Two undefeated teams meet Wednesday night on Witter Rugby Field when the Golden Bears (7-0/1-0) send the frosh-soph team out against Cal Maritime (7-0/7-0) at 7 p.m.
The Keelhaulers are coached by Steve Hiatt, a former U.S. National Team player in both 15s and 7s who earned his economics and MBA degrees from Cal and was named a rugby All-American his senior year as an undergraduate playing under head coach Jack Clark. His team's impressive run so far in 2012-13 has included victories over UC Davis and Sacramento State. Cal Maritime also advanced to the National Small College Rugby Organization Championship last spring.
The Cal lineup for Wednesday night begins in the forwards with an all-sophomore front row of Scott Walsh from Concord's De La Salle High School, Harry Libarle from San Francisco's Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep and Chris Fry from Jesuit High School in Carmichael. In the second row, freshman James Kondraft of New York City's Xavier High School pairs with sophomore Nick Grass, another graduate of Sacred Heart Cathedral. The back row for the Bears will feature sophomores Nick Salaber of Dixon High School at one flank and Michael Bush of Jesuit at No. 8 with the match-day captain and only upperclassman in the lineup, junior flanker Kenny Bruzzone from Acalanes High School.
The halfbacks are slated to be sophomore Nicklas Boyer from Jesuit and freshman Russell Webb of the Tonbridge School (U.K.). Centers are freshman Patrick Barrientes (Davis High School) and Cameron Todd (Jesuit HS). The wings are freshmen Charles Giraud of Xavier and Miles Honens of Miramonte High School. Freshman Anthony Salaber (Dixon HS) will play fullback.
This will be the first meeting between the Bears and Cal Maritime since Feb. 9, 2011, when 11 players scored 13 tries in a Cal shutout victory.
Following Wednesday night's match, the Bears will continue their seven-match homestand Saturday, Feb. 9, on Witter Rugby Field against Cal Poly at 2 p.m., followed one week later on Feb. 16 with the opening match of the "World Cup" series against the University of British Columbia at 1 p.m.
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