Providing fun pinball since Aug. 11th 2022

Season 13 – Week 8
Dayton Underground Pinball League
Dave’s House – 02/12/26

The final week of Season 13 delivered exactly what Thursday nights are all about — pressure, laughter, heartbreak, redemption… and one last twist none of us saw coming.

Going into the night, the standings were tight. Every flip mattered. Every nudge felt heavier. And in Group Two, the story of the season was hanging by a thread.

The Miracle in Group Two

William B had been holding on to third place in the league standings, steady and consistent all season long. Heading into the final game, he still owned it. Tony Becker needed five points — not four, not “a decent night.” Five.

He needed a miracle.

On Scooby Doo, Tony came out swinging with 23,652,950 for 5 points.
On Iron Maiden, he stayed composed and added 3 more.
On Guardians of the Galaxy, the math tightened.
And then it all came down to Elvira’s House of Horrors.

137,661,440.

Five points.

And just like that… the miracle happened.

Tony finished the night with 15 match points, pushing his league total to 88, claiming 3rd place overall and slipping past William by the narrowest margin imaginable.

William fought all night — 5 points on Weird Al, 5 on Jurassic Park — finishing with 13 match points and 87 league points. One point short.

That’s pinball. Cruel. Beautiful. Honest.

The Top of the Mountain

While the drama unfolded behind them, the leaders handled their business.

Tom B put together another strong showing — highlighted by an absolutely monstrous 1,077,055,830 on 007 Thunderball — finishing the season at 98 league points and locking in 1st place.

Brian S quietly and confidently secured 2nd overall with 90 points, including a dominant 358,472,330 on Godzilla LE.

The podium:

1. Tom B – 98
   
   

2. Brian S – 90
   
   

3. Tony B – 88
   
   

And right behind them, William at 87 — proof of how razor thin this season truly was.

Across the Basement…

All night long, every group had its own battles.

• Brittany P put up 16 match points and climbed to 6th overall.
  
  

• Ian K and Porter S both delivered strong 13+ point nights.
  
  

• Mitch R closed his season with 16 match points.
  
  

• Huge games popped up everywhere — White Water chaos, Venom multiballs, Harry Potter wizardry, Rush rock battles, and Stranger Things upside-down madness.
  
  

But beyond the numbers, something else was happening.

People laughing in between balls.
High fives after drains.
Groans echoing off concrete walls.
Inside jokes. Running rivalries. Stories that only make sense to the people in that room.

Why Thursdays Matter

The scores will fade.

The standings will reset.

Season 14 will come with new pressure, new machines, new heartbreak.

But what doesn’t change — and what really hit me standing there during the final games — is how much these Thursdays mean.

I love that we have this.

I love that once a week, we all show up.
Different ages. Different jobs. Different backgrounds.
And for a few hours, it’s just flippers, lights, and competition.

I love watching someone chase their first big win.
I love watching veterans fight for a title.
I even love the brutal one-point losses that sting — because they mean it mattered.

Season 13 didn’t disappoint. It couldn’t have ended more perfectly if we scripted it.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, battled, laughed, and made this season what it was.

Thursday nights in this league aren’t just about pinball.

They’re about community.

And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

See you next season. 🎱