Weekly summaries of our group's Wednesday night Catan games

The winter standings (in wins; point totals to come soon):

(1) *Steve: 7 (2) *Scott: 5 (3) Kristen: 5 (4) *Pat: 4 (5) Kim: 2** (6) *Fifth Player: 2 (7) Kevin: 0

*Denotes status as a regular

**Two point win

Summer champion: Pat

Fall champion: Fifth Player

With one week left in the winter season (and one week left in winter 2014!), this week's journal is cutting directly to the stakes, sort of how "True Detective's" season finale gave us the Yellow King's death (Or was he? He was.) 40 minutes in to an hour long episode.

After Kristen dominated game one, Steve won game two just as easily for a two-victory cushion in the standings. If he wins at all next week, he clinches the season crown.

With the newly added points title (good for one victory point) this year, however, Kristen or I, the points leaders by a comfortable margin, will only need to win a single game next week to force a tie for first. (We haven't yet decided how to break the tie.) Unless Pat wins next week's session in convincing, back-to-back 11-point fashion, he'll have to wait until the spring for his second seasonal crown.

Also hurting Pat's chances is next Wednesday's possible location (depending on our "fifth player's" attendance), Steve's basement apartment, where's the 26 year-old has never won.

Unfortunately, we haven't tabulated the year's point totals in a few weeks so I can only speculate at the moment on statistics compiled weeks ago. Last month, Kristen and Pat were tied. A week later, I pulled ahead with a three-game win streak. Since then -- behind strong performances and two wins -- Kristen likely has the lead in points.

The player formerly known as O'Neill, formerly known for her sneaky, come-from-behind wins, has been doing her best Prefontaine impressions lately and winning big from the front (or losing narrowly at the end after sizeable leads). In fact, the late-game steal has been noticeably absent lately from all of our games. Perhaps our ever-improving abilities have reached a point beyond such tactics.

One last point before I save myself for marriage... I mean next week's end of the season column: Steven's noted improved play took another leap last night when he avoided the allure of Harbor Master, faced conflict head-on, and settled in a hotly contested area. If the master of space can learn to incorporate just the right amount of warmongering into his game, he could seal the season next week -- and remain a contender for the spring.