Hachiko's Spirit of Leafa College Football Dynasty

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

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Kaguya Houraisan, patron of Houraisan Centre at Leafa College
and the great-grandmother of Shae Katou-Aki.​

Shae Katou-Aki named starting QB for Leafa 2075 campaign

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
August 23, 2075

Following a grueling training camp which saw five freshmen join 65 other upperclassmen, quarterback Shae Katou-Aki was named the starting quarterback ahead of the Leafa Spirit gridiron team's first major assignment: the No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on the road in Columbus, Ohio, USA. When asked of the fortunes for the Spirit at Kaguya Houraisan Centre, he was all smiles.

"I wrote my song 'Leafa Boys' for a reason: I expect that we will defend our championships as many times as possible," said Katou-Aki, posing next to the updated BCS Championship Trophy, nicknamed by the local and national press as the "Lipstick Tube" or "The Lil' Lippa" or simply, "The Lippa." "As a great-grandson of Lady Kaguya Houraisan, who dedicated this training and administration centre to our team before she passed away a few years ago, I wanted to make her and the people of Eientei proud by giving it all I got on the field.

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Megumi Katou, mother of Shae Katou-Aki.​

"My brother Kazza (Kasumigaoka) is my backup and I am always competing with him to get the nod at quarterback. Rocky (Naoe)'s our third-stringer, while Kei (Natsume) is our kickoff specialist. The fact that we don't have much expectations and the pressure is on Tatto (Jackson Tatara) to reel in the majors will make our job a bit more easier.

"Ever since I enrolled at Leafa in January, it's been a whirlwind first year. I do my units, I get familiar with my training, and in the winter we have our camp. Coach Harding calls camp "The Green Days" as the men who pass the rigors of The Green Days are expected to make the list. Since most of the players are fourth-years, the competition to make the few spots that are open was fierce.

"I thank everyone that I know and love for giving me this opportunity to show that my song I wrote is not just words and music. I mean what I write and sing and I will back it up on the gridiron. Come, the Buckeyes. We're waiting for ya, ya bloody mugs! Carn the Spirit! We're on a high! Oh yeah!"

Utaha Kasumigaoka, Kaz Kasumigaoka's mother.​

"You all know this right about now, but my brother Shae, he wanna win, no matter where he goes," said Kaz, who knows Katou-Aki better than Ledley or Tyler Aki. "He knows that winning brings positive economic ramifications and job security because it is a byproduct of success and constructive production. He dreams of winning more of them Lippas for the Leafa Boys so I'm fine filling in when necessary.

"All in all, we're having a great camp and we can't wait for the start of the home-and-away season."

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of the Saveloy

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
August 24, 2075

A saveloy is a type of highly seasoned sausage, usually bright red, normally boiled and frequently available in British fish and chips shops, occasionally also available fried in batter. The word is believed to originate from the Swiss-French cervelas or servelat, ultimately from the Latin cerebrus; originally a pig brain sausage particularly associated with Switzerland.

Although the saveloy was originally made from pork brains, the typical ingredients from a shop-bought sausage are now pork (58%), water, rusk, British pork fat, potato starch, salt, emulsifiers (tetrasodium diphosphate, disodium diphosphate), white pepper, spices, dried sage (sage), preservatives (sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate), beef collagen casing contains colour (iron oxide). Rusk contains: wheat flour, salt. Wheat flour contains: wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin.

The taste of a saveloy is similar to that of a frankfurter or red pudding. It is mostly eaten with chips.

The saveloy is available in Australia where it is consumed at fairs, fêtes, agricultural shows and sporting events, served on a slice of bread or in a bread roll and liberally covered in tomato sauce. At the turn of the 20th century, the saveloy was described in an Australian court case as a "highly seasoned dry sausage originally made of brains, but now young pork, salted" but by the mid-century it was commonly defined by its size (a 19 inch sausage), "as opposed to a Frankfurter, 26" [inches]. This distinction may be due to the Frankfurter's popularisation (as an ingredient of hot-dogs). Despite "frankfurter" sausage makers being the target of violence in World War I, the story that saveloys were once frankfurters, renamed due to anti-Germanic sentiment is purely apocryphal, as far as Australia is concerned.

Saveloys are popular in New Zealand and Australia, where they are larger than the English type. Although they are sold at fish-and-chips shops as in England, they are commonly bought at butchers' shops or supermarkets and cooked by boiling at home. Saveloys are known colloquially as "savs". A cheerio is a smaller version, about a quarter of the size, sometimes called a cocktail sausage, baby sav or a "little boy". These are a popular children's party food in New Zealand and Australia, often served hot in a sweet, spicy tomato sauce.

Saveloys are also popular in the North East of England where it is eaten hot in a sandwich with pease pudding and East and North London, where they can be bought from most local butchers. There may be a connection to Australia and New Zealand's enjoyment of Saveloys due to the historical link with this part of the UK.

A type of hot dog which is almost indistinguishable from the saveloy is popular in the US state of Maine, where it is commonly known as a "red hot" or "red snapper." It is usually grilled or boiled as is common in the UK.

 

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The Mystique of the Flat White

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
August 25, 2075

A flat white is a coffee beverage that originated in New Zealand and Australia. It is prepared by pouring microfoam (steamed milk consisting of small, fine bubbles with a glossy or velvety consistency) over a single or double shot of espresso. It is somewhat similar to the traditional 5 oz cappuccino or the latte although smaller in volume, therefore having a higher proportion of coffee to milk, and milk that is more velvety in consistency – allowing the espresso to dominate the flavour, while being supported by the milk.

The beverage is typically served in a small 150–160 ml ceramic cup. Microfoam is used, and loosely frothed milk from the top of the steaming vessel is typically discarded or held back in the vessel while the creamy milk from the bottom of the vessel is folded into the coffee, resulting in a smooth and velvety texture. A flat white traditionally incorporates latte art.

According to a survey of industry commentators, a flat white has several defining characteristics, chief among which is a thin layer of velvety microfoam (hence the ‘flat’ in flat white), as opposed to the relatively thicker layer of stiffer foam in a dry cappuccino.

There are claims dating from the 2010s that the style of beverage was invented in Auckland or Wellington, New Zealand in 1984, but is claimed to have been invented in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia as well. The Melbourne claim follows significant immigration of Italians following the Second World War, and the introduction of espresso coffee machines in the 1950s. The Wellington claim tells the story of the flat white being invented as a result of a "failed cappuccino" at Cafe Bodega on Willis St in 1989. The Auckland claim is attributed variously to Derek Townsend and Darrell Ahlers of Cafe DKD, developed in around 1984 as an alternative to the Italian latte.

It is essentially the opposite of a "dry cappuccino", which has dry frothy foam but no liquid milk. A flat white has milk (or microfoam) but no froth. The ‘milk should be velvety rather than fluffy ... therefore "stronger", which requires a shorter, "ristretto" run to avoid harsh flavours’. A flat white is similar to an original Italian cappuccino, which is a single espresso with microfoam served in a 150—160 ml cup.

The Spanish café con leche is similar, but uses scalded milk. In a flat white, the milk is steamed without frothing to 60—70 °C (typically 150—170 °F). Steaming the milk to this temperature retains the fats and proteins in the milk which retain a sweet flavour, lost when milk is steamed to scalding temperatures. A Café con Leche also lacks the head of microfoam.

The flat white and the latte are also similar with some people incorrectly suggesting that ‘the only difference between the two drinks is the vessel in which they're presented. A flat white is served in a ceramic cup, usually of the same volume (200 ml) as a latte glass. However, some cafés will top a latte with extra froth, while others may pour a flat white slightly shorter’. In both Australia and New Zealand, there is a generally accepted difference between lattes and flat whites in the ratio of milk to coffee and the consistency of the milk due to the way the milk is heated. The milk in a flat white should not be frothed.

Outside of Australia and New Zealand, the style was exported to the United Kingdom by 2005, and by 2010 was being sold in Starbucks franchises there. By 2013 the flat white was available in Australian cafés in New York City, with Hugh Jackman co-owning one of them and endorsing the product. With the flat white becoming increasingly well known globally, large coffee shop chains such as Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero and Pret a Manger added flat whites to their menus, with Starbucks releasing the flat white to American stores on 6 January 2015. On 26 January 2050, the flat white was declared the Official Coffee of Leafa College and at the Historic Leafa Town Coffeehouse, located on campus, free flat whites were offered on that day.

 

[Hachiko]

Get Your Tits Out For The Lads! Leafa lynch Ohio State

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
September 1, 2075

Quarterback Shae Katou-Aki, making his long-awaited debut, passed for 290 yards, ran for 607 more yards and scored 12 offensive touchdowns Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit lynched the Ohio State Buckeyes 154-45 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura led the defense with 22 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception.

Halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 206 yards and three touchdowns, halfback Archer Hiiro ran for 295 yards and five more scores, wide receiver Xavier Kim caught five passes for 66 yards and a major, wideout Connor Yasaka led the blocked with 27 pancakes and Kim also had 24 pancakes.

Defensive tackle Oscar Inui had three sacks, defensive end Gary Acura and outside linebacker Nick Mikisugi each had two sacks, three different players on defense had 10 tackles including strong safety Lee Bongdal who had a pick, and outside linebacker David Hazuki returned a fumble 53 yards for a touchdown.

Leafa improve to 1-0 and return to action next week on the road against the Texas A&M Aggies. It is expected that Leafa will be the top-ranked team in college gridiron in the next Coaches' Poll.

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[Hachiko]

 

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The Mystique of Violet Crumble

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
September 4, 2075

Violet Crumble is an Australian chocolate bar manufactured in Campbellfield near Melbourne, Australia, by Nestlé. Violet Crumble is also common in Hawaii and is available in other places, such as Hong Kong and Mollie Stone's Markets in California. The bar is a crumbly honeycomb toffee center coated in compound chocolate. It is similar to the Crunchie made by Cadbury. The slogan for the chocolate bar is "It's the way it shatters that matters" (replacing the previous slogan, "Nothing else matters").

Abel Hoadley (born 10 September 1844, died 12 May 1918) opened a jam factory in South Melbourne, Victoria, in 1889, trading as A. Hoadley & Company. By 1895, business had expanded rapidly and Hoadley built a five-storey premises, the Rising Sun Preserving Works. He produced jams, jellies, preserved fruits, candied peels, sauces, and confectionery and employed a workforce as large as 200. By 1901, there were four preserving factories and a large confectionery works. Hoadley had acquired the firm of Dillon, Burrows & Co. and extended his products to vinegar, cocoa, and chocolate. In 1910, the jam business was sold to Henry Jones Co-operative Ltd. and in 1913, Hoadley's Chocolates Ltd was formed.

The same year, Hoadley produced his first chocolate assortment and packed them in a purple box decorated with violets. The packaging was in tribute to his wife's favorite colour (purple) and favorite flower (violets). Within the box assortment was a piece of honeycomb that became so popular that Hoadley decided to produce an individual honeycomb bar.

This proved trickier than first thought, because as the pieces of honeycomb cooled, they absorbed moisture and started sticking together. This hygroscopic nature of honeycomb led Hoadley to eventually dip his bars in chocolate, to keep the honeycomb dry and crunchy. It is likely that the honeycomb is coated in flour to keep them dry between creating the honeycomb and being coated in chocolate. Thus, in 1913, the Violet Crumble bar was created.

Hoadley wanted to call his new bar just Crumble, but learned that it was not possible to protect the name with a trademark. He thought of his wife (Susannah Ann née Barrett) and her favourite flower, the violet, and registered the name Violet Crumble, using a purple wrapper with a small flower logo. It was an instant success. Violet Crumbles are crispier in texture than Crunchie bars, with a slightly more marshmallow taste.

The hygroscopic nature of the honeycomb centre continued to be problematic. Competitors tried to prove the bars weren't fresh by squeezing them. Hoadley responded by instituting a strict coding system to keep track of the shelf life (12 months) and ensure that only the freshest bars were sold. In addition, he searched worldwide for a new type of airtight wrapper that would keep the bar fresh. Eventually, a French company, La Cellophane, invented a metallised cellophane especially for Violet Crumble.

Now one of the best selling bars in Australia, Violet Crumble still requires great skill and experience in its production. The carefully formulated honeycomb is produced and conveyed into a specially constructed air-conditioned area where it is cut into bars. Then it goes through chocolate coating machines, especially designed for Violet Crumble. The bars are double coated to seal the honeycomb from the air. Special cooling tunnels take the bars to the automatic wrapping machines, designed in Switzerland. The metallised wrapper is highly moisture proof and special shippers give the product extra protection in shipping.

 

[Hachiko]

Leafa Spirit concede first-ever safety as Texas A&M falls

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
September 8, 2075

Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit Gridiron conceded their first-ever safety in program history at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, USA against the Texas A&M Aggies. Nonetheless, in a strange turn of events, Leafa scored a gift of a safety and coasted to a 128-40 hiding of the Aggies in nonconference play. The game was the second of a season-opening road trip that will conclude next week against the Clemson Tigers.

Quarterback Shae Katou-Aki passed for 204 yards, ran for 460 yards and scored 12 total touchdowns on offence. The defence was led by cornerback Luca "Night Fever" Mizushima, who had eight tackles, a forced fumble and an interception. Halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns, wide receiver Xavier Kim caught five passes for 45 yards and a score, backup quarterback Kaz Kasumigaoka scored a major in his debut in relief and wideout Dayne Tsunashi led the blockers with 31 pancake blocks.

On defence, middle linebacker Roy Hanamura had 16 tackles including two for loss as well as a pick, left end Sam Touzokuyama had six tackles and two sacks, left end Gary Acura also had a couple of sacks and two other players on defense had an interception, including Katou-Aki, who is capable of playing on both sides of the ball as a playcaller and playmaker.

Leafa College improve to 2-0 on the season. Next weekend's match against Clemson will be broadcast live and on tape delay on 5AO, 3TK and the 5AO Leafa College Radio Network.

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of Boag's Brewery

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
September 12, 2075

Boag's Brewery (J. Boag & Son) is an Australian brewery company founded in 1883 by James Boag and his son, also named James, in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. It is now owned by Lion Nathan Ltd, a Trans-Tasman subsidiary company of Japanese beverage conglomerate, Kirin. All of the company's beers are produced in Launceston.

James Boag I arrived in Australia with his wife, Janet, and their four children in 1853. After three months in the Victorian goldfields, they came to Tasmania. After he and his son James Boag II left the Cornwall Brewery in 1878, James II went into partnership with John Glenwright at the Cataract Brewery an James I became the licensee of the All Year Round Hotel.

In 1881, the Esk Brewery was established on the banks of the North Esk River in Launceston by Charles Stammers Button. John Fawns died, and James Boag III was born. In 1883, James I and his son took over the Esk Brewery. J. Boag & Son was officially formed in 1883, as the partnership between James Boag I and his son, to operate the brewery. The company's initial output was seven hogsheads of beer weekly. The name 'Esk Brewery' was retained, although 'Boag's Brewery' became a frequent reference.

In 1887, James Boag II began management of the company on the retirement of his father. A new malthouse was built and weekly production had increased to more than 500 hogsheads, with the brewery employing a 30 members of staff. In 1898, J. Boag & Son purchased the Cornwall Brewery and amalgamated it with the Esk Brewery; James Boag I died in 1890.

James Boag II died in 1919 and was succeeded by James Boag III who had been training at Tooth and Co.'s brewery in Sydney. In 1924, James Boag III retired temporarily from the company, and returned in 1930 as Managing Director, a position he held until his death in 1944. His obituary in the Examiner reported: "Having been closely connected with business and sporting activities, Mr Boag was known and respected by a wide circle of friends. At the time of his death, he was Managing Director of J. Boag & Son Limited and a Director of Tasmanian Breweries Pty Limited." George Boag, James III's second son, took over James' seat on the Board; he was the last Boag working in the business, retiring in 1976 after the death of his wife.

In 2000, San Miguel Corporation acquired J. Boag & Son (previously a publicly listed company) for $92 million. The existing Tasmanian management was retained to continue running the company; production had increased annually for the previous 3 years and this growth was planned to continue. In 2004, Boag's Brewery was expanded to occupy the complete block enclosed by William, Tamar and Shield Streets and The Esplanade. San Miguel sold J. Boag & Son to Lion Nathan Ltd in November 2007 for $325 million. As of 2075, J. Boag and Son employed over 350 people and produced over 76,000,000 litres (17,000,000 imp gal; 20,000,000 US gal) of beer annually.

The Lame Dog Hotel (later known as the Tamar Hotel) was constructed in 1826 and by the 1930s the Georgian-style building had become one of Launceston's most notable hotels. George Radford and his family operated the hotel for 26 years. The building was restored to house the Boag's Centre for Beer Lovers.

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The Mystique of Jaffas

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
September 13, 2075
Jaffas is an Australian registered trademark for a small round sweet consisting of a soft chocolate centre with a hard covering of orange flavoured, red coloured confectionery. The name derives from the Jaffa orange. The sweet is part of Australian and New Zealand cultural folklore. Through association with this sweet, Jaffa is sometimes used to describe a chocolate-orange flavour.

James Stedman-Henderson's Sweets Ltd released Jaffas onto the Australian and New Zealand markets in 1931. The confectionery is currently made in Australia by Allen's lollies, a division of Nestle and in New Zealand by Cadbury. The Cadbury Jaffas are also exported to Australia.

A number of Australian and New Zealand amateur sporting groups use Jaffas as a team name. In Dunedin, New Zealand every year a vast quantity of Jaffas are raced down Baldwin Street—the World's Steepest Street, as part of the Cadbury Chocolate carnival, which is held in conjunction with the New Zealand International Science Festival. The initial number of 20,000 Jaffas has now been increased to 30,000 Jaffas.

The Australian supermarket business Coles has a generic version called "Choc Orange Balls"; similar products are made by other manufacturers.

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of Tim Tams and Musk Sticks

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
September 14, 2075

Tim Tam is a brand of chocolate biscuit made by the Australian food company Arnott's and available in several countries. A Tim Tam is composed of two layers of chocolate malted biscuit, separated by a light chocolate cream filling, and coated in a thin layer of textured chocolate. The biscuit was created by Ian Norris, who was the director of food technology at Arnott's. During 1958, he took a world trip looking for inspiration for new products. While in Britain, he found the Penguin biscuit and decided to "make a better one".

Tim Tams went on to the market in 1964. They were named by Ross Arnott, who attended the 1958 Kentucky Derby and decided that the name of the winning horse, Tim Tam was perfect for a planned new line of biscuits. Apart from Penguins, products similar to Tim Tams include "Temptins" from Dick Smith Foods, New Zealand's "Chit Chats", Australian Woolworths' home brand product "Triple Choc", the Coles brand "Chocolate Supreme" biscuits, and various similar "home-brand" products marketed by British supermarkets.

In 2003, Arnott's sued Dick Smith Foods over their Temptin' brand of chocolate biscuits, which Arnott's alleged had diluted their trademark as a similar biscuit, in similarly-designed packaging. The case was settled out of court.

The original Arnott's bakery, opened in 1865, was located in Newcastle, New South Wales. To date, manufacture of Tim Tams and other Arnott's products has remained largely within Australia, including bakeries in Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane. In 2009, Arnott's invested 37 million Australian dollars in a state-of-the-art production line at its Brisbane facility, expecting to boost productivity and increase jobs. At the Huntingwood bakery in Western Sydney, the production line turns out about 3,000 Tim Tams per minute and uses 20 tons of the biscuit's cream filling and 27 tons of chocolate coating each work day.

In the 2000s Arnott's sold different varieties of the product. Varieties include dark chocolate, white chocolate, caramel and dark mint. In 2004, Arnott's caused a controversy when they released a range of alcohol-flavoured varieties of their products, including Tia Maria Tim Tams. It was suggested selling these biscuits in supermarkets where they were available to minors was irresponsible. An Arnott's spokesperson observed that a customer "would need to consume your body weight of biscuits every hour to reach a blood-alcohol content of .05". Pepperidge Farm, a sister company of Arnott's, began importing the Tim Tam to the United States of America in 2008. The Tim Tams are still "Made in Australia" and bear the slogan "Australia's Favorite Cookie."

Tim Tam Chocolate Sandwich Biscuits are manufactured in Indonesia by Halo Arnotts. A cheese flavour of Tim Tams has also been developed for the Indonesian market. In 2014, Tim Tam launched a limited edition range of new flavours including: Salted Caramel, Choc Brownie and Raspberry White Choc in partnership with renowned Australian dessert chef Adriano Zumbo. Then during the valentines day period of 2015, they launched the Choc Raspberry, Coconut Cream and Red Velvet flavours again in partnership with Zumbo.

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The Tim Tam Slam (also known as the Tim Tam Shotgun, Tim Tam Bomb and Tim Tam Explosion) is the practice of drinking a hot beverage through a Tim Tam. Opposite corners of the Tim Tam are bitten off, one end is submerged in the beverage, and the beverage sucked through the biscuit - as though the Tim Tam itself is a straw. The crisp interior biscuit is eventually softened and the outer chocolate coating begins to melt, at which point the biscuit is eaten. The Arnott's company used the name Tim Tam Suck in a 2002 advertising campaign.

Musk sticks are a popular confection in Australia and New Zealand, available from many different suppliers. Having withstood the test of time, musk sticks consist of a pink semi-soft stick, usually extruded with a ridged cross-section. Their flavour and aroma is quite floral, reminiscent of musk perfume. They are also called 'musk sweets' and 'musk lollies'. Also available is a fruit-flavoured variant called "Fruit sticks", which look like coloured musk sticks. Musk-flavoured mints are produced by companies such as the Dollar Sweets Company. They are sold through supermarkets under the Dollar Sweets brand and also through Lion Clubs Australia under the Lion Mints brand.

 

[Hachiko]

House Call On The Road: Leafa Grind Past Clemson

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
September 15, 2075

It was a grinder. A grinder. A GRINDER. Fortunately, Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit Gridiron can win the defensive grinders, too, as seen in their 89-15 smashing of the Clemson Tigers at Clemson Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, USA. It was a more subtle performance from quarterback Shae Katou-Aki, who passed for 249 yards, ran for 253 yards and scored four total touchdowns on offence. Left outside linebacker Nick Mikisugi had nine tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble.

Halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 166 yards and a touchdown, halfback Archer Hiiro ran for 73 yards and two majors, wide receiver Xavier Kim caught five passes for 96 yards and wideout Dayne Tsunashi led a quiet blocking effort with four pancake blocks.

Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura continued his stellar senior year with 15 tackles while defensive end Lewis Sakishima recorded three sacks. Defensive captain and cornerback Vic Tsuchimikado had two interceptions while strong safety Lee Bongdal added 11 tackles on the day.

Leafa College improve to 3-0 on the season and will have two bye weeks as they prepare for Homecoming 2075 against Boise State. This will be the home opener for the Spirit as well as the conference opener for the team, ranked No. 1 in all of college gridiron.

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

Charlene Ushio Kamiya, the wife of Leafa Spirit cornerback Seb Kamiya.​

Seb and Char Kamiya: Proud To Be From Darwin

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
September 16, 2075
Sebastian Kamiya, known across Australia simply as Seb, is a fourth-year cornerback and converted wide receiver for the Leafa Spirit Gridiron Team, ranked No. 1 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and by USA Today, based overseas in America. In secondary school, he met the woman who would become his wife, Ushio Shima, in Darwin, North Australia, seven years ago. Before the two of them enrolled at Leafa College in Canberra, located on essentially the other side of the continent, Seb and Ushio married on Australia Day 2072 and spent a weekend honeymoon on the Gold Coast. She then adopted an English name, Charlene, or Char for short.

"I love Seb so much," Ushio said while watching her three daughters watch the Leafa Spirit practice. "He's such a gentleman, really takes care of the kids, always values his studies, and is so good at being the man I always wanted. When I moved to Darwin years ago, my parents wanted me to find someone to confide my future to, and it was Sebastian that opened the lock. I had the key, he had the lock, and the rest is history.

"I can only watch the games on the road. It's tough to worry about someone who plays a lot of matches on the other side of the world during springtime here. Then you worry about the jet lag, whether there may be an accident or if my husband's life is in danger. I don't need anything tragic in my life because I feel I've been blessed with so much; I don't want to lose the key to my happiness.

"Every day, when Sebastian takes to the gridiron, I say a prayer, and my three wonderful girls join me in wishing him the best. If America calls for him, we'll all move to the States and follow where he goes. I know he'll have a great career and be an ambassador to the game of gridiron. He's my husband, after all, you know?"

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"What can I say, Ushio is a resourceful person," Seb said during practice at Houraisan Centre. "She visits during practice every now and then, tidies up my clothes, does occasional tutoring and knows a lot more about Australia than I do, I will admit. We both are fluent in English, Japanese and Korea but we are also learning Chinese and Tagalog. We've been to Uluru and Kakadu, did some networking in Arnhem Land and even watched a few AFL games at the G. And she's got...a very discreet way of giving me the lift I need.

"But most importantly, Ushio is a wonderful mother and we have triplet daughters: Suzanne Sazanami, Rebecca Akebono and Ophelia Oboro Kamiya. They're all growing up to be as wonderful as their mum, although Rebecca, who I call Bono for short, needs to mind her temper at times. But I fancy Bono'll inherit my competitive spirit because she wants me to do my work to the best of my ability.

"Us Top End folks are known to be very savvy and resilient. Ever since my part of the country became a state back in 2018, people have wanted to live in North Australia because the real estate is a bit more affordable. Besides, I wanted to call myself a Northerner AND a Top Ender. Ushio and the girls like it as well.

"But, for now, we'll have to enjoy our time in Canberra. It's not as rainy as Darwin but it's our capital and we love the culture and people here. We're going to miss this place when we complete our degrees. If I am not called on to play across the Pacific, I want to help develop the game back in North Australia and also be a good husband and father."

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[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of Fairy Bread and Hundreds and Thousands

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
September 24, 2075

Fairy bread is sliced white bread spread with margarine or butter and covered with sprinkles or hundreds and thousands which stick to the spread. It is typically cut into four triangles. It is commonly served at children's parties in Australia and New Zealand. The origin of the term is not known, but it may come from the poem 'Fairy Bread' in Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses, published in 1885.

Nonpareils (or hundreds and thousands outside of North America) are a decorative confectionery of tiny balls made with sugar and starch, traditionally an opaque white but now available in many colors. Their origin is uncertain, but they may have evolved out of the pharmaceutical use of sugar, as they were a miniature version of comfits. The French name has been interpreted to mean they were "without equal" for intricate decoration of cakes, desserts, and other sweets, and the elaborate pièces montées constructed as table ornaments. The term nonpareil can also refer to a specific confection made using nonpareils, namely, flat discs of chocolate coated with nonpareils, which are also known as chocolate nonpareils.

An 18th-century American recipe for a frosted wedding cake calls for nonpareils as decoration. By the early 19th century, colored nonpareils seem to have been available in the U.S. The popular cookbook author Eliza Leslie suggests the use of red and green nonpareils for decorating a Queen cake, but strongly suggests white nonpareils are most suitable for pink icing on a pound cake in her 1828 Seventy-five Receipts for Pastries, Cakes and Sweetmeats. In 1844, Eleanor Parkinson, of a well-known Philadelphia family of professional confectioners, first published her book The Complete Confectioner, in which she described how to make nonpareils following her comfit-making procedure, which involved multiple hot pots and hot syrup.

In the United States, traditional nonpareils gave way for most purposes by the mid 20th century to "sprinkles" (known in some parts as "jimmies"), confections nearly as small but usually oblong rather than round and soft rather than brittle. Like nonpareils, their function is more decorative than gustatory as their actual taste is indistinct, and the products they are applied to are usually themselves very high in sugar. Candy-covered anise seeds called muisjes, sometimes mistaken for traditional nonpareils, are sometimes offered at breakfast in the Netherlands to be served on bread and butter. They are, however usually served on rusk to celebrate the birth of a child. This is known as "beschuit met muisjes". In the UK, Australia and New Zealand, nonpareils are known as "hundreds-and-thousands". In Australia and New Zealand, they are often eaten on top of patty cakes or on buttered bread as fairy bread, as festive items at children's birthday parties.

The term "nonpareils" can also refer to a specific confection: a round flat chocolate drop with the upper surface coated with nonpareils. This confection is also referred to as "chocolate nonpareils". Nestlé makes a variety marketed as Sno-Caps. In Australia, these confections are commonly known as "chocolate freckles", or simply "freckles". A common way of eating these in Australia is to lick the coloured top and place it to ones skin so when removed it leaves coloured dots or "freckles" as the name refers to. Nonpareils are also sold in the United Kingdom as "Jazzles", "Jazzies", "jazz drops" and "Snowies" (the white ones).

 

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Leafa Homecoming 2075: Aftermath Between The NSW

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
September 29, 2075

Once again, the Leafa College Associated Students (LeafaCAS) are hosting Homecoming this week. This year's edition is entitled "Aftermath Between The NSW" and salutes the positive consequences of the sport of gridiron becoming American-born, Australian bred. The Australia National American Football Team is now among the Top 10 national sides in the world and will be a prime contender to win the next IFAF World Cup and challenge the defending champions from the USA. Erika Sendai, a fourth-year student and the wife of middle linebacker, Roy Hanamura, completes her tenure as Homecoming Committee Chair this year.

"The name 'Aftermath Between The NSW' is a nod to two of the Rolling Stones' iconic albums from the 1960's, Aftermath and Between the Buttons," said Sendai at a community event on campus coinciding with a viewing of the AFL Grand Final, won by Greater Western Sydney over Hawthorn. "It also can be deciphered to represent the aftermath of Leafa College's success thus far, with Leafa located between the state of New South Wales in the Australian Capital Territory.

"This is a very special Homecoming, because this will be the last Homecoming for a majority of our players as most of the players are seniors. We also have a large number of prospective players visiting this week for the game against Boise State, so we hope to give them a great show."

The Homecoming game will be broadcast via television on broadcast partner One and One World Sports globally. On radio, the game will be broadcast live and online on flagship radio station 5AO 980 AM Canberra, as well as the 5AO Leafa Sports Radio Network, including the affiliate radio station from Melbourne 3TK 710 AM, affiliate radio station from Perth hit92.9, Gold Coast affiliate radio station Gold FM 92.5, Sydney affiliate 2TK 1350 AM, Brisbane affiliate 4LF 1290 AM, Newcastle affiliate Fly98.1 and Adelaide affiliate Cruise 1323.

The Schedule is as follows:
(all times in AEST)

Tuesday, October 1
8:00 a.m. - Morning Prayers - Leafa Convocation Centre
Speaker: Archbishop Robert Royce Griffiths
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra

12 p.m. - Homecoming Registration Opens - Kirigaya Hall (Administration Building)
Registered participants must check in here for their Passport and vouchers for The Saturday Homecoming Barbie at Yunipingu Field Parking Lot.

All Day - Museums: Spend the afternoon visiting one of the Leafa College Museums. Admission is free with your Homecoming Passport.
* Diomedea Museum of Japanese Animation, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* D.W. Streets Museum of Natural Sciences 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., miyazaki.madoka.ca
* Leafa College Heritage Museum of Australian History, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
-Museums open all day Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Leafa College Garden: Find your peace of mind visiting the Leafa College Garden and Nature Reserve, located next to the Leafa Convocation Centre. Admission is free with your Homecoming Passport. Open 6 a.m. to sunset, all week.

Libraries: Admission is free at the following locations with your Homecoming Passport:
* Shinozaki Library, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
* Ayano Library 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Special Exhibit at Shinozaki Library: The History of Reggaeton.
For more information, please visit the Shinozaki Library website.
Libraries open all day Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday

1 p.m. Classes: Participants are invited to sit in on a variety of undergraduate classes:
Classes TBA, see College Web Site

2 p.m. and 3 p.m. - Konno Library Tours
Take a guided tour of the Konno Library at the Mitakihara School of Graduate Studies at Leafa College. Tours will meet at the reception area inside the front door and will leave at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Space on each tour is limited, first come, first serve.

3 p.m. - Open band practice
Leafa College Co-Directors of Band, Kumiko Oumae and Shuuichi Tsukamoto, hold a special band practice with members of the Leafa College Spirit Pep Band, the college's marching pep band.

3:30 p.m. Campus tours led by The Sleeping Knights
Paying tribute to the defunct guild in the game Alfheim Online, the Sleeping Knights is the premiere student-run organization that is dedicated to serving the Leafa College community, the City of Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory and is owned and operated by the Leafa College Associated Students. Tours are conducted in English, Korean, Chinese and Japanese.
1. Leafa College General Tour
2. Beyond The Campus: A Tour of Leafa Square, The Dorms and More
3. Touring the Leafa College Garden: One With Nature
Also will take place on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. All tours start at Yuuki Konno Memorial, near Mother's Rosario House, the administrative headquarters of the Sleeping Knights.

4:30 p.m. Campus tours led by The Sleeping Knights
1. Leafa College Athletic Facilities
2. Leafa Architecture: Reinventing and Redefining The Way You Learn
3. Leafa Garden Tea Ceremony (refreshments provided)
Also will take place on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. All tours start at Yuuki Konno Memorial, near Mother's Rosario House, the administrative headquarters of the Sleeping Knights.

5 p.m. - Shino Asada House Association Distinguished Australian Award
Honoring Patrick Dennis, Esq., Founder of Horizon Electronics
Presentation of Award, Kyouko Sonan, Provost, Leafa College, Shino Asada House Conference Room (Doors open at 4:00 p.m.)

Wednesday, October 2
9 a.m.- 3 p.m. - Homecoming Registration - Kirigaya Hall (Administration Building)
Registered participants must check in here for their Passport and vouchers for The Saturday Homecoming Barbie at Yunipingu Field Parking Lot.

5 p.m. - Leafa Social Club Concert
Tickets required: $50 for adults, $40 for students and $30 for pensioners. Tickets can be purchased directly through the Leafa Box Office by phone at 061 2 51LEAFA (061 2 51125161) or online at the box office website.

Thursday, October 3
9 a.m.- 3 p.m. - Homecoming Registration - Kirigaya Hall (Administration Building)
Registered participants must check in here for their Passport and vouchers for The Saturday Homecoming Barbie at Yunipingu Field Parking Lot.

5 p.m. - Men's Water Polo vs. UC Santa Barbara
Aniplex Campus Pool

7 p.m. - Leafa College Greens FC vs. Box Hill Hawks
Battle for the Mother's Rosario Cup, Leafa Oval. Tickets required: $60 for adults, $40 for students and $30 for pensioners. Tickets can be purchased directly through the Leafa Box Office by phone at 061 2 51LEAFA (061 2 51125161) or online at the box office website.

7 p.m. - Leafa College Battle of the Bands, Tsuboi Centre and Exhibition Hall
Tickets required: $50 for adults, $30 for students and $20 for pensioners. Tickets can be purchased directly through the Leafa Box Office by phone at 061 2 51LEAFA (061 2 51125161) or online at the box office website.

7 p.m. - Men's Futsal vs. North Canberra
J.C. Staff Arena, Main Court

7:30 p.m. - Leafa College Rugby Club vs. UC Vikings
The A-1 Pictures Canberra Classic, Yunipingu Field. Battle for the Dicey Cafe Bowl. Tickets required: $60 for adults, $40 for students and $25 for pensioners. Tickets can be purchased directly through the Leafa Box Office by phone at 061 2 51LEAFA (061 2 51125161) or online at the box office website.

Friday, October 4
9 a.m.- 3 p.m. - Homecoming Registration - Kirigaya Hall (Administration Building)
Registered participants must check in here for their Passport and vouchers for The Saturday Homecoming Barbie at Yunipingu Field Parking Lot.

5 p.m. - Women's Volleyball vs. Simon Fraser Clan
Battle for the Trophy of Hope. Exhibition, Main Court, Kirigaya Family Pyramid

Approx. 8 p.m. - Pep Rally at Main Court, Kirigaya Family Pyramid
Following the Women's Volleyball game vs. Simon Fraser, the 2075 Leafa College Spirit Team will be introduced. Speeches by head coach Dan Harding, offensive team captain Erik Taulealo, defensive team captain Vic Tsuchimikado, Leafa College athletic director Erika Yano and college provost Kyouko Sonan will be made.

9 p.m. - Evening activities
Visit the world-renowned Dicey Cafe or your favorite restaurant at the Campus.
Meet Your Mates: Special gathering for Leafa College Sports Society at Dicey Cafe, cash bar @ 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 5
5:00 - 9:00 a.m. - Brekkie at the Dorms - Passport holders are invited to enjoy a hot breakfast at the dorm of their choice. Pay at the door (cash please), cost is $15 per person.

7 a.m. - Morning Prayers - Leafa Convocation Centre
Speaker: Archbishop Robert Royce Griffiths
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra

7 a.m. to 9 p.m. - Homecoming Headquarters and Registration - Leafa Tower
Registered participants must check in here for their Passport and vouchers for The Saturday Homecoming Barbie at Yunipingu Field Parking Lot.

10 a.m. - Men's Soccer vs. North Carolina
Miyamori Field

11 a.m. Women's field hockey vs. Syracuse
Ogasawara Field

1 p.m. Women's Soccer vs. Santa Clara
Miyamori Field

5 p.m. to kickoff Pre-Game Tailgate at Athletics
Pack a picnic and set up a tailgate with your friends prior to the Leafa-Boise State gridiron game. The Spirit Tailgate Area will be located inside Yunipingu Gate 5. Cars can park at the adjacent car park for $50, payable on-side. Tailgate is permitted for 2 hours prior to kickoff and for one hour following the game.

8 p.m. Gridiron Kick-Off
Cheer on the Leafa College Spirit as they take on the Boise State Broncos. A block of tickets for Madoka Homecoming is currently reserved through the Leafa College Box Office. Tickets are required and cost $60 each, children ages 12 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased directly through the Leafa Box Office by phone at 061 2 51LEAFA (061 2 51125161) or online at the box office website.

7 p.m. - 4th quarter - The Homecoming Barbie
Barbecue in the Yunupingu Field Parking Lot, Gates 7-11. A voucher for the "Canberra Barbie Society Fan Zone" is included in your Homecoming registration price. Please be sure to check-in at the Homecoming registration desk to receive your meal ticket. Drinks will be sold separately on-site. A variety of family a children's activities will be offered in the "Fan Zone," including face painting, music, sports games, prizes and raffles.

9 p.m. Women's Netball vs. Canberra Darters
Battle for the Asuna Yuuki Memorial Cup. Exhibition game, Kirigaya Family Pyramid

9 p.m. - A Symphony Dedicated To The Rolling Stones
Presented by the Leafa College Philharmonic (LeafaPhil), Tsuboi Centre.
Ticket Required: Regular: $60.00, $50.00, $40.00;
Students: $40.00, $35.00, $30.00; Pensioners (65+): $30.00,
$25.00, $20.00.
Tickets can be purchased directly through the Leafa Box Office by phone at 061 2 51LEAFA (061 2 51125161) or online at the box office website.

Sunday, October 6
9 a.m. - Leafa College 10K Race Through The Streets
Get ready to put on your running or walking shoes and take a cruise around the different places on campus and in Canberra. The route starts at Leafa Tower and will weave around the city before ending at Campus Square. Registration is $80.00 ($50.00 for students with ID, $30 for pensioners) at the Madman Quad tent from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. All proceeds benefit the Konno Foundation For HIV Prevention. Concessions and medals will be provided at finish line. This is a noncompetitive run/walk. No cash prizes will be awarded.

 

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Leafa Spirit Gridiron rout Boise State on Homecoming 2075

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
October 6, 2075

Quarterback Shae Katou-Aki passed for a personal-best 441 yards, ran for 220 yards and scored 14 total offencive touchdowns as Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit Gridiron hammered the Boise State Broncos 203-38 at Yunupingu Field in Canberra, ACT. Cornerback Luca Mizushima had nine tackles, four for loss, four sacks, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble in a feast on both sides of the ball which was lacking for one reason, according to the coach.

"We only got four of our recruits to sign and three actually ended up going somewhere else," said Coach Harding at the press conference. "We're in recruiting battles with other schools for a few other good players that we need on our team. We did fill a need at one position but we are going to have to fill a whole lot more if we're going to have some depth next season. Next year will be very tough for our program."

Backup quarterback Kaz Kasumigaoka ran for 268 yards and five touchdowns while passing for another, halfback Archer Hiiro ran for 210 yards and four majors, wide receiver Dayne Tsunashi caught five receptions for 168 yards and five more scores, tight end Tom Arashi caught three passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns and halfback Jackson Tatara had 168 total offencive yards and three offencive majors. Wide receivers Tyler Aki and Connor Yasaka led the blockers with 22 blocks each while Tsunashi added 13 in another rough patch for the offencive line.

Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura had seven tackles and five sacks, defencive tackle Levi Iori had four sacks, cornerbacks Vic Tsuchimikado and Billy Ooji had three interceptions and free safety Jay Madanbashi set a new school record for longest interception returned for a touchdown with a 101-yard pick six. First-year halfback Brett Inohara—slated to be the starting halfback next season—had a breakout game on special teams, returning seven punts for 280 yards and three touchdowns.

Leafa improve to 4-0 and head across the ocean next week to face the Utah State Aggies.

 

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Nana Ebina, the mother of future Leafa Spirit Gridiron punter Brock Ebina-Doma.​

Brock Ebina-Doma: the next great punter from Leafa

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
October 7, 2075

Brock Youhei Ebina-Doma, the son of Taihei Doma and Nana Ebina, is one of four new signings this week for Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit Gridiron, who will be slated for a rebuilding year next season. Following in the shoes of outgoing fourth-year Aiden Satomi won't be an easy job, but Ebina-Doma, a GWS Giants and San Diego Chargers fan, believes he has the leg and accuracy to make a real impact.

"Aiden's a good friend of me, he told me, mate you need to come check out out at Homecoming and I did," Ebina-Doma said from his house in Launceston, Tasmania, where the new signings are based from. "He got a few reps and has a really good leg, so I want to emulate his accurate, clutch work ethic. I know that the first great NFL players were punters, so I want to keep the tradition going.

Taihei Doma, the father of future Leafa Spirit Gridiron punter Brock Ebina-Doma. ​

"Gridiron football in Tasmania's been real popular these days, with a number of players coming from the state including Xave [Xavier Kim], so in this, the 60th anniversary of Gridiron being introduced to the Apple Isle, I decided to join the best college gridiron team in the country and make my claim to play professionally in America.

"Yeah, outside of the gridiron, the academics at Leafa are really good, being part of the Mitakihara University System, whose Canadian main campus had a really good football team themselves before they stepped down a division. I think that team has more BCS titles than any other program in history so we know what we're up against. We don't worry about them, though. The Canucks can do what they want, we're concerned about our business over here.

Umaru Doma, the aunt of future Leafa Spirit Gridiron punter Brock Ebina-Doma.​

"It'll be great to get a lot of reps as a first-year next season, yeah. I don't have a lot of pressure to really make much of an impact but through some really good training and preparation, the coaches are going to make sure that there are no snags along the way and that I do what I need to do to make this team successful."

 

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An Shirogane, Akane Sakurada and Karen Ayugase,
the mothers of Cole Shirogane, Jack Fukushina and Ben Ayugase.​

Here come the Castle Town Dandelions!

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
October 8, 2075

Nicknamed the "Castle Town Dandelions," cousins Cole Shirogane, Jack Fukushina and Ben Ayugase hail from Launceston, Tasmania and have officially signed with Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit for the 2076 college gridiron season. Shirogane is a wide receiver, Ayugase is a left end and Fukushina is a halfback. All three are projected to earn ample playing time next year as key components of the vaunted Leafa Spread Option package.

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Akane Sakurada, Jack Fukushina's mother.​

"When I was age six, Ben and Cole and I would go out and head to this sports store in the center of town," said Jack from his home in Launceston. "The shopkeeper, a Mr. Ben Dover, would show us some sports equipment from different sports around the world. We saw this giant American footy and we thought, hey, let's buy it. So we did.

"I would pretend to play quarterback and play catch with Coley and Benno would try to tackle him. So mum (Akane Sakurada), she tell us, 'Boys, do you want to try playing for a local juniors side?' I said, 'Sure thing mum!' We ended up joining the O'Keefes Gorillas and we never looked back."\

Karen Ayugase, mother of Ben Ayugase. ​

"As the story goes," said Ben (also known as Benno), "we became big stars on the Gorillas and the Leafa scouts were actually putting us on the radar since we were 15. The day came that we were invited to come to Homecoming Week on an all-expenses paid official visit to Canberra to watch them face Boise State. I saw some really big guys hitting hard and punishing the Broncos. I was sold. It was easy. And it was a breeze."

"We signed on the X, all three of us," said Cole. "Then we breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that we won't have to worry about people saying, 'Hey, why are you playing across the Pacific; don't you know you blokes have it better out here?' We wanted to be part of the Spirit, and we got our wish. So now we need to finish up our studies because we begin our university life next January."

"I'm actually quite excited that I will get all this playing time as the first halfback from the class of 2079," added Fukushina. "Ever since mum chose to live a quieter life away from the public eye and marry the one person that fell for her, my dad, I've been having a good time working on my studies and studying the game of gridiron. It's a fun sport. Everybody needs to play at least the flag variety or watch a tackle football match. It's real fun; you won't regret it."

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of Damper

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
October 9, 2075

Damper is a traditional Australian soda bread prepared by swagmen, drovers, stockmen and other travellers. It consists of a wheat flour based bread, traditionally baked in the coals of a campfire. Damper is an iconic Australian dish. It is also made in camping situations in New Zealand, and has been for many decades.

Damper was originally developed by stockmen who travelled in remote areas for weeks or months at a time, with only basic rations of flour, sugar and tea, supplemented by whatever meat was available. The basic ingredients of damper were flour, water, and sometimes milk. Baking soda could be used for leavening. The damper was normally cooked in the ashes of the camp fire. The ashes were flattened and the damper was placed in there for ten minutes to cook. Following this, the damper was covered with ashes and cooked for another 20 to 30 minutes until the damper sounded hollow when tapped. Alternatively, the damper was cooked in a greased camp oven. Damper was eaten with dried or cooked meat or golden syrup, also known as "cocky's joy".

Damper is also a popular dish with Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal women had traditionally made bush bread from seasonal grains and nuts, which they cooked in the ashes of fires. It also became a popular dish for recreational campers and has become available in bakeries. Many variations and recipes exist, some authentic, others using the name to sell a more palatable bread product to the urban public.

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Three More Sign On The Line As Leafa Gridiron Rout Utah State

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
October 13, 2075

At Romney Stadium on the campus of Utah State University in Logan, Utah, USA, quarterback Shae Katou-Aki passed for 396 yards, ran for 398 more and scored 10 total touchdowns on offence as Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit pounced on the Utah State Aggies, 128-20. Right outside linebacker David Hazuki had 12 tackles and three sacks to go with a forced fumble.

Halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 318 yards and three majors while catching seven passes for 142 yards and a score, halfback Archer Hiiro ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns, wide receiver Connnor Yasaka caught four passes for 46 yards and two majors, and wideout Xavier Kim had eight receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown while leading the blockers with 30 pancake blocks.

Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura had 15 tackles, left end Sam "Yokuzuna" Touzokuyama and right end Lewis "Sack Man" Sakishima each had three sacks apiece, cornerbacks Zach Choi and Sebastian Kamiya each had an interception and even Katou-Aki himself recorded a sack, adding to his versatility on both sides on the ball.

Meanwhile, on the home front, three new first-year players will join the Spirit Gridiron Team for Season 2076. The players are defensive tackle Kieran Hyakuya, right end Val Kiryuu-Cranell and middle linebacker Kent Age-Reynolds. All hail from Launceston, Tasmania and will enroll at the college in January 2076. Leafa improve to 5-0 and continue their road trip next week against the UNLV Rebels.

 

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Shinoa Hiiragi, the mother of future Leafa Spirit DT Kieran Hyakuya.​

Leafa Boys Continue To Reload With More Local Signings

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
October 14, 2075

The son of Yuuchirou Hyakuya and Shinoa Hiiragi, defensive tackle Kieran Yuusuke Hyakuya is a blue-collar sinpunisher on the defensive line and is slated to follow a trail blazed by greats such as Oscar Inui and Levi Iori for Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit Gridiron Team. Nicknamed "Hard Yakka" for his fondness of Hard Yakka work apparel, Kieran already is committing to work in the construction business or in fisheries when his playing career wraps up.

"Unlike many of my peers, I know what I want to do when I'm done playing gridiron," Kieran said from his home in Launceston. "I decided I wanted to immediately go into construction or aquaculture and do some of the down and dirty work that a lot of the tough blokes in my town do. Mum tells me I need to be spontaneous and self-sufficient and Dad tells me, 'Son, I know you are capable of having a plan, so get out there and do it.' So yeah, I am looking forward to having a fantastic career in Canberra and hopefully I even get to play in America in front of big crowds."

Misora Whiteale (second from left) and Kanata Age (top right), the parents of Kent Age-Reynolds.​

A great-grandson of the late legendary singer Dan Reynolds and the son of Kanata Age and Misora Whiteale, middle linebacker Kent Age-Reynolds (Age is pronounced "Ey-Gee" or "A.G.") is considered by many scouts to be the next Roy Hanamura at the position for the spirit. In his career playing football for local club side Gorillas, Age-Reynolds recorded 156 tackles, 40 interceptions and 50 sacks. He can catch the ball, he can stop the run and he is an addict of a strong, effective pass rush.

Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds (third from left),
the great-grandfather of Leafa Spirit middle linebacker Kent Age-Reynolds.​

"Sometimes I'm inspired by Old Man Dan and I pull up his catalogue of music with his band Imagine Dragons," said Kent from his apartment in Launceston. "I like music. I sometimes play in a session band with Brocko [future Leafa punter Brock Ebina-Doma], Valla [right end Val Kiryuu-Cranell] and Kieran at Brooks [High School] and we play covers of songs from the Dragons and Atlas Genius.

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"I do lead vocals and bass, Kieran does drums, Val does rhythm guitar and Brocko does lead guitar and synthesizers. Our band's name reflects our city: Launceston Boys. We don't get to perform and record as often because of Kieran's volunteer work. Very selfless mate, you know. We like music but we also like to play gridiron so we hope to get people singing next season. On the pitch, I love to make plays as a middle linebacker because I get to show my leadership. So I want to be a leader and example to all the mates because we're all great people and we bleed Green and Gold."

Mizuki Sera, Val Kiryuu-Crenell's grandmother on his mother's side. ​

Kiryuu-Cranell's grandparents include Bell Cranell, Aiz Wallenstein, Nagisa Kiryuu and Mizuki Sera, affluent people in their time. While they are no longer with him, Val carries the memory of his grandparents in a necklace that he wears every day when he goes out. Of course, when it's gameday, he puts the family jewels away in his locker until the game is over and he's showered up.

"A pendent that Grandma Mizuki gave me before she died, yeah," said Val from his home in town. "It has some of the most precious stones you will ever find and is a family heirloom. I inherited a massive fortune from my grandparents and I have elected to put a good deal of it into mutual funds while taking some for the usual house payments and college expenses.

"College is pretty expensive these days. That's why I have been frugal with my spending, only buying things I need, like groceries and other household tools. Now that I will be heading off to the capital to continue my lifelong journey, I plan to become successful as my grandparents by becoming a musician and tell my life story through song. I got a lot of years left and I plan to live to tell everyone about it."

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[Hachiko]

Leafa overcome slow start, defeat UNLV on the road

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
October 20, 2075

UNLV played one of its finest first quarters of football against Leafa College, holding Dan Harding's Spirit Gridiron to 14 points in the opening term. However, that was all that they could do as the Spirit continued to apply pressure, eventually breaking them in the final term en route to a comprehensive 126-19 victory over the UNLV Rebels at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev.

Quarterback Shae Katou-Aki, in spite of an uninspiring start, passed for 186 yards, ran for 361 yards and scored nine total touchdowns on offence. On defence, left end Gary Acura recorded seven tackles and five sacks while recovering a fumble. Halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 491 yards and six touchdowns, wide receiver Xavier Kim caught seven passes for 831 yards and a major to go with 29 pancake blockes, and wideout Dayne Tsunashi caught two short touchdown passes while recording 22 blocks.

Left end Sam Touzokuyama recorded five sacks, middle linebacker Roy Hanamura and strong safety Jay Madanbashi each had 14 tackles and cornerback Zach Choi had 10 tackles and two interceptions, one of which was returned 66 yards for a major score. Not to be outdone, third-string quarterback Rocky Naoe also recorded an interception on defence.

On the home front, three new additions to the team for next season were announced. Middle linebacker Rhys Miyazawa, strong safety Joe "Mojo" Takajou and athlete/right guard Blaine "Big Bear" Okuma, all from Launceston, Tasmania. Leafa improve to 6-0 and return to action at home next week against the New Mexico Lobos.

 

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Haruka Saigusa, great-grandmother of Rhys Miyazawa on his father's side. ​

More of the Tasmania Boys sign with the Spirit

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
October 22, 2075

On the father's side of middle linebacker Rhys Shingo Miyazawa, Kengo Miyazawa and Haruka Saigusa are his great-grandparents. While baseball and cricket are sports that Rhys has an affection for, it was the sport of gridiron that called for him. Last weekend, following another emphatic win for the Leafa College Spirit Gridiron Team in conference play, Rhys announced via YouTube video that he was committed to the Spirit and would enroll in January of next year, along with two other players this past weekend. Rhys is expected to play backup to projected starter and fellow first-year Kent Age-Reynolds.

"To everyone I love so much, thank you for giving me this chance to play with the best teams in America," said Rhys in the video. "I want to use my education at Leafa to transform lives after I am done competing in sports. I have not decided yet what I will major in but I am open to options. I will choose one where there is a lot to gain and not a lot to lose from being involved. I dedicate this day to my late grandmother for being the reason why I am a proud Australian preparing for the best days of my life. I will never forget you, Great-Grandma Haruka. This one's for you!"

Joujirou Takajou and Yusa Nishimori, the parents of Joe "Mojo" Takajou. ​

The son of Joujirou Takajou and Yusa Nishimori, Joe Soujirou Takajou is a strong safety built for speed. A two-sport athlete (Joe also competes in athletics and is a champion relay runner), Joe has great hands, tackles real hard and came close to deciding to play AFL before electing to take a chance at playing gridiron. His speed and athleticism have earned him the nickname "Mojo." An avid Collingwood supporter, Joe dreams of having a cold one should the Magpies win the flag, something they have not done for at least three decades.

"Mum and Dad are Pies fans and at Huey's [Hugh Otosaka's] house, his family are all Carlton supporters so it's good banter all around," said Joe from his house in Launceston. "But with Mum being popular in her day, I wanted to be famous and accomplish a lot. I got the speed aspect from my dad but I can control my pace and stride, unlike my old man. I know the Lee brothers have set the standard by which all strong safeties playing for the program will have to measure up against. But I love a good challenge and I am ready to move mountains and make waves, just the way my parents want it."

Ayame Kajou, the mother of Blaine Okuma. ​

Without question, Blaine Taniguchi Okuma, a right guard that is listed as an athlete, has one of the most outrageous mothers out there in Ayame Kajou. Her fighting spirit and ability to go commando on anyone's watch is the reason why Okuma elected to play gridiron and dance the Nae Nae and haka on a consistent basis. Okuma committed to the Spirit this past weekend and what did his mother do?

"She put panties on her head, and then she went around in a cape naked across the streets decrying the Liberal goverment that is currently on Parliament Hill," said Okuma. "Whatever, you know something, fair dinkum? I let my mum do what she wants. She's one of the most courageous people out there and she is a staunch supporter of the Labor Party. I'm planning to major in political science and use my Mum's legacy as inspiration. But that will be after I am tired of playing gridiron on the offensive line. I know that I will get a lot of playing time anyway so bring it on fair dinkum!"

 

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Tsunashi takes the piss as Leafa hammer New Mexico in the rain

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
October 27, 2075

Leafa College Spirit Gridiron wide receiver Dayne Tsunashi was forced to run seven laps up and down in the rain following a 129-27 victory for Dan Harding's Spirit over the New Mexico Lobos after dropping a pass on fourth down and long. Quarterback Shae Katou-Aki passed for 496 yards, ran for 294 yards and scored 11 total touchdowns on offence. Cornerback Luca Mizushima had 16 tackles, a sack and an interception returned 37 yards for a touchdown.

"I told Dayne, listen, you're gonna have to take the piss today because dropping passes is a no-no at this program and as a senior, you know better than to drop easy touchdown passes like that," said Coach Harding after the game. "But what really got me talking was the decision by Milos [New Mexico Lobos head football coach Milos Bartuziak] to punt on first down. I told him after the game, 'Milos, you will need to find another calling to steal a living from because you are unfit to coach in this profession.' Unbelieve decision, reprehensible at that."

Halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 237 yards and two touchdowns while catching 12 passes for 187 yards and two scores, Tsunashi caught five passes for 99 yards and Xavier Kim had 28 pancake blocks to lead the blockers. Left end Gary Acura had three sacks while fellow left end Sam Touzokuyama had two sacks.

Leafa improve to 7-0 and hit the road next week to take on the Colorado State Rams.

 

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Inaho Kaizuka and Asseylum Vers Allusia, the grandparents of Jarryd Kaizuka on his father's side. ​

More signings step up for Leafa College Spirit

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
October 28, 2075
Jarryd "The Bazooka" Kaizuka is the grandson of Asseylum V. Allusia and Inaho Kaizuka on his father's side and Inko Amifumi on his mother's side. A halfback with speed and shiftiness, Jarryd is looking to be a force to be reckoned with next spring for the Leafa College Spirit Gridiron team. Jarryd will be competing with Jack Fukushina for the starting job.

"I've got the smart and savvy know-how of my granddad and the cool and composed moxie of my two grandmothers," said Jarryd at his home in Launceston, Tasmania, where a lot of the recruits, if not all, are hailing from. "I could have played AFL but I wanted to get a college education and so I am playing for the Spirit next year and prove to the world that my state can be a hotbed of talent for years to come."

Lemrina Vers Envers and Slaine Troyard, the grandparents of Gilles Troyard on his father's side. ​

Gilles Troyard is the grandson of Slaine Troyard and Lemrina V. Envers on his father's side and Rayet Areash on his mother's side. Born in Montreal, Canada, Gilles moved to Launceston with his father Claude and mother Hadassah at the age of six. Gilles, a left outside linebacker, is a bona fide polyglot. He is fluent in English, French, German, Japanese and Korean and is also studying Italian and Spanish. Even though the correct pronounciation of his name is "Gil," his name is locally pronounced as "Gills" as in fish gills, or Gilla.

"I do a lot of lifting," Gilles said in an interview at Brooks High School in the heart of town. "Grandpa Slaine told me that I needed to be big and strong and have the shrewd character that he had. So I am planning to consider joining the military as a reserve officer. However, as an outside linebacker I know I can make a lot of money playing pro, so I want to keep my options open."

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Nina Klein, the grandmother of Steele Craftman on his father's side. ​

Left end Steele Craftman is the grandson of Calm Craftman and Nina Klein. Named after legendary Collingwood Magpie Steele Sidebottom, Steele Craftman adds much-needed depth at the defensive end position and could be moved over to the right end position instead of his traditional position of left end since the Spirit are currently one-deep at right end.

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Caroline Hikaru Makino, the fiancee of Steele Craftman.
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"I plan to double-major in architecture and engineering and help design buildings and spacecraft for a number of companies," said Steele. "The likes of Airbus and Lockheed Martin fit my fancy and why not throw in a little bit of NASA in there? I just like designing things, just like my old man did back in his day. I want to make Grandma Nina proud because she wants me to deliver. I also have a fiancee, Hikaru, that is expecting kids on Australia Day of next year. That's the day we plan to marry as well and so hope are as high as the sky. I want to give it my all for my grandma and my soon-to-be-wife. I want to be ready."

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Nao Tomori and Yuu Otosaka, the parents of Hugh Otosaka. ​

A By The Book Valedictorian And A Couple Of Rolling Stones Join Leafa

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
October 30, 2075

Three more signings were announced today by Leafa Spirit Gridiron Head Coach Dan Harding. One of them is free safety Hugh Yuuhi Otosaka, the son of Nao Tomori and Yuu Otosaka, a narcissist and a cheater in their high school days. A lesson learned, Hugh elected to make it to Leafa by the book, playing by the rules and staying humble along the way, earning valedictorian honours. Now the projected starting free safety next year for the Spirit, Hugh, or Huey as people call him, hopes to see it pay off next year.

"My parents told me, 'don't make the same mistake we made back in our younger days,'" said Hugh from his home in Launceston, Tasmania. "I said to Mum and Dad, yeah, sure thing. I wanted to pay my dues for all the hard work they've been giving me these past few years and I continue to be grateful for everything they've done. I am excited to be playing on the same team with Mojo [Joe Takajou], so let's give it a go, shall we?"

Els Tasmin, the grandmother of Case Tasmin-Jagger. ​

The grandson of Els Tasmin and a descendant of Mick Jagger, left end Case Tasmin-Jagger talks, sings and thinks like the old rock and roll legend himself. He and his close friend, centre Larry Tribeca-Wood, a grandson of Harry Tribeca (that is a she, by the way) and a descendant of guitar maestro Ronnie Wood, often compose random songs while doing covers of old Rolling Stones hits. Case and Larry have committed to the Spirit and will be enrolling in January of next year.

"We're gonna make our old men in the sky proud," said Case this week after class at Brooks High School. "Old Man Mick and Old Man Ronnie. They'll be telling up up there, 'Boys, you've done a really good job, now get out there and show 'em what you're made of.' I've got some competition for a spot at defensive end but I expect to have a boatload of playing time this year because we are going to have a short list of mates for the coach to select."

Harry Tribeca, the grandmother of Larry Tribeca-Wood. ​

"At long last, I get a chance to play centre," said Larry in an interview at Brooks. "I did a lot of powerlifting, ate a lot of protein, dropped the carbs and really worked on adding more lean muscle so that I can be a good blocker and snapper. When I report to camp next winter in Canberra, I want to be the long-snapper too, if you don't mind."

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Leafa accelerate past Colorado State as summer nears in Oz

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
November 3, 2075

First-year quarterback Shae Katou-Aki passed for 158 yards, ran for 478 yards and scored nine total touchdowns on offence as Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit Gridiron obliterated the Colorado State Rams at Hughes Stadium, 133-14. Left outside linebacker Nick Mikisugi led the defence with nine tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.

Halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 325 yards and three scores while catching for another, halfback Archer Hiiro ran for 258 yards and five majors, wide receiver Tyler Aki caught a 67-yard bomb for a touchdown and offensive lineman Gino Fatu had a career-best 13 pancake blocks despite giving up a sack. Three other players on offence contributed to the blocking cause with eight pancakes apiece.

Outside linebacker David Hazuki recorded 11 tackles, a pick and thee sacks; left end Gary Acura continued his stellar senior year with four sacks and an interception, middle linebacker Roy Hanamura led all tacklers with 12 tackles to go with two interceptions, and four other players on defense also had an interception in what was a rough day passing for Colorado State quarterback Craig Leonard.

Leafa improve to 8-0 and return home next week to face the Nevada Wolf Pack at Yunupingu Field in Canberra, ACT.

 

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Miura Rinaldi (right), the grandmother of Dana Rinaldi. ​

Two more Tasmanians enter Leafa's first-year class for next season

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
November 5, 2075
Two more natives of Launceston, Tasmania signed with Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit Gridiron team for the 2076 season. Listed as an athlete, Dana Rinaldi's natural position is halfback but he is capable of filling a spot at wide receiver if the situation warrants it. The grandson of Miura Rinaldi and a descendant of guitar maestro Sir Keith Richards, Dana has one goal.

"I have but one goal, and that's to earn a college degree," said Dana from his home in Launceston. "Everything else is just icing on the cake. In fact, I don't care if we go winless; as long as I complete my units and get my diploma, I'm a happy camper. I want to make grandma Miura proud and I want to personally thank her for giving me this opportunity to play gridiron for one of the best teams in Australia."

Victoria Dahlgrun, the grandmother of LaVerne "Vern" Dahlgrun. ​

The grandson of Victoria Dahlgrun and a descendant of Charlie Watts, cornerback LaVerne "Vern" Dahlgrun is a smoking gun, meaning he can hit you from all corners and force turnovers at will like a machine. Vern committed to the Spirit this past weekend and believes that any team begins and ends with proper defending.

"I believe I have the proper package to be successful at Leafa, that's why I signed up," said Vern. "I have good speed, I am a student of the game, I believe in proper sport IQ...and I know how to play the drums like my ancestor Charlie did back in his day. Hopefully I can help the young defense maintain a rhythm all year because I have a knack for sound rhythm."

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Caroline Hikaru Makino and Isabel Itsuki Tateno,
the fiancees of Steele Craftman and Jarryd Kaizuka.​

Strike It Up: Two Fiancees Ready For Leafa College Experience

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
November 7, 2075


Caroline Hikaru Makino is the fiancee of future Leafa Spirit defensive end Steele Craftman and Isabel Itsuki Tateno is the fiancee of future Spirit halfback Jarryd Kaizuka. Both will be married on Australia Day, and Hikaru will be expecting twins that day as well. As for Itsuki, her twins are expected some time in April. When asked of their big opportunity to watch their future husbands head out on to the pitch and become heroes, they were giddy to the nines.


"I am so thrilled to finally be getting a university education and become a leader in my own right," said Hikaru. "Ever since I met Steele back in secondary school, my fortunes changed. Now I have a husband to dote on and nag if I need something, even though Steele wants me to also do some things around the house. I want to major in business or somewhere in the humanities. I like to dream big so that I can be as successful as Steele, but we got a long way to go.


"I don't think he minds the fact that my chest size is not up to a normal bloke's standards but he tells me that this is the last thing he cares about. and that's great. He tells me, 'Hikaru, I'm gonna make you my partner for life and my second opinion on a lot of things. I'm gonna make you my wife and I don't worry about the details, as long as the love we have for each other is reciprocated.' He's such a gentleman, I don't know what else you want me to say."


"Jarryd's a unique type of person," said Itsuki at Jarryd's house, where she was staying for the night. "I like his personality, his charisma, his professionalism...and the way we make love is really great. I'm gonna be expecting fraternal twins in April and Jarryd promised me he'll look after them and make them grow up nice and strong like him and me. He's a good planner and plays really good at his position. Good speed, hands and toughness. His body is drop-dead gorgeous, too.


"So when Jarryd told me back when we first met, 'hey, I was named after Jarryd Roughhead of Hawthorn,' I was surprised. I thought he was kidding. But when I got to know his and learn about his affection for the Hawthorn Footy Club, I adopted that club as my team, even though I don't watch a lot of AFL since I prefer to watch soccer (I'm a Victory supporter). I heard about the stories of his grandparents and I thought, okay, I need to make this guy my man because his upbringing is something I want a piece of. So we've been together since."​

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Sail! Leafa crush Nevada in offensive slugfest at home

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
November 10, 2075

Quarterback Shae Katou-Aki passed for 400 yards, ran for 567 yards and scored 12 total touchdowns on offence to lead Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit Gridiron to a resounding 177-52 rout of the Nevada Wolf Pack at Yunupingu Field in Canberra, ACT. Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura had 12 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception to lead the defence.

Halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 194 yards and five touchdowns, halfback Archer Hiiro ran for 149 yards and three majors, wide receiver Dayne Tsunashi caught 11 passes for 140 yards and two scores and tight end Tom Arashi caught four passes for 89 yards and a major. Wideouts Connor Yasaka and Xavier Kim each had 18 pancake blocks to lead all blockers, while Tsunashi had 11.

Left end Sam "Yokozuna" Touzokuyama had five sacks, cornerback Luca "Night Fever" Mizushima led all tacklers with 14 tackles, free safety Jay "The Provost's Son" Madanbashi added 12 tackles and two interceptions, and five other players on defense had a pick apiece.

Leafa improve to 9-0 and conclude their home campaign next week against the San Jose State Spartans on Spirit Senior Day 2075, honoring the Class of 2075.

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"For fuck's sake, we're not a stepladder!" -Dan Harding

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
November 12, 2075

Leafa College will be honouring the fourth-year athletes of the Class of 2075, and many of them play gridiron for Dan Harding's Spirit, who will face the San Jose State Spartans in Spirit Senior Day 2075 this Saturday at Yunupingu Field in Canberra, ACT. The event is declared a sell-out. Addressing the media this week, Coach Harding was venomously vulgar when slamming the recent rankings which see the Spirit remain No. 2 across the board.

"For fuck's sake, we are not a stepladder!" Coach Harding exclaimed to the media. "What a load of bollocks these so-called journos concoct every week with their insipid rankings. We're now second to a run-of-the-mill side in West Virginia after Virginia Tech fell last weekend. Absolutely mind-boggling rubbish.

"You all saw the results the past few weeks. We play this game of griddy better than any of the other blokes across the rim and we still take the piss by being ranked No. 2. Mind, this is a team that the USA national side would die having, a team that NFL scouts have generous amounts of sleeps over, knowing they don't need the film to know how top-notch they are, and what do the bloody Yanks do? They rank us second. AGAIN.

"We'll just have to pray to the heavens that Oklahoma smashes them over the weekend because we have business to take care of against San Jose. The Spartans won't be in the postseason, so this is their bowl game. We won't take them lightly and the fourth-years want to leave a final impression for their mates in the classroom, their significant others, their parents, and our country, so the challenge is accepted and we're out to work, even if our victory sees us unranked next week."

The match will be broadcast live on 5AO and the 5AO Leafa Sports Radio Network, as well as on One and One World Sports globally.

 

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Leafa close books on recruiting class as Spirit smash San Jose

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
November 17, 2075

At Spirit Senior Day 2075, Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit gridiron seemed to be on the ropes by the end of halftime, leading by just two major scores. Turns out, the lads were doing a little rope-a-dope on the San Jose State Spartans as they smashed the visitors in the second half en route to a convincing 118-38 rout at Yunupingu Field in Canberra, ACT. Freshman quarterback Shae Katou-Aki passed for 302 yards, ran for 331 yards and scored eight touchdowns on offence. Cornerback Billy Ooji, one of a plethora of fourth-years on the list, recorded 14 tackles, two tackles for loss and three interceptions.

Halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 393 yards and five touchdowns, wide receiver Connor Yasaka caught two passes for 105 yards and a couple of majors, tight end Tom Arashi caught three passes for 94 yards and a score, wide receiver Xavier Kim had 28 pancakes and wideout Dayne Tsunashi had 19 pancakes in what can be considered an average blowout by the team's ultra-high, ultra-strict standards, no more, no less.

On defence, middle linebacker Roy Hanamura had 25 tackles including six for a loss, defencive tackle Levi Iori had two sacks, free safety Jay Madanbashi had 18 tackles and four other players on defense had at least 10 tackles, with three garnering 14 apiece. Four other different players on defence also recorded an interception, aside from Ooji.

Leafa improve to 10-0 and will hit the road next week to take on the San Diego State Aztecs.

 

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Subaru and Marcos Minato Stratos.​

"I almost became a soccer player": -Marcos Minato Stratos

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
November 18, 2075

Ferdinand Marcos Minato Stratos Anastasiadis (better known as Marcos Minato Stratos or simply Minato for short), the great-great-grandson of South Melbourne legend Dean Anastasiadis and the grandson of Einhart Stratos, is a cluctch kicker with a strong cannon of a leg and dead-on accuracy to go with it. Recruited midway through the year, Minato committed to the Leafa College Spirit to succeed Archie Matou at the position and will assume his duties at the start of camp. Minato is fluent in Japanese, English, Korean, Tagalog and Greek, a bona fide polyglot that prefers to talk in either English or Japanese.

"Now I almost decided to enter the South Melbourne Hellas Youth," said Minato at a candid interview with his wife Subaru, who he married today at an informal ceremony. "But then the phone called a few weeks ago and it was Coach Harding. He said, 'You want to come visit us? We need a new kicker, and you'll get a full on scholarship if you give it a go.' So I visited with my then fiancee, now wife, and she said, 'This is our destiny, we have to be here!'
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(clockwise, from top left), Isabel Itsuki Tateno, Natasha Nanako Fujita, Carolina Hikaru Makino and Olivia Aoi Ouhashi, the fiancees of Jarryd Kaizuka, Gilles Troyard, Steele Craftman and Rhys Miyazawa. All will marry on Australia Day 2076.​

"So, for her and for me, we're gonna be enrolled next season. We're gonna be astronomy majors and hope to get a job working for NASA or in any observatory under a fellowship. Once I committed, I told the coach at South [Greg Tsiokas], 'Sorry, but I am going to play gridiron in Canberra.' He said, 'Well, we're sad to see you go, but good luck.' The rest, as they say, is history.
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"When I first met Subaru back in Japan, before we moved to Launceston, Australia after the fragments ordeal, she asked me about how to have sex. I told her, 'You don't know?' She said, 'It's my first time, please be gentle.' Knowing that I am a gentleman of character, I slowly eased her in, saying, 'Right. Follow my lead, and I'll take you higher than the heavens.' As I took off her clothes, she subconsciously grabbed hold of my long...and then it exploded into her face and she got a mouthful of it, swallowing it up.

"I was shocked. Subaru had turned into a lady, and her eyes were empty. I asked, 'How was it?' Enraptured, she said, 'I can't help myself, I...I want more.' Later, when we moved to Australia, we got more and more intimate, and then it reached a point where Subaru said, 'Minato, I want to become a real lady and have kids! Let's do it!' I was self-sufficient myself, even though I was living with my Greek relatives and she was moving in with me. She's now expecting kids and is due to give birth on what I believe is Australia Day, somewhere along those lines.

"All in all, I can't wait to finally get on the plane to Canberra and return to the campus where I had a visit a few days ago. I want to make all my parents proud, my grandmother Einhart and even Old Man Dean for a change, even though he's looking down on me from the skies. Next year, I plan to be a star myself and shine on special teams. At Leafa, everyone's a star and all the stars shine as one unit. It's time for my new core of mates to light up the sky in Canberra."

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Megumi Sakura and James Bay, the grandaunt and great-grandfather (on his mother's and father's sides, respectively) of Carson Wezley-Bay.​

Hold Back The River! School-Live Crew Is Here!

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
November 19, 2075

Fueled by the memory of their grandaunts, five more recruits from Launceston, Tasmania join forces to sign with Dan Harding's Leafa College Spirit Gridiron Team. They are known as the "School-Live Crew" (a parody of rap moguls of yesteryear 2 Live Crew). Middle linebacker Carson Wezley-Bay is a grandson of Rio Wezley, a great-grandson of legendary singer James Bay and grandnephew of Megumi Sakura (a distant cousin of Kyouko Sakura). Outside linebacker Austin Scrya-Waugaman is a grandson of Yuuno Scrya, a great-grandson of Walk The Moon drummer Sean Waugaman and grandnephew of Miki Naoki.

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Kurumi Ebisuzawa, Miki Naoki, Yuki Takeya and Yuuri Wakasa, the grandaunts of Jason Petricca, Austin Scrya-Waugaman, Del Chevelle Maiman and Amir Timir-Ray.​

Wide receiver Jason Jeremiah Petricca is a grandson of Sieglinde Jeremiah, a great-grandson of Walk The Moon singer Nicholas Petricca and grandnephew of Kurumi Ebisuzawa. Outside linebacker "The Emir" Amir Timir-Ray is a grandson of Corona Timir, a great-grandson of Walk The Moon bassist Kevin Ray and a grandnephew of Yuuri Wakasa. And halfback Del Chevelle Maiman is a great-grandson of Walk The Moon guitarist Eli Maiman, a grandson of Michaiah Chevelle and a grandnephew of Yuki Takeya. When asked of their opportunity to make the new alma mater proud, they were grinning at the nines.

"Are you kidding me, mate? This is the best feeling ever!" exclaimed Petricca. "All those days of hard work laboring on the pitch in the name of a sport that's still finding its footing after a long while...now I get a chance to finally make a name for myself and for my mates on the School-Live Crew. We live to keep the memory of our beloved grandaunts alive. I kept my grandaunt Kurumi's shovel with me as a memento to remember her, and I always keep it in good condition so that I can pass it on to my kids as a family treasure. I'm glad to be a part of this team."

"It's been a long time coming, but Australia has a proper gridiron team that plays the sport better than the Yanks," said Wezley-Bay. "Mitakihara was the pacesetter and made gridiron a thing over in Canada. But now we've taken over and I think we're doing it better than the Canadians. Sorry Canada, but Australia are the kings of the gridiron and they will be for years to come cause we're all part of it."

"God bless the day I signed with Leafa Town," said Scrya-Waugaman. "God bless it so much. I like the band, the music, the people there...it was a magical visit to the nation's capital and now I get a chance to prove myself to everyone that I belong on a special team of stars. We're the best Oz has to offer, why not show 'em that we live for this sport?"

"Over the moon to finally sign with the Spirit but I now know that I have little time to celebrate, along with the others," said Timir-Ray. "Once we signed, most of the heavy lifting was done and now we begin the transition process towards becoming uni boys. We got a long winter of training and we hope it does wonders for our form."

"What more do you want me to say, this is really great that we get a chance to play with teams like Michigan and Ohio State and Alabama, schools that know the game of gridiron as well as anyone in America," said Chevelle Maiman. "But we know a thing or two about gridiron ourselves, that's why we're the defending BCS Champions. Hopefully we can keep the ball rolling for the rest of this season on to the next. We'll be watching with anticipation."

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Fate Testarossa-Harlaown, a great-grandaunt of John Harlaown-Keys.​

John Harlaown-Keys a beast at defensive tackle

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Daily Magi
November 20, 2075

A great-grandson of Chrono Harlaown and a distant descendant of Fate Testarossa, defensive tackle John Harlaown-Keys is a man with a plan. The 6'4", 257-lb beast out of Launceston, Tasmania may be diminutive in terms of weight, but he makes up for it in a big way with plenty of hitting power. Harlaown-Keys's strength is his run stopping ability, and with the Leafa College Spirit Gridiron Team known for its run-stopping, he's sure to be a nice fit alongside fellow recruit Kieran Hyakuya.

"Coach Harding told me during my official visit, 'Johnno, mate, you're gonna love the programme here, it's world-class, you got some of the finest sports scientists from the AIS assisting, you'll improve your conditioning over the winter and you're be a beast by the time next spring rolls around, I promise you, but only if you work hard,'" said Harlaown-Keys after class at Brooks High School. "I believed him.

"Kieran's a good mate of mine. We do a lot of power lifting over the winter and even after the season is over we move these big boulders we like to call mini-mountains. Essentially, we want to emulate moving mountains and making waves, figuratively, of course, and all of that ambition has seen us sign with the best griddy team in the world.

"So I am looking forward to this challenge and making my old man Chrono proud because he'd approve of this move, as well as Aunty Fate, who I never met in my lifetime, but whose memory I continue to cherish and pay tribute to every time I get on the pitch. I'm ready to do my best and commit to the success of the Leafa Boys next year."

 

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Leafa Held To Under 100 Points For First Time

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
November 24, 2075

Quarterback Shae Katou-Aki passed for only 149 yards, but the dual-threat first-year ran for 533 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns on offence as Dan Harding's Leafa Spirit Gridiron were held to under 100 points for the first time this year. They still won, 97-17, over the San Diego State Aztecs at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California, USA. Cornerback Zach Choi led a quiet defence with five tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and an interception.

Halfback Jackson Tatara ran for 256 yards and a touchdown, halfback Archer Hiiro ran for 96 yards, and wide receivers Tyler Aki and Dayne Tsunashi each had a touchdown reception. Wideout Connor Yasaka led the blockers with 23 pancakes, while Xavier Kim had 15 pancakes and tight end Tom Arashi had nine.

Middle linebacker Roy Hanamura led the defence in tackling with 12 tackles, including two for loss. Defensive tackle Levi Iori had four tackles and three sacks, and four other players on defence had a sack each. Overall, it was an uncharacteristic performance from the defence, forcing just three turnovers all game, but to their credit, they did hold the Aztecs to under 20 points in this match.

The regular season concludes next week for Leafa when they face the Fresno State Bulldogs at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California, USA. The Spirit improve to 11-0.

 

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Leafa College Stadium Renamed "Subaru Pleiades Stadium" through 2100
Mandawuy Yunupingu Field Name To Remain For Non-Sponsorship Purposes

By Naoto Suzukawa
The Spirit News
November 26, 2075
In a historic move for the Mitakihara University System and Leafa College, Mandawuy Yunupingu Field will be renamed as Subaru Pleiades Stadium as a result of a naming rights deal involving Japanese giants Fuji Heavy Industries. FHI President and CEO Yoshiyuki Takamori is the father-in-law of future Leafa Spirit kicker Marcos Minato Stratos and the father of Marcos's fiancess Subaru Takamori. Mr. Takamori was at the press conference, along with Mitakihara University Chancellor Dr. Hozuki Ferrari and Leafa College Provost Kyouko Sonan. He was raising his fists like a champion boxer at the morning junket.

"It is with great honor that the Subaru brand graces its magnificent presence on this Australian theatre of dreams, here in the nation's capital," said Mr. Takamori. "Subaru is one of the world's largest automakers, known for cards such as the Impreza WRX and the Legacy 2.5GT, the Outback and Forester. In motorsports, we have been known as a powerhouse in rally team racing, with Subaru Rally Team Japan flying the flag for its nation's colours, as well as Subaru Rally Team USA, Subaru Rallycross Team USA and Subaru Rally Team Australia.

"This year, we renew our interest in the name of sport by turning to the game of American football, a sport that is famous in Japan, as well as, of course, the United States and Australia. The Subaru Pleiades Stadium will be a state-of-the-art stadium, with a heated pitch to allow for all-season use. It will be used for concerts, soccer matches, rugby matches, and the high school and collegiate national championships in American Football. We will upgrade the seats to make this a 40,000-seat stadium with seats on all sides. Every seat will be the best seat in the house and it will also be home to the largest HDTV in the country, which can be seen from up to 10 km away.

"The motto for the Subaru Pleiades Stadium is 'Dreams In Motion'. Leafa College's theatre of dreams is full of activity, and there is always something going on, even if the gridiron team is not playing. We will make this stadium one of the cathedrals of sport, a heavenly place dedicated to the dedicated. With my daughter and my son-in-law enrolling at this campus in January, everyone at FHI is excited to be a part of the magic that happens every day here at the Subaru Pleiades Stadium. Lift your Spirit higher, to the heavens!"

The naming rights take effect on 1 January 2076 and expire on 31 December 2100. The name "Mandawuy Yunupingu Field" will remain as the stadium's non-sponsorship name and the stadium will revert to this name on 1 January 2101, unless there is a new naming rights deal secured. This naming rights deal was valued at $750,000,000 AUD.