Brannan Conquers Grass to take Pine Tree State Invite Championship.

Wiscasset, Me – Since bursting onto the Beach Bocce circuit in 1999, Brannan has been among the elite, a towering force on the sand whose professionalism and style of play have become legendary.  His victories are many and his passion burns as strong today as it did when he first grabbed his balls and tossed off on the pristine beaches of Cape Cod.   But behind the success there has been the shadow of doubt for Brannan, a yearning to be the best “complete” player the game has ever seen. Though his strides are long and powerful on the sand, his Achilles heel has always been his play on the grass.  For years his critics have attacked this deficiency in his game and he too will admit that “he can’t play on grass”.  This all changed on Sunday July 5th 2010.
The 2010 Pine Tree State Invite on the 4th of July, the annual kick-off to the Beach Bocce Circuit, was played on the bluffs overlooking the Atlantic in Wiscasset ME.  The course was grass, and the only beach sand in site was what spilled out of the competitors’ bags from the year before.  The temperature was stifling, the surroundings breathtaking, and the course was perhaps the toughest ever designed for the annual classic.  Hard fast rolling greens, mixed with the blind rock shots, and treacherous cliffs that could easily swallow a ball or two.
The Pine Tree State Invite is a three-man game, four balls a piece.  The returning players were John Koritkosksi, BJ Brannan, and 2008 Champion Jeff Little.   The opening round proved just how difficult the transition is from beach to grass as the players struggled early.  It had not rained in some time and the greens were hard, fast, and well groomed.  Landing a shot and sticking it was near impossible, but there were signs early on that Brannan was feeling good on the grass this year as he quickly began to dial-in and scored some quick pill hits early and often.  In fact his victory was so decisive in the first round that he may have gotten too comfortable and allowed the competition to regroup as he struggled for the remainder of day and looked to be on course for another grass collapse.
Koritkoski, a proficient player on grass and beach, entered game two with clear strategy.  His pill placements were some of the best ever seen in tournament play.  He took Brannan out of his rhythm and he wasn’t able to find the pill as he did in game one.  Koritikoski capitalized on this and held the lead for much of the round.  Then tragedy struck.  Aiming for a blind pill shot, Little lobbed a perfect toss toward the pill area, but unknown to the players was a rock bed in the landing zone.  The ball shattered and split into pieces.  Bocce rules dictate that when playing in around rock that a roll-shot is to be played to protect your balls, but the rocks were not in sight. There was a hush over the crowd and the players hoisted their drinks to the fallen ball.  It had been through many battles.  Alas the competition must proceed and a replacement set was brought in.  Koritkoski won game two before the mid-afternoon break as the competitors cooled off with a float and many trips to the cooler.
Whether it was the heat beginning to take its toll or not enough beverages, tensions were high in game three.  Little, down to 0-2, and needing a win to carry the tournament into a final elimination match, played with renewed vigor after breaking his ball.  Jumping out to a quick lead controversy then struck. After a well placed pill toss, Little’s follow up toss and supposed pill hit was discredited with claims that no-one saw or heard the hit.  Irate, Little was on the verge of playing the game out under protest as his hit, and professionalism were being challenged.  The competition committee finally voted in his favor and play resumed.  Carrying that anger within Little struck quick and precise and cruised to an easy game three victory, and set the stage for the winner-take-all final round.
Dusk was settling on the first day as the final game commenced.  Visibility was becoming difficult and though the caliber of play remained high, the decision was made to halt play and resume for a morning toss and the players celebrated their day 1 play into the night.   Scores Little-6, Koritkoski-5, Brannan-4; Koritkoski had the toss.  Day 2 was unlike any championship bocce tournament play had seen.  There has never been a day 2, it was played at 8:30 AM with coffee in hand (not beer) and in most cases the players were not 100%.  Kortikoski whom many believed to be most at risk for early morning play surprised the competition and gallery by donning his Sunday whites and bounded onto the course with a spring in his step.
Game four began similar to the way the previous day ended with Little extending his lead and beginning to close on the title with Kortikoski in second, and Brannan still struggling to find his early success.  Then it happened, when he needed it most.   Brannan scored  a six-pack and was right back into the match.  From there it was a classic bout with each competitor out-doing each other and as they approached 21 it was Brannan who had the edge.  With one ball left in his arsenal to knock Brannan out from securing the point and the victory, Little’s ball hit but could not dislodge Brannan’s. Game point Brannan, and with that the streak of grass defeats had ended.
The Bocce world now turns its attention to the greatest spectacle of beach bocce play, the Cape Code Classic tournament in Wellfleet.