Fast Take from Fast Break
South Division Preview-League City vs Kansas City
If it wasn't for the Charlotte vs New York series- I think this might be the most compelling series of the weekend. These are two teams that have welcomed big names into their programs in the last few weeks. Kansas City has notably gotten the Creighton standouts from the 2019 season and League City benefits from the addition of Melodie Brown, described as a matchup nightmare for opponents, and Cullen Friday who is in contention to be the fastest player in the sport.
Kansas City has more of an uphill battle than other MLQ teams by needing to absorb the different stratagem of the MLQ playset as they shake off the rust of coming back into quidditch. Will they be able to find a flow and shake into the upper tier of the South division, or will they struggle to earn a championship bid this season? The aforementioned Creighton standouts will have to inject new blood into the 4th worst offense in 2019 at 72.5 QPF/G (quaffle points for per game) as they are coming off of a season where Creighton was averaging 121.9 quaffle points per game. Darian Murcek-Ellis is one of the players who was likely in middle school when some of the players in League City started playing. So he, along with Laura Levin and Lauren Curry, will have to show they can also counter the hard-hitting and experience of League City.
League City has been a middle-of-the-pack team in MLQ’s toughest division every year since their inaugural season. Some on their team view this weekend as a stepping stone to their eventual clashes with San Antonio and Austin, and they’ll need to figure out innovative ways to strengthen their playbook. With the return of elderly players like Kody Marshall and younger players like Joan Alexander and Cullen Friday, how will these players mesh? Will League City create masterful lines that represent different eras of quidditch, or mix and match unique talents to create new South division rankings? Sources have told us that the respect everyone has for each other at practice has been a huge part of their ability to come up with a game plan that can make them extremely dangerous this year. Chaser Haley Dupre is a key member for this team and will impact how dangerous this offense can be. They had the 7th ranked offense in 2019, averaging 120.8 quaffle points per game, that just made the top half of the league but they were the 3rd best in their own division.
Both of these teams will be exciting to watch this year. Kansas City has the promise of young talent and this can be the start of a new era for Stampede quidditch. League City has gotten older and more experienced all while adding on game-changing talent. This will be a fun matchup and I believe that the hard-hitting nature of League City will be hard to overcome for this relatively young Kansas City squad. However, given time, I think this Kansas City team can adjust to the physicality of MLQ but I believe going against the defense of Hayden Boyes, Christopher Dorsey, and the reliable veteran, Kody Marshall, this early in the season will prove to be too much.
Prediction: 3-0 League City
