FIREWORKS IN DETROIT

Summer League round 5~~

A lot of fireworks took place during round 5 of the DAC summer league. No, no, not on our squash courts, but on the Detroit riverfront where the annual shooting-off-pretty-explosions-in-the-sky attract thousands of people from all over the state and cause the highways to be shut down. Turnout for the fireworks was a lot lower than anticipated, and the turnout for the squash was pretty much as anticipated – minimal.

Of course, that didn’t stop “Serves You Right” from still picking up 7 bonus points, keeping up their significant average for the season. The summer league teams do not have any captains, but special mention must be awarded to Josh Slominski who has taken on that job anyway. It’s remarkable what an encouraging e-mail can do once or twice a week to the team players. Their ever increasing lead atop the standings is proof in the pudding.

For the next couple of weeks, the remaining 7 teams will be competing for the other three finals positions. In a surprise move, the team that picked up the second most points this week (16) was “Art of Incompetence”. Lingering 7 points back at the back of the standings last week, they pushed themselves all the way to 7^th position, jumping over “Coordination Zero” who picked up the least amount of points this week with an inadequate 6. “Art of Incompetence” still have work to do if they wish to make it to the post-season, but at least they have now given themselves some glimmer of hope. Sixteen points in two weeks is still a lot to make up, however.

In individual performances for round 5, Esther Thomas (“Nick-Knacks”) continues to fly the “girl-power” flag high and mighty with her 4^th 2-1 win of the season. She is yet to lose a match. Jeff Gembis (“Serves You Right”) has been struggling this summer to find his winter form, but slowly it’s returning. He scored his first win of the season with a 2-1 triumph over Scott Langenburg (“Art of Incompetence”). Steve Boloven (“Point of No Return”) handed John Parnell (“Nick-Knacks”) his first loss of the season with a strong 2-1 victory. Steve has now scored the most points (so far) for his team this season.

We have 2 rounds to go. Time flies. Mark July 8 on your calendars because that is the last day you can get your matches in. You don’t want to be the team that misses out on the finals by one point because you arranged your make-up match on the 9^th by mistake…