2013 Colorado High School Preview - 23 Sides, 22 clubs in 3 Divisions

On any given high school rugby match day this spring, well over three hundred athletes will be competing in varying locations statewide. The emergent men's programs are split into three divisions, based largely on the individual clubs previously-expressed ability to compete and their relative levels of experience. Premier-bracket teams are located in Colorado Springs and the metropolitan Denver area: Aurora Saracens, Chaparral Wolverines, Cherry Creek Bruins, Colorado Springs Grizzlies, East High School White Angels, Littleton Eagles, and Regis Jesuit. The 10-team, Division II league encompasses teams from the Front Range corridor on up to the Roaring Fork Valley: Boulder Lions, Castle Rock, Fort Collins, Harlequins, Jr. Gents, PAC, Pikes Peak Stormers, SWARM, Tigers, and Warriors RFCs. The newly-formed, six-team, Division 3 will contain: East High Red Angels, Glendale Raptors, Jr. Griffins (Grand Junction), Northside Vikings, RidgeView Academy and Titans RFCs

Division 1: Grizzlies - team to beat

As it has for the last three years and five times since 2005, Colorado high school Division 1 state championship must pass through Colorado Springs and the nationally-ranked (3rd) Colorado Springs Grizzlies Rugby Club. Longtime, long-term Grizzlies coach, John Paterson, has passed the instructional mantle to capable assistant, Otis McGregor, but don't look for much to change as McGregor has Paterson's coaching form and function down – and John and USA Eagle son, James, will be working with the club in one-off capacities when their schedules permit. Grizzlies welcome back 16 players with five returning starters from 2012's championship side and McGregor looks to have 30 players USA Rugby-registered (CIPP-ed) by the first league kickoff. Versatile veteran, Seth Halliman, whom McGregor reports can play, "anywhere from front row to fullback" is back along with a pair of rookies, Joe Zeilinski and Josh Gihring. "These two are natural rugby players. They look as if they were born with the ball in their hands," says the new coach. As to the Grizzlies seat come the end of April at the D-1 table, he adds: "We will be competitive, but still have a very long way to go. High school seasons have a lot of variables from injuries to grades to the young man's preparation for the real world. Only time and hard work can really tell where the team will be come late April. This will be a year of transition for the Grizzlies, with our former head coach, John Paterson, stepping

Grizzlies and Stormers scrimmaged on the weekend – image by Rugby Scribe C. MacFletcher

aside to establish his business, the Grizzlies will have a lot to accomplish and the coaching staff has some big shoes to fill."

"Chaparral currently has 35 players registered through the school, 22 of whom played last year and 10 (of them) were starters. We expect 5-10 more once hockey, wrestling and basketball are finished," states Wolverines head coach Greg Wolf. A veteran front row comprised of a formidable trio of underclassmen will anchor Chaparral's scrum, yet Wolf feels, "We need to see a great deal of development before we can compete in this division," though he adds, "Chaparral is looking forward to the challenge."

2012 runner-up Cherry Creek Bruins will be very much a critical ingredient in the mix for supremacy in the upcoming season. "For the third year in a row, Cherry Creek started its season at the Las Vegas 7s tournament with 18 players making the trip … the experience was great for returning and new players," reports head coach Steve Davis. "Cherry Creek has 20 players returning this year and 40 players on the roster at this time. Last year's first team scrum players Jason Miklin, Pearce Taine-Wahoo, Z Soule, Adrian Hughes and Alex Turner will help our new recruits become an efficient unit. Last year's starting backline players Brian Rapport, Isaiah Grayck, Alex Reed, Patrick McGuire and Preston Weems will join new fast runners for an exciting style of play," Davis predicts. "Our season opens with East (on the road Saturday, 3.2@12:30) and Colorado Springs (Wednesday, 3.6@5pm), which represents a significant test for the boys," Davis adds, indicating season start v the pair of perennial contenders will be the stern test, though, "… the team will improve over the season as new players learn the game. Cherry Creek expects to compete for the State Championship again this year."

Denver East High Angels White, ever-competitive in the 21st century, welcomes back integral elements in the three-quarterline from injury and looks to its forwards to substantiate its efforts up front. The Angels numbers are sufficient to provide for a pair of sides in the high school divisions: D-1 White and D-3 Red.

Aurora Saracens are innit

Division 2 – PAC's back

PAC's head coach Hugh Miller, who also acquits himself well onpitch for Denver Harlequins RFC, welcomes back, "Over 25 players (with) seven starters returning." 2012 sees string-puller Alex Wormer Jr. returning at the #10 pivot, while breakaway sensation, AJ Eleniewski and backrow lock Conor Kisler bring experience to the pack - "All represented Colorado U17 last year," reports Miller.

Coach Miller estimates, "45-50 players (onboard) by March with the Mountain TRY program helping (recruiting) and winning (2012 State) championship last year," enabling the word to spread over mountain ridges and in the Front Range valleys of PAC's domain.

PAC's goal for 2013 is, "to defend (our) championship and continue to expose more kids here to rugby," states Miller simply.

Broomfield Tigers head coach, Paul O'Brian, has nine veterans returning and 13 new players thus far in the young season. O'Brian looks to returning backs Ben Onaindia (10), Bryan McDonald (15), Patrick Hehghan (11), RC Branham (9) to assist forwards Tommie Spitzer (6), Josiah Loving (8), Jamison Esobar (2), Matt Lloyd (3), Francis Kailey (5), Charlie Ellwood (4) in Tigers quest for 2013 hardware: "We look to improve on 2012, and with double the number of returnees from 2012, that is an achievable goal," predicts O'Brian.

Fort Collins administrator, Greg Chvatal, reports: "We have around 15-18 players returning from last year." and looks to those who "stepped up their play" in 2012, "Jack Pixler, Zeke Williams, and Kevin Nurzynski," to add their valuable experience to instill and upgrade the Fort's new recruits' rugby knowledge. "We look to have 2025 players CIPP-ed by first kickoff and hope to enter the playoffs as the #1 seed," forecasts Chvatal.

Jr. Gents, 2012 runners-up, from Colorado's Western Slope return the impressive halfback pairing of #9 Matt Williams and #10 Wiehan Pretorius as well as forward Hayden Denton, and veterans Zak Hunt and Michaels Wampaugh for their spring hunt.

Warriors head coach Jim Opperman has seven veterans returning from his 2012 squad and he looks to have a full side-plus registered when they open their league campaign, hosting Highlands Ranch on Wednesday, March 6.

Division 3 - Inauguration

Denver East High Angels Red side, Glendale Raptors, Grand Junction Junior Griffins, Northside Vikings, RidgeView Academy and Titans RFCs will all compete in the 2013 inaugural Division 3 schedule.

2013 League play kicks off with a Tigers-Jr. Gents darvey up in Broomfield on Saturday, February 23 at 1pm. A couple more league matches the following Wednesday, and then come the first week in March, anywhere you can swing your favorite cat there'll be there'll be the sport, on the day, on the pitch.

Cover's on