Madden NFL 19 Challenge: Most Satisfying Moments

This Madden 19 Challenge Most Satisfying Moments column is brought to you by SNICKERS®. You’re Off Your Game When You’re Hungry. Eat A SNICKERS®.

Team MVPs RB Joe Mixon (97 OVR) wins it all.

With $35,000 on the line, plus the title of Madden 19 Challenge Champion up for grabs, the stakes could not have been higher during overtime in the championship game. Christian “Chritobin” Lomenzo, playing at his first MCS live event, made it to the title matchup against the tournament’s reigning champion, Drini “Drini” Gjoka. The two were neck-and-neck all game and a rare overtime period was needed to determine the victor. Chritobin won the coin toss and elected to receive. Moments later, on the third play of the drive, Chritobin slung a short pass to the outside to his 97 OVR Team MVPs RB Joe Mixon. With a one-cut juke, Mixon put Drini’s defenders on skates and sprinted nearly 70 yards to the paint for the win in walk-off fashion. Go get your Mixon Team MVP item in the Auction House, kids.

Reginald “Boogz” Brown showboats vs. Michael “Spoto” Spoto.

During Group Stage gameplay on the first day of the Madden 19 Challenge, MCS veteran Boogz went up against the youngest player in the tournament, Spoto. The game was close until late in the third quarter when Boogz went full savage on a 37-yard touchdown scamper, showboating his way into the end zone with a couple of heel-click hurdles. He followed-up with a laser-eye stare-down of his opponent, and while technically it wasn’t trash-talk because he didn’t speak, it was still an intimidation tactic that would spook almost anyone. Boogz was clearly a man on a mission during this matchup, and he played his way to the semifinals before getting defeated. We’ll see both Boogz and Spoto at the Madden Bowl in April. 

Chritobin’s 54-yard FG vs. Boogz for the win.

Speaking of Chritobin and Boogz, these two matched up in the semifinals on the last day of the tournament. And it was a nail-biter. Chritobin, who technically came into the Challenge finals as an MCS rookie, was on the big stage in a high-pressure situation against Boogz, a veteran of the scene. After the two traded turnovers in the second-half, Chritobin found himself lining up for a 54-yard field goal that would basically lock up the win. And under the bright lights, on the big stage, against an experienced competitor, Chritobin showed his mental toughness. He nailed a Perfect Kick on the meter and put the pigskin through the uprights. Nerves? What nerves? This guy proved that was unphased by the pressure.

Shay “Young Kiv” Kivlen vs. Drini “Drini” Gjoka.

Whenever two former MCS belt winners go head-to-head, it’s a must-watch moment. At the Madden 19 Classic, we were treated to a Michael “Skimbo” Skimbo vs. Drini matchup. At the Club Championship, Hassan “Gos” Spall vs. Drini was the most anticipated contest of Day 2. And coming into the Challenge, five belt winners stacked the field of 16 finalists, which meant we were bound to have one of these marquee matchups at some point. So, when Young Kiv drew the reigning Challenge champ, Drini, during the Wild Card round on Day 2, it was almost too good to be true. Drini had defeated Young Kiv in the Madden 18 Challenge championship game to take home the title. The two young stars faced each other again in the Madden 18 Bowl championship game, which Young Kiv won on the very last play. In essence, this game was a kind of rubber match, and it lived up to the hype as a back-and-forth chess match. Drini came out on top by a score of 15-13, and eventually advanced to the championship round. He’s now appeared in three EA Major championship games over the last two seasons, an unprecedented feat for a competitor who’s only been on the scene for just over a year now. We’ll see both Drini and Young Kiv again at this season’s Madden Bowl in April, where Kiv will try to defend his title. 

— Matt Franciscovich (Follow Matt on Twitter @MattFranchise)

For more information on the Madden Championship Series and how to compete in future events, visit the Madden NFL 19 compete homepage. Keep it locked on the @MaddenLeagueOps Twitter handle for news, tournament updates, recaps, and content all season long.