I am a player at Case Western. We just won the region, and Iām seeing very little discussion of our players, outside of one or two guys. This is understandable, as prior to this year Case has not been a very high profile team. Iāve written up some information about our dudes, because I think people need to know about the best team in the Ohio Valley. Iām not necessarily advocating that all of these guys make an all region team, however I think that every single player on this roster deserves recognition for what they accomplished this year. If you look at ultiworld, or reddit comments, or whatever in the coming weeks I think the narrative that youāll see start to form is that Case was a mediocre program that lucked out by getting a superstar grad student and was basically handed a path to nationals. The truth is that several months ago the players on this team recognized that we had a chance to do something truly special, and as a team decided that we would put in the work necessary to accomplish our goals. I am tremendously proud of everyone on this roster, and think that they all deserve recognition. If you donāt feel like reading a giant wall of text, I have bolded the players names who I feel are legitimate all region candidates.
Joseph Marmerstein #3 (Gr. Pittsburgh Temper, Cleveland Smokestack, Pittsburgh Thunderbirds):
Pretty short. Loves throwing turnovers on universe. Only 1-4 in games to go. Had to rest for more than one point against OSU. Trash at Beer pong. Over hyped by Charlie Eisenhood and Ultiworld. Sometimes doesnāt get open when I stare at him for 8 stall counts. Hasnāt even played a game yet for the thunderbirds. Rarely updates his blog. Couldnāt win High Tide before coming to Case. Has an unhealthy obsession with cats. Extremely grumpy at 5 in the morning. Should be a lock for first team.
Tarik Akyuz #23 (Srā¦ Cleveland Smokestack, Detroit Mechanix):
Tarik is the absolute work horse of this team. This entire season, we did not once play a single team who could even remotely contain him deep or keep up with him under. He has truly elite speed, crazy hops, and a giant body. Iām honestly very disappointed that we didnāt get the chance to see him matched up against Pittās best players. Almost all our wins this year could be summed up by āthey didnāt have anyone who had a chance against Tarik.ā Game point against Ohio at conference finals, and universe point against OSU at regionals he game up with insane, game saving defensive skies where he was at least 15 yards back when the throw went up. All regionals Case ran a very simple side stack offense that worked simply because teams were so terrified by Tarik that every time he went deep heād take 2 or 3 guys with him. In addition to his physical dominance, Tarik also has DIME throws. His flick hucks are nasty, but heās such a chilly player that he basically only ever unleashes them at stall 9, at which point they almost always result in scores. Its honestly impossible to overstate the burden that Tarik shouldered for this team, and after the season he had I think it would be criminal to place him anywhere other than first team all region.
Jacob Lunn #33 (Captain) (Sr. Cleveland Smokestack):
If youāve played against Case at all over the last four years you remember Jacob Lunn. Stockier handler who has all the throws. Rips huge flick hucks, and seems to take a perverse pleasure in breaking marks around right as the sideline yells āNo around!ā Case had a pretty steep drop off in throwing talent after Joe and Lunn this year, and so we relied heavily on Lunn making things happen with the disc on offense. In addition to his throws, Lunn is an absolute master at utilizing his build and sneaky athleticism. I canāt tell you how many times I heard his defender, after getting torched upline for a score/huck, say āwow that guys a lot faster than he looks.ā Heās also so good at using his big olā booty to seal out his man after getting a tiny bit of separation. It is so incredibly frustrating to think youāre in perfect position for a layout d, and then just bounce right off this manās butt. Lunn is absolutely deserving of an all region spot, and youāll be seeing a lot more of him in the weeks to come 
Anthony Dario #18 (Sr.)
Anthony Dario is so god damn fast. So. God. Damn. Fast. Like Tarik, I never once this season saw a defender who was able to keep up with him. He is literally always open, even when our stupid handlers canāt seem to look at him. Dario also starting laying out all the freakin time in the second half of this season, which took him from being an all offense speedster to a two way force, getting a massive layout D down the stretch in the Semiās against OSU. In addition to his considerable talent, Dario plays with a beautiful joy that is truly inspiring to watch. He never stops smiling, and his hands up elation after his (numerous) scores is a huge source of inspiration for our team. Dario should definitely be considered for an all region team, as anyone who has ever tried to guard him can attest.
Milo Korman #26 (Gr. Chicago Beachfront Property)
This is me. It feels a little weird singing my own praises, but I consider myself one of the better defenders in the region. I was usually tasked with guarding the other teams primary initiation cutter, and I think my work denying that first under was a big part of out success. I was also generally a big part of the offense after the turn, or when I was moved to O line in certain big spots. If youāre into super physical shutdown under defense, then you might think Iām worthy of an all region spot.
Matthew āTaco" Tedesco #25(Captain) (Sr. Cleveland Smokestack)
An incredibly well rounded offensive player. He makes gorgeous in cuts, gets huuuge skies, can rip flick hucks, throws great breaks, and is very capable of filling into the handler set. He is especially deadly against the zone; many times this year teams would completely abandon the idea of playing zone against us after 1 point of watching Taco crash through the cup again and again. In addition, he showed incredible determination and leadership, constantly playing through injuries for his team.
Kyle Rogers #14 (Sr. Cleveland North Coast Disc Company)
An absolutely crucial part of Caseās O line. Kyle has height, speed, and excellent timing and cutting mechanics. Heās the perfect continuation cutter, always in the right spot to take advantage of the space created by Tarik and Dario. He gets huge layouts, both on offense and defense. He is supremely comfortable with the disc in his hands, has both forehand and backhand hucks, and is very smart about when to use them. One of the premier cutters in the region.
Steven Her #17 (Sr. Cleveland Smokestack)
Steven is a super tough and explosive defender. He also takes the hardest matchups, and almost always shuts them down. His nickname is āSteven Universeā for his ability to come through with a huge play in a big spot. At only 5ā 9ā, he was given the task of guarding the other teams main deep threats with Smokestack due to his physical gritty play. He is one of the rare defenders capable of both playing super tight denial defense where his man will never even get looked at, and also of playing poachy helping defense where he lures his man into thinking heās open, before flying in for a layout d. On offense, he makes super fundamental grinding in cuts and is capable of both filling in as a handler as well as torching his man deep. Definitely an all region caliber player.
Nathan Olszowy #22 (Sr. Cleveland North Coast Disc Company)
Another key offensive piece, Nathanās precision cutting, especially against the zone was huge for our team. He also came up with a ton of big play layouts and skies. Unfortunately he was injured for a large portion of regionals, but look for him to be a featured piece on Caseās O line at nationals and next year.
Jake Rovner #43 (Jr. NC Cash Crop, NC Triforce)
Jake is an absolute spark plug, on offense and defense. He is by far the most explosive player on this team, flying in for absurd layout dās on the other teams most athletic players. Heās been a stud all season long, but his play at regionals was absurd. First, he got a layout D bookends on universe against OSU to win the semifinals, after shutting down their second best player all game long. Then in the finals, he got a score for a break on the first point, bookends for a break on the second point, and then at least 2 more ds and another score in the first half alone, to lead Case to the commanding half time lead from which we would never look back. Beyond all these big plays, perhaps the most impressive part of Jakeās game is his motor. The kid simply never stops running. Every single time someone catches a huck, Jake is guaranteed to be flying past them, ten yards past his defender looking for a continue. In the middle a brutal grinding defensive point, after the other team turns if for the 5th time, while everyone else has their hands on their knees hoping for someone else to make a play, Jake is already wide open for a deep look or an under. There is no one like him in the region.
Matthew āChinz" Chin #31 (Jr.)
Our primary D line handler, chinz is a very well rounded player. He plays cerebral, physical handler defense, and is often given some of the toughest match ups. He is also an absolute rock up front in all of our zone looks. On offense, he does an excellent job of tailoring his play to the situation, deferring to Joe when Joe is on d line, and stepping up to take shots when he is the primary thrower. His backhand around break is unstoppable, and his hammers are slightly better than mediocre.
Buck Baskin #12 (Jr. Cleveland North Coast Disc Company)
Buck unfortunately had his season ended early by concussions. However, heās been a terrific hard worker all year long, and his hard bodying defense in tight spaces is second to none.
Steven āGodā Tokar #15 (Jr.)
An O line handler, Tokarās chilly decision making was so important for our team all season. He never once ran the wrong cut or looked at the wrong cutter. In addition, he was literally the only person who ever knew what time and where our next game was. Its not an exaggeration to say we would all probably have died without him.
Brian āWizā Ward #30 (Jr. Cleveland North Coast Disc Company)
A fiery d line handler, Wiz is equally adept at throwing his body around guarding his man as he is as shutting off throws up front in the zone. His gun slinging offense got us upwind breaks in huge spots throughout the season. In addition, when the o line is out there, Wiz is by far the loudest on the sideline, absolutely refusing to let any of his team mates do anything other than keep their full focus and attention on the field.
Kevin āBitā Talbot #37 (Jr. Cincinnati Hustle)
Bit is a real utility player. Heās played every role for us, from o line handler to d line cutter. As a handler he plays smart possession oriented offense, and as a cutter he plays hard man defense. He is also supremely dedicated, always coming early to practice to work on his game.
Jordan Liff #7 (So.)
Jordan is a big boy who makes big boy plays. A former basketball player, Jordanās field instincts and awareness are miles above everyone else. He constantly comes through with huge skies, on both sides of the disc. On offense, his awareness and timing make him an excellent end zone threat, and on defense he is a dominant force as the deep deep in the zone.
Michael Kasper #85 (So.)
A terrific O line handler, who also plays some of the best defense on the team. On offense, Kasper played his role perfectly, consistently getting open for resets for Lunn and Joe. However, it was on defense that Kasper truly shined. Being the best defender on the O line is such an important, but often overlooked role, and Kasper played it perfectly. He constantly put his body (and brain) on the line by making huge defensive plays to prevent the o line from being broken. So many times this year Case came out sluggish on a saturday morning, and by shear force of will Kasper prevented us from going down 4-0 to a far inferior team. I listed him last here because of his youth, but Kasper is absolutely one of the most important players on this team, and deserves serious attention for an all region spot.
Freshman:
Case had 4 freshman, all of whom I believe deserve consideration for a spot on the all freshman team.
Mark Fertal #81
A D line handler from day one, Mark played a huge role on our team, always seeing the field a ton in big games. He had a layout d in the upwind end zone for a break against Ohio State in the semis. It is truly rare to have a freshman who you trust with the disc in the biggest games of the season, and Markās natural composure makes him that player for us. Mark should be a lock for the all freshman team, and I believe is a strong candidate for freshman of the year.
Dima Estrin #0
Dima is a true athlete, of a caliber that you rarely see playing frisbee. He is so fast and so explosive. He is already getting huge layout ds and skies as a freshman, and his backflip celebration after catching a score is on point.
Kunal Rath #8
What can I say about Kunal that you havenāt already seen in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuFyMu8RGxg? In addition to Kunalās success as a downfield cutter, his energy and work ethic make him a natural leader; he has already been selected as a captain for next year.
Nick Longo #72
Nick Longo almost died on the field at Huck Finn. I am completely serious, when we took him to the hospital his platelet count read 0. The doctors told him he was definitely done for the season, and that there was a very good chance he would never play sports again. 1 month later he was getting layout Dās at regionals. His play is stellar due to his natural athleticism and field sense, but all of that is secondary to the determination he showed just to be in the position he is today, to put on his cleats and take the field at nationals.
Coach:
Dan Young should be the coach of the year for the Ohio Valley. This was the first year in team history that Case even had a coach, and the job that Danny did cannot be overstated. I think our victories over OSU were as much about coaching as they were about talent. Danny prepared a detailed game plan for every single opponent that we faced, based on film, his own scouting, and talking to other teams. To completely change the culture of a program and accomplish what Case accomplished this year is a coaching accomplishment that deserves recognition.
Nick āFalcore Moonbloodā Mathison, and James āJZā Zhang were also extremely valuable as assistant coaches. JZās contributions on twitter alone would make him one of the most valuable people on this team.
