Ghetto Ultimate

G-H-E-DOUBLE P-O

2012-01-24T15:37:00.002-05:00

Twas the night before workouts, and all through the ghetto, not a player was having fun, not even Pat Bello. The running shoes were nestled and ready to be worn, dreams of sprints and burpee squares left the players forlorn. With Peaches and Ross, shining bigger and brighter, have begun their regime as the new blog writers.

Hello all,

First of all, let us introduce ourselves. Patrick "Peaches" Kaufmann and Ross "the Hoss" Gueltzow are your new blog writers for the spring season. We would like you to know just how privileged your eyes are about to become. We have traveled far and wide studying blogging techniques in the Orient and in Turkey. We have decided to bring our talents back to South Dayton for your reading pleasure. We are honored to have been chosen for this prestigious position and will treat it with the utmost respect and diligence. We know the gravity of our words.

Without any further jargon, we will commence to the discussions of the UD MEN'S CLUB ULTIMATE FRISBEE TEAM.

Our Fall season, as you steadfast readers may know, ended with a cliff-hanger. Our last tournament of the season was Glory Days in Lowell, IN. Split into X and Y squads, the teams were split were somewhat evenly. Captain Phil "Kim Jong-Phil" Brodrick led Dayton Y, a group primarily composed of rookies, through a tough day of "learning experiences." Dayton X, led by seniors Zach "Co-President of Student Beard Board" Kaylor and Alex "Student Beard Board Traitor" Frasz. Dayton X played well, with victories of Indiana X, Northwestern Y, Southern Illinois A and Illinois-Chicago.

After Glory Days, the members of the Ghetto Force invited their beautiful families to Dayton for UD's annual Parent Weekend. With the completion of Stuart Field's improvements, the team was able to show their parents how athletic and cool they were on some killer astro-turf. The Ghetto Force took part in an inter-team scrimmage as well as taking on the Get-Old Force, the Ghetto Force's alumni team. The Get-Old Force fell. However, fun was had by all involved and culminated in a pasta feast fit for royalty.

Evan Corcoran as a sophomore at UD.

The Ghetto Force delegates were then able to take a brief respite and get loads of presents which is awesome.

Upon our return, we were greeted by two fine new leaders of the Ghetto Force. As President-elect Adam "nonickname" Tardio and Captain-elect Mark "Mark" Fedorenko prepare to phase into responsibilities given to them by their makers (Alan "Butters" Smith and Phil "O Captain, My Captain" Brodrick), their subordinates patiently wait instructions.

As we begin the spring semester workouts, look forward to more updates concerning the team. We will sweat, we will cry, and we will win.

Faith, Love, and Ghetto Force Ultimate,

Patrick "Peaches" Kaufmann and Ross "the Hoss" Gueltzow

P.S. - Ross messed up the G-H-E-DOUBLE T-O cheer many moons ago. What he said is in the title.

Fall Season Update

2011-10-18T23:01:00.004-04:00

To start, I want to apologize for getting this post out so late into the season. We have been too busy kicking ass, taking names, and training the new recruits to take note of it.

With only one tournament left in the fall season, a lot of time has passed since we found out over 30 guys were interested in joining true men in achieving ultimate greatness. The new class of players proved consistent with the sport's nature, attracting everyone from the rookie handlers, talented ultimate players, never played sports in his life engineers, to the free spirited hipsters. Under the new starting training program, Phil led the new guys in teaching everyone how to bid, play defense, throw a flick, and the horizontal stack offense.

Sectionals

With most of the Ghetto veterans playing for the club team Enigma, it was the rookies time to shine. Captained by sophomore extraordinaire Mark Fedorenko and junior studmuffin Ross Gueltzow, the team finished a respectable 3-4. Highlighted by amazing plays mixed with incredible ineptitude, the rookies bravely took on the onslaught of Coach Evan Corcoran's wrath and came out better for it. Needless to say, greatness was in store for this fall.

Wright Wing Conspiracy

With the Enigma veterans gone yet again for regionals, the new generation of Ghetto Force knew they had to step up their game. To maximize playing time and fully appreciate the ultimate tournament experience, the small numbered team split into two. Wright Wing truly turnt out to be a learning experience for all with a poor showing for the fresh squad. Getting the losses out of the way for the rest of the season, Ghetto Force began to prepare themselves for retaliation.

Kentucky Classic

A tourntament over fall break made it tough to captivate new players attention, with most of the team running home to tell their parents how awesome they are at catching round flying objects. The low numbered X/Y split teams drove south to prove they deserved to be called ghetto. Lots of fun was had as the old guys finally mixed with the fresh blood and ultimate greatness was spread all around. The X team, led by veteran handles Eric "Peg" Hegedus and Zach Kaylor came to play. With 5 subs on Saturday, the X team came out and beat a full Miami squad before trouncing an overwhelmed Ball State split squad with a combination of hucks and D's from Peaches and Dan Sullivan, along with newcomer Chris Kovaleski. Despite Peaches' awesome sky of Cincinnati's Garret, the X team was unable to come up with a victory against a strong UC squad. After a easy victory over EKU, the X team advanced to the championship bracket for Sunday. Faced with a full Ball State split squad, the X team (now with 4 subs) came determined to prove themselves Sunday. After going down 6-10, the men of Ghetto Force fought bravely back, only to lose on universe point in a game for the ages. The X squad finished out the tournament with a second victory over Miami and a close loss to Kentucky. The Y team struggled Saturday to throw tough defense against any opponents. Led by none other than the real captains Phillip Brodrick and Alan Smith, Y team seemed to only care about looking good for the womens rugby game being played close by. Close offensive games left the Y team with one win and a few losses. Being pushed down to the lowest bracket after suffering point differential to another team, an appearance by classics 'The Admiral' and Barb really brought up team morale to help the Y team squander their opponents. No games were close and no ghetto men were left unhappy.

As we lay in our Red Roof hotel beds, we can only imagine what's in store for the weekend ahead for the Glory Days tourntament.

Ghetto Force Ultimate: A New Chapter

2011-09-02T12:01:00.002-04:00

Greetings readers,

September is here once again, school is back in session, the ghetto is back to full levels of rageness and most importantly Ghetto Force is gearing up for another season. This post will be my last as blogmaster, its been an honor and nothing less than a dream to keep the Ghetto Force community updated throughout the season. I will be handing off the torch to the very capable and mostly literate Frasz and Kaylor. They are trusted journeymen, trained well in the art of blogging. I know they will continue the long tradition of outstanding reporting.

A short update:

So far Ghetto has had two days of try-outs. Kim Jong Phil has weeded out the slackers and wanna be's, slowly leaving only Ghetto Force warriors. The incoming freshman look strong, many already know throws and the difference between a Disc and a Frisbee. We had a great turnt out, attracting more players on Day 2 than Day 1.

It's going to be an exciting season, so keep checking back for more updates and the posting of the tournament schedule.

Day Two KY CLASSIC

2011-04-13T16:53:00.000-04:00

Written by: Jonsey

Day 2

Indiana: 15 – 9

Having finished 2^nd in their pool on Day 1, Ghetto arrived at the fields on Day 2 to face the #1 overall seed of the tournament in the first round of the championship bracket. For the second day in a row, Ghetto came out in the first half of game one flatter than Butters’ chest. The wind was tremendous, and sloppy play by Ghetto combined with a formidable zone by Indiana caused Ghetto to be rolled in a half for the first time all season. Led by a 5^th year handler with a Mohawk that simply defied physics with its rigidity, Indiana schooled Ghetto up and down the field and eventually took half 8 – 2. During halftime, the Force decided to get their respective heads out of their respective John Brown hind parts and start actually playing Ultimate. The second half turned into a much more competitive game, involving several up-wind breaks by Ghetto thanks to Ghetto’s ever impressive zone-D. The game ended at a disappointing but respectable score of 15 – 9.

Miami: 15 – 6

The loss to Indiana meant Ghetto would be demoted to the 5^th place bracket. Ghetto’s first opponent in this bracket was to be the archrival Boogie Men of Miami (the Ohio Miami, not the cool one Will Smith raps about). A full Ghetto squad had defeated roughly half of Miami’s squad at Boogie Nights earlier in the season. Now, the situation was to essentially be reversed; A Ghetto squad missing many key components was to face a nearly full Miami team. Ghetto was determined to put in a performance that would grant them a final statement win in what so far had been a disappointing weekend. The Force came out strong early, once again employing zone-D to great effect. Miami’s handlers were simply overwhelmed by Ghetto’s stifling D, and it quickly became clear that Ghetto would once again roll their rivals from Oxford (Again, the Ohio Oxford, not the impressive British one). Miami waved the white flag early and Ghetto took the game 15 – 6.

Huxedo: 15 – 7

Ghetto’s final task in order to wrap up 5^th place (and an awesome trophy with lots of goodies inside) was to defeat the alumni team Huxedo. As a token alumni team, Huxedo had a few studs who could huck like champs, a couple guys who could run, and a bunch of fat dudes. Nonetheless, Huxedo looked to be a formidable opponent. Ghetto was now down yet another player; senior Eric Hegedus had been lost mid-day to vicious flesh-eating bacteria. This meant an even thinner Ghetto lineup had to muster the energy to end the weekend with a win. The Force came out very strong and quickly took a 5 – 0 lead. However, fatigue and overly pacifist play by Ghetto allowed Huxedo to make a run and get back into the game, bringing the score within to 2 points. After a sloppy point, Ghetto took half on a huck from Zack “The Dog Wisperer” Kaylor to Mark “Squirrel” Fedorenko that was as delicious to watch at mama Gueltzow’s cheesy potatoes are to eat. The second half remained decently close, but increased intensity by Ghetto meant the game would never really be in question. A highlight of the second half came when senior Brian Jones made what was by far his greatest defensive play of the season; With yet another Phil Brodrick pull pinning Huxedo on the corner of their own goal line, Ghetto threw their zone D with Adam “cookie monster” Tardio marking, and Jones playing the break-side wing. After several fakes the handler with the disc called a foul on Tardio, stopping play. In the short break, Jones shouted to Tardio that he personally guaranteed the handler with the disc would not even dare to attempt to throw an I.O. flick dump given the wind, and thus Tardio should shift farther to his right when marking. The handler heard this guarantee, shot Jones a nasty glare, and proceeded to check in the disc. Immediately, the handler attempted to throw an I.O. flick dump. As expected, the throw horribly turfed, giving Ghetto the disc on their opponent’s goal line. Mid-mid Zack Kaylor turned to Jones, and the two shared a hearty laugh over Jones’ ability to so effectively manipulate the handlers’ feeble mind. Ghetto punched in the score, and the game ended soon after on a great grab by Josh “Pretty Boy Swag” Weitz on a questionable huck from Captain Phil Brodrick. Ghetto took the fifth place showdown by a score of 15 – 7.

After a hard fought weekend filled with many ups and downs, Ghetto headed to the Gueltzow household to stuff their respective faces with scrumptious southern cooking and watch a kid younger than many of them totally screw up the back nine of the final round of the masters. Ghetto is primed for the impending Conference Championships next weekend, and is excited to continue their streak of domination.

Kentucky Classic

2011-04-13T16:50:00.001-04:00

Written by: Jonsey

Kentucky Classic

Kentucky Classic - Ghetto’s final warm-up tournament before the inaugural conference championships the following weekend. Ghetto Force ventured down to the bluegrass state to expand on their stellar 13 – 1 record and build some solid momentum for conference championships. Ghetto would not be entering the weekend at full strength however; Eric Reynolds, Scott Ulrich, and Troy Wiegand would not be available to lend their talents either day, and Pat Bello would only be attending the second day of the tournament. Nonetheless, Ghetto expected a weekend replete with victory as sweet as mama Gueltzow’s homemade tea.

Purdue – B: 13 – 5

Ghetto’s first game of the tournament was to be against the cleverly named “Undue Perversity”, the bottom seed in Ghetto’s pool. This particular B team was lead by a handler who might as well have had the letters R-O-T-C tattooed across his forehead (or possibly lower back, tramp stamps are very in this year…). The jersey tucked into the shorts, the closely cropped hairstyle, and the poorly suppressed aggression let Ghetto know early on that they would be facing a member of the armed services who would not enjoy his team getting totally owned. Sadly for him, Ghetto has a nasty habit of doing just that. Purdue – B was a team far inferior in every enumerable respect, however this disparity in ability did not lead to the first half trouncing one would expect. Despite two mighty D’s by senior Alex Frasz on the first point, Purdue took a 1 – 0 lead on Ghetto early, and a very sloppy and uninspired half of Ultimate ended with Ghetto leading a much lesser team just 7 – 4. However, the great and powerful Discos (patron god of Ultimate and all things disc related) was clearly appeased by Ghetto’s sacrifice of a Wham-O disc two nights before, and looked favorably upon the team that morning. At halftime Discos brought about a storm the likes of which the Louisville soccer park had never seen, delaying all games for several hours. After weathering the monsoon, Ghetto took the field with newfound desire and focus. The second half of the game was the “uber n00b pwnage” that one would expect, and Ghetto stomped Purdue-B and their ROTC leader 13 – 5.

Kentucky: 13 – 2

The next opponent for the Force on the day was the University of Kentucky. Kentucky’s jerseys boast the classic cobalt blue that the school in famous for. The blue may be a tribute to Kentucky’s label as the “Bluegrass State”, or recognition of the blue people who live in the back woods of the state and get a little too familiar with their cousins (who knows?). Ghetto expected a tough game from this team that resembled a group of Smurfs; Kentucky had defeated Ghetto Force twice in the 2010 season, including a hotly contested game at sectionals. Ghetto’s expectations, however, were far from met. Categorizing the game as a “competition” would be using the term very loosely; it was more akin to a slaughter. Ghetto established their dominance early and never looked back. Mostly due to Kentucky having the emotional maturity of a bunch of seven-year old girl scouts, the game nearly came to blows a short ways into the second half. After a strike cut and a subsequent up field throw by Kentucky’s short-tempered center handler, senior handler Eric Hegedus had the audacity to call a travel, simply because the guy traveled. Kentucky’s handler, insulted by the assertion that he could possibly do anything wrong on an ultimate field, hotly contested the call. After “lively” discussion, the disc went back to the thrower, who proceeded to attempt the exact same throw he had previously, except this time the disc sailed into the air and resulted in yet another turn for Kentucky. Ghetto’s opponent continued to commit and contest blatant fouls and dispute obvious calls despite being down by an insurmountable margin. In the end, Ghetto beat their less than honorable foes by an embarrassing score of 13 – 2.

Tennessee Tech: 13 – 1

Ghetto’s third game of the day would easily be their least competitive of the day. Tech was simply not in the same league of skill as Ghetto Force, and seemed quite content to allow Ghetto to impose their will. The game included everything you would expect from Ghetto; Phil hucked, Butters skyed, Kayor got D’s, and Jeff Geise made comments that brought his heterosexuality into further question. The game finished at an easy 13 – 1 victory for Ghetto.

Cincinnati: 10 – 13

Ghetto’s final game of the day was to be a decisive one for the tournament. A win would allow Ghetto a much easier opponent in round one the following day than would a loss. Furthermore, Cinci is a team in Ghetto’s conference with whom Ghetto will be competing for a spot at the Regional Championships. Furthermore again, the supreme disc-tator Kim Jong Phil Brodrick has a tremendous familiarity with many players on the Cincinnati team, making the game personal. All in all, there was much for Ghetto to play for. After snatching the first score, Ghetto went through a bit of a rough patch of play, dropping the next three points to fall to a 3 – 1 deficit. After a timeout, Ghetto scrapped their way back into the game, routinely tying the score in a very back and forth game. The most significant moment of the first half came about when super-senior Jeff Giese attempted to cut more sharply than his old body would allow, causing him to go down with a severe owie on his ankle. Already being without four of its cutters, Ghetto was heavily hampered by the loss. Tied at 5 – 5, Ghetto endured an extremely lengthy point replete with easy drops, stupid throw aways, and overall poor play. Cinci eventually took the point, an emotional blow from which Ghetto could never fully recover. As the second half progressed, the game began to get away from the tremendously depleted Ghetto Force. Patrick “Peaches” Kaufman (aka. Virgin) made several valiant efforts to keep Ghetto in the game; a couple ridiculous skys coupled with ferocious lay-out D’s by the stud freshman helped keep the game competitive. However, it proved to be too little too late, and Ghetto was forced to suffer just its second loss of the season 13 – 10.

After a long, tumultuous, and slightly disappointing Day 1, the exhausted Ghetto Force returned to the homes of B-team captain Ross “April Madness Champ” Goozlow and Ghetto alumn Brad “Backflip” Walchak to enjoy some food, and for some engage in the epic battle of resources know as Settlers of Catan.

Chicago Invite: Can't Get No Respect, Day 1

2011-03-29T09:14:00.004-04:00

Written by Jonesy, Edited (loosely) by the Bello

Each year in March, a special sporting event comes around that captivates and inspires our great nation. Sixty-four teams from across the country are selected to participate in this mother of all tournaments. After seedings are established, the inevitable banter of which teams got the short end of the stick and who is going to win it all ensues. This refers, of course, to none other than the annual Chicago Invite, held in Naperville, IL. Like a redheaded stepchild, Ghetto Force got no love when the seedings were established for this colossal Ultimate tournament. After getting jerked around from being a top seed in a non-power pool to being a four seed in a power pool, Ghetto was finally given a metaphorical slap to the family jewels and positioned as the second seed in a non-power pool. This starting position meant that Ghetto would have to sweep their pool play as well as win their crossover game to even be allowed to compete in the championship bracket. Anything less would relegate the team to a 17^th place finish at best. After letting loose a few choice words describing the character (or lack thereof) of the tournament director who placed Ghetto in such a predicament, the team pinned their collective ears back and prepared to feast on the competition that was laid out on a silver platter before them.

DAYTON 13, LOYOLA-CHICAGO 6

Ghetto’s first opponent of the day was to be the something-or-other’s of Loyola-Chicago. The ground was firm, the air was 30, and Ghetto was ready to show the flatlanders how Ultimate was really played. It became clear early on that Ghetto was a force that Loyola simply could not stop, but rather one they could only hope to contain. A beautifully manufactured up-wind break on the first point of the game set the tone, and Ghetto never looked back. Even with Loyola being one of “those teams” with one of “those coaches” who interferes with calls from the sidelines and wears a hat that is only appropriate for a person about to embark on a safari, Ghetto was clearly the superior team not only athletically, but also tactically. Loyola had no answer for Ghetto’s the zone-D, the cornerstone of which was the scary good marks put on by veteran handlers Zack “shaved his beard a week too early” Kaylor and Alex “my warm up jog is back to the car to get my cleats” Frasz. Despite the wind forcing Ghetto into a point trading scenario in the middle, the game was never in question, and Ghetto would coast to an easy 13 – 6 win to start the day.

DAYTON 9, VALPARAISO 6:

The Force’s second opponent of the day was to be the fighting one-legged lemurs of Valparaiso University. Ghetto’s greatest challenge in this game was not their opponent, but rather the cold-hearted wench known as Mother Nature. The gusts whipping across the Naperville Polo Grounds had picked up substantially, and while Ghetto was clearly the far superior Ultimate team on the field, the wind would prove to be a great equalizer, forcing Ghetto into a close contest. As in the first game, an upwind break gave Ghetto the lead early on. With Valpo’s defense having their hands more than full with Jeff “quack honk” Geise and Butters cutting on the inside, freshman Marky Mark Fedorenko was extremely opportunistic cutting from the outside. M-Fed tore up the Valpo D like the highway tears up an orange dropped from a car at 60-mph. The game was most memorable for a point that may or may not have been the longest point ever played in Ghetto Force’s great history. Eyewitness accounts claim that the point lasted roughly the average gestation period of an African elephant (look it up). The point included obscene amounts of turnovers, sloppy drops by nearly everyone on the field, Jonesy getting punched in the face, and many other bizarre mishaps. It all ended when Valpo finally was able to score a heavily downwind goal, but this would prove to be inconsequential. The length of the point combined with Valpo’s complete and utter helplessness against Ghetto’s zone D led to a 9 – 6 victory for Ghetto in hard cap.

DAYTON 12, St. OLAF 7:

Ghetto’s final pool play game of the day was to be against what appeared to be a crop of die-hard Duke’s of Hazzard fanatics, judging from their Confederate flag adorned uniforms. The top seed in Ghetto’s pool (St. Olaf) looked to be formidable early on, but in the end the south would not rise again. Not intimidated by Shamu tattoos or absurd spiral haircuts, Ghetto Force went to work on yet another upwind break to start the game. Once again Ghetto’s zone-D, like Ulysses S. Grant’s Army of the Potomac, was a great force to be reckoned with. At one point mid-game, the rebels appeared to have devised an effective strategy of very short, up field dump passes between handlers as a means by which to advance the disc. Upon realization of this meager attempt at offense, Patrick “Peaches” Kaufmann decided to end St.Olaf’s fun. With the power and conviction of a true yankee, Peaches smacked down a would be forward dump pass with such power that several opponents began whimpering in fear. Needless to say, the strategy would not be attempted again. Overall, St. Olaf was forced to endure their own version of Gettysburg at the hands of Ghetto Force, and Ghetto took the battle 12 – 7 in hard cap.

DAYTON 13, MISSOURI St. 4:

The Force had but one more victory to obtain in order to earn their way into the championship bracket. The next item on the menu for Ghetto Force; Missouri St. (Different from Missouri S&T, confusing I know). Ghetto was expecting a formidable opponent, as Missouri St. had come from a “power” pool. However, the cross over would prove to be Ghetto’s easiest challenge of the day. Ghetto rolled in a game highlighted by stifling zone D, the ever present Phil to Scottie huck on for a score on the first throw, and a disgusting layout grab by Butters for the winning score on a huck from Peg (The debate as to whether Peg was even looking up field when he released said huck still rages on). Needless to say, Ghetto rolled to their fourth and final victory of the day easily, taking the cross over 13 – 4.

With a spotless day 1 in the books, Ghetto returned to their respective houses to feast, and (at Dorn’s house anyway) receive 5-star quality professional massages. Ghetto went to bed Saturday night with thoughts of further domination filing their sweet sweet dreams.

Boogie Nights: Winning, Duh!

2011-03-24T00:00:00.005-04:00

Written By Jonsey, Edited (loosely) By the Bello

Boogie Nights, a tournament hosted by Miami University is a firm staple in Ghetto Force’s spring schedule each year. The tournament is unique because it offers a cash prize of $200 for 1st place, however the long standing trend has been that the Miami University Alumni always win the tournament and "donate" the money back to the Miami team. Ghetto like a pack of vatican assassins vowed to crush this tradition, stripping the Alumni of their longstanding hold of the title and claim the prize money.

Xavier- Y: 13-9

Ghetto Force’s first challenger of the day was Xavier-Y. Until recently, Xavier Ultimate was most well known for not having a team name (even though virtually every other ultimate team does), and simply being know as “Xavier Ultimate,” an accurate reflection of such a bland university to be sure. Recently Xavier adopted the name “Blob” (or something stupid like that). However, after the events of the weekend a more accurate name would perhaps be “Xavier; tournament ruiners”. Little did Ghetto know it would start Boogie Nights off by exacting a little pre-emptive revenge on Xavier for messing up the second day of the tournament.

Ghetto came out very flat against Xavier Y, and allowed a team that epitomized mediocrity to hang around for the majority of the game. However, even without playing their best, Ghetto’s quality and quantity of talent proved too much for Xavier to handle. Perhaps still experiencing the hangover of their basketball team being upset by Jonesy’s future alma mater Marquette the night before, Xavier had no answer for the phenomenal cutting tandem of Alan “Butters” Smith and Jeff “I love Friday more than Rebecca Black does” Geise. Ghetto took the sloppy game 13 – 9.

John Carrol: 13-7

Ghetto’s next opponent, John Carrol, proved significantly more formidable. However, Ghetto was able to increase their level of play by an even greater factor. John Carrol was a quite gilded opponent; two or three stud players carrying a crew of fairly average ones. Ghetto came out strong early and the game was never truly in question. The most memorable point of the game came when Carrol made the tremendously questionable decision of throwing zone against Ghetto’s pristine handler set, without any significant wind to aid their defense. After a muffed pull that rolled 10 yards behind the handlers, Ghetto went to work on a point that was a thing of ultimate beauty. An initial swing and a throw through the cup started Ghetto’s march down field with perfect flow, rarely allowing their opponents to so much as begin a stall count. Ghetto shredded the would-be zone, and took what was surely less than 30 seconds to grab a score and take half. From there Ghetto would cruise to an easy 13 – 7 win.

Ruckus: 13-9

The third game of the day was Ghetto’s chance to break seed and snatch a first round bye for day 2 of Boogie Nights. Their opponent; the alumni team Ruckus. Alumni teams can be tremendously frustrating even for top caliber college teams to compete against. Despite college teams having a huge edge in terms of athleticism and conditioning, alumni teams usually have throwing ability from top to bottom that is top notch. Ghetto knew it was in for a tough game against a highly veteran team. With Frasz’s and Butters parents watching from the sidelines, Ghetto not only had seed to play for, but some parents that they needed to impress ($$$). They would not disappoint. Despite the high degree of skill and experience that Ruckus boasted, Ghetto’s raw athletic ability proved to be the greater strength. Adam Tardio summoned his inner cookie monster all game long, gobbling up D after D in an impressive showing. Alex Frasz summoned his inner Terrell Owens on a point in the first half, streaking downfield and raising his hand in the air as if to say “Throw me the gosh darn disc!!”. The run and catch was so beautiful that Alex’s father was quoted in a post game interviews as saying (with tears in his eyes) “For the first time in my life, I feel that I can be mildly proud of my son”. The true exclamation point on the game, however, came from none other than El Capitan, Alan “Butters” Smith. With Ghetto holding the lead late in the game, Ruckus put together a run of impressive points and cut Ghetto’s previously comfortable lead down to just 3. After a turntover by Ghetto, Ruckus had the disc just short of the goal line. As can always be expected from alumni teams, a break-side hammer was thrown in an attempt to cut Ghetto’s lead to just two. The throw was well executed, and looked to be floating perfectly to Ruckus’ very tall and very skilled top cutter. However, out of nowhere, Butters decided he wasn’t going to allow any hammer shenanigans to take place on his field. Leaping into the air higher than any Caucasian should be able to, Butters raised his hand in the air and smacked the lame duck hammer down to the ground in a spike that (insert name of famous volleyball player here) would be proud of. Ghetto used this tremendous play to steal the momentum and cruise to another 13 – 9 victory, taking out the #1 seed in their pool.

Youngstown State: 13-2

Ghetto Force’s final game of the day was hardly their most competitive. Before the game commenced, captain Phil Brodrick had a hunch the team Ghetto would be playing was anything but a high-level opponent. This hunch stemmed from the fact that the opponent (Youngstown State) was comprised of just 8 players, the most athletic of which was halfway through a fifth of Southern Comfort, and the most annoying of which was sporting a chef’s hat. Despite playing what was probably their worst game of the weekend, Ghetto took an ugly 13 – 2 victory to end the day.

After conducting the contract mandated press conferences and interviews in the locker room, Ghetto returned to a part of Ohio that actually has AT&T 3G coverage. With a spotless record on Day 1, Ghetto was confident they could contend for the 2011 Boggie Nights championship.

Winning: Day 2

2011-03-23T01:15:00.011-04:00

Written & Edited by the Bello

Day two started with Ghetto enjoying a first round bye, which allowed Ghetto to play its first match at the luxurious 10:45 time slot. Ghetto Force competed in Day Two like Kim Jong Il plays a round of golf...winning by a ridiculous margins.

Miami: 15-9

Ghetto's first match of the day would be against rival Miami. As a result of Xavier withdrawing one of its two teams from tournament play on the second day, forcing Miami to split its squad into two teams in order to maintain the tournament schedule. Despite this blow to Miami's team the show must go on , Ghetto set the tone early getting 2 break points thanks to a well timed Ghetto offense. Miami answered back by capitalizing on offense for two points. However despite Miami's efforts Ghetto Force easily took half. During the second half Ghetto lost a little intensity and focus resulting in trading points and allowing Miami to get a couple break points. Luckily Miami picked a fight with a team full of warlocks and Ghetto was able to refocus and reclaim domination of the disc ending the game 15-9.

Xavier Alumni: 15-9

With the Miami team disposed of, Ghetto had its sights on the next opponent...an Alumni team. While facing an Alumni team in the semi's may seem like a blessing, Ghetto knew that this bread of team especially a team composed of recently graduated Xavier all-star Alumni may have the potential to be a serious threat. Alumni teams are known to be wild beasts as they bate throws with a poaching defense and are known to have an arsenal of perfect cross field hammers and pinpoint throws. However Alumni teams lack one thing that Ghetto excels and that is conditioning. Ghetto came out hard and strong against the Xavier Alumni setting the tone that Ghetto would not be an easily fooled team sending the message loud and clear to the Alumni that "you cant process me with a normal brain". The Force was able to get a handful of breaks in the first half and allowed for a point cushion that was more a psychological weapon then a dictation of how the game was going. Ghetto was able to contain the speed

Ohio Northern University: 15-0

The third game was a classic example of simple logic--Ohio Northern University multiplied by the power of nOOb is less than Ghetto Force A or B, Having just played a close but well controlled game against Xavier Alumni, Ghetto was rested and energized for the Championship match that had a free tournament bid next year and $200. However Ohio Northern (Darkside) was coming off a close fought game, that came down to universe point against University of Cincinnati, resulting in an exhausted Darkside. Ghetto allowed ONU to catch its breath, starting the game 15 min later than the tournament schedule. From the first offensive possession, ONU threw its infamous vertical offense but Dayton's defensive play sent the message loud and clear to "park your nonsense". Simply by not allowing the handler break, the ONU stack was powerless against tight marks that were put on by the Ghetto defense. After several early unanswered breaks ONU's play continued to spiral down, Darkside players began bickering and making silly desperation cross field hammers that only an Alumni team might have the chance to pull off. Ghetto had no problem taking half with still ONU not coming close to scoring. The second half was a rookie spotlight game. Players like Troy, Token, Marc, Josh and Peaches each made huge impacts on the game. Strong defensive efforts like Token d-ing a very dangerous endzone throw, ensured that Ghetto stonewalled ONU. Ghetto easily reach 15 points while OU scored a very worthy 0 points.

Ghetto never allowed a team to score more than 9 points throughout the entire weekend. Leaving $200 richer Ghetto dominated Boogie Nights like Charlie Sheen dominates horrible sitcoms, Ghetto now has its sights set on the Chicago Invite. Follow the scores here.

Stay tuned for Recap of the Chicago Invite next week

Music City Tune Up

2011-02-19T21:17:00.009-05:00

After giving proper homage to Diskos (pictured left), Ghetto arrived to the music city late Friday night just as the holy book of Ultimate predicted between the hours of 10:30 and Midnight.

GAMEDAY:

Gentlemen!! If you drop the disc, you will run a mile! If you get beat deep, you will run a mile! If you get broken, I will stick my foot up your John Brown hind parts, and then you will run a mile. Perfection gentleman!!! Tell me, what are you!? Team; Mobile! Agile! Hostile! What is pain!? Team; French bread! What is fatigue!? Team; Army clothes! Will you ever quit!? Team: No! We want some mo'! We want some mo'! We want some mo'!

The day started with a cheer by Cheer Master Brian Jones leading the team in a cheer worthy of any sports film by Denzel Washington. With the team all jacked up on some good ol Tennessee mountain spirit, Ghetto was ready to play 4 straight games. Ghetto first opponent was 2nd ranked in pool Kenyon.

Kenyon:

Kenyon came out strong however and proved to be equally as jacked about playing in weather that wasn't below 35 degrees. Throwing a vert-stack Kenyon set up a huck game, (more accurately a pick game that fearless leader Kim Jong Phil would not allow.) Ghetto lagged in the first half, suffering from winter rustiness, the offense could not get into a rhythm. Kenyon capitalized on Ghettos slow start and easily took the half. However in the second half Ghetto finally scrapped enough rust off to start playing competitively. As the offense starting clicking the points started accumulating. But in the end Ghetto took Kenyon to soft cap and dropped the first game 9-13.

Emory

Ghetto came out strong for the second game against Emory. Fired up over the loss against a team Ghetto could have beat, Ghetto played solid defense against Emory's split stack. Everyone who played including the rookies stepped up and shut down the Emory offense. Freshman Mark Federanko caught a disc tipped off a foot block from Bello and scored for a Callahan point. On the offensive side of the disc, Ghetto was able to sub in alot of Rookies who performed excellent both in offense and defense. Ghetto easily won the game 13-3.

Illinois state:

For the third game Ghetto faced Illinois State ranked 3rd in our pool, giving 4th ranked Ghetto a perfect chance to break seed. The game was very competitive as Ghetto and Illinois state traded points for 5 points, however Ghetto took advantage of a break point and took half 7-5. After half, ghetto continued to trade points, but the Ghetto defense got 2 breaks and scored 3 straight points. The key to this match was conditioning, Ghetto was much more in shape than Illinois and this showed. Ghetto ended the game 11-9.

Ghetto 2k11: Reload and Unload

2011-01-02T15:35:00.015-05:00

Greetings Ghetto Force fans, hope everyone had a great holiday and partied like it was 1999. Wanted to give everyone an update on some of the GF news.

Coming off a strong Fall semester, Ghetto is now gearing up for the collegiate spring season. Ghetto enjoyed huge numbers this past semester resulting in a team decision to split into A and B squads. Having two squads will allow new players to develop and get consistent playing time. The start of the spring semester also marks a leadership transition as Phil steps down from president, being replaced by Butters. Phil will remain co-captain and continue to provide leadership for the remainder of the semester. Both Ghetto A and B will start reloading as they begin winter conditioning when they return to school in Mid January. Check back for tournament updates and follow Ghetto Force Unloading in February and March!

Also:: Check out the article in Skyd Magazine about Ghetto Force! Kaylor and Heg are pictured and others are mentioned. Anyway the link is here--http://skydmagazine.com/2011/01/2011-preview-university-of-dayton-ghetto-force/

I liked this quote...
"Without giving too much away, what does your team like to do on offense and on defense?

Phil: Score and layout. Much more than that defines giving it away.

Fall Brawl 2k10

2010-10-18T21:14:00.003-04:00

Ghetto Warriors
The air was 40 and the ground firm, a heavy fog rested on the fields as Ghetto arrived to the Fall Brawl war. Arriving in a fleet of small and midsize sedans on an early Saturday morning, 24 Ghetto warriors (players) cleated and stepped out onto the fields of glory for the Fall Brawl.

Playing Ohio Northern first, Ghetto held the goal of rotating rookies into the rotation. Ghetto was off to a slow start, suffering from early morning syndrome but still having control of the game, Ghetto was able to rotate the many Rookies like Brian Walsh, Danny Murphy, Jacob Malik, Jay Swedyk, Jesse Grewal, Kevin Wogenstahl, Mark Fedorenko, Patrick Kaufmann, Ragen Frost, Ted Lannert and Troy Weigand into the fold. Ghetto took care of business and ended the game on universe 15-14. After a much needed restful second round by, Ghetto Force played Youngstown State. Ghetto didn’t let the game get close as it did against Youngstown, Ghetto veterans picked up the energy and pwned the field. Enjoying the lead, Ghetto relied on the Rookies to keep the energy up and played strong resulting in a 13-8 win. The third game against Miami was a more competitive game, both teams held the goal of working Rookies into the game. However, the trend of dropped discs and flat cutting hampered the offensive weapons throughout the first half, landing Ghetto in a 4-7 hole going into half. Ghetto came out strong after half, but unable to get the win, ending in 11-13 Ghetto’s first loss. Ghetto final game of the first day was against Pen State.

The Championship and its Sprinklers
Finishing 2-2 the previous day, Ghetto was dead set to improve their performance. Facing 3-1 Toledo in the first round Ghetto stepped up its game. Starting strong Ghetto went on a 4-0 run forcing Toledo to take an early T.O. Soon after irrigation sprinklers interrupted the game twice adding a level of frustration and distraction. But the Vets and the Rooks kept up the energy to take half. After the break, Ghetto broke out the big defensive guns and through a water tight Zone. The zone was able to stop Toledo dead in its Northern Ohio tracks, Ghetto capitalized and took a 4-0 run against Toledo finishing the game 15-9. Following the victory, Ghetto faced Pit X a more competitive opponent than Toledo. This game gave the Rooks a great opportunity to observe high level play. Ghetto played a solid game and was able to play long points against Toledo fast paced transition game. However Pits huck game, enabled them to cash in on many transition opportunities. Ghetto went into half 2-8 and ended the game 4-15. The game against Pit was a great lesson to the young team and highlighted some areas where Ghetto needs to work. After the loss to Pit, Ghetto was battling for 5th against Case. Expecting a close game, Ghetto pulled out the stops and played mostly Vet lines. The Force traded points with Case for awhile but after a streak Ghetto enjoyed a 2 point lead. After half Case came back strong and Ghetto lost the edge enabling Case to capitalize, forcing a hard cap. After 2 more wasted opportunities Case took the game 16-13. Ghetto ended the game with bitter taste, but was excited by the talent that the Rooks showed. The next opponent Teets University left early due to lack of hustle, forfeiting and giving Ghetto 7th place. Ghetto kept seed.

Stay Tuned for the report from Glory Days. Ghetto will bring 2 X-Y squads to this huge tournament.

Day 2

2010-09-28T09:38:00.002-04:00

Author: Brian Jones

Returning to the booming metropolis of Versailles, Ohio with a perfect
record to its name, Ghetto Force arrived for the second day of the
East Plains Club Sectionals with its eyes on grabbing D2 gold and thus
eternal ultimate glory. Nothing would stand in their way.

The test for the day was to once again defeat Ram Jam from the College
of Wooster. While Ghetto had narrowly snatched a victory the day
before, the level of difficulty in obtaining another was increased
from the previous day. The guidance of coach Evan Corcoran would not
be available, as he was unable to return for the second day.
Additionally, the extremely valuable cutting abilities of Ragen Frost
(lost to the Black Plague) and Pete Larkin (lost to an epic freestyle
battle Saturday night) would not be present. Ghetto did however add
the skills of the unassailable Ross Gueltzow to its already impressive
handling arsenal. The team prepared for the game by unleashing a
perfectly executed rendition of a cheer from Denzel Washington's
classic "Remember the Titans", and UD Men's Club Ultimate was ready to
roll.

Ghetto overcame a rough start to take an 8 - 6 lead into half time.
With Frost and Larkin gone, new Ghetto Superstars were given the
chance to shine through. Showing off great disc reading abilities for
a newbie in his first tournament, Jesse Grewal added more than just
diversity to the team, nabbing several key grabs in scoring points for
Ghetto. Birthday boy Adam Tardio showed off his speed and experience,
and among other key grabs beat his defender to the force side of the
end zone when given the iso-call, catching a flick from Jones for a
key upwind break.

The game remained a hotly contested battle throughout, with Ram Jam
bringing the score to 9 - 10 just after hard cap was blown. This meant
Ghetto would be receiving a pull and would need to score upwind to
avoid a universe point situation. After a few turns/turnts by each
side, "Marky Mark" Fedorenko unleashed a great upwind huck to fellow
freshman stud Patrick Kaufmann. Kaufmann, who proved to be as talented
as he is lanky, snatched the throw out of mid-air just short of the
end zone line. After being advised to by veterans to take what may or
may not have been a legal time out, Kaufmann and the rest of the
offense set up a plan to punch in the winning score. Both teams set up
in the end zone, and the disc was checked in and immediately dumped to
Marky Mark. Wooster's defensive strategy was very formidable, and Mark
was forced high into the stall count. With the taste of victory
tantalizing his taste buds, Jones darted from his right side handling
position towards the far cone looking for a break-side strike throw.
Halfway through the cut however, Jones realized that the throwing lane
was not there. Utilizing a level of agility and quickness that he
quite simply does not posses, Jones planted hard and cut back
horizontally to the force side. Mark stepped out wide and threw a
beautiful outside-in flick into the end zone. Jones' defender made an
admirable bid for the disc, which flew just inches by his outstretched
hand right to Jones in the end zone. The veteran handler, not used to
being on the catching end of a score, performed a textbook head-spike
in celebration of the dramatic victory and the completion of Ghetto's
quest to become the undisputed 2010 East Plains Section Division 2
Champions.

Thanks to Oberlin College's decision to leave the tournament a day
early, Ghetto Force managed to avoid an annoying and inexplicable
scenario in which they would have had to beat a team that did not
compete in Division 2 in order to win the Division 2 Championship. It
is believed whoever decided this system of play has the IQ of a small
soap dish. In short, Ghetto's dramatic win over Wooster was the
conclusion of a very exciting first tournament.

Ghetto appears to be in great shape entering the young season. After
losing many of its top-tier players to an ever present epidemic know
as "graduation" last season, many around the team expected 2010/2011
to be a rebuilding season for Ghetto. However, a plethora of young
talent combined with the great improvement of its veterans has Ghetto
hopeful of a season even more successful than the last. The dawn looks
increasingly bright for Ghetto Force, and the coming season should be
one for the ages.

2010-09-26T18:56:00.010-04:00

(Note to the reader from the blogmaster: Below is a short synopsis, written by Josey. I have highlighted a couple paragraphs for your reading convience so you don't elect not to read it because of how short it is)

Ghetto Force entered the fall's first tournament (or "turntament" as
some may say) with a unique challenge to overcome. Several of the
team's seasoned veterans were unable to play for Ghetto due to a
previous engagement with Dayton's premier Club Ultimate team,
"Enigma". This left the team with only two players (Zach Kaylor and
Brian Jones) with more than a year of college ultimate experience
under their proverbial belts. Nonetheless, Ghetto came into the
weekend with one thing on its collective mind; pure domination.

Ghetto Force began the tournament/turnament taking on the first of
three Division 2 foes; Rocket Oxen of Case Western. A very formidable
wind created a point trading scenario for the first half hour or so of
the game, until Ghetto decided to string together by far the best
three point stretch of the weekend and potentially the entire fall
season. After scoring downwind to take a one point lead, Ghetto pulled
upwind. After a turnover/turntover by Case, Kaylor swung the disc to
Jones on the right side of the field. With coach Evan Corcoran
standing just yards away on the side line, Jones summoned some of the
alumn's handling greatness and released an upwind huck that few would
dare attempt. The throw sliced cleanly through the wind, flattening
out and descending gently in the back corner of the end zone to the
outstretched hand of Blue Chip recruit Patrick Kaufmann. A victory cry
of "Crab Cakes and Football!!" was unleashed, and Ghetto celebrated
it's first upwind break of the day. However, much more exuberant and
fanatical celebrating was soon to follow, and for very good reason.

Not 40 seconds after the Jones/Kaufmann connection, Ghetto pulled
downwind to their now shaken foes. The fear which Ghetto was
instilling quickly became evident, as the first handler swing pass
Case threw sailed over the intended players head and high into the
air. With the look of greatness in his eyes, Zach Kaylor summoned the
Ultimate lineage which flows through his veins and darted towards the
disc as it quickly descended towards the ground in the opponents end
zone. With the disc angling away from him and just inches from the
ground, the son of Ghetto Force's founder threw his body forward in
hopes of completing one of the greatest plays a Ghetto member has made
since his father crafted the team so many years ago. A split second
after Kaylor leaped, time stood still. With his body completely
parallel with the earth, Zach clasped his hand around the lip of the
disc only centimeters above the grass. The clouds above opened, and a
choir of Ultimate angels descended on the field to celebrate the
completion of one of the most phenomenal plays that can be made in a
competitive game of ultimate; a layout Callahan. While the events
described in the previous sentence may be a bit dramatized, the play
was freaking awesome. Many players wait their whole lives for the
chance at any sort of Callahan, let alone a layout in the first game
of the season. Understandably, pandemonium ensued.

After the Callahan celebration subsided, Ghetto prepared for another
attempt at an upwind break. After a very solid pull, Ghetto's other
Blue Chip recruit Mark Fedorenko lived up to his first name by putting
on a phenomenal mark and forcing another handler turnover/turntover by Case.
Marky Mark then picked up the disc and tossed it to the Callahan Man
himself, Zach Kaylor, for Ghetto's third straight point and their
second upwind break of the day. Case called timeout in an attempt to
regroup, but it was too late. The momentum from this greatness-filled
three point stretch carried Ghetto to an impressive 13 - 8 victory to
start the day.

In the next game Ghetto took on a slightly more formidable opponent in
Ram Jam from the College of Wooster. Even so, Ghetto put forth another
impressive performance, with the new recruiting class making quite an
impression. Mark Fedorenko proved to be as skilled on both offense and
defense as any opposing veterans the team saw all weekend. Patrick
Kaufmann was a deep threat that opponents simply could not deal with,
using his freakishly lankly build to great effect. Great performances
were not limited to these experienced freshmen however. Ragen "Iceman"
Frost displayed a tremendous understanding of cutter movement and
defensive positioning, all while dealing with a sickness whose
symptoms lead this commentator to conclude that he has a contracted a
case of the Black Plague. Details to follow. Famous rap artist Pete
Larkin also delivered an outstanding cutting performance, even with
some sever injuries to the back of his hands that reportedly were the
result of walls getting in the way of his moving fist. All of these
stellar efforts along with the veteran leadership of Kaylor and Jones
propelled Ghetto Force to a thrilling 10 - 9 victory over Wooster.

Ghetto was left with one more task for the day: Take down the Athens
Bulldogs of Ohio University. While Ohio's top tier players were
competing in the D1 part of the tournament/turnament, Ghetto was still
ready to face a tough opponent. Ohio University is a perennial
powerhouse in the East Plains section, nearly knocking off the ever
dominant Ohio State at last spring's College Sectionals. Ghetto knew
their opponent would be well coached, an expectation which was well
met. The Ohio game was the first time during the day that Ghetto was
forced to contend with a zone defense. With a group of largely
inexperienced cutters and just 3 experienced handlers, this proved to
be quite a test for the young team. However, Ghetto was well up to the
challenge. Red-shirt freshman Josh Weitz quickly mastered the proper
positioning when cutting in a zone offense. Thanks in part to his
blazing speed, and in part to his heads-up field vision, handlers were
routinely able to find hit Josh through holes in cup and get him the
"ball-ball-ball" quite frequently. Ghetto cruised in its final game of
the day, winning 12 - 6 and completing a perfect 3 - 0 record. It also
must be mentioned that newbie handler Brian Walsh caught what was
clearly the grab of the day (minus Zach Kaylor's Callahan of course),
by securing a disc that thanks to odd winds ended up on his lower
back/buttocks region while he was most of the way through falling over
forwards. He was subsequently given a gold star sticker and a Capri
Sun juice packet for his efforts.

With a very exciting day one in the books, Ghetto returned/returnt home to UD
to relax, and many enjoyed a cinematic adventure entitled "Hard Ticket
to Hawaii," which reportedly won the academy award for Best Movie Ever
Made.

Day 2 recap coming soon.

2010 East Plains Division 2 Club Sectionals Champs!!

2010-09-26T18:44:00.002-04:00

News Flash! EXTRA EXTRA.

This just in....Following a 5-o victorious campaign Ghetto Force has just been named the 2010 East Plains Division II Club Sectionals Champions... Stay tuned for updates......

Safety In Numbers

2010-09-19T14:32:00.002-04:00

With the date of club sectionals looming in the horizon the first ghetto force practice started with the intensity and emotion that comes with one of sex-panthers vegetarian bowel movements. Banished to the badlands of the University of Dayton property (the “fields” at the corner of Main and Stewart), Ghetto Force still managed to draw 28 to the first practice. As the team cleated up, Captain Phil set the tone for practice, deciding that Handler movement to be the focus for the day. After running through the time-honored partner throwing, the team ran through a series of go-to catching drills showing the freshman the speed and intensity that real ultimate is all about. The outstanding freshman class was able to show off their speed and superior hand to eye coordination. After break, Captain Phil introduced some advanced physic theory, known as the “handler weave” or to some as the “dump-swing”. Proving to be an easy task for the team including the freshman. After conquering the handler weave, the team transitioned into some scrimmaging. Still rusty after coming back from the summer off, Ghetto went through some growing pains. Suffering from frequent drops and an obvious lack of breaks, the sub-par performace reminded the team of how much we need to improve before the College season starts.

Stay tuned for news about ghetto’s sectional performance…..

Soaring Eagle, Cowering Snake, Leaping Frog

2010-09-02T00:46:00.009-04:00

Day 1 of Ghetto Force Tryouts

Wednesday, September 1st marked the first event leading to the kickoff of the 2010-2011 Ghetto Force season. Working towards an improvement on last years successful campaign, Ghetto hopes to progress deeper into the Regional tournament. Ghetto has high hopes for the incoming class of new players and is greatly anticipating including new talent into the lineup.

If you were to predict the outcome of the season based on the single performance of first day, the outcome would be bright, blindingly bright. The first day of tryouts was an outstanding showing of effort and positive attitude. The new players showed not only tremendous athletic ability but an understanding and awareness of the game. As the team quickly ran through drills, Coach Papa Cork recorded the performance of new players and kept an eye out for the noob chaff to burned in the fires held deep within the Ultimate Mountains of Noob-dom. After some easy going obligatory agility and catching drills were out of the way, Capitans Phil and ButtRexs ushered the team into the perspiration gauntlet, the thresher for noob chaff, a drill only slightly better known as hills. This exercise is the fastest way to separate an Ultimate player from a bleeding heart, liberal, "Frisbee" tossing hippie, after numerous rounds of hills, the team came out the other side of the punishing drill alive and full of energy. "READY FOR MORE!!!" cried the Veteran, Sex Panther into the faces of a few freshman, as he sprinted down the hill ripping his shirt in half which subsequently set the tone for the rest of the try outs. Picking up on this blood thirsty energy, the team then transitioned into partner throwing and a water break.

Filling the remainder of the time was a short scrimmage. It was during this spectacle that many freshman were able to shine and show off their ultimate skillz and potential. Running vertical stack both teams were able to teach the fundamentals such as forces and stall counts. The scrimmage enabled the new recruits to experience only a sliver of what a real game in a tournament would be like. But overall the level of play was outstanding for the first day.

The final task in Tryouts was perhaps the most important, ladders. This drill showed the new recruits how to band together and overcome the physical demands and struggles that they will experience throughout the season. Even though everyone was tired and thirsty, the team still sprinted with the intensity that is expected out of a Ghetto Force squad.

Stay Tuned for More Updates on Ghetto Force and we'll see you at Day 2......

News from around the Ghetto Force Family

2010-07-27T18:53:00.002-04:00

Some really cool news is going on in the Ghetto Force Family.

As the previous post indicated, Addison Hoover made the elite Minneapolis club team Sub Zero. Sub Zero recently won their first tournament campaign at the Minnesota Invitational with a 15-10 victory. Sub Zero now has their sights on winning the Colorado Cup as they compete with some of the nations best Club teams such as Furious George, Madison Club and Madcow.

In other news Beth Kaylor, from the renowned and honorable Kaylor clan, has made the Junior Nationals!! Beth will represent the Stars and Bars in the 2010 World Junior Ultimate Championships August 4th in Germany. Beth has been training in Massachusetts at a USA Ultimate team camp. You can follow Beth on her own blog here http://www.usaultimate.org/news/junior-worlds-players-share-their-experiences/

Good luck Addison and Beth in your ultimate endeavors!!!

2010-07-24T15:08:00.006-04:00

In case you haven't heard, Addison Hoover is now a member of elite club team "Sub Zero" !!!!
Congrats Addison!

End of an era

2010-07-21T11:34:00.009-04:00

Dear reader,

Just wanted to inform you that Corbizzle has graduated and is no longer a contributing author here at the Ghetto Ultimate Blog. Copious thanks to Corbizzle for all his great contributions both to the team and to the blog. I will try to bring you the same great coverage of tournaments and interesting bits from around the Ultimate community.

Hey you. Yes, You. I need your help. If you want to offer a break-down of a game or even a tournament or you might have some Ultimate opinion you want to write about, let me know. I'm not a blog tyrant that wants to horde all the communication power to myself. Send me your post and we'll work together to get it up on the blog. I look forward to keeping everyone updated on the victories of Ghetto Force in this coming season.

Contact me via email bellopad@notes.udayton.edu or my cell phone anytime 678.433.2778

~The Bello

Can Pickle Juice Stop Muscle Cramps?

2010-06-10T16:41:00.004-04:00

Phys Ed: Can Pickle Juice Stop Muscle Cramps?

Here's a quick summary:

Researchers at Brigham Young University recently concluded a scientific experiment on college athletes to determine whether if taken during a cramp pickle juce is more effective than water at reducing the cramps.

Athletes were worked on a bicycle with one pedal until reaching a state of mild dehydration, mild dehydration meaning a water loss of 3% of one's body weights. Cramps were then induced by shocking the tibial nerve in the athlete's ankle of which had not been peddling.

Results showed that in a mildly dehydrated state drinking just 2.5 ounces of pickle juice reduced cramps 37% faster than water. Interestingly, the pickle juice stopped the cramps in just 85 seconds which is not enough time to be adsorbed in the stomach, meaning that fluids and salt are not the immediate answer.

Experts believe that there is something smaller at work in the pickle juice, and more likely its something in the vinegar which reacts with specialized nervous system receptors through a biochemical process which signals that disrupt the nerves responsible for the cramping.

At the moment the best their best advise is to avoid muscle fatigue saying, "if muscle fatigue is the cause then train properly, building up your mileage slowly and perhaps adding strength training that focuses specifically on muscles that have cramped in the past, may help." In addition being well conditioned one should always be hydrated, and if need be carry a bottle of vinegar!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/phys-ed-can-pickle-juice-stop-muscle-cramps/

USA Ultiamte College Championships

2010-06-03T00:12:00.006-04:00

Nationals was exciting as ever. The weather was sunny and in the upper 80's all weekend. With the lack of cloud cover the heat index on the fields was in the mid 90's...almost exactly the same as in 2009 but with less wind.

Starting in the first round of the tournament on Friday the pools began to explode: 5th seed Wisconsin lost to 14th seed Michigan; 7th seed Harvard defeated 2nd seed Carelton; 17th seed UCSD defeated 1st seed Oregon. On day two 1 seed Oregon lost to 9th seed Georgia, 18th seed Iowa beat 15th seed Illinois, 10 seed UNC-W beat 7th seed Harvard completing a circle of upsets amongst the top three teams in pool C, Colorado the 3rd seed lost to 11 seed Pitt, UCSB the 13th seed defeated Florida the 4th seed (although Florida threw the game with the knowledge they had already won the pool), and finally 12 seed Call beat 5th seed Minnesota.

This resulted in a two way tie for Pool A, a three way tie for Pool B, a two way tie for pool C, and a two way tie for Pool D. Cornell won pool A with its head to head win against the other 3-1 team, Georgia. Carelton won pool B based on point differential in the running against Harvard and UNC-W by 6 points. Pitt won pool C with a head to head win over Colorado. Florida won pool D with a head to head win over Cal.

Here is some vidoe from the final game. You can get a feel for how many people were there and how the game went.

Ultimate Documentary

2010-05-27T21:14:00.004-04:00

The first full scale ultiamte documentary since "I Bleed Black"

The Blueprint Preview

Too long to be a trailer, too short to be the real thing. Well, here's something in-between. Get a little bit of everything with a preview of what we have in store for the documentary; the first championship ultimate season ever to be captured in its entirety.

Blueprint - The Preview from Brandon Malecek on Vimeo.

###
"The BluePrint: The Road to the Repeat" is a feature length documentary that follows the full season of the 2008 Wisconsin Hodags. After two years in a row of making finals, losing and then winning once, the Hodags set out to bring the championship back to Madison for a third time in six years. This would be a trial of focus, dedication, and unity for a team beleaguered by a record snowfall winter, and a line up of bitter competitors waiting for their shot at the returning champs.

The film highlights the 2008 Hodag season through eight tournaments interspersed with scenes from grueling workouts and intense field practices. Feel the contrast of a team which thrives on the ideal of Hodag Love, but expects nothing less than perfection from itself. Catch all the action as rivalries with college Ultimate powerhouses like Florida, The Colorado Mama Bird, and The Carleton Ultimate Team unfold.

Pre Sales start this Memorial Day Weekend!
###

Ask Drew Mahowald #21, Kevin Riley #7, or Brandon "Muffin" Malecek #13 to secure your copy in the first order!

Love,
Drew, Kevin, and the Muffin Man

The UPA is now USA Ultimate

2010-05-25T18:06:00.009-04:00

The UPA changed its name to USA Ultimate! The organization has been operating under the name "UPA" for over 30 years. USA Ultimate believes the new name will do a better job eliminating brand confusion between USA Ultimate which is used to represent Team USA and the UPA which has traditionally represented ultiamte in the United States.

CEO Dr. Tom Crawford says the organization will begin to focus more externally and grow the sport nation wide. The new website is the beginning of a media, marketing, and communication strategy to increase visibility of the sport and transparency of USA Ultimate.

Senior Salute 2010

2010-05-17T11:42:00.003-04:00

This season Ghetto is sending 6 players to the world; Evan Corcoran, Eric Krissek, Geoff Holmes, Travis Knight; Brendan Corboy; and Kevin Galli.

Evan Corcoran, "Captian Corc," "Corc-Juice," Papa-Corc," "Baby-Faced-Corc," "The Pittsburgh-Kid," is a 5 year member of the University of Dayton Men's Ultimate team. Evan captained the team his Sophomore, Junior, and Senior year. Evan lead the team through a period of exponential growth, going from last in the section in the spring of 2006 to 5th over the course of one year. Recognizing that ghetto was a team often short in stature, Corc-Juice introduced the idea of “owning the in-cut,” which as it turned out was quite effective in Ohio’s windy environment. Evan has played with numerous club teams including FORGE, who nearly made nationals this past Club season. Alien abductors have asked him, to probe them. If he were to give you directions you would never get lost; And, you'd arrive at least 5 minutes early. His legend proceeds him, the way lightning proceeds thunder. To quote Captian Corc “don’t cut like a bitch, cut like a man!”Evan graduated in May with an undergrad degree in accounting and an MBA.

Eric Krissek, "The K-State-Killer," "K-State," "K," "The Kansas State Kid," "The Wildcat," "The Purple People Eater," "The D1 Athlete"... K-State is a career ultimate player at UD, but our favorite story to tell is how he got here. K had two choices; either take a division 1 scholarship to play soccer at college, or move to Dayton Ohio to play ultimate. As you know the choice was clear. The Killer turned down his soccer scholarship to play ultimate. In reality, the K-State-Killer turned down his soccer scholarship to become a Berry Scholar, and thankfully devote his free time to ultimate. Many a full moon if you turn your ear to the west you'll hear the Wildcat let loose his growl ... "Leeets GO GHEEEETTOOOOOO!" If you meet the Purple People Eater in the wild remember to never make him angry, anger only intensifies his skills. But seriously, this guy probably has the biggest heart in the force.

Geoff Holmes, "The Werewolf," The Gurnter, "El Grunto," "uuhhhhhh," "Beldar Conehead,"The Runner," "Sherlock Holmes," "nayack,"or simply "Homesy." Jeff played several years with Ghetto Force and improved substantially over his career, finishing senior year as a trusted player. Holmes is known for his willingness to bid for any disc and received most of his nicknames for the sound he produces while bidding, jumping, or doing just about anything on the field. He produces a grunt much like a tennis player (which he used to be) when expelling energy. The grunts resemble those of the Coneheads of SNL fame. El Grunto runs marathons in his spare time and has never been sore in his life. Bledar has never made a negative comment in his life, is always quick with a smile, and always reminds me of Disney World.

"Travis Knight," "T," "Mr. T," "Cookie Monster," "Hardest Working Man in Show-business," "Tizzle,"T-Dizzle," "T-Dawg Knight," "Yellow Cleats," or just plain old Travis. Travis truly was the hardest working man in show-business. T was never injured, probably never missed a tourney, and never resisted playing every point in the cup. Not only was Mr. T a workhorse but he's also the nicest guy in the world- he would walk 500 miles and he would walk 500 more... when he’s working yes you know he’s gonna be, he’s gonna be the man who's working hard for you! T doesn't think he can handle, but he can... as seen at regionals this year. He’s been called the "cookie monster" because we have yet to see him eat anything but cookies and candy. Mr. T's personality is so magnetic, he is unable to carry credit cards. Even his enemy's list him as their emergency contact. Tizzle never says anything tastes like chicken, not even chicken. Travis graduated with degrees in accounting and finance and will graduate with an MBA in August. T is so money and he doesn't even know it. He like a big bear with big bear claws and fangs but he just doesn't know how to kill the bunny.

Brendan Corboy, "Corbizzle,” “C-Bizzle,” “Coach Ditka,” “Bren-dawg,” “Cor-MAN,” or just Corboy, is without a doubt the epitome of all that is man. Whether sporting a Hollywood Hogan blonde mustache or facial hair fit for a highway patrolman (see right), Brendan was a Ghetto leader both on and off the field for 5 seasons. A layout D machine as well as a supreme handler, Corboy rarely missed a tourntament and was quite a Force to be reckoned with. Bringing a variety of new offensive sets to Ghetto, Corbizzle just might have been the first to utter the phrase, “Run the wrap!” in the Great Lakes region. Bren-dawg was quite the enforcer on the field, causing turntover after turntover with his punishing defensive presence, leaving behind a trail of demoralized and defeated opponents even greater than that of the mighty Aragorn. When not using his intergalactic ultimate skills to hit guys with no-look scoobers, he often enjoys moose-watching while shooping down the ski slopes of Wyoming. Brendan graduated in May with an undergrad degree in accounting and economics and an MBA, so suck it nerds!

Kevin Galli, "Galli," "Galli-son," "The Galli-nator," "Pep-band Nerd," "The 5th Year Rookie," "Mr. Motorcycle." Galli's first year of playing organized ultimate was also his 5th year in college. One day we saw him tossing around a discgolf disc and suggested he join the ultimate team. A couple days later Galli was on the squad. It turns out that Galli-son is a fast learner. He always expected more out of himself, conditioning, practicing, and playing hard. If every player had Galli's devotion the team would be much better off. When Galli wasn't practicing, conditioning, and playing he was an enginerd and a senior member of UD's Pepband. the Pepband plays at every home basketball game and travels with the team for important events, such as the A10 tourney, NCAA tourney, or NIT tourney. He's a lover, not a fighter, but hes also a fighter...so don't get any ideas.

Callahan Videos

2010-05-15T23:05:00.006-04:00

Here are some videos teams have published in support of their players for the 2010 Callahan Award:

Eli Friedman for Callahan 2010 from Oregon Ultimate on Vimeo.

Brodie Smith #21 is Florida's entry for Callahan

Laura Bitterman from the Wisconsin Bella Donnas... I know you guys cant vote on her but I've played on the same Sandblast team with here several times and she is fast-as-fu(k and real good with the disc.

Laura Bitterman for Callahan 2010 from Emelie McKain on Vimeo.

2010 Callahan Nomoniees

2010-05-15T02:17:00.008-04:00

What is the Callahan Award?
The Callahan Award has been established to recognize the most valuable players in men's and women's college ultimate. Each year the Callahan trophy is presented to the man and woman who combine superior athleticism with outstanding sportsmanship, leadership and dedication to the sport of ultimate.

In the eyes of his or her peers, the Callahan winner is the personification of the ideal ultimate player.

Nominating A Candidate?
Any college or university with an interscholastic ultimate team can submit one candidate for the Callahan Award. Teams can nominate Callahan candidates in whatever manner they chose: they can be selected by a captain or coach, voted for by senior players, voted for by all players, etc.

In addition to each team being able to nominate one player, UPA Regional Coordinators can nominate one player from their region as well. Note that this can result in two players being nominated from the same team.

Listed bellow are the 2010 nominees:

1. Brian McDonald Colorado-B

2. Walden Nelson Illinois

3. Ryan Heffernan Michigan State

4. Andrew Walch Texas State

5. JimmyKiselak Rensselaer Polytech

6. ErichMacLaren NC State-B

7. Andrew Otto Grinnell

8. Joseph Foley Nebraska

9. Michael Saeger Nebraska-B

10. Dennis Tarasi Truman State

11. Ben Slade Clemson

12. Adil Delawalla Georgia Tech-B

13. Matt Sheehan Stanford-B

14. Ryan Bigley Kansas

15. Chris Brenenborg Pittsburgh

16. Ken Porter NC State

17. Phil Brock Tennessee

18. Jeff Loskorn Texas

19. Jeff Wodatch George Washington

20. matt stupski Florida State-B

21. David Brooks North Texas

22. Ryan Chard South Florida

23. Gain Robinson Stonehill

24. Eli Friedman Oregon

25. Shane Sisco East Carolina

26. Evan Klane Wisconsin

27. Graham Baecher Dartmouth

28. Peter Dempsey Georgia

29. Rusty Ingold-Smith North Carolina-Wilmington

30. Jack McShane Colorado

31. Andrew Hollingworth Tufts

32. Andrew Schroeder Notre Dame

33. Alex Engel Wisconsin-Milwaukee

34. Kielan Way Carleton University

35. Andrew Roca Central Florida

36. Cassidy Rasmussen California-Santa Cruz

37. Mike Toulouse George Mason

38. Drew Rowny Yale

39. Tyler Conger Virginia

40. Taylor Kraemer Indiana

41. George Stubbs Harvard

42. Ethan Gillett MIT

43. Taylor Lahey California-Davis

44. Steve Roberts Air Force

45. Luke Wildfire Virginia-B

46. Paul Adkisson Missouri

47. Brodie Smith Florida

48. Michael Arenson Minnesota

49. Jordan Hupp Chicago

50. Michael Hanley Loyola Chicago

51. Michael "Trip" Albani Delaware

52. Tom Haynes Michigan

53. Jamie Quella Williams

54. Ryan Kurkul Michigan-B

55. Justin "Bobble" Elliott California-San Diego

56. Sam Kanner Carleton

57. Casey Hooper Arkansas

58. Timmy Beatty California-Santa Barbara

59. Josh Botti Ohio State

2010 UPA College Championships (Nationals as we call it)

2010-05-13T22:51:00.009-04:00

Over 12,000 student althleets from more than 700 college teams across North America entered the UPA College Championship Series and at the end of the day on 5/31/10 only one will remain. The tournament will be held in Madison, WI May 28-31. Find out primary source information here: http://college2010.upa.org/

Atlantic Coast

1 - Florida
2 - North Carolina-Wilmington
3 - Georgia

Central

1 - Carleton College
2 - Minnesota
3 - Wisconsin
4 - Iowa

Great Lakes

1 - Illinois
2 - Michigan

Metro East

1 - Cornell

2 - Pittsburgh

New England

1 - Harvard
2 - Middlebury

Northwest

1 - Oregon
2 - California

South

1 - Texas State
2 - Kansas

Southwest

1 - Colorado
2 - California-Santa Barbara
3 - California-San Diego

Great Lakes Open Reganionals Recap 2010

2010-05-09T11:57:00.016-04:00

Weather reports looked grim for Regionals, two rounds were played before the tournament was canceled due to extreme weather conditions. Dayton played well in its first game of the day against Illinois. Butters scored all 6 points ripping discs out of the sky... the extreme weather was likely nature's jealous response to butter's high flying abilities. After dropping its first game against 3rd ranked Illinois Dayton moved into the 2nd place bracket. In the second place bracket Dayton lost to Wheaton-ILL in a close and hard fought game, 15-10. T Knight had his first experience in a game as a position handler, working the disc up the field for a score... the crowd went wild!!

As expected Michigan State rolled through its games against Michigan-B (15-2), Ball State (15-9), and Indiana (13-7). Illinois faced slightly more resistance beating Dayton (15-6), Purdue (15-8), and Michigan(9-8). The two teams would face each other in the final game. Illinois took first place, and the looser, Michigan State, then was forced to play the winner of Indiana vs. Michigan (13-14) for second place. In the second place game Michigan beat Michigan State 11-8 earning itself another trip to nationals.

Some of the big news of the region was Ohio University's stellar performance. OU, much like Dayton last year, took second in the East Plains Section and received the 8th seed at Regionals. The 8/9 game is always difficult as the teams are typically fairly matched with similar playing styles. OU dropped its first game against Ball State 13-15. After its first round loss OU recovered beating Michigan B 15-5, Northwestern 13-7, Kenyon 15-6, and finally losing to Indiana 12-14 in the semi-finals of the 2nd place bracket. OU finished Regionals in 5th place, ahead of many including OSU. Kenyon put forth a solid performance finishing 2-2 on the weekend, about as expected.

I would say that my RSD quotes are about accurate "Central and Michigan are real strong this year. OSU in my opinion is the worst its been in several years (still good enough to take the East Plains with only one close game), Regionals will tell a lot. Ohio is a surprisingly strong team... a good handler set and a fairly deep bench. Kenyon has one stud and several role players... hes very difficult to cover and sends up a lot of hucks. The team is not very deep, but makes up for it with athleticism. Kenyon will likely have trouble against deeper benches and in heavy winds where a greater number of more skilled handlers are necessary" -April 24th 2010

Great Lakes College Open Regionals Preview 2010

2010-04-28T15:49:00.007-04:00

Great Lakes Regionals is this weekend April 1st and 2nd in Bloomington, IN. The tournament will be hosted by Indiana University's Hoosermamas. Brackets are posted with seeding as follows:

1. Michigan State

2. Michigan

3. Illinois

4. OSU

5. Indiana

6. Purdue

7. Notre Dame

8. Ohio University

9. Ball State

10. Northwestern

11. Wheaton

12. Kenyon

13. Kentucky

14. Dayton

15. Kalamazoo

16. Michigan-B

Ghetto Force in the News

2010-04-24T15:56:00.008-04:00

Ghetto received a full page spread in the Tuesday April 13th printing of Flyer News. The article focuses on the physical and fast paced nature of the sport, and the high level of competition in ultimate.

The web version can be found here: http://flyernews.com/articles/volume/57/issue/39/category/sports/id/5798
the PDF file can be found here: http://flyernews.com/files/pdf/57/issue_39.pdf

Flyer News posted an update article on its website describing our domination on Saturday and our regional qualifying play on Sunday.

it can be found here: http://flyernews.com/articles/volume/57/issue/40/category/sports/id/5808

I Love Dayton - Jonesy ft. Peter Larkin

2010-04-21T16:00:00.005-04:00

Rookie Player Pete Larkin hits it big with his rendition of Asher Roth's I love college

2010 College East Plains Sectionals - Day 2

2010-04-21T10:53:00.015-04:00

Upon finishing 5-0 saturday Ghetto was told by the crack tournament director, Trish, that games would be starting at 10:45. With this in mind Ghetto made the drive back to Dayton, agreeing to arrive at the fields 9:45 the next morning. All was well until our genius TD called at 9:00pm to inform us that we would now be playing at 9:00am instead of 10:45am, apparently she screw-up the schedule... one of many TD screw-ups occurring throughout the weekend. Needless to say, we gave her a piece of our minds, continuing until she hung up on us.

You may be wondering, "why does Central get 7 bids to regionals with 24 teams attending sectionals, Michigan get 4 bids with only 12 teams at sectionals, while the East Plains only gets 5 bids with 24 teams." Well, the reason actually makes sense but I doubt many teams are aware of the rule change. Central received 6 size bids, and once strength bid, East Plains received 4 size bids and 1 strength bid, and Michigan received 2 size bids and 2 strength bids.

In order for a team participating in sectionals to count towards a section's bid allocation it must have played 10 UPA sanctioned regular season games. Most of the teams competing at East Plains Sectionals did not have 10 UPA sanctioned games prior to sectionals. Looking through teams schedules the following are teams that did not count towards bid allocation: Kentucky, because they failed the roster eligibility comparison for 7 of their games; Miami(Ohio) didn't play one UPA eligible game because they failed every roster eligibility comparison prior to sectionals!; Louisville; OSU B; Wooster; Ohio Northern; Denison; OU B; Murry State; Berea; Youngstown State; and Cincinnati B. Its difficult to tell whether Kenyon, West Virginia, Oberlin, and Ohio Wesleyan played 10 UPA eligible games because their schedules are not labeled properly. A big thank you to the following teams for participating in 10 UPA eligible games prior to sectionals: OSU, Ohio, Dayton, Xavier, Cincinnati, Toledo, Case Western Reserve, and Kent State.

Dayton 5 Vs. OSU 15
Ghetto came out completely flat against OSU going down several points early. Hampered by injured , players out of shape (due to recovering from injuries, the tax season, and student teaching), and the large number of starters who quit eayerst this season, Ghetto could not keep up on man defense. Sunday brought light winds making zones ineffective on both sides. In addition, Ghetto played badly on offense, throwing away discs at key points. On a positive note Whoa Pat Bello finally show that he can play top level ultimate... now we just need him to play like that every point! If I had to estimate, I'd say that this OSU team is the weakest its been in several years. OSU went on to play OU in the Finals 13-12, winning on universe point after OU threw the disc away on OSU's end-line, inches away from ending OSU's 11 year sectional championship streak. OU went on to take second place in 13-12 win over Kenyon.

Dayton 12 Vs. Kentucky 15
Dayton continued its Sunday morning downward spiral with a loss to Kentucky, who would go on to take 4th place. Ghettos aging players leaned heavily on their younger teammates, but giving 100% throughout the game. Upon conclusion of the match Ghetto began to question whether earning a regional bid would be attainable. After dropping two games in a row Ghetto would have to win its final two games to qualify for regionals.

Dayton 15 Vs. Cincinnati 8
At this point sectionals became a war of attrition. Fraszzel Dazzle stepped up with with motivating words and led by example shutting down Cinci's young guns on the field. Gali showed what fresh legs can do helping to out man Cinci, will Holmes went down with an injury to the hip flexor. It was quite apparent that Cinci is a young but talented team.

Dayton 12 Vs. Oberlin 10
After the conclusion of the Cinci game T was laying on the ground hoping to never get up and Butters was visibly shaking, but moral was high. Phil and Fraszel Dazzle launched into Oberlin like a fighter jet breaking the sound barrier, while Sex panther and Wind Resistance ate a bunch of Wendy's on the sideline. A shout out to Z Knight who manned the clipboard all weekend recording scores, stats, and game times. Z recorded the start of the 5th place game at 2:15 pm when the horn sounded and 1 hour and 25 minutes later no soft-cap horn had been heard. Z notified us of the situation and we notified Oberlin that soft-cap should have gone off during the point. Ghetto's bused and battered bodies took an 11-7 lead on Oberlin when soft-cap went off. Now the game would be capped at 13. Ghetto scored another goal while Oberlin scored twice more, and just after the hard-cap horn should have sounded Oberlin scored again. Again, no horn or notification from the tournament director, Trish (the dumb-ass). It was 3:52 when the point ended and again we notified Oberlin that the hard-cap should have taken effect at 3:50. This would mean that the score after applying hard-cap was 12-10, and a victory for ghetto. An argument ensued as to whether the we had to wait for the horn to call the caps or if the caps were set based on the time the game started. Of course we all know that the caps are applied in accordance with time, and are not effected by whether the TD blows the horn or not. After speaking with the TD it was determined that she forgot to blow the horns... great work TD.

Ghetto took 5th place securing its bid to regionals for the 4th year in a row. in the words of the K-State-Killa "LETS GOOO GHEEEETTTOOOOO"

2010 College East Plains Sectionals - Day 1

2010-04-20T17:50:00.013-04:00

Dayton entered sectionals ranked 4th out of 24 teams representing Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The top four seeds were given to Ohio State, Kentucky, Ohio University, and the University of Dayton. This marks the 3rd straight year in a row in which Ghetto has received a top 4 seed at the sectional tournament, and as you will soon discover the 4th straight year in a row in which Ghetto has earned a bid to regionals. Ghetto has risen like a Phoenix from its ashes, perhaps we hope an east plains dynasty in the making.
Dayton 13 Vs. Murray State University 1

Ghetto showed up to Granville, Ohio, ready to steam roll some nobzors. UD must have been hungry because immediately strapped on the double oat-bag and began chomping down on Murry State. Scientists maintain the definition of the "oat-bag" was lost years ago; however, there is a current interpretation on Urban Dictionary. Common translations state that the oat-bag occurs when a team scores 6 points in a row against its opponent. My theory is that the oat-bag is like a bong for food, allowing you to consume oats as easily as possible and in the shortest amount of time. Much like destroying an opposing team as easily as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Dayton 13 Vs. Toledo 5
There well may have been an oat-bag in this game, but I just cant recall. Saturday was fairly windy allowing Ghetto to play through a variety of zone and man defenses.

Dayton 13 Vs. Case Western Reserve 7
Ghetto started game three slowly going down 3-5 against Case. Captain Phil called a time out to get the team focused and Ghetto returned to the game with a clean slate. As would happen throughout the weekend, Butters RELEASED THE KRAKEN and Ghetto went on a 9 point run... yeah I think that might be an oat-bag... and put the landing gear down for the approach to the run way with a score of 12-5. Before Ghetto landed the plane Case tapped in a few more points to no avail.

Dayton 13 Vs. Berea 3
Again I will refer to the oat-bag here as Ghetto went into warp speed passing Berea by. This game was played soley by Sex Panther, Atari, Butters, Billy, The Therapist, Web-Master, Grunt Holmes, Woah Pat Bello, Phil, Ross The Hoss, Frazzle Dazzle, and Peg. Notice not one senior teammate participated in this game. All these players will be returning next year, ghetto is in good hands. T, K-State, Papa Corc, and Corbizzle rested on the side line to prepare for the final game of the day, a rest that was severely needed due to their extremely low levels of conditioning.

Dayton 12 Vs. Xavier 10
The first thing to say about Xavier is wow, they have gotten better; but, at the same time we played exceptionally bad. Xavier came out strong but ghetto took half 7-6. Papa Corc said "some one should hire them a travel agent"... because they were traveling all over the field. While they're at it they should hire a tutor to learn the other rules. That being said, Xavier went up 10-8 before Ghetto snapped back into game mode. Ghetto threw zone and stopped Xavier in its tracks, and went on a 4 point run winning the game in soft cap.

Pre-Series College Season

2010-04-19T15:31:00.005-04:00

Ghetto traveled to three tournaments prior to the College Series including Music City Tune Up IV, the Chicago Invite, and Boogie Nights 2010. The 2010 college season turned out to be a major transition of players as 7 eligible veteran players quit the team.

The season started off with a tournament called the Music City Tune Up IV, in Nashville Tennessee. Games were held on 9 fields at Vanderbilt University, two of which were the nicest turf fields ghetto has ever seen. Ghetto packed up the cars in two feet of snow Friday afternoon, and arrived in Nashville to find temperatures in the mid sixties. Ghetto's season began a little shaky trying to determine how best to fill different positions.

Ghetto Sent a skeleton crew of 10 players to the Chicago Invite 2010, its second tournament, due to a large number of schedule conflicts. The weather was atrocious with temperatures in the mid 30 and a combination of snow, hail, rain, and gal-force winds. Almost every point at the tournament was scored in the downwind end-zone and there was visible differences in field conditions between the downwind and upwind half of the field. Ghetto performed admirably with its skeleton crew, completing fiercely. The team lost two games on university point, and the third at a two point margin. Day two of the tournament was canceled due to weather conditions and unplayable fields.

Ghetto Force's third tournament was Boogie Nights, in Miami Ohio. Conditions were perfect, conditions are perfect, its business time. We got our business socks on and its business time. Alen "Butters" Smith RELEASED THE KRAKEN all over Oxford Ohio! Ghetto rolled through every team on saturday, finally finding its grove. Ghetto beat Olivet Nazarene in quarters, Miami Ohio in the semi-finals, and lost to Miami Ohio Alumni in the final 11-13.

2009 Spring and Fall Recaps

2010-04-18T23:01:00.009-04:00

The college season in the spring of 2009 Included appearances at Artic Vogue, College Terminus, College Easterns, East plains Open sectionals, and Great Lakes College Open Regional. Ghetto Played 25 official college games, with a record of 15-10 for an end of the season RRI of 2353.

In the fall, club, season of 2009 Ghetto attended three tournaments; including Skylander IX, No Wisconsquences, and The Dennison Extravaganza Ultimate Tournament. The fall season acted as an extended tryout allowing new players to show their abilities and decide if Ultiamte was their sport. Ghetto played 13 games finishing 7-6.

No Wisconsequences is a tournament jointly held by Cultimate, a private tournament company, and The University of Wisconsin Hodags. The tournament is a mixture of 56 men's elite and mid major level ultimate teams, and 25 woman's teams.

The Ultimate Wedding

2010-04-15T02:39:00.005-04:00

Its the wedding of the century, perhaps the Ultimate Wedding! Edward C Mack & Stephanie Sheavly are getting hitched. Eddy is a hall of fame member of UD's Men's Club Ultimate Program and graciously donated his time as the coach of the men's team over the past 3 years. Stephanie is also a hall of fame member of UD Ultimate and finished out her college career at U Chicago. One can not help but think about the super star ultimate children they will create.

In true Eddy form he proposed in a game of hangman and of course Steph accepted. The wedding is studded with famous ultimate players and other equally famous UD Alumni. From the "Unattractive One" to the one and only Ulen, it stands to be an event for the history books.

Look for the stars to align on July 10, 2010 above the Ohio skys. Thanks for being the best coach a team could ever have and best of luck to you in your new life!!

Graduates, New Recruits, and the Unhonorably Discharged

2010-04-04T13:58:00.005-04:00

Team leader, experienced player, expert handler, Mr. personality, and resident blogger Addison Hoover graduated May 2nd 2009. Addison and family sacrificed his graduation weekend in order to attend 2009 Regionals, for which the team will always be grateful. Addison began his Ultimate career freshman year as a young enthusiastic Baseball player, and four years later had transitioned into a precision handler. Among Addison's greatest qualities were his accuracy, decision making abilities, and team orientation. It turns out that Ultimate runs in the Hoover gene line, as his father competed in College Nationals in the late 70's. In addition to being a leader of Ghetto Force, Addison was instrumental in the creation of Dayton's premier club team "Enigma" soon to enter its third season. Good luck Addison, you will be missed!

Mark Anderson, Mark "Sexy-Legs" Anderson, "The M.A. Show," "The Show," "Mr. Anderson," or perhaps most simply put hes one fast mother-F'er. Beneath his burly Al Borland beard, flannel shirts, and charitable personality lies one of the fastest, most agile, and competitive players in Ghetto's history. Mark graduated in May of 2009 after five years at the University of Dayton, four of which he filled with ultimate. Unfortunately, Mark was not able to compete in Regionals due to a sever sprained ankle suffered in the championship game against OSU at sectionals. Mark could have been an all region player and could have played at any school in the country and we are fortunate to have had him. He could chase down any disc, or defend any player. Mark you will always be "The Show."

Fall of 2009 brought a crop of new recruits, among the remaining recruits are:
Adam Tardio - "Adam, let me see that Tardio, that Tardio!"
Andy Giese - "Super Freak"
Matt Giese - "Twink"
Billy Sturm - "The Bizarro Mark Latta"
Kevin Galli - "the Pep Band Slasher"
Pete Larkin-vero -
Ross Gueltzo -"Rick Ross," "Ross the Boss"

The Unhonorably discharged refers to our dear friends who deserted the team after promises of continued devotion-4, Rick-Roll, and Scull-Rick.

2009 Regionals Recap

2010-04-04T01:51:00.007-04:00

Three weeks following Sectionals Ghetto rolled into Oberlin, Ohio, ready to dominate. As it turned out the domination was not as severe as hopped. The East Plains Section once again received little respect in the tournament seeding. One might expect the first place teams from each Section would receive the top three spots, and second place would receive the next 3 or at least one of the next 5 spots. No, after finishing second in its section Ghetto received the glorious position of 9th seed.

The danger of the 9th seed is that in the first game you must play the 8th seed, unlike seeds 4 through 7 who found themselves with a considerably easier morning. Ghetto Should have won this first game, but fell in a close 15-13 loss to Northwestern.

Ghetto's Regionals training was hampered by several unfortunate events. Firstly, The M.A. Show was unable to practice prior to or play at Regionals due to a severely strained ankle. Secondly, Corboy was unable to practice until days before Regionals thanks to a severely bruised/broken tailbone suffered in the Championship game at sections against OSU. And most importantly, Ghetto was not able to scrimmage at practice due to a lack of healthy A team players and abandonment from the B team.

In its second game Ghetto beat Ball State 14-11. Ball State played surprisingly well in its first game losing to Michigan 15-11, and again played well against Dayton. After defeating Ball State ghetto lost to the University of Chicago. For the second year in a row Ghetto ended Regionals with a victory over the higher seeded Michigan State, winning 13-6. Ghetto Finished in 9th place, holding seed.

Sectionals 2009 Recap

2010-04-03T00:11:00.009-04:00

Ghetto entered Sectionals after participating in two of the nation's premier ultimate tournaments, College Terminius and College Easterns. UD performed admirably at these tournaments with wins over several notable squads and close losses to national qualifying teams Pittsburg, Tuffs, Georgia, and Williams.

Sectionals as it turned out was a bit of a cake-walk marathon. Sectionals consisted of 6 pool play games before reseeding into a championship bracket of four teams. Ghetto's 15 man roster left little room for rest or injury, but was up for the challenge after a winter full of 5 day-a-week workouts. Ghetto has never been in better shape. With the exception of Louisville, who was disqualified for non-rostered players who do not attend Louisville, competition in pool B was sparse. Ghetto rolled through pool B.

The team spent the evening at the Foor's residence where we received five star amenities. Sunday brought a second straight day of excellent weather, unheard of amongst Ohio Sectionals participants. As usual Dayton got off to a slow start defeating Ohio University 12-11. OU put forth a tremendous game, with off the charts handler movement. The key to the game was Ghetto's superior conditioning, athleticism, and zone-thrashing. Good decision making had little to do with this victory.

Ghetto and Ohio State University traded points for a majority of the game. O.S.U was clearly the best team we met at sectionals and showed its athleticism and depth with numerous subs. As expected The Mark Anderson Show, a key player, severely sprained his ankle halfway through the match stifling ghetto's defensive abilities. O.S.U took the lead and Ghetto could not recover.

After losing the championship game Ghetto played Miami Ohio for second place. Several disputes with "Visor Boy" later, UD finished victorious. Ghetto held second seed and began preparations for Regionals.

Easterns Recap

2009-04-06T11:57:00.004-04:00

As the D-town crew rolled in Friday night, along with James Madison University at the Red Roof Inn, it was an exciting feeling to have warm weather and outstanding competition on the agenda.

In short, Dayton took one on the chin, recording it's first win-less day in.....not even sure. But it's probably been a number of years. With a good tight start against Georgia, the 15-11 loss didn't seem too bad. The 15-13 East Carolina loss stung a bit, as it was easily a game that could have been won.

The loss that was really an issue came to Kennesaw State. As the Ghetto led most of the game, the energy was lacking and no sense of urgency was ever established. Not putting KSU Bidness away proved to be a valuable lesson, as we Ghetto got stung as the O-line choked up the universe point with several drops and numerous chances to win, with the final ringing in at 13-12. Wowzas.

The last game of Saturday seemed a bit predetermined. Williams was solid, top to bottom. They were rested, and had been rolling the whole day. By this point, Ghetto was gassed, morale was down, and a win seemed distant. Williams rolled, taking the game 15-8.

After some serious Hooters medication, everyone was relaxing and loosening up. The squad worked their ways back to the fields to see Addison Hoover and Travis Knight play in what was likely the sloppiest (perhaps boring-est?) All-Star Game in record. It's ok, the college kids just need some more time to read the Ed Mack Manual for All-Star Game Success. Luckilly, for everyone's sake, Addison and Trav utilized the manual's cribnotes and obliged, producing the best point of the game when Hoover tossed his new game jersey over his head and hit a 40 yard blind hammer to a streaking Middlebury cutter. Not to be outdone, Knight, in front of the D-town following, was led into the endzone, and produced one of the finest, and perhaps most gratuitous, layout grabs for the score. It was the highlight of the game.

As everyone popped some Advil and cozied up for bed, the squad went to sleep with thoughts of better things to come. As Sunday morning rolled around, things weren't looking so hot. Actually, things looked exactly like Sunday of Terminus.

Powerful rains. Lightning delays. Flooding fields.

It looked as though Ghetto was going to be heading home early, with no wins to show for their 11 hour trek. However, the TD and UNCW team kept everyone in the loop, and helped pull it all together. Albeit a tad late, with soaked fields, Ghetto hit the swamp, er, pitch, and began the tournament in the bracket for 13th place. As Ghetto's resiliency seems to improve all the time, a second shot was not to be wasted. It didn't hurt that Ghetto seems to only get better as conditions get crappier.

Let the steamrolling begin. Dayton pounded the boys from Appalachian State, 13-4, and recorded the first OATBAG of the season. Yummy. Next up was JMU, bringing the Battle for the Red Roof Inn to the front stage. Again, with Ghetto's tight zone-d, and J4 obnoxiously laying out into every puddle in the field, Ghetto was clicking and working the Hellfish over. It wasn't even close, with Ghetto wrapping up the game at 13-7. It can also be noted that one guy from JMU, who knows who he is, will likely never play UD again. There was literally cartoon steam protruding from his ears. He gave up a callahan on the third point of the game. Got layout d'ed a few times in the middle of the game. Then got rocked by Joe Bayer on another errant throw in the endzone he was trying to reel in. The icing on the cake, however, was when MacCorken's final grab for a score turned into a harmless "put a cork in it" spike, that landed near this dude. Without hesitation, this dude grabs the disc, and chucks it roughly 276 feet into the air. It wasn't this cat's day.

Last on the list was Chicago Junk, who, with much travling to go as well, agreed to an abbreviated game to 7. When Junk grabbed an upwind break, things seemed over when Ghetto was down 5-4. However, Corboy strapped up, took the windforced flick side, and was breaking up the Junk cup like it was a Jeff Giese relationship. Ghetto gets the upwinder, then breaks downwind to take the lead. Junk gets the downwinder, and next thing you know, Ghetto is receiving on universe for the win. After a couple solid in-cuts from The Show and T-Money, Trav rips in inverted major, IO backhand to a streaking (and not looking) Mark Anderson. A) Who knew Trav had that throw? B) How the hell did Anderson catch it? It was some Disc ESP or something crazy. Nonetheless, it was caught, game over. Ghetto rallies from a win-less day 1, to a perfect 3-0 day 2 record to break seed and take the 13th place bracket.

No speeding tickets were recorded en route back to Dayton.

For awesome photos of the weekend, check out Chad Borer's site!

Easterns is Here

2009-03-26T23:32:00.005-04:00

Finally, Ghetto Force is hitting the road again. After an exciting day one to Terminus, Ghetto has been dormant awaiting the next big day to look forward to, and finally it has arrived.

Starting Saturday, at 8:30, Ghetto Force will be taking the pitch against some of the best in the nation, including one of the perennial top programs, Georgia, as a sweet little wake up call to start the day.

With 20 teams coming in from all over, it's quite a batch of solid AC teams and regional powerhouses from the northeast and midwest. After playing Pitt, GaTech, and Tufts during Pool Play at Terminus, the daunting pool coming up this Saturday should come as no surprise. With two national qualifiers from recent years, it's certainly a five-some to be reckoned with. Dayton will have 4 big pool play games, starting, as mentioned earlier, against the overall one seed Georgia. After that, Dayton will be hard pressed against an East Carolina team that has been stovetop hot this spring, accumulating solid losses including a 9-11 miss against Michigan and a universe point loss to Notre Dame. Following ECU, Dayton will take on Kennesaw State, a Georgia team that benefits from playing a wealth of games, including bumping heads with Chain Lightning when they played in at Club Terminus. Lastly, to wrap up the bye-less run of four games, Dayton will square off against Williams, a National Championship qualifier in 2007. Whfew! It's going to be a busy Saturday of awesome Ultimate against some of the nation's best.

After having some time to kick back and watch other teams play, two of Dayton's vets, Addison Hoover and Evan Corcoran, will throw on the jersey of the North in the Eastern's North v. South All Star Showcase game.

It should be an exciting weekend of awesome Ultimate. And if you'd do your part, keep saying those Hail Marys and maybe the squad will get lucky and this awful rain will subside or miss the fields - a full weekend of play would sure be nice!!

Terminus 2009 - The Tornado Part II

2009-03-16T19:08:00.005-04:00

Wow - what are the odds? Atlanta, not really known for consistently having crap weather throughout March, ends up being the biggest craphole two years in a row for College Terminus.

Last year we listened to Fudge and Mastro tell us the horror stories. A single game. That was it. After that it was thunderstorms, lightning, and yes, a tornado on a Rawberry overdose roaming through the city. What are the odds it could happen again? Would Mother Nature really slap Terminus with the ugly stick AGAIN?!?!

Making pitstops at the Bayers and Andersons en route to the Peach State, Ghetto kept hearing the news that weather looked bad. Like, real bad. Unavoidably bad. For those of you that didn't happen to catch the weather channel, the southeaster U.S. looked like it had a big green flubber thrown against it, stretching from South Carolina to southern Texas. It was unstoppable and Atlanta looked to be falling smack dab in the middle of the warpath. Ugh.

After arriving in Cumming (doesn't that sound weird), the crew shacked up in six rooms as a result of some quirky planning on the hotel's part. Little did the men realize the additional showers would be so valuable 24 hours later.

Starting Saturday, the Dayton men suited up and arrived at the fields accompanied by the expected early rains. With it around 45, the rain must have been close to freezing, making every warm up catch sting like we were practicing at NCR back in Dayton. So much for the toasty warmth of the south! Even with DVDA resonating in everyone's heads, manliness seemed to be sparse amongst all players in the rough elements.

Opening at 8:30, it felt as though the battle against Tufts started promptly at sunrise. Unfortunately Ghetto took a page from the '05 playbook and gifted Tufts a nice 3 point start to open the game. Not the way anyone wanted to get things going. Was Ghetto outmatched in a tournament like this? Questions of this sort were in the back of many minds. Ghetto had never been invited to Terminus, or any tournament of this kind of calliber - was Ghetto strong enough to compete? It still resulted in a loss, but to the would-be Pool D winner, Dayton battled back and produced enough defensive runs to make the game heated and competitive, eventually relinquishing at 9-13. Had Ghetto made some adjustments sooner, and come to the fields with a crisper start, this was one of those games that could have easily gone the other way.

Next up was Pitt, a team that mentally had Ghetto's number. Everyone knew the Pitt track record, and it showed. From the get go, Ghetto (minus perhaps Goose, CorcJuice, and the Killa) seemed to believe it was outmanned. Giving up break after break, Ghetto Force just didn't seem to have much pep in the step. Hoove only furthered the cause when he decided to do his best Bayer impression and drop a pull. Clearly the muff got in the way. Things were struggling to click. Although some nice deep puts connected and Ghetto rallied a solid zone-d break, Pitt stormed quickly to a 13-6 victory. More than ever, it was great timing to get out of the rain, listen to some DVDA, eat some animal crackers, and loosen things up. Ghetto needed a deep breath.

With Georgia Tech coming up after the bye, everyone relaxed in the warm vehicles and got some much needed dethawing in. Hard to say what was going on in Bayer's Landscape, but the van pretty much just listened to "Now You're a Man" for 2 hours - yelling lyrics, different articulations of MAanouhohgh, and adding in coordinated claps. Everyone utilized the song to realize one diffinitive conclusion - the gooder they crush, the better you want them. Which, in Jake Bayer lingo roughly translates into, "Ghetto is going to beat GaTech."

With this thought firmly in place, Ghetto got an awesome post-bye warm up in. Including some discs over private fences, double-plyo action, and some Asian-on-Asian hating, Ghetto circle-danced while waiting for Truman State and Minnesota to wrap up their 20+ turnover Universe Point game (catch your d's anybody?).

Tribe, as we all discussed, was solid. This was like their 15th tournament of 2009, and they were ready to squash the Pool's bottom seed. Unfortunately, the pre-game two step wasn't enough to change the tides. Ghetto, as the squad had done in the prior two games, started off behind, giving up the first two points of the game. Trailing 6-3, Ghetto was facing halftime when the o-line punched in a Co-Pilot to Main-Pilot huck, which ignited the missing puzzle piece - NASCAR! With the team shouting and yelling, Ghetto had lit a match and began to light the fire (finally). With the NASCAR chant officially unveiled in Georgia, Dayton began to steamroll. Co-Pilot Corc even helped himself to a full extension OB layout grab for no score. It was the best zero point layout of the day. Storming back, Ghetto's d-line began clicking and managed to battle all the way back to take half 7-6.

With another o-line score after half, the cap was already on (thanks to the long game prior) meaning the teams were playing to 10. After giving up the first offensive score to Tribe in over an hour, the Ghetto O-line retook the field with an 8-7 lead and the finish line firmly in place. The Show, wanting to give the love back to his Co-Pilot blasted a flick huck from half-field and Corcfest reeled it in to put the victory within one. With the NASCAR chant still titalating Mr. T, the d-line ran a swift box formation, got the turnover, and in a matter of swings, The Show went for the jugular, putting a wrapping flick to the Kansas in the endzone. Beating his man to the disc, Ghetto capped an outstanding 7-1 run to finish off Georgia Tech on their home terf. It was an awesome win that finally showed Ghetto gelling and coming together.

After another healthy bye and serious dose of DVDA, Ghetto took to showcase field #5 right in front of the main tent to play Florida State, a team that had upset both Weaton and Penn State in Pool C. Where to begin on this one. Awesome game on the whole. Back and forth from the start. With Ghetto getting breaks to begin, FSU battled back, eventually taking the lead. With a number of questionable calls (understatement) being made, the game proceeded to get more and more intense. With the game tied at 11s, Ghetto pulled, got a deep field turnover, and marched it into the endzone for a 12-11 lead, one point from victory. Florida State wasn't quick to roll over. With a tight zone-d pressing them on their goalline, FSU worked the disc, and without even a hint of a turnover methodically marched up field and tied the game at 12s.

With an errant pull, a bricked disc was in Ghetto's possesion for about a 4-count before a missed J4/Show connection left FSU with field position and the disc. Ghetto, knowing it was Universe point, clamped down on D. With FSU struggling to progress, everyone was in sync, knowing it was only a matter of time. As a shifty flickside lateral cut was made, Mother Goose saw the opportunity and took off like he worked for NASA. Horizontal, at what was likely 3'-4' off the ground, Jeff Giese dropped one of the nastiest full extension d's of the tournaments. Did anyone mention it was clean? Crystal clean. Giese might as well have had a shaved head and ear piercings, this shiz was a-ok Mr. Clean. And like clockwork, the most egregious strip/foul call is made (footage confirms its blatant horror). The unbiased onlookers, now readily focused and enjoying the game, collectively lost control of their bowel movements as they heard the call. It was obnoxious. Equally obnoxious (although way more justified in this scenario) was Goose's already legendary reaction. Yes, it's on film. Make some calls, send some money, kiss some ass, maybe you too will get to see it. It's the most out of control 3 minutes of Ultimate ever. In short, no one on FSU was willing to concede the bad call and as rules dictate, the "violently" contested disc was put back in the hands of FSU. After a number of passes, a break side disc worked its way into the endzone. It sucked. Dayton, with two leads at the beginning and ending of the game, lost a game on universe that left a pretty bad taste in everyone's mouths.

It's not the way you want to end a day, but crap happens. Winning isn't a product, it's a process. Lesson learned. We get the breaks before the game ever gets to 11-11 and we don't face the situation we ended up dealing with.

After being drenched in mud/wet-field camo, everyone worked their way back to the 6 showers in Ghetto's possession. Oh man those showers were good. Hot, and strong, they were about as good as the 2 hour meal the team feasted on at Golden Corral. After ButtRex used his A/V skills to get some needed Best Buy hardware, Ghetto enjoyed some team bonding rewatching the FSU game footage amidst Phil Broadcaster's commentary.

As fate would have it, the FSU game would be the last of Ghetto's 2009 Terminus trip. The rain didn't quit (not that any expected it) and the fields were just pounded without mercy. As the team arrived to the fields Sunday, it was quickly apparent that the jig was up. Ghetto grabbed a change of clothes and enjoyed some McDonald's over some lively debates over the number of syllables in the word "fire" (check into it, it's a stimulating topic). After some windy Deliverance roads through Georgia/Tennessee, the team was back in CovCath (WHAT!) territory to find UD as an 11 seed in the NCAA tournament. Whfew! College tuitions have again been justified for the class graduating in 2009!

It was a great Saturday against some serious Ultimate, and the team really began to come together late in the day. It's going to be an exciting couple of weeks leading up to Easterns!

BONUS FOR READING TO THE BOTTOM: As legend has it, as an argument raged on during the FSU game, an anonymous sidelined Florida State player told an anonymous Ghetto Forcer that their team had never read the rule book. Well ladies and gents, we have found the Weapon of Mass Distraction! It makes so much sense! How can your team have any time to read the rule book when you're so busy ghostriding the whip? If only this was made up. Classic.

http://www.fsultimate.com/members.htm

Ghetto on the Road: Terminus 2009

2009-03-13T13:03:00.004-04:00

Ghetto Ultimate is about to embark on the 8+ hour road trip to Hotlanta, or as Nascar would call it, "The City of Lights". Tomorrow, Ghetto will start out against Tufts, the #2 in the pool, at 8:30 am. This will be followed by Pitt, the #1 in the pool, at 10:05 and GaTech in the closing Pool Play game at 1:15. After that, standings will be reevaluated and Ghetto will look to continue what will hopefully be a solid weekend. Check HERE for score updates!

Lets do some work Ghetto!

Pool Party! Have a Look at the Guest List!

2009-03-05T15:33:00.009-05:00

College Terminus is t-minus 8 days away, and believe it or not, the University of Dayton is celebrating with nearly 60 degree weather today! WOOHOO! It's a mighty heavy relief to be experience some decent temperatures before one of the biggest weekends of the preseason.

With all the excitement beginning to build, like the Russian Roulette game that is letting Evan Almighty taking control of the school van - it's time to give things a quick look. For Ghetto Force, this is translates into a worthwhile breakdown of who happens to be in Pool D.

Taking a note from Jason the Bachelor, if we're not up front with the goods, shit is going to hit the reality fan. Oops.

So lets cut to the chase before this airs on national television. It's Terminus - are you surprised that the pool is going to be rough top to bottom? How surly a pool you ask? Pretty surly. For those that have been spending too much time watching The Tool Academy (don't look around like you haven't been) - here's a quick rundown of the crop of talent Ghetto Force has been paired up with for Terminus Pool Play.

The 1 Seed: Pittsburgh; Perennial Metro East power, Pittsburgh sits on a hotbed of PA talent and continues to reel in a crop of strong classes, producing consistent and competitive teams. From Roll Call to the Championships, many of Dayton's players have seen first hand how strong a team Pitt is up and down. And although many Ghetto Force players have paired up against their best via split squad games at fall tournaments, Pitt's a spring team that takes care of business, so don't get it twisted. They've got wins over Illinois, Stanford, and an absolute romping on UCSB 13-1, all at a windy Vegas. With another strong showing at Ultimax, Pitt is ready to have a coming out party at Terminus - don't forget it.

Pitt's 2009 Results

Pitt's 2008 Results

The 2 Seed: Tufts; Not sure where it's located? Try Massachuttsetts - typically an epicenter for awesome Ultimate, namely Boston. Although Tufts is technically located in Medford, these cats can play. Although their introduction into the 2009 season was a little rough in Vegas (2-7), they were playing some powerhouses, so don't look at the record and get fooled. The Tufts x-factor? They're likely to be hungrier than ever. Last year, as if getting rocked once wasn't bad enough, Tufts took it on the chin twice. The boys from Medford took the harsh path of losing two separate games that would have sent them to the National Championships. Probably the most bittersweet 3rd place Regional finish anyone can surmize - not the way anyone wants to wrap up a stellar season. So, the Tufts Emen, not to be mistaken as the Tuft Semen, are coming in with tight wins over solid programs Whitman and Las Positas and will be looking to establish themselves as a threat in the New England region.

Tufts 2009 Results

Tufts 2008 Results

Tufts 2008 Regional Tournament Summary

The 3 Seed: Georgia Tech; As alluded to earlier in a prior post, yea, these guys have already played 25 games! That's like 10 more than the average D-III Nationals qualifier. That probably stung, ouch. Tribe, benefitting from being in the south, has taken full advantage and has hit the road to a number of tournaments. Having attending key tourneys like the ACC Championship and Mardi Gras, GaTech has already faced some serious competition, and has walked away tried and tested. Although they've had strong wins over Illinois and Dartmouth, one of their most telling games was an 11-13 loss to Duke, proving to be a national threat. Tribe, could easily be a 2 seed in about any of the Terminus pools, they're conditioned and patient. They have several handlers who not only have good field vision for their cutters, but also take full advantage of opportunities to throw and go. Lets go ahead and call it right now, all of Pool D has a third round bye. Tribe and Ghetto take some time, grab a bagel, stretch well, then slather on the war paint. The most exciting game of Pool D will come in the last round between these two.

Georgia Tech 2009 Results

Georgia Tech 2008 Results

Georgia Tech 2009 Video Footage (check the UNC and Duke games)

Stay tuned for more updates!

The Huddle Goes Green - Poopy Green

2009-03-04T02:12:00.014-05:00

Ok, not everyone will agree with what The Huddle posts on. In fact, there have been a lot of solid objections to the opinions and suggestions that have been provided. Nonetheless, it's hard to deny that The Huddle is providing a service currently not available in the Ultimate community - so like it or not, you've gotta respect it. Sorta like the new Buttco nickname - upgrade or downgrade, the ladies are sure digging it! Also, look at that picture - he's definitely not deriving his ups from his legs, look at that strategic body placement, this nickname is totally sticking.

On to more pertinent things. If you weren't at the first roughly legit outdoor practice today, you missed a wealth of new info on some new defensive formations and team-d strategies.

With Captain Evander Corkyfield marker-boarding like he was having some sort of Ultimate artistic seizure, the team took to the field for run-throughs of the defensive schemes.

For those in attendance, it was readily apparent that speed and experience were heavily influencing the capabilities of the 7 guys running downfield for D. However, the biggest trick to it all? Communicating and working for the d in every spot, in every role, in every position. Doing the role to assist the other 6 on the field is the real trick.

Like clockwork, Goose comes through with a sick layout swing pass wall D - justifying the need for team D. Jeff was in the right position, read the offense, and pounced once the defense had cut off all reasonable opportunities, forcing the O to make a throw they didn't want to have to make. The individual might get the momentary glory (did you get that D on film there Phyllis?) but the truth is, those d's are created via a full team effort - so get on board.

Thinking about this, there was a lot of writing about Team D on The Huddle a few months back. Although not all of the articles are pertinent or worth the time, this one by chica Chow encapsulates a lot of areas Ghetto should be considering every time the D has to set up.

For those tired of reading, here are a few worthwhile points:

"One way to think about it, is to have players answer the questions "where and how is the team going to get a turn?" This team defense philosophy shifts the onus from the individual player creating and getting a block to the team generating opportunities for everyone to get turnovers and, in theory, increasing the chances of any player on the field to earn a D."

"As a final note, team D is firmly ensconced in the concept of deny and contain D. First deny the disc to the O-player but if the disc goes up and the D isn't 150% sure about getting the block, then he switches immediately to containment mode. This means the D-player no longer goes for the block but now works hard to get into position to ensure the designated force is put on the early on the imminent thrower. How many times have we seen a team break the force and the disc move quickly up the broken side for an uncontested score?"

Ok, so those snippets could be shorter, but, ahem, that last line......that only happened like 24 times (minor exaggeration) at today's practice - but yea, think about it - if you were there, you can probably think of at least 5 serious whoopsies that were just like that.

Click that Huddle picture and give some of those articles a look.

Don't let school interfere with your Ultimate education.

Five Ultimate - What the Sponsorship Brings

2009-03-02T17:26:00.011-05:00

Yep - you've probably heard via a pumped young player, maybe a friend, or maybe you saw the news on the new Force website or on RSD - Ghetto Force has been selected as one of the 10 Open teams to be sponsored by Five Ultimate for the 2009 Spring Season.

In the case that maybe you haven't seen the mock-ups of the new threads, they've been posted all around for you visual enjoyment.

If you're one of the cats that'll be popping tags on the new gear, please remember, Captain Corc will be ransoming your gear until you get that sharp little insurance card copy and emergency contact information page into him. Honestly, don't be the foolio that forgets it, otherwise you'll be remembered for a serious Epic Fail.

In the meantime, grab a towel, wipe the drool from your face, and get excited to get your hands on the new gear.

Also, the Five Ultimate website is "in process" - whatever that means. Essentially it means that their set up is going to be ridiculously tight, but probably not for another month and a half because they're likely swamped with fresh March team orders, asking to get stuff done by their mid-March tournament - good one.

Tournament Sexy Time! - Ghetto Working Way to GA and NC

2009-03-02T16:41:00.008-05:00

For those out there out of the loop, Ghetto Force will be attending two high caliber tournaments this March. As a moderate sized upgrade from Arctic Vogue, Ghetto will be off to Atlanta for College Terminus on March 14th-15th, followed by Easterns in Wilmington on March 28th-29th.

Pools have b een put up for Terminus, and as you could guess, it's a blood bath of teams ready to beat each other silly with their Ultimate ugly sticks. Did we mention that Wisconsin took their Harry Potter Cloak of Invincibility off? Yep! Terminus is more up for grabs then ever. (As long as a tsunami doesn't wipe things out) With Notre Dame, Pitt, and Georgia (among other blazing hot teams) attending, battles are guaranteed to get ugly - like Kurt Huelsman free-throw-shooting ugly. Either way, as the pools have it, Ghetto will currently be matching against perenial Metro Least champion Pitt - who's played with solid success against some of the top programs. Also featured in the pool is a Georgia Tech team, who, just for kicks, happens to have logged 25 games by the time you're reading this - also while reading this, Dayton is in the process of dethawing.

Easterns, which will be celebrating its platinum anniversary, will be toasting to a roster of top notch teams. With the likes of Virgina and Middlebury being added late (for those noobs not up on their game, they had pretty hot Vegas weekends), the roster of squads is rounded out by teams like Georgia, Florida, Duke, and Dartmouth. Not to mention Dayton.

Leave that WSJ on your front porch and get your daily reading at the spiffy Easterns website. More updates are sure to roll in here soon as we get closer to hitting the North Carolina pitch.

Bottom line is anything outside will soon be high priority for Ghetto Force as these tournaments aren't just for show. These two are arguably the top two east coast tournaments of the season, featuring a crop of holy grail power, melt your face off competition.

Dayton is in go mode.

Ghetto Gets a Face Lift

2008-12-11T19:15:00.005-05:00

After years of talking about it - relative Ghetto newcomer Eric Reynolds is making it happen!

The Ghetto Force Official team website has been in dire need of some repair and an updated style and presentation. Using his vast design skills and proficient knowledge of code writing, Eric is in the opening stages of introducing the team, fans, alumni, and onlookers to the new Ghetto Force website.

Although the site is only in its preliminary stages, the initial updates and revisions are already looking to be tremendous. Eric is also receiving assistance from Junior Mike Hart, with graphic and photography elements, to again up the level of presentation for the overall site.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments - however, put money that by the time the new year has come, this site is going to be absolutely banging!

http://campus.udayton.edu/~ultimate/index.shtml

2008 Regional Championships Clip

2008-10-20T13:06:00.002-04:00

For those of you that were there, and those that missed it, this is an outstanding little clip of the opening game at this year's 2008 Great Lakes Regional Championships. Although it includes some opening NPU dialogue, the game itself is done with some awesome editing and showcases the game really well. Hope you dig it!

04.26/27.2008 - Regionals (Part 1) - Lost Boys from luke johnson on Vimeo.

Cultimate/Conference1 - Stay in the Know

2008-10-15T18:57:00.009-04:00

Gents of Ghetto Force and all of our other readers. Although I withhold my opinion for the time being, there's quite a buzz in the world of College Ultimate (at least in the Men's area).

For those of you that haven't heard yet, Cultimate, foremost host to the nation's top Ultimate tournaments, has issued a statement (albeit fairly vague for the time being) regarding an Elite level college Ultimate conference.

Although players, coaches, alum, and everyone else in tune with the Ultimate world has been chiming in over the last 24 hours - no matter your initial take, it's awesome to see this sort of dialogue. All I am saying is, it's important to know what's going on in the Ultimate world. Whether you think this is a step forward or a step towards a schism in Ultimate, do some reading and figure out what you think.

For the time being, most would concede that updates and forums from Cultimate and UPA will likely come soon to address questions and concerns. However, for Ghetto Forcers heading North to Milwaukee this weekend, were somehow (if by nothing more than timing and coincidence) heading directly into the firestorm by attending Cultimate's No Wisconsiquences this Saturday and Sunday. Click the pictures to get some direct links to sources that are abuzz on everything going on!!

Also, if you have thoughts (current players, alumni, etc.) please feel free to throw your input into the comments section!

NASCAR - COMING SOON!

2008-10-13T10:27:00.003-04:00

No, there won't be any official NASCAR updates coming to this blog in the near future (although every team Ghetto Force played this weekend in Edinboro got a healthy dosage of the term). However, in the immediate future, when midterms and schoolwork slows down for a couple days, look for updates on these topics:

Pittsburgh's Forge @ Regionals
Dayton's Enigma @ Sectionals
Ghetto Force @ Sectionals
Ghetto Force @ Wright State
Ghetto Force @ Edinboro's Skylander VIII

Parent's Weekend Festivities

In the mean time - enjoy this candid photo of the 'Hardest Working Man in Showbiz'.

FRIZBAY!

2008-09-19T21:39:00.005-04:00

Yes, it mocks the game.
Yes, Ken Dobyns' uniform for the first 4 minutes is a Stormtroopers of Death cutoff t-shirt.
Yes, the cones marking the field should probably be used on I-75 construction.
Yes, they claim the sport matters to only those playing.

However, they are looking at footage that's from 1989 - so enjoy the humor, because when it's all said in done it's a good time. Not to mention, it's worthwhile to gain just a quick glimpse into where the sport started, and how far the sport has come.

I mean think about, we're not simply naming teams after tragedies, so that's a good start. Secondly, most of us (at least at UD) have our priorities a little more in line then Kennie Poo. So, in short, the game's going places.

Enjoy the random 3 minute commercial break in the middle.
Enjoy the "Frisbee, FRIZbee, FRISBEE, FRISBAY, HEY FRISBEE, Hey FRIZBAY, don't touch me there" section.
Enjoy the FCU-ICU chant accompanied by Scuba Helmet jerseys.
Enjoy the best line in the clip - from the overdubbed kid lazily spinning the yellow disc - classic.

It's a random clip, poking complete fun at Ultimate, but it's enjoyable, so laugh and then smile, when you think about how awesome Ultimate is, and how great it is to be playing it with Ghetto Force.

IT'S FCU - ICU!

Frizbay! from bigrig on Vimeo.

The Great Blackout of 2008

2008-09-16T20:30:00.008-04:00

For those of you reading this, it's likely your computer is either plugged into a working wall outlet, or your laptop battery has the uber charge and you're surfing away without a care in the world. If you're not reading this right now, you're probably a current member of Ghetto Force or any other citizen in the state of Ohio.

Yes, ladies and gents, the impenetrable fortress that is the University of Dayton is apparently readily susceptible to problems when it comes to wind - but then again, at 78 mph, what isn't? If you haven't heard, our little friend Ike made a pseudo-surprise visit to Dayton (and the rest of Ohio). Needless to say, life is continuing at UD, with things just being a tad bit darker than normal.

Ghetto's first weekday practice took place this past Monday evening, with roughly 30 in attendance, including both the elderly (aka Josh Foor, freshly 22 and AARP certified) and the fresher faces of The Force. Ghetto's next practice, which will be held with the assistance of SGA/Res Ed supplied flash lights, will be this Thursday, 5:30 at the NCR Fields.

Keep those cells charged and enjoy the free emergency meals Ghetto!

East Plains' Mastro Reps On the World Scene

2008-09-12T16:43:00.008-04:00

For those of you new to Ultimate....welcome to the excitement. For those of you not so new, this will provide an update on one of the best players in the Great Lakes Region, at least in recent years.

Matt Mastrantuono (Mastro) is a recent graduate of Miami U, and the former captain and big gun for the Miami Boogiemen, a top caliber program. Revolving around the dedication and effort of Mastro, the Boogiemen followed this All-Region player to multiple outstanding finishes in the GL Region.

Well ladies and gents, this former rival (and good friend of many a Ghetto Forcer) has taken some risks and managed to reach an all new level. Mastro, graduating in May '08, packed up his bags and on a prayer and a whim, moved out West in search of new beginnings, and a shot at the best Ultimate in the world.

For those of you still a bit naive, the North West region of the US is made up of many of the world's strongest Club Ultimate teams, including reigning champion Seattle Sockeye, followed closely by perennial powers Jam (San Francisco), Voodoo (Seattle), Revolver (Bay Area), psuedo World Champions Furious George (Vancouver), Invictus (Alberta), and 2007 National Champion qualifier, Rhino, out of Portland, Oregon.

So, lets get to the point here. Mastro graduates, wraps up Regionals with a great run in the GL with the Boogiemen, and with basically nothing but determination, packs up and moves to Portland. Without a place to stay and no job lined up, Matt works his magic and begins moving and shaking....and along the way, tries out and makes Rhino, a premier, elite Ultimate squad - nothing shy of outstanding!

Well ladies and gents, it didn't take this young'n too long to settle in. Within his first tournaments he was nearly flawless from the handler position, and was utilizing his enhanced conditioning routine (trust me, it's jaw dropping) to elevate his play on both sides of the disc.

So, where is this going? Well, the little Miami captain that could has gone from ripping flicks against Ohio schools at Fall Brawl, to ripping flicks against, and eventually hugging, the German National Team (not to mention every other premier team in the U.S.)! It's a pretty awesome story!

Also, if you haven't seen this footage yet, you need to check it out. Also, if you're a young gun, unfamiliar with Mastro, check the footage out as well, as it showcases some utterly outstanding play! Enjoy!

PS. Mastro isn't rocking the leggings that allow him to wick to the 5th dimension....but you can spot him in the #2 gear. Also, he's the first person to take the score down against Furious George in the Sockeye Invite vid, and in the Disco Calientes tape, check the 3:25 point where Matt rocks an "amateur" backhand high release fake, and it's totally eaten up by the marker......like poetry in motion baby!

SockeyeInvite 2008 - Rhino from luke johnson on Vimeo.

Disco Calientes 2008 - Rhino from luke johnson on Vimeo.

Do Work Son - Ghetto Force is Back

2008-09-08T03:29:00.010-04:00

As usual, summer seems to find ever-creative ways to fly by. For Ghetto Forcers, summers were spent doing service overseas, working for Fortune 500 companies, playing Ultimate, and getting prepped to rejoin the squad at turn of August.

With the heat still rising at the start of September, the Ghetto Fraternity has quickly come back together to begin the uphill climb.

With Ghetto Force's returners spread out over the map this summer, it's amazing to see what people have been up to. For starters, we've got kids getting into some serious Ultimate. First, there were six Ghetto returners that stuck close to Dayton this summer and played with the area's new club team, Enigma. Beyond that, you have El Capitan, Evan Corcoran, leading Forge, the Elite-level club team from Pittsburgh that's currently Top 30 in the nation. Of course, summer wouldn't be complete without some Ghetto patrons indulging in some beach Ultimate, and as always, Ghetto Forcers made memories. Beyond these fun Ultimate endeavors, you've got Ghetto vets Mark Latta and Eric Krissek committing to service abroad in Ecuador and Zambia, respectively. In more ways than one, it sort of makes Ultimate look like small potatoes. Very cool and both repped Ghetto in all the finest ways - way to go fellas!

No matter how you cut it, though, Ghetto kept busy this summer, and it shows.

Ghetto made quick work of the school year, leading into the semester by hosting a series of open pick up games. Although not necessarily always beautiful, each session opened the sport up to new players and vets alike. Providing time to see improvement in those coming back to Ghetto, as well as a chance to see the future of the program come out and begin to show off their stuff.

And when it comes to the future - Ghetto players, alumni, family - get excited! Ask any veteran of the program what they think about the last few weeks, and consensus is really clear - Ghetto is continuing to grow and harvest new talent. The program is truly on the rise.

With three slated tryout sessions, the first starting on the evening of Labor Day, Ghetto Force began to really work in the new and old players, pushing everyone to accelerate and elevate their level of play.

Tryouts wrapped this past Saturday, culminating in an outstanding Light and Dark scrimmage. With the teams evenly split, the new and not so new were all on display. With everyone making an effort to leave it all on the field before the end of tryouts, the game came to a classic conclusion. With the sides tied at 8, Universe Point brought on an Eric Kaiser 40 yard flick bomb to the heavily bearded Pat Bello, capping a come from behind victory for the Light squad. It was an outstanding showcase on all fronts.

Saturday evening brought on the congratulatory cookout out for all those in attendance at tryouts. Hosted by the returning players, everyone at tryouts was invited over to THE 912 Alberta residences for hot dogs, cornhole, the occasional pool cannonball, and some quality bonding. It was a great break for everyone to get to chill, hang out, and for the new players to get to know the returners (and vice versa) away from the intensity of hill sprints, ladder circuits, and in-cut battles. A good time was had by all.

As was the case last year, this blog will gain a lot more steam as Ghetto Force picks up the pace entering the Fall Club and Spring College seasons. To whet your palates, take note that Dayton players are not only going to be attending the East Plains Open Sectional Championships, but this year, they'll be doing it on three teams. Enigma, coupled with players on a duo of Ghetto split squads will all be hitting the pitch on September 27th - 28th in Versailles, OH.

As the days get closer we'll take a close look at this year's Ghetto line-up, perhaps a brief moment to focus on some UD's fresh faces, and a look at some of the awesome things to come.

It's going to be an exciting year!

The 2008 UPA National Championship are Complete

2008-05-18T23:39:00.003-04:00

And Wisconsin, not Florida, will get to add another one of these.....

2006, Florida
2007, Wisconsin

2008, Wisconsin does it again, taking down Florida 15-9

The 2008 UPA National Championships

2008-05-17T23:47:00.008-04:00

A couple months back, this blog made it known Joe Kershner, the demon of the desert, was blasting all over the college Ultimate scene. Some college blogs, looking to follow the lead of this blog, hopped on board and made similar posts and remarks. Well, needless to say, this blog had it right.

The Arizona Sunburn's frontman was being touted as one of the best in the nation. Doing more (making Quarters at Nationals) with far less of a supporting cast, Kershner was crowned today as the nation's top player, the Callahan Award winner.

Congrats to Kershner, as he his now immortalized in Ultimate history.

In other National Championship news, the Great Lakes has had a moderately disappointing weekend. Michigan, the Pool D #1 seed started on a stellar note dropping their first Friday game to Georgia....whoops. Michigan rallied to take the next two games (Texas and Harvard) and put themselves in position to play early in the Pre-Quarters round on Saturday.

Illinois, playing in Pool A, also had a less then memorable Friday. Yea, they were supposed to lose to Florida. And they beat Delaware like they were supposed to, but the loss to North Texas sure didn't help things for the Great Lakes. Not only did it give Illinois a losing record on Day 1, but oh whammy, it pitted the two GL teams against each other in the Pre-Quarter round on Saturday.

Though many Ghetto players picked Michigan (correctly) to take down Illinois for the GL Championships....most didn't see the Illinois revenge comeback coming to fruition at the Championships. Needless to say, Illinois has gone from nearly losing the Sectional Championship game to North Park, to working their way to 2nd place at Regionals, to grinding it through to the Quarters at the National Championships. Where, while facing Colorado sans Beau, they put up a strong effort in a 15-12 loss.

Which left Colorado to face Wisconsin and Florida against Carleton in the two Semis. Textbook? Predictable? What other word can you use? It all played out to plan like clockwork. Wisconsin took their game 15-10 and Florida made quick work in a 15-6 routing. Leaving us an '06 Championships Final rematch. With then Callahan Tim Gehret leading Florida in '06, and Dan Heijman leading the Hodags last year, both finalist squads are in the 'ship without their respective Callahan winner (which probably has surprised more than just Rook and Florida).

No difference, it'll be the best game of the tournament, and I'll just come out and say it right now, best game of the year.

You heard it hear first....no matter what any other college blog writes.

Send 'em To Hell - Regionals 2008

2008-04-27T19:34:00.022-04:00

The 2008 Great Lakes Open Regional Championships
Detroit, MI
April 26th - 27th

As mentioned before, on this very blog, there were egregious amounts of exciting plots being played out this weekend in Detroit during the 2008 Great Lakes Regional Championships. For some, the weekend was a resounding success. For some others, the weekend signified a catastrophic meltdown. It was intense, well fought, and exciting for all. To be one of the final 16, from all of Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, to still be standing, duking it out, is an accomplishment in itself. But being happy with that accomplishment, and wanting to do more, is in the end, what separates the men from the boys.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Ghetto Force embarked for Detroit in the early evening hours on Friday. The team caravan, leaving in 5 cars, made a pit stop en route to Michigan at the Elzey residence, where the classy men of Ghetto were graciously treated to delicious brats, burgers, and quite possibly the best, prepackaged store bought chocolate chip cookies ever. The Kozby Kid managed a 4 course meal on cookies alone. Luckily, with the arrival of the Chosen Son Evan Corcoran, everyone was treated to a nice desert of Penguin Hockey. Backed with lively debates about how Mario Lemieux would kill Wayne Gretzky in a bar fight, a final goal and an exciting Penguin win prefaced the weekend with some good vibes. Repping Squirrel Hill, Corco's weekend was off to a swell start.

As the train of D-I Ultimate athletes (yes, D-I ONU) left the wonderful hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Elzey, everyone embarked for the Motel 6 in Michigan. Everyone arrived swiftly, save for some nasty traffic which was only properly navigated by Joel Brand...who bypassed the clogging by utilizing crafty illegal u-turns and the cutting off of irate mini-vans while careening by Eminem's house on 8-Mile road. Nonetheless, the team arrived safe and sound, and Shanikwa promptly checked us in under the Motel 6 guarantee of getting your room key in under two hours.

While guys dropped their bags off, everyone reconvened in Papa Corc's room for the ceremonial Pre-Regional talk. A team sporting only 4 losses, Ghetto Force had set a high goal from August of 2007 - to make Top 8 at the Regional Championships. With that goal firmly in place, Steely Corc embarked on a whimsical talk about using Jedi-Defensive powers to bring the Noob Stamp. Unfortunately, the loss of Jeffrey Giese, who was hanging out with living Saint Donna Giese, left everyone thinking of what awkward comment Kid Ic would say at that moment. Realizing the team needed to focus, the Secret Weapon was revealed. Over-nighted from Sir Budd Nerone in Colorado, (for a whopping $16.00) the surprise Secret Weapon was brought into the room still contained in its original Federal Express packaging. Corboy, the guardian of the secret, began to read the hand written note Budd had included. Touching on subjects ranging from Hoover Vaccuums to 11th Edition Rules Committee members, somehow Budd's voice rang through and spoke volumes to the team. What it spoke, is still yet to be determined. However, after flipping and flopping and turning pages, Corboy concluded the letter and pulled out THE Secret Weapon. No, it wasn't a Harry Potter Cloak of Invisibility. It was better!! Just what every team needs before Regionals, an original copy of Meatloaf's Bat out of Hell III cover! Signed on the back by Buddly, the cover was meant to depict the release of the Ghetto Force Monster. And from this inspiration, Ghetto decided to honor Meatloaf, and Budd, by rallying around the weekend's cry to "Send em' to Hell". With sugarplum fairies and bats out of hell in our minds, the Ghetto Force members retired to their Motel Sicks beds in an attempt to get enough shut-eye before the 9:00 am showdown with North Park. Sleep would be sparse, as the energy was high.

SATURDAY MORNING

As everyone awoke, the team outfitted itself with black shorts and black jerseys before boarding the cars and heading to the fields. Taking the day on as a challenge, the team had internalized that today's first game was the most important of the season. Approaching the Crane-infested, drunkenly lined fields, Ghetto was one of the first teams to arrive. Again indicating the growth of the program in the last three years. After getting some throwing in and finding out which field the team would be on, Ghetto was cleated up, and more than ever, locked and loaded.

Taking a 1/2 time Brian Belkin warm up job, Ghetto took full advantage of the added time to mentally prepare and physically prep for the battle that was ahead. Having watched the game footage, Dayton knew full well what North Park brought to the table, and as a #6 seed, NPU had come to win. As the wind began to pick up, the two squads split the field in an effort to run some early drills. On the NPU side of things, the team focused on 30 yard + throws to streaking cutters, while on the UD side, closer in and out cuts were the preference. It was a meeting of two hungry teams, who knew full well that both were bringing different styles to the table.

DAYTON v NORTH PARK, 9:00 am

Getting pulled to, the Dayton offense would start the game. With the sun not fully risen, the battle begun. As Dayton penetrated the field utilizing in cuts, a quick strike by Hoover was followed by a beautifully placed turn-over on an errant continuation throw to T-Nizzle. It would be the first of 264 turnovers by Hoover on the day. Welcome to Regionals. It was the first point and Dayton was already in fear of being broken. Luckily, the D set appropriately, and Dayton was able to take a quick turnover and convert for the first score of the day.

Yet, as they had in the prior week, North Park was experienced and knowledgeable. It wasn't but a few minutes later that the game had been matched. And, minus some well placed hucks, and a couple unsuccessful upwind runs, the beginning of the game was on-serve. The wind, proving to cause problems for both sides, was to be reckoned with. And almost as though everyone knew it, someone was going to break up wind. Finally, with the score tied at 3s, the Brand to Hayson connection was made during the D point, and the first upwind break was earned by Ghetto, 4-3. Now, to capitalize, the D would have to be gotten, and Dayton would have to punch another in, with the wind to our backs. Luckily, with T Knight marking and some nifty D's from Krissek poaching in as a wing, the turnover was received and Dayton took advantage of the wind and marched the disc upfield for the score, 5-3 Dayton. Points again would be traded, and Dayton, fully in control of the momentum, would take half 8-5.

After half, there would be more of the same, lots of scores with the wind. Yet there was a looming feeling from the sideline that either North Park would get a break, or Dayton would begin to run away with it. And luckily, Dayton brought the hot O-line to the battle, and the Magnificent 7 decided it was more fun to score, and that getting broken is more fun when it's avoided. With points being traded, Giese decided to give Mrs. Giese, who had brought plenty of rations to the Ghetto sidelines, a nice thank you. As the D-line pulled, an errant offensive throw was given up and Dayton began to take the disc upwind again. As the disc reached North Park's endzone, the disc was quickly swung from Corc to Corboy to Hoove to T Knight, who had executed a sick nasty break side cut, who proceeded to give Giese his opportunity to shine by hitting Kid Ic in the chest for a fully horizontal break side upwind break. All of which Mrs. Giese thoroughly enjoyed.

With another break under Ghetto's belt, the taste of victory was close. So Mr. T, normally quite modest, decided to get down with his bad self. After getting a turn, T received the disc and showing his underrated handling skills, he dropped the meanest flick fake of the weekend, officially putting his mark on the ground in an obliterated state of decay. T, relishing his accomplishment, made quick work of the opportunity by hitting Double D's will a fully break side backhand, who worked the disc upfield getting it to Corc and then The Show for the 2nd half of the upwind break, again furthering Dayton's lead. Now at 13-8, Dayton's D-line was enjoying the moment until the Bull Dog came on the field and outwardly announced the score, claiming it'd be a bad omen if the game was brought to 13-9 (the same score Illinois rebounded from when they upset NPU). The line, displeased with his superstitious naiveté, berated him for his insolence and forced him into Ultimate exile for his life. As fate would have it, Foor's superstitious blunder didn't have any affect on the game, and points would be quickly traded to 14-10.

With Dayton receiving, the Universe O line was sent in to finish the business. Again relying on vicious in-cuts, the squad knew the end was near. Closing the game in a fury of swings and strikes, Dayton's O-line got the disc to Giese-Unit, who, by an act of God, managed to punch in the final score, capping a 15-10 upsetting of the #6 seed.

Air Alert. Saturday morning practices. Dealing with Jeff. It had all paid off.

Ghetto Force, a team that hadn't made any noise for a decade, was again back on the Regional scene and making waves. It's one of the greatest moments in Ghetto Force history. Against all the naysayers and trash talkers, Dayton, as the #11 seed, shut out all the talk and spoke more volumes in one game then any shit that can be said on RSD. Case closed. North Park has outstanding talent, extremely gifted handlers, and what seems to be a really tight knit unit. We knew it'd be a tight game, and to have beaten a team of such caliber, is what made that moment special. Congrats to them on making their first Regional, and all the best to them in the future, it's definitely a program to be on the look out for.

However, as all this was going on, and Dayton was making monumental steps as a program, there was also other major news within the Region. The East Plains, which for those of you not in the know, GOT COMPLETELY SHAFTED IN THE SEEDINGS! There was all sorts of hype about the Central Plains and blah blah blah. Well what happened by 10:30 Saturday morning? OSU, Dayton, and Miami had all won their games. Just to save everyone some quick math, the Central Plains' 6 teams dropped seed by a total of -13 spots. The East Plains' 7 teams, obviously well underrated, pushed up and broke seed by +18 spots. What more can you say? Oh yea, maybe EAST - PLAINS - EAST - PLAINS - EAST - PLAINS!!!

With Meatloaf fueling the fire, Dayton had unleashed a Rush-sized serving of hater tots for breakfast, and everyone, from the parents to the players, was pumped. Dayton was moving on to the Quarterfinals.

DAYTON v NOTRE DAME, 11:30 am

Reaching the Quarterfinals, something Ghetto hasn't done in nearly a decade, again showcased the growth of the program the tenacity to make things happen. After planning out where the team wanted to be way back in August, everything was falling into place like clockwork. And now, Ghetto was going to get to face up against Notre Dame's Ultimate juggernaut, Papal Rage.

Notre Dame, ranked 24th in the country and the #3 seed overall in the tournament, had only 5 losses coming into the weekend (all against the highest caliber teams). And, since the team only allows you to play if you're beastly and over 6'0'' tall, Notre Dame appeared to be a hurdle that Ghetto hadn't faced yet in the season.

However, as the game began, it quickly became apparent that Ghetto was facing a mental challenge, and early in the game, things seemed like they were going in Ghetto's favor. With some sick D's and well placed puts, all of a sudden, Ghetto was up 5-2. With the D line coming in, an outstanding pull put Notre Dame near their endzone, where a quick drop left Ghetto in prime position to extend their lead. Unfortunately, a caught hammer for the score was brought back do to a stall count, which, in the scheme of things, was all ND needed to get back on track. Making quick work of the disappointed Ghetto D-line, ND rebounded, bring the score back to 5-3, and Papal Rage was off to the races.

What separates the good teams from the great teams, oftentimes isn't talent or style or intensity. At a certain level, those aspects begin to become strong across the board, no matter the program. But what really can separate a program is mental toughness. Notre Dame had been here before. They'd played tight games throughout the season against the best in the nation, and had been to the GL Quarterfinals the last three years. Dayton, on the other hand, had played predominantly Sectional-esque opponents during the season, and didn't have a single player on the team who'd ever been to Quarters. And in the end, that experience is what made the difference in this game.

Although Ghetto was up to start, Notre Dame relied on their poise and experience to mentally pressure Ghetto. And, with little comparable experience to fall back on, Dayton was sucked out of the game during the second half. ND seemed to have flipped a switch, and Ghetto couldn't quite respond. Notre Dame took the game 15-6.

Although the score wasn't where any Ghetto member wanted it to be, the experience was awesome. To have made it to Quarters, and to know that this young program (basically returning almost everyone next year) can compete at this level speaks volumes. There are lessons to be learned, and knowledge to bad. Ghetto's time in the Championship Bracket in '08 will be utilized to better the program in the future. This is for sure.

DAYTON v OHIO NORTHERN, 2:00 pm

Having sustained the first loss of the weekend, Ghetto was now relegated to the 2nd place bracket, in an effort to keep the dream alive in the double-elimination format. Ironically, as the East Plains had dropped a bomb in the first round of the day, more East Plains "pwnsaucing" continued in the 2nd round of the day. Although Miami and Dayton sustained losses, Oberlin had beaten North Park, Bowling Green had beaten Chicago, and OSU had beaten Michigan State. The other two East Plains teams, Ohio University and Ohio Northern, had dueled to Universe Point where after a hard cap controversy, ONU came out the victor 12-11.

Having won that game, ONU had earned the right to play the #11 seed overall in Dayton. As Sectional rivals, the orange glow of ONU's jerseys seemed to be all to familiar. Running hybrid, Dayton didn't want any part of some cross-sectional tomfoolery, and made a commitment to expose ONU's ever present array of strategic loopholes.

As the game started, Ghetto took the field like a lax group of players who expected to roll through a game with one hand tied behind their back. Obviously, it's a dangerous stance to take, a la North Park. However, with less than stellar effort, Ghetto came out on top early, took a couple breaks, and was up 5-2. Although Coach Pak and Mack were making every effort to fire up the sidelines, the wheels just seemed to be running on cruise control. D's were coming and points were being scored, but Dayton just seemed to be getting them through the fundamental faults of ONU....not so much through pressure or energy.

Then, ONU took a huck deep immediately after a pull, and Coach Ed Mack went ballistic. Knowing full well how easily tides of games can turn, he was putting his heart and soul into energizing the Ghetto lines. Unfortunately, the team still continued to run on autopilot. Dayton, receiving the pull, began working it downfield when the ONU defense fell apart and the O was in a foot race to score. Taking it across the field, Hoover swung to Corcoran, who, while sporting the backwards Rush hat (I STILL choose Free Will), nearly immediately ripped an open side flick for the score.

However, as soon as the throw was released, ONU's Texas-sized punk thought it in the best Spirit of the Game to battering ram Capitan Corc during his follow through. Not only was it unbelievably dangerous, it was completely deliberate and utterly intentional. There are a lot of asses in the sport of Ultimate, but this kid, he's pretty freaking high up there. To fully be aware that you're going to commit a foul, endanger another player, break every rule that Ultimate has been founded on, and still follow through with it, is absolutely outrageous. To the player, his coach, and anyone that condones this style of Ultimate, you should be ashamed. For a sport trying to grow, you're the leach that sucks the fun and spirit from this game. Get off our turf.

Corc, who's Ghetto thick and thin, wasn't about to play games and immediately stepped up and called this punk out. It might not have been his best display of emotion and spirit, but lets be honest. When someone plows and hacks you intentionally, you're instincts are going to turn to intensity, not so much passive aggression. And, Ghetto, showing its true colors, had its captain's back fully.

Coach Mack, stepping in appropriately, helped defuse the situation and separate the lines and the tension. ONU took a time out, hoping that Ghetto's new found fire would ware off, and Ghetto went to a huddle to get everyone on the same page. Ghetto plays Ghetto Ultimate. We're never going to stoop to some lower level, and that was reiterated throughout the time out. However, our energy had been down, and now it was exploding, and Captain Rush wanted all of it to be used on the field. Coming out of the time out, Mohawks were flaring and eyes were burning with the passion for D's and obliteration. Corboy, who lives with Corcoran (they may be legally brothers, we're not sure yet) was about to go ape shit as a form of repayment for the prior shenanigans. This, for those that aren't getting the drift, translated into full tilt sexy time layout Ds....4 of them in the first half alone. Ghetto, hopping on board the Corboy Pain Train, rampaged a couple breaks in a row and rolled ferociously to half.

In the second half, the punishing would continue. Walcheezian (who secretly has a tat that says I HEART CORC) made a conscious decision to start playing Ultimate beyond the realm of physical possibilities, and began the 2nd half storm by going Mr. Bombastic on his pulls. One of which, yes, was dropped (Karma anybody?). Ghetto worked in every player on the team, and in doing so, gave everyone an opportunity to consume Ultimate revenge. One of the most bloodthirsty was Mastro Leggings Josh Foor, who came on for a D point starving for action as his leggings efficiently wicked to the 5th dimension. His appetite was only furthered when he realized the aforementioned jerk-off had come back into the game (Again, a weak move on their part...why play a guy with such poor spirit that doesn't apparently represent your program? Weaksauce.). Foor, disapproving of his being on the field, began to think hard on the subject. In the end Foor, decided to celebrate Festivus by doing a defensive two-step on this kid, exclaimed to the line "I've got him." As the point progressed, 4$ let his Meatloaf powers coax this kid into making an in-cut. Bad decision. Foor, releasing all hell, put the fully horizontal lay out D hammer down, proving once and for all, Ghetto hits 'em where it hurts. Unlike this kid, who just hits.

This act of fully committed forced penance was greatly appreciated by the sidelines, especially by The Admiral. Knowing what great titillation comes with sick D's, The Admiral stepped in and laid a sick nasty foot block down. The ONU handler, realizing foot block egg had just been smeared all over his face, quickly thought about what he should do, and called a foul....naturally. As he explained his case, he mentioned that after he let go of the disc, he hit Pat's foot with his hand. WHAMMY! As soon as he said that, the 11th Edition aficionados of Ghetto Force pounced. Having just articulated that the throw was off and not affected by Patricio Del Toro, the 11th Edition quotes began to fly, and the D was rewarded. Revenge, is a disc best served on Pat's foot.

After the D, Ghetto continued to ride the defensive train to Pleasure Town. From there on out, everyone chipped in the Defense Fund for the Support of Evan Corcoran and Ghetto rolled to a 15-7 win.

DAYTON v NORTHWESTERN, 4:30 pm

This would be the final game of the day for both teams. With the 2nd place bracket being played out, the winner of this game would get a shot at Ohio State Sunday morning. The loser would have a shot to play for the 7th place.

Having dropped two key playmakers, Dave Hayson and Joel Brand, by this point in the day, Ghetto was beginning to wear down, and Northwestern (the only Central Plains team to break seed) was obviously going to be a difficult opponent.

The two teams, playing in one of the most ferocious crosswinds ever, were in a battle for momentum. The team that could jump out in front would have a clear advantage. And unfortunately, Northwestern was the team to jump out early, starting the game with 4 consecutive breaks.

It was a horribly sloppy beginning, for which Ghetto paid a hefty price. Although the turn-heavy game got within 2 and 3 points, Northwestern kept the momentum throughout, and never relinquished the pressure. There were of course the wind-induced highlights. Some notables include Lebron Corcoran (or Beau Corcoran if you prefer) going up for an errant disc, which resulted in more hangtime than most birds can handle....which he followed up with prettiest strike throw ever. How pretty you ask? lets just say, that the marker turned, watched the disc fly, and proceeded to say 'whoa'. Following Evan's lead, The Show decided to hop on the highlight reel by bringing a sick nasty catch layout D. With all that sexiness though, Dayton's lines were getting haggard and the flow never piqued. Northwestern took the game, 15-10.

SATURDAY NIGHT

With trail mix in hand and the Gatorade Bazooka provided sustenance, Ghetto gathered around to relish in what was truly a great day. Sure, 3-1 would have been better, but 2-2, with an upset over the #6 seed, tends to leave a pretty good taste in your mouth. Everyone huddled around Corcoran as he sang lyrics to Peg, and we all thanked the parents for their constant support. Without the support of our friends and family, Ghetto wouldn't be all that it is. Everyone congratulated each other on an awesome day and expressed how we should all be pumped to take on Michigan State the next morning in the 7/8 game.

Getting to play national caliber teams truly shows how far Ghetto has come. A couple years ago, Dayton couldn't place in the Top 20 at Sectionals. Now, Ghetto is not only making Regionals, but coming and playing, and in some cases beating, the top Regional contenders. It's an awesome feeling to know your efforts are producing results, and unlike the other half of the teams heading home, you and your boys get to wake up on Sunday morning and hit the pitch. Most don't get that satisfaction.

Ghetto broke it out one last time, and everyone cleaned up their garbage as we made ways to our cars en route to the showers. A couple cars headed off quickly, in an effort to clean speedily so the team could head off to dinner promptly. The last two cars, Ed Mack's and The Brand's stood around and relished in each other's presence. Corco did some odd dancing while reciting lyrics to Steely Dan. Addison asked what everyone's favorite Rush song was. Andy asked if anyone knew who Lucius Delicious was. Oh silly Andy.

Wait, who the hell is Andy?! Literally, as the two cars were hanging out, laughing and talking, this guy named Andy pulled up in a jeep and hopped out. Noticing our flawless Dayton Ultimate Nike swag, he stopped to give us some news. Although, we were pumped to battle it out for 7th place, former national powerhouse Michigan State, was feeling a tad wimpy and decided to skip town and not return. Even better, they really didn't care to tell anyone, other than a couple people, one of which was Michigan State grad (and pseudo-T.D.) Andy. The news was a major disappointment. Playing on Sunday is a big accomplishment, and it's a serious bummer when a team backs out like that. Especially when the team in question is SO close to the tournament. It's not like they drove 7 hours from Illinois or anything.....it was Michigan State! Anyway, their loss. It would have likely been a great game, and it's too bad they didn't want to play it.

With the news coming that we weren't going to be getting up early to play ringing fresh in our ears, our attentions turned to celebrating. After get the whole crew cleaned up, Ghetto hit the road with a Red Robin in sight. The entire squad, including family, alum, and friends, were all in attendance. The group, with much thanks to the Giese and Maloney family, was able to eat on a picked up tab....to have dinner paid for, was really a treat. Starting a new tradition, the entire group indulged in high-fives and cheers prior to the meal, in what was a classic moment for all past, present, and future members of the program.

Unlike teams that deal with scholarships, or money, or politics, Ghetto Force really is a family. Made up of players, alum, parents, siblings, friends, and supporters, Ghetto Force has again become known in the realm of Ultimate, but more importantly, has instilled a bond in all of its members thats beyond anything I can articulate here. Not much beats winning, that's for sure. But beyond the final scores, getting 7th place, or anything like that, nothing beats being able to spend time with your best friends. To accomplish goals, work hard, share the blood, sweat, and tears, all with your closest group, is really what it's all about.

It was an amazing weekend for Ghetto Force.

To all the friends, family, and other supporters, all of Ghetto Force thanks you.

And to you, the members of Ghetto Force, those in attendance and those not, just look at what we did this weekend. Look at what we can do, and how when we set a goal, how we can reach it. This is an absolutely amazing time to be part of this program. Enjoy every minute of it, because it doesn't get any better than this!!

Welcome To The Show

2008-04-24T10:16:00.007-04:00

Ladies and Gents.
Young and Old.

Welcome, to the biggest weekend of the year! Oh yes, it's that time again. When Spring is always warm, when grass is green, and the Ultimate....oh the Ultimate!

The 2008 Regional Championships are upon us, and as it is every year, the most magical weekend is sure to produce excitement!

With 16 of the Midwest's finest converging on Harland, Michigan. From teams in the Top 10 of the nation, to teams making their first Regional appearance, to teams looking for vengeance...Regionals got just a little bit of everything. Think I'm exaggerating? Think again.....have a sneak peak at a couple of the scripts unfolding this year at the 2008 Great Lakes Regional Championships:

1. Michigan - ranked number one in the Region...they may have the most impacting and important win of the entire season, across the nation...they broke Wisconsin's perfect record, and are looking to have a go with them again at Nationals.

2. Illinois - just a couple questions arose after Illinois won the Sectional Championship....on double game point...at 17-16...after being down 13-9...yea, there are just a few questions floating about one of the strongest teams in the nation.

3. Notre Dame - with only 5 losses, those in the know are still claiming Notre Dame is underrated...however, they showed signs of being susceptible to defeat when North Park took them down in the Central Plains Semifinals...the 3rd seed has just a chip on their shoulder coming into the tournament.

4. Ohio State - Nationals last year. Check. Nationals this year. Most don't seem to think so...however, Pb's got as much talent as anyone in the Region, and they always look primed for success after Sectionals...can they make it two in a row?

6. North Park - Nearly winning the Sectional Championship made a lot of noise. They've got a wealth of veterans looking to go out with a bang...can they wear the Cinderella slipper?

8. Miami of Ohio - Two top-tier collegiate and club players, Josh Findley and Matt Mastrantuono are wrapping up their college careers this year...they're surrounded by youthful excitement and plenty of speed...can they make a final push? Many think they could be a dark horse.

10. Indiana - Um, yea. National Championships last year...this year, they about didn't make it out of Sectionals. Yet this Central Plain 6th place finisher has a lot to prove...especially since they're ranked in front of 6 other Regional teams. Has Indiana dropped off? Or is Indiana back for more?

There's so much to be looked at and analyzed, but when it comes down to it, everyone in the Region is going to have to bring it. No matter how much people debate Series formats, the bottom line is teams have to win. If you want to make it through, you've got to beat teams. This year's GL is primed to be exciting, and no matter how things pan out, everyone is hungry....

For all your Regional needs, check out this site:

The 2008 Great Lakes Open Regionals Site

2008 Great Lakes Regional Teams

2008-04-20T21:09:00.003-04:00

As of Sunday, April 20th, the final teams to receive bids for the Great Lakes Regional Championships were confirmed. These 16 squads, coming from the East Plains, Central Plains, and Michigan Sectionals, will converge in Detroit this weekend. As a teaser for more things to come, here's a quick look at who will be representing each Sectional, in order of their Sectional finish.

The East Plains

The Ohio State University
Miami University of Ohio
The University of Dayton
Ohio University
Ohio Northern University
Oberlin College
Bowling Green State University

The Central Plains

The University of Illinois
The University of Notre Dame
North Park University
Northwestern University
The University of Chicago
Indiana University

The Michigan Sectional

The University of Michigan
Michigan State University
Kalamazoo College

Here are a wealth of worthwhile links:

UPA Regional Championship Page

The East Plains Sectional Championships Results Page

The Central Plains Sectional Championships Results Page

The Michigan Sectional Championships Results Page