RUGBYMag.com top-ranked HS club Cathedral played like it this weekend, crushing Union County 41-3 and then a highly-regarded Colorado Springs team 36-6.

The Indiana-based Midwestern champs got on the scoreboard early when flyhalf Greg Wood continued his fine season with a try in the third minute. Cathedrals other leading back, center Bryce Campbell, converted for a 7-0 lead. Union got a penalty to make it 7-3, but that was it.

By the time the first half had ended, No. 8 Joe Schroeder, scrumhalf Joe Sullivan, and Wood also had scored to give Cathedral a 26-3 lead.

Drake Meyers, and Wood again scored tries in the second half.

The first round was played in wet conditions, which hurt the open play and scoring of several teams. But Cathedral had little trouble.

“We were able to use our entire squad of 23 in each game and that was great,” said Cathedral coach Scott Peterson. “The games aren’t long so that’s not the issue – but we do have some guys carrying injuries and it’s good to rest them.”

Also winning in the first round, Colorado Springs edged Utah team TRYBE 10-8 in a real tussle. Springs took the lead halfway through the first half when prop Stephen Fobes scored a try and Nathan Fletcher converted.

in the second half, TRYBE’s Matt Turner kicked a penalty and Mapaohaano Epenisa scored a try to put the Utah club up 8-7 with time winding down.

But right at the end of the game, Cathedral got into the TRYBE end, and when a penalty was called against TRYBE, wing Jake Johnson calmly slotted it to take the win.

Local team United also won a tight one, 10-5 over Marin. The Northern California-based Marin Highlanders scored right at the end of the game, but didn’t have enough time to get another.

And finally the Kansas City Jr. Blues scored 13 points in the first half thanks to tries from Brian Derks and Caleb Concannon, and a Derks penalty. They then held on 13-5 over Red Mountain.

In what was clearly a very competitive High School Club bracket, the four teams moved on to the semis. There, in another close one, United edged the Blues 19-13. The Blues led for almost the entire game. Concannon scored two tries and, with a Henry Legg penalty, led 13-5 going into the final minutes. United finished stronger, though. Center Zachary Webber came up big, scoring a try in the 38^th minute of the shortened game to make it 13-12, and then with time virtually up, he scored again to garner the victory.

The second semi, though, was not close.

“You have to acknowledge that Colorado Springs played a tough game against TRYBE early in the day and it probably took a lot out of them,” said Cathedral’s Peterson. “And at the same time, we probably played one of the best game we’ve played all season. I don’t think it was one thing in particular. We just played a great team game; the guys just flat showed up.”

Drake Meyers scored 16 points for Cathedral as they ran away with the game in the second half.

Looking ahead to the final, Peterson said playing United will be tough.

“I know we were the #1 seed but we consider ourselves underdogs,” said Peterson. “United has been there and we haven’t. We hear a lot about Highland and United and now TRYBE. We’ve just had a couple of goods years lately. It was kind of fun to watch them play and the style they play. We want to play that style, too. It will be a fun game, but a tough one with United basically playing at home.”