Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 30, 1994 TAG: 9411230001
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWIGHT FOXX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In the men's club division, seventh-seeded James River stunned the tournament host and second seed, the Roanoke Rugby Club, 26-18 in a morning quarterfinal match at Green Hill Park.
Roanoke played three of its youngest players - Eric Lowry, Richard Frantz and Eric Robinson. Lowry, who has been practicing with the team for three weeks, scored Roanoke's first try when he intercepted a lateral and sprinted 80 yards to the try zone to give his team a 5-0 advantage. Lowry went into his Deion Sanders high-stepping mode for the final 20 yards.
``We sort of frown on that [high-stepping] in rugby,'' said Mike Morgan, Roanoke's coach.
``I told him yesterday that I was going to do it,'' Lowry said with a smile.
It was one of the host team's few bright spots. After trailing 12-3 early, James River fought back and took a lead by halftime it would never relinquish.
Morgan said his young players deserved to play, even though they might not have given him his most experienced or best 15 players on the field.
``We felt like we had a good shot to win,'' Morgan said. ``They've [the young players] been to all the practices and deserved to play in the state tournament. We need young people to help develop the club.
``That's not the reason we lost. We just got outplayed. It is difficult to lose at home, but it happens in sports. James River played a real good, hard, smart match. They deserved it.''
Lowry was the starting fullback for the Ferrum College football team for its first four games this season, but he left the Panthers after a dispute with an assistant coach.
``A friend of mine, [former Ferrum teammate] Eric Robinson, asked me to come out for rugby,'' said the 5-foot-10, 240-pounder. ``I went to a practice, liked it and I'm still out here."
Lowry, a business finance major at Ferrum, said the game is a great way to have fun and stay active. The Bedford native plans to continue living in the Roanoke Valley and playing rugby after graduation despite the tough loss.
``I'm going to get some of the guys [former Ferrum teammates] to come out in the spring,'' the senior said. ``This fits my style - rugged - and I get to use my size and speed.''
Roanoke won its later contest by thumping Blacksburg 38-0 in the losers' bracket. The hosts will play Blacksburg for fifth place at 10:15 a.m. today.
Norfolk, seeded first in the club division, advanced to today's 2:30 p.m. final by clobbering Charlottesville 65-5. The Tidewater team will face Richmond, a 13-8 winner over James River.
In other action, Mary Washington, seeded first in the West, and Virginia Tech, seeded first in the East, will collide at 1 p.m. today for the men's college division championship of the Ed and Sandy Lee Cup.
Radford, the third seed from the West, pulled upset No.2 in the quarterfinal round by defeating Richmond, the East's second seed, 30-22 before running into the Blacksburg juggernaut.
In the women's division, West top seed James Madison will meet West second seed Radford at 11:30 a.m. today for the Cup. James Madison allowed one try in defeating Maryland-Baltimore County (33-0) and Virginia Tech (24-5).
James Madison scored 24 consecutive points against Virginia Tech in its semifinal victory.
Virginia Tech, seeded third in the West, pulled upset No.3 in a quarterfinal with a 12-0 victory over Mary Washington, the East's second-seeded team.
Radford survived a huge scare from giant-killer Virginia 18-17 in the semifinal round. Virginia, the fourth seed from the West, knocked off the East's top seed, William and Mary, 13-7 in upset No.4 of the quarterfinal round.
by CNB