There were some blowouts and tense moments, but the top high school clubs in the country used day one of the Boys High School Rugby National Championships to make a statement on Thursday in Kansas City, MO.

Granite Bay defeated the KC Jr. Blues 30-12 and looked very good doing it. The Blues defended doggedly, but with Desi Streater having a strong game at flyhalf (despite losing two try-scoring opportunities), the Grizzlies were able to take control. While several backs had a good day for Granite Bay, it was the work of the tight five -- Doug Mitchell, Eshan Kaul, Alex Evans, Anders Bergfalk, and Dante Bandoni -- that made it tick. No. 8 David Hull was also a huge factor.

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Fort Hunt looked a little shaky -- or more to the point, impatient -- in its 40-15 win against Elsie Allen. The Warriors played like they needed to score 20 tries and were not methodical in the first half. Despite being without injured scrumhalf Connor McManus, who Fort Hunt prop Sean Dowling called "the best high school rugby player in the country, period," in this tournament, the Warriors did create scoring chances. Wing Andrei Golding scored two first-half tries for a 12-3 halftime lead. Scrumhalf Travis Preston, who subbed in admirably for McManus, scored to make it 19-3, but Elsie Allen answered right after and continued to pressure Fort Hunt.

But the last part of the game showed Fort Hunt's quality, as they produced some stylish patterned rugby. Flyhalf Robert Figley was very strong, and Dowling, Leo Clifford, and Patrick Poulin were good in the tight five. The center pairing of Adam Taylor and Erik Roach produced a try for Roach but more often than not was about moving the ball to others. However, the Warriors' star was openside flanker Jack McCrossin, who got it all done on both sides of the ball.

Royal Irish slammed West End 55-0. Nick Frederick was player of the game, while captain and prop Jonas Petrakopoulis was his usual impressive self as a player and a leader. Max Ney impressed at flanker, but Frederick said the players weren't that impressed as a whole. "We can do better," he said. "We know we can do better."


Doylestown held on to beat United 29-15 in one of the better-played games of the day. After both teams came out strong in the first half, Doylestown was able to score tries to provide some separation while United was stopped just short. With Mike Weir using his kicking skills to pin United back and Brian Stella powering through for a try and some other key runs, Doylestown looked unstoppable. Fullback Chris Bortuzzo and lock Matt Tur scored early tries that, with a Wier penalty and a Wier conversion, made it 17-0. Then Stella broke through for a try from a scrum around midfield -- diving in at the corner as the defense tried to push him out -- and it was 22-0 at halftime.


In the second half, United got its phase play going and Doylestown started committing penalties in the rucks. Jacob Alfaro capped off a nice backline move and the indomitable prop Josh Howden crashed over for another. But Doylestown replied when center Jessie Cappriotti cut through for a 30-meter run. Down 29-10, United bashed at the tryline. No. 8 Bailey Wilson did all he could to score, and fullback Eli Pulu made some key defensive and offensive plays. In the end, Pulu got just rewards for a strong day with a try.

Doylestown looked very good and then got hit by penalties. Ryan Heiber and Dan Brown combined well in the back row. Kevin Reilly was superb at scrumhalf. For United, it played its game 30 minutes too late. Backs Kelai Duke, Josh Wernli, and Owen Gubler made an impact, and it could be enough to win fifth.

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