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 play in New England, but my team (williams) played most of our tournaments in Virgina this year, so Iāve seen and played most of the top teams here.
Henry Babcock is the real deal. Huge throws, but also a level of throwing finesse that is unmatched in the division. He can throw hammers that sit on a shelf at catchable height in 15 mph winds. Heās also very athletic and is really good at all aspects of the game.
Zach Norrbom is maybe the only guy in the region with prettier throws. Heās not as athletically dominant as Babcock, but he has this dirty shoulder fake that gets him open almost constantly. Heās also a lefty, which is pretty cool. Unfortunately, he doesnāt have that much talent surrounding him, other than that Joe Richards (? tall athletic basketball player?) and that shorter quick guy.
For FOTY, itās Andrew Roy and itās not really close. He might not be uber athletic, or do super flashy stuff, but heās the guy on Davidsonās d-line that is why they are winning games. He has great throws, good hucks, plays good defense, always makes the right decision, but most of all is just going to grind. Heās not going to slack because he doesnāt get tired, and he doesnāt care about the highlight reel so he doesnāt do stupid or ācoolā shit with the disc. He pairs that hard work with a lethal game IQ.
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Prior to Regionals, my All Region teams are as follows:
1st Team (no particular order)
- Luis Royo, High Point
- Cam Bellando, High Point
- Henry Babcock, Richmond
- Zach Norrbom, Mary Washington
- Charlie Bridger, UNC Asheville
- Chris Johnson, Davidson
- Connor Scofield, Elon
2nd Team
- Michael Sellers, High Point
- Chris Selwood, Richmond
- Jacob Warshauer, UNC Asheville
- Chad Gerber, UNC Asheville
- Andrew Roy, Davidson
- Henry Siebentritt, Davidson
- Spencer Cobb, Navy
Iāve only seen Richmond in person from the other Conference, so my ballot might change after regionals. Also important to note that this is an individual award, and that drove some of my decisions. High Point is a more top heavy team than Davidson, so I believe their top two players deserve more recognition despite Davidson being the better team. I also look forward to seeing Cobb play at regionals; Navy has had a hell of a season, and heās the one name I know from that roster.
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Thanks for the shout out Mike. Honestly, I think for us (Navy) you have to give credit to our captain, Sam Weaver (27) and junior Steve Steckler (18). The two of them are pretty much a part of every point, and Steve especially is just a fast, physical cutter who is going to be a tough matchup for anyone.
For the rest of the region, weāve only played Richmond, Mary Wash, Elon, and Davidson. I concur with everything thatās been said thus far. Henry is definitely a game changer. Like Kees said he has a throwing finesse that I think has to be seen to be appreciated. He also has a deceptively fast first step and a quickness you wouldnāt expect from someone his height. I also think Chris Selwood is a crucial element of that team, and when Henry is not on the field you can bet the offense will be running through Chris.
Zach Norrbom is a no-brainer, but ultimate is a game that canāt be played alone, so itās good that Zach has Joseph. If you havenāt played against Joseph Richards yet, good luck finding someone to match up against himā¦ Also Robbie Pratt is an emotional rock for that team. He is always positive and is one of the most spirited players Iāve played against.
As for Davidson, I donāt really know any of their playersā names except Andrew Roy, but if you could just put āDavidson Handlersā in one of the spots for first team they would have my vote. Theyāre a consistent, patient, very well tuned bunch who run a tight system. Andrew is a workhorse and continues to get better, so expect good things from him in years to come. On a similar note, I think Ken Porter deserves some love, as Davidson keeps getting better and he has helped turn them into a focused, reliable team.
Finally for Elon, Conor Scofield and Jeremy Lonnman run that team, and while they have had an up and down season, when those two are on this team has the ability to go on some runs against anyone in the region.
First Team
- Henry Babcock - Richmond
- Zach Norrbom - Mary Washington
- Patrick Spauster - DUFF
- Chris Johnson - DUFF
- Mike Ball - High Point
- Cam Bellando - High Pointā
- Chad Gerber - UNCA
Many of these guys are well known and already have been talked about. For DUFF, Patrick (Spoos) is extremely vital to our team, and has probably been most valuable to us this season. Great intense defense, really versatile cutter that will grind out unders and win in the air deep if you try to take it away. While heās not as well-known, I firmly believe he should be first team. UNCA was really hard for me to rank, just because we only played them at sectionals, when they had a down game. Tons of guys with talent, lots of guys that could be first and second team. High Point doesnāt have a large or deep roster, so itās really impressive the success they have and the workload of their top players. Mike and Cam do a great deal for their team. CJ, Zach, and Henry are all clear top talents who are both playmakers and volume players, no doubts about any of them.
Second Team
- Ben Whitfield - DUFF
- Henry Siebentritt - DUFF
- Connor Scofield - Elon
- Joseph Richards - Mary Washington
- Chris Selwood - Richmond
- Jacob Warshauer - UNCA
- Luis Royo - High Point
Not much of a gap between first and second team, many guys that could move up. Ben is the rock of our O-line, huge volume handler who brings composure and great throws. Henry is a great leader as a guy who leads cheers and keeps everyone having fun, but also is a strong popper in zone offense, good under cutter, and good defender. Connor seemed to be the best player on Elon when we played them at sectionals. Joseph is a big-time athlete, and already playing Breeze. Chris handled a lot of the offensive load at EasUR and was an impressive handler with strong hucks. Jacob is extremely talented and could easily move up to first team based on regionals. Luis is one of the top defenders in the region.
Others Who Are Close/Third Team
- Sam Weaver - Navy
- Phillip Bader - DUFF
- Cullen MacDowell - DUFF
- Robbie Pratt - Mary Washington
- Jeremy Lonnman - Elon
- Connor Whiffen - Elon
- Ethan Cole - UNCA
Couldnāt leave these guys off without any mention. When we played Navy, Sam was a really big part of their offense. Spencer is also a strong player for them. Bader is one of the best athletes in the region, very big and fast. Cullen is a solid D-line handler for us who has a high ceiling. Robbie is a very tough, gritty defender. Jeremy and Connor are both lanky handlers for Elon who have really nice throws and if their throws are on, will be the reason Elon may surprise people at regionals. Ethan is a quick handler who UNCA gives lots of offensive responsibility to.
In regards to freshmen, Dean Merrit of UNCA is a polished player who will be integral to them for all 4 years. He has the experience, having played on the Triforce YCC championship team last year, and has great form and frequent bids. The other big impact freshman I know is DUFFās Dustin Smith. While not well-known, he has high school experience and is extremely explosive and quick. Great defender, great hands, and a great iso (he gets it from his dad). All hail the son of Coach. Jonathan Phillips is also a good freshman for us, who came in with YCC experience, but unfortunately was hurt for most of the spring. Ben Weinstein of Richmond played YCC in DC for 3 years and will be a huge part of their team in the coming years.
Last paragraph, I promise! For coaches, I wanted to mention ours, who have been really helpful this year. Ken Porter (KP) is a great coach and keeps us focused, but the addition of Erec Hillis really made our offense run smoothly and he helped us create a clear identity. They deserve a lot of credit. I also know Keys Pattie does a good job coaching at Mary Wash.
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While its fairly easy to figure out the best players on each team, it is a struggle to find out who are the freshmen on each team. That makes picking the Freshmen team really tough. In that vein, below are 4 of Richmondās Freshmen to keep an eye on at Regionals.
Harris Cannon - #22
Chris Cassella - #69
Xavier McCormick - #39
Ben Weinstein - #8
EDIT: On Second thought, you can ignore Xavier
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All-Region 2017 AC:
First Team:
Henry Babcock
Tynan Englert
Chris Selwood
Justin Keller
Xavier McCormick (Fr.)
Pat āMurphā Murray
Sam Gillespie
Second Team:
Jimmy Lenox
Abe Shroeder
Chris Cassella (Fr.)
Graydon Cowan
Matt Szeluga
Harris Cannon (Fr.)
Ben Weinstein (Fr.)
Prove me wrong at Regionals.
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I doubt many D3 freshmen will make the freshman all-region team, due to the strength of D1 freshmen this year, particularly at UNC, UNCW, and NC State. Probably only 2-3 from D3 Iād guess.
I agree! Iām just saying that without finding out on this forum who the freshmen are on each team itās tough to know who to vote for.
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Donāt know a whole lot of the younger guys in the region, but here are some thoughts from a former UNCA guy (slightly biased).
1st team:
Chris Johnson (DUFF)
Michael Ball (Highpoint)
Henry Babcock (Richmond)
Chad āBertā Gerber (UNCA)
Charlie Bridger (UNCA)
Jacob Warshauer (UNCA)
Insert the guy from your team that I missed
Iām of the mindset that POTY should go to the guy who leads their team to win the region, so thatās still up in the air between guys on all four of these teams. If UNCA wins the region, Iād put Gerber as POTY. If Richmond wins, Iād put Babcock as repeat POTY. Etc, etc.
I donāt really understand how Gerber is still playing, but as long as USAU doesnāt have a problem with it Iām cool. Heās really a do it all for UNCA at this point in his āfiveā year career. In the past two seasons he has added a consistent arsenal of throws to his already dominant cutting abilities and provides a strong leadership presence for his team. He plays his club ball for Cahoots and has a year of experience with the now defunct Charlotte Choo Choo trains in the AUDL (#RIPexpress). All in all, heās a very experienced, talented player that deserves a little more recognition than he has gotten on this thread so far.
tl;dr
Gerber for Donovan 2017
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After playing this weekend, Iāll actually make a real list. I had no idea who was who on any team, so I just decided to chirp a bit on the forums. However, there were a bunch of players who really stood out after playing this weekend.
First Team:
Henry Babcock - Richond
Zach Norrbom - Mary Washington
Chad Gerber - UNCA
Mike Ball - High Point
Chris Selwood - Richmond
Patrick Spauster - Davidson
Patrick āMurphā Murray - Richmond
I donāt think the first 4 guys really need any justification. These are all guys who have solidified themselves as top players in the region and are dominant both offensively and defensively. Chad was kind of dead in our game against him, so I couldnāt see him at his best, but you could still tell how good he can be.
Chris Selwood runs our O-line, and his throws are just incredible. As much as he pisses me off in practice, I wouldnāt trade him for any handler in the region. His resets are incredible, and his strike cuts are ādeceptively quickā just like Wes Welker or Julian Edelman.
Patrick Spauster and Pat Murphy fill similar roles for us (Richmond) and Davidson. Henry kept yelling at us to stop the kid in the green and blue cleats this weekend and at EastUR, and that happened to be Spoos. He consistently burned us on unders, and if we took it away he was able to get into the deep space and make plays on the disc. He isnāt afraid to bid at all. Defensively, he just grinds.
I could also basically copy and paste the last paragraph and put Murphās name in there as a description, and it holds up.
Second Team:
Henry Siebentritt- Davidson
Joe Richards - Mary Washington
Andrew Roy - Davidson
Siebentritt is a nightmare to guard. He just never stops running. Heās comfortable with the disc and has very solid throws.
Joe can be a gamebreaker. Even if you play perfect defense against him, sometimes he can just go up and get it. Heās a nearly impossible matchup for anyone because of his athleticism and I hate playing against Mary Wash because of his potential to swing a game.
Andrew Roy was not here this weekend at regionals because he was āacross the pondā according to his teammates. The difference between Duff with and without him was striking, and I look forward to going against him for the next 3 years and one tournament.
After these 3 I can honestly say I donāt have enough information to form a well-developed second team. I probably missed some people, but Iād rather not have a bad list than have a list that is just incomplete.
For Freshmen that I saw/knew: Dean Merrit was fun to play against on UNCA. He was very quick, had good strike cuts and throws and was a solid player all around. Andrew Roy has already been spoken about. I would also like to shout out my Spidermonkeys Chris Cassella, Harris Cannon and Ben Weinstein. Chris has some of the best hucks in the region from what Iāve seen and Babcock sometimes defers to him on pulls. Harris is just an athlete. Heās still developing as an ultimate player, but sometimes he makes plays that just leave me with my mouth hanging open. Ben had a great sectionals tournament and is lightning quick on his cuts. I can see him being a Siebentritt-type player for us next year.
Again, I may have missed a couple freshmen, but these are the only ones I know. Looking forward to competing in this region for another 3 years. I was very impressed by the spirit shown by every team we played against and canāt wait to keep competing.
@graves pls keep me on your list noooooo
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Wow, what a weekend. First off, congrats to those who qualified for nationals, and props to the rest of the region for proving why we have the most competitive division in DIII. Hereās what Iāve gathered for my all-region teams.
First Team
MIchael Ball - High Point
Mike is a very key part of the team. He is a commander on the D-line, making plays all over the field defensively, while also being able to come up big on the offensive side of the disc with his ability to throw-and-go in the handler space, while also being a deep threat downfield catching huck after huck and coming down with a lot of discs in the air. He will also hop on for important offensive points and will step up and make a big plays there. Bias aside, I think Mike on the first team is a no-brainer.
Luis Royo - High Point
Luis is the other half of the High Point D-line. There are A LOT of times where Luis looks like a man amongst boys on the field. He makes incredible, athletic plays on both sides of the disc, has one of the most intimidating marks in all of college ultimate, and can put a disc into the end zone from just about anywhere on the field.
Henry Babcock - Richmond
I think this is another pretty easy one. His ability to move the disc so well is what makes him just such a great player. Heās tall, quick, and hits any receiver easily. While there are other stellar players on Richmond that has contributed to their success, he really is the key for that team. I canāt see why he wouldnāt get POTY again.
Zach Norrbom - Mary Washington
I had never played Zach before, and I got the luxury (or burden) of playing him twice this weekend. Zach constantly makes his matchup work his tail off thanks to his high skill in the handler position. To be blunt, heās an incredibly good handler. He is extremely quick and has very good throws/breaks to go along with that. Him being a lefty is also pretty annoying when youāre playing against him.
Chris Johnson - Davidson
In the past, I tended to overlook what CJ brought to the table for Davidson. It wasnāt until recently I began to understand that he is such an important piece to their team. When their army of small-ball handlers arenāt give-and-going up the field, CJ is typically the one facilitating all the disc movement downfield thanks to his skill and athleticism. He adds an extra element to DUFFās offense that makes you have to respect all facets of their game, rather than just focusing on how their handlers move. Shout out to CJ for making me realize how good of a player he really is.
Charlie Bridger - UNCA
PSA: I HATE GUARDING CHARLIE. Heās tall, fast, and can throw the disc really freakinā well. On top of that, heās good for 2-3 BIG Dās a game, which really kinda sucks when youāre not on his team. Iām not sure why his talent tends to get overlooked, but it shouldnāt because that dude can ball out.
Connor Scofield - Elon
Iām just gunna say this. When Billy guards you, it really sucks. Heās usually the most athletic dude on the field and will usually win his matchup, whether heās guarding a handler or a cutter, doesnāt really matter.
Second Team
Jeremy Lonnman - Elon
Unfortunately, I hadnāt really seen a ton from Jeremy this year due to him missing our first game at sectionals and getting injured at regionals. He very well could be on the first team, but I donāt have a lot to base that off of. Either way, heās got some dope throws and is a tough SOB.
Chad Gerber - UNCA
Despite the fact that he hates me for being a Boston sports fan, I love Chad. But back to ultimate-related things, Chad does a lot for UNCA that may go unnoticed. He serves as a consistent facilitator on the field and is able to be a bailout option if their offense is in stagnation. He comes down with plenty discs and is also a very strong defender. Go Pats.
Joseph Richards - Mary Washington
Tall, fast. athletic, offensive monster. Those are four things I would use to describe Joe. He wins a ton of 50/50 discs and his speed allows him to create a lot of separation on his cuts. Heās another one on MW you have to gameplan around.
Robbie Pratt - Mary Washington
Robbie could easily be the most spirited dude Iāve ever played against. He gives so much respect for his opponents and is not afraid to be the one to step up and calm things down if a situation on the field gets tense. On top of this, Robbie has such a good feel for the game and is capable of making some big plays for MW. Heās a great leader and was definitely a major key to their success this season.
Chris Selwood - Richmond
I feel like some may think of Chris as just the reset guy for Babcock, but thatās just not the case. Heās nearly just as lethal with the disc in his hands, heās extremely quick, and should not get overlooked by any means.
Henry Siebentritt - Davidson
In the army of quick-moving handlers and feisty defenders, Henry is their commander. He is a super reliable player with the disc in his hands and can get open in the handler space with ease. If thereās a turn, be ready for Henry to be the one to make a play to get it back.
Sam Weaver - Navy
I only got to play against Sam once, but he definitely left an impression. A lot of Navyās offense was running through him whether he was behind the disc as a handler or up the field as a cutter, and because he was always working to get the disc, he doesnāt let his defenders get much rest.
Noteworthy players who could also make the second team/Players I didnāt get a chance to see much of:
Cory Oskardmay - UNCA
Jacob Warshaur - UNCA
Dean Merritt - UNCA
Ben Whitfield - Davidson
Andrew Roy- Davidson
Michael Sellers - High Point
Pete Isler - High Point
Spencer Cobb - Navy
Ethan Gould - Elon
For All-Freshmen, my vote goes to Andrew Roy (Davidson), Dean Merritt (UNCA), and Pete Isler (High Point). All three of these guys seemed to play very similar roles for their team. All have very great throws, are dominant in the handler position, and are able to take on the some of the toughest match-ups. What is also unique about these three is that they were all just kind of thrown into the mix immediately and had a lot more weight on their shoulders than most freshmen do. All three of these guys stepped up big for each of their respective teams.
Sorry for the novel, but our region is just so deep. I apologize now if I missed you or one of your teammateās names on this list. Thereās a handful of people I just never got to really play against this season (i.e Richmond) that Iām sure is very well-deserving of making these All-Region teams.
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Hey yāall, Regionals have come and gone and that means its time to come together and talk about how unstoppable everyone in our region is. And truly, our region is so unstoppable. Regionals was truly a great time with so many unstoppable teams being truly unstoppable.
Most Unstoppable (1st Team Unstoppable)
-Henry Babcock (Richmond)
-Ben Whitfield (DUFF)
-Zach Norrbom (Mary Wash)
-Chad Gerber (UNCA)
-Mike Ball (HPU)
-Connor Scofield (Elon)
-Patrick Spauster (DUFF)
Henry āUnstoppable Throwsā Babcock: Babcock is an unstoppable god amongst slightly less-unstoppable men. He anchors an unstoppable team to make them even less stoppable. Babcock is clearly the emotionally unstoppable leader of the team that can often cause the team to remember how unstoppable they are when they are starting to feel stoppable. In the three games weāve played against them, there have been several times where Iām like, wow, we finally stopped Babcock, then he goes and throws an unstoppable dime and I was like āDamn, so unstoppable.ā
Ben āUnstoppably Lankyā Whitfield: When asked to summarize what he thought about Ben Whitfield in one word, Davidson Alum Steph Curry said the following, ["[unstoppable]."] Ben is often overlooked on DUFF, but his unstoppably patient and efficient handling is a key reason that DUFF has been so unstoppable this year. Ben has also seriously improved his handling defense so that he can make other unstoppable players seem like they could be stoppable. His combination of unstoppable leadership, unstoppable talent, and unstoppable game IQ makes him just so unstoppable.
Zach āDC Unstoppableā Norbomm: I had always heard talk about this unstoppable player on Mary Wash that was just an utterly unstoppable handler. Having played against him twice this year and been bested by his team twice, I can agree that this man is unstoppable. His quick unstoppable handler motion and creatively unstoppable throws merge together to create an unstoppable force of nature. Next year, look out for this boy to just become truly unstoppable.
Chad āI Canāt Believe Heās Not Stoppableā Gerber: Chad is an unstoppable and beautiful human being. I love this unstoppable man. He and I match up and he never seems to be stoppable to me. He can do a bit of everything for UNCA in a way that just makes him so unstoppable. I tend to think of Chad as an unstoppable cutter and cutter defender, but during this season I matched up more against him when he was busy being an unstoppable handler. This made me come to one conclusion: Chad is unstoppable. <3
Mike āUnstoppable Callahan Nomineeā Ball: Mike is a well known name in our region for both his unstoppable personality and his unstoppable skill. The thing that impresses me most about Mike is that he has literally created a program (with some unstoppable help) and turned HPU into an unstoppable contender in our region. Mike is an unstoppable combination of unstoppable athleticism and unstoppable game IQ. He also really hates it when people talk about how unstoppable people are in these threads.
Connor āRon UNstoppableā Scofield: Elon lost a pretty fucking unstoppable senior class last year. So unstoppable that I thought that Elon was at risk of becoming stoppable. But Connor Scofield is one of the primary reason that Elon was able to continue to be such a threat and be so damn unstoppable. At one point, DUFF tried to run an iso with the guy who unstoppable Scofield was guarding. After Scofield shut it down, we came on the sideline and said, āhey, heās too unstoppable, donāt run an iso with the guy Scofield is guarding.ā
Patrick āUnstoppably Eurotrashā Spauster: With a Eurotrash haircut like that, itās no question that Patrick Spauster (Spoos) is unstoppable. Spoosās cuts, layouts, and haircut can only be described using one word, āunstoppable.ā Spoos is one of the most unstoppable players in the air, coming down with things that definitely should have been stopped. But alas, he is too unstoppable. Spoosās unstoppable cuts can often break ankles and his layouts are just truly magnificently unstoppable. Alsoā¦ come onā¦ that hairā¦ so unstoppable.
Not Even Close to Stoppable (2nd Team Unstoppable)
-Cam Bellando (HPU)
-Charlie Bridger (UNCA)
-Joseph Richards (Mary Wash)
-Henry Siebentritt (DUFF)
-Chris Selwood (Richmond)
-Luis Royo (HPU)
-Phillip Bader (DUFF)
Cam āMission Unstoppableā Bellando: Honestly, the only reason that the unstoppable creature that is Cam is on my second team is because he lost a 4 person random number generator to see who would be on 2nd teamā¦ sorry Cam. But truly Cam is one of the most unstoppable handlers Iāve faced, just so unstoppably quick, unstoppably agile, and unstoppably good in the air. Way to be unstoppable, Cam.
Charlier āStop Being So Unstoppableā Bridger: Short of me almost killing him (sorry Charlie), Charlie showed me that he was just so unbelievably unstoppable as a downfield cutter. The man is unstoppably large, unstoppably good spirited, and unstoppably hard to guard.
Joseph āCanāt Stop Wonāt Stopā Richards: This man is so unstoppable, that we had to have serious conversations about whether this man was human or not. Anytime Mary Wash needs a bailout, this man is just like, āHey, watch me, Iām unstoppable,ā and then he doesnāt get stopped. So unstoppable in the air that itās a little scary.
Henry āUnstoppable Amounts of Bullshitā Siebentritt: This man, so unstoppable. We have many quick unstoppable handlers in this regions, and Henry is always told to match up and make them stoppable. Henryās quickness as handler defender and his shutdown mark make his defense just truly unstoppable. Then on a turn, this unstoppable being is expected to go every other, just constantly being unstoppable.
Chris āKnock Knock. Whoās there. Unstoppable. Unstoppable Who? Unstoppableā Selwood: This manās unstoppableness can sometimes be overlooked, given that heās on the same team as unstoppable Babcock. But Selwood is unstoppable in his own right. Richmond would not be as unstoppable as they are if they just had Babcock. Selwood adds an unstoppable element to them that just canāt be stopped.
Luis āUnstoppable is My Last Nameā Royo Unstoppable: This man should get an all-unstoppable nod just by his layouts alone. But then you throw in his unstoppable air presence, unstoppable cuts, and unstoppable defense and just whoaā¦ this man is unstoppable.
Phillip Bader: Heās good.
New and Unstoppable (Freshmen):
Andrew Roy
Dean Merritt
Xavier McCormick
Unstoppable Mentions:
-Dylan Sandlin (DUFF)
-Jacob Warshauer
-Jeremy Lonnman
-Connor Whiffen
-Navy Handler Whose Name I donāt Know but he Was Good at the Sport
Unstoppable.
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In case anyone wants the coaching perspective, hereās the view from the sideline as Davidsonās assistant coach. DUFF saw almost every team at Regionals multiple times this season (High Point and Elon once each), so I felt like we had pretty good exposure.
First Team
These 4 should be consensus picks for AC D3 First Team:
Henry Babcock - Best player in the region.
Zach Norrbom - Next best player in the region.
Joseph Richards - Best downfield player in the region.
Chris Johnson - Among the next best downfield players in the region, and DUFFās defensive engine and catalyst.
These would be my next three first team choices:
Patrick Spauster/Ben Whitfield - Pick one, both were critical to DUFFās success this year.
Chad Gerber (Or whoever your first choice from UNC-A is)
Luis Royo/Chris Selwood - Pick one, both have great seasons and shoulder a big load for their teams.
2nd Team
Mike Ball - Good player, didnāt do enough to displace anyone on First Team.
Ben Whitfield/Patrick Spauster (whichever you didnāt choose for first team)
Chris Selwood/Luis Royo (whichever you didnāt choose for first team)
Pick Four of the following. All are deserving of recognition, at some point it is splitting hairs. My personal choices are bolded:
Henry Siebentritt (DUFF), Phillip Bader (DUFF), Charlie Bridger (UNCA), Jacob Warshauer (UNCA), Connor Scofield (Elon), Sam Weaver (Navy), Patrick Murray (Richmond), Cam Bellando (High Point)
FOTY - Andrew Roy without reservation.
POTY - Henry Babcock without reservation.
Hi all,
I appreciate all the strokes Iāve received, so figured Iād go ahead and contribute my own stroking.
I would preface this by saying that, at least for DUFF, forums like these get A LOT wrong in terms of overstating individual roles on our team (CJ is mediocre) - I firmly believe that everyone mentioned here on DUFF could easily be replaced by people who donāt have the name recognition (yet) that these discussions tend to rewardā¦ Kevin Endersby, Kaylen Alexis, Paul Brennan, and Cullen MacDowell (to mention just a few) are all on or approaching similar levels of talent possessed by the DUFF names that are appearing in peoplesā lists. That said, for my teammates Iām considering the longevity of their dedication and impact on the team in my equation so that I am able to whittle my list down a bit. I will also own up to my own bias towards people I match up against (mostly handlers) - Iām bad at noticing other impact players unless they make big-time plays or throws.
Let the stroking commence.
1st team stroking:
Henry Babcock (POTY; Richmond)
Zach Norrbom (Mary Washington)
Joseph Richards (Mary Washington)
Patrick āSpoosā Spauster (DUFF)
Chris āCJā Johnson (DUFF)
Connor Scofield (Elon)
Luis Royo (HPU)
Babcock - ohmygod those upwind hucks. In addition to amazing throws heās a well-rounded player with great defense and even a deep threat at times.
Norrbom - does so much for his team - his composure anchors the offense and his ability to throw his players open is only matched by Babcock. Gonna be exciting to see what he does next year.
Richards - our defensive strategy against Mary Wash is dependent on shutting this guy down. Amazing athlete, smart poaches, and comfortable with the disc. Probably one of the two biggest deep threats in the region.
Spoos - incredibly well-rounded player, but his defensive intensity, cutting dexterity, and aerial prowess are truly noteworthy. Heās played through inhibiting injuries all season but itās hard to notice. Beyond that he brings lots of heart to DUFF and is a strong emotional leader on the team.
CJ - āHe gives Davidson a level of dynamic playmaking that doesnāt exist elsewhere on the roster and could elevate them through our rankingsā¦ Davidsonās Chris Johnson helped lead DUFF to Nationals in 2014ā Though I promise that none of that is true in the slightest, CJ has led our team with an unmatched passion for 4 years, 3 as a captain. He inspires intensity in teammates and when heās not walking around the field with his hands on his hips, he makes huge lay out dās, cuts with authority, and picks floaters out of the sky with ease.
Scofield - Please never guard me again. His defensive agility and speed makes people (me) feel useless. He also has good disc skills.
Royo - Another one of those super athletic, tall cutters/cutter defenders. I hadnāt really noticed him before regionals but seeing some of his shut-down d, insane layout catches, and solid throwing was enough to give him a first-team nod.
2nd team stroking:
Cory Oskardmay (UNCA)
Chris Selwood (Richmond)
Cam Bellando (HPU)
Mike Ball (HPU)
Ben Whitfield (DUFF)
Phillip Bader (DUFF)
Robbie Pratt (Mary Washington)
Oskardmay - Best around backhand breaks in the region, super quick movement, always gets the reset. I know Iāve probably snubbed some UNCA guys but its because I pretty much only ever guard Cory and donāt see the playmakers downfield.
Selwood - Guarded him one point not knowing who he was and after that point I knew who he was. Really strong handler movement.
Bellando - Didnāt guard him so donāt really have a great idea of his skill set, but he seems to do a lot for HPU.
Ball - Super physical ultimate, good in the air and solid throws. Definitely instrumental in HPUs rise to prominence.
Whitfield - Ben is a dominant handler equipped with beautiful hucks and beautiful patience. Uses his body better than any other handler to get open in any window no matter how tight. Not only does he facilitate our offense, but he works tirelessly in and out of practice to develop himself and his teammates.
Bader - Bader is not only really fast and really tall, but heās really fast and tall too. Shut-down defense, gets open with ease both under and deep. Would easily be first team with a little throwing development.
Pratt - When we played Mary Wash at EastUR, I was impressed with Robbieās off the field presence. Super spirited, seems to be an emotional key on MoG - this is a quality that deserves more recognition on these threadsā¦ It wasnāt until Regionals that I realized heās also super quick and a strong under cutter too.
Worthy of strokes:
Sam Weaver - Navy (probably underrated, I didnāt have an eye on him this weekend)
Dylan Sandlin - DUFF (senior rookie, top athlete with the most intense d ever)
Freshman stroking: (that sounds weird I apologize)
Andrew Roy (DUFF) - For sure FOTY. Read the first post in this thread about him - spot on. Has a maturity in his play that most seniors still havenāt fully developed.
Xavier McCormick (Richmond) - Had a sick layout d that earned him a spot on here in my book. Should be an absolute monster in a year or two.
Will Stifel (DUFF) - Probably unknown to yāall, but Eiffel Stifelās natural athleticism and work ethic will see him become a top player in the region before too long.
Freshman on HPU that I guarded and looks kind of like Cam (HPU) - Deceptively shifty and already has strong disc skills.
Coach of the Year:
Ken Porter - KP has become an integral part of DUFF over the past two years. KP has committed himself to DUFF through watching hours of film, developing a full-team defensive system, and planning drills (+ running practices), giving DUFF a newly found mental edge. Furthermore, KP has learned what it means to be a DUFFCat, embracing the weirdness head on (as evidenced by wearing a dress this weekend). This has allowed him to not only lead us tactically, but also emotionally. After being down by 3 or 4 against Mary Wash this weekend, it was KPs words of confidence that centered us and pushed us to take the lead again (though we did lose the game), and its KP who always humbles us after victories so that we donāt get complacent. Excited to see KP and DUFF continue to grow together.
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Hi all, itās 2:30 am, and I have finally finished watching game film from this past weekend. And boy what a weekend it was. Itās funny, we actually played each team at Regionals once, so I got to see some of everybody. My lists are based off of the body of work that I saw at Sectionals (limited) and Regionals (only one game per team) with a small amount of what I know from the last few years playing against some of yāall.
Thanks for the shout outs, everyone whoās dropped my name, Itās humbling to have the respect of peers whom I hold in high regard. Letās get this show on the road.
As usual weāve got a stellar region, and if there was some awesome National tournament where every regionās 1st and 2nd team All-Region players made up the rosters, the Atlantic Coast would go undefeated, Iām sure of it.
First Teamers (the best individual players whom often are the glue of their squad)
In no particular orderā¦
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Zach Norrbom (MARY WASH) - Whatās not to love about his game or his personality? Everybody knows about Zach, whether theyāve seen him play or not. Heās the lefty handler of the region who has unmatched agility, dime ball throws, and pretty tough defense. I had the extreme pleasure of having him match up on me very often in that game to go this past weekend. I know we were both gassed after such a long grueling weekend, but this guy makes Mary Washington as dangerous as they are. Embodiment of what a Donovan Nominee should be. He is easily the most valuable player to their team in the Region.
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Cam Bellando (HPU) - Cam is close to Zach in the throwing skills and agility, but heās a rightyā¦ kind of the glue of HPU honestly, and he probably plays the most points per game out of any player in our region. Heās got great spirit to boot - great Donovan candidate.
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Henry Babcock (RICHMOND) - Heyyy another stellar player who chose to mark me pretty often when our teams faced off this weekend. EVERYONE knows Henry, POTY last season for our Region [RIP Clint] and has my vote for POTY once again. It isnāt his athleticism, spirit, or skill that impresses me the most, itās his decision making and completion percentage. Watching film of this guy is kind of awe-inspiring. He had 2 throwaways in our game against Richmond and the disc runs through him, so that says a lot. Richmond went undefeated on the weekend and I think Henry is the catalyst for their success, along with a great great support cast and coachā¦have to tip your cap! (Great Donovan nominee)
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Chris Johnson (DUFF) - Fucking, CJ manā¦Heās a very very good player and arguably an even better person. (Another wonderful Donovan nominee!!!) Heās another top notch player who for some reason chooses to guard me. WHY DO I ATTRACT ALL THESE DAMN GOOD PLAYERS? Iām going to have a difficult time picking which 3 out of these first 4 guys I should vote for on my Donovan ballotā¦I will sleep on it (and honestly probably wait until the last second.) Enough about that, CJ is a very smart and athletic cutter, He works hard to get open, plays the game with passion and never ever sacrifices spirit at the cost of winning. Heās the glue of DUFF and a big part of their success (yet somehow Davidson all seem to dislike him). Not much more to say, watching film shows how well-rounded he is in getting open and dishing or throwing downfield, no hucks though (smart decisions only for Ceej) Love him like a brother.
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Cory Oskardmay (UNCA) - Cory is that dude. If heās not on your 1st or 2nd teamā¦You either didnāt play us or you need to rethink your choices (or life). Heās a constant presence on our o-line, and his only fault is that sometimes he looks to throw breakside TOO much. But thatās only because heās got the best break throws in the region. No if ands or buts. That low release righty backhand is deadly and despite is puny wingspan, nearly impossible to stop. Heās also agile as fuck and usually pretty smart with the disc in his hands. Heās good for some layout Dās too. Heās not a stat machine for us but heās very very valuable, and you may not have known this, but was playing hurt at sectionals and regionals! Go Cory!
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Jacob Warshauer (UNCA) - I love my co-captain. JACOB is that dude. One of, if not the best deep threat/bailout options in the region. This young blood Triforce product is not so young anymoreā¦He sacrifices his body constantly for the sake of getting layout ds, grabs, or goals, and plays with constant back pain. Heās got the biggest heart, passion, and grit of anyone Iāve encountered playing sports. He does get on his teammates nerves by constantly motioning āmy badā when a pass isnāt completed, even though it is almost never actually his faultā¦Thatās just how selfless he is and how hard he is on himself. He is truly a great ultimate player and I know Iāve talked mostly about his skying and layout abilities, but is also one of the best defenders in the region. We put him on other teams best handlers OR cutters and he gives them a real hard time. Yes, UNCA has a fuckton of good cutters, but he is a true standout among them. I thought I was done, but I just remembered, Jacob occasionally busts out DIME BALLS when heās feeling confident. Heās the whole package really.
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Charlie Bridger (UNCA) - My other co-captain. I know people, myself included, like to throw around lots of extreme adjectives for ultimate players like āunstoppableā or āunguardableā. I mean this and I will argue it with anyone, Charlie is the most unguardable cutter in DIII that Iāve ever personally seen. If you havenāt played us when heās healthy, or seen game film of us, Iāll just go ahead and let you in on the secret to what Charlie does on the ultimate field: He makes a strong fake deep and cuts in, he is usually thrown to by myself, Ethan, or Cory. Charlie cuts under, under, under, and gets open without fail. I think he is pretty fast, but heās not the FASTEST guy. He just cuts at 100% everytime, which is rare, if not unheard of. Some people choose to try and take away the under on him, he may, on the off chance use this to go deep, but normally just beats them under anywayā¦like what the fuck is going on? Why canāt he be stopped. Others see his speed and back him because they see a believable deep cut fake and do not want to get torched by this chiseled 6ā2āā demi-god. On top of all this, Heās one of the top defenders in the region, so heās not just a one-way playerā¦He gets a lot of D-line reps, and helps get the disc back to our O-line. Charlie used to be exclusively D-line as a rookie and 2nd year player because of his athletic runthrough, layout, and skyscraper Dās (mostly the layouts though, and I donāt mean falling down, I mean launching himself at hip height). Charles, as I affectionately call him, plays on a bum shoulder, which contributes to his around backhands being kind of butt, and will pop-out of its socket twice or thrice a season. Itās frustrating as fuck scrimmaging against this guy at practice, by far gives me the most trouble of anyone Iāve ever had guard me. Heās definitely on the 1st team, and even though my team nominated me for Donovan, I voted for this dude to be our nominee.
Thatās my 1st team, I wonāt budge on it, really.
Hereās my second team, I have 12 here, and Iām not sure how Iāll cut it down to 7, but I will find a way! Iāll keep my reasoning shorter because I need to sleep at somepointā¦itās past 3am.
Luis Royo (HPU) - We played HPU thrice this year, and multiple times last year. The team loses a lot when Luis is not on the field. Heās got great upwind throws, makes athletic plays on D and O as a cutter. Great spirit. Would have been a good donovan nominee! I like Luis and Iām pretty solid on him being a 2nd teamer. Another guy who covers me pretty often.
Mike Ball (HPU) - Mike is the reason HPU is on the map, to be sure. Heās grown each year since I first saw him play and matched up on him and even though heās improved a lot, I still find myself matched up on him on occasion. This year, Mike was hurt at Sectionals, and seemed to reinjure himself in the game against us at Regionals, so his impact was not as great as it usually was/is. I did happen to see him roof the shit out of someone on a Cam huck against Mary Washington or Navy on Saturday as I was getting water. His athleticism is up there with Charlieāsā¦great hops so he can match up and sky taller folks and lightning quick speed, He completes HPUās ābig 3ā.
Chris Selwood (RICHMOND) - One of Richmondās studs. Not a whole lot to say except that heās very well rounded in skill and athleticism. Definitely deserving of a 2nd team spot.
Sam Gillespie (RICHMOND) - Not trying to short-change these Richmond bros here, but Iāll just echo what I said about Selwood, heās obviously a valuable piece for the spidermonkeys and absolutely gets a nod from me for 2nd team.
Ben Whitfield (DUFF) - I really donāt remember much about this guy before this year, but Ben is a solid playmaker for DUFF on offense. Heās not flashy but watching our game film, KP and company like to have the disc run through him, and he keeps turnovers to a minimum, obviously a big reason why DUFFās offense is so efficient! Seems like a super kind guy tooā¦Kind of a norm for DUFF players.
Patrick Spauster (DUFF) - Yet another player who I find guarding me throughout games. Patty Ice is a tough competitor, and athletic playmaker. Not much of a thrower from my experience playing against and watching him, but he is a very solid defender who will leave his feet to make plays, and on the flip side is an intelligent cutter who gets open often for his throwers. Great guy, if you read this, find me at Natties and give me a hug pls. I like hugs.
Dean Merritt (UNCA) - Wow this ārookieā is the real deal. Another one of our Triforce babies, Dean is a fucking animal. I was told before he came to us buy Ethan and Jacob that he would get absurd layout Dās, and then promptly turf an open throw. Weāve certainly seen that happen with Dean, but let me tell you, this dude came to play at Sectionals and Regionals after missing Music City Tune Up (concussion from QCTU). Dean led our team in assists at Regionals, yep, freshman Dean, we kept stats thanks to some injured rookie holding a clipboard. Now in the fall, if Dean led our team in assists in a game, day, or tournament, Iād say you could bank on him leading the team in throwaways too, and in the fall we kept him on the D Line. Not so at Regionals, as he did not lead us in throwaways, and he was often on our O-lines. Dean was both careful with the disc and yet aggressive too. He slayed zones, threw slick left give-goās (heās a righty) and threw people open many a time this past weekend. Heās got bomb hucks that tend to be quite accurate, he played the 2nd most points for us (104) and has disgusting ups, which he uses to sky people on O or D. He also lays out beautifully. We threw Dean on Zach Norrbom, the most difficult handler to guard, and I think Iāve never seen anyone cover Zach so well before. Deanās performance this weekend was critical in getting us back to Nationals. Writing this makes me feel like he is even deserving of 1st team, maybe next year Dean, for now, heās solidly on my 2nd team all-region squad.
Ethan Cole (UNCA) - I know I was going to keep these shorter, but itās hard not to say a lot about my guys. Ethan is small but mighty. Heās our muscle on the O-line because he has big bomb hucks, nice over the top throws for zones, smart swinging habits, and on turns, plays some of the best handler defense in division 3 (plus he lays out as needed). Itās a Triforce thing, they are well coached, duh, but you have to bee good enough to make Triforce, which Ethan, Dean, and Jacob all wereā¦so thatās kind of self-explanatoryā¦I mean, Triforce could probably qualify for DIII Nationals, lets be honest here. Those are some fucking amazing high-schoolers. Ethan calls a lot of our plays and offensive sets, and if teams call timeouts on our goal line, he will station himself on the guy with the disc or the dump and give them hell. Big part of our Nationals run last year and this year. Yeah, heās very deserving of 2nd team.
Hunter Scaggs (UNCA) - Remember how I said Dean was an animal and played 104 points for us at Regionals? Well Hunter played 112. Surprised no one has mentioned him, but I guess he kind of blends in with Charlie, Jacob, and myself as those awesome UNCA cutters. Hunter had himself a doozy of a weekend. Itās the best Iāve seen him play. Heās a third year player for us, and he does most things extremely well. He does a great deal of pulling for us, he gets a shit ton of layout Dās that blow the mind of all on-lookers. Heās not a tremendous thrower, but heās cautious with the disc (only 2 throwaways all weekend). I think I lead our team in goals, but Hunter was either 1 or 2 behind meā¦heās got a nose for the endzone. I think his plus minus at Regionals was 28 (according to Coach). He played 23 out of 27 points in our game against Navy and then followed it up by playing 20 out of 25 points in the game to go against Mary Washington. Hunter is no joke. This baller absolutely deserves a 2nd team nod.
Andrew Roy (DUFF) - Other people have echoed how good this young freshman is, so I wonāt go on and on as I am prone to. We didnāt see him at Regionals, but we did at Sectionals. And heās the 2nd best freshman in the Region after Lean Dean Merritt.
Xavier McCormick (RICHMOND) - Hey, I like your presence on this thread, and in our region. I am sad I am graduating as it would be fun to watch you grow and develop as a player over the years and also sad knowing youāll pose a threat to my squad every time we play. Maybe see you at Natties? 3rd best freshman in the Region after mister Team Portugal from Davidson.
Jeremy Lonnman (ELON) - Elonās best player. It was disturbing to see his shoulder get injured in our game against Elonā¦and his absence definitely affected that game, and Elonās weekend, if you ask me. This turned out to be a rebuilding year for Elon, and I have a pretty good feeling Jeremy will be a good bet for 1st team next year, as Elonās army looks to bounce back. Injuries are lame as fuck, and Iāll miss seeing you on the ultimate field, you are a fantastic competitor.
That does it for my list! Itās now quarter to 4amā¦ Yeah I didnāt put anyone from Christopher Newport or Navy, but I was just simply not impressed by anyone on either of their teams during or after our games, or after watching the game film. Both teams conducted themselves with great spirit, and made for fun opponents, but there are just no standouts and their results in our very tough Region were lacking. Yeah, I only had 1 player from Elon, but again, no one else impressed me in that game, or when watching film, they sure do have a fuck ton of players though, god damn. Again, only 1 player from Mary Washington. Zach is, like I said earlier, the MVP of the AC, and he has a good supporting cast, and I think our game against them was a great fight, but I didnāt think that Joe (is that #6 ?) was particularly key to their success, it was all Norrbom. Then Iāve got 3 from DUFF and Richmond each, which isnāt as much as I had from UNCA (6 players) and that is not because Iām biased, which I am because I have a significantly larger sample size to work with when it comes to my teammates, but it is because these 2 programs have the best quality of depth of any teams in our region, and maybe of any teams in the nation (weāll see come nationals), but these teams do not need to rely on a big 3, or a top 7, as they have very very high quality depth players, and they can open up lines more than other teams in our region. You may ask āwhy 6 for UNCA?ā Well because we donāt have that depth that Richmond and Davidson haveā¦We took that 3rd bid to nationals by riding the guys that I have mentioned plus a couple other players. I think my lists include all the studs of the D-III Atlantic Coast who in my opinion, deserve recognition for their talent, effort, and spirit as ultimate players and competitors.Congratulations on a fantastic season everyone! Richmond & Davidson, Iāll see you guys at Nationals! Letās get the AC back into the finals. And as a bonus letās do what we did last year with the AC representatives placing as the #1 and #2 highest spirit scores (but lets fill out the top 3 this year).
It has been truly a great honor and pleasure to play in this Region for 5 years and to have seen so many great players and people come and go. I will cherish the memories and moments for the remainder of my life.
Maybe one day we can all be teammates on the best club team ever?
You know what they say about Jacob: He throws dime balls. Only.
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Emerging from the post-grad shadows to note that years of hard work have paid off and people are publicly taking note of the fact that we āall seem to dislikeā CJ. This is a true milestone for our team. It warms my heart to see this alongside praise of him since praise of him is not merited. CJ sucks, the Donovan Award is a charade, and we nominated Greg instead. CJās accomplishments are #fakenews. Sad!
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I have not played against many teams in the region, and I will not act like I know much about specific players on other teams. However, I am extremely confused by how most of these responses have more High Point players than Richmond players. High Point beat CNU, easily the worst team at the regional tournament, on universe in the game-to-go bracket Sunday. Richmond, meanwhile, won by no fewer than five points (granted, I wouldnāt be surprised if DUFF rested guys in the finals) all weekend on their way to winning the region for the third time in four years. How does High Point deserve more all region players? It just doesnāt make sense.
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Thank you for the shoutouts! I had a blast playing with all you at regionals, and canāt wait to see UNCA and Davidson at nationals! I divided it into two tiers because it was too hard to chose between the last three on First team and then dropping a guy or two from Second Team.
Tier 1: This group is first team for sure. I donāt think these need a lot of explaning
Henry I think has proven himself to be player of the region again. His breaks, hucks and overall athleticism combine to make a clear front runner for player of the region. Zach has throws that are also pretty above and beyond the rest of the region. Heās also an absolute pain to guard. On the other side of the disc, mike ball is one of the biggest pains as a defender. He plays really tight and physical defense and carries a huge load on offense for HPU. Number 2 on Davidson (I think Ben Whitifield) gets the nod as both an incredible player in his own right as a nomination for all of the Davidson handlers as absurdly consistent and calm with the disc. He gets open consistently for a reset and is one of the calmest people with the disc that Iāve seen.
Tier 2: This group is slightly below the first group, but they could easily find themselves on the first team. Personally, Iād say the top three here are probably Connor Scoffield, Justin Keller and Chris Johnson, but it is so close that Iāll probably change my mind in the next ten minutes.
From Elon: connor scoffield and Jeremy: connor is an incredible defender and a danger on O as well. His closing speed makes him a menace, and it got him like three Ds when he ran through discs when we played them at EastUr. Jeremy is also a really solid handler in his own right. Heās calm with the disc and can really break the mark well.
From HPU: Luis Royo has some big play ability and is a tough one to matchup with because of his throws and athletic ability.
From Mary Wash: Joseph is here because holy cow the guy can get up and roof people. He also developed some really nice puts this year and complements Zach perfectly. He developed into a player that you cannot just force in because he will burn you that way too
From UNCA: Charlie bridgerer or whoever you think is their best player, and probably one more.
I havenāt seen Charlie play much but he seemed like a very tough guy to defend. Unca is a pretty deep team, but after changing so much in terms of who carries the load from last year, and only playing us once, I had a hard time telling exactly who were their top players. This speaks to their depth, but they deserve more than one guy.
From Davidson and Richmond:
Both of these teams were so dominate because of their depth. Each could make an argument for having like 7 guys that if they were on other teams would be a for sure second team player.
From Davidson: Chris Johnson and Henry Seibentritt both stood out from a davidson team with a ton of solid players. They are both a pain to guard and never stop running. Henry is also a tenacious defender with a really solid mark. Chris Johnson really makes Davidsonās downfield offense click, and both are quite deserving of making one of these two teams.
From Richmond: Edit: I threw out a lot of names here but the final verdict was Justin Keller and Pat Murray. Edit #2: just realized I live with both of them so am maybe a touch biased, so why not just nominate all of the guys below. Henryās an obvious choice but I think the fact that Justin Keller hasnāt been mentioned yet shows the bias here toward throws instead of overall play. Justin is an absolute beast at handler defense and his cuts are pretty absurd. Our cutters are a pretty even bunch and I think that is why they donāt get a ton of love on these forums in reference to the last post. I firmly believe on most other teams theyād be getting a lot of shoutouts, but it is really hard to tell which of them is better than the others. It honestly depends on the week whether itās sam Gillespie who is lightning quick and also pretty tall, Abe Schroeder who pretty consistently leads our team in goals, ty Englert who I would argue has the best throws of any cutter in the region, Jimmy Lenox who is on our D line and tends to use his combination of a big body and deceptively quick speed to take the other teamsā top cutters and still be a menace on offense. After he balled out at regionals though, Pat Murray gets my nod from out cutters. Heās a lefty that can get up for the sky and also has had some pretty puts and break throws; however, he gets this nod because of his filthy layout Ds that he had going all weekend.
For outstanding freshmen;
For us: Let me get my bias out of the way really quickly; We had four freshmen play large roles this year and i would be reminisced if I didnāt at least give them a shout out in this section.
Chris Cassella is a YCC player that has huge hucks and often pulls on our D line despite Henry also being on that line. Ben Weinstein is a shift handler with good break throws who also played YCC. They both are so close, and arguments could definitely be made for either to be included, but we had some crazy good freshmen in our region this year, so without further ado I would argue these four stood out.
Xavier has really stepped up in the second half of the season. He often took the other teams top handlers with Justin Keller and did a really good job on handler defense. He is also a true rookie, which I think is pretty cool. It was very hard to chose between him and Andrew Roy for freshmen of the region, but Iām going to give that to Andrew in large part because X is quite cocky and I donāt wanna deal with that for the next three years :). Xās play at regionals and sectionals should see him included in tier 2. If you are drafting teams to play 7 on 7 in this region, I think he does more than a lot of older guys who get mentions.
Andrew roy has carried an incredible load for Davidson. All jokes about X aside, Andrewās calmness with the disc and break throws are well beyond his years. He deserves this based on his own merit and watching him play is very impressive. He also guarded the other teamsā top guys from a lot that Iāve seen, and I cannot wait to see what he does for the next three years. He also should be in tier 2. He is one of the top player in the region, and that should be recognized.
Dean Merit: I mentioned above that I had trouble seeing who UNCAās best player was after only one game, but if I had to guess heās either their best or second best. His is incredibly quick on his feet and deserves All- Freshmen for sure. I also think at the lower und of tier two, he should be considered as well.
Lastly, Harris Cannon from UR took a large role downfield. He is also a true rookie which I again think is pretty cool. Heās an athlete with a great understanding of the game, and in his first sanctioned game, he got the Stubbs matchup against Harvard. He has been impressive all year taking the other teams athletes and having some really fun matchups with them.
For coach of the year, you could vote for either Richmondās or Davidsonās coach and I donāt think you could go wrong. Iāll be voting for Matt Graves, but its so close.
This year Richmond had to deal with a lot of injuries to top guys, including Joey Cullison who wouldāve been a first team player this year had he not torn his ACL. Graves also laid the groundwork by focusing on player development in turning a ton of our upperclassmen, who came in with no experience, into assets on the field. He also balances our captains well by staying calm when they tend to be fiery personalities. Richmond has one the region 3 out of the last 4 years and a lot of that is due to him. I love Graves to death, and cannot imagine anyone who is more fun to play for.
Davidsonās coach, Ken Porter, is impressive in almost the exact same way. It seems like everyone from Davidson has a blast playing. Their commitment to their systematic offense has to come from somewhere, and Iād venture that its probably him.
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