The new players on the Tennessee Tech Quidditch team beat Middle Tennessee State University 170 to 30 in an unofficial scrimmage Sunday. The object of the match was to give the newer players a chance to show their skills, and they did not disappoint.
“The game on Sunday was for the newer players on the team that didn’t have a lot of game experience to see what game situations are like, and to put all the things that we’ve practiced together,” said co-coach and senior Bryce Whittington. “I think we did really well. There’s obviously room for improvement, but as far as getting newer players some experience, I think we’ve got a good future.”
The teams squared off at Tech’s Sherlock Park on 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon with close to 40 fans looking on. The Golden Hippogriffs played a strong game and ended the game with a snitch grab for their final 30 points.
Catching the snitch, a person dressed in yellow running around the field, will end the game. Quidditch is a game modified from the sport in the Harry Potter series. In the books, players fly around on brooms while trying to throw the ball, a quaffle, through one of three hoops at the end of the field. Other balls in play include the snitch and two bludgers.
“I think that this game helped prepare us for upcoming games in the season because it’s different playing with just us,” said freshman Lamonica Williams after her first game with Tech. “We got to see how other people play and it was a good experience.”
The Golden Hippogriffs credit their win to a combination of superior speed and strategy skills, as well as bludger control, according to sophomore and second year quidditch veteran Kota Goodwin.
“The MTSU team wasn’t as fast as us, that was the big thing. We had speed on our side. I think that we were better at strategy than MTSU,” said Goodwin. “We were able to maintain bludger control, meaning that we had control of two of the balls compared to the other team only having control of one of the bludgers, and that’s really important for winning a game. Our team was able to defend better and play offense better.”
Following the match, the teams did a fantasy pick with players from MTSU and UT-K. The players mixed up with other teams and scrimmaged to get a feel for how different players and talents fit together.
Looking forward to the rest of the season, co-captain Whittington says they are well prepared to place high in the southern region.
“The last two seasons, we finished in the top three of the southern region, so I think that’s the goal. I think that we can do that again this year,” said Whittington.
The Golden Hippogriffs soar again this weekend as they travel to Indiana to compete in the Ball Brothers Brawl at Ball State University.
“We’re going to be playing some of the best teams in the country at this tournament,” said Whittington. “That will be a good test for us and help us learn what we need to improve on.”