Date: Saturday, November 10, 2001
Result: B Side - Philadelphia-Whitemarsh 47 Wilmington 24
Scoring: Phila.-Whitemarsh B – 7 tries [Shipos, McCurry, Smith (2), Dunbar, Tulio, Koroitamana], 6 conversions [Dunbar] Wilmington – 4 tries, 2 conversions

WILMINGTON, DE – Philadelphia-Whitemarsh’s B side finished its season with an impressive 47-24 handling of Wilmington Saturday, following a 19-0 victory for the P-W Old Boys over Wilmington’s Old Boys.

Philadelphia-Whitemarsh was led by hard-charging hooker Brian Dunbar of Media, who tallied 17 points on the day with one try and six conversions. Dunbar, who was selected the Tetley’s English Ale Man-of-the-Match, set the pace all day with his hard, straight-ahead running and scrappy defense.

Also impressive in the victory for Philadelphia-Whitemarsh was 8-man Lex McCurry of Chester Springs. The veteran’s high work rate earned him a try and praise from the coaching staff for his efforts in every aspect of the game.

The match marked the Philadelphia-Whitemarsh playing debut of former Austrian national team standout Julio César Vergara-Heinrroth. The Paraguay native had been a practice stalwart all season, but a nagging knee injury had kept him out of matches until Saturday, when he came in at second row and had several powerful runs, as well as a surprisingly athletic take on a kicked ball late in the match.

The play of the day came from up-and-coming scrumhalf Louis Tulio of Blue Bell. Tulio picked-up off the base of a ruck in the 16th minute of the second period, slipped through a gap and went 40 meters untouched before chip kicking over the Wilmington fullback. Tulio then out-jumped Wilmington’s young winger to steal the ball on the first bounce and spun away from the tackle to dot down for a try between the posts.

In a match that went for three 30-minute periods, Philadelphia-Whitemarsh got on the scoreboard first in the 14th minute when prop Richard Shannon of Royersford plowed over a defender to start a series in which tough-running flanker Zack Padgett of Levittown broke two tackles before feeding Dunbar, who set up winger Phil Shipos of Morrisville for the try.

McCurry’s try came less than two minutes later on an assist by lock Mike Verrill of Blue Bell, and Robert Smith of Langhorne scored the first of two tries just minutes later, set up by another big run from Shannon.

A big break by Tulio set up Dunbar’s try in the 27th minute of the first period, and a try for Wilmington in the 30th minute put the first-period score at 26-5 Philadelphia-Whitemarsh.

Smith got his second try just two minutes into the second period, when he intercepted a pass in the centers and raced 60 meters untouched before pulling a hamstring just before dotting down between the posts.

Tulio’s brilliant kick-and-catch one-man try 14 minutes later, plus the conversion by Dunbar, gave Philadelphia-Whitemarsh a 40-5 lead.
Wilmington made a surge for the next 20 minutes, scoring three unanswered tries and two conversions to cut the lead to 40-24 by the midpoint of the third period.

But in the 19th minute of the final period McCurry blocked a Wilmington kick that was picked up by Philadelphia-Whitemarsh flanker Mike McKenzie of Aston, who barreled to within three meters of the try line. That play set up the final try of the day, which came from shifty Fijian flyhalf Anasa Koroitamana of Malvern, who dummied a wide pass and dove in from two meters out. Dunbar’s conversion made the final 47-24.

PHILADELPHIA-WHITEMARSH ROSTER
1 Richard Shannon (Royersford)
2 Brian Dunbar (Media)
3 Matt Hull (Malvern)
4 Fred Koniecki (Phila.)
5 Jay Strock (Phila.)
6 Mike McKenzie (Aston)
7 Zack Padgett (Levittown)
8 Jeremy Quinn (Conshohocken)
9 Louis Tulio (Blue Bell)
10 Anasa Koroitamana (Malvern)
11 Phil Shipos (Morrisville)
12 Spiros Malaspina (Mullica Twp.)
13 Rob Smith (Langhorne)
14 Eric Hersey (Ambler)
15 Mike Rosenburg (Trevose)

Substitutes: Julio Cesar Vergara-Heinrroth (second row); Mike Verrill (second row); Lex McCurry (8-man); Jez Batten (flanker); Jeff Hoobler (fullback); Marty Blash (prop)

to: Old Boys Beat Wilmington Rugby

Michael Badger, Club Scribe