Surprise Outcome for Major Utah Game
Surprise Outcome for Major Utah Game
Top Utah HS clubs Cavemen and LCA met Friday night and In a result at once very much expected and at the same time quite surprising.
The teams tied, which is the part that's not surprising, because both sides have shown equal quality this year.
The surprising part? The score. 5-5. In a league with so many potent offenses and so many players capable of creating something out of nothing, you'd expect a much higher-scoring game.
But as it was both teams went into the game determined to stop the other from scoring.
It was a massively hard-hitting game. Both teams were dialed into their defense and made crunching tackles. Cavemen scored the first points, just a couple of minutes short of halftime.
Four minutes into the second half LCA answered. That was it. Cavemen did opt for posts on a penalty midway through the second half but the chance drifted wide.
According to those who know and were there, this was a very disciplined game. With emotions high and physicality high, tempers could have flared, but they didn't. Both teams kept their discipline, avoiding everything from high tackles to silly offside penalties. As a result, they focused on the rugby, and while it was punishing and fast, neither team gave an inch.
Both of these clubs are going to HS Nationals. This was, likely, a game that could have helped seed teams at the national tournament. Now they've made it difficult.
Both teams will look ahead to the Utah Youth Rugby semifinals. As far as we can see it Cavemen will be 1st in Pool B due to a better points difference, with LCA 2nd. The semifinal matchups will likely be Cavemen vs Kearns and LCA vs East HS.
