The Naples Hammerheads boys team have taken control of the Florida U19 league with a difficult 24-21 road win over Key Biscayne.

The win put Naples at 4-0 in the league, well ahead of everyone else, and while there’s still plenty of rugby to be played, Naples is in excellent position to be the top team in the state.

Formerly known as the Bears, the Hammerheads changed their nickname to be more in keeping with the local men’s club, and have moved their operations under the Men’s Hammerheads umbrella. This doesn’t necessarily bring in any major changes but it does create a bit more of a seamless pathway from middle school and local youth groups, to high school to the older teams.

This year, though, it’s about the high school team they have now.

Powerful, bulldozer-like Wes Piggins was a terror in the midfield, partnering nicely with captain Ricardo Garcia. Wing Joseph Miller has brought his skills as a wide receiver in football to his finishing touch on the wing.

On the other wing, Dylan DeAngelo, who moved to Naples from Texas where he played for The Woodlands, is just as impressive.

In the forwards, Ric Sweet at No. 8 is a powerful runner from a rugby family, and flanker Emerson Garcia has been excellent. And big lock Dylan Erigo scored two huge tries as he showed some open-field running ability, selling a nifty dummy and then also scoring on a pick-and-go.

“We’re trying to keep a level head,” said Head Coach Dan Marks. “Key Biscayne is a very good team. I told the guys, you cannot make mistakes against them. They will punish you.”

And they did, a bit, but Naples hung on. Now the Hammerheads can look over their shoulders at Jacksonville (idle this week) and Boca Raton (31-17 winners over Tampa). Right behind them sit Key Biscayne, Okapi, and Wellington.