High-profile HS teams at the Storer Classic started off strong despite the rainy weather.
With rain a constant feature in Southern California these days, teams have eschewed the typical regional response to drops of water out of the sky (that is, they run screaming for shelter), and instead have done the best they could to practice and play.
The Storer Classic moved their games to turf fields and carried on, where Thunder Rugby, 2021 HS Club National Champions and 2022 National Tier II winners, Belmont Shore, 2022 National HS runners-up, SOC Raptors, who almost toppled the eventual 2022 HS Club champs, and 2018 HS Club champs Danville all showed well.
Thunder 3-0
A well-put-together Olympus team out of Utah faced off with Thunder in a hard rain. The Thunder forwards, led by No. 8 Mana Bulabalavu and lock Quinton Johnson, set the tone nicely.
Thunder then took on Te Mana (Snow Canyon) also out of Utah. The pack once again ran the show, this time with hooker Ray Taele having a strong game. Mario Navarro pulled the strings at flyhalf.
Having returned several players but having also graduated much of the leadership that led to their success in 2021-22, Thunder is finding its way a little but.
"While we may be more talented than last year's team we need to build more discipline and maturity," said Head Coach Josh Williams.
On Sunday it was a tough go against a very good Danville Oaks side. While Bulabalavu was again effective for Thunder, the Danville backline is very skilled and put together some fine tries.
Thunder, said Williams, responded well after a bit of an early shock, and in the end Bulabalavu scored on the final play to win it 19-17.
Belmont Shore 3-0
Three close games against three very tough teams showed that Belmont Shore can still bring it.
In the rain their desire to spin it wide and attack the fringes was perhaps dampened a little bit. But they defended strongly and scored some well-taken tries when needed, beating Marin 12-7, Danville 14-12, and Olympus 17-7.
