Heartbreaker

Photo Courtesy of Calvin Bell

Round 2 of the SCK Fall 2011 season ended in complete utter heartbreak for some teams, while others secured their spot in the final 4 and are that much closer to the King of Kickball crown.

First, a big congratulations goes out to #1 Kickin' N' Screamin' and #2 I'd Hit It, who have so far earned their titles as the number 1 and number 2 teams in the league. They move on to the Final 4 with big wins this past Wednesday. Most, if not all, of kickball nation expected to see both these teams in the finals and now they have arrived. Now on to the heartbreak. Unfortunately both underdog teams, # 6 New Kicks on the Block and #13 Suck My Kick had their dreams of kickball glory crushed in dramatic fashion.

Photo Courtesy of Calvin Bell

 After having the lights go out during Round #1, the #4 Shockers and #13 Suck My Kick would meet again to finish what they started. The game would resume at the top of the 5th inning with the game tied at one a piece. The Shockers had the first kick and came out swinging. They quickly scored putting themselves ahead by 1 run. That was until, miraculously, Suck My Kick was able to make a huge defensive stop and limit the Shockers to just one run. Even more surprising was Suck My Kick somehow loaded the bases in their half of the inning and had zero outs. For one fleeting moment it seemed as if the underdog crew had a chance to upset the mighty Shockers. However that would not be the case, the more experienced Shockers were able to deal an absolutely devastating blow to a very inexperienced Suck My Kick rookie team by ending the game on a very rare triple play. It was a gut wrenching thing to watch. The worst part was watching the confused looks of the new rookie kickballers as they had to be informed of what had just happened. BUT...those are the breaks and the mighty Shockers move on to the Final 4.

Photo Courtesy of Calvin Bell

Suck My Kick was not the only team to have to suffer a heart-breaking loss. The New Kicks on the Block had to swallow a brutal walk off 3-run homerun with 2 outs in their pocket, the bottom of the inning and a 2 run lead. To add insult to injury, the New Kicks pretty much dominated their match-up against a very skilled and experienced Kixxx crew. New Kicks seemed to be in control the entire game, right up until it mattered the most. You could even see the distraught look of defeat on the faces of the Kixxx players. Lucky for them their star pitcher, and now star kicker, Pipi was able to bail them out. Another tough moment to watch, but AGAIN those are the breaks kickballers. Sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it doesn't. In the end, Kixxx picks up another win and is now in-line for a chance at the King of Kickball crown.

It is now Finals Week and the excitement is building. Congrats to the Final 4 teams:

#1 - Kickin' N' Screamin'
#2 - I'd Hit It
#3 - Kixxx
#4 - Shockers

Round 2 *Ding*Ding*

Photo Courtesy of Calvin Bell

The 1st Round of the Fall 2011 season yielded some of the most exciting playoff games in Sun City Kickball history. All the games were closely contested match-ups, each one an intense nail biter. Hopefully this trend continues through the rest of the playoffs.

Let's take a look at some of the final results from this past week. We'll start with the Play-In match-up which was between the veteran Balls & Dolls and the heart-filled Suisliders. The game was initially predicted to be an easy win for the Balls & Dolls. However this game proved to be a lot more difficult than anticipated and a little too close for comfort the Bs&Ds. In the end, they inched by the Suisliders with a 1-0 final verdict, but the night was not yet over for the scrappy Balls & Dolls. Their play-in win earned them a Round 1 match-up against the plummeting Drunken Monkeyz.

Photo Courtesy of Calvin Bell

As noted in the previous post, the Drunken Monkeyz were living on a prayer last Wednesday. They would have to play the winner of the play-in game. A match-up against the Suisliders would have been a more favorable match-up than one against the Balls & Dolls. Had the Suisliders advanced from the play-in game, the Monkeyz would probably still be in the hunt. However the Machine, for whatever reason, tends to struggle against the Balls & Dolls clan. During the Spring 2011 post-season, the Bs&Ds were the team that knocked the Monkeyz from King of Kickball contention. Again this season they knocked the Monkeyz out of contention once more. Not to mention, the Balls & Dolls also beat the Monkeyz during the regular season. Although the game was very close, the Bs&Ds won this match-up with an extremely close 2-1 final score.

A very good Kixxx team received a scare from the Wreck Division team Balls of Furry. Unfortunately I was not there to witness the events that led to this close match-up, but I believe the 2-0 final between an elite division team and a lower experienced team tells the tale. Kixxx walked away from this one with a win, but barely.

Photo Courtesy of Calvin Bell

As predicted the Party Pandas v.s Chilez Y Chilindrinas was a knock out drag out bout. C & C has continuously demonstrated that they are up-and-coming within the league and are only going to get better with time. They came very close to making a huge statement by almost picking up their first post-season win. However the Pandas were able to battle it out, kept on grinding, and escaped with a 4-2 final score.

One More Shot took on New Kicks on the Block head on, which ended up being the longest game of the night. It took 9 innings to wrap this one up. Big play after big play kept both teams in the running and there seemed to be no end in sight. Just when you thought one team was about make to play and put this game to bed, the other side would come roaring back, saving themselves from elimination. The game changer had to be One More Shot battling back during the bottom of the 5th inning. Trailing by 2 points, One More Shot quickly brought in the 2 runs they needed to stay alive and take the game into extra innings. Both teams put it all on the field and left it all on the field. Although the New Kicks would eventually walk away with the win, One More Shot earned much respect from all the surroundings kickballers and Kickball Nation in general.

Photo Courtesy of Calvin Bell

The only decisive win of the night came at the hands of the Billy Bad Asses. They were able to put up a nice solid 4-1 win over the Drippin Wet Posse. Next up the Bad Asses have the #1 seed Kickin' N' Screamin'. This one should be a great game to watch. Although KNS is the team to beat, the Bad Asses might have some surprises in-store for the KNS crew. Kickin' N' Screamin is coming off a bye-week and it will be interesting to see how long it takes them to warm-up and get into the game. However smart money is still on KNS to win. Very nice match-up...

The Shocker v.s Suck My Kick is still in limbo. Due on another unfortunate lights out incident, this game will be finished with the Round 2 games.

That's all for now...

Happy Kicking and good luck!

Round 1 Breakdown

We will soon find out who is the real deal and in the hunt for a King of Kickball title. Who are the contenders? Who are the pretenders? Let's find out!

Play in Game: Balls & Dolls v.s Suisliders

Although the Suisliders always play tough they still don't have the experience to hang with a veteran team like the Balls & Dolls. This play-in game is merely a formality for the Balls & Dolls. They should be able to easily win this game. The questions is how this game will affect their readiness for their 9pm match-up against a rebounding Drunken Monkeyz team.

Toss-Up Games

These are the games to watch Wednesday night as they can go either way:

The Party Pandas v.s the Chilez Y Chilindrinas should be a close match-up. The Pandas are the veteran squad, but C&C might catch them off guard. Experience tells you to give the edge to the more veteran team, but as they say, "Any Given Wednesday". #2 I'd Hit It will be keeping a close eye on this game as they will be playing the winner in the next round.

Drippin Wet Posse v.s the Billy Bad Asses should be most contested game of the night. It will be played with a dense fog of "this is just for fun", but don't be fooled. Both teams would love nothing more than to grab a W and move onto to the next round. The prize for grabbing this win will be a dinner date with big time Kickin' N' Screamin in round 2.

New Kicks on the Block v.s. One More Shot is turning from a toss up game into a win for the New Kicks. However, you never can tell with New Kicks. They love up or down to their competition, in this case, down. One More Shot is fighting and up hill battle in this match-up.

In The Bag

The following games are a done deal. Early round mis-matches with the results pretty much predetermined.

The Shockers v.s. Suck My Kick should be over quickly. Although my confidence in the Shockers crew as a true kickball contender is very limited, Im confident enough to know they will make short work of the very inexperienced Suck My Kick kiddos. Maybe next season kickballers.

Kixxx v.s Balls of Fury is another easily predictable result. Don't get me wrong, the Balls of Fury played well within their division. However they will be facing a much more talented and experienced kickball team. Their only chance is if Kixxx happens to be playing on our of their momentum down slopes, which may be a possibility, but very unlikely. Kixxx wants away from this one with a win.

Living on a Prayer

The Drunken Monkeyz will be living on a prayer waiting to see who comes out of the Suisliders v.s Balls & Dolls match-up. For the Monkeyz sake the better hope the Suisliders finds a way to upset the Bs&Ds, because last two times the Monkeyz tangled with the Balls & Dolls they wound up on the losing side both times. However the Monkeyz have been rebounding lately so they should make a strong showing this post season, even without a pitcher. My gut tells me the Monkeyz grind out a win either way, but the Balls & Dolls continuously prove me wrong so we will see.   

Final Countdown Part II

Photo Courtesy of Calvin Bell

Final Countdown continued...

#7 - Party Pandas - The Pandas finished the season with an overall 6-2 record and a clean 6-9 divisional record, which gave them division champ honors. Their offensive side of the ball is stronger than their defensive side of the ball, which as we have learned, can be very problematic. Although this is a "new team", they are chalked with veterans, which will make them or break them.

#6 - New Kicks on the Block - The New Kicks give me migraines. They are an incredibly hard team to figure out. They often play up or down to their competition, which makes them dangerous. Their offense is absolutely atrocious with a league-wide low of 14 total runs. However that hasn't kept them from finishing with a respectable 3-5 overall record, at least respectable considering they play in the tough Mountain Star group. They may surprise folks, I haven't counted them out.

# 5 - Drunken Monkeyz - Obviously this was not the season the Monkeyz had in mind. Although they posted a decent 4-3-1 overall record, their 2-3-1 divisional record was undoubtedly a disappointment. After losing their only pitcher mid-season, the team formerly known as "the Machine" looked to be dead in the water. However it is safe to say their were obvious signs of problems with the team even before the pitching mishap. They were able to rally back during the 2nd half of the season and they might not be in as much trouble as previously believed. Their 1st rd match-up will tells us alot.

Photo Courtesy of Calvin Bell

# 4 - Shockers - Oh yea! The Once Mighty Shockers, my favorite team to blog about. They finished the season with a 5-3 overall record and an even 3-3 divisional record, not bad I guess. Considering they still tout themselves as one of the best teams in the league, I wouldn't hang me hat on a 3-3 divisional record. Not to mention their offense is suspect, they have scored a total 16 runs all season. 2nd lowest within the ENTIRE league. Granted they say defense wins championships, but allowing 28 runs during the regular season hardly qualifies you as a defensive juggernaut. However their saving grace will be they are facing the weaker side of the bracket. So you will see them during Final Four, but not past it.

#3 - Kixxx - Kixxx has been up and down this season. I'm surprised they haven't given their coach a heart attack by now. They wrapped up the season with an overall 6-2 record and a very solid 4-2 record. In all honesty, they should have finished 6-0 but constant mistakes and mis-communication has really hindered this team's success. Too many chiefs and not enough indians, is the main problem. Regardless, they are realistic contenders for this season's King of Kickball Crown.

#2 - I'd Hit It - For what ever reason I'd Hit It has a good amount of critics. However this season they did a fine job of shutting them all up. I'd Hit It posted a solid 6-1-1 record and 4-1-1 divisional record, which landed them 2nd place in the Mountain Star Division. They are playing well and looking good. However the one looming concern is, coming out of their bye-week they will be facing 2 weeks without kickball. It will be interesting to see if they will be prepared come the 2nd round.

#1 - Kickin' N' Screamin' - KNS has a chance to do something no other SCK kickball squad has done to date. They will be looking for their 3rd King of Kickball Crown, not to mention they will be doing it in back-to-back-to-back fashion. All season long they have been the odds on favorite to win, not only their division, but the King of Kickball crown. They are by far the most experience team within the league. All they have to do now is finish it now. Their offense is primed and ready to go with a league leading 58 runs scored. Although their defense didn't fair as well, but they still finished with a respectable 25 runs allowed. Will they make SCK history?

Let's Get it on!!!

Its The Final Countdown!

The wait is over! It is time to find out who will become this season's King of Kickball. The remaining 14 teams will now be contending for the southwest's most prestigious kickball award. Which team will have what it takes?

#14 - Balls of Fury - The Balls of Fury finished 2nd in the WreCk Division with an overall 6-1-1 record. Considering they play in the lowest skilled division, they're defense plays relatively well. Not sure how they will fare against tougher competition, but my gut tells me they won't do well. In addition, they will be taking an a much more skilled and experience team, namely Kixxx. They will undoubtedly be making a quick exit from post-season. However this experience should better prepare them for a jump in division next season.

#13 - Suck My Kick - A true rookie team, this squad finished with an overall 6-2-0 record inside the WrEck Division. They were able to squeak by Balls of Fury with a better divisional record which gave them Division Champ honors. However when all is said and down, Suck My Kick will also fall victim to much better, more experienced and better skilled teams. Their first opponents will be the "once mighty Shockers", who although struggling within the Mountain Star group, will still make quick work of Suck My Kick.

#12 - Balls & Dolls / Suisliders - The #12 seed is still up for grabs. The Balls & Dolls of the Mountain Star Division will be playing against the Suilsiders of the Sunrise Division. The Balls & Dolls finished the season with an overall 3-5 record. Having to play against tough opponents week after week has really exposed the Bs&Ds strength as a team overall. However they should be able to cruise by the Suisliders with ease. The Suisliders are by FAR by favorite team. These cats never give up and always push to get better. They finished the season with a 1-7 record; however just about all of their games were close enough to go either way. They could have easily ended with an even 4-4 record. Regardless, in the end, the Balls & Dolls will be the ones to move on.

#11 - One More Shot - They nearly missed having to play in and a last minute forfeit boosted their record to a nifty 3-5 record. It's hard to gauge One More Shot, they completed flew under the radar this season. Which means your guess is as good as mine. They have #6 New Kicks on the Block for their 1st round match-up.

#10 - Chilez Y Chilindrinas - After competing in the summer Turf War season, this kickball squad decided to try for the King of Kickball crown. They had a head start, experience wise, coming into the King of Kickball regular season. They finished their season with an 3-5 overall record, but they were able to go even in their divisional record with a 3-3 mark. They have the pieces to win, now it's all a matter of putting them in the right spot. It will be interesting to see how they do in their first post-season play.

# 9 - Billy Bad Asses - By far one of the best teams coming out of the Sunrise Division. They came into this trying to repeat the highly successful season they had earlier this year. However it is difficult to capture lightening in a bottle twice, especially in the same year. Unfortunately they took a small dip to finish off their season and are currently riding a 2 game losing streak, but look for them to turn that around in their 1st round match-up.

#8 - Drippin' Wet Posse - First of all, give them props for the most creative team name this season. If you're gonna go vulgar, at least be creative about it and they have done that for sure. They closed the season with an overall 4-4 record and some how rocketed themselves into 2nd place within the Sunrise Division. Riding a bit of momentum they may make some noise this post-season, but they will have to get past a very good Billy Bad Ass team to do it.

(Cont. Final Countdown Part II)