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S27 Ultimus DPOTG
S27 Ultimus DPOTG
Lesean Crooks wakes up on a regular, dry, sunny California day. He finishes his workout and gets a notification about his high school. They are all over the news after they clinched a playoff spot after a tumultuous season in which their long time, once revered coach retired in the middle of the final regular season game. Mired in scandals where his players were seen frequenting bars, strip clubs(with some of the teachers), joyriding in police cars, and other shenanigans, apparently the players revolted against the coach after repeatedly abusing his players, forcing them to take steroids, painkillers, and HGH to overcome injuries that developed into serious setbacks which included his top two QB's, his star OG, and his workhorse RB.
The players refused to play for anyone affiliated with his staff and the school reached out to Crooks to keep the school eligible for the playoffs and hopefully play for another state championship. When the players arrive Monday morning with the dense fog in the air and sun still yawning itself, they realize Crooks has been around since last night, working, thinking, building, taking in the atmosphere. They gather around to introduce themselves but before they can talk Crooks commands the floor with this speech: "You find out life's this game of inches, like football. Because in either game - life or football - the margin for error is so small. I mean, one half step too late or too early and you don't hit your mark. One half second slow or fast and you don't catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They're in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when add up all those inches, that's gonna make the difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying!" The players roar in jubilation and after a solid week of practice, they head out for their first playoff game where they start off slow, falling down 10 in the 1st quarter to a team with a .500 record, but pull together and win by 3 possessions. Crooks bid farewell after the game before being stopped by the AD and District Superintendent to formally take over, at least for the playoffs. Crooks firmly held his ground against it until some of the PTA moms delivered some fresh homemade pie. No one can turn down the fresh PTA pie.
Borgo San Lorenzo grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, a city known for the steel production in the 80’s and 90’s and its obscenely high crime and murder rates in that time period as well, as well as its strong connections to the Italian Mob underground. The Youngstown City School District is not known for its excellent sports teams, however, Borgo is happy to go back home to help out his high school alma mater while they search for a new coach who isn’t likely to be arrested or run off the team by the students. Borgo is reluctant to step into the head coach role since he would have been more comfortable in a support or motivational role, but his coordinators are good enough that he can really lean into the support side of the role and not worry too much about play-calling. Borgo uses his experience from winning the Ultimini in his second season with the Dallas Birddogs to help the kids at the school to focus on the game and provide some inspiration, showing that they can succeed even if things look grim. In a tight game against the rival team from Warren, San Lorenzo was able to provide the morale and focus the Youngstown players need to pull off what can only be called an upset. Soon after, the school is able to hire a full-time coach, and Borgo offers his services as a consultant, as he’s looking forward to getting back to Philadelphia and his career in the ISFL.
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In a stunning series of events acclaimed Oakland Technical High School football coach Paul Lyon retires mid-week, just days before the Bulldogs are scheduled to compete against their cross-city rival the Skyline Titans. By sheer coincidence Oakland Tech alumni and current New York Silverbacks star linebacker Jack Banks just so happens to be in town visiting friends and family. After a frantic phone call from the high school Banks agrees to fill in as coach for one game while the school searches for a long term replacement.
The campus is abuzz with excitement as Jack Banks walks down the hallways toward the team locker room. He stops and talks with students and teachers, some of whom taught Banks over a decade ago. Banks meets the team and immediately gets them out onto the practice field to get a look at the players. After a short scrimmage Banks tells the squad "Look, I know this is unusual but we've got the opportunity to do something special. So let's go out there tomorrow night and kick some Skyline ass!". Gameday arrives and the air is electric. The students and parents in the stands and the players on BOTH sidelines are hyped up by the presence of an ISFL star at the game. The Oakland Tech Bulldogs come out completely on fire, and end up winning the game 42-10. Everyone is ecstatic and, of course, Jack Banks is immediately offered the full time coaching position. Bank just smiles and says "Maybe after my playing days are over..."
Coach Anderson stepping down was a shock, not the most surprising one for Rich but a shock none the less. Anderson had taught Rich a lot about becoming just a better person, he was not a perfect coach, but he was a great role model for Rich. He was getting older though and knew it was time to hang it up but decided to give the kids one last hurrah and have his old player Rich Triplet coach a game. Rich has some coaching experience from his time being a CB coach in the off-season for Tijuana and was more than excited to take up a game or two while they looked for a replacement. Rich spent a lot of time with the freshman wide receiver Sherwin Blue Jr. showing him some route running to keep opposing corners on their toes. This paid dividends and Sherwin ended up snagging 12 receptions for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns in a blowout victory against their cross-town rivals the buffalos. Rich was offered a permanent position on the staff but declined as he has been busy helping his team reach the playoffs, he did however give Sherwin Blue Jr. his personal phone number and said he would love to continue working with him in the years to come to hope he makes the ISFL.
I agree to go back and help out the team, but I decide it’s better that the Assistant Coach takes the lead and I assist him/her. I don’t know the players that well and what their strengths are. I’d spend some time during the day helping with the pep rally for the game that night and I’d be signing autographs for the kids. With it being a home game, there would be a ton of events and such going on otherwise and I would try to make myself as motivating as possible for the kids. The night is about them and I’m just trying to support them and give them some energy for the game. With the game starting, I give a little before game speech to get the kids amped up similar to what I do for the Pythons pre-game. The kids then charge onto the field roaring and ready to go. The game starts off with us going down 14 points, but just before half-time we come back and tie it up. The halftime speech is one of energy and positivity, with us, the coaching staff hoping this feeling carries them to the end of the game as winners. The second half starts and we go up by seven only to then let up a score on a long pass, followed by a turnover to allow them to kick a field goal and go up on us. With only a couple minutes left, we march down and decide as a team to go for it on 4th and short to try and secure our chance. We do not make it and end up losing by the 3-point margin, but the coaching staff and myself take the golden opportunity to teach the kids its not all about winning single games. The most important aspect to the game of football is learning from it and bonding as a team so that next time you will come out and get it done. You don’t come out a champion by winning every game you play. Champions are built through adversity. I then say my goodbyes to the kids and staff and tell them I’ll be watching as myself and the Pythons look to win ourselves an Ultimini ourselves.
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