Santos 2-1 at High Desert Classic
Albuquerque, NM
October 28, 2022 - DW
Santa Fe, New Mexico’s only intercity/interstate/international adult sports club, won two matches and conceded one in the High Desert Classic rugby tournament, hosted by Albuquerque Aardvarks RFC. Los Santos have participated since the event’s inception in 1972, capturing the championship on at least three occasions. Los Santos lost their opener to ARC, rebounded against University of New Mexico, and finished with a last-play, come-from-behind victory against El Paso’s Scorpions.
After many years at Bullhead Park near Kirtland Air Force Base, the tournament was moved in 2022 to north-central Albuquerque’s Vista del Norte Park. Judging from field conditions and players’ comments, this was a welcome change from the ravaged surfaces of the Bullhead years. Zero wind combined with an autumn sun to produce a day designed for rugby.
As with the Santa Fe Tens on Labor Day, out-of-state teams disappointed by not showing up, in this instance Air Force Academy and Provo Steelers. Somewhat bizarrely AFA blamed their absence on weather conditions, when in reality neither Friday nor Saturday produced hazardous driving conditions in either Colorado or New Mexico. Apparently Provo did not supply an alibi for their malfeasance. One would hope they prepaid their entry fee, however unlikely that may be.
The women’s competition seemed to go off with fewer hitches and included teams from El Paso, New Mexico State, University of New Mexico, and the home town Atomic Sisters. Of particular interest was the impressively strong, straight-ahead play displayed by relative newcomers El Paso. Indeed, with the Women’s World Cup currently highlighting incredible improvements in playing standards, the outdoor boat race between El Paso and Atomic Sisters suggested the females are definitely on the burst in the 2020s.
Originally and for decades a two-day event featuring as many as 16 men’s teams from Colorado, Texas, Arizona, and California, the 2022 High Desert Classic was completed on one pitch in a single day. The usual suspects in attendance – Aardvarks, Santa Fe, Brujos, El Paso, UNM – no doubt were disappointed by a lost opportunity to play someone different, but didn’t let it spoil their fun. A herd of at least 20 former Aardvarks (your humble reporter included) gathered to offer their team surplus advice, and all-day beer mugs went for $20 apiece on a day.
The Saturday night Halloween costume party at a downtown Central Avenue bar was scheduled to start some four hours after the completion of play, by which time most if not all Santos had returned to more familiar environs. Former and Forever teammate David Niven, returned from London for a quick stint of work, was feted later that night at SFRFC sponsors SF Brewing Company’s Headquarters location.
According to captain Ryan Weir, Santa Fe put in a good showing in their 9:00 am match against New Mexico / southwest Texas’s leading team, the Aardvarks. Weir attributed a close halftime score largely to strong defense. Shortened halves probably also helped hold down a team with deep reserves playing under the day’s rolling substitution rule. Hooker Adam Jobes and lock Enrique Salazar nabbed tries for the Santos, who nevertheless went down 31-10.
Things went predictably better for the capital city gang in the late morning match with UNM. The final score was unknown at press time but Santa Fe crossed seven times versus very few or none for the Lobos. A racing form would have been welcome in identifying some of those Santos in black or white shorts, evidence of the welcoming recruitment tactics currently in play. Regardless of tenure with the team, it sure looked like everyone had a good time, particularly long-distance runner Ben Schlappi of Ouray, Colorado, who scored two tries in each 20-minute half! “I probably hogged a bit” admitted the normally modest Mr. S.
When Ben Schlappi wasn’t scoring, three other Santos managed to squeeze into the try zone: the rangy Salazar, fellow lock Jeremy Lithgow (his first?), and tighthead prop Dylan Merrigan.
Santa Fe’s nightcap versus El Paso kicked off early in the afternoon. The Scorpions scored two tries in the first ten minutes and looked on course to a comfortable win. But Mateo Cardiel used his teammates’ diagonal running to his advantage with a sidestep to score and flanker John Bent tallied another try to keep things interesting. But El Paso kept the heat on with two more first-half tries to make it 26-12 at the break.
But whether through confidence imparted by the preceding Saturday’s lopsided win against Brujos or highly polished execution of an intricate game plan hatched late at night by coach Richard Morris (or possibly even something else), the Santos stayed in the match. First, Adam Jobes pin-balled off defenders with his customary committed fashion to score his second try early in the second half to make things more interesting for onlookers at EP 26, SF 19.
The touchline set definitely got engaged when, with seconds remaining, equally committed and always-entertaining wing Frank Marchi leveled the scores at 26 with an assist from his longtime Vato teammate Gadi. The next team to score would end their day with a hard-earned“walk off” win.
For the dramatic conclusion of the match we turn to eyewitness-participant John Bent:
“Somehow we had a ruck (or scrum?) inside our 22 on the left side of the field and somehow the ball came out and went weak-side. I think Frankie (Marchi) was involved. Somehow this kid (Tiger, UNM) got it and was up around our 40 and maybe heading out of bounds. He threw about a 10 meter football pass to Jeremy Armstrong. Jeremy pretty much immediately had someone in front of him so he wasn’t able to make a break. Somehow it was awkward for him because when he passed it to me, he passed it like an offload and not a normal pass. But it was a perfect pass; right in stride and right in my hands. I had been far away still at the previous breakdown I think which was inside 22 but in middle of field. But Mateo, before the game, had given me two suggestions for flanking. One suggestion was to get to every breakdown. So, inspired by Mateo and reminding myself of the refrain that was popular with the santos when I first joined, “I got on my horse”. I had the honor of finishing the play but my job was easy. I just had to catch a ball and run in a straight line. That try was the result of tremendous heroic team play by many to get the ball into space.”
The crowd erupted into loud applause and there were giggles of joy in the Santo camp. The value of winning the day's last match:
The beer tasted better. The knocks didn’t hurt as much. Well done, Santos.
