Tech Rugby celebrates first "Socorro Challenge"

by Dave Wheelock, NMT director of rugby

The New Mexico Tech Rugby Club showed major improvement in their own Socorro Challenge Ruggerfest Saturday, overcoming downstate rivals New Mexico State University and being voted “best of show” among the four clubs entered. Threatening skies kept most non-ruggers away from the all-day event, yet failed to dampen the spirits of the four clubs who came to town to celebrate the spirit of rugby, even when the fourth and final match between NMSU and the Brujos of Albuquerque was abandoned midway due to approaching lightning.

The emphasis of the Socorro Challenge Ruggerfest is the friendly camaraderie between devotees of the game, regardless of team affiliation. Two collegiate- and two club-division teams each play one game in each category, with top honors going to the club displaying “best teamwork and sportsmanship” rather than the team with the best win-loss record. In addition to New Mexico Tech’s team honor, representatives of the four clubs also selected the following honorees: outstanding backline player, college division - Luke Clemmons, NMSU; outstanding back, club division- Marlon Jones, Santa Fe; outstanding tight five forward, collegiate - David Yazzie, NMT; and outstanding tight five, club - Jon Connealy, Santa Fe.

Tech’s two centers had their own ruggerfest with five tries between them in the opening match, as the hosts rectified a February 7 loss to the Chiles in Las Cruces by a 38-21 score. Patrick Simons bagged a hat trick of three tries while his partner Michael Bauer notched two. Simons converted all five NMT tries and added a penalty kick to account for 28 of Tech’s 38 points.

After just four minutes Bauer intercepted a pass and ran untouched 40 meters to score. His partner in the centers, Pat Simons, slotted the conversion for a 7-0 NMT lead. The Pygmies played solid defense and threatened to score several times over the following 25 minutes but could not quite get across the line. Ten minutes before the half Pat Simons handled a second time after looping behind Bauer, and there was no stopping the 215-pound speedster. Simons then converted his try for a 14-0 Tech lead.

New Mexico State finally got untracked a minute later when their outstanding wing Luke Clemmons finally got some running room to score. Five minutes before the half he again got the call and once again left several Pygmy defenders in his weaving wake for another five-pointer. Andrew Mehrtens was good with both conversion kicks to knot things up at 14. Seconds before the intermission Simons added a three-point penalty kick for a 17-14 Tech lead.

Tech shut the door with three second-half tries to more than offset State’s lone tally. Bauer scored after a scrum close to the NMSU line on a nice switch pass from fly half Katsuya Sugimoto, who bedeviled NMSU with a confusing mixture of accurate kicks and pinpoint passing to his backs. Simons added his second try to stretch Tech’s lead to 31-14 at 25 minutes after some fine teamwork by all fifteen Pygmies. NMSU hit back two minutes later when John Eales was driven 20 meters by a host of his teammates to bring the Chiles within ten at 31-21. Simons brought the final count to 38-21 two minutes from full time with his own intercept try and conversion kick.

In the day’s second match between two club division sides, Santa Fe spanked the Brujos by a 50-6 score. The Albuquerque team simply could not match up with the Santos’ well-oiled passing and support game, anchored by former Pygmy greats John Ellis, James Napier, and Zach Barnes.

New Mexico Tech acquitted themselves well in spite of falling to Santa Fe in the third match, 41-10. Although the Santos repeatedly stole Tech’s ball in tackle situations and obliterated their scrum, the Pygmies kept enough poise to score all their points in the second half. Santa Fe shared try-scoring honors among seven men, while Tech forced them into conceding a 3-point penalty kick by Pat Simons and then registered a penalty try after sustained attacking pressure near the Santo line five minutes from the end.

The late afternoon match was called due to approaching lightning by referee Dr. Clint Richardson with NMSU holding a 12-10 lead over the Brujos just before halftime.

NMT Fullback Tory Tadano was presented with his club's Irish Cup for outstanding play on the day. Tech next travels to Santa Fe April 17 to take on the fledgling College of Santa Fe club, who will be reinforced by members of the Santa Fe Rugby Club.