Barely able to get on the field in 2020, Pendleton is a new high school club out of Indiana with big plans.

This past week Pendleton made the team's debut, playing the Raptors from Tennessee and pulling off a 29-0 shutout victory. 

The game started with Pendleton freshman center catching the restart and breaking through two tackles. That set up a series of passes that ended up with fullback Clifton VanDuyn in for the try. It was just a couple of minutes in and Pendleton led 5-0. Pendleton did well to defend when the Raptors got the ball back and when the Indiana team regained possession they worked the ball through the hands and No. 8 Justin Beeler was over to make it 10-0.

Raptors flyhalf Mike Orefice attempted a long-range penalty kick just as the half was ending, but the kick fell short. With the ground wet and muddy it made it difficult for goalkickers to get a solid foot-plant while kicking. The Pendleton Arabians kept up the attack in the second half, exploiting a Raptor knock-on to get into scoring position. After three pick-and-goes, sophomore Crew Boles stepped the aggressive defender to score in the middle. Scrumhalf Nick Trout converted and it was 17-0.

Boys 2021 HS Club Rankings Week 7

Pendleton center Will Kaster broke through and the forwards supported that break nicely, setting up a chance for Trout to dive in. With time winding down Trout attempted a long-range penalty kick which bounced off the upright. Pendleton wing Chaston Green was chasing and he was first to the ball and was in uncontested. Trout converted and that was the game, 29-0.

"We really had no idea what to expect since we didn't get any games in last year," said Pendleton program director Curt Trout. "Half of our 36 kids are freshmen, and half of our kids hadn't played rugby before this year."

Trout used to coach with the Fishers HS program, but as his son, Nick, got old enough to play youth rugby he realized there wasn't any nearby youth program in their hometown of Pendleton.

"Which meant that if he wanted to play rugby our choices were to drive to Indy and play with Broad Ripple or start our own club," Trout the elder said. And in 2013 they actually did send three local kids to Broad Ripple. A year later they had enough kids to form their own flag rugby team, and in 2015 they had 25 kids playing in Pendleton.

From 2016-2017 Trout ran a flag and youth tackle program through 6th grade, with their 5th/6th grade team winning the state championships.

"Our number began to grow some more and we developed a middle school team," said Trout. "When those 5th- and 6th-graders played together again as 7th- and 8th-graders, they didn't surrender a score in the state tournament and were 2019 State champs." 

That summer, a core group of nine Pendleton were part of the Eagle Impact Rugby Academy Midwest U15s team that won the Rocky Mountain Challenge. That same season they started a high school team, lost most of their games, but were poised to take the next step when the COVID shutdown hit in March of 2020.

"Our freshman and sophomore group—the 2017 5th/6th-grade champs—are now playing together again," said Trout. "I think that explains how we are an ascending team, but the talent off the field is part of the story as well. 

Austin Robbins is the head coach of the high school team. He had previously coached at Fishers, as did John Fury, who is now a Pendleton assistant.

"There is no question that coaching matters and these guys are great," said Trout, who also calls on Anthony Yarbrough (former Purdue and Zionsville HS player) and Daniel Branham (former Pendleton Rugby) for the high school staff.

The Pendleton players primarily come from Pendleton High School and Frankton Jr./Sr. High School and Trout says he draws from the smallest rugby community in the state. But Trout, who started the Brownsburg and Fishers programs, knows how to build a rugby program.

"What we have done in Pendleton is to create a sustainable program from the ground up. The sustainable piece comes from the parent group. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization that was established by our Executive Director Dr. Alishea Hawkins (mother of freshman Payton Pollock). She and our parent board are what make trips to Nashville a possibility."

The trip to Nashville was crucial because a trip together helps bring the team together, Trout said. They are going to play in the Midwest Championships, and needed to learn how to play on the road before that. So far they've started well, and jump into the GRR HS Club rankings. Now they need to back it all up to stay there.

Pendleton Rugby starting lineup vs Raptors: 1. Kevin Russell, 2. Schyler Altherr, 3. Derek Lowder, 4. Hunter Branham, 5. Riley Simons, 6. Payton Pollock, 7. Christian Roberts, 8. Justin Beeler, 9. Nick Trout, 10. Crew Boles, 11. Chaston Green, 12. (C) Will Kaster, 13. Dresden Roberts, 14. Reese Reddington, 15. Clifton VanDuyn

16. Eli Libler, 17. Tristan Bragg, 18. Jaxon Arvin, 19. Josh Mamazza, 20. Caolin Bair, 21. Gavin Busby, 22. Keaton Smith, 23. Nathaniel Elizondo

Branham, Reddington, and Trout were the three players who were the first players for the Pendleton flag rugby program in 2013.

Of the 23 players who faced the Raptors, 14 are sophomores or freshmen, and only three are seniors.