-American State Quidditch Match – Arizona vs. Ohio-

The result of this game was pretty much decided before the match even began - Ohio were top of the leaderboard going into the game whilst Arizona were struggling at the bottom. However, it didn't mean that Arizona didn't put up a good fight - the morale, determination and fighting spirit of their side was admirable and never faltered right up to the end.

Arizona Captain Michelle Caine made the decision to bring Beater duo Siobhan Meiker and Charlie Dane back into play after taking them off for a game after a horrendous argument that broke out between the two of them. Speaking before the game, Caine said:

"Their argument has been settled and their friendship rekindled. Their teamwork has excelled in all of our training sessions and I have every faith in them to play a great game out there tonight."

And play a great game they did. They flew around the pitch like lightening, hitting every ball that came their way and putting the Ohio team's dodging skills to the test. Ohio Beaters Caleb Barnett and Austin Maynor also played an outstanding game, confusing their opposition a great deal with the new tactic they were implementing for the first time, which worked a treat.

All six Chasers played extremely well, and both teams had a lot of great goal set-ups, but Ohio did a much better job of following through with them. Once again, Ohio Chaser Brianna Matthews stunned the crowd with her incrdible finesse and control on her broomstick, flying with the seemingly effortless grace that all quidditch fans now associate her with. Lucy Hall and Andrew Newcombe played an excellent game, and Newcombe scored a particularly spectacular goal in the 118th minute from a good distance away, which had the crowd erupting in cheers. Arizona Chasers Robert Flay and Luna and Ned Hawk also tried exceptionally hard, but they struggled to convert their set-ups into goals, and had a very tough time against Ohio Keeper Josh Braswell who has been on particularly good form recently.

The game between the Seekers was also incredibly interesting to watch, with both teams' Seekers being arguably the best players for their sides - both being their team Captains. However, despite being a good five years older than his opposition, Eddie Martin was the man of the match, catching the snitch in a momentous manouevre in the 163rd minute, showing that age really doesn't matter. The game finished 360 - 70 to Ohio.

-Grace Waterson