KENTUCKY NEW ERA HEADHUNTERS: Hopkinsvillerugbyteam

A8 Monday-Tuesday, April 16-17, 20121 FROM TH E FRONT 1www.kentuckynewera.com

SOLDIER:Manshootswife, selfFROM PAGEAl

The string of com-ments continued togrow with one user sug-gesting the domestic dis-pute had ended in a fatalshooting. Others saidthey had family on postand pleaded for more in-formation.Following the inci-dent, the soldier starteddriving southeast to-ward Atlanta in a whiteCadillac. According toAssociated Press re-ports, he was spotted insoutheastern Tennesseeearly Saturday morn-ing.From there, he report-edly led police on an 80-mile chase fromTennessee to Georgia atspeeds upward of 120mph.Bartow County Sher-iff Clark Millsap told theDaily Tribune News inCartersville, Ga., thathis agency was alertedabout the chase comingtoward his jurisdictionat about 2:30a.m.Millsap said that Geor-gia police deployedspike strips to stop thesoldier at about 2:47a.m.on Interstate 75 near Al-latoona Lake. The sol-dier shot himself andwas flown to an areahospital, the Daily Trib-une News reported.The woman's death isbeing investigated byArmy Criminal Investi-gation Command in con-junction with civilianlaw enforcement agen-cies.

REACH ELI PACEat 270-887-3235or epace@kentuckynewera.com.

Work on GreenupLacks and Dam tobegin in JuneLLOYD,Ky.(AP) - TheU.S.Army Corps of Engi-neers say work to replacea set of aging gates at theGreenup Locks and Damon the Ohio River willbegin in June.The $12million projectwill replace the upriverset of hydraulic doorsand will close down the1,200-foot-longmain lockchamber on the OhioRiver between GreenupCounty, Ky., andLawrence County, Ohio,for about 12weeks.Project manager MikeKeathley told The Inde-pendent that all rivertraffic will have to passthrough an auxiliarychamber, which will takemore time. Keathley sayscrews are making prepa-rations to ease conges-tion while the main lockis under construction."Those activities areclosely coordinated withstakeholders, especiallythe navigation industriesbecause they rely soheavily on this project,and the commodities thatare shipping through thisGreenup Locks and Damare so important not justto the regional economy,but on a national level,"he said.The newspaper reportsthat the Greenup Locksand Dam is one of thecountry's 10 busiest in-land navigation locks -56.4million tons of com-modities moved throughthe lock in 2010.Lockmaster Eric Dollysays it usually takesabout an hour for a tow-boat and its barges topass through the mainlock. He says that timecould be doubled ortripled while the auxil-iary lock is used.The lock system wasconstructed in 1959 andhas already outlasted itslife expectancy, accordingto Corps officials. In re-cent years, the main lockhas been closed a num-ber of times for unex-pected and costly repairs.

MONICA K. SMITH IKENTUCKY NEW ERA

Chris Peterson, Hopkinsville Headhunters coach, watches as the Headhunters meet the North Carolina rugby team, Triad, in a serum during a playoff game Saturday at Ruff Park.

HEADHUNTERS: Hopkinsville rugby teamcompetes in first playoff game in dud historyFROM PAGEAl

PregameThough players normally arrive at the

pitch an hour before the game,jor this game,they came a little earlier.Jason Petro us, team captain said he

watches rugby videos to start thinking of thegame. Christopher Peterson, team coach, saidhe didn't sleep well the night before. Mont-gomery said he hasn't been sleeping well thepast few days.Team members put on their boots, socks,

shorts and ateio players are taped. Then theystart warm-ups and stretching exercises be-fore running drills.The method each player uses to prepare for

the game is different. Some listen to musicwhile others talk about the upcoming contest."Thirty minutes before the joking stops, "

said Petrous, who has played with the Head-hunters for the past two years. "Wefocus onthe game:"

Having heartAfter a few years, the team began to dwin-dle in numbers. Deployments at Fort Camp-bell drew team members away months to ayear at a time."We forfeited an entire season," said Mont-gomery, "but we played every game."Even in those years, Montgomery said theHeadhunters showed heart. Despite not hav-ing the required numbers to playa game, theteam would travel to compete, forfeit the gamethen borrow a few players from the opposingteam and have a game anyway.By 2006though, the team no longer existed.With a local team gone, Montgomery foundhimself playing for teams in Nashville, Tenn.,and at Fort Campbell. It was through playing forthese teams that Montgomery met Peterson."I got tired of traveling and asked Chris if

he wanted to get a team started," Mont-gomery said.Through word-of-mouth, players began to

join and the team's membership grew. Thistime the team was comprised of teammatesfrom Fort Campbell, Hopkinsville and as faraway as Bowling Green."The team we have now is like a brother-

hood," Montgomery said. "Everyone is just to-gether. If someone calls and says they needsomething, you can't be the first there, youknow what I mean?"Petrous believes that by becoming involvedin each other's families, the teammates be-come a brotherhood which gives them hearton the field."We are brothers on and off the field,"Petrous said. "If you're a family off the fieldthen you'll bleed for each other on the field."

Game timeAs the whistle sounds the beginning of the

game, fans find viewing space around thepitch. Many leave their comfortable chairs sothey can move with the team up and down thefield.Thefirst score of the game, called a try and

toorth ftoe points, comes in thefirst four min-utes. The wind prevents a two-point conver-sion but the Headhunters have struck thetirstblow. In another five minutes they hit again.It isn't until the 14-minute mark that Triadmakes their first try.The Headhunters retaliate at minute 22.

First 10 hitsAmember of the team for the past six years,Peterson, 33, has been acting as a coach andplayer. This year was his first year acting asonly a coach."It has been difficult, it's a lot more work

than I anticipated," said Peterson, who hasbeen playing rugby for 25 years. "It's hard tokeep 20 guys focused at practice and it's hardwatching them play and I can't."Montgomery said Peterson acting in the ca-pacity of a coach is a large personal step back,but shows how much the members of theteam are willing to give."He's the best player I've played with,"Montgomery said. "But as a coach he hasbrought us to where we are now.Wewere un-organized."Before Peterson, the team was peer-coachedand without focus, said Montgomery. With Pe-terson acting as coach, the team dynamic

MONICA K. SMITH IKENTUCKY NEW ERA(Above) John Austin Chapman makes a run during therugby game against North Carolina'sTriad team. (Right)The Hopkinsville Headhunters rugby team finishes eachgame by doing a cheer in thanks to their fans.

shifted - and for the better, he said. In addi-tion to increased fitness, Peterson recordseach game and critiques the team on theirplays. The following practice allows Petersonto work with players to improve on theirweaknesses.Montgomery believes the team's successhas everything to do with its cohesivenessrather than the quality of their opponents."The competition has been good, better

than ever," he said. "But we have been thatmuch better."The team has a method of getting into thepsyche of its opponents - a saying it incor-porates into its conversations and encourage-ments: First 10hits. Players give everythingthey have in the first 10hits of the game. Bygiving their all early in the game, the Head-hunters hope to educate their opponents. Thelesson? They are leaving everything on thefield. A loss for the team will not come be-cause of weakness in will.''After 10hits, he's going to question what hewants to do," Montgomery said. "We bring itevery time. The score looks like it's easy. Butit hasn't been easy."

Thesecond halfAt the half, the score is 22-10in favor of the

Headhunters.During the break, Peterson tells his players

toprepare for Triad to hit hard in the secondhalf. This is a playoff game. Everyone is hereto win.Peterson's prediction is verified soon after

the second half begins. After an early score bythe Headhunters, Triad finds their strengthscoring twice in thefirst 23 minutes of the sec-ond half and bringing the score to 27-22.The point gap was becoming smaller. This

game wasn't going to be a quick win.

Eat theirfood, drink their beerDuring a recent game, Montgomery was hitin the face and lost a tooth. The nerve was ex-posed and the pain was intense. However,Montgomery said those things happen andplayers learn to leave any issues when thegame ends. The home team usually provides asocial where both teams and their fans join to-gether for a celebration."I went to the social afterward and me and

the guy (who knocked out my tooth) laughedabout it," Montgomery said. "We talked andhad a blast. The socials are just that - social."Both Peterson and Montgomery agree thementality is different in rugby from othersports. The physical intensity of the sportmakes it easy to assume players are just as ag-gressive off the field as on, but Montgomerysays that type of thinking is ''American.''"The British royalty used to play it and theylikened it to war," Montgomery said. "You ap-preciate what you did for your team and youappreciate what they did for their team. Thereis more respect. Either way you get to eattheir food and drink their beer."

This aspect was most reflected at the end ofthe game Saturday.

TheendAs tensions rise on thefield, tempers began

tojly. Players are held back from one anotheras the desire to win brings them to eachother's throats.With just minutes left in the game, the Head-

hunters score again to bring the score to 35-22.The Headhunters win their first playoff gamein club history and qualify for the semifinalsin Little Rock.

New pursuitsThe Headhunters reveled briefly in theirvictory and then quickly strode to the centerof the field to commend players from Triad ona game well fought."Most teams just play each other and that'sit," Petro us said. "But here we leave it on thefield. I don't know any other sport that doesthat."The Triad team was staying at the HolidayInn, where the Hopkinsville Headhuntershave their post-game social. The Headhunterswere quick to encourage them to join them forfood and drink.Triad accepted.Spirits were high in the Headhunters campas they removed their battle gear. This timelaughter hung in the air more freely than itdid just 80minutes before. The Headhuntershad won and were advancing. Their new tar-get lay in Little Rock."I have full confidence in my team," saidPetrous while limping toward the edge of thefield. "I'm very confident in the way this teamplays."And in the background Montgomery couldbe heard singing, "We are the champions, myfriends."

REACH MONICA K. SMITH at 270-887-3243or msmith@kentuckynewnera.com.