Quad Rugby/Story - A Tale of Two Weekends

UNITED STATES QUAD RUGBY ASSOCIATION

February 2003

A Tale of Two Weekends
By TBWS Staff Writer

Bryan Kirkland and the Demolition set the stage for Nationals.

If you take a look at professional sports schedules you will find that aside from baseball, rarely do teams play on back to back days. NBA and NHL teams average 2-3 games a week; players in the NFL log their 3 hours of game time once a week; and professional boxers might get two bouts in a calendar year if fans are lucky. All this for millions of dollars and a lifestyle scripted for the next edition of cribs on MTV. And they call these people athletes?

The next time you hear Shaq complaining about his big toe or Randy Moss taking a play off, drop this on them: 15 hours of travel to another country, 5 players with only one on the bench, and 14 games in 6 days. At least that’s what Team Belgium fought through in back to back rugby weekends at the Coloplast International and Demolition Derby tournaments. Add 15 other teams playing their hearts out over two weeks and you get eleven one point games in what were two incredibly competitive weekends.

Teams from Great Britain, Australia, Germany, and the aforementioned Belgium began arriving in Tampa on January 22^nd for the revived Coloplast International Rugby tournament. The field was filled out by our neighbors from the great white north, Team Canada as well as the Lakeshore Demolition, Texas Stampede, Sarasota Hoveround, Team WHO, and the host Tampa Generals. The tournament known for its international flavor returned to a well guarded, but chilly Fort Homer Hesterley Armory where uncharacteristic 40 degree temps in Tampa didn’t cool the competition as toboggan clad quads banged for 3 days.

Day one saw Canadian Mike Whitehead and his fellow Ice begin their move up in pool play by hanging with the eventual champion Phoenix Heat. By their second game the Ice stuck with the seven goal differential, but this time it was in a winning effort. Inconsistent play and unforced errors plagued the George Hucks led Australian Development team as they gave up their seed to the Canadians and dropped to the loser’s bracket.

In the other close game of the day Team Germany pieced together a win over a depleted Sarasota Hoveround team. The Hoveround made a run in the second half when vital team member Joel Post entered the lineup. However, their efforts fell short advancing the black, gold, and red clad Germans to the pool of 8.

Faced with some of the same player personnel issues as Hoveround, the Texas Stampede relied on the speed of Japanese talent Satoshi Ito and veterans Norm Lyduch and Shawn Meredith to top the host Generals. The three goal loss proved to be but the start of the woes for the Generals as they would go winless on the weekend. Coach and USQRA Hall of Famer Dave Gould attempted various lineups throughout the weekend, but none seemed to have the chemistry to get the needed defensive stops. “We are a somewhat young and developing team. But with so many unforced errors it is hard to hang with this level of competition.” commented Gould.

Day two saw red hot competition running on three courts at once with temperatures still in the middle 40’s. In the 9am games Lakeshore pounded Texas by 20, while Team Belgium got tangled by the Canadian Nordiques. The one two combo of Garret Hickling to Dave Wilsie that added up to gold in Gothenberg couldn’t be answered by the Belgians. Meanwhile the victorious Team Germany from the evening before soon realized that their luck ran out when they faced the Heat. Having imported Brad Dubberly from Australia this season to try and help quench their thirst for a national championship, the Heat looked smooth going into afternoon play. Whether it was Dubberly to Cohn or Gilliland the Heat seemed to be firing on all pistons. Rugby heads throughout the gym began wondering if the overtime drama from the Best of the West would unfold again when the southwest boyz met the demolition from down south later that afternoon.

After lunch surprise Team Who gave the Aussies development team a scare in overtime. Dreadlock sporting Dan Buckingham, Kiwi countryman Peter Martin, and a cast of others anticipated their counterparts veteran Steve Porter and upstart Patrick Ryan at various points in the match. But in the end it was a well played last goal that put the Aussies on top 51-50. In comparatively much more boring action it was key defense vs. key defense when the Canadian boys matched up. The Nordiques eventually forced enough turnovers to cause their brethren to submit 20-17.

With the 3pm time slot came the much anticipated Demolition vs. Heat showdown. Phoenix hung early, but it was clear that the boys from Alabama had been working on their game plan since San Diego. A few turnovers here and there led to a triumphant Demolition and an interesting crossover the following morning.

Upon arriving at the gym early Sunday morning there was a definite odor in the air. Most thought the smell to be emanating from the lovely port-o-lets outside of the armory, but the blokes from Great Britain and the pasty white Nordiques knew it to be the smell of upset. It’s hard to think of a harder hitting lineup than the one put together by Lakeshore coach Kevin Orr. Whether it is Bryan Kirkland, Wayne Romero or Cliff Chunn, the years of experience and training results in hits that can cause your teeth to rattle for weeks. However, on this day the hits wouldn’t be enough as the 4 time USQRA defending national champions would suffer heartbreaking one goal loses to both the Brits and Nordiques. Great Britain used the steady combo of John Lilley and Troy Collins to eek out a huge win and advance to the final. Then in the third fourth place game it was Hickling, Chan, and Wilsie who would again prove to be a thorn in Orr’s side as they dropped the top seeded Demolition to fourth on the depth chart.

That meant the final matched the calm cool youth of Phoenix versus the determined Brits, and what a final it would be. Play went back and forth as the dominant Dubberly and Lilley snaked their way around the court. Ultimately though it was the work of the often overlooked low pointers that would seal the victory for the Heat. Defensive specialists 1.5 Jason Curran and 1.0 Scott Hogsett always seemed to be right where they were needed the entire game. Their court sense shined through when on the final play of overtime it was up to class 2.0 Andy Cohn to get the job done. Dubberly had been trapped by the Brits leaving Cohn to create a scoring opportunity in the final seconds. Crucial picks by Hogsett and Curran sprang a hole Cohn slid through and Phoenix emerged as Coloplast Champs.

On to Birmingham

A mere 4 days later the sights of palm trees had been traded in for the smokey smell of pit barbeque as the Demolition Derby got underway. The field was relatively the same, but U.S.A. Development, the Lakeshore Foundation, and the Denver Harlequins took the place of Hoveround, Generals and Team Who. Unlike day one in Tampa, there would be no upsets as the top eight advanced as seeded. Yet the final game of day one between U.S.A. Development and Australia Development produced a barn burner and a picture of international rugby to come. Team U.S.A. led by coach Ed Suhr got out to the early lead and it looked as though budding talent 3.0 Lynn Nelson and 2.5 Will Groulx could send the Aussies to the losers bracket for the second weekend in a row. But by the second half the experience and familiarity of the Aussies with each other started to shine through. Suhr tried to answer with a barrage of fresh players including HPTP members Dave Jenkins, Brent Poppen, and Charles Ray. Nonetheless, entering into the final minute of play the boys in red, white, and blue would have to resort to stabs at the ball as Patrick Ryan and company entered the front court up by one. Stabs of course lead to penalties, and with 35 seconds to go USA ended up with a man in the box and Australia with a mark in their win column.

If the second Saturday of competition in a week had left players with tight muscles you certainly couldn’t tell by looking at them. Close games unfolded in both tiers of play. First up saw Canada Ice in a spirited game with the Heat. What was a seven goal loss the week before was trimmed to only a 4 goal defeat. The Australians also showed up in a big way only dropping to the Brits by three. The gem of the day though would be between the starkly contrasted Belgians and Brits.

Looking at the sidelines it was sometimes hard to tell if there were really two teams playing. Whereas the British bench stretched around the corner of the court, on the Belgian sideline the able bodied support staff out numbered their reserves 4-1. Play went back and forth in the first half as Ludwig Budeners, Bob Vanacker, and Ronny Verhaegen showed that lack of depth would not stand in their way. The previous weeks 0.5 all tournament team member, Koen Delen, also weighed in setting timely picks on British standouts Collins and Lilley. By the second half spectators began to line the court as it became apparent that this battle would come down to the finish.

Belgium appeared at points to have eyes in the backs of their heads as they lofted passes to each other without an ounce of eye contact. Verhaegen quietly was making his bid for MVP as he routinely beat higher classed players across half court. Time and time again perfect passes led to scores, and the Belgians came out on top in arguably the most impressive and gutsy performance of both weekends.

On the final day of what must have seemed like a marathon, the first crossover pitted the weary Belgians versus the strength and speed of Lakeshore. In the second match the previous weekend’s champion Heat lined up with the Nordiques who were looking to prove their #2 seed. The Belgians found themselves unable to hang with the Demolition and fell by 12. With Lakeshore locked into the final, Phoenix stepped up to the plate again and knocked off the Nordiques sending them to their second consolation game in as many weeks.

With the table set the hometown crowed began filing in and the Demolition dawned their game faces. Throughout the weekend many had taken notice at the ornament which sat in the middle of the Lakeshore equipment area. By the end of the final that ornament, the fourth place trophy from the week before, would meet its fate via its owners namesake.

Chunn and Kirkland brought the noise and brought it early. There would be no upset this day as Phoenix kept finding themselves with Dubberly trapped and Gilliland or Cohn fighting to get across half-court. By the end of the third quarter the Heat’s timeouts had evaporated and Lakeshore was on a mission to send a message to its own fans and the USQRA. That message was written in the form of a 7 goal win and stating that another national championship banner would be hanging from above them in a mere two months. But messages are one thing, home court advantage for the national championship game is another. 60 days to Nationals, are you ready?

Special thanks must be given to Coloplast and the Lakeshore Foundation, as well as all of the other sponsors and volunteers that make these great tournaments possible. Your support is appreciated by all who play and enjoy this great sport!!

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