UNITED STATES QUAD RUGBY ASSOCIATION

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On Saturday, the 18th of October the newly formed Florida Quad Rugby League (FQRL) made its debut at the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation in Okeechobee Florida. The new league was formed by the South Florida Rattlers, Tampa Generals and the Sarasota Riptide in hopes of spawning new teams within the state as well as to provide additional playing opportunities beyond the USQRA schedule. The ultimate goal is to get more players and teams involved with the sport in the sunshine state.

Round One of the FQRL was to have included all three of the Florida teams at the inaugural kickoff. Due to various problems, Sarasota was forced to withdraw from the tournament at the last-minute. The Generals and Rattlers were disappointed but determined not to let it interfere with the excitement of opening day. A revamped schedule was quickly put together and the new league got underway.

The ruggers were warmly greeted by a large crowd of perhaps 500 fans. The FQRL mascot, "Crash Rugby" quickly worked them into a frenzy with crazy antics and cheers as the two teams stretched and prepared to take the floor. After a brief opening ceremony and the playing of the National anthem, introduction of the players began.

The lights went dim and a roaming spotlight hit the floor. The announcer began, "and now, introducing from Tampa Florida, the Tampa Generals starting line-up". Entering the court as their names were called were Mark Hickey (3.0), Dave Gould, Darren Ransome (2.0's) and Norm Lyndyke (1.0). The fans chanted "GENERALS - GENERALS" as their bench was called to the floor. Vi Vorasane (3.5), Justin Stark (2.0), Sergio Scoynamiglio (1.5), Phil Bachelor (1.0) and Mark, a new unclassified player playing as a 1.0 all took their bows.

Attention turned to South Florida as the announcer called the Rattlers out. "From the east side of the state, please give a warm welcome to the South Florida Rattlers". Their starting line-up is class 3.5 rookie - Emesion Calle, Rich Hearne (2.5), Dave Harrison (1.5), and Charles Ray (0.5) and the remainder of the snake pit, John Bishop (2.0), Dee Wilson (1.0), Charlie Brown and Drew Fredebaugh (0.5's). The fans let out a long and loud hiss to show their support.

The officials called the teams to center court for the tip-off and the games began. Tampa was able to score the first point but the Rattlers struck back in a matter of seconds. The first quarter was played point for point until the 7th minute when Tampa recovered a loose ball and scored. As the buzzer sounded the Generals were up by two points, 11-9. The second period brought on more of the same as each team worked the press and tried to gain an advantage. Again in the 7th minute, the score shifted but this time in South Florida's favor as Calle stole a Tampa inbound and scored to tie the game at 19. In the same minute Tampa scored once more but the Rattlers struck 3 times to take the lead at the half 22-20.

In the second half it was clear that this game was going to be a battle. The fans were getting a great introduction to the sport as several hard hits by each team sent players to the floor. As the 3rd period began the Generals moved fast to recover the lead. Just 3 minutes in they had tied the score at 25 each and were demonstrating why they are such a dominant force in the sport. In the 6th minute of play the Rattlers began to fatigue and gave up 3 unanswered points as a result. By the periods end they were down by 5 points (28-33) and searching for answers to their downfall. As the final period of play began the crowd had turned in favor of the underdogs. The supportive cheers of the crowd helped the Rattlers to hold on to what they had but they lacked the experience needed to get ahead of Tampa again. The final score was 40-37, Tampa.

Game two provided Tampa's starting line-up with an opportunity to rest and break for lunch. Their bench still had a full 8 point lineup and they were all fresh and ready to play. South Florida on the other hand did not have the same luxury. Lacking high pointers, they choose to rest their 3.5 rookie and started with a 6.5 point lineup.

As the game began, South Florida quickly realized that tying up Tampa's 3.5, Vi Vorasane would be crucial if they were to have a chance at the win. This proved to be easier said then done as Vi maneuvered his chair through even the smallest of holes. As the second period began the Rattlers had a 1 point lead but were still experiencing difficulties with their defense. At the five minute mark the Rattlers had finally wrangled Vorasane and went on a 6 to 1 point run. This provided them with a 18-12 lead at the half. In the third quarter South Florida played their 3.5 along with their 1.5, 1.0 and 0.5's. At the 5 minute mark of the 4th period the Rattlers had a 9 point lead, their largest ever on the Generals! Tampa's Vi Vorasane came to life about then and went on a seven point run but it was still not enough to salvage the game. The Rattlers went on to victory with a score of 36-30.

After a short brief break for lunch it was time for the rubber match. This game would decide who would hold the permanent honors of winning the first ever FQRL competition. With so much at stake both teams opted to start with their strongest line-ups. Crash Rugby, the FQRL mascot had once again worked the crowd and the arena was now louder than ever with anticipation!

With a signal from the Official the final tip-off of the day went up and South Florida scored first. The Generals marched in quickly with a 2 point run that was followed by a 3 point strike by the Rattlers. Both teams were playing hard but neither seemed to be able to get that edge that would allow them to pull away from the other. At the end of the 1st period Tampa had the lead 10-9 while at the half it was South Florida who lead 18-17.

During the half-time break security had to keep the media away from the benches so that second-half strategies could be discussed. When the teams re-entered the court for the final half the fans showed their appreciation with a standing ovation and hearty round of applause. The third quarter saw Tampa go up by as much as 4 points and at the periods end the game was tied at 27 points apiece. The Generals skills lead them on a quick 3 point run at the start of the fourth that South Florida could not catch up with. In the end it was Tampa who won the final game and captured the championship with a score of 37 to 35.

Special thanks to the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation for hosting this event as well as to the fans who supported both teams. The Florida Quad Rugby League appreciates your participation as do all of the participants from both teams.

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