Humboldt men’s rugby defends home pitch in a one-point nail-biter
A Cal Poly Humboldt player shouts in celebration after the team scored against San José State on Oct. 11 at College Creek Field. Photo by Riley McDaniel.
Sixty seconds were left on the clock with a one-point difference, hearts pounded, turf flew, sweat dripped, as the team left every ounce of effort on the pitch.
The Cal Poly Humboldt men’s rugby team secured a nail-biting victory over San José State on Saturday, Oct. 12, defending their home territory and ending the match 15 to 14.
Senior, Logan Zampa, the men’s team captain, has nearly a decade of rugby experience. A week before the match with San José State, the team dominated Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday, Oct. 4.
“After week one, I told the boys that we just needed to keep going up from here, and I think we've done that the last two weeks,” Zampa said. “So we're just progressing from here. And today really showed the heart the boys have on the pitch.”
The men’s rugby team won the 2022 Small College National Championship, bringing home the trophy. They have advanced to the Nationals in December, for the past three years, which takes place in Houston.
Greg Pargee, the head coach, brings 35 years of rugby experience to Cal Poly Humboldt. Pargee coached for the past 14 years and played rugby since attending UC Santa Barbara in 1990.
“I would love to have another shot at the final four,” Pargee said. “… if we can get our fitness dialed in, we have the skill sets, and some of these young players are really stepping up.”
Bridger Paradis, the team president, working towards a master’s in natural resources, joined men’s rugby as a walk-on sophomore in 2022 and was a part of the team that won the national title.
“I just decided to walk on and ended up playing for a team that I love a lot, so much that I came back for grad school,” Paradis said. “I tore my ACL last spring in National Sevens… I knew I was hurt and gave it my all… We'll be back next year.”
Hailey Escobedo, Cal Poly Humboldt women’s rugby team president and forwards captain, thought the men’s team had a bit of tunnel vision.
“They're just getting a little scrappy, especially once they get close to that try line,” Escobedo said. “They're just trying to do everything they can to not let the other team score.”
San José State was around 10 feet from the try zone when the clock hit zero. Cal Poly Humboldt kicked the ball out, thinking the game was over, but the clock reset to one minute because the game went into injury time.
Skye Stephens, who is also on the women’s rugby team, was in attendance. Not only was Stephens confused, but also very nervous considering the one-point difference.
“I know our defense is pretty good, but [San José State] had some fast people that knew how to get through the spaces, and I was afraid that that was gonna happen,” Stephens said.
The Cal Poly Humboldt men’s rugby season is not over. Their season continues, with more games to come if they advance to Nationals. Follow their journey toward Nationals on Instagram @humboldt.rugby or visit HumboldtRugby.com for more information.