Program Spotlight: Grand Valley State and Their Powerful Back Row
Program Spotlight: Grand Valley State and Their Powerful Back Row
As Grand Valley State marches through one of the team’s better seasons, it’s pretty clear they have a pretty special group of players.
And while Calvin Schwandt and Reinhardt Stipp provide a very smart halfback combo, the heart and soul of the team is their forwards and, more specifically, their back row.
Alex Jones, Aiden Reilly, Owen Phelps, Ethan Schroeder, John Kelley, and Carter Kraft have led a team that is winning impressively through the Great Lakes, and, remember, opened the season with a big win over a very good Loyola Chicago team and a close win over a Notre Dame 15 (not their 1sts).
Reilly is a powerful runner he hits hard and scores tries. When he didn’t start at No. 8, Schroeder (more often a center) strode in and started scoring.
Phelps is a flanker who slots in at lock and is their lineout man.
And more importantly, says Head Coach John Mullett, they are working together. The word Mullett uses most often for his back row players, especially Jones and Kraft, is “tireless.” They work hard, get to rucks, make sure they’re there on defense, and make tackles.
Leading by example, they drive the Grand Valley State engine.
This past weekend the story was similar to most Great Lakes league games: Grand Valley State 94 Ferris State 7. Schroeder was back in the centers with captain Andrew Laskowski, and the tries this time came largely through the backs—Stipp scored five. But this was all because GVSU had 90% of possession. That was because of the forwards, and those forwards are led by an excellent back row.
“A number of these guys are the rugby equivalent of gym rats,” said Mullett. “If I get to practice 30 minutes early, there are usually over 20 guys already in attendance thrown the ball around. It’s not unusual for [team captain] Andrew Laskowski to have guys remain after practice or call a captain’s practice on a day off to make sure all are on the same page. It’s pretty well guaranteed a number of guys are going to set up a time outside of our formal practice schedule to get all up to speed.”
In addition, the team needs additional funding and works hard on philanthropic activities. Those activities, either to raise money or to do community activities, all require that effort and leadership.
“It’s a thin budget, so the effort is needed,” said Mullett.
And that might be the ultimate message; Grand Valley State is a team putting up spectacular numbers, but it’s the effort that’s needed; Reilly, Jones, Kraft, et al are putting out the effort.
