Santa Fe Rugby Santos Win at Home
Los Santos 39, Brujos 27
March 26, 2022
March 2, 2021
Santa Fe’s Santos Rugby Club stormed to a 39-27 home victory over the Albuquerque
Brujos at the Municipal Rugby Complex Saturday, avenging a 25-15 road loss to the same
club two weekends before.
Santa Fe’s set of seven backs showed fluidity in running and passing, especially in the
first half.
Their eight forwards also demonstrated overall superiority over their rivals, particularly in the
set scrums, although a handful of opportunities to convert their advantage into points were
missed.
The hosts showed their best form of the season in the game’s opening 25 minutes,
scoring three five-point tries (touchdowns), each converted into seven points scores through
accurate conversion kicks by flyhalf Mark Woodward.
Six minutes in, silky fullback Isaiah Sanchez took a well-timed pass from center Jaime
Terrazas to score untouched. At 19 minutes Santos captain Ryan Weir scored another
converted try after his team worked the ball close to the try line. Five minutes later Santa Fe’s
giant prop Dylan Merrigan proved unstoppable in a near-identical situation, and once again
Woodward’s kick found the range.
Down 21-0, the Brujos finally broke through Santa Fe’s defense for a long passing
movement after 29 minutes, but a diving tackle by Isaiah Sanchez set up a successful tryline
stand by the Santos to deny a potential score. The Santos muffed a drop kick from their own
line, however, resulting in an unconverted Brujos try and a 21-5 score.
Just before halftime the Brujos kept possession of the ball through several rucks (post-
tackle contests) before exploiting a gap on Santa Fe’s right side to score another unconverted
try for a 21-10 halftime score.
The Duke City team closed to within 21-17 with a short-range, converted try just a
minute into the game’s second half. Los Santos answered seven minutes later when center
Ben Schlappi barreled over in the right corner to complete a penalty play close to the visitors’
line. Woodward kept his conversion kicking record spotless with a difficult completion from a
steep angle and Santa Fe eased out to 28-17. The Hong Kong native then increased Santa
Fe’s lead to 31-17 with a three-point penalty kick in the 27 th minute.
With 10 minutes to play Santo scrumhalf Mateo Cardiel, a Los Alamos youth rugby
product, increased his team’s lead to 36-17 with a 95-meter sprint from a penalty play just
five meters from Santa Fe’s line. Another Woodward penalty kick four minutes later seemed
to seal the Brujos’ fate as the Santos lead ballooned to 39-17.
Yet as in their loss to the Brujos two weeks earlier, Los Santos ran low on steam in the
game’s final minutes, allowing their opponents repeated breakthroughs and two more
converted tries for a final tally of Santa Fe 39, Brujos 27.
Los Santos will return a visit from El Paso’s Scorpion Rugby Club next Saturday, April
2. The Scorps beat Santa Fe 27-21 on March 19.
El Paso Scorpions Spoil Santos Home Opener
Scorps in 27-21 Iron Man Rugby Win
March 19, 2022
March 22, 2021
Santa Fe’s Santos Rugby Club fell 27-21 at home Saturday to a committed El Paso Scorpions side. The Scorps arrived with the minimum of 15 players but went about their business aggressively to consign Santa Fe to a 0-3 season record with three matches to go.
Both teams defended well in the opening minutes until Santa Fe’s outside center Jaime Terrazas fielded a chip kick in the try zone after 15 minutes. Unfortunately the play was called back for a Santa Fe infringement earlier in the play. The Santos kept the attacking pressure on and El Paso were penalized three minutes later, but standoff Mark Woodward’s kick sailed wide.
A few other Santo passes went to ground at inopportune moments to keep the teams level, until at 33 minutes El Paso finally broke their duck on a runaway intercept try of some 70 meters. The conversion was good from between the sticks, 7-0.
Shortly before halftime, with the home team again threatening, an errant ball was kicked through and collected by a Scorpion back. Fleet Santo fullback Isaiah Sanchez gamely made up the offender’s lead but the ball just got over the line in Izzy’s diving tackle. The conversion was missed and El Paso led 12-0 at the break.
The Santos finally got on the board six minutes after halftime courtesy of loose forward Justin Stall worth's jinking 30-meter run through the middle to finish a multi-phase attack. Flyhalf Mark Woodward’s conversion was good, 12-7.
Quadarius Miller topped off another Santos attack six minutes later with an outflanking run of a similar length. Woodward maximized this try also and Santa Fe held a 14-12 lead for about eight minutes, before El Paso capped a long spell of possession close to Santa Fe’s line with a close-range try. The conversion was good to put the Scorps back in the lead and four minutes later a penalty kick stretched the score to 22-14, El Paso. Compounding the issue, a lost lineout at 79 minutes led to one last, unconverted try from El Paso’s right wing and a commanding 27-14 lead.
As referee Mark Kelly glanced at his watch, Santa Fe’s last man on, Jonathan Lithgow, shed multiple tacklers to somehow spurt over the line. Lithgow’s heroics, along with Terrazas’s laser droppie for the extra two points, averted a Santa Fe whitewash by earning two Southwest RFU competition bonus points. Final score: El Paso 27, Santa Fe 21.
Had a few more passes gone to hand, Santa Fe would have won this match. Forever-upbeat Mateo Cardiel was named Santos Man of the Match for his performance at scrumhalf. Hooker Dan Allinder and lock forward Jeremy Lithgow also received plaudits for their steadfast play at the center of a rugged match. Hooker Ryan Means immediately bumped up Santa Fe’s passion and pace when he came on in the second half.
The Brujos of Albuquerque will be at Santa Fe’s Municipal Recreation Complex next Saturday, March 26 for the return match of Santa Fe’s 25-15 road loss two weeks ago. The Santos then visit El Paso April 2 before finishing Southwest RFU pool play against Aardvarks at home on April 9.
For Los Santos:
1. Dan Allinder
2. Adam Jobes
3. Dylan Merrigan
4. Angel Villa
5. Jason Lithgow
6. Jason Osborn
7. Ryan Weir, captain
8. Justin Stallworth
9. Mateo Cardiel
10. Mark Woodward
12. David Niven
13. Jaime Terrazas Lozano
11. Ben Schlappi
14. Levi Caizza
15. Isaiah Sanchez
Also: Jack Lastovka, David Jondreau, Skip McGee, Ryan Means, Mando Herrera, Jared Skillman Richard Morris (coach)
Santa Fe Ruggers Upended by Brujos
Santos Lose 25-15 in Albuquerque
March 12, 2022
March 12, 2021
Santa Fe’s Santos rugby team dropped their second consecutive loss of the new season Saturday, 25-15 to Albuquerque’s Brujos at Rio Rancho Sport Complex. The hosts pulled away with two unanswered five-point tries in the second half following three lead changes in the first 40 minutes.
Santa Fe got a try from captain Ryan Weir after 21 minutes and Highlands University
grad Levi Caizza added two long scoring sprints. All three two-point conversion kick attempts
failed and Santa Fe clung to a 15-11 halftime lead. The Santos attack sputtered in the second
half and the Brujos took advantage with two converted tries to claim the 25-15 win.
Woodward, a former member of Hong Kong’s Kowloon Rugby Club, was named Santa
Fe’s man of the match while Coach Richard Morris commended newcomer Caizza for his
finishing skills.
Santa Fe hosts the El Paso, TX Scorpions in their home opener at 1:00 pm March 19 at
the Municipal Recreation Complex.
Santa Fe Los Santos Annual Rugby Banquet
January 28, 2022
Saturday, February 05, 2022
Santa Fe Country Club @ 6pm
3950 Country Club Road, Santa Fe NM
$40/person
Santa Fe Rugby Santos Place Third in High Desert Classic
October 31, 2021
The Santa Fe Rugby Club regained their balance to capture third place in the 48th annual High Desert Classic tournament in Albuquerque Saturday. Los Santos looked sluggish in a 24-5 opening-round loss to the Steelers of Provo, Utah, but came from behind to beat El Paso Scorpions in their second match 24-19. Santa Fe then scored 17 unanswered second-half points to beat Albuquerque’s Brujos 27-10 in the consolation match. Hosts Albuquerque Aardvarks took out the Steelers 24-7 in the championship game.
A select team from Tempe won the women’s division with a convincing 38-5 victory over Albuquerque’s Atomic Sisters. Tempe utilized a strong running and kicking game in the win.
In the third-place match, Santa Fe went into halftime knotted 10-all with the Brujos before catching fire to win going away. Center Earl Smith and wing Frank Marchi touched down first-half tries and Santa Fe ratcheted up the defensive pressure to shut down the Brujos in the second half. Speedy wing Mateo Cardiel added two tries to Santa Fe’s ledger and Marchi closed out the scoring with a weaving 70-meter run.
Los Santos now awaits the Southwest Rugby Union’s 2021-2022 Covid-interrupted schedule. Training sessions continue at Santa Fe’s Municipal Recreation Complex.
SF RFC competes in Northern Arizona 10s tournament
October 26, 2021
Northern Arizona Tens 2021
The Santa Fe Rugby Club posted a one-win, two-loss record Saturday at the Northern Arizona Tens tournament in Flagstaff, Arizona. Los Santos dropped their opener to hosts Landsharks 33-19, jumped to an early lead over the Phoenix Rugby Club before coasting home 33-22, and lost to highly-regarded Red Mountain of Mesa, AZ 15-5 in the nightcap.
Tens rugby is a variation of the traditional 15-player game. Flagstaff’s 40th annual gathering featured both women’s and men’s teams.
Five-point try scorers for Los Santos included the dependable Isaiah Sanchez, first-year man Adam Jobes, Jake Covington, and team captain Ryan Weir. Jason Osborn was singled out by Weir for his determined tackling and support in attacking phases.
(Team captain Ryan) Weir praised his young team for developing rugby players. “They played as well as I could have hoped, especially in the last match against perennial contenders Red Mountain.” Los Santos is coached by former Western Rugby Union captain Richard Morris.
SF RFC vs El Paso match report
October 16, 2021
Santa Fe Rugby Club Dispatches El Paso at Home
The Santa Fe Rugby Club fed and refreshed their old rivals El Paso Saturday, but not before upsetting their guests’ plans with a 47-45 victory. The hard-hitting Scorpions have provided stiff competition for the capital city team since the El Paso team’s formation in the mid-1970s.
Five-point try (touch down) scorers for Los Santos included former New Mexico Tech standout Isaiah Sanchez, former Albuquerque Aardvark Mateo Cardiel, Jake Covington of Las Vegas, NM, Ryan Means, Rainer Ball, and team captain Ryan Weir. Center Jaime Terrazas’s after-try conversion kicking (two points) proved to be the deciding factor in the contest.
Santa Fe Coach Richard Morris, who represented his club in the 1980s on the Western U.S.A. Union select team, praised his team, a dynamic combination of developing rugby players and streetwise veterans. “It’s challenging to have such a blend but everyone got playing time. The synergy turned out well and the players were in the mood to play rugby.”
Los Santos travels to Albuquerque’s Bullhead Park on Oct 30 for the 50th Annual High Desert Classic Tournament. The team welcomes beginners as they prepare at the city’s Municipal Recreation Complex on Caja del Rio Road.
Santa Fe New Mexico & Yahoo News: Santa Fe Rugby downs El Paso in tight contest
SF RFC Annual 10s tournament report (Copy)
September 06, 2021
Santa Fe’s Los Santos Rugby Club dropped the championship match of the 38th annual Santa Fe Tens tournament Sunday to the Albuquerque Aardvarks, 21-17 at the Municipal Recreation Complex. The Santos beat the eventual winners 24-14 in the pool round, where they also beat Albuquerque’s Brujos 19-17 and drew 24-all with El Paso’s Scorpions.
Tucson’s Old Pueblo Lightning won the women’s division in similar fashion by avenging their pool loss to Atomic Sisters of Albuquerque in the final, 14-10.
Second row Jason Osborn opened the men’s championship by scoring his first-ever try for the Santos, and Cory Micander added the two-point conversion kick for an early 7-0 lead. But the Aardvarks answered with two converted tries to snatch a 14-7 lead. Speedster Justin Stallworth streaked home after a loose pass from the visitors but an unsuccessful conversion left Santa Fe trailing 14-12 at the half.
Albuquerque scored the next try to take a commanding 21-12 lead with 10 minutes remaining. Micander then uncorked a signature play of deception to produce a 75-meter try for Jake Covington, but it was too little, too late to prevent Albuquerque’s 21-17 victory.
Old Pueblo Lightning Tucson
Loss to AS 17-12
Atomic Sisters 3-0
POOL ROUND (3):
Brujos Win 19-17
24-24 Draw EP Scorps
ARC Win 24-14
SF 11 pts v ARC 10
Championship: SF RFC vs Aardvarks 17-21
SF RFC vs Aardvarks match report
June 19, 2021
Saturday, June 19th the Santos hosted the Aardvarks. Aardvarks came loud and proud and jumped out to a 15-0 lead in the first 30 minutes. Santa Fe answered with a try to keep the score close. The halftime whistle blew with Aardvarks up 15-5. But not before the home team received a yellow card for one too many high tackles.
The second half was a chippy 40 minutes. The aardvarks scored a try early in the half with Santos still down a man. Things got out of hand in the last 20 minutes and your final score was settled with the aardvarks posting a 45 to the home team’s 12. On the positive side, Santa Fe was able to give a couple of guys their first live rugby playing experience. Thanks to the fans who came out to support.