Two years ago, a team traveled to Corvallis, Oregon to compete in the 2004 UPA National High School Championships. They lost every single game. By a lot.
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Two years later many of the same players will step back into the National spotlight, not as the unknown, undisciplined 16th seed, but as one of the most feared teams in High School Ultimate.
Since those awful defeats in 2004, Alameda has spent nearly every waking hour perfecting their game, throwing discs through hail storms and desert heat, preparing for their perfect season. Now, May 2006, their time has come. Alameda began training in September (practice began on the first day of school) and has not taken a single break since the Fall. 
Thrice crowned tournament champions, the season found them unrivaled, placing second only to Churchill HS (when more than 1/2 of Alameda's players were injured), their only loss on the season. Rarely was an Alameda player out run, out leaped or out thrown all year and they found themselves slicing through competition with controlled, athletic offense and vicious D. Now, on the verge of National competition, Alameda celebrates their achievements with sprints up San Franciscan hills, weekend-long beach endurance training and mandated frisbee-throwing periods (12:00-1:00, 3:00-4:00) everyday.
The team is led by a core of seasoned Juniors and Seniors, who have played together for 3+ years, living and breathing Ultimate from sunrise to sundown. These talented veterans are complemented by a group of athletic Sophomores who have earned themselves a spot on the A-Team, and a trip to Colorado. Training together for 7 months, these players have become a family, bonding through the sweat and blood of Ultimate and the sweet taste of victory.
If any team beats Alameda weekend after next, they will be truly indomitable and worthy of whatever title they recieve.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Westerns Preview - Alameda Open
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10 comments:
tommy dont get outrun at nationals
Your only loss was at slopfest all the way back in February. So, first off, that was a long time ago. And second, that was a mixed tournament. You're open team is much stronger, faster, and deeper.
You guys will be a force to be reckoned with and I'm happy that we're not in your pool. But, you should watch out for Crescent Valley though. Those boys from Corvallis are mighty good and could have taken us at State. Your pool will be an interesting one to watch and the third round game between you two will be an interesting one (sadly we don't have our bye round then, otherwise i would surely be there).
Good luck in these final two weeks of preparation.
This is no place to brag. Hype yes, boast no.
I think the unbelievable Easterns seedings merit some discussion.
If I were seeding:
1 Amherst
2 Columbia (2-1 over Pennsbury)
3 Pennsbury
4 Princeton (tanked at Amherst)
5 Wissahickon
6 HB Woodlawn (by virtue of harder schedule)
7 LC Bird
8 Madison West
9 Scarsdale
10 Hampton
11 Milton
12 McCallie
13 University School of Nashville
14 Mt Lebanon
15 Lincoln-Sudbury
16 James Madison Memorial
Princeton definitely didn't do well at Amherst, but we were missing 6 of our top 9 players and a co-captain played on a gimpy knee. but yeah its pretty fair to say we tanked. The Easterns seedings obviously didn't take into account this past weekend, but we'll do our best to live up to our seed.
You don't just go to the Amherst Invite without six of your top nine players.
You just don't do that!
No.
This reminds me of an argument I had a couple years ago over which tournament was more prestigious: AI or HS Nationals (now Easterns/Westerns, etc).
The other dude was saying that the UPA (insert Easterns/Westerns) Championship is a championship whereas the Amherst Invite is just another tournament.
Just another tournament?! AI had long been the equivalent of a Nationals before there was such a thing.
Anyways, I think it comes down to strength of the field.
And this year, it's painfully obvious that AI edges Easterns out as the stronger field of teams. Two of the top finishing AI teams will not be at Easterns (Paideia (GA) and Lexington (MA)). Potential Easterns semis teams like Princeton HS and Columbia HS failed to even crack the top four at AI.
But maybe the discussion is moot. Afterall, ARHS will be winning both tournaments.
Furthermore, maybe no one else should show up. Just take a cue from Princeton High and leave your six top players at home.
Why Memorial last? It seems that some of the teams can't really be compared to each other by virtue of the fact that they haven't played any common teams. I like how you seeded the 2-5 teams all from the same area.
Also can someone post a few players to watch from each team as well as a prediction? I think I will check out the tournament, but I'm not to familiar with High School Ultimate.
While the AI (and the Paideia Cup) may boast a "stronger" field, they're not the championship tournament. For many teams, Easterns is the goal, and everything else is just means to an end. All other tournaments are a way to get role players more playing time, flesh out your team's strengths, and figure out your weaknesses. I know many players on many teams were struggling with injuries at the AI - if it were Easterns they would have played a lot more. But with Easterns only a week away, rest is the best option. There's nothing like the championship name to make teams step up and bring everything they have.
Tommy -
When I was bidding to get the 2004 HS Championship in Corvallis, I told Will that I wanted it in OR b/c it would solidify the youth movement in the state. Reading your post makes me even happier since it seems to have boosted the Bay Area youth as well.
Dave Dreher
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