Fourth and Long - SCP Foundation

Fourth and Long

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F.A.Q.

"Welcome back, sports fans! This is Hermes Evaristas, and with me as always is Eupraxia Kassandros. If you're just joining us, the score is 24-28, and we've reached the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter of what has been an electric game between our Alexylva University Visigoths, and the Macedonia State Warriors. Before we get back to the game, Eupraxia, I think the focus tonight has undoubtedly been the absolutely incredible play of Alexylva's sophomore quarterback, Cron Apostolou."

"That's right, Herm. Listen, this kid has been on fire the entire night. He's gone 23/26, for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and just cannot be stopped. The Macedonia State defense is just perplexed out there right now, they've got no answers for him."

"But let's also not forget the athleticism and magikcrafting of junior running back, JaMarcus Aurelius. He's rushed for nearly 150 yards tonight, highlighted by a 45 yard run for a touchdown, during which he managed to singlehandedly turn the entire Macedonia State secondary into toads. He really is something special."

"Absolutely. If you didn't know better, you might not think that Aurelius was a walk-on here just three short years ago. Since then, he's been breaking records every season. Truly a force of nature out there."

"Alexylva still has some concerns on the other side of the ball, though. We've allowed three touchdowns from Macedonia State's All-Universal tight end, Darius Lykos. Coach Panagakos, Eldest and Most Revered, will definitely have some work to do before next weekend's conference opener against the Yale Bulldogs."

"Alright, and we're ready to get going. Ball is on Alexylva's own 19-yard line, first down, ten to go. Apostolou is back in the shotgun, two receivers wide to his left, Aurelius back. The ball is snapped… pressure coming from the right, and Aurelius has em with a hex! Apostolou cuts left, looks, looks, and he's got it away! The catch is by Nereus, with plenty for the first down, and now they're on the 31. Clock is ticking, though, and Coach Panagakos, Eldest and Most Revered, only has one time out left."

"Here's where you have to be careful, Herm. When you're trying to get up the field fast like this, you don't want to make bone-headed mistakes and turn the football over. All you need is consistent play, steady progress, and maybe some heroics from our sophomore star."

"Apostolou still in the gun, motions right, and now he's got a man over there. Looks like a little bit of shuffling on the defense, Aurelius moves left now. Snap is to Apostolou, who looks, looks, fires across the middle, and… no good. Couldn't find his man over there."

"Looks like that was intended to be a short pass to Iason, but he just couldn't get there. Unfortunate to see such a poor throw from a player who, for most of the afternoon, has been lights out with those."

"Clock is stopped now at 1:42, Apostolou comes up under center now. He's bringing a man up right, second down, ten to go. Snap is up, and Apostolou has it! He's running right, now, and looks like he's going to try and hit the marker himself. Oooh, solid contact from the Macedonia State defensive end, Cron really took a hit on that one. Officials are coming out now, let's see if he got enough. They're measuring, measuring… and it looks like he has it! Just barely, but I think he's got it!"

"Herm, that's the kind of drive you want to see in your quarterback. Makes a bad pass, but able to brush it off, keep his eyes on the prize, and keep moving forward."

"Clock is ticking, we're down to 1:15. Apostolou is back, defense is showing blitz, and I don't know if he sees it. Snap is to Apostolou, and there's the handoff! Aurelius cuts left, cuts left, now he's making an endaround the line, and he's got space! He's at the fifty, forty-five, and he's dragged down at the Macedonia State forty-two yard line. Gods, can that kid fly. They've gotta move fast now, time is moving quickly. Apostolou runs up to the line, and he's got receivers flying now. Yes, you heard that right, the receivers have sprouted wings and have taken to the skies. Looks like Macedonia State is going to counter that with harpoons, so we'll see how this plays out. We're at :56, and the ball is snapped. Apostolou is looking, looking, has a man, and he fires, by Zeus what a throw! Iason has it, and he's avoiding a harpoon, and now another, and looks like the safety is bringing a fireball, yes, yes he is. Iason drops, and is he going to make the sideline? I don't think so. Good for a first down, though, and then some, we're going to be at the Macedonia State 29-yard line."

"You really love to see hustle like that, Herm. Iason saw the fireball coming, and gave it just a little extra to get the extra yards. Coaches have got to love that."

"We're at :37 now, and Apostolou is looking at the sideline. This crowd is absolutely roaring here at the Alexylva University Nike Stadium. Clock is ticking, boys, let's get a move on here. I don't think Cron can hear the sideline! He's motioning, looks like he's going to run the play himself, and he does. Snap is to Apostolou, who hands it off to Kallias in the backfield. Kallias runs left, and is absolutely clobbered by those State linemen, he might even have lost a yard. That's not what you want to see there."

"No it isn't, and I don't know if that was a designed play, or if they were just looking for something to keep moving, but that isn't at all what you need right here."

"Apostolou has it again, and he's looking right. Second down, clock is at :25, and he lets one go… no good. Can't force a pass like that, Cron. It's gonna be third down, eleven to go, with :22 remaining on the game clock. Looks like they've got time for two, three more plays with that timeout in there, so we'll see what they do. Apostolou is back in the gun, two receivers left, one wide to the right. He's got Aurelius back with him, and it looks like the State defense is summoning an elder god on the 15-yard line. Is it… yes, it is Moa, God of Desolation. This throws a whole new hitch in things, Eupraxia."

"Yeah, you can't really prepare for elder gods, Herm. Alexylva is just going to have to figure out how to get past this, and get into the end zone."

"Apostolou, under center, he snaps the ball, and he has the handoff to- no, he's taking it left! Apostolou is looking left, and the State defense is crashing the line. Cron is stopped, and now… he's thrown it to Aurelius! Aurelius cuts right, and he's got some room, looking for the sideline. I don't know if he's gonna get it, and here comes Moa. No, I think he's been stopped just short, and now Coach Panagakos, Eldest and Most Revered, has called for Alexylva's final timeout. We've got :10 to go, fourth down, on Macedonia State's 20-yard line, one to go. I think Apostolou is going to have to be looking for the endzone on this play, Eupraxia."

"That he is, Herm. With the addition of Moa, God of Desolation in the Macedonia State secondary, this is really starting to look grim for the young quarterback."

"Alexylva breaks the huddle, and now it looks like they're going to line up in a four receiver set, three right, one to the left, Apostolou in the gun. It is absolutely chaos in here, folks, and it's all coming down to this. Apostolou is back, and he's motioning left. Looks like State is going to bring that blitz again, and Moa is just staring down the line now. Snap is up, and Apostolou has it! He's running right, and now we've got another hex on the field. Looks like a swamp plague, that'll trip em up. Cron is running now, he's at the 15, the 10, and here comes Moa! Apostolou cuts left, and there's another fireball! He ducks, slips a corner, and he's got room! Apostolou has one man to beat! He's just… he's got it! Cron Apostolou has got it! He's into the endzone! We've got all zeros on the clock, and Cron Apostolou, sophomore quarterback from Athens, Georgia, has put the game on his back and won one for Alexylva! What a game! What a play! They've got casters on the field, now, they're re-binding the elder god. Ramos comes in for the extra point, and it's good! Whistles have blown, that's the game! Final score, Alexylva University Visigoths 31, Macedonia State Warriors, 28."

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