UNITED STATES QUAD RUGBY ASSOCIATION
November, 2003
(South) East meets (South) West
By
John Ershek
The Second annual Louisville Slugfest started out with hot rugby as the normally chilly Louisville weather provided a balmy 78 degree backdrop. A 3.5 All Star game and a 10 point All Star game were getting ready to begin. The Kentucky TNT and the San Antonio Ruff Ryder's were both on a mission. Sure, the preliminary games with the rest of the teams were going to mean a lot. The game with TNT and Chicago would be the top rivalry game, but TNT versus the Rough Riders had much deeper implications. This would be Division I vs. Division II.
TNT was without Cliff Chunn as he was ably representing Team
USA
in
New Zealand. This was the perennial DII “TeNnTucky TNT” team with the
addition of two former Lakeshore athletes, Wayne Romero and Eddie Crouch,
both Paralympic Gold medalist and 6 time National Champions. The
formidable and hard hitting DII
defending National Champion Ruff Ryder’s were out to prove worthy of DI
acceptance.
TNT was out to test their new chemistry and desire.
Friday night started with picking action in the 3.5 Game. Eddie Crouch, (now known as Yoda to his TNTeamates, for being the all knowing quadi zen master) and his team won, 30-27. Gil Garcia and the 2.5’s took on the 3.0’s and 3.5’s in a thriller won by Gil’s team, 47-45 in overtime. A fun and furious way for everyone to get their rugby juices flowing for what turned out to be a weekend full of awakenings.
Saturday’s action saw the second closest game of the tournament come in the very first game, won by Milwaukee 29-28 over St. Louis. San Antonio came out pressing hard on the way to a 2-0 preliminary record over a good DII Chicago team and the courageous and well coached Jackson team, here with only 4 players and a 7.5 lineup. TNT was wracking up the scoring average with 51 and 58 point barrages over a 4 man, 2 woman Milwaukee team and a St. Louis team lead by 3.0 Kerri (that’s right boys) Morgan, who proved her metal against the boys all weekend to win a spot on the All Tournament Team as best 3.0.
The cross over games answered some questions and soothed some nerves.
San Antonio won easily over the resilient
Milwaukee
squad. TNT lined up against the
Chicago
team they once beat solidly, but now could not find
a
way to beat at all. This included a thrilling Sectional win in 2002 at the
University of Illinois by Chicago by 1 point after trailing by 3 with a
minute to play. The nerves were soothed and the questions answered in a 19
point exhibition of focused execution, solid fundamentals and 100% effort
and pressure on the court by TNT.
There were no surprises to start off Sunday. The plan to hijack the van carrying San Antonio back to their hotel (by some less than very clever Canadians it is rumored) was foiled, so they arrived rested and on time to play in the benchmark game of their early season hopes and dreams. They are certainly the cream of the class of DII. They are well conditioned, well coached, solid fundamentally and hit HARD. But do they have what it takes to join the elite of Division I?
TNT had players full of dreams, but little discipline and desire, others full of discipline but miles to show for it, a coach full of sh _ _ (some say but yet to be confirmed) and still certainly nerves and questions. They too are on a mission this year for DI riches. How deep in the treasure chest will they prove able this year. Tension mounted as game time finally grew near. Both teams stretched and last minute strategized. All the hard work in practice, all the playing all weekend, and it always comes to this. Proving it on the court for 32 Hard Hitting minutes of Rugby HELL !!!
The games started fast and furious with pressing from both sides. TNT
built a 4 point lead 4 minutes into the game. Gil Garcia
and
his Rough Riders fought back to a 2 point quarter ending deficit. Travis
Smith started the second period for TNT and proved he deserved to be the
3.5 “Best of Show”. TNT increased the lead to 3 and set the stage for
Wayne
“2Fast2Furious4SanAntonio” Romero with 4 minutes to play. Turnovers
mounted as Wayne scored 4 straight goals and increased TNT’s lead to 7,
then 8 goals at halftime.
After briefly being down by 9 goals, San Antonio pulled back to within 6 and showed why they are the DII champs with a never say die resiliency it takes to be a champion in the first place. Dreams die hard, but truth is always truth. TNT showed true grit through the teamwork of Mike “Shake ‘N” Baker, Brian “GheeseQ” Burger, Wayne “Speedy Gonzales” Romero, Eddie “Yoda” Crouch, Travis “Precious” Smith and Robbie “Team B_ _ _ _ “ Scott. All were instrumental in what was to become an 11 point 3rd quarter and eventual winning score lead.
54-43…nerves quieted and questions answered. DI dreams die hard and rise harder as both teams leave Louisville with new questions. The same desires. One returns to DII with dreams dashed, but still alive. The other “returns” to DI full of desire, full of discipline, full of dreams (and a coach “full of sh_ _ “).
How to Contact us | Quad Rugby Central Index
Home Page | Rugby Calendar | Sports Page | Score Board | USQRA Zone | Files