Flame Wings of Caledor vs Mouseketeers - Week 7

 This week the Flame Wings of Caledor are facing the Skaven team of the Mouseketeers. The Flame Wings will be making use of some inducements since they are the underdogs by 180,000 TV. They buy some Extra Team Training, a keg of Bloodweiser, and hire a temp Cheerleader. The wanted an elf cheerleader, but had to settle for a human.

Mouseketeers win the toss and choose to receive. The coach places three of Smet Torwat's Four Finishers on the line of scrimmage in an effort to curb their fouling desires. With his focus on the fouling, he erroneously left Yin Kumaro, the team's kicker, on the line.

The ball is kicked of to center field Zazz picks up the ball and passes it to the Gutter Runner Asazeshin who runs toward the sideline and across the line of scrimmage with a couple of others to help defend. Rat Fink, the Mouseketeers Rat Ogre, hit Yin Kumaro, injuring him. The Flame Wings coach signals to drag him off the pitch, but it's misinterpreted and the apothecary runs out to treat Kumaro. It's not as bad as it looks and he will return on the next drive.

The skaven have left a whole in the defense of the ball and Emsi 'The Guardian' sees it. A couple of elven linemen engage with couple defenders to keep them from interfering with Emsi's blitz. The Flame Wings' catchers and Blitzer Trondjte move to impede forward movement should the blitz fail. Emsi hits the ball carrier who sidesteps toward the sideline. The ball remains in bounds right on the side line a few yards from theline of scrimmage.

The Mouseketeers clear some defenders away and Ysstra goes to pick up the ball, but it slips from their paws and rolls into the crowd. Once it's tossed back in it settles on toward the center of the pitch. Turnover.

With the field relatively open, this the Flame Wings' chance to score early on their opponent's kick off. Jho the Scrubber makes a block assisted by Smet Torwat the rat lineman goes down and probably would have been fouled if he hadn't just been knocked out. Smet moves to pick up the ball and moves across to the Mouseketeers side of the field. With three rats around him, Emsi attempts a block on the Gutter Runner Shlak and he ends up on the ground himself. Turnover.

This doesn't leave Smet in the best position. He is alone in the middle of the field within range of a number of the speedy skaven. With a minmal commitment of players, Torwat is stunned on the ground and the ball is loose. Asazeshin comes from the sideline and reclaims the ball.

The ball is centerfield, the ball carrier has defenders directly in front and behind. Not the best setup, but 2 elves are off the field, five are on the ground, two of them are stunned, and of the four standing only two of them are unmarked by the Mouseketeers, and they would have to rush to get to the ball carrier. Nyt Hona, one of the unmarked elves runs to mark the front skaven defending the ball carrier. Jho tries to get away from Bysst who shadows him for four yards before the elf can get some distance between them. Jho moves to mark the ball carrier and the rear defender. Newly hired Asel Niff Stand up off the ground and blitzes the ball carrier, knocking them to the ground stunned. As Asazeshin goes to the ground the ball scatters back to Niff and is caught. That is the fourth time the ball has been picked up and it's only turn 3! The remaining elves move into the best defensive positions the can manage from their prone positions.

Asel Niff holds the ball in the middle of the field with a skaven player on each side. Both of the Mouseketeers marking the ball carrier have another elf marking each of them. Let's see if they can maintain possession better than anyone else this game.

Some rat support comes in to help take down the ball carrier and Ysstra comes in for the blitz. With all the support around it is an even fight, but Asel Niff can't stay standing and the ball comes loose again falling to the ground. Skaven try to mark the Flame Wings to keep them from getting to the ball. The Gutter Runner Shlak runs to the ball taking a longer route to keep distance from the elves and Manages to pick up the ball, buthas nothing left to move away.

Smet 'The Corpse' Torwat blitzes the ball carrier from a prone position, stunning Shlak and knocking the ball free once again. Arguably the best player for the Flame Wings, Nyt Hona dodges through a couple of skaven, scoops up the ball and continues up the field. He is within scoring range should he manage to hang on to the ball. Irato Daktirin follows Nyt's path and makes the dodges himself and takes a position to defend the ball. Soi 'Sparrow' Dang dodges through the same path. Jho the Scrubber dodges away from a skaven thrower and takes a position to impede the skaven from reaching Hona.

The skaven thrower, Physst, gives everything they've got to stand between Nyt and the goal. Ysstra runs to blitz the ball carrier, but is just too worn out and collapses in in front of the elf catcher. Turnover.

Nyt Hona has done the impossible and managed to hang on to the ball for an entire turn. Soi Dang blitzer the Physst and clears Hona to run the ball in. Nyt runs to the goal line and stops. Jho make a block on Asazeshin who dodges and sidesteps the attempt, allowing them to move towards the ball. Well, it looked like he was going to dodge that, but Jho sticks out a foot and trips him. This may be the first contribution that Jho has made to the team. Asel Niff tries to dodge away from Bysst who shadows the elf a short distance before falling behind. Niff positions as an obstacle to Hona who's standing on the goal at the end of turn 5.

The Mouseketeers make a couple blocks. Physst blitz Irato Daktirin, but Daktirin blocks the effort and the rat falls to the ground. Turnover.

The next couple of turns, both teams trade some blocks until the end of turn 7 when Nyt Hona take the ball in for the touchdown. 1-0 Flame Wings.

Yin Kumaro is back on the field and the Flame Wings' coach made sure to pull the kicker off the line of scrimmage. The kick is made and the ball comes to rest in the end zone. Both teams have 1 turn before half time.

The Mouseketeers make their block on the line of scrimmage, blitz a lineman, make a vanity pass, and the remaining players run to stay out of reach of the Flame Wings.

Trondjte makes a blitz on a skaven blitzer and ends up on the ground himself. Turnover and half time.

The Flame Wings line up for offense for the first time this game. Yin Kumaro is swapped out and Yodlam Erlan takes the field. The kick is made and falls in the middle of the Flame Wings side of the field. A timeout is called and when play resumed it was turn 10.

The Flame Wings prepare to run up the right side of the field. The elven thrower picks up the ball and passes it to Nyt Hona. The catcher moves behind two linemen, so he's defended from the front, but vulnerable if the skaven can sneak around behind. Struggling to find an advantage on the line of scrimmage, a blitz is made on a gutter runner, but only results in a pushed rat.

The Mouseketeers begin to line up to stop progress on the right side. Some blocks are thrown, and two lineman in a spat both go down. Turnover.

The skaven have crowded the right side of the field, so the Flame Wings look to switch to the left side. Nyt moves back and hands the ball back to Elran. The thrower moves and passes to the blitzer Trondjte. Trondjte runs with the ball, rushing to get as far as he can and stops within scoring range. Emsi tries to block a gutter runner and only gets a push. Needing to try and hold the skaven from the ball he follows up to have 5 rats marking him. Ruhntinimas blocks another rat, but only gets a push. It does manage to get one off of Emsi. The ball carrier is isolated, but he has a good amount of space from the skaven players.

A skaven thrower runs to the back field to be ready to assist if a chance comes. Emsi gets pushed, but decides not to sidestep it and gets pushed off a pair of Mouseketeers' Gutter Runners. Shlak runs crossfield and stands between Trondjte and the goal, marking him. Ysstra follows behind with a blitz to Trondtje, but it fails and the rat goes down while the and the elf stays upright. Turnover.

Smet 'The Corpse' Torwat blitzes Shlak to free up the ball carrier. The skaven stays standing, but is pushed towards the sideline and off the ball carrier. Trondjte runs the ball in for the touchdown. 2-0 Flame Wings at the end of the Flame Wings' turn 12.

The ball is kicked to the center of the Mouseketeers side and the Flame Wings get a Fouling Frenzy event.

The skaven blitz down the right side blocking Jho the Scrubber who does what he does best and is taken to the sideline knocked out. At least this time it wasn't the result of his own block. He's showing improvement. A skaven thrower picks up the ball and passes it to Asazeshin. The gutter runner dances up the sideline behind the defense of three skaven. With the ball safe, the skaven make their hits on the line of scrimmage. Rat Fink is overcome with Animal Savagery and swat a teammate, then turns their rage on Smet Torwat who stays up for the first attack, but is knocked out by the second. He joins Jho on the sideline.

The Flame Wings coach sees a plan to try and push the ball carrier back with their own teammates. A couple elves take position to assisit in the tactic and Emsi goes for the blitz and when the blitzer defending the ball carrier goes down, the gutter runner sidesteps the push. Outsmarted by a rat. The rest of the elves spred out to control the space between the ball carrier and the goal line.

The skaven make some block to try and clear the ball carrier. The elf gets pushed around but stay standing. The skaven go for a play unexpected by the Flame Wings and the ball is handed off to Shlak who sprints backwards behind the line of scrimmage. The ball is relatively secure as turn 13 ends.

There are few things more tempting than the chance to surf a gutter runner, but this one sidesteps and the commitment need of elves to accomplish the task is not the priority. The chance of the bonus point for scoring is on the table. Elves reposition in the backfield to prepare to stop the ball. Yin Kumaro tries to make an opening to get to the ball carrier and injures one of the Mouseketeers' throwers, Physst, who end up with a head injury. Soi Dang makes goes for the blitz on the ball carrier and only manages to push Shlak. Kitro Kreshin marks the ball carrier and a block is made on Asazeshin who sidesteps the elf to get  off the sideline.

The skaven clear some room on the sideline and then Shlak dodges away running to the sideline and hands the ball off to the thrower, Zazz. Zazz throws the ball to Asazeshin who runs it in for a touchdown. 2-1 Flame Wings with 2 turns left for each team. With elves and skaven, either side could find a chance to score.

The ball is kicked to the left center of the Flame Wings' side of the field. The catchers are positioned on both flanks near the line of scrimmage to give the best chance to get within scoring range for turn 16. Elves begin to run to make coverage down the left side of the field preparing for a pass to the catcher who will move in to score on the next turn. Yodlam Elran picks up the ball and passes it to Ruhntinimas who rns to the 14 yard line. The remaining Flame Wings move to try and restrict the movement of the Mouseketeers. Ruhntinimas is not in an optimal position, but there is not enough time left to be picky, this is the last chance for the bonus point for scoring.

Ysstra runs to mark Ruhntinimas by standing on the sideline in front of the elf. Asazeshin follows with an even strength nlock on the ball carrier who goes down. The ball scatters toward the sideline into the paws of Ysstra. The rest of the Mouseketeers hold their positions.

Trondtje goes for a block on Asazeshin who sidesteps the attempt moving to the other side of the prone Ruhntinimas. The catcher could still blitz the ball carrier, but it would put the ball into the crowds hands and possibly stop the small remaining chance of scoring. Instead Smet Torwat blitzes the Ysstra and both players go down. Turnover.

Trondjte is blitzed by the skaven Blitzer, Snot, knocking him on top of the ball which scatters among the prone players until coming to rest on the 18 yard line. The ball is easily accessible to the skaven, but they have no players that can reack the end zone. The rat ogre makes a final block and the game is over. 2-1 Flame Wings.

The MVP is awarded to Asel Niff in their first game.

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After the game we asked the Flame Wings' coach a few questions:

Earlier in the week Smet 'The Corpse' Torwat had told us that he had formed his Four Finishers and that htey were going to start fouling the opponents. Did you come to some sort of agreement?

"Not exactly. I decided to put them on the line in order to make it difficult to get away and pull these shenanigans. I'm glad I did too. This may have been the first game where the opponent didn't foul an elf once," said the coach. He continued, "My positioning was only part of the reason. The scamble in the first half to get control of the ball was a big factor too. I know there are some bloodthirsty elves out for violence, but in the end they know they need to win if they want a chance for the team to continue after the preseason."

Let's talk about the approaching season. You said last week that things were complicated are you able to talk anymore on this?

"I got roped into a spokesperson role because a sponsor wanted to sign Jho the Scrubber. It must have been due to the MVP titles he was given. They couldn't have chose him because of his play. Today's game was the first positive contribution he's made to the team and shortly after he went to the sideline unconcious again. Anyway, they required me to be a co-spokesperson, because they know that Blood Bowl players aren't gauranteed to live from week to week. So, now I'm technically a contracted spokesperson for Karak Varn Protection, a manufacturer of male sports protection. This product is basically a small cast iron frying pan that hangs from a rope belt. Sure, it protects the meat and two veg, but a solid hit will probably crack your pevlis and---"

The coach is stopped and a consultant of somesort is talking with him.

"...they make a fine product." The coach pauses and takes a breath. "Anyway, I am tied to a contract with KVP. They will control what team I will move to. They want a more violent team to show why their product is needed. There's talk of moving me to coach a team of greenskins. I've made my feeling clear about orcs and such, but if I refuse to coach whatever team they choose, I will be moved to product testing. Honestly, these options seem like a toss up to me, but coaching has a chance of being more enjoyable."

Are you saying that the Flame Wings of Caledor will be finished at the end of this preseason?

"That's not guaranteed. A champion or a division winning franchise could be more attractive than an unknown one, but it's impossible to say since I am not part of the conversation."

Do you know of any other teams in consideration?

"Not really. A small whisper of dwarves or chaos, but seems more like a toss up of this mystery orc team and the Flame Wings."

Thanks for your time, coach and congratulations on the win.