Power Start for University City
University City has started the Southern California Varsity White season with a pretty emphatic 2-0 league record, beating La Jolla 52-0 and Patric Henry 73-5.
The wins put UC in 1st alongside Mira Mesa in the San Diego South division - those two teams are slated to face off at the end of January.
For University Head Coach Jason Lee, the start could hardly be any better.
“We lost some significant seniors and some physically dominant players from last year,” Lee told Goff Rugby Report. “But we’ve got tons of skill.”
And so they have. With more than half of his team being made up of athletes who play rugby pretty much year-round, and with more recruits coming in, UC looks as strong as ever.
EIRA Player Spotlight - David Ainuu
The USA national team programs can never have enough props, and one who seems set to be a big part of American rugby's front row is David Ainuu.
The soft-spoken Liberty Patriots HS player is a senior at Capital HS in Olympia, Wash., and still only 17, but he's on everyone's radar. With his powerful legs and impressive mobility, Ainuu is more than just a strong force in the tight five - he's a player who can cover ground. He expects to play some 7s with the HSAA team in Las Vegas and isn't afraid to challenge himself.
"It's good that everyone is looking at me as a top prospect ... but I try to stay humble," said Ainuu. "I've been working out and preparing forrugby and getting in the groove for training and stuff. Aside from school that's my main priority."
Watchwords for HSAA Camp Players
This year’s HS All American camp is an interesting one in that some slots have opened up.
With a large chunk of the HSAA returners tagged for the U19 team to play Canada’s U19s at the end of the month.
With those players tied up, and with plans for more HSAA tours and activity in 2017, there are more opportunities for other players. There’s no guarantee, of course, that a player will get picked for the HS All Americans, but that’s not the only reason for the camp.
La Costa Canyon Impresses in Preseason Win
La Costa Canyon High School Mavericks defeated Dana Hills in a non-league Southern California HS game this past weekend.
The Tritons were still without their football athletes as the school was still in the playoffs, so this was always going to be a tough one for , and LCC was without a couple of other starters. The Dana Hills Triton won the JV game 10-7, and in the Varsity game, LCC ran out convincing winners 45-5.
HSAA Campers Named
Boys HS All Americans Head Coach Salty Thompson has named the players who are set to attend the Winter Camp in Case Grande, Ariz.
The camp will start on December 27 and end December 31. The players were chosen through scouting at the Regional Cup Tournaments over the summer, and through other scouting avenues.
Below some players are linked to additional coverage on those specific players.
Mira Mesa Numbers Look Good
It’s all in the numbers for Mira Mesa HS as the Marauders are now 4-0.
Mira Mesa logged two impressive scrimmage wins over Westview HS and Patrick Henry, and followed that up with with a 33-19 win over Coronado and then, this past weekend, a 54-24 defeat of High Tech High.
For Head Coach Bob McFadyen, the nice start is all about depth.
‘One of the biggest things we’ve struggled with in our first three years has been numbers,” said McFadyen. “So at the end of last season I challenged the returning players to being a friend, a new player. That really helped.”
San Pasqual Starts Strong in SoCal
San Pasqual HS is now 2-0 in the Southern California Varsity White San Diego North after defeating San Marcos 27-10 Saturday.
This follows on from an impressive 39-12 win over Rancho Bernardo the week before.
View Park Shuts Out Wilson
View Park Prep got on the winning side Friday night in a preseason non-league match against LA rivals WIlson HS.
View Park, which was cruelly eliminated from last year's playoffs in part due to a scorekeeping error, shut out Wilson 20-0 in their opener, scoring four unconverted tries.
Head Coach David Hughes said his normally under-sized View Park forward pack remains relatively small, but held up well in tight.
"We battled it out up front which was really satisfying and then ran in some good tries out wide with some great running," said Hughes, who will get some size in the pack when a couple of players return from injury.
Okapi Wins Preseason Shutout
The Okapi Wanderers defeated the Riviera Beach Maritime Academy in a preseason non-league match Saturday.
The Wanderers scored six tries from six different scorers - Nicola Fuentes, Alejandro Morales, Jack Feixa, Tomas Gallo, Augusto Todeschini, and Andres Villareal. Villareal kicked four conversions for a persona haul of 13, getting co-player of the game with his halfback partner, Gallo.
Mira Costa Rides to Victory
Mira Costa rebounded from a winless preseason round-robin last week win their first full-length game of the season Friday night, beating Servite HS 64-5 in a SoCal Varsity Red warmup.
Lock Blake Curtin opened the scoring when he burst onto a pass from captain and scrumhalf Harrison Dulgarian and powered over from six meters out. Flyhalf Kaden Loversky added the conversion. With two backs out for the year with football-related knee injuries, the Mustangs looked to their experienced and very athletic forwards to do the heavy lifting. Hooker Callum Lapper, lock Alec Oshita, flanker Gunnar Kissman, and No. 8 Jonah Tavai took over. Along with the rest of the pack, those four won rucks and were quick to the ball. Costa led 30-0 at halftime.
Boys HS Scores Preseason
It's early days in the Boys HS 2016-17 season. Most of the games are in Southern California, but we've got a few games elsewhere.
We'll update the scores as they come in.
Tigers Shut Out Trojans
The Charlotte Tigers enjoyed a nice start in the new MSIRL as they shut out the defending Georgia state champions Saturday.
The Tigers defeated the East Cobb Trojans 48-0, led by a player-of-the game performance from captain and No. 8 Jonathan Rubin.
Rubin scored three tries on the day, while the team as a whole looked good for so early in the season. Among the eight tries Charlotte scored, the best was wing Dayton Law’s - flyhalf Jack Williams sent a deep kick across the field that bounced once and nestled into Law’s hands as he came in on the chase.
Tigers Head Coach Frank McKinney, while happy with the points 124 combined points scored by the varsity and JV teams, said he was more pleased with the two shutouts.
"Our emphasis has been an attacking defense this preseason,” said McKinney. “The boys executed that well today."
New Looks for Tigers, Trojans in MSIRL Week 2
The second game of the new MSIRL season will kick off Saturday afternoon as the Charlotte Tigers take on the East Cobb Trojans.
Formerly the Lassiter Trojans, East Cobb changed its name this season after winning the Georgia state title as Lassiter last season.
"With this season in the MSIRL we will be up against some great clubs and hope to show we belong in this league setup," said Head Coach Randall Joseph.
The Trojans gradated 12 started from last season, with seven now playing college rugby. But they return some starters and have some talented new recruits.
"We are still working on our structures and have a lot of new players," said Josepoh. "Our inexperience will be evident in this first match and will give us a pathway for future work-ons for the upcoming games."
EIRA NY Players Put Through Paces
Eagle Impact Rugby Academy hosted a skills clinic this past weekend with a special visit from EIRA Head Man Salty Thompson.
The players worked on skills and decision-making in the chilly air of Pelham, NY.
"A cold day in Pelham, NY didn't deter the players and coaches," Thompson told Goff Rugby Report. "I admire the energy and commitment. It's a really positive environment." Thompson is touring the country working with EIRA players and will have Washington DC and Kansas City visits done this month, as well. Photos by Adam Smith. Click on images to see enlarged version. |
SoCal Kicks Off with Warmup
The Southern California High School season kicked off in grand style this past Saturday when traditional Red Division rivals Torrey Pines and La Costa Canyon co-hosted powerhouse Mira Costa and perennial contender Dana Hills, at San Dieguito Academy in Encinitas.
The format was each San Diego school versus each northern school in 35 minutes games, with no points kicking, allowing for maximum on field action.
