“NWFL Season 4 Rd 7.

This was gonna be a tough one. It was a somber pre-game huddle, with the players looking at each other and wondering who wasn't going to be around for the next game. Eleven players (mostly Thralls) facing off vs a 15 player Khemri team down -50/-60. The odds were long and the coffins were pre-measured.

The Rays took the opening kickoff in a severe blizzard and started bashing. Surprisingly, the Suckers withstood the first turn with no players sent off. A minor miracle really. They blitzed an opening in the Khemri line and moved some players into the Rays field to put a little pressure on the offense.

A bad move it turns out. Listen to Your blizted Chump and put him down. Willie Ra dropped the boot and that was the end of Chump's game. He got one turn. Fortunately a BH meant he would survive the game.

The Suckers continued to apply the pressure while trying to minimize blocks on the team. T3 saw them KO Bubba Ra and Gobolov surfed a Skellie. They were actually up players at this point!

The next few turns saw the Rays try to slowly advance the ball vs. the cautious defense of the Suckers. Another skellie got KO'd and finally the Suckers saw their chance. Asmodai blitzed ball-carrier Eli Ray and dropped him. The surprisingly agile thralls dodged out of the Khemri tacklezones and dropped back to cover the loose ball, and rookie Thrall Duross even managed to pick it up and punt deep. The ball floated out of bounds but the throw in was still in the Rays midfield.

The Hillbilly's coach was ready to eat his hat, but then his team proved why they are feared in this league. In two consecutive hits they SI'd both Vostoc and Count Asmodai. But it was too little too late, as the Suckers had run enough players deep to secure the ball and get the score. The Suckers scattered their players and stalled out the half. Gobolov couldn't quite get enougth distance in the blizzard though and was chased down and flattened by Listen to Your before Eli Ray ran up and fouled him. Sploosh! His head was totally caved in. Fortunately for the Suckers, his injury was regenerated. Half ended Suckers 1, Rays 0.

Second half the Suckers received with 8 players. A 'bad' kick resulted in the ball near the midfield line opposite of the Sucker offensive. The Hillbilly's quickly pressed an attack and the Suckers struggled to respond. Despite Gobolov surfing a Skeleton and subsequently gathering the ball in two tackle zones and throwing cross-field (unsuccessfully) to a waiting thrall, they couldn't stop the Khemri counter attack, and the Rays scored by T12.

Again the Suckers recieved, this time with only 7 players, but at least the weather turned nice. Gobolov dropped off the LOS, retrieved the ball, and retreated behind the thrall screen on the left hash. The Rays moved to counter but a blitz by Listen to Your was tripped up by some snakes. The Suckers took advantage of the opportunity by moving the ball and the screen up the left sidelines. Although the Rays pressured the defense, they couldn't stop the T15 score. They did manage to drop another boot on Type A Negative though, causing the one perm of the game.

Coach Ironcollar in the post game presser:

"Christ we got lucky. This is the first game the Suckers have taken seven casualties and felt like we got off easy. We're still hosed mind you, but this could've been SO much worse. And to get the win...well, clearly that dispute between two mummies about who deseverd to be the named the teams Greatest player clearly helped us. On the other hand, we were down so much we didn't even get to use our league sanctioned...favor.

Anyway, the lads played tough, got lucky, and got the win. We'll miss Type A, Asmodai and Vostoc for the next match, and we'll have to hire a couple of freebooters to field a full team, but the Suckers are still in this thing!"

On his way out the back door, Coach Ironcollar was inadvertantly overheard by a spy-imp:

"Jesus, we're done for. Either we've got the Bearz, or if their Coach doesn't show, we've got the Platypi, and we're down to 11 players, one Vampire and we're carrying FOUR freaking rookie Thralls. God Damn It, where's my whiskey for crying out loud! I TOLD you to have it ready following the press conference you stupid...."”