The sun set over old Bush Terminal and a cool breeze made its way through the courtyard as players arrived for the third week of team challenges. On courts 1 & 2, Carreau-No-Virus sought to continue their nearly undefeated run. Standing in their way was the rag-tag bunch going by the name Team Won but sitting not-so-pretty in dead last as the games got underway. The underdogs got off to a quick start taking 3 out of 4 games in the first two frames. A couple of squeakers courtesy of David R./Hichem and Rafik/Trish sent an early message that this team was not to be taken lightly. But our league leaders answered by sweeping the third frame and delivering a “fanny” in the fourth on the back of strong performances from the C-N-V rookies—including 2-0 nights from Jim, Ryan, and Adam. If you see Adam on the courts, run the other way; he came on Sunday to train and is now sitting atop the league leaderboard with a perfect 4-0 record and a whopping +6.75ppg. Coincidence? This writer thinks not.

After a hard-fought battle, this challenge was a 4-4 draw but a significant one. **Team Won** moved up in the standings but more importantly, they proved they have what it takes to match any team in the league. They are far from out of this and seem poised for a potential miracle run. For their part, **C-N-V** showed that they can take a punch and get right back up. They held on to the first place spot and with their skills, consistency, and enthusiasm on display, only one question remains: is there a team out there who can take them down a notch?
On the other side of the courts, **Panchito** rolled over **Boules Deep**, going 7-1 with dominating performances from **Kasia**, **Hocine**, **Nicolas**, **Anne**, **Ian**, and, well everyone else! **Sam’s** 2-0 performance was good enough for 3rd on the league leaderboard with a 4-0-1 record and a solid +4.2ppg. This squad may not have all the razzle-dazzle and bravado of some of the other teams but they are a quiet storm and when they are on the courts, they mean business. If you thought you were joining a casual league, think again. There is a big-ass trophy on the line and **Panchito** is playing for keeps.

For Boules Deep it was the same old song, just a different verse. Besides the beating that Woody, Debra, and Kate handed down, they just weren’t able to get it done. But, yet again, almost all of their games were decided by just a few points and their total PPG should have them sitting in third place eyeing upward mobility. If this team can put together a more consistent lineup, make those all-important late round points, and get a little help from lady luck there is still time to move on up the leaderboard. They’ll just have to dig a little deeper…

Results, standings and photos below!