GRR: OC Raptors
Belmont Shore defeated the SOC Raptors 24-17 Saturday to advance to the Southern California HS Club final.
As has been the case this season the games between the top four, this contest was close.
(Games between Belmont Shore, Raptors, San Diego Mustangs, and Thunder were, on average, 30-20, with four of the six games within a try.)
The San Diego Mustangs defeated the SOC Raptors 31-14 in Southern California action.
Led by another massive game from lock Dylan Fortune, the Mustangs improved to 3-1 in Southern California league play, while the Raptors dropped to 2-2. Both sides have lost to Belmont Shore, who have started the season 3-0 and had no league game this week because they were attending the Tropical 7s.
Coming of a tough loss against Belmont Shore, the SOC Raptors managed to edge Thunder 31-26, defeating the defending national HS club champions and making it clear that Southern California is competitive throughout.
In typical dramatic fashion the Southern California Youth Rugby HS championships was decided by a razor-thin margin, as Thunder Rugby edged the SOC Raptors 14-12 Saturday.
This was the third time these teams had played. In March in a preseason clash Thunder had won 12-7, while in their league game May 14 the Raptors had emerged victorious 24-21. This time, it was even closer.
Paced by two tries from Jacob Bower the SOC Raptors won yet another nailbiter in Southern California, holding off a determined San Diego Mustangs 24-21 in a midweek clash.