California All-State Team
In response to Luke Changet’s all-state Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio teams, we decided to rack our brains and create a roster that was composed of the best players that California has to offer. We got to see a lot of these players when we made the trek to Snow Cup a few weeks ago, and firmly believe that only with the exception of Texas, California contains some of the best that quidditch has to offer.
The name of the game for this roster is versatility - with some of the best male beaters in the country, as well as females who can seamlessly transition between beating and chasing, the All-California team can play with any gender combination, whether it be a two-male or female beater lineup without hesitation.
Current players on official rosters only, names within positions in alphabetical order.
Ren Bettendorf, Santa Barbara Blacktips
Tony Rodriguez, Lost Boys
Zach Luce, UCLA
Honorable Mentions: Nebraska Huggins, Thundercats; Ryan Parsons, USC; Salvador Sánchez Jr., UC Berkeley.
The keeper position contains All-American Tony Rodriguez and Zach Luce, who have solidified themselves as perhaps the two best keepers in the Western Region. Ren Bettendorf also impressed at Western Cup, helping the Blacktips get the #1 seed after pool play (and did you see his flip shot at Snow Cup?)
The toughest decision here was the omission of Nebraska Huggins, who we believe has potential to become one of the best keepers in the Western Region. He already is one of the West’s best drivers, and his football experience coupled with natural athleticism helps him blow by many point defenders as well as hit mid-range shots. However, his lack of experience as well as his distributive skills left him off the list this year. Hopefully, we can see him in this roster come next year.
Alex Browne, Lost Boys
Brandon Scapa, UCLA
David Demarest, USC
Jake Tieman, Lost Boys
Jeff Lin, Lost Boys
Tye Rush, Riverside
Honorable Mention: Alex Richardson, Long Beach Funky Quaffles; Ben Harding, Santa Barbara Blacktips; Corey Osto, UCLA; Michael Binger, UCLA.
A position of depth, the 3 Lost Boys chasers have impressed this year. Browne has seamlessly transitioned from UCLA’s keeper to a chaser who can move well off the ball as well as make the second pass to find his teammate for an even better shot. Lin is one of the West’s best point defenders, and his hustle has him picking up loose balls to do the dirty work. Tieman plays a physical game that helped him excel and be UCLA’s most effective chaser against the Longhorns last April, when he was able to drive into Texas’s defense without being taken down. Scapa, who plays 3 positions for UCLA, is possibly its most important player. Rush is a fantastic off-ball chaser whose speed and vertical leap make him very difficult to defend, and he is Riverside’s most lethal scorer. Demarest is an incredible athlete, who plays at a high level on both sides of the ball while excelling in any role necessary.
Alessandra Ché Pisaño, Long Beach Funky Quaffles
Missy Sponagle, Lost Boys
Vanessa Goh, Lost Boys
Honorable Mention: Katelynn Kazane, UCLA; Sarah Sherman, USC; Tiffany Chow, Lost Boys.
Female chasing is where California lacks elite depth, but it is top heavy. Goh and Sponagle, who both starred for Team USA a couple of years ago, are in the top tier of female chasers across the country and are no-brainer picks. The fact that they are versatile and can also play well at the beater positions well only adds to their value.
Pisaño may be the most surprising pick on this roster - but her smart off-ball movement, above-average passing skills, and toughness (did you see her get up right after getting tackled repeatedly at Snow Cup?) showed to us that she deserves to be on this roster.
Chris Seto, Lost Boys
David Saltzman, Stanford
Michael Mohlman, Lost Boys
Peter Lee, Lost Boys
Honorable Mention: Brandon Rylee, Thundercats; Logan Trudell, Thundercats; Michael Aguilera, Long Beach Funky Quaffles; Nick Metzler, USC.
The Western Region has a reputation for having some of the nation’s best beaters, and in our opinion, it is also Calfornia’s deepest position. Any of these beaters, including all of those in the honorable mention, can excel in any of other regions. Seto and Mohlman, who didn’t get enough attention (due to Rodriguez and DiCarlo) for their important roles in reaching the Elite 8 last year, were able to both impress in the Southwest. Saltzman also impressed at Western Cup with his smart play, strong arm, and ability to catch bludgers.
Alyssa Burton, Riverside
Amanda Nagy, Lost Boys
Sarah Simko, UCLA
Honorable Mention: Kyrie Timbrook, Silicon Valley Skrewts; Madeleine Wojdak, Lost Boys; Misty Gray, Lost Boys.
Another position of depth, Burton impressed us when she played well as a beater alongside Rylee of the Thundercats at Snow Cup. Nagy has transitioned from an already good chaser to a top-tier female beater. Simko has done a great job of keeping UCLA in games with her beating so far this year.
August Luhrs, USC
Steve DiCarlo, Lost Boys
Honorable Mention: Chris Lock, Santa Barbara Blacktips; Jerome Gage, Riverside
Everyone knows that DiCarlo is one of the most clutch seekers in the game. He seems to always find a way to win games for the Lost Boys as well as his fantasy teams. Having Mohlman and Seto beating on his side helps a lot, but DiCarlo still deserves a ton of credit. Luhrs is another Team USA player whose intimidating strength, long arms, and speed help him be a great seeker. While these two are absolutely deadly, the name of the game for the California All-Stars is versatility. Not only can Luhrs and DiCarlo make an impact in the quaffle game, but they also have a half dozen California teammates ready to trade them for the yellow headband, as Scapa, Demarest, Lin, Tieman, Goh, and Sponagle all boast strong seeking records.
