The players in the Brooklyn locker room were despondent. While earlier they were confident they were going to come out and punch the staggering Tumbleweed in the mouth, after going down 20-3 entering halftime, moods were low and tempers were flaring.
Darren Pama, noted firebrand in the locker room and in the media sphere, went up in front of everyone before the second half. After the game, he told the media, "It was like a madhouse in there. Everyone was pointing figures. The defense was mad at the Special Teams, the Special Teams was mad at the quarterback, the quarterback was mad at his Oline, the Oline was mad at the GM, and the GM was just mad at everyone, I have never before been so happy that Tight End is a position that doesn't get a lot of focus."
When asked postgame what exactly he said that helped everyone get back on their feet and ready to make one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of the sport, Pama chuckled and answered, "I can't really remember all that I said, I just remember that I was yelling throughout most of it and by the end I was sure that I was either going to get punched in the face or hugged in the postgame. There was a lot of hugging that ended up going on during postgame."
Locker Room, at Halftime: Miked Up
"ALRIGHT, ENOUGH! WE DON'T HAVE THE G***** TIME TO POINT FINGERS AT PEOPLE. WE'VE ALL MESSED UP. THE LINE HASN'T BEEN GOOD ENOUGH. SPECIAL TEAMS HAVEN'T BEEN GOOD ENOUGH. THE QUARTERBACK HASN'T BEEN GOOD ENOUGH. ASSIGNING ANY SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF BLAME RIGHT NOW IS NOT F***ING WORTH IT, IT'S NOT A GOOD USE OF OUR VERY LIMITED TIME! WE HAVE 20 MINUTES LEFT BEFORE WE GO OUT THERE AND PROVE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY PLAY A HALF DECENT GAME OF FOOTBALL ON THE SAME FIELD AS THESE STUPID GOLDEN WEEDS. IN THOSE 20 MINUTES LET'S DISCUSS HOW WE CAN ACTUALLY, JUST MAYBE, COME OUT OF HERE WITH A WIN INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING ABOUT THE PAST. There's 3 things that I'm focusing on for this second half. First, Peterson. Stop dancing in the pocket looking for an open receiver when we're open, you need to look towards Newton more. He's been getting open a bunch. Second, Frankie when we've used him has torn up their defense, we need to rely on him more. Third, Defense, I need you to key a bit harder on Crossley and Kirwin. They are the only guys who can catch a pass with the speed worth focusing on on their team. We do that and we might actually have a chance here."
This advice worked. Frankie ended the game with 133 yards on 4 yards per carry. Lebby Newton would end up with over 100 yards receiving on the night and an important touchdown, and while Crossley was not fully locked up for the rest of the game, ending with 74 yards, targeting him one too many times led to a pick 6 that put the Atlantic within 3 and gave them a huge amount of momentum.
The period where the game changed was the 5 minute period of time between 8:33 and 3:40 on the game clock. After getting the ball on their own 41, the Atlantic quickly drove down the field, with the biggest play of the drive being a pass to Lebby Newton that picked up 15 YAC to get to the red zone. A few plays later, and with 6 minutes left in the quarter, the lead was down to 10. Then, Amarillo began to drive. They got a good return to their own 34. They moved the ball up to their 44. And then, Bill Brasky threw into the waiting arms of Charlie Woody for a 45 yard INT return for a touchdown. Lead cut to 3. After a short drive, and a punt that was only decent, the Brooklyn Atlantic received the ball at the 36, and quickly looked like they were going to complete their comeback and maybe even take the lead. After a big pass play to Mark Callous that got the Atlantic into Amarillo territory, Peterson tried to double dip, but instead threw his second interception of the game. When asked about it in the post game press conference, Peterson replied, "That might have been more demoralizing for me than the first interception. At that point, we looked like we were the worse team and the interception only piled onto that. The second interception? Right when we were driving down the field to finish off the deficit? That was a momentum killer and I was worried I had just lost us the game."
The next possession that showed a bit of promise started with a little under 12 minutes left in the game. A couple runs by Lantz gaining a total of 11 yards and a couple catches by Newton gaining a total of 29 yards got the Atlantic just over midfield, then a 13 yard run from Lantz and a 7 yard catch from Newton would put the Atlantic in field goal range. Game tied. The Atlantic Defense, which had been stellar all second half, turned on the jets and ended the next drive with a sack on third down. Due to punting from the 15, and a 10 yard return from Charlie Woody, the Atlantic actually started their next drive from Amarillo territory with the chance to take the lead for the first time all game, with only 5 minutes left. A pair of clutch passes to Callous put the Atlantic well within the range of their kicker Dickerson, and he gave them the lead with 2:09 left in the game. "I had a heart attack when Woody let Crossley get the ball at the end of the game, but he caught up to him before he got into field goal range", said the GM, Literally Just A. Hexagon, when asked for comment later. After that long completion, the Tumbleweeds offense was out of gas and turned the ball over with 37 seconds left and no timeouts. Game over.
Hexagon had nothing but praise for his team's second half performance. "This was literally one point less impressive than the amazing comeback in the 22nd Ultimus Bowl, and it was against a team that made us look like fools twice in the first two weeks. Of course, unlike that game, we can't go off into the offseason content to rest on our laurels. This is a preseason tournament, and that was just the first round."
Pama, meanwhile, had this to say about the matchup next week with the Landsharks, who were considered the best team in the league. "I said that the best possible game to face the Landsharks in would be this one right here, and let's do our best to prove that true!"
One Week Later
If you went back in time to just after Week 2 and told people who would be playing in the finals of the Prospect Bowl, they would have looked at you like you were crazy. The CALGARY CAVALRY? The guys who just lost 26-3 to the Landsharks and who only won by a safety to the Drifters? And yet, that might have been less shocking to them than learning that the Brooklyn Atlantic had won games against the Amarillo Tumbleweeds and Tiburon Landsharks on the road to get there. But here we are, after the supposed best team in the league Landsharks have, for the second straight game, been completely outplayed by a team they were supposed to have beaten.
The scoreline says something a little different. 13-6 isn't exactly a great score for the losing team, but it's not a blowout. And yet, it felt like it to most of the people watching, which was the scariest part according to Darren Pama of the Brooklyn Atlantic. "When they tied it up 6 all, I could just feel our chances at winning slipping away despite having been completely dominant at both ends of play."
The first drive of the game was helped by a tripping penalty, a decent run from Frankie Lantz, and a 19 yard completion to Mark Callous to get into Field Goal range, then a 21 yard pass to Lebby Newton got the Atlantic into the Red Zone. However, a holding penalty prevented them from punching it in for 6 and they had to settle for 3. After the Landsharks drove to midfield and the Atlantic were sacked 2 out of 3 plays on the next possession, people were waiting for the Landsharks to turn around and dominate the game after going behind, as they had done a few times in the past. After getting the ball on their 44, being helped by a tripping penalty, and then completing a 10 yard pass to Killian Chambers, the Landsharks looked poised to prove them right. Then, all of a sudden, the drive stalled. Held to a Field Goal, the Tiburon Defense went out to show their strength again. Frankie Lantz carved them up to get to midfield with 44 yards on 5 runs. A 10 yard pass to Lantz and another 7 yard run put the Atlantic just outside of field goal range...where they would get stopped after a sack. The defense was put on notice but they escaped without giving up points. After an Illegal Use of Hands killed off the Landsharks next drive, the Atlantic would begin driving again. From the Brooklyn 20, completions to Pama and Callous would put the Atlantic into Landsharks territory for the 3rd time in 4 drives. This time, a few good runs from Frankie Lantz would be enough to put the Atlantic in easy field goal range. Lead restored, for now. Going into halftime, the Brooklyn Atlantic led 6 to 3, but had gotten into Atlantic Territory on 4 out of 6 drives, not counting the one that began with 15 seconds left in the half.
Said Pama, when asked for comment, "It's a very very strange feeling, to be honest. If you had told us before the game we were leading 6-3 going into halftime, we'd have taken it. If you told us they only got over midfield once, we'd have been ecstatic. And yet, sitting there at halftime, I at the very least was thinking, 'Why aren't we up more? This is almost definitely going to bite us in the butt later.'"
Going into the second half, the Landsharks continued to be stymied by the stout Atlantic Defense. It took a 61 yard punt just to give the Atlantic field position at their own 27 instead of much farther forward. An unnecessary roughness penalty killed off the first Atlantic drive of the half, but the Landsharks could still not get across midfield again, stopping their drive at the 47. Still, they had put the Atlantic in the shadow of their own end zone. The Atlantic moved forward from their field position of the 10 yard line through a couple quick passes, and then everything changed on 2nd and 4 at the 34.
"2 back set, here's the snap, Lantz takes the handoff, and appears to have gotten...NO! THE BALL IS LOOSE! Davriel Lavigne has punched the ball out and fallen on top of it! The Landsharks offense hasn't gotten anything going, but the defense has bailed them out and practically put them in field goal range! They'll start the drive at the Atlantic 35."
The fumble was devastating to the Atlantic. The Defense held the Landsharks to a 13 yard drive, and yet that was enough for an easy field goal to tie the game with 5 and a half minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Brooklyn starting the next drive at their 7 didn't help matters any. Still, a couple passes to Mark Callous and great runs from the quarterback Matt Peterson and the unstoppable Frankie Lantz put the Atlantic back over midfield again. The drive stalled at the Tiburon 27, well within kicker Lucky Dickerson's range...and yet, he missed his first kick all year at one of the most inopportune times possible. The game was going to be tied heading into the 4th.
Another great defensive possession and a monstrous punt later, the Brooklyn Atlantic were at the same spot they had been for the last 3 possessions, within their own 10 yard line, this time at the 4. They were able to move the ball a bit forward, but had to punt and their punter was nowhere near as excellent. Tiburon got the ball at their own 34. And yet, the Brooklyn defense continued to stymie the Atlantic, with Jeff Haraldson sacking the quarterback to push him back to the 28, and this time the punt wasn't 60 yards long, instead being "only" 48. Starting from the 24, the Atlantic began driving again. They got back over midfield to the Tiburon 45 with 9 minutes to play, then the game turned on its head yet again.
Pama, throughout the first 5 games the Atlantic played, had not gotten more than 20 yards in a game. He was mainly a last resort or a blocker. He did a good job at the latter, but was frustrated by the amount of drops he had when used as the former. This game, however, he had been used for a couple key completions earlier on in the game. In the current I Formation play, Pama was only supposed to be a decoy. He was supposed to go up the middle and take either of the safeties out of the play while one of the wide receivers beat their man and got a decent chunk of yardage with no help over the top. With that job in mind, he performed magnificently. Both the Free and Strong Safeties bit and double covered the go route decoy. The rest of the play, however, completely broke down. Minus the blocking scheme, that stayed strong. But one of the wide receivers ended up going back into the line of scrimmage, completely messing up his route. Meanwhile, the other one ended up triple covered by 2 linebackers and a cornerback. The outlet option, the Fullback, wasn't available either, being covered by a cornerback. Eventually, as Peterson scrambled a bit to create some room, the Free Safety went to go double up on the Fullback. At this point, Pama made his move. He cut to the left, got the Strong Safety distracted, and just then, at the perfect time, Matt Peterson noticed a bit of daylight, made a bullet pass, and Pama caught it over his shoulder. After stiff arming the Strong Safety Xmus Flaxon Jaxon Waxon, Pama ran for 10 more yards to get the Atlantics back into field goal range, but this time they were in the Red Zone. They weren't going to settle for 3, not if they could help it. A few plays later, Alex Reed caught his second pass of the day for a 10 yard touchdown. 13-6 with 5 minutes left. If the defense could hold as strong as they had all game, then incredibly, the Brooklyn Atlantic would be in the finals.
Then, the Landsharks began to drive. And drive, and drive. They got to the Brooklyn 39, but then ran into a problem. They only had 2 minutes left, they had gotten there through a bunch of short run plays. They would get to the Brooklyn 25, but there the game would end. For the first time all year, the Landsharks had been kept out of the endzone all game, and they were eliminated from the playoffs because of it.
Matt Peterson, who had performed poorly at times in the regular season, had saved his best game for this week, with a 116.8 QB Rating off of 21/26 completions, 233 yards, and a touchdown. Mark Callous had 110 of those, while Darren Pama had 58. (Callous was later quoted on getting to the finals, "WE DI TIDAWDFOHAJHWD") Frankie Lantz gained 149 yards on a 4.4 ypc, while James Vermillion and Owen Holloway were held to 132 yards on 3.1 yards per carry. Holloway also had a poor day passing, going only 6 for 14 and 66 yards with a 57.4 passer rating. The best player on the Landsharks was undoubtedly the Punter, who kicked 9 punts with an average of 49.3 yards, including 2 incredible 60+ yard coffin corners.
After breaking apart the highest scoring offense in the regular season, the Brooklyn Atlantic have the opposite problem to deal with now: Breaking through the defense with the least points scored against it in the regular season in the Calgary Cavalry. Only time will tell how they go about this task, but no matter what, they can definitely be proud of what they have accomplished.
One Week Later
How did we even get here? How did we get to a position where the best offense in the league was forced into a slow grindfest, and then the best defense in the league was forced into a track meet? The Brooklyn Atlantic are a team of conundrums, but more importantly, they are champions. 5 weeks ago, they came off the field following a second straight walloping at the hands of the Amarillo Tumbleweeds. Now, they can safely say they have taken on all comers and defied all odds to win the title.
The best defense in the league during the regular season started to show some cracks right from the get go, as a 73 yard return to the Calgary 23 by Lebby Newton set up a very easy touchdown a couple plays later for Frankie Lantz. A touchdown a minute and 2 seconds into the game was not expected from a game between the best defense in the league and a team whose defense had just kept the best offense in the league to 6 points. A couple punts later, the Cavalry would show up on the scoreboard off of a drive with a couple key passes and runs from quarterback Uncle Rico, before being pounded in by James Kimbrell. Now it was the Atlantic's turn again. With a couple key conversions in a 13 yard pass to Mark Callous and a 7 yard run from Frankie Lantz, the Atlantic got to the edge of field goal range. Then they stalled, 4th and 4 on the Calgary 34. The offense stayed on the field, and Freddie Lantz ran through the defense again for another 7 yard conversion. Lantz would score his second touchdown of the game on amazing weaving run a couple plays later, the first play of the second quarter. 14-7, Calgary ball. Calgary would begin to drive again, getting into Brooklyn Territory again. Then, Uncle Rico on a designed rush ran into the line and Jake Sackson got his hand on the ball. It fell out and at the bottom of the pile, Jeff Haraldson ended up with the ball and a drive that could have evened up the game was now another good chance for the Atlantic. The Atlantic would find themselves facing a 4th and 1 from the 31 this time, and decided to go for it again. They'd succeed, but this time the ensuing drive only ended up in a slightly shorter field goal attempt, which Dickerson made. All of a sudden, Calgary had 17 points put up on it during the first half, and there were still 8 minutes to go.
Of course, this also meant the Cavalry had 8 minutes to answer, and on a series of amazing runs from Joseph Stamps, answer they did. Stamps had 3 runs over 10 yards and in total ran for 65 yards on the possession. The Atlantic took the ball again, drove quickly to midfield, but then it was their turn to fumble on their 48 yard line and end a promising drive while giving Calgary great field position. However, this time the Brooklyn defense held fast, did not give up a first down, and kept Calgary out of field goal range, so they still had a 3 point lead. Brooklyn was unable to get into field goal range before halftime, so the score was 14-17 heading into the locker room. Calgary would have the ball first however.
However, the Brooklyn Atlantic defense started out a bit more stout this time. A sack from Richard Leaking and a delay of game penalty pushed the Calgary back to their own 3 yard line. Then Jake Sackson had his second big play of the night, with a sack in the endzone for a safety. Due to a good return, the Atlantic would also start inside Calgary territory this drive as well. It looked like great field position would go to waste, but then 2 quick 10 yard passes to Lebby Newton put the Atlantic into field goal range. Lantz's run on third down was marked inches shy, and the Atlantic would elect to kick a field goal. 22-14, an 8 point lead early in the second half. After getting pinned deep in their own territory on the kickoff again, then taking a sack on first down, the Calgary Cavalry had to punt from their 11 yard line after going nowhere. The punt was only 35 yards, and Charlie Woody returned it for 10. With a drive starting at the 36, it looked like the Brooklyn Atlantic could put this game out of reach early, with 9 minutes still on the clock in the 3rd. However, they only gained 6 yards, kicking another field goal. The lead however was now stretched to 11 and was back to 2 possessions.
Again, a great kickoff and a poor return would leave the Calgary Cavalry staring in the shadow of their own endzone for the 3rd straight drive, but they would finally get a first down from that position and create some breathing room. Then, with 6 and a half minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Uncle Rico stepped back to pass.
"The Cavalry really need to score on this drive if they're going to have a serious chance of winning the game. Uncle Rico steps back to pass, surveys the field, his protection breaks down on the left, Rico rolls into the pressure, pressure in his face, throws on the run to Fank-GULOGOR! Gulogor out of nowhere has it! A second costly turnover on the day for the Cavalry, and this will lead directly to points. Lugolor Gulogor waltzes in for the touchdown!"
With the interception return, the Atlantic now had a commanding 32-14 lead, and things seemed out of reach for the Cavalry at this point. Still, there was time left.
A couple plays later, Uncle Rico stepped back in the pocket, was sacked by Steven Talbert of the Atlantic, and fumbled the ball directly into his loving arms. With less than 5 minutes to go in the half, however, the Cavalry stood firm and kept the Atlantic on the 32 where they recovered the ball. They did not even attempt a field goal. However, even if Brooklyn never scored again, Calgary needed to score fast in order to catch up. Another 3 and out was not the answer. The Atlantic offense, however, now seemed a bit out of juice, or perhaps they had taken their foot off the gas pedal. Either way, they also went three and out, and following a poor punt, the Cavalry set up on their 46. They needed to act fast considering there was only a minute left in the quarter. They got into Brooklyn territory, getting to First and 10 on the 39, but the next 3 plays were a 3 yard loss on a desperation pass to avoid a sack, a 6 yard pass on which Dan Foster got stripped, although he recovered his own fumble, and then a costly delay of game on 3rd and 7. One incomplete pass on 3rd and 12 later, the Calgary Cavalry punted again, and only 13 minutes remained in the game while they were still down by 3 possessions.
However, the Atlantic still had their foot off the gas. A sack and a penalty put them at 4th and 22 on their own 8, and the Atlantic punter is not exactly amazing. His punt of 40 yards was actually above average for him, but the Cavalry were still starting inside Brooklyn Territory. The Cavalry finally capitalized, driving into the red zone quickly on a long pass to Dan Foster where he went completely uncovered by the defense. From there, the Atlantic almost stiffened up at the goal line, but on the third try Joseph Stamps scored his second touchdown of the day. The lead was now at 11 with 9 minutes to go. Finally, the Atlantic offense showed a spark of life, as an 18 yard pass to Mark Callous got them their first first down of the 4th quarter. The drive would quickly stall, however this time Calgary didn't have as good field position and more time had gone off the clock. 7 minutes to go. 6 yard run on first down. 3 yard run on second down. No gain on third down. Then, a strange decision not to go for it with only 6 minutes left.
The Cavalry were not punished too heavily for that, as the Atlantic passed twice and stopped the clock on an incompletion both times, only 30 seconds had gone off the clock. However, that still might have been too much. The drive, starting with 5 minutes and 30 seconds, ended with a touchdown, but it took all 5 minutes and 30 seconds to do so. Game over, Atlantic win.
The Atlantic fully admit that they had taken the foot off the gas after going up 3 scores. "We felt we had it in hand, perhaps a bit early. Considering what we did to the Tumbleweed, perhaps we should have played with just a bit more pressure on us in the 4th?" said Pama. "Thing is, we were just tired. We had gone through long, grueling games against the Tumbleweeds and the Landsharks, and after having sewn up victory, taking a step back and playing at 80% felt a bit necessary so as not to collapse."
Frankie Lantz and Lugolor Gulogor won offensive and defensive player of the game, respectively.
Coming up tomorrow is our draft coverage. Stay tuned for that. This reporter will be there every step of the way to cover the festivities.
(4424 words, if prospect bowl stuff counts for the multiplier, then this is elligible for the 1.5x multiplier)
Darren Pama, noted firebrand in the locker room and in the media sphere, went up in front of everyone before the second half. After the game, he told the media, "It was like a madhouse in there. Everyone was pointing figures. The defense was mad at the Special Teams, the Special Teams was mad at the quarterback, the quarterback was mad at his Oline, the Oline was mad at the GM, and the GM was just mad at everyone, I have never before been so happy that Tight End is a position that doesn't get a lot of focus."
When asked postgame what exactly he said that helped everyone get back on their feet and ready to make one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of the sport, Pama chuckled and answered, "I can't really remember all that I said, I just remember that I was yelling throughout most of it and by the end I was sure that I was either going to get punched in the face or hugged in the postgame. There was a lot of hugging that ended up going on during postgame."
Locker Room, at Halftime: Miked Up
"ALRIGHT, ENOUGH! WE DON'T HAVE THE G***** TIME TO POINT FINGERS AT PEOPLE. WE'VE ALL MESSED UP. THE LINE HASN'T BEEN GOOD ENOUGH. SPECIAL TEAMS HAVEN'T BEEN GOOD ENOUGH. THE QUARTERBACK HASN'T BEEN GOOD ENOUGH. ASSIGNING ANY SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF BLAME RIGHT NOW IS NOT F***ING WORTH IT, IT'S NOT A GOOD USE OF OUR VERY LIMITED TIME! WE HAVE 20 MINUTES LEFT BEFORE WE GO OUT THERE AND PROVE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY PLAY A HALF DECENT GAME OF FOOTBALL ON THE SAME FIELD AS THESE STUPID GOLDEN WEEDS. IN THOSE 20 MINUTES LET'S DISCUSS HOW WE CAN ACTUALLY, JUST MAYBE, COME OUT OF HERE WITH A WIN INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING ABOUT THE PAST. There's 3 things that I'm focusing on for this second half. First, Peterson. Stop dancing in the pocket looking for an open receiver when we're open, you need to look towards Newton more. He's been getting open a bunch. Second, Frankie when we've used him has torn up their defense, we need to rely on him more. Third, Defense, I need you to key a bit harder on Crossley and Kirwin. They are the only guys who can catch a pass with the speed worth focusing on on their team. We do that and we might actually have a chance here."
This advice worked. Frankie ended the game with 133 yards on 4 yards per carry. Lebby Newton would end up with over 100 yards receiving on the night and an important touchdown, and while Crossley was not fully locked up for the rest of the game, ending with 74 yards, targeting him one too many times led to a pick 6 that put the Atlantic within 3 and gave them a huge amount of momentum.
The period where the game changed was the 5 minute period of time between 8:33 and 3:40 on the game clock. After getting the ball on their own 41, the Atlantic quickly drove down the field, with the biggest play of the drive being a pass to Lebby Newton that picked up 15 YAC to get to the red zone. A few plays later, and with 6 minutes left in the quarter, the lead was down to 10. Then, Amarillo began to drive. They got a good return to their own 34. They moved the ball up to their 44. And then, Bill Brasky threw into the waiting arms of Charlie Woody for a 45 yard INT return for a touchdown. Lead cut to 3. After a short drive, and a punt that was only decent, the Brooklyn Atlantic received the ball at the 36, and quickly looked like they were going to complete their comeback and maybe even take the lead. After a big pass play to Mark Callous that got the Atlantic into Amarillo territory, Peterson tried to double dip, but instead threw his second interception of the game. When asked about it in the post game press conference, Peterson replied, "That might have been more demoralizing for me than the first interception. At that point, we looked like we were the worse team and the interception only piled onto that. The second interception? Right when we were driving down the field to finish off the deficit? That was a momentum killer and I was worried I had just lost us the game."
The next possession that showed a bit of promise started with a little under 12 minutes left in the game. A couple runs by Lantz gaining a total of 11 yards and a couple catches by Newton gaining a total of 29 yards got the Atlantic just over midfield, then a 13 yard run from Lantz and a 7 yard catch from Newton would put the Atlantic in field goal range. Game tied. The Atlantic Defense, which had been stellar all second half, turned on the jets and ended the next drive with a sack on third down. Due to punting from the 15, and a 10 yard return from Charlie Woody, the Atlantic actually started their next drive from Amarillo territory with the chance to take the lead for the first time all game, with only 5 minutes left. A pair of clutch passes to Callous put the Atlantic well within the range of their kicker Dickerson, and he gave them the lead with 2:09 left in the game. "I had a heart attack when Woody let Crossley get the ball at the end of the game, but he caught up to him before he got into field goal range", said the GM, Literally Just A. Hexagon, when asked for comment later. After that long completion, the Tumbleweeds offense was out of gas and turned the ball over with 37 seconds left and no timeouts. Game over.
Hexagon had nothing but praise for his team's second half performance. "This was literally one point less impressive than the amazing comeback in the 22nd Ultimus Bowl, and it was against a team that made us look like fools twice in the first two weeks. Of course, unlike that game, we can't go off into the offseason content to rest on our laurels. This is a preseason tournament, and that was just the first round."
Pama, meanwhile, had this to say about the matchup next week with the Landsharks, who were considered the best team in the league. "I said that the best possible game to face the Landsharks in would be this one right here, and let's do our best to prove that true!"
One Week Later
If you went back in time to just after Week 2 and told people who would be playing in the finals of the Prospect Bowl, they would have looked at you like you were crazy. The CALGARY CAVALRY? The guys who just lost 26-3 to the Landsharks and who only won by a safety to the Drifters? And yet, that might have been less shocking to them than learning that the Brooklyn Atlantic had won games against the Amarillo Tumbleweeds and Tiburon Landsharks on the road to get there. But here we are, after the supposed best team in the league Landsharks have, for the second straight game, been completely outplayed by a team they were supposed to have beaten.
The scoreline says something a little different. 13-6 isn't exactly a great score for the losing team, but it's not a blowout. And yet, it felt like it to most of the people watching, which was the scariest part according to Darren Pama of the Brooklyn Atlantic. "When they tied it up 6 all, I could just feel our chances at winning slipping away despite having been completely dominant at both ends of play."
The first drive of the game was helped by a tripping penalty, a decent run from Frankie Lantz, and a 19 yard completion to Mark Callous to get into Field Goal range, then a 21 yard pass to Lebby Newton got the Atlantic into the Red Zone. However, a holding penalty prevented them from punching it in for 6 and they had to settle for 3. After the Landsharks drove to midfield and the Atlantic were sacked 2 out of 3 plays on the next possession, people were waiting for the Landsharks to turn around and dominate the game after going behind, as they had done a few times in the past. After getting the ball on their 44, being helped by a tripping penalty, and then completing a 10 yard pass to Killian Chambers, the Landsharks looked poised to prove them right. Then, all of a sudden, the drive stalled. Held to a Field Goal, the Tiburon Defense went out to show their strength again. Frankie Lantz carved them up to get to midfield with 44 yards on 5 runs. A 10 yard pass to Lantz and another 7 yard run put the Atlantic just outside of field goal range...where they would get stopped after a sack. The defense was put on notice but they escaped without giving up points. After an Illegal Use of Hands killed off the Landsharks next drive, the Atlantic would begin driving again. From the Brooklyn 20, completions to Pama and Callous would put the Atlantic into Landsharks territory for the 3rd time in 4 drives. This time, a few good runs from Frankie Lantz would be enough to put the Atlantic in easy field goal range. Lead restored, for now. Going into halftime, the Brooklyn Atlantic led 6 to 3, but had gotten into Atlantic Territory on 4 out of 6 drives, not counting the one that began with 15 seconds left in the half.
Said Pama, when asked for comment, "It's a very very strange feeling, to be honest. If you had told us before the game we were leading 6-3 going into halftime, we'd have taken it. If you told us they only got over midfield once, we'd have been ecstatic. And yet, sitting there at halftime, I at the very least was thinking, 'Why aren't we up more? This is almost definitely going to bite us in the butt later.'"
Going into the second half, the Landsharks continued to be stymied by the stout Atlantic Defense. It took a 61 yard punt just to give the Atlantic field position at their own 27 instead of much farther forward. An unnecessary roughness penalty killed off the first Atlantic drive of the half, but the Landsharks could still not get across midfield again, stopping their drive at the 47. Still, they had put the Atlantic in the shadow of their own end zone. The Atlantic moved forward from their field position of the 10 yard line through a couple quick passes, and then everything changed on 2nd and 4 at the 34.
"2 back set, here's the snap, Lantz takes the handoff, and appears to have gotten...NO! THE BALL IS LOOSE! Davriel Lavigne has punched the ball out and fallen on top of it! The Landsharks offense hasn't gotten anything going, but the defense has bailed them out and practically put them in field goal range! They'll start the drive at the Atlantic 35."
The fumble was devastating to the Atlantic. The Defense held the Landsharks to a 13 yard drive, and yet that was enough for an easy field goal to tie the game with 5 and a half minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Brooklyn starting the next drive at their 7 didn't help matters any. Still, a couple passes to Mark Callous and great runs from the quarterback Matt Peterson and the unstoppable Frankie Lantz put the Atlantic back over midfield again. The drive stalled at the Tiburon 27, well within kicker Lucky Dickerson's range...and yet, he missed his first kick all year at one of the most inopportune times possible. The game was going to be tied heading into the 4th.
Another great defensive possession and a monstrous punt later, the Brooklyn Atlantic were at the same spot they had been for the last 3 possessions, within their own 10 yard line, this time at the 4. They were able to move the ball a bit forward, but had to punt and their punter was nowhere near as excellent. Tiburon got the ball at their own 34. And yet, the Brooklyn defense continued to stymie the Atlantic, with Jeff Haraldson sacking the quarterback to push him back to the 28, and this time the punt wasn't 60 yards long, instead being "only" 48. Starting from the 24, the Atlantic began driving again. They got back over midfield to the Tiburon 45 with 9 minutes to play, then the game turned on its head yet again.
Pama, throughout the first 5 games the Atlantic played, had not gotten more than 20 yards in a game. He was mainly a last resort or a blocker. He did a good job at the latter, but was frustrated by the amount of drops he had when used as the former. This game, however, he had been used for a couple key completions earlier on in the game. In the current I Formation play, Pama was only supposed to be a decoy. He was supposed to go up the middle and take either of the safeties out of the play while one of the wide receivers beat their man and got a decent chunk of yardage with no help over the top. With that job in mind, he performed magnificently. Both the Free and Strong Safeties bit and double covered the go route decoy. The rest of the play, however, completely broke down. Minus the blocking scheme, that stayed strong. But one of the wide receivers ended up going back into the line of scrimmage, completely messing up his route. Meanwhile, the other one ended up triple covered by 2 linebackers and a cornerback. The outlet option, the Fullback, wasn't available either, being covered by a cornerback. Eventually, as Peterson scrambled a bit to create some room, the Free Safety went to go double up on the Fullback. At this point, Pama made his move. He cut to the left, got the Strong Safety distracted, and just then, at the perfect time, Matt Peterson noticed a bit of daylight, made a bullet pass, and Pama caught it over his shoulder. After stiff arming the Strong Safety Xmus Flaxon Jaxon Waxon, Pama ran for 10 more yards to get the Atlantics back into field goal range, but this time they were in the Red Zone. They weren't going to settle for 3, not if they could help it. A few plays later, Alex Reed caught his second pass of the day for a 10 yard touchdown. 13-6 with 5 minutes left. If the defense could hold as strong as they had all game, then incredibly, the Brooklyn Atlantic would be in the finals.
Then, the Landsharks began to drive. And drive, and drive. They got to the Brooklyn 39, but then ran into a problem. They only had 2 minutes left, they had gotten there through a bunch of short run plays. They would get to the Brooklyn 25, but there the game would end. For the first time all year, the Landsharks had been kept out of the endzone all game, and they were eliminated from the playoffs because of it.
Matt Peterson, who had performed poorly at times in the regular season, had saved his best game for this week, with a 116.8 QB Rating off of 21/26 completions, 233 yards, and a touchdown. Mark Callous had 110 of those, while Darren Pama had 58. (Callous was later quoted on getting to the finals, "WE DI TIDAWDFOHAJHWD") Frankie Lantz gained 149 yards on a 4.4 ypc, while James Vermillion and Owen Holloway were held to 132 yards on 3.1 yards per carry. Holloway also had a poor day passing, going only 6 for 14 and 66 yards with a 57.4 passer rating. The best player on the Landsharks was undoubtedly the Punter, who kicked 9 punts with an average of 49.3 yards, including 2 incredible 60+ yard coffin corners.
After breaking apart the highest scoring offense in the regular season, the Brooklyn Atlantic have the opposite problem to deal with now: Breaking through the defense with the least points scored against it in the regular season in the Calgary Cavalry. Only time will tell how they go about this task, but no matter what, they can definitely be proud of what they have accomplished.
One Week Later
How did we even get here? How did we get to a position where the best offense in the league was forced into a slow grindfest, and then the best defense in the league was forced into a track meet? The Brooklyn Atlantic are a team of conundrums, but more importantly, they are champions. 5 weeks ago, they came off the field following a second straight walloping at the hands of the Amarillo Tumbleweeds. Now, they can safely say they have taken on all comers and defied all odds to win the title.
The best defense in the league during the regular season started to show some cracks right from the get go, as a 73 yard return to the Calgary 23 by Lebby Newton set up a very easy touchdown a couple plays later for Frankie Lantz. A touchdown a minute and 2 seconds into the game was not expected from a game between the best defense in the league and a team whose defense had just kept the best offense in the league to 6 points. A couple punts later, the Cavalry would show up on the scoreboard off of a drive with a couple key passes and runs from quarterback Uncle Rico, before being pounded in by James Kimbrell. Now it was the Atlantic's turn again. With a couple key conversions in a 13 yard pass to Mark Callous and a 7 yard run from Frankie Lantz, the Atlantic got to the edge of field goal range. Then they stalled, 4th and 4 on the Calgary 34. The offense stayed on the field, and Freddie Lantz ran through the defense again for another 7 yard conversion. Lantz would score his second touchdown of the game on amazing weaving run a couple plays later, the first play of the second quarter. 14-7, Calgary ball. Calgary would begin to drive again, getting into Brooklyn Territory again. Then, Uncle Rico on a designed rush ran into the line and Jake Sackson got his hand on the ball. It fell out and at the bottom of the pile, Jeff Haraldson ended up with the ball and a drive that could have evened up the game was now another good chance for the Atlantic. The Atlantic would find themselves facing a 4th and 1 from the 31 this time, and decided to go for it again. They'd succeed, but this time the ensuing drive only ended up in a slightly shorter field goal attempt, which Dickerson made. All of a sudden, Calgary had 17 points put up on it during the first half, and there were still 8 minutes to go.
Of course, this also meant the Cavalry had 8 minutes to answer, and on a series of amazing runs from Joseph Stamps, answer they did. Stamps had 3 runs over 10 yards and in total ran for 65 yards on the possession. The Atlantic took the ball again, drove quickly to midfield, but then it was their turn to fumble on their 48 yard line and end a promising drive while giving Calgary great field position. However, this time the Brooklyn defense held fast, did not give up a first down, and kept Calgary out of field goal range, so they still had a 3 point lead. Brooklyn was unable to get into field goal range before halftime, so the score was 14-17 heading into the locker room. Calgary would have the ball first however.
However, the Brooklyn Atlantic defense started out a bit more stout this time. A sack from Richard Leaking and a delay of game penalty pushed the Calgary back to their own 3 yard line. Then Jake Sackson had his second big play of the night, with a sack in the endzone for a safety. Due to a good return, the Atlantic would also start inside Calgary territory this drive as well. It looked like great field position would go to waste, but then 2 quick 10 yard passes to Lebby Newton put the Atlantic into field goal range. Lantz's run on third down was marked inches shy, and the Atlantic would elect to kick a field goal. 22-14, an 8 point lead early in the second half. After getting pinned deep in their own territory on the kickoff again, then taking a sack on first down, the Calgary Cavalry had to punt from their 11 yard line after going nowhere. The punt was only 35 yards, and Charlie Woody returned it for 10. With a drive starting at the 36, it looked like the Brooklyn Atlantic could put this game out of reach early, with 9 minutes still on the clock in the 3rd. However, they only gained 6 yards, kicking another field goal. The lead however was now stretched to 11 and was back to 2 possessions.
Again, a great kickoff and a poor return would leave the Calgary Cavalry staring in the shadow of their own endzone for the 3rd straight drive, but they would finally get a first down from that position and create some breathing room. Then, with 6 and a half minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Uncle Rico stepped back to pass.
"The Cavalry really need to score on this drive if they're going to have a serious chance of winning the game. Uncle Rico steps back to pass, surveys the field, his protection breaks down on the left, Rico rolls into the pressure, pressure in his face, throws on the run to Fank-GULOGOR! Gulogor out of nowhere has it! A second costly turnover on the day for the Cavalry, and this will lead directly to points. Lugolor Gulogor waltzes in for the touchdown!"
With the interception return, the Atlantic now had a commanding 32-14 lead, and things seemed out of reach for the Cavalry at this point. Still, there was time left.
A couple plays later, Uncle Rico stepped back in the pocket, was sacked by Steven Talbert of the Atlantic, and fumbled the ball directly into his loving arms. With less than 5 minutes to go in the half, however, the Cavalry stood firm and kept the Atlantic on the 32 where they recovered the ball. They did not even attempt a field goal. However, even if Brooklyn never scored again, Calgary needed to score fast in order to catch up. Another 3 and out was not the answer. The Atlantic offense, however, now seemed a bit out of juice, or perhaps they had taken their foot off the gas pedal. Either way, they also went three and out, and following a poor punt, the Cavalry set up on their 46. They needed to act fast considering there was only a minute left in the quarter. They got into Brooklyn territory, getting to First and 10 on the 39, but the next 3 plays were a 3 yard loss on a desperation pass to avoid a sack, a 6 yard pass on which Dan Foster got stripped, although he recovered his own fumble, and then a costly delay of game on 3rd and 7. One incomplete pass on 3rd and 12 later, the Calgary Cavalry punted again, and only 13 minutes remained in the game while they were still down by 3 possessions.
However, the Atlantic still had their foot off the gas. A sack and a penalty put them at 4th and 22 on their own 8, and the Atlantic punter is not exactly amazing. His punt of 40 yards was actually above average for him, but the Cavalry were still starting inside Brooklyn Territory. The Cavalry finally capitalized, driving into the red zone quickly on a long pass to Dan Foster where he went completely uncovered by the defense. From there, the Atlantic almost stiffened up at the goal line, but on the third try Joseph Stamps scored his second touchdown of the day. The lead was now at 11 with 9 minutes to go. Finally, the Atlantic offense showed a spark of life, as an 18 yard pass to Mark Callous got them their first first down of the 4th quarter. The drive would quickly stall, however this time Calgary didn't have as good field position and more time had gone off the clock. 7 minutes to go. 6 yard run on first down. 3 yard run on second down. No gain on third down. Then, a strange decision not to go for it with only 6 minutes left.
The Cavalry were not punished too heavily for that, as the Atlantic passed twice and stopped the clock on an incompletion both times, only 30 seconds had gone off the clock. However, that still might have been too much. The drive, starting with 5 minutes and 30 seconds, ended with a touchdown, but it took all 5 minutes and 30 seconds to do so. Game over, Atlantic win.
The Atlantic fully admit that they had taken the foot off the gas after going up 3 scores. "We felt we had it in hand, perhaps a bit early. Considering what we did to the Tumbleweed, perhaps we should have played with just a bit more pressure on us in the 4th?" said Pama. "Thing is, we were just tired. We had gone through long, grueling games against the Tumbleweeds and the Landsharks, and after having sewn up victory, taking a step back and playing at 80% felt a bit necessary so as not to collapse."
Frankie Lantz and Lugolor Gulogor won offensive and defensive player of the game, respectively.
Coming up tomorrow is our draft coverage. Stay tuned for that. This reporter will be there every step of the way to cover the festivities.
(4424 words, if prospect bowl stuff counts for the multiplier, then this is elligible for the 1.5x multiplier)
