By Ed Piper
The story at the Viking scrimmage at Coronado Fri., Jan. 6, was the influx of new numbers.
"We have 22 players from La Jolla," said co-head coach Ethan Willis, as he waited with his charges off the recreation field (across the street from the high school) and ran different rotations through line-outs, offensive schemes of players shoulder-to-shoulder, and a review of the "Three Keys" for the game before the delayed 6:36 p.m. start.
"It's my first time," said Adam Beckert, 15, a sophomore at La Jolla High, when asked if he was a back or a forward. "I don't know."
Beckert looked like a mini-version of the biblical 9'9" Samson, with long locks and a burly chest. Beckert and others of the new players will be the hopefuls Willis and Ian Denham have to slowly cultivate in the rules and ways of rugby.
LJHS coaches, including Bill "Chief" Leversee, had a good idea when they arranged for a member of the professional rugby team in San Diego, the Legion, to come to school and talk up the sport to various classes on campus. The influx of prospects was due to that.
The Vikings also have 14 players from Point Loma High, according to Willis. including forward Chase Murphy, 16, a sophomore. Murphy weighs in at 310, he estimated, and stands 6'4", a mountain of a man.
There is one sophomore from Helix High, LaDainian "L.T." Roby-Cano, who is well-known among team members and parents. He had a couple of runs with the ball during the first 20-minute segment, with two more to follow: the first varsity, the second mixed varsity-JV, and the third all JV.
Roby-Cano said his brother is named Robinson, an apparent reference to major league baseball player Robinson Cano (pronounced in Spanish KAH-no; Roby pronounces it KAY-no). L.T. is named after the Charger back who scored 31 touchdowns in one season.
La Jolla looked fit but maybe more inexperienced, with the hub-bub of all the new players, but gave up two five-point scores to Coronado in the opening period. They were shut out.
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