2/8/2010

Westlake Handles Former State Champs in Houston

            For almost as long as most Westlake rugby fans could remember, Houston’s St. Thomas has owned the State’s schoolboy rugby crown.  Last year, St. Thomas came to Chaparral Stadium and beat Westlake on its way to the State finals and the National Championship Tournament.  Last Friday night, Westlake got a chance to return the favor. 

            With the wind at its back during the first period, St. Thomas was true to form and jumped out to a 8-3 lead on the strength of aggressive scrum play.  But Westlake’s backs, led by Sean Potter, James Robison, and Alex Lokken played inspired defense and kept St. Thomas from scoring on what seemed like countless threats.  Potter and the rest of the back line put on a tackling display and St. Thomas’s only try came after a Westlake penalty deep in its own territory.  Westlake’s only score during the period came when Evan Von Zur Muehlen booted an impressive penalty kick against the wind.

But it was all Wesstlake in the second period as the Chaps scored twenty points while shutting out the home squad.  Once again, the Westlake backs, led this period by scrum half Reid McMenamin, were dazzling.  Fly half, Markham Sayers, took good advantage of the wind with a series of kicks that kept St. Thomas pinned back against its own try line.  All American eight man, Evan Von Zur Muehlen, continued his scoring jag by notching a try, a penalty kick, and two conversion kicks during the period.  Ellis Glaw and Connor McNally also scored tries as the Westbank ruggers handed St. Thomas its first defeat at the hands of a Texas team in recent memory by a score of 23-8.

            The two teams’ second sides squared off on Saturday morning and Westlake blanked St. Thomas 54-5.  Reid McMenamin, playing at fly half for the first time, had an inspired game.  And Westlake’s scrum, behind the play of Zane Kuhlman and Chris Canter, was dominant,  Of special note was Alex Putnam (normally a scrummy and who would not typically kick conversions).  After coach Al Neice told him that if he scored a try, he could attempt the conversion kick, Putnam proceeded to do both to the delight of Westlake fans.

-Charles Vermont