National Surf League | The Game

The Los Angeles Arc Angels have proven that they will continue to fight for a win as a heavily stacked San Diego Sea Lions defeated the feisty Arc Angels in the final moments of the fourth quarter at the scenic Leo Carrillo State Beach, SD: 95.75 to LA: 92.

In the first quarter, Los Angeles opted for visiting team, the San Diego Sea Lions to start the top of the quarter. Veteran Game competitor, Taylor Knox along with Jeremy Sherwin, Benji Weatherly and Sean Marceron waited aggressively for sets as the tide slowly came in. Wave size was shoulder high with lengthy lulls however plus sets provided a flurry of waves for the next four quarters. SD’s first quarter group could not muster a score higher than Sherwin and Marceron’s 5.5 ending their quarter with a score of 20 and all 3 timeouts used.

The Arc Angels’ 1st quarter highlights include Brendan Hearn’s air scoring a 6.0 and Jordy Tappis’ 7.25 which included an impressive radical layback. LA heavy hitters Pascal Stansfield and Anthony Petruso could not improve on a score higher than a 4 and a 5.5 respectively. LA set the pace with a 22.75 over SD’s 20-point quarter.

The SD Sea Lions entered the top of the 2nd quarter with zero time outs. A nervous coach David Barr explained his thoughts on entering a quarter with no time outs, "You don’t want to do that. Usually, you’re done when you do that, but we got some help from the Gods".

SD’s stacked group of Rob Machado, Che Stang, Austin Ware and Dean Randazzo certainly went all out as they posted an aggressive quarter with Machado starting the quarter with a 9.0 wave. Machado’s fluid and awe inspiring fast cutbacks, followed by a series of snaps and off the tops sent the crowd and the SD bench into a frenzy. For the remainder of the quarter, Machado stood on top of the rock next to the break, coaching his three teammates into a three-wave set. Stang squeezed three full maneuvers into a wave while Randazzo took one of the best-shaped waves of the day. In the final seconds, Ware attempted to improve his 5.75 only to score a 5.5. Collectively, the group delivered a 6.25 improvement over San Diego’s first quarter of 20 points for a 26.25 2nd quarter.

Los Angeles’ 2nd quarter group included the consistently high scoring Alex Grey, Shaun Burrell, former OC team member Bron Huessenstamm and Venice Beach local, Justin Swartz. Grey opened the bottom of the 2nd quarter going for broke while only scoring a 2.75. Swartz’s first and only wave was the highest score for this group, with a 6.75 on good wave selection, yet failed to fully utilize every section. Huessenstamm could not improve on a 4.0 as Coach Lamm decided to throw in Dave Pinto in place of Bron right after Grey scored his highest score of 6.0 for the quarter. Low wave opportunities presented a slew of sub 4.0 scores as the large framed Pinto attempted to improve Bron’s score. Burrell improved to a 5.0 surfing incredibly quick, hitting the lip 3 times with the last snap coinciding with spray from his first maneuver. The Arc Angels’ 21.75 quarter allowed the Sea Lions to take the lead with SD: 46.25 to LA: 44.5.

In the top of the 3rd quarter, San Diego’s 1st quarter group returned with Taylor Knox opening the quarter after a lengthy wait scoring only a 2.75 just before a well placed timeout. Benji Weatherly was substituted by "The Professor", Zach Keenan, who scored a 5.75 consisting of three solid cutbacks and a completed air off the closeout. While sitting on a comfortable 5.75, Keenan selected a wave that the rest of the team passed up, working the outside followed by a completed air and three more hits off the lip. The Professor’s score had now improved to a 7.0, the highest of the 3rd quarter SD group. "I’m glad that I got a decent wave, the rest of our team really struggled because of a lot of lulls but the opportunity came and I was lucky it came my way" said Keenan. The Sea Lions ended their second quarter with only a 21.25 and a cumulative running score of 67.5.

The Arc Angels saw an opportunity to make up the loss they had encountered after the first half, with Brendan Hearn selecting a well linked wave, clearing a huge section with a floater and a off the top off the closeout, scoring a 6.75. Pascal Stansfield who had earlier bogged on a 4.0, delivered a series of backside snaps ending with a huge fin free smash for a 6.5. LA took the lead with a 24.25 3rd quarter score and a cumulative score of 68.75 over SD’s 67.5.

It was in the top of the 4th quarter where San Diego unleashed a fury to crush LA once and for all. Kyle Knox substituted for Austin Ware scoring a solid 6.25 with full fins exposed on several maneuvers. Machado’s 8.0 wave was so well read as he attacked three huge sections, smashing the lip to bits. Randazzo’s 6.5 wave showed an unprecedented display of power with three massive gouges in the pocket right before a strategically placed time out. At 3 minutes and 40 seconds, the SD team had only a 25.25 for the quarter, which meant that LA needed only a 24-point 4th quarter to tie the Sea Lions. In an attempt to improve Randazzo’s 6.5, Daryl Goodrum was thrown in to improve Randazzo’s score without much luck. However, with 20 seconds left in the final SD quarter along with incoming sets approaching, Che Stang let the first wave pass and took off on the second of the set improving his score from a 4.5 to an explosive game changing 7.5. The elated Sea Lions had now increased the pressure for LA as the Arc Angels now needed a 27-point 4th quarter score to tie San Diego.

LA’s 4th quarter group started with aerialist Justin Swartz’s attempted superman maneuver. Ted Navarro, Alex Grey and Shaun Burrell pushed hard to collectively score 7.0’s each to surpass the 27-quarter benchmark to defeat San Diego. Burrell’s electrifying 7.0 score which improved his 4.75 sent the LA bench into cheers and stomping in the dugout along with roars from a large contingent of Arc Angel fans. At 3:26, LA’s quarter score stood at 22.5, a sizeable yet not impossible 4.5 differential to make up. Swartz was substituted by Greg Browning, in order to better Swartz’s 5.0. However, Browning was not able to find the opportunity to boost the score, "I was overly excited to best describe what was going through my mind, knowing that we stood a good chance against a great team and I wish I had it in me to provide that score" said Browning. As the time ran out, it was clear that LA would have to suffer a 3rd straight loss at home and 4 losses since the Santa Cruz Stormriders series last week at Steamer Lane.

LA’s fourth quarter score was a 23.25. San Diego defeated the Arc Angels 95.75 to 92. "I think the people that are here watching they see what we got and they know we have a chance. It’s a lot of lot little things — maybe if San Diego didn’t have Machado things would have probably been different" laughed Arc Angels Shaun Burrell.

San Diego Coach David Barr commented, "If we had LA’s wave opportunities we would have reached over the 100-point mark, it came down to clock management. It was an amazing day and a great win".