George School vs Episcopal Academy Football Version: (10 minute quarters)

Aka, George School Varsity Math Team Stuns Episcopal Academy + Conestoga Math Club, 16-15, in Pseudo-Finals

Pregame:

This is one of the Varsity Math matches for this season that we really wanted to see. The George School Varsity Math Team Cougars are the Friends League Champions again, while the EA Math Club Churchmen are the Inter AC Champions. We’re expecting to see some elite Varsity Math (in the form of football) today. And the GSVMT Cougars have just reported that the entire junior class will not be there, which includes running back MC Gu, punter Luke Zhang, left guard Wilson Xu, center Max Lin, right guard Alex Chen, and wide receiver Ally Fu. Well, this is a major update that will have a huge impact on the match… wait, the Churchmen have just reported that they are also missing a lot of people, but they still have their top three players. And the Cougars have now reported that superstar quarterback Wilson Chen ‘23 will not be playing today either. Well, this is not how we expected this matchup to go.

First Quarter:

9:56: George School starts the drive at the 25. Ball is snapped, and they choose to throw it, and it’s intercepted by EA at the 30, brought down by Peter Tang.

9:40: First and 10 for EA at the GS 30, snapped to the quarterback, pressured by Kevin Gong, and they’re running around the field, and they’re sacked by Kevin Gong and Jackson Yang for a loss of 30 yards.

8:40: 3rd and 40 for EA at the EA 40 yard line, ball snapped, and they’re going for a pass, but that pass is incomplete.

8:03: EA goes to punt, caught by Sam Gorby at the GS 15, and they’re running up the field, tackled at the GS 37.

7:20: Here we go with another George School drive. First and 10 at the GS 37, the quarterback counterfeits the pass to the halfback before giving it to the fullback, who runs down the middle for an eight-yard gain. Now that quarterback is a smart student. https://youtu.be/xEPIfdZ07kQ?t=2752 

6:41: When the halfback receives the ball from the GSVMT quarterback, they are tackled for a loss of nine yards. https://youtu.be/xEPIfdZ07kQ?t=2782 

5:54: Kevin Gong punts the ball, and EA gets the ball at their 22.

4:47: 3rd and 10 at the EA 22, snapped to the quarterback, and it’s a run, 24 yards, finally stopped by Jackson Yang at the EA 46.

3:51: 4th and 1 at the GS 45, rush left for a gain of 15 yards, taking them to the GS 30.

3:25: 1st and 10 at the GS 30, and EA is sacked for a loss of 4 yards by Linglong Dai.

2:39: 3rd and 3 at the GS 23, and EA passes it deep, caught for a 23 yard touchdown and the first completed pass of the day to make it 6-0 for EA. Here they come for the extra point, and the kick is blocked by Kevin Gong and no good.

2:26: EA kicks 52 yards to the GS 8, Sam Gorby returns it 15 yards to the GS 23.

2:19: First and ten, and it looks like it’s a Linglong Dai run, all the way down to the EA 42 for a first down.

1:39: 3rd and 18 at the EA 35, and the pass is incomplete. GS to punt.

1:01: GS punts, EA running the ball, long scramble, finally pushed out of bounds at the GS 11.

0:11: EA at the GS 11, quarterback is being pressured by the defense, going all the way back to midfield, finds an opening, and running up, and they get a gain of three yards. That sequence takes us to the end of the first quarter, where it is EA 6, GS 0.

Second Quarter:

9:43: 3rd and 3, EA quarterback runs, and they’re in for the touchdown. EA 12, GS 0. EA decides to go for 2. EA tosses a dart, which Kevin Gong... intercepts! This is a live play, and Kevin Gong is going to return it for 2 points while remaining in bounds, making the score EA 12 and GS 2. Now this is something that we don’t see every day.

9:40: EA kicks 56 yards to the GS 4, Sam Gorby returns it 26 yards to the GS 30.

9:36: 1st and 10, ball snapped to Linglong Dai, and it’s a throw to Jackson Yang, caught, brought down at the GS 41 for a first down. And that is GSVMT’s first completed pass of the day and the second of the game.

8:46: GS to pass again, and they will be sacked for a loss of 5 yards.

7:02: GS punts the ball, caught at the EA 5, and it will be returned to the EA 30.

6:35: EA quarterback goes for a pass, and that will be incomplete, almost picked off by Sam Gorby, but that makes it 2nd and 10.

6:08: 3rd and 10, EA quarterback hands it off to the running back, and it is a gain of 7 yards, setting up 4th and 3.

5:51: 4th and 3, EA looking to punt. Uh oh… Now that it's fourth down and three, the wide receiver is prepared to receive the snap. They're about to snap it, but the safety is really behind him. You say the flag is down. Perhaps they were attempting to convince them to veer offside? (Illegal formation, the whole right side of the line was not on the line of scrimmage, offense, this penalty is declined, the result of this play is first down for George School.) They should not have snapped the football and tried to sneak it in any way, shape, or form. Around the two players, they had three, four, or even five defenders. It was crazy. Given that there is a man between them, what exactly are you doing here? They make no effort to execute a play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i7VKQwDS2s 

5:40: 1st and 10 from the EA 37, botched snap, GS trying to recover the ball, and they do, but for a loss of 20 yards.

5:01: 2nd and 30, GS quarterback going for a long throw, and that is intercepted at about the EA 40, and EA is now trying to advance, but Kevin Gong knocks the ball out around the GS 15, the ball is loose, and GS recovers it, now trying to advance, and the ball is forced out by the EA player that intercepted it at about the EA 10, and the GS center forces the ball out, and now GS recovers the ball and tries to advance it, and now another EA player forces a fumble, and now EA has the ball again, running towards the end zone, and that will be a touchdown for EA. That makes the score EA 18, GS 2, which if this were consistent with the soccer version, would make this an 16 point comeback, which would be the largest in GSVMT history if GS comes back from this. The refs are reviewing the play, and they have determined that the EA player did not have possession when crossing the goal line, so this is a George School touchback. Also, that play took 4 minutes.

0:57: 1st and 10, GS fakes a throw, and Jackson Yang runs the ball down the middle, and they are tackled on the EA side of the field for a first down.

0:41: 1st and 10 from the EA 49, GS tries to throw, and that is incomplete.

0:03: GS will try to go for a 60 yard field goal to end the half, the snap is good, but the ball is blocked. So the score at half time is EA 12, GS 2.

Third Quarter:

10:00: EA will receive the ball to start the second half. EA gets the ball at their own 8 yard line and advances it to the 36 yard line.

9:53: EA with a short pass gets a gain of 4 yards. That is the third completed pass of the day.

9:14: 3rd and 6 from the EA 40, and they’re going to throw it. Down the center, but broken up by Alina Pang. And EA will punt.

9:09: EA on to punt, they've gotten it blocked and the ball is going towards the EA end zone. Number 7 Jackson Yang scoops up the football for the score, and number 14 Peter Tang appears to be the player to get the punt block. GSVMT will be back in the competition with this additional point. The Kevin Gong kick and Alina Pang hold both performed well, bringing the current score to EA 12 and GS 9. https://youtu.be/hiUTDWQKqYw?t=403 

4:43: Long drive ending here, EA on for a 37 yard field goal attempt. Trying to give the Churchmen a six point lead. And that will go straight through. EA 15, GS 9.

4:20: GS looking to run for the first down, Peter Tang down the middle, gets the first down.

3:52: Shotgun snap to Kevin Gong, Gong, circling, Gong has space and speed, Gong breaks a tackle, spin move by Gong, finally brought down.

0:34: Here, GS is going to punt. It's blocked! No, it's a high spiral, so they managed to get it away. The safety man muffed it, it was a loose ball, GS tried to get it, oops, butterfingers, EA had it, GS on the ground, but they failed to pick it up, bouncing to the 50, here it comes to the 35, GS or EA, everybody's got it, no everybody drops it, nobody's got it, near 100 yard fumble near the goal line of George School, and it is finally retrieved by Episcopal Academy inside the George School 1. https://youtu.be/xEPIfdZ07kQ?t=2836 

Fourth Quarter:

10:00: 1st and goal from the GS 1, ball snapped, and EA gets sacked by Sam Gorby and Jackson Yang for a loss of five yards.

9:42: 2nd and goal from the GS 6, and then a terrible snap, EA is going to have to go all the way back, they didn’t secure it, still loose, it’s still loose, rolling all the way back, this ball is still loose, behind the 20, who wants the football, it is finally recovered by Episcopal Academy, back at the 7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC3t5W1zlfQ 

8:58: And EA will be punting on fourth and goal.

6:31: And GS will have to punt here.

6:06: This is a third and 1 for EA, motion, handoff, EA has enough, push the pile, play isn’t whistled dead, still going, a swarm, bodies flying towards the football, and the Cougars claim they’ve got it! Alina Pang comes out of the pile with it! The play was never whistled dead. https://youtu.be/RburINFOWoU?t=466 

5:16: First and 10 for the Cougars at their 28, ball snapped, Linglong Dai hands the ball off to Sam Gorby, and they rush left for a gain of 6 yards.

3:36: Fourth down and 2, Linglong Dai surveys, fires, completed, Jackson Yang, first down Cougars at the GS 48. And that is the fourth completed pass of the day.

0:58: Cougars need a touchdown, Linglong Dai, two step drop, surveys, into triple coverage, it’s incomplete, a lot of contact, and there’s the flag. And that will be a 15 yard penalty against EA for pass interference.

0:54: First down and 10 at the 11 for the Cougars, Linglong Dai hands off to Peter Tang, and they will run to the EA 3. EA calls a timeout.

0:20: Dai with Tang to her left, they motion to Gorby, cut down at the back field, setting up fourth and goal from the EA 5.

0:09: Cougars are out of timeouts, Linglong Dai staring at the sideline with the play clock under ten. Five, four, three, two, one, zero… they snap the football at zero, towards the end zone, TOUCHDOWN! EA’s coach running on the field, pointing at the play clock, it was at zero. Zeroes on the play clock. Now how about this from Linglong Dai, finding fellow senior Sam Gorby for a touchdown and the fifth completed pass of the game. And thanks to this Sam Gorby touchdown, GSVMT is an extra point away from taking the lead with five seconds left. Kevin Gong with the kick, and it is good! GS 16, EA 15. What a turn of events. https://youtu.be/hiUTDWQKqYw?t=829 https://youtu.be/ax3UozOlgQk?t=479 

0:03: EA lining up their running back at center. First and 10 from the EA 24. Final play, looks like barring a penalty. EA down the middle to their receiver, GETS SMOKED RIGHT AWAY!!! And that will do it! The George School Varsity Math Team Cougars are Philly League champions for the fourth consecutive year! Kevin Gong, who had many great moments in today’s match, made the tackle, and Jackson Yang was there to rush the EA quarterback. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz4njWgO8jA 

Press conference kind of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq11R_f_kh0 

Video summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDVATZrn3_4 

Postgame:

Well, that was exciting. The George School Varsity Math Team won their fifth championship today, fourth consecutive Philly League title. We saw some great performances by Kevin Gong, Linglong Dai, Jackson Yang, Peter Tang, and Sam Gorby in today’s 16-15/40 GSVMT vs EA Math Club matchup. Additionally, we have gotten the results back from the other matches, where we can now state that GFS did not do well enough to win the Philly League due to Penn Charter’s defense, and that Wilson Chen and MC Gu will be the top two individuals. This means that Wilson Chen joins Bom Jindanuwat ‘20, Forest Ho-Chen ‘22, and Jimmy Ding ‘23 as a Philly League Individual Champion. Be sure to tune into the coverage of the Penn vs Princeton football match tomorrow at 1:00 PM, Ivy League title on the line. (If Yale wins, then we’ll be like, “If we can’t win the Ivy League, neither can Princeton.”) There definitely won’t be any similarities between that match and this match. Also, make sure to tune in to the Eagles vs Colts coverage on Sunday at 1:00 PM. And finally, MATES in Philly will be back on December 2 for the Varsity Tournament, held at The Shipley School. Our coverage will be here: https://matesofficial.wixsite.com/matesinphilly/2022-varsity-tournament 

Sources: Philly Varsity Math League, NCAA, NFL, College Championships, Penn Sports Network, ESPN, Harrison Brown-Russo, Disney, Big Central Gridiron, and more.

2021 Varsity Tournament Finals as soccer scoresheet:

George School Varsity Math Team Cougars vs Shipley Math Team Gators

GS vs Shipley finals

soccer version