2B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - November 1, 2004
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CLUBSPORTSWEEKLY
Rugby 'coach' stresses discipline
By Ellen McGarrity
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men's club rugby team is so good that
its coach wasn't even on the field yesterday for its play-
off match at Mitchell Field.
And with the Wolverine's 69-5 victory over Slip-
pery Rock, it's clear that this man knew what he was
doing.
Though it should be noted that the club's coach can't
even get to the field by himself. He's actually a four-
foot plastic vampire with the word "coach" written
across his chest in magic marker.
Fifth-year senior Wes Farrow explained that this
vampire was a team purchase two years ago when
the club was playing in the first round of the Midwest
Playoffs. All the other teams had head coaches and
Michigan didn't want to feel left out. After a quick trip
to Meijer, the team had its leader.
"He has a very stern look on his face," Farrow said.
"He has such high standards - he never looks happy.
He always demands more."
Sounds like characteristics that every team looks
for when choosing a vampire - or rather, coach. And
like any good coach, this vampire has accompanied
the team to nearly all of its away games - even travel-
ing to Argentina once.
Farrow said having the same core group of guys
playing together for the last three years is what's given
Michigan the edge this season, but another new tra-
dition could have been what helped the team in its
trouncing of Slippery Rock.
Many think rugby players look somewhat like
prep-school athletes - in their knee-high socks and
collared polo shirts - but for yesterday's game,
these Wolverines broke this traditional mold. Near-
ly every club member grew a beard and cut his hair
into a mohawk to develop camaraderie and instill
fear in Michgan's opponents.
"I don't think it hurt," said junior Matt Trenary
about the player's new hairstyles.
He went on to explain that the idea really started
with flanker Nick Warack. Warack has sported a
mohawk the entire season, and the team captains
thought the idea would work well for the entire team.
Even "coach" received a row of spiked hair down the
middle of his head, made possible from the hair cut off
another player with longer locks.
Or maybe it was sophomore Ben Becker's German
Shepard Pointer, Lucy, who made the difference. She's
become a regular at both practices and games this sea-
son, always dressed in a Michigan rugby jacket.
"I consider her more of a friend (to the team),"
Becker said. "Some people consider her a mascot."
Like its sharp-toothed leader and spirited mas-
cot, this group of Wolverines has character all its
own. The team, which has been in existence as an
official college club since 1998, has vastly improved
over the past two years. So much so that this sea-
son's undefeated 7-0 conference record earned it the
honor of hosting the first two rounds of the Midwest
Playoffs, which took place this weekend. With the
team's defeat of Slippery Rock yesterday and Ball
State on Saturday, it will advance to next weekend's
final rounds held at Purdue, which will determine
which team gets the Midwest title and a spot in next
spring's National Championship tournament.
"It feels good because two years ago we were
not good at all and we've come so far in such a
short period of time," Trenary said. "It's great to
see so many guys learning and coming together
as a team."
But, aside from just being part of a winning team,
these players claim that there are many other reasons
that they play the sport.
"I fell in the love with the game right away,"
said Farrow, who originally envisioned himself
being the "Rudy" of Michigan's football team
until he found rugby. "The flow of the game and
the intensity of it is phenomenal. I think this is
a more pure form of competition and sport than
any other."
Trenary added that the game reminded him of
"playing as a little kid in the backyard."
Anyone who's watched a rugby game knows what
Trenary is talking about. Although the rules are simi-
lar to football, the players wear no helmets or padding,
and battle cries are not out of the ordinary (Michigan
players like to yell "Arrr!" - like a pirate would say
- during some of their plays).
Farrow admitted that the real reason for "coach's"
absence at yesterday's game was that the team just
plain forgot to bring him amid the excitement of the
playoffs.
But next weekend, perhaps he will make an appear-
ance as the team continues its quest for the Midwest
title. After all, Halloween will be long over by then,
and the coach is sure to have more time for staring
down his players. ,
Athlete of the Week
Name: Brian Hung Team: Tennis
Hometown: Hong Kong Class: Sophomore
Why: No. 12 Hung finished second in the ITA
Midwest Regional on Tuesday. En route, he beat
Indiana's Jakub Praibus in straight sets - one of
five matches thatlhe took in straight sets. Hung's
performance earned him a spot in the ITA National
Indoor Championships later this week.
4
'M' SCHI)A U L
Date Event
11/1 W Golf at Edwin Watts/P n
11/2 W Golf at Edwin Watts/P n
11/3 M Soccer vs. Oakland
almetto Joh
almetto Joh
Location
ins Island, S.C.
ins Island, S.C.
Ann Arbor
11/4
11/4
11/4
11/4
11/4
11/5
11/5
11/5
11/5
11/5
11/5
11/5
11/5
11/6
11/6
11/6
11/6
11/6
11/6
11/6
11/6
11/6
11/7
11/7
11/7
11/7
11/7
11/7
W Soccer vs. Wisconsin Columbus
W Tennis at ITA National Indoors Ann Arbor
M Tennis at ITA National Indoors Ann Arbor
W Basketball vs. Athletes in Action Ann Arbor
W Soccer at Big Ten Tournament Columbus
Ice Hockey vs. Miami (Ohio) Ann Arbor
W Swim/Diving at Purdue Invitational West Lafayette
M Swim/Diving at Wisconsin Madison
W Tennis at ITA National Indoors Ann Arbor
W Tennis at Arizona State Invitational Tempe, Ariz.
M Tennis at ITA National Indoors Ann Arbor
Volleyball at Indiana Bloomington
Field Hockey at Big Ten Tournament Evanston
Ice Hockey vs. Miami (Ohio) Ann Arbor
W Swim/Diving at Purdue Invitational West Lafayette
M Soccer vs. Ohio State Ann Arbor
W Tennis at ITA National Indoors Ann Arbor
M Tennis at ITA National Indoors Ann Arbor
Wresting at EMU Open Ypsilanti
Volleyball at Purdue West Lafayette
W Rowing vs. Eastern Michigan Belleville
Field Hockey at Big Ten Tournament Evanston
W Soccer at Big Ten Tournament Columbus
W Tennis at ITA National Indoors Ann Arbor
M Basketball vs. Michigan Tech Ann Arbor
M Tennis at ITA National Indoors Ann Arbor
Field Hockey at Big Ten Tournament Evanston
W Tennis at Arizona State Invitational Tempe, Ariz.
Time
. TBA
TBA
2:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
TBA
TBA
7 p.m.
TBA
7:35 p.m.
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
TBA
TBA
TBA
7 p.m.
TBA
7:35 p.m.
6 p.m.
2 p.m.
TBA
TBA
TBA
7 p.m.
TBA
12 p.m.
TBA
TBA
2 p.m.
TBA
TBA
TBA
A
4
Dallas hands Lions first road loss
IRVING, Texas (AP) - As the only
Dallas Cowboys receiver who'd ever
caught a pass in an NFL game, Key-
shawn Johnson knew he had to come
through big for quarterback Vinny
Testaverde.
He didn't. At least, not until the game
was on the line.
Johnson ran wrong routes on two of
the first balls thrown his way, turning
both into interceptions, but redeemed
himself with two touchdown catches,
including a 38-yarder with 1:54 left that
sealed a 31-21 victory over the Detroit
Lions yesterday.
Testaverde's throws, however, weren't
as impressive as his runs.
Two weeks shy of his 41st birthday,
Testaverde stunned everyone with a 7-
yard run on fourth-and-3 to set upa tying
touchdown, and scrambled 3 yards for
the go-ahead score, helping Dallas (3-4)
end a three-game losing streak.
"If we're going to start to turn this
thing around, this is where we needed to
start," Testaverde said.
Testaverde was 19-of-24 for 235 yards,
offsetting three interceptions with three
touchdowns. Yet it was the Cowboys'
return to the running game that anchored
this victory.
Dallas ran 41 times - 11 more than
in any game this season - for 127 yards,
with Eddie George logging season-bests
of 31 carries and 99 yards. That helped
the Cowboys keep the ball 17 minutes
more than the Lions, only the second
time this season they've had the kind of
imbalance coach Bill Parcells loves.
"We had to establish the run some
way, somehow," George said.
Detroit (4-3) looked more like the
team that lost 24 straight road games, not
the one that opened this season 3-0 away
from home.
The Lions were stopped on third-
and-1 and fourth-and-1 from the Dallas
37 while down by a touchdown early in
the fourth quarter. A false start turned a
field-goal try into a punt. They also lost
a big punt return because of a penalty;
wasted a time out before kicking an extra
point; and had a defender fall into the end
zone trying to down a punt close to the
goal line. They also had 10 penalties for
112 yards.
Even more agonizing: With Minne-
sota getting drubbed by the New York
Giants, Detroit could have tied for the
NFC North lead..
"This team will do some exciting
things at times," coach Steve Mariucci
said, "but they'll also do some crazy
things."
Joey Harrington came in hoping to
erase the memory of his worst NFL
game, which was against Dallas last
season. The NFL's best fourth-quarter
quarterback this season certainly made
things interesting with a 50-yard touch-
down pass to David Kircus that made it
24-21 with 5:29 left, but the Cowboys
answered with Johnson's second TD
and Harrington was intercepted on his
next snap.
"I didn't feel we had trouble moving
the ball," said Harrington, who was 19-
of-32 for255 yards withtwotouchdowns.
"We just made mistakes."
Harrington would've had a better
chance if rookie receiver Roy Williams
(ankle) hadn't missed the game. He
won't get any sympathy from Testaverde
because his receivers included two rook-
ies who moved up from the practice
squad Saturday and a veteran who'd
never caught a pass.
That's why Johnson "was trying to
carry too much on my back and got
caught in a predicament I didn't really
want to be in."
Midway through the second quarter,
Testaverde finally went to Johnson for
the first time. His throw was outside, but
Johnson was looking inside. Dre' Bly
intercepted and returned it 55 yards to
put Detroit up 14-7.
Dallas's ensuing drive was stuck at
fourth-and-3 from the Lions 35 when
Testaverde went right up the gut of the
defense. The 7-yard run was his first
positive gain of the season: Three plays
later, he hit Johnson for a 26-yard touch-
down.
The Cowboys had a chance to take the
lead before halftime, but the next pass to
Johnson was intercepted by Brock Mari-
on at the 5. Dallas went ahead in the third
quarter. After a long kickoff return and
a 43-yard pass-interference penalty on
a flea-flicker to Johnson, Testaverde ran
in his first touchdown in 54 games, since
December 1998.
Billy Cundiff's 40-yard field goal
with 6:59 left stretched the lead to 24-
14, marking the Cowboys' most points
this season. They finished with their
most points since beating Detroit 38-7
last year.
Keyshawn Johnson caught two touchdowns in the Cowboys 31-21 victory over the Uons.
It was the first road loss for the Uons, a team that lost eight road games last year.
STANOWSKI, "MY CONVICTION
RATE IS 87.5%, I GET RESULTS."
CHIEF TRIAL ATTORNEY, CITY OF JACKSON.
Paid for by John W Stanowski for Prosecutor Committee, 9449 Moon Road, Saline, MI 48176 with regulated funds.
AP PHOTO
Since 1936, the Redskins have been able to predict the presidential election.
Washington lost this week, predicting a victory for Sen. John Kerry.
sRedskns loss
a wn for Kerry.
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) - John
Kerry supporters have a welcome
omen for their candidate: The Green
Bay Packers defeated the Washing-
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THIS OPPIR IKPIRISt 1114104
Rmstdctlen, Rplg. Shos lken ph
giwsg
ton Redskins yesterday.
If history holds, the 28-14 result
portends a victory for Kerry on
Tuesday because the result of the
Redskins' final home game before
the presidential election has always
accurately predicted the White
House winner. If the Redskins win,
the incumbent party wins. If they
lose, the) iqc mbent party is ousted.
"Oh, yeah he's going to win. It's
guaranteed," said Packers - safety
Darren Sharper, a Kerry supporter.
"I don't have to vote now. Don't
even have to go to the polls. Saved
me a trip on Tuesday."
The streak began in 1933, when
the Boston Braves were renamed
the Redskins. Since then, begin-
ning with Franklin Roosevelt's
re-election in 1936, the trend has
held, including a 2000 Redskins
loss to the Tennessee Titans that
predicted George W. Bush's win
over Al Gore
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