Regionals

After sectionals we had 2 weeks to recover from a physically tasking tournament to prepare for what would prove to be the climax of our season.  Practices to prepare for regionals were very intense and very focused.  Captains Alan Huels and Jordan Manke made it a goal to break into the top 8 at regionals, a feat that no current Ghetto Force member had achieved.  We had a goal.  On Saturday, April 26th, at 5:30am we set out on an unforgettable journey to achieve that goal.

The Ohio Valley D-1 Regional Tournament took place in Toledo, Ohio (only God knows why) so we made the 2.5 hour drive up I-75 on Saturday morning.  We opened the tournament with a game against Case Western Reserve.  There's not much to say about this game except that we were probably really tired from the drive and some of the team stopped at McDonald's for breakfast so that probably made us a little sluggish.  The Gobies had great flow with their horizontal stack and their zone gave us trouble when the wind kicked up later in the game.  However, we did not do much to help ourselves in this game.  Seemingly everyone who played in that game had at least 1 dropped disc.  We didn't play our best and the skill of our opponents did not help us.  It was a somewhat rude awakening that we needed to focus and get ready to play.  The Case game ended up 5-15. 

Mark with the fabled around break

The Flying Peach

Game 2 was against Ohio University.  The game against them in sectionals was still fresh in our minds.  It was our mission to avenge that loss and prove to ourselves that we weren't as bad as how we played in Game 1.  The game started with both teams trading points.  About halfway through the first half, Ghetto got its first break of the game.  We never looked back from there.  Our zone defense was the best I've ever seen in my (short) time on Ghetto Force.  Our cup was able to shut down the 5-man handler set that OU tried to throw at us.  On offense, Mark Federenko put up big hucks which usually ended up in the hands of either Alan Huels, Peaches, or Steven Moore.  Each seemed immune to the effects of gravity that tether most of us mortals down to Earth, soaring high above the altitude limitations of a normal man.  Coach Jordan played with the majesty and savagery of a stallion with a thirst for bobcat blood.  He was lights out, putting his shoulder(s) on the line with every bid.  Scotty Klein also got in the game and was able to come down with a big catch off the back of the stack and throw the forthcoming assist.  Also I believe it was mentioned that Kevin Lavoy murdered a goose. not that day, but some point in his life.  Everyone played well, a much needed turnaround from Game 1.  Ghetto got the Win 13-9.  Fun Fact: this was Ghetto's first ever victory against Ohio University.  Great stuff.

Coach Jordan gets up

Next on the chopping block was Lehigh B.  Though I'm not sure how exactly a D-III B team made their way into a D-I regional tournament, but I do know that we played well against them.  Though they were seeded 16th, I don't believe they were the worst team there that day.  Lehigh B actually played pretty well, but were no match against the Force of Ghetto they found themselves up against.  This game went by in a flash.  Everyone got substantial playing time this game and had a lot of fun.  We, again, played great zone defense and were able to punch in score after score.  We won 15-8.  This put Ghetto in 3rd place for pool D (it came down to point diff when OU beat Case) placing us in a pre-quarter matchup against 2nd place from pool A.

BroSteve69 had a diving catch

Scott went deep

Game 4 proved to be my favorite game of the day.  It was a pre-quarter crossover game against Edinboro University.  From what I was told, the seniors on the team faced this exact same scenario when they were freshman. Playing Edinboro in a pre-quarter game at regionals, all the same, and I guess they lost.  We set out to avenge that loss from 3 years ago.  From the way these guys played, you'd think they thought about that loss everyday for the last 3 years.  We came out hot, scoring the first 3 or 4 points.  Mark Federenko was, as the kids say, "turnt up".  During a timeout he was quoted saying things like "step on their throats and don't let go.  no bubbles." or "Let's kill 'em" We played very inspired ultimate for the remainder of the game.  Peaches and Alan out ran and out jumped the opposition, Rapsheet was open on almost every in-cut he made, Mark had a couple huge D's, and Jesse helped move the disc down the field from the break side.  Now, we didn't actually kill anyone, but boy did we try. In the team picture attached to the bottom of this post you may notice a firetruck in the background.  I'm not gonna point fingers at anyone, but let's just say the firetruck was not there by accident.  In the end, Ghetto dominated.  We took half 8-4 and later won the game 13-7 (the game was called shortly after the incident occurred) This victory placed Ghetto in the championship bracket for Day 2.

Yes, this is real

What it was like watching Peaches run all over defenses this weekend

The first game of Day 2 was against 2nd seeded Penn State.  They were a very serious team with a coach and everything.  They were eyeing a spot at nationals, but in doing so, seemed to overlook their first round matchup against a small catholic school from southwestern Ohio.  Huge mistake. Ghetto began the game by pulling upwind and throwing the same zone that had worked for us all weekend.  We could tell immediately that Penn State was uncomfortable moving the disc against our zone.  They turned the disc on their half of the field allowing Ghetto to punch in a quick score.  Ghetto then completed a the break downwind, putting the score at 2-0.  We were able to force turns rather easily at the beginning of the game, allowing us to go up 5-2.  At this point, Penn State took a time out.  We could tell PSU had experienced a spectrum of emotion ranging from surprise to trepidation to questioning the purpose of their own existence.  Our timeout huddle was a little bit different.  After some inspiring words by Alan, we broke out into what could only be described as the Dude Jam of the century.  I feel sorry for everyone who wasn't there to witness it in person.  It was awesome.  After the timeout, Penn State seemed to adjust their strategy a bit.  Their game plan now included questionable travel calls and more hammers over our cup. No matter.  Ghetto was able to take half 8-7.  We came out a little flat after half.  I believe we traded scores and made it 10-10 at some point.  After this, we were broken upwind twice and unable to find the end zone again.  The final score ended up 10-14.  Although we were disappointed by the loss, we were proud of how we played against a high caliber team.

The majestic flow

He caught it.

After the Penn State game we weren't sure whether or not our day was over.  Captains spoke to the TD to find out if there was a 5th place bracket. We were informed that there was, and that we would be playing University of Pennsylvania.  The captains decided to only play this game to 9 with no half time.  This game was much less intense than the previous one, but still included some good competition.  Many people got some well deserved playing time since we essentially ran our "kill line" for the entirety of the Penn State game.  Some highlights from the UPenn game include a successful Snake-in-the-Grass play, Schubert having 3 D's on 1 point, and lots of rookie scores.  It was a fun game, but the score ended up 5-9 in favor of UPenn.  

Sneaky snake

One of Schubert's many D's

Ghetto ended up taking 7th place at regionals.  We achieved our goal of breaking into the top 8 and holding our own against some of the better teams in our region.  As a team we peaked at regionals, which is pretty fortunate.  Overall, Ghetto had one of its best seasons in a while.  Even though we only attended 1 tournament other than sectionals and regionals, it was still a blast.  

Also, our very own Mark Fedorenko and Alan Huels are being considered for the All-Region team.  Here are a few snippets about them taken from Ultiworld.

Now, on behalf of all Ghetto Force members, I would like to thank and congratulate each member of the exiting senior class of 2014.  Jesse, Mark, Ted, Jamie, Peaches, Steve, and Ambrose.  Thank you all for the time and effort you have put in to Ghetto Force over the years.  You all were extremely vital to the team's success this year and years past.  Your leadership and experience came through at practice and in games.  Your countless contributions to the team are held in the highest regard and our club will be forever grateful for them.  Thank you for making us better ultimate players and being great friends.  You guys are what make Ghetto Force great.  Thank you and congrats on graduating.

From Left: Jesse Grewal, Mark Fedorenko, Stephen Jira, Patrick Kaufmann, Jamie Horne, Ambrose Dobrozsi, Ted Lannert

One serious photo...

...and a funny one.

All photos are courtesy of Ryan Schubert and his awesome picture taking abilities.  If you'd like to see the complete albums, Ryan has them on his Facebook.  Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.  I apologize if it was a little long, but I figured I'd rather be more thorough than not...thorough?  Anyways, this is our team.  I'm so glad to be part of it.  You guys are great teammates and great friends.  Good luck to everyone during their club seasons this summer.  See you next fall.

Peace,

Conner H.