Explosive NorCal Wins GNC Boys U19
Explosive NorCal Wins GNC Boys U19
Northern California exploded for seven converted tries to seal the Boys U19 championship at the Great Northwest Challenge, securing the title for the second year in a row.
Both teams had to work for it to make the final. Colorado was tied with Utah and then fell behind 10-8 before two late tries saw them through 18-10. Karten Seidel, Luke Richard, and Kristo Klavins scored tries and Klavins added a penalty in the win. Utah's star players, Siale Ofa and Papa Matelau, scored for them, but the team as a whole lost their discipline late and that hurt them.
Northern California was in trouble against Washington (aka Western Washington). NorCal led 19-0 at halftime only for Washington to storm back. An improbable run from left wing Jerry Motokana, in which he broke all the rules of running and ran sideways for about 40 meters, saw him curve around a shocked NorCal defense to score in the opposite corner.
A penalty try and a brilliant chip-and-chase tri from La'aufausia Maka made it 19-17 for NorCal. The teams traded tries again, with a quick tap on a penalty allowing the Grizzlies to send it through flyhalf Rocco Pool to Meli Serevi to wing Daniel Dunne. Washington blazed on to put Jerry Fleming over. It was on a knife edge at 26-24.
But as time wound down, NorCal was able to send Evan Hampton through and with Pool's conversion, the game finished 33-24, but it was much, much closer than that.
Pool's goalkicking is worth being noted here. Without his ability to convert tries in the semi, Northern California would have been in deep trouble. He was 6-for-11 in Northern California's opener, but that was a runaway. In his side's one-point win over Utah Pool converted two of three tries and added a penalty. In the semis he converted four of five, and in the final he was a perfect 7-for-7. Overall he was 20-for-27, and, in the two close games, 7-for-9. It was a huge benefit for the Grizzlies.
Placement Games
TOA North Idaho exploded for eight tries in a 50-0 win over Montana. This was the first real salvo of a North Idaho Toa side, split from a South Ideaho Toa side, in 15s, and it was impressive as they took 5th. North Idaho won both of their Day Two games via shutouts. Leo Esikia, Cadyn Keetch, Paimioo Afu Liufau, Tyson Vincent, Chris Malo, Mason Tapusoa, Ezaiah Mama, Gideon Haney, and Keamogetswe Noko all scored tries for this quick, talented group.
Utah, down a bit in numbers, won a close and entertaining 3rd-4th match over Washington, and they got some big players by Takoa Byrd and Ryker Christensen in the backs. The key play in the game happened when Washington was right on the doorstep of scoring a try that would have given them the lead. Instead the ball was intercepted and taken 95 meters the other way.
That sealed it for Utah 22-17 as they took 3rd.
The 7th-place final was not played as NorCal's Development team was down to six healthy players by then. Iowa split up their squad to play touch 10s instead, whcih was actually a lot of fun to watch. Some of the able-bodied NorCal players stepped in as well.
For 9th, Arizona, Oregon, and Eastern Washington played a round-robin. Arizona won their two games led by Jano Jansen van Vuuren.
The Final
What promised to be a close, tense match ended up being a runaway. Colorado looked to use their kicking game, which had caused so many problems for other teams. But they probably kicked a little too deep, and as the same time, the players fielding those kicks were Serevi, Pool, and Van Hampton. While he might have been the least-known player in that trio, Hampton, the former Marin Highlander, burned Colorado early for tries, including one straight off a kick.
Pool spun out of some tacklers and fed lock Rowan Hester for a big charge, and he found No. 8 OC Lehner, who offloaded to flanker and vice captain Dominic Peterson for another try that covered 90 meters.
Finally colorado was able to score a try but things continued to be difficult for them. NorCal's lineout was effective and they certainly disrupted Colorado ball. As a result, kicking to touch on penalties was fraught with peril—miss touch and Hampton or Dunne or Serevi would run it back or mount a team counter-attack; hit touch and NorCal might just get the ball back. tries from Braeden Forschler (beating several tacklers), and Poo, and Serevi, made it a 49-7 final in the end.
Colorado didn't play particularly poorly, it's just that their game plan kind of played into Northern California's hands early, and once they realized they needed to adjust, it was just too late.
