2009 Champions

Highland Power

Tuesday May 19, 2009 in Grassroots Rugby High School

May 19, 2009 – A year ago Highland may have had their most talented team, and they used that talent to win a national U19 championship.

 

This year, the team was perhaps more blue-collar, but were tighter, more focused than any before. They won a championship as well, outscoring their three tournament opponents 107-18. The championship ended with a 34-0 shut out of United in a game that ended in a monsoon, with rain so hard it knocked the ball off the kicking tee for the final conversion (eventually drop-kicked over and missed by the official scorers).

Below, another Highland/football crossover star, Kody Thompson.

And after that, a moment of healing. United and Highland, both Utah teams, have had their share of bitter feelings between them, but ended the game performing their traditional Hakas for each other. It was done as a sign of respect, something Highland has to keep fighting for.

“Hats off the United, the game was much tougher than the score would indicate,” said Highland coach Larry Gelwix. “They never backed down, even when it was obvious how the game was going to end. We had to make a number of big goal line stands.”

If Jesuit won through careful application of the kicking gamer, Highland won in the opposite way.

“We like to run the ball,” said Gelwix. And they also like to score early, because if a team is intimidated or unsure of their chances, scoring so quickly realizes their worst fears, and momentum shifts to Highland.

 Aylmer Kenney

But more than that, Highland takes a very analytical approach to their rugby.

“We scout every team we play,” said Gelwix. “Just like in high school or college football, we get film of teams we are going to play and we watch their games, breaking down how they play. When we got to nationals we had a detailed scouting report on Highlanders – who their best players were, how they approach the game. Even though we’d played United twice before, we filmed their games at nationals.”

 Dylan Lorimer

It’s just how Highland goes about things. The large coaching staff works hard to prepare the team, and the players work hard, too.

“I think we were the fittest team at the tournament,” Gelwix said, directly. “The boys worked really hard on their fitness and it showed. We wanted to end the game running our opponents around the field, and we do.”

Scrumming in the downpour.

Highland gets singled out because kids from overseas (New Zealand, Tonga) play for them. This year, Highland’s 1^st XV included two overseas players, one who moved to Salt Lake City 17 months ago, and another who moved there in February. Both will remain in Utah after high school. Highland wasn’t the only team to sport overseas players on their team, they’re just the one most think of.

But they won Saturday’s championship not based on that, but based on an approach to rugby that few emulate.


- Alex Goff © www.erugbynews.com