By Lesley Solis ‘18
For the first time in Pritzker, three rugby players were recruited by Oscar Andrino, coach of the MLA rugby team. They decided to join because they wanted an opportunity to go higher than the Noble Network. These kids were recruited by their level of capacity with the sport.
MLA once played against Pritzker and they were always defeated. Andrino saw the potential that the students had and wanted to give them a chance to show their potential outside Pritzker.
Pritzker players must keep an average of a 2.3 GPA in order to play for MLA or Pritzker. As Pritzker students keep their grades high, they must always put Pritzker first before MLA. Andrino believes that Pritzker players must go to MLA practices as well as Pritzker’s but, to keep in mind that Pritzker must be their first priority. Also, MLA players have a higher chance to go to states which means Pritzker players will make it further than the NAC, Noble Athletic Conference.
Andrino, recruited senior Sylvester Gonzalez, and juniors Javonte Dawson and Marc Carbajal. Andrino states, “ These students have convinced me that they love the sport. Secondly, they have showed me they can fit into the specific system that I have put into place at MLA.” Andrino plays a very specific system when it comes to rugby. He has his students lined up and ready to play.
Dawson stated, “ I feel great about playing for two well respected teams. Playing for Pritzker is as great as playing for MLA.” Dawson explains how he loves Rugby just as much as he loves football.”
Gonzalez stated, “My main goal is to play as much rugby as I can. I started playing my junior year of high school and I felt so drawn to the sport since then.” Gonzalez loves playing Rugby as well as playing for both teams, but Gonzalez feels as if playing for two teams would overwhelming but he stated that playing for Pritzker and MLA was just fine and very enjoyable.
Carbajal states a different opinion from Gonzalez and Dawson, he stated, “ MLA wins but playing for them is not the same as being with the home team.” Carbajal does not feel as if MLA is better than Pritzker. Dawson also states, “It’s fun playing for MLA. You get to bond with new people and build a connection with other schools. It’s also cool because I can go to state playing for MLA which I can’t do for pritzker. Oscar is a good coach he keeps us very disciplined and he’s the reason the team is so good.”
Andrino states, “This will benefit MLA because the team will now have quality depth as well as little experience that the team is currently lacking. Further prepping us for the championship run I believe we are on. Pritzker benefits as a team because certain players are now going to compete at a higher level than the noble network competition thus making them even better players when they go back and play for Pritzker. They can take their experience and not only play better themselves but share their experience with those who did not play with MLA.”
