The 2026 South Dodgeball Cup saw a rematch of the 2025 Cup in the title game between the Northern Kentucky Norse and the North Georgia Nighthawks. In an overtime thriller, Northern Kentucky prevailed 4-3 to repeat as South champions. Here’s how each team performed.
Northern Kentucky (2-0)
The reigning South Dodgeball Cup champions came to Dahlonega extremely motivated to keep the cup with the Norse. After a 5-2 win over Alabama, it was clear that this year’s title game would be a repeat of the 2025 SDC title game against North Georgia.
In a tense, emotional match, the Nighthawks took Northern Kentucky to overtime, where #28 Braylon Patton led his team to victory with a double catch to seal the match in overtime. Patton, a captain for the Norse, states “when we were down 2-3 with 5 minutes left with me and Will Strong out, we thought the game was over and we lost the cup.”
However, the rest of the team had different plans as the NKU supporting cast willed them back to tie the game. Patton highlights “Sean Cancel, he stepped up so much during the South Cup… he proves that he’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Ultimately, Northern Kentucky left retaining the cup with high hopes as they jump to #11 in the nation’s standings. However, even with a cup win, the Nighthawks stay on their tail at #12. It seems that the Norse will make the most noise from the southern region during the playoffs, but history proves that anything can happen.
North Georgia (1-1)
The Nighthawks continue to play competitive dodgeball in the Southern region, breezing to a 6-1 victory over Alabama to start the day. In the title game against Northern Kentucky, the Nighthawks built a 3-2 lead as the clock winded down, but they were unable to hold off the Norse and went into overtime.
Going into OT, captain Julia Mahoney felt that “Our rookies… were a huge reason why we made it into overtime in the first place. We rode that mindset into OT, where we got our two strongest captains, two wild-card catchers, and two game-ready rookies.”
North Georgia fostered great confidence as it came down to the wire; Mahoney adds “we felt like the lineup we had on that OT6 could compete with any other 6 in the NCDA with tons of throwing power, catching, and game knowledge.”
Although North Georgia lost the title game against Northern Kentucky, they played their best dodgeball so far this year in that match, with the throwing of Peyton Bowen and catching of Matthew Bender at the backbone of the team.
Alabama (0-2)
Alabama continues to display confidence while making great leaps in their game. After a 2-5 loss against #1 Ohio State energized the team, the Crimson Tide came into the cup with a real possibility to pull off an upset.
Alabama began with a 1-6 loss against North Georgia, scoring their first point against the Nighthawks in 3 match-ups this season. Captain Dominic Lang and Kobe Menifee stood out in the first match with strong throws, playmaking, and court vision.
The Crimson Tide have fared better against Northern Kentucky so far this season as opposed to North Georgia; the latter play a super athletic game which highlights weaknesses in catching and dodging abilities, while the former play more coordinated and dynamic, which the Tide more closely resemble.
With a 2-5 loss, Alabama leaves without a win, but high spirits persist in Tuscaloosa during their first year in the association.
South Dodgeball Cup Overtime 6
Peyton Bowen (North Georgia)
Matthew Bender (North Georgia)
Braylon Patton (Northern Kentucky)
Sean Cancel (Northern Kentucky)
Dominic Lang (Alabama)
Nick Rossini (Alabama)