Valley Panthers kick off spring season

Photo courtesy of Christine Bader##McMinnville High School-based Valley Panthers mixed in with their sometimes-rival Portland Grackles and Summit Storm to compete in a preseason mixed friendly round robin against Washington State's Liberty and the Beaverton Barbarians on Feb. 28 at Delta Park in Portland.

Gearing up for spring rugby, Yamhill County’s Valley Panthers traveled to Portland’s Delta Park on Feb. 28, to participate in a pre-season friendly round robin.

Panthers Ev Hane, Nayeli Acuna Cruz, Abi Mendoza, and Ariana Espino Ledesma played with members of the Summit Storm and Portland Grackles. They competed against Washington State champions Liberty and the newly resurrected Beaverton Barbarians.

“It’s one of the unique features of rugby that we often come together as a community for mixed friendlies,” Panthers Head Coach Christine Bader said.

After all, Bader pointed out, many rivals play together on the state and regional all-star teams, and several Rugby Oregon alumni are playing together for Western Oregon University (some through a new program in which Chemeketa students can participate in WOU club sports with a nominal fee).

In last fall’s rugby sevens season, the Panthers finished third in the state. Sevens is the version of rugby played in the Olympics, with seven players on the field for each team and seven-minute halves. Every league team plays in one location for a tournament each Saturday. The spring season is traditional rugby union, which sees fifteen players on the field for each team with one opponent per weekend in a home-and-away format.

Due to the higher numbers needed for spring, the Panthers will combine with the Salem Snapping Turtles for games as they have the past few years.

The Valley Panthers continued to stretch their legs on Saturday, March 8, in Oregon’s pre-season jamboree at Canby High School.

While scores weren’t kept for the jamboree, the Panthers fell to Clark County, scoring just one try to five. They then shut out Beaverton with a few tries by senior Panther Saira Vipperman and one by junior captain Ev Hane.

The Panthers now enter league play every Saturday (except March 21 and 28 for spring break) through state finals week on May 16.

This Saturday, March 14, the Panthers will play against Beaverton at WOU, which is hosting a National Collegiate Rugby regional qualifying tournament for rugby sevens nationals. The Panthers’ two halves will be played in consecutive breaks between the collegiate 7s games, so Panthers will get to cheer on their numerous alumni now playing for WOU, and WOU will get to cheer on their feeder team.