After winning the Arizona state title and then a long rest, Red Mountain is ready to measure themselves against some of the top teams in the county in the Pacific Cup.

Head Coach OJ Hawea is used to his team winning state, but knows they all want to see how they do outside of Arizona. That’s why they went to Utah for an early-season tournament, and that’s why they hosted Snow Canyon.

“We got a lot of new kids in this year, and as time went on we got better with our flow,” said Hawea. “They started to get a better rugby IQ - stuff like knowing when to pass the ball, all the little small stuff that makes a difference in a big game. We’ve had a good season, but we want to test ourselves more.”

Ethan Shirley has been an important part of the Red Mountain effort. The four-year Red Mountain player is the team’s most consistent forward, said Hawea, playing lock and flanker. Meanwhile scrumhalf was something of a question-mark going into the season, but Stephen Schultz stepped in from the JV team to take control of that position.

“His game sense is terrific,” said Hawea.

Red Mountain opens up the Pacific Cup against Santa Monica, and they and Kahuku probably have the most to prove in this tournament. Chances are, they will prove it.