Sevens weekends of rugby are what stand between the Northern California HS teams and the playoffs, and some are just getting started.

This past weekend, Danville looked quite clinical in a 42-0 shutout of Lamorinda.

Captain and No. 8 Matt Vranesh led an excellent Oaks team effort in wha was the team’s second league game. Having already beaten Menlo-Atherton 48-5, Danville is 2-0 (3-0 overall), but the Oaks have three weekends of hard slog with SFGG, De La Salle, and Jesuit.

Mother Lode beat Granite Bay, which is depleted in numbers this year after several seasons of excellence, including a national HS title in 2016. 

Another tight one was SFGG against Marin. With Marin fresh off a very successful tour of the UK, the Highlanders had to bounce back into league play against a pretty solid SFGG squad, and it was SFGG that won it, 15-10.

“It was a nice result against a good Marin team,” said SFGG Head Coach Tony Wells. 

Wells and the club decided to start playing a little later this year, and while easing into the season seemed a good idea, they were exposed against De La Salle on February 8 in a non-league warmup game.

“We struggled to match their fitness level,” said Wells. 

But they are getting better. Captains JT Dwyer (center) and Ian Tupalua (No. 8) have led will while lock Cathal Coakley and twin brothers Sione and Marse Kafoa, who play center and wing, are effective.

The key might be the link of the halfback hinge of Deke Benham and Kealan O’Connell.

So it’s all pretty early days in a very competitive NorCal Premier. Of the six games played so far, four have been decided by nine points or fewer. And as a result of all those close losses (and a tie between Lamorinda and Menlo-Athlerton), we are in the strange situation of having defending national single-school champs Jesuit sit 0-1 and in last place.

Don’t expect that to remain so for long.

NorCal Premier Standings:

Danville 2-0

Mother Lode 1-0

De La Salle 1-0

SFGG 1-0

Lamorinda 0-1-1

Menlo-Atherton 0-1-1

Marin 0-1

Granite Bay 0-1

Jesuit 0-1