DALLAS, TX – It’s time for the playoffs episode to see which two teams will advance to the finals for the Orchard Cup.

The Peoria Pythons knocked out the Gilbert Gladiators in an exciting, but heartbreaking, first semi-final. 

The star of the previous episode, Kris Heddings from the Gladiators, openly expressed his disappointment following the 61-40 defeat.

Heddings is known for delivering honest, unfiltered responses, and he did so again this time around.

 “You learn from losses, and in sports you fail a lot, but to succeed you have to fail a lot of times,” he explained. 

Despite the loss, it’s clear that Heddings maintained a healthy perspective thanks to his strong family unit.

Pickleball may be really important to these players, but what matters most is the people in their life that shaped them into the athletes they are now.

What I also enjoyed was the strategic conversations from the Tempe Tornadoes and the Scottsdale Scorchers. These are the kinds of conversations I’d love to be in the room for with the touring pros, learning about strategy and decision-making, like who to target and when to stack.

The strategies obviously worked as the No. 4 Scorchers upset the undefeated Tornadoes 67-53 in the other semi.

The Scorchers had quite the complicated journey with a bunch of player movement and barely squeaking into the finals.

It’s all a testament to high-quality gameplay and just how easily momentum can swing pickleball tournaments like this. 

Remember, if you want to watch "Breaking Pickleball," you better get to binging. Sign up through this link on Jigsaw Heath before April 21.