Aggie Quidditch

AND congratulations to Mason Kuzmich for being chosen as the reserve snitch!　! It’s been a big day for Aggie Quidditch.

And congratulations as well to Isaac Salazar and David Gutierrez for making the reserve team as seekers!

thegoldensnitchy:

Snitch life, while fun, isn’t easy. You’re guaranteed to lose every single game you play, and there’s tons of pressure to avoid ‘premature snitchcatchulation’. The worst thing in this sport is losing to a lame or controversial snitch catch, rather than a deserving opposing team… and snitches know that. They have to train like crazy to make sure they have what it takes to put on the best show possible for as long as possible. So today, I’m featuring the snitches that I think do their job the best and, should this sport ever reach the point where snitches can be flown out to tournaments to ensure a maximum level of competitiveness, deserve to receive a ticket. Or at the very least, a personal invitation.

Mason Kuzmich

A background in track and gymnastics used to be enough in this sport, but seekers over the past year have become extremely agile and it’s more important than ever to be able to grapple. Mason can throw down seekers better than possibly every snitch out there. He knows how to safely use the momentum of seekers as a weapon against them, forcing them down to the ground when they make charges against him. He’s also skilled at using defensive seekers (who are down by too much to catch the snitch or who want to raise their point differential) as offensive weapons by turning their brooms into a sort of remote control that allows him to position them against their opponents. His strength and strategy help him last a considerable length of time on pitch, which, considering how much audiences love seeing snitch-seeker interaction, makes him an incredibly valuable player.

WEAKNESS: Exhaustion. Teams usually only end up catching him after their third or fourth seeker rotation. 

John Blackler

The originator of the phrase ‘premature snitchcatchulation’, though I don’t think that’s a condition he’ll ever have to worry about. I’ve already featured John, but I couldn’t make this list without him. He’s not the “silly string in your face” type, but he’s got plenty of antics under his belt. To the crowd’s pleasure, he can leapfrog over seekers perfectly and I’ve seen him, on several occasions, cleanly flip seekers right over him. He’s incredibly fast, and his long arms make him impossible to catch once he starts stiff arming you. 

WEAKNESS: Boredom. John will amusingly handicap himself (tucking his arms into his shirt, etc) when games last too long, in order to challenge himself more. 

Brady Stanley

You can’t watch Brady snitch and not laugh at least once. He’s got a handful of antics in him, and knows how to play to a crowd. From using seekers against each other to dragging them by their brooms, he’s really mastered his craft in a short amount of time. He’s got great speed and grappling capability, and I’ve yet to really hear of any games where seekers were unsatisfied about the manner in which he was caught. You’ve gotta love snitches that stay true to the classic whimsy of the sport while still remaining incredibly competitive.

WEAKNESS: Donovan McNiff. Or, I suppose, sturdy seekers that don’t get distracted.

Rob Snitch

There’s a reason this guy chooses to put “Snitch” as his last name. He just really is what you think of when you think snitch. Rob’s just like the snitches in the fictional, magical version of quidditch - incredibly unpredictable. He loves antics like disguises and throwing milkshakes into the eyes of seekers. He’s not huge into the physicality aspect of snitching, but he’s got a few good throws in him and considerable sneakiness and speed to make up for it. 

WEAKNESS: Again, sturdy seekers. He won’t be able to really move them too much. Just don’t make desperate lunges (I don’t understand seekers that do that), because he’s agile enough to be on the other side of the pitch by the time you recover from the miss.

Alan Black

Snitches with gimmicks are always fun. It makes them memorable and gives crowds something to root for. Alan is more commonly known as “Midriff Snitch”, due to his um, unique attire when playing. He turned a torn shirt into a sort of legacy. Alan isn’t into the whole “avoidance” part of snitching… he doesn’t really make efforts to run away when seekers begin to pursue him. Since he’s so sturdy and skilled at physicality, he allows them to come to him, and then delivers some crowd-pleasing takedowns. Limber track seekers really have to be ready to be thrown around like ragdolls. And get prepared to touch some glorious manflesh, courtesy of his exposed stomach.

WEAKNESS: Agile, sneaky seekers. Use beats and debrooming-throwdowns to your advantage and sneak behind him… even if he sees you coming at the last second, he’s hesitant to really run away.

Devin Sandon

Devin might very well be one of the fastest human beings I’ve gotten to see on the pitch. He can flip through hoops like it’s his job, and crowds will love him for that, but his speed is what makes him so impressive. Some seekers like doing the whole “conserve energy, go slow, then burst” strategy when catching snitches, but by the time they’re ready to make their big offensive strike, Devin’s relaxing on the other side of the field. 

WEAKNESS: Grappling. Devin’s great with physicality, especially considering his small size, but he’s still got some work to do when it comes to taking seekers down. 

Texas A&M Quidditch is proud to have Mason Kuzmich-bragging rights