recovering a fumble late in the fourth quarter against Ko-oren

STARAMARA, URRHED ISLAND, CHROMATIKA- "Many people believe that, when the going gets tough, that they should look for a way out- that they should find a way to say that things aren't my fault." Said Coach Thomas Hall in a pre-game press conference. "This quarterfinal against Ko-oren- we're going to be in for the fight of our damn lives. We know how they play gridiron. We know how games against them go. We know that we've been challenged on defense, repeatedly, time and time again, and haven't yet had to answer the bell." The head coach, of course, is also the defensive play-caller, as his roots are in defense, particularly as he is the all-time RFL interception leader. "I'm challenging my players here- don't let your heads sink. Stand up and be counted. Don't sit here and say, 'oh, we got a ring last time, it doesn't matter. Oh, they'll criticize the unit, not us as individuals. Oh, we'll still get paid'. Nope- every single person on that side of the ball needs to stand up and say, 'we're capable of playing like the best damned defense in the world'. Nothing less- nothing less- will be good enough against the Dragonflies."

It was a very public callout of his own defense, which can be a risky move for a head coach. This is a team, of course, that got third place at the Olympiad and who are, as many know, the World Bowl defending champs. A callout like that could sink morale, and cause things to spiral. But there's a reason that Thomas Hall is a championship winning head coach, right? There's a reason he's been to two World Bowl Finals in his first five cycles with this team, right? He knows how to push his team's buttons, and when the situation called for it here, he pushed exactly the right buttons. The defense was eager and ready to respond to the call, knowing that Ko-oren's style of play, and the ferocity of their own defense, meant that our own Eagles wings could not fly quite as high as we were used to. But when this game kicked off, we were certainly in for a doozie of a contest.

The Dragonflies won the opening coin toss, and chose to take the football. Unfortunately for them, after a lone first down, they would be forced to punt. But they've got what is traditionally the best defense in this competition for a reason, right? Forcing a three and out got them the football back quickly, and they started to go to work. A 6 minute drive would drive them down to the Banijan 20 yard line, leaving them knocking on the door for points. But then, a poorly timed(for Ko-oren) holding penalty, followed by a Birom Ogunsola sack, set them back to the Banijan 36. Abner Bennett is still an elite kicker, however, and the 35 year old drilled a 53 yard kick that probably would've been good from 63, it had that much leg. 3-0 Ko-oren.

The Banijan offense continued to struggle, as the teams traded three and outs for the rest of the quarter- Banija doing it twice, Ko-oren once. But when Ko-oren got the ball with about a minute left in the second quarter, they'd turn to the big play to really try and turn the screws on the Banijans. A simple play design- a halfback toss for Spencer Gallway. He was able to hit the hole on the toss, make Demas Akech miss a few yards up the field, and then they were off to the races. In his younger days, the 33 year old HB was probably never gonna be caught from behind. Alas, these aren't those days, and after rumbling for 65 yards, it was a shoestring chasedown tackle by strong safety Hebron Okungu, which would bring him down at the 15. 1st and 10 for Ko-oren.

And then, after an 11 yard pass to TE Kas Voorhorst, it was 1st and goal for Ko-oren at the 4. Dire times for Banija. Going down 10-0 to a team like Ko-oren, with that kind of defense? It's nearly a death sentence. First down, fade to WR Bryan Welsh- but knocked away in a one v. one situation by Koman Tabor. Second down, Alastair Thorebourne up the middle for 2 yards. Third down, they went for a hard sell on the play-action- but the Banijan defense stayed home, and QB Pier Masman, being chased by Banijan EDGE Onindo Agot, threw the ball into the stands. That gave the Dragonflies an interesting decision- 4th and goal, from the 2. Settle for the field, keep it a one possession game? Dragonflies head coach Stij Batterink knows how dangerous Ko-oren is with a two possession lead. Really gets their opponents chasing, and gives them a legitimate chance to put a stranglehold on this game.

After taking a timeout to think about it, the Dragonflies trotted out their goal line offense. "Stand up and be counted"- Thomas Hall's quote. Banija's defense, with a stop, could, at least temporarily, eliminate any negative thing that anybody's thought or said about this defense throughout this tournament. The Dragonflies simply tried to power it through, with Gallway to go over the top. But they go no push at all- Essa Marong blew through the interior line, and Gallway barely got into the air, as Marong brought him down in the backfield for the turnover on downs. Coach Hall had to be held back from sprinting out of the coach's box to celebrate with his players, as the ol' ball coach was fired up.

That momentum would flow towards the offense, who had been in a rut. A 20 yard pass to Kalu Alazar helped get out of the end zone on the first play, and Ifeatu Chineze marched them the length of the field. That's right- against the world's greatest defense, with quite a few chunk plays, Ifeatu Chineze marched the Banijans 98 yards. It was Lafi Senghore's shiftiness on the final play, taking a 2nd and 1 screen at the Ko-orenite 24, making a Dragonflies defender miss, and then simply outsprinting everybody down the sideline, diving into the end zone with an impressive display of athleticism. It is incredibly rare to use a length of the field drive against a team like Ko-oren- although, in fairness, it's rare to basically score in any sort of way against a defense like Ko-oren. The PAT was good, and Banija took our first lead of the game, by a score of 7-3.

The Ko-orenites ran a decent two minute drill at the end of the half, giving Abner Bennett a 61 yard field goal attempt on the last play of the half. A gargantuan attempt- an impressive kick just to get the leg, but he couldn't keep the accuracy, with the kick slightly wide right. A slim 7-3 Banijan lead at halftime, but with plenty of interesting stuff left to happen. Coming out of halftime, we immediately went three and out, and had to punt. But Ko-oren punt returner Clé Moreau was shifty, returning the ball all the way to the Banijan 33 yard line, making them ready for business. But after Ko-oren got a first down and into the red zone, the Banijans stiffened up. On a third and 7 from the Banijan 12, Ko-oren had a wide open Giles Costigan, streaking over the middle. Would've been an easy touchdown, but Pier Masman's pass was knocked down at the line of scrimmage by DE Calamus Otieno. It was a short, 29 yard field goal- Abner Bennett drilled it, and with just around 11 minutes left in the third, it was just a one point game- Banija 7, Ko-oren 6.

After Banija went three and out again, the Ko-orenites started to drive down the field, looking as if they would drive to take the lead. After crossing midfield, they were in perfect position to do so. But Banija's secondary stood up. Masman tried to force a pass, under serious pressure, to a blanketed Giles Costigan. Makang Secka stepped in front of the ball and intercepted it, immediately brought down at his own team's 37 yard line. A massive defensive play, when Banija were on the brink of giving up the lead, to keep Banija ahead. A few drives later, the Serpent Eagles were able to get into Ko-orenite territory, and had a chance to expand their lead from 1 to 4, which would've been huge in such a low-scoring contest. A very makeable field goal, too, from 44 yards. But Magne Binnenmars got around the edge, and blocked the kick, as Ko-oren would get the ball at almost midfield.

The Banijan defense made a stand after that, so once again, early in the fourth quarter, the Banijans had the ball deep within our territory. But we were able to move the ball, again on the back of some solid chunk plays, and got into the red zone, all the way down to the 15. A 5 minute drive, we had a 3rd and 2 from the Ko-oren 15 yard line. But things went haywire. Chineze, forced by pressure, had to throw the ball a beat too early- and Ko-oren's defense weren't going to let that slide. A fantastic diving interception by Ko-orenite CB Herman Jennings, who turned the game on its head. 8 and half minutes left, with the Dragonflies down at their own 2 yard line, but only down one point.

A drive like this, in this situation- well, that would make Piers Masman quite a legend, right? Ko-oren's not known for their legendary QBs, but they've got a whole host of titles- he desperately wants that title of 'world champion' as well. Dragonflies coaches trusted him even with his back against the end zone, and Piers Masman repaid their show of trust. 8 yards here, 13 yards there. He was making all the right decisions, as the team was moving with the ball at a great rate. And when they got to the Banijan 32, well- you can listen to the Banijan radio call for that play.

A massive play for the Banijans to force the fumble. 4:11 left in the contest, the Dragonflies have all their timeouts. But the Banijans have first and 10 from their own 7, even though they recovered at the 22- Coach Hall got a 15 yard penalty for running onto the field after the play to chest bump Ayax Kowatme, who had recovered the fumble. Banija had one job- ensure that their opponents would not have a chance to get the football back. The Serpent Eagles, from their own 7, were aggressive straight out of the gate. Entrusted the ball in the hands of their star QB, as they went for a play action. Kalu Alazar caught a strike over the middle of the field on a post route, gaining 30 yards, and a crucial early first down. And with 3:20 left, the Serpent Eagles were snapping the football. 4 yards to Elasah Okumu on the ground, and then a 10 yard reverse and another crucial first down for Kawsu Gaye, which brought the ball to the Ko-oren 49 yard line, and the 2 minute warning.

The next series could end the game- the Dragonflies would surely use their timeouts here. First down, HB Elasah Okumu carried for 2 yards. On second down, he was busted in the backfield for no gain. 3rd and 8 from the Ko-oren 47.... And well, we'll let the Banijan radio call take it from here as well.

Thomas Hall was animated after the contest. "LET'S F*$*@ GO!" The Head Coach said. "This win- this win showed exactly what we are made out of. This team is gutsy, is gritty. We pick each other up. That, right there- what you saw was the heart of a championship caliber team, digging deep with our backs against the wall, and doing what was necessary to get that win. Ensuring Piers Masman wouldn't have one more chance to beat us. Sello, who's been a backup, coming up HUGE when his number was called. So many dudes stepped up today- what a game, what a win."

The win will put Banija into the World Bowl semifinals for the second straight tournament, and the third of Thomas Hall's reign- who is now in his sixth cycle as Banija's head coach. Our opponents? None other than the Grid Corps themselves, the knockout stage's #1 overall seed, Drawkland. There's not much to say here- we'll do a full, in-depth preview in our next edition. Never too early to book a flight to Alnio though, is it?

by **Drawkland** » Fri Sep 23, 2022 10:48 pm

CORPSGUY725'S BLOG

World Bowl XLV Semifinal Preview
The Deep Freeze Consumes

Thankfully, I managed to avoid dying of hypothermia during this quarterfinal matchup against HUElavia. Also, Drawkland won and punched our ticket to the semifinal game against Banija. That's it, that's the blog post, go home.

Just kidding. Seriously though, I think I got frostbite in my fingers, so the typing is coming pretty slowly. Hopefully you guys can appreciate a slightly abbreviated recap for this post.

Quarterfinal Review (HUElavia)

Don't get me wrong, HUElavia isn't necessarily an elite team, but they have the ability to score points. They averaged well over 30 points a game, just like us, and scored 33 points against Kohnhead in the first round. The question was if their defense, which allowed over 10 points a game more than we did, could keep up with the Corps. The short answer? They couldn't.

To me, the highlight of the game was actually in our defense. See, HUElavia was expecting to give up at least three touchdowns in this game, and they did. The question was if Drawkland's defense could hold the HUElavians down long enough to get a sizable lead, and thus force HUElavia into a one-dimensional passing offense. In all honesty, everything worked to perfection in this game. You could point to times this tournament that Drawkland scored 40, or shut out opponents, but I feel like this game was almost flawless.

HUElavia's only points all game came late in the fourth quarter, in garbage time. Vilca Chaupin led his team down the field (they had gotten a short field from a failed fourth down conversion by the Corps) and fit the ball to Najeeb al-Zaman in the red zone to get their only points of the night. Besides that, it was the Drawkland show all game. Leo Cross and the rest of the defensive line had a field day terrorizing the trenches, like Proko and the secondary made life hell for the HUElavian receivers.

On the offensive side of the ball, the offensive line won the battle in the trenches and enabled Jack Hoy & Co. to run rampant all game. Sounds familiar, right? It was eerily similar to several of our group stage wins, and I'm not gonna complain about that. After our first two touchdown drives, it was clear that the running game was going to get the job done, so Romano opted for simple possession-based football and put together a solid gameplan that iced the game thanks, again, to the excellent defensive clinic the Corps D was putting on.

Many people think of Dustin Beck as a flashy running quarterback. Even in his advanced age, he's still that electric sort of player, but he's truly at his best when he's able to game manage, contribute a little bit to the run game, and efficiently sling the ball downfield on play-action. Beck scored a touchdown on the ground and another in the air (sort of - it was a screen pass to Hoy), and that's all he needed to do. Hoy contributed another touchdown on the ground and Matt Adams would score six points of his own.

It was as simple of a win that you can get at this level, and probably supremely painful for HUElavian fans to experience. They will likely break the top ten in the rankings after this cycle, though, so at least there's some solace there. Maybe someday they will reach the upper echelons of the World Bowl, but this cycle was not that time.

Speaking of the upper echelons ...

Semifinal Preview (Banija)

The "Deep Freeze," as it's apparently being called, has really set in here in Chromatika. I'm going to be honest, I am freezing my fat ass off here. I thought that rainy game against HUElavia was chilly enough, but apparently it's supposed to be TWENTY-TWO DEGREES and a fucking BLIZZARD for our semifinal matchup against Banija. Are you actually shitting me? This should be considered a war crime. And, oh, what a coincidence, Chromatika has made it to the semis? Color me surprised ...

Alright, (half-)joking misgivings aside, this is going to throw a big wrench in the works for this semifinal matchup. Adverse weather conditions are always going to pose a challenge in games, and it can produce some very weird results. It may not be the best team that goes on to the World Bowl final, but merely the one that can put together a drive or two in the face of a unrelenting slog of precipitation and freezing cold conditions.

Enough bitching about the weather though, how about the matchup itself?

The Drawkland vs Banija rivalry has been slowly developing for years. In all honesty, its biggest effects can be seen at the college level, both on the turf and the hardwood. The Net Corps went to five straight semifinals and won two titles, and soon after Banija's basketball national team went on to win four straight. Sadeg State won their first NSCAA title against Banija's University of Moravica, and Cavsar eliminated Bunyoro A&M in a hotly-contested Final Four matchup. Sadeg State also won their first NSCF title against a Banijan school, that being Northern Moravica. Now think of the high-profile matchups in past World Bowls. Anybody remember when the 15-win, unbeaten Grid Corps fell to the Serpent Eagles in the quarterfinals of World Bowl XXXI? That was before they were even a truly elite football nation!

There is a lot of history with Drawkians and Banijans balling out their hardest in the highest levels of competition. This matchup will be more of the same, and given the weather forecast and stakes, this is set up to be an instant classic. From a tournament standpoint, this is a hefty matchup. For one, it's chalk for the playoffs seedings, #1 vs #4. Both teams are top ten and will likely be top five after this Bowl is finished regardless of the exact results from here. Nobody would bat an eye if this was a championship pairing.

Both teams have been doing very well on both sides of the ball. The dominance of Jack Hoy has been revamped and Dustin Beck has been playing very good football for his age, not to mention the Corps defensive unit as a whole has performed well, ignoring a couple stinkers in the group stage. How's Banija doing? Almost exactly the same. Their defense just held Ko-oren to six points (that's not a huge accomplishment, because that's just how Ko-oren rolls, but it's still no easy feat), and they dismantled TJUN-ia in the first round. They were just a couple points away from having the same record as Drawkland in the group stage, too.

Did I mention that Banija are the defending champions?

The offensive and defensive units for both squads will have their hands full, no doubt. At this level, though, players and coaches relish this challenge. I'll be honest, the Grid Corps got a pretty easy draw for the first two rounds, but that's what happens when you get the best seed in the playoffs. Now it comes time to play big games against big teams, as one does in a World Bowl semifinal. Overall this game is a toss-up, and whoever comes out victorious is going to have a very good chance at winning it all.

Well, looking at the other semifinal matchup, that may be a little hasty. Chromatika vs Ranoria is an insane matchup for another long list of reasons. Let me just say that if we do manage to beat Banija (I'm not convinced we will), the championship is going to be a spicy matchup no matter what. Either we get another shot at Ranoria in the playoffs, or we get another shot at Chromatika in the playoffs. There's no love lost between any of these teams. No matter the results this weekend, the third place game and championship are going to be absolutely insane games. Whoever gets the money from World Bowl TV ratings must be absolutely creaming themselves right now, because this is about to be total bliss for every diehard football fan in the multiverse for the next two weeks.

I'm just praying that we can make this run count, because I don't know when the Corps is going to be performing this well again. I'm also praying that this team is actually good, and that we didn't just benefit from playing in a group with a secretly terrible top seed and overperformed a bit. Something something, paper tiger. See you guys in Alnio.

corpsguy725 out

by **Chromatika** » Sat Sep 24, 2022 6:48 pm

Iron Legion Outlast Gyatso-kai at Firehawks' Roost

FIREHAWKS' ROOST, FELSWYR, MOUNTAIN DISTRICT - With temperatures dropping to single digits by the Fourth Quarter, a sold out crowd in the stadium that many of the stars on the team called their home field in college, and the majority of the crowd behind them, Sarai Gwenderyn and the Iron Legion overcame a spirited effort from Gyatso-kai to advance to yet another World Bowl Semifinal and punch a ticket to an epic matchup between Chromatika and Ranoria to take place at The Shock in Wirr Tsi.

Chromatika had swept Gyatso-kai throughout the Group Stage, but neither game had been a blowout; to their credit, Gyatso-kai had kept the games close, and actually had some chances to pull off the upset.

Mit Wobet took the opening kickoff and scored the game's first score on a nice fade route to Atin Uthan, eating up six minutes in the process and quieting the sold-out crowd. The Boarqupines were using misdirection effectively to buy precious seconds before Park Mi-Hyeon and Jere Rinaldi could figure it out, and the rhythm-based offense was really working on the Chromatik corners. With Gwenderyn being kept inches short on a third-and-two from the Iron Legion 49, Chromatika had to punt; Gyatso-kai would score their only Field Goal of the game to make it 10-0, and the First Quarter ended with the home crowd feeling a bit peeved. Not full-on panic, but peeved indeed.

In the Second Quarter, Gwenderyn and the Iron Legion started to get going. Lana Rhodes carried the ball five times for thirty-two yards, Gwenderyn completed two third-and-shorts by finding NIles Gwivern in the flat, and, on a third-and-goal from the Gyatso-kai three yard line, Gwenderyn froze the opposing defense for a full second on a pump fake before taking off around the left end for Chromatika's first touchdown of the game, cutting the lead to three points and giving the home crowd something to celebrate about. The ensuing drive saw Rinaldi find Wobet in the backfield on third-and-six, and Gyatso-kai punted; Chromatika would then go on a fourteen-play, 79 yard drive that ate up more than eight minutes on the clock, resulting in Lana Rhodes punching the ball in from the one yard line to give the Iron Legion the lead that they would not relinquish.

The Third Quarter was more of the same. Chromatika would go on long, time-eating, drives - twenty-three yard slant route to Mio for the third score and a fifty yard field goal by Markseon - and go up, 24-10. Gyatso-kai would score on a neat pass to close the gap, but by then, it was the Fourth Quarter, things were getting super cold, and Gwenderyn and company weren't going to let this one slip out of their hands.

It could be said that Chromatika were a bit conservative in the Fourth Quarter. Their defense generated two more turnovers, and both times, the team settled for Field Goals, being satisfied with burning out the clock and not exposing players to potential injuries in the cold weather. Then, when Gyatso-kai finally scored another touchdown to reach their final score of twenty-four points, Gwenderyn led the Iron Legion on another 12-play, 81 yard drive to close out the game with barely two minutes remaining.

"It was great to return back to Felswyr State," admitted Wide Receiver Alessandra Mio after the match, "It was good to see familiar faces and remember what it was like to play in Felswyr during the winter."

When asked about playing in the bitter cold, Sarai Gwenderyn explained, "It's a challenge, but not one that we don't know how to handle. We've dealt with it all throughout my collegiate career, and things aren't that much warmer in Ranoria anyway. The cold gives you the opportunity to show that you won't get bothered by it, and the cold respects you when you make such a statement."

Things are supposed to be even more ugly for the Semifinal - the forecast calls for eleven degrees and heavy snow at kickoff. The snow is expected to come and go throughout the game, but temperatures may hit zero degrees during the second half.

"It's the perfect venue to finally get to play Ranoria in," Gwenderyn expressed, a twinkle in her eye, "They're one of the best teams in recent history, the majority if not all of them play in the RFL, and it's about time that we played them in the World Bowl. It's going to be a unique challenge, facing them in the cold, but most of their team know how to handle it, and we know how to handle it, so we should be on even ground. It's going to come down to schemes, it's going to come down to execution, and I can't wait to figure out how we match up."

Four teams remain in the World Bowl, and nobody would blink an eye if any of them won it all. Sure, Drawkland may be ranked seventh, but they have always been one of the best teams in the World, having won it all not that long ago; Banija are the defending Champions; Ranoria has been a classy part of the world Bowl for a long time, and now, finally, Chromatika is ready to give it yet another go to try to break into the Title Game.

Chromatiks aren't afraid of a little cold - expect a sellout crowd at Wirr Tsi, most of them wearing the home colors. This is a mtchup a long time in the making, and the people are ready to enjoy it.

They'll just be hoping that the right team wins.

by **Ranoria** » Sat Sep 24, 2022 7:14 pm

Wrighting The Ship - Krauts Dismantle Delaclava,
On Collision Course With Chromatika After Rocky Group Stage

The Ranorian defense lets loose after a back-breaking Sage Sterling interception in the fourth quarter

Records and blowouts aside - we can say blowouts plural now - this whole locker room was chomping at the bit to play the top-ranked team in the world coming into the tournament. "It's a rivalry game," John Garrett said in a press conference that week, "We know how good these guys are, besides Drawkland they've given us the most trouble of anyone in the playoffs in the last few runs. They're a bit different on offense without Taurus Wright taking snaps, but I wouldn't say worse."

Other players weren't as complimentary, with Judas Wolfson claiming it was "disrespectful" to have anyone but his Krauts up at number 1 - and other reacting negatively to some of Michael Willis's statements prior to the contest.

"Our dream has been to somehow avenge what happened in Catherina. We've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. John Garrett, you better be ready, because I'm coming on that ass."

-Delaclava QB Michael Willis prior to their World Bowl 45 matchup

Willis was overall complimentary of the team, but you know how these players are - if they get billboard material, they're going to take it and make it their entire personality for the week, and it was evident as soon as pre-game warmups started that both of these teams were as gassed up as they could be for this one - the Phoenixes, from their faithful to the coaches to the players, all remember what happened in Catherina's beloved Royster Field in the World Bowl 43 semifinals. The Krauts had just enough fuel from Willis's comments, and felt disrespected enough by their rank and their seeding - you could hardly find a player on the roster wearing sleeves.

The Delaclavs deferred on the coin toss, and John Garrett took the ball first. Sure, it was cold, but for a guy playing in the Ranorian Football League as long as he has, this was nothing to get worked up about yet, even if the gentle snowfall made what was about to happen all the more memorable. Farmboy, all 35 years old of him, stepped back from his place under center for a moment as the playclock ran down, just soaking in the moment for the seconds he could afford. That breath came out in a cloud of frost, he took his spot, and he took the snap.

It'd be Apollo Esther to get the first carry - the Phoenix team typically runs lighter than most, somewhat due to Delaclavs tending to specialize in their sports a bit later, and as it had in prior matchups, it showed quickly against the Krauts. Their agility and superior leverage was a boon, but when your biggest defensive lineman gives up 40 pounds to the smallest member of our front five, there's going to plays where it gets ugly quick. Apollo Esther barreled forward for a first down, blasting through Aaron Galarza before the rest of the defense caught up to him. Esther never went down, with the play being blown dead once forward progress halted, and Raul Nieler had a pretty good explanation for that opening drive after the game.

"Why didn't we give John the ball? Well, only three things can happen when you pass, and two of them are bad. If they can't stop your run game...why throw?" Esther's fifth carry of the drive was the one that put points on the board. He may not be prime Vice Jackson III, but he burst through a wide open gap at the line of scrimmage from the Phoenix 37 and broke through the arm tackles the linebacker group tried to put on him without breaking stride. Poor Patrick Catteau was bulldozed just in front of the goal line when he tried to make a stop, and Esther let his momentum carry him to the end zone seats of Z'ai'ai Field before spiking the ball into the snow-dusted turf.

Not to be shown up, the Phoenixes tried to get their own offense rolling, but Wildemar Davis was swallowed up by Konstantin Vollmacht for a loss on the first snap, putting them behind schedule already. Michael Willis hit Justin Vandaele for a nice gain on second down, but when he went to Robbie Hahn on a drag next, the tight end was flattened by Kaiser Belfort before he ever got a chance to turn up field.

This team wasn't going to let themselves get put away so quickly though - they dared Ranoria to run with 8 men in the box on the next drive and well, Raul Nieler's never been one to back off from a challenge. It'd be Prince Rose to force a three-and-out, hitting an arm over to break through the offensive line and bring down Apollo Esther for a loss on 3rd and 1. Still down 7-0, Willis knew time was quickly going to run out for him to keep his team in the game, and he led a surgical drive, showcasing the arm that got him the starting nod over a legend in Taurus Wright en route to a beautiful back-shoulder fade to Vandaele over Jabyess Hawkins to tie it up.

When Ranoria picked up just one first down on their third drive, it seemed that this Phoenix offense was finally getting in rythm. They hadn't gotten much time to cool the engines, and the Kraut defense hadn't gotten much of a breather - this time it was a beautifully lofted throw to Robbie Hahn down the seam from 23 yards out. The ball landed right in the tight end's outstretched arms, with Kaiser Belfort completely losing the ball in coverage as he is wont to do. It was only Wolfson in front of Hahn, and the hammer became the nail very quickly.

You can reference the WB 43 game between these two teams again if you need to, but Wolfson laid a late hit down on Taurus Wright when the game was already in garbage time that reportedly broke a rib - Robbie Hahn, who's obviously fond of his long-time quarterback, finally had his shot at Wolfson.

He timed his launch perfectly - just as Wolfson loaded up, Hahn attacked, barreling into the safety and running through the content before slamming his weight down on him in the end zone as they went down to make it 14-7 all of a sudden. Robbie Hahn spiked the ball with a dramatic flair as they took their first lead against the Krauts since early in the third quarter of their first ever matchup in World Bowl 42. Wolfson? he was able to get up under his own power, but was ruled out with a broken collarbone - the team was suddenly trailing and had lost one of their superstars in the same play. It's a tough one to overcome.

Fortunately, that's exactly what this team is. They'd manage to tie it up 17-17 on the back of a seven yard score courtesy of Johnny Farmer that would effectively end the half - Michael Willis's Hail Mary attempt in the final seconds was suspenseful but ultimately fruitless.

The third quarter was when things started to get hairy. Willis drove his squad down into the red zone, looking to take the lead once again, and this time he just couldn't quite find the space. With the pocket collapsing on him, he rifled the ball towards Justin Vandaele, but Gideon Kearse got a hand up and barely tipped the ball, just enough to ruin a perfect spiral and give the athletic Jabyess Hawkins time to adjust and leap up for an incredibly athletic toe-tap interception to get his team the ball back.

A second John Garrett-to-Russell Farmer touchdown pass made it 24-17, and to Willis's credit, he'd manage to get back down the field, scoring on a fade to Andre Michel and hitting Robbie Hahn for a 2 point conversion on the next play to take the lead back, 25-24.

Ranoria would manage get into field goal range on three straight drives in the third quarter, with Barry Chlorid whiffing on one from 44 yards out, but the score would still get up to 30-25, and when the fourth quarter rolled around, it became clear that the Krauts defense was pinning their ears back. Gideon Kearse and Abram Fairbanks combining for three third quarter sacks had helped get their team the scores they'd gotten so quickly, and a thirdJohn Garrett touchdown strike just as the final period opened would really put them in dire straits now at 36-25. Yes, Barry Chlorid missed yet another kick - it hadn't been his best day here in snowy Z'ai'ai.

Willis would drive the ball down the field quickly, stepping up in the pocket and avoiding pressure like the seasoned pro he is, but at some point that internal clock just didn't quite tick quickly enough. Angelo Gordon leapt on his back for the sack, only for Gideon Kearse to come from the other side and fold the passer in half before the play was blown dead.

Willis was slow to get up after the hit, with Kearse and Gordon shouting something incoherent into the sky, but on 3rd and forever in a do-or-die scenario, Willis had to take a shot.

It'd be Albatross Vergol coming in fresh from a deep stable of pass rushers to get his hand on Willis's arm just as the throw came out, and it'd be Firehawks legend Sage Sterling - playing in relief of Judas Wolfson - who put the afterburners on to cross most of the field before leaping into the and tucking the game away in one smooth, picture-perfect motion.

Even a composed and mature (Sterling's already married with three kids!) player like Bricks Sterling, he couldn't help but celebrate with his teammates after that one, getting his boys the ball back in good field position, and John Garrett took advantage of the strong field position to hit Khalil Hauptmann deep down the field for a score on the very next play. Barry Chlorid's leg was true this time to make it 43-25, and the Krauts would tack another field goal on before all was said and done.

Once Willis regained his balance, he was a statue on the field, mouth just slightly agape as his eyes flicked between the defense that was swarming Sage Sterling and those damning numbers that dominated the big screen of Z'ai'ai Field.

ILB Kaiser Belfort unstrapping his helmet after Sterling's 4th quarter interception

For a Phoenix team that had made it to four straight semifinals, their streak was finally snapped, just not in the way they had hoped for - instead, in heartbreaking fashion, they were crushed under the heel of a Ranoria team that's tormented them for the past four World Bowls. This is a team that is and has been championship worthy for some time now, but they just can't quite get past that final hurdle that is the Krauts.

For Ranoria, there's vindication here. They've absolutely stumbled through the group stage following their back-to-back titles. Between two poor showings on that front and a first round loss to the Grid Corps (who remain the only team to defeat John Garrett in the World Bowl postseason), some may have even begun to say that the Krauts were just a flash in the pan.

Well, guess what - they're squaring off next with the host nation, Chromatika. A nation who's flagship college football program is the reigning champion of the NSCF and who, with guys like Dustin Beck, John Garrett, Ice Chineze, and Taurus Wright reaching their expiration date in the sport, will soon make a claim to have the best quarterback in football in Sarai Gwenderyn. Chromatika, through their prior accomplishments including prior World Bowl Semifinals appearances and two NSCF championships, has proven that they're a team on the rise in this sport. A victory over John Garrett and the Krauts, a team who's championship core is certainly aging, would mark their first World Bowl finals appearance and cement their status as one of the true superpowers of gridiron football.

This will be a duel of a championship contender team that seems to be on a decline and one that's ascending at a meteoric pace en route to what will eventually be a World Bowl championship, and there's plenty of history here between teams - Ranoria swept Chromatika in the World Bowl 41 group stage - and these QB/receiver duos. Sarai Gwenderyn and Alessandra Mio - who play for the RFL's Ranoria City Falcons, have squared off five times now with John Garrett's Indianapolis Hogs, who currently field Johnny Farmer, Jeremiah Fletcher, and Duke Beckett from the national team.

Overall, Garrett's been 3-2 against his counterpart at quarterback, who did not start during World Bowl 41.

2028 Regular Season
Ranoria City Falcons 3–24 Indianapolis Hogs
2030 Regular Season
Ranoria City Falcons 10–38 Indianapolis Hogs
2030 Semfinals
Indianapolis Hogs 15–30 Ranoria City Falcons
2031 Regular Season
Ranoria City Falcons 30–20 Indianapolis Hogs
2032 Regular Season
Ranoria City Falcons 31–34 Indianapolis Hogs

You'll see however that Gwenderyn did win the sole playoff matchup between the two - stifling what had been the best passing season in RFL history by John Garrett en route to breaking a 20 year championship drought for her Falcons. When asked about her future goals after that title run, superstar Sarai Gwenderyn was clear about her goals - she wanted to face Ranoria in the World Bowl and to beat Drawkland. Well, wish number one is here - how will she respond?

On the other end of the bracket are the reigning champs and another member of the two-timers club in Drawkland. Either of these semifinals could have been a championship showdown with ease, and no matter what happens we will have a World Bowl with plenty of history between the finalists. Chromatika and Drawkland? Look at the Iron Legion's heart breaking World Bowl 43 semifinal loss to the grid corps or the heated rivalries between their NSCF schools - Sadeg State and Cavsar for Drawkland against the reigning champion Felswyr State and Staramara Tech of Chromatika.

Banija and Ranoria, we almost feel insulted outlining that one - the Rebel's Cannon Bowl marked Ranoria's first international rivalry, with Richardson and the University of Loyola-Istria being powerhouses in the NSCF with an annual matchup, and the famous "duopoly" of Banijan and Ranorian schools from NSCF 18 to 22 was one of the most heated periods of the rivalry. We've also got a bit of World Bowl history of course, meeting in three group stage games and the first round in World Bowl 42 - a 33-7 win, we'll add. Felswyr State and ULI also have a strong rivalry - it'd be some measure of vindication for either team to get a win over the other in a World Bowl championship game.

Anyone got their picks? It'll be a blizzard in Wirr Tsi for Chromatika vs Ranoria - strap in and mark the calendar, this is one you won't want to miss.

by **Chromatika** » Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:43 pm

Will you make it to Chromia or D'rea? Time to see who survives in the Blizzard! Cutoff.

World Bowl 45 Semifinals

S1: (01) Drawkland 16-33 (04) Banija
RCK Field, Alnio, Capital District (Cap. 100,400, 32,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 4:25 PM Conditions: 24F, blizzard

S2: (02) Chromatika 40-31 (13) Ranoria (scored by Tumbra)
The Shock, Wirr Tsi, Capital District (Cap. 51,350, 18,000 Seats)
Kickoff: 7:30 PM Conditions: 13F, blizzard

World Bowl 45 3rd Place Match

3PPO: (01) Drawkland vs. (13) Ranoria
Capitalizt Dome, Chromia, Capital District (Cap. 144,000)
Kickoff: 4:25 PM Forecast: 28F, clear

World Bowl 45 Final

C: (04) Banija vs. (02) Chromatika
Henza Center, Dre'a, Capital District (Cap. 66,530)
Kickoff: 7:30 PM Forecast: 15F, clear

by **Banija** » Mon Sep 26, 2022 9:45 am

"Big game hunting" - Banijans ride the art of the big play to down top-seeded Drawkland and reach their second consecutive World Bowl Final

Serpent Eagles defenders celebrate a sack against Dustin Beck in the fourth quarter of their semifinal

ALNIO, CAPITAL DISTRICT, CHROMATIKA- "I've always loved snow." Coach Thomas Hall told reporters, the morning of the big semifinal. "It's got a certain sense of beauty. But most importantly, I love football in snow. It changes the way you play- and it reveals so much about the teams playing. That's why weather like this, some say it hurts, but we say- it's perfect for a semifinal. Who can dig deeper? Who is tougher? Who does not get fazed by the elements? That's what will make this one a fun one." The deep freeze here in Chromatika continued, as the sleet the Banijans played in against Ko-oren last week, has now turned into an out & out blizzard for their semifinal against the Grid Corps.

Speaking of the Grid Corps- they entered the game as the favorites. "There's a reason that they sit here as the #1 team in the World Bowl right now." Said Banija's QB, Ifeatu Chineze. "They do everything well. They've got stars everywhere. Dustin Beck. Jack Hoy. They move the ball, they're physical at the line of scrimmage, they're a huge challenge to try to beat. We've got great respect for what they're doing, and what they've done, as they've got a few World Bowl titles historically under their belt. But we don't fear anybody here- we've got a game plan that we're confident in, where we're going to take the game to our opponents."

#1 seeds vs. the defending champs. One of a pair of epic semifinal contests- with the main event being the later Chromatika v. Ranoria contest. And when this game got underway, things got going fast. Banija got the football, and immediately began moving the ball- first play from scrimmage, a 12 yard curl route to Lafi Senghore for a first down. But the Banijans could not keep things going, and had to punt after their opening drive. Drawkland would scrimmage their next drive from their own 16 yard line, and Dustin Beck, to open this game, was his old, vintage self. "You'd think all the snow would have much more of an effect on putting the ball through the air." Said a Banijan TV analyst. "But both passing attacks were ready, particularly Dustin Beck." Beck threw first down completions on that opening drive on 3rd and 12, 3rd and 11, and 3rd and 7, really showing everyone how he could do. He threw a perfect fade route on 1st and goal from the 7, brought in by Kenneth Hewitt over Koman Tabor. An early 7-0 lead for Drawkland.

But then, things would really get real on the very next possesion for Banija. On a 3rd and 4, we tried to run a play-action from under center. But Grid Corps DE Evan Wimbley busted through into the backfield to sack our own star QB and force a fumble, which Grid Corps DT Nolan Parrish recovered at the 34 yard line. "We were backed up right then, right after that first quarter fumble." Coach Thomas Hall told reporters. "I knew, although it was early, it would be a defining moment- Drawkland going up 14-0 after 10 minutes? It'd probably be game set match. We couldn't allow for that." And the defense, so often picked up by the offense throughout the tournament, picked up the offense here. 2 Jack Hoy runs netted three yards, and on 3rd and 7, Dustin Beck's pass to Hewitt was knocked down by a diving Makang Secka. David Merit hit from 48, but still- the fact that it was only 10-0 felt like a win.

That's when Banija started turning to their run game. Kuenda Sello is 32 years old, of course- too old to be the feature back at an international tournament. But while Elasah Okumu got the lion's share of the carries throughout group play, Sello has been getting more of a look throughout this tournament. Him and Okumu simply traded off carries with each other, as the two-headed monster approach worked for the four minute drive. The rarely talked about Okumu really sparked things with a 22 yard gain on the drive, and Banija's third possesion of the game got into the red zone, and kicked a field goal. It did stall in the red zone, yes- but points were points, and they were making things close.

Drawkland moved the ball well on their own next drive, but Banija's defense stood up when their backs were against the wall. Beck had gotten the ball all the way inside the 30. And then, once more, the Serpent Eagles tightened up. He had a 7 yard quarterback scramble to set up second and 3, at the Banijan 22. On 2nd down, Jack Hoy was stuffed for no gain. On 3rd down, Dustin Beck wanted to go to the end zone, but a fantastic blitz by OLB Moses Luwum forced Beck to throw it away. 4th and 3, from the Banijan 22. Drawkland, clearly, would go for it. Unfortunately for them however, they'd be hit with a mental error- a false start on the line of scrimmage made sure they went from 4th and 3 to 4th and 8, and the calculus changed drastically. They sent on their field goal team, and Merit was true from 45 yards. 13-3.

The Banijan defense had a bend, and don't break, ethos for this one, at this point. "Look, it was clearly a slow start for us, especially on offense." Coach Thomas Hall told reporters. "But full credit to the defense for keeping us in it early. 13-3 in the second quarter is still anyone's ball game. But imagine if it had been 21-3? That's a blowout. My unit has come a long way this tournament, and they deserve credit for keeping us in it." Drawkland would not score for the rest of the first half. Meanwhile, after Banija punted to Drawkland, and then Drawkland punted right back, Banija got a big special teams play. A 32 yard return to the Drawkland 44 by PR Ganya Ikhanda sparked the Banijan offense. They would need just 2 plays. A 16 yard corner route to Kawsu Gaye out of the slot, which would net them a first down. And then, the Grid Corps blitzed on first and 10. The Banijans were ready, as they threw a perfectly designed screen pass to HB Elasah Okumu. With a convoy in front of him, he made a man miss as 28 yards later, he was in the end zone.

The first touchdown of the game for the Banijans! While Banijan kicker Komani Achaje slipped on the snow for the extra point attempt, and missed the PAT by hitting the right upright as a result, the Banijans were really back in the game. And after some more defensive stops, they got the ball back with 56 seconds left in the half, at their own 20, with 2 timeouts. Even the snow coming down would not stop a QB like Ice Chineze. "Man, I played at QB-U- Richardson University." He told reporters after the game. "You think I've never thrown the ball in snow before?" He hit some long passes, and put the team in field goal range. Achaje hit a 51 yarder on the final play of the half. Banija were down by only a lone point, and the momentum swinging their way- Drawkland 13, Banija 12.

Drawkland got the ball to start the second half, and once again, Dustin Beck had a big play- a 22 yard QB draw on the first play from scrimmage. They continued to move the ball, with Dustin Beck dealing the football, getting into the red zone. They got all the way down to the Banijan 14, but the drive stalled out from there, with the Banijan defense, once again, tightening up when it mattered most. "Holding teams to just field goals- that's what wins you football games at this level." Said a Banijan TV analyst. "Huge success by the Banijan defense. The offenses remaining in this tournament- you can't hold them to single digits. But if they're kicking three field goals and only scoring one touchdown, then we're doing all that we can to win the game." A visibly frustrated Drawkian head coach Glenn Romano chucked his headset down after a third down pass by Dustin Beck was knocked down by Ozioma Mazzi, and the Grid Corps were forced to settle for their third field goal of the contest.

But the Drawkland defense was good too- forcing a three and out on Banija's ensuing possession, and putting Dustin Beck back on the field. They had led for the entirety of the contest so far, and led by both Beck and Hoy, they were really getting after it. Their next drive was a lot of option runs- Beck reading the defense, and the Banijans could not stop it. They got into Banijan territory for the fifth time, getting inside the 30. But then, the Banijan studs in the Banijan secondary stood up. Drawkland HB Jack Hoy took the ball on a toss play, and was hit by MLB Demas Akech, and fumbled. Free safety Ozioma Mazzi picked up the ball on the bounce, and the Cass Tech grad was off to the races. 72 yards later, the quarterfinal hero who forced the crucial 4th quarter fumble, was running into the end zone himself for the go-ahead score in a World Bowl semifinal. He's a rarity- started for this NT last cycle while still playing in college. Demas Akech made the hit, and Mazzi took full advantage. The PAT was good, and for the first time all day, Banija led- 19-16.

All the momentum then just shifted Banija's way, and they went to take advantage of it. Drawkland got a couple of first downs on their ensuing drive, but were forced to punt, as Banija got the ball at their own 9 yard line. It's hard to have a long, methodical drive in the snow for a team that likes to throw the ball so much. So another 2 play drive? Why not? First, a 14 yard run by Kuenda Sello. Then, off a play action, a long pass down the sideline to WR Kalu Alazar, who had his man beat in single coverage. The play-action had Drawkland's safeties crashing into the backfield, while Alazar's double move had left his cornerback in the dust. Chineze put the pass right on the money, and 77 yards later, Alazar was dancing in the end zone as the Serpent Eagles celebrated yet another touchdown. What a turn of events. 4 minutes prior, Drawkland led by 3 and were moving the ball successfully on the ground. Now? The Serpent Eagles led 26-16, and suddenly had the Grid Corps dead to rights.

Another three and out forced by the Drawkland defense gave the Banijans a chance to put this game to bed, and by golly, we did. Starting the drive on the first play of the fourth quarter, mostly through the ground game, we had an 11 play, 74 yard drive, that ended in a shuffle pass middle screen to WR Kawsu Gaye, who plunged into the end zone for a three yard touchdown. Mostly through the ground game, we were able to achieve that score. Up 17 in a semifinal with under 9 minutes left, all the momentum on our side? That was all she wrote. The defense forced another turnover deep in our red zone(a fumble forced by Makang Secka and recovered by Koman Tabor), and that was all she wrote. Final score, 33-16, to the Banijans.

"One HELL of a fantastic win by the boys." Said Coach Thomas Hall. "Getting back into the World Bowl Final- a crazy experience. We know how it feels to win one, we know how hard it is to get there- we're gonna be ready for the hosts." This will be Banija's third World Bowl Final with Thomas Hall at the helm, with the Ranorian carrying a 1-1 record in those games. So many storylines for that one. Hosts looking to win their first, against the Banijans looking to repeat. There will be a raucous home crowd. A pair of superstar QBs- is Gwenderyn or Ifeatu Chineze the best QB in the world? But don't worry, we'll go through all those and more, when we do our in-depth preview of this much anticipated final.

by **Banija** » Mon Sep 26, 2022 6:38 pm

The suddenly good defense faces its biggest challenge yet in Sarai Gwenderyn as Banija preps for World Bowl Final in a hostile environment

D'REA, CAPITAL DISTRICT, CHROMATIKA- "It'll be cold- so what?" Said Coach Thomas Hall during his turn to speak at media days. "It's been cold ever since we got here- and no matter. It's great football playing weather. Just because we're from a warm weather country(as Banija famously lacks winter), it doesn't mean we can't play in the cold. You saw us beat Ko-oren, a team and nation basically perfectly built for cold weather football games, in the quarterfinal? You saw Ifeatu Chineze, the best QB in the world, throw for over 250 yards and three touchdowns in a blizzard against Drawkland, right? We'll be ready." The question is always coming towards this team- can they compete in the cold weather?

They've answered that bell, time and time again, that they can do so. Just because it never gets below 55 at home, doesn't mean they can't play in the 15 degree ice shelter that the Henza Center will serve as for the World Bowl Final. There are all sorts of angles to pursue as we prepare for the World Bowl 45 Final. And boy, is it a mouthwatering matchup. Banija has been doing this for a long time at the World Bowl, a competitor in the World Bowl 20s. We went 0-10 in a World Bowl, remember that? I know you don't, because that was literally over 50 years ago. And last World Bowl, we finally won our first ever title. This time? We're trying to cement our legacy- establish a dynasty.

"We want to be in that pantheon, among those great teams." Said Ifeatu Chineze. "Just think of Ranoria between World Bowls 42 and 43. Just think of the historic Allamunnic States runs. Growing up as fans, and then playing for this team, we know exactly how hard it is to win at the highest level. We know how rare and infrequent these opportunities are- I mean, just look at the Krauts. They were the greatest thing since Banijan men's basketball, until suddenly, they lost in the Round of 16 on home soil."

There's a lot to write about. Banija going for the dynasty. Ifeatu Chineze trying to cement his claim as the greatest QB in the world right now, full stop. Chromatika trying to cement their stunning rise to the very top of the gridiron world. They won both the men's and women's demonstration events at the Olympiad this past summer, in Quebec. But it goes deeper than that. Felswyr State are the reigning champions of the NSCF. Combine that with winning a world title right now? Chromatika would be the concurrent holders of two Olympic titles(demonstration events, granted), the NSCF championship via Felswyr State, and the World Bowl trophy. Could anyone dispute them as the world's strongest gridiron nation (at the moment) if they somehow pulled that off?

That's not the only thing at stake for the hosts. Of course, they've never won one- winning your first world title, in a sport that's growing so rapidly in Chromatika, would be unprecedented. And of course, there's Sarai Gwenderyn. One of the greatest QBs in NSCF history, she's won a NSCF title, she's got an Olympic title, she's got a RFL title. To win the World Bowl? Would also put her on the pantheon of all-time great QBs- and make her the only one on that pantheon to win at least one title in every major competition she's ever competed in. Oh and did we mention? She's only 24.

But this ain't the all-Chromatika Sports Magazine, is it? We're gonna talk about how we got here, the Ifeatu Chineze angle, and then our keys to the game.

How We Got Here - Reloading on Offense

There was a lot of doubt about Banija being able to defend our World Bowl title. "It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that we surprised a ton of people with our run three years ago." The team's QB, Ifeatu Chineze said. "And it would certainly be accurate to say that many people thought that we couldn't repeat it." And for good reason. Banija at World Bowl 44 may have had the greatest WR corps in World Bowl history, with Chinweuba Jelan & Lamin Kah as your top two WRs, with Kalu Alazar and Lafi Senghore behind them. Ifeatu Chineze had a field day whipping it around to these wide open WRs. Through the first 11 games of World Bowl XLIV, the team averaged over 42 points per game. That included 9 group stage games(3 home, 3 away, 3 neutral in South Newlandia), a neutral site Round of 16 game against Kohnhead, and a road quarterfinal game, at the freaking Jungledrom of all places, against South Newlandia.

And then, of course, Chineze went head to head against Taurus Wright and beat him in the semifinals, and then we beat Ko-oren in the Final to win a world title. But of course, even though we brought Chineze back, we lost a ton of talent. Chinweuba Jelan? Retired from the sport in general. Lamin Kah? Retired from international play to focus on prolonging his GFLB career. Kuenda Sello? A running back on the wrong side of 30 and not getting any younger, had to be moved down the depth chart. No proven TEs. Alazar and Senghore had played well at the previous World Bowl, but they were running routes against nickel backs. Could they fare well against CB1s and CB2s?

"A lot of people thought our offense couldn't handle it, the loss of all those guys." Said the Offensive Coordinator, Kopo Bogadi. "But when you've got a guy whipping it around like Ice Chineze, frankly, it doesn't matter." Lost your top two WRs and your starting HB, a generational talent, got relegated to the bench? No problem. If you take out the game against Ko-oren(who, frankly, due to the ridiculous talent of their defense, really you should), the Banijans have averaged over 38 points per game at this World Bowl. It's arguable that Ice Chineze, even at age 35, even with new starting WRs and a new starting HB, is having an even better World Bowl now than he did last time out. And hell, even against Ko-oren- our only scoring drive was a 98 touchdown yard drive. Who leads a 98 yard drive against the Dragonflies?? And you saw that game where we put up eighty-freaking four in our opener, right?

So our offense hasn't missed a beat. But what about...

The Defense- Better late than never

Thomas Hall is a defensive coach, at heart. He has 62 career interceptions in the RFL, most in league history. He's got RFL titles as a player and as a coach. And when he originally came here to Banija, it was to fix our defense. "We didn't have the defensive mentality then, to try and win a title." He had told reporters. "So, you try and do what you can." Look at his first tournament, World Bowl 40, when we went undefeated in group play and then reached our first ever World Bowl Final(which we lost). First 12 games of that tournament(10 group stage wins, a Ro16 win, and a QF shutout win) we allowed 37 points. A total of 37 points. Allowing an average of just over 3 points per game.

"What makes Thomas Hall such an elite coach, what makes him a great coach, is his ability to evolve." Said a Banijan TV analyst. "This team looks nothing like it did when he got here. The thing about NTs, is that you can't just recruit new players, you can't go sign FAs. You have a player pool, yes, but at a certain level, you have what you have. It's up to coaches to play to their strengths. It's why Coach Zervos had so much success coaching the Ranoria City Falcons, and Sarai Gwenderyn there. He prefers the smashmouth defense, and he had one. But suddenly, after Banija kept stalling out after that World Bowl 40 run, he saw that the team had all the tools for an offense that could light up the sky at the World Bowl. So why not?"

He hired a new OC before World Bowl 44, and the rest is history. But of course, he's still a defensive guy through and through. It pains him to see his defense struggling. His defense never allowed under 20 points, not once, during the group stages. Neither in the Round of 16. It gave us some iconic moments. "I've never seen a face get so red from screaming." The same TV analyst said, laughing. "It seemed as if there was nothing he could do to fix the defense. Ice Chineze was good enough to win those games anyways, as 8-2 was an excellent record in a group stage where not a single team went undefeated. But teams were regularly blitzing this defense. They could not get stops."

Through 11 games, the consensus among media was clear- the ridiculous high level of play from Ice Chineze would be wasted by this defense, probably by the quarterfinal. And then, came the ultimate defensive juggernaut- Ko-oren. "You're supremely lucky if you score three times against Ko-oren." Said the analyst, "You might score twice, or even just once. And their run game will wear you down." And yet, suddenly- in game 12, the Banijan defense came to life. Second quarter goal line stand to keep us in it. Forcing a fumble late in the fourth quarter, as Ko-oren are driving in Banijan territory for the go-ahead score. Not allowing any touchdowns. The happiest Thomas Hall has been this tournament.

And then, against another high-powered offense in Drawkland, they clamped down the doors. Drawkland was always gonna move the ball- but bend and don't break. Drawkland's only touchdown was in the first half of the first quarter. Five more times they went into Banijan territory after their opening touchdown. The results? Field goal, Field goal, Field goal, fumble returned for a touchdown by Banija, and another fumble. "The defense was elite these past two games- allowing one touchdown combined in 8 quarters of football? That's exactly what we want to see." Said Coach Thomas Hall. "We need that kind of balance if we want to win a championship, especially since this title game will be a true road game."

They will be important, as they've got the near impossible task of slowing down Sarai Gwenderyn in a championship game. But Chromatika will get their points. They've simply got too much talent for us to keep them down in the teens or something. The defense will be focused on ensuring Chromatika kicks as many field goals as possible, preventing the iconic Chromatik run game from wearing them down, and ensuring that the offense isn't behind the sticks. But in reality, the game will come down to the arm of...

It's all about the Quarterback

It's abundantly clear that Sarai Gwenderyn is the future face of this entire sport. It's obvious. She's been a superstar since she stepped onto Felswyr State's campus as a teenager. She's won everywhere she's gone. It's clear she's going to win a World Bowl title for Chromatika at some point in time- it's a matter of when, not if. She's only 24. She's gonna have a solid decade+ to be the face of the sport, to be the game's undisputed best QB. Think of all the other people you'd put in that role? Retiring. Taurus Wright was relegated to the bench for this very World Bowl. John Garrett's getting old. Dustin Beck still has another one in him surely, but he's getting old. Ice Chineze is 35.

But Ice Chineze is not worried about the future. "I'm all about what can I do to help my team win- right now, today." Chineze told reporters. "That's the only pressure that I feel." Think about how interesting a job he has, think about how his career has gone. In College? All he had to do was replace a man who some consider THE greatest college QB of all time, John Garrett. When he came to the NT? He had to beat out Amazu Chibuzo in what was certainly the highest skilled position battle in the history of Banijan sports. And then, that was for the right to replace a man who is pretty much, undisputedly, the greatest Banijan QB in history, combining both college and pro stats- Isaka Jawara.

Or is he?

Despite all of Isaka Jawara's accolades(Two-time NSCF Offensive Player of the Year, NSCF Most Outstanding Player, NSCF Champion, 4-time GFLB champion with two different teams), he could never bring a World Bowl home. And while Ice Chineze's GFLB stats are not as gaudy (nobody will ever match Jawara's crazy pro stats), think about what he's done with the NT. Think of the crazy bender he's been on with the NT the past two competitions. This is some of the greatest offensive play that this competition has ever seen, over the course of the last two tournaments- and Chineze has been at the center of it. Jawara truly peaked in the GFLB, but it seems as if Chineze has peaked in the national team uniform.

The better QB, no. But a second World Bowl title definitely changes the parameters of that conversation. Imagine if he lit up the Chromatik defense, against the backdrop of a Chromatik home crowd, in front of the Kabaka no less, out-dueling the future of the sport, Sarai Gwenderyn, for a second consecutive title. What does that mean for his legacy? He'd continue the stranglehold Richardson QBs have on this competition, that's for one(every World Bowl since World Bowl 42 has been won by a Richardson QB). They'd have an argument to be the new QB U, over Felswyr State and Loyola-Istria, right? Would he be able to argue that he's equal with John Garrett? Would he be able to argue that he's at Isaka Jawara's level?

"Where people rank me, that's for others to decide." The Richardson alum told reporters at media days. "I just love this game. I'm out here trying to win- a world title, another world title, for my teammates, for my family, for my country." One of those rare moments where you get humility from a Banijan player. Probably acknowledging the fact that the defending champs are, well, underdogs for the game against Chromatika.

But his stunning performances at these last two World Bowls have started these conversations. And Banijan gridiron twii.tur was lit on fire when his Dad had the following tweet.

@DaddyChineze Man, I'm SICK of people saying that my son is #2. They say he's #2 in Baniija, to Jawara. They say he's the #2 guy to ever play at Richardson, to Garrett. They say he's #2 in the world right now, to Sarai. Have you SEEN him play? Open your eyes! At 35 he's the best QB alive- and damnit, he'll prove it in D'rea

That's the thing about sports, eh? Three hours can make your legacy. Ice Chineze has a great legacy set already- the first QB to win a World Bowl for Banija. And presently, the only. But if he wins 2? Well... The whole conversation changes.

Banija v. Chromatika, a world title, and MUCH more, on the line at the Henza Center. Who will be victorious?

Banijan World Bowl betting lines for the Round of 16.
Guide
If a team is +(aka Banija +4 against Ranoria), then they are the underdog.
If a team minus(aka Ranoria -4 against Banija) they are the favorite.
If a line is listed as +/- (aka Cold Hill scoring +/- 8.5 points) then that is the line you can bet the over/under. In example, at that, you could bet that Cold Hill will score more than 8.5 points, or less than 8.5 points.
Negative odds mean you need to bet a higher risk than a return. Aka, a -110 line means you need to bet $110 to win $100, -420 line means you need to bet $420 to win $100
Positive odds mean that you have a higher return than risk. Aka, a +110 line means you can win $110 if you beat $100, +420 line means you can win $420 if you bet $100.
Red- You should avoid this bet
Green- You must jump on these odds
Black- make your choice

Game Spreads
Chromatika(-4.5) v. Banija
World Bowl 45 Over/Under: 62.5

Select Individual Bets
Banijan QB Ice Chineze: +/- 3.5 touchdown passes: Take it, why not? Chromatika are the favorites, but this is gearing up for a shootout if I ever saw one.
Banijan Offense: +/- 2.5 False Starts: How much will the crowd effect things? More than three false starts is a heavy impact by the crowd. If it's close, I'd definitely take the over.
Chromatik Defense: +/- 1.5 Turnovers: Whoever wins the turnover battle in this one will probably win this game. I'd take the under here.. Although if Chromatika have more than 2 turnovers, they may really run away with this one.
Chromatik QB Sarai Gwenderyn: +/- 80.5 rushing yards: IF she's runnign the ball this effectively, Banija might be screwed. Take your bets either way.

Rare Opportunity Bets
Trick Play TD: +575 Both coaches can get creative- but a trick play TD? May as well take it, in 15 degree weather, things might get wonky.
Banijan TV commentator complaining about the 15 degree weather before kickoff: -600. This is free money.

by **Chromatika** » Mon Sep 26, 2022 7:30 pm

Moments
How Chromatika won the World Bowl Semifinal

Team         1Q  2Q  3Q  4Q  |  Tot
Ranoria       7  10  14   0  |   31  
Chromatika    6  13   7  14  |   40

1Q
10:21 RAN TD - Apollo Esther 22 yard run (Barry Chlorid Kick); RAN 7-0 CMT.
08:32 CMT FG - Dwayne Markseon 41 yard Field Goal; RAN 7-3 CMT.
02:11 CMT FG - Dwayne Markseon 51 yard Field Goal; RAN 7-6 CMT.

2Q
13:28 RAN TD - Khalil Hauptmann 32 yard pass from John Garrett (Barry Chlorid Kick); RAN 14-6 CMT.
09:58 CMT FG - Dwayne Markseon 37 yard Field Goal; RAN 14-9 CMT.
07:11 RAN FG - Barry Chlorid 48 yard Field Goal; RAN 17-9 CMT.
04:03 CMT FG - Dwayne Markseon 50 yard Field Goal; RAN 17-12 CMT.
00:11 CMT TD - Niles Gwivern 4 yard pass from Sarai Gwenderyn (Dwayne Markseon Kick); RAN 17-19 CMT.

3Q
12:41 CMT TD - Sarai Gwenderyn 13 yard run (Dwayne Markseon Kick); RAN 17-26 CMT.
06:22 RAN TD - Apollo Esther 2 yard run (Barry Chlorid Kick); RAN 24-26 CMT.
02:31 RAN TD - Johnny Farmer 28 yard pass from John Garrett (Barry Chlorid Kick); RAN 31-26 CMT.

4Q
10:01 CMT TD - Alessandra Mio 61 yard pass from Sarai Gwenderyn (Dwayne Markseon Kick); RAN 31-33 CMT.
03:40 CMT TD - Victoria Mio 53 yard interception return (Dwayne Markseon Kick); RAN 31-40 CMT.

Venue: The Shock, Wirr Tsi, Capital District

Part 1 - 10:15 1st Quarter - Cara Setri

Playing Outside Linebacker for the Iron Legion can be a demanding position. Park Mi-Hyeon and Jere Rinaldi are cogs in the middle of the linebacking corps; that means that they are given so much freedom, relying on Cara Setri and Randy Mett to cover the outsides with the help of the Safeties as needed.

It's the first drive of the Krauts, and Apollo Esther, the Running Back, is gashing up the Iron Legion with runs around the end. John Garrett is making good reads, and they've made it to the twenty-two yard line of the Iron Legion. They had been punched in the mouth, and they weren't making up ground. The very next play, Esther got the ball, and headed straight off the right edge of the Ranorian line, and...

Cara Setri went for the tackle, and hit air as Esther juked away from her. To be fair, it was a good move by him, but all she could do was watch as he walked, untouched, into the end zone.

Touchdown, Krauts.

Part 2 - 02:19 1st Quarter - Mikel Kingston

The Center position for Chromatika is an interesting one - you're trying to keep one of the best to ever play the game, Sarai Gwenderyn, from encountering pressure. You're coordinating with the Offensive Line, and helping to stop the pass rush from reaching Sarai. It's third-and-eight from the Ranoria 28.

Gwenderyn snaps the ball, and Kingston is too late to stop big Konstantin Vollmacht, the Defensive Tackle that is a Felswyr State graduate, from swimming by Kingston to get Gwenderyn. Sarai is too slow to notice him, and is lucky enough to just keep a hold of the ball. Five yard sack.

Thankfully, Dwayne Markseon is there to knock the fifty-one yard field goal in the bitter cold, and Chromatika closes the lead to one.

Part 3 - 07:15 2nd Quarter - Vi Nia-Kald

The Iron Legion's defense was starting to do better, but... Ranoria had a 14-9 lead, and were driving again, all the way down to the Iron Legion 35. Facing a third-and-three, Garrett takes the step under center, fakes a handoff to Esther, and tries to find Johnny Farmer across the middle.

Only for Vi Nia-Kald, who had been burned twice already by Farmer, to make a break on the ball this time and knock it down to the ground. Not this time.

Barry Chlorid gets the kick through, but the lead is only 17-9 - and the high-fives he gets from his teammates makes it clear that this game is far from over.

Part 4 - 00:21 2nd Quarter - Niles Gwivern

With the defense starting to hold the Krauts a bit more, Gwenderyn and the offense are starting to get things going. So far, four field goals - which won't be enough to win this game, and boy oh boy are they aware of that.

This drive starts at their own twenty-seven. A slant to Sayan, a crossing route to Mio, a run up the middle, to the fifty. Then, a wheel route to Rhodes gives Chromatika a first down at the Ranorian 36. With the clock ticking under a minute, Gwenderyn keeps it to run for a few yards, leading to the ball at the thirty-two with fifty-three seconds left, with the Iron Legion calling a timeout.

Kern Sayan beats Sage Sterling in the nickel slot for a gain of fifteen yards, and runs out of bounds in the process. A quick pass to Niles Gwivern gains nine more, and Chromatika dares a run up the middle to run down some more clock, getting a first-and-goal from the seven yard line with twenty-six seconds left.

It takes five seconds for Gwenderyn to understand the situation and run out of bounds after running for three yards.

Then, Sarai calls a complex route package in the huddle - the receivers running medium crossing routes, and Gwivern holding a block for a split second before rounding the right edge.

The Offensive Line, which has been tested all night, holds their blocks for just long enough. Gwenderyn finds Gwivern in the flat.

Touchdown. 19-17 Chromatika.

Part 5 - 12:51 3rd Quarter - Sarai Gwenderyn

Breathing evenly, Sarai gathered her troops around at the Ranorian 13 yard line. At halftime, they had sorted out protection, and she was starting to get more time to make decisions. With the first drive of the second half, Chromatika started to move the ball with ease - making it across the fifty yard line without even needing a third down. Reading the gaps between the Krauts' linebacking corps, Sarai was starting to make plays with her legs, and that was adding a dimension previously uncounted for.

She'd already carried the ball four times for twenty-three yards on this drive, and Ranoria hadn't adjusted yet.

"Three-Eight-Zero, Alpha. Got it?" she stated in the huddle. Everyone nodded. That would be a QB keeper to the left, all the receivers and tight ends adding to the blocks, with the right side of the line collapsing on purpose to form a line.

Walking up to the line, she surveyed the defense and noted that Kaiser Belfort was going to blitz down the right side. Taking the snap, she raced off of the left end - and untouched, ran into the end zone.

They had gotten the momentum back.

Part 6 - 02:41 3rd Quarter - Park MI-Hyeon

Things were getting ugly. Apollo Esther had scored again, and after a rare turnover from the Chromatiks - Gwenderyn's throw was tipped, then caught, by Judas Wolfson - Ranoria was threatening to take the lead once again.

The biggest problem that they were facing was one legendary Tight End - Johnny Farmer. Everyone had taken shots at him - Vi Nia-Kaid, Nikolai Dimitrov, Cara Setri - and now, it was her turn.

Ball on the twenty-eight, Garrett took the snap, and Park did her best to hang with Farmer, trying to jam her on the line and absolutely failing.

She was there when the ball arrived, but Farmer was too big - and his hands were too sure. The Ranorian cradled the ball in both hands and crashed into the end zone before Park could wipe him out.

Ranoria was back on top.

Before she could react, her recent fiancée, Jere Rinaldi, came over and met her helmet with his.

"We'll get them by the end," he said calmly, "Plenty of game left."

She nodded, and trying to quiet her heartbeat, returned to the Chromatik sideline.

Part 7 - 10:13 4th Quarter - Alessandra Mio

Of all the things that Ranoria were good at defensively, the one that flummoxed Chromatika the most after the power of the Defensive Line was the corners. Namely, Jabyess Hawkins was one of the best in the world, and he had kept Alessandra to three catches for thirty-five yards.

She wasn't one of the best receivers in the world for no reason, and she knew that all it would take was one play to bow the game right open.

After getting a first down, Chromatika faced Second-and-four from their own 39. At the snap, Mio realized that Hawkins had been looking in on Gwenderyn, which allowed her to get one step on the Ranorian corner.

She ran a straight go, letting her speed take her, right down the left sideline. Gwenderyn's throw was perfectly on time, hitting her in stride.

To be perfectly fair, Jabyess Hawkins played an almost flawless game.

The issue was that he gave up one huge play - and it ended up being the score that gave Chromatika the lead back, and in the Fourth Quarter at that.

As Sarai Gwenderyn pumped her fists into the air, celebrating yet another touchdown with her favorite target and close friend, the sold-out crowd at The Shock cheered in approval.

Gwenderyn to Mio. Is there any other combo that's better?

Part 8 - 03:42 Fourth Quarter - Victoria Mio

After exchanging punts, Ranoria took over at their own thirty-three with a single goal - kick a Field Goal or score a touchdown to win. Sure, they had three timeouts, but everyone was starting to get the vibe that if they got the opportunity, they would take it.

A strong run by Esther took the ball to the thirty-nine, and a screen pass to Farmer converted a First Down at the forty-four. Esther took the ball to the forty-nine, setting up a Second-and-five. After Cara Setri forced a throw-away by John Garrett, it was time to play that dreaded game once again.

This time, Defensive Coordinator Urga Jones decided to listen to the savant of defensive gridiron - Kasen Harrowitz, on leave from Richardson University in Ranoria to join the Iron Legion. Harrowitz had been telling Jones from the get-go that the only player that could handle Farmer's size and poise would be Victoria Mio. It was time to put the younger Mio to the test.

Sure enough, Garrett took the snap and had one target in mind - Johnny Farmer. To his credit, Farmer had only been defended well once in the whole game, and the Iron Legion hadn't showed any signs of being able to cover him when they weren't putting Garrett under duress.

Garrett had enough time to establish himself and throw. The ball traveled through the air...

Just for Victoria Mio to time her jump to have her hands rise above Farmer, snatching the ball out of the air before rolling forward, avoiding all contact with Farmer.

If there is one thing about Victoria that is the same as Alessandra, it's her pure speed - and she showed it here, running untouched into the end zone to put the game on ice, completing a turnaround in the Fourth Quarter that sent Chromatika to the World Bowl Final.

Afterwards, as she jogged back to the Chromatik sideline, her sister was there, beaming. The two exchanged a brief hug, where Victoria heard something that she had only heard from Alessandra three other times in her life (Her final high school game, her final game at Cold Hill, and now):

"I'm proud of you."

Part 9 - Post-Game

Ranoria would get the ball into Iron Legion territory, but be stopped on a Fourth-and-three from the Chromatik eleven, done in by Park Mi-Hyeon getting to Garrett, who was trying to buy time for a route to develop. As the clock wound down, the Chromatik sideline raced toward the Ranorian one for the two sides to meet, and Sarai Gwenderyn found herself face to face with a Ranorian legend.

"Great game," she stated to her counterpart, "It's an honor to face you on the world's biggest stage."

As Garrett congratulated her and stated his agreement, she couldn't help but add on a piece at the end of the pleasantries:

"Please tell Rhine to get his ass in gear. I'll be waiting."

She hadn't had the best game of her career - 23 of 31 for 314 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, with 71 yards and a touchdown on the ground - but it had gotten the job done.

Now, they would head to where the cycle had began - the Henza Center, where they'd called home during the Group Stage. It was going to be weird to wear the road uniforms in the matchup, but they knew the field, and they were ready.

Banija awaited - having vanquished Drawkland, and looking for a two-peat, trying to establish a dynasty.

Either there would be a repeat champion, or Chromatika would complete the grand cycle - NSCF cycle, both gridiron titles in the Olympics, and a World Bowl title - and on home soil, nonetheless. Would they be able to do what the Outliers did a while back? Win their first title on home soil?

All the pressure was on her shoulders. On their shoulders.

They were now ready.

World Bowl 45 Everything Thread

NSFB-WB: Curtain Call

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