York County National Qualifier Preview
By Brandon Borges
Introduction:
York County sets the stage for one of the season’s most important weekends: a National Qualifier where results matter, and reputation only buys you so much once the whistle blows. With bids and rankings at stake, this tournament is both a test and an opportunity. Established teams like BoomTrain and DCQC can reassert themselves, while up-and-comers like Chaos QC are looking for a big win. Teams likeChicago United and New York Slice hope to turn their seasons around with a strong Sunday run. Add in the debut of the newly merged Dragon Wolves and a home-field Carolina Reapers squad itching to force its way back into the rankings conversation, and York County has all the ingredients for a qualifier weekend to remember.
Tournament Schedule:
Saturday, February 21st
8:00 AM
Pitch 1: District of Columbia QC vs. Chicago United
Pitch 2: New York Slice vs. Dragon Wolves
9:10 AM
Pitch 1: Chaos QC vs. BoomTrain
10:20 AM
Pitch 1: New York Slice vs. Chicago United
Pitch 2: Carolina Reapers vs. Dragon Wolves
11:30 AM
Pitch 1: District of Columbia QC vs. Chaos QC
12:40 PM
Pitch 1: BoomTrain vs. Dragon Wolves
Pitch 2: Carolina Reapers vs. Chicago United
1:50 PM
Pitch 1: Chaos QC vs. New York Slice
3:00 PM
Pitch 1: District of Columbia QC vs. Dragon Wolves
Pitch 2: BoomTrain vs. Carolina Reapers
4:10 PM
Pitch 1: Chaos QC vs. Chicago United
5:20 PM
Pitch 1: District of Columbia QC vs. Carolina Reapers
Pitch 2: BoomTrain vs. New York Slice
Sunday, February 22
8:00 AM
Pitch 1: District of Columbia QC vs. BoomTrain
Pitch 2: Chicago United vs. Dragon Wolves
9:10 AM
Pitch 1: Chaos QC vs. Carolina Reapers
Pitch 2: District of Columbia QC vs. New York Slice
10:20 AM
Pitch 1: Chaos QC vs. Dragon Wolves
Pitch 2: BoomTrain vs. Chicago United
11:30 AM
Pitch 1: Carolina Reapers vs. New York Slice
12:40 PM
Pitch 1: Championship
BoomTrain
BoomTrain opened the year with a target on their backs. November’s FastBreak News poll anointed them as the top club team in the league, and for a stretch, they looked ready to sprint away from the pack as the season’s favorite. But as the schedule has filled in, the season looks to have a good deal more parity, to the detriment of BoomTrain’s status. Trading wins in January with the Texas Copperheads and Texas Hill Country Heat, and ultimately losing that January tournament to Heat, plus a December Trainwreck loss to Reign QC, have made BoomTrain feel a touch more mortal. This is why York County is such a good opportunity. With four of the top five teams having battled it outin Garland at their own National Qualifier, BoomTrain now has a chance to prove itself as more than just a contender, but a favorite.
The blueprint remains the same: veteran-led generalship shaping a methodical, quick-striking identity that punishes mistakes and keeps offensive possessions clean. Nathan Digmann, Aaron Stout, Tad Walters, and Kennedy Murphy have been the conductors of that system both on the sideline and on the pitch, and their ability to manage pace allows BoomTrain to blend the Midwest youth movement into a cohesive unit rather than a collection of athletes. The roster’s newest additions deepen that stability even further. Team Canada standout chaser Hailey Yhap and New Orleans’ stalwart beater Sarah Kneiling bring high-level instincts that make an instant impact. Their presence lets younger players like Vincent Reyes play more confidently, knowing their teammates will respond to any shots they take.
If you’re circling one game, make it Sunday morning, BoomTrain vs. DCQC. While BoomTrain has never lost this matchup, its always been close, and this team will be their largest test of the weekend.This is BoomTrain’s chance to earn some early-season hype back through tangible means: a qualifier win that doesn’t just secure a result, but sends the message that the track still runs through them.
Chicago United
Chicago United is still chasing that first win, but the season hasn’t been without merit. Their Winter Classic showing in December gave this newer version of the roster real live-game experience against quality opposition, and that matters for a team building its on-pitch identity. Even in a tough pool, there were stretches where Chicago’s offense came together. They used front-hoop pressure and dodgeballs to create an initial gap in the defense, then made quick passes out to the wings to take advantage of defenses that sat back and tried to stop shots or drives from the top. Those moments didn’t always stack into full runs, but they were proof of concept, a plan that had structure and just needed some better execution.
There are more reasons to feel optimistic this weekend. Zeke Majeske joins Chicago as a steady presence who can organize possessions, calm things after turnovers and contribute meaningful seeker minutes as a rangy athlete who can adapt to different flag runner styles. They’ve also seen significant growth from Marcos Sandoval, who’s taking on a bigger role as an initiator on offense. Veteran leaders Hannah Miller and Kevin Farley remain reliable options on the wing and behind hoops when the first action gets stalled. Chicago has flirted with knocking off fellow Midwest team Chaos QC before, but the game that could define their weekend is Sunday morning against the Dragon Wolves, an East Coast merger of two teams with a similar baseline and reputation. If Chicago wants a turning point, this is the kind of matchup where a clean, connected 20 minutes can notch a win and give the program some momentum to start 2026.
New York Slice
Fresh off a Garland qualifier where their sister program, New Jersey Dice, proved it can trade punches with top club competition, New York Slice will look to match that level of performance. Slice was unable to secure any wins during their last trip to the Carolinas at the Winter Classic, but they will look to build on that experience to propel their new-look squad to a better performance at the National Qualifier. New Jersey’s wins provided a statement to the club Quadball scene, and now it is New York’s job to make sure the Slice matches the Dice.
Slice’s game runs on speed and aggressive play. Matthew Cooper, Luis Mendoza and Anna Blanchfield are a utility trio that loves to amp up the pressure. They initiate contact, force early decisions and keep possessions loud on both sides of the ball. That tempo feeds perfectly into the rise of Cameron Ulreich-Power, a close-to-hoops finisher who is tough to stop once he’s in position. The key, as always, is access: Cooper and company have to win trades near the hoops, create opportunities on offense and then let Ulreich-Power do what he does best, which is turn good positioning and strength into goals. Slice’s smashmouth, in-your-face style can be a brutal matchup for teams built on finesse and length because it applies a constant pressure. . Pay attention to their game against Chicago United. Both squads bring aggression from the beater unit on offense and drivers who want to set the pace, so expect big plays early as both sides set the tone for the weekend. For Slice, this tournament is where their attitude needs to turn into results.
Chaos QC
Chaos’s first half of the season has been productive, but not yet defining. The Midwest talent on the young team is clearly there. They are athletic, aggressive and capable of playing at a pace that can make opponents uncomfortable, but the results haven’t arrived. Chaos may have wins, but they haven’t managed to beat any team on FastBreak News’ club rankings. If this team has high ambitions for April, it needs to take advantage of York County to change the conversation with a statement win.Their new additions will hopefully help them get there. Since the fall, they’ve added Twin Cities Quadball Club veterans Max Meier, Mike Devine and Nicole Nelson to their squad. All of them bring experience and a steadying influence to the pitch, which can hopefully help this young roster settle when it needs it.
Chaos is also bringing a bigger roster to York County. It’s more important than ever they have depth, because a two-day qualifier tests any teams’ legs. And it’ll be especially important for a team that relies on athleticism.
The hurdle is cohesion. Their blessing and curse is a talent pool drawn from across the Midwest (and beyond), which can create moments of brilliance and moments of, well, chaos. If they’re hunting the biggest win, it’s over fellow pink-clad team DCQC, which overtook them in January’s FastBreak News rankings. And it’ll be the clash of two opposites; verteran-led structure vs. young talent and tempo.
District of Columbia QC
DCQC has been the definition of a high-floor program for years, and the Winter Classic was another reminder that even championship favorites can’t coast when the DMV squad is on the schedule. A 4–2 weekend that included wins over early-season dark horse Chaos QC and longtime rival Carolina Reapers, plus hard-fought games against Reign QC and Trainwreck, pushed DCQC from No. 9 on the FastBreak News rankings to No. 6. They come to York County with the goal of proving themselves as definitive title contenders. And they’ll need some statement wins to do it.
If they want it, they’ll need to rely on their veteran ballast and timely new firepower. Riley Starrs, Julia Rankin, Julianne Nuetzel and newer addition John Gaffigan give DCQC a core that’s had its fair share of pressure moments. Their ability to stay composed when the game gets messy is the foundation of everything this team does. The headline on this second trip to the Carolinas is the addition of UVA graduate Zan Siddiqui, a college standout who helped steer UVA through deep April runs and now joins a club roster that’s been hovering on the precipice of greatness. Layered on top is the continued rise of Colin Bourn and Shane McConaghie into starter-level minutes as DCQC experiments with a bit more pace; with McConaghie, Bourn and Siddiqui all sharing the pitch, the key question is how DCQC blends that tempo with its trademark veteran control. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Mid-Atlantic weekend without DCQC vs. the Carolina Reapers, a rivalry so familiar it plays like an NFL divisional game, with every adjustment answered by a counter. If DCQC wants to leave no doubt, this weekend is the perfect stage to turn a ranking bump into a real warning shot for the rest of the Quadball club field.
Dragon Wolves
One storyline in York County belongs to the newest club on the pitch. The newly-minted Pennsylvania Wolves and the Atlantic Dragons have merged to form the Dragon Wolves, an instant contender for the coolest name in the club scene. Both programs last saw action at the unofficial Flamingo Royale, and now they’ve struck an agreement to operate as one for the rest of the 2026 season. The early question is going to be chemistry. National Qualifiers punish teams that aren’t on the same page, and the Dragon Wolves are walking into the weekend with a fresh identity and a tight timetable to make it real.
There’s enough East Coast experience here to steady the course. Michael Rodriguez, Tai Villegas and Dante Close are names to watch, but it’ll be interested to see how they choose to divide and conquer on the pitch. Who will initiate, who will finish and who will be the connective tissue for this new team? Sydney Boeger from the Mizzou program will be playing for the Dragon Wolves at York, bringing passing and defensive skills to a team that needs to establish teamwork and build an identity, and fast.
The opportunity is immediate: both the Atlantic Dragons and the prior Philadelphia Flamingos iteration of the Wolves played New York Slice within 35 points in their last meetings at the Flamingo Royale. Now, as a merged unit, the Dragon Wolves get a chance to start their new era with a statement right out of the gate Saturday morning.
Carolina Reapers
No one will have an easier commute to York County than the Carolina Reapers, and that might be exactly why they have the most to prove. The Reapers picked up wins at the Winter Classic in December against Bay Area Breakers and New York Slice, but the standard for this program is higher than purely a solid weekend. January’s FastBreak News rankings left them on the outside looking in, and with another home-field opportunity on deck, Carolina has every reason to believe this is the weekend to force their way back into that conversation. In a qualifier setting, familiarity with the environment and a crowd that feels like it’s leaning your direction can be an edge, but only if you turn it into clean execution and a statement result.
Their roster is built for that goal. Beater Kody LaBauve is returning to the corps, alongside Celine Richard and Tony Bonadio. This is one of the most dangerous beater rotations in the club division. They can win exchanges, then convert control into fast breaks. They’ll work well with a squad of chasers who thrive on the run. Lee Hodge, Zach Thompson, Melissa Ross and new addition Lindsey Simpson love to attack in transition, draw help and either dish to the open player or finish the run themselves.
The Reapers will come into this weekend at full capacity, which means they have their best chance this season to prove they’re a threat. Their best matchup will be against Chaos QC. Both teams are offensive powerhouses, and this game should light up the scoreboard. The real question will be who can push the pace better. And with the Reapers having home-field advantage, there’s nothing standing in their way.
