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 The Raptors finished the fall season undefeated running the table with eight wins. The Raptors started the season with a complete dismantling of the Oregon Sports Union (76- 19) who traveled to Infinity Park from Portland, Oregon. The Raptors next traveled to Omaha, to compete in a friendly with former league foe the Greater Area Touring Side (GOATS), for a much anticipated match as the Raptors scraped by in a close win over the GOATS last spring. The GOATS thought they would have the upper hand in this rematch, but the Raptors were to swift running in six tries to one for the 41 – 5 win.
League play followed the trip to Nebraska as the Raptors took on the always difficult Denver Highlanders at Infinity Park. The match was close early but the Raptors applied the pressure to come away with a 34-19 win and four league points. Next up was a trip to Boulder and a comprehensive victory 52 – 7.
Back in the friendly confines of Infinity Park the Raptors faced the visiting Kansas City Blues. The Blues were coming off an impressive win over Aspen and looked to bring their powerful forward oriented game to the Raptors. The Raptors were able to utilize their speed and pace to run away with the win, going up 28 – 3 at half and finishing just as strong 55 – 8. Local rival, the Denver Barbarians were up next and in a physically contested match the Raptors emerged victorious 31 – 11 for their final league win of the fall. The Raptors finished league with four wins and 23 points to just lead the Barbarians, who are nipping at their wings.
The Raptors completed the season with two friendlies playing the Albuquerque Aardvarks and the Dallas Harlequins at Infinity Park. The Aardvarks were undone 79 – 38 but demonstrate some very elusive runners and a no quit attitude. The best match of the season was saved for last as the Raptors took on the Dallas Harlequins on a warm November night in front of 1300 plus rugby supporters. In a match that was extremely physical the Raptors were up 10 – 9 at half one converted try and a penalty verse three penalties. Had both teams’ kickers been more accurate the score could have been much different. The second half saw the Raptors score two early trys, and then fight off the powerful onslaught of the hard running Harlequins for a well earned 22 – 16 win.
The Raptors enter the offseason training on an extensive conditioning program developed by strength and conditioning Coach Nico Rithner. The team will be back on the pitch February 26 against the Denver Barbarians. |
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Glendale Raptors – 79
Albuquerque Aardvarks – 38
 Glendale, Colo., Oct. 30 – The Glendale Raptors opened their annual Halloween weekend fall finale at Infinity Park here with a supernatural start, jumping to a 36-10 lead over the Albuquerque Aardvarks in the first 30 minutes of what turned into a haunting thriller.
In the creepy opening minutes the Raptors made the Aardvarks look like zombies, scoring five quick trys and a penalty kick. Then a frightening, freezing wind blew in hungry hordes of Albuquerque Ghost Busters and a spine-tingling thriller was underway. With brand-new character masks the Aardvarks scored four tries of their own aided by dreadful tackling by the Raptors. At halftime Albuquerque trailed the Raptors by only five points, 31-36.
The league leading and undefeated Raptors opened the second half with a penalty kick to pull ahead 39-31. Then in a horrifying reflection of the scary ending to the first half, Albuquerque scored another try and two-point conversion kick to pull flesh-eating close at 38-39.
At that moment the Raptors got a jolt from the graveyard shift and did the mash -- the monster mash -- scoring try after try to stop the vampires feast. The party had finally begun and it caught on in a flash and was a graveyard smash with Halloween rugby fans. Scoring six unanswered trys in the final 25 minutes, everything was again cool in Raptors land. The final score was Raptors 79, the baying Aardvarks 38. |
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Glendale Raptors – 31
Denver Barbarians – 13
 Glendale, Colo., Oct. 23– Call it the Clash of the Titans: The strong and storied versus the new and fortunate. It was the match of the fall season, two undefeated local rugby teams clashing before a record crowd of more than 1,200 at Infinity Park here in what many were calling the Churchill Cup of the Cherry Creek Valley.
Both the Glendale Raptors and the Denver Barbarians were sitting at 3-0, with wins over every league opponent other than each other. A win by either team would not only mean civic pride and local bragging rights but also a seismic shift in Division I momentum. At stake was not only first place in the West but also a chance to reshape the landscape going into next spring’s playoff combat.
Using possession and ball control the Raptors held the Barbarians to just a single penalty kick and one drop goal in the first half. The Barbos weren’t able to put the ball down in the Raptors goal area until the 70-minute mark. By then the Raptors led 28 to 13. The Raptors added another penalty kick in the final minute of the game, making the final score 31 to 13.
With so much to play for it was only a matter of time – less than four minutes into the game -- before Coach Mark Bullock elected to attempt the team’s first penalty kick. A second kick was successful at the 15-minute mark. Three minutes later the Raptors scored their first try and conversion kick to jump ahead 13-3. The Raptors added another penalty kick to lead 16-6 at halftime. The Raptors opened the second period with two five-point trys and a successful conversion kick to go in front 28-6 before the Barbarians finally scored. |
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 The Glendale Raptors finished the High Desert Rugby Tournament in Albuquerque with two wins and one loss on Saturday to advance to the Sunday semifinals, but were undone by an experienced Provo Steelers team from Utah.
The Raptors, who traveled shorthanded to New Mexico due to league matches in Glendale, picked up players from Durango’s Fort Lewis College in order to field a full side.
Despite the results on the scoreboard, Raptors players were provided specific skills to work on during the tournament in order to increase their rugby playing experience. That objective was achieved and will serve to allow individual player improvement.
The Raptors D1 side will meet the Denver Barbarians Saturday October 23 at 6:00 PM for a top of the league clash at Infinity Park. Both team are 3 – 0 in the Northern Division Western Rugby League. |
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Glendale Raptors – 55
Kansas City Blues – 8
Glendale, Colo., Oct. 9 – For rugby fans worried that pink is a “sissy” color, take note that their beloved Glendale Raptors Division I men wore florescent pink socks in their Saturday night game at Infinity Park here against a “true blue” Kansas City team that saw the Missouri blue bloods fade fast.
The Raptors were in the pink from the start, scoring their first try and two-point conversion kick in less than 10 minutes against the visiting Kansas City Blues. The team wore pink socks to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness during October. Blossoming before a crowd of more than 600 on a breezy fall evening the Raptors were able to run the ball at will, as they gave the visiting team a rugby clinic on offense.
The score was 21-0 before Kansas City finally scored a three-point penalty kick at the 20-minute mark of the first half. Lock Ryan Chapman scored a try less than four minutes later; the conversion kick was good giving the Raptors a 28-3 lead at half time. Both teams open the second half scoring but neither converted their conversion kicks. The score stood at 33 to 8, when Chapman -- who has a history of success against Kansas City -- scored again and the romp was on.
Like an Xbox failing to download a new game, the Raptors continued to pound Kansas City black and blue. The final score was Raptors 55, Kansas City Blues 8. The Raptors next take on their old rival the Barbos (Denver Barbarians) at Infinity Park on Oct. 23, again with a 6 p.m. start time. |
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6’3” – 200 lbs - Wing
What is your favorite pre-game meal? Eggs, bacon and raisin bran in the morning, and then chicken and rice a few hours before the game.
What is your favorite pre-game ritual? I like to sit silently in the locker room and get mentally prepared, enjoy a team prayer and then I am ready to go.
Who is your favorite professional athlete? Active Athlete - Brian O'Driscoll, Retired Athlete - Pete Rose, the ultimate competitor.
What is your favorite thing about Rugby? I love the competition and there is nothing better than all 15 players working as 1. |
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Cornstalks and pumpkins will soon be everywhere, with scarecrows and Halloween decorations not far behind. Add to that festive fall formula nighttime Glendale Raptors rugby games. A crowd of more than 800 fans turned out at Infinity Park here for the team’s first-ever evening outing and they weren’t disappointed as the Raptors lit up the scoreboard, defeating the Denver Highlanders by a score of 34 to 17.
In near perfect fall weather each teams scored on penalty kicks early. Like autumn weather, however, play by the cross-town rivals was erratic as the Raptors held them without a Try until late in the second half. The Raptors meanwhile burst through the midfield defense to touch down under the posts for the first of three Trys at the 30-minute mark. The halftime score was the Glendale Raptors 14, Denver Highlanders 9.
The Raptors elected to go for post to open the second half upping the lead to 17-9. The Raptors scored another Try and two-point conversion kick to increase the lead to 24-9. Another three-point penalty kick pushed the score to 27-9 before the Highlanders finally scored a Try with the clock at 70 minutes. The Raptors followed with another Try seven minutes later and added a conversion kick to jump the score to 34-14. The Highlanders connected on another three-point conversion kick to make the final 34-17.
Ryan Chapman of the Raptors continued his torrid scoring pace with another Try in the Highlanders Game. He scored three Trys against Oregon State plus a Try against the Omaha Goats.
With the largest turnout of the year, including many first time rugby game attendees, it appears fans are adding nighttime games to their list of all those autumnal things to do. The Men Raptors next play the Kansas City Blues here on Oct. 9, with another 6 p.m. start time. |
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The Glendale Raptors traveled to Omaha to player former Western Rugby League Division One foe GOATS (Greater Omaha Area Touring Side). The GOATS, who were division two semifinalists last spring were over done by the pace of the Raptors who ran out 41 – 5 winners.
The first twenty minutes saw the Raptors camped in the GOATS half of the field. Despite many scoring opportunities, the Raptors could not successfully finish as the GOATS defense continued to deny a breach of their try line. Whenever the GOATS secured the ball they hoofed the ball downfield and the Raptors continued to counter attack instead of kicking.
The Raptors were finally rewarded at the quarter when hooker James Delbozque scored off a GOATS turnover. Delbozque, just up from the Raptor U19 team had an outstanding debut in his first division one match. “Delbosque played very well with an intensity and confidence that belies his youth,” said Coach Mark Bullock.
The GOATS finally moved the ball into Glendale territory following some effective kicking. With the ball deep in Raptor territory, the GOATS continually assaulted the Raptor line, running their big forwards off the tackle/contest breakdown. The Raptors repulsed the repeated GOATS forays and were rewarded when an alert Justin Howley intercepted a wayward GOATS pass. The Raptor wing ran ninety-five meters for the score, which he converted for a 14 – 0 Raptor lead.
The Raptors immediately followed with another try to Howley off the kickoff. The Raptors maintained possession for six cycles prior to the converted try in the thirty-eight minute to go into the half up 21 – 0.
The second half started much the same as the first, but nine minutes in the Raptors were awarded a penalty that Howley successfully converted from thirty two meters out. Play seesawed back and forth until the twenty fifth minute when the GOATS and Raptors traded unconverted trys.
First the Raptors Howley scored his third try off sustained build up after multiple phases left the GOATS shorthanded in the corner. The GOATS responded immediately when the Raptors misplayed the kickoff, allowing the GOATS an attacking platform deep in Raptor territory. The GOATS wasted little time putting pressure on the disorganized Raptor defense to score 29 – 5.
Number eight Ryan Chapman of the Raptors would score next after the Raptors camped on the GOATS try line; taking a short pass he scored the converted try under the posts. Prop Ken Ishmael scored his first Raptor try in the corner to close out the scoring 41- 5 in the final two minutes of the match.
The Raptors will next participate in the Aspen Ruggerfest September 18 – 19. |
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The Glendale Raptors ran out to a 45 – 12 halftime lead and coasted to an entertaining 76 – 19 victory over the visiting Portland team, ORSU (Oregon Sports Union).
ORSU got on the board first with a fine try for a set piece move that saw the outside center break the Raptor midfield defense to touch down under the posts. The conversion was good for an early 7 – 0 lead. Two minutes later the Raptors were awarded a penalty when an ORSU defender sealed the ball. Inside center Justin Howley did the honors, kicking the first of two penalties on the day. On the day Howley would have a 100% kicking effort as he also kicked ten successful conversions.
The penalty kick would unleash a rash of Raptor scoring during the rest of the first half as number eight Ryan Chapman would score three tries in the next thirty minutes. First over for the Raptors was openside flanker Mike Kenyon as he took an offload pass from scrum half Brad Winbush to burst pass the defense. Chapman began his onslaught his he took the ball over from a lineout drive that started on the eight meter line. His next scoring opportunity would come eight minutes later; following a number of rucks Chapman received a short pass to pop over for his second try.
ORSU would bounce back by scoring an unconverted try which followed a period of sustained pressure on the Raptor try line. The Raptors responded by stringing together six phases of play ultimately freeing fullback Mike Joslin to slice through the ORSU defense for a try under the posts. Three minutes later wing Tim Muraguri outpaced the ORSU defense when he ran back an intercept try.
Chapman’s third try was a beauty as the Raptors keep the ball alive going through three phases following the kickoff as Chapman provided excellent support as Joslin broke the line and off loaded the ball to the fast moving number eight as he finished the first half scoring; 45 – 12.
The Raptors struck quickly after the half scoring in the third minute. Following an ORSU turnover lock Keith Dauper took an accurate pass from prop Mike Tafel to go over untouched.
The next eighteen minutes would witness a see-saw battle between the two sides as both defenses stood their ground. The ORSU defense broke first as the Raptors defense produced a turnover. Howley took the ball and, kicking over the top, raced ahead to re-gather the ball and score under the post.
ORSU quickly responded to attack the Raptor line and following a penalty number eight Mike Lewis bulled over Chapman to score the converted try 59 – 19.
The Raptors maintained the pressure until the end of the match as two members of the tight five, prop Pat Carroll, who had a monster of a match, and explosive lock Colby Kneep completed the days scoring.
The Raptors next match is September 11 in Omaha against the GOATS (Greater Omaha Area Touring Side). |
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