Jacks Lose Road Game to Temecula

The Eastern Sierra Rugby Football Club (the Jacks) traveled to Temecula Saturday, 2/5/11, losing 32-0 for their second Southern California Rugby Football Union Division IV league loss. The news of the game is a bit sketchy as Jacks coach, Rick Frey, didn’t make the trip due to illness. Player reports indicate that the Mountain Lions scored four tries, converted three of them, and also made two penalty kicks in the 80 minute match. “They were a big, well-coached team with a lot of experienced players,” said Jacks forward, Bill Boyd. “They’ve been demolishing other teams in our league by 50 or more points and probably ought to be moved up into Division III. The fact that we held them to 32 points is actually a compliment to the play of our young Division IV squad.”

It probably didn’t help matters for the Jacks when Boyd, one of only three Jacks players with any previous rugby experience, had to leave the match in the third minute with a probable separated shoulder. On the sidelines, he was able to watch his teammates as they continually thwarted the Temecula team which was comprised of several veteran ruggers, two of whom were also former college football running backs. He praised the continued good play of Jacks players Manny Terrazas and Tony Bajtala, and the improved play of Nathan Whitehouse, Everett Patterson, Nate Williams, Eric Eddy, and Dennis Worley.  

The Jacks, now 3-2 in league play, have two weeks off before they take on the Orange County Ravens Rugby Club on Saturday, February 19^th, at 1:00 p.m. The match will be played on the west side of Pine Street School in Bishop. Admission is free and fans are encouraged to come out, cheer on the home team, and learn a little bit more about the exciting game of Rugby.

Jacks Lose Close Match to Ventura

The Eastern Sierra Rugby Football Club (the Jacks) faced the Ventura Outlaws on Saturday, 1/29/11, losing 10-7 for their first Southern California Rugby Football Union Division IV league loss. The Outlaws got on the scoreboard first at 3:43 of the first half, scoring a 3-point penalty kick. Play was even throughout the rest of the first half until Jacks’ fullback, Brad Miller, had his clearing punt blocked by the Outlaw standoff, who recovered the kick and ran in for a five point try with about 10 minutes left in the half. The two point conversion was good and the Outlaws led 10-0 at halftime.

The Jacks captured the momentum in the second half keeping play in the Outlaw half of the field for the first 30 minutes. After a series of strong forward rushes and a couple of fast penalty taps by Jacks scrumhalf, Manny Terrazas, Jacks inside center Mark Gadea broke tackles and crashed to within 3 yards of the Outlaw goal line. The Jacks forwards mauled the ball across the line and Gadea was able to touch the ball down for the Jacks first points. Terrazas converted the try and the score with 10 minutes left in the match was Outlaws 10, Jacks 7.

With the momentum definitely in the Jacks favor, the Outlaws coach made several substitutions to bring in fresh players. That resulted in play being primarily near the Jacks’ goal line in the final minutes; however the Eastern Sierra players put up a strong defense preventing any further Outlaws points. The game ended at 10-7 in favor of the Outlaws.

“I was particularly proud of our effort in the second half,” said Jacks coach, Rick Frey. “We only had 16 players make the trip which meant we only had one substitute we could use in the 80 minute game. In effect, we played against 20 of their guys, some of which we found out later were from their veteran Division III team. Ventura was definitely more experienced than us; but our guys never quit…and actually were within striking distance to have won the game.”

The Jacks are now 3-1 in league play and face Temecula Rugby Club next Saturday for their third road game in a row.

THE TRIP TO IB!

The Jacks made the trip to Imperial Beach, Ca and not for nothing. First, the day started out at the beach for some breakfast at the Wave Cafe for some of the local ruggers. Next, we made it to the pitch at Mar Vista High School football field and the sun was out and the temperature was warm, today is a rugby day! We made the trip with 19 local rugby players, coach, family and they had 16 Imperial Beach ruggers to face us. The whistle blew and Manny Terrazas kicked off and as our packs collided, it felt good to watch our boys playing a sport that never existed in these guys minds ever before this day. A game of rugby is eighty minutes and our boys have not endured a 40-40 minute game yet, today was a real test to the type of hearts our guys are playing with today. Right off the bat we scored, Manny Terrazas scored off the ruck down the left side, Manny also kicked the conversion kick. Rightly so, the Jacks captain should create the first blow through the IB's defenses. As the game continues back and forth, bodies colliding with the hard surface of the field, into each other, and this exciting match looked as our boys in green were playing this sport as they should. In the Rucks we were there, we used our forwards to damage their line of defense over and over, allowed for Manny to kick to touch to help create the tempo of the game and own it. Coach Rick Frey, even suggested the words "we have starved them of the ball" which is really what an attacking team should be about. As the score went up quick in the first half. The Jacks scored 24-0, Manny scored twice with two conversions, Eric Eddy scored, and Everrett Patterson scored brilliantly down the right side to the corner with an assist from Nathan Whitehouse. This score was what rugby to me is about as you find yourself into contact and with communication and team work you create an overlap and you find the support to your open side and pass it to that man who races to the try line. After all that work and to see it pay off, yes sir, we did it!
The second half IB came out strong, maybe a little pissed about the game and the turn out so far. Although, you can see the energyy this young squad possessed, even hungry for some redemption they came out attacking getting the ball to the wing and getting that one on one; forcing the fullback to come up and help stop the forcefully attempt to reach the try line. Repeatedly, this example of the second half continues, but our boys in green keep IB from scoring. A lot of heart and toughness came out for our boys in these attempts throughout the game and it was great to whiteness from a fans perspective. IB gets the break and the ball is in the wings hands and he finds a gap after breaking through our would be tackler and smashes to the try line. IB 7 and ESRFC 24. The Jacks get one last try before time is up. Manny Terrazas finds himself with a quick tap after a penalty and runs forty meters until IB catches Manny. Bill then receives the ball and keeps the momentum and falls five meters from the try line, and we ruck over to keep the ball. Nate Williams grabs the ball and forces his way over the try line and scores the final try of the match.
Finally, the Jacks made the trip to Imperial Beach, Ca about 7 hours of driving to play rugby and some people would say that is to far and for rugby, no way! However, for these few men of the Eastern Sierra we say, RUCK IT!

APPLE VALLEY- A BUNCH OF REAL MEN!

The Apple Valley RFC made the 3.5 hour trip to our little town with 10 guys. What a bunch of great ruggers, I would have to say. We played 12's after hoeing out a few of the JACKS and kicked off a great day of rugby. Just as the game was about to start a bunch of local rugby supporters showed up. Vince Girolami from Las Vegas, NV our referee was so pleased to see that at our level of rugby we had such a large crowd of supporters. Our men in green took the field against the "Dead Rabbits" in red jerseys and at kick off the crowd was in a frenzy as the men tackled and hurled through opponents over and over. The game was so exciting that down to the last few seconds of play the Jacks were only up by two points. With the game so close and so many points were being scored there was no telling what was about to happen. The Jacks get the ball from the "Dead Rabbits" and start to march toward our try line with the game time ran out completely stoppage time continued, this is the time arranged during penalty and injury time accumulated through out the game, but at any point penalty, kick out of bounds the game is over. Finally, our boys are inside our twenty two meter line and get the ball into the hands of the forwards as they stampede a bit closer to the end zone the ball get swung out to our fly half's hands and he takes a look at goal and puts the ball to ground and swings his leg through for a drop goal to win the game and end time for the victory. The Jacks win 42-37 over the "Dead Rabbits" in the first rugby game in Bishop, Ca. A historic way to end a even more historic day in sports for the game of rugby.
As Rick Frey, would add that in 40 years of rugby I haven't seen a drop goal in the states in the last twenty years it's just amazing for Tony Bajtala to end the game in this manner.

STATS-
MANNY TERRAZAS: 2 TRYS, 2 CONVERSIONS
NATHAN MORGENSTEIN: 2 TRYS
PHILLIP KANE: 1 TRY
BRAD MILLER: 1 TRY
NEIL JONES: 1 TRY
TONY BAJTALA: 1 DROP GOAL

I SAID IT BEFORE, BUT THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL!

THE EASTERN SIERRA RFC IS PLAYING APPLE VALLEY RFC

THE JACKS vs. THE DEAD RABBITS

THIS SATURDAY

AT 12:OO PM

ADDMISSION IS FREE!

AFTER THE MATCH, EVERYBODY IS WELCOME TO THE SOCIAL AT RAYMONDS DELI!

COME ON OUT AND SUPPORT THE LOCAL RUGBY CLUB.

Division IV STANDINGS 2011

MEN DIV IV (OPEN) Win=2, Draw=1, Loss=0, Forfeit= -1
Team	Played	Win		Loss			Against	Points
EASTERN SIERRA	(1N) 1		(1F) 1	0			0	2
ARMADA	0		0	0			0	0
DEAD RABBITS	0		0	0			0	0
IMPERIAL BEACH	0		0	0			0	0
LAS VEGAS MAORIS	0		0	0			0	0
O.C. BUCKS	0		0	0			0	0
RAVENS	0		0	0			0	0
TEMECULA	0		0	0			0	0
VENTURA	0		0	0			0	0
SANTA MONICA	(1N) 1		0	(1F) 1			0	-1

RUGBY MAKING LOCAL HISTORY!

You're Bishop Jacks will play against Malibu RFC.

• Saturday, January 8th, 2011
• 1:00 pm
• Pine St. School

Admissions is Free!

Raymond's Deli will be hosting our Social after the Match! 

 

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

COME ON OUT AND WATCH SOME RUGBY AND AFTER ORDER A BEER AND SOMETHING TO EAT!