The South Valley club rugby team split a pair of games last week, beating Peninsula Green 19-17 on Feb. 18 and losing 67-5 to Oakland in Bay South league play Friday.
South Valley outlasted Peninsula Green in a back-and-forth nonleague match, as the Bucks pulled away in the second half and held on for their fourth win of the season.
South Valley (4-4, 0-2) opened the scoring with a try by 8-man Devon Jones of Live Oak High School at the three-minute mark. Cumorah Saulala (LOHS) tacked on a conversion to make it 7-0. Peninsula Green cut the deficit to two minutes later, intercepting a pass for an easy try that was not converted. The teams exchanged scores over the next 20 minutes, with the Bucks’ Mitch Marcum (LOHS) touching down at the 15-minute mark. A conversion by Saulala put South Valley ahead 14-10 at the break.
The teams penetrated each other’s territory early in the second half, but it wasn’t until the 56-minute mark that Bucks center Javy Rubalcava (LOHS) crashed through a would-be tackle for the next score, his first try of the season. The conversion was missed, but South Valley had a commanding lead, 19-10, with 14 minutes to play. The Bucks defense was tested several times but held firm the rest of the way.
The victory was well earned, as South Valley’s forward pack dominated play in line-outs and scrums.
The defending NorCal Silver Division-champion Oakland Warthogs showed why they are again favored to win the Bay South title and another NorCal crown in dominating the Bucks.
The Warthogs scored early and often from the opening kick. South Valley was constantly on the defensive in its own half and managed little possession. The Bucks’ lone score came at the 25-minute mark, as senior prop Ruben Magana (LOHS) broke through on a hard run from five yards out.
South Valley resumes league play at 8 p.m. Friday against San Francisco Golden Gate in the Outdoor Sports Center.
