Jesuit Rides Strong 2nd Half To Beat Marin
On a warm sunny day at Cal Maritime’s rugby complex, the Marauders of Jesuit clashed with the Highlanders of Marin and opened it up in the second half to win 43-0.
Jesuit was able to jump out to a quick lead with Eightman Max Sackett finding a gap off a lineout to dot down. Fullback Mason Phillips, who had a great day with the boot, converted to make it a 7-0 game.
Marin stifled Jesuit for long patches and when the Marauders did touch the ball they often forced a pass or went for the homerun ball.
In the thirtieth minute, winger James Bayard kicked and then chased to create an opportunity for inside center Devin Florez, who was captain on the day, to intercept and slice through to score. Phillips hit the conversion.
Mason Phillips closed out the half with a penalty to put Jesuit up 17-0.
Granite Bay Downs CK McClatchy in NorCal
Granite Bay secured a nifty victory in Northern California HS action, beating a very tough CK McClatchy team 38-26.
Granite Bay Head Coach Jason Divine said the game "looked more like a state championship than a season opener."
Both teams had been working hard to get to this point in the season and instilled plenty of intensity in the contest. One passage of play went 15 minutes without stoppage, and had both sides running the entire length of the pitch several times. The rest of the game continued at a breakneck tempo.
HS Rugby Games The Weekend Feb 2-4
Here are the boys HS games for the weekend.
Check back for scores.
Watch out for Phoenix v Arrowhead in Arizona ... Phoenix has started well.
Gibbons v West Pines in Florida is a game of two undefeated teams.
The NorCal Premier season opens up and CK McClatchy looks to build on a nice start at the Kickoff Tournament with a clash with Granite Bay. St. John Bsco v Mira Costa, and LCC v Cathedral highlight games in SoCal.
Carson HS Powers On In SoCal Varsity White
Already the Southern California Varsity White league has been shaken up, with Carson HS having beaten Wilson HS twice in close games.
(If you don't see the videos embedded below, please refresh the page.)
The games themselves were dramatic, very hard-hitting, and contentious, but the upshot in each case was the same - Carson prevailed. This past weekend, Carson showed up with only 15 players, and so had no wiggle room if they'd suffered an injury. No matter. With a huge team effort, Carson held on 24-15.
Jesuit, CK McClatchy Look Strong At KOT
Led by the hard running of lock Laiatu Latu and Saint Mary’s-bound Prop Joe Marchant, the Marauders were able to get two wins to start the season at the Kick Off Tournament held in Sacramento.
First up was Peninsula Green. It was a hard-hitting affair with both teams finding it hard to keep control of a wet ball. Peninsula Green stuck first with a penalty before Senior Flanker Max Sackett got over the line for a first Jesuit try. Fullback Mason Phillips converted to give Jesuit a 7-3 at the half.
The second half saw more of the same, hard running and big hits. Peninsula Green’s flyhalf hit another penalty to draw them close, but Marchant went on a rampaging run to score a second try for Jesuit. Phillips converted and then hit a late penalty to end the scoring.
Final Score Jesuit 17 Peninsula Green 6
Katy Wins Two In Louisiana
Texas team Katy took a two-game trip to Louisiana and came out with two big victories this weekend.
Katy took on New Orleans Jesuit on Saturday, winning 68-7. Aidan de Villiers scored three tries for Katy, which also was awarded two penalty tries. Grady Pope, Jake Downie, Hunter Smith-Dunn, Paul Garcia, Alex Morrison, and Haydn Collins all scored tries, while Max Palmer converted three and Brodie Lees added a penalty goal.
Morrison took player of the game honors while de Villiers was notes at the team's top forward, and Grady Pope the best back.
On Sunday, Katy turned around to play the Bayou Hurricanes, and came away 42-7 winnerss.
San Marcos Keeps Winning The Close Ones
San Marcos won a close one of the weekend, but what's new?
The Southern California Varsity White team defeated rival San Pasqual 20-17, moving to 4-1 and 1st place in the SoCal Varsity White San Diego North division. But it's worth noting that all but one game San Marcos has played has been decided by less than a try.
On December 8 San Marcos beat Mira Mesa 40-38. A week later Fallbrook went down 28-27. After a Jan 12 shutout of Alta Vista 48-0, it was back to the close games with a 34-33 loss to Carlsbad. And now this weekend's 20-17 win over San Pasqual.
Boys HS Games This Weekend
What's up in Boys HS Rugby this week? Let's have a look:
Southern California
SoCal is, at this time of year, in its single-school heyday, with the playoffs fast approaching, so it's natural to look carefully at this group. The schedule itself is a little disappointing. The Varsity Red LA Division comprises four teams, two of which are very strong, and two of which are not. They play each other twice. Surely there could have been an opportunity to do a San Diego crossover. It would have spiced up the season and given the struggling teams a chance to stretch their legs and maybe win a game or two.
As it is, St. John Bosco (3-0 in league play) and Mira Costa (2-1) are the top two in LA, and will play Redondo Union and View Park Prep (respectively) this weekend, and are favored.
Massive KOT Kicks Off NorCal HS and Youth Season
The 34th Annual Kickoff Tournament starts up Jan 27-28, with over 130 teams at high school level down to under 10.
The event, held in Sacramento, is California-heavy but also features teams from Washington and Hawaii. Played on nine fields over two days, the tournament requires the assistance of 74 referees, 14 of them coming in from Canada.
"It is grand development on a grand scale," said longtime tournament organizer Ray Schwartz.
The tournament continues to grow, mostly at the younger levels, as parents look for new sports for their kids that are exciting, but perhaps safer than other options.
La Costa Canyon Wins Crucial Clash In SoCal
La Costa Canyon put in an impressive result this past weekend, defeating Torrey Pines in the SoCal Varsity Red division, moving to 4-0 with the 21-7 victory and knocking off LCC's main rival.
Torrey Pines went up 7-0 early on a try in the corner from wing Gaston Schenk. But just as the first half expired, LCC No. 8 Niklas Lundqvist went over to tie the game 7-7. That seemed to give LCC a boost.
Good Start For Chapel Hill Highlanders
The Chapel Hill Highlanders opened their season with a 54-0 shutout of Spring Hill at the Myers Park Stampede preseason tournament.
The Highlanders got three tries each from Seamus Brennan and Emmanuel Sevon, while Ben Austin and Ryan Niemiller each score two. Lawrence Bridges - back after a year away - kicked seven conversions.
Chapel Hill followed that up with a 38-5 win over Myers Park. Austin scored two tries to make it four on the day, while Seyon, Brennan, Grant Mullins, and Nic Mosqueda added one each. Bridges conerted four.
St. Pius X Kicks Off Season Smartly
St. Pius X opened up its Rugby Texas account with a convincing 56-0 victory over West Houston over the weekend.
Flanker Bruno Foresteri scored three tries and kicked four conversions for 23 points all on his own. David-John Selby, suiting up at left wing, led the team defensively and recorded over 25 tackles. Loose Drake Parks reeled off a 70-meter run on an eightman pick to score one of the highlight tries.
Rugby Illinois Seeking Executive Director
Rugby Illinois is seeking an Executive Director for ths State-Based Rugby Organization.
Details on the job opening, which is a paid position, can be found here.
Rugby Illinois is a non-profit that runs the high school and youth competitions throughout the state, as well as overseeing its age-grade select sides.
Player Spotlight: McVeigh Leads St. Augustine Effort
St. Augustine won a key game against Cathedral Catholic in Southern California’s Varsity Red division.
In a clash of two teams looking to make the playoffs, St. Augustine won 38-27, with scrumhalf Ethan McVeigh playing superbly, scoring two tries and kicking well, also. Cathedral’s No. 8, Miles McCormick, scored two tries for his side and was a handful all night.
McVeigh has been showing some excellent form of late. He looked good in the early going of the HS All American Winter Camp, only to get injured in the first game against the Canadians. However, he bounced back from that shoulder injury.
“I love going to camp,” said McVeigh. “It’s 24-7 rugby, living it, breathing it. I was bummed to hurt my shoulder, but I did get 15 or 20 minutes against Canada and I really enjoyed that.”
Fort Hunt Working Hard to Open it Up
With the 2018 high school season on the horizon, the Fort Hunt Warriors have been preparing for the tough campaign ahead.
While some teams rest and relax in the fall, the Warriors have been training since November. Even though 2017 was the team’s most successful season to date, head coach Dale Roach knows that this team has even more to offer.
November and December saw regular training sessions with those players not involved in fall-winter sports, focusing on conditioning and decision making. Spearheading Fort Hunt’s training over the fall and winter is Kerian McManus, the Warriors’ Head Varsity Coach. As more players have returned to the fold in January, the team has begun to shift the focus onto a faster-paced game and introduced new structures.
