USN Finishes a Strong Second at Deep Freeze

USN’s only losses, one of which occurred in the finals by a mere 4 points, were at the hands of The Paideia School, one of the top-ranked Ultimate programs in the country.   

USN entered the tournament seeded fifth, and in the opening game on Saturday, a strong Lakeside team surprised USN with their persistent zone defense.  Under the strong leadership of senior captains Ryan Del Casino and Will Shaw, however, USN adjusted their offense and intensified their defense to outlast Lakeside.  After defeating McCallie in the next round, USN entered the “power pool” with Paideia High School and Calvary Baptist High School.  In the next game, the boys matched Paideia early on with senior Mikeie Reiland scoring a point on a Callahan (a defensive interception in the end zone), but USN lost focus only to be overpowered by Paideia’s disciplined and athletic play. 

After a bye in the next round, the boys faced Calvary Baptist, one of the top teams in North Carolina.  Though the Calvary Baptist boys were much larger physically than the Tigers, the USN boys maintained their composure to defeat Calvary Baptist, demonstrating that smart play and excellent disc skills can trump size.

Sunday morning, the boys dueled Brookwood High School in the quarter-finals.  Sophomores Miro Hurdle and Mitchell Lutz drove the offense with their aggressive play, and the supporting offensive and defensive plays by seniors Eliot Linton and Will Knowles, along with a strong showing by freshmen Grant Eidam and Thomas Chickey, helped insure the win for USN.  Advancing to the semi-finals against Montgomery Bell Academy, USN eagerly anticipated avenging their loss to MBA from January.  USN jumped to an early 4-0 lead, but MBA charged back, briefly taking the lead only to fall behind by 2 points at the half.  The lead changed again several times before USN finally scored four unanswered points and maintained the lead until time ran out.  Sophomores Jack Spiva’s, Matt Hoffman’s, and Andrew Bridgers’s disc-handling skills were essential against MBA’s four-man zone defense, especially after offensive leader Ryan Del Casino’s hand injury limited his ability to throw.  Sophomore Connor Seitz’s key catches and senior Gray Yarbrough’s sustained defense along with Will Shaw’s intensity and Mikeie Reiland’s speed helped propel USN to the finals where they would again face Paideia.

Exhausted and emotionally drained, the Tigers quickly fell behind Paideia and trailed 8-1 at the half.  When play resumed, however, USN took the field with renewed energy and determination, surprising Paideia with their resilience.  USN scored four consecutive points to start the second half and then traded points throughout the remainder of the game.  The defensive play of freshmen Grant Given and Rosario Falzone slowed Paideia’s advance, and freshman Zach Stern contributed with his first layout catch followed by a scoring toss to freshman Isaac Gabella.  The game-ending score belonged to USN in the form of a wicked throw from Eliot Linton to Will Shaw who toed the line for the score, and while USN could not come back from their early deficit, the team was proud of their inspired second-half play which resulted in a 9-13 final score. Overall the USN boys had a terrific weekend, and our success at Deep Freeze bodes well for the remaining tournaments of the season.