FDL Stoutmen - High School Boys Rugby

SPRING 2012 Practices:
 .....begin late February / early March.  Stay tuned.....Start getting in shape NOW.

NEW PLAYERS NEEDED!
From any area school.  No experience necessary.....just a tough attitude.
Contact Coach Dale to sign-up or for more information.

7 PLAYERS SELECTED TO WISC U19/U17 SELECT SIDE:
The Stoutmen also had 7 players selected to the Wisconsin Elite Select Side Team on Saturday.  Mike DeSouto and Chris Alexander were selected to the U19 squad, and the following players were selected to the U17 squad: Jesse Drewry, Ryan Gellings, Andy Johnston, Steven Krueger, and Josh Peterson.  The Wisconsin Selects will compete in the Midwest for the Cody Cup, then compete in the Rocky Mountain Challenge national select side tournament in Denver, Colorado on June 18 & 19.  This tournament is the premier high school rugby event in the U.S. and is attended by coaches and selectors from the USA Eagles national team.

STOUTMEN FINISH 8th IN STATE  May 23, 2011
 The Stoutmen finished the season with a 7-1 record, placing second in the Valley Conference behind the Black Knights of Little Chute, and placing 8th in state.

STOUTMEN 2011 RESULTS: 

May 10 at Kimberly:
 The Fond du Lac Stoutmen high school boys rugby team earned a spot in the Final 8 State Tournament Tuesday evening in Kimberly by defeating the Chaos 32-7.  

May 6 vs. Oshkosh:
The Stoutmen also defeated the Oshkosh Pigs on Friday evening by a score of 49-0.

 May 2 v. Fox Cities:
The Stoutmen won by forfeit.

April 29 v. Valley Crusaders:
The Fond du Lac Stoutmen high school boys rugby team improved its record to 4-1 Friday evening by defeating the Valley Crusaders of Appleton by a score of 27-0.  Leading scorers were team captain Brandon Klewicki scoring 2 trys and Mike DeSouto who also contributed 10 points with a penalty kick, a try, and conversion kick.  Joshua Bethke score a try, and Caleb Poss converted a kick for 2 points.

April 25 at Little Chute:
The Fond du Lac Stoutmen high school boys rugby team suffered its first loss of the season Monday evening with a 27-17 loss to the Little Chute Black Knights at Heesaker Park in Little Chute.  Little Chute jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first half, off two 8-man picks and a penalty play.  The Stoutmen battled back right away with Joshua Bethke scoring two trys in the first 7 minutes and Josh Peterson converting one kick.  Tom Knuth scored at the 44-minute mark with a 65-meter run off a turnover, narrowing the score 22-17.  Little Chute scored a try with 2 minutes remaining to seal the victory.
April 15 v. Kimberly:
 In the 39th minute, the FDL Stoutmen high school boys rugby team led the Kimberly Chaos by a score of 17-7 before the match was stopped due to lightning in the area.  Ryan Gellings scored two trys and Lucas Greise scored one try, with Josh Peterson converting one kick for the Stoutmen on a cold, windy and rainy evening at The Rugby Fields at UWFDL.
April 11 v. Crusaders
The Fond du Lac Stoutmen high school boys rugby team kicked off its 2011 season Monday evening at home with a 71-0 victory over the Valley Crusaders of Appleton.  Tom Knuth struck first at the 11-minute mark, with a 55-meter burst down the sideline.  After a couple other quick scores by Andy Johnston and Ryan Gellings, the Stoutmen never looked back.  Team captain Brandon Klewicki, Jonny Gomaz, and Eric Broxton led all scoring with 10 points each.  Also scoring tries for the Stoutmen were Alvin Abitz, Jake Leu, Mike DeSouto and Ryan Schultz for 5 points each.  Josh Peterson converted 2 kicks for 4 points and Caleb Poss converted one kick for 2 points.

SCHEDULE 2011:
March 19 Scrimmage in Pulaski.
Apr 6 at Oshkosh 5:15
Apr 11 v Crusaders - HOME 5:15
Apr 15 v Kimberly - HOME 5:15
Apr 25 at Little Chute 5:15
Apr 29 at Crusaders 5:15
May 2 v Fox Cities 5:15
May 6 v Oshkosh 5:15
May 10 at Kimberly (TUESDAY) 5:15
May 17 CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS 5:30 - Pulaski, WI
May 21 STATE TOURNAMENT - Madison 9:00am

click here for NEW Conference schedule

INFORMATION ABOUT THE STOUTMEN RUGBY CLUB:

PRACTICES & MATCHES:
High school rugby is a spring-only sport.  All practices and home matches take place every Mon-Wed-Fri from 5:00pm-7:00pm at The Rugby Fields at UW-FDL.  New players still welcome.

NEW PLAYER INFORMATION:
We’re glad you’ve taken an interest in the best sport in the world.  New players are welcome anytime.  The Stoutmen have a proud tradition, and we look forward to introducing you to it.  We have an A-team and a B-team, so everyone will get to play. 
We’re confident that you’ll fall in love with the game. 

FITNESS:
The game of Rugby requires stamina, so the more work you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.  The game is a lot more fun when you can run the field, rather than bending over catching your breath.

While sprinting/running is essential for cardiovascular conditioning, weight-lifting is essential for increasing strength and reducing injuries.  We are always willing to set up a weight lifting program custom-tailored to your rugby needs.  Just ask us. 

RECRUITING:
Feel free to bring a friend, even after the season has started.  New players are welcome anytime, freshmen thru seniors.  Recruiting is important to our team, so if you see any freshmen or sophomores with potential, help us out and invite them to a rugby practice. The younger you start, the more years you’ll have to enjoy rugby.

EQUIPMENT:
The only equipment that you’ll need are a pair of “boots” and a mouthguard.  A simple pair of $25 soccer cleats will work, or you may wish to order special rugby boots.  In springtime, it is normally pretty muddy, so longer cleats will work better, but aren’t required.  (Headgear and shoulder protection is available to protect prior conditions, but it is optional and not provided by the team).

COST:
Dues are $95, and include rugby shorts & socks, a team t-shirt, bus transportation, union dues, and several team cookouts.

CONTACTS:
Nate Danor - Coach    920-251-9522   send me an email
Sean Schaefer - Coach    920-251-7326   send me an email
Dale Klitzke - Coach/Manager    920-904-4214    send me an email

2010 SEASON RECAP:

STOUTMEN FINISH 7th IN STATE in 2010:
with a 7-1 regular season record.

WISCONSIN U19/U17 SELECT SIDE:
The Stoutmen represented the Wisconsin U19/U17 Select Side well with Tyler Mortier, Chris Alexander, Brandon Klewicki, Jake Brunet, Josh Peterson, and Jesse Drewry making the trip to Colorado.  Wisc U19 finished 6th and Wisc U17 finished 4th at the national tournament.

MAY 12 versus FOX CITIES:
The Stoutmen clinched a playoff berth by defeating the Fox Cities Jesters Wednesday night by a score of 56-5, finishing the season with a 7-1 record.  Jake Brunet led all scoring with 12 points of two trys and going one for two on conversion kicks.  Also scoring trys for the Stoutmen were and Joshua Bethke (2), Billy McKibbage, Chris Alexander, Mike DeSouto, Jonny Gomaz, Austin Kattestad, and Shane Higgins.

The Stoutmen B-team won their 5th match of the season over Fox Cities-B by a score of 12-10.  Dan Navarro scored the first try of the game, with Lucas Greise converting.  Eric Quackenboss followed with a  78-meter run for try.  Fox Cities-B scored two trys in the second half, but failed to convert their kicks, leaving the Stoutmen-B with another victory.

The Stoutmen travel to Pulaski on Monday for the conference playoff match.  The winner of Monday’s match will compete in the final four bracket at the State Tournament, and the loser will compete in the 5th thru 8th place bracket. Fond du Lac is hosting the state tournament this year on May 22 at Lakeside Park.
MAY 5 at KIMBERLY
 The Stoutmen beat the Kimberly Chaos on a very windy Wednesday evening by a score of 12-5 in Kimberly, bringing their record to 6-1 with one regular season match remaining.  The Stoutmen took an early lead on a try scored by Skylar Bacon with a conversion kick by Chris Alexander.  Shane Higgins scored another try right before halftime after a kick that he blocked and recovered.  Kimberly dominated time of possession in the second half, but the Stoutmen’s defense only allowed one try with 5 minutes remaining, and they held on the rest of the way for the win.
APRIL 30 versus LITTLE CHUTE
 The Stoutmen suffered their first loss of the season to the Little Chute Black Knights on Friday evening by a score of 15-12, bringing their record to 5-1.  The Stoutmen took an early lead on a try scored by Dan Navarro with a conversion kick by Chris Alexander.  Little Chute scored a try before the half, and then two more in the second half.  Chris Alexander then scored a try for the Stoutmen with 30 seconds remaining, but time expired before they could get another chance.

APRIL 26 versus VALLEY CRUSADERS:
The Stoutmen improved their record to 5-0 with a huge win Monday evening over the Valley Crusaders by a score of 95-0 at The Rugby Fields at UW-FDL.  Chris Alexander led all scoring once again with 45 points in little over one half of play.  Chris scored 5 trys and went 10 for 13 on conversion kicks.  Also scoring trys for the Stoutmen were Dan Navarro, Mike DeSouto (2), Joshua Bethke (2), Jake Brunett (2), Jonny Gomaz, Jeremiah Zielicke, and Al Abitz.

APRIL 23 at OSHKOSH:
The Stoutmen continued to dominate the opposition Friday evening by defeating the Oshkosh Pigs 76-3 at Winnebago County Park in Oshkosh.  Chris Alexander led all scoring with 26 points off two tries, and going 8 for 10 on conversion kicks.  Also scoring trys for the Stoutmen were Alex Rosenau (2), Al Abitz (2), Mike DeSouto, Dan Navarro, Brandon Klewicki, Adam Johnson, Joshua Bethke, and Billy McKibbage. 

The Stoutmen’s B-team also won their second match of the season by a score of 12-7 over Oshkosh-B. Steven Krueger and Cody Vinney each scored tries for the Stoutmen-B, with Josh Peterson adding two points on a conversion kick.

APRIL 19 At FOX CITIES JESTERS:
 The Stoutmen increased their record to 3-0 by soundly defeating the Fox Cities Jesters by a score of 52-0 on Monday evening in Appleton.  Chris Alexander led all scoring with 16 points off two tries, and going 6 for 8 on conversion kicks.  Also scoring trys for the Stoutmen were Jake Brunett, Al Abitz, Shane Higgins, Brandon Klewicki, and Mike DeSouto.

The Stoutmen’s B-team also narrowly defeated the Fox Cities B-team by a score of 12-10, in their first match of the season.  Andy Johnston led the team with 7 points and Caleb Poss added 5 points on a strong 22-meter run for a try. 

APRIL 16 at VALLEY CRUSADERS & OSHKOSH:
The Stoutmen defeated the Oshkosh Pigs 33-0 and the Valley Crusaders 31-0 Friday evening in a three-way competition in Oshkosh.  Despite the shortened matches, the Stoutmen were still able to score 64 points between the two matches.   Chris Alexander led scoring with 34 points by scoring 4 trys and going 7 for 8 on conversion kicks in very windy conditions.  Also scoring for the Stoutmen were Jake Brunett, Shane Higgins, Tom Ingersoll, Adam Johnson, and Al Abitz.

APRIL 6 at KIMBERLY:
The Stoutmen started off the 2010 season with a 67-0 win over the Kimberly Chaos Monday night at The Rugby Fields at UW-FDL.  Chris Alexander led all scoring with 22 points, off two “trys” and 6 conversion kicks.  Josh Bethke scored three trys for 15 points, and Jake Brunett had two impressive runs for trys for 10 points.  Also scoring were Shane Higgins, Jonny Gomaz, Jake Flaherty, and Mike DeSouto.