Revolver…They’re pretty good. And other Nationals thoughts

The reason why Cassidy Rasmussen won playmaker shorts. - Photo by Brandon Wu (Ultiphotos.com)

I took some time to decide if it would be worth writing anything detailed about Revolver. I considered just jotting down “Revolver. They’re Good” and be done with it. The fact of the matter is that they are in their own tier. The Law Firm of Cahill, Watson and Kittredge got noticeably better from tournament to tournament and peaked at the right time.  Bravo came the closest to beating them, losing 15-13, and San Fransisco never looked back. Southpaw, Dismantled. Doublewide, Stifled. Ironside, well you know the rest.

In the Doublewide game they showed real emotion for the first time all season. The team stormed the field as Martin Cochran went “Spikezilla” (T.M. Dylan Freechild). Robbie Cahill time after time told me it wasn’t hard to be motivated, that “It’s fun to get better throughout the season”.  With that surge of emotion, Revolver played their best ultimate all season. They did it by getting maximum performance of all their role players.

Think about this, with everyone loving the play-making ability of Beau Kittredge, he was not hit deep once in the final. Instead we saw a young Cassidy Rasmussen stretch the field deep, Jonathan Levy lay out to block Rebholtz early on, and Sherwood get the best of his defensive match ups. Russell Wynne wasn’t involved in too many big plays, but made a difference all season on the defensive line. There are so many names to point to, that it has to be a tribute to how good the leadership is on Revolver. Getting all of these studs to play like a cohesive unit is no small feat. Now the only question is if we have a dynasty on our hands.

Ironside.. time to switch things up?

There has been a lot of talk of giving George Stubbs a more central role on Ironside. He has the speed, the hucks, and the defensive ability to do it on just about anyone. However, I don’t think this is the only reshuffling worth talking about. Jacob Taylor played well and provided a stable presence with the exception of his two drops, but there is a lack of a dynamic play maker behind the disc like a Robbie Cahill on Revolver. Rebholtz is usually a consistent presence, but there is no doubting his struggles in the last two finals. There is talk among the elite game that Ironside crumbles under pressure, but I attribute more of that to Revolver just being able to pressure teams defensively like no other team.

Revolver's Mark Sherwood defended Ironside's George Stubbs throughout the final. - Photo by Brandon Wu (Ultiphotos.com)

For the second year in a row, Ironside was missing their top defensive stud. Russell Wallack had a coming out party before getting injured before the final. I got the chance to watch him at ECC, where he looked very raw and athletic. Based on what I heard from others, he has refined his defensive game to the point of being the number one defender on his squad. It’s not enough to be fast and explosive, defenders have to read the play with excellent timing to make a big difference.

Doublewide, another team with the same result

Doublewide fell once again to Revolver, and just leaves questions whether or not their two man offense is sustainable. Kurt Gibson and Brodie Smith are undeniably two studs that give match up issues to most teams. They have come so far on a distinct model, but yet come up short. One can only wonder how good Doublewide could be by running a conventional offense. It’s not like they are lacking role player, or other talented guys to help share the load.

Some criticism must fall on Smith, who didn’t perform well in the semifinal.  His throws and athleticism put him near the top of the game, but he had several execution errors against Revolver that were results of poor decision making. By the end of the game, his body language seemed to indicate he was a bit shaken or unfocused. Despite being one of the top players, he did not play the last point of the semifinal.Whether that was due to his performance or simply giving him a rest is speculation. Regardless, in this system, Brodie and Kurt have to play at a top level for them to win. That’s a lot of pressure to live up to.

Throughout the season I’ve gone on a search asking other elite teams to identify who they think the best player in the game is. So often we gravitate towards the big play makers, but often times, those are the guys taking the risks. I think you’d be hard pressed to not take Kurt Gibson first in a mock draft. He’s respected amongst the community, and I’ve been told he’s a great teammate to have. His foot block in the semi final was ridiculous,  utilizing a slide tackle to get past the mark. Brodie, Beau, and Stubbs may be involved in more highlight reel plays that Gibson, but the man performs time in and time out. Just hope he stays healthy enough to keep dominating.

Chain Lightning

Talk about having an up and down tournament, Chain Lightning had their own personal journey throughout nationals. After getting shellacked 15-6 by Doublewide, Chain hit bottom and worked their way up to peaking in the semi final. Robert Runner arrived late to provide some stability to the defensive side and a generally calming presence. While I think Chain is talented, I still think their lack of offensive patience and unwillingness to play small ball can be their undoing. The long ball apparently worked well enough for them to make a run on Ironside, a game I am looking forward to being posted on Skyd.

We talk about Smith, Stubbs, and other young guns being at the top of the club scene. However, one name that should be mentioned more is Grant Lindsley. There were glimpses of him taking over games at Labor Day, but the word is that he was a rock for that team throughout bracket play. He might not get the attention that others do because he is not relied on to huck as much as the other young stars, but he looks like an unstoppable cutter who can put the disc deep. It would be worthwhile for any team that has the luxury of having Lindsley to look to put the disc in hands as much as possible.

Personal Reflections

I arrived at Sarasota a half hour into the pre-quarters, so I was unable to see all of the drama unfold. It was still an incredible first season of covering club. The level of play is awesome to watch, and the players are so incredibly talented. I do think that a meaningful regular season would spice things up even more.  Would there be bids on the line, we would see a little bit more spice to the early season tournaments.

Not enough thanks can go to Elliot Trotter. He helps facilitate everything I do at Skyd, and has helped me gain a voice in the ultimate community.  I hope that we continue to grow, and are able to offer you more and more coverage as we go into our second year of the college season. Look for an update in the coming weeks of the announcement of No Look Scoober’s Spring coverage.