Competitive life for the two women's HPD teams in the NSWPTA continues to be smooth sailing. Undefeated in this year's matches, both teams lead their series by comfortable margins. The ladies have two weeks of matches remaining in their season.
The story is quite a bit more complicated with the thirteen men's teams. With the final of the week of the league's season approaching, we find a few of our men's teams racing for the gold and a few scambling to stay alive into the playoffs. Here are the highlights:
HPD1 team led by Wade Martin is comfortably in second place, with a few matches yet to be made up. HPD1 team led by Charlie Usher is in ninth, but only 3 points back of LSAC (who faces the top team from Glen View). The smart money has Charlie's team making the playoffs by just a one point margin.
HPD3 team led by Donn York is solidly in fifth place, but petrified about the possibility of facing the other HPD3 team in the playoffs. You may recall hearing about a surprise upset back in January that came down to the results of two tiebreakers played in a bloody court four battle. The HPD3 team led by Jay Pollitt in absentia is tied for eleventh place and training hard for the chance to score another upset in post-season play. (Fortunately, the Series 3 commissioner has arranged for a 12 team playoff).
HPDP5 team led by Ted Shepherd is solidly in first place, with a three-point margin going into their match against a tough Evanston team.
The big showdown this week is in series 6.
Eddie Dunphy's team leads the league, but by just 3 points over Indian Hill and the other HPD team which are tied for second. In an interview this morning Ed predicted that "Chuck's team is going to win." Chuck's remarks revealed the great love of paddle common in great competitors: "During mid-season, our team experienced my first ever 12 point loss (to a just ok Skokie team); we are all proud and excited to have clawed our way back into a position to grab the pewter. In my mind, the fact that HPD VI 2 is playing the other second place team, Indian Hill, leaves the door a little bit ajar for us. We need to perform, take 12 and let the chips fall where they may.".
Elsewhere in the Hinsdale Park District teams, we note that:
HPD8 led by Dave Harvey is in third place; HPD10 led by Andy Usher is in fifth place; HPD11 led by John Pierce are in sixth place, but John reports that "the HPD XIs are only technically in 6th because of a delayed make-up match schedule for tonight. When (yes WHEN!) we convincingly crush Saddle & Cycle in that match tonight, we'll be right back in 2nd place."; HPD13 led by Jay Novatney is in second place and still has a shot at the gold; HPD14 led by John Bauer is in seventh; and finally, we note that ....
the only undefeated men's team, HPD15, led by Matt Joyce has clinched first place!
