Lowland Rugby, the Lions, have been slowly creeping back into the running for a state championship after downing West Valley 41-31 on a hot spring evening at Murray Rugby Grounds. It was a match between two very different styles from two very different teams. West Valley played a smashmouth pick and grab attack with pounding the Lions defense with players like 275lb Tevita Tauelangi, 225lb Jordan Lutui, and a 215lb Flyhalf named Himinai Tausinga while Lowland spread the ball wide, cutting through the West Valley backline or kicking for territory and then winning the line outs. Both teams asking questions of the others defense with in a very physical game.
Lowland scored of the initial kick by winning back their ball with excellent aerial play by Jake Kartchner, a 6’4” lock, was able to win back for the Lions 4 of their own restarts, intercept two passes, and lumber in for two tries, putting Lowland deep into West Valley territory with a try coming at 1:30 in the game. Colton Swapp converted the try for a 7-0 lead. On the restart, Lowland drove deep into West Valley territory where a penalty kick by Swapp put Lowland up 10-0. West Valley amped up the stakes with a smashing drive and turnover of Lowland ball that led to a West Valley Try as their big forwards hammered the Lowland defense finding a hole and putting the ball down in the try zone. The conversion was missed and West Valley got on the board with the score 10-5.
On the restart, lock Jake Kartchner won the aerial game and lumbered past the stunned West Valley Defense and put the ball down between the post. A Swapp conversion would make it 17-10. Lowland would receive the ball and after a beautiful loop and switch between Keagan Barnes, Colton Swapp, and Matt Larson, Swapp was able to set the ball between the posts and make his own conversion putting the score up 24-10. West Valley would score again before the half with a breakaway run by Peter Makalio which was the converted but the play of the game was by Colton Swapp who , after a knock on by West Valley, was fed the ball just past the 22 where he slotted a beautiful drop goal to make the score 27-17 at the half.
West Valley would begin to crawl back into the game in the second half with tremendous movement by their forwards that punished Lowland and secured a total of 2 tries in the second half to match the 2 tries Lowland put up. The Key to victory, however, was the kicking game of Colton Swapp. Not only did he convert all 5 tries for Lowland, including scoring 2 himself, he also slotted a penalty and a Drop Goal from the 22. Colton Swapp ended up scoring 26 of Lowlands 41 points. He also currently leads the state ( in all divisions) for points in 2015 with 125 total points (9 tries, 25 conversions, 9 penalties and a drop goal).
Lowland continues to be a dark horse in the state championship race. While ending the season 5-3 ( 3-2 in conference play) their losses have been close matches. They lost to United by 6 points after keeping United out of the try zone the entire second half and lost to Orem by 10 after leading most of the game on some excellent last minute play by Orem.