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The North Texas "Big D" - SSCC #2

November 4-5, 2006

ST. MARKS ACADEMY, DALLAS: NOV 4TH. THE NORTH DALLAS "BIG D" SSCC#2 WAS HELD THIS PAST SATURDAY AT THE ST. MARK'S ACADEMY IN DALLAS TEXAS. FOUR OF OUR FENCERS PARTICIPATED IN THREE OF THE EVENTS. MAX FERGUSON AND DANIEL TRAPANI COMPETED IN THE SENIOR MEN'S EPEE EVENT WHILE KARA COLLINS FENCED IN THE SENIOR WOMEN'S FOIL AND SIGNE FERGUSON BATTLED IN THE Y-12 MIXED FOIL. THE DAY STARTED OFF WITH MEN'S EPEE FIRST. 44 COMPETITORS STARTED THE TOURNAMENT. ALL ATTEMPTING TO GARNER SOUTHWEST SECTION POINTS. MAX AND DANIEL FENCED WELL IN THE PRELIMINARY ROUND AND EARNED BYES IN THE NEXT D.E. ROUND. MAX ADVANCED THROUGH THE D.E.'S UNTIL HE MET ALEX FERNANDEZ (B06) FROM L'ESCRIME FENCING CENTER. THE BOUT WENT BACK AND FORTH ,TOUCH FOR TOUCH UNTIL THE SCORE SHOWED 10/10. MAX THEN UTILIZING NICE FOOT WORK AND ACCURATE POINT CONTROL RAN OFF FOUR QUICK POINTS. FERNANDEZ NOT WILLING TO CRY "UNCLE" BATTLED BACK SCORING A FLURRY OF THREE TOUCHES, HOWEVER IT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE YOUNG FERGUSON'S MOMENTUM. THE BOUT ENDED 15-13 FERGUSON! IN THE NEXT ROUND MAX MATCHED UP WITH OLIVER VALDES OF THE GOLD BLADE FENCER'S CLUB IN THE QUARTER-FINALS. THE FIRST ROUND ENDED WITH NO CLEAR ADVANTAGE TO EITHER FENCER . DURING THE SECOND ROUND FERGUSON TOOK CONTROL OF THE BOUT AND WON 15-9. . IN DANIELS QUARTER FINAL BOUT HE MET RISTO LAMPIAINEN OF GOLD BLADE FENCING CLUB PREVIOUSLY OF THE FINNISH PENTATHLON TEAM. THE FEISTY FINN GAVE DANIEL "QUITE A GO" EARLY ON IN THE BOUT HOWEVER SUCCUMBED TO TRAPANI'S COUNTER ATTACK AND DISTANCE GAME BEFORE THE BOUT ENDING TOUCH GIVING DANIEL A 15-7 WIN. IT WAS IN THE SEMI-FINAL ROUND THAT OUR TWO LADS FROM ALLIANCE MET TO DECIDE WHO WOULD FACE EITHER JIM CARPENTER OR ROBERT REED FOR THE GOLD, BOTH OF WHOM WERE BATTLING IT OUT ON THE NEXT STRIP. THE BOUT OPENED WITH A TRADING OF TOUCHES. WHILE DANIEL WAS UP 5-4 IT WAS YOUNG FERGUSON WHO THROWING CAUTION TO THE WIND MADE A VERY BOLD AND SASSY ATTACK TO DANIEL'S SIZE 12D SCORING A BEAUTIFUL FOOT TOUCH. THE TEMPO OF THE BOUT THEN QUICKENED WITH NICE TOUCHES SCORED BY BOTH TEAMMATES WITH DANIEL RETURNING THE FAVOR BY DELIVERING THE FINAL TOUCH TO FERGUSON'S FOOT. ALTHOUGH THIS ENDED THE DAY FOR MAX, WHEN THE DUST CLEARED HE HAD GAINED HIS "B" RATING AND WON THE BRONZE MEDAL. MORE IMPORTANTLY THIS REPORTER CAN SAFELY SAY THAT IT WAS HIS BEST PERFORMANCE ON THE FENCING STRIP I HAD EVER SEEN. THE TITANIC STRUGGLE THAT WAS PLAYING ITSELF OUT ON THE NEXT STRIP ENDED WITH ROBERT REED DEFEATING JIM CARPENTER 15-14. THE STAGE WAS SET AND AS PHIL RIZZUTO (ANNOUNCER FOR THE N.Y.YANKEES) WOULD SAY, "THE DUCKS WERE NOW ON THE POND! BOTH REED AND TRAPANI SAT AND VISITED WITH ONE ANOTHER LAUGHING AND JOKING WHILE THEY RESTED FOR THEIR MUCH ANTICIPATED REMATCH OF THE SSCC#1 GOLD MEDAL BOUT WHERE ROBERT DEFEATED DANIEL 15-13. FENCERS ENGARDE! READY! FENCE! THE OPENING TWO TOUCHES WERE QUICKLY SCORED BY TRAPANI ,ANSWERED IMMEDIATELY BY REED TYING THINGS UP 2-2. THEN A TRADING OF TOUCHES CONTINUED UNTIL THE SCORE WAS 6-6. WITH APPROXIMATELY 20 SECONDS REMAINING IN ROUND ONE DANIEL LET FLY WITH TWO VERY QUICK BEAT ATTACKS ,SCORING WITH BOTH AND ENDING THE ROUND UP 8-6. THE SECOND ROUND BEGAN VERY QUICKLY . ROBERT NOT HAVING BEEN PLEASED WITH THE ENDING OF THE FIRST ROUND NOW ATTEMPTED TO USE HIS PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND SPEED TO BULLY THE WILLOWY TRAPANI. TIME AND TIME AGAIN REED CLOSED THE DISTANCE WITH QUICK STEP ADVANCES WHILE RELEASING HIS FLECHE ATTACKS AND POWERFUL LUNGES ONLY TO FALL SHORT. DANIEL, ON THE OTHER HAND WAS USING DISTANCE AND TIMING TO FIND THE PROPER MOMENT WHEN ROBERT'S FORWARD MOTION HAD SLOWED OR STOPPED BEFORE LAUNCHING A SERIES OF SEVEN DEVASTATINGLY ACCURATE COUNTER-ATTACKS ALL OF WHICH LANDED ENDING THE BOUT IN THE FIRST MINUTE OF ROUND TWO 15-6 GIVING DANIEL THE GOLD MEDAL. WITH THE CONCLUSION OF THE EPEE FESTIVITIES THE SENIOR WOMEN'S FOIL CONTEST TOOK CENTER STAGE. KARA COLLINS REPRESENTING ALLIANCE HAD A GOOD FIRST ROUND TAKING A 3-2 RECORD AND A #5 SEED INTO THE D.E. ROUNDS. KARA'S FIRST BOUT WAS AGAINST PATRICA LEE OF (FIT). THIS REPORTER ALMOST MISSED THE BOUT FOR BLINKING HIS EYES AS "LEFTY" COLLINS MADE QUICK WORK OF HER OPPONENT 15-0. KARA THEN MATCHED UP WITH SHAWN GOODMAN OF THE AUSTIN FENCER'S CLUB. IN THE FIRST ROUND, THE BOUT SHAPED UP TO BE A ONE SIDED AFFAIR WITH KARA ON THE SHORT END, HOWEVER, SHE REFUSED TO TAKE THE ROUTE THE BOUT WAS GOING AND TURNED THINGS AROUND RALLYING BACK WITH VERY NICE ATTACKS AND PARRY RIPOSTE (COUNTER SIX DISENGAGE) . THE BOUT WORE ON AND KARA'S POINT CONTROL FADED ONTO THE OFF TARGET AREA AND GOODMAN WAS ABLE TO WRESTLE BACK CONTROL OF THE BOUT WINNING 15-9. IT SHOULD BE STATED THAT GOODMAN WOULD EVENTUALLY TAKE THE SILVER. FOR THE DAYS EFFORTS KARA RECEIVED THE 5TH PLACE MEDAL AND OUR HEART FELT CONGRATULATIONS FOR A GREAT PERFORMANCE. ITS THIS REPORTER'S BELIEF THAT THIS GIRL'S GOT GAME! NOW COMES THE Y-12 MIXED FOIL EVENT FEATURING ALLIANCE'S OWN SIGNE FERGUSON. SIGNE'S FIRST ROUND FINISHED WITH A 2 AND 2 RECORD HOWEVER THE ONE LOSS WAS A WELL FOUGHT BOUT WITH LOGAN SOMERA OF SALLE MAURO. SIGNE HAD GOOD FOOTWORK AND DISTANCE DURING THE BOUT AND SHE WAS CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO TAKE THE OFFENSE AND TAKE IT TO LOGAN, HOWEVER, HER POINT CONTROL SUFFERED IN STRIKING OFF TARGET. THE BOUT ENDED WITH THE LOW SCORE, 1-0. SIGNE THEN ADVANCED TO THE D.E. ROUND OF TEN. SHE RECEIVED A BYE IN THE FIRST ROUND AND ADVANCED TO THE SECOND ROUND WHERE SHE MET MATHEW KEARNEY OF THE FENCING INSTITUTE OF TEXAS. THIS BOUT OPENED WITH A VERY AGGRESSIVE SIGNE FERGUSON PUSHING HER OPPONENT INTO HIS END OF THE STRIP. SIGNE RELEASED SEVERAL WELL TIMED ATTACKS SCORING NICE TOUCHES WITH BINDS AND DISENGAGES. YOUNG KEARNEY BATTLED BACK TO WIN A HEAVILY CONTESTED FIRST BOUT 5-4 IN THE BEST OF THREE. THE SECOND BOUT AGAIN OPENED WITH SIGNE DRIVING HER OPPONENT BACK INTO HIS END OF THE STRIP. HER ATTACKS ALTHOUGH TECHNICALLY EXECUTED NICELY WHERE FROM SLIGHTLY OUT OF DISTANCE AND FELL SHORT OR OFF TARGET. SIGNE'S DEFENSIVE SKILLS HAMPERED KEARNEY'S ATTEMPT TO SCORE TIME AND TIME AGAIN, HOWEVER TWO OF HIS ATTACKS DID LAND ON THE TARGET SCORING A 2-0 VICTORY. MATHEW KEARNEY WOULD EVENTUALLY TAKE THE BRONZE IN THE Y-12 BOYS FOIL EVENT. NOW WHEN THE FENCERS WERE DIVIDED OUT BY AGE AND GENDER ANOTHER ALLIANCE FENCER TOOK POSSESSION OF ONE MORE MEDAL, SILVER THIS TIME. GOOD SHOW MADEMOISELLE SIGNE! BY THE END OF THE DAY, AFTER THE SMOKE HAD CLEARED ,BLADES BROKEN, BODY CORDS MALFUNCTIONED, DEAD SPOTS ON LAMES AND MASKS DENTED ALLIANCE FENCERS HAD FOUR MEDAL,GOLD,SILVER,BRONZE AND 5TH PLACE. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU GUYZ ....YOUZ DONE GOOD!
 

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