Platte Canyon, Conifer, Evergreen team hopes to finally get over the top in 2012

Dylan Parham probably wouldn’t be playing rugby if not for his geography teacher. Then again, when your teacher also happens to be the head coach you can kind of understand why he’s playing.
“He bugged me to come out and play,” the second-year player said.
He would be Hugh Miller, one of two coaches for PAC (Platte and Conifer) Rugby, and Parham, an 18-year-old Platte Canyon senior, is one of 35-40 players from Platte Canyon, Conifer and Evergreen high school on this year’s team.
And what a team it is.
Established in 1999, PAC Rugby is coming off back-to-back Division 2 runner-up finishes in Rugby Colorado, losing last year’s championship game on a technicality after two overtimes. A state champion in 2003 and Wooden Bowl winner in 2006 and ’08, PAC Rugby opens its 2012 season March 3 vs. Littleton at Glendale’s Infinity Park.
But why the formerly-known as Bailey Youth Rugby squad has been so successful the past 13 years has as much to do with the turnout as it does with how quickly the players have picked up the sport.
“We’ve got a lot of numbers this year. Our main goal is to introduce the game to as many kids as we can,” assistant coach Marty Trinkino said. “We’ve had a great turnout this year. Every year we start out relatively inexperienced. It’s an amazing thing to me, a gratifying part of my job, watching how quickly these guys pick the game up.”
One of those players is 16-year-old Evergreen junior Connor Kissler. He’s in his fourth season and enjoys playing rugby in the spring over track or baseball because of its similarities toward football.
“(It’s) a great program to meet guys from all over the area in Platte Canyon, Evergreen and Conifer,” Kissler said. “We’re building chemistry together slowly but surely.”
However, a number of players on the roster tend to be high school seniors fresh off football season, which shortens their stay with the team.
“Unfortunately, we have a lot of seniors who when they’re done playing football they don’t have a lot of other commitments,” Trinkino said. “When they’re done with football in the fall they want to come out and play rugby in the spring. But they only get one year in. Their comment almost to the man is that ‘Geez, I wish I had done this early on.’”
Now, one might think that rugby, because of its rugged nature and lack of pads, may lead to more injuries. But Kissler said that isn’t so.
“You can’t block (in rugby). That’s where harder hits happen in football,” he said. “Actually, I’ve seen people get hurt more in football than rugby. It’s a not a dangerous sport by any means.”
But it sure is fun. Now PAC Rugby just wants to finish off this season on the highest of notes.
“Hopefully, this year, we push it over and finally get that state title. We’ve been runner-up two years in a row. Third time’s a charm,” Conifer 17-year-old senior and eight-year veteran Brooks Williamson said.