Preston Thue
Staff Writer
The mayor, the cheerleaders, and many others watched as Mira Costa rugby dominated its first league game.
The Mustangs won at 46-19 against Dana Hills on Friday, Dec. 11. After having won two friendly games last week and dominating this week’s game, Costa is off to a stellar start.
“I think it was a really good start to the season for a lot of guys that haven’t played before, and we just executed well as a team,” junior Gunnar Kissman said.
According to Kissman, it took the guys some time at the beginning of the game to get warmed up. Once they found their groove, they were able to start scoring consecutively. The Mustangs began their lead early, maintaining it all the way through to the end.
“The first half was tough, but all of our players were able to grind through the half,” senior Makai Elep said.
With little time left in the first half, the Mustangs were down 5-7, but they were able to score before halftime. By the end of the first half, the game was very low scoring, staying under 15 points for each side.
The second half was when it all started coming together for Costa. According to Kissman, the new and old players were able to work well together, making for a team effort that was essential for their big win.
“In the second half, we really started getting into a rhythm,” Kissman said. “We got a lot of our kicks back, giving us easy field position. It was really just a great team effort.”
The Mustangs organized their play and were able to move the ball a lot more in the second half. Senior Justus and sopohmore Jonah Tavai gained a lot of meters, and after achieving a significant lead, the coach put the second string players in for the remainder of the game.
“This game gave the coaches the information they need to help us improve,” Junior Jake Kirat said. This team is inexperienced but extremely athletic, so there is room to improve. I believe that the second half showed us that we can go all the way this year.”
After their win, the team is now 1-0. The next game, the South Bay Scrum Down, will be at Mira Costa at seven p.m. on the 18th. The Mustangs will be playing Palos Verdes.
“I was very proud of our squad,” head rugby coach Duke Dulgarian said. “They played a disciplined and physical match. Our captains Justus Tavai and Justin Johnson were able to control the game. Although we do lack the size that we have had in the past, this year’s side is far more athletic.”
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