Tech Puts the "Foot" Back in Rugby Football

by Dave Wheelock, NMT Director of Rugby

SOCORRO, N.M., Feb. 24, 2003 -- The New Mexico Tech men's rugby club literally kicked off the spring season Saturday in Las Cruces, implementing a kicking attack to turn the tables on New Mexico State University, 28-14. Just three weeks ago, the Chiles had embarrassed the Pygmies on their home turf in a February 1 preseason scrimmage by scoring six tries (touchdowns) to Tech's solitary score.

"I thought we had about a 50-50 chance to beat them" the second time around, said captain Mark Kelly after the win. Kelly, a junior majoring in environmental engineering, assumed the club captaincy upon the death of Jeremiah Wright in a traffic accident last September.

In the event, New Mexico State took the opening kickoff and proceeded to put their stamp on the match through hard running in the middle and impressive ball retention in the tackles. "I was hoping we could weather that opening stage, because I figured they would wear down if we could. I knew we could play better," commented Kelly. State got on the board with a try after 13 minutes of play after breaching Tech's defense, and the conversion kick was good for a 7-point lead. But then the visitors' strategy began to reveal itself. Chasing a Robert Harrison kick downfield, wing Michael Bauer stripped his opposite number of the ball, and Tech's Pat Simons scooped it up. Nothing but 50 yards of grass lay before the fleet center, and he motored in for a five-pointer. The conversion kick failed.

Just before halftime NMSU found themselves pinned in their own end by Harrison's kicking, and was whistled for offsides in a ruck after a tackle. Simons's kick was low but had plenty of gas and the Pygmies took a 8-7 lead into the halftime intermission.

In the second stanza, NMSU continued to look dangerous with ball in hand, breaking through Tech's front line of defense several times. Heroic tackling staved them off initially, but after 15 minutes of play the Chile forwards stole the ball from a Tech scrum and #8 Manny Griffin legged a long try the other way. With the conversion State went into the lead, 14-11.

Halfway through the final 40 minutes the Pygmies, led by forwards Brook Jilek, David Yazzie, Nick Ledesma, Chris Tomingas, and Kelly, drove their way into the Chile's end and forced a penalty. From 20 yards, Kelly wisely chose to let Simons slot the 3-point kick rather than run for it, and Tech inched within three at 14-11.

Minutes later a Simons kick backed the Chiles up once again, and a pressured pass was intercepted by Tech's other center Miguel Provencio. Provencio waltzed over the try line untouched as the small cadre of Pygmy reserves and supporters erupted in glee. "At that point in the second half, I thought we could win, but I knew the Chiles were liable to score another try" were the captain's feelings at the time.

Playing with an 18-14 lead, Tech still had to deal with an explosive State attack. Things looked dicey as the smooth-running Chile backs launched a probing attack up the right sideline, but the ball was jarred loose in the tackle of that man Simons, who alertly scooped it up and miraculously avoided stepping on the line as he galloped out of reach 50 yards to pay dirt. Simons was allowed by his mates to miss the conversion kick, as Chile heads dropped at the prospect of imminent defeat.

Adding a flourish shortly before the final whistle, Tech's forward eight put on a lineout clinic from State's 20-yard line. Kelly threw the inbounds pass short to prop Alex Bourandas, and Jilek swept in to secure the ball. The remaining six "scrummies" joined into the tightly-bound morass and drove the Chiles all the way over their goal line, where Bourandas's rookie prop partner Nathaniel Creager (alias "Thor") took it to ground for the try and the final 28-14 margin.

Another chance for "paybacks" looms for the Pygmies next Saturday (March 1, 2003) in the form of the Brujos Rugby Club at Albuquerque's St. Pius Field. Last September Tech fell to the men's club side 35-10. Kickoff will be at 1:00 p.m.