Straight up, the South Central Regional is the one I am least familiar with in the WFTDA. I have caught a team here and there, but living hundreds of miles away, I don’t get to see these teams on a regular basis. Since the theme of this tournament season has been upsets, I have decided this week to pick a few of my own. If I am wrong, I am wrong, if I am right then I will rub it in Kool Aid and Vince Hannity’s faces every time I see them because that’s what friends do to each other. So here it is, my final picks of the WFTDA Regionals.
Tank’s Bracket Picks
Game 1: No Coast vs. Hard Knox: Both teams have improved significantly over the past year, but I am predicting that No Coast in the better team in this match due to them defeating stronger opponents this year.
Winner: No Coast
Game 2: Houston vs. Memphis: Houston’s tournament experience is going to be a huge edge for them here and it will help them get a very decisive win.
Winner: Houston
Game 3: Dallas vs. Nashville: Nashville was a very sexy pick earlier this year, but a motivated Dallas team is a one dangerous one and they will be very motivated for this tournament.
Winner: Dallas
Game 4: Kansas City vs. Tampa Bay: Kansas City has the experience edge in this one. Tampa Bay has great athletes but penalty trouble continues to bite them this year. Look for Kansas City to exploit that.
Winner: Kansas City
Game 5: Texas vs. No Coast: Texas gets the win here to start their ascent back to the South Central Championship game. They are just to much for No Coast to stop.
Winner: Texas
Game 6: Atlanta vs. Houston: Atlanta is the better team in this game as they have been steam rolling the other SC teams this season. Look for that to continue here.
Winner: Atlanta
Game 7: Memphis vs. Nashville: Nashville gets back to what they have been doing all year and that is beating teams that are ranked underneath them. Look for them to continue that trend here.
Winner: Nashville
Game 8: Hard Knox vs. Tampa Bay: This should be a fun game to watch, but Hard Knox doesn’t have a deep enough bench to match talent with Tampa Bay.
Winner: Tampa Bay
Game 9: Texas vs. Dallas: Dallas has never beaten Texas and I don’t see that trend changing here.
Winner: Texas
Game 10: Kansas City vs. Atlanta: Atlanta beat Kansas City by 13 points at home. Atlanta plays a very physical game, but at the tournament level that can get you in penalty trouble. Atlanta is going to need bodies on the floor to counter act Kelley Young and Dementia.
Winner: Kansas City
Game 11: No Coast vs. Nashville: This game is a total tossup. I give the edge to No Coast in this one as I am predicting that it is their time to shine in this tournament.
Winner: No Coast
Game 12: Houston vs. Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay gets the win here with their superior jammers and pack play.
Winner: Tampa Bay
Game 13: Memphis vs. Hard Knox: Someone has to leave in 9th place and someone has to leave in 10th. Based on their recent past meetings, I give the edge to Hard Knox but with these two evenly matched teams it could go either way.
Winner: Hard Knox
Game 14: Nashville vs. Houston: Hopefully this game gives us a close match up. I am not sold on either team as being head and shoulders above the other, but I will give the nod to Nashville in this one.
Winner: Nashville
Game 15: No Coast vs. Tampa Bay: A lot of people are going to pick Tampa Bay in this one but I have been burned one to many times by that pick in 2009. No Coast gets the victory and will use this win as momentum for next year’s SC Regional.
Winner: No Coast
Game 16: Atlanta vs. Dallas: Dallas and Atlanta are 2-2 lifetime against each other, that being said Atlanta has taken the 2 most recent games. Upsets have been the theme of this year’s WFTDA Regionals, so I am going to jump on the trend and say Dallas gets the W.
Winner: Dallas
Game 17: Texas vs. Kansas City: Speaking of upsets, I think Kansas City can get the win in this one. When I saw them live this year, they looked great and played like a team. I like their pack play and I think their jammers have the athletic ability to go full tilt jam after jam in this big game.
Winner: Kansas City
South Central Wrap Up
Kansas City, Texas, Dallas, or Atlanta will presumably come out of the South Central tournament with bids for the WFTDA Championship. That being said, I don’t see any of these teams having an impact in Chicago. I don’t see the South Central making a lot of noise this year in the Championships as I think the 2 and 3 seeds will get picked off in the first round and the 1 seed is going to be in for a hard battle especially if they get matched up with a 2 or a 3 from the West or East.