The Greatest Games:
Liberty VS Hawks 2029 NSFC Championship Game
We’re in the season fourteen post season, we’re in Baltimore, Maryland. There are nineteen seconds left on the clock in the National Simulation Football Conference Championship Game between the Baltimore Hawks and the Philadelphia Liberty. The score is tied twenty-eight to twenty-eight. Kicker Kulture Fulture is stepping up to try and deliver the game winning field goal and send this team from the city of brotherly love to the Ultimus Bowl for the first time in seven years. While the play is routine, in this moment it serves as a kick that will define both teams, whether as perennial contenders, or the teams that just couldn’t do enough to win the big one. There’s enough at stake here that the gravitas of this moment cannot fail to be realised by any player, coach or fan in the stadium. But before we can get to that, let’s take a look at how we got here in the first place.
The Philadelphia Liberty were finding themselves in Groundhog Day. The previous season, they had come off of an eight and six regular season, which translated to a playoff berth and subsequent loss to the conference’s one seed, the Colorado Yeti in the conference championship game; losing fifty to twenty-seven. This had been the story for Philly since their exception. With the exception of an Ultimus Bowl appearance in Ultimus Bowl VI (2021) and an Ultimus Bowl win at Ultimus Bowl VII (2022), the Liberty had developed a reputation for doing just enough to get into the playoffs, and then just as quickly as they entered, get kicked out, normally either in a dominant or heartbreaking way. So far, this season hasn’t been much different. The Liberty finished with a respectable record of nine wins and five losses. Quarterback Adriana Falconi put up over four thousand yards in passing and securing a respectable twenty-eight to thirteen touchdown to interception ratio. This offence has been running through Falconi, and she’s had support from rookie fullback Fast Boija, who’s put up seven hundred and eighty-one rushing yards over the entirety of the season. Wide receiver Carter Bush would become Falconi’s favourite target, achieving one thousand three-hundred and forty-nine yards and eleven touchdowns over the season. But certain narratives are starting to rear their head again. The Liberty were at the top of the conference after an incredible week eleven win against the incumbent Ultimus Bowl champs, the Orange County Otters; winning thirty-one to nineteen. This victory gave Philadelphia a record of nine wins and two losses. The next three weeks would see the Liberty suffer from brutal loss after brutal loss. First losing to the Yellowknife Wraiths, with the Wraiths scoring the game winning touchdown with twenty-seven seconds left in the game. Then they would lose to the San Jose Sabercats in a game where they never once had the lead. Finally, they would lose to a surging team in Baltimore. And we need to talk about these ballhawks.
Baltimore was coming off of a painful 2028. After winning the National Simulation Football Conference in 2027, the Hawks had an underwhelming season in 2028, only winning four games in the season, with three of those wins coming in the last weeks of the season when it was too late to be considered in playoff contention. The darkest part of their season would have had to have been the stretch of eight weeks without a win. Suffering from such a painful season did much to stoke the fires of doubt. Doubt that had been creeping over the shores of Maryland. See, this time is only three years removed from winning the big one for the first time in their history. They returned to the Ultimus Bowl in the next two years, both times suffering defeat and dejection at the hands of the Orange County Otters. For Baltimore, this season was about proving that they were more than just a one hit wonder. If you were watching Baltimore in this season, you would be able to feel that desire in their games, which most impressively included a five week stretch from week ten to week fourteen where they only won in impressive fashion. After losing to the Liberty in week seven, the Hawks retaliated with a crushing fifty-two to seventeen victory in their last game of the season and took the number one seed from Philadelphia in the process. Eventually, Baltimore were able to achieve a record of eleven wins and three losses. This team has been firing on all cylinders. Childish Gambino has had an incredible season, putting up almost four and a half thousand yards through passing. Furthermore, he also secured the league’s best touchdown to interception ratio with an incredible thirty-six touchdowns to only eight interceptions. But he’s not Baltimore’s only weapon. Running back Marquise Brown added to his incredible career by rushing for one thousand five hundred and seventy-eight rushing yards and achieving sixteen touchdowns in the process. This Baltimore team is out to prove that they are still Ultimus Bowl ready, and they’ve proved that through some excellent regular season play and have everything to gain from this conference championship game against the team they just demolished.
Despite how both teams have played in the regular season, they both came out swinging, in a back and forth game who’s lead switched four times before the fourth quarter, defence shone brightest. The game began with Baltimore forcing a three out by sacking Falconi on third down. They would then spend the next five minutes marching from their own thirty-two yard line and get the first score of the game when Gambino connected with Errol Maddox for a ten yard touchdown. On the next drive, Baltimore’s defence would again be incredibly impressive. Ben Horne, in particular, was integral to forcing Philly to kick a field goal by tackling a charging Ladarius Ansong and breaking up a pass from Falconi to Corwin Davenport on third down. Philly’s defence would rise to the occasion and prevent the Baltimore offence from advancing by managing to sack Gambino on a crucial third and one, which forced the Hawks to punt at the top of the next quarter. To this day, I’ve spoken with Philadelphians who ‘look back fondly with Smyles’
The next quarter would further the trench warfare that encompassed this game. Falconi would break this mentality with an incredible fifty-nine yard completion to Jordan von Matt. The Liberty would carry this momentum to take the lead and score a touchdown three minutes later. The Hawks would retaliate with a touchdown of their own five minutes later, but I hope it’s becoming clear exactly how strong both teams were, and how they both seemed to carry an all-out mentality against each other, determined to be each other’s foil. The second half would end without much fanfare, with the exception of Philadelphia ending a drive with a punt on fourth on thirty-one, and the Hawks being unable to convert that into points before the half ended.
The third quarter would start with a five minute drive that culminated in a touchdown for Baltimore. At this point, the Hawks were up twenty-one to ten. This lead should have been cemented when the Liberty seemed to be suffering a disaster on their next drive, with their quarterback Falconi being sacked three times in six minutes. The third and thirty-two should have forced the Liberty to punt like the last time they were in this situation. However, somehow Falconi managed to pull magic out of her hat, connecting with Bush on a forty-four yard pass that took Philly to the Baltimore one yard line. All they needed was a simple one yard pass to Davenport to get another touchdown and cut the deficit down to four points.
Undeterred, Gambino would show everyone watching why he’s considered one of the best quarterbacks in league history by coming up with his own mega play to Vinny Valentine for thirty-nine yards. This would lead to the Hawks extending their lead back to eleven when Gambino once again connected with Viggo Squanch for another Baltimore touchdown. The fourth down was full of big plays for both teams. Baltimore forcing Philly into a field goal with eight minutes left. However, this would seem to only fuel Philadelphia more, and the team of brotherly love would show no love loss for their rivals. On the next drive, defensive end Luke Smyles would once again sack Gambino in a crucial play. This would force Gambino to pass to Brown on the next play who dropped the ball. The next drive would see Falconi get sacked again, and yet again, she would not be deterred as she pulled another bomb out of nowhere, connecting with wide receiver Roger Batoff for a forty-seven yard touchdown. A subsequent successful two point conversion would tie the game up with five minutes left. Baltimore would get three more downs in the game. A thrown away ball to avoid a sack. A four yard pass to Brown. A sack by Curtis Saul which would force them to punt. The ensuing Liberty drive would get us to where we are now. With Kulture Fulture getting prepped and ready to try and kick a thirty-two yard field goal.
So in a game that’s been full of multiple big plays from both sides, it all comes down to a simple field goal to secure it. Both sides are attaching their reputations on the result of this kick. For Philadelphia, this kick represents the chance to prove that their best days aren’t behind them, and that behind a somewhat inconsistent squad, there is a team of world beaters who are able to take on any team in the league. For Baltimore, this kick represents the ruination of their hard work, and the label of ‘one hit wonder’
Welcome to the Greatest Games.
“Fulture steps up to take this potentially game winning thirty-two yard field goal”
“The ball is snapped”
“…”
“It’s good! It’s good! It’s good!”
“Philadelphia are going to the Ultimus Bowl!!”
1690 Words
Liberty VS Hawks 2029 NSFC Championship Game
We’re in the season fourteen post season, we’re in Baltimore, Maryland. There are nineteen seconds left on the clock in the National Simulation Football Conference Championship Game between the Baltimore Hawks and the Philadelphia Liberty. The score is tied twenty-eight to twenty-eight. Kicker Kulture Fulture is stepping up to try and deliver the game winning field goal and send this team from the city of brotherly love to the Ultimus Bowl for the first time in seven years. While the play is routine, in this moment it serves as a kick that will define both teams, whether as perennial contenders, or the teams that just couldn’t do enough to win the big one. There’s enough at stake here that the gravitas of this moment cannot fail to be realised by any player, coach or fan in the stadium. But before we can get to that, let’s take a look at how we got here in the first place.
The Philadelphia Liberty were finding themselves in Groundhog Day. The previous season, they had come off of an eight and six regular season, which translated to a playoff berth and subsequent loss to the conference’s one seed, the Colorado Yeti in the conference championship game; losing fifty to twenty-seven. This had been the story for Philly since their exception. With the exception of an Ultimus Bowl appearance in Ultimus Bowl VI (2021) and an Ultimus Bowl win at Ultimus Bowl VII (2022), the Liberty had developed a reputation for doing just enough to get into the playoffs, and then just as quickly as they entered, get kicked out, normally either in a dominant or heartbreaking way. So far, this season hasn’t been much different. The Liberty finished with a respectable record of nine wins and five losses. Quarterback Adriana Falconi put up over four thousand yards in passing and securing a respectable twenty-eight to thirteen touchdown to interception ratio. This offence has been running through Falconi, and she’s had support from rookie fullback Fast Boija, who’s put up seven hundred and eighty-one rushing yards over the entirety of the season. Wide receiver Carter Bush would become Falconi’s favourite target, achieving one thousand three-hundred and forty-nine yards and eleven touchdowns over the season. But certain narratives are starting to rear their head again. The Liberty were at the top of the conference after an incredible week eleven win against the incumbent Ultimus Bowl champs, the Orange County Otters; winning thirty-one to nineteen. This victory gave Philadelphia a record of nine wins and two losses. The next three weeks would see the Liberty suffer from brutal loss after brutal loss. First losing to the Yellowknife Wraiths, with the Wraiths scoring the game winning touchdown with twenty-seven seconds left in the game. Then they would lose to the San Jose Sabercats in a game where they never once had the lead. Finally, they would lose to a surging team in Baltimore. And we need to talk about these ballhawks.
Baltimore was coming off of a painful 2028. After winning the National Simulation Football Conference in 2027, the Hawks had an underwhelming season in 2028, only winning four games in the season, with three of those wins coming in the last weeks of the season when it was too late to be considered in playoff contention. The darkest part of their season would have had to have been the stretch of eight weeks without a win. Suffering from such a painful season did much to stoke the fires of doubt. Doubt that had been creeping over the shores of Maryland. See, this time is only three years removed from winning the big one for the first time in their history. They returned to the Ultimus Bowl in the next two years, both times suffering defeat and dejection at the hands of the Orange County Otters. For Baltimore, this season was about proving that they were more than just a one hit wonder. If you were watching Baltimore in this season, you would be able to feel that desire in their games, which most impressively included a five week stretch from week ten to week fourteen where they only won in impressive fashion. After losing to the Liberty in week seven, the Hawks retaliated with a crushing fifty-two to seventeen victory in their last game of the season and took the number one seed from Philadelphia in the process. Eventually, Baltimore were able to achieve a record of eleven wins and three losses. This team has been firing on all cylinders. Childish Gambino has had an incredible season, putting up almost four and a half thousand yards through passing. Furthermore, he also secured the league’s best touchdown to interception ratio with an incredible thirty-six touchdowns to only eight interceptions. But he’s not Baltimore’s only weapon. Running back Marquise Brown added to his incredible career by rushing for one thousand five hundred and seventy-eight rushing yards and achieving sixteen touchdowns in the process. This Baltimore team is out to prove that they are still Ultimus Bowl ready, and they’ve proved that through some excellent regular season play and have everything to gain from this conference championship game against the team they just demolished.
Despite how both teams have played in the regular season, they both came out swinging, in a back and forth game who’s lead switched four times before the fourth quarter, defence shone brightest. The game began with Baltimore forcing a three out by sacking Falconi on third down. They would then spend the next five minutes marching from their own thirty-two yard line and get the first score of the game when Gambino connected with Errol Maddox for a ten yard touchdown. On the next drive, Baltimore’s defence would again be incredibly impressive. Ben Horne, in particular, was integral to forcing Philly to kick a field goal by tackling a charging Ladarius Ansong and breaking up a pass from Falconi to Corwin Davenport on third down. Philly’s defence would rise to the occasion and prevent the Baltimore offence from advancing by managing to sack Gambino on a crucial third and one, which forced the Hawks to punt at the top of the next quarter. To this day, I’ve spoken with Philadelphians who ‘look back fondly with Smyles’
The next quarter would further the trench warfare that encompassed this game. Falconi would break this mentality with an incredible fifty-nine yard completion to Jordan von Matt. The Liberty would carry this momentum to take the lead and score a touchdown three minutes later. The Hawks would retaliate with a touchdown of their own five minutes later, but I hope it’s becoming clear exactly how strong both teams were, and how they both seemed to carry an all-out mentality against each other, determined to be each other’s foil. The second half would end without much fanfare, with the exception of Philadelphia ending a drive with a punt on fourth on thirty-one, and the Hawks being unable to convert that into points before the half ended.
The third quarter would start with a five minute drive that culminated in a touchdown for Baltimore. At this point, the Hawks were up twenty-one to ten. This lead should have been cemented when the Liberty seemed to be suffering a disaster on their next drive, with their quarterback Falconi being sacked three times in six minutes. The third and thirty-two should have forced the Liberty to punt like the last time they were in this situation. However, somehow Falconi managed to pull magic out of her hat, connecting with Bush on a forty-four yard pass that took Philly to the Baltimore one yard line. All they needed was a simple one yard pass to Davenport to get another touchdown and cut the deficit down to four points.
Undeterred, Gambino would show everyone watching why he’s considered one of the best quarterbacks in league history by coming up with his own mega play to Vinny Valentine for thirty-nine yards. This would lead to the Hawks extending their lead back to eleven when Gambino once again connected with Viggo Squanch for another Baltimore touchdown. The fourth down was full of big plays for both teams. Baltimore forcing Philly into a field goal with eight minutes left. However, this would seem to only fuel Philadelphia more, and the team of brotherly love would show no love loss for their rivals. On the next drive, defensive end Luke Smyles would once again sack Gambino in a crucial play. This would force Gambino to pass to Brown on the next play who dropped the ball. The next drive would see Falconi get sacked again, and yet again, she would not be deterred as she pulled another bomb out of nowhere, connecting with wide receiver Roger Batoff for a forty-seven yard touchdown. A subsequent successful two point conversion would tie the game up with five minutes left. Baltimore would get three more downs in the game. A thrown away ball to avoid a sack. A four yard pass to Brown. A sack by Curtis Saul which would force them to punt. The ensuing Liberty drive would get us to where we are now. With Kulture Fulture getting prepped and ready to try and kick a thirty-two yard field goal.
So in a game that’s been full of multiple big plays from both sides, it all comes down to a simple field goal to secure it. Both sides are attaching their reputations on the result of this kick. For Philadelphia, this kick represents the chance to prove that their best days aren’t behind them, and that behind a somewhat inconsistent squad, there is a team of world beaters who are able to take on any team in the league. For Baltimore, this kick represents the ruination of their hard work, and the label of ‘one hit wonder’
Welcome to the Greatest Games.
“Fulture steps up to take this potentially game winning thirty-two yard field goal”
“The ball is snapped”
“…”
“It’s good! It’s good! It’s good!”
“Philadelphia are going to the Ultimus Bowl!!”
1690 Words
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