Yeah, he played for Lexington Pi last year and placed 4th at High School nationals. Dude is a beast. If he isn’t on the regional all-freshman team (and arguably all-region team), then something is messed up.
Were you the person on Notre Dame wearing a pink hat?
Yeah, you guessed it!
Wasn’t hard. Really good player stick out. Especially when you wear a pick hat.
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I’m the coach of the Northwestern Men’s team, and I’d like to try and highlight a few of the great players I’ve seen from around the region.
From Northwestern:
Kyle Rutledge is one of the best all-around players in the region. He has continued to expand his game each year and has been a tremendous presence for our program as a leader. After spending last summer with Chicago Machine, he has also been selected for the U24 national team that will compete in Germany this summer.
Jeff Holm is one of the best cutters in the region. His combination of skill with the disc, size, and quickness makes him a serious matchup problem.
Josh Venegas is one of the best defenders in the region. Coming from a football background, Josh came up through Bolt and really came into his own last year. His explosiveness and defensive ability is among the best in the nation, as he repeatedly proved at college nationals last year and through this season. Notably he is one of the few defenders in the country who as the tools to go toe-to-toe with Brown’s John Randolph in space.
Freshmen:
Jordi Perry is one of the best freshman in the region. In addition to his experience with HB Woodlawn and Foggy Bottom Boys, Jordi is an extremely positive clubhouse presence who can do it on the field. His ability to work in space and his skill with the disc have allowed him to contribute significantly from day one.
Chicago:
Jason Vallee is one of the best cutters in the region. Jason brings great big play ability in the air and has a tireless motor.
Milan Rivas is among the best handers in the region. His size and athleticism allows him to be a dangerous dual-threat.
Will (Hawkins) Clay is a strong cutter with excellent field sense and size. His presence on the field makes a big difference for this Chicago team.
Illinois:
Ben Sabourin is among the best handlers in the region. With strong wind throws and good size, Ben makes Illinois especially potent.
Josh Deeman and John Kulikowski are also strong contributors for them.
Freshmen: Joey Kennedy is probably the best freshman in the region. Coming to Illinois via Neuqua valley and the U20 worlds team, Joey is a skilled lefty who brings strong athleticism.
Illinois State:
Cal Tornabene is among the best cutters in the region. Cal spent the summer practicing with Chicago Machine, and his combination of size and skill with the disc makes him dangerous is big spaces.
This team had a number of strong all-freshman players last year, and these players have only gotten better. I’m sure ISU can better comment on who is most deserving from among them.
Notre Dame:
Connor Buckley is one of the best cutters in the region. He is very strong in the air and is a potent threat with the disc in his hands. One of the best players on a perennially strong Notre Dame team.
Steven Campillo is among the best handers in the region. With a strong toolbox of throws he is a steadying presence whenever he’s on the field.
Stephen Babcock is one of the best all-around players in the region. He’s a dynamic player who’s able to have a big impact anywhere on the field. I’m sure Hoffman can do a better job talking about Stephen than I can.
Purdue:
Joe Byerly is probably the best thrower in the region. He’s a powerful wind thrower and changes the shape of the field for Purdue.
Indiana:
This team has been benefiting in a big way from the Indiana high school pipeline via Center Grove and others. The Henderson brothers are two players to know who have spent time with the Alleycats, but they have other significant contributors as well.
Michigan:
A strong team with good depth who have had an excellent regular season.
Raymond Lu is one of the best all-around players in the region who brings excellent small space quickness and can also work downfield.
Jeff Gao has had a great season defensively and provides firepower on a turn.
Other players who have had strong seasons for Michigan include Jared Schwallie and Nick Gerber.
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I wanna give a shoutout to Kip Curtis from IU. He makes big plays for IU on both O and D. Also, he is one of the few players in the whole region who had a worlds tryout.
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The GL region is lucky Eli Weaver from Michigan wasn’t healthy until recently because he is a menace on the field. He is an incredible player who pairs elite fundamentals and game sense with elite athleticism, and should surely be a frontrunner for fotr.
I’m one of Purdue’s captains, and we didn’t see Illinois, Northwestern, ISU, or MSU this year, but I’ll do my best to cover everyone else.
Purdue
All-Region:
Sam Ellison: One of the best playmakers in the region. Great defender, huge in the air. Made the Alleycats this year.
Jack Havey: Went from a borderline A-team guy two years ago to our captain and best O-line cutter this year. Unbelievable work ethic and maybe the fastest guy I’ve ever played with.
All-Freshman:
Matt Viscido: Only 5’5" but an absolute scoring machine (led us in goals one tournament). Super fast and has been known to sky people 6 inches taller than him. One of our best defenders too.
Chandler Moy: Best freshman handler I’ve seen this year besides Alex Henderson. Very shifty with great pulls and break throws.
Indiana
Lots of good players and will be good for years to come.
All-Region:
Kip Curtis: Tall, fast, almost unguardable. First-teamer in my mind.
All-Freshman:
Alex Henderson: Freshman of the year. It blows my mind that he didn’t make the U20 team.
Notre Dame
Connor Buckley: Very dynamic cutter. I’ve been told he’s the toughest cover in our conference, but I never tried.
Steven Campillo: Great handler on both sides of the disc. Foot blocked me twice at MLC.
Kentucky
Jake Carrico: Seemed to carry their team against us. Great throws but really good downfield as well.
Michigan
Kind of a faceless army with several great players, but unfortunately I don’t know any of their names.
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Just gonna give a few shouts out, I haven’t seen enough regional play make complete teams.
These players should make first team, without a doubt:
Josh Venegas (Northwestern) - “Josh from Ultiworld” Broke his collarbone late in the year but is a menace on defense, there’s no one I would rather have in the college game right now to guard a cutter downfield. The motor on this kid is incredible and he couldn’t be a nicer or more spirited guy.
Kyle Rutledge (Northwestern)- Have only seen him play a couple times but this guy is the real deal.
Justin Perticone (GVSU) - Half of the dynamic duo on GVSU, record holder for most d’s in an AUDL game. Justin has the speed to beat anyone in a race, the hops to beat them in the air, and the throws to keep defenses honest. The entire team benefits from him being on the field because he absorbs so much pressure. Good for at least a couple spectacular defensive layouts or plays each game. One of those players that you have to gameplan for, but it doesn’t matter.
These players should be considered for second team:
Jake Pruitt (MSU): If you look in the dictionary under “sticky” this kid comes up, his footwork and speed make him an incredible defender and is a high motor player on offense with big throws.
Dex Dremann (MSU): Dex had to take a larger role this year with MSU graduating so many players and showed that he can do it all, one of the most accurate backhand hucks i’ve seen and an arsenal of offensive prowess.
Mark Whitton (GVSU) : Tall, fast, with the best throws in the Michigan Section.
And then for consideration for All Freshman team:
Mac Weber: Tall, lanky, with big throws for never playing ultimate before this year, stepped on the field as a do it all player on offense who can also cross over to D.
Drew Frenzel: Speed, speed kills. Probably the fastest kid I have ever coached and can use that speed to torch defenses. Drew is still raw but is a goal scoring machine.
Both these kids have bright futures and can make all region teams in the future if they keep at it.
Michigan MagnUM players that deserve to be at the very least nominated for the all region or all freshman team(s)…
First Team
Raymond Lu - Regardless that he was injured half the season, when he is healthy he is likely the best player in Great Lakes. When he broke his right thumb at U24 tryouts he played the Florida Warm Up with a bubble rapped cast and still skied numerous players with his left hand (he is a righty). He also managed to learn how to play lefty in under a month and was still a major contributor on O Line offense. An all around baller.
Adam Stautberg - The leader of MagnUM’s D line and a truly amazing player. He constantly gets layout Ds and keeps a D line with multiple young blood rookies effective and efficient.
Nicholas Gerb - Our Callahan nominee… enough said. He has a ridiculously flick huck.
Jared Schwallie - A big body. You can find him skying people and dishing out huge flick hucks. He had a major role in MagnUM’s successful season and Great Lakes regional.
Second Team
Ashwin Pothukuchi - A dude from phili that soars like an eagle. Incredible deep threat and consistent player on both D and O. Lookout for his layouts. Also a U20 tryout player.
Jeff Gao - All out baller on the D Line. Gets incredible Ds and has the throws. He is all around nice.
Freshman
Cian Johnson - A rookie that has a major role on O line. He a lengthy guy standing around 6’3 with a bean pole frame making him incredibly fast and agile. Teams have a challenge guarding him. Played at YCC.
Eli Weaver - An incredible handler with deep shots and firery passion for the game. Also a major part of our O line. Previously played with Devil and had a u18 tryout.
Theo Shapinsky - Previously played on Foggy Bottom Boys (who won YCC last year). Dude is fast and springy. A rookie who acted as a major contributor to D line, both with his effective offense and lock up defense.
Michigan MagnUM’s Jared Schwallie should undoubtedly take home player of the region honors. He is the backbone of the offense and a d line staple in must break situations. His buttery inside flicks carve up opposing defensive sets, and his hucks are consistent even in high winds.
Adam Stautberg unquestionably has earned first team all region recognition. His unwavering desire is palpable. Truly embodying the spirit of “no disc unwanted,” Adam is responsible for several highlight worthy layouts game in and game out.
Ben Sadis is worthy of a first team recognition for his versatility and cool headedness under pressure. He fills whatever role is asked of him and brings a steady presence and reliability. Countless clutch plays.
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Michigan coach here, combining some input from our leadership here to shout out some guys. I don’t know all names, and it’s hard to catch guys who don’t have numbers on (especially Saturday) without already knowing them.
Illinois
Across the board very solid, way too many lefties for one team.
Anthony Ruzzo (#74) played well against us, a very consistent thrower for the offense. Ben Sabourin, mentioned already, is also a strong player and big piece for their defense. Joey Kennedy (#19) also solid and played well against us, I hear he’s a freshman.
Notre Dame
David Hoffman does a superb job with this program in having such a consistently competitive, yet spirited and fun squad.
Connor Buckley (#21) is a talented cutter. Stephen Babcock was also a strong player for them. #10 played well against us, don’t have a name.
Purdue
Joe Byerly (#12)- superb thrower. Don’t throw zones on this guy- he’ll just pick it apart.
Indiana
Strong team with a nice weekend to get to the finals. With the youth pipelines developing, I expect Indiana to continue to be a challenger in the region.
Alex Henderson (#0) deserves the recognition he gets. Poised beyond his years, should definitely have an all freshman spot, and possibly all region. Conner Henderson (#14) was unfortunately injured and out for the final, but is a strong player. #5 was also a solid contributor for this team.
Kip Curtis (#8) is a stud. Great athlete and shifty cutter, as well as an excellent defender.
Illinois State
Tall lankier handler (I think Jacob Kaindl?) was very good with the disc in Saturday’s conditions. Josh Sanabria (#99) had big pulls and hucks and is an extremely good 1 on 1 defender. Quick and shifty.
Northwestern
Didn’t get to play them this year, but Kyle Rutledge is a fantastic player in all aspects of the game. Josh Venegas is one of the best defenders in the region and Jeff Holm is a good isolation cutter.
UChicago
Zubair is a great coach for this team that returned to semis after losing multiple all region players. Develops talent super well and consistently has his team peaking at the right time.
Jason Vallee did a ton of work for the offense. Poised thrower.
Grand Valley
Mark Whitton and Justin Perticone are both great players. Mark has developed into a strong thrower, uses length well. Justin is more than just a lockdown defender.
Now, from Michigan:
Jared Schwallie (#8) (PoTY)- most powerful thrower in the region, he was on another level on Sunday. Played both ways for us all year. Very good at getting open under and launching the disc very far. His imposing width makes him a formidable defender as well.
Raymond Lu- Unfortunately injured for the latter portion of our season, including regionals. Played our first tournament without his dominant hand and was still often the best player on the field. Stepped into a coach role as a real student of the game and was crucial to the team’s success.
Adam Stautberg (#20)- Gets a lot of blocks. Lays out all the time. Offensive game is much improved and is a strong cutter off the turn with good timing and field sense. Crossed over to our offense when we needed a score.
Jeff Gao (#18)- Incredible defender, constantly gets blocks. His defense on resets forced a bunch of turns all season. Quickness makes him a threat off the turn and has reliable break throws.
Nicholas Gerber (#59)- still doesn’t know how to step out on flicks. Center handler for us this year and our Callahan nominee.
Ben Sadis (#42)- I have to give him a shoutout for being the glue-iest of all glue guys. Great leader for this team, very consistent player with great around breaks. He does all the small things right.
We had a number of freshmen this year, but the following three all deserve all-freshmen:
Theo Shapinsky (#23)- grinder. Speedy guy with great awareness, got numerous blocks in the deep space, as well as run through blocks on unders. Great mid-range jumper.
Cian Johnson (#84)- Super consistent O-line cutter for us all year. Tall, fast, and can jump high.
Eli Weaver (#13)- Great talent coming in from Devyl, played his role very well as an O-line handler.
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Michigan captain here, I want to back up everything our Coach, Parker Howard, said, as well as nominate him for Coach of the Year. Parker stepped up as MagnUM head coach midway through the year, and has immediately put his stamp on the program from a coaching perspective and shaped the culture of the team into one that bought all-in to his vision this year. He preaches playing for the guy next to you, playing for the love of the sport and the love of the moment, and that’s something that has really translated to our players this season, and was a big part of our success at regionals. The poise he shows in huddles and when talking to lines, especially when things aren’t going well, is something you’d expect from a ten-year veteran coach. Additionally, his knowledge of the game and teaching ability are already incredible. The MagnUM program is in great hands with coach Phow at the helm, and the fact that he won regionals in his first year coaching, with a team comprised of eight juniors and seniors, is quite the feat.
I’d also like to bumb some guys I believe really deserve first team all-region honors:
Jared Schwallie, #8, MagnUM second-year captain, hands-down Player of the Year in the region. Everything said about him is true, but his all-around ability and importance to our team cannot be understated. He played almost every point Sunday at regionals and dominated on both O and D lines. His flick huck is amazing, and his break throws are super smooth. His is a big strong body, yet also very fast. He comes down with everything in the air. And he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll every meet.
Raymond Lu, #16, MagnUM. Same for him. Broke his right (throwing) wrist at U-24 tryouts in the fall, dominated at Florida Warm-up playing left-handed, didn’t play the last few months with a foot injury, and yet still was instrumental as a player-coach. He is the soul of this MagnUM team, and everything you want from a player and teammate. He will be one of the best all-around players in the college division the next few years, if he isn’t already.
Josh Venegas, #99, Northwestern. Lockdown cutter defender who somehow gets more Ds than the number of times his guy is thrown at. There’s really no use throwing his way, in just about any situation. Also embodies spirit of the game and is one of the nicest guys out there.
Justin Perticone, #2, Grand Valley State. One of the other top lockdown cutter defenders in the region. Elite hip movement and speed - would be a great cornerback. It’s just about impossible to get open on him 1v1. One of the two GVSU players who would be household names if they played on a top-40 team, along with Mark Whitton, #88, a dynamic deep threat and thrower.
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Hi all, I’m Indiana’s coach and I’d like to share my thoughts, in no particular order, on this year’s Great Lakes players now that regionals is finished.
Purdue:
I would consider Joe Byerly (#12) to be the most talented thrower in the region. He pairs elite level vision with both powerful and accurate throws. His height and length make it difficult for most marks to consistently stop him. Joe is the kind of player that you have to specifically plan against when creating a gameplan. I think he more than deserves all-region honors.
Stating the obvious, Jack Havey (#26) is a fantastic initiating cutter for Purdue and is tremendously fast. Speed kills. Probably not all-region level, but definitely worth mentioning.
Notre Dame:
In my opinion, Notre Dame is and always has been, the most cohesive team in the region. Their mental toughness is second to none and I believe it’s a big reason why they’re often peaking around the series. Their coach, Hoff is a huge part of that and I have tremendous respect for him. I honestly think he should receive coach of the year honors most years for the program he’s built.
Stephen Babcock is the best player on their team and I think deserves all-region honors. He’s an intelligent and dynamic player that always seems to be in the right place at the right time to make a clutch play.
Kentucky:
Jake Carrico is an incredible player and is the main engine behind their offense. Their team is noticeably different without him. With big hucks and the ability to break most marks, he’s a huge threat with the disc in his hands, but he’ll also make some big skies downfield as well. I pretty much told my team not to throw deep against him.
Illinois State:
Cal Tornabene (#21) is who I believe to be their best and most dynamic player. He seemed to be able to do just about everything well. I had to put my best defenders on him all game.
Josh Sanabria (#99), or whoever was their puller, had some truly impressive pulls. From triple helix pulls to towering IO pulls, he kept just about every one inbounds with solid hangtimes.
Northwestern:
Kyle Rutledge (#12) is as good as advertised and plays with a lot of heart. The main cog in their offense, our entire gameplan was focused around limiting his ability to make big plays…which proved very difficult to do. He also seemed tireless, as he played most points against us, many of which were not short. He most definitely deserves all-region honors.
Josh Venegas (#99) is an incredible defender with what I believe to be the talent to shut down most cutters in the region. I never felt comfortable about us coming down with a disc when he was in the vicinity.
Illinois:
Ben Sabourin (#2) is just such a well-rounded player. He’s an incredibly cerebral player who has massive pulls and can break just about any mark in the region. I think he should be considered for all-region.
Joey Kennedy (#19) is a generational talent in terms of his offensive presence. Being able to break most marks as a freshman is so impressive and his field vision/sense is well beyond his years. Should for sure be all-region freshman.
U Chicago:
Jason Vallee (#94) is one of the most talented players in the region. More than deserving of all-region honors. When we played Chicago in semis, Vallee played most points and never slowed down. With springs for legs, he was incredibly effective in the air against us, but he was also so tough to stop in the throw and go. It was a “pick your poison” scenario when trying to stop him.
Michigan:
I was genuinely surprised when I read that their coach, Parker, had taken over half-way through the year. The teamed seemed so cohesive and bought in, which is remarkable considering his short tenure. I’m sure him having just recently played for Magnum made this transition much easier, as it was obvious how much the team trusted and respected him. Along with Hoff, he’s deserving of coach of the year.
Both Eli Weaver (#13) and Cian Johnson (#84) are all-region freshman, based on what I saw in our game against Michigan. Cian was a tough guard because of his size and speed, while Eli Weaver is smart and explosive.
Nicholas Gerber (#59) can probably break most marks in the region, while also being a tough guard in the handler space. He generates a ton of flick power for someone who doesn’t appear to step out much. Should get the nod for all-region.
Jeff Gao (#18) is one of the best handler defenders in the region. His small space defense, quick change of direction and anticipation make for some awesome handler d. Watching him play handler D was inspiring.
Jared Schwallie (#8) lives up to what his teammates and coach have said about him. Deserves all-region.
Grand Valley State:
We only played them in the fall, but I can certainly say that Josh and Mark live up to their “dynamic duo” status. Each one of them is more than deserving of being in the conversation for all-region, based on what I remember.
Indiana:
Kip Curtis (#8) should absolutely get the nod for all-region. He’s one of the best all-around players in the region, in my naturally biased opinion. Kip is another one of those tireless players in the region, who never seems to slow as the tournament grinds on. From being a mainstay on our o-line or guarding the other team’s best players, Kip was a huge part contributor to IU. He was also one of our captains this year and is a fantastic teacher and leader. Allegedly, Sunday of regionals was his 1001th day of throwing in a row.
Alex Henderson (#0) not only deserves freshman of the year but he also deserves all-region honors. I believe he’s one of the most talented offensive players in the region. From zone saw lefty scoobers to perfect 8-yard in cut throws, he’s got the entire arsenal. He’s also incredibly tough to guard downfield, often our initiating cutter. I think his most impressive attribute is his vision and field sense. It’s most definitely the best of anyone his age in our region.
Conner Henderson (#14) is the driving force behind our d-line. He just does it all for the team. As our main puller, he keeps 95%+ of his pulls inbound. He generated more Ds than anyone else on our team this year, consistently laying out on unders, skying opponents deep and hand-blocking dudes in shirts. A strong thrower, Conner is responsible for a large portion of the disc movement on our d-line and is often directly responsible for many of our breaks. More than deserving of all-region honors.
Adrian Golay (#3) is one of the best lockdown defenders in the region, without a doubt. Most often responsible for guarding the other teams most dynamic players, Adrian uses his wealth of experience and his athleticism to make defenders really have to work to get open. While certainly not the most powerful thrower in the region, he may be one of the most consistent and accurate. I genuinely think he puts more spin on the disc than anyone else in the region.
Max Bradshaw (#97) and Jeremy Keusch (#20) are also deserving of being in the conversation for all-region freshman. Max has a field sense and proficiency with both throwing hands well beyond his years. I honestly thought he was a lefty for a good portion of the fall semester (he’s a righty). Jeremy stepped up into a starting handler role for us from day 1. He can break most marks and is a solid handler defender.
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Grand Valley’s coach here, We didn’t play a lot of in region competition but we did get a look at some players this past weekend that I wanted to mention, as well as mention the players on out team that were the reason we got to the highest placement at Regionals in program history.
Chicago
Jason Vallee was near impossible to guard during our quarterfinals match up. The offense seemed to run through him regardless of who we tried to match up on him. He seemed to be in control the entire time and was very smooth with the disc.
ND
I would have to echo the People who brought up Steven Campillo and Connor Buckley. They are difference makers any time they are on the field.
Kentucky
Nate Maddux is a very talent handler that has control over the disc and the field. He is very difficult to account for from a defensive perspective. He has the throws and the vision to break through zones, which in the Great lakes region is a huge quality given that it is almost always terrible weather.
Grand Valley State
Justin Perticone (#2) - Our offense starts with Justin in nearly every set we have. Defenses know that it is coming and he is still able to get the disc in his hands nearly every time. He is able to get most jump balls as well as out run nearly anyone to the disc. Given that GV is a smaller school we lack depth so Justin needs to play offense and defense and typically will take the other teams top cutter and be able to at the least pressure the receiver.
Mark Whitton (#88) - Mark has developed into a total package kind of player. He has the athleticism to be an elite cutter and defender but has also developed throws that are on point regardless of the weather. Mark is in the same situation as Justin with needing to play nearly every point regardless of O or D and racked up a number of blocks throughout the season both layout and run through D’s where he anticipated and beat his man in.
2nd Team
Alexander Sokoly (23)
This kid was a rock on our defensive line, his handler defense is some of the best shut down defense I have seen. He is consitently able to disrupt the flow of an offense by taking one of the handlers out of the play.
Freshman
Brad Sanders (1) - Brad is what every coach hopes will walk on to the field the first day of tryouts and hang around. He is a tall athletic kid that is willing to learn. Going into the spring season he earned a spot on the O-line as a cutter, his athleticism and height made him a prime target on our offense. He won nearly every 50-50 disc that went up but unlike some tall cutters took advantage of the unders that teams would give him. He also got a crucial layout block for us in the Notre Dame game that sent us to the Quarter finals.
Justin Winn (21) - Justin was able to solidify himself as a main handler on our o-line. His ability to work as the center handler in a zone is something that I would not expect from a freshman. Again with the weather being what it is in the Mid-west, his role was crucial.
Captain of Indiana here. I will be discussing guys from my own team and notable players from teams we saw during the season.
Indiana
All-Region:
Kip Curtis (#8) is in my opinion the best deep space player in the region, both on offense and defense. Defensively he covers up for his teammate’s mistakes constantly with his help D, and routinely makes the opponent’s best athlete a non-factor. On offense he is a guaranteed in cut when we need it and an outlet deep when we find ourselves in trouble. Kip doesn’t get tired. If you need evidence, check out his Callahan video.
Conner Henderson (#14) is a machine on defense. He takes the toughest matchup every point, whether they are a handler or a cutter. Cohner is known for huge bids, and I can attest that he is always on your mind no matter how open you may feel. On a turn he can launch the disc on a fast break or break the mark with ease, if he isn’t the one receiving the goal. Missing Conor in the regional final was brutal, but without him we would have never been there in the first place.
Alex Henderson (#0) is the best freshman in the region. I have watched him play since his U16 YCC days, and have since coached him, played Brickyard with him, and luckily got a chance to be around for his freshman year of college. He plays without a mark, essentially getting any throw from a 70 yard flick to an inside break lefty off with ease. Teams often gave up on zone D quickly due to his presence on the field. When he moves downfield into cutter space he is also dominant, so containing him is unlikely. He should be looked at for all-region and freshman of the year.
Freshmen:
Jeremy Keusch (#20) was an immediate impact player for us. His combination of length and discipline make him a terror to the center handler of opposing teams, and on offense he has a nice toolkit to keep the disc alive and keep our D-line moving.
Max Bradshaw (#97) is about as crafty as they come. His variety of release points and spacial awareness make him a threat to throw anywhere on the field at any time. His presence on our O-line repeatedly got us out of sticky situations.
Purdue
Joe Byerly (#12) is the real deal. He was the player we had to plan around more than anyone else we saw this year. He goes every other and manages to make our best players look lost a good portion of the time. He is a no-brainer for all-region and I feel sorry for the rest of the region because they have to see him again next year while he attends Purdue for grad school.
Jack Havey (#26) is fast fast. He also has a soul bond or something with Joe, because they can’t be stopped, only slowed down.
Northwestern
Kyle Rutledge very much earned his way onto the U24 team. He filled every need for his team when we played them, and was very fun to play against. I look forward to him representing the region well at worlds.
Josh Venegas (#99) was a great all around player against us. The disc often ran through him, and he really impressed me when he managed to sky a pack of people 4+ inches taller than him early on in quarters.
Illinois
Joey Kennedy is a talented freshman, and will lead Illinois for the next few years. He has both high level disc skills and shifty cutting abilities that make him hard to contain.
Ben Sabourin is integral to their success, both with huge throws and quarterbacking the offense.
Kentucky
Jake Carrico beat us at conferences. He is a huge jumper and a threat with the disc. His play style is unorthodox but gets the job done.
Notre Dame
Buckley and Campillo are both extremely consistent and power a great system for Notre Dame.
I wish I knew more names on other teams, but these are the guys that stuck out to me most.
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Soon to be Uchicago alumni here.
I don’t have much novel content to add.
GSVU has those two studs #88 and #2, they can take over a game.
NUT
has the hyped but not overhyped Kyle Rut (a solid pick for POTY), don’t think I need to say more about him
Big boi jeff holmes (for the record I was a fan of him before it was cool)
Also, #5 is thick. Raul I believe. That guy is an athlete strong defensive player
Josh also is a predescribed athlete
ISU
3 people I remember who were getting it done:
??Kiendel?? sorry one of those names I’ve only ever heard. But dude is good, a handler but has good length and can break a lot of marks. Def deserves recognition.
Cal- hard working dude, good speed size and bids.
Josh- good thrower, got good foot speed too.
Notre Dame
Did not play them but they have some playmakers, I fully endorse yngve’s endorsements of said playmakers. Buckley, Stephen Camp, and Stephen bab (man that’s confusing). I’ll also add Buckley is a lanky boi with big boi bids. Sorry to hear he was recovering from an injury during regionals.
Indianna:
Had a great season, unfortunately I can’t really tell you who there ballers were, but they obvi exist, and deserve to get some names on the board. Their coach seems to have given a good run down above.
Michigan:
Also don’t really have any names and was kinda of hard of hard to tell who was good when playing on Saturday conditions, but they seemed to have a bunch of athletes on their squad. I think enough people have called them out that me not saying something shouldn’t ruin their day. Also this Raymond Liu story is crazy! Unfortunate circumstances but good on him for staying involved with his team even in shitty Saturday conditions.
And I think that’s all the teams I played.
Wait Depaul had a freshman that did a lot of work for them, Sam, creative thrower good head on his shoulder, pretty speedy to
Now onto the real reason I came here, to Dab up the bois
Milan Rivas, say what you want about his hair or his laugh of cruelty, he is a a phenomenal player. He has an insane ultimate IQ and worked his butt off to pass as athletic. Plays tight Handler D, plays dominant handler O, when he goes downfield he gets Ds in the air and even skies fools like its the fourth of july. Very well rounded and beyond that he popped off at regionals. He consistently broke marks for goals, roasted dudes upline and ran his heart out all weekend.
Sean McSweeny: How is no one talking about him ?!??!?! He has the most creative throws in the region, heart and soul of uchicago ultimate. He is insanely creative, composed, and just a good handler/player. The center oline handler for chicago, a main reason our offense worked is he showed people the deep space was an option when he had the disc.
Hawk: Big blonde dude that has an uncanny sense of timing with cuts and size that makes you notice him. The “cog int he uchicago offense” hawkins is pivotal to our success. Some of the spacing on cuts I’ve ever seen, very consistent player with the disc, also will never call a foul.
Now the REAL reason I am here.
No one is throwing love to uchicago freshmen, even though we got two of them on the uline; one of those two is a starting dline player the other one a starting oline player.
Kevin Liu: This kid will be the best player to come out of uchicago if he sticks with it. Springy dude that is a bad throwers wet dream because the stats when he bails you out make you look like a good thrower . Also, his throws are liquid. To pick one example out, he goes as our primary cutter 3 times in a row at regionals, gets the disc 3 times in a row and then launches 3 flick hucks in a row for completions. This dude is real. Also, smooth bids the likes of which I've never seen.
Matthias Ling: BIG boi, coming at 6+ feet. Got some good experience with Hong-Kong's U-24 team. he would usually take the hardest match up on the dline and at best get turns, at worst make them work for every disc they touched. Also, he has got some really big pulls. Grew a lot this season, crazy to think would this guy is going to look like in his final form when he is starting so high.
Now that I get all that out the way, the REAL reason I am here, more stroking my teammates ego so feel free to stop reading if that’s not your thing
Dylan Petiprin:
The most spirited and kindest soul you’ll ever meet. By sheer grit and hardwork he became a starter a contributor on the oline, someone we trusted with the disc, and someone we trusted not to get scored on. He also has done more for uchicago culture than just about anyone save Zubair. Glad I know him.
Isaac Harris:
This is a dude whose coordination was laughable his first year. While his running form may be unorthodox you can’t have a uchicago dline without isaac. Possibly the biggest standstill jumper in the region, he also became someone who can abuse people in the handler space. Furthermore, he is arguably the biggest sideline presence I’ve seen in the region, if you don’t know about bean time your gonna, and you can thank Isaac for that. Also, I get this space wasn’t designed for logistical gods, but Isaac is exactly that. Without him we don’t get to play, so thank you my dude.
Eric:
If you ever need to bet on someone being late to practice, he’s your man.
Ah poop! forgot to hype our coaches. This year in preparation for Zubair’s eventual departure, we got a new head coach Vedant who did an amazing job and I am really thankful for dedicating pretty much all of his time to coaching us instead of finding a wife. Now neither him nor Zubair are eligible for COTY but still gotta preach the truths. Without Zubair uchicago is not a semis team at sectionals let alone regionals. After last year’s graduating class well graduated, many people did not think we were going to make it to regionals. It is a testament to Zubair’s coaching style and his legacy that we have made it to the semis or farther for the past THREE years. Maybe it is part of having a PhD in physics but Zubair makes uncoordinated unathletic nerds into one of the top teams in the region and that’s with practicing on a basketball court for a third of the year. So thank you Zub, if you do in fact end up leaving next year you will be missed by the torch shall be carried on.
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also, Milan gets foot blocks like its on sale. almost every game we play he gets at least one.
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Another captain of Indiana here.
Non-IU players I think should make first team all-region:
Joe Byerly - Purdue: Best thrower in the region.
Kyle Rutledge - Northwestern: I played with him at U24 tryouts and against him in quarters. He can shoot with the best of the best and made Team USA for a reason. Probable player of the region.
Justin Perticone - Grand Valley State: We played them in the fall and he was maybe my toughest matchup all year. Fastest person in the region.
Ray Lu - Michigan: Haven’t actually played him and he went to the other coast for tryouts but I assume he lives up to the hype.
Jason Vallee - Chicago: Played nearly every point and was going every other against us.
Other good non-IU players I think you should vote for:
Josh Venegas - Northwestern: Skied me super hard in quarters.
Jeff Holm - Northwestern: Definite threat
Ben Sabourin - Illinois: Good in wind.
Connor Buckley - Notre Dame: Crab
Stephen Babcock - Notre Dame: People
Steven Campillo - Notre Dame: Half crab, half person
Josh Sanabria - Illinois State: Best pulls in the region
Cal Tornabene - Illinois State: Part of the ship, part of the crew.
Mark Whitton - GVSU: His throws make Justin much harder to guard
Jack Havey - Purdue: Speedy
Sam Ellison - Purdue: Put your paws together
Jake Carrico - Kentucky: I marked him in zone D and failed.
Team Michigan: I honestly can’t put a name to a face for any of them but they went to natties because they were the best so read the above comments about them.
All freshman:
Alex Henderson - Indiana: Undoubtedly the best freshman in the region
Joey Kennedy - Illinois: Probably number 2 after my boy Alex
Nate Maddux - Kentucky: Good player
Matt Viscido - Purdue: Quick and sneaky
Chandler Moy - Purdue: Young Boy
Team Michigan: Again, I don’t know their names but they are probably good enough for this
My boys in Cream and Crimson:
Alex Henderson: Good player, great memes
Corner Henderson: Older brother, wiser memes
Adrian Golay: Guards me at practice, not fun
Honorable mentions:
Joe Dweck: The only 2019 Sin the Fields all star in the region
Kip Curtis: Devilishly handsome, dank Callahan video, and definitely didn’t do this write-up.
All Region Meme Team:
#1 Indiana: Unstoppable memes and dead natties dreams
#2 Michigan B: For beating Purdue
#3 Notre Dame: Crab People
#4 Illinois State: Cal, best impression of 10 feet
#5 Michigan: Only if they bring regional memes to natties
#6 Purdue: Engineering memes and Specs cosplay from #26
Last Place - Illinois: Runs zone in bad conditions, not memein
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Hi, my name is Sam “Tex” Tagle. I’m a freshman and I play with DePaul University DUC. I wanted to shoutout some of my teammates and others who I would deem as “dank” players and individuals.
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned “DePaul Student Athlete,” Jesse Johnson yet. Jesse is an athletic prodigy. His unreal speed and athleticism makes him an incredible cutter downfield, and he’ll come back and put in work in the handler set if needed. His layout form is beautiful and I can’t remember the last time I saw him drop a disc honestly. He makes catches that aren’t performable by another human being. On defense he’s a monster that can and will sky anybody. He’s playing for Chicago Wildfire this year and is only getting better. On top of all that, he is incredibly spirited and is probably one of the nicest people you will meet on and off the field. Super polite and very knowledgable player. On top of all this, he’s a great leader on the team as a captain.
Mike Prasauskas is also a freaking beast. He is a great cutter and goes for crazy bids that shouldn’t be legal. In fact, he dislocated his shoulder in the fall after going for a bid, and was back at practice a week later. Dude puts his body on the line for the boys. He makes really quick cuts too and gets open every time. He’s unstoppable on offense. He also GRINDS on defense. Mike is a role model for everyone on the team, giving 100% as soon as he steps on the line. He was also our captain this year, and did a fantastic job.
Together, Jesse and Mike are the culmination of the phrase, “the grind don’t stop.”
Also, we have one 5th year player, Josh Tong. Josh is a baller in our O-Line handler set. He’s got great throws and has a lot of experience playing with the team in his 5th year. Off the field, he has a wealth of knowledge to share. He’s also film encyclopedia and can talk about any recorded game of ultimate ever. He’s a great guy and was really helpful to me and a lot of other rookies this season.
I also want to shoutout our Coach Jake Ward . This was his last season coaching us, and it was a pleasure to be coached by him. He brings the fire and gets hype with the team. He’s incredibly passionate and really cares about everyone on the team. We owe a lot of our success to him, and we wish him the best of luck in Colorado. We will miss him next season.
Moving on, I gotta shout out my boy Andrew Stewart. Andrew Stewart is a Freshman at Indiana. He’s been dealing with injury this season, but he’s made a great comeback and I haven’t really gotten to see him play too much but the kid’s a beast. He’s got springs in his legs or something I don’t know how to explain how his vert is so high. My man has some legit hops. I played with him last summer on the Austin Amigos at YCC and this kid’s athletic ability is insane. He’ll sky you, layout D on you, cut circles around you, doesn’t matter. Watch out next year, because the “Ginger Jesus” himself is going to be taking names.
Lastly, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to plug my own video here. I will however shoutout my teammate and fellow film major, Jacob “KD” Ocker for editing it. On the field, Jacob is the hype train of the team. This man commands sideline chants, is a baller on defense, and can pound an energy drink in a half time circle in mere seconds. He does so much for the team and I really appreciate him for that and for making this video for me.
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