SoCal Warm Up 08

http://upa.org/scores/tourn.cgi?div=127&id=5703
As you can see, we didn't do so well. Saturday we lost all of four of our games. Sunday we won both of them. Even though our weekend wasn't successful in terms of wins I do think that it was still a success. Our rookies are really starting to step up and I can see a lot of heart when they are playing. Now we just have to get them all better at throwing.
Our first round started at 9 so we left Irvine around 7. No real traffic on the 5 till Camp Pendleton when the freeway just stopped. Fish is in the car ahead of us and calls to say they shut down all but one lane. Luckily we are only a hundred yards or so behind the accident so we get through pretty quick. Unluckily, us, Fish and Roeder's cars were the only ones to make it through quickly. So we spent the rest of the ride trying to figure out if we would even have enough players to start (yes, we had 3 cars, but a few riders weren't players.) Ends up not being that big of a deal. Everyone else showed up about 20 minutes before game time.
First game against CSULB (the eventual tournament winners). This team has blown up in the past year or so (ever since Raty left.. coincidence?) I don't know what Smeltzer and Cos are doing over there, but whatever it is, their entire team has bought into it and it shows on the field. They play very well together and even though they don't have the best athletes or the best throwers, they definitely get it done. I can see them making some noise this year. We lose 8-13.
Then we had a 1 round bye. The schedule kind of sucked, but I can empathize with the TD (too many teams, not enough fields.) A few of the guys went to watch the women play against Oxy (who they beat. Woot.) Came back to play USD.
USD game was a disappointment. We start forcing backhand to take away Joe's flick huck, but then everyone keeps getting beat under. And I mean everyone kept getting beat under (not just our rookies.) So that made it pretty easy for them to walk it down the field every O point. I don't remember much else from this game. We lose 7-13.
Next game against one of the three UCSD teams. It always amazes me how they can get so many people to commit to their program. Anyways, their deeps scorched us all game. Their O points lasted maybe 4 throws. All they had to do was float it up to Forge and he would come down with it, even over Stig (crazy, I know.) We went down 5-0 to start I think. I had a horrible game with 3 turns and a drop. We lose (don't know the score.)
Another bye. Sat around and talked to old Monster teammates. And Enway. Roeder gave tattoos to everyone again. It was the logo from The Incredible's. Pretty cool but damn those things are hard to wash off.
Last game of the day against the Hillbilly UCLA squad. They divided their team by SAT scores. Blue Collar Ballers and Nerds. The squad we played had Banshee, Knuckles and Sultan. This was definitely the most exciting game of the weekend. Under the lights, with our women's team watching, and their other split squad also watching. Sidelines were packed the entire game. We broke the first point. I think we trade for a few then they break back. We traded breaks the entire game with neither team going ahead by more than 1. I can't remember who takes half. You can tell during our half time that we want this game. (Although I think even if we had won it we still would have gotten last in our pool.) We are up 12-11 (game to 13) and Roeder throws the game winner to Stig only to have it called back on an iffy pick call. Roeder trys the huck again but its a little too far past Stigs bid. They score to make it 12s. They score again to go up 12-13. We hold: 13s. Pulling on universe, they didn't give us a chance with Frenchie throwing a nice backhand huck for the score and the win. This game was a lot of fun. I played the last 9 points straight while Fish and Roeder played the last 11 points straight. I think the last 5 points or so were Universe lines (sorry rookies on the lack of play time.) I hand blocked Frenchie. Then also threw two turns to Miller (one D'd by Sultan, the other by Frenchie.) Big sidelines help out a lot in big games. Keep everyone focused and they also keep everyone pumped up. Big ups to Enway for helping out so much on the sideline (reminded me of the way Danny used to help out on the sideline.) So we lose 13-14 in a heartbreaker.
Afterwards the team started exploring trying to find this mexican place one of the rookies recommended (although we later found that he had never actually been there.) It was pretty good. The 2 dollar beer made up for the so-so food.
After that we went back to the hotel (first time the team has actually gotten hotels for a SD tournament.)

Anyways, its time to work. To be continued..