Jeremy enjoyed living with four women. He had beautiful, kind, intelligent Alicia for his wife, who was a wonderful mother to their daughters. Brenda, who shared many of her mother’s features, was learning more every day. Brenda also enjoyed having a baby sister, whom she helped care for. Julie, who looked more like her father, may have been jealous of her baby sister but nonetheless contributed what she could. Jeremy frequently assured her that she was a valued part of the family. Wendy was a happy, healthy baby.
Brenda continued to ask about Jeremy’s family. One day, Jeremy brought home a map of the United States. He showed her Jackpot’s location on the map. Then he pointed to Des Moines, explaining that it was where Grandma and Grandpa Shelby lived. Next, he pointed to Ames, telling Brenda that it was where she had been born.
Waving his hand across the map, Jeremy explained that these states were all part of a country called the United States. They were all united under one government. But then this government failed. Every state had to fend for itself.
He pointed at Virginia. “This is where I lived. A terrible man became their leader. His people were very cruel to me. They whipped me on my bottom. It hurt terribly. I had to leave Virginia. So I went to Maryland,” he explained, pointing out Maryland on the map. “The people in Maryland wanted to help. They said the best thing they could do was to get me further away from Virginia. They flew me out to Des Moines. That was where I met your mother.”
“So why can’t we see your mom and dad?” asked Brenda.
“Because if I went to Virginia, they would try to kill me. If my parents tried to leave Virginia, they could be severely punished. Besides, my family and just about everybody I knew in Virginia thinks I am dead.”
“That’s awful!” exclaimed Brenda. “Will you ever see your family again?”
“Some day, I hope,” replied Jeremy. “Maybe if the Virginia problem gets resolved.”
Winter moved on into spring. Most people in Jackpot cheered when Louisville beat Indiana out for the college basketball championship. Those people were also glad that Chicago won the NBA playoffs.
The end of the school year brought exciting news. Jeremy was promoted to captain. He was also being transferred to the Northern National Military Academy in New Salem. Jeremy and his family soon moved to North Dakota.
Brenda was unhappy about parting from Vanessa Stafford. Alicia tried to comfort Brenda by assuring her she would make new friends in New Salem. It was a tough move for Brenda just the same.
Jeremy and Alicia were happy with the move. They got to live in a larger house than they had in either Jackpot or Texarkana, with more room to accommodate a growing family. The buildings at the school and surrounding area were fresh and relatively new. While New Salem was not a big city, it certainly had more amenities than Jackpot. Brenda could also attend more substantive schools, likely to provide a better education.
Julie liked the large statue of a cow on the north edge of New Salem, overlooking the freeway. She referred to it as “the big cow.”
Jeremy enjoyed meeting General Holmes in person. As Secretary of Defense, he had made Jeremy’s graduation from the Creighton ROTC program possible. Now he commanded the school he had founded. It pleased Jeremy to be part of the general’s school. The general told Jeremy how pleased he was that Jeremy had performed so well after his efforts to get him reenrolled at Creighton.
During the summer, baseball became the hot topic in New Salem. Jeremy felt a tinge of disappointment when Creighton lost the national college championship game to South Alabama. In the major leagues, business leaders in Oakland, California, organized a new team. Both Oakland and Boston joined the American League, expanding it to twelve teams. The American League split into two divisions, with Boston, New York, Toronto, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay in the East. Detroit, Chicago, Kansas City, Texas, Minnesota, and Oakland would play in the West. The National League, with ten teams, continued play without divisions.
In New Salem, the academy organized three casual softball teams, while the town organized one more. The four teams competed against one another in a mini-league. Jeremy enjoyed playing third base for his team, just like he had in Grinnell. He could tell he was no longer in his prime. It had been such a long time since he had played. But he was still among the better players on his team.
Among the four teams, there were no teams that stood out as being particularly better or worse than the others. On any given day, any team could defeat any other. At the end of the summer, Jeremy’s team tied with the town team for first place at 13–11. One of the school’s teams finished at 12–12, while the other one went 10–14. The two first-place teams did not play a tiebreaker. The important point was that everybody was having fun.
When school started, Brenda’s class had twelve students. Still a small class, but more substantive than the classes she had in Jackpot. Alicia and Jeremy liked it that a teacher who only had to teach one grade could give her pupils plenty of personal attention.
In Major League Baseball, New York and Detroit won their respective divisions. Atlanta won the National League pennant. While New York and Detroit battled in the American League playoff, Atlanta enjoyed some downtime.
The benefit of that downtime quickly became obvious. Atlanta swept the World Series from New York, four games to zero. American League backers claimed it was not fair that the division winners in their league had to play for an extra week. The champions in the National League, without divisions, had gotten that same week off.
Football season raised more pressure from Oklahoma football fanatics who wanted their state to join the RSNA. With televisions becoming more prevalent, they could watch old foes like Texas and Nebraska achieve gridiron successes. They wanted their teams to compete.
President Marshall was proud when University of Michigan’s football team reached the playoffs for the first time since the dissolution. But his joy was short-lived when Missouri bumped Michigan in the opening round. Northwestern beat Missouri in the next round, setting up a national championship game against South Carolina. South Carolina went on to notch a national football championship.
The results of the football playoffs affirmed the growing correlation of larger schools having more football success. Nebraska had over fifty thousand spectators at each of its home games. Arkansas, Michigan, Florida, and Penn State had over forty thousand at each of their home games. Speculation grew over how much longer the smaller schools, such as Youngstown State, Arkansas Tech, Drake, and North Dakota State, could compete.
On December 23, the RSNA got a nice Christmas present. Oklahoma decided to join the RSNA, bringing the total to thirty-five. A news reporter commented that it showed how much football meant to Oklahoma. It meant more to them than gun-control issues. The RSNA states could feel complete reunion coming.
President Marshall ramped up his efforts to court Wisconsin. But they remained adamant on wanting trials by tribunal. The president met with some advisors. They concluded that the only way to accommodate Wisconsin was with a Constitutional amendment. Quickly they drafted the amendment to state that all federal trials must be tried by a jury of the accused’s peers. But states may opt for a different method with federal approval.
When President Marshall submitted the amendment to Congress, he said it was best for our nation and the people of Wisconsin. Privately, President Marshall admitted that Wisconsin had a good idea. Tribunals were much less likely to be swayed by persuasive lawyers. Tribunals were also less likely to let emotions cloud their judgment.
Congress began debate on what became known as the Wisconsin Amendment. President Marshall pushed for quick approval, saying, “We all want Wisconsin to rejoin our union.”
Congress cooperated. Within a week, both houses of Congress passed the amendment. Then it was submitted to the states for approval.
The process bogged down in the states. Iowa, Minnesota, and Michigan approved the amendment quickly. But twenty-seven states needed to approve the amendment. Led by Massachusetts and New Jersey, the Northeastern states complained that the constitution should not be amended to accommodate one state. In the next month, only Missouri, Alabama, and North Dakota passed their approval.
While the states debated the Wisconsin amendment, basketball season progressed in full force. Basketball fans watched in shock when Indiana State beat out Indiana for a playoff spot. Even more shocking was Grinnell College’s upset win over Iowa, preventing Iowa from making the playoffs. It showed there was still a parity in college sports that had not existed before. Some people speculated that Grinnell College had managed to hook some basketball talent with the promise of a good education. After all, the NBA still was not the big lure that it had once been.
With neither Creighton nor Iowa State making the playoffs, Jeremy and Alicia agreed to pull for Nebraska. An easy win against West Texas State enabled Nebraska to advance to the quarterfinal round, where they won a more challenging battle against Wichita State. Nebraska was pitted against Indiana State in the semifinals, while Jacksonville State took on Providence in the other bracket. Optimism ran high when Nebraska squeaked out an overtime victory against Indiana State, while Providence overcame Jacksonville State.
Providence took the early lead in the championship game, leading by as many as ten in the first half. Nebraska narrowed the margin to three before Providence finished six points ahead at halftime.
Nebraska closed to within one point during the second half before taking its first lead of the game with four minutes left to play. Then Nebraska battled on to claim a 74–68 victory and its first national college basketball championship.
In the NBA, Atlanta followed its World Series title by polishing off Cleveland in the playoffs. Atlantans boasted that theirs was the leading city in professional sports.
Major League Baseball announced a National League expansion to Los Angeles and San Francisco. The National League would likewise be split into divisions. New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Miami would play in the East. Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco would play in the West. Oakland’s profitability proved that expansion to the West Coast was feasible.
Brenda’s teacher praised her performance at the end of the school year. She was a bright, well-behaved girl. Jeremy and Alicia were both proud.
During the summer, news from Maryland caught Jeremy’s interest. Some RSNA troops had crossed the Potomac River, driven a handful of Virginia soldiers from a warehouse, and seized a huge cache of weapons and munitions. Jeremy was sure that it was the same warehouse where he and Vincent Blake had worked.
Less pleasant news came from Nebraska in early August. Lisa Plummer had been released from prison. From there, she seemed to have vanished. Jeremy just hoped she never showed up in New Salem.
As the summer drew to its close, considerable attention focused on the upcoming presidential election. President Marshall could not run for another term. Vice President Friend was not interested in the job. In fact, nobody from within the Marshall administration seemed interested. Peter Bryant led in the early polls, mostly because of name recognition. No potential challengers seemed able to compete.
Jeremy’s interest in baseball continued in earnest. He noted with interest when Maine won the College World Series. In Major League Baseball, some interesting races heated up. In the American League East, Baltimore and Tampa Bay were locked in a tight race. Kansas City, Detroit, and Minnesota all contended for the American League West. The National League East evolved into a showdown between Atlanta and Philadelphia. The National League West was no less exciting, with traditional rivals Chicago and St. Louis battling it out.
In New Salem, Jeremy participated in the same softball league as he had the prior year. Once again, the play was strictly for fun, with no team dominating. Jeremy was happy that his team won the league with a record of 15–9. The other three teams tied with records of 11–13.
College sports faced a challenge in how to fit the Oklahoma teams into conferences. First, the regular season was expanded from nine games to ten. Next, the playoffs were expanded from eight to sixteen teams. Finally, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were assigned to a conference with Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, and Iowa State. Tulsa would join a conference with Wichita State, Creighton, St. Louis, Drake, Northern Iowa, Minnesota, and Western Illinois. No sooner had the conferences been realigned than Oklahoma arranged to play Texas for its last non-conference game.
While some teams were happy with the new alignment, others clearly were not. Oklahoma was happy with a conference that closely resembled its old Big Eight conference. Nebraska was happy to renew its rivalry with Oklahoma. Iowa was not as happy, feeling it had been selected as Colorado’s stand-in for the old Big Eight. At least they were happy to continue their rivalries with Iowa State and Nebraska.
Minnesota was particularly displeased with the new alignment. Not only could it not participate in a conference with any of its traditional rivals, but each of its current conference foes were in a lower classification than it was. Minnesota diehards admitted, though, that at this point, their opponents were competitive for them. Minnesota stepped up its effort to persuade Wisconsin to approve the new Constitution.
The presidential election took a shift when a Cleveland newspaper published an editorial claiming that Peter Bryant was so far ahead in the polls not just because of name recognition but also because he had the financial backing to aggressively campaign. With no other big names in the running, it was hard for any other candidates to obtain such backing.
The editorial continued by claiming that the presidency should not be determined based upon financial resources. It went on to endorse a local congresswoman named Lorena Turner, whom it claimed would make a better president.
After that, the voting populace divided into two main groups. One group supported Peter Bryant. The other was opposed to Peter Bryant, for the most part supporting Lorena Turner. Political parties were now taking shape. The two groups became known as the Bryant Party and the Turner Party.
As the presidential race heated up, so did the Major League Baseball races. In the National League West, Chicago barely overcame St. Louis to win. A late surge by Philadelphia enabled it to win the National League East. In the American League West, Minnesota emerged victorious. Meanwhile, Baltimore nosed out Tampa Bay in the East.
The playoffs were no less exciting, with both sides battling to the final game. Minnesota won the American League with a 7–4 victory in the deciding game. Philadelphia needed ten innings to subdue Tampa Bay 3–2. Between Philadelphia and Minnesota, one of them would win the World Series for the first time since the dissolution.
The excitement continued through the World Series. Neither team ever led by more than one game. In game seven, Minnesota led by three runs at one point, but Philadelphia rallied to win the game 8–7.
After the World Series, the RSNA’s attention was riveted on the election. There was not much doubt that Peter Bryant would get the most votes, but would he get the required majority?
As the votes piled in on election day, the outcome remained uncertain. Sometimes, Bryant would have a bare majority, but then he would have a large minority. As the votes were counted in the central and western parts of the country, the seesaw continued. Even California’s large vote did not push Bryant’s votes far from 50 percent in either direction. When a newscaster declared that the election would not be decided until the votes from Alaska and Hawaii were counted, Jeremy and Alicia went to bed.
It was not until the middle of the next morning that the results of the election became public. Peter Bryant squeezed out a victory with 50.3 percent of the vote. Lorena Turner’s late push netted her second place with 37 percent. Among the dozen or so other candidates, none got more than 2 percent of the vote.
With so much attention being focused on the presidential election, the vice-presidential election hardly got any attention. In an ironic twist of fate, Lorena Turner got the most votes for vice president, with 24 percent. Her closest pursuer, Senator Irving Caldwell of North Carolina, got 17 percent. They would face each other in a runoff election the next month.
While the RSNA prepared for the runoff election, college football continued as its favorite sport. The regular season concluded the week after the election. The playoff matchups were soon decided. New Hampshire would face Princeton. Maryland would play against Pittsburgh. Wake Forest would take on Auburn. Central Florida would battle Vanderbilt. Kentucky was matched up against University of Ohio. It would be Michigan State against Northern Illinois. Drake would meet against North Dakota State. Finally, Nebraska would take on Houston. The battle lines were drawn.
The field was cut by half the following Saturday. New Hampshire, Maryland, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Ohio, Northern Illinois, Drake, and Nebraska all advanced.
One week later, New Hampshire became the darlings of the playoffs with a victory against Maryland. Wake Forest knocked off Vanderbilt. Northern Illinois prevailed over Ohio. Nebraska escaped a late rally from Drake to reach the semifinals.
Before the next Saturday, the runoff election was held. Lorena Turner defeated Irving Caldwell by a margin of 57 percent to 43 percent. Mrs. Turner would become the next vice president of the RSNA. People speculated on how things would work with two people who had opposed each other for the presidency working together as president and vice president.
After the runoff, the RSNA’s attention went back to college football. New Hampshire achieved another upset victory against Wake Forest, pitting itself against Nebraska in the national championship game. New Hampshire became the Cinderella team of the playoffs.
Perhaps Nebraska underestimated New Hampshire’s talent. New Hampshire jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter. Nebraska’s defense tightened up in the second quarter, but New Hampshire’s defense also proved stingy. At halftime, New Hampshire still led 14–3.
New Hampshire posted a field goal early in the third quarter. Nebraska struggled back with a touchdown in the third quarter, then tied the game with another touchdown with less than one minute remaining in the fourth.
It seemed like the championship game would go into overtime. But New Hampshire scored on a long field goal with time running out, winning the game 20–17.
Jeremy, Alicia, and Nebraska fans everywhere lamented the close loss. But RSNA-wide, more people wanted New Hampshire to win a national championship. Sports commentators agreed that it showed how much more parity there was among the teams and conferences than there had been before the dissolution.
After the national college championship game, an announcement came from Ohio business leaders. They were creating a new professional football league consisting of cities located in Ohio. The teams would be in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Youngstown, Canton, and Akron. It would be called the Ohio Football League, or the OFL for short. Football fans hoped it would morph into the old NFL.
The NBA expanded to sixteen teams this season. Boston and Toronto were added in the north. Dallas and Houston were added in the south. San Antonio fans expressed displeasure over not getting a team. NBA officials promised that as soon as another expansion team could be added, they would get their new team.
After the new year, the RSNA geared up for the new presidential administration. Secretary of State Stevenson announced he was stepping down. President-elect Bryant then said he would be revamping the entire cabinet. Treasury Secretary Fields, the only other cabinet member who had served through both the Adair and Marshall presidencies, felt like he still had unfinished business. But he agreed that he was getting old and perhaps should retire anyway.
Before Peter Bryant took office, Secretary Fields gave him one piece of advice. He said that the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, Clara Metcalf, should be chosen as his successor. Secretary Fields advised that out of the possible candidates for the job, she had the best grasp of what needed to be done and how to do it.
On inauguration day, President Marshall made his farewell address. He urged the remaining states to accept the new constitution. The sooner the process was completed, the better off we would all be. He complimented how much better foreign relations were than before the dissolution. He advised to keep dealing with Russia and China like friends, working together to make the world a better place. He emphasized building good relations with Mexico, pointing out how much both countries would benefit from a happier, prosperous Mexico.
Turning to internal matters, he expressed desire for the treasury department to strive to achieve the aims started by Secretary Fields, saying that this would lead to a financially sound government that could maintain strong currency. He also wanted the states to ratify the Wisconsin amendment, claiming it would benefit not just Wisconsin but also any other state that opted to use it. Finally, he emphasized standing firm on the new constitution’s tighter stance on gun control, stating that it would facilitate safety in our schools, places of worship, and any other public places.
After President Bryant was sworn into office, he promised a tougher stance against Virginia to try to force General Krakowski out of power. He claimed that the nation was becoming something better than it had ever been before, emphasizing that cooperation with the other world powers would create the highest quality of life the world had ever had. He spoke positively about everybody in the outgoing administration, promising that his administration would likewise be strong and competent. He also praised Vice President Turner, saying that he had great anticipation that he and Turner would make an effective team, working well together.
Thus began a new administration. People worldwide carefully watched the new president, who had no part in the two prior administrations, to see how well he would perform in a situation that was so delicate yet had so much potential. He soon made it clear that he did not like the Wisconsin amendment, claiming the supreme law of the land should not be amended for the sake of one state.
He also advocated amending the new constitution to loosen gun restrictions. This drew praise from advocates of looser gun restrictions but drew ire from those opposed to them. Vice President Turner quickly declared that she opposed President Bryant on both gun control and the Wisconsin amendment, setting the stage for tension in the new administration.
President Bryant sidestepped the disagreement with his vice president by focusing on Virginia. He knew that negotiating with the power-mad dictator would be futile. The only way he could accomplish the liberation of Virginia would be with military intervention.
Some early breaks helped the Bryant administration get off to a good start. Quebec announced that it would rejoining Canada, enabling the nation to become fully reunited. The RSNA joined the other nations around the world in celebrating the good news.
Within the next week, Nevada announced its approval of the Iowa Articles. While Nevada was known to oppose tighter gun control, the state’s leaders agreed that it needed the support of the RSNA to rebuild its devastated glory. In short, Nevada simply agreed that it was stronger joined with the other states. Now the tally was up to thirty-six. Only two more were needed to ratify.
In March, football disappointments in Nebraska vanished when it won the national college basketball title for the second year in a row. Clearly, Nebraska had an edge when it came to recruiting talent. The national college sports committee, wanting to maintain balance, decided to consider ways to enable teams with less money to have better access to talent.
Meanwhile, President Bryant continued President Marshall’s effort to convince more states to join. He visited Mississippi. President Marshall had not put much effort into Mississippi because the state leaders did not want to work with a black president. While President Bryant did not convince Mississippi to join, he at least got the governor to meet with him and the Tennessee governor in Nashville.
In June, Philadelphia won the NBA title, defeating Indiana in six games. Meanwhile, St. Louis won the College World Series.
Later in the month, President Bryant launched a three-pronged strike against Virginia. RSNA forces attacked Danville, Virginia, and Huntington, West Virginia, with air and ground strikes. They also attacked the tidewater peninsula by sea and by air, landing ground forces at Virginia Beach and Hampton. Virginia repulsed the strikes against Danville and the tidewater peninsula. In West Virginia, RSNA forces liberated Huntington but got no further. A military observer commented that it seemed like Virginia knew those attacks were coming.
In July, President Bryant attempted to liberate more of West Virginia. Launching simultaneous assaults from Huntington and Parkersburg, he tried to advance to Charleston. Both assaults were quickly repulsed. It furthered speculation that Virginia military leaders knew the attacks were coming.
Weeks passed. In the fall, Brenda started third grade. Julie started kindergarten. In Major League Baseball, Boston won the American League East in its third season. Kansas City won the West. In the National League, Philadelphia nosed out a stiff challenge from New York to win the East. In the West, St. Louis won easily.
It was during the baseball playoffs that Jeremy got some unwanted news. His aunt Cindy notified him that Grandpa Voorhies had suffered a stroke. The prognosis was not good.
Jeremy got permission from General Holmes to visit his grandparents. Then he bought a ticket on the next train to Bismarck. From there, the bullet train whisked him to Fargo, Minneapolis, then Des Moines. In Des Moines, he boarded an eastbound train. As it sped through Grinnell, Jeremy thought about how his grandparents had provided for him there. They made a big sacrifice for him.
The train then stopped in Iowa City, Davenport, and Chicago. After a brief layover in Chicago, another train sped forward, with stops in South Bend, Toledo, Cleveland, and finally, Pittsburgh. During the whole trip, his mind was on his grandparents in Pittsburgh.
Jeremy’s uncle Warren greeted him with sad news when he got off the train. His grandfather died a few hours earlier. Warren drove Jeremy to the funeral home. His grandfather’s body had been brought yet, but a good many friends and relatives were there. It had been years since he had seen his cousins. They were all grown up now.
When six pallbearers brought the casket in, many of those present shed tears. When they opened the casket for viewing, tears became even more prevalent. Grandma Voorhies cried the hardest, though Cindy and Vicky did their share of crying. Jeremy cried a little himself. His grandfather had done so much for him.
The funeral was held two days later. He was buried in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh. Jeremy so wanted to stay and comfort his grandmother. But he knew he had to go back to his family and job in New Salem. He started back home that night.
On his way back home, Jeremy discovered that Kansas City and St. Louis were facing off in a Show-Me State World Series. While Jeremy’s loyalties went slightly toward Kansas City in this series, he still considered Baltimore to be his favorite team. There were two reasons. First, it was people in Maryland that rescued him after his swim across the Potomac. Second, out of all the Major League Baseball teams, Baltimore was located closest to Virginia. Despite the bad memories he had about Virginia, it was still home.
While he slept much of the time during his return trip, he also thought about his family in Virginia. Probably none of them knew about what happened. His father did not get to attend his own father’s funeral.
Upon his arrival back in New Salem, Alicia had some news for Jeremy. She was pregnant with their fourth child. Jeremy had just lost one significant person in his life. Now he would soon gain another.
In sports, St. Louis won the World Series against Kansas City in seven games. In college football, Drake stunned Nebraska in the season opener. Much of the balance of power shifted eastward, as Maryland, Pittsburgh, New Hampshire, and Central Florida boasted strong teams. In the OFL, Cleveland and Dayton emerged as powerhouses.
In politics, President Bryant made his first major political gaffe when he criticized China over human rights. Vice President Turner spoke up the next day and apologized to China. She emphasized how important it was for both countries to capitalize on their friendship. She also stated how important it was to keep President Adair’s promise to not advise foreign countries on internal matters unless they requested it.
After that, political leaders increasingly aligned into two groups. One group supported President Bryant. The other supported Vice President Turner. President Bryant’s supporters started calling themselves the Unionists. Vice President Turner’s supporters called themselves Constitutionalists. Soon they simply became known as the Union Party and the Constitutional Party. Political parties had once again been formed.
The secretary of state soon visited Beijing. He and his team helped calm Chinese concerns about the RSNA commitment to not interfere with internal affairs. He also reiterated how committed the RSNA was to maintaining good relations with China and working together for the mutual benefit of both countries.
A few weeks later, some Chinese diplomats visited Lamoni. This meeting was less serious than the Beijing meeting. Instead, the two sides spent most of the time building rapport. Nations around the world were glad to see China and the RSNA on good terms.
In the OFL, Cleveland and Dayton won their divisions as expected. Cleveland won the championship game 33–21, becoming the first OFL champion. Afterward, Akron declared that it wanted to relocate to Pittsburgh. After much consideration, the OFL agreed to the move. First, it would be good for the league to have another large city. While the league was originally formed with Ohio cities, there was interest in the OFL morphing into the NFL. With seven Ohio teams and one Pennsylvania team located near Ohio, they would still call it the OFL.
College football still commanded the most attention. Students and faculty, along with much of North Dakota, cheered when Northern National Military Academy won its conference, moving on to the playoffs. But they knew they were facing a tough challenge against Drake in the first round. Iowa also reached the playoffs, setting up a playoff bout with Southern Methodist. Arkansas flexed its muscles to reach the playoffs, going up against Houston in the opening round. Kentucky would face Northwestern in the opening round.
To the east, New Hampshire earned the right to defend its national championship, going up against Syracuse in the opening round. Youngstown State would battle Michigan State in another game. Further south, Maryland prepared to battle Western Carolina, while Georgia State would take on Central Florida.
Jeremy, his family, and everyone affiliated with Northern National Military Academy shared the disappointment when their school lost 27–14 to Drake in the opening round. At least they all agreed that NNMA had a good season. Meanwhile, Iowa routed Southern Methodist 35–0. Arkansas took down Houston 28–9, while Kentucky advanced by defeating Northwestern 24–6.
In the east, New Hampshire continued its pursuit of defending its national title by walloping Syracuse 59–17. Youngstown State earned its showdown with New Hampshire by defeating Michigan State 24–7. Maryland punched its ticket to the second round by defeating Western Carolina 42–10. Central Florida advanced by defeating Georgia State 22–13.
The second round featured an in-state battle between Iowa and Drake, which Iowa won 34–23. Arkansas topped Kentucky 28–21. New Hampshire advanced with a 44–24 win over Youngstown State, while Maryland advanced by defeating Central Florida 29–12.
For the first time since the dissolution, all four of the schools in the college football semifinals were named after states. One new commentator said it showed that the balance of power was shifting toward the larger schools with more money. But small schools still had a chance.
Maryland ended New Hampshire’s hopes for a second straight national title with a 41–28 win. Iowa advanced by defeating Arkansas 28–20.
Both Jeremy and Alicia were pulling for Iowa to win the national championship. That was generally the feeling around the campus, though Maryland had its backers.
In the championship game, Maryland took an early lead with a touchdown. Iowa countered with a field goal. In the second quarter, the scoring went the opposite way, resulting in a 10–10 halftime tie.
Iowa took command in the third quarter with two touchdowns. Maryland scored a field goal late in the third quarter, making the score 24–13. Two more Iowa touchdowns in the fourth quarter sealed the game, with Maryland coming up with only a touchdown and a safety, making the final score 38–22.
While celebrations rang throughout Iowa, Jeremy and Alicia did their own private celebrating. Brenda seemed happy too. In the postgame roundup, a commentator pointed out that since the dissolution, Iowa was the only state with three different schools to become national college football champions.
In the OFL, Youngstown claimed the league’s second championship.
As winter set in, both Brenda and Julie became excited watching their mother’s gradually expanding belly. Jeremy had to help more around the house. Sometimes friends would come over to help. Brenda and Julie helped whenever they could. But Wendy, not old enough to understand, still wanted her share of the attention.
More changes in national sports came with the winter. With Quebec reunited with Canada, the National Hockey League decided to restart. In the inaugural season, teams from Montreal, Toronto, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Chicago would participate. If things went well, more teams would be added.
At the college level, women’s basketball was restarted. The old rules required equal sports participation activities for both college men and women. For financial reasons, this rule had been ignored when college sports were being restarted. Now they were trying for better gender equality.
It was a particularly harsh winter in New Salem. Temperatures were colder, winds were stronger, and snow was heavier. The power got knocked out three times. Whenever that happened, Jeremy, Alicia, and their three girls would snuggle together to keep each other warm.
The toughest part of that winter for Jeremy was whenever he had to drive Alicia to Bismarck, forty miles to the east, to visit her baby’s doctor. The driving was often difficult. New Salem had good medical services, which were mainly attributable to the military school. But it had no services for pregnancy or childbirth. Jeremy struggled while driving to and from those appointments, often driving slowly. He made a point of always making that drive during the day. He had to deal with snow, wind, and even some ice. At least he did not have any accidents.
Christmas brought some exciting news from Des Moines. Alicia’s sister Sarah was getting married the next summer. Not only that, but Susan was going to have a baby.
The cold winter forced Jeremy and his family to spend more time indoors. They spent much time watching television. Jeremy particularly liked watching basketball games. Whenever they watched Creighton games, Brenda noticed how much her father liked them. She said she was a Creighton fan. At that, Alicia teasingly commented that she better like Iowa State too.
One night, Jeremy and Brenda watched a college women’s basketball game. Brenda was so excited watching people of her own gender play basketball so well. She wanted to play basketball.
Men’s basketball held the public’s attention as three different groups of teams battled for supremacy. Nebraska quickly faded from contention for its third straight national title. Instead, the power shifted eastward. Indiana, Indiana State, and Purdue all had powerhouse teams that pummeled all outsiders. Maryland, Syracuse, and Villanova led the attack in the northeast. Meanwhile, Wake Forest, South Carolina, and Miami performed best in the southeast.
The various teams battled through the regular season. The battles continued through the playoffs until only Purdue and Syracuse remained. A strong surge by Purdue in the second half brought the national championship back to the state of Indiana.
The first season of women’s college basketball stirred considerable excitement. Popular belief was that the top teams would be evenly balanced, but that turned out not to be the case. Both Tennessee and Connecticut, anticipating the start, had recruited stellar women’s basketball players. They clearly emerged as the two best teams, a cut above the competition.
In the playoffs, Connecticut staved off a challenge from Maryland to reach the championship showdown against Tennessee. Tennessee then won the championship game by five points, making it the first college women’s basketball national champion since the dissolution. Sports commentators nationwide agreed that its first season was a success.
The NBA added its own excitement by expanding to Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Rivalries heated up across the league. In the playoffs, Boston won the championship round by defeating Minnesota in six games.
Montreal won the Stanley Cup in the NHL. It almost seemed like a reward for deciding to rejoin Canada.
Upon the completion of his first year in office, most political pundits agreed that Peter Bryant was doing a reasonably good job as president. Besides his one gaffe, he was holding up well in foreign affairs. The economy was continuing to grow despite him not choosing the treasury secretary suggested by Omar Fields. He had disagreements with Vice President Turner, but they made an effective team. Mrs. Turner’s main responsibility was dealing with health care issues.
The biggest issue was still reuniting the country. Since he had become president, only one state had joined the reunion. Many of the remaining states had issues, such as Wisconsin, with its trial procedures. So far, only fifteen states had approved the Wisconsin Amendment. Twelve more were needed. That number would increase if more states joined.
Montana, Wyoming, and Arizona all protested tighter gun controls. Other non-RSNA states voiced similar concerns, but not quite as vociferously. But there appeared to be enough states supporting the tighter control provision that a constitutional amendment to loosen it seemed unlikely. Vermont still complained about the electoral college being eliminated.
Vice President Turner focused much attention on health care issues, particularly on affordability. She met with leaders in parts of the RSNA where programs were working most efficiently. She also corresponded with Nevada political leaders. Her motive was to help counsel Nevada, using the best ideas from the existing plans in other states, to help create a model health plan for Nevada. If successful, it could be used to create plans for other states, or perhaps for a nationwide plan.
Winter gave way to spring. The warmer weather raised spirits for everyone in New Salem after the bitterly cold winter. Jeremy sometimes took Brenda out to play basketball. Not wanting to be left out, Julie soon started coming with them. Julie became agitated because she could not play basketball as well as her older sister. Jeremy comforted Julie by assuring her that if she kept practicing, she would get better.
Just before school let out, Alicia got exciting news from her sister Susan. Marvin James Garner was born. Now Alicia and Jeremy had a new nephew, while Brenda, Julie, and Wendy had their first cousin.
One afternoon about two weeks later, after school had finished, Alicia informed Jeremy that her time had come. Quickly, Jeremy whisked Brenda, Julie, and Wendy over to a neighbor. Then he packed Alicia’s belongings, got Alicia into their car, and sped toward Bismarck.
That evening, Jeremy and Alicia became the proud parents of a baby boy. They named him Vincent Blake Voorhies. Jeremy was glad to have another man in his household, even though he knew he would have loved another daughter just as much.
The next big event was Sarah’s wedding. It was held at the same church where Alicia and Susan had been married. This time, Alicia was the bridesmaid. After Sarah walked up to the altar in her bridal dress, the three sisters looked absolutely gorgeous together.
While the bride and groom may have gotten the most attention during the reception, the baby boy cousins got their share. Mrs. Humpert took care of them. Jeremy asked her about John. She told him that John was married with two children, with a prosperous job in the Chicago area.
Jeremy and several other men struck up a conversation about sports during the reception. Few of them knew that Florida State had won the college world series. Major League Baseball was the most popular topic. They agreed that Detroit, with its big lead in the American League West, would almost certainly win the division. New York, Boston, and Baltimore were battling it out in the East.
In the National League, St. Louis was being challenged by Chicago and Houston in the West. Miami, Pittsburgh, and New York were doing well in the East.
The California teams were struggling. Oakland was in last place in the American League West by a large margin. Los Angeles and San Francisco were well behind the other four teams in their division. Speculation was that the California teams were struggling financially because of their long travel to away games. Therefore, they did not have the money to buy competitive talent.
When the subject changed to college football, they agreed it was the most popular sport. It was interesting how South Dakota, Drake, Columbia, and New Hampshire had all won national titles. Before the dissolution, such results would have been unthinkable. Meanwhile, former powerhouses such as Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Clemson, Oklahoma, and Texas had not shown much success. Alabama had reached the playoffs only once. That year, they were eliminated in the first round.
The consensus was that people in the RSNA still did not have enough disposable income to put the enormous support into sports that they had before. That enabled the smaller schools to compete. The other issue was that professional sports did not pay nearly as well as they had before. Perhaps once the nation was back up to full speed, the old powerhouses might rise to the top again.
Everyone in the group agreed that the nation would never be the way it was before. That did not include just sports but also politics, prosperity, infrastructure, and foreign relations. For that matter, the world would never be the same. The key issue was whether things would be better once the nation was back up to full speed.
After Vincent’s birth, Jeremy and Alicia agreed that their family was complete. Brenda enjoyed helping her parents take care of her baby brother. Julie helped where she could. But Wendy still wanted her share of attention. Jeremy and Alicia assured Wendy that she was still loved as much as she had been before. They both devoted time to Wendy whenever they could.
Brenda started attending fourth grade that fall. Wendy started the first grade. While Jeremy was teaching classes, Alicia tended to Wendy and Vincent. Wendy liked the additional attention she got from Alicia.
One afternoon, Brenda came home eager to show something she had learned. She showed Jeremy a penny. Next to Abraham Lincoln’s inscription was a recent year, with an “L” underneath the date. Brenda told her father that “L” meant that it was made in Lansing, Michigan. Two other mints made coins. The coins made in Philadelphia had a “P,” while the coins made in San Francisco had an “S.” Jeremy praised her for what she had learned.
In Major League Baseball, Detroit easily won the American League West, while New York won the East. In the National League, it was St. Louis in the West against Pittsburgh in the East. Detroit and Pittsburgh won their respective playoffs, facing each other in the World Series, which Detroit won in six games.
Creighton and Iowa State both reached the playoffs in college football. Iowa State dispatched Michigan State in the opening playoff round, while Creighton defeated North Dakota State, setting up a meeting between Iowa State and Creighton in the second round. Jeremy and Alicia rooted for their respective alma maters. Brenda decided to support her father’s team. Julie, in a bit of sibling rivalry, decided to support her mother’s team.
It was an exciting Saturday afternoon when the Voorhies family gathered around the television for the big game. Excitement electrified the air both in the Voorhies home and around the RSNA as the teams battled to a 17–17 halftime tie. But Creighton took charge in the second half, winning the game 38–20.
For the semifinals, Creighton had the unenviable task of taking on South Carolina. Meanwhile, Boston College and Maryland would square off in the other game. Someone pointed out that there could be two Catholic schools or two state universities competing for the national championship. Neither occurred, with South Carolina ousting Creighton while Boston College upended Maryland.
While Jeremy was disappointed about Creighton’s loss, he was glad it had such a good season. Neither he nor Alicia had any preference between the finalists, but they both agreed it would be a good game to watch.
The championship game proved most exciting, as the lead changed hands several times, with neither team getting ahead by more than a touchdown. In the end, South Carolina prevailed 30–27. It was the thriller that most football fans had hoped for. Now South Carolina had two national college football championships.
The OFL provided excitement of its own when Canton faced Columbus for the league title. The two teams battled to a 24–24 tie. Columbus won with an overtime field goal. The excitement increased pressure for a nationwide professional football league.
In January, spirits picked up around the RSNA when Oregon announced its approval of the Iowa Articles. Only one more state was needed for the RSNA to officially become the United States. Eager citizens looked at the new RSNA flag, with its thirty-seven stars, hoping soon it would no longer be needed.
Those citizens did not have to wait long. In February, Washington announced its approval. The RSNA ceased to exist. The union once again became the United States. The RSNA flag would never again fly over any part of the United States in official capacity. Celebrations were held everywhere across the thirty-eight approving states. Many celebrations were also held in ten of the twelve remaining states, and in many countries around the world.