“Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.” — Michel de Montaigne

As the Summer Pétanque League approaches its conclusion, the importance of each and every game, each and every boule, becomes magnified under the weight of the moment. Throughout the season thus far, Big Boule Energy has maintained a lead in the standings but The Incrediboules have had their moments, making it clear they’re not just going to lay down without a fight. After a strong showing on singles night, they had closed the gap and had all of the momentum going back into doubles play on Monday. The first round was a draw with each side gaining a notch in the win, loss, and tie columns. But in round two, chants of “Big Boule! Big Boule!” could be heard as BBE combined for triple victories. Down but not out, IB was able to recover in the final frame, scoring two wins, but ending the night with a disappointing 3-5-1 finish and dropping a couple of games in the standings.

Aaron had a perfect evening, going 3-0 including a pair of coveted victories over previously inhuman Ernesto. Likewise, Kate was unbeaten for the evening and continued to ascend the league leaderboard on the strength of some solid shooting. Steph and Deacon played solid supporting roles for the evening, making some seriously professional shots under high pressure scenarios.

On the other side, Adrian was undefeated, adding two wins to his resume and vaulting him to the head of the rookie of the year race. But Chris had another productive evening and is knocking on the door.

Which begs the question: with the top four players on the league leaderboard but six games behind, have The Incrediboules placed too much emphasis on individual achievement at the expense of team dynamics? And with the league winding down, is there enough time to get their act together and make a serious run at the BIG trophy? Tune in next week to find out…

MONDAY WEEK EIGHT RESULTS

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The Tuesday Night League Championships got underway this week and the League Commissioner decided to switch things up a bit this time around. The league standings went out the window and the championships started from scratch with Panchito and 2 Boules 2 Deep combining forces to take on the collective efforts of C-N-V and Team Too. The winners will find their names etched into the annals of pétanque history and it will be back to the drawing board for the losers as they try to pick up the pieces before the Fall.

For PanXDeepo, Woody, Tori, Aaron, and Jess H. each turned in some solid performances but Ian stole the show with a perfect 3-0 performance and continues to be an anchor for whatever team he is playing for. He also sits at the top of the Intermedio leaderboard and has turned in a monster season thus far at 12-3 with a shocking 5.2 point differential over 15 total games. On the other side, Christina, Trish, Hichem, and Derek all sparkled on the courts but none shined as brightly as Ernesto who went undefeated after a disappointing Monday night and David S. who dropped the hammer in his triumphant return to the league.

As expected, things were a pretty even match for the majority of the night with an even split over the first two and a half rounds. But CNV/TT snagged the last two doubles games, each by the slimmest of margins, to take a lead in the championship standings. Both of these teams were snubbed last season and seem hungry for a spot on the trophy…but it’s not going to be a cake walk. Time will tell if they’ve got what it takes or if they crack under the pressure.