May 13, 2019
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, CASEY HENDRIX!
Take a sip, and block out the haters.
FROM, YOUR SECRET SANTA
seen from Morocco
seen from Germany
seen from Australia
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from South Korea
seen from Netherlands
seen from Netherlands
seen from United States
seen from Singapore
seen from South Africa
seen from Netherlands
seen from Italy
seen from Poland
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from Singapore
seen from United States
seen from South Korea
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, CASEY HENDRIX!
Take a sip, and block out the haters.
FROM, YOUR SECRET SANTA
THE FOXHOLE COURT + THE ONION HEADLINES (2 of 2)
@caseyhxndrix, @akira-sxto, @averyneel, @raleigheverhart, @tfcrp
THE FOXHOLE COURT: JANUARY 14-JANUARY 20
ONLINE:
“As the Spring Championships begin, it’s time for teams to play outside of their districts, against opponents they don’t usually face. And the Palmetto State Foxes and the UC Davis Aggies, with over 2,600 miles between them and the Foxes’ less-than-stellar record of making it to the Championships, haven’t played each other in years.”
“The Foxes, who finished out the regular season with four straight wins, will be hoping to make the first game of their second straight year in the Championships a strong one, but they’ll be down backliners Glory Hoskins and Grayson Sharpe due to red cards in the final game of the regular season. However, backliner and former Ohio State Buckeye Casey Hendrix is expected to be back on the court, after sustaining a concussion in the previous game against the Georgia Southern Eagles.”
“The Aggies are not so lucky: after a strong regular season that put them second in their district, their leading goal scorer striker Marisa Bowers will be sitting out of the first game of the Championships after suffering a knee injury. And Bowers may be out for the long haul, which means the Aggies will need to find some secondary scoring if they want to go far in the Championships."
“With the Aggies down Bowers and with the Foxes coming off a strong regular season finish, these teams might be more evenly matched than they first appear on paper. And whoever wins will then be one win away from securing their spot in the next round’s death matches—and whoever loses will have some ground to make up if they want to do the same.”
“ELSEWHERE IN CLASS I: The reigning Champion USC Trojans will take on the UT Longhorns, the Edgar Allan Ravens will face the Boston Terriers, the Penn State Lions will try to make the most of their second-place district finish with a matchup against the Baylor Bears, and the upstart Ohio State Buckeyes will try to step into Penn State’s Big Three shoes against the Belmonte Terrapins.”
- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW: FOXES vs. AGGIES”
“What’s that in the air? Why, we think it smells like school spirit. We’re more surprised than anyone to have not one but two teams in the postseason and, let’s be honest, we’re not here for the sports: we’re here for tailgating in parking lots and, of course, all the gossip and the meltdowns along the way. So buckle in, kids, and place your bets. First up is Exy, and we’ll be keeping our eyes and ears out as the Foxes jet off to sunny California—and you know we don’t miss a thing.”
- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY
ON CAMPUS:
With Championships comes increased media attention, and as the Foxes head into the week of their first game, they hold an open practice on Tuesday, January 15. As the Foxes prepare to leave their district for the first time all season, it’s an opportunity for out-of-town reporters to get a firsthand look at them, and for camera crews to record footage that they’ll use in stories and promos. Though Wymack doesn’t make any of the Foxes available for comment and tries to run it as a normal practice, the presence of the press is palpable outside of the Plexiglass walls, the lights in the Foxhole Court bright as if it were lit up for a full game.
After their evening practice on Thursday, January 17, the night before their flight to California and their first game of the Championships, the Foxes and the Vixens gather at Abby’s house for a potluck dinner, with all of them working together to provide food to share—one last normal night before the pressure of the Championships takes over.
And then on Friday, January 18, it’s time for the Championships to officially begin. The Foxes and Vixens gather early in the morning at the Foxhole Court and then make their way to Upstate Regional Airport—flying for a game for the first time this season. Once at the airport, it’s a long eight hours of travel—(including a layover in Chicago)—before they land in Sacramento, gather up their gear, and load onto buses for the short drive, past cornfields and cows, into Davis.
They arrive in their hotel in Davis’ small downtown in the early afternoon, leaving them plenty of time to shake the fatigue off from their long flight and get ready for the game that evening—where the Aggies will have the home court advantage, lacking a long day of travel and used to the timezone. The tension increases as the clock ticks closer to first serve at 7PM, the Foxes gathering for a quiet dinner in the hotel before it’s time to head to Davis’ court—and for the Championships to truly begin.
(OOC information related to the game under the cut)
THE FOXHOLE COURT: DECEMBER 24-JANUARY 6
ONLINE:
“With the regular season coming to a close and weeks standing between us and the start of the Spring Championships, it’s time to take a look back at the road our eighteen qualifying teams took to get here. And today we’re taking a look at the Palmetto State Foxes.”
“The Foxes’ season was one of highs—namely, qualifying for the Championships for the second straight season for the first time in recent memory—but also some brutal lows. Their devastating 6-2 opening night loss to the Jackals stands out, as well as their doomed 5-1 effort against the Ravens, which saw injuries to both Akira Sato and Leo Duarte, sidelining them for part of the season.”
“Starting the season, all eyes were on new transfers Casey Hendrix, a former Ohio State Buckeye, and Olivia Finch, a former Penn State Lion. While some might say the added star power helped propel the Foxes to the Championships, the truth may be a little more mixed: Finch was never a dominant player on the Lions; and a suspension for substance abuse while at Ohio State casts doubt on Hendrix’s past greatness. Will they make an impact for the Foxes in the Championships—especially Hendrix, who will be coming back to the court after sustaining a concussion in the Foxes’ last game of the regular season? We’ll have to wait and see.”
“With the Foxes in the Championships for the second year in a row, all eyes will be on Captain Grant Rollins, as well, who is playing his last season as a Fox. Other Foxes getting their last shot at the Championships are strikers Carter Maddox and Neel Avery, both high-scorers for the Foxes during the regular season.”
“But, of course, the Foxes’ real standout player was one who stood out for the wrong reasons: freshman dealer Raphael Peruggia, who earned the attention of the ERC and supplemental discipline with two controversial hits, one to Ravens player Max Delacruz and one to Terrapins player Travis Lott. Both players will be back on their teams’ rosters for the Championships, playing in the odds bracket, and if they match up with the Foxes, might be out for revenge—if the Foxes make it that far. Which, in a stacked evens bracket that contains the Jackals, the Lions, and the upstart Rebels, we’re not sure they will.”
- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “REGULAR SEASON REVIEW: FOXES.”
“Well, Palmetto, it’s been quite the semester. After working hard day and night to bring you the latest news of who’s kissing who, who’s punching who, and who’s just being a straight-up trainwreck, we’re heading back to our far-flung homes for some much needed R&R. Enjoy your little reprieve, because we’ll be back with a vengeance come January. What is it they say this time of year? You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, we’re telling you why....? ‘Til next year, Foxes.”
- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY
ON CAMPUS:
With finals over and campus closed, Palmetto becomes a ghost town: the dorms are closed, the library is closed, the dining halls are closed—by special permission, only the Foxes are allowed to stay in Fox Tower. The Vixens, who live in an off-campus house, are also exempt from having to leave town if they don’t want to.
For those who stayed and still want to celebrate the holiday, there are gatherings at Abby’s house on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with a real Christmas tree and more than enough food for the Foxes to take leftovers back to Fox Tower for the rest of the break ahead.
And, while the rest of campus might be closed, when Coach Wymack and the Foxes are around, the Foxhole Court never is. And while Grant Rollins might not be in town, he’s not letting that stop him from making sure the Foxes that remain in Palmetto are taking full advantage of the court to prepare for the Championships ahead.
On New Years Eve, the remaining Foxes and Vixens leave quiet Palmetto behind for busier Columbia, and the Foxes’ favorite haunt of Eden’s Twilight—where they know that, despite the crowds, they’ll have a guaranteed in, even for the underage among them.
For two weeks, the Foxes have the run of Palmetto’s campus, but students begin to return on Saturday, January 5, the campus slowly coming to life again for the start of a new semester—and, for the Foxes, the beginning of the Championships, as they wait for the ERC to announce the matchups for the first round.
(OOC information related to winter break under the cut)
THE FOXHOLE COURT: DECEMBER 3-DECEMBER 9
ONLINE:
“For four teams in the Southeast, Championships is coming right down to the wire. The Edgar Allan Ravens and the Breckenridge Jackals have already locked in their spots, but three games will decide who will fill the remaining two. If the Belmonte Terrapins, currently alone in third, manage to beat the Ravens—an unlikely feat—they’ll manage to hold onto the third-place spot. If they don’t, and the Blackwell Jackrabbits beat the Jacksonville Dolphins, then they’ll both be competing for the remaining two slots with one more team—whoever the victor is between the Palmetto State Foxes and the USC-Columbia Gamecocks.
“With a potential three-way tie for two spots, the three teams will go to a tiebreaker: the ratio of goals scored versus goals against. And when one point either way could be the difference between Championships dreams and bitter defeat, each teams’ offense and defense will have to be at its best.”
“And no game may be more exciting than the Foxes-Gamecocks matchup. With a long-term geographic rivalry and both of their futures on the line, things are sure to be explosive in Palmetto on Friday—and, as their football teams faced off last weekend, their rivalry has already gotten off to an exciting start. After Palmetto’s victory in the football game, the Palmetto Exy court was vandalized—and despite no concrete evidence, the Gamecocks Exy team, in town for the game, were the prime suspects.”
“The Gamecocks, however, have categorically denied those accusations. ’Everyone loves a rivalry, and we love when the fans get into it,’ Gamecock Captain TJ McGrath said. ‘But, yeah, people can take it too far.’ In Palmetto, Fox Captain Grant Rollins said, ‘It's...unfortunate for whoever chose to vandalize our Court though, because far from demoralizing us, it's only made me prouder to be a Fox.’ Rollins seemed more than confident about the Foxes’ chances against the Gamecocks, saying ‘I've said since the beginning that the Foxes will qualify for the second year running, and I stand by that.’ The Foxes, however, will be entering the game down Casey Hendrix, due to a concussion sustained against the Eagles, though Leo Duarte will be back in the lineup after missing three games with a broken hand.”
“After Friday, the picture will become clear: one team will secure third place, a dubious honor when it will pit them against the best of the best in the Championships odds bracket; one team will secure fourth, and a spot in the more forgiving evens bracket—and, for two teams, their season will be over.”
- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “WITH JUST ONE GAME LEFT, IT’S A SHOWDOWN IN THE SOUTHEAST.”
“We may have forgotten about our favorite fuck-ups for a week as our favorite sloppy triumphant football players took the spotlight—but, don’t worry, we’re back on track. Do you have your tickets to the train wreck yet? Word on the street is they’re already sold out. We can’t believe we’re talking about a Fox win as even a possibility, but we’re still confident that, even if they lose, it’s going to be an entertaining night. Maybe keep your pepper spray handy, because we’re hoping for a riot. And if you see any Fox tears, please do your civic duty and snap a photo, for all of us.”
“Spotted: Two Foxes, up to no good? We don’t know why we added the question mark, because we’re sure that’s the case—we just don’t know exactly what it is they were up to, sneaking back into Fox Tower late at night with a suspicious looking bundle. But we’re definitely taking bets, so please give us your best guess.”
- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY
ON CAMPUS:
The Foxhole Court, in its many years of existence, has been no stranger to vandalism—and neither are Palmetto’s grounds staff. By the Foxes’ Monday practice, the walls of the court are pristine once again, with no trace of the graffiti that marred them after the football game the previous week.
After the Palmetto football team’s strong performance against the Gamecocks, all eyes are now on the second half of the Rivalry Series—and on the Foxes. While the Foxes are able to ignore the sudden influx of attention one game away from potentially qualifying for the Championships, the Vixens aren’t so lucky: Coach Amanda Corey has decided that there’s no better way to show some Palmetto Unity than allowing her preferred squad to join the Vixens for Friday’s game, forcing them to share the spotlight in what would have been their biggest game of the regular season.
Vixen practices this week happen together with the football squad, and under the usually-absent Coach Corey’s watchful eye. All of the Vixens know which squad their Coach prefers, and know that there’s nothing they can really do in her presence but smile and play nice.
On Friday, December 7, the tension is at its height as Gamecocks fans—and their defeated football team, returning the favor after the Gamecocks Exy team came to support them—pour into campus in preparation for the evening’s game, and for both Fox and Gamecocks fans to know, once and for all, which of them is going to Championships.
(OOC information related to the game under the cut)
THE FOXHOLE COURT: NOVEMBER 19-NOVEMBER 25
ONLINE:
“The Palmetto State Foxes notched another win against the abysmal Georgia Southern Eagles, marking the Foxes’ third win in a row—and the Eagles’ seventh loss. For an expected outcome, it was a dynamic game for the Foxes, with 5 different strikers scoring goals, and senior striker Arlo Booth recording two goals. There were a few surprises, though, most notably the absence of sophomore striker Octavia Dawson. When asked why Dawson was scratched from the game, Fox Coach David Wymack offered no answers: ‘That’s an internal team matter. Dawson knows why she wasn’t on the court.’“
“If you were hoping for more insights into the Foxes’ biggest enigma this season, freshman dealer Raphael Peruggia, you might be disappointed. But, back from an ERC-levied suspension after a disturbing early pattern of deliberate injury on the court, Peruggia finally showed that he’s capable of playing Exy, and not just making predatory hits. For the sake of everyone in the league, we hope this change is here to stay. But, if the anger he showed in response to a post-game journalist question and his inability to get through press without arguing with teammate Emmett Ashford are any indication, it might not be.”
“To Buckeyes fans, it may have been a familiar sight: junior backliner Casey Hendrix down on the court after taking a hit along the wall from Eagles striker Scott Sellers as they grappled for possession. According to Coach Wymack, Hendrix is undergoing concussion protocol. Sellers, who received a red card that seemed to have more to do with the ensuing team-wide brawl than a hit that no one would look twice at if Hendrix hadn’t unfortunately been injured, said: ‘You know, it’s unfortunate. All of it. This isn’t the season we wanted to have. You never want to see another player get seriously hurt. I don’t know—Hendrix’s head was down. It’s a dangerous position to be in. Things like that can happen in the blink of an eye. That’s why you’ve gotta keep your head up.’”
“After a rough start to the season, the Foxes have turned their record around: in seven games, they are now 4-3. As the Exy season takes a pause for Thanksgiving and with one game left for each team, here’s where we are in the district standings: the Edgar Allan Ravens are the undisputed number one with another undefeated season; the Breckenridge Jackals are equally secure in second place, having only dropped one game; the Belmonte Terrapins are sitting in third, having lost only two games, but with the nigh-unbeatable Ravens as their final opponent; and sharing the Foxes’ 4-3 record are the Blackwell Jackrabbits and the USC Gamecocks—who the Foxes will be facing after Thanksgiving.”
- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “FOXES: ONE WIN AWAY FROM CHAMPIONSHIPS?”
“Spotted: Tetsuji Moriyama—no wait, we mean Justin Kimura—no wait, we mean—oh, you know who we mean, being dragged out of a bar in Statesboro by none other than the Fox Captain. What’s the matter, had a little bit too much? Or is it something else? The photo’s pretty blurry, but we’re pretty sure it’s not his name on the back of that sweatshirt.”
“Is it a surprise anymore when a Fox loses their temper? Still, we heard two Foxes were having it out outside the court this week—and that the Foxes came this close to losing a goalkeeper to a nasty tumble down some stairs. Somehow, we don’t think this one’s going to make it onto YouTube. Now, we’re not Exy experts or lawyers but we’re pretty sure that while on the court that’d be a red card, off of it, there’s another word for it—and it’s called assault.”
- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY
ON CAMPUS:
The Foxes that haven’t departed for home from Statesboro return to a significantly emptier campus, with most of the student body leaving Palmetto in droves for a week-long break and the Thanksgiving holiday.
For the Foxes and Vixens with nowhere to go—or nowhere they want to go—there’s a yearly Fox tradition of a large and boisterous Thanksgiving dinner at Team Nurse Abby Winfield’s home on Thursday, November 22. Open to all, and especially open to those that want to help with the cooking, it’s an opportunity to take a break from the stress of school and the season, and to enjoy camaraderie with their teammates and coaches off the court.
With the Foxes’ last—and potentially most important—game of the regular season coming after the break, Captain Grant Rollins doesn’t want to rest, and doesn’t want the Foxes on campus for break to rest either, scheduling highly-encouraged optional practices for the remaining Foxes during the week.
TFC HALLOWEEN COSTUME COMPETITION RESULTS!
At the conclusion of the voting at the Vixens’ Halloween party, the following winners are announced and prizes handed out: winners are given gift cards to Sweetie’s in Columbia and a hand-written certificate, while the second-place finishers in every category but the grand prize are only given a certificate.
FUNNIEST COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): SYDNEY McCRAY as MOTH WITH LAMP (HONORABLE MENTION: BRAYDEN SYKES as CAT)
SEXIEST COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): LEO DUARTE as (SEXY) WINTER SOLDIER (HONORABLE MENTION: CASEY HENDRIX as THE RIDDLER BUT SEXY)
MOST ELABORATE COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): SYDNEY McCRAY as MOTH WITH LAMP (HONORABLE MENTION(S): RIPLEY VAN SANT as MALEFICENT, MEREDITH COTES as THE BLACK SWAN, and ARLO BOOTH as THE BLACK DEATH)
BEST CLOSET/LOW BUDGET COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): NEEL AVERY as LIT MAJOR (HONORABLE MENTION: GRANT ROLLINS as REFEREE)
BEST THROWBACK COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): ALIS TAN as THE AMERICAN DRAGON (JAKE LONG) (HONORABLE MENTION: ROSIE TOMMASI as KIM POSSIBLE)
BEST COUPLES COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): BRAYDEN SYKES and STERLING WALSH (HONORABLE MENTION: JEN BROOKHART and CARTER MADDOX)
GRAND PRIZE: BEST COSTUME ($25 GIFT CARD): SYDNEY McCRAY as MOTH WITH LAMP RUNNER-UP: BEST COSTUME ($10 GIFT CARD): GRANT ROLLINS as REFEREE)
THE FOXHOLE COURT: OCTOBER 15-OCTOBER 21
ONLINE:
“Matchups between the Foxes and the Ravens are always heated—and, as they met on Friday night, those sparks weren’t just confined to the court. Coming off of a 5-1 loss—which included red cards for Fox players Raphael Peruggia, his second in only two games played as a Fox, and former Raven Leo Duarte; and presumed injuries to Fox striker Akira Sato and Ravens backliner Max Delacruz—the Foxes, particularly fifth-year striker Brayden Sykes, who called the hit on Sato that took him out of the game an ‘assault that was obviously planned,’ had a lot to say.”
“But if the Foxes want to know who the dirty players really are, all they have to do is look in a mirror. If they want to see an assault, they can look at the two hits that Peruggia has laid on opposing players in only two games, both of which had nothing to do with any Exy play. The Foxes have gone only one game this season without a red card. And they can cry referee bias all they want, but fights and hits against opposing players who are not in possession of the ball are illegal, cheap, and unambiguous.”
“The Ravens, on the other hand, are a team that plays hard but within the rules. It’s unfortunate that Sato will be missing games, but in a physical game like Exy even legal hits can result in injuries. It doesn’t retroactively make the hit illegal, nor does the fact that the opposing team doesn’t like it. Instead of harping on history that’s over ten years in the past, Sykes and the Foxes would better off looking at the team’s present: one that follows the rules, and wins games. It seems like the Foxes could use more of both of those things."
- COLLEGE EXY ONLINE, “OPINION: IN FOX LOSS TO RAVENS, FOXES BLAME EVERYONE BUT THEMSELVES."
“It was a resoundingly disappointing weekend for Palmetto State Athletics, as the Exy Foxes did, well, what everyone expected them to do against the Ravens: crash and burn. But for those hoping for the Football Foxes to bring some sorely lacking dignity to our campus, we’re afraid you’re going to be sorely disappointed, as they extended their losing streak to two games, throwing their playoff chances into jeopardy. Do you hear that? We’re sure that somewhere there are a few Vixens cackling with glee. We’re not taking sides here, but we’ve heard that karma is a bitch.”
“And if you’re making or taking bets on what the Foxes are getting up to off the court, we have some updates for you: it seems that our favorite Fox-Turned-Vixen is back to fraternizing with a former teammate; and another Buckeye Fox still seems to be getting cozy with the Foxes’ undisputed best hair champion. How long will either last? We don’t know—we don’t make the gossip, we just report it.”
- FOXWATCH, YOUR SOURCE FOR GOSSIP AT PALMETTO STATE UNIVERSITY
ON CAMPUS:
With another loss bringing their season record to a dismal 1-3, the Foxes head into an off week demoralized and down several Foxes as they prepare for their next game against the Jacksonville Dolphins, due to injuries to Akira Sato (shoulder) and Leo Duarte (hand), and a red card to Raphael Peruggia, removing him from their next game—and potentially longer, as rumors begin to swirl about the ERC sending a message.
With spirits low and no game on the schedule this week, several Foxes and Vixens spearhead a team and squad-wide effort to drag as many people as can be persuaded, cajoled, or bribed into going to Columbia and to Eden’s Twilight on Friday, October 19 to blow off steam.