Another thrilling FW Rebels season is in the books and with that, a Top 10 list of the best Victories from the season.  The Rebels started the season as a 12U AA team and were bumped to AAA in mid April.  There were some growing pains along the way but the season came to a close with a very satisfying 27-19 season.  Here are the top 10 victories of the season.

#10 FW Rebels 8   Ntx Extreme 4

Wednesday, May 22nd.  RYA Premier League Tournament Semifinal

It was no surprise these two teams would meet up in the Semifinals in the end of season RYA Premier League tournament.  These teams had already met twice during the season and Extreme won both in come-from-behind fashion and both were 1-run wins.  Jack Dalton started on the hill and gave up 4 runs in 3 innings and left with the game tied 4-4.  Quentin Enos was solid for 2 innings and didn't allow a hit while striking out 4.  Still, the game was 4-4 heading to the top of the 5th in what would be the final inning.  Jace Franke led off the 5th with a double, and scored on a Jack Dalton single.  Evan Smith then singled advancing Dalton to 2nd.  Jackson Jordan laced a run-scoring double to make it 6-4. Smith scored on an RBI ground out from Drew Horstman and Jordan came around to score on an error by the Extreme SS on a ball hit by Karson Symonds.  Enos breezed a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the 5th and the Rebels won 8-4.

#9 FW Rebels 1  BN Mavericks 11U Majors 0

Saturday, May 18th.  Pool Play USSSA Global State Championship

Once again this was a Jack Dalton start, followed by Quentin Enos in relief.  Both pitchers dominated the 11U Majors team.  Dalton hurled 3 perfect innings while Enos allowed 3 hits and 0 runs while striking out 3 in his time on the hill.  The Rebels bats were stymied by the Mavericks but in the bottom of the 6th, they were able to scratch across a run and win in walk off fashion.  Will Adams opened the 6th with a sharp line drive single to right field and he advanced to 2nd on a throwing error by the Mavericks right fielder.  After Evan Swindell popped out to 1st, Maverick management intentionally walked Jace Franke.  This set the stage for Jack Dalton who singled sharply to center, scoring Adams to win the game.  The Rebels celebrated on the field.

#8 FW Rebels 4   Rawlings Velocity Blue 2

Sunday, April 7.  Bracket Play Travel Sports Turf Wars

The weather forced pool play  to be postponed so it was a sprint to the championship in Sunday's pool play.  It was Ace vs Ace as the winner would be rewarded a spot in the Semi Finals while the loser would have a more difficult challenge.  In one of his more dominating performances on the season, Jack Dalton tossed 5 innings, and allowed 1 earned run while striking out 12.  Still, the Rebels had their hands full with Rawlings' starter and the score was 1-1 going to the bottom of the 4th.  Evan Smith opened the inning with a walk.  After stealing 2nd, Jackson Jordan grounded out to advance Smith to 3rd.  Drew Horstman singled in Smith on a hard hit ground ball to 3rd.  Singles by Karson Symonds, Jon Doko, and Quentin Enos plated another run to make it 3-1.  Rawlings scored a run in the top of the 5th to narrow the gap to 3-2.  Will Adams was hit by a pitch, and Evan Swindell walked to open the 5th.  Jace Franke singled in Adams to make it 4-2, and the game was called due to the time limit and the Rebels were on their way to another tournament championship.

#7 FW Rebels 15    Spring Branch Warriors 11U Majors 3

Sunday, June 2.  Clarence Mendel Memorial Tournament in Houston, TX.  Bracket Play.

This wasn't as much of a close game, but still the decisive victory gave the Rebels confidence in a prestigious tournament that would benefit them the rest of the season.  Spring Branch was a highly successful 11U Majors team and the last thing the Rebels wanted on this Houston trip was a "1 and done" Sunday.  Playing this game in Waller, TX in the middle of a cow pasture, the Rebels got to play on a real Field of Dreams.  They didn't waste much time even though they were all awake at 6am that morning.  The Rebels scored 6 in the first and 5 in the second to take a commanding 11-2 lead after 2 innings.  The day belonged to Quentin Enos who went 3-3 with a team record 7 RBI. Enos had a double and two triples in the contest.  Jack Dalton tossed a solid 3 innings to get the victory. Drew Horstman, Jon Doko, Evan Smith, and Evan Swindell also contributed RBI hits in the game.

#6 FW Rebels 2  Yukon (OK) Rangers 12U AAA 0

Monday, June 24.  TSB World Series Bracket Play, Game 1.

The Rebels opened bracket play of the TSB World Series vs a Solid 12U AAA team out of Oklahoma.  It quickly became an intense pitcher's duel.  Jack Dalton started on the hill for the Rebels and was dominant for 4 innings allowing just 3 hits while striking out 8 and walking 1.  Dalton also helped himself at the plate with an RBI triple in the top of the 3rd that scored Jace Franke to make it 1-0.  It appeared Dalton had an inside-the-park Home Run but somehow the field umpire overruled the play at the plate calling Dalton out with a triple instead.  Evan Smith led off the 4th inning with a missile to right center field that went all the way to the fence and with a head first slide into home, Smith had himself a Home Run to make it 2-0.  Quentin Enos was called in to shut the door which he did.  He threw the final 2 innings, struck out 4 and picked off the only baserunner to reach.  After a disappointing showing in Pool Play, the Rebels were off and running in the World Series.

#5 FW Rebels 9   Benbrook Lake Monsters 12U AAA 5

Tuesday, June 25. TSB World Series Bracket Play, Game 4.

This game started on the heels of a difficult 9-8 loss in the game before to Parker County Renegades.  While the Rebels were disappointed by the narrow defeat, they didn't have time to dwell on it as another loss, and the season would be over.  Adding to the intensity was some annoying behavior from Lake Monster fans who were watching and cheering on Parker County.  This was an elimination game and the Rebels came out swinging.  Quentin Enos hit a 2-out RBI single to score Jack Dalton who had walked.  Dalton was then the courtesy runner for Enos and stole 2nd then came around to score on an RBI single by Drew Horstman.  Lake Monsters came right back and scored 3 of their own in the 1st to make it 3-2.  In the top of the 2nd, Jon Doko led off with a double followed by an Evan Swindell walk.  With 2 outs, Doko & Swindell remained on base but the Rebels got hot with 2 down.  Jace Franke singled in Doko to tie the game at 3.  Jack Dalton singled to right to score Swindell & Franke to make it 5-3 Rebels.  After Evan Smith walked, Quentin Enos singled in Dalton to make it 6-3 and another run would score on a wild pitch to make it 7-3.  Rebels starter Evan Smith calmed and had a 1-2-3 2nd inning then allowed 2 runs in the 3rd.  In the 4th holding a 7-5 lead, Will Adams got a rally started with a 1-out bunt single.  Jace Franke singled to center advancing Adams to 3rd.  With 2-outs, Evan Smith helped his own cause with a 2-run double to right center giving the Rebels a 9-5 lead.  Jack Dalton was brought in to close things out for the Rebels and did just that.  The Rebels lived to play another day and ended the Lake Monsters season.

#4 FW Rebels 3  Keller Chargers 0

Sunday, March 31.  Mavs Ballpark Wood Bat SemiFinal.

The Rebels ran into a familiar foe in the Mavs Ballpark Wood Bat semifinal game in the Keller Chargers. Once again, both teams had their aces rested and ready to go.  Jack Dalton started on the hill for the Rebels and threw a 4-inning complete game no hitter.  Only two Chargers players reached base....both on walks.  Still, the Rebels had a challenge of their own as the Chargers starting pitcher was matching Dalton.  With 2 outs and none on in the bottom of the 2nd, Quentin Enos hit a majestic bomb deep to left that landed on an apartment rooftop to make it 1-0.  With Dalton throwing the way he was, it might as well been 10-0.  It remained 1-0 until the bottom of the 4th.  Time was running out and the Rebels needed to rally.  With 1 out, Drew Horstman singled to left.  Karson Symonds walked & Quentin Enos was hit by a pitch.  This set the stage for Jon Doko who hit a hard ground ball to short that wasn't fielded cleanly allowing Horstman & Symonds to score.  Time expired with Christopher Calabrese at the plate and the Rebels advanced to the championship game.

#3 FW Rebels 8  Ntx Bulls Broom 1

Sunday, March 31.  Mavs Ballpark Wood Bat Championship

The Rebels were riding high after their 3-0 victory over the Chargers in the semi final and now had to finish the job and take on Ntx Bulls Broom who they had just defeated in pool play 13-0 the day before.  Quentin Enos started on the hill for the Rebels and shut down the Bulls in the first 2 innings.  Jackson Jordan opened the bottom of the 2nd with a single to right.  It took some small-ball but the Rebels scratched across a run as courtesy runner Evan Smith stole 2nd, went to 3rd on a ground out by Drew Horstman, and scored on another ground out from Karson Symonds to make it 1-0.  The Bulls scored an unearned run off of Enos in the 3rd to tie it at 1.  Christopher Calabrese & Evan Swindell walked with 1 out in the 3rd.  Jace Franke singled to left to score Calabrese.  With 2 outs, Evan Smith doubled to center scoring Swindell & Franke and giving the Rebels a 4-1 lead.  Evan Smith came on to pitch in the 4th inning and shut the Bulls down.  The Rebels scored 2 more runs in the 4th on 5 walks to make it 6-1 and added 2 more in the 5th on a 2-run Evan Smith single to make it 8-1 and that was the final.  The championship was won!

#2 FW Rebels 5    Ntx Extreme 2

Monday, June 24.  TSB World Series Bracket Play, Game 2.

The fifth meeting of the season between the Rebels and Extreme was an important one.  The winner would move on to the next day in the TSB World Series.  The loser would have to play an elimination game immediately after.  Extreme had another advantage of getting a bye to face the Rebels who had just defeated Yukon 2-0. Quentin Enos started on the hill for the Rebels as he was already loose after closing out Yukon.  Neither team score in the 1st but the Rebels exploded for 4 runs in the 2nd inning.  With 1 out, Drew Horstman laced a single to center.  Then Enos crushed a fastball deep over the right fielder's head for a 2-run inside the park Home Run.  Karson Symonds & Jackson Jordan both singled and advanced on a wild pitch to make it 2nd and 3rd.  Evan Swindell had an 8-pitch at bat and hit an infield single between 1st and 2nd scoring Symonds & Jordan giving the Rebels a 4-0 lead.  Extreme has always been a team to battle back and they answered with 2 of their own in the 2nd.  Jace Franke hit a 1-out triple in the 3rd inning and scored on an RBI ground out from Jack Dalton to make it 5-2.  Controversy came in the bottom of the 4th with some odd ruling that since shortstop Jack Dalton had picked up the ball to flip to pitcher Enos, that Dalton had to come in to pitch.  So Dalton did come in and struck out the only batter he faced.  Drew Horstman then came on and retired six of the seven batters he faced to close the door and pick up the save.

#1  FW Rebels 7    Ntx Tribe Bryant 6

Sunday, March 24.  Bracket Play game in the DFW NIT Championship Tournament

Any bracket game has a sense of urgency and intensity knowing a loss sends you home.  The Rebels have always been known as a team that never quits and plays hard until the final out.  Ntx Tribe was a solid team with a reputation to always play well in tournaments.  The Rebels had a bye after their 2-0 pool play but Ntx Tribe did not seem like much of a reward.  Jackson Jordan started on the mound for the Rebels and breezed through the 1st inning.  Evan Smith smacked a line-drive Home Run over the right field fence in the bottom of the 1st to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead.  Neither team could score in the 2nd inning and then the Tribe rallied for 6 runs in the 3rd.  Jack Dalton came on to pitch in the 4th inning and had the job of keeping Tribe right where they were.  The Rebels scratched across a run in the bottom of the 4th on an RBI ground out from Jon Doko scoring Dalton who had singled. This made it 6-2.  In the bottom of the 5th, the Rebels added 1 more run thanks to back-to-back doubles from Karson Symonds & Quentin Enos. Dalton slammed the door shut and it was 6-3 heading to the bottom of the final inning.  With 1 out, Dalton and Evan Smith hit back-to-back doubles to make it 6-4. Then with 2 outs, Jackson Jordan clutched up with a single to right center to score Smith and it was 6-5.  This set the stage for Drew Horstman who swung at the first pitch and lined a missile to deep center field.  The Tribe center fielder looked like he might catch it as he jumped and had the ball hit his glove, then flew out of his glove and over the fence, for a game-winning 2-run walk off Home Run.  The Rebels lived to play another game (a 8-7 win over Wylie Rangers) and the season was off and running.  Horstman's heroics set the stage for what would be another magical Rebels season.