Wharton Journal

Issue date: 11/24/08 Section: News

On November 6th, a nip in the air bit at Wharton students scurrying between class, EIS and Pub in Philadelphia. But in Phoenix, the temperature was hot and about to get hotter... the Wharton Wharthogs (endearingly called the "Hogs") had arrived for the 12th Annual Thunderbird Rugby Invitational. Two-time defending champions, the Hogs had come to take on all challengers. From the beginning, two things were obvious - 1) the Hogs were ready to take Phoenix by storm and 2) Phoenix was not ready for the Hogs in Heat.
Day 1 (of rugby): Saturday, November 8
Two nights of playing hard off the field in Phoenix had the Hogs in a fever pitch for their first match. Led by Praveen "Chip n' Dale" Lingathoti, the ruggers had represented the Wharton name with honor at the local night life establishments. Now it was time to represent on the field. The tournament organizers had scheduled a tough first match - a Hogfest rematch with Columbia at 7:30 am. The Hogs knew that they must be on top of their game to defeat a Columbia team they had beaten 3-0 only one month earlier. The match was a grueling physical contest in the rugby world called a "forwards game." Mike "the Cramp" Chamberlayne, Keith "General" Washington and Alex "I'm Not a Player, I Just Ruck a Lot" Fleming led a punishing attack up front for the Hogs. Late in the first half, the Hogs' efforts paid off. As Columbia attempted to kick deep in their territory, "Petey" Pablo Lema sacrificed his body to block the kick. Chaos ensued. When it was over, Ross "Doctor Death" Mazo had fallen on the ball in the try zone giving Wharton a 7-0 lead after the conversion. The battle ensued. Midway through the second half, the Hogs scrummed down 15 meters from Columbia's try zone. It was time for the Captains to display their moxie. Faking to Patrick "Scrumbag" Sullivan, Eddie "Take Off that Sweater" Sarian broke right out of the scrum. Drawing multiple Columbia defenders, Sarian passed wide to a charging Brent "Mr. Nice Guy" Boyce, who galloped in for the team's second try. The game ended with this same score: Wharton 12 Columbia 0. Both teams suffered numerous injuries during the game, but the Hogs limped off victorious.
Little did the other teams know that Wharton would bring two formidable rugby teams. The Wharton B side had something to prove against Kellogg in its first match. From the start, Christophe "Why Did I Bring My Sister" Defert broke through the middle for a long run putting Wharton deep into Kellogg's territory. The rest of the work was done by the golden foot of Dan "Top of the List" Scharff and power of Mo "Cool Runnings" Horowitz. Scharff placed a brilliant kick near the try zone, and Horowitz powered through defenders to claim the ball and dash through the try zone for Wharton B's first score. A conversion by "Top of the List" Scharff put the Hogs up 7-0. From then on, it was a grueling match. Mike "Shirt? Not for Me" Melby led the backs, while Paolo "Mamma Mia" Castano led a dominant forward pack. The game was a true battle. In the end, an experienced Kellogg side, with the help of a few questionable calls, clawed back to steal an 8-7 victory from a determined Wharton B side.

Continued...

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