Christian Ultimate
Disc League

Who will win CUDL2024?

Storylines from the regular season + tips for every team to win it all

 

 

So what happened this year?

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     1. Deja Vu

Before the start of the season I predicted a rematch of the 2023 Championship, Landsharks vs. Tugboats. We have a long way to go before we get there, but it’s undeniably a likely possibility after the dominant seasons both teams have put up. The only team that might get in the way is #2 seed Disc-iples who have put together another strong season of their own. I might be going off on a tangent here, but it cannot be understated just how much the top three teams have excelled. In the past two seasons, the Landsharks, Tugboats, and Disc-iples have combined for a regular season point differential of +205 (no other team has a positive point differential). To further emphasize their dominance, if you also include last year’s playoffs these three teams have gone 37-2-1 against the rest of the league (interestingly, Red is responsible for both losses and the tie, so no other team has beat, or even tied, these three teams). We have witnessed a top and bottom separation like no other these past two years, and while more parity in the league would be nice, it is quite the show when two of these juggernauts face each other. Maybe we will be feeling a little Deja Vu when the playoffs settle and it’s a PLS-MMT rematch, but for now I’m just projecting and truly anything could happen before then.

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     2. Offense, Offense, Offense

We have seen an offensive explosion this year. Despite the rainy, low-scoring first 3 weeks of the season, for the first time ever, teams have surpassed 1000 points in a season. In total all 8 teams have combined to score 1056 points which represents a 106 point increase from last year (almost a whole week’s worth of points!!). It is clear that competition is heating up and the high level of play in the league is leading to more points. Defenses might adjust in the coming years, but for now the expectation of every game feels like a shootout. As long as the weather holds up I’m ready to see many fun, high-scoring battles in the playoffs.

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     3. Red Hot

HammerTime is coming into form at the perfect time. This has to be the hardest team to predict heading into the playoffs. They spent the entire year at the very bottom of the league until just this week when they claimed their second victory to move up a spot right before playoffs. I still don’t think the 7th seed fully captures how good this team is and can be. Despite the rough outlook in the standings, this team actually boasts the 3rd best offense and an overall point differential only trailing the top three. Not only have they been sneaky good the whole year, but they’re also peaking at the perfect time. After a 24-8 trouncing of the Landsharks and a narrow victory over Camo they have a two-game winning streak heading into the place they’ve always excelled, the playoffs. I still think a first round victory over the Disc-iples would pose a serious challenge, but if there was any team that could do it I’d bet on the red hot HammerTime.

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    4. Best of the Rest

For the second straight year Green has found themselves in 4th place, well behind the top three while also being consistently better than the rest of the league. With the top three being as good as they have been the #4 seed is surprisingly coveted. Being the best out of the other five teams in the league guarantees that you won’t have to play one of the top teams in the first round of playoffs. Green’s surprisingly consistent average play puts them in a bit of an odd situation. Unlike the Scoobers, Wind, Camo and HammerTime, they have a more realistic path to a championship, but that path is still far from easy. With their 9-3 record over the past two years against teams not in the top three they have proven that they belong in a tier above the rest of the league. Meanwhile their 0-8 record against those three teams indicates that they need to take the next step if they want to succeed. Barring an unlikely loss against Wind in the first week of the playoffs, Green should be on everyone’s radar as they very likely face their kryptonite in the form of the three teams ahead of them.

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     5. CUDL’s continued growth

Indiana, PA has been blessed to have such an awesome league right in their backyard. In another great season CUDL has seen more recognition and continued growth. This may be the first season that CUDL didn’t expand the number of teams, but the league has still seen many new players and stronger commitment from returning players. CUDL also hosted a youth league for the first time that has brought excitement to the future generation of Ultimate players. The league has had consistent fan turnout and concessions for most weeks of the year all while their awesome sponsors continue their support. If this year proved anything it’s that CUDL is here to stay and that it’ll continue to bring people to God and smiles to faces.

 

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Championship caliber tips

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     1. Purple Landsharks (PLS) - One week at a time

For the first time Purple has found itself in pole position heading into playoffs. This is an exciting position to be in and leads to the easiest path into the championship. With that being said, Purple cannot look ahead or underestimate their opponents. Every team is highly talented and any week can pose a challenge. Look no further than Red taking advantage of the overconfident Landsharks two weeks ago. If Purple wants its first championship they’ll have to battle their way to it week-by-week.

 

     2. Disc-iples (12D) - Overpower everyone

If the Disc-iples could be described in one word it would be intimidating. This team doesn’t stop at just winning, they like to dominate. With that being said it still feels like they’ve been overshadowed by the Landsharks and Tugboats. Maybe it was their slow starts in the past two seasons, or their semifinal exit last year, but this team means business. They find themselves in a similar situation as last year, coming into the playoffs on a five-game, league-leading winning streak. This is a team to be feared and if they want to win that championship their best path would be using their abundance of talent to out-man and out-match their peers. This team likely has the most pure skill in the league, so they shouldn’t overthink their approach.

 

     3. Mighty Mighty Tugboats (MMT) - Stay Mighty

In their short two year existence the Tugboats may have already established themselves as the premier team in the league. Every team looks up to the Tugboats for all that they’ve already accomplished. The Tugboats hold the best winning percentage and point differential all-time in the entire league all while being defending champs and putting together a 2023 season only rivaled by the dominance of Gray in CUDL2021. The Tugboats have stayed mighty into year two, and have put together another strong season. While the Landsharks and Disc-iples eagerly look to take the trophy away from them, the Tugboats are still the team to beat heading into the playoffs.

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     4. Green Eggs & Hammers (GEAH) - Make a statement

Green finds themselves in a world of their own. As mentioned above, Green has proven that they can consistently beat the four teams below them. That consistent success isn’t enough to win a championship though. If Green wants to win it all they will have to experiment and find a way to beat one of those top three teams. Luckily they have a week to find out what that difference maker can be, but before they can think about a championship they’ll have to demonstrate a strategy good enough to not only hang with, but also beat that top-tier of teams. For Green to win it all they’d have to make a statement and overcome an elite team for the first time.

 

     5. The Wind (GTW) - Embrace chaos

The Wind, just like the actual wind, is often unpredictable. It almost feels like they do their best in the craziest situations. Every time that Gray has scored 17 or more points they have won— which might not seem like a wild stat until you consider that their opponents have also averaged more than 17 points in those games. Gray wins when both sides are disoriented. Maybe they find solace in fast-paced shootouts where neither team has time to react. This leads me to give out some typically poor advice. I think that Gray should take risks and play like every point is their last. This will lead to mistakes, but it’ll also overwhelm their opponents. If Gray wants another championship they’ll have to make teams play on their terms.

 

     6. Golden Scoobers (GS) - Start strong, end strong

I think any Scoobers player would agree that they have had very few complete games this season. They have shown flashes of greatness and also periods of total breakdown, often in the same game. In many games they’ll dig themselves a massive hole at the start just to claw back for the rest of the game then narrowly lose, like their 15-17 loss to the Disc-iples. They’ve also had hot starts where it looks like a blowout right before the other team turns it into a nail-biter, like their 15-13 win over Gray. It’s clear that if the Scoobers were to find a way to play a complete game they’d have the skill to hang with anyone. Only challenge is finding that full-game consistency.

 

     7. Hammertime (RHT) - Ride the momentum

Despite holding the #7 seed Hammertime finds itself in a great situation. They have an incredibly hard road ahead, but Red has a history of playoff success. Red is also the only team that has shown an ability to beat top teams (like their season-long bullying of the #1 seed Landsharks). The best time to turn a season around is right before the playoffs and Red has done precisely that. If there were any team to fear right now, outside of the Disc-iples, it would be Hammertime. Unfortunately struggling for much of the year gives them a matchup against those same Disc-iples. Red undoubtedly has the capability to win, the only thing left to do is ride the momentum they’ve built into a deep playoff run.

 

     8. Le ‘Flauge (CLF) - Blend in

Poor camo, they once again find themselves at the bottom of the league. It’s a spot that they have become far too familiar with in their two-year existence. But maybe that’s the exact mindset they want others to have. My best advice for camo is to let people underestimate them then strike right when it’s least expected. Like every team in the league, they are loaded with talent. We can’t forget that this team sat tied for second after three weeks. Camo has undeniably struggled since then, but it shows their potential is there. If they can camouflage themselves out of everyone’s view that will be their best path to a shocking championship win.

 

 

My prediction

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So what do I think of all this? I might be biased, but I can’t predict anything outside of a PLS-MMT rematch. Everything has lined up well for it to happen again, and I think both teams will seize the opportunity. While I think a 12D-RHT would’ve been super exciting, one of those teams will unfortunately be out next week. Anyway, I’m sticking with my preseason prediction and am prepared to be totally wrong. As for this week’s games here’s my predictions:

 

PLS - CLF

16        12

 

MMT - GS

21         11

 

12D - RHT

23         20

 

GEAH - GTW

18              19