Johnny Blaze once told me a story that I never forgot when we encountered a cocoon at a Cobra Kai training camp. He said:

"You see this little Cocoon? This month’s just about to emerge. It's in there
right now, struggling. It's digging its way through the thick hide of the
cocoon. Now, I could help it - take my glove, gently widen the opening, and
the moth would be free - but it would be too weak to survive. Struggle is
nature's way of strengthening it".

Well, to say the Kai have struggled this season would be an understatement. But we have battled injuries, travel obligations, and other obstacles in our path to a championship. However, after all that the Kai are a better team for it and entered Friday nights tournament clearly as the team to beat.

The Cobra Kai entered into Friday Nights playoffs with a deceiving 1-3 record but were without doubt still the team to beat in Red Bug Lakes Tournament. In our first matchup the Kai’s were pitted against the vaunted Silver Streak Pitcher and the Goonies. To say the Cobra Kai have the Silver Streak’s number is an understatement.

The Goonies have never beaten the Kai and we were going to make sure of this and leave no doubt who is the Red Bug Lake Champs by making quick work of the Goonies.
The Team was missing Roundhouse Reger but Capt. Tucci recruited two power hitting hitmen in his place as we welcomed “WorldWide” Will and Mr. Miyagi’s nephew China to the roster. Well, the Kai jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first inning promptly batting through the order to start the game and setting the pace for the night. The Swami lead the way in the first half swatting a missile to Right Field to clear the bases and to get us on the board in the first.

“Oil Can” Spragues was looking for his first back to back victory of his career and would do everything in his power to make sure he didn’t let this one slip away. Oil Can had in impressive outing but the infield behind was equally impressive as Koko wore his Donny Baseball underoos on this night and nothing got past the infield and Capt. Koko’s squad. Johnny Blaze was patrolling the hot corner and Wild Man Wilson ate everything up at short as the Goonies were stifled offensively.

Well, Oil Can Sprague would not be denied of his first post season victory as he took matters into his own hands at the plate as well going 4-4 in the first game as the Kai took care of the Goonies handidly 19-5 en route to their first win of the tournament. After the game a disgruntled Silver Surfer complained in a post game interview when he said:

“It's unfair, it was like pitching to a healthy Lou Gehrig all night”.

Bring on the Beat Downs!
Then in the most highly anticipated rematch in Red Bug Lake history the Kai squared off against the Beat Downs whom were undefeated lead by former Kai Troxx and T-185 Rocket Arm.

The Beat Downs jumped on the board first tallying 3 runs and looking like they were in a groove. However, the Kai’s defense settled down after that and Capt. Tucci and his band of roving bandits in the outfield took over from there.

“In the first game we didn’t get many reps as the infield took care of business for us, The Cobra Kai are a team, so I told my guys let’s take over this game and not let another hit in” And that’s exactly what the vaunted Kai OF did from there on. The infield could only watch in amazement as the Swami ran down bullets off the Beat Downs bats and Capt. Tucci was up to usual antics with sliding catches with his new Italiano Mit.

At the plate the Kai’s came together once again as everyone contributed to this one. Spragues kept his hit streak alive, Swami kept abusing the Right Fielder and the New Guy “China” saved the fireworks for the bottom of the 4th when he belted a 2-3 fastball over the Left Field wall for the Cobra Kai’s first grand slam of the season. Koko was also on fire from the plate attacking with vengeance the Left field line blasting three shots down the line and even turning two of them into doubles with his blazing fast speed.

DonJuan continued to climb back atop the league leaders in OB percentage and Sully kept the emotional support high for the team in the dugout and with his gritty gutty hitting style never being denied an opportunity to get to first base.

After the Game DonJuan gave the team a pep talk and said:
“So to recap, throughout it all, there's been a lot of laughter, and a few tears. But in the end the clouds parted, and the good Lord himself decided it was meant to be. And that's how I finished the regular season batting .978.”

Overall, it was a great total team effort as the Cobra Kai destroyed the Beat downs en route to our Sweep Friday night preparing us for our championship Game this Friday.

The Kai take on G-Force in a rematch for the all the Marbles under the Friday Night Lights at 7:00 PM.