Who are the best players in the Atlantic Coast region? This is an open thread to discuss All-Region nominations, All-Freshman nominations, coaching awards, and more. Stay positive and keep it civil.
I haven’t gotten to play any of the teams from the other section, but here’s my picks from the Carolina section:
First Team
Clint McSherry, UNCA: best thrower in the region by far. He’s the key to Asheville’s super efficient offense and probably my current pick for POY.
Zander Taylor, Elon: I think Elon’s quieter season has caused people to forget about Zander a bit. Still the best player on Elon, still a nightmare to guard
Connor Scofield, Elon: incredibly underrated player. I would venture to say Connor is the best defender in the region, and his offense has taken a leap forward this year.
Robbie Kuster, Davidson: DUFF is truly a team, and they don’t have many standouts because of this, but I think Robbie deserves a nod. He’s the center cog of their O line and the only thrower they have (IMO) that is creative as well as consistent
Cam Bellando, High Point: stepped up in a big way this year for us. There was stretches where Cam went every other throw for us, and he’s one of a few guys on our roster capable of making a huge play defensively
Second Team
Luis Royo, High Point: transferred in as a junior and made an immediate impact for us, particularly defensively. Unfortunately he suffered a knee injury at Easterns that ended his season for us, but despite his shortened season, I would argue he deserves a second team spot
Michael Sellers, High Point: freshman with many years of playing experience, another immediate impact guy on our roster. Consistently takes one of the toughest matchups defensively and crosses over to the O line when we need him
Bryan Szymanzki, Elon: a different kind of athlete that you don’t see often in D3. I love playing physically, and Bryan is one of the few guys I can’t muscle around on the field. One of my favorite players to guard, I’m glad he got back out on the field this spring after sitting in the fall
Jeremy Lonnman, Elon: it’s scary that Jeremy is only a sophomore. If there was a most improved award, he’d have my vote. He was competent for Elon last year as a freshman, but he’s a true force for them this year. Anchors the D line and is truly a threat to throw anywhere, from anywhere
Chad Gerber, UNCA: this is more of a respect pick then anything, since Chad didn’t play much against us this year due to injuries, but I know what he’s capable of and he should be here
Cory Oskardmay, UNCA: this dude doesn’t get a lot of respect from opponents (that I’ve noticed), but he’s always open against us and throws his body around with reckless abandon. Idk if I’ll have him on my final ballot, but just wanted to give him a shout.
Chris Johnson, Davidson: the only guy on Davidson I would really describe as an exceptional athlete. He patrols the skies for them, anchoring their zone and serving as their only real deep threat.
Kyle Taylor, Davidson: tenacious handler defender and key to their D line offense. He’s one of those squirrely handlers who takes like 5 steps a second, my least favorite type of player to guard haha.
Yes, I know I listed 8 second team guys and 6 first team guys. I left a first team spot open for at least one person from the other section, and idk how the hell I’m going to decide on my second team. I hate how good our region is
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This is CJ from DUFF. I am, as of now, only going to comment on the Carolina Section, because we have yet to play anyone from the other section.
*DUFF: Seniors Kyle Taylor and Robby Kuster both deserve recognition. Kyle is arguably one of the best, if not the best, handler defenders in our section. He has shut down defense in both man and zone. Robby Kuster is a fantastic handler who leads DUFFs O-Line and has some really ridiculous throws. Freshmen Kaylen Alexis, Mac Harris and Isaac Mervis all deserve consideration for FOTY. Kaylen is a poised D-Line handler for DUFF. Mac is a shut down handler defender who is constantly put on the top handlers of other teams. Isaac is one of our top three lead scorers.
*Elon: Zander Taylor, Brian Szymanski, and Jeremy Lonman. Honestly, Elon is one of the deepest teams in our region and I could probably list 5 more of them who could deserve a 1st or 2nd team spot. Zander is a standout handler who has absolutely disgusting layouts and incredible poise in the handler position. Brian is a gorilla. Like, I actually think the man could eat a child. Aside from that, he is a fantastic physical defender, a tireless cutter and I think he was featured in the original Mario game. Jeremy is the definition of lanky. He knows this as well, and he uses his lank to dominate the skies, reach around any defender, put on a very solid mark, and reach the highest shelf in the super market for little old ladies. Elon’s Freshman who played for Buda (I forget his name, I think it’s like Whiffan or something) has great layouts, pinpoint throws and will be one of the top players in our region in years to come.
HPU: Mike Ball and Cam Bellando. Mike is a physical force who I credit with being the reason that HPU has become such a strong team. He has the ability to control a game and lead from any position on the field. When you play HPU, you have to create a game plan specifically to deal with him. Cam is their main handler who has a tremendous presence on the field. The offense runs through him and he makes any defender work tirelessly in order to guard him.
UNCA: Chad Gerber and Clint McSherry. Chad is a beautiful spirit. You can’t look at Chad and not want to give him a hug. Besides that, he is a monster on the field who can take over any game he wants. He is really good in the air, can drop back into the handle set and typically guards other teams top cutter. Clint McSherry has the best beard in the region. He is also almost unguardable and can hit any throw he wants. I would argue that Clint is the best player in our region. If he is on at regionals, all other teams should be pretty worried.
Mars Hill and North Greenville: I don’t really know any of the players on either of the teams. The only player I specifically remember is the gloved handler on Mars Hill. He had some really good throws and seemed to lead the team.
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Great insight. I would just be careful with saying “best in the region by far”. There is another conference with four teams full of skilled players. I have not seen Clint play in a while and I am sure his throws are incredible, but you are greatly overlooking Richmond handler Henry Babcock.
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You know what, fair point. Saying “by far” was a little off base. I remember playing Henry in the fall and have watched footage of him from the spring. He’s very much an incredible thrower in his own right. I still believe Clint is a notch better, but good shout for Henry
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Coach of Catholic Bad Habit here. I love that the Carolina Conference always jumps on these forums ASAP, so I wanted to make sure NAC gets a voice early, too: save some of your votes for some NAC guys! Our region is indeed deep!
Richmond: Henry Babcock didn’t play at Conferences, but should be a shoe-in for All-Region even without playing another second. If he returns from injury and is his normal self at Regionals, he’s likely to make a strong case of POY. Watch the Layout Pigout finals vs. Brandies if there are any question. Dennis Maclaine is also a terrific player, and showed he can be the star handler in his own right, leading Richmond to the Conference Championship. From their army of downfield cutters, Joe Cullison was particularly good. All 3 guys are deserving of All-Region votes.
Mary Wash: While we didn’t play MOG at Conferences, watching their games (in person and on film), they have a couple stand-outs. Zach Norrbom is a dominant handler and terrific leader. He should also be in the POY discussion. (They also have a large, athletic, skilled standout downfield cutter I’m going to get the name of and encourage people to vote for. He’s #8 and is probably first-team all-hair as well. Can someone from MOG help out with a name here?) They have a few more who should be considered, too, but those are the main two for me.
Navy: is a team that has more depth than individual standouts as well, but #10 (handler) and #25 (cutter) stand out the most. (Again, could someone from Poseidon confirm names?)
For us, Peter Warwick (red-headed center handler) deserves consideration for the responsibility he shoulders. He lead the team in an admittedly rebuilding year through the grind to earn a spot at Regionals, and makes plays on both sides of the disc.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at Elon next weekend!
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Disclaimer: I’m not a player in the region. Played against 3 of these teams at Easterns and wanted to recognize a couple players who stood out.
Zach Norbaum, Mary Washington: This guy is an absolute stud with the disc. We knew going in that Mary Washington had a player with elite club and pro experience, and it wasn’t hard to find him. Was able to repeatedly beat one of our top handler defenders upline, and threw his cutters open very well. Also, our handler defender was fairly aggressive on the mark, but Zach remained really spirited and explained his calls very calmly. Absolutely deserving of an all-region nod and the most impressive player I saw at Easterns, maybe even including T-Carp.
Mike Ball, High Point: Another guy who seems to run every other for his team. He’s really, really athletic and has very solid throws. Uses his body very well, but also has a damn quick first step for his size. Another player who was very spirited in our game against them. They came back from really far down against us and almost took a lead at one point, and Ball was definitely the reason why.
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Clint McSherry here, thanks for the shout outs Michael and CJ.
I definitely don’t want to ignore the NAC, but I also haven’t stepped on a field against any of them. I know for sure that Henry Babcock and Zach Norrbom are excellent players that deserve first team nods unless they’ve magically regressed horribly (and from the sound of things I’m guessing thats not the case). Beyond that, I can’t really speak on the NAC.
As for the CAR section, a lot of guys definitely deserve mentions even if the All-Region teams can only include 14 guys, so I’m just gonna go a little crazy a name a bunch of quality guys in tiers. Also include the suggestions that I deserve POY but I’m gonna leave myself off of here and leave stratifying me to everyone else.
Tier 1
Alexander Taylor, Elon: We all know who he is, he got Ultiworld’s breakout player last year (even if it was probably a year late) and has been Elon’s rock over the past 2 seasons since their trip to the D3 final in 2014. He sees the field more than anyone else for BFB and matching up against him is more of a contain game than anything else.
Robby Kuster, DUFF: The best thrower on Davidson, and while the rest aren’t slouches, theres simply no denying his inside breaks and consistency are their most potent offensive weapons. Being a lefty helps, but he uses the general un-familiarity of marking lefties to his advantage excellently and is one of the most sound players with the disc I’ve played against all year.
Zach Norrbom, MoG: In all fairness, cut from the same cloth as Kuster, but probably a cut above. A bit more agile, a bit more creative and confident when it comes to challenging throws, a better/more dangerous throw-and-go, just a bit better in a handful of ways and just as good at basically everything else. He’s a scary matchup/thrower/opponent
Henry Babcock, Richmond: This guy has anchored this team on the disc since he was a freshman, but that role grew even more last year and I assume its expanded further now. His poise has always been beyond his years and his decision making has always been excellent in my experience. Definitely deserves 1st team.
Charlie Bridger, UNCA: D-line captain that was too busy teaching underprivileged kids in Boston last year to play for us. Selfish jerk. But he’s back now and its so darn neat to watch him hurt himself in small ways over and over just to get us some opportunities to break or to keep possession. One of the best athletes I’ve seen in the division, tons of heart, and one of very few people who I genuinely dislike to be guarded by. But at regionals I don’t have to be! Good luck everybody else! 
Tier 2
Kyle Taylor, DUFF: I don’t see him moving the disc around quite as much/as freely as Kuster, but this guy anchored the defensive half of their team at sectionals. By far not the biggest guy on the field, but the way he plays reminds me of DUFF alum Josh Hegen, but notably better in my opinion. (#JoshHegen anyone? am I the only non-DUFF person who remembers him getting decked 2 years ago?)
Dennis Maclaine, Richmond: The only other guy I remember on Richmond thats still playing, but he definitely left an impression. Not quite as solid as Babcock, but definitely a quality player. Note that this assessment is based on seeing him a year ago, so its totally possible/probable that he belongs in Tier 1.
FORMAT CHANGE BECAUSE HOLY DEPTH!
Elon players: Brian Szymanski, Paul Kantlehner, Jeremy Lonnman, Bill Scofield
Brian is probably up there as cutters go, despite being sidelined for a while this year with injuries. Paul also had some injury problems last summer, not sure into this year but still a really solid presence for BFB. Lonnman would definitely be a candidate for most-improved if there was a category for it, great 2nd year handler/defender. Scofield is relentless on the mark and is a great, quick hybrid player.
HPU: Cam Bellando and Michael Ball have both lead HPU for the past 2 years and their connection is pretty tough to stop. Cam can be a stifling dump defender and Michael is a menace downfield. The honey pass between these 2 is huge for HPU. Great guys to be able to build their program around.
UNCA: Joe Baker, Jacob Warshauer, Hunter Scaggs, Chad Gerber, Cory Oskardmay
Joe is another guy that we missed last year but he’s back and he’s still benefitting from ultimate’s lack of PED testing. Little else can explain his insane energy and intensity. Its genuinely scary sometimes. Jacob is an excellent sophomore that grabs some stuff in ways that just don’t make sense. He can contort like a cat, but then never lands on his feet because he’s only halfway through morphing I guess. He’s bailed me out more than my fair share of times, but then he’s also incredibly reliable with the disc. Hunter is a great second-year player who has grown by leaps and bounds similar to his in-game layouts. This guy was getting layout D’s on unders in his first year of ultimate and now he can throw pretty well too. Beware. Chad is a great 4th year player who has evolved from a deep threat into a total hybrid for us. He’ll beat you deep, he’ll chill back and handle. Cory Oskardmay was always a cutter and then discovered few people could throw when he got to college, so we’ve been molding him into a handler for the past 2 years and its really paying dividends. The guy will make you feel bad when he’s cutting and then you’ll just walk away confused after he break you. He’s ruthless with the breaks. Plus he throws all 5’-something of himself around at every opportunity, which is nice.
Tier 3: honorable mentions I guess?
Shout outs to Mac Harris (DUFF) and then more so Michael Sellers (HPU) for not letting me do whatever I wanted when we played DUFF and HPU this past weekend. Kinda figured you guys weren’t freshman but apparently you’re just better than I expect freshman to be. Props to that. I’d put Sellers in the All-Freshman talks.
DUFF: Chris Johnson, Henry Siebentritt, an Patrick Spauster all deserve nods, even though CJ was the only one playing at sectionals (unless I’m totally thinking of the wrong people?). Some of the guys at the head of the faceless army of DUFF role players.
Elon: Connor Whiffen and Andrew Rodgers were solid handlers for BFB at sectionals and I can only imagine Whiffen’s ceiling getting scary high if he keeps at it. That being said, he’s got a ways to go for sure, but as he refines he’ll be crazy good. Definitely an all-freshman candidate for me.
Luis Royo w/ HPU deserves a nod even though I’m sure he’ll be overlooked since he wasn’t at sectionals and apparently wont be at regionals. Really solid big man, athletic as all hell and will punish you if you give him a step to the endzone.
UNCA freshman Darius Anglin and Ethan Cole have also been great additions this year. Darius established himself as a great receiver early on and has been building his throwing ability ever since while Ethan came in as a very experienced cutter but has done a great job of managing the transition to being a hybrid so we could use him as a handler sometimes/often. Neither would be out of place on an all-freshman ballot. We definitely have some other unknowns/underrated guys but I’ll keep them to myself for now.
So thats a buttload of text and names and shtick, I’m gonna have to side with Michael here and echo that this is the time of year when I’m always kinda frustrated with how good our region is. Way to go guys. Now its tough dealing with you on the field and in all-region voting. Thanks for that. 
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Kyle here from DUFF. It’s been a great (almost) four years playing with you guys. Thanks for the shout-outs, although Clint I’ll have you know that I’ve decided to take high dose HGH this week and will be over 6’5" by regionals. Watch out.
I’m going to try as best I can to list players by position, with the caveat that, like others from Carolina, I have not played any NAC team this year. Players not listed in a particular order.
Handlers
- Robby Kuster, Davidson
- Clint McSherry, UNCA
- Zander Taylor, Elon
- Zach Norrbom, Mary Wash
- Henry Babcock, Richmond
To me, these are the five best handlers in the region. Cam (HPU), Cory (UNCA), Jeremy (Elon), A-Rog (Elon), Dennis (Richmond), and Connor (Elon) are all great too, but the throws these five guys have are, in my estimation, a cut above. Their movement as well is what puts them in this top tier; lots of throw-and-go’s from these guys that are a nightmare to guard. Also Cullen and Ben I love you too; watch out for those two guys next year. Stay humble.
Cutters
- Chad Gerber, UNCA
- Brian Syzmanski, Elon
- Paul Kantlehner, Elon
- Chris Johnson, Davidson
- Henry Siebenritt, Davidson
Mike Ball, I’m not sure if you’re a handler or a cutter. Put yourself in whichever list you like more. Scofield (Elon) and Warshauer (UNCA) are very solid too, but I had to arbitrarily draw the line somewhere. Actually I didn’t have to, and you guys are great. NAC guys, I am sorry I do not know your cutters better, but I am sure you would not be in the position you are without greater cutters. To return to the list though, players 1-4 on the list are awesome deep threats and tend to get open at will. Henry also gets open at will but he’s quite a bit shorter. More on him to follow.
POY: Clint McSherry. Awesome throws and elite offensive movement. Cleary has the respect of his team and is a great competitor.
FOY: Connor Whiffen. About to be one of the most dominate handlers in the region. Great intensity on both the offensive and defensive ends. Also his layouts.
Most Improved/Break Out Player: Henry Siebentritt. One of the principle architects of the DUFF sideline hype machine, but also has made HUGE improvements in his cutting and throws (sans high release). I have not seen many players take him out of the game, plus he played with a food-serving glove on his throwing hand at sectionals. Who else did that? Exactly.
Love you guys and am looking forward to regionals.
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Hey all,
First year coach for UMW Mother of George here. I attended Regionals last year which was my only experience to see anything outside of the NAC, aside from this year’s Easterns.
I can say though, that McSherry was a nightmare for us last year at Regionals. I can only assume he has gotten much better. I can also say without a doubt that Richmond’s Henry Babcock is the V8 engine that powers the O line and they definitely struggled slightly at Conferences without him. Dennis MacClaine and Joey Cullison both played many of the points all weekend to help pull out 2 universe point wins. Babcock’s throws to space are on point and we had quite a time game planning around him for the upset that took place at Easterns. We hope his back is good to go by Regionals.
For UMW, Zach is certainly the heart of this team. He does just as much coaching as I do and he still plays above and beyond. Referring to Dave’s input, the cutter he is referring to is Joseph Richards, a sophomore with basketball background, is lightning quick and can finish well above the rim. Also, definitely best hair on the team.
Dave, I’d also like to second your vote for Warwick. Watching your game-to-go, he was certainly the spear head for the win over CNU. He never seemed to have a problem out there and even for a bigger guy, he has some wheels.
For outstanding rookies, I’d like to recognize that little blonde haired kid on Richmond. He starts on the O line and is the “mini me” to Babcock’s “Doctor evil”. The kid has got some major confidence and is not afraid to throw anything. I’d also like to recognize Harper James for UMW as a rookie. Hailing from California, Harper has also solidified a role in the O line as a handler. While not the quickest, Harper is our best possession handler by far and can put it just about anywhere. He is so efficient it freaks me out.
That’s a lot about O, so lemme throw some love real quickly for D side. Robbie Pratt, a spit fire little man with great intensity, and Robert Blake, little bro of Llyod Blake and D line handler with mad ups and tremendous field awareness. Both deserve recognition for sure.
I’m pumped for the competition come Regionals, but am also sad there are only 2 bids. Damn Travis Carpenter.
See you all very soon.
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Yo idk what y’all were seeing, but Michael Chisholm from elon looks like the best player in the region right now, his efficiency is off the charts. He scores roughly 2/3 of the time he touches the disc, he even skyed billy at practice. He’s seems like a once in a generation talent that should for sure make all region and make a run at ROTY.
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Little late to the party, but I made it.
First, shout out to all you guys for making this region what it is. I know we have one of the toughest regions (if not the toughest) in DIII, but I feel we also have the best group of guys who have a true appreciation for our entire division and the game as a whole. Second, thank you to you guys who have said some kind words about me in this thread. Means a lot. Third, I’ll start talking about why everyone what this thread is actually for.
Basically, I’m just going to list all the players that I think are deserving a spot on the first team, and it’s basically going to be in no particular order. So without further ado:
Clint McSherry; UNCA-
Clint is one of my favorite opponents. If I’m not on the field, I usually get the luxury of being able to watch him make things look very easy. If I am on the field, I usually have the burden of having to guard him. He can get a disc off to a teammate from any release point which makes a mark’s life hell. Also, the guy can decide to cut whenever he doesn’t feel like handling anymore in the game and be just as much of a weapon downfield.
Zander Taylor; Elon-
Another dangerous handler that is a burden for anyone to guard. There’s a clear reason why he won POTY last year. He is the commander of the Elon offense and works his tail off to leave his defender in his tracks. His defense is pretty scary too.
Henry Babcock; Richmond-
God, I had to cover this dude once and it was not fun. Your mark is essentially irrelevant when guarding him. Inside, outside, upside down, forwards, backwards, sideways, doesn’t matter. Also doesn’t help that he can throw-and-go you to the ground, either.
Michael Ball; High Point-
I know Mike has had his name thrown around on this thread a handful of times, but I still think he’s still being overlooked with what level of play he’s at. Mike is one of just a few people on HPU’s team that is asked to play on both sides of the disc. If Mike is covering you, you will not score. If you are covering Mike, he will score. Disc in the air? He’s coming down with it. He has the ability to go every other for almost the whole game, all while he’s played almost twice as much as anyone else on the field.
Robbie Kuster; Davidson-
In my experience playing against Robbie, I have yet to see him turn the disc. He refuses to throw anything other than 100% shots and it pisses me off a lot when we play, but can’t help but respect. It takes a lot to have the discipline he does, and I think those are some of the little things that deserve more recognition.
Zach Norbaum; Mary Washington-
I haven’t played against him yet, but it seems like it’s the cool thing to talk about him. Excited to see what he’s got at regionals.
Brian Szymanzki; Elon-
Talk about a big boy with wheels. One of the more physical players in the region, which sets up for a fun matchup if you like that style of play. If not, well, take an extra step back while defending. Brian is the definition of a beast, and has just as pretty of a throw as he does layouts.
Honorable Mentions/Second Team Candidates:
Dennis Maclaine - Richmond
Cory Oskardmay - UNCA
Chad Gerber - UNCA
Billy Boy Scofield - Elon
Connor Whiffen - Elon
Jeremy Lonnman - Elon
Kyle Taylor - Davidson
Chris Johnson - Davidson
Luis Royo - High Point
Michael Sellers - High Point
Besides Norbaum, everyone I’ve put down is based off my in-game experiences with each person, so some names may have been left off. See you all in a week!
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Hey guys, Spencer Cobb from Navy. We haven’t played any of the teams in the Carolina Conference, and saw most of our section for the first time at Sectionals. Seeing as we haven’t really played anyone yet, I can’t offer much in the way of nominations, but I’ll do my best.
Obviously, my list starts with Zach Norrbom. I’ve been playing with and against Zach for four years now and am still constantly in awe of his understanding of the game. Not only does he have all the throws, he has the game IQ to use them effectively. Anyone who’s matched up against him on D knows he will take every advantage, and he knows how to use being a lefty to devastating effect. Also a really good, spirited guy.
I also have to throw in a name probably none of you are familiar with. I realize our team is kind of this unknown group, so I have to nominate our captain, Austin Tortorici. Maybe not always the most dominant player on the field, he deserves a nod considering the work he’s put into this team. Last year we were a pretty ragtag bunch who went to one spring tournament and didn’t even qualify for Regionals. Austin’s poured his heart and soul into this team to get us to where we are, on and off the field. On the field he truly commands our offense. He’s deceptively fast and has surprising hops, but his biggest asset is his arm. He regularly puts flick hucks endzone to endzone, right in the breadbasket of our cutters. just a monster thrower who puts the team on his back in hard games.
The other nominations I have right now for players are Richmond’s main handlers. I haven’t seen Henry play in person unfortunately, but without him on the field #'s 19 and 16 (I’m pretty sure those are the right numbers) had incredible chemistry and were able to work the field just between the two of them. Not sure their names (sorry guys, I’ll probably know after this weekend) but if I could I would nominate them as a package deal.
As for coaching awards, I again feel obligated to nominate one of our own: Dave “LT” Stira. In the same vein as my nomination for Austin, Coach Stira has taken our team, both as a physical body of players and as a culture, and transformed it into something that can tap into our potential and succeed in years to come. If his contributions to Navy Ultimate are evident this season, I think it will become increasingly apparent during the next few years what a positive force of change he has been for us.
That’s all I have for now, but after this weekend I’m sure I’ll be back with plenty more input.
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Richmond player here. #16 is a freshman. His name is Chris Selwood and he deserves a ton of recognition for what he has been able to do in his first year
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Thanks man, always nice to put a name to a face! He’s a freshman?! Damn, that’s pretty awesome! Definitely seemed like a big contributor during our game against you, so props to him.
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So I’m going to be changing up my ballot quite a bit. I have to find a few spots for some guys from Richmond. Henry Babcock was the best player at regionals this past weekend. I watched or played against him in two different games, and I think he had one turnover total between those two games. He makes every throw look smooth and easy. Richmond was dominant this weekend, and it started with him. I need help with a name from someone at Richmond, but the incredibly quick little handler from the O line was terrific as well. I think someone told me he’s a freshman? If so, that’s ridiculous. Lastly, Dennis Maclaine needs a spot somewhere on these two teams as well. He was the best defender I faced this weekend and was also super efficient on a turn for their D line offense. I’m still working out what three names to take off my previous comment, but the region champs deserve a few players on the list, and those three stood out to me
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Great weekend of competition y’all! Congrats to UNCA and Richmond; I’m sure you’ll represent the AC well at Nationals later this month.
Having played most teams in the region, I wanted to update and narrow my all-region list and give some shout-outs to players who’ve been dominant in the AC this year.
Clint McSherry (UNCA): played the best I’ve seen him play in the game-to-go. Terrific break-side give-go’s and an arsenal of overs. One of the quickest first steps of any player I’ve guarded.
Zach Norrbom (Mary Wash): the difference when he is on the field for Mary Wash is amazing. I want to see him and Clint do a timed give-go drill and see who’s faster.
Zander Taylor (Elon): maybe the best all-around player in the region; he can handle, cut, and defend and is effective at all positions. Rarely makes mistakes with the disc and is a leader on and off the field.
Brian Syzmanski (Elon): his cutting and layouts are terrific, and in the Sunday game he played against us, I thought he played the best I’ve seen him play. Throws his whole body and spirit into the game - a true competitor.
Robby Kuster (DUFF): another guy who rarely makes mistakes with the disc and has a terrific first step off his throws. Had a lot of layouts on defense to get the disc back and facilitated the offense extremely well.
Henry Babcock (Richmond): elite hammers, blades, and hucks and also a very strong handler defender. Always relaxed and confident with the disc.
Chad Gerber (UNCA): deep threat and workhorse for the UNCA offense; also a terrific defender.
It is so so close not only within this group, but also between them and the next three to six players. Our region is extremely talented and almost certainly the deepest of any in the country. What used to be a one-bid region now deserves at least three or four; there were no coaches at regionals my freshmen (or sophomore?) year and now every team has one. What’s still missing, however, is a championship. With Nationals in North Carolina this year, I’ll be rooting for an all-AC final; best of luck to both teams competing in Winston-Salem and to all those who will return to the fields next fall.
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Richmond will probably clarify, but I’m pretty sure you are talking about Chris Selwood. I understand he’s a freshman, and would give him my vote for FOTY.
Henry did what we thought he would, and IMO should be POTY, no disrespect meant to anyone else.
I wish we had played Elon and Davidson so I got a better look at some of their guys, but for HPU and UNCA: Mike and Cam were super impressive for HPU, both with how they played and how they led. For UNCA, Clint and Chad stand out to me, but they have several other guys who are athletic, skilled, and make plays. Those four should all receive All-Region spots.
Navy gives us a harder time than just about anyone this year, and are definitely worthy. Probably says something about my lack of coaching ability that I can’t pick out their best players, more than it does about those players. Austin gets a call out from their team in this thread, and that would be good enough for me.
So, with acknowledgement of my NAC bias, I think my summary thoughts are:
1st Team:
Henry Babcock, Richmond (POTY)
Zach Norrbom, Mary Washington
Clint McSherry, UNCA
Mike Ball, High Point
Chad Gerber, UNCA
(Davidson rep, probably Robby Kuster)
(Elon rep, probably Alexander Taylor)
Second Team:
Dennis Maclaine, Richmond
Joe Cullison, Richmond
Cam Bellando, HPU
Joseph Richards, Mary Washington
Austin Tortorici, Navy
(Davidson rep, probably Chris Johnson)
(Elon Rep, probably Bryan Syzmanski)
FOTY: Chris Selwood, Richmond
Coach OTY: Matt Graves, Richmond (Untalked about in this thread, but is there any doubt? They are a freaking machine, and it comes back to someone…)
This leaves out tons of other deserving guys. For example, I still think Peter Warwick deserves a spot for us, but he missed most of Regionals with an injury, and between that and taking him off because he’s on my team, he’s the one I ended up cutting. Sounds like Davidson and Elon have deserving guys that get left out, as does UNCA, Richmond, Mary Wash, and Navy.
Great job, everyone. I really enjoy the (both small-s and large-S) spirit in this region. Tribute to all the programs, players and coaches. Looking forward to competing hard again next year.
And congrats and good luck to Richmond and UNCA! Have a great time and represent at Nationals!
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Man oh man, what a weekend. First off, I want to thank every team that made the trek down to Elon and having a really fun, competitive tournament. I got to watch and play against only a few of these teams, but I’ll try my best to give some love to people that deserve it with a lot of honorable mentions.
First Team:
- Clint McSherry (PoTY)- UNC-Asheville
- Henry Babcock- UR
- Robby Kuster- DUFF
- Zander Taylor- Elon
- Brian Szymanski- Elon
- Zach Norrbom- Mary Washington
- Mike Ball- High Point
Second Team:
- Connor Scofield- Elon
- Cam Bellando- High Point
- Chris Johnson- DUFF
- Chad Gerber- Asheville
- Cory Oskardmay- Asheville
- Austin Tortorici
- Paul Kantlehner- Elon
FoTY: Connor Whiffen
Coach of the Year: Matt Graves, Richmond
Slight bias towards Elon for unknown reasons, but just a stellar region overall.
Elon
-Zander Taylor: Enough people have already remarked on Zander’s playing ability, but his presence on the field is not just due to his plays alone. As a two-year captain, I can’t thank Zander enough for all of the work and heart that he has put into our team. Zander plays with a true passion for the sport and a commitment to improve himself, his team, and his region. I have a lot of respect for him as a player, but I have even more as a friend and a teammate. I’m incredibly proud of Zander for everything he has done for our team. With all of that in mind, Zander is First Team without a doubt.
-Brian Szymanski: Brian plays with a fire. We all know him as a juggernaut on the field that will fight for anything. Brian has given it his all this semester, and wants to leave the team better than when he joined it. He has worked with our younger players, myself included, to improve our team as a whole. Brian is also First team, no doubt. Great player, great captain, great teammate. If he didn’t earn a bid to nationals, he definitely earned himself a busch.
-Paul Kantlehner: Paul has proven himself as a top cutter for Elon. If our region wasn’t so damn competetive, I would expect him to be first team as well, but I think he will be on the second team.
-Connor Scofield: Talk about a defensive hound. This kid wants to get a lay out D on every point he plays. He almost alway marks the other team’s stud. When he gets the turn, he is the primary cutter for the D-Line offense. 2nd team for sure.
-Connor Whiffen: I can’t think of another freshman in our region that has had as much of an impact on a team than Whiff did. No doubt, this kid is on the All-Freshman line. He loves to use his lank to break the mark at will (God bless that boy’s knees) and can also throw his body around to get a D. One year of college ultimate under his belt, he has three more years to become an absolute beast. Really excited to see what he can do.
-Ethan Gould: Ethan was the second handler for the starting D-Line so I definitely think he has earned himself a little love. I’ve known this guy for four years now, and I’m really proud to see how much he has grown as a player. I would put him on the All-Freshman line as well.
Richmond
I’m really bummed that we never got the opportunity to play UR this season, but for the bits and pieces of games that I watched, they really are a dominant team. Either way, huge congratulations to the entire Spidermonkey team for their playing this weekend. Best of luck at Nationals.
Henry Babcock: It should go without saying that Henry is First team. Center cog for the spidermonkey O, and has a really cheerful spirit.
Not sure of the name (Possibly a freshman?) but the blond handler with those remarkably speedy little give and go’s. As soon as he throws it he’s got you beat by a few steps. If he is a freshman, then he has a place on the All-Freshman line too.
UNCA
Two tournaments in a row we come down to UP with these guys. Always a bloodbath.
Clint McSherry: First team, no doubt. He carries the offense. Smart, consistent, athletic.
Chad Gerber: Although Chad and myself may not always see eye to eye, he really is a great player in our region and I think is deserving of a spot on the Second Team all-region
Cory Oskardmay: I really respect Cory as a player. He’s got a lot of good spirit and he’s just a good player overall. Definitely receives an honorable mention.
Jacob Warshauer: I thoroughly enjoyed watching his skills improve over the year. Great cutter/defender for Asheville.
High Point
Mike Ball- The High Point program is new but they have really stepped up into a tough region and made a name for themselves. I give a lot of respect to Mike as both a player and a leader for their team. First team for sure.
Cam Bellando- Another phenomenal player for Bagheera. Great spirit, great plays. Deserves a spot on the second team without a doubt.
Michael Sellers- Almost any dead disc he would initiate the offense, so he deserves an honorable mention
Luis Royo- I wish I could have seen Luis play at all this spring, but damn he can cut.
Davidson
Robby- He wants it every other throw and knows what to do with it. Also, he is probably one of the most honest guys in the region. Great spirit from all of DUFF but Robby in particular can make a game both competitive as hell, and equally fun.
Kyle Taylor- I hate waiting for the pull to float down because I always know that Kyle is busting his ass to get down there. Respect.
Ben Whitfield- I’ve known Ben since high school, and he just keeps getting better. I definitely wanted to show him some love as well.
Cullen- He’s definitely stepped up as a handler for Davidson this year. Like everyone else on Duff, I feel like Cullen is not even close to the best he can be.
Paul- How does he catch EVERYTHING. Someone needs to check his hands for pine tar or something, but mad respect to this guy as a cutter.
CJ- Every time a disc should fly over his head, it somehow still ends up in his hands. Another great player out of Duff.
Mary Washington
Zach Norrbom- It goes without saying that he may be one of the most dominant handlers in our region.
Navy
First off, I think these guys have the coolest dark jerseys in the region.
Austin Tortorici- I don’t think we played against him on Saturday, but he really stuck with me on Sunday as being a critical player in the Navy offense.
I want to thank all of you again for an incredible season. I had a lot of fun, and I am excited to see what the AC can do at Nationals this year. Best of luck to both Richmond and Asheville!
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Hi guys,
I know I’m late to the party, but I have wanted to jump in for a little bit but have just been swamped with school. But now that’s done and over with, I’d like to thank everyone who mentioned me for their kindness.
I have to admit, I was going to sit here and type out 7 1st teamers and 7 2nd teamers…I have realized that this is a very challenging task, so I’m going to back down and just do my own format. Our region is really damn good and it is a shame we didn’t have 3 or even 4 bids. If the All-Region teams across the nation participated in a tournament, I’m convinced ours would absolutely win that monumental All-Star tournament Hey, that would be fun as shit so if anyone wants to set that up, dope.
I’m just going to make a list of who I deem to be the cream of the crop. the best of the best in our region. While I am separating these players into Handlers and Cutters, every player on the list has a multi-faceted game. I didn’t include anyone who I thought was just REALLY good at only one aspect of ultimate. I do have bias, I never faced Mary Wash or Navy. I tried to make my lists with who I really think is the biggest pain to match up against/who has the most offensive and defensive weapons at their disposal and use them wisely, but it is not a perfect order, as I could definitely switch a few peoples places.
Quick clarification, if I say 1st team “lock” it means they absolutely have my vote for that All-region team, and if I say 2nd team “lock” it means they absolutely have my vote for 2nd team, but I may put them on 1st team.
Best handlers in our region:
- Clint McMuffin - UNCA (I thought that was the funniest comment I’ve ever seen on ultiworld). Clint has been a great, and frustrating teammate to have for the past 4 years. At the end of the day though, our team would not and could not have had as much success as we have had without him. He plays every O-point that we deem a must hold, and almost every D point where we really want a break. His throws are the shit. I already knew that but at sectionals with all the damn wind, he still blew my mind. He’s a gutsy guy with the disc, he makes bold decisions and has the skill to back them up. His quickness and agility are wonderful, I hate guarding him at practice. It’s so fucking frustrating. I will miss playing with him immensely. 1st team lock.
- Zander Taylor - ELON. I can’t say enough about how much I’ve grown to respect Zander’s game. When I didn’t know him whatsoever, I didn’t like him. Primarily because as a rookie, I was quite jealous of his skill, athleticism, and experience. Well the days of me wondering “why is that Elon rookie talking to our stats-girl, Abi?” and “I don’t like that guy, we bonked heads and I suffered a concussion” are gone. Now that I’ve had a couple years to have some short, wonderful conversations with him, I like Zander a lot. He’s genuinely a kind, happy-going man who is damn good at every single aspect of the game. Anyways, he was a huge part of Elon’s success for his 4 years there, and I have nothing but good things to say about him. 1st team lock.
- Robby Kuster - DUFF. I never found myself guarding him, and that was according to my desire on the line. Great spirit, great competitor, I can’t add much that hasn’t already been said. 1st team lock.
- Henry Babcock - Richmond. I don’t really have a lot of memories of Henry being a baller last year in the one game we played Richmond. Going into Regionals this year, there sure was a lot of hype I heard about him. For the most part it did not disappoint. Not sure about the whole Callahan thing, but Henry is a damn good handler, who can most definitely cut too. His throws weren’t super in our two games against them, so I guess I was just not seeing what everyone else was. On a team that is incredibly solid across the board, he’s the stand-out guy for sure. If I were to build a team around one handler though, one of the 3 guys above in my list would be my 1st pick. 1st team lock.
- Kyle Taylor - DUFF. Boy do I like this guy. He’s awesome. Smart and athletic on the field, he has wonderful throws and insanely good handler defense (so thankfully not someone I see covering me too much and not someone that I’ll pick up on D). We had a moment at Regionals that was very romantic. We stared into eachothers eyes for over 5 straight seconds. His spirit and fire are awesome to see and his teammates love him (they made a cheer about him). 1st team.
- Jeremy Lonnman - ELON. Hope I don’t piss off Jeremy too much. I think very highly of him as both a person and player. Last year as a freshmen, Jeremy made a great impact for ELON and helped them be the dominant juggernaut that they became, sweeping Sectionals & Regionals, if I’m not mistaken. Anyways, in the heat of the game, Jeremy & I have gotten into it a little bit, and there are a couple calls I wish I could get back after watching film of Sectionals… speaking of film, you don’t need to watch film to know that Jeremy is a flat out baller. He’s lanky as fuck and uses it to his advantage on both throwing, marking, and skying the ever loving shit out of anyone in the region. 2nd team lock.
- Cory Oskardmay - UNCA. Heh. Cory & I have had issues, mostly on my end due to stress from being the one captain who is also club president, vice president, and treasurer, but at the end of the day I love him to death. He’s like a little very politically incorrect brother to me and I am in awe of his growth as a player. Not only does he have the sickest around break backhand in the region (probably all of D3) he is a hairy furball of energy. He’s got hucks, he has tremendous nipple-high layouts, and he has great goal spikes and celebrations. He’s our hype man on the sidelines and has a lot of heart without any height (He’s 5’6’’ lololol). 2nd team lock.
- Zach Norbaum - Mary Wash. Sad I didn’t get to see him tear up some competition this year, but very glad my team didn’t have to face this monster. He’s quicker than anyone else in the region except maybe Cory. He’s basically the blond version of Cory. Just an absolute nightmare to guard, period. I’m terrified of what Mary Wash will do next year as I’m sure there’s more in store than 5th place at Regionals. 2nd team.
- Cam Bellando - HPU. Even though Cam might like the Boston Bruins, I still like him. He’s a good guy and a fierce competitor. He’s got a high motor and nobody wants to win like Cam does. He’s one of the few people who has made Clint want to leave the handler space and go be inactive in the stack. Cam’s a huge reason HPU is a scary team. 2nd team.
- Henry Siebentritt - DUFF. Another guy that I have the pleasure of never guarding or never having to try and get open on, though I think I could sky him… Henry is another guy like Cory on my team. He’s insanely quick/agile and loves to have the disc in his hands. Big reason why Davidson is so damn good. As a senior next year, I’m confident he’ll become even better than he already is (spooooky). 2nd team.
Best Cutters in our region:
- Chris Johnson - DUFF. He’s a gem. I’ll start off by saying that I may or may not be in love with this man, please don’t tell my girlfriend, or Charlie Bridger. He’s got one of the best, if not the best spirits I’ve come across in any sport that I have played. I had the distinct pleasure of being his teammate for the Express last summer, and got to know him more than I’ve gotten to know any other opponent in the region. The past three years, I have detested matching up on CJ, as not only do I like him a lot, but he’s incredibly fucking good. Layouts? Check. Athleticism? Check. Oh fuck, my girlfriend just read what I wrote…where was I? Can he sky anyone in the region with regularity? Yes! Can he handle competently, absolutely. Does he pull well? You bet. CJ can do anything and everything on the ultimate field. He has my unending respect as one of our regions most challenging cutters to face. Now please give me my disc back, CJ. 1st team lock.
- Brian Szymanski - ELON. Yo, Brian has gotten a lot of shout-outs on this thread. They are all well deserved. I don’t remember much of Brian before last year, but my god he made an impression upon me last year. Sucks that he got hurt this year, but he still managed to help make BFB a terrifying squad to face. We have this really sick video clip of Brian doing a half-spin move fake on Clint (it might have been me) in the endzone at sectionals last year and oh my god he fooled Clint (maybe it was me) so hard and caught the goal. Brian’s a very chill guy and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors. I do not think it is possible for me to respect anyone as much as I respect Brian. 1st team.
- Charles Iceman Bridger III - UNCA. I shit you not, his middle name is Iceman, look at his driver’s license, and yes, he is the third Iceman. This is probably the biggest snub that I have seen on this forum thread. Y’all must not remember Chuck from 2 years ago. Just because he spent a year in the frigid northeast in Boston teaching little children god knows what, doesn’t mean he didn’t come back and have an immediate impact. He’s our fourth captain along with Clint, Cory and I, and he was sorely missed last year. A HUGE reason we were able to be in position to earn our first ever Nationals bid was because of this man. He is third on our team in assists behind Clint and Cory and just a little ahead of me, and he is second on our team in goals behind Jacob and ahead of me. He plays the most excellent defense in the region I think. Whenever I’m not on Charlie’s team during our practice time scrimmages, he makes it a point to make my life miserable when I handle (for some reason I have his number downfield). We would not have beaten Elon on Saturday at Regionals without his contribution while he was playing with a fucked up knee (reason why he did not play against Richmond on Saturday) and his constantly fucked shoulder. He hurt his shoulder even worse in the Elon game that we won on UP and was unable to play on Sunday, but he’s the reason we got to play in those 2 games to go. Love him. 2nd team lock.
- Jacob Warshauer - UNCA. This young man is a beast. If you told me that anybody else could layout and get to discs that seem out of reach better than this young man, I’d call you a liar. He’s got years of ultimate experience under his belt, is a national champion with Triforce (U-19) and brings an attitude of “let’s have some fun” to our team. He has a little work to do in the confidence department, but once he figures out that he has all the tools to be the most dominant player in the region and maybe all of D3, watch out world. Jacob may be my favorite teammate…I always know that when he’s on the field we have a chance at getting a D or scoring and at the very least I know Jacob will give it his all. I find his name to be quite lacking in the posts I’ve read so far. And this young man deserves a ton of recognition. He’s a vital part of our team and is both an offensive and defensive leader for us. 2nd team lock.
- Paul Kantlehner - ELON. Don’t remember Paul from last year, but I heard he was a fucking beast. Well, this year at Regionals, he may have been the biggest pain that I encountered in my cutting attempts. He’s built like a fucking rock. Boy, does he have a nice body…He uses his height and athleticism to dominate games on both sides of the disc. Definitely a huge reason BFB has been so good for so long. 2nd team lock.
- Mike Ball - HPU. I like Mike. After I thought last year was Mike’s last, I was incredibly upset, but happy for him, that he was returning for another. He’s the heart and soul of Bagheera’s offense and defense. He probably plays the most points out of anybody in our region. Some people play every O point and every other D, or vice versa…Mike plays literally every point of every game, and you have to respect that he is no slouch while doing it. Not sure about the whole Callahan nomination, but Mike still has my respect as one of our region’s finest hybrid players. 2nd team.
- Dennis Maclaine - Richmond. (sorry if I misspelled your name dude). I had decent success cutting against Dennis this past weekend at Regionals, but I had to work my ass off to get open every single time. He is the rock of Richmond’s D-line and also plays important O points for them. He has great disc skills and his senior year saw him lead a Richmond team that may well could be the best D3 team in the whole country. I can’t help but respect Dennis as an athlete, player, and person. 2nd team.
- Patrick Spauster - DUFF. Definitely someone I thought who’s name might pop up on here, so I’m surprised it really hasn’t. Was on the fence about this one, but I saw him sky the daylights out of one of our teams best defensive players (whom I thought would get the D) and was incredibly impressed by this moment. I know Patrick is quite talented, tall, and competent with the disc. He’s a great competitor but not at the expense of good spirit. He has a secret admirer in me, and I believe he wholeheartedly deserves a nod. 2nd team.
Wow, that was long. I put a lot of thought into it, so hope you enjoyed the time you spent reading it!
Chad
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