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Local Rugby Clubs Take First Steps

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By NICHOLAS J.E. MURRAY, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 19, 2008

Neither side won its opening match, but that didn't matter too much to the Tampa Barbarians and Pinellas Athletic Club after they played their first competitive matches in the Florida Youth Rugby Union North Division last Saturday.

"I'm real happy," Barbarians coach Martin van Trees said after his team's 41-0 loss to the Tampa Pelicans. "It was an outstanding effort, they didn't quit, they played the entire game."

Both teams were thrown in at the deep end against an experience Pelicans side, and it was mainly thanks to the Pelicans' poor handling that the final margin of victory wasn't larger. But the Barbarians impressed Pelicans coach Brian McFadden.

"Their coaches have done an excellent job," McFadden said. "They have good athletic talent, and I was impressed with the courage they played with. They didn't give up, they played courageously all game and they put all the effort they could into their tackling.

"They just need a little more seasoning, and that's what I told them after the game. I said 'hang in there, because you can recruit some more of your friends out there, and with the core team you have, you have something to build on. You'll win some games this year.'"

The Barbarians had been building a squad since the fall, and had been practicing for the last six weeks in anticipation of the season opener. Barbarians player of the game Ricky Tennant said the team was glad to get a game's experience under their belts.

"It was rough in the beginning, but we pulled together," Tennant said. "I mean even though they beat us as bad as they did, we learned a lot out here.

"We practice every other day, every day almost, but we need to get more guys to come out, need some bigger guys. Those guys were pretty big."

The Pelicans' size proved the key difference in the game as their pack won a lot of loose ball out of rucks and managed to take possession at scrums against the head. McFadden was pleased with the way his pack played.

"I was happy with the way the boys played in set pieces," McFadden said. "We have a few things to clean up. It was more on the loose stuff, the second-phase, third-phase stuff that needs cleaning up, and then our passing skills could use some improvement."

The Pinellas Athletic Club also took a heavy loss, 50-7 to Lincoln Park Academy. The PAC has had a more difficult time recruiting players to its ranks, but got help from the Pelicans and Barbarians to fill out the team's roster.

"It was fun, and a really good learning experience," PAC fly half Corey Schnur said. "Everyone got into the game, and got some good game experience."

The PAC has two weeks off before its second game of the season at Winter Park on Feb. 2. The Pelicans travel to Jacksonville to face the Bolles School today.

Patriots Join Wolves At Top Of Hockey Standings

Wharton's George Prieto had a hat trick as the Wildcats upset Newsome Blue 3-2 in the Hillsborough High School Hockey League. The loss was only the Wolves' second of the season.

Prieto gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead in the first period, but the Wolves came back to tie the game on goals by Scott Vargas and Zach Vandelagemaat. But Prieto quickly restored the Wildcats' lead with his 19th goal of the season, and Wharton goaltender J.P. D'Ambrosio made it stand up, making 30 saves for the win. The Wolves also were denied an equalizing goal twice, with the referees waving off apparent goals.

Freedom joined Newsome Blue on top of the standings with a 4-2 win against Bloomingdale. The Patriots scored all four goals in the first period, as Chance Letson scored twice and Justin Quillen and Spencer McNabb each added a goal.

The Patriots, who were honored by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 10 for their state title last season, held off a late rally by the Ice Bulls, for whom Connor McHale and Mike Wood scored in the third period.

The Tigers took sole possession of third place with a 3-1 win against Plant. Shane Hurley, Charlie Kutt and Erik Kortum scored for the Tigers, while Parker Armstrong scored for the Panthers.

The Tigers pulled ahead of Riverview/Durant, which lost to Wesley Chapel, 3-1. The Wildcats took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by T.J. Johnson and Matt Sarginger, but Riverview/Durant hit back 30 seconds into the second on Joey Heyer's league-leading 21st goal of the season. Wesley Chapel put the game away in the third, however, on a Chris Lifrieri goal.

Jason Jensen scored five goals and added an assist as George Jenkins beat Newsome White 8-4, giving Jensen 17 goals on the season.

TENNIS: Mitch Wong of Tampa won the boys under-18 title at the Junior New Year's Local Kickoff at Tampa Palms on Sunday with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win against Nevy Singh of Bradenton.

Wong had lost only four games in his previous three matches, beating both Alex Hallenbeck and Gabriel Badra 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

Solange La Puente of Tampa won the girls under-16 title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Shaunte Southern of St. Petersburg.

In other local tournaments, Joel Samaha of Plant High reached the quarterfinals of the David Barksdale Jr. Dixie Winter Sectional at the City of Tampa Tennis Center before falling to No. 2 seed Sekou Coker Bangoura of Bradenton 6-4, 6-0.

Nicholas J.E. Murray can be reached at (813) 259-8243 or nmurray@tampatrib.com. Keyword: Youth Sports, for more news and notes.

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