Over at Ravia stadium…
"E-eh!? You're...kidding, right?" Kappa struggled to close his jaw, in disbelief looking at the score on Kippy's phone.
"Nope~! Azule and Squid Academy have toppled yet another giant! I'm so excited to see what they'll do in the next round!" Kippy squealed under her mask dancing jubilantly in her seat, prompting smiles from the others who found her reaction to the news priceless; "And Janice won her match too! She's so cool when she gets serious-oh, I can't wait to play them both later on in the tournament!"
"Easy there Kips. I'm glad to see the others are doing well but we can't get ahead of ourselves." Zepp joined wearing a satisfied look glad to see Yermozani and Squid Academy found success already and a little motivated to play up to the expectations they set. "Besides, we wouldn't see either team until the latter half of the knockout stage so we must keep focus and remember that our path to the final is a treacherous one."
"This match should be wrapping up soon." Virgil said plainly looking over to the trio beside him; "Our game with Burste-Riota is after this, so we should begin prepping."
Zepp pats him on the back, "At ease man, we're not playing until tonight. The optimal thing to do is remain well rested and keep our minds clear. This is a mental battle as much as it is a physical one." his wisdom seeping through his lax tone, his distant eyes warm as he looked ahead at the goal just over the horizon.
"I just don't want us falling behind." Virgil mumbled with a pout, a bit embarassed by how his captain responded.
"Sounds to me like someone is a little jealous of our rivals?" Alannis teased finding it hilarious that Virgil of all people had a competitive streak with Squid Academy and Yermozani.
"Can't blame him after seeing them manage to beat the Vulerby Gunners. I wouldn't mind saying I'm a little more fired up about our match now because of that too. Hopefully they keep up the pace long enough to cross paths with us-same goes for Yermo." Kappa shrugs his shoulders, attempting to look cool before the others.
"Hm? Don't you just wanna impress their coach even though she rejected you?" Alannis sneered with a stifled laugh afterwards knowing she hit a sour spot.
"Hey now, don't go around bringing up unnecessary things!" Kappa responds instantly embarrassed since he tried his best to make sure nobody knew about his crush of Fuchsia.
"Everyone!" Zepp clears his throat interrupting the pair; "This won't be the first nor the last time we'll feel anxious so let's make sure we keep our minds clear and leave our bodies at ease since we're not doing our warm ups until later on before we begin battle. Spend this time soaking in the matches as a fellow competitor or as neutral spectator."
"Yes sir!" they all responded with many of them finding comfort in hearing him speak out, the respect he commanded as captain second to none in their eyes.
"Kips..." Zepp leaned over, "Are you excited for the knockouts?"
"Mhm!" she beamed with an endearing smile so wide her eyes were shut as she nodded at him.
The entire stadium is vocal as the start of the fourth round begins with all the major pundits and experts in the field all tuned in to watch the next set of games following the conclusion of the noon matches. Among the hottest bouts for the day was the battle between the Blurings and the Wobblegongs, a contest that had everyone abuzz as the score in the match went in favor of the Bluerings who held a 2-1 lead. A critical fourth round just about to begin, plenty of pressure laid in the Bluerings taking the commanding 3-1 lead to potentially close the series and advance to the next round. That task wouldn't be simple however as the Wobblegongs have fought hard all match, especially in the first where they eked out the Bluerings in Tower Control to get the early lead only to lose it in a pair of close losses in rainmaker and hide ink seek. C.C. and Frazzy looked to be in top form so far with each of them having a dominant performance in the games they won, but the fatigue was indeed showing from the heavily contest battles. Their heartbreaking defeat to Squid Academy still lingering in their thoughts, they were using that humiliation and frustration to fuel their otherwise empty tanks. A mental battle as much as it is a physical one, this next round would lay down the pivotal steps to advancing or break the trail and lead to their total defeat.
"You ain't croakin are ya!?" Ellis slaps Frazzy on the back, who was hunched over trying to catch his breath during the break.
"Far from it!" the exhausted inkling responded half-winded, mouth open taking in as much oxygen as he can manage. Although they were the better team with better players, it was clear the Wobbleys were living up to their reputation as a top ranked team with their sheer tenacity. No matter what the Bluerings did to close the door on their chances, the team in powder blue and white showed as much vitality in their performance as the colors of their jerseys.
"Alright everyone, let's wrap this up soon. We've been here before and we know what to expect. Don't give 'em any room for hope!" C.C. announced, wearing his captain's armband proudly with determination present. After reviewing the mistakes made and the opportunities he missed, he learned from that meaningful match with Squid Academy and had learned to never overlook an opponent or overestimate himself.
Both of the teams lined up for the start of the fourth round clam blitz battle with their team colors shining under the sun of center stage at Ravia stadium to the waves of powder blue and white shirts and royal blue and yellow shirts-a pulse shown in both bases as the teams returned to spawn donning their respective uniforms.
Their classic royal blue jerseys with yellow designs present on the numbers, C.C., Frazzy, Ellis, Michael, Polo, and Drake, represent the squad going into battle this time around-a different lineup from the one they started with in the first round due to the Wobblegongs' ferocious play tiring out their boys early. The Wobblegongs were in their trademark powder blue and white jerseys and had lining up for them their team captain Stephen, Javier, Gavon, Paul, Jhemar, and Tabo, a rotation far from their starting lineup but perhaps the best squad for going up against the Bluerings when considering how well experience would play in hand with all these players being at least second years. A test of skill versus experience the teams showed more of the same fireworks as seen in the previous rounds with C.C. and Frazzy once again leading the way for their team with their brilliant leadership and ability to take over a game. But the Wobbleys as a collective were just as effective with how well they prioritized their zone defense formation and managed to answer the explosiveness of the unique pair. A team known for their stellar defense, the specialty of the Wobblegongs laid in their zone style defense where their players were always within proximity of one another and able to assist in double and triple teaming some opponents to stuff them-which they used consistently against C.C. in this match thus far and showed its greatest result in that first round. But Frazzy's performance was something they weren't expecting entirely as he emerged as a literal threat they couldn't ignore, which led to that match tying loss and then the following loss in the third where C.C. hit his stride and couldn't be stopped. In this particular game mode they hoped to prove their defense was indeed effective by utilizing the tempo created from the mode itself. Clam blitz, splat zones, hide ink seek, they were all the type of modes where formation played a massive role in victory or defeat in these organized battles where one misstep meant certain defeat in the blink of an eye. It certainly didn't take long for the teams to start scoring either as Drake busted the barrier after slipping free of the tightly covered zone and in turn sent the Wobbley defense on their heels with Polo and Ellis following up by tossing in a few clams they collected to stretch the lead to a 74-100 scoreline. During this skirmish C.C. got locked up by the tightly knit zone coverage and couldn't lend a hand and Frazzy managed to build a power clam of his own but couldn't score in time as the barrier closed just before he completed making it. An early lead for the boys in blue and yellow, it didn't take long for the powder blues to answer back. On the ensuing play just after their barrier got opened, Paul hustled over to the Bluerings' side and launched the counterattack with his power clam—able to breakthrough and score but not without a sacrifice as Michael ended him. Javier and Gavon carried on and launched their clams in the goal that helped them overtake the Bluerings and inflict a penalty as well. A score of 65-74 with a penalty on the Blurings, the two sides picked one another off in defense battles. A battle of Zone versus Man, neither side allowed the other to get any points for an entire minute as the likes of C.C. and Stephen displayed what made them captains for their teams-clashing several times like a pair of titans on a mountain top. Stephen denied the Bluerings on a few occasions during this time and C.C. retaliated with an answer of his own for the Wobbleys.
The deadlock broke when Tabo survived a blast from Frazzy and managed to get his power clam off in time to continue their lead with Jhemar and Stephen both tossing in their few clams to build that lead further. The new scoreline at 40-74 following that brief attack, the situation wasn't dire for the Bluerings just yet but it surely wasn't peachy with a 44 point deficit and a penalty tacked onto them-they needed to score and pronto! But with the flow of the round favoring the Wobbleys and their sturdy defenses, C.C. and his boys had to find a way to break through the armor, whether by a sharp attack like a spearhead or something of blunt force like a club.
"The zone of the Wobblegongs proving effective, the Bluerings struggle! to get back on the board despite scoring first. They are in desperate need of a big play!" the lead commentator announces, engaged in the competition between the two giants.
"If I'm them, I'm looking for C.C. or Frazzy to step up and lead the comeback in this round." his colleague adds.
"I disagree actually, although they are performing a zone on them, it isn't a true zone defense." Zepp narrows his focus on specific parts of the map; "The reason they've struggled to score since that opening drive is due to the Wobbleys adjusting their defense to counter the style the Bluerings thrive off of. Those powder blues know C.C. is the legs of that team and Frazzy the spear, so they've made the necessary adjustments to minimize their effectiveness or at the very least force them to do extra just to make the subtlest of impact-in turn tiring them out. They're playing the short and long game simultaneously—it's impressive, really."
"Isn't running that kind of strategy dangerous to the team? They're doing so much on their end as well that they could burn out!" Kippy looks over to him, genuinely curious about understanding the intricacies of philosophy that play a role in these battles.
"You are correct that they will burn out eventually, but I believe they are banking on achieving victory long before that happens. They are basically daring the Bluerings to beat them with the rest of their weapons rather than relying on their two stars."
Kappa hums thinking aloud, "So you're saying Ellis and the boys have to step it up...hard to do with the way things are going. C.C. is the shot in the arm they need."
"A recurring statement at Nationals is that the stars don't make the tournament, but the role players and the bench do. Sure, a team can have generational talent but they can only do so much and there will often be times when they are compromised because opponents will tailor their strategy towards containing them. When such occurrences happen, it's up to the role players and substitutes to step in and share the burden."
Kippy smirks as she already thought of the perfect example, "Like Squid Academy and Squidops."
Almost as though what Zepp said reached the ears of the Bluerings, they caught a second wind after the Wobblegongs scored yet again to stretch the lead to a 20-74 game. The floor opening up thanks to the right analysis done while trading blows, the Bluerings showed more ferocity and lashed back at the Wobblegongs. The Bluerings realized that just a single power clam meant the end of the round and a tied match—the worst case scenario when considering who they were up against and how the odds would ever fall out their favor if they lost here. In response they got rowdier and stuffed on defense a couple times then launched a feisty counterattack of their own that was full of desperation as the team collectively gathered up their clams but this time made their two stars a decoy to draw attention since them still having the clams in possession made them a threat that needed to be monitored. The real threat however were the remaining Bluerings who got in close enough to break the barrier but unfortunately they ran into Gavon and Tabo who were already keeping watch for just this type of scenario. Michael answered the call however, managing to salvage one of the power clams in time and throw up the prayer heave that found its mark just in time before he got splatted. A sacrifice that opened up scoring, C.C. and Frazzy rushed in with their clams while Drake recovered the other power clam with the rest distracted by the dangerous duo. A few clams tossed in to chip away at the lead, Drake's power clam erased the deficit by enough and extended the timer for his squad and after managing to get a few more kills to steal clams that went to the open goal, the Bluerings trimmed the score to a manageable 20-55 game with a bonus tacked onto the Wobblegongs instead.
A shift in momentum that the Bluerings fans could feel on their fingertips, the echoing noise in the stadium worked to the benefit of the team in royal blue and yellow. With the Wobbleys on their heels and full of anxiety, they were desperate to avoid choking away the lead and losing their chance to tie up the series and as a result of their hastiness to put the game away with a game winning power clam, their precious zone defense collapsed. Just what C.C. needed to finally break through, he delivered the power clam that would go on to become the nail in the coffin of this match. Another power clam already made by Frazzy and plenty of clams loaded up by the remaining players, the score cut from 20-35 to 20-15 with the Bluerings taking the lead. By the time the barrier closed, the score was 20-8 with the suppoerters of the Bluerings going crazy up in the stands. A comeback that wasn't all too expected based on how the game looked earlier, the Bluerings looked as though they'd already won. But the Wobblegongs still fought hard knowing they were very much in position to win and as such gambled everything on scoring the next drive. They were met with no success however, as the man-to-man defense of the Bluerings prevailed long enough for the barriers to be open again, and once more, the Bluerings attacked viciously. A show that it didn't need to be C.C. or Frazzy who had to carry everything for them, the Bluerings grabbed the knockout victory off a game winner from Polo. A victory full of vindication, the Bluerings not only took a commanding 3-1 lead but proved they could win from behind with anyone stepping up in a moment's notice; After such a tiring battle it was evident the team was drained physically and mentally, and they were considered to be one of the best conditioned teams in the tournament! This only went to show just how difficult of a team the Wobblegongs were and why they were every bit worth their ranking. They didn't look defeated, nor were they shrugging off the critical failure as they headed for the break. Instead, they were determined to continue their fight and break the three-game losing streak.
Happening at the same time as this electrifying battle was another match involving a top ranked team, this time the 5th ranked Skolar Ogres who were facing a solid opponent in Delta 1st high, though the score didn't reflect that. A commanding 3-0 lead for the team in lime, white, and grey, Skolar looked every bit their usual top form behind the dominant performances from their star duo: Carmichael and Miralem. Accompanied with excellent assistance from Jean and the rest of the Skolar players, the twin tower ogres were every bit the unstoppable force and immovable object as advertised, halting Delta players in their tracks seemingly every time and always returning the favor by stretching the lead further, quickly tallying three knockouts in record time. They looked championship ready.
"One more round everyone! Let's wrap this up in style!" a confident Carmichael leads the pack holding up his index finger with a lax smile present.
