Quads, Cameras, Action
By: Andy Cohn

Towering scaffolding supporting the elaborate system of PBS cameras poised to present the climax to the quad rugby season, the 2002 National Championship game, live on television for the first time signaled the continual, successful growth of the sport. The combined competition of both Division I and Division II determining their victors April 15-17, in Denver, Colorado promised fierce play as sixteen teams from around the U.S. vied for rugby’s top prizes.

In Division I, the three-time defending champion Lakeshore Demolition remained on top of the rugby world. Entering as the top-seed, Lakeshore was undefeated during the season against the other American teams. The return of 2.0 Cliff Chunn, who sat out the previous year, to the Lakeshore lineup solidified the Demolition as the team to beat. The rest of the DI pool was muddled. In the season’s two major tournaments, Best of the West and the Demolition Derby, the third-seeded Phoenix Heat was the team finishing closest to the Demolition. Phoenix found itself somewhat shorthanded, though, minus both its coach to an injury that prevented his traveling and a previous starter who quit only a month earlier. With all the questions surrounding the Heat, many wondered who exactly would emerge to challenge Lakeshore.

Division II featured some of the most promising potential in quad rugby. Leading the list of up-and-comers was the top-seeded Boston Pitbulls. Many in the rugby world envisioned the Pitbulls as a possible DI entrant, but a one-point defeat in its Sectional playoffs set Boston back to DII and gave the Pitbulls another chance to capture the DII crown after losing in last year’s title game. The second-seeded Sharp Edge and the third-seeded Denver Harlequins, buoyed by the home crowd, loomed as the ones likely to try and tame the Pitbulls.

The tournament started with Lakeshore taking its first step toward an unprecedented, fourth consecutive national title by opposing the sixth-seeded Casa Colina Buccaneers. Casa was the center of some controversy as it had qualified for Division II but was entered into the Division I field in place of the Chicago Bears, who qualified for DI but feared being overwhelmed and opted to play in DII in Casa’s place. Lakeshore’s 47-29 victory started a trend of the higher seeds dominating their lower seeded counterparts. The first close game didn’t come until the midpoint of day one when the fourth-seeded San Diego Bushwhackers squared off with the seventh-seeded Suncoast Lightning. San Diego came into the tournament as one of the country’s hottest teams. After playing much of the year without its entire team intact, the full Bushwhacker squad was ridding a hot streak having won both its Section-which was considered the league’s best-and a tournament in British Columbia in the weeks preceding Nationals. Suncoast successfully relied on its trio of 3.0 Pat O’Connor, 2.0 Dave Jenkins and 0.5 Joel Post, however, and played San Diego tight until the final minute before falling 35-33.

After a stretch of games with the top seeds reaffirming their superiority. San Diego found itself involved in another close contest with the fifth-seeded California Quake. The Quake, last season’s Division II champion, featured a squad of several new additions. 3.5 Garret Hickling and 3.0 Troy McGuirk provided stability and poise to a team that continued to considerably improve every year. Along with experience, the duo of Hickling and McGuirk brought a deliberate style of play to the Quake. By falling back in the key, Quake kept close to the speedier San Diego and eventually prevailed with a low scoring 20-19 win. As day one ended, the top three seeds in Division I and the top four in Division II sat undefeated and ready to earn the right to play for the big prizes.

After a predictable series of morning games, the action intensified as the top-seeds clashed with the third-seeds in both DI and DII. The Heat jumped on Lakeshore and took an early lead but was soon frozen out of a 37-25 loss. The top dogs in Division II, the Pitbulls, used their speed and balance to wear down the third-seeded Pasadena Texans 34-27. The next three games were all one-point wars with Texas toppling San Diego 37-36, Casa conquering Suncoast 34-33 and Sharp sneaking by the local Harlequins 44-43.

The critical crossovers that would determine who would fight for top honors followed. In Division II, top-seeded Boston faced fourth-seeded Denver and second-seeded Sharp Edge engaged third-seeded Pasadena with the victors earning slots in the next day’s title game. The hometown Harlequins battled hard but the combination of All-Tournament 1.5 Bob Boothby and All-Tournament 2.5 Carlos Availa propelled the Pitbulls to a 39-37 triumph. In the other game, Sharp Edge methodically pressured Pasadena earning a 39-34 win.

The top crossovers in Division I started with Quake’s slowdown style resulting in its undoing as Lakeshore demolished the fifth-seeded Californians 45-29. The other crossover saw a familiar rivalry take a novel twist. The second-seeded Texas Stampede, which has a reputation for delivering some of the sport’s hardest hits, employed a passive, falling back tactic against third-seeded Phoenix. The change in attack may have surprised the Heat who needed a second half rally to emerge unscathed 26-23. Lakeshore and Phoenix were now set to face-off for the national title for the second time in three years.

Day two served as the season’s final day for some teams whose placing games closed out the evening’s action. Suncoast and the Minnesota Ice captured seventh place in both Division I and II respectively. The Chicago Bears ended the day by beating the seventh-seeded Charlotte Crash for fifth.

The last day of Nationals had its familiar bittersweet feeling of some teams’ elation mixing with others’ frustration. The season’s finale provides teams an opportunity to marvel at their ability to exceed expectations or drown in a sea of setbacks. San Diego started the action by relying on All-Tournament 3.0 threat Ian Chan to dismiss Casa 46-37 and capture fifth place in Division I. The Denver Harlequins followed by avenging a defeat to Pasadena in Sectionals, 37-33. A disappointed Texas team struggled early before overcoming the Quake 46-37 to earn third place in Division I for the third consecutive year.

Division II’s title game featured a match-up of contrasting styles. The chaotic quickness of the Boston Pitbulls embodied the antithesis to the Sharp Edge’s calculated calmness. DII MVP Rick Draney anchored the Edge’s methodical manner that kept its turnovers to a minimum. The Pitbulls speed advantage proved to be the difference as Boston led nearly the entire game en route to tallying a 38-32 win and the Division II National Championship.

As Boston’s victory approached, PBS conducted televised, pregame interviews with Lakeshore coach Kevin Orr and Phoenix’s player/coach Scott Hogsett. A live guitar solo and player introductions further augmented the anticipation surrounding the Division I title game. Lakeshore looked unstoppable entering the game having destroyed every opponent at Nationals with victory margins of twelve goals or more in every game. Phoenix, meanwhile, was bolstered by the emergence of All-Tournament 1.5 Jason Curran and seemed capable of capturing the upset.

The first two quarters of the game were a back and forth battle. Lakeshore relied on 2.0 Brian Kirkland as the driving force of its offense. Seemingly every inbound went to Kirkland who used his ability as the game’s fastest player to create continual defensive nightmares for Phoenix. The Heat, however, spread the court on offense and leaned heavily on DI MVP Mike Gilliland to stay even at halftime. The Demolition intensified the pressure in the third quarter as Cliff Chunn caused a couple turnovers to give Lakeshore a two-goal lead and swing momentum its way. Just as the Heat’s fire seemed extinguished, Phoenix’s 2.5 Troy Collins stepped-up and became the solution to Lakeshore’s defensive puzzles. Collins and Gilliland, who were left without help from Phoenix’s other highpoint player, eventually crumbled to the Demolition. As the final horn sounded, Lakeshore found itself as the sport’s first ever four-peat champion.

Special thanks to Barrow’s Neurological Institute, the Arizona Chapter of the PVA and Leeden Wheelchair for their unending generosity and support that enables the Phoenix Heat to exist. Also, great work by all the individuals in Colorado who organized an outstanding Nationals.

Quads, Cameras, Action By: Andy Cohn

Quads, Cameras, Action
By: Andy Cohn