2009 USCA Northeast Regional Croquet Championship

Write–up and Results

by John Woodside, edited by Ben Morehead

On August 11 ^th, the Lenox Croquet Club of Lenox, Massachusetts welcomed 24 players and guests to an opening reception and sign–in catered by club members at the club pavilion. After pick–up games, practice, cocktails, and snacks, everyone scattered to be ready for an 8:30 start the next day. Under the careful supervision of Abbott Coombs, play proceeded in four singles blocks — two championship, one first, and one second — plus two doubles blocks. Handicaps in championship ranged from –0.5 to 4.5, in first from 5 to 8, and in second from 11 to 14.

Competition was heavy with all striving to reach the singles ladders on Saturday; eight would reach from championship and four each from the other two flights. With the exception of a few games late Wednesday, the weather held and was mild for August. Since everyone had an average of three games a day, all stayed close to the two full–sized courts around the pavilion where toast and tally was served up nightly.

In championship, Ben Morehead alone went undefeated in block play to reach the number one slot in the final championship ladder of eight players. Patrick Little, attired in a sartorially splendid selection of knee–high socks and regimental colours, took the second ladder place. The top four were rounded out by Chris Loat and David McCoy.

Meanwhile, in first flight, Jim Turner also went undefeated edging out Priscilla Lamond by one victory. Martie Ekstrom and Harvey Geiger close behind completed that ladder. In a tight second flight, Nancy Fremont came in first on net points followed by Brian Scanlan and Tom Gilbert. Bobbie Shorthouse took the fourth slot. The stage was set for the tournament dinner on Friday and completion of doubles play the next morning, followed by the ladders.

After a relaxing and convivial evening at a local pan–Asian restaurant, players began final doubles play. The team of John Schott and Jim Turner took first place in championship followed by David Ekstrom and Barbara Leeming. In first flight, Martie Ekstrom and Nancy Gilbert prevailed over Pat Colt and Tom Gilbert.

Ladder play began with Ben Morehead facing Peter Hull, Patrick Little, and David Ekstrom. When the smoke had all cleared, the final match–ups were Ben Morehead against David Ekstrom, Jim Turner against Harvey Geiger, and Nancy Fremont against Brian Scanlan. Jim Turner took first to match his first in championship doubles, while Brian Scanlan won a close final in second flight to net 35 tracking points for the tournament and be its top advancer.

After a barbeque lunch, the championship final began with Ben Morehead winning the toss.

1. Morehead enters the game with Blue and shoots to corner IV.
2. Ekstrom enters with Red and shoots to the middle of the north boundary.
3. Black enters the game, and joins Blue.
4. Yellow lays up 12 inches from hoop 1.
5. Blue sets an on–court rush for Black to wicket 2.
6. Red waives.
7. Morehead thinks with Yellow guarding hoop 2, it would be more prudent to attack with Blue. Black then sets an on–court rush for Blue to wicket 2.
8. Yellow waives.
9. Blue rushes Black from corner IV to wicket 2, makes the hoop, and has a perfect rush to hoop 3. But Red, sitting nearby on the north boundary, tempts Morehead to consider doing a swap (creating a three–ball break as follows: Blue rushes Black near Red, croquets black to 3 as Blue goes to Red, Blue picks up Red off the north boundary, and croquets Red to 4 as Blue goes to position at 3).
   Morehead deems the swap too risky, and decides to two–ball it. He two–balls it through the Lady’s Mile. After making hoop 6, Morehead rushes Black to eight feet south of one–back. He overhits the take–off, and sends Blue 10 feet north of one–back. Morehead misses the long hoop shot at one–back, leaving Black and Blue on court at wicket 2.
10. Red shoots at Black, misses, and lands a foot off the west boundary, about 10 feet south of hoop 2.
11. Black roquets Blue behind wicket 2, takes off to position, and makes wicket 2. With no useful rush on Blue, Morehead decides to scatter his balls off court. He hits Black into Blue vigorously. Black ricochets off Blue and goes out on the west boundary north of hoop 2. Blue lands out of bounds just south of Red, which is slightly on–court, giving Blue a nifty rush to one–back.
12. Yellow enters the game, and shoots out of bounds on the north boundary near corner III.
13. Blue rushes Red to one–back, makes the hoop, but once again has no useful rush. Blue joins Black on the west boundary near corner II.
14. Red joins Yellow on the North boundary, landing on the east side of Yellow.
15. Black gives blue a line rush to two–back.
16. Yellow gives red a line rush to 2.
17. Blue rushes Black to two–back and promptly stuffs the hoop.
18. Ekstrom attacks with Red, taking off from Yellow near corner III. But he overhits Red, sending it out of bounds on the south boundary behind two–back.
19. Black passes.
20. Yellow passes.
21. Morehead runs two–back weakly, leaving Blue too far from the boundary to roquet Red reliably, and with a poor rush on Black to three–back. Morehead shoots Blue to corner IV.
22. Red joins Yellow near corner III.
23. Black gives Blue a line rush to three–back.
24. Yellow waives.
25. Blue rushes black to three–back, but stuffs the wicket.
26. Red sets an on–court rush for yellow to hoop 2.
27. Black retreats to corner I.
28. Yellow rushes partner to 2, makes the hoop, and decides to go get Blue on the far side of hoop 4. Yellow roquets Red and takes off to wicket 4, but hits hoop 6 and bounces off to the side. Facing a 50–foot roquet, and with Blue completely guarded by hoop 4, Ekstrom decides damn the torpedos and follows through with his attack. The crowd groans as Ekstrom lines up his shot. He shoots Yellow hard at Blue. Yellow bangs into the west stanchion of hoop 4, but has so much momentum, it jumps up, hits the lawn, and spins through the hoop, roqueting Blue! The crowd applauds.
    Ekstrom, ball–in–hand on Blue, takes off to Black in corner I. Yellow roquets Black, croquets it to Red, and goes to position at 3, three–balls dead.
29. With both his opponent’s balls significantly dead and for hoop 3, Morehead decides to guard the clearing hoop with Blue. Blue shoots to the east boundary near corner III.
30. Red, partner dead, roquets black and does a perfectly gorgeous long split shot, sending Red to position at wicket 3 without hitting Yellow, which is also in position at 3. Ekstrom makes wicket 3 with Red, roquets Black, and croquets Black out of bounds on the south boundary behind hoop 1.
31. Black shoots at yellow, misses, and lands near blue on the east boundary.
32. Yellow stuffs 3.
33. Morehead calls the referee to watch Yellow, in the jaws at 3, as Blue shoots at it from the boundary. Blue misses and goes out of bounds midway on the west boundary.
34. Red goes to position at wicket 4.
35. Morehead again calls the referee to watch another roquet attempt on Yellow, this time with Black, which is also for wicket 3. Morehead roquets Yellow with Black, knocking it through hoop 3 and clearing its deadness. Black takes off from Yellow and goes to position at wicket 3, makes the hoop, and then runs a three–ball break through one–back. After scoring one–back, Morehead picks up Blue off the west boundary and continues his break through three–back, where, after making his hoop, he leaves Blue with Red. At four–back, Morehead makes a poor split shot with Yellow and, rather than take an off–axis wicket shot, shoots Black out of bounds near corner III.
36. Yellow shoots at Black in the corner, but misses.
37. Blue roquets Red, makes three–back, and lacking a good rush to four–back, shoots out of bounds in corner II.
38. Red goes to position at wicket 4.
39. Black joins Blue in corner II.
40. Yellow joins Red on–court at hoop 4.
41. Blue takes off to attack Yellow and Red, landing near the east boundary adjacent to hoop 4. Blue shoots at Red, misses, and stays on–court south of two–back.
42. Red plays off Yellow but stuffs wicket 4.
43. Black snuggles up in corner II.
44. Yellow shoots to a position that will give Red a rush to 5 after Red makes 4. Blue shoots at Yellow but misses, going out of bounds on the east boundary.
45. Red two–balls it through 4 and 5, but misses his set–up shot at 6.
46. Black shoots from corner II to corner III.
47. Yellow tries to roquet Red and misses.
48. Blue, shooting from the boundary adjacent 4, roquets Red at 6, rushes Yellow to four–back, and makes four–back. Time is called, with Blue as first ball. Blue croquets Yellow south of hoop 1, and goes out in corner IV.
49. Red sets a long rush for last–ball yellow.
50. Black shoots to corner II.
51. Yellow shoots at Red, but misses.

The final was 19 to 8 in favor of Ben Morehead.

Singles Flights Place Championship First Second 1 Ben Morehead Jim Turner Brian Scanlan 2 Dave Ekstrom Harvey Geiger Nancy Fremont 3 Patrick Little Priscilla Lamond Tom Gilbert 4 Peter Hull Martie Ekstrom Bobbi Shorthouse 5 Chris Loat Lloyd Hadden Pam Geiger 6 David McCoy Pat Colt 7 Peter Grey John Woodside 8 Bill Campbell 9 Dave Hull 10 Kristine Sprague 11 John Schott 12 Barbara Leeming Doubles Flights Place Championship First 1 John Schott & Jim Turner Martie Ekstrom & Nancy Fremont 2 David Ekstrom & Barbara Leeming Pat Colt & Tom Gilbert 3 David Hull & Peter Hull John Woodside & Bobbie Shorthouse 4 Ben Morehead & David McCoy Bill Campbell & Brian Scanlan 5 Peter Grey & Kristine Sprague Harvey Geiger & Priscilla Lamond 6 Patrick Little & Chris Loat Lloyd Hadden & Pam Geiger

Send inquiries to Ben Morehead at his first name, followed by a period, followed by his last name, at gmail dot com.