Leme Sets the Expectation Level for Built Ford Tough MVP Race
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – Division B of the Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by U.S. Border Patrol, begins on Friday in Las Vegas, aDivision B of the Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by U.S. Border Patrol, begins on Friday in Las Vegas,nd it will be fun to see which rider attempts to step up and lead his team to Championship Weekend in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (July 10-12).
In the first two weeks of Division A competition, Jose Vitor Leme set the standard of what it means to be a Team MVP. The Team Cooper Tires captain went 9-for-12 – accumulating 50% of the Cooper Tires total score – to lead his squad to a 6-0 regular season and Division A title.
Leme averaged 86.61 points per ride as Team Cooper Tires never trailed in any game. He actually had a higher individual aggregate score (779.50) than Division A runner-up Team Las Vegas (9-for-36, 776.75).
The world No. 1 bull rider’s nine rides was more than or equal to three of the Division A teams, only one behind No. 4 Team Wrangler (10 rides) and two behind No. 3 Team Can-Am (11 rides).
It was a dominating showing from Leme, and General Manager Cody Lambert expected this kind of performance from him.
“I don’t think there is a bull in the PBR or anywhere else that is supposed to buck Jose off,” Lambert said. “That is where Jose is at right now. He is on track to ride everything that they put in the chute from here on out. You know it is not going to happen. At some point, somebody is going to miss a free throw. The best free throw shooter in the world is going to miss a free throw, but right now that is about how it is for him.
“It is like shooting free throws. Everyone is standing still and nobody is guarding him.”
The PBR is awarding a Built Ford Tough MVP award following the conclusion of the Monster Energy Team Challenge. The MVP is the rider with the highest total aggregate score throughout the entirety of the METC. If there is a tie for the highest aggregate score, the MVP bonus is split evenly among the contestants who tied, and the title of MVP will be shared.
The MVP receives a $10,000 bonus.
Let’s take a look at where the MVP race stands following the second weekend of the Monster Energy Team Challenge.
1. Jose Vitor Leme (9-for-12, 779.50)
Leme has three of Team Cooper Tires’ winning rides, and he has been a constant pillar of strength for his unit. Leme did not buck off two bulls in a row at all during Division A play.
Two of Leme’s three buckoffs have come with Team Cooper Tires having already clinched a victory, so the consequences of his buckoffs have been slim to none.
MVP Moment: In Team Cooper Tires’ closest game in Division A play, Leme bounced back from being head-butted by Armed & Dangerous in only 1.79 seconds to ride Red Rocker for 88.5 points with his team holding a slim three-point lead on Team Wrangler. The score was crucial for Cooper Tires as Roscoe Jarboe’s 88.75-point ride on Sitting Bull would not be enough for Wrangler to snatch the victory on the final attempt of the game. Team Cooper Tires officially edged Wrangler, 173-170.25.
2. Roscoe Jarboe (5-for-12, 434.75)
Jarboe was the best newcomer, or non-Unleash The Beast rider, that stood out in Division A. He posted the second-most qualified rides in Division A, but it wasn’t enough, as Team Wrangler fell one game shy of qualifying for the postseason. Jarboe will be unable to catch Leme with his team eliminated from the competition.
MVP Moment: Jarboe contributed to both Wrangler victories with qualified rides of 87.25 points on Jungle Can Do and 87.75 points on South Texas Gangster. Jarboe also went 2-for-2 in Wrangler’s tough opening loss to Team Union Home Mortgage, which won courtesy of Silvano Alves’s walk-off ride.
3. Mauricio Moreira (5-for-12, 431.25)
The 2020 contender for PBR Rookie of the Year was the standout rookie in Division A. Moreira posted the most rides for Team Can-Am, and he averaged 86.25 points per ride, which is actually slightly higher than Leme’s average so far in the tournament.
MVP Moment: Moreira had the purest MVP showing of Division A if we were selecting a single individual moment. Can-Am’s playoff aspirations were all on the 20-year-old’s shoulders on its final attempt of the game Sunday vs. Team Union Home Mortgage in a win-and-in game. All Moreira had to do was ride Skitso and his team would be on its way to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on July 10 for Championship Weekend. Moreira did just that, riding Skitso for 85.5 points. Moreira went 2-for-2 in the win, and was the only rider from Can-Am to record a score in the high-stakes game.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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