The Yetis men won their first Kenai Dipnet Fest Rugby 10s Tournament on Saturday at Millennium Square in Kenai, while the women’s title went to Foxy Ravens.
The Yetis defeated Barbos 24-14 for the title, jumping out to a 17-0 lead at the half and holding on in the second half. Yetis fly half Pio Vonokula, who is from Fiji, led the Yetis in tries scored for the day.
As the two women’s teams at the tournament, Foxy Ravens played Anchortown three times and won all three, including the final 24-5. Foxy Ravens also won 39-0 and 15-5.
The tournament, which has nine teams, is put on by Kenai River Wolfpack. The Wolfpack went 1-2, extending to three their streak of getting a victory in Dipnet Fest tourneys.
The Wolfpack started the day with a 22-15 loss to Fairbanks. The local side got two tries in the first two minutes, by Forrest Cohn and Dan Engstrom, but missed two conversions, and led 10-0.
Fairbanks tied it at 10 by halftime and scored first in the second half, but Kenai River’s Ruauri Tuite tied the game with a score. Fairbanks scored with less than two minutes left for the win.
Kenai River then lost 21-5 to Barbos. The Wolfpack broke through for a late try by Victor Rodriguez.
The Wolfpack closed the day by topping Bore Tide 19-17. Kenai River led 19-5 at halftime, getting three tries, including one from prop Danny Autrey and Mike Curtis. Kenai had 17 players and by rotating subs was able to hold off the Bore Tide comeback. One of those Kenai River players was McKay Lu, of Dallas, who joined the team for a day after hearing about the tournament on a work trip in Wasilla.
In the two semifinals, Yetis topped Fairbanks 36-0 and Barbos defeated Manu Bears 26-14.
Scores earlier in the day were Manu Bears 21, Barbos 15; Yetis 28, Bore Tide 14; Yetis 47, Fairbanks 5; and Manu Bears 14, Bore Tide 10.
Kenai and Fairbanks opened the tournament with a moment of silence in memory of Fairbanks player Dustin Baxter, who drowned last summer.
Kenai lock Will Steffe passes the ball as Fairbanks defender LaCross Gray defends. In the background, from left, are Fairbanks player Sam Warner, Dan Engstrom of Kenai, Kaponus Angleton of Kasilof, Brian Johnson of Kenai and Austin Danielson of Kenai at Millennium Square in Kenai, Alaska, on Saturday, July 17, 2021, at the 2021 Kenai Dipnet Fest Rugby 10s Tournament. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
