World Bowl XLIX [49] Everything Thread

(O.O) · by **TJUN-ia** » Tue Oct 01, 2024 4:21 pm

After a bit of a tight one over Vaishnavaria, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia were 2-1 and looking to keep on this upward path no matter what. This team were hungry to make statements and take names heading into the toughest stretch of their season so far, but Gus McKerrin had the carry of someone that seemed to know what he was doing. Did he? Let's see...

At Stad-Stallion in Raikennax, we would take on the #15 South Americanastan Bears...and boy, was this one not pretty at all. Not the result, but the game in general - this was a defensive slog right from the off, where points were hard to come by, and certainly it didn't make the prettiest of viewing on TV. But this was still a compelling game of football, one where Allan Shepherd scored the Bears' only points of the night with 2 FGs and we were having similar struggles for a while, with Xander Tiovannen adding 3 FGs to make it 9-6. But then THE PLAY of this game happened in the 4th as another FG attempt from Shepherd was blocked by Maxime Rolland, who then picked up the ball and ran it the other way for the only TD of this game. Tiovannen missed the PAT by 15-6 was all we needed to get out of dodge and with the win at that.

Not pretty at all, but a win is still a win. #6 Banija is up next and oh boy, you know this game will be fire. We still want revenge for last time out, that is for certain.
GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (South Division) - based at Stad-Stallion, Raikennax
MD1: vs Juvencus (23) - Callcom Stadium, Masteser W 44-41 (5th/1-0)
MD2: vs Kamijiro (UR) - Stad-Stallion, Raikennax L 12-16 (6th/1-1)
MD3: vs Vaishnavaria (UR) - The AnvoDome, Yokare W 23-17 (5th/2-1)
MD4: vs South Americanastan (15) - Stad-Stallion, Raikennax W 15-6 (4th/3-1)
MD5: vs Banija (6) - Waxton City Dome, Waxton
MD6: vs Lisander (24) - Stad-Stallion, Raikennax
MD7: vs New Umoja (UR) - Ferris-Deltore Stadium, Waylook
MD8: vs Abanhfleft (12) - Sector 6 Stadium, Corinth City
MD9: vs The Kytler Peninsulae (9) - Stad-Stallion, Raikennax

by **Banija** » Tue Oct 01, 2024 6:14 pm

World Bowl Brief- Banijan defense beats down a shorthanded New Umoja offense, forcing 4 turnovers and pitching a shutout as Banijans roll to 41-0 victory

WAYLOOK, DRAWKLAND- The Serpent Eagles continue to turn it on here at World Bowl 49, as they rolled to a blowout victory over New Umoja, 41-0, in Week 4 of World Bowl group play. With the New Umoja offense missing one half of their 1-2 duo at HB, with a hamstring injury ruling Mlamuleli Mwelase out of the context, New Umoja could not do much of anything on offense- running or passing. The Serpent Eagles kept them off of the scoreboard, and Thomas Hall, the defensive-minded head coach who presides over this offensive juggernaut, was ecstatic. "I love me a great shutout at the World Bowl- a beautiful thing to see." He told reporters. "Our offense is one of the best in this competition, they deserve the attention they get- but we are contenders to win this thing because we also have an elite defense. Not always showcased, but today was a great example of the complementary football this team is fully capable of playing."

It was only 7-0 after 1 quarter, with the New Umoja finishing up the first quarter by getting a goal line stand. But Banija broke it open in the second quarter. Shortly after that goal line stand, New Umoja got a first down- but then almost immediately threw a pick six. A few minutes after that, Gabriel Yafet was flying open down the middle of the field for a 58 yard touchdown reception, and that was basically a wrap. The final score ended up being 41-0, with Odika having 2 TD passes, while both Ayana and Duhaga each had a TD on the ground. The defense forced 4 turnovers throughout the game- the Banijans scored 13 total off of those turnovers. Ultimately, it was a dominant win- despite the big games ahead, they did not overlook New Umoja, and were rewarded properly.

Now, the biggest games are here. The next two are the big ones for the Serpent Eagles- with TJUN-ia and the Kytler Peninsulae upcoming, in back to back weeks. The type of games that separate pretender from contender, the games that will determine who exactly will finish on top of the South Division.

Game of the week- two weeks in a row. First, they play the #2 team in the world, TJUN-ia, in Waxton. All eyes are on the Pot 1 v. Pot 2 matchup- with Banija ahead in the table, we open as 2.5 point favorites. "I've seen the lines and frankly, I don't care about them- I've seen what TJUN-ia can do." Thomas Hall told reporters. "Frankly, until we beat them, they are the deserved favorites in this matchup. But we've got world class talent as well, at so many positions. This team is deep, and chomping at the bit for this matchup. But TJUN-ia play disciplined, and physical. It's going to be close, and frankly, going to be a war- one of those rare divisional matchups that will have the intensity and feel of a late stage knockout game."

GFLB Rosters

GFLB Season Preview

GFLB Weeks 1-3

Week 4
Sisonke Leopards 27–0 Igulu Bush Elephants
Dukuma Dragons 20–0 Umbazi Metropolitan SC
Mar Sara Night Elves 16–22 Lwanga Rhinos
Busembe Timberwolves 41–14 Isipongo Wild Boars
Mukeruzi Hyenas 37–23 Busukuma Suns
Hoima Zebra 37–29 Busukuma Athletic Club
Mynda Gorillas 15–20 Rukunbi Wizards
Aissa Crocodiles 23–36 Istria Black Mambas
Jinja City Springboks 7–43 Herzegovina City Cobras
Askatasuna Wildcats 32–27 Kosactus Red Vultures
Duntho Oilers 27–3 St. Jakob Honey Badgers
Bunyoro RSC 41–32 Bwubanza Ostriches

Week 5
Busukuma Athletic Club 6–37 Sisonke Leopards
Busukuma Suns 17–31 Hoima Zebra
Isipongo Wild Boars 61–33 Mukeruzi Hyenas
Lwanga Rhinos 37–13 Busembe Timberwolves
Umbazi Metropolitan SC 24–12 Mar Sara Night Elves
Igulu Bush Elephants 10–13 Dukuma Dragons
Bwubanza Ostriches 22–20 Mynda Gorillas
St. Jakob Honey Badgers 46–24 Bunyoro RSC
Kosactus Red Vultures 17–16 Duntho Oilers
Herzegovina City Cobras 59–16 Askatasuna Wildcats
Istria Black Mambas 39–24 Jinja City Springboks
Rukunbi Wizards 27–20 Aissa Crocodiles

Week 6
Sisonke Leopards 34–28 Dukuma Dragons
Mar Sara Night Elves 35–32 Igulu Bush Elephants
Busembe Timberwolves 16–30 Umbazi Metropolitan SC
Mukeruzi Hyenas 47–23 Lwanga Rhinos
Hoima Zebra 50–13 Isipongo Wild Boars
Busukuma Athletic Club 15–3 Busukuma Suns
Mynda Gorillas 34–28 Aissa Crocodiles
Jinja City Springboks 17–7 Rukunbi Wizards
Askatasuna Wildcats 17–33 Istria Black Mambas
Duntho Oilers 20–50 Herzegovina City Cobras
Bunyoro RSC 38–28 Kosactus Red Vultures
Bwubanza Ostriches 20–14 St. Jakob Honey Badgers

Week 7
Busukuma Suns 16–42 Sisonke Leopards
Isipongo Wild Boars 28–20 Busukuma Athletic Club
Lwanga Rhinos 31–55 Hoima Zebra
Umbazi Metropolitan SC 12–13 Mukeruzi Hyenas
Igulu Bush Elephants 31–13 Busembe Timberwolves
Dukuma Dragons 37–20 Mar Sara Night Elves
St. Jakob Honey Badgers 9–33 Mynda Gorillas
Kosactus Red Vultures 10–20 Bwubanza Ostriches
Herzegovina City Cobras 36–24 Bunyoro RSC
Istria Black Mambas 33–24 Duntho Oilers
Rukunbi Wizards 41–26 Askatasuna Wildcats
Aissa Crocodiles 33–17 Jinja City Springboks

West Division                   Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Dukuma Dragons                7    5   2   207  158  +49
 2 Sisonke Leopards              7    4   3   213  153  +60
 3 Mar Sara Night Elves          7    4   3   197  146  +51
 4 Busembe Timberwolves          7    2   5   150  189  −39

  South Division                Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Mukeruzi Hyenas               7    6   1   223  186  +37
 2 Hoima Zebra                   7    6   1   261  165  +96
 3 Busukuma Athletic Club        7    1   6    96  157  −61
 4 Busukuma Suns                 7    1   6   130  227  −97

  Central Division              Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Lwanga Rhinos                 7    4   3   213  214   −1
 2 Umbazi Metropolitan SC        7    4   3   141  153  −12
 3 Isipongo Wild Boars           7    3   4   190  252  −62
 4 Igulu Bush Elephants          7    2   5   131  152  −21

   East Division                Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Bwubanza Ostriches            7    6   1   201  150  +51
 2 St. Jakob Honey Badgers       7    4   3   168  129  +39
 3 Duntho Oilers                 7    3   4   159  173  −14
 4 Bunyoro RSC                   7    3   4   176  224  −48

   North Division               Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Mynda Gorillas                7    4   3   210  157  +53
 2 Aissa Crocodiles              7    2   5   204  223  −19
 3 Jinja City Springboks         7    2   5   118  199  −81
 4 Askatasuna Wildcats           7    1   6   122  256 −134

   Moravica Division            Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD
 1 Herzegovina City Cobras       7    7   0   299  135 +164
 2 Istria Black Mambas           7    5   2   212  174  +38
 3 Rukunbi Wizards               7    4   3   161  142  +19
 4 Kosactus Red Vultures         7    1   6   148  216  −68

Best Divisional Game of Weeks 4-7

Sisonke Leopards 34–28 Dukuma Dragons

Let's fast forward to Week 6, shall we? Let's take stock of where things are in the division, heading into this Week 6 contest. The Leopards and the Dragons are showcasing themselves in what is a pretty deep West Division, where three teams(the third being Mar Sara) seem to be legitimate contenders to not only make the playoffs, but win playoff games. The Leopards, of course, were this magazine's preseason pick to win it all- and then, got off to an absolutely disastrous 0-3 start. But they have a veteran laden team- and have gotten things back on track. Wagner-Young has been playing on another level the last two weeks, leading the Leopards to blwout wins over the Bush Elephants(27-0) and a terrible Busukuma AC squad(37-6) to get back to 2-3.

The Dragons, on the other hand- less fancied, but Busoga's boys have had a surprisingly strong start to the season. They entered the game at 4-1, their only loss being by a singular point, 37-36, to the Lwanga Rhinos, on a last second 54 yard field goal. Dexter Jacobson, the oft-forgotten Ranorian QB, has been playing fairly well, but yet they are looking for their first signature win of the season. A lot of people have them pegged as pretenders- they don't think Jacobson is that good. Nobody they've beaten actually looks that impressive. This is compounded, of course, by the general dismissal of Busogan squads in Banijan sporting circles- although the Islamic University of Busoga did a lot to garner respect in NSCF 31. But was this the time for the Dragons to triumph?

This game was a back and forth one, a high scoring contest with two QBs playing at a high level. The Leopards run D was excellent throughout the game, in particular, forcing Jacobson to live with the passing game. He had a career day- 37/51 throwing the ball, for 412 yards, 4 TDs, and an interception. The first 400 yard passing game of his career. Just whipping it around, going toe to toe with the preseason favorite for league MVP, Wagner-Young (although as of this writing, not the prohibitive favorite). We'll skip ahead to the end of the game. Leopards lead, 34-28. 3 minutes left. The Dragons are driving down the field, looking for the game-tying TD and the go-ahead PAT. Jacobson doing everything he can- including throwing a 17 yard completion on a 4th & 13 on the drive, as well as a 9 yard scramble on 3rd & 7 on the same drive- remember, most people consider this dude a statue in the pocket.

But that drive, fed by the fact that he feels he's disrespected, that will to win- driving over all. Single handedly willing his team to what would assuredly be a defining win for Dukuma- a stake into the hearts of Sisonke fans, announcing to the world that they will be the champions of the west this year. But unfortunately for him, it simply was not going to happen. 1st & 10 from the Sisonke 27. 41 seconds left. Jacobson drops back, flushed out of the pocket by Kang Joseph, and throws to what he thinks is an open WR- but Longcan Kakay, the rookie CB out of Loyola-Istria, undercuts the throw and intercepts it, calling game. A huge win for the Leopards- pulling out a close, cancelling out their horrific 0-3 start by pulling to 3-3, and with the whole country watching. For the Dragons, brutal- the pretender label sticks on them. Sitting pretty at 4-2, yes, but brutal, last second losses against the two best teams they've played so far. Rough.

After the pick, Jacobson spiked his helmet on the field in frustration- a hell of a performance, but a brutal ending. That's how this sport goes- gridiron giveth, and gridiron taketh away.

GFLB International Series
Played at the Mastad uni•q(cap. 61,125) in Atlem, Qusmo

Mar Sara Night Elves 35–32 Igulu Bush Elephants

And now, for the International Series! This time, it's the Mar Sara Night Elves against the Igulu Bush Elephants, featuring at the Mastad uni•q in Qusmo. The Qusmi'y flair was full on display. All of Atlem's big wigs were at the game- everybody's who's anybody. Atlem's mayors. The city's business leaders. Hell, the three co-foundres of the stadium sponsor, Uni•q- Ibilx-Irtix Ono, Karar-Falax Zev, and Otoln-Prant Ezi were all guests of honor at the game. Uni•q, the sports kitmaker, decided to dabble in gridiron, making gridiron uniforms for the first time- special edition jerseys for both the Night Elves and the Bush Elephants in this contest. The striking special edition dark purples for the Night Elves, that almost looked black. The Bush Elephants, meanwhile, got nice 'icy whites' with green pants. The special edition jerseys were well received by both fanbases, and GFLB and Qusmo fans at-large. The company's first ever non soccer jersey ever created, pretty good, eh?

The GFLB had a big push in the leadup, and was fairly successful, as the game sold out- estimates were that the crowd was approximately 3/4s locals, and 1/4 traveling fans of the teams, Banijans and Vanorians. Combine that with a cultural show at halftime, GFLB legend Isaka Jawara promoting the league (and the sport) at local high schools, and the ready adaptability of the stadium to gridiron use, this was a smashing success. There's interest already in coming back next year.

And fortunately for them- they were treated to one hell of a game. Of course, these teams are picked ahead of time- so it can be a little bit of luck of the draw who you get in an international game. And neither team was doing too hot. The Night Elves, after flying off to a 3-0 start, had dropped two in a row, with back to back losses against the Lwanga Rhinos, and Umbazi Metropolitan Sporting Club, and so were in a slump heading into this one. The Bush Elephants, meanwhile, were a sleeper pick for a lot of people to get to their first Simba Bowl appearance. Hell, they have 9(!) players on the Serpent Eagles, the most of any team around. And yet, they had a disastrous 1-4 start. So if this was an average game at a home stadium in Banija, likely would have flown under the radar. But it wasn't a random game at a home stadium in Banija. It was a showcase game on the global stage- and boy, did it deliver.

Now, Bush Elephants HC Richard Steinheil loves defensively minded, physical football- and this game was anything but that. It's probably a testament to Igulu's QB that they were able to keep up in this one at all. They love to slow things down and maul you- Steinheil looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel on the sideline, the way his face would get red with rage as the Night Elves were able to repeatedly get up and down the field for drives, and finish them for touchdowns. Ultimately, the Bush Elephants could not match that. Their red zone offense was a disaster- four trips to the red zone, four field goals taken- amid a total of kicking six field goals in this game, to go alongside their two TDs. That's how you get to 32.

They even had a chance to tie the game and sent it to OT- they had scored on all 8 of their prior possesions. But the 9th one, the 7th FG attempt for Pili Kijeera, our national team kicker, went poorly- pulling the 55 yarder wide left. A specatcular contest between two less than spectacular teams- a hell of a time for all involved- unless, of course, you are a Bush Elephants fan.

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Oct 01, 2024 6:39 pm

Werner Kaltmann was enjoying his free time in the run-up to the week 4 matchup. Back in Pittsennat, he already had an idea of where to go. The large offensive lineman liked to relax by himself often, and found that he could decompress exceptionally well in water; something he has in common with actual elephants.

Given the team had already played in Pittsennat the prior week, when they had gotten obliterated by the Dragonflies in all phases, the team had enjoyed an unusual amount of off-time, given they were the lone team in the group that wouldn’t need to travel this week.

Kaltmann had decided he’d return to the same pool he’d been to multiple times before. This tournament was the first time he’d ever been to Pittsennat, and the tackle had grown to like it already. It’s the kind of place that seems like it would be cold, but the weather had been quite pleasant the entire time. His pool of choice was part of one of bigger chains, Applan Fitness, which fortunately wasn’t too busy. Werner Kaltmann steered straight towards to pool, which was hidden away quite a bit and even less busy than the rest of the gym.

Usually, he liked to just lie down on the pool loungers for a bit and forget the world around him – he found the smell of chlorine used for pool cleaning oddly soothing. By now, he knew his way around this place, so he choose a lounger on the far end. He took out his towel from his bad and tossed it across the lounger, and while doing so, noticed a blue-and-gold towel that had clearly fallen off the lounger. “Well, I better try and return this”, Werner thought, picking up the towel and looking, in vain, for any identifying marks. “I guess I’ll just get this to the front desk”, he decided, before he noticed that something had dropped out of the towel when he picked it up.

It was a small blue binder, and Werner immediately recognised that it could be important. Hoping to figure out the identity of the towel-owner, he opened up the binder, and found a bunch of X’s and O’s. He immediately knew he was looking at a Cardenaoan playbook. “If Elephants could read, this would be really helpful”, he thought. “Wait – I can read. S’pose I gotta let the coach know about this. He might be interested in this”. Maybe returning this towel was something that could be done after the next game.

victoria.bigtukson
13m

A passer rating under 50 and three interceptions - #BobbyDials up some picks for the pachyderms, who looked like they knew what was coming on defense all game. Elephants win despite scoring three points on offense #SnlCad #WB49

perez.nicolas
8m

Playing their home games in Pittsennat, the WB Elephants are averaging 9.25 points a game rn. Playing in Pittsennat a couple years ago, the WBC Elephants averaged 8.9 runs a game in the groups. Somehow this team is 3-1 despite barely outscoring a baseball team #WB49 #WBElephants #Throwback

makavan.doublea
4m

Has anyone checked the regulations on if they could somehow plug Scott Yadav in as QB despite him not being on the roster? #WB49 #WBElephants #RichardsonGovernors #ScottYadavForElephantsQB

by **Cardenao** » Tue Oct 01, 2024 7:06 pm

((OOC: Written in conjunction with South Newlandia))

“And that’s Bobby Dials’ third interception of the game, what is going on for a Cardenaoan team that can’t get anything at all going???”

For the Blue and Golds, the game against South Newlandia almost immediately went off script and threw them into a nightmare. Right from the start the Elephants were running rampage all over our Cardenaoan heroes, from the first play it was clear that, as challenging as they knew this game was going to be, it was going to be 10x worse. First Cardenaoan play of the game, a DeAndre Vick counter run out to the right, and linebacker Andrew Bailey blew down the middle and smashed DVick down for a four yard loss. Not an ideal start, not necessarily indicative of how the rest of the game was fated to go, but hey we got a second down. Bobby Dials stepped up, called the snap, swung it out over to where Marquis Ingram was supposed to be on a slant and……well Alani Sörens was there instead, standing precisely where Marquis was supposed to be. First interception of the night and a sign of things to come.

Unfortunately, things came in the resulting opening play for South Newlandia. They set up in the shotgun before audibling at the last second to open up a massive running hole for their running back to blast up for a 27 yard gain. The very next play? QB absolutely cooked La Furia Azule’s secondary as they perfectly worked the Cardenaoan defense for an easy touchdown. Greatttt start.

There’s really not much point in discussing the rest of the game, it was truly one of, if not the worst, games in national team history. Halfway through the third quarter, Badrick Cedella kicked home a field goal for our first and only points of the night. Yikes. That’s really all there was to write home about the game. But what about the events that led up to the game? Events that ultimately proved what appeared to be clearly false rumors on one of those magical corners of the internet where experts and philosophers tune in from their armchairs…to be true.

A nice day out in Pittsennat, a beautiful city in Drawkland. Or at least that’s how it seemed to T.J. McGill, the sixth (and final) name on the wide receiver depth chart for the Blue and Golds, who was in Drawkland for the first time. He didn’t really know what the rest of Drawkland looked like but……well Pittsennat was nice enough. What to do though?

Well, T.J. was missing the waters of Cardenao and the surrounding sea so why not get some swimming in? As a professional football player, plenty of money in the bank, plenty of access to fun, exclusive places to party……why not a visit to APPLAN FITNESS! (One of the) Premier chain gyms across Drawkland, APPLAN FITNESS was similar to a typical gymnasium in the sense that it was a typical gymnasium. To a local resident of Drawkland, they would know this because they are local residents, they would know it’s not necessarily the spot for a professional football player, with plenty of money in the bank. To a Cardenaoan with contact-induced CTE……APPLAN FITNESS.

They had a pool. He needed water. Pools have water. APPLAN FITNESS.

Well, T.J. McGill needed to do something else while he was at the pool. Why not brush up on the whole tactics and game plan and overall strategy part of the game? Yeah why not bring the playbook with him, get some extra X and O studying in. You never know when Marquis Ingram, Saivion Ware, Telesforo Mohamed, Deacon St. John, and Antonio Reddick all go down with injury and he finally gets his shot as a starter. It could happen……

And so, T.J. McGill in his infinite wisdom, brought the Blue and Gold binder with him to APPLAN FITNESS. And you know what, he had a damn good time out there.

And, you know what? Bless him and his destroyed mindbrain for not realizing he left the small blue binder behind.

by **Drawkland** » Tue Oct 01, 2024 8:02 pm

WORLD BOWL 49
XLIX - MD5

We're now past the halfway point with match 5.

North Division

Natkr 21–48 Quebec and Shingoryeo
Valanora 37–16 Delaclava
Chromatika 28–33 Drawkland
Crpostran 27–14 New Rotterdam City
Langenia 3–7 Nova Calania

 # North Division        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
 1 Drawkland               5   5  0  184  84 +100
 2 Quebec and Shingoryeo   5   4  1  157  84 +73
 3 Chromatika              5   4  1  121  55 +66
 4 Nova Calania            5   3  2   99  78 +21
 5 Valanora                5   3  2  114 132 −18
 6 Delaclava               5   2  3  128 167 −39
 7 Langenia                5   1  4   43  83 −40
 8 Crpostran               5   1  4   53 103 −50
 9 New Rotterdam City      5   1  4   86 117 −31
10 Natkr                   5   1  4  104 186 −82

East Division

Cardenao 30–10 Ko-oren
Katzeburg 7–0 South Newlandia
Aurevbush 19–0 Terefuxe
Sarzonia 9–3 Kinqueven
HUElavia 10–14 Ranoria

 # East Division         Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
 1 Cardenao                5   4  1  101  64 +37
 2 Sarzonia                5   4  1   95  59 +36
 3 Ranoria                 5   3  2   85  61 +24
 4 HUElavia                5   3  2  102  40 +62
 5 Katzeburg               5   3  2  108  59 +49
 6 South Newlandia         5   3  2   37  43  −6
 7 Aurevbush               5   2  3   69 106 −37
 8 Ko-oren                 5   2  3   95 134 −39
 9 Terefuxe                5   1  4   81 135 −54
10 Kinqueven               5   0  5   42 114 −72

South Division

Kamijiro 0–7 Abanhfleft
Vaishnavaria 19–39 Juvencus
South Americanastan 27–20 The Kytler Peninsulae
Banija 52–17 TJUN-ia
Lisander 30–15 New Umoja

 # South Division        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
 1 Banija                  5   5  0  208  73 +135
 2 The Kytler Peninsulae   5   4  1  130  79 +51
 3 Kamijiro                5   3  2   63  63   0
 4 TJUN-ia                 5   3  2  111 132 −21
 5 South Americanastan     5   3  2  101  96  +5
 6 Juvencus                5   2  3  154 143 +11
 7 Abanhfleft              5   2  3   96 124 −28
 8 Lisander                5   2  3   82 124 −42
 9 New Umoja               5   1  4   55 116 −61
10 Vaishnavaria            5   0  5   65 115 −50

by **Lisander** » Wed Oct 02, 2024 4:44 am

GROW ORGANICALLY IS A HARD TASK. YET THIS IS WHAT WE TRY EVERYDAY
Jessie Cardona

OK, now we might have a little bit of chance.

Positive results might come now when we face nations like New Umoja, Kamishiro and Juvencus. Our process is slow and steady, it always has been. But at least we are consistent with what we promise, unlike some other sports who make a lot of promises and keep letting the nation down. We are looking at you, LRU. You know what those die-hard Rugby Union fans say on their forums. All sorts of vicious and disrespectful comments about our game. I collected a few of them once:

"Bunch of overprotected wussies"
"They play in the sand because they want to tan their asses"
"God made a mistake when he allowed rugby league to thrive, but we forgive that. But the other one, really, leaving God aside, is the work of the devil"
"What kind of heathens allowed this stupid United Federation game in our universities? What's the next stupidity? Replace our Fleurdelisé with a striped flag?"

Yet the Gridiron Football community is only growing. And what do you see from the rugby community? A wider and wider divide. The elite clubs of Soria unilaterally maintain control. The rich get richer while the poorer teams make money outdoors with their kits to survive. Professionals make millions while the grassroots game withers and dies. We don't have much money at the moment, really. The NAFL teams also prostitute their kits with advertisements for big corporations, to survive. But we are slowly seeing a shift in our funding sources. In the first season of the NAFL, jerseys were covered in multi-colored advertising, but as viewing figures increase, teams are becoming more professional with quality advertising and revenue streams. The Soria Sabres started out with a whopping 8 logos on their jerseys, but were the first team to comply with the “sustainable funding” plan, reducing that number to just 2.

Our sport is perhaps the most “educated” of all in Lisander today. Almost 80% of all NAFL athletes come from college. That does not mean, however, that we are elitist like most URSA clubs. Thanks to the progressive educational policies of the Lisander government, college education (and by extension the opportunity to play some downs) is now open to almost all young people at major universities. What started with POLI, USMA and US has now grown to eight LAN universities. And that’s not all. The Flag Football and Beach Football Championships, 8-a-side and 5-a-side, have teams of all levels participating.

Sometimes there are some uncomfortable results to watch, like the Sabres 72-6 Soria Port Wardens in the NAFL Flag Championship. This game, last Sunday, was a bit strange, because it was the Wardens' first game in the Flag Championship, and they had the misfortune of facing a team of athletes from the Soria Sabres, NCFA (full-pad) national champions. The Sabres ran over the newcomers at the beginning, but in the end, they took their foot off the gas and even allowed them to score a running TD. A video captured by a spectator showed Andre Kessel, Sabres linebacker, giving tips to the Wardens' offensive line as the scrimmage was being set up: "Line up there, you can come a little more to the right, 63, close the middle well, close the gap with the Center, protect the QB or I'm going to sack him." It's like this, it's with these small actions that we make more and more people come to the game.

So, when we get convincing wins like this one, against New Umoja, with our veteran Hoffman connecting passes like that in the first TD, this is to celebrate. And if we consider Eric Jones is rotating these boys in position, giving much needed mileage to Rozan, that just left college and is already recognized as one of the great playmakers we ever had, we still need to remind that these guys can still be seen in the Sunday games nonetheless. When they evolve, it means all of the game evolves with them. We keep it grassroots, we keep it open, we keep it inclusive.

The Author
Jessica Cardona is a Journalist (Universidade de Soria, Class of 2020), working for The National. Her love for football started at the university, and currently, she's also a writer for NAFL Media and Fumblers United Blog. She is also one of Soria Sabres Women's Flag Football team Running Backs, and covers all Sabres' games and events through her Meep and Inspiregram profiles.

by **Banija** » Wed Oct 02, 2024 7:36 am

Banijan head coach, Thomas Hall, standing on the sideline in the first quarter, with the team down 3-0

Right now, it was 3rd & 8 for TJUN-ia, at their own 44 yard line. On their second possesion of the game, and 4th overall, the Jaguars were certainly the better team for much of this opening quarter. The opening drive for the Serpent Eagles offense went absolutely nowhere- an immediate three and out. It had actually started out decently well, with Ayana having a 7 yard run on first down- a great way to stay ahead of the chains. But then, Yafet was blanketed on a deep pass down the sideline by Odika, forcing the overthrow. And then, on 3rd down and 3, a designed QB draw went nowhere, as Jags LB Julius Helvetica read it all the way and tackled Odika at the line of scrimmage for no gain. 4th down- forced to punt.

And the Jaguars had a solid drive of their own. Right around 6 minutes ran off of the clock, driving the length of the field, getting inside the Banijan 10 yard line. Fortunately for Hall and for the Banijans, the Serpent Eagles stiffened up once the Jaguars got into first and goal- from the Banijan 4 yard line. Stuffing the HB for no gain on back to back plays forced the Jags into a throwing shotgun formation on third down, where the Banijans could pin their ears back and bring the house. A risky play call- blitzing 7, leaving your DBs in main coverage. But it worked to perfect- a free rusher, Gallas' hot read was taken away, and being in the pocket, he had no choice but to take the sack from Zelotes Aero.

The second drive was much improved for the Banijans- had some balance, got a few first downs, got into TJUN-ia territory, as far as the 35. However, a holding penalty, followed immediately by a sack, killed the drive and forced the Serpent Eagles into 4th & forever- leaving the Jags with their 3-0 lead. On the Jags second drive, they got a couple of first downs of their own, as they were moving the ball. Eventually, it got them to this present moment- a 3rd & 8 at their own 44 yard line. Hall wanted to run man to man in this game, and he was going to put his dudes in man coverage here. Get a stop, get some pressure, get off the field. A cover 1 CB blitz- the defense rolling right to disguise the blitz by CB Munanire Tembo. The snap came, Tembo blitzed, and the Jags had a deep comebacker called for WR Gilbert Nyamutsamba. Blitz picked up, Gallas stepped forward in the pocket, and threw a dart to Nyamutsamba- a lot of contact as SS Waarwe Bajunga, a team captain, stepped up to make the play.

"Oh come on- bullshit!" Some TJUN-ian players yelled after the play. It certainly looked to many, including Thomas Hall, that Bajunga got there a beat too early- making contact with the WR from behind before the ball got there. Ultimately, it was a missed call by the refs- TJUN-ian fans booed after seeing the replay on the stadium screen, as it definitely looked liek Bajunga got there early. Pretty much everyone would agree- that was a missed call by the refs, and on 3rd down too- rough luck for the Jags.

"Hey, we'll take it." Thomas Hall said as he high-fived Bajunga coming off the field. "Hey man- can't get there that early every time. Refs will call that most of the time. But- let's take it." Banija's punt team jogged onto the field. Thomas Hall was happy- a punt forced, even if it was a great position for the Jags punter, an excellent player, to pin the Banijans deep inside their own 20. They were the freaking Serpent Eagles- fear nothing and regret less. "Come on boys- let's do well here!" The HC was ready to watch this play. He started discussing with the OC what play calls they should do on the ensuing offensive possesion, who was right next to him. "Alright, we had the run working, didn't we? IF he pins this inside our own like 15, let's do a HB toss." He was saying this standing next to his OC, while his eyes were on the field.

"Yeah, around the left side- but of course, we don't want to do that if we're like inside our own 5." The OC replied. "A HB dive if it's that deep-" He stopped because the punter had called for the snap, and the play had started. Both started to watch the play on the field. Hall looked straight ahead. The snap was a little bit high- the punter had to leap to catch the ball, slowing him down a split second. Onyango Mutálaga had busted through his block, and was making a beeline straight at the punter.

"Come on..." Thomas Hall nearly whispered to himself. And the punter let the ball go, to punt it, and BOOM- foot to ball, but a diving Onyango Mutálaga was right there to block the punt, and send the ball flying backwards. "YES! LET'S GO BABY- PICK THAT SHIT UP!" Thomas Hall yelled, running down the sideline- like he wanted to pick it up himself. His clipboard went nearly 10 feet in the air- such was his excitement. Fortunately, Kekoto Tourjibeay was first to the ball, at the Jags 23, and he ran it all the way back for a touchdown. "LET'S GO BABY- PUNT BLOCK CITY!" Thomas Hall had sprinted down the sideline himself. And after Tourjibeay had scored the first TD, Thomas Hall was way too amped- running all the way into the end zone to greet his player, chest bumping the linebacker. An easy 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Banijan HC, to be applied on the kickoff- but he didn't care.

"Let's GO!" He yelled again. What a moment, what a turnaround- and suddenly, Banija's second special teams TD of the tournament had given the Banijans a lead, late in the first quarter, in this pivotal South Division contest.

Kadesh Odika cooks as World Bowl career high 5 TD passes powers the Serpent Eagles to stunning 52-17 blowout victory over TJUN-ia at the World Bowl

WAXTON, DRAWKLAND- Sometimes, in gridiron, you are able to start fast and keep your foot on the pedal- and just dominate an opponent from start to finish. Sometimes, you've got to take some time to get going, before you really get into full form and really bury an opponent. And the Serpent Eagles- well, they did a lot of that second one. While the highlight reel play might be the punt block for a TD in the first quarter, it was Kadesh Odika who was the game's real superstar. Throwing 5 touchdown passes on 6 possesions in the second & third quarter, the superstar Banijan QB showcased truly, to the entire World Bowl, his argument for being the best in the world- or, at least, #2 behind fellow FSU grad Sarai Gwenderyn herself. (Are they the new QB U?)

But more importantly for the Banijans, this was a massive win in a contest that was mostly expected to be an extremely tight one, between two high-quality teams with serious ambitions of not only finishing atop the South Division- but with legitimate ambitions of being one of the last two standing. "There was a whole bunch that we wanted to get done in this match- a lot of statements that we wanted to make to the World Bowl at-large." Thomas Hall told reporters. "We wanted to show the world that against the best, we can raise our game and rise to the occasion. We wanted to show the gridiron world that Banijan gridiron is stronger than ever- that we, not Ranoria, are the defining World Bowl team of the 40s. What an opportunity, and boy, did we seize that."

Those 5 TD passes in the middle quarters- Kadesh Odika, truly, was out here cooking. Now, don't get it twisted- not everything was the throw of Odika's life. A play-action bootleg on 2nd & goal from the 4 was a brilliant call in the 2nd quarter. Nobody bothered to cover Banija's chief blocking TE, Waloga Ssebalijja- and the 4 yard TD pass was a layup, a product of the playcaller- anyone could have thrown that. Still, that was Ssebalijja's first TD of the tournament. And Balinda Kisero got her first TD of the tournament as well- taking a 1st & 15 HB screen pass 63 yards to the house. A perfectly set up screen- pressure in the backfield, the Jags D lost sight of the NMU grad, and when she got the ball, she had a convoy of blockers in front of her- leaving the entire Jags D in the dust as she booked up the sideline, 63 yards, for a TD.

But some of them were some of Odika's best work. The 26 yarder to Kasozi Batte was a brilliant play by the QB- looking off the safety, then throwing a dart towards the back of the end zone- accentuated by the toe-tapping brilliance of Banija's WR2 and team captain. While the Banijans had led 28-3 at that point, the Jags had done a great job of climbing out of their hole- scoring to end the first half, and to start the second half, to make it 28-17. They even got a three & out- 28-3, the comeback was well and fully on, right? Well, the Banijan D would make a play to stop the momentum right in their tracks, with Tembo getting an interception. And Odika would deliver the punishment- throwing a beautiful fade route to Essa Kayode for a score to crush any hopes of a Jaguars comeback in this contest.

And when he threw a beautiful 43 yard streak, down the sideline, to Kori Jabayo for his 5th TD of the day, Odika was really just playing well. That one made it 42-17, and the final score was a 52-17 win for the Banijans- with Israel Aero adding a pick six, and Pili Kijeera scoring her only field goal attempt of the day. But the story this tourney has been about the offense, and on this day specifically, it's been all about the QB. They've done a hell of a job of killing you from all sides- after just 5 games, every single non-QB skill position player on this offense has scored a TD- yes, all 6 WRs and 3 TEs on the roster have touchdown receptions, and all 4 HBs have scored in this tournament, either via rushing or receiving TDs. Hell, even Baka Webo, the backup QB, has a TD pass as well- when you're playing like this, you've got enough to go around, and everybody's got the wealth.

14 TD passes over the course of 5 weeks for Odika. All 13 players rostered at WR, HB, and TE have scored TDs (although Taje's is via a kickoff return). "The fact that everybody's scoring, and everybody's eating, well, it comes down to the coaches." Odika told reporters. "We're doing a great job of scheming up different things for different players. And players truly don't mind sitting for a little bit- they can do so comfortably when you know the rock is coming your way eventually. In a World Bowl, when you're playiing for the NT, no matter where you are on the depth chart- it's a slog, it's a war to get through group play. Everybody's number will be called, and you simply have to be ready for it."

Despite today's great win, things only get more difficult from here for Banija. The top two teams in the South Division will meet on Matchday 6- with the Serpent Eagles traveling to face Kytler Peninsulae, who sit just a game behind the Serpent Eagles at 4-1. The top 10 matchup is highly anticipated, as the Green Machine have ambitions that probably equal Banija's in winning this group. Yet again, the Banijans will face a run heavy triple option offense- one that is tough to adjust to, but a challenge that Thomas Hall is excited for. "They run the triple option with devastating effectiveness- they've lost two group stage games combined in the last two World Bowls with this offense." Hall told reporters. "I'm excited for this challenge. This will be close, low-scoring- our front 7 has one hell of an opportunity to show that we aren't just the glitz & glamour of our offense, but that we can out-physical one of the toughest teams in this competition, with nothing less than first place in the South Division (for now) on the line."

Banija v. Kytler Peninsulae at the Cyclestream Stadium, for nothing less than first place in the South Division on the line. A guaranteed barnburner of a matchup. What more could you want on a stage like this? Popcorn, anybody?

by **United States of Nova Calania** » Wed Oct 02, 2024 7:54 am

Nova Calania wins again

Hellenmack, Drawkland - On matchday 5, Nova Calania travelled to Hellenmack to face Langenia, a new upcoming team who plays well defensively. Honestly, to me, the game was boring and I was watching both Valanora against Delaclava and Drawkland against Chromatika on my phone while sitting in the press box. I wasn't looking at the Nova Calania game and suddenly the Tapirs were leading 7-3. Langenia made a 43 yards field goal early in the 2nd quarter. Sergio Cruz makes the kickoff, Anne-Élisabeth Guirguis recieves the ball in her endzone and crosses the field for a 106 yards kickoff return touchdown. In the blink of an eye, Nova Calania was leading 7-3 and this is the final score.

And the rest of the match was pretty boring, I was thinking of my sauerkraut recipe. I always cook sauerkraut with beer, never with white wine. And the choice of sausages is very important. I always use sausages from Siovanija and Teusland. They are the best. And I always need onions and carrots in my sauerkraut. Sometimes I add mushrooms. Also, make sure you wash your sauerkraut or it will have too much acidity. For the beer, it depends of your taste, personally, I preffer IPA (Indian Pale Ale) crafted beers, they taste better, they taste like citrus. You can have IPA beer with any kind of citrus. I dunno if it fits with acid sauerkraut but that is the kind of beer I preffer.

So, with this win against Langenia, the Tapirs have 3 wins and 2 losses, tied with Valanora who beat Delaclava. Drawkland is the only undefeated team, while Chromatika and Québec and Shingoryeo have 4 wins in 5 games.On matchday 6, Nova Calania will travel to the college town of Cavsar to play against Québec and Shingoryeo. Raphaël Casgrain (knee) will be out, Charles-Henri Noiseux (ankle) will be doubtful and François-Pierre Guirguis (shoulder) will be probable. Drawk legend Jack Hoy will be in the attendance to promote a video game.

NOVA CALANIA   0   7   0   0  -  7
LANGENIA       0   3   0   0  -  3

GAME SUMMARY

1st quarter
No score

2nd quarter
12:51 FIELD GOAL LANGENIA - Sergio Cruz's 43 yards kick is good
12:38 TOUCHDOWN NOVA CALANIA - 106 yards kickoff return by Anne-Élisabeth Guirguis. Extra point good

3rd quarter
No score

4th quarter
No score

Jean-Alexandre Guindon

by **Sarzonia** » Wed Oct 02, 2024 10:11 am

The trap-match speech.

That has been the hallmark of just about every Sarzonian national team regardless of sport. Of course, it helps that Sarzonia mainly competes in sports in which there's some organisational structure within the country.

However, Tyler Paige is new to his assignment as the manager of the gridball team representing Sarzonia. He knew his team as defensive coordinator, but he figured he didn't need to issue the usual reminders to his team to not take anything for granted as they prepared to face Kinqueven. After all, Sarzonia had just finished a three-match gauntlet of teams that looked dangerous on paper, so an unranked foe was going to give the team a glorified scrimmage, right?

Defensive coordinator Lonnie Hertschlager was making the rounds of the team's hotel rooms to ensure that everyone made curfew, but there was one notable absence when he walked up to room 414. Cameron Stallworth, the starting quarterback was out on the town living it up and didn't return until 3:44 a.m., nearly five hours after curfew.

The bleary-eyed Stallworth walked into the team's dressing room and didn't see his kit hanging in his locker. He turned around and saw Paige with his arms folded, scowling.

"You're inactive for this match," Paige said. "You missed curfew and you weren't at the team breakfast. You're the leader of this gridball team. You need to set a better example for your mates."

Stallworth began to speak, but Paige cut him off.

"You can go back to the hotel and get some sleep and maybe watch the match on the tele," Paige said. "You're not going to be on the sidelines or in the press box." Paige stormed away before Stallworth could respond, then Stallworth noticed his badge only allowed him access to the dressing room. He angrily turned around and requested a ride-share and headed back to the hotel.

As for the contest, Mike Barnett played a decent match, completing 17-of-26 passes for 179 yards, but the Stars only managed three field goals en route to an ugly 9-3 victory over Kinqueven. Barnett threw two interceptions into the end zone on throws an alert Stallworth never would have forced.

Stallworth turned the match off at halftime with the score level at 3-3 as his frustration with Barnett missing a couple of throws he knew he could've hit in his sleep. He also noticed a couple of "tells" in the defensive formations that he was confident that he could exploit.

When Paige walked out for the post-match presser, he knew the question would come up. However, he had his statement to make first.

"I think we played a decent match on the defensive side of the ball," he began. "You hold a team to three points at this level, you're doing something right. I liked how we were able to disrupt their passing lanes and clog the middle. We held them to 137 yards of total offence. They got that one [46-yard field goal] on a short field.

"Matt [Andersen, the kicker] was reliable again" after hitting field goals of 32, 41 and 28, Paige added. "Mike [Barnett] missed a couple of throws he might've made if he had some time with the ones during training. All in all, I like that we took care of business and didn't let anything distract us."

"Coach, Tom Wilkes from The Syosset Sentinel. What went into the decision to bench Stallworth? Was that the plan all along?"

Here it goes Paige thought. He decided to tell the truth, or at least just enough of it to avoid throwing Stallworth under the bus.

"No, he was suspended for the match for violating a team rule," Paige said. "We're not planning on making any changes other than this one match, but I felt like I needed to make sure Cam understood what he did."

"What rule did he break?"

"I don't want to get into that," Paige said. "Conduct detrimental to the team. We'll just leave it at that."

"Coach, was giving Paul Edgerton the bulk of the workload your plan? Ty'Relle Clinton only got four carries."

"That was my plan," he said. "Ty'Relle is a workhorse back. We're going to need him for the stretch run against the rest of the teams on our schedule. I like what Paul did out there." Edgerton ran 18 times for 67 yards and caught five passes for 47 yards.

"Coach, is Stallworth starting next week?"

"We'll address that when the time comes," Paige said. "That time ain't now."

When Paige boarded the bus, he knew he'd make that decision when he saw Stallworth and his reaction to being the subject of discipline. As soon as he saw the look of contrition on his quarterback's face and heard the apology from Stallworth, he made up his mind.

As for Paige, he quickly learned what every other Sarzonian manager had long since internalised.

I need to work on my damn trap-match speech.

by **Chromatika** » Wed Oct 02, 2024 5:52 pm

THE CHROMATIKA IRON LEGION
World Bowl 49 - MD5: Chromatika 28-33 Drawkland

This was circled when the Group Stage was announced. Chromatika. Drawkland. In Drawkland. Sarai Gwenderyn against Lane Proudfoot. Drawkland with the high-flying offense, Chromatika with the stout defense. Sure, both teams would probably make the Playoffs, but this would be the stiffest test for the Iron Legion yet.

It delivered in bunches. Gwenderyn led the Iron Legion on a eleven-play, seventy-eight yard opening drive, capping it off with a three yard toss to Niles Gwivern for the opening score; Drawkland answered with Trent Walter's eleven yard run up the middle. A field position game continued, and Drawkland's Jared Flan pinned the Iron Legion inside the one. Lana Rhodes couldn't get out of the end zone, being tackled by Howard Tedesco.

Those two points would end up mattering the rest of the game. Drawkland raced out to a 23-7 lead by halftime, but Gwenderyn wouldn't let the game go away. Alessandra Mio got another Stop-and-Go touchdown, and Rhodes made up for the earlier gaffe with a nice twenty-two yard run. 23-21, game on.

Drawkland would tack on a Field Goal in the fourth Quarter, but Chromatika put up their first lead as Gwenderyn ran away from pressure to find Constantine Perrier for twenty-seven yards on a corner route.

28-26. Unfortunately, Proudfoot was ready to take things on - and marched the Drawk Corps down the field, finding two receivers on third downs before finding Johnathan Kimbrough for the touchdown. Five point lead, three minutes remaining.

Sarai Gwenderyn was humming. Gwivern. Perrier. St. Pierre. Silverman. Down to inside the Red Zone.

Which led to this - thirty-four seconds left, First and Goal. Touchdown is needed because of that Safety. Ball on the four yard line.

Lana Rhodes runs up the middle, stopped by Dayton Pender for a one-yard gain. Chromatika takes their second time out.

Thirty-one seconds left. Second and Goal. Sarai Gwenderyn rolls to the left, finds Niles Gwivern in the flat. Gwivern is tackled at the half-yard line by Prokopios Vortigern Roijakkers.

Nineteen seconds left, clock ticking. Third and Goal. Sarai Gwenderyn rolls to the left, is flushed out by a closing Russell Marsh, has to throw the ball away.

Eleven seconds left. Fourth and Goal. Gwenderyn takes the snap in shotgun, tries to thread the ball to her favorite target, Niles Gwivern...

Only for Prokopios Vortigern Roijakkers, the freak athlete, to put a long arm in to deflect the ball away. Game over.

"We had a chance to win at the end and couldn't convert it," lamented Gwenderyn, "They're a great team, and it was a fun battle, but we really had a chance."

"We'll see them again," promised Park MI-Hyeon, "And next time, we'll get them."

All because of a safety and a timely deflection.

Chromatik Gridiron League - Matchdays Five and Six

Matchday 5

Knetyohai Icebreakers 31–20 Tihon Tridents

Recap: Take a bow, Gyles Munaloff. Twenty-four carries, 201 yards, three touchdowns - and with the defense, led by Kyle Ed and Paul Everson, keeping Nicholas Motte under control, the Icebreakers won once again. Motte, to his credit, had 213 yards and two scores himself - but the Tridents couldn't run the ball at all, only getting forty-three yards on the ground. Knetyohai doesn't seem like just an also-run any more.

Myana Waveriders 10–14 Qet Lynx

Recap: Anderson Joseph, Jr. had an efficient day, going 15-of-21 for 201 yards and two scores, as the Lynx overcame the Waveriders containing their defense by putting up two scores through the air - something that they don't do very often. Qet's defense, led by Safety Harry Pine forcing two turnovers, was spectacular on the day, but Myana also kept things close with their defense playing well. However, when Qet took care of business in the Fourth Quarter - Anderson Joseph, Jr. finding Clarence Bell in the flat - it was over. Not a bad try for Xan Jones, but not good enough.

Heartland Harvesters 16–6 Rainbow Triad

Recap: Josiah Anderson-Smith had one of the best games possible for a Defensive Tackle - having five tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a key Field Goal block in the Third Quarter to keep the margin at two scores - as the Harvesters won their second game of the season by taking down the Triad. Rainbow's defense played well enough to win - Ilya Gorgon had nineteen tackles - but Camille Meer was hounded all day by the Anderson-Smith led defensive front.

Staramara Angels 21–24 Chromia Cyan

Recap: A huge battle between two traditional rivals came down to the final moments as Jesse Jackson was able to find Eden Newell on third-and-eleven from midfield to set up a game winning Field Goal. Veteran Lina Potts hit true on the fifty-three yard Field Goal as the Cyan completed the fourteen-point comeback. Staramara's plan of winning the time of possession worked as intended - Trayvon Mixon got his with 141 yards and two scores - but the defense couldn't keep up in the second half. It's not often that a Cane Jordan-led defense gives up twenty-four points, but not everyone is Chromia.

Matchday 6

Qet Lynx 40–23 Heartland Harvesters

Recap: Steve Ashwater returned from a harsh game, putting up 218 yards and four touchdowns as the Lynx ran roughshod over the Harvesters. Heartland's air raid - led by Patrick Friar - did well enough to hang on for the first half, but by the Third Quarter, Ashwater had over 140 yards and it was over. Qet doesn't need to play amazing defense every game when they can play like this - especially when Anderson Joseph, Jr. doesn't need to throw for over 200 yards to win. A rough coming down to the earth for the Harvesters.

Tihon Tridents 19–29 Staramara Angels

Recap: Melina Harsh showed her chops with 218 yards and two scores - as the Angels had some struggles against Tihon's receivers but ended up prevailing. Kudos to Nicholas Motte for getting over 300 yards on the Angels' defense, but they could only score one Touchdown, instead going field goal for field goal against the Angels. Harsh did find Edison Dotwiler in the Fourth Quarter for her second score to put things away, but Tihon played them tough.

Chromia Cyan 10–14 Knetyohai Icebreakers

Recap: Another game, another upset for Knetyohai - against the high-flying Cyan at that. Paul Everson sacked Jesse Jackson three times, Kyle Ed forced two turnovers, and Gyles Munaloff scored the game-winning Touchdown in the middle of the Fourth Quarter. Harold Mikkelana only threw for 141 yards - and it will be seen if they can keep winning when their Quarterback doesn't have to do much more than that - but it's a luxury when he doesn't have to, right?

Rainbow Triad 40–15 Myana Waveriders

Recap: Rainbow finally won their first game of the season, Camille Meer and the Offense putting up over 500 yards as the Triad killed the Waveriders, 40-15. Meer was brilliant - 368 yards and five Touchdowns - as she hooked up with Tobias Gyart for 214 of those yards and three scores. If this is the way that Rainbow can play, they may have a bright future - but it may just be the woefulness of the Waveriders. Congratulations to the Triad for their first win, though.

Standings after Week 4

National Division        Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Div   CrD
1 Chromia Cyan             6    5   1   138  105  +33   3-0   2-1
2 Qet Lynx                 6    5   1   135   83  +52   2-1   3-0
3 Tihon Tridents           6    1   5   127  191  −64   1-2   0-3
4 Rainbow Triad            6    1   5    90  120  −30   0-3   1-2
Chromatik Division       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Div   CrD
1 Knetyohai Icebreakers    6    5   1   115   79  +36   3-0   2-1
2 Staramara Angels         6    4   2   123   90  +33   2-1   2-1
3 Heartland Harvesters     6    2   4   122  152  −30   1-2   1-2
4 Myana Waveriders         6    1   5   104  134  −30   0-3   1-2

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Thu Oct 03, 2024 8:16 am

“...and Yefremov takes the knee with 50 seconds left to go, and that’s the end of the game. Kelly Profit’s homecoming to Bratsk is not an event that she will want to remember for some time. She asked for a trade away from the Dolphins and found herself a new home in Kesselburg, where the hopes of taking the Kestrels to their first ever playoff appearance fell squarely on her shoulders. Unfortunately for her, while the city of Bratsk welcomed Miss Profit back with open arms, the Dolphins were not as generous. The game has ended 42-27 in favor of Bratsk, which puts them into the playoffs and at the same time eliminates Kesselburg from contention…”

The dream of establishing gridiron as a potential third favored sport to compete against the likes of football and basketball in the minds of Pridnestrovians was now well and truly gone, or at least that was what Kelly Profit thought and believed once the Kesselburger Kestrels’ season came to an end at the new home ground of her former team in the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League, the Bratsk Dolphins. She could still remember the days when the Dolphins had played in front of a capacity crowd of more than 30,000 people at the Chernomorets Stadium. Now though, it would seem as if barely three hundred people had even turned out for the game between Bratsk and Kesselburg, which also happened to be the final regular season game for both teams and a game that would determine who would qualify for the playoffs. Kelly had given it all that she had, but at the end of the day the Dolphins were still a much better team than the Kestrels, and it was her former team that would deservedly move on to the PGSL playoffs.

It had been more than a year since Kelly had learned that the whole PGSL was a lie, nothing more than an exercise in propaganda that had somehow worked out against all the odds. But now that there was no more use for Pridnestrovia to keep touting that they had a fully functioning and profitable gridiron league (although there were doubts that the PGSL had ever been profitable in its eleven years of operating), the central government had allowed to let the league fall by the wayside, starting with not renegotiating the league’s broadcasting rights with the Pridnestrovian Central News Agency. And for their part, the people didn’t even question that the PGSL went from being the most heavily promoted thing on their screens to nothing more than an afterthought. One minute, everyone was heavily invested into gridiron, and the next, they were back to watching football and basketball games. It was all so jarring for someone from the inside looking out, but for practically anyone else, it was just business as usual. Gridiron was nothing more than the latest fad to hit Pridnestrovian shores, and the country moved on without breaking its stride.

With her primary motivation for actually playing gridiron now gone, Kelly found herself losing interest in the sport as a whole. Her final season in Bratsk was perhaps the worst she ever had, and it was clear from the handful of analysts who still bothered to watch Pridnestrovian gridiron that she no longer had her heart in it, and Kelly would be the first person to admit it. She did have a good reason for doing it, one that she couldn't really say to anyone else, but at the same time, she could also point to the one Pridnestrovian Bowl in her trophy cabinet and say that she had finished the job she had come here to do. She had won the Dolphins the silverware that they had been wanting for so long, and if she wanted, Kelly could just say that she was resting on her laurels while riding out the rest of her contract. After all, with the loss of the PGSL's broadcasting rights, most foreign players understandably wanted to get out as soon as they could, and nobody would blame Kelly for doing the same. But Kelly didn't want to leave. She had been lured to Pridnestrovia by the promise that she could help establish gridiron as a viable alternative sport in the country, and there was still that part of her that believed that she could still actually do it despite everything that she had learned in the years since, especially the truth about how and why the league was formed in the first place.

But even after moving away from Bratsk and getting traded to Kesselburg, Kelly tried and failed to get the motivation she wanted and needed to get her head back in the game. But if she had thought that the situation in Bratsk was already bad enough, things had gotten even worse upon her getting traded to the Kestrels. Yes, for some reason gridiron had remained reasonably popular in the Ixanian Socialist State, almost as popular as it had been throughout the country during its heyday, but just because gridiron itself was still popular in Ixania didn't mean that the teams in it were as well off as the others. The Kesselburger Kestrels were an expansion team, and like with most expansion teams they had found it hard to attain success. The Kestrels had been perpetually overshadowed by their provincial rivals the Rheinburg Spartans ever since they came into the league, and it didn't look like the loss of broadcasting money had really shifted the balance of power. Nobody really believed that getting Kelly in a trade would change much for Kesselburg, and this latest season had indeed proved that. Some things had improved for Kelly's sake, namely the fact that she finally had a more-than-halfway decent O-line that reduced the number of sacks that she was taking, allowing her to finally have her first full season without injury, but it still wasn't enough in the grand scheme of things. And because of that, for the first time in her career, she was considering calling it quits.

Pridnestrovia may have been ahead of the curve when it came to integrating male and female gridiron players together into the same teams, but there were still some things that were too far even for them, and that was giving men and women the same locker rooms and showers. There were still a handful of women playing gridiron in Pridnestrovia despite the loss of the league’s substantial financial backing because it was the only league that would actually sign them and let them play since the Ladies’ Football League had folded four years after the formation of the PGSL, so Kelly had three more women with her when they headed off to the showers first to get cleaned up after the grueling game against Bratsk. The showers in the Dolphins’ new ground, which was literally just the training ground for their football team Chernomorets Bratsk, were a far cry from the ones at Chernomorets Stadium, but at the very least there was still running water, even if it was a bit cold and smelled like the sea. Kelly figured that the water came from the desalination plant that had opened up down the coast just a few years ago. She couldn’t really know for sure, but based on the evidence she had, it was the explanation that made the most sense. Is this really what I’ve come to? Kelly asked herself as she dried herself off in the female lockers. Wondering about the water quality of showers?

Kelly got dressed into a loose and comfortable apple green tracksuit, apple green being the colors of the Kesselburger Kestrels, and then she and the three other female players made their way to the team bus to wait for the rest of their teammates who were only going to get to use the showers themselves. Once again, Kelly was brought back to the time when PGSL teams could afford to take planes to their destinations, mostly because they could afford it back then. Now, they were all stuck on long bus trips that could take nearly half a day in the worst case scenario. It sucks that the PGSL had been reduced to this, but at the same time, Kelly had had some less-than-savory experiences with Pridnestrovian aviation which left her feeling that an eight-hour bus ride was much better than an hour-long plane ride that could end with the plane falling out of the sky. But even then, as Kelly settled into her seat in the bus, she realized that this was something that she could no longer keep doing, not without significant cost to her own mental well-being.

It was time to call it quits.

by **Ranoria** » Thu Oct 03, 2024 9:58 am

Coaching Points Part 3- Some Random Tips I Wanna Jot Down

Speed rushers and how they can impact the run game:

Sticking with the run game - let's talk about speed rushers. Not everyone is gonna be six foot four, two hundred and ninety pounds, and fast. Most of our defensive ends these days seem to trend around two hundred fifty pounds and prefer to be fast. And that's fine - if it's a passing league, that's your best bet to bring them down. But of course, a casual fan's response would be - "bUT cAn hE holD uP IN THe ruN?"

Yes. Yes he can.

Yeah, you run right at the guy - he might have a problem. Three hundred and thirty pound offensive lineman treats two hundred forty pound edge rusher like I do this pen. He's smokin' em. Most likely in humiliating fashion. There's ways around that - they can get around blocks with their athleticism or just plant their feet and try to hold their ground while the linebackers clean up, but it's usually a losing battle. Many will try an "arm over" (looks identical to a swim move) to try and go behind their blocker and make a play, but that's risky - if they don't make the tackle, they've completely given up outside contain, which could lead to huge plays.

Where they thrive, therefore, is when you run away from them.

In most schemes, the backside defensive end is going to get left basically unblocked - because they shouldn't, realistically, be able to make that play from all the way over there. You'll see this most clearly on run pass options. But somehow these freakshows can run like wide receivers at times, and your running back isn't going to be full speed immedietely. Or maybe they'll get stretched out by the defensive end at the point of attack. That's when these speedsters thrive - they're going to run you down from behind, where they should've been completely schemed out of the play, and ruin your day. That's how a speed rusher can completely blow up a run play and rack up a ton of tackles for a loss. It may not be the more sound, consistent run stopping of a bigger dude who can hold his ground, but it will get plenty of highlight plays, and with so many coaches, these defenders are graded on splash plays.

The other thing they're better at is stretches and tosses. As long as they don't get reach blocked (which they usually won't, being faster), it's going to be a lot harder for the running back to get the edge on them, or even to cut back inside to open grass. The more agile edge guys have a much easier time shutting these kinds of runs down simply by keeping the ballcarrier in front of them until reinforcements arrive or the runner decides to try it and gets tackled. Kinda like I should be tackling these assignments, my mom's threatening to not pay for my schooling if I fail another one.

But man, that Cannabiscorp stuff hits hard, and I'm way too high to think of anything other than football right now.

Bethelm Arena

Vallienté Wagner-Young grunted at the hit from a rushing defender just as he let the ball fly, only to clap his hands when it sailed just over his target's hands to force fourth down. The quarterback looked to the sideline at his head coach, pointed at the field, and waited, making his case to go for it here, down three in the fourth quarter. But through the cheers of the home crowd here in Bethelm, debutant coach Isaac Dieter just shook his head and the punt team began rolling out onto the field.

"Coach!" Wagner-Young pulled off his helmet as he approached, "We've got three minutes left, our defense is gassed, give me a chance to go win the game!"

Dieter smirked and glanced over his quarterback's shoulder to their punter, Billy Kidd. "Sure thing, Vallienté."

Vallienté's face scrunched in apparent confusion, and he turned around to watch Billy Kidd take the snap, step up into the punt...and then completely fool the defense by whipping the ball underhand down the field rather than put his boot on it.

"Poison poison poison!" Could be heard from the gunners, pointing out the ball as the HUElavian defenders circled, but at the last second Sage Sterling cut inside and jumped into the air twenty yards downfield to snag the football out of the air on a legal pass - no one on the return team knew what was going on until it was too late, and the Krauts sideline was caught between some kind of laughter and a raucous cheer when Sterling stood tall with the pigskin.

"I know you don't trust me the way you did Kabuye or Nieler yet," Isaac Dieter told his quarterback, "But I'm hoping I can get there. You wanted a chance to go win the game, so I'm going to put my trust in you." They locked eyes for just a second once Wagner-Young donned his helmet, "Go steal a win against these guys." Wagner-Young shot his coach a thumbs up and led his offense back out there, punching Jannik Nadine on the shoulder.

"Big fella, I'm gonna make a pretty obvious signal to you, make 'em think it's coming your way, got it?" The Krauts star wideout, and Wagner-Young's teammate at Northern Moravica, nodded and when they came to the line, the two locked eyes. Vallienté pointed to him and made some random hand signal, Nadine acknowledged by tapping his helmet, and the HUElavian defense called an audible immedietely to roll their coverage towards the six-foot-three menace. When the ball was snapped, Nadine beat the press - no surprise there - shot up field, and turned hard to make it a comeback and draw the safety down, leaving Russell Farmer covered by a linebacker on deep shot to the corner of the end zone. Wagner-Young took his eyes off Nadine, stepped in the pocket and lofted the ball high, so that Farmer's body was between himself and the defender when it fell right into his waiting arms.

The linebacker hit his back to try and knock it loose, but Russell barely even stumbled as he slowed his pace with a fist pumped into the sky.

The Northern Moravica and Loyola-Istria grads, respectively, clapped hand with their teammates as they came off the field. And Wagner-Young couldn't help but smile when Abram Fairbanks and Gideon Kearse locked eyes before grabbing their helmets and getting to their feet.

This game was over.

The First Domino Falls:
Late Game Heroics Secure Upset, Krauts' First Ranked Win

Krauts defensive end Abram Fairbanks celebrates after forcing a game-clinching fourth down incompletion

With a five hundred record and their only wins coming against unranked opponents, the Krauts appeared far from convincing in their first four games back from a four year hiatus from international competition. They got smoked by Cardenao and handled rather convincingly by the reigning champions in Sarzonia. Given the team came in knowing they would need to secure a couple upsets to make a playoff run, it wasn't the best start.

All of that changed with just a few minutes left to play against HUElavia.

In a game that flew by faster than most thanks to a relentless if largely unproductive ground attack from the Krauts, Ranoria just couldn't put points on the board. Wagner-Young threw one sloppy interception on a late first half drive that didn't help matters, but the defense largely held their own, continuing to display that they're still one of the world's better units.

That said, Ranoria's only score going into the fourth quarter stood as a two yard run by Ragnar Sampson, leaving them at a three point deficit until head coach Isaac Dieter rolled the dice. Running out collegiate sophomore Billy Kidd, he had the young man run a perfectly executed fake punt, picking up twenty one yards to set up a Russell Farmer touchdown grab to win the game.

"Our offensive line's got a couple guys banged up, we're being cautious with them," said head coach Isaac Dieter, "But I don't care about the final score as long as the number under our name is bigger than the one under theirs. That's kind of the whole point of sports." He held a finger to stop a reporter from asking another question while he sipped his water, "Except for golf, but nobody likes golf, and I'm pretty sure there's some law back home that says it's not legally a sport."

All that said, there's no rest for this team - their schedule still holds the likes of Ko-oren and they're likely two wins away from a playoff berth. Their win over HUElavia, a consistent playoff contender, is a solid step towards reclaiming the dominant position they once monopolized, but it's just that - the first domino.

by **Katzeburg** » Thu Oct 03, 2024 11:24 am

"Gentleman, a brief view of the past..."
A history of Gridiron in Katzeburg, Part VI

While the first round of AVAC play went rather smoothly - mostly due to the curiosity of a new conference and a new sport hitting campuses in Aberstadt - the second round was anything but, with both new colleges to the sport, Nordock Industrial College and Bauerburg Agricultural University, hosting their first ever games.

The first issue was in the fields themselves. With both institutions rushing to pull together a team ahead of anything else, the field location only came into consideration right as the season started. Bauerburg was the more prepared of the two, leasing a field which grew pumpkins just down the road from the main campus to act as the playing grounds.

The field, nicknamed ‘The Patch’ by local students, was only ready the night before the game after the playing team labored away to harvest all pumpkins and batter down the dirt enough to provide a flat surface to play on. Lines were crudely drawn out using sticks, which would cause controversy in the tailend of BAU’s clash with Aberstadt State University as ASU wide receiver Dale Dobermann would be adjudged to be in the field after a tight catch - only thanks to the stick marking the line rolling out of place.

ASU would win the game 13-12, with Dobermann scoring the winning touchdown off the back of that call.

Meanwhile Nordock would have a significantly tougher time of things, despite securing a field to play on weeks ahead of the season starting. Unfortunately in the days leading up to their clash with the University of Aberstadt, their field - named Seaside Park - would end up partially submerged following a period of intense rain and insufficient drainage.

With no time to call off the clash and no space to relocate to, NIC would be forced to host the game on the submerged field, meaning any team attack from left to right would need to be swimming in the endzone to catch the ball - making scoring close to impossible.

This essentially turned the match into a kicking showoff between both sides, which UoA would come out the victors in after NIC snuffed a pair of field goal attempts late in the final quarter - which to this day fans will claim only happened because the kicker, Gordon Fischer, slipped over in the waters as he ran up to attempt both efforts.

UoA would win 21-15, setting up a blockbuster final matchday showdown between the two undefeated colleges - a match ATV was already hyping up as the biggest game in the sport’s young history.

KATZEBURGIANS REJOICE AS SIDE STRUGGLES TO GET PAST ELEPHANTS

By Richard Rider

Just one matchday after minor riots broke out on the UoA campus due to the side’s scoring prowess, Katzeburg fans have done a total 180 and are praising the side after they struggled to a 7-0 win over South Newlandia.

The side, which previously ran up the score in a huge win over Terefuxe, came crashing back to Earth with a characteristically poor offensive performance, with a late touchdown in the fourth quarter the only score of a tight contest which was decided by both sides' defensive strengths.

But the Wildcats strategy of ‘run the ball very short distances over and over and then punt long’ drew significant praise from traveling fans, who hailed the performance as one of the side’s best showings yet in the World Bowl.

“Now THIS was football baby!” shouted Mike Matthers, a freshman arts major from the UoA, as he stumbled into our Lampoon reporter on the scene.

“It was nowhere near a perfect performance - we won somehow! - but after the horror show of the last two games where we scored numerous points which weren’t field goals, this is a great step forward.”

The result somehow means Katzeburg moves into a top five position in the division after starting 0-2 - with the side’s good form threatening to derail high expectations of an early group stage elimination.

However, with four games left in the group stage, Katzeburg will need to get results against both the world number 3 Ko-oren and reigning World Bowl champions Sarzonia to have any real hope of sneaking out of the group.

It’s a rather impossible task leaving many fans sighing in relief that a group exit looks likely, especially given many of the traveling supporters will need to be back on UoA campus by the time the knockouts begin to undertake their semester exams.

(O.O) · by **TJUN-ia** » Thu Oct 03, 2024 2:44 pm

Banija wrote:First Quarter
07:22 TJU FG- TJU K Xander Tiovannen hits 26 yard field goal. (0-3 TJUN-ia)
00:43 TJU TO/BNJ TD- TJU P Kelly Maine punt is BLOCKED by BNJ OLB Onyango Mutálaga, picked up by BNJ MLB Kekoto Tourjibeay and returned 23 yard for a TOUCHDOWN. PAT Is good (7-3 Banija)

Second Quarter
08:55 BNJ TD- BNJ QB Kadesh Odika throws 4 yard TOUCHDOWN pass to TE Waloga Ssebalijja. PAT is good (14-3 Banija)
05:23 BNJ TD- BNJ QB Kadesh Odika throws screen pass to HB Balinda Kisero, who takes it 63 yards to the house for a TOUCHDOWN. PAT is good (21-3 Banija)
01:42 BNJ TD- BNJ QB Kadesh Odika throws 26 yard TOUCHDOWN pass to WR Kasozi Batte. PAT is good (28-3 Banija)
00:01 TJU TD- TJU QB Leon Gallas throws 3 yard TOUCHDOWN pass to WR Lucky Sithole-Sita on a fade route. PAT Is good (28-10 Banija)

HALFTIME SCORE- Banija 28, TJUN-ia 10

Third Quarter
12:03 TJU TD- TJU HB Pyrros Papanikolaou has 57 yard TOUCHDOWN run. PAT is good (28-17 Banija)
08:45 TJU INT- TJU QB Leon Gallas pass is INTERCEPTED by BNJ CB Munanire Tembo, returned to the TJU 25 yard line. (28-17 Banija)
07:04 BNJ TD- BNJ QB Kadesh Odika throws 8 yard TOUCHDOWN pass on fade route to WR Essa Kayode. PAT is good (35-17 Banija)
02:11 BNJ TD- BNJ QB Kadesh Odika throws 43 yard TOUCHDOWN pass to WR Kori Jabayo. PAT is good (42-17 Banija)

Fourth Quarter
09:17 BNJ FG- BNJ K Pili Kijeera hits 36 yard field goal. (45-17 Banija)
07:01 TJU INT/BNJ TD- TJU QB Leon Gallas pass is INTERCEPTED by BNJ FS Israel Aero, and returned 38 yard for a TOUCHDOWN. PAT is good (52-17 Banija)
03:33 TJU INT- TJU QB Leon Gallas pass is INTERCEPTED by BNJ CB Samaba Nbaha in the end zone for a touchback. (52-17 Banija)

Banija WINS, 52 to 17

Yeah...we got cooked by a very serious team.
Back to the drawing board, we've got #24 Lisander up next.
Four games left, we can't give up now.
GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (South Division) - based at Stad-Stallion, Raikennax
MD1: vs Juvencus (23) - Callcom Stadium, Masteser W 44-41 (5th/1-0)
MD2: vs Kamijiro (UR) - Stad-Stallion, Raikennax L 12-16 (6th/1-1)
MD3: vs Vaishnavaria (UR) - The AnvoDome, Yokare W 23-17 (5th/2-1)
MD4: vs South Americanastan (15) - Stad-Stallion, Raikennax W 15-6 (4th/3-1)
MD5: vs Banija (6) - Waxton City Dome, Waxton L 17-52 (4th/3-2)
MD6: vs Lisander (24) - Stad-Stallion, Raikennax
MD7: vs New Umoja (UR) - Ferris-Deltore Stadium, Waylook
MD8: vs Abanhfleft (12) - Sector 6 Stadium, Corinth City
MD9: vs The Kytler Peninsulae (9) - Stad-Stallion, Raikennax

by **Delaclava** » Thu Oct 03, 2024 3:55 pm

Valanora 37–16 Delaclava

Damn girl...we got our wigs snatched by those vanilla-ass hoes.
Back to the powder room, time to lip sync for our lives against System Saraisha and #5 Chromatika.
Four rounds of sportsball left, time to serve C-U-N-T.
YASSSS QUEENS
YOU BETTER WERK

by **Kamijiro** » Thu Oct 03, 2024 6:13 pm

Gridiron of Kamijiro, Part Five: Late Mistake

Picture this. It's late on in the second half. Neither team have found a breakthrough, the score sits at 0-0. It's been a midfield battle all game, playing field position and hoping that the other side will make a fatal error first.

Oh. And it's not (association) football. It's gridiron. Sorry if you got confused.

Either way, Kamijiro would make that fatal error. A huge hit to Alex Daniels as he attempted to pitch the ball back caused the ball to tumble to the turf. The ball squirted through the hands of Callie Marix and got scooped by the defense, who promptly ran it back for six points. With the extra point tacked on, the score sat at 7-0 with about a minute and thirty seconds left. Not enough time for the quadruple option to get moving. The clock ran out with the Kamijiroans unable to even get the ball into opponent territory. Ball game.

The loss took the Lightning down to 3-2. Normally, you'd expect dejected looks. But the team's still having a good time in Drawkland. Winning three games means that they've already passed their sportsbook line of 1.5 total wins in their nine matches in the division. So, not all's bad, even with a deflating loss in the last minute. Onto the next!

by **The Kytler Peninsulae** » Thu Oct 03, 2024 6:21 pm

One of the most anticipated games of this entire pool phase. The Serpent Eagles of Banija, 5-0 out of the gate, take on the Kytlerian Green Machine in an epic clash of styles.

Coming off a painful loss to the South Americanastan Bears, the Kytlerians might now sneak under the radar - this is not the matchup of 5-0 teams it could have been, and if anything it was meant to come the other way round courtesy of the Serpent Eagles falling to the TJUN-ia Jags. This, erm, extremely didn't happen, the Serpent Eagles putting up 52 (!) on a team who are now looking very clearly like the underachievers of the tournament even though they're still 3-2 and unlikely to outright fail to advance. But is there any danger of complacency on their part?

"I can't see them being complacent in any way," mused the once-and-still-maybe-future Green Machine QB Wecoisus Mocks in the pregame show for this clash. "I think that the danger they face is from being an aerial attacking team whose defense is built to stop other aerial attacks, which obviously the Green Machine - even with Dirk (Dijkstra) throwing a bit more than I did - we're not that kind of team. We run the ball a ton and our throws come from establishing the run, and obviously the option plays, even the RPOs we run more now, they just move everyone around defensively in a way that you're just not going to be used to if you're mostly facing dropback passers. Of course we have the same thing in reverse but we've faced quite a lot of pass-heavy offenses internationally now, obviously Martijn (Van der Sar) has been a playmaking machine against them, and I would guess he's going to just play one side of the field rather than travel with a specific receiver, because they clearly have multiple options who can get open in a flash and I think the logic is going to be, if you want to hit those guys, you're going to have to throw across your body and compromise your mechanics because it's that or you pick on Martijn."

A win here, despite that loss to the Bears, would put the Green Machine in provisional top spot in the South Division with three games to go. How important is it to get these wins here? "Don't forget we still have the Jags to face, so if we lose this one, all of a sudden there's pressure on the next two because you can't rely on having to get a result against the number 2 team in the world - even if they haven't played like that yet - just to be sure you're moving on, because I don't think 4-5 is going to get it done. Obviously every win matters for seeding although as we saw last time (when the 2-seeded Green Machine lost their octofinal) that only goes so far, but you want to be the hot team coming into those matches and not be the one facing the hot team."

This would certainly be a nice time for the Green Machine to catch fire. They were arguably unimpressive in going 4-0 - they haven't faced a higher-ranked team until now and their only big win came seemingly by catching Kamijiro at the right time (and being familiar with their own option-heavy approach) - and now they have a loss to a weaker team on their record. The consensus betting line from Kytlerian oddsmakers briefly reached Banija -7.5 - although there's been plenty of action moving that back across the key number of seven in the hours before kickoff. But the wagers driving that market are essentially guesses - with various levels of education behind them - that happen to be backed up with currency. When the action begins, none of those guesses matter on any level except for who's going to get their money back with interest.

Interest rates, in a different sense of the word, are certainly high for this one. There will be plenty of eyeballs on it, and you can bet your mortgage on that.

by **South Newlandia** » Thu Oct 03, 2024 6:53 pm

What’s the worst thing that can happen to you as a World Bowl quarterback?
Obviously, injuries come to mind, but there’s one thing arguably even worse, at least for some; getting benched for performance reasons. That’s especially true if a lot of people had already been calling for your job in the recent weeks; laying a big enough egg to get benched proves all your doubters right.
That was the fate Elephants QB Zachary Stevens experienced, playing the Wildcats in Shire-Port. The team from Katzeburg had been performing quite well for a World Bowl newcomer (Stevens remembered watching the Elephants’ maiden voyage as a kid, and that went a lot worse), especially on defense. Despite being a very young team, with no players above the age of 25, they were bringing the fight to some more experienced teams, especially with their very talented defense.

Early in the third quarter, with the game still tied without any points on the board, Stevens had found someone on 8 of his 19 pass attempts for 37 yards. Unfortunately, only five of those completions were to fellow Elephants; with three of them picked by Wildcats. Wallis Ferentz had himself an excellent game, blanking the Elephants’ top wideout Marcel Schlachter for zero receptions and also taking the ball away twice.
Really, every part of the Wildcat defense was clicking on all cylinders, with the pass rush getting through, the linebackers stuffing the run with ease, and the defensive backs were hardly giving him anything. After another interception, Victorino delivered the bad news; Kilian Knight, backup of the RFL Herot Paladins, would get a crack at trying to win this game.

Stevens sat down on the bench with his head in his hands. Getting benched this early is bad, and arguably gets worse when it’s a close game – and this one was tied! It gets even worse when your backup is widely perceived at having no upside at all. Is it even worse or not quite as bad when that aforementioned backup struggles too, and does nearly just as bad?

For the 33-year-old, this was the worst day of his life. Where had it all gone wrong? He’d been able to at least look competent with the Tigers in the RFL, that team isn’t really that much better than the Elephants (including having a lot of them in the first place), and with all due respect to the Wildcats, they’re not supposed to be a dominating team, at least not yet.
Well, he thought, at least this is a rock bottom. What embarrassing things could wait for him after this? Getting benched for a college sophomore, who isn’t even considered to be a good starter in college? Ridiculous.

victoria.bigtukson
18m

What a terrible day to have eyes #WB49 #KatSnl #WBElephants #Pain

robert.stein7
14m

Credit to Katzeburg for playing an excellent game on defense, albeit against what seems to be literally the worst offense in the entire World Bowl. Please send help #WB49 #KatSnl #WBElephants

gridiron.elestats
12m

Elephants QB stats:
Zach Stevens: 5/19, 37 yd, 0 TD, 3 INT – Passer Rating -33.66 (Adjusted: 0)
Kilian Knight: 3/10, 24 yd, 0 TD, 1 INT, 1 FL - Passer Rating -4.58 (Adjusted: 0)

worldbowl.rumours
11m

Supposedly, the Elephants are currently chartering a plane to Richardson. Some claim they might actually attempt to bring in Scott Yadav to play quarterback for the team in week 6. Having played horrendous on offense so far (Stevens has 1 passing TD and six picks though five games), their defense has someone gotten them to 3-2 and the middle of playoff contention. #WB49 #WBElephants #RichardsonGovernors

esportivan.gridball
7m

Somehow, all four Esportivan squads are 3-2, despite wildly different rankings and paths to get here #WB49 #UpTheOrange

wb.elephants
2m

In a press conference, Elephants HC Victorino just shocked the football world by naming Richardson SO Scott Yadav the starter against Aurevbush #WB49 #WBElephants #SnlAvb #ScottYadav

victoria.bigtukson
1m

What the actual fuck #WB49 #WBElephants #ScottYadav

by **Cardenao** » Thu Oct 03, 2024 7:15 pm

‘I gotta put some more sunscreen on.’

Look, Cardenaoans are beach people, they’re sea folk. Salt water on the air, undiluted sun rays beaming down most hours of most days, if you wear Blue and Gold, you’re used to the sun. But……that doesn’t mean they wanted to invite skin cancer into our lives, and so Marquis Ingram, Mr. 143 yards on 11 catches himself, put on another layer of screen.

It was a beautiful day with the sun glistening off another typically perfect day out on the Iceethuh Sea, once again the most ideal conditions you could imagine for the most ideal fishy fishes of the sea to catch. What a day to hang out with some of the boys, DVick and Bobby Dials out here on a rented boat, feeling like absolute bosses after their surprise upset win over Ko-oren. Putting a line in, feeling that fresh, salty air on his face, yeah this was the way to relax. Relax to a certain point that is, even on this fun day the offensive trio knew the job was far from finished.

The star receiver for La Furia Azule gave his line a tug and frowned when he didn’t feel a bite. ‘Well they don’t call it catching…’

“Shittt my boys that’s how you do it! Not gonna say I thought we were gonna smack that jawn but we did, 30-10 against the #3? Yeahhhh that’s how you do it.”

Beating Ko-oren the way that they did and winning the pole position in their group, things were starting to click for the Cardenaoans. He couldn’t help but blurt out, “Man we dominated them!”

Bobby, standing up on the port side of the boat, couldn’t help but laugh at this. “Yeah boss, just one game though…there’s a lot of football left to play. Sit back and chill next game, take an L, where does that leave us? Down in some shit, I’m not gonna let the playoffs slip.”

DVick showed some signs of life as he nodded from the deck chair he was sprawled over with a masseuse giving him the professional treatment he needed after he carried the ball 25 times. “Yeah I hear you Big B. We worked too much to let this start slackin and let this slip now. Come on man though, we can chill for a bit dog I mean look at this place.” The lounger king lazily waved an arm towards the picturesque scene they were indulging in.

While he was saying this, Big Dials brought his line back in, put some more bait on it, and recast his line. “Trust me man, I’m enjoying it (laughs) But we got a lot of ball left to play, Ko is tough, the Elephants were tough, we got a tough game coming up and another one after that.”

Marquis cracked open another beer as he gave his line a jerk again. “Alright Captain Serious, no fun or we’re gonna go soft! Acting like we don’t know how to turn it on when it matters most……like we did last game!

DeAndre Vick stood up, stretched his arms down to his feet, getting loose before he tossed another beer to his quarterback. “No room to chill that much don’t get it twisted B. We got some momentum, losing to South Newlandia sucked but we’ve been rolling these games and let’s keep that shit running into the playoffs!”

Bobby caught that beer like he was Marquis Ingram, cracked it, and took a sip. “Hell yeah brother, we’ve been running like the underdogs but now we’re up on top. Keep doing what we’re doing, run the game plan, but play the game like we still got shit to prove……cause we do.”

“Dude……my boy, we get it. We tryna win too alright, so let’s chill with that, we gonna run it out against Katzeburg like we been doing. Now, please bro, chill……I’m tryna fish and get some drink going. Please.”

“Alright alright man……we got five minutes of this before we gameplan,” the Cardenaoan quarterback said with a smile.

What a moment this was. Out on the sea, sun and ocean breeze on their skin, a respectable amount of drinks to keep them loose and their lines in the water……a good day to spend with friends.

[Passing:
Bobby Dials 31/38/255 yards/2TD–6.7YPA/31yd long–1 sack/7 yards–112.2 QB Rating

Rushing:
RB DeAndre Vick 25 rushes/72 yards–2.9YPA–23yd long
RB Marcial Pritchet 7 rushes/26 yards/1TD–3.7YPA–9yd long
RB Reno Thai 3 rushes/16 yards–5.3YPA–13yd long
QB Bobby Dials 6 rushes/14 yards–2.3YPA–15yd long
WR Deacon St. John 2 rushes/6 yards–3.0YPA–6yd long

Receiving:
WR Marquis Ingram 11REC/143 yards/1TD–13.0Y/PA--31yd long
RB DeAndre Vick 7REC/37 yards--5.3YPA--19yd long
TE Nejc Graciano 3REC/11 yards--3.7YPA--6yd long
WR Saivion Ware 3REC/18 yards/--6.0YPA--7yd long
WR Deacon St. John 3REC/16 yards/1TD--5.3YPA--16yd long
WR Telesforo Muhammad 1REC/3 yards--3.0YPA-3yd long
RB Marcial Pritchet 1REC/17 yards--17.0YPA--17yd long

by **HUElavia** » Thu Oct 03, 2024 7:17 pm

HUElavia 10–14 Ranoria
(7-0, 3-0, 0-7, 0-7)
Bethelm Arena, Bethelm, Drawkland

Bitterness, With a Choking Side Effect.

HUElavia gives up a narrow loss to Ranoria in a tough defeat.

Well, it's the Sarzonia game all over again. Despite the momentum and massive morale boost for the upset victory over Ko-oren, former juggernauts Ranoria would not give Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos an easy match to enjoy in front of their home crowd. In a game where both teams needed a victory for different reasons, this was one of the more tantalizing matches of the group stage.

Much like it had been in some of the games already, the offense would stall out. The three opening drives for both teams would see them get one or two 1st and 10s, but not enough movement would be made to make it to field goal range and would have to unfortunately punt the ball for either a touchback or very deep start for the opponent. Late in the 1st quarter, HUElavia eventually began to string together good runs from Uche and passes from Duarte Lobo, where at the 3rd and goal from the 7, Duarte Lobo gave the handoff to Uche, who powered past three defenders who clinged onto him for the Touchdown, making it 7-0, getting many cheers and celebrations from the HUElavian crowd for the score. The 2nd quarter was more of the same, with neither team being able to get many plays going and most ending in climax-ending three and outs that left for punts to be delivered, but there was Wagner-Young getting intercepted by Oogami to give HUElavia good field to march down. At the end of the half, Schultz bombed down a 53 yard field goal to make it 10-0 at the half, giving the HUElavians some good comfort.

The second half would not be comfortable for the team, as Ranoria would begin marching down to get into dangerous positions to score, but sacks by Obama and Mallqui Aucapuma over Wagner-Young would get them out of field goal range and cause the Ranorians to punt the ball back to the HUElavians. Even with passes and runs being made, the HUElavians could not get close to score themselves. With 2:08 left in the 3rd quarter, Sampson took a fairly easy 2 yard run to score for the Ranorians to make it 10-7 into the 4th quarter. Despite the back and forth attempts to get down the field to seal the game, no luck would come as the Ranorian defense would force incompletions or force back any forward progress. Late in the quarter, Kidd played well a fake punt that had the HUElavians off guard and gave them the needed yards to set up a good first down. Few plays laterm Farmer got the run to score a touchdown to make it 10-14, making the HUElavians present silent. Duarte Lobo began to chuck the ball down field and would get some plays, but despite the chances, a 4th and 6 would fall short after an intended pass to Lourenço Boaventura would go out for an incompletion and a turnover on downs. Not long after, Ranoria's Wagner-Young would kneel out the game, giving HUElavia their 2nd loss in this tournament.

With the loss, it's a choked lead that while it was not big, it was a decent two score game to hold on to. And unfortunately, Ranoria got the two scores they needed to win the game. HUElavia sit in 4th place in the East Division with a 3-2 record, but still hold on to conceding the least amount of points in this tournament so far. In fact, these two touchdowns have been the most the team has conceded in these 5 games. So far, the defense has been playing their role, but the offense has been sporatic. Coach Schneiderman was quoted as saying: "It was a tough game and our defense really played their hearts out there, but it's a shame that we lost so late and in that manner. The offense does have some good shining parts to it, but we haven't played our best. Even the offensive line has had some missteps in protecting Duarte Lobo or false starts. We got some games to improve still, but I know we can do better that what we've done so far. All we can do is learn from it and give it our best." HUElavia visit Kinqueven for Matchday 6, who sit with an 0-5 record and have been poor overall. HUElavians will be visiting in droves, looking to make it feel like another home game for the Jaguars like in Bethelm. While on paper it may be easy, one cannot take it as a guarantee, especially with the ups and downs we've had so far. Either way, on to the next one!

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUElAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **New Rotterdam City** » Thu Oct 03, 2024 7:18 pm

KALEIDOSCOPE
Winter Storm, First Part | Winter Storm, Second Part | Loading the Zijderveld
—

New Rotterdam's Port

Jan Willemsens surveys the Zijderveld as longshoremen load her. They haul crates stuffed with pelts, for the most part. Willemsens has taken to calling the exported furs "brown gold". It hasn't caught on yet.

Now his business partner Bouwens walks up to him and they stand next to each other in their expensive coats.

Bouwens claps him on the shoulder. "This is the future, Jan, boy."

On the head of the twenty-four year old Jan Willemsens is a coarse white whig. Willemsens bought it with the advances from this trading venture. It is his first step towards looking like a patroon. "She's so beautiful, Bouwens."

"Look at her hefty gut," says Bouwens, in his own wig, indicating the ship's volumptuous cargo bay.

"Think how full of furs she is!"

"Swollen."

"With our future!"

"Swollen with furs."

The Zijderveld's sails have been rolled up taught on the crossmasts. The ship is siren-singing of wealth.

"Did you meet the captain yet, Bouwens?" Jan Willemsens asks.

"No, I can't stand the smell of them."

"Right." Willemsens tries to pick him out of the bustle on the Zijderveld's deck but can't do it. "His name is Salty De Graaf. I asked some of the India Company fellows my father knows for a serviceman recommendation and they pointed me to him. He captained a schooner in King William's War until he was shot in the head, knows the cross-Atlantik passage well, commands a crew, et cetera!" The grammar taught by St. Paulus College for the elite of New Rotterdam teaches them to say the whole word for 'et cetera'.

"He's impolite and objectively cruel as a person," says Willemsens, "but all we have to pay him is two hundredths of the shipment profits and he says he can guarantee against shipwrecks."

"Fantastic work."

"I thank you, Bouwens!"

"You know," says Bouwens, "perhaps we should invest in more enterprises."

"Well this is only the beginning."

"I ponder: sports."

"Sport?"

"It has been an amateur enterprise as of yet."

"I played polo at St. Paulus," contributes Willemsens.

"Right! The folk love sport! The commoners and such bet on wrestling fights in slop-pits behind their taverns, look—the market opportunity here is just massive."

"Just enormous."

"Just tantalizing!"

"And et cetera."

"And this venture succeeds..." says Bouwens with a lowering in his voice, "we will find ourselves with the capital to make some kinds of investments..."

Willemsens and Bouwens look around the harbor. New settlers arrive daily. The cities on the satellite of New Rotterdam, North New Rotterdam and Muensteerstad and et cetera, grow on the daily. As The City does; the whole colony is poised upon the crest of a growth spurt.

Willemsens and Bouwens are only a matter of time.

by **Drawkland** » Thu Oct 03, 2024 7:24 pm

WORLD BOWL 49
XLIX - MD6

It's the cutoff for match six. Are you excited.

North Division

Quebec and Shingoryeo 20–13 Nova Calania
New Rotterdam City 13–0 Langenia
Drawkland 36–23 Crpostran
Delaclava 3–44 Chromatika
Natkr 14–43 Valanora

 # North Division        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
 1 Drawkland               6   6  0  220 107 +113
 2 Chromatika              6   5  1  165  58 +107
 3 Quebec and Shingoryeo   6   5  1  177  97 +80
 4 Valanora                6   4  2  157 146 +11
 5 Nova Calania            6   3  3  112  98 +14
 6 Delaclava               6   2  4  131 211 −80
 7 New Rotterdam City      6   2  4   99 117 −18
 8 Langenia                6   1  5   43  96 −53
 9 Crpostran               6   1  5   76 139 −63
10 Natkr                   6   1  5  118 229 −111

East Division

Ko-oren 25–31 Ranoria
Kinqueven 14–29 HUElavia
Terefuxe 10–37 Sarzonia
South Newlandia 20–13 Aurevbush
Cardenao 7–6 Katzeburg

 # East Division         Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
 1 Sarzonia                6   5  1  132  69 +63
 2 Cardenao                6   5  1  108  70 +38
 3 Ranoria                 6   4  2  116  86 +30
 4 HUElavia                6   4  2  131  54 +77
 5 South Newlandia         6   4  2   57  56  +1
 6 Katzeburg               6   3  3  114  66 +48
 7 Aurevbush               6   2  4   82 126 −44
 8 Ko-oren                 6   2  4  120 165 −45
 9 Terefuxe                6   1  5   91 172 −81
10 Kinqueven               6   0  6   56 143 −87

South Division

Abanhfleft 51–37 New Umoja
TJUN-ia 30–7 Lisander
The Kytler Peninsulae 17–37 Banija
Juvencus 3–20 South Americanastan
Kamijiro 14–7 Vaishnavaria

 # South Division        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
 1 Banija                  6   6  0  245  90 +155
 2 The Kytler Peninsulae   6   4  2  147 116 +31
 3 South Americanastan     6   4  2  121  99 +22
 4 Kamijiro                6   4  2   77  70  +7
 5 TJUN-ia                 6   4  2  141 139  +2
 6 Abanhfleft              6   3  3  147 161 −14
 7 Juvencus                6   2  4  157 163  −6
 8 Lisander                6   2  4   89 154 −65
 9 New Umoja               6   1  5   92 167 −75
10 Vaishnavaria            6   0  6   72 129 −57

by **Ko-oren** » Fri Oct 04, 2024 10:23 am

Season 54 Previews

Trends in the League
The Western Division remains stronger than the East with five out of its six teams ranked in the top six of the power rankings. Of course, the differences between teams in the middle are very small, so both of our capital teams - the Wolves and Destroyers - are pretty comparable with the Caspians and Dragonflies ranked just below. On that note: the Dragonflies are back! After their team was ransacked by the national team staff (players play either on the national team or on a club team, not both) they've slowly but surely leveraged their compensatory picks and expansion draft-style poaching off of other clubs into a competitive roster again. To the point that they're fully in the race for the Eastern division again.

As for positions, the running game is back on the menu, but teams have opted to pick and develop running backs instead of their offensive lines, which still seem mostly geared towards pass protection. That said, good pass protection and danger in the backfield means that receivers have more space than ever, and for the first time in decades, the offence has a leg up over the defence. Scoring is up, yards are up, and head coaches don't just use offences to wear down the clock to make sure their defence isn't on the field for too long. Compared to other leagues: the balance is back, and defence and offence seem more equal than ever - maybe the offence is actually a little stronger now.

The extra positions - designated as OL (a sixth O-Lineman), IB/OB (inside and outside linebacker), and so on - have helped teams retain a healthy number of players on roster, without depleting the second tier or the developmental league. The extra roster spots have mostly gone towards special teams, with all clubs having designated returners (that can double at RB or WR) on roster as well as gunners and jammers, who can also appear at linebacker or safety. Generally teams have a core of 41 (or so) players - 17 defensive, 17 offensive, 7 special teamers.

With the better backfields and more options for the offence, front sevens have developed as well: that is where most teams seem to stash their most important defenders. While some teams - especially the Dragonflies - use their defensive backs, most teams have joined the fray in the trenches. Whichever offensive coordinator can find a way out of this by getting the ball out to the sidelines quickly might have found something special. As for who has to get the ball out there, that remains to be seen.

Half of all fanbases are openly ambivalent about their quarterback. Khutlires Khrushikhathiden, just 20 years old, for the Godspeed, has a bright future ahead of him and his preseason has looked electric - if he develops like most QBs that enter the league, he should be fine. By extension, Hayao Tsujimura, Sozuthel Gulthithen, Bartley Stratham, and Eogan yBybradan (for the Schemerdrecht 65ers, Mayara Destroyers, Eaglebury Emperors, and Mawryshire Centaurs respectively) also look very sure of their position. But there's mutiny at the Schemerdrecht Admirals, Aerellen Explosions, Noordrug Astronauts, and Sterrenwolde Dragonflies if they continue to run Reinaard Eendspopulier, Hubrecht van April, Andy Belross, and Oldrik Touwer: the physical, northern signal callers are on the way out, and their numbers have steadily declined in the last half-decade, as far as they've been starters for that long. A position in transition, we'd like to say. And do mind that the three best quarterbacks - at least, on paper, as far as that can be trusted - are on the national team: Masman, Ingdon, and Bodkin. They aren't available for a club, and that immediately opens up the market to some questionable talent.

That said, clubs opt to fill holes left open by retirees first, and only then they start looking for improvements at already filled positions. And with a wave of job openings at running back coming up (Paterson, Mannussen, Hinken, Robineau, Hooligan, and Suzukaze are all over 30) we could first see another set of innovations in the backfield before we see coaching staffs take on the job of revamping their passing attack.

At the same time, there's parity aplenty. The '12th' Noordrug Astronauts have invested in their special teams and they're renowned for that already. The Aerellen Explosions, 11th, have an insane offensive programme and it looks like they're just waiting for a prime quarterback to save them - and cover for a horrid defence. The Astronauts, Dragonflies, and Caspians look to have the worst offences - the Dragonflies balance that out by having the best defence on paper - while the other awesome defences (Wolves, Godspeed, Saints) similarly have offensive trouble (but not as much as the named three). That is, the Godspeed have a tremendous defence and offence, and pretty good special teams - they are easily the most likely to end up with a trophy. Close to them are the Saints, followed by the 65ers and Centaurs - the latter have built the strongest offence in the game together with a fearsome defensive line: you can't be good all over the field, and they've definitely chosen their lane.

by **Sarzonia** » Fri Oct 04, 2024 2:06 pm

Disciplinary issues can often bedevil a new manager regardless of sport.

Just ask Sarzonian national gridball team manager Tyler Paige, who was dealing with a quarterback in Cameron Stallworth he had to suspend due to violating the team's curfew. Not only was Stallworth not out there on the pitch in Sarzonia's ugly 9-3 victory over Kinqueven, but he wasn't even in the stadium for the match. He was stuck at the team hotel watching the match forlornly, feeling frustration at seeing his primary understudy Mike Barnett miss some throws he felt he would've made in his sleep.

Of course, it was more than just the one-match suspension that got Stallworth's attention. It was the fact that Paige didn't allow Stallworth on the sidelines or in the press box as the team took to the pitch. Yes, the match was against one of the two unranked sides in the East Division, and one of only two teams in the competition that has yet to taste victory even once. But still, most of the time, a suspended player might find himself wearing a parka or sitting in the press box and openly itching to be out there with his mates. Stallworth would have to wait whilst the team expended its blood, sweat and tears in a tougher-than-expected match and then have to face the lads and lasses, knowing full well he let them down.

Speaking of impressions made, Stallworth's genuine remorse, which was made clear in an impromptu speech delivered in the hotel conference room after the players and managerial staff arrived from Founders Field had a profound effect on Paige, who decided to return Stallworth to the team's starting 11 for their match against Terefuxe. The team would be making the trip to Bellows Field in Delmore, and this time, Stallworth was literally in his bed with the lights off at the 11 p.m. curfew. He'd been studying match video of Terefuxe's defence, looking for ways to pick apart their ranked opponents as the Stars began the final stretch run.

The studying he'd done paid off. Sarzonia finally began to look like a highly-ranked side in routing Terefuxe 37-10, giving Sarzonia the top position in the East Division table on point differential over Cardenao as both teams improved to 5-1 with the Stars sporting a plus-63 point differential. Cardenao escaped with a 7-6 win over katzeburg, giving them a plus-38 point differential.

Sarzonia focused mainly on the ground game with Ty'Relle Clinton rushing 23 times for 118 yards and two touchdowns, although Clinton also scored on a five-yard touchdown pass from Stallworth, who finished the day completing 14-of-19 passes for 188 yards and the lone touchdown pass. Backup Mike Barnett only attempted one pass, which fell incomplete on a rare deep shot to Steve Swain.

"It was a get right match for us," Paige said. "We needed that as we approach the latter stretch of matches."

Defensively, the Stars got five sacks of Terefuxe quarterbacks, intercepted three passes and forced four fumbles, recovering two. The Stars lost one fumble on an exchange between centre Rod Tucker and Barnett late in the match. The Stars forced a four-and-out near midfield.

Sarzonia will have a much tougher go of things against South Newlandia, the team currently occupying the fifth and final guaranteed spot in the knockout rounds in the division at 4-2. The Elephants have scored just 57 points, the second fewest point total in the division, leading Kinqueven by one point. However, their defence has only conceded 56 points, just two more than HUElavia's group-low 54 point total. Paige said he expected the match to be a defensive struggle.

"With their point totals, they've been able to control the tempo in the matches they've won," he said. "We're going to have to force them to play a style they're not accustomed to playing.

Offensive coordinator Trent Beaucamp said he planned to employ some tempo and suggested possibly running a no-huddle offence.

"If it works out for us, we might do that," he said. "A lot's going to depend on how we do in all three phases."

by **Chromatika** » Fri Oct 04, 2024 2:11 pm

THE CHROMATIKA IRON LEGION
World Bowl 49 - MD6: Delaclava 3–44 Chromatika

Angry at the end of the game with the Drawk Corps, the Iron Legion hit the road to Akkor Beach to take on Delaclava. The veterans utilized this road trip to get right, putting together a complete performance on all three phases of the game to throttle Delaclava 44-3. Sarai Gwenderyn went 21-of-29 for 241 yards and three touchdowns, Lana Rhodes had 21 carries for 109 yards and two scores, and Dwayne Markseon nailed two Field Goals of more than fifty yards. The defense, having been challenged by Drawkland, held Delaclava to less than 150 yards.

Gwenderyn's two Touchdown throws to Alessandra Mio in the First Half set the tone, the Iron Legion relied on the rushing attack in the Second Half, and the play action game was strong all throughout the game. It also helps when Park Mi-Hyeon and Jere Rinaldi are running a tight ship defensively, confusing Conor Flores.

"We needed a game like this one," explained Offensive Coordinator Naia Curentino, "It'll help us get ready for the rest of the competition ahead - and hopefully, beyond that into the future."

The final matchup with an Unranked Team awaits - and then Valanora followed by Quebec and Shingoryeo - which could decide second place.

Chromatik Gridiron League - Matchdays Seven and Eight

Matchday 7

Rainbow Triad 16–3 Knetyohai Icebreakers

Recap: The shocker of the CGL to date - the Triad knock off the favorites of the Chromatik Division with a dominant showing from Kyle Ed, Paul Everson, and the defense; Mary Osborne had two interceptions off of Harold Mikkelana, who struggled - but the Icebreakers' offense broke down when Gyles Munaloff was held to less than a hundred yards in over twenty carries. It's not likely that any team that just made their way to the CGL will make it to the Playoffs, but to showcase their potential in such a dominant win was great.

Chromia Cyan 19–30 Myana Waveriders

Recap: Well, that was the biggest upset until the Waveriders shocked the Cyan at home. Sandy Marshal forces two fumbles and fifteen tackles, Xan Jones threw for three touchdowns and over 200 yards, and that was that. Jesse Jackson was solid - 19-of-24 for 201 yards and a score - but the rest of the supporting staff did not show up for the Cyan. They are the Kings of their own division, but dropping two games in the Cross-Divisional slate is not a good look.

Tihon Tridents 44–26 Heartland Harvesters

Recap: Tridents Wide Receiver Myles Dickert set a national record with fifteen catches for 213 yards and five touchdowns as Nicholas Motte and Tihon hung forty-four on the visiting Harvesters. Heartland tried to keep up - Patrick Friar threw for over 300 yards - but keeping up with Tihon proved to be too hard of a task. This is their potential - but meeting it every week is proving to be difficult.

Qet Lynx 40–49 Staramara Angels

Recap: Nobody expected this game to have more than forty overall points, let alone both teams with more than forty. Both Steve Ashwater and Trayvon Mixon had over 200 yards and three scores apiece as yards were available everywhere. There were twelve plays in the game that had more than forty yards - but a key stretch in which Qet didn't convert on a Fourth-and-one that turned into Staramara's Melina Harsh scoring from three yards out ended up being the difference. Don't be surprised if both teams make it to the Title Game - these are two of the best teams in Chromatika.

Matchday 8

Qet Lynx 13–10 Rainbow Triad

Recap: A return to normalcy for the Triad, even if their defense plays well; Anderson Joseph, Jr. has a game to forget for the Lynx - committing three turnovers - but Harry Pine and the Lynx's defense steps up in the second half, not allowing the Triad more than fifty yards. Rainbow's defense was what kept them in the game, as they continue to showcase their potential.

Tihon Tridents 25–29 Chromia Cyan

Recap: Chromia almost fell to a second foe in a row - as Nicholas Motte and the Tridents had a solid game plan to keep the ball away. Motte was efficient in leading four drives of more than twelve plays each - only held back by the fact that they had to kick three Field Goals. Jesse Jackson, to his credit, turned the game around in the Fourth Quarter - completing all nine attempts for two touchdowns (the Cyan took an intentional safety at the end). Chromia will have to play a lot better if they are to meet their preseason expectations of winning the competition, though.

Heartland Harvesters 20–11 Myana Waveriders

Recap: Heartland improve to 2-2 in the Division, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive by sweeping the Waveriders. Carlos Styx was the biggest target for Heartland with nine catches for 113 yards and two scores as the Waveriders bottled down the other targets; Myana's offense couldn't get going against the Heartland defense led by Josiah Anderson-Smith.

Staramara Angels 44–21 Knetyohai Icebreakers

Recap: This was going to be the revenge game for Staramara - and they took full advantage, kicking Knetyohai when they were down. Cane Jordan had eleven tackles, two sacks, and an interception in the flat as the Angels raced out to a 23-0 lead; after that, they just kept pace with the Icebreakers' comeback attempt. They also now win the Head-to-Head, having the better margin of victory.

Standings after Week 4

National Division        Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Div   CrD
1 Chromia Cyan             8    6   2   186  160  +26   4-0   2-2
2 Qet Lynx                 8    6   2   188  142  +52   3-1   3-1
3 Tihon Tridents           8    2   6   196  246  −50   1-2   1-3
4 Rainbow Triad            8    2   6   116  136  −20   0-3   2-2
Chromatik Division       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Div   CrD
1 Staramara Angels         8    6   2   216  151  +65   3-1   3-1
2 Knetyohai Icebreakers    8    5   3   139  139    0   3-1   2-2
3 Heartland Harvesters     8    3   5   168  207  −39   2-2   1-3
4 Myana Waveriders         8    2   6   145  173  −28   0-4   2-2

World Bowl XLIX [49] Everything Thread

NSFB: What A Win!

World Bowl 49 - MD5

NSFB: Oof Ow Ouchie

World Bowl 49 - MD6

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