BARBOS PUMP WATERDOGS; SEASON FINALE OFFERS A CHANCE FOR PLAYOFF BERTH
Carmine Hernandez attacks with a swarm of Barbos on his hip
The Denver Barbarians made a statement with a commanding 80-28 win over the Waterdogs Saturday, positioning themselves for a showdown against Aspen October 24th at Infinity Park (2p kick off) to wrap up the regular season. With a beautiful fall day as the setting, the Barbos ran in many tries and did their best to restore order in the Denver derby after last year’s disappointing results.
After allowing the Waterdogs to stay in the game for the first half – taking a 24-14 lead into halftime – the Barbos unleashed an attack their opponents could not contain. The men in Green and White played with freedom, style, panache and pizzazz, scoring some show stopping end-to-end team tries in the onslaught.
Coach Mickey Bateman looks on from the try zone. He has been an invaluable member of this year’s fall XVs campaign.
Chicago Hounds hooker Jackson Zabierek received a warm welcome back, showing his class with a hand in every aspect of the game. Sevens standout Luke Neely marshalled the attack at flyhalf, setting up several tries while picking his moments to dot down himself as well. Luke’s big left leg has opened up the Barbo kicking game, allowing Julian DeRaffele to return into the centers where his hard running abilities are truly valued.
Luka Pavlakis prepares to swat away a Water Dog. Brett DeBoy in support.
The full 23-man roster contributed to the track meet that kept the fans cheering all day. Dillon “The Gold” Stander did his best galloping giraffe impression as he continually found open running space on the open savannah that was Infinity Park turf. The unfortunate loss of the day came in the form of an injury to Benji Hund. After making a line break, the prop built like a rhinoceros was tackled awkwardly resulting in a broken leg. Benji had been putting together a spectacular season as a tight head prop and his absence will be a tough mountain to climb in the weeks to come. The team will rely on Sabin Simba and Ian Priest to carry their weight in Benji’s absence.
The sweet joy of victory!
The Barbos had agreed to a friendly match versus Queen City this Saturday on October 17th. It was scheduled, booked and counted on for our team development during our bye week. However, Queen City has chosen to cancel this match on short notice putting the Barbos in an impossible bind to find a replacement match on short notice. We are deeply disappointed in Queen City’s late decision to withdraw from this friendly match.
Instead, the Barbos will begin to prepare to host the Aspen Gentleman on Saturday October 24th. This will be a “win or go home” match against the reigning league champs as we look to potentially book our spot in the Rocky Mountain Final. Circle your calendars and make sure you are there at Infinity Park at 2pm on October 24th. A special thanks to all the greats fans and Barbo Boosters who have made their voices and support heard this fall on match days.
Riley Falcon has been cooking up a storm on under the new Barbo tent all season!
The support from the Barbo old Boys and Barbo Boosters has been impeccable!
As Always, Bleed Green