World Bowl XLVI (46) | Everything Thread

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

The Mathletes - Scientific, Literary Venue of Sports Journalism

WB 46: Team Quebec coach Boileau in state of optimism, hopes to translate to a strong World Bowl performance

Ludovic Mance

JOONGYEONG, JOONGYEONG - 'Game Four baby. We still have over half of the group stage left to play, so why worry?'

Clemence 'Phlegm Clem' Boileau said that last weekend following Quebec and Shingoyeo's 17-50 loss to Ko-oren away, so you could imagine the level of relative optimism that exists among the Quebecois locker room, right as the World Bowl competition continues to heat up across the Multiverse.

Getting acclimated? Even excited? Maybe.

Once the defensive coordinator of the same Grim Reapers side that she coaches, Boileau took over from Kim Jeong-Hyeon after the World Bowl 45 in Chromatika that saw the Grim Reapers play right to the expectations, falling to the host nation 20-31 in Lhor. It was considered a natural order of succession, considering that the Levis Ravens head coach of 12 years has not only every box ticked off for her resume, but also has drawn universal respect and support from the players, including their biggest names in Donovan O'Mara, Jocelyn Makoktok and Urk McCauley. Her biggest success? Having won two Imperial Bowls during her time, including one over Ian Lautner's Attawapiskat Broncos in year three, and being named RFC Coach of the Year thrice, and being familiar with coaching in all three levels of gridiron in Quebec.

Thus, when Boileau was appointed the Head Coach of the national team a year ago, many had asked questions. While a longtime head coach, Boileau was still the defensive coordinator for the Grim Reapers' side that has not always been known for the defence. What role would she take from it? So Boileau decided to take the opposite approach from her Ravens' side that has been known for a dominant defence - she brought Hwang Hyeon, the 61-year-old defensive coordinator of the Dongnae Schooners, as the defensive coordinator, and mostly opted to view her role as a head coach in collegiate sense of it - coordinator of a program. On the offensive reins came Theodore Galstian, an emerging offensive coordinator from Universite St. Croix. Someone who grew up on the coaching tree of famed Kweon Joon-Ho, even though their offensive philosophies do differ with Galstian preferring a traditional smashmouth offence.

After first four matches, Boileau era of Grim Reapers seems to have stabilised, even with still more work to be done on all facets of the game. One could argue that the only blemish would be back-to-back losses to their neighbours in Ko-oren, but the team otherwise has held on well in their third cycle back to the gridiron's highest level, and following a convincing, 45-26 victory over fellow mid-majors Valanora, is poised to contend for the second round of competition in six months' time.

On the surface, the team has held onto their expectations well. Offensively it is a dynamic, balanced squad that has seen all three quarterbacks - incumbent starter Donovan O'Mara (a second generation whose father, Jack, represented his native Accardola before playing for Songwha City Roughriders) and backups Benoit Youngblood and Octavien Seo-Brousseau have been used under various situations - while the team defence has played well enough under pressure to keep the games winnable. Save the latest matchup against Ko-oren. Considering the team's turnover and a high number of college players (even if many had played in the NSCF) and early-year professionals on the squad, it's at very least a decent performance.

But it is still hard to say on whether these expectations will hold, with just six months separating them. As always with the international competitions in any sports, there always exists the risk of burnouts and injuries from accumulated time logged all the way back to the previous May (if you are college athlete, that would be July), creating a yearlong schedule for a select few who have the honour of representing the Tricolour Taegeuk. This issue isn't exactly a big one in Quebec, where the QFL and the QIS do pay the 90% of the salary and benefits equivalent to their professional pay or academic scholarship, but you do wonder how this group of Grim Reapers or the ones after will sustain.

Still, Boileau seems positive that a strong tournament finish is obtainable, and that being able to play the final third of the group stage in Ranoria, one that follows after a home-and-away series, is a sweet way to further the Quebecois interests in the sports. In this era where gridiron has seen strong challenges from baseball and basketball for the nation's most popular sport, with hockey and association football somewhat behind them, a measure of success would no doubt renew the strength of the public interest in the sport. With right amount of success and flair, even more than that.

But the Grim Reapers still have to get there. Fourth game in Ranoria won't come easy, and it's nowhere near done. Can they get it done?

[Ranoria]

Matchday Five Cutoff! One more before you all head to Ranoria for at least three games!

Group A
TJUN-ia 29–3 Magnecia
Gyatsko-Kai 34–6 Hofn

  Group A                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Gyatsko-Kai                    5   4  1  130  57 +73
2 TJUN-ia                        5   3  2  131  85 +46
3 Hofn                           5   2  3   71 114 −43
4 Magnecia                       5   1  4   45 121 −76

Group B
Rouyoute 22–7 Milk Island
HUElavia 27–20 Saint Kanye

  Group B                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 HUElavia                       5   5  0  180  90 +90
2 Saint Kanye                    5   3  2  154 100 +54
3 Rouyoute                       5   2  3   88 111 −23
4 Milk Island                    5   0  5   60 181 −121

Group C
Valanora 3–28 Ko-oren
Jacksonboro 3–45 Quebec & Shingoryeo

  Group C                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Ko-oren                        5   5  0  165  54 +111
2 Quebec & Shingoryeo            5   3  2  168 113 +55
3 Valanora                       5   2  3  111 162 −51
4 Jacksonboro                    5   0  5   87 202 −115

Group D
Torisakia 29–17 Anthor
Dod Rava 17–23 Chromatika

  Group D                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Chromatika                     5   5  0  176  50 +126
2 Torisakia                      5   3  2  116 142 −26
3 Anthor                         5   2  3   91 129 −38
4 Dod Rava                       5   0  5   78 140 −62

Group E
Banija 46–21 The Fanboyists
South Americanastan 34–0 Juvencus

  Group E                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 South Americanastan            5   4  1  157 112 +45
2 Banija                         5   3  2  175 146 +29
3 The Fanboyists                 5   3  2  137 116 +21
4 Juvencus                       5   0  5   42 137 −95

Group F
Sudilia 13–30 South Newlandia
Gran Saguero 15–17 Abanhfleft

  Group F                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Abanhfleft                     5   5  0  174  78 +96
2 South Newlandia                5   3  2  131  97 +34
3 Gran Saguero                   5   1  4   96 148 −52
4 Sudilia                        5   1  4   84 162 −78

Group G
Sarzonia 36–14 Katterimunk
Drawkland 43–17 The Spartan Dominion

  Group G                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Drawkland                      5   5  0  196  70 +126
2 Sarzonia                       5   2  3   91  94  −3
3 Katterimunk                    5   2  3  112 162 −50
4 The Spartan Dominion           5   1  4   78 151 −73

Group H
Ranoria 29–7 United Hawkland
Cassadaigua 37–23 Utahn Theocratic Republic

  Group H                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Ranoria                        5   5  0  136  30 +106
2 Cassadaigua                    5   2  3  110 106  +4
3 Utahn Theocratic Republic      5   2  3   83 126 −43
4 United Hawkland                5   1  4   57 124 −67

[Ranoria]

Ranorian Football League Free Agency: Kearse On Third Team In Five Years, QB Ballast Queen Leaving Nashville

First look at Kearse in a Redwolves uniform

With free agency in it's opening waves, the Fiston Redwolves are the early winners - Gideon Kearse has been on three teams now in five years, but we all knew this was going to happen. Once the Port Kruger Phalanx, who drafted him number three overall, realized they had too many holes to fill and shipped him to the Ranoria City Falcons, it was clearly a two-year rental while he was on his rookie contract. They've got too many superstars to pay, they weren't going to be able to retain him.

But it was worth it - the superstar racked up an RFL-record 20.5 sacks last season, won defensive player of the year, and teamed up with Chromatik stars in Park Mi-Hyeon and Jere Rinaldi to be a cornerstone of a championship winning Falcons team, the second of the modern era for them.

Now, he's capitalizing off of that. He signed a record contract for 27.5 million RDCT per year, the highest ever for a defensive player, with the Fiston Redwolves, who have been runners-up in two of the last three RFL championships. He'll provide a spearhead up front for a team with a potentially generational talent in Proko on the back end. The Drawkian strong safety's been employed all over the field for the Redwolves, sometimes as an off-ball linebacker, usually as a deep safety, and sometimes even as an edge rusher. Together, the two should be a ferocious tandem. Redwolves head coach and general manager Seth Mueller said "Big moves are still coming, we're not quite done yet this offseason." when asked if he feels that this team is ready to win a championship now.

Meanwhile, with Ballast Queen's seven year contract expired, few expected him to leave his eleven-year home in Nashville. But the Sabercats' all-time leading passer signed a monster deal with the newly minted Rouyoute Aurora Knights, who also signed over former Redwolves and current Krauts wideout Isaak Rodriguez. Even after completing the most ambitious stadium project in Ranorian history in the Elysium, the Rouyoute ownership group clearly still has deep pockets. They've rebranded their team from "Colts" to "Aurora Knights," and are making big signings in free agency. It's clear that this team wants to position themselves as a title contender sooner rather than later.

"I feel a renewed enthusiasm for the game," Queen, a Stoneshore alumn, admitted, "I have no ill will towards anyone in the Sabercats organization, but this feels like a fresh start, I'm excited to see what we can do in the coming years."

In a league continually moving towards star quarterbacks - the Fenrirs turnaround led by Tim Hunt or the Redwolves pushing for titles behind Lane Proudfoot are prime examples - it's an aggressive move to go get one of the better signal callers in the country. Queen has posted eight consecutive seasons of 3300+ passing yards and 25+ touchdowns and has only missed one game in his eleven year career to this point, with a career 2:1 TD:INT ratio. The Sabercats routinely failed to provide him with an elite weapon though, with Larry Foster serving as his top target to this point in his career. With Rodriguez and a stout defense behind him, Queen has never had a better opportunity to etch himself into RFL lore - and the Rouyoute fanbase has never had more reason to believe they can challenge teams like Gwenderyn's Falcons to win it all in one of the sport's most competitive leagues.

Ranorian Defense Continues To Show Its Teeth,
Farmboy Sees First Action Of World Bowl 46


Abram Fairbanks has been outperformed a bit by Gideon Kearse during this run, but he's the first Kraut to score a defensive touchdown this season, and has been nothing short of a demon off the edge for this team

The Krauts have been on a tear after back-to-back rocky group stages in the past couple of World Bowls, playing suffocating defense while their offense hasn't scored less than three touchdowns under the electric hand of Vallienté Wagner-Young. Their defense has lived up to the promise it showed in the preseason, allowing just six points per game now, thirty total. Twenty of those have come in their two games against Cassadaigua, which should be an encouraging sign for the Fillies - they're the only team that's really managed to do anything productive against this defense - but it's also a warning sign for the Krauts.

Word from Cassadaigua, and we'd concur, is that while the team has proven they can build a team up and win in different eras, but they're not a championship caliber squad quite yet - their ceiling is likely a deep playoff push, not that that's unlikely. For Ranoria, it's a warning. This unit of course has still played well against the Cassadagan side, but they've only got one more test against them before the knockout rounds, when super-elite offenses like Banija, Chromatika, or the last-gasp effort of Dustin Beck's Grid Corps will be waiting.

But for now, there's not a perceivable weak spot on the starting eleven. The cornerbacks were the question marks - Akhello Volson's lack of experience made having him shadow top wideouts was a risk and Jabyess Hawkins, while proven, is a gambler. Fortunately, matched up against lesser wideouts, Hawkins has been able to drastically improve his odds of making a play on the ball. Volson's got a team high three interceptions, much in thanks to a two-pick first quarter against Blake Zuercher.

Things were much the same in our second dance with United Hawkland - the 1-4 squad looked completely hapless in the Superdome, floundering as the Krauts defense forced three takeaways in the first half, capped off with a Vollmacht strip-sack that Abram Fairbanks took for a 65 yard scoop-and-score. Once he had the ball, his incredible speed made it almost impossible to catch him from behind. The touchdown took the Krauts up to 13-0 after Barry Chlorid - bless his heart - missed a PAT, but it wouldn't make much of a difference. Ranoria took a 22-7 lead by the end of the fourth quarter, and John Garrett finally took the field with the game tied up. He handed the ball off to Apollo Esther for the most part, but he'd end the drive hitting Russell Farmer for a twenty six yard touchdown on a crossing route.

"Nice to get back in the swing of things," said Garrett, "Shoulder feels as good as I could hope for, we'll be ready next week."

Wagner-Young has played well to this point, but made no protest to Garrett taking back the starting spot. "He's earned that job for as long as he wants it," the GFLB superstar told the media, "Frankly, it's been a priveledge to be able to learn from him, being his understudy has really helped me develop as a pro."

It wasn't the explosive debut many fans were hoping for, but this coaching staff has been adamant on not rushing Farmboy back - his injury history is well documented, and has at the very least cost him the all-time RFL passing record, if not titles both here and domestically. At age 37 and having formally retired from Ranorian play, the priority at a 5-0 mark is for him to be as close to one hundred percent as possible entering the knockout rounds, and fully capitalize off the last World Bowl we're getting out of him. It's not dissimilar to the highly-publicized benching of star cornerbacks Makang "The Banijan Ballhawk" Secka and Koman Tabor for the Serpent Eagles, with head coach Thomas Hall valuing their talent enough to know that it's the knockout rounds where they'll be needed.

Next week though, one of the best Ranorians to ever play the game will face off against a kid who many are anticipating will be the next big thing in the Ranorian Football League in Utahn Blake Zuercher. He suffered a complete meltdown in the first matchup of these two teams, he'll need to do one hell of a lot better if he wants to hand the Krauts their first loss of the season, but it should be a valuable learning experience for him, watching one of the best to ever do it.

[Cassadaigua]

Pivotal win at home,
by Kenzie Sherman, Concord Heights Times

The fifth game of the World Bowl for Team Cassadaigua was against Utahn Theocratic Republic, who handed us a stunning 20-19 defeat earlier in the campaign. With the Fillies unable to beat Ranoria thus far, the team was stuck with a record of 1-3, and really needed to beat this group of no-names once again. But wait! What's this? The UTR finally decided to abandon the secret roster strategy and provided a list of their players to the media. Naturally, when I saw this list for the first time, I was feeling grateful but I had to think about how good it was for the players. Now, they did not have to play in total anonymity any longer. Now, the whole world would know who they were, so Blake Zuercher, Keawe Olina, Fox Jones and company, it is a real pleasure to meet you. Some of the fans that I met in the Republic for our first game that tried to give me pointers about who these players did give me some good information as I went back and checked my notes, but there were evidently some people that tried to prank me into calling people other things. For example, starting guard Milah Hick was told to me to be Milah, something that rhymes with Hick in which you can probably figure out if it was a prank.

Now, I know who they are, and even have a team name, which is pretty cool. Bees is not something I would have expected, but the Fillies were prepared to make sure that this opponent would not sting them again. The pink and black would receive to begin the game, and Katelynn Ellis appeared to bring it the needed 97 yards for a touchdown, but it was (correctly) ruled that the heel of her foot barely touched the sideline as she tried to avoid a tackle at her own 43. Even if it was not going to be a touchdown, it got the crowd into the game right away, and the team was able to capitalize. Ellis would get her touchdown on this drive, as Brittany Carrington connected with her from 17 yards to make it 7-0 in our favor. After holding the Bees to a three and out, the Dagans moved the ball down field most of the way again, before settling on a 36-yard Jenna Lewis field goal to make it 10-0. The momentum stayed in our favor, as the defense again force the Bees to punt, and a strong drive that ended with a 12-yard pass from Carrington to Allie Raymond extended our lead, but a botched snap on the extra point attempt led to the try being no good, and our lead was only 16-0, though with 12:07 left in the second quarter.

Then, for as good as things were looking, things went south for a little while, and these are the phases in a game that the team is going to have to put an end to if they are going to make some noise in the World Bowl. The Utahn Theocratic Republic marched down the field for 75 yards on the next possession for a score. Up to this point, the Bees had only picked up one first down in the game, so no one was going to panic quite yet. The team did go for two following the score, and were able to convert to make it 16-8. Still, why panic? Well, when Brittany Carrington threw an interception where her signals seemed to get crossed with Allie Raymond, and Trystan Rogne, one of two people on the Bees who wear #66 (one plays offense and one plays defense. Not sure if this is legal, but these two players look a lot different, so you could tell them apart pretty well. Anyway, Rogne made the pick, and set his team up at the Cassadaigua 41 with 8:38 left in the first half. His team would capitalize and got it into the end zone, and once again, they converted a two-point conversion to make it 16-16. Suddenly, this game that started so well for the team looked like it might be a repeat of the first time these two teams played and the fans began to let themselves be heard.

Cassadaigua went three and out on their next possession, and with 2:18 left in the first half, the Bees had the chance to take the lead into halftime, and began to move the ball. Someone needed to make a play, and fortunately, that would occur as Kelsey Mancini, who has been a little quiet in the World Bowl thus far, picked off Blake Zuercher, and brought it 47 yards for the score, putting the team up 23-16, and relaxing the minds of the fans as we would head into halftime. After the game, Mancini told me, "It all started like a typical play, but I was a little surprised when I saw Zuercher try to get the ball to Nicholas Kupka, because I was glued to him pretty well. He's a tall receiver, so that might be way he has that confidence in him, but I had great position to make a play on the ball. Normally, you want to just to bat that down, but I made up my mind to go for the pick. Got the ball, and they missed the tackle on me. I was kind of surprised really, that this ended up being a pick six, but we really needed to get a play there, and I was happy to deliver it for my team."

In the second half, the defense began to play well again, forcing the Bees to punt. The Fillies were pinned deep in their own territory after one heck of a boot from Amosa Tuala, one of two players on the team that wears #70 on the team. Pretty weird number for a punter, but there are no official rules on that. He's shorter than the other #70, Esera Savea, so like the #66's, you could at least tell them apart. Anyway, the pink and black had to go 97 yards, and they would do this in 17 plays, taking 8:19 off the clock. Morgan Phillips punched it in from four yards for the score to make it 30-16. This time, they would shut down the Bees. Midway through the fourth quarter, the pink and black struck for the final time, again with Morgan Phillips scoring the touchdown, but this time on a 33-yard scamper. She would end up having 118 yards for the game. In the final minutes, the UTR scored a meaningless touchdown to get our eventual final score of 37-23.

This was a game that the team really needed, but they must continue this momentum. Up next is United Hawkland, who they handled well the last time, but this time we are making the trip to wherever it is that they play in their country. Should Cassadaigua win that, they would be 3-3, and with Ranoria likely to beat the UTR, the Fillies would be a game ahead of the two unranked sides as we move into neutral play. No let ups, though.

Keep it rolling!

[Banija]

GFLB Weeks 12-14

GFLB Rosters

Reminder that it's a 17 week regular season... So three games remain after these ones!

Week 12
Mukeruzi Hyenas 3–7 Dukuma Dragons
Hoima Zebra 20–36 Mar Sara Night Elves
Busukuma Athletic Club 29–17 Busembe Timberwolves
Busukuma Suns 33–30 Sisonke Leopards
Isipongo Wild Boars 17–9 Kosactus Red Vultures
Lwanga Rhinos 25–34 Herzegovina City Cobras
Umbazi Metropolitan SC 24–13 Rukunbi Wizards
Igulu Bush Elephants 32–3 Istria Black Mambas
Port Stovine Sea Turtles 14–36 Mynda Gorillas
Bunyoro RSC 24–13 Askatasuna Wildcats
Bwubanza Ostriches 23–32 Aissa Crocodiles
St. Jakob Honey Badgers 21–23 Jinja City Springboks

Week 13
Dukuma Dragons 17–22 Isipongo Wild Boars
Mar Sara Night Elves 13–10 Lwanga Rhinos
Busembe Timberwolves 14–6 Umbazi Metropolitan SC
Sisonke Leopards 19–27 Igulu Bush Elephants
Kosactus Red Vultures 58–18 Port Stovine Sea Turtles
Herzegovina City Cobras 47–10 Bunyoro RSC
Rukunbi Wizards 55–10 Bwubanza Ostriches
Istria Black Mambas 17–23 St. Jakob Honey Badgers
Mynda Gorillas 71–7 Mukeruzi Hyenas
Askatasuna Wildcats 20–43 Busukuma Athletic Club
Aissa Crocodiles 22–12 Busukuma Suns
Jinja City Springboks 10–7 Hoima Zebra

Week 14
Dukuma Dragons 17–31 Port Stovine Sea Turtles
Bunyoro RSC 43–28 Mar Sara Night Elves
Busembe Timberwolves 25–27 Bwubanza Ostriches
St. Jakob Honey Badgers 10–23 Sisonke Leopards
Kosactus Red Vultures 27–16 Mukeruzi Hyenas
Herzegovina City Cobras 27–9 Hoima Zebra
Rukunbi Wizards 36–37 Busukuma Athletic Club
Istria Black Mambas 10–26 Busukuma Suns
Mynda Gorillas 16–39 Isipongo Wild Boars
Askatasuna Wildcats 17–33 Lwanga Rhinos
Aissa Crocodiles 23–24 Umbazi Metropolitan SC
Jinja City Springboks 24–24 Igulu Bush Elephants (24–31 OT)


Divison Standings after 14 weeks

North Division                Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Aissa Crocodiles           14   11   3   455  297 +158
 2 Mynda Gorillas             14   10   4   417  274 +143
 3 Jinja City Springboks      14    5   9   308  367  −59
 4 Askatasuna Wildcats        14    4  10   271  373 −102

Moravica Division             Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Herzegovina City Cobras    14   10   4   370  249 +121
 2 Rukunbi Wizards            14    8   6   361  284  +77
 3 Kosactus Red Vultures      14    6   8   352  323  +29
 4 Istria Black Mambas        14    2  12   249  407 −158

West Division                 Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Sisonke Leopards           14    8   6   397  322  +75
 2 Mar Sara Night Elves       14    8   6   351  334  +17
 3 Dukuma Dragons             14    7   7   277  368  −91
 4 Busembe Timberwolves       14    4  10   272  379 −107

South Division                Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Busukuma Athletic Club     14   11   3   431  332  +99
 2 Busukuma Suns              14   10   4   400  294 +106
 3 Hoima Zebra                14    5   9   418  430  −12
 4 Mukeruzi Hyenas            14    5   9   225  402 −177

Central Division              Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Igulu Bush Elephants       14   10   4   336  244  +92
 2 Isipongo Wild Boars        14    8   6   353  290  +63
 3 Lwanga Rhinos              14    7   7   407  264 +143
 4 Umbazi Metropolitan SC     14    7   7   282  350  −68

East Division                 Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 St. Jakob Honey Badgers    14    7   7   389  330  +59
 2 Bunyoro RSC                14    7   7   286  382  −96
 3 Port Stovine Sea Turtles   14    6   8   298  399 −101
 4 Bwubanza Ostriches         14    2  12   237  448 −211

Reminder for the general playoff table... All 6 division winners make the playoffs. However, only division winners can get the top 4 seeds and earn that first round bye- the 5th & 6th division winners don't get priority seeding, even if they are in the playoffs. The below table reflects that dynamic.

Has already clinched a playoff berth
Cannot win their division or get a wild card, eliminated from the playoff hunt

GFLB                         Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Aissa Crocodiles           14   11   3   455  297 +158
 2 Busukuma Athletic Club     14   11   3   431  332  +99
 3 Herzegovina City Cobras    14   10   4   370  249 +121
 4 Igulu Bush Elephants       14   10   4   336  244  +92
 5 Mynda Gorillas             14   10   4   417  274 +143
 6 Busukuma Suns              14   10   4   400  294 +106
 7 Sisonke Leopards           14    8   6   397  322  +75
 8 Rukunbi Wizards            14    8   6   361  284  +77
 9 Mar Sara Night Elves       14    8   6   351  334  +17
10 Isipongo Wild Boars        14    8   6   353  290  +63
11 Lwanga Rhinos              14    7   7   407  264 +143
12 St. Jakob Honey Badgers    14    7   7   389  330  +59

13 Bunyoro RSC                14    7   7   286  382  −96
14 Umbazi Metropolitan SC     14    7   7   282  350  −68
15 Dukuma Dragons             14    7   7   277  368  −91
16 Kosactus Red Vultures      14    6   8   352  323  +29
17 Port Stovine Sea Turtles   14    6   8   298  399 −101
18 Hoima Zebra                14    5   9   418  430  −12
19 Jinja City Springboks      14    5   9   308  367  −59
20 Mukeruzi Hyenas            14    5   9   225  402 −177
21 Askatasuna Wildcats        14    4  10   271  373 −102
22 Busembe Timberwolves       14    4  10   272  379 −107
23 Istria Black Mambas        14    2  12   249  407 −158
24 Bwubanza Ostriches         14    2  12   237  448 −211

Let's jump on Overview #4! We're getting to the business end of the season- just three games left until the playoffs!

Game of the Late Mid Season

Rukunbi Wizards 36–37 Busukuma Athletic Club

The Wizards played host to Busukuma AC in Week 14, with the game going on Sunday Night Football. Big-time playoff implications- Busukuma AC trying to separate itself in what is becoming a spectacular South Division title race between the two capitol teams, while the Wizards are out here trying to keep pace with Herzegovina City, within their own division. It's tough- but of course, the Moravica Division is a division where three of the four teams are, indeed, starting rookie quarterbacks. The Wizards entered the game a game and a half back- a win would've ensured that they could keep, at least, within a game. They lost to the Cobras twice this year- so that divisional title is looking further and further out of reach.

But with Felix Ström on one side, Busukuma AC had Ezekiel Bantoba on the other. Both quarterbacks would get out there and start absolutely dealing- great pass after great pass, touchdown after touchdown. When we got to the fourth quarter, Busukuma AC had just a 3 point lead, 31-28, on the road here against Rukunbi. The Wizards knew that a home win would be absolutely massive here in their quest to try and win the division, and wrest it from the hands of the Cobras. And with 7 minutes left, Felix Ström delivered exactly the lead that the Rukunbi Wizards were looking for. In front of a sellout crowd, he found his veteran star WR, Khalil Hauptmann, on a perfectly thrown fade to the back corner- picture-esque. 34-31, Wizards lead.

They come out, of course, to kick the extra point. But everything almost goes wrong. The holder muffs the snap. Oh no! But fortunately, he's got awareness. He picks up the ball, and starts running- and nobody's there for Busukuma! The punter ran it into the end zone for the make-do 2PC, and the Wizards led by 5, 36-31. But then, Bantoba, who is Richardson University's single season passing leader(not Garrett, not Ice Chineze, but BANTOBAMANIA), showed all of us why he's considered such a talented quarterback. He hit Koro Kutate for a 37 yard touchdown, throwing it brilliantly into coverage, a throw with such accuracy that only the best of the very best could hit it.

37-36. They went for 2, missed it, but it didn't matter. A Karl Sande strip sack(Valanora on Valanora violence!) would force a turnover at midfield, and the Busukuma running game put the game on ice. Brilliant game- as Busukuma AC chases that #1 overall seed.

Handicapping the Divisional Races
Let's take a look at 'em, hey? They're obviously important. A division is simply worth winning, of course, the banner- especially with this conference-less format being used for now within the GFLB. The top 4 division winners get that all-important first round bye, alongside some home playoff games- and the other two are still guaranteed playoff spots. Let's handicap 'em!

North Division                Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Aissa Crocodiles           14   11   3   455  297 +158
 2 Mynda Gorillas             14   10   4   417  274 +143

One would have to say that the Gorillas are the surprise of the season, right? Nobody in their right mind would have them just a game behind the Aissa Crocodiles. They allowed 52 points when these two faced off! But the Gorillas have a top 4 scoring offense, seemingly out of nowhere. The question is- how? How are they keeping up with freaking Ice Chineze? And the answer, is simple- Ezra Odika, at 33 years of age, has simply made a huge step up in his game. He's always been a solid QB. Average starter. Not bad. But this coaching staff has put him in a position to succeed, and they are lighting up scoreboards everywhere. They put up 70 on the Hyenas! They'll play once more in the final 3 weeks of the season- circle that on your calendar. That's not just a race for the division- it's possibly one for the #1 seed. You can take nothing for granted in this league...

Moravica Division             Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Herzegovina City Cobras    14   10   4   370  249 +121
 2 Rukunbi Wizards            14    8   6   361  284  +77

Simply put- there's almost no chance the Cobras don't win this. Their magic number? 1. Impressive- they just had the #1 overall pick in the draft, remember. Baka Webo was controversial, but he has been playing quite well so far. He's a rookie, for sure- he's made his fair share of rookie mistakes. Second in the league with pick sixes thrown, 3(first, of course, is Diamond Rhine). But the Cobras deserve this. He's made spectacular plays with his arm and legs, and they've built well around him, with WR1 Faraba Condeh impressing. Since the Cobras swept the Wizards already, of course, expect this race to be mathematically over, basically, next week.

West Division                 Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Sisonke Leopards           14    8   6   397  322  +75
 2 Mar Sara Night Elves       14    8   6   351  334  +17
 3 Dukuma Dragons             14    7   7   277  368  −91

Poor Busembe. 4-10. Functionally, they're completely and entirely out of the playoff race. Besides them, the West Division race is a spectacular one. Another race defined, of course, by its quarterbacks. THe Leopards are led by Vallienté Wagner-Young. When they're hot, they're basically unstoppable. They just had a 5 game winning streak. But when the going got tough, the tough got going. Brutal scheduling saw them take on the Suns and Bush Elephants in back to back weeks, and while they played well in both- they could not win either. It brought them down to Earth, which saw Craig Juniper's Night Elves get back into the race.

The most surprising thing about this, is that this is a threeway race. Dukuma is usually where sports career go to die, in Banija. It's a city with a number of disadvantages from a pro sporting perspective. It's in the Busoga Islands, for one. Free agents hate going there. And look- they drafted a QB late. Jacobson wasn't supposed to do anything with them. Then again, he wasn't supposed to do anything with Aksum State, either- and they just played for a national championship. They've got Jacobson playing well. But really, the key for this team is their ability to generate pressure. Sizo Ashenafi & Ailo Børve might be the best pass rushing combo in the GFLB. They consistently generate serious pressure with four, causing all sorts of chaos for opposing offenses. The team, as a whole, because of that, leads the GFLB in both sacks, and turnovers forced. They're just a game behind- could they make the playoffs for the first time in a decade?

South Division                Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Busukuma Athletic Club     14   11   3   431  332  +99
 2 Busukuma Suns              14   10   4   400  294 +106

A spectacular division title race between two crosstown rivals who utterly despise each other. The GFLB has a number of interesting, historic rivalries- it is an interestng league, we've got one/third of the league literally being brand new. But the Suns and Busukuma AC have always hated each other. And think about their QBs- Chibuzo and Bantoba. They've always hated each other. From the college days, to the now. You ever wondered why Bantoba's never suited up for the NT to be the QB3 in his entire career? While Hall has always said he's declined invites, it doesn't take much digging. "A locker room with them two in it together- would be explosive. Even with both as backups, Banija wouldn't even be able to win a flag football tourney, let alone do damage at the World Bowl." Said a NT assistant coach, who's name is being kept anonymous.

You see the way they snipe each other mid-season. When the Suns crushed Busukuma AC, 37-10, in week 2, Amazu Chibuzo told reporters that Busukuma AC were a 'trash franchise with trash players at key positions'. At the moment, considering how good these teams are(and the age of these QBs- how much longer will we have them??) this is probably the biggest rivalry in the entire sport. And if we had a Busukuma v. Busukuma Simba Bowl? All bets are off.

Central Division              Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Igulu Bush Elephants       14   10   4   336  244  +92
 2 Isipongo Wild Boars        14    8   6   353  290  +63
 3 Lwanga Rhinos              14    7   7   407  264 +143

While there are technically three teams alive, this is the Bush Elephants division. With three games left, the magic number is 1 with respect to Lwanga, and 2 with respect to the Wild Boars. A defense built around superstar FS Drew Lia(the likely candidate to win DPOY), has shown itself off, as they are the #1 scoring defense in the entire league. They are carrying forward a Bush Elephants team with a lackluster offense. As the league as a whole moves to superstar QBs, this is a team that looks much more at home in the RFL. They're getting the best out of everybody. Everyone's a vet- only one player under the age of 26.

And that's not a liability for them- it's a strength. Their scheme is clearly crazy advanced(since by raw talent, they certainly aren't the best defense), but they execute it perfectly. They don't gamebreak you with turnovers- but a ton of physicality in the secondary, as well as power generated at the LOS, and even elite LB play, are why they are so good. The only GFLB team with a Ranorian HC, you can tell- they are absolutely ready for prime-time.

East Division                 Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 St. Jakob Honey Badgers    14    7   7   389  330  +59
 2 Bunyoro RSC                14    7   7   286  382  −96
 3 Port Stovine Sea Turtles   14    6   8   298  399 −101

Definitely the worst division in the GFLB. The most shocking part is the bottom of the division- the Ostriches are sitting at 2-12, already eliminated from the playoffs. People thought the Ostriches would win this division, running away. Obviously, they've bottomed out entirely, but we'll see who wins this race from here. None of these teams are expected to make a ton of noise in the playoffs once they get there, but a division title would be a great way to start building yourself towards a power with Simba Bowl aspirations, wouldn't it?

---

Sometimes a Diamond is Just a Rock- Part 6

"Anddd Diamond Rhine rolls to the right, throws a dart to Olaf Ramsey... And it's caught! That's a first down- the Timberwolves have no timeouts left! The clock is going to run out as the Ostriches finally snap their 11 game losing streak, and earn just their second win of this GFLB season!"

Diamond Rhine sat in the locker room, after the Ostriches Week 14 win that, at least temporarily, put him out of his misery. From 0-1, to 1-1, to 1-12. It had been an ugly and disastrous season from every single standpoint- everybody was simply ready for it to end. An 11 game losing streak was easily the most brutal stretch of Diamond Rhine's career, as the Ostriches consistently were on the receiving end of blowouts.

The 12th loss of the season, and the 11th of the losing streak, came last week, to the Rukunbi Wizards. 55-10 on the road in Istria- an absolutely brutal way to lose to anybody. Rhine getting yanked towards the end of the game was now becoming an all too common scene. For somebody who just oozed talent, it was a brutal experience. Even finally winning his court case three weeks ago, to re-gain custody of Chewie, hadn't been enough to save this disaster of a season. Everything was a disaster. The team. The players. The HC was fired after that debacle- too much invested in Rhine to do anything but play him.

Ironically, this win against the Timberwolves, that's the type of stuff that they'd thought they would see all season long. The offensive was creative- they even ran a flea flicker. It was his first turnover free game of the season- a shocking stat. They went punch for punch with Espy va Drake's Timberwolves squad, and they were aggressive at the end. 3rd & 2, at the 40, with 1:51 left- they didn't run the ball, putting the ball into his hands, Diamond Rhine's, to win it- and it being successful.

Of course, the Timberwolves were terrible, being at 4-10 themselves. But Rhine simply sat there, thinking about what could have been. He was feeling an emotion that he had rarely felt before, especially after a victory- totally defeated, confidence completely sapped. Was he going to have to do a half a decade more of this hell? 11 game losing streaks, tanking for the #1 pick?

---

@MakangSecka Three weeks rehabbing, big thanks to the medical team for getting me ready. I'll be playing this Sunday against Juvencus, as we try to get our first road win of the tourney. #RoadToTheElysium

@KomanTabor It pains me that I missed all three of Banija's home games during this World Bowl. But I'm healthy, and I'll be playing against Juvenucs. Win number four incoming baby! #FlyEaglesFly

@AllBanijaSportsMagazine Banijan starting CBs Makang Secka and Koman Tabor, after both missing the entire home slate, will be back for the Serpent Eagles starting in week 6, away against Juvenucs. The defense misses their star CBs- they, somehow, have not caused even a singular turnover over the course of 5 games. They'll look to put that streak to bed when they are back at full strength.

[TJUN-ia]

After Gyatso-Kai delivered sweet revenge, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia were 2-2 and one of several high-profile outfits that were struggling to find their footing at this early stage. Things certainly have been both on and off for the Jaguars so far and while losing to the '13 side did hurt, there was still time to make this tournament feel better by the time this group stage is over. Gus McKerrin knew we still had time left...but how would we use it?

Our final home game of this World Bowl would be up against Magnecia, a team who beat us on their home turf in the opposite game. Everyone knew we needed both revenge and a bounce-back win to calm the nerves right back down, and that is exactly what we managed here in our New Washington swansong. Our defence managed to hold the visitors to a sole FG in this entire game while Jessica Farron would claim a 34-yard pick-6 of her own. The other 3 TDs were all through Allister Ghoulson as Gilbert Nyamutsamba scored twice, Fremont Whitehorse got one and Victor Que-et-Vous managed a 2-Point Conversion for his troubles. Chi On-Ma managed 4/4 on his attempted PATs and that would be that...we got a brilliant win and we were now at 3-2.

Only one game remains before we must head out to Ranoria for the rest of the tournament, meaning our final game of this 2nd Act will be on the road at Hofn. Everyone will be hoping for a great ending to home-and-away play and then after that...things will only get more interesting. GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group A, Home and Away with final 3 games on neutral sites)
MD1: @Gyatso-Kai (13) - Stadia Capital, Beijing W 19-10 (2nd/1-0)
MD2: @Magnecia (UR) L 20-27 (3rd/1-1)
MD3: vs Hofn (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 43-12 (1st/2-1)
--------------BREAK--------------
MD4: vs Gyatso-Kai (13) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington L 20-33 (2nd/2-2)
MD5: vs Magnecia (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 29-3 (2nd/3-2)
MD6: @Hofn (UR)
--------------NEUTRAL SITE GAMES--------------
MD7: vs Gyatso-Kai (13)
MD8: vs Magnecia (UR)
MD9: vs Hofn (UR)

[Drawkland]

In short, the decision to let Jack Hoy put the team on his back was an excellent one. Glenn Romano's fears of the opposition being able to plan for the veteran runner back were entirely unfounded. To be fair, half the group were debuting teams who would have a harder time finding good film on Hoy. The real competition in the group was Sarzonia, and though their defense was limiting touchdowns compared to the unranked entrants, they couldn't keep the Corps off the board.

Drawkland had scored 25 touchdowns after just 5 games of play in the group stage, with 7 field goals to boot (the boom-or-bust aggressive approach on fourth downs contributed greatly to this ratio). Jack Hoy accounted for 13 of those touchdowns, 11 on the ground and 2 receiving. Dustin Beck had 1 TD rushing and 10 passing, with a lone Mike Banks rushing TD and a couple garbage time Lane Proudfoot passing TDs thrown in. Obviously everybody was performing at a high level, especially the defense, but Hoy was the star of the show.

Interestingly enough, Jack Hoy was starting to do some new things. He was somewhat of an ageless wonder before he became immortal, and now it's cranked up to 11. When he first started, he was an elusive make-a-man-miss guy with incredible speed and moves. As he aged, he lost some of his long-distance velocity, but his cuts were still quick and he began using blockers more to his advantage. Now with his eternal youth in place and need to worry about bodily longevity, he's almost started turning into tough back that invites contact and outmuscles his would-be tacklers. He's gained some muscle weight in the last couple seasons, but his speed is still lethal. The result is this horrifying amalgamation of both a power back and an elusive back, a combination that shouldn't be possible with this level of production involved.

With all of this, you'd expect Hoy to have a head the size of a blimp given his already high opinion of himself. Instead, he seems to be completely uninterested in the monster numbers he's putting up. All he's done in the media is praise the rest of the Corps for securing the wins and putting together an excellent cycle. It's so bizarre, but the intent is obvious. He's not doing it for himself ... he's doing it for Dusty.

---

"Is your arm feeling alright man?" Jack Hoy came up to Dustin Beck between practice drills and nudged him in the side. "I know I've been making you throw a lot of passes lately."

"You kidding?" Dustin chuckled, knowing the answer already. "This might be the fewest passes I've thrown since my rookie contract in Akkor Beach."

"Now that's a throwback!" Jack laughed. "Come on, I'm just trying to keep your dusty-ass old man arm from disintegrating halfway through the playoffs. You should be thanking me!"

"Thanking you?" Dustin raised his eyebrows sarcastically. "Man, I'm starting to get bored under center. You're nothing but a ball hog, you know that?"

"Me, a ball hog?" Jack exclaimed with feigned indignation. He pressed his hand to his chest and pretended to swoon. "I am no such thing! I'm simply doing what's best to deliver a win. What good is a swansong campaign if you're not winning the big games?"

"What good is a swansong campaign if I'm falling asleep in the backfield for half the game?" Dustin ribbed back. "You know I'll want to open up at some point. Gotta sling the rock. I haven't even gotten to throw a TD to poor Robin yet. That man is starving for his first national team score."

"Alright, alright, I get the message." Jack shrugged. "We can tell Romano and Connell to give you a few more passes a game. You better make them count though, or else I'm gonna start asking for snaps out of wildcat."

"Don't insult me like that," Dustin grinned and shook his head. "I am an experienced mobile QB. If anything, I should be the one getting wildcat snaps."

"Fine, but that's coming out of your pass play percentage!" Jack crossed his arms.

"You're nickel and diming me here!" Dustin shot back. "If you want to run the ball 50 times a game then tell Romano to put Proudfoot under center. God knows that chump would be happy."

"What do you mean?" Jack furrowed his brow in confusion. He hadn't heard this lore.

"Oh, just these conversations I had with Lane last cycle." Dustin rolled his eyes and sighed. "I'm trying to give this dude tips on strategy and mechanics. Y'know he's gonna be the main guy once I retire, at least for one or two cycles. I want him to succeed, I'm trying to help him out, and he basically laughs in my face. He said he doesn't need to get better because he's covered by a great running game. It was the same deal at Cavsar, and the RFL is all about the running game, so he hasn't been giving 100% for maybe his entire career. I think he would be fine with throwing 2 passes every game, provided he could circle the bases that night."

"No shit?" Jack chuckled. Suddenly, a thought appeared in his mind. "You really think he'd be okay with leaning on the running game that much?"

"I cannot stress to you how much I am not exaggerating here," Dustin confirmed. "He's a real clown. You could probably ask him directly and he'd say the same thing."

"Very interesting ..." Jack looked up to the sky, rubbing his chin. He looked deep in thought.

"Alright, what the hell is that look?" Dustin crossed his arms. "I don't like that look."

"Don't worry, Dusty," Jack snapped out of it and swatted Dustin on the arm. "Let's just focus on this campaign, alright?"

"Whatever it is, leave me out of it." Dustin shook his head and started towards where the next drill was happening.

[Ko-oren]

Now we turn our attention to the Western division. The Eastern division has the outliers, with Aerellen and Noordrug as title contenders and Aminey and the Admirals as likely 5th and 6th, with Sterrenwolde and the 65ers as the Eastern wildcard candidates and all-around competitive teams. The Western division has all the close-together teams in the middle of the pack, with one team among the three title candidates and one team as a bottom feeder - the remaining four teams all have a legitimate shot at second and third place - the wildcards - as well as fourth and fifth.

Mayara Destroyers
Stadium: Exhibition Centre (41000) in Mayara, KCT
Titles: 2 (Hist. Titles: 2)
Rivals: Mayara Wolves, Sterrenwolde Dragonflies

QB Sozuthel Gulthithen (22), BQ Edtek Aibsorelanden (27)
FB Doninak Soserindhen (29), HB Dinuth Maulaganthindin (24), RB Imes Toredaindin (21), WR Ghislain Arquette (24), XR Twan Nekker (27), YR El Crozier (31), ZR Rubozak Arathennen (25), TR Gurethen Tharadhen (31), TB Akhel Mauthrenara (19)
RT Aulethan Tohanadigendhen (21), RG Lawrence Waterville (23), CE Kiserba Likathinden (36), LG Terpu Shazenregaudhen (21), LT Nolau Tathinden (32), OL Denis Leclair (21)
LE Hampton Purcell (29), LD Nerolaun Sorgeltingun (35), NT Amaro Viveiros (25), RD Veja Stroo (34), RE Roch Dujardin (33)
OB Etbak Pauguthen (26), WB Wilbert Burns (31), IB Juliette (f) Traver (20), MB Arté Guilloux (26), SB Esuth Dauzithen (24), BZ Megu Shisonnen (25)
LC Archer Penleigh (20), FS Manoel Cales (19), SS Ninau Jaruninthen (28), RC Bizhina (f) Modharennen (20), NB Manasak Topkothisdhen (33), DB Bizhan Aidirunen (25)
PK Thekluk Tudhanudin (21), PU Gus Bourbeau (31), LS Elothe Aecherin (33), PR Jonny Berkman (33), KR Pezhopu Gaulthisorudhen (25), JM Shapana (f) Arahathenandhen (25), GU Arximiro Monteverde (24)

The Destroyers are coming off of a dominant dynasty of playoff spot after playoff spot, bowl appearance after bowl appearance, and even a title. Like Sterrenwolde, they are hit pretty hard by the departure of their numerous stars, to the point where the defence has regressed to that of a Second Division team, while the offence should be able to hold its own against every defence in the league. The adage for the next half-decade is clear: avoid regression on the offence but by all means build back that defence to a respectable level. If they can do so while other teams don't improve too much, the Destroyers will likely regain their place atop the pecking order. The expectations to go .500 or over now lie with a punishing group of backs - Toredaindin and Soserindhen - behind two elite tackles - Tathinden and Tohanadigendhen - with QB Gulthithen throwing to one of the best targets in the league (Nekker). All six of these players are on the NT bubble and were almost lost as well. On the defensive side, only Stroo comes anywhere near their level, but he can't get all of these sacks alone.

Mayara Wolves
Stadium: Wolves' Lair Stadium (37000) in Senoren, KCT
Titles: 1 (Hist. Titles: 4)
Rivals: Mayara Destroyers

QB Zoruthau Kosmauthaunden (27), BQ Orinas Ganehuthen (29)
FB Ellsworth Labey (32), HB Zishes Tinzokugendhen (32), RB Emsan Majargun (21), WR Gauthizak Mengun (31), XR Golatisu Junstarin (35), YR Sonates Torkhegandhen (20), ZR Zenru Aholangaunten (25), TR Max Maret (30), TB Bojigas Dhinten (35)
RT Hopajusak Handaldhen (33), RG Paranak Lambotherindhen (26), CE Xaneiro Ferreira (23), LG Alamer Lunorin (34), LT Nauskar Hezateringun (37), OL Madalena (f) Toca (24)
LE Gabe Payne (28), LD Melton Hoddle (28), NT Xenaro Carreiro (21), RD Hannes Sjouwman (31), RE Julthorul Kaunorerinthen (30)
OB Keshenes Mauthrenadhen (25), WB Estevo Lence (21), IB Shutek Gaulthisorudhen (24), MB Molrak Kinportinden (33), SB Naajabang Witzie (29), BZ Damonak Pauguthen (25)
LC Amrek Anethanthen (20), FS Parak Tukurudin (22), SS Pinauken Puraunthaunthen (30), RC Lisikas Toredaindin (22), NB Tadatsune Kutalagi (32), DB Akihito Ōkawa (25)
PK Masafumi Hase (24), PU Kazhame (f) Mojerannen (19), LS Eratel Barganulden (22), PR Raudhas Tehahanjeragdin (22), KR Akran Panonnen (24), JM Luís Vazquez (25), GU Hekas Eidikuramauthen (27)

The Wolves - no longer in Mayara, but in Senoren, but retaining the name for historical/regional purposes (it makes sense, honestly) - did hold on to most of their defining players but already started out with some gaps coming out of the last few seasons where they were hit heavily by retirements. Veterans who didn't seem to look for one year deals elsewhere recognised that the Wolves could play spoiler but likely wouldn't compete for silverware themselves elected to retire. They still have one of the oldest offensive lines featuring a 37, 34, and 33-year old, though the rest of the roster is surprisingly light on 33+ year olds. They look in a slightly better spot than their regional rivals, and if they can find some O-line help in the next draft they could just survive with a defence that... hold on, actually looks pretty solid. The punishing D-line with Sjouwman, Hoddle, and Kaunorerinthen is probably the best in the league, and Lence and Anethanthen complete a bruising defence. Who knew they had it in them?

Greencaster Godspeed
Stadium: Surbourneshire Square (65000) in Greencaster, Surbourneshire
Titles: 3 (Hist. Titles: 4)
Rivals: Willowbourne Saints

QB Andy Belross (21), BQ Guanyu Long (21)
FB Jack Shorelett (21), HB Harold Steelling (20), RB Cyrus Wybrier (22), WR Booker Chisel (27), XR Roe Fineman (30), YR Roman Belsea (21), ZR Gideon Crossket (25), TR Joshiaki Vino (29), TB Charlton Chilley (29)
RT Levi Lightcroft (23), RG George Lee (27), CE Aaron Penn (30), LG Stewart Reddish (28), LT Warren Easleings (22), OL Leonard Renfall (25)
LE Llawglhwn yDaddmhwr (30), LD Japie Bosschers (33), NT Frederick Clockbrough (25), RD Stantin Delaunay (25), RE Arthur Burton (31)
OB Samuel Dargrove (28), WB Newmrhaf yFawschawf (31), IB Amand Lecerf (30), MB Inigo Ilway (23), SB Tom Nantfield (21), BZ Zadhemas Ardehninen (21)
LC Max Devilliers (30), FS Byron Kadwell (28), SS Shin Munemori (20), RC Arvid Knight (30), NB Jedediah Aunett (24), DB Clint Fersworth (30)
PK Nat Etherquand (21), PU Trevor Ragane (22), LS Aomapu Aubtella (20), PR Bruno Barcia (21), KR Arnold Shipbane (31), JM Aobue Aipara (20), GU Lucius Rochham (25)

It's the youngest roster in the league which could set them up for success before the other teams recover. For now, the Godspeed look like a mid-table team with more downsides than upsides, but the middle of the pack are so close together that it could turn into anything, really. Definite upsides of this roster include the D-line (of which there are several good ones in the West, between them, the Wolves, and the Saints - spoilers) and the special teams unit. The latter always has a special place in the hearts of Ko-orenite gridiron purists even if pickings are slim. After Eaglebury and the Wolves, it's a good defence if nothing too special, but the offence is not great. With all of the major players at twenty-one years old (Belross, Long, Shorelett, Steelling, Wybrier, Belsea) it can only get better but if you're a Godspeed fan, prepare yourself for an anaemic offence - even if it gets better week by week. Just be happy you still have Devilliers, a long time contributor to the NT, as well as Fineman as the experienced receiver, and Delaunay and Burton on the D-line.

Willowbourne Saints
Stadium: Willowbowl (55000) in Willowbourne, Corridor
Titles: 1 (Hist. Titles: 4)
Rivals: Greencaster Godspeed

QB Matthew Amplewin (22), BQ Southwell Callakins (26)
FB Coen Olink (30), HB Planchet Chaumont (26), RB Walton Hooligan (28), WR Basile Erbland (24), XR Hudson Denett (19), YR Whitfield Easlemouth (23), ZR Eshuth Dauzigun (32), TR Chamchawdd yMaellceoff (27), TB Adèle (f) Minchin (20)
RT Nathan Schildwacht (30), RG Aoreni Aividena (36), CE Richard Paley (20), LG Floja Popma (30), LT Jo Altink (30), OL Usher Harrowrye (30)
LE Hugo Sparre (30), LD Wilbert Burke (29), NT Liluth Bedigelnen (24), RD Paul Dijk (34), RE Harvey Hellyer (30)
OB Calisto Bahamonde (21), WB Garret Guildeforde (31), IB Akhak Ganehura (19), MB Karlas Aunendhen (20), SB Bwnhewg yBanmhewm (33), BZ Eldon Anglebridge (19)
LC Ber Hafkamp (27), FS Ron Fortuin (33), SS Agamek Pesenthengun (24), RC Clinton Dwyer (32), NB Seth Burylinn (24), DB Alice (f) Denwin (32)
PK Wolfe Sollett (21), PU Erilure Ailis (34), LS Boyanee Chumarran (37), PR Aoelea Arile (26), KR Guy Chelmstomb (24), JM Lucian Cedarridge (24), GU Lom Brightforth (29)

An amazing offence, a very good D-line, paired with a downright depressing group of linebackers and backs, they don't have the explosiveness of Aerellen's offence but they're damn close. Amplewin will only get better, Denett will only mature, Easlemouth - same thing, behind a veteran O-line with just Paley as a wildcard, but rated extremely well across the offseason. The Saints could well be the West's best team, ranked a tad above the rest and also being pretty good in contrast to the Eastern division, but with a good amount of question marks. Schildwacht and Altink are elite tackles, Dijk and Burke are elite interior defensive linemen. The Saints are built on a few good pairs that can't always be stopped at the same time, and they hope to ride the matchups to the Bowl.

Mawryshire Centaurs
Stadium: Hertfield (33000) in Mawrystwyth, Mawryshire
Titles: 0 (Hist. Titles: 0)
Rivals: Eaglebury Emperors

QB Eogan yBybradan (22), BQ Ronan yLlwydythol (25)
FB Iogan yTregw (22), HB Mohan yCaerdenys (35), RB Gaé Leloup (25), WR Uriah Batward (25), XR Lilisun Ranindhen (34), YR Atsuo Tomii (19), ZR Conor yTaeganmac (25), TR Yoshimitsu Kamitanida (21), TB Todd yDwrwstmac (31)
RT Stephen Ilikins (22), RG Sese Hector (28), CE Niniaw yAftonmac (23), LG Isaak Bruijns (30), LT Llwgypen yNargwrwdd (30), OL Morcan yGwynean (34)
LE Reuben Fitzgerald (26), LD Cinpewg yMonras (31), NT Ciran yMohanmac (22), RD Tauhenun Raubidhen (34), RE Iwane Sugimoto (29)
OB Aeramo Aosonara (21), WB Poffoll yNewffas (29), IB Colm yBarrafon (24), MB Pellchis yFferohan (27), SB Jado Kiffer (28), BZ Benvito Castelan (29)
LC Ennis yByciran (21), FS Erik Hagelijn (35), SS Dizoskun Horaudhen (28), RC Ennis yAwbar (21), NB Cuthbert Callader (20), DB Eoin yAfoniaw (34)
PK Chaegmhawch yTantews (35), PU Cwin yByconor (20), LS Jacob Eric (22), PR Bernardiño Barcia (24), KR Cornelis Argielregen (21), JM Dwftach yDalaid (25), GU Cerys (f) Needleworth (22)

It's been a while since Mawryshire have had a good season, and it might not happen this year, again. Right in the season where it should be more open than ever, and where their new offence has to start running well with a bunch of offensive skill players (let alone further down the roster), some analysts rank their skill positions, defensive backs, and special teams dead last. Not just one category where they're supposedly the worst, but three out of seven categories. How long will the front office hang on for? If it weren't for the coaching staff that can squeeze a few wins out of this disappointing roster, they would/should have been out ages ago. yNargwrwdd is the only truly elite player here, but Raubidhen and yMonras on the D-line and the incredibly high ceiling for second-year quarterback yBybradan could bring something extra.

Eaglebury Emperors
Stadium: The Palace (34000) in Eaglebury, West Strand Riding
Titles: 1 (Hist. Titles: 2)
Rivals: Mawryshire Centaurs

QB Stanley Parkes (38), BQ Tadanari Hanada (28)
FB Maynard Wodethal (24), HB Sijirla Hyotirra (26), RB Jurre Hinken (28), WR Cugeo Syallyo (34), XR Thorlibin Junga (33), YR Minsley Julmerra (31), ZR Conrat Pluimplataan (21), TR Bruce Suthmeer (31), TB Gedald Zyutara (21)
RT Humphrey Drayton (31), RG Higgagul Wyolleo (21), CE Hussagun Herrald (24), LG Caldwell Corland (19), LT Taizō Minatoi (22), OL Cinnya Mollilla (30)
LE Pranga Nanmin (29), LD Jeremy Billbury (21), NT Reginald Yellowcott (25), RD Elijah Farrier (33), RE Maynard Critchsworth (22)
OB Sterling Weatherley (22), WB Darthmouth Sollett (22), IB Hudson Barkwald (25), MB Dan Dusketon (19), SB Nanko Bruinink (26), BZ Asavi Tatsuki (31)
LC Nobumasa Valada (22), FS Kong Zhihao (25), SS Chilra Minjarrah (36), RC Curumbah Wongar (31), NB Duncan Buryquist (29), DB Kaiji Tsuchie (24)
PK Bennet Lightcroft (22), PU Merritt Withers (36), LS Aocelore Esea (34), PR Isa Couturier (32), KR Lyonall Kusal (25), JM Jean-Henri Adrien (20), GU Eustacius Deemstering (20)

What a fun roster. Not universally good, but interesting enough to create a headache for some opponents. A stellar quarterback, with Parkes deemed too old to join the NT long-term, and so the veteran gets to ply his trade for a few more years (well, at least one more year) with the Emperors, where he gets to send a weird group of receivers downfield. Junga, Hinken, Suthmeer, all ex-NT'ers, paired with local hero Syallyo and Hyotirra who are of dubious quality at best. A mediocre offensive line will be a challenge for Parkes, but he's done a lot with less in the past. All in all, the offence really isn't bad, as long as Parkes doesn't fall off a cliff, and the various stars on the defence in between decent role-players could give us a sneaky good defence - show us what you're worth with turnovers, which should be exactly their cup of tea. Minjarrah and Wongar (both defensive backs) and Billbury and Farrier (defensive line) are in the right position for tonnes of INTs and fumbles, and with Wodethal, Suthmeer, and Hinken, Parkes should really be able to get some chunk plays as long as the line holds on.

[South Americanastan]

"IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL I WIN" PART 2
Prologue
Part 1

KWV BOXING GYM, ALKOMSK, KUZNETZIA
FEBRUARY 17TH, 1998
<<>> - Indicates words spoken in Kuznetzian

Whipwhap.

Whipwhap.

Whipwhap.

The sound of gloves on strike pads echoed throughout the gym.

"<<Come on, is that all you got? Put some balls into it!>>"

The trainer thrusted one pad forward. Josef ducked it, and threw a hard cross at the other pad. Despite the intense environment, Josef found the gym calming. Maybe it was the satisfaction of being in a gym he had co-founded, to reap the fruits of his own labor. Establishing a boxing gym in his hometown and birthplace of Kuznetzian boxing was a dream come true. Not to mention doing it alongside two of the greatest Kuznetzian boxers of his era, Welterweight Dmitry Kozlov and one-time championship rival Vladimir Vasilinsky.

Or maybe it was just a good way to take his mind off things. With a kid on the way and the depletion of the Kuzentzian heavyweight division at his own hands leaving his future a question mark, there were more than enough things for him to take his mind off of. KBO champions were required to defend their title once a month, a relic of the old days of Kuznetzian boxing, and as the list of contenders became increasingly recycled, boxing just wasn't all that it used to be to Josef. All of the best Kuznetzian young boxers had cut down to Cruiserweight and Light Heavyweight, but Josef's frame and height simply didn't permit him to follow.

The talent was still there, and so was the in-ring tenacity, but the once-bright fire was being smothered.

Whipwhap.

Whipwhap.

Whipwhap.

Jab. Cross. Jab. Cross. Jab. Cross. Weave. Cross. Jab. Hook. Cross. Jab.

"<<Are you okay? You don't seem like yourself today?>>"

"<<No, no. I'm fine.>>"

Whipwhap.

Whipwhap.

Whipwhap.

A man dressed in a black three-piece suit walks into the gym. Unnoticed, he leans himself up against the apron of the ring.

"<<Josef!>>"

"<<Yes?>>"

"<<Come down here.>>"

"<<I'm busy!>>"

"<<Just get down here!>>"

"<<Why?>>"

"<<I'll explain when you're down here, nitwit!>>"

Josef slips off his gloves and climbs out of the ring.

"<<Well?>>"

"<<We have a fight offer. A big one.>>"

"<<Oh, for what? Another exhibition of why the 3-knockout rule exists?>>"

"<<No. An actual big one. Have you ever heard of Pat Givens?>>"

"<<I think I've head the name before. Who's the scrub?>>"

"<<Josef. He's the best boxer to come out of South Americanastan in the last 40 years. Undisputed cruiserweight champion, boxing royalty, all the bells and whistles.>>"

Truth was, Josef knew exactly who Pat Givens was. Everyone did. Givens kind of reminded Josef of his old self, if he was being honest. The South Americanastanian fighter had almost everything you could want in a boxer. The speed of a strawweight, power of a heavyweight, and you'd wouldn't be blamed for thinking he'd never taken off the amateur headgear with how many punches he was able to take.

"<<What about him?>>"

"<<His team wants you to fight him. On his home turf.>>"

"<<I'll think about it.>>"

"<<You don't have a choice.>>"

"<<What do you mean?>>"

"<<The Secretary General thinks it'd be a great propaganda victory for you to beat the South Americanastanian champion on his turf.>>"

"<<At what weight?>>"

"<<230 pound catchweight>>"

"<<Kilos, not burgers.>>"

"<<About 104 kilos>>"

"<<Tell them I'll take it.>>"

As the man walked away, Josef's mind wandered. Every boxer dreamed of going out on top, and what better way to do so than beating his country's greatest rival in their own country? The money, fame, women...

"<<Hey asshole, YOU HAVE A WIFE!>>" his mind cried.

The money, fame, family stability... he would never have to box again. One thing was for sure.

Someone just tossed a whole lot of kindling in the fire.

[Torisakia]

Torisakia wins 29-17 over Anthor; Game delayed due to protests

TOKAI - Torisakia nabbed their biggest win of World Bowl 46 with a 29-17 victory of 18th ranked Anthor. At Kirk & Hilton Heights in Presidents City, the Ice Birds amassed 537 yards of offense split almost evenly between the air and ground game.

The other story coming out of Presidents City involves the Torisakia-Anthor game being delayed for nearly an hour due to the heavy presence of protestors around the stadium, still demonstrating against increased housing costs, inflation, work wages, and social justice. While the protests were mostly peaceful, the presence of some violent protestors throwing bricks, flares, and fireworks at police near the stadium caused the game to be delayed from its regular kickoff at 7:00pm TST. Extra security was brought in to disperse the crowds and deter trouble-making from within the stadium. Despite the delay, no other issues from protestors occurred during the game.

Shifting back to the game, the Ice Birds took an "unorthodox" approach in that coach Gregory Debay's entire gameplan relied on even playcalling between the run and the pass. The result was among one of the best offensive performances by the Ice Birds this World Bowl. Quarterback Aaron Spady passed for 236 yards, completing 19 passes out of 34 attempts, and tossing a touchdown score and running for another. Running back Michael Pickett was the start of the show, carrying the ball 32 times for 256 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 8 yards a run among numerous broken tackles and a hefty Yards After Contact stat.

The Ice Birds' defense also played a crucial role in the victory, holding Anthor's to just 17 points. They were able to pressure Anthor quarterback Dirk Wallace constantly throughout the game, forcing three turnovers and limiting Anthor to 266 yards of total offense.

Torisakia got the first points on the board with a 28 yard field goal by Jasper Tolmie on their first drive of the game. The drive showed promise early on as the Ice Birds were inside Anthor's 20 yard line only three plays in thanks to two explosive runs by Pickett, but a costly false start penalty on a 3rd & short forced Torisakia to take the field goal instead. Anthor would try to respond, but the overwhelming pressure put on Dirk Wallace by the Torisakia defense, in particular defensive end Stephen Branson and linebacker Waylon Danell, forced an interception by Darrell Hyden who returned it inside the Anthor 25 yard line to put Torisakia in scoring position yet again. This time they would find paydirt on a 18 yard run by Pickett to go up 10-0. Anthor would fail to respond on their ensuing possession and were now facing the possibility of putting themselves in an even deeper hole in just the first quarter.

It would become a nightmare for Anthor from the second quarter onwards. A promising drive had Anthor 1st & Goal at the Torisakia 3 yard line midway through the quarter as they looked poised to finally score and get on the board. The Ice Birds' defense had other plans as halfback Lewis Davis was stuffed four straight times in a phenomenal goal line stand that hearkens back to the old day of Torisakia football. Following the turnover on downs, the Ice Birds extended their lead on a 38 yard pass from Spady to Elias Kuzman, while also tacking on a field goal late in the half to put Torisakia up 20-0 at halftime. It was the first time this World Bowl that Torisakia had managed to hold an opponent scoreless in a half.

"[Our] defense really stepped up today. That's more like how we should be playing." Coach Debay said after the game. "If we're going to get serious about being a contender in these types of tournaments, we have to start with a strong defense. That's something our guys really showed today".

The second half featured less scoring but plenty of offense. Michael Pickett ran for 114 yards in the third quarter alone, averaging 9.2 YAC. Running downhill forced the Anthor defense to begin bringing up their safeties and loading the box, allowing for Spady to simply pick apart the secondary. The game plan was executed almost flawlessly, save for the one interception Spady threw late in the third due to Jay Abaroa tipping the ball one too many times. The interception led to Anthor's first points of the game: a 29 yard field goal by Kian Tyler. While the shutout was no more, the Ice Birds continued their lock down defense and high powered offense well into the fourth quarter.

Jasper Tolmie tacked on yet another field goal early in the fourth quarter to put the Ice Birds up 23-3, an almost insurmountable lead for Anthor to come back from with so little time. Still, Anthor showed grit and continued to try and claw their way back. Anthor scored their first touchdown of the night in the final quarter: a 15 yard pass from Wallace to wide receiver Markus Spurr with roughly 9 minutes left to cut Torisakia's lead to 13. The Ice Birds responded with a lengthy drive that took up nearly 7 minutes off the clock and culminated in a 6 yard run by Pickett, albeit with a failed two point conversion attempt that would have put Torisakia up by an even 3 possessions. Lewis Davis scored a garbage time touchdown to pad some stats, as Torisakia ultimately won 29-17.

UP NEXT: The Ice Birds take on Chromatika in their second of three meetings in this World Bowl. Chromatika flat out embarrassed Torisakia 56-13 on the third matchday. Chromatika, currently ranked 2nd in the world, sits atop Group D with a perfect 5-0 record. Chromatika is coming off a scare from winless Dod Rava with Chromatika winning by only 6 points, a far cry from the blowout wins everyone is accustomed to seeing from them. We at TSPN can only pray that Torisakia doesn't lose by more than 43, or that they even keep it remotely close. And god forbid any of these protestor hooligans follow the team to Chromatika. You raise rent by just a couple thousand dollars and blue haired college dropouts lose their minds. Un-freaking-believable.

Box Score	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Anthor (2-3)	0	0	3	14	17
Torisakia (1-2)	10	10	0	9	29

GAME SUMMARY OF ANTHOR VS. TORISAKIA

1st QUARTER
12:43 TOR - 28 yard field goal by J. Tolmie
9:01 TOR - 18 yard run by M. Pickett (Tolmie PAT)
END OF 1ST Anthor: 0 Torisakia: 10

2nd QUARTER
9:57 TOR - 38 yard pass from A. Spady to E. Kuzman (Tolmie PAT)
1:14 TOR - 37 yard field goal by J. Tolmie
END OF 2ND Anthor: 0 Torisakia: 20

3rd QUARTER
0:33 ATH - 29 yard field goal by K. Tyler
END OF 3RD Anthor: 3 Torisakia: 20

4th QUARTER
13:19 TOR - 36 yard field goal by J. Tolmie
9:08 ATH - 15 yard pass from D. Wallace to M. Spurr (Tyler PAT)
2:23 TOR - 5 yard run by M. Pickett (2-pt Failed)
0:21 ATH - 4 yard run by L. Davis (Tyler PAT)
END OF 4TH Anthor: 17 Torisakia: 29

[Utahn Theocratic Republic]

Blake Zuercher PT 12.

the World Bowl, the most prestigious match-up in professional football. He knew that the competition would be fierce and the losses in the NSCF playoffs would be hard to take, but he didn't give up hope - instead he embraced each setback as a learning opportunity. He honed his skills and worked tirelessly, determined to make it to the big game. After much persistence and hard work at the collegiate level, Blake's efforts finally paid off and he was selected as the starter for The World Bowl. It would be a tough test, but Blake was ready to take on this challenge head-on and prove himself worthy of being on the biggest stage. BYU star and almost Big 8 champion in his first NSCF appearance although he has been put through the absolute ringer by namely the Ranorian Krauts who shut them down bad and picking Blake off more than two separate times and then the game with the Fillies felt like a long drone putting up empty calorie points. Blake knew that it would be another rough game coming into the fifth game against who could have guessed it.. The Ranorian Krauts and one of the possible stars coming into the RFL.

Blake was no stranger to Ranoria; he had been here before, playing against Cold Hill and Richardson universities in the collegiate football level. But now as his Utah Bees arrived with him after their first game (which ended in a rough shut out) this time, he was ready and he knew how they played and he knew that he would be absolutely rolled if his offensive line just let them through and after the three losses in a row, Blake noticed his coach changing up some players and soon enough Utah’s first go around with this line-up it was terrible as Blake got sacked… and it was a lot of sacking but at least he knew his defense was good. Once the offense clicked it shifted to scrimmages and it was a fun end to a grueling practice but he knew that it was going to be a rough game. He took time to call his fiancée Eliza and it was nice to hear her voice over the phone. It calmed him as he prepared for the game tomorrow, after a quick prayer he started his nightly routine

It was game day, and the Utah Bees football team was ready to take the field against their opponents - The Ranorian Krauts. As they prepared for the match and geared up for another performance, the players took time to practice and connect with one another so that they could give their best on the field. This was not just a game day for them; it was also an opportunity to showcase their unity and work ethic and it was to try and give Ranoria their first taste of a loss. With each passing minute, their anticipation grew as they were determined to come out victorious despite the tough competition the Utah bees were ready and more importantly so was Blake he talked with his fiancée before practice and well game day is an exciting time for any athlete so he said a prayer and took the practice field ready to show Ranoria a taste of Blakes skills on the big stage as they already saw him on the college level.

Part 1.
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10/11

[Saint Kanye]

The St. Kanye Surge were lucky that there was a break in the action between their first and second road games of World Bowl 46, because then they could stay in St. Kanye for a while longer, both for R&R and some extra training, as head coach Jeff Delphine reminded his players that just because they demolished Milk Island 49-20 in the tournament opener, doesn't mean they should rely on having the same result; if they want to win again, they have to put in an effort to. And knowing Yeezie athletes' tendency to stop at nothing in their quest for glory, the Surge players did work and play hard against their opponents, being rewarded with a 23-10 win on the road.

1Q MIS RB1 28 run (K kick) MIS 7-0
1Q STK field goal Rasputin 43 MIS 7-3
1Q MIS field goal K 39 MIS 10-3
At the end of the first quarter, a touchdown separated the two teams, with St. Kanye the one that was trailing. However, this only seemed to fire them up, and so they were able to score twenty unanswered points the rest of the way while limiting their opponents to zero.

2Q STK Fredericks 20 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) Tie 10-10
Facing third down at midfield late in the second quarter, the Surge needed only one yard to move the chains. Quarterback R.J. Linetti gave them more than just that, keeping the ball and running away with it for a big gain before finally getting pushed out at the Milk Island 25. A short pass to Hussein Jeffers got them to the red zone, and then another pass, this time to Deshawn Fredericks, allowed them to tie things up at ten apiece after the touchdown and extra point.

3Q STK field goal Rasputin 35 STK 13-10
James Rasputin, perhaps one of the underrated players of the entire tournament, gave the Surge three more points and the lead with an accurate kick, his specialty.

4Q STK Linetti 5 run (Rasputin kick) STK 20-10
Milk Island must have thought that they got the better of the Yeezies during this drive, stuffing Noah Sherman and then Nico Jackson at the line to bring up third and goal. Since the running game clearly wasn't working, Linetti dropped back to pass instead, with Jeffers as his most likely target. The defense reacted accordingly... except it was all a fake. Linetti instead ran the remaining five yards to the end zone untouched to make it a two-possession game midway through the fourth.

4Q STK field goal Rasputin 27 STK 23-10
Rasputin nailed the third of his three field goal attempts of the day with a minute remaining, giving us the final tally. The Milk Island quarterback relied on long bombs to advance his team's position in the closing seconds, but the chance for a final scoring drive was stopped cold by an Aidan O'Connor interception.

The Yeezies improved to 3-1 after the win, just behind HUElavia but with a chance to tie their record when they play them the week after. "The boys are waiting for this," said Coach Delphine. "We got spanked at home the last time we met, so now we're here hoping for a better result." And sure enough, at the end of Matchday 5, it was indeed a better result. However, it was still not a win, but a closer loss than last time. The Yeezies had the chance for the comeback, only to fall short by a score of 27-20. "This especially hurts because now they have the advantage on head to head, even if we win our neutral ground matchup next month," Linetti said. "Our only hope is for us to win more of our remaining games than they do, but given that they're firing on all cylinders at the moment then that just might be a tall order."

1Q HUE Demidov 7 run (Schulz kick) HUE 7-0
1Q HUE Maduabuchim 11 pass from Vilca Chaupin (Kick failed) HUE 13-0
It was a rough start for our visitors as HUElavia jumped to a 13-nil lead in the opening quarter. St. Kanye in fact had three chances to score, but two ended in punts and the third saw Linetti's pass, the first play of the drive, get picked off by Hirofumi Oogami.

2Q STK Jeffers 14 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) HUE 13-7
The Surge finally got on the scoreboard in the second quarter, Linetti escaping a couple of would be tacklers and tossing on the run to a waiting Jeffers in the end zone.

2Q HUE De La Cruz 91 kick return (Schulz kick) HUE 20-7
But Dylan De La Cruz returned the ensuing kickoff for the score, putting the home team up a baker's dozen once more, which would remain the case until halftime. "We need things to turn around and bad," Coach Delphine told his boys at the locker room. "They're killing us out there!"

3Q STK field goal Rasputin 36 HUE 20-10
3Q HUE Maduabuchim 19 pass from Vilca Chaupin (Schulz kick) HUE 27-10
Well, the Surge's scoring drive to start the third quarter only resulted in three points, whereas the home team scored a touchdown to pull away even further.

4Q STK Law 68 interception return (Rasputin kick) HUE 27-17
4Q STK field goal Rasputin 30 HUE 27-20
The HUElavians threatened to bury their Yeezie counterparts into a deeper hole in the fourth, but thankfully for the latter, the scoring swung the other way as safety Oliver Law recorded the pick six. The Surge defense clamped down on their opponents, preventing them from scoring in the final period, but they got no help from the offense, and it was the special teams once more getting only three more points to at least soften the blow to a seven-point loss at the end.

The unfavorable result saw the Yeezies slip down to 3-2, but still the second place team in Group B. "Huge playoff implications though," Linetti admitted. "We'll at least try not to get swept, because every win for us and every loss for HUElavia counts." Up next for him and the rest of the Surge is a return to St. Kanye to take on Rouyoute, which they blasted 40-3 back in Matchday 3. "Again, we can't count on having a similar result in our next meeting if we don't work for it," Coach Delphine stated. "New game, new preparation. New result, but hopefully still one in our favor."

---

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MD | Opponent        | Rank | Uniform        | Score   | Record | Place |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1  | Milk Island     | UR   | Purple/Purple  | W 49-20 |  1-0   |  1st  |
| 2  | HUElavia        | 10   | Purple/Black   | L 22-40 |  1-1   |  3rd  |
| 3  | @Rouyoute       | UR   | White/Purple   | W 40- 3 |  2-1   |  2nd  |
| 4  | @Milk Island    | UR   | White/White    | W 23-10 |  3-1   |  2nd  |
| 5  | @HUElavia       | 10   | White/Purple   | L 20-27 |  3-2   |  2nd  |
| 6  | Rouyoute        | UR   | Purple/Purple  |         |        |       |
| 7  | Milk Island (N) | UR   | Purple/Black   |         |        |       |
| 8  | HUElavia (N)    | 10   | Purple/Purple  |         |        |       |
| 9  | @Rouyoute (N)   | UR   | White/White    |         |        |       |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Ranoria]

Cutoff!

Group A
Magnecia 16–17 Gyatsko-Kai
Hofn 9–23 TJUN-ia

  Group A                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Gyatsko-Kai                    6   5  1  147  73 +74
2 TJUN-ia                        6   4  2  154  94 +60
3 Hofn                           6   2  4   80 137 −57
4 Magnecia                       6   1  5   61 138 −77

Group B
Milk Island 17–44 HUElavia
Saint Kanye 44–8 Rouyoute

  Group B                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 HUElavia                       6   6  0  224 107 +117
2 Saint Kanye                    6   4  2  198 108 +90
3 Rouyoute                       6   2  4   96 155 −59
4 Milk Island                    6   0  6   77 225 −148

Group C
Ko-oren 20–7 Jacksonboro
Quebec & Shingoryeo 49–9 Valanora

  Group C                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Ko-oren                        6   6  0  185  61 +124
2 Quebec & Shingoryeo            6   4  2  217 122 +95
3 Valanora                       6   2  4  120 211 −91
4 Jacksonboro                    6   0  6   94 222 −128

Group D
Anthor 33–16 Dod Rava
Chromatika 24–9 Torisakia

  Group D                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Chromatika                     6   6  0  200  59 +141
2 Torisakia                      6   3  3  125 166 −41
3 Anthor                         6   3  3  124 145 −21
4 Dod Rava                       6   0  6   94 173 −79

Group E
Allamunnic States 3–20 South Americanastan
Juvencus 13–12 Banija

  Group E                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 South Americanastan            6   5  1  177 115 +62
2 Banija                         6   3  3  187 159 +28
3 Allamunnic States              6   3  3  140 136  +4
4 Juvencus                       6   1  5   55 149 −94

Group F
South Newlandia 19–7 Gran Saguero
Abanhfleft 53–27 Sudilia

  Group F                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Abanhfleft                     6   6  0  227 105 +122
2 South Newlandia                6   4  2  150 104 +46
3 Gran Saguero                   6   1  5  103 167 −64
4 Sudilia                        6   1  5  111 215 −104

Group G
Katterimunk 17–48 Drawkland
The Spartan Dominion 17–24 Sarzonia

  Group G                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Drawkland                      6   6  0  244  87 +157
2 Sarzonia                       6   3  3  115 111  +4
3 Katterimunk                    6   2  4  129 210 −81
4 The Spartan Dominion           6   1  5   95 175 −80

Group H
United Hawkland 13–53 Cassadaigua
Utahn Theocratic Republic 0–14 Ranoria

  Group H                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Ranoria                        6   6  0  150  30 +120
2 Cassadaigua                    6   3  3  163 119 +44
3 Utahn Theocratic Republic      6   2  4   83 140 −57
4 United Hawkland                6   1  5   70 177 −107

[Drawkland]

Another matchday gone by, and once again the Grid Corps rolled through their opponent. Katterimunk allowed Drawkland to score 54 points during their first meeting in Metropolon. The second leg in Katterimunk was a similar trashing, with the Corps putting up 48 points (their fifth game putting up 40+ points this cycle). Jack Hoy was once again at the forefront thanks to two rushing and one receiving touchdown. Dustin Beck got to sling four touchdowns himself, one in the second quarter being a thrilling catch-and-run play by receiver Robin Arrington for his first score as a member of the Corps.

In short, it was more of the same. Many Drawkland fans are beginning to experience that unenviable age-old dilemma. Should you get your hopes up for a potential big season, or should you pessimistically wait for the other cleat to drop? If Jack Hoy is going to continue to produce at this level, it may be time to start booking flights to Winterfell.

---

The Corps played Katterimunk with an early kickoff. Due to the game being over in the mid-afternoon, team management elected to send the boys home right after the game rather than having them spend the night. The flight to Newmanistan was easy enough, and from there they took a portal flight to Sonnel. Thankfully it was night time in Drawkland at that time, so there was no portal jet lag in play. The second leg was an overnight flight from Iarokannet Bay (the location of the airport portals) to Metropolon.

It was a nice charter flight. The seating was arranged with 2x2 seats facing each other, featuring a table in the middle. Most of the guys spent the flight trying to get some sleep, including Dustin Beck and Leo Cross. Jack Hoy was third man in their pod, and he was wide awake. His body still hadn't fully adjusted to immortality, which resulted in fits of insomnia. Sleep wasn't exactly unnecessary for him and Leo, but it was much easier to stay awake. Especially if you have a lot on your mind.

While Leo and Dusty snoozed, Jack rubbed his chin, cocked his eyebrows back and forth, tapped his foot, and ran through a dozen other tics. He was pondering. He was scheming. He was thinking (yes, it did hurt a little bit). He had done a little research on his phone, but eventually he ran out of things to look for. At this point, there was only one logical step left, if he was to put this plan into action.

Without a word, Jack got up from his seat and walked down the aisle to another section of the plane. He found was he was looking for. There was the pod for the Cavsar graduates, featuring Mike Banks, Jonathan Kimbrough, Lane Proudfoot, and an empty seat. Duke Dawson was also a Cavsar grad, but he usually sat with the D-line on flights. The offensive trio were closer to each other anyway. As Jack approached, he saw that Lane was still awake and scrolling on his phone, with the other two sleeping. What luck! He looked a little closer and saw that Lane was scrolling through a dating app at nearly superhuman speed. Jack wasn't sure he'd ever seen reflexes that quick from a thumb.

"Mind if I sit here?" Jack stopped at the pod and murmured the question. Lane didn't look up from the phone, just shrugging. It was odd, but Jack didn't take offense. In fact, Jack probably hasn't taken serious offense to anything in his life. "Can't sleep, huh?"

"Nope." Lane twisted his lips in dissatisfaction, though his gaze never wavered from his phone screen. "I'm still pissed they wouldn't let us spend the night. I got robbed."

"Oh yeah, totally," Jack replied, not really sure what Lane was talking about. "I think I'll enjoy being home in the morning, though."

"Yeah, whatever." Lane shook his head. "I'm trying to finish a bucket list here, and I had a prime opportunity to tick one of the Esportivan nations off. Now I'll never finish it, when's the next time I'm going to be in Katterimunk? Probably never."

"Is that why you can't sleep? Worried about your bucket list?" Jack leaned back in his seat.

"Bucket isn't the right word," Lane paused, then he looked at Jack meaningfully. It was the first time he'd looked up from his phone since they started talking. "Anyway, I guess that's kind of the reason. I didn't get the relief I planned for."

"Uh huh ..." Jack replied slowly. He contemplated this information for a moment, then quickly shook his head to refocus. "Listen man, can I ask you something?"

"Depends," Lane yawned, putting away his phone. "Are you gonna lecture me like your buddy 'Dusty'?"

"Nah, man. Quite the opposite, actually."

"Okay, I'm listening."

"Alright, here's the deal." Jack leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and tenting his fingers. "I've heard from Dustin that you're a big fan of the run game."

"I would say that's accurate." Lane inclined his head slightly in affirmation.

"That's what I like to hear," Jack replied, taking a moment to consider his next choice of words. "How much of my early career history do you know? Did you pay much attention to the league drama when you were a kid?"

"I might know what you're talking about," Lane shrugged. "Just spit it out, man."

"Fine." Jack paused again to think, then continued. "I have had the opposite problem of you. I have always wanted to be the center of the offense. It only makes sense after all. I have the skillset and the stamina to produce huge yardage all game, and if the defense doesn't shit itself, I can nearly singlehandedly control possession and win games. The more that the ball gets taken out of my hands, the more that idea gets put into jeopardy. I desire full control of the offense. I'm the star of the show after all, I should be getting the largest share of snaps possible."

"So what?" Lane narrowed his eyes. "You want me to try and convince Beck to let you take more snaps? I ain't doing that. Old man hates my guts already."

"No, that's not what I mean," Jack corrected quickly. "Grid Corps is different. We're all ballers here, I'm content to share the spotlight. Mostly because everybody here is good enough to not choke if the ball is taken out of my hands. I can't count on that in the GLD, you know."

"What's your point then?"

"My point is ... I hear that you enjoy letting the run game doing all the work. You're the kind of QB who's not adverse to only getting snaps when necessary. From what I hear, it sounds like you would prefer to get no snaps if at all possible."

"I would perhaps put it a little more eloquently, but sure." Lane raised his chin. He was beginning to get an idea of where Jack was going with this.

"Okay." Jack took a deep breath. "You're in the RFL right? The most RB-friendly league in the multiverse, probably. The best one, at any rate. They're no strangers to letting the running backs be workhorses. The culture is just geared towards it, unlike the pass-happy GLD. That sounds like the kind of culture I can thrive in. And you say that you're the kind of QB who would rather get out of the way and let great running backs be great. This is the kind of setup I have been dreaming of for my entire career. I think this could be the best possible situation for me, and I'm now a free agent looking for a new team. So I guess my question is, what's Fiston's backfield looking like next season?"

"Next season?" Lane's eyes widened. This isn't what he expected when Jack sat down, but he was not complaining one bit. "We're in the market for a running back. Got a guy going into his sophomore season but he's no better than a depth option. I was actually stressing a bit, because the free agent market for RBs isn't very loaded this offseason."

"Interesting, quite interesting ..." Jack leaned back in his seat, tapping an index finger on his lips. "I believe we have what is called a mutual interest, my friend. I get as many snaps as I want, you get as few as you want, we're both happy. Oh, and we'll win a bunch of football games in the process."

"Are you serious about this proposal?" Lane pursed his lips, looking for signs of a joke in Jack's face. "Don't yank my chain, man. Only special guests are allowed to yank my chain."

"I am serious." Jack leaned forward again. "And don't fucking say that ever again. Please."

"Point taken," Lane smirked. "Anyway. I'll be contacting my GM once we land. There isn't much time to waste."

"Do you really think he'll sign me just because you ask him to?" Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Please, they love me up in Fiston. Almost as much as they do in Cavsar. If I tell him that the best running back in the multiverse is interested in signing, you bet your skinny ass he'll be calling up your agent the moment I hang up."

"I believe we have a deal then," Jack offered his hand across the table to Lane. For the first time in the conversation, Lane leaned forward as well.

"Yes sir. It's a deal." Lane extended his arm and met Jack's hand for a single solid shake.

"Good man." Jack stood up. "I'll leave you to whatever you were doing before. Thank you, by the way."

"No, thank you." Lane offered a fist bump, which Jack accepted before walking back to his seat and trying to get some shuteye. Lane, meanwhile, almost immediately fell into a deep, restful sleep. He dreamt of women, ginger wolves, and getting a piggyback ride up a mountain cliff. Also, his seventh grade algebra teacher was there for some reason. It was going to be a very interesting RFL season ...

[TJUN-ia]

After our final home game saw a bounceback win over Magnecia, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia were 3-2 and looking to end the home-and-away section of this World Bowl on the right track. Winning convincingly in New Washington was certainly the confidence boost that this team needed, but Gus McKerrin wanted to keep going...so how would we enter the 2nd break?

We would be away at Hofn to end this 2nd Act of the Group Stage and the hosts would actually do some damage as they scored 9 points in this game, a TD with a missed PAT and a 45-yard FG. We, on the other hand, relied on Allister Ghoulson to deliver us the points and he would manage 3 TDs in this game, with Fremont Whitehorse managing to catch all 3, while Chi On-Ma managed to deliver 2/3 on PATs and a 39-yard FG to complete the victory. It finished 23-9 and just like this, the 2nd Act was over.

We will enter Ranoria at 4-2, a position that isn't too bad but could also be a lot better. Round 3 vs Gyatso-Kai will be up next after the break, with Dynamo Park in Dietrich acting as the host venue. How will we manage on a neutral site? Who the fuck knows?! GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group A, Home and Away with final 3 games on neutral sites)
MD1: @Gyatso-Kai (13) - Stadia Capital, Beijing W 19-10 (2nd/1-0)
MD2: @Magnecia (UR) L 20-27 (3rd/1-1)
MD3: vs Hofn (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 43-12 (1st/2-1)
--------------BREAK--------------
MD4: vs Gyatso-Kai (13) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington L 20-33 (2nd/2-2)
MD5: vs Magnecia (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 29-3 (2nd/3-2)
MD6: @Hofn (UR) W 23-9 (2nd/4-2)
--------------NEUTRAL SITE GAMES--------------
MD7: vs Gyatso-Kai (13) - Dynamo Park, Dietrich
MD8: vs Magnecia (UR) - Crusader Arena, Lafayette
MD9: vs Hofn (UR) - McNair Memorial Stadium, Memphis

[Sarzonia]

When last we left the Sarzonian national gridball team, the executives in the Incorporated Gridball Federation's top echelons and manager Gavin Davis "mutually agreed" to part ways after World Bowl XLIV. Davis kicked starting quarterback Cameron Stallworth off the team. The IGF rescinded his expulsion and ordered Davis to start him. Davis refused. End of story, right?

Well, not quite. Two World Bowls later, Stallworth, and more importantly, Davis are both still with the team. Stallworth is back starting again, but the biggest news by far is Davis is back as the manager. The reason? The standard paperwork announcing Davis's departure was submitted to the Department of Health and Athletics in a move that typically gets rubber-stamped by some mid-level manager and processed. However, this time, Bart Andrews, the senior director of international gridball competitions didn't simply click submit to his boss, deputy assistant vice president for gridball Desireé Erickson. He was tangentially aware there was some disagreement about Davis's decision, but with the intranet down, Andrews actually read the paper explanation of the decision.

He scrunched his face and frowned when he saw the explanation insubordination.

"For deciding to expel a player who broke team rules?" he said out loud. He read further. For refusing to start Stallworth at quarterback after what amounted to a suspension.

"I can't believe this," he said out loud. Erickson happened to walk by his office door as he said that. She poked her head in.

"What's going on?"

"The Board decided they wanted to move on from Davis as manager because he kicked Stallworth off the team, then refused to start him despite their orders."

Erickson's eyebrows raised and her head inched back for a moment. She stood there for a moment or two in thought. She wasn't as familiar with gridball as she'd like, but she was familiar with certain concepts of management. She shook her head, sighed slightly, then spoke.

"I thought it was something more serious than this," she said. "As I understand it, a team's manager should be trusted to make decisions based on what they feel is best for the team."

"Right," Andrews said.

"And this is a slap in the face."

"Exactly."

"What do you think we should do?"

"Transmit a message to the Board that we reject their recommendation and have them reinstate Davis if he wants to come back."

"What about Stallworth?"

"That's out of our jurisdiction. It should be out of the Board's too. We tell them that Davis has the right to make gridball-related decisions even if they don't agree with them. They're welcome to talk to him and try to come up with a solution that works for both parties, but they're out of bounds trying to call that insubordination."

"Sounds good to me. Transmit that to the Board when the systems come back online. Hell, if you have the phone number down there, you can call them yourself."

"I'm sure they're going to escalate it to Vice President Marshall."

"The Vice President's too busy with other matters to get involved with this. He'll tell them to refer it back to me. I'll have your back 100 percent."

[South Newlandia]

Elephants show improvement on the field, but results stay the same

Hosting the Fleftics on Elephant Field, South Newlandia showed remarkable improvements. After a blowout in Abanhfleft, the Ellies actually made it a game. However, the offense struggled again, with Abanhfleft locking down most of the Ellie skill players, and continuously hounding the Elephants O-Line. A good defensive showing managed to keep things close, with the game tied at 13 in the final quarter. In the final full Fleftic drive, Wes Soderlund found Palmer Morel in the endzone, and on the final Ellie drive, a Zachary Stevens 4th&17 Hail Mary fell incomplete.
Once again, the Elephants bounced back, beating Sudilia by three scores and Gran Saguero by two to improve to 4-2 and locking up a knockout spot. Since the first game, where the Elephants have surrendered 50 points, the South Newlandian D held their next five opponents to a combined 54 points.

Because the Elephants hold H2H advantage over both Sudilia and Gran Saguero, both at 1-5, the Elephants actually already have secured a spot in the Round of 16 in Ranoria. Because of that, they can approach the final three group stage games as a road trip throughout Ranoria, getting to appreciate the luxurious home of the Ironmen in Pittsburgh, the open-air home of Lane Proudfood in Fiston, and a trip to their adopted home for multiple Elephants starters in Berlin.

Also ellie because I know the person that grades these things

[Cassadaigua]

Fillies Show No Mercy In Rout of United Hawkland,
by Kenzie Sherman, Concord Heights Times

On the road in the nation of United Hawkland, Team Cassadaigua had the opportunity to improve their record to .500 and take sole possession of second place with the inevitable win by Ranoria over the United Theocratic Republic. While that other game ended up being a lot closer than we would have expected, the Fillies simply took care of a business in 53-13 beatdown of the home side.

Unlike United Theocratic Republic, who chose to abandon the strategy of not telling the names of their people to the world, United Hawkland have still decided that is the method they want to take. At their home stadium, there was not as much passion as you would ordinarily like to see at a game at this level, but there were still those who decided to make the trip. I did not see many Cassadagans that opted to come here, with one reason potentially being that they did not have a lot of certainty as to where the game would be played, but more than likely, they are saving up for the trip to Ranoria for the at least one of the three neutral site games that are coming up. On the field, what we do know is that Cassadaigua showed a higher than normal desire to be extra physical with United Hawkland in their first meeting, something that they have not really done in their games against Ranoria (because they could make it backfire in a hurry), or against the UTR.

Any question as to whether or not the team would look to do that again were answered on the first series of the game, when Kristen Brooke leveled a receiver as they attempted to catch a ball in the slot, preventing the completion. Brooke was one of the larger players in the hard hitting effort last time out, so quickly the message was sent that they would need to be dealing with her again. After forcing United Hawkland to a three and out, a 39 yard punt return by Katelynn Ellis set the pink and black up with great field position, at the UH 30. Brittany Carrington and company took full advantage of this, and went the needed thirty yards in three plays, culminating in a 12-yard pass from Carrington to tight end Natalie Baldwin. Then, on the extra point attempt try, UH was guilty of a neutral zone infraction, and with the ball moved forward, Jennifer Cole opted to go for two. This would be successful as Brittany Carrington took herself up the middle, to make it 8-0 at the start of the game. And, from there, the domination began.

Cassadaigua would score on their next possession, again after the defense did not allow the home side to pick up a single first down. This drive would go 71 yards, with Carrington throwing her second touchdown of the game, this one going to Jessica Rowan for 16 yards. It would be more of the same after that drive, with the defense again holding United Hawkland to a three and out, and the Fillies being able to get a touchdown on their possession. This 11-play, 75 yard drive saw Carrington connect with Allie Raymond in the corner of the end zone from 21 yards, to make it 22-0. At that time, Brittany was 11-for-12, for 138 yard the three touchdowns, so suffice to say that she was off to a pretty good start. At home, Cassadagans were thrilled with this effort, as the team was showing a glimpse of the level of play that they expect from their national team. You would want to go into the final game against Ranoria on a high note and with a lot more confidence that perhaps they can spoil the undefeated group stage of the Krauts. Now, United Hawkland, on their next possession were able to move the ball a little bit, but even that drive stalled when their offensive tackle was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after giving Eric Acosta a two handed shove after Acosta knocked down the quarterback in what could have been called a roughing the passer penalty in some leagues where the referees are so careful to protect a quarterback that you can barely breath on them. In Cassadaigua, there would be nothing wrong with Acosta's hit as he couldn't stop his momentum, and the referees obviously felt the same way. The tackle, who could have avoided the whole scenario with a better block on Acosta in the first place, disagreed, and the costly penalty for his team came about. They did manage to get a field goal, but the score was 22-3 with 5:16 remaining in the first half.

That was more than enough time for Brittany Carrington and company, as once again, her great day continued, allowing people to see for a moment why she is indeed the top quarterback in Cassadaigua right now. The efficient 73-yard drive, took 10 plays, and ended with TD pass #4, this to Rachel Williams for 23 yards, so Carrington was also spreading the wealth, as this was the fourth different receiver to catch a TD from her. Just 0:41 remained on the clock after this score in the second quarter, but United Hawkland decided to try and score before the half anyway. This would be the wrong decision as Kristen Brooke picked off a pass, at the UH 36, with just seven seconds remaining. It would allow for a 54-yard field goal try by Jenna Lewis, as time expired in the opening half, and she would deliver, giving the Fillies a commanding 32-3 lead at the break.

The second half would begin with more of the same. United Hawkland continued to be unable to stop the pink and black from scoring, and Cassadaigua would almost effortlessly march down the field again, this time going 68 yards in 11 plays, with the ending score being a Morgan Phillips two-yard punch in. At that point, with 10:46 left in the third quarter, Brittany Carrington's day would be done as coach Jennifer Cole took advantage of the big lead and allowed the backups at all positions, both offense and defense, to take the field. Our defensive replacements could not initially keep the home side out of the end zone, but no one was worried about the lead being cut to 39-10 with 6:52 left in the third.

On the field stepped Chrissy Berkman for the first time in this World Bowl, although she did get similar mop up duty in the last one. Even with a new quarterback and a completely new offensive unit in the game, there was nothing the defense could do about it, as another touchdown drive would take place, going 72 yards in 12 plays, ending with Berkman finding Shannon Higgins in the end zone from 14 yards to make it 46-10. On their next possession, the Fillies scored again, this being a longer scoring play as a short pass from Berkman to the speedster Katelynn Ellis was really only designed to pick up about 10 yards, but the defense could not keep up with Katelynn, and she took all the way to end zone, officially making it a 55 yard touchdown reception, and it was now 53-10 in favor of Cassadaigua with 9:20 remaining in the fourth. Following that score, United Hawkland managed to go down field and kick a 37-yard field goal, but no one in the Matriachy was concerned as the clock continued to tick away. Cassadaigua would get the ball back with 4:46 left, leading 53-13, and for the first and only time in this game, a Cassadaigua possession did not end in either a touchdown or a field goal. That would simply be because the offense was able to run out the clock.

This victory means the team sits at 3-3, and a game ahead of the two unranked sides in the group. We will move into neutral play now against our groupmates, with another contest coming up against Ranoria. A win like this over United Hawkland is not going to concern the Krauts, and everyone on both teams is well aware of that. What it may do is give our team a little more confidence going into that game, and perhaps they can pull the game off. If the Fillies did win that contest, they would be sitting pretty in regards to getting that second spot.

[Ranoria]

Ruthless:
Defense Slams The Door On Zuercher Again, Farmboy Makes First Start Heading Into The Home Stretch


John Garrett looked cool under center, directed traffic from the opening snap in an efficient if unspectacular performance

A lot of fans wanted to see Ranoria's all-time passing touchdowns leader drop back and shred a debutant Bees team to announce to the world that he was back. Fortunately for those fans, any good coach knows that once you start listening to the people in the stands, it won't be long before you join them. This team ran the ball more than 50% of the time with Vallienté Wagner-Young under center - if they'll do it with that rocket armed star, they'll do it with anyone. Garrett was asked to throw just a dozen times - well, probably a few less than that, but he checks so many plays that it's hard to keep track of what the coaches are calling. He ended the day 8/12 for 105 yards and a touchdown pass to Russell Farmer.

"I hate to throw scores to Loyola-Istria grads and give any sort of credence to that run down, cramped, smelly, classless ponzi scheme they call a university," John said after the game, "But Russell's looked pretty solid so far. Kid's not his big brother, but he might just get there."

Meanwhile, a quartet of running backs handled most of the work. Apollo Esther continued to prove that he's a solid lead back, taking twenty carries for ninety one yards and the Krauts' only other touchdown of the game, while Gauge Lawson and Franco Buchannon each got seven totes for 35 and 29 yards, respectively. Duke Beckett rounded out the group's work with four carries for 17 yards. It wasn't the most explosive day on the ground, but the Krauts were consistently able to pick up first downs and put the Bees in tough field position, forcing them to pick up a lot of yards just to get into field goal range.

Many fans noted that the Krauts hadn't failed to score 21 points with Wagner-Young under center, and are already questioning whether or not John Garrett has the gas in the tank to lead this team to gridiron gold for a third time in five campaigns - but head coach Raul Nieler shut down any doubters.

"John passed for more than four thousand yards in each of the last two RFL seasons - even in his age, his production has been among the league's best. But we're sticking to our game plan - run the ball hard to maximize the defense's impact on the game. If we need his arm, he'll be ready."

And they didn't against the Bees. As he did in the Superdome in their first matchup, Zuercher looked lost against a defense that's several degrees of separation better than anything he faced in the NSCF. Blake's an uber-talented quarterback, and after carving up the competition in NSCF 28, he's potentially a strong season away from making execs question Benoit Youngblood's presumed status as the RFL's future number one overall pick.

That said, this isn't just a step above what he was facing in the NSCF. Richardson University is the toughest unit he faced at that level, and any pro team in the RFL would put even their vaunted unit to shame. Well, besides perhaps the Lorcondan National Team, but that's a separate conversation. The players on the Krauts' roster are the best of the best in Ranoria, and some of them - especially Kearse and Fairbanks - can claim to be the class of their position even on the international stage. Coupled with a defensive mastermind in Richard Steinheil, there's a reason they're the best defense in the world to this point. The hope is that playing at this speed will speed along his development when things slow back down collegiately - but more likely than not this is just going to beat his body up a bit more than is necessary.

Once again, Blake got the ball to start the half - and to his credit, he started the game 3/3 for 41 yards, eating up the Krauts' Kaiser Belfort and Django Reeves, who've never been great in coverage. Clearly the coaching staff and Zuercher identified that weakness on film, and they got momentum rolling quickly with quick slants and verticals in that area, and it was a huge improvement from their first matchup, when he turned the ball over twice in the span of three ill-advised passes.

However, Gideon Kearse blew up their fourth play of the drive, a run, for a loss, and by then Richard Steinheil had adjusted. Sage Sterling rolled down from deep to cover the middle zone while Belfort went to cover the flat, and Zuercher never had a chance to read the safety streaking down before he threw the ball. Big Nicholas Kupka was out muscled by the hard-hitting safety, but at least they managed to flip the field and not allow a huge run back, unlike in the first matchup where Akhello Volson nearly scored on the first play from scrimmage.

And the Bees defense stood tall - the Krauts pushed to just outside of their comfortable field goal range before a swarm of defenders pushed through the Krauts' offensive line and brought down Apollo Esther.

The punt though, placed the Bees all the way back at the fifteen - against a defense like Ranoria's, it's asking too much for most offenses to drive that far down the field to get a score. Too much that can go wrong, and that was largely the way this game flowed. The Bees kept themselves in it, and Zuercher in particular made some impressive plays - but Najee Isidora was what proved to be his downfall today. The linebacker's speed was a boon when Blake scrambled - wisely trying to improvise against such a disciplined unit - but Isidora was able to limit him to just 17 yards on 6 attempts, and picked off a pass over the middle. The other two starting backers may not be great in coverage, but Isidora is a rare exception to that rule in Ranoria at the position. It was a monster game for him, and he was key in keeping Zuercher contained on the ground.

Django Reeves and Belfort, meanwhile, while they allowed a good deal of lapses in coverage, made plays of their own. Reeves notched one of the team's five sacks with a forced fumble of Blake to boot, while Belfort smashed through Keawe Olina to force a second fumble, and what would be the fourth turnover of the Bees on the day.

Blake would finish the game better than the last one - despite turning the ball over thrice he managed to complete just north of fifty percent of his passes and picked up a good bit of yardage, maintaining a much higher time of possession than in the first game and consequently keeping his team in the game for awhile as a conservative Krauts attack was content to wait for a breakthrough. That didn't come until the final drive of the second quarter, where John Garrett hit Russell Farmer for that touchdown pass, their second scoring connection of the World Bowl.

Apollo Esther would blast in the Krauts' other touchdown on a six yard carry, refusing to be denied as the Northern Moravica alumn continues to be an elite RB1 for this football team.

John Garrett and Blake Zuercher of course met at midfield following the duel between a Ranorian legend and a man who's looking to be the future for the RFL at the position. Garrett appeared to give the young man what pointers he could in their brief conversation - but it's undeniable that, while it was still undoubtedly a shoddy performance, Blake played better than his first showing against this team.

Going into the third leg of the group stage, Ranoria has allowed just thirty points, good for five per game - but they've got the team responsible for twenty of those next week. Between the Krauts' scoring a season-low 14 points against the Bees and the Fillies being the only team that's managed to find any semblance of success against this defense, do we have a perfect storm for Ranoria's first loss of the season upcoming? Brittany Carrington at this point is looking to prove that she's the quarterback to lead this team back to the top of the mountain, and while ultimately playoff success is the way to do that, she'll certainly be chomping at the bit to knock off the two-time champion Krauts and start making a case for herself. She's coming off a monster 53 point performance and will be playing in a dome next week, ideal conditions for any offense - if there's a game in the group stage that the Krauts will lose, it's likely coming against the Fillies in Sierraville's National Harvester Golden-Dome next week. After that, you've got two teams that have scored a nice ten points in four outings now against Ranoria, not much of a threat. If we can knock the Fillies off one more time, this will likely be the first time we've had an unmarred group stage since the Derek McNair era - but it's hard to beat a team twice in a season, much less thrice.

On the other sides with superstar quarterbacks, Dustin Beck has looked nothing short of menacing for the Grid Corps, though Jack Hoy is clearly the straw that stirs the drink of that offense. Every great one has one great show left in them, and Beck appears to have found his at the perfect time. The Grid Corps are averaging over forty points per game, and have been held under that mark just once this season. Ice Chineze, meanwhile, hasn't been quite as fortunate, with the defending back-to-back champion Serpent Eagles holding onto a playoff spot for dear life at 3-3, coming off a miserable 12 point outing against a previously winless Juvencus squad.

[Banija]

GFLB Weeks 15-17

GFLB Rosters

Reminder that it's a 17 week regular season... So this is the end of the regular season!

Week 15
Isipongo Wild Boars 27–15 St. Jakob Honey Badgers
Lwanga Rhinos 20–9 Busukuma Suns
Umbazi Metropolitan SC 19–6 Busukuma Athletic Club
Igulu Bush Elephants 26–6 Hoima Zebra
Port Stovine Sea Turtles 20–14 Mukeruzi Hyenas
Bunyoro RSC 40–24 Bwubanza Ostriches
Herzegovina City Cobras 49–30 Busembe Timberwolves
Kosactus Red Vultures 37–16 Aissa Crocodiles
Istria Black Mambas 6–16 Jinja City Springboks
Rukunbi Wizards 36–23 Mynda Gorillas
Mar Sara Night Elves 35–10 Askatasuna Wildcats
Dukuma Dragons 16–34 Sisonke Leopards

Week 16
St. Jakob Honey Badgers 41–13 Bwubanza Ostriches
Mukeruzi Hyenas 26–33 Bunyoro RSC
Hoima Zebra 51–16 Port Stovine Sea Turtles
Busukuma Athletic Club 29–16 Igulu Bush Elephants
Busukuma Suns 16–35 Umbazi Metropolitan SC
Isipongo Wild Boars 41–51 Lwanga Rhinos
Busembe Timberwolves 33–19 Sisonke Leopards
Askatasuna Wildcats 33–16 Dukuma Dragons
Mynda Gorillas 6–6 Mar Sara Night Elves (12–9 OT)
Jinja City Springboks 20–6 Rukunbi Wizards
Aissa Crocodiles 57–7 Istria Black Mambas
Herzegovina City Cobras 49–12 Kosactus Red Vultures

Week 17
Lwanga Rhinos 31–27 St. Jakob Honey Badgers
Umbazi Metropolitan SC 36–17 Isipongo Wild Boars
Igulu Bush Elephants 19–9 Busukuma Suns
Port Stovine Sea Turtles 27–30 Busukuma Athletic Club
Bunyoro RSC 44–16 Hoima Zebra
Bwubanza Ostriches 26–30 Mukeruzi Hyenas
Kosactus Red Vultures 42–19 Busembe Timberwolves
Istria Black Mambas 37–25 Herzegovina City Cobras
Rukunbi Wizards 23–27 Aissa Crocodiles
Mar Sara Night Elves 16–31 Jinja City Springboks
Dukuma Dragons 13–6 Mynda Gorillas
Sisonke Leopards 54–9 Askatasuna Wildcats


Final Regular Season Standings

North Division                Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Aissa Crocodiles           17   13   4   555  364 +191
 2 Mynda Gorillas             17   11   6   458  332 +126
 3 Jinja City Springboks      17    8   9   375  395  −20
 4 Askatasuna Wildcats        17    5  12   323  478 −155

Moravica Division             Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Herzegovina City Cobras    17   12   5   493  328 +165
 2 Rukunbi Wizards            17    9   8   426  354  +72
 3 Kosactus Red Vultures      17    8   9   443  407  +36
 4 Istria Black Mambas        17    3  14   299  505 −206

West Division                 Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Sisonke Leopards           17   10   7   504  380 +124
 2 Mar Sara Night Elves       17    9   8   411  387  +24
 3 Dukuma Dragons             17    8   9   322  441 −119
 4 Busembe Timberwolves       17    5  12   354  489 −135

South Division                Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Busukuma Athletic Club     17   13   4   496  394 +102
 2 Busukuma Suns              17   10   7   434  368  +66
 3 Mukeruzi Hyenas            17    6  11   295  481 −186
 4 Hoima Zebra                17    6  11   491  516  −25

Central Division              Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Igulu Bush Elephants       17   12   5   397  288 +109
 2 Lwanga Rhinos              17   10   7   509  341 +168
 3 Umbazi Metropolitan SC     17   10   7   372  389  −17
 4 Isipongo Wild Boars        17    9   8   438  392  +46

East Division                 Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Bunyoro RSC                17   10   7   403  448  −45
 2 St. Jakob Honey Badgers    17    8   9   472  401  +71
 3 Port Stovine Sea Turtles   17    7  10   361  494 −133
 4 Bwubanza Ostriches         17    2  15   300  559 −259

Reminder for the general playoff table... All 6 division winners make the playoffs. However, only division winners can get the top 4 seeds and earn that first round bye- the 5th & 6th division winners don't get priority seeding, even if they are in the playoffs. The below table reflects that dynamic.

Division winner, with first round bye
Division winner, without a bye
Wild Card

GFLB                         Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Aissa Crocodiles           17   13   4   555  364 +191
 2 Busukuma Athletic Club     17   13   4   496  394 +102
 3 Herzegovina City Cobras    17   12   5   493  328 +165
 4 Igulu Bush Elephants       17   12   5   397  288 +109
 5 Mynda Gorillas             17   11   6   458  332 +126
 6 Lwanga Rhinos              17   10   7   509  341 +168
 7 Busukuma Suns              17   10   7   434  368  +66
 8 Bunyoro RSC                17   10   7   403  448  −45
 9 Umbazi Metropolitan SC     17   10   7   372  389  −17
10 Sisonke Leopards           17   10   7   504  380 +124
11 Rukunbi Wizards            17    9   8   426  354  +72
12 Isipongo Wild Boars        17    9   8   438  392  +46

13 Mar Sara Night Elves       17    9   8   411  387  +24
14 Jinja City Springboks      17    8   9   375  395  −20
15 Dukuma Dragons             17    8   9   322  441 −119
16 Kosactus Red Vultures      17    8   9   443  407  +36
17 St. Jakob Honey Badgers    17    8   9   472  401  +71
18 Port Stovine Sea Turtles   17    7  10   361  494 −133
19 Hoima Zebra                17    6  11   491  516  −25
20 Mukeruzi Hyenas            17    6  11   295  481 −186
21 Askatasuna Wildcats        17    5  12   323  478 −155
22 Busembe Timberwolves       17    5  12   354  489 −135
23 Istria Black Mambas        17    3  14   299  505 −206
24 Bwubanza Ostriches         17    2  15   300  559 −259

The end of a fantastic regular season!

But some draft talk- the best laid Black Mambas tank for Odika plans did not entirely come to fruition, as a stunning week 17 win over the Herzegovina City Cobras, in what was a shocking upset, pushed them ahead of the Ostriches to be the #2 overall pick in next year's draft. But it'll probably be fine- Ostriches have a QB1(sort of), right?

Now, let's look at the playoff picture. Think of how tight the picture was this year- one team missed the playoffs with a winning record(the 9-8 Mar Sara Night Elves), alongside four 8-9 teams. One or two results go the other way, and this entire table could be flipped! But- we have what we have. Let's preview the first round, eh?

Wild Card Round (All games hosted by the better seeded listed)
#8 Bunyoro RSC(10-7) v. #9 Umbazi Metropolitan SC(10-7)
Winner will play away to #1 Aissa Crocodiles(13-4) in the Divisional Round

#5 Mynda Gorillas(11-6) v. #12 Isipongo Wild Boars(9-8)
Winner will play away to #4 Igulu Bush Elephants(12-5) in the Divisional Round

#6 Lwanga Rhinos v. #11 Rukunbi Wizards
Winner will play away to #3 Herzegovina City Cobras(12-5) in the Divisional Round

#7 Busukuma Suns(10-7) v. #10 Sisonke Leopards(10-7)
Winner will play away to #2 Busukuma Athletic Club(13-4) in the Divisional Round

These playoff matchups are interesting indeed. First round is always a fun one- while you've got four teams at home, resting up, you've got the other 8 battling it out, going to war with one another, for the right to play one of those well-rested squads.

What's the most interesting matchup here? That one is fairly clear- the Busukuma Suns playing host to the Sisonke Leopards. The QB matchup is the most intriguing thing here- Amazu Chibuzo on one sight, Wagner-Young on the other. It's the Loyola v. NMU rivalry being replayed at the pro level- although they were not in the NSCF at the same time. But the level of quarterback play is going to be nothing short of spectacular in that matchup. And if the Suns win, of course, there's going to be a mouthwatering, all-Busukuma rendition of the hottest rivalry in the GFLB right now- the Busukuma derby. Wagner-Young is already talking it up, saying that the Leopards are going to march through all these road games, and they'll make Busukuma their home. "The path to Busukuma- is through Busukuma. We'll beat whoever the hell they put in front of us to be back in this city in one month's time for the Simba Bowl- I promise you that." He told fans. As close to a guarantee as you can get- can he back up his words?

Rhinos v. Wizards is also a very interesting matchup. We haven't talked much about Ebou Hairte this year- but he has been excellent, as he has always been. Not necessarily world-breaking, but a high level of play as the Rhinos have quietly found themselves in a home playoff game this year. They've used the tried & true strat of combining a college QB with his college WR1, as Hairte & Emerson always seem to be one step ahead of the game. They'll be big favorites at home, especially considering Felix Ström is a rookie QB. But think about the rest of that roster. Sello is 35. Hauptmann is 34. Veterans everywhere. Makang Secka 31. That kind of experience. Between those three, we've got dudes who are winners of the last four World Bowls. So this squad is not short of championship experience. Can they calm the rookie and spark them to an upset?

Let's look at Bunyoro RSC. They won three in a row to stun observers and win their division, they are looking at a home playoff game. It's the only team in the GFLB without a single NT player, or foreigner, on their roster. Shocking, right? Yet, here they are. They play a punishing form of ground & pound football. Hell, they finished with a negative point differential. But a 10 win season is a 10 win season- playoff bound. What about Umbazi Metropolitan SC? They've got a young QB Ebenezer Odondi who is playing well. They've raised the mood- this is probably the most wide open playoff game. But let's be real- there's no way that the winner of this game goes to Aissa and beats the Crocs- right?

Lastly, we've got the Mynda Gorillas against the Isipongo Wild Boars. Two teams happy to be here- but the Gorillas think they can do a lot more than just be here. Ezra Odika has been a hell of a revelation- even if he's not even related to the much more famous Odika, Kadesh. They've got a nasty secondary. On the other side, we've got the Isipongo Wild Boars. We'll see what happens there. Odika makes the Gorillas favorites- can they reach their first Simba Bowl in 30 years?

Regular Season Award Winners
Note- In Banija, due to QBs dominating award voting in recent years, QBs are not eligible for the Offensive Player of the Year award, or Offensive Rookie of the Year.

MVP- QB Ice Chineze(BNJ), Aissa Crocodiles, 38 years old. 73 votes out of 101.
Also receiving votes
#2 QB Ezekiel Bantoba(BNJ), Busukuma AC, 35 years old. 15 votes.
#3 QB Vallienté Wagner-Young(RAN), Sisonke Leopards, 26 years old. 12 votes.
#4 QB Ezra Odika(BNJ), Mynda Gorillas, 33 years old. 3 votes.
Offensive Player of the Year- WR Lafi Senghore(BNJ), Sisonke Leopards, 29 years old.
Defensive Player of the Year- CB Ole Bakker(VAL), Mynda Gorillas, 25 years old.
Most Improved Player- QB Ezra Odika(BNJ), Mynda Gorillas, 33 years old.
Coach of the Year- HC Richard Steinheil(RAN), Igulu Bush Elephants. 70 years old.
GFLB Rookie of the Year- QB Baka Webo(BNJ), Herzegovina City Cobras, 21 years old.
Offensive Rookie of the Year- WR Jannik Nadine(RAN), Busukuma Suns, 22 years old.
Defensive Rookie of the Year- DE Sizo Ashenafi(BNJ), Dukuma Dragons, 22 years old.

First-Team All-Pro
(Due to formational variance across the league, there are 12 players on each of the offensive and defensive all-pro teams).

Offense
QB- Ice Chineze(BNJ), Aissa Crocodiles, 38 years old.
HB- Lana Rhodes(CMT), Kosactus Red Vultures, 26 years old.
HB- Tamba Secka(BNJ), Hoima Zebra, 22 years old.
WR- Lafi Senghore(BNJ), Sisonke Leopards, 29 years old.
WR- Khalil Hauptmann(RAN), Rukunbi Wizards, 34 years old.
WR- Rachel Emerson(CDG), Lwanga Rhinos, 22 years old.
TE- Zachary Lewis(KHD), Aissa Crocodiles, 26 years old.
T- Moses Busara(BNJ), Sisonke Leopards, 30 years old.
T- Idi Coulibaly(BNJ), Kosactus Red Vultures. 31 years old.
G- Ned Dott(CMT), Aissa Crocodiles. 25 years old.
G- Kassa Essayas(BNJ), Umbazi Metropolitan Sporting Club. 22 years old.
C- Mindika Oduo(BNJ), Herzegovina City Cobras. 28 years old.

Defense
DE/EDGE- Ailo Børve(VAL). Dukuma Dragons. 16.5 sacks.
DE/EDGE- Sizo Ashenafi(BNJ). Dukuma Dragons.
DT- Urk McCauley(QUE). Mynda Gorillas. 26 years old.
DT- Essa Marong(BNJ). Rukunbi Wizards. 30 years old.
OLB- Ingrid Botrel(CMT). Lwanga Rhinos. 23 years old.
OLB- Edith St. Clair(CMT). St. Jakob Honey Badgers. 23 years old.
MLB- Demas Akech(BNJ). Jinja City Springboks. 27 years old.
MLB- Marcus Sandoval(KHD). Busukuma Suns. 26 years old.
CB- CB Ole Bakker(VAL), Mynda Gorillas, 25 years old.
CB- Makang Secka(BNJ). Rukunbi Wizards. 31 years old.
FS- Drew Lia(CMT). Isipongo Wild Boars. 26 years old.
SS- Mayekor Usijang(BNJ). Igulu Bush Elephants. 34 years old.

Special Teams
K- Dwayne Markseon(CMT). Sisonke Leopards. 22 years old.
P- Mubiru Mujumbi(BNJ). Herzegovina City Cobras. 31 years old.
LS- Bagamba Luwemba(BNJ). Aissa Crocodiles. 34 years old.
KR/PR- Oscar Apolo(BNJ). Busembe Timberwolves. 24 years old.

GFLB Regular Season Statistical Leaders
Passing Yards
#1 Ice Chineze. Aissa Crocodiles. 5,020 yards.
#2 Amazu Chibuzo. Busukuma Suns. 4,831 yards.
#3 Craig Juniper. Sisone Leopards. 4,598 yards.

Passing Touchdowns
#1 Ice Chineze. Aissa Crocodiles. 44 touchdowns.
#2 Ezekiel Bantoba. Busukuma AC. 39 touchdowns.
#3 Vallienté Wagner-Young. Sisone Leopards. 36 touchdowns.

Rushing Yards
#1 HB Lana Rhodes. Kosactus Red Vultures. 1,577 yards.
#2 HB Tamba Secka. Hoima Zebra. 1,492 yards.
#3 HB Madikeh Konta. St. Jakob Honey Badgers. 1,404 yards.

Rushing Touchdowns
#1 HB Philip Apondo. Herzegovina City Cobras. 16 touchdowns.
#2 HB Lana Rhodes. Kosactus Red Vultures. 14 touchdowns.
#3 HB Kuenda Sello. Rukunbi Wizards. 13 touchdowns.

Receiving Yards
#1 WR Lafi Senghore. Sisonke Leopards. 1,711 yards.
#2 WR Kalu Alazar. Mukeruzi Hyenas. 1,601 yards.
#3 WR Gabriel Yafet. Mar Sara Night Elves. 1,598 yards.

Receiving Touchdowns
#1 TE Zachary Lewis. Aissa Crcocodiles. 15 touchdowns.
#2 WR Lafi Senghore. Sisonke Leopards. 13 touchdowns.
#3 WR Khalil Hauptmann. Rukunbi Wizards. 12 touchdowns.

Tackles
#1 MLB Bunama Kijeera. Igulu Bush Elephants. 177 tackles.
#2 MLB Demas Akech. Jinja City Springboks. 172 tackles.
#3 OLB Edith St. Clair. St. Jakob Honey Badgers. 168 tackles.

Sacks
#1 EDGE Ailo Børve. Dukuma Dragons. 16.5 sacks.
#2 OLB Ingrid Botrel. Lwanga Rhinos. 16 sacks.
#3 DE Niumi Hale. Igulu Bush Elephants. 14.5 sacks.

Interceptions
#1 CB Makang Secka. Rukunbi Wizards. 6 INTs.
#2 CB Koman Tabor. Jinja City Springboks. 6 INTs.
#3 FS Israel Aero. Igulu Bush Elephants. 4 INTs.

Forced Fumbles
#1 DE Sizo Ashenafi. Dukuma Dragons. 6 FF.
#2 DT Urk McCauley. Mynda Gorillas. 4 FF.
#2 MLB Marcus Sandoval. Busukuma Suns. 4 FF.

---

Ice Chineze, at a press conference following Banija's shocking, ugly, 13-12 road loss to Juvenucs to drop them to .500, and put their KO stage hopes in serious jeopardy

Ice Chineze was having a bad day. He had been used to absolutely dealing- across the last three World Bowls, he had been basically eviscerating the competition. Even in games where the team as a whole struggled, it was usually on the defense. He could always put up his numbers- usually good for 250 and a couple of TDs whenever he put on the green of the Serpent Eagles. Until, of course, today. Ice Chineze was disgusted with himself. 38 years old- here for one last ride, to truly prove himself as the best QB in the game. Better than Garrett, Gwenderyn, Jawara, Taurus Wright, and whoever the hell else has the audacity to call themselves the top QB in the world. Consistency had been his hallmark.

But this game against Juvencus... Disastrous.

Can't blame the defense. They put in their best game of the campaign, in his mind. Hell, Banija won the turnover battle, 4-2. But everything had been sloppy. His first game in 4 cycles for the NT where he had under a 50% completion percentage. Somehow, he had only gone 12/27, an absolutely horrific standard by his book. The Banijans hit four field goals on the day, not once getting into the end zone. And Chineze had two interceptions. Not necessarily disastrous on its own, especially considering the fact that the Banijans had forced four turnovers of their own(Tabor had 2 picks, Secka had one of his own, and Ashenafi had a strip sack). But Chineze knew- this game was on him. You take the glory of trying to be the best in the world, and you've got to take the heat.

Despite only completing 12 passes on this disastrous day, the Banijans still had a chance to win. But his interceptions- both of them were crucial. One of them was a post route to an open Kalu Alazar. But with pressure in his face, he sailed the throw- and the Juvenucs free safety returned it 60 yards for the only touchdown of the game. Twice, when Banija settled for field goals, they had first down & goal inside the four- the big Zamandi Ayana unable to bully his way past this Juvencus front. Despite all that, Banija still had a legitimate chance to win it.

1st & 10 at their own 42. No timeouts. 1:12 left on the clock. Not bad- could escape if they could get maybe 30-35 yards, to get into field goal range. Take an ugly win. But Chineze had messed it up. He forced one into double coverage on first down- decision making you almost never saw from a veteran QB as smart and as talented as him. And what would you expect to happen? His second interception of the game, which put this thing on ice. So, in front of the media, he took ownership.

"Look- we need to be prepared for these big moments, and I was not myself prepared, clearly, for this game." Ice Chineze told reporters. "This loss is 100% on me. I struggled in many ways, and now, we're in the fight of our lives. We've got three games to either make the knockouts, or go home in what would certainly be the most disappointing World Bowl result that I've ever seen for team Banija- either as a fan or a player. I refuse to let that happen. We're 1-1 against everyone in this group. We are going to be absolutely locked in for the final go-through, and we're either gonna make the playoffs and get a chance to defend our title- or damnit, we're gonna die trying. I will make sure, personally, that each man on this 53 is ready." When asked about the snowfall expected for the game(Banija doesn't have winter), he said that "we could play in a mother-fucking blizzard, and we're gonna go out and get to 4-3."

Despite the pessimism around the team, and despite the wintery conditions, Banijan fans are showing up in massive numbers to Rouyoutte- with Orange Sky temporarily renting out planes from other airlines to ensure they meet demand. It should be interesting. If they struggle against South Americanastan, and you've got a huge Banijan crowd at the stadium, already in a bad mood dude to being in snow? The boobirds could reign. Otherwise, don't expect anything to slow down the party- we're here for a minimum of three weeks, and the goal is to make that at least 4.

[Ko-oren]

Week 1 EX Selpernim 35 19:00 - Greencaster Godspeed 0-7 Aminey Caspians (Surbourneshire Square, Greencaster att. 65000/65000, 21C Partially Cloudy)
ToP: 29:48-30:12 / Total Yds: 298-329 / 1st Downs: 20-25 / 3rd %: 34-46 / Pass Att: 46-32 / Pass Comp: 36-19 / Pass Comp%: 77,6-59,4 / Sacks: 6-1 / Fum TA: 1-0 / Int TA: 2-1 / Pen: 7-3

Week 1 EX Selpernim 35 19:00 - Willowbourne Saints 36-17 Schemerdrecht Admirals (Willowbowl, Willowbourne att. 55000/55000, 25C Clear)
ToP: 33:15-26:45 / Total Yds: 410-344 / 1st Downs: 24-21 / 3rd %: 53-39 / Pass Att: 30-23 / Pass Comp: 19-14 / Pass Comp%: 61,8-61,2 / Sacks: 1-7 / Fum TA: 0-0 / Int TA: 1-1 / Pen: 6-7

Week 1 EX Selpernim 36 19:00 - Schemerdrecht 65ers 45-10 Mayara Destroyers (65ers Arena, Schemerdrecht att. 35847/48000, 15C Intermittent rain, Lightning)
ToP: 35:41-24:19 / Total Yds: 474-318 / 1st Downs: 20-20 / 3rd %: 55-41 / Pass Att: 41-18 / Pass Comp: 23-11 / Pass Comp%: 57-63 / Sacks: 3-2 / Fum TA: 2-1 / Int TA: 2-1 / Pen: 10-4

Week 1 EX Selpernim 36 19:00 - Sterrenwolde Dragonflies 10-20 Mayara Wolves (Het Planetarium, Sterrenwolde att. 29978/46000, 15C Intermittent rain, Lightning)
ToP: 30:09-29:51 / Total Yds: 322-339 / 1st Downs: 19-22 / 3rd %: 33-50 / Pass Att: 37-21 / Pass Comp: 18-14 / Pass Comp%: 48-67 / Sacks: 0-5 / Fum TA: 1-1 / Int TA: 1-2 / Pen: 1-5

Week 1 EX Selpernim 36 19:00 - Aerellen Explosions 3-0 Eaglebury Emperors (Northern Arena, Aevanna att. 32000/32000, 11C Partially Cloudy)
ToP: 32:55-27:05 / Total Yds: 336-289 / 1st Downs: 20-20 / 3rd %: 44-49 / Pass Att: 26-15 / Pass Comp: 17-11 / Pass Comp%: 64,6-71,4 / Sacks: 2-5 / Fum TA: 0-1 / Int TA: 0-0 / Pen: 3-6

Week 1 EX Selpernim 36 19:00 - Noordrug Astronauts 10-3 Mawryshire Centaurs (The Glacier, Launott att. 28000/28000, 9C Partially Cloudy)
ToP: 32:50-27:10 / Total Yds: 356-283 / 1st Downs: 22-17 / 3rd %: 51-40 / Pass Att: 30-34 / Pass Comp: 15-19 / Pass Comp%: 51,4-56,6 / Sacks: 7-3 / Fum TA: 1-1 / Int TA: 0-0 / Pen: 7-6

It's week one! The season is finally back. It's been mentioned countless times before, but the field is closer than ever because the stars are no longer on a club roster - they're on the national team with no obligation to play in the league. That means: more rookies, slightly worse players, and a new group of guys who can play the part of team carriers. The weekend starts off amazing - for some - with a 7-0 win by the Caspians over the Godspeed, not entirely as expected given the previews, but the season's still young - with Aminey's quarterback going 19 from 32 and still winning through a better ground game, better prepared players, and not committing a few drive-killing penalties like Greencaster did. Godspeed's defence was much better while getting six sacks and three turnovers, but the only score of the day was Aminey's on a short field after a penalty and a turnover absolutely murdered the home team's ability to get downfield. The second game of the weekend was much better, though 36-17 isn't exactly a common score either, with the Saints hopefully getting one of many wins on a fairly flawless game on offence, giving away an interception but that's more a rule than an exception in the Ko-orenite league. Plenty of penalties though, but it wasn't much compared to how the 65ers racked up 10 penalties in a 45-10 win over the Destroyers a day later. Nowhere near a sellout, for some reason, in Schemerdrecht with fans missing out on an all-timer: you don't see very often that a team gets penalised 10 times and wins by 35. Dominating the ToP and racking up long drive after long drive for 474 yards would do it. Sterrenwolde lost by 10 points to the Wolves with Sterrenwolde not even completing 50% of their passes (yes, that's par for the course for them from now on, probably) even if they have the ball a little longer than their opponent. The gameplan was to get the ball early and often, and for long drives, knowing that any other way they're getting killed by the Wolves if they allow them any short field.

The lowest score of the weekend wasn't the opening game - it was Aerellen versus Eaglebury, which is coincidentally the second-longest away trip in Ko-orenite gridiron, ending 3-0 on a field goal with 0:00 on the clock at the end of the first half. Only one turnover but just a lot of horrible decisions in the redzone, if teams even got there. Also in the north, the Astronauts receive Mawryshire for a 13-point game, with the home side winning. Noordrug are trying to get into that habit because this might just be Their Year (tm). Completely out-yarding their opponents and racking up seven sacks ended most attempts by the Centaurs to get anywhere.

Week 2 DIV Jaranethan 5 19:00 - Aminey Caspians 6-0 Schemerdrecht 65ers (Stade sur la Baie, Aminey att. 62122/70000, 18C Clear)
ToP: 33:31-26:29 / Total Yds: 344-283 / 1st Downs: 20-17 / 3rd %: 42-36 / Pass Att: 37-35 / Pass Comp: 29-22 / Pass Comp%: 78,2-62,8 / Sacks: 5-7 / Fum TA: 1-1 / Int TA: 2-0 / Pen: 3-3

Week 2 DIV Jaranethan 5 19:00 - Schemerdrecht Admirals 3-3 Sterrenwolde Dragonflies (Orange Bowl, Schemerdrecht att. 38884/54000, 12C Gloomy and rainy)
ToP: 32:23-27:37 / Total Yds: 336-283 / 1st Downs: 22-17 / 3rd %: 41-43 / Pass Att: 32-38 / Pass Comp: 17-22 / Pass Comp%: 54-58 / Sacks: 8-0 / Fum TA: 2-1 / Int TA: 3-1 / Pen: 3-8

Week 2 DIV Jaranethan 6 19:00 - Greencaster Godspeed 0-20 Mayara Wolves (Surbourneshire Square, Greencaster att. 45867/65000, 19C Deluge (rain))
ToP: 28:52-31:08 / Total Yds: 276-338 / 1st Downs: 15-20 / 3rd %: 30-38 / Pass Att: 41-30 / Pass Comp: 29-17 / Pass Comp%: 71-58 / Sacks: 0-1 / Fum TA: 1-0 / Int TA: 1-1 / Pen: 6-6

Week 2 DIV Jaranethan 6 19:00 - Willowbourne Saints 31-23 Mayara Destroyers (Willowbowl, Willowbourne att. 55000/55000, 23C Clear)
ToP: 32:47-27:13 / Total Yds: 440-367 / 1st Downs: 23-24 / 3rd %: 54-42 / Pass Att: 32-20 / Pass Comp: 24-13 / Pass Comp%: 74,6-67,4 / Sacks: 4-1 / Fum TA: 0-1 / Int TA: 1-0 / Pen: 7-6

A bunch of byes make this a short week. That's a little gimmick in scheduling: there's usually a week with only four games and every so often it happens this early in the season (and yes, they may happen in week one, as well). Either way, Aminey string together two wins in a row, which is two more wins than some TV personalities gave them on the entire year, this time slaying the in-division 65ers. A pretty good game that was just allergic to scoring, Aminey pulled away with two field goals and somehow not conceding a touchdown on one of many chunk plays that the Caspians kept giving up. Maybe if the 65ers could prolong a drive past the third down on enemy territory...

More low scoring in one of several Intermare rivalries, with the Admirals and Dragonflies (the club, not the NT) starting the series. It's 3-3, our first tie, which is something that you'll also have to get used to in Ko-orenite gridiron, despite the Admirals getting 8 sacks - remember how Sterrenwolde's passing attack was anaemic in week one? It happened again. They're 22 off 38 passing attempts, but against the odds and every single stat, it's 3-3 as the clock ticks down. The Wolves shut out the Godspeed for a pretty big win in horrible conditions on the south coast with both teams playing a pretty close game despite two FG misses by the home team and the visitors slowly building up a lead. Lastly, it's an actual good scoreline between the Saints and the Destroyers, but the Saints jump out to a 2-0 start on a few good moves by the D-line and honestly a pretty good receiving game with YAC everywhere.

Week 3 EX Jaranethan 11 19:00 - Schemerdrecht Admirals 13-41 Greencaster Godspeed (Orange Bowl, Schemerdrecht att. 41315/54000, 15C Intermittent rain)
ToP: 27:31-32:29 / Total Yds: 332-425 / 1st Downs: 26-24 / 3rd %: 42-53 / Pass Att: 35-38 / Pass Comp: 22-28 / Pass Comp%: 62,4-72,6 / Sacks: 2-6 / Fum TA: 1-2 / Int TA: 1-0 / Pen: 4-3

Week 3 EX Jaranethan 11 19:00 - Schemerdrecht 65ers 27-14 Willowbourne Saints (65ers Arena, Schemerdrecht att. 47390/48000, 17C Intermittent rain)
ToP: 34:24-25:36 / Total Yds: 395-334 / 1st Downs: 13-22 / 3rd %: 39-46 / Pass Att: 40-38 / Pass Comp: 22-28 / Pass Comp%: 55,6-74,4 / Sacks: 1-1 / Fum TA: 1-1 / Int TA: 2-0 / Pen: 6-4

Week 3 EX Jaranethan 12 19:00 - Sterrenwolde Dragonflies 17-3 Mayara Destroyers (Het Planetarium, Sterrenwolde att. 46000/46000, 18C Overcast)
ToP: 34:33-25:27 / Total Yds: 381-268 / 1st Downs: 21-14 / 3rd %: 50-62 / Pass Att: 30-19 / Pass Comp: 22-11 / Pass Comp%: 72,8-59,2 / Sacks: 0-7 / Fum TA: 0-1 / Int TA: 1-1 / Pen: 5-4

Week 3 EX Jaranethan 12 19:00 - Mayara Wolves 23-26 Aerellen Explosions (Wolves' Lair Stadium, Senoren att. 23610/37000, 18C Drizzle (rain), Fog)
ToP: 29:55-30:05 / Total Yds: 338-385 / 1st Downs: 20-23 / 3rd %: 42-53 / Pass Att: 33-30 / Pass Comp: 18-18 / Pass Comp%: 55,4-61,6 / Sacks: 2-5 / Fum TA: 1-1 / Int TA: 1-0 / Pen: 8-8

Week 3 EX Jaranethan 12 19:00 - Eaglebury Emperors 0-10 Noordrug Astronauts (The Palace, Eaglebury att. 23225/34000, 13C Partially Cloudy with rain, Lightning)
ToP: 29:24-30:36 / Total Yds: 309-331 / 1st Downs: 18-5 / 3rd %: 38-43 / Pass Att: 26-17 / Pass Comp: 18-13 / Pass Comp%: 68-77 / Sacks: 0-5 / Fum TA: 1-1 / Int TA: 1-0 / Pen: 4-4

Week 3 EX Jaranethan 12 19:00 - Mawryshire Centaurs 16-13 Aminey Caspians (Hertfield, Mawrystwyth att. 28142/33000, 17C Partially Cloudy with rain, Lightning)
ToP: 32:00-28:00 / Total Yds: 352-329 / 1st Downs: 16-20 / 3rd %: 56-43 / Pass Att: 27-32 / Pass Comp: 16-21 / Pass Comp%: 60,6-64,4 / Sacks: 5-7 / Fum TA: 1-1 / Int TA: 0-0 / Pen: 10-3

We're back with out-of-division games (that's what the EX means, versus DIV or RIVAL) and we can happily report only one shutout and a relatively high amout of close-ish games. The Godspeed finally get a win while they're trying to salvage their season three weeks in. It's not a close game but that's mostly on the Admirals picking horrible times for their giveaway habit to kick in, while the Godspeed get off relatively lightly. Then they jump out from a 3-point lead at half time to a huge win by the end. On the same day, it's the 65ers beating the Saints in what was for a while a close game, until the 65ers lock down fourth quarter with two touchdown drives and a forced fumble. The home side didn't play a clean game, but it's effective enough.

The next day, Sterrenwolde pulls out a win over a Destroyers team that's now really starting to worry: weren't they great? Weren't they still good after all's said and done? Weren't they making the playoffs? But after going 0-3 including a loss to the concensus worst team in the league, it's probably time to adjust that expectation. The Destroyers complete just 11 passes against a Sterrenwolde secondary that's clear still got it. And if the horrible pass offence isn't slowed down by the Destroyers, they're apparently capable of putting up 17 points! At the same time, we saw a close game in Senoren - the Wolves as the home team - in strange conditions that were a little better for the running attack of the Explosions rather than the reinvented mixed offence the Wolves are going with, and after a bit of a flare-up (twice) resulting in penalties and ejections, the Explosions jump out to 2-0. The Emperors get shut out at home with the Astronauts following suit as both northern clubs (Noordrug, Aerellen) are unassailable for now. They aren't sacked and record five for themselves, with Eaglebury the only team to get a few first downs - with Noordrug not needing them: if you get a touchdown, you don't really need to do that entire 10-yards thing. Just get more than 10 yards at a time! And lastly the Centaurs successfully defend their home from the Caspians who finally found their match and are sinking to 2-1. Not a lot of aerial attacks with the southwest suffering from some terrible weather (lightning forecast in both Eaglebury and Mawrystwyth, but only ever touching down in Mawryshire). The Centaurs can't help themselves but play some uncontrolled, undisciplined nonsense but they get the W.

[Chromatika]

Despite Slew of Injuries, Iron Legion Amongst Unbeaten Teams in World Bowl

On paper, the Chromatika Iron Legion are having a World Bowl that is befitting the #2 team in the world - a 6-0 record, a point differential that is only bettered by Drawkland, a Top Five offense, the best defense not named Ranoria, and some narrow wins under their boot that proves that they know how to win close. Rounding out their second round-robin with a 24-9 win over Torisakia at the Henza Center, the Chromatiks were able to send their home crowd home happy, if not a little concerned.

What is the cause for the concern? Injuries. With three more games remaining in the Group Stage - Chromatika can all but clinch the group with a win over Anthor - the Iron Legion sees no less than eight injuries on players that are either starter or see significant playing time. Let's start with the big one - Sarai Gwenderyn. The Star Quarterback injured her non-throwing hand in the win over Dod Rava on a play where she was blocked into her own lineman, spraining her right thumb. Though she gutted it out in the win over Torisakia, Head Coach Eustace Hampton, Jr. has announced that Gwenderyn will be resting for at least the game against Anthor, if not also for the game against Dod Rava.

"We have no reason to risk her health when we only need to win one more game to clinch the group," remarked Hampton in a press conference, "We will let her rest, and use the final game against Torisakia as the tune-up before the playoffs. Besides, both Sheila and Emilee are rearing to go, and it'll be fun to see if we can handle the shift in offensive identity."

Chromatika will be expected to be more run-heavy with Pantoja under center, while Johansson could also spell to be more of a dual-threat.

Other injured players on offense include Tight End Niles Gwivern, who has a pulled hamstring and is questionable, alongside Left Guard Jefferson Reeves, who is day-to-day with bruised ribs. Hampton would not comment on whether either of them would start in the game against Anthor.

If the offensive injuries are headlined by Gwenderyn's absence, it's the Iron Legion's defense that has taken far more brutal hits. First off, the outstanding edge rusher, Cara Setri, will miss the rest of the World Bowl after breaking her left shoulder on a routine tackle. She is expected to make a full recovery before the next GFLB season, but her absence will have to be made up by Edith St. Clair and Ingrid Botrel, two very hungry twenty-three year-olds with varying skill. St. Clair is expected to get the starting nod, while Botrel will fill in obvious passing situations.

Up front, Parry Mioto has been hobbled with a bruised big toe on his right foot, which has allowed young Josiah Michaels to get the majority of playing time at nose tackle. Then, in the secondary, Candice Jones will miss the next game due to a concussion that he suffered while going for the ball, while Nikolai Dimitrov, the outstanding shutdown corner, will miss at least the next two games with a pulled quadriceps that he has to be careful with. With Dimitrov's injury almost being a muscle tear, Paul Mattieu will start alongside Victoria Mio, with Mastaya Vorpen and Lisa Bonsoon being the nickel corners.

Unfortunately, that is not where the injuries end. Nellie Katt, the coffin corner specialist for the Iron Legion, injured her plant foot, and is day-to-day with a bone bruise. Special Teams Coordinator Vera James has already given the Field Goal holding duties to Mykhajlo Vyacheslavovych Kazlov, as the Defensive End used to play the position in High School. Katt is expected to give it a go on punting situations, though Dwayne Markseon has also been practicing punts just in case. In any case, expect the Iron Legion to go max protect when it comes to punting situations, even if it means giving up field position.

If this was any other team, dealing with so many injuries would cause an air of gloom; however, with Chromatika's depth being what it is, Hampton doesn't expect anything to fall off.

"We are all professionals, and these players were selected because they were the best, and the most qualified to represent Chromatika," commented the Head Coach, "When it's your turn to step up, it's your turn to step up. If you don't, someone else will take over. It's as simple as that."

Chromatika heads to RANPAC Coliseum in Indianapolis for the first game in Ranoria, before heading to Reinhild Aerodynamics Arena in North Ashialand, and finishing with the Karmin-Falce Superdome in Ranoria City, the home venue of the Ranoria City Falcons. The final game in Ranoria City is expected to be sold out, as the local fans would love to watch their hometown stars on the international stage.

"We've to get healthy while keeping form," explained Linebacker Park Mi-Hyeon, "Keep momentum while getting more bodies back. Though the longer group stage is the cause of all this, it's nice to also have some time to regroup."

Hopefully, when Chromatika reaches the playoffs, they'll be full strength. If not, at least they'll know who they have.

---

Teams 5 & 6: Chromia Ember, Wirr Tsi Miracle

With the South Division of the new Chromatika StarLeague comprising of teams from Myana, Felswyr, Knetyohai, and Staramara, we now shift to the North Division. The only District in the country that would get two teams was the Capital District; though it was obvious that Chromia would get a team, many tried to guess which other city would win out. At the end, Wirr Tsi won.

Chromia's CSL team will be owned by former Chromatik Football Team player, Nioli Quren. Quren, a known gridiron fan, spent 40 million NMS to acquire the birth. The Chromia Embers - named so because fires can be grown from embers at any time, and because he'd like to gradually build a roaring flame that will consume all in its path - will have its home stadium at Chromatik City Field, the same field that both the Chromia Central College University Comets and the Crossroads Crusaders use. There was some talk about using either the Capitalizt Dome or the Henza Center, but both were deemed too iconic to be used for the StarLeague. Quren want so build a team based on speed on both sides, with the tendency of scoring from anywhere on the field. As a longtime fan of the Iron Legion, the Firehawks, and the Ranoria City Falcons, Quren's direction of the Embers will be interesting to follow.

You don't need to be a gridiron fan to win a CSL franchise. At Wirr Tsi, a forty-three year old man named Jarrick Conslow came into fortune from a deceased grandfather two years ago. He spent most of the fortune establishing the Conslow Foundation, a nonprofit that seeks to help the jobless find jobs, but there was about 50 million NMS remaining. Mr. Conslow decided to spend 30 million NMS into bidding for the CSL franchise spot. Though deemed a longshot at first, his vision in using the CSL as a force for good won out at the end. Naming the team the Wirr Tsi Miracle due to how low the probability was, Mr. Conslow has made it clear that although winning is important, the most important function of the Miracle is to remind everyone of the good that sports can do for the country. He has hired Jody Kanzani, the former executive of the Staramara Angels, to be the head of operations, so the Miracle won't be just hapless also-rans; however, with the focus of the franchise being so philanthropic, it will be interesting to see how that coincides with winning things, as is the aim of sport.

Which teams will represent the Heartland and Coastal Districts? Will it matter when Felswyr and Staramara are in the South Division?

[Torisakia]

April 28, 2022
8:25 PM TST

TFL, TBL, other leagues mandate closed door games due to protests

TOKAI - In the wake of widespread protests across Torisakia over the past three weeks, the Torisakia Football League (TFL), Torisakia Basketball League (TBL), and other leagues have made the decision to play all games going forward behind closed doors, meaning no spectators are allowed to watch the game in person. The decision comes as the protests, the largest in the country since the 1970s, have turned increasingly violent and rowdy, namely in cities like Tokai, Koradai, and Ogino.

This is the first time that multiple leagues have barred spectators from events in Torisakian history. It is also the first time Torisakian sporting events have been held behind closed doors since the 1970 Ice Bird Flu pandemic. The decision largely affects domestic leagues, as none of the international teams are scheduled to play in Torisakia as of now. Gerrit Gorman, commissioner of the TFL, stated that the spectator ban will last through May 12th and that the league will reevaluate the situation. TBL comissioner Sean Waterman also made a similar statement: the TBL spectator ban will last until May 12th when the league will reevaluate the situation as well. Other leagues such as the TMLB and THL have also implemented similar spectator bans, although there is no information available on how long these bans will last. All leagues have indicated that the ban could be lifted earlier than May 12th if the situation improves.

The spectator ban comes at an odd time for Torisakian sports. While the effects of the Kiragate scandal are finally beginning to wane three years on, many teams are relying on ticket and merchandise sales to make up for lost revenue during the time the Kiragate sanctions were in place. Spectator bans for at least two weeks are now setting many of these franchises even further behind in finances which could lead to salary cuts and layoffs and affect league stability, according to experts.

The protests, which have been ongoing since April 8th, have been sparked by a range of issues, including increased housing costs, rising inflation and unemployment rates, increased taxes, and demands for social justice reforms. Protesters have taken to the streets in multiple cities, clashing with police and causing an estimated T$1.7 billion in property damage. An estimated 215 people have been injured during the course of the protests, but there have been no fatalities reported.

The demonstrations show no sign of abating, from either the protestors' side or the government's side. The government has responded to the protests with a mixture of force and dialogue. While some police forces have been accused of using excessive force to disperse crowds, the government has also attempted to engage with protestors and address their concerns. President Doug McDowell, facing calls for his resignation, has made several public statements acknowledging the protestors' grievances and promising to take action to address them. However, his approval rating has declined sharply in recent weeks, with only 40% of Torisakians expressing confidence in his leadership.

"Rationality and peaceful communication are powerful tools for ending violence and building a better world" McDowell said in a press briefing at the Tokai House earlier today. "I call on all Torisakians to come together, end the violence, and sit down with our lawmakers and figure out a solution for everyone". Many protestors have been calling on McDowell to resign, citing his economic policies as being "anti-Torisakian and Plutocratic", undelivered promises from his 2020 presidential campaign, and his vague "word salad" responses to the demonstrations, with some believing McDowell is more concerned about dispersing the protests and saving his own personal image rather than addressing the issues they are about.

The protests have become a significant political challenge for the Torisakian government, with many citizens calling for a major overhaul of the country's economic and social policies. While it remains to be seen whether these protests will lead to lasting change, they have made it clear that many Torisakians are dissatisfied with the status quo and are demanding action from their leaders.

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[Saint Kanye]

The St. Kanye Surge strengthened their hold on second place in Group B of the World Bowl 46 elimination stages, improving to 4-2 at the end of Matchday 6 and bouncing back from the close loss at HUElavia to take down Rouyoute 44-8. Being unable to crack the tough nut that is the HUElavian national team for the second time in this tournament, the boys in purple and lime seemingly poured out their frustration on the next team they faced.... which turned out once again to be Julien Girard and company.

The Surge dominated the first three quarters of the game, their first back at Surge Field in Kardashia after three straight on the road, before resting their starters and allowing their opponents to get on the scoreboard in garbage time. All three units - offense, defense and special teams, had a part in the huge victory: quarterback R.J. Linetti completing 28 of 34 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers (QBR 134.31), the D being responsible for four interceptions (two for touchdowns and one eventually leading to another), and James Rasputin continuing to be perfect in field goals with three out of three made. This gave the team the momentum they needed heading into the final leg of the eliminations, which will all be in various stadiums in the host country Ranoria. "It'll be a neutral ground for the remainder of the group stage, but we'll be counting on our fans to keep supporting us like always did," head coach Jeff Delphine said. "We won't have a home field advantage of some sort, so we'll make our own." This was in reference to Yeezie sports fans swarming every stadium, arena or track that their athletes are competing in, at times close to or even outnumbering the locals present.

---

1Q STK field goal Rasputin 31 STK 3-0
The Surge's first drive stalled, but Rasputin was still able to kick the scoring off, pun intended, with his first field goal of the day.

1Q STK Fredericks 72 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 10-0
After a few scoreless drives from both sides, the home team finally got to make it a 10-nil advantage, with Linetti connecting with Deshawn Fredericks on a short pass, and Fredericks going the distance, dodging everything the Rouyoute defense sent his way to take it to the end zone.

2Q STK Schwartz 38 interception return (Rasputin kick) STK 17-0
Early in the second quarter, with the Surge defensive line came rumbling towards him, Girard had to throw the ball away. Linebacker Justin Varley had the alertness of mind to jump up and deflect the ball, right into the hands of cornerback Mason Schwartz, who ran all the way for the pick six.

2Q STK Johns 16 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 24-0
On the succeeding Rouyoute drive, Schwartz once again recorded an interception, but he was brought down at the twenty before he could have the chance to score again. But it didn't matter - Linetti gained four yards on a first down run before switching to a four-receiver setup and connecting with Taylor Johns (who was more known as the Yeezies' kick returner) in the end zone to make it a 23-nil game (24-nil after the Rasputin extra point).

2Q STK field goal Rasputin 42 STK 27-0
The St. Kanye defense seemed extra greedy this quarter, as in addition to the two picks described above, they also forced a fumble on running back Nilsson Ekstrom to get the ball back with just about 30 seconds left in the half. Two successive quick throws by Linetti to Bruce Dobler both went for first downs, which set them up with good field position for Rasputin to attempt, and make, another field goal as time expired.

3Q STK Moore 60 pass from Linetti (Rasputin kick) STK 34-0
The onslaught continued in the second quarter, starting with the Surge's opening drive in which Linetti faked a handoff to Noah Sherman, and instead tossed the ball to Patrick Moore. The defensive mismatch allowed Moore to start his journey to the end zone pretty much untouched, and once the defenders knew what was coming, it was a little too late. Moore made a show of jogging backwards to the end zone before turning back around and diving in.

3Q STK field goal Rasputin 32 STK 37-0
Rouyoute went three and out on their succeeding possession, while the Surge went on a drive to add to their already large lead. It stalled however, with Dobler dropping a pass right in the end zone on first down, and then another pass, this one intended for Moore, getting batted away by Gabriel Gagne. Third down saw Linetti keep the ball on the ground and in his hands, only to get tackled for a loss instead, and on fourth and 14, Rasputin was sent out, giving his team three points on the drive at least.

4Q ROU Dupont 25 pass from Girard (Ekstrom run) STK 37-8
Up 37-nil entering the final quarter, St. Kanye decided to bring in some fresh legs on both sides of the ball. No scoring from both sides until about four minutes left, where the visitors went on a very long drive (starting from their own five) to finally erase the big drawk egg on their side of the scoreboard. The two-point conversion succeeded, and they were even able to get the ball back on the onside kick....

4Q STK Van Pelt 28 interception return (Rasputin kick) STK 44-8
.... but their drive ended after just two plays as fourth string cornerback Bernard Van Pelt snatched the ball in midair and ran along the sidelines with his fellow Surge players protecting him from the opposing defense. He made the score, Rasputin made the extra point, Rouyoute's next drive ended with a turnover on downs, and St. Kanye knelt out the remainder of the game to keep their elimination round record perfect. Against countries that don't start with H, that is.

---

The Surge's third meeting with Milk Island will be at the Fermete Stadium in Fermete, followed by their last chance at redemption against HUElavia at the Dietrich Stadium, Richardson. Yes, the very same home of the Richardson Fenrirs RFL team headed by Surge players Tim Hunt, Deshawn Fredericks and a few others. Finally, they cap off the group stages against Rouyoute at the Dynamo Park in Dietrich (wait, what?), and then after that is the playoffs, which they're aiming to get into, preferably with good seeding. "This is it, we just have to tough these last three games and we're in the clear," Linetti said before correcting himself. "Wait, not in the clear, I mean there's still the playoffs. Now that'll be even tougher."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MD | Opponent        | Rank | Uniform        | Score   | Record | Place |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1  | Milk Island     | UR   | Purple/Purple  | W 49-20 |  1-0   |  1st  |
| 2  | HUElavia        | 10   | Purple/Black   | L 22-40 |  1-1   |  3rd  |
| 3  | @Rouyoute       | UR   | White/Purple   | W 40- 3 |  2-1   |  2nd  |
| 4  | @Milk Island    | UR   | White/White    | W 23-10 |  3-1   |  2nd  |
| 5  | @HUElavia       | 10   | White/Purple   | L 20-27 |  3-2   |  2nd  |
| 6  | Rouyoute        | UR   | Purple/Purple  | W 44- 8 |  4-2   |  2nd  |
| 7  | Milk Island (N) | UR   | Purple/Black   |         |        |       |
| 8  | HUElavia (N)    | 10   | Purple/Purple  |         |        |       |
| 9  | @Rouyoute (N)   | UR   | White/White    |         |        |       |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Ranoria]

Cutoff! We're in the final leg of the group stage now!!

Group A
Hofn 27–20 Magnecia
Gyatsko-Kai 14–20 TJUN-ia

  Group A                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 TJUN-ia                        7   5  2  174 108 +66
2 Gyatsko-Kai                    7   5  2  161  93 +68
3 Hofn                           7   3  4  107 157 −50
4 Magnecia                       7   1  6   81 165 −84

Group B
Saint Kanye 3–7 Milk Island
HUElavia 16–3 Rouyoute

  Group B                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 HUElavia                       7   7  0  240 110 +130
2 Saint Kanye                    7   4  3  201 115 +86
3 Rouyoute                       7   2  5   99 171 −72
4 Milk Island                    7   1  6   84 228 −144

Group C
Quebec & Shingoryeo 23–37 Ko-oren
Jacksonboro 23–24 Valanora

  Group C                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Ko-oren                        7   7  0  222  84 +138
2 Quebec & Shingoryeo            7   4  3  240 159 +81
3 Valanora                       7   3  4  144 234 −90
4 Jacksonboro                    7   0  7  117 246 −129

Group D
Chromatika 10–28 Anthor
Dod Rava 0–25 Torisakia

  Group D                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Chromatika                     7   6  1  210  87 +123
2 Torisakia                      7   4  3  150 166 −16
3 Anthor                         7   4  3  152 155  −3
4 Dod Rava                       7   0  7   94 198 −104

Group E
Juvencus 14–7 Allamunnic States
South Americanastan 3–14 Banija

  Group E                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 South Americanastan            7   5  2  180 129 +51
2 Banija                         7   4  3  201 162 +39
3 Allamunnic States              7   3  4  147 150  −3
4 Juvencus                       7   2  5   69 156 −87

Group F
Abanhfleft 7–23 South Newlandia
Gran Saguero 9–23 Sudilia

  Group F                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Abanhfleft                     7   6  1  234 128 +106
2 South Newlandia                7   5  2  173 111 +62
3 Sudilia                        7   2  5  134 224 −90
4 Gran Saguero                   7   1  6  112 190 −78

Group G
The Spartan Dominion 20–18 Katterimunk
Drawkland 43–42 Sarzonia

  Group G                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Drawkland                      7   7  0  287 129 +158
2 Sarzonia                       7   3  4  157 154  +3
3 The Spartan Dominion           7   2  5  115 193 −78
4 Katterimunk                    7   2  5  147 230 −83

Group H
Utahn Theocratic Republic 28–23 United Hawkland
Cassadaigua 3–17 Ranoria

  Group H                      Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Ranoria                        7   7  0  167  33 +134
2 Cassadaigua                    7   3  4  166 136 +30
3 Utahn Theocratic Republic      7   3  4  111 163 −52
4 United Hawkland                7   1  6   93 205 −112