WILDCATs SPLIT PHOENIX TRIP
Arizona PRESEASON xv 3 GRAND CANYON 50
ARIZONA PRESEASON 2ND XV 68 GRAND CANYON 2ND XV 0
Scrumhalf PJ Coco and the Wildcats now turn their attention towards the end of the preseason and 2022.
Nov 1- Arizona hit the road for the second of two preseason matches this Fall, taking on Grand Canyon in Phoenix on Saturday.
Preseason Second XV 68-0 Grand Canyon
Arizona Second XV got the evening started with a strong statement against Grand Canyon, jumping out to an early lead on a 10th-minute try from Wing Chris Buker. Flyhalf Sebastian Hickey, making his debut for the Wildcats then began to settle in to the game, scoring a try and then putting Number Eight CJ De Vault through for a score soon after, giving the Wildcats a 19-0 lead which Scrumhalf Mauricio Murguia-Sarin added to with a try of his own just before halftime. In the second half, Hickey showed the form that earned him US U18 honors, scoring three tries and running a balanced attack. A 64th-minute Dustin Shelby score and a 70th minute Giancarlo Esposito try sealed the victory, with Jordan Dixon's first try and a Hickey penalty finishing out the 68-0 victory. "Really impressed with the group, big step forward and Seb was impressive in his debut. I'm happy with his work but more impressed with his drive to stick with this. He missed most of the preseason with injuries and that's tough on a first year guy. Loved the work of the back row as well as Giancarlo, CJ, and Jack Radachy made a massive impact, and credit to Camden McGregor for leading the win" said Director of Rugby Sean Duffy.
Preseason XV 3-50 Grand Canyon
Arizona looked to continue the momentum in the second match of the day, as 11 Freshmen and Two Sophomores made their debuts in the starting 15. While they started well, the veteran Grand Canyon side took advantage of mistakes and put the Wildcats in an early hole. A penalty from Fullback Matteo Berenger and some late-game opportunities were all that could be mustered in the loss, dropping the Wildcats to 1-1 on the day and 2-1 on the preseason overall in the 50-3 loss. "Look, Grand Canyon owes us nothing. They do not participate in Sevens and put together a full Fall schedule of Fifteens matches concluding with this one. They can play whoever they want so that they can evaluate what they have and we did the same. We could have easily said no to this game, played someone else, won and taught our Freshmen nothing. We have over 70 boys and not enough games due to COVID and the lack of teams to play, so this was perfect. Take nothing away from Grand Canyon, Sean O'Leary is a dear friend doing a great job, and the preseason is a great time for our boys to learn the level" said Duffy.
Arizona now turns its attention to the PAC-12 Sevens Championship this coming weekend followed by the Red-Blue Game and final exams. The Wildcats' 2022 schedule is set to be released later in the week.
PRESEASON XV at GRAND CANYON
1- Caeden Chase
2- Cameron Blair (C)
3- Dalton Slaughter
4- Trent Fletcher
5- Aidan Hendry
6- Aidan Docherty
7- Troy Norman
8- Breyton DePoint
9- PJ Coco
10- Tucker Lane
11- Gustave Martinez
12- Ben Herbes
13- Ryan Sullivan (VC)
14- Brody Roth
15- Matteo Berenger
-
16- Logan Carter
17- Liam Swanson
18- Graham Wyckoff
19- Jack Koceman
20- Jack Radachy
21- Mauricio Murguia-Sarin
22- Sebastian Hickey
23- Connor McCormick