Newtonbrook SS levels Don Mills

[attach]5810[/attach]Newtonbrook SS senior boys rugby team has set their goals high after crushing Don Mills CI 49-0 in their first game of the season.

“We want to win city finals and go to OFSAA,” says player Ron Uzlaner. “We’re not looking to win these games we’re just looking toward improving and facing the city teams.”

Getting to OFSAA will require dedication and tenacity from the team.

“We’re going to practise harder and harder, and we’re going to play harder and harder in the games,” says Uzlaner. “We’re going to perfect everything we have and we’re going to win citys.”

Uzlaner and Aryo Arman both say Lawernce CI, Northern SS and Thompson CI are the schools that stand in their way. Facing these teams in the past, Newtonbrook now knows what to do to succeed.

“We have to stay calm, keep working our system, and don’t let our nerves get to us when we’re playing them,” says Arman.

Head coach, Matt Wyles says the dedication of his players is paying off.

“The kids have been working really hard toward this, we’ve been practising every day,” he says. “It showed today.”

And the team’s drive comes from the players themselves.

“They set (the team goals) at making the north playoffs, going through the north playoffs and hopefully winning them,” says Wyles. “Then going to the cities and turning some heads in the citys and coming out the city champions.”

A deep bench with over 30 players should help carry the North Stars through the season. In its game against Don Mills, that depth allowed to rotate in fresh legs throughout the game.

“We made about eight changes and in those eight changes we didn’t decrease performance at all,” says Wyles. “It’s good when you can put new bodies on, healthy bodies and you’re not lacking in any area.”