Open Division Championship
by Frankie Rho
A mildly windy, overcast morning greeted the two teams as they arrived at the polo fields. The wind was a slight factor, varying between 5-10 mph across the field. Jam donned their yellow/gold jerseys contrasting with Ironside’s tidy whites. This matchup pitted two teams who were seeking to regain past glory. In Ironside’s case, Boston last won the title in 1999, but this squad was a young one and only Doug Moore and Fortunate Mueller remained from that era.
San Francisco’s drought was even longer, the supposed Tsunami curse had lasted for two decades. Several Jam players (Husak, Steets, Yarbrough, Namkung, Cascino) did know what it was like to raise the trophy as members of the Condors, but that was several years ago in 2000 and 2001.
Before the game an early hurdle for San Francisco to make was the loss of Gabe Saunkeah to an injury. Saunkeah had been a major cog of Jam’s offensive line and was a key to their successful run to the finals. In order to compensate, Jon Remucal and Jeff Eastham were brought over to help out on offense and Brandon Steets was able to come back after a calf injury had sidelined him earlier in the tournament. All three players would step up in a big way during the finals.
The battle for a new champion began with Ironside’s Will Neff pulling from the slightly downwind side. Jam’s starting offensive line steadily worked the disc against Boston’s man defense and retained possession on a nice grab by Mike Namkung. Bart Watson spotted an open Justin Safdie in the end zone but the disc spun out of the receiver’s outstretched hand.
On Boston’s ensuing possession, Neff made a nice grab in front of two Jam defenders, but had to take an injury substitution after the collision. An errant disc was nicely caught by Steve Kolthammer, but a few passes later, Josh Mullen was unable to come up with a swing pass ten yards away from the end zone. Jam capitalized on their next possession and worked around the field, and Steets got his team on the board with a short toss to the end zone.
Boston received the next pull and worked it patiently against Jam’s man force backhand defense. Jam was able to contain Ironside mostly on the backhand side, but Boston’s handlers took what San Francisco was giving them and found the killing blow when Jacob Goldstein lofted a 20 yard backhand to Danny Clark to even the score at 1-1.
On the next point, Jam handled Boston’s force forehand man defense with relative ease, finding a big gain on a Safdie to Steets connection. Jam continued to work in patient fashion and kept the game on serve when Watson hit Yarbrough on a smooth inside-out flick to go up 2-1.
Taylor Cascino pulled the next point and Jam continued to force backhand. This time, Fortunat Mueller cranked a big backhand that was defended well by Greg “Hollywood” Husak. After starting the disc deep in their own end zone, Jam worked the disc to Husak who sent a deep shot from his own ten-yard line to Cascino but the throw hung up in the wind and sailed too far. On Ironside’s second chance, Jeff Graham came up with the big grab on a second effort, reigning in another shot from Mueller, a sign of things to come.
On the next point, Boston put out a tall lineup with Mahoney and Kolthammer seeking to find crack’s in Jam’s veteran lineup. Boston tried a force forehand on this point and almost came up with the big block on a bid by Dan Forseter. Steets floated a pass to Mike Namkung, who caught it out of bounds but the catch was ruled a score after a force-out foul was called.
Remucal, who pulled consistently well during the game, started off the next point giving Ironside a starting position 60 yards away. Jam continued with a force backhand, but Ironside continued to work patiently until Jon Remucal made a heads-up layout block on a short I/O flick. A couple throws later, Bruss uncorked a big backhand to Jon Zalisk who was able to sky his brother Mike in the end zone for the first break of the game.
Looking to score right back, Ironside found themselves working against Jam’s force flick defense. Ironside couldn’t come up with a swilly throw at midfield and Jam retained possession before Watson called a time out 10 yards outside the end zone. Mike Zalisk got a heady poach on the I/O throw to his brother Jon, but couldn’t capitalize as they dropped another fluttery but catchable throw at midfield. Jam immediately went for the jugular as Cascino reigned in an immediate deep put from Bart Watson. Jam scored their second break in a row for a 5-2 lead.
After a Boston timeout, Ironside faced a straight up to flick mark and worked it to all points of the field, finally working it around for a nice flick from Mike Zalisk to Jeff Graham in the back of the end zone. Neff cranked the next pull and Ironside’s defense tried a straight up mark of their own, shifting to a flick force at midfield. Jam shredded the defense for a short Safdie to Watson goal. Jam continued their man defense, forcing backhand, but Mueller, who was clearly feeling it this game, took the opportunity to flex his backhand muscles and launched a shot to Jeff Graham for an easy goal.
Ironside mixed things up with a zone defense on the next point, and Jam looked like they were going to easily shred it for a score until Damien Scott dropped the disc ten yards away from another goal. Boston couldn’t make good on the opportunity to break as Dan Forester turfed the disc at midfield. Given another opportunity against Ironside’s zone, Jam came through this time with Yarbrough reigning in a toss from Watson that Teddy Browar-Jarus got just a piece of.
San Francisco came down with a junk look of their own which was handled by Rosenthal, Zalisk and Hoitsma. At midfield, Jam transitioned to a man flick defense that Boston grinded against until Mueller was able to find Rosenthal on the open side for a short flick to close to 7-5.
Looking for another break before half, Ironside came down with an aggressive mark that resulted in a miscommunication where Watson, believing the pass was intended for another receiver, let an upfield pass from Damien Scott go through his arms. The disc continued to sail just beyond the reach of Brian Garcia. An instant later, Ryan Todd sent a big lefty backhand upfield to Kevin Albert for a crucial break.
Browar-Jarus pulled the disc and Ironside just missed on another brilliant opportunity to break when a floaty pass in Jam’s end zone was pulled down just before a bidding Neff could make the block. Surviving the big scare, San Francisco worked steadily upfield, eventually striking in end zone when Matt Bruss found Idris Nolan on a short backhand for an 8-6 lead at half.
On a side note, the observers were maintaining control of the game, issuing a Team Misconduct Foul on Ironside for over-aggressive marks. Jam also received a TMF for having sideline players on the field and obstructing the observer’s view.
Jam began the second half pulling and Mueller made a diving save on a wide throw, partially induced by Jam’s aggressive straight up mark. After Mueller left the game temporarily with an injury, a drop by Hoitsma on the next throw gave Jam the disc at midfield and they quickly moved to disc around to the far side. Cascino flipped a short pass to Matt Bruss for an immediate break to start the second half. Jam was up 9-6.
Ironside shifted to a vertical stack on the next point but a drop by Mike Zalisk gave Jam another golden opportunity to break. Jam gave the disc back when Cascino couldn’t handle a swing pass and Ironside struck quickly. Jacob Goldstein cranked a backhand to one of the remnants from the DoG era, Doug Moore, for a crowd-pleasing layout grab in the end zone.
Ironside felt a potential shift in momentum and came down in a junk defense, the kind that has been synonymous with Boston Ultimate. Jam worked it around their own end zone for several throws searching for weaknesses in the defense. A big effort by Ryan Todd just missed on getting the disc back for Boston. After a stoppage of play, Boston maintained their junk look which paid dividends a couple throws later when Todd came up with a tremendous layout block near the front corner of the end zone. With all of the momentum going their way, Neff shot the disc downfield with a flick huck that surprisingly came up short of an open Sigelman. After the turn, Jam operated out of a vertical stack and stopped Ironside’s momentum when Bart Watson flipped a short backhand to Brian Garcia for a 10-7 lead.
On the next point, Remucal came up with another big layout block, but Ironside got the disc back seconds later on a great reaction by Mueller for a block near the thrower. A few throws later, Hoitsma put nice touch on a forehand to Danny Clark in the end zone.
Boston received a golden opportunity for a break when Brandon Steets dropped a slightly careless one-handed grab, giving Ironside the disc about ten yards out of the end zone. A give-and-go between Dan Forester and Teddy Browar-Jarus resulted in a score, aided by a crafty cut by Adam Sigelman that drew two defenders.
Up 10-9, Jam marched down the field for the first easy hold of serve in a while. Brian Garcia put a smooth backhand into space and Matt Bruss aggressively took down the disc to regain two-point lead. Ironside likewise demonstrated that they could score easily when Fortunat flexed his mighty backhand again with a pretty shot to Ben Faust for a quick score.
The wind had shifted a bit to make the game a little more upwind/downwind when Ironside threw a 1-3-3 zone in the attempt to draw even. Jam deftly cracked the zone when birthday boy Jon Remucal was able to exploit the soft spot in the middle of the field with a scoober reception. Near the end zone, Jam slowed their offense down and Safdie found Adam Scow open in the front corner of the end zone.
On the following point, Ironside’s Danny Clark was able to get free deep but Jeff Graham’s shot was a bit too far and was caught just out the back of the end zone. Jam was unable to convert the break opportunity as Matt Bruss’ forehand huck came up short of his target. A couple throws later, Fortunat cranked yet another backhand, this time to Ryan Todd soaring over Mark Humphrey.
The game was now 12-11 in favor of Jam, and Ironside was running out of time to produce a break. Boston went back to their force forehand man defense in search of the vital equalizer. They had a good chance when Steets missed on a reception that was well defended by George Stubbs, but Damien Scott got an immediate block that gave Jam an easy Safdie to Watson score. This felt like a potential game changer.
On the ensuing point, Mueller sent another backhand shot downfield, but the disc hung up a bit in the wind and despite a tremendous effort, Graham could not reel the disc in. The first misconnection on a Mueller backhand was a bad omen for Ironside, and Jam sensed that this could be the dagger, calling a timeout 55 yards away from a backbreaker. Moving steadily upfield out of a vertical stack, Jam found success breaking the mark and working to the left side of the field. After working the disc around patiently near the end zone, Jon Zalisk threw a gutsy inside-out flick to Brian Bogle for the break and a 14-11 lead.
Jam was one point away from the title and had at least two downwind chances to get the victory. A surprising throw behind Mike Zalisk created the first opportunity for Jam, but Remucal forced a hammer that was defended by Mike Zalisk. Given a second life, Ironside could not make good on it, throwing away the disc on a crossfield hammer. On the ensuing possession, Matt Bruss called a timeout twenty yards away from the crowning achievement for the season. This time, they would not let the opportunity slip away and they patiently worked the disc out of the vertical stack getting the disc to Jon Zalisk who found Bruss for the 15-11 victory and the UPA Open division championship. A team that had been one point away from not being in Sarasota was now the 2008 champion.
Open Division Day Three
by Frankie Rho
Sockeye v. Johnny Bravo
There will be a new champion in the Open division. The most eagerly anticipated matchup in the quarterfinals delivered as Johnny Bravo ended Seattle’s reign as champions in a 15-14 victory on double game point.
The morning began overcast and less windy than Friday. Sockeye was clad in their snazzy red billboards while Bravo sported their blue jerseys. Boulder pulled to start the game with the wind at their backs, and immediately produced the first break of the game after Moses Rifkin overshot Mike Caldwell on a deep shot. Bravo capitalized on a backhand flip of 10 yards from Matt Lipscomb to Adam ‘Chicken’ Simon.
The next point featured a series of chippy calls, a nice save on an errant throw by Roger Crafts and a Sockeye score with Ben Wiggins getting the assist on a Tim Gehret goal. Sockeye broke back immediately with a goal by Nate Castine, whose mark had been a big part of Sockeye’s defense all tourney long.
After trading to 3s, a long point ensued where both teams were misfiring on aggressive throws. Bravo’s Mac Taylor was responsible for two Ds on this point and enabled his team to settled down, finally breaking Sockeye on a David Popiel throw to Brett Kolinek. Both teams held serve until 7s when Sockeye cashed in after a swing to Bravo’s Ted Tripoli sailed wide. Jeremy Cram found Ryan Winkelmann for the score to take half and return the game back to on serve.
The first point of the second half was messy one included four turnovers by each team. Sockeye’s adjustment of matching up Alex Nord on Parker Krug limited some of Bravo’s options, but it was Andrew Fleming who came up with the big block in the end zone on a throw by Krug. Tim Gehret found Nord for another break and a 9-7 lead.
Last year’s finalists traded the next few points to 11-10 before Bravo got the break back to tie the game at 11s. Bravo made good on their next opportunity to break at 12s when Beau Kittredge found Chicken on a short backhand break. The soft cap went on at this point, and after Sockeye held serve on a shot to Ray Illian to tie the game at 13s, it became a first-to-2 game.
Bravo strung together a nice offensive possession on which Krug fed the disc to Kittredge who finished off the point with a short throw to Mac Taylor. The defending champs responded with an equally solid possession that was capped off by a Sammy C-K shot to Ray Illian. The game was now 14-14, one point to take it all.
On double game point, Sockeye fielded the defensive unit of Cram, Crafts, Jaeger, Gehret, Chu, Castine, Sebby and Illian. Bravo received the pull with Deaver, Rouisse, Krug, Kittredge, Borsheim, Popiel and Taylor. Keith Borsheim and Will Deaver touched the disc 11 times on a possession where Bravo worked it patiently and confidently down the field. After a stoppage of play, Borsheim moved the disc to Deaver who found a streaking Kittredge for a 20 yard forehand shot to the end zone. Johnny Bravo had slain the dragon in a 15-14 victory that became the talk around the polo fields.
Will Deaver attributed their success to “just being able to stay within one point the whole way, within one break… never lose confidence. We knew that if the offense did its job… get the defense back on the field, they’re gonna get their turns. And at the end it was just don’t lose possession.” Beau Kittredge concurred, “We finally get our offense going which hadn’t really been going all weekend. We finally seemed to find our rhythm and looked good after that.”
Ironside v. Ring of Fire
The other close quarterfinal began with an early break by Ring of Fire after they got a turn on a kick block. Ironside quickly broke back to go up 2-1 on a Josh McCarthy goal. Boston came down zone on the next point and got possession of the disc after Thomas Ward set a backhand way out of bounds. Ironside struggled a bit on their possession and Teddy Browar-Jarus had to punt the disc on a high stall count. Fortunately for Boston, Teddy’s former Slow White teammate Dan Patisteas came up with the prayer for a break point.
The next point was a long one that featured a great play by Robbye Brooks who made a layout catch D on Adam Sigelman that was called a strip. Though Raleigh got the turn a few throws later, they hucked the disc away. Ironside operated patiently upfield through Dan Forseter, Kevin Albert, Seigs and Josh McCarthy. Finally, as he had so often done before in the tourney, Colin Mahoney got open for the big score and break. Boston was up 4-2.
Ironside was able to break again to take a three point lead, but at 7-5, Ring of Fire was able to get an important upwind break to apply some pressure on Boston’s offense as they needed to score upwind to take half. Ironside came out running with a steady and patient vertical stack offense that finished with Jacob Goldstein finding Jeff Graham on an inside-out backhand.
Early in the second half, Ironside broke Raleigh to go up 12-9. After Ring broke back to close to 12-11, the Boys Named Sue were given three opportunities to break, but they struggled on the offensive end to move upwind. On the last of their chances, a Ring receiver simply dropped a pass that gave Ironside the disc close to the end zone. Sam Rosenthal quickly found Jacob Goldstein to spread a little Carleton love around the field.
Up 13-11, Ironside amped up the pressure on Ring, inducing them into turnovers which they capitalized on with patient offense. What was a tight game moments ago, suddenly ended in Boston’s favor with two quick points.
After the game, Coach Greg Connelly reflected on the outcome, attributing their defense as one key to their win. “Our defense was able to bring consistent pressure and make it very hard to move the Frisbee.” In order to adjust to Ring’s big athletic receivers, Ironside “started talking to the markers more and we were making the resets much tougher.” Connelly also felt that they were better prepared by having played GOAT regularly, a team that has similar characteristics to Ring of Fire and the team that they would face in the semifinals, Chain Lightning.
Revolver v. Jam
The matchup between the two Bay Area rivals was a highly anticipated one that ended up being anticlimactic. Jam started the contest out on offense and marched upwind, finishing with a Bart Watson toss to Mike Namkung. Jam got an immediate break on the next point when Jeff Eastham-Anderson beat his man to the front corner of the end zone.
Revolver worked back upfield taking the unders that Jam was giving, ending with Seth Wiggins throwing the score to put the Six-Shooters on the board. Revolver kept things tight for the next several points, but they were unable to get the break back, partially due to great play from Watson and Gabe Saunkeah.
With Jam leading 6-4, the game turned on two critical breaks, the first of which was decided after a series of huck turnovers. Greg Husak fired a 25 yard flick to Matt Bruss to go up by three. A disastrous drop by Revolver on the next point resulted in an easy conversion to give Jam an 8-4 lead.
Jam kept the pressure on and extended the lead with another break to go up 10-5 on a successful poach that led to a quick conversion from Husak to Kevin Buchanan. The game was essentially out of reach when Jam broke again to go up 13-7. Jam closed the game out 15-9 on a steady offensive series that finished with a Namkung to Watson score.
Chain Lightning v. GOAT
This matchup featured two high-power offenses and some of the biggest men in the Open division. In the end, the difference came on the defensive side, as Chain Lightning’s defensive squad and GOAT’s inability to convert on defense put too much pressure on GOAT’s offensive unit.
Chain began the game pulling upwind to GOAT, and both offenses began strongly as the team traded points to 4s. Dylan Tunnell was coming up huge for Atlanta while Hassell and Ouchterlony were factoring heavily into GOAT’s offense. Chain then produced two consecutive breaks, the second of which came on a score by John Hammond, causing GOAT to call time out. Both teams held serve, with Chain taking half on a 40 yard flick from Tunnell to Ziperstein.
Shortly after half, Chain suffered a major hit as Tunnell injured his ankle, knocking him out for the tourney. His loss would not matter in this game as Chain proceeded to go on a 7-2 run to win the game 15-8. The run began on a crucial point where GOAT had the disc only five yards away from a score. After a time out, GOAT ran a dominator, but a throw to the end zone was picked off by Ziperstein. Chain marched down the field and Asa Wilson found Ben Spears for the score.
Chain continued their run when Robert ‘Yahtzee’ White came up with a big block in the end zone. The very next throw was a huge 60 yard upwind backhand from John Hammond to Sam Gainer who finished the point with a toss to Joel Wooten. The backbreaker came on the next point when White came up big again with a monstrous sky over John Hassell, an impressive feat that had the crowd oohing. Yahztee got the 35 point bonus by streaking to the end zone for the score.
GOAT held serve and broke to close within three, but Chain went on a four point run that was highlighted by great play from Jason Simpson, Gainer and Spears. Victorious by a 15-8 count, Chain was going to semifinals in an East Coast matchup against Boston. Captain Jonathan Monforti credited the difference in the game to “bringing the junkyard dogs… the entire defensive line”. As they looked forward to the next game, Monforti explained that they would deal with the loss of Tunnell by bringing Josh Ziperstein on the offensive line for some points and looking for other players to step up in number 78’s absence.
Semifinals
Johnny Bravo v. Jam
At the start of the game, clouds rolled in dropping the temperature to almost ideal and the wind was slight, negligible for the four combatants seeking to be the new champion.
Jam received to start the game and got on the board quickly with a Brian Garcia put to Gabe Saunkeah. On the next point, Jam’s defense came down aggressively on Bravo and Keith Borsheim’s put to Mac Taylor just missed, partially due to the tight defense of Dan Hodges. Bravo got the disc back after pressuring the reset, but gave the disc back to Jam shortly afterwards. After another set of turnovers, Jam finally found Matt Bruss in the end zone for the early break.
Bravo got on the board with a big flick huck from Jim Schoettler to Ted Tripoli, but they fell further in the hole when Jam found success with a junk defense that produced an interception off of a hammer from Parker Krug. Hodges connected with Taylor Cascino on a throw that trickled back in-bounds for a 4-1 Jam lead.
The two teams would trade points until at 7-4, Bravo got a golden opportunity on a Jam miscue in the end zone. Bravo returned the favor with a drop near the goal line. Jam turned it again on a deep throw that was just beyond the receiver’s reach. Matt Lipscomb started with the disc 60 yards out and fired a flick to Beau Kittredge for their first break. A steady possession by Jam ensued that culminated in a Saunkeah to Garcia connection that gave Jam a 8-5 lead at half.
After Bravo’s victory over Sockeye, many spectators felt that it was Bravo’s time to rise to the top and it seemed as though they expected a comeback from the Boulder squad. The second half began with signs of a comeback when Bravo scored the first two in the half. Beau factored in both scores, the first on the receiving end from Will Deaver and the second on the throwing end with a connection to Lipscomb.
After another Jam turn and an injury to Saunkeah sent him to the sidelines, it seemed the momentum had shifted to Bravo’s corner. Jam fought back immediately with some tough defense and a pass from Adam Simon to Beau was defended well by Watson and Cascino, giving Jam the disc ten yards outside the end zone. Jon Remucal fired the score to Idris Nolan and Jam was up 9-7.
Both teams held serve to move to 10-8, and Jam pushed their lead to three when a drop by a Bravo receiver gave the San Francisco squad a starting position of 25 yards out. Cascino threaded the needle to Mark Humphrey past a diving Will Deaver for the break. Each team’s offense held tight on the next few points, leading to Bravo’s last big chance. At 13-11, Beau came up with a tremendous, acrobatic block, but a flick huck from Lipscomb was caught by the wind and sailed just out of bounds. Given another chance, Jam worked it down efficiently and Justin Safdie sent some love via air mail to Damien Scott for a 14-11 lead. I
n this game, Jam made sure that Johnny Bravo would not be pulling a Revolver. After an errant throw by Bravo, Jam grinded out their offensive possession before Greg Husak sent a backhand huck to Kevin Buchanan for the game winner. Jam, a team that was one point away from not being in Sarasota, was now going to the finals.
Chain Lightning v. Ironside
A wise Ultimate guru named Master Ofobvious once said that the team who starts on offense and does not get broken, will win 100% of the time. Ironside decided to test that theory in their semifinals matchup against Chain.
This matchup was an interesting contrast of in-your-face, aggressive Ultimate (Chain Lightning) and efficient, boring-is-good Ultimate (Ironside). Adding additional intrigue to the matchup were the ties between the two teams: the several Paideia players on Boston, ex-Dog players in Rob Barrett and Ziperstein and most importantly, two cities that have shared the Braves franchise.
The first half was what most expected – a lot of offense and few opportunities on defense. The offensive team held serve for the first thirteen points of the game resulting in a 7-6 lead for Boston. Leading the way for Atlanta were Jay Hammond, Josh Markette and AJ Tiarsmith. On Boston’s side were an array of players including Fortunate Mueller, Jasper Hoitsma and Sam Rosenthal. The offenses were so good that after eleven points of play, both offenses had only turned the disc four times combined.
On the last point of the half, Boston got a break after Ziperstein made a brilliant grab but lost the handle as he was getting up and cocking back for the throw. Ironside took advantage when Sigelman sent the disc to Colin Mahoney for the halftime lead.
Both teams held to 10-8 when Boston turned the momentum of the game with a layout block in the end zone from Will Neff. Ironside pushed the disc up the line, eventually finding Josh Mullen for the score and unexpectedly emphatic spike (prompting a TMF from the observer).
After trading to 12-10, Chain missed its best opportunity to break back when after a rare miscue by Ironside, Zip fired a high stall count flick huck to Joel Wooten. Defending the play was Danny Clark and Trey Katzenbach who collided with Wooten. An uncontested foul put the disc on the goal line but Chain’s receiver was unable to reign in Wooten’s short flick to the front corner of the end zone. Having averted a close one, Ironside proceeded to march up the field and score on a Mueller to Mike Zalisk pass.
At 13-10, a massive throw from Tiarsmith to Spears was too strong and Boston struck again with a Neff to Mahoney shot. On game point, Chain displayed uncharacteristic miscues including a couple drops and a miscommunication between Jonathan Monforti and Ziperstein. Given several chances to close out the game, Ironside finally did so when they found a wide open Paul Batten standing in the end zone.
Open Division Day Two
by Frankie Rho
Photos -Matt Lane
Day Two
The morning began with a consistent wind that was considerably stronger than day one. All of the games were going to be upwind / downwind games, setting up the classic battle to get the first upwind break.
One of the power pools was fairly predictable. The other was completely tumultuous. Here are the sordid details of how eight teams learned to stop worrying about the wind and love the war.
Pool E (Sockeye / Ironside / GOAT / Jam)
Ironside v. GOAT
Ironside and GOAT pitted two teams with powerful offensive lines that came down to the team with the superior defensive line. Starting downwind, Ironside and GOAT held their first three offensive points. Inian Moorthy and Andy Ouchterlony were targeted early for the Canadians while Ben Faust got into the act for Boston.
Up 3-2, Ironside missed an opportunity to break on a possession starting 30 yards from the end zone when Fortunate Mueller couldn’t reign in a pass from Josh McCarthy. On the flip side, GOAT made good on a turn 15 yards from a goal with Graham Withers, Jeff Lindquist and Colin Green moving the disc around before hitting Steven Tam for the break. Ironside’s offense handled the ensuing upwinder well, going through strong throwers like Sam Rosenthal and Mueller, but a final throw from Rosenthal to Mueller into the end zone floated just off of the fingers. Lindquist immediately sent a big flick huck (aka fluck) to Oucterlony for the two point lead.
Down 5-6, Ironside received another opportunity to break with a possession starting at midfield. Colin Mahoney came up huge on this point, first saving the disc on the sideline and then receiving the disc from Dan Forseter for the upwinder. Mahoney came up big again on the next point, this time receiving the disc from George Stubbs on a pretty forehand huck.
The two Northeast rivals traded points to go into half with an 8-7 score in favor of Boston. After both teams held to start the second half, Ironside had a brilliant chance to break but a rushed throw by Adam Sigelman resulted in a turnover in the end zone. Seigs would redeem himself immediately with a point block at midfield and proceed to score on a throw from Matt Holzer. Ironside was up 10-8 and would push the margin to three when after a few hurried possessions by both teams, Boston worked it patiently through Brent Anderson and Paul Batten, eventually feeding David Hoel for the score.
Both offenses settled down, but time was running out for GOAT as they reached a 14-11 deficit. On game point, Ironside’s D forced a turnover and operated deftly through Will Neff and Josh Mullen. Mullen got free for a potential game-winner but dropped a pass from Holzer. After an errant backhand by GOAT’s John Hassell, Mullen got another opportunity in the end zone, this time redeeming himself for the clinching goal.
Sockeye v. Jam
The other matchup in round one featured Northwest rivals Sockeye and Jam. Sockeye began the game going downwind and broke early on the fourth point to go up 3-1. Jam broke back shortly after, scoring upwind and converting the following downwinder to tie the game at 4s.
The two squads proceeded to trade points until the verge of halftime when a turnover by Ben Wiggins gave Jam the disc close to their brick line. Jam steadily worked it up the field and a potential score was nullified by a dispute over whether a low-flying disc sent to Greg Husak was up or down. Sent back, Jam proceeded to work the disc around, and Kevin Buchanan found Dan Hodges to take the halftime lead.
During half, a fiery Ron Kubalanza addressed his Sockeye teammates. “This is our [insert synonym for copulating, oh yeah] season!” His words energized the Seattle squad and they promptly responded with an upwind break to start the second half. Trading to 10-9, Sockeye’s defense turned up the pressure on Jam who had some trouble moving the disc around on this point. At one point, there were seven consecutive huck turns, many of which were iffy decisions. Sockeye called a timeout to settle down and converted for another upwind break.
After getting the downwinder on the next point, both offenses operated with relative ease. Gabe Saunkeah found success as a deep cutter with three consecutive scores. At 14-12, Jam got a much-needed turn when Sam Chatterton-Kirchmeier took back a foul call (after consulting with Alex Nord) on a hammer shot to him from Tim Gehret. Jam’s Choongil Fleischman and Jeff Eastham-Anderson worked the disc upfield, a point capped off by Jon Remucal’s assist to Jon Zalisk. Sockeye’s O team went back on the field for the upwind point and worked patiently upfield, stringing together more than sixteen passes before Kubalanza’s throw to the end zone was picked up by Alex Nord after sailing over the intended receiver. Sockeye wins 15-13.
Jam v. GOAT
Jam’s next game was against GOAT, the loser of which would end up in the play-in game. GOAT began the game with an immediate break and a steady dose of John Hassell and Andy Ouchterlony. GOAT was unable to hold that break for long as Jam climbed back from a 3-1 deficit with three straight points. Up 5-4, Jam got two upwind breaks in a row, both of which they converted to complete a 7-1 run to take half.
Jam’s focus in the game was to limit GOAT’s big men (Ouchterlony, Hassell, St-Amant, Kennedy) from getting easy huck scores. Jam’s Kevin Cissna, who is out with a back injury, explained, “We didn’t want to get into a hucking game with them” and focus on being more possession-oriented on both offense and defense.
This strategy seemed to work as Jam continued their run to start the second half with two straight. Frustrations boiled over for GOAT as Anatoly Vasilyev jawed with a Jam player, sending both benches onto the field. As tempers cooled, GOAT realized that they were in a hole that they weren’t going to climb out of and shifted their focus on getting ready for the next game. Jam closed out the game 15-8 on two straight goals, one to Justin Safdie and the game-winner to Francesco ‘Simba’ Giorgetti.
Sockeye v. Ironside
The Sockeye-Ironside matchup, a potential preview of the finals, delivered some of the best displays of clean and efficient offense seen in Sarasota this year. Sockeye began the game going downwind and erased an early Ironside break with one of its own. With the game tied at 4s, Ironside got another upwind break only to see Sockeye even it up again when Tim Gehret came up with a huge grab and hit Ray Illian on a short throw.
Ironside kept the upwinders coming on the next point with a Jacob Goldstein assist to Danny Clark. Sockeye’s offense stalled (literally) on the next point after working the disc 50 yards upfield. Neff found Mahoney on a pretty throw to give Boston a two-point edge.
As we have come to expect, Sockeye stormed back. After a Wiggins to Moses Rifkin score, the D line got a turnover and an aggressive huck from Jeremy Cram was completed to Illian just outside the end zone. A call was made on an immediate throw to Mike Jaeger but the observer overruled giving the break to the Fish.
A mistake by Sockeye on the pull gave the disc to Boston with a starting position about 15 yards from the end zone, but a Jacob Goldstein throw floated to high and was defended by Sockeye. Seattle capitalized and took half on an Andrew Fleming throw to Jaeger.
In the second half, both Sockeye and Ironside proceeded to trade points to 14s in an awesome display of clean offense. Sam C-K noted that both sides were shredding each other’s zones and working efficiently against man coverage. After holding at 15-14, Sockeye got the only break it needed when Mike Jaeger got free in the end zone for an upline flick. Seattle won 16-14, retaining the number one seed.
Pool F (Johnny Bravo / Revolver / Chain Lightning / Ring of Fire)
The first matchups pitted Johnny Bravo against Ring of Fire and Revolver against Chain Lightning. Neither game was close.
Johnny Bravo v. Ring of Fire
The matchup between Bravo and Ring began with Bravo starting downwind and both team O lines holding serve to a 2-2 score. On the fifth point, Bravo was operating out of the vertical stack and a pass to JD Lobue sailed just past his outstretched hands. Ring immediately fired downfield to Stephen Poulos who quickly put the disc to team captain Kris Bass for the first upwind break. Poulos was a big factor in this game, coming up with some big grabs and surprising explosiveness in the air for his thin frame.
On the downwinder, Ring got the block they needed from Ken Porter on a crowd-pleasing layout on an upline throw. However, Bravo got an immediate block and found Ted Tripoli in the end zone to get the upwinder back. The game went back on serve after Ring turned it over and Chris Ashbrook connected with Adam Simon for the score. After holding their downwinder, Ring of Fire summoned the holy Johnny Cash and went on a four point run capped off by a gigantic grab by Poulos to take half at 8-4.
Bravo mounted an initial comeback by taking the first upwinder of the second half, converting on the ensuing point to come within two. After trading a few points, Ring broke back again and surged to a 12-7 lead. Bravo attempted to hang tight, but after Ring held serve on a connection from David Snoke to Thomas Ward, the Men in Black broke Boulder again. Raleigh sent Bravo to defeat with another Poulos score and was able to declare that their Johnny was better than your Johnny. After the game, Robbye Brooks said, “Some teams you just match up well against,” but also called attention to his teammates. “We pride ourselves in our defense.”
Revolver v. Chain Lightning
In the other game, Revolver had the formidable task of contending with Chain Lightning’s size. After their disappointing showing against Johnny Bravo, Atlanta’s big men, Dylan Tunnell, AJ Tiarsmith, Joel Wooten and John Hammond righted the ship and made their presence known immediately against Revolver.
Chain Lightning started downwind with a monster grab by Tunnell. On the next point, Chain capitalized on a turn when Josh Ziperstein found Rob Barrett for a goal. Revolver ran out of the vertical stack on the next point, but they were unable to manufacture an upwind goal. 3-0 in favor of the Chain gang. Revolver was unable to figure out how to stop Chain’s offensive line and had to settle for trading points to half, down 8-5.
Chain immediately broke the Bay Area Boys to start the second half, converting the downwinder to take a five point lead. Revolver held serve against Chain’s upwind zone defense when Chuck Kindred made the finishing throw to Robbie Cahill.
Revolver had a golden opportunity to get one of their breaks back on the next point after a Chain turn at midfield. A catchable pass thrown slightly behind Chris McManus was dropped in the end zone. After another turn by Chain, Mark Sherwood was looking for a little Stanford love on a big backhand shot to Cahill, but Zip and Joel Wooten were both there for the D. On Revolver’s next opportunity, they turned it on their goal line and Josh Markette punched it in for the score. Later, Chain produced another upwind break and coasted to a 15-8 victory. Josh Greenough said after the game,” [Chain Lightning]… they’re just good.” True that.
After the two games, all four teams held a 1-1 record and pretty much anything could happen. With the right combination of wins and losses, all four teams could win the pool or find themselves having to play in the pre-quarters game.
Ring of Fire v. Chain Lightning
The battle for the South pitted two teams familiar with each other. Raleigh began the game with the wind at their backs but gave up the advantage immediately after a first throw drop. After a contested foul in the end zone, Zip found Paul Vandenberg for a little Paideia/Brown/Chain reaction.
Ring of Fire came back firing with a deep shot to Stephen Poulos who made a nifty grab on a second chance, but reminiscent of their game against Revolver, they struggled to work the short field for the score. Chain’s Robert White came up with a point block, but they were unable to make good on the turn. Fortunately for Chain, Ring turned it near their end zone and Chain took the 2-0 lead on a short toss from Jonathan Monforti to Paul Schrafft.
Chain maintained a two point lead until at 6-4, John Hammond came up with a huge grab on a blading throw for another upwind break. Ring had a good look at getting the upwinder back on the next point, but an errant throw gave the disc back to Chain who worked it downfield for an 8-4 lead at half.
The first several points of the second half were traded back and forth until Ring produced a break to close within 12-9. After converting the downwinder, they found themselves within two. Atlanta went back to the downwind flick huck, something they had been successful with all game, this time it was Tunnell finding Tiarsmith for the 13-10 lead. Chain pressed to close the game out early, and Schrafft responded with a defensive block leading to a Joel Wooten score. Dusty Smith got a heads up D on a telegraphed throw that quickly lead to another Wooten score and a 15-10 triumph.
Chain’s victory secured them a first or second seed, while Ring of Fire would have to wait to see if they would have to partake in the play-in game. All of it came down to Johnny Bravo vs. Revolver which ended up being the game of the day.
Johnny Bravo v. Revolver
After their disappointing showing against Ring of Fire, Johnny Bravo made it clear early on that the prior game would have no residual effects on them. After scoring their downwinder, Bravo broke immediately and surged to a 4-1 lead. Bravo and Revolver traded the next few points, but Revolver started to find a little more success in their upwind D line. At 6-3, Bravo was able to get another double break to take a 8-3 lead into half.
Bravo maintained a four-five point margin halfway through the second half, up by a 12-7 count and looking like they were going to coast to victory. After Revolver scored their downwinder, they finally produced an upwind break to close to 12-10. Bravo company, which has looked as poised as any team, started to look a little bit uncertain and when Tom James found Mark Sherwood for another upwind score, this was definitely a game again.
Bravo came up with a crucial possession on the next point, working methodically up the field and finishing with a Will Deaver to Steven Rouisse score. When Matt Lipscomb sent a huge backhand to David Belsheim for a break on the next point, Bravo looked like they had dodged a bullet.
But not so fast. Revolver had been down 14-11 before (to Truck Stop) and clawed their way back to win on double game point. It couldn’t happen again, right? Against Truck Stop is one thing, but against Johnny Bravo?
Revolver held serve on a Ryo Kawaoka to Sherwood score after Bravo missed an opportunity to put the game away. On the next point, turnovers were abundant as it seemed completely in the air who was going to take the point. Many of the turnovers were swings that sailed a bit wide, partially a reflection of the increasingly intense marks and partially due to the increasing anxiety on both squads. Revolver found a golden opportunity when Cahill sent the disc to Sherwood on a high-risk / high-reward backhand break huck that managed to stay just in. A few feet outside the end zone, Sherwood called time out (perhaps the longest time out ever). After working it around for three throws, Jit Bhattacharya tossed a short throw to Seth Wiggins for the game-saving break.
After converting the downwinder on an Ian Ranahan goal, the game was tied, cap at 16. Bravo’s Parker Krug and Deaver worked confidently downfield but Beau Kittredge missed a tough catch to give Revolver a chance for the upwinder. However, a miscommunication between Sherwood and his receiver led to a highlight reel layout grab in the end zone from Deaver.
After a fairly easy Revolver score (Wiseman to Herbert), it was double game point for Revolver once again. The next point would determine whether Bravo would end up either first or last in their pool, the difference between a two seed overall or playing in an extra game. This was kinda big.
Revolver got a good upwind pull and came down fast. Krug received the disc and found Kittredge for a short gain to returned it to Krug close to their brick line. The play of the game came when Krug spotted an open receiver downfield and wound up for a big backhand and potential game winner. This fellow named Seth Wiggins… he’s good. He’s really good. He shifted quickly on the mark and got a huge point block. Moments later, Robbie Cahill put the disc to Martin Cochran to complete the upset.
The next time you’re up on a team 14-11, teams will know to watch out lest the other team pull a ‘Revolver’ on them. [For example: Aw, man am I bummed. Yeah, we were like totally beating that team down and then they pulled a ‘Revolver’ on us.]
Pools G and H
The Condors battled the pool favorite Doublewide in a game that went to double game point. The Socal squad had possession of the disc on the final point but an errant backhand gave Doublewide another opportunity which they capitalized on for a 14-13 win. In the other game, Bodhi stormed back from a late 12-14 deficit to win the game 17-15 and keep their chances for advancing alive. In the critical game between Doublewide and Bodhi, the game was tight late in the game with the Austin squad leading 11-10. Austin went on a 4-1 run to win 15-11 and keep their season alive.
In the other pool, Sub Zero rolled by Truck Stop and Machine by limiting both teams to nine points in each game. PoNY found their first victory against Truck Stop who will now be looking for a whole different kind of glory.
Play-in Games
Johnny Bravo v. Doublewide
At the start of this game, one big question on everyone’s mind was how Bravo was going to handle their disappointing day and having let the second seed slip away. The crowd was buzzing with the shock of seeing Bravo in the play-in game and the possibility of a Sockeye-Bravo quarterfinal. One factor that may have benefited the Boulder team is that there was a long break between the previous round and the play-in game, plenty of time to decompress and refocus on the task at hand. From the very opening of their match, Bravo came out running, starting out with a huck to Keith Borsheim on an O point and then breaking on the very next point going upwind with a goal by Beau Kittredge.
Doublewide proved that they were able to respond by marching the disc upfield with a finishing blow by Mike ‘Tank’ Natenberg in the front corner of the end zone. Doublewide had the opportunity to get back on serve after getting a block from Sean McCall but they put the disc right back into the hands of a Bravo defender on the first throw. Ugly possessions by both teams ensued; both offenses seemed very antsy and eager to score in one big throw. Bravo was the first though to settle down and their handlers moved the disc around the field, finally resulting a Deaver to Rouisse score.
Not be outdone, Doublewide struck back against Bravo’s zone. Max Cook and Kevin Gaffney moved the disc fluidly around the field and eventually the Texans found Jonathan Daugherty in the end zone to close to 3-2. Bravo continued the run of offensive upwind points, and finally produced a break on the next point when a pass from Cook to Kiran Thomas fell short. A few throws later, Bravo put the disc to Beau for a 5-2 lead.
Bravo continued their run when ex-William and Mary stud Andrew Mangan got the block in the end zone. Camden Kittredge came up with the conversion for another upwinder to put Bravo up 6-2. Bravo kept rolling all the way to half with a Josh Ackley to Beau connection and a Matt Lipscomb huck to Mike Whitaker.
Doublewide started the second half on the right note, but when they received opportunities to break, they failed to connect on several aggressive throws that were often behind the intended receivers or sailed just wide of them. When Bravo broke upwind to go up 11-4, many spectators sensed that the game was all but over. Natenberg kept his team fighting with a tremendous layout block in the end zone and getting the bookend with a pass from Presley.
Not to be outdone, Bravo kept fighting hard, determined not to let Doublewide back into the game. David ‘Brit’ Belsheim came up with a point-saving block in the end zone that led to a Mitch Schminke score. After Bravo broke again for a 13-5 lead, Doublewide put forth a last charge where they scored four in a row, including a nice layout grab by Terry Jungman. Bravo ended the run with a score by Mangan, and after a Thomas to Daugherty connection by Doublewide, Bravo ended Doublewide’s run with a Deaver pass to Schminke. The 15-10 victory set the stage for a highly anticipated showdown between Bravo and Sockeye at the start of Saturday morning.
GOAT v. Sub Zero
The start of the GOAT-Sub Zero matchup mirrored the Bravo-Doublewide game in uncanny fashion. Like Bravo, GOAT started going downwind and scored the first two points. In both games, the next two points traded before the favorite surged to a 5-2 lead. Even more uncanny was the fact that the scoring occurred within seconds of each other, leading to the strange sensation that all of the spectators were witnessing the birth of a new sport – Synchronized Ultimate (nose plugs not included).
In the GOAT-Sub Zero game, the game started with a big effort from Colin Green who scored the first point and was a huge factor on the next point in giving GOAT the first break of the game. Sub Zero got on the scoreboard when Jack Marsh found Dan Heijman in the end zone to close to 2-1.
GOAT’s Andy Ouchterlony, John Hassell and Inian Moorthy were big factors in the early part of this game as they were crucial in building a 5-2 lead. On Sub Zero’s side, Heijman continued to drive the offense as he threw for the next score.
The next point was the turning point of the half as Sub Zero got a golden opportunity to break back and close to one on an upwinder, but Mike Arenson dropped the disc in the end zone. GOAT quickly turned downfield and found Moorthy blazing into the end zone. GOAT surged to an 8-3 lead at half, starting with a break that featured a gigantic grab out of nowhere by Eric St-Amant on a floaty huck.
Early in the second half, GOAT’s defensive line continued to put pressure on Sub Zero, receiving great contributions from Lindquist and Steven Tam. GOAT ran out to an 11-5 lead, but as they had throughout the tourney, Sub Zero stayed up and never considered themselves out of the game. Led by aggressive defense including the intense marking of Shane Hohenstein, Minneapolis went on a 5-1 run to close to 12-10.
With GOAT’s offense struggling a bit, the team got a boost from Hassell and St-Amant to end a three point run by Sub Zero. The Minnesotans kept the pressure on with some chilly offense anchored by Andrew Brown. Needing another break, Sub Zero lost its last best chance to make an improbable comeback when Sam Kanner floated a throw to Patrick Corneille that was denied on a huge effort by St-Amant. GOAT gave Sub Zero another chance on a throwaway. On the efforts of Brandon Malacek and Shane Hohenstein, Sub Zero got the disc to within five yards but an I/O flick by Hohenstein sailed to nobody as the intended receiver broke off his cut. GOAT capitalized on their next possession, culminating with a Hassell to Lindquist goal.
Sub Zero held serve to close to 14-12, but GOAT would finish them off with another Hassell huck, this time to Moorthy. The celebration was on for the Canadians and they could finally relax, having defeated the resilient team from Minnesota.
Open Division Day One
by Frankie Rho
Photo - Matt Lane
Pool A (Sockeye / GOAT / Doublewide / El Diablo)
The day began with a shocker as Doublewide defeated Sockeye 15-12. The game began ordinarily enough with the Fish holding serve and getting the immediate break to go up 2-0. After looking a little nervous initially, Doublewide got the break back to tie things up and made it clear to Sockeye that they weren’t going away easily. Max Cook and Stephen Pressley were instrumental in handling the disc, while Jonathan Daugherty and Kiran Thomas were the most effective workhorses downfield.
Even after finding themselves down early in the second half, Sockeye seemed unfazed by the upstarts from Austin. The turning point in the game was when Doublewide had a 12-11 lead, and Sockeye’s zone defense produced a quick turnover. After working the disc around, Jaime Arambula had a good look at a 15 yard backhand into the end zone that sailed just wide. Doublewide struck back immediately with another Jonathan Daugherty score.
The boys from Texas were starting to taste the sushi when the defense produced a turnover and Scott Berens sent an end zone-to-end zone shot to Brandon Hill. Sockeye experienced a scare on the next point when Alex Nord got caught in a collision while getting the block. Slow to get up, he returned later in the day.
Doublewide missed on a golden opportunity to close out the game when a mid-distance backhand went just wide in the corner of the end zone. Sockeye converted the score, but Doublewide would not be denied. Kiran Thomas closed out the game with an acrobatic catch at the front of the end zone.
On the other field, GOAT was pitted against one of the tourney’s unknowns, El Diablo. GOAT discovered quickly that the combo squad from South Carolina and Georgia was a feisty bunch. After a jittery start by El Diablo, they got their feet wet with a connection from Mike Nash to Bud Yackey. A patient handler with solid fundamentals, Nash was a huge part of El Diablo’s offense all day.
After trading the first few points of the game, GOAT clamped down, applying more aggressive marks and tough-nosed defense to build an 8-5 lead at half. Eventually battling to a 15-10 win, GOAT captain Andrew Ouchterlony noted that it was a perfect wake up call to the Toronto squad and helped get them ready for the games against Sockeye and Doublewide.
After their first round upset, Doublewide looked to avoid the dreaded letdown in a critical matchup against GOAT. Unfortunately for the Texans, the game began with exactly that as Doublewide’s offense looked a bit discombobulated, giving GOAT several quick transition scores. GOAT ran to a 5-1 lead and held that advantage to take half at 8-3. Although point differential was going to be critical, Doublewide avoided getting anxious about the score. “We just wanted to keep aggressive and stay in the game,” said Kiran Thomas. Doublewide fought back to 9-5 but were unable to get any closer. After going down 15-9, they had to wait for the outcome of the Sockeye-GOAT match.
On the other side, Sockeye bounced back from their first round defeat with a 15-8 win over El Diablo. The upstarts kept things tight early but after Sockeye took half at 8-4, Seattle cruised in the second half in preparation for a critical showdown with GOAT. A loss to GOAT would result in dropping down to the bottom pools and force the returning champs into a high-pressure situation where every game would be a must-win situation and having to play the extra crossover game.
From the start, it was evident that the Sockeye-GOAT matchup was going to be a battle. Sockeye clawed to an 8-6 lead at half and traded points to 12-10. GOAT produced a potential shift in momentum when Anatoly Vasilyev (who was a monster throughout the game) scored a Callahan. GOAT finally got the break they were looking for at 13s.
As one of the last games of the day, a large crowd had gathered around at this point. Sockeye turned it over on a flick huck to Ray Illian that dove to the ground. GOAT was unable to convert though, and Moses Rifkin found Illian in the end zone to put them at game point. Sockeye’s D squad was able to produce a stall at midfield and a send the disc deep to Nord to close out the game.
Despite the wild beginning to the day, Pool A essentially went according to seed. Although GOAT finished at the top of the pool, they carry over their loss to Sockeye into the power pools. Sockeye dodged a major bullet and this could give them an extra edge in the next few days.
Pool B (Johnny Bravo / Sub Zero / Chain Lightning / PoNY)
This pool was touted by many as the pool of death and the results bore this out. Bravo started the day off with a surprising 15-7 walloping of Chain Lightning. Mike Whitaker attributed his team’s success to the efficiency of their defensive unit, as they were patient with the disc and were extremely confident with the disc. On the flip side, a dispirited Josh Ziperstein spoke flatly, “We just didn’t play well.” One potential factor in Chain Lightning’s uneven performance was missing Dylan Tunnell for the first game. Their offense may have been thrown off a bit as they had to adjust with their other cutter options to jump start the offense.
On the other field, PoNY was demonstrating the depth of this pool by taking an 8-5 lead over Sub Zero. PoNY’s big-time receiver Aaron Bell later reflected, “It’s a very deceptive score.”
And so it was. Sub Zero came back immediately with four straight and eventually running off eight of nine points. Part of their comeback was due to Sub Zero’s ability to stay upbeat. Their sideline may be the most vocal in the Open division. PoNY’s captain Ben van Heuvelen also credited Sam Kanner with being a vital part of Sub Zero’s comeback. The contributions of Kanner and ex-Hodags Valdivia, Lokke and Malacek resulted in a 15-11 comeback victory.
In the second round, Johnny Bravo continued their methodical march to glory with a 15-11 win over a feisty PoNY. On Bravo’s side, Will Deaver, JD Lobue and Parker Krug provided stability to the offensive line, and everyone’s favorite highlight Beau Kittredge and Jim Schoettler gave them great targets upfield. The New Yorkers kept tight in this match, and down 10-11, had a good look at the end zone to tie things up. The disc bounced the other way (literally and proverbially) and Bravo converted. After a quick break on the next point, the game was suddenly 13-10 and the PoNY train was derailed.
In the 2v3 matchup, Sub Zero and Chain Lightning were locked in a tight affair that went down to the wire. No team ever held more than a two point lead and both teams were looking to their D squads to find a much needed break. At 13s, Minneapolis got the much-needed break when Sam Kanner found Dan Miller in the front corner of the end zone. Atlanta, however, got the break right back for a 15-14 lead when they got a huge block on the goal line seconds after the pull.
In the ensuing points, Dylan Tunnell was dominant. In conjunction with Joel Wooten, John Hammond and Josh Markette, Chain Lightning was able to eke out a 17-15 victory capped off by a huge garbage grab in the end zone by Hammond.
In the final round, Chain Lightning completed the day’s turnaround by thrashing PoNY 15-5. Like Doublewide, they had to wait for the other game to finish to figure out their fate. Because of the lopsided loss to Bravo, they would need Bravo to hold seed against Sub Zero.
Early on, it looked like Bravo might cruise to victory, opening up a 4-1 lead on Sub Zero. Again as a testament to Sub Zero’s mental toughness, they fought back to tie the game at 7s. The game continued to be a point-for-point affair until 10s when Minneapolis missed a golden opportunity to break. Moments after catching a big huck, Will Lokke dropped a wide open backhand toss in the end zone. Bravo converted and got the quick break on the next point, a quick strike to Chris Ashbrook.
Sub Zero would not go away and broke back, producing several turnovers on poaches, especially against the upline cut from the dump. Mike Arenson got a huge D on the next point, but a quick turn resulted in a score to Kittredge. Bravo got another quick break to get to 14-12. Once again, Sub Zero refused to go away, getting a big block from Shane Hohenstein on a big put to Jim Schoettler in the end zone. Sub Zero got an incredibly lucky bounce on a huck from Hohenstein to Patrick Corneille that macked off a Bravo defender and sailed into the end zone for a Corneille score.
The momentum seemed to be with Sub Zero, but Johnny Bravo patiently held serve. On the next point, Bravo’s defense forced a turnover and the Mamabird connection of Jolian Dahl to Kittredge sealed the deal for Boulder.
Pool C (Ironside / Jam / Condors / Bodhi)
Ironside proved to be the dominant team in this pool based on the strength of what was arguably the most efficient offense of all the teams in Sarasota. They began the day against the Condors and after getting up early by three, they were able to sit on that lead. On the defensive side, they offered a steady dose of zone that kept the Condors on their heels. After pounding Bodhi 15-8, Ironside looked extremely fresh and relaxed for their big game with Jam.
The San Francisco squad had a similar first two rounds, beginning with a 15-9 victory over Bodhi. The upstarts from Boston looked overmatched at the start of this contest, as Jam’s offensive line, anchored by Gabe Saunkeah, Idris Nolan and Justin Safdie, looked unstoppable. After San Francisco got up a few breaks in the first half, the game was never in doubt.
Next up was the potentially dangerous matchup with the Condors. The first half lived up to the hype as only one early break by Jam separated the teams at half. The Condors kept searching for the break to get them back into the game, but the Jam offense was unrelenting. At 13-11, the Condors finally broke and the Condors had to look towards their matchup with Bodhi.
The Ironside vs. Jam matchup featured some of the cleanest offense on the day. A break was virtually impossible to find until Ironside came through when they were up 9-8. Boston’s defense produced the turnover and almost gave the disc back immediately, but George Stubbs made an incredible layout catch and saved a disc that was an inch from turf city. Stubbs got up and fired a huge shot to the end zone for the first big break. Boston found another break at 12-9 and given the way their offense was operating, the game was essentially over.
In the 3v4 game, Bodhi was able to take advantage of a disappointed Condors squad to get a quick lead that resulted in an 8-5 half in their favor. Andrew Hollingworth led the effort on the offensive side while they mixed up a variety of defensive looks in typical Boston fashion. The Condors had opportunities to close the gap early in the second half, but Bodhi sensed the opportunity for a victory, remained resilient on offense and finished the game with a 15-11 upset.
Pool D (Ring of Fire / Revolver / Truck Stop / Machine)
The story in this pool was Revolver’s resiliency. In a curious inversion to expectations, they had to eke out wins on double game point against the lower seeds, but they put in a dominant performance against the pool’s top seed.
Revolver’s match with Machine began as a fairly one-sided contest, a 4-1 early lead for the Bay Area team. Chicago was able to claw back in the game with their defense, including a big effort from Hensley Sejour, and they took an 8-6 lead. The points were long and featured a great deal of turnovers. After the game was capped at 12s, Sejour threw a short toss for a score to put Machine on the brink of a big upset.
Revolver remained incredibly poised under pressure and worked it efficiently against Machine’s 1-3-3 zone to send the game to double game point. Revolver came down in a man defense against Machine’s ho stack, and after a big huck from Mike Shiel to John Kolb, Chicago was on the verge of completing the upset. Revolver got a huge block on a backhand throw from Joe Ferrari but gave the disc right back on an iffy flick huck from Mark Sherwood. Shortly afterwards, Machine turned it on an upline throw that both the dump and an in-cutter were looking for. Revolver then worked the disc patiently around for several throws before Jit Bhattacharya found Tom James for the score.
The next game against Truck Stop found Revolver in another tight contest where neither team led by more than two. Truck Stop was extremely successful in using their top deep threat Brian Stout, and were able to take a commanding 14-11 lead on strong playing from Damon Taylor, Keven Moldenhauer and Nate Miller. Revolver amped up their defense to score three straight and send the game into overtime. After trading points to 15s, Truck Stop moved the disc to Damon Taylor who put up a huck intended for Brian Stout. Truck Stop receiver George Hughes-Strange was also streaking to the end zone, and the ensuing battle for air supremacy resulted in the disc being batted around a couple times before hitting the grass. Revolver remained aggressive on offense and Mark Sherwood found Seth Wiggins for the game winner.
Asked whether they were concerned about fatigue before their match against Ring of Fire, Nick Handler said succinctly, “We’re twenty-eight deep and we use everyone.” His words proved prophetic as Revolver took out Raleigh with relative ease. The contest was particularly surprising given how dominant Ring of Fire looked in their wins over Truck Stop (15-11) and Machine (15-11). Machine Coach Brady Meisenhelder commended Ring of Fire for taking advantage of their size and athleticism to gain big yards.
In the game between Ring of Fire and Revolver, the difference came down to Raleigh’s inability to handle the disk in the short game, much of which can be attributed to aggressive marking by Revolver. After an ugly start to the game that featured a lot of turnovers, Revolver settled down and broke out to a 6-3 lead on a huge point by Rocky Beach. Ring of Fire was unable to close the gap and settled for the second seed.
In the battle for the third spot, Machine powered over a deflated Truck Stop squad. Machine jumped out to a 4-1 lead, a margin maintained until the game ended with the 15-11 upset in favor of Chicago.
Kudos to the Revolver player (Chuck Kindred?) who whipped out the fiddle at 15s to psych his team up with Gary Glitter’s Rock and Roll. Incredible.
Open Division Preview
by Frankie Rho
Much is riding on the line in the Open Division of the 2008 UPA Club Championships. One team is in the process of laying claim as the next great dynasty. Another team believes that it is the heir apparent and feels that after last’s year tight final, it’s time for a rematch. One contender has risen from the ashes of past greats in the hopes of returning their city to the days of glory.
This year, there will be a lot of new faces (El Diablo, Bodhi, PoNY) to join the teams that we have all grown accustomed to seeing in Florida. Also, for the first time in many years, the field will be missing the once proud champion Furious George.
Thursday’s lineup is all set. Upsets are guaranteed. It is time for all glory seekers to show up and blow up.
POOL A
Sockeye / GOAT / Doublewide / El Diablo
Sockeye has demonstrated why they are the defending champs with a remarkable season where they have lost only twice, once to Ironside at the Labor Day tourney in Santa Cruz and once in the World Championships final to Team Canada. Winners of three of the last four titles, the Fish are aiming to surpass the number of titles held by their absent rivals from the Great White North, Furious George.
Though GOAT and Sockeye have not faced each other this season, GOAT’s personnel includes five members of Team Canada (Hassell, Ouchterlony, Nicholls, St-Amant, Vasilyev), so they will be going into their matchup with some confidence. Though they have had a bit of an up-and-down season, the Toronto squad made it to the semifinals last year, and their tall lineup will keep them competitive in every game.
Doublewide has become a familiar face in Sarasota, but they are still seeking to take the next big step up, their best finish being 7th back in 2003. While they remained competitive at Labor Day, they failed to notch a victory so their Regionals triumph over Chain Lightning came as a surprise to many. The Austin-based team may also be able to draw some confidence from their one-point loss to Sockeye in Santa Cruz.
One of this year’s newcomers to Sarasota is El Diablo, a young combo team drawing players from Charleston, Atlanta and Savannah. Everyone on their entire roster will be making their first appearance in the Open division of the Championships. Their best chance of an upset comes in the third round against Doublewide, especially if the GOAT / Doublewide matchup ends up being a long, tightly-fought battle.
POOL B
Johnny Bravo / Sub Zero / Chain Lightning / PoNY
Anything short of bringing the title back to Boulder will be a disappointment for the Boys from Bravo Company. Aside from a surprising loss to Ronin at the Chesapeake Open, Bravo has lost only twice, once to Ring of Fire and once to Sockeye. They will be tested early with a very difficult pool regarded by many as the toughest from top to bottom.
Sub Zero has undergone a youth movement in recent years as the team grows deeper with recent graduates from Carleton and Wisconsin. On paper, this squad has the makings of a team capable of reaching the top tier, and the addition of Hector Validivia could provide the extra insight and focus needed for this team to go far in the tourney.
In losing to Doublewide at Regionals, Chain Lightning complicated the seeding in Sarasota and essentially ensured itself of a difficult pool for Thursday. Prior to their double game point defeat, Atlanta had only three losses, all of them to teams who earned a one seed for the Club Championships. They beat PoNY and Sub Zero handily at the Chesapeake Open and have yet to play Bravo this year.
PoNY is making their first trip to the Club Championships but their squad is full of players who have been to Sarasota before. Seth Crockford and Aaron Bell were major additions to the squad this season, but for the New Yorkers to succeed, they will need their depth to step up and contribute on a consistent basis.
POOL C
Ironside / Jam / Condors / Bodhi
The days of DoG may be in the past (or in the Masters Division), but Boston is back in contention. Having spent the bulk of last year gelling, Ironside tore through the competition this season, suffering only three losses by a combined five points. Loaded with great young talent (Gibson, Stubbs, Neff) and steady veteran leadership (Mueller, McCarthy and Graham), Ironside may be operating under a new name, but they feature the same intelligent offense and crafty defense that has been synonymous with Boston Ultimate. Could Ironside join the Red Sox and the Celtics in the greatest sports year a city has ever witnessed?
Below Boston is Jam, last year’s top seed going into the Club Championships. Experienced, talented and extremely familiar with each other, Jam is quite a bit like the Phoenix Suns at their peak. They have the makings of a championship squad but their window is closing fast. This may be their best remaining opportunity to end the twenty-year long drought since a San Francisco team won the Open division title.
The Condors have retooled their squad, incorporating several players from Monster and a couple of recent Santa Cruz graduates (Karlinsky and Van Pelt). Several stalwarts remain including Whit Clark, Tim Paymaster and Steve Dugan, the embodiment of the word ‘venerable’. The team’s growing pains were evident in their hit-and-miss season. Fortunate for them, the Condors match up very well with Jam and have a 2-1 record against them this season (albeit early in the season). A tightly contested match against Johnny Bravo at the Southwest Regionals may indicate that this team is gelling at the right time.
Boston Ultimate would be incomplete without a second club team full of young stars on the rise. Filling that role now is Bodhi, featuring a few former Juniors Worlds players including their captain Andrew Hollingworth. They open with a match against Jam, which will be an interesting contrast of experience versus youth. The key for them will be maintaining their confidence and keeping on an even keel.
POOL D
Ring of Fire / Revolver / Truck Stop / Machine
Ring of Fire has been flying a bit under the radar all season, perhaps attributable to a light schedule and an early exit in bracket play at the Chesapeake Open. At the Labor Day tourney, they demonstrated that they could run with any of the big dogs, displaying the trademarks of North Carolina Ultimate – aggressive defense and a healthy dose of swagger.
After being the odd team out last year, Revolver returns to Sarasota with some key additions including Seth Wiggins and Martin Cochran. They are going into the Championships with as much confidence as any team in the field. Their matchup with Ring of Fire has the makings of the game of the day.
Truck Stop made a lot of noise last year when they beat Furious George in the first round of play of the tourney. The DC-based squad looked poised to improve upon last year’s quarterfinals appearance with a solid showing at the Colorado Cup, but the losses racked up at the Chesapeake Open and at Labor Day. In order for them to return to the quarterfinals, they will need to address their lack of variety on offense, a factor that may have been part of the blame for their tight losses in Santa Cruz.
Another perennial guest in Sarasota, Machine had a shaky performance at the Central Regionals but managed to regain their footing when it mattered. If they go in playing loose, they could reprise Truck Stop’s first round shocker from last year. Wins over Sub Zero and Revolver suggest that they are capable of putting an unprepared team in the morgue.
