Two Wins on the Weekend for Cal
Two Wins on the Weekend for Cal
GRR's #1-ranked Cal team came out of the weekend with two victories.
On Saturday, Cal defeated Grand Canyon 86-21. This is a rebuilding GCU side, and they got a bit of a lesson rom an experienced Golden Bears outfit.
Scrumhalf Cormac Saint scored the opening two tries of the game and added six conversions, all in the first half, for 22 points on his own.
Masi Koi followed with a chip-and-chase for the Bears' third try. Ryan Marshall, Dom Paga and Broc Daily all powered over during a torrid six-minute period, and following that Jack Byszio recovered a restart and weaved through all of the Lopes to score his first of two tries on the day.
GCU answered after they got a penalty at midfield and took the lineout. The Lopes shook things up with a long throw that bounced perfectly for captain and center Jackson Gray and he was straight through for a well-taken try. But just before halftime, Cal flanker Dom Paga got a yellow card after he sealed in the ruck in what appeared to be an infraction after a warning. Even so, it was Cal that scored before the break. A miscue on the GCU lineout led to Cal flanker Brady Weingart going about 35 meters. Cal got close and eventually freshman prop Oliver Kirk picked up and was over.
That made it 52-7 at halftime.
In the second half GCU scored first. Cal was offside on a kick out of their 22 and the Lopes tapped quickly and found prop Charlie Marshall on the wing. He was covered but offloaded to flanker Austin York, who fought his way over. Ben Saunders slotted the conversion from the touchline.
But Cal got back on the front foot. Byszio scored his second, and that was quickly followed by tries from captain Mack Fell and fullback Jackson Launey. Kealan O'Connell converted those last two to make it 71-14.
GCU's third try was a thing of beauty with a perfectly-placed kick from Saunders that took exactly the bounce that wing Marxus Terzoli wanted. He took it on the gallop and was in at the corner. Saunders converted brilliantly from the touchline to make it 71-21.
Cal finished off with three unconverted tries from Fell, Talan Jones, and Noa Grasse.
On Sunday Cal ran out a different lineup to face the UBC Thunderbirds.
Flyhalf Ran Santos scored two tries, two penalty goals, and four conversions for 24 points, including the opening eight. But UBC caused Cal issues and 12-8 until the the 33rd minute. Tries from Hugo Schreuder and Solomon Williams put Cal ahead 20-12 at halftime.
Right after the break Max Threlkeld was over twice in the space of three minutes. The first was a good example of go-forward rugby from the forwards, making the ball available quickly and allowing Santos to feed an onrushing Threlkeld for a nice finish in the corner. The next was good support to a break from wing Joe Kirsten. And when Santos added a penalty it was 35-12 with less than 10 minutes gone in the second period.
They weren't done. Quick hands put Kirsten away down the sideline and once again Threlkeld was there for the inside pass. Kirsten unselfishly sent the ball to his teammate and Threlkeld had a second-half hat trick.
That seemed to take control of the game. UBC didn't quit and scored twice. But Kirk iced it late with a well-taken try for the freshman Cal had a 2-0 weekend.
“Real cross-border rugby today, lots of commitment from both teams,” said Cal Head Coach Jack Clark. “Charlie Walsh’s team certainly fronted to the challenge. We are appreciative to have the Thunderbirds on campus and wish them the best going forward.”
Next up for Cal is a cross-country trip to Annapolis, Md. and a meeting with Navy.
