The Okapi Wanderers capped their regular season run with their 5th straight victory after losing the in the opening week of the season.

The Wanderers hammered Tampa 53-14 to improve to 5-1 in the Florida league. That puts Okapi in 1st place with one more weekend of regular season rugby to go. Okapi is idle next weekend while Naples and Jacksonville (currently 2nd and 3rd) play. Both Naples (points allowed per game) and Jacksonville (head-to-head) hold the tiebreakers over Okapi.

Okapi Head Coach Gavin McLeavy said his team wasn't mentally ready for their opener against Jacksonville but has picked it up since. Last week's one-point win over Key Biscayne was a nailbiter and fell Okapi's way thanks in part to a game-winning kick from Pierce Griffin.

Griffin has an excellent boot and his kicking from the hand has helped control field position. 

"One of the main things this year is the strength in depth we've got," said McLeavy, who added that his u16s have been playing very well, and their have a strong squad of 27 U19s and 28 U16s. This week against Tampa they had injuries—including Nico Santos who has been outstanding—and he brought up five U16s to play Tampa only to see that group top 50.

"They crushed it," said McLeavy. "They gave me an idea that maybe they were ready."

Trevor Thacker had captained well at flanker and played inside center on Saturday and did superbly. 

"He gets a lot of work done and is an intelligent player," said McLeavy. Mick Castro has added a spark at scrumhalf and he can play flanker. He

"I've got major problems in my selection because we've got 11 players who can play #4 through No. 8 and they're all equally good," said McLeavy, which is why he ended up putting a one-time flanker at scrumhalf. "It's a great problem to have."

"They've been playing really well as a squad and are making their own decisions and today I told them to do something and they came back and said 'you know what? What about this?' And they were right."