Ryker Syddall takes the ball into contact for Herriman. Alex Goff photo.

The Herriman High School Mustangs secured a 38-31 win over the St. Martin Kingfishers in the opening round of the National Championships at Moose Rugby Grounds in Elkhart, Ind., Thursday.

Herriman is an old hand at this tournament but for St. Martin this was their first appearance. They did not disappoint.

St. Martin brought plenty of tenacity in the tackle and played very fast, often punishing Herriman if they didn't provide an effective chase for their kicks. The Herriman team needed to exercise patience and focused on winning key collisions, leveraging the strength of their forwards yet struggling to shake off St. Martin, who, in their inaugural National Championship appearance, delivered a standout performance.

The efforts of fullback Ryker Syddall, who effectively countered kicks, and center Frederick Ta'ai, who posed a continuous threat with the ball in hand, were a key part of the Herriman effort.

"Coming out here to Nationals, you've got to expect the best from every team; every team is going to give you their 100%," said Herriman captain Kite Afeaki.

Scrumhalf Eli McQueen added that he felt his side maybe didn't give Kingfishers the respect they deserved. Certainly, despite not winning, Kingfishers earned respect with speed at the breakdown, open-field skills, and a commitment to the tackle.

Next up for Herriman is a semfinal matchup with St. Ignatius; those two last met in the 2021 national final, which Herriman won.