By Leaps and Bounds - Week #5

Week #5 was an eventful week at SCK to say the least. From an entire team forfeiting in the middle of a game to a bench clearing near brawl, out of the Lone Star Division mind you, and other teams proving they are growing by leaps and bounds, there are many things to discuss.

First, an honorable mention goes out to both the Royal Tennenballs and El Passed Out Brewery, out of the Lone Star Division, on their 1st wins of the season. They may not take kickball as serious as the rest of Kickball Nation, but no one can say winning isn't fun.

Speaking of the Lone Star Division, looks like there are a couple team already looking to make the jump into the top tier divisions. Not necessarily because of their play, but their intensity. Looks like we got some hungry kickballers down at Jimmy O. Behave yourselves!!!

Now onto the unbeatens, as of last week there were a total of 5 somewhat perfect teams. Now the number stands at 3 teams as both the Sons of Pitches and New Kicks on the Block recorded their first losses. Obviously the bigger surprise is the news of New Kicks' first loss. Not neccassirly because they lost, but its how they lost. Considering they were playing Kickin' N' Screamin', grinding out a win was going to be tough regardless. However losing by forfeit because three of the players were ejected, followed by the entire team, was a hard thing to stomach. As soon as it happened Kickball Nation started pointing fingers and trying to find a scape goat. The truth is nothing should ever escalate to that level. Sometimes someone has to be willing to take the high road. In the end ego on both sides is what killed that game and that will undoubtedly have to be corrected in the coming weeks.

Glancing through the Mountain Star Division, it looks like the Thundercats are slowly starting to gain some momentum. Their 5-4 win over Los Totally Awesomes last week was worrisome, but their 2-1 win over I'd Hit It shows some promise. The Thundercats are playoff contenders and now looking to be a Final 4 lock-in. Its amazing what a ton of talent and a little bit of time can do. On the flip side, I'd Hit It took a small step back this week with that loss. They seem to struggle getting over that hump from mid-range to elite. They straddle the border from good to great, but they need to find a way to put away big name teams.

Speaking of big names teams, turns out the Drunken Monkeyz just found out all they are is a big name anymore and little else. After handily losing to #2 Kixxx last week, the Monkeyz were looking to bounce back against dark horse Drinkers with a Kicking Problem. Unfortunately for the Monkeyz the Drinkers decided to make a big statement this week and go from buzz worthy to news worthy. Turns out the Drinkers are the real deal. This team comprised of skilled athletes has Kickball Nations' attention and veteran coaches are taking note. The Drinkers put away the Monkeyz to the tune of 3-0 and looked comfortable doing it. The Monkeyz are more than struggling on offense and any rally they made was quickly shut down by their own poor execution. DWKP have the Shockers up next, another chance to demonstrate more of their kickball prowess.

An old school rivalry was relived once again down at Memo V. The Shockers were pitted against their long time rivals 4-Play (formerly the Balls & Dolls), both aging members of the Original Six. Although 4-Play has taken on a new name and some new faces, at the core they are the Balls & Dolls. Sadly I didn't get to witness this nostalgic match-up, but the final score tells the tale. It ended in a 1-1 tie; only fitting for a team that has had numerous close games. Wish I could have seen it.

Finally big major kickball props to the Kickball Guru, David Garcia. He went 3-4 on his Week #5 predictions and picked two of the final scores exactly right. He forcasted a 1-1 tie in the Shockers/4- Play match-up and a 2-1 win for the Thundercats over I'd Hit It. Major credibility scored here.

That's all for now, Good Luck and Happy Kicking