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March 6, 2010 - St. Louis, MO - The St. Louis Bombers defeated the St. Louis Ramblers, running in 7 tries in a convincing 45-8 win on a sunny day in Forest Park. Bomber wing and captain TJ Ebner ran in 3 impressive tries, all in the second half, and rookie halfback Matt Skarin scored 2 tries for the second consecutive week to pace the Bomber attack on Bomber Alumni Day hosted by the Mopes.
The Bombers scored first when Skarin barged over the line from close range after hooker Tim Basler came up just short. Rambler flyhalf Justin Vogt slotted a 40 meter penalty kick a minute later for his teams' only points of the half. After several missed scoring chances, Bomber lock Justin Heinrichs finished off a blind side attack at 23 minutes to put the Bombers up 10-3. Skarin snuck through the Rambler defense to scamper in from midfield for a try, converted by flanker Jim Morrison for a 17-3 lead at 32 minutes. The Ramblers finally pressured deep in the Bomber end with 5 minutes of close range possession, only to be denied repeatedly by the excellent Bomber defensive play. The Bombers were rewarded for their efforts when wing Tim Stolarski took a kind bounce from flyhalf Paea Kaivulata's clearing kick and outraced the Rambler cover defense for a long range try resulting in a 24-3 halftime lead. Wing TJ Ebner, kept in check in the first half, was simply too much for the Ramblers in the second half. Ebner's pace resulted in a try at 45 minutes from the timely passing of centers Aaron Spencer and Scott Smith, giving the Bombers a 31-3 lead after Morrison's sideline conversion. The Ramblers finally crossed the Bomber line with a close range try from wing Tony Moore at 61 minutes, but Ebner answered a minute later with his second try of the day from a well executed chip and chase and a 38-8 Bomber lead. Ebner finished off the day with his third try from a trademark burst down the touchline to bring the final score to 45-8. Bomber #8 Brett Moeller had a strong game in the lineout and around the pitch, as did lock Justin Heinrich. Hooker Tim Basler and fullback John Whitaker also stood out on the day for the Bombers. United Rally Falls Just Short The final match of the day saw the Bomber/Hornet United developmental side take on the Principia Thunder Chickens. Principia raced out to a 28-0 lead before the Uniteds began to claw their way back. Bomber center Ryan Wass started the comeback with his first ever try, quickly followed by 2 tries from Hornet #8 Jeremy "Flowbee" Banacek to pull within 28-19. Bomber Mike Laskowitz put in a very impressive performance at flyhalf in the second half with excellent kicking and passing, and also made a couple linebreaks that resulted in tries on following phases. Principia's flanker raced in from long range to push his team up 35-19 with 10 minutes to play. But Bomber prop Mike "Damage" McGowan powered over, soon followed by halfback Jay "Opie" Steenbergen's first ever try. Both tries were converted by fullback Paul Deutsch to draw the score to 35-31 and set up a thrilling ending. The United had one last possession on the final play of the game, but Principia defended well, stole the ball and went the other way for a try on the final whistle, earning a 40-31 win. Much thanks to Sam Schroeder and Jahaan Ashfaq for putting the match ahead of themselves and playing front row for a shorthanded Principia side. Bombers in the United side: Neal Ford, Will Wilson, Dave Frick, Gus Kempa, Phil Reed, Cory Gunnell, Shaun Gunnell, Mike McGowan, Jay Steenbergen, Mike Laskowitz, Kurt Volk, Matt Staed, Ryan Wass, Adam Pyke and Paul Deutsch Thank You Mopes! The St. Louis Bombers say a big THANK YOU to The Mopes for their support of the active players and staff. The Mopes provided a giant tent with picnic tables, plentiful food and drink to serve several hundred people, and donated brand new warmups for the team. Much thanks to Lenny Gall, Bob Lenzen, Gary Bess, Bobby and Mike Muckler, Dan Ward and the rest of the Mopes for for their extraordinary efforts! |
