1/17-18 Atlantic Coast Invitational Rugby Tournament (Tallahassee, FL)
1/24 Off
1/31 University of North Carolina (Home)
2/7 East Carolina University* (Greenville, NC)
2/14 North Carolina State University* (Home)
2/21 Appalachian State University* (Boone, NC)
2/28 Davidson College (Home-Senior Day)
2/28-3/1 Wake Forest High School Rugby Showcase (Home)
3/7 Off (Spring Break)
3/14 Off (Spring Break)
3/21 USA Rugby South DII Quarterfinals (Location TBD)
3/28-29 USA Rugby South DII Final Four (Location TBD)
*Denotes League Match
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Wake Places 3rd in North Carolina Rugby Union Tournament
Wake Forest finished third in the 2008 North Carolina Rugby Union Tournament, besting North Carolina State 24-0 on Sunday morning in the tournament consolation game.
Wake began the tournament with its second side taking on the East Carolina second side in the B Division of the tournament. Wake won the match 17-14, with tries being scored by freshman flanker Jeff Millar and freshman scrumhalf Kip Lewis. Junior flyhalf JD Harrison converted both tries and added a penalty to lead Wake to the victory.
The Wake first side opened the tournament against Elon and the result was never in doubt as the Demon Deacons completely dominated territory and possession, running out 24-0 winners. Wake led 19-0 at the half behind a try from sophomore flanker Hunter Lostan, a brace from senior #8 Timo Kawira and two conversion from sophomore wing Scott Gillespe. After the break Wake tacked on another 5 points courtesy of a penalty try after they drove a 5 meter scrum across the tryline where an Elon defender infringed and prevented Kawira from touching down for a third time.
The second side was then back in action against the UNC-Chapel Hill second side and lost a heartbreaker 19-14 as UNC ran in a converted try on the game's final play. Wake tries were scored by flyhalf Harrison and sophomore center Kyle Rate. Harrison was again perfect with the boot, nailing both conversions.
In the A Division semifinal, Wake took on familiar foe East Carolina, ranked #3 in the country in Division II by eRugbyNews.com. ECU beat Wake twice last spring, including the South Championship game and Wake was eager to avenge those defeats. ECU opened the scoring with a try in the corner from NCRU All-Star wing Bobby Allen. The difficult sideline conversion was good and Wake trailed 7-0. The Demon Deacons responded with an impressive try from their forwards who drove a 5 meter scrum across the line for #8 Kawira to touch down. Gillespe was good with the conversion to knot the score at 7 apiece. A handling error in the Wake backline inside its own 22 allowed ECU to regain the lead and the teams went into the half with ECU ahead 14-7.
The second half began with ECU pressuring the Wake tryline, but a strong defensive stand turned into a Wake counterattack, culminating in junior lock Christian Jewett touching down between the posts. Gillespe's conversion tied the game at 14. Off the ensuing restart, Wake continued to pressure and the forwards notched their seventh try of the day with freshman flanker Brendan Shea this time doing the honors. Gillespe's touchline conversion was no good and Wake led 19-14. Finding themselves down in the second half for the first time all season, the experienced ECU side shifted into another gear. A try from NCRU All-Star center Matt Hughston tied the game at 19 and with 5 minutes remaining in the match ECU took the lead 26-19 with another converted try from Allen. With time running down Wake could muster very little in terms of an offensive attack and the match ended with Hughston scoring another try on an impressive individual effort. Final score ECU 33 Wake 19.
The loss to ECU meant Wake would play for third place on Sunday against NC State, who were unlucky to have lost to UNC-Chapel Hill 8-3 in the other semifinal. The third place match was all Wake Forest, as they defeated a less than full-strength Wolfpack side 24-0. Gillespe started the scoring with a try in the corner and followed that up by converting a try from senior scrumhalf Drew Legge for a 12-0 lead at the half. After withstanding a strong NC State start to the second half, Wake finished the day with tries from freshman wing Ben Cohen and junior prop Kenton Forte.
In the championship game, ECU picked up where it left off on Saturday against Wake, winning 49-14 over UNC-Chapel Hill. It was an extremely impressive display of rugby from the Pirates who proved this weekend that they are head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in the union.
Wake's fall season will come to an end in two weekends as the first side plays the Wake Forest Rugby Alumni on Homecoming weekend and the second side takes on UNC-Pembroke.
Wake began the tournament with its second side taking on the East Carolina second side in the B Division of the tournament. Wake won the match 17-14, with tries being scored by freshman flanker Jeff Millar and freshman scrumhalf Kip Lewis. Junior flyhalf JD Harrison converted both tries and added a penalty to lead Wake to the victory.
The Wake first side opened the tournament against Elon and the result was never in doubt as the Demon Deacons completely dominated territory and possession, running out 24-0 winners. Wake led 19-0 at the half behind a try from sophomore flanker Hunter Lostan, a brace from senior #8 Timo Kawira and two conversion from sophomore wing Scott Gillespe. After the break Wake tacked on another 5 points courtesy of a penalty try after they drove a 5 meter scrum across the tryline where an Elon defender infringed and prevented Kawira from touching down for a third time.
The second side was then back in action against the UNC-Chapel Hill second side and lost a heartbreaker 19-14 as UNC ran in a converted try on the game's final play. Wake tries were scored by flyhalf Harrison and sophomore center Kyle Rate. Harrison was again perfect with the boot, nailing both conversions.
In the A Division semifinal, Wake took on familiar foe East Carolina, ranked #3 in the country in Division II by eRugbyNews.com. ECU beat Wake twice last spring, including the South Championship game and Wake was eager to avenge those defeats. ECU opened the scoring with a try in the corner from NCRU All-Star wing Bobby Allen. The difficult sideline conversion was good and Wake trailed 7-0. The Demon Deacons responded with an impressive try from their forwards who drove a 5 meter scrum across the line for #8 Kawira to touch down. Gillespe was good with the conversion to knot the score at 7 apiece. A handling error in the Wake backline inside its own 22 allowed ECU to regain the lead and the teams went into the half with ECU ahead 14-7.
The second half began with ECU pressuring the Wake tryline, but a strong defensive stand turned into a Wake counterattack, culminating in junior lock Christian Jewett touching down between the posts. Gillespe's conversion tied the game at 14. Off the ensuing restart, Wake continued to pressure and the forwards notched their seventh try of the day with freshman flanker Brendan Shea this time doing the honors. Gillespe's touchline conversion was no good and Wake led 19-14. Finding themselves down in the second half for the first time all season, the experienced ECU side shifted into another gear. A try from NCRU All-Star center Matt Hughston tied the game at 19 and with 5 minutes remaining in the match ECU took the lead 26-19 with another converted try from Allen. With time running down Wake could muster very little in terms of an offensive attack and the match ended with Hughston scoring another try on an impressive individual effort. Final score ECU 33 Wake 19.
The loss to ECU meant Wake would play for third place on Sunday against NC State, who were unlucky to have lost to UNC-Chapel Hill 8-3 in the other semifinal. The third place match was all Wake Forest, as they defeated a less than full-strength Wolfpack side 24-0. Gillespe started the scoring with a try in the corner and followed that up by converting a try from senior scrumhalf Drew Legge for a 12-0 lead at the half. After withstanding a strong NC State start to the second half, Wake finished the day with tries from freshman wing Ben Cohen and junior prop Kenton Forte.
In the championship game, ECU picked up where it left off on Saturday against Wake, winning 49-14 over UNC-Chapel Hill. It was an extremely impressive display of rugby from the Pirates who proved this weekend that they are head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in the union.
Wake's fall season will come to an end in two weekends as the first side plays the Wake Forest Rugby Alumni on Homecoming weekend and the second side takes on UNC-Pembroke.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
ALUMNI MATCH SET FOR NOV. 8
The annual Wake Forest Rugby Alumni Match will take place on the Saturday of Homecoming Weekend at 12pm on Poteat Field. Former Wake Forest Ruggers will lace up the boots to take on the current Wake first side, followed by the Wake second side taking on UNC-Pembroke. All Wake Rugby Alumni are encouraged to attend, even if they don't plan to play. If you do plan to play, please notify Alumni Liason Critter Commins as commcj5@wfu.edu so that we can get an idea of numbers.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Clemson Drops Wake to 0-2; Second Side Also Bested by Tigers
Clemson defeated Wake in a sloppy game in Winston-Salem today 24-17, dropping the Demon Deacons first side to 0-2 on the season. Wake looked better than it had the previous weekend against Coastal Carolina and actually led the Tigers 10-0 with 30 minutes remaining. But an extended period of undisciplined play by Wake, where it committed numerous penalties and completely abandoned any semblance of an offensive gameplan, allowed Clemson to run off a string of 24 unanswered points and put the game away. Wake showed some heart with a nicely worked try at the death, but by then the result was no longer in doubt. Wake's tries were scored by freshman winger Ben Cohen, freshman flanker Brendan Shea, and junior prop Ken Forte. Forte's try was converted by sophomore winger Scott Gillespie.
Wake's second side unfortunately imitated the first side, allowing Clemson to go on a 24-0 run to open the match. Led by inspirational play from captain and inside center JD Harrison, the Demon Deacons righted the ship and reeled off three tries to Clemson's one to close the game and finish with a respectable 29-15 scoreline. Freshman Gardere Carter notched his first career try and followed it up with his first career yellow card, while sophomore prop Devin Henry and Harrison also touched down. Senior David Poplaski deserves praise for playing 160 minutes of rugby on the day, anchoring the front row in the first match at hooker and stabalizing the scrum in the second game at #8.
Wake is off next weekend for fall break. Both sides will be back in action on October 25 at the North Carolina Rugby Union Tournament in Danville, VA.
Wake's second side unfortunately imitated the first side, allowing Clemson to go on a 24-0 run to open the match. Led by inspirational play from captain and inside center JD Harrison, the Demon Deacons righted the ship and reeled off three tries to Clemson's one to close the game and finish with a respectable 29-15 scoreline. Freshman Gardere Carter notched his first career try and followed it up with his first career yellow card, while sophomore prop Devin Henry and Harrison also touched down. Senior David Poplaski deserves praise for playing 160 minutes of rugby on the day, anchoring the front row in the first match at hooker and stabalizing the scrum in the second game at #8.
Wake is off next weekend for fall break. Both sides will be back in action on October 25 at the North Carolina Rugby Union Tournament in Danville, VA.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Wake hosts #19 Clemson
Wake Forest plays host on Saturday to Clemson, a Division I side ranked #19 in the country by American Rugby News. Kickoff for the first side match is scheduled for 1pm on Poteat Field.
http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/college/ARN_Top_25_new_1.shtml
http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/college/ARN_Top_25_new_1.shtml
Monday, October 6, 2008
Tyler Vanston Awarded Rugby Scholarship
Freshman center/wing Tyler Vanston was recently named one of the inaugural recipients of the Kevin Higgins Scholarship by the United States Rugby Football Foundation. This scholarship is given to standout high school rugby players who pledge to continue their education and rugby in college.
For more information on the Kevin Higgins Scholarship, visit http://www.usrugbyfoundation.org/site/pp.asp?c=9fLHJVOxHmE&b=4040743.
To read more about Tyler, visit http://www.usrugbyfoundation.org/site/pp.asp?c=9fLHJVOxHmE&b=4614111
For more information on the Kevin Higgins Scholarship, visit http://www.usrugbyfoundation.org/site/pp.asp?c=9fLHJVOxHmE&b=4040743.
To read more about Tyler, visit http://www.usrugbyfoundation.org/site/pp.asp?c=9fLHJVOxHmE&b=4614111
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Coastal Carolina Defeats Wake 24-14
Wake Forest fell to Coastal Carolina 24-14 on Saturday in Conway, SC. After dominating the first 15 minutes of the match, Wake took a 7-0 lead after senior wing Critter Commins finished off a nice series of phases with a try under the posts which was converted by junior flyhalf JD Harrison. Coastal then began to dictate the style of play, using a very forwards oriented attack which led to a try in the corner that was uniquely converted with a toeball from Coastal's lock. Coastal continued to exert their smashmouth style of play throughout the remainder of the half and looked to threaten the Wake tryline on numerous occasions but were turned away by strong defense from the Demon Deacons. As the half wound to a close, Wake found an offensive spark and moved the ball inside the Coastal 22 meter line. On a defensive 5 meter scrum, Wake's forwards, who won the scrum all afternoon, stole the put in and #8 Timo Kawira picked off the base of the scrum and touched down near the corner. Harrison made good on the difficult conversion and Wake went into the break up 14-7.
The second half belonged almost exclusively to Coastal as Wake was unable to ever establish an offensive rhythm. Three tries by Coastal, one being converted, sealed the match for the Chanticleers as Wake was unable to put any points on the board in the second stanza.
While Wake showed promise during this match, it was an overall poor performance by a team that has high expectations for the spring league season. Wake's league rivals ECU, Appalachian State and NC State are performing extremely well this fall, meaning that Wake will need to raise its level of play if it hopes to repeat the success of its initial Division II season in which it finished second in the South.
One huge positive for Wake was the performance of its second side, which tied Coastal 14-14. The first Wake try was scored by freshman Charlie Crockett, while the second try was a penalty try awarded after freshman Jeff Millar was high tackled by a Coastal player on a breakaway. A number of Wake second siders will likely see significant action next weekend with the first side as Wake faces off against Clemson in Winston-Salem. Kickoff is currently scheduled for 1pm on Poteat Field.
The second half belonged almost exclusively to Coastal as Wake was unable to ever establish an offensive rhythm. Three tries by Coastal, one being converted, sealed the match for the Chanticleers as Wake was unable to put any points on the board in the second stanza.
While Wake showed promise during this match, it was an overall poor performance by a team that has high expectations for the spring league season. Wake's league rivals ECU, Appalachian State and NC State are performing extremely well this fall, meaning that Wake will need to raise its level of play if it hopes to repeat the success of its initial Division II season in which it finished second in the South.
One huge positive for Wake was the performance of its second side, which tied Coastal 14-14. The first Wake try was scored by freshman Charlie Crockett, while the second try was a penalty try awarded after freshman Jeff Millar was high tackled by a Coastal player on a breakaway. A number of Wake second siders will likely see significant action next weekend with the first side as Wake faces off against Clemson in Winston-Salem. Kickoff is currently scheduled for 1pm on Poteat Field.
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