Santa Fe Rugby Club 2-0 with 81-36 Win over El Paso
September 30, 2023 -DW
Second Wide Margin in Two Fall Outings
Los Santos of the Santa Fe Rugby Club downed El Paso’s Scorpions 81 points to 36 Saturday in Socorro. While technically a home match for Santa Fe, the two teams agreed in advance to meet on the home pitch of the New Mexico Tech Miners. In a nightcap match, New Mexico Tech pounded Regis University of Denver 80-5.
Milaan Van Wyk, a graduate engineering student from Namibia, touched down the first of Santa Fe’s 13 five-point tries in the first minute and Santa Fe amassed a 52 to 5 lead in the 40-minute first half to put the game out of reach. El Paso managed just one try in the first half but dug deep to add five more and actually outscore Santa Fe 31-29 in the second half.
Topping a long list of Santa Fe try-scorers was outside center Guadalupe Moron, who celebrated his first rugby match since injuring a hamstring muscle early in April by scoring three tries and kicking two conversions. Moron would have tallied four had he not generously passed the ball for teammate Justin Stallworth to touch down as they ran across the try line.
Van Wyk also bagged three touchdowns, wing Tanner Graham and scrumhalf Elijah Naranjo scored two, and chipping in one try apiece were Stallworth, Los Alamos native Mateo Cardiel, and Tommy Diaz. Flyhalf Cory Micander kicked five two-point conversions, Moron two, and Rainer Ball one.
Last week the New Mexico Brujos of Albuquerque went down hard to the Santos 69-24 at Santa Fe’s Municipal Recreation Complex. The Santos will next see action October 21 in the 51st annual High Desert Classic tournament. El Paso managed just one try in the first half but dug deep to score five more and outpoint Santa Fe’s 29 second-half points with 31 of their own.
Forwards:
Jeremy Lithgow
Ryan Weir (capt.)
Dylan Merrigan
Jason Lithgow
Julian Brittain
Backs:
Elijah Naranjo
Cory Micander
Milaan Van Wyk
Guadalupe Moron
Tanner Graham
Mateo Cardiel
Isaiah Sanchez
Rainer Ball
NOTE: Observers recorded a range of final scores as the referee checked out by relying on the on-field scoreboard (which is a thing). Apologies to anyone who is offended by the reporter's tallies.
