Force, Towpath, MVRC, & NCRC ... The Championship 3.0 Season Heads to Streetsboro!
After months of laborious 3.0 tennis, the top two teams in each Northeast Ohio Flight finally get to determine ONCE AND FOR ALL who is the best of the best when it comes to the near lowest-level rec-league tennis around! Travelling all the way to tropical Streetsboro and the Western Reserve Racquet Club, the four teams that have enjoyed the best 3.0 league seasons in recent memory (i.e., this year) will look to complete their pandemic-filled season with the highest level of team accomplishment possible in 2020 ... a District Championship!
But ... which team will emerge victorious? The internationally rostered, record-breaking, #1 seed, Force? Or will it be the experience laden Towpath squad at to their club's history of winning? But what about the upstart rookies (and family members) from MVRC, who are aiming to be, ahem, crowned, King's of 3.0 tennis? Or will the last minute Cinderella group from NCRC continue their fairy tale season? Read on for some incredibly irresponsibly written playoff previews that have absolutely no insight whatsoever!
Semifinal A: 1 Force vs. 4 NCRC
Force Preview
The #1 seed for a reason, Force boasts a tennis cornucopia of 3.0 talent! Starting with potential DFO Captain of the Year nominee, Captain Jeremy, he sailed his 3.0 tennis ship to the best record in both Flights, mixing and matching his talented, and in some cases, internationally born, squad throughout the year to guide them to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Indeed, the mark of any great leader is how they deal with adversity, and Captain Jeremy dealt with an early season injury to one of their top Canadian singles players, Roger, by finding another Canadian singles player, Andrew, who not only stepped in to help the team in their pursuit of Flight #1 glory, but also enjoyed individual success and a Flight #1 tying seven victories on the season (sidebar - Captain Jeremy's Canadian tennis pipeline, how does he do it?!)! No wonder there's talk of Andrew being up for both DFO Player of the Year and DFO Rookie of the Year, a double that has never happened before (quite literally, because we've never handed out pretend awards before)! In doubles, Captain Jeremy is spoiled with choices, but leading the way may be the best doubles tandem in both Flights, Scott and John, who are an amazing 5-0 together on the season! Add in their 3-0 mark from last year's Force playoff team, and that's a tandem that strikes fear in the tennis hearts of anyone they play (as long as the people they play are over the age of 18, per league rules ... plus, we all know Scott and John are cuddly tennis teddy bears when it comes down to it). BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! Rock star 3.0 doubles player Adnan, who tied teammate Andrew with seven victories on the season, is in the MVP race as well, as his 6-0 mark in 2nd Doubles with a multitude of different playing partners, clearly shows! Add in international north-of-the-border star Roger, who at 3-0 in doubles has clearly recovered from an early season set-back, and Captain Jeremy's hardest decision may be trying to figure out which shelf to put his team's 3.0 District Championship Trophy (or banner ... or medal ... or handshake ... or a ValuPak coupon ... we're not quite sure what is presented to the District Champion)! Add in Chris (2-0) and Anthony (1-1) and the Force team is one of the most talented and deepest teams in the entire bracket, definitely worthy of the #1 seed!
NCRC Preview
Facing Force is the #4 seed, the Cinderella story that is NCRC. Indeed, needing a last matchday victory, combined with some help from local friendly rivals Green, they got just that, and as such, NCRC makes the playoffs for the second year in a row! Make no mistake, however, qualifying for the playoffs out of rough-and-tumble, back-and-forth Flight #2, a Flight that was neck-and-neck all season long, is no small task, and NCRC has several 3.0 tennis tools at their disposal to give Force a run for their gas-money to Streetsboro!
First off, Captain Benjamin brings not just league, and not just tournament, but also playoff experience with him, showing he knowns how to navigate the pressure-packed 3.0 courts. Not only that, but this is the second straight year that Force and NCRC face off in the first round of the playoffs! WHOA! INSTANT CLASSIC!
Second, in singles, Captain Benjamin has one of the best Flight #2 players to choose from in Munir, who at 5-2 in singles on the season, enjoyed the second most singles wins in his Flight ... and is 11-4 all-time in that event! And if Munir can't go, Captain Benjamin can always call on ... CAPTAIN BENJAMIN! Just coming off his first ever tournament singles finalist finish at the Green Open Championships (which you can read about here, and why wouldn't you want to, because, spoiler alert, Benjamin played with a really, really nice guy who is very photogenic), Benjamin has a long history of singles play that could be put to use. However, and third, he also has a long history of doubles play that could be put to use, including a victory, in the playoffs against Force, last season! Captain Benjamin, 3-5 on the season but 11-7 overall in doubles, could team with an array of talented NCRC players, from Chester (19-17 overall in doubles), Leon (4-4 this season in doubles and 15-8 overall in doubles), or Dave (1-1 this season but 18-14 overall in doubles). But, and fourth, what will Captain Benjamin do when it comes to his raw but talented rookie crew? William, at 3-2, and Brian, at 1-1, have enjoyed fine rookie campaigns while Timothy, at 5-1 in doubles and 6-1 overall, has enjoyed such a great season that it'll be no surprise if he's up for DFO Rookie of the Year honors (surprise ... he is)! To say Captain Benjamin has some difficult decisions is putting it mildly, but to say Captain Benjamin has a worthy lineup is all but obvious!
In the end, does NCRC have enough to take down the #1 seed and avenge last season's 2-3 loss to Force in the playoffs? Or will Force continue their winning ways and repeat a trip to the finals? And, most importantly, will any of the players previously mentioned actually be available to play this weekend?! SO MANY QUESTIONS!
Semifinal B: 2 Towpath vs. 3 MVRC
Towpath Preview
Leading Flight #2 for pretty much the entire the season, it's no surprise that one of the most illustrious and history-laden 3.0 clubs in all of O-H-I-O is once again back in the playoffs. Partly because they have some of the most illustrious and history-laden 3.0 players in all of O-H-I-O, starting at the top with Captain Frank! With over 60 wins in his 3.0 career, there's one thing Captain Frank clearly knows how to do - win! (There are probably a lot of other things he's good at, as well, I mean, we don't want to pigeon hole him into only one skill set)
In singles, Captain Frank has Flight #2 singles victories leader Jason at the helm. Indeed, Jason, 6-2 this season and 12-3 in his career, also has an unblemished 1-0 playoff record, too! In doubles, Frank's hardest decision isn't going to be finding capable 3.0 doubles players but instead will be deciding which player's to put in, for his doubles roster is loaded! Will he team Craig (6-0) and John (6-1), both of whom lead their Flight in doubles wins? What about Bryan (5-2) or Mike (4-0)? And ... what about CAPTAIN FRANK?! THERE HE IS AGAIN! At 4-1 in doubles on the season, he's just one of the fantastic options Towpath has to go with. With a team this talented and this deep, it's not wonder why many are predicting this group to make a deep run at the District Playoffs (which is only two team matches, but still, that's relatively deep all things considered)!
MVRC Preview
That being said, if Towpath wants to make the Finals (which we assume they do, I mean ... STREETSBORO!), they will have to take out the rookie newbies of the District, MVRC! Perhaps a dark horse as the 3.0 season began (except to DFO, we nearly predicted it ... take our word for it and don't bother looking back at our actual words!), it became clear that the King's of Mayfield meant 3.0 tennis business as their family bond gave them the familial strength and genetic communication skills necessary to enjoy victories over every single club in their Flight, including this bracket's #1 seed! And even a late season injury to one of the many Rick King's couldn't stop them, and inspired, they played even better, enjoying the longest team winning streak of the remaining playoff squads!
And while Captain Rick has a plethora of King's to choose from, where he's going to put them is the big question. Rookie standout Christian, MVRC's top singles player at 3-2 could take the court with his consistent ground strokes but fellow rookie (and family member) Brian is 1-0 with his amazing consistency. In doubles, where the King Family communication really comes into play, Captain Rick has himself, teammate (and family member) Phil, and teammate (and family member) John to choose from, all of whom are 4-2 on the season. But the family depth doesn't stop there, for teammates Karl and Brian (shockingly also family members) are an impressive 3-2 in doubles on the season. So many choices! So many King's!
When all is said and done, will the King's family bond be enough to make the finals? Or will the vast 3.0 experience of Towpath prove the difference? Or will one team concede and not even show up (like the only playoff team I've ever been a part of did)?!
Whatever the case, congratulations to all on making the playoffs and good luck this weekend!
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