By Austin Willis
Andrew Pretorius needs only one word to summarize Arkansas State's goal for this year: "Resilience."
As a member of a Red Wolves squad that made a pair of deep tournament runs earlier this year — first to the Varsity Cup finals in May and then to the Collegiate Rugby Championship 7s quarterfinals a month later — the junior scrumhalf is now focused on helping ASU's young roster return to the national stage.
Arkansas State has played a few warmup games this fall, but its season begins in earnest this weekend against visiting Lindenwood-Belleville at Curt Huckaby Field.
Along with a reloaded lineup, the Red Wolves are also debuting a new man in charge, head coach Blake White.
Last year’s head coach, Shaun Potgeiter, stepped down to finish his graduate degree, but the switch has been embraced by the players.
"Coach White holds this team to a high standard and has big plans for the program,” Pretorius said.
White has inherited a team that steamrolled through Varsity Cup contenders such as Clemson, Oklahoma, Utah Valley, and Navy last season before falling to mighty Cal 43-13 in the Golden Bears' backyard in the title game in Santa Clara, CA.
“Upon losing to Cal, I was distraught but not discouraged," Pretorius said. "I think about that game often, but I also think about the potential we have at another shot at them.”
Less than a month later, ASU had a chance to revisit that rivalry at the CRC 7s tournament in Chester, PA, slip through its fingers.
The Red Wolves were put to the test in the same tournament pool as Life University, a Mid-South Conference rival and a team that had also just lost a major final —falling to Saint Mary's in the D1A championship match.
Arkansas State grabbed two wins in pool play and a tie against Life to win the pool and advance to the quarterfinals. But a potential meeting with Cal in the knockout stages never materialized, as for the second year in a row the Red Wolves were defeated in the quarterfinals and were forced to watch Life advance to the final and face Cal.
The Bears won that game, too, taking their fifth straight CRC.
“To this day, I can feel the thrill I had resurfacing every time I watch the replays," Pretorius said. "It’s bittersweet to reminisce a loss, but I would not trade the experience for anything.”
Arkansas State will field two squads this season but will have to replace All-American inside center Sione Fangaiuiha, who recently signed with the Austin Elite professional rugby team.
However, Pretorius is already seeing a possible solution emerging in a Red Wolves newcomer.
“I’ve got my eye on John Scotti, a freshman from Florida that seems to break the gain line every time he gets the ball,” Pretorius said.
Following this weekend's game, Arkansas State will play in-state rival Arkansas and then a league game at Davenport before ending the fall hosting Texas in Jonesboro.