Tuesday, May 17, 2011

4.0 Playoffs taking shape with a few weeks left

Flight A:
Our first DQ of the year took place in this flight with Brian Shelton going buh-bye. This week the Fall winner faces Eldorado, an upstart group who is also 4-0 and could further mess with Lifetime's plans of another Spring run through the playoffs. With that said the next three teams already have 2 losses and would need massive help to jump back in the mix. It will be interesting to see the outcome since the Village match was probably closer than expected for Lifetime.

Flight B:
Garland and Canyon Creek are still cruising along waiting for their 6/18 showdown but there is a 6/11 match between Fretz and Garland that could be interesting as Fretz has run off a few wins after an opening weekend loss to Canyon Creek. The news here may be the signing of Oleg Yaremenko to Garland. The Garland team was lacking some depth and with this addition may just have put themselves back in the top mix with High Point/Bob and Lifetime.

Flight C:
The showdown this Saturday turned out to be a SMACKDOWN as High Point/Bob crushed Greenhill. John Arnette must still be talking about what went wrong, if you listen closely you might be able to hear him still mumbling about it. That was a pretty solid HP lineup although there wasn't anything extremely lopsided. Greenhill is all but assured a QT spot and could be a favorite in that weekend playoff. Bob looks to have assembled a solid doubles crew and a singles contingent that can hang with the top players in the league.

Flight D:
Hight Point SWAT improved to 5-0 and clinched at least the QT with a win over Stonebridge this weekend. After the SWAT team there are four teams vying for the 2nd spot all sitting at 3-2 (Stonebridge, Lakes, Huffhines and Fair Oaks) They will play each other on 6/4 and 6/11 so whoever finishes strong will take the QT spot. I have not seen Fair Oaks play but if I had to take a gues I would go with Stonebridge to squeak into the 2nd spot.

Flight E:
This flight is very interesting as there is a 4 way tie for 1st place between Brookhaven, OC, Village and JCC. Village scored a big win this weekend over JCC. Brookhaven does not play any of them so it stands to reason they will secure the #1 spot. OC has to play Village and JCC so their road is toughest but really all three have a chance to make it happen. My money is on Village just due to depth at singles and doubles.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

4.5 As the Season Turns.

Flight A:

Rain affected the first big match (TBar vs High Pt). Lifetime has recruited well and gotten off to a great start. Zimmerman is a strong player for the LTF Team! I see a grudge make in the making as LTF plays HP this week. If its based on gang size, HP wins this one easily with 24 players on there roster to the meager 11 of LTF. To say this is a tough match for LTF is an understatement. I think LTF has an outside chance, but I see a 2-3 loss in there future. Meanwhile, Garland has had a solid start record wise but hasn't played any tough teams yet. JCC has had two 2-3 losses against some of the top teams, so they are a little better then their record. Its all about #2 for this flight. Hard hard flight, but the survivor will be battled tested for the QT already. I nice thing to have under your belt going into the playoffs.

Flight B:

Big "upset" if you liked the pre-season pick of some, taken down by Brookhaven who are likely now to claim 2nd place and go to the qualifying tournament. They have posted some strong lines and maybe they are a different Bartlett team this year. Stonebridge's record is flattering but reality bit hard last week. Royal Oaks, whom continue to add players and are far and away the best in the flight, - cruise control to cities. Similar to HP they need to get everyone qualified. (A lot harder then it sounds).

Flight C:

Traditional powerhouse Brookhaven is 0 & 2 after losses to Greenhill and Oak Creek. Upstarts Canyon Creek scraped through against Lifetime but then turned it on to upstage Greenhill and Oak Creek. Can they keep it going? They lead the flight but still have some tricky weeks ahead. Northwood is also unbeaten. This week's match between Oak Creek and Northwood is make or break for Oak Creek. A loss and they may well be out of it! I still see the #1 and #2 spots being determined in the last week of the season for this flight.

Match of the Week is LTF v HP @ Lifetime fitness at 2 pm.