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Show Muckers survive slow first half to top Bald Mountain To say that the Park City Muckers started off sluggishly in their match on Saturday with Bald Mountain in Ketchun, Idaho would be misleading: They put across Blacky Jones with the first try of the match after only four minutes of play. No, the Muckers did not start slowly; they continued slowly, their attack bogging down trying to batter through a game barrier of Bald Mountain defenders. The Muckers were unable to add to their initial four points through the balance of the first period even though they kept the host side backed against its own try line for a considerable length . of time. Meanwhile Charlie Allfell drew his club to within a point with a 30-yard penalty goal on one of the few occasions the Ketchum side could move up the pitch. At the intermission the Muckers were not in need of a calculator to determine the tenuous nature of their 4-3 lead. And in the other corner Bald Mountain could find encouragement that the match was still well within reach. Park City's situation nearly reached dire proportions when Allfell was given three more penalty chances early in the second half. But the Muckers were fortunate that the Bald Mountain kicker could only convert one attempt, placing the home team ahead, but only by two points, at 6-4. The Mucker's perplexity continued to mount as their attack failed to mesh and Bald Mountain escaped some tight situations aided by key clearing kicks which repeatedly forced the Park City team to regroup outside the halfway stripe. A penalty kick by Paul Lamphier, which would have given the lead back to the visitors, sailed slightly to the outside of the left upright, adding to the Mucker woes. Park City played to the 20-minute mark of the second half before forcing the error that turned the match in their favor". Rick Phaler dropped a short kick just over the Bald Mountain backline which caught the defending fullback too deep to cover. Three Park City players applied pressure and when a Bald Mountain player covered the ball five yards from the line the Muckers were given a penalty opportunity. Charlie Downing made the most of the chance, slashing through the Ketchum pack for his first Mucker try. Park. City was ahead to stay, 8-6, and never relinquished the advantage, putting on a spirited rally that saw three more Mucker players touch down in goal. Jack Schirman was the next to score on a fine assist from Lamphier. But although the Muckers had moved ahead 12-6, Bald Mountain pushed back upfield in its best offensive movement" of the day, pressing mightily to climb back into the contention. But Lamphier took matters into his own hands, linking with two Muckers off a mishandled Bald Mountain pass to score directly beneath the posts for the fourth Park City try. Bud Macchia was set up by Lamphier moments later for four additional points and the scoring was capped by Jackson Popovich, who converted the concluding two goals, making the score 24-6 for Park City at game's end. "We've really been hindered by bad weather and cancellations this season," said a deflated Allfell. "This was only our second match this year. We stayed in the game the best we could but the heat and the pace finally got to us." Bald Mountain, along with the Muckers, will get two days of rugby action when pitted against the Colorado rugby clubs this coming weekend in Park City in the 11th Annual Ski Town Tournament. (See accompanying story. ) Mucker meddlings Jeff Smith and Mark Uriarte both made their 1984 debuts for the Muckers in the Bald Mountain match. Smith filled in for the injured Steve Mann and the absent Doug Shewmaker. Uriarte was making a return to rugby after a skiing and then a motorcycle accident kept him off the pitch for the entire 1983 campaign. Paul Chitwood has returned to Ketchum after living for two years in Park City. |