Cathedral Shows Well in Win Over LCC in SCIRF

01.26.2025HS Boys

Cathedral Catholic put down another marker in the SCIRF with an impressive 52-12 win over a very good La Costa Canyon side.

LCC came into the game 3-0 in the SCIRF, having beaten Patrick Henry, Saints, and Los Alamitos. Head Coach Michael Mukuru said that while the Dragons had started well, they knew Cathedral would be a challenge.

"We won D2 last year and we knew we could be competitive, but Cathedral has so many good players," he said.

The game itself did hinge in part on those really good players.

Head Coach Matt Hawkins said the score, 52-12, somewhat flattered the Dons.

"We had three tries that weren't really anything from our pattern or how we play," Hawkins told GRR. "It was more a one-off play where the guys saw an opportunity and took advantage of a situation."

That was USA U20 scrumhalf Spencer Huntley, USA U18 flyhalf Kingston Hawkins, and USA U18 wing Reese Reiter logged those three tries.

"So that was 21 points," said Coach Hawkins. "If you take those away it's 31-12 and that's a lot closer and more indicative of what the game was like. We aren't taking anything for granted and while we're playing well, we were also a bit fortunate."

Huntley runs the attack well but he is also a physical force in a way many scrumhalves don't have to be.

For Cathedral, they have had an interesting balance between rugby and football. The Cathedral football team is very good and often there are players who decide they will concentrate on football after their senior season, hoping to play football in college.

That happened this year with a handful of players who were very useful for the rugby team as juniors opting to concentrate on football this year. But not all. Prop Brendan Meiner and No. 8 Romeo 'Tama' Mageo are football players who have stayed with the rugby team and, said Hawkins, brought athleticism and leadership.

Overall, added the coach, "our junior class is more of a rugby group than a football group. We can always be better, but we are in a good position now."

Also this week in the SCIRF, Los Alamistos beat a rebuilding Fallbrook 55-5. That moved Los Al to 2-2.

Mira Costa moved to 2-0 in SCIRF with a 59-14 defeat of Warren