#louis granger

THE FOXHOLE COURT: MARCH 18-MARCH 24

ONLINE:

“Both the Palmetto State Foxes and the UCLA Bruins came into the third round with momentum: the Foxes dispatched the surging UNLV Rebels in the death match, while the Bruins eliminated the Penn State Lions in a shocking upset. While the Foxes may have gotten the better of the Bruins when these two teams met in the first round, this time it was the Bruins who came out on top—making the case that, after a disappointing first round performance that saw them just narrowly avoiding elimination, they’re here to be taken seriously.”

“‘’It feels great,’ Bruin Joe Carmichael said. ‘The first round is in the past, and we’re playing like we know we can, now.’ But fans who tuned in hoping for a rematch between Carmichael and Fox Louis Granger, after Granger attacked Carmichael in the handshake line after their last meeting—an infraction for which he was disciplined by the ERC—were left disappointed. For his part, Carmichael seemed to want a rematch: ‘I’m not surprised [that he didn’t fight me]. He probably knew he couldn’t win a fair fight, so that’s why he blindsided me last time. That’s pretty cowardly.’ While Fox Coach David Wymack insinuated that Carmichael may have played a role in provoking that altercation, Carmichael flatly denied it. ‘I don’t know what he’s talking about,’ he said. ‘Everyone can watch the video and see for themselves what happened.’”

“In goal, the Foxes were missing their Captain Grant Rollins, sitting out his first game of the year with an MCL injury. Without Rollins on the court, the Foxes’ remaining goalkeepers—junior Emmett Ashford, junior Alis Tan, sophomore Caleb Fournier, and senior Anderson Ford—let in 6 goals total on the way to the Foxes’ 6-4 loss. Notoriously private, Wymack has been tight-lipped about a timetable for Rollins’ return, but with the third round hanging in the balance, the Foxes can only hope that it’ll be very soon.”

“And now Rollins isn’t the only player the Foxes have lost to injury: dealer Raphael Peruggia left the court with an apparent hand injury, and it’s still unknown how much time he’ll be missing. Unlike Rollins, freshman Peruggia hasn’t been a staple of the Foxes’ roster—with several red cards and an ERC-levied suspension during the regular season, he’s been more of a wildcard on the court than an asset.”

“The Foxes get an off week while the Bruins prepare to host the DePaul Blue Demons on Friday night. And then, next week, it’ll be the Foxes’ turn to face the Blue Demons. Afterwards, one team will be eliminated, while the two remaining teams will face each other in a final death match to determine who moves on to the semifinals. And, in that race, the Bruins are already ahead. The Foxes, on the other hand, have ground to make up.” 

“ELSEWHERE IN CLASS I: In the odds bracket, the Edgar Allan Ravens won a blowout victory against the UT Longhorns, with a score of 7-1. The Belmonte Terrapins and the Ohio State Buckeyes, however, were much more evenly matched: the Buckeyes prevailed in the shootout, with a final score of 5-4. Next, the Terrapins will play the Ravens in Nashville, while the Buckeyes will take on the Longhorns in Columbus.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “FOXES’ LUCK TURNS IN REMATCH AGAINST BRUINS.”

ON CAMPUS:

The Foxes suffered their second loss of the Championships, but there’s no time for them to get discouraged: they have four points, and they have to be their best against the Blue Demons in two weeks and build on that total, and so there’s no letting up when it comes to their practices.

There’s no game for the Foxes to play on Friday night, but there are games to watch—one in particular, that will help determine the Foxes’ chances of surviving the third round. Tonight, the odds bracket is just a distraction; tonight, it’s all about the Bruins and the Blue Demons.

With the Bruins and the Blue Demons playing in Los Angeles, first serve isn’t until late. This time, their watch party is in the Vixen Den and, before the game starts, it’s just like an ordinary party—until the TV is turned on and the music is turned off, the Foxes and the Vixens gathering round and keeping careful tally of the points each team scores.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, ROMAN!

Thank you for everything you contribute to TFC!

@no2granger

THE FOXHOLE COURT: MARCH 11-MARCH 17

ONLINE:

“After the death matches cut the field in half, seven teams are left standing: three in the evens bracket, which will send one team onto the semi-finals; and four in the odds bracket, which will send two.”

“Now, in the third round, the Championships stakes are about to change: emphasis now switches to points, with the teams that score the most cumulative points in their third-round games moving on. The teams that score the least will be eliminated. Theoretically, a team can lose both of their games or still move on, or win both of their games and not move on, depending on how the scoring shakes out—though we haven’t seen either of those scenarios play out in some time. But with a Championships season full of shocks and upsets so far, we certainly aren’t ruling anything out.”

“In the evens bracket, the Palmetto State Foxes will get a rematch with the UCLA Bruins this Friday, this time on their home turf; the following week, the Bruins and the DePaul Blue Demons will play each other in Los Angeles; and the week after that it’s the Blue Demons’ turn for home court advantage, as they play the Foxes in Chicago.” 

“It’s a steep fight to the finish for the odds bracket, where four teams remain to fight it out. In such a thinned-out field, it’s impossible to imagine the Edgar Allan Ravens not moving onto the semi-finals—but the question remains, which team will join them? The Ravens will play their first game of the third round this Friday against the UT Longhorns, while the Belmonte Terrapins will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “AS DUST SETTLES AFTER DEATH MATCHES, SEVEN TEAMS MOVE ON TO THIRD ROUND.”

“The Palmetto State Foxes and the UCLA Bruins met in the first round of the Championships, where the Foxes won in the shootout. Only a more dismal first round performance by the UC Davis Aggies allowed the Bruins to move on to the death matches, where they earned a surprise shootout victory against the Penn State Lions.”

“The last meeting between these two teams ended in a fistfight—after the final buzzer sounded. For starting the fight in the handshake line, Fox Louis Granger was suspended one game by the ERC, but he’ll be back on the court on Friday—as will Bruin Joe Carmichael, who was on the other side of Granger’s fists.”

“Two Fox players, however, will be missing: striker Leo Duarte, for a red card in the Foxes’ death match against the UNLV Rebels; and Fox goalkeeper and Captain Grant Rollins, who was injured in the same game. According to Fox Coach David Wymack, Rollins will be out for several weeks with an MCL injury, but a few weeks can make all the difference for the Foxes in the Championships. Has Rollins, a fifth year, played his last game as a Fox? We’ll have to wait and see.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONELINE, “FOXES VS. BRUINS: PREVIEW.”

“Did you hear? There’s an Exy game this Friday—no, not that one. We’ve gotten our hands on a Facebook invite from the football team, and it looks like they’re going to be watching the Ravens on Friday night. Now, we don’t like to take sides in a rivalry, but this just seems a little too petty for us. We’re sorry to say it, but cheering for the enemy isn’t going to change the fact that your team flamed out of the playoffs. Do better next time, would you?”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

The third round is uncharted territory for the Foxes, and in practice, the emphasis is on one thing and one thing only: scoring. The Foxes will need to score big and score often to secure their place in the semi-finals, and their strikers are feeling the pressure.

Additionally, with the third round schedule revealed, the Foxes have their second third-round game scheduled in the middle of what would have been their Spring Break, meaning that they’ll be on the road to play the Blue Demons while everyone else is at home.

The Foxes have played only one game at home so far in the Championships, and now that they’re home again Fox fever has seemed to take over the Palmetto campus—an embrace the Foxes have never seen from their own school before.

But their bandwagon fans aren’t the only ones taking note of the Foxes’ performance: on Wednesday, March 13, the doors of the Foxhole Court open during the Foxes’ evening practice: for the press, cameras getting footage of the Foxes from a safe distance with none of them made available for comment; but also for the professional scouts in town ahead of Friday’s game, to take a look at the Foxes’ fifth years—even if one of them is on the bench.  

On Friday, March 15, Palmetto seems to be packed: more out-of-town fans and alumni than the Foxes have ever seen, all of them wearing orange. And then, when evening comes, it’s time for the third round to begin, time for a rematch against a team they’ve beaten once before.

(OOC information related to the game under the cut)

THE FOXHOLE COURT: FEBRUARY 18-FEBRUARY 24

ONLINE:

“Both the Palmetto State Foxes and the UCLA Bruins entered into the last game of the first round of the Championships with their seasons on the line. In the end, the Foxes, down dealers Raphael Peruggia and Sasha Hart-Ashby due to red cards in the Foxes’ previous game, emerged victorious in the shootout, sending them on to the death matches for the second year in a row.”

“But, despite the must-win game, the real fireworks seems to happen off the court. The first came when the stars of Exy TV show ‘On The Line’ showed up to watch the game—and cheer on their former co-star, Fox striker Akira Sato. ‘Gotta make sure our boy out there gets them into the finals, you know?’ Actor Trevor Moeller said, ahead of the Foxes’ shootout victory.”

“But that victory was immediately soured by a vicious fight in the handshake line between Fox Louis Granger and Bruin Joe Carmichael, instigated by Granger. ‘It’s poor sportsmanship, plain and simple,’ Bruins Coach Ted Dunlop said. ‘It’s outrageous. Any team should be ashamed to have their players conduct themselves that way.’ Fox Coach David Wymack, however, disagreed with Dunlop: ‘That Bruins player knows what he did, though it sounds like his coach doesn’t. That’s all I’ll say.’ The ERC had its own say, stepping into deliver Granger a one game suspension.”

“While one game may be light, with the Foxes securing their spot in the death matches, there’s a chance that one game is all they have left—it is, after all, where the Foxes fell last year, after a years-long championships drought. Meanwhile, despite their shootout loss, the Bruins managed to scrape their way into the death matches, as the UC Davis Aggies and the Baylor University Bears saw themselves eliminated.” 

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “SECOND SHOOTOUT WIN FOR FOXES IN DEATH MATCH CLINCHING GAME”

“After a slow start to the Championships that saw the Washington State Cougars, the Boston Terriers, the UC Davis Aggies, and the Baylor University Bears eliminated, it’s time for the Championships to kick into high gear with the first set of death matches: a series of winner-takes-all games where the remaining field will be cut in half.”

“In the evens bracket, the Palmetto State Foxes will be facing off against the surging UNLV Rebels in Sin City. The Foxes, after a four game win streak to secure their spot in the Championships, limped into the death matches with two shootout victories, while the Rebels got off to a commanding start, winning all three of their first round games, including against the Penn State Lions. Also in the evens bracket, the Lions will be facing off against the surviving UCLA Bruins, and the Breckenridge Jackals will be facing off against the DePaul Blue Demons.”

“But the biggest shock of the randomly-assigned death matches is taking place in the odds bracket: where the USC Trojans, last year’s Champions, will be facing off against the Edgar Allan Ravens, the team they beat in last year’s finals. Many expected these two teams to meet again in this year’s finals, but that won’t happen: next Friday, one of them will be eliminated. 

After years of Trojans-Ravens (and, in previous years, the Lions) domination in the odds bracket, the door is open for another team: will it be the Ohio State Buckeyes, who hope to rebound after a slow start in their game against the Arizona Sundevils? Or will it be the UT Longhorns, who will be facing off against the Binghampton Bearcats? Or maybe the Idaho Vandals, in their first Championships appearance in history, who will be taking on the Belmonte Terrapins? It all starts next Friday night.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “FIRST ROUND OF DEATH MATCHES REVEALED”

“Well, you don’t need us to tell you what the Foxes were up to this weekend—you have Hollywood tabloids to do it for you, thanks to the Foxes’ resident washed-up star. But we’re going to do it anyway: we thought that he didn’t like the limelight, but between the Foxes’ night out in LA and his convention appearance earlier this year, we think this Hollywood reject doth protest too much. And who is that with him? Why, none other than the Foxes’ Captain. It’s not the first time these two have looked cozy away from the crowds and, you know what they say, where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

“Seems like love was in the air for some of the Foxes this week—or, well, something like it. We spotted a certain redheaded Vixen with a new victim at the Foxes’ party on Saturday. Who, you might ask? We can’t blame you if you’re having trouble keeping up. But don’t worry, Valentine’s Day or not, we wouldn’t put any money on this lasting.”

“If you’re looking for some light listening, may we interest you in a podcast? (And by light, we mean…about murder, of course.) The Foxes are getting attention off of the Exy court for all the wrong reasons, as usual, and if you don’t remember this Fox standing up at a press conference and reminding us all that he killed his mother, well, this latest series of First Degree just might jog your memory. But there’s a plot twist: did he really do it? Color us intrigued, and mark us down as loyal listeners.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

The Foxes return to Palmetto victorious—and to a campus that seems willing, now that the team is actually doing well and football season is over, to jump on the bandwagon, decorating the campus in even more orange than usual and hanging the Foxes’ posters around town.

THE FOXHOLE COURT: FEBRUARY 25-MARCH 3

ONLINE:

“With the first games of the death matches quickly approaching, all eyes are on one game and one game only: the game between the USC Trojans and the Edgar Allan Ravens. Both teams were heavily favored to feature in the finals, as they did last year and numerous years before that, and there’s still a good chance that the winner of the Trojans-Ravens matchup will be the team to go on to win the whole thing.”

“But there are more games scheduled for Friday night. And while all eyes are on the odds bracket, one team from the evens will be making it to the semi-finals. And while an evens bracket team has taken the whole thing only a handful of times in history, with the one of the league’s heavyweights about to be eliminated and the field opening up, anything is possible. And having emerged undefeated from the first round of the Championships, which included a victory against one of the Big Three in the Penn State Lions—(though they certainly haven’t been playing like a Big Three team lately)—the UNLV Rebels are making their case: they’re a team to watch; they’re a team that could make it all the way to the end.”

“The Rebels’ opponents are none other than the Palmetto State Foxes, who fought their way into the death matches with an overtime victory against the UCLA Bruins in the final game of the first round. The Foxes, making it to the Championships for the second year in a row after years of not seeing the Championships at all, have proved resilient so far—but not, of course, without the controversy that they’re so known for. Their shootout victory against the Bruins was almost immediately overshadowed by a handshake-line brawl between Fox Louis Granger and Bruin Joe Carmichael that saw Granger suspended for one of his team’s most crucial games. The Foxes have been unpredictable all season, with moments of promise overshadowed by a familiar lack of discipline and, sometimes, total collapse. And there’s no saying which Foxes will show up in Las Vegas on Friday.”

“It’s yet another away game for the Foxes, whose luck has delivered them a brutal road schedule in the Championships so far. And while the death matches seem poised to deliver fireworks across the league—when it comes to Vegas, and the on-a-roll Rebels, we’re not sure about the wisdom of betting against the house.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “DEATH MATCH PREVIEW: DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE EVENS”

“It seems like one Fox had a little bit too much fun on their off week. And that alone isn’t news, but we have the pictures to prove it, and we have a heartfelt plea. Seriously, we’re begging you: next time you see a Fox passed out on the side of the road, draw a dick on their face, please, for all our sakes. We might even pay you.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

All of Class I took a pause last week, one last opportunity to breathe before the death matches, before the pace and pressure of the Championships ramped up. After the first round, 14 out of 18 teams remained standing. At the end of the next two weeks, there will only be seven—and, as the Foxes head into their final few practices before the death matches, they know what they have to do. Win, and survive. There are no other options. 

It’s yet another road game for the Foxes, and by now they’re used to the routine: they meet at the Foxhole Court early on Friday, March 1 to make the journey to Upstate Regional Airport and, from there, to Las Vegas. This time, they have the luxury of a direct flight, and it’s a smooth five hours before they’re landing in Vegas.  

UNLV’s campus is only a short drive from the airport, the Vegas Strip visible in the distance as they make their way to their hotel. But the Foxes know they can’t be distracted by what Sin City has to offer, not so close to the game that will decide their fate, decide whether or not they’re improving on last year’s record or just matching it, falling at the same hurdle for the second year in a row. They settle in, try to relax—and then when evening hits, make their way to the court to prepare for the game.

(OOC information related to the game under the cut)

THE FOXHOLE COURT: FEBRUARY 11-FEBRUARY 17

ONLINE:

“The Palmetto State Foxes are heading back to California to play the UCLA Bruins, in what will be the last game of the first round of the Championships for both teams.”

“With one win each under their belts, the Foxes and the Bruins are both playing for their lives: the winner will move on to the Championships’ first set of death matches, while the loser will almost certainly be eliminated—unless two other teams in the evens bracket end up with an even worse record.” 

“Who’s favored to win? Prior to the Foxes’ disastrous turn against the Breckenridge Jackals, they appeared to be on an upswing. However, the Foxes earned themselves a whopping three red cards in that 5-3 loss, meaning that they’re heading into this do-or-die game down dealers Sasha Hart-Ashby and Raphael Peruggia, as well as backliner Beretta Lepore.” 

“The Bruins, on the other hand, are coming off of a decisive 4-1 win against the UC Davis Aggies. Are they peaking at just the right time, or can the Foxes prove that their apparent return to form against the Jackals was just one stumble in a much longer Championships story? We’ll find out on Friday night.”

“ELSEWHERE IN CLASS I: With the odds bracket idle this week, all eyes are on the teams in the evens bracket, and on these last few games to determine who will be moving on to the death matches. Among the teams still one win away are the Penn State Lions, who first fell from their previous spot atop the Northeastern District, and now are on the brink of falling out of the Championships entirely.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW: FOXES vs. BRUINS”

“We ask this question about once a day, but it continues to be relevant: what crawled up this Fox’s ass? Now we don’t want to seem like we care about this school’s stickball team more than its own players do, but it seems like it might not be the best time to be throwing a temper tantrum—and, from what we hear, his coach agrees. Watch out little Fox, it looks like you’re on thin ice.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

With such an important game looming on the horizon, it isn’t the time to go all-out for Valentine’s Day. But, not to be deterred, the Vixens make a compromise: there will be a party on Saturday night after the Foxes return—win or lose, no exceptions. Until then, Alanna is organizing anonymous candygrams between the Foxes and the Vixens, to be delivered before they leave for California.

On Friday, February 15, a month after the Foxes first went to California to kick off the Championships, they’re doing it again. They gather early in the morning at the Foxhole Court and then make their way to Upstate Regional Airport. It’s another long travel day: eight hours total, including a layover in Dallas, before they land in Los Angeles, gather up their gear, and fight their way through traffic to make it to their hotel.

This time, the Foxes are getting an earlier start: first serve is at 5PM, better for the crowds tuning in back on the East Coast, leaving the Foxes with less time to adjust prior to heading to the Bruins’ court—and to the game that will decide whether or not they’re moving on, or ending their season early.

(OOC information related to the game (and to Valentine’s Day!) under the cut)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, LOUIS GRANGER!

THE FOXHOLE COURT + TUMBLR (1 of 2)