Top Guns Take Flight in Dallas City Playoffs

 

Ice-pick was the Iceman and Top Gun this weekend, taking the 4.5 City title.   Word on the street was that Joel was having his team practice nothing but Komen 10 –point tie-breakers, knowing that 4.5 would come down to that, separating the boys from the men.  The payoff couldn’t have been any sweeter.  HP wins 4 out of 4 breakers in the finals to take the title from Royal Oaks.  They defied the odds and took 5 out of 6 breakers for the weekend, showing they had nerves of steel and that hard work pays off.  This is one talented squad of aces, and should represent Dallas well at Sectionals.

Nice job Ice-pick.



In  4.0 land, it was Maverick (aka Arcaria) who first had to out ace Jester (aka Sisk) in their flight show down.   What looked like would be a nasty dog-fight turned into a routine drill for Lifetime who gunned down both singles.   These weren’t ordinary wins, but rather beat downs of the mighty Flora and the once feared Yaramenko.   Arcaria better hope the rating gods play favor to his self-rate and he can keep him for Sectionals.   Corcoran and Zachary get beat by fellow teammate Conan the barbarian, and Maverick walks away with a 4-1 win. 

What would appear on the surface to be a nail-biting showdown for the finals with Lifetime and HP Bob, it was anything but that.  Let’s just say it was interesting.   While I like the fact that 2 teams from Dallas typically go to Sectionals in 4.0, it tends to steal from the drama for the claim to City title.  Both teams wanting to protect self-rates, throw in the benches and have the oddest line up for City I have seen in some time.   (Well, maybe it has been only a year since BMO ungraciously “retired” at match point last year to take the easier flight the Wild Card was dealt.)

We still do not know who Viper (aka Somabut) has hidden in his squad of self-rates, but from the looks of things, I didn’t see anything unusual that makes me believe he has 2 singles ringers at hand.  He still relied on Kargel for one of his lines, but he most likely knew he wasn’t going to be challenged all weekend.   I guess we won’t know until Sectionals.  The question is, who got the easier path, the City Champs or the Wild Card.  Only Bob knows!!   

Anyhow, credit to Lifetime for getting past GTC to claim the title.

In the lower squadron of players but still not unnoticed, it was Commander Tom “Stinger” Jordan (aka Bender) who took top gun awards at the 3.5 level.  Having to duke it out with Sisk again, Bender prevailed again.  Like the 4.0 level, both teams get to go to Sectionals so all the cards aren’t on the table as to what both teams have, but my feeling is Bender is “jonesing” for not being at a National event for the past 10 months.  Looks like Sisk had another tough day at the office.

Well there you have it, the wrap up of the Dallas City Playoffs.  Congratulations to all the Top Gun Winners.  Go represent our city well in Sectionals!!

CF