Paced by two tries from wing Rian Lee (Lakeridge), the Oregon Red Hawks boys select side won the Great Northwest Challenge, defeating the Washington Wolverines in the final Sunday in West Linn, Ore.

Played on the wide open fields of the Hiidden Creek Polo Club, the GNC finished off the Varsity Boys bracket with a 3rd-4th game between Hawaii’s Kalihi Raiders and Montana, and then the final between Oregon and Washington. Kalihi exacted revenge over a Montana team that beat them on Saturday to take 3rd. Then in the final, Oregon scored early and then weathered a long period of Wolverine attack. Superior defense held the line for the Red Hawks and Washington could only come away with a penalty goal.

Then Lee scored his second to put Oregon up 14-3. That’s how the first half ended, and in a very physical encounter, Oregon continued to try to push out wide. Washington’s physical defense forced errors by Oregon, but Washington couldn’t make it pay and Oregon’s third try put the game away.

Oregon Head Coach Troy Hall called the early goal line stand a key point in the game, but praised his team’s intensity in winning.

“We won, we got the championship and it was pretty exciting,” said Lee. “I got one try and it got me more excited to get more.”

“I think we really came together,” added captain Jake Burchett, who ended the game on the sidelines due to injury. “I think the guys came up behind me and it was kind of hard at first - guys coming from all different places and teams. But we came together and took pride in being the Oregon Red Hawks and representing Oregon.”

It was an impressive performance by Oregon, which tried to move the ball at every opportunity.

“We’re looking for size, but we’re usually small up front,” said Hall. “So we have been working really hard on our defense, our basic skills, and our fitness.”

The Washington Wolverine team was not the official Rugby Washington Loggers team - that squad played in Southern California last week - but it continued some of the same players, plus others who did not secure Loggers selection.

Scores from this weekend Varsity Boys:

Saturday

Washington 6 Kalihi 5

Oregon 57 Montana 0

Montana 21 Hawaii 19

Oregon 31 Washington 8

Sunday

Washington 29 Montana 5

Oregon 48 Kalihi 0

3rd/4th Kalihi over Montana

Final Oregon 21 Washington 3