Burdettinators had graced the Corona Bowl with his presence a couple of times in his career. In the inaugural season, they faced Bear Necessities in Corona Bowl I, but were rightfully seen off by a team that was in a different league to everyone else. It wouldn't be until 2013 that they would make the playoffs again - but in this season they did hoist Corona Bowl V, in a historic game where they beat long time rival Coach Merritt - who they had never beaten before. But that's sadly where Burdettinators LOC story ends, as outside of this, there hasn't been a lot to speak about.
...Until 2018. Or more specifically, from Week 11 of 2018. The 2018 season was shaping up to be another disappointing one for Burdettinators. Since their glorious 2013 season, they had some ok years, never falling below 5-9 or climbing above 8-6, but also never reaching the playoffs. 2018 looked to be no different, as despite a stellar draft of Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Stefon Diggs, Tarik Cohen, and Deshaun Watson (which at the time was deemed as high risk but proved to be stable), Burdettinators would start the season with a 4-6 records, perilously close to missing the playoffs for yet another year.
But a trade for Alshon Jeffery, an add of Phillip Lindsay during the season would aid them in changing their fortunes. Multiple games behind in the race for a wildcard, they faced Bear Necessities in Week 11, a game they narrowly won 100-95 to keep their playoff hopes alive. Saquon Barkley did most of the heavy lifting, gaining 33 points. Little did Burdettinators know, but this would be the lowest point total they would score in the remaining weeks of the season.
Week 12 saw them take on long time rival The Tuckfards. These two have had many historic games between each other over the years, most notably Corona Bowl V where Burdettinators erased the pain of never having beaten Coach Merritt by hoisting the trophy himself. And this one, as it turned out, would prove no different. Coach Merritt was firmly in the driving seat for the wild card spot heading into the last few weeks of the season, owning a 7-4 record. But once again it would be Burdettinators who would play spoilers, as he spanked him 138 - 92.
Back at 6-6, now only a game behind coach Merritt and in the thick of it with everyone else - it was all to play for. But Coach Burdett still couldn't afford to lose. Week 13 saw a pivotal match up against division rival Tom's Tyrants, who had already locked up the division with a 9-3 record to date. Burdettinators weren't phased by that however, and churned out another win to the tune of 124 - 100. But in the not too distant future, these two would meet again....
Entering the final week of the regular season, Coach Merritt had lost another game, and it was all to play for with multiple teams sitting on 7 wins. Burdettinators faced another playoff hopeful in IKSAN. But it was clear which team deserved to win the game, and indeed advance to the playoffs. Burdettinators won 128-83 on the back of impressive performances from Jameis Winston, Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley and Phillip Lindsay - a truly strong nucleus. But not only this, every other playoff hopeful team lost bar Burdettinators. Obi Wan Ganobi, Forge Flyers, IKSAN, The Tuckfards, and Bear Necessities were all in with a shot, and all lost - leaving Burdettinators to claim the wildcard.
Week 15 pitted them against a team who had many a strong season in recent years, The Dream Team. Burdettinators won the game with relative ease - but an absolutely heroic play of Mike Williams boosted the side by 30 points, leading to a 122-92 point victory. The Dream Team's playoff woes continued, but Coach Burdett advanced to his 3rd Corona Bowl appearance in his career. Every time he has made the playoffs, he made the Corona Bowl.
But, in Week 16, Corona Bowl X, he faced another team no stranger to a Corona Bowl. Tom's Tyrants. The same Tom's Tyrants that had also now appeared in 3 Corona Bowl's, but had won 2 out of 2 of them. Corona Bowl X marked the 10th anniversary season of the league, with Tom having won Corona Bowl's III and VI, another victory could have cemented the Tom's Tyrants dynasty in the first decade of the league. But a loss...a loss would mean Burdettinators would become the only other team than Tom's Tyrants to win 2 Corona Bowl's, working against Coach Barnes legacy.
Let me tell you now - the dramatic backstory to this game only enhanced what we were about to witness. The closest, perhaps greatest, Corona Bowl in LOC history. In a close fought affair, from the Saturday night games through to the end of the 6pm Sunday games there were 6 lead changes - the game was tight as tight can be. Burdettinators managed to build a bit of a buffer however, entering the 9pm games with a roughly 119.56-106.96 point lead, with both teams having 1 player remaining in the Sunday night and Monday night games respectively.
Despite a 10+ point deficit Sunday night game saw another lead change, however. Tom's Tyrants, boosted by his own key waiver add Damien Williams, finished the Sunday night game which a championship calibre 18 points to give Tom's Tyrants a 124.96-119.56 lead. It was down to Phillip Lindsay in the Monday night game, a player Burdettinators was no stranger to leaning on in the season.
He was not playing well, however. Through half time, Burdettinators still did not have a lead. but a 3rd quarter surge saw Burdettinators just pull ahead - with Lindsay going down injured on the play that gave him the lead, and ultimately, Corona Bowl X - final score 125.26-124.96. You can point to any moment in this game where either team won or lost it - the most notable of which were Deshaun Watson scoring 40.46 points for Burdettinators, and Damien Williams fumbling the ball for Tom's Tyrants.
But when the dust settled, none of that mattered. Burdettinators won 6 straight games to win their 2nd Corona Bowl, a fitting bookend to the first decade of the league after they appeared in Corona Bowl X. Was this a mythical, Hall of Fame run? Well my friends, that's for all of you to decide.
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