It’s natural to be upset. I would be upset too.

If I coached a really good high school team and it hadn’t been invited to the new National Invitational, I’d be more than upset.

But, it’s important to have a little context.

The panels who are part of the HS Nationals Committee (HSNC) that invited teams had no choice in how to work. Almost everyone on the panels would like a HS NIT (in all divisions) with two tiers. That way, 16 teams could be invited, and then a week or two before the event, these teams could be seeded in the top tier or Tier 2.

(Full disclosure, I was on this committee, and served on the panel to invite the boys HS club teams, but, like everyone else, offered my opinions to other groups, as well.)

That didn’t happen this year because the respective NIT tournaments had already been planned, and were being in conjunction with the college finals for women (May 12-13) and men (May 18-19).

Just about everyone on the panel said in the future they think the NIT could stand alone.

So, whose fault is that? In my opinion, no one’s. USA Rugby wanted to create a special event by combining the High School and College Championships. That this combination is not compatible with the new invitational format couldn’t really be foreseen.

And the HS Nations Committee? Well they were just asked to invite the teams. They didn’t get a say in the size of the tournament.

Where the Committee went wrong, then, was that they didn’t invite all the right teams.

Namely, they didn’t invite Mother Lode in the girls division, Herriman and Greenwich in the boys single-school division, and Lamorinda and possibly Kona in the boys HS club division.

There are some mitigating factors in these decisions. First of all, the invitations had to be sent out in January, therefore not taking into account this season’s results.

Second, the change in rules in HS rugby, which now prevent players not in high school from playing on a U19 team (now renamed HS club), meant the balance of power among clubs changed significantly.

Third, the breakup of the Highland rugby program in Utah had a far-reaching effect on the balance of power in that state.

Let’s discuss the jilted teams individually:
Mother Lode. A very strong team in 2011, Mother Lode’s girl’s program was outstanding this year. Based on the results on the field, they were clearly the best team in Northern California. They were missed because the Sacramento Amazons have had a longer history of success, having won in 2010 and 2003, and finishing 4^th in 2004, and 2^nd in 2011.

It turned out, the Amazons are on a bit of a downturn, and Mother Lode is on the upswing. Talk within the Committee often turned to the idea that if a program is truly strong, they will show staying power. But, if the NIT had been made into a two-tier event, Mother Lode would certainly have been invited, and would have been able to compete for the national title.

Herriman. No one really knew about Herriman, a single-school program in Utah, until this spring. They were good in 2011, but not mind-blowingly so, and are relatively new. Understandably, the HSNC panel looked to more established programs.

Greenwich. Possibly one of the best single-school team in the country right now, Greenwich didn’t hear about the new format and didn’t know they had to apply. This is an oversight of the HSNC, which expected repeated releases on RUGBYMag.com to do the job. But a few well-placed calls would have helped, too. (Other teams did receive direct calls.)

Jesuit. The Sacramento team, and defending champions, were not allowed to apply by their school.

Lamorinda. The best HS club team not invited, they should have been invited. HSNC members (including this writer) made several calls to find out which team from California would be the best to invite – Belmont Shore, Marin, or Lamorinda. Following the advice of many, the HSNC went with Marin. The Highlanders are a fine team, and deserve to be at the NIT. But Lamo deserves to be there, too.

Kona Bulls. I personally really pulled for these guys, but in the end we didn’t know if they were really good enough. HSNC specifically discussed the topic of a 2^nd Tier with regard to Kona. A Tier 2 would have been perfect for them.

Naples. They were considered, but opted out.


So I write here in defense of the HSNC. I think they (or should I say, we) did the best they could. They made mistakes. Mother Lode, Herriman and Lamorinda should be in there, and Greenwich should at least have been notified about the new format.

But the teams invited are all very good, even exceptional. The HS Club competition is as wide open as it has ever been thanks to the rule changes. And if you’re dissatisfied with the process, and the resulting invitations, I advise a little patience. Next year, I hope we see two-tier competitions for all, and that will help settle a lot of arguments.

Six different Red Wolves have started at wing for Arkansas State this season -- David Caswell, Tom Haussrer, James Ritenour, Dale Bates, James Cobble and Josh Chomieszewski. Caswell’s season ended earlier this year with a sports hernia, but all of the other wings are healthy and up for selection for the National Championship game against BYU.

Bates, Arkansas State’s leading try scorer who covered at outside center when Dean Gericke was injured earlier in the season, has come off the bench the last four games despite being perfectly healthy.

Chomieszewski, a freshman, made his first start against Army in the quarterfinals and his second in Moraga, Calif. last week against St. Mary’s. Throw in Dylan Carrion, too, who has come off the bench in numerous games, and what do you have? The deepest stable of outside backs in the country.

When ASU’s Mid-South rival, Life, played BYU last week, their perceived advantage going into the game was speed on the outside. The perception held up. But when All American wing Kyle Grossheider went down in the second half, Life didn’t have an equal to step in for him.

If Arkansas State finds itself in a similar situation, down six late and in need of a spark offensively, they have multiple guys who can come off the bench and provide, and guys who can do it in different ways.

Dale Bates is a tall, strong, broad-shouldered wing. He is also extremely fast. He might be the most gifted wing for Arkansas State, but Huckaby likes to bring him off the bench, let him stew on the sidelines and build up aggression.

Chomieszewski is the fastest guy on the team and a good finisher.

Carrion and Cobble are small in stature. Cobble is more stout and plays with a lot of aggression and physicality, while Carrion is a stepper.

Ritenour dabbled in football as a wide receiver at Texas Tech before going to Arkansas State and has a lot of athleticism, and Haussrer, a Kiwi, has a lot of game experience and rugby savvy.

When Arkansas State played BYU in the semifinals last year, Roland Evans started on the wing. The four-time All American made his name as a loose forward, but played well for the Red Wolves on the wing. Steyn Benade, the RUGBYMag All American flanker, could find himself playing on the wing this weekend, said ASU coach Matt Huckaby. Benade scored three tries on the wing for the South all-stars in their NASC run last year.

BYU will have the advantage in a lot of areas Saturday -- the home crowd, scrum, experience. But if Arkansas State is in the game in the second half, their x-factor, an electric bench, could play a role in the turnout.