Wildcats Roar Out of the Gates in 2005
Kevin Coleman Memorial Sevens Tournament

by Mike Lee

Blue skies set the stage for the first annual Kevin Coleman Memorial Sevens Tournament at Chichester Municipal Park in Media, Pa. Ryan Coleman (Knights) and Steve Thompson (Sharks) coordinated the event that raised $2,500.00 for Kevin, who passed away on Mother’s Day, 1994. As for the Rugby League, the Sharks and Bulls were strong, fielding 2 teams each, and the Knights and Fight shocked all on hand with their skills, but it was the Connecticut Wildcats, led by first-year Captain/coach Andrew Webster, who went perfect on the day, outscoring each opponent by a dozen to capture the Trophy first and place their name on top of the engravings.

The first round of pool play saw the Cats blank a hard Sharks White side for 3 points and the Fight edge the Bulls Black in a shootout, while the Knights and Bulls Gold rounded out a second place tie with 2 points each on the table.

The second round again went to the Cats as they somehow managed to defy the laws of physics by edging the biggest sevens side ever in the Bulls Gold, for 3 more – bringing them to 6 points on the table and solidifying a spot in the final. Both Sharks sides took 2 points to create and incredible log jam for the number 2 spot, with the Knights, Fight and Bulls Black.

With a spot in the final up for grabs, a young, fast and determined Fight rose to the top of the table with a 3 point win to edge out a Sharks squad that had toiled hard all day. The Sharks then went down in a consolation battle to an impressive Knights outfit that ended up stealing third place honors.

The Championship started out with the Cats running downhill with the wind at their backs, but after 2 costly mistakes at the Fight goal-line they found themselves down 4-0 off quick hands out wide.

Captain/coach and apparent cut-man Andrew Webster stopped the bleeding right quick as he doubled up Murray “Mozza” Roeske, who touched down two of 10 spoon-fed tries on the day to give the Cats a slight edge at 8-4 going into half-time. The second-half was all Wildcats as their defense stiffened to keep the Fight out. Rich Portale and Sick Joel Venables delivered the final blows and score-line read 16-4 when all was said and done. The Cats were led defensively by Will Brazier, Mozza and Portale, each making more than one goal-line stop in the final.

Leading try-scorers on the day were “Mozza” Roeske with double digits, fellow Wildcat Andrew Webster and Knights’ Ryan Coleman and Craig Smith, among others right behind.

At the awards presentation following, New York Knights’ Gareth Baxendale earned MVP honors on the day and showed his class by donating the prize back to the Kevin Coleman Scholarship fund. Steve Thompson and Ryan Coleman presented Wildcats’ Captain/coach Andrew Webster with the Inaugural Cup, which was immediately filled and emptied by a thirsty Wildcats squad, along with Ryan Coleman. Wildcats CEO Rich Portale accepted the Prize money on the Wildcats’ behalf and followed the young Knight’s lead by donating about 1/3 of the purse back to the Scholarship fund.

Final results on the table in pool play –

Team-Points
Connecticut Wildcats-9
Philadelphia Fight-6
New York Knights-5
New Jersey Sharks Blue-5
Glen Mills Bulls Black-4
New Jersey Sharks White-3
Delaware Mantarays-2
Glen Mills Gold-2