(S22) - Ultimus Week

[GoonerBear]

Tier 1: Long Form Tasks (800+ words)
Choose ONE for 10 TPE.

2) This week will see the S23 Ultimus and Ultimini races finally come to their conclusion. In 800 words or more, recount any of the previous playoff cycles of either league. How did each team arrive at the playoffs? Were there any dark horse or Cinderella teams that went unexpectedly far, or any presumptive favorites that fell flat? How did the title game play out, and which players made their mark on the field? Tell the story of those playoffs as completely as you can. Do not simply recount your own experience in those playoffs or that of a singular team.

The Season 14 NSFL postseason cycle saw tight contests, great upsets, and a run of 13 seasons of bitter disappointment come to an end in triumph at last.

Back in the olden days when the league consisted of eight teams split into two conferences of four, where each conference's top two advanced, each team got to get up close and personal with each other team. The regular season was effectively a double round-robin, with each team getting a home game and an away game against every other team. Conference championship games were tense affairs, therefore, as were Ultimus championship games, with each of the three playoff games staging a matchup for the third time.

In the ASFC, two in-state rivals, the Orange County Otters and the San Jose SaberCats entered the ring for the third time. With the New Orleans Second Line coming in third at 4-10, it had been clear from the outset these two would meet again. They split their regular-season series, with the home team winning both times. The SaberCats blanked the Otters the first time in Week 3 23-0 before the Otters returned fire in Week 10, snatching a close 20-17 off a touchdown with 2:23 to go and a final defensive stand. At 11-3, Orange County hosted the 9-5 San Jose, and with a 6-1 home record, the Otters held the advantage entering the game. Shockingly, the Otters' other two losses were to the Philadelphia Liberty, losing 24-23 at home and 31-19 away. Confidence had been somewhat restored with three consecutive wins, all coming against sub-.500 teams and one with the New Orleans Second Line being too close for comfort. This was also the third consecutive ASFC title game with this matchup, and the Orange County Otters had won the previous two. In Season 12, OCO smacked the Cats around at home 35-10. In Season 13, SJS believed they enjoyed a great home-field advantage...only for the Otters to break their hearts 31-21. The Otters had gone on to win the Ultimus both times. This could not happen a third straight time.

In the NSFC, the 11-3 Baltimore Hawks hosted the 9-5 Philadelphia Liberty. They, too, split the season series where the home team won on both occasions. They, too, had a decent gap between them and third place, with the Yellowknife Wraiths turning in a 6-8 mark. The Liberty won in Week 7 30-20, and the Hawks suplexed the Liberty 52-17 in Week 14, right before playoffs. Not only did the Hawks have home field, where they, too, were 6-1, their lone loss coming to the Otters in Week 2 (who they would lose to again 30-24 in Week 9), entering this game, this exact matchup had produced one of the biggest beatdowns of the season. The Hawks had turned around from a down year at 4-10 in Season 13. They had appeared in four consecutive Ultimus championships from Seasons 9 to 12, winning it all in Season 10 over NOLA and losing the title games in Seasons 9 and 11 to NOLA and 12 to OCO. The Liberty had not won the Ultimus since Season 7. Before then, they had 3 playoff appearances to their name, including an Ultumus loss to OCO in Season 6. This was their third consecutive playoff appearance, with an overtime heartbreaker in Season 12 to BAL and the Colorado Yeti laying a 50-27 burger on them in Season 13. What was more, the Hawks and Liberty had one player further binding them together: running back Marquise Brown, who was elected to the Hall of Fame before this season's Ultimus. Brown was the bellcow of four seasons for Philadelphia. He led the league in rushing yards each of his first three seasons. He came in second in Seasons 13 and 14 behind Slim Shady, though still boasted more touchdowns. It was a massive swing. It looked as though Philadelphia had lost their best hope at finally bringing down the Hawks in a playoff game. With QB Childish Gambino, also a future Hall of Famer, teamed up with Brown, their time was now. The backfield couldn't be stronger.

Two teams, riding two consecutive one-and-dones, each staring at a probable third. The power matchup of the season was about to have its score settled, if things went as expected. Perhaps OCO was on its way to finishing a hat trick over BAL to claim their 6th Ultimus and complete the franchise's second three-peat. Perhaps BAL would ease the sting of three title losses and finally get the Otters' number the third time around.

The Otters struck first, though the SaberCats would rack up six unanswered scores. A field goal. A touchdown run with a missed extra point. Jorel Tuck flying in to tackle Gus Showbiz for a safety. Another touchdown. Two field goals. San Jose looked like they would finally get one over on their rivals. They had dominated them through three quarters. The third time was finally the charm. Late in the third, the Otters picked up a field goal. Early in the fourth, they scored a touchdown when Ricky Adams punched in on second and goal. 10 minutes to hold onto a lead that, to the Cats, seemed like an eternity against the seemingly unstoppable force that was playoff Orange County. A three-and-out handed the Otters the chance to tie the game and restore order. After two first downs, they wouldn't gain another yard and punted. San Jose would try to engineer the drive that would sink Orange County. They only managed to dock half the remaining clock, still leaving the Otters with more than three and a half minutes to tie the game.

No miracle had ever come before for the Cats.

So corner Spencer Castle made one.

On the first play of the drive from scrimmage, he snagged an interception. San Jose would run down even more clock, down to under a minute. 37 seconds still felt like enough time for OCO to pull out one big play, and the matchup was right for them to do so. The Otters had always tormented the SaberCats with the big play.

It never came. For the first time in franchise history, the San Jose SaberCats were conference champions and going to the Ultimus.

Switching to the NSFC Championship, it seemed certain their foes would be the Baltimore Hawks, though not by a comfortable margin. Things were tight throughout the first three quarters. Baltimore was more than one possession clear of the Liberty for seven minutes and 28 seconds in the second quarter. It felt as though things could swing either way. At last, they had a two-score edge again less than a minute into the fourth quarter when Viggo Squanch caught a touchdown pass on 1st and goal. Now, Baltimore had breathing room. They would get the ball back again, even if Philadelphia scored. The Liberty had to bank on a minor miracle to get within one score when Kulture Fulture lined up for a 55-yard field goal attempt. Fulture sank the shot. Still, with just under nine minutes to go, Baltimore now held a chance to sink Philly. They held that chance for a minute and 20 seconds before punting on a three-and-out. Following Adriana Falconi going down on a seven-yard sack, she connected with receiver Roger Batoff. Batoff took off all the way, going 47 yards for a touchdown. They had to go for two. Fail, and BAL could hang on.

The Liberty scored. Tie ball game.

"No matter," said the Hawks faithful. "We get the ball back and 5 minutes to win it."

Only...they would go three-and-out and punt. Still, BAL could manage the Liberty on the PHI 20 with just under 3:30 to play.

Then, Fast Boija rushed for 13. Then, Falconi passed for 7 more. The Liberty...were driving. They gained in big enough chunks to keep pace with where they needed to be. With 19 seconds left, Falconi spiked the ball after she passed to Batoff for 24 yards to line up the biggest kick of Fulture's career from only 32 yards out. This would have to be good enough.

It was.

The Hawks would get one last gasp play. They would need 89 yards. There would be no time for a field goal.

They gained 24.

The Philadelphia Liberty were conference champions for the third time in their franchise's history.

The second upset of the night. Both road teams, who had lost at this stage twice in a row, exorcised demons of recent seasons. Still...there was one game left to play for the ultimate prize. It was anyone's game to win now.

The night arrived. San Jose hosted the Ultimus by virtue of the season sweep over Philadelphia. They won 23-12 in Week 6 at home and had a more convincing performance in a 27-13 win in Week 13 on the road. The signs favored the Cats to win. Though, a great tension still filled the game. Everyone had thought a BAL-OCO title game was a slam-dunk pick just the round before. San Jose got here overcoming the odds. There was no trusting the odds. Only playing football.

Very little happened in the first 19 minutes. The Liberty struck first with a field goal, then the SaberCats knocked in two. Then, the first major breakthrough. Bucky Barnes, free safety for the Liberty, intercepted SJS QB Joliet Christ and ran it all the way to the house. The Liberty would make that gap 17-6. Christ fumbled the ball away on the first play from scrimmage and Philly drove it 42 yards, escaping third and 21 with a pass from Falconi to Jordan von Matt before Boija punched in from two yards away. The Liberty were overturning expectations once more.

A relatively meek reply came from the Cats as they sent up another field goal thereafter. Philly could potentially make it two scores again before the break.

Spencer Castle once again made his own miracle.

On the first play of the drive, starting from the PHI 23, he picked off Falconi and returned the ball 20 yards. Christ and wideout Xavier Flash would finish the job the next play to pull the Cats within one point. Though down at halftime, belief had been restored. That's all they needed in that moment: to stay in the game.

Getting the ball after halftime helped morale among the green and gold. Though it, too, would result in a field goal, they had their first lead for a long while when, moments before, Philadelphia aimed to take a two-score lead into the break. A three-and-out the SaberCat defense started with a sack and ended by stopping a pass well short of the first down marker returned possession to them. With a nine-play, 75-yard march, San Jose capped off their first prolonged touchdown drive of the Ultimus with a two-yard pass from Christ to tight end Zapp Brannigan. Brannigan had earned the right to pick up a TD after he spared his team the humiliation of a turnover after coming so far. Barnes had forced the ball loose from Christ's hands at the end of a 13-yard rush, though Brannigan leaped on it at the PHI 14.

Philadelphia needed a response and they needed it now. They had to break up a streak of four straight unanswered scores, and if San Jose notched another touchdown, 16 points, maybe 15 or 17 if they dared go for 2, would be a tough ask with a quarter to go against the best scoring defense in the league. They needed a touchdown drive.

And they would get one. With Falconi leading the way, she concluded a 10-play drive for 71 yards with a 12-yard pass to von Matt. At 26-24 SJS, any score changed the dynamic.

The Cats would only get a field goal out of their next drive. With just under eight and a half minutes to play, down 29-24, the Liberty held fate in their own hands. Driving into SJS territory, however, they stalled.

And, in a decision which still is baffling...Philly punted the ball. In enemy territory. Down 5 points. With no guarantee they would see the ball again, even with six and a half to play. With a kicker in Kulture Fulture who, that very season, proved twice he could sink a field goal from 56 yards if they sent him in. Fulture had hit one from 57 in the regular season, tied for the S14 longest with Yellowknife's Beat Meoff. He had scored from 55 just the game before to start the rally that got them here.

They could have also attempted to go for it. It was probably a less attractive option, given Falconi had been stiffed for three straight incompletions to set them up for fourth and 10 on San Jose's 39. Failing here would have been worse than if they had punted a touchback. The same could be said for the field goal, which would have handed the Cats the ball on their own 46.

The most attractive option should have been to kick it. With this possibly being their last chance, a lead would have been something.

And yet, the coach pushed all of Philly's chips in on defense. The punt didn't quite catch the coffin corner and sailed out for a touchback.

In nine plays, the Cats drove 80 yards. Chris Orosz finished the series with a two-yard bootleg for a touchdown.

The Liberty fought valiantly for the low-percentage chance they still had. Lennox Garnett, their free safety and kick returner, brought them to their own 48. Footballer Sackerman sacked Falconi on the first play, however. Two penalties on back-to-back plays from Fast Boija made the down-and-distance untenable. The last pass Falconi made was completed and halted well short of the line to gain on fourth down.

The upheaval was complete.

The curse broken.

For the first time in franchise history, the San Jose SaberCats were the Ultimus champions.

The SaberCats would go on to appear in the Ultimus again the following season, putting the Otters firmly beneath their heel with three wins over OCO in S15...before the Baltimore Hawks fulfilled their own potential and won in the biggest blowout in Ultimus history 49-0.

Joliet Christ would go on to retire after Season 17 and earn induction to the NSFL Hall of Fame. At least two others from that team have been passed on for enshrinement, with others' candidacy still to come.

(2,410 words)