Preview
Sweep Across the South Part Two
As the season begins, let's Sweep Across the South and learn about the region in the upcoming season. Next up: the Challengers, the next tier in the region who hope to take the Contenders to the brink.
The teams of the South are divided into five categories: the Contenders—made up of the top-tier teams in the region; the Challengers—teams that can knock off the Contenders on any given day, but haven’t yet reached the level or consistency of title contenders; the Competitors—middle of the pack squads; the Participants—the bottom tier of the region; and the Recruiters—the region’s dark horses that could surprise some teams.
Today we will look at the Challengers.
This group of teams is the upper-middle tier of the South. These teams have high athletic talent but not a clear identity or system that consistently puts out top-tier play. They all have the potential to upset the top teams at any given tournament, but do not have the reliability to join their ranks. Expect this group to have close competitions against each other and pull off an upset or two.
University of South Florida Bulls
Same story, different year. University of South Florida Bulls (USF) has returned with a small corps of physical, defensive-minded players that it is going to build around for the upcoming year. This year more than ever, USF lives and dies with its male beaters.
Strengths
Male Beating
USF is among the best—if not the best—in the region at regaining bludger control. Its male beaters allow USF to punch well above its weight class when it comes to snitch play and keeping games close against elite opponents. USF’s male beating talent was highlighted against University of Miami (UM) during the Miami tournament: its double-male set was the sole reason that USF held UM to a pair of 40-minute games.
Athletes
USF is consistently able to recruit athletic players and rapidly convert them into needed roles. Last year, USF brought more than three new players to each tournament, and by the following tournament they were in their permanent role.
Weaknesses
Chasers
The Bulls have relied on their beating corps in close games. The beaters are the base of USF’s offense and defense, and to become a top-tier team, USF will need to develop its chasers to win chaser-on-chaser situations. The Bulls lack an offensive identity, but have a good grasp on what they want to do on defense.
Personnel
Just like last year, USF starts out with less than half a full squad of returners and will supplement the core veterans with new talent. This weakness will be a strength when the Regional Championships comes around, as USF is infamous in the South for recruiting athletes.
Few and Far Between
USF has always had difficulty fielding non-male athletes. This is another systemic issue that prevents USF from becoming a top-tier team. With only a few non-male substitutes, the team breaks down against more balanced teams over a longer game.
Impact Players
Austin Webster: One of the most controversial players in the South, Webster is the primary returning male beater for USF. He contributed greatly to USF’s male beating corps last year, and he is one of the most physical beaters in the game. He excels at regaining bludger control, but he is prone to getting carded out of games due to his physicality. Webster is slightly above average when it comes to defense against chasers, but he is an absolute terror on offense against beaters, often taking both out of the play for USF to have a chaser-on-chaser battle. Webster is going to be the lynchpin of USF’s success this year and ultimately will be the foundation on which USF will build its team upon.
Jody Louis: After taking a break from quidditch, Louis returned to the scene with a bang. During the South Regional Fantasy Tournament, he single-handedly scored most of Black Team’s points. Louis excels in the fast break, often scoring before the defense ever turns around to reset. He is an excellent driver and is often the ‘finisher’ of a play. On defense, he is a competent and consistent point defender, having the lateral speed to keep opponents in front of him and the tackling ability to take opponents down, setting up his own fast breaks. Louis will be the catalyst for success within USF’s program and will often be the sole reason that USF stays in snitch range against elite teams.
Under the Radar
Andres “Dres” Cedeno: Cedeno is a chaser who joined USF at the tail end of last year. A tall and nimble player, he is regarded as the second coming of Sean Beloff, by none other than Sean Beloff. Look for him over the next few years to get exceptionally good.
Murphy Barthe: Tall, stout, and bespectacled, Barthe is one of the most underrated players in the region. He is an extremely physical keeper who is unable to be brought down by only one player. His shot blocking is above average, as is his field awareness.
Conclusion
USF is one of those teams that wins against teams it has no business winning against and loses against teams it has no business losing against. With new leadership under Baustin Archie and its infamous talent at on-campus recruiting, look for USF to have a slow start but to gain momentum over the course of the year that might result in an upset or two.
Quotes
#Defense. #GoBulls - Baustin Archie
College of Charleston Cougars
The College of Charleston (CofC) is one of those teams that defies classification. Its players have the skill and athleticism to be in the classification above this tier, but CofC hasn’t quite beaten the teams necessary to earn its place. Look for a possible break-out year for this team.
Strengths
Hidden talents
CofC had the highest snitch-pull percentage in the inter-regional Carolina Quidditch Conference— around 85 percent. The Cougars have added a third seeker to their roster this year.
Deceptively Quick
CofC is known in the South for its physicality. However, the Cougars were able to keep up with Miami’s high-powered offense at last year’s South Regional Championship because its chasers, beaters, and seekers are all quick.
Hey… Want to Play Quidditch?
CofC has between 35-40 regulars who come to each practice. A sign of a growing program is the ability to develop players over the years and the system to replace them when they leave. This season, the Cougars have received an influx of new players with football and rugby backgrounds in their chaser corps. The College of Charleston has grown immensely in the past four years and looks to continue moving up in the region in the future.
Weaknesses
Get on my Level!
The College of Charleston stepped up to the occasion multiple times last year, most notably at the South Regional Championship where it kept close to UM and USF. However, CofC struggled later to secure a World Cup bid against a much weaker South Carolina team. For CofC to move up to the next tier and challenge the elite teams in the region, it needs to be able to consistently put out strong showings against all levels of competition.
Oh Yeah! Those Guys...
CofC often goes out of region to compete against North Carolina teams, as most of the South Region tournaments are usually hosted in Florida. While interregion play is extremely beneficial, the lack of experience playing teams inside its region is something that may come back to bite CofC when the Regional Championship comes around.
Impact Players
Steven Schwark: Schwark is your prototypical upper-tier keeper: tall, filled-out frame, long arms. He’s a shot-blocker, a drive stopper, and is often the one to bail out breakdowns in defensive beating. Look to see him leading drives and calling the shots when he’s on the field.
Matt Corder: Corder is CofC’s premier utility player. He is skillful when it comes to finesse style of chaser; however, his speed causes him to excel at seeker. He has often been the difference needed in SWIM situations for CofC.
Erin Brown: Brown is the Cougar’s preeminent female chaser. A surprisingly good shot blocker as keeper, look for her to be mismatched against her competition.
Conclusion
The College of Charleston has all the tools needed to become a big threat to the region. If it plays its cards right, it can pull some major upsets when the Regional Championship comes around.
Quotes
"CofC has high expectations for this coming season. Last year was a great experience for us because we had both our high moments as well as our low moments and I believe that really brought us together as a team. We played some of our best quidditch late last season and I know we still have a lot more to offer!" -Steven Schwark, president
