Injuries and roster issues plagued the Dizzy Llamas Dodgeball program early this season, ruining potential title contenders. Coming off two straight finals appearances (one championship), Orange started the season with news that Captain Shane Knowles would be having surgery on his knee, then interim captain Sean Morgan hurt his foot with just 3 weeks left in the regular season. In addition, 2009 Llama of the Year Scott Tarentino will be out at least two months with a shoulder injury. Through all of this, Orange finished the season 4th in the league, albeit resulting in a team that will send just 4 players to the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Black began the season with just 1 female on the roster, putting them at a game disadvantage before a single game was played. However, veteran Caitlyn Cassara returned to the court to help out her former team. Captain Greg Martinage has had a positive attitude throughout the entire ordeal, and it has paid dividends as his team finished the season strong and clinched the 8th seed for the playoffs.

Speaking of a positive attitude, Blue Captain Joe Tice has been the epitome of cool. His squad was the only Llama team NOT to make the Gold Bracket last season, yet he and his players stayed optimistic en route to a Silver Bracket finals appearance. Blue used that momentum to battle through attendance issues all season, staying in the top half of the standings throughout and stealing the 14th.

Speaking of the top half of the standings, Green managed to stay in the hunt for the Gold Bracket all season despite having 5 of 7 people playing in their very first Dodgeball season. 2nd season player Kessa Coleman played the leadership role on a team full of rookies. Two of those rookies, Spencer Carter and David Twomey, have taken to the game very quickly and look to be future all-stars. A team that was expected to finish near the bottom of the league, Green has stunned many opponents and with the 21st seed (out of 28 teams) are in great shape to battle for the Silver Bracket title.

Of course, the team that has battled the most adversity has definitely been White. The team began the year with 2 no-shows, leaving them with just a 5 person roster. The team also had an injury of their own, as Brooke Lindner broke her finger mid-season, forcing a roster move that sent Elizabeth Swanson from Blue. Through all of the problems, 2009 Dodgeball Player of the Year Tom Boates led his squad to a 25-5 finish over the final 3 weeks and claimed the #1 seed in the upcoming playoffs.

Green will be playing in the Silver Bracket on March 16th, with the rest of the teams battling for the championship in the Gold Bracket on the 23rd. For more information on the upcoming post-season, or results from all the Dodgeball playoff action, visit www.DizzyLlamas.com.

It took a year and a half, but reigning Dodgeballer of the Year Shane Knowles finally reached his ultimate goal.  And after a series against the Guerilla Bombers that found the Llamas down 0-2, It was Knowles who delivered the final knockout in Game Five to secure the BSSC Spring Dodgeball championship for Dizzy Llamas Orange.

Until the pivotal battle against the retooled Guerillas, Orange had swept through their first two opponents, including an opening round matchup against Dizzy Llamas Black.  Big guns Dave Benevides, Sean Morgan and Scott Tarentino grunted their way through both series with ease, saving Ashley Parker and Brielle Kissel who were destined to make their mark on a bigger stage.

Down 2-1 in the finals, it was Parker who widdled down the Bombers vaulted lineup, finding herself in a one-on-one matchup with “See Ya” Joe.  After defecting several of Joe’s high velocity tosses, Parker countered and fired a bullet that glanced off his hands and struck him in the head.

Game five was just as intense, as Parker and Kissel found themselves alone on the floor against three Bombers.  Parker now a target for Joe and Scott “The Commish” Buckley, the duo teamed up on a throw hoping to knock out the Llamas’ star before she could strike them.  The first ball Parker defected, but the second one drilled her right in the midsection.  The Guerilla Bombers started celebrating for an instant, but when the ball did not fall, the cheers started echoing from the other side of the court.  Parker had caught the ball somehow while crouched, sending Buckley off the court and bring Knowles back in to finish the game.

Joe was able to get Parker, but a quick toss by Kissel caught the ace off guard and sent him to the bench as Shane sealed the game by hitting the final Bomber with his laser, rocket arm.

The victory is the fourth dodgeball title for the Llamas, and the third in the last year.  Tarentino notched his third dodgeball championship, Parker and Benevides their second.  The last five BSSC Dodgeball finals have featured the Guerilla Bombers and the Llamas.  This win gives the Llamas a 3-2 edge on the series.

Never in Llama Dodgeball history has a season begun with such hope and anticipation as the 2008-09 Winter season. After taking home the title over the Summer, DL White reached the finals once again in the Fall yet failed to complete their task. All four teams reached the playoffs that season, finishing with a .500 record or better, yet there was still that final hill to climb over.

With 30 teams entered for the Winter season, the path would be much more difficult, yet everyone took it in stride, even as their teams struggled a bit more than the Fall. White once again claimed the #2 seed and reached the Gold playoffs, as did Black with the #6. Blue and Green clinched spots in the Silver playoffs, finishing #16 and #21, respectively.

The night began with the Silver bracket, as Green struggled a bit, yet held their own ground. As a team comprised mostly of young dodgeball prospects, they took their struggles as a lesson in humility and played the upset card in the final week of the regular season, going 7-3 and kicking teams out of the Silver playoffs. Mimi Drozd and Brent Soncini made vast improvements to their throwing skills, and Elizabeth Swanson provided much-needed leadership. Though they were eliminated in the first round, their confidence should carry over to the Spring.

Blue’s path through the Silver Bracket was a difficult one, but they stuck with it and made it all the way to the bracket finals. Without captains Mike Bizier or Jared Calise to lead the team, it was up to the rest of the squad to band together. Joe Tice made most of the stunning plays on the night, but it was Khristopher Miller’s patience and confidence that kept them in each and every game.

The Gold playoffs began late, and Black’s impatience to get things started showed as they took a 2-1 lead on their first round opponent. Rookie Kevin Neville was a great addition to an already-talented roster, and captain Brad Bodell kept the many skilled players in check. Their season ended quite unsatisfactory, yet the team’s dedication will surely carry into the next session, as the entire roster but 1 will be returning.

After the other three teams were eliminated, they settled in for the long road as White stormed through the Gold bracket. Winning their first two series 3-0, they were put face-to-face with their league rivals, the Guerilla Bombers. Captain Tom Boates orchestrated a the attack, while Erin Calamari, one of the best dodgers in the league, found herself in the end of every game. Although they were defeated in the championship game for the second straight season, the team’s will and determination should put them in a great spot for next season as well.

Great job by all four Llama teams, and good luck in the Spring season as DL goes for a 5th straight Finals appearance.

2009 kicked off with a bang as nearly fifty Llamas packed the Verona Restaurant in Watertown to celebrate the 2008 Golden Llamas award winners. Thank you for everyone one who made 2008 great, and here is looking to 2009 as a year that will eclipse it.

If you were unable to make the festivities, here is a rundown of the 2008 Golden Llama recipients:
Llama of the Year - Thomas Boates
Dodgeball Player of the Year - Shane Knowles
Softball Player of the Year - Jen Kuzmick
Soccer Player of the Year - Andrea Nykiel
Volleyball Player of the Year - Caitlyn Cassara
Basketball Player of the Year - Patrick Brown
Rookie of the Year - Scott Tarentino
Captain of the Year - Dave Claffey
Most Inspirational - Caitlyn Cassara

Most improved:
Dodgeball - Mike Bizier
Softball - Victoria Catalan
Soccer - Mark Goodman
Volleyball - Thomas Boates
Football - Danielle Sullivan
Ultimate - Erin Calamari
Basketball - Matt Guerra

The Dizzy Llamas had their most successful Dodgeball regular season in franchise history this Fall, having all 4 teams finish above .500 and gain a spot in the 12-team Gold Playoffs. Unfortunately, the Llamas bid for a second-straight championship fell just one match short.

The night began bitterly, as DL GREEN and BLUE were placed in a first round matchup, with the winner moving on to face DL WHITE. The rookie-laden Green squad had a fantastic season led by veteran David Claffey. “The Franchise” honed the skills of these talented rookies, including Brent Soncini and Elizabeth Swanson. Both teams created a uniform attack, throwing 3-5 balls at a time as a unit. Blue, led by Mike Bizier and Jared Calise, targeted Claffey for most of the match, which proved to be more difficult than expected. The match went to a 5th-and-deciding game, with Blue’s Khahn Tran coming up with a big catch late in the game to ultimately seal the victory.

In the 2nd round matchup, the defending champion DL White was taken by surprise, as Blue captured Game 1 in what was a back-and-forth, time-consuming battle. White captain Tom Boates calmed his team down, and although each and every game came down to the wire, White took 3 straight and moved on. Key knockouts by Dave Benevides and big catches by Scott Tarentino aided in White’s victories.

DL BLACK, having their most successful season ever, drew a matchup against Fantastic Domination. The power arm of Shane Knowles pushed the series to a 5th game, where most of the drama occurred. With each team having 2 players in, veteran Danielle Sullivan came up with the biggest catch of the night, creating a 3 player to 1 advantage. Two unfortunate knockouts would ultimately result in a 1-on-1 battle for captain Brad Bodell. One of Bodell’s throws would get deflected high in the air and caught, ending Black’s Cinderella season.

Back on the other side of the bracket, White cruised through their semi-finals match 3-1, setting up a rematch of last season’s championship bout with Guerrilla Bombers. The Bombers had plenty of time to rest before the finals, which proved unfortunate for the Llamas as they fell 3 games to 0.

All 4 teams pick the action back up in the Winter Season which begins next Tuesday the 25th, where the Llamas will go for a 4th straight Finals appearance. Congratulations to all 4 teams for their success throughout the Fall season.

It’s been a fantastic season for Dizzy Llama Dodgeball. With just one week remaining in the regular season, all four teams are at or above .500. If all goes well, it’ll be the first time in franchise history since expanding to four that all the teams have finished with a winning record.

The defending champion WHITE (50-9) team has kept up their winning ways, sitting at the top of the standings all season. Captain Tom Boates has been the wizard behind the team’s brilliant strategy, but the roster is solid from top to bottom. Thrower Scott Tarentino has been their top offensive weapon, while the trio of Ashley Parker, Cici Cassara, and Erin Calamari have been continually successful on the defensive side.

Contrary to white, the GREEN (30-30) roster is made up of mostly Dodgeball rookies. Softball transfers Mimi Drozd and Elizabeth Swanson have been a welcome addition to the sport, while new Llama Brent Soncini has been amazing on both sides of the ball, giving him a good chance at Dodgeball Rookie of the Season.

The other standout newcomer is on BLACK (41-17), who is having their best season in team history. Rookie Sean Morgan has been receiving the tutelage of 2-time Llama of the Month Shane Knowles, who says his protege has a good shot at not only being RotS, but also a long-time Dodgeball star. Veteran Danielle Sullivan has also helped with the team’s new success, being one of the most improved Llamas in the sport.

The fourth piece of this fantastic season has been the BLUE (36-21) team, who is also having their best season ever. Captain Mike Bizier has built a deep and powerful roster, with Jared Calise and Joe Tice succeeding on both sides of the ball. Vet Allie Greer has also been a welcome part of the team, even while dedicating her time to 2 other Llama playoff teams (Soccer, Football) this season.

Entering the regular season finale, all four teams have a great chance of finishing in the top 10 in the league, a feat that would put the Dizzy Llamas in position for a 3rd straight Dodgeball finals appearance, as well as a 2nd straight championship. Good Luck to all the teams and players involved.