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.
Well, nothing better to do during this rain delay, so let’s get this ball rolling!
I don’t know which team to put everybody on so I’ll let others do some of that. But here are some guys that stick out to me.
JBU-
#12 Drew Taylor - This year he’s been a little more behind the scenes for us, always taking the toughest matchup for our young D Line. He’s one of the fastest players in the Region and has solid continuation throws to match.
#15 Bruner- He’s a machine. I’m not a natural handler, but playing alongside Bruner puts a huge smile on my face. His motor never stops, and he hits so many big shots. And don’t try to go deep on him in a zone…
#19 Bolt- y’all see his hammer against Air Force?? plays huge in the air for a 5’8" blondie and is the best thrower on Ironfist.
#67 Spencer- This kid is one of my POTY picks. He’s always open, makes few mistakes, and skies everyone. Nobody in the region I would rather throw to.
In his first year playing club with Dreadnought, Arkansas’ select-flight club team, he led the team in goals and points played.
Air Force-
#42 Villanueva- another POTY dude. He got his U24 invite and deserves it, I think he’s got a very good shot to make a team. His throws, huge bids, athleticism, poise, and humility are a rare package, especially for someone so young.
#5 Trevor Browning is a solid defender… He has made my life miserable but so enjoyable over the past 2 years.
-Somebody help me out here with other worthy guys from AF, I know there’s more I’m just drawing a blank.
CC-
#39 Phil “Kokolog” Korolog- rips some big flicks, Lays out well and plays excellent defense. He seems to always make the big plays, he’s got that special something, you know?
#29 Grant Mitchell- Bedazzled is really the word that comes to mind. I just really really love watching you play. Great break throws and all Region hair
#11 Perry Fitz- I haven’t seen many people cut as hard as you do Perry. I hope you’re feeling better for this weekend.
#47 Isaac Rubinstein is another one of the toughest defenders I play against, club or college
#73 Jason Bair - your throws Bair…
S&T -
-red head with the white hat, (sorry I don’t know your name) - great athleticism and you made some great grabs
-#6 Mitchell Zimmerman- impressed by your throws and it seemed like you were usually in the right place at the right time.
Mines-
Zach Cotter - glad you’re back and healthy. Didn’t get to watch you last weekend but you’ve been turning heads for 3 years now.
#4 Patrick Boyker- dude. You’ve really improved over the last year, and we noticed that big time at Dust Bowl. Your throws come out of your hand so beautifully, it’s like an art exhibit.
Rice -
#4 Heath- thanks for always being the guy that I can count on to either sky me or be injured. I hope your hamstring is feeling amazing.
#? Benavides- another one of those players that’s just fun to watch. Your play is so graceful and smooth.
Truman -
#10 Brendan- I haven’t seen a whole lot this year but I know you’ve been injured. Looking forward to watching you put on a show this weekend.
#86 Beers - kind of an unsuspecting threat, you makes plays as a thrower and distributes well.
Harding-
#28 Caleb- solid young player with pretty good athleticism
Anybody from SulRos, Tulsa or Drury? I haven’t gotten to watch any of them.
That’s all I got. A ton of talented players in this region, thanks for a great 5 years y’all.
-Ethan Penner
These are some of the players who I thought stood out this year!
JBU
19 Ethan Boltehouse - Typically my matchup against JBU, this guy is really quick and has fantastic continuation throws. One of my favorite parts about playing JBU is matching up against this guy, I always end up learning something (plus he’s a tremendously spirited player).
12 Ethan Penner - One of the big names in our region for the last couple of years, this guy can put the disc wherever he wants on the field. As a defender, it’s a nightmare to have to stay that much tighter to your man when Ethan has the disc because you never know where the disc is going to come from. (And his lefty backhands are feugo).
28 Garrit Headly - A freshman on JBU who is clearly a contender for the FOTY award. This guy is big and athletic, and is willing to leave his feet to get a D. I’m looking forward to seeing him progress as a player as he gets older.
Air Force
42 Alan Villanueva - This guy has everything, he’s athletic, a force in the air, has fantastic hucks, and is a great competitor. Absolutely one of the best players in our region, and is always a pleasure to play against.
5 Trevor Browning - Great shutdown defender, seems to be a really great leader for Air Force.
4 Noah Chun-Moy - A great handler who’s really tough to guard because he can switch directions so fast. His throws are great, and when he’s on the field the disc flows through him.
CC
29 Grant Mitchell - One of the other well known names in our region, Grant came out as a freshman and won FOTY in D1. He’s a fantastic player and a great leader.
11 Perry Fitz - Perry is great in the air, and is just as dangerous cutting under. His play exemplifies the fundamentals of offense, he’s our team’s rock.
47 Isaac Rubinstein - One of the players I think should get a lot more attention. Isaac is rare hybrid of a shutdown defender and a starting O-line caliber handler. His bids are great, his throws are great, his spirit is great. He could play any position on the field at a high level.
73 Jason Bair - Jason is unreal, his throws are on another level, and he still has the athleticism to burn defenders and shut down his man. He’s uncannily good in the air for such a small player.
Mines
4 Patrick Boyker - This guy is a combination of a lot of speed, and a lot of skilled throws. He loves the high release flick, and is really hard to cover in the handler set.
I’m terrible at tracking names and players so I know I’ll miss some, but here are some of the guys that really stood out to me.
Colorado College:
Grant Mitchell (29) – Probably my favorite player to watch in the region. He is such an offensive threat because if you give him the chance he will roast you deep, but with throws like that you can’t really let him get the disc. It doesn’t really matter through because at the end of the day, he will get open on you wherever he wants to. So quick but so fluid, a pleasure to watch and play against. Definite first team pick for me, possibly POTY too.
Bair (73) – I feel like Bair and Grant are evil twins and trying to shut down one leaves the other free to exercise their will. I don’t see Bair cut as much, but he has so much finesse and accuracy with his throws and gets open against any handler defender at will.
Phillip Korolog (39) – While Grant and Bair hold down the fort with the disc in their hands, Phillip shows his strength off of the disc. He is capable of taking almost any matchup and is a top tier cutter on a turn. While his strengths are off the disc, he definitely has some good throws so you have to be careful once he does get that disc in his hands. I’m looking forward to U-24 tryouts with you.
John Brown:
Grant Bruner (15) – This guy isn’t the flashy star for John Brown, but he is really really good at getting off those basic throws. Every time. In our game at sectionals he played with great consistency and had this knack for getting done what needed to be done. On the defensive side, I know that he was a difficult guy to get open on for the reset and, though Mosh caught that big sky in our game, he clearly has huge ups. Potential first team candidate for me.
Ethan Penner (14) – What can be said about this guy that hasn’t already been said? Just a lethal player and a wonderful competitor with great spirit. He’s had to step more into a handling role from what I remember last year, but that just means the disc is in his hands at the back more, which isn’t exactly something any opponent wants. Clear 1st team in my book.
Spencer Patterson (67) – Crazy fast, good continuation throws, gets up huge, knows how to get open, and only a sophomore if I remember correctly. It’s hard to see him not making at least one of the teams of the region.
Mines:
Pat Boyker (4) – This guy always impresses me when we watch or play against him. I wouldn’t say he has the best throws or is the fastest or anything like that, but he has this knack for getting everything done for Mines that they need him to do.
Air Force:
Trevor Browning (5) – The most complete defender I’ve played with or against, bar none. There is not a single matchup he shies away from and if he doesn’t completely take the star out of the game, he makes life an absolute nightmare for them.
Noa Chun-Moy (4) – I think Noa doesn’t get anywhere near the recognition he deserves a lot because you only see him dominating the handler set and not really upfield. But when I say he dominates the handler set, I fully mean dominate. His ability to get open is absolutely unbelievable, and he gets off whatever throw he wants whenever he wants. On the defensive side, one of our best handler and short field defenders. He’s come up with so many huge defensive bids for us this year. Definite first team in my opinion.
Ben Protzman (3) – Ben is a Jack of all trades player and one of our senior captains who really anchors our D-line. There isn’t really a weak aspect of his game, which I personally find to be very rare. Throws, speed, ups, defense, vision, he’s got it all.
Reid Foley (69) – One of our three seniors this year, Reid has been a huge asset for us offensively and defensively. One of the fastest players I’ve seen, he is always open and has great continuation throws as well as some dirty low releases. This year he has been phenomenal defensively, tag teaming with Trevor to shut down whoever they are guarding. Really fun to watch and always good for a no look dump throw.
Matthew Moshea (34) – Mosh is our guy that absolutely dominates the deep space. As a freshman, he was our leading scorer at natties last year and has only gotten better and smarter this year. Teams will, no joke, line up 5-10 yards behind him because any closer and he just roasts them deep. When the disc is floated up, he’s an absolute monster and comes down with ridiculous catches.
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I know there’s more talent than this in our region, and I wish I could remember more of it. Sorry if I forgot about you, it may have been because you skied me so bad my brain decided it was too traumatic to remember.
AIR FORCE
5, Trevor Browning. Wheels for days. I wish I could say more about your defense, but all I know is that you did very well against Ethan Penner, and I loathe guarding Ethan Penner, so good job.
42, Alan Villanueva. What can I tell you that hasn’t already been told? Well, there was this one time when I was playing wing in our zone, and I knew exactly what throw you wanted to make, and I set myself up to be in position for a layout D . . . and you made the throw anyway, somehow put an IO on it, and I looked like a fool. So thanks
P.S., shoutout to #7, Michael Delatte, for a possible FOTY candidate. Great athleticism, takes care of the disc, and was on their universe D-line.
COLORADO COLLEGE
11, Perry Fitz. I looked up “fundamentals” in the dictionary, and I found that one of its synonyms is “Perry.” I looked up “intense cutting” in the dictionary, and I found that one of its synonyms is “Fitz.” I looked up “fundamentally intense cutting” in the dictionary, and I found “no results.” So I created a new dictionary entry and put a picture of your face in the description.
29, Grant Mitcheal. I really enjoy watching you play. And by play, of course, I mean like what little kids do with Legos: pick them apart. At least, that’s what you do to JBU’s defense every time we play you, and you look good doing it.
47, Isaac Rubinstein. Playing on JBU’s O-line this year has helped me realize that the best defenders aren’t always the ones who get layout Ds: the best defenders are on their man so tight that throwers don’t even think about putting it. That’s you, Isaac. You are the best defender I’ve played against all year. I both enjoy and dread playing against you because I know I can only get better by doing so. Plus, I enjoy our little chats during pick calls
73, Jason Bair. Can I just say I hate guarding you? Your low center of gravity and dime cuts are killer, and your throws are so good I’m usually left contemplating why I’m even on the field.
JBU
12, Drew Taylor. Again, the best defenders don’t always get Ds. Drew is JBU’s best shutdown defender. Also, I have to go against this guy in practice every time we scrimmage, and let me tell you, he’s made me a MUCH better cutter. I look forward to tournaments more than ever now because I know that if I can get open on him, I can get open on anyone.
14, Ethan Penner. Good, aggressive throws. He is the guy that people on our team most look up to because of his passion for the game, work ethic, and willingness to put teammates first. Should definitely be considered for POTY again, especially after playing as well as he has through injuries and position-swapping.
15, Grant Bruner. Man, as a cutter who likes to go deep, what would I do without someone with big throws? I would cry, that’s what I would do. He’s always there when I need a reset, and he really is a machine. I have yet to see him get tired this year.
19, Ethan Bolthouse. Spoiler alert: the “other Ethan” actually has better throws than the “real Ethan.” What’s amazing is that Bolt has the best throws on the team and he plays as a cutter. That should tell you how good of a cutter he is. He has one of the best plus/minuses on the team, one of the best smiles on the team, and absolutely the best hammers on the team. His speed usually means he doesn’t have to sky people. but he can if he needs to.
28, Garritt Headley. He leads JBU in Ds, and has had some of the sickest layout Ds I’ve ever seen, including an over-the-shoulder bid D in the endzone. His closing speed is very good. He also plays handle. Definitely in the running for FOTY.
RICE
4, Alex? Heath. Every time you got the disc I was worried you were going to put another dime huck. On the other hand, every time you didn’t have the disc I was worried that you were going to sky half our team.
Thanks for another great year, South Central!
Spencer Patterson