Headhunters (Ohio paintball team)

Headhunters were an American tournament paintball team based in Cleves, Ohio. The team won the 1986 National Survival Game championship and retained the State of Ohio Cup at the 1987 Mohican Outdoor Adventure Paintball Championship.[1]

History

1986 season

Contemporary coverage in Front Line identifies the Headhunters as the 1986 National Survival Game champions. The same source indicates that they were also the holders of the State of Ohio Cup before the 1987 Ohio championship.[1]

Further details of their 1986 championship campaigns, including their roster and opponents, have not been located in the available contemporary reports.

1987 State of Ohio championship

The Headhunters retained the State of Ohio Cup by winning the second annual Mohican Outdoor Adventure Paintball Championship, held at Mohican Outdoor Adventure in Loudonville, Ohio, on 22–23 August 1987.[1]

The team scored 916 points across eight games. Its only defeat was a low-scoring 15–9 game against the Crow Warriors. When the teams met again, the Headhunters won 145–12. In that game, the team attacked along two flanks using two six-player groups, restricted the Crow Warriors' movement beyond the centre of the field and eventually captured their flag.[1]

The Headhunters finished ahead of the Crow Warriors, Iron Cross, the Ball Busters and the Terminators. Their victory earned the State of Ohio Cup and US$1,000 in prize money.[1]

Team identity

The Ohio Headhunters should not be confused with the similarly named Head Hunters associated with War Zone in Southern California. The California team competed at the 1987 Sat Cong Village Challenge Cup and was captained at that event by Don Hudson.[2] Results which identify only a team named “Headhunters”, without a location or other corroborating information, cannot therefore automatically be attributed to the Ohio team.

Team vehicle

A photograph published in Front Line showed a converted ambulance used as the Headhunters' official team vehicle.[3]

Selected results

Year	Tournament	Result	Notes
1986	National Survival Game championship	Champions	Identified by contemporary coverage as the reigning national champions in 1987.[1]
1987	Mohican Outdoor Adventure Paintball Championship	1st	916 points; State of Ohio Cup and US$1,000 prize.[1]

References