Who are the best players in the Atlantic Coast region? This is an open thread to discuss All-Region nominations, All-Freshman nominations, coaching awards, and more. Stay positive and keep it civil.
I believe some attention should be given to the UNCA Mudpuppies. From a team that finished 1-9 last season to being ranked in the Top 25 this season. Half of their roster are Freshmen & their D-line stands out. Likewise, the Coaches (Andrew Mouw & Dean Merritt) have done a tremendous job. 9-4 on the season to date & that does not include a non-sanctioned Bare Bones tournament in the Fall where they finished 5th ahead of Duff & Navy in their first real go as a team.
Owen Stout #24(Fr), Spencer Brotherton #00 (Fr) and Brandon Bass #72 (So) are all huge competitors and I think you will see more kids arriving from Flight & Tri-Force, in the coming seasons. In addition, they will likely only lose 1 player (perhaps 2) from this years team.
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Players:
Josh Matushak (Davidson College) - Josh is so fast, and he never stops being fast, whether it is the 1st game of the tournament or the 8th. He is a cornerstone of Davidson’s D line. He’s a great defender who can apply pressure to anyone in his division, and can shoot it deep or go get it deep after the turn.
Spencer Brotherton (freshman @ UNC Asheville) - Spencer is a high effort/intensity defender that can make a big play, and then can launch a deep shot for a quick score after the turn. Quintessential D3 ultimate player with an incredibly high ceiling and the drive to make sure he gets there. (Full disclosure, I did coach Spencer as a youth – but he does deserve the recognition. He’s a real difference maker)
Coach:
Ken Porter (Davidson College) - KP is a bit of a legend in the ultimate community from his time as an elite club / AUDL player, but he has spent his time coaching Davidson for many years (9 or 10?) now. He is an incredible coach, and Davidson has become one of the strongest, most consistent teams in the region largely thanks to KP’s efforts.
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Davidson player here for my bias, and am going to shoutout the people I played against.
High point
(15) was really good in the handler space and breaking through the zone.
UNCA
(10)(Jackson) was the main driver on their o-line and was the main offensive force on their team. Very strong cuts and understood timing well.
(72) and (00)(Spencer) were the guys getting d’s for UNCA and then would be the players to either throw or cut deep on a turn.
Elon
(21)(Reed) was the best defensive player and would cross over to o-line if they got broken.
(28) was a strong offensive cutter and had good throws after the catch.
Richmond
(40)(Calvin) main force on the o-line with a wide variety of throws, especially inside breaks and high release flicks to get through zones. (1)(Max) was the other o-line handler with calvin that worked it up the field with strong throws and uplines.(30) was a good cutter with a good inside backhand.
(6), (21) and (20)(Henry) on their d-line worked it on their d-line after a turn and were consistent.
Davidson
This is the good stuff, I love this team and so many good parts about it.
O-line
(2)Wesley Smail can and will throw every break regardless of the mark. (33)John Ready cuts really hard with great timing off of others and can drop into the handler set seamlessly when needed. (21)Jerry Wang as the initiation cutter gets open every time, and he will take anyone in the air deep. (55) Beckett Ledahl is a freshman handler on o-line with the meanest backhand huck and has made some insane contested catches.
D-line
This is where I live and the dogs of the team are.
(2)Garrett Ryan is the glue of the d-line and plays great handler d. On a turn, he is a key player in the offense and keeps calm and makes smart throws even in a high stall. (27) Nick Layke is a great cutter defender and excellent in the deep space, and on a turn can always get open on an under. (22) Srijit Banerjee and (8) Ben Atherton are both great defenders that play roles in our d-line offense.(30) Freshman Truman Sandy battled injury a lot this year, but still showed out at regionals and was a large goal scorer for d-line.
Coach
KP (d-line)and Kevin Escott(DUFF alum and o-line coach) are both super deserving of the coach award. We had 8 seniors graduate last year who all played significant roles on the team, and they found a way to improve from last years’ finish with a lot of uncertainties at the beginning of the year. They have helped develop a very young team with not much frisbee experience before college and the team wouldn’t be where we are without them. KP uses his long tenure with ultimate to draw up defensive looks and his sideline presence and attitude keeps us in games. Kevin has a very calming attitude and it works great with our o-line to create plays that help us win games.
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Atlantic Coast is on the big up and up with five teams in contention to make Nationals this year, really hoping we can have more bids next year. Ill preface and say I did not have the chance to play Elon or UNCA this year unfort, so I will have that bias but here are my thoughts
Richmond-
Max Caputo (1)- The improvements this man has made in the last couple of years is insane, and we would not be at nationals without him. He is a great decision maker as a center o line handler, and can make the hard throws when necessary. His abiltity to get open in the endzone space will surprise you as well.
Jeffy Joshy- My favorite target, he somehow is always open in the endzone. It doesn’t matter how far I throw it he will be there to catch it.
Henry Groves- Amazing leader on and off the field for D Line, and absolute dawg. His decision making on offense is fantastic and can play anywhere on offense.
Davidson
Great showing when it mattered in the game to go.
#4 has consistently mean breaks and made it hard for our d line to defend.
Bradd Towner was a beast in the cutting space on d line
Guy who always wears the Grey hat on D-line, also great handler off the turn and super chill with calls
Elon-
Elons individual talent is wild and if they can figure it some discipline they could be at least a semifinals level team with their height and throwing skills.
Couple shoutouts
Reed Burkert, Kalen Morrison, Ben Bronstein
Your freshman Ben was one of the best players this year. Super speedy in the handler space with crazy athleticism and great pulls. I think hes probably the best freshman in the region
Navy-
I was originally anti-Jack Bassett all american last year over Benedetti, but he proved he was one of the best players in the region this year. Handling, cutting, defense he did it all.
Nate Palmer was a fantastic cutter and got open deep on us so many times.
My picks-
- Max Caputo- Richmond
- Henry Groves- Richmond
- Jack Bassett- Navy
- Wesley Smail, Davidson
- Reed Burkert- Elon
- Brad Towner- Davidson
- Insert UNCA player
ROTY- Ben Patterson- Elon
COTY- Ken Porter
I am captain of Davidson’s women’s+ team, PUFF, and was able to attend the second day of Atlantic Coast regionals. Congratulations to each team for putting it all on the field and good luck to Richmond when representing the region at nattys!
I just wanted reply to clarify a couple Davidson shoutouts.
Number 4 is Wes Smail (which I see you may have figured out in your all region lineup) but he is an incredible handler that has some insane grabs and beautiful break throws.
Brad Towner has done a great job handling this season but unfortunately wasn’t able to make it out to regionals. My guess is that you’re referring to 77, Josh Matushak, who is an incredible d line player that belongs as one of your final picks for all-region.
The guy in the hat is Garrett Ryan. He’s an incredibly talented and level headed d line player that is an absolute beast on the field.
Is Josh the one with the bleach blonde hair? Numbers mustve changed from last year haha, was looking mostly at instagram
Bleach blonde hair is John Ready! Another incredible player with smart, quick cuts (even on a bum ankle) and nice throws. He only played on o-line which is maybe why I misidentified him. My bad!
Grey hat d-line guy from Davidson here. Wishing that we could’ve gotten 2 or 3 bids for the region this year, but the AC is definitely on the rise for years to come. Didn’t play Navy or CNU, but from watching film it’s evident that Jack Bassett was keeping Navy afloat this year doing everything for the team.
Richmond:
- Calvin is a tough matchup, as he epitomizes the hybrid role. Excellent in the handler space, and when we successfully pushed him up field, he could get open at will.
- Jeffy might be the fastest player in the region. A menace downfield, especially in the red zone, and excellent at reading his defender to create space and get open.
Elon:
- Reed is shooter for sure, but with good reason. Their D-line runs through him, and when he was clicking he could hit any throw he wanted to.
UNCA:
- Jackson (#10) is a stud for UNCA. He’s probably the most challenging player I’ve guarded in the region due to his size complimented with athleticism and throwing prowess. As a rising senior, if Asheville continues its ascension he might be someone to lookout for as BPOTY next year.
Davidson:
- Wes Smail is the best fundamental handler in the region. Not going to flash any crazy hucks or celebrate on you when he scores, but he will just wear you down with smart throw after smart throw. A true silent killer.
- @Calvin, the sandy-haired d-line cutter is a freshman, Truman. He’s battled through injury this year so regionals was his first full tourney. Super athletic with a high motor, and had he played the entire year would have been a main contributor on our offense.
For an all region line -
- Calvin Ciorba, Richmond
- Henry Groves, Richmond
- Jeffy Joshy, Richmond
- Reed Burkert, Elon
- Jackson, UNCA
- Wes Smail, Davidson
- Jack Bassett, Navy
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Coming from UNCA Rookie
Didn’t get the chance to play against Richmond
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Navy: Playing against Jack basset (#12) was easily the most fun matchup I had all weekend. Super physical but there was a bunch of respect between it. Made me run all game, both times we played them, and it wasn’t just physical dominance. His throws and defense were on point, and he showed he was definitely a top player in the region.
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Davidson: Wesley Smail was completely dominant with his throws, very hard to guard and was knew how to cut efficiently. Played center handler against us all game and really ran the offense almost every point. Two more pivotal players for Davidson were John Ready and Garrett Ryan. Both class acts and very decisive and smart players, very good crossover players as well
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Elon: Didn’t get much matchup time with Reed, but was clearly their best defender and defensive handler. Smart player with quality throws and a lot of poise.
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UNCA: (No bias here)
#72 Brandon Bass, Arguably one of the best overall players in the region. Can make any throw and he’s an absolute force in any small ball. Some of the best pulls in the region as well. He’s also a very smart defender, not afraid to layout for absolutely everything as well. Absolute maniac and every day im glad I dont have to play against him
#10 Jackson Stanley, offensive force with very decisive and clean cuts. Runs dominator sets very well, and clearly has very good chemistry with all of his offensive line. Guarding this man all season in practice has not been very easy
#11 Jackson Carawan, very much a dog. Gets most the disc back most of the time after an offensive turn. A very good defender with a very well rounded throwing skillset, and always one of the hardest workers on the field
Rookies: #71 Logan Deaver and #00 Spencer Brotherton. Both absolute dogs on the field. Spencer coming from up from Charlotte flight has got a super wide variety of throws, and is one of the faster people on the field at all times. Logan has been playing Ultimate for ONLY 8 months and has raw defending skill with an amazing deep cut, and has already progressed his throwing more than most people. Both rookies are absolute beasts in a dominator set and can basically walk the disc up the field
Jackson from UNCA here. Thought I’d share some quick thoughts on who I think are some of the best competitors in our region.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately we did not get to play Richmond & Salisbury this year.
Navy, Jack (12)
Easily one of the most well-rounded players I have played against. A talented thrower and athlete, a fast and physical defender, seems as though he has it all and will continue to be a seriously dominant force in the region with Poseidon.
Elon, Isaac (15)
By far one of the fastest players in the region, making him a threat in the handler space and beyond. Tough to guard and tough to be guarded by.
Elon, Reed (21)
Crazy skilled shooter, plays off of his cutters really well and the throws are just 
.
Davidson, Wes (4)
Insanely accurate thrower with a ton of different throw, fakes, and angles in the bag. Orchestrates DUFF’s offense so well. One of the smartest players I’ve played against.
Davidson, Josh (77)
A go-to handler on their D-Line, such a solid player all-around, super fast. No real weaknesses on the field, also a really nice guy off the field.
Davidson, Garrett (2)
A super tough defender and all-around player for DUFF. Good athleticism and he uses it well downfield and in the handler space. A great competitor and leader for his team, one of the best match-ups I’ve been lucky enough to have in my college career.
CNU, Thomas (20)
This dude is FAST, also uses his strength on defense very well. Overall just a tough matchup for anyone physically and caused us a ton of problems on offense.
UNCA
I’m not here to gas any of my own teammates up too much, but I want to shoutout Jackson Carawan (11). He has been the heart of our team this year, I have not met very many people who work as hard or care as much as this guy, and it has been so amazing to see him improve as a player the last two years.
Coaches
Davidson, KP
Seems like he is always a step ahead of opposing players, and has helped run an incredible and consistent program in DUFF.
UNCA, Dean Merritt & Drew Mouw
Again, no bias intended, but without these two the program at UNCA is nowhere near what it is now (It actually might have died without them!) They are responsible for practically everything I know as a player along with the majority of our team, and they have been so instrumental in the rise from our 1-9 season to a top 20 ranking after FCS.
Look forward to seeing y’all next year and good luck to Richmond at Nationals!
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One of the Christopher Newport Coaches here-wanted to share my thoughts on the region and some of the stand out players. We didn’t play Davidson so I can’t speak to their players unfortunately, but they looked to be a very solid team.
Navy-Jack Bassett-not much more to say here which hasn’t already been said. He was the engine driving Navy, and was always the most dangerous player on the field.
Elon-#21 really stood out, he was a dangerous hybrid player up and down the field. #2 was near impossible for us to guard in the deep space.
UNCA-#10 did it all-he’d go every other frequently, and was a very dangerous downfield cutter to boot. #0 and #72 were very solid handles who would work the disc well then play hard defense to follow.
Richmond-#40 and #1 were the drivers of Richmond’s O-Line-both were incredibly effective at moving the disc, and were very hard to guard. #20 was an incredibly effect person defender, and when Richmond got a turn he was incredibly hard to guard.
Finally I wanted to shout out some of our guys who were instrumental towards our season-
CNU-
Grant Anderson (#14) - our primary O-Line Handle, Grant was the main driver of our offense. In small ball he is near unstoppable-just about never throwing away the disc-and could be relied on to shoot deep.
Charles Gartner (#44) - With Grant, CJ is instrumental in our O-Lines success. He is very squirrely in the handler space, creating a lot of space to open up our small ball options, and could be relied on as a downfield cutter when needed.
Ryan McDonnell (#8) - Ryan is one of our top matchup defenders throughout the season. He could lockdown just about anyone on the opposing O-Line, and it is rare to see him without layout scars.
Thomas Funka (#20) - Along with Ryan, Tommy is our go to matchup defenders for any challenging matchups on the opponents O-Line. Throughout the season we would rely on him to take the opponents top player out of the game.
Zach Fox (#2) - Our go to initiation cutter on offense, Zach is effective in both the under and deep space. Additionally when needed to he could easily function as a hybrid, and is a very effective defender.