NSCF 31 - Everything Thread

by **South Americanastan** » Thu Jun 20, 2024 8:07 pm

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FORT ELIZABETH - CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP REORGANIZED INTO FORMULA AMERICANASTAN

Inter-Provincial Motorsport Association President Joe Kalles announced the restructuring of the Class A racing championship this Sunday, banning...

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ASKARIVILLE - NAKED CACTUS-SURFING CHAMPION CROWNED

Benjamin Dover won the Askariville Cup last thursday, claiming an insurmountable lead with 3 events to go. Dover thanked his family for the win, stating...

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CADETS HIT GROUND RUNNING IN DIVISIONAL PLAY: THE SEASON SO FAR

THE RUNDOWN

Coming off a strong campaign in their first season in NSCF and a landslide national championship in SANCAF play, the Silver Coast State Cadets were still left with questions over whether they could repeat the performance going into their sophomore season of international competition. With the Delaclav schools joining the division, replacing the Cadets' oft-floundering Equinox peers, the potential for a legitimate divisional title fight loomed over the Cadets preseason preparations. Despite fielding a strong domestic recruiting class, the Cadets failed to attract any international recruits, and unlike last years freshman-riddled lineup, went into the NSCF 31 campaign with 0 true freshman on the starting squad.

However, the Cadets silenced any questions about their ability to perform again in their second season with two straight shutouts against the Delaclav schools, fielding what is easily the best defense in the NSCF so far, only allowing 7 points total through 3 games. The offense, while nothing spectacular, has been good enough to do the job, leading the Cadets to a 2-1 record going into interdivisional play. Even so, they have managed to outscore the likes of Sadeg State, Cavsar, and Felswyr State, none of whom have surpassed 40 points.

Despite the offense's poor performance, the trio of Mike Randall, B.T. Jackson, and J.J. Wisniewski are still going strong, putting up a combined 842 rushing yards on 150 carries through the first 3 games. Randall himself has thrown for 439 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions over the course of the first round of divisional play, a solid statline for the offense he plays in. However, fumbles and stalled drives have been an issue so far, with the team losing 5 fumbles through 3 games. Granted, two of those games were played in monsoon conditions, not uncommon in the Silver Coast, but it still hardly inspires confidence.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cadets have been nigh perfect, only allowing 7 points so far this season, In total, they've given up 639 yards of offense in the first 3 games. Their run defense has been a crux of their success, with only 162 yards allowed on the ground so far. 372 lb nosetackle Vince "Fat Fuck" Johnson has been a standout, plugging up the middle to the tune of 11 TFLs and 3 sacks. In the second level of the defense, the middle linebacker duo of redshirt freshman Ari Meikowitz and hometown kid Jack Peltman has been a huge surprise, combining for 74 tackles (16 TFL), forcing 4 turnovers between them.

THE OUTLOOK

INTERDIVISIONAL PLAY: TALL PEOPLE, NICOLE ESTERA, FELLOW PSEUDORUGBY CONNOISSEURS

With the end of the first round of divisional play, the Cadets prepare for arguably the hardest part of their schedule: The Starlight Division. All 4 Starlight schools are ranked within the NSCF's top 15, with Felswyr State leading the pack at no. 4 and the Drawkian schools bringing up the rear at 13 and 14 (Sadeg State and Cavsar, respectively). Staramara Tech, meanwhile, is dead middle at no. 10. Last year, SCSC managed a 3-1 record in that stretch, its only loss coming by one point at the hands of no. 1 ranked Felswyr State. The Cadets will hope to repeat this performance this year, which would virtually guarantee them a conference championship berth.

The strategy this time around is similar: run it down their throats and play as physical as they can within the rules (and possibly out of it when the refs aren't looking). Clock control is crucial to keep the (usually) explosive Starlight Division offenses off the field, especially in an offensive scheme that struggles to play from behind. Defensively, the Cadet's NSCF-leading unit will have to get to the quarterback quick to hide their deficiencies against the pass. The Cadets piggybacked off stellar defensive play against the Chromatik schools last year, and continuing that level of play will make or break the Cadet interdivisional campaign.

DIVISIONAL PLAY: THE BAD, THE UGLY, AND THE REALLY UGLY

The second round of divisional play will be entirely away games. Last year, they went 5-2 on the road, their only road losses occurring to Meinhard Ulrich University of Adelsstedt and UC-Prairie, with victories over Sadeg State and Staramara Tech among others. Having demonstrated their ability to triumph over the Delaclav schools, another embarrassing loss to NTNPCRU cannot happen if SCSC is to push for a second straight conference title game berth. Even despite a strong start, a loss at homecoming means the pressure is on to deliver later in the season.

While NTNPRCU has been a fairly consistent face in the Equinox division, winning its conference title berth with a losing record in NSCF 29, they've struggled since the entry of SCSC into the conference, along with MUUA during the previous cycle. Overall, they've been fairly mediocre, and to lose to them again in non-monsoon conditions would be a blight on the season. Meanwhile, the situation with the Delaclav schools hasn't been quite as clear-cut. While Vierne has cruised to a 2-1 record, they were victim to a one-sided 33-0 romp at the hands of the Cadets. The Supernovas of Grand Vista University played the Cadets much closer, but sit at 0-3 and all but out of the race for the division title. While SCSC should expect a win over NTNPRCU, and needs one against Vierne to secure a spot in the title game, GVU could potentially play spoiler to the Cadets' hopes.

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Thu Jun 20, 2024 8:15 pm

OOC: Will scorinate early tomorrow morning (~7 hours).

True North Sports

All-Quebecois QB Mick Chynoweth set to transfer to St. Croix, his eligibility season to be spent on NSCF-32 year

Serge Levinson-Bright

JOONGYEONG, JOONGYEONG FEDERAL PROVINCE - Former UPRI quarterback Mick Chynoweth has announced on social media this morning that he will be transferring to St. Croix. Chynoweth, who had contemplated heading into the QFL draft after the early end to his junior season, has decided to transfer to the Bleu et Blanc, where he will have one season of eligibility remaining.

'I would like to thank those at the UPRI for making my dreams come true as your quarterback for the three seasons,' Chynoweth said to the True North Sports. 'It has been an absolute pleasure to become a part of the program, where we have won two New Year's Six bowls, and while we haven't been able to follow it up with a coveted Tiger Bowl victory, there is no less pride in being part of the team.'

A native of Joongyeong, Chynoweth first declared for Northwestern before making his decision to follow his positional coach and recruiter Donalda Merriman, who had taken the UPRI head coach job that February, to the UPRI. In three seasons with the UPRI he had been one of the nation's most prolific passers, passing for 9,456 yards and 59 touchdowns in three seasons as a starters for the Thunderbirds, while also being named second-team all-Quebecois in his sophomore season.

After graduating from the UPRI in three years after the 2065 season, where his Thunderbirds had started out to a 6-1 start before faltering to a 8-4 record following his season-ending arm injury, Chynoweth declared for the Spring transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining. Most had speculated LNU, St. Croix, Songwha State and Yongma College to be the frontrunners for the sweepstake, which would prove to come true with Chynoweth's transfer announcement.

'I know that it's the right time and school for me to transfer, that's for sure,' Chynoweth told to the True North Sports. 'St. Croix runs with a tight ship set by the elite coaches in Tevita [Soakai] and Kenneth [Tshibangu], both of whom are very much proven in their field, and the system allows for me to become more patient and get accustomed to the grinds of professional football. Furthermore, I believe that with this program, I would be more than able to make major differences moving forward.'

This also adds intrigue to the St. Croix's positional depth, even while the Bleu et Blanc may be busy working on their own schedule with the NSCF spring football season. Pierre-Luca Gignac, whom Chynoweth had faced off twice in the Joongyeong all-state championship game back in high school, has already declared for the QFL draft, with the expectation that he be drafted in the second round of what's to be a class light on passers.

And while there will be two quarterbacks already in the depth chart in Kytlerian freshman John Rockford and junior Harvey J. Donnelly, neither deliver much certainty for St. Croix offence that, while primarily smashmouth in essence, intends to diversify in offensive options available. Rockford is a powerful short-yardage option who has seen playing time in seven games over the QIS season, and is expected to play his NSCF debut against Saguenay Fighting Irish on what's expected to be a difficult away trip. He, however, is not known for use in high-leverage and volume situations, which may or may not affect his chances in the immediate future. Likewise goes to Harvey Donnelly whom, while capable as an average starter for the upcoming season, will be running out of eligibility after the upcoming autumn's QIS season, and St. Croix's positional recruit for the upcoming season, Devon Chase, is also considered a project with her 6'6", 198 lb frame and accuracy issues that are covered by mobility.

With this in mind, Chynoweth's transfer to Bleu et Blanc could perhaps serve as a saving grace for Soakai's side that looks to stay in full contention for both the NSCF and the QIS. This perhaps affords St. Croix and Rockford additional time, as the freshman could choose to not only redshirt one of the two seasons in a rare move among Bleu et Blanc student-athletes, but also use the opportunity to study under Donnelly, a systems guy who is a modest pocket passer, and high-powered Chynoweth.

More is to be seen.

by **Cardenao** » Thu Jun 20, 2024 8:55 pm

Alexandria University Swordsmen

The Banijan couldn’t help but laugh as he stood out in the hallway. The sound of the boys celebrating in the locker room could probably be heard a mile away as they yelled, hooted, and hollered…he could even hear someone beating their chest like a gorilla, which just made him laugh even harder to himself. ‘That has to be Caden,’ he thought to himself, the junior defensive end was always acting like a maniac to hype his teammates up…it was definitely entertaining. Alanso Isa paused before he entered the locker room.

‘Two from two, not too bad.’

Beating Utah State University had almost been viewed as a joke by the media and the sporting world, a fluke result worthy of a laugh before being waived off as the randomest of results. Smashing BYU 56-16 though? ‘Let’s see them laugh this one off, eh?’

The sounds from the animals in the locker room grew even louder, 56-16, Alanso could hear plastic water bottles getting thrown about and used like drumsticks, ‘This is what it’s all about…damn it’s good to be back.’ He might be getting up there in age, but this old bull still loved being around the young bucks, they lads gave him life. Time to have some fun with it.

He slowly opened the locker room door and walked in with a completely emotionless face. The dressing room was trashed, some of the lads were doing a dancing line, some were shirtless slapping each other on the back, and at the center of it all stood Nick Singer, leaning back in a rolling chair tossing a football up in the air, his football for being the player of the game. Only 21 attempted throws but he completed 18 of them for a staggering 321 yards and five touchdowns, with Deacon St. John getting 103 of those yards and one touchdown on three catches, Alanso was definitely proud of that.

As the players noticed Coach looking stern and serious, it didn’t take long for a hush to fall upon the room…a silence that held for several seconds. Alanso looked at all of them, his players, his lads, scanning the room to make piercing eye contact with every single one of them.

“YEAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!” The suddenness of Alanso Isi’s victory yell shocked the players at first, but only for a second before the locker room exploded into a frenzy of celebrations. Yelling, screaming, dancing, cheering…and why not? They had just pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Big 8 history, that was worthy of celebration.

And so he danced the traditional Banijan dance that translated to “who’s your daddy BYU?” while the Swordsmen players did the same in the way they knew how to. Classic youth, getting caught up overly celebrating an absolutely unrepeatable victory before going into a massive match.

That’s right, they couldn’t afford to lose track of the bigger picture, a picture that seemed to be and was a laughable goal before the first match: Alexandria University will make the playoffs. The main obstacles? Brand new team with players forcibly relocated from another university to make this happen, while bringing in a new head coach and also doing zero outreach to build a local fan base. So now they needed to show these two victories really weren’t fluke results, so now they needed to show that the Swordsmen were legit.

So now they needed to beat LeBois.

LeBois Santura University Broncos

“Brett, last week you talked about how the perfect start to your career was no longer possible after a loss to BYU, LeBois’ biggest rivals. After an even more humiliating loss to Utah State this week, are you coming to terms with a more realistic vision of your Bronco career?”

“Man that’s a great question to get things started off with! (Chuckles) Look, of course this didn’t go the way I wanted it to, of course I wanted to beat USU because I know we can, we’ve done it before, we’ve got most of the same guys and we definitely have at least the same talent. My vision though? Haha that hasn’t changed, I came here to win a national championship and I know I’m going to win a national championship here.”

“Brett it was a tough day under center as you failed to find the endzone all game, something Bobby Dials never had a problem with. With a fifth of the season already in the rear view, how do you plan to lead LeBois to a meaningful season?

“Well hey, just like you said it’s all in the rear view. Now though, our view, we’re looking in the mirror, looking at us and what we do right and what we do wrong and I’d say we’ve been more unlucky than we’ve been wrong. Bobby was great man, I learned so much under him, I’m looking forward to writing my name as big as he did in LeBois’ story.”

‘Damn these questions were getting tricky…’

“Question here, what did you learn under Bobby Dials, the best quarterback in LeBois history?”

“Bobby? Big Dials? Wow, that’s someone you look to learn how to really run the quarterback position. What sort of throws to make and when, which triggers you should look out for so you know when to scramble and make something out of nothing…I’d say the biggest thing is how to be your quarterback in the sense that…play true to who you are as a quarterback?”

“Question here, considering that approach has led to no wins so far, what is your plan to do better?”

At this point in the press conference, Brett Hannah was starting to feel the pressure as his normal international rationalization of ‘hey I’m not quite BD but I’m good in my own way…I’m BH!’ ran into the reality of college football twice now with two losses. Still though, he knew one thing.

“My plan? [shakes head] Time to get things right and beat Alexandria, we’re #1 in Cardenao and we're gonna smack them down!”

Kinda cringe, kinda motivational……totally Brett Hannah.

Second High School Football Matchday Is Full Of Surprises, Read On For More!

Treasure Valley Triceratops 24-17 Riverstone International School Otters

The Triceratops came rampaging into a winnable game after their incredible victory against Brøgby and they pulled it off after a banger of a fourth quarter that saw both teams trade points in dramatic fashion. Sophomore quarterback Mike Saxton once again pulled back the curtain on his talent with his second Player of the Game award; he completed 13 of his 21 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, crazy good efficiency that earned him a social media shout out from current LeBois Santura quarterback Brett Hannah. Senior receiver Ja’mar Houston turned in a much better and more ‘accurate to his quality’ performance this week, 107 yards and a touchdown in only four catches is serious business. On the ground, P.J. Johnson was running wild for the Triceratops with 82 yards on 15 carries but it was sophomore David Jackson, wearing the #1 jersey, who perhaps had the most efficient night. One carry, one yard, one touchdown, easy as lad. Triceratops fans will be thrilled that senior linebacker Bobby Love’s hand injury ended up being minor and he was back in action tonight to the tune of seven (7) total tackles including three for losses. Sophomore LB Marcus Schroeder continued his hot start to the season as he led the Triceratops with eight total tackles with three for loss. A great win for the Triceratops who, after being predicted to finish 16th, find themselves with two wins from two. Nice!

For the Riverstone Otters, not winning was an unideal outcome but after going down 14-0 at halftime invites that sort of result. Their Player of the Game was senior WR Julius Whiteside who……take a bow son. 199 yards on 10/10 catching is vile work. No touchdowns sucks but one could argue Marcus McClure snagged one from your hands in the third quarter, still though it was a dominant performance. Junior QB Kanthony Marley hit nearly 70% of his passes for 276 yards but the Otters just couldn’t capitalize on it all, with his sole touchdown offset by a bad interception. Senior running back Daniel Love was pretty efficient as he gathered 60 yards and a seven (7) yard touchdown on eight rushes but it simply wasn’t enough to get the W. On defense, junior Brandon Gittens blew through the Treasure Valley scheme time and time again to the tune of ten combined tackles, while sophomore linesman Cade Knust chipped in with two huge sacks. Still though, the Otters couldn’t overcome a Triceratops team that is firing on all cylinders at the moment.

Quarterbacks:
Treasure Valley: Mike Saxton 13/21/61.9%/242 yards/2TD–2 sacks–133.4 rating

Riverstone: Kanthony Marley 25/36/69.4%/276 yards/1TD/1INT–4 sacks–89.6 rating

Rushing:
Treasure Valley:
RB P.J. Johnson 15 rushes/82 yards–5.5Y/A–15yd long
RB Antwuan Snow 7 rushes/31 yards–4.4Y/A–8yd long
QB Mike Saxton 6 rushes/14 yards–2.3Y/A–14yd long
WR Ja'mar Houston 1 rush/13 yards–13.0Y/A–13yd long
RB David Jackson 1 rush/1 yard–1.0Y/A–1yd long–1TD

Riverstone:
RB Daniel Love 8 rushes/60 yards–7.5Y/A–14yd long–1TD
RB Jake Meier 2 rushes/25 yards–12.5Y/A–13yd long
WR Julius Whiteside 1 rush/2 yards–2.0Y/A–2yd long
QB Kanthony Marley 4 rushes/-5 yards– -1.3Y/A–6yd long

Receiving:
Treasure Valley:
WR Ja'mar Houston 6TGT/4REC/107 yards–26.8Y/A–86yd long–1TD
WR Tyrell McClellan 3TGT/3REC/51 yards–17.0Y/A–26yd long
WR Parrish Jenkins 3TGT/2REC/39 yards–19.5Y/A–26yd long–1TD
TE Demetrice Blasingame 3TGT/2REC/31 yards–15.5yd long–18yd long
RB Antwuan Snow 2TGT/2REC/14 yards–7.0Y/A–13yd long
RB P.J. Johnson 2TGT/0REC
WR Daryl Criswell 1TGT/0REC
TE Matt Moore 1TGT/0REC

Riverstone:
WR Julius Whiteside 10TGT/10REC/199 yards–19.9Y/A–74yd long
WR Ryne Watson 4TGT/3REC/34 yards–11.3Y/A–16yd long
TE Billy Kay 6TGT/3REC/21 yards–7.0Y/A–16yd long
RB Daniel Love 2TGT/2REC/13 yards–6.5Y/A–8yd long
WR Marcus McClure 10TGT/6REC/8 yards–1.3Y/A–10yd long–1TD
TE Steven Wilkerson 3TGT/1REC/1 yard–1.0Y/A–1yd long
RB Terry Wilkinson 1TGT/0REC

Defense:
Treasure Valley:
LB Marcus Schroeder	5 solo/3 assisted/3TFL
LB Bobby Love 5 solo/2 assisted/3TFL
DL Messiah Woodson 1 solo/5 assisted/2TFL/1 sack
S Richard Young 2 solo/3 assisted/1TFL–1 pass defended
S Scott Cooperwood 4 solo/1 assisted/1TFL–1 pass defended
DL Mario Canty 3 solo/1 assisted/2 sacks
LB Zack Banks 2 solo/2 assisted/1TFL
CB Sebastian Rousseau 2 solo/1 assisted
OL Dontae Anderson 1 solo
OL Dexter Vaughn 1 solo
CB Tywan Dupree 1 assisted–1 pass defended/1INT/-4 yards
DL Terrance McLeod 1 solo/1 sack
S Mark Jackson 1 solo
OL Kelechi Clark 1 solo
CB Aj Phillips 2 passes defended
DL Andrew Nwankwo 1 assisted

Riverstone:
LB Brandon Gittens 6 solo/4 assisted
LB Alec McDonald 4 solo/3 assisted/1TFL
S Richard Bolducl 4 solo/2 assisted
DL Cade Knust 2 solo/1 assisted/2 sacks
S Lewis Thornton 3 solo/1 assisted–1 pass defended
LB Zach White 3 solo/1 pass defended
DL Trey Milan 3 solo/1TFL
CB Alexis Mac Siuhe 1 solo/1 assisted
S Josh Edmonds 1 solo/1 assisted
CB Christopher Wilmer 1 solo–1 pass defended
CB Jared Hawkins 1 solo
DL Jack Ruder 1 solo
OL Travis Lamb 1 solo
LB Marcus Delaney 1 solo
OL Ches Frazier 1 solo
OL 72Matt Phelps 1 assisted
RB Daniel Love 1 assisted

Glenelg Athletic Academy Dragons 10-20 Hatathia High School Pirates

Despite the scoreline showing a straightforward victory for Hatathia High, who scored 7-3-7-3 points per quarter and held the Glenelg Dragons to a scoreless second half. That being said, we’re going to take a look at Glenelg Athletic Academy in their first ever high school football game. They fielded a sophomore quarterback against the projected #3 seed Pirates and that went about as expected, with Anthony Simon only completing 15 passes for a smidge over 100 yards and zero touchdowns but two interceptions…and a sack……and two lost fumbles in one of the worst QB debuts in league history. With those sort of throwing numbers, it’s no surprise there weren’t any real receiving standouts…I mean junior tight end Artur Ryouichi, one of the best at his position, led the team with 29 yards. Nottttt super ideal! At least Anthony Simon made up with a bad passing display with a solid running game as he led both teams with 62 yards, including an 11 yard long–the 6’2 quarterback is surprisingly super speedy but hasn’t realized or been told what a weapon that can be. Senior running back Wesley Mack put up 45 yards and a two yard touchdown run, while fellow senior Nathan McDonald earned 10 carries as a ‘carve out 3.1 yards per attempt’ runner, a Role he filled to the R. Considering the superiority of the Hatathia offense, it’s no surprise that the Glenelg Dragons Player of the Game is a defender: sophomore D.J. Tucker recorded two sacks and three tackles for loss on six total tackles. Junior linebacker Maliek Davis put up eight total tackles with two tackles for losses, but the truth is his feast came off the chaos D.J. Tucker forced.

Forrrr the victorious Hatathia Pirates, they were very consistent with their scoring and overall gameplan, simply trusting their process as they cruised to a 2-0 start. The victory wasn’t without a major issue as star junior quarterback Stan Aniol Dereschi went down with an ankle injury after completing only one pass, a real dart for 27 yards, which meant senior backup Alex Watson was given the keys for the first time in a while and……it went kinda meh to be honest. 16 completions on 22 throws sounds good but he only managed 139 yards and zero touchdowns, but he did throw an interception and got sacked three times. Not a very promising display. Senior WR1 Anthony Black capitalized on the situation with seven (7) catches from nine targets for 84 yards; sure he didn’t score a touchdown but every single one of those yards led to advantageous situations for the Pirates. Realizing the air game wasn’t really working out, the Pirates went to the running game and…well the ground unit didn’t put up big numbers but they were meaningful! Junior back Antoine McNeely led the team with 35 yards, which doesn’t sound like a lot…because it isn’t…but each run play served a purpose and McNeely ran his role perfectly. With the offensive margins this narrow, the responsibility fell to defense to make the difference. Junior safety Mike Bowers answered the call with a career high ten total tackles with two for loss, while senior linebacker Brandon Melchionni smashed through the line for two tackles for a loss to help hold down an expected victory.

We expected Hatathia to win and so they did, newcomers Glenelg put on a good display but the difference in quality was clear.

Quarterbacks:
Glenelg: Anthony Simon 15/24/62.5%/105 yards/2INT–1 sack–2 fumbles lost—37.7 rating

Hatathia High: QB Alex Watson 16/22/72.7%/139 yards/1INT–3 sacks–70.1 rating
QB Stan Aniol Dereschi1/2/50.0%/27 yards–95.8 rating

Rushing:
Glenelg:
QB Anthony Simon 13 rushes/62 yards–4.8Y/A–11yd long
RB Wesley Mack 9 rushes/45 yards–5.0Y/A–12yd long–1TD
RB Nathan McDonald 10 rushes/31 yards–3.1Y/A–10yd long
WR Kaiden McQueeney 1 rush/9 yards–9.0Y/A–9yd long
RB Carter Hagen 1 rush/2 yards–2.0Y/A–2yd long

Hatathia High:
RB Antoine McNeely 10 rushes/35 yards–3.5Y/A–15yd long–1TD
RB Deonte Jackson 9 rushes/33 yards–3.7Y/A–8yd long
RB Rodrick Wiggins 1	 rush/1 yard–1.0Y/A–1yd long
QB Alex Watson 3 rushes/-9 yards– -3.0Y/A– -2yd long

Receiving:
Glenelg:
TE Artur Ryouichi 4TGT/3REC/29 yards–9.7Y/A–16yd long
RB Wesley Mack 6TGT/4REC/26 yards–6.5Y/A–10yd long
WR Kaiden McQueeney 3TGT/2REC/23 yards–11.5Y/A–14yd long
RB Carter Hagen 1TGT/1REC/12 yards–12.0Y/A–12yd long
WR Derik Okafor 5TGT/2REC/9 yards–4.5Y/A–8yd long
RB Nathan McDonald 1TGT/1REC/7 yards–	7.0Y/A–7yd long
WR Kendell Borland 1TGT/0REC/0 yards
TE Garrett Dever 3TGT/2REC/-1 yards– -0.5Y/A–4yd long

Hatathia High:
WR Anthony Black 9TGT/7REC/84 yards–12.0Y/A–27yd long
WR Leo Thornton 3TGT/3REC/43 yards–14.3Y/A–26yd long
TE Damarcus Koger 4TGT/3REC/20 yards–6.7Y/A–12yd long
WR Will Vaughan 3TGT/2REC/14 yards–7.0	8Y/A
TE Ed Sims 2TGT/2REC/5 yards–2.5Y/A–5yd long
RB Deonte Jackson 2TGT/0REC
WR Dan Brenner 1TGT/0REC

Defense:
Glenelg:
LB Maliek Davis 6 solo/2 assisted/2TFL–1 forced fumble
DL D.J. Tucker 5 solo/1 assisted/3TFL/2 sacks
S Tom Boyd 4 solo/2 assisted/1TFL
LB Billy Morris 4 solo
LB Keith Davis 2 solo/2 assisted
DL Will Taylor 3 solo
LB Barnold Toma 3 solo
S Ron Harrell 2 solo
DL Alain Massey 2 solo/1 sack
CB Josh Blankson 1 solo–1 pass defended/1INT/10 yards
OL Alonzo Eberhard 1 solo–1 fumble recovered
RB Wesley Mack 1 solo
OL Sheldon Brantley 1 solo
OL Amara Stamps 1 solo
OL Michael Sibley 1 assisted
DL Jack Clarke 1 assisted
RB Nathan McDonald 1 assisted
DL Kyle Carlton 1 assisted
LB Steven Hightower 1 assisted
CB Arrington Young 1 pass defended

Hatathia High:
S Mike Bowers 7 solo/3 assisted/2TFL
LB Vince Brown 3 solo/3 assisted/1TFL
DL Terry Garcia 3 solo/2 assisted/1 sack–1 forced fumble
LB Travis Williams 3 solo/2 assisted
S Scott Buckley 5 solo–1 pass defended
LB Brandon Melchionni 4 solo/2TFL
S Dondre Jordan 3 solo/1 assisted
DL Rafael Hazel 2 solo/1 assisted
LB Jason House 3 solo/1TFL
LB Pau van Goff-Icleson 1 solo/1 assisted–1 pass defended/1INT/0 yards
CB Will Lotulelei 2 solo/1TFL
CB Josh Smith 1 solo–1 pass defended/1INT/69 yards/1TD
DL Nick Thorpe 1 solo–1 forced fumble/2 fumble recoveries/12 yards/8yd long
OL Tanner Davis 1 solo
OL Jamel Jackson 1 solo
DL Torrey Hayes 1 solo
S Patrick Crawford 1 solo
DL Devin Allen 1 solo
DL Cody Lynch 1 assisted/1TFL

Alexandria High School Swordsmen 19-30 Brøgby Preparatory Academy Miners

After an embarrassing loss last week to the new coming Treasure Valley Triceratops, everyone knew the Brøgby Miners were coming for vengeance and they showcased that in a straightforward victory against Alexandria High. Sure, they would’ve liked to be more structured on defense, but the offense clicked thanks to senior running back Gavin Hall turning in a fantastic dual-threat performance. This lad is undersized at only 5’6 but he is fucking strapped at a muscular 185 pounds, still light but GAVIN ran for 75 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries and he added 70 receiving yards on five catches. Senior quarterback Evan Smith seemed way more comfortable throwing the ball this week as he let loose 42 throws…but he only completed 27 of them for 321 yards, not bad on the face, but only a touchdown AND an interception while Evan managed to get sacked four times too. The yardage is great, the pass attempts are bad but the completion rate, just about 65%, is alright too…it’s all there for him, he just has to add meaning/punctuation to those numbers. Wide receiver Brady Thomas was his big receiver this year as the senior went for 107 yards on 9/10 catches, I mean he absolutely blew onto the scene tonight! Junior receiver Devin Kitchen flashed his potential with 58 yards and a touchdown on two catches, but he unfortunately seemed to minorly sprain his ankle right after that. Saul Thomas III again flashed his potential as he went for 17 rushing yards and a touchdown while commanding five passing targets, though he only hauled in one for one yard. Sophomore kicker Hunter Ware was 3/3 from field goals with a 44 yard long. On defense, senior linebacker Khary Sowers had another solid game as he recorded ten total tackles and played a big role in keeping a lid on the Swordsman's offense.

Speaking of the Swordsmen, not a bad result against a vastly superior opponent, Alexandria High’s players can hold their heads high. Special shout out to junior running back Ammon McCauley for putting up 111 yards on 12 rushes including a 57 yard house call while also leading his team in receiving yardage with 34 yards. The air game was rough for the Swordsmen today as senior quarterback David Washington went out of the game in the second quarter and looks to be out for two weeks as he recovers from patellar tendinitis. I hate to say this, but that was probably a blessing for Alexandria High because Washington managed to throw three interceptions in 15 attempts. So in came freshman Johnny Pistola and it was slightly better as the kid completed eight of his 16 throws for 71 yards and a touchdown, adding 25 yards of rushing as well. Sophomore running back Corey Jones caught a 13 yard pass in the third quarter to record the Swordsman's only passing TD of the game. Looking at the defensive unit, the linebackers feasted with junior Bradley Furman recording 11 combined tackles and sophomore Devin Singleton adding ten of his own and an interception. Junior safety Christian Kolar was having a brilliant start to the game as he had ten tackles going into the second half but proceeded to sprain his ankle, meaning he’ll miss the next game.

While the margin of victory was narrower than Brøgby would’ve liked, their dominance over Alexandria High on the field was never in question.

Quarterbacks:
Alexandria High: Johnny Pistola 8/16/50.0%/71 yards/1TD–83.1 rating
David Washington 6/15/40.0%/18 yards/3INT–8.3 rating

Brøgby Prep: Evan Smith 27/42/64.3%/321 yards/1TD/1INT–4 sacks–85.5 rating

Rushing:
Alexandria High:
RB Ammon McCauley 12 rushes/111 yards–9.3Y/A–57yd long–1TD
RB Corey Jones 6 rushes/44 yards–7.3Y/A–13yd long
QB Johnny Pistola 3 rushes/25 yards–8.3Y/A–14yd long
QB David Washington 3 rushes/4 yards–1.3Y/A–5yd long
WR Matt Cassidy 1 rush/3 yards–3.0Y/A–3yd long
RB Will English 1 rush/-1 yards– -1.0Y/A– -1yd long

Brøgby Prep:
RB Gavin Hall 12 rushes/75 yards–6.3Y/A–11yd long–1TD
RB Saul Thomas III 7 rushes/19 yards–2.7Y/A–7yd long–1TD
WR D.J. Brown 2 rushes/9 yards–4.5Y/A–10yd long
QB Evan Smith 4 rushes/1 yard–0.3Y/A–6yd long

Receiving:
Alexandria High:
RB Ammon McCauley 4TGT/3REC/34 yards–11.3Y/A–24yd long
RB Corey Jones 4TGT/3REC/27 yards–9.0Y/A–13yd long–1TD
WR Matt Cassidy 5TGT/3REC/15 yards–5.0Y/A–14yd long
WR Jeff Beeman 3TGT/1REC/10 yards–10.0Y/A–10yd long
RB Will English 1TGT/1REC/4 yards–4.0Y/A–4yd long
WR Christian Jeanpierre 4TGT/0REC
WR Corey Casimir 1TGT/0REC
TE Matthew Colburn 1TGT/0REC
TE Brandon Shelley 8TGT/3REC/-1 yards– -0.3Y/A–1yd long

Brøgby Prep:
WR Brady Thomas 10TGT/9REC/107 yards–11.9Y/A–19yd long
RB Gavin Hall 8TGT/5REC/70 yards–14.0Y/A–22yd long
WR Devin Kitchen 2TGT/2REC/58 yards–29.0Y/A–48yd long–1TD
TE Devin Spears 5TGT/4REC/44 yards–11.0Y/A–18yd long
WR D.J. Brown 7TGT/5REC/42 yards–8.4Y/A–19yd long
RB Saul Thomas III 5TGT/1REC/1 yard–1.0Y/A–1TD
TE Steven Johnson 1TGT/0REC
WR Michael O'Reilly 4TGT/1REC/-1 yards– -1.0Y/A– -1yd long

Defense:
Alexandria High:
LB Bradley Furman 8 solo/3 assisted–1 pass defended
LB Devin Singleton 6 solo/4 assisted/2TFL–1 pass defended/1INT/3 yards
S Christian Kolar 5 solo/5 assisted/1TFL
S Hayden Woodson 4 solo/2 assisted/1TFL–1 pass defended
LB L.T. Harris 4 solo/1 assisted
DL Trent Tuggle 2 solo/1 assisted/1TFL/1 sack–1 safety
DL Braxton Weaver 3 solo/1 sack
LB Bryce Kingston 3 assisted/1TFL
DL Michael Scaife 2 solo/1 sack
S Nick Crawford 2 solo
CB Alphonso Stengel 1 solo–1 pass defended
OL Jonas Craig 1 solo
OL Brandon Swift 1 solo
WR Christian Jeanpierre 1 solo
DL Tyler Fannin 1 solo/1 sack
DL Dezman Davenport 1 assisted
DL Henry Eriksson 1 solo–1 pass defended
OL Earl Davis 1 solo
CB Jordan Taylor 2 passes defended

Brøgby Prep:
LB Khary Sowers 6 solo/4 assisted/1TFL–1 pass defended
DL Guy Harrison 5 solo/1 assisted/1TFL
LB James Anderson 4 solo/2 assisted
LB Tim Tauaefa 4 solo/2 assisted/1TFL
S Alex Martinez 3 solo/2 assisted/1TFL
S Tanner Parker 2 solo/1 assisted–2 passes defended/1INT/6 yards
DL Abraham Dove 3 solo
LB Austin Wallace 1 solo/2 assisted/1TFL
DL Ralph Little 1 solo/1 assisted
S Corey Wood 1 solo/1 assisted
DL Tyler Morley 1 solo/1 assisted
OL Samuel Milner 1 assisted
RB Gavin Hall 1 assisted
DL Spencer Waters 1 solo–1 pass defended
CB Brannon McKenzie 1 solo–1 pass defended/1INT/2 yards
OL Levon Bradley 1 solo
OL Steele Nordman 1 solo
CB Reggie Lowe 3 passes defended
S Colin Lewis 1 pass defended/1INT/4 yards

Ficilian Point High School Seabirds 27-6 Academia Cardonia Golden Knights

Ficilian Point High came into their first game of the season against an Academia Cardonia side chasing their first win after a painful loss last weekend. Unfortunately for the Golden Knights, their pain was set to be extended as they failed to compete against the Seabirds, going down 27-6 in a thoroughly one-sided spanking as Ficilian Point looked like men amongst boys. Sophomore quarterback Elijah Bartholomew looked decent in his first career start as he completed 26 passes for 213 yards including a laser for a seven (7) yard touchdown. Senior receiver Mitchell Russell caught all six of his targets for 75 yards, while senior TE Chris Henry recorded the most targets (11) and catches (7) though he only went for 50 yards. Senior star receiver Andrew Legnfish, long considered one of the best WR prospects in Cardenaoan football, caught all four of his passes for 33 yards and a touchdown, but he unveiled a new aspect to his game as he led the Seabirds in rushing as he went for 56 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, enough to win the Player of the Game award. Actual running back Kelton Hutson put up 44 yards on 11 carries while Elijah Bartholomew rounded the day out with 15 yards on 5 attempts. Shoutout to sophomore returner Preston Mitchell who returned a punt 91 yards to the house for six points. Freshman linebacker Dana Dalton made the most of his limited time on the field to lead the Ficilian Point defense with nine tackles, three for loss, and a sack, not too bad kid!

For Academia Cardonia, the Golden Knights are off to a very rough start after losing their first two matches. It was so bad they didn’t even score a touchdown! All of this from the pre-season second ranked team, just terrible. Sergi Tipton, their senior quarterback, not a great day. 21 passes for 171 yards all for him to just throw an interception. Junior WR Jack Caver led the team with 63 yards while senior running back Andrew Kun Wah Lee showed off his versatility with 22 receiving yards and 27 rushing yards. That being said…for someone considered to be one of the best running backs in the league, that statline is pretty dreadful and AKWL has a lot to prove heading into the remainder of the season. Full praise to junior punter David Sneed for putting five of his six points into the 20 or deeper, with a 50 yard long. The Golden Knights spent most of the game on the backfoot so it’s no surprise that their player of the game is junior linebacker Jeremy Ruff with his 14 total tackles. Fellow LB Ben Karr had a good day at the office too as the freshman recorded 10 combined tackles to bring him to 19 for the season, very impressive not gonna lie!

For Ficilian Point, it’s the perfect start; for Academia Cardonia, the Knightmare continues.

Quarterbacks:
Ficilian Point: Elijah Bartholomew 26/34/76.5%/213 yards/1TD/1INT–3 sacks–89.5 rating

Academia Cardonia: Sergi Tipton 21/34/61.8%/171 yards/1INT–2 sacks–62.3 rating

Rushing:
Ficilian Point:
WR Andrew Legnfish 13 rushes/56 yards–4.3Y/A-10yd long–1TD–1 fumble
RB Kelton Hutson 11 rushes/44 yards–4.0Y/A–10yd long
QB Elijah Bartholomew 5 rushes/15 yards–3.0Y/A–10yd long
WR Kyle Vasey 1 rush/4 yards–4.0Y/A–4yd long

Academia Cardonia:
RB Andrew Kun Wa Lee 7 rushes/27 yards–3.9Y/A–12yd long
RB Ben Brittain 5 rushes/9 yards–1.8Y/A–8yd long
WR Ricky Daniels 1 rush/3 yards–3.0Y/A–3yd long
QB Sergi Tipton 1 rush/-3 yards– -3.0Y/A– -3yd long

Receiving:
Ficilian Point:
WR Mitchell Russell 6TGT/6REC/75 yards–12.5Y/A–16yd long
TE Chris Henry 11TGT/7REC/50 yards–7.1Y/A–14yd long
WR Andrew Legnfish 4TGT/4REC/33 yards–8.3Y/A–16yd long–1TD
RB Kelton Hutson 4TGT/4REC/22 yards–5.5Y/A–12yd long
WR Kyle Vasey 6TGT/4REC/22 yards–5.5Y/A–7yd long
TE D.J. Hicks 2TGT/1REC/11 yards–11.0Y/A–11yd long
WR Eric Goss 1TGT/0REC

Academia Cardonia:
WR Jack Caver 6TGT/5REC/63 yards–12.6Y/A–23yd long
WR Ricky Daniels 7TGT/5REC/33 yards–6.6Y/A–19yd long
RB Andrew Kun Wa Lee 6TGT/3REC/22 yards–7.3Y/A–9yd long
WR Keaton Miller 5TGT/3REC/21 yards–7.0Y/A–24yd long
TE Joseph Givens 2TGT/1REC/16 yards–16.0Y/A–16yd long
RB Ben Brittain 7TGT/4REC/16 yards–4.0Y/A–6yd long
WR Tony Woodson 1TGT/0REC
WR Michael O'Reilly 4TGT/1REC/-1 yards– -1.0Y/A– -1yd long

Defense:
Ficilian Point:
LB Dana Dalton 3 solo/6 assisted/3TFL/1 sack
LB Darren Driscoll 5 solo/2 assisted/1TFL
LB Jeff Banks 2 solo/4 assisted/1TFL
DL Logan Aguilar 3 solo/3 assisted/1TFL/1 sack
S Ryan Howard 3 solo/1 assisted–2 passes defended/1INT/6 yards
OL August Toirdhealbhach 2 solo/1 assisted
S Brian Shelley 1 solo/2 assisted–2 passes defended
CB Preston Mitchell 1 solo/1 assisted/1TFL
DL Sylvester Mills 2 assisted
DL A.J. Hickman 2 solo/1TFL
DL Erik Larson 1 assisted/1TFL
CB Shaun Williams 1 solo
DL Jordan Moore 1 assisted
LB Parker Coleman 1 assisted
OL Antoine Wilhite 1 assisted

Academia Cardonia:
LB Jeremy Ruff 10 solo/4 assisted/2TFL
LB Ben Karr 5 solo/5 assisted
DL Jude Way 5 solo/3 assisted/TFL–1 forced fumble
LB Jason Egger 5 solo/2 assisted/1 sack
S Chase Futrell 5 solo/1 assisted–1 pass defended
DL Kelly Bateman 4 solo/1 assisted/1TFL/1 sack
DL Will Bagby 3 solo/2 assisted/2TFL–1 fumble recovered/8 yards
S Brendan Gray 1 solo/3 assisted
DL Darryl Richardson 1 solo/1 assisted/1 sack
RB Andrew Kun Wa Lee 1 solo/1 assisted
CB Brandon Simon 1 solo–1 pass defended
CB Trevor Rose 1 solo–1 pass defended
LB Malik Fuller 1 solo
S David Noland 1 solo
OL Richard Oliver 1 solo
CB Trae Phillips 1 pass defended/1INT/2 yards
OL Joey Boston 1 assisted
OL Joe Minter 1 assisted
TE Joseph Givens 1 assisted
RB Ben Brittain 1 assisted
OL Damon Haney 1 assisted

Timberline High School 10-31 Obyedako High Blue Devils

The Obyedako Blue Devils opened their season in a game with an opponent who had something to prove after losing their first game. It was a rough loss to Skyview last week, but it really was a humiliating loss this week to the Blue Devils. At no point did Timberline look like get anything going, something not helped by QB Alex Hickman cooking up a not great performance. 161 yards on 18 attempts while getting sacked twice? Yikes…not really a surprise the Pack lost with their alpha playing like that. Junior receiver Ryan Tully led the receiving group with 55 yards on three catches but that’s really all to report in the air game but the running game wasn’t much better. Junior back Demitri LeCroix put up 32 yards on six rushes while Alec Hickman scored on a five yard run………not a whole lot to write home about on the offensive side of the ball, so it’s no wonder it was a defender who won their player of the game award. Senior linebacker Luke Welton followed up a 10 combined tackle performance with a…10 combined tackle performance, eight solo including a seven (7) yard sack.

For the victorious Obyedako Blue Devils, this is exactly how you want to start the season. Junior quarterback Raymund Fitzgerald showed right out the gates as to why he’s the best dual-threat quarterback in the league as he put up 238 passing yards and four touchdowns on 19/26 passing, though that did include an interception, while also leading both teams in rushing with 60 yards in 12 attempts. Notttt too bad lad, only two more yards and you could’ve broken the 300 yard mark but that seems inevitable over the course of this season. Junior wide receiver Earl Gardner pulled in all six of his targets for 67 yards and a touchdown, but surprisingly it was sophomore tight end Jayson Williams who led both teams in receiving yardage as he posted 69 yards and a 20 yard touchdown on four catches. That being said, it was fellow sophomore TE Jeremiah Lewis who caught both of his targets for 12 yards and…twooooo touchdowns baby! That’s how you do it! Junior running back D’Von Glover backed up Raymund Fitzgerald in the running game as he logged 60 yards, but the big surprise was senior tight end Isiah Zanelli logging nine rush attempts (!!!) for 25 yards, craziness from a TE best known from his catching. On the defensive side of the ball, not a whole lot to be done for the Blue Devils to be honest. Junior linebacker David Wilstead lead his team with nine combined tackles and a tackle for loss, but it was fellow LB, the sophomore Brion Woods, who had the most impactful game with five tackles and two for loss in a limited snap count.

For the Timberline Wolves, this is exactly the sort of start to the season you didn’t want to happen, or probably didn’t even think could happen! For the Obyedako Blue Devils, helllllll yeah! This is exactly the way you want to kick off your season!

Quarterbacks:
Timberline: Alec Hickman 18/30/60.0%/161 yards–2 sacks–74.4 rating

Obyedako High: Raymund Fitzgerald 19/26/73.1%/238 yards/4TD/1INT–3 sacks–124.7 rating

Rushing:
Timberline:
RB Demitri LeCroix 6 rushes/32 yards–5.3Y/A–12yd long
RB Chris Robertson 4rushes/9 yards–2.3Y/A–7yd long
QB Alec Hickman 2 rushes/5 yards–2.5Y/A–5yd long–1TD
RB Jayce Morales 1 rush/-2 yards
WR Rex Andrews 1 rush/-4 yards

Obyedako High:
QB Raymund Fitzgerald 12 rushes/60 yards–5.0Y/A–13yd long
RB D'Von Glover 12 rushes/60 yards–5.0Y/A–12yd long
TE Isiah Zanelli 9 rushes/25 yards–2.8Y/A–13yd long
RB Micah Davis 1 rush/-2 yards– -2.0Y/A– -2yd long
WR Orlando Thomas 1 rush/-3 yards– -3.0Y/A -3yd long

Receiving:
Timberline:
WR Ryan Tully 6TGT/3REC/55 yards–18.3Y/A–22yd long
TE Patrick Hansen 6TGT/4REC/44 yards–11.0Y/A–15yd long
WR Terrell Pringle 7TGT/3REC/27 yards–9.0Y/A–21yd long
TE Frank Jones 3TGT/3REC/16 yards–5.3Y/A–11yd long
RB Chris Robertson 4TGT/2REC/7 yards–3.5Y/A–6yd long
WR Rex Andrews 2TGT/2REC/7 yards–3.5Y/A–5yd long
RB Demitri LeCroix 2TGT/1REC/5 yards–5.0Y/A–5yd long

Obyedako Blue Devils:
TE Jayson Williams 6TGT/4REC/69 yards–17.3Y/A–20yd long–1TD
WR Earl Gardner 6TGT/6REC/67 yards–11.2Y/A–18yd long–1TD
RB D'Von Glover 2TGT/2REC/41 yards–20.5Y/A–33yd long
WR Orlando Thomas 5TGT/3REC/36 yards–12.0Y/A–19yd long
TE Jeremiah Lewis 2TGT/2REC/12 yards–6.0Y/A–9yd long–2TD
WR Evan Graves 2TGT/1REC/7 yards–7.0Y/A–7yd long
TE Isiah Zanelli 3TGT/1REC/6 yards–6.0Y/A–6yd long

Defense:
Timberline High:
LB Luke Welton 8 solo/2 assisted/10 total/1 sack
LB Chaz Allen 5 solo/1 assisted/6 total/1 sack
CB Steven Sheehan 4 solo/1 assisted/5 total/1TFL–2 passes defended/1INT/2 yards
DL Elmo Cisarinho 4 solo/1 assisted/5 total/1TFL
S Byron Jackson 3 solo/2 assisted/5 total/1TFL
LB Rasheed McNeal 3 solo/1 assisted/4 solo
LB William Miller 3 solo/1 assisted/4 solo
DL Justin Miller 3 solo/1 sack
DL Mark Aston 2 solo/1 sack
DL Raymond Butler 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total/1TFL
LB Chris Handy 2 solo
S Ryan Cullen	2 assisted
DL Gino Atchison 2 assisted
S Jordan Kemp 1 solo
P Jesse Sherrod 1 solo
CB Adrian Davis 1 pass defended

Obyedako Blue Devils:
LB David Wilstead 6 solo/3 assisted/9 total/1TFL
S Doug Campbell 4 solo/2 assisted/6 total/1TFL–1 pass defended–1 forced fumble
LB Brion Woods 4 solo/1 assisted/5 total/2TFL–2 forced fumbles
S Bryson Martinez 1 solo/2 assisted/3 total–1 pass defended–1 fumble recovered/5 yards
DL Korey Neill 2 solo/2 total/1TFL
DL Willie Jenkins 2 solo/1 sack
DL Rory Rucker 2 assisted/2 total–1 forced fumble
LB Cliff Simmons 2 solo/2 total/2TFL–1 fumble recovered/-2 yards
DL Matt Grady 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total/1 sack
LB Aaron Corchiani 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total
CB Malcolm Tagovailoa 1 assisted
S Daryus Pegues 1 assisted
CB Bryan Macon 2 passes defended–1 fumble recovery/4 yards

Escuela Nacíonal DCPF Footballers 24-11 Mokuleia Island High Red Raiders

Here we go! A great matchup between a Mokuleia Red Raider side chasing their second victory in a surprisingly hot start to the season while La Escuela sought to continue their expected winning start to the season. While Mokuleia Island High ‘won’ the first quarter 0-3 and quickly made it 0-6 in the second quarter, the Footballers quickly got it together and smashed home 17 points before the end of the half…a trend that didn’t end until the final scoreboard read 24-11 in a pretty comprehensive victory for La Escuela despite junior QB T.J. Browning spraining his ankle in the final minutes of play. Before that, he completed 20 of his 28 pass attempts, which sounds pretty good, but that was only good for 125 yards and a 12 yard touchdown…not enough! Sophomore QB Ryan Cooper came into the game and immediately got his shit rocked by Zaiden Montreclair for a four yard sack. Senior receiver Stone Foster led his team with 33 receiving yards while junior Johnathan Jackson caught his single target for a 12 yard touchdown. When it came to running the ball, junior back Neiko Yamm was having a hot game with 57 yards and a 20 yard touchdown rush on eight attempts; freshman Johnuary Idaho came in and put up 28 rushing yards and nine receiving yards as the boy flashed his potential. Big ups, once again, to junior kicker Jaxon Larrañaga for hitting his single field goal from 40 yards out before knocking down all three of his point-after attempts with ease. Defensively, senior linebacker Terry Thomas smashed it to the point of winning the Player of the Game award as he recorded 14 total tackles including two for losses, while fellow LB Richard Fink recorded 11 as the sophomore was all over the field. A great defensive display from La Escuela to solidly put them on the winning path.

For the losing Red Raiders, not a bad display at all a week removed from a surprising victory against Alameda High. La Esceula was always predicted to win this matchup and, well, they delivered on that, but still it was a good showing from Mokuleia Island High. Sophomore quarterback Akumo Manuwai definitely tried to do too much as he recorded 47 pass attempts, only completing 28 of them for nearly 260 yards and one interception. That’s right, 47 throws all for zero touchdowns, not great Bob! Senior receiver Jairelle Kalani led both teams with 71 yards while star junior WR Joey Ma’afala only put up 41 yards on 4 catches, though he did lead both teams in rushing with 60 yards on 13 attempts, quite the (versatile) day at the office for the lad! Freshman kicker Marao’olo Kamasaki had a phenomenal kicking day as he smashed home all three of his field goals, not too shabby! On the defensive side of the operation, senior linebacker Terrel Mahuka won their player of the game award thanks to his 11 combined tackles that included three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Senior safety Antwon Barnett had a good day out there too as he recorded four solo tackles and assisted five others, for five combined tackles.

La Escuelaaaaa! Great result for the footballers as they look to push deep into the postseason. Mokuleiaaaaa! Just keep doing your thing, the results are definitely going to come.

Quarterbacks:
La Escuela: T.J. Browning 20/28/71.4%/125 yards/1TD–1 sack–92.1 rating
Ryan Cooper 1 sack–0.0 rating

Mokuleia Island: Akumo Manuwai 28/47/59.6%/258 yards/1INT–4 sacks/1 fumble–65.7

Rushing:
La Escuela:
RB Neiko Yemm 8 rushes/57 yards–7.1Y/A–20yd long–1TD
RB Johnuary Idaho 8 rushes/28 yards–3.5Y/A–11yd long
QB T.J. Browning 2 rushes/15 yards–7.5Y/A–8yd long
RB Andrew Dixon 3 rushes/12 yards–4.0Y/A–6yd long
WR Jonathan Jackson 1 rush/8 yards/1TD
WR Stone Foster 1 rush/6 yards
WR Taylor Jones 1 rush/-3 yards

Mokuleia Island:
WR Joey Maʻafala 13 rushes/60 yards–4.6Y/A–13yd long
RB Ka'hleel Makaio 9 rushes/56 yards–6.2Y/A–11yd long
QB Akumo Manuwai 2 rushes/18 yards–9.0Y/A–12yd long–1 fumble
RB Mathis Lahela 2 rushes/0 yards–0Y/A–3yd long

Receiving:
La Escuela:
WR Stone Foster 6TGT/4REC/33 yards–8.3Y/A–13yd long
WR Taylor Jones 6TGT/4REC/26 yards–6.5Y/A–13yd long
TE Chris Gilbert 6TGT/4REC/23 yards–5.8Y/A–15yd long
RB Andrew Dixon 4TGT/3REC/14 yards–4.7Y/A–7yd long
WR Jonathan Jackson 1TGT/1REC/12 yards–12.0Y/A–12yd long–1TD
RB Johnuary Idaho 2TGT/2REC/9 yards–4.5Y/A–6yd long
TE Jacob McMillan 1TGT/1REC/5 yards–5.0Y/A–5yd long
RB Neiko Yemm 2TGT/1REC/3 yards–3.0Y/A–3yd long

Mokuleia Island:
WR Jairelle Kalani 9TGT/6REC/71 yards–11.8Y/A–29yd long
WR Brock Lefau 8TGT/6REC/42 yards–7.0Y/A–10yd long
WR Joey Maʻafala 8TGT/4REC/41 yards–10.3Y/A–17yd long
TE Kainao Savaiinaea 8TGT/4REC/32 yards–8.0Y/A–19yd long
TE DeShon Sagapolutele 3TGT/2REC/25 yards–12.5Y/A–15yd long
RB Ka'hleel Makaio 8TGT/3REC/22 yards–7.3Y/A–16yd long
WR Anthony Johnson 2TGT/2REC/21 yards–10.5Y/A–18yd long
RB Mathis Lahela 1TGT/1REC/4 yards–4.0Y/A–4yd long

Defense:
La Escuela:
LB Terry Thomas 10 solo/4 assisted/14 total/2TFL
S Kevin Jenkins 6 solo/6 assisted/12 total–1 pass defended/1INT/8 yards
LB Richard Fink 10 solo/1 assisted/11 total–1 forced fumble
CB Trevor Gowins 6 solo/3 assisted/9 total/1TFL–2 passes defended
LB Morgan Thompson 3 solo/2 assisted/5 total
DL DeMarcus Willard 3 solo/1 assisted/2 sacks
LB Frank Wingate 3 solo/1 assisted/4 total/1 sack
DL Koldo Davis Montremari 3 solo/1 sack
DL Garrett Tate 3 assisted
S Eric Mulkey 3 solo
CB Keenan Terrell 2 assisted–1 pass defended
DL Seth Herron  2 assisted
CB Parker Butler 1 forced fumble
S Thad Nunley 1 forced fumble
S Jakai White 1 assisted
LB Landry Stuart 1 solo
DL David O'Sullivan 1 fumble recovered/7 yards
CB Cody Fay 1 pass defended

Mokuleia Island:
LB Terrel Mahuka 8 solo/3 assisted/11 total/3TFL–1 forced fumble
S Antwon Barnett 4 solo/5 assisted/9 total
LB Sam Robertson 3 solo/4 assisted/7 total/2TFL
S João Kaloloua 3 solo/3 assisted/6 total–1 pass defended
LB Jacob Abreu 5 solo/1 assisted/6 total/1TFL
CB Aaron Masswana 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total
DL Mason Muaau 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total/1TFL/1 sack
DL Zaiden Montreclair 2 solo/1 sack/1 safety
DL Dru Ford 2 assisted
LB Ben Hao 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total/1TFL
DL Dugan Timoteo 1 solo
CB Ho'ola'i Pane'e 1 solo–1 pass defended
LB Justin Nakanaelo 1 assisted

by **Drawkland** » Thu Jun 20, 2024 10:05 pm

Big Eight & Celestia
Week 3

Still late, but at least we're not bringing up the rear this time!

BIG EIGHT
Cold Hill University (RAN) 24–22 Richardson University (RAN)
Novan Institute of Technology (AVI) 34–38 Ranoria State University (RAN)
LeBois Santura University (CAD) 20–26 Alexandria University (CAD)
Bingham Young University (UTA) 26–3 Utah State University (UTA)

# Everless Division                    Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
2 Richardson University (RAN)            3    2   1   132   48  +84
3 Cold Hill University (RAN)             3    2   1    75   72   +3
4 Ranoria State University (RAN)         3    2   1    95  111  −16
8 Novan Institute of Technology (AVI)    3    0   3    51  122  −71


# Evermore Division                    Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Alexandria University (CAD)            3    3   0   115   60  +55
5 Bingham Young University (UTA)         3    2   1    79   86   −7
6 Utah State University (UTA)            3    1   2    51   68  −17
7 LeBois Santura University (CAD)        3    0   3    56   87  −31

CELESTIA
University of Loyola-Istria (BAN) 27–20 Northern Moravica University (BNJ)
College of Maresda (RST) 38–23 Islamic University of Busoga (BUS)
Université du Saguenay (QUE) 17–19 Université St. Croix (QUE)
University of Raijin-shi at Miraisaki (KMJ) 62–10 Janque North College (JAE)

# Savannah Division                            Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
2 Islamic University of Busoga (BUS)             3    2   1    65   66   −1
3 University of Loyola-Istria (BAN)              3    2   1    76   53  +23
5 Northern Moravica University (BNJ)             3    1   2    62   59   +3
7 College of Maresda (RST)                       3    1   2    61   86  −25


# Sequoia Division                             Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Université St. Croix (QUE)                     3    3   0    99   30  +69
4 Université du Saguenay (QUE)                   3    2   1    88   68  +20
6 University of Raijin-shi at Miraisaki (KMJ)    3    1   2    97   84  +13
8 Janque North College (JAE)                     3    0   3    37  139 −102

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Fri Jun 21, 2024 6:23 am

Mineral and Zephyr Conference - Week 3

Cutoff.

Mineral Conference:

Heartland Division
Nikarsuk University (IMP) 13–27 University of the Commonwealth of Baker Park (CBP)
Trent State University (TJU) 16–15 Green City University (TJU)

# Heartland Division                                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 University of the Commonwealth of Baker Park               3   2  1   79  50 +29
2 Nikarsuk University                                        3   2  1   60  66  −6
3 Trent State University                                     3   1  2   45  71 −26
4 Green City University                                      3   1  2   62  59  +3

Boreal Division
University of Columbus-Prairie (DHE) 40–19 Université nationale de Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer (UNC)
Alexandroupolis University (NGS) 16–0 Constantinople University (NGS)

# Boreal Division                                          Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Constantinople University                                  3   2  1   53  61  −8
2 University of Columbus-Prairie                             3   2  1  102  77 +25
3 Université nationale de Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer         3   1  2   81  92 −11
4 Alexandroupolis University                                 3   1  2   73  79  −6

Zephyr Conference:

Legends Division
Crpostown University (CRN) 34–29 Jozan University (VAI)
Royal Military College of Seville (HDR) 19–27 Universidad Politécnica Autónoma de Metro-Boca Rana (SGU)

# Legends Division                                          Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Universidad Politécnica Autónoma de Metro-Boca Rana         3   3  0  141  29 +112
2 Crpostown University                                        3   2  1   65  89 −24
3 Jozan University                                            3   1  2   63 112 −49
4 Royal Military College of Seville                           3   0  3   43  82 −39

Celestial Division
Raynor University (VAL) 26–6 Mar Sara Tech (VAL)
Bowerstone University (ATH) 40–23 Cherco University (ASN)

# Celestial Division                                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
1 Raynor University                                           3   2  1   60  55  +5
2 Mar Sara Tech                                               3   2  1   63  50 +13
3 Bowerstone University                                       3   1  2   70  71  −1
4 Cherco University                                           3   1  2   66  83 −17

by **Busoga Islands** » Fri Jun 21, 2024 11:23 am

The Lakiska Daily

Caracals 'brought back down to Earth', and 'humbled', as the College of Maresda smacks them around in Week 3 shellacking

Caracals players walk off the field following their first loss of the season

MARESDA, RESTRESAS- "That, my friends, was an old-fashioned whupping." Aigo started press conference with that opener. "They were more motivated, more prepared, and just more ready. Every man and woman on that team beat us individually and as a unit- from the player matchups, to the coaching matchups, and we have got to take ownership of that." When a coach is so blunt about his own team's poor performance, how do you possibly dispute that? The College of Maresda, who looked so helpless against the Banijan schools that the Islamic University beat, more than held their own in this one- they came out and dominated.

Going into the game, this was seen as a classic trap game, a let down game. Two massive games in a row for the Islamic U, a stunning start against a pair of rivals. But, especially in college, it's hard to regulate those emotions. The emotional highs of those wins- first win in Herzegovina City in 62 years, storming the field after an upset over the 3 time NSCF champions Loyola, can go into let down mode. Those let downs can happen, especially for these newer NSCF schools. What separates the top tier schools in this competition, from the rest, is that those simply do not happen. Schools like Richardson, Cold Hill, Felswyr State, etc... an almost disgusting model of mad efficiency. The Islamic U isn't there yet- and that is how to explain this result.

"We were not as focused in practice, not as driven, we got lacksadasical- that's how results like this happen." Aigo told reporters. And while some may say that the team got a bit unlucky, allowing both a special teams TD and a pick six before Maresda picked up even a single first down on offense, that poor first quarter wasn't due to simply bad luck- it was due to being outplayed. Our kicker boomed the game's opening kickoff, with the returner fielding it a yard deep. But the Squirrels were able to set their blocks, and their returner stiff-armed one of our coverage guys into the ground en route for that long touchdown. And see what went wrong on the pick six. Our LT got bowled over at the snap, allowing them to get early pressure. The pressure caused a miscommunication- not wanting to throw it away on 3rd down, Ersoy threw outside. But he had to throw it a beat too early- well overthrowing the receiver, and allowing the CB to catch the pass and sprint back down the sideline.

When, on Maresda's 2nd possession of the game, they went 4/4 on 3rd down (all from 6+ yards), you knew that this simply was not going to be the Islamic University's day. Not many teams can survive going down 21-0 in the first quarter, especially when the opposing team is at home and has scored one TD each on Special Teams, defense, and offense. Credit to the Caracals- they didn't give up. A 4th & goal TD to make it 21-7. Another field goal to make it 21-10 at half. But that was the closest it would be, as Maresda raced ahead again, leading 31-10 at the end of three quarters, and earning a 38-23 win. A lot to be said- but, there's something about having to face adversity. "Look, obviously, things have gone well for us so far- that game was a kick to the mouth." Aigo told reporters. "Sometimes, you simply do not know what your team is made of until they get kicked in the face, and you have to respond. As a coach, realistically, this is where we get paid. When things are going well, things are going well- everybody loves those. But when you get shit kicked, and then you have to get up and play 7 days later? That is where the money is made."

The road does not get any easier for the Busogans. They will play their second of three straight road games next weekend, traveling to Kamijiro to face Raijin-shi at Miraisaki. While they sit at 1-2, they are a very dangerous team, making this a tossup for betting and prediction analysts. The home team has an explosive offense, showcased by their 62-10 win over Janque North College this past weekend that really seems to jumpstart their campaign. They love to whip the ball around, and play with speed in space- frequently lining up in the pistol, and letting their do-it-all QB, Kohei Morizawa, take the reigns. That will be a challenge for the defense to stop. We may have slowed down both NMU and Loyola, yes, but it's a different sort of challenge- the Islamic U struggled mightily against the Maresda offense. That sort of regression needs to be stayed if they are to have any chance in this game.

They are still in first place in the Savannah, of course, via a tiebreaker- a good place to be after 3 games, although they'd rather be 3-0 and in first place outright. If they can get the offense going a little bit... They will be a force to be reckoned with in week 4. They will open as 2.5 point underdogs.

Islamic University Head Coach Julian Aigo, the Monday of Week 4, Team Meeting

Julian Aigo was walking around the locker room, pissed off. This stuff did happen in sport- less so at the professional level. It was part of the adjustment of going back down to the college ranks from the GFLB- those big, in-game emotional swings effected things more in college. Things like momentum mattered more. The motto of 'when it rains, it pours', it matters more. It's the job of the coach, however, to stabilize the team when things are going wrong. And he was frustrated with many things. With himself, of course- you don't go down 21-0 in a game where you are two possession favorites if things are not failing basically on all fronts. And, of course, with the players. The ecstasy of the first two wins had gotten to the players heads. For the first time in about 15 years(since their last BCSG national championship), they had truly been the big men on campus. And with the players not really used to having that experience, many had enjoyed it.

Now, of course, he had seen reports come into his coaches about players indulging in it. Players partying into the night on Friday, of course, was one thing. But it was what happened after that, which worried him. A couple of players had missed Monday morning classes, because of the after-effects of spending the entire weekend partying. Players were less focused, less disciplined, during practices. He even saw a tackle basically falling asleep during film study. The players thought, look- they beat both Banijan schools, Maresda had gotten rocked by both, ergo, by the transitive property, they should be far better than Maresda? All they'd have to do was turn up, right? And here was what happened, in the NSCF, if you just turned up without the discipline, and work ethic, to properly prepare for your opponent- you got bopped straight in the mouth.

"What the hell did I tell you guys last week?" Aigo said to his team. They looked around, in silence. They knew he was pissed off. "This isn't Busogan domestic gridiron. This isn't even the BCSG. This is the g-d damn NSCF> There are no days off in this competition. There is a standard in this competition, and everybody who is in it is capable of meeting that standard. Even a Maresda that didn't do shit in their opening two weeks of the season. They horse kicked us straight to the face, and let me put it simply- we deserved it. This loss did not happen on Saturday. This loss happened Monday-Friday. We were not focused. We were not prepared. We all let the standard that we set for ourselves slip- we were not disciplined, we were not as focused, and we got what we deserved. This game has a way of rewarding those who put into it, and if you put shit in, you're gonna get shit out."

He had the attention of every single one of his players. "Look, I was a young man too who played college football. I get it. You want the glory. The girls. The plaudits. The fame. Some of you want to get drafted in either the GFLB or the RFL. Or, of course, even the QFL. But unless you perform on Saturday, none of that comes. And look, you all know- success is so hard to build, day by day, while a couple of bad decisions can take everything down. You know boys, that's why I said to the media, this loss is a good thing." They looked around, surprised. He repeated himself. "This loss is a good thing. Or, can be a good thing. Don't get too high on yourselves. Taste defeat. What we learned this past week is that we have a ways to go, a ways to grow, if we want to show the world that we are on this level."

"Look, on the other side of the water is a bunch of people who think that we are shit, just because of where this University is located. Now, this trip to Kamijiro, it is going to be a pivotal game. Not just in the standings- it is more than that." He paused again. "It is not about who is in first place in the Savannah in week 4- I'm not really worried about division standings. It is about proving a point. Can we get up from an ass-kicking? Can we deal with the ups and downs of a full NSCF season? If we cower at the first sign of trouble, at the first sign of adversity, and simply fall apart... Well, this school has already had one team go 2-11 in this competition, and we will join them. But no. It's up to us to take the lessons. This goes to the players, the coaches, recruiting staff- every single damn person in this building. People are writing us off. We are better than what we showed- and the Lightning are going to witness that."

He stopped. "Everybody- stand up!" All the players stood. He broke it down. "WHO ARE WE??"

"CARACALS." The players boomed back.

"MOTHER FUCKERS. I SAID. WHO. ARE. WE!!" The head man yelled back.

"WE ARE C. A. R. A. C. A. L. S." The players boomed.

"THE BEST OF BUSOGA!" The head coach yelled.

"THE BEST OF BUSOGA!" They boomed back. Was this enough to get through to them? He sure hoped it was. Their toughest games were ahead of them- they needed another road win to get this thing back on track...

by **Auld-Statd** » Fri Jun 21, 2024 5:27 pm

Behind the Blacktips: With Jack Kleman and Brian O’ Hallie

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Kleman: “I am your wondrous host Jack Kleman. We’d like to welcome you to…”

Kleman: “Behind the Blacktips! …I thought you'd join in.”

O’ Hallie: “And this is my co-host, Brian O’Hallie! See that's what I was waiting for.”

Kleman: “You're just in a bad mood again this week, you've been so up and down recently.”

O’ Hallie: “Just like the Blacktips offense!”

Kleman: “As upper middle class white women follow the stars to decide how to feel, so does Jack O’Hallie with the Blacktips offense.”

O’ Hallie: “And this is all just to leave out the defense's performance. Letting Bowerstone score 40 points is insane.”

Kleman: “They are a good team, their offense has been potent throughout the season so far.”

O’ Hallie: “So much for a shootout…”

Kleman: “Ricard didn't have it this weekend. He threw 2 more interceptions and 2 touchdowns. In between those two touchdowns there were nothing but field goals. Our two TDs went to Frankie Walker and Melvin Nelson.”

O’ Hallie: “Way to get the 4th string involved.”

Kleman: “Ricard threw just 12/19, and Anderson couldn't get anywhere.”

O’ Hallie: “K.O. (Kalil Owens) did a lot better though and had his best so far this year. He averaged 4 yards a touch somehow!”

Kleman: “What…What was that man?”

O’ Hallie: “What?”

Kleman: “The stats are my thing!”

O’ Hallie: “Your thing is making me say things with you in unison!”

Kleman: “No it's not! It's the stats, it's always been the stats!”

O’ Hallie: “Relax man you can have two things, you're the host after all.”

Kleman: “Oh wow aren't you so generous…”

O’ Hallie: “So give me some defense stats!”

Kleman: “Uh, we don't really have very many. The only notable player was Sammy Sanchez, who stuffed the RB for 2 tackles for a loss.”

O’ Hallie: “Not a good defensive showing this week.”

Kleman: “Not at all… the defense let up 374 yards of offense and 4 touchdowns.”
O’ Hallie: “Terrible, just terrible. Beat like a rented mule on both sides of the ball… By Bowerstone! Their record is no better than ours! We gave them their first win of the season in the fishbowl!”

Kelman: “It was a bad one this week, but I have high hopes for next week. The Blacktips will play at the Royal Military College of Seville.”

O’ Hallie: “The 0-3 Knights! That's the perfect game to get them back on track!”

Kleman: “Well, we just played a team that was winless and lost… maybe winless teams are our kryptonite…”

O’ Hallie: “I get to be the negative one, not you!”

Kleman: “If I'm the ‘make my co-host say things in unison’ guy, then you'd better try harder at being negative or else I'm gonna take your notable attribute.”

O’ Hallie: “Stats boy isn't taking anything from me! I just happen to have a lack of confidence in our opponents this week.”

Kleman: “Sure, but if the Blacktips get to .500 4 games into a 10 game season, they are gonna have a rough time getting into a top spot. They really didn't have that kind of competition in the Schoolympics.”

O’ Hallie: “Well putting that into perspective makes me less excited, but still I believe they will win!”

Kleman: “As do I. Let's talk about our MVPs of the ga-”

O’ Hallie: “Hold on, hold on! If you're gonna take my thing, then I'm taking yours. Our MVP of the game is…”

Together: “K.O.!”

O’ Hallie: “I knew we'd be the same.”

Kleman: “Well there weren't many other players to pick!”

O’ Hallie: “Ya this week was easy.”

Kleman: “Next week's MVP will be Frankie, bet on it.”

O’ Hallie “Oh you wanna start the bets this early in the season? You know I can't resist.”

Kleman: “Put your money where your mouth is.”

O’ Hallie: “50 Acorns says it'll be Anderson!”

Kleman: “And if neither one of us is right?”

O’ Hallie: “Then we’ll trade 50s.”

Kleman: “I'm in! If you wanna see who wins this week's bet, be sure to tune in next week for Behind the Blacktips! I've been your host Jack Kleman, and this is my co-host Brian O’Hallie…”

O’ Hallie: “Have a good night everybody!”

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by **Drawkland** » Sat Jun 22, 2024 3:08 pm

"The Gadget Play"

Brooklyn Beck’s shot would come one week later, a couple hundred miles down the road. She was not going to be the starter, but things were prepared for her in practice that week. She would be getting at least one snap in Roy Memorial Stadium. Of course, there was always the chance that Sadeg State gets out to a huge blowout win like last year, giving her the chance to have an actual drive or two to herself in garbage time.

Oh wait, Jimmy Chapman is at the helm. There’s no way State was going to go up by more than two scores against Cavsar.

Roy Memorial Stadium was filled with a crowd that was tentatively excited. Gladiators and Skyhawks did not like each other, and both fanbases wanted to win this game badly. Still, the Cavsar home crowd seemed to lack that usual biting edge they did when facing State. Let’s face it, nobody wants this matchup to be one between two 0-2 teams.

The Gladiator faithful’s faith was challenged early. Their offense got the ball first, but turned it over on downs right outside field goal range. A few snaps later, Tristan Batts bowled over a Cavsar linebacker and broke away for nearly fifty yards, finally pushed out by Victor Kennedy inside the five yard line. Sadeg State was set up nearly on the goalline, and Batts battered his way into the end zone on 3rd down to open up the scoring, 0-7 Sadeg State.

For the rest of the first half, the defenses locked back down. Logan Oakley, who was a contender for NSCF MOP last edition until approximately Week 7, was looking just as ineffective as he’d looked for the first two games of the season. Cavsar’s running backs weren’t getting any separation, keeping the Gladiators behind the chains and forcing Oakley to make deep passes that the defense was adequately prepared to stop. The good news for Cavsar is that Sadeg State wasn’t pulling away, but the complete ineptitude was not encouraging.

Despite this, the Cavsar crowd was still roaring whenever Sadeg State got the ball. The Skyhawks didn’t return to the red zone until very late in the second quarter. With time waning in the half, they approached the end zone slowly. The Gladiator faithful bellowed even louder when Sadeg State broke the huddle on 1st and Goal from the 8 yard line and noticed it was not Jimmy Chapman, but Brooklyn Beck lining up behind center in the pistol.

Brooklyn took a deep breath as she kicked her leg and went into a simple cadence. This was just a simple play, but it was her first real snap of NSCF action, in Cavsar of all places, in an important moment of the game. She just had to do her job.

She clapped once, then twice. Theo Rodrigo snapped the ball to her, and she caught it without issue. She set her feet, and twisted her torso to the side as Tristan Batts shot forward towards her, ball held in front of her.

Brooklyn looked up at the line. Her read was Kyle Leclerc, a linebacker who was at the end of the defensive line for the snap. Leclerc eyed Brooklyn carefully, and stopped in his tracks to keep her from moving.

That was the read Brooklyn was looking for. She passively let the ball go, allowing Tristan Batts to secure it fully and power to the left side of the line. Leclerc went running after him as Brooklyn took a couple half-hearted steps to the right to sell the option. With Leclerc a few steps behind, Batts had the room to grab a couple yards on the ground, though he was still downed at the five.

Brooklyn hustled off the field and Chapman came back in to relieve her. There were only 45 seconds left on the clock, and it was still waning. Sadeg State was out of timeouts for the half, so it had to be quick. Chapman and the Skyhawk offense already knew the playcall, so he hustled them to the line and got the snap. Batts got the ball again, but the Cavsar front stuffed him.

There was no time to waste. Chapman gathered the offense quickly, got the play set, and snapped the ball again with time ticking down. Almost immediately, the Cavsar defensive line got penetration. Chapman barely had time to think before there were two Gladiators in his face. He desperately burst to his right to escape the pocket, trying to outpace the linemen long enough to get the ball off. He thought he saw Bennie MacIver open for a moment, but double-clutched. A split-second later, Grady Finch sent Chapman directly into the turf. He was lucky the ball didn’t pop free. Even so, the clock was still running, and the offense was entirely out of sorts on fourth down.

“Kicking unit GO!” Brand Manlio screamed at the sideline, and the special teamers rushed onto the field. The offense hustled as quickly as they could, but Chapman was lagging behind. The seconds seemed to tick in double time as the crowd cried chaotically. An instant before the long flicked the ball to the holder Erik Hugo, the referee blew the whistle to end the half. State didn’t get their field goal attempt off, and the teams went into the locker rooms with the score still just 0-7 in State’s favor.

Coach Manlio mostly blamed himself for mismanaging the clock at the end of the half, but that was no excuse for how the offense failed to capitalize that final drive of the second quarter. The defense was playing great and just needed to hold serve, but it was the offense that would have to put the game away. You can’t force your defense to pitch a shutout to get a win.

State would get a couple more scoring opportunities, reaching the red zone twice in the third quarter. Both times, Brooklyn got a single snap around the 10 yard line. Both times, it was an option play, and Brooklyn read it correctly. She only kept the ball once, scampering for a couple yards before taking a glancing side tackle from Simon Stablum. Both times, the Skyhawks failed to score. The first one ended with a blocked field goal, and the second one was punctuated by a Jimmy Chapman interception in the end zone (an excellent one-on-one pick by Mel Kitchens over Kastor Armati).

After going into the fourth quarter still scoreless and down by seven, Cavsar’s offense finally woke up. A drive that started in the third quarter ended early in the fourth with a field goal, thanks to an excellent third-and-long pass from Oakley to get the ball back into field goal range. Sadeg State punted on their next drive, pinning Cavsar deep, but Oakley was heating up. Down by four, ball inside the ten yard line, Logan Oakley began a drive that went the length of the field. Nathan Street caught two huge passes on third and long to keep the drive alive, and the Gladiators finally got into the end zone when Oakley found Jarred Wallace with a short bullet pass over the middle. Luke Harlan tanked into the end zone on the two-point conversion play, and all of a sudden, Cavsar was leading 11-7.

This would not do. The Skyhawk defense had been great all game, but they had been on the field a lot and were starting to wear down. It was time for Chapman and the offense to pick them up, and that’s exactly what happened. Despite the best efforts of the Gladiator defense, the Skyhawk offense marched down the field, burning a nice amount of clock, and getting ever-closer to the end zone. Sadeg State cruised into the red zone, but once again the pace slowed down once they were there. They were down 4 points, as well. A field goal could be a death sentence if Cavsar’s offense was able to hold onto the ball for the rest of the game. They had to reach paydirt.

Brooklyn was beginning to feel nervous. Not only was the game situation getting tight, but she knew that her big moment could be coming any second. She stood with her helmet in hand on the sideline with the rest of the offensive substitutes, ready at a moment’s notice like Coach Manlio told her to be. Once again, Chapman failed to keep the ball moving once they reached goal-to-go, and the running back committee wasn’t getting any separation.

After a first-and-goal run got stuffed, Brooklyn held her breath. She didn’t hear anything from Manlio, though. The offense came back into the huddle, and she exhaled slowly. She wouldn’t be running her gadget play after all. There was no way that Coach Manlio would call a trick play on third down with the game potentially on the line. The offense came out of the huddle as usual. Chapman got the ball from the shotgun, and threw an incompletion. Brooklyn sighed with annoyance, but-

“Beck!” Coach Manlio barked suddenly, breaking Brooklyn’s train of thought. A jolt went down her spine, and the adrenaline flooded into her system. She looked over, seeing the coach motion her to the field. Chapman was already trotting back to the sideline. She was wrong. Manlio apparently had the balls to run a ridiculous trick play on third down. He was trusting her with a play that had a chance to decide the game, one way or another.

“Go get ‘em B!” Luca McCauley, the backup center, clapped Brooklyn on the back in encouragement. Almost automatically, Brooklyn shoved on her helmet and jogged quickly towards the huddle. She already knew the call.

“We runnin’ it?” Ruben Daly, the senior fullback, asked.

“Yup.” Brooklyn replied simply, but she went through the full play name anyway. The offense broke off, and Brooklyn carefully walked into the pistol. The fullback Daly stood directly to her right, and the halfback Fierro stood behind her. She tried to steel her nerves against the pressure. The atmosphere in Roy Memorial Stadium was as rowdy as it had been all day. This play had a ton of moving parts. All Brooklyn had to do was focus on her job. Get the read. Get into position. Get the ball in and out cleanly. Deep breath.

The snap came in. Brooklyn held the ball out for Fierro to take on the option. As he got the ball, Brooklyn faded behind by a few steps, dropping her arms and seeming to slow to a halt.

Fierro got to the line, but stopped, spun around, and tossed the ball back to the fullback Daly, who was moving laterally from left to right. The Cavsar D-lineman reading the play was caught off guard. As soon as Daly got the ball, Brooklyn sprung back into action, running the same direction as Daly, who jerked his shoulder like he was going to turn the corner around the line. The movement was enough to pull both Cavsar defenders nearby towards him. Daly suddenly untucked the ball, turned his head, and shoveled the ball behind him, where Brooklyn caught it in stride.

The entire stadium, including Cavsar’s defense, turned their heads in shock. A second lateral? Cavsar’s pursuing defenders were too far from Brooklyn, who pulled the ball up to her chest. It wasn’t even a run, it was a pass! Far too late, the attention shifted to the end zone, where Bennie MacIver was wide open. Still running to her right, Brooklyn fired the ball to her tight end, and hit him right in the numbers. Touchdown Skyhawks.

The fraction of the stadium from Sadeg (or pretty much anywhere besides Cavsar) exploded into cheers, while the rest gave a collective groan. It was insane! A trick play from the freshman quarterback who hadn’t even thrown a pass that season, and Cavsar had fallen right into it. The PAT was up and good, and before they’d even finished processing what they’d just witnessed, Cavsar was down by three points.

Brooklyn pumped her fist when MacIver caught the pass, and immediately went to high-five Daly and Fierro on their way back to the sideline. Their pitches were perfect, and they’d executed the play just like it was drawn up. Now with a lead and the clock waning, it was just time for the defense to get one more big stop.

For the next five minutes of gametime, it felt like that one stop wasn’t coming. Oakley was officially slinging the ball again, looking like the player he was last NSCF season. Even though time was running short and the Skyhawk defense keying on the pass, Oakley still distributed the ball quickly and effectively, only throwing one incompletion in 10 straight passes to get the ball down to the red zone. The score was 11-14, and as the Gladiators approached the end zone, a win seemed inevitable.

Then the Skyhawk defense clutched up.

On first and goal, a run by Luke Harlan was stuffed. On second and goal, Oakley fired a ball which bounced off the hands of Traylor Kingsley in the end zone. On third and goal, Oakley zipped a ball to Jarred Wallace over the middle, but State’s Lester Johnsen closed the gap and ripped into Wallace before he could stretch for the goalline. Suddenly it was fourth and goal from just outside the one yard line, and under a minute left.

Surely Cavsar would go for the field goal and take the game to overtime? No chance. This is a team that never kicks PATs. This is a team that goes for it on fourth and short over 85% of the time. The Gladiators are raw aggression. Head coach Scott Linhart kept the offense out on the field. They would win it here.

Logan Oakley hunched under center in the I-formation. He barked once, twice, then the third time he got the ball and immediately plunged forward. QB sneak! The Skyhawk defensive front surged back, forming a wall right in front of the goalline. For three seconds that felt like three minutes, both lines desperately attempted to get enough leverage to turn the tide as Oakley buried himself in the pile. The referee blew their whistle. The ball was downed. Oakley came out of the pile, but the arms did not go up. They were stopped short. Perhaps only an inch or two, but short all the same. Turnover on downs.

The Skyhawk sideline leapt in celebration, and the offense grabbed their helmets and ran onto the field once they realized they had to finish this game. It was only a three-point lead, and still over a minute to go, now backed up against their own end zone and Cavsar still had two timeouts to burn. This situation would have to be handled with the utmost care.

Jimmy Chapman handed the ball to Tristan Batts for two downs. He drove out of the end zone, but barely made headway against the fired-up Cavsar defensive front. Coach Linhart called his timeouts, taking only 10 seconds off the clock after two downs. Batts got the ball one more time, but again couldn’t get more than a couple yards against the Gladiator front. Now it was fourth down, and the ball was still only at the 4 yard line. Even with the forty seconds draining from the clock between downs, there would still be about 20 seconds for Cavsar to try and drive back into field goal range. Not to mention, punter Erik Hugo would be stuck with a shorter field than usual to attempt a punt. At best, Cavsar would receive the ball at midfield with a chance to return and even run a couple plays nearly in field goal range by default. At worst, the snap could be botched and Cavsar could dive on the loose ball for an instant six points. Brand Manlio told Hugo to eat it instead.

So, with the Gladiator crowd desperately cheering for a miracle, Erik Hugo received the snap cleanly, and did nothing. He held the ball tightly for a few seconds, until someone from the Cavsar special teams unit finally broke through his block and forced Hugo to step out of the back of the end zone.

An intentional safety. Sadeg State gave up 2 points to push Cavsar back by 30 yards

At first, some of the home crowd cheered, but it quickly quieted down as the ramifications were realized. Sure, it was 13-14. Now a simple field goal would be a game-winner in Cavsar’s favor. But only 21 seconds remained on the clock, and now Erik Hugo trotted out with the kickoff team to execute the safety punt. Instead of getting the ball about a first down away from field goal range, Cavsar would now be getting the ball well on their side of midfield. Hugo loaded up and booted the ball as deep as he could manage. Novatim returner John Henrick received the ball and tried his best to get downfield, but he was downed around the 35 yard line.

Logan Oakley was now 25 yards away from the slightest glimmer of field goal range, 15 seconds away from the game being over, and had 0 timeouts in his back pocket. It was dire, but the Gladiators had to try and steal a win.

He knew that Sadeg State was going to be guarding the sidelines, so he decided to go all-or-nothing. With the first snap, Oakley waited a few seconds for his receivers to get downfield, then threw one over the middle to Colton Gorman. Since most of the defense was on the boundaries, Gorman was able to roam for a gain of almost 20 yards before being taken down.

There were now seven seconds on the clock. The chances of getting a play off and the ball downed in range for a field goal attempt before the clock hit zero weren’t worth thinking about. The clock had been stopped for the first down sticks to move, in accordance to college rules, and the Gladiator offense already knew the assignment. From the 46 yard line, Cavsar went into the hail mary formation.

Brooklyn had been standing right on the edge of the sideline around midfield as the final 30 seconds of game time progressed. She watched as none other than Julian Gallagher jogged to the line, on the end of the formation. She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t help herself.

“GAME ON THE LINE! DON’T YOU DROP IT, JUUUULES!” She heckled loudly. Brooklyn didn’t know if Julian heard her over the din of the stadium, but she could’ve sworn she saw his left hand clench into a fist.

As soon as the ref let go of the ball, the center snapped it to Oakley and the race to the end zone was on. Skyhawks and Gladiators converged in the end zone, Oakley shifted across the pocket to avoid the three-man rush, and he chucked the ball deep. It arced high, falling to the corner of the end zone like a bomb.

The ball was not caught. It bounced off the sea of hands and spun backwards, up for grabs again. Nobody was positioned far enough to get to the ball as it spun away … except Julian Gallagher. The spin made the ball float even further than expected, forcing Julian to stab his right hand quicker than he wanted to. It glanced off his fingertips and fell harmlessly away out of bounds. The whistles rang out. Game over. Sadeg State survives, 13-14.

It almost felt pathetic, a team now 1-2 celebrating the win so heavily. Even so, the Skyhawk football team was pumped up as they slapped hands and asses on the sideline. The teams began converging in the middle of the field for the typical postgame congratulations.

Logan Oakley and Jimmy Chapman met at midfield and exchanged a cordial handshake and backpat that only lasted a couple seconds. Brooklyn noticed from nearby, and Oakley caught her glance. He changed direction and walked right towards her once he disengaged from Chapman.

“Nice play, kid.” Oakley offered his hand to Brooklyn just as he had to Chapman.

“Thanks.” Brooklyn took it and bumped shoulders with Oakley without a second thought. “Way to make me sweat it out at the end there.”

“Would’ve preferred to generate blood or tears instead, but what can you do.” Oakley twisted into a wry smile. “Let’s hope our meeting in week ten is a little more important in the standings, eh?” Oakley leaned closer. “And I do mean our meeting.”

Brooklyn nodded, but Oakley was gone almost as soon as the words left his lips. She shook hands with a couple of other Cavsar players, hugged a couple of her own teammates, and decided to start heading back to the locker room. When she turned to grab her helmet from the bench, she saw Julian standing a few yards away. They locked eyes for a moment. Julian looked away an instant later, and he immediately took off for the Cavsar sideline.

She turned to watch him go. For a moment, she considered running after him to apologize, or offer some sort of condolence, but the moment was cut short.

“Hey, thanks for bailing me out tonight.” Jimmy Chapman had appeared out of nowhere, barging into Brooklyn’s line of sight.

“Oh, uh, you’re welcome.” Brooklyn immediately plastered on an awkward smile. “Just glad I got a few touches tonight.”

“For sure. Hey, a win’s a win, right? No matter how ugly.” With that, Chapman wandered back to the sideline to grab the rest of his belongings.

When Brooklyn turned back towards the Cavsar sideline, Julian was nowhere to be found.

(O.O) · by **TJUN-ia** » Sat Jun 22, 2024 3:37 pm

Rivalry. Sometimes, it can make the world go around. Our rivalry with Hapilopper is a pretty good example of that. But inside TJUN-ia, there is only one rivalry that matters...Trent State vs Green City. The Earth Trophy. The Feathercaps and Royal Eagles only play internationally in the NSCF, not in the NSCAA or the NSCH, so when these two meet in one of the two Rivalry Weeks the NSCF has, all of TJUN-ia stops still to watch. Of course, the main driver of this rivalry is NAU vs AU, one that has plenty of historical contexts to go off, but all 10 of TJUN-ia's regions have to pick sides and that just adds to the rivalry.

Entering this 13th edition of the rivalry, both teams were desperate for this win...and you could feel it both in Notts and in Green City. TSU had gone 0-2 in their road double-header and while there was still faith in Johnny Bridgeford and Jessica Daniels, going 0-3 to start the year could push that faith to breaking point...and everyone knew it. GCU, on the other hand, pulled off a brilliant win over UCBP before getting dragged down to earth by debutants Niakursk. Paul Abdullahi knew all too well that small slipups could snowball into a disaster and a lost season, so he was hopeful that Alisha Obi Michel could get this team back on track by reclaiming this prize.

This game was always going to be tense, considering recent results and the desperation to get a win on the board, but the game that ended up being produced was arguably the best Earth Trophy game of them all...despite the fact only a combined 31 points were scored. The first half was a sign of things to come, a brutal war of attrition that set up a dramatic conclusion. AOM struck the only blow of the 1st Quarter, finding Harrison Jeffers for the TD with Colleen Fletcher Christian getting the PAT, but the hosts didn't want to simply let them take the glory and Jessica Daniels broke through herself to score a response...which involved a 2-point Conversion to Yurilka Zelinskaya. TSU led 8-7 heading to the break.

The second half was just pure chaos. The 3rd Quarter was a siege TJUN-ia had rarely seen before, a maddening duel between two teams that wanted the blood of the other...and one that was to reach a chaotic conclusion. AOM started the 4th by finding Yassan Namnganda for another TD but this time, she walked in the 2PC to add to the pressure. 15-8. The rest of this quarter would be a slog but all led to a 3rd and Goal with 5 seconds to go. Jessica Daniels had the ball and after taking a few steps back, she fires towards the endzone. As the clock hits 0:00, her throw crosses the plain...and finds the waiting arms of one Catherine Alcaraz-Cortéz. 14-15. A tie and OverTime were for the taking but Johnny Bridgeford wanted to prove a point...and so, to the shock of many the crowd, he declared he was going for two. He wanted to win this game right then and there. One untimed down to decide everything. Daniels took the ball and looked for a split second...looking for her unexpected target. While the lines of scrimmage merged and the backs and wideouts duelled, no one noticed the Halfback, Xi Jiening, heading straight across her line of sight and preparing to pivot for the corner. In an instant, she committed to the move and hurled it towards Xi....who made sure her foot was inside the endzone before she collected the ball in her hand. Fortune Eze didn't see it coming. Aeryn Anulao didn't either. But Bridgeford, Daniels and Xi did...and that was all it took. 16-15. Ballgame. The Earth Trophy had been defended by a walk-off conversion. The field storm was well underway. Both teams would leave Notts 1-2.

SCHEDULE (MINERAL Conference, Heartland Division + 3 Non-Conf)
Week 1: @Niakursk (IMP) L 19-23 (0-1)
Week 2: @UCBP (CBP) L 10-33 (0-2)
Week 3: vs Green City (TJU) - Earth Trophy XIII W 16-15 (1-2)
Week 4: @Constantinople (NGS)
Week 5: @Columbus-Prairie (DHE)
Week 6: vs Alexandroupolis (NGS) - Homecoming
Week 7: vs UNSJJSM (UNC)
---------------------Mineral Division Rematches---------------------
Week 8: vs Niakursk (IMP)
Week 9: vs UCBP (CBP)
Week 10: @Green City (TJU) - Earth Trophy XIV
Week 11: Conference Championship Week
---------------------Non-Conference---------------------
Week 12: TBC
Week 13: @Ranoria State (RAN)
Week 14: TBC

SCHEDULE (MINERAL Conference, Heartland Division + 3 Non-Conf)
Week 1: vs UCBP (CBP) W 27-19 (1-0)
Week 2: vs Niakursk (IMP) L 20-24 (1-1)
Week 3: @Trent State (TJU) - Earth Trophy XIII L 15-16 (1-2)
Week 4: @Alexandropolis (NGS)
Week 5: @UNSJJSM (UNC)
Week 6: vs Constantinople (NGS)
Week 7: vs Columbus-Prairie (DHE) - Homecoming
---------------------Mineral Division Rematches---------------------
Week 8: @UCBP (CBP)
Week 9: @Niakursk (IMP)
Week 10: vs Trent State (TJU) - Earth Trophy XIV
Week 11: Conference Championship Week
---------------------Non-Conference---------------------
Week 12: TBC
Week 13: TBC
Week 14: vs Jozan (VAI)

by **Ranoria** » Sat Jun 22, 2024 8:35 pm

Quick Hitters:
- Viktor Rowles led a game winning drive to break a 5-game Buffalo losing streak against Richardsonm creating a three-way-tie among the Ranorian squads in the Everless
- Paul Shepherd continues to impress as the lead man for Ranoria State, with four touchdowns against the reeling Novan Institute
- Governors RB Ragnar Sampson ran in two scores in a losing effort against Cold Hill, bringing his season tally to 7
- Going into interdivisional play, Alexandria - coming off an NSCAA championship - has escaped unscathed through the first leg of the Evermore division

Ranorian Football League - 2039 Playoffs

National Conference
Herot Paladins 13-3
New Quebec Fighters 12-4

Ranoria City Silver 12-4
Edmunton Eagles 10-6

Fiston Redwolves 11-5
Rouyoute Aurora Knights 10-6

Ranorian Conference
Madison Gladiators 13-3
Berlin Snow Bears 12-4

Apollotown Sabers 10-6
Highport Hawks 10-6

Mariana Tigers 11-5
Vancouver Yeti 9-7

Wild Card Round

Ran City Silver vs Rouyoute Aurora Knights

For the Aurora Knights their championship window was already coming to a close, and in this one, it was slammed shut in their face. The Silver weren't willing to let veteran Ballast Queen retire on a high note, picking him off four times and taking a 41-3 lead before Queen at least got to go out with a touchdown pass with a minute to go in the game.

Ranoria City Silver 41–10 Rouyoute Aurora Knights

The Redwolves are one of the league's most successful teams in recent memory, with a pair of championship wins and another appearance on top of it. That said - they aren't used to playing on the road in the playoffs. Lane Proudfoot is a World Bowl champion. Jack Hoy is one of the best running backs the sport has ever seen, and Gideon Kearse is certainly the best active player in the world. And then there's some guy named Blake Zuercher.

The Redwolves were marching early - Proudfoot reluctantly ripped a pair of touchdown passes, and it seemed from there that they would let Jack Hoy take it the rest of the way, up 17-3. Instead, Governor alumni RB Elliot Roach would be the spark that the Eagles needed. At all of thirty years and two months old, he broke through the line, stiff armed a linebacker, blasted through a defensive back, and none of the other guys in the secondary really wanted a piece of him - these guys sure as hell miss Proko.

Proudfoot didn't look concerned (but when does he?), hitting rookie Demeco Burns for a deep ball to flip the field. With Jack Hoy disco dancing his way down to the new line of scrimmage, the Redwolves were in their groove and unthreatened until Proudfoot's statuesque passing finally cost them. Third year defensive end Gordon Dean stripped the ball, and after such a dominant half, the Redwolves watched Zuercher toss a touchdown to Viktoire Wilkinson, then hit a field goal going into half time to tie things up.

Getting the ball at halftime, Zuercher was hot and he knew it. He'd run in the score this time from twelve yards out to take his first career lead in the playoffs. The whole team rallied around him, BYU's pride and joy finally showing his spark at the pro level - but they had a game to win. Damn if Fiston didn't fight their way back - Jack Hoy smashed in what should have been a game-winning touchdown with just three minutes to play to take a 31-29 lead...but it didn't last long.

They could only watch in horror as Blake guided his squad down, quick strike after gutsy scramble after dart, and he'd end it off by finding Elliot Roach in the flat, with the back spinning off a tackler to cross the plane and get the win.

Proudfoot would hit a quick fifteen yard completion to set up for a Hail Mary, but with just rookie Demeco Burns as a real threat at wideout, the pass would fall helplessly to the ground. For now, the Drawkian duo of Hoy and Proudfoot will have to wait on their coveted third RFL trophy, and Blake Zuercher announced his arrival to the world with a win over a juggernaut.

Edmunton Eagles 36–31 Fiston Redwolves

Vancouver making the playoffs was a shocker, but the effort they put into this game was downright astounding.

Led out by superstars Abram Fairbanks and Zamadi Ayana, everyone expected the Sabers to run away with it. Instead, they desperately hung on to avoid a trap game, with Ayana largely bottled up after helping the team to an early 6-0 lead. Vancouver tried to claw their way back, but whether it was Gudbrand Taurus, Candace Ferret, or Abram Fairbanks, the defensive line had too many playmakers, and never let them get into field goal range again following that first score.

Sabers escape.

Apollotown Sabers 6–3 Vancover Yeti

This one was a demolition. A veteran squad led by Byron Joseph and Herman Whitworth benched their starters with six minutes left in the fourth to give the old gents some extra recuperation for the next round. If nothing else, it was a prolific sendoff for what is likely Whitworth's - and possibly Joseph's - swan song. Zachary Stevens and Thomas Fantikos couldn't keep up in this one.

Highport Hawks 43–27 Mariana Tigers

Quarterfinals

People were expecting a shootout from ascendant quarterbacks Shirinna Lehmann and Blake Zuercher. Instead, they got a suspenseful game with points at a premium, with the Paladins taking the lead on things early. Lehmann would lead three straight field goal dries to start the third quarter and take a 16-14 lead...but Blake and crew weren't done.

With just minutes to play, the former BYU star found his groove and delivered one of the early signature moments of his young career, hitting five straight completions before scramblinng in for a game-winning score.

The Eagles keep marching - Blake Zuercher recorded three total touchdowns as his defense stepped up. DE Gordon Dean and DT Kyle Smith combined for 2.5 sacks against Shirinna Lehmann's Paladins in the snow, knocking off one of the two 13-3 squads in the RFL to earn a conference championship berth for the Eagles.

Herot Paladins 16–21 Edmunton Eagles

Saguenay alumn Ernest Bello's breakout season continued here, the Silver's defense held up well against the dual threat. Former Kraut defensive tackle Konstantin Vollmacht led the squad out while linebackers Derek Pierce and Rebecca Reischel shut down the run game - it'd be Firehawk and Kraut SS Sage "Bricks" Sterling shutting this one down too, picking off Lehmann on her final drive to prevent a would-be comeback.

New Quebec Fighters 20–13 Ranoria City Silver

Heartbreaker! After going 13-3 following a championship campaign, the Gladiators are stunned by Byron Joseph and co, with the Kohnheadian duo of Joseph and Whitworth doing what they do best and playing spoiler. The Gladiators head home with heads hanging - though still optimistic about their future - as rising star Benoit Youngblood taste defeat in the playoffs.

Madison Gladiators 13–22 Highport Hawks

Conference Championship Games

Talk about two of the most excited fanbases in sports. The New Quebec Fighters fanbase has always been loose, and with their Ernest Bello finally taking off, they were absolutely raucous as Blake Zuercher and company marched into the Field of Green. This was their year. A defense led by Firehawk and Kraut alumni DT Konstantin Vollmacht and SS Sage Sterling. Saint Kanye man Josh Laney-Seymour giving Ernest Bello a legit downfield threat while the Saguenay alumn burned opposition with his arm, legs, and mixed the two with bootlegs.

So when he hit that same Laney-Seymour for a first quarter score in the back corner of the end zone, the crowd was absolutely ballistic, and the Edmunton Eagles were smart. Rather than give into the temptation of ripping it downfield, they handed the ball off to Elliot Roach and Myles Davis, hoping to take the crowd out of the game. They did pick up a pair of first downs, with Roach blasting into Sage Sterling, picking up a few yards after contact, but Konstantin Vollmacht would get his revenge, clotheslining the power back in a manner only someone of his stature could to stop the Eagles cold on third down.

But the Eagles had a defense too - and it showed itself. Blue Thunder alumn Najee Isidora finally had his shot at the playoffs and he wasn't going home easy - he snagged an interception off Bello to stop their drive in the red zone, and Blake Zuercher's men would manage a field goal off of the turnover.

Bello was becoming frustrated - after that initial drive, he was being bottled up. Isidora spying him and Kaiser Belfort - one of the hardest hitting players in the sport - hovering in the shadows. But when he got frustrated, he bolted right into the latter to disastrous effect. The sound of Belfort's pads hitting him shot through the stadium before the actual movement happened, Bello collapsing to the turf with his off arm bent at an awkward angle - and Najee Isidora wasted no time on sympathy. The former World Bowl champion snagged the ball and took it all the way back to take a 10-7 lead.

Things would only get worse. Bello's condition was not confirmed over the next quarter, when the Fighters' offense completely stalled and Blake Zuercher took full advantage, tossing a pair of second quarter touchdown passes to make it 24-7. And when he got the ball at halftime, Bello still nowhere to be seen, he'd drive his team down inside the five before handing it off to Roach and letting the Kohnhead native take it in for six.

"Took awhile to get used to handing it off to a Richardson grad," Blake had said earlier in the season, "But we got used to it...or at least the five yards we get every time. It's great."

And then, the stadium cameras panned to the tunnel. Mist shot out - stadium organizers were really overdoing this - lights danced in the clouds, and with a shoulder brace holding him together, Ernest Bello returned to the fray.

The man we all watched develop into a real quarterback for the Fighting Irish waved off his head coach's playcall when he came back in. "He wanted a slant!" He exclaimed, "Down 21 against that offense? Nope, appreciate him trying to protect his hurt quarterback and get me in rhythm but as far as I was concerned, our offense only had one route - 'go.'"

Bello would step up in the pocket, displaying those clean mechanics that had taken him from an exciting prospect in high school to a true pro quarterback coming out of Saguenay, and ripped the ball downfield - and for the second time today, Josh Laney-Seymour snagged a 75 yard touchdown.

And they weren't done. The Field of Green seemed to be getting to the Eagles - be that the noise or the smell and whatever effects came with it. Because the score kept closing. Blake's squad managed ten more to hold serve, but it was 31-31 late in the fourth, and Bello had the ball. He had taken hits since coming back - be that from big DT Spencer Crutchfield, Kaiser Belfort, or Najee Isidora, but still he stood tall and delivered strikes. And his fourth touchdown pass of the day was no different, Belfort leveling him as he floated it just over Isidora's outstretched fingers to take a 37-31 lead.

That would do it. Blake got the ball back, sure, but Konstantin Vollmacht would be the one to end it, smashing through a double team, humiliating an offenisve line the Eagles had invested so much into in the process, and ripped the ball from a helpless Blake Zuercher's hands. Vollmacht, the best defensive tackle in the world - watch the Krauts World Bowl 46 film if you don't believe it - roared into the exuberant crowd while his longtime best friend Sage Sterling jumped onto his shoulders in a similarly athletic feat, brandishing his helmet overhead in victory while Blake sat with his arms resting limp on his knees, taking in the site of that final score.

Their window was far from closed - but in such a prolific season, it stung to see it torn away like this. Still, with a former MVP in Elliot Roach at running back and a pair of superstars in Belfort and Loyola-Istria grad Najee Isidora on the back end, this team is loaded with World Bowl veterans - they aren't going anywhere. For now though, they'll watch as a similarly stacked Fighters team makes their first foray into the Winter Bowl.

New Quebec Fighters 39–31 Edmunton Eagles

The Hawks are always in contention - have been since acquiring HB Herman Whitworth - now the RFL's all-time leading rusher. QB Byron Joseph's passing has improved throughout his career so much that he's closing in on John Garrett's career marks. But defense still reigns supreme in this league, and they were reminded of that in Whitworth's sendoff.

The Kohnhead running back recorded 22 carries for just 53 yards in what was a demoralizing game, with Abram Fairbanks and Candace Ferrett each displaying their speed, constantly chasing him down from the backside of runs to bring him down behind the line of scrimmage, and the Hawks had no answer for it, especially with the monstrous Gudbrand Taurus making things no easier up the middle. The national-team caliber defensive front combined for five tackles for a loss and four sacks. With Zamadi Ayana on a warpath- he'd make it five touchdowns in the these two playoff games in this one - they were able to take a 17-7 lead, but with five minutes to play the Hawks still felt like they had a puncher's chance.

So Joseph handed it off to Whitworth, stepped back, and Whitworth spun around to toss it back on a flea flicker - but once again, Fairbanks was their nightmare today. He was already chasing down the back, and when he saw him turn, literally just took the ball into his hands out of the air. Whitworth couldn't turn in time, and Fairbanks used found patented long-arm pass rush move translated well into a stiff arm of Byron Joseph.

And from there, the high school track star was absolutely unstoppable, raising the ball into the air as he crossed the plane uncontested. In fact, he leapt onto the goal post, did a muscle up, and climbed up to stand on it, pounding his chest as the crowd roared their agreement back to him.

Screw the excessive celebration flag - the Sabers were going back to the Winter Bowl, to claim what they'd fallen just short of just two short seasons ago.

Apollotown Sabers 24–7 Highport Hawks

Ranorian Football League
2039 Winter Bowl @ The Elysium

A second chance in three seasons for the Sabers. A historic breakthrough for the Fighters. Ernest Bello could announce his stardom to the world here and now - while a bunch of World Bowl champions stared him down from the defensive front. Two of the Krauts' famed Four Horsemen in Abram Fairbanks and Gudbrang Taurus along with former Cold Hill star edge rusher, Chromatik Candace Ferrett.

And he would not go quietly. Where Najee Isidora had kept him bottled up in the conference championship game, Bello was running wild here. With Taurus having a two-way-go to rush the passer on the interior, it often left wide open holes for Bello to dash through, slashing the Sabers' vaunted defense as he ran wild for two scores and 57 yards in the first twenty minutes of the contest, shrugging off the few hits he had taken and leading his team to a 17-7 lead early on. But eventually, the hits came. Athletic as he was, there's a reason these Sabers were such respected players.

The Sabers made adjustments. Taurus stayed in his gap, relegating himself to a pocket pusher and giving Bello no room to step up in the pocket, turning him into a dangling piece of meat before the wolves of Ferrett and Fairbanks. The Fighters offense completely ground to a half after that initial surge, and Zamadi Ayana was only heating up. With FA signing Brooklyn Ghirlandaio to spell him, they paced him well, and he had 21 carries for 131 yards by the end of the third quarter...and had increased his postseason touchdown tally to a whopping seven with a pair of scores, while Ghirlandaio had chipped in with a 37 yard score on a screen pass. Between horrible field position and the extreme physicality and relentless willpower of Zamadi Ayana, the Fighters were being outpunched.

But they had one last haymaker left.

With just seven minutes left, they were down 30-17. Zamadi Ayana was approaching a hundred and sixty yards on the day. And Bello had one last gasp. The first drive was a problem - he took a twelve yard sack trying to play hero ball on third and twelve, forcing a field goal. But when SSSage Sterling picked off the hapless Saber's quarterback, they suddenly had life. Bello fought through the pain of several injuries now - he'd taken a beating in the championship rounds - and found Josh Laney-Seymour for a score from six yards out.

Three and out Sabers thanks to a Konstantin Vollmacht pass deflection - they were completely out of momentum. And Bello had just enough time for one more heroic drive - three plays, tops, but he was coming with one last punch.

Ernest Bello, with under a minute on the clock, had to launch it. And he went to the only thousand yard receiver on the team in Laney-Seymour. He looked like he had his man beat, the collective gasp from the crowd in the Elysium was audible as the ball began to descend, and Rodney Knight snagged it. The rookie free safety, the NSCF champion, a converted corner, showed those man coverage skills and undercut the desperation throw - and he didn't stop there. Arcing around the offensive line, he broke one tackle, got blocks from Abram Fairbanks and Candace Ferrett, and simply outran a hobbled Bello to get the corner on him, taking it all the way back for six under the amplified northern lights of the Elysium.

His teammates swarmed around him. The Sabers had done it - their defense had taken game-clinching touchdowns in the two biggest outings of their season, and it had finally given them football immortality. For Abram Fairbanks, Zamadi Ayana, and Gudbrand Taurus, they become NSCF and World Bowl, while Rodney Knight's ring will go alongside that from Richardson's victory in NSCF 30.

Candace Ferrett finally earns a championship - although win with the Iron Legion is likely forthcoming sooner than later. And Bello, Vollmacht, and Sterling will go home with heads hung high. Vollmacht and Sterling have rings from both their tenures at Felswyr State and the World Bowl, and while Bello has no such accolades, he's now proven his mettle beyond a shadow of a doubt in this league - he's earned his respect, and this team has the confidence to fully commit to building around him going forward.

Apollotown Sabers 36-27 New Quebec Fighters
Winter Bowl MVP: Zamadi Ayana [BAN]

by **Chromatika** » Sat Jun 22, 2024 10:51 pm

Staramara Tech. Felswyr State. Johnston Memorial Stadium.

Three things made this early season matchup between the two Chromatik schools matter even more than people had expected.

The first - that they were both undefeated. Sure, the games against the Drawkian schools weren't the cleanest, but both Felswyr State and Staramara Tech were undefeated. It's not very often that the Chromatik schools swept both schools from Drawkland, and the winner of this Battle for the Eternal Flame would take a 3-0 record when they started the cross-division slate against the teams from the Equinox Division. With a game against Silver Coast State College looming, it mattered to be at 3-0 - while a loss would mean that the loser would be only one game ahead of the winner of Sadeg State vs. Cavsar.

The second - that the Quarterbacks were struggling. Neither Nicole Estera nor JJ Garret Jr. were having the best of starts, with both teams being led by their defensive units and the running games. Which Quarterback would have the last laugh in this matchup between one of the best Quarterbacks to ever play in the Chromatik High School Gridiron System and the son of a legendary Quarterback from Ranoria? Would either Quarterback actually gain clout by the results of the game, or would they be carried? JJ was trying to put an exclamation point to his time at Staramara Tech, while Nicole was trying to make it clear that last season was an anomaly.

Finally, it would be the first home game of the season for the Lava, while FSU had done well during their homestand. Historically, Felswyr State were the road warriors, but Staramara Tech had actually been the one to be successful on a road trip to Drawkland. This would be Felswyr State's first road game of the season - and to head into Johnston Memorial Stadium with thousands of Lava fans at full throat would be an experience, indeed. It was going to be a spectacle, and it did not disappoint.

The first half saw more turnovers (four) than trips past the fifty yard line for either offense. Nicole Estera's pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by Tano Yuu in the first, leading to an interception by Aurana Mikel that killed the Firehawks' first drive into Lava territory; the ensuing drive went nowhere, but that was the first turnover of the game. JJ Garret was sacked by Jessika Kyle on a blitz, leading to a fumble at the end of the first quarter. Laak Gyles was stripped by Lisa Bonsoon to get a turnover at midfield, and the previously reliable Anne Holmes had the ball punched out of her hands by Ilrid Jan-Hines with the Firehawks trying to add to their 6-3 lead with a minute left, making that the halftime score. If it wasn't for the fact that Chromatik schools have Chromatik kickers, and Chromatik kickers are masters at hitting Field Goals of over fifty yards, there would've been even fewer points scored. Marie-Madeleine Guilloux and Park Jung-Shik were the only names on the scoresheet, and the Quarterbacks had a total of 198 passing yards between them. It was pretty bad.

Fast forward to near the end of the Third Quarter, and each side had added another Field Goal apiece. Despite the turnover, Holmes was the best player on the offensive side of the ball for the Firehawks, having over seventy yards - with many of them being after contact. Garret was making some nice moves with his legs, to the point that it wouldn't be a stretch to say that he was actually outplaying Estera through this point in the match. Staramara Tech had more yards - 203 - to Felswyr State's 197, but it was the Firehawks that had the lead, due to the field position game that was being masterfully conducted by Ydira Zhanfijan and the entire Special Teams unit.

Starting at the ten minute mark of the Fourth Quarter, Staramara Tech University Defensive Coordinator Candy Vogel picked up the pressure. One or both of the OLBs of the Lava started to crash in on almost every play, while the secondary was left to fend for themselves against the receivers of the Lava. The mindset was that if they didn't cause a mistake to happen, they weren't going to win. Despite Garret's heroics in terms of mobility, the Lava were having issues moving the ball; it would be the defense, once again, that would have to play hero.

With Felswyr State driving past the Staramara Tech thirty-four, six minutes left in the game, it looked like things were over. If the Firehawks scored their fourth Field Goal, their defense would likely be enough to keep the Lava out of the end zone for the rest of the game; something had to happen. On first down, Anne Holmes was stuffed by Irina Jones for no gain. Second down saw a pass to the flat to Jen Hallow, tackled by Aurana Mikel, leading to a third-and-seven from the Lava thirty-one. If the Firehawks got a first down, they could really run down the clock. Fail to do so, and it would be enough to get a Field Goal from Park.

Third and seven, and Nicole went into shotgun, with Holmes to her right. The Firehawks were counting on their offensive line holding up the pass rush for the amount of time it would take for Estera to find her mark - or that Estera would know to throw the ball away to fight another day. What happened next was something that nobody saw coming.

Lennard Thompson, the Sophomore from South Newlandia, the pure speedster, and his rushing partner, the block-shedding specialist that is Miyata Izanagi, blew past both Zoe Muller and Everard Gustaffson, South Newlandian on South Newlandian and Chromatik on Chromatik. Instead of having thethree seconds that she would have liked, Estera barely had a full second before the Defensive Ends reached her. Thompson's right hand grabbed her waist, and Izanagi punched the ball out.

Aurana Mikel, the pure playmaker that is the heart and soul of this new Lava defense, picked up the loose ball. Anne Holmes's bid to try to stop her was stopped by a key block by Lyla Pale, and Mikel walked into the end zone for a seventy-two yard fumble return for a touchdown that ended up being the deciding score of the game. Felswyr State would have one more chance to try go make up for their error, but the drive would end just past midfield, Estera's desperation heave to Nero Ramsey falling harmlessly short as Lyla Pale had him blanketed.

Did JJ Garret prove himself to his naysayers? Not fully, though he didn't lose them the game. He was surprisingly mobile, and he did make some good reads. If anything, it was the play of his counterpart that made Lava fans be glad that they had their Quarterback and not the Firehawks'. As for Estera, time may be running out - if she doesn't turn it around soon, Felswyr State may be looking for a brand new Quarterback come the next recruiting cycle, or even be turning to the veteran backup that is Anderson Joseph, Jr.

Neither of these teams should be being held back by their Quarterbacks. Their Quarterbacks do not need to move mountains for the team to succeed - the defenses and the running games have proven that through and through.

Perhaps it's history that is demanding that Estera improve faster than the time that she deserves. Perhaps, in seven games' time, they will meet again without having suffered another loss. But if Silver Coast and the Equinox have any say, it won't be that simple.

And this one play that turned the game may have far-reaching consequences.

For now, Lava fans celebrated long into the night, while Firehawks faithful were left wondering just what it would take to get aback to having a Quarterback like Sarai Michelle Bradwyn Gwenderyn.

by **Valanora** » Sun Jun 23, 2024 11:31 am

Horizon Conference
Week 4

Grand Vista University (DEL) 20–14 Cavsar University (DRK)
Palæontological-Centred Research University (NTN) 0–27 Felswyr State University (CMT)
Vierne Professional Institute (DEL) 13–20 Sadeg State University (DRK)
Silver Coast State College (SAS) 34–36 Staramara Tech University (CMT)

P Starlight Division                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Staramara Tech University (CMT)                      4    4   0   0    90   65  +25
2 Felswyr State University (CMT)                       4    3   0   1    59   23  +36
3 Sadeg State University (DRK)                         4    2   0   2    57   56   +1
4 Cavsar University (DRK)                              4    0   0   4    36   68  −32

P Equinox Division                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Silver Coast State College (SAS)                     4    2   0   2    79   43  +36
2 Vierne Professional Institute (DEL)                  4    2   0   2    69   63   +6
3 Palæontological-Centred Research University (NTN)    4    2   0   2    54   89  −35
4 Grand Vista University (DEL)                         4    1   0   3    41   78  −37

by **Valanora** » Sun Jun 23, 2024 12:10 pm

Valanora Times
NSCF Power Rankings Week 3

Three weeks have come and gone in this season of the NSCF, three weeks and we have gotten a decent understanding of how teams are actually going to play outside those high emotion, high intensity first week games. With enough time to settle into their groove, we can start to make a guess at how good these teams actually are and how they compare to each other in division, in conference, and perhaps even against those out of the conference. By no means is this an exact science, it really is all about the eyeball test at this point, but we can make our best guesses as to where teams should be ranked roughly one third of the way through conference play and how we might project them to play out the rest of the regular season.

5. Universidad Politécnica Autónoma de Metro-Boca Rana - Zephyr - 3-0
This long winded university is three and spotting the best point differential and the most points scored in all the NSCF entering into the cross divisional portion of conference play. Why then are they not ranked higher in this list given their unbeaten nature and how prolific their offense has been? That is in large part due to how weak the legends division of the Zephyr looks to be this season, with the two Poafmersia schools refusing to reenter and thus it is a division composed mostly of new schools that no one know how good or bad they really are at this point. The Celestial division has three known quantities in Bowerstone, Mar Sara Tech, and Raynor as well as a new school who looks legit in Cherco and this school will have its test to see if it is the real deal or if it is merely padding its stats on a bunch of schools without much fightback in them.

4. Raynor - Zephyr - 2-1
The Rockets of Raynor University looked like they might have been in store for another early conference play slumber after losing away to Cherco, but they bounced back in a huge way with a massive victory against their rivals of Mar Sara Tech. The twenty point victory is exactly the sort of tonic that the team will be have hoping for, as well as giving them the edge in the Battle for the Royal Sabre before the two teams meet in Mar Sara in six weeks time. The offense still has some work to do as Odin gets used to his new offensive line as well as skill players, though they have looked solid in short bursts thus far. If the team can gel and find its rhythm while playing what many consider to be far weaker schools in the cross-divisional portion of the schedule, they should be in prime position to lift the Celestial banner at the end of week 10 regardless of how the game against Tech in Mar Sara turns out.

3. St. Croix - Celestia - 3-0
The Quebecois school remains perfect and only conceding ten points a game on average while score thirty-three on average, including an away victory against their fellow Quebecois school in Saguenay in the last game. However despite how impressive a performance this has been thus far for the Quebecois bluebloods, we have fallen into the trap of falling in love with the Quebec schools before cross-divisional play and out of conference play before only to get burned by them failing to live up to their hype of expectations. We really want to believe that this season is going to be different and that the Quebec schools may make some noise in the out of conference and playoffs but they need to show us first after being burned one too many times.

2. Staramara Tech - Starlight - 3-0
Going unbeaten in the first half of divisional play in what might just be the most difficult division in all of the NSCF is certainly a triumph and the only worry here is that the offensive has been missing from all of the Horizon thus far, not just from the Lava. While defense does win championships, if you can not score you are not going to win either and the Lava are going to need to find a bit of it if they want to go from contenders for the Horizon to contenders for the entire NSCF. They do that, it would be fair to make them an early favorite or dark horse to walk away with the big title at the end of the playoffs in nearly three months time.

1. Alexandria University - Big Eight - 3-0
We hear it throughout the offseason and during the voting process for the playoff teams about how strong the Big Eight is compared to the rest of the conferences. There is some truth to that, much to many other schools chagrins, and that is why Alexandria is the top of the power rankings right now heading into the cross-divisional bouts with a perfect record so far. It gets more difficult for the Cardenao school moving forward with not the usual two Ranorian schools to deal with but three and if they manage to get two wins from three, they will have earned that top spot and like Starmara could be considered a real contender for the crown. However as Vanorians know all too well, running the gauntlet that is Ranoria schools is far easier said than done.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Warriors, Blue Jays meet once again
by Gerry Forman, College Football Correspondent
for The Sunday Times

Reporting from Columbus, Dhemixia:

University of the Commonwealth will travel to Dhemixia for the second season in a row to square off against University of Columbus-Prairie, which mark the fourth time over the past two seasons the teams have met.

The Warriors won the meeting during the regular season and dropped the Mineral Conference title game at home to the Blue Jays before taking the rubber match in the first round of the NSCF playoffs 59-53 in triple overtime.

“All three games we played them last time were close and I certainly expect that this will another tough game”, Head Coach Ryan Benton said ahead of the trip. “We'll have to play mistake-free football if we want to beat the champions, because they're not going to beat themselves at home.”

UC picked up its second win of the campaign against Niakursk University 27-13 to take control of the division ahead of the crossover games; they'll conclude the three game away stretch with a game against Constantinople University before getting three straight home games to open the second half of the schedule.
_______________________________________________________________

Jacob F Gleason Field has become one of Baker Park's most recognizable sport venues to broadcast audiences across the multiverse over the 13 seasons the University of the Commonwealth have participated in NSCF; “Sunday Night Football on College Hill” has grown into a phenomenon that even draws sizable domestic viewership despite the particular rooting interests of the population.

But who was the man for whom the stadium was named when it was inaugurated in 1954?

Jacob Gleason was one of the most influential figures in the history of intercollegiate sports in Baker Park; as UC Athletic Director from 1925 until 1952 he was one of the founding fathers of the Universities Athletics Coalition, the governing body of college athletics. He was also the man who gave the Baker Park National Soccer Team their distinctive Black & Gold kit, as he donated UC's soon to be obsolete uniforms to the FAC when the budget allowed for replacement in 1949.

When the University relocated from the original campus near Belle Haven City to Pleasant Township in 1909 the land on which Gleason Field stands was not part of the campus property but quickly developed into an area where impromptu sports and recreational activities took place along with fairs and quiet days out for students and families living in nearby Asbury Park.

UC fielded its first team in the fall of 1913 and Jacob Gleason played in the first contest, although for the opposition, Baker Park A&M; the following year A&M were the visitors for the first ever game played on the site with Gleason again a part of the team in red.

In March 1919 following release from the military, Gleason was hired to teach Introductory Geology at UC followed by an offer to coach the football squad at the beginning of the new term in August;
like the other schools that had taken up the sport pre-war, UC was starting from scratch in terms of experienced players so the “Blacks” managed only 3 wins out of their eight contests, two of which were against University of Belle Haven and Osheana Capital University—both making their debut in the sport.

Gleason completed his contract in May 1920 and expected that he was going to be headed to a job with SAMINCO or at least with one of the domestic mining companies that he'd applied to; he was a qualified metallurgy engineer and found the collegiate lifestyle boring.

When no offers were extended to him he reluctantly returned to the school, resuming his faculty position and receiving a substantial increase in salary to return as football coach. He led the Warriors to their first ever sweep of UBP and A&M (as well as UBH), which would come to be known as the Grand Slam prior to the formation of the Metro Conference.

In 1925 he was offered the position of Chairman of the Athletic Department, which coincided with his final season of coaching; his change of heart about the lifestyle of a college instructor occurred when he met Dorothea Childers in early 1921. Miss Childers taught Calculus and Trigonometry & Analytical Geography, and Gleason thought she was one of the most intelligent women he'd ever met; the couple married in April 1922.

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Sun Jun 23, 2024 6:55 pm

True North Sports

What is going on in South Bend? Questions and Reflections Abundant for Fighting Irish lose to St. Croix

Annie Coderre

SOUTH BEND, SAGUENAY - When Saguenay loses to St. Croix it normally doesn't feel particularly bad.

Well, until you realise that it's the fifth consecutive loss the Fighting Irish have suffered on the NSCF competition, starting back to former head coach C.C. Youngblood's third and final NSCF campaign with them four years ago.

'It's not a pretty record, I'll be honest with you guys here,' Saguenay tight end Kieran Kweon-McNair said. The Quebeco-Ranorian, of course, is familiar with the dangers of trailing behind on rivalries, him having played for the Richardson Governors whose periods of success have largely been eclipsed by a more accomplished, flashier Cold Hill side. 'The loss definitely hurt, but our aim is to get back out there and perform to our best level possible with the conference title and the postseason in mind.'

While Kweon-McNair had stayed largely professional about his response, the ways in which last Saturday night's match had bolstered ended up doing the very opposite of what is desired for Sara Lee Hampton's side, as she embarks on her second NSCF and fourth collegiate season with the Fighting Irish. The loss, of course, was a close one with a 17-19 score determined by the final play of the game on a 48 yard Manny Moon field goal in middle of snow, but the way they had played themselves into it is more a problem. Saguenay's team, for what it's worth, has been one of the most talented teams in Quebecois collegiate football, and their high-powered, all-guns-blazing style of play would normally lead into a dominant period during the QIS season, but there has been little sign that's putting it together after three games into the long, spring football season.

Last night's loss very much confirmed this notion.

'We weren't aggressive enough with how we wanted to play the game, especially on the second half when we were up 17-7,' said Hampton. 'On most circumstances we would have held the fort and increased the lead, but we made a couple of lapses in judgement and next thing, we found ourselves losing the game that was very much winnable.' She then continued, 'Hopefully the lessons learned from this match will be used to fuel ourselves for bigger runs down the road, especially as we'll have strong opposition waiting for us in Celestia and on nonconference stretch. That way our single loss here could mean much more afterwards.'

What killed Saguenay in the end were the carelessness. While Saguenay had remained relatively clean from penalties with seven penalties, but the timing they had come could not have been any worse. The worst instance of this happened with 5:42 remaining in the 3rd quarter, after a shoddy punt return by Ha Jeong-Yoo that put them in the 6 yard line. While on most times this would have been more than enough for the Fighting Irish to at least get few yards on first play or two before converting their downs, offside penalty by senior guard Zaid McKenna ended up bringing them back to one-yard line. That more or less left them in a goal-line situation where Raul Sebastien Santos simply didn't have enough room to carry.

Next play was a safety, fuelling a St. Croix comeback that would slowly, but inevitably take place. A couple of strong defensive stops would give Saguenay some time, but so did the Bleu et Blanc defence as they managed to pack the box with blitz packages. Eventually, the Bleu et Blanc scored a touchdown making it an one-point game with 7:40 to go in the game, and scored the walk-off field goal to register St. Croix's fifth consecutive win over Saguenay in the NSCF competition.

'It's not a good thing, that's for sure,' graduate cornerback Arsene Kim-Margelidon said. 'That's why football's a team game. We have to put it together for sixty minutes, and stay focused and disciplined to ensure we will put together a convincing win. Because if we don't stay focused, we quickly fall apart without knowing it and that's not going to help us win against opposition who are just as good as you.'

Last night's showdown was definitely the one of contrasting halves, one where a convincing first half was met by a catastrophic second-half collapse. Was this over the emotional confidence the Fighting Irish had been feeling after the emotional highs of a nail-biting win over Kamijiro on a 14-point comeback on the opening week, and the convincing victory over Janque? Was this over the anticipation of facing Northern Moravica, a team they had beaten handily two years ago, but who come back looking for vengeance after a slow start to the Hannah McKendry era?

It's tricky to say what's really caused it, and the factors could be all of the above. The practices during the week, at least during that week, wouldn't suggest much out of departure.

'There will always be lots of emotions flying on a match like this, yes, but we also have to stay alert and aware,' said senior nose tackle Genevieve Penn. 'St. Croix's not our biggest rival, don't get me wrong here, but we've faced them just as much, if not more, than the USM or St-GR, and this means that the opposition's going to be scouted to the very minuscule pieces of detail. We did take notes, but we didn't act on them.'

Penn's notes about awareness are certainly interesting, especially as the Fighting Irish will be welcoming Northern Moravica next week on what's anticipated to be a midnight showdown with 24h kickoff time. Hannah McKendry has faced the Fighting Irish plenty of times as the Bleu et Blanc head coach, but this would be her first at Northern Moravica, where she's taken over from her father-in-law, legendary Lance Kabuye. McKendry, whose flair and temper are best represented by her colourful suits best compared to a Dagan superstar meeting a Quebecois coach, has already declared the midnight showdown a perfect opportunity for her to 'place the Cougars' flag on the Saguenay school logo', fitting her character.

With McKendry approaching South Bend under great excitement, the Fighting Irish will have a week to figure out how to counter the Northern Moravica side that is coached and managed similarly to St. Croix side that had just beaten them on week three. How will they stop their insane running game? How will they counter the outstanding cornerbacks NMU have? How will their secondary counter against Wade Hurley and a pair of senior all-star wideouts? Questions abound.

'We will find our way, that's all,' redshirt sophomore quarterback Raul Sebastien Santos said. 'It's easier said than done, I know, but what's happened yesterday happened and it's our time to move on. Our aim is now on beating NMU by figuring out their defence, and forcing them to play to our tempo while not being played to theirs. We just got to make sure this is done together and flawlessly as a team.'

by **Dhemixia** » Sun Jun 23, 2024 7:17 pm

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Columbus Dominion(Est.1873)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jays come out on top; hope to carry momentum against rival and contender UCBP

After a 40-19 rout of SJJ, Craig Kelly has officially improved upon last season, going 2-1 instead of 1-2, but the real question is if he will improve on all parts of the legendary season last year. Being off the hot seat, there's not much pressure on him, so all he has to do is focus on the objective ahead, and compose the team to get to it.

In week 4 though, Craig Kelly has a lot of work to do and composure to build up, as this game could define the season for both sides involved, even though it's only week 4. For the first time since the MinCon championship last year, the Jays play host to the Warriors of UCBP, which is sure to be a sellout crowd, given the rivalry that has been established, and the implications it places on the season. UCBP is a good team, and Craig Kelly both knows and respects that about the Warriors, so to beat them, he and the Jays have to be absolutely perfect. Given that Kabe Heaton has a season under his belt full of high-pressure moments, he and all of the upcoming sophomores should be able to deal with and thrive in the pressure of this inter-division rivalry.

With all that said, who wins? On paper, both teams seem equal, creating the ever-legendary highest scoring playoff game in NSCF history, going to 3 overtimes to decide it, but it's really the individual and the plays they make that decides this game. Who will step up and be a hero for their team? We'll just have to see.

Schedule

*blue indicates home games
Week 1: VS. Alexandroupolis W 34-24
Week 2: @ Constantinople L 28-34 
Week 3: VS. UndSJJsM (Universite nationale de Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer)  W 40-19
Week 4: VS. UCBP
Week 5: VS. Trent State
Week 6: @ Niakursk
Week 7: @ Green City
Week 8: @ Alexandroupolis
Week 9: VS. Constantinople
Week 10: @ UndSJJsM
------------
Non-conference play
Week 11: @ Silver Coast State
Week 12: VS. Cold Hill
Week 13: @ BYU (SPIT Bowl)

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Sun Jun 23, 2024 7:27 pm

Mineral and Zephyr Conference - Week 4

Cutoff.

Mineral Conference:

Université nationale de Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer (UNC) 13–6 Nikarsuk University (IMP)
Alexandroupolis University (NGS) 17–34 Green City University (TJU)
University of Columbus-Prairie (DHE) 27–29 University of the Commonwealth of Baker Park (CBP)
Constantinople University (NGS) 16–3 Trent State University (TJU)

# Heartland Division                                        Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 University of the Commonwealth of Baker Park (CBP)          4    3   1   108   77  +31
2 Nikarsuk University (IMP)                                   4    2   2    66   79  −13
3 Green City University (TJU)                                 4    2   2    96   76  +20
4 Trent State University (TJU)                                4    1   3    48   87  −39
---
# Boreal Division                                           Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Constantinople University (NGS)                             4    3   1    69   64   +5
2 University of Columbus-Prairie (DHE)                        4    2   2   129  106  +23
3 Université nationale de Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer (UNC)    4    2   2    94   98   −4
4 Alexandroupolis University (NGS)                            4    1   3    90  113  −23

Zephyr Conference:

Mar Sara Tech (VAL) 25–13 Crpostown University (CRN)
Bowerstone University (ATH) 63–20 Universidad Politécnica Autónoma de Metro-Boca Rana (SGU)
Raynor University (VAL) 46–3 Jozan University (VAI)
Cherco University (ASN) 12–10 Royal Military College of Seville (HDR)

# Legends Division                                           Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Universidad Politécnica Autónoma de Metro-Boca Rana (SGU)    4    3   1   161   92  +69
2 Crpostown University (CRN)                                   4    2   2    78  114  −36
3 Jozan University (VAI)                                       4    1   3    66  158  −92
4 Royal Military College of Seville (HDR)                      4    0   4    53   94  −41
---
# Celestial Division                                         Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Raynor University (VAL)                                      4    3   1   106   58  +48
2 Mar Sara Tech (VAL)                                          4    3   1    88   63  +25
3 Bowerstone University (ATH)                                  4    2   2   133   91  +42
4 Cherco University (ASN)                                      4    2   2    78   93  −15

by **Cardenao** » Sun Jun 23, 2024 8:03 pm

LeBois Santura University Broncos

Long after the final whistle blew, Brett Hannah silently sat at his locker at the Blue Bowl, LeBois’ home stadium where they had just lost to the Alexandria Swordsmen. Where he had lost to the Alexandria Swordsmen and led his team to that same fate.

As the quarterback, you get the feeling that everything relies on you, that victory itself is squarely on your shoulders. In many ways, this is an accurate feeling. The way you throw the ball, the way you line the team up, the way you communicate changes to your teammates, the way you carry yourself before and after the game, all of this matters, it makes a difference. So where was it all going wrong?

‘Why am I failing?’

It was a question that sprung into his mind from BSU’s very loss of the season, but that had seemed a fluke so he locked that question deep down inside his psyche. He smiled for the cameras, he played Mr. Cool, Mr. Confident, because……why wouldn’t it work out? He’d understudied Bobby Dials for a year, before that he was a winning quarterback in high school for the Riverstone Otters, the best the program had ever seen: there was a reason LeBois was so desperate to recruit him those two summers long ago. Sure, some of the receiving targets and offensive lineman had graduated or been drafted, but there was so much talent on this team, so many good players that it just didn’t make sense that they weren’t succeeding.

0-1 became 0-2 in a humiliating loss to BYU and the question he worked so hard to keep locked away started to break out, the tendrils of self-doubt started to wrap themselves around his mind no matter how positive he tried to be for the media. The media, those motherfuckers. He was just a kid, a sophomore, trying to replicate the incredible success of Bobby Dials. Bobby Dials…that motherfucker. Most Outstanding Player…he never actually won anything!!!! But if Brett said that, well that’d just be the end of him, even if it was true, he thought to himself dejectedly. Bobby was a helluva quarterback but he didn’t win anything major……and now Brett was getting slaughtered for not being an instant success? Sure the 0-3 start was the worst in school history but it’s not like the school had much history to start with! This was, what, LeBois’ fourth season competing? And now he had to be Mr. Perfect.

Brett was pulled out of his pity party by the sight of Coach Valentine starting to walk over his way after a chat with…… Michael Monrovia, the dual-threat freshman quarterback out of Brøgby Prep, who wheeled away with a smirk, that smirk. ‘That fucker…’ He couldn’t help himself. Brett always tried to be Mr. Positive, the source of gentle encouragement who always tried to build people up, always spoke honestly, and always tried to be friendly, he got it from his mother. Michael made it very hard for Brett to be friendly; he was a smarmy little cocky boy who, and it killed Brett to admit this, was a great quarterback. He was tall, strong, a good thrower, but most intriguingly, and incredibly fast, agile, and gifted runner who excelled when the play broke down or he saw an opportunity to use his natural gifts to great effect. He always had a ‘better than you’ attitude that really grinded Brett’s gears and it deeply pained him as Coach Valentine arrived and brought his worst nightmare to reality.

Brett Hannah OUT, Michael Monrovia IN at QB For LeBois vs Richardson

Alexandria University Swordsmen

Q: “Alanso, at this point in the season how are you feeling?”

A: “What do you mean?”

Q: “Well ah…you’ve managed to guide Alexandria University to a perfect start, 3-0, with victories against BYU and BSU. How does that make you feel?”

A: “Like there are seven games left.”

Q: “…right right. How happy are you with Nick Singer’s performances at quarterback?”

A: “Extremely. Very happy. It’s exactly what you want, a quarterback excelling as a quarterback.”

Q: “Alexandria University was ranked as the #1 team in recent power rankings, what are your thoughts on that?”

A: “My thoughts are that the boys are playing well. They execute the game plan, they bring passion, they are ready to bleed to win, my thoughts are that the boys are good.

If the question is are we the #1 team in college football, no…no I don’t think so. But we are where we are, and that’s because of how we play the game. We play to win.”

Q: “What are your predictions for the rest of the season?”

A: “We’re going to play some damn football.”

Q: “Alanso Isi, thank you for your time.”

Mokuleia Island High Red Raiders 21-13 Obyedako High Blue Devils

Both teams entered this vital week three matchup seeking their second wins so you know they were going to leave it all out there on the field. The Mokuleia Island Red Raiders came surfing into this game as one of the positive surprise teams of the season and they showed precisely why in a commanding win over the Obyedako Blue Devils. Sophomore QB Akumo Manuwai was not super boss as he failed to record a touchdown and he got sacked and lost the football too, not that great but he did sling the skin for 268 yards so it could be worse, while he added 43 rushes for a touchdown. Junior receiver Joey Ma’afala curiously led both teams in rushing as he put up 73 yards (and 77 in the air) though he was the single Mokuleia runner to not score a touchdown; junior back Ka’hleel Makaio and sophomore Mathia Lehela both added one each. Senior receiver Jairelle Kalani led both teams with 134 receiving yards, including a 71 yard reception where he was tackled at the 1 yard line…that’s tough! Good game defensively from the Red Raiders, senior safety Antwon Barnett contributed nine total tackles, junior linesmen Zaiden Montreclair added two sacks, and junior cornerback Ho'ola'i Pane'e had to defend a single pass……and he intercepted it! Brilliant. Good win for the Islanders, see you next week!

For the losing Blue Devils, this was not how you want to follow up a commanding win against Timberline last week. Raymund Fitzgerald once again laid claim to the title of best dual-threat high school QB as he threw for 213 yards and a touchdown (and an interception) and led his team in rushing with 39 yards on six attempts, though he was sacked once and lost a fumble. Junior receiver Earl Gardner was his favorite and most productive target as the lad hauled in eight of his 12 targets for 103 yards and a smooth 65 yard touchdown. Not much more cooking in the air for Obyedako High and the run game wasn’t much more productive as lead back D’Von Glover tried his hardest with ten rushes but only went for 34 yards. It really wasn’t a productive day for any of the Blue Devils players on offense but that’s the way it goes sometimes in high school football. Things weren’t all that much better on defense as they gave up 398 total yards, though sophomore linebacker Brion Woods had a performance to be proud of as he recorded 11 total tackles including one for a big loss.

Pain for Obyedako, elation for Mokuleia!

QB Akumo Manuwai and QB Raymund Fitzgerald

Quarterbacks:
Mokuleia Island: Akumo Manuwai 24/36/66.7%/268 yards–1 sack/1 fumble lost–88.7 QB rating

Obyedako Blue Devils: Raymund Fitzgerald 22/37/59.5%/213 yards–1TD/1INT–3 sacks/1 fumble–73.4 QB rating

Rushing:
Mokuleia Island:
WR Joey Maʻafala 11 rushes/73 yards–6.6Y/A–12yd long
QB Akumo Manuwai 8 rushes/43 yards–5.4Y/A–20yd long–1TD
RB Ka'hleel Makaio 6 rushes/13 yards–2.2Y/A–9yd long–1TD
RB Mathis Lahela 2 rushes/1 yard–0.5Y/A–3yd long–1TD

Obyedako Blue Devils:
QB Raymund Fitzgerald 6 rushes/39 yards–6.5Y/A–9yd long
RB D'Von Glover 10 rushes/34 yards–3.4Y/A–11yd long
RB Micah Davis 1 rush/6 yards–6.0Y/A–6yd long
TE Isiah Zanelli 2 rushes/1 yard–0.5Y/A–1yd long

Receiving:
Mokuleia Island:
WR Jairelle Kalani 7TGT/5REC/134 yards–26.8Y/A–71yd long
WR Joey Maʻafala 9TGT/5REC/77 yards–15.4Y/A–19yd long
RB Ka'hleel Makaio 2TGT/2REC/17 yards–8.5Y/A–10yd long
TE Kainao Savaiinaea 7TGT/6REC/15 yards–2.5Y/A–8yd long
WR Brock Lefau 3TGT/2REC/13 yards–6.5Y/A–10yd long
TE DeShon Sagapolutele 5TGT/4REC/12 yards–3.0Y/A–9yd long
WR Anthony Johnson 3TGT/0REC

Obyedako Blue Devils:
WR Earl Gardner 12TGT/8REC/103 yards–12.9Y/A–65 yards–1TD
WR Orlando Thomas 6TGT/4REC/40 yards–10.0Y/A–16yd long
TE Isiah Zanelli 4TGT/3REC/29 yards–9.7Y/A–16yd long
RB D'Von Glover 5TGT/3REC/18 yards–6.0Y/A–8yd long
WR Evan Graves 3TGT/2REC/18 yards–9.0Y/A–12yd long
TE Jayson Williams 5TGT/1REC/4 yards–4.0Y/A–4yd long
TE Jeremiah Lewis 2TGT/1REC/1 yard–1.0Y/A–1yd long

Defense:
Mokuleia Island:
S Antwon Barnett 7 solo/2 assisted/9 total
LB Terrel Mahuka 6 solo/2 assisted/8 total/1TFL
LB Jacob Abreu 6 solo/1 assisted/7 total
LB Sam Robertson 6 solo/1TFL–1 forced fumble
DL Mason Muaau 1 solo/3 assisted/4 total
S João Kaloloua 3 solo/1TFL
DL Zaiden Montreclair 3 solo/2 sacks
DL Dru Ford 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total/1TFL
DL Jalpani Lafaele 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total
DL Dugan Timoteo 2 assisted–1 forced fumble
CB Kino Luapa 1 solo/1TFL–1 pass defended
LB Ben Hao 1 assisted–1 forced fumble
CB Aaron Masswana 1 assisted
S Josh Chapman 1 solo
CB Ho'ola'i Pane'e 1 pass defended/1INT/6 yards
LB Justin Nakanaelo 1 fumble recovered/9 yards

Obyedako Blue Devils:
LB Brion Woods 8 solo/3 assisted/11 total/1TFL
S Bryson Martinez 3 solo/2 assisted/5 total/2TFL–2 passes defended
LB David Wilstead 5 solo/1TFL
CB Bryan Macon 2 solo/ 2 assisted/4 total/2TFL
CB Malcolm Perkins 4 solo/1TFL
S Doug Campbell 2 solo/2 assisted/4 total/1TFL–1 pass defended–1 forced fumble
DL Justin Anderson 3 solo/1 assisted/4 total/1TFL
LB Aaron Corchiani 4 solo
S Daryus Pegues 4 solo/1TFL
LB Cliff Simmons 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total–1 forced fumble
DL Korey Neill 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total/1TFL–1 fumble recovered/2 yards
DL Matt Grady 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total/1TFL
DL Willie Jenkins 2 solo/1 sack
DL Rory Rucker 1 solo
DL Jamal Vann 1 assisted
CB Malcolm Tagovailoa 1 pass defended

St. Bonaventura Gold and Blues 25-23 Alameda High School Desperados

It was a tightly contested affair between the St. Bonaventura Gold and Blues and the Alameda High School Desperados. The Gold and Blues are chasing their second victory of the season after a surprise victory against J.C. Evermore Academy while the Alameda Desperados were looking for their first victory of the season after losing out to Mokuleia Island last week. Early on it looked like St. Bonaventura was going to run away with it as they went up 22-3 at the end of the first half before the Desperados went on a 20-0 run of their game to make it 22-23 with under a minute to go before senior kicker Brandon Gordon banged hom a 40 yard field goal as the clock expired…that’s tough! For the victorious Gold and Blues, full praise must go to senior quarterback Mike Cantenaro Rivas for a 272 yard, 3TD/1INT performance, he was lighting up the Desperados secondary and added 23 rushing yards and a touchdown on top. Sawyer Franklin was his favorite receiving target as he targeted the senior nine times for seven (7) catches, 98 yards and a touchdown. Fellow senior WR Matthew Gatlin was on pace to have a night to remember as he pulled in both his targets for touchdowns before tearing his ACL, get well soon! St. Bonaventura didn’t go to the ground that often, Joey Royal led them in yards with 44 on 13 rushes while DeColdes Carey added 14 more yards. Onnnnn the defensive side of the ball, sophomore linebacker Nick Box got things done with eight impactful tackles while dual offensive/defensive lineman Tucker Bennedetto added six total tackles as well. The defense will need to step things up in the games to come, giving up a 20-0 scoring run is absolute trash.

For the losing Desperadoes, not really a whole lot of positive news here. Said 20-0 scoring run in the second half was pretty good, slightly undone by them giving up a 3-22 run in the first half also further undone by them ultimately losing the game, but hey it was cool while it was happening! Ryan Carter had a pretty unremarkable day under center, sure he put up 243 yards but he only connected for one touchdown while also getting intercepted and sacked five times…that had to hurt! Junior star receiver Dakota Mitherali returned from an injury shortened week one to give a better showing of his talent as he recorded 65 yards on eight catches, though it’s clear the 6’2 game changer is still a ways back from his best. It was the Ranorian tight end Andrew Svensson that gave Alameda High the lead at 23-22 when he caught a nine yard touchdown pass to go with his 55 yards, but Brandon Gordon iced that dream with his game winning field goal. When it came to running the ball, the Desperados actually put up more yardage than St. Bonaventura, 99 yards to 81, with junior back Brant Stephens’ 63 yards leading both teams and he added a touchdown, as did fellow back Dewayne Ball when the sophomore ran for a nine yard TD though they failed to convert the two-point attempt. Looking at the Alameda defense, senior safety Andrew Terry put seven total tackles, two for loss, and he forced two fumbles, good enough to be his team’s player of the game, while freshman linebacker Michael Williams was a real dog as he recorded 10 total tackles.

2-0 St. Bonaventura, 0-2 Alameda High. This means something.

Quarterbacks:
St. Bonaventura: Mike Cantenaro Rivas 27/37/73.0%/272 yards/3TD/1INT	–1 fumble lost–109.3 QB Rating

Alameda Desperados: Ryan Carter 27/38/71.1%/243 yards/1TD/1INT–5 sacks–85.7 QB Rating

Rushing:
St. Bonaventura:
RB Joey Royal 13 rushes/44 yards–3.4Y/A–15yd long
QB Mike Cantenaro Rivas 3 rushes/23 yards–7.7Y/A–11yd long–1TD
RB DeColdest Carey 4 rushes/14 yards–3.5Y/A–6yd long

Alameda Desperados:
RB Brant Stephens 13 rushes/63 yards–4.8Y/A–12yd long–1TD
RB Dewayne Ball 7 rushes/26 yards–3.7Y/A–9yd long–1TD–1 fumble lost
RB R.J. Milton 1 rush/5 yards–5.0Y/A–5yd long
RB Tommie Matthews 1 rush/3 yards–3.0Y/A–3yd long
QB Ryan Carter 1 rush/2 yards–2.0Y/A–2yd long

Receiving:
St. Bonaventura:
WR Sawyer Franklin 9TGT/7REC/98 yards–14.0Y/A–21yd long–1TD
TE Quentin Battles 5TGT/4REC/49 yards–12.3Y/A–16yd long
WR James Lofton 5TGT/4REC/36 yards–9.0Y/A–16yd long
WR Tyshon Oliver 1TGT/1REC/26 yards–26.0Y/A–26yd long
RB DeColdest Carey 9TGT/5REC/22 yards–4.4Y/A–6yd long
WR Matthew Gatlin 2TGT/2REC/20 yards–10.0Y/A–18yd long–2TD
WR Josh Green 4TGT/3REC/18 yards–6.0Y/A–9yd long
RB Joey Royal 2TGT/1REC/3 yards–3.0Y/A–3yd long

Alameda Desperados:
WR Dakota Mitherali 11TGT/8REC/65 yards–8.1Y/A–15yd long
TE Andrew Svensson 9TGT/5REC/55 yards–11.0Y/A–27 yards–1TD
WR Perry Walton 3TGT/3REC/48 yards–16.0Y/A–20yd long
RB Dewayne Ball 3TGT/3REC/29 yards–9.7Y/A–20yd long
RB Brant Stephens 4TGT/3REC/15 yards–5.0Y/A–8yd long
TE Cody Walters 1TGT/1REC/14 yards–14.0Y/A–14yd long
WR Emmanuel Hogan 5TGT/2REC/11 yards–5.5Y/A–10yd long
WR Dillon Irby 1TGT/1REC/10REC–10.0Y/A–10yd long
RB Tommie Matthews 1TGT/1REC/-4 yards– -4.0Y/A– -4yd long

Defense:
St. Bonaventura:
LB Nick Box 6 solo/2 assisted/8 total
LB Dylan Abdullah 7 solo
DL Tucker Bennedetto 2 solo/4 assisted/6 total
LB Darrion Lawrence 6 solo/1TFL/1 sack–1 pass defended
DL Corbin Meyers 5 solo/2 sacks–1 safety
DL Antonio Blair 4 solo/1TFL/1 sack–1 forced fumble
DL Junior Diaz 4 solo/2TFL/1 sack
CB Jared Williams 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total–2 passes defended
LB Remy Martin 1 solo/2 assisted/3 tackles
S Jordan Kyles 2 solo
CB Phillip Johnson 2 solo
S Danny McMahan 2 solo
CB Jordan Nugent 1 assisted
DL Casey Ginn 1 assisted
LB Julian Priester1 assisted
S Roger Fleming 1 pass defended/1INT/10 yards–1 fumble recovered/8 yards

Alameda Desperados:
LB Michael Williams 7 solo/3 assisted/10 total
S Desmond Robertson 5 solo/3 assisted/8 total–1 pass defended
S Andre Terry 5 solo/2 assisted/7 total/2TFL–2 forced fumbles
LB Stanley Castleberry 3 solo/3 assisted/6 total/1TFL
DL Quincy Brown 2 solo/2 assisted/4 total/2TFL–1 fumble recovered/5 yards
DL Charles Hand 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total
LB Jay Paul 1 solo/2 assisted/3 total
DL Jamell Watson 2 solo
S Tom Pearson 1 solo–2 passes defended/1INT/13 yards
CB Chris Jefferson 1 solo
DL Gabe Phillips 1 solo
LB Brandon Baker 1 solo
CB Marcus Roberts 1 solo–1INT
LB John Anderson 1 solo

Ficilian Point High School Seabirds 24-34 Timberline High School Wolves

The Timberline Wolves, ranked #5 in pre-season predictions, entered the third week of matches chasing their first win while the Ficilian Point Seabirds were looking to go 2-0. The Seabirds started strong, going up 10-0 by the start of the second quarter before the Wolves turned it on and put up 20 points before the end of the half. They then proceeded to turn it off as the third quarter went 14-0 in Ficilian Point’s favor to make the score 24-20……before turning it back on once again to win the 4th quarter 0-14 and the game. Kinda funny and definitely entertaining. Though Ficilian Point might have lost, it definitely wasn’t because of a lack of effort from their quarterback Elijah Batholomew who threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns, though he did have a pretty poor interception. Senior receiver Mitchell Russell was shaping up to have an unreal night, catching two passes for 106 yards and a touchdown before bruising his quadriceps and getting ruled out for the rest of the game, that’s rough! No worries though as senior tight end Chris Henry picked up the slack as he went for 81 yards and a touchdown on eight catches, though alarm bells will be ringing over Andrew Legnfish as a receiver as he only recorded 42 yards, this from supposedly the best receiver in all the land. That being said, he did lead both teams in rushing with 75 yards on 14 rushes but it’s like……why? He’s not a running back so why are they using him like one? This is why I’m not a coach! Looking at the defensive numbers for the Seabirds, it’s hard to look past junior linebacker Darren Driscoll and his nine combined tackles though freshman lineman Erik Larson made his name known with an incredible four sack performance with an additional tackle for loss to go along with it.

For the Timberline Wolves, finally sweet sweet victory! Junior quarterback Alec Hickman turned in his best performance of the season, completing 20 of 28 pass attempts for 274 yards and two touchdowns; boy got sacked seven (7) times though so that is absolutely sure to leave a mark or two! Junior running back Demitri LeCroix turned in a massive performance as he caught three passes for 76 yards, touchdown included, but he also went for 36 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, really showing his versatility as a two way player as he won the Player of the Game award. Senior tight end Patrick Hansen went 100% as a receiver, catching all six of his targets for 58 yards while sophomore wide receiver Rex Andrews caught all five of his for 50 yards and a touchdown, some good games out there! On the defensive side of things, it was once again the Luke Welton show as the senior recorded 11 total tackles to bring him to 31 over the first three games of the season, that’s a hot start! Shoutout to senior safety Jordan Kemp who returned an interception 34 yards to the house for six points!

Great game for the Timberline Wolves who will be feeling relieved to get their first W of the season. For Ficilian Point? Steady on lads, you have plenty to look forward to. Maybe.

Quarterbacks:
Ficilian Point: Elijah Bartholomew 22/32/68.8%/286 yards/3TD/1INT–114.8 QB Rating

Timberline Wolves: Alec Hickman 20/28/71.4%/274 yards/2TD–7 sacks–126.2 QB Rating

Rushing:
Ficilian Point:
WR Andrew Legnfish 14 rushes/75 yards–5.4Y/A–12yd long
RB Kelton Hutson 8 rushes/9 yards–1.1Y/A–7yd long
WR Eric Goss 1 rush/7 yards

Timberline Wolves:
RB Demitri LeCroix 6 rushes/36 yards–6.0Y/A–11yd long–2TD
RB Jayce Morales 3 rushes/22 yards–7.3Y/A–12yd long
QB Alec Hickman 5 rushes/18 yards–3.6Y/A–10yd long
WR Rex Andrews 1 rush/13 yards
RB Chris Robertson 3 rushes/5 yards–1.7Y/A–6yd long
RB Grant Lacey 1 rush/3 yards
WR Ryan Tully 1 rush/-4 yards

Receiving:
Ficilian Point:
WR Mitchell Russell 3	TGT/2REC/106 yards–53.0Y/A–90yd long–1TD
TE Chris Henry 11TGT/8REC/81 yards–10.1Y/A–21yd long–1TD
WR Andrew Legnfish 8TGT/5REC/42 yards–8.4Y/A–11yd long
RB Kelton Hutson 2TGT/1REC/21 yards–21.0Y/A–21yd long
WR Eric Goss 3TGT/2REC/21 yards–10.5Y/A–11yd long
TE D.J. Hicks 1TGT/1REC/9 yards–9.0Y/A–9yd long–1TD
WR Kyle Vasey 4TGT/3REC/6 yards–2.0Y/A–3yd long

Timberline Wolves:
RB Demitri LeCroix 7TGT/3REC/98 yards–32.7Y/A–76yd long–1TD
TE Patrick Hansen 6TGT/6REC/58 yards–9.7Y/A–19yd long
WR Rex Andrews 5TGT/5REC/50 yards–10.0Y/A–18yd long–1TD
WR Ryan Tully 4TGT/3REC/37 yards–12.3Y/A–17yd long
TE Frank Jones 2TGT/1REC/16 yards–16.0Y/A–16yd long
RB Jayce Morales 2TGT/1REC/8 yards–8.0Y/A–8yd long
RB Chris Robertson 1TGT/1REC/7 yards–7.0Y/A–7yd long
WR Terrell Pringle 1TGT/0REC

Defense:
Ficilian Point:
LB Darren Driscoll 6 solo/3 assisted/9 total/1TFL
LB Dana Dalton 4 solo/2 assisted/6 total/2TFL
S Brian Shelley 3 solo/3 assisted/6 total–1 pass defended
DL Erik Larson 4 solo/1 assisted/5 total/1TFL/4 sacks
DL Logan Aguilar 4 solo
S Ryan Howard 1 solo/3 assisted/4 total
CB Shaun Williams 3 solo–1 pass defended
LB Jeff Banks 1 solo/2 assisted/3 total
LB Parker Coleman 3 assisted
CB Preston Mitchell 2 solo
DL A.J. Hickman 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total/1 sack
DL Sylvester Mills 1 solo/1 sack
DL Jordan Moore 1 solo/1 sack
CB Joseph Stringer 1 solo
S Nick Strozier 1 solo

Timberline Wolves:
LB Luke Welton 8 solo/3 assisted/11 total
LB Chaz Allen 5 solo/3 assisted/8 total/2TFL
DL Raymond Butler 3 solo/4 assisted/7 total/1TFL
LB Rasheed McNeal 5 solo/1TFL
LB Chris Handy 1 solo/3TFL/4 total
CB Adrian Davis 1 solo/2 assisted/3 total–1 pass defended
S Byron Jackson 1 solo/2 assisted/3 total/1TFL–1 pass defended
DL Elmo Cisarinho 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total/1TFL–1 pass defended
S Jordan Kemp 1 solo/2 assisted/3 total/1TFL–1 pass defended/1INT/34 yards/1TD
DL Justin Miller 1 solo/2 assisted/3 total
CB Steven Sheehan 2 solo
DL Gino Atchison 2 solo
S Ryan Cullen 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total
DL Mark Aston 1 solo
P Jesse Sherrod 1 solo
S Travis Boston 1 assisted

Alexandria High School Swordsmen 3-33 Riverstone International School Otters

Yeah this one wasn’t even close, really no point in building it up as Alexandria High School got absolutely mollywhopped by the Riverstone Otters…RIP. For the losing Swordsmen, who put up a grand total of three points, not really a whole lot of good stuff to report on offense! Unfortunately senior QB David Washington is still out with an injury, meaning it was freshman Johnny Pistola who started and that did not go well. 18 passes for 109 yards, an interception, and three sacks in perhaps the worst QB display we’ve seen all season. Yikes! Fellow freshman Matt Cassidy was ‘the big winner’ in the passing game today as he led the Swordsmen with 38 yards. Yikes! Johnny Pistola did show his ability to run with the ball, arguably more efficiently than throwing it at this point in his career, as he led Alexandria with 47 rushing yards on six carries, which actually isn’t too bad. Not really much more to report on the offensive side of the ball, good on ya Kyron Miller; the senior scored the only points of the game for his team when he converted a 42 yard field goal with 8:29 left in the first quarter. Yikes! Now let’s look at defense, well done Devin Singleton, the sophomore linebacker recorded 12 tackles including two for losses while junior cornerback Jordan Taylor saved a certain touchdown with his second quarter interception. Not great Alexandria, not great!

For the victorious Riverstone Otters, damn, y’all killed them with 330 passing yards, that’s some hot shit right there! Junior QB Kanthony Marley had a great game out there, he got those 330 passing yards along with three touchdowns and a narrow interception, and he added 11 rushing yards on four attempts. The biggest praise of the game has to be reserved for Julius Whiteside, the senior WR put up a ridiculous 249 receiving yards on ten catches AND three touchdowns. AND he led his team with 46 rushing yards, this dude had nearly 300 combined yards! Insane. There wasn’t a lot of room left for other members of the offensive unit, though senior running back Daniel Love scored a touchdown on one of his 12 carries. A suffocating defensive display was made possible from brilliant play from Riverstone’s linebackers, junior Brandon Gittens led the lot with 13 tackles, sophomore Alec McDonald contributed 11 and a tackle for loss, and fellow sophomore Zach White rounded it out with nine himself. Great game from the lads, great game overall!

Good news Alexandria: Literally anything other than what you did today will likely yield better results!

Quarterbacks:
Alexandria High: Johnny Pistola 18/32/56.3%/109 yards/1INT–3 sacks–50.1 QB Rating

Riverstone Otters: Kanthony Marley 20/32/62.5%/330 yards/3TD/1INT–115.4 QB Rating

Rushing:
Alexandria High:
QB Johnny Pistola 6 rushes/47 yards–7.8Y/A–14yd long
RB Corey Jones 9 rushes/45 yards–5.0Y/A–14yd long
RB Ammon McCauley 11 rushes/33 yards–3.0Y/A–9yd long

Riverstone Otters:
WR Julius Whiteside 6 rushes/46 yards–7.7Y/A–13yd long
RB Daniel Love 12 rushes/33 yards–2.8Y/A–9yd long–1TD
QB Kanthony Marley 4 rushes/11 yards–2.8Y/A–11yd long

Receiving:
Alexandria High:
WR Matt Cassidy 4TGT/4REC/38 yards–9.5Y/A–12yd long
RB Corey Jones 4TGT/2REC/21 yards–10.5Y/A–17yd long
TE Brandon Shelley 4	TGT/3REC/14 yards–4.7Y/A–8yd long
RB Ammon McCauley 4GT/2REC/11 yards–5.5Y/A–6yd long
WR Jeff Beeman 4TGT/3REC/11 yards–3.7Y/A–11yd long
WR Christian Jeanpierre 11TGT/3REC/10 yards–3.3Y/A–5yd long
TE Matthew Colburn 1TGT/1REC/4 yards–4.0Y/A–4yd long

Riverstone Otters:
WR Julius Whiteside 13TGT/10REC/249 yards–24.9Y/A–76yd long–3TD
TE Billy Kay 4TGT/2REC/32 yards–16.0Y/A–18yd long
RB Daniel Love 6TGT/3REC/16 yards–5.3Y/A–13yd long
WR Ryne Watson 3TGT/1REC/13 yards–13.0Y/A–13yd long
WR Marcus McClure 5TGT/3REC/10 yards–3.3Y/A–4yd long
TE Darren Kent 1TGT/1REC/10 yards–10.0Y/A–10yd long

Defense:
Alexandria High:
LB Devin Singleton 9 solo/3 assisted/12 total/2TFL
LB Bradley Furman 3 solo/3 assisted/6 total/2TFL
S Christian Kolar 4 solo/2 assisted/6 total/1TFL
CB Alphonso Stengel 3 solo/1 assisted/4 total–1 pass defended
LB Bryce Kingston 4 solo
LB L.T. Harris 2 solo/2 assisted/4 total
S Hayden Woodson 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total/1TFL–1 pass defended
DL Braxton Weaver 1 solo/2 assisted/3 total
DL Dezman Davenport 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total–1 forced fumble
CB Jordan Taylor 1 assisted–2 passes defended/1INT/6 yards
DL Trent Tuggle 1 solo
DL Henry Eriksson 1 solo
CB T.J. Watson 1 solo

Riverstone Otters:
LB Brandon Gittens 8 solo/5 assisted/13 total–1 forced fumble
LB Alec McDonald 9 solo/2 assisted/11 total/1 assisted–1 pass defended
LB Zach White 5 solo/4 assisted/9 total
S Lewis Thornton 2 solo/3 assisted/5 total–1 pass defended
LB Thad Myatt  4 solo/1 sack–1 pass defended
CB Jared Hawkins 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total–3 passes defended/1INT/-4 yards
DL Trey Milan 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total
DL Cade Knust 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total/1TFL–1 forced fumble
DL Cordell Jackson 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total/2TFL-1 sack
CB Alexis Mac Siuhe 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total–1 pass defended
S Richard Bolduc 2 solo
DL L.J. Williams 2 assisted–1 fumble recovered/3 yards
DL Jack Ruder 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total/1 sack
DL Cory Rugg 1 assisted/1TFL

Academia Cardonia Golden Knights 45-23 Glenelg Athletic Academy Green Dragons

It was a big game between Academia Cardonia and Glenelg Athletic Academy as both teams chased their first win, the Golden Knights especially so as they tried to reconcile their 0-2 start to the season with their pre-season ranking of #2 in the country. Fortunately for them, Sergi Tipton went off and refused to lose for a third game in a row. The senior quarterback completed 22 of his 30 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns, though he did fumble the ball on his single sack. Just a great game from the kid as he proved his reputation for being both a smart and a deep passer. Senior receiver Ricky Daniels was the big winner as he recorded 124 yards and a touchdown, with fellow WR senior Keaton Miller catching his single target for a four yard touchdown, and freshman tight end Jamie Davies rounded out the scoring with a 60 yard house call. Andrew Kun Wah Lee ran for a disappointing 33 yards, though he did score a touchdown and added 42 yards of receiving as he caught four of his five targets, still it’s been a fairly disappointing season from the kid considered to be the best running back in the league…he’s only got 126 yards on the ground though his two rushing touchdowns are good enough to tie for first so maybe there is something cooking there. He’s got 93 receiving yards too so it’s not that he isn't a versatile option on the field. Anyway, on to defense. Shoutout to junior lineman Devin Gallagher who crushed Glenelg’s quarterback in two huge sacks. Senior LB Jason Egger led his team with nine total tackles including a smooth safety in the first quarter. Overall, fairly straightforward for Academia Cardonia.

For the Glenelg Green Dragons, they were really hoping to win their second in a row but realistically it was always going to be difficult against a more talented Golden Knight team…they gave a solid display of themselves though and should be proud! Sophomore quarterback Anthony Simon was his team’s player of the game as he completed 18 of his 35 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns, though he did throw two interceptions and gave up a fumble on one of his six sacks. Senior receiver Kaiden McQueeney was the yardage sponge for the Green Dragons as he recorded 146 of his team’s 239 pass yards with a touchdown in there too, simply stupendous from the lad! In terms of running the ball, not a whole lot going on there though senior back Nathan McDonald did lead both teams with 50 rushing yards, Anthony Simon was right on his heels with 48 yards. I mean that’s really it, Glenelg’s offense just could not get anything cooking for the whole game soooo let’s look at the defense where things also were not great! Junior linebacker Maliek Davis had his biggest game to date as he put up ten tackles including one for loss, while the next closest Dragons, senior safety Ron Harell and freshman linebacker Barnold Toma, recorded five. Sometimes that’s the way the game goes.

Congrats Golden Knights, you finally got your first win of the season. Green Dragons, no shame at all, just got out played by a better team.

Quarterbacks:
Academia Cardonia: Sergi Tipton 22/30/73.3%/354 yards/3TD–1 sack/1 fumble–145.7 QB rating

Glenelg Green Dragons: Anthony Simon 18/35/51.4	%/239 yards/2TD/2INT–6 sacks/1 fumble–68.6 QB rating

Rushing:
Academia Cardonia:
RB Andrew Kun Wa Lee 8 rushes/33 yards–4.1Y/A–8yd long–1TD
RB Ben Brittain 2 rushes/5 yards–2.5Y/A–10yd long
QB Sergi Tipton 4 rushes/1 yards–0.3Y/A–4yd long
WR Ricky Daniels 1 rush/1 yard–1.0Y/A–1yd long

Glenelg Green Dragons:
RB Nathan McDonald 10 rushes/50 yards–5.0Y/A–13yd long
QB Anthony Simon 7 rushes/48 yards–6.9Y/A–14yd long–1TD
RB Wesley Mack 7 rushes–28 yards–4.0Y/A–9yd long
WR Kaiden McQueeney 1 rush/4 yards–4.0Y/A–4yd long

Receiving:
Academia Cardonia:
WR Ricky Daniels 7TGT/6REC/124 yards–20.7Y/A–63yd long–1TD
WR Jack Caver 8TGT/6REC/66 yards–11.0Y/A–20yd long
TE Jamie Davis 3TGT/1REC/60 yards–60.0Y/A–60yd long–1TD
TE Joseph Givens 3TGT/2REC/56 yards–28.0Y/A–44yd long
RB Andrew Kun Wa Lee 5TGT/4REC/42 yards–10.5Y/A–19yd long
WR Keaton Miller 1TGT/1REC/4 yards–4.0Y/A–4yd long–1TD
RB Ben Brittain 3TGT/2REC/2 yards–1.0Y/A–5yd long

Glenelg Green Dragons:
WR Kaiden McQueeney 11TGT/9REC/146 yards–16.2Y/A–70yd long–1TD
RB Wesley Mack 7TGT/4REC/50 yards–12.5Y/A–19yd long–1TD
TE Artur Ryouichi 6TGT/3REC/18 yards–6.0Y/A–9yd long
WR Derik Okafor 5TGT/1REC/18 yards–18.0Y/A–18yd long
WR Kendell Borland 1TGT/1REC/7 yards–7.0Y/A–7yd long
RB Nathan McDonald 2TGT/0REC
TETravis Williams 1TGT/0REC
WR Sam Maynor 1TGT/0REC
RB Carter Hagen 1TGT/0TGT

Defense:
Academia Cardonia:
LB Jason Egger 7 solo/2 assisted/9 total/1 sack–1 pass defended–1 forced fumble
LB Jeremy Ruff 6 solo/2 assisted/8 total/1TFL
DL Jude Way 3 solo/4 assisted/7 total/1TFL/1 sack–1 fumble recovered/6 yards
LB Ben Karr 4 solo/2 assisted/6 total/1TFL–1 pass defended
S Chase Futrell 3 solo/2 assisted/5 total–2 passes defended/1INT/25 yards/1TD
CB Brandon Simon 4 solo/1 assisted/5 total–2 passes defended
S Brendan Gray 2 solo/2 assisted/4 total
LB Malik Fuller 3 solo
DL Devin Gallagher 3 solo/2 sacks
DL Kelly Bateman 2 solo/1 sack–1 forced fumble
DL Will Bagby 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total–1 forced fumble
DL Darryl Richardson 1 solo/1 sack–1 pass defended
CB Trevor Rose 1 assisted–3 passes defended/1INT/5 yards
CB Trae Phillips 1 solo
DL Jared Murphy 1 assisted

Glenelg Green Dragons:
LB Maliek Davis 7 solo/3 assisted/10 total/1TFL
S Ron Harrell 3 solo/2 assisted/5 total
LB Barnold Toma 2 solo/3 assisted/5 total/2TFL/1 sack
LB Keith Davis 2 solo/2 assisted/4 total/1TFL
CB Justin Woods 1 solo/2 assisted/3 total–2 passes defended
S Tom Boyd 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total/1TFL–1 fumble recovered/5 yards
LB Billy Morris 3 solo
DL Will Taylor 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total
DL D.J. Tucker 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total–1 forced fumble
CB Conner Snow 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total/1TFL–1 pass defended
DL Jack Clarke 1 solo

J.C. Evermore Academy Green Titans 24-19 Brøgby Preparatory Academy Miners

For the Brøgby Preparatory Academy Miners, this was an absolute must win as they sought to get their winning season back on track after a 1-1 start. For the J.C. Evermore Academy Green Titans, it would be hilarious to beat the #1 pre-season ranked team……it ended up being a hilarious night. Let the record show it was a fantastic defensive display from the Green Titans who limited Brøgby to a single touchdown. For the Miners, it’s clear they are still missing the dynamism of Michael Monrovia at the quarterback position; fans will be hoping and praying the lads can get it sorted before too much longer as this 1-2 start is their worst ever. Spoiled!

For the victorious Green Titans, full praise to senior quarterback Chris Shaw who had, if not a monstrous numbers night, then a very productive play night as he put up 164 passing yards on 18 throws for two touchdowns while also leading both teams with 63 rushing yards, including an absolutely iconic 53 yard touchdown run. In the air, junior receiver Pokey Wilson was the yardage winner as he caught six passes for 85 yards but it was senior WR Trey Williams who put points on the board as two of his five catches were touchdowns. When it came to running the ball, junior back David Brown ate most of the contact with 15 rushes going for 39 yards while senior RB Mike Williams added 21 yards on six rushes. Nobody had a super crazy night on offense for J.C. Evermore but when you have a well-functioning team, you don’t need to worry about that! On defense, sophomore linebacker Jameson Horan came out of absolutely nowhere to record 11 total tackles with fellow linebacker junior Jay Kazee putting nine up including one for tackle. Sophomore safety Ben Passmore said, ‘you know what, try passing more against me and see what happens!’ Well what happens is two passes defended and an interception returned for six yards……nice!

Brøgby Brøgby Brøgby…this 1-2 start to the season y’all are cooking up is the worst in program history, what a shame! Evan Smith really just is not the successor to Michael Monrovia and perhaps highlights a failure in the recruitment process for the Miners; as the best team in the league you’d expect them to have a premium of quarterback talent, evidently that is not the case. Anyway, Mr. Smith completed 26 of his 48 passes for 252 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and he got sacked four times…not that great! Senior receiver Brady Thomas was putting together a good night as he caught 11 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown before tearing his spinalis meaning he’ll be out for at least two games. Junior Devin Kitchen caught three passes for 47 yards while senior Michael O’Reilly added 44 on four catches. Looking at the ground game, Gavin Hall pushed as hard as he could, with the senior going for 63 yards while it was a quiet game from Saul Thomas III as the Ranorian prospect only collected 17 rushing yards in addition to 20 in the air. Shoutout to sophomore kicker Hunter Ware who led his team in scoring on the night with his four field goals and single extra point converted. ONNNNN DEFENSEEEEEEE junior lineman Abraham Dove was a real wrecking ball with eight tackles, one TFL, and a sack while fellow junior lineman Guy Harrison sacked Chris Shaw twice. ROUGH! Rough display from Brøgby, it really seems like there’s no star there who will take them to the level they are used to competing at. You really hate to see it.

Thank you J.C. Evermore Academy!!!!

Quarterbacks:
J.C. Evermore: Chris Shaw 18/30/60.0%/164 yards/2TD–3 sacks–97.1 QB rating

Brøgby Prep: Evan Smith 26/48/54.2%/252 yards/1TD/1INT–4 sacks–67.4 QB rating

Rushing:
J.C. Evermore:
QB Chris Shaw 4 rushes/63 yards–15.8Y/A–53 yd long–1TD
RB David Brown 15 rushes/39 yards–2.6Y/A–10yd long
RB Mike Williams 6 rushes/21 yards–3.5Y/A–8yd long
WR Pokey Wilson 1 rush/8 yards–8.0Y/A–8yd long

Brøgby Prep:
RB Gavin Hall 14 rushes/63 yards–4.5Y/A–10yd long
RB Saul Thomas III 2 rushes/17 yards–8.5Y/A–11yd long
QB Evan Smith 2 rushes/0 yards–0.0Y/A–3yd long

Receiving:
J.C. Evermore:
WR Pokey Wilson 11TGT/6REC/85 yards–14.2Y/A–28yd long
WR Trey Williams 8TGT/5REC/55 yards–11.0Y/A–19yd long–2TD
TE Brandon Jelks  2TGT/2REC/13 yards–6.5Y/A–11yd long
RB David Brown 3TGT/2REC/11 yards–5.5Y/A–6yd long
RB Mike Williams 2TGT/1REC/5 yards–5.0Y/A–5yd long
WR Michael Walker 1TGT/1REC/0 yards
TE Jerard Hines 3TGT/1REC/-5 yards– -5.0Y/A– -5yd long

Brøgby Prep:
WR Brady Thomas 16TGT/11REC/72 yards–6.5Y/A–16yd long–1TD
WR Devin Kitchen 9TGT/3REC/47 yards–15.7Y/A–23yd long
WR Michael O'Reilly 5TGT/4REC/44 yards–11.0Y/A–12yd long
TE Devin Spears 3TGT/2REC/31 yards–15.5Y/A–16yd long
TE Keenan Pankey 5TGT/2REC/20 yards–10.0Y/A–13yd long
RB Saul Thomas  2TGT/2REC/20 yards–10.0Y/A–17yd long
RB Gavin Hall 6TGT/2REC/18 yards–9.0Y/A–11yd long
RB J.J. Jordan 2TGT/0REC

Defense:
J.C. Evermore:
LB Jameson Horan 7 solo/4 assisted/11 total/1TFL
LB Jay Kazee 7 solo/2 assisted/9 total/1TFL
S Ben Passmore 7 solo/1TFL–1 pass defended/1INT/-3 yards
DL Kyle Turner 4 solo/1 assisted/5 total/1 sack
DL Jerrid Réamann 2 solo/2 assisted/4 total/1 sack
LB Wes Simon 2 solo/2 assisted/4 total
S Kashif Belcaster 2 solo/2 assisted/4 total
LB Kareem Baker 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total
DL Mike Roberts 2 solo/1TFL
CB George Melton 1 assisted–2 passes defended
CB Jared Boss 1 solo–2 passes defended
DL Will Singh 1 solo/1 sack
CB Woody Wilson 1 assisted–1 pass defended
CB David Sanchez 1 solo/1 sack
S Roy Darr 1 pass defended

Brøgby Prep:
DL Abraham Dove 7 solo/1 assisted/8 total/1TFL/1 sack
LB James Anderson 5 solo/2 assisted/7 total
DL Guy Harrison 5 solo/1 assisted/6 total/1TFL/2 sacks
LB Austin Wallace 4 solo/2 assisted/6 total
S Tanner Parker 4 assisted/1TFL–1 pass defended
LB Khary Sowers 3 solo/1TFL–1 pass defended
LB Tim Tauaefa 3 solo
S Alex Martinez 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total
DL Spencer Waters 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total
CB Brannon McKenzie 2 solo–1 pass defended
DL Tyler Morley 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total/2TFL–1 forced fumble
DL Ralph Little 1 solo
S Colin Lewis 1 assisted–1 pass defended
CB Kareem Jones 1 solo
S Corey Wood 1 solo
P Andrew Long 1 solo
CB Reggie Lowe 1 pass defended

Skyview Mountain Academy Fliers 31-38 Treasure Valley High School Triceratops

This was a certified banger of a game as the team’s combined for 43 points in the second quarter; it was a real nail-biter from that point on. For the losing Skyview Academy Fliers, they had a bigggg issue to deal with when star quarterback Peppi Klerkx, one of the best in the country, went down with MORE back spasms…team Doc says he’ll probably be out for two more weeks, yikes! Peppi was having a good game before then too, 15/23 in passing for 283 yards and two touchdowns, though he did get sacked four times with the final one taking him out of the game. Let’s show some damn praise to sophomore replacement Taylor Fisher, the kid completed all seven (7) of his passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, and he bounced back up from a sack with a smile on his face, which says a lot about the lads personality. Senior receiver Hodoi White was the most productive option in the passing game as he caught seven (7) of ten targets for 165 yards and an 82 yard touchdown, what a great game, seriously this kid is explosive, he’s athletic, and he’s got great hands, surely going to do business at the college level. Senior tight end Shy Thomas had an exceptional game, being the most impactful blocker on the line while also catching both of his targets for 67 yards and two touchdowns, that’s how you do it! Looking at the run game, the Fliers had three players between 20 and 24 yards, senior running back Aaron Fisher, Peppi Klerkx, and Hodoi White. Hey, they’re not called the Fliers for nothing! Let’s take a look at their defense now and, spoiler alert, it wasn’t great. Senior linebacker Cooper Harry led the team with eight tackles while sophomore safety Larry Reese did his best with seven (7) tackles, a figure matched by junior linebacker Joel Maxey. Not a great display on either side of the ball from the Fliers, repeated injuries to Peppi Klerkx is very concerning though Taylor Fisher has shown potential.

Ahhhh the Treasure Valley Triceratops. Pre-season projected #16 out of 16 yet here they are with three wins from three. Mike Saxton had a forgettable game under center as the sophomore quarterback only completed 16 of his 27 passes for 162 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Ja’mar Houston was his most productive receiver as the senior recorded 70 yards, though it was sophomore Tyrell McClellan who recorded the single passing touchdown of the game. Instead, it was sophomore running back P.J. Johnson who really got after it as the kid put up 121 yards on the ground and two swaggy touchdowns, including a 62 yard long. Hey, huuuuge praise to freshman RB Antwuan Snow as the kid looked sturdy as hell to handle 12 rushes for 54 yards and two touchdowns on top, that’s hot! Looking at the defensive side of the ball, senior Bobby Love went nuts with 15 total tackles, 15! Meanwhile, sophomore d-linesman Messiah Woodson was a menace as he recorded 10 tackles, a sack, and forced a decisive fumble.

Are the Treasure Valley Triceratops the best team in high school football? The record says so!

Quarterbacks:
Skyview Fliers: Peppi Klerkx 15/23/65.2%/283 yards/2TD–4 sacks–136.7 QB rating
Taylor Fisher: 7/7/100%/86 yards/1TD–1 sack/1 fumble–157.4 QB rating

Treasure Valley Triceratops: Mike Saxton 16/27/59.3%/162 yards/1TD/1INT–3 sacks–73.4 QB rating

Rushing:
Skyview Fliers:
RB Aaron Fisher 10 rushes/24 yards–2.4Y/A–10yd long–1TD
WR Hodoi White 10 rushes/22 yards–2.2Y/A–12yd long
QB Peppi Klerkx 2 rushes/20 yards–10.0Y/A–12yd long
RB Darren Dobbs 1 rush/1 yard

Treasure Valley Triceratops:
RB P.J. Johnson 17 rushes/121 yards–7.1Y/A–62yd long–2TD
RB Antwuan Snow 12	 rushes/54 yards–4.5Y/A–11yd long–2TD
QB Mike Saxton 8 rushes/18 yards–2.3Y/A–11yd long
WR Tyrell McClellan 1 rush/10 yards
WR Ja'mar Houston 1 rush/7 yards

Receiving:
Skyview Fliers:
WR Hodoi White 10TGT/7REC/165 yards–23.6Y/A–82yd long–1TD
WR Jonathan Lee 6TGT/6REC/69 yards–11.5Y/A–14yd long
TE Shy Thomas 2TGT/2REC/67 yards–33.5Y/A–55yd long–2TD
TE James McClellan 5TGT/3REC/42 yards–14.0Y/A–22yd long
WR Robert Cuff 6TGT/3REC/15 yards–5.0Y/A–8yd long
WR Gage Ward 1TGT/1REC11 yards

Treasure Valley Triceratops:
WR Ja'mar Houston 10TGT/6REC/70 yards–11.7Y/A–20yd long
WR Tyrell McClellan 4TGT/2REC/31 yards–15.5Y/A–25yd long–1TD
TE Demetrice Blasingame 3TGT/1REC/24 yards–24.0Y/A–24yd long
WR Parrish Jenkins 2TGT/2REC/17 yards–8.5Y/A–12yd long
RB P.J. Johnson 5TGT/3REC/13 yards–4.3Y/A–10yd long
RB Antwuan Snow 2TGT/1REC/8 yards–8.0Y/A–8yd long
TE Isaac Evans 1TGT/1REC/-1 yards

Defense:
Skyview Fliers:
LB Cooper Harry 6 solo/2 assisted/8 total
S Larry Reese 4 solo/3 assisted/7 total
LB Joel Maxey 5 solo/2 assisted/7 total/1TFL
DL Jose Webb 5 solo/2TFL1 sack–1 forced fumble
S Scott Williams 4 solo/1 assisted/5 total–1 pass defended
LB Guy Krah 4 solo/1 assisted/5 total
CB Alton Benjamin 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total–2 passes defended/1INT/5 yards
DL Tyrell Tarver 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total/1 sack
DL DaShawn Lyles 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total/1 sack
DL BJ McNutt 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total
LB Bryce Brown 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total
CB Jeremy Vail 1 pass defended

Treasure Valley Triceratops:
LB Bobby Love 13 solo/2 assisted/15 total/2TFL
DL Messiah Woodson 6 solo/4 assisted/10 total/1TFL/1 sack–1 forced fumble
DL Andrew Nwankwo 2 solo/3 assisted/5 total/1TFL/1 sack–1 fumble recovered/-4 yards
LB Marcus Schroeder 2 solo/3 assisted/5 total/1TFL
LB Zack Banks 4 solo/1 assisted/5 total–1 pass defended–1 forced fumble
DL Jamil Lopez 4 solo/1TFL/1 sack
S Scott Cooperwood 2 solo/1 assisted/3 total–1 forced fumble
S Richard Young 3 assisted–1 pass defended–1 forced fumble
CB Aj Phillips 1 solo/1 assisted/2 total–1 pass defended	
DL Terrance McLeod 1 solo/1 assisted
DL Kwame Nix 2 solo/1 sack
CB Sebastian Rousseau 1 assisted/1TFL
CB Devin Parsons 1 solo
LB Don Veasley 1 solo
S Mark Jackson 1 solo

by **Banija** » Sun Jun 23, 2024 10:02 pm

Former NMU Head Coach, Lance Kabuye, standing on the sideline, as a fan, with a sideline pass

This always happened at these big gridiron games. All those people who would get sideline passes- select former alumni, athletic directors, etc... And be there. Kabuye, of course, had a number of health problems- he wasn't able to attend either of NMU's two opening home games in person. But despite being relegated to retirement, fandom, whatever you want to call it- there was no way he was going to miss a North v. South Showdown. Despite no longer being in charge of the football program, his passion for Northern Moravica football had not wavered, not one bit. And he was one of those, who as a fan of NMU, watched extremely intensely. It seemed like life or death when he was coaching, and while many might have told him to take a chill pill for his heart health, he would have told them to take a long walk off a short pier- and provide the pier, as well.

And if you thought, oh, dude's got a sideline pass, he'll watch intently but stay out of things, well- you just haven't met Lance Kabuye.

On the Loyola opening drive of the game, Jawara had a deep pass down the sideline to Xaya Larr. Abigail Washington had gone step for step with the Chromatik, of course, and the throw had been a little bit overthrown. When Xaya Larr had dove for the ball and could not get it, he landed right in front of the old geezer. "Hey- y'all are losing this game." He told Larr as Larr got up in front of him to run back down the field and into the huddle. "NMU's year, NMU's time." When Larr had gotten up, he looked straight up at Lance Kabuye, simply shook his head, and jogged back to the huddle. Chromatik players were never ones to indulge in the smack talk, and this guy was no different. But it was later in the drive where Lance would make himself famous.

Jaxat Taa was running a deep crossing route. Taa caught the ball at the 20 yard line for the Blue Thunder, stiff-armed a defender, and ran his way down to the NMU 6 yard line. However, that stiff arm he had clearly grabbed and pulled down the defender by his facemask- something that the refs had missed. "WHOA! WHOA REF- WHERE'S THE FACEMASK!" Kabuye started screaming. Not exactly well heard as the 100,000+ wearing white cheered loudly for their first down. "ARE YOU FREAKING BLIND?? THAT IS ONE OF THE-" And he proceeded to say about 6 or 7 different words that, if they had been picked up by microphones or a television camera, would have gotten him some serious fines from the Banijan censor. "YOU GOTTA CALL THAT!" He was enraged. And the referee was looking at him, and threw the flag.

Remember, Kabuye was not a coach anymore. His own wife was holding him back, while Sebastian Kabuye, who was a position coach on this NMU team, sprinted down the sideline to call him down. The referee made the call. "Unsportsmanlike conduct on the NMU sideline- half the distance to the goal, automatic first down." The fans cheered some more as Sebastian talked to his father.

"Dad." He told him. "You cannot yell at the ref with your sideline pass. Watch the game- penalties like these will cost us." Kabuye begrudgingly said yes, and pledge to calm himself for the rest of the game. NMu was sure to win, right?

Loyola-Istria triumphes in thrilling nailbiter at the North v. South Showdown, as 27-20 victory over Northern Moravica answers a lot of questions for the Blue Thunder

ISTRIA, MORAVICA- The North v. South Showdown, while not always a nailbiter, is always a crucially important game in the season of those two participants- Northern Moravica and Loyola-Istria. This might be the oldest active national rivalry in the NSCF at this point- and the strength of the rivalry cannot be doubted. The winning history- a combined 4 NSCF titles and, even more impressively, a combined 15 Celestia conference titles in the 17 seasons the two teams have played in this conference. A pair of playoff matchups. Blue bloods. Passion. Popularity. Fans across the country, and beyond. The CFB world in Banija stops for this game, and this time around, we got another nailbiter.

Coaches, historically, on both sides, have made or broken their careers in this game. Just ask Horace Browning. And now, the stakes of this year's contest are rising like they usually do. With both teams going into the game 1-1, it could be a pivotal game in how they view their early season. The winner, with a fresh win over a major rival, entering cross-divisional play at 2-1 would be huge. The loser, the questions that they would have to answer at 1-2... Well, nobody wants to do that. And lastly, a new face in the rivalry! Hannah McKendry coaching against Loyola-Istria for the first time, as the head coach of Northern Moravica University.

Let's dive into things, shall we? The early period in the game was favored towards the home team- as the Blue Thunder took an early lead against their hated rivals from the north. First, the opening drive was a long one- nearly 5 minutes. The team was moving the ball down the field, doing a good mix of the run and the pass, the drive highlighted by a minor assist from former NMU HC Lance Kabuye getting the NMU sideline penalized. They ended up kicking a field goal on the drive to give them a 3-0 lead early. And then, while the teams did exchange a few punts, it was another big play, this one via the passing game, that put the Blue Thunder in a great position to score.

2nd & 1, at their own 35 yard line. They did deep crossing routes- try to get NMU's defenders in a bind. They did exactly that, as Xaya Larr caught the ball in stride at the opposing 40. But he didn't just do that- he turned up field, turnign it into a foot race as he saw potential pay dirt. Lukas Ramsauer, the nickel back, eventually caught up with him, but didn't bring him down until the WR got to the 12 yard line. A 53 yard gain to flip the field entirely, and set up this Blue Thunder offense in a dangerous position. And you know what they do after they get those big chunk plays. They score- just 2 plays later, Cho Sang-Wook has a 6 yard TD run to make the score 10-0, in favor of the home side.

The NMU defense needed to step up- although, it was their offense that was struggling. Following up that TD by going three & out on offense was only making the NMU fanbase worry, not wanting to fall, once again, to the Blue Thunder. But fortunately, after allowing a first down, a big-time sack by Kang Joseph on 2nd down forced the home team into a third and long, and finally swung the momentum a little back towards the visitors. And so, via pounding the rock, they were able to get back into the game. Kisero some strong carries of her own, spelled a little bit by Heavenworth, and eventually their kicker would hit a 48 yard field goal to make the score 10-3.

NMU's defense pretty much held up the rest of the second quarter, only allowing a lone field goal in this quarter. While the NMU run game was getting going a little bit, the first half was mostly a massive struggle for Wade Hurley. He seems to be a 'what if' kind of guy- a QB with all the tools, but struggling to put it all together. But when the Cougars got the ball back, at their own 22 yard line, with 1:56 left on the clock, we saw the Wade Hurley that everybody envisioned when he was recruited to play football at Northern Moravica University. 6/7 on the drive, accounting for all 78 yards- the only incomplete pass being a spike. He was avoiding pressure, passes with perfect touch & accuracy, running the hurry up brilliantly. His jump ball to the TE, Saidou Kalle, for the four yard touchdown, was a "thing of beauty" according to the Banijan announcer. That gave the Cougars some momentum going into the half- still down 3, 13-10, but not down by much.

Off to the third quarter. Loyola-Istria had the ball, and were moving with it. Had crossed midfield- potentially going to put a touchdown on the board. But then...

Banijan commmentator wrote:It's 2nd & 6 here at the NMU 47 yard line, as the Blue Thunder lead, 13-10. They've led from the get-go in this game- this drive will be seen as crucial, a chance for them to expand their lead towards a 2 score game again. These types of rivalry games are so tough- moves, and countermoves. This is the Blue Thunder's time.

Jawara delivers his cadence, and the ball is snapped. And... look! That's a CB blitz by Michael Larson! It doesn't look like Jawara sees it- he now notices, and forces a throw to his hot read... OH Look at Abigail Washington, the defender, break on the football... AND IT'S PICKED OFF! THE STUD RANORIAN CB HAS PICKED IT OFF! She's at the 50... The 40... And she's brought down at the 37 by a chasing Cho Sang-Wook! Oh my, look at how this game has turned. Loyola had the advantage briefly- instead, this sellout whiteout crowd is completely silenced as Washington and her teammates celebrate with the turnover chain! What a play

What a play, indeed. And over 3 minutes later, Northern Moravica would put their money where their mouth was, with Balinda Kisero having a 12 yard touchdown run on the ground. All 37 yards of that drive came on the ground, and the senior HB got the payoff touchdown. First lead of the day! "After that Kisero touchdown... It looked like we had them right where we wanted them." Hannah McKendry told reporters after the game. "Put them on their heels, suck the energy out of this whiteout crowd, and have our ground game churning. The chances to win this game were there- we simly needed to do a better job at taking it."

And the Loyola offense seemed out of sorts, with Jawara missing seemingly easy throws. But sometimes, you don't need a long, sustained drive. The Blue Thunder are definitely capable of that, of course. Sometimes, what you need is the big play spark. And with 4 seconds left in the third quarter, the Blue Thunder would start a two play drive. The first play, a middle screen to Jaxat Taa- where he ran for 21 yards and a first down. The second play, a crossing route for Arnas Rønning- but on a play where NMU were running a safety blitz. Arnas Rønning caught the football, saw nobody there, and just kept running upfield- a 37 yard catch & run for a touchdown to send this place into pandemonium, and retake the lead, by a score of 20-17.

But on the ensuing drive, literally a couple of plays later, with just over 13 minutes left, it was the Loyola defense that thought they had sealed this game.

Banijan Commentator wrote:The crowd is bellowing at maximum volume. I have no idea how the NMU offense can hear themselves- I can barely hear myself think! Wade Hurley is going to have to figure this out, one way or another. He drops back, and Loyola are trying to bring pressure. He throws a pass over the middle- ope, it's tipped up in the air by Loyola DT Noah Dahle... AND IT'S INTERCEPTED! INTERCEPTED! LOYOLA FREE SAFETY LIARA GIN INTERCEPTS THE FOOTBALL! SHE RUNS FORWARD AND IS BROUGHT DOWN AT THE 22 YARD LINE- OH MY! A MASSIVE PLAY FOR THE HOME TEAM- THEY'RE ALREADY IN FIELD GOAL RANGE!

You could see the pain on the Northern Moravica faces. Hannah McKendry slamming the clipboard on the ground after the interception, Wade Hurley angry at himself. But the defense held up. Giving a team like the Blue Thunder these short fields is usually a death sentence. But the Cougars stood up- while they allowed a 6 yard run on 1st down, they forced Jawara to throw it away on 2nd down, and on 3rd down, Carmen Dior tackling Jawara on a designed QB Draw for no gain. The field goal was just a 33 yarder- but still a win for NMU, the turnover could have been a back breaker. Instead, it would still be a one possesion game. And the Cougars got a break- they choked it! When's Zervos getting his Chromatik kicker? Ogoo missing the kick wide left gave the Cougars new life, and Wade Hurley was determined to take advantage.

Well, partially Hurley. But of course, partially the running game- they were still going to return to their commitment to ground & pound, and they were doing so with force. They got inside the red zone, where they would eventually hit a 36 yard field goal to tie the game. 20-20, 7.5 minutes left, in the biggest rivalry in all of Banijan sport. Folks, does it possibly get any better than this? The answer, of course, is no. And so Loyola-Istria, with their chance to have the football, drove down the field themselves. Some Jawara completions, some running plays, no push to rush. But the crucial play would come on a 3rd & 4 from the NMU 26.

Banijan commentator wrote:It's 3rd and 4 from the Cougars 26, and Jawara is going to be in the shotgun. There are two WRs to his right, and one to his left. Cho Sang-Wook is in the backfield next to him, while they have a tight end on the offensive line. The Cougars are absolutely desperate for a stop- hold their rivals to 3 points, and give Wade Hurley a chance to go and win this game for them. But on the other side, Sebowa Jawara is trying to write his own legacy in this football game. Follow in the family footsteps- success at this school starts with beating Northern Moravica. Can he make it happen?

The ball is snapped. There is pressure, and Jawara rolls right to escape it.. And nobody's there! Who's got contain on this man! He's running- he's got a first down and a lot more! The 15... The 10... AND HE'S GONNA SCORE! TOUCHDOWN BLUE THUNDER! JAWARA WALKS INTO THE END ZONE ON A 26 YARD SCRAMBLE, AND HE'S GOTTEN SIX POINTS FOR THE BLUE THUNDER WITH HIS LEGS! WHAT A PLAY!

Loyola led, 27-20. But Wade Hurley would get his chance. He's gotten so much heat over the years- a lot of it deserved criticism, quite frankly. Can he change how the fanbase, how Cougars nation, views him? He got the football and he was dealing himself. Enough time left at this point to mix both the run and the pass. The crucial play was with 2:25 left, a 4th & 4 at the Loyola 43 yard line- where, while getting hit, he threw a perfect pass, in a tight window, to Okwayi Kyebanja for a 7 yard gain and a first down.

They continued the drive all the way down to the Blue Thunder 17 yard line- this time, for fourth and less than one.

Continued on Page 2...

Loyola-Istria EDGE defender, Audrey Neuland

As the referees were measuring, the opportunity was almost a mini-timeout. They brought out the chains, and she jogged to the sideline, knowing there would not be a real timeout- the Cougars didn't have one, and the Blue Thunder surely would not call one for them. "Hey, Audrey." The defensive coordinator told her. "You know they are going to go jumbo if it's 4th down- this is Northern freaking Moravica, for crying out loud. You're going over the top."

She grinned. She had never tried the move in a game before- but this was the type of thing that could work when they technically had a smaller front than Northern Moravica, and it was fourth and short. She jogged back onto the field, and as the referees finished measuring, they announced it was a half yard short. 4th & Inches. The Cougars started to sub in their jumbo set, so the Blue Thunder did as well. "LEVERAGE!" She yelled, reminding the big hogmollies up front to get lower than the OL- so she could go over the top.

The NMU QB, Wade Hurley, started to give his cadence. The crowd, once again, was losing its mind- the well over 100,000 in the building trying their very best to make their presence felt. Audrey waved her arms, trying to pump up the crowd. The ball was snapped- the DL went low, trying to collapse the leverage. She saw her opportunity- she sprinted up and leapt over the line, and right into Brianna Heavenworth, who was trying to churn forward. Another Loyola landed on the Chromatik HB as well, as their combined power and weight brought down the big, bruising tailback for a loss on 4th down.

"LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOO!" Audrey Neuland screamed as she sprinted off the field, to chest bump the others on the sideline. It was a 4th down stop, her senior year, to win a rivalry game. She couldn't draw it up any other way, could she?

Continued from cover page

But, with Audrey Neuland flying over the top, the play had no chance from the start. Loyola-Istria will never be known for their defense- but for this day, it was the defense that made the game-winning play. Sebowa Jawara spoke about it afterwards. "Simply put- this is how things are supposed to be. Water is wet. The sky is blue. Loyola is better than NMU." He told reporters after the game. "These games can be close, they are certainly tough... But Loyola-Istria has always found a way to win these games. A hell of a win for our boys- beautiful days."

Hannah McKendry, on the other side, feels the biting pain of a rivalry loss, her first in this series. "We were a couple of plays away from a win at the Istria Lightning Yard- although this loss will leave a bitter taste in our mouth for quite some time." She told reporters. "We've got to sit and look at what isn't working. That said, while we are 1-2 it is not the end of the world- there is a long season ahead of us, and the team is certainly trending in the proper direction. We will take our lessons from today, and be ready for next week."

Loyola-Istria QB, Sebowa Jawara, speaking to his uncle, Isaka Jawara

"My nephew, my MAN, Sebowa!" Isaka Jawara came up to Sebowa in the locker room, dapping him up. Isaka Jawara, of course, is one of the greatest QBs in the history of this competition- a rare player to win a NSCF title, NSCF Offensive Player of the Year(twice!), and a NSCF Most Outstanding Player award. Certainly considered the greatest QB in Loyola history, and almost certainly one of the greatest Banijans to play this sport. In a sport where history matters, Sebowa comes from one hell of a bloodline.

"Thank you uncle!" Sebowa grinned. He didn't know, fully, how to grasp his family history at the position- it created all sorts of pressure for him, but Sebowa was improving at being his own man.

"There's nothing better than beating those damned NMUers- nothing!" Isaka said. "Those MFers are the most annoying sons of bitches on the planet..."

"Look, thanks uncle, but I-"

"Hey, gotta tell you- one hell of a fucking run." Isaka told his nephew. "Those scramble instincts- sensing where it's open, and taking it? You got a little star QB in ya, don't you..."

Sebowa just sat there, simply shaking his head, grinning. High praise from his uncle, who very rarely gave any sort of praise. It meant a lot, especially after such a huge game- but they had their Celestia after dark game next week, at 11 PM at USC. Was he ready to get his team a big-time win in South Bend?

by **Drawkland** » Sun Jun 23, 2024 10:35 pm

Big Eight & Celestia
Week 4

Interdivision play begins! Who shall master the gauntlet?

BIG EIGHT
Utah State University (UTA) 39–0 Novan Institute of Technology (AVI)
LeBois Santura University (CAD) 6–0 Richardson University (RAN)
Bingham Young University (UTA) 37–19 Ranoria State University (RAN)
Alexandria University (CAD) 37–43 Cold Hill University (RAN)

# Everless Division                    Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Cold Hill University (RAN)             4    3   1   118  109   +9
4 Richardson University (RAN)            4    2   2   132   54  +78
6 Ranoria State University (RAN)         4    2   2   114  148  −34
8 Novan Institute of Technology (AVI)    4    0   4    51  161 −110


# Evermore Division                    Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
2 Alexandria University (CAD)            4    3   1   152  103  +49
3 Bingham Young University (UTA)         4    3   1   116  105  +11
5 Utah State University (UTA)            4    2   2    90   68  +22
7 LeBois Santura University (CAD)        4    1   3    62   87  −25

CELESTIA
Janque North College (JAE) 26–19 College of Maresda (RST)
Université du Saguenay (QUE) 40–9 Northern Moravica University (BNJ)
University of Raijin-shi at Miraisaki (KMJ) 20–34 Islamic University of Busoga (BUS)
Université St. Croix (QUE) 17–33 University of Loyola-Istria (BNJ)

# Savannah Division                            Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Islamic University of Busoga (BUS)             4    3   1    99   86  +13
2 University of Loyola-Istria (BNJ)              4    3   1   109   70  +39
6 Northern Moravica University (BNJ)             4    1   3    71   99  −28
8 College of Maresda (RST)                       4    1   3    80  112  −32


# Sequoia Division                             Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
3 Université St. Croix (QUE)                     4    3   1   116   63  +53
4 Université du Saguenay (QUE)                   4    3   1   128   77  +51
5 University of Raijin-shi at Miraisaki (KMJ)    4    1   3   117  118   −1
7 Janque North College (JAE)                     4    1   3    63  158  −95

by **Chromatika** » Mon Jun 24, 2024 9:23 pm

The Green Room Club
Week 5

Topic: Which Win was More Impressive in Week Four? Who was the Most Valuable Player?

Week 4 Results
Palæontological-Centred Research University (NTN) 0–27 Felswyr State University (CMT)
Silver Coast State College (SAS) 34–36 Staramara Tech University (CMT)

Julia Kester: It has to be the Lava, right? After beating Felswyr State in Felswyr State, we then go on the road to the best team of the Equinox Division and win a game where we give up thirty-four points. Davis Pill is running hard, the defense made just enough stops, and JJ Garret had himself a field day. Pill had his two scores, but the rest - twenty-two points - were all Garret and his receivers. Laak Gyles and Kuma Sandt became the first pair of receivers for Staramara Tech to have more than a hundred yards each in a game, and though it was five field goals and only one touchdown, Garret did end with 319 yards through the air on 24-of-38 passing. Sure, the Firehawks may have shut out their opposition, but it's the Lava and Garret that had the better day.

Julie Kester: Statistics predict that Staramara Tech should not have any problems with the other three cross-division matches, though games aren't played on paper. The way with which Staramara Tech came back from a four point deficit in the fourth (they were behind 27-23 before outscoring the Cadets 13-7 in the final frame) was amazing. I want to give the just kudos to Aurana Mikel, who was the best player on the defensive side despite the Lava conceding thirty-four points. She had nine tackles, and three of them were drive-enders that forced Silver Coast State College to either punt or settle for field goals. Without her, they wouldn't have won. If Garret can continue to play the way he has while Mikel and the defense recover form, they can be legitimately scary.

Melanie Moorstrum: The performance of the has to go with Garret, sure, but the better team win was Felswyr State. To have Nicole Estera finally be able to have a solid game under her - she went 20-of-29 for 239 yards and two scores in the shutout win - while the defense continues to play well by pitching a shutout? Glorious. Garret's performance does mean that Staramara Tech could have a legitimate chance at the title - given that he can keep it up - but twenty-three points conceded in four games is the real story here. Felswyr State's defense can win championships.

Kang Do-Hee: Everyone is lying if they don't say that the best player this weekend was someone other than Lisa Bonsoon. Two interceptions, three passes defensed, and six tackles should be good enough to win that award in a landslide. Felswyr State was able to get their points because of the short fields that Bonsoon set up, and that shouldn't be looked down on. Now, Staramara Tech did have the better win - 4-0 is better than 3-1 after all - but Bonsoon proved once again why she is such a force of nature whenever she's on the field. She'll need to continue to play at that level unless Estera proves that she's turned the corner.

Martin Zacharias: I want to give some love to the Offensive Linemen of Staramara Tech. They handled Silver Coast State College's pass rush without too many issues, only giving up five hurries and one sack against such a stellar group. Pill also ran for seventy-two of his 150 yards before contact, a testament to both his strength and the push that the line was generating. So many times this season, their play hasn't resulted in Garret being able to cash in; this time, it resulted in him having his best game as a Lava, and when the Quarterback improves, all the role players also get recognized. Good work by the Lava Offensive Line. Lava had the better win, too.

Larry McDavid Anderson: Anyone who says that a two-point win is better than a shutout win is just lying to themselves. Felswyr State recovered all the momentum they'd lost, got some reps for Estera, and walked out with the crowd silent. Anne Holmes is a bona fide #1 back that was waiting in the wings, Bonsoon is playing like Bonsoon again, and Freya Odinsdóttir has looked great in the handful of snaps that they've let her onto the field. I will admit JJ was the best player this weekend, but we will be waiting for the Lava come Week Ten - it won't be as easy as last time.

Celeste Stillwater: For every thrower of the football, there needs to be a receiver. Laak Gyles showed that he can definitely be a #1 receiver in this win over Silver Coast State College. His speed, his route running, and his separation were all great against the Cadets. Having that primary target should only help Garret going forward to gain in both confidence and consistency. Lava with the better win, Gyles as the MVP.

Consensus: Lava with the better win, Garret as the MVP.

by **Busoga Islands** » Tue Jun 25, 2024 8:00 am

Islamic U's head coach, Julian Aigo, walking into the locker room at halftime

The head coach, Julian Aigo, was fuming walking into the halftime locker room. All the little things that they had practiced during the week, they had preached during the week- the discipline of this team, on the field, had been completely lost. Little mistakes leading into big ones- not being able to wrap up, being slow off of the line of scrimmage, not being able to set a single edge to save their lives. A disaster of a first half, and frankly, they were lucky to be down only 14-0 headed into the half. A big red zone interception by their nickel back was the only reason they werent' down at least 21, and honestly, if this is how they played against USC in week 5, they would be down probably 31-0 at this point.

So when he walked into the locker room, he channeled his inner Lance Kabuye. "SIT THE FUCK DOWN AND LISTEN UP, YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!" Aigo was raging. He didn't have such a tight fuse like Lance Kabuye, of course- but still, he was capable of getting pretty damn angry. "THIS IS THE WORST- AND I MEAN THE WORST- HALF OF FOOTBALL I HAVE SEEN FROM YOU GUYS!" He was still yelling. He paced around, all eyes on him. You couldn't just scream at your players all the time, in the modern day- but a well timed rage session could get the best out of both your players and your coaches. "WE ARE THE FUCKING ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF BUSOGA- WE ARE CAPABLE OF SO MUCH MORE! SET A FREAKING EDGE! HIT A MOTHER FUCKER! FIRST TO THE G-D DAMN FOOTBALL!"

There was a massive BOOM as he slammed his water bottle on the ground, with it exploding everywhere. Nobody dared move.

He kept pacing, but brought his voice down. "Look, I want all of you to remember why we are here. Remember what we talked about in preseason? We showed the entire NSCF that we are more than what they think of us. We beat NMU at their house- the first Islamic U team to do so in 62 years. We then followed that up by beating Loyola-Istria- ascending to first place in the division. Last week's loss was tough, yes, but we need to put that shit behind us. I need all of you to remember- the next half of football is going to define us. While we have not been good, this game is there for the freaking taking. But everybody needs to be better- and I mean everybody. Every player, every coach, every trainer, even the freaking ball boy."

"We have come here to set the standard. And these next 30 minutes- we are going to set it if it kills me. You hear??" And then, the position coaches went to talking with their own position groups. Aigo could see the focus in his players faces- he needed to get through. Hopefully, he had.

The Lakiska Daily

Caracals roar to life in the second half as comeback win in Kamijiro brings them to 3-1 on the season

Caracals players celebrate with the traveling fanbase after this comeback win

MIRATSAKI, KAMIJIRO- Sometimes, this sport can truly be a tale of two halves. In one half, you struggle, and the other, you dominate. Those kind of games can leave everybody feeling uneasy after they really get going. And coming off of a tough loss, away at the College of Maresda, the head coach wanted them to get off to a quick start. "Look, as everybody knows- last week was a brutal let down loss." Coach Aigo had told reporters during the mid-week media availability sessions. "We are in good position in the standings still, yes- but this is the week where we find out what we are really made of. Upsets are part of college football- we pulled off two upsets in a row, and now, we have gotten upset. How do we respond? Look- despite what everybody said going into the season, this team is absolutely good enough to finish ahead of both Banijan schools, and win this division. This school is good enough to get into the playoffs. I have said that. The belief is there internally. But if we want the world to see it? We simply have to be able to respond to adversity. Lesser teams let a loss like last week's Maresda one absolutely crush them and derail their season. But we, let me tell you- we are not one of those teams."

The first half... A big-time struggle. The Raijin-Shi offense simply seemed to move the ball at will. They had over 240 yards of total offense in the first half, while our boys at the Islamic University only had 110- 75 of which came on a singular drive(ending in a missed field goal!) They were simply dominating at the line of scrimmage, which allowed both the run game and the passing game to get going for the home team. Honestly, the Caracals probably got a little bit lucky that the damage wasn't worse. Raijin-Shi opened the game with a nearly 6 minute drive, driving the length of the field and getting down to the four yard line. But on 2nd & goal, Morizawa was under pressure and had to throw the ball off of his back foot- he sailed the throw and it was intercepted in the end zone by the Busogan nickel back, Akin Akcatepe, for a touchback. That kept it 0-0 early.

The teams mostly traded punts after that, although towards the end of the quarter the Islamic U got all the way down into the red zone. But we missed a chip shot field goal on the penultimate play of the first quarter, with Yazuv pushing the attempt wide left. We got away with a few mistakes in the first quarter- particularly, Morizawa overthrowing a wide open WR early in the quarter for what would have been a surefire 40+ yard touchdown. But that's the thing with getting away with brutal mistakes- eventually, if you keep making them, you will be punished for them. And in the second quarter, they were adequately punished for them. First, via the big play. Thomas Wagner broke 3 tackles en route to a 63 yard touchdown run to finally put the home team on the board, and for a deserved lead, as well. The image of him bowling over the Islamic U's strong safety will probably reverberate all over the internet, a forever meme.

And then, Raijin-Shi did their best to continue to punish the Islamic U. We've talked about how this is an important bounce back game for the Busogans- but it was an important one for Raijin-Shi as well. Falling to 1-3 would be brutal for them, and they wanted to do their very best to prevent that from happening. And so, a few drives later, they put together a high-quality drive- ending in a 14 yard touchdown pass to James Posey. The home team was rolling, up 14-0, and that was the lead they would take into halftime. The Caracals, especially on offense, were simply not with it. They looked lost. Unprepared. Simply outclassed. Aigo did not mince his words going into the half. "To be straight with you- we're playing like shit." He told reporters. He's gonna get a fine for that. "If we don't come out like gangbusters in the second half, it's going to be a long freaking day out here in Kamijiro, and nobody, I mean nobody, wants that."

Somebody should jump into the locker room to see what he said at halftime. Because, damn. The Caracals came out swinging in the second half.

Opening kickoff by the home team was a touchback. First play coming out of the half? A flea flicker. Okombo diving forward- pitch back to Ersoy, who had a 37 yard completion to Tamuka to get the team's biggest play of the day, so far, and get the offense in order. From their own 25 to the opponent's 38, they had momentum, even as the crowd was trying to rattle them. But the Caracals were ready. They continued to move the ball down the field, until right before the 11 minute mark, it was Okombo diving into the end zone for a three yard touchdown run. The Islamic University had cut Raijin-Shi's lead in half- 14-7. A perfect start to the second half after that disaster of a first half. But Raijin-Shi was not done. They wanted to respond, as they had a near 5 minute drive of their own, getting to the Caracals 4 yard line. But what happened then? A play-action pass on second & goal, and Morizawa took a 6 yard loss on a sack by Merktan Aydog. And on third and goal...

Busogan Commentator wrote:It's 3rd & goal, from the 10, for Raijin-Shi. The Caracals are trying to swing momentum back towards them- and forcing a field goal on a drive that had gotten down to the 4 yard line would go a long way towards making that happen. Morizawa is in the gun, with 4 WRs- they ran a great play for James Posey the last time they were down here. He says his cadence, and the ball is snapped. Zelotes Okoth swims past his blocker... Morizawa does not seem him coming AND A HUGE HIT FROM BEHIND! WHAT A SACK! BACK TO BACK SACKS ON 2ND AND 3RD DOWN, WITH GOAL TO GO, PUSH THE HOME TEAM ALL THE WAY BACK TO THEIR OWN 16 YARD LINE! A MASSIVE, MASSIVE PLAY FROM THE TRANSFER!

Despite a long drive that allowed points, and ended with Raijin-Shi up 17-7, they had some momentum from the sack. You could see the body language- Raijin-Shi's players were getting tight and nervous, while the Islamic U's players, and sideline, was loose. They'd only need one play on their next drive...

Busogan Commentator wrote:After that kickoff return, it's 1st & 10 for the Caracals from their own 23 yard line. They have some life now- but they will view it as important to build off of the success of the last drive. A good mixture of pass and run there, sparked by a flea flicker. They're lined up in the I formation here- single TE, Inci at FB, and Okombo as the deep back, with Sikes lined out left, and Tamuka as the WR on the right. Both safeties are creeping up- fair reading of tendencies, they definitely want to continue to establish the run. But Ersoy is barking at the line of scrimmage, presumably calling an audible. Formation stays the same. He gets back under center, and the ball is snapped. He goes to hand it off- oh, but it's a fake! He heaves one down the left sideline... Sikes is in single coverage! The safety had done a run blitz! Miles Sikes leaps up and.. HE GETS THE FOOTBALL!

HE'S GOT ONE MAN TO BEAT! SIKES STIFF ARMS HIM DOWN AND HE'S GOING TO HIGH STEP INTO THE END ZONE FOR 6! OH WOW, WHAT A PLAY! The Cardenao national is doing his touchdown dance as the Raijin-Shi crowd is stunned- suddenly, it's about to be a 3 point game!

Follow that up with another high-quality, long drive, one that ends with a 32 yard field goal for Yazuv, and suddenly, the team down 14-0 on the road has tied the game at 17 points a piece, with all the momentum, heading into the fourth quarter. And, not to mention, the offense was rolling- points on three straight possessions in the 3rd quarter. And early in the fourth quarter, once again, it would be the Islamic University's defense out there making a play. Morizawa tried to make a pass to the tight end on a simple out route, on 3rd down & 3- but instead, it was the Caracals OLB, Ezel Dencel, who caught the football, returning it to the Raijin-Shi 23 yard line. With that kind of field position, and that kind of momentum, do you even need us to tell you what happened next?

Play 1, HB toss to the left side, Okombo rumbles forward for 9 yards. Play 2, 2nd & 1, they throw a screen pass to the WR1, Godwin Tamuka. He then, with some blocks and a few key moves, runs forward 14 yards, diving towards the pylon and into the end zone for a touchdown. The Islamic University's first lead of the day- a 24-17 lead, and a team that was absolutely high-flying. But just because the Islamic University had all the momentum, and the lead, it did not meant the game was quite over yet. The Islamic University had a chance to bury this game on their next drive, after forcing yet another three & out from Raijin-Shi. However, on 3rd down, Ersoy had an open WR for a first down, but just barely overthrew him- forcing them to settle for a field goal to make it 27-17. And after Raijin-Shi hit a field goal to make it 27-20, we knew that the end of this game would be entertaining.

They ran down enough of the clock to where, with just over a minute left, they had a 3rd & 4, at the opposing 40 yard line, with just over a minute left. And one timeout remaining from Raijin-Shi- this was the play of the game. Four yards, essentially, to win it.

Busogan Commentator wrote:It's 3rd & 4 for the Caracals, and they are lined up in the gun here. Up 27-20, a gain of four yards will win this game. Does Aigo trust his QB, who has been up and down this season so far, to go and get those four yards to win this game? We are about to see, I guess. We got three receivers bunched left, a TE on the line, and Okombo, of course, in the backfield, next to Ersoy in the gun. Does he try some sort of screen pass- a safe pass? We'll have to wonder the fourth down considerations as well- this is too far for a field goal, at least for Yazuv- but 4th & 4 to win it might be the odds where Aigo is willing to go for it. Maybe he tries to just get closer here so he can run more of a power formation.

Ersoy delivers his cadence, and the ball is snapped. He drops back- oh wait, he's handed it off to Okombo! A halfback draw! Okombo runs straight up the middle and.. Nobody's home! He's got the first down and a LOT more- the 20.. The 10.. And he will SCORE! Leaping into the end zone, a 40 yard TD run on a HB draw. A brilliant playcall, completely untouched! 6 points for the Busogans, making it a perfect 6/6 on drives in the second half that end in points for this team! An exclamation point on a brilliant comeback victory.

That gave us the final score- The Islamic University 34, Raijin-Shi 20. "This was a high quality win- our boys responded well to the adversity, both of the Maresda game and of the first half of this game. We had a lot of struggle- but we showcased exactly what we were capable of. No win, and especially no road wins, are guaranteed in this competiton- so to go to the house of a quality opponent, and win by two TDs, it is one we appreciate. But giants await. We are happy with this- but as soon as we touch back down in Lakiska, all eyes are on the Stade St.Croix." A 3-1 Caracals squad are traveling to Joongyeong to face USC, who got lit up by Loyola-Istria this past week. This will be the Islamic University's 3rd straight road game, and 4th in their first five weeks.

The win also keeps them atop the Savannah Division, with them and Loyola both sitting at 3-1, although the Islamic U holds the tiebreaker, for now. That said, this USC squad is highly talented, and they will open as 6.5 point favorites over the Islamic U. Do they have yet another upset brewing in them for their visit to Quebec?

by **Drawkland** » Tue Jun 25, 2024 9:54 am

"The First Check"

It may have been tighter at the end than Sadeg State hoped, but the victory against Cavsar was still a victory. More importantly, Brooklyn passed her first test in NSCF action. She executed the simple read options well earlier in the game against Cavsar, and flawlessly executed the trick play to score the touchdown that proved to be the difference in the game. Coach Manlio was clear with Brooklyn after that game: this was just step one. There would be more challenges before he would be able to give her more playing time.

Brooklyn didn’t mind. Challenges meant getting snaps. It also meant getting experience without having to be thrown into the fire. Given how tough the Horizon defenses were looking this year, Brooklyn wasn’t exactly jumping at the idea of being thrown directly into the fire without any acclimation. Manlio gave Brooklyn the plan for week four. If a specific situation arose, she would get a series.

For the first time since Juvencus stopped sending schools to the NSCF, the Skyhawks only had to fly for a few hours across Sonnel for a conference game. Vierne Professional Institute was next on the schedule, and this game was a must-win. Really every game in the Horizon is a must-win with how cutthroat the competition is, but with how Sadeg State reeled to begin the year, any further losses were unacceptable.

Just like the previous three weeks, the defense held firm, while the offense floundered for a majority of the game. Midway through the second quarter, the score was tied at 7. The Skyhawk defense put up another great stop to force a punt, giving Sadeg State the ball at their own 30 with three and a half minutes on the clock.

This was the situation Manlio was looking for. State needed a lightning-quick drive to steal some points at the end of the half. Chapman, at his best, was not lightning-quick. Brooklyn had the potential to move the ball quickly, at the risk of being a little wild. At least if she turned the ball over or went three-and-out, VPI wouldn’t have enough clock to do anything before halftime.

So, with 3:34 on the scoreboard, Brooklyn Beck trotted out with the offense. This was her drive, for better or worse. She wanted a touchdown, but knew that was probably unrealistic. Points on the board would look good no matter what. They probably needed 40 yards to make that possible.

The first three plays were rather simple read options. Tristan Batts got the ball on the first one, and pounded out a solid 5 yards. Brooklyn kept the next one, juked a VPI linebacker, and slid down a couple yards past the sticks for a first down. The next one became another handoff to Batts, who was brought down after gaining a couple.

Manlio called another option, but VPI’s defense was getting wise. As Brooklyn went through her pre-snap routine, she could see the front seven inching closer to the line. Alarm bells rang in her head. She could feel the blitz coming. If she went with the option, both she and Batts would get blown up in the backfield. She had to change the play.

“Kill, kill!” Brooklyn called against the relatively mild VPI crowd. She was checking into the backup play, an emergency stick play meant to get the ball out quickly. The offense cocked their heads and nodded in assent. With the linebackers likely to be crashing in, Brooklyn figured there’d be just enough time for one of her receivers to find space.

She got the snap. Sure enough, the two middle linebackers came crashing in. The offensive line shifted to cover their gaps, but a lineman was coming around the corner. Brooklyn wasn’t consciously paying attention to that, though. She saw tight end Bennie MacIver run his stick route, stopping and turning around in the hole left by the pursuing linebackers. She flicked the ball less than a second before a D-lineman came crashing in. MacIver snagged the ball cleanly and spun upfield, barreling for a few extra yards and a first down before the safety came in for the tackle.

Brooklyn was shoved down after her release, but she bounced off the turf and spun back to her feet a moment later. It was a first down and the clock stopped, but they couldn’t afford to burn time. She jogged quickly to the next spot, Manlio’s next play call already ringing in her helmet. It was time for the no-huddle offense.

The next play was a pass. A little deep for Brooklyn’s expected short range fare, but it was another test. With VPI keying the run and likely aware of Brooklyn’s early tendencies, they could be caught on their heels. Brooklyn went into the cadence and received the snap in shotgun. She took a light drop, but suddenly felt something off. She flashed a look to the left. A cornerback had come loose on a blitz and was about to rip around the line. There was no time to get the ball out immediately, so Brooklyn took off. She burst from the right side of the pocket and eyed downfield. MacIver was covered, and Paxton was streaking deep, too far for Brooklyn to throw on the run, and she had no time to set her feet with the corner bearing down. There was nothing left but open turf in front, so she tucked the ball and switched gears.

The rather large contingent of Skyhawk fans in the Mainframe venue gasped as Brooklyn took off. She cruised for over a dozen yards before being diverted out of bounds without a tackle by the safety. It wasn’t much, but it was the longest run by a Sadeg State QB that season (by far). It also got the Skyhawk offense onto the edges of field goal range.

Time was still running, though, and there were too many yards between Brooklyn and the end zone. Manlio was content to run a few more plays up the gut and take the points. Donald Jensen came on and did his job to make the score 7-10 in Sadeg State’s favor going into halftime.

From there, the Skyhawks coasted to the finish line. Chapman put himself together for another 10 points in the second half (and finally scored his first passing touchdown of the season, a slant to Paul Paxton on 3rd and Goal), and the defense only allowed one more score. Chapman got the offense to ride out the rest of the clock in the fourth quarter, icing the game and ending it in victory formation for the first time this season.

It was only one small drive, but Brooklyn felt good about her performance. She would’ve liked to get a few more passes in, but she can’t really go against the plays called by the coach. While she was unpacking her bags after returning from the away game, she received a phone call. It was her father.

“Heyo,” Brooklyn said, throwing clothes into her hamper with one hand.

“Hey BB. Just saw your message that you got back in. Are you busy right now?” Dustin asked.

“Not really. I was gonna do some laundry and just relax otherwise. Why, what’s up?”

“Just wanted to talk to my daughter. Is that such a big deal?”

“No,” Brooklyn rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Do you have something on your mind?”

“I just wanted to tell you that you did a good job this weekend. It’s nice that Manlio is giving you some opportunities.”

“Thanks, dad. I agree, at least I’m getting something.”

“I was impressed by that one play you did, where you-”

“The scramble out of the pocket?” Brooklyn interrupted. “Yeah, I bet. Probably gave you flashbacks to your playing days, right?”

“Not what I was referring to, actually. That play where you recognized the blitz and checked into the passing play, that was excellent.”

“It was just an audible.”

“More than that, BB. There’s dozens of college QBs who play at a high level but can only make one read of the defense, and let the coaches make all the pre-snap decisions. The fact that you diagnosed the defensive alignment and made the call bodes really well. I can almost guarantee you that Manlio appreciates that play more than your scramble.”

“I wasn’t thinking of it that much,” Brooklyn chuckled awkwardly. “It was just the right move to make.”

“My baby’s all grown up,” Dustin sniffled jokingly over the phone. “Her first college-level check.”

“Alright, let’s settle down,” Brooklyn groaned in response.

“Speaking of checks!” Dustin said suddenly. “Are you able to come home sometime this week? We got a letter for you which I think you would find interesting.”

“What kind of letter?”

“It’s an offer. I can’t read it over the phone, you’ll have to drop by and read it yourself.”

“I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of reading out loud. You’re just using this as an excuse to spend time with me.” Brooklyn blew a raspberry.

“Now is that so bad? A father bribing his daughter to spend time with him? Pretty much everyone does that.”

“Fine, I’ll come over once my laundry is done. I’ve got nothing else to do.”

Brooklyn was hesitant to accept the deal, but once she read the number at the bottom of the page, she decided it couldn’t hurt to try. Two days later, she was walking into the Sadeg offices of Willis-Walsh, some investment company she’d never heard of before. Brooklyn Beck had her first endorsement deal.

Willis-Walsh specialized in wealth management and retirement funds, and wanted to run a new line of advertisements in the Sadeg area. Billboards weren’t as plentiful in Drawkland as they are in some other countries, but they still existed. In a large urban cluster like Sadeg, there were dozens of malls and other retail areas rife with advertisements. Brooklyn doubted anybody was going to legitimately notice or care about some financial company’s ads, but she wasn’t going to complain.

The process itself was simple. Brooklyn arrived at the ground floor of the high-rise office building with Dustin in tow, took the elevator up to where a small makeshift photo studio was constructed, and took a couple photos in her Sadeg State football jersey. While she went through that, Dustin had a quiet conversation with some of the marketing reps from Willis-Walsh.

“So like … what should I do? Is there a specific pose I should hit or what?” Brooklyn asked the photographer as he finished setting up his equipment.

“We’re not looking for anything super sporty. Just stand there and look friendly, yet powerful. Imposing may be too strong of a word; you want to give an air of approachability, but the security of competence.”

“Uh, okay.” Brooklyn shrugged, and struck a few poses. She tried one with her arms crossed, one with hands on the hips, all the while her chin raised in slight defiance with a smirk.

“Yes, yes! Good.” The photographer kept snapping while the marketing reps watched.

The shoot took less than 15 minutes. The photographer began packing his things, nodding to the marketing people.

“Is that … it?” Brooklyn asked. She knew it would just be photos, but it felt way easier than she expected. “Can I at least see what the ads are gonna look like?”

“Our design team will complete the mockups over the next couple weeks,” one of the reps explained. “But we have decided on the tagline: ‘Investing In Your Future - Just Like Sadeg State Football.’”

Brooklyn fought to keep herself from giggling, especially when she saw the warning glance from her father. “Sounds nice!” she managed to chirp in response. She supposed it made a little sense. She had a recognizable name, and her spot on the Skyhawk football team really was like an investment.

The marketing team talked with Dustin for a few minutes longer, with Brooklyn half-listening to what they were saying. Eventually, one of them grabbed a partially-perforated piece of paper from his briefcase, and handed it to Brooklyn.

“Thanks again for your services. We’ll be happy to work with you in the future - provided both of our investments work out well, of course.”

“Thanks for the opportunity,” Brooklyn replied automatically. I’m gonna ignore that last part, she thought to herself. She looked at the bottom section of the sheet - a check with six figures on it.

“Not bad, hm?” Dustin chuckled, looking over his daughter’s shoulder.

“Am I, like, allowed to just carry this around?” Brooklyn asked. “I hope we’re going straight to the bank after this.”

“No worries, I can keep it safe for you.” Dustin reached forward to grab the paper with an exaggerated grin.

“Ah-ah-ah.” Brooklyn jerked her hand away, keeping the check out of her dad’s reach. “I believe this check has my name on it. I’m perfectly capable of hanging on to it.”

“You’re the one that seemed nervous,” Dustin winked. “Let’s go. Lunch is on you, right?”

“Aren’t you the one that said I should save all the money I can?” Brooklyn stuck her tongue out as they started out towards the elevator.

“Hey, this is your first big check. There’s no shame in a little splurge.”

“You’re right. Where’s the nearest car dealership?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Dustin raised an eyebrow. “I’ve already reached my weekly quota for interacting with blowhards after talking with these weirdos, there’s no way I’ll have the energy for a car salesman. Next week maybe?”

“Wait, really?” Brooklyn’s eyes lit up.

“Do your research this week. Heaven knows you won’t have much actual work to do otherwise.”

“Wooooow.”

by **Valanora** » Tue Jun 25, 2024 9:59 am

Horizon Conference
Week 5

Vierne Professional Institute (DEL) 7–17 Staramara Tech University (CMT)
Silver Coast State College (SAS) 37–20 Sadeg State University (DRK)
Grand Vista University (DEL) 9–25 Felswyr State University (CMT)
Palæontological-Centred Research University (NTN) 23–17 Cavsar University (DRK)

P Starlight Division                                 Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Staramara Tech University (CMT)                      5    5   0   107   72  +35
2 Felswyr State University (CMT)                       5    4   1    84   32  +52
3 Sadeg State University (DRK)                         5    2   3    77   93  −16
4 Cavsar University (DRK)                              5    0   5    53   91  −38

P Equinox Division                                   Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 Palæontological-Centred Research University (NTN)    5    3   2    77  106  −29
2 Silver Coast State College (SAS)                     5    3   2   116   63  +53
3 Vierne Professional Institute (DEL)                  5    2   3    76   80   −4
4 Grand Vista University (DEL)                         5    1   4    50  103  −53

by **Valanora** » Tue Jun 25, 2024 11:33 am

Valanora Times
Rolling Thunder

The Raiders had to feel like they needed a bounce back game after traveling to Raynor City and having returned to Mar Sara with not just a loss but a loss where they had been completely outplayed in all the phases of the game. It had been a thorough defeat and the entire team knew that they needed to buck their ideas and get over the loss quickly with the cross-divisional play coming and a quartet of unknown teams to play against. While they looked weaker on paper, you never really knew how good a team was until you met them on the gridiron or had a bit of history with them, like the Vanorian schools have had with the schools from Banija or Ranoria or even Quebec and Chromatika at this point with the out of conference matchups between the nations' universities. It was the sort of run that had the potential to define the team, shaking off a rough loss to a rival and able to go undefeated in cross-divisonal play would keep them neck and neck with Raynor and in contention for the divisional crown and their goals of reaching the conference title game, where they believed they would be the favorite regardless of whoever managed to win the other division.

Anything less than that from those four games though and they would be handing Raynor a golden ticket to the conference title game, assuming they take care of business against Bowerstone and Cherco in the second round of divisional games. The game in Mar Sara in week ten would be of no consequence if the team failed to get four wins from four and though the team was likely not worried about that yet, the fans and the staff were definitely acutely aware of their situation. Fortunately for the Raiders, they knew they had two home games to start out the cross-divisional play and would be taking on a two win Crpostown University that looked to be a solid test in the first of those two games. The Lathalein Celestial Stadium was their fortress, where the fans came out in droves to support the team and where the team has not lost in conference play in almost two seasons, people simply did not come into Mar Sara and find themselves with an easy game. As long as the Raiders played their game in the friendly confines and in excellent weather, with it being seventy-two degrees with only a light breeze from the southeast, then this game was going to be exactly what they needed and a win to garner momentum.

Thorbjørn Skår continued his good play in the second season, as the running back was the driving force for the Raiders against Crpostown, using his speed to get on the outside and forcing the secondary to have to make open field tackles. The result as an average of over seven yards a carry, with a hundred seventy-two yards on twenty-four carries and scoring both touchdowns by the Raiders. Three other drives stalled out in the red zone but the Raiders went five from five in the red zone with three field goals from senior kicker Daniel Olsen, who remains perfect to start the season when he has been called upon. The defense did give a little to Crpostown as they gave up thirteen points, but early in the third quarter Kabaazi Nsereko busted through the offensive line and sacked the quarterback in the endzone after back to back penalties had taken the guests back to the five yard line, giving the Raiders a safety. It was a game where they could have scored more and the home fans would have liked another touchdown or two but the Raiders were in control from start to finish and showed the bounce back that the coaching staff had been hoping to see after the game with Raynor.

Over in Raynor City, the Rockets showcased exactly why they feel like they are the division and conference favorites, as Odin Sørbø and Imran Håland completely dominated the visiting Jozen University and the defense added not one but two safeties as well. Both the quarterback and running back had been waiting for an opportunity to have a showcase game as they attempted to gel with the new starting offensive line and this was the game with Odin going twenty-one from twenty-six for two hundred forty-eight yards and four touchdowns, two of those to Storm Dybvik as the big receiver used his body to perfectly shield a perfect pair of fades from the opposing secondary. With the Rockets mostly using their running backs as an additional receiver, it was nice for Imran Håland to get a hundred twenty-four yards on eighteen rushes and another fifty-eight yards on four receptions coming out of the backfield, grabbing a pair of rushing touchdowns. The home fans were singing the entire game and the team looks to be really finding their groove after the loss away to Cherco, using that game as a wake up call that they simply can not arrive to the game and hope the opposition will fall over for them. If this team really starts to get going, they are going to be a force not just in the conference but also in the playoffs, though there is a lot of gridiron still to play before we can really hope for that.

NSCF 31 - Everything Thread

Big Eight, Celestia: MD3

Brooklyn Beck (S3:E4)

NSFB: FOOTBALL (Earth Trophy XIII)

Big Eight, Celestia: MD4

Brooklyn Beck (S3:E5)

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