2016 High School Centrals Day 1 Boys' Recap
Ben Visser, Bri Gerke, Kelly Schiro
Posted: May 15, 2016 02:45 AM
It was a chilly and windy start to the
2016 High School Central Championships in Ames, Iowa, but that only prompted teams to be more energized and lively. Though the wind remained fierce and strong all day, so did the teams in their first day of the Central Championships. The boys’ division, day one highlights.
Pool A
Holy Family Catholic vs Ames
Holy Family Catholic Revolution dominated the first half, taking a 7-0 lead. Having U-20 WJUC player Jordan Monnin definitely helped – he had four assists in the first half. Jake Kenniv and Luke Monnin had great movement across the field upwind. Ames Parallel fought against the wind and went on a 3-0 run in the beginning of the second half. Joey Kosterman connected with Maria Wohlsdorf on a huge downwind huck for Parallel’s first point. Ryan Helton had some great upwind looks down the sideline. Final score 12-3, Revolution.
Robbinsdale-Cooper vs York
After trading the first couple of points, York pulled away from Robbinsdale-Cooper. In the first half, York’s Jordan Ciccarone put up a couple of completed hammers and worked the disc upwind with Cal Tornabene, Luke Brush and Evan Haug. Robbinsdale-Cooper’s Will Johnson had great deep looks, but the team couldn’t stop York’s movement and struggled more in the wind. Final score: 9-4 York.
Center Grove vs Fisher
The wind gave the advantage to Fisher early on, as they settled into a zone defense and limited the number of successful hucks Center Grove was able to complete. Fisher opened up the scoring with a beautiful diving grab from Matthew Olry. Center Grove kept it close throughout, as they were able to inch their way down the field. A back-of-the-end-zone, layout catch from Center Grove’s Grant Dowling kept the game close before half, with Fisher having a slight advantage at 7-5. Fisher began to pull away toward the end, led by Robby Workman, who scored one goal and tallied five assists. Fisher won with a final score of 8-5.
Hopkins vs Neuqua Valley B
Hopkins scored early and often, using staunch defense to create quick scoring opportunities off turnovers. Neuqua Valley had trouble handling the disc in the wind until a score by Nick Amendola settled the team down as they started to chip away at the lead, but they still found themselves down 7-3 at half. Hopkins was able to coast to the finish line behind Max Sheffren’s three goals and held on to win 9-4.
Edina vs Cathedral
After watching Edina jump to an early 3-1 lead, Cathedral rallied behind Aiden Brew’s goal and three assists as the team fought back to even up the score at 4-4. The rest of the game was all Edina, however, as they tightened up their defensive zone and limited Cathedral’s ability to spread the field. Sam Hammar scored four goals, and Daniel Brunker notched four assists, helping Edina to a 10-6 victory.
James Madison Memorial vs St. Paul Central
James Madison Memorial and St. Paul Central traded points and battled against the wind the whole game. The teams only got in one more point after a quick halftime. Edward Schewe threw some great hucks for Memorial while his teammate Paul Slaughter found Ben Kishter in the end zone for most of their points. Central’s Ben Bushnell threw to Dan Casement for most of their scores. Final score: 7-6 James Madison Memorial.
Neuqua Valley A vs. Great River
Crisp passing and a smooth-flowing offense gave Neuqua Valley A an early 3-0 advantage, while gusting winds and a stingy zone defense limited Great River’s opportunities throughout. Neuqua Valley A’s duo of Ben and Sam Swiatek then connected three times in a row to stretch the lead to 7-1. Great River fought back in the final minutes, after Cole Zielske caught a wobbling disc off a tip, but it was too little too late. Neuqua Valley A secured the victory, 11-4.
Center Grove vs Neuqua Valley B
Center Grove came out strong in the first half with the 7-2 lead over Neuqua Valley B. Center Grove had great upwind movement. Center Grove’s Zach Padgett had a height advantage and was a big receiver for the team. For Neuqua Valley B, Ethan Smith played aggressively. Final score: 12-3 Center Grove.
Hopkins vs Fisher
Hopkins and Fisher were evenly matched throughout the whole game, scoring mostly downwind points. Hopkins played aggressively on defense and, on offense, was able to bring the disc down after the wind floated it in the air. Fisher’s Robby Workman looked for fast-break opportunities and showed patience with the disc. Hopkins was able to score upwind to secure their victory over Fisher. Final score: 9-7 Hopkins.
Edina vs St. Paul Central
Edina started off strong and carried that throughout the game. Although the team was missing a large amount of their seniors due to prom, they still showed impressive skill and teamwork. They played junk zone which limited St. Paul Central from moving the disc to the end zone. Edina’s Cash Barber caught an impressive throw, and the team took the lead at half with a score of 7-0. St. Paul Central did a good job with defense and stayed positive throughout the game, but Edina won with a final score of 13-0.
James Madison Memorial vs Cathedral
In a back-and-forth battle that wasn’t decided till the very end, James Madison Memorial’s Kyle Fuhlring had two goals and forced a slew of turnovers. However, it wasn’t enough to get the Spartans the victory. Both teams struggled to catch the disc in the brisk winds, but after Cathedral’s Simon Berg-Arnold’s layout grab in the end zone gave Griffin a 6-5 lead, they were able to hang on in the final moments to secure the victory. Cathedral wins, 7-5.
Holy Family Catholic vs York
Cal Tornabene scored on a layout snag to strike first for York, but Holy Family Catholic’s Jake Kenniv’s goals and three assists helped pull his team ahead to 7-3 at half. York kept the game close in the early stages, but Revolution’s accurate passing kept them starting on defense for most of the match. Holy Family Catholic pulled away to win, 11-8.
Robbinsdale-Cooper vs Ames
Robbinsdale-Cooper jumped to a 4-1 lead early on and never looked back. Using pinpoint passing and opportunistic defense (not to mention Will Johnson’s two goals and four assists), the Wrenchbeaters of Robbinsdale-Cooper were able to take a 7-2 lead into halftime. Ames fought back late – Eric Hall-Floden scored by reeling in a disc tipped by a Robbinsdale-Copper defender which sparked a late run from Ames, but Robbinsdale-Cooper held on to win 10-5.
Minneapolis South vs Great River
South started the game with a good lead. The game was very clean and had high intensity. Minneapolis South Squall’s Oscar Leinback had three assists right at the beginning, and the team worked on throwing shorter distances which helped them get to the end zone more often. Great River didn’t back down. Right before halftime, they caught up to Minneapolis South. Great River’s Sam Thompson used his height to the team’s advantage and was able to catch a lot of the throws that were lifted by the wind. Leo Sovell-Fernandez from Great River is a good handler and was able to help his team move the disc down the field. They were able to take the lead and finished the game with a final score of 10-9.
Edina vs James Madison Memorial
James Madison Memorial showed great defensive skill, but Edina’s Daniel Brunker compensated for it by throwing a well-executed low huck that helped moved them ahead at the start of the game. Edina played a cup, forcing Memorial to pass the disc more and make them tired, which seemed to work. Edina finished the game with a final score of 12-1. At half, the teams played a spirit game together, a nice show of spirit in the middle of such an exciting and competitive tournament.
Cathedral vs St. Paul Central
An exciting, back-and-forth match from the get-go, the two teams from Minnesota traded scores with neither side seeming to have the advantage. Cathedral’s John Bates got into great defensive position to force a turnover close to their own goal, and Cathedral went on to take the lead at 5-3. St. Paul’s Will Bergstrom’s goal and assist weren’t enough to keep it close, however, and Cathedral pulled away to win 9-6. Cathedral was led by Grant Marlof, who snagged three goals and put up four assists.
Holy Family Catholic vs Robbinsdale-Cooper
Holy Family Catholic kept the disc moving on offense, and it didn’t take Revolution long to find themselves with a 3-0 lead. Robbinsdale-Cooper’s Kyle DeJesus made a spectacular grab in traffic to put the Wrenchbeaters on the board, but Revolution’s active hands on defense limited their chances to keep the score close throughout the match. Freshman Michael Schuster scored three goals for Revolution, paving the way for a 9-2 victory for Holy Family Catholic.
Ames vs. York
York took an early 2-0 advantage, but a layout score from Ryan Helton helped Ames claw back into the game, making the score 4-3. York stepped up its defense midway through the match, forcing Ames’ offense to look stagnant and give up costly turnovers. York began to pull away behind Cal Tornabene’s two goals and two assists, and held on to win the match 7-4.
Neuqua Valley A vs Minneapolis South
Minneapolis South has some very tall and athletic players who were able to catch the disc whenever the wind pushed it high. However, Neuqua Valley A focused on using their patience and not forcing any of their throws when moving up and down the field. Neuqua Valley A Tommy Reidy had some impressive plays which helped his team keep the disc and score more points. Neuqua Valley A won the game with a final score of 15-5.
Center Grove vs Hopkins
Hopkins came out strong in this game after their bye. They were aggressive both on defense and offense. Notably, Drew Pearson had some great layout Ds. Hopkins worked the disc upwind a little better than Center Grove, resulting in an early Hopkins lead. After the first couple points, Center Grove was able to hold. Center Grove’s Heath Kalaba had a great layout score. Final score: 7-5 Hopkins.
Fishers vs Neuqua Valley B
Fisher used strong and controlled force in moving the disc toward the end zone. Fishers’ Eric Hoy has great height which he used to his advantage to get an impressive D. The wind picked up in the afternoon, so Neuqua Valley B compensated by throwing lower hucks. However, Fishers’ determination and control with the disc got them the win, finishing the game with a final score of 7-5.
Edina vs Neuqua Valley A
It was easy to see why these teams were seeded so high coming into the tournament as there were fantastic plays from both teams. Neuqua Valley A’s Ben Swiatek, a lefty, had some great layout Ds and scores. Joey Kennedy and Dylan Power both handled well against a zone. Despite missing their seniors, Edina still proved they are strong and will be even stronger tomorrow. Handler Daniel Brunker was able to find holes in the cup while Sam Hammer had a huge presence in the sky, getting Ds and layout grabs. Final score: 8-6 Neuqua Valley A.
Cross-over and reseeded
Hopkins vs Holy Family Catholic
After Hopkins grabbed an early 2-0 lead, Michael Schuster turned up the heat and scored Revolution’s first five goals, giving his team a 5-3 advantage in the early stages. Hopkins rallied back to take a 6-5 lead after Drew Pearson lost his defender in the end zone for an easy goal. But Schuster wasn’t finished. The 5’7" freshman scored yet another goal, bringing his total to six on the game, and helped Revolution pull away from Hopkins and secure a 9-7 victory.
Great River vs James Madison Memorial
Both teams started by scoring on their first possessions, making it 1-1. Great River’s Ben Fjetland-Souza connected with Jonathan Madera on two consecutive scores to stretch the lead to 4-2. Great River then continued their scoring run to make it 7-3 at the half. James Madison Memorial’s Edward Schewe had some crisp passing, leading to two assists, which still wasn’t enough for the Spartans. Great River prevailed 9-5.
Fisher vs Cooper
Fisher has only been established for a few years. They are made up of players from two different high schools, but that had no effect on their ability to work together during this game. Fishers’ Justin Abraham caught a huck that was almost intercepted and earned his team an upwind point. Cooper’s Kyle DeJesus and Will Johnson are pivotal players who are able to score points, assists and Ds. Toward the end of the game, both teams were very intense, and Fisher was able to score four points in a row. But Cooper still came out with the win and made the final score 8-7.
Minneapolis South vs Cathedral
Cathedral’s Grant Marolf is a good handler and a good match for Minneapolis South’s Oscar Leinbach who also stood out throughout the day. The game was very fast paced, and both teams were eager to score. The wind was strong during the game which often made the disc float. That worked in favor of Minneapolis South and their tall players. Cathedral’s John Bates had some impressive hucks that took his team from one end zone to the other. However, South won the game with a final score of 8-6.
York vs Center Grove
York broke seed by going 2-1 on the day, which their only loss coming to Pool B winner Holy Family Catholic. They were eager to win the crossover game for a chance at a better seed in the championship bracket. Jordan Ciccarone, Luke Brush and Cal Tornabene were huge components to both York’s offense and defense, making great break throws and generating defensive blocks. York took half at 7-3, but Center Grove’s Alex Henderson got a layout D to start the team’s comeback. They came roaring back to tie the game 8-8 at double-game point. Heath Halaba was huge as a cutter, and Conner Henderson is a great handler for Center Grove, but they lost on a great, hard-fought point. Final score: 9-8 York.