When Keanu Andrade went to the High School All American camp last year, HSAA Head Coach Salty Thompson wasn’t quite sure what to do with him.

Sure, he was a scrumhalf with the Danville team in Northern California, but every year he accepts a disproportionate number of scrumhalves and flyhalves into camp. Andrade would have to move, but where? 

Thompson tried him at scrumhalf, and center, and then flanker, and then finally settled on an option. Of all things, hooker. And when Andrade came to camp this past December, he was still a scrumhalf, and for the HSAA team, now a hooker.

“He’s kind of built like Keven Meelamu,” said Thompson, referring to the New Zealand star and most-capped hooker ever. “He’s compact, strong, got good feel, and such a coachable kid. He started throwing in at the lineout, and had no problem. Pretty soon he was packing down in the front row and did it really well. He’s that kind of player.”

This past weekend, back at scrumhalf, Andrade sparked Danville to an impressive series of wins at the Storer Classic HS division. His coaches at Danville, Roy Helu and Jon Straka, were very clear about why they had Andrade where he is.

“He ran the offense,” said Straka. “He probably had the biggest impact for us. [and] he is the best scrumhalf on our team.”

American high school rugby has plenty of athletic players who impress at center or flanker, but not so many who can play those positions on the side. To have a player who has the fitness and vision and skills to be a scrumhalf for a top high school program, which Danville is, and to have the strength, power, and array of skills to be a hooker at a HSAA level, is special.

That’s why, this week, Keanu Andrade is our Aircraft Charter Solutions Player of the Week.