Caltech

Fellow rugers, sorry this is a little delayed, but I want to say a few things about the last game, the season as a whole and our team present and future.

First off we just played one of the best games that I have participated in as a Caltech rugby player. We have struggled due to injuries and academic obligations, but nevertheless we sucked it up and got the job done last Saturday against Azusa Pacific. Although they were not a particularly strong team, our win was still a strong statement. Caltech RFC defeated AP 55-0. Chris Harris, the Welshman, scored four tries during the 80 min match. Accompany him in putting the ball down in the try zone where the Cup, with two tries of his own, and Foos, Son of Bergthor, and Trainer Leigh with one try each. The Cup added to those scores by hitting 5/9 conversions along with some slight controversy about his approach costing him at least one try. On the field the beaver forwards scrumed as well as we have all year, had solid forward play with rucks, lineouts and crash balls and took full advantage of the positive size differential with our newly improved rolling mauls. The backs played solid and made the team much more balanced than it has been in the past. Tackles were performed to a T, passing and support play was right on and we could not have asked for any more. As a whole the team played as a solid unit, fifteen people on the field playing for each other and we all left the field proud to be a part of what we accomplished this year.

As far as the season is concerned, nothing can sum up what was accomplished this season better than a comparison of the play in our last game to that of last October. Our final record was only 3-4 with 2 rained out games, a 2-2 tournament record and a 135-126* scoring differential (Point Loma game approximated to be 35 points against", but the season in many ways was a huge success. The one thing I can say that is different than a year ago is that we are a TEAM. As a team we had a lot of fun, bonded on and off the field, and we will continue to improve in the future.

This season could never have happened without the work of everyone one of us. First of all I want to say a great thanks to our new coach, Chris Harris (and no he is not really welsh), who came in, focused our efforts, and made us play. Our situation is much different than what he has been used to but we all adapted and made great strides in our effort to maximize our potential.

To steal a few words from Foos, many individuals distinguished themselves this year, and it is customary to single out those who made significant progress in the year-end report. I'll begin with the forwards. First of all James Harris started the season off in the new position of hooker and our scrums showed immediate improvement. After a few injuries in the backs James was moved back to the backs and was replaced by Luke "Hobo" Sweatlock who was moved from the backs. Hobo's aggressiveness made an immediate impact on the game, and we expect great things to continue to come from him in the future. Other outstanding play and promises of future success came from Tony "Puddin'" Roy who split time in the forwards with Lundblad until he was injured, Puddin' sucked it up when he began playing 80 minutes, and had an outstanding year with the team. I think it is safe to say that some of our previous problems fielding enough props has been alleviated for the time being. In the second row the team saw as many as 7 or 8 different players. A special thanks goes to Calum who came out of retirement to help us face some injuries, Kevin "BA" McHale who is continuing to grow as a strong rugby player and second rower, and Daniel "The Iron Curtain" Tofan who, despite not being easily contacted, played a strong game at second row, highlighted by his incredible goal line defensive stance against Claremont this year. The back row was another position that saw many different lineups this year, including Andrew "Shitbird" Robinson who had an outstanding job at flanker before being moved back to the backs to cover injuries, and Barret who despite a busy travel schedule was an intense flanker and outstanding jumper when available. The 8 spot was one of only a few spots that was played by a single player the whole year, and Matt "Eddie Bauer" Hetterman had his best season yet, and arguably one of the best years on the team in that spot.

In the backs we also had some outstanding play. Rafael "Grapes" Verduzco, Chris "The Welshman" Harris, and Alex "Foos" Papandrew all played spectacularly in the spots of scrumhalf, flyhalf and inside center, and remolded our backline into a force to be reckoned with. Filling in at outside center and wing Joe "No Relation" Schramm had a solid year and continued to get better every game. Don "Pearl Necklace" Walker and Francois "Le Cuis" Ayoub had outstanding seasons at winger and Matt "Weevil" Lucas played an aggressive game at 15 for us when available. We expect great things from all the returning players next year, and I want to say that even those who I did not single out, played well, and were important parts of the team whether they played 5 minutes or 500.

During this season we had a fairly inconsistent roster with many players going down with a variety of injuries. Our team did an exceptional job adapting to new positions and making due with whoever we had on the field. I want to say a special thanks to those of you who suffered season ending injuries including John "Hymen" Harmon, Carlos "East Los" Herrara, Lenny "Buns" Lucas, Ricky "L-bone" ?, Will "Death Wish" Ford and Nathan "The Dread Pirate" Lundblad. Thanks for you sacrifices and continuing to support the team while you were inactive, and we all wish you a speedy recovery and hope that we are once again lucky enough to step on the field with you all. There were several other injuries on the team that caused various players to miss a game here and a game there, too many even to list. Thank you all for your physical sacrifices and for playing through the pain where it was possible.

Thanks very much to the rookie class of 04-05 or Puddin', BA, No Relation, Pearl Necklace, The Iron Curtain, and Buns.

Also I would like to say thanks and goodbye to a few of our players that have played their last games with our team. James "Early Grey" Harris and Barret "Bug Chaser" Heyneman will both be leaving the team in the next several months. Thanks for all that you contributed, we could not have done it without you. Good luck in the future on and off the field and we hope to see you back at alumni games in the future.

Thanks for letting me president of the team for the past year, it is something that has meant a lot to me. I will be wrapping up my responsibilities in the next couple of months. Grapes will be taking over the helm after me, and I ask to you all give him the support that you gave me. The rest of the officers will be announced at a later date.

Jason Keith
The Texas Teacup