Who are the best players in the South Central 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 think Tim Kefalas at CSU deserves recognition for his coaching this year. I donāt know him personally but from everything Iāve seen of him, his website, and his teams (coached against Hibida at SC regionals '16 and CSU-B at Centex '17), he seems to be one of the South Centralās most valuable coaching resources. Both teams were a lot of fun to compete against, well-coached, and with Hib earning a bid for the SC this year, very successful. I believe heās also built up that program over the last decade or so, which is a feat in itself in the high-turnover world of college. With TUFF struggling with injuries, a coachless Dozen, and having knocked off Mamabird at Conferences, I believe Tim stands out as the class of the SC this year.
4 Likes
Carson Wilder (Junior) of Texas Tech should be considered for All-Region. Has played a large part in getting Tumbleweed to the spot it is at now. As a captain, he has helped lead Tumbleweed to its first Sectionals Championship.
Trey Keesee (5th Year) of Texas Tech should also get some recognition as an All-Region player. Trey has the ability to be an effective downfield cutter, but also a greater handler option. Trey brings great athleticism and energy to the game. The flow between him and Carson Wilder is amazing to watch.
Kyle Henke (Freshman) of Texas Tech should be considered for All-Freshman. Kyle has crazy athleticism that makes for some insane Dās. He has made his presence felt on Tumbleweedās top D-Line. Although not directly related to College, Kyle impressed the Austin Sol and made the team while a Freshman in College.
3 Likes
Arkansas: Kaplan Maurer - He made second team last year. I donāt see any reason why he wouldnāt make first team this year. Athletic, good throws, huge bids, etc.
Karl Doege - A man among men. He elevates the game to a level unrivaled by anyone in the nation. I wouldnāt be surprised if he won the Callahan this year.
A&M: Carter Hollo - Played with Hip this past year. Big guy with big athleticism and big hucks.
Baylor: Austin Workman - He played played Plex last year as a role player. Put him as a handler, cutter, O-line, D-line, whatever; he can do it. Baylor works a lot through him.
Baxter - Baylorās main handler. Heās got good throws and is a leader for their team.
Colorado and Colorado State: We didnāt play them this year so I have limited info on them.
Mark Rauls, Wesley Chow, and Cody Spicer are all deserving Iām sure. Someone from the rocky mountain section help me out?
Oklahoma: Sam āSudsā Ward - Suds is one of the most dynamic and complete players in the region. He went to club natties this past year with Hip. He can stop on a dime and accelerate to full speed in 2 steps. He plays shutdown handle defense and has frequent layout dās at chest height. Being a short guy (5ā7") you would think that the air would be his weakness. Not even close. The boy has springs for legs. Heās also got the nastiest lefty backhand huck (heās a righty) Iāve ever seen.
Kai Marshall - Not much I need to say here. Plays for the Roughnecks and Hip.
Texas: Dillon Larberg - Should be a shoe in again. I heard he was injured?
Joel Clutton - Another guy I donāt think we need to talk about.
Texas Tech: Carson Wilder - Heās everything for Texas Tech. Iām sure there are plenty of great players for Tech but thatās just how good Carson is. A hell of a thrower surrounded by a bunch of athletes.
Texas State: Trent Hebert - Trent is fast, facilitates the disc, and good for a big sky or two every game.
UTD: Steven Borik - Squirrely handler. Heās got hucks, breaks, giveānāgos, layouts. Most importantly his best throw is his lefty scoober. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgtDnTi27Lg
Can I nominate someone on a team that didnāt make regionals?
1st team:
Carter Hollo (A&M)
Cody Spicer (Colorado State)
Dillon Larberg (Texas)
Joel Clutton (Texas)
Kai Marshall (Oklahoma)
Kaplan Maurer (Arkansas)
Mark Rauls (Colorado)
Karl Doege (Player of the Year)
2nd team:
Carson Wilder (Texas Tech)
Jake Servaty (Colorado State)
Sam Ward (Oklahoma)
Steven Borik (UTD)
Wesley Chow (Colorado)
Colorado Player
A&M Player
FOTY: Cyle Famuliner (Oklahoma) - Cyle came into college with the worst fundamentals ever. He had little to no knowledge of how organized ultimate works and used the wrong pivot for his flick.That didnāt stop him from making the A team roster immediately though. What Cyle didnāt have in game knowledge, he made up for by being a freak of nature athlete. This spectacle of a human being stands at 6ā2" with a year round baywatch body (http://imgur.com/a/6j45P). He lays out at head height but rarely needs to cause heās just that fast. He skies the shorts off everyone (including kai) and then turns around and throws a huck for the score. It doesnāt matter that our entire sideline is yelling at him to holster it. He takes 5 mile cool down jogs after practice cause we couldnāt run him hard enough. Honestly Iām still trying to decide if heās human. Unfortunately he took the BYU approach and canāt play on Sundays.
All slight exaggerations aside, Cyle is on the same level or better athleticism than all of the guys in this thread. Heās raw but learns quickly. In a couple years heāll be in all region talks without a doubt. Look for him on Saturday at regionals.
4 Likes
Alright, I know most of these guys personally and can attest to their talent. So Iām only going to talk about who I have a great understanding of. However, I will not be mentioning some that probably deserve to be mentioned, only because I havenāt seen them play. I apologize to you studs in advance.
Disclaimer: My name is Carson Wilder, I play for Tech, Austin Sol, Houston HIP and will be playing Doublewide this year. I say this to state that Iāve gotten to play with and/or against most of the top tier players in the region.
Colorado:
Wesley Chow and Mark Rauls, Both experienced and extremely talented athletes. I have played against them in club and theyāre both great all around players. I have not gotten to see them this year, but thereās no doubt theyāll get the recognition they deserve.
CSU:
I keep hearing about Cody Spicer. I donāt think I have played against him, but he sounds like a baller from what I have read.
Texas:
Joel Clutton leads that team extremely well and has great throws and athleticism. His height and speed make him almost impossible to guard. Force him under, heāll burn you with throws. Force him deep and heāll sky your tall guy. 2nd year veteran in the AUDL and seasoned vet in the club scene with HIP. He struggled with injury (common theme for Tuff), but still continues to be a total game changer.
Dillion Larberg- also struggled with injury, but goodness that dude can play. One of the top athletes in ultimate as whole. He led Tuff to a great showing in the spring and particularly at Florida Warm up before his injury. A major force on HIP and the Roughnecks last year. Same as Clutton, pick your poison and hope for the best when trying to guard him.
Logan Kinney is one of the most underrated players in this region. I have no idea why more people do not talk about him. Heās a speed demon with great throws and can play any position on the field. His lockdown defense would make it difficult for any O line to score.
Not to mention all these guys are veterans in the AUDL. A 50% Clutton, Kinney and Larberg is still better than most teams in the SC.
Texas State:
Saw Trent Hebert play some. Heās an athlete and a playmaker, definitely worth a mention.
Texas A&M:
They have a bunch of athletes. But unfortunately I have to keep this short.
From what little I have seen, Zach Marbach is a beast. Hope to see him in the AUDL soon. Donāt know much more about him.
Carter Hollo is a monster cutter that handles for Dozen. He was one of the top goal scorers for HIP last year. If you try and guard him at handler, heāll burn you down field. If you force him to throw, heāll slice through your defense. Pick your poison.
Connor Ughetta is their other main O line handler. Heās that one that drops dimes to Carter and any other super athletic cutter in their stable. He has every throw to get around, or over, any mark. Heās a junior with great experience already.
Arkansas:
Watched them play one game this year against A&M. Only one guy stood out to me. A smaller athletic dude that tore up the field. Feel free to add his name. Thatās all I got.
Baylor:
Donāt sleep on this team.
Austin Workman is the glue that holds that team together. He is their foundation that consistently makes plays and is super reliable. Great throws and understanding of the game as a whole. Very spirited player as well.
Baxter Robb- He is their main handler. Almost all their deep looks, and offense in general, flow through him. Fantastic thrower and quick, springy handler. Great leader and constantly encouraging the rest of his team. Great guy.
Alex Brouwer- dude is a defensive stalwart and great in the air. He has crazy bids and is super intense. Also one of the nicest and most spirited guys Iāve had the pleasure of playing against. I havenāt had to work harder all year to get open than when he was guarding me.
David Roper- we call him Blake Griffin because he is a tall guy with curly hair that owns the skies. Super athlete that translates to a great cutter and great defender. Also a spirited player.
Oklahoma:
They have 2 studs that I get the pleasure of playing club with this year.
Sam āSudsā Ward- super quick athlete with awesome throws. He was a baller for HIP last year on the D line. He is super talented and has a tenacity that is unmatched. What he lacks in height he makes up for in hops and bids. I watched him break his arm getting an eye level layout D. Not to mention he has great throws that he bombs to Kai. The guy is extremely talented and another super underrated player in the SC.
Kai Marshall- if you havenāt heard of him, then crawl out from under the rock in which you live. Leading scorer for the Roughnecks and HIP last year, so you can only imagine how much damage he does in college. Fantastic thrower as well. Iāve played with and against both of these guys, and would much rather play with them.
Texas Tech:
Trey Keesee- 5th year cutter who has absolute wheels. Plays super hard and bids all over the place. He is an amazing defender and downfield cutter. His undying passion for this game is inspiring.
Ricky Stanfield- 5th year handler that is the rock of the O line. He has amazing upwind throws and is one of the most spirited players I have ever played with or against. His consistency is what has made Tech successful this year. He takes great care of the disc and has amazing patience. His decision making is that of a seasoned veteran and he should be recognized. He also has fantastic layouts and skies.
Kyle Henke- a 6ā3 freshman that is an absolute athlete. He made the Sol this past year based on athleticism alone. Kid lays out for anything and everything. He caught a crazy 45 degree upward layout to tie the game and helped us achieve a conference championship. Heās a monster in the air as well. He should absolutely be considered for FOTY and should no doubt be on the SC All-Freshman team.
Carson Wilder- See other posts for info. Do with that what you will.
Again, this is only based off of my knowledge and what I have seen.
My All-Region teams would be:
1st team:
Carter Hollo- A&M
Dillon Larberg-Texas
Joel Clutton-Texas
Carson Wilder- Texas Tech
Mark Rauls- Colorado
Kai Marshall- OU
Cody Spicer- CSU
2nd team:
Suds Ward- OU
Logan Kinney- Texas
Trey Keesee- Texas Tech
Wesley Chow- Colorado
Connor Ughetta- A&M
Zach Marbach-A&M
(Arkansas player?)
FOTY: Kyle Henke- Texas Tech
Anybody I didnāt list should be considered for a Honorable Mention.
2 Likes
Very surprised to not see Eric Hotaling of Colorado not mentioned yet. From keeping a close eye on them all year, heās been their biggest weapon. Often initiates downfield, but also punishes with his throwing ability. Watch the stanford invite final vs Pitt, he dominated that game. Not to mention he played every point in the second half of the final that went to DGP. Incredibly impressive and would be POTY for me.
Also Iād like to give Isaac Chestler of Colorado a mention. Junior captain of Mamabird, and headmans the D-line. Plays great handler defense, something that can often go overlooked. After the turn he is consistent, breaking the mark which is so important for mamabirdās vertical stack offense.
1 Like
Disclaimer, I play for Hib (Colorado State), and with that said, Iām only commenting on players that I have seen first-hand. Thereās more than a few guys that deserve to be on this short-list, but ultimately there can only be 14 All-Region guys.
Arkansas: Kaplan Maurer. Thereās no question about this one, Kaplan is an elite talent. He does it all, break throws, hucks, skys, bids, etc., and he definitely deserves all-region.
Colorado: Iāve played against CU several times in my career, and I donāt believe theyāre getting the respect they deserve in these threads (speaking about the last few years Iāve been around). Thereās a reason that Mamabird has stood atop the region for so many years, and itās their depth, theyāre more than just a few top guys. With that said, hereās some guys that deserve to be in the all-region discussion.
Mark Rauls is on the short-list for POTY for the South Central Region, and I can attest to that more than almost anyone else. Whenever we play against CU, the matchup is myself verse Rauls. The reason heās such a great player (and a pain to cover) isnāt just because of his speed, athleticism, or throws, but because of his work ethic. In important games, heās out there every single point and he runs until he canāt anymore. Wes Chow and Erik Hotaling, are two of Mamabirdās Bravo guys, and they fit the bill of elite club players. Theyāre well-rounded, and two of Birdās biggest huckers. Both of them play significant roles, especially in the important situations. Isaac Chestler is the youngest of the Bravo bunch, and he has some of the best break mark throws Iāve seen in college ultimate, specifically that IO backhand (heās lefty btws). Heāll be a household name soon enough in the SC. Josh Crane is the final Bravo player they have, but honestly, Iāve never played against him out of all the times weāve matched up with CU. I swear he has some kind of perma-injury thing going on. Marc Kaylor is a great (dime-ball throwing) handler, Alex Tatum is an athletic cutter with huge bids (per Pitt game) and massive skys, Jeremy Harker is always good for a massive huck or two each game, Jonathan Stirk is the definition of offensive consistency (P.S. Stirk, I still canāt get over that absolutely dime-ball huck you had in that game-to-go verse Doublewide, so great), and Jack Drumright is a monster for Bird on the defensive end, especially verse us at Conferences (if you could not D so many of my throws next time, Jack, thatād be great).
CU has some good players, and there are more guys than just who I listed above. Moving on to All-Freshmenā¦ I believe both Quinn Finer and Mathieu Agee deserve to be on that list. Quinn was, I believe, starting O-line, and Mathieu was an absolute beast for them on D (I believe he led the team in blocks and goals at Pres Day).
Colorado State: In all the sports Iāve played, and all the different teams Iāve been on, Iāve never played with anyone like Cody Spicer before (who only wears sweatpants). Spice is an absolutely fantastic Ultimate player. Heās renowned for his defense. Ask his prior match-ups: John Stubbs, Ben Jagt, Chase Cunningham, Ben Spielman, the list goes onā¦ They would all tell you the same thing, heās one of the hardest defenders theyāve ever played against (and I know! I have to play against him at practice all the time!). His combination of length, and lateral quickness is unparalleled, and offensively heās a workhorse. The effort he leaves on the field is more than impressive. Heās willing to go every-other, roast his defender deep, launch hucks, or my personal favorite, destroy zones with his no-look passes. Heās more than just an incredible Ultimate player though, heās a leader for Hib both on, and off, the field. He sets a standard that all of us (his fellow teammates) look up to, and I truly believe that he deserves POTY for the South Central Region.
Colorado State is most-likely going to be the one seed going into regionals, and it would be ridiculous to think that only one player from Hib deserves to be All-Region. You can look up and down our roster, and you would see guys that deserve to be in this discussion. Weāre truly 26 players deep, and I believe thatās a testament to the program that our coach Tim āTKā Kefalas has built. He has been the heart behind Hib for 14 years, and deserves COTY in the South Central Region.
Now discussing the All-Freshmen teamā¦ I believe Will āRubyā McDonald deserves FOTY. Heās been our top O-line cutter (as a freshman!!), and oftentimes draws the toughest match-ups. Iāve never played with someone would can get open so naturally, itās seriously ridiculous how easy he makes it look. His defensive footwork is nearly perfect, and he shuts his match-ups down if thereās a turn. There must be something in the water up there in Seattle. Mo Scott and Dylan āSlendyā Custer are others that deserve to be in the conversation for the All-Freshmen team. Mo is an O-line handler for us, and his arsenal of break throws and hucks are truly remarkable, especially for a freshman. Slendy is a monster defender for us, heās consistently come up with clutch layout blocks for us all season. Verse CU at Conferences he had a block that resulted in a crucial break for us, and he takes the toughest match-ups, including Ben Spielman (of Northestern), Jake Fella (of Purdue), etc. All these guys are going to be very special players in the future so keep your eyes on them.
Oklahoma: Sam āSudsā Ward is a stud, and Iām glad heās FINALLY getting more recognition. Heās fast, he flies, and his throws are to die for (I still canāt comprehend the lefty backhand huck). Hopefully he comes backpacking with me this summer as wellā¦ (winkwink Suds) The Apes of Wrath have another good player you might have heard of, Kai Marshall, but this is the Suds bandwagon so we donāt need to talk about him.
Texas: Texas has been led by the trio of Dillon Larberg, Joel Clutton, and Logan Kinney for years now, but all those guys were injured for most of this season. I didnāt play Texas this season (I have played against them at Regionals each of the last two years), but from the Ultiworld footage I watched, it seemed like Vinay Valsaraj (All-Freshmen snub last year) and Luke Simerly were the guys doing most of the heavy lifting for the Texas TUFF team this season.
Texas A&M: The only time we played against A&M this season was the final game on Saturday at Centex. From our one game, and the Ultiworld footage, it seems like Connor Ughetta and Carter Hollo are a dominating O-line handler duo, and they both should be in the discussion for All-Region (even though Ughetta has a funky high release on his flick).
WashU: We havenāt played WashU yet this season, but we played against them at each of my past Regionals. With that said, I believe Tony Bumatay is a player that deserves to be in the All-Region discussion.
I canāt comment on guys from Baylor, Texas Tech, North Texas, etc. because it would be uninformed speculation. I will just have to wait until Regionals so I can see them play.
4 Likes
Just so everyone is aware, I am a current player for Texas Tech Tumbleweed. As mentioned in previous posts in this thread and in others, I do not have a full account of every top player in our region, nor am I trying to slight anyone by not having your name on this list. I am simply commenting on what I have seen over the past 5 years as a participant in the crazy talented South Central region.
Arkansas has Kaplan Maurer, who runs the field in the Ozarks. Very hard to defend in the open field and knows how to take advantage of a less than stellar defender.
Baylor Stonewall has a team that I am all too-familiar with. Baxter Robb and Alex Brouwer are young men whom I have had the privilege of playing over the past few years that bring a great intensity and SOTG to the North Texas conference. Baxter has the throws and Alex brings GREAT layouts along with stellar downfield offense and defense. Worth a mention and a tip of the hat.
Colorado and CSU obviously have talent upon talent throughout their rosters, I just havenāt had the privilege of playing a top-tier Rocky Mountain team since 2015.
Kansas has a great handler that sprinted around the field, weaving and making us feel like clowns two years ago. I recently saw him at an early spring tournament and soon came to the realization he had only gotten better. His play deserves a holler.
Oklahoma has two players that have made almost everyoneās list so Iāll be brief. āSudsā and Kai. ānuff said. Shortest and tallest members of their team (probably?) but it doesnāt matter. Disc talent and decision making exceed athletic ability or size for these two.
Texas. Unfortunately, I have only had the chance to play TUFF twice collegiately, but the 3-4 names mentioned and praised in this thread should be taken very seriously. These guys are major ballers in college, club, or pro season.
Texas A&M has Connor Ughetta slinging the disc for them and he can do it with ease. This throwing ability, combined with athletes ready to run them down, makes for a very productive third year handler for Dozen.
Texas State is home to Trenton Hebert and Ben Arnecke (5th year). Two fantastic players who bring athleticism, SOTG, and a lot of fun that Buckets has always been known for. These two deserve their names mentioned in this thread.
Texas Tech has my biased opinion, but I will try to be fair and concise. Ricky Stanfield has played his butt off in this region for five years now and has been a staple for Tumbleweed ultimate his entire tenure. Having been the main O-line handler for years and having the best SOTG mentality out of anyone I have ever played with or against, his recognition is more than deserved. Kyle Henke is my FOTY candidate and he is talked about below. Lastly is Carson Wilder. This guy can flat-out play. Starting with Tech in 2014 and proceeding to join the ranks of H.I.P, Austin Sol (2 years), and now Doublewide this summer, Carson is an exceptional talent. Throws, defense, throws, hops, throws or layouts, you name it, can bring it. See reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHwhggdr5l4&t=21s
FOTY: Kyle Henke
Kyle Henke came to Texas Tech with a fire for the game that has been unmatched in any freshman that I have seen in five years on the team. His tenacity, athletic ability, and determination were simply the building blocks for the throws, decision making, and talent that he has refined and brings to our team now. He is undoubtedly the FOTY for the North Texas conference and should be HEAVILY considered for SC regionās FOTY position. His video can do much more for your opinion than my mediocre writing. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo3yoyfHVLs
1st team:
Mark Rauls- Colorado
Wesley Chow- Colorado
Cody Spicer- Colorado State
Kai Marshall- Oklahoma
Dillon Larberg-Texas
Joel Clutton-Texas
Carson Wilder- Texas Tech
FOTY: Kyle Henke- Texas Tech
Guys to watch at Regionals and on this list next year:
David Roper- Baylor. Takes on the oppositions best cutter every point. Guy can play. See āBlake Griffinā nickname --^
David Haeussler- Texas State. One of Bucketās primary handlers who is quick and bid-happy.
John Adam Aucar- Texas Tech. Great defender who shuts down your best player and gets huge in the air.
Honorable Mention not in attendance:
Steven Borik- UTD. Great handler who carries much of his team with his throwing and bidding ability.
Merl Prichard- Oklahoma State. Ultimatoās best player and a complete headache for the other team. TTU had a great time playing him this year
1 Like
Isaac Chestler(Colorado) is a player that everyone should strongly consider. Kid is a all around athlete and has great throws. He is probably one of the quickest players in the region and has a great stache to go along with his ultimate frisbee talents. Not to mention he is a natural leader and one of the most driven kids in the game. Completely deserving of more recognition.
1 Like
Now that Regionals are over, here are my All-Region picks. Congrats to CSU, CU, and A&M on earning a trip to Natties!
1st team:
Cody Spicer (Colorado State) POTY
Dillon Larberg (Texas)
Kai Marshall (Oklahoma)
Mark Rauls (Colorado)
Connor Ughetta (A&M)
Wesley Chow (Colorado)
Jacob Servaty (Colorado State)
2nd team:
Carson Wilder (Texas Tech)
Jack Hinchsliff (Colorado State)
Sam Ward (Oklahoma)
Joel Clutton (Texas)
Kaplan Maurer (Arkansas)
Josh Crane (Colorado)
Carter Hollo (A&M)
FOTY: Will McDonald (Colorado State #7) āWill has been the best cutter all college season for CSU.
COTY: Tim Kefalas (Colorado State)
-Wish there was an option for a third team all-region because there are many additional players that are deserving of recognition.
3 Likes
Disclaimer: I play for Colorado. Also as much as all-region is about talent I think it should highlight the fourteen best players this current season.I think Dillon Larberg is the best player in the region but he played maybe two full tournaments.
The only thing I really want to say is that Alex Tatum #15 on Colorado absolutely deserves a spot on one of these teams. From the beginning of the season heās won match-ups on both sides of the ball against the best players on other teams consistently.
3 Likes
I just want to talk about the freshman that have helped CSU to their first bid to Nationals as well as their first regional title.
Will āRubyā McDonald has been the best cutter for the CSU O-line this year. The Seattle product dominates downfield and initiates the offense almost every time but excels on the turn with excellent footwork and lock down defense.
Mo Scott is the freshman with the most experience coming to CSU. Three years of YCC and one year of Inception. He handles for the O-line with huge hucks, crisp break throws and nasty give and goās.
Dylan āSlendyā Custer is a defensive terror. With the freakish combination of length and explosive athleticism, he secures crazy layout blocks regularly and cleans up any deep shot.
4 Likes
Hey everyone, my name is Zac āBeanā Chandonnet and I coach the Texas State Buckets. I wanted to provide some insight on some of my top players since I know we donāt get to play many of you until Regioinals.
Texas State Trent Hebert - Our best all around player. Speedy lefty with tremendous jumping ability for being on the smaller side. Trent has good ability to handle and work give-n-gos but becomes much more effective when cutting in the field and having opportunity to throw in space. Plays both ways and is typically expected to cover one of the top players on the opposition. Trent led the team in Blocks (71), Goals (86), +/- (148), Points Played (486) and was 3rd in Assists (59) through 5 total tournaments this spring, including post season.
Ben Arnecke - The 5th year handler was a leader by example. He is very elusive for his size and has a quick trigger to put the disc down field. Ben has great field awareness and knows how to command an offense, whether it be a Vert, Side or Horizontal Stack. Ben led the team in Assists (107) and had an 88% completion percentage on over 850 throws in 5 spring tournaments.
Eric Brodbeck (FOTY) - Eric came into college timid and shy. We immediately decided to throw him into the fire and make him a full-time handler and forced him to work out in the gym with veteran players like Ben. Although there was some resistance, Eric thrived like a palm tree in an oasis. You may not have known he was a freshman when you played him because of his calm, collected playing style (and being 6ā1"), but much like Trent, Eric plays 2-ways often and is asked to make a lot out of very little while handling on our 2nd D-line and he does so without complaint. Eric was 2nd on the team in Assists (66), Blocks (34), Points played (462) and 3rd in Goals (42) & +/- (32).
Texas A&M Bovio - Veteran handler with really good length and an extremely high motor. I donāt see many players that work as hard and smart as Bovio does on defense. He is even more dangerous on offense with quick feet and throws and the ability to put the disc deep. Great 2-way player that deserves some recognition.
Connor Ughetta - Focused. Connor is a great competitor and is very efficient. Crafty handler that makes a lot of opportunity for his teammates.
Carter Hollo - Dominant handler with great size and athleticism. Big thrower. From my experience, Carter smooths out Dozenās offense just by having the ability to put the disc anywhere he wants on the field.
Oklahoma We had the pleasure of creating a nice little competitive rivalry with Apes of Wrath this year playing them in 3/5 tournaments.
Kai Marshall - An extremely influential piece on any team that he plays on and a well-spirited competitor. He can beat you deep or can handle and shred you underneath, but you can only take one away. Moves efficiently in physical matchups and is calm and smooth in space. Very exciting playmaker to watch.
Sam āSudsā Ward - Sam is a fierce competitor and doesnāt shy away from any moment. Speed, agility and endurance all describe Sam and his motor never stops when he is on the field. Has all the throws in the skill set and knows when to use them.
Texas These guys had to deal with a lot of injuries all season, especially top guys. So obviously this is just my opinion, but I think that limits their impact for a season award like All-Region. Joel Clutton, Dillon Larberg and Logan Kinney all fall under that category and should be recognized for what they do bring to the table when healthy.
Colorado Only ever got to see Colorado on film, but I have watched Mark Rauls and Wes Chow for several years now. Erik Hotaling is another guy that Iāve had the opportunity to watch (more so in a club setting) that has a big impact in games and on his teammates.
Colorado State Only got to play you all at Regionals, but Cody Spicer is one heck of an athlete. I was very impressed by the teams athleticism as a whole, but Cody stood out in a major way and is someone I feel is on the short list for POTY. Sorry I donāt know more of your names to provide some insight.
Texas Tech Carson Wilder - Carson has helped bring Tech into the fold as a much more consistent team that is now producing results. Carson leads this rowdy bunch from Lubbock with an eerily calm demeanor. Plays within his teammates which can be a tough task for big time players on teams with a lack of elite level depth like Mammabird, Hibda, Dozen or TUFF.
Kyle Henke - This freshman deserves a look on the all-freshman team. Great size, good awareness and high motor/willingness to learn allow him to make big plays. Tries to take on tough matchups in games which I think has helped improve his game from August thru now.
Here are how my teams shake out:
1st Team
Cody Spicer (CSU)
Kai Marshall (OU)
Carter Hollo (A&M)
Karl Doege (ARK)
Mark Rauls (CU)
Wes Chow (CU)
Carson Wilder (TTU)
2nd Team
Erik Hotaling (CU)
Kaplan Maurer (ARK)
Trent Hebert (TSU)
Sam āSudsā Ward (OU)
Stephen Bovio (A&M)
Jacob Servaty (CSU)
Joel Clutton (UT)
FoTY: Eric Brodbeck (Texas State) - 2-way handler, big throws and bids. Started every game for Texas State.
CoTY: Tim Kefalas (Colorado State) - It was nice to meet you Tim and congrats on winning Regionals!
I think the South Central Region has developed a lot over the past several years and it looks like we are only getting better!
Cheers!
6 Likes
I play for CSU Hibida, so Iām bias. Just a few things.
Cody Spicer is POTY hands down. (Like I said Iām bias).
Mark Rauls, Wes Chow, and Eric Hotaling deserve tons of credit for what theyāve done on Bird.
Dillon Larberg is crazy good, but he was hurt all season. Maybe if he had come back from injury and helped steal a bid the conversation would be different.
As for my own squad the players that deserve to be in all-region talks are (besides Spicer); Jake Servaty, Jake Maripode, and Freshman Will āRubyā Mcdonald. There are plenty more that deserve recognition but those are the top 4 in my opinion.
3 Likes