With the jewball season now in full swing, it was time for the return of leagues. Yes, we love to whine and complain about it (and of course blame the captains) but it brings another flavor to our regular weeks of jewball. Leagues brings an extra intensity while bowl games bring a level of “chilledness”. It’s part of what makes the jewball season tick. And what a start to leagues season it was.

In game 1a it was Yaron’s Black Panthers vs. Stella’s Liquid Courage. LC started with the ball and after a few runs and throws to rook and stella, it was pray taking off up the middle with a lateral to spreadies to make it 6-0…..or not. A flag pulled by Kagan just before the lateral saved the would-be touchdown and LC stalled in the red zone. After a 3 and out by BP it was LC driving down the field again. Pray found zinny wide open to set them up in the red zone yet again but LC could not punch it in thanks to a mixture of the sun and daveo/kagan blitz monster. BP would finally score first on their next drive with a long ball from yaron to stats to make it 6-0 and add on the extra point to Ice to make it 7-0. LC went right back to it and a long throw to stella and a few dump offs to mandel set up a 25 yard strike from pray to stella to make it 7-6. Extra point no good. Two plays later it was Stella with a pick to set LC up again in the red zone but a three and out kept the score at 7-6. BP followed that up with a nice drive of their own but on third and 6, Big O chased down yaron on back to back plays for a sack and incomplete pass and LC was set up once again. This time they finally took advantage. After a zinny catch and run, it was zada from 12 yards out, breaking tackles to make it 12-7. A diving Djcp two point conversion made it 14-7. LC needed it and he gave it. BP went back to their physical game and pounding runs and screens with prime and ice looked like it would be a devastating formula for the LC defense. But once again on third and short it was mandel with a batted pass and Oren with a chase down of Yaron on a run to give LC the ball back. This time it was a broken play on third and long to Rook make the score 20-7. an extra point to spreadies and it’s 21-7 with 15 minutes to go. But yaron rallied the troops and went right back to pounding the rock with ice and prime. four plays later it was a prime screen from a yard out to make it 21-13. With ten minutes to go all LC needed to do was score and the game would be….iced. But the double urkels of Davoe and Djcp had pray confused and a toss meant for urkel ended up in the hands of other urkel and a pick six for daveo on prays first int thrown of the season (thanks Logan). All of a sudden it was a game again. Two point conversion no good and 21-19 LC. A score could still potentially ice the game. After a few short plays, it was 4th and 6 inside their own territory setting up a choice for LC. Punt and play defense or be aggressive and go for the win. After a defensive timeout by Daveo 🙂 LC decides to go for it and what a choice it was. Pray scrambling to the left flips a throw over the heads of everyone and it is rook streaking down the field with a convoy of djcp and zinny to walk it in for his second TD of the day and a 27-19 lead for LC. However, a two pt conversion was batted down by Kagan and BP had a chance. On third and forever with their backs against the wall, Yaron throws a missile down the sideline to BZ and BP stays alive. Two plays later on third and goal from the 11, it’s BZ again in the corner of the endzone over Stella to make it a two point game. A 2 point conversion would be needed to go into OT. Yaron drops back and throws up a jump ball for ice….. but this time Stella did just enough. Incomplete and LC holds on for the win. A down to the wire game to start leagues. Jewball should probably go to rook in this one for the 2 late touchdowns but…… its going to Big O. Dominant on O line all day and turned back the clock with two beauty chase downs of Yaron for sacks along with a couple of batted passes. A jewball to you my friend.

In game 1b it was dark of Fish, Bert, crumble, goldberg, Paddles, mighty and tom vs colors of avenger, berk, blitz, fischler, justin, kut and the wizard. Fish getting his first start at qb for jewball and shaking off that rust ended with a pretty impressive day. Can’t say i saw all of it (or any of it) but every time I looked over it was Mighty running free with the ball in his hands on his way to a four touchdown day. A smart move by the rookie qb. However, on the other side Avenger was having himself a day and when he is on there are few better. 5 tds with 2 to berk and 3 to the new kid fischler/baltimore for avenger. Add on a Steve-o pick six of fish and it was a 6-4 win for Colors. Jewball to avenger, from all accounts he was absolutely lights out. Prob has something to do with the nice note he found on his football.

In game 2 it was dark of pray, berk, blitz/justin, paddles, O, prime, and tom vs colors of Yaron, crumble, fish, justin, kut, legs, mandel, and rook. If you’ve been in Jewball for even a little bit, you knew exactly how this game was going to go. Fresh off a league game loss, yaron was going to dominate. And dominate he did. First score of the game was a pick six by crumble off of pray. A pray rushing td one play later tied it up at a one a piece. Unfortunately for dark that would be it for a loooong time. Yaron proceeded to hit back to back to back to back tds to legs, mandel, and fish and ran one in, and the dark offense was of zero help. 3 sacks by legs and a batted ball that led to a rook pick kept dark completely out of it offensively. Even the few times they made it to the red zone and had what was a sure td on a strike from pray to berk, he was stopped at the half inch line to keep dark out. with the score 5-1 and the game all but over, finally dark punched one in on a short pass to prime who broke through bodies for a 65 yard td. 5-2. Dark would have one last drive to try and make the game at least a bit respectable. But when it rains it pours and a jump ball for Justin ended in one more pick six for good measure by Fish to end the game at 6-2. In a game we all should have seen coming, Yaron and co dominate. Jewball to legs for the three sacks, a td, and two batted balls for ints. Legs was a force.

Who wants week 4? IJWT. Van expressway. Happy bday Ice and J. Garlic Mayo is not Mayo.