Old Boy Form

The second annual Tiger Old Boy weekend was a big hit.  Kicked off on Friday night at Central BBQ we were treated to some of the best BBQ pork and chicken that Memphis has to offer.  Coach Cole introduced the 2013-2014 Tigers to the Old Boys.  “This is the most athletic group of players we have had to date“, stated Cole.  The new players are strong athletes and the old players used the off season to put on muscle and speed.

Representatives from the Blues attended the dinner to show their support.  The Blues have decided to provide scholarships to cover the dues of two Tigers each year.  Seven Tigers applied for the scholarship by submitting an essay on why they would appreciate the scholarship.  The Blues executive committee met and they chose Hector Marquez and John Elmore as the first scholarship recipients.  We are proud of these young lads and their accomplishment.

Coach Cole announced the schedule for the fall and stated that this is the time for the Tigers to challenge the local SEC schools.  We will be playing Ole Miss, Miss State, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Alabama.  The Tigers have had good recent success against Ole Miss, Vandy and Miss State and look forward to beating Alabama who beat us in a squeaker at their house refereed by their coach.  (Yes, that stunk.)  Also this is our first shot at Tennessee, the premiere team in the SEC, in recent memory.  We will face them in Nashville at Vandy’s Oak Leaf Tournament.

Saturday is rugby day, and the Old Boy match was a blast.  Due to the extreme heat, the match was divided up into 4 quarters, but that didn’t help much.  The Old Boys went down hard and fast.  The Tigers supplemented the Old Boys with the best from the Tiger bench and things got a little tougher.

Lee Downing was in good form.  Gunner was his frisky self and K-Ro continued to surprise everyone with his quick moves and ball handling.  The Tigers beat themselves early in the match, with dropped passes and lost rucks.  However, in the second half, they settled down and began to play a respectful game of rugby.

After the match, the Tigers and Old Boys gathered at the pitch for some great food cooked by Marc Holley.  Besides running the grill, he brought his personal recipe jambalaya.  Delicious.  That, a burger, and a beer topped of a great day.

While we rested and dined, the Blues challenged the St. Louis Bombers.  The Bombers, are a formidable lot, but the Blues were tough, never relenting and made them earn every point.

We’re already planning the next Old Boys match.  Maybe at night under the lights at Memorial Field?  (Gotta find a way to beat the heat.)  There’s talk of a golf outing.  Whether you play golf or rugby, you will not want to miss this next outing.  Keep your eyes on the Old Boy email list.

Rob  Halcomb called an excellent match, ensuring that all had fun and that no one got hurt.  Thanks to Rob for his efforts.

Here are some early pics for the weekend. (Thanks Tom Sweeney.)