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.
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#99 Chris Johnson remains Davidsonās only viable deep threat. He patrols the skies with savage efficiency.
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Sadly, I donāt have a vote. If I did, hereās what my ballot would look like before Regionals (no particular order):
First Team
- Graydon Cowan (Richmond)
- Ty Englert (Richmond)
- Joe Richards (Mary Wash) - POTY
- Harper James (Mary Wash)
- Kaylen Alexis (Davidson)
- Mac Harris (Davidson)
- Dean Merritt (UNCA)
Second Team
- Connor Whiffen (Elon)
- Ethan Gould (Elon)
- Jacob Warshauer (UNCA)
- Pete Isler (High Point)
- JC Duen (Elon)
Iām going to leave my last two spots open, as Iām sure there are players on Navy and CNU who deserve recognition that Iāve yet to see. A few notes of justification:
- Richmond is super impressive as a team, and Iāll honestly probably add another player from the Spidermonkeys to my second team. But Graydon is the best center handler I saw this year in maybe the whole division, and Ty stood out to me as their most consistent cutter in the handful of games that Iāve seen Richmond play
- Joe is the best player in the region and should be POTY pretty clearly, IMO
- Kaylen is so damn good, and I think Mac has improved more since his freshman year than perhaps any player Iāve seen in the region. Iām also glad he no longer plays with a fanny pack
- Dean has been UNCAās most impactful player on both sides of the disc
- I think Ethan and Connor are locks, but JC is my last one in for the second team at the moment. I wanted to give him a nod, at least, because heās grown tremendously as well. Still a bit turnover prone, but an excellent defender and really good at pulling
- I stump hard for Pete to be included on these teams. High Point is ridiculously young this year, with 11 of our 17 players being freshmen, and Pete has stepped up both with his play and as a leader. Heās always been pretty timid as a player, but heās asserted himself more and played with confidence that reflects his ability. I think heās been in the shadow of everyoneās memory of his talented brother, who played at Wake, but he came into his own this year and, IMO, has become a better player than his brother ever was. Peteās been a pleasure to coach this year, and I feel super lucky to have another year with him leading our team. I know our teamās results donāt necessarily inspire the selection of an individual to the All-Region teams, but I truly believe Pete deserves the recognition
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You canāt talk about efficiency in this region without talking about Andrew Roy. Hasnāt dropped a single pass in DIII in two seasons.
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Dude, donāt even get me started on all his potential layout ds.
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I canāt talk a lot of the Region but I do believe that Jay Wallen (Navy) has been a stand out player this year. He has great hucks and is an unbeatable deep defender. He is the only senior on the roster and has had to make big plays for the team as their main handler. Without a coach going into the post-season, he is also the glue that holds the team together to put the best performance on the field.
Its often hard to tell who is a freshmen to vote on All-Freshmen, so a couple of names to keep an eye out for:
On our O line,
Alex Pistolesi, 99, played YCC and is a huge part of our offense
Liam Day, 13, is a new guy who never played before and picked up the game really quickly
Our D line has a ton of freshmen but I will happily shout any of them out after this weekend if anyone has a question about who was someone on our D line.
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Whatās up everybody, itās that time of year. Gonna shout out some steezy people Iāve seen around the region.
Hella Steez: The Steeziest of the Steezy
Joe Richards (Mary Wash): The dude glides thru the air like a swan and has taken his throws from not steezy to very steezy. PoTY contender for sure.
Kaylen Alexis (Davidson): Dude has nice break throws and ran a very steezy Oline for DUFF. Party on, Kaylen.
Dusty Smith (Davidson): Makes grinding steezy. Dude never stops working and killed us (read: me) in our first matchup against DUFF. Mad props.
Jacob Warshauer (UNCA): Yeah the dude is like 40 but he has mad steez. Mossed us a bunch of times in our 2 matchups at regionals. May be part satyr.
Graydon Cowan (Richmond): Boy o boy does this dude have steez. Hucks, break throws, bids, and skies. Groucho has turned himself into the arguable best player on our team.
Mad Steez: Still Oozing Steez
Harper James (Mary Wash): Dude runs a lot of the offense for MoG. Very solid player who knows how to hit guys in their spots to keep the offense moving. Steezy!
Beau De Koninck (Mary Wash): De Facto coach for MoG as a sophomore, steezy cuts, silky break throws, good D as well.
Mac Harris (Davidson): Very solid handler for Duff. Steezy clean throws, silky defense.
Tynan Englert (Richmond): Dude looks like a bird and flies like one too. Steezy hucks, arounds, and D. Rarely makes mistakes and is the main cultural leader for Richmond.
Chris Selwood (Richmond): Even tho that kid had broken fingers for a lot of the year, he hit steezy shvt all day every day. Breaks for days, steezy in the air, has become one of the premier cutters in the region when pushed downfield.
Steezy: An Adequate Amount of Steez
Tony Clark (Mary Wash): Very solid defender and cutter, one of MoGās cogs.
Pat āMurphā Murray: Been shouting my guy out for 3 years wondering when the clout will catch up. Steezy cutter and with beautiful hucks, Murphy will lay out for anything.
Harris Cannon (Richmond): whenever we donāt have him the big dawgs on other teams feast deep. Shoutout to the steeziest roommate out there. Also has been playing hurt pretty much all spring.
Sam Alston/Ethan Gould/Connor Whiffen/JC Duen/Garrett Wibbs (Elon): Pick any 2 of these 5 for Elon, theyāre all very steezy players who fill roles that are necessary and I donāt think that any are more or less important than the others. Shouts out to Ethan, heās my boy.
Appropriately Steezy:
Jay #8 wit da green cleats on Navy: Gave us trouble because he could shoot with steez.
Ethan Cole/Dean Merritt (UNCA): Both were hurt this weekend but good players. UNCA was significantly better the first few points before Dean got hurt against us.
Wilson Matthews (UNCA): Absolutely yeeted (yote?) the disc to warshauer a few times. Think heās a young bull so will probably see him next year too.
No disrespect to anyone I skipped, most teams I only saw for a game this year or have seen people in previous years u heard. Props to everyone for battling at regionals. Absolute travesty that weāre a 1 bid region.
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Honestly, nearly choking in surprise that no one has mentioned DUFFās MVP Aidan OāNeill in this thread. Yeah sure, he might not have the most flashy plays, but heās got probably the firmest grip of the fundamentals in the region. On offense his toe drags regularly put his defenders on the ropes, and then his defense he really just has his assignment by a stranglehold most of the time. Not to mention, he for sure has the filthiest throw in the league with his push pass; he gets enough speed on it that when he whips it to me and it hits me in the chest Iām just left gasping for air. All around heās just a rock-solid player, and the region needs to watch out for his dominating presence next year.
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Chris Selwood here:
Tier 1
- Jacob Warshauer: He really came into his own this year and is an absolute monster in the air. His layouts and skies have always been there, but it used to be once or twice a game and now it seems like it is once or twice a point.
- Joe Richards: I donāt think this needs too much explaining, extremely athletic with the throws to be a handler. He filled a role this year for MW that was way different than last year, and did so really well.
- Graydon Cowan from Richmond: He put on a clinic this weekend and has really come into his own as a handler. He was dominant running our offense with money flick hucks and breaks.
- Pat Murray from Richmond: He is more the quiet type of cutter, whose patience and timing really separates him from a lot of the guys in the next tier. He also has the best throws of any cutter I saw in the region. Will layout for anything and skies people regularly. See the game against William and Mary for an example.
- Ty Englert from Richmond: one of the best handlers, cutters and defenders on our team. He doesnāt do anything super flashy, but is one of the top players in the county with his ability to lockdown on D and hit hucks and breaks on O.
Tier 1b
- Jay (#8) from Navy: he has hucks, a lot of hucks. What he did without a coach is also super impressive. He definitely has a spot on these two teams
- Xavier Mcormick: improving throws, lockdown D, and an impeccable ability to get open, especially late in the stall count. What more could you want?
- Harris Cannon: Our teamās nominee for defensive player of the year by a landslide. He has the athleticism for huge skies, shoulder height bids and lock down defense. Our game against Air Force was really a testament to his talent when he really took it to their top guys.
- Mac from davidson: definitely came into his own this year offensively and is a stud on defense. He is a really quick defender and one of the toughest matchups in the region.
- 11 and 8 on Davidson: need some help with names here, but there two carried a lot of the load for Duff and stood out to me as the main contributors.
- Ethan, Sam, and Connor from Elon play a dominator game better than any other group I have seen. They are always looking to throw a huge flick huck or do give and gos. I was really impressed by them this weekend.
- Tony from Mary Wash: Similar to Joe, he just gets open consistently. He is a deep threat and has the throws to churn out unders.
- Harper from MW: The center handler for MW, has the break throws and the hucks to move it to all of Mary Washās athletes downfield.
Matt Graves and Justin Keller from Richmond for coach of the year. We played at least 22 guys in each half of every game, and that doesnāt happen without their coaching. Their in game adjustments, systems, and attention to individual and team improvements are incredible. They have now won the region 4x in a row with different styles and different teams, and this year in particular I think this is clear. I am the most confident in this pick out of all of mine.
FOTY: I am gonna be honest, I donāt know many freshmen on other teams and am definitely on the lookout for some nominations on this thread to add to my all freshmen team. I am going with Alex Pistolesi, the big lefty cutter on our o line for my freshmen on the year. He is often our initiating cutter over a couple guys I mentioned already on my all region teams. He has hucks and can get up, but I am most impressed with his cutting ability. He gets open at will.
- Also shouts out a couple true rookies for us. First, to Liam Day, the other lefty freshmen on our O line. He couldnāt throw a flick at the end of the fall, and now is playing huge points for our O line.
- Second is a joint one to max wallach and emmett rice. They are also true rookies on our D line. Max plays some athletic defense and has a pretty solid set of hucks and breaks. Emmett was injured sunday of regionals but he is the really fast blonde kid on our d line. His cutting ability and speed are absurd.
A little Richmond heavy because I see these guys in practice all the time and know exactly what they can do. A lot of UNCAs top guys were banged up when we played them, so I didnāt get to see them in person but they have some ballers and theyāre gonna be really good next year. Definitely open to changing my picks and we only saw most teams once so I definitely missed some really good players out there.
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Coach of the year:
Matt Graves (and assistant coach Justin Keller).
Plain and simple.
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Sam Alston from Elon:
Despite the end of tournament results on Sunday, I want to thank everyone for making the 2019 Atlantic Coast the most competitive I think it has ever been. Congrats to Richmond on earning the bid to natties; now go make us proud!
Here are a few players we need to put some respek on:
Joe Richards: I mean the guy played serious minutes for Truck this past summer. Clearly the most gifted player in the region without a doubt. Happy to be able to call this guy a friend.
Harris Cannon: Itās not easy being a teamās go to lockdown defender. I was not surprised to hear that heās been playing injured all year, because I know from experience thatās what happens when you play defense as hard as he does every point. One of the funnest matchups Iāve had was cutting against him in our game at FCS this past march, so shoutout to him for being a baller.
Mike Bauman: Had to do a little FB stalking to identify this beast. We matched up quite a bit in our quarter final on Sunday morning and it was definitely the most fun Iāve had all year. Heās a ~6ā athletic cutter defender that is way more than a sum of his parts because of the passion he plays with on the field.
Graydon Cowan: I would only really comment on the players I know well, but this guy is an animal. I think it speaks to depth of the team (shoutout Coach Mike, super nice dude with a lovely suit) that I honestly had never heard this guys name (though I had probably indirectly felt his wrath). By far the best handler in the region, this guy has dummy lit breaks and iām sure some nice hucks too but our game was so windy so I luckily was spared.
To the rest of the seniors in the Atlantic Coast: Honestly if it wasnāt finals time I would love to watch some film to shout yāall out for all the amazing things you do on the field! Thank you so much for making the last 4 years a blast! I really hope that you guys choose to continue to keep playing after college no matter where you end up so we can keep matching up or (even better) play on the same team for once. Really looking forward to seeing yāalls names in the headlines in the club and pro circuits.
Imagine a D-3 Atlantic Coast alum club teamā¦ damn that would be sweet. If any of yāall are moving to NYC post grab hmu and lets disc it up.
Now last thing, gotta shout out my brothers.
Ethan Gould: The soul of bomb, this dude quarterbacks our offense with some nice flick hucks. Really wish it wasnāt as windy this weekend, yāall wouldnāt have been ready for this man to unleash his cannon 
.
Connor Whiffen: A role model since we joined the freshmen year. Honestly thought he was a sophomore the first month of that season he was so good. Then I got to know this cheerful lad and iām lucky to have been able to do so. Really just a quality dude that has never said a mean thing in his life. BUT, he has done some MEAN ASS SHIT on the field. Dude is a layout D machine (99% sure he had at least one in every game we played this season that was competitive). On offense, his steady handles and breaks keep the flow going and he will roast you deep if you underestimate him.
JC Duen: Dumb athletic is the only way to describe him. Has been an unbelievable roommate this year, and a great Captain as well. Heās a junior but heās on a 3-2 engineering program so where ever he ends up going heās gonna make a serious impact.
Garrett Wibblesman: My son. Heās planning on playing club this summer in Raleigh, so hopefully his throws will get a bit better . FR tho love this man to death and am excited to see what new heights he will bring this team to as Captain next year.
Some other peeps: Liam Brailey and Tom Murphy were also seniors that have had a good impact on shifting our team culture positively that past two years. Also have been swag role players for us on the D line.
Some peeps to watch out for:
Remy Benzel: The beautiful and tall man on our O-line. Also is planning on playing club this summer so canāt wait to see what even more beautiful man he will come back as.
Josh Straus: Pulled his hammy 1 week before regionals, but the dude has some serious throws. Heās going abroad in the fall to Tanzania where he plans to bring ā100 discsā to teach people how to play @UltimatePeace sponsor this man.
Michael āNASAā Lesmez: Kid embodies the spirit of the game. Heās only a rookie (objectively deserving of an all freshmen nod) and heās planning on playing club this summer so iām real excited to see what role he will step into next year.
Whatās up people. Never really taken part in these forums before but Iām a senior now and feel like I know way more people throughout the region. Most of the teams in the region we only played once or twice so my comments will likely be limited to those games/any film I watched of you guys. Anyways, here we go:
Tier 1:
Joe Richards (MoG) - I donāt think much needs to be said about him at this point. Heās a baller. You throw it up to him and heās going to come down with it. But heās always had the athleticism. This year it was cool to see how much he used his throws to his advantage. Was much more active coming back into the handler space and then launching hucks downfield.
Jacob Warshauer (UNCA) - Echo what everyone else has said in this thread. Played against him for four years now and heās always been a force but it seems like he took it up a level this year. An absolute beast in the air. Reads the disc really well and puts his body on the line. Also a super respectful and likable player.
Tony Clark (MoG) - I feel like Tony might be the most improved player in the region. He has always been a solid, athletic cutter, but he just seemed to take it to a level I didnāt know he had this year, commanding their d line from the backfield. Throws were really solid, defense is good, just a really good player all around and I was really impressed in the game against MoG at sectionals and watching their film.
Kaylen Alexis (DUFF) - One of the better throwers in the region. Super chilly offense, reads the field really well, you can tell he has a very high ultimate IQ and awareness. Quarterbacked DUFFās offense all year. Just a super good handler, and was impressive to watch how consistent he remained in varying weather conditions.
Harris Cannon (Richmond) - Harris dealt with a number of injuries throughout the year, and the difference between when he was on the field and when he was off the field was astonishing. Also one of the more improved players in the entire region in my opinion. Harris has always had the great defense, crazy athleticism, and huge layouts, but his offense after a turn this year was incredible to watch. Really is a fantastic cutter, and improved his throws a ridiculous amount to the point where when he injured his hand at regionals, he was comfortable throwing lefty backhands in the reset space.
Ty Englert (Richmond) - This dude literally does it all. I canāt say enough about how important of a player Ty is to our team. Aside from being one of the leaders in mentality throughout the year, Ty has been a major leader on the field. Need him to play defense on the opponentās bear cutter? Okay. Need him to handle and QB the offense after a turn? Done. Need him to get a huge sky? Easy. Like Selwood said, he may not be the flashiest player, but he is really good at every single aspect of ultimate.
Tier 2:
Harper James (MoG) - Harper is one of the cleaner handlers in the region and it was clear he did a lot for MoGās offense this year. They are a really tough team to defend when he has the disc because you know that practically any throw is available at his disposal. Also great reset cuts, seems to get open with ease.
Ethan Cole (UNCA) - Really unfortunate he was banged up in the games we played against UNCA at regionals, but Ethan, along with Jacob, is the driving force for that team. Has always had really nice throws and is super efficient. Definitely a guy who values the disc and isnāt going to put up a bunch of risky throws. I really respect his prowess as a handler.
Ethan Gould (Elon) - I really wonder where this team would be without him on the field. Such good throws, really smart with the disc, seemed to be the on field leader for this team. We threw zone a lot this weekend and he impressed by how calmly he worked the disc around the width of the field.
Sam Alston (Elon) - Another dominant cutter in our region. Had a number of massive plays that made me say wow in our game against them at FCS. But he is definitely more than just a cutter, he has really solid throws that allow him to be a major threat when he catches the disc in the under space.
Mac Harris (DUFF) - This guy has improved so much over his career, itās pretty unbelievable. Always has been athletic and a solid cutter, but his throws and composure this year really surprised me. Heās super quick and really difficult to guard, and along with Kaylen is smart and chilly with the disc.
Jay Wallen (Navy) - Not sure there is a player in the region more important to their team than this guy. The difference in their offense when he was on the field compared to when heās off is astounding. Has some really good hucks, but also really good vision. Always seems to be able to find the open guy and put the disc right in his chest.
Chris Selwood (Richmond) - The only reason Chris is not in Tier 1 on my list is because he played almost all of the spring season with torn ligaments in his fingers on his throwing hand. Really limited his throws. Played multiple tournaments entirely left-handedā¦and yet Chris was still a dominant force on the field. His defense this year was truly remarkable. Went against him a lot in practice and getting open on this guy his a nightmare. His ultimate IQ is second to none, and he plays the game the right way. Canāt say enough about him and he absolutely deserves to be on one of these teams.
Pat Murray (Richmond) - Pat is an offensive juggernaut. Exactly what you would want out of someone on O line. He has really good cuts, the best throws out of any cutter I saw this year, huge layouts, huge skies, and a really high awareness level. He was the glue for our o line this year. Whenever the disc went up to him or he had it in his hands, I knew our team was in good hands.
Xavier McCormick (Richmond) - Tore his meniscus in the fall but grinded really hard to recover from that and it paid off. Still a superb athlete. Really quick, his chance of direction pace is still mind blowing to me even after 3 years. Often was our initiating cutter and he made my job as a handler way easier by creating insane amounts of separation. I donāt think thereās anyone that works as hard on the field as he does. Always is grinding. Improved his throws a lot too. Now a serious threat with the disc
Finally, just a quick shout out for Alex Pistolesi for FOTY. Came in with some YCC experience but improved immensely as the season went on. Heās just a natural cutter. Gets open with ease and is a monster in the deep space.
I think our region is really stacked, so if I didnāt shout people out itās just because thereās so many good players. Thanks for some good battles these past 4 years.
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Hi all, Kaylen Alexis here from Davidson College. Fairly certain I prematurely posted in this thread yesterday afternoon, so I hopped over to Google Docs to write the draft. Problem solving at its finest.
Iāve never posted anything serious in this forum before, and in all likelihood Iāll struggle to keep this post completely serious. Iāve long thought of this as a big (for lack of a more dignified word) circlejerk between the more notable players in the region. Ideally we as individuals wouldnāt be concerned with what opposing players and coaches think of us, but humans are less than ideal. Big take there, I know.
All of that being said, I do think this can be a nice place to build up younger players and help others feel recognized for their talent and hard work. So thatās what Iām aiming for.
Instead of organizing my post into tiers (ex: First Team/Second Team, various levels of Steez, etcā¦), Iāll just shout out all players and coaches that come to mind when I think of the AC. No rankings, no hierarchy, no order (although I will go team by team). Just love, compliments and admiration for impact players in the region. Perhaps a little extra for Davidson, seeing as I know them best. Of course this is a subjective list, influenced primarily by my experience as a player. Those left off the list should not feel slighted in the least - itās awfully difficult to comprehensively and objectively evaluate every member of every team.
Soā¦with that preamble out of the way, Iāll hop off my high horse/soapbox and get started:
Chris Johnson, #99, (Davidson College): If you know, you know.
Connor Whiffin (Elon): I struggle to identify a weakness to Connorās game. His throws (breaks, hucks, backhands, flicks) are all high-level. On Elon he serves primarily as a handler, but heās not limited to the backfield. His cutting and agility are great, his hands are trustworthy, and his layouts are well-timed and. Given his wide skill-set, Iām confident he would vie for starting minutes on any team in the region. Simply put, Connor plays the game well.
JC (Elon): I was abroad last year and donāt remember playing against JC before that, so either heās a sophomore or his development has been through the roof. Very athletic, JC is fast and can change direction with the best of them. His chase-down D against us at Regionals was a play not many guys can make. When he guarded me, I had to work extra hard to get open - I was not a fan. Not an easy defender to shake by any means.
Sam Alston (Elon): I think itās a testament to Elonās program that guys I didnāt much notice two years ago are now really good. Sam Alston is a great example of that. I still remember playing against Elonās vaunted stars like Xander Taylor, Brian Syzmanski (thereās little chance I spelled that correctly), Jeremy Lonnman and some tall guy named Paul. The way I see it, Elon grew a new batch of studs in Connor, JC, and Sam. Sam is tall and athletic with great cutting fundamentals, good timing, and above-average throws. Very tough to cover out of Elonās initiation sets.
Jacob Warschauer (UNCA): Definitely part satyr. Good eye, Xavier. Jacob has been playing Ultimate for many moons now, and it really shows. His aerial presence is likely his greatest asset, but heās never been a slouch with the disc in his hands either. His chemistry with Ashevilleās Triangle Triumvirate (Ethan Cole and Dean Merritt round that out) is obvious whenever they run a dominator set in the redzone. I often find myself lulled to sleep watching Jacob play (or guarding him). Heās content to maintain stack discipline and let his teammates work the discā¦until BAM, he turns your hips and burns you (usually deep). On defense, his layout Dās look so routine and casual. Heās no stranger to hitting the ground.
Ethan Cole (UNCA): I feel really badly for Ethan - he struggled through injuries this spring, and thereās no worse time to find yourself on the DL (or the IL for baseball fans, why did they change it again?) than senior year. Ethan and I played together in high school; he was very talented then, and only got better throughout college - I know that Asheville must have suffered from his loss. Ethan made his mark as a speedster. He could blow the top off of a defense, but also settle back to handle with Dean (or Corey or Clint if you remember those days). A really nice guy too - wish him the best.
Dean (UNCA): Looks cool doing everything. Goes horizontal frequently. Throws lefty backhands. Is not a lefty.
Wilson Matthews (UNCA): I played against his brother Walker in high school, so when I heard Wilson was going to UNCA I was concerned. Heās got frisbee blood coursing through his veins, and didnāt relish the idea of what he would add to an already good Bulldogs team. Because I was abroad last year I missed Wilsonās freshman year, so Iāve only faced him a handful of times this year. Heās good - really good. Made some highlight-reel catches against us at Sectionals (Conferences?), touches the disc a lot, and can huck it when necessary.
Pete (High Point): I noticed him right away because he was wearing a Roger Federer hat. More on RF later. Pete is a good player whoās been asked to do a lot for High Point. He cuts smoothly and aggressively (hard to do both) and is confident with the disc in his hands. He seems to have really made the most of his central role on Bagheera (one of my favorite team names).
Joe Richards (Mary Washington): Far too athletic to play D-III Ultimate, Joe should take his talents elsewhere and, idk, dominate D1 teams or something. Not sure anyone can really guard him, especially because he now has throws. Would be the star cutter on any team in the region. Or division, for that matter.
Mary Washington cutters: I donāt know any of your names as we only played you once this year (and I was abroad last year and canāt remember much from sophomore year), but we had to worry about more than just Joe downfield. #0 and #17 immediately come to mind, but I know Iām missing a few. MoG just seemed to have a whole host of tall, athletic cutters that caused matchup problems for us. Mary Washington is built like a mid-level D1 team this year, with guys that could put it and guys that could chase it. (Number of times Iāve mentioned being abroad in this post: 3)
Chris Sellwood (Richmond): No Babcock, no problem. My last memory of Richmond was their team led by Babcock. I know they made Nationals last year, and this year they have continued to prove that their program is one of the best in the country. Chris is a really good handler and vocal leader for Richmond. Props to him for playing through injuries this year. We stick Mac, our best handler defender, on Chris, and itās been fun watching the two of them go back and forth over the years.
Graydon Cowan (Richmond): Richmond has Graydon in his perfect role: the center handler on their O-line. His throws keep the mark off balance and allow for his cutters to pick their spots. Has a methodical, pick-you-apart style to his game that is both deceptive and deflating to play against.
Richmondās depth: Iāve only chosen to highlight by name the two players that had an outstanding impact in our two games against Richmond this year. That being said, Iām aware of URās bounty of quality players, and Iām sure many of them would be the #1 guy on another team. As it stands, their lines are really deep. Itās an embarrassment of riches.
My sweet sweet DUFFcats, a special section for youā¦
Dusty Smith: Dusty is a grinder. Heās extraordinarily hard-working on the field. He flings his body around with reckless abandon. Heās very fast. His flick huck is trusty. His backhand huck isā¦nvm. Dusty has so much heart, and you canāt teach that. He often leads the team in layout Dās, which makes him an invaluable two-way player. You donāt want him guarding you, and whomever guards Dusty next year, do so at your own peril.
Mac Harris: Mac sucked freshman year, and heāll be the first to tell you. And it bears repeating: Mac sucked freshman year. He dropped the disc a lot, and didnāt know how to throw it. It is very difficult to be good at Ultimate when you canāt do those things.
But like Dusty, heās a hard-worker. Work ethic plus a certain quiet tenacity and competitiveness have propelled him to excellency. The throws are now there. His hands are steady. Heās always been athletic with great change of direction and footwork, but he now understands the game so well that he can use his gifts to great advantage. Mac is by far one of my favorite people to play any sport with (basketball, flag football to name a few) because his IQ is high and itās easy to build chemistry with him. Forget the jokes in paragraph one; Mac, youāve had a remarkable, inspiring college Ultimate career.
Alex Berro: Alex has been a steady captain for DUFF, and his back injury that caused him to miss our final three tournaments was a tremendous blow to our team. Big Baby Bewwo worked so hard to improve his athleticism and his throws that itās a real shame he couldnāt compete in his final few months of college. We missed his skill, experience and height last weekend.
Isaac Mervis: The definition of a One Trick Pony, Isaac has ridden that one trick for four years and itās never not worked. Now that heās graduating it shouldnāt be a problem for the reason to know that Isaac executed a head-fake each and every time he cut. And heāll be the first to tell you he was open each and every time he cut. In all seriousness, Isaac is an explosive athlete who plays bigger than his size (small) and brings tremendous energy both on and off the field. If you heard The Story of the Crystal, that was his ingenious brainchild.
Mike Bauman: Mike is an animal. Equipped with extreme athleticism, the second best hair on DUFF, a goofy grin, and a fiery competitive streak, heās an invaluable teammate. Mike is relatively new to Ultimate, but we asked him to guard the top cutter on opposing teams all spring and he was more than up for the challenge. His chase-down D against Joe Richards at Regionals was quite something.
Will Stifel: Stifelās growth as a player has been astronomical. Heās gone from almost no PT as a freshman to starting O-line cutter. His timing is impeccable and he has a knack for getting open in key scenarios (in the endzone, high stall count, etcā¦). This year in particular he developed an around backhand that took his game to another level, allowing him to consistently move the disc off the sideline.
Jack Swinson: Swinson impressed me so much down the stretch this year ā he has great closing speed and a knack for emerging from physical plays with the disc (if heās on offense) or the D. He can be a top cutter defender next year, and his speed makes him dangerous on the turn. Awesome to see how quickly he got good!
Landon Schabes: Lando is a freshman for us and is already very talented. A baseball player by trade, Lando has height, solid throws and excellent ups. His literacy is also far better than most beginners. I expect him to be a force in the AC for the next three years. Ultimate seems to come naturally to him.
Kevin Escott: Our next Mac. Thatās all Iāll say.
Roger Federer: My favorite professional athlete. Best male tennis player of all time. Sick tweener. One-handed backhand for the ages. Imagine if he played Ultimate. At Davidson. The grace. The beauty. The Rolex. Sigh.
Love all my DUFFers, and could shout each and every one of them out. But this has gone on long enough, and they know that.
Best,
Kaylen
4 Likes
I play for UNCA, I donāt know much about teams that arenāt in our section but Iāll say a lil something about people Iāve seen.
Davidson:
Mac -He has improved a lot since last year, he was mad good last year but this year he seems to touch the disc constantly and is a really good defender. When on offense he practically runs the field.
JJ Phillips -Big dude, nice throws, nice guy.
Dusty -definitely a bucket. That man never stops grinding.
Mike - Saw him for the first time at sectionals when he gave Jacob some trouble (something I know first-hand takes some serious athleticism and skill) and had one or two absolute bangs.
KP -Just an awesome guy
High Point:
Pete Isler -Has some really nice throws, can break easily, runs the offense pretty smoothly. Really fun matchup.
Elon:
Garrett Wibbs -really athletic guy, fun matchup. Super nice too.
Richmond:
#30 -donāt know his name but he ran their offense and had some nice throws.
#69 -nice. Good pulls too.
Mary Wash:
Joe -yeah
#0 -pretty good at frisbee
UNCA:
JacOB WaRShauEr -I love this man to death, one of my favorite teammates of all time, really embodies the spirit of the game, and makes the most insane plays with his combination of size, speed, ability to throw his shoulders out of socket for extra reach, and being half goat. Hosted the UNCA Bachelor candidate bracket.
Dean Merritt -Mans throws some throws. Usually mad nice, occasionally mad not nice. But seriously, our offense revolves around his initiating cuts and throwing dime balls to Jacob or anyone else. He also makes some crazy plays. Love this guy.
Ethan Cole- Really good player, was injured for most of this season, but he has nice throws and is a crazy nice cutter as well. Much love, next season he will be back stronger than ever.
Nathan Griffith -Really nice throws took on the challenge of leading our defense this year and did it really well, also filled onto O-line constantly. Played a lot of points. Great guy, great player.
Darius Anglin -Really athletic guy, his throws have gotten really good. One of the only people Iāve seen win matchups with Jacob or Joe from mary wash.
Collin Wilkes -Our resident Triforce freshman. Caught every pull this year and didnāt drop a single one. Excellent handler, got some sick throws.
Paul Ikenberry -Big boy, freshman, does everything, makes plays, has hops, dimeballs, Most handsome freshman of the year.
Evan Johnson #69 -Won the UNCA Bachelor candidate bracket. Also a bucket.
Love all my boys, everyone one of them is a walking bucket.
Sorry to people I left out these are just people I noticed from games we played, and I had to shout out my guys the most.
Sup Gents,
Ethan Gould here from Elon. I am super late to the prom but I still am gonna dance my ass off. Im gonna give my opinion of 1st and 2nd lines and then give some shoutouts.
Chunky Hunkies
Joe Richards (MOG)- been said already but POTY for sure. Such a beast.
Harper James (MOG)- clean and super consistent player. Was the fire for MOG and it was a bummer to see them get cut short of a 2 region bid.
Chris Selwood (Richmond)- anchor for the D line. To this day I still donāt understand how he played at FCS against us. (correct me if I am wrong) but had no turns and no drops while only being able to use his off hand. Insane stuff.
Graydon Cowan (Richmond)- main O handler for them. Great throws and seemed to always get the assist on goals.
Dean Merritt (UNCA)- my boi. going back to the Nest days. Itās always cool to see how much youāve A, gotten taller but also B, grown in your leadership skills. #treetops
Connor Whiffen (Elon)- my dawg made some HUGE plays at Regionals. Kept scrapping through the entire weekend. If he puts his head down hard and really wants to work on his game, the ceiling is incredibly high and can see him be a monster for a club team.
Redhead on Richmond (I wanna say Ty but honestly not sure)- donāt know his name sorry. But he is tall and can play some good D. Maybe change the hair color to make more of an impact.
Matzah Ball Soup
JPT (Davidson)- incredible fakes. Makes you always guess as a mark and has a great first burst of speed. Good throws and I had a really enjoyed him guarding me as a handler. It made things fun.
Beau (Mary Wash)- potentially the best looking frisbee attire with the Kareem Abdul Jabbar glasses. But also really fast and has blossomed into a leader for MOG. Excited to see him be the voice of the team.
Darius (Asheville)- Why has nobody talked about him yet? He was a complete force on D. We had to kill most of our pull plays because he was too much of a threat for our typical offense. Great athletic ability and had some really good pulls. The real person to watch though is his younger brother. In like 10ish years that kid is gonna be a force. You heard it here first.
X (Richmond)- a baller on the field. I had no clue he tore his meniscus in the fall but thats just as impressive to see how he played in the season. A great cutter and has really worked on his throws to be a good mold for the O line. 'Twas fun seeing you on the fields.
Sam Alston (Elon)- A great plug for our offense who could do it all. It was a bummer to see him get hurt before the series started but did wonders for our offense. Throwing and cutting.
Mac (Davidson)- the little man that could. He was the go to guy for D line when they needed a break. Really shifty and has some great handler movement. A great defender too
Kaylen (Davidson)- a consistent player who could do anything you asked for on the O or D line. He seemed to be the primary playmaker for the O line. It was cool to see him grow over the four years.
SHOUTouts
- Jacob Warsh (UNCA) great cutter. silly man
- Ethan Cole (UNCA) always super fun to be matched up against each other. Truly a bummer old man got too washed up to play in the series. As two Ethanās leave the Atlantic Coast, we need more to make an impact (lookin at you Richmond dude)
- Tony (MOG) great player and fun to watch
- #9 on UNCA. Pretty sure he is a frosh and is going to be a big handler for them
- Wilson Matthews (UNCA) good frosh. Has some huge throws as a lefty. Him and Dean are going to be a nightmare next year.
- Dusty (davidson)- I remember when you brought the trumpet to regionals a few years ago and thought it was silly, but then you balled out on the field and earned the right to that trumpet. a great cutter and is willing to lay out at all costs.
- #8 on Navy. Their main handler and voice of the team. Great throws and high IQ.
Now I wanna take the time to shout out some of my Big Fat Ballers.
Wibbs- the growth of this D Line warrior has been insane. I am super excited to have him have the reins of Bomb next year and I know great things are going to happen. He can lockdown any single person in the region. Awesome defender.
liam- a really solid D player all four years. But again his growth this final year was insane. He went from split pea soup all the way to chicken noodle. He also cleaned up his footwork a lot and tripped over himself significantly less this year.
Remy- it is pure art to watch him cut. He is going to be the anchor of the O line next year so watch out.
JC- made so many plays when we needed them the most. An incredible athlete and it was really fun to be a captain with you.
Strauss- It was also a bummer to see him go down with an injury late in the season. Same deal here, if he really puts his head down hard his ceiling will be so incredibly high. Excited to see him and those insane flick hucks back on the fields
Michael lesmiz (NASA)- My vote for frosh of the year. He was an awesome player for the D line and made some huge Dās when they were needed. The guy is called NASA for a reason, but when he is locked in nothing can stop him.
Andy Galkin- Another bummer that injuries let him not play in the Series. But he was a monster on the O line at FCS. He learned the game quickly is great hybrid. If he stays healthy, he is going to become a real problem.
Thank you to everybody. I had a truly incredible four years playing in the AC. Thanks for somehow making me a better player and person.
E
Yep the redhead is Ty Englert