Bedlam on Baltic Avenue

ISML 2016: Yui Upsets Eucliwood As Musaigen Is Upended

ISML 2016: Yui Upsets Eucliwood As Musaigen Is Upended

By Jo-Ryan Salazar
The Bedlam on Baltic Avenue
November 6, 2016

Musaigen no Phantom World isn't all it's cracked up to be. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku Wo! will claim the Winter Diadem. Megumin is the odds-on favorite by the Bedlam on Baltic Avenue to win this after routing Mai Kawakami 1581-922 in Match Day 6 of the 2016 International Saimoe League Diamond Period. Aqua prevailed over Reina Izumi 1297-1219 in the other semifinal, the closest race of the round, but will go into the final as the clear-cut underdog.

In the Female and Male Divisions, the last Round of 16 tickets were punched. In the Female Division, Rin Tosaka defeated Yui-nyan 150-11265, Jibril flew past Shino Asada 1481-1185, Yui Yuigahama scored the Upset of the Round, a 1415-1319 victory over Eucliwood Hellscythe, Yukino Yukinoshita trounced Chino Kafuu 1533-1203, Shana torched Chiyo Sakura 1630-1177, Asuna Yuuki slashed past Azusa Nakano 1471-1281, Kurumi Tokisaki shot down Isla 1550-1128 and Nanami Aoyama hammered Shinka Nibutani 1557-1101.

In the Male Division, Touma Kamijou broked Karma Akabane 1414-1073, Archer dominated Gilgamesh 1325-996, Ryuuji Takasu roared past Nagisa Shiota 1358-1163, Kyon prevailed over Shirou Emiya 1288-1176, Sora slammed Tatsuya Shiba 1521-941, Edward Elric whipped past Shidou Itsuka 1377-1096, Koyomi Araragi thumped Iskandar 1493-930 and Izayoi Sakamaki stormed past Rentarou Satomi 1294-959.

ISML 2016 Top 16, Female Division
(in no particular order)

1. Kurisu Makise
2. Shiro
3. Rin Tosaka
4. Jibril
5. Nao Tomiri
6. Illyasviel von Einzbern
7. Yukino Yukinoshita
8. Yui Yuigahama
9. Mashiro Shiina
10. Ayase Aragaki
11. Shana
12. Asuna Yuuki
13. Saber
14. Iroha Isshiki
15. Kurumi Tokisaki
16. Nanami Aoyama

ISML 2016 Top 16, Male Division
(in no particular order)

1. Hachiman Hikigaya
2. Saitama
3. Touma Kamijou
4. Archer
5. Yuzuru Otonashi
6. Rintarou Okabe
7. Ryuuji Takasu
8. Kyon
9. Korosensei
10. Souma Yukihira
11. Sora
12. Edward Elric
13. Kiritsugu Emiya
14. Keima Katsuragi
15. Koyomi Araragi
16. Izayoi Sakamaki

Match Day 1 of the 2016 International Saimoe League Round of 16 is scheduled for November 7, 2016. Vote for your favorite candidates at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

Diamond Day 6 Standings

Female Group 1

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Makise Kurisu	9.0000	3	0	4408	3736	672	11.4754	1
2	Shiro	6.9066	2	1	4275	3825	450	11.6893	1
3	Kuroyukihime	4.7035	1	2	3825	4114	-289	10.4575	1
4	Nishikino Maki	2.4405	0	3	3557	4390	-833	9.7998	1

Female Group 2

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Tōsaka Rin	9.0000	3	0	4660	3756	904	11.5088	2
2	Jibril	6.8517	2	1	4205	4043	162	11.5598	2
3	Yui-nyan	4.7792	1	2	4011	4282	-271	9.8879	2
4	Asada Shino	2.4905	0	3	3733	4528	-795	10.2026	2

Female Group 3

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Tomori Nao	9.0000	3	0	4264	3859	405	11.3214	3
2	Illyasviel von Einzbern	6.9100	2	1	4250	3991	259	11.8485	3
3	Katō Megumi	4.8871	1	2	3997	4081	-84	10.3360	3
4	Takanashi Rikka	2.6066	0	3	3780	4360	-580	10.3745	3

Female Group 4

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Yukinoshita Yukino	9.0000	3	0	4499	3607	892	12.0363	4
2	Yuigahama Yui	6.7422	2	1	3902	4155	-253	11.2133	4
3	Eucliwood Hellscythe	4.8098	1	2	3972	4165	-193	9.6967	4
4	Kafū Chino	2.6991	0	3	3823	4269	-446	10.5456	4

Female Group 5

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Shiina Mashiro	9.0000	3	0	5160	2899	2261	13.2722	5
2	Aragaki Ayase	6.5985	2	1	3724	4095	-371	10.5397	5
3	Oshino Shinobu	4.6656	1	2	3807	4070	-263	10.2447	5
4	Tachibana Marika	2.0486	0	3	3059	4686	-1627	8.8875	5

Female Group 6

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Shana	9.0000	3	0	4906	3604	1302	12.2329	6
2	Yūki Asuna	6.7548	2	1	4186	4296	-110	11.1645	6
3	Nakano Azusa	4.5979	1	2	3837	4426	-589	10.4580	6
4	Sakura Chiyo	2.6179	0	3	3871	4474	-603	10.8444	6

Female Group 7

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Saber	9.0000	3	0	4766	3581	1185	11.7769	7
2	Isshiki Iroha	6.9329	2	1	4217	3554	663	10.8195	7
3	Hikigaya Komachi	4.4676	1	2	3562	4211	-649	9.7743	7
4	Tedeza Rize	2.2424	0	3	3377	4576	-1199	9.3790	7

Female Group 8

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Tokisaki Kurumi	9.0000	3	0	4817	3499	1318	12.4846	8
2	Aoyama Nanami	6.8523	2	1	4293	3896	397	10.7748	8
3	Isla	4.6123	1	2	3788	4267	-479	10.0448	8
4	Nibutani Shinka	2.2439	0	3	3453	4689	-1236	9.7340	8

Male Group 1

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Hikigaya Hachiman	9.0000	3	0	4821	2731	2090	13.1414	1
2	Saitama	6.5976	2	1	3607	3888	-281	9.3192	1
3	Okazaki Tomoya	4.4532	1	2	3346	4036	-690	8.5500	1
4	Kanda Sorata	2.2848	0	3	3111	4230	-1119	9.6180	1

Male Group 2

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Kamijō Tōma	9.0000	3	0	4167	3490	677	10.9452	2
2	Archer	6.9532	2	1	4051	3371	680	11.0088	2
3	Gilgamesh	4.5600	1	2	3363	3947	-584	9.2266	2
4	Akabane Karma	2.4611	0	3	3317	4090	-773	9.3644	2

Male Group 3

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Otonashi Yuzuru	9.0000	3	0	4174	3232	942	11.8235	3
2	Okabe Rintarō	6.9274	2	1	3859	3555	304	9.8506	3
3	Yato	4.5813	1	2	3310	3858	-548	9.2978	3
4	Togashi Yūta	2.4977	0	3	3275	3973	-698	9.3392	3

Male Group 4

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Takasu Ryūji	9.0000	3	0	4119	3424	695	10.8279	4
2	Kyon	6.8468	2	1	3687	3735	-48	10.0228	4
3	Shiota Nagisa	4.8209	1	2	3619	3858	-239	9.9296	4
4	Emiya Shirō	2.7049	0	3	3538	3946	-408	10.0464	4

Male Group 5

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Korosensei	9.0000	3	0	3816	3286	530	9.9214	5
2	Yukihira Sōma	6.8814	2	1	3490	3407	83	9.9266	5
3	Kanie Seiya	4.6898	1	2	3339	3712	-373	9.5428	5
4	Totsuka Saika	2.8202	0	3	3478	3718	-240	9.6257	5

Male Group 6

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Sora	9.0000	3	0	4765	2816	1949	12.0364	6
2	Edward Elric	6.7191	2	1	3775	3721	54	9.9194	6
3	Shiba Tatsuya	4.4728	1	2	3332	3935	-603	8.8113	6
4	Itsuka Shidō	2.1185	0	3	2987	4387	-1400	9.1553	6

Male Group 7

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Emiya Kiritsugu	9.0000	3	0	3950	3374	576	10.5427	7
2	Katsuragi Keima	6.8553	2	1	3469	3458	11	9.8443	7
3	Otosaka Yū	4.9098	1	2	3637	3484	153	10.1232	7
4	Aikawa Ayumu	2.4195	0	3	3072	3812	-740	8.1443	7

Male Group 8

Rank	Name	Points	Wins	Loses	VF	VA	VD	CVP	Group
1	Araragi Koyomi	9.0000	3	0	4142	3152	990	11.1882	8
2	Sakamaki Izayoi	6.9264	2	1	3816	3315	501	9.8377	8
3	Satomi Rentarō	4.5057	1	2	3288	3821	-533	8.5369	8
4	Iskandar	2.3267	0	3	3174	4132	-958	8.4302	8

BoBA ISML 2016 Predictions: Diamond Match Day 6

ARENA 01: [Tōsaka Rin] Yui-nyan
by >=100
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 02: Asada Shino [Jibril]
by >=100
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 03: Yuigahama Yui [Eucliwood Hellscythe]
by >=100
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 04: Kafū Chino [Yukinoshita Yukino]
by >=100
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 05: [Shana] Sakura Chiyo
by >=100
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 06: Nakano Azusa [Yūki Asuna]
by >=100
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 07: [Tokisaki Kurumi] Isla
by >=100
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 08: Nibutani Shinka [Aoyama Nanami]
by >=100
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 09: [Kamijō Tōma] Akabane Karma
by <=400
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 10: Gilgamesh [Archer]
by <=400
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 11: [Takasu Ryūji] Shiota Nagisa
by <=400
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 12: Emiya Shirō [Kyon]
by <=400
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 13: [Sora] Shiba Tatsuya
by <=400
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 14: Itsuka Shidō [Edward Elric]
by <=400
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 15: [Araragi Koyomi] Iskandar
by <=400
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 16: Satomi Rentarō [Sakamaki Izayoi]
by <=400
Over/Under: 2300
Over

ARENA 17: Megumin [Kawakami Mai]
by >=300
Over/Under: 2600
Under

ARENA 18: [Izumi Reina] Aqua
by >=300
Over/Under: 2600
Under

ISML 2016: Tickets Being Punched For The Round of 16

ISML 2016: Tickets Being Punched For The Round of 16

By Jo-Ryan Salazar
The Bedlam on Baltic Avenue
November 3, 2016
Match Day 5 of the 2016 International Saimoe League Diamond Period is in the books and in a rare occurence, there are no Upsets of the Round, as form has followed. In the Female Division, Shiro defeated Maki Nishikino 1460-1123, Kurisu Makise prevailed over Kuroyukihime 1396-1205, Nao Tomori whipped past Megumi Katou 1299-1223, Illyasviel von Einzbern cruised past Rikka Takanashi 1458-1154, Ayase Aragaki rolled past Marika Tachibana 1348-1065, Mashiro Shiina dominatedf Shinobu Oshino 1555-1044, Iroha Isshiki stormed past Rize Tedeza 1467-1041 and Saber slashed past Komachi Hikigaya 1592-1114.

In the Male Division, Hachiman Hikigaya routed Tomoya Okazaki 1525-889, Saitama punched Sorata Kanda 1269-1096, Yuzuru Otonashi shot down Yuuta Togashi 1403-926, Rintarou Okabe cruised past Yato 1250-1043, Souma Yukihira won a 1141-1114 nailbiter over Saika Totsuka, Korosensei defeated Seiya Kanie 1241-1044, Keima Katsuragi won the closest race of the round, a 1125-1122 thriller over Yuu Otosaka and Kiritsugu Emiya defeated Ayumi Aikawa 1296-1031.

In Summer Diadem action, Mizuki Usami prevailed over Chiaki Nanami 1190-1025 and Hifumi Takimoto defeated Crusch Karsten 1282-1031.

Match Day 6 of the 2016 International Saimoe League Diamond Period is scheduled for November 4, 2016. Vote for your favorite candidates at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

St. Anthony Saints: A Proper Long Beach Prep Football Team

I am thoroughly disgusted in my alma mater, Lakewood. Their football team is no longer watchable. Here is something you should know about me: watching high school football is no different that watching any sports event. I have expectations for the teams I care about. I demand, as a requirement: 1. proper mastery of the game on offense and defense, 2. consistency against comparable opposition, 3. convincing victories that affirm 1. and 2. Lakewood has failed in all three categories and does not deserve to be in the playoffs. In fact, given their loss to Cabrillo, it would be a miracle if they are able to upset the Panthers of Long Beach Jordan.

Mike Wadley, who is the girls volleyball coach of the Lancers, is one of my biggest critics. However, his criticism of my criticism is unfounded and naive. 1. The quality of football in the Moore League has dropped. 2. Long Beach Poly, who have a new coach apparently, are also struggling this season and were just Sandusky'd by an actual, proper prep team in the IMG Academy Ascenders, a convoy of all-stars from Florida. 3. The Moore League is playing in the wrong division and needs to move down because it is the weakest of all the leagues in the Pac-5, the highest in the CIF Southern Section. 4. The public schools in my area are not retaining the best players. The private schools are getting the better players in my area. Because of his inability to open his eyes to the new reality that I have accepted, he has been permanently blocked on my Twitter.

One of the schools that has been benefitting from all this happens to be a small school near downtown Long Beach. It's a school called St. Anthony. It is one of the oldest high schools in the city and is exactly next to St. Anthony's Church, the primary church in Long Beach, and one of downtown's top attractions. The team name is called the Saints. Their colors are purple, white and silver.

Their football team is coached by man named Mario Morales, who used to coach at Long Beach Wilson, whose Bruins defeated the Saints earlier this year. Their stadium, however, is off-campus, but has been their ground for a long time: Clark Avenue Field, which I took some photos of on my Flickr years ago. That's all changing on Friday, when I watch my first high school football game for the first time in a few years, since I was taken away from a game between Lakewood and Cabrillo at Cabrillo High School in handcuffs before being released.

By the way, this season, Cabrillo did defeat Lakewood. I am convinced that unless the Lancers start recruiting good players and stop losing out to the private schools, this team will find itself again. Right now, I will not waste my money on an alma mater that presents an inferior product and an atrocious return on investment. It's gonna take a million-dollar handout, lump sum, no fake cash, to convince me to watch these idiots show their inferior mastery of the game, maybe two. And I mean it.

But back to the match at hand. St. Anthony plays in a four-team league called the Santa Fe League. Three other teams from three others schools play in this league: the Valiants of St. Genevieve High School of Panorama City, Los Angeles; the Stars of Mary Star of the Sea High School in San Pedro; and the opponent that St. Anthony is facing on Friday: the Mariners of St. Monica Catholic High School, based out of...you guessed it, Santa Monica, California. The Avalon Schools Lancers field an 8-man side that plays in the Express League, another four-team league. They, however, went unbeaten in the regular season, going 8-0 and are doing the postseason business against the Lightning of the Sage Hill School of Newport Coast.

Currently, the Mariners are clearly out of the postseason. They come into Clark Avenue Field with a 3-6 record, 0-2 in league play, winless. A St. Monica victory won't change St. Anthony's playoff situation as they have won the tiebreaker with St. Genevieve and Mary Star. On the other hand, the Saints, well, they want to fine tune their game for the playoffs, they want to win Santa Fe outright, and they want to send their seniors out with a bang.

Watching St. Anthony football is nothing new to me. I have experienced the team win games, lose games, I have been to a few of these matches in the past. In fact, I even helped do chain gang work during a match between the Saints and the Crusaders of Downey Valley Christian, a team that, historically, has had form against St. Anthony and who inflicted the team their second loss of the season. I remember watching St. Anthony face this somewhat obscure team named Verbum Dei of Los Angeles, another team that is also not getting it done at 4-5 (2-1 league). I watched the kids warmup with an "oooh" and "aaah" chant. That, to me, is my only relevant impression of Verbum Dei football. All hype, but lacking in talent.

Verbum Dei compete in the South Catholic. The Knights of Bishop Montgomery, a school from Torrance (known more for its four public teams in Torrance, North, South and West), currently lead the South Catholic at 6-3 (3-0 league). One of their opponents happened to be...St. Anthony. They were smashed, 43-6. Of course, they also lost to the Valiants, 23-6 two weeks prior, but that's a different story.

In any case, I am more than motivated to watch high school football and I think I have found a winner in St. Anthony, a team with the talent that Lakewood is supposed to have but does not. I don't deal with jobbers to the stars like Poly, either. As mentioned before, St. Anthony tick 1, 2, and 3. The expectation is that St. Monica (who have been hilariously designated as their rival school [although, to be fair, St. Monica have had form against St. Anthony in the past]) will get smoked, and get smoked badly.

There was, believe or not, a time where St. Anthony football was just not that good. A lot of soul searching had to be done to sway the youngsters coming out of Pop Warner to give the Saints a shot. They have had a massive shot in the arm ever since. Since 2010, they have had enough players to field a JV side. Morales took over the program in 2012, and since 2013, they have been a regular in the playoffs. Their best season came in 2014, when they finished 11-2 on the year.

Last season, the Saints finished 6-5 but still made the playoffs on a 3-1 league record. That one league loss? St. Monica, 17-16, at Santa Monica College, the home of the Corsairs, whose team this year has regressed from last season. In this aspect, there is reason to believe that there will be payback. I would be tempted to lay it on these Mariners if St. Anthony demolishes these guys by halftime but my job is to simply film what's going on and also take HD photos of the old stadium with its rustic, rusty old bleachers that may or may not have gotten a facelift thanks to donations since I was last at this venue. So I would be wasting my breath giving St. Monica the riot act. Too busy filming, too angry at Lakewood Football for making me come to Clark Field instead.

If St. Monica pull off a shock result on Friday, it might discourage me from coming back to watch the Saints for a while. I don't earn six figures, but even if I did, an upset like this is a long-haul dealbreaker. It's all up the Saints to prove to me that in terms of watchablity, they are a more-than-competent alternative to the worse-than-Trump's mess that is my alma mater's football program.

One more thing: Mike Christensen, my former P.E. teacher at Lakewood, is back as head coach of the team. When the coach during my time at the school is now the coach this year after going through so many coaching changes and a lack of stability, this tells me one thing: stay away from John T. Ford Stadium until the flogs there clean up their bloody act. The principal at this school, Mario Jimenez, must think I'm a shill-faced jackass or something. Well you know what they say: it takes one to know one. It is, undoubtedly, a complete disgrace how Lakewood High School Lancer Football has now been reduced to an unwatchable, losing shell of themselves and it's for this reason I have officially adopted the Saints of St. Anthony as my main prep team in the area until further notice.

Somebody give me a flaming effigy. Go give 'em a good martyring, boys. Up the Saints.