2001 National Collegiate All-Star Championship
South Collegiate All-Stars
Boulder, Colorado

Event summary by: Head Coach, Mark Williams

Twenty-five players, a five man coaching staff, numerous parents and several upporters traveled to Boulder, Colorado on Wednesday June 6th to represent the South in the NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ALL-STAR COMPETION. The South was returning as the number one seed, but it didn't take long for the team to realize this was of little consequence. The squad practiced on Wednesday afternoon and twice on Thursday in final preparation of the competition. Below is the complete roster by LAU.

2001 SOUTH COLLEGIATE ALL-STARS

DEEP SOUTH
Jason Rich - forward (Southeast Louisiana)

FLORIDA
Simon Williams - back row (Florida)
Paul Kassebaum - lock (Florida)
Tom Pierce - prop (Florida)
Toby Lawrence - scrumhalf (Florida)
Micah Caskey - back row (Florida)
Jason Philpot (U. South Florida)
Mark Allen - lock (U. South Florida)

GEORGIA
Neil Yanik - lock (Clemson)
Will Phillips - center (Clemson)
Wessel Oosthuizen - back row (Georgia Southern)
Keith Jakupca - flyhalf, center (Georgia)
Matt Midget - wing, scrumhalf (Georgia)
Joe Guy - front row (Georgia Tech)

MID-SOUTH
Matt Huckaby - flanker (Arkansas State)
Yves Pichavant - back (Arkansas State)
Derek Wolfe - center (MTSU)
Cayo Nicolau - back (MTSU)
Hodgen Mainda - wing (MTSU)
Jeremy Baker - back (Murray State)
Rob Barkman - wing (Tennessee)
Scott Jones - fullback (Tennessee)
Tom Jallo - front row (Tennessee)

NORTH CAROLINA
Edwin Rios - wing (Western Carolina)

PALMETTO
Adam Drury - lock (Furman)

HEAD COACH : Mark Williams

TEAM MANAGER: Randy Joseph

ASSISTANT COACH - Scrums & Forward Play: Rod Seddon

ASSISTANT COACH - Lineouts & Forward Play: Tony Neely

HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER - Jim Elks

Friday, June 8, 2001 - Quarter-finals

SOUTH 12
Military Academies 15

The South opened up the game applying heavy pressure, but handling errors ended several scoring opportunities. One errant pass came at the seven-minute mark when a South pass went to ground inside the Academies twenty-two. An opposition player scooped it up and after several movements the mistake was converted into a try for the Military team. Lineouts were a major problem all day and the South lost a crucial lineout at the fifteen-minute mark, which resulted in a converted try for the Academies. The South continued to make mistakes throughout the half and at one time we lost seven lineouts in a row. At times we looked more like the keystone cops than an all-star rugby team. First half South 0 vs Military Academies 12.

In the second half things got worse. I hate to complain about officiating, but it was poor at best. Every team there echoed this complaint all week long. In the first five minutes of the half the touch judge made a fateful decision claiming our captain Paul Kassebaum booted a player in the head resulting in a red card. We played short the remaining 35 minutes. It turned out the touch judge was not sure if he got the right guy, so in the end Paul was allowed to play in the rest of the tournament, but the damage was done in this game. Incidentally he did not commit the foul play, another player on our team admitted he lost his balance and did step on the head of a player on the ground accidentally. The next thirty minutes saw neither team gain a significant advantage. The South continued to struggle in lineouts and could not mount sufficient pressure to score. The South did play hard and scrappy and put together some excellent defensive patterns to hold off the numerically superior Academy team. With only five minutes remaining, Cayo Nicolau jump-started the South as he grubber-kicked a loosed ball ahead and scored an outstanding try covering over 60 meters. The South went on the war-path and quickly scored again as Matt Huckaby scored a try the far corner. Yves Pichavant made the difficult conversion. The miracle comeback was on, but time ran out before the re-start -- dashing the South's hopes for a repeat. A very difficult loss.

1. Tom Pierce / Joe Guy @ half
2. Tom Jallo
3. Jason Rich / Jason Philpot @ half
4. Neil Yanik / Mark Allen @ 20 minutes / Adam Drury @ 60 minutes
5. Paul Kassebaum ©
6. Simon Williams / Micah Caskey @ 60 minutes
7. Matt Huckaby
8. Wessel Oosthuizen
9. Toby Lawrence
10. Yves Pichavant
11. Rob Barkman
12. Keith Jakupca / Will Phillips @ 55 minutes
13. Cayo Nicolau
14. Hodgen Mainda
15. Scott Jones

Saturday, June 9th

SOUTH 47
MARFU 11

Backed into the corner, the South came out growling in the second game. It took only two minutes to take the lead as Yves Pichavant made a penalty kick. At the twenty two minute mark Toby Lawrence capped off a series of hard forward play as he scored under the posts. Yves slotted the conversion. MARFU answered with a penalty kick four minutes later. The South returned the favor when Cayo Nicolau finished off a nice back line movement for a try. MARFU scored an unconverted try just before half time making the score South 15 vs MARFU 8.

In the second half MARFU opened up the scoring with a penalty kick in the fourth minute. From that time on it was all South. Minutes later Yves added another penalty kick. Six minutes after that Yves scored a try then added on a conversion. At the sixty minute mark Toby Lawrence put down another try and Yves slotted the conversion. Minutes later Tom Jallo dove over the line for a try. Edwin Rios scored a try after a nice run to the outside. With the game winding down Matt Huckaby broke through the line fed Yves who then passed to the streaking Jason Philpot who touched down in the far corner to end the South's best performance of the tournament.

1 Joe Guy / Tom Pierce @ 58 minutes
2 Tom Jallo
3 Jason Philpot
4 Adam Drury
5 Paul Kassebaum ©
6 Micah Caskey / Jason Rich @ half
7 Matt Huckaby
8 Wessel Oosthuizen
9 Toby Lawrence / Matt Midgett @ 73 minutes
10 Keith Jakupca / Yves Pichavant @ 46 minutes
11 Derek Wolfe / Rob Barman @ 47 minutes
12 Cayo Nicolau / Jeremy Baker @ 73 minutes
13 Yves Pichavant / Will Phillips @ 46 minutes
14 Edwin Rios
15 Scott Jones

Sunday, June 10

SOUTH 26
NORTHEAST 27

Confident from the previous match the South came out with guns blazing. The opening kick-off was mishandled by the Northeast resulting in a South pushover try scored by number eight Wessels Oosthuizen. At the ten minute mark Rob Barkman Scored a try. The northeast stuck to their game plan of ten-man rugby. Their excellent kicker slotted two penalty kicks to narrow the South lead. Matt Huckaby made a nice play which was well rewarded as he dove over the line for a try ten minutes before halftime giving the South a 15 -6 lead. The South lost focus the first five minutes of the second half. An errant kick resulted in a Northeast converted try. A few minutes later they took the lead with a penalty kick. The South rose to the occasion and after a long goal line stand the Northeast committed a penalty and the referee awarded a penalty try as Toby Lawrence was stopped short of the line. Eighteen minutes in the Northeast added a penalty kick. At the twenty-five minute mark Keith Jacupka slotted a penalty goal making the South lead six. The South defense held strong for the next thirteen minutes. At the thirty-eighth minute the Northeast won a scrum against the head and scored a converted try to take the lead. The South got one last chance with a thirty-five meter penalty kick that sailed only inches right of the upright. It was a hollow feeling as the last whistle blew.

1. Joe Guy / Jason Philpot @ 35 minutes
2. Tom Jallo / Joe Guy @ 35 Minutes
3. Tom Pierce
4. Adam Drury / Mark Allen @ 65 minutes
5. Paul Kassabaum ©
6. Simon Williams / Jason Rich @ half
7. Matt Huckaby
8. Wessel Oosthuizen
9. Toby Lawrence
10. Keith Jakupca
11. Rob Barkman / Will Phillips @ half
12. Yves Pichavant
13. Cayo Nicolau
14. Hodgen Mainda / Edwin Rios @ 25 minutes
15. Scott Jones

Overall

The game we won we played in fine fashion. The two we lost were with a combined margin of four points. Coulda-shoulda-woulda…. One of the most positive aspects is that potentially 70% of the players present can return as a collegiate next year. There were only seven players this year that were on the 2000 Championship Team. Many players were exposed to this level of rugby for the first time. This was never more apparent than in our first game against the Military Academies. I hope everyone who went benefited from the experience. I want to wish all the seniors the best of luck and I urge you to stay involved with rugby. Rugby needs your talents. Stay in the South and help make rugby better.

Special thanks to Columbia Old Gray, Atlanta Old White, the Atlanta Renegades, and Nashville Rugby for their meal sponsorship. Thanks to the South officers and Board of Directors who support the program. Thanks to the players who no matter what gave their all in the games and projected themselves in a professional manner off the field. Thanks to the coaching staff for all the hard work and dedication. Congratulations to the Mid-West who won their first collegiate title. They proved how vital high school rugby is - 80% of their player roster were products of high school rugby. Thanks to Steve Brown and Boulder RFC.

Every dog has its day!