Austin, Texas - The second CGS Region 1 Combine and Draft takes place this weekend at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival’s ScreenBurn Arcade in Austin. The combine will showcase the top talent in the US and Canada in each of the four official games of the CGS. Those players will all be vying for positions on the six Region 1 franchises. On the last day of the combine, a draft will be held in which the six franchises must return five of their contracted players back to the draft pool, along with invited and qualified newcomers from the combine, for a re-draft. Those freshly drafted franchises will then compete for the CGS 2008 Region 1 regular season.

Tentative schedule for the event is as follows:

Friday March 7
11am-2pm: sign in
2pm-5pm: walk up registration

Saturday March 8
10:30am: player check in
12pm: doors open to public
11am-6pm: tournament matches
11am-6pm: open i2h testing
6pm: protected players announced
7pm: draft procedure orientation

Sunday March 9
10:30am: check in
12pm: doors open
11am-3pm: challenge matches
11am -3pm: h2i
4pm-6pm: draft

DoA and Forza will see a lot of activity in the draft. Counter Strike Source teams will possibly be the most drastically altered, with almost all franchises not protecting the entire CS:S squads. Some of those franchises will very likely be looking to find players from outside of the current crop of contracted players for new faces and revitalization.

Here are some of my picks for unsigned players to keep an eye on at the combine. These are players I feel have a good chance to be drafted under the right circumstances and have created a “buzz” in their perspective games. This is not meant to be an all encompassing list and are only a few of the very talented individuals that will be competing in Austin this weekend to become the next CGS professional gamer. Players are listed in random order and no significance should be given to that order.

Counter Strike Source

Jon “juan” Mumm – Hales Corners, WI

Mumm is an original member of the Verge Gaming Counter Strike Source team that rose to the upper tier of CS:S competition with an upset win over PowersGaming at DigitalLife 2005. Many thought that his team would be chosen in the first year's draft. Mumm continued to lead the Verge lineup as the mostly intact Verge roster moved over to the Pandemic organization. He has participated and placed well in almost every major LAN tournament in CS:Source since its inception. In the just completed Season 5 of CEVO Pro Source, Mumm helped his team to the playoffs and a third place finish in the finals and a 10-7 record against the very CGS teams he will be hoping to join. Mumm finished the season with a league high 40 assists and an average damage per round (DAR)of 79.53. His youth, teamwork ethic and enthusiasm could help a struggling team revitalize. In combination with noit or paradox, a team could pick up a lethal combination.


Mike “paradox” Stanowski – Prospect Heights, IL

Stanowski is another of the original Verge Gaming lineup that has survived since the first season of competitive CS:Source. His exciting play has made the difference in many of the lineup's winning matches during that time. Recent accomplishments include 1st place at CPL Summer 2007, 3rd at DigitalLife 2007 and 3rd place in CEVO Pro CS:Source Season 5. Stanowski completed Season 5 with an 0.86 average frag per round(FPR), 86.13 DAR, 21 assists and a +40 frag ratio. Stanowski has the talent and pure CS:S experience that could make him the new star of CGS, along the lines of a Devour in Season 1. Paradox has a lifetime 88.4 DAR, 0.89 FPR, 433 assists, and a +754 frag ratio. Stanowski will be a hot commodity for someone concentrating on a building a team with new faces.


Gary “Funshine” Laurita – Lodi, NJ

Laurita had a good season in CEVO Pro CS:Source Season 5. The Devastation(now under Check Six banner) veteran has also been playing CS:Source since its initial release and has participated in and won numerous LAN events on the east coast and throughout the country. In CEVO Season 5 he racked up an impressive 0.86 FPR, an 81.3 DAR, 10 assists and a +39 frag ratio. Laurita has a lifetime 0.76 FPR, 73.2 DAR and a +117 frag ratio. If Devastation can play well at the combine, Laurita and some others in that Season 1 Taxi Team lineup could make solid players for a team by bringing good CS:S LAN experience with them.



Erik “da_bears” Stromberg – Loves Park, IL

Da Bears. The name speaks volumes. A long time veteran Counter Strike player with the likes of U5, WeW, JMC, EG, zEx and more, Stromberg also played for CGS Championship team Chicago Chimera in season 1, filling in for team members unable to obtain work visas. Da Bears should be an almost shoe-in for a vacant spot and a team looking for an all around solid experienced player with the smarts and attitude that would provide an asset for any team. Da Bears was a late comer to Season 5 of CEVO Source with Eximius but managed to rack up an 0.83 FPR, 84.75 DAR, 14 assists and a +9 frag ratio over 118 rounds of play.


Michael “deciple” Baker – Aurora, CO

Baker is a seasoned veteran of CS:Source teams Forbidden, Upper, x6 and now the Guardians. Baker had an incredible performance in CEVO Pro CS:Source Season 5 with the Guardians. The team took CEVO by storm this season with a 12-1 regular season record with Baker touting a mind numbing 0.92 average frags per round, an 89.62 DAR, 25 assists and a + 67 frag ratio, second to only Complexity's Danny “fRoD” Montaner in almost every category. Baker has a lifetime statistics of 81.1 DAR, 0.89 FPR, +406 frag ratio and 3 aces. If Baker has the type of performance at the combine that he had in CEVO online this season, he could be a commodity in the draft.



Justin “sunman” Summy – Grantville, PA

Another veteran of Counter Strike 1.6 and CS:Source, Summy is a well known name and face in the community. Summy was responsible for “the shot heard round the world”, a two wall, awp headshot at CPL Winter 2002. He continued his professional career with the likes of zEx, Complexity, EFG, as a replacement player on the Chicago Chimera in Season 1 and now with x3o as they head to the combine. Summy played a partial season of CEVO Pro and finished with an 86.2 Dar and an impressive 33 assists.



Todd “anger” Williams – Beaufort, SC

Williams joined x3o along with Mason Dickens mid-season CEVO and completely turned that team's fortune around. A long time CS:Source player dating back to CPL Summer 2005 with Sun and then with teams such as CB7, Devastation, Crucial, x6 and now x3o going into the combine, Williams has the experience with this version of Counter Strike that some teams may be looking for. After starting the season winless, Williams and Dickens provided the spark to propel x3o to 7 straight wins. Williams finished the partial season with an 0.84 FPR, 86.52 DAR, 10 assists, +15 frag ratio.



Mason “n0s4m” Dickens – Deer Park, TX

Dickens is a veteran of CS 1.6 and earlier versions as well as CS:Source with teams such as Team Exigent, iDemise, MugNMouse, g3x, Verge and now x3o for the combine. Dickens helped revive a struggling x3o during this latest season of CEVO Pro Source to finish the season at 8-5. A decent rifle and responsible player, Dickens may also have an edge with family ties and location in Dallas. Could we possibly see Mason join his brother in Dallas at the Complexity House? Dickens has a 75.5 FPR, 76.2 DAR, 349 assists and a +106 frag ratio lifetime across both versions of the game.




Joshua “haqshot^” Lanigan – San Diego, CA

Haqshot has been a name in CS:Source since its earliest competitions. Dating back to CPL Summer 2005 and beyond, Lanigan has played well on teams such as Upper, WeW, PowersGaming, EFG and now Team XFX. Haqshot lead his “exibition” team to a win over Complexity in an exhibition match at the 2007 CGS World Finals and a first place finish at the last CPL. He is a well liked, easy going guy that has sometimes been referred to as simply “the legend”. Lanigan has a lifetime 0.85 FPR, 83 DAR, 269 assists and a +432 frag ratio.




Singlecoil's potential draft picks for the other official CGS games can be found on the next page.