After a grueling regular season, the stage was set for an epic one day, winner take all battle for the title of 2022 Continental Pickleball League Champions. Without further adieu, the full recap is here:
First Round Matchups:
#6 Keck’s (Ryan & Katie) vs #11 Brown’s (Mike & Jerica)
Two expansion franchises kicked off the 2022 tournament with an intense battle. The Keck’s were looking to top an impressive debut season with a storng run in the tournament but got out to a shaky start with Mike and Jerica ripping out of the gate to build a 5-1 lead in Game 1. Katie snuck in an impressive sideline shot just past the wide reach of a diving Mike sliding into the recyclables to jumpstart a comeback. The Keck’s would not look back to take game 1 by an 11-5 score. After swapping sides of the court, Ryan settled into a zone powering the Keck’s to an 10-0 lead on his first serve and had Jerica spinnin around the court like the Tasmanian Devil. The Brown’s would not be pickled, but the deficit proved too much to overcome as the Keck’s moved to the qurterfinals with an 11-1 victory.
#3 Brown’s (Kurtis & Chelse) vs #14 Wesienburger’s (Curtis & Rose)
Our next matchup featured Rose and Curtis looking for the upset over the third seeded Kurtis and Chelsea. The Weisenburger’s came out with some vigor with Rose even questioning “who is that man?” on her team as Curtis impressed with some high level returns throughout the matchup. Chelsea and Kurtis however, powered past the Wesienburger’s with an 11-2 win in Game 1. Curtis and Rose would not go down without a fight however keeping the match close at 3-4 with the serve until Kurtis showcased some nifty dink work to earn the serve back. It was all Brown’s from then on, cruising to the quarterfinals with an 11-4 win to take the match after game 2.
#4 Morgan’s vs #13 Sullivan’s
Next up, Ben and Hannah were fired up and ready to take on the Morgan’s. Ross and Catlyn were in party mode all week with the Birthday girl and Jax both celebrating another trip around the sun this week. They continued that party on the court with some terrific play early and had Ben and Hannah providing constructive criticism for one another throughout Game 1. Morgan’s would take that game 11-4. Ben and Hannah battled back valiantly in Game 2 and kept the match close until Ross and Catlyn made the last little run to win the Game 11-6 and move into the next round.
#5 Miller’s vs #12 Schmidt-Kotter
With Jess busy winning some hardware for our Post 541 Ladies softball squad on the softball diamond, Nate was called to fill in with his wife to battle the first couple of Continental. In a rematch of a highly entertaining bout from the week prior, both teams were looking good early and often with the passion of playoff pickleball elevating the effort all around. In a game that never saw either team ahead by more than 3 points throughout, Renee backhand proved to be the deciding weapon with the Miller’s earning Game 1 by a score of 11-8. Game 2 was marked by several impressive rallies once again by both squads. Allison would have an emphatic slam shot though to end the game 11-6 for the Schmidt’s to set up a determining 3rd game. The Schmidt’s raced out to a 5-0 lead to start. That run was answered by a 5-0 of their own by the Miller’s with Renee serving and Matt painting the sidelines like an artist to tie the game up. The Miller’s momentum would hold true the rest of the match, winning by a final of 11-6 to set up a showdown with the Morgan’s in the quarterfinals.
#8 Wagner’s vs #9 Tegenkamp’s
With Juice’s partner for life away on money-making duties, Allison stepped in to provide support for Juice in the match against Todd and Michelle who were looking to make their mark in their first tournament appearance. With Allison already warmed up and Juice spinning his shots well, the Wagner Team raced out to a quick lead against the Tegenkamp’s in game one and never looked back, winning 11-2. Game 2 was an entertaining duel and the Game stood at 5-5 in what seemed like a chess-match. Allison and Juice broke the serve and got hot at the right moment however and scored the last 6 points to move on with an 11-5 win.
#7 Zimmerman’s vs #10 Van Ham’s
Fresh off of work and sporting his patented 2 shirt loo on the pickleball court, Mark and Kelly were ready to take down their rivals, Rob and Lisa. Mark and Kelly kept in close early in Game 1, but Lisa found her touch and Rob went on a run to win Game 1 with an 11-5 score. Game 2 saw the Zimmerman’s roar out to a monstrous 10-0 lead. In true Mark fashion, the Van Ham’s would not go quietly however as they scored 4 straight points and were turning the tide. An unfortunate hit into the net, however, gave the serve back to the Zimmerman’s and Rob capitalized to earn the victory 11-4 and earning the final spot in the quarterfinals.
QUARTERFINALS:
#3 Brown’s vs #6 Keck’s
Kurtis and Chelsea came out in their qurterfinal match against Ryan and Katie on fire and built a 10-3 lead in game one. Ryan and Katie showed their resiliency however and scratched and clawed their way back to a 10-8 game in this hard hitting match-up. Kurtis and Chelsea were able to break the serve and cash in, 11-8 with a terrific rally that saw the final point sail out of bounds off the paddle of Ryan. Game 2 again saw Kurtis and Chelsea sprint out early, this time 8-1 and sensing that semi-final spot in their grasp. Ryan and Katie, though, again showed their heart like the proverbial turd who won’t flush and would not go away. This time getting it back as close as 8-9, the Keck’s ooked to be on the verge of forcing a game 3. Kurtis however had other plans and powered the Brown’s to the last 2 points needed to move onto the semi-finals 11-8.
#1 Keck’s (Scott & Stephanie) vs #8 Wagner’s (with a Schmidt)
Looking to complete the 3-peat, the back to back defending champs were shot out of a cannon and up 9-0 before you could say Hakuna Matata. Allison and Juice would battle back a bit but Stephanie and Scott just couldn’t miss and went on to win 11-5. Game 2 saw the Keck’s looking to execute their gameplan successfully and they rolled to an 11-3 win to secure their spot in the Final Four.
#4 Morgan’s vs #5 Miller’s
An epic battle was on tap as Ross and Catlyn were looking to take down Matt and Renee with the winner earning an opportunity to knock off the back to back champs. In one of the best matches in CPL history, neither team would be able to separate from the other by more than 4 points at any time. Tremendous rallies and incredile returns showcased the skill of both teams as they traded Games 1 & 2 with the first game going the Morgan’s way, 11-8 and the second going to the Miller’s 11-7. Game 3 was again hotly contested with the score sitting 8-6 in favor of the Morgan’s in the waning stages of the match. Renee and Matt were able to ratle off the next 5 points to earn the win and their spot in the semi-finals.
#2 Donaldson’s vs #7 Zimmerman’s
With the final spot in the semi-finals on the line, Rob and Lisa were on the court versus the Donaldson’s who were seeking their second consecutive Finals appearance. Brian and Sarah came out aggressive, looking to build a lead early and took Game 1, 11-2. After switching sides of the court, Rob and Lisa scored the first point of Game 2, but Sarah and Brian would control the rest of the game, winning by an identical 11-2 score to move in the semi-finals.
SEMI-FINALS
#1 Keck’s vs #5 Miller’s
The Final Four kicked off with Scott and Stephanie looking to make a statement against Matt and Renee. They raced out to a big lead early and never let up pickling the Miller’s 11-0 in Game 1. True to form, the Miller’s never back down and made the Keck’s earn everything in Game 2. Scott and Stephanie just seemed like no shot would miss however and they secured their trip to the final with a 11-6 win in Game 2.
#2 Donaldson’s vs #3 Brown’s
The final spot in the Finals and the right to challenge the back to back champs was on the line as Kurtis and Chelsea faced off against Brian and Sarah. With both teams feeling each other’s gameplans out early, points were hard to come by on the outset. Soon though, Sarah was able to get on a roll from the server spot for the Donaldson’s however and they never looked back to win Game 1, 11-3. Game 2 saw a similar start with both teams playing tight defense early keeping scoring opportunities to a minimum. The momentum found its way on the side of the Donaldson’s however and they carried that to an 11-5 win to set up a rematch of last year’s final.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
#1 Keck’s vs #2 Donaldson’s
The stage was set for the grand finale of the season with the Donaldson’s looking to upset the Keck’s who had yet to lose a match in 3 years of CPL play. The Keck’s started out on fire, painting the inside lines of their shots and playing their patented brand of mistake free pickleball. The Donaldson’s battled close but fell in Game 1, 11-6. Switching sides for Game 2, the rallies got longer with harder shots by both sides looking to gain the edge on the other. Brian was able to sneak a shot down the sideline and in for the final point in Game 2 to win 11-7 and set up an instant classic Game 3. Sarah was dropping those third shots perfectly into the kitchen and both teams playing stifling defense requiring multiple slam shots to earn the rally. With the Donaldson’s up 6-3 Sarah hit a fantastic shot into the short corner. Somehow, someway, Scott got a diving paddle on it. Despite nearly clipping the rafters overhead, the shot dropped inside the backline and broke the serve. From then on, the Keck’s would score 8 of the last 9 points to complete the 3-peat and earn the title of 2022 CPL League Champions 11-7.
Third Place Match:
#3 Brown’s vs #5 Miller’s
Admittedly, the sideline reporter needed a beverage and food break and missed most of the third place match. Apologies for the lack of detail on the outcome, however the Brown’s won in consecutive games to finish in third place on the season.
Thank you all for a wonderful season. I appreciate not only the fun competition, but the comraderie of friendship and good conversation, not just for the adults, but the kids as well. All season long, it has been just as fun to watch the kids play with one another so well and have so much fun (most days-haha). It’s crazy to think we have already done this for 3 years now started in the midst of a pandemic to now, but I am excited to see what the future will bring. Thank you all again!