Do you feel that? That electricity in the air that brings water to your nostrils and tears in your eyes. That feeling that only the beginning of June brings each year to residents of Continental. And no, we are not talking about the pollination season for those blasted Cottonwood trees. It’s Pickleball time baby!! And Season 3 kicked off with more action than ever last night! Check out the Results below:
Match 1: The Miller’s vs The Sullivan’s (Ben & Hannah)
Serving off season 3 in the primetime slot, the Miller’s were out to give Ben & Hannah a proper welcome to the league moment! Ben and Hannah were not intimidated however and earned the first point of the season to seize the 1-0 lead in Game 1. Air Miller took exception to the expansion team’s quick start, rolling off point after point en route to an 11-3 win. After touching tips and switching ends of the court, the youngest Sullivan team came out with aggression, once again seizing an early lead, 3-0. From there on out, however, it was all team Miller, with Matt and Renee using their experience to score the next 11 and win the match with another 11-3 win.
Match 2: The Brown’s (Kurtis & Chelsea) vs The Brown’s (Mike & Jerica)
Our second match of the day was more than a friendly game of Pickleball. The right to being termed Browns 1 was on the line. The stakes were huge for Mike & Jerica, especially considering this was their first match in the CPL. After a brief rule refresher, Kurtis and Chelsea were off and running quickly. Some of the things being said on the court by our newest team’s female member cannot be said on the internet without charging more money, so we will just leave it with Kurtis and Chelsea shaking off some early rust to cruise to an 11-1, 11-1 straight win sending Jerica and Mike home with the blues.
Match 3: The Brown’s 1 (Kurtis & Chelsea) vs The Miller’s
Our evening’s first 2 winning teams were matched up for a battle for the initial top spot in the league. Both teams started finding their groove and some great rallies were had with points being earned, not given. The Brown’s were able to come on late and take Game 1 by a score of 11-8. Game 2 began and Chelsea slowly started to build steam with some big time slammers brough to you by Kool-Aid Jammmers and Kurtis landing some big time drop shots to control the pace of play. In a moment’s notice, Kurtis was called out for hero duties and Mike volunteered to jump in and help secure the 11-4 win for Team Brown. Reporters after the game overheard Matt stating the turning point in the match was when his serve height was questioned, showcasing the psychological warfare part of our beloved sport.
Match 4: The Brown’s 2 (Mike & Jerica) vs The Sullivan’s (Ben & Hannah)
The next match featured our newest teams facing off and both searching for their first wins in CPL play. Played was delayed a moment to start when a crazed fan stormed the court refusing to let go of Jerica, kidnapping her for the match. Chelsea was kind enough to step in to recprocate the assist and this game was on. Points were at a premium in the early going with both teams testing the other’s defenses to no avail. Mike and Chelsea were able to break through at the right time however, and took Game 1 11-6. The second game again saw everyone with some terrific shots but in the end, Mike and Chelsea secured the win for Team Brown #2 11-3.
Match 5: The Miller’s vs the Brown’s #2 (Mike and Jerica)
A sibling rivalry was on the line as Renee and Matt took on Jerica and Mike in a very competitve match with family bragging rights on the line. Jerica was not going to miss this as the previous game’s crazed fan was appeased for this monumental matchup. Two games were just not enough for this matchup as the Miller’s took Game 1, 11-3 with the Brown’s taking Game 2, 11-9. The deciding game 3 startd out all Matt & Renee building a 10-1 lead. Mike and Jerica refused to back down however and battled back to make it a clsoe contest. In the end, however, Matt was able to secure family supremecy, holding on for an 11-9 win to take the match.
Dad duty prevented leagues sources from witnessing results from a cross-town friendly between the Morgan’s & the Sullivan’s. Thankfully, they are scheduled again later in the season, so they will use that result for the tournament seedings.
Match 6: The Morgan’s vs The Wagner’s
Our next bout of the evening was an intense match-up between Juice & Sarah and Ross & Catlyn. Both teams settled into their games quickly and some terrific rallies were witnessed with each teams slapping the ball back and forth with precision and pace. Juice and Sarah were able to go on a run at just right the time in both matches, winning straight games 11-6 and 11-2 to earn the match.
Match 7: The Schmidt’s vs Team Schmidt-Kotter
Regardless of outcome, history was made with Team Schmidt-kotter blasting through that glass ceiling becoming our first and only all-female squad in CPL. Newly sponsored by the New Balance dad kicks, Damon and Erin were looking to give their sponsors a nice return on investment with a win. The ladies worked through some early growing pains with Damon’s length and ambidexterity creating advantages for Team Schmidt, which they were able to propel to 11-3, 11-7 wins to start the season.
Match 8: The Morgan’s vs the Schmidt’s
Points were definitely earned in this matchup where raliles were long and same amazing shots were sometimes bested by even more amazing shots. In a highly entertaining matchup well worth the price of admission, the Morgan’s pulled ahead to take Game 1, 11-7. Ross and Catlyn continued to roll into Game 2 taking the early lead which they would never relinquish, taking the game with a final of 11-3. Whispers of marriage counselling were heard amongst courtside fans, so we would like to take this moment as a disclaimer that the league is not responsible for any marital issues that may result on the pickleball court.
Match 9: The Wagner’s vs Team Schmidt-kotter
Juice and Sarah looked to continue their winning ways while Allison and Jess looked to build that chemistry in the opening weekend’s grand finale. Another fantastic match was on hand with both teams showcasing their talents. In the end, the Wagner’s made the key plays at the key moments and earned the straight game win 11-6, 11-5.
And with that Week 1 was in the books. Tune in next week as our reigning champs make their season debuts in addition to another expansion team. Thanks everyone for being flexible with the schedule this week with all of the last minute changes. Hope you all had fun and see more folks next week!