Last Sunday, January 30, nine teams met for the second consecutive week to battle for two hours on the hardcourt. Diversiteam turned in another solid performance this week, as did Phili, both eliminating any and all opposition in their paths.
While these teams lit up the court with their electrifying performances, several others struggled mightily. Team Jacked issued another subpar performance, falling to Griffin and Co. despite jumping out to an early 5-0 lead. Their struggles continued throughout the day, recording only one victory. Team Smooth failed to show for a second straight week and appears to be out of the league without ever playing a game. Team Tight, led by the commissioner, faculty member Mr. Ken Howell, had another solid week, taking down Griffin and Co. in back to back games and then disposing of the Crew. The ever popular, highly regarded Crew turned in a shoddy performance this week, losing to Phili, Griffin and Co., and Tight. While many team members attempted to feign interest in their games, teammate Sean Tomlinson disregarded this act of reverence altogether, resorting to tactics such as leg grabbing and doubled-over laughter on the court. One important member of the Crew failed to show, however, as they were without the services of Nick Dell. Seniors JP Ackels and Thomas Hughston attempted to carry the team with their inside-outside threat, but they were unable to consistently knock down clutch shots throughout the day. Feeling the effects from the night before, the Crew’s effort was a major disappointment, but perhaps the thorough beating that they took will inspire them to double their efforts. Meanwhile Griffin and Co. continues to hover above the .500 mark, improving its record to 6-4. Next week, Brian Buell and Ben Wright will take their talents to BG & Co., which will likely make for a dramatic improvement on the court. Ideally, Chris Steiner, the heart and soul of the team, will rejoin BG & Co. on the bench to provide moral support and comedic relief. While the season is still relatively young, the contenders are beginning to emerge and exercise their dominance over the lesser caliber teams. With months to go, this JBA season appears to be one to remember.
