San Francisco State University’s rugby club lost 35-20 against the University of Nevada, Reno at Matthew J. Boxer Stadium in San Francisco on Nov. 9.
This was the first home game of the preseason for the Gators according to their posted preseason schedule on Instagram.
“I think this week, we really came together as a team,” athlete Caleb Kingsbury said. “We really wanted to put up some points on the board and we really did it against these guys. Once we run the way we know how to play, it really works.”
Veteran athlete Graham Russell said the team was positive they were better prepared for this fall’s match against the Wolf Pack.
“We’re a lot tougher than we were in the spring,” Russell said. “We’re very confident and have everything to deliver a better game this time than we did in the spring.”
First-season assistant coach Duncan Small, an SFSU BECA alumni, said the Gators planned to give the rookies some game experience to help them grow in the sport.
“We just want to grow our club so that means we give our players as many repetitions as they can to get better and excel at this game,” Small said. “The more chances we give them to grow their game and excel, the better.”
From the first drop kick, the Gators played aggressively against their opponents and they saw tight scoring windows to start the first half of the game.
The Wolf Pack scored the first three tries of the game and converted on their two-point kicks to build a 21-0 lead early on.
The Wolf Pack’s early scoring didn’t faze the Gators, who turned around the momentum from their opponents’ favor.
Rylee Formway added the first points to the scoreboard for the Gators with a try in the tryzone. The Gators missed the following two-point conversion kick, which made the score 21-5.
Kingsbury scored the second try for the Gators against the Wolf Pack. The Gators missed the conversion kick again and the score was 21-10 in favor of the Wolf Pack.
After the second try, Parryon Marshall was animated and brought energy to his teammates. Chants of “Talk your shit, P” were heard from the sidelines of the Gators’ bench.
At halftime, the Gators gathered to discuss their first-half performance and some players had words of encouragement ahead of the second half.
Marshall told his teammates to maintain their focus on themselves and their effort regardless of the score and situation.
“Let’s worry about ourselves and building our all,” Marshall said. “If you’re in there for five minutes, put 100% inside those five minutes because it will make a difference.”
Kingsbury cruised through the Wolf Pack’s backs to score the third try for the Gators to make the score 21-15. A 15-0 run by the Gators after a 21-0 start by the visitors.
“Those two tries were really monumental in getting our stuff going and everybody going for the second half,” Kingsbury said. “Once we had those, once we got closer with them, we were really able to build up momentum.”
Marshall said the momentum swing displayed the confidence and resilience the team had throughout the match.
“As long as we keep our heads up, it doesn’t matter how many points they put up,” Marshall said. “It’s about what we could do for each other, help each other build up and build our spirits up so we can never lose.”
The Wolf Pack responded to the Gators’ three consecutive tries and regained their 13-point lead with a try.
Nevada inside center Kona Montalbo then scored to stretch the Wolf Pack lead to 20 points and the score became 35-15.
The Gators wouldn’t allow their opponents to score any more points. They responded to the Wolf Pack’s consecutive scores with a try by Nathan La Rouche. The Gators shrunk the Wolf Pack’s lead to 35-20.
Despite the Gators’ best efforts in the final minutes of the match, the team couldn’t close the gap any further. The final whistle blew, securing the 35-20 victory for the Wolf Pack.
Otto Wacker, who had his first week as coach of the rugby club, said the team stunned him with their performance.
“Everybody did outstandingly well in ball presentation, ball possession and the basic skills we need to build on for winning a championship,” Wacker said.
Wacker said Saturday’s match was a good start for the team moving forward and credited them for their ability to persevere through every situation.
“You can’t coach resilience and this team has it,” Wacker said. “This game was a good test for the season to come.”
The Gators’ next preseason match will be on the road to visit Marin Rugby Club at Martin Luther King Jr Park in Sausalito on Nov. 16.
Editor’s note: This story was updated for accuracy. A prior version of this story said the next preseason match at Marin Rugby Club would be in Corte Madera Town Park.
