With the season wrapped up, and the holidays on the way, it is time for the End-Of-Year club meeting. On Friday, November 13, at 7:00 pm the Tigers will be gathering at Zimmerman’s house. The main topics for the meeting include electing club officers and discussing plans for next season. Everyone planning on participating next season should attend this meeting. Past members are also encouraged to come partake in the beginning of a great 2016. Also, feel free to invite anyone interested in becoming a Tiger. The meeting will have grilled burgers and sausages, and a few beverages on ice. Everyone is free to bring their own beverage of choice.
For directions and address details email batonrougetigers@gmail.com, or contact the leadership group.
From Oct. 17 -18, the Tigers wrapped up their 2015 season with a trip to Austin, TX for this year’s edition of the USAFL National Tournament. The Tigers competed in Division IV combined with Houston Lonestar’s B-Side. The boys drew fourth seed in a tough group with Denver-B, Seattle-B/Portland and Golden Gate-B.
The first match on Saturday against Denver was hard-fought on a field dampened with the cold, morning dew. A slow first half offensively for the Tigers had the defense blasted early on. However, the defense did an excellent job turning goals to behinds and keeping it close. The second half odds improved with passes finally connecting, as the Tigers caught up. Sadly, the Tigers ran just short on the scoreboard finishing with a painful 21-20 loss.
Following a short three hour break, it was time for the Tigers to take on Seattle/Portland. Despite warmer afternoon temperatures, the Tigers started slow once again, giving up a plethora of behinds (and the occasional goal), with the defense doing all it could to stop the onslaught of Seattle/Portland. Tightening up the midfield in the second half gave a little momentum to the Tigers but it was too little too late and the Tigers fell to Seattle/Portland: 47-28.
The final match began on Sunday with the boys playing against Golden Gate. Sore and battling injuries from Saturday, the Tigers took the field one last time and fought hard against a more skillful side in Golden Gate. Following what seemed to be the trend of the tournament, the first half started off rough only to be followed with impressive work displayed during the second half. Improved accuracy and strong defensive work slowed Golden Gate’s attack in the second half. However, it was again not enough and the Tigers fell 49-16.
Despite leaving the 2015 USAFL National Tournament without a victory, the boys put in some hard-work, playing till the end of each match. There were certainly areas for improvement, but also many moments of greatness. The Tigers hope to start next season stronger, with a tested core group of players, and compete to win a trophy in 2016.
Our Tigers in the 2015 USAFL Tournament:
Ryan Baldassaro
Joshua Cartmill
Stephen Doerfler
Matthew Heintze
Daniel Hill
Austin LeBouef
Ryan Moran
Joseph Roy
Dwayne Smith *With the famous Neil Stebbing, who provided coaching support and represented the Tigers in the Masters/Legends match.
The Home and Away Season has come to an end for the Tigers with more than its fair share of heart break. Four tough losses may not have been how we envisioned our season to end but we can take away that the Tigers are almost there with three hard fought matches against even competition in Nashville, Ohio Valley, and Atlanta, and a more productive than usual attack against a seemingly always stacked Houston side.
Results from second half of the season:
8/8/15: Nashville Tournament: Nashville vs Baton Rouge 9.3.57 7.5.47
8/8/15: Nashville Tournament: Baton Rouge vs Ohio Valley 4.4.28 4.5.29
9/5/15: Baton Rouge vs Houston 7.8.50 15.15.105
9/19/15: Baton Rouge vs Atlanta 11.6.72 12.8.80
Also, we would not be able to host the matches that we do or travel down the road without the
support of volunteers that do everything from umpire and keep score to run water and cook jambalaya!
We cannot thank you all enough! If you are interested in supporting the Tigers in the future email us at
batonrougetigers@gmail.com.
We would also like to give a HUGE thank you to Benjamin Record of Record Dental in Central for his fabulous sponsorship of our new uniforms. We hope you can appreciate how big this was for our club.
All season long it seemed a different group of individual Tigers would step up each game and show the leadership and skills that the club needs as a group in order to succeed. The second half of the season saw Club Best on Ground points go to the following players: Mitch Gray- 5 pts; Rob Montanaro-4 pts; Josh Cartmill, Matt Heintze, Kyle Jackson and Ryan Moran- 3 pts each; Dwayne Smith- 2 pts; John Zimmerman- 1 pt; and Coaches Awards going to Ryan Baldasarro, Josh Cartmill, and Austin LeBouef.
Season Standings for Club Best on Ground:
Josh Cartmill- 8 pts
Mitch Gray- 7 pts
Rob Montanaro- 5 pts
Deeboe France- 3 pts
Stephen Gauthe- 3 pts
Matt Heintze- 3 pts
Kyle Jackson- 3 pts
Ryan Moran- 3 pts
Ryan Baldasarro- 2 pts
Dwayne Smith- 2 pts
Mitchell Pedler- 1 pt
John Zimmerman- 1 pt
Next up for the Tigers is the USAFL National Tournament on October 17th and 18th in Austin, TX. We will join forces with our friends in Houston to play in Division 4. Make plans to attend, come support the Tigers/Lonestars, and enjoy a weekend of quality footy in a great town! In the meantime, we will continue open training sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6pm at Westdale Middle School.
A lot has happened for the Baton Rouge Tigers since our last update. We experienced both the bitterness of defeat and the sweetness of victory. Our bravest Tigers travelled to Atlanta on May 16th and took on the Kookaburras. A tough road test for the club ended in a convincing win for Atlanta with Baton Rouge going down 106-67. Billy “Deeboe” France was our best on ground and collected 3 points for his intense attack on the ball and leadership out of our backline. Honorable mention to Josh Cartmill and Rob Montanaro who received 2 and 1 points respectively.
On June 27th the Tigers were back on home turf and ready to take on the visiting 10th ranked Nashville Kangaroos. In hot conditions, the Tigers used their bench to perfection to overcome an early deficit and run away from the Roos. Final score was 17.12.114 to 7.4.46 in favor of the Tigers! This was a great team win with every Tiger stepping up and finally getting reward for all their hard work. Best on Ground went to Stephen Gauthe (3 pts), Mitch Gray (2 pts), and Mitchell Pedler (1 pts).
Next up the Tigers go on the road to Nashville on August 8th for a three-team tournament with Ohio Valley and the Kangaroos. You can bet that the Roos will be up and running, ready to redeem themselves on their home ground. Mark it on your calendars! Should be a great footy weekend!
Finally, the biggest news of all, we have a new sponsor. We would like to thank Record Dental Center of Central, LA for stepping up and helping the Tigers secure brand new kits! This is huge for the club and would not be possible without the support and generosity of our sponsors. Be sure and thank them personally and watch for our exciting new look at our next home game.
Season Standings for Best On Ground:
Josh Cartmill- 5 pts, Deeboe France- 3 pts, Stephen Gauthe- 3 pts, Mitch Gray- 2 pts, Ryan Baldasarro- 2 pts, Rob Montanaro- 1 pts, Ryan Moran- 1 pts, Mitchell Pedler- 1 pts
It was an early lightning filled morning when I got the call to join the Tigers on their team truck, a black suburban named Tequila.
Although the team bus has been ready and willing, the logistics have not played in favor. Luckily the driver seat of Tequila was open and I was eager and overjoyed to have the opportunity to ride with (drive) the bulk of the team. Coach Neil, Rob, and Mark had already made the trek to Houston in order to scout the area. In our truck was Adam & Josh, Ryan & Ryan, and the Aussies in the back: Matt and Mitch. We had decided that sitting alphabetical order would improve the feng shui of the trip.
The drive started at 4:15 am from Cartmill Ranch, which is just outside of Baton Rouge. Our 7th passenger was held up from the torrential rains that evening, but managed a ride with FOTT (Friend Of The Team) Maryanne, who was making the trip to Houston for the sole purpose of supporting her Baton Rouge Tigers, and taking care of other business during while in Houston. Around the halfway point, Tequila stopped for some human fuel at the Cracker Barrel, an establishment made for King’s of the Road who crave breakie at all hours of the day. Mitch was only able to leave 3 pegs on the puzzle. Throughout almost the whole drive, thunderstorms and rain came rolling in like Stannis Berathean’s warships during the Battle of King’s Landing.
Finally, as the team eased Tequila into a slow halt, allowing her ancient springs a moments rest, we realize the pitch had been relocated to another park. And again, off we were to face the now delayed challenge of our arch-friends the Houston Lonestars.
There’s a long friendly history between The Lonestars and The Tigers, and it didn’t stop until the first whistle after warm ups. The Lonestars pulled ahead early, winning several contests inside shooting range. At the start of the second quarter, the Tiger’s regrouped and organized their lines and began contesting marks with a bit more authority. However, Houston did not let up and continued to add to their lead.
The third and fourth quarters began to rise in physicality as the players started to get tired. The moisture heat rose out of the ground like a basaltic lava flow fueled by the solar radiation of the now visible sun. When the final whistle blew, the Lonestars emerged as victors.
There were some great moments for the Tigers during the game. Rookie Ryan Baldassaro had a spectacular mark just above the reaching hands of the mob-filled contest. He managed to calibrate his boots and sink his shot on goal. Ryan Moran showed bull-dozer qualities in driving to the ball, sometimes from 15 meters away only to explode through the other side of the pile with the skippy-skin. Both of the Ryan’s showed glorious potential and a positive future for the Tigers. They were both recognized by Coach Neil after the game. Veteran player and Club President Josh Cartmill came away with Coach Neil’s approving nod as the Tiger’s best man on the pitch.
The whole day served as a stark reminder that you should get out and enjoy the day at its fullest. The Houston Lonestars Ruggles Cup is played in memory of Ruggles, a solid Lonestar Footy player, and the Ruggles Family was properly honored at the start of the match. Also, April 25th was the 100th Anniversary of the Gallipoli landing by Australian and New Zealand forces during WWI. ANZAC Day is remembered annually and is comparable to America’s Veteran’s Day, as a remembrance of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in preserving the way of life we know and love.
A beautifully orchestrated service with a trumpeter playing the Last Post and a silent moment for the Ruggles Family wrapped up the field activities for the day. Despite the morning rainy weather, the day turned out to be quite brilliant.
After the game, the Tigers went to the team locker room, provided by La Quinta, and Shh, showered, and shaved in preps for the ANZAC remembrance event put on by the Houston Lonestars Footy Club for the City of Houston. Never have so many fake Australian accents turned out to be real ones; as the place was packed with Aussies. Footy players, families, and other American counterparts joined in the fun with a replay of some AFL action on an imported outdoor television while the joeys bounced in the inflatable castle. There were even footies flying through the air like a scene from Deep Impact. Also, a uniquely Aussie menu was prepared by The Pheonix on Westheimer, the host site of the event. Aussie burgers, sausage rolls, and more helped bring the day a little closer to home for our expats.
Despite the loss, the Tigers walked away with some experience for the rookies, some play time for the veterans, and a continuation of the awesome friendly relationship between The Lonestars and The Tigers.
In the wake of starting our practice sessions it seems that this pre-season is not going to ever end, ever. But alas, there is hope on the horizon as the Tigers continue to prep for the *queue the music* First Game of The Season. The Tigers will make their conquest to Cullen Park in Houston, TX, home of the last stand of the Alamo and the world’s largest pecan, to face the Lonestars in The Ruggles Cup of 2015, in memoriam of a fallen Lonestar teammate.
The boys from Baton Rouge are excited to lace up the boots and see their recent hard work in action. The Tigers have seen a few new faces on the pitch with the addition of a couple of Aussies and some young thoroughbreds from campus. We recently sent a camera crew to the Baton Rouge Tigers Clubhouse, but were denied access to the vault that Coach Stebbing had installed late last week. Though Coach Stebbing denied to comment on several requests, if he had to say something, we believe that he would have said something to the tune of: “I’m just happy to be here.”
Don’t forget to check out the ANZAC Day Event following the game. More information at the Lonestars Website.
If you are one of our many Houston fans, or if you just need to get out of the house before the in-laws show up, come check out the match.
Saturday, April 25 at 11:00am / Cullen Park: 19008 Saums Rd, Houston, TX 77084
LSU has granted a probational status to the Australian Rules Football Club, an LSU Student Organization. The club comes just in time for Josh Growden to have to make a tough decision, although sources say that he’s leaning to towards the American football, football team.
Nonetheless, the student organization is a first step to creating a footy culture on campus. Luckily the Student Footy Club President contacted the Baton Rouge Tigers for some assistance with coaching and training. This comes as a relief since the local Academy does not carry Sherrin or Burley balls.
We liked to wish a good luck to the Footy Club at LSU. If you’d like to get in touch with them for donations or participation, please contact Adam Diaz at lsu.footy@gmail.com.
Greeting fellow Baton Rouge Tigers Australian Rules Football Club fans, friends, players, and friendly foes:
As of lately, the past fortnight and a half to be precise, the footy gods have blessed Baton Rouge with “pretty ok” weather, as quoted by one player (unknown source). The LSU Parade Grounds have proven to be a lively lush pasture suitable for the practicing of Australian Football, despite the sand pit lines and random holes. Even on days that the weather fortune tellers have predicted doom and gloom, our boys have flexed their pectorals and forced the precipitation away. Don’t be fooled, we’re not the only ones enjoying the sporadic sparks of spring, (apparently the Starks were right, “winter is coming”, or isn’t going away). We’ve seen the likes of Ultimate Frisbee, Cricket, two boys throwing a baseball as far as possible, and the American-Football-Dad-and-Son backyard catch. Believe it or not, we’ve even had fans come out for practice; although they may have already been there enjoying the quiet before our lot took the field. Regardless, the Tigers are moving forward this year. Coach Neil has already seen some improvements with straighter kickers, and smarter decisions. Practice has been well organized and productive throughout the whole session. Players are giving feedback on what they like, what has been working, and what drills they feel are showing improvements. Don’t get us wrong, it’s a long, hard road to success, but it feels good to be on it. If Dan Patrick were here, I feel he would have something clever to say about the boys and their initiative. If it were Bob Costas, he would have questions that help build a picture of the future. But you’re stuck with me…and I’ll say that I’m just happy to be here, and we’d love to see you here too. Check out our Facebook page for updates on practice days and locations. Cheers!
I had a chance to sit and chat with the 2015 Baton Rouge Tiger’s Australian Rules Football Club Head Coach, or BRTARFC-HC for short. Who is the man behind the whistle?
Adam: Neilsy!!!
Neil: Adam, how ya goin?
A: You want a beer?
N: ****CENSORED****
A: So, what is your footy bio?
N: Played for Hadfield Primary school for 2 years and we were awesome. Won both the Football and Cricket grand finals. Went to Metro’s in both. Played for Hadfield Football Club U13’s and U15’s and we were crap. Mostly played as a midfielder. Played open age for St. Andrews Vic Amatuers FA as a wingmen and then Glenroy Football Club as a Full Back in the Essendon District FL.
A: Noice. What do you want from your footy future?
N: Want to see the BR Tigers get some consistent players. Want to teach football as I was taught which is getting the basics right.
A: That goes into my next question…what do you want from your players?
N: Hmmm good question. Get the basics down and to execute them well in a game. Make them believe in themselves build self confidence.
A: When we see you on the field, it’s obvious that you love the game,..what do you love about the game?
N: Gee wiz. Reading the play just love beating someone who I have out-read. The wide range of skills. The competition. Teammates who become friends
A: Let’s say someone actually reads this, what would you want to say to the players?
N: Be passionate about learning the basics this will hold you in good stead for your career
A: And what about the fans?
N: Enjoy watching us and come out. Get around us at the 3 breaks and pump us up. Enjoy the evening with us.
A: Thank mate. (To the waitress) Could we grab our bill? (Back to Neil) No…no…it’s on me.
What was supposed to be a rainy miserable February day manifested into a blossoming beauty. As the old clock tower began to mumble the tune of two o’clock, the Tigers began trickling onto the practice pitch, the LSU Parade Grounds. Coach Neilsy Wheelsy, recently retired from active play, has taken his boot off of the footy and into the arses of the Tigers. Immediately we began to calibrate our cleats and address the basic skills, because everyone knows that you can’t spell “slicks” or “slacks” without basic skills. The practice was well organized and well structured…and after two hours of sweat, Coach Neil called it. Thanks to everyone who came out and we’ll you next week.
Baton Rouge Tigers Australian Rules Football Club 