[Editor’s Note: Before we begin, let me drop the brackets. Fingers crossed, this should be a good one. Season 20 Playoff Picks coming in hot.]
Wildcard – Season 20 Wildcard
High Roller – Season 20 HRT
Team Playoffs – Season 20 Playoffs
Season 20 Playoff Picks
It’s one of the best times of the year for sports fans – March Madness is in full swing and my bracket is already blown to smithereens [Editor’s Note: No one cares about your bracket] before the Sweet 16 (UMBC who?!?), MLB Opening Day is one week away [Editor’s Note: whoa!], and the Masters is two weeks away (love him or hate him, it’s more entertaining when Tiger Woods is in the mix) [Editor’s Note: Hate, but agree]. And, of course, it’s SkeeBoston playoffs and Super Saturday! In full disclosure for the rookskees: It’s often been called “The best day of your life you won’t remember.”
And where has the time gone? 20 skeesons over the past 7 years. 17 different teams have drunken from the chalice and 10 different rollers have been crowed as the High Roller Tournament (HRT) champion. Who will be crowned as this year’s champions? Will the top seeds in tournaments pull a Virginia and be bounced early? Which team or roller will get hot at the right time and pull some upsets en route to the Final Four? Will SkeeBoston have its #MeToo moment with the first female HRT winner? So many questions to be answered between now and drunk-thirty on Saturday. Every ball matters! Let’s tackle the team tournament.
6:30PM Matches
#14 Is That a Chalice in Your Pocket or Are You Just Happy to Skee Me? vs. #19 Roll Roll Roll Your Boat
Looks like #14 Chalice should handle this one cleanly. Keep an eye on Stephanie Burgess who has rolled well below her historical average this season as the difference maker for this team moving forward.
#15 Operation Hundo Drop vs. #18 Highway to the Hundo Zone
First upset of the night as the ladies of Hundo Zone get their groove on and take out Hundo Drop with…wait for it…a last ball hundo! [Editor’s Note: Madness!]
#16 BOOMSHAKALAKSkee! vs. #17 Skee and Destroy
Two teams separated by less about 80 points for the entire skeeson, or about 10 points/week. This is a nailbiter, but I think Skee and Destroy has just enough in the tank for the slight upset.
7:30PM Matches
#1 Bocskee vs. #17 Skee and Destroy
Bocskee set the pace for the league this entire skeeson, averaging a ridiculous 1184 points a week. There are just two other teams that hit that score the entire season. Bocskee. Sharpie. [Editor’s Note: Okay Seth Davis]
#2 Total Eclipse of the Hundo vs. #18 Highway to the Hundo Zone
In any other skeeson the gents of Total Eclipse would be the #1 seed. They even improved on their total from last season by 200 points, which is damn impressive. Unfortunately the Cinderella run for the ladies of Hundo Zone ends here. Total Eclipse moves to the next line.
#3 Carlton Banks vs. #14 Is That a Chalice in Your Pocket
This will definitely be the most exciting of the 7:30 matchups with upset potential written all over it. Not just because Steve “Pinball” Robinson (SkeeBoston’s best roller in history without a chalice) [Editor’s Note: shots fired!] is again seeded on a team that should make it to Super Saturday, but his skeemate Chelsey J. has been known to meltdown in the playoffs as well (read: Duke’s rule forbidding the heckling a team you’re not playing against…hi, Chelsey!) [Editor’s Note: dropping bombs!]. Thankfully for them, Chelsea G. tasted victory last skeeson and might be the key piece they need this time around. #14 Chalice, however, has two former Chalice winners in “Grandpa” Tom Martin and Steph, with Kim Vara poised for a big night. Give me team Chalice in the big upset, as Steph and Tom pull some savvy vet moves to move on. [Editor’s Note: UPSETS!]
8:30PM Matches
#4 This is SkeeNN vs. #13 OGs of Skee
Perhaps the surprise team of skeeson 20 is #4 This is SkeeNN – Cory, “Mad” Max, and Jen “Don’t call me D.J.” Tanner [Editor’s Note: way better than Charlotte]. The team broke 1100 in seven of eight weeks, though the 984 in week 7 was a notable mis-step in otherwise stellar campaign. #13 OGs of Skee, however, are the complete opposite of consistency with scores ranging from 897 in week 1 to 1209…holy variance, Batman! What I do know is that no one will be rooting for Ev to pull the upset (booooo, Ev!), but Janelle and ZACH(!) are the sentimental favorites on the OGs. I’m going to take the savvy vets of OG in another upset.
#5 Harry Potter and the Hundos of Fire vs. #12 Carpe Skeem
A 5 vs. 12 matchup, eh? We all know how these go come NCAA tournament time! Harry Potter and team Gryffindor (I bet Duke won’t get the reference…) [Editor’s Note: you lost me at Harry Potter] will be trying to ride #4 Ben Fountain and his 423 average to the next round, but he’s not a one-trick pony with Kyle [Editor’s Note: Who’s Kyle? Ben and Marissa’s rookie is Stephanie] and Marissa both top-20 rollers this skeeson. I suspect this comes down to lane choice – Carpe Skeem had a tough run on lane two this skeeson, and the team scores reflect it. Lane 2 average for four weeks: 940. Lane 1 + 3 average: 1093. Scott and Jan, both top 25 rollers, will get theirs, and if Josh recaptures his wild card tourney from skeeson 19 this will be a battle. Two 8:30 matches and two big upsets as Carpe Skeem moves on with a little help from Slytherin (Google it, Duke…) [Editor’s Note: you lost me again at Harry Potter] which blows up the entire bracket and Duke D. celebrates. [Editor’s Note: Fact. Love these picks!]
#6 No (Thurs) Days Off vs. #11 The Skeefather
Eric, Mike S., and Mike Moody had their up and downs during the skeeson but finished strong averaging over 1100 the final two weeks, thanks in part to Mike Moody rolling his week 8 string in Florida…find the video on FB if you haven’t had a chance. The Skeefather had a similar finish to the skeeson with weeks 5, 6, and 8 averaging 1100+, but there was a hiccup in week 7 with an 899. Robo, Diana, and Cristina will need to be on point to pull the upset, but their buzzer beater will come up short in this matchup as Mike Moody’s Florida karma is too much to overcome.
9:30PM Matches
#7 Namaste in Your Lane vs. #10 Nightmare on Friend St.
Two teams separated by three seeds but less than 150 points on the skeeson. #7 Namaste is led by top-ten roller Lindsay Allen with Emily and Melissa both averaging above 335 for the skeeson. This team got better just about every week and finished above 1160 in the final two weeks…peaking at the right time! #10 Nightmare’s team name is very appropriate. It features arguably (actually, it’s not much of argument) the worst roller in SkeeBoston history with two chalices in John Polischoke. Ironically, he will be the potential difference maker in this one, too. If he can hit the hundos and support top-5 roller Devin and D-Money then they have a shot at the upset. But does anyone really expect that to happen? Bueller?!? I’ll take Namaste in this one.
#8 Rage Against the Machines vs. #9 Skeetles
Two teams separated by one point this season. Did I mention every ball matters? Pat vs. Dawson? This one will be an epic battle. Rage is peaking at the right time breaking 1100 each of the final three weeks. This is including Dionne breaking 300 and Kyle breaking 400! Skeetles is going in the opposite direction, failing to break 1000 in weeks 7-8. Dawson, Christina, and Alex will need to rally to pull the upset, but I see them coming up just short as Rage moves into the final 8. [Editor’s Note: Pat handles pressure better than Dawson. It is what it is!]
#12 Carpe Skeem vs. #13 OGs of Skee
A matchup of double-digit seeds, including five savvy veterans with 95 skeesons [Editor’s Note: did you seriously count?!] combined between them(!) and the skeeson 19 Wild Card champ, in a battle for the Final Four. Nobody will be rooting for Ev (boooo, Ev!!) though Janelle and Zach will still be fighting hard for their first Super Saturday. With Scottie “Too” Hottie looking at #skeetirement after the skeeson, and Jan overdue for a breakout week, Carpe Skeem will ride their hot hand and hundos from Josh to be the first team into the Final Four.
10:30PM Matches
#1 Bocskee vs. #8 Rage Against the Machines
At this point, anything short of Bocskee in the Final Four would be a massive upset, even against the 8-seed led by Patty and his 442 average. Dionne and Kyle just don’t have the upside in my opinion but this will be close early. The difference will be hundos in the second half of the string that give Bocskee a date with Carpe Skeem on Saturday.
#2 Total Eclipse of the Hundo vs. #7 Namaste in Your Lane
It would be awesome to see an all-female team make it to Super Saturday to balance out some of the testosterone at TGB. Unfortunately, I think Total Eclipse just has too much firepower in this one. Total Eclipse. Sharpie. [Editor’s Note: Double Seth Davis jinx!?]
#6 No (Thurs)days Off vs. #14 Is That a Chalice in Your Pocket
An intriguing matchup on many levels. The least of which is the engaged couple of Mike S. and Steph playing head-to-head for a shot at the Final Four. If the Burgess of old regains her form, this is a tough matchup for the boys of Thursday. Karma is a bitch, however, and Mike Moody is full of it right now so give me No Thursdays moving onto Saturday.
Final Four
#1 Bocskee vs. #12 Carpe Skeem
This is where the dream run ends for Jan, Josh, and Scottie “too Hottie.” Chances are Carpe Skeem will have to roll a skeeson high score to have a chance, and even then it might not be enough. Bocskee to the finals on three 400+ scores from Dan, Johnny, and Mike.
#2 Total Eclipse of the Hundo vs. # 6 No (Thurs)days Off
A matchup to me that is a lot closer than it looks on paper. Similar to above, the underdog No Thursdays will need their best because Jeff, Kyle, and Nick won’t have any letdowns in this matchup. I’m banking (skee what I did there?) that Nick finishes with hundo frames of 63 and 72 to put them in the finale.
Final Matchup
#1 Bocskee vs. # 2 Total Eclipse of the Hundo [Editor’s Note: Seriously. 1 vs 2. Not happening. And you are fired.]
A clash of the Titans – two of SkeeBoston’s highest skeeson totals ever, that has been in the works since week 1. Either team could win this one, which could go down as one of the greatest title matches in SkeeBoston history, if not for the scores alone. Hopefully neither team flames out like Villanova. Both teams in search of their first chalice. Each will need to win because it’s not likely Duke will let them play together next skeeson (or will he…hmmm?). My money is on Bocskee who has been slightly more consistent this skeeson. Barring an epic Johnny Hunt collapse (wouldn’t be the first time), Bocskee comes out on top in a shootout.
Good luck to everyone in the Chase for the Chalice and the HRT this weekend. Find your forty!
[Editor’s Note: There you have it… the Season 20 Playoff Picks. Solid picks overall until the finals. Skee you all tomorrow.]