“It was a wild night at Diggly Field, with 75,000 rabid fans screaming excitedly for the Chikilgo Bears and the Industrial Diggers! These teams were evenly matched on paper, but the Bears had a brutal strength advantage while the Diggers relied on the sheer indomitability of their Chaos Dwarf linemen to give their Hobs and Bulls a chance.

The fans got what they wanted: lots of hits! The kickoff went to the Diggers, and straight away players were tossed around the field left and right by both teams, and the fans wanted blood! They were granted their wish when Menace McKill-Em-All went down for the game early in the first half.

Not to be out-bashed, the Bears showed their true colors and started knocking out Diggers like there was no tomorrow! Bear Beast Von Rippera got the ball from Digger Hob Marl and nearly made it to the end zone, but in the end was surrounded by Dwarves and Bulls that just wouldn't give up. Marl got the ball back and tried for a pass, but the Chaos Dwarf Bosch couldn't hold on to it (what a surprise!). There was a mad scramble, but in the end the whistle blew before anyone could do more than touch the ball, and the first half ended with the score tied at zero.

After the half the Bears received the ball and began a careful run up the middle, blockers all around Odorous Killson. The Diggers' Bulls were at the front of the assault, though, and even managed to down Baron Killiam 'Refridgerator' Scary, who is renowned for his incredible physique! This didn't halt Killson's assault, though, and he broke out of the crowd and made a run for the touchdown. His blockers cleared the way, chased madly by rampaging Bull Centaurs, and he got close to the line... but then the coach called a delay!

The Beastman nodded his horned head and ran along the goal line, keeping a wary eye out for the still mobile Bull Centaurs. Mahindra managed to blitz his way free of his blockers and charged full tilt at Killson, hoping to catch him before he scored. And what a play! Even as he stepped over the goal line, Killson got tangled in Mahindra's flying hooves and went down!

Now it was up to Marl, sometimes called the Elven Hob, to keep the Bears from recovering. With a burst of speed he got hold of the ball and looked for a receiver, but there was no one nearby. The closest teammates not neck-deep in defenders was a group of three Chaos Dwarves who were busily trying to push Chaos Warrior Lord Reikard Dentus into the crowd! In complete desperation Marl threw a long bomb toward them, cringing as the Dwarves paid little attention to anything but beating up Lord Dentus.

The Dwarves looked up as they heard Marl's frantic screaming and saw the ball coming toward them. The light suddenly dawned, and Bonny stretched out his tiny Dwarf arms and completely missed the ball... but it stuck on the point of his helmet! Teammates SkyTrak and Boxer screamed at him to RUN!

And so he did, while the others screened him from the rampaging Chaos Warriors. Bonny pushed his iron-shod feet faster than he ever had before, and as he was huffing toward the goal line he saw Lord Dentus barreling toward him, bent on revenge and roaring like a madman! Bonny prepared himself to be pounded into the pavement, but Lord Dentus never saw Boxer's outstretched foot, and down he went.

Bonny raced toward the goal line, sweat pouring down his beard as he watched the seconds tick down... and he made it, just as the final whistle blew, and the crowd went wild! What a finish!

The final score was 1-0 Industrial Diggers!

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I am particularly grateful to Chilkilgo Bears Coach Nightbird, who was as gracious when he had me on the ropes early in the game as he was while watching a ridiculously improbable play actually work to cost him the game. Only such a play would have done it, too; he played very well, and I hope to have the chance to meet him on the pitch again!”