grab the flag and return to their base , either on the hybrid field or the hyperball field . Local teams such as Intense and PA Mercs took on mechanical legends of the game such as Saberwolves , Ground Zero and All Americans . Amateurs , Pros and every player in the middle mix into these competitions to make for eccentric matches and incredible athleticism . For some , the greatest part of this tournament is that they get to compete against their heroes of the game , young and veteran . Each team competed in eight matches , scored on eliminations of the other teams , first flag pulls , flag hangs and total players left alive at the end . At the end of these matches , the top nine teams , based on the cumulative score of the pre-elimination matches , advanced on to the semifinals . Three brackets of three teams make up the next round , each team playing the other two in their bracket . As with the prelims , the top scoring team of each bracket was to move on to the finals . The 5-man finals saw some familiar names with Saberwolves Claw , Ground Zero and Carolina Gridlock preparing to battle it out on the hyperball field for everyone to see . With both Saberwolves and Ground Zero battering Gridlock to the same outcome , it would be a match between them both to decide who would win the 2022 POC 5-man and be crowned the first champions of the weekend .
Competition has been a ritual , at times a rite of passage , since the beginning of written history and beyond . Skills such as hunting , athleticism , strength , tenacity and guile are put on display for the entertainment of the masses . In the present day , the art of domination is less for territory and power , and more for pride , glory and money . Sports draw the attention of the masses for a chance at witnessing triumph or tragedy . The Pittsburgh Open Classic is home to triumph and tragedy ; in fact , it is seen quite often . Very rarely you will see something so powerful , so legendary that it goes down as an epic to be told for years to come . For spectators on the mounds field , during the last of the prelim matches , such an epic narrative took place . Tim Toy , a veteran paintballer , field owner , adventurer , and pillar of his community , attended and played in the Pittsburgh Open Classic . This man is a fierce competitor and a tenacious , dangerous hunter , on and off the field . His work with kids in paintball , fishing and hunting has changed so many lives . He has made his name known in this tournament before by running a pump paintball marker his first year , and performing quite successfully with it .
This Pittsburgh Open would be his last tourney , declared by his “ One Last Run ” headband , because Tim has been battling just as fiercely in his own personal health battles off the field . Tim ’ s team , Tribal Disturbance , entered the mounds field Sunday morning for their final game of the tourney ( they were mathematically eliminated from the quarter finals ). When the match began the players spread to their predetermined positions and began to battle their foe but unfortunately Tribal players began to fall . Eventually the other team had eliminated what they thought was the final Tribal player and all that was left was for one of their six remaining players to grab the flag and claim their victory . Tim was still alive , he was playing in the lower corner of the field , and as soon as the other team ’ s player had crested the last mound to grab Tribal ’ s flag Tim had locked on to him . He waited until the player placed his hand on the flag and eliminated him . Tim quickly moved to the upper side of the field and
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