World Bowl 47 - Everything Thread

by **Ranoria** » Tue Oct 03, 2023 8:47 pm

World Bowl 47 - Playoff Bracket
Round of Sixteen Matchups

South Newlandia Scores These, They Take Place In Ranoria

1 Banija vs 15 Sea Dome *swapped with Bongo Johnson to avoid GS rematch
Mount Reinhold Stadium, Fermete, Ranoria (59,700)

8 Chromatika vs 9 Terefuxe
@ Silberkraft Stadium, Nashville, Ranoria (64,000)

Winners @ Karmin-Falce Superdome
___

4 Saint Kanye vs 14 The Kytler Peninsulae *swapped with Cassadaigua to avoid GS rematch
@Dietrich Stadium, Richardson, Ranoria (94,750)

5 Drawkland vs 12 Gyatso-kai
@ Constance Airlines Field, Fiston, Ranoria (60,007)

Winners @ Adelhard Dynamics Dome

Ranoria Scores These, They Take Place In South Newlandia

2 TJUN-ia vs 16 Bongo Johnson*swapped with Sea Dome to avoid GS rematch
@ Elephant Field (15,400), Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

7 Ko-oren vs 10 HUElavia
@Jungledrom (2,186), Ratzupalfu, South Newlandia
___

3 Quebec and Shingoryeo vs 13 Cassadaigua *swapped with Kytler Peninsulae to avoid GS rematch
@EVU Field (7,000), Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

6 South Newlandia vs 11 Sarzonia
@ Elephant Field (15,400), Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

by **Drawkland** » Tue Oct 03, 2023 11:06 pm

"The Third Offer"

It didn’t take long for Brand Manlio to finish his scholarship offer to Brooklyn. He merely touched up the first draft he’d written months prior, checked on Aldus Pope and James Denton (the basketball and baseball coaches at Sadeg State) to ensure they would agree to Brooklyn being a multi-sport athlete in football if she wished, and put together the envelope himself.

All the while, Dustin Beck followed him along, casually chatting about football and the early stages of the DOCA season. If it weren’t for the fact that he had effectively blackmailed Manlio’s boss an hour prior, it would’ve seemed very normal. Even so, Dustin was in a great mood as Manlio handed him the sealed envelope with Sadeg State’s logo on the front. Finally, he could give Brooklyn the football offer she’d always wanted, and they could do away with this silly delusion of wanting to attend Cavsar University instead.

About an hour later, Dustin arrived back home with food and the special delivery in his possession. As he walked through the garage door, the smell of pizza quickly wafted into the living room, catching Elie’s attention.

“Oh, you’re finally back?” She teased, and loudly sniffed for effect. “Mmmm.”

“I was gone a little longer than I would’ve liked,” Dustin specified. “Consider this dinner my apology.”

“See, this is why I married you. Stuff like this.”

“BB, dinner!” Dustin called loudly, unsure of Brooklyn’s whereabouts but assuming that would get her attention. He heard the thump of footsteps from upstairs, and he casually tossed the Sadeg State letter onto the kitchen counter where Brooklyn was sure to sit.

“Is that pizza?” Brooklyn exclaimed as she rounded down the staircase landing and came within view of the kitchen.

“It might be,” Dustin replied casually as he bit into a slice.

Brooklyn grabbed a plate from the kitchen and helped herself to a few slices before sitting down at the counter. She took a couple bites before catching a glance of the new envelope next to her.

“Really, Dad?” Brooklyn grabbed the envelope with a sarcastic look. “You don’t have to remind me that I have an offer from State. I’m well aware.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Is that the old letter?”

“What do you mean the old-” Brooklyn stopped before she could finish her question. She inspected the envelope a little closer. It was not, as she’d assumed, the envelope containing the first offer from Sadeg State. This one was fresh and sealed. This one was new.

“Is that what you ‘forgot’ at work?” Elie asked with a critical glance.

“Sort of,” Dustin answered halfheartedly. He was busy watching Brooklyn’s reaction.

Brooklyn carefully sliced open the envelope and pulled out the contents. There was no additional merchandise or pamphlets, just a single sheet of paper. She devoured the words quickly.

Dear Brooklyn,

It brings me great joy to be writing this letter to you. I remember, years ago, recruiting your father to join our program at Sadeg State University. At the time I didn’t know how much success our mutual future had in store, but I knew he was a special player who would make a great impact on our football team. Now, a couple decades later, I have the unique privilege to write this same sort of letter to you, for the same mission.

We intend to foster the next generation of football greatness on our campus at Sadeg State. This is why we are officially offering you a full-ride scholarship to play football at our prestigious school. I personally believe that this will be the greatest move for both your career and our program’s success in the next half decade.

Me and my coaching staff are renowned as a top developmental unit that creates and ensures success at the professional level, along with world-class facilities and education. Your father is one of the hundreds of examples of what it means to be a Skyhawk. We want to see a future where your legacy equals or surpasses his, and we have the means to build that future.

As all the other letters did, this one continued for a while longer detailing specifics about the school’s athletic and academic programs, along with assurances that Brooklyn would be permitted to play as a multi-sport athlete, should she choose to do so.

Hoping to see you on campus soon,

Brand Manlio
Head Coach of Skyhawk football.

It was hard to deny that Brooklyn felt a jolt of excitement as she read the words. As much as she’d given her father grief over not receiving this offer in a timely manner, it still felt nice to finally have it in her hands. Real. Official.

“So … what do you think?” Dustin asked once he saw Brooklyn was finished reading.

“I’m not going to lie, it’s pretty great.” Brooklyn felt a smile creep onto her face. “I just wish they would’ve sent this sooner. Was this stuck in the mail or something?”

“No, it was brought in,” Elie answered before Dustin could say anything.

“By you?” Brooklyn turned to her dad quizzically.

“Y-yes.” Dustin answered slowly. He looked slightly uncomfortable. “I picked it up today. Received a call from Manlio earlier.”

“Oh, neat.” Brooklyn shrugged, glancing at her mom. Elie was giving a suspicious look back to Dustin, who wasn’t returning eye contact. “What’s all that about?”

“Nobody called today,” Elie answered. “We were hanging out together all morning before you got back from the airport. Brand didn’t call you, Dustin. Nobody did.”

“Wait,” Brooklyn began to piece things together. “Did you drive to campus and make them write this offer or something?”

“No!” Dustin exclaimed. “This is ridiculous. I merely dropped by to ask why they hadn’t sent it yet. No ulterior motive, just plain curiosity. I was as annoyed as you were, Brooklyn, about them dragging their feet.”

“So what was the reason, then?” Brooklyn asked, folding her arms. “It seems Raikennax and Cavsar had no issues getting their bureaucracy on the same page in a good amount of time.”

“It’s the AD’s fault.” Dustin replied bluntly. He was caught, there was no reason to beat around the bush now. “Donnie Hollis is a spineless weasel, and he was afraid you’d turn out to be a football bust, just like the last couple times a female player was recruited by a top program. Brand Manlio wanted to recruit you, he told me that he’d written this letter months ago and had it stowed away so he could send it right when you were eligible for recruiting. Hollis stepped in and told him not too, either out of negligence or ignorance.”

“I see,” Brooklyn replied shortly. “It seems like they don’t really want me to be there.”

“Manlio wants you there!” Dustin repeated. “He couldn’t go against his boss’s orders, though. I went to campus and shed some light on the situation. He’s a great coach, and he would turn you into an elite player, an integral part of the team. I have no doubt in my mind about that.”

“So what, you went to Hollis’s office and threatened him until he gave you what you wanted?” Elie gasped. “You can’t do that!”

“I was doing the right thing!” Dustin insisted. “This isn’t what I want, it’s what Brooklyn wants. I did what was necessary to give my daughter the future she wants. Hollis is an idiot anyway, if anything I’ve saved him from a huge media shitstorm that would ensue if they didn’t send Brooklyn an offer.”

“Who says it’s what I want?” Brooklyn mumbled.

“Huh?” Dustin turned back to his daughter. He didn’t hear what she said.

“Nothing, Dad.” Brooklyn quickly took a bite of pizza.

“Just because she has an offer from State now doesn’t mean she’s going to accept it,” Elie said. “She’s free to choose wherever she wants. It’s clear that State hasn’t made her a priority, and it’s not bad for her to want to be somewhere that she’s more wanted.”

“Of course, of course,” Dustin relented, but he hesitated before he said it. “All I’m saying is that Brooklyn should be narrowing down her choices very soon, and I didn’t want the frontrunner to be left out of that on account of some administrator’s idiocy.”

“Frontrunner indeed,” Elie muttered.

“I do appreciate this offer.” Brooklyn swallowed her pizza and looked up at Dustin. “I mean it, honestly. But I can’t lie, I’m still going to be considering the other schools. I guess I have a big three to choose from at this point.”

“Raikennax, Cavsar, and Sadeg State?” Dustin asked to confirm.

“Yeah. They all have the offers I want, in places I may want to be.” Brooklyn grimaced. “It may be hard to whittle down.”

“Well, I can always help give you suggestions on how to narrow things down,” Dustin said, as innocent as he could.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Dad.”

Secretly, Brooklyn had hoped that Sadeg State wouldn’t send a football offer after all. After her Cavsar campus visit, she had nearly decided in her mind that she would rather play there than Raikennax … but now the Skyhawks re-entering the race made everything complicated again. Despite her resentment about Sadeg State’s delay in sending an offer, and her father’s accidental implication that State may not have sent her anything had he not intervened, she was still pretty excited to have received the letter at all.

For the next week after receiving the offer from State, Brooklyn actually kept it a secret. She figured that telling any of her teammates from school about it would have them assume she’s guaranteed to dress in gold and blue by next year. Were they wrong in making such an assumption, though? For the past half-decade, if not longer, Brooklyn had been imagining herself playing at Skyhawks Gridiron Park. Until recently, that was exactly what she wanted.

Ironically, she actually focused on her studies for that week, because it actually helped distract her from the college choice dilemma. Plus, the physics lab midterm was at the end of the week. Brooklyn didn’t invite Spencer over again, but she did pay close attention at school. The class before the test was a review day, and Brooklyn made sure to ask Spencer for help with the various things she still hadn’t grasped. Spencer enjoyed this, mostly because he was already so far ahead in his studies that he would’ve had nothing to do in the review period. Sure enough, Brooklyn came in on test day and nailed it. Well, she didn’t get a top score or ace it like Spencer did, but she did get an acceptable B- grade. Given how she received a solid F on the pretest, this was a huge improvement.

There was no time to rest, either. After the school day was over, Brooklyn had to head to the football field for pregame walkthroughs. By now it was midway through the season, as the weeks leading up to the campus visits had flown by. North Craggold sat at a respectable 5-1, having lost one on the road against Hellenmack Prep (who got their revenge on Brooklyn for her death blown against them in the district baseball tournament earlier that year). Regardless, the Wolves were sitting in a good spot. Brooklyn was racking up a lot of passing yards thanks to her connections with Julian Gallagher and Kevin Briggs. Today, those connections came through for 4 passing touchdowns (two apiece), and Brooklyn added another TD on the ground to complement a rushing TD by Mark Holmes. The poor county school from a couple hours away got the crap kicked out of them, and they bussed home with tails tucked between their legs.

That weekend, Brooklyn could finally relax. After such a dominant and tiring performance, she planned to lay low and replenish. The college stress immediately creeped back in. The other college offers had been all lumped into the “NO” box, and any new mail was usually skimmed and thrown in the box as well. Raikennax’s two letters, Cavsar’s single letter, and Sadeg State’s two letters sat in three separate piles on the desk in Brooklyn’s room. Whenever she glanced in that direction, the envelopes seemed to stare back at her.

Brooklyn wished she could enter “The Zone” for something like this. It was convenient when it came to crunch time during a game, when her mind seemed to clear all outside distractions and focus wholly on the task of putting points on the board. Instinct took over, and more often than not she just made the right decision without having to second-guess herself. Unfortunately, such an impulse doesn’t just come out on command, especially when one is sitting in their bedroom on a Saturday afternoon.

She inattentively wandered around her room, looking at all the decorations and knick-knacks she’d collected over the years. The influence of Sadeg seemed to outweigh everything else. She was born in Akkor Beach, but it was right at the tail end of Dustin’s rookie contract and he signed elsewhere, so they moved before she was old enough to remember anything there. Somewhere in her closet there was an old Gary the Gull (Akkor Beach’s football team mascot) plush animal that she’d received as a baby.

When Dustin left Akkor Beach, he signed with the Raikennax Stallions, a team just a good QB away from being real championship contenders. Dustin was more than just a good QB, of course, so the Stallions built a nearly decade-long dynasty with Beck at the helm. Despite all this, there wasn’t nearly as much Raikennax swag plastered on Brooklyn’s walls and shelves. Even as a child, her family often took trips to visit both sets of grandparents, who all lived in or just outside Sadeg, so that influence was always there. Add that with her parents’ affinity for watching Sadeg State University games whenever they were on, and it did a lot to influence young Brooklyn’s taste in teams. Regardless, the city of Raikennax hosted many of Brooklyn’s formative years. Plenty of Stallions posters (mostly of her dad) could be found on the walls.

Eventually, every great QB falls off “the cliff,” where their skills suddenly wither, and they’re no longer suitable for professional play. Dustin approached his mid 40s and the end of his contract with the Stallions. Both parties felt that the ride was over, and it was time for Dustin to finish his career somewhere else. To nobody’s surprise, Dustin returned home to play for the Sadeg Spartans, bringing his family with him. To everybody’s surprise, Dustin turned back the clock and dominated with the Spartans for a few more years before finally hanging it up. As this happened, Brooklyn spent her preteen and teenage years in what felt like her true home. It was no surprise that the blue and gold of the Skyhawks, Spartans, and Knights dominated the color scheme of her bedroom, serving as a contrast to the black and red of Drawkland’s national teams.

There wasn’t a single piece of Cavsar memorabilia in the entire house. It’s not like Brooklyn’s secret Gwenderyn card in the sock drawer either - she had always felt a certain animosity for the Gladiators ever since they lumped in with the Skyhawks for Drawkland’s NSCF slate. She couldn’t even name a single past Cavsar player besides the three big ones that made it to the national team - Lane Proudfoot, Mike Banks, and Johnathan Kimbrough. Meanwhile, she could name Sadeg State’s entire QB lineage since they entered the NSCF (even though some of them were long graduated before she was even born), and that was on top of her almost encyclopedic knowledge of any Skyhawk players who got drafted and made an impact in the GLD. By comparison, Cavsar was no better than any backwater directional university.

For as long as Brooklyn could remember, being a Sadeg State fan was as natural as breathing.

So why was this decision difficult?

by **Sarzonia** » Wed Oct 04, 2023 10:15 am

The temptation was there to harp on the disappointment of the result, a 21-8 defeat at the hands of TJUN-ia in front of a sold out Joe Gibbs Stadium crowd that booed the Stars off the pitch after the final whistle.

However, Sarzonian national team manager Gavin Davis said he had “bigger fish to fry.”

“We’ve got another away match, a true away match against the host nation,” Davis said of his team’s Round of 16 battle against South Newlandia. The Stars would face the Elephants at Elephant Field in Elephant Valley in the largest stadium South Newlandia had. “We can’t dwell on the disappointments of the group stage. We have to focus and become a better gridball side.

Sarzonia’s 9-5 record and plus-149 point differential allowed them to barely avoid a first-round contest against Drawkland. The Stars hold the No. 11 seed against South Newlandia’s No. 6. Interestingly enough, the World Bowl XLVI champions Ranoria are not competing this time. It leaves defending runners up Banija as the undefeated No. 1 seeds at 14-0 and Groiup B winners TJUN-ia as the No. 2 seed with a 13-1 record.

Either way, Davis will have to contend with an offence that has scored a combined 24 points in their last two matches and conceded 71. The same team that scored 61 points twice and had three shutouts during the group stage have also been the same team defensive coordinator Tyler Paige said has “played like shit.”

“We can’t change the past,” Paige said. “We’ve only got ourselves to blame for how poorly we played when we’ve faced truly elite sides in our group.” Chromatika, the No. 2 team in the multiverse, and a potential pre-qualifying favourite with Ranoria out of the picture, finished 10-4 and earned the group runner up position. TJUN-ia entered the competition with the No. 7 ranking.

Following the team’s final walk-through in preparations for the match against South Newlandia, running back Ty’Relle Clinton went up to Davis and said, “Coach, gimme the rock.”

“We need to get back to the basics of what we do well,” Clinton said of the message he delivered to Davis. “We’ve got to establish the run. That’ll open up the passing lanes for [quarterback Cameron Stallworth] to get the ball to our receivers.” Stallworth also said he wanted to look for his own running lanes as well.

“If teams are expecting to see me sit in the pocket and look for receivers, I want them to be rudely surprised,” he said. “I can run fast enough and I’ve got enough size to make a defensive back pay or make a linebacker miss.”

Davis said he’d gotten away from play calls where Stallworth would call designed runs.

“It was a mistake,” he said. “I want him to develop some more as a pocket passer, but I think I went too far in the other direction. IF we can disrupt opposing defences with Cam getting out of the pocket, we should do that more.” Davis also added that he would allow Stallworth to implement designed rollouts into the offence.

“We want to open things up in our passing game,” he said. “We also want to pass to set up our running game for Clinton to get a chance to punish somebody.”

(O.O) · by **TJUN-ia** » Wed Oct 04, 2023 11:55 am

After taking Lisander down to size in perfect fashion, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia were the winners of Group B at a 12-1 record with one game to spare...and that certainly did feel good. The fact that we would be one of the Top 4 seeds in the playoffs to come, no matter if we ended up in South Newlandia or Ranoria, was a big deal to everyone - especially Gus McKerrin and his coaching staff. The main objective had finally been achieved...but there was still one more game to play and with that in mind, we had one more chance to show off our powers to the rest of the world.

That game would be a Rivalry clash, against those damn Sarzonia Stars at Joe Gibbs Stadium in Woodstock and as many would expect, the crowd here was up for a fight. McKerrin vs Gavin Davis was always going to be prime time entertainment, especially considering the sporting history between the two nations, and the eyes were certainly on us all...and then the game began. It was a defensive affair, as you'd might expect, and one that the hosts only managed to score 8 points in thanks to the combination of Cameron Stallworth and Matt Largent providing both a TD and a 2-point conversion. Gareth Baldwin, on the other hand, had better luck dealing with the conditions and managed 3 TDs (1 each to Victor Que-et-Vous, Gilbert Nyamutsamba and Fremont Whitehorse) while Clayton McGee made a perfect 3/3 from PATs. 21-8 sounded about right for the play we ended up getting here, marking the end of this long campaign with a 13-1 record in hand. Almost perfect. But certainly brilliant.

After all of that, we claimed the #2 seed in the Playoffs behind undefeated Banija and due to the need to avoid group stage rematches, our first playoff opponent will actually be the #16 seed - Bongo Johnson, who somehow managed to make it in as a 6-8 team. Not 7-7. 6-8. To say we will be favoured is an understatement, but you know what they say about playoff gridiron...never assume anything. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group B)
MD1: @Tikariot (UR) W 36-3 (1st/1-0)
-------------------------Double Header------------------
MD2: vs The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 27-17 (1st/2-0)
MD3: @Chromatika (2) - Henza Center, D'rea W 36-26 (1st/3-0)
-------------------------Double Header End------------------
MD4: @-Anthor- (16) W 26-20 (2nd/4-0)
-------------------------Double Header------------------
MD5: vs Valanora (23) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 40-23 (2nd/5-0)
MD6: @Lisander (43) W 29-23 (1st/6-0)
-------------------------Double Header End------------------
MD7: vs Sarzonia (13) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 24-3 (1st/7-0)
-------------------------Double Header------------------
MD8: vs Tikariot (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 52-17 (1st/8-0)
MD9: @The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) - Qardinal Field, Borlfield W 16-13 (1st/9-0)
-------------------------Double Header End------------------
MD10: vs Chromatika (2) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 41-41 (54-51 2OT) (1st/10-0)
-------------------------Double Header------------------
MD11: vs -Anthor- (16) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington L 35-49 (1st/10-1)
MD12: @Valanora (23) - Lathalein Celestial Stadium, Mar Sara W 34-21 (1st/11-1)
-------------------------Double Header End------------------
MD13: vs Lisander (43) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 41-3 (1st/12-1)
MD14: @Sarzonia (13) - Joe Gibbs Stadium, Woodstock W 21-8 (1st/13-1/+191PD/#2)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Ro16: vs Bongo Johnson (43/#16/D4) - Elephant Field, Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

by **Sea Dome** » Wed Oct 04, 2023 4:42 pm

League 2 Action is ONLY Available On SPLC.TV! Log in now from any compatible device. By accessing SPLC.TV from CC1 or CCTZ you agree to our binding laws and arbitration policies. Gesture here to read the contract after 47 other readers are finished.

Church of Gambling presents

Sea Peoples Gridiron League 2 Corporate DivisionBazaar Eagles (CCO) 10–14 Orange Crush (CTZ)
Young Democrats (CCO) 16–3 Evil Invaders (CTZ)
Exclusion Zone Giants (CCO) 21–16 Trade Zone Leaguers (CTZ)
Commerce Golden Guns of Gridiron (CCO) 17–14 Iron Hill GFC Ancients (CCO)
Mischief Society Wreckers (CCO) 14–17 Electrogrid Chargers (CCO)
Silver Hill Miners (CCO) 20–12 Labor Cartel Reds (CCO)
Free Trade Zone Triangles (CCO) 30–24 Reform Party AFC (CCO)
Infosec-Pro Operators (CCO) 17–3 General Steel Sabers (CCO)
The Dozens (CCO) 10–3 Investment Bank Bombers (CCO)

Major Moves
A lot of teams traded players and assets back and forth in the offseason in preparation of their new position in SPGL. Four notable moves:

from				pos	player			to
OMW Sinners			P/G	Walt Simeon		Arsenal Gunners

The stout and hardy Walt plays both punter and gunner at a high level, a rare special teams double threat. He is a candidate for the Legion next AO Bowl depending on his league play. An Aussierule devotee, Simeon plays the gridiron code for love of money. Frequent pull quote: "It's depressing to stay on an underperforming team as a punter in this code. In my head I'm scoring 6 when I nail a punt so I get tired of being the rescuer for a bunch of sad sacks." Of course, the politic Mr. Simeon has since clarified on Twitter that his teammates were all good but a team is greater than the sum of its "bits" and OMW "just wasn't". Sinners receive an undisclosed sum of cash and a number of uninteresting personnel.

from				pos	player			to
Revanchist Policlub Avengers	QB/HLB	Maraschino		DoC Guardians

Another physical presence at 6'2" 225#, Maraschino has been seen as a natural being dragged down by association with his Policlub's team. They have expressed no interest in prison control, law enforcement or criminology, which analysts receive as a sign of escalating professionalism and competitiveness for the Guardians. A rare QB who can also play hybrid S-LB, they are considered an expert on great tight end play and on-field decision making. They are considered a possible future Lemon Sharks starter on both sides of the ball.

from				pos	player			to
Liberal Party Capitalists	C/NT	Khaya Martine		SMSDA Captains

Is her avowed devotion to capitalist liberal politics awkward on the Admiral Waters and her trusty slide-out Admirable Waters Field? "Not really," said Khaya to the Admirable Agitator: "I really like the brand of anarchism practiced here. The red shit is lost on me, but these are decent, honorable grifters who will destroy your life given half a chance. We have a lot of mutual respect right now." Martine is a hard-nose centerman on both sides of the ball and says she anticipates "a lot of blocks and a few sacks, and for a Captains team that will blow your socks off."

from				pos	player			to
Cloud City Ravens		K/QB	Fran Root		SMSDA Captains

The first lithesman on the list, Fran is especially admired for his ability to execute a wide variety of fake field goal options, but is also a reliable scorer and good enough at kickoffs for a team on a shopping spree all over the field. Tall and agile, he is rumored to be on a short list for Lemon Sharks in the AO Bowl. A good runner, Root is also an accurate passer, but with limited arm range.

Sea Peoples Gridiron League 1L1 Inner
CCTZ Hardened Gems (CTZ) 14–30 Conservative Party AFC (CCO)
Chigul Buffalo (MSD) 17–30 Social Revolution Party Purples (CCO)
Arsenal Gunners (CCO) 27–13 DoC Guardians (CCO)
Senti Strikers (MSD) 17–0 Reyalto Warriors (MSD)
Xuelei Bombers (MSD) 22–17 Dome City Highlanders (MSD)
Riverside Speeders (CCO) 13–6 Liberal Party GFC Capitalists (CCO)
Revanchist Policlub Avengers (MSD) 27–17 Our Mother of the Wretched Sinners (CCO)
SDC Guerrillas (SDC) 27–7 BPR-GFC Bulls (CCO)
Syndicalist Policlub Sabots (MSD) 10–3 Industry City Sharks (MSD)
.
   L1 Inner                                  Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
 1 Senti Strikers                              2    2   0   0    31    6  +25     6
 2 Syndicalist Policlub Sabots                 2    2   0   0    41   19  +22     6
 3 Arsenal Gunners                             2    2   0   0    30   13  +17     6
 4 Social Revolution Party Purples             2    2   0   0    54   38  +16     6
 5 Industry City Sharks                        2    1   0   1    33   13  +20     3
 6 Our Mother of the Wretched Sinners          2    1   0   1    68   54  +14     3
 7 Conservative Party AFC                      2    1   0   1    51   38  +13     3
 8 Liberal Party GFC Capitalists               2    1   0   1    33   31   +2     3
 9 Chigul Buffalo                              2    1   0   1    51   54   −3     3
10 Revanchist Policlub Avengers                2    1   0   1    41   45   −4     3
11 Xuelei Bombers                              2    1   0   1    40   44   −4     3
12 BPR-GFC Bulls                               2    1   0   1    35   41   −6     3
13 SDC Guerrillas                              2    1   0   1    30   37   −7     3
14 Riverside Speeders                          2    1   0   1    40   57  −17     3
15 Dome City Highlanders                       2    0   0   2    23   36  −13     0
16 Reyalto Warriors                            2    0   0   2     0   20  −20     0
17 DoC Guardians                               2    0   0   2    37   61  −24     0
18 CCTZ Hardened Gems                          2    0   0   2    30   61  −31     0
Outer
SMSDA Captains (SDA) 10–19 General Hospital Co. Greens (CCO)
Misfits FC (MSD) 13–28 Free South Califas Rebels (MSD)
Midnight City Gremlins (CCO) 16–20 Anchor City Clippers (CCO)
Federal Bank Panthers (CCO) 14–19 Quick Wholesale Packers (CCO)
Upper Dome Guardians (MSD) 23–17 1st Army Warriors (CCO)
Olofsson Group Blues (CCO) 10–0 Solar Mart Rays (CCO)
Archipelago Rangers (MSD) 3–0 Cloud City Ravens (MSD)
Trade Zone Flyers (CTZ) 10–9 Sea Dome Coast Guard (MSD)
Archipelago Destroyers (MSD) 16–37 South Califas Federation (MSD)
.
   Outer                                     Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
 1 South Califas Federation                    2    2   0   0    67   29  +38     6
 2 Free South Califas Rebels                   2    2   0   0    41   19  +22     6
 3 Quick Wholesale Packers                     2    2   0   0    49   35  +14     6
 4 Anchor City Clippers                        2    2   0   0    45   40   +5     6
 5 Sea Dome Coast Guard                        2    1   0   1    25   10  +15     3
 6 Cloud City Ravens                           2    1   0   1    17    3  +14     3
 7 Solar Mart Rays                             2    1   0   1    14   10   +4     3
 8 1st Army Warriors                           2    1   0   1    36   33   +3     3
 9 General Hospital Co. Greens                 2    1   0   1    25   23   +2     3
10 Olofsson Group Blues                        2    1   0   1    10   17   −7     3
11 Upper Dome Guardians                        2    1   0   1    23   31   −8     3
12 Archipelago Rangers                         2    1   0   1     3   16  −13     3
13 Trade Zone Flyers                           2    1   0   1    23   39  −16     3
14 Archipelago Destroyers                      2    1   0   1    33   50  −17     3
15 Midnight City Gremlins                      2    0   0   2    37   50  −13     0
16 SMSDA Captains                              2    0   0   2    23   36  −13     0
17 Federal Bank Panthers                       2    0   0   2    24   38  −14     0
18 Misfits FC                                  2    0   0   2    37   53  −16     0

by **HUElavia** » Wed Oct 04, 2023 6:53 pm

The Hard Path

HUElavia advances to the Round-of-16 but gets a difficult opponent in Ko-oren to open the knockouts.

At last, HUElavia survive the Group Stage after getting a 9-5 record, with two of the losses being an unexpected sweep by Corporate City 1. A tough home loss 17-13 to Quebec and Shingoryeo was a hard sweep to accept, but the results from the other games worked out in Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos favor and the team advanced to the knockouts with a game to spate. In the final Group Stage game, the team traveled to fellow allies Sudilia, and got a decent 26-16 victory, with the backups playing to rest the starters for the knockouts.

At the end of the Group Stage, Quebec and Shingoryeo won Group C on Head-to-Head over Drawkland, after both finished 12-2 in the group. HUElavia advanced in 3rd with their 9-5 record, and Sea Dome was a surprise advance, going through with an 8-6 record. Looking at the other groups, Group A had the likes of Saint Kanye, Ko-oren, Gyatso-kai and Cassadaigua advance. Group B had TJUN-ia, Chromatika, Sarzonia, and The Kytler Peninsulae advance. Finally, Group D had Banija, South Newlandia, Terefuxe and Bongo Johnson advance.

With the 16 teams advancing, they were seeded into a 1-16 playoff format based off position in the group. HUElavia was placed as the No. 9 seed this time around, and are awarded with No 7. Ko-oren. Easily one of the worst-case scenarios opened up thanks to HUElavia underperforming in the group stage: Facing off against a stronger opponent in the opening knockout round. Of course, the ranking is not so different, given Ko-oren is No. 3 in the multiverse ranking, while HUElavia is No. 5. Although, it is a tough situation to see the guarantee that one Pot 1 team will go out early in the knockouts.

While there are some good matchups to watch out for in the Round-of-16, Ko-oren vs HUElavia has been given the distinct honor of being the "Game of the Round," due to the high profile nature of two of the grand favorites to win it all taking on each other so early. Fans are flocking to South Newlandia to cheer on HUElavia, as the team is rumored to wear their all-white uniforms to prevent confusion due to Ko-oren having the same color scheme as HUElavia.

The team has been practicing diligently, making efforts to learn from their mistakes and studying film. The Group Stage is past the team now, and this is where the World Bowl truly begins. There is hope that HUElavia can pull an upset and continue along in this tournament. At the end, they want to prove the critics wrong and show that HUElavia, a Football nation, belongs in Gridiron Football. There is no easy opponent now, and the team will have to give it their all to make it far in South Newlandia and Ranoria. Here's to what can be a historic day.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Chromatika** » Wed Oct 04, 2023 9:36 pm

OOC: As scoring multiple special teams touchdowns is borderline-godmod, I've verified with Tikariot that he's okay with this RP.

This is Why it Matters: Special Teams Leads Chromatika to Key Win over Tikariot

To say that Chromatika has an obsession with Special Teams in Gridiron Football would be an understatement. All aspects of it - punting, punt coverage, kickoffs, punt returns, kickoff returns, and the kicking game itself - has been meticulously studied and incorporated in all levels of Gridiron being played in the country. Some pundits would say that Chromatiks spend too much time on it instead of other aspects of the game, but it makes it impossible to beat them due to some fluke in the Special Teams aspect of the game.

Other times, like in the win over Tikariot, it carries you when other parts of your game are floundering. In a match that the Iron Legion had to win to secure first place (they didn't know that Sarzonia would lose their final match), in a match where the offense scored a total of six points and the defense conceded twenty-four due to some missed tackles, it was the Special Teams that came through in the clutch to put up twenty-one points and take the win for Chromatika.

In the First Quarter, Siu Cantu blocked a punt from the Tikariot Punter, which Lisa Bonsoon picked up and carried fifteen yards for the first touchdown for Chromatika. In the Third, Enox Silverman returned a punt eighty-three yards for the second score. Then, in the Fourth, after Tikariot had taken a four point lead, Jacoby Grinner returned the ensuing kickoff 105 yards for the deciding score that would win the game.

"It was amazing to see the unit work out there," expressed Head Coach Misha Florentine after the win, "We needed to get points from bunches outside the regular flow of play today, and Vera James and her unit absolutely stepped up. We know that we can't rely on them to do this every game, but it's a testament to exactly why we are so hell bent on perfecting it."

"The blocking, the speed, the preparation - it was all brilliant," stated Enox Silverman, who scored his first touchdown at the World Bowl stage, "We didn't hold, we tackled well, and we found the holes where they were present. Our opponents cannot overlook this aspect of the game when playing us, and this was a perfect reminder of just how much of a weapon Special Teams can be if you allow yourself to get better at it."

"It's my fault that we struggled to put the game away," lamented Quarterback Sarai Gwenderyn, "We need to do a better job of contributing when Special Teams is balling out like that, and weren't able to. Whether it be penalties, bad throws, or just being devoid of rhythm, we were listless today, and that is a particular shame since we had put up so many against Sarzonia."

Chromatika does finish second in the Group - but unfortunately, their four losses will be the worst of all second placed finishers in the Group Stage, meaning that the Iron Legion will be given the eighth seed. They will get to travel to Ranoria - a familiar confine to many in the squad - but a possible matchup against the Serpent Eagles of Banija loom in the Quarterfinals, should the Iron Legion and Banija both take care of business in their first round matchups.

"We aren't going to overlook Terefuxe," promised Offensive Coordinator Naia Curentino, "They've declared their return to the international stage by posting a stellar campaign, and will be coming at us with everything they have. For stretches of the Group Stage, we've showed excellence at all three stages of the game - just not in one complete package, save that win over Sarzonia. If we're going to make this run, we're going to have to start generating those complete games out there. Terefuxe will be a good test to see just how in shape we are going forward."

When asked about the fact that Chromatika hasn't beaten Banija in the playoffs of football or gridiron football in recent memory, Inside Linebacker Park Mi-Hyeon had this to say: "Banija is one of the biggest alliances that Chromatika has had since the Rainbow Revolution, but we've struggled against them in sports. That would be a monumental challenge and a matchup, but it's one that we all would love to take on. We need to take care of Terefuxe first, but should the opportunity arise, we'll be ready to get after it with as much gusto as we can muster."

They certainly haven't looked like the top-ranked team in the tournament. Can the Iron Legion put together what everyone thinks that they are capable of to make a run in this tournament? Or will they whimper out, wondering what could've been?

The frozen lands of Ranoria await - with its gridiron-crazed population and potential glory. It's time to go grab the opportunity by the horns, as they say...

by **Saint Kanye** » Wed Oct 04, 2023 9:50 pm

MELVIN BRANIGAN 100

@melvin_tha_gr8
6 AO countries in the WORLD BOWL rd.of 16 real crazy stuff man LFG

#WB47 : #AOStrong : #STK : #QUE : #BAN : #GKI : #SRZ : #SeaDome

LENA EICHEL

@LenaH8sU
- -@melvin_tha_gr8

You think that's crazy?

The AOCAF Round of 16 had 16 AO countries in it.

#WB47 : #AOCAF70 : #AOStrong

by **Saint Kanye** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 6:01 am

During the final matchday of the World Bowl 47 group stages, the St. Kanye Surge trotted out a rather different team than usual during their visit to A Place Somewhere.

No R.J. Linetti, who was just one of the players who were rested in preparation for the team's appearance in the Round of Sixteen.
No Deshawn Fredericks and Patrick Moore.
No Simon Carver and Robby Edison.
No Justin Varley and Jasper Heath.
No Mason Schwartz and Aidan O'Connor.
No Gary Bradman and Oliver Law.

No problem.

Even without many of their standout players, the Surge still managed to destroy their unranked opponents, 43-20, for their eleventh straight victory in the world's premier gridiron tournament. Second string quarterback Tim Hunt, who was elevated to starter in Linetti's absence, threw for 304 yards with 26/34 completions and three touchdowns for a rating of 132.48. The Yeezies' two other TDs in the game came from a 78-yard run by Gregory Silk, one of the few starters who decided to suit up for this game, and a 46-yard fumble return by Hansel Jones.

"Just because they aren't normally the first guys out on the field, doesn't mean they're to be underestimated," head coach Jeff Delphine said about his backup players. "They work just as hard, practice just as much as Linetti and the others. They can make the most out of any chance you give them, and it showed today."

1Q STK Safety, Whitlock tackled RB1 in end zone STK 2-0
If there's one thing St. Kanye's defense is known for, it's their tendency to blitz frequently, and blitz effectively at that. This is the fourth time in the tournament that they'd been able to bring down an opponent in their own end zone for two points.

1Q STK Silk 78 run (Rasputin kick) STK 9-0
The Surge went up nine points in the first five minutes of the game with this long TD run. Hunt used a dual running back set on the play, faking a handoff to Chase Okoma on the left, pulling defenders to that side, but actually giving the ball to Silk on the right.

2Q STK Jones 46 fumble return (Rasputin kick) STK 16-0
Faced with third down and just two yards to go for the first, the Somewherians decided to keep the ball on the ground during the play. But just as their running back saw an opening and tried to get into it, Whitlock came seemingly out of nowhere to bring them down once more, and this time, cause them to drop the ball. A few Somewherians scrambled to pick the loose ball up, but Jones grabbed it before any of them can, then used his speed to take it all the way for the score.

2Q STK Hall 55 pass from Hunt (Rasputin kick) STK 23-0
Things just keep getting worse for the home team as they got fooled again by a fake handoff. This time it was actually a deep pass to a waiting Tyron Hall, a connection perhaps familiar to those who follow the Ranorian pro leagues.

2Q STK field goal Rasputin 48 STK 26-0
James Rasputin contributed to the Surge's cause by sinking one of his famous long field goals, making it a four-possession lead midway through the second quarter.

2Q APS field goal K 33 STK 26-3
The Somewherian kicker responded with one of their own, settling for three after going backwards in the last couple plays of their drive.

2Q STK Malloy 17 pass from Hunt (Rasputin kick) STK 33-3
Greg Malloy replaced the inactive Hussein Jeffers as the primary tight end, making good of his new role by catching a 17-yard touchdown pass to push the Surge's lead to thirty. Malloy's punt return duties were in turn taken over by cornerback Troy Quinn.

3Q APS field goal K 28 STK 33-6
It looked as if the Somewherians would score their first touchdown of the game, with their secondary wide receiver beating the Yeezie secondary as they made their way to the end zone. However, one of their O-linemen were penalized for holding, and after failing to replicate that connection with incompletions (and an almost pick by Quinn), it was once again up to their kicker to provide the points,

3Q STK Hall 60 pass from Hunt (Rasputin kick) STK 40-6
The Hall/Hunt chemistry was in full display today, as the two Richardson Fenrirs teammates once again connected for six points.

3Q APS WR2 34 pass from QB1 (K kick) STK 40-13
4Q APS TE1 21 pass from QB1 (K kick) STK 40-20
The Somewherian quarterback finally found their receivers late in the game; unfortunately, it was pretty much already garbage time by then.

4Q STK field goal Rasputin 39 STK 43-20
The Surge D continued to halt any hopes of a comeback from their opponents, and another kick by Rasputin with 1:10 remaining finally put them away.

The 23-point win cemented the Surge's hold on the top spot in Group A, enabling them to finish the elimination round with a 12-2 slate. Meanwhile, the Ko-oren Dragonflies also recorded a dub (17-6 over already eliminated Rouyoute), but could only finish 11-3 and behind their rivals in purple and lime. The Gyatso-kai Boarcupines formalized their third place position in the group upon crushing the SJJeBOS Tapirs 38-7, while the Cassadaigua Fillies prevailed over Team Cardenao 23-17 in the battle for fourth and the last playoff spot.

"Kind of a shame, really," said defensive captain Varley, who along with some of the other Surge starters were among the crowd at the Dagan Airlines Stadium in Concord Heights. "The Cardenaoans proved that they could go toe to toe with some of the big names in world gridiron, us included. They tried their best, but though they had fallen short, I'm sure we'll see a much more improved and experienced squad in the next World Bowl. If they decide to come back, that is." His offensive counterpart Linetti begged to differ, however. "Me, on the other hand, I was rooting for the Fillies. It just felt wrong for the team that put up the most points in a game [81 against the Tapirs] to miss out, you know?"

-------------------------------------------------------------
| MD | Opponent           | Rank | Score   | Record | Place |
-------------------------------------------------------------
|  1 | @Cassadaigua       |  15  | W 19-17 |  1-0   |  4th  |
|  2 | Gyatso-kai         |   8  | L 22-37 |  1-1   |  5th  |
|  3 | @Cardenao          |  UR  | L 27-35 |  1-2   |  5th  |
|  4 | @SJJeBOS           |  UR  | W 41-27 |  2-2   |  6th  |
|  5 | Ko-oren            |   3  | W 26-10 |  3-2   |  4th  |
|  6 | @Rouyoute          |  23  | W 16- 9 |  4-2   |  3rd  |
|  7 | A Place Somewhere  |  UR  | W 49-14 |  5-2   |  2nd  |
|    | BREAK              |      |         |        |       |
|  8 | Cassadaigua        |  15  | W 40-10 |  6-2   |  2nd  |
|  9 | @Gyatso-kai        |   8  | W 50-38 |  7-2   |  2nd  |
| 10 | Cardenao           |  UR  | W 33-20 |  8-2   |  2nd  |
| 11 | SJJeBOS            |  UR  | W 61-10 |  9-2   |  1st  |
| 12 | @Ko-oren           |   3  | W 20-16 | 10-2   |  1st  |
| 13 | Rouyoute           |  23  | W 16- 3 | 11-2   |  1st  |
| 14 | @A Place Somewhere |  UR  | W 43-20 | 12-2   |  1st  |
-------------------------------------------------------------

by **Saint Kanye** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 8:10 am

Now let's take a look at what will be going on in the Round of Sixteen, where the qualified teams move away from their home stadiums and into selected venues in the two host countries, Ranoria and South Newlandia.

RANORIAN HALF

The St. Kanye Surge (12-2) found themselves with the #4 seed, with their next opponents being the newcomers from the Kytler Peninsulae (8-6; #14 seed). Despite the Kytlerians' inferior record, seeding, and lack of international experience, the Yeezies have said that they see them as legitimate threats for an upset, and will be preparing for them with as much intensity as if it was a game against a more established side. Players to watch out for include quarterback Wecoisus Mocks, a scrambler much like his Yeezie counterpart R.J. Linetti; running back Travis Taylor, who is capable of (and has been responsible for) several explosive runs; and especially cornerback Martijn Van Der Sar, a certified ballhawk who has tallied three pick sixes in the last six games.

"It's a dream matchup when you look at it, each of our capabilities and theirs complementing each other," Jeff Delphine, head coach for St. Kanye, said in an interview. "We're known for attacking through the air, but we have to be wary of that Martijn guy. They [Kytlerians] are a run-heavy team, but we can counter their ground attack by bringing the blitz. It's a good battle on paper, hopefully it is too on turf." The game will take place at the Dietrich Stadium in Richardson, Ranoria, a familiar venue to several of the Surge players, especially those who play for the Ranorian gridiron league's Richardson Fenrirs. "I'm excited to be back out there and light the place up like we do in the RFL," said one of those players, Surge starting wide receiver Deshawn Fredericks. "The energy of the Ranorian fans was already a big motivating factor for me," added cornerback Troy Quinn. "What more now that there'll be lots of my fellow Yeezies cheering on?" Richardson may be a cold place, but the forecast for this match is for it to be a heated, intense one.

Despite being billed as a more defensive-minded team, the Kytlerians' average of 19.6 points allowed is only the tenth best among the sixteen playoff teams, and is only slightly larger than St. Kanye's 19.0 allowed (joint ninth best with Gyatso-kai). As for scoring production, the Surge are sixth best with an impressive 33.1, with their opponents at fourteenth with 24.2. It would be unfair to say that these teams' respective offenses are responsible for both of these values, however, seeing how capable they both are with scoring with their defense and special teams. "It's interesting to see these numbers and find out how we stack up against the competition," Coach Delphine said, "but we can't just rely on that and predict a win or a loss for anybody involved. Remember that luck also comes into play in competitions like these. Expect the unexpected, and try to swing things in our favor."

The winner of the above match will be facing the winner between the Drawkland Grid Corps, holding the #5 seed and a 12-2 record, and the Gyatso-kai Boarcupines, who are seeded #12 and have a 9-5 card. The Grid Corps were leading Group C for the longest time, only to drop to second on the final matchday due to a loss against the Quebecois; they boast of a beastly 38.2 points scored (first) but 20.6 allowed (twelfth). Meanwhile, the Boarcupines are scoring 29.6 per game (eighth), but they're performing better defensively with 19.0 (joint ninth with the Surge).

The top seed of World Bowl 47 are the reigning runners-up, the Banija Serpent Eagles, who went on a rampage in the group stages and swept it with a 14-0 record. They are the second best scorers among the playoff teams, with a 36.5 rate that's second only to Drawkland, and the best in defense, allowing only 11.8 per contest. Everyone is surely eager to knock off what must be the current Kabakas (that's "kings" in Banijan) of the sporting world, including perhaps their next opponents, the Sea Dome Lemon Sharks.

The Lemon Sharks are one of the two teams that made good on their World Bowl debut by reaching the postseason, the Kytlerians being the other. They are seeded #15, have an 8-6 record, score 23.6 points per game (15th best) and give up 24.2 (14th). "If you're Banija, you don't want to be cocky and think of this as an easy dub, because the fact that they reached the playoffs in their maiden appearance is proof enough of how dangerous they can be," Coach Delphine said, seemingly giving advice to his Serpent Eagle counterpart Thomas Hall.

Mount Reinhold Stadium in Fermete will be the venue for this clash between David and Goliath.

Either the Serpent Eagles or the Lemon Sharks will face whoever prevails between our next two teams. First, the Chromatika Iron Legion, a traditionally fearsome side that surprisingly only got the #8 seed and a record of 10-4. Sarai Gwenderyn and company scored 27.3 points per game (tenth) but conceded only 16.3 (fifth). And playing against them, the Terefuxe Regulars. #9 seed, 9-5 record, an excellent 35.3 points per game (fourth) but a "middle of the pack" 18.9 allowed (eighth). They will be playing at the Silberkraft Stadium in Nashville.

SOUTH NEWLANDIAN HALF

Over at the other host country, we have, well, the team from that country. The South Newlandia Elephants notched a 12-2 record, good for the #6 seed. They are scoring 31.9 points per game (seventh) and allowing only 24.6 (third). "I must say, these guys have vastly improved since we first saw (and faced) them several editions ago," Coach Delphine stated. "I'm sure they'll be working hard for a chance to put up a good showing at home, in a World Bowl that they're co-hosts of." Their opponents will be the Sarzonia Stars, who have the #11 seed, a 9-5 record, just 25.7 scored (thirteenth) but amazingly, only 15.1 allowed (fourth). "I feel like the Stars will be huge threats to the Ellies' home stand," Coach Delphine once again spoke. "Remember how they nearly upset us a few Bowls ago, if not for them fumbling in the red zone in the closing seconds? Even with that mistake, I was able to see just what they could do on a good day." Expect a lot of noise and support from the home crowd, as this will be held at Elephant Field in Elephant Valley.

The winner of the game above advances against the winner between the Quebec and Shingoryeo Grim Reapers and Cassadaigua Fillies, a matchup that almost didn't happen. The Reapers stole Group C away from Drawkland, beating them on the final day and tying them at 12-2 (with the tiebreaker on head to head). The win also gave them the #3 seed. Q&S have the third highest scoring rate at 35.8 per game, however they are seventh in points allowed with 18.9.

The Fillies, on the other hand, needed (and managed) to outlast Cardenao in their group stage finale, giving them a record of 8-6 and the #13 seed. Despite an 81-point outburst, they were only able to average 26.9 points per game (eleventh) while allowing 21.4 (thirteenth). The battle between these two established sporting countries will be at EVU Field, also in Elephant Valley.

Next up, we have the #2 seeded TJUN-ia Jaguars taking on the #16 seeds, and the only team to enter the playoffs with a losing record, Team Bongo Johnson. The Jags continue with their rise to gridiron supremacy, putting up a 13-1 record with 33.6 points scored per game (fifth), however they conceded an even 20 points to their opponents on average (which is only eleventh best).

Bongo Johnson (6-8) are the worst in both the points scored and allowed categories, with 19.4 and 27.7 respectively. "But once again," says Coach Delphine, "anything can happen. It's a Yeezie saying, but I can't see why other countries couldn't keep that in mind too."

Like the Elephants/Stars clash, this one will be at Elephant Field.

Last but not the least, we have the Ko-oren Dragonflies taking on Team HUElavia. Many expected the Ko-orenites to top Group A, and for many weeks they did, only for the Surge to pull some "Yeezie magic", beat and then surpass them. This caused the peeps in green and blue to settle for an 11-3 record and the #7 seed. Despite some high-scoring games, the Dragonflies ended up with an average of just 26.6 (twelfth), although their defense is sufficiently Ko-orenite with just 12.7 allowed (second). The HUElavians finished 9-5 and got the #10 seed; they have a higher scoring rate than their next opponents at 31.0 (eighth) but concede 16.6 (twelfth) The Jungledrom in Ratzupalfu is where these two teams will meet.

And that's it for the Round of Sixteen, here's hoping all of these games will be good ones (the meaning of "good" of course differing whoever is asked, but still).

by **Banija** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 10:47 am

After unbeaten group stage, top seeded Banijans prepare for the World Bowl 47 knockout stages

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- ''You know what stage of the tournament we are at right now.'' Head Coach Thomas Hall said immediately after the game. 'Going undefeated at the World Bowl, during group play. It is a very difficult task, and it is a wondrous accomplishment that we have done so. But now, we must focus on the next stage for the Serpent Eagles. It is four and won, or one and done now. And we do not intend to be in the latter category.'' The chance at greatness, at immortality, is on the front door step for this gridiron team. Can they take it?

The Banijans, and their hordes of fans, are off to Ranoria for the knockout stages. The offense is going to be in for it, at least in the first round. Mount Reinhold Stadium will be the venue for their clash against the 15th seeded side from Sea Dome. It figures to be a tough matchup, even if the Banijans open the day as 11.5 point favorites. ''This is a team that is going to offer us a legitimately serious challenge, as we try to prepare for this matchup. You have a legitimately strong defense, a talented offense, and an elite coaching staff. That coaching staff, in particular, they are out here coaching no fear. They will not fear the #1 next to our name on the scoreboard, as teams tend not to. They will be excited for this, see this as an opportunity to prove themselves. On defense, we really need to stay disciplined. I expect a ton of misdirection plays, for them to try and throw us off our game early.''

What will be crucial for the Banijans, will be how the NT performs on the offensive side of the football. This is an elite offense, with the #2 scoring offense in this competition, behind only Drawkland. With Ebou Hairte and Zamandi Ayana having both taken the game off in Week 14, they should both be back and refreshed for the playoff run- including and especially the star running back. Ayana spoke about the benefits of having a game off. ''Obviously, it is always good when your team plays well enough to allow me to take a game off in the final game of the group stage, to get ready for the knockout stages. And then, of course, still goes out and beats a playoff team like we did. I am feeling so fresh, I am ready to get all sorts of carries.''

On the flip side of this, you have Ebou Hairte, also talking about how he feels fresh for the next round. ''I am well aware of my own place in the totem pole, in the hierachy.'' Ebou Hairte told the media. ''i am at peace with it, I know Kadesh Odika will be the starting on Matchday 1 of World Bowl 48. So personally, as an individual, I know that this is my one, and quite possibly my only, opportunity to win the World Bowl as a starting Quarterback. I think all of you saw how locked in we were as a team throughout the group stages. That is the only way you can achieve the type of group stage success that we achieved.''

Of course, there is an old rival that looms, waiting for Banija, dangerously, if we advance to the quarterfinals. And that, is probably the QF of the WB decade. The Iron Legion. Chromatika. ''i can tell you, I did not even know that. I was not even looking at the bracket, just the next game.'' If we had to be honest, that might be the least believable statement that Thomas Hall has ever made. ''But we cannot think about them. That is the job for the scouts right now. If we lose to Sea Dome, we will not even get the chance to play Chromatika, or Terefuxe.''

Of course, we all know the history there. Banija defeated Chromatika in the World Bowl 45 Final, In Chromatika. Banija then defeated Chromatika in the World Bowl 46 Semifinals, in another epic matchup that may have confirmed Ice Chineze over Sarai Gwenderyn. At least, for Banijan fans. To then meet in a third consecutive World Bowl, yet again one round earlier, would be insane. And, of course, a TV ratings bonanza. Banijan TV broadcasters are already saying it would be the highest rated Quarterfinal in World Bowl history in this country.

Onwards to Sea Dome!

by **The Kytler Peninsulae** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 11:32 am

This audio RP is of the introduction to KBT's coverage of the Kytlerians' World Bowl octofinal with Saint Kanye.

by **Ko-oren** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 11:48 am

Day three of the four-day visit - with day four being for photo ops back in the city - was here and the day only seemed to be starting earlier every time. This time it was about the bus taking a scenic route through Mercatoren's various national parks, mostly located in the massive Marshall County. Just this single county accounted for nearly 35% of the territory's area, and yet ranked in the bottom three for population, out of ten total counties. After the clingy togetherness of the past two days - both the city and the towns and campuses yesterday were warm and welcoming, normally a good thing, but still feels a bit 'extra' if you're from Ko-oren - a bit of reprise surrounded by nature wasn't terrible.

Even here though, wherever they stopped, the nearby township emptied out to see the foreign visitors. Partly they were just happy to see some different people - you could get used to these amazing vistas apparently - but a subset actually recognised them from the TV. The Ko-orenite league was televised here and got some viewership in between the onslaught of local professional and college gridiron, as well as a small focus on the Banijan and Ranorian leagues. Hard to say which competition was the better one - both of them are probably a tad better than the Ko-orenite one, but we like to believe our champion could go toe to toe with theirs. Alastair wasn't much for hiking but the other two enjoyed the scenery, overlooking the forests, mountains, and waterfalls in the distance.

Turning another few corners, they left the national park district behind and turned into the other part of Marshall county, with a hint of Redwood county there as well. What greeted them wasn't the same forested landscape... but instead fields and fields of stumps. Ah - the local industry - and at the same time - this was really what the Ko-orenite politicians agreed to support? Mercatoren's meritocratic system was what drew in interest, but they must not have looked at the economy too much.

A small skyline overlooking the barren fields, looking so much more threatening than it could have, given the landscape, was the dual city of Pennville and Cardinal City. The second biggest derby in college and pro sports, apparently, and with absolutely nothing else going on in the neighbourhood, there was little else that its inhabitants could pour their energy into. The Redwood County University Raiders (in Cardinal City) and the Pennville College Patriots fought out an incredible rivalry in college gridiron, basketball, and ice hockey, and driving into city limits billboards of both teams greeted every visitor.

The rest of the day played out much like the previous - two rival colleges fighting over the preference of three near-complete strangers - but knowing how these cities came to be and what powered them, the Ko-orenites felt a little uneasy. Logging was exactly the imagery used back home to scare people away from exploiting the land (though even Ko-oren had a minor industry for that, albeit closely monitored) - and with literally anything here made of wood in a callout to the local economic engine - the Patriots-Raiders derby, no matter how good, historic, and interesting, it tasted a bit sour.

"Ko-oren? Versus HUElavia? In the... Jungledrom? 2186 seats."

"You know what SNL stands for, right?"

"Huh?"

"Stadium Not Large."

by **South Newlandia** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 12:01 pm

^ This guy gets it.

Cutoff for the first half of the Round of 16.

Round of 16 Results (scorinated by SNL)

#1 Banija 44-13 #15 Sea Dome
@Mount Reinhold Stadium, Fermete, Ranoria (59,700)

#8 Chromatika 10–3 #9 Terefuxe
@Silberkraft Stadium, Nashville, Ranoria (64,000)

#4 Saint Kanye 3–6 #14 The Kytler Peninsulae
@@Dietrich Stadium, Richardson, Ranoria (94,750)

#5 Drawkland 32–15 #12 Gyatso-Kai
@Constance Airlines Field, Fiston, Ranoria (60,007)

Quarterfinal Matchups (scorinated by SNL)

#1 Banija - #8 Chromatika
@Karmin-Falce Superdome, Ranoria City, Ranoria (121,450)

#14 The Kytler Peninsulae - #5 Drawkland
@Adelhard Dynamics Dome, Pittsburgh, Ranoria (80,300)

by **South Newlandia** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 2:35 pm

Is this team Ellite or a giant mirage?

The second half of the WB47 group stage has mostly gone the same as the first. Inviting the Serpent Eagles to Elephant Valley, the Pachyderms came out looking strong, with Thomas Fantikos having a great game on the ground against what is normally a stingy Banijan defense. However, In the second half, some turnovers and miscues let the Serpent Eagles pull away with a multiple-score victory, as they remain entrenched at the top of the standings. However, since then, the Ellies have been playing good football. On the road in Abanhfleft, they managed to hold the Fleftic team without a touchdown in a dominant win. Sure, this isn’t quite the same Fleftic team that gave the Ellies so much trouble two years ago, but it was still quite the demonstration. Teams like Bongo Johnson and Torisakia weren’t much of an obstacle either, as the Elephants won out the rest of their schedule.
The driving parts of the team have really remained the same since the first half. The offense manages to be more than the sum of its parts, with a surprisingly good QB, good back, good weapons, alright O-Line and decent coaching combining for a unit that opponents struggle to slow down. Especially Marcel Schlachter has been making strides as the leading receiver for the Ellies in the second half.
However, the story has been more about the defense, another unit that has been more than the sum of its parts. They’ve been the third-best unit for points allowed, especially after the opening match blowout in Banija. Despite no obvious standout players, the Ellies might be mentioned in the same breath as Ko-oren or Chromatika. Passing on the Ellies has been a difficult endeavour, with Brandt playing his best tournament for the team, while the cornerback room of Bray/Sörens/Pruitt has been able to match up successfully against any offense that isn’t the Serpent Eagles.

Now, the Elephants are preparing for the Round of 16. They will be hosting old foes Sarzonia at their regular home venue, Elephant Field. Sarzonia and South Newlandia have history together across various sports, including a WBC semifinal with the better end for the Pachyderms. Most relevantly, South Newlandia and Sarzonia have previously met in the World Bowl knockouts. If I had a nickel for every time the Elephants and Stars met in Elephant Valley, South Newlandia, for a World Bowl Round of 16 match, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice. That previous one, in WB44, ended in an Elephant win for the ages. After tying at 23 in regulation, the Ellies eventually won 45-39 in OT. However, that game was at the Stadium of Friendship, just a few miles away from Elephant Field.
While the Elephants cruised through any opponents not named Banija, the Sarzonian Stars struggled in a tough group featuring heavyweights Chromatika and TJUN-ia, finishing with a 9-5 record and third place in their group. They are led by a strong defense, which joins the Ellies in the top four in points allowed, while Quarterback Cameron Stallworth is leading the offense. The Stars have mixed the run and pass well, and will represent a strong challenge for the Elephants in a game that could go either way
For Quarterback Zachary Stevens, this is a good setup for a potential career milestone, leading the Elephants to a playoff win. For the Stars, this is a chance to even the score for what happened here three editions earlier.

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 7:11 pm

2025-29

2025-29: Head Coach - Walton High School - Walton, Yoseo-Manitoba
--
2029-34: Head Coach - Pahkatequayang South Secondary School - Pahkatequayang, Mahan
2035-37: Defensive and Recruiting Coordinator, Latilutakówa National University - Pahkatequayang, Mahan
--
2037-42: TBC
2042-55: TBC
2056-2061: Current job
2062-: TBD

While enjoying his time with the Walton High School program that had become a powerhouse under him (and a pair of extremely-talented Ahn kids), he wanted out. Having won the Yoseo-Manitoba provincials thrice, and with a particularly small population base, he had felt that to further progress, it would be a better idea to get the attention of a more recognised high school program out east, and then possibly enter coaching into the collegiate level.

His next job as a high school would some come calling, this time in his hometown, when Pahkatequayang South Secondary had sent him an email asking about a possible vacancy there. The Lions, who he would remember for being a powerhouse in the twenty-first century we live in, were those who had managed to get in his way for District championships every year when he used to play for the smaller, inner-city Central. Being tasked to bring back the Lions' program to OFSAA tri-provincial title, Youngblood would end up spending five years at his hometown school, and won one and made it to two state semifinals on what's considered to be among more successful of the tenures there.

But while the success was no doubt part of what would define his tenure back in his hometown, C.C. Youngblood's time with the South Secondary was a more mixed one than there. Stylistically, this is where he would he actively use the 3-4, a formation not the most popular in use at the high school but one that he had preferred. By putting the defensive line focused on consistent pressure, while the edge rushers would be able to take advantage of the situation, Youngblood would find great success thanks to both the effectiveness of the scheme he employed, and also because of his ability to relate. 'He was a really weird bloke,' said Clement Raybould, a two-year captain for the 2031 OFSAA-6A class championship team. 'I mean, it's a good thing, like everybody is weird in some way, but Coach Y always had that quirkiness in him that brought out amusement out of his own players.'

There was a bit of that weird and yet cool factor attached to him, something that perhaps the players saw from the former rover. With his elderly father the General Manager of the Pahkatequayang Grizzlies in the QBL, and mother at the Latilutakówa National University, and also helped that he was a local like his own players were, who grew up going to the Wonderland Avenue Mall, drove to the lakeshore beaches up north, and cheered for the Mustangs. Much of his players from the area were like him, the local kids who have grown up under the youth football programs that the LNU Mustangs have set up over the decades, and they had an easier understanding of what he would run now and then because CC Youngblood, at one point, played under these grassroots programs that served nicely into the Mustangs pipeline.

Eventually, he too would outgrow the Lions' program that he had loved, and he looked to move up a ladder to the collegiate level. But when he would accept his next offer, it would not be at a program on the other side of country like what some had expected, or back out west coast where he had connections, but as defensive coordinator with his hometown LNU Mustangs that he had once rejected in favour of the Yoseo-Montevicio Kodiaks. What happened?

If one's to ask the now-58 year old about this question, the answer would always come down to 'family', and that indeed was the case. Around the third year of his coaching with Pahkatequayang South, his mother Emma van Eeden, fell sick from a rare illness, and with him having just started his family with his wife, Donalda Current, CC and his younger sister, June Youngblood Nam, decided that it would be prudent he would stay for the time being. The decision would turn out to be correct one, especially as his mother Emma would eventually pass during his second year as the Mustangs' defensive co-ordinator, leading Youngblood to take a late October match off to attend her funeral.

Now, fortunate news for the Mustangs and Youngblood, in any case, was that the three years they had would end up turning out decently. Having brought a local guy who had been proven in bringing out good, personable approach when teaching his players, they would find their defence, which had allowed no short of 5 game-winning drives in last two minutes of red zone the previous year, improve fairly quickly, and they would end up making it to a Tiger Bowl appearance his third year, where they would fall short against Northwestern in the final.

His positivity would also come handy with recruiting. While a city of 450,000 with many townships surrounding it, Pahkatequayang was a regional centre that had seen economic decline just decades earlier, and had relatively little to do on the city proper outside of sports matches and concerts. With a major junior hockey team and the Grizzlies, the team that Youngblood's father Julius, had served as general manager for twenty years, being the only draw, the demand for the Mustangs' athletic teams were a constant, and the local talent pool restocked well. So with a guy like C.C. Youngblood, who did his best to keep up with the times, as a main recruiter, the program would find themselves landing top three recruiting classes each of his three years there, competing against the likes of St. Croix and Saguenay universities.

Three more years would then pass, and this time he had decided to go out east. St. Croix, whose program had remained consistently on NY6 range but was still figuring out their ways to get back to the top of the echelon alongside their rivals Songak Metropolitan and Saguenay (Farrer, their primary rival on academic and high society terms, had a bad football team lol), would come calling halfway through his third season with the Mustangs. Youngblood, who was a year removed from his mother's passing, took the chance.

by **Ranoria** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 8:12 pm

Round of 16 Results (The Ranorian Side!)

#2 TJUN-ia 31–14 #16 Bongo Johnson
@ Elephant Field (15,400), Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

#7 Ko-oren 3–23 #10 HUElavia
@Jungledrom (2,186), Ratzupalfu, South Newlandia
_______
#3 Quebec and Shingoryeo 12–3 #13 Cassadaigua
@EVU Field (7,000), Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

#6 South Newlandia 26–6 #11 Sarzonia
@ Elephant Field (15,400), Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

Quarterfinals Draws: (Ranoria-Scored Half Happening)
2 TJUN-ia vs 10 HUElavia
Golden Elephants Stadium (1,600), Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

3 Quebec and Shingoryeo vs 6 South Newlandia
@ Elephant Field (15,400), Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

by **Drawkland** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 10:52 pm

"The Elicited Help"

A couple weeks passed, and Brooklyn was no closer to discovering the answer. She would ponder on the subject a couple times a day, but her mind just kept going in circles. The consistent questioning from her teammates, friends, and family didn’t seem to help, either.

The benefits to Sadeg State University were obvious. Her parents were alumni. A lot of people from her school were going there. She had been a fan for years and knew everything about their history and team culture. It’s close to home, it’s a well-respected school, and got plenty of media attention. All this, plus the football, baseball, and basketball teams were all top tier in the nation and participated in international tournaments. It was a juggernaut, it almost felt inevitable until recently.

What if that’s not what’s best for Brooklyn, though? People assumed for years that she was future State property. Picking Sadeg State almost felt like she wasn’t making a choice at all, merely continuing upon the path that others had decided for her. Not to mention the fact that Brooklyn was looking forward to gaining her own independence. Going to college a half hour from home could be convenient, but it could also end up stifling. She loved her parents, but she was also hoping to not be under their watchful eyes for another five years.

The University of Raikennax provided a trusty escape route. It was close enough to home that it wouldn’t feel like true isolation, but far enough that Brooklyn could have space to herself. She spent most of her formative years there as well, so she was somewhat familiar with the area as well. The Red Knights had great athletic programs across the board, but they had one disadvantage. Their basketball team was the only one that got any international play thanks to the NSCAA, and Brooklyn wasn’t even sure she wanted to do basketball. She would have to be happy with playing regular ol’ DOCA ball like everyone else. Everyone besides two schools.

Cavsar University happened to be the international counterpart to Sadeg State. The Gladiators also boasted several excellent teams, though their baseball squad wasn’t necessarily up to the standards of SSU or UofR. In all this drama about football recruitment, some people may have forgotten that Brooklyn still really cared about baseball, perhaps even more than football. If football didn’t pan out, Brooklyn was planning to fall back on a baseball career, working her way through the PBL’s minor leagues if necessary. In such a situation, being developed by a skilled hand in college could be the difference that allows her to break through to The Show further down the line. Among the three options, Cavsar bottomed out in that category.

There were more complications about Cavsar, of course. For starters, pretty much everyone she knew would consider her a traitor for making such a commitment. It was twice as far from home as Raikennax, and also in the middle of nowhere. On the other hand, her teammate (and favorite receiving target) Julian Gallagher was being recruited by Cavsar, and it seemed that he was really close to committing if he got an official offer. Living further from home in an unknown rural college town would be a difficult adjustment, even if it gave Brooklyn the long leash she desired. Having at least one friend there would lessen the burden considerably.

Every time Brooklyn thought about it, these same thoughts swirled in her head. Familiarity vs the unknown. Loyalty vs autonomy. Opportunity vs simplicity. Family vs freedom. On top of all this, a metric ton of expectations pushed down and pressurized every single detail.

“You can’t put off this decision forever,” Elie said one morning before Brooklyn left for school. “The longer you wait, the more likely it is that you’ll lose your roster spot among the schools you’re considering.”

“I’m a pretty high-level recruit though, right?” Brooklyn asked. “Surely they would want to keep a slot open in their recruiting class for me?”

“These coaches know that top recruits are considering several schools, though,” Elie responded. “They can’t necessarily count on you coming, so they need to have backup options just in case. If you drag your feet for too long, eventually they have to sign their plan B, and there’ll be no more space for you.”

“There’s still a little time though.” Brooklyn shrugged, taking a bite of her breakfast. “Don’t have to have anything until signing day, right? And that’s not till after this semester.”

“Signing day for the non-football sports is in a month, Brookie.” Elie furrowed her brow. “Don’t you read the letters you’ve gotten?”

“Obviously I read them!” Brooklyn replied quickly. The fact that the signing day for sports like baseball and basketball was a month away was definitely something she’d forgotten. As if this choice needed any more stress, now she had to worry about a closer deadline.

Against her own judgment, Brooklyn decided it was time to ask for a little help. Not from her parents, of course, because they had a known bias. Really, asking 90% of the people she knew was going to result in bias, but at least if she asked her friends at school, it wasn’t likely to end in an actual argument. As she walked into her first period class, Brooklyn prepared to ask her baseball teammate, Grace Robbins, her thoughts on the matter. Grace had other plans, however, starting the conversation herself the moment Brooklyn sat down at their shared table.

“Guess what, B?”

“Good morning to you too, Grace. What’s up?”

“I have something to show you.” Grace reached into her backpack. Brooklyn cocked her head to try and get a look inside. Carefully, Grace pulled out a gold envelope and placed it on the table. Brooklyn didn’t have to see the navy blue Skyhawk outline on the front to know what it was.

“Is that an offer?” Brooklyn whispered excitedly.

“How did you guess!?” Grace exclaimed sarcastically. “I got it in the mail this weekend. I guess enough big recruits fell through that I came up on Sadeg State’s board.”

“Aw, don’t sell yourself short,” Brooklyn lightly slugged Grace in the shoulder. “You’re a catch. Denton doesn’t know how much of a diamond in the rough you are.”

“Yeah, right.” Grace blushed a bit. “Anyway, I haven’t responded yet. But I think I’m gonna commit by next week, and sign right on signing day. Just in case another offer comes, y’know. That’s what my parents are saying, at least. I don’t think I’ll be considering anywhere else, though. C’mon, getting to play for State? It’s a no-brainer!”

“Lucky you.” Brooklyn gave a rueful smile.

“Have you still not decided yet?” Grace realized suddenly. She knew that Brooklyn was struggling with the choice, but Brooklyn hadn’t talked about it in a couple weeks. “I get it. Having to choose between doing football or just baseball is tough.”

“That’s not the main issue anymore,” Brooklyn admitted. “I got a football offer from State a couple weeks ago. But for some reason I’m still not sure if I want to go somewhere else or not.”

“No way!” Grace’s jaw dropped. “You got a football offer from State and didn’t tell me? That’s perfect though! What could be the problem with that?”

“I dunno,” Brooklyn hesitated. “I mean, it makes sense. It should be a no-brainer, like you said. But it doesn’t feel entirely right to me. Like college is supposed to be this new chapter, where you really begin your life as an adult. But if I go to State, I’m gonna be staying right here. I’m sure my parents are gonna want me to stay at home all the time, and I’m gonna be running into people from high school all the time. It just feels like it would be more of the same instead of something fresh and exciting.”

“Ohhh,” Grace said after a moment. “I didn’t think of it that way.”

“Yeah. It’s not like I want to get away from my family or something, but I want to live on my own for a change. Really get a taste of adulthood, and all that. That doesn’t mean I want to move to the other side of the country, or anything. Maybe just more than a tram ride away.”

“Didn’t you say you had a good offer from Raikennax? That’s like a day trip away. That could work, right?”

“Definitely. Plus I used to live there, y’know, so I’d still kinda feel at home.” Brooklyn chuckled. “The biggest problem there is that UofR’s campus is on the opposite side of town from all the pro team stadiums. I’d never be able to go to games.”

“Eruptors baseball? Don’t make me puke!” Grace laughed.

“Better than nothing.” Brooklyn lowered her voice, though with the gentle din of pre-class conversation, it wasn’t necessary. “Better than Cavsar.”

“Cavsar?” Grace hissed. “You’re not still considering them, are you?”

“... maybe.”

“Well, I guess that’d get you a major distance from home.” Grace stuck out her bottom lip as she slid her scholarship offer back into her backpack. “There’s one thing neither Cavsar or Raikennax will have, though.”

“What’s that?”

“Me!” Grace broke into a cheesy grin, and Brooklyn laughed.

“Good point.” Brooklyn wanted to continue, but their Multiversal History teacher finally came to the front of the room to begin class.

Brooklyn didn’t get another chance to keep talking with Grace, as their history teacher’s lecture droned until the bell went off to end class. Brooklyn had to immediately pack up and head across the building to the science wing for her dreaded physics lab. To be fair, the last couple weeks of class weren’t as dreadful as the early months. The more she talked to her lab partner, Spencer Harrelson, the less she despised him. Of course, his general sports ignorance was still grating, but Brooklyn was hoping to slowly chip away at it.

As usual, Spencer had gotten to class first and already had most of their equipment for the lab set up and ready to go. Brooklyn sat down, but rather than immediately slumping in her chair, she reached into her backpack and pulled out her notebook, flipping to the section set aside for the course. She wasn’t the chattiest classmate with Spencer, even after they became a little more familiar, but she didn’t even offer a greeting this time.

“Good morning,” Spencer offered. He gave a sidelong glance to Brooklyn, noticing she seemed a little off. “Is something the matter?”

“A little bit, I guess.” Brooklyn looked over at Spencer with an uncertain look.

“May I ask what it is?” Spencer cocked an eyebrow. He didn’t know what that look meant.

“I’m stressing about my college decision lately,” Brooklyn admitted. “I’ve narrowed it down to three but it feels impossible to choose between them.”

“You’ve still got time, though? It’s not even winter yet.”

“Us athletes have to commit to a school a lot earlier, because of the way scholarship offers and roster spots work,” Brooklyn sighed. “So I really have to know where I’m going in less than a month.”

“It’s still bizarre to me that you have all this well in advance.” Spencer shook his head. “I applied for admissions months ago and I’m only just now hearing back. Same with academic scholarships. It feels backwards, really. Shouldn’t the universities, institutions of learning, be more concerned with getting the best students first?”

“Good athletes make those institutions more money,” Brooklyn slowly broke into a smirk. “Getting a nerd 1% better than the rest of the nerds doesn’t.”

“Sure it could. Alumni donations are a thing, you know.”

“I guess. But are you gonna major in anything that’s gonna actually make you enough money to do something like donating to your alma mater?”

“Now that’s a good question.” Spencer cocked his head slightly in thought. “I still have a few choices I’m considering. I like chemistry and biology the most, but I could probably make more money in something like nuclear engineering. I guess I have a difficult choice like you if I get scholarships from all the schools I’m hoping for. Each of the schools on my list have a different speciality.”

“So what schools are you looking at anyhow?”

“Again, it depends. Corinth City is my biggest target, just because their entire natural sciences department is great. Probably the best all-around faculty in the nation, so they’re my fallback. However, I wouldn’t say no to Fosters, Calista, maybe even Guild University. If I decide on nuclear engineering I may even consider Cemmendy Tech.”

“Ah, so you’re more of an Erudite Conference guy then,” Brooklyn nodded in recognition. Half of the schools Spencer mentioned were in the Erudite Conference, technically an athletic conference part of DOCA. They were more notable for their collective history and academic esteem than their athletic achievement, of course.

“You could say that.” Even Spencer knew which conference that was. “On that topic, what do you think you’ll major in? I know you’re mostly going to college to further your athletic pursuits, which still makes no sense to me, but I assume you’ll have to work through some course of study.”

“That’s up in the air, I guess.” Brooklyn shrugged. “I think I’ll try business or something easy like that. Maybe sports management, if the school I go to has that as a major.”

“Is that a real major?” Spencer asked, seemingly genuine. He suddenly turned to his backpack, fishing for and retrieving a reasonably thick book from within. He put it down and quickly flipped through, eyeing the clock momentarily to make sure they still had a couple minutes before class started.

“What’s that?” Brooklyn peeked at the pages, but the text was too small to read with how fast Spencer was turning the pages. At first glance, it appeared to be a massive series of lists, almost like a sports encyclopedia.

“Here we go.” Spencer found the page he was looking for, apparently. “What schools did you say you were considering again?”

“Uh, Sadeg State, Raikennax, and,” Brooklyn lowered her voice, “Cavsar too. Why do you ask?”

“This is a listing of the program rankings for every major Drawkian University for almost every program imaginable,” Spencer explained, tracing down the list with his finger. Brooklyn looked closer and saw the ‘Business’ title at the top of the page.

“They make books for that?” Brooklyn wrinkled her nose. “Doesn’t that stuff go out of date eventually?”

“I only need the info for this year,” Spencer pointed out. “Plus I just like the tactile feeling of a book, and I was tired of having to scroll through endless sites for the same information, some of which is outdated. At least I know this is current.”

“So you’re looking at the rankings for my sake?”

“At least these pages will get some use. Okay, so it appears that Sadeg State has the best business school of your three targets. Raikennax only a dozen or so spots behind, though for business I can’t imagine that’s a very tangible gap. Especially for your purposes.”

“Thanks, I think.”

“Anytime.” Spencer rapidly flipped through the pages again. “What’s the other one you said? ‘Sports Management’?”

“You didn’t have to say it so sarcastically, man.”

“Just want to make sure I got it right.” Spencer stopped again, scanning a page more towards the back of the book. He paused, rubbing his chin in thought.

“What is it?”

“Well, I’m not exactly sure what ‘Sports Science’ would entail, but apparently Cavsar has the #1 program in the national rankings. I wonder if that’s just management dressed up to look better, or if it’s like sports-focused orthopedic studies. Perhaps worth a look for you?”

“Wow, I didn’t even know that!” Brooklyn craned her head to get a closer look. Sure enough, Cavsar University was listed directly underneath the Sports Science category. “I guess I should look into that. Obviously I’m going to focus on going pro, but I suppose having a decent education wouldn’t hurt.”

“That’s the spirit,” Spencer said with no shortage of sarcasm. He closed the volume and dropped it back into his bookbag.

“Hey,” Brooklyn said, softening her voice a bit. “I appreciate it. I know I’m kind of an idiot for this, but I didn’t think to look at it from this angle. Thanks, dude.”

“No problem,” Spencer replied simply.

Brooklyn thought about saying something else, but their lab teacher Mrs. Hardy launched into the beginning of class before she could. Once again, the whirl of class took her attention elsewhere, and there wasn’t more time for idle conversation.

In the second half of the school day, Brooklyn took into account the new information added in her decision-making process. Grace Robbins was a great teammate, and probably her closest friend on the North Craggold baseball team. It would be nice to continue playing with her. On the other hand, maybe it wasn’t so silly to consider the academic reputation of the school she would attend. Heaven forbid she suffered some career-ending injury in college, it wouldn’t hurt to have something good to fall back on.

Momentarily, she considered asking her football teammates for a little guidance in this situation. A second thought quickly shuttered that idea, because Brooklyn already knew how that would end. Mark and Kevin would aggressively ridicule any option besides Sadeg State, and Julian would be compelled to agree. This was in spite of the fact that she knew Julian would desperately want her to commit to Cavsar with him.

That was also assuming that Jules would go to Cavsar at all. The scholarship offer for him hadn’t come in yet, as far as she knew, and she could feel that he was still doubting that option. His future wasn’t as certain as Brooklyn’s. If he went to Cavsar, it would probably piss off most of his friends and family, most of whom were too dumb to look past a petty rivalry to appreciate the opportunity for their friend. If he flamed out, he’d have to return home with his tail tucked between his legs, having to settle for a more local backwater university.

Really, the more Brooklyn thought about it, the more that situation made her uncomfortable. If Julian had to become a Gladiator without her, it would be a truly lonely existence for her friend. Of course, everybody has to make new friends in college, but it wasn’t exactly an enticing experience, especially when your friends from back home would potentially be hostile. If Brooklyn didn’t go to Cavsar, it could leave Julian high and dry.

Then again, the sense of obligation was half the reason Brooklyn felt weird about committing to Sadeg State. Now thanks to Julian, it felt like Cavsar was starting to have that same vibe about it, though it wasn’t intentional. One thing was for certain, it seemed that Raikennax was slipping further and further away from relevance in her mind. It originally felt like a safe fallback option, an inoffensive alternative that would save her from great ire at home while still giving her good opportunities for her future career. At this point, though, she would be pissing somebody off no matter where she went. If she became a Red Knight at UofR, it would just be pissing off twice as many people. At least at Cavsar she’d be able to play in the NSCF.

That night in her bedroom, Brooklyn carefully regarded her scholarship offers from the University of Raikennax. She read through them a couple times, just to make sure she wasn’t missing some hidden message or meaning. Eventually, she put the letters back in their envelopes and carefully folded them over. She brought up a small box from downstairs, and placed the bright red envelopes emblazoned with the letter “R” inside. On the outside of the box, she wrote “JUST IN CASE.”

It wasn’t definitive, but Brooklyn felt a small ounce of relief roll off her shoulders. One down, two to go. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she didn’t have much time left. She just hoped the answer would come to mind before the fateful signing day.

by **Banija** » Fri Oct 06, 2023 8:46 am

With blowout first round playoff victory, all eyes are firmly focused on their rivals- the Iron Legion

RANORIA CITY, RANORIA- "The playoff victory was a strong one. Nothing is guaranteed at this stage. Even in the first round, even if you are double digit favorites. The way we were able to keep focus, keep our cool, and just drive a stake through Sea Dome- this is the type of complimentary, dominant, all-around football that will allow us to continue all the way to the Final." Said the head coach of the Serpent Eagles, Thomas Hall. "But now, after we are glad about this victory, glad we stayed healthy, we know we have the challenge of a lifetime in front of us. We are playing the most dynamic player in the entire sport next week- Sarai Gwenderyn, playing in her own home club stadium. It's the game of the round, all eyes on us, there's the history. That's just how we like it, just how we want it. We will embrace the pressure, embrace the hype, and it will fuel us."

First, we will go through the Sea Dome game. It was the Lemon Sharks who would receive the opening kick, as we had won the toss and deferred. They were able to drive down the field, extremely well, on the game's opening drive. They had us off-balance. Ethel was making solid throws, and they were getting good chunk plays from their backs. Ending the opening drive with a long field goal was a good way to get points as an early underdog. On the other hand, with Ebou Hairte and Zamandi Ayana returning to the lineup for this playoff matchup after a week off, this Banijan offense was certainly ready to soar- and they did just that. Zamandi Ayana had good, solid gains in his first two plays from scrimmage. An 8 yard run on first down, and then another 8 yard run that got another first down. Then, first and 10 from the 37...

Banijan Radio Commentator wrote:Ebou Hairte, first and 10 at their own 37 yard line. He is under center. You have Alazar to the left, and Gabriel Yafet lined up to the quarterback's right. Ayana is deep in the backfield as a singleback, and they have two TEs, one on each side of the line. So 12 personnel. Hairte takes the snap and drops back- fakes the handoff to Zamandi Ayana. Sea Dome already seems to be cheating towards the run, after those first two plays. The safety comes down to cover the TE running a corner route, and Hairte heaves it down the left sideline... Where Alazar is one on one! Kalu Alazar leaps up... AND SNATCHES THE BALL OUT OF THE AIR! The cornerback is falling over himself, as an amazing catch by Kalu Alazar... OH WOW, HE'S STAYED UP! He is going to walk into the end zone for a TOUCHDOWN! Touchdown, Banija! Alazar caught the jump ball- as the kids say, he Mossed the CB1. Whipped his arms in front of the corner, caught the football, and brought it back. With no safety help, the CB went to ground, and he walked into the end zone. Let's go baby!

That touchdown made the score 7-3, after the extra point. Sea Dome tried to get something going on the ensuing drive. A QB draw allowed them to get one first down, but a sack by Sizo Ashenafi on the second series really busted things before they really got going, and forcing Sea Dome to punt. The Serpent Eagles had Sea Dome exactly where they wanted them- and continued moving to drive that stake into the Lemon Sharks. This time, it was a long drive. Not a ton of huge plays- the longest play from scrimmage in this drive was an 11 yard pass, by Hairte to Gabriel Yafet, on a 3rd and 7 from the 50 yard line. They ended up getting all the way to the red zone, where Zamandi Ayana eventually bruised forward for a 7 yard touchdown run. The PAT was good there, and the Serpent Eagles led, 14-3, after one.

In the second quarter, we really broke this game open. Koman Tabor was able to land himself a pick six, that turned this game from a competitive game and blasted it into blowout territory. And a 2 minute drill where Gabriel Yafet had a TD reception of his own made the score 27-3, in favor of the Serpent Eagles, and that was basically that in regards to this game. Sea Dome did start the third quarter well, scoring a TD and then forcing a punt, but a forced turnover by the Banijan defense really choked out the momentum of the Lemon Sharks, anything that they had. The final score ended up being a 44-13 victory, a 31 point win in the first round of the playoffs. Can never, ever, complain about that.

Banijan QB, Ebou Hairte, in the locker room before Banija v. Chromatika

Ebou Hairte was sitting at his locker. He was thinking about what many QBs thought about in his position- his legacy. Naturally, he was 15-0, with a playoff win, as the Serpent Eagles starting Quarterback. But of course, he knew how this worked. The team had averaged 37 points per game under his tutelage. The offense had not missed a beat transitioning from Ice Chineze, to Ebou Hairte. They, by far, had the best point differential of any team in this competition. And in the big games, he had really stepped up. Against Terefuxe and South Newlandia, the team's biggest challengers in group play, he had made big time throw after big time throw, especially when the game was close.

And of course, just last week, in their playoff game against Sea Dome, he had thrown 3 touchdown passes. But he knew how these things worked. Banija had beaten Chromatika twice in a row, in the late stages of World Bowl competition. Their World Bowl 45 victory, in Chromatika, was legendary. Probably, at least to this point, the most epic victory in the history of this national team. And then, for Ice Chineze, to do the same thing one cycle later, in the semifinals, showcased to many Banijans that, despite Chromatika's schools clearly surpassing the Banijan schools in NSCF competition, that Banija still had a decided advantage over the Iron Legion in World Bowl competition.

But that was going to be challenged, once again.

These type of big games could make or break their legacy. If Hairte lost, he would still have all those accolades. Taking the team to average nearly 40 points per game. 15-1 all-time as a Banijan starter- best record of any Banijan QB all time. But if they lost, that 1 would be to Sarai Gwenderyn. It is the Serpent Eagles standing between her and a full world takeover of this sport. This competition being, quite literally, the only thing that she has never won. While she was popular in Banija (who DIDN'T like Gwenderyn??) many fans were happy that the country seemed to be her Kryptonite. That we seemed to be the one thing that she could not scale. Hairte needed to continue that tradition.

So, he stood and spoke, here in the locker room. "EAGLES!" He yelled. Everybody stopped talking, and looked straight at their QB. The pre-game speech was rare. "We must be ready to dominate today. For the Iron Legion, for us, today is personal. WE play with these guys all the time- back in college, or in the RFL, or in the GFLB." He paused, looked around, and continued. "Banija has been to three straight World Bowl Finals. We are the dominant nation of this sport- this competition. This is something that must be proven, time and again, against the best of the best. Chromatika, an opponent of this caliber, is something that we have been working towards ever since we got to training camp like 5 months ago. This is the game, this is the opponent, we need to be at our absolute best for, for the entirety of the contest."

"By God, come hell or high water, I am laying it all on the line to take down the Iron Legion, and get us back to the semifinals. WHO'S WITH ME!" He bellowed. The team started cheering. The motivation was there. Strong. YOu couldn't not get up for games like this. Would Banija triumph?

by **Chromatika** » Fri Oct 06, 2023 7:51 pm

Ten Things I Think I Think...

Lance Duredelion, Chromia Central Courier

1. The defense shined against Terefuxe, but not much else. Five sacks. Four tackles for loss. Three turnovers. Two turnovers on downs. The Iron Legion's defense showed up against Terefuxe, and it showed. Park Mi-Hyeon and Jere Rinaldi combined for thirty tackles apiece, while Lisa Bonsoon and Victoria Mio both had interceptions. Terefuxe kicked one long field goal, and that was it, only crossing the Iron Legion side of the field once and struggling to get any momentum going. The Iron Legion forced eight three-and-outs, two turnovers on downs, and just didn't let the underdogs breathe. It was the highlight of the game, for sure.

2. Sarai Gwenderyn isn't at 100%. She may be listed as not being injured, and she may have started eight games since her comeback, but there is no denying that the consensus best Quarterback in the world looks off. She went 14-of-28 for 119 yards and one touchdown against Terefuxe, which is abysmal by her standards. The ball just doesn't appear to have as much zip coming out of her hand after her injury, and it begs the question of whether of not she's in full health. Is 70% of a healthy Gwenderyn better than Pantoja or Vivayavich? Absolutely, but it means that the Iron Legion has to lean more on the run game or their defense in order to win - something that nobody saw coming in order for them to win this title.

3. Special Teams was again a plus. Give Nellie Katt the game ball. Five punts downed within the five pinned Terefuxe deep in their territory multiple times - which led to them not being able to do much against the Iron Legion's defense. It was a beautiful thing to watch, and with Dwayne Markseon nailing the only Field Game of the game for the Chromatiks, they performed admirably, save scoring a touchdown themselves. They're going to be the reason we win a playoff game one day.

4. Alessandra Mio was stellar. Three catches, seventy-three yards, the only touchdown of the game on a forty-two yard grab between two defenders. The best receiver in the world showed up, and she simply willed that touchdown into existence.

5. The Iron Legion leaned into the defense. When it became clear that Gwenderyn wasn't having the best of days, when it became obvious that the defense was the one carrying the load, the Iron Legion coaching staff did their best to shift their focus to the winning side of the ball. It worked - they played conservative, set up good field position for the defense, and didn't let Terefuxe breathe - but how sustainable will that model be? That is a good question.

6. Chromatika needs to step up if they are to take down Banija. Banija are the #1 seed in the tournament, and absolutely killed Sea Dome in the Round of Sixteen. Sure, this is considered a rivalry due to the quality of players on the Iron Legions' roster, but it's only because of the reputation. Chromatika hasn't been playing very good ball save that one result against Sarzonia, and Banija are that team that will pick apart every single thing that you do wrong.

7. This is a bad matchup for the Iron Legion. Throw out the fact that Banija is the #3 seed, only behind Chromatika, for a second. Even throw out the fact that Chromatika has never beaten Banija in the knockout rounds of a World Bowl. Banija loves to possess the ball, loves to score in bunches, and loves to cause havoc. Chromatika likes to be rhythmical, loves to be on schedule, and loves to just get things moving. They are polar opposites when it comes to how the game is played, and Banija has been rather good at their way of play in this tournament - far better than Chromatika has been.

8. Chromatika will need to run the ball. Rowena Hastroff and Lana Rhodes haven't been bad, but their performance will determine the fate of this Quarterfinal matchup. Passes don't eat up clock - runs do - and Rhodes and Hastroff will need to share the load to keep things going. Gwenderyn cannot win a game this important by herself, and without balance, Banija will shift to guard against the pass.

9. Alessandra Mio vs. Makang Secka will be a massive matchup. The Iron Legion's best receiver against the Serpent Eagles' best corner. Alessandra has the best stop-and-go of anyone on the planet, but Secka is in that elite few that could stop her from wreaking havoc in this matchup. As the favorite target of Gwenderyn - over half of the passes thrown behind thirty yards are in her direction - Alessandra will have to show up big for the Iron Legion to win. If Secka can hold her, then Banija makes Gwenderyn turn to the likes of the other receivers or Gwivern - which isn't good enough. This matchup will matter.

10. Gwenderyn will need to have a monster day. If you are indeed the best Quarterback in the world - many claim that you are - this is the game to prove it. Banija are better than Chromatika in many areas on the field. Sarai has to go out there and take the game by the throat - making sure to steer it personally and to make it so that the Iron Legion win. Otherwise, Banija will have won yet again - and put her back in her place, a player that can shine in the RFL but not anywhere else. Can she do it?

by **The Kytler Peninsulae** » Sat Oct 07, 2023 11:51 am

"6-3 Kytler, six seconds left, and not for the first time tonight, I have to emphasise that score is real. That is not an error with our graphics. The snow has been falling since the second quarter and it has completely disrupted the Saint Kanye offense. But none of that matters if it works out here. One Hail Mary from the Kytler 42, the field goal clearly out the window in these conditions."

"A reminder, especially for those of you less familiar with gridiron tuning in to maybe watch a bit of history - the game cannot end on a defensive penalty, if the Kytler defense infringes here then Saint Kanye will get at least one more shot even if the clock's run out, an untimed down."

"Five wide receivers ready for Saint Kanye, Heath Ilford the flanker is playing defense here for Kytler, top of the screen. Here we go. Linetti takes the snap, no pass rush, everyone's dropping back, this is the moment! To the end zone... it is... deflected!... and CAUGHT FOR THE TOUCHDOWN! Bruce Dobler breaks Kytlerian hearts..."

"There's a flag!"

"...pending the flag! Now, the question is who committed the foul..."

"There's two flags, at least! Did they see two different things or the same thing?"

"A whole lot of jostling for position with the jump ball of course, anything could have happened there and the officials were surely watching like hawks, they're gathering round now..."

"If it's a penalty on both teams, the game still doesn't end, because it's a defensive penalty, we'd replay the down as if it never happened, but the time wouldn't go back..."

"Here we go..."

"There are fouls by both teams on the play."

"WOW."

"Pass interference, number 12 of the offense, and pass interference, number 41 of the defense. The penalties offset, we will replay the down, this will be an untimed down."

"My goodness. One more shot. Can they do it for real this time?"

"The same players coming back, they know what's coming, we all know what's coming, all on this. You have to say Linetti made a great throw in the conditions to get it to where the chaos could happen, can he do it again?"

"The Kytlerian fans, the small pocket of them, are desperately trying to be heard, but I don't know if they can even bear to scream. The impossible dream is one play from reality, they thought they'd lost it and it's back in their hands. Untimed down to decide the game. Linetti takes the snap, this time there's pressure! And SACKED!"

Several seconds of stunned silence, possibly because Mike Roberts in the booth knows his next words will be immortalised, possibly because not even he can believe this.

"RAGNAR SNORISSON! ANOTHER HISTORIC MOMENT!"

He's silenced again. Lit Gackbang, alongside him in the booth, isn't sure what to say either, but it is he who breaks the silence next.

"This is unreal. I am... wow."

"The Kytler Peninsulae... have won a World Bowl playoff game. I repeat..." - he sounds like he's convincing himself as much as anyone watching - "they have won a World Bowl playoff game. 6-3 final."

And then the question that might well be the line that gets remembered for years to come.

"How can they keep doing this?"

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Oct 07, 2023 1:19 pm

Cutoff for the first two Quarterfinals!

Quarterfinal Results (scorinated by SNL)

#1 Banija 31–14 #8 Chromatika
@Karmin-Falce Superdome, Ranoria City, Ranoria (121,450)

#14 The Kytler Peninsulae 13–25 #5 Drawkland
@Adelhard Dynamics Dome, Pittsburgh, Ranoria (87,300)

Semifinal Matchup (scorinated by SNL)

#1 Banija - #5 Drawkland
@Reinhild Aerodynamics Arena, North Ashialand, Ranoria (70,400)

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Oct 07, 2023 2:25 pm

Elephants 26-6 Stars – Highlights

South Newlandia on their first drive on their own half of the field, it’s 2nd and 8, Stevens out of shotgun with a back to his right. Play action after the short gain, pocket is holding steady, Stevens finds Schlachter on the Curl for the first down – Schlachter breaks a tackle, and he’s off to the races! He’s got a block, and they will not catch him! To the 30, 20, 10, touchdown Elephants, Stevens to Schlachter for a 64 yard touchdown! He shook off Bowles and there was no answer, no flags, the Ellies jump out to an early lead!

The Stars looking to answer, they’re crossed midfield on their first drive. Stallworth, looking, takes the checkdown, complete to Edgerton, Brandt, and the ball is loose! Edgerton loses the football and the Elephants recover the fumble, Sörens was on it first, and the Elephants will take over with a huge turnover, Ellies still lead 7-0!

3rd and from the parking lot after a couple penalties around midfield, Stevens will hand it to Fantikos, he’s got a couple blockers, weaves his way down the right side, drags a couple Stars to the 35-yard line to get the Ellies into Field Goal range for Carrasco. This will be a 51-yard attempt for the Elephants’ kicker, he’s been about 30% from that distance in this tournament. Good snap, good hold, kick is up, looks good, and just sneaks over the bar to give the Elephants a 10-0 lead.

Sarzonia is looking to answer back to prevent this game from getting out of hand. 1st down from the 34, Stallworth standing tall in the pocket, steps out of pressure, throws deep, Largent has a step on Sörens, and he makes the catch! Beautiful catch by the Sarzonian receiver down in the red zone, that’s a 47-yard completion.

After Sarzonia had to settle for a Field Goal, the Elephants have been embarking on the first long drive of the game, leaning on running back Thomas Fantikos, who has already tallied 10 carries in this game before the end of the quarter. Here, on a 3rd and eight in Field Goal Range, the Ellies are pressed into a passing situation. From shotgun, Stevens looks, escapes the pocket, looks downfield, tries to tuck and run, and he’s going to be about a yard or two short. Will be an interesting decision here for the Elephants, this would be a 39-yard attempt just outside the end zone. Looks like the Ellie offense will stay on the field, this will be a fourth down with about a yard and a half to go. Stevens under center, hands it to Harvey-Chandler, he tries to bulldoze through, and that’s going to be close, but I think we got there; first down Elephants!
2nd and goal now here in the second quarter, Elephants have three yards to go to the end zone. Stevens takes the snap, hands it off to Fantikos, and he’s going to plunge in; great push there from the offensive line, touchdown Elephants! Extra-point pending, this will be 17-3.
Snapped, and that one’s no good – Carrasco shanks it wide left, and it’s going to remain a 13-point game – 16-3 South Newlandia.

3rd and 8 for the Stars, looking to avoid a quick three and out. Snapped, blitz is coming, but Stallworth finds Swain on the slant, but that’s going to be incomplete – but we do have a flag on the play, that’ll almost certainly be DPI on Bray on the play, and that’ll move the chains for the Stars.
Sarzonia find themselves with another third down, this time around midfield, looking for a conversion to move the chains. 3rd and 6, Stallworth is looking, fires, complete to Edgerton, he has a block and first down, Sarzonia is also sustaining a drive well here.
The Elephants have not been able to stop the rush so far on this drive, but a pair of red zone incompletions will bring up 3rd down and goal from the five here. Sarzonia is looking to capitalise with a touchdown that could make it a six-point game. Stallworth in the pocket, looking, looking, tries to escape, brought down by Daniels! Huge sack all the way back at the 13, and the Stars will once again have to settle for a field goal despite a strong 17-play drive that has brought us to midway through the second quarter.

And that’s going to be it for the first half. South Newlandia leads 16-6 after an eventful 30 minutes of play, but Sarzonia is still very much in this game, and they will get the ball first in the second half with a chance to do some more damage, potentially including a first touchdown for them.

Sarzonia has once again been able to lead a long, sustained drive here, with the Ellies struggling to slow down Clinton. While they haven’t allowed a big play from the Portland rusher, he’s still averaging nearly 6 yards per carry, and has converted a pair of third downs on this drive. Stallworth now has a 1st and ten in the red zone, with a back lined up to his left. Looking, pocket collapses, Stallworth fires into the end zone, and that’s picked! Intercepted by Alani Sörens, Stallworth was looking for six there, and instead the Elephants will take over! A costly mistake by the Sarzonian QB.

After a good punt, the Stars are once again driving, but having reached the Elephants’ 34, they face a critical 3rd down and 3. Stallworth hands it to Clinton, and that’s going to go absolutely nowhere, gains nothing on the play with Edison-Downs shooting the gap. 4th and 3, and the Stars are going to pass up a makable 51-yarder to make it a 7-point game, the offense is staying on the field. Stallworth will take the snap from under center, play action, Stallworth looks for Langston, and that’s dropped! The Stars turn it over on downs, and once again, the Elephants will take over, with a quarter and change left to go.

Elephants are going to go for another long field goal here after their drive quickly stalls out. 48 yards for Carrasco, he’s never drilled two field goals from 45+ yards in this campaign yet. Good snap, good hold, and that’s going to be good, nice kick by the Elephant, and the score is now 19 to 6 in favour of South Newlandia as we enter the fourth quarter.

Stars in trouble here with a 3rd and 8, if they don’t get it, they’ll run into trouble. Stallworth, fires, complete to Swain, nice grab by the sure-handed receiver, but he seems to be down after the play; he collided with Wagner pretty hard, and they’re both down. Medics are on the field, and looks like Swain got seriously hurt on that play, he’s clutching his right knee. Wagner now leaving the field, Andrew Bailey will take over for him for now, but they’re bringing the cart in for Swain, this isn’t good at all. Hayden Gregory is now coming into the game, she’ll probably have an expanded role for the Stars as they look to make a comeback here; we’ll have to wait on the reports to see how Swain is doing, but it seems doubtful that he’ll re-enter this game.
Stallworth from around midfield, pocket once again steady, throws to the sideline, and that is a spectacular grab by Gregory! She somehow hangs onto that ball despite getting hit by Grayson Murray, and the Stars are once again deep into Field Goal range.
3rd and 4 now, most likely four-down territory with about a third of the fourth quarter already elapsed. Stallworth from shotgun, pocket collapses, throws, and intercepted! Picked off by Pruitt, and the Elephants will take over, another huge blow to the Stars; they’ll need to get a stop quickly.

Third down and five for Stevens as the Elephants look to keep their defense off the field; the Stars have so far dominated the time of possession, but they have no touchdowns to show for it. Stevens looking, fires, complete to van Halfensen! Only the second reception for the TE in this game, the Stars have blanketed him well so far, but this is going to keep the drive going as the Elephants continue to drain clock.
Third down and four around midfield, Stevens hands it to Fantikos, Harvey-Chandler throws a bug block and Fantikos seems to have gotten just enough to move the chains once again.
Second and 8, Stevens out of shotgun, the Stars’ pass-rush has been a non-factor so far. Stevens with time, looking, fires, and finds Parker for a big pickup! Still not down, now finally brought down at the eight by the corner, and clock has already been drained to below four minutes. Stars take their second time-out, they’ll most likely need to force a field goal attempt and try to come back from down 16 with two minutes and no timeouts.
Third and 4, Stevens hands it to Fantikos, has a block, he’s got a touchdown! Untouched into the end zone, and the Elephants make it a three-score game; and that should just about do it.

Fourth and fifteen, the Stars have exhausted all other options. Stallworth, with four receivers in the game, looking, pocket collapses once again, and he is sacked by Dominick Ford; ballgame!

Stevens will kneel to end the game here, and the coaches, Victorino and Davis, are going to shake hands. The Elephants’ defense rises to the occasion, forcing turnovers to give the Ellies a 26-6 win. They’ll move on to face Quebec and Shingoryeo around QB O’Mara, who have beaten Cassadaigua yesterday. The Grim Reapers have been 13-2, much like the Elephants, and will come to Elephant Field for what should be an exciting Quarterfinal.

(O.O) · by **TJUN-ia** » Sat Oct 07, 2023 3:32 pm

After completing a remarkable 13-1 group stage, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia were now in South Newlandia looking to try and make some noise as the #2 seeded team in this World Bowl. Doing that well considering the circumstances was a bloody good job by this team and by Gus McKerrin, to put together a unit that can pull off this kind of magic and only lose 1 game in the process. After making it all the way to the Semifinals of the last World Bowl, you could understand the cautious optimism that permeated our fanbase. But caution was also prevalent, knowing full well that nothing is certain in this crazy world we call home. We still had a long way to go...but the aim remained the same: survive.

This long path would start against Bongo Johnson, the only losing-record team to make it to the Last 16. As you would expect, we were the favourites to win this one at Elephant Field in Elephant Valley, but Team Bongo Johnson wasn't going to let that fact grind them down as they managed 2 TDs on the night, with 2 PATs to boot. Gareth Baldwin, on the other hand, did what he needed to do with 4 TDs on the day - 2 each for Gilbert Nyamutsamba and Fremont Whitehorse - while Clayton McGee added 4/4 on PATs and a FG at that. 31-14, a win that we all knew we needed.

Now, bigger matters face us on the horizon. HUElavia lies ahead in Elephants Stadium, the #5 in the preseason stuck with the #10 seed after finishing 3rd in Group C at 9-5. We all know that Raphael Schneiderman has a cracking team at his disposal, that is for certain, and so many will be looking at that #10 seed as a false impression...and hoping we can prevail against what is ultimately a Top 5 opponent. This will be tough, no doubt about it, as if they can take down Ko-oren then they can take us down as well. But we have been through so much already that we don't really care anymore. We're ready for anything...and that's the TJUN-ian way. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group B)
MD1: @Tikariot (UR) W 36-3 (1st/1-0)
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MD2: vs The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 27-17 (1st/2-0)
MD3: @Chromatika (2) - Henza Center, D'rea W 36-26 (1st/3-0)
-------------------------Double Header End------------------
MD4: @-Anthor- (16) W 26-20 (2nd/4-0)
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MD5: vs Valanora (23) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 40-23 (2nd/5-0)
MD6: @Lisander (43) W 29-23 (1st/6-0)
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MD7: vs Sarzonia (13) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 24-3 (1st/7-0)
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MD8: vs Tikariot (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 52-17 (1st/8-0)
MD9: @The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) - Qardinal Field, Borlfield W 16-13 (1st/9-0)
-------------------------Double Header End------------------
MD10: vs Chromatika (2) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 41-41 (54-51 2OT) (1st/10-0)
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MD11: vs -Anthor- (16) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington L 35-49 (1st/10-1)
MD12: @Valanora (23) - Lathalein Celestial Stadium, Mar Sara W 34-21 (1st/11-1)
-------------------------Double Header End------------------
MD13: vs Lisander (43) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 41-3 (1st/12-1)
MD14: @Sarzonia (13) - Joe Gibbs Stadium, Woodstock W 21-8 (1st/13-1/+191PD/#2)
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Ro16: vs Bongo Johnson (43/#16/D4) - Elephant Field, Elephant Valley, South Newlandia W 31-14
QF: vs HUElavia (5/#10/C3) - Golden Elephants Stadium, Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

by **HUElavia** » Sat Oct 07, 2023 8:44 pm

Knocking on Glory's Door

HUElavia upsets Ko-oren in the Last 16 to set up a possibly historic Quarter-Final against TJUN-ia!

Coming into the Round-of-16, thanks to HUElavia's underwhelming 9-5 record in the Group Stage, Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos were handed a tough match to start the knockouts: No. 3 Ko-oren. Playing in a "sold-out" crowd in SNL, the team came out wearing their white away uniform looking to fight their way into the Quarter-Finals once more.

The game was a historic masterclass for HUElavia, stuffing the run-heavy offense of Ko-oren with several forced 3-and-outs. Despite the stops, HUElavia was also stopped quite a few times despite their attempts to get something going. Ko-oren would open scoring late in the first after a 45 yard field goal from Bennett to make it 3-0. That would be their best moment from there, as HUElavia would go on a romp. Late in the 2nd quarter, a 35 yard pass from Vilca to De La Cruz for the touchdown, making it 7-3. In the third quarter, despite some pretty long drives, all HUElavia could munster were two field goals from Schulz that ranged 53 and 51 yards respectively to end the quarter at 13-3. Early in the 4th quarter, HUElavia also managed to get another field goal from Schulz, this time from 49 yards, making the game 16-3 with some decent time remaining. With 3:15 left on the clock, Masman stepped back to look for a throw, sent a pass towards Marineau, when he got picked off by Oogami who ran it back for a 43 yard Pick 6 touchdown, effectively ending the game at 23-3. Ko-oren, now down three scores was left a husk of themselves as they could not get anything going, and HUElavia held out for the historic victory.

Now, the Quarter-Finals awaits Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos once again. This time, TJUN-ia awaits the team, as both are very closely matched and it is viewed as an evens in terms of odds. While HUElavia has had some tough eliminations in the Quarter-Finals, this could be the very chance they need to break the glass ceiling and make it to the Last 4, proving their strength and wanting to be recognized as one of the best Giridiron Football teams in the multiverse. 60 minutes separate what could be a historic match up in HUElavian Football history. Here's top hoping we can break that ceiling.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

World Bowl 47 - Everything Thread

Brooklyn Beck (S1:E12)

NSFB: And On We March!

Brooklyn Beck (S1:E13)

NSFB: Bang!

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