Date: Saturday, September 27, 2003
Philadelphia-Whitemarsh 35
NOVA 13
Site – Memorial Hall Field
Referee –PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia-Whitemarsh and NOVA played a tight first half before the home side turned on the jets and pulled away for a 35-13 victory Saturday at Memorial Hall Field.
P-W took a 10-8 lead into halftime thanks to a try from its emerging star fullback Louis Tulio, plus a convertion and a penalty goal from flanker Andrey Biryukov.
To start the second half, loose head prop Mark Sanders raced under the kickoff and knocked it back into the hands of lock Fred Koniecki, giving P-W possession in NOVA territory. Within two minutes winger Jeff Preston was bursting in for a try to give his side the 15-8 advantage following the failed convertion.
An unconverted NOVA try five minutes later narrowed the P-W lead to 3 before Biryukov nailed another penalty in the11th minute of the half to put his side up 18-13.
From there it was all Philadelphia-Whitemarsh.
At the 27th minute of the half flanker Joe Cassidy jumped on a loose ball coming out of a NOVA scrum and touched it down for the try. The failed convertion made the score 23-13.
In the 38th minute of the half Tulio picked off the base of the ruck and squirted through two defenders for his second try of the day from 15 meters out. Captain John Grace’s convertion put P-W up 30-13.
Grace would cap off the game with a try of his own in the final minutes to give P-W a 35-13 victory and a 2-2 record on the fall season.
While NOVA ventured deep into P-W territory several times in the second half, strong defensive play kept them from scoring.
Rookie wing-forward/prop Andrew Fusco and veteran prop Sanders registered the big hit of the day when they stopped NOVA’s big lock dead in his tracks as he tried to barrel in from 5 meters out on a penalty tap late in the game.
Outside center Jack Foley was recognized as well for his try-saving tackle in the second half.
Also turning in an impressive performance after a long absence from the side was 8-man and former team captain Jim Brill, whose rucking and poaching were key to P-W possession all afternoon.
Tulio and Joe Cassidy were recognized as the Michelob Men-of-the-Match.P-W Roster
1 Sam Fiorelli
2 John Grace (captain)
3 Mark Sanders
4 Fred Koniecki
5 Jake Schubert
6 Andrey Biryukov
7 Joe Cassidy
8 Jim Brill
9 Kris Johnson
10 Derek Tully
11 Don Foy
12 Jeff Preston
13 Jack Foley
14 Bobby Cassidy
15 Louis Tulio
Substitutes – Mark Nuttal, lock; Andrew Fusco, prop; Joel Venables, 8-man; Stephen Siano, flyhalf
Michael Badger, Club Scribe