June 15, 2002

The SYC Screaming Eagles Rugby U-15s routed the SYA Cardinals 68-12, scoring 12 tries to SYA's two in a thoroughly lopsided victory. The outcome was never in doubt as SYC dominated possession and kept the ball in SYA territory throughout much of the match, which was played at Signal Hill Park in Manassas as part of the NOVA Men's Rugby Club's Battlefield 7s Tournament.

SYC's reward for victory was the right to keep the Northern Virginia Youth Rugby Challenge Cup, an 8" silver-plated Revere trophy bowl on heavy wooden base that goes to the winner in challenge matches among the U-15 age groups of northern Virginia's youth rugby programs (currently just SYC and SYA). This is the second Challenge Cup match and the first since the inaugural game in August 2001 in which SYC cruised to a 76-26 victory over SYA.

Nineteen Screaming Eagles showed up to play, and every one of them put forth the best effort possible. With only two practices under their belts in this young 2002 season, the team played amazingly well and showed good form, working the ball around the field with hard running, fluid passing, and hustling defense. Even more amazing is the fact that the team counted six rookies—brand new to the game of rugby—in its ranks, and that rookies accounted for seven of the team's 12 tries.

Credit is due to SYA, for they never game up. Down 53-0 in the 4th quarter, they managed a few runs through SYC's defense to score 12 points and salvage some pride. SYC, not to be outdone in the final quarter of the game, tacked on three more unconverted tries to post a final score of 68-12.

Scoring:

1st quarter SYC 17 SYA 0
SYC — Tries: Kaitlin Murphy (2), Nick Flynn-Tanner; Conversion: Ginny McMahon

2nd quarter SYC 38 SYA 0
SYC — Tries: Craig Stephenson (2), Ben Cleverdon; Conversions: Devin Morris (3)

3rd quarter SYC 53 SYA 0
SYC — Tries: Mike Cleveland (2), Ben Cleverdon; No conversions

4th quarter/final SYC 68 SYA 12
SYC — Tries: Kevin Doyle, Justin Moore, Brian Doyle; No conversions
SYA — 2 tries, 1 conversion

SYC's roster for the match: Mike Cleveland (r), Ben Cleverdon, Brian Doyle (r), Kevin Doyle (r), Jack Eustace, Joe Eustace, Nick Flynn-Tanner (r), Scinju Gadamsetty, Ian Green, Jared Hornaday, Ronnie Locher, Chris McIlvaine (r), Ginny McMahon, Seath Miller, Justin Moore, Devin Morris, Kaitlin Murphy, Craig Stephenson (r), Stephen Vu
(r) = rookie