Tigers let the South West Area Rugby Men (SWARM) get away for an early try on Saturday, March 10th in a home match at Broomfield County Commons. A beautiful sunny day greeted a couple hundred fans, players and coaches. The gritty Tigers gave all they had against the team based out of Chatfield, Dakota Ridge and Columbine High Schools, as SWARM took the second league match from Tigers RFC by a score of 26-5. The Tigers are now 5-4 overall, and 0-2 in league play against Division I Rugby Colorado opponents.
The Tiger’s captain, Jeff Madigan brought the Tigers to within 2 points at 7-5 on the last play of the first half. In the thrilling first period, SWARM had opened the match with a rambling set of rucks at the four minute mark, led by their comparatively larger pack of forwards. But, Madigan, scrumhalf Jamison Escobar, and flyhalf Ben Onaindia willed the very young Tigers Rugby Football Club back into the game with convincing effort, spurned by repeated quick taps on penalties and aggressive running by Greg Bridges and Reilly Hauptman. Tommy Spitzer’s lineout play, and strong support by 8th grade locks, Xavier Charboneau-Martinez and Matt Lloyd seemed to inspire the back line and other forwards that it was still worth it late into their second league match of the year.
As is the Tigers tradition, winners of three Rugby Colorado Team Sportsmanship Awards since 2004, the match began under the beautiful blue skies in Broomfield with an inspiring rendition of our national anthem, sung by players and coaches to an American flag that had been dedicated to the Tigers RFC, and flown over Iraq in a reconnaissance mission in 2010. In the end, Assistant Head Coach Nick Samaras assured his team that this game was a winnable one, and Head Coach Paul O’Brian encouraged his boys to shake it off, and to go enjoy the rest of the beautiful weekend.
The Tigers Boys HS side includes John Beattie, RC Branham, Greg Bridges, Xavier Charboneau-Martinez, Devon Connor, Weston Dinsmore, Jamison Escobar, Nicholas Gougouris, Travis Grenier, Reilly Hauptman, Patrick Heneghan, Francis Kailey, Matt Lloyd, Josiah Loving, Jeff Madigan, Bryan McDonald, Brian Mikolajczak, Ben Onaindia, Dominic Pena, Tommy Spitzer, Noah Steeves, Alex Sutton and Devin Weeks. the player hail from Holy Family, Broomfield, Legacy, Peak to Peak and Ralston Valley High Schools and Westlake Middle School and the Nativity of Our Lord Elementary School.
The Tigers are now 5-4, after losing to Aurora Saracens on March 7th by a score of 33-10. Reilly Hauptman and Ben Onaindia accounted for the Togers scoring in the season opener, also played at Broomfield County Commons Park, located at 13th Street and Sheridan Boulevard (13200 Sheridan). The 8th, 9th and 10th grade Tigers teamed with Regis Jesuit HS, losing to Cherry Creek, and a combined SWARM and Boulder team. The Tigers had opened their season with four wins in against the Northside Vikings and the Brighton Thunderhawks at Trailwinds Park.
In the coming week, the Tigers RFC will attend the second of seven Freshmen/Sophomore Festivals on Monday, hosted by Boulder. On Wedneday (3/14/12), they travel to play the nationally ranked Colorado Springs Grizzlies HS side. Next Saturday the Tigers host the 2012 Spring Fling tournament, where they will play 5 different 18 minute matches against Platte Canyon and Conifer (PAC), SWARM, Denver East HS, Aurora Saracens, Ponderosa HS, and the Brighton Thunderhawks.
For more information about the Tigers HS team, call Coach Paul O’Brian at (303) 506-8110. The Tigers practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Aspen Creek Park in the Broadlands West area on Mountain meadow Drive and Sheridan Boulevard, Broomfield, Colorado.
