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.