Taiyo Sphinx

Logo: Sphinx 

Team colours: sandy yellow, turquoise-blue (closest NFL match: Jacksonville Jaguars). Team uniform is striped.

This strong team is one of the best in the Kanagawa prefecture. Their players act like Egyptians because their headmaster, after excavating a ruin, became obsessed with the Egyptians and opened a school that looks like a pyramid. Their philosophy is based on the importance of the line and they are reputed to have the heaviest. However, their backfield is substantially less than Deimon's.

Due to their philosophy of the importance of the line, Taiyō is considered more of a defensive team. They focus on stopping the advance of the opposing side and protecting the quarterback.

They were originally chosen to go against the Nasa Aliens, due to the fact that just about every member of Taiyo Sphinx was massively built, in which the sponsors assumed they could take the hits from the large American players. However, thanks to Hiruma's computer hacking skills, they get involved in a match against the Devil Bats for the chance to play against the Americans.

Their game against Deimon ends in a tie (20-20), but Banba surrenders the chance to play against the Nasa Aliens to his opponents after they had shown his team the true spirit and drive to win, despite the difference in power, size, and especially climate (the Taiyo field is an arid dustbowl). One thing to note is that all of the students look somewhat Egyptian (their skin is dark). This is explained in a small snippet: all the students are into surfing since Shonan beach is right next door, hence the tans.

Players

Mamoru Banba

(番場衛 Banba Mamoru) The massive center of the team, Banba is the Sphinx's ace player and captain. He holds the high school record for squats, and is distinguished by his massive physique, complete baldness, and, during the Kanto Tournament, multiple scars on his face. Banba commands a great deal of respect from his teammates and other linemen. He is strong-willed, matter-of-fact, demanding, and not afraid to point out the errors of his teammates. Despite this, he appears to be on friendly terms with the other seniors of the Sphinx.

Kiminari Harao

(原尾 王城) Harao Kiminari) Taiyo's quarterback, Harao often whines when his team does not perform well and at first tends to point out his teammates' shortcomings without acknowledging his own. He is very popular with the ladies and has his own harem. He is considered sub-par as a quarterback and is overly dependent on the protection his offensive line gives him. He also tends to hold the ball too high when passing, which can lead to fumbles when he is tackled. Before Taiyo's match against Hakyushuu, Harao reveals himself to be aware of and sensitive to the criticisms he receives because of his lack of skill. Much like Sakuraba prior to the Fall Tournament, he is considered the Sphinx's ace by fans, but his abilities do not live up to this hype. In addition, despite Taiyo's ability to advance to the Kanto Tournament year after year, Harao is intimidated by the might of teams that also compete in this higher tournament. After the match against Deimon in which Harao was more of a liability than a help, Harao worked extremely hard to improve himself.

Niinobu Kasamatsu

Kasamatsu (笠松新信 Kasamatsu Niinobu) is the second-largest lineman on the Pyramid Line, though he is more rotund than muscular. He is loud and boastful, and apparently not very intelligent. Against Deimon, he falls prey to the Devil Bats' shifting block schemes, and is also defeated on two occasions by Juumonji while on offense. Like the rest of Taiyō's line, he is severely injured against Hakushu.

Ken Kamaguruma

(鎌車ケン Kamaguruma Ken) Kamaguruma is a tall first-year who plays cornerback. He is rather simple-minded but decently skilled. While rather slow and tall for his position, he presents a challenge to Monta in the match against Deimon due to his powerful bump technique, the "Chariot Bump." The bump is incredibly strong, as demonstrated by his accidentally knocking over a sixty-foot tall pyramid-shaped watch tower while practicing with it. However, Monta manages to overcome the bump by the end of the game, and the technique is shown to have no effect on Tetsuma of the Seibu Wild Gunmen.