by Steve-O and the Jewballers

Mighty looked past his pile of cash and over to his wife. He asked her “We need a good way to clean this money, any ideas?” in the background they heard Walter White with the same question coming from the television. “I got it” says Mighty “ and I know just the place” After getting all the schools closed down, the first part of his plan was underway. LHS was freed up and now all he needed were the staff to run his front. “Where can I find a bunch of people that don’t work all day that want to hang out and get sudsy?” the obvious answer only came a few days later.

This began the Jewball Carwash. With Jordan as his lawyer they figured out how to launder the money through the carwash, they just needed someone who would overthink it and not see what was obvious to them. Yaron was hired to manage the carwash and so the craziness began.

In a huddle formation Yaron starts drawing up instructions for his staff. “Prime go inside and clean the interior. Rabin, get to the backfield and clean the trunk and inspect the muffler. B-sh clean the grill. Kut, back seats, and hold them back, we need some time. And where is BD?” 

“He’s parking far away, something about not wanting to get hit” said Solo who was spread out over the windshield. “ Get off of there” yelled Yaron “go get some more towels.” On his way out Solo yelled “On it, I’ll be back soon.” 

Gronk meanwhile was leading his crew to clean cars on the other side. They just finished cleaning Tammy’s muddy car, a prius, when another rolled in. “same car, same car” yelled Gronk, “Wilmer, get rid of Tammy and where is Beast, I thought he was going to fix that window he broke today?”  Dave-O explained that Beast thought they were in Bay Park, He showed him the map that Beast had sent him, “That’s just a picture of Long Island… whatever” Goldberg finished up the tires and asked Gronk to pass him the soap. Gronk threw it to him but it flew right out of his hands. Right before the soap fell, in a flash of pink, Mighty was seen catching the soap. 

“ I come in to check on the car wash, what the hell is going on there is a line of cars and you barely got anything done.” Yaron replied “i know we were supposed to start at 8 AM, I opened at 7:30 and most of the staff has not even arrived yet. We are getting some work done though, Singer is 80% done washing that car, and we are buffing out that dent Logan caused when he ran into the car.” Mighty took a look around. He saw a smoke filled car with Prime cracking up as Kut was pounding Knishes in the back, Vegh was complaining about all the noise, Rabin was elbow deep in a muffler, what was going on? 

“Gronk, Can you figure out what’s going on?” Mighty asked. Gronk pointed out that most of his staff just talked about washing cars, but never came to wash. “They are all talk” he said. Mighty asked what was going on with the van that came in for the full detail. “We took out the middle bench” Gronk explained, “and now PJs is on it learning, he said some need to learn and others need to work”    

Just then Beast shows up and starts setting up chairs. “Get to work” orders Mighty “go get your uniform from inside and bring me my pink thong while your in there” Kut yells from the car “You’re*”. Mighty screams and the horns start honking. Munch is stopping cars from cutting the line. Vegh can’t take it and goes over to confront Mighty. Whack! Logan took out Vegh. “Got him boss, No one hits you but me!” Logan says proudly as he steps over Vegh. “Yo Courtney caught that whole thing on camera” Beasts says. “Why didn’t you change, where’s my pink thong” Mighty asked loudly trying to talk over the laughing from Prime and Kut in the car next to them. “Violent J locked us out, the doors were shut, we came too late” Beast replied, “now if you don’t mind me I gotta practice my drills. “You suck” Yaron called out, but Beast was too faded to care. 

Jordan shows up a few minutes later. “Mighty, the cops are onto you. You told me you had a clean record” Mighty looked at him confused. “I do have a clean record, the only thing that matters are Ws” Mighty replied. Jordan looked at him in disbelief, “There are stats whether you care about them or not, and you have the most! We’re screwed” 

Kut and Prime get out of the car and tell Yaron it’s finished, but they did as good a job as they could without towels. Beast almost hands the customer a receipt, when Yaron screams “Where is SOLO!!!!” they all turn to him and then towards footsteps getting closer. “Oh no, it’s D.A. Zada…”

These are dark times. We have canceled games for many reasons over the years. Ice, rain, snow, and –more often than not – a glaring lack of interest in playing. We have never canceled for a pandemic. And that is a possibility for Week 20 of this otherwise sparkling season. Though I am still unsure about our next game, I am damn sure about our last one.
The 2020 version of our annual Vets Rooks royal rumble was unique and memorable in so many ways. Yes, we have recaps of many of them from years past and they all stand out in one way or another, but last Sunday had so much to offer that it just feels like it floats to the top. Let’s start with the players. Talent comes and goes in our league. Talent is also relative. What we maybe once would have deemed a star Jewballer, would be role player now. No, I’m not talking about PJs. He was always destined for the bench. Just kidding! You started this (also, knocking Goldberg out is the highlight of the Teaser vid). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again now – the Golden Age was a ton of fun, but we weren’t very good at football. We were pretty good. Marino had an arm, but otherwise we were just messing around. And it was beautiful. The Renaissance introduced guys like Snow, Mighty, Singer, and some guys who played in competitive games and it was like…WOW….so that’s football too. Huh? And their introduction to our game helped us all evolve. Some people liked the change to a better game – some people saw it as a corruption. I always felt that the key to survival was good football. So far, the formula is working. Which brings me to The Revolution. Which is the present. And Vets Rooks in the Revolution is – though still Vets Rooks and still Jewball – when broken down – just a highly competitive game featuring a ton of talent. I remember the Vets Rooks game when it was The Golden Age crew (Yoni, Joey, Rabin, Doggy, Klink, Ike, BD, Jordan, etc.) against the Renaissance guys (Zez, Mighty, Socks, Elisha, PJs, etc.) I mean…..we got destroyed. It was hardly a game. It was like Ford v. Ferrari, but without the fairytale ending. Was a massacre. For so many years, though I hyped Vets Rooks like The Greatest Showman, and though Rabin and B-sh and BD and most of all Evan always sincerely though we could win, I knew we couldn’t. We were slow. We were delusional. We were a bunch a linemen and Tight Ends trying to play zone coverage against kids. But, I look at last Sunday – where a mix of Silver Age, Renaissance and Dark Age players took on the current batch of Rooks….and what strikes you is, to use an NFL term, the parity. The evolution is noted. The evidence that better football has crept into the DNA of our game is witnessed by the miracle that is the Vets beating the Rooks two years in a row. Once upon a time the Silver Age beat the Golden Age, and that was because the Silver Age were semi-athletic and in their late 20s and the Golden Age were a bunch of stoners in beanies and cargo pants. But since that time – which was around 2006 – the Vets have lost and lost and lost. Last year, in a fierce battle that went down to the wire, the Vets won. It took the game of his life by Steveo, Munch to become an offensive and defensive juggernaut, and finally for Zez to bring his team all the way back of the brink in his patented Zez never-say-die fashion. Then Zez moved to Israel. So, this year, with the Rooks only getting better, Rabin – the Vet of all Vets – was asked to step in at QB and pull of the first repeat in Vets Rooks history. 
Besides a virus taking over our feeds and the devastating news that Yaron had to opt out, the week leading up to Vets Rooks could not have gone better. Steveo got us a cameraman. The weather was going to be sensational. The Vets and Rooks were coming out of the woodwork looking to observe our most sacred of holidays. The Vets looked #stacked and the Rooks looked #stacked. It would be a contest that would elicit some trash talk, but none of that would matter come Sunday morning. Like all things Jewball – the matter at hand would be settled on the field over the course of 3 hours – the longest single game in Jewball history. 

Vets took ball first and the air quickly flew out of the balloon. With a line of Munch and Kut, and receiving corps of Mighty, Singer, Steveo, and Jordan, Rabin looked a bit unsure of himself and the Vets did not advance. That is not to say that the Rooks defense was anything but formidable. Vegh, Logan, Gronk, Beast, Zada, Goldberg, Storm, Prime, Eddie, Sam….these guys can play – they are tough, aggressive, hungry – they pull flags – they have the winning mentality. But you notice one name missing. A game changing name. Solo. Or as Yaron calls him, Steven. Or when Yaron thinks of him             . Solo, the biggest, quickest lineman Jewball has ever seen – someone who could alter the outcome of any game he plays – did not show up. The game went on, but the Rooks of 2020 can always wonder what might have been. As if the stakes were not high enough, Mighty begins the game by reminding everyone that Vets Rooks is no ordinary affair. On that initial fruitless drive, after a fruitless carry and smothering by the Rooks, Mighty turns and takes a swing at Vegh – maybe even connecting. Gronk, enters the fray and knocks Mighty over sending the spry Veteran tumbling backwards. Order is restored and apologies are offered and accepted, but damn….the heat is on. 
For the next half hour both teams exhibited their defensive prowess and neither QB really made a great showing. Rabin was Rabin, but not throwing picks which was really helpful. Gronk was a tad off and his receivers dropped a few early ones making matters worse. Close to the end of the first hour, the Vets struck. It took another Mighty altercation to get the Vets jumpstarted. On a Mighty QB option fifteen yards from the 1st down marker, Mighty takes off down the sideline – evades a few defenders using Singer blocks – and then right at the marker, he gets clotheslined by Logan. Logan ‘s real name is Ari (I think). He earned the nickname Logan – much like Mighty – after a game, maybe two. That is a rare occurrence. It was clear from the beginning. He plays with reckless abandon and with the viciousness of the Wolverine. And that is how he went at Mighty in that moment. It’s legitimately dangerous. Yes, part of us loves to watch it. But also – we can’t have it. We all need to go home in one piece. Mighty was hurt and hobbled, but he walked it off. Every time he touched the ball for the rest of the game, he kicked it into gear, but he was not the same. In between plays he was limping. Following the near brawl, Rabin launches one to the middle of the field – where Singer makes his money – and Singer hauls one in to get the Vets within 18 yards of the endzone. In what is assuredly the oldest and most prolific QB/WR combination in Jewball history, Rabin swings one out to Jordan on the wing with Singer blocking. In almost the exact same location Jordan and Singer won the game a week earlier, Jordan flies down the sideline, but this time does not flip the ball back to Singer. He keeps it and bounces into the endzone. Vets up 1-0!
The Vets were able to celebrate for a short while, but the injuries started piling up. Mighty needed a break, then Singer needed a breather. Munch was exhausted as well. That trio was crucial to the Vets’ chances and it was disheartening to see them heading to the sidelines. But, it seemed they would power through and give their Vet brothers whatever they had. Still, with their absence, the Rooks would take advantage. Gronk started the crony fueled drive with a 20 yard strike to a crossing Vegh, followed up with a screen to Prime, and then another 20 yard dash. The big man punched in with Goldberg on the slant and just like that the score was tied. Based on the ease with which the Rooks scored, doubt crept into minds of every Vet, though none spoke of it. Their confidence was still very high. But they knew they needed to answer back and quickly. Even the slightest lead by the Rooks would fuel them and demoralize the Vets. Rabin decided it was a good time to put together his best drive of the game. It starts with 30 yard strike to PJs at midfield, which pumped up the crowd. A play later it is Singer on a wheel route and a perfectly placed ball on the right hash to get the Vets in the redzone.  The entirely successful drive is capped by a screen to Mighty with some exquisite blocking by Singer and Steveo sending Rooks flying and dash to the endzone – Mighty scores, Vets take a slim lead of 2-1. And things would only get better for the Vets. With relentless line pursuit from Munch and Kut, Gronk was having an impossible time making plays stick. Every other snap seemed to result in a sack or a forced throw. And finally, one was forced just a bit too much and Singer was there to P6 it and give the Vets what felt like a nice cushion going into halftime. At the half Vets 3-Rooks 1.
Going into the second half, the Vet injuries were piling up. Besides the hobbled Mighty, Singer, and Munch, PJs tweaked something during the epic drive that he started started and even Rabin needed a set on the sidelines. They had a 2 TD lead, but could they hold on? Things did not start off well. On the first drive of the half, Rabin called Jordan’s number on an out and up, but Logan played off from go and did not bite on the fake. Instead he backed up and picked one at the Rookie 15 yard line. Although the Rookie drive stalled, the pick by Logan was a foreshadow of dangers to come. Rabin showed himself a warrior by guiding his team through the second half, but the sharpness that was on display in the first half was gone. He would be asked to manage the game not make critical mistakes. But one came. From the Vets 20, Rabin floats a dangerous pass and Logan is there to intercept and run it right up the gut to bring the Rooks back from the edge. It was the only score of the 3rd quarter, but it was a momentum changer. Going into the final quarter the Vets held on to a slim 3-2 lead.
By the 4th Quarter, Jewballers had been battling for over 2 hours. While exhaustion had not set in and the energy level was high with so much on the line, focus was waning and it lead to a flurry of late scores. It started with perhaps a tactical error by Gronk. With a half hour left and some pressure to make the late run he is famous for, Gronk and the Rooks went for it on a 4th and 7 and did not make it. The turnover gave the Vets a short field and Rabin got exactly what he needed. A simple out to MK and a missed flag by Storm yielded a surprisingly simple TD. After every score on the day being really hard fought, it was amazing to score with some ease. The cushion was back, but it felt like a gift. The fact that MK scored it turned out to be quite apropos, as the Veteran who likes to pass himself off as a Rook would become a lockdown force on defense down the stretch and – even with limited playing time – put himself in the running for Jewball. With two minutes left, Vets 4- Rooks 2.
Gronk was not out of tricks. With the big O showing up in his suit and adding to the already strong Rooks line play, the Rooks needed to change their game plan. They simply were unable to establish a real passing game. They began using the underneath stuff effectively. Dumping balls to Eddie and Beast when the defense was playing back got things going. Now, having to cheat in, the deep stuff returned. One such ball was a sure touchdown, but Tom got in the way just enough to cause Eddie to drop the rock. Another was an sideline gem to Prime that was over Jordan and hugged the line before Singer could get over. Prime reached out beyond the sideline and dragged his feet and hauled it in. Unbelievable Prime Time catch. It surely made his mentor Sam proud. It also lead to a Vegh score with 10 minutes left. Vets were hanging on, but by a thread. Vets 4-Rooks 3. 
The ensuing Vet drives showed that Rabin did not have much left in the tank. It was evident that the defense would need to make the 4 scores stand and keep the Rooks off the board for the remaining few minutes of the game. And that’s when a beautiful thing happened. Gronk had the ball at the Vets 10 and his winning streak was on everyone’s mind. I mean, this guy does not seem to lose and he loves the late comeback. The Vets were engaged but weary. Only MK, Kut, and Steveo seemed to be at full power on defense. That left a lot of holes. Gronk starts of the drive as he is apt to do with a cross to Goldberg. A nice cut, a money pass, and a catch. Goldberg picks up a promising 10 yards on first down, but he won’t get anymore, because MK is draped all over him. But, wait….was that a catch or is the ball still moving? It is! MK is all over Goldberg and making sure his arms can’t secure the ball! Goldberg bobbles it once. He bobbles it twice. It is about to fall back into his hands – and here comes Mighty from the opposite side swiping the ball out of the air!!!! One cut! A cut back! A spin move into the endzone!!! Just when the Vets needed it most, a P6! Vets with a two TD lead with only minutes left!!! Vets 5-Rooks 3.
Of course the game was not over. The Vets had almost nothing left, but were feeling good about their chances. Perhaps playing a little loose, it was Eddie – the oldest Rookie of all time – showing the Vets that the game isn’t over until the final buzzer. Pops proceeds to take the ball at the Vet 15, juke Jordan with a move from 1985, and race 63 yards downfield to set the Rooks up for a score. A score that he very shortly punches in! Yikes! It’s final possessions time and Rooks are trailing by a score. The Vets can win it with a TD. The Rooks can tie the score and keep the damn thing going. They get the stop. 
Then they march to midfield. 50 more yards and we would go into an overtime that would certainly favor the Rooks. But Munch, Kut, and MK made sure that overtime would not happen. A sack and a batted ball by MK on a 4th and long puts a nail in this one. Vets win! Vets win! Two in a row! Next year they go for the 3peat! Yaron and Gronk’s last Rookie season – should be interesting!
Vets celebrate on the field to cheers of DOH-MA! DOH-MA! DOH-MA! Two days later, the world shuts down. Rabin must know some powerful people.
So, who gets the MVP of this one? Not easy at all. The candidates are: Rabin – the QB. He made a few huge plays that were not basic. If he had relied on screens, sweeps, and handoffs alone, the Vets would not have won. It was that second scoring drive that was so needed when the game was 1-1…and it was all on precision long throws. Singer – He did everything. And he did it like a lion. He scored, he set up scores, he made big yard plays. He brings energy and heart to every moment of every game. Munch – I should give it to him. I really should (which tells you it is not going there). If this was classic MVP, he would probably get it, because although I can’t see what is going on line all game – he was all over Gronk. He gave him not time to think or throw. Munch is our voice of reason. He is our muscle. He is our enforcer. I only wish Solo came down, so Munch would have had the challenge he deserved on a such a huge day. MK – As mentioned before. The late flurry of STATS! A score, forcing a pick, tons of flag grabs, and that final batted ball. He felt like he was everywhere at the end of that game, bailing out the Vets when they needed it most. Which brings us to the man I am giving it to: Mighty – the man who came out swinging from the start. Although stat-wise the game was pedestrian for him, 2 TDs and a pick, but he took two hits early and a few late. He could hardly move. The only that seemed to keep him going was his hunger for the ball. Between plays he was barely holding it together. Once the ball was snapped, he was on fire. And if Rabin gave him the damn ball, it was like being shot with a mixture of cortisone and caffeine. All the Vets showed grit, but I think Mighty showed the most. He got rammed by Gronk, decapitated by the Wolverine, and body slammed by Storm, but he kept on popping up and fighting. He has more fight in him than any Jewballer I have ever seen. In a class of many worthy candidates, he gets the 2020 Vets Rooks Jewball. 
See y’all whenever this virus lets up. Week 20 will be played and we will meet again on the field of battle. Stay safe, Jewballers.

In light of community lockdown, social distancing, and bracing for the crap storm also known as COVID-19, our wise commish has postponed Week 20. This game will be played once normalcy resumes, and we will conclude this wonderfully season in deserved fashion.

The Oracle dropped some lines as well, and they should be taken with caution.

“Good decision to cancel games until further notice. No reason to put players or anyone they come into contact with at risk.
Stay safe…. be smart!“

-The Oracle

Please take care of yourselves and your families. Make smart decisions, follow hygiene and social distancing guidelines. Watch your diets, do your pushups and situps, and be ready to take the field and finish Week 20!! Stay safe everyone. And as Vegh recommended, use the chat to talk about anything you want. We are all here for each other.

As we eagerly await the colossal recap that will be the Vets defeating the Rooks, we get a snippet into some of the highlights from this epic game. Amazing job with the pics and cinematography!!

Mazal Tov to the Munch family on the bris of Munchkin!! Munckin and Bris will certainly be competing for Jewballs in the years to come.

Amidst all the chaos and confusion of covid, some of the Jewballers were out living it up. Here is some of the fun:

One game, from 8-11am. A who’s who of celebrities. Film and professional pics. Top secret DOMA bets. This game has it all. Looking forward to posting a major recap, pics and videos. Stay tuned..

WEEK 18
As momentum builds toward the first Vets Rooks doubleheader in Jewball history, we can reflect on how the game has changed in recent years. Whether we like stats or not, the game has and continues to evolve. Generally, one aspect of the evolution that people seem to like is that there is more football. The week in and out double header has been taken for granted as normal. It allows guys to play more games. It allows more guys to play. But, at the same time, we have recognized that Game 2 is often – for no great reason – a less compelling game. It is played and played hard, but it just doesn’t have the heat of Game 1. Week 18 felt like a throwback…and I did not mind it at all. One game. One glorious game. And with one game, the stakes felt higher and the effort felt more intense. And it went down to the wire.
The Gronk v. Yaron premiere matchup went into its 4th week in a row with Gronk having come on the Jewball scene late this year, but making a tremendous impact on the landscape. All he seems to do is win and rack up Jewballs. But would it continue? He was off to a bad start. Mainly because he was nowhere to be found. On a cold morning with a stinging wind whipping the flags at Lawrence High School into a frenzy, the game started at 10 after 8am, and Dark’s QB was messaging in that he was on his way. Luckily, Dark had Prager on the roster and a 6 on 6 ensued. As always by league rule (actually, just because Bron wants it that way) Bron and Colors takes ball first. That would be Yaron, Storm, Prime, Solo, Mighty, Tom, and Vegh. They face off against Prager, Jordan, Singer, Goldberg, Kut, Rabin, and Gronk.  Until Gronk arrived, Tom froze his ass off on the sideline (Gronk, buy him a drink). Neither team scored on their first possession, but Prager drove the entire field only to stall in Colors’ red zone. Yaron took the ball and picked on Jordan for a bit by running screens his way and Jordan failed to seal the sideline allowing for big gains by Prime and Storm. That drive was capped by a 15 yard dart to Storm in back of the endzone to put Colors up 1-0. Gronk came in and immediately tied it up by locating Prager way behind the defense. One move on the safety and we were even at 1s. At that point the battle intensified and, although both teams had plenty of miscues, the qualitative feel of the game’s action was high level. Storm with a sliding catch for a 1st down. Jordan with a catch on the outside and being punished by Mighty on the sideline. Solo sacking Gronk in the backfield on a 3rd and goal from the 4 (after a bomb to Singer and chase-down by Prime). Goldberg batting down ball after ball. Both teams were allowing positive moments for the other, but neither gave up the big play. And when the big play might have happened, the unforced errors crept into the game. Rabin, going 180 from the prior week, let his QB down on a few occasions, including a shifty ball that hit his fingertips in the endzone. Meanwhile, Yaron was missing his open receivers on the out and ups. The wind carried a few balls just a bit too far preventing Storm and Prime from hauling them in to perhaps give Colors a one score edge. But eventually Yaron threw a ball so hard that neither the wind, nor Jordan’s leap and fingernail could alter its trajectory. Targeting Mighty in full stride down the sideline, Yaron evades pressure, spins around on the opposite side of the field, and uncorks one. It cuts through the wind like an arrow and hits Mighty with no one between him and the endzone. 2-1 Colors at the half. The war of attrition continues throughout the 3rd quarter. Prime chops Singer in the neck. Jordan dives for a flag pull on Mighty. Yaron runs for a first down. Gronk to Goldberg to move the chains. And in a defensive play for the ages that separates the boys and men in this league, Prime steals a TD from Dark. Straight up grand larceny in the ednzone. Gronk sends Prager on a slant into the endzone from the 7 and all is executed to perfection. Prager is double covered by Mighty and Prime. Prime in the middle and Mighty trailing. But, in his infuriatingly effortless style, Gronk rears back and places one right in between both defenders. The ball is in Pragers hands as he glides into the middle of the endzone. Boys would have accepted this fate. Mighty and Prime are men. Mighty crashes into Prager jostling the ball and Prime reaches in to Prager’s grip and yanks the ball free before Parger’s feet are settled. The ball is momentarily in the air before Prime swoops in to pick it. As game changing a play as you will see!
 Finally, as the 4th quarter begins, Gronk playcalls to the left side – presume a two man team will find a hole in the defense. One short one long. Someone has got to be open. Jordan is going short and Prager is going long. And once again it is Prager behind the defense! Gronk uses his cannon and puts a ball in Prager’s chest (careful to avoid the wrist) and the score is once again tied. Ten minutes left in regulation. Yaron orchestrates a steady drive throwing the ball underneath, but with 5 minutes left in the game and under pressure (managing to avoid a second Kut almost-sack on the right hash) Bron slings a ball to Vegh cutting in the back of the endzone and Colors takes the very late lead 3-2. 3 minutes later Gronk is down to his last possession. The man who has won his last 3 games and racked up 3 Jewballs in the process is in do or die mode. On 1st down from his 30 he hits a streaking wide open Jordan at Colors’ 40 and it looks like this could tie it up. But Jordan tries to adjust the ball too soon and the result is a drop. 2 plays later it is 4th and long and the odds of Dark winning are infinitesimal. That is when the unbelievable happened. Scrambling to his right with Solo on his heels, Gronk turns and fires as he is ought to do. An inexplicable cross the body, cross the field prayer. Almost like a no-look pass in basketball, but this is like a no-look hail Mary. But this ball has jets on it and apparently a GPS as well. It slams into Goldberg right in the middle of the field who is position a few steps in front of the first down marker – Goldberg makes the catch in some traffic….and the drive is alive! The game is alive! One play later…..Kut and Jordan get behind the defense on the right side of the field and Gronks lofts a beautiful ball to Kut that is just picture perfect and Kut reels it in, no problemo. Kut shuffles his feet backwards a few steps and he is into pay dirt. Game is tied as time expires!!!
But no one wants to end in a tie! Even though Mighty, Rabin, and Yaron have to go…..Mighty and Rabin do go and we play on at 6s to determine a winner. Each team will get one possession. Yaron drives his team to midfield, but then disaster strikes. In what I believe was a pick free day for Yaron until that point, Colors selects an inopportune time to gaffe it up. On a TE leak out, Yaron tosses a slightly high but eminently catchable ball to Solo, who promptly pops it up in the air instead of bringing it in – and Gronk is right there with the interception – and a short field. The worst Dark can do now is tie. But the win is right there for the taking. But things do not go Dark’s way. A short run, a sack, and an incompletion result in a 4th and goal 25 yards from the endzone. The huddle is brief. Singer has been here before. Everyone almost anticipates the next three words that emanate from his lips. As if they are not a play call but a prophecy. “Hook and ladder.”
The defense is playing back because it is TD or nothing. This gives Dark room to operate. Singer pops out about ten yards and gets a nice pass from Gronk. Jordan darts from the slot toward Singer as the defense begins to close in on the ball. Singer tosses it back. Jordan has 17 yards between him and the right pile-on. Singer immediately turns around and starts wrecking people. Pushing them back, clearing space, giving Jordan room to advance but the chances of getting all the way seem remote. 10 yards to go. Gronk sees an opportunity and starts cutting down the middle of the field – calling for the ball. He is uncovered. A toss back to him might work! The defense now needs to account for that and cannot focus entirely on the ball carrier. Now Jordan passes his lead blocker Singer and there are 8 yards to go. All of a sudden Singer is also an option for a lateral and the defense needs to account for him. The defense is non-committal to Jordan and with some small lateral fakes, Jordan keeps them that way. With 5 yards to go it is time to pull the trigger. The defense is all in on Jordan now and will not let him score. As Prime is about to end the game in a tie, Jordan flips to Singer. who is at the 4….and Singer does his imitation of a bulldozer ballerina and spins into the endzone! Dark wins!!!! An improbable comeback win!
Jewball is tough this week because really everyone on Dark did something. And….no one played perfectly. Prager and Goldberg and Singer had incredible games in terms of stats. Jordan and Kut had their moments but also didn’t come through at other times. Gronk the same…and he came late. Which is egregious. Trust me, I don’t want to give him the Jewball. But I have to. Because he was the MVP for Colors. The pass to Goldberg on 4th and 30 to keep the game going was absurd! Add to that all the passes that were scores and dropped. He was the superior QB on the day and he willed his team to a victory. Jewball to Gronk.
Now, looking forward to Vets Rooks this Sunday! Hope everyone is in communication with their Captains and know which game they are playing in. Be early! We have a guy filming this Sunday….so look good out there! Thank you, Steveo, for finding the guy. A lot on the line this Sunday and the weather looks amazing. In a world going mad…..Jewball is our island of sanity. God Bless us all.

Week 18 Teams
Game 8am
LHS

Colors

Yaron – QB
Solo
Mighty
Storm
Vegh
Tom
Prime

Dark

Gronk – QB
Goldberg 
Pringle
Kut
Jordan
Singer
Rabin