SCORPIONS HOST 4TH ANNUAL GOLF CHARITY CLASSIC!  AUGUST 21, 2010.

The Scorpions are proud to invite you once again to the 4th Annual Golf Scramble held and Stansburry Park Golf Course.  Registration is preferrably done before the day of the tournament, but if you choose to register there, it will start at 6:45AM.  Shotgun Start will be at 8 AM sharp! Format is a 4 person scramble fee of $75/person or $300/team.  If you are unable to attend, please consider a cash donation in lieu of the registration fee.  All proceeds go directly to your Division II National Champion, Utah Scorpions! Lunch, drink and raffle will be held at the course.  Come and mingle with the Utah Scorpions! http://www.stansburygolf.com/

END OF AN ERA FOR 2 SCORPIONS

The Coach and President of the Utah Scorpions, Tim Daynes, and the Equipment Manager, Karen Daynes, are taking a well deserved rest from the sport of wheelchair rugby after 15+ years of hard work and dedication.  They both have had an extemely positive affect on the current team, and a big thanks goes out to them from all of the teams and fans.  No one has been as loyal and dedicated to the organization as these two.  They were able to keep the team together when the Scorpions were in shambles and half of the players left.  They stuck with the team and were able to be a huge part of the organization in winning the DII National Championship.  These two will be missed, but they have successfully laid a foundation for what looks to be a bright future for these DII National Champion, Utah Scorpions.

UTAH SCORPIONS ARE 2010 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! Championship Game Video/Other 4 Games

As the Scorpions headed home from their tournament on April 18, a wonderful greeting was heard as the were about to fly home… ” Onboard our flight, we have our 2010 Division II National Champions, the Utah Scorpions.”  A giant smile of relief came to all of the players faces as they had a round of applause, because they all knew, this championship didn’t come without hard work, perseverence and sacrifice.

The Scorpions headed to Lakeshore, Alabama, which is home to an Olympic & Paralympic Athletic Training Facility.  Here, they were about to face to best Division II opponents in the country.  Game 1 had the Scorpions facing the East Coast Cripplers.  The Scorpions proved that they had came here on a mission by crushing the Cripplers 61 - 37.  Game 2 put the Scorpions against a team they had only seen on film in TNT.  Once again the Scorpions took control of this game from the beginning, and put TNT’s championship dreams to bed as they beat them 56-45.

Day 2 was where the exciting games really started to happen.  The Scorpions looked to put a beating on another team they had not faced in several years in the St. Louis Rugby Rams.  The Rams are a deap team with talented subs and a coach who has been in the sport for many years.  The Scorpions came out a little sluggish in the first period and were actually behind for the first time in the tournament.  It was obvious that the Scorpions had to feel out their opponent for their weak spots, as they came out in the second half and opened up an early lead.  The Rams couldn’t take it anymore and began to substitute their starters, as the Scorpions took away another victory handling the Rams with a 44 - 37 victory.

Game 4 pitted the Scorpions against a very good opponent in the Seattle Slam.  The Scorpions looked to avenge a loss they suffered earlier in the season on a last second mental lapse that gave Seattle the game earlier in the season.  Seattle came out blazing fast, putting up a 5 point lead early in the first period.  Utah called a timeout to compose themselves.  Whatever their staff and coach, Tim Daynes, had said lit a fire under the Scorpions as they quickly regained composure and tied the game at 12 at the end of the first period.  The Scorpions hit their stride once again as they opened up a lead that Seattle could not overcome in the second half and the Scorpions took this one 57 - 47.

Sunday was the day that all of their sacrifice and determination would pay off.  They would once again face the St. Louis Rugby Rams for a chance at the pride of a first place finish.  The Scorpions came out tough, but the Rams weren’t just going to succumb to what seemed an inevitable fate, as they had already lost to them the day before.  Their coach tried to keep her players fresh as substitutions were a frequent occurence.  This was an extremely exciting match as the Scorpions held only a 2 to 3 goal margin throughout the game.  With each goal came the scream of the crowd as about half seemed to be rooting for the underdog Rams, and half for the higher seeded Scorpions.  As the match came to a close the Scorpions capitalized on some crucial errors by the Rams and were able to take home another victory with a score of 52 - 47, and a National Championship.

Josh Wheeler was named the MVP of the Division II National Tournament.  The Scorpions, as always, send out a big thank you to all of the countless hours of volunteer work that has helped them get to the highest point on the biggest stage.  If you would like to watch the final 2 games the Scorpions played, visit this link, http://usqra.tampadigital.com/.  A highlight video will be posted in the coming days.  Go Scorpions!

There is a news story posted by the Salt Lake Tribune http://www.sltrib.com/ci_14971659?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

The Utah Scorpions Qualify For National Tournament  Video

As the Scorpions headed for Tucson, Arizona, their sights were set on making a trip in late April to Birmingham, Alabama.  This is the site for the 2010 United States Quad Rugby National Tournament.  Five teams stood in their way of making history by becoming the first team from the State of Utah to qualify for this tournament.  The Scorpions came in to the tournament as a heavy underdog in the most competetive section in the nation.  The Denver Harlequins, who were a National Champion in the past had already transferred from this section in order to be sure they would qualify for the tournament.

The Scorpions were determined to make it this year.  They were tired of hearing everyone talk about how much potential they have.  They were at this tournament to show this potential has been turned into ability.  The first game of the tournament featured the Scorpions against the San Antonio Ruff Riders.  They were short a starter, and first year player, Ryan Walters stepped in to play the role.  The game was a hard fought battle as neither team was going home without making the trip to Alabama.  The Scorpions came up short in this game as well as the next two, as the experience of these teams took over and lead them to victory.

Game 4 put the Scorpions up against James Gumbert, coach of the USA Gold Medalist Rugby Team, and the Texas Stampede.  The Scorpions had their starters for this game and would need a victory in the next 2 matchups to make the National Tournament.  The Scorpions had never beat either of the next two opponents.  The Stampede were first up and they came out fast and hard.  Levi Bohon was so excited when getting the first turnover of the game, that he slammed the ball to the ground after the score and received a technichal foul.  The game was tight throughout, and the Scorpions came away with a 10 point victory after only having six total turnovers in the game.  Step one of the Scorpion’s season long goal was complete and they needed a win in the next one to solidify their position.

The final game of the tournament had the Scorpions facing the Houston Texans, who had ripped out 1 point victories in each of the last 2 matchups.  Utah was not going to be denied.  They came out with an intensity that they hadn’t yet displayed in this tournament.  Their defense was tough and offense was great as usual.  But there was a reason these Texans had taken victories in the last two matches as they never give up and know how to grind out wins.  After the first half, it was the Scorpions holding just a 2 goal margin.  However, their constant pressure and team speed seemed to take control as mid-way through the third quarter, the Texans gave in to what seemed an inevitable fate, and Utah came away with a double digit victory!

Josh Wheeler came away with another Most Valuable Player Award.  As always the Scorpions want to thank everyone who volunteered and supported them throughout the season!  Check this website again later for updated pictures and video.

Scorpions Return Home As Champions!  Jacksonville, 2010  Video

In their third tournament of the season, the Scorpions headed to Jacksonville, Florida, January 8-10, for the Southern Slam.  Their first opponent were the East Coast Cripplers, ranked #16, who the Scorpions put an early lead on and never looked back.  Next up were the Carolina Crash, featuring a player from the past in Bobby Stewart.  The extra insight and knowledge gained from playing with the Scorpions for years didn’t seem to help as the Scorpions took control and were able the crush the Crash.

Saturday was an early start for the Scorpions at 8:00 am against the top-ranked team of the tournament, the Raleigh Sidewinders.  This was a hard fought battle as the Scorpions were able to take an early lead once again.  The experienced Sidewinders, lead by their dominant 2.0, Mark Herndon, were able to keep the game close throughout.  Raleigh pulled out all of the stops as they were even made Anthony Tucker roll his chair over for the first time in his career.  It was an exciting match as every possession could have gave either team the victory.  The Scorpions continued to build their confidence as they were able to take out the Sidewinders, when they seemed to grow tired of the team speed displayed by the Scorpions.

Game 4 featured a tough match up in the #8 ranked, Tampa Generals.  Tampa had seen the speed of the Scorpions throughout the week and new they would have a tough time shutting down the quickness.  They tried a new technique and dropped back to the key defense.  The Scorpions, becoming more experienced each tournament, were able to teach the Generals a lesson on how to run key offenses and were able to come away with a double digit victory.

Day 3 put the Scorpions up against the Northeast Passage Wildcats who had been seeded low, but had been showing to be very competitive in all of their games as the Scorpions watched and determined their strategy, as this team was all that stood between them and the first place finish.  Utah once again came out fast and put an early lead on the Wildcats.  The Scorpions could smell blood and the championship.  This was more than enough motivation to come away with another double digit victory!  Highlights from the tournament will be posted shortly, so be sure to check them out!

Along with the team victory, Sergio Garcia also won the best 1.5 award,  Levi Bohon won the best 2.0, and Josh Wheeler was named the MVP!

Scorpions Take 5th in Arizona  Video

The Scorpions headed to Tuscon, Arizona for the warm weather in the first week of December.  Day 1, and the first two games put the young Scorpions up against two talented Division I foes, who pulled ahead of them and didn’t look back.  The Scorpions pushed hard and were able to learn a lot from playing such experienced and talented teams.

Day 2 was where the winning began… The first opponent the Scorpions face were the Michigan Storm.  The Scorpions had learned a great deal from the previous losses and were able to trounce the #14 ranked Michigan Storm by over 15 points!  The Scorpions were able to minimize penalties and mistakes, which helped a lot in the victory.  The second game of the day featured the Scorpions against a depleted University of Arizona B team.  The Scorpions didn’t have much trouble and rolled to victory.

Day 3 was by far the closest game of the tournament for the Scorpions.  They were facing the Arizona Outcasts who had snuck by with 1 point victories in their previous 2 games.  The Scorpions came out tough, but the experience of the Outcasts seemed to be the factor as the took a 2 point advantage going into the half.  The Scorpions were determined though, and weren’t about to let this one get away.  They fought hard and got some much needed turnovers in the second half to eventually tie the game, and then take the lead.  The game was fast paced and intense as the Scorpions came away with the 5 goal victory!

The Scorpions look to continue the 3-game winning streak as they head to Jacksonville, Florida in January!

Scorpions Take 3rd In Reno Video

The Scorpions looked to start the season with a bang when they headed to Reno for their first tournament.  Their first game was against the home team, Sierra Storm, whom the Scorpions took contol of from the start and didn’t look back.  They then went on to face the Nor Cal Mavericks, who had an extremely experienced and seasoned team.  The Scorpions played it tough and escaped by the narrowest of margins.  The third match pitted the Scorpions against the Seattle Slam team who were also undefeated up to this point.  The fans of both sides almost went into cardiac arrest as the game came down to one decisive play where the Slam ended up with the ball and squeaked away with a one point win.  Game 4 was a duel between the Scorpions and the Northridge Kings, who came in to the tournament as the top seed.  After a bitter defeat in the previous match the Scorpions came out tough and didn’t relax as they pounded the Kings by over 20 points!  Game 5 was on Sunday, and the winner of this game would come away with a championship.  It was the Scorpions vs the Houston Texans, who were the defending champions of this tournament.  Once again this game came down to a final, crucial play as the Scorpions came away with another heart breaking loss by one point, which also knocked them back to a third place finish as well.  The Scorpions came away with their heads held high as they had a chance for the championship.  The Scorpions had almost as big of a crowd as the home team and a big thanks goes out to all that attended.  Josh Wheeler came away with the MVP award, as well as the best 2.5, and Anthony Tucker received the best .5 award.  If you haven’t checked out the new video yet, you should, it’s fantastic!

3rd Annual Charity Golf Classic

The Utah Scorpions hosted their 3rd annual golf tournament August 15, 2009.  The event was held at Stansbury Golf Course in Stansbury Park, Utah.  The day started out wet and cold, but ended with beautiful, sunny weather.  21 foursomes competed with the winning team shooting an amazing 62 on the day.  There were many great prizes raffled off including a Taylormade Burner Driver and a Cleveland Classic Putter, as well as a basketball signed by the Utah Utes Head Basketball Coach.  All proceeds are going directly to the improvement of the Utah Scorpion Team.  A big thanks goes out to everyone who participated, as well as volunteered for the event, and the Stansbury Golf Course.  The story of the day went to Levi Bohon and Josh Wheeler who somehow got into a golfcart and were driving around, selling raffle tickets.  With Levi behind the wheel and Josh using a stick to push the pedals, they had a lot of fun, especially when for some reason, Levi drove the cart into a tree, sending Josh to the ground.  Josh took the worst of the accident, breaking his leg in the process.  A picture is featured below.

Derby Car Raffle Was A Great Success!

The Scorpions were in Fairview, Utah to celebrate Pioneer Days and Fairview’s 150th birthday!  The car raffle went great and a big thanks to the Tucker family and everyone who put in time for this great event.  The raffle was won by Diane Lund, who had her son, Robert, drive.  You’ve never seen someone more excited to win!  The derby was fantastic, featuring all sorts of inner city rivalries.  64 cars were entered into the derby with one still somewhat running by the end.  A  parade was held before the derby, which featured the scorpions runnin down main street crashin into eachother the whole way.  Josh Wheeler tipped his chair twice and the spectators gave a big gasp each time.  A big thanks goes out to the city of Fairview and everyone that donated.  The car raffle raised over $1800 which will help the Scorpions travel the United States in search of their first trip to Nationals.

Scorpion On USQRA Force

Josh Wheeler of the Utah Scorpions, has been selected to compete on the USA Developmental Team.  They will be competing all over the world for the next 2 years, before the Olypmic team is announced for 2012.  He has also been invited to participate in tryouts for the 2010 World Championships team! Tryouts will be held in mid-December.

Scorpions Finish 5th in the Desert Duel, Feb 2009  Video

The Scorpions traveled to Phoenix, Arizona where some of the best teams in the Western United States were playing. The Scorpions started the tournament by facing a tough opponent in the Houston Texans ranked in the top 20 in the country. The Scorpions started well and were leading after the first period. It was a close game throughout and the point spread was only down to a few points as the game was coming to a close. Little did the Scorpions know, but one of the referees of the game, who is a big supporter and fund raiser for the Texans made some crucial and questionable calls as the game came to a close and the Scorpions were robbed of victory.

Game 2 was a major rivalry between the Scorpions and the Utah Haggis. The Scorpions jumped on the Haggis opening up a large 8-point advantage after the first quarter of play. The Scorpions relaxed too much on their tough and experienced opponent, featuring Olympic Gold Medalist, Rick Drainey. Once again this game came down final seconds with the Scorpions coming up just short of victory.

Game 3 had the Scorpions facing another top 20 opponent in the Arizona Outcasts. Once again, the Scorpions jumped out to an early lead against the heavily favored outcasts. The Outcasts have been playing together for many years and it showed as they fought back to edge out the Scorpions in the final minute. Game 4 was shortly after this game and the drained scorpions took another loss to the Arizona Wildcats who didn’t take any chances, playing 2 current Olympic players.

Game 5 pitted the Scorpions against their biggest rival, the Sin City Skulls. This time, the Scorpions didn’t take the early advantage and they would need a come from behind victory to take this one. The Skulls are an extremely talented team, and have not lost to the Scorpions all season. Fans love watching these two battle it out, as every quarter comes down to the final seconds to see who can come out on top. Coming in to the final quarter, the Scorpions were down by 2. Every game of the tournament had been an intense fight that ended in heartache. These Scorpions hate the awful feeling of losing more than anything, especially to the Skulls. They would not be denied a victory in this tournament no matter how tough all of their opponents were. With 2 minutes left, the Scorpions turned a couple of much needed turnovers into scores and escaped with a narrow victory of 2 goals. The Skulls team was extremely upset as the coach of the team broke his clipboard as he slammed it against the wall. Although it was a 5th place finish, the Scorpions look to build off of the great experience gained by playing such difficult opponents.

Scorpions Are Champions! Capitol Clash, Dec 2008

The Scorpions traveled to our Nation’s Capitol for a great Tournament held in the heart of DC. The Scorpions faced a tough opponent in the NY Jets in their first game of the tournament. The no-name Scorpions weren’t even given a chance to win against this top 20 east coast powerhouse. The inexperienced Scorpions, with only one player having played 2 years, upset the Jets and gained a much needed component to a winning mindset, confidence. The Scorpions hit their stride as they crushed the rest of the competition with not much of a fight put up by any other team, including the championship game where the Scorpions came out on top by 16 points.

Posted on April 20th, 2009 by Tim
Filed under: Uncategorized | Comments Off