THE FOXHOLE COURT: DECEMBER 10-DECEMBER 16

ONLINE:

“Results in the Southeastern District came right down to the wire, but with the Foxes beating the Gamecocks 5-2 and the Jackrabbits beating the Dolphins 3-2, the Foxes inched ahead in the tiebreaker, pulling them ahead of the Jackrabbits for the fourth and final spot in the Spring Championships—by a single goal.”

“How does it feel for the Foxes to make it to Championships for the second year in a row? ‘It’s amazing,’ said junior striker Leo Duarte, who played for the first time since October after breaking his hand in a game against the Ravens. Perhaps even more shocking than the Foxes pulling off a last-minute victory was Duarte, who scored his first goal after a season marred by injury and poor play. On Friday, the relief was palpable: 'I’m really hoping that there will be more goals from me come Championships,’ Duarte added.”

“Freshman backliner Basil Walcott, seemed to agree, when he wasn’t sniping with reporters. ‘The Foxes are champions: never forget that,’ Walcott said. Bold words from a player whose team, prior to last year, hadn’t even qualified for the Championships anytime in recent memory. We’ll see if the Foxes are able to back up those words come January.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “SOUTHEAST SHOWDOWN: FOXES EKE OUT VICTORY.”

“The 2018 regular season is in the books, and after a season of ups and downs and some incredible upsets, we know who will be fighting for the Class I title in the new year:”

“Southeastern District: 1) The Edgar Allan Ravens; 2) The Breckenridge Jackals; 3) The Belmonte Terrapins; 4) The Palmetto State Foxes. Even with the top two spots falling into predictable place, the Southeast was more competitive than ever this year, and after the dust settled on a photo finish, the surprise victors were none other than the Foxes, who just managed to sneak into fourth place and back into the Championships for a second year in a row.”

“Northeastern District: 1) The Ohio State Buckeyes; 2) The Penn State Lions; 3) The Boston Terriers; 4) The Depaul Blue Demons; 5) The Binghampton Bearcats. The story in the Northeast is the story of the rise of the Buckeyes, who took first place in their district for the first time in history—but also the story of the fall of the Lions, who just barely managed to hold onto second place, after losing their entire coaching staff in the wake of scandal. But this story could be gearing up for a twist: in the odds bracket for the first time, the Buckeyes will have to fight through the other top-ranked teams to get to the semi-finals, while the Lions will have a much easier path through the evens bracket.”

“Southwestern District: 1) The UT Longhorns; 2) The UNLV Rebels; 3) The Arizona Sundevils; 4) The Baylor Bears. The Longhorns continue to hold onto the top spot, as the Sundevils continue to fall just short in their quest for past greatness, falling behind not only the Longhorns but the surging Rebels as well.”

“Northwestern District: 1) The USC Trojans; 2) The UC Davis Aggies; 3) The Washington State Cougars; 4) The UCLA Bruins; 5) The Idaho Vandals. While the rest of the districts have seen some upheaval, the Northwest remains predictable—save for the Vandals, who qualified for the Championships for the first time since making the jump to Class I in 2015.”

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “WELCOME TO THE CHAMPIONSHIPS: YOUR TOP 18 TEAMS.”

“Sadly, since the Foxes pulled out a win, we can’t offer you any Fox tears—but can we interest you in a Vixen absolutely eating it over and over and over again? That’s right, we’ve got the gif, and we’ve been staring at it nonstop since Friday. Just when you thought this squad couldn’t be any more embarrassing, they find a way to pull it off. What is that saying again? Laughter (at others) is the best medicine? Take it from us, this will do the trick.”

“It looks like two other Foxes have taken each other off the market—for now. We can’t say we’re surprised when two filthy rich trainwrecks hook up, but it does seem like an exercise in narcissism, doesn’t it? And if this party boy can keep it in his pants for his new lady love, we’ll be shocked.”

“The victorious Foxes might have tried to keep us out, but we’ve got gossip for you anyway. And we’ve got a riddle: what’s sloppy and drunk and red all over? Yelling at one boy, disappearing for some private time with another girl, and ending up with someone else at the end of the night? Seems like someone was busy.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

Even with finals rapidly approaching, the Palmetto campus is awash in orange and good spirits: and with both the Exy and football teams heading into their respective Championships, the stupid body seems willing to hop on the Exy bandwagon and temporarily claim the Foxes as their own.

With their spot in the Championships secure and no Exy left to play this semester, the Foxes enter into an abbreviated practice schedule, allowing them to maintain their conditioning and keep their on-court skills sharp, but still recover from their push to the postseason and conserve some energy for the coming Championships, where there will be a lot more brutal Exy to play.

The host for this year’s Winter Banquet is none other than the Edgar Allan Ravens. After an undefeated season that saw them squarely on top of the Southeastern District once more, the Ravens will welcome teams from both the Southeastern and Northeastern Districts into Castle Evermore on Saturday, December 15.

Of all the teams in the Foxes’ district, none are further away than Edgar Allan, and the over seven hour journey is a reminder of what’s to come next semester, when they take on even farther-flung teams.

With their banquet attire in tow, the Foxes and Vixens meet in the Court parking lot on Saturday morning to begin their journey. While they have no desire to stay in Ravens country for longer than they have to, the cumbersome journey means they’ll be staying overnight, and so when they arrive in West Virginia they check into their hotel and begin getting ready for the evening ahead.

THE FOXHOLE COURT: NOVEMBER 5-NOVEMBER 11

ONLINE:

“The Wilkes-Meyers Hornets will come to Palmetto on Friday night to take on the Foxes, and this game will be a reunion of sorts: junior Fox goalkeeper Emmett Ashford spent part of a season on the Hornets—though you’d be forgiven for forgetting, as he never made as much a splash on the court with them as he did off of it before leaving the team and the school midway through his freshman season.“

“The game will also be another installment in the saga of freshman dealer Raphael Peruggia: not on the court, but on the bench, where he’s spent the majority of his first season. After a red card against the Edgar Allan Ravens earlier in October, the ERC stepped in and suspended Peruggia for one additional game, sending a message to a young striker who has already shown a disturbing intent to injure on the court.”

“Almost one month since an AC separation took him off the court, all eyes are on sophomore Fox striker Akira Sato, whose return to the court should be imminent. Will he come back against the Hornets? We’ll find out on Friday. But for junior striker Leo Duarte, injured in the same game, recovery looks to be further away.”

“The Foxes may have pulled off an impressive win against the Dolphins in Florida, but it’ll take much more than one win to prove that this year’s Foxes are the real deal. The Hornets are eager to bounce back after a tough loss against the Terrapins, and the Foxes have yet to string two wins together this season.” 

- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “HORNETS AT FOXES: PREVIEW.”

“Did any of you brave the Fox Halloween Party? Did any of you brave the kissing booth? Buckle in, because we have a Very Special Halloween Edition of Foxwatch to share with you...”

“Which Vixen do you think got the most action at the kissing booth? We’ve got our money on a certain redhead, who certainly seemed to take to it with gusto. Among her victims? A bambi-eyed blonde. Hey KP, what’s the sitch? Or maybe we should say: Mamma Mia! Though only time will tell if it’s a ‘Here We Go Again’ kind of deal.”

“We know one person who didn’t brave the party: the Foxes’ own Vice Captain, spotted sneaking through the back door of the Vixen Den without a costume—and then not seen again. What’s the matter, can’t stand the company of your own teammates? We can’t say we blame you, but we’re not sure if that’s exactly leadership material. And what about the Vixen who let her in? We call collusion, and we can’t imagine his Captain would be too happy about it, either.” 

“But more than one Vixen seemed to have their fun at the kissing booth, including one of their newest and youngest. This Juliet seemed to be drawn to one of the Foxes like, well, a moth to a flame. Or lamp. But this is one moth that sure seems to get around: she seemed to spend most of the night with a—well, we’re not exactly sure how to describe it—BDSM kitty cat? And doesn’t she have a history with Juliet’s step brother? Shakespeare must have forgotten about that one.”

“And, finally, let this be a lesson to us all: if you don’t make a move, there’s one Fox who will. And we’re not talking copout cheek kisses here, either—this is one lion who definitely isn’t cowardly, and who doesn’t need two hands to steal your girl. A certain someone else should take notes—but who are we kidding? He probably won’t.”

- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY

ON CAMPUS:

With the fun of Halloween behind them, the Foxes return to practice: if they want to keep themselves in Championships contention, they need to start stringing wins together, can’t afford to slack off for one game—or, as their Coach and Captain would have it, for one practice.  

It’s a rare double-header for Palmetto State Athletics: not since homecoming have both the football and Exy teams been scheduled to play at home on the same weekend, and the town is bustling more than usual with orange-clad fans. Despite the buzz, the Foxes stick to their familiar routine: a short practice in the morning on Friday, November 9, followed by a full day of classes.

For both teams, it’s an important weekend: the football team’s place in their own playoffs is far from secured, after their strong start to the season turned into a losing skid, just as the Foxes are starting to build momentum.

(OOC information related to the game under the cut)