2009-2010 Preview

A new year is starting. The schools are starting their semesters up again, which means only one thing: Discs are starting to fly. Schools around the bay area will start there practices and recruit players. This article is a preview to the year. Obviously no tournaments have been played, no games in the near future, but due to players leaving and returning this is the bay area's pre-season Top Ten rankings and explanation.

10. San Ramon Valley- The boys and occasional girl from San Ramon Valley have a really good coach and players that are dedicated to the sport. Last year they didn't have any girls, maybe one, so if they do get any for this year they will have to train them and train them fast. The boys at this school are intense on the sport and play with a passion that is needed for this sport. The lack of players though may keep them down. Even if they recruit a large squad that is a lot of training to do to raise them to a level needed to be at the top.

9. Miramonte- A historic program that has seen multiple great college players come out of it. Jake of UC Davis attended this school two years ago and End Phase players Robert Gormley and Ernst Westphal both come around and coach the team. Too bad both of these coaches have moved or left for college. The team has a lot of potential, especially with there ladies. They have two ladies that are fast and with more experience could help the Rogue Buck's put some W's on the board.

8. Foothill High- Depletion is the word I would use for this team. Their best male player J.T. has moved for his junior year back to ACLC (sounds a little fishy to me). With out J.T. Falcon Ultimate will struggle moving the disc around. They had J.T.'s little brother coming into the program too. If he has also transfered to ACLC than this team will not have any handlers. Their best player is Lisa P. Why do I call her Lisa P.? Well have you ever tried to pronounce her name? Not the point. This senior cutter is amazing. She skies adult players like no other. It is scary to think that she has only been player for about a year. Their coach is Allan Thoe of Jam, so yes they have great coaching but is that enough? Lisa can't do everything by herself. Their team will need to get some type of intensity before the season starts and want to get better and they better do this soon. Don't be surprised when they win though. They still have talent and anyone can throw junk into the air, and because of Lisa P. she'll probably come down with it.

7. Gunn- This team is unknown, but they have a lot of fun and have some tall players. At last years State Championship they they went 2-1 in pool play. They can make you pay if you screw up. If this team was young and is still around I wouldn't be surprised if they moved into the top five teams.

6. Georgiana Bruce Kirby Prep- This team has a lot of talent. They are coached by a Fury player, which means a lot of experience is filling the heads of the young men and women of Kirby. Their players like to huck the disc and the word is that they all are juniors now seniors. So this team should break the top five. If they actually are all on their senior year than this team has the ability to show alot of opponents up.

5. Menlo-Atherton- This team has a great corp of players. Who knows who was a senior last year but they are athletic, and can throw in the wind. If you can throw in the wind you can beat anyone. This team is also rumored to practice with Stanford University. Obviously trained by the best. If this team is the same as last year than they will be really good.

4. Granada High School-You may wonder how a team, who last year finished 11th at states, could possibly rise so high. Out of seven starters three are returning and they have numerous amounts of utility players back too. This team knows each other and being familiar with your cutters and handlers can help a lot. The down side of this team is that they are a "small in numbers" team. They have talent but do they have enough depth to make a run at winning tournaments? They may be a team that has enough skill to make it to semi's but will run out of gas and never make the summit.

3. Berkeley- This team did not finish in the top five at States ut they were young then. Some of their younger kids went to the Bay Area Disc Associations Ultimate Camp. Since I was a councelor their I know where this team is headed. With another year under their belt I can't imagine what they will be like. They can throw and run, and are coached by a wiley vet Jordan Rose. This team will have depth, but now they have to prove that they can step up with the big boys.

2. Redwood High- This team is always filled with young spirited talent. They have a way of beating you and you can't figure out why. At the Granada invite they faced ACLC in the finals and at the Foothill Invite Redwood won all there games but one. This year will be no different, i'm sure. Ron Rosano will have them prepared in the beginning and have them growing the entire time.

1. Alameda (ACLC)- Why not? No one can give a reason why Alameda shouldn't be favored. During the year they play as a whole unit: A and B players together. So, when they are ready to step up and take on a challenge as they get older, they have the fear already gone. This is THE school to beat. Their boys play in college tournaments and the girls do the same. Last year was the best chance for Dark meat to be de-railed, but of course it didn't happen. Eli Kerns returns to captain this team to the top. They picked up J.T. from Foothill, which he was the captain and best player at Foothill last year. These two will be impossible to stop. It's not fair to say that every other team is playing for second place but that is exactly how it feels. Sweet Meat, the women's team, has it's starters coming back too. This is the team of the bay, actually they are the program of the bay and everyone else is just in their way.

*If you didn't notice last year's runner up, Castro Valley High, is not on the list. That is because that team was all senior. There is a good chance that they won't even have a team this year. Can't rank them if they don't exist.