Rat Rush Ravages Ragefangs

Welcome, sportsfiends, to our first quarter-final report from the MMBBL Blood Bowl tournament! Today's match saw the mean, green Brutakai Ragefangs square off against the sneaky, squeaky Blackwater Bilgerunners, battling it out for a chance to advance to the Group 1 Semifinals.

Winning the coin flip, the Bilgerunners elected to receive first. A high kick from the Ragefangs allowed Fivel Mausketrap time to catch the ball, and the first drive was underway. Surveying the field, Mausketrap lobbed a pass to the speedy Dingleberry, and the skaven, to no one's great surprise, bolted down the field, aiming to grab an early lead. Xarnak Bloodrage would have none of it, however, and the orc blitzer plowed into Dingleberry, tearing the ball free as the gutter runner hit the turf. Attempting to recover the ball, Kragor Clawfang slipped up in the ever-growing heap of bodies, and lost sight of the ball. To his dismay, Piddlepaw would quickly scoop it into his arms and bolt downfield, diving into the end zone and sliding across the grass like a big, greasy...well, you get the idea.

The next drive started with a quick snap count by the Ragefangs, and the optimal positioning allowed thrower Holo Axegut to quickly retrieve the football. His pass to teammate Krak Toothsnapper was dead-on, but Toothsnapper bobbled and lost it. Quickly looking for redemption, Krak launched a pass of his own to Raziek Bloodrage, and the orc captain made no mistake with the routine reception. Bursting through the line, Bloodrage somehow didn't catch sight of the towering new addition to the Bilgerunners, namely O'Rattigan the rat ogre. O'Rattigan blindsided the blitzer and knocked him flat, while Dingleberry arrived on the scene to recover the fumbled ball. The Ragefangs had trained for this kind of scenario, however, and no sooner than he had picked up the football, Rigor Stonestomper was upon him, leveling the runner with ease. Meanwhile, O'Rattigan resumed his brawl with Raziek Bloodrage, forcing the orc over the guardrail and into his adoring fanbase, who carried him safely back to the dugout. In from the backfield came Fivel Mausketrap, and making no mistake, tossed a pass to Piddlepaw, who caught it expertly. The last line of defense, Holo Axegut made his move to stop the wily skaven, but couldn't knock him over. With a timely support blitz from teammate Jenner, Piddlepaw was home free once again! Up two to nothing, the Bilgerunners had to be confident about their chances to advance.

As if the situation weren't tight enough for the Ragefangs already, their next drive would wind up cutting off circulation. The skaven read their offense perfectly and began a pass rush blitz, giving Krak Toothsnapper hardly any time to make a play. Under pressure from the rats bearing down on him, he couldn't get a proper handle on the ball. In swept Dingleberry with unparalleled agility, picking up the bobbled prize and depositing it in the end zone. The discouragement among the Ragefans was palpable, though the players themselves steeled their hearts for another drive before the half ended. Little came of the last-second setup, though O'Rattigan was toppled in a press of bodies.

As the second half began, the Ragefangs' head coach revealed that while he had no illusions of winning at this point, his team would be playing their hearts out regardless. His pep talk seemed to have galvanized the beleaguered orc force, as they took the pitch with heads held high. The skaven weren't about to rest on their laurels, however, and brought their A-game back to their defense as they kicked off. Krak Toothsnapper retrieved the kick and handed off to Raziek Bloodrage, and the inspiring captain led once more by example. Bloodrage charged, untouched, past the Bilgerunners line, and plowed into the skaven secondary. O'Rattigan might have made the difference, but Ragefangs blocker Kozu Ironhide was on "special assignment" to deal with the menace. Shrugging off the last vestiges of skaven defense, Raziek exploded over the goal line and roared his triumph to the remaining Ragefans in the crowd. Never accuse this orc of going quietly.

For the Blackwater Bilgerunners, their next drive was simply business as usual. Knowing that the key to victory now was confident, measured offense with no mistakes, they set about their regular routines in an attempt to seal the deal. Mausketrap threw a splendid catch to Dingleberry, who made his move downfield. The fly in the skaven ointment this time proved to be Kodish Manhammer, who sent Dingleberry packing for the rest of the game with a bone-crushing hit. Still, the Bilgerunners planned for this sort of event on a regular basis, and right behind the fallen Dingleberry was fellow runner Twinkletoes, picking up the football and squeezing past the Ragefangs defense for yet another Bilgerunners touchdown.

Still not content to accept defeat, the Ragefangs lined up with a play which looked much like any other. A high kick allowed Krak Toothsnapper to catch the ball to start the drive, and his throw to Raziek was once again complete. The difference in this strategy revealed itself soon afterwards, as the entire Ragefangs line simultaneously crashed upon the shores of the skaven defense. Erosion metaphors being what they are, the orc onslaught left no rat standing, and once more Kozu Ironhide kept the dangerous O'Rattigan well in check. With no one to challenge his journey to the end zone, Raziek Bloodrage once more bellowed his success. Win or lose, the Brutakai Ragefangs have proven their worth in the MMBBL, and this season in particular have been a thrill-a-minute to watch.

The orcs kicked off once more, and this time the ball was seized by a gust of wind which carried it out of play. Taking the touchback, Fivel Mausketrap sent another stellar pass to gutter runner Twinkletoes. Soon afterwards, Twinkletoes shared the love with blitzer Jenner, whose hard work was rewarded as he charged past the orc defense for the Bilgerunners' fifth touchdown of the match.

With little time remaining, the orc squad managed a few last stabs at glory, as Brax Elfeater throttled Stumptail the linerat, and Krak Toothsnapper managed another easy pass to Raziek Bloodrage. The whistle blew, and the skaven fans flooded the field as the Ragefangs retreated to the locker room. The newcomer skaven had gotten one step closer to the biggest cheese of all.

MVP awards for the match went to Ruushnak Nightwrath of the Ragefangs for his strong work on the line of scrimmage, and Piddlepaw of the Bilgerunners for his amazing performance and true "get up an go" attitude. Also notable was Jenner the blitzer, whose protection of his gutter runners was most remarkable.

Our first semi-finalist has reached the next level, and with impressive offensive fashion! Who will the Blackwater Bilgerunners face, and what of the other teams who are vying for the next step up the ladder? Tune in soon for more!