Student Ruggers Prevail in Annual Alumni Clash

SOCORRO, N.M., Oct. 22, 2007 – The annual battle between New Mexico Tech’s student and alumni rugby teams returned to a bygone pattern in the match on Friday, Oct. 19. In the annual 49ers competition between the more experienced Pygmy Ancestor team and the current team, the score wasn’t close.

The big difference in this year’s lopsided score was the team on top: Pygmies 63, Ancestors 10.

The students broke the habit of heavy defeats in 2004 with a last-minute, five point try to win 29-22. The grads recovered the following year to win 24-19, and managed to retain bragging rights last year with a nail biting 12-10 victory.

Due to the vagaries of life beyond college a number of Ancestor stalwarts were unable to participate Friday. Although none of the current crop of Pygmies was on hand to suffer those humbling defeats of yesteryear, they were in no mood to show mercy this time around. A small number of undergrad volunteers were loaned to the elder side and it was "match on."

The students drew first blood after just four minutes of play. As was typical throughout the match, Matt Nelson's try was the result of committed teamwork. Number eight forward Britt Catron advanced the ball before making a short pass to hooker Waylin Sieler, who in turn fed scrumhalf Jay Herrera as he was tackled. Nelson was handy to take the scoring pass after Herrera's jinking run but could not make the conversion kick, leaving the score at 5-0.

At 11 minutes lock forward Steve Graves started a running break that saw the ball transferred to the back line. Herrera handled twice before putting down between the posts. Nelson's conversion kick was true for a 12-0 Pygmy lead.

An alumni back line led by Robert Harrison (class of 2005) looked dangerous for the alumni side. At nineteen minutes their eight forwards managed to send them the ball and Harrison broke through the first line of defense. Center Matt Odle, a guest on New Mexico Tech's tours of Ireland and England, took Harrison's pass and when challenged flipped the ball at a dead run behind his back to fellow center and speedster Mike Bauer (2005), who streaked in to score an unconverted try, 12-5.

The students stretched their halftime lead to 22-5 with a well-earned try by center Royce Beaudry and another on Isaiah Sanchez's spectacular tightrope sprint up the left sideline.

Nelson again touched down with an assist pass from openside flanker Nick Falcone to open the second half, and several minutes later was the recipient of a bouncing ball in the open, knocked loose by a shuddering tackle from first-year blindside flanker Bart Hegarty. By the time Bauer scored his second try following some fine driving play by the Ancestor forwards, the students led 32-10.

As the alumni side tired, the students hit their stride. Impact player Tory Tadano scored on a nifty give and go with first-year wing Jarret Grout in the 21st minute and soon after Herrera got away on the short side to bring matters to 44-10. Tadano added his second try after taking a pass from Nelson and not long after Royce Beaudry blocked a punt and waltzed into the try zone. Two minutes from full time Beaudry scored the students' eleventh try after Herrera made a trademark dash through a defensive gap and enabled the dependable center to touch down a try converted by Nelson.

Graduate team captain Mark Kelly said afterward, "I was impressed with the Pygmies. They played intelligent rugby, and they were disciplined. They found our weaknesses and attacked them." The Ancestors honored Rob Harrison as their man of the match while the Pygmies,chose wing Marcus Chavez.

Collegiate Division Two New Mexico Tech, now in its 34th year of rugby, will seek to advance their 11-2 record against Division One powerhouse Colorado State University's second team in Albuquerque Saturday November 3. CSU will be in New Mexico for a league match with rival University of New Mexico Lobos, whom Tech defeated at home on September 29.

-NMT-