Watching the ESPY’s? Here are some of my picks for dodgeball awards for the 2012-2013 Season!
Best Game- Ohio State vs Kentucky, Nationals 2013:
To be honest, not many people were talking up the Buckeyes as a potential Final Four team for Nationals 2013. Kentucky was seen as the co-favorite along with GVSU, as they were 20-1 at that point of the season. However, OSU was able to take a 2-0 lead going into the half, shocking the Wildcat faithful, using their catching and surprise power arms to give them an advantage. UK would not be denied though, evening up the score before the end of regulation. The OT period wasn’t as exciting as say SVSU/Kent or MSU/GVSU, but the entirety of the game was a good one, as well as the fact that there was more on the line in this game.
Best Upset- Western Kentucky over Saginaw Valley, BEAST II:
WKU and SVSU had a not so friendly rivalry at Nationals 2011, and WKU had never beaten a top four Michigan opponent. That would change, as WKU’s Assistant Captain Felix Perrone would lead the charge to take down the defending National Champions. SVSU would go on to win the BEAST II, and get revenge on WKU later on in the season, but for this one moment it was a huge victory for the Toppers.
Best Jerseys- Central Michigan University:
CMU had traditionally had boring maroon jerseys, even having Comic-Sans on their jerseys once. They changed it up this year, going with a yellowish-gold jersey that was really slick.
Best Single-Game Performance- Kevin Bailey (GVSU) vs MSU, December 2012:
Bailey controlled much of the play against the Spartans in regulation, then took out 6 of 8 Spartans in OT, including a monster catch on a 1 v 2 situation.
Surprise Team- Saginaw Valley:
They lost a bunch of players from their National Title winning team. They got smoked in their first tournament at OSU. Then they went on a mammoth run before losing to MSU in the Quarterfinals.
Best Comeback- Wes Peters, CMU:
Coming off a season when he tore his ACL (and still played at Nationals!) Wes proved to be an elite player for a Chips team that was severely undermanned.
Breakout Team- Towson University:
Towson had zero wins in 2011-2012, but improved to 6-11 in 2012-2013, earning the #9 seed at Nationals. The Tigers played well at Nationals, despite missing some of their top talent, and look to be a team to watch for next season.
Breakout Player- Kevin Bailey, GVSU:
Bailey was an All Star as a freshman, but became a member of the first team All-NCDA squad in 2013, dominated opponents all season and became a force known to the entire league this past season.
Blocker of the Year- Billy Cameron, Kent:
Kent relies on using their blockers to cover for their big guns, and no one does a better job of that than Cameron. He played injured at Nationals, but still made a big impact for the Flashes.
Catcher of the Year- Wes Peters, CMU:
Along with his partner in crime Brett Hadwin, Peters established CMU as one of the best catching teams in the country. Wes had a bunch of catches in his four games at Nationals, and kept the Chips in games with his defense.
Thrower of the Year- Wes Hopkins, UK:
Was there any doubt? 80+ mph throws makes him one of the most feared players in the league, and he destroyed anyone who came across him.
Unsung Player of the Year- Zach Ross, UK:
Ross is a dynamite player for the Wildcats, with good hands and ferocious speeds on his throws.
Captain of the Year- Zac Brown, UK:
His recruiting paid off over the years, as UK had one of the more talented rosters in the NCDA. He planned and ran a phenomenal Nationals, all while leading his team to the Final Four. Brown also got experience for some of his rookies, which will help the Wildcats in the future.
Best Player- Mark Trippiedi, GVSU:
MVP. National Champion. Michigan Champion. Mark showed off his wide array of talents to lead the Lakers to a title. He has soft hands, a fireball for a throw, and can dodge pretty well, to go along with great leadership.
Best Team- Grand Valley State:
National Champions, only lost to SVSU and JMU, won the MDC, and overall played phenomenally. But they also were the best sportsmen off the court as well.
Do you agree with these? What about any awards you an think of? Feel free to comment with your thoughts!
Another great article, Sam. Keep em coming!
Cool article Sam
Awwwh shucks, Sam. =)