[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Orange County, CA - Under the bright Orange County lights, this one was a thriller. But the Liberty prevailed, and the underdogs proved that the Eagles weren't the only Philly team that could turn some heads.
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Liberty players celebrate Eli Kamaka's sack, from left to right: Drew Davidson, Eli Kamaka, Micah Hendrix
Going into the game, the Liberty's players were bouncing with energy, ready to get the game going, ready to compete with the Otters in one more game. We interviewed Tyler Oles, Liberty star quarterback on what it felt like inside the Liberty locker room pregame.
"Nerves were insane, we all knew what was at stake. We were 1 play away from winning it all last season, seeing the ball fall out of Garden's hands was the most frustrating experience the team has had in its existence. We knew we had to come back and be better than we were last season, where we had the Otters on the ropes but couldn't finish the job. The locker room all felt the pressure, and we all experienced the pain of last season. The nerves were there, and so was the motivation."
Nerves. Who wouldn't be nervous for a game like this? After all, high expectations were certainly in the air, with the Philadelphia Eagles having won a championship not too long ago from the Liberty's home town. But then it was game time.
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Philadelphia Liberty huddle up before the game
The Liberty got off to a hot start, with Josh Garden taking off the opening kick 103 yards out of the end zone coast to coast. Garden was NOT wanting to hear anything about Ultimus choking.
The rest of the game was tense and quiet. At first, the vaunted Otters offense couldn't get the keys in the engine, and the Liberty jumped out to a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter. However, a Boss-Westy™ connection to go along with a Madlad field goal brought the Otters within eight at the half. This time it was the Liberty's offense who stalled, as Oles threw a pick and on their very next drive they went three and out. But the ironclad Liberty defense was able to keep them out of the end zone, and clung to a two point lead.
The next drive, the Liberty went three and out again. This is the time when the Otters capitalize. This is what current Pythons co-GM and former Yeti co-GM John Gruden had to say about them:
"They're like the Golden State Warriors, man. No lead is safe. If you make one big mistake, they jump. And then they fall into a rhythm. The defense tightens up. You punt, they take it home for seven. You throw a pick, they'll put more points on the board. The Liberty had every damn reason to be quaking in their boots then."
But there was no quaking among the Liberty defense. Instead, Micah Hendrix picked off the first throw he saw the very next play following the punt. With the ball at the 14 yard line, the crowd silent, and the Liberty with newfound energy, everyone in that stadium knew the momentum just dramatically shifted.
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Micah Hendrix celebrates after picking off Mike Boss
Three plays later, they capitalized.
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Paul DiMirio scores a tide-tur - sorry wrong pic
But the game was far from over. Too bad for the Otters that the Liberty weren't about to blow this shot. Because they hit nothing but net.
Forcing two punts and two loss of downs, the Liberty did it. They had just become the first NSFC team to win an Ultimus, and it was a fitting ending to a season to the game the Liberty were waiting a year for. Because they just came into the threepeat Otters house and did their job.
I got the opportunity to speak postgame on the field with Paul DiMirio, one of the biggest contributors to the Liberty's victory.
"Ok, Paul. First off, congrats on knocking off the three peat champion Otters. Great accomplishment."
"Thanks!"
"What do you think was the turning point in this game? Where you guys really locked in and knew something was happening?"
"It has to be that amazing play where Kendrick Hendrix just caught that great pass and flew down the field for the TD. Seeing as this was his last game, it was an amazing send-out for him. Not to mention it gave us a lead of 21-3. No matter who you are, being down by that much is demoralizing."
"That play was crazy. Absolutely amazing. What was the atmosphere like out on the field, playing such a huge game in your opponents’ land?"
"Well as you know, Liberty fans travel very well, so while the crowd was a lot of orange, there was still a lot of noise when we were on offense and while the pressure was high, we'd all been in a high-stakes Ultimus against the Otters before."
"Coming into the game the underdogs, does it affect your mindset after all? It seems Philly Eagles-reminiscent coming out to Yellowknife as the underdogs and out in Southern Cali."
"Our team story is about being underdogs. About being slept on season after season, no matter what we did. It's not just a word, it's a mindset, and it's one that we have thrived under in Philly. It didn't matter that we had to play 2 road games against teams with 25 combined wins. As the underdog, you can relax. There's no pressure. It's just you and the field."
"So I heard from co-GM Rashad Brooks there were some big depth chart switches going into the game. Can you explain why your team did that?"
"It's about flexibility. Throughout the entire season I played mostly TE (after this one game my position is now listed as flex-back, however), so moving me out wide and in the slot was something unexpected that gave the Otters nightmares all game. We had Fox and I out wide, and Josh [Garden] played some slot and some inline, and it just created all these mismatches. Garden against Enchant and Bavitz, and myself against King and Atwell. They just had no answers for it and it gave us the edge."
"Crafty! Everyone loves a good underdog story. I’m going to let you go now to celebrate with the team. Cheers!"
"Thanks!"
We also got to talk to Oles in the media room after a (admittedly long) hearty Liberty LR champagne session.
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"How much do you think Josh Garden's kick return for a touchdown changed the outcome of the game?"
"It was a huge boost. The offense was confident knowing we'd at the very least be tied after our teams first defensive drive, the defense was confident and used that return as a springboard. While they didn't stop them early the defense eventually used that hot start to stop the Otters before they could get the touchdown, and leading 7-3 instead of tied 7-7 was a great start for the offense and allowed us to be comfortable and get the nerves out. We didn't feel like we were fighting from behind which could have easily happened early on, and when the Otters have the lead it's extremely hard to take it away from them, it's one of the reasons why they were able to win 3 straight titles and make 4 straight."
"What did it feel like when you realized that you had took control of the game and you were about to beat the “unstoppable” otters and take home your first Ultimus?"
"When the defense was able to stop them on 4th down with 2 minutes left it started to really sink in. That was their final drive and they came up just short with a key defensive stop, and with the Otters you really don't ever feel like you have control of the game until extremely late in the game. When it finally sunk in and we went out there on offense it felt great. We were running down the clock in Orange County with the lead, we had, barring a miracle by the Otters, won the Ultimus and became the first NSFC team to do so. The sidelines knew it, we knew it going out on offense, and we just couldn't contain ourselves. The huddle was just laughing and joy, no real play calling. When it ended and we won it was the greatest feeling in the world. The thought we had in season 2 when we were in our first season, the thought that we could win it all with this team finally came true. It took a while but it happened, and the joy was easy to see on the field and in the locker room afterwards."
We also interviewed Tegan Atwell, Otters cornerback post game on her thoughts.
"So, Tegan, it's got to be disappointing ending your season like this. What did the Liberty do in this game that the Otters didn't?"
"I think they just took their chances. I know I tried my hardest to keep on my guy, but he just kept beating me in the air tonight. I think a lot of it also comes down to I've won this trophy two times before and this team has won it three times before, but the Liberty is still seen as an expansion team. I think that they just wanted to put their names on the map to solidify themselves."
So how are the Liberty going to celebrate? Well, I can imagine the shrewd Liberty GMs getting back to work, while the Liberty try to make the most of the shorter offseason implemented by the league head office.
Player of the Game: LB Micah Hendrix (5 Tck, 1 Sack, 1 PD, 1 INT)[/div]
Give $250,000 to @`To12143` and @124715 for their interviews, as well as $50,000 to @Jiggly_333 for his interview
Liberty players celebrate Eli Kamaka's sack, from left to right: Drew Davidson, Eli Kamaka, Micah Hendrix
Going into the game, the Liberty's players were bouncing with energy, ready to get the game going, ready to compete with the Otters in one more game. We interviewed Tyler Oles, Liberty star quarterback on what it felt like inside the Liberty locker room pregame.
"Nerves were insane, we all knew what was at stake. We were 1 play away from winning it all last season, seeing the ball fall out of Garden's hands was the most frustrating experience the team has had in its existence. We knew we had to come back and be better than we were last season, where we had the Otters on the ropes but couldn't finish the job. The locker room all felt the pressure, and we all experienced the pain of last season. The nerves were there, and so was the motivation."
Nerves. Who wouldn't be nervous for a game like this? After all, high expectations were certainly in the air, with the Philadelphia Eagles having won a championship not too long ago from the Liberty's home town. But then it was game time.
Philadelphia Liberty huddle up before the game
The Liberty got off to a hot start, with Josh Garden taking off the opening kick 103 yards out of the end zone coast to coast. Garden was NOT wanting to hear anything about Ultimus choking.
The rest of the game was tense and quiet. At first, the vaunted Otters offense couldn't get the keys in the engine, and the Liberty jumped out to a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter. However, a Boss-Westy™ connection to go along with a Madlad field goal brought the Otters within eight at the half. This time it was the Liberty's offense who stalled, as Oles threw a pick and on their very next drive they went three and out. But the ironclad Liberty defense was able to keep them out of the end zone, and clung to a two point lead.
The next drive, the Liberty went three and out again. This is the time when the Otters capitalize. This is what current Pythons co-GM and former Yeti co-GM John Gruden had to say about them:
"They're like the Golden State Warriors, man. No lead is safe. If you make one big mistake, they jump. And then they fall into a rhythm. The defense tightens up. You punt, they take it home for seven. You throw a pick, they'll put more points on the board. The Liberty had every damn reason to be quaking in their boots then."
But there was no quaking among the Liberty defense. Instead, Micah Hendrix picked off the first throw he saw the very next play following the punt. With the ball at the 14 yard line, the crowd silent, and the Liberty with newfound energy, everyone in that stadium knew the momentum just dramatically shifted.
Micah Hendrix celebrates after picking off Mike Boss
Three plays later, they capitalized.
Paul DiMirio scores a tide-tur - sorry wrong pic
But the game was far from over. Too bad for the Otters that the Liberty weren't about to blow this shot. Because they hit nothing but net.
Forcing two punts and two loss of downs, the Liberty did it. They had just become the first NSFC team to win an Ultimus, and it was a fitting ending to a season to the game the Liberty were waiting a year for. Because they just came into the threepeat Otters house and did their job.
I got the opportunity to speak postgame on the field with Paul DiMirio, one of the biggest contributors to the Liberty's victory.
"Ok, Paul. First off, congrats on knocking off the three peat champion Otters. Great accomplishment."
"Thanks!"
"What do you think was the turning point in this game? Where you guys really locked in and knew something was happening?"
"It has to be that amazing play where Kendrick Hendrix just caught that great pass and flew down the field for the TD. Seeing as this was his last game, it was an amazing send-out for him. Not to mention it gave us a lead of 21-3. No matter who you are, being down by that much is demoralizing."
"That play was crazy. Absolutely amazing. What was the atmosphere like out on the field, playing such a huge game in your opponents’ land?"
"Well as you know, Liberty fans travel very well, so while the crowd was a lot of orange, there was still a lot of noise when we were on offense and while the pressure was high, we'd all been in a high-stakes Ultimus against the Otters before."
"Coming into the game the underdogs, does it affect your mindset after all? It seems Philly Eagles-reminiscent coming out to Yellowknife as the underdogs and out in Southern Cali."
"Our team story is about being underdogs. About being slept on season after season, no matter what we did. It's not just a word, it's a mindset, and it's one that we have thrived under in Philly. It didn't matter that we had to play 2 road games against teams with 25 combined wins. As the underdog, you can relax. There's no pressure. It's just you and the field."
"So I heard from co-GM Rashad Brooks there were some big depth chart switches going into the game. Can you explain why your team did that?"
"It's about flexibility. Throughout the entire season I played mostly TE (after this one game my position is now listed as flex-back, however), so moving me out wide and in the slot was something unexpected that gave the Otters nightmares all game. We had Fox and I out wide, and Josh [Garden] played some slot and some inline, and it just created all these mismatches. Garden against Enchant and Bavitz, and myself against King and Atwell. They just had no answers for it and it gave us the edge."
"Crafty! Everyone loves a good underdog story. I’m going to let you go now to celebrate with the team. Cheers!"
"Thanks!"
We also got to talk to Oles in the media room after a (admittedly long) hearty Liberty LR champagne session.
"How much do you think Josh Garden's kick return for a touchdown changed the outcome of the game?"
"It was a huge boost. The offense was confident knowing we'd at the very least be tied after our teams first defensive drive, the defense was confident and used that return as a springboard. While they didn't stop them early the defense eventually used that hot start to stop the Otters before they could get the touchdown, and leading 7-3 instead of tied 7-7 was a great start for the offense and allowed us to be comfortable and get the nerves out. We didn't feel like we were fighting from behind which could have easily happened early on, and when the Otters have the lead it's extremely hard to take it away from them, it's one of the reasons why they were able to win 3 straight titles and make 4 straight."
"What did it feel like when you realized that you had took control of the game and you were about to beat the “unstoppable” otters and take home your first Ultimus?"
"When the defense was able to stop them on 4th down with 2 minutes left it started to really sink in. That was their final drive and they came up just short with a key defensive stop, and with the Otters you really don't ever feel like you have control of the game until extremely late in the game. When it finally sunk in and we went out there on offense it felt great. We were running down the clock in Orange County with the lead, we had, barring a miracle by the Otters, won the Ultimus and became the first NSFC team to do so. The sidelines knew it, we knew it going out on offense, and we just couldn't contain ourselves. The huddle was just laughing and joy, no real play calling. When it ended and we won it was the greatest feeling in the world. The thought we had in season 2 when we were in our first season, the thought that we could win it all with this team finally came true. It took a while but it happened, and the joy was easy to see on the field and in the locker room afterwards."
We also interviewed Tegan Atwell, Otters cornerback post game on her thoughts.
"So, Tegan, it's got to be disappointing ending your season like this. What did the Liberty do in this game that the Otters didn't?"
"I think they just took their chances. I know I tried my hardest to keep on my guy, but he just kept beating me in the air tonight. I think a lot of it also comes down to I've won this trophy two times before and this team has won it three times before, but the Liberty is still seen as an expansion team. I think that they just wanted to put their names on the map to solidify themselves."
So how are the Liberty going to celebrate? Well, I can imagine the shrewd Liberty GMs getting back to work, while the Liberty try to make the most of the shorter offseason implemented by the league head office.
Player of the Game: LB Micah Hendrix (5 Tck, 1 Sack, 1 PD, 1 INT)[/div]
Give $250,000 to @`To12143` and @124715 for their interviews, as well as $50,000 to @Jiggly_333 for his interview
retired
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Jurisprudence Jones, OL ![[Image: cYhSwFY.png]](https://i.imgur.com/cYhSwFY.png)
