Missing one in Final Four

While most college students are cramming for finals, writing one last research paper, and catching up on assigned reading, the Temple rugby club teams are in California, where the men's and women's squads will compete in Friday's Final Four at Stanford.

They are excited, determined, and ready to win a national title. Unfortunately, the accomplishment is bittersweet.

They wish Josias Sterling could have made the trip.

Sterling, 19, was looking forward to his sophomore year at Temple when he died tragically last July.

"I remember coming to the first practice of the season and afterward realizing that he wasn't there, and it just hit me like a ton of bricks," said John Waldron, Sterling's friend from high school who joined Temple's rugby team last spring in large part because of his influence.

Sterling was tossing around a rugby ball in Ocean City, N.J., spending the summer with a few of his teammates and gearing up for a 7 vs. 7 tournament, when he got caught in the ocean's riptide and drowned.

The shocking news stunned his teammates, who handled it the only way they knew how - by talking to each other and getting back on the field.

"I think we drew a lot of strength from that, and now when we play, things are going our way in ways they don't always do . . . so we just know he's there. It's like having a 16th guy on the field during every game," senior Tom Folkes said.

This strength and chemistry, "started at the memorial service for Jo in the beginning of August," men's coach Tom Sciotto said.

"We basically had the entire team there. Kids came down from Pittsburgh, Connecticut just to be there for the service," he said. "Since then, they've really just come together."

Temple has gone 6-0 this spring season, and has lost only one game all year to West Chester in the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union (EPRU) championship during the fall season last November.

A few weeks ago, both Temple teams were in Florida, where they qualified for the Final Four. The Owls open Friday afternoon against Massachusetts.

"It gave us the confidence," senior Greg Rasmuson said. "Now we have a swagger, we know we can win this thing, there's no question about it."

It was just one season ago that the men's team had only one win during the fall, when Josias started as a freshman.

"If anybody met him once, they'd never forget him," said Jim O'Brien, a sophomore, and Sterling's friend who had played rugby with him since high school.

When the Owls try to describe Sterling, they talk over each other, enthusiastically interrupting one another while explaining why they loved their energetic teammate.

"Infectious smile," said Folkes.

"Just loved life," said O'Brien.

"I could be having the worst day ever and he would just put a smile on my face," said Waldron.

They wear his initials, J.S., on their game shorts and their cleats. Waldron writes J.S. on the tape that covers his wrist. And though they may not talk about him all the time, Josias is with the team in every move.

"He's in everyone's hearts," team captain Gareth Jones said. "I think about him all the time, especially when we're playing. It seems like every win we've had this spring, each step we get, he's part of it."