2014 HS Boys Player of the Year
2014 HS Boys Player of the Year
(NewkPhoto)
BEN CIMA
Ben Cima gets the nod because he is a smooth operator at flyhalf - so attuned to the demands of the job that, despite being just a high-schooler (he graduated in the spring), he earned a waiver to get on the USA U20 team, and after that got a look with the USA Selects senior team.
He can run, and he sees the field superbly, but two other aspects of his game get him this award. First is his kicking - no real surprise there. Cima is as good a goalkicker as we have in the country, and his ability to kick for points helped the U20s finish 3rd in the Junior World Rugby Trophy, and certainly was a major reason Gonzaga HS won the Single-School NIT. But we also pick him for a mistake. Cima outlined the mistake in this interview. He kicked the ball into touch in the U20s' close loss to Tonga thinking the Junior All Americans had done enough to make the JWRT final. He was wrong.
That's OK, mistakes happen. But to own up to it so directly shows a maturity and a leadership that will ensure he's a great player long into the future. Cima may have deserved to win this award because of his success with Gonzaga and two age-grade national teams, but confirmed his place with a little humility. (Honorable mention to Calvin Whiting.)
Below, a few examples of Cima's goalkicking prowess, and one example of how his unique approach to opportunities - in this case a ball on the ground - can create a scoring chance.
