Toyosu Technical Extends to Five Wins in Student Wall-Racing's Third Round; Tatsumi's Run Ends — and the Pro League Sets Its Title-Deciding Final Round

The third round of the student wall-racing autumn qualifiers was held on the 13th at Kameido Second Wall. As previously reported, the 32 remaining schools played 16 simultaneous matches, with winners advancing to a quarterfinal field of 16. Tournament organizers said there had been no injury reports through the third round, crediting this season's mandatory safety briefings.

Toyosu Technical HS, previously reported to have won its first four matches, faced Konan Gakuen — which had advanced by upsetting last year's semifinalist in the second round — and won 6 tiers 2 links to 3 tiers 1 link, extending its streak to five. "We knew how much momentum they had, and they got off to a good start again today," the team's coach said. "But our players didn't panic." Toyosu has repeatedly fallen behind early only to pull ahead in the closing stages this tournament; the coach cautioned, "It's too soon to call that a winning pattern. We're taking each match as if it's against someone we've never faced."

Tatsumi Metropolitan HS, the only first-time entrant among this season's 62 debutants to reach the third round, fell 4 tiers 1 link to 7 tiers 3 links to Shinonome Jitsugyo, last autumn's runner-up, ending its tournament. The team's third-year captain, who had said before the match that he didn't expect to win, previously reported, said afterward, "The gap was bigger than I'd thought, honestly. But I got to stand on the same wall as a school I'd only ever watched on video last year. That's a sight our club never had before." The team's coach, in his second year running the two-year-old club, said, "Getting this far in a debut season is also a result of the players never once cutting corners on safety training."

The federation, following through on demand previously reported, installed temporary bleacher seating at Kameido Second Wall's viewing area for the first time this tournament on the 13th — 200 seats, by advance reservation. A woman in her forties who came to support Toyosu said, "My neck hurt from standing through the whole first round. Being able to sit lets me cheer with a little more ease." The federation said it will weigh the scale of any further expansion for the quarterfinals and beyond based on how this run went.

The same day, the professional wall-racing league announced the matchups for its title-deciding final round, Round 22, on Sept. 18. As previously reported, league leaders Tokei RC and second-placed Naniwa WC finished level on 44 points after their head-to-head on the 11th, and will enter the final round still tied, this time without facing each other. Tokei RC will host Hokuto at its home ground, Kameido Second Wall, while Naniwa WC travels to Owari's Horikawa Wall — the "dry wall" where Owari remains unbeaten at home this season, and where Tokei RC lost two rounds ago, previously reported. "Tokei RC gets a home ground in good condition; Naniwa WC gets a tough opponent's home ground with an unknown record," a league spokesperson said. "The numbers don't clearly favor either side — and what happens inside a tiers-links score is anyone's guess."

With the third round complete, the student autumn qualifiers move to a quarterfinal field of 16, with the schedule due this week; the final, as previously reported, is set for November at Kameido Second Wall. The federation reiterated its commitment to "holding both safety and competition together, right to the end." The professional league has one match left, the title decider, with both venues expected to draw among the season's largest crowds; the league says it will announce advance ticket sale figures soon.