Open Division Coverage - Day Three

By Bil Elsinger

Four quarters games today and two semifinals will narrow the field from 8 teams to 2. As three of the four finalists are from the Northwest, there's a decent chance that one, if not two, will make it to Sunday. Some slips by Sockeye on Friday force them into a tough Jam game, and last year's semi-finalist DoG face the Condors, a match between two teams used to the Finals.

Ring, meanwhile, came out of a good day Friday to grab the best seed in the second bracket with an early game against a Doublewide team that seems on the margin between the Divisions elite cadre, and the not as great middle tier. Furious slipped a bit yesterday, and while Johnny Bravo has done well, they've drawn a tough matchup.

Jason Seidler's father notes that this is the second time that the UPA has gotten the top 8 seeds as the top 8 seeds. The last time was, according to my notes, 1998.

The early part of Quarters is the closest for each game. I'm sorry to break that news early. Also, if I get any of the people involved in these plays wrong, I'm the bad guy.

Ring starts off their game with a huck to Mickey Madzinski, and they and Doublewide (DW) start their second point before the other fields start their first. Doublewide turns near their endzone and Ring works it back up for the conversion. Ring 2-0. Ring intercepts a disc and scores, and Doublewide takes a timeout. I'm trying to watch four games at the same time, so I may miss some points here. Ring is hucking, Doublewide is misfiring, and later a hammer to a wide open Sandy Hartwiger vs. Doublewide's zone is indicative of the way things are going and will go. Ring goes up 7-2, and soon it's halftime. I see Calvin Lin with a improbably great grab near the side of the endzone, but is it down? Is he out of bounds? It's neither up or a score and but Ring and Doublewide trade turns. The next score that I see is 9-4. Doublewide starts trading at this point, but Ring goes on to win the game as DW never really makes it close.

In the DoG Condors game, Doug Moore opens up the scoring for DoG. JD Lobue Jr. evens it up, but DoG's Fortunate Mueller gets a little break up the line to Moses Rifkin to retain the lead. Things have changed a lot from yesterday for most points in the Quarters, as there aren't as many multiple turn points. The Condors have an unforced error that becomes a DoG score 3-1. The Condors' Corey Sanford, by the way, hasn't played since his first point of the tournament after he sustained an injury. The Condors get another long throw to a sprinting Lobue to make it 3-2. DoG has their first turn of the game, and Steve Dugan hits Ryan Yarbrough to tie the score. Almost all of the scoring on all four fields has been occurring on the South endzone. The wind is east to West, which means that the North endzone is more difficult to throw to.

The Condors pull to midfield, but the wind starts gusting, and DoG turns on a short throw. Timeout by the Condors. The Condors use the timeout as Jason Seidler hits Dugan to go up 4-3. At 4-4, DoG works it up field, but an easy turnover allows a long throw to Brandon Steets, and he gets one foot down just inside of the endzone sideline. DoG throws it OOB on the tie attempt, but Mueller gets an interception to get the disc back. Yarbrough lays out for the D, then throws a long score to Taylor Cascino for 6-4. The Condors score again, this time to Chris McManus, and DoG takes a timeout to prevent an early half. The wind is up against, and DoG gets stuck just out of its goal. There are no cuts, the disc goes up at a high stall, and the Condors come down with the short throw. DoG defends a huck, Yarbrough gets another D and DoG puts the zone on (mostly person to this point). It works as the Condors float a throw, and DoG brings it back to 7-5. DoG pulls and it's zone as they trap to the upwind side. Lobue catches a hammer that goes over the zone, and the Condors take half, 8-5. DoG is still sticking with the zone at 10-5, and the Condors join them as they hit 11-6. The Condors' deep game is on, and Dugan pulls down a huck for 12-6.

Of note in this game is the Condor cup. Condor James Studarus is marking, with Steets and another tall player making a formidable cup. More pressure is brought to bear as a lot of contact is occurring between Studarus and the thrower, and a hand on the back seems to be a constant. Meanwhile, hucks to both the shorter receivers and Steets are working, and the Condors quick smaller handlers are able to reset the disc whenever they want, while DoG looks to sometimes have trouble finding an open receiver. The Condors win.

Sockeye starts off with an unforced turn, and Jam's Jeff Eastham hucks to Shreyas Vijaykumar to go up 1-0. Sockeye answers with a Josh Monaghan throw to Roger Crafts. Jam scores again, and Sockeye throws into the ground, but later gets the disc back and evens it up. Jam goes ahead but Sam O'Brien pulls Sockeye back to the par. Jam gets the downwind, then goes to zone and gets the D. They throw it away, but another turn and Jam goes ahead a big break, 5-3. A 6-3 Jam score, and Sockeye tries to stem the tide with a time. This doesn't work as Jam walk it up the field after Sockeye throws too long to Mark Stone. The wind increases and Sockeye's chances decrease as they see the half down by 5. Lou Burruss gets a nice goto D on the endzone line, and turns by both teams leads to a Sockeye score. A wide open Eastham score makes it 9-4, and Jam goes on to win. Gusts of wind are pushing Sockeye's easy throws up, and drops aren't helping. Sockeye has been having trouble with their offense the last two days, although the normally defensive O'Brien has been moving the disc well for the offense. It's in to the placement rounds for Sockeye, although their work for NW strength is much appreciated by the rest of the region.

Furious George gets the first score, Will Deaver throws a Bravo score, and Bravo gets the next two to go up 3-2. Man to man is seen on most of the fields today, and the Bravo Furious game is no exception. Furious brings it back to 4-4, and later takes an upwind as Adam Chochinov hits Sean Boyle for the long throw (0208). Jeff Cruikshank gets a long D on the shorter Deaver, and Furious creates a gap at 6-4. We soon see another upwind score, and Furious is rolling. A Mike Grant interception makes it 9-4, and Furious starts showing zone as they get a turn on Bravo's endzone. Furious really stepped up the D at the beginning of their run as they force turns. It's Furious the rest of the way, and there are no close Quarterfinals.

It's Condors versus Jam, and Ring versus Furious, as the West Coast guarantees a spot in the finals, and only Ring is left to try to prevent an all West Coast extravaganza. Jam is looking great, as their absence from last year's tournament kept them from complacency, and Ring is looking strong after a solid Friday.

The Condors start off their game pulling and go down the field in man D. Jam floats a forehand up the line for a turn (injury occurs and a substitution away from the disc and Chris McManus goes to get his ankle worked on). The Condors swing it across the field and Greg Husak starts of the scoring.

The Condors come down with a zone. This zone is seen throughout the game, and features the height of Studarus, Steets, and Namkung. Damien Scott and Josh Faust hover very near the disc, and early in the game Jam has two more handlers (wings?) spread across the field, often Vijaykumar and Bart Watson. Jam keeps the disc moving, as Damien gets more than a third of the touches, many of which are only 2-3 yards back to him. Jam gets a lot of yards on this early point with give and goes up the sideline, and a throw from Vijaykumar to Big Jim Schoettler breaks the zone and Jam scores. 1-1.

Jam sticks with person and a Condor huck intended for Steets is Ded by Eastham. Jam turns on a short throw and Studarus forces his body into his marker as he calls a foul and throws up an interception. The disc comes back, and Dugan takes a short throw to Jason Seidler. 2-1.

The Condors pull into the EZ (this happens several times) but are slow to get up the field. Jam hucks over Mike Payne, and the Condors Mike Namkung pulls down a hammer from Yarbrough. 3-1.

The Condors show junk, Jam drops not too far up the field, but Damien Scott lays out for a D that was thrown past the Condor receiver. Condors are in person in the transition, and Kevin Buchanan gets a goto D, then pulls down some floaty swill to maintain control of the disc. Condors score again, and all of a sudden its 4-1. Buchanan to Ian Ranahan.

In an attempt to stop the Condors' momentum, Jam calls the time. Jam's throws haven't been exact, and this continues as Jam misfires on the huck out of the time. Bart Watson gets the disc back with the D, the Condors misread a sloppy throw and don't get the D, there's a foul on a high count, and the point ends as Chris Coco takes a second to look at the observer to confirm that he's in before spiking the disc. 4-2.

Jam pulls out of bounds at the midfield point, and Lobue of the Condors takes Coco on a run as he pulls in the huck off of the first throw from the pull. The Condors are back to person as Idris Nolan throws a huck away, and Condors' Buchanan catches yet another big throw, almost all are forehands down the west sideline. This one is from Namkung and is nicely placed.

The Condors go zone transition, and Big Jim hits Vijaykumar for the score. 6-3. Steets lays out on a huck from the pull for 7-3, Jam works it up for a short throw to Payne for 7-4, and I'm going to stop detailing as not much changes for the rest of the game. I keep notes until 11-7 and the Furious Ring semi-final starts. Mostly, Jam is not completing its hucks and the Condors are. There are turnovers on both sides, but Jam also has more unforced ones, and they aren't able to shorten the gap. There is a lot of zone from the Condors, and the late game sees points that are sloppier and longer as the Condors start to turn a bit more, but the difference doesn't shrink.

Furious starts off pulling and shows a zone transition to man which works as Evan Wood gets a D. Mike Grant hucks too far for a turn, but Jeff Cruikshank gets a layout goto D. Grant hucks again with the same result, and Ring tries to answer back with a throw to Mickey Madzinsky, but Grant is there. A foul is called and contested, and the disc gets sent back. Ring works it down, and Mick Ribault pushes a pass to Tiger Pearson for this semifinals inaugural point. Ring 1-0.

Cruickshank hits Grant for with a break mark, and its 1-1. A long huck to Madzinsky, and a short throw later, and Ring is up 2-1. Andrew Lugsdin forces a throw through a foul, but it comes back as it goes incomplete, and Grant's throw for a score would come back on a travel call if the call weren't overruled. 2-2.

On the next point, Ring is just short on a throw to laying out Sandy Hartwiger in the endzone. Ring Robbye Brooks gets the disc back with D, but repeats the endzone non-connection to Hartwiger. Two throws into the ground later, Furious doesn't go to the disc, and we have a long point. Ring Augie Kreinavas goes up between two players for Ribault's throw and Ring is up 3-2.

Grant pulls down a short throw after Furious works it down with close defense. 3-3.

Chris Hinkle brings down a huck from Kreinavas, but Ring turns over. A too short throw from Furious, a forced Ring throw, and a Furious drop leads to a Ring player just missing and the resultant mack getting caught in the wind with a layout but no catch. Cruikshank hits a hard running Mark Roberts with a break mark throw for 4-4.

A poor pull by Furious gives Ring good field position. Furious shows junk. Rick Mener goes up too early against Madzinski, and he throws for a score off of the Furious zone. 5-4.

Andrew Lugsdin catches a disc just in front of Hinkle for the 5-5 score from Cruickshank.

Ring's Tiger Pearson makes a tough bid near the endzone and calls a foul as the disc slips away. The observer overrules the contest, and Pearson takes a timeout stall 6. Ring picks up some luck on a forehand crossfield break, and its 6-5.

A too low throw to Grant, a soft Ring swing intercepted by Oscar Pottinger, a Hinkle D on a double layout in the endzone, an interception by Pottinger again on the Hinkle huck, the roar of the crowd as Ring's Tim Brooks gets an impressive D, a ring wobbly throw, another too deep throw from Grant, a short interception by Grant, and finally, Lugsdin throws to Mark Roberts to tie. 6-6. Nobody seems eager to score in the other endzone.

Greg Liburd gets a D on a huck meant for Madzinski (0539) but a foul is called. Hartwiger catches the score a bit later on.

Ring gets a D on Grant in the endzone (0545) and its time for a timeout, as Ring looks to get the break point. Lugsdin gets the D after the timeout, and Dearek Alexander throw to Grant for a short score. 7-7.

Hartwiger saves an almost down disc, but Ring wastes their first chance by throwing too far in the EZ. Grant hucks to Wood for an easy score and suddenly Furious is up as it takes half, 8-7.

Ring pulls to Furious and Furious works it down, but throws away on a blade in the endzone. Ring hucks but Grant comes out of nowhere to get the D. Furious hucks, Hinkle is right there, and Grant lays out but the disc is too far away. Grant takes the sub (0584). Ring hucks, there's' no one there, but 6'3 Jaja-Benson Datubo gets a hot D on HIGH swill (0596). Ring takes a time, and gets it afterwards on a tough catch by Tully Beatty as the throw is midway between him and his defender. 8-8.

Ring shows tough man D, Furious lets a dump get away in the wind, and Ring has it on the line to go back up. Hinkle breaks to Parrish. 9-8. Ring.

Grant hucks too far (see a pattern here?) but Ring drops on a low throw. On a throw into the endzone, Grant lays out and has the disc for a second, but he lands on his arm, the disc goes free, and he stays down for a bit. An injury sub later, and Ring turns it over near their own endzone. Furious hucks out of bounds, and Ring works it down for a short scoring pass from Madzinski to Tim Brooks. 10-8 Ring, and Grant possibly out.

Furious hucks, but too short, Rings drops on a tough line catch (0614), Furious turns with a break mark throw, and Hinkle throws deep but his receiver comes under ("Run – Run – Go**mnit" – Hinkle to receiver). An injury occurs, Hinkle asks for volunteers to take a sub but gets no one so he volunteers one of his defenders, and Kirk Savage of Furious hammers to Melner to shorten the gap to 10-9.

Ring has a floaty throw that turns, and Michael Enns has a falling down forehand break against a backhand mark to Greg Liburd, and it's 10-10.

Hinkle, responding to a comment, notes that "We don't waste timeouts on momentum. We use them score goals." Ring stops the Furious swing as a big huck from Kreivenas to Brooks and a short pass to Hartwiger regains Ring the lead.

Game is now to 13, as the cap went on during the point.

Grant comes back in only to throw a break too far in front of his receiver in the endzone (a shorter throw). Furious gets the disc back, and it's Roberts to Alexander as Furious works it patiently up the field underneath. 11-11.

Ring's Brooks lays out for what could be a score but Rick Melner suddenly appears on the scene for the D. Furious gives it right back on a wind aided high floater, and Ring converts 12-11 as the Masters final is going on and I'm supposed to cover both divisions so I miss the thrower receiver.

Mark Roberts keeps Furious in it as he grabs a missed throw intended for a different receiver and the lucky break (0640-0647) makes it 12-12, double game point.

Ring floats one and two Ring players touch the disc but it still goes down. A foul is called by Ring (on the second swill gathering attempt), the call is contested, and the disc is ruled down. Savage picks the disc up and 12 throws (2 of which are Savage scubers) later Evan Wood gathers in the final and deciding point. 13-12 Furious.

Wow.

It's all West Coast as Vancouver's Furious George takes on the Santa Barbara Condors for the UPA championships. Do the Condors go to Worlds? Should they having never met Ring? I don't know.

All ideas expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the UPA