Where the Elite South Region Stands
Written by Tyler Greer, Edited by Dan Levine
With the final round in each region before Nationals upon us, The Dodgeball Tribune will weigh in on Elite Dodgeball’s regions and what to look forward to (thank you Rolena Thomassin for creating the Standings). It’s going to be an exciting four weeks!
Party of One
It is no secret, the South is dominated by the Outsiders. They even boldly went into the West region this season, played in the toughest pool in round robin, and secured the #1 overall seed before losing to eventual Round 2 champions Heat in a seven-game nail-biter. With Eli Hashimoto switching over to corner this year, along with Jake Hebert, they have one of the best corner combos in dodgeball. Throw in Khiem Nguyen, Miki Hashimoto, Scott Bronson and Von Kelly in the middle and they will be a contender to win it all come Nationals. Before that, though, can they finish off the South series sweep at Round 3? If Ascension, or any team, can upset Outsiders before the Championship match, Ascension could have a chance to be the South Series winner.
Even with missing some key players, Ascension has proven that they are second-best in the South, as back-to-back runners-up to Outsiders. They also should have some All-Stars to show, if Outsiders don’t manage to claim all the spots. David “Bubs” Baker, Patrick O’Donnell and even Devin Parham (in Round 1) propelled this team past Syndicate, the expected challenger to Outsiders and on to its current heights. Syndicate, with Cody Stidham and Jalen Gardner making the switch to the South, has not met expectations these past two rounds and a big finish at Round 3 could change their team’s fortune and build their confidence heading into Nationals. Thanks in no small part to the addition of Anthony Miller this offseason, Wrecking Balls is currently in third in the series standings. They have also had their moments as an underdog team but they have yet to really shake up the South and challenge Outsiders this season.
A few other teams on the cusp of breaking into the Top 4 include Judgment, sitting just a point out of the Top 4, and Voodoo, who still have a chance of getting in for their first time as well.
Predictions: Outsiders complete the sweep, Ascension takes second, Wrecking Ballz third and Syndicate fourth.
Setting their Roots
The Women’s division in the South has now seen a consistent flow of teams these past 3 rounds dating back to last season. It is great for the sport and great for the South as they continue to improve and get up to speed with the other regions. A few teams have rebranded and others have joined forces, but Weapons of Mass Destruction still remains at the top. Team mainstays on and former All-Stars Jen Woodlee and Kristy Stephens, have helped propel them to first- and second-place finishes in each round. Marie Garrigue, Kathy Martinez, and Deanna Darnes have been solid for them too, while Alicia DeManual has brought much-needed experience and clutch catching in her switch to the South.
Khaos, led by long time South veterans and 2018 All-Stars Vania Zafra and Valerie Lerma, challenged WMD and took Round 2. Basically a rebranded Caught Up from last season with new faces Elizabeth Vance and (All-Star hopeful) Stephanie Parker, certainly boast enough talent to win the series.
The South Series winner will be determined by which of these two teams wins Round 3 to break their current tie in points.
Led by talented and South All-Star hopeful Bridget Wenzel, That Girl is Poison has been the third-best team in the South, although Ascension put up a valiant fight in Round 2, their first round playing together. Meanwhile, Envie is currently sitting in the fourth spot.
Predictions: It is a toss-up for me but if Weapons of Mass Destruction ends up having their full team at Round 3, I’d give them the nod. Khaos then finishes second, That Girl is Poison third and Ascension bumps into the Top 4 at fourth place.
The Coed Division
Another division, another huge Outsiders lead. They have won both rounds and don’t look like they are slowing down as they not only beat Ascension in the championship in Round 2, but swept them all four games in large part to both Khiem Nguyen winning a 1v4 and Kathy Martinez making a clutch catch to bring in Eli Hashimoto to take down the win.
Still, Coed No-Sting is a game of runs and both Ascension and Syndicate pose a threat. Any team can take down the championship when hitting on all cylinders as Heat did when they won the Coed West Round 2. Again, for Ascension to win, David Baker and Patrick O’Donnell will need to be on fire, while Syndicate would need peak performances from Cody Stidham and Jalen Gardner. Even then, Outsiders will need to be upset in the quarterfinals for a different team to win the series.
The fourth spot is up for grabs this series as both Brass and Continuum (both of whom had a surprisingly strong showings to capture third place in Round 1 and Round 2, respectively), are tied for fourth with 9 points each with Southern Revolver and Vendetta nipping at their heels.
Predictions: Outsiders completes the coed series sweep, Ascension has another strong showing solidifying second, Syndicate takes third and — sticking with the hot hand — Continuum finishes fourth.
All-Star Predictions
From live streams and discussions with peers in the regions, these players seem to be almost locks to make the men’s All-Star team or at the very least should be in the conversation:
— Khiem Nguyen, Miki Hashimoto, Jake Hebert, and Eli Hashimoto have all had stellar seasons thus far for Outsiders. As crazy as that is, Scott Bronson and Von Kelly could and maybe should be considered for All-Star selections as well. Of course, some variety is needed, too.
— The next two or three spots are definitely up for grabs: Cody Stidham and Jalen Gardner from Syndicate, David Baker and Patrick O’Donnell from Ascension and Justin Ashby from Wrecking Balls are in the mix.
The women’s All-Star team is a little more difficult to predict since, as we saw last year, some players who play in the West but live in the South, ended up as South All-Stars. That said, previous years suggest we can get a good idea of “South” women and how they have played in other regions. Here are our picks thus far:
— Jen Woodlee (Weapons of Mass Destruction), Vania Zafra and Stephanie Parker from Khaos, and Jen Sexton from Fuego in the West should all be locks.
— Alicia Ellis (Bionic), Kristy Stephans (WMD), Bridget Wenzel (That Girl is Poisen) and Valerie Lerma (Khaos) all have an argument as well.
Wildcard: She only showed up for Round 1 but if she’s there for Round 3 and WMD takes it, I’d strongly consider Alicia DeManuel as well.
