Championships Preview

After a break in CCFA action that has lasted since February, foosball is coming back in full force for the second biannual Championships. It's going to be a demanding week for the twenty cousin-athletes participating in the games, and anything could happen, but I still took the liberty of ranking them in order of their likelihood to achieve the ultimate prize: foosball immortality.

1. Jared: It's never been easy to count this one out. Ever since he jumped to the top of the foosball world in his CCFA debut at the St. Anthony 2010 Championships, Jared has shown no sign of slowing down. Instead, he has established himself as the man to beat, with a sizzling career record of 54-3, winning two Dixon Classics and a Championship along the way. Without a shadow of doubt, the road to the Championship goes through Jared. 

2. Seth: Probably the best foosballer never to win a tournament, Seth likely has the best chance out of anyone to upset Jared and take home the trophy. He has a frighteningly fast-paced style - when he gets angry, spectators are lucky to be able to see the ball as it flies into the goal - that confuses younger opponents, so he should be able to sweep the group round and make it to the semifinals fairly easily. In his first and last CCFA Championship appearance, Seth will try to get even with his brother and solidify his position as one of the best ever.
3. Ryan: It's hard to make a case for Ryan as the second best player in the tournament, and it's even a bit of a stretch to put him at third, because of how little he has played in regular seasons. The most impressive item on his resume, however, is too substantial to overlook: he's handed Jared two of his three career losses. Ryan, like Seth, has never won a tournament, but he's got a little more time to get things right.
4. Zach: The oldest cousin in the family has one shot at the title before he leaves for college, literally. The Championships will be his last public appearence before making the drive down to college and ending his foosball career. Two years ago, before he was a member of the CCFA, Zach put a beatdown on newly crowned champion Jared in a series of unofficial games. He has since been out of practice, however, and could be one of the first Primeros to go down. If he can get on a roll in the group round and carry some momentum into the second round, he could be a serious title threat.
5. Kahlin: Much like Zach, Kahlin has showed some potential in the past, winning the inagural Wacker Classic in 2011, and playing in one of Jared's closest games this year, losing 11-7. Unlike Zach or Seth, however, this is likely not Kahlin's last shot at the title - he has two more years.
6. Alex: Alex has yet to prove that he is a top-tier foosballer, but hopes to do so this year. He's going to be right at home at Paradise Point, with all its water sports... home field advantage?
7. Jennabee: Another cousin with a lot of potential. Kahlin claims her to be the best in the family, but she has yet to be truely tested against players outside of her family.
8. Erich: Erich has turned down all but two challenges to play in an official game this season, both of which he won to earn the fourth seed in the tournament. However, his lack of practice could come back to get him when he reaches the elimination round, as a likely match-up with Zach looms large.
9. Henry-Jon: Nothing would please the youngest player in the league more than proving his doubters wrong and making it to the second round. His goalie shots confuse the best of them, although they can make his game a little predictable. While it's likely that this isn't his year, HJ has the heart to become a foosball legend.
10. Rachel: With only a 3-7 record last season, Rachel looked as though she would be no large threat to anyone this year, but she put together a surprising turnaround, going 3-3, including an impressive 10-6 win over Jerome, avenging a loss in the 2011 Campbell Classic title game.
11. Jerome: A lot of people expected more from Jerome this year than a 2-5 record, but he didn't play in any cupcakes - he played Jared, Zach, Alex, Rachel, Tim and Miriam, beating the latter two. After looking like he was on the rise to greatness with his Campbell Classic win last year, Jerome has disappointed some but shown that same fire in a couple games, including an impressive 10-2 beatdown of Miriam.
12. Tim: There are times when Tim can go off for several unanswered goals in rapid succession. He claims almost every time that he has no clue how the ball went in. He then can follow it up with a run of missed saves and botched shots. In short, he's the most spontaneously and unpredictably explosive player in the league. With a respectable 3-2 record this year, he's earned a spot in Jared's group with a good chance to take the second playoff spot in that group from Asha.
13. Miriam: Being in the third in the CCFA's strongest family isn't easy, and though Miriam showed glimpses of promise this year, she stumbled in some games, such as a 10-2 blowout at the hands of Jerome. The Championships will be a good measuring stick for her progress.
14. Isaac: Having just moved to the Palouse from New York, Isaac's foosball career has yet to truely start, so a lot remains unknown about his abilities. His one game, a 10-0 loss at the hands of Jared has landed him in a group with Seth, HJ, and Miriam, all big contenders for the elimination round berths. It appears he'll have to learn the ropes in the Down In the Dumps Tournament.
15. Sarah: With a very impressive record of 6-9, Sarah was far and away the most successful player in the lowest division of the CCFA. She trains against Jared several times a month, and she could pull off a few upsets if she is overlooked. It would be very surprising if she made it to the single-elimination round, but Sarah is a real threat to win the Down In the Dumps tournament.
16. Asha: In the two games she has played this year, Asha has performed fairly well, with a solid 10-3 win over Caroline and a 10-5 loss to Tim. She's going to be in the thick of the race in the DID tournament, and she has plenty of time to progress.
17. Caroline: Prior to the 2012 season, Caroline only has 1 win, from the 2012 DID. This year, she's been slowly making progress, posting a 2-9 record. It's another building year for Caroline, but the Championships will be a good place to take some steps.
18. Jacob: He dropped from 3-7 in 2011 to 1-5 this year, but last year, all three wins came against Nigel, whereas this year his victory came against Sarah, a worthy opponent (Sarah would later beat Jacob 10-1). In a tough Group D, any scenario where Jacob doesn't lose out would be favorable. Like Caroline, this is a building year for Jacob.
19. Nigel: In Group E, the only game in which Nigel should really be able to compete in will be the last one against Sarah. Sarah won both matchups in the regular season, both 10-9, and a win over one of his biggest rivals would be monumental.
20. Eliza: No one has seen a Eliza play very much, so she's a big unknown. Best case scenario for Eliza would be the top seed in the DID tournament, and the worst would be an early out in a DID play-in game. 

#2 Ryan vs. #3 Seth

In a this hotly anticipated matchup between two of the league's top powers, Ryan entered at a perfect 5-0, having recently upset Jared, and sitting comfortably at the second spot in the rankings. Seth has also had a run of success recently, at 4-1, with his only loss coming to Jared.

Ryan drew first blood in the contest, punching in a goal with his forward, but it was all downhill for him from there. Seth battled to a 3-2 lead, then put together a 6-1 run during which it seemed that he could do no wrong. His midfield knocked in shot after shot, and in the end, though Ryan made a valiant attempt at a comeback from a 9-3 deficit, the lead was too much to overcome. Seth took the game and the second place ranking from Ryan, 10-6.

Rankings Week 6

1. Jared
2. Seth
3. Ryan
4. Erich
5. Zach
6. Asha
7. Rachel
8. Jennabee
9. Jerome
10. Henry-Jon
11. Miriam
12. Tim
13. Kahlin
14. Alex
15. Sarah
16. Nigel
17. Jacob
18. Caroline

Mumford Classic

Going into this year's Mumford Classic, Zach, one of the top players in the CCFA, had a huge chip on his shoulder: He had never actually won a CCFA tournament. Zach's critics had often brought up this point to question whether he really belonged in the top of the rankings. Now, finally, he has that big win, hanging on to beat Alex 11-8 in a win punctuated by one final triumphant goalie shot.

Rankings Week 5

The Mumfords came to Conifer Lodge with high expectations of extended family domination, but left with dashed hopes. Nigel was the first to fall victim with two heart-breaking 10-9 losses to Sarah. Zach and Alex, who both had aspirations of toppling Jared from the top spot in the rankings, both fell at the hands of the defending champion, 10-3 and 10-2 respectively. Despite these early disappointments, Zach dismantled Alex, 10-3, and Alex fended off Jerome, 10-8, causing the rest of the cousins to refuse to accept challenges to play the Mumfords. As a result, the four brothers did not make as big an impact as they hoped, but they still shook things up.

1. Jared
2. Ryan
3. Seth
4. Erich
5. Zach
6. Asha
7. Rachel
8. Jennabee
9. Jerome
10. Henry-Jon
11. Miriam
12. Tim
13. Kahlin
14. Alex
15. Sarah
16. Nigel
17. Jacob
18. Caroline

We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.

Take a good look at the Week 4 Rankings, because they're about to get shaken up. The Mumfords, Campbells, Dixons, and Wackers are all headed to McCall for a neutral site foosball extravaganza at a site just a few miles away from the 2012 CCFA Championships venue.

Added to a largely familiar cast of competitors, however, will be a highly potent Mumford quartet that not only has an unmatched passion for the game of foosball, but also has established a number of rich rivalries with their inland cousins.

This first glimpse of the Mumfords in 2012 will have a huge impact on the rankings and on the hearts of CCFA fans everywhere. With emotions running high in a sold-out Conifer Lodge, here are just a few of the matchups that the die-hard Mumford faithful have to look forward to (outside of immediate family matchups, which are always a must-see).

Zach vs. #3 Seth

What's at stake: The two oldest players in the CCFA have yet to win a single tournament, and time is swiftly running out to do so. Zach's mission is just around the corner, leaving him just one last shot at the CCFA Championships, and perhaps one Mumford Classic. Seth's prospects of boosting his CCFA resume don't look much better, as he has time left for only one more go at the Championships, and two family tournaments. If these two don't meet in the tournament, this could be their last game against each other, so this one is for all the marbles.

Who will win: Zach, who will likely play this game after a series of warm-up matches against lesser opponents, will have shaken off all the rust and will be at the top of his game for this one. Seth, however, has an insanely up-tempo style of play, the likes of which Zach has never played against. Seth will finally get the quality win that he's been searching for. Seth 10, Zach 7.

Zach vs. #1 Jared

What's at stake: Whether before or after he takes on Seth, Zach will challenge Jared for his top spot in the rankings. Jared, who has left the #1 position only once in his career, is in danger of becoming #2 again, and because most of Zach's other games will only pad his ratings, Zach, with wins over Seth and Jared, could leapfrog Jared to #1 and enter the 2012 Championships as the top seed.

Who will win: Jared has been known to get a little cocky every once in a while, and riding a six-game winning streak, this could be the perfect time for Zach to knock him back down to Earth. Come tournament time, Jared will be kicking himself for letting this one get away. Zach 10, Jared 9.

Alex vs. #2 Ryan

What's at stake: Since the CCFA's inagural year, where Ryan fizzled out in the first round of the Outcast Invitational after a second place finish in the Championships, Alex has maintained his claim that Ryan is not a top 2 player. Last season, Alex added fuel to the fire with a pair of victories over the younger cousin in July. Ryan could lose all that he has worked for this year, and fall back into the middle of a tight race for tournament seeding with a loss, and Alex must prove himself right to be in the running for the top spots in the Championships.

Who will win: It's awfully hard to go against Alex on this one. Alex was 5-1 last year against opponents not ranked #1, and has showed vast improvement since his disappointing finish in 2010. Ryan, however, has been on a roll (5-0) ever since he knocked off Jared in his first game. Ryan's streak will eventually end, but not today. Ryan 10, Alex 6.

Alex vs. #1 Jared

What's at stake: It seems that not a thing in the world will give Alex more pleasure than beating Jared at a sport. The fact that Jared is the winningest player in the CCFA does not daunt Alex; a win would be that much sweeter. Alex is going to be hungry, and if Jared isn't careful, he could end up on the wrong end of a shocker. Jared is trying to maintain his status as king of the hill, and Alex will attempt to loosen Jared's grip on the top spot in the rankings.

Who will win: Alex is the better trash-talker, but his ability to get into the mind of his opponent will not faze Jared, who has heard it all from Alex in years of competing with him in a myriad of different competitions. Jared will control the tempo, interspersing slow stretches with psychedelic bursts of speed, ultimately closing out with his foot on the gas. Jared 10, Alex 4.

Tim vs. #4 Erich

What's at stake: Erich has only played one game this season, so although he is ranked fourth, there are many speculations as to whether he really deserves the spot. A win against Erich would be enormous for Tim in a year where the Killer Whales are right in the thick of the scramble for seeding. On the other hand, Tim hasn't done much to alleviate the sting from his 10-0 loss to Alex last year; an 11th place finish in 2012 wasn't much help. Tim and Erich both have yet to prove themselves.

Who will win: Tim's personality simply will not allow him to lie down and lose. Erich will build a small lead early in the match, but Tim will refuse to come out on the wrong end of this one. Tim 10, Erich 8.

Tim vs. #6 Rachel

What's at stake: 2012 has been a breakout year for Rachel, who ended last season ranked 12th, the lowest of any Killer Whale. She nearly upended Ryan, and put Caroline and Sarah to shame with blowout wins. Tim has had no such luck, and is hoping to improve on a couple of two win campaigns in 2010 and 2011. Tim must elevate his level of play if he expects to make it to the single elimination round of the Championships this year.

Who will win: Tim's persistence will again be a factor. His aggressive style of play will cost him a few goals, but Rachel is not used to a quick tempo, and this one will be over quick. Tim 10, Rachel 6.

Nigel vs. #13 Jacob

What's at stake: This rivalry will likely shape up to be one of the best in the CCFA in a few years, but now, the two are competing in an attempt to stay out of the bottom of the seeding. This matchup is, for both sides, one of the few that they will play this year that will be winnable, mostly because they have trouble seeing over the edge of table. Jacob won both games against Nigel last year, and Nigel, who is still looking for his first CCFA win, would love to pick it up here.

Who will win: It's a tough call, but Jacob has been in a slump since narrowly escaping with a win against Sarah, and Nigel's quick reflexes will make all the difference. Nigel 10, Jacob 9.

Rankings Week 4

There were 30 games this week, with some new faces joining the mix, most notably Seth and Rachel, who both were quick to take their places at the top of the rankings. Seth's only loss was 10-6 to top-ranked Jared, and Rachel's were to No. 2 Ryan and Miriam. Miriam upset Henry-Jon, 10-8, avenging a season-opening loss, and Henry-Jon's day didn't get any better, as he was on the wrong end of a 10-2 game against Seth. You can check out the rest of the scores at the Scores page. Here are the rankings:

1. Jared
2. Ryan
3. Seth
4. Erich
5. Asha
6. Rachel
7. Jennabee
8. Henry-Jon
9. Miriam
10. Kahlin
11. Jerome
12. Sarah
13. Jacob
14. Caroline

JARED 10 SETH 6

Rivalry games between the top two Dixon powers, Seth and Jared, are always surrounded by an enormous amount of heated intensity and have title implications. Nothing much has changed, as Jared's controlled pace of quick accelerations and one touch met with Seth's fast-paced, powerful 50-shots-a-minute style, and the result was almost mind-boggling to watch.

"I usually slow things down every now and then, and control the tempo a bit more," Jared said post-game, "but I never even tried against Seth I just put my foot on the gas and never took it off."

The result was a lightening fast jumble of superfooses, goalie shots, and impossible plays. After less than a minute of play, the game was knotted up at 4-4, but Jared continued to elevate the tempo, his goalie working overtime, and his strikers on warpath. when the dust cleared, both were gasping for breath, but Jared had secured another signature win and improved to 11-1 with a 10-6 win over then-no. 3 Seth.

Jared...What happened?

When Ryan beat Jared 10-8 almost two weeks ago, it signified more than the return of a new, rejuvenated, re energized Ryan, it was the end of an age of dominance.

Whether it is a result of an increase in skill in the rest of the CCFA, or a loss of talent, Jared is no longer the Goliath that he used to be. He has held the top spot in nine of the ten rankings released, but he is no longer a lock to win every game. Even before the game against Ryan, one could have seen the signs. Jared allowed four points to Henry-Jon in consecutive games, and had trouble closing out against Kahlin, barely escaping with a 11-7 win.

"I'm not as good as I used to be," wrote Jared in a released statement. "It's as simple as that. I have slower reactions, my timing is off. There's a lot to work on." Jared's strikers did indeed look a little rusty, and his defense allowed a goal to Jacob, the same player he defeated 11-0 in last year's Dixon Classic. He held a thin 4-2 lead over Miriam before he closed out, the same player over whom he cruised to a 10-0 win last year.

With Ryan's win, it became clear: Jared is not in his foosball prime anymore. Expect much tighter competition in this year's CCFA Championships. Jared's games are getting closer, and Seth, Zach, Kahlin, Ryan, Alex, Erich, and Jerome are all waiting for him to stumble, in which case any one of them has the potential to lock up the CCFA Championship.

Rankings Week 3

Miriam became the latest to benefit from a last-second goalie shot, boosting her to a 11-6 win over Caroline and leapfrogging her over Jennabee, Jacob and Caroline to a sixth-place spot.

1. Jared
2. Ryan
3. Erich
4. Henry-Jon
5. Kahlin
6. Miriam
7. Caroline
8. Jacob
9. Jennabee
10. Sarah

Rankings Week 2

How about Jacob's start to the season? The youngest player from the Dixons got it done against Sarah, 10-8, and claimed the 6th spot for the first time in his career.

No more real news from Moscow other than Jared bouncing back from his first loss of the year with an 11-0 win over Caroline, which was not only the first shutout of the season, but also tied Jared's own record for the biggest blowout ever.

Without further ado:

1. Jared

2. Ryan

3. Erich

4. Henry-Jon

5. Kahlin

6. Jacob

7. Caroline

8. Miriam

8. Jennabee

10. Sarah

Déjà vu! Ryan beats #1 Jared!

Déjà vu is defined by Dictionary.com as a: Disagreeable familiarity or sameness.

On Monday, as Jared dropped the ball to start his game against Ryan, his mind was cast back to a game almost exactly one year ago, a game also against Ryan, Ryan's first of the season. Ryan happened to win this game 10-9. Both games were played in Moscow, in front of a home crowd for Jared. Both started out with Ryan jumping out to a quick lead.

"I must admit, the similarities crossed my mind more than once," said Jared. "I was hoping the end result would be different."

Jared was granted his wish. Ryan, who held an early 5-3 lead, matched #1 Jared blow for blow. A player who looked inconsistent last season and admitted to having "emotional problems" in 2011 put on a solid defensive display that was more than a match for Jared's usually boggling array of tempo changes, quick crosses and powerful point-blank shots on goal, most of which ricocheted harmlessly off of the sides of the goal. The end result was a 10-8 Ryan upset, a different result than last year's season opener, but not the one that Jared was looking for.

After the shocking turn of events on Monday, Jared had only one explanation for his disappointing setback: "Déjà vu." He's dead right.

After another win on Monday, a 10-1 blowout of Sarah, Ryan is 2-0, and poised to be a huge contender in the Summer Classic, the Granddaddy of them all: the CCFA Championships.

A Suprising End to a Two Year Boycott...

The CCFA is pleased to announce the appointment of its new commissioner Emily Campbell. The hire by league founder Jared Dixon comes as a surprise move as Emily has boycotted the league since its founding in 2010. However, she deemed it necessary to end her boycott and the perceived corruption in the CCFA leadership (due to the number one player also being the league commander in chief). Emily has promised to be completely free from bias, however she has released an official statement stating that if Jared continues to PLAY like the number one player, he will continue to BE the number one player. We sincerely hope that you will join us in welcoming our new commissioner to the CCFA

2012: Ryan has something to prove.

Ryan. Two people come to mind at the mention of the name.

First, there’s the player who rode a 5-0 run into the inaugural CCFA Championship game and upset Seth in the Outcast Invitational. This player entered the 2011 season with enormous hype and a tournament with his name written all over it. This Ryan won a hard-fought 10-9 match against the defending Champion, Jared.

Then, there’s the Ryan that we all saw stumble to a 6-5 record in 2011, dropping from the top spot in the league to third after being beaten twice by Jared, and suffering losses to the likes of Alex and Jerome. Ryan lost thousands from a once electrified fan base. What happened?

“I think I had some emotional problems that interfered with my game,” Ryan told reporters. “But that’s all over now. I think this season is going to be a whole other ballgame.” This explanation makes a lot of sense. A very low morale cost him the Campbell Classic, forfeiting the first game of the tournament. A similar attitude was apparent in a midseason loss to Alex, the last game that Ryan agreed to play in the 2011 season.

Ryan needs to make a move that will restore confidence in his fans, and one that will rocket him to the top of the new rankings. It sounds a lot like he’s put last season’s disappointment behind him, but he needs to prove that. In short, he needs to challenge the player who started it all to kick off his season. If Ryan is serious about reworking his image, he needs to play Jared.