Forest Park, MO - In their last game of the quarter, The Thunder Chickens defeated Missouri S&T 37-5 in a match at Forest Park. The backs played their best match of the year, with six different backs scoring tries. The forwards demonstrated excellent defense, and were able to consistently stop S&T’s rolling rucks.
Principia’s first try came on the opening kickoff. With the ball taken carefully into a tackle, scrum-half James Suber was able to cleanly deliver the ball to the backline. After fly-half Justin Taylor and inside center Tom Bisbee were able to draw several opponents to them, outside center Martin Buchanan ran 80 meters for the try.
S&T’s threatened to score on their first possession of the game, after a turnover by Principia around the Thunder Chicken’s 22 meter line. However, tackles by Christian Coker and Blair Battenberg allowed Principia to recover the ball. Wing Tyler Marunde then scored his first try of the game. Five minutes later Tom Bisbee scored a try following a penalty on S&T, to bring the score to 15-0. Wing Drake Schaberg, following two good kick returns which were stopped short of the try line, gained possession in the 27th minute, and passing with Tom Bisbee, set up a try for Justin Taylor. In the 34th minute, a pass from Martin Buchanan led to Tyler Marunde scoring his second try. At the end of the first half the score was 25-0.
In the second half, Rolla had their best drive of the game, and after a knock-on by Principia inside their own 22 meter line, scored off of a scrum in the 9th minute of the half. Six minutes later, Principia struck again when wing Ezra Ranz caught a pass from Tom Bisbee and scored. Just a few minutes later Tom Bisbee almost set up wing Brad Bosak, but S&T’s fullback was able to make a try-saving tackle. In the 35th minute, Martin Buchanan make a beautiful 20 meter throw to Will Bisbee, who ran by several of S&T’s players as he zig-zagged down the field on his way to the in-goal. Tom Bisbee made Principia’s first conversion kick of the game, bringing the score to 37-5.