2023 SWRFU runners-up and 2024 champs!
April 21, 2024 - DW
Triple? Wins Saturday, Sunday, and All Season long!
Los Santos of the Santa Fe Rugby Club won the Southwest Rugby Football Union title Sunday with a gutsy 38-36 home victory over the Scottsdale, Arizona Blues. Playing into a stiff wind at the Municipal Recreation Complex, Scottsdale’s athletic side struck for two early tries and led 12-0 just ten minutes into the 80-minute contest. Santa Fe worked their way back into the game with tries touched down by Isaiah Sanchez, Elijah Naranjo, and South African-born Leon Wilson, all converted by kicks from Cory Micander, to take a 21-17 halftime lead.
The Blues came alive in the second period with three impressive second-half tries to lead 36-33. With referee Wes Livesy’s watch approaching zero Santa Fe’s Namibian-born center Milaan Van Wyk ran the ball on a penalty play, looked to pass to K.C. Martin, and shot the resultant gap in the defense line to score a five-point try in the left corner. Cory Micander’s conversion kick sailed right in the gale but the final whistle sounded immediately afterward to put Santa Fe’s championship title into the books.
Combined with Saturday’s 38-17 win over defending Southwest Union champs Tucson Magpies, Santa Fe finished their fall-spring Union campaign with an unblemished 8-0 record. Their next stop toward a possible national championship is the semifinal Pacific Regional tournament in Las Vegas, NEVADA May 3-4.
Milaan Van Wyk accounted for two of Santa Fe’s tries, with fullback Isaiah Sanchez, halfback Elijah Naranjo, and center Leon Wilson chipping in one each. Crucially, the Santos were awarded a 7-point penalty try in the second half for interfering with a Santa Fe penalty play. Veteran flyhalf Cory Micander turned in an MVP performance including three out of five try conversion kicks.
