On the one hand, Armstrong looked the same. The Minnesota powerhouse opened up its high school season last week with a 109-0 win over Rogers. But the reigning state champ looked different, too, as the 25-player team included 10 freshmen.

“This year’s team has a very interesting mix of young athleticism,” Armstrong coach Jimmy Hanson said of his biggest freshmen class to date. “Beyond being the largest, it’s also the most athletic, with a lot of multi-sport athletes.”

That inexperience is balanced by a solid group of returners, the majority of which play 7s and 15s for Armstrong and/or Minnesota Tundra – meaning some members play rugby year-round. Junior Renee Gonzalez is the most recognizable of the batch. The fullback/outside center has competed at the Girls High School All American (GHSAA) 15s assemblies, played with Atlantis, and was asked to play on the GHSAAs 7s teams in Las Vegas, but declined in order to compete with Tundra.

Sonetta Williams has been in the news lately as well. The three-year veteran committed to Lindenwood University for fall 2015, and lends her expertise to the front row and No. 8. The backs are driven by senior Kristin Tanner, a two-year captain.

“She can play anywhere 10 through 15,” Hanson said of Tundra 7s and 15s captain. “She’s the most intelligent player we’ve seen come through our program. Kristin runs our backline basically on her own with minimal guidance from the coaching staff. She has played every backline position and will probably move around a lot this year.”

As for the up-and-comers, watch out for sophomore prop Brijana Tulimasealii, a first-year player with 7s experience and who “fits the Samoan rugby player mold very well – big, strong, quick feet, great ball-handling skills,” Hanson said. Junior Haylee Thull has upped her game at both scrumhalf and fullback. She’s a three-year veteran of Tundra 7s and 15s, and is the “best scrumhalf we’ve had come out of Armstrong – great pass, amazing tackler,” Hanson commended.

Aside from the highlights, Armstrong is returning experience to every position. The team will test its potential at the Midwest Championship on April 25-26. Top teams like Divine Savior Holy Angels, Catholic Memorial, and St. Joseph’s Academy await in the Division I bracket.

“I am very excited to bring this team to Midwest this year,” Hanson said. “I think it is possibly the most experienced and creative first XV we've had in my five years with Armstrong. That said, on a roster of 25 with 10 freshmen, our biggest area of concern is our lack of depth. So, our focus over the last couple of months has been trying to get our young players ready to play physically enough to square off against top 10 competition. It's a big task, but we look forward to the lessons our kids will learn playing against such great competition.”

Armstrong will continue its build-up to the regular season with a non-conference game against Edina tomorrow.