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Three-Team All-Star Clash in SoCal

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Three-Team All-Star Clash in SoCal

Washington won in Portland in 2014. Alex Goff photo.

The Southern California Regional Cup Tournament in Bakersfield, Calif. will be a small one, but one with plenty of talent on hand.

Only three Boys Varsity teams will play - Northern California, Southern California, and Washington.

Washington and SoCal faced off in the final of the Great Northwest Challenge last year, with the Loggers from up north winning. Since then, the Loggers program has undergone a coaching change after Pete Sullivan decided to step down and Steve Brennan took over. It also underwent something of a split as a touring side of Washington players not on the official Loggers team will be at the Great Northwest Challenge. 

The tournament in Bakersfield will be a double round-robin, with all three teams playing each other in shortened games on Saturday, and doing the same on Sunday. After that, a champion will be crowned.

The JV bracket will be a little bigger, with Washington, SoCal, San Diego Barbarians, and two teams from Northern California in action. Everyone plays everyone else once - two games on Saturday and two on Sunday. The Washington Loggers have won the JV bracket at the Great Northwest Challenge six years in a row, and will bring an impressive roster to SoCal this time.

Washington's roster includes HS All Americans Will Brennan, Cornu Alfonsu, and Derise Fuga, and the varsity team includes three more players invited to HSAA camp - Bruce Finlay, Tristan Ingold, and Kyle Saalfeld, while JV scrumhalf Noah Wright is also an HSAA camp invitee. Fuga and snappy scrumhalf Malcolm Walton (see video interview of the two here) are part of a very strong Liberty team that only lost twice all season - both times to eventual state champs Budd Bay, which puts three players on the team.

NorCal's roster is still being finalized, but will include representatives from the top teams in the region, including HS All American center/fullback from Jesuit, Christian Dyer, Granite Bay's inspiration No. 8 Tyler Rouse, elusive Bishop O'Dowd backs Paul Saccamano and Joe Moreno, and imposing Peninsula Green lock Josh Warnock. HS All American scrumhalf Nathaniel Short out of Dixon, and as many as three members of Danville's powerful forward presence could also be on the squad. 

Southern California has been able to bring in some of the most acclaimed players in the region's high school leagues, with HS All American standouts Aaron Matthews and Steven Branham heading up a formidable outfit. Liam Jimmons patrols at lock, powerful LA prop Ian Hall and LA/Mira Costa all-everything hooker Juwan Johnson bolster a very strong front eight. Out wide there are HSAA players all over the place, including Travis Heer, Jeremy Fleet, Adam Channel, and Ian Crilly. But those are just the better-known players. Players like Isaiah Leilua, and Aisea Ahoia promise to make an impact, too. 

 

 

2015 Washington Loggers Varsity    
Last First Position Club
Anderson Spencer Lock Eastside Lions
Azizirad Kian Prop1 Seattle Vikings
Bird Isaiah Eight Budd Bay
Bradley Sam Flanker Seattle Vikings
Brennan Will Wing/Center Seattle Vikings
Bruce Finlay Lock Seattle Vikings
Burn Brandon Center/Wing Kent Crusaders
Cornu Alfonsu Flyhalf Eastside Lions
Crichton John Lock Liberty Patriots
Fuga Derise Prop Liberty Patriots
Grayson Zachariah Center Liberty Patriots
Hobday Reece Flanker Liberty Patriots
Ingold Tristan Scrumhalf Kent Crusaders
Johnson Jordan Hooker Liberty Patriots
Loucks Isaiah Wing Budd Bay
Miller Connor Flyhalf Seattle Vikings
Olsen Nick Lock/Flanker Wenatchee
Richards Joey Prop Seattle Vikings
Saalfeld Kyle Flanker Kent Crusaders
Self Kasey Wing Eastside Lions
Sitama Lui Fullback Budd Bay
Stowers Will Wing Seattle Vikings
Taulongo Matangisinga "Willie" Prop Wenatchee
Tiauli Halleluiah Flanker Rainier Highlanders
Walton Malcolm Scrumhalf Liberty Patriots
Warneke Hayden Hooker Kent Crusaders
Young Benson Center/Flanker Seattle Vikings
       
2015 Washington Loggers Junior Varsity    
Last First Position Club
Ainuu David Prop Prairie Mustangs
Broselle Ben Fullback Chuckanut
Burns Jake Center Chuckanut
Dodd Simon Lock Liberty
Hauk Nathan Center Kent Crusaders
Hill Callan Wing Eastside Lions
Isaia Bubba Prop Everett Eagles
Jones Kieran Flanker Eastside Lions
Keane Killian Flyhalf Eastside Lions
Mohn Isaac Center/Wing Seattle Vikings
Rieber Eli Flanker Rainier Highlanders
Sarginson Caden Eight/Lock Liberty Patriots
Sio Ernest Prop Eastside Lions
Stuver Keegan Flanker Liberty Patriots
Taylor Elias Hooker/Prop Eastside Lions
Vasey Quinlan Eight Chuckanut
Weiss Noah Hooker Seattle Vikings
Wendling Jack Center/Wing Chuckanut
Wilt Ben Wing Eastside Lions
Wright Noah Scrumhalf Liberty Patriots
Veliz William Jean Center/Wing Chuckanut
Faulkner Trevor Scrumhalf Eastside Lions

 

SoCal Varsity      
Ahoia Aisea Los Angeles Rugby club 13
Branham Steven Fallbrook Hooker
Channel Adam Back Bay/Wilson 15
Clark Evan Santa Monica 9
Clearwater Makai Spartan Army/Del Norte High 8
Cole Brandon Mustangs/Torrey Pines Flanker
Crilly Ian Fallbrook Flanker
Duvall Owen Coastal Dragons/Cathedral Cath Prop
Falco Beau SCV Tigers 2nd Row
Fleet Jeremy Mustangs/Torrey Pines 11
Grigoriou Antonios Back Bay/Dana Hills 10
Hall Ian LA Rugby Club Prop
Heaney Cormac Santa Monica Flanker
Heer Travis Back Bay 11
Jimmons Liam Back Bay 2nd Row
Johnson Juwan LA Rugby Club Hooker
Jost Ian Santa Monica Prop
Leilua Isaiah LA Rugby Club 10
Mailangi-Ray Sosefo BACKBAY 2nd Row
Matthews Aaron BACKBAY 12
May Matthew Fallbrook Prop
OckoMichalak Oscar Santa Monica Hooker
Rainwater Trevor Fallbrook 14
Ramirez Jeronimo Mustangs/Torrey Pines 2nd Row
Rodriguez Cristian Hawaiian Gardens 14
Sanders Matthew Santa Monica 12
Wilson Adam Mustangs/Cathedral Cath 15
Zanoli James San Luis Obispo 13

 

SoCal JV    
Aiono Tuiumi Hawaiin Gardens
Bates Jeremiah Temecula
Bazer Spencer Back Bay
Capiti Chase Santa Monica
Capiti Charlie Santa Monica
Cheung Brendan Aztec Warriors/Mira Mesa
Detamore Jason (Max) Santa Monica
Downey James Mustangs/Torrey Pines
Fox Will Coastal Dragons/Carlsbad
Gilli Nicolas Coastal Dragons/La Costa
James Dylan Santa Monica
James Ryan Aztec Warriors/Cathedral
Lawhorne Deven Irvine Rhinos
Lewis Jack Mustangs/Cathedral
Loney Kevin Coastal Dragons
Lumkong Sean Coastal Dragons/La Costa
Madden Patrick Aztec Warriors/UC-Clairemont
Noggle Christopher Stingrays
OckoMichalak Jeremy Santa Monica
Paxton Jake San Clemente/Dana Hills
Perry Quinn Santa Monica
Petersen Justin Coastal Dragons/La Costa
Richards-Smith Blake Coastal Dragons/Torrey Pines
Shalloe John Conor Santa Monica
Suggs Ryan Santa Monica
Tuua Burch Jacob Fullerton/Orange High
Vignolle Avery Santa Monica
Walding Max OMBAC Wallabies
Zimmer Nicholas Mustangs/Torrey Pines

 

NorCal Boys Varsity      
Last Name First Name Position Club
Abul-Ghanam Omar Lock Clovis
Abercrombie Bailey Flanker Jesuit
Appleberry Grant Scrumhalf Mother Lode
Bartolomucci David Hooker/Flanker De La Salle
Clancy Colin Flanker Danville
Cortinas Erik Utility Back Pen Green
Cowdery Austin Flanker/8 man Danville
Dyer Christian Fullback/Flyhalf Jesuit
Flynn Khan Lock Pleasanton
Fualaau Naima Scrumhalf Hayward
Hernandez Eli Center Alameda
Hingano Simi Prop Danville
Kruse Mika Center Bullard
Latu Line Flyhalf Pen Green
Liu Lopeti 8 man/ Prop Danville
Luvalo Saia Wing Granite Bay
Mokofesi Fotu Prop Sierra Foothills
Moreno JoseLuis Fullback/Wing Bishop O'Dowd
Nunnery Tyler Lock Pleasanton
Oles Justin Flanker/Hooker Granite Bay
Reynolds Jack Center Pleasanton
Rouse Tyler Flanker/8 man Granite Bay
Saccamano Paul Wing Bishop O'Dowd
Salazar Johnny Hooker North Sac
Short Nathaniel Center Dixon
Tofi Sam Prop Riordan
Warnock Joshua Lock Pen Green
Wiley Anthony Wing Granite Bay