Florida’s HS season has run into some issues as the attempt to divvy up teams into districts has run afoul of the lack of depth in some teams.

“I understand the plan,” said Okapi Head Coach Gavin McLeavy, referring to how Florida Youth Rugby Executive Director Evan Haigh created small three- or four-team districts rather than a state-wide league. “Evan wanted those rugby days where the U12s and U14s and HS teams and senior teams all play in one venue, and on some days we’ve done that. But when you have a three-team district, and one team drops out due to number, you end up playing in a two-team league, which is what happened to us.”

With the districts not having the relevance anyone would like, it’s come down to tracking the top teams. Here’s what we’ve got:

Jan 21

Orlando 24 Westside Wolverines 0

Jupiter 42 RBMA 15

 

Jan 28

Naples 25 Sarasota 0 (Fft)

 

Feb 4

Orlando 48 Sebastian River 0

Tampa 39 Naples 17

 

Feb 11

Naples 40 Boca Raton 0

Tampa 33 Orlando 12

Jupiter 17 Cap Pirates 8

Okapi 29 St. Thomas 7

 

Feb 18

Orlando 35 Westside Wolverines 5

Okapi 33 Key Biscayne 19

Tampa 45 Sarasota 12

Jupiter 38 Wellington 7

 

Feb 25

Cape Pirates 22 Jupiter 12

Tampa 27 Naples 6

Orlando 64 Sebastian River 8

 

March 4

Tampa 36 Westside 5

Jupiter 40 Key Biscayne 7

Cape Pirates Ppd v Wizards

 

March 7

Okapi 94 Archbishop McCarthy 0
 

Only two of these top teams remain unbeaten (as far as we can see), with Okapi at 3-0, with 156 points for and 76 against, and Tampe at 4-0 141-35.

Orlando is 3-1, having dropped a game to to Tampa, and Jupiter is 4-1, having split games with Cape Pirates.

For Okapi, this season is the result of the hard work many coaches have been doing at the very youngest level (Mariana Gallo has done a lot of work there).

“We have a lot of players, a lot of youngsters,” said McLeavy. “A lot of work has gone in to built the club, and as the saying goes, if you make enough milk you’ll get good cream.”

The cream being what the HS players have been able to do. 

“I thought we’d do pretty well,” said McLeavy. “The guys have done a lot of work in the offseason and while we put in some new ideas, the guys just clicked with it.”

Tommy Gallo moved from No. 8 to flanker to hooker, and has settled in as a really aggressive scrumhalf (who worked hard on his pass). Andres Villareal at flyhalf is an expressive, natural player who has been reined in a little by McLeavy, but not so much he can extemporize. No. 8 Jack Freixa is a big, strong, aggressive runner and tackler.

“It’s tough to know where we stand,” said McLeavy. “But we’re trying to raise the bar. We know there are good teams in Florida, and I guess we’ll see them in the quarterfinals and semifinals.”

And those teams will see Okapi.