Correction: Phil Quatrochi, #10 Bad Larry, is playing this season, though he's not captaining.

Round 1:  Pool B was home to exciting action on day one.  All the games were close and the pool was ultimately decided on point differential.  It started with tight games between B+ and Chad Larson Experience, and Bad Larry and Puppet Regime.  B+ is fairly young, with some great, athletic men.  CLX matches up well, and uses their women much more than B+.  Both teams played great defense but didn't look so hot on offense, and both teams used the long game (CLX to #99 Wes Van Maanen much of the time).  The game was tied most of the way, with B+ pulling it out at double game point, 17-16.  In the other pool game, Bad Larry faced Puppet Regime.  Bad Larry plays a spread O, with quick passes to the middle that often result in a big huck.  They also swing the disc effectively, using the whole field.  Puppet Regime used a 1-3-3 and other junk defense to slow down the spread.  In the end, Puppet Regime's unforced errors gave the game away, and  Bad Larry won 15-10.  Early on in the game, BL suffered the loss of a key player when Phil Quatrochi went down with a broken foot.

Drive Thru Liquor versus Hot Action was another good game.  The wind was light in early action, and both teams took full advantage.  Hot Action plays a spread O and looks long, often to women; DTL plays tough, lay out defense.  DTL could have won with their D, but made enough errors on O to keep it close.  DTL finally closed it out, 15-12.

In other action:  Annapolis All-Stars were without two of their key men - one will be here tomorrow and the other comes on Saturday.  Nevertheless, they got up early against a sleepy Shazam team, with 50-50 discs going their way.  At 3-6, Shazam woke up and decided to start playing like this was Nationals.  Shazam took half and went on to win 15-12.  Duff went long repeatedly against Holes and Poles, but didn't play very close D.  HnP's offense looked somewhat crowded but was enough to win, 15-9.  RFBF used their long game effectively against Soul Patrol, 15-8.  6 Trained Monkeys beat Uncivil Union in a rematch of Regionals, and Brass Monkey crushed Universe. 

Round 2:  Once again games are tight in the B pool.  Bad Larry takes half 8-7 against CLX, but is at a height disadvantage.  CLX is playing quite well, using their women effectively and playing some junk D.  The athletic young Iowa team is fired up after their close loss last round.  Bad Larry has some unforced turnovers (mainly on swings in the back of the spread) and CLX scores off of these.  Despite some spectacular plays by Bad Larry, they lose, 16-17.  B+ gets down early to Puppet Regime, mainly on the strength of Puppet Regime's zone.  B+ has a lot of trouble working it.  Puppet takes advantage of the short field position and scores every time.  They take half, 8-3.  B+ comes out of half fired up on D.  They get Puppet Regime back on their heels, and go on a long run to make it 9-8 Puppet.  Puppet doesn't play the zone D in transition.  When they get a chance to pull, they put the Z on, and go on another run to make it 12-9 Puppet.  But B+ isn't done yet.  They finally figure out the offense and stop dropping it in the endzone.  B+ wins the squeaker, 13-12.

Against Brass Monkey, Duff plays a hucking offense, relying on their D to keep it close.  But you can't keep giving Brass Monkey the disc and hoping they'll turn it over.  Brass Monkey has no problem with Duff's zone defense, as handler Nate Miller (#12) zips it through the cup.  Brass Monkey goes straight up on Duff to shut down the deep game and it works.  15-6 BM.  Holes and Poles' spread offense looks much better in their second game.  Universe, the Carleton alum team, is very young and has a tiny roster.  Their women especially seem somewhat inexperienced.  HnP on the other hand has some good women, particularly Penelope Jenkins (#7).  Behind the disc, Ricky McClellan (#71) make some big plays with his throws.  HnP wins 15-12.

Annapolis All-Stars gets down big early to 6 Trained Monkeys.  6TM is pretty deep, and Betty Smith (#22) is a force for the women.  AAS has some tall men that make big plays, but this is no match for the Monkeys' consistent offense.  6TM is good at keeping the disc moving, and the field looks wide open when they're on O.  Though AAS makes a comeback, it's not enough, and 6 Trained Monkeys wins 15-11.

Shazam beat Uncivil Union 15-8; Red Fish Blue Fish beat Hot Action 15-5; and Drive Thru Liquor beat Soul Patrol 15-10.

Round 3:  Back to Pool B.  Bad Larry and B+ play an extremely tight game.  B+ has a decent zone that shuts down Bad Larry's spread offense.  Alden Woodrow, #12 on Bad Larry, makes some big plays for his team.  For B+, Jody Avirgan (#8) is a big receiver and thrower.  Bad Larry goes four women on B+ and throws zone; this seems somewhat effective.  B+ is up late in the game but gives back the lead, and Bad Larry wins 15-13.  So, after an exhausting day with extremely close games throughout the pool (including with the four seed, Puppet Regime), the pool goes down to point differential.  Bad Larry wins it, but comes into the power pools tomorrow with a one point loss.  Chad Larson Experience is two, and B+ drops down to the lower pools.

In Pool A, Shazam and 6 Trained Monkeys battle, with 6TM up early.  Shazam can't seem to keep up with the Monkeys' women, particularly Smith.  Seth Mann, #12 on 6TM, makes some crazy plays on defense.  Shazam keeps throwing long hucks that are either too far, too low, or out of bounds.  6 Trained Monkeys takes advantage and holds onto their lead to win, 15-10. 

There's a barn-burner in pool C, as Holes and Poles takes on Brass Monkey.  There are runs by both teams, and the score is close the whole way.  Brass Monkey hucks a lot and has some good, short women that move the disc on offense.  There are ridiculous plays by both teams, Ds, layouts, hucks, cross-field inside out flicks, etc.  Brass Monkey's offense looks smooth, with lots of space; HnP has the big throw advantage.  The game is tied at 14s, then 15s.  Brass Monkey goes up 16-15.   Holes and Poles receives and works it up.  Will Lavery, #61, has a big layout D to get the turn.  A couple of passes later, he receives the disc just outside the endzone.  He throws a bladey, high forehand to wide open Kerry Soo Von Esch (#12), who makes an athletic grab to win the game.  17-15 Brass Monkey.

In Pool D, Drive Thru Liquor upsets RFBF in a close game, but with all the tight games this round, I missed it.  More coverage tomorrow, I promise.  Universe also upset Duff, and Soul Patrol kept their hopes alive by beating Hot Action 15-13.