Hannah Greene | Sports Editor
Teeth were sharpened, growls were exchanged and the Wolves were ready to start their semi-final match against the Bearcats.
The Men’s Rugby team came into the game with a 4-0 winning streak after already beating Willamette University in the past.
At noon, Saturday, Nov. 2, the Wolves came locked and loaded, a score made by senior Riley Bardes within the first three minutes of the game .
Not even 10 minutes after, Keegan Echevarria, a first-year, scored the second try of the game. The Wolves were heating up and scored their third try after Levi Jenks, a returning senior, crossed the endzone. The two points were then completed by sophomore Braedon Eltagonde. The Wolves were ahead 17-0 in only 20 minutes — and they weren’t done yet. Trever Kahunahana, a returning senior, scored another try, and moments later, Bernard Barber, another returning senior, scored too, making the score 27-0.
Three minutes later, Willamette retaliated with their first completed try, making the score 27-5. This didn’t even phase the Wolves; they knew they’d score again, and Wylie Cossitt, a returning sophomore, took it upon himself to get the momentum back, scoring a try and adding five more points. Following this jump, Robert Cummings “RC,” a transfer, scored the seventh try of the game — followed by Eltagonde’s two-point kick, leaving the fans and the Bearcats with a halftime score of 39-5.
The second half allowed the teams to build momentum. RC snagged the first try of the half and his second try of the game, giving the Wolves an extra little oomph. But the Bearcats weren’t ready to give up just yet; scoring their overall second try of the game gave themselves double digits but not enough to keep up with the Wolves.
Seconds after, Barber returned the Bearcats try with one of his own, and his second of the game, driving Western forward.
The match continued to move forward in favor of the Wolves with continuous scoring. More point-grabbers of the game include: Anu Kanoho, a returner and last week’s Man of the Match, Jenks with his second try of the game and Andrew-James Reyes, a returning junior.
The Wolves ended the game with a score of 70-10.
Hats off to Willamette for keeping their heads in the game, playing with a total of 15 men. The Bearcats never gave up, even after the Wolves continued to score and add to the board.
Man of the Match was awarded to Hakam Nagra, a returning sophomore, for his defensive skills and stability, as well as being a player the Wolves could depend on for being wherever he was needed.
Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu
Photos by Emily Prall
