A-Division Summer League Finals Re-Cap
by
Trent Simmons
Question: If you show up for the DSUL tournament with 8 guys and only 1 woman, what are your odds of winning.
Answer: It all depends on how good that B league woman pick-up is, and when you play Randy Rick's team.
For the second year in a row, Randy's team was involved in a game that was less than normal. Last year, they lost in the semis
to a team that then proceeded to go to a wedding instead of play finals. This year, Randy's team ran into the Red team
(also known, although only amongst themselves, as Ultimate, Ultimate, Ultimate, Fun) in the quarterfinals.
Red had showed up with 8 guys and 1 woman and picked up a B league woman, which was enough for them to win their first game.
But the rules say no pick-ups at the tournament, so Red had to play with 5 guys and 1 woman. As Randy said after the game,
they had some wierd mojo going. Translation: The team of 6 beat the team of 7 to advance to semis. Quote from a Red player
after that game, "I don't even care what happens next, that was just so much fun."
"I don't even care what happens next, that was just so much fun." Although it sounds like someone having a good time at party poker, this was a competitive sporting event, so this sort of humility and enjoyment is rare. Incidentally, Randy's team was the #1 seed in the tournament.
Red's semi-final opponent decided to be gracious and allow them to pick-up a woman, but suffered the same fate. I guess not really caring what happens next can be a huge pressure reliever. Anybody remember Manny Ramirez's comments after the Red Socks went down 3-1 to the Indians in the 07 ALCS?
That set the stage for a finals between Red, which looked more and more like 99 Problems the more you watched, and a Maroon team which at first I thought was Golden Showers. Maroon vetoed Red's A league pick-up and finally allowed them to pick-up their B league helper from the first game, Erica Weir. Maroon pwins the flip and decided to pull, Red starts with the wind at their backs. Just as in their first two games, Red's opponents can seem to catch in the early going, but both teams score upwinders to start the game 1-1. Red comes with the zone which forces a quick turnover and 3 short throws later red has the first downwinder of the game. 2-1 Red and the wind has faded but Red tries another zone anyway and Maroon easily works it. Red walks upwind with heads down. They look worn out and done for. Is their run coming to an end?
Maroon poaches to deny the early huck, but red patiently waits for the defense to get sucked in, then hucks to Noah. 3-2. Red man d, maroon drops an easy one but gets it back with a goal line stand then hucks to tie it at 3s. Red easily works it to the red zone before Eric throw a laser hammer to the back corner which gets there much faster than the cutter. Maroon 50 yard huck that curls back in just inside the endzone. 4-3 Maroon. On the next point, Red has a guy wide open deep but the throw is rushed and the receiver can't reel in the blady forehand. Maroon puts up a quick huck - no good. Noah upwind huck to pick-up B league ringer Erica Weir to tie it at 4-4. Maroon receives the pull and puts up a swilly huck that gets caught, then thrown away in the endzone, Red puts up another ill-advised huck, turnover, Maroon's next huck looks equally ill advised, but sometime you throw to the matchup, and a high floaty throw to a tall receiver results in a 5-4 Maroon lead. Red time out. On the next point, both teams have pretty good offense until they get near the red zone, then decision making capabilities seem to vanish. Red in particular seems to be shooting themselves in the foot, as on consecutive possessions they have wide open receivers in the endzone and both times, just throw it away. But after the first couple of possessions, Maroon can't complete more than 2 passes and red finally chills out in the redzone, throws a dozen dump, swing throws and finally ties it at 5. The wind picks up and red comes down in zone defense. Finally gets a turn in the endzone, downwind huck to goalline. Time out red. Handler give and go results in yet another endzone turnover and Maroon punts upwind to just past midfield. The strategy seems to pay off as Red turns it over immediately but once again Maroon cannot convert. Red again works it with multiple dumps, swings and breaks to retake the lead 6-5. Next point is more of the same and the strategy of not drafting anyone over 6 feet looks like it might pay off. 7-5 red at half
Second half: The two teams quickly trade points to 8-6. Maroon finally finds it offense and ties it at 8-8. Reds upwind huck looks like another D, but Andy Herm rips it away from a well positioned defender and Red retakes the lead 9-8 with another score by Erica. Red pulls a roller out of bound at the brick mark and Maroon's first throw never comes back in bounds. Red has two chances to score on the goalline but the floaty push pass get strip-contested and the high release break mark gets dropped. Maroon scores upwind to tie it at 9s. Multiple drops on the next point, none of which hurts more than Maroons dropped huck in the endzone. Red scores on an upwind huck from B league all-star Erica Weir. Red play zone and after 15 passes Maroon drops an easy one. Erica throws another score and Red is back up by 2 at 11-9. Red zones again going upwind and gets the d in the endzone, but then drops an easy one and Maroon coverts to pull within 1. 11-10. Easy downwinder and red is within one point of the championship. Red plays zone with Maroon going downwind and after 2 big swings, the defense is in chaos and then the score is 12-11. Red drops one early and Maroon has a chance to tie it but the disc floats just a little bit and Red has the disc again, going downwind for the score. Scott Salvati catches the first throw at around the brick mark, looks downfield, waits, waits, and then sends a 70 yard flick which Eric Huelson reels in at the back of the endzone for the gamewinner and league championship.
Congratulations to Ultimate, Ultimate, Ultimate Fun, and mad props to Liz Steen who played every point all day. Erica, sorry to ruin your days of anonymity while you dominate the B league, you've just been called up.
* Editor's note: Randy Ricks gets picked on because he is pretty much the undisputed king of DSUL for the last 20 years. If he picks you, you are going to win most of your games, and have a pretty good shot at the championship. Also, if you feel like your team deserved more mention or credit, go to the DSUL website, Scot Prince has a more comprehensive recap there.
Final note: Cow Patty Classic in Greeley on August 29-30, there are still bids available and there will be a pick-up team, so if you have a really fun summer league team, come play one more tournament together. To get on the Colorado tournament newsletter list, send an e-mail to southwestultimate@gmail.com
