1st and 4th Club Crowns First "Ascendants' Cup" Winners

Competition was stiff this year as teams were drawn per the standard lottery provisions of the codified by-laws. In keeping with all the legalese involved, Will "The Thrill" Davies returned to Lancaster County for his first game of subbuteo there in 15 years. His son Calvin assisted Mark in keeping the lottery above board -- even when Vader's helmet split into three pieces and dumped the names across the floor of the garage / game central.

Mark -- quite possibly the most elite of players in the club if not the world -- would find himself saddled with The Blur, whom street cred and enigmatic ID photo not withstanding, is far from one of the top 5 in the club. Reunited, Behemoth Junk would reinvent itself as the Miami Streetwalkers. Mark, the talent, would dish out the damage on offense and razzle-dazzle the crowds with his ball control and shooting skills. The Blur's game plan going into the partnership: "Don't mess up". For him quicksand is one scary Motha'-Flicker. All in all, he kept it together even when he botched shots and opened up a never ending corner kick scenario after time had run out at the first half of the final game against Firewrists and the ringer he brought in to partner with -- how convenient that worked out for him, don't you think?

(the line-up)

Firewrists & Co. would find themselves in overtime penalty shots for both the semi-final round and the final round for all the licorice contained within the highly coveted and often controversial "Bastards' Cup". In truly epic fashion, the game came down to father and son squaring off, but the young padawan would learn a harsh lesson that evening as Mark demonstrated in modest fashion that you don't have to have a flashy nickname to be the Master of the Game.

Dubbed the "President's Cup" team after all the lots were drawn and before the tournament began that 8 o'clock hour on July 3rd, the Miami Streetwalkers would do what no team has done before -- shove that title down the throats of their opponents. Holding that title and winning the tournament to claim the "Bastard's Cup" earned them the honor of becoming the "Ascendants' Cup".

When asked about the win, The Blur commented on how surreal winning felt. He attributes the team's success to the leadership and tutelage of Mark. "A few months back he gave me some pointers on how to improve my ball control and shooting ability. I took it to heart and trained and trained. His knowledge of the game is staggering. And when I'd mess up in the tournament...especially in the championship game, he'd play it off like it was nothing, give me a wink (but not a wink like they do in Twilight), and get us right back into the game, which helped me keep a positive attitude and stay focused."

At 12:45 AM on July 4th, the champions were crowned. To borrow an out of context direct quote from approximately that moment, Mark said, "As it should be."

Here are a few photos of pivotal moments in the tournament that show just how the range of emotions and pressures felt by the field of participants.

"The Tension"

"The Horror!"

"The Thrill"

"The Spill"