Hachiko's Spirit of Leafa College Football Dynasty

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The Aki Cousins Are Reunited For Next Season

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
October 1, 2074

Bendigo Senior Secondary College quarterbacks Kaz Kasumigaoka and Shae Katou-Aki will play for the Leafa College Spirit gridiron team in 2075. Kasumigaoka—the son of Utaha Kasumigaoka—and Katou-Aki—the son of Megumi Katou—join their cousin, current sophomore halfback Ledley Aki—the son of Eriri Sawamura Spencer. All three are sons of Tomoya Aki, meaning that the entire Aki family—at least in terms of the sons, will be playing for the Spirit. Kasumigaoka committed following a visit in Week 4 (a bye week), while Katou-Aki committed following the Homecoming 2074 game against UCLA. They also join their older cousin a number of times removed, wide receiver Tyler Aki, pending his decision to leave school early for the NFL Draft next April.

"It's a big weight lifted off our shoulders," said Shae after practice at Bendigo Secondary. "Kaz and I wanted to get this over with but I needed more time to think it over. I finally got my wish: to play alongside our cousin Ledley. Actually, he's our older stepbrother, but we prefer the more gentle-sounding cousin. We're all stepbrothers though, since we have the same father. Our true cousin is Tyler."

Utaha Kasumigaoka, the mother of Kaz Kasumigaoka.​

"I knew my son was going to be a Spirit player," said Utaha. "I heard a lot of great things about the college and its music program and my son really like to do sound engineering, along with Megumi's son. I told Rinri (Utaha's neckname for Tomoya Aki) after I...came to terms with the news, 'Our boys are going to play with the best.' And it was the best sex ever. I'm so proud of them, especially Kaz. He's gonna do a great job."
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Megumi Katou, the mother of Shae Katou-Aki.​

"I didn't think my son was going to be a legend at Leafa but when he said he was going to visit Canberra on Homecoming, he wasn't lying," said Megumi. "Everything was all-expenses paid and he received the five-star treatment within NCAA limitations. He loved the atmosphere, loved the environment, even through it was raining on game day, but the vibes he had about Leafa were strong enough that he told me that he would commit. So my son will be competing with Utaha's son for the starting role. I hope they share the job and no one gets picked over the other."

"When I told Uta-Mama and Megu-Mama and even Eri-Mama the news," said Shae, "they were all in the same room sharing sweet talk with one another and they all came at once. They were orgasming with pride and they're all MILFs. We have some really hot-looking moms out there, and when Dad came into the room (I was at my own personal study, by the way), it was a nice adult orgy. I don't need to go into much detail after that.

"We're so excited to finally fill in the shoes of the quarterbacks that are currently there but who will graduate. We are thrilled to be a part of the Spirit gridiron team. We can't wait to return to Canberra and continue the legacy that those who came before us delivered. We'll bring you more championships, Australia. Leave it to us, the Akis."

 

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Huang Lingyin, the grandmother of Lee Bongdal and Lee Bokmal.​

"We're doing all this for Grandma": Lee Bongdal

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
October 3, 2074

Strong safety Lee Bongdal is the older of two brothers, the other brother being Lee Bokmal. Both Bongdal and Bokmal, born in Seoul, are the sons of former Mitakihara Magi defencive great Lee Ma Ling (or Ma Ling Lee) and Haruka Niimi, and in turn, they are the grandsons of former Magi special teams player Lee Seongnam and Huang Lingyin. Seongnam and Lingyin passed away three months apart this year—Seongnam passed away in March and Lingyin died in June—and after the two twins buried them in Hong Kong, they elected to be a bit retrospective.

"Our grandparents were very great people in their day," said Bongdal. "But we're really doing all thing for Grandma because when were at her deathbed in Vancouver, she told us, 'You now have my spirit. I want you to make me proud, and I will always be watching over you.' Bokmal was in tears because he didn't want to see Grandma go like this, but when we went to Hong Kong Cemetery to bury our grandparents late in June, we stared at the grave and prayed. Grandpa was buried there already.

"I couldn't shed a tear, but as I looked up, I noticed that tears of joy were falling out of my eyes as we embraced her spirit. After along spiritual conversation with Grandma Ling, we left for Australia with smiles on our face. We knew what we had to do, and we promised Grandma...we won't let her down. We love her too much to do that, and we know we'll see her again one day.

"It was emotional time for us and our parents Ma Ling and Haruka," Bokmal added. "But we decided that we're going to make our grandparents and our parents proud when we play gridiron. Grandma Ling's spirit is in us. She was greatness when she ran her IS units. Now that she is watching over us, we're going to enjoy our time being young hard hitters showing the passion we love playing our sport.

"We don't have any regrets anymore. We are ready to win another championship for Leafa. If either of us decided to leave early, it's fine. If we decided to stay for our fourth year, we'll do that too. But whatever we do, we're gonna do this for Grandma Ling. She expects greatness from us, no matter where she is."

 

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Leafa Shut Out Utah State Despite Sloppy Ball Security

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
October 7, 2074

The Utah State Aggies recorded four turnovers on Saturday in Mountain West action, much to the disgust of Leafa Spirit Gridiron head coach Dan Harding. Nonetheless, Leafa's defense also rose up to the challenge and contributed to a 157-0 shutout of the Aggies at Yunupingu Field in Canberra, ACT. The second team was in action, with quarterback and captain Lachlan Akai passing for 346 yards, rushing for 476 more yards and scores 13 total touchdowns on offence. Left end Gary Acura had the best performance of his career, making 11 tackles and eight sacks.

Halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 231 yards and four majors while catches six passes for 113 yards and a touchdown, halfback Hunter Aoshima ran for 82 yards and two more scores, and wide receiver Mitch Kihara caught six passes for 88 yards and a score while leading the team in blocking with 23 pancakes. Wideout Oliver Isaki also scored a touchdown through the air and had 16 pancakes while wideout Connor Yasaka had 15 pancakes to go with another score off a reception.

Middle linebacker Dane Nanase led the defence with 14 tackles, an interception and a sack, while strong safety Lee Bokmal added 13 tackles and another sack to go with another pick. Backup Jack Mikoshiba was used on defence and recorded seven tackles and two interceptions, while linebacker Nick Mikisugi had three sacks and defensive tackle Archie Fujiwara got to the quarterback four times.

Leafa improve to 5-0 but due to the turnovers forced, the first team is expected to start against the UNLV Rebels at home next week.

 

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Riki Naoe and Rin Natsume, the grandparents (along with Saya Tokido) of Rocky Naoe.​

Two Little Busters Descendants Commit To Leafa

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
October 9, 2074

Hiroaki "Rocky" Naoe, named after the legendary Benihana Group magnate of yesteryear, is the grandson of Riki Naoe Sr. and Rin Natsume on his father's side and Saya Tokido on his mother's side. Riki Sr., who passed away last August, was the first great head baseball coach in Mitakihara Magi history, while Natsume, who passed away last September, was the first great softball coach in Puella Magi history. Naoe, whose father Riki Jr. was an ace as a designated hitter before a long career playing in Australia and then being a pro scout, decided to eschew playing baseball for a living and instead focus on American football.

Riki Naoe, the first great Mitakihara Magi baseball coach.​

Now in his final year at Melbourne Grammar School, Naoe plans to play two sports: gridiron and baseball. As a baseball player, Naoe has a fastball, changeup, breaking ball and slider among his choices and led Greater West Melbourne Little League to back-to-back Little League World Series titles, the first-ever in the history of Australian baseball, alongside Keisuke Natsume (the grandson of Kyousuke Natsume, Yuiko Kurugaya and Sasami Sasasegawa), Akihito "Brett" Inohara (the grandson of Masato Inohara, Noumi Kudryvaka and Komari Kamikita) and Shungo "Rhys" Miyazawa (the grandson of Kengo Miyazawa, Haruka Saigusa and Kanata Futaki).
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Rin Natsume, the woman who built Mitakihara's Puella Magi softball program from the ground up.​

Just this past weekend, Rocky and Kei committed to Leafa College, meaning that the need at quarterback is satisfied, as four quarterbacks have signed with the team. However, both cousins are hoping that the situation regarding Brett and Rhys is managed. Inohara would fill a spot left by outgoing senior halfback Ethan Wakamatsu, but unless an NFL-draft eligible junior leaves the team, there may not be any space for Miyazawa. For this, he is listed as an athlete.

"What I do know is that my grandparents, who are buried in Canada, are watching me in spirit and are happy with the decision I made," Naoe said. "My grandparents, along with Kei's and Brett's and Rhys's...they were the Little Busters, one of the finest baseball teams ever. Kei's grandfather was the leader of the club, but it was through my grandfather learning from Kei's that the Magi baseball team became very successful in developing leaders on and off the diamond.

"I plan to use baseball as a way to stay in shape, but it won't be where I will make a living. I like gridiron more, and I want to make Grandma Rin proud by being a successful gridiron player in Australia. Ever since all four of us moved to Melbourne, we've been close mates and we plan to be so."

Yuiko Kurugaya, the grandmother (on his father's side) of Keisuke Natsume.​

Keisuke Natsume plays shortstop and has strong reflexes. Last season for Melbourne Grammar School, Kei hit .345 with 18 home runs and 45 RBI. But Kei is also a quarterback with a strong release and competent athleticism. He thinks that the training he gets at Leafa will mold his form twenty-fold at the minimum.

"I hear that at Leafa, the first-year players go through a rigorous training that allows their stats to rise higher than Mount Everest," said Natsume. "My grandmother Yuiko, who is now dead since she passed away in April, she told me that if I commit to Leafa, I will get a lot of playing time and even play on defense, even though I am a quarterback. I don't know if she is right, but I have to believe my grandparents. My father Takashi also told me that Leafa would be a good option for me because I don't have to stay on the other side of the Pacific all of the time.

"Well, I still have to do lots of traveling and jet lag is a factor, but as long as I am part of a winning team, the travel will make me look like I'm already on an NFL team. I hear that all the players at Leafa are NFL-caliber players, so I am nervous but excited to prove to the coaches that I belong in Canberra."

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Leafa Spirit Gridiron Blow Away UNLV

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
October 14, 2074

Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit Gridiron team wrapped up a strong home stand with a 97-20 rout of the UNLV Rebels at Yunupingu Field in Canberra, ACT. Quarterback Cooper Kanie passed for 237 yards, ran for 346 yards and scored nine total touchdowns on offence. On defence, middle linebacker Roy Hanamura led the way with 23 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack and three forced fumbles.

Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 293 yards and a touchdown, wideout Xavier Kim caught seven passes for 65 yards and two scores, and wideout Dayne Tsunashi ran for 106 yards and a major. Left tackle Stafford Ropati led the team in blocking with 20 pancakes while left guard Gino Fatu added 11 pancakes.

Strong safety Lee Bongdal recorded 13 taqckls and an interception. Defencive tackle Levi Iori recorded two sacks while right end Lewis Sakishima had three. Free safety Jay Madanbashi also had 13 tackles, while three other players also had a sack on defence.

Leafa improve to 6-0 and hit the road next week to face the New Mexico Lobos.

 

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Sayaka Amemiya, the wife of Leafa Spirit WR Kai Emiya, donning the main Leafa Cheergirls outfit.​

Two Leafa Cheergirls Loyal Wives To Spirit Gridiron Kings

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
October 16, 2074

Two of the leaders of the Leafa Spirit Cheergirls are wives of a couple of receivers of the Leafa Spirit Gridiron team. Cheer captain Sayaka Amemiya is a third-year kinesiology major and the wife of Spirit wide receiver Kai Emiya, while vice captain Rin Shirosaki is the wife of tight end Tom Arashi. Neither Sayaka nor Rin are avid followers of MMORPGs, opting to follow real sports like gridiron, AFL, rugby league, union and of course, cheerleading.

Amemiya plays to operate a yoga studio in the city alongside Emiya, who is a dual major in kinesiology and engineering, while Shirosaki plans to follow her husband to the pros in the States and join their cheer squad for a decade before working as a schoolteacher and physical education instructor. Of course, she could also work a similar living in Australia should Arashi change course.

"I was successful in incorporating yoga and intense stretching execises for the boys and my husband, who advocated it," said Amemiya. "Even the big offensive linemen are flexible giants. They've dropped a lot of pounds in fat. All of that is extra lean muscle, brought on by years of eating lean protein, less carbs and hours of lifting iron.

"Kai and I love to run and it works up our drive. I don't want to have children yet because it would take me away from my profession for a year. However, that doesn't stop us from making love the way we like to do it. I think contraceptives are a wonderful thing, but there is a point where I want us to have kids that grow up to be big and strong and savvy just like us.

"I like my husband. I'm a cheerleader, he's a gridiron football player. We're a nice combo."

Rin Shirosaki with the Leafa Cheergirl uniform used during road matches.​

"We're not just restricted to gridiron games," said Shirosaki. "We also do basketball and volleyball games, as well as a lot of PR events advertising our teams. Tom's really active in getting the word out about our Cheergirls and about sports on campus. We've had full houses and we put on a good show.

"I'm like Tom: very accountable, independent, spontaneous, and I take some of the work off Tom if he's busy with school or the big game. I even help do pregame meals for the boys at the Co-op, where they all gather if the game is here in Leafa Town (the nickname for the campus proper). Tom says I'm good in bed, and I tend to confide a lot of trust and secrets with him. He knows what I like and don't like ever since we met in our first year.

"I'm planning to have children down the road and take a new challenge in being a mother. I think I'm ready, Tom thinks he's ready to be a proud father, and the sky's the limit for both of us. We're on our way."

 

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Kotoko Ryuujou, the wife of Leafa Spirit Gridiron defencive tackle Archie Fujiwara.​

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT: In Archie Fujiwara's Words

By Archie Fujiwara
Special to Spirit News
October 17, 2074

My name is Ryuichi "Archie" Fujiwara. I am a third-year defensive tackle for the Leafa College Spirit Gridiron Team. I am part of one of the most ferocious pass-rushing units in college football and have won two BCS International Championships. I was born Ryuichi Honda in a small town in Queensland called Gladstone. At the age of five, I began spending 11 years of my life with my parents in a town in Japan called Sasebo, home to one of the largest hubs of ships for the Japan Marine Self Defence Force.

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At the age of seven, when I was still in grade school, I met the one person in my life that would be by my side to this very day: Kotoko Ryuujou. She was a sprightly vixen, and very playful, and her parents were well off. But when we were in junior high, she would come over to visit my and my parents and we would hang out together, pass by the docks, maybe see a big ship head to port, those types of things.

The second year of my senior high school career arrived, and there was plans for me to return to Australia and return to Gladstone to prepare for an education there. Kotoko, being ever so faithful, said that if you're going to leave, take me with you. There were some long negotiations as to how this would work out. Often it didn't get anywhere.

I went to the bargaining table and said that I would marry her when we finish high school. I told out parents, we're growing up, we're getting used to life as adults, we want to be treated as adults, and we want to be blessed with taking up the responsibilities. I loved Kotoko too much to let this moment pass me by. Soon enough, Mr. Ryuujou, who was a retired member of the Self Defence Forces, decided to give us his blessings.

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Actually, the wedding went earlier than expected. We married midway through our final year of high school, and then we had to decide what college we would enroll in. I could have played rugby league, but Kotoko had other plans. You see, she envisioned me being an American football player. I was huge, she was small, she wanted to be my personal cheerleader.

There was just something about Kotoko's suggestion that lit a fuse. It was as if a massive lightbulb went off, right under my nose. Gridiron is a thing in Japan. Their national team is one of the best in the world, and the thought was, why not make Australia relevant in this sports as well. Ryuujou said, "I want you to be my trailblazer. I dream of you...winning the Super Bowl for me. I don't want this dream to die, or I will never forgive you."

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As I hushed her mouth with a kiss and assured her that it was a deal, my resolve to play gridiron is strong. There are other players on our team that are good and competent, like Levi (Iori) and Oscar (Inui) and even Joshua (Kodai), but I feel that I have what it takes to make a decent living playing American football. And my wife told me to use the money for mutual funds. But I've always wanted to help construct new ships. After all, my wife in a past life was a ship, and in another one, a shipgirl.

The great sea of victory is what I want to sail on. I made a promise to Kotoko that I would be the player she always me to be. I can't break that promise. My resolve is stronger than steel. I'm ready to win another championship for Leafa Town, and we won't look back.

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Yui Mikoze, Mirai Nazukari, Yukari Kohinata and Nanako Usami, wives of Lincoln Yama, Daniel Tachibana, Archer Hiiro and Nathan Manatsu.​

Loyalty to wives important to Leafa gridiron juniors

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
October 18, 2074

Yui Mikoze, Mirai Nazukari, Yukari Kohinata and Nanako Usami are the wives of Leafa Spirit cornerback Lincoln Yama, cornerback Daniel Tachibana, halfback Archer Hiiro and tight end Nathan Manatsu. According to the four guys, loyalty to these former local idols is an important thing, as the four girls plan to seek a future working in Australia.

"I met Yui at a coffee bar in my first year at the college," said Yama. "She told me that she enrolled at Leafa because she couldn't find a decent college in Japan to study. I ended up tutoring her and she ended up dorming with me. I introduced her to the world of gridiron and she enjoyed watching me play. Since then, we've been together and we're married."

"Mirai told me that life as a college student was different than being a member of Nagarekawa Girls," said Tachibana. "But she enjoys being a part of the college culture here. She is studying drama and looking to overcome her introversion. Since I'm a very outspoken person, I think I will have a fun time fixing that. She's a third-year now, so she's making a lot of progress."

"Sure, loyalty has to be an important thing for all of us," said Hiiro. "Yukari comes from a well-off family who has a business stake here in Australia, that's why she's here. She told me that when we graduate, she'll help us start a family. I need to be nice to my wife, because my parents are encouraging me to be independent. I can do a lot of things myself, but I wouldn't mind having some support in terms of starting a family."

"I love Nanako, she does a lot of things for me and is very professional with what she does," said Manatsu. "She plans on being a singer-songwriter as well as a teacher after spending some time as a Locodol. But she told me that she doesn't want to be an idol forever. She wants a normal life, and she wants me to help her if I decided to become a professional gridiron player. America may be calling for us."

 

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Leafa Boys Are Still Number One!

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
October 19, 2074

A new spirit song was written by the most unexpected of people: a high school commit from Bendigo, Victoria who has yet to enroll at Leafa College and will not do so until this January. The new song was approved by the Leafa College Associated Students today. The song is called "Leafa Boys Are Still Number One!" or "LeBAStiNO!" for short.

Written by Shae Katou-Aki, a Leafa Spirit quarterback who, at the time, was still finishing high school, the song "Leafa Boys Are Still Number One" was written after Katou-Aki, the son of Tomoya Aki and Megumi Katou, committed to the Spirit football program. It is a song/chant based off of an old Civil War song called "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and the Melbourne Victory Blue and White Brigade's chant "Melbourne Boys Are Still No. 1." The song lyrics can also be changed to accommodate the women's teams, but this is primarily a Leafa Spirit Gridiron Song.

When Leafa's marching home again, hurrah! hurrah!
We'll give an Aussie welcome then, hurrah! hurrah!
The men will cheer, the women will shout
And everyone will all turn out,
Leafa Boys Are Still Number One!

The victory bells will peal with joy, hurrah! hurrah!
To welcome home the Leafa boys, hurrah! hurrah!
The Canberra blokes and sheilas say
That Leafa Town will win the day,
Leafa Boys Are Still Number One!

The championship is rolling in, hurrah! hurrah!
The day is here, the dream begins, hurrah! hurrah!
All hail the green and gold and white,
We'll go all in, we're out to fight,
Leafa Boys Are Still Number One!

The best since twenty forty five, hurrah, hurrah!
We keep the faith and hope alive, hurrah, hurrah!
No matter where we are and roam,
This is our alma mater home,
Leafa Boys Are Still Number One!

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na,
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na,
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na,
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na,
LEAFA BOYS ARE STILL NUMBER ONE!​

-S. Katou-Aki '78
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Leafa Spirit Upend New Mexico On the Road

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
October 21, 2074

Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit Gridiron pummeled the New Mexico Lobos, 153-17, at University Stadium in Albuquerque, N,M. Quarterback Cooper Kanie passed for 237 yards, rushed for 525 yards and scored 12 total touchdowns on offence. Left end Sam Touzokuyama led the defence with 10 tackles and four sacks. To be fair, the score could have been 160-17 but a clipping penalty by wide receiver Connor Yasaka nullified a long touchdown run from Kanie late in the contest.

Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 207 yards and four touchdowns, halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 207 yards and four scores, and wide receiver Xavier Kim caught six passes for 75 yards while co-leading in team blocks with Mitch Kihara with 17 pancakes. Four other players on offence had at least 10 blocks, all on the offencive line.

Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura had 10 tackles and a 21-yard interceptions for a touchdown. Defensive tackle Levi Iori had nine tackles and a sack, while linebacker Leo Tatsumi and right end Lewis Sakishima ranc had two sacks. Cornerback Vic Tsuchimikado had two picks to go with five tackles.

Leafa improve to 7-0 and return home next week to face the Colorado State Rams.

 

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The Mystique Of The Melbourne Cricket Ground

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
October 23, 2074

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the 13th-largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and has the highest light towers at any sporting venue. The MCG is within walking distance of the city centre and is served by the Richmond railway station, Richmond, and the Jolimont railway station, East Melbourne. It is part of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct.

Internationally, the MCG is remembered as the centrepiece stadium of both the 1956 Summer Olympics, the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the 1992 Cricket World Cup. The open-air stadium is also one of the world's most famous cricket venues, with the well-attended Boxing Day Test match commencing on Boxing Day (26 December) each year. Throughout the winter, it serves as the home of Australian rules football, with at least one game (though usually more) held there each round. The stadium fills to capacity for the AFL Grand Final in late September.

The MCG, often referred to by locals as "The G", has also hosted other major events, including International Rules between the Australian Football League (AFL) and Gaelic Athletic Association, international Rugby union, State of Origin series (rugby league), FIFA World Cup qualifiers and International Friendly matches, serves as the finish line for the Melbourne Marathon and also hosts major rock concerts.

Until the 1970s, more than 120,000 people sometimes crammed into the venue – the record crowd standing at around 130,000 for a Billy Graham evangelistic crusade in 1959, followed by 121,696 for the 1970 VFL Grand Final. Grandstand redevelopments and occupational health and safety legislation have now limited the maximum seating capacity to approximately 95,000 with an additional 5000 standing room capacity, bringing the total capacity to 100,024.

The MCG is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and was included on the Australian National Heritage List on 26 December 2005. It is referred to within Victoria as the "Spiritual Home of Australian Sport".

Outside of the MCG are statues of famous Australian athletes donated by Tattersalls and known as the Parade of Champions, including many Australian rules football and cricket legends.

They include:

• Ron Barassi (Australian rules football player)
• Dick Reynolds (Australian rules football player)
• Leigh Matthews (Australian rules football player)
• Haydn Bunton, Sr. (Australian rules football player)
• Don Bradman (cricket player)
• Keith Miller (cricket player)
• Bill Ponsford (cricket player)
• Dennis Lillee (cricket player)
• Neil Harvey (cricket player)
• Betty Cuthbert (track and field)
• Shirley Strickland (track and field)
• Jim Stynes (Australian rules football player)
• Shane Warne (cricket player)
• Norm Smith (Australian rules football player and coach)
• John Coleman (Australian rules football player)

Sporting records
First ever Test Cricket match (Australia v England) – 1877
First ever One day international Cricket match – 1971
Highest first class cricket score – 1107 (Victoria v NSW, 1926)
Australia's first international Lacrosse match (Australia v Canada, 1907, 30,000)
Fastest ball bowled in a Cricket match in Australia, 3rd fastest in the world – 160.7 km/h (Shaun Tait, Australia v Pakistan, 5 February 2010)

Attendance records
Highest Association Football crowd at MCG(clubs International Friendly) – 95,446 (Pre-season friendly, Melbourne Victory v Liverpool FC, 24 July 2013)
Highest Association Football crowd at MCG (National Team vs National Team) – 95,103 (Australia v Greece, 2006)
Highest VFL/AFL attendance – 121,696 (Collingwood v Carlton, 1970)
Highest single-day attendance in the history of Test Cricket – 91,092 (2013 Boxing Day Test, Day 1 - Australia v England)
Highest One Day International crowd – 87,182 (1992 World Cup Final England v Pakistan)
Highest Australian religious event attendance – 120,000 (Billy Graham crusade, 1959)
The first stadium in the world to have its annual number of visitors equal to the city's population

Stadium records
World's first all colour cricket scoreboard with instant replays
World's first electronic sightscreens
World's first super sopper
World's first scrolling signage at an oval-shaped ground
Australia's largest video screens
First time an international Cricket match was played on a one-piece portable pitch, Boxing Day Test, 2000
World's highest light towers

Cricket Records

Test Records
Highest Test Total: 604 – Australia vs. England, 26 February 1937
Highest Individual Test Score: 307 – Bob Cowper, Australia vs. England, 11 February 1966
Best Test Innings Bowling Figures: 9/86 – Sarfraz Nawaz, Pakistan vs. Australia, 10 March 1979
Best Test Match Bowling Figures: 15/124 – Wilfred Rhodes, England vs. Australia, 1 January 1904
Highest Test Partnership: 346 (for the 6th wicket) – Sir Donald Bradman & Jack Fingleton, Australia vs. England, 1 January 1937

ODI Records
Highest ODI Total: 8/344 – ICC World XI vs. ACC Asian XI, World Cricket Tsunami Appeal, 10 January 2005
Highest Individual ODI Score: 173 – Mark Waugh, Australia vs. West Indies, 9 February 2001
Best ODI Innings Bowling Figures: 6/42 – Ajit Agarkar, India vs. Australia, 9 January 2004
Highest ODI Partnership: 225 (for the 2nd wicket) – Adam Gilchrist & Ricky Ponting, Australia vs. England, 15 December 2002

Twenty20 International Records
Highest Twenty20 Total: 9/182 – Australia vs. South Africa, 11 January 2009
Highest Individual Twenty20 Score: 89 (43) – David Warner, Australia vs. South Africa, 11 January 2009
Best Twenty20 Innings Bowling Figures: 3/11 – Nathan Bracken, Australia vs. India, 1 February 2008
Highest Twenty20 Partnership: 60 (for the 1st wicket) – Ian Bell & Steven Davies, England vs. Australia, 14 January 2011

 

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Spirit Gridiron Second Team Jam Colorado State Rams

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
October 28, 2074

At Yunupingu Field in Canberra, ACT, Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit Gridiron jammed the Colorado State Rams to the tune of 121-13. Halfback Jackson Tatara moved one step close to a historic third straight Doak Walker Award, rushing for 392 yards and four touchdowns while catching 10 passes for 246 yards and two more scores. Middle linebacker Dane Nanase, a converted cornerback, made 11 tackles and three interceptions.

Quarterback Lachlan Akai passed for 337 yards and three touchdown while rushing for 279 yards and six more touchdowns. Halfback Hunter Aoshima ran for 392 yards and four scores while catching three passes for 43 yards, and wide receiver Mitch Kihara led the blocking with 24 pancakes. Wideout Connor Yasaka also had 21 pancake blocks, while six other players on offense recorded at least 10.

Left end Gary Acura recorded three sacks while outside linebacker Mark Matsuoka and left end Blake Tsunetsugu each had two sacks. Cornerback Zach Choi, strong safety Lee Bokmal and cornerback Lincoln Yama also had a pick apiece, with Yama returning his pick 86 yards for a touchdown.

Leafa improve to 8-0 but are in a race with three other teams for the two spots in the BCS Championship Game. Up next is a two-game road trip, starting with the Nevada Wolf Pack. The first team is expected to start next weekend's contest.


@Travis7401

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique Of The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
October 30, 2074

The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit is a street circuit around Albert Park Lake, only a few kilometres south of central Melbourne. It is used annually as a racetrack for the Australian Grand Prix and associated support races. The circuit uses everyday sections of road that circle Albert Park Lake, a small man-made lake just south of the Central Business District of Melbourne. The road sections that are used were rebuilt prior to the inaugural event in 1996 to ensure consistency and smoothness. As a result, compared to other circuits that are held on public roads, the Albert Park track has quite a smooth surface. Before 2007 there existed only a few other places on the Formula 1 calendar with a body of water close to the track. Many of the new tracks, such as Valencia, Singapore and Abu Dhabi have imitated that feature.

The course is considered to be quite fast and relatively easy to drive, drivers having commented that the consistent placement of corners allows them to easily learn the circuit and achieve competitive times. However, the flat terrain around the lake, coupled with a track design that features few true straights, means that the track is not conducive to overtaking or easy spectating unless in possession of a grandstand seat.

Each year, most of the trackside fencing, pedestrian overpasses, grandstands and other motorsport infrastructure are erected approximately two months prior to the Grand Prix weekend and removed within 6 weeks after the event. Land around the circuit (including a large aquatic centre, a golf course, a Lakeside Stadium, some restaurants and rowing boathouses) has restricted access during the grand prix weekend. Dissent is still prevalent among nearby local residents and users of those others facilities, and some still maintain a silent protest against the event. Nevertheless, the event is reasonably popular in Melbourne and Australia (with a large European population and a general interest in motorsport). Middle Park, the home of South Melbourne FC was demolished in 1994 due to expansion at Albert Park.

On 4 July 2072, the official F1 site reported that more than 400,000 people attended the four-day Melbourne Grand Prix, though actual ticket sales were later disputed by the local media. The Grand Prix will continue until at least 2100 after securing a new contract with Formula One Management. There has never been a night race at Albert Park, however, 2050’s event started at 5.05 p.m.

During the nine months of the year when the track is not required for Grand Prix preparation or the race weekend, most of the track can be driven by ordinary street-registered vehicles either clockwise or anti-clockwise.

Only the sections between turns 3, 4 and 5, then 5 and 6, differ significantly from the race track configuration. Turn 4 is replaced by a car park access road running directly from turns 3 to 5. Between turns 5 and 6, the road is blocked. It is possible to drive from turn 5 on to Albert Road and back on to the track at turn 7 though two sets of lights control the flow of this option. The only set of lights on the actual track is half-way between turns 12 and 13, where drivers using Queens Road are catered for. The chicanes at turns 11 and 12 is considerably more open than that used in the grand prix, using the escape roads. Turn 9 is also a car park and traffic is directed down another escape road.

The speed limit is generally 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) which is slower than an F1 car under pit lane speed restrictions. Some short sections have a speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour (25 mph). The back of the track, turns 7 to 13 inclusive, is known as Lakeside Drive. Double lines separate the two-way traffic along most of Lakeside Drive with short road islands approximately every 50 metres. This means overtaking is illegal here.

Approximately 50% of the track edge is lined with short parkland-style chain-linked fencing leaving normal drivers less room for error than F1 drivers have during race weekend. There is however substantial shoulder room between the outside of each lane and the fencing.

Turn 1 is an incredibly challenging, medium speed corner that catches several drivers out. It comes at the end of the first DRS zone but despite this it is not a prime overtaking spot. You brake just after the 100 metre board and shift down into third gear, then you accelerate as soon as you hit the exit kerb, keeping flat out round turn 2. It is important to gain a good exit, as the second DRS zone begins down the following straight. Turn 3 is the best overtaking place as you brake roughly 100 metres before the apex for the second gear corner. It is reasonably easy to outbrake a competitor and you can use either the inside or outside; turn 4 is a left-hander than comes immediately after so the outside of turn 3 gives the inside for four. Turn five is a flat-out right hander with high g-force, and turns six, seven and eight make up a difficult complex at the back of the circuit.

Six has a very challenging braking-zone due to trees' shadows obscuring the view of parts of the track. It is even more difficult in the wet as you are unable to see and puddles that will be sitting on the circuit, making it easy to spin off. Turn seven is similar to turn two; a flat-out left-hander after a tricky right, then turn eight is a long, flat-out right-hander which drivers now take with DRS. Turns 9 and 10 make up a slow chicane, some would say a pointless chicane, that leads onto a short straight. You brake about eighty metres from turn nine and you need good traction to carry as much speed as you can out of ten. Turns 11 and 12 make up a challenging, high-speed, left-right chicane where drivers ride the kerbs, however too much kerb can upset the car's balance. Turn 13 can be used for overtaking but offline it can be quite dirty and slippery. Slipstreaming a car out of 12 can get them alongside another car, then braking late can get you down the inside of the third-gear right-hander. Turn 14 is an exciting right-hander that is taken in fifth-gear and requires a lift off the throttle. Turn 15 is the slowest point on the circuit and is a second-gear left-hander, and it is important to get a good exit from the near-flat-out turn 16 so you gain speed all the way down the pit straight.

 

[Travis7401]

At least CSU had a lot of yards against the second team, lol.

 

[Hachiko]

Leafa Open Up November With Big Win Over Nevada

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
November 4, 2074

Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit Gridiron opened up the November stretch run with a 174-21 rout of the Nevada Wolf Pack at Mackay Stadium in Reno, Nev. Despite having a lousy day throwing the ball, Spirit quarterback Cooper Kanie passed for 180 yards, ran for 582 yards and scored 13 offensive touchdowns on the afternoon. Free safety Jay Madanbashi, the son of Leafa provost Kyouko Sonan, made 11 tackles and recorded three interceptions.

Halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns while catching six passes for 46 yards and another touchdown, halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 213 yards and two majors, and halfback Hunter Aoshima ran for 196 yards and four scores. Wide receiver Mitch Kihara led the blockers with eight pancake blocks in a surprisingly balanced day for the blocking game.

Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura led the defense in tackling with 13 tackles, while five different players on defense other than Madanbashi recorded an interceptions apiece. Left ends Sam Touzokuyama and Gary Acura and right end Darren Kurokiba each had two sacks. Four other players on defense also had a sack.

Leafa improve to 9-0 and conclude their regular season road slate next week against the San Jose State Spartans.

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

Shizuno Kazama, the wife of Leafa Spirit offensive tackle Harrison Kazama.​

Of Dragons And Hishimochi: How Harrison Kazama Met His Wife Shizuno

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
November 7, 2074

If there is one thing that bonds Leafa Spirit offensive tackle Harrison Kazama to his wife, the former Shizuno Souryuu, it's a love for dragons. The mystique of the benevolent yet fiery creature has resulted in their dorm room filled with stuffed plush dragons, many in Shizuno's preferred colour of green. But that's not the only thing that these two share in common, aside from being married.

"We love hishimochi," said Kazama. "It's this unique Japanese sweet associated with Hinamatsuri, which is Girls Day in Japan and is well known here in Leafa Town. It's said to also have some unique restorative health benefits that elevate your mind and body and take you higher. Like manna.

"But anyway, I met Shizu when I was younger, maybe about when I was 10, on the Big Island of Hawai'i during Schoolies Week. I met this cute girl with short black twintails and cool blue eyes. I said to her, 'what's your name?' and she said 'I'm Shizu.' Good think I knew conversational Japanese by this point. So we talked on the beach, and as I got to know her, we visited the Byodo-In Temple in O'ahu.

"As we visited what was actually a half-size replica of the temple, I took her hand and I said to her, 'Shizu, I promise you, we will see each other again and when we do, I want us to be together forever. I'll do anything you want to give you the happiness you deserve.' And after that, I kissed her lips so that she knew that it was a promise.

"Years later, as I graduated from my secondary college in Wentworth, I met a similar-looking girl in a sundress and jacket. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Shizu, and she followed me here and she told me, 'I'm going to the same school as you are. Let's be together and fulfill that promise you told me.' One week later, we flew back ot Hawaii and got married. She's studying oceanography by the way, since she also loves the ocean as well as dragons.

"Being a husband is tough. You have to pay the bills, you have to cook meals, you have to make the wife happy, you have to do the type of things that adults do in a civilized society. But there is always a time to drown ourselves into our love for dragons. We love dragons and hishimochi so much, it's comfort toys and food for us. It's such a powerful motivator. And I'm going to make sure Shizuno and I do our best to make our marriage an awesome one."

 

[Hachiko]

Leafa College Slices Past San Jose State, 117-38

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
November 11, 2074

Quarterback Cooper Kanie passed for 231 yards, rushed for 424 yards and scored nine offencive touchdowns as Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit Gridiron team drubbed the San Jose State Spartans, 117-38, at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, Calif. Left outside linebacker Leo Tatsumi recorded seven tackles and four sacks to lead the defense while recovering a fumble for a touchdown.

Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 226 yards and two touchdowns, halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 141 yards and a score, wide receiver Dayne Tsunashi had six catches for 90 yards and a major and wideout Mitch Kihara led the blockers with 22 pancakes. Wide receiver Connor Yasaka had 11 pancakes while fullback Andrew Mitsuka added 10.

Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura led the defense in tackling with 12 tackles to go with two interceptions. Strong safety Lee Bongdal had 10 tackles and two picks, while free safety Jay Madanbashi added nine tackles and an interception. Defensive end Gary Acura had six tackles and three sacks and is currently leading all of college football in sacks with 20.0 on the year.

Leafa improve to 10-0 and return home next week to face the San Diego State Aztecs.

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique Of Saint Patrick's Day

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
November 13, 2074

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, "the Day of the Festival of Patrick"), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilithe, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians also attend church services and the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption.

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.

Much of what is known about Saint Patrick comes from the Declaration, which was allegedly written by Patrick himself. It is believed that he was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest in the Christian church. According to the Declaration, at the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland. It says that he spent six years there working as a shepherd and that during this time he "found God". The Declaration says that God told Patrick to flee to the coast, where a ship would be waiting to take him home. After making his way home, Patrick went on to become a priest.

According to tradition, Patrick returned to Ireland to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity. The Declaration says that he spent many years evangelising in the northern half of Ireland and converted "thousands". Tradition holds that he died on 17 March and was buried at Downpatrick. Over the following centuries, many legends grew up around Patrick and he became Ireland's foremost saint.

On St Patrick's Day it is customary to wear shamrocks and/or green clothing or accessories (the "wearing of the green"). St Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish. This story first appears in writing in 1726, though it may be older.

In pagan Ireland, three was a significant number and the Irish had many triple deities, a fact that may have aided St Patrick in his evangelisation efforts. Patricia Monaghan says there is no evidence that the shamrock was sacred to the pagan Irish. However, Jack Santino speculates that it may have represented the regenerative powers of nature, and was recast in a Christian context – icons of St Patrick often depict the saint "with a cross in one hand and a sprig of shamrocks in the other". Roger Homan writes, "We can perhaps see St Patrick drawing upon the visual concept of the triskele when he uses the shamrock to explain the Trinity".

The colour green has been associated with Ireland since at least the 1640s, when the green harp flag was used by the Irish Catholic Confederation. Green ribbons and shamrocks have been worn on St Patrick's Day since at least the 1680s. The Friendly Brothers of St Patrick, an Irish fraternity founded in about 1750, adopted green as its colour. However, when the Order of St. Patrick—an Anglo-Irish chivalric order—was founded in 1783 it adopted blue as its colour, which led to blue being associated with St Patrick. During the 1790s, green would become associated with Irish nationalism, due to its use by the United Irishmen. This was a republican organisation—led mostly by Protestants but with many Catholic members—who launched a rebellion in 1798 against British rule. The phrase "wearing of the green" comes from a song of the same name, which laments United Irishmen supporters being persecuted for wearing green. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the colour green and its association with St Patrick's Day grew.

The wearing of the 'St Patrick's Day Cross' was also a popular custom in Ireland until the early 20th century. These were a Celtic Christian cross made of paper that was "covered with silk or ribbon of different colours, and a bunch or rosette of green silk in the centre".

 

[Hachiko]

Leafa Trounce San Diego State, 136-23

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
November 18, 2074

It was the usual smashing from Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit Gridiron, who throttled the San Diego State Aztecs 136-23 at Yunupingu Field in Canberra, ACT. Quarterback Cooper Kanie passed for 280 yards, ran for 581 yards and scored nine total touchdowns on offence. Defencively, right outside linebacker David Hazuki recorded 12 tackles and a sack to lead the way.

Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 201 yards and two touchdowns, halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 163 yards and four more scores, wide receiver Xavier Kim had 119 total offencive yards and three offencive touchdowns, wideout Mitch Kihara had 18 pancakes to lead all blockers and wideout Dayne Tsunashi had 14 pancakes.

Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura had 16 tackles to lead all tackles, while Leo Tatsumi added 11 tackles and two sacks. Defensive tackle Levi Iori had three sacks, while three different players on defense, all cornerbacks, had an interception apiece. Defensive end Sam Touzokuyama also had two sacks.

Leafa improve to 11-0 and will host Fresno State next week in Spirit Senior Day 2074, saluting halfback Ethan Wakamatsu and the four senior quarterbacks on the Leafa Spirit gridiron team.

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

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Leafa Spirit Senior Day Honors Class of 2074

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
November 19, 2074

Cooper Kanie, Lachlan Akai, Jack Mikoshiba, Liam Oono and Ethan Wakamatsu comprise the first-ever senior class for Leafa Spirit Gridiron and will be saluted with the members of the Class of 2074 on Spirit Senior Day this Saturday at Yunupingu Field in Canberra, ACT against the Fresno State Bulldogs, who are 4-7 this season.

A massive decision must be made by coach Dan Harding as to whether or not Kanie—who is poised to win his third straight Heisman Trophy—should start at quarterback ahead of Akai, the designated captain for the past three season, ahead of this one. For Kanie, he believes that the captain should get the nod this Saturday.

"Yeah, Lachie's our captain for a reason, he has the professionalism, the maturity, he thinks like a coach and really motivates the younger mates on our team," Kanie said. "While it would be nice to get another start, I think it's important that our captain gets his share of reps under center because he hasn't played as much as I have.

"As for me, I've had a great experience here at Leafa. Anyone that wants to go to a good uni out here needs to come down here. We're a drive away from Parliament Hill, a lot of history of our country is around the corner, and everybody from coast to coast is right behind us because we play for our country and we want to make Australia proud.

"I'm not worried at this point about impressing the scouts. They've looked at the tape, they've seen my skills in action, I won't be adding anything that they haven't seen before. So that allows me to just focus on finishing the season strong and winning another college football championship. The awareness of gridiron in this country is really strong, and we played a massive part in having everybody embrace it. We've blazed a trail, but we're just getting started in turning the skeptics into believers.

"We're on our way."

 

[Hachiko]

Magic Powerade Fuels Leafa Over Fresno On Spirit Senior Day

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
November 25, 2074

A new sportsdrink developed by sports scientists on campus at Leafa College was developed yesterday. The sportsdrink, the aptly-named LeafaJuice, was tested on Dan Harding's gridiron team on Spirit Senior Day at Yunupingu Field in Canberra. The end result: a 128-21 smashing of the Fresno State Bulldogs in front of a capacity crowd in the final home-and-away game for the four fourth-year quarterbacks.

Quarterback Lachlan Akai, the team captain, passed for 251 yards while rushing for 427 yards and 11 total offencive touchdowns. Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu, another fourth-year, ran for 288 yards and three majors while catching six passes for 54 yards and another score, wideout Xavier Kim caught six passes for 69 yards and wideout Dayne Tsunashi led the blockers with 29 pancakes.

Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura led the defense with 15 tackles. Strong safety Lee Bongdal and cornerbacks Billy Ooji and Zach Choi each had two interceptions. The pass rush was led by defensive tackle Levi Iori with five sacks. Two other players on defense also had a pick apiece.

Leafa improve to 12-0 and are back in action in two weeks against the Boise State Broncos in the 2074 Mountain West Championship Game at Yunupingu Field. The game is already an announced sellout.

 

[Hachiko]

 

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The Mystique Of The Pavlova

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
November 30, 2074

Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. It is a meringue cake with a crisp crust and soft, light inside, usually topped with whipped cream and fruit. The name is pronounced /pævˈloʊvə/ or /pɑːvˈloʊvə/, unlike the name of the dancer, which was /ˈpɑːvləvə/.

The dessert is believed to have been created in honour of the dancer either during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. The nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years, but formal research indicates New Zealand as the source.

The dessert is a popular dish and an important part of the national cuisine of both countries, and with its simple recipe, is frequently served during celebratory and holiday meals. It is a dessert most identified with the summer time, but is eaten all year round in many Australian and New Zealand homes.

Pavlova is made by beating egg whites (and sometimes salt) to a very stiff consistency before folding in caster sugar, white vinegar or another acid (e.g. cream of tartar or lemon juice), cornflour, and sometimes vanilla essence, and slow-baking the mixture, similar to meringue.

The pavlova has a crisp and crunchy outer shell, and a soft, moist marshmallow-like centre, in contrast to meringue which is usually solid throughout. It has been suggested the addition of cornflour is responsible for the marshmallow centre, although it has been debated that the cornflour is just another egg white stabiliser in addition to the acid. The consistency also makes the pavlova significantly more fragile than meringue. Because the pavlova is notorious for deflating if exposed to cold air, when cooking is complete it is left in the oven to fully cool down before the oven door is opened.

Pavlova is traditionally decorated with a topping of whipped cream and fresh soft fruit such as kiwifruit, passionfruit, and strawberries. Factory-made pavlovas can be purchased at supermarkets and decorated as desired. A commercial product is available that includes pre-mixed ingredients for baking the meringue shell, requiring only the addition of water and sugar.

Leftover decorated pavlova can be refrigerated overnight, but the dessert will absorb moisture and lose its crispness. Undecorated pavlova can be left overnight in the oven, or for several days in an airtight container, to be decorated when ready.

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique Of The Lamington

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
December 4, 2074

A lamington is a dessert of Australian origin. It consists of squares of sponge cake coated first in a layer of traditionally chocolate sauce, then in desiccated coconut. Lamingtons are sometimes served as two halves with a layer of cream or strawberry jam between, and are commonly found in South African and Australian outlets such as cafes, lunch bars, bakeries, home industries and supermarkets. A raspberry variety is also common in New Zealand, while a lemon variety also exists in Australia.

The chocolate coating is a thin mixture, into which cubes of sponge cake (one cookbook states 4 cm per side) are dipped, and the chocolate is absorbed into the outermost layers of the sponge where it sets. (Similarly, the strawberry jam or chocolate icing is absorbed into the sponge.) The cubes are then covered with coconut and left to set.

Most accounts of the creation of the lamington agree that it was named after Lord Lamington, who served as Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901, although it might have been named for his wife, Lady Lamington. One account claims the dessert resembled the homburg hats that he favoured. Another claim has them named after the village of Lamington, South Lanarkshire in Scotland. As the title Baron Lamington itself derives from the village, however, the question of this connection is merely whether it is direct or indirect.

Even among those who attribute the name to Lord Lamington, there are different claims as to the exact location and creator of the cake itself. According to one claim, Lamingtons were first served in Toowoomba when Lord Lamington took his entourage to Harlaxton House to escape the steamy heat of Brisbane.

In another claim, Lamington's chef at Queensland's Government House, French-born Armand Galland, was called upon at short notice to provide something to feed unexpected guests during the busy period leading up to Federation in 1901. According to the Melbourne newspaper The Age, Galland cut up some left-over French vanilla sponge cake baked the day before, dipped the slices in chocolate and set them in coconut. Coconut was not widely used in European cooking at that time, but was known to Galland whose wife was from Tahiti where coconut was a common ingredient. Lady Lamington's guests then asked for the recipe.

A further alternative claim is that Lord Lamington's cook, presumably Galland, accidentally dropped a block of sponge cake into a dish of chocolate. It was later discovered that desiccated coconut, sprinkled over the top, made the cakes more appealing.

Most of these claims are based on relatively recent reports. First known mention of "Lamington cake" appears in an 1896 newspaper account of a "Lamington Function" at Laidley in Queensland. The event was in honour of Lord Lamington (although it appears he did not attend) and also featured "Lamington Tea", "Lamington Soup etc, so, in the absence of any description of the cake, the name of the cake might signify nothing more than the name of the event. A 1900 recipe for Lamington Cakes has been found in the Queensland Country Life newspaper. While the recipe appears to originate in Queensland, it spread quickly, appearing in a Sydney newspaper in 1901 and a New Zealand newspaper in 1902. However, none of these recipes indicate the creator of the recipe nor the reason for its name. The earliest reference located so far to the naming of the lamington is in June 1927, where the name is linked to Lord Lamington.

It was claimed in 2007 that Lord Lamington did not like lamingtons and that he referred to them as "those bloody poofy woolly biscuits", but it is not known if there are any contemporaneous sources that can confirm this.

Lamingtons are often sold at fund raisers for Australian and South African youth groups such as Scouts, Guides and churches to the extent that such fund raisers are called "Lamington drives". The cake is supplied by commercial bakeries in large slabs and cut into about 40 mm cubes. Teams of volunteers work together, dipping the cake into the chocolate icing and rolling it in the coconut. Generally they are packaged up into one dozen lots for distribution within communities which have been solicited for orders ahead of time. Commercially produced versions are also sold.

 

[Hachiko]

Leafa College Hammer Boise State, 114-31, Return To BCS Title Game

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
December 8, 2074

Quarterback Cooper Kanie passed for 229 yards, ran for 295 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns on offence as Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit Gridiron crushed the Boise State Broncos 114-31 in the 2074 Mountain West Championship Game at Yunupingyu Field in Canberra, ACT. Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 350 yards and two touchdowns while halfback Jackson Tatara caught three passes for 51 yards and two more scores.

Wide receiver Dayne Tsunashi caught seven passes for 58 yards and a score while added 28 pancake blocks. Strong safety Lee Bongdal led the defence in tackles with 15. Cornerbacks Vic Tsuchimikado and Billy Ooji each had two interceptions, while four other players on defence each had a pick. Left end Sam Touzokuyama paced the pass rush with two sacks.

"Our boys did a mighty fine job on both sides of the ball and played with the hearts of lions," said Harding after the match. "We think we're in a good position to challenge Utah for the title of the best team in college football in January. It was a fantastic performance and we were able to exploit a number of flaws in the Broncos defence to get the win."

Leafa improve to 13-0 and will most likely face the Utah Utes in the 2075 BCS International Championship Game.

 

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Hanako Kisaragi, Vic Tsuchimikado's wife.​

Vic Tsuchimikado A Proud Father And Role Model

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
December 14, 2074

As summer heads into full swing in Australia, Vic Tsuchimikado keeps watch over his two kids, Anna and Vic Jr., and his loyal wife Hanako Kisaragi. He budgets his time wisely, being a player and a student and a husband. Taking good care of Hanako is a high priority for Vic, according to the star third-year cornerback.

"Hanako and I share a lot of initimate time together because she allows me to calm down and relax when things get difficult," Vic said. "She never loses her temper, always judges both sides to every argument and sympathizes with me on a number of issues that I have a strong argument for. I could never get mad at her because it just would not be worth it.

"And Hanako is a really good mom. She takes the kids to games, sends them to the local daycare to be watched over by the staff, shows Anna and Junior some of the material we study so that they are familiar with what they look like, and they're starting to appreciate the game of gridiron and picking it up quick. They don't waste time watching AFL, league or union. They are all about watching gridiron movies from America, with the cheerleaders and the underdog stories.

"I do think Junior's gonna grow up to be a good cornerback, maybe a compelling receiver. As for Anna, she's just like Hanako: she's got the hair, the eyes, the smile, the calming demeanor. But she also has my sass, my swag, my determination. Anna's been toying around with a volleyball, so maybe she will play a libero one day. If so, I want her hair to be long just like her mom.

"I asked Hanako whether I should leave for the draft. She told me, 'do what you want, I will support whatever decision you choose, because you gave me a reason to keep living. You are the reason I am here today. I will take care of our children if you should go to America. But whatever you do, don't you ever forget about me." And I said, "I know, and I promised to keep you in mind. It's a love thing."

 

[Hachiko]

Leafa Spirit Hammer Utah Utes, 125-10, For Third BCS Championship

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
January 8, 2075

Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit Gridiron Team finish the season 14-0 after destroying the Utah Utes, 125-10, in the 2075 BCS International Championship Game at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. With starter Cooper Kanie and team captain Lachlan Akai lost due to injury, it was up to third-stringer Jack Mikoshiba to take the reins. Mikoshiba passed for 248 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 215 yards and five more scores.

Halfback Ethan Wakamatsu ran for 221 yards and three majors, halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 212 yards and three touchdowns while catching eight passes for 104 yards, wide receiver Xaview Kim had 23 pancakes, wideout Dayne Tsunashi had 20 pancakes, and both Kai Emiya and Mitch Kihara had 12 pancake blocks apiece.

On defence, middle linebacker Roy Hanamura closed out a solid banner year with 18 tackles and a sack. Linebacker Leo Tatsumi had three sacks while fellow linebacker David Hazuki added an interception. Strong safety Lee Bongdal had 12 tackles while cornerback Luca Mizushima had 11 and cornerback Vic Tsuchimikado had 10.

A victory parade and rally will take place on Jan. 15, 2075 at Commonwealth Avenue and Parliament House, honoring the 2074 Leafa Spirit Gridiron Team.

 

[Hachiko]

 

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2074 STATS

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Records Fall Again At Leafa College

By Eruna Ichinomiya
Spirit News
January 10, 2075

A number of new records were set at Leafa College following the Spirit Gridiron Team's 125-10 victory over the Utah Utes in the 2075 BCS International Championship Game. A victory rally and parade will take place on Jan. 15, 2075 at Commonwealth Avenue and Parliament House in Canberra honouring the Leafa Spirit Gridiron Team and head coach Dan Harding.

Cooper Kanie
Individual Career - Rushing TD 225
Individual Career - Rutshing Yds 13292 Yds
School Career - Passing TD (Career) 85
School Career - Rushing TD (Career) 225
School Career Rushing Yds (Career) 13292 Yds

Lachlan Akai
Individual Season - QB Rating 223.0

Billy Ooji
Individual Career - Interceptions 32
School Career - Interceptions (Career) 32

Sam Touzokuyama
Individual Career - Sacks 82
School Career - Sacks (Career) 82

 

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Shae Katou-Aki: Destiny's Man Of The Year?

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
January 24, 2075
American football is just one passion that quarterback Shae Katou-Aki possesses. He settled on becoming a computer science major after weighing the entire catalogue of programmes offered at Leafa College. Along with Kaz Kazumigaoka, they do occasional testing of Blessing Software's visual novels, which have been wildly successful in Japan, and in which some proceeds have been divested to Shae and Kaz, competing quarterbacks for the starter role next August.

Some say that Shae, the son of Megumi Katou, is considered to be "Destiny's Man Of The Year;" in other words, an athlete that could potentially outshine his predecessors, including Cooper Kanie and Lachie Akai. No question, Shae Katou-Aki loves to lift and has recently embraced the virtues of a low-carb diet. At the weight room at Houraisan Centre (Katou-Aki and Kasumigaoka are already enrolled), Katou-Aki can be seen lifting dumbells of 50 kg, bench-pressing 180 kg and squatting 200 kg with spotters. Not to be outdone, he cools down with bikram yoga and homemade frozen bars made with greek yogurt, strawberries and dried cherry blossom petals imported from up north in Japan.

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Tomoya Aki, the father of Shae Katou-Aki, Kaz Kasumigaoka and Ledley Aki.

"Eat hard, work hard, play hard, and study hard: that is what dad told me to do when I got here," said Shae in an interview with The Spirit News (recently renamed newspaper for Leafa College). "No fuss, no shenanigans, just work, live and learn. I've got a ton of respect for this college because you grow up and mature faster in an environment that encourages personal development and growth.

"I'm not gonna let anybody hold my hand because when my dad married my mom and mom gave birth to me, they wanted me to be able to be independent at a young age. I learned to do my own chores, cook my own meals, finish my homework and my parents became just advisors. Kaz is the same thing and he is a natural competitor and got that from Aunt Utaha. She told me that Kaz has the heart of the lion but the tendencies of a tsundere onna no ko. So he could be a maneater in a man's body, but I just consider him to be my bro and brother in arms.

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"Me and Kaz wanted to play quarterback so bad. We didn't care about AFL or rugby, although supporting GWS was nice. Gridiron was the world we embraced. Sometimes we thought, maybe we can develop a visual novel with an American football season theme. So Dad tells me, 'how about you gain some inspiration by going to Leafa. You might have this visual novel idea: having the protagonist play an entire career in college playing gridiron while having his own harem chasing him. If he does well playing the game, you're gonna have a good end. Losing season: bad end.

"And then Dad tells me, 'And the protagonist, the male lead, is considered to be the Man of the Year frontrunner because of his potential, the hype, the gift, the skills, the man skills...just go crazy and crush all the other lesser teams in America because what do they really know about the game? The creatures...' That,, essentially, was Dad's pro-tips before I enrolled here.

"Aside from getting ideas for a future visual novel with a gridiron theme, Leafa is a really good research college and they are passionate about their athletic sides. I developed the song 'Leafa Boys Are Still Number One!' after watching a number of Melbourne Victory games. I was surprised that the community adopted this song and chant. I made a mark without playing a down. Perhaps all the talk about me being 'Destiny's Man Of The Year' isn't far off, but I don't let those things get to my head. I have championships to defend, and I want a ring too. And Kaz as well. When I am on the field, destiny will dictate that Leafa Boys Are Still Number One."

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The Mystique of...The Chiko Roll

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
January 25, 2075
The Chiko Roll is an Australian savoury appetiser snack, originally called the chicken roll and inspired by the Chinese egg roll and spring rolls. It was designed to be easily eaten on the move without a plate or cutlery. A Chiko roll is filled with cabbage and barley, as well as lesser amounts of carrot, beef tallow, cereal, celery and onion, along with smaller amounts of other additives and seasonings. The filling is partially pulped and enclosed in a cylinder pastry tube of egg and flour dough before being deep-fried in vegetable oil. The wrap was designed to be unusually thick so it would survive handling at football matches. Contrary to popular belief, the modern Chiko roll does not contain chicken as the name may imply. It was originally modelled on an Asian competitor's Chop Suey Roll. At the peak of its popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, forty million Chiko Rolls were sold annually in Australia and the product has been described as an Australian cultural icon.

The Chiko Roll was developed by Frank McEncroe, a boilermaker from Bendigo, Victoria who turned to catering at football matches and other outdoor events. In 1950, McEncroe saw a competitor selling Chinese chop suey rolls outside Richmond Cricket Ground and decided to add a similar product to his own line. McEncroe felt that the Chinese rolls were too flimsy to be easily handled in an informal outdoor setting, and hit upon the idea of a much larger and more robust roll that would provide a quick meal that was both reasonably substantial and easily handled. The result was the Chiko Roll, which debuted at the Wagga Wagga Agriculture Show in 1951.

In the 1960s, McEncroe moved to Melbourne with his family where he began to manufacture the rolls with the use of an adapted sausage machine. As the product became more popular, McEncroe moved his production to a larger factory in the suburb of Essendon. He later merged his business with a local company called Floyd's Iceworks to form Frozen Food Industries Pty Ltd. The new company went public in 1963.

By 1965, most Australian takeaway restaurants, especially Milk Bars and fish and chip shops carried Chiko Rolls with the marketing slogan "Grab a Chiko" signifying the ease with which shop owners could take a Chiko Roll from the freezer and put it into a fryer, usually add a sauce and slide it into its own trademarked bag. At the height of their popularity in the 1970s, 40 million Chiko Rolls were being sold Australia-wide each year and more than one million were exported to Japan.

Increasing competition in the Australian takeaway food market in recent decades has seen a decline in the profile of the Chiko Roll, but they are still widely available at fish and chip shops and supermarkets across Australia. It is also a popular snack at sporting events around Australia. As it is a hot snack this is especially true for winter sports such as Australian rules football and rugby league where they are often sold alongside other hot snacks such as the meat pie, pasty and sausage roll.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Chiko Roll the current manufacture presented gold plated replicas to Bendigo and Wagga cities.

Since 1995, the Chiko brand has been owned by Simplot Australia and today has expanded its products to include: MexCHIKO Rolls, Corn Fritters, Corn Jacks, fish cakes, Spring Rolls, Veggie Nuggets, Beef Croquettes and dim sims. All Chiko Rolls are now manufactured in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, on a specifically designed machine that produces the pastry and filling at the same time in long rolls. They are then automatically sliced and then the distinctive ends are folded.

 

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Coach Dan Harding extends contract another six years

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
January 31, 2075

Leafa College gridiron head coach Dan Harding has had his contract extend by another six years after a successful 2074 campaign which saw the Spirit win their third successive BCS Championship. When Coach Harding heard the news, he raised his fists like a global champion in boxing.

"I feel like a king," said Coach Harding, after juicing down a James Boag's Draught following the announcement. "Today, I continue my work in making gridiron a sport for everyone. I promise to not only promote this game across the country, but I also want to promote the benefits of being a scholar-athlete. Our men are of a great character and pedigree, and it is my unshakable belief that this will continue into the future.

Former receivers coach D.A. McGraw has been promoted to offensive coordinator, while the new defensive coordinator is Spencer "Bong" Alcasid, the former secondary coach. A new receivers coach and secondary coach for the program will be announced at a future date, perhaps in February 2015.

 

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Spirit Gridiron Coaching Staff (2075)
Head Coach: Dan Harding
Offensive Coord.: D.A. McGraw
Quarterbacks: Haruki Takayama
Running Backs: Shannon Wright
Receivers: Ethan Wakamatsu
Offensive Line: Robert Irons
Defensive Coordinator: Spencer Alcasid
Defensive Line: Gil Tavares
Linebackers: Derek Williams
Secondary: Gene Mitaka
Special Teams: Yu Shun-Lee
Graduate Assistant: Lachlan Akai
Team Doctor: Fuka Toyokawa, MD
Recruiting Coordinator: Haru Onodera
Athletic Director: Erika Yano

Chancellor: Hozuki Ferrari
Vice-Chancellor: Aoi Miyamori
Provosts: Erika Chiba (Mitakihara),
Kyouko Sonan (Leafa College),
Kiriko Kiyuna (Japan Campus),
Likantz Seaberry
(Mitakihara-Squamish)
Visitor: Sir Daniel Woo, Administrator,
Australian Capital Territory

 

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