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Knoxville over Huntsville 28-19
February 28, 2010
On March 6th, the Possums headed down to Huntsville, AL and pulled out a victory in the dying moments of the match. The weather was more than cooperative as both teams headed onto the pitch: Huntsville ailing from player turnover from the previous year and Knoxville scrambling to field replacements for (4) positions.
Huntsville started with an educated boot slotting (2) penalty kicks after Knoxville committed penalties inside their own 40-meters. Score: 0-6. Huntsville was forced to play a man down after a professional foul resulted in a yellow card for the next ten minutes. Knoxville answered with a score from #8 Wayne Chemerly after some hard rucking near the try line to take the advantage. Score 7-6. Both teams struggled to find offensive possession as Knoxville’s defense held a Huntsville team who did a great job at poaching ball in the rucks with a large forward pack. Huntsville answered late in the first half with another penalty kick ending the first half scoring. Score: 7-9.
The second half started no different the first half ended: both teams trying to find offensive continuity. After some loose possessions and kicking for advantage, Huntsville repeatedly crashed the Possum try line finally scoring up the middle with a quick center strike. Score: 7-16. Events turned worse for the Possums as one of their own suffered a yellow card professional foul penalty leaving them short-handed. However, due to some well placed kicks, the Possums positioned themselves deep inside Huntsville territory managing to slowly restart some offense with a backline score from #13 Shaun Shanks. Score: 14-16.
On the opposite end of the field, the Home team made Knoxville pay again, capitalizing off of another Knoxville penalty with less than 20-min left. Score: 14-19. Play continued as both teams suffered injuries, Knoxville losing an inside center and Huntsville losing a hooker. Long runs dominated the next minutes of play as both defenses held. At the 10-min mark Knoxville seemed to find some go-forward as quick rucking and backline play pushed the ball across the try line courtesy of #15 Sebastien “Frenchy” Dutoya. Score 21-19. Knoxville kept up the intensity striking with a supporting #8 Wayne Chemerly at the 4-min mark. Score: 28-19.
The game ended as such with Knoxville finding some advantage out wide and perhaps with more fitness on the day. This spectator can’t say enough about how well Knoxville battled back against a quality opponent, away from home, with a disheveled line-up, and (3) reserves). This victory ended a 10-yr drought against Huntsville (Knoxville moved up to Division II in 2005). Huntsville was a different team than we had played in several years with big, aggressive forwards and great kicking. The fact that no kicks (conversion or otherwise) were missed by either team tells you how well the game was played on Saturday by both sides.
KRFC would like to thank Huntsville for the hard-nosed match and the social following.
1. Garrett Jernigan
2. Tom Jallo
3. Shane Randolph
4. Brad Lokitz (Ray Moore, 65-min)
5. Chad Haynes
6. Sean Pickel
7. Mark Lane
8. Wayne Chemerly
9. Reggie Mullins (Adam Ingle, 60-min)
10. Adam Ingle (Lucas Rogers, 60-min)
11. Sebatien “Frenchy” Dutoya (Randall Hubbs, 60-min)
12. Pierre Steenenkamp (Reggie Mullins, 60-min)
13. Shaun Shanks
14. Heath Hildreth
15. Lucas Rogers (Frenchy, 60-min)
16. Ray Moore
17. Randall Hubbs
18. Jay McNabb
Possum Supporters: Buck Rogers, Margaret Anne Ingle, Samantha DeMange
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