With a powerful scrum and snappy backline performance, La Costa Canyon defeated Torrey Pines 28-19 Friday night to win the Southern California Boys Varsity Red championship.

LCC scored two early tries to take a 14-0 lead, a lead the Mavericks would never relinquish. Torrey Pines scored at the end of the first half, and the two teams traded tries to make it 21-14, but then LCC scored one more to put the game away. Torrey Pines scored in the closing seconds to finish it 28-19. Both second-half tries from Torrey Pines were scored by HS All American Nick Zimmer.

TP back Matt Goena and lock/loose forward Blake Richards-Smith were the top players for Pines. Richards-Smith was basically his team’s only target in the lineout, and while that gave LCC some options to defend, the TP jumper was able to steal several LCC throws. Richards-Smith was also a monster with the ball in hand and on defense and was, said one observer, the best player on the field.

La Costa Canyon welcomed back center Sean Lumkong, who, although not 100%, was healthy enough to play, and prop Reese Prefontaine, who missed the opening week when LCC beat Torrey Pines 40-12.

Prefontaine was a force, helping his team win several strikes against the head, and that superior scrum platform set things up nicely for the backs. Flyhalf Justin Petersen used his boot to put the ball deep in Torrey Pines territory. That made for a long night for the Torrey Pines attack, and Peterson was one of his team’s player of the game, directing the attack, and setting free his runners - he set up Lumkong for a try with a perfect pass. Prefontaine was the other LCC MVP.

LCC scrumhalf Nico Gilli was perfect on his conversion kicks, which was key for the champs. HS All American  (#9) made all four conversions for LCC.

Despite having beaten Torrey Pines earlier in the year, the Maverick players held no complacency about this final, said Ed Petersen, one of the coaches, and the one who will take a mostly LCC group to the LVI in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. 

“There was no fear of them not taking it seriously,” said Petersen.

“It was a game that required, and got, a complete performance from everyone,” added assistant coach Michael French. “There was a lot of positive energy from the whole team.”

The game was played at La Costa Canyon HS in front of over 200 fans, about half of whom were non-rugby-related (that is, not family of the player) but were there to support a La Costa Canyon sports team.

Kudos must also go out to the Southern California Rugby Referees Society, which assigned Nick Ricono, one of the best refs in the country, to the match, and also assigned referees to run the touchline, ensuring the best possible officiating for a high school championship game.

For Torrey Pines, it was a relatively gratifying season, given that they were rebuilding and weren’t necessarily expected to be in the final. It is a very young Torrey Pines team and they will be back. It was a weird season for them, though, as they were somewhat fortunate to get the schedule they got. After the loss to La Costa Canyon, Pines played the struggling Poway, and eke a ten-point win. They then played Fallbrook, which isn’t as strong this year as last, and won by five. After a forfeit win over Del Norte, they had their first stern test, against Cathedral. But by then, Pines had straightened things out, and beat Cathedral 25-21 to essentially secure a place in the final. It took a lot of work to improve to that level, and they did the work.

Torrey Pines 2015-16 SoCal Varsity Red Season

Dec. 18 Lost to La Costa Canyon 40-12

Jan. 8 Beat Poway 17-7

Jan. 22 Beat Fallbrook 41-36

Jan. 29 Beat Del Norte

Feb. 5 Beat Cathedral 25-21

Feb. 12 Beat St. Augustine 28-7

Feb. 19 Championship Game Lost to La Costa Canyon 28-19

La Costa Canyon 2015-16 SoCal Varsity Red Season

Dec. 18 Beat Torrey Pines 40-12

Jan. 8 Beat Fallbrook 57-17

Jan. 15 Beat St. Augustine 28-22

Jan. 29 Beat Cathedral 15-12

Feb. 5 Beat Del Norte 34-29

Feb. 12 Beat Poway 41-7

Feb. 19 Championship Game Beat Torrey Pines 28-19