Ultimate's Halloween Tradition

Horsecows Get Dressed Up for the Competiton

One day every year, a bunch of Oberlin students let their hidden desires out of the closet and dress and act how they really want. I'm speaking, of course, of the ultimate frisbee team and the annual Halloween tournament at Ohio University. The one-day dress-up extravaganza always features hot play and hotter costumes from the Flying Horsecows, and this year was no exception.

The 'Cows warmed up on the damp, chill fields of Athens, Ohio just before game time and following a four-hour early-morning fun-drive. One thing became apparent soon after Oberlin arrived: they were far and away the best-dressed team. Sure, there were some great individual efforts, and the Drunk Clowns were there, as per usual. But from Ray Mysterio to the randy sailors to Jacko to Jamie "Mateo Pastore" Merchant, the Horsecows certainly won the day in terms of dress. And, following a flawless Halloween '99 performance, Oberlin hoped they would win the day on the field as well.

The day started off slowly for Oberlin (a huge surprise for any casual follower of the Horsecows), as they squared off against a veteran but short-handed Columbus club team. Among the opposing players were many recent OSU graduates, who Oberlin had faced many times before ‹ so the play was intense, if mostly spirited.

Oberlin took an early lead in the game, which became key as the contest went on and the wind picked up. The 'Cows executed an excellent zone defense and offense, stifling Columbus on the one hand and shredding their zone on the other. The early lead proved decisive, as the 'Cows prevailed by a few points over a visibly tired Columbus team. First-year "Count" Steve Weintraub got to the essence of the victory best when he commented, "I really liked [junior Rich] Raz in that corn oil. It made me feel kinda funny, like when we used to climb the ropes in gym."

Next up for Oberlin was sectional foe Case Western Reserve University. The 'Cows have seen a lot of Case in the past, and Case has seen a lot of Oberlin ‹ the Horsecows blanked the Fighting Guppies in the teams' last meeting, College Regionals.

With revenge on their minds, Case marched down the field for the first score. Quickly resuming their form, Oberlin rattled off the next seven points to take half. The commanding lead allowed the 'Cows to sub deep into their 20-plus man roster. Case would be able to put only one more score across, as Oberlin prevailed 13-2.

As the sun came out and the winds subsided, the Horsecows continued to roll through the day. Their next opponents were a club team with reasonably short numbers who the 'Cows, even with deep rotation, were able to take to half easily at 7-2. Then, inexplicably, be it the pull of the moon or some shit, Oberlin began to fall apart. The 'Cows gave up several straight scores out of half, and soon found themselves with their once-imposing lead trimmed to a downright frightening single point, at 9-8. "I almost wet myself," commented sophomore Cesare "Twisted Nurse" Perlini, "but that might have had more to do with the sudden bouts of incontinence." Thankfully, Oberlin was able to stem the oncoming tide of evil, and pulled out the last four points for the win.

Following their flawless pool-play performance, Oberlin prepared for the final game, a crossover against Ohio State. As per usual, the final Halloween game proved to be the most intense, and it was one where Oberlin had something to prove ‹ in the teams' last meeting, the 2000 Great Lakes Open, OSU had prevailed by the count of 13-10. As senior Adam Zucker put it, "We wanted those boys, in the way that you really want a new bike for Christmas, but with more homicidal rage."

It was to be another epic installment in the 'Cows colorful history against sectional and regional opponents. The wind had begun to howl again, and so every point mattered that much more ‹ and Oberlin played like it. The Horsecows fought tooth and nail for each point in the game, and it remained close throughout, with neither team opening a lead of more than a point or two.

Oberlin maintained the lead on and off throughout, but lost it after a tie at 10. After marching the disc up the field, the 'Cows committed a crucial turnover, which OSU was able to capitalize on. All of a sudden, it was game point for OSU, 12-10. The Horsecows were able to put in a score to close the gap to 12-11, but unable to close the gap any further and unable to stop OSU's offense. The 'Cows lost, 13-11, and thus ended at 7 their winning streak at the Halloween tournament.

Sophomore Mike "Department of Public Works" Degnan summed up the frustration of the day's final game, saying, "I long for the sweet touch of a woman in the night, the gentle caress and scent of roseŠshit, you're not writing this down, dude, are you?"

The tournament, though it ended on a down note, did see many bright spots. Continued good play came from first-years Will Miller and Weintraub, as well as the triumphant return to tournament play of junior Ben "Club Foot" Gleason. Glory, too, came to the sophomore class; the randy sailor, Mike Hamm, was all over the field, and Aaron "Barbie" Webber proved that yes, pumpkins can indeed fly.

And so it was that the 'Cows did leave town, as Athens prepared, as it does every year on the Saturday before Halloween, to explode in a drunken orgy of disorder, arrests and overturned cars. The Horsecows, they drove, they drove and thought, they thought about frisbee and thought about driving, about driving to Tennessee, to Knoxville, where this weekend they will play the season's final tournament, the final taste of sun until March: the University of Tennessee Ultimate Tournament, they thought, "Wouldn't it be nice to end the day with a win?"

-Jacob Kramer-Duffield is a member of the ultimate frisbee team.