North Carolina School-Team Season Kicks Off
North Carolina School-Team Season Kicks Off
The High School 15s season is beginning this weekend.
Oh, sure, not for everyone; not even for most. But it’s starting in North Carolina and Southern California’s CIF league will be kicking off in a couple of weeks also.
North Carolina and Southern California both have a split season where the single-school teams play in a league that wraps up in February and then the regions switch to a HS Club-based competition that wraps up in April or May.
This week then it’s the North Carolina winter school season kickoff. Teams are playing in three tiers. The top tier defending champs are Hough HS, which beat Marvin Ridge in the final.
Hough is back again, of course, scheduled against Sun Valley. Unfortunately, that game will be a forfeit by Sun Valley which means Hough doesn’t get their first game until next week against Corinth.
Hough saw star flyhalf Zach Colson graduate and he is at Queens University Charlotte. But his younger brother, Max, will move to the #10 jersey from fullback.
That leaves a central group of No. 8 Kai Campbell, scrumhalf Port Kuebler, and flyhalf Max Colson with experience and ability leading the team (all three were an important part of the Charlotte Cardinals team that won the HS Club National Championships). Overall Hough graduated six starters.
“But we have many returning players and one or two new great talents that have joined us,” said Head Coach Bruce Colson.
Part of that rebuilding is that the multi-tier system in North Carolina allows a development side to play in those lower teams.
Marvin Ridge should be another contender this year and their numbers have exploded over the last year or so. The program, including middle school boys and girls, has over 150 student-athletes this season, making them the largest winter program in the Southeast.
A strong junior class of players that have been playing rugby for six or more years includes Captain Cameron Mitchell, forwards Aidan O'Connor, Shane Glynn, Wells O'Mara, and Brennan O'Neill, and backs Aiden McLaughlin, Bodhi Davis, Brady Murray, and Colton Green.
USA U18 prospect Sean Butler and NCYRU All-Star Ethan Hurwitz are two seniors who are key to the Marvin Ridge plan.
“We played Fall 7s for the first time recently,” said Head Coach Alan Mitchell, “and we expect this to benefit those returning players and have 15 freshmen making the step up to high school Rugby in our Developmental Team.”
Marvin Ridge plays Ardrey Kell this coming weekend in Tier 1 and Tier 3, and Providence in Tier 2.
And keep an eye on Charlotte Catholic. Some years ago the strongest team in the state Charlotte Catholic might be making strides after a rough opening season under new Head Coach Jason Zehmke in 2023-24.
“We are really looking forward to this season,” said Zehmke, whose team is slated to play Myers Park this coming opening weekend, with their development team taking on Hough’s development team in Tier 3. “We’re looking at a clean slate after last year's disappointing 0-7. The squad has been putting in the hard work since early November and we expect to be fighting for a semifinal spot in February.”
The numbers have grown at Charlotte Catholic, and four players—Finley Costello, Luke Zehmke, Vinice Keller, and Billy Bambrick—were on that Charlotte Cardinals championship club.
But the key for Zehmke the coach is that the depth is there, making training better and raising the overall standard.
“I’ve seen tons of talent out at practice across the board and everyone really is excited to get things kicked off on Friday night,” he said.
NCYRU Winter matches this weekend:
| 12/6 | Ardrey Kell | at | Marvin Ridge | NC SS-Tier1 |
| 12/6 | Myers Park | at | Charlotte Catholic | NC SS-Tier1 |
| 12/7 | South Meck | at | Corinth Holders | NC SS-Tier1 |
| 12/6 | Sun Valley | Fft L-W | Hough | NC SS-Tier1 |
| 12/6 | South Meck T2 | at | Capitals | NC SS-Tier2 |
| 12/7 | Providence | at | Marvin Ridge T2 | NC SS-Tier2 |
| 12/7 | Charlotte Catholic T3 | at | Hough T3 | NC SS-Tier3 |
| 12/7 | Ardrey Kell T3 | at | Marvin Ridge T3 | NC SS-Tier3 |
