Fall Brawl 2k10

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.

2010 College East Plains Sectionals - Day 2

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

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.

East Plains Sectional Championships - Day 2

(click me to enlarge the Ultimate hotness)

After a thrilling finish on Saturday, the fine young gents of Ghetto Force were relegated back to the Foor and Simon households. The victorious warriors were treated to spaghetti, lasagna, pies, coffee cakes, salad, cookies, and host of other delicacies that can only truly be appreciated by starving college students. As all Ghetto Force members will tell you, it was an early night. Teammates, who will remain nameless, were falling asleep immediately following dinner. Guys were cuddled under blankets snoring deeply before 9:00 pm. All in all, no one even made it to the end of the Kansas v. UNC game, everyone was too exhausted. Thus, when Sunday morning rolled around, and the squad prepped for a 9:00 start, most players had completed close to, if not more, than 10 hours of sleep. It would be much needed.

As the team arrived to the field, the players were greeted with what was by far, the most beautiful day of 2008. After having played in absurd winds, cleating up in ice, and diving in mud baths, few things felt better than lacing up the boots under a gorgeous sun at perfect temperatures.

The team took a nice long warm-up jog to start the morning, and then proceeded to begin stretching in anticipation of the final pool play game against Berea College. Berea, who had put up decent fights against the other pool play seeds, was the final hurdle for Ghetto in a path to the East Plains Sectional Semifinals.

Round 5, Dayton v. Berea - Putting out a strong O-line, Ghetto was receiving the pull to start the game. As The Cactus Bomb, The Corc Bomb, and The Corb Bomb prepared to handle, the three were caught by surprise.....did Berea bring down a Zone defense?! Yes! It was glorious! After a handful of swings, the cup was shattered and Ghetto was off to the races. Rather than battling the D, Ghetto, all of a sudden, was battling each other, attempting to be faster and in better position than the next guy, in order to be the one to reel in, or throw for, the score. In a matter of seconds the disc worked the length of the field and was punched in easily. The first point easily set the tone for the rest of the game.

Knowing the day would be a full one, and with the sweet scent of blood in the air, all members of Ghetto Force decided to get in on the act. As if sharks circling, every member of Ghetto Forced played at least 4 points throughout the game, and no single player played more than 11. With the total team effort, the game was quickly pounded out, and the victory was secured at 15-7. Corcoran, upset with the duration of his early morning commute, released his frustrations in the form of 4 assists on the game. Always one to please the home crowd, J4 supported Papa Corc by adding 2 D's and 2 assists of his own. It was an efficient beat down that left the Championship Bracket waiting in the wings.

Ghetto, for the first time this millennium, had been a top seed in a Sectional pool, and as another first, proceeded to win the pool outright with a 5-0 record. As if mirroring the NCAA Championships' Final Four, The East Plains got it's #1 seeds right, and had all four (OSU, Miami, Dayton, Ohio U) winning their pools with perfect records.

Close friends, and former Cincinnati Hustle Club players Matt Mastrantuono and Addison Hoover had spoken just days before, mapping out the pool play scenarios and bracket possibilities. The gauntlet for a Miami (OH) v. Dayton rematch had been in the works since the seedings had been released. Mastro and Hoover had spoken early and often, knowing full well, that as long as both teams held up their ends, the semifinal would pit these two growing powerhouse programs. As always, the game would be intense, hotly contested, and painful. Both programs, built on strong Captain leadership and youthful enthusiasm, have helped reform the shape of the entire Section. What once was controlled by Ohio U and Oberlin, was now being taken by these two exuberant clubs. The programs, although always gunning for each other, have produced one of the most exciting and promising rivalries in all of the Great Lakes Region. And for spectators, other club teams, and fans, everyone would again be treated to a duel between the two.

East Plains Sectional Semifinals, Dayton v. Miami (OH) - Both teams took full advantage of the extra hour between final pool play games and the start of the Semifinals. From scrimmaging, to lengthy form running routines, the tension between the two squads was imminent before the game had even started. Both teams had been able to rest starters fairly well over the course of the weekend, and the game would be sprint-speed right out of the gates.

Just to switch things up, Dayton actually won a flip and would be pulling to start the game. With such a horrendous record of losing the flips, perhaps, in retrospect, we shouldn't have tried to win the flip, but nonetheless, the Ghetto D-line was pumped to get an opportunity to break the first point. As the pull was sent, the Miami O-line was working the disc until an untimely throw was met by The Show(off), who was fully ready to produce a personal highlight reel in the Semis. Working the disc backwards to The Accounting Guru, Anderson immediately dropped an ankle breaker and boarded his personal jetliner to the endzone. Corcoran, always one to oblige, released a ninja forehand (covering 75% of the field) hitting Anderson perfectly as he streaked through the back of the endzone. With the sidelines rushing the field, the break on the first point sounded the alarms and let everyone know, the game was (as always) going to be awesome.

Miami, cluttered with talented handlers and well coached cutters, was not to be outdone. After trading a couple points, Miami took full advantage of handler lapses of consciousness, and broke back. Back on serve, Miami was hungry for more. After another two breaks, Dayton, now down 5-7, looked to put an O-line on the field to stop the bleeding before half. Unfortunately, what may be a game changing point, the Dayton O turned the disc over in the endzone, giving Miami the opportunity to break upwind to take half, which they did. With the score at 8-5, both squads knew the game was far from over, but Dayton was slowly entering the hot seat, where quick, efficient strikes would have to be made. There could be no further delay, otherwise, the game would quickly be beyond reach.

Starting the second half, Miami kept the pedal to the metal, and continued to shut down handler swings and strikes. Utilizing turnovers, Miami extended the lead to 10-5. Then, through some superior coaching and strong on-field leadership, Dayton began to rebound. Scoring, and then earning the breaks, Dayton got the game back to 8-10. Miami's O-line, one of the strongest (and quickest) in the Region, knew full well they had to score. Utilizing a Mastrantuono deep look, Miami fired back by hitting the deep cut, 8-11. Dayton's O, which had consistently struggled the whole game, had another lapse, and gave up another break, 8-12. Though Dayton managed to punch another in, the momentum Miami had established proved to be too much. Miami finished the game with a downwind break, 9-15.

You have to hand it to them. They've played in high caliber tournaments, practiced hard, and Sunday was their day. Dayton, unsure how to handle a loss that deep into the weekend, needed to refocus, regroup, and get mentally prepared for the next game. The day was far from over, and Dayton, knowing full well they didn't want to start dropping in the Regional rankings, had games to be won.

As expected, OSU had quickly handled Ohio University in the other Semifinal, 13-7. OU, once a powerhouse known to consistently be challenging the top of the Sectional and Regional competition, seems to have slipped a bit this year. It's hard to say if it's a result of the "changing of the guard" of players, or other reasons. Nonetheless, OU barely made it out of their pool play, having two games (against Toledo and Xavier) go to Universe point. Though not a witness, rumor has it that Xavier actually punched in the winning score, only to have OU call it back on a travel. Xavier apparently slipped up, dropped the disc, and OU escaped pool play. Today, OU and Dayton would be meeting again in the game to go to the backdoor finals. The winner would get a chance to play the loser of the Championship game....whilst the current loser would be forced to play a game for 4th/5th place - something Dayton would not stand for.

Backdoor Semifinals, Dayton v. Ohio - From the get-go, the game was tight. After Dayton scored first, on a Jeff Giese miracle reverse-in-the-crotch-pancake-grab, to save Hoover's arse, OU retaliated with a monstrous run and huck offense. The two teams would battle back and forth the rest of the game. When one would produce a break, the other would respond. Dayton managed to catch a break late in the first half, taking it to halftime with an 8-6 lead.

After reasserting that much game was to be played, Dayton took the D-line to the field, ready for action. If the line could get a turn and score, the gap would start to widen. As the point commenced, somewhere around 15 turns occurred. Dayton would get a D, then work up field only to throw it away. OU would work it back, then throw it away. This repeated for sometime. As both sides tired, the mental game went away and both teams were guilty of atrociously sloppy play during the first point after half. Finally, as Dayton got the disc back, Double D Dave Hayson realized a physical break would be necessary to keep everyone on track. Calling a time out, Diesel Dave received acknowledgment at the middle of the field from his marker....who, being absurd, immediately claimed a turnover had occurred when Dave sat the disc down, citing his lack of "T hand motions". Long story short, OU was looking for a cheap turn, a fight ensued, lots of yelling followed, everyone became pissed, and disc shit hit the ultimate fan. The timeout was eventually granted, and play resumed, only to have Dayton AGAIN turn the disc over. The sidelines, all likely vomiting by now, were forced to stand aside and watch as OU, just minutes after attempting to enter the Ultimate Bush League Hall of Fame, punched in the score to bring it to 8-7.

The whole Dayton squad, furious about the previous point, vowed to get some and punch in the score. Working the O-line, Hoovapalooza met sights with The Kozby Kid in the front right corner of the endzone to push the lead back to 9-7. During the point, the cap had sounded, signifying that the 30 minute time-out argument had significantly shortened the duration of play.

OU, still pissed from the longest argument in history, took fire to the O-line and punched in another huck past the finger tips of Hoover, who was at this point royally pissed he wasn't on the field to use the voodoo fingers during the time-out argument. Luckily, Hobunk Hoovie, still trying to redeem his 6-turnover performance against Miami, would get another shot during the very next point. As Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch took the O-line, Dayton knew it'd need a score to remain in control of the game. Disc Magnet Mark, who was basically open the whole game, again produced light speed cuts, to which his markers figuratively said "screw this". As the disc was worked to midfield, Butter Ballz made eye contact with Hoove as he sprinted past. Butterflyz, having the touch of an angel, briskly feathered an extending flick to space. As Hoover reeled it in, he could see Marky Mark streaking down field. The duo, having performed impressive feats of ESP during Roll Call, both simultaneously knew that the bitches had to die. Hoover, sexually feathering the disc, launched a flick to the endzone leaving the biz to Mark, as he reeled it in while his defender walked to the sideline, literally saying "Screw This!".

With Dayton leading 10-9, the D-line was absolutely determined to not let the game go to another Universe point. But, determination only takes you so far. OU scored. 10-10, double game point.

By this point, all of Dayton's fans were dead. Most had suffered anaphylactic seizures trying to withstand the BGSU Universe point. Now, anyone that might still be watching was definitely dying from conniptions and heart explosions. From now on, Ghetto will have to provide warnings to onlookers - "entertainment may be too intense, too heart pounding, too downright ridiculous, for virtually anyone".

As the sidelines gripped their jerseys in an effort to wipe their sweaty palms clean, OU sent out their Universe D-line opposite from Dayton's Universe O-line.

Ghetto Force, receiving the pull, took the disc and began working up-field. Somehow (if you recall the details, post them in the comments section) Dayton gladly turned the disc over. As if things weren't intense enough, OU was now picking up the disc, with no more than 15 yards to the endzone. After a couple missed lay-out D attempts, some foul calls, and the like, OU was virtually in the same spot that they started in. They were violently against being too aggressive and turning the disc over, so essentially they kept swinging between two primary handlers, with little up-field movement. Then, just as the open side broke free, two swings were made, when all of a sudden, doink!, a handler put a wrap around forehand straight in the ground. Uber-turfness. Karma from the time-out fiasco? I'll let you decide.

Ghetto, as they had for majority of the weekend, wamp wamped the in-cut, focusing on hitting Mark-o-Matic roughly 15 times, as he's always open! Working the disc downfield, everything was a blur. From in-cut, to handler, in-cut, to handler, the disc just kept moving. Then, within an instant, Corco released an OI flick wrapping the sideline, to none other than Mark Anderson. It almost took a second for it all to settle in. Mark not only reeled in the score, he was in the endzone! That was it! He'd beaten his man, gotten free, and the P-Town Boy had put it right in his wheelhouse. Mark's defender had nothing left to do but exclaim, "SCREW THIS!".

To say it was a close call, or intense, or anything similar, wouldn't do the situation justice. Somehow Ghetto, again, had salvaged a close game on Universe point. As if Roll Call was some sort of pre-fabbed practice, everything we took away from that weekend, was used in the 2008 Sectional Championships. In just 8 days, Ghetto had played in 5 Universe point games, and amazingly, had won every single one.

With Mr. Anderson cleaning house and bringing in the final score, Dayton had secured a spot as the #2 or #3 seed at Regionals. All that was left was to change fields and meet up with Miami again (they had lost a good game, 15-9, to OSU). Ghetto Force, still a budding program with a wealth of young (often first year) talent, decided to approach this game with longevity in mind. With the 2 and 3 seed at stake, Ghetto made a conscious decision to weigh the different factors at hand. A win/loss, at this point, would only be the difference of a single place. On top of that, new players needed to gain time against a solid opponent before Regionals. On top of that, many of the primary O and D line players were running low on gas. On top of that, who knows. Basically, Dayton was ready to work in new lines and different lines. Those groups needed to get a feel for playing with each other, working together, all while head-to-head with a high caliber Miami squad. The score wasn't close, 15-4, but it was just what Ghetto needed to close the weekend out correctly. Guys got time against some of the best, and areas of improvement were readily located. So, even though Corco's brain was fried beneath 5 well layered hats, the weekend was a resounding success.

Ghetto had come, and done exactly what it was capable of. It was heart pounding, gut wrenching, amazingly fun, and absolutely fulfilling, all somehow amalgamated into one emotion.

The Ghetto Force of today, has come unbelievably far from the Ghetto Force of just a few short years ago. Think of this:

• Ghetto two years ago was a mixed, often low turn out squad.

• Ghetto today has high numbers, all guys, and is growing a program with strong A and B squads.

• Ghetto two years ago would have practices with 6 people playing hot box.

• Ghetto today has two coaches, a wealth of drills, and scrimmages more intense than some tournament games.

• Ghetto two years ago went 1-5 at the Spring Sectionals, only topping OSU-B by a point.

• Ghetto today earned a #1 seed in it's pool, made it to the Semifinals, and is now attending Regionals for the 2nd year in a row, leaving the Sectional in 3rd place.

GREAT WORK GHETTO FORCE!
DETROIT, HERE WE COME!

East Plains Sectional Championships - Day 1

Is there a College Ultimate weekend more exciting than Sectionals? I submit that there is not!

OK, there might be, but there's just something so beautiful about the kick-off to the College Series that's hard to articulate in words. But there's just something about it for a team like Ghetto Force, where in 2006, the program (playing mixed) managed just one win, against Ohio State-B, on Universe point. The very next year, the team showed up to the most miserable conditions in Versailles, OH, only to take the 5th of 6 bids to the Great Lakes Regional Championships. This year, of all things, Dayton came into the Sectional Championships as the 3rd overall seed (of 25...the nation's largest sectional) and the number 1 seed in Pool C. To many people's surprise, it seemed as though Ghetto Force sort of came out of no where....how all of a sudden had this team become the 3rd seed in this sectional? And did they really deserve it?? Many voiced opinions that clearly stated that Dayton's 3rd seeding, all though currently well coached and hosting a crop of young talent, would quickly be dethroned by the Ohio U or the like.

Nonetheless, there were a plethora of enthralling story lines all unfolding this weekend. From one of the Region's best handlers, Miami's Matt Mastrantuono, playing in his last college series, to the amazing uprise of a youthful Xavier program, looking to making Regionals, the East Plains provided a host of fun, strong, and intense matchups.

Dayton, holding the #3 seed overall, quickly looked at the 7 bids the Sectional would be getting, and firmly decided that holding or beating the seed were the only options. Slipping further down the list and succumbing to a lower finish (but still squeaking into Regionals) would not suffice. Last year was the time for thinking like that. Ghetto last year was just happy to get to Regionals. This year, Ghetto wanted to go and make an impact. And in order to do so, Dayton would have to finish as high as possible, in order to aptly establish a positive seed heading into Detroit. Many doubted, Ghetto believed. It could be done, it would be done.

Round 1, Dayton v. West Virginia - Wearing their sharp yellow jerseys, the Pool C 3rd seed of West Virginia unknowingly stepping into an early morning bear trap. Dayton-X, who had played WV at Romp in the Swamp, fell upon an untimely Sunday loss to WV to end their tourny weekend. Can anyone say revenge? No losses would be taken today. Ghetto awoke with an intense passion to gorge on the Pittsnogle Groupies (not the real team name) and to make an early Saturday point - Ghetto was here, and was here to give the business. Utilizing some much needed Foor family resting, Butters and The Haymaker arose with the intention of inflicting pain. With that intention, Butters dropped a sick 4 D's, 2 scores, and 1 assist in his first outing of the day. Mr Snuff, not to be outdone, decided to run around a little bit, and go ahead and score 4 goals and chip in a D of his own. Riding the back of a full team showing, Ghetto indulged in a freshly cooked early morning breakfast of champions, romping WV 15-3.

Round 2, Dayton v. Walsh - I love this crew. The Walsh guys, in their first ever semester of play, are rocking. Sure, they're still learning, a bit rough around the edges no doubt, but the passion and enjoyment is definitely there. Their attitudes are great, and they're out on the field looking to learn, compete, and have fun. Can you ask for more? Not only do they play tough, but they have team matching shorts....they're all set for National Championship dress regulations! It was a pretty straightforward game. Dayton brought a rough Man-D, and took full advantage of miscues and poorly placed hucks. Those turns turned quickly into scores and Dayton rolled swiftly to a full team decisive 15-3 win. It is worthwhile to note, that the boys of Walsh have obviously been raised well. At one point, The Show took an inadvertent pivoting elbow to the nose. With blood anxiously scurrying from his model-esque nostrils, Anderson had to leave the field, pissed about the elbow to the face, and pissed that his beautiful looks could be tainted. Who comes over to Mark in his time of need? None other than the Walsh-elbow-throwing-player's mother, with ice and cotton puffs in hand. Does it get any better?

Round 3, Dayton v. Denison - As a constant rival of years past, Denison has been known to give UD good games. One in particular was in the Spring of 2006, when the two teams went head-to-head for some Wright State tournament title. The game was close the whole way and ended up being won by Dayton, by a mere two points. Denison is fronted by strong handler/cutter Cory Hylton, and in general seems to have strong teams and a growing program. We'd roughly been aware of Denison at the OWU EMR Memorial tournament, unfortunately, our paths had not crossed, and Dayton would not see Denison in the Spring of 2008 till Sectionals. As the 1:30 start time commenced, it quickly became apparent that Ghetto was in complete control. Starting the game with a massive ankle-breaking fake out to simple swinging up wind score, the first point showcased Dayton's ability to quickly work over the Denison defense. The rest of the game would follow suit. Denison gave up 3 caught D's to FoorMoney, which helped translate into 3 caught scores from the K-State Killer. However, their strong showings were quickly overshadowed as the unveiling of The Family Connection was issued. Baybay and cousin (first year player) Pegasaurus connected for the assist and score on 4 separate occasions in this game. The Family Connection, coupled with a wealth of d's and Denison turnovers, helped fuel a 2nd half OATBAG and sound beating of 15-1. It's hard to say what's happened to former rival Denison. It wasn't long ago that these two teams had close games and a tight rivalry. Has the Denison program gone downward? Some may argue so. However, DFUC managed to pull a winning record of 3-2 in pool play....so it's hard to say if that's really the case. Perhaps the elevated Dayton program is really what it all comes down to.

Round 4, Dayton v. Bowling Green - BGSU, like Denison, has been a consistent program over recent years, of which Dayton has managed to butt heads with on numerous occasions. All though there seemed to be players in attendance for BG that may or may not have been eligible, bottom line was clear, Dayton was just one win shy from a perfect first day. To secure a spot in the Championship Bracket, Ghetto Force would need to play hard and fight well against the Pool C 2nd seed. BG, looking to make a fierce run to Regionals, obviously, would provide the stiffest and most competitive competition of the first day.

With things running smoothly for the first three games of the day, Ghetto surely knew the last Saturday game would be filled with excitement (new team motto - keep it exciting). However, none of the players, fans, or onlooking teams could have imagined what would ensue.

Dayton started out on top, initially taking the lead at 6-3. However, as if catching Dayton off guard, BG began to hit on consistent deep throws, confusing the Ghetto D. Moreover, relying on the strength of their predominant handlers, BG managed to continually run efficient offensive points and regularly convert on poor Dayton turnovers (the full team combined for an atrocious 18 this game). With half coming and going, it suddenly appeared as though Ghetto had lost control of the game, without knowing it! With Miami, the B-pool winners, finishing early and coming over to watch, it was to their surprise that upon arrival, they found their expected future opponent, in the University of Dayton, losing. Not just losing, but down by multiple scores, and seemingly out of gas.

Ghetto Force's sidelines were in shock. The on-field Ghetto players were in shock. And lastly, everyone watching quickly began to feel the presence of an astonishing upset quickly coming. With the Ghetto players already sweating blood, the far off sound of an air horn quickly signified a new dimension of pressure - the cap had sounded. As opposed to 15, the game had quickly added 2, and would be promptly finished at 13. Current score, BG 11, Ghetto 9.

Ghetto, receiving the pull, focused on getting one point at a time. The game, still faintly in reach, would have to start with a straight forward offensive possession. With some meticulous swinging and fierce in-cutting, Ghetto managed to punch in the offensive point, bringing the game to 11-10. Captain Corcoran, emphasizing focus and all out defense, rallied the troops to bring the pain on D. It would be an absolutely crucial moment, Ghetto HAD to get a D.

It didn't happen. As they had throughout the whole game, BG kept it's composure and punched in another score to bring it to game point. Ghetto was quickly seeing it's Top 3 finish at Sectionals being dashed. At 12-10, the insurmountable task of rattling off 3 scores in a row seemed to be too much.

With palms sweating and family members turning red in the face (literally), the pressure had amounted to heights unknown. In front of absolutely shocked players (namely the Miami crew that stayed around), Dayton received the pull, taking offense. Somehow, with tension building, Ghetto managed to get a timely score, keeping the hopes of a comeback still faintly alive.

At 12-11, Ghetto was completely at do-or-die. The D-line would have to make it happen, otherwise, the day would be done. With such promise at the start of the day, Ghetto was quickly beginning to envision the awful nature the rest of the day/night/weekend would take. This wasn't how things were supposed to play out, and the D-line committed to not giving up.

Pulling to BG, the D established. As the BG offense swung and moved the disc, everyone focused on what seemed to be an eternity of a point....when all of a sudden, the disc was on the ground. Either from a tough mark, or tough man D, a turn had been forced. Ghetto would establish the key handlers and, as talked about on the line, patiently work the in cuts and punch a score in the endzone. The first part of this plan seemed to be fulfilled aptly, as the disc was worked downfield with little hesitation. As Ghetto approached the endzone, it seemed like every player was holding their breath....with so many turns throughout the game, many on the endzone, would Ghetto stab themselves in the foot again? Yes! Everyone knows how Ghetto loves to keep things exciting, and exciting is an understatement. As an outside-in flick down the sideline missed the target, it seemed as though Ghetto had again foolishly missed the mark. That was until Brendan Corboy, the consummate professional of oral skills, called for the man, the legend Travis Knight. Mr. T, who had been looked off, was clearing out, when, by some source of wizardry, the disc was making a b-line for his, and his defender's, backs. Travis, reacting to the plea for help, turned to find the forehand approaching his unknowing defender. T, as the hardest worker in show biz, decided to give the people what they came for. Unleashing all fury, Travis lit fireworks for the onlookers, making a u-turn on a dime, and somehow managing to dive over his defender to save the disc, the score, and the game. As the sidelines rushed the field, it again was Mr. T, who, like a semi-truck driver, used the clutch and came through huge. The high fives were aplenty, and the emotions were flowing.

But the job wasn't done.

Dayton, through tenacity, some luck, and sheer will, was somehow still in the game. With things all tied at 12-12, Dayton again would be forced to bring the Universe D-line (for the 4th Universe point in just 7 days). The guys standing on the endzone line, prepared to attempt the unthinkable, seemed like old pros at the universe point thing...something like 4 of the guys, had been on every single Universe line to that point, and up till Saturday the 5th, were batting a thousand and had taken down and won the first 3 universe point games.

This was different though. BG would be pulled to, with the opportunity to control the disc and have the chance to immediately put it away. Furthermore, it seemed as though BG surely wouldn't let another opportunity slip away. And as the point began, it seemed as though BG would have it that way. They marched, and marched, and marched. Within 10 yards of the Dayton endzone, again, as if by some good karma, a turn was forced by shutting down the in-cuts and strengthening the marks. Dayton, with the disc lying on the ground, knew what it was about to do. All Dayton needed was to swing, hit the in-cuts, swing some more, and repeat, until the opposing endzone was reached. With two swings completed, the disc was found on the flick side, where as if by some horrendous karma, it was turfed badly. The players and onlookers all felt the tension increase. Unbelievably, Dayton had somehow come back from 12-10, and made it 12-12, then forced a turnover to get the disc on universe point - and given it right back.

With BG threatening, the look on every Dayton player's face was disbelief. How had they come so far, and managed to give the disc to BG with no more than 20 yards to get to the endzone?!? The O and D set up and BG began to work the disc again, determined not to slip up. As the in-cuts again were shut down, the primary BG handler made eye contact with a cutter, and they both immediately knew it was time to punch it in. As the outside in backhand was released, it was a footrace. The disc, passing the endzone line, was being quickly attacked by the BG offensive player, and his defender, Mark Anderson. Mark, taking the more direct line, went down the sideline, while the BG player came from over his right. As everyone stood and watched, everyone knew the game was about to be decided. As both players left their feet, The Show, as always, lived up to his name and put one of the most tremendous layout d's of the tournament on the disc. Smacking the disc past the BG player, Mark Anderson had successfully saved the game and made one of the most outstanding Ultimate plays most Dayton players have ever seen. Oh wait, a detail has been left out.....FOUL! It was like nails on a chalk board. Boos ensued, a captain's hat was thrown, and furious players everyone were dumbfounded.

HOW COULD THIS BG PLAYER CALL A FOUL!?!?!?

Mark Anderson, to everyone watching, clearly had position on the disc, and if there was ever a foul based on contact, it would have been the misplaced BG player colliding with Mark. The Foul heard 'round Granville had been committed. Anderson was in shock. Ghetto Force was in shock. Most of the BG players were in shock. It just seemed fake....but in some regards, that's how a lot of the calls had been made over the course of the whole game.

Mark, knowing full well that it was clean, immediately began to contest and plead his case. This call could not stand, it was highway robbery. Knowing all that rode on the call, the two hottest negotiators not in mergers and acquisitions, rose to the occasion. Corboy and Hoover, stepping up to the plate, began to break down the play, and using rational, positive discussion techniques to approach the situation. Lines like "you have a valid point" and "lets discuss how you both approached the disc" were used. Everyone knew that all the stops had been pulled when Hoover, from over 20 yards away, decided to unveil his voodoo powers embodied in the dual timed, double three-finger O-hands. Between the magic hands and Corboy's unusually calm tone of voice, every approach had been used, and the negotiators had nothing left to give. It was universe point, and the disc would be contested, and BG would regain possession. That was, until the BG-foul caller, somehow (we'll never know), understood everything with a new found clarity. Karma, perhaps. Voodoo hands, maybe. Positive Corbizzle body language, couldn't have hurt. Honestly, who knows what happened, other than this guy turned to the field, stood upright, and in succinct phrasing, simply said, "No call".

It was as though the heavens had opened. Dayton didn't even know how to react.....did Ghetto just get the disc? Did Mark's amazing D count? Did he just give up the call on universe point?!?! Yes, yes, and yes. It was so amazing, a Miami Captain, who was watching, may or may not have lost control of his bodily functions.

The new life was awarded, and Ghetto would not waste it. Picking up the disc, Papa Corc, with Corboy and Hoover as wingmen, hit every in-cut and marched the Burma Road of Ultimate, all the way to the endzone line. But of course, theatrics and excitement, up to this point, had not reached maximum levels. Ghetto, wanting to set the amps to 11, had to make this (if it's even possible) more heart pounding. As Ghetto swung the disc, no more than 5 yards from the BG endzone, everything collapsed. Corboy, being the flick handler, had been left for dead, and stranded on the right sideline. The count, like the tap of a slow drum beat, escalated slowly but surely. Before an open swing could save the day, Corboy's mark had reached 8, and everything was riding on it. Corboy, having flash backs to a week before, knew the disc must be thrown to the endzone and simultaneously, he'd have to somehow work in a quick Hail Mary. With unparalleled field vision, Corboy somehow saw the Gieseanator amidst all the endzone traffic, and at stall 9, released a OI bladey flick. The Geezer, who's as clutch as they come, kept his left eye on the line, and his right eye on the man (if that's possible). Somehow making the endzone bigger with each step, he took to the back of the endzone, and pancaked the final score just his defender gave everything to stop it. How it got there, how he reeled it in, how Ghetto didn't give it up, are all hard to comprehend. However, in that moment, it all had worked. The game, somehow, had been saved and won by Ghetto.

It was one for the ages, and in all honesty, it probably was one of the most gut-wrenching sporting events most Ghetto players have ever witnessed or participated in.

Somehow, through the roller coaster finish, Ghetto had completed the job, and wrapped up Day 1 with a 4-0 record. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't how it was supposed to be done. But the job got done, and Ghetto could breathe again.

Sunday would be a new day, and Ghetto somehow was in the right position to take on the rest of the tournament. It was an amazing end to an amazing first day. However, for Ghetto, it was just the beginning......

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!