#tfcupdate

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.

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: MARCH 4-MARCH 10

ONLINE:

“All eyes were on Castle Evermore on Friday night, where the reigning Champion USC Trojans were set to take on the the Edgar Allan Ravens, the team they defeated in last year’s final. Both undefeated in the regular season, these teams were expected to go all the way to the finals again, as they had so many seasons before. But a twist of fate threw them together for the Spring Championships’ first set of death matches, and in a close game, the Ravens emerged victorious, leaving us to ask: With the Trojans eliminated, and so much Exy left to play, who could possibly stand in the Ravens’ way?”

“It could have been the UNLV Rebels, who were off to a strong start in the Championships, and seemed poised to go far. But in one of the biggest upsets of the Championships so far, the Rebels were defeated by none other than the Palmetto State Foxes, a team that barely managed to qualify for the Championships. After starting off the Championships with a bang, winning all three of their first round games including one against the Penn State Lions, the Rebels didn’t look themselves on Friday night: scoring two goals that were later deemed invalid, and unable to capitalize on the Foxes’ missteps, which included a red card to striker Leo Duarte and an injury to Fox Captain Grant Rollins, who has been strong in goal for the Foxes all season, and who will certainly be missed as the Foxes enter the next round.”

“‘I don’t even know what to say,’ the Rebels’ shellshocked Captain Rachael Brock said after the game, appearing to hold back tears. ‘Sometimes the better team loses. We’re the better team, and we know it. It’s just—[censored] [censored]. Sorry, but that’s what it is.’”

“And while two Southeastern District teams made a strong showing on Friday night, the Breckenridge Jackals, who have spent years in the long shadow cast by the Ravens, lost in another close-fought game against the DePaul Blue Demons.”

“The rest of the death matches will be played on Friday night, and there’s one remaining member of the Big Three in the Championships: the Penn State Lions. But after spending the last year engulfed in scandal, and after firing their entire coaching staff over the summer, the Lions are a team in search of something much more than just their former greatness: they’re searching for their identity. They’ll play the UCLA Bruins on Friday night, and if they peak at the right time, could be a team to stand up against the Ravens, proving once more that they deserve their Big Three name.”

“In addition to the Lions and the Bruins, six more teams will be fighting for their survival in the Championships: the Ohio State Buckeyes against the Arizona Sundevils;  the UT Longhorns against the Binghampton Bearcats; and the Idaho Vandals taking on the Belmonte Terrapins. With the Championships heating up, it’s all on the line.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “UPSETS AND QUESTIONS AFTER THE FIRST HALF OF DEATH MATCHES.”

“The latest stop on the Foxes’ party brigade was none other than Sin City, and this time instead of a Hollywood club it was the mansion of their hometown boy. You know we studied all the glimpses we got, and we’ll tell you what we didn’t see: after however many months of shoving their Instagram love down our throats, the Foxes’ wannabe First Couple didn’t post anything together at all. We knew these two were trainwrecks, but is this train off the rails already? Let’s just say our Spidey Senses are tingling. ”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

The Foxes return to campus victorious, and with an off week to practice before the next round of the Championships begin. But, before they can get the schedule for the next round, the rest of the death matches has to be played, and the field has to be whittled down even further.

On Friday, March 8 the Foxes head to the Foxhole Court, but this time it isn’t for a game—or, at least, not one that they’re playing: this time, the Foxes and the Vixens are in the stands, and the evening’s games are being projected on the jumbotron to the mostly empty court.   

And while there’s some tension, wondering what teams will survive for the Foxes to potentially face in the future, for many of the assembled Foxes and VIxens it’s more like a party: the Foxes have done their part and secured their place in the next round, and what the rest of the teams do now is out of their hands.

The first game of the night is the Vandals versus the Terrapins: the Vandals, who qualified for the Championships for the first time in their team’s history, end their run as they lose in a back-and-forth 5-3 game, sending another Southeastern District team forward into the next round.

Next up is the Longhorns and the Bearcats, facing off in Texas: the Bearcats have just barely hung on, while the Longhorns have been dominant in their district and a threat in the Championships for several years running. As they face off in the death match, it’s not even close: the Longhorns rout the Bearcats, 7-2.

Coming from Arizona is the Sundevils and the Buckeyes: after some early stumbles, the Buckeyes are struggling to prove that they deserve to overtake the Lions in the Exy pantheon, while the Sundevils are also trying to make up ground. It’s a close game, tied up until the last second, when the Buckeyes pull ahead, winning 4-3.

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 4-FEBRUARY 10

ONLINE:

“The Breckenridge Jackals will be moving on to the first round of death matches, after defeating the Foxes 5-3, and proving that they may be the team to beat in the evens bracket.”

“But the real story is the Foxes: the Foxes are now one loss away from ending their comeback season. The game against the Jackals brought out the worst in the Foxes, revealing again the lack of discipline that derailed their early season. Three Foxes earned red cards: offensive dealers Sasha Hart-Ashby and Raphael Peruggia, and backliner Beretta Lepore. Hart-Ashby is well known for her fights on the court, and Peruggia—though only a freshman—has already earned a reputation as a dangerous player with a penchant for headshots.”

“But maybe the Foxes shouldn’t be counted out just yet: before the red card to Lepore and subsequent penalty shot, a late goal from sophomore Akira Sato seemed to put the Foxes on their way to closing the gap and tying the game. Either way, the Foxes will head into a must-win game against the UCLA Bruins down three players—and the Bruins, who will also be fighting for their life in the Championships, aren’t going to make it easy on them.”  

“ELSEWHERE IN CLASS I: Other teams have also punched their ticket into the death matches, including the reigning Champion USC Trojans and the perennial favorite Edgar Allan Ravens. But after a surprise loss to the surging UNLV Rebels, who have earned their spot in the death matches, the Penn State Lions are still one win away. After their early loss to start off the Championships, the Ohio State Buckeyes are in the same boat.“

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “JACKALS DEFEAT FOXES TO MOVE ON TO DEATH MATCHES.”

“Did anyone order a soap opera alongside their Exy game? Because we definitely got one from two Fox backliners during Friday’s game. Are these two an item? If so, we’re feeling generous, so we’ll give out some free advice: if you can’t stand watching your girlfriend get shoved around, don’t date an Exy player. Chivalry is dead, and we’re pretty sure she signed up for this.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

After the weekend, the cold rain moves out from Palmetto, but the dampened spirits on campus remain. The Foxes have no choice but to try and put their loss to the Jackals behind them: they have one week off before they face the Bruins and seal their fate, and their practices are at a fever pitch.

But while the evens bracket is taking a week off, the odds bracket is playing their final games of the first round: on Friday, February 8, the Foxes that want to catch a glimpse of the rivals they may get a chance to face if they move far enough in the Championships gather in the lounge of the Foxhole Court to flip between the evening’s games.

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: JANUARY 26

At the orders of the University, the Foxes have traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina: neutral ground for the meeting between the Palmetto State football team and the Oklahoma Sooners in the college football playoffs.

It’s a display of unity between Palmetto’s two Championships teams—though every Palmetto student knows how little love there is between Palmetto’s two biggest sports teams, how hollow of a gesture it really is. But the Foxes and the Vixens still do their parts: the Foxes in prime seats, displayed on the jumbotron in between plays; the Vixens sharing the sidelines with the football squad. 

But it comes to nothing: after leading in the first half, the football Foxes fall behind in the final quarter and can’t make a comeback: with a score of 35-31, they lose, ending their season.

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)