UNITED STATES QUAD RUGBY
ASSOCIATION
Team USA
3.5 Joe Soares
3.0 Brad Updegrove
2.5 Mike Wyatt
2.0 Dave Gould
2.0 Cliff Chunn
1.5 Bill Renje
1.0 Dave Ceruti
0.5 Eddie Crouch
Canada's big scorer Hickling may be trouble for No. 1 U.S.
By Dennis McCafferty STAFF WRITER
The public address announcer during Canadian wheelchair rugby games has an easier job than the Maytag repairman.
Just sit in a chair and repeat: "Goal . . . Hickling. .. Goal . . . Hickling."
On the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan's teammates are sometimes called a supporting cast. In Garett Hickling's case, it's more like three guys who happen to be on the court wearing the same color jersey he does.
Hickling takes the ball, puts a one-on-four move against the entire opposing team and
scores.
Wednesday, Hickling scored 33 goals, nine more than the entire Australian team, in a 39-24
victory. Although his team lost later to New Zealand, he remains an obstacle to a U.S.
championship this week at the Paralympic Games.
The top-seeded Americans face No. 2 Canada today at 9 a.m. at Atlanta Metro College.
Hickling remains modest about his performance.
"It's more or less the other players setting picks and blocks and making it
happen," said Hickling, 25, who broke his neck at age 16 while hiking near his
hometown of Kelowna.
But it seems that Hickling makes it happen on his own. For example, at one point
Wednesday, he took an inbounds pass and whisked through three defenders like they were
sitting still, scored after springing wide open for a pass, then scored again seconds
later after snagging an interception. Throughout the outburst, his wheelchair hardly got
tapped.
"He's always been a bit of a scrapper," said Hickling's father, John. "I
thought he'd spend more time in the penalty box than in scoring."
In other games, the United States crushed Britain 50-26 and dismantled the Australians,
31-18.
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