Salmon Arm Secondary rugby squads kick off the season’s games

SAS Jewels vs. Penticton April 10

Salmon Arm Secondary’s senior girls Jewels rugby team had a fantastic game on April 10. The girls fought hard against Penticton High School, ending the game in a tense down-to-the-wire moment. The score was 15-10, and Penticton was inches from our try-line. Supported by amazing tackles from Grace Fulton and Eve Labranche, the girls maintained a defensive wall that Penticton could not penetrate, and they won the game.

SAS were organized and spread wide across the field, giving them a hefty advantage over Penticton, who were clumped around the ball; this gave us some excellent runs from Alex Johnson and Lanie Greenhough. Despite this advantage, the girls had a tough time getting the ball out wide to open space. Defensively, the girls were rucking hard, fast, and held a strong line that was tough for Penticton to break.

SAS Jewels vs. Mt Boucherie April 12

The SAS Jewels Rugby Team had a tough slog in Mount Boucherie. The girls were twice their size, and were hitting hard. The girls struggled to keep their regular speed and organization against these tough opponents. The girls were down four tries to none by the second half, which was a blow to their morale; however, the Jewels’ team captain, Esita Qiodravu, managed to organize the girls and fight back hard against Mount Boucherie’s advantages.

The majority of the second half saw the Jewels staying in Mount Boucherie’s end zone. The girls out-played, outmaneuvered, and out-tackled the Mount Boucherie defences. Amazing drives from Mataia Makela, Ally Pollock, and Kennedy Novakowski showed their opponents that even a small team from Salmon Arm can hit hard, run fast, and play well. Even though the girls out-played Mount Boucherie in the second half, they only managed to score one try, and could not catch up to the mighty lead from the start of the game. Esita, deservedly, was our MVP.

SAS Junior boys April 16 at Fulton Okanagan 7’s tournament

The SAS Junior 7’s team was incredible with phenomenal athletes playing for the Jr Golds who had an impressive 7’s game against Penticton in the Okanagan final with Ashley Bakema blowing through one tackle to run the route of 90 yards to score. Dennis Comeault put his head down and blew the Pen High player back from the ruck which resulted in Spencer Paquette doing a pick and run passing to sprinter Carl Crawford to score in the corner. Caleb Aylard, starting fly half for the Jr boys, made huge tackles to stop the other teams in their tracks. The SAS Junior boys rugby 7’s team goes to Provincials on April 27th at Saint George’s, facing the top players across the province to see how they measure up.

SAS Golds vs. Mission April 17

Rugby is a tough sport, not meant for the weak or timid. Yes you can get bumps and bruises which are all character building to make players stronger, smarter and faster. The SAS Senior boys Golds rugby squad went to Okanagan Mission Secondary to play with heart and determination against a team that far out numbered the Golds. Going with a committed 13 players to go up against a bench of 24 is a challenge that few have met successfully. The Golds never gave up and had one injury. The score is not what every game is about, sometimes it is the team, the camaraderie and the desire to play a sport that once it is in your blood you will never forget. The senior Golds’ next home game is May 1st

SAS Jewels vs. Kelowna Secondary April 18

The Salmon Arm Jewels girls rugby team took on KSS April 18. The girls had a slow start in the first half; they had trouble finding their regular organization and driving force. Even without their usual skill, SAS managed to find gaps and gain tremendous runs. The girls brought it together in the second half, engaging in smarter rucks, spreading wide, and maintaining possession of the ball. The girls won four tries to one. Tries were scored by Dawson Lewis, Nadine Johnston, Lea Labranche, and Lanie Greenhough.

The MVP, however, was Tori Gollen, whose intense vigour and strong communication led the team to immense gains downfield. Her drives and her rucks enabled stupendous runs for Ava Wutke, who ran the ball nearly ninety yards throughout the game. Again, despite the girls having a wider line (giving them open space), the girls had trouble passing the ball out, which would have earned them even more tries. The final score was 20-7.

Submitted by Greg Seed