RecapWinter 2022Marshall vs TBD v.4

I’m away this week- so please excuse this wildly inaccurate recap. Also, Internet is intermittent so I’m going entirely from memory here.

2006. Snakes on a plane summer league. We played the top seed, Frankie Rho- but two of their best players were away at tourney. AJ & Seth end up short handed. We only have 6 players. So we invent a version of he Marshall wall to play six vs seven. There was a woman on our team (Ariel?) who was decent player, but an unbelievable superstar in the zone. She just felt the space. We took half 9-0, beat them 17-2. Could not believe we were able to pull off that game. All because of our zone. I’ve run a positive record when playing short game handed (6 vs 7) in summer league. Something wild like 5-2. It just worked for us over the years.

Marshall has been playing versions of their zone since 2003. We actually have the first time we discussed it on video, used it against cal tech. And while it’s not the best zone (we aren’t strategic geniuses) everyone on the team 100% bought in to it. And when everyone buys in, you critique and adjust and just get better. So we’ve been able to tweak it over many many years. (Cubby got his nickname after 3 unbelievable d’s in our zone in Vegas. And 2 unbelievable turnovers – all in one point) but as we improved over the years, we slowly moved away from our zone. We incorporated other defensive schemes. And I’ve wondered if we might have outgrown it.

But come the TBD 2022 game- we were in deep trouble. Injured men started emailing. Can’t make the game. Can’t play many points. And then women started emailing. We were down to two fully healthy guys, and savage women. It was full on desperation. I left internet reception over 1000 miles away saddened I couldn’t be there to help the team. If we could escape the night with our dignity- it would be a minor miracle.

But deep in the Marshall collective memory, we knew of this 6 person zone. Marshall had never played it (maybe once or twice as a box and one look), but we sure played a ton of the 7 person version. And a few of us had worked the 6 against 7 person against summer league teams. But never tried against a team of quality like TBD. On the upside, we didn’t have to play a person down. It’s a 6v6 league. And we’ve got a 6 person zone. Could it work? Who knows.

TBD was very generous to loan us one of their female subs, Stephanie. And as I understand it, we threw a variety of zone looks at TBD. Short handed and somewhat crippled, we managed to lose half by a respectable 2 points. And were only down 8-10 in the late game. But sometimes….rarely… things break your way. And Marshall rattled off 5 points in a row to make it 13-10. Last point is played out and Marshall wins 13-11.

It’s rare to come back like that. It’s rare to even hang tight (win or lose) when you are short handed. But sometimes you pull it out. I’ve been on both sides of that. (Entanglement in the 2012 finals- ooofff tough loss)

Lucky for Marshall I wasn’t at the game to give my abbreviated and modernized version of the Henry V st. Crispin speech. It’s got a way worse record then the 6 person zone. Marshall finds its way more often than we have any right to over the years. And with our collective wisdom and fresh blood- sometimes you just manage to play a hard game. And if you get lucky it breaks your way. Tuesday night it broke our way. Everyone on Marshall had a play to be proud of. And from afar- win or lose- that’s the best news you can get.

From what I heard, TBD were as spirited and lovely as the last time we played them. I don’t know if Greta wrecked us for shirt color again, I can’t tell you the amazing plays that TBD and Marshall made. I just know that even as our bodies fail, we’ve still got a deep well of institutional knowledge to draw upon. Something we’ve built with laughter and fun, forged through failure and disappointment, and I’m unbelievably thrilled it got past on to our newer players.

I so wish I could have made the game- but like the st. crispin speech- Marshall wouldn’t have wanted anyone else there. The glory they earned Tuesday night is all theirs. And when we drink post game for the years to come- we’ll remember the few and proud that made it to that Tuesday night game. And wish we’d been there as they tell us about the plays they made. 2022. We didn’t expect to be here. And every game is a gift. I’m so glad we got a little Henry V instead of the year ending up a Shakespearean tragedy.

P.S. Written from Utah after many many drinks. Pieced together for random emails and conversations when briefly in internet range. TBD – I’m so sorry if I didn’t do you justice. I mostly heard Marshall stuff. Looking forward to being on the field next week.

That is definitely quite the comeback, but I guess at this point, I should expect nothing less from Marshall. I wonder if TBD was second guessing lending them a sub at that point? The one caveat I have is that there is no official score entered for this game in Ultimate Central. AND Seth wasn’t actually at the game. So who knows. Maybe TBD actually did win and it was the Utah alcohol talking that led Marshall on their 5 point run to victory? We may never know.

Marshall is now (maybe) 3-3 and their next game is a rematch against Ninja Squirtles (4-2) on Thursday. Their first match up this season ended with a Squirtles win, so this is redemption time for Marshall.

TBD v.4 is (possibly) now 0-6 and they have a rather interesting schedule for the last two weeks of regular play. Their next game is on Wednesday against Pocket Monsters (2-4) and then the week after, they play Pocket Monsters again! Has that ever happened before? Playing the same team in back to back weeks? Sounds like it could be interesting. I’ll be awaiting the recaps.