Edmonds’ Cross Sound Cup Team

First Row: Joanie, La, Tu, Jeanna Second Row: Cris, Saurabh, Joan, Melanie, Bill, Ron, Brien, John, Mari

On Saturday, September 14, the Edmonds Pétanque Club’s Cross Sound Team traveled to Port Townsend intent on capturing the Cross Sound Trophy from last year’s winner- the Port Townsend Pétanque Alliance. This year the PTPA hosted the EPC at Fort Worden State Park.

The Cross-Sound Cup, in its second year, is a friendly but serious intra-club competition that is jointly organized by the Edmonds Pétanque Club and the Port Townsend Pétanque Alliance.

Each fall, these two leading pétanque clubs in the Pacific Northwest form teams of 12 players. On the day of the competition, players face off in singles, doubles, and triples matches, as well as a shooting and pointing competition.

Player selection is based on guidelines that each club develops to help it assemble a team that includes some of the club’s best players and that also broadly represents that club’s overall membership. Clubs consider factors such as gender, length of time playing the sport, degree of participation in the club, skill, and performance in competitive events in the past year.

Though Saturday morning was overcast with a forecast of threatening rain, the teams took to the courts and thrashed out each set of contests. The Triples Competition began at ten a.m. and each club won two matches.

The Edmonds team was on fire, despite the overcast weather

TRIPLES FINAL TALLY: EPC – 2 PTPA – 2

Next came the Doubles Competition, described by Edmonds player, Mari Dever, as a nailbiter. The twelve players who had formed four triples teams were now matched with new playing partners to form six doubles squads. From the six doubles matches, Edmonds captured two wins, which brought their point total to four. PTPA ended the Doubles with a total of six points.

DOUBLES FINAL TALLY: EPC – 2 PTPA – 4

Each game was allowed 75 minutes to complete. Some went fast, others took longer. A following of friends, family, and bystanders cheered on the players from both sides of the Puget Sound pond. Ro Verdeja attended with his mom, Ena, and played digital Master of Ceremonies for the contingent of Edmonds fans back home, as he sent regular, play-by-play WhatsApp messages, keeping everyone up to date with scores, videos and pictures of the games. The Edmonds supporters were wonderful. Thanks to everyone!

After lunch, the Singles Competition paired the twelve players from each club against players from the other side who were randomly selected for these matches.

Each contestant played their best. Some were up against the hotshots from Port Townsend like Silas Holm, who had already garnered beaucoup ribbons and medals from all over the country. Scott and George from the PTPA were also outstanding. Each won in all three of the day’s categories.

Outstanding Edmonds players, also winners of many tournaments, were Cris Dreher, John Hunt and Mari Dever as well as La Singkeo and Tu Hoang. Each match was intense and different from the others. Some players played quickly, while others took more time with strategies and close observation of courts they had never played on. Special acknowledgement to EPC Alternate Joanie Neuhaus who won, along with teammates, Saurabh and Tu, in the triples; and won with teammate Tu in the doubles.

Joan, Bill, and La consider their strategy to take the point

SINGLES FINAL TALLY: EPC – 6 PTPA – 6

Next came the Pointing and Shooting Competition, whose outcome would contribute one point to the team score. Edmonds won handily, and John Hunt was delighted to claim 8 of EPC’s 47 points in the shooting match. Nice birthday present, John!

The Edmonds players were amazed and delighted that they outscored their PTPA opponents 47 to 38 in Shooting and Pointing.

POINTING AND SHOOTING TALLY: EPC – 47 PTPA – 38

GRAND TOTAL OF ALL POINTS: EPC – 11 PTPA – 12

In the end, the Port Townsend team emerged victorious by one thin point. Overall, the EPC dramatically improved over last year. Special thanks goes to Ron Stires, who served as Edmonds team captain. Ron “brought his A-game in so many ways even though he didn’t get to compete!” He competently coordinated the Edmonds Pétanque Club’s involvement in the Cross-Sound Annual Tournament. Thanks as well to Jeanna Holtz, who skillfully handled ordering and seeing to it that each player received a cool EPC tournament shirt. Thank you, Port Townsend Pétanque Alliance, for their hospitality.

Joanie takes the point

All photos by Ro Verdeja