(Paul Meyers photo)
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The Aztecs claimed the title with a 66-0 drubbing of Long Beach State on the road Saturday in Long Beach, CA.
SDSU started sluggishly, but once they found their rhythm they were not going to be denied the title. The visitors led 26-0 at halftime and then proceeded to further dismantle the 49ers in the second frame.
The Aztecs racked up a total of ten tries with four players scoring doubles. Captain Joe Fontana, Alex Main, Mike Hicks and Duncan Kelm all dotted down twice. Kelm had an impressive 80% success rate with his shots at goal to round things out.
“The great thing is getting to the next round,” San Diego State head coach Dan Payne told ARN. “Our league is a very competitive league and it’s nice to see all of the hard work come to fruition.”
SDSU closed out the regular season at 10-1 overall, while Long Beach Stated dropped to 3-7 overall.
The result means that #6 Cal Poly will finish second in the standings behind the Aztecs and will host the single elimination playoff game against either Arizona or UC Santa Barbara. The Wildcats are due to play Arizona State next week and if U of A wins they will secure third place.
However, the Sun Devils can spoil Arizona’s party by winning that final regular season game, which would help the Gauchos clinch third place.
The Aztec players will now enjoy a week off for their spring break before resuming a stringent training regimen, which will likely include scrimmages against OMBAC’s Division I side leading up to the opening rounds of the national playoffs in Albuquerque, NM, next month.
As Southern Cal’s #1 seed, San Diego State will face the South’s #1 team, either Tennessee or Arkansas State, in the Round of 16. The Vols and Tribe will square off next week to determine who gets the top seed.