Knoxville Rugby Football Club

The trophy stayed home.

Knoxville edged Greenville, S.C., 17-16 in the final of the Dogwood Tournament, held April 5 and 6, 1997.

Six teams competed in the two-pool tourney. In Bracket One, Knoxville stomped Johnson City 34-7 before the Possums shut out Findlay, Ohio, 22-0. In the second pool, Greenville romped Chattanooga 47-0 and beat Toledo 20-13.

Final

Ten minutes into the championship, with the pitch softened by a morning rain, Knoxville center Todd Little scored a try and lock Brian Niekerk converted for a 7-0 Knoxville lead.

Greenville flyhalf Rich Cobb booted two penalties to one by Niekerk to bring the halftime score to 10-6 in Knoxville’s favor.

The second half started with Knoxville prop Tyler Huskey bursting up the middle for a 25-meter try that Niekerk converted to put the Possums in front 17-6.

Cobb was knocked out of the game and wing Greg Blinston moved to flyhalf. He promptly slotted a penalty to bring the Griffins within eight points at 17-9.

A try by Greenville wing Lynn Moore, converted by Blinston, tightened the scoreline to 17-16. The Griffins pressured late on a scamper by scrumhalf Tom Liddle, but a Knoxville player alertly kicked the ball away when no support arrived for Liddle.

Knoxville                                         Greenville

Huskey (C)                1                       Little

Miller                         2                       Courtney

McArthur                    3                       J. Roberts

Cerne                          4                      Haywood

Niekerk                       5                       Speaks

Daugherty                    6                       Van Evera

Cunningham                7                       Lecroix

Powell                           8                      D. Roberts (C)

Hopson                         9                      Liddle

Broyles                          10                     Cobb*

Bennett                          11                     Moore

Little                              12                     Howland

Koroa                              13                     Clardy

Dorwin                            14                      Blinston

Braswell                           15                      Quirk

*replaced by Jackson

Ref: Craig Kartiganer