The Champion (35 page)

Arioch Morningstar kicked in the extra point.

Ionath 28, Isis 7.

GFL WEEK ONE ROUNDUP

Courtesy of Galaxy Sports Network

Coming into the opening week of the ’86 GFL season, one question was on the minds of football fans all across the galaxy: are the Ionath Krakens (1-0) ready to defend their ’85 title? Based on the results of their 35-10 drubbing of the Isis Ice Storm (0-1), the early answer is a resounding “yes.”

Krakens quarterback Quentin Barnes ripped the Storm secondary for 341 yards and four touchdowns. Barnes completed passes to ten different receivers. Denver, Yassoud Murphy, George Starcher and Tara the Freak all caught touchdowns. Denver led all receivers with six receptions for 112 yards. Running back Ju Tweedy carried the ball 15 times for 96 yards and a touchdown.

How did the Krakens’ Planet Division rivals do? Well, that depends on which team you’re talking about: Buddha City, Wabash, OS1 or Yall? Over the past five seasons, Ionath has developed or renewed bitter rivalries with those four franchises.

The OS1 Orbiting Death (1-0) made an early statement with a 24-21 come-from-behind win over the To Pirates (0-1). Death quarterback Condor Adrienne ran in the winning touchdown in dramatic fashion, hitting Pirates’ star defender Ciudad Juarez head-on and falling across the goal line with just four ticks left on the clock.

Wabash (1-0), who has faced Ionath the last two years in the playoffs, controlled Coranadillana (0-1) 35-24 in a game that wasn’t as close as it sounds. Wolfpack QB Rich Bennett connected with tight end Alexander Van Houten for three scores, while Ralph “Pappy” Schmeer rushed for 56 yards and two touchdowns.

Yall quarterback Rick Renaud showed no signs of the injuries suffered in last year’s playoff loss to Ionath. The 2685 league MVP threw for 428 yards and five touchdown passes as the Criminals (1-0) posted a 35-0 shutout over the Themala Dreadnaughts (0-1).

Buddha City (1-0) also notched a win, edging out Vik (0-1) by a score of 17-14 on a last-second field goal by kicker Donald Baynes. Elite defensive tackle Don-Wen-Sul dominated the game, recording three sacks on Vanguard quarterback Rich Barchi.

In the Solar Division, Texas (1-0) kicked off the season with a strong 28-21 win over the Bord Brigands (0-1). Earthlings linebacker Alonzo Castro intercepted Bord QB Mike Kazmierczak and returned the ball for a 72-yard, game-winning pick-six.

Despite three touchdown passes from D’Oni quarterback Glenn Howell, the Coelacanths (0-1) dropped their Tier One opener to Alimum (1-0). The Armada won 27-26 on a 65-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass from quarterback Kirill Gomelsky to rookie receiver Sopchoppy.

In other key Solar Division games, Neptune (1-0) topped D’Kow (0-1) by a score of 24-17, while Jupiter (0-1) was upset 28-10 by Sheb (1-0). The Stalkers rallied after their rookie receiver Ashaway died on their first offensive play of the season.

Deaths

Sheb rookie receiver Ashaway, killed on a clean hit by Jupiter linebacker Katan the Beheader.

Offensive Player of the Week

Yall Criminals quarterback Rick Renaud, who threw for five touchdown passes and 428 yards in a win over the Themala Dreadnaughts.

Defensive Player of the Week

Buddha City defensive tackle Don-Wen-Sul, who had three sacks, five solo tackles and three assists in the Elite’s 17-14 last-second win over the Vik Vanguard.

35

Week Two:
Sheb Stalkers at
Ionath Krakens

THE GAME, JUST LIKE THE WEEK
of practice before it, went by in a blur.

Quentin knew the defense’s every move. He anticipated their actions and predicted their adjustments. He saw their deep green helmets with red-eyed, white-lightning-bolt skulls on the side, saw their white jerseys with the red-trimmed green numbers, saw their red leg armor with the white lightning bolts down the thighs. He’d seen those same uniforms back in his rookie year four seasons earlier, but back then he’d been watching from the sidelines as Don Pine had led the Krakens to a home victory.

This time, Quentin was the one who drove daggers into the Sheb Stalkers souls.

He hit Denver on a flag pattern for a 56-yard TD.

Minutes later, on a third-and-long, he scrambled 32 yards to the Sheb 25-yard line, then on the next play found Tara the Freak over the middle for another score.

A touchdown pass to Milford closed out the second quarter.

Halftime whizzed by as he and Hokor searched for new ways to exploit the Sheb D, but there wasn’t much new territory to be mined as the Sheb D had already been exploited to the tune of a 28-0 Ionath lead.

In the second half, Quentin hit Cheboygan for a deep pass to the Sheb 3-yard line. Next play, he looked right, staring at Denver long enough to draw the defense, then tossed a pass to Yassoud in the left flat; ’Soud took it in for the score.

In the fourth quarter, a John Tweedy interception gave Ionath the ball on the Sheb forty-nine. The very next play, Quentin stepped up into the pocket and threw a laser strike to Halawa, hitting her at the back of the end zone for his fifth TD pass of the night.

With a 42-3 lead, Quentin stayed on the sidelines, giving Yitzhak two full drives of game-time reps. Zak completed a couple of short passes, but mostly handed off to Yassoud or rookie fullback Nancy Wolf. The score remained the same when the clock ticked 0:00.

Quentin led his teammates in a lap around the field, reaching up to touch the Krakens fans who reached down to touch them back.

• • •

THE KRAKENS HAD JUST WON
their second game — that meant the regular season was well under way, and
that
meant Becca should have gotten over it by now. But she hadn’t.

[REBECCA MONTAGNE ISN’T ANSWERING YOUR CALL.]

The room computer gave him the news he’d expected, the same news it had given him all week leading up to the game against the Stalkers, and the week leading up to the Ice Storm before that. She was perfectly civil to him in the locker room, on the practice field and during games, never showing anger or disdain that could hamper team unity, but outside of those places, she simply wouldn’t talk to him.

Following the Stalkers game, Quentin had cleaned up, congratulated his teammates on the dominant win, then done his time in the post-game press conference. After that, the short walk through the secure underground tunnel that ran the stadium to the Krakens Building, then up to his apartment.

The door chime sounded softly, and for a brief second, Quentin’s heart surged at the thought of Becca finally coming to see him.

[JOHN TWEEDY AT YOUR DOOR.]

Quentin sighed. “Enter.”

John came in, hand in hand with Jeanine. The sight of his sister instantly raised Quentin’s spirits a little. She gave him a big hug.

“Good game, baby brother.”

“Thanks. You watched on holo?”

She shook her head. “Hell no, I was there this time. Don’t worry, no one would have recognized me.”

Jeanine held up her palm and tapped the icons that appeared above it. A holopic popped up, showing two smiling mustached men wearing Sheb Stalkers jerseys and jackets. It took Quentin a second, but he recognized Jeanine as one of the men.

“A fake moustache?”

She held a slim finger against her upper lip. “Presto! I’m like a whole ’nother person, don’t you think?”

Quentin didn’t recognize the man in the picture with her, but he didn’t need to.

“I’m glad Fred was with you.”

“Me too,” John said. The words
CHICKS LOOK BETTER WITHOUT FACIAL HAIR
scrolled across his forehead. Jeanine laughed and elbowed him in the ribs.

“Q, we’re going to dinner to celebrate,” John said. “Come with us. Fred’s going to be there. Ju might come, too, if he’s not out drinking with ’Soud, Crawford and Athanas. By the way, that rookie can
drink
.”

Food would be good, as would spending time with his sister ... but what if Becca called back?