This weekend (August 29-30) Grit will be heading to the D.C. area for our second visit to the Chesapeake Open.  We're taking 18 players with a couple of players at less than 100%.  Should be a huge opportunity for players to get time on the field against quality teams.

 

The format of Chesapeake is as follows.  Teams are divided into pools of which there are two sets (power pools) with elite teams in one set and other open teams in the other set.  Elite teams can play into the elite bracket and non-elite teams can play through the open bracket.  On Saturday there are three games of pool play and a bye followed by a cross-over game.  Sunday is straight double elimination bracket play. 

 

Grit is seeded second in pool G as a part of the non-elite pools.  The other teams in our pool include Pike (1), Eastern Motors FB (2), and Colt .45 (3).  Pike is out of New Jersey and is always a high quality team.  We lost to them in 2007 and beat them in 2008 at Texas Shootout.  Easter Motors FB is out of Washington DC.  They have already attended three major tournaments and will be prepared to do well at Chesapeake (Boston Invite, DC Championships, and Furniture City Shootout).  Colt .45 is out of Conneticut/NYC.  They beat us in our first game on Sunday at Chesapeake in 2008.  This year they are our first game at 9:00 AM on Saturday.  We are looking for some payback.

 

Our goal will be to win the open tier bracket.  If we win our pool we will play the top seed out of pool E (currently Replicants from NYC).  If we win this game we will go into the bracket seeded #1.  Bracket play is a total of four rounds (pre-quarters, quarters, semis, and finals).  If we succeed in our winning ways, we will begin to see elite teams that have fallen down into the open tier starting in quarters. 

 

This tournament is the most competative we will see this year.  It is the first nationally competitive tournament Grit has played in 2009.  Not only is it our best chance to improve as a team before the post-season, but it will be our best chance to guage ourselves against other teams. 

 

Follow our progress on twitter, @dallasunited.