FORT SILL, Okla. (Aug. 7, 2014) -- A foggy Aug. 2 morning in Dallas turned out to be the most successful tournament for the Lawton-Fort Sill Gunners rugby team in recent years as the team won the social division of the Mudfish 7s tourney.
Fifteen rugby teams from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mexico converged on Lake Highlands Park, competing for the winners' drink from the championship cup.
The team began its morning at 5 a.m. to make the 3.5-hour journey to the park.
"Traveling long distances to compete is nothing new for us," said team captain 1st Lt. Curtis
Cornelius, 214th Fires Brigade chemical officer. "This is actually the shortest trip we have made this summer so it's the closest to home-field advantage we can get as Fort Sill hasn't hosted a tournament since 2011."
The Gunners learned their first opponent, Alliance Rugby Club of Fort Worth, would be one the team hadn't faced before.
After a defensive battle in the first five minutes, Gunners' winger 1st Lt. Jean-Pierre Cooper, 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, scored the opening five-point try.
After that, the Black Knights couldn't withstand the Gunners' barrage. The Gunners won 27-5 then continued their streak with shutouts over conference rival and tournament hosts, the Dallas Athletic Rugby Club, 49-0, and Shreveport, La., Rugby Club, 27-0.
East Texas Rugby club proved the toughest opponent. Nearing halftime, the Texans led 10-5, but as the ball was about to go out of bounds, fullback Samuel Kibue, a graduate student at Cameron University, kicked the ball downfield where fly half Spc. Dacoda Worth, 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade, caught it in stride and sprinted over the try line to tie the game.
"It was a hefty fine day and one that many of us long-timers here have been waiting years to experience," said Jory Garrett, team co-captain and an instructor at the Joint Fires Observer course. "We really came together as a team through our practices and put it all out here on the field today."
The Gunners rolled up a 119-22 advantage in the four matches they played.
"All the guys played their hearts out, and it was fun to play with a group of guys giving their all," said 1st Lt. Hayden Ware, 434th Field Artillery Brigade.
Cornelius said consistent practice and team building build a strong foundation for the all-around team effort.
"Some of these guys didn't touch a rugby ball until just a couple weeks ago, and it turned out to be a real pleasure watching the team's talent grow," he said.
The Gunners have one more tournament this summer; they will travel to Shreveport.
The team practices weekly and tries to get to as many tournaments around the country as possible, often road tripping in a 12-person van.
New members are always welcome. Having changed to a community inclusive team, civilians are eligible to play, too. Practices are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. at Prichard Field. Call Cornelius at 443-510-6062 for more information.
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