Open Division Sunday May 10
Quarters
L. C. Bird opened with a strong four-man cup against North Hills. North Hill's Max Thorn and Pat Earles handled the cup with finesse and skill, making use of well-placed hammers and dump swings to exhaust the cup. Despite having only a handful of subs, North Hills managed to create a strong lead of 13-8. Just when things seemed to be falling apart for L.C. Bird, they picked up the intensity with Josh Smith leading the way. After 3 unanswered points, L.C. Bird had a narrowly-caught layout in the corner of the end zone, placing them just one point behind their opponent. A contested foul was called, however, and North Hills got the turnover and scored. This gave them a lead of 14-12, before winning the game 15-12.
The game between Paideia and Columbia began with each team fighting hard for each point. While both teams had great disc control, their defense was even better, so forcing a high turnover rate. At halftime the score was 8-5; Paideia was up, but Columbia was still in the game. In the second half, however, Paideia pulled away with a sizeable lead, largely due to the fine disc control of players like Jericho Barbour, who had many breaks with his low-release extended forehands. Though the scoreboard presented a dominance by Paideia, a casual observer would have thought the score was tied, due to the tenacity of each team’s defense, and the intensity of their offense. Paideia was one point away from victory when they allowed numerous Columbia points to slip by. It seemed that Columbia was having a comeback. Paideia’s Chris Kocher ended the game however, when he skied his defender on a huck and then threw in the assist.
Watchung Hills would face a steamrolling Amherst in this quarter final match-up. Despite the best handling efforts of the Watchung Hills senior Wes Pak and junior Stephen Silva, Amherst junior Jonah Herscu and senior Samuel Hart used their great defense and well-put hucks to bring the Hurricanes to an 8-0 lead at half. Those long strikes gave Amherst the victory, 15-2 over Watchung.
The intense defense of Pennsbury and the gusty wind made it difficult for Needham to catch a break. Pennsbury took half 8-3. An incredible catch over a Pennsbury defender by sophomore Tyler Chan seemed to give Needham a morale boost. But the Pennsbury offense led by senior Jack Lusk would go on to victory 15-4 over Needham.
Semis
Amherst played the controlled, patient game they’re famous for, using dump-swing when needed, but taking the big throws when the opportunity presented itself. But North Hills didn’t lay down for the game, playing every point tough, making Amherst earn their points. The last half of the game turned into a North Hills huckfest, with punt after punt being converted into an Amherst score. A crowd-pleasing late-game North Hills score came on a great snag in traffic from #8, Collin Hite. Amherst put up a rare huck to #9, Misha Herscu, for the win.
In the other semi, Paideia was matched against a tough Pennsbury team. Overall it was a fast-paced, tightly played game, with Pennsbury getting an early lead on Paideia. Paideia Gruel came back from an early deficit with tight D. Gruel’s #22, Joe Riedel, made consistent cuts through the middle, but made the highlight reel with a sick effort at a long huck, just out of reach in the end zone. Pennsbury’s #7, Matt Bode, played taller than his roster’s listing of 5’10” with a sky grab, but threw it away in the throes of glory. Paideia’s #3, Chris Kocher, earns a note for scoring off a 60-yard huck halfway through the game and a gritty layout grab in the midfield that led to an easy score. The later game degenerated into a huckfest (even with the wind dying down) that showcased Pennsbury’s superior patience at the goal line, enabling them to convert a few long throws into pull-away scores.
Open Final
Their tournament play gave Amherst the edge, but they were surprised early with two scores from Pennsbury. Pennsbury’s early success with the huck pulled Amherst out of their usual, controlled game and into a long-throw contest they couldn’t win. Senior Misha Herscu was Amherst’s MVP with a series of standout plays in all parts of the field, while teammate Spencer Diamond ran a game-long clinic on how to read a disc. Several Pennsbury players earned mentions for extra effort—#69, Mike Auld, picked a high disc out of the sky and got the assist (two, if you count the do-over) to #2, Zach Kauffman, for a score. Dennison Bechis chased down a long huck to score at 13-10 and Isaac Saul tipped an Amherst dump to get a D on the goal line. High spirits from both teams made for a nail-biting final.
Open Consolation Bracket
Consolation Round 1
The wet disc made for many a bobbled disc in the first game of the second day. The teams seemed evenly matched with the patient throws of the Stuyvesant handlers and the hard cuts made by the Ridgefield players. Both teams used the zone defense as the wind picked up. After Ridgefield took half 8-4, the Stuyvesant sidelines came to life. The cheers coupled with the quick, precise throws and great cuts brought the Stuyvesant team back to tie it up at 9-9. A huge huck by senior George Cooper brought Ridgefield the 
lead. Despite a huge D by Stuyvesant senior Alex Liu, the Stuyvesant team just could not get back in the game. Ridgefield won 15-12.
The intense defense and smooth handling of Red Bank senior Matt Pirkle and Holy Family senior Will Teller made for a great display of precision throwing and sick layouts. The patience and intensity of the homeschooled squad led them to take half 8-3. After a comeback by Red Bank, Holy Family players Tony Bort (sophomore) and Nico and Gus Misleh (seniors) made huge plays which led to the homeschoolers winning 15-8, despite the best efforts of the intense Red Bank players.
A very exciting game, Urbana and Martinsville traded points for most of the game. Urbana maintained a constant lead throughout, primarily by making use of its blitzkrieg give-and-go offense. Dan Grabowski, a handler on Urbana, made use of his highly-controlled throws, breaking for a strike cut the moment the disc was released. Paul Grabowski for Urbana was all over the field, making Ds, cutting deep, and handling. Martinsville's intensity, strong cutting, and chilly throws kept Urbana from gaining any more than a small lead. Neither team seemed to be able to get a break, and it appeared that these teams would continue trading points. Martinsville, however, exploded with an extra burst of intensity just at the end and pulled away with a victory of 16-14.
Right from the start, Woodside began to pull away from Henry Clay, giving them a comfortable lead. Henry Clay threw a zone and began to make a comeback. Woodside ate up the zone with methodical handler skills, easily working it down to the end zone line. From here, however, they made mental errors and turned the disc 
over to Henry Clay. This shortened the gap between the two teams. After the second half, Woodside adapted to the zone and, lead by Michael Bobbio with 8 Ds, 4 scores and an assist, pulled away for a big victory of 13-6.
Consolation Semis
Revolution and Woodside fought hard and exchanged points in the beginning until Revolution pulled ahead took half, 8-5. Revolution finished out the second half quickly, 15-8.
Red Bank and Henry Clay squared off for an impressive game. Red Bank presented a fast-paced game sparked by raucous sideline support. Their disciplined offense led them to a 15-7 victory.
Ridgefield and Martinsville spectators saw lots of downwind points, grass and blood, but not enough defense. Ridgefield had the height advantage, but Martinsville came out on top, 15-10.
Stuyvesant and Urbana took the field to show off their skills. Stuyvesant won the ribbon for their sweet throws and for the near-miss Greatest, where a player upheld the integrity of Spirit of the Game, and called himself out. Final count: Stuyvesant, 14, Urbana, 10.
Consolation Finals
Holy Family and Martinsville traded points to 5’s. Holy Family worked patiently to work the disc downfield while Martinsville fought aggressively on D. Holy Family found another gear to put the game away, 15-7.
Open Division Saturday May 9
Pleasant skies and steady winds greeted the 2009 edition of the UPA High School Eastern Regional Championships in Lebanon, Ohio, making “zone” the name of the game. The winds factored throughout the day of play but the stronger teams met the challenge. (photo above Eric Kocher)
Pool A
Amherst and Red Bank matched up in the second round of the day. Amherst easily worked the disc up the field with nice low, hard throws. Amherst's Eric Biggs played tall and Nino Figliola played good defense with some blocks. Red Bank answered with speed from Matt Pirkle and hard work from Robby Ryder. Amherst won, 15-3.
Stuyvesant and Urbana also took the field the second round. Stuyvesant used some good fakes and was quick paced. Ruozhou Ye offered a nice save. Urbana's Paul Grabowski made an impressive full-field catch and Christine Blice threw a great pass that led to a score. In the end holes in Urbana's zone led to their defeat, 11-5.
In the final round, Urbana and Red Bank met. From the beginning of this matchup, it was seemingly anyone’s game. The intense wind was affecting each team equally, causing turnovers and interceptions more often than normally. Urbana got the early lead in the game, giving them a 5-0 edge over Red Banks, who then came back to make the score 5-3. From that point on, Red Bank failed to make another score. Urbana threw an effective zone defense in the wind, and they managed to make the connections they needed to in order to keep their lead. Red Banks managed to make a few connections, however they continually turned it over when they got near the red zone. Several times they threw the disc away almost as in a huck-to-zone strategy, but then proceeded to play man-to-man. In the end, Urbana’s desire to win showed through and gave them the effective advantage, leading to their 11-3 win.
Pool B
With the wind a clear factor in all of the games on Saturday, teams would have to be patient with the disc. Pennsbury and Holy Family Catholic matched up early on as the winds were just beginning to pick up. Pennsbury's man-to-man defense made up for some glitches in the offense with catching in the wind. Holy Family's Gus Misleh pulled down some good long catches, but in the end Pennsbury came out on top with a 15-3 win.
With winds gaining force, Pennsbury faced Ridgefield. Despite the wind, Pennsbury effortlessly worked the disc down the field right into the end zone. Ridgefield fought back with Christopher Bello making some great dives, but Ridgefield only posted to the scoreboard twice to give Pennsbury a 15-2 win.
Woodside Wolverines began rushing early against Holy Family Revolution, however, Holy Family took their time to make the score 3-1. Neither teams’ hucks were effective, although Woodside’s Dustin McClain toed the line off of a D by Gus Misleh of Holy Family for layout goal off of a sideline huck. With turnovers happening frequently, Holy Family took the half and continued to score points. The secret to their success, according to captain Will Teller, was their zone that shut down Woodside’s handlers. Woodside made a run toward the end of the game, but with an unfinished hard-cap point, Holy Family won 12-9.
After their loss to Holy Family, Woodside came out with all guns blazing against Pennsbury. However, their aggression led to mistakes which Pennsbury capitalized on. After a 7-0 run by Pennsbury that included an acrobatic point that concluded with a monstrous layout grab off a full-field huck by Hunter Lapiska, Will Ward of Woodside ended the streak 
with his own layout catch for a goal. Even though Pennsbury dominated the game, Woodside played with heart and the game ended with the score 15-3 in Pennsbury’s favor.
The third game of pool play had #11 seed Holy Family Catholic pitted against #14 seed Ridgefield. After a quick score by Ridgefield, Holy Family out-manuevered the man D of Ridgefield to score 5 straight unanswered. A timeout was called by Ridgefield to regroup their defense and establish a solid zone in its place. Mistakes were common among both teams with drops and miscommunication plaguing the offenses. Ridgefield brought out a deep game with a precision huck to go-to man Max Johnson. The teams preceded to alternate points under the chilly handling and leadership of their captains Will Teller for Holy Family and George Cooper for Ridgefield. Will Teller placed a solid huck down the sideline, which opened the field for the final score, Holy Family 12, Ridegefield 9. (Photo Paul Miller)
Pool C
Watchung Hills and Martinsville squared up to start the day. Watchung came out strong with a big huck for a score to start the game and they kept hucking through the first half. Junior Scott Hampton helped his team out with D including a lay-out D to stop Martinsville's flow. Martinsville offense relied on Senior Kyle Wagoner for direction, as well as some pretty scoring with a layout catch by Jared Rhodes. Final score showed Watchung up, 14-8.
Next round Martinsville faced Paideia. Martinsville played a calm and even game with saving grabs throughout the game. The wind kept the teams neck and neck. Paideia's Tom Barrow made a completely H layout to tie the game at hard cap. Paideia won, 9-8.
Paideia came out in Round 4 with a layout and assist by Tom Barrow to begin the game. Watchung Hills answered with some horizontal action to keep their game alive, including a layout D by John Barnum in the end zone to prevent a score. Brian Li contributed to Watchung's energy by staying intense the whole game. The game came full circle to Paideia's Tom Barrow again for a layout score to win the game, 12-6.
North Hills and Martinsville faced off in the last round. North Hill's Pat Earles scored five points in each half racking up 2/3 of the team's total score. Equally important, Max Thorne had nine assists in the game. Martinsville Donald Fields tried to pump up the team with a layout for a score, but North Hills prevailed for a 15-4 win.
Pool D
Early morning featured LC Bird and Henry Clay taking the field. On defense, Bird’s tight zone really stifled Henry Clay’s offense and forced a lot of TO’s. Bird’s offense had good flow and was able to shred HC’s zone several times. Junior Hunter Taylor snagged a Callahan and Matt Harris had a sweet handblock in the cup. HC had a few too many hammers in the wind, but played hard through a lot of long points. Clay's Matthe Beegle caught a lay out score from Preston Goullson for a score. LC Bird came out on top, 15-6
Columbia played a very fast-paced game against Needham. Despite Columbia's quick tempo, Needham's Theo Thompson pulled out a Callahan to fire up the team early. Columbia took the lead after a 3-3 tie and stayed on top. 
Columbia's Loren Whitaker laid out to save a point, wrapping things up for his team, 15-9.
In the next round against Henry, Columbia's Evan Walter handled well throughout the entire game despite the wind factor. Columbia's spirit was good throughout the game. Henry's Matt Bojanowski scored all three of their points.
Columbia and LC Bird battled it out staying within 2 points all game until it was tied 9-9. Early on LC Bird's Hunter Taylor made a lay out for a score, bringing the sidelines to life Columbia's Ben Richardson made a great save in the middle of the field with a layout and Jordan Taylor made layout D's around the offense throughout the game. Bird's Dominique Gibson made a D in the end zone and then led his team to the win, 11-9. (Photo Paul Miller)
Needham and Henry Clay faced each other in the third round. Needham demonstrated patience with the disc. A good thing in 20 mph winds. HC failed to swing the disc off the line helping Needham get a lot of Ds in their cup. Phillip McGuire put lots of points on the board for Needham. HC's Patrick Jeter gave it his all trying to make something happen, but Needham topped the score 13-6.
Pre-quarters
Holy Family Catholic vs Watchung Hills
The hometown favorites broke seed in pool play and headed into pre-quarters on a high. Watchung Hills on the other hand had fallen a spot as a result of a one-point loss to North Hills in round 2 and looked down in their last round game against pool winner Paideia. However, they may have been conserving some energy for the pre-quarters, and the small squad put together a solid game on the strength of some solid handling by Brian Li (3 assists) and Jacob Price (3 assists). Holy Family Catholic coach, Steve Conrad said, “Their handlers were able to work it up within striking distance with cuts up the line, and we gave them a few short field opportunities that they took advantage of. It was a good game.” Indeed it was, with Watchung coming out on top 11-8, earning the right to face top-seeded Amherst on Sunday.
North Hills vs Woodside
Although North Hills came in as the favorite in this matchup, a long day with a small roster and some tight games could have been a tough challenge for the team to overcome against a much larger Woodside team. North Hills’ one-point loss to Paideia in the first round proved to be the difference between them playing this game and getting to rest. But they mustered enough reserves to out-huck the Virginia squad, with Pat Earles and Max Thorne putting up 4 assists apiece and Coline Hite and Jack Ross hauling in 5 and 4 goals respectively. They move on to face the other Virginia team at the tournament, LC Bird, who upset defending champs Columbia to win Pool D and a trip to the quarters.
Columbia vs Urbana
The defending champs, Columbia, had to regroup a little after a thrilling, but disappointing upset loss in pool play. Urbana broke seed with a strong showing in the last round of pool play to earn their first ever trip to Easterns elimination play. But after coming out of the short end of a huck-fest with the tall and athletic LC Bird, Columbia dialed in their offense. Led by Ben Richardson (4 assists) and Jeremy Golden (3 assists), Columbia looked sharp. Urbana also continued to play well, with Jason Grabowski grabbing 4 goals. Even with continued gusty winds, the two teams together put up 25 total quick points and were the only pre-quarter to end before cap. Columbia finished it off 15-10 and head into quarters to face another fundamentally strong team with a storied program. It should be a great matchup.
Stuyvesant vs Needham
It wouldn’t seem like Easterns if there wasn’t at least one other Massachusetts team besides Amherst in the quarters. And although Needham finished 3rd in their pool and Stuyvesant showed impressive throwing skills in the wind during the early rounds, Needham pulled off another pre-quarters upset to keep the MA representation at its usual level. Allen He’s 3 goals for Sticky Fingers wasn’t enough to match Phillip McGuire and David Lunetta’s 3 goals apiece for Needham. The boys from MA will move on to face a Pennsbury team that rolled through their Saturday and are looking to relive their last trip to Lebanon, where they took home the 2007 UPA Easterns title.
