The San Diego Mustangs Youth Rugby Club’s U18 squad is the number one team in the country after taking home the Rugby High School National Championship on May 24. At the tournament in Elkhart, Indiana, the Mustangs won their eight-team bracket with a 19-14 win over the defending champion from Charlotte, North Carolina. It was the Mustangs’ first national championship in 13 years playing in the tournament. “We finished fourth last year and second the year before and third the year before that. We’ve been knocking on the door for awhile,” said Assistant Head Coach Matty Sandoval. “We were all exhilarated. All the boys knew what was at stake, they all knew how long we’ve been trying for the title and they knew it would mark them as the team that finally did it so they were very proud about that.” A crowd of about 100 Mustang alumni and families were waiting to greet the team at San Diego International Airport on May 25 cheering them as they descended down the escalators to baggage claim as newly crowned champions. The Mustangs had traveled to Indiana with 45 players, bringing both their “A” and “B” sides, led by coaching partners Ramon Samaniego and Sandoval. After 18 seasons coaching the U18 squad together, this was Samaniego’s last as he is retiring and will hand off the team fully to Sandoval. Sandoval also coaches the Torrey Pines High School club rugby team that won the SoCal Championship this year (their sixth) and lost in the All-California State Championship finals. Almost immediately after the high school rugby season ends in February, the Mustangs 18U team is activated, bringing together boys from a mix of 14 high schools. The majority of players are from Torrey Pines and several are from Cathedral Catholic (the 2025 SCIRF champions), with schools represented including Santa Fe Christian, La Costa Canyon, Rancho Bernardo, Eastlake, Francis Parker, Westview, La Jolla High and Helix High. Of the 24 18U club and single school teams invited to the championships in Indiana, the Mustangs came in hot as the number two seed, a spot they had held all year. In first round action they took on the number 7 Woodlands team from Houston and won decisively 53-12. Moving onto the semifinal, they played the Caveman from American River, Utah and won 36-19, leaving just the Charlotte Cardinals as the team to beat, the reigning champions who were undefeated and ranked number one all year. In the championship game, a real “clash of the titans,” Charlotte struck first with a try and two point conversion. The Mustangs answered with a try of their own but missed the conversion kick. While the Mustangs were down 7-5 at the half, Sandoval said they were feeling good. Then after halftime, scrumhalf Spencer Huntley took over the game. “He’s the best player I’ve ever seen, ever…he’s fantastic,” said Sandoval. “He’s unquestionably the best high school player in the country by all accounts.” The graduating Cathedral Catholic senior is the youngest ever player to be named to the USA U20s team and started last year as a high school junior among collegiate-level athletes, which is unprecedented. Sandoval expects that Huntley will captain the U20 team this year. After graduating Cathedral, Huntley plans to go overseas to play for Hartpury University in England where he hopes to sign a developmental deal with a professional Premiership Rugby club. In that second half, Spencer scored all 14 of the Mustangs’ points, played great defense and kicked well, Sandoval said. The game was a “nail-biter” to the very end but the Mustangs came out on top 19-14 to take the championship. Spencer and Matteo Bresenden (Westview) were named the co-MVPs. Matteo is one part of what Sandoval calls the best lineout and maul in the country, giving credit to coach Ethan Willis. In the lineout Carson “Nugget” Palmberg (Torrey Pines) is the best thrower, dishing dimes from out of bounds to Matteo, the best jumper, who is launched into the air by his teammates. The cap to what became a very special championship weekend was going home to see the San Diego Youth Rugby family all gathered at the airport, clapping and cheering with balloons and signs —a proud “Stang Gang” that included the youngest little boys and girls in the 600-player-strong Mustangs program. The Mustang players were completely surprised by the homecoming celebration and the outpouring of support even brought tears to the coach’s eyes. “These boys will be remembered not only for winning the national championship but for the culture and sense of fun that they brought to the Mustangs,” Sandoval said. “It’s better than we’ve ever had before.” As is the case every year, the U18 seniors “leave the nest” and many go on to play college rugby. The Mustangs will be sending four players to play for rugby powerhouse Cal Berkeley including James Curtis (Torrey Pines), Sam Violett (Torrey Pines), Will Shreckengaust (Torrey Pines) and Liam Spieker (Francis Parker). The team’s three-year starter at 8-man, Will Barrett (Torrey Pines), will play for University of Arizona and Carson Palmberg is going to the University of Utah. While it was a senior-heavy group of starters, only 12 of the 45 U18 team members will be moving on. And with a strong U16 group coming up behind them, the Mustangs expect to field an equally dominant team next year. With Samaniego retiring, Sandoval will take over head coaching duties next year. There is little breathing room between the club and high school seasons and as Sandoval works primarily as an attorney, it makes for a very busy six months. But he wouldn’t have it any other way as he loves being with the boys and their families. Every time he’s with his teams, he stresses the values of presence, gratitude and caring, and they absorb it. He said that culture helps them win and develop not only as rugby players but as young men and future contributing members of society. “The key to high school guys performing is knowing that they’re loved and accepted,” he said. “If they feel that, they’re going to play out of their skin for ya.”