Recon are masters of paintball

Recon bounced back from a slow start to take the championship of the Rueters Raiders Extreme Paintball Speedball 3-Man Paintball Tournament at the extreme sport company’s facility in As Matuis on Sunday.

After being shut down in their first match, Recon members Floyd Alomia, Fred Mallari, and Jeston Dayrit regrouped and kept their composure en route to posting three straight wins in convincing fashion to emerge as masters of the tourney.

Each team managed to play four games. After all the dust settled, Recon emerged with 276 points followed by Ballers with 214. Xecutioners placed third with 121 points.

After suffering a wake-up call defeat to the Ballers, 0-100, Recon shook off their frustration against the Xecutioners, tormenting them for a 100-0 win.

Recon managed to eliminate each Xecutioner for a total of 21 points, and at the same time, keep each of its members alive in the game, adding another nine points to their score. They also managed to grab their opponents’ flag (20 points) and bring it back to their corner for an additional 50 points.

Recon continued to roll on its momentum, and avenged their only loss by pounding the Ballers, 83-13. Alomia, Mallari, and Dayrit eliminated one Baller for seven points. The team also grabbed the flag, this time placed in the middle of the field [between the start off points of the two teams] and brought it back to their corner for an additional 70 points. Two members remained active, resulting in six more points to their total tally.

In their final game, Recon lambasted the Xecutioners en route to a 93-10 victory, clinching the title.

Recon had two members survive the game while eliminating two opponents. The team again pulled their opponents’ flag and secured at their corner.

“In the first game, we struggled and were shut down,” Dayrit said shortly after claiming the crown. “We just tried to keep up with points and ended up winning. We gave it all our best.”

Mallari explained the team’s strategy, which was basically to avoid being hit while covering each other.

“There’s only three of us, so it’s hard to cover [each other],” he said. “[When the flag was in the middle] we just rushed it and moved as fast as we can to get as close as possible while covering each other.”

Other results include the Xecutioners beating Ballers in the opener, 94-14, and the Ballers coming back strong to avenge their loss with an 87-17 win in their rematch.

According to Mike Rueters, owner of the gaming facility, each game lasted about seven minutes.

Teams are given three points per survivor, seven points for eliminations, 20 points for flag captures, and 50 points and the win for raising the opposing team’s flag on the their own flagpole.

Rueters Raiders Extreme Paintball opened a little over a year ago. Interested parties can play seven-minute matches for $15 a game. The company is open only weekends and accommodates reservations.

Rueters Raiders Extreme Paintball provides the paint markers, protective goggles, and carbon dioxide canisters, to propel the paintballs, for all the participants.

Enthusiasts, however, are advised to come in proper clothing—hiking, running, or tennis shoes are ideal, since players will be doing a lot of running, and long pants to avoid getting scratches from the thick foliage.

For more information or for reservations, call Rueters or his wife Norma at 286-0809.