May 26, 2009 Plate Match Report

29 Guns Entered -- Match won by James Austin

1 Junior Entry - Kiel Marvik, unopposed

18 Young Bucks & Does - Class won by Rob Potter

6 Senior Entries - Class won by Dan Moore

4 Super Senior Entries - Class won by Leon Potter

Tonight's weather was perfect, a clear blue sky, no wind and a balmy 64degrees. 29 guns came out to play in the summertime weather, and none were disappointed. First, thanks to all who pitched in and made the event go so well tonight. Thanks to Mathew Seagraves and OJ for setting up the stage. Thanks to Rebecca & Rob Potter for running the scoreboard, microphone and the firing line. Thanks to all those who stepped in and helped while Rob & Reba were shooting. With all this good help, we got in 5 rounds of shooting and our Sudden Death Finale. Round 4 was our mandatory reload round, and that exercise is a "work in progress" for many of us.
We pick up the action toward the end of the Sudden Death phase of our match tonight. Kiel Marvik was unopposed in the Junior Class, but shot very well indeed tonight, and let many of us know that he was here to PLAY!!
Leon Potter has retired with the Super Senior Class victory tonight. Well done, Leon. The final 3 for this evening's match are Rob Potter, James Austin, and Dan Moore. All three shooters are showing a lot of speed, accuracy, and most importantly of all, consistency. Finally, Rob Potter puts Dan on the trailer with the Senior Class ribbon safely tucked away. Well done, Dan. That leaves James with 2 numbers, to Rob Potter's 5. uh oh James, you have your work cut out for you tonight!!. James and Rob square off, and James evens things up just a bit with a victorious duel over Rob. James 2, Rob 4. Again to the firing line. Again the horn sounds, the guns bark, and James has evened up the score just a bit more. Now it's James 2, and Rob 3. The pressure is on both shooters for real, now.
Shooters Load and Make Ready!! Shooters Ready? Stand By!! The horn sounds, the guns bark and we are now even at 2 apiece. The gallery can feel the pressure clear to the back row. Let's try this again. Shooters Load and Make Ready!! Shooters Ready? Stand By!! At the sound of the horn James and Rob attack the plates, and folks! We have a brand new ballgame. James is on a tear, and has pulled ahead 2 numbers to Rob's 1. Wow!! One more time.
Shooters, Load and Make Ready!! Shooters Ready? Stand By!! James has come from behind to tie, then pull ahead by 1 number. The pressure was on him 5 to 2, and now it's on Rob 2 to 1. It's "6 for sure" in the form of a Smith & Wesson Revolver, against a "state of the art" incarnation of John Browning's craftsmanship, the 1911 pistol from Nighthawk Custom Guns. At the horn it's Smith & Wesson against Nighthawk Custom Guns, and this time, this time folks, it's Smith & Wesson for the win.

Well, there you have it folks. Competition at it's best. James Austin wins tonight's falling plate match, and Rob Potter wins tonight's Young Buck & Does Class. They join Kiel and Dan and Leon in the winner's circle, and look forward to a week of adoration by their awestruck fans. Well, ok, they get congratulated and invited back next week, at their own expense. Well, we're just a gun club, not American Idol. The prize automobiles and Hollywood contracts were last year, this year they get blue ribbons. And we'll see you all right here next week to see who gets the ribbons then. Take care all.

Hal