Battling gale force winds, blinding sleet and bizarre referee calls, the Bowling Green rugby team took the next to last step towards completing its first undefeated season by their first XV. The BG ruggers won both the senior and junior divisions of the Detroit Collegiate Rugby Festival and recorded five victories in the process.
BG’s first XV had a relatively easy time disposing of Ferris State 45-7 and Northern Michigan 47-12 before defeating a determined Michigan State squad 22-10 in the championship final.
The 2nd XV, playing in the first games of the day during a monsoon-like rainstorm, edged Cleveland State 12-0 and Ferris State 7-0.
“Last weekend was probably the most horrific conditions I’ve ever seen [with] rugby being played,” coach Roger Mazzarella said. “Horizontal driven sleet, wind chill in the teens, thirty-five mile an hour winds and we’re running around in shorts and knee socks. I can only imagine what it was like on that field to be waiting to field a high kick with little icefalls stinging your eyes.”
Going against the wind in the first half against Ferris State, the Falcons played the Bulldogs to at 7-7 standoff on a try by center Vince Staropoli and a conversion by fly half Derek Imes. It would be a scenario that would be replayed throughout the tournament. Hold on for dear life against the wind and wait for the cavalry to arrive in the second half with the wind at your back.
On the attack behind the booming punts of Imes and Staropoli, the Falcons poured on the points during each of the matches in the second half.
“I’m sure it must have seemed like a cavalry charge to the fullbacks on the other teams,” Mazzarella said. “I can think of better things to do than waiting for one of Imes’ kicks to come down while knowing that [flankers] Brian Farrell, Ritchie Hines and Clay Armbruster will arrive the same time as the ball.”
Staropoli, who has gone on a tear as he winds down his Falcon career, punched in two more tries while prop Scott Holden, wing Ian Gagnon, and center Jake Puhl added one apiece. Imes capped the scoring by hitting on all six of his conversions as well as a 55-yard penalty field goal.
In the second match, a 47-12 victory over NMU, the Falcons were facing a team that was judging the entire success or failure of their team in defeating BG.
“We felt we had been unfairly overlooked in the National Championship selection process,” said Northern captain and Midwest all-star Garrett Peterson. “We intended to show the selection committee that they had made a mistake in taking BG instead of us.”
Instead, BG certified the integrity of the process by maintaining a never defeated record against Northern. Unconcerned with Northern’s 12-0 initial lead, the Falcons once again used the wind in their favor to pour in seven tries — three of them by Staropoli. Wing Ian Ganon added a pair of his own as well as one by wing Ben Fledderjohann. Dead- on all day, Imes hit on six of his seven conversion attempts.
In the final, Michigan State followed the script that by now become the standard operating procedure. The Spartans jumped out to a 10-0 lead against BG with the wind in their favor , only to watch helplessly as BG would pound out the points in the second half.
Imes hit another 55-yarder as well as two conversions while hooker Eric Nutter, flanker Brian Farrell and wing Ian Gagnon scored BG’s tries.
The Falcons, now 24-3, will finish their season at home against senior men’s team Eastern Suburbs from Cleveland. Closing out their Falcon careers will be props Scott Holden and Andy Hughes, lock Tom Forbrizzio, and centers Jake Puhl and Vince Staropoli. Game time is 1 p.m. tomorrow at the College Park rugby field.
