MOBILE, Ala. — The South Alabama Men’s Rugby Football Club finished 2-1-1 at the 32nd annual Battleship Rugby Tournament over the weekend, picking up wins over West Florida and Troy after a loss to Kennesaw State and a tie with Tulane.
Kennesaw State 53, South Alabama 19
The Jaguars opened Saturday morning against Kennesaw State, which controlled possession from the opening kickoff and scored a try two minutes in. Kennesaw State added two more tries over the next 10 minutes.
South Alabama got on the board in the 15th minute after winning a lineout, when flanker Jayvon Jackson worked through several defenders for the club’s first try of the tournament. Ruben Lugo converted. Kennesaw State scored once more before halftime to lead 26-7.
Kennesaw State scored two tries in the first eight minutes of the second half. In the 11th minute, No. 8 Balla Masemola picked the ball from the back of the scrum and made a long run, and scrumhalf Lugo kicked ahead for wing Eric Shreves, who scored. Lugo converted. Masemola then scored on another pickup from the back of the scrum, and Lugo’s conversion cut the deficit to 36-19.
Kennesaw State scored three tries in the final five minutes to win 53-19.
South Alabama 5, Tulane 5
The Jaguars faced Deep South rival Tulane on Saturday afternoon. Neither team reached the try zone until the 18th minute, when Lugo broke free on a long run and scored in the corner. The conversion missed, and South Alabama led 5-0 at halftime.
Neither defense gave much in the second half. Late in the match, Tulane used South Alabama penalties to move downfield and scored a try in the 20th minute but missed the conversion. The match ended 5-5, and tournament rules allowed the result to stand as a tie.
South Alabama 10, West Florida 7
On Sunday morning, South Alabama played shortened round-robin matches. Against West Florida, center Gabriel Torres broke a long run from deep in South Alabama territory and got the ball to Lugo, who beat several defenders to score. Lugo added the conversion.
West Florida scored and converted about 10 minutes later. In the final seconds, South Alabama pressed deep in West Florida territory, and West Florida was penalized for playing the ball from an offside position. The Jaguars elected to kick, and Lugo’s penalty goal gave South Alabama its first win of the tournament, 10-7.
South Alabama 10, Troy 0
South Alabama shut out Troy in its final match. Torres again started the scoring play with a long run, and No. 8 Jason Pendergraph broke several tackles to score. The conversion missed.
In the 10th minute, the Jaguars missed a penalty kick but kept the ball in Troy’s end. After a quick series of rucks, the forwards mauled the ball into the try zone. The conversion missed again, and neither team scored the rest of the way.
Iron Men
Forwards Scott DeGraw, Vaughan Blacksher, Jayvon Jackson and Scott Pendergraph and back Ruben Lugo played every minute of all four matches, according to the club’s coaches.
The coaches’ report noted the team’s improvement since its match at Spring Hill College two weeks earlier. The club competes in Division 3 of the Deep South Rugby Union.
