[EddieMcD]

Yep… that went well…

Kamen Bowl Quarterfinals
IwillCrushYou (#8) d. Nor Cal Crushers (#1)
82-64
Interesting point of fact: in the FIRST Robotics Fantasy Football League, the #8 seed has never lost in the first round (Nor Cal should know; they dominated the #1 Cooney Quest in the first round last year). So it was already looking bleak for the Crushers. Making it worse was IWCY’s hot streak that got them in the playoffs in the first place. People like Larry Johnson (20 this week), Hasselbeck (16), Kaeding (14), and Fitzgerald (10) have come through time and time again these past 5 weeks. Nor Cal had three big scores in Steve Smith’s 18, Chicago’s 13, and Plummer’s 12. But unfortunately for them, the rest of the team underperformed (to quote Cory himself, “major props to LT and Caddy for doing nothing”). IWCY used this to continue the tradition of #8s getting into the semifinals.

Kamen Bowl Quarterfinals
The Tacoites (#5) d. Team THRUST (#4)
67-64
This is the type of battle you’d expect from a #4/#5 match. Team THRUST’s game revolved around only one high score (New England pwning Tampa on Saturday giving them 16 points), but the rest of the team giving moderate numbers. Everybody broke 4. Everybody except the QB (the younger Manning). Would that be costly? Well, when you consider that Tom Brady got 16 for the Tacoites in that aforementioned game, you know something’s up. In this case, it’s the way the Tacoites played. They played with more high scorers, but less efficiency from their other players. Their other high scores were Stallworth’s 11, Chad Johnson and Indianapolis’s pair of 10s, and a 9 from the K spot. But then again, nobody else broke 4. In the end though, The Tacoites’ high scores outdid Team THRUST’s efficiency by three points, netting them a place in the semis.

Kamen Bowl Quarterfinals
Feisty Klowns (#6) d. Rhode Island Voltaic (#3)
64-38
The first of two rematches went horribly wrong for the higher seed. Rhode Island’s fate has relied on the Colts’ fate for a good portion of the season. Great when they’re winning thirteen straight. Not so great when they lose. Manning and Wayne only netted 9 points combined, and the rest of Rhode Island didn’t do much either. Their best scores were 8s from a D and K. The Klowns wouldn’t even need Stover’s 12 on Monday, but it looked pretty next to Palmer’s other 12 and four other players clearing 7. Long story short, this one was over quickly for the Voltaic.

Kamen Bowl Quarterfinals
FIRSTforce (#2) d. Your Ad Here (#7)
83-45
And this rematch went exactly as it did the first time. FIRSTforce ganged up early with big scores. The high score was Rudi Johnson’s 17, both Mike Anderson and Carolina put up 16, and David Garrard contributed 10 points. YAH came back with McNair’s 13, Graham’s 11, and… and… absolutely nothing. This is where YAH faltered. They forgot to pack a defense, and they left behind their offensive support. It took four games, but a higher seed is finally victorious.

Playoff Picture: Here's what it'll look like next week.

IwillCrushYou (#8)
vs.
The Tacoites (#5)

Feisty Klowns (#6)
vs.
FIRSTforce (#2)

IWCY/Tacoites should be an exciting game. They never faced during the regular season, and they're both riding five game win streaks. Not sure if the same can be said for the Klowns/Force game. They last faced in Week VII when the Klowns dominated to knock off the last undefeated team, FIRSTforce. But then again, FIRSTforce has done better over the course of the season, and is now the highest seed remaining in the hunt for the championship.

Nor Cal Crushers (#1)
vs.
Team THRUST (#4)

Rhode Island Voltaic (#3)
vs.
Your Ad Here (#7)

Nor Cal and Team THRUST never faced during the regular season. So I've got nothing to say about that one. On the other side though, I can say loads about Rhode Island/YAH, and it'll be unbiased! Rhode Island killed YAH just a few weeks ago in Week XIII (though YAH still got into the playoffs that week), and YAH tends to score low anyways.

But again, nothing in the past matters now (as noted by the fact that three lower seeds advanced this week). Anything can happen (hey, even Indy lost). So what will happen? Tune in next week for the answer.