Hey there, Rugger!
👊 Happy Friday.
The more games we watch, the more we think Nationals should include more teams. There’s loads of talent out there, folks.
This week we recap BC High vs Xaverian Bros in Massachusetts (last night), plus some players you should keep an eye on.
Packed with rugby. Let’s go 👇
Note: We fixed an issue last week that kept some of you from being able to follow your team in the Riot Hub. It’s sorted out now, so go follow your team 👉
📝Storylines
Xavier (NY) gathers steam out West
The Xavier Knights flew West and faced the Lamorinda (CA) boys for a friendly. It turned out to be a cracker that ended 38-36 in Lamo’s favor. Despite the loss, we’re impressed with Xavier for playing a solid NorCal club side so tight.
Full recap coming soon, so keep a lookout for that.
Texas Playoffs
Texas playoffs are upon us. Celina takes on HEB, Strake Jesuit faces Lake Travis, and St. Thomas meets HCYA this weekend in the Varsity Cup Quarterfinals.
Last year, Strake Jesuit rode a state title right into Nationals, full of momentum. Can they run it back again this year? Celina might have something to say about that…
Wolverines are humming
The San Mateo Wolverines are hitting their stride right now. They just finished a SoCal tour where they handed Belmont Shore a 45-38 loss. That game was electric from start to finish.
Mustangs on the move
The San Diego Mustangs are headed to Arizona for a double-header against Tempe and Red Mountain.
Tempe is a known Arizona powerhouse, while the Red Mountain Knights have recently entered the chat as a force to be reckoned with.
The SOC Raptors had a narrow 17-14 victory over Red Mountain when they visited SoCal. Now, how will the Mustangs handle the upstart Knights?
Easter — the unofficial checkpoint
Easter acts as a sort of mid-point for the season for many teams across the nation.
For some, like the San Diego Mustangs and Charlotte Cardinals—fresh off a string of wins—it’s a chance to take a breath and fine-tune what’s already working.
For others, it’s a wake up call.
Tim Kleumpers, head coach of St. Thomas Aquinas (KS)—coming off a tough loss to the KC Junior Blues—put it this way:
“The rest of our season will be defined by how we respond.”
This is the time of year that separates the contenders from the rest. Whether you’re prepping for Nationals or a State Championship, the games all matter now.
Time to define your season.
🔢 Number Crunching
Some interesting numbers, according to this season’s data:
Best point differential: Herriman (UT) | +40.3 average point diff per game
Stingiest Defense: BC High (MA) | 5.8 points allowed average per game
Most competitive region — based on lowest average point differential:
SouthWest Region | 11.5 average point diff per game
Here’s what you may have missed this week.
Also, we’re happy to introduce two new writers to our little pirate ship: Kolbe Costello and Ian Taylor!
Check out their work 👇
👀 Players to watch:
Colton Blind | BC High (MA) | Outside Center
His twin brothers graduated last year, leaving Colton to carry the family banner for BC High. He’s done a terrific job so far. The outside center has great hands and excellent vision running the ball. On defense, he rarely misses a tackle.
Cyril Sulzen | Gregory the Great (PA) | Prop
The big, bruising prop has found a new gear this year, churning out big carries on the regular. Defensively, he was already a solid tackler last year, but has turned into a bonafide brick wall in his 2026 campaign. He’s a crucial part of GGA’s forward pack, and problem for every opponent looking to slow their pods down.
Sinamoni Hola | Belmont Shore (CA) | Flyhalf
Despite losing a close game to the San Mateo Wolverines last weekend, Hola stood out for his blistering speed and lethal kicking ability. Most of Belmont Shore’s scoring opportunities could be traced back to his clever work with the ball in hand or off his boot. His acceleration is next level—you can’t give him an inch of space, or he’s gone. [see the highlight below 👇]
Nehemiah Gill Jr. flies into the try zone at Tropical Sevens 2026
📸 ncrugbyacademy
TOA Rugby U18 Boys win Tropical 7s 🌴
TOA Rugby hails from Treasure Valley, Idaho and draws players from programs like Owyhee (ID), Eagle (ID), Middleton HS (ID) and others. They captured their first Elite sevens title last week at Tropical 7s, and we were able to chat with head coach, Greg Turpen about their historic win.
TOA’s pool play was gritty and resilient, with clinical defense and a savvy attack. They secured two critical head-to-head wins at nearly full time, and reserve players made a huge impact in both—a theme throughout the tournament.
It was a complete team effort from the TOA boys, who, incredibly, only fielded the same starting lineup twice over six games. In each match, two or three players rose to the moment—and across six matches, all 12 did.
“Our team’s goal was to win the second half in all matches,” said Turpen, “and it takes courage to do that.”
Kole Frogley (Captain), Nathan Steenblik (Vice Captain), and Gavin Mortenson may not have led in scoring, but they were the glue guys who kept everything clicking—logging heavy minutes and elevating everyone around them. Impact contributions also came in critical moments from Evaimalo Ama, Trevo Vach, and Tucker McCulloch. Notably, Andrew Takapautolo humbly chose to contribute as a reserve, embodying the team-first mindset that defined TOA’s tournament. He came on and scored the winning try at full time to send them to the championship.
Most of these players, Coach Turpen told us, have been playing together since middle school—and it shows. Their chemistry is on point, and their willingness to sacrifice for one another reflects a strong rugby culture that TOA embraces.
“We want to recognize the quality of our opposition—Guerrilla Rugby, Rebel Rugby, and the Charlotte Reds. Outstanding teams, coaches, and players who pushed us and made us better throughout the tournament.
This was our program’s first Elite 7s victory (Tropical 7’s / NAI 7’s), and it was a complete team achievement. The success belongs to everyone—starters, reserves, coaches, families, and the unseen group working tirelessly behind the scenes.”
BIG congrats to TOA Rugby! We’re excited to see what these guys do next.
TOA Rugby — U18 Boys Elite Champions
📸 Tropical7s (Instagram)
BC High (MA) 27—21 Xaverian Bros (MA)
Thursday, April 9th
The first half for BC High was defined by front foot ball—and a couple critical errors.
BC High started strong and spent the first 25 minutes in Xaverian’s half, repeatedly pounding the door with quick recycles and a healthy mix of forward pods and backs pushing the gain line. Their first points came after a lengthy spell inside the 22, with a hooker Cillian O’Callaghan crashing over the line. The kick was missed—thanks in large part to a relentless wind—and that would be the only time BC High found the scoreboard in the first half.
Xaverian, meanwhile, spent most of the half defending deep in their own territory. A few costly penalties and a yellow card didn’t help.
But two booming kicks flipped the field.
The first was carried by the wind nearly 75 meters and looked headed dead, but the BC fullback grounded it for a 22 dropout. That’s all Xaverian needed. They pinned their ears back, hammered away at the BC defensive line, and eventually crashed over. The conversion was good—7–5 Xaverian with five minutes to go in the half.
Then, disaster for BC High.
Another missile of a kick from a Xaverian foot sailed over the BC fullback’s head, and in the scramble, the ball was dropped at the foot of the try zone—where a Xaverian attacker happily pounced. 14–5 at the break.
Despite long stretches of control, BC High went into halftime trailing.
The second half opened much like the first, with BC High back on the front foot—and another yellow card to Xaverian, leaving them down a man again.
Then came a bizarre sequence. The referee initially signaled a BC High try, then pulled it back after realizing BC had an extra man in the scrum. Momentary confusion, but BC High didn’t let it linger. Just a few phases later, they punched in a try to claw back to 14–10 after another missed conversion.
The wind continued to influence the game. BC High’s flyhalf Orlando Isturis nailed a 50:22, while Xaverian somehow lost five meters on a penalty kick to touch.
Then, when the ball squirted loose at the lineout, BC High’s eight-man Michael Conley scooped it up, and powered through defenders to give BC High the lead. 17–14.
What followed was a messy fifteen-minute stretch filled with high tackles and knock-ons by both squads. Xaverian struggled to clear against the wind, and BC High couldn’t quite capitalize on strong field position. The game turned into a grind.
Then, in the 60th minute, BC High scored from a scrum inside Xaverian’s 22 meter when Michael Conley rumbled in for his second try, extending the lead to 22–14.
But Xaverian wasn’t done. BC High mishandled the kickoff, handing them good field position, and they leaned on their forwards to punch in a try of their own. Conversion good. 22–21 with ten minutes to play.
With the game on the line, BC High buckled down and resumed attacking with the wind at their backs.
A bruising run from Cillian O’Callaghan down the sideline led to a sharp offload and a try that pushed the lead to 27–21.
That would be enough.
BC High holds on, 27–21.
“As expected, Xaverian played an outstanding match and were extremely physical. While we played tough, that was far from a perfect game. Our line speed and tackling was very good in defense - these are things we hang our hats on early in the year and hopefully throughout the season.”
Oddball musings, thanks to the cold tub.
🏉 I got “shushed” by a kid on TikTok for commenting on his comment…on my post. TikTok is a different world, man 😂
🏉 I wish the Nationals Committee would publicize which teams actually applied to Nationals each year, not just who gets accepted. Is there a list out there?
🏉 It’s way too easy to eat way too many Jelly Beans.
That’s a wrap, gang!
Next week we’ll have more dope rugby stuff to share with you; scores, highlights, stories… all the goods.
If you like this, share it with your friends!
Be well, ruck with gusto, and may your compression shorts always stay in place.
-The Rugby Riot Team