Week 3 Preview

Week 3 Preview

9/23 Sunday
Vernon v Oak Creek, 12pm Vernon Town Hall Park
Catholic Memorial v DSHA, 1pm Minooka Park
DSHA jv  v Muskego, 2:30pm Minooka Park
Brookfield v Menomonee Falls, 2:30pm Brookfield Christian School
Kettle Moraine v Fond Du Lac, 11:30am Naga-Waukee Park

The game of the week has to be the early-season test between last year's 3rd and 4th teams in the country.  While it's a new year, with DSHA graduating 17 seniors and CMHS 9 seniors from last year's teams, the tradition and competitiveness of this great rivalry has led to several good matches the last few years.  The early season test should help the teams involved learn what they need to do to grow before the more important playoffs later in the year.

It's also a week where the conference standings picture should start becoming clearer, as 2-0 teams meet and 0-2 teams meet.

Standings
Divine Savior Holy Angels 2-0
Catholic Memorial 2-0
Kettle Moraine 2-0
Vernon 2-0
Menomonee Falls 0-2
Oak Creek 0-2
Brookfield 0-2
Fond Du Lac 0-2

Coach Klein Receives Life Navigator Award

On Monday Sept 24th, DSHA coach and Oak Creek High School special education teacher John Klein, will receive a special award from Life Navigator's, a Milwaukee-based charitable foundation dedicated since 1949 to "improve the quality of life for individuals with developmental and related disabilities, their families, and the community through information, education, advocacy and life planning services."

The Klein family's inspiring story is well-known by those close to him in the teaching and rugby community.  Their story was also recently told in a wonderful article in Saturday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  According to the article, "Klein grew up in a family where both his parents and his only sibling, an older sister, were intellectually challenged with cognitive disabilities.
From a young age, he was the reader for the family. At age 9, he was deciphering bills for his father and helping him manage finances. "

The full article can be read here.  John Klein says "he never felt deprived as a kid. His parents shopped for Christmas presents and new clothes before each school year started. The children never went without food or clothing or a roof over their heads.

"They don't know how to write a check. They don't know how to read. But my parents do know how to love somebody," he said. "And as long as you feel loved, anything is possible."

Chin, as he's been known since 9th grade, "says he shares his own upbringing with the emotionally and behaviorally challenged special education students he primarily works with at Oak Creek High, though he's not always sure they get it.

"I try to open their eyes to see that you can make choices that others don't always have" - people, for example, like his sister and parents.

"You owe that to people who don't have the opportunities," he said."

For anyone interested in attending the dinner, where John Klein will speak, or going to the golf tournament prior to the dinner, you may register at the Life Navigator's website

Week 2, Fall 2012

Saturday Sept 15th
All the road teams won this past weekend:

Brookfield      5     Divine Savior Holy Angels High School 74
Fond Du Lac  0     Catholic Memorial High School 84

Sunday Sept 16th
Oak Creek     5         Kettle Moraine  32
Menomonee Falls 0 Vernon  42
Oak Creek JV 0       DSHA JV 32

Standings

CMHS  2-0

DSHA 2-0

KM  2-0

Vernon 2-0

Brookfield/Tosa 0-2

Fond Du Lac 0-2

Menomonee Falls 0-2

Oak Creek 0-2



Week 2 Preview

As week two fast approaches, WGR adds a new feature to our posting ... the match of the week.  This week we feature Vernon, a team with a strong history, against Menomonee Falls.  Vernon began the season with a bunch of tries and some renewed vigor in their backline play.  They travel to face Menomonee Falls on Sunday afternoon.  Falls famously upset Vernon at the state tournament two years ago, so there is some history of the two teams meeting up.  Falls does have some top division wins under their belt and the teams have a healthy relationship, usually scrimmaging each other before the start of their official seasons.  With both teams on the upswing, it should be a good experience for both programs.

9/15 Saturday
9:30 AM Dretzka Park DSHA v  Brookfield
11:00 AM Dretzka Park DSHA v Wauwatosa
10:00 AM UW-Fond du Lac Fond du Lac v CMH

9/16 Sunday
12:00pm Thomas Jefferson MS Menomonee Falls v Vernon
2:00pm Oak Creek High School Oak Creek v Kettle Moraine

 

picture:  Menomonee Falls scrums against Oak Creek (black) in the Fall of 2011

Fall Conference Scores, week 1, 2012

Wednesday
Divine Savior    51  Muskego 12 (jv game)

Saturday
Catholic Mem.  51  Oak Creek 0
Catholic Mem.  31  Oak Creek 0 (jv game)

Sunday
Kettle Moraine 37  Menomonee Falls 0
Kettle Moraine 46  Muskego 5
Vernon             74  Brookfield/Tosa 0
Fond Du Lac     0   Divine Savior 101

The game of the week saw Kettle Moraine's experience win out against an athletic and young Menomonee Falls team in their first full conference match.  It's great to have an up and coming team like "The Falls" step up to the conference schedule, and the level of play will be good for all teams invovled.  We look forward to seeing the resulting  level of teamwork and skill when all the teams play in a month and a half at the state tournament.

The character award for the week has to go to a resilient Fond Du Lac Sirens team who, despite being short-handed, elected to play short instead of borrowing players from their opponents, who graciously offered to help.  The hosts didn't back down from a challenge, and in doing so showed that pride in one's own team and learning is more important than the score.  Word on the street is that the Sirens had a good experience playing a great side and their coach was pleased they learned a few things.

Season Kicks off Today

The first official match of 2012-2013 kicks off tonight as DSHA hosts Muskego at 5:30pm at Dretzka Park!

Archives Unearthed

Officials at the WGR archives have unearthed ancient documents dating back to the earliest days of WGR.  One such discovery is the roster of the second Wisconsin Girls u-19 from June of 2003.  In a tournament held at the Madison Crossroads pitch, with its massive wooden telephone pole goalposts, the Wisconsin u19's were schedule to play an Indiana and a Minnessota select team.  When Minnessota cancelled the night before the event, Wisconsin fielded a u-17 developmental side in their place.  The team included players from each of the teams in existance at the time, including the newly founded Vernon Harlequins.  The championship game against Indiana ended tied.  The teams squared off for kicks and after the five kicks each, Indiana emerged with the tied breaker.

The original roster is reprinted below.  Rugby followers will probably recognize more than a few names, as many of these young athletes went on to long, successful high school and even collegiate careers.  Wisconsin alumni please contact our offices at wisconsingirlsrugby@gmail.com   We'd love to hear from you and where your journey has taken you!

Melissa Appleby Northshore
Whitney Baker Kettle Moraine
Rebecca Bersch Northshore
Brittany Biedenbender  Vernon  (UWM)
Ashley Clark Northshore
Jenny D'Acquisto Kettle Moraine
Lindsey Fickau Vernon (UWM. Now coaching)
Alyssa Hext  DSHA
JoJo Hoffman DSHA (Captain) (Ohio St, USA u19's)
Amanda Karch  Kettle Moraine
Farley King DSHA
Courtney Masnica Kettle Moraine
Allie Movrich Kettle Moraine (UW-Madison)
Maggie Perdzock Kettle Moraine (UW-Mad, US u23's, Now coaching)
Sarah Perdzock Kettle Moraine
Hope Reddington Kettle Moraine
Samantha Ross Northshore
Megan Schultz Northshore (UWM)
Nicki Sheldon Northshore
Maura Schifalacqua DSHA
Christine Tighe DSHA