Saturday, September 27 kicked off dodgeball in the southern region in a historic matchup between Georgia’s two schools. This year, however, the NCDA welcomed the University of Alabama (Bama) into the league as the Crimson Tide faced Georgia Southern University (GSU) and the University of North Georgia (UNG). Here’s a look at how each match-up went.
Game 1: UNG vs. GSU (8-3)
Although GSU has recently begun to prevail over their upstate rival, with a roster of just 7 they came in at a monumental disadvantage against UNG’s eighteen-person lineup.
The Nighthawks came out swinging to start the match, forcing two balls over on GSU just in the first five minutes of the match. From then on, it was the superstar throwing of Ezekiel Fowler and sophomore captain Henry Bowman that led UNG to an 8-3 victory over captain Tyrek Grant’s Eagles.
Despite facing what UNG founder Kyle Dattelbaum calls “the best team UNG has ever put out,” GSU refused to stop fighting, earning 3 points that sent a unique energy into the crowd. Nonetheless, we still saw the dominating potential that GSU has always carried, and there’s no telling what they’ll be able to do with a full twelve.
Game 2: GSU vs. Bama (5-4)
GSU carried that energy into their second match of the day, against the newcomer Alabama Crimson Tide. With strong throws and superb survivability, captain Teree Woodard brought the Eagles up 2-0, then held the Crimson Tide off in a decisive 5-4 victory. In the end, GSU left everyone curious to see how they’ll perform in November at the inaugural Crimson Chaos in Tuscaloosa.
In the first competition for Alabama, they stunned the crowd by putting on a blockbuster performance against GSU. After trailing 3-1 in the first half, the young Alabama team managed to tie the score heading into the second half, led by founder Avery Weathers and captain Dominic Lang. After 9 nail-biting minutes to kick off the second half, GSU regained the lead going up 4-3, before the Crimson Tide quickly responded with unnerving catching by freshman Trey Carodine, tying it up once more. In the end, Alabama was unable to catch up, staying down 4-5 at the final whistle.
Game 3: UNG vs. Bama (6-0)
In the final matchup of the day, the Nighthawks stayed relentless, shutting down Alabama for 2 straight halves and taking home a strong 6-0 victory. Finishing a point in under 3 minutes, the Nighthawks left with a ceiling that has never been higher in the history of their program.
Although unable to score a point on UNG, Alabama left with tons of potential, as it’s clear that experience is what they need most to start winning matches.
On the Horizon
Each team went home uncertain how the rest of their season will go; the Nighthawks are reaching unprecedented heights, the Eagles are still unsure how they’ll perform with a full roster, and the Crimson Tide are still the youngest team in the league with only 1 tournament under their belt thus far.
In November, the three teams will meet once more in Tuscaloosa for Alabama’s inaugural home tournament. With a lot left to prove for each program, the Southern region ought to tell a sensational story as the season goes on.