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Show Makeshift Mockers --win tourney the hard way ""iAVPi ftAfegfo fc- .vViViK -'. ' ' ' ' .. . . h!;,'': . - ' . - - 4, - .... by DAVID HAMPSHIRE Record contributing writer It sounds like an unorthodox strategy for success: Set out for a rugby tournament with 11 players, four short of a full team. Recruit a couple of middle-aged men, both in their 40s, with no rugby experience at all. Complete the team with a couple of youngsters still a little green at the game, including the son of one of the middle-aged rookies. Fill some of your key positions such as scrum half, fullback and fly half with players boasting little or no experience in those slots. --Then go out and lose your first game. But succeed they did. The makeshift Park City Muckers offset a dismal showing in their first game by trouncing Steamboat 14-0 to win first place in the first-ever Sheep Town Showdown Saturday in Craig, Colo. The tournament was designed as a two-day affair featuring Colorado teams from Craig and Breckenridge as well as Steamboat and Park City. But, when Breckenridge could only muster about seven players, the event was whittled to a three-team, one-day round-robin. The first game saw Steamboat whistle past Craig 18-3. Still smarting from that loss, Craig faced Park City in the tournament's second game. Faced with the absence of many regulars, Mucker coach Dave "Alamo" Mueller did some quick juggling. With regular fly half Martin Corps recovering from a shoulder injury, Mueller moved Steve Creer into that position. In the absence of fullback Zuke Garceau he used Bill Reid. Other absences forced Mueller to move Benny Greenlees from forward to scrum half and use part-time player Mike Nolan at inside center. The Muckers' success in the long run vindicated Mueller's moves. But in the short run, there must have been some doubts. The game against Craig was a comedy of errors, with each side contributing to the script. Mistakes led to all the scoring in the first half, with Steve Creer putting the Muckers ahead 3-0 with a penalty goal and Craig returning the favor, taking advantage of a Park City , penalty to score a try and kick for goal (conversion) to take a 6-3 lead. Greenlees put Park City back in the lead 7-6 in the second half, taking a pass from Dave Sundquist and diving over the goal line. However, the Muckers failed to add the two-point kick for goal, a miss that would haunt them later. Muellert said the Muckers got a little cocky after Greenless' try, passing up a couple of easy penalty goals in favor of better field position. That strategy backfired late in the game when Craig scored on a penalty goal to walk off with a 9-7 win. At that point Steamboat was in the driver's seat with a 1-0 record while Craig stood at 1-1 and Park City at 0-1. A win in the final game would give Steamboat the championship. Even if Steamboat lost (giving each team a 1-1 record) that team would still win the title on the basis of points scored. Unless... unless it lost to Park City by 12 points or more, an unlikely prospect at that point. But the Muckers weren't ready to concede. Midway through the first half, Nolan intercepted a pass about 40 yards from the goal line. As Park City forward George Austin tells it, Nolan wasn't about to let a little thing like an opposing player stop him. "About 10 yards from the goal line some guy got in the way and he (Nolan) nailed him!" Mueller was also impressed by Nolan's play. "He played very well in a position that he's not familiar with," Mueller said. "He might have earned himself a (regular) spot." Nolan's try gave Park City a 4-0 lead at the half. N Steve Mann made it 8-0 for Park City early in the second half, picking up the ball after Steamboat had mishandled a lineout near its own goal line. Mann was apparently stopped short, but a helping hand from his teammates carried him over the line. Steve Creer missed with his attempt to add the kick for goal, but not by much. Suddenly the tournament title was in reach. All the Muckers needed was one more try (four points). And they had the momentum. Ruggers scramble for elusive ball in Colorado tournament. Mueller said the Mucker forwards wouldn't give Steamboat an inch. "Their (Steamboat's) scrum was going backward at a high rate of speed. And every time they got the ball out they just got stopped, plain and simple." The payoff came about five minutes before the end of the game when Creer scored the third Park City try, touching the ball down about 15 yards to the left of the goalposts. This time, in spite of the angle, he added the kick for goal. The Muckers protected their 14-0 lead to win the title.. Next weekend the odds will be even more formidable as the Muckers head for the 16-team Lake Tahoe Invitational. The following weekend, Sept. 7-8, the Muckers will host their own tournament, the 16th annual Challenge Chal-lenge Cup. |