Jan 13, 2026 Newsletter

HS Boys 

After a week of scrambling for a practice location and game fields, missing starters and trying to build some continuity, our varsity boys made no excuses and showed up to play. We flashed moments of greatness and strung some impressive phases together but little mistakes kept us from getting over the line for the lead. Our box kicking put massive pressure on OLU’s fullback but only being able to capitalize once was not enough. Standout players were #8 Jameson Garrison, scrum-half Deacon Maeva, utility back Kingston Garrison and center Exzodus Taele. Unfortunately end result was a 15-10 loss. 

For the JV group, tough challenge facing a varsity side from Los Alamitos. While the scoreline (55-0) may not reflect, JV never gave in and continued to give 100% for the entire match. Standout players included newcomer Khiry Reed, Dillon Gulley and Jaden Patolo. 

 HS Girls 

Although we faced a tough week leading up to game day, our girls showed incredible resilience and determination.  They pushed through every challenge and finished the weekend with an impressive 3 wins (LCC, Poway, Edison) and 1 loss (St. Anthony’s).  Some great individual performances from Myleah Torres (wing) scoring her first tries, Meliah Poumele-Flores led the way at fly-half, and Kora Mochel was outstanding at scrum-half. We’re excited to keep working this week, the future is bright for this group and this weekend was a great step forward. 

U14 

The season began with a few early challenges, with many football players registered late and a mix of players moving up from U12 or new to rugby. Despite a rough start, the U14 Thunder kicked off their first Saturday match strong against Back Bay U14 and delivered an outstanding performance, dominating with a 56–7 victory. Even with lineouts still developing, we were successful with all of our throw-ins and even won a few defensive lineouts. Scrums were slightly unbalanced at times, but Merseus Taele (hooker) did an excellent job keeping the forwards organized and focused. At scrum-half, Rhyah Garrison, worked hard to keep the team as organized as possible. Ricardo L. Ramirez stepped up to run the backline, filling in at fly-half and providing steady leadership. 

This week we’ll focus on building rugby IQ/awareness and building upon the success this week. 

U12 

A Side 

B Side 

The A Side battled through a hard-fought match, finishing with a 15–15 draw after trailing 5–10 at halftime. Our forwards controlled the scrums and worked effectively in pods to maintain possession, while the backs got into strong positions and moved the ball wide for a well-earned try. We held possession for much of the game and showed strong halftime adjustments—finishing is the next step in our growth. 

Our B Side focused on development, giving newer players extended minutes and returners opportunities in new positions. We don’t emphasize score at this stage, and it was great to see the fundamentals taught in training clearly show up in match play. 

Highlights 
🏉 Joseph scored his first try as a forward 
🎉 Sofia made outstanding contributions on her birthday 
💪 Tyson powered through a tough run late to tie the match 

U10 

This was our first game with many players new to rugby, with weather conditions limiting practice time for additional challenges. Overall, the players performed well for their first game and showed good effort throughout…but we can always improve! We’ll be working on communication, spreading the field in defense (allowed the opposing team to score multiple tries along the sidelines), recognizing positioning during game situations, and tackling confidence. 

Overall, this was a solid first outing, and we will continue to build fundamentals, confidence, and teamwork in practice. 

U8 

U8’s played three fun games vs Tribe.  All players are showing growth and improving their understanding of rugby basics.  Players were excited to cheer on their older teammates during the U10 game! 

8’s played three fun games vs Tribe.  All players are showing growth and improving their understanding of rugby basics.  Players were excited to cheer on their older teammates during the U10 game!