Article/Quad Rugby - Team USA's Golden Road

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

USA*

Team USA's Golden Road

by Bill Renje Jr.

First impressions usually go a long way. In the case of the smash, crash, and bash game of wheelchair rugby, which debuted as a demonstration sport at the Paralympics, the event swept through Atlanta with the ferocity of a tropical storm. Along the way, the intense competition picked up momentum that will carry it through the 2000 Games in Sydney-- where it will be a full medal sport.

Although many felt the outcome of the tournament was a forgone conclusion with Team USA winning the Gold, five other teams, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Sweden, and Australia came to Atlanta to challenge the hometown favorites.

As for Team USA, the games marked what be a culmination of four months of hard work, sacrifice, and determination. A four month bond that will last a life time between arguably the best coaching staff in the world and the best rugby team ever to be assembled. A bond that would result in the Americans winning the first ever paralympic gold medal in wheelchair rugby.

While talent and stellar coaching helps, chemistry and continuity continue to form the foundation of any championship team. According to the USA's Joe Soares, a perennial leader of the National team, the tight-knit unity of the Americans helped them to focus on their ultimate goal.

We haven't had anything close to an argument, on or off the court," Soares said. "Even when we play against each other during the season, it's not like we hate each other. When we go up against one another, we respect each other. Now we have that team unity because we all have that same goal."

For the Americans, that team unity would be tested early in the tournament. Upon opening the competition August 20 against Sweden, Team USA had enough nervous energy and anticipation stored up to fill the Black Hole. The starting unit of Mike Wyatt, Dave. Gould, Cliff Chunn, and Bill Renje struggled a bit. The Americans trailed 2-1 early on, one of the few times they fell behind in the tournament, before the strength and depth of Team USA eventually wore down the Swedish squad.

After taking a 14-6 lead after the first quarter, Team USA put the game away early in the second quarter with a flurry of goals by 17-year old sensation Cliff Chunn. Chunn would lead USA with 10 goals in their game one romp 37-16.

Team captain Dave Gould acknowledged that the team came out a little flat, but noted that the youthful enthusiasm of Chunn helped the team overcome a rocky start. "Having Cliff on the court just opens everything up," Gould said. "He's one of the best defensive players I've ever seen. (on offense) he definitely draws more attention than most (class) 2.0's that I've ever seen."

If there ever was an X factor on this team, Chunn was it. To some people, a questionable selection to the team because of his age and inexperience, Chunn played like a seasoned veteran. By dominating offensively and taking the best opposing offensive player away on defense, he gave the team the luxury of freeing up the heavy artillery of other explosive players like Brad Updegrove, Soares, and Wyatt.

The next game pitted Team USA against New Zealand, a hard hitting opponent that featured two talented 2.0's in Curtis Palmer and Sholto Taylor, and a powerhouse in 3.5 Paul Leefe. Team USA gladly accepted the physical Kiwi challenge by dominating the game with a 47-26 barrage.

While realizing the challenge of the New Zealand squad helped, Team USA member Dave Ceruti believes getting the first game jitters out of the way helped the Americans to feel more comfortable against the Kiwis.

"I don't know of it having anything to do with who we played as much as getting that earlier (Sweden) game under our belts," Ceruti said. "In any tournament, it always takes awhile to get used to the venue. Getting those bangs in, gave us some confidence going into the (New Zealand) game.

Day two of competition provide less drama on the court but plenty of concern off of it. Before its game against Great Britain, it was learned that Team USA's 2.5 and co-captain Mike Wyatt was on his way back to the Paralympic Village to get treatment for an ailing elbow injury. Wyatt's status was questionable for the rest of the tournament. But it was later learned that he needed a bursectomy to remove a growth known as bursitus, which resulted in him submitting to a medical disqualification for the rest of the tournament.

While the once invincible Americans suffered a loss of depth and leadership, they would tighten up their inner circle in pouncing Great Britain 50-26 and withstanding a gutsy performance by the Australians 31-18.

The only thing that stood between the Americans and an unblemished mark going into crossover play was a 9 a.m. showdown against Team Canada on August 22nd. Some of the rugby world's greatest wars have come down to the North American neighbors. Canada possesses experience, knowledge, and one-man wrecking crew in 3.5 Garrett Hicklinq. Fortunately for Team USA, its has it's own trio of turbulence in Chunn, Soares, and Updegrove. While these three dismantled the Canadian attack by slowing down Hickling, the Americans low point attack of Eddie Crouch, Dave Cerutie and Bill Renje neutralized the rest of the Canadian attack. Team USA was headed to the semifinals with a 48-34 victory

In the first semi-final game, the Americans would once again dispose of Great Britain 38-25, while Canada would avenge an earlier loss in pool play to New Zealand with an intense one-point victory to set up a title game re-match with the gold medals in the building. The Kiwis bounced back from a bitter defeat to win the bronze over Great Britain 46-34. As Van Halen's Right Now blared over the stereo system, the time had come to decide who would be anointed as the best rugby team in the world for another four years.

All the film preparation, hard work, and months of anticipation would come down to 32 minutes of championship rugby. 32 minutes to decide whether the Americans would capture paralympic glory or make history as a prohibitive favorite turned failure by collapsing only three feet from the finish line.

The crowd was electric. Sparse Canadian fans were drowned in the deep sea of red, white, and blue. From the opening tip, it was clear the Canadians would not let the home crowd celebrate without a fight. The veteran-laden Canadian squad came to compete. Hickling single handily lifted his team to the level of play that a championship team exhibits.

Early on the teams traded goals. But the Americans were too prepared, too well coached, and too determined not to lose what they came to Atlanta for-- gold. The duo of Soares and Gould, teammates with the Tampa Generals, played with the poise of past champions. The youth of Chunn refused to be exploited by the intimidating Hickling. When Crouch scored on a prayer of a pass by Gould as the buzzer sounded to end to third quarter with the Americans up by five, the team sensed, as did the crowd that the light at the end of the tunnel was golden. As time expired to end the game the scoreboard read USA 37 Canada 30.

A joyous and tearful United States team celebrated with their fans and coaching staff, before claiming their medals and partying long into the night-- more on that later.

For players like Chunn, the whole experience was so much more than another rugby tournament. For Chunn, it was fulfilling a dream his mother had come so close to realizing when she missed qualifying. for the 1968 Olympic team by 1/100 of a second.

"I wanted it more than anything," Chunn said. "I was going to try my hardest. It was my dream my whole life to make it to some kind of an Olympic event."

As for the brain trust, coaches Terry Vinyard and Reggie Richner, the distinction of leading the first ever Paralympic gold medal team will inscribe their names into rugby history as two of the greatest coaches of all time.

"It was awesome," said a delirious Vinyard. "It was such a great spectrum for our sport to be showcased. I enjoyed so many of the fans getting into it and finding our sport for the first time

An emotional, yet elated Richner, had time to reflect on what be called the greatest day of his life. For Richner, the victory was for his mother, the foundation of his life, who passed away in 1978.

"I was fighting some overwhelming excitement and joy along with some sadness from not having my mom there, Richner said. "It's too bad she wasn't there. But I'm pretty sure she was looking down on me.

As for the team party, well let's just say that names are being withheld to protect the not so innocent.

Return to Articles

How to Contact us | Quad Rugby Central Index