In only 4 years, the Kronum League has listened to more stories filled with boastful athletic achievements and self-promoting on-field prowess in every sport under the sun. Since 2008, Kronum has drawn the attention of champions on the professional, NCAA, scholastic, and intramural levels from all over the region. We’ve got College World Series players, we’ve got national title Arena League talent, we’ve got the best from D1, 2, and 3 in soccer, basketball, lacrosse, track and field, and rugby. All of the major sports have contributed champions to the Kronum League.
But there are only two teams in Kronum League history that can claim champion status and they’ve earned another opportunity get the hardware. Think about it, millions upon millions of athletes in traditional sports can claim a league championship. Heck, there are probably thousands of champs in something as obscure as Jai Lai. Yet, only 45 athletes in the entire world can say they’ve taken the crown in Kronum and have played or are currently rostered on this year’s contending clubs, the Urban Legends and the Nimble Jacks. The Legends won the initial league title in 2008 while the Jacks are the two-time defending champs looking for the three-peat. Either way it pans out, no newcomer will have a shot this year. The Kronum league is changing, but staying the same. At least for now.
The Urban Legends are coming in red hot and there is the “Team of Destiny” chatter floating around the Kronum circles. It actually works if you can look inside the theatrical reference. The Legends play tenacious “D”, they’re being called a team of destiny…get it? Just don’t expect Jack Black or Kyle Gass to fill in at Wedgeback. The Legends have rightfully earned the respect of the league over the second half of the season. They come in blazing hot, winning 6 of their last 7 including a dramatic semi-final shootout victory over the Night Owls after pounding the Work Horses in the quarter-finals earlier that same day. Their resiliency is undeniable. Captain and stud wedgeback Cory Robertson attributes the teams recent surge to the championship to playing as a single functioning unit. “We have the same defense that we started with 3 years ago, but with the changes to the field and rules we had to take a step back and adjust our defense a little.” he claims. “Our defense is our team, we all defend as a unit.” Robertson practices what he preaches, finishing with 63 saves in the regular season despite missing 4 games and tallying a Kronum League playoff record 18 saves in the semi-finals versus the Night Owls.As many teams have learned the hard way, the whole unit thing is true to form. The Legends give up the least amount of uncontested shot from any of the zones. If you plan on getting open looks from the Cross, Flex, or Wedge, please think again. The Legends have the luxurious privilege of a roster filled with combination foot and hand skill players. Wedgeback Kevin Glover is the most notable of the multi-talented lineup, averaging 14 points and 6 saves per contest. His fear-striking “hook throw” has had wedgebacks in fits all year and his jump-roll in fake is almost undefendable. When Glover isn’t being Glover, another Kevin is working hard at being the thorn in his opponents’ sides. Kevin Clark has been nothing short of spectacular since coming over from the now defunct Limelights. His highlight reel resume is topped off with an uncanny ability to score from the renamed “Clark” Zone resulting in a league leading 176 points from the cross and in his last three games, he has connected for six, yes six, 8-point Kronum Crown Rings. He also dropped 45 points on the Night Owls in the semi-final round. no big deal. While Robertson knows that defenses must account for Clark, he knows that all 10 of his players can make an impact, stating “We don’t have one player that gets all the praise, Clark fires our offense up but we attack as a unit, which really motivates everyone.” Players like Greg Ermold (15 PPG in last 5 games) and Brian Sperling (10 PPG) have expanded their roles since 2010 and are a big part of the Legends’ spike in shooting accuracy with almost 70% of shots taken being on goal. A strong supporting cast consisting of newcomer Mike Ragan (11 ppg, 3 apg), Kyle Miller (44 kick score points), Todd Wampler (30 kick score points), and Dess Leeper (6 ppg) balance the offense while wedgebacks Jordan Welles (7 saves per game) and Scott Anderson (8 saves per game) compliment Robertson and Glover in goal. Robertson knows that the intensity and experience is there but is well aware that the Legends must bring a full 60-minute effort to be successful against the Jacks, who have a reputation for simply outlasting their opponent over the course of a full match.
The Urban Legends literally have the championship in their hands…..and at their feet.
8 seconds in Bull-riding. 3 minutes in boxing. 60 seconds in the bobsled. Every sport has it’s crunch time that makes the difference between victory and defeat.
9 minutes. That’s all the Nimble Jacks need. A total of 9 minutes out of a 60-minute contest doesn’t sound like a recipe for success or strategy to live by every game. Unless your the Jacks. They OWN the final 3 minutes of every period. It seems as if they are guided by an instinctual force during this time, and a period played evenly through 17 minutes can quickly become a double-digit deficit in the blink of an eye. The Jacks can almost be accused of toying with teams for the majority of a period while they bide their time and plan their furious attack when the clock reaches 3:00. An onslaught of 2′s, 4′s, and the occasional 8-point Kronum ensues faster than a strategic in-and-out, bull rush bank robbery in Charlestown, Mass.
Aside from their go-switch flipping at 3 minutes, Captain Scott Kennedy demands near perfect execution of the game plan on both sides of the ball every single minute of each game. No matter the opponent, the score (lead), or the situation, every Jack on the field and on the bench is expected to contribute a specific skill set that serves as an integral piece to the entire squad. “Our bench has also stepped up. We have a deep bench, and that’s one of the biggest differences in us and most teams in the league. I have confidence in all 15 players on our roster.” Kennedy says. Egos are checked at the door and a selfless style of play is the result. ”Everyone knows our game plan, and everyone has the ‘Team First’ mentality.” This approach has proved itself more than effective over the past three seasons. Two Kronum League titles and two Captains’ Cup victories proves it. Since 2009, the Jacks have suffered only a single loss which puts their overall record since then at 32-1. It is not a perfect record by percentage, but it is perfectly remarkable. The 104-98 loss to the Throwbacks in Round 6 was a monumental event in Kronum League history. It proved that the Jacks were human and not the collection of pre-programmed bionic cyborgs that many thought they were. A loss is never desired, but the Throwbacks loss put a fire into the Jacks and the team is playing arguably the best Kronum in their history.
Aside from their leader Kennedy, who leads the Kronum League with over 6 assists per contest to go along with 16 points per game, the Jacks bring a rabbit-sized family to the garden to feast on the farmer’s vegetable patch every Sunday. Jared O’Donnell brings a league-leading 62 percent shot success rate, a 21 point/3 assist average, and a fancy haircut to the party. A master of trickery, it is no secret that O’Donnell is one of the most dynamic talents in the League and possesses the ability to control a defender with effortless ball, body, and head fakes that would make puppeteers worldwide green with envy. Although missing 4 games throughout the regular season, Ryan Coyne is an important part of the Jacks success, particularly on the offensive attack. The crafty southpaw crosser/ranger displays versatility with throw, kick, drop-kick, and dunk scores and plays well in every zone on the round. In the 6 games he has played in 2011, Coyne makes up for time missed, averaging a team-high 24 shots and 22 points per game. He also shares the love with fellow shooters and accounts for 5 assists per game. On the defensive side, wedgebacks Ben Hutchison and Sean Kennedy have been the Nimble Jacks’ steadfast barriers in net since the teams 2009 championship season. They are certainly not old, well, no one actually knows Hutchison’s true age and the rumors are plenty, but they are the “Old Faithfuls” on the Jacks defense. Kennedy leads the Kronum League for the second year in a row, averaging 11 saves a game, most of which are of the routine variety with some flair sprinkled in, while Hutchison is fearless in his attempts to keep a shot from tickling twine. Up, down, left, right, over, and under, his movements resemble the cheat code commands performed by Nintendo-era Contra masters. While different in their respective wedgebacking styles, they share a knack for catching and holding the ball on shot attempts. This skill disallows any second-chance scoring attempts by the shooting team and gives the Jacks many extra possessions throughout a match which will prove very important versus the Legends. Rookie of the Year candidate Joe Petrino has been the Jacks’ most clutch player all season long. He picks and chooses the right times to turn up the aggressiveness and make a play. He is the Jacks most important “3-minuteman”. Petrino can shoot chamber and rings, 2′s and 4′s, and is becoming the go-to shooter on 3/6 point penalty opportunities from the point and his 20 points per game lead all rookies in 2011-12. On defense, he shows a nose for the ball by stepping into of passing lanes for 8 steals on the year, most of which are in transition and result in quick scores from the cross. Plenty of other Nimble Jacks have enjoyed a solid season in their respective roles. Look for crosser and defender extraordinaire Jay Shegda, rangers Cody Antonini, Nick Caton, and Shaun Stevens to utilize foot skills to counter the Legends strong ground game.
Many similarities and differences exist between the Legends and the Jacks. Both squads surpassed 1,000 point team scoring totals in the regular season and are aggressive on offense, with the Legends attempting 1,176 shots to the Jacks 1,159. The Jacks have a higher success rate on those shots, connecting on 46% while the legends netted 37% of their attempts on net and their assist total of 303 far outnumbers the legends 186. Both are very close in wedgeback numbers, as only 5 saves separate the two on the season, with the Jacks coming in ahead at 356-351, but the Legends lead in both blocks (50 to 45) and steals (45 to 33).
The 2011-12 Kronum League Championship has all the makings of an epic clash. The Nimble Jacks are out to prove their dominance with an opportunity for a dynasty-confirming 3-peat and the Urban Legends are out to even the score at 2 titles a piece. As in any competition that is structured throughout a long and testing regular season and playoff format, it comes down to who is the hottest team at the moment and the fans will not be cheated in this one. You will be getting the two best teams in the league in a showdown. Both squads possess the spark to make their mark. In Kronum League history.
Who knows what will happen? With all of the athletes in other sports that have set foot on the Round in hopes of garnering the status of Kronum League Champion, we may be adding one more to the list.
A Step Dancer.
Sunday, January 22 at 5:00pm EDT
Live at the ING Direct Fieldhouse at Maple Zone in Boothwyn, PA
Livestream action at www.kronum.com
Join the Revolution.
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