June 16, 2009 Plate Match Report

Total number of Guns entered - 33 - Match Won by James Austin

     1 Junior - Kiel Marvik, upopposed

    21 Young Bucks and Does - Class won by Rob Potter

     3 Seniors entered - Class won by Rebecca Potter

     8 Super Seniors entered - Class won by George Flaherty

 

     Welcome to Gig Harbor Sportsman's Club's Tuesday evening plate match.  We have a warm, 72degrees, overcast, muggy evening sports fans, and 33 guns condending for fame, albeit temporary.  We have a bit of a change, harkening back to the genesis of this match.  Tonight we're shooting at our original plate racks, with quite a bit larger and heavier plates.  Whereas the newer plate racks sport smaller and lighter plates, placing a premium on accuracy, these larger heavier plates require some "push" to knock over, so power factor comes into play as well.  The plates don't fall as fast, but there still can be no hesitation before going on to the next plate while waiting to see if the last one actually fell.

     Many thanks to our setup crew, tonight consisting of Mathew Seagraves, O.J. Kimura, and Nick Hansche.  The stage was ready when it was time to start, and ready early enough to allow some practice beforehand.  Thanks again to Rob and Rebecca Potter for, in Rebecca's case running the scoreboard and the lineup, and in Rob's case for running the line.  Thanks as well to those who stepped in to help Rob and Reba when they were shooting.  With this well-oiled machine, we got in 4 rounds of shooting and a "Sudden Death" finale, even with this large field.  Well done folks, everyone appreciates it.

     Well, as the poets say "The best laid plans of Mice and Men (and Women) often go astray".  We made it through round 1 and just into Round 2, and one of the old plate racks just broke.  The bar that raises the plates at the pull of the cord has broken,and there is no way to "jury rig" it for the evening.  So we change back to our newer plate racks, and keep on keeping on.

      And another development to make the evening more interesting.  We are starting to feel some raindrops.  Out comes the umbrella to protect our score table and scoreboard, and we look up at all the clouds and wonder if our impending record of 29 days without measurable rainfall is in jeopardy.  By the time this reporter has made notes about our "storm", the "storm" has quit.  Heck, that wasn't even enough to dampen the pollen.  This "storm" was indeed perfect.  It was very short, inconsequential, and a complete non-event.  But I digress.

     We started this event with 33 guns.  As the evening progressed we have seen attrition reduce the numbers to 5.  James Austin, Lee Lewis, Loren DeShon, Rob Potter & George Flaherty.  Now it's lose and leave for the finalists, so let's pick up the action with Loren and Rob.  They are ready, set and away they go.  It's a fast duel, the cream of the crop showing their stuff, but Rob gets there first, exit Loren.  

     George Flaherty and James Austin square off, they attack the plates, and George just cannot believe it.  Both shooters run the first 4 plates in nearly record time, James gets the 5th one in an unbroken string, but George's 5th plate rocks, starts to fall, rights itself, wiggles a bit, and then steadies and just stands there mocking him.  String to James, exit George, our Super Senior Class winner tonight.  Well George, at least you winged it.

     Rob and Lee duel now, and Rob wins this one.  Exit Lee.  

     Folks, we're down to 2, James Austin and Rob Potter.  Shooters, Load and Make Ready!!

     Shooters Ready?  Stand By!!  Then the horn, the gunfire, a moment of hesitation on the part of the crowd as they wait to see if any plates are still standing.  Well, they are all down, but James' went down first.  Exit Rob Potter, our Young Bucks and Does Class winner.

     And Congratulations!! to James Austin, tonight's match winner.  We know James thrives on pressure, and Rob and the rest of the field surely put the pressure on James this evening.  It's fun at the end of the matches to see what GOOD really looks like from our finalists. 

     Thats all for another week folks.  We'll be right here same time next week, and the shooting should be just as good. Ya'all come on out and join us.  Warm up Monday evenings at 5pm and come on out and shoot at the plates on Tuesdays at 6pm.

We will see you all then.

 

Hal