Pre-Gaming

Pre-Nationals meal...Pasta with Pesto Sauce, some broccoli, and a nice piece of salmon. Tasty.

I fly out in the morning for my first natties. This was my goal since the start of club and it is finally happening. It looked bleak when I broke my foot but I'm back and feeling good. I'll try to update anyone who wants to listen. I'll twitter and facebook. Laters

Regionals Day 2...

Day two of regionals was at another location than Saturday and the fields were worse. There were ankle breaking holes everywhere. But that didn't matter because we came focused and ready to claim a spot to nationals.


First game was against Bravo in the semis. We expected to see them in the finals but after our stumble on day one we had them in the semis. It was warmer on Sunday and even at 9 am you were already sweating. We came out on O and over shot two wide open hucks and they broke to start the game. Our offense was turning it but would continue to get it back and prevent the break. Bravo too half 8-7 being up one break.


At half we talked about staying on our man and not poaching their break throws. We were able to trade some more in the first half but they eventually get a few more breaks and we end up losing 15-12. In this game Billings went down with a Calvin Johnson type move. He went up and caught it in the end zone but lost it when he hit the ground and twisted his knee. He sat out the next two games but played in the game to go.

Next game was against Inception, they had trouble moving it up field and didn't have the throws to really challenge us deep. We win 15-2.

Time to take on 405 again who just beat Sprawl in a tight game I hear. They gave us quite a game the day before but this time our season was on the line so we were going to come out ready. We capitalize early on a turn from their handlers and never look back. They run mostly a UCLA type offense with everything running through the handlers. We were able to make things tough on them and walk away with the game 15-6 maybe.

Finally we had to play Condors for the game to go. I think we all expected to be in this game but to get there a different way. But either way it didn't matter we were in a game and it was time to battle. We knew their defense was playing well and our offense was struggling all weekend but we know were a better team and we need to just play our game.

Nothing special happens the first few points we trade to 4's maybe, then we get a break. Our hucks are offline and not connecting and they get a break or two. We break back to take half 8-7 on serve. Feel good coming out of half but the condors go on a run. They score on offense then break us twice to take a 9-8 lead. Again our hucks are not connecting and they go up 11-9. Then 13-10 game to 15. Our backs are against the wall and things don't look good.

We call a timeout and say that we need to apply pressure and make them earn it. That we can still win this game. So we put it in on offense then put on a thug D line. They work it up and throw a goal to Jeff over wormser, 14-11. But Allen calls a travel that the Observer up holds and two throws later Gill gets a handblock and we put it in 13-12. Next Forge gets a deep D and again we convert to make it 13's. Now you can really feel that the Condors are playing tentative, trying not to lose rather than trying to Win.

Next point they punch it in and our offense holds up to tie it at 14's. There was a question of caps that went on and it was decided that it was over time or something but either way the Condors scored on O to make it 15-14 but it was the first to 16. Our O holds up again and it's 15's game to 16, double game point. Winner goes to Nationals. We pull the disc they get they center the disc, they get an under cut where Allen lays out and almost gets it, the guy gets up and tries to throw a quick dump pass. Wormser gets a poach hand block and the disc hits the turf. The guy calls foul, not sure why or on what but he changes his story a few times. Observer says no foul and we get the disc at about the brick, just 25 yards or so from the endzone. Dollar to wormser in the back corner and we've punched our ticket.

It was a great feeling to finally qualify for the show, especially after coming back from such a deficit. I didn't play great in the Condor game, I kept getting matched up on Bacon and he beat me deep twice. It's just made me work harder these last few weeks to get faster and ready for natties.

NATIONALS!

Regionals

My first SW Regionals in 2 years. When looking at the lack of depth in the SW region it makes the NW's number of teams and talent even more impressive. Going in it looked like only Bravo, Condors, and Streetgang could compete for the two bids to nationals. With Bravo and Streetgang being the clear favorites and Condors being a team you'd have to worry about.

Saturday

Saturday started out nice but progressivly got hotter throughout the day. It was easily in the mid 80's by the final round. The format was a bit screwy with 11 teams. So our pool had 6 teams which meat 5 games day one while each game was to be played to 11.

First game was against Sinergy, a Las Vegas team that basically showed up at game time. We rolled through them no problem with a score of 11-3. Overall we were pretty sloppy though.

Next was 405, an LA team comprised of alot of Irvine guys and and some UCLA. We shot ourselves in the foot by going down 3-0, three strait breaks to start the game. And with a game to 11 that meant had to get moving ASAP. It didn't help that on our first D point we had a miscommunication and leaving a wide open deep huck. We go down 4-1. They were constantly working to break the mark and move it through the handlers and they were coming up with some big catches and plays to put the pressure on us. We got a few breaks back and pulled it to 9-8 i believe. Offense finally started flowing and we traded to 10's game to 12. We came down with an aggressive D and got the turn and the break making it 11-10, they score tieing it at 11's. Universe point and were being pulled to. Our offense works it in with no real problems and we pull it out. But again, another sloppy game for us. It was easy to see that we were going to see everyones best game.

Next was Monsoon, an Arizona team I believe. They had trouble getting the disc up field against our D and we were able to finish this game quickly. 11-2

Full Boar Burbank is mostly High School kids with some old guys. One guy had a big sky high hammer that he threw several times, completing one of them.

Next we had Condors. A game we knew they would be amped for since we took care of them at sectionals. They looked to be resting their stars until the final round against us. This game we had Observers by request of the condors from what I hear.

We start slow again getting broken to start the game and then having a turnover fest on point two until we punch it in. We came down in a zone for the first few D points since it worked well at sectionals but this day was less effective. they get another break and take half at 6-4. In the second half we stick with our zone defenses but they weren't getting the D's we needed, we get 2 breaks or so but they break our offense a few more times as well and the game is at 10-8. We throw away the first throw on the goal line and they punch it in for the 11-8 win.

After the game we stretched and tried to quickly put that game behind us knowing that it didn't end our season. We noted a few things we needed to adjust for tomorrow and it really just made it so we saw Bravo in the semi's instead of the finals. So we got some food and headed back to Oxnard to the hotels for some college football and sleep.

Sorry if the details are a bit vague but I don't recall every detail. I'll post Sundays write up later. Pictures to come as well.

Back to writing

I've been MIA for awhile but I'm going to get back up and writting the mindless dribble that all 5 of you are accustomed to.

Congrats to the Polar Bears for qualifying for the show. Now I have to make sure we qualify this weekend inorder to make my decision to not play with them a decent one. Time to carbo load!