World Bowl L - Everything Thread

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Feb 15, 2025 6:27 pm

South Newlandian roster for World Bowl L

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod Injuries to my players: Yes, but please do message me beforehand.
Suspend my players: Probably, but please do message me beforehand.
Godmod suspension events: No
Godmod other events: Yes, but please do message me beforehand.
Style mod: 0
Also note that I am omitting backups that won’t matter.

Uniforms:

Credit goes to the excellent kit maker Saint Kanye

Coaching staff:

Head coach: Robert Victorino (Drawkland, 72)
Victorino formerly played in the Gridiron League of Drawkland, most notably as the linebacker for the Waxton Pilots. He decided to move to coaching early in his career after an injury, including jobs as linebackers coach or defensive coordinator at various positions with colleges and pro teams in Drawkland. He'll call the defense and make the game situation calls. He's a conservative as a coach, doesn't want to take a lot of risks, fitting the Elephants’ scheme. Also, being in your early 70s as a Drawkian is like being in your late fourties, early fifties normally. Probably, I think. After a slow start, he actually turned the Elephants into a competitive team, somehow. Given recent developments in the World Baseball Classic, what Drawkians are capable of may never be fully comprehended by human minds.

Offensive play-style
The Elephants will take most of their plays from scrimmage in 3-wideout sets, but may occasionally come out in heavier packages too. Their game-plan is focused on shielding QB Yadav with strong players on the other skill positions. Unfortunately, there is a bit of a lack of those, although the wide receiever room seems much improved. The O-Line is pretty great with a lot of depth, though. That would probably be more useful if they had a better running back than Fantikos, who may be a bit washed. Maybe a lot a bit washed. There’ll be a pretty even mix of runs and passes, and probably a lot of punts.

Defensive play-style
The Elephants are transitioning to a 4-2-5 defense, bringing them in line with some more modern approaches. Now they only need some good players to run this scheme. There’s some promising players here, with Alani Sörens and Shivay Patil and Bruno Clarke. Unfortunately, that’s just about it. There will be less blitzing than average, and the pachyderms are likely weaker against the run; and also probably pretty bad in general.

OFFENSE:

Quarterbacks:
QB1: #8 Scott Yadav (22, Richardson graduate)
Backup: #5 Kilian Knight (31, Elephant Valley graduate) (currently with the Herot Paladins)
Welcome to the Scott Yadav era! Graduating early after his junior year at Richardson, the youngster is taking charge of the Quarterback position at the World Bowl level, expecting to also get drafted to the RFL. His skillset includes usually finding the stadium and often even knowing which side to line up on, as well as being kinda okay at handoffs. If he ever figures out how to actually, perhaps, run with the football or pass the football, now would be a good time – he certainly does have a lot of help on the Line and in the Receiver room.

Running Backs:
RB1: #2 Thomas Fantikos (31, Ratzupalfu graduate) (currently with the Mariana Tigers)
Backup: #34 Henry Carter (27, Elephant Valley graduate)
Thomas Fantikos was part of the Egrets rushing attack, but while he was the thunder to the lighting of Zamandi Ayana there, he’ll have to shoulder most of the load alone now. That seems pretty difficult, so the Elephants are unlikely to have a threatening rush in the cards on every single snap. Unfortunately, he’s now approximately 158 in running back years, so with this heavy usage expected, he may soon crumble into dust, and he’s also going to be missing his buddy, Zach Stevens, who was somehow so bad at being a QB that the Elephants didn’t even bring him to this World Bowl. That’s an impressive achievement. Rumours are he has become a monk in rural Banija now.

Tight Ends:
TE1: #86 Dustin van Halfensen (31, Richardson graduate) (currently with the Berlin Snow Bears)
The Tight End spot might be the best part of the Elephants’ roster. In his college career, Dustin van Halfensen accumulated more than 1500 yards and 14 touchdowns on about 150 receptions with a program as famed as Richardson, proving he’s the real deal. If DvH, known to Snow Bear fans as ‘perhaps the first mean Ellie’ goes down, the Elephants are very cooked.

Wide Receivers:
WR1: #82 Marcel Schlachter (29, Loyola-Istria graduate)
WR2: #80 Alice Conti (25, Northern Moravica graduate) (currently with Lwanga Rhinos)
WR3: #81 Emma Barbosa (23, Raynor graduate)
Backups: #18 Adam Parker (33, Elephant Valley graduate) (currently with the Mariana Tigers)
#87 Victoire Wilkinson (29, Elephant Valley graduate)
Schlachter stood out as a solid receiver with the Blue Thunder, and will be the #1 option for QB Stevens more often than not. A bigger wideout than most, he’s able to outmuscle defenders, but less likely to be able to outrun them, and he’s also the best blocker of the group. Conti didn’t quite reach her ceiling in college with NMU, but is a talented, speedy player. They’re joined by Emma Barbosa, who had a quiet, but successful career with Raynor that included a championship. The roles for the trio aren’t quite defined; with none of them a real natural fit in the slot.

Offensive Line:
LT1: #75 Zoe Muller (23, Felswyr graduate)
LG1: #76 Christian-Aaryav Matthews (23, Felswyr graduate)
C1: #66 Dhairya Taylor (27, Cold Hill graduate)
RG1: #60 Milo Bauer (25, Loyala-Istria graduate) (currently with the Busembe Timberwolves)
RT1: #77 Werner Kaltmann (27, Mar Sara graduate)
Backups: #68 OT Valentina Dietrich (25, Richardson graduate)
OT: #62 Dan Tucker (35, Elephant Valley graduate) (currently with the Sisonke Leopards)
OG: #79 Lonnie Moran (33, Elephant Valley graduate) (currently with the Mariana Tigers)
C: #73 Abdullah-Aadi Makavan (23, Richardson graduate)
The offensive line is where the Elephants really shine – this is perhaps their strongest units, although it is a quite young one. Felswyr duo Muller and Matthews were important pieces for a Felswyr team that just made the Championship game, and they’ll be in charge of protecting Yadav’s blindside. In the other tackle slot, there’s Werner Kaltmann, perhaps the most underrated Elephant after an impressive career with the Raiders. On the interior, the line is filled out by Milo Bauer and Dhairya Taylor, who both played with formidable programs as well. Makavan, known Snow Bear friend, is also an excellent depth piece, with the coaches evidently considering it too risky to start an ULI grad and a Richardson grad next to each other. In similar fashion, Dietrich is an excellent swing tackle, and there’s some additional veteran depth – the Elephants are likely going to be just fine in case even if there’s an injury on the O-Line.

DEFENSE: (main starters in bold)

Defensive Line:
LE1: #98 Violet Daniels (35, Elephant Valley graduate) (currently with the Mar Sara Night Elves)
RE1: #92 Keyaan Brandt (35, Ratzupalfu graduate) (currently with the Berlin Snow Bears)
DT1: #97 Dominick Ford (31, Elephant Valley graduate) (currently with the Berlin Snow Bears)
DT2: #99 Christopher Shaw (29, Elephant Valley graduate)
Wow, these players are quite not very good. Both EDGE starters are 35? Daniels was pretty good in her prime, but that’s just a distant memory at this point. I’m not counting on this group to get much pressure.

Linebackers:
LB1: #59 Shivay Patil (27, Felswyr graduate)
LB2: #40 Andrew Bailey (31, Elephant Valley graduate)
Notable backup: #48 MLB Russ Edison-Downs (37, Ratzupalfu graduate) (currently with Hoima Zebra)
Patil will be asked to do a lot here. She did well for herself with FSU, and has been invaluable in recent runs, but this may be too much to ask. Also, Edison-Downs is thirty-seven? Geez.

Cornerbacks:
CB1: #23 Alani Sörens (29, Felswyr State graduate)
CB2: #39 Valentin Pruitt (37, Elephant Valley graduate) (currently with the Mariana Tigers)
CB3: #33 Zachary Walker (29, Elephant Valley graduate)
Alani Sörens is the clear standout here, as the FSU grad showed her ability to go toe-to-toe with elite receivers. Beyond that, there’s a lot of issues; none of these other corners are what you’d call trustworthy.

Safeties:
SS1: #31 Bruno Clarke (25, Felswyr graduate)
FS1: #49 Conrad House (33, Elephant Valley graduate)
Another Felswyr grad in Clarke, who’s pretty good. Conrad House is not. The Elephants should really try to get more than one decent player at every position group.

SPECIAL TEAMS:

Kicker:
K: #90 Nicolo Lorenz (25, Raynor graduate)
Backup: #12 Divyansh Carrasco (32) (currently with the Berlin Snow Bears)
Nicolo Lorenz has proven that he’s a really good kicker, so the Elephants at least have a viable way to score three-pointers.

Punter:
P: #91 Alicia Woodbrough (29, Northern Moravica graduate)
Uh oh! Woodbrough was infamous for the Cougars, and certainly not for being good. She’s still the best option available, though, so expect the Ellies to go for it on fourth down slightly more often than usual. Has been banned from being within 30 feet of any field goal holds. Somehow hasn’t caused a disaster at the national-team level – yet.

Returner:
Probably Conti? I think she’s pretty fast.

If you have any questions or something, please let me know either via TG or on discord.

Schedule
MD1: at Chromatika
MD2: vs Darmen (Elephant Stadium)
MD3: at Katzeburg
MD4: at Crpostran
MD5: vs Banija (Jungledrom)
MD6: at Busoga Islands
MD7: vs United States of Devonta (Elephant Stadium)
MD8: vs Chromatika (Elephant Stadium)
MD9: at Darmen
MD10: vs Katzeburg (Elephant Stadium)
MD11: vs Crpostran (Elephant Stadium)
MD12: at Banija
MD13: vs Busoga Islands (Elephant Stadium)
MD14: at United States of Devonta

Stadium Info:
Elephant Stadium (15,400) [hosting everyone except Banija]
Located a bit outside Elephant Valley, this small stadium is the biggest pure gridiron stadium the country has to offer – in fact, it is bigger than the other three combined. Without a roof, it is open to the elements of both wind and rain. Elephant Field has also previously hosted WB knockout games for reasons known only to Maggie. Elephant Valley is the capital of the nation, making it a hub for politics, entertainment and sports alike. The Baseball-playing Snow Bears live here.

Jungledrom (2,186) [hosting Banija]
The Jungledrom was the home of the former NSCF team of the Ratzupalfu University of Nature, nicknamed the Egrets. It is wide open to the elements, which can make passing difficult; which often can lead to the ground game shining here. Ratzupalfu has a population of 175,000, making it one of the biggest South Newlandian cities; found in the middle of the country surrounded by jungle. It tends to be very wet.

by **Valanora** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 12:51 pm

Gridiron is a sport that is in an odd state within the Empire, domestically the Vanorian Gridiron League has barely gotten off the ground with just a single season under its belt while at the international level the Sabres are in their fifth World Bowl now and have yet to defeat a single team ranked above them. In fact in all those games against teams who have been ranked above the, on top of failing to have a single victory in any occasion, there has been no occasion where the team has even kept it within two scores. This stands in stark contrast to the other international arena, where the schools of Raynor University and Mar Sara Tech have established themselves as premier schools for success and have a combined five NSCF championships between them including each school having won one of the previous two editions of that tournament. That success at the collegiate level has not found footing with the team at the professional level and is a large reason why the gridiron league was established in the Empire after years of protest and dismissal, as the belief a lack of a professional league was handicapping the Sabres' attempts at being competitive at the World Bowl.

It is also a game that focuses on the quarterback, as they are the star of the show and if the gunslinger has a good game then it is stands to reason that the rest of the team did and has managed to come away with a victory. Despite a bit of a different approach to sport and this sport in particular, that has been true even in the Empire as the sport has seen its rise in popularity and activity throughout the nation, quarterbacks are the glitz and glamour and the rest of the team is simply supporting cast. Håkon Schau won an NSCF title and his back up of Felix Strom nearly did as well and is now a star player in the Banija league, the starting and backup quarterback for the Sabres as they go into this edition of the World Bowl. They both live up to the billing of a star, they both are quite well adjusted to the spotlight being cast on them and having to come through in the big moments, getting the rewards when doing so and shouldering the blame when the come up short. In a lot of ways it feels like the captain's role in footy except there are captains in gridiron and the quarterback just happens to be the player with the most attention put upon them.

While there are plenty of players who may be stars in their own right or that might have a bit of sway when it comes to helping the Sabres fortunes in the upcoming group stage, there is one player in particularly who might be flying a little under the radar. That player is Matteo Sjögren, another one of those players who has emerged from the aforementioned NSCF Vanorian schools and has wound up on the roster. The free safety is a quiet leader who tends to let their play do the talking for them, much in the same vein as Laborious Hawk does for the Marauders for those of you who are far more familiar with the football national team. With good speed and solid hands, Matteo plays the safety role quite well and is a bit of safety valve for the linebacks and the other secondary, allowing them to play a bit tighter coverage and not be afraid of being beat deep. Knowing that you have someone who has that skill to be there and back you up should you not be able to keep up with assignment gives the entire defense an extra edge, a bit of a sense of calm that they are going to be alright no matter the circumstance.

Having players like Matteo is a boon to the entire team and especially the coaching staff, as if a player of his skill allows coaches to get up in his face and give him some advice or coaching, then it sets and example for the rest of the team to follow. It is an underappreciated quality among leaders of a dressing room, that the best players allow themselves to be treated like any of the others, leading by example rather than using the quite hypocritical do as I say and not as I do mantra that more egotistical leaders often express. With the team facing down what is going to be an especially difficult group with regionmates Sarzonia, higher ranked TJUN-ia, as well as Delaclava and a handful of others, there is likely to not be an easy game on the schedule. The Sabres are a lot like most other national teams in the Empire, they are never going to be explicitly known for a stellar defense but players like Matteo that can make the big stops when the moment calls for it and are able to play a bend but do not break style are a boon and we have seen it work to great success at the NSCF level with the Rockets and Raiders. While the level of competition is higher in the World Bowl, the drive and belief in the team has never been higher with all the momentum the NSCF schools have created and this feels like it has to be the moment where the national team finally crashes through that glass ceiling.

by **Chromatika** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 2:49 pm

The End of an Era - Prologue

To say that this bunch of players for the Iron Legion haven't done a lot would be a lie. They've brought the team from obscurity to contention, made it to a World Bowl title, been a perennial title contender, and really put Chromatik gridiron on the map. It helps when you have a factory like Felswyr State University (and Staramara Tech to some extent), along with a slew of players who have played all through the NSCF, but they haven't succeeded in the main goal - win a World Bowl title. For all the accolades of Sarai Gwenderyn, Alessandra Mio, Niles Gwivern, Jill Lia, Cara Setri, Park Mi-Hyeon, Jere Rinaldi, Vi Nia-Kaid, Drew Lia, Victoria Mio, Nikolai Dimitrov, Paul Mattieu, and Mastaya Vorpen, they haven't won the big one.

Looking at the class of players coming behind them, it's easy to see why there will be a change in the guard coming soon. Anne-Maurice Vivayavich would be a starter for half a dozen nations out there, and Viktor Rowles is a solid pick too. Anne Holmes and Cyrus Ebincott are definitely players that could add to the running back room, while Jacqueline Fofo and Jacoby Grinner are just chomping at the bit to have a go with the receivers (along with Earl that's coming along). On the offensive line, there's the likes of Heinrik St. Joseph, Riekr Mundt, Cando Rust, Pietr Sandoff, Perry Rend, Ryan Iskendor, Ezekiel Dungste, and Liam Hossam. The defensive front has Kang Joseph, Miyata Izanagi, Lee Bo-Mi, Kira Jones, Paul Eberron, William Cygnus, and Bryan Hilbrand - along with the entirety of the Chromatik part of the Lava Wall down the stretch. Rila Kevex, Asmodel Propleier, Frieda Seyfried, Isabelle Rancor, and Freya Odinsdóttir from the outside linebacker position, Kerron Nicholas, Irina Jones, and Britney Hines in the middle linebacker position, Saya Okayato, Bruno Clarke, Kim Su-Bin, Édit Éloise, Harold Hines, Adora Hightower from the safeties - and don't even get started on the corners, with the likes of Lyla Pale, Józefina Denko, Dwight Hellstrom, Drew Piox, Annika Rhine, Éloi Pléssíen, Andrew Gilliam, and Takeuchi Ichiko to name a few. Basically, there is so much Chromatik talent coming through the ranks to not start switching to younger players if they don't get things done on the field.

This group stage will not be simple for the Iron Legion. There's the presence of Banija that's always proven difficult for Chromatika to crack, along with South Newlandia as a third seed. Crpostran and Katzeburg aren't as established in gridiron as they are on the football pitch, but they won't be pushovers; round it out with Busoga Islands and Darmen as unranked(?) teams, and it will not be a cakewalk. A top three finish guarantees the knockout rounds - and that will just be the start of expectations for the Iron Legion.

Regardless of result, this will be the last ride for some of the members of the Iron Legion - will it be one of triumph, or of despair? Everything kicks off at the Henza Center in D'rea against South Newlandia.

by **Banija** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 3:15 pm

Roster Information of the Banija Serpent Eagles

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my Scorers: Yes
Choose Scoring Events: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP Injuries to my Players: Yes(please specify the injury and the number of games my players will miss)
Godmod Injuries to my Players: Yes(please specify the injury and the number of games my players will miss)
Godmod Other Events: Yes(no pandemics or anything of the sort in Banija or for any of my players. Also, no killing Banijans or major destruction of Banijan property without my permission. I.e. you can break a bar window or something in Banija without asking me, but can't go blowing up buildings)
Style Modifier: +4.5

General Information
Governing Body: Olympic Committee of Banija
Full Nation Name: Kingdom of Banija
Denonym: Banijan(s)
Team Nickname: Serpent Eagles
Notable World Bowl Finishes: Champions of World Bowl XLIV & World Bowl XLV. Second Place in World Bowl XL, World Bowl XLVI, and World Bowl XLIX. Third Place in World Bowl XXXVII. 4th place in World Bowl XXIX, World Bowl XXX, and World Bowl XXXI.
Other Trophies: Champions of AO Bowl IV. Third Place at the XVI Summer Olympiad.
Rivals: Ranoria, Busoga Islands, Cardenao, Sarzonia, Drawkland, Quebec, Delaclava, Baker Park(in that order)
Rank: #3
Captains: HB Zamandi Ayana, WR Gabriel Yafet, LG Uzziah Amondi, DE Sizo Ashenafi, and SS Waarwe Bajunga

Play-Style Information
Weakness: Run Defense
Strength: Pass Offense

Team Culture: The Banijans are also well known to be physical, and yet clean, players. While they usually are fairly clean(definitely commit penalties but nothing outwardly dirty, like intentionally injuring players or something), Banijan gridiron culture is extremely proud, and therefore, Banijans are elite smack talkers. They'll talk smack, they'll taunt both opponents and opposing fans, and they'll run up the score, if they are capable. They have a play without fear mentality, and a play to the end mentality- lots of these dudes, stars in their own right, biggest challenge is integrating into a team where they are not at the center. Another challenge, of course, is that both collegiate and professional gridiron rivalries run deep- which can make coming together at the national team level much more difficult in this sport, than it is for Banijan athletes in other sports.

Those challenges can make success difficult at the national team level, as many believe Thomas Hall has 'the toughest job in all of gridiron', to ensure that everybody buys into the common goal, and forgets about themselves as individuals to ensure that they can indeed make this sum greater than the whole of its parts. They've won two titles now- and reeling this team in is going to be the coach's biggest challenge. That said- he's clearly instilled a championship culture in the squad, and we've all seen the ridiculous amounts of success they've had under the Ranorian.

This is a team that expects to win every single game they play- with respect for their opponents, of course- and would never consider themselves an underdog. The 4 tournament run from WB 44-47(2 world titles, 3 Final appearances, and even 15 wins on the bounce at WB 47) was clearly insane. After a dropoff at WB 48, they captured the magic back at WB 49- winning their first 12 games of the tournament before finally falling in the Final. Despite being thrown into a group of death, with the final being on home soil, confidence is through the roof for these guys- and they firmly believe that they will be playing, in the Final, in Busukuma.

Fan Culture Culture: Banijan fan culture around gridiron embodies some of that of the players. People love to talk smack, and therefore, fans are like that as well. Banijan fans are known as arrogant and proud, and they will show up in droves, in any city, wherever it is, to take over local bars and support their team, even without tickets. Casinos tend to love Banijan gridiron fans, as they willing to put their money where their mouth is, and bet large sums of money on Banijan gridiron.. Expect Banijans, both with and without tickets, to show up in big numbers, across the multiverse, for any Banijan away games- and to create loud environments for their home games, both during the group stages, and hopefully, during the knockouts.

All-Time Record
All-Time World Bowl Group Stage Record: 145-55. Winning percentage of 71.78%
All-Time World Bowl Knockout Stage Record: 33-16. Winning percentage of 67.35%
All-Time World Bowl Record: 178-71. Winning percentage of 70.92%
All-Time AO Bowl Record: 16-6. Winning percentage of 72.73%
All-Time Olympiad Record: 15-6. Winning percentage of 71.43%
All-Time Multiverse Games Record: 4-3. Winning percentage of 57.14%
All-Time Competitive Record: 213-86. Winning percentage of 70.76%

Official Depth Chart for World Bowl L

The rosters is drawn both from the Gridiron Football League of Banija(GFLB), our NSCF teams, foreign NSCF teams, foreign pro leagues, and other Banijan college teams.

Starters are underlined. Players who are receiving their first national team call-up are italicized. Listed in the order of the depth chart. Players on the practice squad are listed as such.

by **Newmanistan** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 4:09 pm

NEWMANISTAN ROCKETS

WORLD BOWL 50 ROSTER

Starters (Offense) (Standard Formation listed, but many formations are used)
QB- #3- Larry Rossi, 25, Centralia Firebirds
HB- #21- Glenn Akerson, 23, Dover City Mountaineers (Averages 65% of carries)
FB- #45- Bo Fowler, 31, Pocono City Capitals
WR- #84- Brett Bradley, 22, Pocono City Capitals
WR- #81- Conrad Quinn, 24, Nashua Broncos
TE- #88- Jeremy Frey, 22, Olympia Gladiators
LT- #79- Alfonso Garner, 26, Jessicaville Millionaires (Offensive Team Captain)
LG- #65- Roger Herbst, 24, Centralia Firebirds
C- #61- Omar Grier, 29, North Charlotte Wildcats
RG- #60- Willy Surratt, 27, Loudon Leopards
RT- #77- Travis Black, 30, South Tier Seagulls

Starters (Defense) (The Rockets Generally Use a 4-3 Base)
DE- #98- Bronson Ludwig, 20, Southport Tigers
DE- #95- Matthew Dyson, 28, Jessicaville Millionaires
DT- #72- Charles Rockwell, 25, Springfield Thoroughbreds (Defensive Captain)
DT- #90- Cole Chacon, 25, Jessicaville Mariners
ILB- #54- Paul Anthony, 28, Tundra Falls Mariners
MLB- #52- Peter Dooley, 23, Pocono City Capitals
OLB- #56- Richard Zangrill, 27, Pocono City Capitals
FS- #39- Matt Cooley, 26, North Charlotte Wildcats
SS- #22- Scott Curley, 23, Olympia Gladiators
CB- #25- Lloyd Weller, 24, Southport Tigers
CB- #23- Corey Young, 25, Putnam Lake Eagles

Bench (Offense)
QB: #7- Kyle Bodkin, 27, Jessicaville Millionaires
QB: #14- Logan Weekes, 24, Tundra Falls Mariners
HB: #32- Maurice Hermann, 26, Daytopia Racers (30% of carries)
HB: #33- Juan Mason, 24, Penthoria Rivermen (<5% of carries)
HB: #34- Tim Radeci, 31, Tundra Falls Mariners
FB: #44- Chris Ricci, 24, Springfield Thoroughbreds
FB: #40- Phil Leander, 28, Putnam Lake Eagles
TE: #89- Julio Cortez, 24, Loudon Leopards
TE: #82- David Freeman, 26, Eastport Falcons
WR: #80- Neil Loredo, 27, Olympia Gladiators
WR: #17- Juan Garcia, 30, Putnam Lake Eagles
WR: #18- Sterling Swanson, 22, Centralia Firebirds (Primary KR/PR)
WR: #85- Gary Franks, 23, Pocono City Capitals (Secondary KR/PR)
WR: #15- Chris Allen, 21, Southport Tigers
G: #62- Brian Whitman, 32, Tundra Falls Mariners
G: #64- Damien Moore, 24, Dover City Mountaineers
G: #67- Fred Oldham, 23, Jessicaville Millionaires
G: #68- Marquis Samson, 25, Loudon Leopards
C: #60- Tony Kandula, 26, Putnam Lake Eagles (Special teams Long Snapper)
C: #69- Jake Carson, 25, South Charlotte Condors
T: #78- Ben McConnell, 27, Tundra Falls Mariners
T: #63- Ken Roberson, 23, Seminole Bay Gators
T: #70- Alex Cullen, 28, Pocono City Capitals
T: #73- Jaquan Ingram, 24, South Charlotte Condors

Bench (Defense)
DL: #94- Ryan Larkin, 26, Nashua Broncos
DL: #96- Kyle Duncan, 29, Southport Tigers
DL: #99- Miguel Lopez, 22, Olympia Gladiators
DL: #97- Deandre Wiley, 24, Loudon Leopards
DL: #93- Anthony Wisbourne, 23, Jessicaville Millionaires
DL: #91- Jerome Nelson, 29, Tundra Falls Mariners
LB: #75- Tyler Howard, 27, Centralia Firebirds
LB: #57- Kyler Howard, 25, Loudon Leopards
LB: #58- Ben Bernier, 28, Pocono City Capitals
LB: #53- Josh Whitling, 30, Daytopia Racers
LB: #55- Hudson Morris, 24, Springfield Thoroughbreds
LB: #59- Jermaine Reyes, 26, Loudon Leopards
DB: #24- Brad Schlosser, 27, Putnam Lake Eagles
DB: #29- Percy Bailey, 23, Olympia Gladiators
DB: #36- Steve McLean, 24, Dover City Mountaineers
DB: #38- Bryan Pence, 24, Putnam Lake Eagles (Occasional KR/PR)
DB: #27- Dustin Altenhoff, 28, South Charlotte Condors
DB: #20- John Townsend, 22, South Tier Seagulls (Special Teams Gunner)

Special Teams
K: #5- Rob Mancino, 40, Centralia Firebirds
P: #8- Terry Caravello 43, Loudon Leopards
Backup K: #4- Jamie Fagala, 30, Pocono City Capitals
Backup P: #1- Lawrence Hayes, 37, Tundra Falls Mariners

Coaching Staff:
Head Coach: Marvin Dineen, 72, Tundra Falls Mariners
Offensive Coordinator: Brad Beyer, 74, Springfield Thoroughbreds
Defensive Coordinator: Marion Yampolsky, 77, Olympia Gladiators
Special Teams Coach: Brandon Aldridge, 71, Springfield Thoroughbreds

Misc Important Stuff:
Modifier: +1
Home Uniform: Sky Blue with White Trim
Away Uniform: White with Sky Blue Trim
Helmet: Sky Blue with a white center stripe. The rocket in our flag is on both sides of the helmet.

Home Stadium: Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Do as you please, other than no killing or serious injuries to players. Also, no damage to our stadium.

by **Busoga Islands** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 4:33 pm

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my Scorers: Yes
Choose Scoring Events: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: No
RP Injuries to my Players: Yes, but please specify the injury and the numbers of games that my player will miss if you do so. Opposite of most people, but I just want there to be clarity on exactly how severe you think an injury is.
Godmod Injuries to my Players: Yes, but please specify the injury and the amount of time that my player will miss if you do so. Opposite of most people, but I just want there to be clarity on exactly how severe you think an injury is.
Godmod Other Events: Yes
Style Modifier: -3.5

Busoga Islands National Gridiron Team

General Info
Governing Body: Busogan National Gridiron Governing Board (BNGGB)
Full Nation Name: Islamic Republic of the Busoga Islands
Team Nickname: Roos/Kangaroos, Wallabies(as an insult).
Denonym: Busogan(s), Islanders(only Banijans refer to them as this), Busoga Islander(s)
Captains:
Domestic Gridiron Scene: With the nation only having a population of 12 million, in addition to their geography, the Busogans generally don't sustain their own sports leagues. There is a domestic CFB scene, but it is considered incredibly poor- The Islamic University of Busoga, the country's largest school, has eschewed it for years, and spent years playing in Banijan competition, although they are now regulars in the NSCF. In the professional scene, the Dukuma Dragons are the Busoga Islands' lone representation in the GFLB. While there are rumors that the BNGGB is pursuing a second Busogan franchise in the GFLB, there exists a local domestic league- but that, also, is piss poor, as the vast majority of fans ignore it in favor of the GFLB.
Relationship with Banija: While the nations are political allies, there is certainly plenty of sporting and cultural rivalry between the two countries. With the Busoga Islands having spent the majority of its history as a part of Banija, and needing a war for independence during World Cup 80 to unchain itself, the history of rivalry is certainly strong. Banijans have, for a long time, looked down on Busogan sports- but the Islamic University's stunning success in the NSCF has forced Banijans to show them a modicum of respect. The sporting hate is real- while many feel as if they can make a dark horse run towards the KOs, even one win over Banija in these two matches would be considered maybe the most seismic sporting result we've seen in a long time in the Basin.

Official Depth Chart

Starters are underlined. Listed in the order of the depth chart(top player first on depth chart, second player first player off bench, etc.... )
Players current GFLB teams are listed. If they do not have a GFLB team listed, it is assumed that they play in Busoga's domestic league.

by **Banija** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 4:53 pm

"It's the greatest time of year" - Nerves, excitement surround Banijan gridiron fans as World Bowl L is set to commence

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- The opening ceremonies, of course, will be held in Ranoria. And the final? To be held in a freshly refurbished, and newly expanded, Stadium of the Restoration- in front of a stadium record crowd of 101,835. Banija and Ranoria, per sources, have been prepping for this moment for years- with governing bodies remaining focused despite fierce on and off the field rivalries, currently personified in the GFLB Commissioner, Moses Muhumuza, leading his teams on a very public chase of RFL star HB Jack Hoy to the GFLB- despite the fact that he's under contract in the RFL.

Yet, the two commissioners have put their differences to the side for long enough to get this tournament going- and what a tournament it will be.

Even in Banija, it has been a cross-functional effort. Funding a 10,000 seat expansion is a 9 figure cost in NSDs- nothing to sneeze at. But, led by the Olympic Committee of Banija, it was a joint project- between the Olympic Committee, the BCSG(Banijan College Sports Group), the GFLB(Gridiron Football League of Banija), and the RBSA(Royal Banijan Soccer Association), they were able to have a joint effort in raising the funds to make that happen. With, of course, a healthy injection of funds from the national government. Of course, that meant the stadium was out of use for World Cup 98 Qualifiers- the first ever cycle where Banija did not play a World Cup Qualifier at the Stadium of the Restoration. But, it is certainly worth it- the expansion means that the Stadium of the Restoration is now the largest non-racing stadium in the country, by seating capacity, at 101,835.

"This group effort, it shows the cross-Banijan commitment to ensuring that the Stadium of the Restoration remains one of the world's most iconic sporting venues- both in gridiron, and in soccer." Moses Muhumuza, who is the GFLB Commissioner, as well as the Co-Chair of the Host Committee, told reporters. "And surely, the ability to keep the reasoning under wraps as well, was huge. We were able to ensure that we have a state of the art modern venue, while of course, keeping its historic ties to the past. 101,835- the 1835 portion, a reference to the year of the first restoration of the Banijan monarchy. And we continue to build on the site of the declaration of the restoration, ensuring that past ties with present."

The Stadium is used for all sorts of events. It has hosted Baptism of Fire Finals, Cup of Harmony Finals, AOCAF Finals, NSCF Finals, World Bowl Finals, the Celestia Conference title game, etc... Basically, everything you could possibly conceive of, besides a World Cup Final. But first, here at World Bowl L, it will host one hell of a contest- a top 5 matchup in the group stages. Banija, v. Chromatika. A rivalry as old as time. Might be the most hyped group stage matchup in this competition in a while. Gwenderyn v. Odika. Two teams that feel that they are good enough to be playing in Busukuma not only on MD2, but to be returning at the end of the knockout stages. ~~Felswyr State~~ Mountain District University social media is gonna go crazy. Every ~~FSU~~MDU coach on the recruiting trail is gonna show all sorts of video of these matchups to any QB prospect they recruit between now and NSCF 55.

Fireworks? Guaranteed. It's a hell of a group for Banija to be in though. They are joined by South Newlandia, who's college teams gave the Banijan ones all sorts of trouble in the NSCF days. And not to mention- the Busoga Islands. If you pay any attention to the NSCF, or history, or politics, you know exactly how much of a firey matchup that is. A Busogan win over Banija at the World Bowl? Well... That's a world we don't want to live in.

We shall see! But, the competition kicks off with Banija's 250th ever World Bowl game, as they travel to Devonta on MD1. A trap game, with Chromatika looming- but hopefully the excitement of MD1 can allow us to quickly dispatch of that opponent, on the road, and settle in for what will be one hell of a matchup against the Iron Legion.

by **The Kytler Peninsulae** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 6:44 pm

And so the fun begins.

A transitional era for Kytlerian gridiron - not least because "Kytlerian gridiron" remains a complex construct considering how much of it is really Varnian gridiron, and how many Varnians would still prefer not to be considered Kytlerians at all - but one they do enter as a team ranked in the top 10, a second seed for this World Bowl L group stage. They are a team who can now be considered genuine contenders to make a deep run by unbiased neutral observers, probably more than they are by biased Kytlerian observers even.

As for why the latter part of that equation might be the case, look no further than their first opponent at Zube Olympic Stadium. New Umoja are the visitors, and they claimed a shock victory over the Green Machine near the end of the last World Bowl group stage. It was one of the ugliest games you'll ever see, but - let's be honest - so was that octofinal defeat of Saint Kanye two cycles earlier, so it's not like this is a team that can't win ugly games.

Speaking of ugly, that's the only description many could think of for the "WC98 Edition" one-off uniforms that they'll be wearing for this one. The distinctive tournament colour scheme of "Margaret Blue" and "Maggigenta" - so-called because of their hex codes of #1093FC and #FC1093 respectively - was widely praised when seen in logos and other presentational elements. Seen on uniforms?

There are quite a few Varnians who are thinking about actively cheering New Umoja for this. In vox pops around Borlfield - the state capital and home of the de facto national gridiron stadium that is Qardinal Field, even if Green Machine games still tend to be at the ZOS - everyone who made such an argument seemed to cite this uniform.

"I can't take them seriously in girly pink," whined one probably-incel-adjacent dude with a terrible haircut. "And everyone knows blue and pink don't go with green," he added, as if he knew anything about colour theory or indeed fashion. (He was wearing a long-sleeve black polo shirt and grey cargo shorts, the latter apparently for the pocket space.)

Another, older man said (in uglier words than this) he couldn't watch a gridiron team whose uniform resembled the transgender flag. A third man, in between those two in age, simply said "it's a good job they didn't try and wear this here," by which he meant "in Varn." (They'll be in regulation Margaret Green for their first game of this cycle at Qardinal Field, against returning former giants Newmanistan.)

But it doesn't matter what these fans think. As ever, it matters what the players in these uniforms can do on the field. New Umoja are ready to prove they can make lightning strike twice. Their hosts are looking to show they have some sparks of their own - and, in the place known as Snowflake City for its aerial appearance from the heat-reflecting pale surfaces of its roads and roofs, prove they can be more than just the team that shocked the multiverse one snowy day in Ranoria.

by **Cardenao** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 7:35 pm

“Shameful, just a terrible display.”

“Yeah yup, you could say that again.”

“I mean if that’s the best the Blue and Golds can do…shit might as well call us out of retirement to run it back,” Haritz Larrainzar said with his voice wrapped in disappointment.

“I know I can bang in more goals than the kids out there leading the line these days,” Juanma Sáez said in agreement. For two legends of the Cardenaoan soccer team, the most recent World Cup had been perhaps the most disappointing event of their lives.

It was the first World Cup without Haritz, the team’s all time appearance leader, and Juanma, the team’s all time leading goalscorer, turning out for the national team and the result was a steaming bag of shite. The Blue and Golds had won…well probably less than five games, neither legend could bring themselves to watch the tail end of qualification as the team they’d poured their blood, sweat, and tears into was eliminated with a whimper, a sick dog out of its misery.

“Bleak days man, bleak days.”

“Too true J, getting to be so bad my son Julius is actually turning away from soccer,” Larrainzar the legend lamented.

“Ah shit. Well he’ll come to his senses one day and play his daddy’s sport, what’s he playing instead?”

“Ugh…..fucking gridiron.”

“15 seconds till live, final checks and places everyone!”

“Lights good!”

“Cameras good!”

“We sure about the Mihaly comments? Not sure I can be saying that.”

“Missy we got ten seconds!”

“And I’m the show, I can’t be saying that stuff with my boyfriend being who he is. Cut it!”

“We can’t cut it…shit, okay Ramon you take the Mihaly criticism part.”

“Ah fuck….”

“Put a sock in it, we’re live in….

3…
2…
1……”

“Goooood evening Cardenao, it’s yours truly Missy LeCrown…”

“annnd Ramon Sanchez!”

“Here to bring you all the latest in the sporting world of the Blue and Golds! Of course, the main story tonight will be the start of the 50th World Bowl and Team Cardenao’s attempt to retain the title. After that, we take a look at how Bobby Dials and the boys shot up be ranked 2nd in the multiverse, and how that has led to youth gridiron participation rates eclipsing soccer for the first time….ever!”

“Then, from last edition’s championship parade in Catamulina where he played a prominent, to recent comments calling for the organization of a professional league with government backing, and forcibly relocating the New Cardenao State’s collegiate team to Alexandria University in order to capitalize on their NSCAA victory… we explore how some critics, who are not me, are airing concerns at how closely sporting success is seemingly tied to Mihaly.”

“Finally, we have a breaking exclusive report of a recent meeting between Mihaly, Bobby Dials, and RFL commissioner Rolf Annelie.”

“Son of a bitch,” he breathed out. “Yes sir, yeah I see it.”

“You need to keep a low profile here, Bobby. Don’t fuck this up, you’re one of the most famous faces in Cardenao, what you do and where you go is all seen.”

“Yes sir. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

“Good.” Came the terse reply and the line clicked dead.

“Fuckkkkk me,” Bobby Dials thought as Mihaly ended the call. He did have to be more mindful in the future, his celebrity was usually never an issue, but in this matter, discretion was needed. Of course, he’d never know that Mihaly himself had tipped off Missy LeCrown; all part of his weird little power games. An abrupt knock at the door threw the best quarterback in the world out of his thoughts.

“Bobby…BOBBY!!!”

‘Fucks sake. Not this, not right now.’

“NOT NOW!”

“Listen B, we only get one shot at a live reaction and I know this is a big one!”

‘Motherfuck….’ Someone had had the grand idea to make a behind-the-scenes style documentary about the Blue and Gold’s quest to add another World Bowl championship to their resume. ‘The Road to Repeat’ they were calling it. Dials was of split mind about it all; on the one hand, it was the most obvious jinx of all time. On the other, well the endorsements were rolling in and everyone knew his name, whether they were tired of hearing it or not.

“Fuck off, Mary Michaels! Got a game against Quebec to prep for.”

“Oh rats ass Bobby, don’t let that be the only soundbite…c’mon, come talk to the cameras for a minute! Whole world knows you met that silver haired whiskey drinker and Mihaly, whatcha guys talking about?”

“FUCK OFF!”

Mary laughed, that’d work just fine for the trailer.

by **Drawkland** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 8:00 pm

In honor of the 50th edition, I'm doing a "brief" history of the World Bowl. We'll be going era-by-era, and once this series concludes I'll be adding this information to the (currently bare bones) NSS Wiki article for the World Bowl. Enjoy, and if you have any input or feedback, let me know.

Pre-Bowl Gridiron
The ball started rolling for the World Bowl in 2007, with the Gridiron Football World Championships, known as the GFWC. The signups were opened by Oliverry, and eventually Vephrall came up with a bid to host, having built a scorinator for gridiron football that seemed to do the trick. The GFWC wasn't the first attempt at an international competition at gridiron football, but it was the most successful to date. The first and only edition featured 24 teams, including such notable nations as Az-cz, Liventia, Milchama, Qazox, and Taeshan. Only one nation that participated in the GFWC also signed up for World Bowl 50: East Lithuania.

The GFWC was notable for the very high scores produced by Vephrall's scorinator. After a 4-game group stage (8 groups of 3 teams, double round robin), 16 teams went to the playoffs. It concluded with Taeshan defeating Yafor 2 by a 53-31 scoreline in the championship game. No third place game was held, but Milchama and hosting Vephrall were the losing semifinalists. It wasn't a blockbusting tournament, but it inspired Newmanistan to try a new method for gridiron scorination and start a new competition several months later.

Jolt Era, Dancougar's Dynasty
Signups were opened for the inaugural edition of the World Bowl, featuring Newmanistan's plan to scorinate with a slightly more realistic formula. The first nation to sign up was Dancougar, and this turned out to be a sign of things to come. Several exhibition games were held prior to the group stage, one of which was a clash between Dancougar and GFWC champions Taeshan. The Black Wings of Dancougar easily held the Fightin' Falcons in check defensively, and cruised to a 17-0 win with a pair of second-half touchdowns. After the opening exhibitions and a quick Elite Invitational tournament run by Rennidan, World Bowl I began. Like the GFWC, WB I had 24 teams, but the World Bowl had the teams arranged in the much more familiar 4 groups of 6 format in double-round robin. Fittingly, the 6-team group with 10 matchdays has been the most common group stage arrangement throughout World Bowl history. The biggest contenders coming out of the group stage were Qazox, Taeshan, Dancougar, and Kura-Pelland all at 9-1. Dancougar and Kura-Pelland also came out of the same group, their only losses being to each other. Arroza and Newmanistan also had respectable 8-2 records to land in the top half of the Round of 16 bracket. Like the group stage, the first playoff round was quite top heavy, with zero upsets allowing all the top seeds to progress to the quarterfinals. The third Dancougar vs Kura-Pelland matchup was the highlight of the quarterfinals, featuring the Black Wings blowing a 14-point lead in the 4th quarter but escaping with a walkoff field goal drive in overtime. Dancougar rode that momentum all the way to the championship, beating Taeshan in another low-scoring 13-3 affair in the semis and defeating Arroza 30-23 in the final.

The most important part of World Bowl I is that it was a resounding success. The participation rate was high, the scorination method was sound, and interest was piqued for the tournament to receive a second edition in due time. Newmanistan also hosted World Bowl II, and though it only had 18 participant's compared to the 24 of the first edition, it still ran rather well. Once again, Dancougar went 9-1 in their group, but split their games with another 9-1 team. This time it was Rennidan, the fearsome Brutes participating for the first time. These two teams were the two biggest contenders, but since Rennidan didn't win the group, they were stuck as the #4 seed going into the quarterfinals. This led to the Dancougar-Rennidan rubber match coming in the semifinals as both won their first-round games. It was a match worthy of the billing, coming down to a strip sack by the Rennidan defensive line on the final drive to secure their 20-17 victory. These semifinals could've yielded a rematch of WB I's title game, but instead Kura-Pelland survived Arroza 30-27 and booked themselves a date with the Brutes. While the #1 and #2 ranked teams battled in the third place game (Dancougar won 30-20), the underdogs fought for the title. Rennidan's ultra smashmouth tactics flattened any chance of a Kura-Pelland comeback, leading to the Brutes beating the Arrows 17-3 in the championship.

World Bowl III was the first to be hosted outside of Newmanistan, with another early powerhouse in Arroza using the same Newmanistani formula for scorination. Even so, the tournament felt pretty similar to WB II. 18 teams, 3 groups of 6, 10 matchdays in the group stage, giving way to a play-in round before the quarterfinals. Tell me if you've heard this before: Dancougar went 9-1 and won their group, but had to do so on tiebreakers thanks to the second-place team in the group also going 9-1, splitting their series with Dancougar. This time the lucky second-placers were the hosts Arroza. The usual suspects of Qazox, Kura-Pelland, Rennidan, and Taeshan all finished top two in their groups. All of them made it to the quarterfinals, but the semifinals featured another Dancougar vs Kura-Pelland rematch (19-10), and a Qazox vs Taeshan showdown (30-10). In three cycles, Dancougar had landed on the podium three times, but their hopes of a second title would have to wait. Qazox won the World Bowl III championship, 9-10, thanks to a field goal missed wide right by Black Wings kicker Corey Stottlemyer in the final seconds.

World Bowl IV was the largest edition to that point, with 30 nations competing for their chance to lift the trophy in the hosting nation (and defending champions) Qazox. This was also the first edition for future legends in Sarzonia and Cassadaigua, though they only went 6-3-1 and 1-9 in their first World Bowl group stage. Dancougar were certainly the favorites going in, and even had their patented 9-1 group stage run, losing one game to the second-place team in Secristan. Luckily for the Black Wings, Secristan took another loss in the group stage and finished 8-2, so Dancougar didn't have to rely on tiebreakers to win the group again. Arroza and Newmanistan also had their best group stages thus far, topping the groups at 9-1 apiece. Kura-Pelland, free from having to play any actual contenders in their group for once, captured the first undefeated 10-0 group stage in World Bowl history. The top four seeds all took care of business to reach the semifinals, where a hungry Rocket squad from Newmanistan handed Kura-Pelland their first loss (28-24) to reach the final. The other semi was another edition of the "Backyard Brawl," as the rivalry between Dancougar and Arroza was now known (as both nations resided in Atlantian Oceania). This one went to overtime, where the Black Wings won 30-24. This sent Dancougar to their third championship game in four cycles, going against the underdogs in Newmanistan. After a tight first half that had the Rockets actually leading 14-19 at halftime, the Black Wings exploded on the back of multiple touchdowns and a pair of interceptions to win 38-26. Dancougar were the first-ever multi-time World Bowl champions, in only its fourth edition. The dynasty had truly begun.

Newmanistan returned once again to host World Bowl V. This edition was the first to have a Baptism of Iron run prior to the full tournament, though it was really just two matches for each nation for seeding purposes, plus a championship between two of the three teams that went 2-0 (Prux won 13-10 over Australiah in the final). WB V was also the first to feature a two-part group stage, since the format called for 8 groups of 4. After six games of double round robin play, each group played four games head-to-head against another group, reminiscent of the modern-day NSCF divisional conference format. Finally, WB V also featured a Round of 16 for the first time, rather than the previous editions which ran smaller play-in rounds prior to the quarterfinals. Dancougar, predictably, were the cream of the crop, going 10-0 for the first time in their history and capturing the top seed in the playoffs. Right behind them were 9-1 Arroza, whose only loss came against (who else?) Dancougar during cross-group play, 30-27 in overtime. Newmanistan, Rennidan, and Secristan also had impressive runs going into the playoffs. The first round featured more upsets than expected (Sarzonia's 16-13 win over Kura-Pelland comes to mind), but the biggest shocker came in the quarterfinals when Newmanistan got revenge in a title game rematch. The Rockets stunned the Black Wings, winning 17-14 thanks to a last-minute touchdown and handing Dancougar their first playoff loss earlier than the semifinals. Unfortunately for Newmanistan, that emotional win seemed to suck the fight out of them, as they lost pretty convincingly to Qazox 13-27 in the semis. This meant Qazox would be making a bid to become the second two-time winners, but they'd have to go against Arroza (who beat Secristan 16-10) to do it. The Tar Hornets, playing in their first championship game since the inaugural edition, were not going to waste their chance. Arroza won 23-17 over Qazox, giving one of the Jolt-era powerhouses their much-deserved title.

World Bowl VI saw a smaller crop of nations, a mere 21 competing for the chance to play in Secristan. This format saw 3 groups of 7, causing a 12 game, 14 matchday group stage that was the longest in World Bowl history at the time. With such large groups and longer schedules, it was unlikely that any team would go undefeated. In fact, each team suffered at least two losses in the group stage. Of course, Dancougar was the toughest among those that went 10-2, joined by Kura-Pelland in their group (1-1 head to head, as you can guess), Qazox, and Taeshan. Arroza, Newmanistan, Vephrall, Fujisawan Territories, and Sarzonia rounded out the smaller playoff field. The classic AO/WB rivalry "Backyard Brawl" between Arroza and Dancougar got yet another edition in the semifinals. Once again, it was a classic. Once again, it went to overtime. Once again Black Wings beat Tar Hornets, this time 23-20. Newmanistan took care of business against Taeshan, setting up a World Bowl IV championship game rematch for World Bowl VI. Dancougar took this opportunity to put the finishing touches on their dynasty, once again denying Newmanistan. This time the Black Wings won a much tighter 20-17 contest over the Rockets, earning their record-extending third World Bowl title.

The Jolt Era came to an end soon after the conclusion of World Bowl VI, and so did the Dancougar dynasty as a whole. Though Dancougar participated for another few editions and even hosted World Bowl X, the Black Wings never returned to the championship game. Still, their legacy remained for a long time. Their mark of three World Bowl titles stood for over a dozen cycles. It was over thirty editions until a nation not called "Allamunnic States" equaled the Black Wings' total of 3 championships. Really, World Bowl VII was the beginning of dominance from the "second generation" of World Bowl participants: nations that weren't around for the first few Bowls. This new era, lasting from about WB VII to WB XV, is what we'll explore next time.

by **Busoga Islands** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 8:29 pm

President Delbin Kasekende, sitting in his campaign office

By all accounts, Delbin Kasekende should be feeling fine. He was well on his way to a fifth term. Busogans really enjoyed stability, and despite being at the end of a fourth 6 year term, he had remarkable staying power. Helped, of course, by a hapless and uninspiring opposition, but also by strong responses to foreign policy crises much earlier in his Presidency, that gave him a reputation for competency and stability. When you ran a small nation, and you felt a neighborhood at unease around you, having a well-known leader helped- and Delbin Kasekende had done that.

It had taken time. But the Foxchester Declaration, all those years ago, the split of Atlantian Oceania and the creation of Anaia, could have shaken the Busoga Islands to its core- but the Busogans got out, unscathed. President Kasekende had put himself at the center, at the heart of efforts to keep Atlantian Oceania united. And then, when the demise of Atlantian Oceania came and Arrosia came to be, the Busoga Islands, once again, were right there. And that doesn't discount the long-term problems Kasekende had solved, like normalizing relations with Banija, and ensuring Islander entry into the Q. Commonwealth.

He was up big in the polls. But, like most elected leaders, he always was following his standing obsessively. He had people in his party peruse social media data and generate him regular reports, on how he was doing. His opponent for this election, Orag Saglik, wasn't somebody he particularly feared. But these reports he was reading... He frowned mightily. His Chief of Staff walked into the room.

"You saw those reports Delbin? They are curious..."

"Yes, I'm pretty confused." The President replied. It didn't deeply concern him- but it was a trend that was certainly noticeable. Generally, of course, towards election season, media coverage of him was around 50/50, as one would expect in a political system like Busoga's- some coverage good, some coverage bad, other OK. Social media trends generally reflected that.

With time, of course, social media data collection efforts improved. But suddenly, social media trends were going against him- hard. Lots of amplified voices speaking against his Presidency, and his candidacy, on social media platforms. Short-form videos, 160 character posts, etc.. whereas two weeks ago, the campaign estimated that 53% of posts about him and the election were positive, right now, it had gone drastically in a different direction- only 25% of posts were positive.

"Is it reflecting in the polls?" He asked.

"The polls are lagging- but a bit." His Chief of Staff replied. He looked at the latest poll. Over two weeks, the polling averages had him up 14.4 points- an excellent score, but he was up 20.3% just two weeks ago. So, while not close enough to really register, it was significant movement- something that concerned him.

"Hmmm. Well, social media is social media- can't be too concerned." He said, maybe with a false bravado. Was he getting less popular? Maybe, maybe not. Betting markets hadn't moved at all, which was a good thing. "You know, we've got a Presidential debate next week, right? We've just got to double our prep towards that."

But of course, as President, lots of ceremonial stuff. He told his intelligence directors to cancel his daily national security briefing for the day- those were pretty much irrelevant for a country the size of the Busoga Islands. He would double his own debate prep. He liked when these were sleepy. He would bury Saglik...

Isaza Oyo, the head of the Oyo crime familiy, standing in his rib shop, smoking some ribs

TV Announcer: "And today, the Busoga Islands will begin their journey in their maiden entry into the World Bowl L, debuting here at World Bowl L. After some success for the Islamic University in the NSCF, we will see if Busogans can replicate that at the senior level. We start the tournament at home, hosting Crpostran at Bucak Field today.."

Isaza Oyo was the head of a crime family, but he was also, most pressing, the owner of a rib store. The Busoga Islands entering international gridiron competition was great for business- and with the opening two games here, in Lakiska, it meant business was going to be through the roof. He had it set up perfectly, especially for the opener- charge cover to come watch, ensure spending minimum to buy ribs, and obviously, selling drinks. A great way to make a killiing.

He had to make sure that his shop was supplied. They had enough meat for everybody, enough beer, etc... And he made sure that they did that. Not a ton of beer necessary, of course, with this being an Islamic country- but enough for the secular folk.

Oyo had made sure that he had made himself seen doing that. He, of course, operated it under his alias- Francis Kahara. He knew a time would come when he couldn't operate this store anymore- and anyways, his plans were already in motion. Working with his allies from abroad, friends in organized crime groups from Siovanija, to the Squornshelan Remnant States, to Quebec, they had started making a big social media push. They were moving the needle, a little bit- the polls had moved noticeably. But President Kasekende had too big of a lead, he was too popular an incumbent.

Isaza Oyo knew that he would need something- anything- to help spike his strat. A big event, of course. He could not, of course, leave a phone call- you never know which intelligence agencies were spying on you. But fortunately, Oyo was a man with a lot of underground connections. He was more than capable of communicating.

Just then, a man came in. "Comrade." Oyo simply looked at him. He knew who the man was- hated how these people spoke. But hey, this was a business where you couldn't always choose your friends .

"Can I get a #18? With fries?" The magic words. He made the ribs. One of his employees went to ring him up- and Oyo told his cashier to get out of the way.

"I got this kid, don't worry." He gave him the ribs, he gave him the fries, and of course, printed a receipt. But he didn't give him the printed receipt- he grabbed a special one, from his pocket, and gave it to the customer. Oyo smiled, before getting back to work. He now knew- big things were going to happen, and they would happen soon...

by **Ranoria** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 9:09 pm

The Protégé
Sierraville, Ranoria
~2 days before the start of World Bowl L
Rodgers residence

The ridiculously wide interior doors of the most impressive residence in the history of the region betrayed the identity of its occupants. Rylan Rodgers Jr and his wife Anna - mostly her because let's be honest, the billionaire owner of a company producing and selling the green - had their architects design the place with Klaw the snow bear's needs in mind.

"You seriously don't want any?" She offered him a bite of some mint-blend flavored ice cream, and Rylan shook his head. "You know, I don't see you at all for three weeks while you're in that training camp, I get you for two days, and you haven't relaxed for a second."

Rylan nodded, but his shoulders didn't sag down, and his fingers kept flitting with the edges of the blanket. "Can't. I need this, Anna, need this like I need air. If I can't be perfect for a few months for the thing I want more than anything else in this world, what does that say?"

"More than anything?" She teased. Rylan rolled his head to the side with a bit of a grumble, and she got the message, even offering a laugh, "I know how it is, easy there cowboy."

He laid his head back over the sofa, "I was so close, but with football and baseball at Richardson, plus the Classic, we just couldn't work out the logistics. And then the team was gone, and now they're back. I have a chance here, I've got to reach out and take it."

"You're a champion Rylan, you've gotten every individual accolade in the book," she poked him in the side of the head, "You've got beef with Banija for some reaso-"

"Babe, just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't valid. The sports...it's bad blood. I know our nations are strong allies, great trade partners, and our military would happily glass a foreign power that harmed a blade of Banijan grass, but the sports are different."

"Teasing love, you're tense." She moved to rub his shoulders, "You can do this. You're the best in the world, I've seen it, I know it. But we know you're at your best when you're relaxed and in the flow, not nervous like this."

It really was a first world problem. He was an RFL hall of famer - perhaps even an international hall of famer, one of the best athletes of any sport of the generation - but this was the one he needed.

"Relax for me," she whispered in his ear, "You can be the hardass again in the morning when you fly back, but let me take care of you tonight."

Heir To The Throne
Ranoria City Falcons indoor practice facility

There's quarterbacks with strong arms, but when this guy launched it, you could hear the air hiss around the spiral as it shot out of his hand. Wagner-Young's little half-hop following the deep bomb and the catch by veteran Isaak Rodriguez were a formality. "The Leapards have a better facility," he remarked, unphased by the completion and referencing his GFLB squad in Sisonke, "But it'll do the job."

If Rhine had been here throwing with him, he was sure the Diamond would have made some remark about Bwanzuba's own compound. Of course, if it had been getting used appropriately, the Ostriches would have been a threat to his own crew, and admittedly, he wasn't sure if he'd be the starter for the Krauts. As it was, Wagner-Young was getting reps on air with his wideouts, getting a feel for the offense they hadn't run in a couple years.

"Russ!" The big tight end's head snapped up as he jogged back, "You're getting lazy on the break with your corner route. You know better, build good habits now."

"By bad V," the Blue Thunder alumni shot back with a lazy salute, "You're the man."

"Let's call that a day fellas," Valliente stripped his helmet, "Practice starts in a couple hours, rest up, watch whatever film you need to."

The Greatest
Ranoria City Falcons indoor practice facility
One week prior to kickoff, thirty minutes after practice

The highest paid practice three squad players in Ranorian history "played" for the Fiston Redwolves, and for damn good reason - they were durable as hell despite competing hard against and getting crushed by Gideon Kearse nearly every day for years on end. The hero of World Bowl 46, three time Winter Bowl Champion and RFL MVP, former RFL and NSCF DPOY, Kearse isn't far removed from being universally regarded as the best player in the world.

And this psycho had flown out and paid those three practice squad linemen out to Ranoria City to be his punching bags for the lead up to the World Bowl. His father Justin Kearse watched attentively, picking out any minor and rare mistakes in his son's game. Coming out of high school and even college, Justin had been accused of being a helicopter parent, but they played the same position, echoed one another's playstyles, and he was the one person Gideon trusted above all others, the only one he would listen to criticism from with no indignation. And it had been a long ride.

Abram Fairbanks had joined him as was custom for national team practices, rotating reps with a fellow legend. If anyone embodied relentless pursuit, it was these two. Fellow top three selections in the draft, champions, individual accolades, and a complete lack of ego when they took their criticism.

"Done," Justin Kearse clapped his hands after one final rep, with Gideon ragdolling one of the practice squad guys and finishing with a perfect form tackle on a dummy that had seen better days. "Take a breath, you're slowing down."

Gideon snorted, and looked from his father to Abram, who nodded his agreement. Only then did he lean down on his hands and admittedly aching knees to catch a breath.

"We're getting old, brother," Abram laughed, "When's the last time we ended a national team practice this early?"

His running mate plopped down on the ground, pulling off his helmet as he did, "Not quite as good as I once was, Abram. But I'm as good once as I ever was."

"You're both old," Justin Kearse rolled his eyes, "Don't get it twisted. But that's why there's young guys to sub in with. When we need you, you'll be called on. I don't think there's anyone this team trusts more."

Two In A Row:
Krauts and Isaac Dieter Ready To Make Some Noise In The Golden World Bowl

Veteran star Gideon Kearse warming up for practice

Long ago, the three nations were in balance. Banija, with two titles. Drawkland, with two titles. Ranoria, with two titles.

But all that changed when the Serpent Eagles and Krauts met for one of the biggest games in the history of the World Bowl in World Bowl 46, leading to a climactic finish by the Krauts. And all was as it should be - our two greatest rivals were one step behind Ranoria, firmly positioned as our inferiors on the competitive playing field.

But then, when the world needed the Krauts most, they vanished without a trace...and darkness ensued. Drawkland won a third World Bowl, a true travesty given what happened to them in World Bowl 43, something that should've reminded them of their place - silver medal merchants. Hell Sarzonia won a third too, and all of a sudden, the three-timer's club was getting a little crowded. With Raul Nieler firmly positioned as the Madison Gladiators head coach, he wasn't coming back, and that made a return to the big stage all the less likely.

But Gideon Kearse and Abram Fairbanks wanted another shot. Rylan Rodgers Jr had never gotten to taste that sweet World Bowl gold. And most importantly, based on the trend of two timers getting a third, the Banijans were in line to win a third gold medal. Given their dominance in sport as a whole, that would've been unacceptable.

So in an effort to keep them from drawing even with us, RFL commissioner Rolf Annelie started the comeback. With no established coaches were willing to take up the mantle, sacrificing their job for one that wasn't guaranteed to last, the Ranorian Football League took a flier on young Isaak Dieter. And results were strong! The team went 6-3, pushing hard to get a crack at Banija in the playoffs, but it was Cardenao that stopped us - faithful fellow Big 8 kings Cardenao. They knew Ranoria wasn't all the way back, not yet, and we delegated the responsibility of dragging down Banija to them.

To rousing success!

But they can't be relied on to do it twice, and allowing the Serpent Eagles, with a proven champion in Kadesh Odika, to win World Bowl L would be the kind of thing that Ranorians could never live down - so they're locked and loaded, and back with a vengeance. Not just here to stop Banija...but to ascend the mountaintop once more.

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 9:16 pm

Style Modifier: +5

Anyway...

QUEBEC AND SHINGORYEO NATIONAL GRIDIRON TEAM

Nickname: Grim Reapers
Head Coach: Theodore Galstian, 49 - Université St. Croix (QIS/NSCF)
Coordinators: Kirby Wright (Offensive) - Errol Cernugel Jr (Defensive) - C.C. Youngblood (Special Teams/Associate HC)
Rank: 7th
Jerseys (many thanks to Saint Kanye): Home - Away

Team Quebec - Home Venue: Iqaluit Stadium (cap. 120,000), Iqaluit, Nagligusuŋniq
The Bubonic Plague - Home Complex:Marco's Slaves:tm: SuperShip (popn. 80,000), Cavsarland Mountain Range, Cavsarland Caliphate
Team Entrance Music - World Bowl 50 Edition: TADADA OOH, MC Jagjaguar

Minor note: The Bubonic Plague
God, not them. The infamous ultras of the Quebecois national teams in various sports have made their names known for their love of indulgences, festivities and most importantly causing chaos and fury wherever they go. Armed with pyrotechnics, torches and of course the hand-held flares, they are famous for their fluorescent banners that are either used to intimidate visiting sides or to humiliate the Grim Reapers for poor performance. Armed with drums, vuvuzelas and musical instruments on top, the sound of the buzzing fans are often a challenge for anybody - both home and away - to play, and while the Bubonic Plague has remained mostly apolitical outside of its usual nationalistic dose, their penchant to end up on various events better that are belonged to current affairs.

Of course, this time they have taken refuge in the arms of familiar faces, by none other than former Champions League-winning footballer, PlayToy mogul and of course, Farfadillis-war-winning warlord, Marco Hertel. Partnering up with an unexpected ally, who has been enjoying semi-retirement in Delaclava with his mercenary group of 40,000 named Marco's Slaves, wasn't what they had in mind. No sane group would consider it unless for a good reason after all!

Fortunately, it did come with a major concession in none other than a major home complex, where the hardcore, dedicated fans of the Reapers are able to have a blast in the gigantic spaceship and its surrounding structures. Whether this will help or harm the performances for them Reapers, who will be staying over in two of the spaceship's floors, will be determined.

OFFENCE

Offensive Coordinator: Kirby Wright, 51 - Saguenay Saints (QFL)
Scheme: Air raid.

* is placed for players who are on their debuting World Bowl cycle.


#- Pos.  Name                     Age  Height Weight  College          Assoc. Current Team          League
01 HB    Liam-Emerson SAUVAGEAU    27   6'3"  224     Queen's College    QIS  Levis Ravens             QFL
02 FB    Stefano SHIN              26   6'0"  236     St-Gab-Richard     QIS  Kingston Argonauts       QFL
05 QB   *Ludovic HWANG-DECARIE     24   6'2"  230     Bonneville State   QIS  Prince Eric Thunderhawks QFL
08 WR    Kieran KWEON-MCNAIR       23   6'4"  240     Saguenay           QIS* Jolbonopolis Raiders     QFL
10 QB    Benoit O.M. YOUNGBLOOD    30   6'2"  220     Cold Hill         NSCF  Madison Gladiators       RFL
13 TE   *McKenzie PAJACKOK         23   6'1"  Oakwood Saguenay A&M       QIS  Shelbourne Maroons       QFL
15 WR    Lucan MODDEJONGE          25   6'2"  213     Saguenay           QIS* Attawapiskat Broncos     QFL
16 QB    Hydrien VEINOT-CYR        22   6'0"  198     Hanbat State       QIS  Hanbat State Univ.       QIS
22 HB    RYU Seong-Weon            25   5'11" 207     St. Croix          QIS* Jeongju Javelins         QFL
38 HB    Dara WILLIAMS-SIMAKAN     24   6'0"  200     St. Croix          QIS* Saguenay Saints          QFL
55 C/OG *Kris ARJALINERK           22   6'5"  304     Iqaluit            QIS  Univ. of Iqaluit         QIS
59 OG    Maurice JI-HWANG          23   6'3"  298     Saguenay           QIS* Saint John Steelers      QFL
61 OG    Marwin FINLAYSON          23   6'8"  312     LeBois Santura    NSCF  LeBois Santura Univ.     NSCF
64 OT    KWAKU Jean                30   6'5"  289     Gaspe              QIS  Kingston Argonauts       QFL
65  C    Helene LINDEBAUM          30   6'2"  306     Saguenay           QIS  Fiston Redwolves         RFL
66 OG    Emerson FLORES            28   6'2"  315     Bonneville State   QIS  Songak Giants            QFL
67 OG    Kimmie LAFRENIERE-DJUNA   26   6'3"  312     St. Croix          QIS* Kingston Argonauts       QFL
70 OT    Elna CARNEIRO             28   6'0"  303     Keewatinook        QIS  Joongyeong Voyageurs     QFL
73 OT    Maurice MERCER-KAYODE     25   6'4"  292     Saguenay           QIS* Attawapiskat Broncos     QFL
76 OT   *KOO Jong-Heui             21   6'6   306     Queen's College    QIS  Queen's College          QIS
82 TE    Patrice DAINTREE          27   6'4"  243     Northwestern       QIS  Levis Ravens             QFL
83 WR    Marc-Antoine JOO          27   6'5"  221     UPRI               QFL  Jeongju Javelins         QFL
84 TE   *Horace HORTON             23   6'5"  260     Northern Moravica NSCF  Northern Moravica Univ. NSCF
85 SB   *Eloise McConville         24   6'0"  233     St. Croix          QIS* Wansan Rams              QFL
86 WR    Philbert VILLENEUVE-NIX   24   5'10" 193     Southern Manitoba  QIS  Kingston Argonauts       QFL
88 WR   *Hugo-Wojciech SON-SAKA    21   6'0   201     Latilutakówa Natl. QIS  Latilutakówa Natl. Univ. QIS
89 WR    Jean-Christophe PROVOST   29   6'4"  221     Meghanville State  QIS  Balafre Bootleggers      RFL

An extremely-aggressive offence returns most starters, and surprisingly decent amount of depth, even though its inconsistencies may have crept up at times and poor wideout depth may have been one of several reasons why it died a valiant death in latter stages of WB49 playoffs against eventual-winners Cardenao and third-placer Sarzonia in shootouts. Benoit Youngblood is still the most important piece of the machine, especially after his wonderful tenure with Cold Hill and now the RFL, and this time he'll have a decent help in form of his receivers with Kieran Kweon-Atkinson and Jean-Christophe Pronovost developing into fine threats, while the arrival of chaotic tight end Horace 'Horny' Horton and Hugo-Wojciech Son-Saka joining the fold. Now, the biggest challenge for Beno, offensive coordinator Kirby Wright and co. would have to be putting the room together. It's easier said than done, considering bad blooded rivalry between Horton and Kweon-McNair that have reportedly led into the pair fighting each other every minute of the practice.

But that's not just it, as a great running back room of Ryu Seong-Weon and Liam-Emerson Sauvageau should give players enough ball control should this be necessary. The ability to control tempo was what also helped the Reapers win methodically against TJUN-ia and Drawkland in the first two rounds of playoffs, and Wright, being a former St. Croix head coach, will try to use it enough. The offensive line, in the meanwhile, is still one of the best in the business, and with Helene Lindebaum leading the way as centre, should be able to do that. Now, the question lies on if the highly-competent pieces will join together well enough.

Depth Chart

RED is for star players.
YELLOW is for key contributors.

The depth includes various positions that are used under various schematic packages. This also means that fullbacks and WR3 may be used interchangeably depending on the situation. Keep that in mind when RPing!

Pos.     STARTER               BACKUP                 THIRD STRING
QB    #10 B. YOUNGBLOOD        #16 H. VEINOT-CYR      #05 HWANG-DECARIE
HB    #22 RYU S.W.             #01 L-E. SAUVAGEAU     #38 D. WILLIAMS-SIMAKAN*
FB/SB #02 S. SHIN              #85 E. MCCONVILLE
WR1   #08 K. KWEON-MCNAIR      #83 M-A. JOO
WR2   #89 J-C. PROVOST         #85 P. VILLENEUVE-NIX
WR3   #88 H-W. SON-SAKA        #83 M-A. JOO
LT    #64 K. JEAN              #70 E. CARNEIRO        #76 E. KOO
LG    #67 K. LAFRENIERE-DJUNA  #66 E. FLORES          #63 K. ARJALINERK
C     #65 H. LINDEBAUM         #63 K. ARJALINERK
RG    #61 M. FINLAYSON         #66 E. FLORES          #59 M. JI-HWANG
RT    #73 M. MERCER-KAYODE     #59 M. JI-HWANG        #76 E. KOO
TE    #84 H. HORTON            #82 P. DAINTREE        #13 PAJACKOK

DEFENCE

Defensive Coordinator: Errol Cernugel Jr., 52 - Prince Eric Thunderhawks (QFL)
Defensive Captains:
Scheme: 3-4 with aggressive mix of blitz packages.

* is placed for players who are on their debuting World Bowl cycle.


No. Pos. Name                                Age  Height  Weight  College       Assoc.   Current Team             League  Note
03   OLB  Rebecca REISCHEL                     29    6'2" 248     Iqaluit         QIS    New Quebec Fighters         RFL
04    DE  Nahuel VERCHEVAL-MAYARDIT            26    6'3" 252     Saguenay A&M    QIS    Songak Giants               QFL
05    SS  William BRODEUR-KISER                23    6'0" 203     Saguenay        QIS*   Songak Giants               QFL
06    FS  Celine NADIE-ORENDA                  29    6'1" 212     Meghanville SU  QIS    Attawapiskat Broncos        QFL
09   OLB  Everson WRIGHT III                   23    6'4" 231     St. Croix       QIS*   Saint John Steelers         QFL
11    CB  Xavier MCKELLEN-CORUM                26   5'11" 189     Songwha State   QIS    Saint John Steelers         QFL
14    FS  Edouard JOH-Waabshkii’ogi            25   5'11" 202     Saguenay        QIS*   Universite du Saguenay      QIS*
17    CB *Manny UGARTE                         22   5'10" 196     Bonneville SU   QIS    Bonneville State University QIS
19    DE *Harald SORENSEN                      20    6'4" 240     St-GR           QIS    St-Gabriel-Richard Univ.    QIS*
23    CB  Marc-Andre HWANG                     29    6'1" 193     LNU             QIS    Banbh Mustangs              QFL
25     S *Se-Jong JI                           22    6'0" 203     Queen's College QIS    Prince Eric Thunderhawks    QFL
26    CB  OH Seong-Weon                        21    6'0" 195     Yongma College  QIS    Saint John Steelers         QFL
31  NCKL *Lydia KABENGELE                      24   5'11" 191     Songak Metro.   QIS    Dongnae Schooners           QFL
47    SS  Bojana RASIC KIM                     30    6'4" 221     NMU             NSCF   Saguenay Saints             QFL
48   RVR  Alexei RANDANOVICH                   21    6'2" 234     Hamilton        QIS    University of Hamilton      QIS*
51   ILB  Raymond-Luca WANAUDI                 25    6'4" 246     St. Croix       QIS*   Joongyeong Voyageurs        QFL
52   ILB  Corey WATERMAN                       28    6'4" 243     Mount Ester     QIS    Attawapiskat Broncos        QFL
54   ILB  Kennedy ADONGO                       28    6'3" 252     Keewatinook     QIS    Levis Ravens                QFL
58    DE *Barnaby CERNUGEL                     22    6'4" 248     St. Croix       QIS*   Univ. St. Croix             QIS*
91    NT  Martin BOULERICE                     23    6'4" 292     Sangju College  QIS    Levis Ravens                QFL
92   OLB  Leon CHANKOOWASHTAY                  32    6'1" 246     St. Croix       QIS*   Joongyeong Voyageurs        QFL
93    DE  KWAK Ji-Yeon                         27    6'3" 253     LNU             QIS    Jeongju Javelins            QFL
94    NT  EDEN PARK                            32    6'5" 320     Cold Hill       NSCF   Pittsburgh Ironmen          RFL
96    DE  Frederic BENN-KOCIAN                 30    6'2" 251     St. Croix       QIS*   Pittsburgh Ironmen          RFL
97    NT  Jeronimo GALLANT-SEON                23    6'5" 298     Songak Metro.   QIS    Songak Jets                 QFL
98    DE  Genevieve PENN                       24    6'4" 263     Saguenay        QIS*   Kingston Argonauts          QFL

The Team Quebec defence is arguably even more aggressive than the offensive corps, perhaps because of the personnel available. RFL legends-in-making Eden Park and Frederic Benn-Kocian are wrecking ball crew in their own right, and you could hear Vontaze Ahn's glee every time he hears some loud mating calls whenever either player or Everson Wright III, shifty outside linebacker with shiftiness and Von Miller-esque moves, sack a sorry quarterback.

This front seven's ability to get to the backfield is a close strength, which is followed by the safeties and the rovers who seem to be everywhere to the tradition of legendary Quebecois such as Heo Myeong-Shin, Ike Taylor and Oswald Tak. Linebackers, for most part, are very good, with Raymond Luca Wanaudi being a standout player in the middle while outside linebackers continuously rotate to keep fresh legs. The same, however, cannot be said with the cornerbacks who have always sucked and still suck outside of long-retired Leopold Langlois-Zuluka, and though huge promise exists with Xavier Mckellen-Corum and Manny Ugarte.

All of this means that defensive coordinator Errol Cernugel Jr would be expect to 'Wade Phillips' his defence, with use of five defenders on line of scrimmage while maintaining elaborate use of blitz packages. This doesn't always work, but more often than not it does and that's what Cernugel's proven over the course of his pro career with two Imperial Bowl rings to prove. Well, unless your corners keep getting burned.

Depth Chart

RED is for star players.
YELLOW is for key contributors.

The depth includes various positions that are used under various schematic packages. This also means that nickels and rovers may be used depending on the situation. Keep that in mind when RPing!

Pos.     STARTER                    BACKUP                   THIRD STRING
WDE      #04 N. VERCHEVAL-MAYARDIT  #93 J.Y. KWAK            #59 N. SORENSEN
NT       #94 E. PARK                #91 M. BOULERICE         #97 J. GALLANT-SEON
SDE      #96 F. BENN-KOCIAN         #98 G. PENN              #58 B. CERNUGEL
WLB      #09 E. WRIGHT III          #48 A. RANDANOVICH       #92 L. CHANKOOWASHTAY
ILB      #51 R-L. WANAUDI           #54 K. ADONGO            #52 C. WATERMAN
SLB      #03 R. REISCHEL            #92 L. CHANKOOWASHTAY    #58 B. CERNUGEL
RVR      #48 A. RANDANOVICH         #14 E. JOH-WAABSHKII’OGI  
CB1      #26 OH S.W.                #23 M-A. HWANG           #31 L. KABENGELE
CB2      #11 X. MCKELLEN-CORUM      #17 M. UGARTE            #23 M-A. HWANG
NICK     #31 L. KABENGELE           #17 M. UGARTE
FS       #06 C. NADIE-ORENDA        #14 E. JOH-WAABSHKII’OGI #25 JI S.J.
SS       #05 W. BRODEUR-KISER       #47 B. RASIC-KIM         #25 JI S.J.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Special Teams Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach: C.C. Youngblood, 64

Still accurate, and arguably at better shape than before with the joining of legendary collegiate and professional coach C.C. Youngblood. Youngblood's job appears to be more centred around assistant HC/GM position rather than as special teams coordinator. Kim Audette's still a great punter, though she seems to have sacrificed her accuracy for range, and Onele Dyani's a roll on the dice kinda kicker who usually does his job as kicker.

No. Pos. Name                     Age  College               Assoc. Current Team            League Note
01    P  Kim AUDETTE               34  Queen's College         QIS  Kingston Argonauts         QFL
37    K  ONELE DYANI               30  Huronia Tech            QIS  Attawapiskat Broncos       QFL
44   LS  Francois WOO-KOKOTNI      33  Yongma College          QIS  Joongyeong Voyageurs       QFL[/b]
48  K/P  Ludovic PLEYEL-BARNES     28  Navy                    QIS  Royal Quebecois Navy       N/A

RP Permissions
Choose my scorers: Y, duh
Godmod scoring events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y, with prior discussion
Godmod Injuries to my players: N
Suspend my players: Y, with prior discussion
Godmod suspension events: N
Godmod other events: Y, with prior discussion

by **Banija** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 9:45 pm

Hello folks! Welcome to the first cutoff for World Bowl L! Good luck to all!

RP Prompt: We have groups named after five different legends of the World Bowl. One of them is an active player- a young gun, a reigning champion- Bobby Dials.

He's been a hyped prospect, and he's been an all-time hyped prospect- and more. Tell us about the greatest prospect in your national team's history. Now, specifically, not the greatest player- but the greatest prospect. Regardless of how they actually panned out when they got there, what young player had more hype than any other before joining the NT? And how did they get it- success in college, in the pros, in HS, abroad, etc...

And then, of course, tell us if they lived up to the hype. Or, if the most hyped prospect is a prospect right now( and ergo not on your WB L roster), give us the insight on what they are doing today.

(Reminder that RP Prompt can be amended or ignored by users at their choosing. There is no punishment for ignoring the prompt, nor any bonus for following it).

OOC reminder that penalties have started for not having your roster in, so if you haven't yet, get those rosters in!

Matchday 1 Scores

Group Gavin Davis
TJUN-ia 38–13 Natkr
Sarzonia 49–19 Delaclava
East Lithuania 13–19 Rouyoute
Quirhoshe 16–26 Valanora

  Group Gavin Davis      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Sarzonia                 1    1   0    49   19  +30
2 TJUN-ia                  1    1   0    38   13  +25
3 Valanora                 1    1   0    26   16  +10
4 Rouyoute                 1    1   0    19   13   +6
5 East Lithuania           1    0   1    13   19   −6
6 Quirhoshe                1    0   1    16   26  −10
7 Natkr                    1    0   1    13   38  −25
8 Delaclava                1    0   1    19   49  −30

Group John Garrett
Ko-oren 45–3 Terefuxe
Ranoria 35–0 Barnettsville
HUElavia 13–21 Equestria
New Rotterdam City 33–14 Of the Golden Harp

  Group John Garrett     Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Ko-oren                  1    1   0    45    3  +42
2 Ranoria                  1    1   0    35    0  +35
3 New Rotterdam City       1    1   0    33   14  +19
4 Equestria                1    1   0    21   13   +8
5 HUElavia                 1    0   1    13   21   −8
6 Of the Golden Harp       1    0   1    14   33  −19
7 Barnettsville            1    0   1     0   35  −35
8 Terefuxe                 1    0   1     3   45  −42

by **Ranoria** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 9:47 pm

This is your opening CUTOFF for WORLD BOWL FIFTY!!!

The Golden edition is here! It's time!

Bobby Dials Group
Vaishnavaria 6–39 United States of Nova Calania
Cardenao 27–27 Quebec & Shingoryeo (33–30 OT)
Tumbra 13–47 Sherpus
Pafi 10–6 Kamijiro

  Bobby Dials Group                Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  
1 Sherpus                            1   1  0   47  13 +34    
2 United States of Nova Calania      1   1  0   39   6 +33    
3 Pafi                               1   1  0   10   6  +4    
4 Cardenao                           1   1  0   33  30  +3    
5 Quebec & Shingoryeo                1   0  1   30  33  −3    
6 Kamijiro                           1   0  1    6  10  −4    
7 Vaishnavaria                       1   0  1    6  39 −33    
8 Tumbra                             1   0  1   13  47 −34

Isaka Jawara Group
Busoga Islands 0–13 Crpostran
United States of Devonta 6–28 Banija
Chromatika 16–17 South Newlandia
Darmen 22–9 Katzeburg

  Isaka Jawara Group               Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD   
1 Banija                             1   1  0   28   6 +22    
2 Darmen                             1   1  0   22   9 +13    
3 Crpostran                          1   1  0   13   0 +13    
4 South Newlandia                    1   1  0   17  16  +1    
5 Chromatika                         1   0  1   16  17  −1    
6 Katzeburg                          1   0  1    9  22 −13    
7 Busoga Islands                     1   0  1    0  13 −13    
8 United States of Devonta           1   0  1    6  28 −22

Group Dustin Beck
South Americanastan 48–21 Norway-Sweden-Finland
Drawkland 34–13 Newmanistan
Grand Exultia 9–20 Juvencus
The Kytler Peninsulae 50–13 New Umoja

  Group Dustin Beck                Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD   
1 The Kytler Peninsulae              1   1  0   50  13 +37    
2 South Americanastan                1   1  0   48  21 +27    
3 Drawkland                          1   1  0   34  13 +21    
4 Juvencus                           1   1  0   20   9 +11    
5 Grand Exultia                      1   0  1    9  20 −11    
6 Newmanistan                        1   0  1   13  34 −21    
7 Norway-Sweden-Finland              1   0  1   21  48 −27    
8 New Umoja                          1   0  1   13  50 −37

by **United States of Nova Calania** » Mon Feb 17, 2025 6:18 am

Nova Calania wins their World Bowl L opening match

Vaishnavaria - On week 1, Nova Calania travelled to Vaishnavaria to play against them. An away game against a low ranked team on week 1 is always a trap, but the Tapirs showed they are for real with a decisive 39-6 win. Vaishnavaria won the coin toss and choose to receive the ball but they had to punt on their first drive. Nova Calania put themselves on the scoreboard on their first drive when Ryleigh O'Shaughnessy caught Arielle Bellerose-Deslongchamps' 18 yards pass into the endzone. The score was 7-0 after 1 quarter. Vaishnavaria had the ball early in the 2nd half but Sunny Sharma's pass intended to Alan Solo was intercepted by James Tuttle-McGregor who returned the ball to the 28 yards line in Tigers territory. On a 4th and 2 at the 20 yards line, Ji-yoo Han kicked a 37 yards field goal. Midway in the 2nd quarter, Nova Calania had to punt and it was perfectly done by Sébastien Piquette and the ball was downed at the 2 yards line. On a 2nd and 9 at the 3 yards line, Sunny Sharma gets the snap in his own endzone and he's sacked by Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon on a blitz. It's a safety for Nova Calania. Within the two minutes warning, Arielle Bellerose-Deslongchamps threw a bomb to François-Xavier Malboeuf on a 2nd and 5 at the 44 yards in Vaishnavaria. Malboeuf catches the ball at the 11 yards line and runs to the endzone for the touchdown. The score at halftime was 19-0.

Nova Calania started off with the ball in the 3rd quarter and made a 32 yards field goal on their first drive. Midway in the 3rd quarter, Guillaume Bibeau-Babeux runs to the endzone for a 6 yards rushing touchdown. On their next drive, Vaishnavaria answers with a 15 yards passing touchdown from Sunny Sharma to Alan Solo. The Tigers tried the two points comversion but Sunny Sharma's pass to Ashwin Agrawal was broken up by Nathaniel Coiteux-Vaugeois. The score after 3 quarters was 29-6. Arielle Bellerose-Deslongchamps threw a 4 yards touchdown pass to Ming Ze Mao in the 4th quarter on a 7 minutes long drive. On their next drive, Vaishnavaria was intercepted again when Rosalie McGowan caught Sunny Sharma's pass intended to Dwayne Carter. Ji-yoo Han followed up with a 40 yards field goal and the final score was 39-6 Nova Calania.

While Nova Calania was playing against Vaishnavaria, another match catched our attention: Cardenao against Quebec & Shingoryeo. Two gridiron giants. Their thriller game went to overtime and Cardenao won 33-30. Meanwhile, Pafi surprised Kamijiro with a 10–6 win and Sherpus walked over Tumbra with a 47-13 win. On week 2, the Tapirs will receive Kamijiro in Ostrow Krolewski, Odlegla Ziemia. The weather is expected to be sunny. Ryan McConnachie is out with a foot injury, Jackson Scroggs will move from right to left guard and Jérémie Castilloux will start at right guard.

NOVA CALANIA    7  12  10  10  -  39
VAISHNAVARIA    0   0   6   0  -   6

GAME SUMMARY

1st quarter
9:36 TOUCHDOWN NOVA CALANIA - Arielle Bellerose-Deslongchamps passes to Ryleigh O'Shaughnessy for 18 yards - Extra point good
2nd quarter
12:52 FIELD GOAL NOVA CALANIA - Ji-yoo Han's 37 yards kick is good
8:27 SAFETY NOVA CALANIA - Sunny Sharma sacked in his own endzone by Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon
0:26 TOUCHDOWN NOVA CALANIA - Arielle Bellerose-Deslongchamps passes to François-Xavier Malboeuf for 44 yards - Extra point good
3rd quarter
11:42 FIELD GOAL NOVA CALANIA - Ji-yoo Han's 32 yards kick is good
5:51 TOUCHDOWN NOVA CALANIA - Guillaume Bibeau-Babeux runs for 6 yards. Extra point good
2:04 TOUCHDOWN VAISHNAVARIA - Sunny Sharma passes to Alan Solo for 15 yards - Two points conversion unsuccessful.
4th quarter
9:47 TOUCHDOWN NOVA CALANIA - Arielle Bellerose-Deslongchamps passes to Ming Ze Mao for 4 yards - Extra point good
4:18 FIELD GOAL NOVA CALANIA - Ji-yoo Han's 40 yards kick is good

Jean-Alexandre Guindon

by **Chromatika** » Mon Feb 17, 2025 2:41 pm

The End of an Era - A Tragic Start

To say that Chromatika's loss to South Newlandia in the opening match of the Group Stage was an abject disappointment would be an understatement. A sold out crowd watched dejectedly as Dwayne Markseon's kick sailed wide right at the final whistle, handing the visitors a one point win at the Henza Center. It was the product of multiple penalties, two costly turnovers, and a lack of cohesion that the Iron Legion fell to their opponents - though they will now have thirteen matches to try to turn this around.

No less than three touchdowns were called back due to penalties - two due to holding calls on long runs by the Running Backs, and one on an offensive pass interference by Demitrius St. Pierre, which turned out to be the tackiest call of them all. All three penalties resulted in field goals by the Iron Legion instead, keeping the score at 9-14 instead of giving them the lead. Chromatika would take the lead on a one-yard keeper by Gwenderyn in the middle of the Third Quarter, but those three penalties - along with eleven other penalties throughout the game - really limited the flow of the game for Chromatika.

Two other deep forays into South Newlandian territory resulted in turnovers. The first, a bullet pass toward NIles Gwivern, went off the usually surehanded receiver's hands into the waiting arms of Shivay Patil, perhaps the best player in that linebacking group. Then, with the Iron Legion trying to get an even bigger lead up 16-14 in the early Fourth Quarter, Bruno Clarke punched the ball out from Lana Rhodes inside the Elephants' thirty yard line to put an end to that. This means that it could be argued that Chromatika left no fewer than twenty-six points on the board - or at least twenty.

Besides the one throw that got deflected, Gwenderyn was good but not great in the defeat, going 19-of-27 for 201 yards and adding 41 yards on the ground on 7 carries, including the game's only score for the Iron Legion. The Iron Legion struggled against the short quick attack, as Scott Yadav carved them up for stretches in fourteen-to-fifteen yard chunks. He found Dustin van Halfensen and Marcel Schlachter for the two scores from the visitors.

After all that, Chromatika still had a chance to win the game, getting the ball back with less than 1:51 left in the game. A Gwenderyn scramble and a deep out to Alessandra Mio found them inside the Elephants 25, but the final kick from forty-two yards out was wide left, putting the final touches on a disastrous start.

"There is so much to fix that I don't know where to start," commented Misha Florentine with a chuckle, "You can't help but laugh at how absurd it is at times. You have everything planned out but nothing goes right - and your opponent is good enough to pick up on all the mistakes. Thankfully, there's thirteen more matches to go - including a trip to face these Elephants again - but we have a lot of work to do ahead of us."

The Iron Legion will try to avoid starting the group stage 0-2 as they travel to Banija to take on the Serpent Eagles before taking on the Busoga Islands. This will be the first time that Sarai Gwenderyn and Kadesh Odika have faced each other on the international stage, a matchup that all Firehawks fans are looking forward to. The debate as to which Quarterback is the best in Firehawks' history can be heavily influenced by this matchup.

Hopefully this will be just a blip on the radar as the group stage continues, and not a portent of things to come.

The Prospect: Freya Odinsdóttir

Now heading into her Junior year at newly-renamed Mountain District University, Freya Odinsdóttir is the best defensive prospect that Chromatika has ever seen, and arguably, the best gridiron prospect ever. Sure, there is no denying the talent that Sarai Gwenderyn was, nor the breakaway speed of Alessandra Mio; Lisa Bonsoon announced her presence by her performance at the High School Championship Game before having a stellar Firehawks career - and now is a stalwart at the pro level. Nicole Estera, the best High School player in Chromatik history, had a lot of expectations at the collegiate level - but she hasn't been able to meet them yet. That leaves the human missile that is Freya Odinsdóttir.

Averaging double digits in tackles from the Outside Linebacker position isn't easy, but Freya did it. She was both a coverage linebacker with plenty of interceptions while having the speed to wreck havoc for the opposing Quarterback. She single-handedly led the Staramara Tech Battle Angels to a national title before switching sides by signing on with the Firehawks. She's already been earmarked to join the Iron Legion as soon as the next tournament, and both the RFL and the GFLB are already looking at her for the talent that she can be at the pro level.

Becoming even more aggressive year after year while learning about the cerebral side of the game, Freya is the perfect blend of leaning on her fundamentals and her pure physicality during her younger years while knowing how to do the film study to be a wily veteran at times - probably even more as she gets older. The fact that you can already tell she will be fine in her thirties to continue to contribute is what she brings to the table.

It can be argued that not enough career has been played to determine if Freya has met all of her standards, but one thing remains for certain - it will be determined by how the team does, not by how she does individually. She'll always be marking up the stat sheet, and have to hope that the rest of the team can keep up.

That is the definition of a superstar, isn't it?

by **Norway-Sweden-Finland** » Mon Feb 17, 2025 3:48 pm

Valhalla Coliseum, Norway-Sweden-Finland – The Nordic Storm stormed onto the field in their first-ever international clash, ready to unleash their signature brand of Viking-style smashmouth football. However, they were met with a brutal 21-48 defeat at the hands of South Americanastan, a wake-up call that left the team bloodied but unbowed.
The Battle Report

The opening quarter saw RB Henrik Laine (6’1”, 235 lbs) bulldoze his way to a 20-yard touchdown, setting the tone early for the Storm’s ground-and-pound offense. Behind the Shield Wall of Viklund, Kallio, Olofsson, Pettersson, and Dahlberg, Laine ran with fury, breaking tackles and dragging defenders for extra yards.

However, South Americanastan’s explosive passing attack exposed cracks in the Storm’s secondary, as deep shots over the top caught CBs Niklas Björk and Anton Järvinen off guard. By halftime, the Storm trailed 14-28, despite a punishing goal-line stand led by MLB Sebastian Lindqvist (6’2”, 255 lbs, 27) and DT Joona Väänänen (6’4”, 320 lbs, 28).

As the game wore on, the relentless speed of South Americanastan’s offense proved difficult to contain. Though DE Karl Sundström (6’5”, 270 lbs, 26) notched a sack and forced a fumble, the opposition’s tempo wore down the Storm’s defensive front. A costly interception by QB Erik Johansson (6’4”, 225 lbs, 26) late in the third quarter sealed the fate of the game, as South Americanastan capitalized on a short field to extend their lead.

The Storm fought until the final whistle, with WR Markus Bergström (6’3”, 215 lbs, 26) hauling in a spectacular one-handed touchdown grab late in the game to close the gap to 21-41 but that last touchdown sealed it.

Box score (as South Americanstan hasen't posted a roster nor perms the scoring plays will just be for the Nordic Storm):

Team 1st Q 2nd Q 3rd Q 4th Q Total
Nordic Storm 7 7 0 7 21
South Americanastan 14 14 10 10 48

Nordic Storm Scoring Plays

1st Quarter:

10:32 – TD: RB Henrik Laine (20-yard rush), XP Good (Vuorinen) – Nordic Storm 7-0

2nd Quarter:

5:45 – TD: RB Henrik Laine (4-yard rush), XP Good (Vuorinen) – South Americanastan 21-14

4th Quarter:

6:12 – TD: WR Markus Bergström (28-yard reception from QB Erik Johansson), XP Good (Vuorinen) – South Americanastan 41-21

Post-Game Press Conference

HC Stellan Nyström said:
"We fought, but we didn’t finish. We let them dictate the pace, and that’s not how the Storm plays football. Next time, we’ll be the ones bringing the thunder."

MLB Sebastian Lindqvist, the team’s emotional leader, delivered a battle cry to the media:
"A Viking doesn’t mourn a battle lost—we sharpen our axes for the next fight."

RB Henrik Laine, who finished with 112 rushing yards and 2 TDs, promised a stronger showing:
"They hit us hard, but whoever's next won’t survive the storm we are bringing."

(O.O) · by **TJUN-ia** » Mon Feb 17, 2025 4:11 pm

World #6. But do we really feel like it? The Jaguars of TJUN-ia are one the best in the world when it comes to Gridiron Football, ranked #6 in the latest rankings, but when it comes to actual on field results, things haven't exactly been as rosy as you might think. We did very well in the group stage of the last World Bowl, but fell at the first Playoff hurdle...which kinda sums up TJUN-ia's footballing legacy at this point in time. Gus McKerrin knows that this World Bowl is different, both because it is the final season of Leon Gallas at QB and it is the 50th Edition of this tournament. Some old names are back to help with the celebrations and all 5 groups are named after legends of the sport. The question is, can these guys at their names to the pool of champions of this game?

The Field of Dreams in The Gardens of New Washington had not hosted any home games two years ago, but it was back for Night 1 of the Golden Jubilee World Bowl and the crowd was certainly ready for a show. The #41 Natkr Green on the Blue would have the honour of helping us kick off these celebrations in the northern extremities of Esportiva and that game that ended up being played was...pretty much by the numbers. Naktr did manage two TDs in this contest as Jax Riley found Ace Carter and Darius Wilson once each, with Ethan Walker going 1/2 on PATs, but considering the apparent firepower we had at our disposal, this first test went like a breeze for those in the Whites. Gallas managed 4 TDs in his 3 Quarters of action, 2 to Lucky Sithole-Sita and one each for Fremont Whitehorse and Gilbert Nyamutsamba, while Xander Tiovannen hit all four PATs and a 34 yard FG at that. Moses Igbinoghene did the rest, finding Ivan Borosić for the final score with Glory Oparanozie hitting the PAT. 38-13 the final score, a cracking win for us to start this Golden World Bowl.

One down, thirteen to go and the next few episodes of NSFB will be double-headers through out. This first double-header is a big one as the highest ranked team in this group, #4 Sarzonia, are coming to town for a pivotal game that will make this noise from this one sound like a library. After that, the first road trip of the season arrives against the debuting East Lithuania - a nation who has already knocked off our basketball team, so we will have to be careful. Good start. Can we keep it up? GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group Gavin Davis)
MD1: vs Natkr (41) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington W 38-13 (2nd/1-0)
-----------------------------------------------------------
MD2: vs Sarzonia (4) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington
MD3: @East Lithuania (UR)
-----------------------------------------------------------
MD4: vs Quirhoshe (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington
MD5: @Valanora (11) - Lathalein Celestial Stadium, Mar Sara
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MD6: vs Rouyoute (45) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington
MD7: @Delaclava (20)
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MD8: vs Delaclava (20) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington
MD9: @Rouyoute (45)
-----------------------------------------------------------
MD10: vs Valanora (11) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington
MD11: @Quirhoshe (UR)
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MD12: vs East Lithuania (UR) - Field of Dreams in The Gardens, New Washington
MD13: @Sarzonia (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------
MD14: @Natkr (41)

by **Banija** » Mon Feb 17, 2025 4:24 pm

GFLB Commissioner, Moses Muhumuza, sitting in his suite in Devonta, at Banija's opening World Bowl L match

The game was going rather well for Banija, but of course, that was to be expected- ranked 3rd in the multiverse, just coming off of an appearance in the World Bowl Final, one would have expected Banija to handle business in this game- even making way for the fact that these opening road games were always tricky. But Banija's 250th ever game in World Bowl competition was a rousing success- scoring a big play TD on the first drive, getting a couple of more TDs in the second quarter to build themselves a dominating 21-0 at half, and then riding a mostly dominant defensive performance in the second half to victory. It was, of course, an extremely long group stage, and nobody was going to remember this one- but all you could do in the first week of competition is become 1-0, and the Banijans were 1-0 in great fashion. Looked pretty good, dispatched Devonta without a ton of trouble, and no major injuries- that was about all you could ask for on the road.

Next week, it would be far more difficult. The game of the tournament, the re-opening of the Stadium of the Restoration- to a spectacular opponent, the Chromatika Iron Legion. It had been over a year since anybody had used the national stadium for a public event, and they picked a hell of a time to show it off. The construction was fantastic, and with the eyes of the world on the venue that would eventually host the tournament Final, it was a great moment to showcase the new centerpiece stadium of the country. And it would be for such a fantastic matchup- the first time two FSU stud alumni would face off against each other, on the gridiron. Gwenderyn v. Odika. It was Chineze who got the best of his head to head matchups with the Chromatik star woman- now could Odika follow in those footsteps?

But that wasn't on his mind. He was thinking about his primary responsibility- the Gridiron Football League of Banija. He loved being host co-chair- although, of course, those host committee meetings were brutal. He and his Ranorian counterpart, RFL Commissioner Rolf Annelie. The two men could not stand the sight of each other- as RFL and GFLB competition deepened, as the two leagues competed for views, for players, for business, etc... Neither of them were quite able to separate the business from the personal when it came to each other. However, unfortunately, Annelie had a few wins over Muhumuza. The RFL had been able to retain Jack Hoy, despite the full court press from Muhumuza. He knew he'd have another chance when Hoy's contract in Fiston expired in a couple of seasons, but still- he hated to lose to anybody, especially Annelie. Annelie bringing a Jack Hoy Fiston RedWolves bobblehead to their last host committee meeting had almost put Muhumuza over the edge himself.

A lot of the work of the host committee, of course, was done before the tournament. Once the tournament got going, there wasn't really a ton to do at the committee level. Of course, there were basic administration tasks, but in terms of high-level stuff- all the planning was done, 98% of the T's were crossed and the lowercase i's were dotted. The only big logistical question, of course, was would the World Bowl put a knockout game at the Ruwani Motor Speedway, in the suburbs of Aissa. He was still negotiating with Aissa economic officials, as there were was a big divide amongst those guys on whether to be in the city, at the Crocodile Swamp, or at what was quickly becoming an iconic racing venue in the world of gridiron.

No- what he was really thinking about, was the future of the GFLB. The 24 team format had served them well for the past few years- a great way to manage explosive growth. 24 teams, six divisions, no conferences- a unique format, but one that served itself well for Banija. But, of course, growth was not done. Many thought that the Kingdom could support a 30 or 32 team league, which would mean, of course, much more rapid growth and expansion. What cities in Banija would support a team? With the country's rapid population growth in recent years, nothing was impossible or ruled out- a second team in a place like Jinja City, for example, could be on the cards. Or a team in Lakiska. Lots of cities in the Banijan orbit wanting a team.

But before expanding, he had to think about his current teams, and one in particular- the Mar Sara Night Elves. Competition for eyes in gridiron was hard in a country like Valanora, where the sport was not as popular as one would assume- considering the talent that comes out of the country, permeating across the NSCF, and loading the Vanorian schools with NSCF titles. The Night Elves were damn competitive on the field, of course. And when they were the only gridiron game in town, they were quite popular. But with the advent of a professional gridiron league in Valanora, the Night Elves were not quite on life support- but they were getting close to it. Only so much gridiron support to go around. Plus, of course, there was the principle of it- Muhumuza loved money, of course- you don't become a league commissioner unless you are making fistfuls of cash for your bosses, the league owners. But beyond that, the principle- he was a big 'growth of the game' advocate. It was good for the game if domestic pro gridiron flourished in Valanora. Plus, of course, there was the possiblity that the VGL and Night Elves could get locked into a business death spiral- where everybody goes bankrupt.

This was top of mind for the long-time business executive. And as the season was set to begin, he would be looking for a long-term solution to this issue...

Banija get off to a quick start at World Bowl L, as massive home opener against Chromatika looms

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- Week 1. Banija's 250th all-time World Bowl matchup- a major milestone for the Banijans. A slick intro from MUTV, who swooped in, out of nowhere, to get TV rights for Banija's group stage away games here at World Bowl L. But on the field- business as usual. "Look, we have a tremendous opportunity here, with a World Bowl on home soil." Said Banija's HC Thomas Hall, who is entering his 11th cycle as the NT's head man. "We know what the big goals are. But the only way to accomplish those big goals, is to take things a week at a time. We have a chance to get off, to a quick start, against an ambitious and upset hungry Devonta squad. The goal is to go 1-0 every single week- and today, we want a win where we can start 1-0."

The first half was an excellent half for the Serpent Eagles, who came busting right out of the gate. A poor kickoff return meant they started the opening drive from their own 16 yard line, but they were able to move the ball effectively on the opening possesion. Picked up a couple of first downs, before turning to the big play.

Banijan Radio Commentator wrote:It's first and 10 for the Banijans, at the Devonta 43 yard line. Despite starting on the road, they had wanted the ball to start the game- maybe to send a message. It's been a solid drive so far- 4 plays picking up a grand total of 27 yards, including two first downs. The last play ran was a 7 yard run for Zamandi Ayana on 2nd & 5, and the Banijans have moved the sticks again. Kadesh Odika gets out of the huddle here, and for the first time all game- he's in the gun. They're spreading them out, he's got two WRs to his right, and two WRs to his left. He's in the gun, with Joshua Okombo next to him, for his first snap of the game. Odika's barking out orders- it looks like he's shifting his protection. Okombo goes from Odika's left to Odika's right.

Odika claps, and he gets the football. Devonta's bringing the blitz- but the Serpent Eagles pick it up, thanks to Okombo staying home to block. Odika rolls out, with time, and he uncorks a bomb to Kasozi Batte.. WHO'S RUN RIGHT UNDERNEATH IT! HE'S GONNA RUN THE LAST FEW YARDS INTO THE END ZONE FOR A TOUCHDOWN TO THE BANIJANS! THAT'S 6 FOR THE BOYS! CAN I GET AN E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!

Wow oh wow, let's walk you through this. Devonta brought 6, but Odika checked Okombo, the HB, to block on the play. Everybody picked up their guy- and Okombo was able to block a smaller LB. The plan was clearly to attack deep here, as all 4 WRs routes were 15+ yards past the line of scrimmage. But as Odika rolled out, it gave enough time for Batte to break clear of his coverage guys on his deep post, especially as he broke it towards the end zone. Remember, Batte's got literal track star speed- he's a Olympic gold medalist in the 200m. So Odika saw Batte break, and uncorked a bomb- maybe 50 air yards, on a rope, and Batte caught it perfectly in stride. What a play, what a route, what a throw- and that's 6 for Banija.

Seven, as we made the extra point. It was bend but don't break for the Banijans on D- they forced a punt on four Devonta possessions in the first half, and the fifth Devonta simply ran out of time at the end of the half. As for the Banijans, the offense had ridden the big play- it was more about churning out drives now. Their next three drives, they put themselves in scoring position- and two of them, they punched it in the end zone. The drive following the TD was a long one, that ended in a missed FG by their 37 year old kicker. So in the second quarter, the Serpent Eagles knew better than to leave it to their aging, inconsistent kicker. Another long drive, where the Banijans would end up facing a 4th & 1, from the Devonta 4 yard line. What's the answer for that? Smashmouth football- Zamandi Ayana straight up the gut, moving bodies out of the way, to see the visitors double their lead.

And then, of course, what happens after that- a three & out forced by the Banijan D, followed by another long drive for the Banijan O. Completely wearing down the Devonta defense- and ending that drive with another touchdown- this time a 15 yard touchdown pass to veteran WR Gabriel Yafet. It was Yafet's only catch of the game, as the 34 year old is seeing his snap count go down due to age. With the Banijans up 21-0 at half, that was pretty much all she wrote, and there wasn't much to add from the second half- a pair of field goals for the home team, matched by throwing a pair of INTs, one to each of Banija's starting CBs. Odika, himself, got himself his first rushing TD of the campaign, a 12 yard scramble. The final score- Banija 28, Devonta 6.

The celebrations were fairly muted from the players, as they knew what lay ahead of them. "A good win, a quality win- we did what we came to do." Said Kadesh Odika, the team's starting QB for the second straight cycle. "There were big mental challenges here- the pressure of game 250, and a lot of media and pundits overlooking Devonta for our next opponent. But we knew we faced a quality opponent today, and we were ready. Now- all eyes on the Iron Legion." It's gonna be a massive matchup- Banija v. Chromatika. The return of the Stadium of the Restoration. Gwenderyn v. Odika. FSU(MDU?) Quarterback derby. When the QB was asked about it, he gave compliments to his predecessor- and avoided the Q asked if he felt he was 'better' than Gwenderyn.

"Gwenderyn really paved the path for program success at Felswyr State." He told reporters. "Without her, FSU would have been nothing. There's an 8 year span where she started for four years, and then I started for some of my freshman year, and then for three more. That period saw FSU start as a nobody, and end with the most coveted title- a NSCF blue blood. Without her, that process would have never begun- but then I came there and cemented it. But FSU is more than its QB- the program itself is so strong." That Chromatik school culture- it's going to be a different rivalry than the Garrett and Chineze rivalry, that's for sure- the Banijans will smack talk, but the Chromatiks won't.

So many tantilizing matchups here. Batte v. Bonsoon. Mio v. Tembo. We shall see soon if the Banijans are capable of living up to the moment, in what will be the first ever 100,000+ crowd at the Stadium of the Restoration.

by **Sarzonia** » Mon Feb 17, 2025 5:47 pm

Tyler Paige almost didn't know what to do with himself.

Several World Bowls as a defensive coordinator gave him knitty-gritty work in preparating tactics for his Sarzonian national gridball teams against whichever opponent lined up against them.

When he was suddenly elevated to manager, he decided to retain defensive playcalling duties, even though he'd hired Lonnie Hertschlager as defensive coordinator. He figured having someone to assist with the tactics would help, but he soon realised why his predecessor, former Stars manager Gavin Davis delegated playcalling duties.

Entering this 50th edition, and Paige's second as manager, he had a new defensive coordinator in Walter Knapp, and he decided from the moment he proferred the job to Knapp that Paige's playcalling days were done.

The team entered a packed Joe Gibbs Stadium in Woodstock against longtime all-sport archrival and former regional neighbours Delaclava ready to open their group stage schedule in the aptly named Gavin Davis Group buzzing with enthusiasm.

The crowd warmly greeted the Phoenixes, even though they were former neighbours and still one of those throw-out-the-records-style rivalries. Ties between the two nations still ran deep, and time and distance did little to diminish the regard the Sarzonians still hold for Delaclava.

Then the match kicked off, and Sarzonia played like a team that sought revenge for a demoralising loss in a "friendly" against the Delaclavs. The Phoenixes led the match 3-0 after a 19-yard field goal at the 8:36 mark of the first quarter, but didn't score again until 1:48 remained in the fourth.

Meanwhile, Sarzonia rode the right arm and fast, powerful legs of quarterback Cameron Stallworth to seven touchdowns, three of them on passes from Stallworth with Stallworth scoring two on the ground. Stallworth finished the day completing 19-of-22 passes for 298 yards and rushing 10 times for 58 yards. Running back Ty'Relle Clinton rushed 19 times for 112 yards and a rushing touchdown.

Defensively, Knapp's defence forced five turnovers including a pick-six that provided Sarzonia's final score. Delaclava successfully recovered an onside kick after a touchdown and two-point conversion, then got another touchdown and two-pointer to provide the final margin.

"I liked how we played for about 49 minutes," Paige said. "We let them chew up the clock on their opening drive and we've got to do a better job with onside kick coverage. We've got a tough away match against TJUN-ia and we can't afford any lapses in concentration like we had tonight."

Woodstock University alumnus Cal Barkley took the final snap, drawing wild applause when he was announced to the remnants of the crowd.

"We played well," Stallworth said. "Just had a few things to clean up." He looked down at the dais and saw what looked like a pink wig and gave a sheepish grin.

"Um, oops. Gotta run," he said.

by **HUElavia** » Mon Feb 17, 2025 7:49 pm

HUElavia 13–21 Equestria
(7-0, 0-7, 3-7, 3-7)

Opening Woes

HUElavia drop their opening match to a surprise loss to Equestria, starting on the wrong foot.

Despite having a relatively modest history in the World Bowl, HUElavia still come out struggling in what should be a dominant sport for the country. Playing a home opener in Rigente, HUElavia was looking to get off on the right foot, going against Equestria, the Pot 6 team of the draw. The opening quarter saw Duarte make checkdowns and slant passes with some runs from Uche to march down the field before a 6 yard touchdown pass from Duarte to Zanetti would open the scoring with Lutz making the extra point to make it 7-0. From there, it was more of a defensive battle, with rain beginning to fall and changing the game to a battle of the trenches. Eventually, Equestria would get a run that led to REDACTED scoring a 28-yard touchdown run to make it 7-7 at the half. The second half saw more rain coming in, with now both team committing to the run. HUElavia would get to striking distances, but would eventually have to settle for a 42-yard field goal by Lutz halfway into the 3rd quarter to make it 10-7. Equestria would attempt passes and runs to eventually march down the field for a run by REDACTED to get into the endzone, making it 10-14. HUElavia would push more and more, but the Equestrian defense would stand strong and force HUElavia early in the 4th to take a 45-yard field goal by Lutz to make it 13-14. It was then an affair of punts, where it seemed this would be a low scoring game. Although, late in the 4th, with HUElavia trying to go deep, Duarte would send a pass to Hase, to only get picked off by REDACTED who went 32 yard for a pick 6, making it the definitive 13-21 result.

Coach Schneiderman was quoted saying post-game "It was a tough game today and we really could've done better. We didn't expect for the weather to play a strong factor, but that's how the game goes. And Kudos to Equestria, they were able to adapt and rightly won. We have a lot to learn and improve on during these next few days in practice and film study. It's only matchday 1, and while it isn't ideal for us to lose, there's still 13 games to go, and plenty of chances to get a win and go for the Top 3 in our Group. We owe our fans and country a better performance and we hope to get a better result in the next two games." Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos will travel to unranked Barnettsville, followed by hosting No. 8 Ko-oren in one of the most anticipated matchups of the Group Stage between two teams with the same sort of color scheme. The latter home match is expected to be played at Estadio Nacional in Curumba, with a sold-out crowd expected to cheer on the team. While it isn't the best start for the team, there's a good shot for the team to get good results, especially with a chance to go toe-to-toe with Ko-oren and show they are an opponent to be reckoned with in the World Bowl.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Tue Feb 18, 2025 12:03 am

OOC: This continues from and in collaboration with Banija/Busoga Islands' RP arc with Kasekende and the Ojos.

02:00., Saturday
Joongyeong, Joongyeong

Sandrine Pavlikoff was at a comfortable position in her career. At age 56, just two years younger than her friend, Prime Minister Lucien Azagury-Zovaco, she had achieved plenty in her parliamentary career that began at 25, survived seven elections and had emerged as a major figure for the Moogoongwha Party that had been in power for past seven years. It had taken them 24-years to get back into power after a disastrous run by their previous Prime Minister, Amandine 'Madame Lettuce' Souray, and a subsequently disastrous run by Epstein'd opposition leader Pierre 'PeePee' Pointon-Grey, so it held even more power for Lucien and his fifty-somethings within the centre-right party to govern and at a fairly stable position.

Most of it, of course, happened through opportune timing and luck. Economy was still doing fine, though not at the previous decades' peak, and it all seemed calm and clear. Externally, they had mostly weathered through the international uncertainties, whether it be the Cassadagan return to isolationism or the decline of Euran state presumably under internal breakdowns, and managed to strike lucky in their increasingly reliance towards Arrosia and the Quebecois Commonwealth. Internally, they had also managed to overcome constitutional and inter-council disagreements to clear pathways for last April's Royal Wedding, and Prince Laurent's 31-year-long petition for remarriage, and to do this with minimal friction between them and the other parties was a good news.

Sandrine, of course, took a big part in it. First as the Education Secretary, and then in last four years as the Foreign Secretary. For most part, she was a career politician who appeared and behaved like a technocrat, something Sandrine presumably had legs thanks to her B.A. degree in PPE at St. Croix, but her competency was there at least to make it work. Now, most had regarded Sandrine as one of several second-in-commands for Lucien, and while she had not exactly considered a possible leadership bid should Lucien retire, she knew it was still not a bad idea to think through.

But right now wasn't one of those. If anything, this wasn't the night Sandrine Pavlikoff was expected to have. At least not so much as a cabinet minister - she had to pull out of her visit to the first two days of the Quebeco-Busogan trade conference due to various commitments and advisories that took higher priorities. The first day involved a hurriedly-organised health checkup made by her husband, Marc-Antoine Laurent, and one that she agreed to go after the previous week's paranoia over a lump on her left arm. Fortunately for all of them, the lump was benign and could be removed through a quick surgery.

For most part, she had no issue with that - the Busogan trade conference wasn't exactly that important on her mind, and she really didn't like dealing with some of the high-profile figures, not the High Commissioner but those out in industry such as sports mogul Maisie Dreyfus-Milliken, ex-Miss Abitibi-turned sports executive most notably in charge of Misiriyaa Sports Group chairman. Sandrine didn't always have the sharpest edge with the businesspeople, who always tried to grift inside and PR outside, and found a lot of these trade discussions, strange enough as it gets with her ministeral position, tedious. So for her to miss the first two days, and only come around briefly for the third occasion, was something she could do.

But the reason why she was missing the second day was an unexpected circumstance. Earlier in the afternoon, she was in the office working on the following morning's speech when the 56-year-old was interrupted by a visit from the Sung Byeong-Joo, Director of Security and Public Affairs of National Intelligence Service, suggesting that she stay home with her husband and two high-schooler children, Simon and Manon, while figuring out next steps with the surgery and everything else. Sandrine agreed, taking no issue to Byeong-Joo's suggestion, even though she had a feeling from the stern officer's insistence that he implied something else.

Coincidentally enough, 17-yr-old Simon was bringing a date from his school. This didn't surprise Sandrine much, especially as she was all too familiar with his womanising reputation, but the difference this time was that the date happened to be Princess Elisabeth Clotilde, the youngest of Christine II's four children. And while she didn't exactly know how to deal with an unusual circumstance, especially considering how busy she had been, Marc-Antoine and she had to put together a last-minute dinner for the occasion that, for most part, didn't fall apart with Elisabeth seemingly happy enough with how it went.

'Wasn't so bad, isn't it?' Sandrine said to her husband, as the tall, dark-haired woman, watched Simon, Elisabeth and 15-yr-old Manon watching Captain FASANDA: Gay New World. The movie was about fifteen minutes into the start, when the the president-elect Jorge 'Magico' Gonzalez was under attack at the Red House. Sandrine felt somewhat relieved that her and her husband got to spend some time, especially since that hasn't really happened since the New Year's Day. This was something that Sandrine, while perfectly happy and in track with her job, did keep in mind whenever she wanted a way out of the political career. The idea of being a Prime Minister was glorious one, but she also knew she didn't have the universal liking the way Lucien did to every sector.

'No, but the security surely is keeping me anxious,' Marc-Antoine answered as his stepchildren and Princess Elisabeth, who looked no less ordinary than his stepchildren, checked the phone. 'Huh, QBC app is not working.' This wasn't the first, nor the second time, that he had to deal with this. Being her third husband, one that came after two failed marriages, had meant that he had to be careful, and with Marc-Antoine being a relatively less-known Jeweler dealing with customers no less fickle, had meant that there's a good match. Still, there were several downsides that often involved security details, and this was one of those with three additional Joongyeong Metropolitan Police officers assigned to the compound and internet access more fickle than ever.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

It was then that Sandrine had heard a couple of loud knocks to the door. Having a bad feeling about it, she immediately got to the door with Marc-Antoine and Manon right behind.

She opened the door. 'Right Honourable,' said the Joongyeong Metropolitan Police constable. He was a different one, dressed in a coat compared to lighter-dressed ones assigned to the house, and the stern nature of the occasion had meant that something bad's happened. 'This way please. Emergency. The Prime Minister will be present momentarily, as will be the Home Secretary and the NIS Chair.'

The Taegukgi: The Korean-language voice of the Quebecois Commonwealth

At least twenty dead, 53 injured following a Cheval Noir Hotel Bombing in Joongyeong

Kim Seok-Ho

JOONGYEONG, JOONGYEONG - At least twenty were killed late last night when a gigantic explosion rocked parts of the Cheval Noir Hotel in Belleville district of Joongyeong.

The hotel, where most of its occupants were asleep at the time of bombing, was mostly in full occupancy when the explosion occurred around 1:43 in the morning. The hotel was the venue for the current high-profile Quebeco-Busogan trade conference, which was chaired by the Busogan High Commissioner to Joongyeong, Abdulaziz Kurtar, and saw participation from several Quebecois MPs, deputy ministers and businesspeople. The Foreign Secretary, Sandrine Pavlikoff, was supposed to be present, but was reportedly absent in the first two days of conference.

A Joongyeong Metropolitan Police spokesperson said at least 53 have been injured, but has stated that there is no official casualty list at this point in time. Details of fatalities, as well as the extent of injuries, have yet to be announced, but it is reported that a high-profile businessperson is said to have died from the impact of the bombing, while the Busogan High Commissioner Kurtar is hospitalised in a critical injury.

The explosion, caused by a pair of bombs that were placed in the 8th and 5th floors of the 11-storey building, caused major damage to both wings of the Cheval Noir. Dozens of occupants, which included a pair of MPs, Busogan high commission staff and CSKA Quebec football star Cyrile Resnais-Mahama, walked down the emergency stairs. Most were asleep at the time of the explosion, requiring them to be rushed by hotel security and the Joongyeong Metropolitan Police constable.

Absent from the scene was Foreign Secretary, Sandrine Pavlikoff, as she withdrew from her participation in the first two days' events due to 'personal circumstances', according to the Foreign Office. Pavlikoff, who had received the news in her house at the time of bombing, immediately made her way to the hotel site. There she was joined by the Prime Minister, Lucien Azagury-Zovaco and Home Secretary, Sir. Nam Gyeong-Jin. Pavlikoff stated that the third and the final day of conference would proceed as expected with the Foreign Secretary set to be involved.

A decent number of guests were present in the first two floors of the hotel building, mostly in the swimming pool, the gym and the bar 'Io Capitano', when the explosion occurred. The second day's itinerary concluded at 21:30 with the dinner at 'Janjibar' restaurant, and while most guests had gone asleep, some were reportedly out spending time in the metropolis's high-flying nightclubs.

No official reason has been stated of the attack by the JMP and the Home Office at this point in time. Officials, however, have been saying on unofficial capacity that this was being treated as a deliberate attempt to sabotage the occasion with high-level presence, and that domestic terrorism remains an option on table. News agencies have also heard similar remarks from either, stating that the Busogan High Commissioner, who's hospitalised under critical conditions, is among one of several targets.

by **Rouyoute** » Tue Feb 18, 2025 3:51 am

Rouyoute World Bowl L Roster

In Rouyoute's third World Bowl, the team's going to be fielding a crew that, while a bit motley, has talent in some spots and is at the very least equipped with state of the art training facilities and equipment thanks to the royal family's generous (or vain, take your pick) sponsorship.

Offensively, expect a pass first attack that features extremely unconventional schemes. Johansson is an experimenter at heart and sometimes it's brilliant, sometimes it's a route pattern that never should've been invented. Throw in a talented quarterback who has a tendency to switch between generational brilliance and punch-a-hole-in-your-TV boneheadedness and...it's an interesting show. Lots of longer-developing routes thanks to two quality tackles and a mobile QB.

Defensively, the team will rely on its front seven to disrupt the opposition with their sheer size. The team sports several Drawkian or half-Drawkian players and will lean on their physical prowess to give them an edge against this new level of competition.

Stadium Info:
The Crooked Crown Cap 63,217:
Forgive my cruddy photo editing but this should give you a good idea of the layout. Have fun adjusting gameplans with that one and adding in wrinkles. Imagine the out route on the corner there,

[/spoiler]

Full Staff:
Head Coach: Henrik Johansson - a disgraced former GLD offensive coordinator who's exotic schemes confuse his passers and opponents alike. Very inconsistent gameplanner.

Offensive Coordinator: Émile Martinsson
Quarterbacks Coach: Mathias Lundqvist
Running Backs Coach: Thierry Lefebvre
Wide Receivers Coach: Guillaume Larsson
Tight Ends Coach: Axel Björk
Offensive Line Coach: François Leclerc

Defensive Coordinator: Jacques Dubois
Defensive Line Coach: Lars Svensson
Linebackers Coach: Pierre Dubois
Cornerbacks Coach: Anton Nilsson
Safeties Coach: Magnus Lindqvist
Special Teams Coordinator: Erik Johansen

Roster Notes:
Captains highlighted in purple, other key players highlighted in blue
Offense:

Quarterbacks:

Julien Girard - 6'3", 215 lb - Improviser. Good-not-great most of the time, but mixes in sensational plays and back-breaking mistakes alike
Baptiste Moreau - 6'6", 240 lb - Gunslinger
Théo Lefebvre - 6', 205 lb - Scrambler - coaches rumored to tell their DBs "just get into your drop and he'll throw you the ball" when he's in

Running Backs:

Nilsson Ekstrom - 6'2", 215 lb - three down back
Hansen Andersen - 5'10", 220 lb - power back/short yardage
Kristensen Pedersen - 6'1", 195 lb - receiving back

Wideouts:
Alexandre Dupont - 7'2", 235 lb - Drawkian jump-ball specialist
Pierre-Louis Martin - 5'11", 190 lb - deep threat
Gabriel Leclerc - 5'9", 190 lb - route runner/slot
Antoine Dubois - 6'2", 205 lb - balanced
Mathieu Rousseau - 6'1", 210 lb - physical
Lucas Bouchard - 6'3", 205 lb - physical
Emile Gagnon - 5'8", 170 lb - deep threat, doesn't get many offensive snaps and has trouble getting open but lethal in space or as a gadget

Tight Ends:

Henrik Jansen - 6'4", 255 lb - Vertical Threat
Théo Bernard - 6'5", 245 lb - Possession
Oskar Bjornsson - 6'3", 260 lb - Blocking
Simon Lindqvist - 6'2", 250 lb - Blocking

Left Tackles:

Gustav Johansson - 7'8"", 340 lb - Drawkian, long arms make it hard to go through him, a bit vulnerable to speed moves due to height
Jérémie Gagné - 6'5", 315 lb - Agile

Left Guards:

Anders Pedersen - 6'3", 295 lb - Agile
Antoine Morin - 6'4", 300 lb - Power

Centers:

Lars Andersen - 6'2", 285 lb - Pass protector
Mathias Lavoie - 6'3", 290 lb - Agile

Right Guards:

Erik Svensson - 6'4", 330 lb - Power
Magnus Lindberg - 6'3", 305 lb - Agile

Right Tackles:

Benjamin Grande - 6'11", 325 lb - Half-Drawkian, power player, similar stylistically to Johansson
Nathan Tremblay - 6'5", 310 lb - Power

Defense:
Left End:
Antoine Moreau - 6'7", 275 lb - power rusher, premier edge threat
Guillaume Roy - 6'3", 250 lb - speed rusher

Defensive Tackle:
Maxime Gagné - 7'4", 355 lb - Drawkian, run stopper - if initial bull rush fails, tends to back off and look to bat down passes, sometimes picks 'em off
Etienne Lavoie - 6'1", 290 lb - power rusher
Marc-André Tremblay - 6'3", 290 lb - run stopper
David Pelletier - 6'4", 300 lb - power rusher

Right End:
Félix Tremblay - 6'3", 255 lb - speed rusher
Olivier Caron - 6'2", 260 lb - power rusher

Linebacker:
Alexandre Deschamps - 6'0", 230 lb - field general
Vincent Girard - 6'1", 240 lb - run stopper
Lucas Roy - 6'2", 235 lb - pass coverage
Samuel Lévesque - 6'0", 230 lb - field general

Cornerback:
Simon Beaudry - 7'1", 235 lb - Drawkian, ballhawk, will often play man coverage against tight ends
William Lavoie - 5'10", 185 lb - denies targets
Olivier Poirier - 6'0", 195 lb - ballhawk
Nicolas St-Pierre - 5'11", 190 lb - denies targets
Félix Bélanger - 5'10", 185 lb - ballhawk

Safety:
Gabriel Gagné - 6'10", 230 lb - big hitter, half-Drawkian, centerpiece of this defense
Édouard Tremblay - 6'0", 195 lb - ballhawk
David Simard - 6'2", 205 lb - denies targets
Xavier Bélanger - 6'1", 200 lb - ballhawk

Special Teams:

Kicker:
Pierre-Louis Gauthier - 6'3", 195 lb - Power

Punter:
Oskar Sørensen - 6'2", 245 lb - Power

Punt and Kick Returners:
Emile Gagnon - 5'8", 170 lb - deep threat, doesn't get many offensive snaps and has trouble getting open but lethal in space or as a gadget
Édouard Tremblay - 6'0", 195 lb - ballhawk
Félix Bélanger - 5'10", 185 lb - ballhawk

by **Grand Exultia** » Tue Feb 18, 2025 4:28 am

Grand Exultia Fans' Perspective: We want to hear your voices

A tough battle but the heart's still there

What a day to take to the field for our first national gridiron game! Walking into that stadium absolutely buzzing with anticipation that our team could show the world exactly what they’re made of. I know the scoreboard may not reflect what we wanted but boy did the players show heart, grit and unwavering spirit that showed what it meant to be Exultious.

Our quarterbacks Flameborne and Sauberwalder both had moments. Flameborne showed flashes of brilliance, a couple of passes getting the crowd raised. Sauberwalder with some great rhythm and chemistry with the receivers but just a couple too many that didn’t quite connect when we needed them most. There’s potential there and soon they will be firing on all cylinders.

The running backs, Windstride, Gutensein, and Vonbram fought for every inch let alone yard. Windstride showing they’re a key asset and fulfilling the prospect perspective allowed to him over years of undocumented college football. That spin move he pulled in the third quarter, mesmerizing. The O-line guys did their best to create lanes with Dreadforged and Reichnachbar leading the charge but it felt like we were always just a step behind, kind of expected against a ranked team.

The receiving corps, what a group! Starfury, Moonshadow and Aushunger driving the team downfield. Moonshadow the standout for me hauling in some tough passes in high traffic areas but that lack of protection from the O-line stymied any real threat. Boqtza and Walswitha didn’t get much game time, shame, but you know they are lurking waiting for the opportunity to prove themselves.

Defensively, we weren’t as dominant as we know we can be but there were moments of brilliance. Stonefist and Rhadegund plugged the middle as best they could, Blackthorn and Antibrote were relentless on the edges yet still gaps formed in our coverage. We’re used to seeing our defence create chaos but today it was much quieter than usual and failed to disrupt how we would expect.

Our secondaries, Nightshade and Frostwhisper had some great plays but those big clutch passes from the opposition seemed to slip through just when we needed a turnover, I mean how close can you get to an interception before actually intercepting? They’ve shut down top-tier receivers in the domestic league so I’m sure they’ll bounce back in the next fixtures.

A special shout-out to Fendric Sunflare, who nailed three field goals, THREE! To keep us in the game and show a ton of poise under pressure.

In the end, it’s tough to swallow a loss, especially with the expectations we had coming into this tournament but we’ve got a squad that’s hungry. Thrain Ironhide and Merewina Frankenlederhosen brought the fire in short yardage situations showing they’re willing to put it all on the line, definitely a few bruises after that game.

In the end loss is a tough pill to swallow, especially if you have expectations of grandeur coming into a tournament but our squad is hungry and you know they want it. Ironhide and Frankenlederhosen brought the fire in short yardage situations showing they’re willing to put it all on the line, definitely a few bruises after that game.

Next game? We get back to work against Newmanistan and South Americanistan. We know the talent is there and once our offense gels and our defense locks it down we’ll be a force to reckon with. Stick with us, Exultians, the road’s tough but our titans are tougher!

World Bowl L - Everything Thread

History of the World Bowl (part 1)

Nordic Storm Falls in Opening Battle, Vows Vengeance

NSFB: A Good Return To Home

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