The West has supplied the majority of players to the Girls High School All American (GHSAA) team preparing to face the British Columbia U18s next week. Twenty-one players hail from California (10), Washington (6), Colorado (3), and Oregon (2), while the remaining six hail from the Midwest (4) and East Coast (2). Below is a little more information on the players themselves. Stay tuned for comments from GHSAA coach Farrah Douglas on the upcoming tour.

WEST WELL REPPED

First, California. There were only two teams – SoCal and NorCal – at the Southwest Regional Cup Tournament (RCT), but that event supplied 10 players to the GHSAAs. Fallbrook (like Washington’s Kent) led the way with four representatives.

Fullback Lilly Durbin is the most recognizable Warrior. A repeat GHSAA, the now-junior was the youngest player on the Women's Junior All American (WJAA) team that played the Canada U20s last summer. Coaches have praised her level of decision-making, and she lends a good step to boot. Flyhalf Kayla Canett has done time at the OTC and led the most potent high school offense to a fifth national championship this May. Flanker Emma Workman teamed up nicely with All American Michel Navarro (playing up with the WJAAs this week) and is a nice mix of physicality and speed. Destiny Arena will break into the front row at hooker and was last seen carrying the torch at the Cal State Games, which Fallbrook won.

Southern California has another three representatives in South Bay’s Mililani Leui and Rian Moala, a No. 8 and lock, respectively. The pair was a major component in the Spartans’ DII title run, achieved during the team’s debut at the national championship this year. They’re emblems of the hard-hitting nature that typifies the DII champs. ICEF’s Nia Toliver is one of three players who has been in the GHSAA pool, having impressed at the LVI 7s in February and following with a leading performance on the Los Angeles’ senior side at Club 7s Nationals.

Northern California sports a well known duo from the Sacramento Amazons – scrumhalf MaryJane Pasioles and prop Ana Polaulu – as well as Bishop O’Dowd’s Bianca Ortiz-Pallen. Pasioles is a very tricky halfback with great footwork – something she’s displayed with Atlantis among other higher-level teams – and Polaulu pairs an intimidating frame with excellent ballhandling skills. Ortiz-Pallen hopes to follow in the very successful footsteps of alumni Olivia Bernadel-Huey and Maki Asrat (both freshmen highlights at Stanford), and has taken those first steps by standing out on a very talented NorCal team.

Washington State comes in second, sending six players to the first-ever GHSAA 15s tour. Kent sent several players to the June NASC and who were therefore in the running for GHSAA selection despite their absence from Stars & Stripes. Longtime Logger Leah Ingold will be integral at flyhalf and has the skill set to manage the backline with poise (she’s heading to Central Washington next year). Joanna Moreira is a tough-as-nails flanker, and she fit it just fine with her older counterparts at NASCs. Adi Finau Tamaivena and Lolohea Makaafi bring straight-up power to the front row and centers, respectively, and they’ll represent the Crusaders brand of rugby well.

Rainier Plateau has sent two players: Hannah Lewandowski, a front row with great form and able ball-carrying ability; and Alaina Valenciano, one of two scrumhalves working into the lineup.

We wrote about Oregon's A’au sisters earlier this year (read more), and Tiara represents half of the now-junior twins, while Sui is a recent graduate. Both are terrors with ball in hand – Tiara at prop and Sui in the centers – and have been upping their games with the Oregon Red Hawks.

Finally, Colorado is the last state to have multiple players named to the All-American team. GHSAA asisstant coach Anna Kunkel was on hand for the West RCT and was particularly impressed with three Colorado players. Becca Jane Rosko, along with Toliver and Durbin, is a repeat High School All American, as well as a Junior Olympian and alum to several high-level select side teams. Her Summit teammate, Natalie Gray, makes her debut with the All Americans, slotting in at lock. It could be an all-Colorado second row at some point, as Taylor Makowski from the Northside Dragons is also a stellar lock.

MIDWEST IN THE MIDDLE

The Midwest has four representatives: Stars & Stripes MVP Renee Gonzalez from Minnesota (read more), who moved from fullback to flanker during the June assembly; Michigan’s Bayleigh Gable, who spent a week at the OTC for a high performance camp this summer (along with Canett); Indiana lock Hannah Garcia who represents Warsaw; and Ohio center Caitlin Weigel, who was an MVP at the Midwest RCT and scored in the Stars & Stripes game.

NY, PA REP EAST

There are only two players from the East Coast: The youngest of the bunch, Emily Henrich, from Orchard Park, N.Y.; and Mid-Atlantic RCT MVP Daz Williams. Henrich has been in the game for years, and as a freshman center led her team to a state championship this year. She’s also an Atlantis U16 founding member. Williams was the star in Pittsburgh, running in several long-range tries from the wing and putting her track stardom to good use.

Streaming information for the two GHSAA vs. British Columbia U18s games has not been circulated yet, but the team will play on Friday, Aug. 21 and Sunday, Aug. 23.