Early indications suggest that the Sacramento Amazons are the team to beat, again, in Northern California. The #2 girls’ high school in the nation might seem like an easy pick, but teams like Pleasanton and Danville have banked recent wins against them. But on Saturday’s Kickoff Tournament in Dixon, Calif., no one came close to the Amazons, who exited the day with an unblemished record.

Sacramento’s competition increased throughout the day, beginning with Bowling Green, then Pleasanton, and finally Danville in the last game of the day, the championship, with the sidelines packed.

“It’s still pre-season, and you can tell everyone’s rusty, but there’s a friendly rivalry there,” Sacramento coach Sefesi Green said. “The girls get up for each other.”

Both sides are known for their physical prowess and adventurous play, and early on Danville applied pressure. The Hingano sisters were particularly inspiring, but thundering line breaks from flyhalf Mele Tausinga, center Malieti Haungatau and prop/No. 8 Ana Polaulu propelled the Amazons past their NorCal rival.

Haungatau was especially noteworthy. Big, strong, fast and skilled, the freshman carries all of the attributes often used to describe the Amazons. But she’s unique.

“She’s been our leading try-scorer the last three years,” Green said. “She’s finally a freshman, so she’ll be eligible to play at nationals this year.”

Haungatau will be in Las Vegas with the Atlantis U19s and undoubtedly draw more attention. She’s part of the experienced youth driving Sacramento this year.

“They’re not freaks, but it’s just not normal for their age,” Green praised his young athletes. “They’re special. I think they’re going to carry the team. We’re going to have to figure out how to develop the whole team, and we have a long season to do that. It’s looking good but we still have a lot to do.”

But the team has extra incentive in 2015.

“Everyone’s been excited since the final whistle against Fallbrook in the championship game,” Green recalled the Amazons’ 27-17 loss at nationals last May. “Fallbrook is just on a whole other level, and going through games like that – and the ones where they spanked us – is just part of our development. We’re getting high-level games under our belt and it’s starting to pay off. I’m just hoping we can bank all of that experience to close the gap a bit more.”

Sacramento supplemented this year's preparation with the NorCal Summer 7s, which extended into August. Those 7s skills were on display in Dixon Saturday.

“I’m happy with the way they look right now but it is January and we have a ton of work to do,” Green said of the team’s first outing. “I’m more excited how we’re going to look later on. I know the rest of the coaches are eager to put in the hard work to develop these players. It’s a nice situation to be in coaching wise.”

The entire tournament showcased the growth occurring in the region. Outside of the top tier of competition, the Silver Division was full of DII-level sides, while the Bronze Division provided a 10s environment for developing squads. Although there’s a vast spectrum of competitiveness, the players aren’t isolated from each other, and many games were preceded by friendly exchanges and reunions.

“That’s all because of the NorCal All Star program,” Green explained the pre-game smiles. “NorCal’s done a great job to develop the league and using the All Stars to develop talent. Even though we have a lot of Silver Division teams playing today, almost every team has one or two players in All Stars. We carried about 55 players last year, for the last three years, fielding full JV and varsity sides.”

There was also a new evolution in attendees: college recruiters. Lindenwood’s Billy Nicholas and American International College’s Dmitri Efthimiou were on hand to chat with teams.

“Times are changing,” Green smiled. “More colleges are coming onto the scene. We’re used to seeing those coaches at nationals, but now they’re coming here. The girls know that the number one thing they can focus on is making sure their grades are right, so when the opportunity [with a college recruiter] comes around, they’re ready.”

Stay tuned for closer looks at Danville and Pleasanton, the other highlights at the KOT.

For the full KOT album, click here.