Ruggers Shut Out Yale to Finish Perfect Season

It wasn't exactly a tailgate party, but the Harvard rugby football club thoroughly enjoyed itself in Saturday morning's 24-0 victory over Yale amidst the wind and mud at Soldiers Field.

After the triumph, which caps the Crimson's perfect 10-0 season, the ruggers doused themselves with champagne in-between gulps and traditional songs.

"It's just a great bunch of guys, that's all. Just good times and a lot of fun," senior hooker Rick Kief said during the celebration.

But the scrappy Bulldogs did not go down as easily as the postgame bubbly. Despite the deceptive score, the Elis actually controlled most of the first half action, hemming the Crimson in its own end.

Cat and Mouse

After fullback Alec Montgomery pounced on a Dave Miller kick in the Yale endzone at the two-minute mark to give the Crimson an early 6-0 lead. Harvard seemed headed toward a rout. Yet, the strong and quick Bulldog forwards, who contained the Harvard pack, and the windy, muddy conditions which frustrated effective passing along the backline, foiled any such Crimson hopes.

But 35 minutes later, when the ref awarded the Crimson a penalty try because a Bulldog kicked the ball into a scrum within the Eli five-yard line. Crimson fans had reason to rejoice again.

A Keith Oberg halftime pep talk brought the ruggers to life. Charlie Bott, who finished with an awesome 150 of the team's 247 season points, tallied two tries within ten minutes to complete the scoring and put the game away. The backs threatened constantly but the tight officiating, slippery footing and strong winds stifled any further drives.

THE NOTEBOOK: John Dorgan and "Doc" Halliday were elected next year's captains, and Roy Roberts club president. Tim Endicott and Dave Kennedy scored tries as the "B" side won its fifth straight, 10-0 to complete a 6-4 season.