The 2012 spring season has come to a close for the Quake. In the last year the Quake starting side has seen a lot of changes, as have many of the other PNRFU teams. The increasing competition has not phased the Quake, and with lots of depth and an influx of new players the Quake is looking as strong as ever.
The beginning of the spring season kicked off with several wins for the Quake, including a hard-fought, stormy match against Battleground that included patient and persistent ball movement in the forwards leading to a comeback victory. Undefeated Bend gave Quake their first loss of the season, but a muddy win against Eugene was quick to follow. The last games of the season were against difficult opponents (Budd Bay and Portland), but Quake remained in the top 4 teams in the league standings prior to playoffs.
Playoffs took place down in Bend on a perfect sunny weather weekend. Saturday saw Quake again take on number one seeded (an eventual playoff champions) Bend, and despite losing the game Quake proved that they are a strong team with some impressive tries and ball movement. The Sunday game took place against a Quake favorite, Corvallis. Rolling subs and the reverberating cries of “Kareem Abdul-Jabbar!” kept the hung over and sunburned players in good spirits, and the final score seemed hardly to matter after such a long and great season.
New player development has proven to be a major factor in the success of the Quake, and a lot of effort went into the getting B-side games for the 2012 season. B-side opponents varied widely in size, age, and skill, sometimes including a large number of extra Quake players. Many of the B-side players were first-season rookies, showing incredible improvement throughout the season. A major highlight was the mudfest game in Eugene against the Thrillbillies that included a comeback win for the B-side. Quake hopes to continue new player growth with an open an accepting atmosphere that encourages those not familiar with organized contact sports to come out and join in the camaraderie that our club holds as a staple quality.
A well-earned post-playoff break for the Quake will soon be followed by preparation for the 2012 Bingham Cup in Manchester, England. Teams from all over the globe will be competing for the cup, and the Quake is eager to enter both A-side and B-side teams in the competition. Rumor has it that even some retired Quake players of yesteryear (Craig Kelly perhaps?) will be re-kitting and joining in the games. This will be a monumental tournament for the Quake, and massive fundraising events are taking place on a regular basis around Seattle and through our website to help subsidize costs of hotels and airfare for the trip. Please consider helping in any capacity you can.
Here’s to an exciting Bingham and a great future for the Quake!
Rumble Quake rumble!
