By Bernie Decker

Denver East High RC blanked Cherry Creek RC 24–0 under the lights at East High Turf Field Wednesday night.

Last year’s Colorado high school state finalists scored four tries and were able to prevent Creek scoring; though the visitors crossed goal at the end of the first half they failed to touch down.

Cherry Creek, back from the high school 7s division in Las Vegas where they split with the tournament hosts, played their initial 15s fixture of the season and worked their way slowly back into the 15s game, while East stormed out of the blocks and never took their collective foot off the gas pedal. Stalwart defense in-close by Creek kept the match reasonably close.

East got theirs quickly, pressuring early short side and then to their strength out wide, and were rewarded when eighth man Adam Page punched through to touch down: 5-0 to East at 3 minutes. The home side then stayed inside Creek’s half searching for cracks in a very stingy defensive line. Flanker Grant Gladson burst from a loose piece at Creek’s ten meter line, crashing through into space, where he was brought to ground by a try-saver. However, the ensuing ruck provided clean ball and flyhalf Danny Brugioni sought and found a seam in Creek’s D, and he slipped through for the score: conversion by Brugioni resulted in a 12-0 margin at 21 minutes.

Creek countered with flashy runs by center Eric Pettis and fullback Ryan McMannis, but the movements were stymied by knock-ons inside East’s half. With Creek on the front foot and looking to do some damage, a pass swung wide went missing all but East’s cunning loosehead Duncan Frost, who filched ball and tore upfield in a lengthy ramble before popping the ball up to streaking outside center Nate Bartell. Bartell fended off a tackler and crossed into goal for the score; conversion by Brugioni and it was 19–0 at 26 minutes.

Creek were able to put together a good sequence of phases that brought them five meters from East’s goaline as time slipped away. A formidable forward rush into goal ensued, but Creek were unable to ground the ball as the halftime whistle sounded.
Solid crashes and bashes by Creek’s big men up front kept ball in hand and in East’s half as the visitors built momentum after the break, camping within ten meters of goal for an extended period. But East’s defense was up to the task, and timely boots by fullback Keegan Cross enabled them to clear their lines.

East finished the evening’s scoring when replacement prop Mike Mangan snatched a 5 meter lineout throw and dove into goal for the match’s final points at 50 minutes and a scoreline of 24–0.

East 24
Tries: Page, Brugioni, Bartell, Mangan
Convs: Brugioni 2

Cherry Creek 0


Referee: T. Luscombe