BERKELEY – California rugby outlasted Central Washington 48-19 in their Friday evening matchup at Witter Rugby Field.
 
"Credit to Central Washington, they're a tough bunch," head coach Jack Clark said. "I'm proud of our boys, we fronted to the physical challenge tonight."
 
The Bears were strong in attack from the start of the match, with junior Max Schumacher scoring the first try just two minutes into the game. Cal continued to dominate the scoreboard in the first half, collecting four more tries, including a pair from senior Nick Bloom and one apiece from senior Jason Severance and sophomore Will Shankland. The Bears kept the Wildcats out of the try-zone until the final minutes of the first half when Central Washington claimed their first points of the night.
 
Cal held onto their lead throughout the second half of the match, crossing the try-line three more times. Central Washington collected a pair of tries in the second half, but the Blue & Gold ultimately clinched the victory to maintain their undefeated record this season.
 
Eight tries were scored by six different players in the contest. Senior Nick Bloom and junior Max Schumacher both scored twice, while seniors Jason Severance, Jake Broekhuizen, Jack Manzo, and sophomore Will Shankland also collected tries. Junior Nate Salter went 4-for-8 on conversions in the game.
 
"I struggled to see what picture the referee was looking for around the breakdown," Central Washington head coach Todd Thornley said. "I understand his frustration," Jack Clark commented.
 
"Throughout the game we recognized that they were getting on that ball quick," senior captain Sam Golla said. "We had to get man on a little earlier. We were our own enemy in that game, creating a lot of penalties and slowing our own ball down. When we fix that, I feel like we're going to be a real threat."
 
The Bears hit the road this week for another Friday night matchup on March 18. They will face Utah at 5:30 pm in Salt Lake City.
 
For complete coverage of Cal rugby, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalVarsityRugby), Instagram (@CalVarsityRugby) and Facebook (/CalVarsityRugby/).
 
 
Scoring Timeline
Cal 48, Central Washington 19
2:00 – Max Schumacher 5
13:00 – Nick Bloom 5
16:00 – Jason Severance 5
19:00 – Nick Bloom 5
26:00 – Will Shankland 5, Nate Salter, 2
35:00 – Central Washington 5, Central Washington 2
Halftime Score: Cal 27, Central Washington 7
45:00 – Max Schumacher 5, Nate Salter 2
48:00 – Central Washington 5, Central Washington 2
54:00 – Jake Broekhuizen 5, Nate Salter 2
68:00 – Jack Manzo 5, Nate Salter 2
70:00 – Central Washington 5
 
Starters vs Central Washington:
1.Emilio Shea 2. Jack Manzo 3. Charlie Walsh 4. Sam Golla 5. Max Murphy 6. Jake Broekhuizen 7. Nathan Zylstra 8. Jason Severance 9. Henry Poon 10. Nate Salter 11. Max Clark 12. Seth Purdey 13. Will Shankland 14. Nick Bloom 15. Max Schumacher
 
Substitutions:
65:00 – Kevin Saunders
67:00 – Caleb Tomasin, Tom Dixon, Luke Freeman
71:00 – Cal Liebowitz
76:00 – Matthew Dodd