Who are the best players in the Southeast region? This is an open thread to discuss All-Region nominations, All-Freshman nominations, coaching awards, and more. Stay positive and keep it civil.
You can’t talk about the best players in the Southeast Region without mentioning the Berry Bucks’ Collin Hill.
After two seasons with great talent as Caleb Enwright and Walter Ellard to guide him into his college career, Collin has helped keep the Berry program in conversations each of the last two seasons. He led Berry to the regional championship last season and has them poised for another opportunity to keep their streak alive this season.
His knowledge of the game paired with a unique skill set that never gets rattled allows him to keep a young team in games with competitive teams.
So I definitely nominate Collin Hill, first team All Southeast Region !
And yes, I’m a little bias. I’m his dad.
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Connor Rigby here
Berry - Collin Hill is a lock for this and probably for MVP of the region and probably the Donovan award if I’m going to be honest. Guarding Collin in our pool play game was tough and he just went from 0 to 100 in no time. He also shows trust in his teammates and doesn’t have to be the guy all the time and has built that trust with his team. Being a leader on and off the field as well as keeping his team focused during the regional final was one of the best that I’ve seen so far this season. That will be a legacy game for him.
Ian VanOrder - Another guy who is a hybrid and takes some of the pressure away from Collin and pulls more attention as he has the disc. Seeing the progress from his freshman year to now he has become a presence that has to gain respect from other teams and if you haven’t prepared for that then you will get toasted.
Michael Johnson - Another presence on Berry that just made the Atlanta Hustle practice squad which is amazing to hear the progress he has made from previous years to now. Just in fitness and in ultimate. Last year he was pulling some attention and locking some guys but now he is a presence on offense that has to be respected and if you go up for a 50/50 you better have position because if not he’s gonna sky you and put it on his highlight reel.
Ave Maria - Liam O’Rourke has some insane throws from hammers to flicks and you have to be ready as a downfield defender because he will also clear out of that space and go deep. He looks for the disc every other and is very chilly with the disc and has been a great presence for Ave.
Embry Riddle - Jonah Hagstad has every throw imaginable. If you think the disc isn’t coming it probably is you just haven’t heard the up call yet. Having to guard your man at all times on the field makes him one of the most deadly throwers in the Southeast region.
Union Jaxx - Joel Salazar is the hardest cutter to guard and doesn’t run out of gas at any point in the tournament. He plays almost every point in a tournament and will want to play a scrimmage the very next day when we get back. This leads him to get open on an under and deep at almost any moment during a point. He was our main goal scorer for this year and would probably average about 12 or more goals each tournament.
Noah Windham - Probably a name that you haven’t heard but this man is a dog he plays mostly D line and his an absolute dawg—being a player to get some crazy layout Ds and to just make a play when you least expect it. He was a presence from throwing and getting up on some deep shots to skying people on offense or defense. He probably averaged around 8 to 10 Ds a tournament which is crazy but was an amazing guy to play with and have on our team. Someone who should be on the all-regional team.
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Joel Salazar (Union Jaxx) Joel is the main scorer for the jaxx, bagging nearly 25% of our teams goals for the season. He never runs out of energy, sprinting on every under and deep, even in his 70th, 80th, or 100th point of a tournament. Joel is a slippery cutter and always finds a way to get open.
Connor Rigby (Union Jaxx) Leading the team in assists, completions, and touches, Connor is always on the disc. He has a quick step, making him hard to guard both as a handler and a cutter. Connor has a very high frisbee IQ as well, always knowing what was needed each moment of the game.
Collin Hill (Berry) Watching and playing Berry the past two years, it is clear how much of a presence he has on the team. While the Bucks are not short on talented players, the offense runs through Collin. Not only is he dominant on offense, but he goes all out on defense, bidding through the disc and getting up on deeps. Collin is more than deserving of a nomination.
Jonah Hagstad (Embry Riddle) Jonah is not only a lethal handler, putting the disc anywhere he pleases, but is also a shifty cutter. He also has some of the sweetest layouts I’ve ever seen. Jonah lead his team well at regionals.
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This is Ian VanOrder
Collin Hill - Berry College
First of all we have to talk about Berry’s Collin Hill. As the best player in D3, Collin is always finding ways to control the tempo of the game and commands a relentless offensive attack. Having pro experience and playing at a high club level for multiple years. You can’t find many faults in Collin these days. Teams gameplan against him and it never works out for them. Gaurd him and you will find yourself exhausted and defeated. Donovan award may very well be in his future.
Garret Hallinan- Ave Maria
Next we have to talk about Garret Hallinan. Garret plays for Ave maria and some might not think much about him pre game, but post game you will have a very different opinion. Easily a top 5 player in the region, controls the flow of the ave maria offense and a threat on defense. Overlook him and you will surely regret it.
Connor Rigby- Union
Now we cannot talk about the southeast without mentioning Connor Rigby. A calm presence on the field and a great leader off the field. If you were to play Union today, you should start your gameplan with shutting down the talented thrower and good luck doing that. He will get the disc and he will lead his team down the field. Have fun trying to stop him.
Honorable mentions/players that should be considered:
Simon Dowdy- Berry
Matthew Lesnieski- Ave Maria.
Liam O’Rouke- Ave Maria
Joel Salzar- Union
All freshman team mentions
-Eli Hoshide- the best freshman in the south east. Eli was asked to perform as handler next to Collin Hill and is the definition of consistency. In D3, it’s so easy to get caught in the moment and play hero ball. Eli doesn’t do that, the game is moving at .5 speed for him and every cut or throw is textbook. Expect him to win rookie of the year if people who actually know ball are voting.
-Ben Knoeger- the typical monster that you can see laying out as a freshman, starting on defense but for some reason has learned how to huck. Ben is a fun combination of competitive and athletic that can make gamechanging layouts. Expect him and Eli to run the show for a couple years.
Coach
Walter Ellard- Berry College
Speeches, leadership and fun. Walter Ellard has transformed Berry college into the team they are today by making a culture in which players want to play for one another. As long as Walter Ellard is the coach, there is no game that Berry should be counted out of. The Hustle Player just rallied the Bucks from a 8-4 deficit and expect him to win or be considered in the Coach of the Year conversation.
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Michael Johnson here using Captain Collin’s login,
Collin Hill (Berry)- Not much more needs to be said here. Collin elevates everyone around him. Gameplan for him all you want, you can only hope to contain him, not stop him. The best player in the Southeast and arguably the best in all of D3. Collin wins Southeast MVP or there is something wrong.
Connor Rigby (Union)- Calm, cool, collected. Connor is a steady hand on the field. Let him get the disc in his hands and you’re in for a world of trouble. He leads his team with a steady passion and fire and there is only so much you can do to slow him down.
Liam O’Rourke (Ave Maria)- Boy oh boy where do I begin? This dude can make any throw on the field look effortless and also run down the field to jump over you. A big handler presence, you better not slack off or he will throw it right over you. One of the best throwers in the division and if he wants it, has a bright future in frisbee
Matthew Lesniewski (Ave Maria)- One of the hardest and most physical players I have ever had to play against and one of the few I am scared to jump with. Do not let him get in the deep space or you’re in for a world of trouble. A huge presence on offense and a great leader. Much respect for him.
Jonah Hagstad (Embry Riddle)- Jonah has been the guy on Embry for a few years now and I’m still impressed. He can put the disc through you, over you, under you. Great thrower and a very calm presence on the field. Let’s his cooking of you do the talking.
Ryan Norris (Morehouse)- The best player on a very new Morehouse team. Much respect for him for leading his team into this tournament after they have only been practicing for 2 months. Nonetheless, he led Morehouse to compete in an HBCU’s first-ever sanctioned tournament and should be commended for that.
Honorable Mentions:
- Joel Salazar (Union)
-Garrett Hallinan (Ave Maria)
-Ian VanOrder (Berry)
All-Freshman Nominations:
Eli Hoshide (Berry)- He may be the only true O-line starter in the Southeast and is one of the calmest presences on the field. Makes great throws and is always in the right spot. Will be a presence for Berry for years to come.
Ben Noerager (Berry)- Ben came into the spotlight and took over. Ben stepped up when his team needed him most, whether that be on O or D, he was laying out, throwing deep, cutting under. The Rookie stepped up big time in the spotlight and if you watched Regionals, you know who he is now.
Coach: Walter Ellard
The Berry Bucks would not be who they are without their former captain at the helm. Energy, game planning, shenanigans, Walter has it all. The first-year Atlanta Hustle player is always looking to lead his team to victory and if not, then he makes sure they have a positive mindset. Walter should be up for conference coach of the year, especially after an 8-4 comeback in the championship, and even more, national coach of the year
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Josh Kersey, Union Jaxx senior here,
Berry:
Colin Hill has become my absolute favorite player to watch at the DIII level. I’ve played against him in about 7 or 8 games over the last 3 years and he has developed into the best player, not only in the region but also the country. His combination of composure, throwing prowess, athleticism, and decision-making is truly elite. He is also a man of good character, something I have appreciated more and more over the years.
Mike Johnson is a pure athlete, able to wreck havoc on the field with his pure speed and quick cuts. He forces you to respect his deep cuts and punishes you for it.
Ave Maria:
Liam O’Rouke bears the load of being the main thrower for a very athletic team in Ave well. He continually stretches the field and places the disc exactly in the right spots to allow his teammates to make a play on it.
Matthew Lesnieski was one of those targets for Liam and he can really make you pay. Tall, athletic, and good hands combine to make a cutter who is lethal in the deep space. Great defender too, uses body positioning well.
Embry-Riddle:
Jonah Hagstad is one of the best overall players in the division. He stretches the field with his throws (absolutely beautiful low-releases), is shifty on his cuts, and will lay out athletically for every disc in his space, doing all of it with a big smile on his face.
Union:
Connor Rigby makes crossfield flick hucks look normal and showcases an impressively diverse skill-set as he is able to play both small-ball and deep game very well. Just a junior, he still has another year to tear it up.
Joel Salazar has some insane pace combined with a very high work ethic. He will beat you in a dead sprint, and then do it another 50 times. His development has come at a high rate and as another junior, has prepped himself for a rocking senior year.
Noah Windham has that game-changing ability that is so rare. Tall, fast, and bouncy, he can force under with an impressive ability to collect layout D’s.
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This is Collin Hill
Ave Maria
Garret Hallinan was a tough matchup for us all weekend. His quickness in small spaces is hard to contain, he jumps higher than you would expect, and his defense was relentless from start to end. He dictated the flow of Ave’s offense as he would literally be everywhere at one time.
John Pontarelli was a tenacious defender and fast offensive cutter downfield. He had the best pulls for Ave, consistently making them hang long enough for the defense to set up. He played a similar midfield role compared to Garret. He matched up on some of our offensive cutters and made life hard for them as he would pressure the under all game long.
Embry-Riddle
Jonny Rudolph was a small, quick handler who ran the offense alongside Jonah Hagstad. He loved running small ball against us being patient against our defenses.
Jonah Hagstad is definitely one of the top 3 throwers in the region as he was able to throw anything he wanted at any moment. Not to mention he has the most clean layout catches I’ve ever seen.
Rumi Barsotti was the Dirty Birds big receiver this year. He was big, fast, and could jump very high. One of the best athletes this weekend as he had multiple highlight reel skies over several defenders. Not to mention he was very spirited and sportsmanlike.
Morehouse
Ryan Norris was the best player on Morehouse and one of the founding members of this team being in existence. A triangle product who’s got flick hucks for days, plays hard-nosed defense, and leads his team very well. Can’t wait to see him and Morehouse progress in future seasons.
Union
Joel Salazar has been leveling up each and every season. He has always been known for his speed but I feel as though he was able to hit another gear and do it for seemingly forever! He’s able to do it on both sides of the disc whether if it means beating his matchup deep or getting layout Ds on the other team’s best cutter. I also commend him for his character as he manages to have friendly conversation in the heat of battle. And if he does cook you, he does it with a smile.
Connor Rigby is cool as a cucumber as he led his team all season long. He didn’t play much during our pool play game but his presence was felt regardless as he went every other.
Berry (There are several guys I want to shout out but I’ll keep it brief with a few)
Ian VanOrder is the best hybrid I could ever ask for. He’s able to fill into every role possible on offense and elevate everyone else around him doing so. Last year, he attacked everyone with his legs, this year it was more so with his throws making him an all around threat on the field. His intensity is so contagious that it gives energy to everyone on the team to give it their all whether if it’s on the field or not. I’ve seen his progression from a freshman who could barely throw a flick and only wanted to go deep up to the seasoned veteran who’s able to make the most of any situation.
Mikey Curtis came in last season as a freshman with an athletic sports background but lack of frisbee experience. he was one of our D-line stalwarts as he was one of the fastest players on the team. This season he became more than just a block getting cutter as he elevated his offensive repertoire. He’s also gotten so much better at pulling, consistently making them hang and pinning the opposing team in their end zone. He’s also one of the guys to cross over to O with his ability to stretch the field with his legs and his throws. His work ethic is second to none and his enthusiasm to play for and with his teammates is what makes him the workhorse he is today.
Ben Noerager stepped up big time as it was his first season of college ultimate. He would get layout Ds like crazy, fueling our D-line to go make more plays. He’s also calm and collected on the turn while using his legs to get to advantageous spots to convert breaks.
Eli Hoshide was a YCC product and he was on a tear this season. He fit in seamlessly on our O line as he made the right throws, was in the right place at the right time, and had some swagger to his game as the season progressed. His defense is nothing to sneeze at either, he’ll give the other team’s handlers some fits as they try and get the disc as his positioning is often difficult to get past. I’m excited to see what he becomes and how he’ll help change this program for the better.
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