Whitebranch’s Heroics Lift Green Dukes 3-2 Over River Rats
The
Duqueswood University Green Dukes topped the
J.J.C. River Rats 3-2 in the second game of
NCBB season 46 largely thanks to the high-flying play of junior wardancer Deathwyntyr Whitbranch (elven military science—RETC), who had a TD on the day as well as a stunning late-game cage-diving blitz. Freshman gutter runner Amari Coope had the underworld team’s two touchdowns, while the Green Dukes also got TDs from sophomore thrower Phaedry Featherwind (plant psychology) and sophomore catcher Zindari Dawnwind (elemental lore).
“It’s nice to see the lady elves on the team chipping in like that,” said Green Duke Coach Gerric Smithson after the game, noting that the team made a distinct effort to recruit more female players in the last two seasons. “I have to admit, I may have been a bit sexist when we first started this program. I didn’t think the she-elves could play this game. I thought all they did was bake cookies inside the trees. I’ve been told that’s not a thing, which does make sense given the forest’s strict fire-code regulations.”
The first half saw the teams trading quick scores, with Coope and Featherwind both finding paydirt without much defensive resistance. When Coope scored a second TD with only seconds left on the clock, the River Rats looked sure to head into halftime up 2-1. Smithson, however, turned to the ancient elven art of the “un tirn tee dee,” which former wardancer
Angorn Windfoot introduced to the team in its second season.
Blocking one of the River Rats goblins into Whitebranch, the elf linemen and freshman treeman (
and resurrected wardancer) Mirlin Weatherborn (tree bark studies) helped the wardancer generate enough speed to get downfield before time expired. Then Dawnwind used her seed-casting skills to hit Whitebranch with a perfect pass. Even though J.C.C had the goal line blocked, Whitebranch took to the air, leaping clean over freshman clanrat Lavonte David and landing in the end zone to even the score.
“I know well that such aerial tactics may one day be the death of me,” said Whitebranch, who is playing this season with less armor in a bid to increase his speed and agility. “But there’s a reason they call this position wardancer and not ... ballet dancer or. Still, I find it helpful to embrace the wisdom of that ancient adage, ‘one must dance as if no one is watching … and waiting to stomp on your prone body to death should you fall to the pitch.’ ”
The teams once again traded quick touchdowns in the second half, and the River Rats took possession of the ball with a few minutes left. Moving methodically upfield now, J.C.C. looked to score the tying TD with no time left for the Green Dukes to answer. Coope reached scoring distance amid a cage of blockers in the closing seconds, but the Green Dukes had set up a fairly solid screen to prevent the score. Still, Coach Smithson made the questionable decision to wave Whitebranch forward for an aerial blitz.
Leaping over a goblin and skaven blocker, Whitebranch delivered a flying back-fist to Coope’s snout, knocking the rat and the ball to the pitch. Three other Green Dukes then quickly surrounded the loose ball to prevent J.J.C. from regaining possession before the clock expired, giving Duqueswood a 3-2 win and evening their record at 1-1 for the season.
“Have I seen wardancers die on plays like that in the past? Yes, sure,” said Coach Smithson on his aggressive late-game coaching move. “And, yeah, I’ve heard that the ‘definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,’ but what can I say, blood bowl’s a crazy game, so maybe sanity isn’t the best coaching strategy."
