LJ rugby: 'That's how we roll'

Wyn Smoole, who plays the '15',

at Dec. 17's doubleheader

scrimmage. (Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

I finally asked Wyn Smoole about his and his brother Leed's long hair.

"Is it a cultural thing, or something else?" I asked the Viking defensive end/rugby fullback Mon., Jan. 23.

"That's us. It's how we roll," the player with the most-often-misspelled name responded. (I've seen "Wynn" frequently for his first name.)

The La Jolla ruggers were just starting practice on the school softball field, and I was just trying to get my last questions in before I needed to skedoodle off the field and get out of the way before the coaches crowned me.

The subject was Smoole's effective running out of what I'm calling the team formation of the 15 Viking players on the field.

I think the LJHS senior wasn't bragging when he said, "I'm athletic enough to fit my running into" the demands of the team movement downfield.

I've talked to Polynesian players who sport the long locks tried to cultural and family pride. That's what I was referring to in my hair question.

Leed Smoole, who plays the '14', in action

against Carlsbad Dec. 17.