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1. 1. OWCC Ssn VII, Game 5 (or 5)

OWCC Seasons are brutally short, and leave little room for errour. After sweeping their first 3 games but choking the last one, the Expats found themselves on the bubble for this last game, do-or-die for the post-season. LUU had clawed their way to the same position, and, down 300TV, loaded for bear, a Wizard and a 'Saw.

Expats won and elected to receive, but a Rock took out their best +Ag skink BH before the kick landed. All too aware of the wizard, they kept a loose cage and were patient and conservative, putting the ball in the hands of a rookie skink. Meanwhile LUU targeted the skinks, finally KO'ing the other +Ag Turn 4, and then pulling off a 5+ dodge to GFI blitz the ballcarrier, but could only find a Push thru RR. As the Expats pushed the loose screen up within scoring range, LUU risked a fireball on the ballcarrier and the other skink (the +AV DTss'er), and caught them both! They then found Pows to break the front and back of the screen, and a Ghoul snuck through to "punt" the ball back into the Expats backfield. Expats fell back and marked the ball to contest the score, recovering the ball in TZ and surviving the Turn 7 blitz. But without RR, poor positioning left them open to a fail, and LUU finally found the Pow, KO'd the rookie and made the pickup to end the half up 0-1.

The Rookie skink slept on, but the +Ag woke up, which would prove crucial.


2nd half, a Blitz! was promising, but the +Ag skink snaked the sole GFI for the catch. But LUU returned the favour, snaking the pickup, and 2 Turns later the Expats had tied it up, sending the 'Saw off before he could do any damage, score tied 1-1.

Turn 3, the Expats were kicking again, game tied, the rookie Skink still asleep so still 9 facing 11, but this time with no inducements left on the field. Expats blasted through a flawed screen to double-mark the ballcarrier, but LUU RR'd to find a Pow on the DTss'er, then double-dodged into the clear. The Expat GFI blitz could not find a Pow on the Blodger despite RR, and LUU scored to take the lead on their Turn 5, 1-2.

With only 4 Turns remaining and needing the win to guarantee post-season, Expats pushed up on one side, but held the ballcarrier back. LUU pressured with a double-GFI that marked the ballcarrier, but, despite an inexplicable blocking errour that made the play much harder than it needed to be, made a double Ag 4 dodge w/ GFI to handed off (RR'd) for the triple Ag3 dodge double-GFI score to tie it up, 2-2!


To start Turn 7, a freak kick + Good Weather put the ball OB and directly into the hands of the LUU MA 7 Blodgestepper, who pushed up behind a thin screen to the 8 yard line, 1 RR in reserve for the T16 score. But Expats needed to go for the knockout and win, but rolled a 1 on the Break Tackle - and LUU wasted no rolls in going directly for the winning score, 3-2.


Respect to Coach SA for solid positioning against a superior TV and higher-Strength team, for making the most of the Inducements (if a bit on the lucky side w/ that fireball), and then holding on once the Inducements were out.

Next time!

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