January 3, 2011 Gig Harbor Sportsmans Club Plate Match Report

18 Guns Entered       Match Winner:  EJ Corich

      2nd Place:  Lee Lewis

        3rd Place:  George Flaherty

         4th Place:  Hal Hansen

 

  1 Lady:  Stephanie Stevens     We grow our women tough in Gig Harbor

 

     Good evening Ladies & Gentlemen, and welcome back to another Gig Harbor Sportsmans Club Plate Match.  The weather was COLD tonight, the thermometer hovering at 34 degrees at gametime, perfect weather for a plate match.  Apparently the brisk weather pleased our plate shooters, as we had a large, enthusiastic crowd turn out for the match.  18 Guns competed for the match win tonight, and between all 3 Heaters and the intensity of the competition, the temperatures were very manageable indeed. 

     Thanks go to our match staff for putting on such a neat match.  Our Match Director, Mike Blondin, ran the show.  George Flaherty did an excellent job running the scoreboard & the microphone while shuffling and dealing the duels, and shot his S&W 1911

well enough to finish 2nd in the competition.  Several of our shooters took turns runnng the firing line, and they all saw to it that the

match was run smoothly and efficiently.  Moreover, and most importantly, our Gig Harbor Sportsmans Club Plate Match was run SAFELY!!

   We were pleased to have several new plate shooters in our presence tonight.  EJ Corich, from KRRC came by long enough to win the match tonight.  A couple of veteran shooters from Gig Harbor Sportsmans Club attended;  welcome to Greg Asche & Thor Palm, and welcome to our new plate shooters Roland  Huggins and Buck Buchanan.  We hope all of you gentlemen had a good time tonight, and that you will make the plate matches on the 1st & 3rd Mondays at Gig Harbor Sportsmans Club a regular feature of your calendar.  We had one lone Lady bundle up and come out to shoot tonight.  Welcome back Stephanie Stevens.  It begins to look like handgun competition agrees with you.  M'Lady, you have but scratched the surface.  Welcome back.

     We started out our match tonight with a field of 18.  After EJ Corich put this reporter on the trailer, the number was reduced to 3;

EJ Corich, Lee Lewis and George Flaherty.  In a fast & accurate duel, Lee Lewis put our 3rd Place finisher, George Flaherty,

on the trailer.  In this crowd, George, 3rd Place ain't so bad.  Now we have but TWO.  Lee Lewis has 4 numbers, and EJ Corich has 1.  The challenge for the first duel of the finals was All Of'em, Strong Hand Only.  Folks, this duel was so close that one could hear the clink as the two poppers passed each other on their way to the ground.  Once on the ground though, EJs popper was on the ground.  That one was close, but EJ won it by a hair. Now EJ still has his 1 number, and Lee has but 3. 

     Once again Lee & EJ are locked and loaded, we have tone, and once again they go at it Strong Hand only.  Once again, it's close, but once again, EJ Corich drops his popper immediately below Lee's, and now EJ still has his 1, but Lee is down to 2.

Lee & EJ are ready for the 3rd duel of the finals, and this one is still for All Of'em, but now it's to be conducted weak hand only.

Apparently EJ is ambidextrous, because it didn't seem to matter to him which hand he used.  EJs popper hit the dirt first, and now Lee is even with EJ at 1 number each.  EJ & Lee are loaded and ready, we have *TONE* and Lee and EJ go for All of'em once again, Freestyle, complete with 2 hands and whatever feet are necessary.  How many hands and feet they use seems to make no difference tonight.  EJ Corich drops his popper first, tight to the dirt, with Lee's popper on top, and EJ Corich takes the duel and wins

the first Gig Harbor Sportsmans Club Plate Match of 2011.  Well done EJ Corich.  Well done Lee Lewis for your 2nd place finish, and to George Flaherty for your 3rd.

     OK Folks, the inaugural Gig Harbor Sportsmans Club Plate Match of 2011 is now history.  In two weeks, on January 17, 2011 is Martin Luther King's Birthday, a National Holiday.  If history is a teacher, we will not have a plate match that night, but stay tuned for further announcements on that date.  Remember the Clays Matches each Sunday at 4PM.  In the meantime, practice a lot, practice properly, and we'll see you right back here for Falling Plate Matches all year long on the First & Third Mondays of each month except for National Holidays celebrated on Mondays.  As you practice, remember your priorities:  1) Safety 2) Accuracy and 3) Speed!  The axiom is true:

 

                                 "SPEED IS FINE, BUT ACCURACY IS FINAL"

 

Hal