Bryan "Opponents Cryin' " Benwitz Blows By Opposition

1st Bryan Benwitz averaged 456 points per game while going a perfect 4-0 +363. He scored above the 400 mark in all of his games while simultaneously holding all his opponents under that same mark. His closest game was also the only one where got three bingos, a 429-374 win against Mary Becker. Bryan held a monopoly on the bingos that game, playing MAFTIRS, CRAFTER, and the phony VINELIKE (VEINLIKE is good). The big score was saved for the final, deciding game against Andy Bohnsack, where Bryan prevailed 543-399. Andy fought hard with his triple-triple of GYNOECIA for 158 points, a strong candidate for word of the week, but Bryan had his own 158-point triple-triple, SWATTERS, to negate Andy's big play. Bryan also played GENITIVE and later drew a challenge by hooking an S onto it. Both players earned four dollars for the triple-tripling skills.

2nd Charles Reinke averaged a healthy 476 points per game, with his titanic +628 spread making him the top 3-1 player by a large margin. He offered his clock-cleaning services to Lynda Finn in the first game of the evening, triumphing in a lopsided 578-244 contest. The C-Twin had four bingos of GENITORS, CERASTES (a creature of Greek legend, CERASTES is the singular, so CERASTE is no good), DETOXIFY, and MINGLED. Charles also broke a seven-game losing streak against his brother in violent fashion, cruising to a 483-328 win. The bingos were somewhat pedestrian, but bingos are bingos: Thomas played DOOMIER, Charles played INANEST, STUNNED, and STIRRER. Andy Bohnsack was the player responsible for the unsightly mark in the "L" column, taking down the otherwise high-scoring Charles 381-327.

3rd Helen Flores continued her recent run of improved play with an impressive 3-1 +99 outing, beating Aaron Bader for third place by just six spread points. Her big win came against Sue Goldstein, 396-281, thanks in part to her bingo of SULLENER. One bingo not being enough, Helen then got two of them, AIRIEST and OUTFACE, in a game against Betty Hasselkus which she won 410-360. Betty had SENIORS to counteract Helen's own bingoing efforts. Helen's performance is even more impressive when you consider that she started the evening 121 points in the hole after a 279-400 drubbing at the experienced hands of Barb Besadny.

Aaron Bader and Andy Bohnsack also went 3-1. Aaron snapped a seven-game losing streak against Mark Kenas by winning his last three games of the night. Gail Salm played the excellent BULLDOZE against Thomas Reinke, earning her word of the week.