Ramblers 27 Whites 7

Saturday, May 06, 2006

 
The Bomber White were defeated by a more polished St. Louis Rambler side 24-7 in the day's curtain raiser match. This was the first MRFU cup match lost by the Whites in several years, and the first victory by the Ramblers over the Bomber White side in over a decade.

The Ramblers opened the scoring when #8 Pete Dahl crashed over from short range. Jay Kriekemeyer's conversion put the Ramblers up 7-0. A Kriekemeyer penalty kick boosted the Rambler lead to 10-0. Big Rambler wing John Foran scooped up an errant Bomber pass and outraced the defense 60 meters to score between the posts and give his side a 17-0 lead. The Bombers answered with a long range try from #8 Josh Rainey. Bomber center Justin Mastrioanni's conversion cut the lead to 17-7 at halftime.

The Ramblers continued their strong play as wing Pat Conaty finished off an overload for the try. Kriekemeyers conversion pushed the Ramblers up 24-7. Kriekemeyer added a penalty kick to conclude the scoring, giving the Ramblers a well earned 27-7 victory.

It was a case of too many mistakes from the young White side. However, there were some bright spots on the day. Flanker Julius Mingala and lock Lucas Murillo both elevated their games. The front row of Gio Lafata, Bill Williams and Canaan Craig caused problems for the Ramblers. Midfielders Eric Hinson and Justin Mastriaonni played strong defense and made several line breaks.

The Whites have one more cup match in the season's finale next Saturday vs. Cape Kohlfeld at 1pm.

Bonus Points

Once again Sportport was in immaculate condition, with perfect weather and a big crowd gathered to watch the day's three matches. The Desmet/South Bend match showcased some of the area's top young talent. Coach Pat Fogerty is once again doing a fine job in producing rugby's future stars, as his boys put a hiding on the visitors.

The Bomber legends of the past were out in full force as they have been all season. The club wishes to thank all former players for their terrific support all season. The season has been a unique journey with new challenges and a new venue. Harley Meyer must again be thanked for his time and generosity this spring. John Kyle has also stepped up to keep our club progressing in a very positive direction. The current players, staff and management are extremely thankful for your efforts to make the Bombers the best club it can be.

And a big thank you to our sponsors who help make this all possible: 7UP & Red Jak, Colombos, Mark Sasser & Keller Williams, Dean Hiller & Diversified Ingredients, The Mopes, St. John Financial Services, Arco Construction, and Jeff Collier at Fastsigns.