Inaugural Class of the Severn River Rugby Hall of Fame Inducted

Pete Freeman, Mike Posko, and Henry Posko became the inaugural members of the Severn River Rugby Hall of Fame on October 27, 2018. With some remarkable words by teammate and lifelong friend Marty O’Neil, these three set a daunting precedent for future inductees. Marty’s remarks about each inductee are summarized below:

Pete Freeman

Pete began his rugby playing days in 1978 at what was then known as Frostburg State College. That same Frostburg side not only gave us Pete, it’s players formed the backbone of Maryland Old Boys (MOB) for years.   You may not know this but Pete is actually a biology major masquerading as a skilled craftsman and I have vivid memories of riding to matches in that old Toyota pickup and getting a play by play of the flora and fauna from Hagerstown to Morgantown.

Well, Pete brought his talents back home to Severna Park in 1979 and has continued to be an active player ever since.  Pete has also laced his boots up for the PRU Select Side, BASS or Baltimore Areas Select Side, ERU, Louisiana Exiles, Virginia Cardinals, Wilmington Old Boys, the CRABBS and of course the Severn Old Salts.

He was a multiple winner of Most Valuable Back and Unsung Hero.  He captained the club for 3 years, coached for 3 years, served as Secretary and of course was Mr. Field and Equipment forever.

Pete is drenched in rugby. He continues to referee, coach the Severna Park Green Hornets youth program, teach at coaching clinics, introduce his boys into the sport and stay in touch with scores of ruggers - old and new, international and domestic.

When we played, you wanted to be around him because he was always first to every breakdown. On the social side, you wanted to be around him because he made it so easy to just be yourself.

Mike Posko

Mike, along with his brother Henry founded Severn River Rugby in 1978 and Mike, in some form or fashion, has been roaming the Severn River pitch ever since.  Mike also suited up for the Old Salts, CRABS, UMBC Alumni, Virginia Cardinals, Chesapeake Old Boys, Wilmington Old Boys, Gorge Old Boys, PAC Old Boys … there is an OLD theme here …Poltroons, and Roosters.

Mike won the Most Valuable Forward (twice) and the Most Valuable Back award.  He was also a select side player on four different occasions, won the Leather Balls twice and impressively, had an Eagle tryout in 1986.

Mike also served as Captain, Selector, President, Vice President and Governor.   He coordinated a number of tours ranging from England in 1981 to Ireland in 2017.  He coached both the 15’s and 7 sides for a number of years but perhaps his unwavering affection for rugby reared it’s unrealistic head when at the age of 50, he challenged the props to get fit and as a result, Mike ended up playing A side.

Most of all, Mike was the difference maker in all of the key matches. Fearless at the back of a scrum and never afraid to stand toe-to-toe with any opponent, Mike leads by example and his passion for this club and the game have impacted countless ruggers along the way.

Henry Posko

Henry was the scrum half and outside center for Old Red Rugby from 1974-1978.  Wanting to play a bit closer to home, he co-founded this very club with his brother Michael in 1978.

Henry owns virtually all the ‘firsts’ with Severn River.  First Coach, First Captain, First Selector, First Scrum Half – until Pete later bailed him out.  It should not go unnoticed that Henry also was also the ‘first check book’ – getting the club off the ground takes union dues, money for jerseys (those funky brown things), parties,  and field expenses.

Off the field, Henry has served as President, Vice President, Governor, Match Secretary and Field and Equipment guy.  He was the Inaugural recipient of the “Leather Balls” award back in 1978 and won his derby for Most Valuable Back in 1979.  Henry also coached the first Coed youth rugby for the Green Hornets and sandwiched his virtually lifetime relationship with the Club with two international tours:  England in 1981 and Ireland in 2017.

Henry has always been the role model for this club.  A reserved, dignified and elegant man that was happy to see others be in the spot light, that wanted to make their dent in the universe. He set the initial direction for this club, has mentored leaders up close and from a distance and will always be our compass.

Redemption! Honey Badgers Defeat Chesapeake

Redemption. It was the only word on the minds of the Honey Badgers as they prepped for the contest against Baltimore Chesapeake. After a disappointing loss to the long time rival last fall, Severn River knew they had to focus to not let their nerves get the better of them this past Saturday. While missing Captain Lenni and long time player Sweet Dee in the forwards and with Rayne, one of their key backs, out with a knee injury, the Honey Badgers were a little apprehensive heading into Saturday’s match. You wouldn’t know it, however, from the way they played.

The first half began with a strong start from the forwards with Todo once again leading the charge and scoring early off of a penalty. The Honey Badgers added two more tries before Chesapeake would answer in the 35th minute while Tiffany stood in the sin bin for the team after multiple offsides infractions. Severn River answered with a strong series of back line passes that ended in the hands of Scrappy for a try to finish the first half of play. Going into the half up 28-7, the Honey Badgers may have been feeling a little too confident when they retook the field for the second half.

Chesapeake had two quick tries to start the half as the Severn coaching staff started to pace. The team gathered themselves and refocused their rucking and defensive lines to regain control of the ball. Todo added two more tries to the board, one off another penalty and the other from solid offloads. Charlee continued to kick well and Severn began to pull away. Chesapeake added one more try off of a 5 meter scrum and converted to bring the score to 40-24, but that was the last of their offense. With two tries in the final ten minutes from Burris, the Honey Badgers secured their 3 - 0 record.

The team win was speckled with an outstanding try from Aly who kicked the ball to herself, twice and managed to touch it down in the zone. Captain Casey had some excellent defensive plays and Marshall maintained excellent defensive control and communication with her wings. Many forwards stepped up to play the full 80 minutes (and made sure everyone knew it at the end of the match) and without their commitment, this match could have gone a very different way. With composure, camaraderie, and kick ass mentality, the Honey Badgers are making a statement this season.

Tries:

K.Todorovich (3), T.Paul (1), A.McCarty (1), H.Whiteley (1), L.Burris (2)

Conversions: C.Bryan (5 for 8)

Honey Badgers Maintain Shut-Out Record Against Furies

Another Saturday, another impressive performance from the Severn River Honey badgers. Improving their record to 2-0 for the 2018-2019 season, the ladies secured another shut out against the D.C. Furies Division II side.

Unlike the previous weekend in the humidity and bright sun of Norfolk, VA, Saturday morning was the perfect day for a match. A little humid, but mostly cool from the overcast skies and consistent breeze, the weather helped the ladies keep their composure even as many people were asked to play in different positions to fill-out the roster. The scoring started early with Tiffany Paul touching down after solid hands through the backline followed by two forward tries courtesy of Captain Lenni and Todo off of a strong breakthrough run. At around the twenty-five minute mark, Shanna took a big hit and was helped off of the field looking a bit like Harry Potter after Professor Lockhart tried to fix his arm, she stayed to cheer before heading to set her broken wrist. The final try of the half was added by Marshall and five minutes before the whistle, Sweet Dee exhibited a bit too much strength in a tackle moment and was awarded a ten minute break.

The second half saw more creative offense from the honey badgers and a bit more work on defense as subs were brought on to the pitch. Returning to the pitch after her extended water break, Dee added a try off of a line-out maul, followed quickly by another score from Todo. As the Furies became a bit frustrated and the honey badgers became a bit sloppy, the match became chippy as the second half began to wind down. Keeping her cool, Charlee snuck the ball through the defensive line on a grubber only to be tackled without the ball in the try zone. A yellow card went to the Furies #13 and Charlee was awarded the penalty try. Two more tries added to the total late in the half and the honey badgers came away with a 51-0 win.

While the coaches highlighted the moments of brilliance, there is still work to be done in continuity and field awareness as the season continues. The Honey badgers have set their sights on their home opener against Chesapeake at 11 AM on September 22 and are ready to redeem themselves!

Tries:

T. Paul (2), L. Ferreira (1), K. Todorovich (2), K. Marshall (1), D. Crovo (1), C. Bryan (1), S. Freeman (1)

Conversions:

C. Bryan (3 for 7), A. Jost (0 for 1), K. Marshall (0 for 1)

Honey Badgers Drown Mermaids in Season Opener

Poised and ready to strike on the hot, humid Norfolk pitch, the Severn River Honey Badgers met their opposition on Saturday and took the first steps towards realizing their team goal of returning to Regionals. With powerful performances by Back of the Match Katie Marshall and Forward of the Match Ashley Chafin, the honey badgers showed their determination from the first whistle.

In the first two minutes, Marshall punched the ball through the back line to Madam President Aly Jost for the first try of the match. The scoring continued with tries from Tina (scrum half), Todo (8-man), and Rayne diving over the line from the wing position (She may have landed on some tree roots and loose rocks, but anything for the team, right?). With excellent kicking from Charlee, the honey badgers found themselves up 33-0 at the half.

The scoring continued in the second-half with tries from Sweet Dee, Madam President, and Chafin. Shelly, our newest rookie, notched her first try by dusting the competition in an 80 meter sprint to the middle of the uprights to finish the match. With a solid conversion from Captain Casey, the honey badgers finished with a 60-0 victory over the mermaids. 

The match was not without its blunders as two players received yellow cards for Severn River. The first was a justifiable call after a high tackle, while the second was a bit more suspect when a veteran player received a card for causing two of her teammates to put their hands in the ruck. I have yet to look up that particular rule, but clearly the force is strong with Jedi master Farrah. 

Overall, the honey badgers have a lot to be proud of, but also have room to grow. After the match many of the players recognized the need to improve the connection on defense and to be even quicker to the rucks to support each other. Overall, the positive communication kept them focused on each moment of the match.

The Honey Badgers will be away again to face the DC Furies Division 2 side on September 15th.

Tries:

A. Jost - 2, K. Todorovich - 2, R. Trouwborst - 1, K. Schafer - 1,  D. Crovo-Denton - 2, A. Chafin - 1, S. Freeman - 1

Conversions:

C. Bryant - 4 for 7

C. Hartzell - 1 for 1

R. Trouwborst- 0 for 2

2018 Fall Preview

2018 Fall Preview

Women’s Side

Captains Casey Hartzell and Leni Ferreria are excited. And by excited I mean over the top, raw meat, baby you’re a firework, dancing pandas, honey badger found a free lunch with many beers, excited. With lofty goals of returning to playoffs and competing for the National Championship, the honey badgers have high expectations for this relatively young squad.

Looking to build from last year’s successes, Casey and Leni are looking to remedy last year’s near miss of a playoff berth. They hope that the strong connection in the back line, positive attitudes, and willingness of people to try various positions will continue into this new season. With this consistency, they also expect to see improvement in defensive toughness and strategy, confidence with decision making, and of course the dreaded fitness.

Like any good program, consistency is crucial. The coaching staff is returning, ready to meet the demands of the captains and players. With Dola’s somewhat complicated drills and Sloth and Fitz’s perhaps overly elaborate explanations, they fully expect to be targets of a new Kangaroo court tradition at the end of each match...players should look out for this as well. The team encourages past players to come out to practice to share their experience and get a few drills in!

With strong numbers at the first week of practice (including twenty players on a TUESDAY!), the honey badgers are poised to return to their rightful place on the national stage. If everyone buys in to the simple concept of always doing the right thing, these women can achieve the goals they have in mind.

Men’s side

Kick ass and win games. It’s that simple for Captain Colin Gottimer and the Severn River Men’s Team. Hoping to capitalize on their quickness and agility, Colin and the coaching staff are eager to push Severn River to be a force in the region.

Above all, Severn River is focusing on consistency this season and working as a unit. The team expects that everyone will show up to practices, games, fundraisers, and social events to build the strong relationships that are indicative of outstanding rugby clubs. If everyone commits to making the team a priority and holding themselves to the same standards as everyone else, then that attitude will translate onto the pitch as well. No one is bigger or more important than the team.

A majority of the returning players now have two or three years on their boots and with some new teammates from various clubs across the US, it will be exciting to see how the level of play improves this season. Like any program, it takes a tremendous amount of work and commitment to succeed and the men’s team is certainly on a strong path with their mindset.

Both the men’s and women’s teams will be away for their first two matches of the season. With the men facing Rocky Gorge on September 8th and the women traveling to Norfolk, both teams need to focus immediately to start their seasons on the right track. The home opener on September 22nd will be a shot at redemption for the women against Chesapeake and another solid test for the men against Frederick.

Let’s pack the pitch on September 22nd and give our men and women the boost they need from the 16th man!

Legends and Heroes: The Fly-halfs

So you might be asking yourself, why are we focusing on fly-halfs for this issue of the newsletter? No idea. Don’t they get enough credit, glory, notoriety, and press as it is? Yes. But, does that make them any less worth our time, appreciation, and affection? Absolutely not. Besides, if I make them look good they might buy my drinks at the happy hour at Stan and Joe’s the night before the gala. I’m a writer with little money and a seven week old...a beer sounds pretty good right about now.

It wasn’t easy to get the four selected fly-halfs to respond, but when they did, their passion for the game and for this club reverberated through all of their responses.

Michael “Bergie” Bergeson had an illustrious rugby career playing for the University of Utah, Gonzaga Law School, the Spokane Rugby Club, and finally coming to Severn River in 1982. He began his career playing wing and center, but eventually found his sweet spot at fly-half. “I really liked to read the defense and exploit weaknesses. I also liked to disrupt the opposite forward play by anticipating breaks from the wing, forwards, and the number 8,” he remembered. With the help of excellent teammates like Marty O’Neill at fullback, Pete Freeman at scrummie, Mike and Chris Posko as well as Jeff Arendt at centers, Bergie could use his dummy pass and know his guys would be there to back him up. For Bergie, this game is all about chemistry with the guys on and off the field. From the photo, it’s pretty clear that he had a strong connection with his scrumhalf and no one was getting in the way of that channel.

Ruth Seerey is a rugger for life. Playing for Severn River on a dare from her friends when the women’s team was just starting to form, she had an immediate impact with the knowledge she brought from her years with Chesapeake and her alma mater, UMBC. WIth her kangaroo leather Diadora cleats and a knack for nailing dropkicks mid-play, Ruth was a dynamic fly-half with a calm confidence that her teammates admired. While the position could be frustrating when she received a tough pass from the scrummie and kept “passing the shit” on down the line or getting nailed by the opposing fly-half after a bad pass, her love of the strategy of the game had her hooked from the start. Reading the field and “orchestrating what might happen three plays from now...I’ve always loved figuring out that aspect of the game.” Ruth continues to promote youth rugby as a Head Coach with the Green Hornets program in Severna Park.

The current fly-halfs are following the path laid for them by these outstanding alumni of the club. Charlee and Punchy seem to be related to Ruth and Bergie...if only by the blood they’ve left on the pitch.

Charlee “Charles” Bryan started playing rugby at Towson University and joined Severn River in 2011. A utility back (like so many rookies), Charlee learned much of the game from fullback before moving to fly-half. Once in the new position, her pension for trickery and love of controlling the opponent was really able to shine.  While not a lot of people talk about defense enough, Charlee’s favorite move is to work with her flankers, especially Sweet Dee Crovo, to force the attacking opposition to see a hole in the line that isn’t really there. “We like to turn that into a little game where I feed them right back into the middle where they get blindsided by my more than ready flanker.” With Eminem in her headphones and a family of sisters to support each other, “there's just this feeling that comes with playing the sport- words can't do it justice.”

Erik “Punchy” Dronberger began playing with Severn River in 2001 when he was fifteen. He continued to play in college and returned to Severn in the summers before joining the men’s club in 2009. As another notch in his belt, Punchy played wing in South Africa for Klerksdorp in 2012. With a love of pressure and the adrenaline rush that comes before getting crushed while setting his teammates up for a perfect pass, Punchy loves to be “in control of the giant chess match” that is a 15s rugby match. With a remarkable memory for specific game moments, Punchy is the kind of fly-half who can remember his successes and failures to grow as a cerebral player.   

I could go on and on about Charlee and Punchy, but come out to a match and see their dedication for yourself. All four of these flyhalfs made a few things abundantly clear in their interviews:

1. They relied heavily on their 8-men, Flankers, and Centers for support, but all have a deep appreciation for every player on the field.

2. They love the pressure of making decisions under fire...even if it means getting wrecked occasionally.

3. They all have a 6th sense.

4. They are all fiercely loyal.

But perhaps most importantly, each player stressed that Severn River is their rugby family, the team that they think of most fondly as their own.

Maybe I should buy them a beer.

Triebel Cup

On May 12th, the Severn River Rugby Club took part in the Triebel Cup against the Frederick Rugby Club. Tobin Triebel, a First Sgt. flight paramedic with the Maryland State Police and member of the Frederick rugby club, was struck and killed by a truck while jogging along a local road in November of 2008. From the tragedy, the challenge emerged to honor Triebel and remind ruggers of their deep connection to each other, no matter their home club. This year's Cup was no different with former players dusting off their boots to show their respect and current players experiencing the camaraderie that comes with entire clubs coming together. 

This year, Frederick hosted the day and provided a beautiful pitch for the events. The cup is awarded to the club with the highest cumulative score on the day. Severn River Women started off the day strong with a 71-15 victory. After playing the national anthem and a moment to remember Triebel, the men fought hard through the first half until they fell to the strong depth and chemistry of the Frederick side, 70-36. In the end, Severn River was not able to provide a full B-side for the final match of the day, so Frederick emerged victorious and took home the cup.   Details of the men's and women's matches are below.

Women's Re-Cap:

 With the lucky draw of playing  a little earlier and missing the brunt of the afternoon heat, the Honey Badgers were poised to put a strong finish on their spring season. After narrowly missing regional playoffs , the women took the pitch with something to prove. From the get go, Aly Jost and Katie Marshall were in sync in the backline. A quick score by Jost after an offload from Marshall gave Severn River the first score of the match. Frederick responded quickly a few minutes later by exploiting some defensive weaknesses that Severn corrected as the match continued. Over the next 25 minutes, the honey badgers dominated the field of play. Taylor Tracey (Ferd) recovered a dodgy line-out throw to add another 5 to the board. Scrappy added two scores before the half and Bridgett McDonnell (London) added two as well, including her first as a Honey Badger. One of her scores was assisted by another heads-up play by Ferd who recovered the ball when it popped out of the scrum and connected with London for a pass that sent her to the try-zone. 

By the second-half, Severn River was in their groove, but Frederick wasn't going down without a fight. They added two more scores to their total and forced the Honey Badgers to play even harder. Lauren Hensley, a Salisbury Alumni and welcome addition to the backline, had a strong connection with forward veteran Kate Todorovich (Todo) throughout the day. Their strong communication and fancy offloads set-up Todo for a weak side try to start the scoring in the second half. After that, the scoring was all Severn River.  Aly "Twinkletoes" Jost added another try to her belt while dodging Frederick's defense and leaving a few sore ankles in her wake. Sammi Bottorf and Hannah "Scrappy" Whiteley each added to the tally and earning Scrappy her hat trick on the day. With excellent slow ball control in the forwards by Todo, Lenni, and Mikey as well as beautiful offloading from the backs, Severn River proved how much they have grown as a team this season. New props Kerry Lammers and Jess Murray dominated in the scrums and helped win multiple defensive contests. The combination of new talent and veteran composure left the Honey Badgers with a renewed vigor that will fuel this team into the fall season. 

Final score: 71-15

Tries: A. Jost (2), T. Tracey (1), H. Whiteley (4), B. McDonnell (2), K. Todorovich (1), S. Bottorf (1), M. Williams (1), C. Bryan (1)

Conversions: R. Trouwborst (3 out of 12), M. Williams (0 out of 1)

Men's Re-Cap:

In the scorching heat, the Severn River Men’s team sought vengeance against Frederick, for the defeat that knocked them out of playoff contention in the fall.  After a back and forth first five minutes, Severn looked like they may take their revenge as they broke the deadlock on a well-executed lineout from ten meters out; setting up a maul and driving Frederick back all the way to  the try line before Aldo “don’t have a cow Man” Batubara dove in for the first try of the match.   From there, Severn River took control of the game, dominating possession with excellent rucking from Steven Nery and Dustin Taylor.  As Severn River pushed Frederick on the back foot with crash balls, Erik “Punchy” Dronberger was able to spring Niko through a hole. After being tripped up by the opposing winger, he let off a nice offload to Aldo to score his second on the day.   

Thumping runs from Steve Nery, Richard Maldonado, Nick Strachko, and Dustin Taylor, helped Punchy shift through a hole in the Frederick defense, nothing left to do but dance past the fullback to finish the forty meter try for Severn River’s third of the match.  Continuing their early dominance, Punchy got involved once again in the fourth try, breaking the line to set up Richard to finish for five more points.    This put Severn River up 24-0 after 20 minutes of play, it looked all but over for Frederick, but the heat, and over confidence seemed to play a toll on Severn River, as they dropped their guard and ended up going into halftime down 33-24.  

   Severn River came out of the second half in a fit of rage.  Aldo got the scoring started with another long run to cap off his hat trick, bringing Severn River back within a try of Frederick.  However, it wasn’t meant to be as missed tackles, fitness, and lack of chemistry saw the Severn River Men go on to lose the match 70-36, with Aldo knotting in another try to finish with four on the day and receiving man of the match honors.   It can be said that the score line did not reflect the competitive nature of the match. Severn River were the dominate side throughout the match, but not being able to match Frederick’s depth proved to be their Achilles heel.  Severn River finished the spring season 4-3 and begin their 7s season at the Landshark 7s tournament in Severn.

Tries: A. Batubara (4), E. Dronberger (1), R. Maldonado (1)

Conversions: E. Dronberger (3 out of 6)

Pax River Re-Cap - Saturday, March 17th

While others may have been enjoying $1 Guinness drafts and $3.17 corned beef and cabbage, the Severn River Men's and Women's teams wished a top o' the mornin' to their home pitch as they took on the men's and women's teams from Pax River. 

The women started the day with a 65-0 win over the Pax River Riveters. The Honeybadgers had a chance to stretch their legs after the long winter break with Mikey Williams leading the way in the pack. With three tries and at least four devastating stiff arms, she emerged from the winter hibernation ready to play. Aly Jost, in one of her few appearances at outside center, picked a pass in the back line and finished with a try in the middle of the uprights. Tina Schafer added two tries from scrumhalf, showing off her quickness and knowledge at this crucial spot. Lauren Scheidegger, new to rugby this spring, held her own at lock and proved her ability to ruck and support the team across the field. Her sister Beth and fellow newcomer Lily Folts worked hard to stabilize the pack and find their rhythm with their new teammates. More tries were added by Sammi Bottorf, Captain Casey Hartzell, and returning vet Kiki Elia.  Rayne Trouwburst added four conversions and gave Mikey Williams the honor of adding one more at the end of the match. 

Tries: M. Williams (3), A. Jost (3), T. Schafer (2), S. Bottorf (1), K. Elia (1), C. Hartzell (1)

Conversions: R. Trouwburst (4/10), M. Williams (1/1)

Severn River Men kicked off their 2018 spring campaign this past Saturday with a friendly match against D-IV side Patuxent River Lions.  It was a St. Patrick’s day to remember for the boys in green and blue as they won in a rout, prevailing 83-12.  Severn River’s experience and depth were key in the victory, and evident on both sides of the ball, with 10 different try scorers on the day, as well as holding PAX river to just 2 scores.  The Gotimer family had a great day on the pitch with a first half brace from Harrison Gotimer, only to be topped by an eventual hat trick from his cousin, Colin Gotimer.  Severn River also had first time Men’s side try scores from a trio of players.  Brad McCarty, Cullen Bilger and Adam “Macca” McIntosh all scored their first try for the A-side in this week’s action.  Severn had some highlights on the defensive side of the ball with several stolen line out set pieces as well as a try saving tackle on a breakaway near the 5 meter line by Mikhail Hershfeld.  While not making it into the try zone, veteran leaders Erik “Punchy” Dronberger and Adam Dondero displayed their polished partnership at the 9 and 10 positions and kept the offense humming smoothly all match long.  It was a great first step in their spring season and Severn River will look to continue their winning ways at home against Delmarva RFC this Saturday at 1pm.

Tries: H.Gotimer (2), M. Blimmel (1), L. McClain (1), C. Bilger (1), B. McCarty (1), A. McIntosh (1), A. Batubara (1), C. Gotimer (3), N. Stratchko (1), M. Greenstreet (1)

Conversions: E. Dronberger (9 of 13)

Severn River Slays Savannah

Maybe we don't win every tournament we enter, but we do attempt to achieve legendary status wherever we roam. The 2018 Savannah Saint Patrick's Day Tournament was approached with no less sense of purpose. With fewer than the needed for the weekend, the men teamed up with Media from Media, PA while the women joined forces with some girls from Frederick, St. Mary's, and some other tournament whores looking for a home.

Both the Men's and the Women's Teams represented the club well on the pitch with impressive play by Taylor "Moses" Gavigan of the men's club with phenomenal rucking and steals at the breakdowns in both matches. On the women's side, Mikey, Lina, and Marshall were wrestled from their deep Cage Dancing induced slumbers to play their Sunday matches with heart, even if they may have lacked their traditional coordination at times. Captains Lenni Ferraria and Casey Hartzell stated that "having 100% attendance and participation in the Sunday game is [our] biggest accomplishment to date."

Saturday night became the main event for the club. Dressed in Hawaiian shirts, the Men and Women pre-gamed at the women's home for the weekend, a historic mansion on Perry Street. After a round of Flong, a flip cup/beer pong hipster mash-up game, won decidedly by the women, a boat race where the men were victorious, and some prom style stair photos, the club headed into the once peaceful, quaint city of Savannah. After stops at Wild Willy's to taste and ogle the wall of frozen beverages, cage dancing at Liquid, piano bars, and mistakenly discovering a costume party, it was back to the house with what was left of the tattered ruggers. After some rounds of SEGA, cold pizza, and a front porch Dr. Phil session where far too many feelings were flying, the night came to a close just before the sun tried to ruin the fun. The teams lost an hour of sleep that night to both the terror that is daylight savings time, as well as their own excellent decisions.

The women rallied for their 8:30am match and the men slept soundly through their quiet Sunday in true rugby whore fashion.

2017 - 2018 Banquet Re-Cap

            After some poopy circumstances (literally), we had to move the banquet from the basement of the American Legion to the Berrywood Community Clubhouse just down the road. Shuffling kegs, food, liquor, and decor from one side of Severna Park to the other, Rachel Priddy, Meredith McAlister, and Lauryn (McAlister) Bary did the early leg work to secure the new location. Dee Crovo, Phil Denton, and the first family (Brad and Aly McCarty) arrived early to set-up the bar and tables while the rest of us enjoyed what appeared to be a seamless transition. 

          As each team member arrived, they were greeted by Cinnamon, dutifully checking names off of the list and handing out poker chips to use at the tables. The deck space was a welcome change from banquets in the past, but some of the players grew nostalgic for the frat basement quality of the Legion. There was the normal standing in a circle, belting out a little David Allen Coe and Journey, and some inspired dance moves from nearly everyone, but arguably Casey's "sick cat" is one to look for next time. With a photo booth and game tables provided by B&B Casino Party Pros, food from Mission BBQ, a number of guest bartenders, deserving award winners, and an epic YAD award list of nominees, the night was one to remember. Or not remember.

YAD Award

        Severn River Rugby had a busy year on and off the field.  So to say they had an overflowing list of nominees for the YAD award, is an understatement.  Nominees included the Hesters, Harrison, Bram, Blimmel, Mick, Rich, Cinnamon, Jazz, Joe, and as always Jimmy Benson.  Their accomplishments included everything from getting married on a match day to being too intoxicated to function as a human being.  Other notable nominees included one who stiff armed founding member Henry Posko at the Alumni match and another who kicked down doors at a college party despite being 30+ years old.  Club members started to lose their voices from the number of times we yelled "You're a Dick!" into the peaceful January night of the family focused Berrywood neighborhood.

Despite the best efforts of others to steal the coveted trophy, there was a repeat recipient...

Sloth - for bringing the YAD award to the Anderson's family Thanksgiving Dinner.  When Jenn (Anderson) Fenzel's mom heard that Rachel "Sloth" Priddy was thoughtful enough to bring a centerpiece to share at Thanksgiving, she was speechless. Mama Anderson is no stranger to the team's antics, but even she was taken aback when Sloth arrived with the YAD trophy, decorated with fake daisies and christmas lights from a previous year.  Sloth ceremoniously placed the YAD in the center of the table while cousins, siblings, and grandchildren looked on from their formal china place settings. As the family continued to share what they were thankful for this year, Sloth added how much she appreciated being accepted by such a caring family and always being welcome in this home. Jenn's mom nodded approvingly seeming to forget the gigantic...well use your imagination...in the room, while the rest of the table tried to stifle their laughter.  

TEAM AWARDS:

Forward of the Year- Aldo Batubara

Unsung Hero - Brad McCarty

  Back of the Year - Karl Teague

Rookie of the Year - Mike Gibson

Back of the Year- Charlee “Charles” Bryan

   Forward of the Year-Michal “Mikey” Williams

Steel Tits-Dee Crovo

Rookie of the Year-Taylor “Ferd” Tracy

Unsung Hero- Lina Hargadon