Blackbears
Their story, Episode 1
The Blackbears, who would become one of the greatest teams on a Duke TIP campus, grew from something small. Started from an idea by Joe Lamb, who believed that there should be a third year team to go against the two heavily-favored 4th years teams, the Cobras and the Jewish cobras, a (mostly) third year team was born. Co-captain Davis Clifford aided Joe in attempts to find other ultimateers. The team acquired Reid, Ryan, Duke, Scott, Anna Leigh, Kelly, Brant, Ethan, Rusty, and after the final member realized he would be in the student-staff game, Roy left the 4th year team to join this team. Dubbed the name "Blackbears" by Ethan and Roy, the team came ready for action that Sunday evening, but little did the team know that there would be a triple header. The first game against the Watercolors, however, would be easily won by an 11-2 margin. We would truly discover how great each of our teammates were in that game. However, a somewhat worn out Blackbears team would have to face a fresh and rested Jewish cobras team, one of the two favorites to win the tournament. It was not close, as the Jewish cobras took the game 11-2. We would get a break in our next game, as Ethan needed one for his ankle, since the Beasts did not put up too much of a fight, and were easily taken care of 11-0. After a day of going 2-1, the Blackbears made the semifinals in the tournament, and would predictably face the Cobras, rivals of the Jewish cobras and the other favorite to win the tourney. With Monday off for the team, and Ryan given a chance to rest his madly swollen hand after not being able to play on Sunday, the Game Theory players would strategize for their next game instead of listen to the lecturing.
Wednesday came though, and Giles quad was the battlefield...
The Blackbears, this time wearing all black as a team (well, except the captains) prepared against the Cobras, wearing all white. Clashing colors would foreshadow one of the most epic games ever to happen in a Duke TIP program...
The Blackbears, underdogs to the Cobras, fought hard on the battlefield, like their opponent, as the game see-sawed back and forth between the nearly evenly matched teams. The Blackbears had their special weapons, Roy, going all out against the team he left, as he made tremendous grabs for the team, and Ethan, who complemented Roy on the offensive end, but Red, the Cobras' leader, after making a late appearance to the game, invigorated the team with his great skill, and Emma snuck behind the defense to make touchdown catches. However, the Blackbears battled back with heart, as players made amazing plays, like Duke's "not in my house" blocks, Davis' tenacious D, Reid's handling skills in the back, Ryan's intensity on and off the field, and Joe's effort to dive for every disk that came his way. Even Anna, Kelly, Brant, and Scott stepped it up to the max. The match was so close, it had to be continued the next day, with the Blackbears up 8-7. However, a winning team would emerge from the field, as the Blackbears left the quad victorious 11-8.
Contrary to the team's thoughts, they did not leave the field for long, as they stepped right back onto the field for the Championship game against the Jewish cobras, ready for battle in their blue attire. The Blackbears stepped up to challenge, slightly worn out, and fought once again against the only team able to defeat this underdog 3rd year team. This match was as epic as the one that preceded it, as the Blackbears started off hot with a deep pass from Reid to Ethan for the first score in a matter of seconds. The Jewish cobras wouldn't let that happen again, as they responded, and the game bounced back and forth between both sides, while all players on the field, both the Blackbears and Jewish cobras, played their hardest. However, despite some controversy over a couple of calls, the Jewish cobras were the better team in the end, winning 8-5 in a short match. So contrary to what the Jewish cobras TipWiki page says, they did not crush the opponent in every game they played.
Now the third year team that all started with an idea did not go all the way, but never before has a 3rd year team on a Duke TIP campus been able to do the amount of damage done in the Duke East Term 1 tournament. The term may be over, but the legacy of the Blackbears will forever live on as one of the greatest 3rd year teams in history...
Little did many know that the Blackbears would be back next year...
The Team, Ep. 1
Captain Joe Lamb(Midfield)-It all started from an idea. A belief that there should be a superior 3rd year team. Joe came up with that idea, and assembled the team. Always going all out for the team, Joe played with heart, and he would always bring it to the game.
Co-Captain Davis Clifford(Defense)-Leading the Blackbears alongside Joe, Davis, tall and athletic, was one of the premier frisbee handlers on the team. Mostly hanging back, Davis always made the important pass deflection to save a point against the team.
Co-Co-Captain Ryan Brumley(Midfield)-Unable to play any of the first 3 games of the tourney because of a swollen hand, Ryan helped lead his team with his support from the sideline. However, once he entered the fray in the semis, he showed to be another valuable member to the team with his intensity.
Reid Cimala(Defense)-The Snapple collector, Reid showed that when he's armed with a frisbee, he's got great skill. What he lacks for in size he makes up in insane handling skills. Helping Davis in the back for defense, Reid played to win each game.
Kelly Drumm(Utility)-One of the only two girls on the team (partially because of a little unorganization), Kelly played match after match without rest, and still was able to keep going for the team. Coming through in the last match, Kelly always brought it to the table.
Anna Leigh Keith(Utility)-The other girl on the team, Anna played for the Blackbears without much rest either. Armed with her height, Anna also steps up big for the team in the last match. Sadly, she doesn't plan to continue her ultimate career.
Alex "Rusty" Rust(Defense)-Only a second year, Rusty came onto the team with the least experience, but still managed to make an impact whenever he was on the field. With a smile on his face and a Seahawks hat on his head, Rusty embodied the soul of the team.
Brant(Offense)-A fellow 2nd year along with Rusty, Brant was not as experienced in TiP frisbee either, but still came through big for the Blackbears. Also usually wearing a hat, Brant improved for the team as the tournament went on, and looks to be a promising ultimateer in the future.
Scott Newman(Utility)-One of the later additions to the team, Scott joined the team on gameday and showed his stuff on the field. Scott would show that he was better than just a late addition, as he played smart and with skill for the team.=
Duke Njie(Defense)-Energetic at game time, Duke came to each game ready go go. Runnning all over the place, Duke made defensive blocks with his trademark "AHH", while aiding the team on offense. Patiently waiting for the right play, Duke embodied the team's intensity.
Ethan E.(Offense)-One of the more important players on the team, Ethan showed off his speed and prowess for the Blackbears. Doing most of his damage on the offensive end, he complemented Roy when it came to scoring...and touchdown dances.
Roy Collins IV(God/Offense)-Arguably the most valuable player on the Blackbears team, Roy took great advantage of his height and ups to make the soaring catch over opponents. Athletic and skilled, Roy helped lead our team all the way. Oh, and he did touchdown dances also.
this article by: Duke "not in his house" Njie with a TINY bit of help by: Cpn. Joe Lamb
Their story, Episode 2
After a great run but a somewhat disappointing finish at the Ultimate Frisbee Tournament in the previous year, the Blackbears, led once again by Joe Lamb, decided to regroup and attempt once again to claim the trophy. With several new additions, including David, Matt, Donald, Victoria, Colby, and Emma, along with returning players Ethan, Roy, Duke, and Joe, the Blackbears were loaded with firepower and armed to win the tournament. Having been deemed the favorites to win the competition, they would have to go through teams such as the East Nile Virus, the rival 4th year team led by Noel Thompson and Phil Halsted, Team Amurica, The renewed Watercolors, and various other teams, but only time would tell whether or not any of these teams could best the Blackbears.
The team's first challenge, at around 4:30 on the Circle Quad, would be against Team America, a second and third year team with high hopes of winning the championship. Although the team planned a shutout against the more inexperienced team, the Blackbears played a somewhat sloppy game, as everybody on the team thought, but still came out with the victory 7-3. Their performance, however, brought upon doubt on the team's ability to play well against other teams, and the ability to play defense. This led to the team dispute over whether to play a zone defense, like the Blackbears of last year, or a man defense, which would require more hustle than shown in the Bears' first game. In the end, they came to a consensus to stick with the man D, and the team was brought closer together for preparation of their next game.
The Blackbears' next game, occurring the following morning on the bus stop quad, was not nearly the challenge that Team America was, as it was a very quick, dominant 7-0 victory, just as planned. The team's spirits rose after their great performance, having qualified for the championship bracket. All they could do at this point was wait and see who they would play in the first round of the tournament.
The Blackbears, playing better than ever, would face the rival 4th year team, East Nile Virus, in the first round. Noel and Phil, having worked hard to build the team using tryouts and recruiting, led their team to face the favorites on the bus stop quad. Although the score was once again 7-0 in favor of the Blackbears, the East Nile Virus fought valiantly and never gave up at any point in the game. But while their hopes died, the Blackbears were one win away from seizing the victory that had eluded them in the previous year.
In the end, the championship battle would be between the Blackbears and the Watercolors. Last year, the Blackbears had easily beaten the Watercolors and ended their hopes of winning the tournament. However, now led by Brant, the third year who was originally part of the Blackbears last year, the Watercolors believed that they could upset the heavily favored 4th year team. The final match would be fought that afternoon...
After class that day, both the Watercolors and the Blackbears met on the bus stop quad to play one last game. Many believed it would be another quick victory for the 'Bears, but that was not the case. In the Blackbears' first challenging game of the tournament, Brant led his team to play a great and exciting game in the championship match. Although the Blackbears started off with a quick score, the Watercolors never fell behind by more than two points, and as soon as it seemed like the Blackbears were about to start a scoring run, the 'Colors always answered right back. As Brant almost completely shut down Roy, the team had to use other ways to score more often, and the rest of the team stepped up in the clutch to make big plays, as did the players on the Watercolors. However, at the end of the 55-minute hard cap, the scoreboard showed 7-5 in favor of the Blackbears. After what may have been the greatest game played in the history of TiP frisbee, the Blackbears finally were able to walk off the field as TiP frisbee champions. However, the story would not be completely over, as the Blackbears would lead many other students in the final competitive match of the term...
The Blackbears would be Polarbears for one last game...
To be continued...
The Team, Ep. 2
Captain Joe Lamb-Creator of the team from last year, Joe once again was captain of the Blackbears, and contributed greatly through his leadership. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/dnsoccer7/tip07148.jpg
Roy Collins IV-One of the more valuable players from last year, Roy used his athleticism and height to overcome many of his opponents. He was one of the members of Chocolate Thunder. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/dnsoccer7/tip07128.jpg
Duke Njie-A very intense player, Duke contributed most through his defense, off and on the frisbee holder, and he let his opponents know that it was DUKE'S HOUSE. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/dnsoccer7/tip07154.jpg
Ethan Edmondson-The fastest player on the team, Ethan made many clutch endzone catches with his Shazam ability. Always fired up for a game, Ethan was another important player to the team. The second member of Chocolate Thunder. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/dnsoccer7/tip07121.jpg
Emma Johnson-One of the newcomers for this year, Emma is unarguably the most experienced player on the team and probably the whole camp, and her frisbee wisdom and smarts were invaluable to the team. Was on the Cobras last year. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/dnsoccer7/tip07134.jpg
Victoria Vaccari-Another newcomer, Victoria was somewhat new to playing frisbee competitively, but she grew to be one of the better girls in the camp. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/dnsoccer7/tip07144.jpg
Colby Wilkason-Also new to the team and also new to competitive frisbee, Colby also stepped up to contribute to the team and also became a valuable member of the Blackbears. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/dnsoccer7/tip07140.jpg
Matt Ritchie-New to East Term 1 and the team, Matt's frisbee handling skills were essential to the team's success, and his knowledge for the game also greatly added to the team. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/dnsoccer7/tip07136.jpg
David Richardson-Also new to East term 1, David's great athleticism and frisbee handling skills helped him dominate both on the offensive end and the defensive end. The third member of Chocolate thunder. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/dnsoccer7/tip07135.jpg 
Donald Moratz-Part of the Cobras last year, Donald's intensity helped out the team on defense, and his throwing skills improved as the term went on to help out with the Bears' offense. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/dnsoccer7/tip07147.jpg