News: Gold Racquetball - Week 2
| Date Published |
Author |
| 2/4/2026 12:00:00 AM |
Zeke Churchill |
What is our purpose? Is it to work diligently for equity that can make our lives more comfortable? Perhaps it is to love, empathize, and connect with our neighbor? Or maybe it’s to get really, really good at racquetball.
In week two we had two matchups that set fire to the small community of Seward Alaska, two matchups still pending a makeup game. The standings will reflect only games played. Let’s jump right in.
Match 1: Zeke v. Jamie
Zeke was nervous. With the newly aligned four league system at SPRD a couple players had trickled down from the upper echelons of racquet stardom and found themselves in the Gold league, and Jamie was one of them. Zeke’s game had been improving but he knew he would have to play near perfectly to have a shot. As the two entered the court it was obvious to spectators that they were getting a blockbuster show. Have you guys seen Dune? It was like Dune but with Racquetball, and the battle for Arracquets was on. At first glance these two titans of industry seemed evenly matched, both players gaining points in time and matching the energy that their opponent put forth, neither could beset the other, who would the emperor choose? At one point during the outset Zeke took a slight lead, but spice is a strong motivator and Jamie would not be denied. Like the ambush of the Harkonnen, Jamie unleashed a fire of force. Zeke was caught off guard and things begin to fall apart for the great house; the patriarch is captured, the palm trees burned, Jamie wins game one 15-8.
In game two Zeke returned with quiet resolve, “I am the Lissan al-Gaib” he whispered to himself, he moved through the first couple points with his sand step, one with the desert. Zeke gains a couple of quick points and starts 3-0. Is it possible that he is the one? The offworlder that the prophesy spoke of? Jamie stopped and took a slow, deep breath, “Let us put him to the test”, she whispered. She kneels, and with a thudding fist she pounds rhythmically on the floor of the court. Within seconds the walls begin to quake and rumble, the floor itself liquifying. Zeke begins to slowly sink in, unable to understand what’s happening around him. In a final moment of tremor the floor opens and the gigantic maw of a sand worm engulfs Zeke and disappears beneath the court. Jamie stands victorious over the false prophet and wins game two 15-9. Jamie sits at 2-0.
Match 2: Brad v. Mel
When Petey Pablo said “take ya shirt off, twist it around ya head, spin it like a helicopter” he was probably referring to the reaction you would have if you watched Brad play Mel in our second match of the evening. These two titans were cordial in greeting each other but that kindness was soon to fade. Both started playing the soft game to test the defenses of their opponent; high shots off the top of the wall, lobs to the glass, just to see if there were weaknesses. All of the sudden the engines turned on, Mel’s whip-like serve increases the speed of the game and Brad responds with a howitzer forehand return. At one point Brad sends a shot off the glass and to the backwall from a court length away. As the game drew on I was contacted by the United States military who wanted to know if they could use Brad’s arm to replace a bunch of tanks that are getting old. I told them no because I didn’t know how long this game would last. As Brad's speed begins giving him the edge, he starts taking new serves out of his bag; forehand serves, backhand serves, Z serves, reverse Z serves. At one point during this clinic I was contacted by the highly renowned Michelin three star restaurant Le Bernardin in New York City who wanted to know if they could use Brad’s service to bring dishes to their customers' tables. I told them no because I thought he might be tired. Power and serves win out for Brad and he takes game one 15-3.
Electric is how I would describe the second game of the match. Mel must have remembered that she’s the boss lady because she couldn’t miss. Effortlessly placing soft kill shots in the perfect spots where Brad couldn’t return them Mel ties game two 4-4. Back and forth the game rolls on, we watch transfixed at the Newtonian game unfolding before us, every action causing an equal and opposite reaction. Mel fights hard and puts the test to Brad, she scrapes for 6 hard earned points but Brad skates away with the game 15-6 and the match , bringing him also to 2-0 in the league.
We are deeply entrenched here my friends! Now that it is mid league I am sure I can safely assume that you all obsess over league standings just as much as I do. Below are our league standings after two weeks of play as well as week three’s matchups and times. See you in the cube!
| Standings W2 |
| Place |
Player |
Wins-Losses |
GW |
Point Differential APG |
| 1 |
Brad |
2-0 |
4 |
9.8 |
| 2 |
Jamie |
2-0 |
4 |
4 |
| 3 |
Zeke |
1-1 |
2 |
4.3 |
| 4 |
Francisco |
0-0 |
0 |
0 |
| 5 |
Fred |
0-1 |
1 |
-2.3 |
| 6 |
Doyle |
0-1 |
0 |
-9 |
| 7 |
Mel |
0-1 |
0 |
-10.5 |
| 8 |
Izzy |
0-1 |
0 |
-15 |
| Game |
Date |
Times |
Location |
Visiting Team |
Home Team |
|
| 9 |
Monday February 9, 2026 |
5:00 PM - 5:45 PM |
AVTEC Gym - Racquetball Court |
Jamie |
Isaiah |
Edit Teams |
| 10 |
Monday February 9, 2026 |
5:45 PM - 6:30 PM |
AVTEC Gym - Racquetball Court |
Brad |
Francisco |
Edit Teams |
| 11 |
Monday February 9, 2026 |
6:30 PM - 7:15 PM |
AVTEC Gym - Racquetball Court |
Fred |
Melanie |
Edit Teams |
| 12 |
Monday February 9, 2026 |
7:15 PM - 8:00 PM |
AVTEC Gym - Racquetball Court |
Doyle |
Zeke |
Edit Teams |