In 2014 two Southern California clubs finished high in the National Invitational Championship, with the San Diego Mustangs taking 4th and Santa Monica taking 2nd.

This year, two Southern California teams from the same two regions are looking like they might be ready to enjoy a good season … but they’re two different teams.

Santa Monica looked shaky at the Fullerton Tournament and has lost to Back Bay and Los Angeles. Meanwhile the San Diego Mustangs forfeited a game to Back Bay.

“We feel like we’ve got a good team,” said Back Bay Head Coach Jeff Bonnett. “We’ve started pretty well and I think our backline is really strong.”

He’s not kidding. Scrumhalf Taylor Damron, wing Travis Heer, center Aaron Matthews, flyhalf Anton Grigoriou, and fullback/flyhalf Adam Channel are all HS All American cliber. Up front Liam Jimmons and prop Christopher Taliu are really strong, too.

The Young Aztecs, for their part, are off to an excellent start, coming together quickly despite  a very short turnaround between the end of the High School season and the start of Club season. 

“Many of these boys have been playing together for years now, and it really shows,” said Coach Bob McFadyen. “While they have come from a number of Aztec led High School teams, they have all been willing to do whatever is asked of them in order to make this team as strong as it can be. The unselfishness of these boys has been amazing and it is one of the main reasons why the team has come together so quickly.”

The Young Aztecs have already lost to Back Bay but that doesn’t mean their season is done. They have the Mustangs and Fallbrook left and we could see a cluster of teams at the top of that conference.

“[The game] forced our boys to learn to play together, trust the newer players and move forward at every opportunity,” said McFadyen. “Overall, it was a great match and a great developmental experience that was a jump start to our season.”

Then came the Fullerton tournament, where the Young Aztecs were 4-1.

“We knew we would face stiff competition at the tournament and we weren’t disappointed,” said McFadyen. “Our boys have stepped up their game at every opportunity and they believed that they could compete with anyone if they just focused on their individual effort and the team’s overall success. I’d have to say that our forwards played very well throughout the tournament, especially in how they dominated the scrums.” 

Josh Urbonas and Isaac Raichart made the all-tournament team and captain Augustin Centurion, vice captain Christian Bernard, Jack Desany, Reef Hosch, and Alex Beaubien also played well.

“We couldn’t be more proud of these boys and how they represent Aztec rugby and youth rugby overall. It was a great experience for the players, coaches, and the fans alike, and we appreciate Fullerton for putting on such a great tournament.”

The strong showing of these teams, plus the fact that Fallbrook won their Varsity single-school division, and the fact that the Mustangs are just a  year away from an NIT final, showed the strength of this conference. Someone, however, has to finish last.