South Regionals 2008

Regionals Results and Trivia:

Guillermo 15 - Category 5 Ultimate 4

-First game of the tournament, Guillermo opens the game with 7 straight breaks. 

-Alison  Douglas nearly competed with Cat 5 before inking a 6 year, $20

 million contract with GYC.

Guillermo 12 - Deliverance 8

- 4th meeting of these teams this season (Deliv leads series 2-1)

- Lots of history, friendship, and rivalry between these teams. 11 Guiller players are former Deliv players (Will DeLoache, Aaron "Cuz" Moredock, Nicky Spiva, Jon Meade, Katie Patterson, Alison Douglas, Susan Evans, Sara Gibson, Sarah Edmonds, Craig Stewart, David Turell).

-Scott Zeman played big, skying for the Calahan goal to take half (8-7). He also squeezed a crowd-pleasing "tweener" throw through the unsuspecting legs of a Deliverance defender.

Guillermo 8 - Chewbacca Defense 15

-The #1 seed, Chewy came out hungry and fresh, as Guillermo gets steamrolled.

Guillermo 15 - Southside United 9

-Midway through the game, an envious Southside cutter uttered: "You guys really have a lot of attractive women on your team"...he promptly got D'd.

-Guillermo rolls Southside for the 3rd time in as many weeks.
Guillermo 14 - Rival 11

-A nationals qualifier in 2006 and 2007, Rival soundly defeated GYC in their only previous meeting.

-Guiller takes down Rival behind the play of a 5-foot, 15 year old buzz saw: Jesse Shofner. Jesse is the only member of GYC to have missed practice due to summer camp. Though she could fit in your pocket, the Jay-Shoff played big, throwing up bookends on seasoned veterans and getting ridonkulous air on jaw-dropping layouts.Guillermo 12 - Bucket 14

-3rd matchup of the season (series tied 1-1)

-Bucket benefits from multiple observer rulings on very close calls in the final points of the game, sending a dejected Guillermo to the 3rd place game.
Guillermo 13 - Deliverance 11

-5th meeting of cross-state rivals.

-4th straight GYC game on Sunday vs. a sectionals opponent.

-Deliverance storms to an early lead, with Guiller on the ropes (1-4, 2-5). Guiller scrambles back to tie at 7 before losing half, 7-8. Deliv opens 2nd half as strong as first, pouncing on Guillermo miscues and asserting a 11-9 lead. Behind the defensive studliness of Brooklyn Aha, GYC inconceivably goes on a 4-point tear, stealing the last bid to nationals (13-11).

-Brooklyn played out of his mind on Sunday, appropriately ripping down the game winner over a Deliv defender.

General thoughts:

-East Coast emerges as the clearly dominant section, placing 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in the tourney.

-Startups Bucket and GYC push aside traditional powerhouses Rival and Deliverance, in an apparent changing of the guard in mixed ultimate.

-We watched a really sweet movie at the Guiller house with dinosaurs and the guy from "Seinfeld," but I can't remember the name of it.

With a fairy tale ending to a remarkable season, Guillermo Y Compania qualifies for the UPA national championships in its first year of existence. After experiencing emotional highs (winning Hodown, placing 3rd at Poultry Days) and emotional lows (removing 8 players from our roster) GYC overcame all adversity, earning a berth at nationals in Sarasota, FL. We don't plan to stop this run now. Winning nationals has been our goal. The field has been narrowed from hundreds to 16. 

It only takes one happy thought to fly. My happy thought is Guillermo Y Compania. 

We are dreamers. We dare to believe. Perhaps our youthful enthusiasm is an illusion. But only those who can see the invisible can achieve the impossible.