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Show v . ( PC. Muckers see a silver lining in Saturday's loss to the Haggis V by DAVID HAMPSHIRE Record editor When a team loses by a score like - 8-0, you expect to hear muffled curses, or pained excuses, or nothing at all. What you don't expect is enthusiasm. But enthusiasm is what came from the lips of Doug Shewmaker, president of the Park City Muckers, after the rugby team had been whitewashed 8-0 by the Haggis ' Saturday at Woods Cross. "I think defensively we did a real good job," Shewmaker said. "It was by far our best game of the season. ' ' To put the story in perspective, you've got to recognize that 8-0 in rugby isn't a disgrace. The Haggis actually won by two .tries without the kicks for goal. In football lingo, that ; would be two' unconverted touchdowns. touch-downs. .'.'. Vou ve aiso got io recognize that the Haggis is generally regarded as the best rugby side (team) in Utah and Southern Idaho. "They are usually rated the top team in this area," noted Shewmaker. Shew-maker. On top of that you've got to realize that several Park City players were sidelined by injuries or schedule conflicts: Keith Bronstein, Blackie Jones, Rick Phaler, Jack Schirman, Steve Simchen, Jeff Smith and Pogo Vance all missed the game. So maybe there's reason for optimism. "We played better than we did against Utah State (a game the Muckers won) and five times better than we did against the University of Utah (which the Muckers lost)," added Dave "Alamo" Mueller, coach of the Muckers. "But we still aren't playing as well as we can." Unfortunately for Park City, the otfense didn't come through. The Muckers came close to the goal line late in the game, and had two other chances to score points on penalty kicks, but couldn't convert. Shewmaker said a steady rain during the game made the field slippery and the ball hard to handle, helping to keep the score low. The Haggis scored a try in each half: the first came after a kick by Mucker scrum half B.A. Jameson was blocked; the second came on a long run by Haggis outside center Craig Sutherland. Mueller said one of the Mucker standouts was Jack Walzer, in his second year on the team, playing center. The Park City side was bolstered by the play of visitor Chris Tirotte, a member of the Eagle Rock, California side. And providing some extra punch were Dave Sundquist, who has been on vacation, and Don Sturges, who had done more coaching than playing over the past year. Shewmaker was encouraged by the "fitness level" of the Park City side. The Muckers were much stronger in the second half than in previous games, he said. The Muckers, now 1-3 on the year, should have their fitness level tested again Saturday when they host the Weber State College side. Weber lost twice to Park City in 1984, the first year of the Ogden club's existence. But Mueller expects ex-pects a tougher fight this time around. "I think they've improved greatly since last year," he said. "I have a feeling they're going to be a bit better than Utah State (which Park City beat 10-7 two weeks ago) ." Game time is 2:00 p.m. on the high school field. |