"Did you think I made the team the way it is because I thought it would be a good publicity stunt? It's about second chances. Second, third, fourth, whatever, as long as you get at least one more than what anyone else wanted to give you." - Coach David Wymack.
-THIS IS A CLOSED GROUP-
The news broke just after Christmas: the fourth-ranked team in the Southeastern District, the Belmonte Terrapins, were disqualified from the Class I Exy Championships after playing all season with several academically ineligible players on their roster. The question now is: who will take their place in the Championships? And the answer isn't as straightforward as you may think.
The Palmetto States Foxes and the USC Columbia Gamecocks thought their seasons ended in mid-December when they finished their seasons 4-5 and just outside of Championships contention. For the Foxes—and anyone who follows Class I Exy—this was an almost unimaginable improvement, after the Foxes ended last season only winning a single game. For the Gamecocks, who are regularly in contention for a Championships slot, it was a disappointing, if not entirely unexpected, result.
With identical records this season, if not identical reputations, which team gets into the Championships? In ordinary cases, the tiebreaker is clear: whichever team scored more goals during the regular season wins. However, in a shocking turn of events, both the Foxes and the Gamecocks scored the exact same number of goals.
In an emergency meeting on December 27, the ERC made a decision: to determine which team takes the Terrapins' spot in the Championships, the Foxes and the Gamecocks will play a tiebreaker game at Palmetto State University on January 14. To accommodate this unprecedented turn of events, the start of the first round of the Championships has been pushed back one week to January 21.
A win would keep the Foxes' Cinderella season going, an almost unimaginable turn of luck for a perpetually down-on-their luck team. A win for the Gamecocks would keep their long-held position as the best team in South Carolina secure. Either way, it's bound to be interesting.
- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, "CHAOS IN THE SOUTHEAST AS TERRAPINS DISQUALIFIED."
CALENDAR:
December 28-January 2: Current Foxes report back to Palmetto early for emergency practices (Christmas breakdown under the cut)
December 31: Sterling's Birthday
January 3: New Foxes arrive, Spring Semester begins
January 3-7: Spring Semester meetings with Betsy
January 7: Fox/Vixen party at the Vixen Den
January 13: Casey's Birthday
January 14: Tiebreaker Game - Foxes vs. Gamecocks at USC Columbia
January 21: Championships Begin
January 28: Championships First Round - Foxes vs. Bruins (Away)
While the Palmetto State Foxes may have just punched their ticket to the Spring Championships, last season was a very different story for the Foxes—one dominated by the surprising absence of their Captain Bryce Montgomery. Without Montgomery, the Foxes would go on to lose eight out of nine games during that Captainless season.
While speculation at the time ranged from personal matters to internal team conflict, details remained scarce. Montgomery himself could not be reached for comment, and Fox Coach David Wymack and Montgomery's former teammates also had little to say about the reasons for his departure.
Class I Exy might have forgotten all about Montgomery—if he didn't make a surprise appearance in the stands of the Foxes' tiebreaker game against the Gamecocks alongside new Foxes Dayton Tan and Nico Romero. Montgomery refused to comment—on either his disappearance or reappearance—when approached by College Exy Online, however sources familiar with the Foxes report that he has been seen with the team around Palmetto, though he isn't officially on the Fox roster.
While the reasons behind his initial departure may still remain unknown, previously unreported public arrest records from his hometown of Pensacola, Florida obtained by College Exy Online may offer some explanation of what Montgomery has been up to since leaving the Foxes: in December of 2021, Montgomery and his older brother Beckett Montgomery were arrested in connection with an alleged armed robbery at a Pensacola gas station. The cases against both Montgomery brothers remain pending.
Once seen as a player poised to redefine the Foxes’ future, Montgomery now finds himself at the center of a very different narrative—one with ramifications that extend far beyond the Exy court. As legal proceedings in Florida move forward, it remains unclear what role—if any—the troubled former Fox Captain will play on his former team as they reach levels of success never seen under his leadership.
- College Exy Online, "The Curious Case of the (Former) Fox Captain."
When the Foxes played their last regular season game in December—a loss at home against the USC-Columbia Gamecocks—they couldn't imagine that they'd be facing off against the Gamecocks again in January to try and play their way into the Championships after the fourth-ranked Belmonte Terrapins were disqualified.
But no Foxes might be more surprised than Nico Romero and Dayton Tan, two mid-season transfers who joined the team this January—just in time for a front-row seat to watch their new teammates defeat the Gamecocks and send the Foxes to the Championships for the first time in recent history.
College Exy Online caught up with the Foxes' newest recruits at that tiebreaker game, before the Foxes' victory was assured:
Nico Romero might be new to the Foxes, but she isn't new to Class I Exy, having initially joined the Georgia Southern Eagles as a striker last year, the Eagles' first season as a Class I Exy team. The Eagles have had a unlucky start to their Class I tenure, losing every single game they've played over the past two seasons.
"Sometimes you have to go where it makes the most sense for you, you know?...I admire [the Foxes'] message, and I wanted to be part of that," Romero said. She joins a young striker core on the Foxes: out of the seven strikers on the roster, three are freshman and two—including Romero—are sophomores.
While Romero, with her Class I experience, might be able to slot into the Foxes without missing a beat, fellow transfer and backliner Dayton Tan might be more of a wildcard. "I had to stop playing for a year after I was in a car accident," he explained, adding: "I’m ready to work really hard to catch up."
But perhaps even more surprising than the new Foxes on the roster is who they were watching the tiebreaker game with: none other than the Foxes' former Captain Bryce Montgomery, who left the team with no warning following the 2019-2020 season. Montgomery had nothing to say to explain his departure, or his return to Palmetto, but he isn't on the Foxes' roster for the Championships.
To have made it this far, this year's Foxes must have something that previous teams lacked: but, with their first Championships game still to come and their two newest teammates yet to make their debuts—to say nothing of the presence of their former Captain—it remains to be seen if their new members will add to that team chemistry, or only be a distraction.
- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “MEET THE NEW FOXES THAT WILL BE VYING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS SPRING."
(Full interview under the cut.)
INTERVIEW:
CEO: It’s great to get a chance to chat with two new Foxes. What should readers of College Exy Online know about you two?
DT: Hi! I’m Dayton Tan. I’m a backliner, a Sagittarius, and I’m single.
NR: Of course, hi! I'm Nico and I'm a striker, but people might already know that. And I guess people should know...that I work hard? I know I'm playing catch up coming in halfway through the year, but I'm excited to be here.
CEO: Bryce, it’s a surprise to see you. What brings you back to Palmetto–and do you finally care to comment on why you disappeared last year?
BM: No comment. And no.
CEO: Dayton, you’re a little older than the typical freshman. Are you coming to the Foxes a few steps behind?
DT: Oh, for sure! I had to stop playing for a year after I was in a car accident, but I’m ready to work really hard to catch up. It feels really good to be on the court again.
CEO: You don’t see a midyear transfer too often. What is it that brings you to the Foxes, Nico? And how did your old team take the news?
NR: I mean, yeah, midyear transfers aren’t super common, but sometimes you have to go where it makes the most sense for you, you know? For me, that was here. The Foxes are—I admire their message, and I wanted to be part of that. And I talked to my coaches and my teammates before the news dropped, so they all knew about it. They took it okay, I think. No drama, I promise.
CEO: I’m sure you were as surprised as the rest of us to learn that the Foxes had a shot at the Championships. What would a win here tonight mean for you?
BM: Not much, since I’d have nothing to do with it.
DT: If I get to play in the Championships my first semester here? That would be life changing. But, like, no pressure on my teammates. Well, some pressure. I hope we win!
NR: It would be fantastic, obviously! I'd love to play in the Championships.
CEO: The Gamecocks obviously got the better of the Foxes in December. If you were in a betting mood—
In a high-stakes tiebreaker with a spot in the Championships on the line, the Palmetto State Foxes defeated the USC Columbia Gamecocks 5–4 in a grueling overtime battle. The unprecedented match-up, the result of the disqualification of the previously fourth-ranked Belmonte Terrapins, quickly escalated into one of the most intense contests of the regular season, marked by heavy physicality, multiple penalties, and a dramatic late-game comeback—and, this time, the bad blood didn't end at the final buzzer.
The Foxes and the Gamecocks stayed even through regulation time, entering into halftime 2-2 with goals by Indigo Hayes and Kent Cheong for the Foxes and Christopher Quinn and Victoria McGowan for the Gamecocks. Cheong's goal came on a penalty shot, as the Gamecocks sought revenge for an unpenalized hit to Gamecock backliner Joshua Holden that saw him taken out of the game. "It sucks to see your teammate go down like that," said Gamecocks Captain Troy Harper after the game. "Should it have been a penalty? I don't want to say the refs cost us the game, but—if the shoe fits, you know?"
The Gamecocks looked to have the better of the Foxes in the second half, pulling into the lead with goals by Mel Boyer and Harper. An injury to TK Sullivan and a penalty shot goal by Parker Sinclair gave the Foxes the spark they needed to make a comeback, with freshman striker Kai Reynolds netting the equalizer in the closing minutes and sending the game into sudden-death overtime tied 4–4.
At the end of a lengthy overtime—forty minutes in total—the Foxes broke through when Sullivan, back on the court, drove through the Gamecocks defenders to set up fellow freshman Mateo Montes. Montes buried the game-winning goal to secure a 5–4 victory and the Southeastern District’s final Championships spot—the first Championships slot for the Foxes in a long, long time.
Speaking to press after the game, Montes downplayed his winning goal, saying "I was thinking the goal was wide open and it’d be an easy shot." Reflecting on the win, Sullivan called advancing to the Championships in his first season “huge,” adding "if I have to take a few hits...it seems like a fair trade."
The Gamecocks will miss the Championships this year, after making it to the Championships and losing in the second round to the Penn State Lions last year. "We want to be in the Championships every year, and we're pretty sure we'll be back next year," Harper said, adding: "I don't think you can say as much for the Foxes." On the Gamecocks, Montes had this to say: "They’re pretty pissy, aren’t they? I don’t care enough about them to claim we’re rivals."
That intensity did not remain confined to the court. Later that night, both teams crossed paths at Columbia nightclub Eden’s Twilight, where the Foxes' celebrations quickly devolved into a full-scale altercation. Local police responded and both teams were reportedly forced to leave the venue with several players taken to the local police station, though no charges have been filed.
The incident drew the attention of the Exy Rules and Regulation Committee, which has reportedly contacted the coaches of both teams to express its displeasure. In a statement to College Exy Online, the ERC said: "We are very disappointed by both teams' conduct in Columbia over the weekend. While we and our fans love to see a rivalry, our players are ambassadors for the sport, and we expect them to behave with dignity and sportsmanship at all times." Both Fox and Gamecocks coaches did not respond to College Exy Online's requests for comment.
Despite the controversy, the Foxes’ victory stands, sending them to the Championships after one of the most hard-fought—and contentious—games of the season. Now, after just barely defeating the Gamecocks, they'll have to see how long they can hold their own against the true top teams across the league.
- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “FISTS FLY ON AND OFF THE COURT IN CHAMPIONSHIPS TIEBREAKER."
(Mateo Montes and TK Sullivan full media availability under the cut.)
MEDIA AVAILABILITY:
Q: Congratulations on the win! Walk us through that overtime goal—what did you see and what were you thinking?
MM: I was thinking the goal was wide open and it’d be an easy shot. Clearly I was right.
TS: I’m not sure that I was thinking much, just trying to use my body and create some space. If anything, I was probably thinking that I was tired and that Mateo better score.
Q: TK, you took a pretty hard hit in the first half. The Foxes scored on the penalty shot, do you think that turned the tide of the game? And how’s the face?
TS: Parker scoring was huge, obviously. We wouldn’t have won without that. And I still have all my teeth, which is good, but if I have to take a few hits to get us into the Championships it seems like a fair trade.
Q: What does it mean for you to be heading to the Championships in your first season as Foxes?
TS: It’s huge—did I say that already? Getting the chance to play in college at all still feels like a dream, most days, and now we’re getting the chance to keep playing. And I’m doing it all with Mateo, which makes it even better.
MM: What he said, but less mushy.
Q: You two are obviously used to playing together, but you’re not the only two California freshmen on the team. What’s it like to be playing with an old opponent in Kai Reynolds?
MM: Not much has changed, honestly. We’re just on the same side of the court and share a room now.
TS: He scored the goal that got us to overtime, so that was pretty cool.
Q: Mateo, what’s your dad going to say about your win? Can we expect to see him at any Championships games?
MM: He’d have to know I played a game to say something. Don’t hold your breath on him actually showing his face.
Q: It looked like there was some real bad blood out there on the court tonight. Is it safe to say that there’s now a real rivalry between the Foxes and the Gamecocks?
MM: They’re pretty pissy, aren’t they? I don’t care enough about them to claim we’re rivals, but if they try to get in my face then I won’t hold back.
TS: We were just trying to win. It kind of seems like they were the ones who made it personal.
It took a little longer than usual, thanks to the unprecedented disqualification of the Belmonte Terrapins and subsequent tiebreaker game between the USC Columbia Gamecocks and the Palmetto State Foxes, but the lineup for the 2021-2022 Class I Exy Championships is now set, with the first round set to begin this Friday, January 21.
Southeastern District: 1) The Edgar Allan Ravens; 2) The Breckenridge Jackals; 3) The Blackwell Jackrabbits; 4) The Palmetto State Foxes.
All eyes in Exy might be on the Foxes, who beat the Gamecocks in a hard-fought overtime game to earn the fourth place slot in their district and a spot in the Championships for the first time in recent memory. But the real story of the Southeastern District might be the Ravens: after a shocking elimination in the second round last year against the Trojans, this Big Three team is out for revenge.
Northeastern District: 1) The Penn State Lions; 2) The Ohio State Buckeyes; 3) The Boston Terriers; 4) The St. Louis Billikens; 5) The University of Maryland Terrapins.
A season after securing their first Championships title, the Ohio State Buckeyes slipped back into the second place spot in their district, losing out to the Penn State Lions but potentially securing themselves an easier path to Finals through a weaker bracket. The Lions, now in their second season with a new coaching staff, look stronger than they did last season, when they just narrowly missed facing off against their district-mates in the Finals. In fourth and fifth place, the St. Louis Billikens and the UMD Terrapins are newcomers to the Championships, neither having qualified last year.
Southwestern District: 1) Arizona Sundevils ; 2) The UT Longhorns ; 3) The UNLV Rebels; 4) The Colorado Buffaloes.
The Arizona Sundevils stormed back to the top spot this season, while the UNLV Rebels proved that their third-place finish last season was more than just a fluke, and the Colorado Buffaloes just barely edged out the other teams in the district to take the fourth-place spot after several years of missing out on the Championships.
Northwestern District: 1) The USC Trojans; 2) The UCLA Bruins; 3) The Washington State Cougars; 4) The Idaho Vandals; 5) The UC Davis Aggies.
The teams in this district might look familiar—all five made it the Championships last season—but not quite in this configuration. The Trojans held onto the top spot as they look to win it all this season after losing in the Finals last year. The UCLA Bruins made a strong showing, jumping from fourth to second; while the UC Davis Aggies fell from their second place spot last season to almost missing the Championships entirely this year. The Vandals, in their second Championships appearance ever, improved slightly on their position from last year, showing that they're here to stay.
- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “WELCOME TO THE CHAMPIONSHIPS: YOUR TOP 18 TEAMS.”
TIEBREAKER: PALMETTO STATE FOXES vs. USC COLUMBIA GAMECOCKS
PRE-GAME
Last month, the Foxes and Gamecocks met for what they thought was their last game of the season. The Gamecocks came out on top, but neither team was moving on to the Championships—until the Terrapins were unexpectedly disqualified, that is. Now, with identical regular season records, they meet again for an unprecedented tiebreaker game. The winner will go on to the Championships as the fourth-ranked team in the Southeastern District.
The drive to Columbia is one that the Foxes know well, and they arrive at Gamecocks’ court with plenty of time to don their orange-on-white away uniforms in the visitors’ locker room. Half an hour before first serve, the Foxes are allowed onto the court for a brief warm-up. They line up in order of position—Strikers, then Dealers, then Backliners, then Goalkeepers—and make their way onto the court, with Claudia in the lead as Captain.
The tiebreaker is being played under regular season rules and, therefore, with the Foxes’ regular season roster. New signings Nico Romero and Dayton Tan are sitting in the stands behind the Foxes’ bench—and with them is former Fox Captain Bryce Montgomery, making his first public appearance since his surprise disappearance last year.
After the warm-up, Claudia steps up for the coin toss that will determine which team gets first serve. The Foxes win the toss, and players enter the court for the start of the game.
Red Cards: N/A
Injuries: N/A
FIRST HALF
STARTING LINEUP:
Goalkeeper: Charlie Sinclair (Sub: Grant Rollins)
Dealer: Claudia Jewell (Sub: Marley Reid)
Strikers: Kent Cheong, Indigo Hayes (Sub: Mateo Montes)
Backliners: Colin Jessup, Sterling Walsh
GAMEPLAY:
Players take their starting positions and, at the sound of the buzzer, Claudia serves to start play.
The game starts aggressive, picking up where the Foxes and the Gamecocks last left off. Indigo loses possession as she’s tripped along the wall, but a penalty isn’t called, and she staggers back to her feet.
Before the Gamecocks can get too far, Kent charges in with a punishing hit, crushing a Gamecocks backliner into the Plexiglass. When the player crumples to the ground, he doesn’t immediately get back up.
The whistles blow this time and the door opens to let the Gamecocks trainer onto the court. The backliner staggers to his feet, favoring one of his legs, and his teammates help him off the court and back to the locker room.
No penalty is awarded on the play, however, and play restarts from where it was halted with Claudia’s serve.
The Gamecocks, fired up from the injury to their teammate, set their sights on Kent. As he tangles with the backliners in the offensive zone—with more jabs from elbows and racquets that don’t get called—it leaves Indigo open.
Indigo feints around the Gamecocks dealer, who has fallen back to try and defend, and gets a shot past the Gamecocks goalkeeper for the first goal of the game.
Claudia serves to restart play, but it quickly devolves into a scuffle in the Gamecocks’ zone: both Kent and Indigo are in the center of it and, this time, the referees do break it up, giving both Fox strikers and Gamecocks backliners yellow cards.
Play is restarted from where it was halted. The Gamecocks are given the serve, and take control of play.
Charlie makes a save on a long shot fired through traffic, and the deflected ball goes high and wild: Sterling and Colin can’t get to it in time, and the Gamecocks put the ball in the opposite side of the goal—too far for Charlie to stretch, though he makes a valiant attempt.
With the score tied and play paused, Wymack makes his substitutions for the half: sending Grant on for Charlie, Marley on for Claudia, and Mateo on for Indigo.
The Gamecocks serve, but Colin levels the Gamecocks striker before they can receive it. With the ball rolling free, Grant steps outside of the goal line to shoulder the other striker out of the way and slam the ball up the court.
Mateo chases the ball down, but the Gamecocks are more interested in starting a fight—and their target, predictably, is Kent, a backliner shaking off their gloves and jumping him after one too many baiting comments.
This time, the Gamecocks are given a red card, and the Foxes are awarded a penalty shot. Wymack taps Kent to take it, and he makes the most of it with a well-practiced move that puts the ball inside the goal line and pulls the Foxes into the lead.
Marley serves, and play resumes. Locked up with a backliner against the Plexiglass, Kent hooks a leg around their knee to take them down—earning him a whistle and a yellow card.
It’s Kent’s second of the night, and it sends him off the court for the rest of the game. With the half over halfway over, Wymack sends Indigo back on to keep his other strikers fresh for the second half.
The Gamecocks are given the serve, and make a quick play up the court: their striker fakes a pass across the court before passing themself off of the wall instead.
Grant is a second too slow to adjust, and a shot slips past the edge of his racquet and in.
The Gamecocks serve again, but the Fox defense holds on—with Grant making a few more saves—as the clock runs down.
After a scrappy, back-and-forth half, the buzzer sounds and the score remains tied, 2-2.
HALFTIME
The Foxes retreat back to their locker room for a tense wait. After forty-five minutes of play and with a spot in the Championships on the line, both teams are in a dead heat. They rest and rehydrate and, after fifteen minutes, both teams are called back to the court.
SECOND HALF
STARTING LINEUP:
Goalkeeper: Jasper Lewis (Sub: River Tate)
Dealer: Olivia Finch
Strikers: Parker Sinclair, TK Sullivan (Sub: Kai Reynolds)
Backliners: Casey Hendrix, Glory Hoskins
GAMEPLAY:
The players take their positions, and the Gamecocks serve to start the half.
The Gamecocks push hard early, forcing Casey and Glory back in tight to the Fox goal. Jasper moves from side-to-side, trying to stay with the play, but a quick shot through traffic gets past him, lighting the goal up red.
The Gamecocks serve and try to run the same play again: while Glory ties up her striker, they just barely get a pass back to their dealer, who joins in the play.
With a series of quick passes, the Gamecocks open up enough space to get a shot off that gets past Jasper for another Gamecocks goal.
The Foxes seem stunned: with three unanswered goals, the Gamecocks have jumped into a commanding lead.
The Gamecocks serve, but this time, Casey doesn’t let them get very far, stealing possession and sidestepping a hit to singlehandedly carry the ball safely out of the Foxes’ zone.
A shot on goal by Parker is turned away, and as she comes in close to the Gamecocks goal to try and corral the rebound, a shoving match breaks out between her and a backliner, one that earns them both matching yellow cards.
Play is reset from where it was halted, and the Foxes push forward again.
TK checks a Gamecocks backliner into the wall, and as they struggle for possession, the butt of the Gamecock’s racquet comes up underneath the grating of TK’s helmet, hitting him hard in the mouth.
The whistles sound immediately: letting Abby onto the court with a towel for TK’s bleeding face, and sending the Gamecocks backliner off with an automatic red card for head contact.
As TK and Abby head back to the locker room, Wymack sends Kai onto the court and makes his other substitution of the half, sending River on for Jasper.
With TK unable to take the penalty shot, Wymack taps Parker: she sinks her shot, pulling the Foxes within one.
Olivia serves, but a slightly-mistimed pass from Kai to Parker is picked off, giving the Gamecocks control.
At the other end of the court, River dives to make a critical save. With tensions high, a shoving match breaks out near the Fox goal with Glory and Casey in the thick of it. River, climbing to their feet in the mass of bodies, joins in.
On the other side of the court, another melee erupts, this time including Kai and the Gamecocks backliners. Even though he’s outnumbered, Olivia pulls Parker back before she can join in—with one yellow card to her name, another could get her thrown off the court.
The refs blow their whistles, and it takes some time to break things up: at the end of it, River, Glory, Casey, and Kai are given yellow cards alongside five Gamecocks players—sending one of the backliners off the court for the rest of the night.
The game is reset to the half court line, and the Foxes are given the serve, a call from the refs that the Gamecocks don’t seem to like. Olivia serves, and steps up into the play, forcing the Gamecocks backliners to cover three players.
They push their way up the court, until Kai fakes a pass and shoots instead. At first, it looks like the Gamecocks goalkeeper has it, but the ball slips into the goal just under their arm and lights it up red.
The score is tied: the Foxes on the court are elated and the Foxes and the bench are on their feet, while the Gamecocks, having just had an assured victory snatched out of their hands, look grim.
Olivia serves, but with only a few minutes left on the clock neither team wants to be the one to make a mistake and give the other side an opening, and time runs down without any more real chances on either side.
The buzzer sounds and the score remains tied 4-4, sending the Foxes and the Gamecocks into sudden-death overtime.
PRE-OVERTIME
If this were the Championships, the game would go to a shootout. But, with the game being played under regular season rules, the Foxes and the Gamecocks retreat back to their locker rooms for another fifteen minute break before the start of overtime. After a tough, physical ninety minutes of play, the rest is sorely needed.
The Gamecocks have two red cards, and have lost an additional player to double yellows. Meanwhile, the Foxes are down Kent; and though he remains suited up and is no longer bleeding from a cut in his lip, TK is questionable.
Both teams are also heading into overtime with several players with yellow cards, including Indigo, Parker, River, Glory, Casey, and Kai for the Foxes.
Backliners: Colin Jessup, Sterling Walsh (Subs: Casey Hendrix, Glory Hoskins)
GAMEPLAY:
The players take their positions, and Claudia serves to start the overtime period.
The Gamecocks have a larger roster and, with it, an advantage—especially if overtime drags on. So the Foxes push hard out of the gate, but while Parker and Indigo each get early chances, the Gamecocks goalkeeper comes up with a few good saves and both teams play on.
On one save, the goalkeeper slams the ball hard down the court, giving the Gamecocks defense some reprieve and their offense a chance to make the Fox defense work.
The Gamecocks strikers hardly waste time passing: if they have any shot on goal, no matter how bad, they take it. It forces Charlie to move quickly in the goal, darting from one end to the other to stay with the play and knock away any shots that get through.
Colin and Sterling have to stay mobile, too, avoiding getting tangled up with their marks in the hopes of deflecting or intercepting shots before they can get to Charlie.
A trip takes Colin down, but the whistle doesn’t blow, forcing Sterling to come charging across the court to level the wide-open Gamecocks striker with a hard hit that sends them both to the ground.
With both backliners down, Claudia falls back to clean up, scooping up the loose ball and sending it up the court.
Indigo gets taken down by a late hit, one that catches her by surprise after she’s already passed the ball. When the whistle doesn’t blow, she takes matters into her own hands.
The shoving match that ensues forces the referees’ hands: this time, they do stop play, and both Indigo and the other player are given their second yellow cards of the night, sending them off the court.
Almost halfway through another standard period of play, the Foxes on the court—many of which have now played almost a full game—are dead tired. With play paused and no end in sight, Wymack makes the easy decision to send Casey and Glory back on for Colin and Sterling.
But for his strikers, with only his three freshmen available on the bench—and bad blood between them—Wymack has a tougher choice. After a moment of consideration, he chooses to send out Mateo and TK, despite the fact that TK left the court bleeding earlier in the game.
Play is restarted from where it was halted, with Claudia given the serve. With fresh legs on the court, she serves hard, but the Gamecocks have made substitutions as well, and one of their fresh backliners gets to it first.
The Gamecocks mount another assault, forcing Charlie to stand strong again.
Glory locks racquets with a Gamecocks striker, yanking and twisting until the stick is wrested from their grip, sending both it and the ball to the floor.
She scoops it up, and the Foxes pass it quickly up the court—from Glory to Casey to Claudia—too fast for the Gamecocks to halt.
TK has possession in the Gamecocks’ zone, and both backliners fall back to try and cover him. He pushes forward and through them like they aren’t even there, and passes to Mateo.
With the backliners out of position, Mateo has a wide open shot—and, this time, the Gamecocks goalkeeper can’t come up with the save.
After forty minutes of overtime—almost another full half—the Foxes win 5-4 and are going on to the Championships.
POST-GAME
The Foxes are exhausted, but nothing could keep them from celebrating this win. The Foxes from the bench stream onto the court through the open doors, knocking helmets with their teammates and slapping backs in sheer jubilation, as the defeated Gamecocks and their home crowd look on.
Eventually, the referees round up both teams for the handshake line, hovering close and rushing them through it as quickly as possible as players on both sides grip a little too tight and trade glares and a few final snide remarks.
The celebration moves back into the locker room, where Wymack assigns the overtime goal scoring striker line of Mateo and TK to press duty.
The Foxes have earned their spot in the Championships, and they’re in Columbia, so there isn’t even a question: they’re going to Eden’s Twilight tonight, even if some of them might not be dressed for the occasion. Wymack, for one, seems prepared for this outcome, and doesn’t grumble too much about driving an empty team bus back to Palmetto.
Despite being in Gamecocks territory, Eden’s is welcoming to the Foxes—until later in the night when the Gamecocks, not content to leave things on the court, crash the party.
In the dark, and with the amount of alcohol that’s been flowing, it’s hard to tell who throws the first punch, but it hardly matters when both teams seem more than ready to fight.
Perhaps prepared for an eventful night after a tense rivalry game, it isn’t long before the cops show up, Eden’s strobe lights and pulsing bass replaced by sirens and flashing red and blue as the police push into the crowd.
The Foxes and the Gamecocks scatter as best they can, some getting out and away to make their own way back to Palmetto—while others, unfortunately, aren’t as lucky.
Name: Bryce Montgomery
(Former) Position: Striker, #19
Age: Twenty Three
Class Year: Senior
Gender/Pronouns: Cis Man, He/Him
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida
THIS IS YOUR MOMENT
TW: alcoholism/addiction, abuse
There was a time when Bryce Montgomery was supposed to save the Foxes. And he thought he could do it, too, do what only one Captain in Fox history had ever done and win. What a joke that was. Turns out, he couldn't save much of anything, or anyone—maybe not even himself.
His father wasn't a good man. He smacked his wife around, hit his kids too, was in and out of trouble with the law. When he wound up in prison looking at a years-long sentence, Bryce didn't shed any tears, even if his mother did. She didn't seem to know what to do without him, moving from dead-end job to dead-end job just to try and keep a roof over their heads. He'd come home from school and she'd be working the night shift, and if she wasn't, then chances were she was passed out drunk on the couch, needing him or his older brother Beckett to help pour her into bed.
It was Beckett that raised him, so maybe that means he gets some of the blame for raising him wrong. Or maybe they were just following in their old man's footsteps. But Bryce would have followed his brother anywhere back then, whether it was swiping their mother's beer and cigarettes when they were far too young for them or breaking the windows of tourists' cars parked by the beach to see what was inside. They played Exy, too, a pair of strikers in hand-me-down gear seemingly starting one fight for every goal they scored.
He quit Exy for Beckett, too, even if he didn't mean to. When Beckett had a knee injury that took him off the court his senior year, Bryce skipped one too many practices until he was kicked off the team, too. It didn't last long: Beckett graduated and enlisted in the Army and Bryce found himself right back on the court, where David Wymack found him his senior year and offered him something other than just following Beckett straight into basic training.
He'd never thought about the future much, never hoped for much, until the Foxes. No one else seemed to think about him much either, much less believe in him, until Wymack. He wanted to repay him by being the best Fox he could be: the team sucked, but that didn't matter much to Bryce back then. He could still show up to practice with a smile on his face, still go out every game and try to find a way to score, hoping that maybe it could make the difference between winning and losing even if it never did.
But while he thrived in Palmetto, everything back home seemed to be going wrong. His father got out of prison, and his mother took him right back. His brother was discharged from the Army—that same old knee injury acting up again—and was back home with nothing to do and none of the purpose in life that Bryce had found with the Foxes.
That purpose saw him named Captain at the end of his junior year. By then, he didn't have anyone back home to share it with: he'd gotten into a fist fight with his father—which he lost—the previous summer, and he'd kicked Bryce out of the house while his mom just stood by and said nothing; Beckett had knocked up a girl and was planning a shotgun wedding and never cared much about Bryce's life at Palmetto anyway.
But it turned out that being Captain wasn't anything like he expected it to be. The losses hit harder when everything was on his shoulders, and it seemed like all the Foxes did was lose. The responsibility he’d thought he wanted became crushing, and every day he felt like the walls of the court were closing in on him even if he didn’t tell a soul, just retreated further and further inside himself until it felt like he’d never find his way out.
And while he was struggling with his new responsibility, things back home went from bad to worse. During the long spring semester when the Foxes hadn’t even come close to sniffing at the Championships, he got a call from his brother: his father had beaten his mother, this time almost to death; she was in the hospital, and his father was back in jail. Beckett said he’d handle it, but Bryce didn’t believe him. Beckett’s almost-marriage had imploded, leaving him a single father who took too many pain pills after one too many knee surgeries. Beckett couldn’t handle shit.
The semester came to a close and he couldn't ignore it anymore. He wasn’t doing any good at Palmetto; the Foxes didn’t need him, or maybe he just couldn’t be what the Foxes needed. And while he couldn’t save the Foxes, maybe he could still save his family—or at least help. And so he left Palmetto at the end of that year with his mind made up: he wasn’t coming back.
He didn’t tell anyone. It’s not like explanations ever counted for shit, anyway. Or apologies.
And, for awhile, he did feel like he made the right decision. He did feel like he was needed. He ignored the Exy press and his former teammates’ texts and drove his mother to physical therapy, picked up whatever odd jobs he could to try and pay their rent while she couldn’t work. He spent time with Beckett again, and tried to ignore the way it felt like their lives had diverged at some point, like they didn’t fit together the way that they used to.
But it was thankless, too. Even if his family needed his help, they still didn’t act like they wanted it. He was the younger sibling who suddenly thought he knew what was best for everyone, and no one wanted to listen to him or appreciated what he gave up in Palmetto. His mother didn’t want to cooperate in the State’s case against his father, Beckett didn’t want to just move in with Bryce and their mother so they could help him with childcare and they wouldn’t have two rents they were struggling to pay, and nothing Bryce did gave him the feeling he once had at Palmetto when things were still good—like his life was going somewhere.
SEIZE IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT
It’s funny, Beckett said to him, laughing in a way that didn’t feel funny at all. You say you’re trying to stop us ruining our lives, but you can’t even see what you’re doing to your own. Who’s stopping you from ruining yours? Bryce got upset, walked out, didn’t want to hear it. Maybe he should have listened to him, even if it felt like it was already too late to change anything. Instead, he did what he’d always done when they were kids, and followed him.
The robbery was Beckett’s idea, not that it really mattered—it’s not like Bryce tried that hard to talk him out of it. Trying to be the responsible brother, the good son felt like an ill-fitting coat. It’s not like he’d ever told Beckett no, not like he’d ever even really wanted to. Besides, it wasn’t like they’d ever gotten into that much trouble before, back when they were teenagers breaking into cars at the beach or taking boats from the marina for a joyride. It’ll be easy money, Beckett said, that he’d worked at that convenience store for a few months, knew their schedule and when they had the most cash onsite. Bryce listened, and Bryce went along—and he was surprised when it all went wrong, even if he shouldn’t have been.
But the thing that surprised him the most was that, when they were running away from the cops, Beckett shoved something into his arms and then took his legs out from under him. There wasn’t enough time for him to say anything, not even sorry, but maybe he wouldn’t have anyway. He just left Bryce in the dirt with a gun for the cops to catch while he ran off into the night.
And the worst part was that it didn’t even fucking matter. It took them a couple days, but they caught up to him in the end, too.
He was in jail, staring down robbery charges and a future that looked a hell of lot more like his father’s than he ever wanted, and he had one phone call. He knew there was no point calling his mother, that she wouldn’t be able to pay bail or find him a lawyer or do any of the things he needed her to do. So he called the only person who’d ever done shit for him: he called David Wymack. And though it’d been over a year since Bryce had been the Captain of a Class I Exy team and walked away from it all without a word to anyone, David Wymack answered.
Name: Nicolina “Nico” Romero
Position: Striker, #27
Age: Twenty
Class Year: Sophomore
Gender/Pronouns: Cis Woman, She/Her
Hometown: Hendersonville, North Carolina
THIS IS YOUR MOMENT
TW: alcoholism, death of a parent, gun violence, murder
Growing up, Nico felt like a member of the three musketeers. Later on, she might look back and realize the truth: it was always her older sister Alondra putting breakfast on the table, driving Nico to school, playing with her when their mom would drink too much and fall asleep early on the couch. Their mother wasn’t a mean drunk, at least. She was always bringing Nico in for a sloppy kiss on the cheek, or singing her older daughter’s praises with slurred words. It was only scary when her mom would stumble and fall, or when she tried to get the keys back from Alondra’s secret hiding places.
It was scary when she died, too. Alondra brought her to the hospital as soon as they’d realized the confusion was more than her normal drunken ramblings, but by then it was too late. Nicolina was only twelve, but Alondra was a full nine years older—old enough that she could petition the court for guardianship of her sister. When they asked her, Nico said yes, of course, please, let me stay with my sister.
At first, it was surprisingly easy. After all, it had always been Alondra who looked out for Nico. But despite her issues, their mother had managed to hold down a job. Without her income, the cracks started to show. When the fear sank in—they’ll take Nico; you’ll both be alone—Alondra started looking for other options.
There were plenty of rich houses in Asheville, only a short drive from their home. People Alondra had never met, who she couldn’t care about. Not everyone remembered to lock their doors—or if they did, they didn’t all bother to invest in a good home security system.
Alondra tried to keep it from Nico. Then, when that failed, she tried to keep Nico away from it. I’m only doing this so we can stay together, Alondra would say, but stealing is still wrong. Nico begged, though. She wanted to help; she wanted to stay together, too. As time went on, as Alondra escaped by the skin of her teeth one too many times, it started to make sense. Nico could keep watch, right? She wouldn’t be the one slipping into homes and walking out with whatever valuables she could find. Technically, all Nico would do was stand on the sidewalk. That wasn’t a crime.
With someone to watch her back, Alondra was braver. The jobs were more frequent, and she spent less time casing each house. It was destined to fail, and the finale was spectacular—Nico rushing into the house instead of away from it when she heard yelling, determined to save her sister. Instead, she was just in time to witness her sister’s panicked gunshot, loud enough to make her ears ring for days. Just in time to witness the man falling to the ground. Until that moment, Nico hadn’t known Alondra was armed.
His name was Jared Callahan.
Nico learned that later, just like she learned that he was a veteran, that he was divorced, that his elderly parents lived in town, too. His story was over the news, and later, it was his grieving mother that Nico stared at in court—because they were caught, of course. Sometimes it felt like her big sister knew everything, but even Alondra failed to successfully cover up murder.
Nico was fifteen by then, but short and scrawny, looking younger than her years. It made it easy for the jury to dismiss Nico’s involvement, especially when Alondra testified that she’d been the mastermind all along, that her poor little sister hadn’t wanted to be involved, that she’d forced her. Alondra went to prison; Nico went to live with some aunt she’d never met.
Her sister sacrificed everything in an attempt to keep Nico innocent and kind, so Nico resolved to make it true. She threw herself into her new life, determined to pretend that she didn’t miss her old one – only to find out that it was true, that deep down, she didn’t miss it.
Oh, there were growing pains. Her aunt and uncle were stilted at first, but caring. Their house was so clean, so fancy, so much like somewhere they might’ve targeted rather than somewhere Nico herself might live.
As she settled in, though, she realized how much she craved the simple stability of knowing exactly what the next day might bring. She could wake up, go to school, make friends. Her uncle taught her how to play Exy, and then cheered at all her games. Her aunt came to her parent-teacher conferences, and her teachers always talked about what a good student Nico was, how friendly she was, how eager to help whenever the teachers needed a volunteer. Her aunt and uncle threw her a party for graduation, and helped her move into the dorms at Georgia Southern University when she accepted a position with the Eagles. It was the happiest she’d ever been, and she felt terrible for it.
SEIZE IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT
Quietly, Nico wondered what it would’ve been like if she’d come to her aunt’s all those years ago instead. Maybe those extra years with her sister weren’t worth what they’d done to keep them. They certainly weren’t worth Jared Callahan’s life.
But with Alondra in prison, with all Alondra did for them, how could Nico feel that way? How could she wish that she could go back in time, and tell them no, don’t leave me with Alondra?
Her aunt and uncle wouldn’t let Nico visit her sister, but they let her write. They let her call. Even still, Nico could never talk to Alondra about how she felt. Every phone call to her sister was recorded, every letter read by prison security—and sometimes rejected, if Nico’s description of an Exy game was a little too detailed (“violence related content”) or if she wanted to be honest with her sister that she’d tried alcohol for the first time (“substance abuse”). They couldn’t talk about their past, because they couldn’t talk about Alondra’s crimes—so for Nicolina, that guilt festered.
Coach Wymack never tried to recruit her. Nico should’ve taken it as a sign. She’d lived with her aunt and uncle long enough that she blended in now; anyone would be shocked to learn about her past. Instead, she took it as a sign when Alondra called during Nico’s sophomore year and told her that she was being reclassified for good behavior, and she’d be moving to a medium security prison instead—specifically, one in Columbia, South Carolina. It was the push Nico needed.
Nico promised she would keep writing and calling. And then, as soon as the dust settled on the current season, when it was clear neither the Eagles or the Foxes would be moving forward, she wrote to David Wymack, told him everything, and begged him to let her transfer teams. At least then, she could be closer to her sister. After everything, it was the least she could do.
Name: Dayton Tan
Position: Backliner, #28
Age: Twenty
Class Year: Freshman
Gender/Pronouns: Cis Man, He/Him
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado
THIS IS YOUR MOMENT
TW: car accident, brain injury
To Dayton, home was never four walls and a roof, but two parents and an older brother. He never had anything steady growing up—friends, homes, hobbies. They moved to a different state or country every few years until everything began to blur together. Was he in Germany when he rode a bike for the first time or Virginia? The only thing he could remember about Japan was riding on the blue buses with his mom, and he had no memory of California at all, only the stories he was told. Throughout it all, his only constant was his family. Even when his dad was deployed for months, he always came back to them.
They started like many military families do. David Tan met Yeona while stationed in South Korea, they fell in love, and then got married as quickly as possible to avoid being separated. David was recently recruited into the Air Force and still making his way up the ranks, so he rarely stayed at the same base for longer than a few years. Weeks after their wedding, he was assigned to a new base in Austin, Texas, and the newlyweds got on the long flight back to America to officially start their lives together. They weren’t even twenty yet, they had barely any money between them, and they hadn’t even finished unpacking when they found out they had a baby on the way.
They named their first-born son Austin after the city he was born in. They tried their best to take care of him with what little they had, which meant the newborn baby slept in a drawer until they could afford a crib. It was obvious from a young age that Austin would follow in his father’s footsteps, he was a disciplined child who idolized his father and never complained when he was away for long stretches of time. Although he was only a kid, Austin understood his dad had an important job to do.
Ten years later, their lives were much more stable in Dayton, Ohio when they had their second child, and just like their first, they named him Dayton after the city he was born in. From the start, it was clear Dayton couldn’t be more different from Austin. He was hyper, loud, and unable to take anything seriously. Instead of idolizing his father like Austin, he idolized celebrities and plastered his walls with posters of his favorite ones. The most popular face belonged to Neil Josten.
Dayton didn’t really play sports growing up, at least nothing that he stuck to. He was never at the same school long enough to truly dedicate himself to something. There was always that fear that the moment he got too attached, he would have to leave it behind. And yet the first time he watched one of Neil Josten’s games on TV, he was enamored with the way he moved on the court, unbelievably quick on his feet and precise with his racquet. It wasn’t only Neil he was fascinated with, but Exy too. The high-energy, violent sport reeled him in like nothing else had so far. As spontaneous and unrealistic as it was, he knew at that moment he wanted to be just like Neil.
When Dayton was about to start high school, the Tans moved to Colorado Springs, which would end up being their longest stay yet. His dad had finally retired from the Air Force, and they wanted to be close to his brother after he enlisted. With the security of knowing he wasn’t leaving any time soon, Dayton asked his mom if he could try out for his school’s team, and she immediately gave him permission, relieved that he finally found his passion.
Instead of aiming to be a striker like Neil, Dayton latched onto the drama that helped the Foxes beat the Ravens and tried out to be a backliner. That first year he spent most of his time on the bench, but unlike his past attempts at playing a sport, he let himself get fully attached and invested. He gave it his all at practices, and during the games, he mentally took notes while watching his teammates play. What started off as a fascination for a professional Exy player turned into something that he genuinely loved and wanted to play in college—and maybe even turn into his career.
Dayton didn’t really get to play until his second year on the team. All of that waiting and the pressure to prove himself caused him to develop a fear that he would never be good enough, leading to his new pre-game ritual of locking himself in the bathroom and having a breakdown. Exy was the first thing he genuinely wanted to succeed in, and he was terrified of screwing it up. Despite the overwhelming fear that nearly made him give up before every game, he still managed to take a deep breath, tug on his helmet and force himself onto the court. Fake it ‘til you make it, he would tell himself, and it would unknowingly become his life motto.
Dayton was never the kind of player that stood out. With his lack of experience, he was never going to be recruited by a top-tier college team. What he really wanted was to be a Fox like Neil Josten, but he didn’t exactly fit Wymack’s criteria. When Dayton was nearing the end of his senior year, he was shocked when he got an offer from the Idaho Vandals. The Vandals weren’t his dream team, but he was still grateful for the opportunity.
In the end, it didn’t matter because Dayton would never put on that Vandals jersey. A few months before graduation, he was on the way home with a few of his teammates when a drunk driver ran through a red light and T-boned into the side of their car, directly impacting Dayton. The only thing he remembers from the accident is the sound of tires screeching before everything went black. He was rushed to the hospital and sent to emergency surgery to reduce the swelling in his brain. After a five hour craniotomy and an instance where they almost lost him, they were finally able to get him stable.
When Dayton woke up, the first thing he saw were the haunted expressions on his traumatized family’s faces. He was scared and confused from having no memory of the accident and in severe pain. Dayton survived, but he had a long road of recovery ahead of him, and it wouldn't be an easy one. There were a lot of words thrown around that didn’t mean much to him at the time, words like diffuse axonal injury, but the only thing he truly cared about was whether he could play Exy again, and the outlook was bleak.
Not only Dayton would need at least a month of bed rest, but extensive physical therapy as well, and that still didn’t guarantee that he would recover enough to handle any kind of strenuous exercise. There were also the long-term effects of his brain injury to consider. Regardless, it just wasn’t possible for him to go to college in a few months to play Exy, and when it was clear they wouldn’t be getting a player fit enough to play, Idaho rescinded their offer. That left Dayton with nothing to do but focus on getting better in time for next year.
There was almost something comforting about the pain. Dayton was too frustrated to realize what might happen after he was cleared to play again. Recovery was a goalpost to focus on. Once he could play Exy again then he wouldn’t need to worry anymore. All his doctors warnings of the long-term effects went over his head: chronic pain, difficulty concentrating, short-term memory problems, difficulty controlling impulses. How could he get PTSD from something he couldn’t even remember? It was like getting a new prescription and barely noting the side effects on the bottle. None of that mattered to Dayton if he couldn’t play.
Dayton did everything his doctors told him to, and it took much longer than he expected, but after extensive rest, physical therapy, and with a lot of help from his family, his doctor finally cleared him to play after his MRI showed no signs of structural damage. It was just a matter of if anyone would want him still. He wasn’t an impressive player to begin with, but now the other teams considered him to be a liability with how uncertain his condition was. Idaho wasn't interested anymore, but this time the Foxes were. In a strange twist of fate, Dayton finally had what it took to become a Fox—the need for a second chance.
SEIZE IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT
While Dayton was eager to go off to college, his parents were hesitant to let him go, anxious over the idea of their son being so far away after what they all went through. Knowing that Exy was his biggest motivating factor to heal and that this was his one chance to play, they reluctantly gave in on three conditions: he had to see a specialist frequently, he had to tell his coach if he was experiencing any symptoms, and he had to call them every week. It was everything that Dayton desperately wanted since he woke up in that terrifying hospital room. It was a sign he could finally put the accident behind him—until it wasn’t.
Technically, the damage to Dayton’s brain had healed, but all those warnings of the long-term effects started creeping in and slowly made him realize he wasn’t as healed as he thought he was. The frequent headaches never went away, his short-term memory was unreliable, his focus was shot, and while common sense was never his forte, he was told he was saying things and doing things he never would’ve before. His body was healed, but he might have to accept his brain was most likely forever changed.
Now, Dayton has to figure out how to manage his new normal. He has his doctor’s approval to play, but how well or reliably will he play? He isn’t so sure. Just like before, he’ll just have to fake it ‘til he makes it. Maybe his memory will never be what it used to be, and maybe there will always be a day during the week where he needs to stay in bed, but it’ll be okay because he’s still here. Dayton is going to make this work.
THE FOXHOLE COURT: SOUTHEASTERN DISTRICT FALL EXY BANQUET
With Parents Weekend in the rearview, it's time for teams across the league to take a break for the Fall Banquet. The Southeastern District's banquet is held on Saturday, October 4—and, this time, the Foxes have been selected to host.
The Foxes are three games into the season, and this year they actually have a winning record: 2-1. With their rival teams, the ERC, and the press preparing to descend on Palmetto, it's a chance for them to make a good impression—at least, that's what their coach tells them.
Their practice schedule doesn't let up, but in the week ahead of the banquet there's additional party prep for the Foxes: digging through the court's storage for decor from banquets past, trips with the team credit card to pick up anything else they might need, coordinating with the ERC's office on all the other details of the night to come.
They get one day off from practice on Friday evening: instead of running drills, they're rolling out the mats that will protect the wood floors of the court, setting up tables and chairs, and laying out all their decorations. If there's a theme, it can only be described as aggressively orange.
And then, on Saturday, it's the big day: the Foxes get ready in their formalwear early, ready to welcome the buses of other teams as they arrive and take their seats for the night's program, which begins with dinner.
While dinner is underway, a representative from the ERC gives a few words to mark the beginning of the new season, being sure to throw in a few "jokes" about the Foxes' unexpectedly strong start. While the coach of the hosting team would normally also speak, Wymack has given over his speaking role to his new leadership team, letting Claudia and Glory share the stage with the league's governing body.
Off to the side, there's a full table of reporters from assorted Exy outlets, watching the room with laser-focus and taking down notes. And, as the hosts of the evening and a perennial attention-getter, most of their attention is focused on the Foxes.
After dinner, it's time for the party to really get started and for the teams to leave their tables and mingle with their rivals. The court is cleared of tables and transformed yet again into a dancefloor, with some tables and games off to the side for those less inclined to dance.
And while an ERC-sanctioned event is supposed to be dry, that hasn't stopped the Foxes and the other teams from sneaking in some more liquid entertainment.
GAME 03: PALMETTO STATE FOXES vs. JD CAMPBELL TORNADOES
PRE-GAME
The Foxes head into their third game of the season with an even record: one win and one loss. As they report to the Foxhole Court an hour before first serve, they know that this game—not against one the worst opponents in their division, or one of the best—could set the tone for the rest of their season.
But it’s not just any game, it’s Parents Weekend. As the Foxes don their white-on-orange home uniforms in their locker room, their family members and loved ones in attendance take their seats in the front row of the court: Charlie and Parker’s mom; Kai’s parents, Jasper’s father, River’s sister Dana, Sterling’s uncle, and former Fox and Jen’s partner Grayson.
Half an hour before first serve, the Foxes are allowed onto the court for a brief warm-up. They line up in order of position: Strikers, then Dealers, then Backliners, then Goalkeepers.
Claudia, as Captain, leads her team onto the court, then steps up for the coin toss that will determine which team gets first serve. The Foxes win the toss, and players enter the court for the start of the game.
Red Cards: Mateo Montes
Injuries: N/A
FIRST HALF
STARTING LINEUP:
Goalkeeper: Jasper Lewis (Sub: Grant Rollins)
Dealer: Claudia Jewell
Strikers: Kent Cheong, TK Sullivan (Sub: Kai Reynolds)
Backliners: Colin Jessup, Sterling Walsh
GAMEPLAY:
Players take their starting positions and, at the sound of the buzzer, Claudia serves to start play.
Early on, the Tornadoes and the Foxes appear evenly matched: play bunches up in the center of the court, with neither team’s offense able to get the edge.
The Tornadoes get a lucky break first: as the Tornadoes dealer and Claudia tangle at center court, the dealer sweeps her legs out from under her. As Claudia leaps back to her feet, the dealer is able to pass to the strikers, who advance on Jasper.
Colin and Sterling, who had jumped up into the tangle of players at center court, are left trying to catch up. Jasper squares up to the approaching striker, who makes a last-second pass to his partner, who has a wide open shot to open up scoring.
With the first goal and first lead of the game, the Tornadoes serve to restart play.
Not about to let the Tornadoes get another chance, Sterling levels one of the strikers with a hard hit.
From the floor, the striker whacks Sterling across the shins with his racquet, earning him a whistle from the referees and a yellow card.
Play is reset to center court, and the Foxes are given the serve. Claudia serves, a long volley that Kent sprints to intercept.
The backliners descend on Kent, but he passes to himself off the wall to buy himself some time and space—enough to take a shot that goes past the goalkeeper and in, tying up the score.
Claudia serves, but the Tornadoes have zeroed in on Kent. A backliner matches him step for step, mouthing off and clacking their racquets together, clearly trying to bait him into a fight and a red card.
Just when it seems like the racquets are about to drop and a fight is going to break out, Sterling and Colin intervene, and when the refs’ whistles blow it’s for a pair of yellow cards instead of red.
With play paused, Wymack makes his substitutions for the half: sending Grant on for Jasper and Kai on for Kent—with a wry comment Kent’s way about how he let cooler heads prevail for once.
Claudia serves from where play was halted, with the Foxes in the Tornadoes’ zone.
However, the Foxes prove unable to push their advantage. Kai, who’s been playing tentatively all night with his parents in the stands—and now TK on the court next to him—gives the ball up along the wall.
The Tornadoes take control, and push up the court, backing Colin tight against the goal and then taking a shot that goes past both him and Grant to pull into the lead.
As players reset for the Tornadoes’ serve, TK bangs his shoulder into Kai's, telling him to get his shit together.
The Tornadoes serve, but this time Colin and Sterling are able to hold the line, pushing the Tornadoes back towards center court.
Claudia intercepts a loose ball, and sends it up the court to TK, who is able to keep his feet despite a backliner’s attempt at a check just long enough to shoot—and tie up the score.
The buzzer sounds and the Foxes and the Tornadoes are dead even, heading into the second half of the game 2-2.
HALFTIME
The Foxes retreat back to their locker room in a much better spot than they were against the Jackals. While a tie isn’t the commanding lead they might have hoped for, it means that the second half is anyone’s game—and anyone’s victory.
Wymack gives them a few words of encouragement and, after fifteen minutes are up, both teams are called back to the court.
SECOND HALF
STARTING LINEUP:
Goalkeeper: River Tate (Sub: Charlie Sinclair)
Dealer: Marley Reid (Sub: Olivia Finch)
Strikers: Jen Brookhart, Parker Sinclair (Sub: Indigo Hayes)
Backliners: Casey Hendrix, Glory Hoskins
GAMEPLAY:
The players take their positions, and Marley serves to start the half.
The Foxes advance into the Tornadoes’ zone, but an early shot by Parker is turned aside by the Tornadoes goalkeeper, who clears the ball all the way down the court.
Glory sprints for the ball alongside a Tornadoes striker, but a hard check leaves her stumbling and just a step behind, giving the Tornadoes a clear shot past River to pull back into the lead.
The Tornadoes serve, but when they have a shot on goal and a chance to pull into an even greater lead, River makes the save, sending the ball away from the goal and right into Casey’s racquet.
Casey runs the ball up the court and makes a long pass to Parker. Used to her play from their game last season, both backliners move to cover her.
At the end of her ten steps, Parker passes to a wide-open Jen, who doesn’t miss their chance to take a clear shot. The goal lights up red, and the score is tied once again.
Marley serves to Jen, but a Tornadoes backliner takes them down along the wall, sending the ball rolling free.
Parker darts in to grab it, shooting before the backliners can close in on her. The ball ricochets off the tip of the goalkeeper’s racquet and in.
The Foxes have pulled into the lead, and on the jumbotron, Parker’s mom has jumped to her feet to cheer.
At the pause in play, Wymack makes his substitutions for the half: sending Olivia on for Marley, Indigo on for Jen, and Charlie on for River.
Olivia serves to restart play and, with the Tornadoes trailing for the first time all game, they get a little nervous.
As Olivia tries to throw herself into the play, the Tornadoes dealer grabs hold of her arm to try. When she pulls herself free, the dealer strikes out with her racquet, hitting her across the ribs.
The whistle blows, and it’s a red card for the Tornadoes dealer. The Foxes are given a penalty shot, which Wymack taps Parker to take.
Parker steps up to the line and takes her shot: it lands in the top corner of the goal out of the reach of the Tornadoes goalkeeper, and the Foxes have extended their lead.
Olivia serves, but a Tornadoes backliner is able to beat Indigo to the ball, and play goes the other way.
Casey tries to stop the Tornadoes’ push, but their feet get tangled up with the striker’s racquet and they hit the court floor. They—and the Foxes on the bench—are expecting a whistle and a yellow card, and are angry when it doesn’t come.
Instead, the Tornadoes have a clear shot on goal, and slip the ball past Charlie to bring them within one of tying up the score once again.
The Tornadoes serve with the time on the clock running down, only a few minutes left to try and take the game into overtime.
Casey and Glory close ranks to try and hold the Tornadoes off, but in the final seconds of the half, the Tornadoes get a final shot on Charlie.
Charlie gets the shaft of his stick on the ball, deflecting it wide. It bounces off the back wall and, with the speed of the shot it’s hard to tell exactly where it lands, but the goal doesn’t light up, and the final few seconds on the clock run out.
The buzzer sounds with the score 5-4, meaning that the Foxes should have secured the win.
However, as the Foxes celebrate, the Tornadoes coaches have left their bench and approached the referees: they believe that the sensors malfunctioned and the ball was in, and that the game should be tied and heading to overtime.
The Foxes file off the court back to their bench. They watch the replay on the jumbotron with the rest of the crowd as the referees review their own footage for a few tense minutes, until the referees come back with the decision: There was no goal, and the Foxes have won the game, 5-4.
POST-GAME
With the game decided in the Foxes’ favor, it’s time for both teams to line up to shake hands. While the Tornadoes are scowling and defeated after having the possibility of overtime snatched away from them, the line moves quickly.
In the locker room, Wymack assigns Sterling and Olivia to press duty, while the rest of the celebratory Foxes shower and change out. As the fans file out of the court doors, the Foxes’ family and loved ones are ushered from their seats in the front row into the lounge to meet up with the victorious Foxes.
And, once press duty is over, it’s time for a victory party, but of a different kind: a pizza party, as Kai’s parents announce that they want to take the whole team out, to a restaurant with a back room big enough to accommodate all of them—even Wymack, though the Foxes speculate that it’s Abby’s influence that persuaded him to make an appearance.
