First college game
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All photos courtesy of Sefton Ipock for the Chapel Hill News
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill overcame a determined N.C.
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| Justin Davis, UNC, trying to spoil; Sam Stern, NCSU, attempting mark. Click image to enlarge |
State University team to win the first-ever intercollegiate Australian Rules
football match in the United States.
The match, played Saturday, Feb. 23,
2002, at Hooker Fields on the UNC-CH campus, was also the inaugural match of
the North Carolina Australian Football League.
UNC applied tons of offensive pressure in a scrappy first quarter, but some
dogged play by NCSU fullbacks Sam Stern and Matt Pickett kept the scores
close. The first quarter ended with UNC leading 2.5.17 to 1.1.7.
NCSU, which had many players competing in their first match for the club,
kept the margin at 10 points for much of the second quarter, with help from
a booming goal by Matt Gordan. But the home side finally started to turn
pressure into goals late in the last five minutes of the half, which saw UNC
get quick goals from Brandon Temple, Tom Jarrett, Justin Davis and others to
storm to a 41-point advantage, 9.8.62 to 3.3.21.
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| Justin Davis, UNC, attempting kick; Philip Schreibman, NCSU, tackling. Click image to enlarge |
The third quarter was much like the first, a defensive affair played mainly
in the middle of the ground. UNC controlled much of the play through C.J.
Atkinson, David Moore, Scott Cunningham and Eddie Willson. Despite their
continued pressure, UNC was only able to tally 3 goals in the third, as the
determined NCSU club held up admirably. At the end of the quarter, UNC led
12.11.83 to 3.3.21.
UNC stayed with its controlled game in the final term as NCSU, which got
stellar games from first-timers Gordan, Philip Schreibman and Sam Stern,
tried its best to close the widening gap. At the end, UNC's experience was
telling, as they won by a final of 14.17.101 to 4.4.28.
The next match in the NCAFL will see NCSU try to bounce back at home against
the N.C. Tigers old boys (aka the EELS - Everybody ELSe). The match is March
2, 2002, on the NCSU campus.
Both the UNC and NCSU clubs were founded with the help of the North Carolina
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| Justin Davis, UNC, trying to spoil; Sam Stern, NCSU, attempting mark. Click image to enlarge |
Tigers Australian Football Club. The Tigers, established in 1997, are one of
more than 30 clubs comprising the United States Australian Football League,
the sport's governing body in the United States. The club also is proudly
affiliated with the Richmond Tigers, a Melbourne, Australia-based
professional club and member of the Australian Football League since 1908.
We welcome any and all players and fans to come out and run with the Tigers.
Response to article from Ross Smith
Dear Andrea,
Great to read about the first college game. The record of the game is
familiar except the names of the teams are significant - as we will read in
the future.
Congratulations.
Ross Smith
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