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Not to say Samuel Gozo, isn't one of the most successful drillers ever (spoiler: he is), many have speculated that after his World Championship in 2014, Gozo has fallen into a kind of monotony in his drill. Granted, this monotony is powerful, explosive, and better than most can hope to reach, but when Sam walks on the floor, we generally know what we'll see. That seems to have changed, and I for one, am very excited about it.
On his personal Instagram, Gozo has revealed that he is now training with a bladed, demilitarized M1 instead of the customary Springfield M1903. The new setup made it's debut at the Lone Star Championships in San Antonio, Texas and helped Sam take home 1st place. As a premier competition, just behind WDC itself, LSC was the perfect place to test out the setup. While there's not much to go on, just a couple of Instagram videos and one solo, the possibilities of the switch look tremendous. One of the main "issues" with Sam's drill is an M1903 almost seems to bend in his hands. It looks flimsy like it might snap at any moment. His immense strength allows him to manipulate the rifle in any way he wants, which makes it seem almost too easy. An M1, being much thicker, does not allow this to happen. The increased stock size and dimensions of the rifle fit Sam's physique and style much, much better than an M1903. M1's are notoriously harder to use than M1903's, making Sam's ability to crush every move he attempts even more impressive and exciting. It's a new twist on the amazing experience of Gozo drill, one that if executed properly can lift Sam to the top of the podium in Daytona multiple times. LSC seems to be an indicator of what is to come, and if I were you, I'd be watching very closely. This past drill season, 2015-2016, we witnessed a true phenomenon across the United States. As Cam Newton ran over defenses, and subsequently threw down his trademark dance, certain parts of his celebration took the country by storm. Most notably of all these is what the cool kids call "dabbing." Dabbing made its way into almost every facet of young adult life, just watch the Daytona Drill Nationals 2016 recap on Langston Nguyen's YouTube page, and see what it opens with.
Dabbing quickly found its way onto the drill floor, especially in unarmed exhibition. Many teens thought it was great, here they could throw in one of the most popular dance moves in the country into their drill, and still keep the sharpness in the routine. Opinions on this varied wildly at first, as some judges knew what it was, and others only saw a new move. However, the larger and more important the competitions became, the more points deducted. The judges knew what it was and decided it had no place on the drill floor. While definitely not new; for example, Samuel Gozo's moonwalk like flow; dabbing brought the integration of typical dance into drill at a scale never seen before. With this, came the inevitable, "Do dance moves belong in exhibition drill?" At first glance, the obvious answer is no, of course not, dance is almost the exact opposite of "military flavor." But just like everything else, the answer is actually a bit more complicated. The argument against dance in drill is a strong one. Being precise in drill and being precise in dance are completely different; one being based on sharp, quick, complete stops and the other having a continuous flow while executing the moves to perfection. The dance moves people tend to add into their routines is whatever the current fad is, such is the case with dabbing. While perhaps unique at first, it quickly becomes old and overused. You don't see John Jay or Fern Creek dabbing on the head judge. The argument for dance is a bit more flimsy, but still has some decent points. If executed correctly, and in a unique manner, while not losing your bearing and keeping your military flavor, it can be a great addition to your routine. See; Samuel Gozo. As Matthew Wendling points out, it could also depend on the context of the competition. If you're competing at drill's biggest stage in Daytona, it's probably not the best idea to whip. But say you're at a small street comp in the middle of the summer. Putting a unique spin on the dab could get the crowd into it, which could in turn boost your score. The main proponent of dance in drill is pick your stage correctly. If you're a cadet considering utilizing a dance move in your routine, or already have one, let's put it this way. If you expect to use it at a military competition, with military judges, don't expect a good military flavor score. And just remember, the bigger the stage, the more disappointment you're setting yourself up for. Exhibition allows you to be creative, but that creativity must stay militaristic. Otherwise, you aren't doing drill anymore. It's that simple. From the deserts of New Mexico, a new force has blown away the limits of high school drill. High flying, insane tricks have a new home, and that home is with Noah Calvert, member of Generation Drill. This driller has become the premier trickster of the Western United States, and for good reason. Holding your own in a game of DRILL with Robert Zyko is not for mortal men, yet Calvert did just that.
First making waves through his frequent Instagram and Independent Drill posts that featured some of the craziest aerials the community has ever seen, Calvert has since become a mainstay of the group. His JROTC drill unit did not attend competitions that had a solo event, so Calvert's inexperience in live competitions makes his kill even more impressive. This past season Calvert competed in a Online Drill Tournament, a double elimination solo tournament similar to March Madness. Being in what many considered the most difficult tourney, Calvert outlasted Chris Revetta, who would soon become the National High School Solo Champion, to win it all. Traveling to Colorado to compete at the National Invitational held at the Air Force Academy, Noah also took home 1st prize against the likes of Carlo Lucena and Seth Forman. This short season lead up to the National High School Drill Team Championships in Daytona, Florida. Calvert was one of the most hyped up soloists there. Unfortunately, Calvert was put on the stacked floor, Pad F. Noah's routine was...less than spectacular. While all the elements were there, he seemed hesitant. Even with this, Calvert narrowly missed medals round by 2 points. To Noah, this perceived failure, is just more motivation to dominate the pad in 2017. To "beat everyone at nats so bad that I could drop and I could still win." With the skill this young driller has, and the potential that still has not been tapped, expect one of the best high school performances of all time come May. A name no one should soon forget, is that of West Creek Alumnus, Cody Doyle. A terrific 2015-2016 season, with a satisfactory end tells of a dominating force coming to the professional drill scene from a small town in Tennessee. A product of an up-and-coming Ohio Valley juggernaut, Doyle looks to follow in the footsteps of another WCHS Alumnus, Jertil Robinson, with a Top 15 finish at WDC 2017, or even better.
The 2015-2016 season for Doyle was the most successful of his career, with a near sweep of local competitions. 5 first place finishes, and fell slightly short of 1st in only one competition to Nathan Gill of Seneca High School in Louisville. All of these were only primers for the second biggest competition of the year, the Army Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. While a few mishaps, including two drops, kept Doyle out of the top 5, the routine was so well-constructed Doyle pulled out an 11th place finish. Looking to rectify his mistakes, he proceeded to the largest stage in high school solo competitions, the National High School Drill Team Championships with a chip on his shoulder. Even with an earlier performance time, Cody was able to squeak his way into the medal round by 2 points over another, outstanding young driller; Noah Calvert. His medal round solo proved to be the best performance yet, and ended up with a seventh place finish. Looking to continue this, he also competed in the River City Drill Competition in Louisville, Kentucky, which became his first ever bladed solo. Cody finished 2nd only to Chris Scanlan in the competition, and puled out the tandem victory with Kenneth Ansbro. While some may say 7th at NHSDTC doesn't warrant this much anticipation for a driller, those need to watch how Doyle competes with a bayonet. His style of drill and immense power, matched with a bayonet, and now you have the formula for a possible powerhouse. The meteoric rise of one of the most prolific young drillers in the country may have taken some by surprise, but the seeds for greatness were already there. After going back and watching old videos of competitions, one can see the factors that make a driller great growing. From an active member of the Independent Drill Facebook group, to a major player in the drill scene, this is the rise of MassDrill Representative, Chris Scanlan.
One really notices the potential in Scanlan's 2015 medal round solo for NHSDTC. While there a few fumbles, some quite obvious, the backbone of his drill is solid. The regulation is some of the best from any high school exhibition driller out there, and the exhibition itself is mostly solid. The Lonestar Championships would be the next opportunity for Chris to show out, and show out he did. Improvements were abundant and not near as many fumbles (and no stanky leg). While a placement was not in the cards, it was obvious he was on a very high trajectory. The World Drill Qualifier Season started in March, and for Chris it began in his college town of Dayton, Ohio at the Mid-Valley Air Force Regionals. The show that was put on was superb. While the competition itself did not run as smoothly as one would wish, the routine itself gave the crowd some of the best drill of the day. The 4th place finish, that some would argue was not high enough, gave Chris the coveted qualification spot into the World Drill Championships. With the qualifying spot in his pocket, Daytona preparation began. Many people speculated on who would be the "dark horse" of the competition, with names like Anthony Biasotti, Jertil Robinson, and Chris himself being thrown around the community. With the best performance of his career, Chris captured a top 10 finish, the highest of any rookie in 9th, and firmly established himself as one the veterans to watch out for. To prove to himself that his WDC routine was not a fluke, Chris competed in the River City Drill Competition in Louisville, Kentucky over the summer. The outcome: a 1st place finish with a 21 point separation from the field. Needless to say, Chris Scanlan has become a force to reckon with. |
