An Anarchist’s Plot

by Caden

Jan 3, 2025

“Progressive”, “aggressive”, and occasionally “rash” are all terms that could describe Zach
Massey’s fantasy tactics. It was the reason we have seen the occasional lowly year in DC, but it
is also the reason that we have seen the highest of highs that the FCS has to offer. This current
feat, in particular, puts the DC Anarchy franchise at the pinnacle of FCS glory. They join
Nashville and Little Rock as the only other members to possess two Victor Bowls. Massey truly
embodies what it means to be an Anarchist. To go against the establishment, to go against the
grain, to cause the destruction of perceptions. The 2024 Anarchy will be remembered as a team
that did just that.

The Anarchy’s season started with a 1-2 record. In true Massey fashion, he began pushing a
narrative that he was embracing the rebuild. At the time, it was hard for anyone to blame him.
His roster lacked the upside names that many teams had. It was hard to see a realistic avenue
to a playoff berth, let alone a Victor Bowl. Massey made moves geared somewhat toward the
future. However, the moves he made also kept the door cracked open just enough. Massey
won his next three games and then faced a tough decision. Should he roll with what he has, or
truly push the chips in? The landscape out East at this point was wide open. Virtually everyone
was entering rebuild territory. An explanation for these decisions was that the West boasted
three juggernauts in Twin City, Portland, and Reno. What is the point in selling off assets if you
ultimately have to face one of those giants?

Massey himself doubted there was a realistic possibility to win a title, but he also noted that
winning the East would make for a successful season, in his mind. So, despite many (including
myself), encouraging him to just stay pat, Massey pushed his chips in. He acquired star wide
receivers Justin Jefferson and AJ Brown to highlight his squad. Chubba Hubbard, Courtland
Sutton, and Jonnu Smith all bursted onto the scene as sleeper candidates. The Anarchy were
cruising. These moves came at a cost as he traded nearly all of his young pieces and now does
not own a draft pick for the next three years. The cost became easier to stomach as Massey’s
expectations for his team started to grow. He began seeing the path to a title. Most still did not.
The Anarchy won the Eastern regular season title with a 9-4 record. By this time, the landscape
out West had taken a turn. What used to be a three headed monster had turned into a single, solidified beast—The Twin City Bootleggers. Massey believed that if Portland or Reno could
manage to take the Boots out in the Western Conference Finals, he would have a legitimate
shot to win the whole thing. Reno granted Massey his wish. A Victor Bowl matchup that
featured consistency from the Anarchy and an untimely Jalen Hurts injury for the Cutthroats
was enough for the Anarchy to get it done. The avenue that very few, including Zach, saw as a
possibility kept becoming clearer and clearer until it happened.

Let the 2024 Anarchy serve as a reminder to all as to why we don’t crown champions during the
regular season. Massey tossed his hat in the ring and it proved to be beneficial. Part of what
makes the FCS so great is that there are no sure-fire ways to win a Victor Bowl. Teams have
proven there are multiple way to get there. The last two years offer the perfect picture of that
variance. The 2023 Rovers spent three years of trusting a process of constructing their roster to

a point that it was worthy of winning a title. The 2024 Anarchy Victor Bowl run was essentially
formed on a midseason whim. Anarchists don’t trust a process. They take process and turn it on
its head. That is exactly what happened this year. That midseason whim from Massey has now
cemented the Anarchy as the gold standard of FCS lore.

Congrats to Zach Massey and his Anarchy.