Chasing the Dream for Boys Teams at Tropical 7s

Boys U18 Open: Eastern Ontario and MacDowell, both out of Canada, looked superb on Day One, but Panther Rugby Academy was building comfortably. A lineup that was largely 17-year-olds, but 17-year-olds who were on the U16 Panther team that won the National Youth 7s Championships last June, was confident. 

Defensively they were very sound, allowing just 20 points in three pool games, shutting out a talented Laguna Beach side in the quarterfinals, holding off Eastern Ontario 22-12 in the semis, and then holding a potent and physically tough Toronto Reds side 19-5 in the final.

Boys U18 Elite: There were several candidates for the Elite championship. EIRA was polished and smart, trusting each player to do his job, and therefore always ready to ship it wide on a turnover or stay solid on defense.TOA was big and imposing—it seemed like every player topped six feet and they could range effortlessly around the paddock before they knocked you on your backside. It seemed like the English teams struggled in the heat, but rebounded on the next day to get some consolation.

Local-ish Jacksonville showed well for a team in the middle of their 15s season (they have a playoff game this coming weekend). Oakville and Rebel were brilliant at times, but an early loss to by Rebel to TOA saw them having to chase the tournament. The same went for Next Gen Rugby in their loss to EIRA. Later on Day One Panther Rugby Academy Gold and the Oakville (On.t) Crusaders met as 2-0 teams, and Panther won by a try on a comeback to take their pool.

Comebacks were something of a habit for Panther, as, with gamebreakers such as Leo Esikia, and four San Mateo Wolverines—Sosaia Hokafonu, Epa Mataitonga, Ivan Nisa, and Filisoni Vakalahi—they had the ability to make something out of nothing. With the addition of former USA 7s Eagle Peter Tiberio into the coaching staff, the program has taken another leap forward. Tiberio himself said he has been energized by the players' willingness to learn and get better.

Top, offload time for EIRA in the U18 Elite final. Bottom, this try seals the win for Panther. Photos Alex Goff.

In rhe playoffs, with the leadership of the likes of Eli Baumann (Raptor Rugby Tennessee) they had to come back from two tries down in every game. beating Atlantis in a thriller, overwhelming Rebel in the semis 24-14 thanks to a torrid second half, and then taking on EIRA in the final.

EIRA, for their part, were brilliant in beating Oakville and TOA. They didn't make many handling errors, defended well, and relished in keeping the opposition stuck in their own 22. With all the tools, EIRA ran out to a 14-0 lead before two Panther tries made it 14-12 at halftime.

Quickly Panther turned the tables on EIRA, punished a couple of penalties and forced a key turnover, all for tries; 29-12 was the final score. Panther's depth in speed made sure that no matter what combinations they had on the field, those combinations were deadly.

So it was almost a sweep for Panther Rugby Academy, with only the U16 Open (Eastern Ontario) and U16 Elite (Rebel) trophies not ending up in Mike Orefice's van. However, they did have to work for it. Many observers—college coaches, scouts, experienced spectators—said this was the highest-standard tournament they had seen.

Maybe we're not crazy after all.