NMT Ruggers Avoid Summer Blues

Overcome NMSU 24-19 in season closer

by Dave Wheelock, NMT Rugby Director

The NMT Rugby Club encourages donations to their "Outfit a Pygmy - or Two" Jersey Fund. Each tax-deductible contribution of $50 will buy the team one numbered jersey to be kept in the team set - but any amount helps! For details contact NMT Rugby director Dave Wheelock, (505) 835-5854 dwheelock@admin.nmt.edu .

As the last rugby match of the year, Saturday's (April 30, 2005) home fixture with New Mexico State University presented special significance. Besides the age-old American mandate to "beat State," it was a chance for our New Mexico Tech Pygmies to show their fans what kind of rugby team they'd become since last August 24, as well as an opportunity to forge satisfying summer memories of their last experience on the playing field. For graduating veterans David Yazzie of Grants and Robert Harrison of Los Alamos, it was the final match as a Pygmy, an occasion only they could fathom. When it was over, the favorable 24-19 result may have flattered our side just a bit, yet hopefully exploded any bubbles of complacency for those returning next fall.

In assembling an overall record of 19 wins and 5 losses since September 2004, the Pygmies had developed the enthusiastic formula of breaking out fast, scoring first, and weathering whatever counterattacks our opponents could muster. When we didn't score first, we were in trouble.

And so on Saturday when fully four starters (out of a side of fifteen) hadn’t shown up by our customary "boots on" time of one hour before kickoff, it was evident spring fever might also play a role. While I believe a team's inner approach to a game is set days in advance, I made a last-ditch verbal effort to galvanize the effort minutes before the whistle, and even had the guys pair off for a bit of spontaneous wrestling to get the juices flowing.

The Chiles scored first anyway, and it took us the first fifteen minutes to draw even on an overpowering run by David Yazzie, the author of so many others like it during his Pygmy career. But the Chiles were encouraged by our slow start, and a couple of minutes later their flyhalf scored another try to give them a 14-7 lead. With the first half winding down and our team unable to mount a prolonged attack, I heard a rare and unwelcome sound from among the Pygmies - the grumbling voices of blame being passed around.

Thankfully at this point our other grad, Rob Harrison, decided to channel his displeasure in a positive direction. The ball caught Rob in a somewhat awkward position, so he took the only option available to him, driving straight ahead through the heart of the State defense. To everyone's amazement, he simply could not be stopped, and dropped over the line to score in the corner. Tech went into the halftime break trailing 14-12.

The Chiles continued strongly in the second half, going ahead 19-12 after eight minutes. Tech's subpar play continued as well, as time after time we lost the ball in the tackle. With just five minutes to go and trailing by a try and a conversion (7), scrumhalf Seth Daly kicked us down close to the Chile line and eventually flanker Paul Quintana slid in to bring us within two. Seth then coolly drop-kicked the crucial two point conversion that might salvage a 19-19 draw.

Finally, with no time showing on my watch, fullback Theo Hosemann conjured forth the Pygmy spirit. He counterattacked with a perfectly-placed kick behind the Chiles' defense, and his opposite number was plundered as he tried to field the ball near his own try line. Theo's fellow rookie, hooker Chad Arnold, found the handle and slid over for his first-ever try and the winning points.

While Rob Harrison and David Yazzie will be busy on May 14, graduation day at Tech, some of their teammates will be playing in the Rio Grande Rugby Union seven-man tournament at Albuquerque's St. Pius Field. The shortened periods of rugby sevens allows for multiple games throughout the day, beginning at 9:00.

-NMT-