Photo courtesy Utah Youth Rugby •
Utah will name its state 7s champion on Oct. 29 and one thing is for certain: A new titleholder will be named. With Orem no longer in existence, United has emerged as front-runner in 2016 and currently leads the state 7s standings with one more series leg remaining. But the trophy is far from locked up, as the opposition continues to test each other.
Kau Toa has impressed this 7s season. Jeremiah Tiatia, the former coach of Orem, has whipped his squad into shape and sent five players to the recently named Utah Cannibals 7s pool (see list below). The team won the second of four Utah 7s tournaments this fall, defeating Herriman 36-15 in that late-September final. During the Pink 7s in early October, Kau Toa fell 22-14 to Summit Black in the semifinals. Of particular note is senior Sidney Cervinski, who has turned some heads – quickly – with her speed. She plays multiple sports but is currently focusing on rugby.
Herriman sits in second place with 55 points, one point ahead of Kau Toa in the standings. The Night-Mares have competed in two of the three finals this 7s series and is six points behind table-leading United. Idaho’s top side sits in fourth place with 45 points after advancing to two semifinals, making a nice addition to the Utah league.
That said, United is still setting the standard and flexed its talent during the 2nd annual Pink 7s earlier this month. The tournament drew 11 teams – four from Colorado’s Summit High School, two from Idaho, and five from Utah. The first match of the day previewed the final, as United tied Summit Black 17-17. United performed well without influential teammates Charity Tenney, Girls High School All-American (GHSAA) Kat Stowers and finisher Peyton Frazier. Summit’s Cassidy Bargell caught tournament-wide attention with her speed and game smarts, attributes that distinguished her on the GHSAA 7s team that competed in France.
United defeated the Idaho Grey Wolves 38-7 in the Pink 7s semifinals, while Summit Black eliminated Kau Toa 22-14. In the championship rematch, the teams traded first-half tries.
“The game was played behind the Summit 22, frustrating and testing both teams with Summit defending deep for a long period, but United unable to score much given the amount time spent in the opponent’s end,” United coach Matt Kanenwisher remembered the 22-7 victory. “The second half began much the same but ultimately Maili Schaap squeaked through a barely-gap to score on a long run. Two more tries came, one from a penalty in the final seconds. But, in total, the game was much tighter than the score suggests.”
Special guest and 7s Olympian Jillion Potter was in attendance all day, spending countless hours conversing with individual players and running a tournament-wide touch game during the mid-day break. She presented a sizable check from sponsor Zurixx to the Huntsman Cancer Institute, a Comprehensive Cancer Center that hits a personal note for the Olympian.
So while United is the favorite heading into the final state 7s tournament, there are worthy teams in the chase. And when the fall season ends, expect to see Utah’s players staying active. Below is the Cannibals’ top side, and it includes players from United, Kau Toa and Herriman, as well as those with GHSAA experience. The select side will take teams to the LVI, Victoria 7s and to-be-named competitions.
2017 CANNIBALS A TEAM
Maelyne Alofipo – Kau Toa
Gabrielle Bezzant – United
Sidney Cervinski – Kau Toa
Onita Fineanganofo – Herriman
Peyton Frazier – United
Addie Horsley – United, GHSAA
Kaloni Hotton – Herriman
Sarah Kwok – United
Cheyenne Nielson – United, GHSAA
Maili Schaap – United, GHSAA
Arteysha TiaTia – Kau Toa
Tina Tunuufi – HerrimanMonika Vailahi – Kau Toa
Olivia Vailahi – Kau Toa