“Summer League Opening Night 2010″

By TheManWhoInventedSlamDancing

The 2010 Summer League opened this past Monday on a perfectly crisp and cool Venice evening. This Co-Ed division battle pitted WhiteSnake against Red M & M’s.

Each team huddled for purposes of introductions and strategies, followed by brief end-zone drills. And then it was time for the opening pull of the summer… And wouldn’t you know it, controversy struck on the very first point… Both teams looked surprisingly crisp, with White smoothly moving the disc all the way downfield before turning it over. Then Red did the exact same thing (except in the opposite direction)! White smoothly moved the disc down the field a second time, and again turned it over just shy of the end zone. Red picks up and moves it to midfield at which point Mark W. busts a deep cut toward “the dark end-zone” (if you’ve played at Oakwood you know what I’m talking about). The pass zooms ahead of Mark and Mark has to continue his all-out bust to catch up, which he was in the process of doing when he suddenly finds himself amidst 3 trespassers who were casually walking through the end zone in the exact same spot where he needed to get to to make the catch. Unfazed, Mark, still in full sprint mode, attempts to manuver through the 3 trespassers – who make no effort whatsoever to move out of the way. But despite a superlative effort, Mark can’t bring the disc down. I thought for sure that White would allow for a ‘send it back’; no one from either team spotted the intruders until it was too late to stop play, so the play continued until the receiver was forced to try to make the play/catch with people walking through the end zone. But White Team Captain & Summer League President & Summer League Tournament Director & Laout President & Honorary Lieutenant Governor of Tijuana, Doctor Andy Bandit picked up the disc, walked it up to the goal line, and completed a short pass to one of his teammates. Play continued with White in possession and once again moving the disc crisply upfield. Surprisingly, there was no protest at all from team Red. The long point ended with Matt Hennesey connecting to Andy in the end zone… 1-0 White.

Red tied it up a moment later when Chad Woodard found Jake in the end zone. Very interesting matchups on this point included Alli vs. Bacon, Cedar vs. Alex David, and the astonishing 5’3″ 84-year-old Chuck Aramaki clamping down on 6’1″ 25-year-old Matt Hennesy through the entire point.

White subsequently ran off 3 consecutive points with Matt H. throwing one and receiving another… 4-1 White.

Red made it 4-2 as Chad spotted his wife Sara streaking open toward the “I can see the light” end zone and unleashed a forehand that looked as though it was going to go ‘out the back’. Sara got on her horse and made a fine catch near the back line… She made a great looking play, but hubby Chad sure made her work for it.

The teams traded points until it was 6-4 White, with the Snakes exhibiting crisp team play — nice flows and timely cutting.

It was around this time that Red’s Sean Cushing rolled up on his bicycle, slapped on his cleats, and gave the M & M’s the big boost they were looking for. When White turned it over Red got back an important point as Sean hammered cross-field to Cedar in ‘the dark end zone’, on a nine-count… 6-5 White.

It was also around this time that White’s Brandon Malmberg began showing up all over the field, pulling down a long Alex David backhand huck… 7-5 White.

After Red handler Cedar’s 40-yard backhand completion to Chuck Aramaki made it 7-6, came the point of the night… White receives and moves it downfield as Brandon makes 2 sensational catches on 2 errant throws to keep White’s flow alive. However, Brandon then turfs a 12-yard backhand attempt to Rachel B. who had made a sweet ‘cone-cut’ and was wide open in the end zone. Red picks up and Cedar and Wes battle like two hockey players all the way up field, with at least two fouls called along the way, but both gents exhibiting fine spirit throughout. This was a great example of the beauty of our sport… 2 athletes competing extremely vigorously against one another, but despite the physical contact each recognizing the others efforts, and maintaining the flow & spirit all along.

Red moves it toward the goal line where lady Bug makes a great sideline cut. The disc arrives and Bug pulls it down and gets her feet down RIGHT AT THE LINE. A long discussion follows, with team White seemingly ready to concede the point on such a nice catch. But then Bug declares “I thought I was out”, and the disc goes to White – Another great example of good spirit.

White flows it down the field, then Rachel B. unleashes a wicked flick that Brandon has to run down, which he does, making an extraordinary one-handed layout grab in the back of the ‘dark’ end zone… 8-6, White takes half. Two superior examples of Spirit plus one amazing layout catch makes this the point of the night.

At the half, team Captains Andy and Chad coached fundamentals and talked zone strategies.

Unfortunately for the M & M’s, the second half began with poor fundamentals… 3 consecutive turnovers led to 3 straight White scores, with Brandon throwing one and catching the other two, BARELY missing a Calahan in the process… 11-6 White.

Though White had reeled off 3 straight points, team Red’s spirit remained cool, calm, collected, and determined. The M & M’s whipped out the first Zone-D of the season, scored 4 straight points, and turned it back into a contest… 11-10 White. Red receiver Tom Wilson made 2 fine catches during the Red run. While the ladies represented with M.A. hitting Bug on yet another sweet end zone cut.

Who might it be to put an end to Red’s new-found momentum? Mr. Malmberg of course… White threw their first Zone-D and got the turn. Senor Bandit picked up and quickly launched one of his patented, long, lefty, inside-out backhands. This particular one never came close to flattening out. The high, arcing disc was actually closer to a blade than a backhand as it swiftly fell back down to Earth, Brandon making yet another spectacular, sprawling one-handed catch in the ‘light’ end zone… 12-10 White.

The White zone then forced another turnover and made the best of it… Andy to R.K…. 13-10 White.

Red then received and worked the disc beautifully down the field — at least a dozen passes — through White’s Zone-D, with Jake finding Tom in the end zone for what would be the M & M’s final point of the evening… 13-11 White.

White then returned the favor, working the disc neatly down the field with all 7 players touching the disc, Brandon to Andy finishing the point… 14-11 White.

The first game of the summer ended when R.K. made a sweet ‘cone-cut’ and an even sweeter sliding catch of a low Matt H backahand toss… Final score 15-11 WhiteSnake.

Can the M & M’s re-group and find their sweet spot?

Will team White snake its way to a perfect 11-0 season?

Stay tuned for further developments.

P.S.  Whoever set up the cones did an excellent job!

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