HIGH SCHOOL RUGBY: Lakewood grad Mike Majewski guiding tough SoCal team

Article from The Cleveland Plain Dealer:

http://blog.cleveland.com/lakewoodsunpost/2009/03/high_school_rugby_lakewood_gra.html

Mike Majewski, a 1978 graduate of Lakewood High School, is finding success as a high school rugby coach in San Diego's North County Area. His Fallbrook High School team is 5-0 in its division and has been successful in some tournaments as well.

The big test came when Majewski's Fallbrook team played Barrie Central High School from Ontario, Canada. Barrie came to California three weeks ago 150-10 in the last 10 years.

"I was offered a chance to play them and I wanted to put my boys to a true test," Majewski said. "I knew we had a good team, but until playing someone of that caliber we really did not know where we stood."

Fallbrook wound up winning, 12-5, in a defensive battle, and then to prove it was not a fluke, went ahead and beat Barrie again in a tournament a week later, 5-0.

"Our players are not big, but they are fit," Majewski said.. "Barrie ruled the roost up there. They are the best team in Canada."

This is the first year California is having a state playoff tournament. Majewski's Warriors have to win Southern California to then go into the state tourney with teams from the Central Coast, Bay Area and Northern California. The nationals this spring will be in Pittsburgh, two hours from Majewski's birthplace here.

Majewski went to Ohio University to play rugby in the late 1970s, became distracted by other things and then picked up coaching the sport after migrating to the West.

Earlier this week the Warriors won a game by an 81-0 score over North County Barbarians. They also beat Back Bay, 37-7.