Roll Call 2008 - Quick Recap

70 teams, 40 Open and 30 Women's, all made the trek to fabled ground in Maryland for Cultimate's first ever Roll Call Tournament.

Dayton received a 2nd seed in their pool (which would be held.....unfortunately), and set sights on finishing in the Top 16. It was a long weekend, filled with pulled hammies, cleated backs, cleats to the face, the occasional crappy-as-all-get-out call, and backhand rips to the eyeball. It was a tough, tough weekend. The gang is beaten and battered, and unfortunately, the final goal of Top 16 was not met.

Ghetto finished in 21st place, and an official record of 6-2. Unfortunately, the two losses were poorly timed and both seriously hindered Championship Bracket and Consolation Bracket play. Nonetheless, the tournament, in hindsight, may or may not have been perfect. As mentioned in previous posts, this tournament was all about timing. For some, like Pitt, the timing proved will and consistency were at the helm. For others, like Indiana, timing maybe showed some scares that the College Series was quickly approaching. For Ghetto, the timing has given the team an introspective look into the finer points that all need to be addressed prior to Sectionals....and it's much better those points be addressed before Sectionals, as opposed to after.

The full write up and game recaps will be coming throughout the week. Here are the final game scores, and a quick peak at the heart pounding Universal nature of 3 Ghetto games:

Columbia High: 13-12
Swarthmore: 12-11
SUNY-Oneata: 13-9
Edinboro: 8-13
Pennsbury High: 12-11
Penn State: 7-12
Columbia High: Win by Forfeit
Winner of Richmond v Rensselaer Polytech: Win by Forfeit

Cultimate's Roll Call 2008 - New Pools

The team is migrating eastward, as Ghetto Force's A squad is preparing to descend on Washington D.C. If there was more time to simply analyze the pools and the matchups, now would be the time.....unfortunately, there is no time. We've been chosen, our number has been called, and Roll Call is upon us. Below you'll find the entire tournament field's breakdown, as well as Dayton's Pool F. More updates to come over the course of the weekend.

Roll Call - The Time Has Come

The time has come. As this season has had its fare share of timing issues (multiple canceled tournaments, horribly timed injuries, late notice van cancellations....lame) its time again for the Men of Ghetto Force to again hit the pitch.

Coming straight off a spring break lapse of 10 days, the UD Men's Club Ultimate team has a week of practices leading into a power-packed weekend of Cultimate competition. With most teams coming in from the Metro East, Great Lakes, and Northeast Regions, the final round up of teams has made for two strong Elite Pools, followed by six sub-elite ranking pools. With the likes of Pitt, OSU, and Harvard rounding out the Elites, many high caliber teams scatter the lower six pools.

Of the 30 in those six pools, Regional contenders, new faces in the crowd, and perennial powerhouses all meld together. From Georgetown to George Washington, Messiah to Michigan State, Princeton to Penn State, the 6 sub-elite pools are as highly competitive and experienced as anything Dayton has seen so far this year.

With a 2-seed in the E Pool, Dayton is sandwiched by teams with loads of playing time and impressive track records. The 5 team grouping of North Park, Dayton, Georgetown, Salisbury, and NYU, should make for strong matchups with heated games. Oh, and does it get better. As if the competition wouldn't be cutthroat enough in the sub-elite pools, Skip and Cultimate are making things more interesting. Because of the stiff competition in the Elite pools, all teams playing in them will automatically get into the Championship bracket. Translation: Only the sub-elite pool winners will get into the Roll Call Championship Bracket. That means, if you want to start Sunday off on the right foot, you have to take down the pool.

With a 7+ hour ride rapidly approaching, a deep threat rocking a Kanye West metal plate in the face, and El Capitan doing debits and credits for The Man, Ghetto has reached the gut check. The headphones will be put on. The eye black will be smeared. The jerseys will get christened with some serious stains. And the fire will be lit. The Noob Stamp must be reoiled and reaffirmed. For Ghetto, the recipe, as it's been all season, is simple. Bring the energy early, keep the tempo fast, and stay on till the end. The Force has a potluck selection of veterans, a German-American Beowulf incarnate, a Jackson Hole Juggernaut, and oh yea, has anyone seen this Kid Ic?

The Pain Will Be Brought.
The Noob Will Be Stamped.
The Respect Will Be Earned.
The Ho Will Be Air Alerted.

Roll Call 2008 - Timing is Everything

Cultimate continues to grow, and in doing so, has added what may be (with Terminus getting canceled and Easters being a tad weaker) one of the strongest tournaments on the East Coast. Roll Call, in its flagship year, has proven to be uniquely timed. For the 40 teams that received bids (there were over 70 that submitted), the consequences of March 29th-30th, could be outstanding. Namely, there are two key issues to consider:

1. Roll Call is immediately preceded by two big time tournaments, Centex and College Southerns. Thus, teams playing at both Roll Call and Centex (Pitt, Harvard) or Roll Call and College Southerns (OSU, Penn State, VaTech, Oberlin, etc.) may be at either an advantageous or a disadvantageous position. Only next weekend will tell.
2. Roll Call is immediately preceding many Sectional tournaments, most notably the East Plains and the East Penn. Having teams from both sectionals competing against inter-sectional rivals the week prior to the start of the College Ultimate Series, could have serious repercussions. Match ups, injuries, the mental game, etc., all could quickly be affected based on Roll Call.

Therefore, with Terminus essentially being canceled, Boogie Nights being snowed in, and many Sectional teams not having seen each other, Roll Call may be the surprise tournament of the spring. I'm by no means saying it will be the most competitive East Coast tourny of the spring (although with 14 teams above 2300 in the RRI, it will most certainly be competitive), I'm just saying, with the way things have played out up to this point, it may be the most surprisingly important tournament of the season. With a good or bad showing, have potentially uplifting or deflating affects on the important start season College Ultimate Series looming.

Click here for the Roll Call 2008 Website

Click here for the Roll Call 2008 UPA Team Listing

Push it to the Limit

To the person who got lazy.....they're for you.
For the person who continually throws behind their man......they're for you.
And yes, for the patented drop the pancake guy......they're for you too.

When it comes to the go-to drill, along with it's many inverted, breakside, and detailed variations, the push-ups are the equivalent to a drill sergeant's boot briskly grazing your backside. For the drops, the miscues, the laziness, and the many other creative errors that are uncovered over time, push-ups have become Ghetto's calling card for focus. When practice wavers, give me 20. Latta hit another cone? Give me 5. Butters cracked the Noob Stamp on you during Battle Royale? Kiss the concrete.

The push-up, however simple, represents everything that's changed about Ghetto Force over the last 3 years. With a combination of beauty and brute force, Ghetto has slowly, but steadily, made a name for itself.

It wasn't long ago, that Sectionals meant getting thwamp-thwamped. It wasn't long ago Ghetto players didn't have numbers (or in many cases, jerseys). It wasn't long ago that people didn't come to practice. It wasn't long ago that practices were just hotbox, with 5 guys and 3 girls. It wasn't long ago......

Taking a note from The Shawshank Redemption, Ghetto has steadily applied pressure and time.....and, in just a handful of years, has completely reshaped the face of Dayton Ultimate. Today, Ghetto's use of the push-up physically represents the difference in standards the team has taken on, but more importantly, the ever-present pressure to push hard day in, and day out.

Ghetto Force (the #50 Team in the Nation), and the Ghetto Ultimate Blog, will be going on a temporary hiatus to indulge in the University of Dayton's Spring Break. The squad (for the most part) will be taking some time to head home, to see friends and family, and in many cases, make a pilgrimage to a spring college destination (Vegas anybody?).

For those keeping track, the start of Spring Break signals an exciting time for Ghetto. It's going to be a whirlwind tour d' ultimate upon our return....here will be Ghetto's upcoming Schedule:

• March 29th-30th, Roll Call, Washington D.C. (A-Squad)

• March 29th-30th, Wooster Warm-Up, Wooster, OH (B-Squad)

• April 5th-6th, East Plains Open Sectionals, Granville, OH (Both Squads)

• April 26th-27th, Great Lakes Open Regional Championships, Detroit, Michigan (Based on Sectional Qualification)

Stay safe, enjoy your down time, and come back hungry. We've got a full plate, we're going to need plenty of energy for all the Noob Stampings we'll have to give out.

Have an awesome break Ghetto!

Though We Were Ready to Dance, Boogie Nights Was Not Meant to Be

Mother Nature, as was the case in the Dayton Invite, felt that Ghetto just wasn't meant to run the risk of injury this weekend (could she have thrown a bone to Broken-Cheek-Dano?).

With quite possibly the biggest winter storm of the year coming after we're a week into March, everyone is frustrated and disappointed that the Boogie Nights Tournament won't be happening. However much Ghetto and other teams wanted to play, we have to commend the TD, Matt Mastrantuono, for making the right call. With teams coming from as far as 8+ hours away, it's just not worth it to risk people driving and playing in such horrendous conditions. Nonetheless, a ton of work has been put into this event, and it's obvious that people are frustrated with the curve ball the weather has thrown at us (Dayton had a high of 49 yesterday....naturally).

For Ghetto, more than anything, the weekend's cancellation is a sincere disappointment. For the first time in recent memory (at least 5+ years) Dayton holds a Top 50 National Ranking, and an Ultimate RRI in the Top 5. The best thing for Ghetto would have been to subdue rumors by going out and repeating the massacre of last weekend. Though the competition would have been stiffer, and the results potentially different, it was imperative for Ghetto to have an opportunity to see better teams, and to analyze their game at a higher level.....this, unfortunately, will just have to wait till Roll Call.

The best teams deal with adversity all the time. Ghetto is going to have dig just a little deeper this year. With two spring tournaments being canceled (Ghetto Invite & Boogie Nights), Ghetto is going to have to find ways to press even harder in practices. The focus has to stay strong, and as everyone has said, we have to stay right where we're at (Top 50). And as Addison Hoover said, in regards to our RRI in the recent full-page spread in Flyer News, "we’re not yet the No. 2 team in the nation. That doesn’t mean we can’t be in the future." However, to compete and sustain that level of play, everyone, from top to bottom, has to push. To allow each other to be complacent with our recent successes does nothing but a disservice to everyone.

For all the Air Alert (GOD BLESS IT!), for all the suicides, indoor practices, and the many times YOU'VE RAN INTO CEMENT WALLS FOR A DISC, DON'T LET UP! Ghetto, as a squad and unrivaled brotherhood, has to find the energy.

We have to elevate our level of play every single day.
We have to be out throwing on our own time.
We have to come to practice on time, ready to whoop some ass.
We have to stay intense, and get in each other's faces when the intensity isn't there.

We've earned the right to be #39 in the Nation - and everyone in this Sectional believes we'll spoil it the first chance we get.

I won't let this happen.
You won't let this happen.
We won't let this happen.

Ghetto, in the word's of a Sectional rival, "is an Army". And this Army is on a mission. We will stay hungry and we will not be denied.

Ghetto For Life.

How Good is Ghetto Force?

97 - 14 Point Differential

+ 8 Stitches
+ 7 - 0 Opening Record
+ 7 OWU Tournament Opponents
+ 1 Broken Cheek Bone
+ The UPA RRI Algorithm
___________________________________________________________

= How good is the University of Dayton Men's Club Ultimate Team?

People love to talk. And if there's one thing that crosses nationalities, languages, and interests, across the globe, people love to talk sports.

And in a day when technology allows information and opinions to be transmitted at the speed of The Kozby Show, sports debates rage hotter than a Joel Brand burnt defender. And Ultimate, although certainly unique, is no exception.

With the advent of Mssui.com, Ultimate has turned the professional corner, and is beginning to look at itself with more serious, and credible, opinions than ever before. And just as avid readers of Mssui saw a week ago, Ultimate is constantly going to be analyzed and speculated. With more media coverage, and more reliance on the UPA's Score Reporting system and RRI system, teams across the country are being sized up every day.

And it just so happens that Ghetto Force is being looked at as you read this.

After dropping a Cactus Bomb on the entire OWU EMR Tournament field, Dayton has made some waves.....tsunami waves, if you will.

With the most massive point diff any human being will ever see, people are beginning to ask how good is Ghetto Force? Then, only to make things more interesting, the UPA updated their RRI algorithm, and none other than the University of Dayton sat comfortably as #2 in the Nation. Quite a step for a program that couldn't get two wins at Sectionals, just two years ago. And, to comment on this topic, I would like start by saying this:

Ghetto Force hasn't proven anything yet.

Ghetto went to OWU, and did exactly what it was supposed to do - trounce every team along the path to a Championship. The RRI, though outstanding, doesn't mean we're the second best team in the country. It just means that based on the UPA RRI Algorithm, we've proven we're a strong program, that's capable of doing outstanding things. The real point of the #2 RRI ranking, is to put pressure on Ghetto Force to continue to have the same success story week in and week out, the rest of the year.The math is far simpler than the UPA RRI Algorithm...trust me.....For Ghetto it's easy. We absolutely cannot let up. Dayton Flyers Basketball, The New England Patriots, it's a simple equation....if you don't add successes throughout a season, the final total is negative. Ghetto must be absolutely certain to not let last weekend's victories go to our heads. Relish it, be proud of it, but let it be fuel. We have a target on our backs now, and we have to push ourselves harder because we have to prove ourselves to everyone all over again. Each weekend is a new weekend, and there's no way now, that Ghetto's going to take the foot off the gas.

DAY 2 Recap - Running Riot, Pt. 2, The Championship Version

(Ghetto-A, Championship Warm-up, OWU 2008)

As Saturday night began to fall, it was apparent that the OWU EMR Memorial Tournament would be a quick proving ground for many of the section's teams.

That being said, it was also apparent that one team took feelings, emotions, and the like, into absolutely no consideration.

As Saturday closed, Dayton's Ghetto Force proved their worth by absolutely crushing their pool, and earning the coveted first round bye on Championship Sunday.

Dayton-B, as mentioned in Saturday's article, struggled with some fundamental issues, and couldn't consistently get points to connect across the day. However, the successes of Ghetto-B were a plenty. With progress in handling and cutting readily apparent, Dayton-B's record wasn't the main factor...the real point was to give guys a chance to shine and really have some strong on field time.

With Sunday morning rolling around, Ghetto-B had a Pre-Quarters play in game against a gun-slinging Rochester squad, fresh off the road from the big NY. Utilizing two big play handlers and wealth of strong offensive cutters, Rochester put a pretty strong hurt on Dayton-B. Nonetheless, the value of getting guys on the field, against a very capable opponent, is immense.

Post the loss to Rochester, the Dayton-B squad took on another highly capable Eastern Michigan team. With a wealth of talent and experience, EMU would prove to again be a very challenging opponent. Though Ghetto-B may have been handed a loss by the Hellfish, they proved to their captains and themselves, that they have a load of heart, and all the workings to become a truly strong Ultimate team.

El Capitan, Patricio Del Toro, had nothing but positives to harp on after the weekend. Dealing with injuries and playing in harsh conditions are no easy task, but Ghetto-B battled to the end, and had a wealth of time on the field....both very important to the program. As Pat said, the team kept spirits up, fought hard, and though the W-L column maybe wasn't what everyone had wanted, the tournament did exactly what it was supposed to do. Get guys on the field, and let them showcase their skills.

With tenacity and strength, the squad fought the whole weekend...and that's what Dayton Ultimate is all about. As a program continually evolving and becoming better known on the national scene (as we will address more later!), it's absolutely imperative for the program to develop strong, young talent. And, on the whole, this weekend was a success on every front. To have a group of hungry guys fighting on Dayton-B, elevates the level of the entire program. It elevates intensity, furthers program growth, and shows everyone in the area (and beyond) that Dayton Ultimate is the real deal.

And, on that note, Dayton-A felt the hot breath of the Dayton-B, and responded by absolutely pounding the crap out of every team....(for an understatement, see previous sentence)

With the glorious OWU Wooden Paddle at stake, every Ghetto-A player arrived at the fields hungry to continue chewing up opponents and spitting them onto the ice and slush ridden pitch. With the domination of its pool, Dayton-A was afforded the chance to rest late and take advantage of the Pre-Quarters bye. Arriving for the Quarterfinals, Dayton-A began to look back on the day before. Reminiscing on Saturday's whoopings proved to be enjoyable for all to speak about. That was until team leader, Dan Simon, stepped up and spoke some serious words:

"We can't focus on yesterday. Today is a new day."

He couldn't have been more right. And with the desire to come to the fields with a broken cheek bone (mad ballerness), just to cheer on his teammates, everyone listened and obliged. As Pre-Quarters slowly came to a close, the team ran, threw, and stretched. Having the chance to think of more teams being served up as delicious sacrifices, only whetted the palates of the Dayton-A squad more.

Leading the rallying cry was Captain Corc, who stressed that we come out of the gates hard (go figure), and continue to feast on the OATBAG. Ironically, the most motivating quote of the early morning, came from a Hope College player (they'd be Ghetto's first opponent of the day). As Ghetto watched Hope's Pre-Quarters game finish, a Hope player relayed a humorous quote:

"Yea, the games tied, neither of our teams can score up-wind...so, yea, that's kinda how it's going to be today on this field."

Relieving Evan of his Moron status, will be the dude that offered up this quote. He would be the first of many to earn the highly sought after Noob Stamp. He earned the Mega Noob Stamp minutes later (after he won the flip), as he absurdly chose to start facing upwind. Ah-buh? Cheers to you, Mr. Hope-College-Can't-Score-Upwind-Quote-Guy.

Dayton, reveling in the thought of a team that couldn't score upwind, decided to come out hot and show this Hope team their tournament time would quickly come to a close.

With a voracious hunger for the OATBAG, the Ghetto O and D lines decided to begin feasting early...starting the game on an 8-0 run to take half. Including the end of play on Saturday, this half officially brought Ghetto Force to a 24 point run without giving up a score.

The second half was all of same, except for some Hope noobs wising up and scoring two points. Nonetheless, not much joy could be sufficed from Hope's two scores, and the game quickly finished 15-2, with Ghetto trouncing all of their.....uh, hope.

Ghetto, as it was the theme for every game, found they had finished off their opponent well before the rest of the field. Thus, the Force had to sit idly to find out who would be next on the offering table.

As Ghetto-B found out early in the day, the Rochester team had brought some serious players, and had quickly finished off their first two opponents of the day. This meant, that as their Quarterfinals game against OSU-B came to a wrap, they would make the dreaded Burma Road march over to Dayton's field of feasting.

Rochester, who was quickly sized up as perhaps the best opponent Dayton had faced on the weekend, showed strengths in the areas of handling and disc movement. It would be the first time Ghetto Force would be tested over the weekend, as the Semifinals would not be decided easily.

At least, that's was what we thought. Coming out with the hype and adrenaline pumping, Ghetto rolled the Monster-fueled Pain Train into town by leveling Rochester 8-0 in the first half, and again, bringing home the OATBAG in the first half. Hoover, having the best start of his life, used his Cactus Bomb cleats to pick up 6 assists in the first 8 points, giving Mark Latta a semi. Continuing the killtastic rampage, second half highlights included Foor bringing a sick layout D against two grumbling opponents. And, as if the destruction wasn't enough, Goose, Corbizzle, and The Name Brand began Air Alerting the Ho - big time. So much so, Brentastic dealt so many Deep Deep D's that everyone lost track of the final tally, (though we'd guess it to be between 10-15). Kid Ic chipped in a sick score-saving layout on a wind drifting disc intended for Mark Anderson, firing up the sidelines and further punishing the score. This only helped topple the Rochester beast, and further Dayton's unreal momentum. Rochester, realizing it was done for, decided to make a final stand, scoring it's only point in the game when Dayton reached 14...leaving Dayton OATBAG-less in the second half, closing out the game 15-1, and without the desired OATBAGel.

Nonetheless, Ghetto had done everything it had planned on doing. Step 1, win the pool. Step 2, put your junk in the box. Step 3, make it to the Championship Game. And that's the way you do it!

However, all of Ghetto was just a smidge surprised how everything had come about. A 52-7 point differential on Day 1 was certainly impressive, but was part of the team's goal for pool play. Continuing it into the Championship Game, at a whopping 82-10 point diff, surprised even some of the Ghetto-A players. Not to mention, that word had spread about how bad the beatings had been, and everyone knew that Dayton came to win and meant business (as well as meant to give the business).

Finishing the Semi (not to be confused with keeping a semi) in quick fashion, Dayton again had to sit, and wait, and wait. The other Semifinal, between OWU and Case Western, seemed to drag on and on, till finally, just after the hard cap sounded, CWR took the game 13-12. Leaving Ghetto just one final opponent, the Case Fighting Gobies (who lost the worst team name battle to the OWU Firedogs) in the Championship.

Since Ghetto had roughly an hour and fifteen minutes to watch some of the other Semifinal and prep for the Championship, the dirty dozen (or so) left standing, took full advantage and got a lengthy warm up and toss in prior to the start of the game. Case, all the while, had to pack things up quickly and mull over to the lion's den to start the final. As all the onlookers could tell, Dayton's legs had yet to be tested, and in the case of taking the field, it was obvious one team was ready to take the Championship.

Starting downwind on O, Ghetto received the pull, and in a matter of moments (probably no more than 20 seconds) had worked it with ease into the endzone. As had been the case all weekend, Dayton relished playing defense and brought the punishing Zone-D and rattled off the next two breaks by getting turns and working the scores to Gieseapalooza. Dayton, unable to comprehend anything other than utter annihilation, pressured more and more, taking the first 6 Championship points, without fail. Dayton pieced together more d's and offense by working swiftly to an 8-1 half.

It was everything Ghetto had worked for, all coming into place. With a Chuck Norris Roundhouse kick-sized first half, Ghetto knew the Championship was in reach, and firmly set eyes on victory. Halftime was built on forceful words from Papa Corc and Coack Pak, focused on getting back out there and driving the game home. To keep the energy up, Ghetto players devoured purple Monster and some big helpings of hater-tots before taking the field with vengeance.

Starting with the same pattern, Ghetto scored early, and often, bringing the game to 11-1. Then, to the surprise of all, something happened. Case began to fight back, taking two points in a row (the first team to take two in a row from Ghetto, the entire tournament). Corcoran, appalled by Dayton's tomfoolery, insisted that the massacre must continue, and no time could be spared.

Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Papa Corc unleashed all his fury in the form of a full field flick to none other than the Name Brand. In doing so, the duo lit the fire again, producing instant hunger for carnage throughout the entire team.

Hungry for blood, Mark Anderson brought his D game, finding layout sexiness in every corner of the field, producing turn, after turn, after turn, from the zone mid mid position. Combined with the offensive prowess of the handlers, mixed with the desire to score from everyone (did anyone see Evan streaking deep?) the whole unit was hungry to be the one to finish off the bloodbath.

And, as if written, the finish proved to be picture perfect. Coming back to the field against doctor's orders, Joe Bayer entered the game for the final points, accompanied by his 8, "Pain Level 4" stitches, sewn just above his left eye. Ready to rock, Darth Bayder enlisted all of his Darkside Jedi Powers into finishing the tournament...which he aptly did, reeling in the final two scores of the day, leading Ghetto to a 15-4 Championship victory.

Lets just face it. Ghetto Force came to win the OWU tournament, and anything less would have been a complete failure.

Producing an astonishing 97-14 point differential, Ghetto came, saw, and pwn'd.

In all truth, it wasn't the best competition, however, the teams were solid Sectional opponents, and Ghetto did everything it was supposed to do. With wins over area competitors, Ghetto strove to make a statement, and in the winning style used, made a serious impression.

OWU, who, as I called days ago, ignorantly knighted themselves as the #1 seed in the tournament, didn't even make it to the Championship game. And in losing by one point, watched the team they lost to, go on and get punished 15-4. OWU will never have us back for anything again, calling it right now.

It was everything Ghetto Force had wanted, and in many ways, everything Ghetto Force expects. The best teams know they go into every game looking to pounce, and not let up, until the game is done. And with a program on the rise, it was exactly what Dayton did all weekend.

As the season goes on, Dayton will only see better competition (Boogie Nights, Roll Call, etc.) and needs to realize that this obliteration is just a step, and isn't going to be the foundation for bragging rights.

Ghetto Force is becoming what everyone wants it to be, a Regional contender and consistent threat, but we're not there yet. There is much work to be done, and the focus, drive, and intensity, must continue.

Great weekend Ghetto - across the board. From the bottom to the top, effort was huge in all facets and the Championship Paddle is a prize for the entire program. Let this be a focal point for when the practices are hard and morale is down. This is what we want to happen every weekend, and if that's going to happen, this is just the first piece in the puzzle.

Keep up the outstanding work, and lets keep this rolling!

Ghetto Force

The Ohio Wesleyan University Evan
Matthew Reas Memorial
2008 Tournament Champions

DAY 1 Recap - Stitches, Broken Bones, Broken Opponents, The Noob Stamp, and Some Serious Whoopings

Day 1 of the Ohio Wesleyan Evan Matthew Reas Memorial Tournament is done. And with that, the completion of Ghetto Force's step 1 of the season is complete. With strong A and B squads attending the tournament (in different pools) the team set its sights on arriving, and taking care of business.

Ghetto Force gave people the business.

The B squad, though ending the day with an 0-4 record, made many huge strides. Alex Frasz had a stand out day, showcasing his talent both on offense and defense. Frazzle Dazzle not only put on clinics in the area of handling and cutting, but helped contribute to the demoralization of many weak offensive players with his continually potent defense. The Dazz is an athlete and a half, and definitely made his presence felt.

The B team also had strong efforts from JoePa, Lattatastic, and KaiserRoll, all demonstrating their ability to handle and move the disc. JoePa gave some noobs some free lessons, busting a move all around his markers, both with his classy throws and swift cuts. Latta had a big time game cutting, swinging, and increasing the flow of the disc in a tough game against Oberlin-B. Kaiser, as a first year player, stepped up his handling game (who knew this kid was equipped with a cannon?!?) and ripped the biggest 60 yrd. flick of the day, to a laying out Pat "The Love" Bello, for a score. With the wind, snow-capped puddles, and slush consistently casing the disc, it was truly a site to be seen. Pa, Kaiser, and Latta proved they've got the skills to pay the bills, and they're ready to payup.

Though the day may have been a bit frustrating for Ghetto B, the squad showed a lot of heart and desire....not to mention some serious improvement. Z-Nizzle, Pegatronic, and all the other first year players definitely confirmed that the future of Ghetto Force is bright. Z, for one, busted his arse the whole day, laying out and gettin' sick with it, all the way up to the slush-soaked end.

The learning experience that comes with this tournament, proves the value of getting lots of playing time. I think all the members of Ghetto Force B walked away with a knowledge of what their strengths are, and what they need to focus on for improvements. All the pieces of the puzzle are there, and the signs of flow, speed, and consistency demonstrate the work Ghetto Force B has put in. With some focus on fundamentals and knowledge of the field/throws, Ghetto B is going to make some serious waves.

A couple fields away, Ghetto Force A showed up with a tenacity unparalleled at the tournament. Though there are no rabies-infected players on Ghetto A (you might be surprised), it was obvious the slew of talent was foaming at the mouth to ravish the unprepared opponents. And ravish would turn out to be an understatement.

With tough conditions, Ghetto made it a point to rip into opponents early, and continue to beat on them all game long. Playing OSU-B to start, the first point of the day set the tone. Though the two teams met a year ago at Sectionals (ending 13-0 on a Mark Latta Callahan), OSU-B was sporting new additions (including strong Miami grads) and was looking to step up their level of play. As OSU-A made the National Championships last year, the B-squad is full of players ready to step up to the next level. Unfortunately for them, Dayton wasn't having any of it. From the get go, Hoover and Simon made the sexy time connection, and they were off to the races. Becoming addicted to the sexy time, The Hitman and Danisourus Rex laid a beat down off the bat, as they connected for the assist and score, respectively, on the first 4 points of the game.

OSU-B utilized some strong handling and quick working of the disc to break the cup and take advantages of Dayton mistakes, breaking UD and tallying a few points in the first half. Unfortunately, JoeBa, who was desperately seeking the eye black and a D, decided to aim his brain for a backhand huck, and took one like a champ above the eye. Though he was pumped with the sick D, he was less pumped when he realized he'd need 8 stitches. You know our Ghetto Love for BayBay runs deep, and the Force was not about to let that fly.

Ghetto Force, stressing the need to avoid complacency, went on a 3-0 run to take half, 7-3. The halftime rally was focused on us coming out of the gate hard, and laying down a hurt. Sporting the "Do it for Bayer" rally cry, Ghetto took into the second half like raging bulls, and completed what would be the first of many OATBAGs of the day...ripping 6 straight to take the game 13-3. It'd be the start of many sick runs.

Coming second would be a vicious, and strong, Pittsburgh-B squad. At the urging of Papa Corc (err, Pop-A-Corc?), Ghetto had to stay focused, as this game would not come as easy as the first. Captain C-Money, is obviously a moron.

Charging hard, Ghetto continued the sickest run of the season by establishing the second OATBAG of the day, rocking a 7-0 first half. Unfortunately, the half came at a costly price. Danager the Manager made a stellar play to catch a score from JFoor, and was ramroded in the cheek from a bozo, Pitt player. Who obviously disregards the safety of everyone. Though Dan held onto the disc and the score, the immediate pain was unquestionable. Stampede Simon would walk off the field under his own power, but his obviously shaken demeanor showed everyone his injury wouldn't readily be shaken. As our second player in just over an hour to make a run to the ER, Dan has unfortunately been diagnosed with a broken cheek bone, and is pretty badly beaten up. All of the team's thoughts and prayers are with Dan, as we are all thinking of him, and hope he is doing well.

Identifying a quick trend, Ghetto proposed the new slogan, "Do it for Dan" when entering the second half. The Kozby Show, reveling in the slogan, got in the act, and scored the last 4 points of the game for UD. Basically, minus a stupid call-filled point where Pitt amazingly scored, the game was same old, same old. Dayton whooping tail, taking the game quickly, 13-1. Foor, upset he threw the disc to Danimal on the play he got injured, made a point to steamroll a full layout D against a weak Pitt player. Foor would like to make it clear, his issuing of this Mega Noob Stamp was dedicated to Dano.

Of both the opening games, perhaps the most amazing part was the fact that Dayton went on a streak where they played 16 points in a row, and broke the opponents and scored on all 16 points. It was a stat to be feared, and the opponents to come knew Ghetto deserved respect.

The third game of the day was a fun one, against Walsh University's brand new Ultimate team. It was filled with nice, and often really athletic, guys who were excited to be there and ok with the beating that was to come (The Kozby Show had aptly prepped them on the mantastic-sized blasting they would take). Luckily, the guys were really fun to play with, and seemed to enjoy learning the game and playing with a team of such skill. Dayton would take the game with ease, 13-3. (As one will see, this was the only team able to avoid the dreaded OATBAGing).

Coming into the last game against Earlham, Dayton went down good ol' Memory Lane to prep. Earlham was in the minds of all the returners as they surprised UD at a tournament a year ago, ruining what was to be an awesome tournament. Ghetto made a vow, that history, would definitely NOT repeat itself.

Coming into the game, Ghetto was pumped to exact some bush league revenge. Throwing it back to the California Penal League, Ghetto came out and in a ruckus, began what would be a beat down for the ages. Reveling the feeling of a good ol' OATBAG, UD decided to take half with nice 7-0 smoking. During the halftime speech, Ghetto talked about not letting up and keeping the pressure on. Basically, this all translated into in Ghetto going out and getting the 4th OATBAG of the day. And, to the dismay of Earlham, we would not be denied. Rocking what was an outstanding zone D, Ghetto lambasted the Moment of Violence team, and tore into them with a OATBAGle, finishing the game 13-0.

For Ghetto A, almost everything went as planned. If we could have avoided the 8 stitches and the necessary plastic surgery, and the losses of Darth Bayder and Dan The Man, the day would have been perfect. But our thoughts are with them both (BayBay seems to be doing pretty well) and we are excited have them back on the field when they're both ready.

Ghetto, with the Pool-winning, 4-0 running riot, earned the beloved first round bye for Sunday. Now, with the prize firmly in sight, Ghetto starts the day in the Quarterfinals at 11:00 am, with only three games seperating Ghetto and a championship.

Ghetto Force has its target in sight, and like Saturday's rompfest, Sunday's victory will not be denied.