The crowds roared for the opening day of Season Two of the Clomp! league. This would be one of the featured matchups of the day, pitting the Lizard team of Bufo Draconis against the Orcs of Azh's Bashas. The two teams had met in Season One, and both teams were eager to prove themselves in the rematch.
First Half:
The Bashas win the coin toss and choose to receive the ball, placing it in the hands of their veteran thrower, Gugfak, who moves upfield as as screen of orcs provide a loose buffer while also attempting to put some hurt on the cold-blooded killers they face. Things start off well when one of the Saurus on the line is knocked out just as the game begins. However, Gugfak underestimates the speed and power of the Saurus, as one of the scaly brutes slides in past a well-timed block and lays Gugfak out, spilling the ball onto the field. An awkward scrum ensues as the Bashas retrieve the ball and continue to advance it in short spurts as the lizards quickly pound Gugfak everytime he gets up. Finally, Ishtam the goblin sneaks into the pile, emerging with ball in hand as he spins away from a tackle. He swiftly cuts back across the field and hands the ball to the Riknast the Blitzer who easily trots in for the first score of the game, and the first of his career.
A riot breaks out in the stands before kickoff, forcing the refs to reset the clock back a few minutes, giving the Draconis team a little extra breathing room before the half ends. And they do their best to take advantage of it, pushing hard along the right side of the field, barely missing the tying score as a last-minute pass falls through the hands of the Skink waiting in the endzone, who ends up being pushed off the field as a result of his mistake and is badly injured by the visibly upset fans.
Second Half:
The second half began with the Bashas kicking off to Bufo Draconis. The Saurus again pile heavily onto the right-hand side of the field, blowing out the Orc Blizters and quickly passing the ball from Skink to Skink, pushing it perilously close to the Bashas goal line in a matter of seconds! The alarmed orcs run over to provide blocking and support as the Blitzer Galth breaks away from the cluthes of the lizards, knocks down the Skink carrier and picks up the ball himself. But the support proved to be too fragile as the Draconis team easily knocks Galth to the turf. The dimunitive Skink Itzi swoops in to grab it, and then cuts back around his blockers before making a short toss to a wide open Xlatilt in the endzone, tying the game at one score apiece in the early stages of the second half.
On the ensuing kickoff, Gugfak again fields the ball and moves up towards the center while the two Blitzers on the right, sprint downfield, rolling over a Skink along the way. Again the Saurus show their speed, though they are unable to get a block on the Gugfak, who nimbly dodges upfield, handing the ball off to Badhag, the leading scorer for the Basha. Badhag races for the left sideline, hoping to put some room between himself and the lizards. But the ever-speedy Skink respond, swarming to the ball like a pack of radbid pirhanas, knocking Badhag down and threatening to take the ball before Orcish reinforcements arrive and push them back. Badhag springs up from the turf and picks up the ball again, falling back behind a screen of orcs. But the Draconis team is short-handed at this point, and with all their heavy-hitters tied up in center field, a single punishing block along the sideline allows Badhag to slip through the gap and into the endzone, bringing the score to 2-1 in the Bashas favor.
As the game begins to wind down, the Draconis return to their tried and true formula, but an unexpected fumble slows them down just enough for the Bashas to respond, blocking that side of the field and forcing the lizards into a melee that they have trouble winning. Marfak puts the finishing touches on the game as he forces a fumble and then trips up another Skink who tries to recover it. A few uneventful fistfights break out as the whistle blows to end the game.
Final Score: Bashas 2, Draconis 1
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