It seemed that during the Stars & Stripes game the same name kept getting heard time and again. Nikko Zuluaga, a boxy, speedy back with good vision had undoubtedly emerged as a leader of the Stripes both with his attitude and his talent.

“Nikko showed a lot for us out there,” said Stripes Head Coach Colin Pupuri. 

Zuluaga plays for the Naples Bears in Florida, and while the state has produced some excellent players - Cam Dolan notable among them - they are a bit isolated, as well. 

“I love playing with new guys around the country and seeing the different styles that they play,” Zuluaga told Goff Rugby Report. “It’s fascinating to me how players have different lingo around the country.”

Zuluaga said he wasn’t concerned with scoring or being flashy, but more with being a good teammate and leader.

“I was more interested in making that extra pass to put a teammate away,” he said. “That means a lot more to me than scoring a try. For us the team came together as a team really nicely, and that was big for us.”

That attitude propelled the Stripes to a 53-20 victory over the Stars, and the point is to get these young players interested in pushing for higher honors. Zuluaga is hooked.

“It makes me want to get as high as I can up the ladder,” said Zuluaga, who will remain in Naples after graduating and work on his rugby. 

For now, he’s our Aircraft Charter Solutions Boys HS Player of the Week.

Here’s Zuluaga scoring for the Stripes on July 16.