It's Time

 

The time has arrived. Once again, the battle for the King of Kickball crown is upon us. This will be the 8th coronation for Sun City Kickball. During that time few have held SCK's most prestigious title. The league's original villains, the Shockers, have worn the crown twice in back-to-back seasons during SCK's inaugural year. The Drunken Monkeyz had a brief moment with the crown during the Spring 2012 Season. However no team has sat at the thrown as the King of Kickball, longer or more times than the current champions Kickin' N' Screamin'.

KNS has dominated the league since the Fall 2010 season. Since then many teams have tried to shut down the growing dynasty that KNS has created, but none have succeeded. Now a new series of challengers have lined up to assume the throne of Sun City Kickball. Will KNS repeat or will there be a new king to reign over the land of SCK. The bracket has been released now lets take a look at the teams.

 

The #1 and #2 seeds both have byes. Which means the #1 KNS and #2 DWAKP will have to find a way to stay sharp until their 2nd round match-ups. Recommendation: Practice, scrimmage, do what ever you can to get ready, don't go cold.

 

The #3 seed went to Kixxx and rightly so. They finished with a 6-2 record with 51 runs scored and only 8 runs allowed. One of their two losses came at the hands of rookie sensation Drinkers with a Kicking Problem. Kixxx is obviously excellent on both sides of the ball, again their Achilles heal is all emotional. They have tons of passion and enthusiasm, they just need to harness that energy against their opponent and not each other. If they are able to do that, they will be nearly unstoppable.

 

#4 I'd Hit It has been slowly improving season after season, inching their way up the kickball ladder. They finished with a respectable 5-2-1 record, although the Mountain Star division ended up being just a touch easier than the Sunrise group. They scored 30 runs which was on par with a division that ended with an 32 Runs Scored average. Their defense allowed 8 runs, better than average. Their claim to fame is their pitcher Lucas Q. A player who undoubtedly does not need an ego boost, he is however their entire team. Kickball Nation will see how far he can take his IHI squad this post-season.

 

Another team who also posted a 5-2-1 record is #5 seed Lights Out!. Whether they have truly played lights out is debatable. They posted 25 runs this season, next to a division average of 23.4. With 8 runs allowed, their defense seems to hold. However their strategy to slow down games to a crawl is worrisome. When you watch them play they don't appear to be a team you want to keep shackled. If anything I think the slow pace truly hurts them more than it helps them. Their offensive flurries are a mix of wild runners and uncontrollable cheering, both seem to be intimidating to teams. However they spend 80% of their game on defense just standing around waiting for 8 pitches then ultimately a base hit. Keep up the pace, keep up the momentum, speed it up boys and girls.

 

#6 seed Thundercats are a curious bunch. This is a squad full of kickball veterans and their record of 5-2-1 reflects it. Although their got their season off to a slowly start, they quickly got up to speed. 32 runs scored and 18 runs allowed, this team screams average. Their best hope is to get hot at the right time and it should propel them fairly deep into the playoffs.

 

With a league first 3 tie games in a season, the #7 seed New Kicks on the Block are hard to figure out. They sport a 4-1-3 record. Their only loss came at the hands of a forced forfeit, after enough players were ejected from the their game they could not continue. They tend to play up or down to their competition. They never dominate weaker teams, but often hang tough with the kickball juggernauts. Which always translates into an interesting game for whoever they play.

 

#8 seed 4-Play has been essential deemed the Balls & Dolls. Same style, same skill, its like looking at a clone. With a 4-2-2 record, they are another mid-range team, but with a scrappy style. They use their knowledge of the game to give them the edge. No matter the result of this post-season, Im personally very excited for the possible return of the Balls & Dolls franchise.

 

The #9 Drunken Monkeyz returned this season after a brief layoff during the Spring '12 season. Their plans to return to their status of kickball juggernauts have proven to be more difficult than originally anticipated. Their 5-3 record has been marred with defensive errors and offensive woes. Their offensive game is almost non-existence. Their feet will have to wake up if they want any chance in the post-season.

 

The #10 Scoregasms continue to play tough, close kickball. Even after their big win against the

Thundercats, there has been little to write home about. They finished the regular season with a 5-3 record, which again is on par with most other mid-range teams. However with a  Power Rating 6, there are some worries here. They scored 29 runs but allowed 23 runs, not a comforting statistics to say the least. They are going to need to tighten the screws on defense before they hit the field next week.

 

Suck My Kick ended with the #11 seed.  SMK is another incredibly talented rookie team. Their athleticism is apparent, however their inexperience on defense is even more apparent. Their defensive mistakes are painful to watch and have translated into a 3-4-1 record. Their defense needs to absolutely improve before next week or else they will be dead in the water.

 

Original Six member Los Totally Awesomes grabbed the #12 seed. Traditionally a more "fun" team, they have stepped it up within the competitive ranks this season. With a 3-4-1 record, there is room for improvement, but their aspirations to compete at a high level are feasible. Their post-season may be short, but the promise for future success is encouraging.

 

What about the play-ins??!?!? I think the Kickball Guru might have something to say on that.

 

Well that's all for now...

 

Good Luck and Happy Kicking