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Ready to be graded (1219 words)The Grizzlies' first home game of the Prospect Bowl had been eagerly anticipated. Now, it's just another poor showing for the team.
The game began with a bang, after cornerback Tobias Chase returned an interception twenty-eight yards for a Wolfpack touchdown. The Grizzlies hit a long field goal, then answered with a touchdown of their own, a seventeen yard strike through the air. For a while, it looked like the Grizzlies might be able to make a stand in front of the home crowd, but a sixteen point fourth quarter from the Wolfpack sealed the Grizzlies' fate. The final score of 23-10 means that the Grizzlies fall to 1-3 in the tournament and second place in their conference.
The Grizzlies dominated in nearly every facet of the game, which makes the loss all the more heartbreaking. Forrest Gump had another incredible rushing game, picking up one hundred and twenty-seven yards on thirty-two attempts. He still struggles to find the end zone, but his draft stock is still on a meteoric rise. Ahri Espeeyeeseetee was the best receiver of the game, hauling in seven passes for one hundred and ten yards. Running back Dofus Jimbo caught three passes out of the backfield, including the Grizzlies' lone touchdown. On the defensive side, Martavius Mack came alive this game; he made a team-high seven tackles, defended two passes, and came up with an interception. Guy Nikko recorded also recorded seven tackles, and added on a sack for good measure. Speaking of sacks, defensive lineman Khalil Sack recorded a whopping three sacks, in addition to four tackles and one tackle for loss.
Quenton Bode had his worst game of the tournament so far. He only made four tackles--a tournament low for him--and defended a single pass. He discussed the loss with us after the game:
Question: The Grizzlies are now 1-3, meaning they cannot finish the Prospect Bowl with a winning record. How upset does this make you?
Answer: "I wouldn't say it makes me upset. Nobody likes to lose, of course. And I know all the guys on the team are looking at themselves and figuring out what they can do better, myself included. But we aren't out of this thing yet. We still have one game to play, and if we win, we're in the playoffs. So right now we're focused on winning that game. We all know we're capable of winning, so we're all trying to figure out how to make that happen. It just speaks to the great locker room that we have--a lot of teams in this situation would start blaming the coaches, blaming each other, blaming everyone but themselves. And when you start doing that, the team falls apart, and it just continues in a vicious cycle. So the fact that these guys are looking at themselves and their effort first, it just shows how great these guys are. I'm gonna miss playing with them."
Q: You had a poor showing this game, probably your worst game of the tournament. How does it feel to play so badly, especially in your first home game?
A: "I mean, stats aren't everything. Like I said last week, you can't just look at the boxscore or the final result and think you know exactly how the game went down. I put in the effort and I did my job, same as I do every week. It just so happens that the game didn't really come to me like it has in the past. Maybe that's just how the dice went, maybe they planned to stay away from me, I don't know. But the stats, as 'bad' as they might be, don't tell the whole story. They don't show that I still played my heart out, that I still gave it my all on every play, that I motivated my teammates and helped them out. I think that's what the fans should pay attention to: the effort, rather than the boxscore. I know I'd care more for someone who gives one hundred and ten percent every play than for someone who phones it in, even if the second guy has better stats at the final whistle."
Q: Your draft stock has been steadily climbing, despite the team's lack of success. How do you feel this game in particular will affect that climb?
A: "I don't think it will, but I can't know for sure. Again, I gave the same amount of effort this game that I do every game, and that's what I'm hoping the GMs are looking at. I'm putting in a lot of work off the field, and I'm hoping that the GMs are paying attention to that. I'm not in any of these war rooms, so I can't say anything with complete certainty. But I think that coaches and GMs pay attention to the type of player you are, and the way you conduct yourself off the field, rather than just pure stats. So in that regard, this game won't affect my draft stock--I played just as hard during the game, and I'm still doing things off the field, so I don't expect anything to change. And, as I've stated numerous times before, I don't care if I get taken first overall or if I'm Mr. Irrelevant. Just getting drafted is the most important thing to me."
Q: Final question. The playoff race is coming down to the wire, and at this point it could be any four teams who make it through. We know that you feel that the Grizzlies can make the playoffs, and even win the Newbie conference outright, but who in the Rookie conference do you think is going to come out on top?
A: "That's a tough question. Like you said, the conference title is still anyone's game at this point, and I could see all three teams taking it for themselves. But, if I had to take a guess, I would probably say that the Foxes end up winning the Rookie conference. They're still the team to beat, and even though their next game is on the road, I think they're a stronger team overall than the Blackbirds. After that, it's hard to say who'll get that playoff spot behind them. Obviously it'll come down to who wins the Wolfpack-Owls matchup, and I think the Wolfpack will come out on top. It'll be a really good game, I think, but I think the Wolfpack have the edge in terms of talent, and even though the Owls are on a winning streak, the Wolfpack is gonna fight hard to beat them. We'll see what happens, and I'm prepared to be surprised, but I think the Foxes are gonna come out on top, with the Wolfpack following right behind them."
The Grizzlies play their last game of the Prospect Bowl at home against the East Cobras. The Cobras currently lead the conference, but a win by the Grizzlies would vault them back to first place and the playoffs. Expect a hard-fought contest from both sides.
![[Image: BODE.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/800790374204571721/893650710489628732/BODE.png)
![[Image: TBFYuND.png]](https://i.imgur.com/TBFYuND.png)
