In the first game of the Minnesota Youth Rugby Boys HS 7s season, Minnetonka edged Hopkins 31-28.

After that game, both teams won five straight games to finish 1st and 2nd in the league. The Minnesota 7s league has five teams meet up every Thursday night for two game apiece, so after the July 23 tournament, Minnetonka sat 6-0, and Hopkins sat 5-1, with Eagan, North Suburban, and Minnetonka II rounding out the standings.

On Thursday, July 30 the top four teams met for the semifinals and finals. Hopkins and Minnetonka won their semis comfortably, and that set up a rematch of the season opener. This time, Hopkins won the close one, with MVP Webb Bolstad thundering through from 50 meters to score the game-winner in a 26-24 classic.

It was made all the sweeter that the two teams are very friendly, with coaches Dan Johnson (Hopkins) and Rob Clamo (Minnetonka) good friends.

“The first time around we got sloppy and made mistakes, and this time around we were better, but it was also a bit of luck,” said Johnson. “We got a great play from Webb Bolstad. Minnetonka is a great team, with a  lot of good players and well-coached. We just tried to move the ball from sideline to sideline and find some space.”

That they did, with Simeon Tschumper and Sam Dahle also getting in on the scoring in the final. It was a fitting end to a fun summer of 7s.

“We like it,” Johnson said of the 7s season. “Maybe we’d like more participation, but it was a good thing for the kids. They all enjoyed it and it was good team building for us.”

Eagan won the 3rd/4th playoff.