2015 HS Central Championships - Day Two Boys' Recap
Bailey Freestone and Brianna Gerke
Posted: May 17, 2015 10:50 PM
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Hopkins HUrt claimed their second consecutive High School Central Championships title this weekend in Ames, Iowa.
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With great play, positive athletes, spectators and coaches, there was a lot of great energy on the fields here in Ames. Our championship match up was between two teams with great skills and strong play. It was no surprise that the winner of the Spirit of the Game award also came from our championship bracket. Before we go too far, however, here are the details on the exciting match ups that led to the final round!
Championship Bracket
Quarterfinals
Center Grove v. Holy Family Catholic
Center Grove started the game with a vocal sideline which got even louder when their first point of the game came in the form of a greatest. Holy Family Catholic’s Jordan Monnin got his hand on the disc on defense, but Center Grove’s Grant Dowling managed to catch the disc and throw it back in bounds, in the end zone, to teammate Ryan York before landing out of bounds; giving Center Grove the first point of the game. Holy Family Catholic didn’t let that slow them down. The team worked on getting the disc to Monnin, who was a key player throughout the game. Center Grove put up a good fight but, unfortunately, couldn’t stop Holy Family Catholic who finished the game with a final score of 13–6.
James Madison Memorial v. Hopkins
These two talented teams started off in a close and intense game with both teams showing a lot of energy. James Madison Memorial’s Rami Paust often had the disc in his hands and showed some creative handling skill. His team scored the first up-wind break of the game. Hopkins used a zone defense and focused on releasing their throws low to the ground to help them circumvent the wind. Hopkins’ Trey Taylor stood out in this round with several impressive Ds that slowed down Madison Memorial’s offense and put Hopkins ahead at halftime. James Madison Memorial started the second half strong but eventually fell short. They ran a tight rotation which, in the end, may have been an advantage for Hopkins. Hopkins moved on to the semifinals with a 13-8 win.
Neuqua Valley-A v. Neuqua Valley-B
This game was definitely an exciting one, and spectators cheered equally for both teams since it was an inter-squad matchup. NV-B surprised many after Saturday play by breaking seed and reaching the championship bracket, which earned them the chance to play number one seed NV-A. Although these two teams practice together, there are many differences between their types of play. The B team was playing a looser style and just having more fun with the game overall, whereas the A team was all in, no matter what their sideline chatter may have sounded like. As you would expect, Neuqua Valley A won with a final score of 13-3.
Minneapolis South v. Edina
The constant winds took a toll. Edina was playing a man-to-man defense and had been blocking South’s throws very well when the wind began to really pick up. South then switched their strategy to playing a vertical stack and narrowed the gap against Edina. Unfortunately, the strategy didn’t work long for South. Edina was up 7-4 at the half. South tried to switch to a zone defense, but once again, this didn’t faze Edina, and the gap only widened. The final score was 13-8 Edina.
Semifinals
Both the wind and the intensity of play escalated in the semifinals. While the players battled tired muscles, their enthusiasm and hunger for the title kept them pushing for the win. The game quickly became a back-and-forth struggle with many turnovers heavily influenced by the increasing winds. Neuqua Valley-A went up 3-1 and took a timeout. Edina took advantage of the time to regroup and returned to the field stronger than before, tying the score at 4-4. After half, Neuqua Valley-A threw tacked on a couple more breaks. Neuqua’s key player, Jake Marrapode, never let the wind stop him from finding his way into the end zone. He contributed half of the team’s total points, along with assists and Ds. Neuqua Valley-A’s strong finish resulted in a 12-8 score, propelling them into the final.
Hopkins took on Holy Family Catholic on the next field, where the teams brought diverse skills to the game. Hopkins brought speed while Holy Family Catholic’s cutting skills were strong. In the second half, Hopkins threw a poachy defense which slowed down the Holy Family Catholic offense. Holy Family Catholic’s Jordan Monnin showed strength in timing, aggressiveness and hops but eventually slowed down, possibly due to his hard work from Saturday’s pool play and Sunday’s quarterfinal round. Hopkins’ Bradley Kaplan demonstrated outstanding offense and unreal speed, helping propel Hopkins to the win.
Championship Game
After a long day of hard play, plagued by high winds, Hopkins and Neuqua Valley-A matched up in the championship final. The energy was running high amongst both the teams and the spectators. Both teams made their way to the finals with the help of their athleticism, agility and speed. Neuqua Valley-A’s Jake Marrapode continued his outstanding weekend by pulling in the first point of the finals and continued to play strong to the very end. Hopkins’ Jonathan Lovagnini gave Marrapode a run for his money. He is just as tall and fast, has impressive ups and is a tenacious defender. Reading the disc in the wind, which was blowing at 25-30mph by finals time, continued to be a challenge both teams. Neuqua Valley-A adjusted their plays to account for the wind by releasing their throws lower to the ground and running a vertical stack. Reid Martin of Neuqua Valley-A score to start the second half, helping his team catch up; but it just wasn't enough, and Hopkins kept increasing the gap. Hopkins’ man-to-man defense slowed down all but Marrapode as the game progressed, while Hopkins’ offense moved the disc smoothly up-field. Crowd enthusiasm and support never waned, although the winds slowed the play and kept scores lower than one would expect in the championship match up. Neuqua just couldn’t get the break they needed to claim the game, and when the game hit hard cap, Hopkins clinched a second straight Centrals Championship title with a 9-8 win. NV-A’s heart, energy and play won them the team spirit award.
Consolation Bracket
Round 1
Play in the consolation bracket began with great energy. In the Robbinsdale-Armstrong v. Naperville Central match up, the morning included some struggles for both teams with several turnovers on both sides. It was a back-and-forth game until 4-4, when Armstrong’s offense found its rhythm and gave the team a lead. Armstrong’s loud sideline encouraged their teammates throughout the game and helped them close out the game 13-5.
Both Ames and Geneva used man-to-man defenses throughout the game. Ames quickly took the lead using good teamwork and communication. They made strong and disciplined cuts and showed noticeable improvement in breaking through Geneva’s defense. Jack Swanson stood out for Ames, while Adam Vial was outstanding on defense for Geneva. The winning point had a lot of turnovers, but Ames pulled through and finished the game with a final score of 13-2.
Round 2
St. Cloud Cathedral struck first against Robbinsdale-Armstrong. At half, the score was 7-5 in Cathedral’s favor, but the gap only widened as the game continued, thanks to Cathedral’s great defensive skills. Paired with their ability to move the disc, Cathedral closed out the game 13-8. In the other ninth-place bracket semi, Ames Parallel took the momentum from their earlier win and dominated their game against St. Paul Charter. Ames made good cuts and played strong man-to-man defense. There was some great teamwork between Jack Swanson and Bryan Hall throughout the game which led to several great scores. Ames took the game with a final score of 13-1.
Ames and St. Cloud had looked forward to a rematch in the battle for ninth place, but due to a large number of Ames players set to graduate this afternoon, the team forfeited the game, giving Cathedral the ninth-place spot and leaving Ames in 10th.
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