Hey there, Rugger!
👊 Happy Friday.
It’s the California school State Final. Early season battles. A handful of rankings shakeups.
And more rugby that should give us plenty to yap about come Monday.
Packed with rugby. Let’s go 👇
🏆California State Final
Torrey Pines vs St. Francis
🗓️Mar 14, 1PM PST
📺 Watch it here
🏟️Friendship Cup
🗓️March 27—29
Nashville, TN
St. Francis vs Torrey Pines | CA State Final
Saturday | March 14, 1:00PM PST/ 4 EST
📍St. Mary’s College
📺 Watch it live
The big one. The rematch. State trophy on the line.
Twelve months later, we’ve got the same two squads meeting again in the California State Final.
Both programs graduated special athletes from the 2025 class, and both spent this season proving there would be no drop-off. Torrey Pines battled their way to a perfect 10–0 record and another SoCal title. St. Francis rebounded from an early-season loss to upstart Rio Americano and eventually captured the NorCal crown in a tight championship rematch against that same squad.
While their styles differ, the identities feel similar. Both teams are resilient, physical, and maybe carry a bit of a chip on their shoulder.
St. Francis thrives at the point of contact, keeping defenses guessing with sharp offloads and tackle-breaking runs. Torrey Pines counters with a gritty defense and balanced attack built around a disciplined forward pack and a backline that knows how to control territory and finish.
Big questions heading in:
Will Torrey Pines establish rhythm with the forward pack and build the platforms that have fueled their success all season? And can St. Francis win the collisions and consistently put the Falcons on the back foot?
A year ago, the Lancers did an excellent job disrupting Torrey’s kicking game. We’re curious to see whether the Falcons have found an answer to that pressure this time around.
Players to watch
Rees Curtis — Torrey Pines (Flyhalf)
Curtis started last year’s state final as a freshman. Now a sophomore, he once again runs the Falcons’ back line and will be tested by St. Francis’ aggressive defensive pressure. He’s also a terrific tackler and will be busy against a stable of elusive Lancer ball carriers.
Uate Pifeleti — St. Francis (Flyhalf)
A junior with a terrific skillset. He’s the general of the Lancer attack — controlling tempo, directing the backs, and capable of busting through the line on his own when the moment calls.
Shay Farkash — Torrey Pines (No. 8)
Farkash has been a nightmare for defenses all season. Inside the 22, he has a nose for the try line and usually requires more than one defender to bring down.
Kaimani Keanaaina — St. Francis (Inside Center)
The Cal commit leads the Lancers with eight tries this season and anchors the midfield defensively. Known for dominant one-on-one tackles, he also distributes well and has a knack for showing up in big moments — including two tries in the NorCal Championship.
Congratulations to both programs and coaching staffs. NorCal and SoCal remain two of the toughest rugby regions in the country, and tomorrow’s final should be another cracker between the best each region has to offer.
“We’ve prepared well, but expect to see back play we haven’t seen before. They have size and skill. We’ll give them everything we have, and hope that’s enough.”
“We are looking forward to the opportunity to play Torrey Pines again and have a lot of respect for their program. We’ve been steadily improving, but know we haven’t played our best game yet. The focus for Saturday is on performance, playing our game and trusting that will get us the result we are looking for.”
Who’s gonna win?
Vote here 👉
📝Storylines
St. Martin’s (KS) looks hot
St. Martin’s might be really dangerous this year. First they whacked Pendleton (IN) 37–7. They followed that up with a 36–5 win over Wichita, and on Wednesday they dropped 73 points on state rival St. Thomas Aquinas.
That’s a helluva start to the season for the Kingfishers. It might be early to say this, but a fourth straight state title doesn’t feel like a long shot. Because who is going to challenge them?
Aquinas will definitely improve as the season goes on — they’re too well coached not to. But if the Kingfishers stay healthy and keep playing at this level, it’s going to take a heroic effort from another Kansas team to dethrone them.
No offense meant to the rest of the Kansas field. St. Martin’s simply looks red hot right now.
“They were very precise and fast in their attack. Their defense was smothering and forced us into small mistakes, which they were able to capitalize on.
I’m proud of how our players continued to fight hard until the final whistle, and we will get better from this experience. We have a lot of bumps and bruises, and spring break couldn’t have come at a better time.”
🛬Woodlands trip thwarted
Sometimes the best plans get steamrolled by things outside your control.
That was the case for The Woodlands last weekend, as flights were grounded in Texas and most of the team never made it to California for their scheduled matches against Danville Oaks and Sacramento Jesuit.
Total bummer for the team — and for all of us who were looking forward to those games.
We’re told Danville Oaks were excellent hosts to the handful of Woodlands players whose flights weren’t cancelled, which is a nice silver lining in an otherwise frustrating situation.
Now Woodlands turns their attention to the Friendship Cup, where they’ll face some tough club teams in Nashville!
🐉Doylestown
The Dragons should hold their heads high after a strong showing in North Carolina.
The first half against the Cardinals showcased their intensity, physicality, and solid fundamentals before Charlotte adjusted and ran away with things in the second half. The very next day, Doylestown bounced back with a 40–23 win over the Charlotte Tigers.
Interesting stat:
In the past 18 months, only four teams have scored three or more tries against the Charlotte Cardinals:
The Cavemen (UT)
Charlotte Tigers (NC)
Wolverines (CA)
SD Mustangs (CA)
… and now Doylestown (PA).
What do those other teams have in common?
They all competed at Nationals last year, with the Mustangs winning the whole thing.
Good company to be in.
Fitting then that Doylestown was just accepted into the 2026 Nationals tournament.
📈Cardinals Climb
The Charlotte Cardinals look like the most polished team in the country right now. Granted, we’ve had the bias of seeing all three of their recent games live-streamed. But it’s hard not to be impressed by the execution. Powerful and skilled forwards, a lethal 10/15 combo, wingers with rockets in their shoes, and a deep bench. They’re the whole package.
One thing that stood out in their 68-22 victory over Doylestown was how they seem to gain steam as they rotate players in off the bench. It’s a testament to the type of depth and continuity they’ve built into the program. Everybody knows the system, and everyone plays at a very high level.
The Cardinals’ play has been good enough for Goff to bump them to his No. 1 club team, though another team might be a little miffed by that 👇
🤔Cavemen win… but get dropped?
Riddle me this: Cavemen entered the weekend at No. 1 in the Goff rankings. Then they went out and beat a strong SacAir side 56–21 … and got dropped to No. 2.
Not sure what a team needs to do beyond holding a perfect 7–0 record — including preseason — and beating a ranked opponent convincingly. That No. 1 spot is a slippery perch, folks.
🗡️Red Mountain Knights (AZ)
Head Coach Raymond Terrell has this group playing some very good rugby right now.
The Knights picked up a pair of wins in a busy weekend doubleheader. On Friday night under the lights, Red Mountain defeated the Salt Lake Rhinos (UT) 26–17 in a tight contest. Outside center Elliott Reid crossed twice, while captain Cooper Hatch and wing Nate Willis added tries of their own.
Less than 18 hours later, the Knights were back on the field against Arizona rivals Eclipse. Red Mountain came away with a 57–35 win, though the scoreline doesn’t fully capture how competitive the match was.
Sine Tengei and flyhalf Weston Kenny each grabbed two tries, while Jensen Orme, Stockton Seaman, Cooper Hatch, Troy Palma, and first-year lock Scott McKenzie all added scores in a deep team effort.
🔥Celina (TX) keeps rumbling
The Legion turned a very close first half against Las Colinas into a second-half rout last weekend. We’re told they have some athletes on the roster who can break a game wide open — and their 5–0 record backs that up.
They play in the School division in Texas, but we’d love to see Celina line up against Woodlands at some point.
Las Colinas, meanwhile, held Celina to just 7 points in the first half before the floodgates opened after the break. Keep an eye on Las Colinas — they’ve steadily improved over the past few years and look like a program on the cusp of a breakout campaign, with more players now coming up through their youth system.
🏟️Lindenwood Tourney
A few things that stood out:
• Monarch (CO) held their own against a strong group of Midwest teams, going 2-0-1 on the weekend.
• SLUH (MO) was involved in two nail-biters: a 7–5 win over Bixby (OK) and a 19–19 draw with Monarch.
• St. Louis Jets (MO) picked up a win over CBC Cadets and dropped one to Bixby (OK). They’ll get another big test soon — the Jets are headed to Friendship Cup in two weeks, where they’ll compete in the Tier 2 bracket.
• St. Thomas Aquinas (KS) dealt with some injuries, we’re told. They dropped an 11–0 result to Monarch, but also hung 54 points on the CBC Cadets.
These early kickoff tournaments aren’t always perfect indicators of how a season will unfold, as coaches mix and match lineups during shortened matches. But they still give us a few early signals about which teams are building momentum.
🏁PA D1 gets rolling
Pennsylvania enters the chat this weekend with matches between Gregory the Great and La Salle, and Conestoga vs Malvern Prep.
Doylestown enjoyed a solid showing in North Carolina last weekend. They play Regis Jesuit (CO) this week in an intriguing cross-state match before entering PA league play next week.
📊Rankings update:
New #1 in School
Torrey Pines (CA) finally did it — they are the #1 school team according to both Rugby Riot and Goff. They’re 10-0 and play in the California State Final tomorrow.
Well done 👊
New addition to the Top 10
St. Ignatius (OH) climbed quickly into the Riot Rankings Top 10, checking in at #7 this week.
They’re 3-0 so far, with St. Edward (OH) up next.
Club Rankings
The top five remains unchanged this week.
Charlotte Cardinals (NC) climbed two spots to #6 after their win over Doylestown.
SFGG (CA) is lurking just outside the Top 10 (#12) and has Granite Bay (CA) on deck this weekend.
Saint Paul’s (LA) vs Catahoulas (LA)
Saint Paul’s has been a surprise squad this season. Despite dropping a couple matches early, they look vastly improved from last year and appear to be a program on the rise. Catahoulas, meanwhile, wasn’t on our radar at all.
But some very confident Instagram users have warned us not to overlook them — going so far as to say: “Don’t sleep on Catahoulas. State championship contenders. Remember the name.” Noted 🫡
Catahoulas opened their season with a dominant 50–22 win over East Jefferson (LA). Saint Paul’s beat that same squad 54–0.
Maybe this match helps sort out the pecking order — and perhaps launches one of these teams into contention with Brother Martin and NOLA Jesuit.
🎯 Certified Banger Score: 7/10
Rye (NY) vs Trumbull (CT)
Trumbull had a very impressive 2025 season, taking down many of the Northeast’s best teams en route to a Connecticut state semifinal appearance, where they narrowly lost to Fairfield Prep.
Rye clobbered several solid sides before falling to Xavier in the 2025 New York state final.
This is the opener — and the tone setter — for both teams.
🎯Certified Banger Score: 8.2/10
St. Edward vs St. Ignatius
The first installment of the 2026 Cavoli Cup!
Last year Ignatius took the Cup in this local rivalry, but St. Ed’s always seems to play their best rugby against the Wildcats — don’t count them out.
We expect a close match and a healthy dose of fire in the belly.
St. Ignatius enters the weekend 3–0, coming off a win over fellow Nationals contender La Salette (IL).
St. Edward opened their season last week with a convincing 40–10 win over St. Xavier (OH).
🎯 Certified Banger Score: 9/10
Granite Bay vs SFGG
These two split their 2025 matchups — Granite Bay won the first 29–26, while SFGG took the 32–21 victory in the Premier Division Final.
Expect a physical battle between the NorCal behemoths. The question is which side asserts dominance early in the club season.
Granite Bay has developed a knack for tight scorelines, their most recent being an 8–0 win over Mother Lode (CA).
SFGG enters 2–0, coming off a 29–19 win over Lamorinda (CA).
🎯 Certified Banger Score: 9.5/10
We couldn’t pick just one Photo of the Week — so here are a handful of cool shots!
Zane Schumacher scores for Charlotte Cardinals during their match against Doylestown.
📸 Dan Caple
Max Colson flies in for another try vs Doylestown.
📸Dan Caple
Sam Enochian bulldozes through the line during the Rio Americano vs St. Francis match.
📸 S&S Productions
Cool action shot from the Cavemen vs SacAir game last weekend.
📸 Bella Fainga
Did you miss this? 👆
Zane Schumacher (Charlotte Cardinals) is an absolute lightning bolt on the wing.
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