Early Predictions for Johnny Manziel, Deondre Francois in 2022 FCF Championship

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Bored Ape FC 38, 8oki 32

Saturday’s early game featured two teams from the Ballerz division—a four-team division that was added in Season v2.0 to bring the league’s total to eight teams.

The Bored Ape FC came into the postseason with two consecutive losses but had been in control for most of the season. Before losing to 8oki in Week 6, the Bored Apes were undefeated and they still managed to clinch a playoff spot ahead of Week 7. A loss in the finale was meaningless, as the Bored Apes still finished with a league-best 5-2 record.

However, 8oki’s win in Week 6 added some drama to this one, and the drama continued throughout the rematch.

8oki struck first to take a 6-0 lead, but the Bored Apes quickly answered to go up 8-6. 8oki quickly made it 12-8, though a flurry from the Bored Apes gave them a huge 30-12 halftime lead.

However, 8oki and star quarterback Mitch Kidd battled back in the second half to make things extremely interesting. The Bored Apes scored with less than 10 minutes remaining to take a 38-18 lead, but 8oki pulled within six and successfully retained possession via the “comeback rule” attempt with 11 seconds left. The comeback, however, was too little and too late.

The best team in the FCF regular season won the Ballerz Championship and advances to the title game.

Zappers 50, Shoulda Been Stars 24

In the OGs division—which consists of FCF’s original four teams—the Zappers battled the defending-champion Shoulda Been Stars (formerly the Wild Aces).

The Zappers struck first with a touchdown by superback Shun’Cee Thomas. A scoring run from quarterback Kelly Bryant gave the underdogs a 14-0 lead.

However, the Shoulda Been Stars answered quickly, putting six points on the board in only two plays. The teams traded scores, with the Zappers scoring a fourth time just before the half, taking a 28-14 lead into the break.

The Zappers opened the second half with a scoring drive, but Bryant appeared to be severely hampered by an ankle injury on the drive. This led to former Heisman-winner Johnny Manziel entering the game for the point-after try.

Manziel went right back on the field following a Slade Jarman interception. He led a scoring drive, as did quarterback Laquan Horton, and the Zappers continued to dominate the SB Stars in the second half.

Bryant didn’t return to the field Saturday evening.

While the Zappers seemed like an incredibly unlikely championship contender at midseason, they’ll now represent the OGs in the title game.