Two Atlantis
Champions: College Men and High School Girls Top Picture, L to R: Joe Kelly
Sr., Soh Nakayama, Jack Freiheit, Chris Mattina, Yoh Nakayama,
Ryan McNulty, Sean Hardiman, Gardy Lebon, Mike Dabulas, Joe
Kelly Jr., Omar Rivera, Emil Signes Bottom Picture. Top
Row, L to R: Kevin Corley, Delia Hellander, Emily Henrich,
Natalie Gray, Billy Nicholas, Emil Signes. Bottom Row, L to R: Cassidy
Bargell, Brianna Vasquez, Lily Durbin, Meg Rose, Jodi Losch,
Jordy Cowan, Elizabeth Wilson, Naomi Mitzner, Michel Navarro
I keep returning to the New York Sevens every year even though I
believe that sevens should be played in the summer or at least in
summer-like weather. In addition my high school (Xavier)
played its home football games on Randall's Island when I was a
student there (on Thanksgiving we would play Fordham Prep there),
so I've been coming to this island on this weekend for many
decades.
I've been to the NY Sevens most
years since 1970 when I went as a player without a team hoping to
pick up a couple of games but ended up getting railroaded into
reffing an 8:30 AM game on a remote field. The tournament
forgot about me, and I ended up refereeing several consecutive
games and I think 14 total (I was fit then); the last one was the
college final. I don't remember now who know was in it - BC,
Syracuse, Holy Cross, are names that keep popping up in my head.
At any rate, my one memory of that match was that it got so dark
that, even with car headlights illuminating part of the field, I
gave the winning try without actually seeing it. The (men's
- there was no women's rugby then - ) main championship final was
put off till Sunday morning.
There are two fields with lights now, but I didn't stay long
enough to see the final games on the day. I wanted to get out of
NY before dark. Unfortunately I followed the directions on my
daughter's brand new Toyota's in-dash GPS which took me down the
FDR drive to 34th and across - on Thanksgiving Saturday! (I
know, I know, I should have known better, I did know better; I
normally just take the GW Bridge.) An hour and a half just
to get to Jersey ... geez ... Luckily my son-in-law was driving.
I'm glad I went though; the New York Sevens is always worth a
visit!! ... and when your team goes 2 championships for 2
... it's an even better!! - Emil
PRE-DRAFT
VERSION: NOT FOR GENERAL AWARENESS
- YET ;) -
Atlantis College Men at New York Sevens 11/28/15
by (¿Joe Kelly, Omar Rivera & Emil Signes??)
Background and Summary
Atlantis fielded its first – and until now –
its only College side in 1998 at the Magnificent Sevens in
Ontario. Although it was a college side, we entered it into the
senior men’s bracket, where we did a great job and reached the
semifinal. Two members of this team – Don Younger and Al
Lakomskis – would go on to play for the US.
This current team was distinguished by one current and 5
ex-Greenwich High School students. Seven were playing for
Atlantis for the first time.
awaiting info
|
V
Atlantis Squad: Men's High School
Head Coach: Joe Kelly
Coach: Omar Rivera
First Name
Last Name
Atlantis
Jersey
Club/College
Age
Ht
Wt
Pos'n
Pos'n
Birthplace
Residence
#
#
7s
15s
Brechan
Allison
1151
Mike
Dabulas
960
Penn State
18
70
150
Westfield, NJ
Jack
Freiheit
1152
Sean
Hardiman
1153
Joe
Kelly
963
Penn State
Gardy
Lebon
1154
Chris
Mattina
934
U. Delaware
22
73
195
New York, NY
Ryan
McNulty
1155
Soh
Nakayama
1144
Greenwich HS
17
68
145
4
9
Greenwich, CT
Yoh
Nakayama
1156
Jimmy
Wolfer
1157
Selection and
Preparation
Any practices? How many have played with each other. Etc. Something about the team Brief description of each game.
Atlantis 31 New Blue 0. Brief blurb ... do we
know who scored? Etc Atlantis 39 Saratoga U23 0.Brief blurb
... do we know who scored? Etc
Atlantis 26 Stony Brook B 0.Brief blurb
... do we know who scored? Etc Atlantis 19 Stony Brook A 0.Brief
blurb ... do we know who scored? Etc
Atlantis 19 NRU Thunder 14.Brief blurb ... do we
know who scored? Etc
Any pictures? Action? Social? anything?
Results: Atlantis
College Men
Time
Type
W/L/T
Atlantis
PF
Opponent
PA
0900
Pool
W
Atlantis College
Men
31
New Blue
0
1020
Pool
W
Atlantis College
Men
39
Saratoga U23
0
1200
Pool
W
Atlantis College
Men
26
Stony Brook B
0
1420
Cup SF
W
Atlantis College
Men
19
Stony Brook A
7
1520
Final
W
Atlantis College
Men
19
Niagara RU Thunder
14
Concluding Sentence or 2
Atlantis High School
Girls at New York Sevens 11/28/15
by Billy Nicholas and
Emil Signes
Background
and Summary
Atlantis fielded its first
team in 1986 and its first women’s team in 1992. But they
did not field a girls’ HS team until 2014. Since then
Atlantis has fielded HS girls’ teams twice in Las Vegas and once
each in Atlanta and New York.
Last year, our path to the NY championship was blocked by Quebec,
who knocked us into the Plate; this year we decisively defeated
Quebec and won the Cup Championship in a barnburner over Niagara
Rugby Union (ON).
The team comprised 12 players: 4 from CA, 4 from CO, 2 each from
NY and NJ, and one from VA.
I (Emil) was impressed by the fact that we only had two 18-year
olds, the rest being younger: 17 (3), 16 (5), and 15 (2).
Atlantis Squad: High School Girls
Head Coach: Billy Nicholas
Coach: Kevin Corley
First
Last
Atlantis
Jersey
Club/HS
Age
Ht
Wt
Pos'n
Pos'n
Birthplace
Residence
Name
Name
#
#
yr
in
lbs
7s
15s
-----
-----
Cassidy
Bargell
1120
II
Summit (CO)
15
63
135
Vail, CO
Dillon, CO
Jordan
Cowan
1109
IX
Morris (NJ)
16
62
135
1,3
10,9,2
Johannesburg, RSA
Oak Ridge, NJ
Lily
Durbin
1158
V
Fallbrook (CA)
16
Murrieta, CA
Natalie
Gray
1159
III
Summit (CO)
17
70
145
Farmington, ME
Frisco, CO
Delia
Hellander
1122
IV
Morris (NJ)
17
67
140
Emily
Henrich
1113
VIII
Orchard Park (NY)
16
67
145
5,6,1
12,13
Philadelphia, PA
Orchard Park,NY
Jodi
Losch
1013
XI
Summit (CO)
16
66
150
3,1
8,7
Denver, CO
Breckenridge, CO
Naomi
Mitzner
1160
XII
Fullerton (CA)
17
66
175
Orange County, CA
Garden Grove, CA
Michel
Navarro
1161
VI
Fallbrook (CA)
18
65
158
Fallbrook, CA
Fallbrook, CA
Megan
Rose
1016
I
Summit (CO)
18
67
135
2
7,8,backs
Vail, CO
Silverthorne, CO
Brianna
Vasquez
1162
VII
Southbay (CA)
15
61.5
106
Fullerton, CA
La Habra, CA
Elizabeth
Wilson
1118
X
SYC West End (VA)
16
67
150
6,3
8,7
Knoxville, TN
Springfield, VA
One Brief Practice
The team had one practice Friday night at
Columbia’s Baker Field, together with the Northeast Olympic
Development Academy (ODA), Old Blue and Palmer Chiropractic
women’s teams. They finished with some touch games vs. Old Blue
and the ODA. The girls were focused after a long day of
travel and really enjoyed themselves.
Four Games
Atlantis 15 Niagara Rugby Union 19.
Saturday we started the first match feeling out our playing
tendencies and starting to read how to play off each other. One of
the coaches’ goals for the weekend was, with only 4 games to the
championship to make sure everyone was getting match time and
growing through experience, and we feel we hit the goal pretty
well.
Atlantis’ first game was against the Niagara Rugby Union
(Ontario). Niagara got off to a 12-0 start and although
Atlantis came back to make it a game, Niagara hung in there for a
19-15 victory. Atlantis’ tries were by Emily Henrich, Michel
Navarro and Lily Durban.
We went back to the tent and broke down our match together and
reemphasized what our attack, defense and mental goals were for
the day and the girls came out fired up for match two.
Atlantis 43 Team Québec 0. The magnitude of this
victory was quite surprising, as Team Québec was the 2014 winner
of this division. Last year we were 4-1 and won the Plate, but the
reason we were in the Plate was that Quebec knocked us out of the
Cup in the pool round, 0-22. On top of last year’s result,
Quebec had already defeated Niagara at this tournament.
It is hard to imagine a HS girls’ sevens match to equal Atlantis’
performance in this game. Our attack was fluid, aggressive and
support was phenomenal. The defense was pressure-filled and
relentless. Nevertheless, we did not feel safe until the first try
of the second half made it 24-0. In the end the 43-0 score
did seem reflective of the play throughout the match.
Lily Durban had a hat trick, Delia Hellander scored 2 tries and
Emily and Michel scored one each. Lily made 4 conversions.
Team Québec’s Senior Women’s team, by the way, won the Senior
Women’s Elite Division this year. Maybe they had a few HS kids
from the last couple of years ☺.
Championship SF: Atlantis 36 Play Rugby 0. Ryszard
Chadwick has done a wonderful job with this program that features
inner-city kids from NYC. Their captain Giovanna Ferguson
represented Atlantis last year in Las Vegas. Play Rugby had
a good group of players, but on the day Atlantis gave the very
physical team more than it could handle: Atlantis kept Play Rugby
going backward and didn’t let them get their talents on display.
Emily and Lily scored 2 tries each, and Lily kicked three
conversions; Delia and Meg Rose each scored one try.
Championship Final: Atlantis 17 Niagara Rugby Union 12
(overtime). The girls started a bit nervous from their
round robin loss and it took a few minutes to get rolling. At the
end of regulation the score was 12-12. The overtime was
short, and Lily Durban, who had just failed to break loose for the
winning try at the end of regulation, found herself in a similar
situation in the first set of plays in overtime. She picked the
ball from a ruck and attacked the blind side. She put
herself into super-acceleration mode and finished it off for a
great end of the weekend.
The girls were happy not just with the trophy but also with the
acknowledgement of the progression of their team play; they were
thrilled to have meshed so well by day’s end.
Note: all the action photos below were shot by Diane Ramage, to
whom we are greatly thankful.
Left: 2015-1128 Lisa Emil Emily 9x12-600w.jpg /
Right: 2015-1128a-Emily Henrich runs-9x12-600w.jpg
Left: Lisa
Huff Henrich, whom I coached on the 1996 Atlantis champions,
and her daughter Emily Henrich Right: Emily on the run
Natalie
passes ball that has been perfectly placed by Lily
2015-1128c-Delia scores-16x9-1200w.JPG
Delia scores vs.
Team Québec
2015-1128d-Michel gets ball from
tackle-16x9-1200w.jpg Michel gets ball at tackle from unidentified teammate
(Elizabeth?)
2015-1128e Michel runs v Niagara-16x9-1200w.jpg
Michel on the run vs. Niagara (who in support?)
2015-1128f-Emily passes to
Elizabeth-16x9-1200w.jpg Emily offloads to Elizabeth vs. Niagara
Results, Atlantis
Girls' High School
Time
Type
W/L/T
Atlantis
PF
Opponent
PA
0840
Pool
L
Atlantis GHS
15
Niagara RU
19
1100
Pool
W
Atlantis GHS
43
Team Québec
0
1300
Cup SF
W
Atlantis GHS
36
Play Rugby
0
1420
Championship
W
Atlantis GHS
17
Niagara RU
12
Tot
3-1
131
11
The scoring summary follows. There was no official
tournament leading scorers list, but I can't imagine anyone other
than Lily Durbin would have been this division's leading scorer.
14 points per game over a tournament is not bad for an entire
team; it's quite impressive for one person.
Atlantis Scoring
Summary
Player
T
C
PK
Points
Lily Durban
8
8
0
56
Emily Henrich
4
0
20
Delia Hellander
3
0
15
Michel Navarro
2
0
10
Meg Rose
1
0
5
Brianna Vasquez
1
0
5
Atlantis
19
8
0
111
Opponents
5
3
0
31
On Sunday the
team toured the city of New York and visited the Statue of
Liberty, Ellis Island, Little Italy and Times Square.
Emil’s note: I saw the games, and helped a bit writing the
article. But I had nothing to do with coaching the teams or
with their success.
