By Justin Rutledge
Winter is here, the rugby season has ended and the fun has to be put on hold for a few months. Though the inaugural fall of the Cleveland Crusaders has come and gone, there are a few major take-aways to keep the hearts of the Cleveland Rugby faithful warm during the winter.
First and foremost, the Crusaders’ Division II and Division IV sides have put together dominant performances in their respective divisions. The Division II side landed in second place in the league and qualified for playoffs in the spring as the no. two seed coming out of the Midwest. The DIV side has a few more matches left in the spring but are number one in their league.
To put a finer point on these achievements, here are some stats to show just how well both teams played:
- The DII side ended the fall with a point differential of 338, scoring a total of 489 points and letting in just over 150. On average, the DII offense scored 61 points per match. The team obtained bonus points in every match this fall except one.
- The DIV side had a point differential of 94. This was the result of scoring 163 points and letting in 69. On average, the DIV side scored 23 points per match and pulled in bonus points in six of the fall fixtures. These numbers are especially important considering that the DIV side faced a number of forfeits during the fall. It stands to reason, the points amassed when they actually played, that the DIV Crusaders could have and probably would have had more positive numbers – not that these numbers are anything to worry about.
Looking at the team stats, it’s clear that the scoring strength for the DII side was in the back line. Naturally, Nick Viviani tops the list of scorers with an obscene 139 points. He is the kicker, and he was given enough opportunities to add to his personal tally – oh yeah, and he scored a few tries too. That aside, four of the top ten scorers for the side were back line stalwarts – Nick Musarra, with 70 points; Scott Wallace, who had 45 points and Steve Burke, who had 20 points to his name. What this grouping of names signifies is that the back three for the Crusaders this fall was, for lack of a better word’ filthy. Take away the obvious speed and running skills the three have and what is left is a group that can just out play most other teams. If a booted ball stays in bound, one of these three was going to return it and make the opposition pay. In the closing weekends of the season, there were quite a few tries scored in just that fashion. Steve Fritsch also made an appearance in the top ten with 30 points.
The pack made an impact on the season’s outcome as well. Captain Zach Webb topped the list of scoring forwards with 30 points. It doesn’t hurt your scoring efforts when defenders just watch you run in tries. Versatile big man, Joe Brown checked in with 20 points, as did Justin Rutledge. Scott Liechty represented the Strongbro contingency of the pack well and had 20 points.
The DIV side had Doug Rawlings squarely atop the scoring standings with 25 points. During matches, it seemed opponents had a tough time catching Rawlings when he had the ball, and those who did manage to run him down couldn’t easily bring him down. The second and third highest scorers were Andrew Little and David DiFrancisco, respectively. Though the two Akron imports weren’t available for all the matches, both made decisive impacts on the pace of play once they eventually got onto the field. Little got the better of DiFrancisco by three points, scoring 18 compared to his 15. Steve Anthony – the Original Steve – proved scoring isn’t just a young man’s endeavor by getting ten points this season. Scott Michaelis amassed nine points during the fall as well.
The most encouraging part of the DIV score sheet is that, seemingly, everyone took a shot at the division. Anthony Leeper, Moses Pahulu, Miles Papa, Ryan Sands, Mark Staron II and Steve “Blanco” Wolnik also made five-point contributions during the fall. The reason this is so encouraging is because the old statement about a team being able to score from anywhere is actually true for the Crusaders’ DIV side. Forward or back, experienced or new, it doesn’t matter. The DIV side seems to be full of players that can find weaknesses, exploit them and finish for five.
So, now that it’s starting to get dark shortly after noon and the temperature is dropping by the day, it’s time for the winter intermission. What does that mean for the Crusaders? If the fall is any indication, it means that, once the players work off the holiday goodies, it will be time to perfect the basics and work in some new ways to victimize the spring’s oppositions.
Check back when Cleveland, eventually, thaws for more information on the spring season. In 2016 the Crusade continues.
PS – This season we were all, essentially, rookies but we had some brand new faces join the ranks. We are happy to have them and are ready to welcome more. Winter, spring, summer or fall, it is never a bad time to #JoinTheCrusade.