MOUNTAIN VIEW – The St. Francis rugby team is headed to the state championship game for the second time in just its third year of existence.
And it was a face familiar to Bay Area high school football fans who led the Mountain View program.
All-Bay Area News Group selection and West Catholic Athletic League running back of the year Kingston Keanaaina scored two tries – the equivalent of a touchdown in American football – in the Lancers’ 31-22 victory over De La Salle in the NorCal final at Saint Mary’s College on Saturday.
One of his tries was an 80-yard run through the vaunted Spartans defense.
“I’m very excited for this game coming up, this being my senior year and only our third year as a program, since we’re given the opportunity to leave our mark as a program in St. Francis history.,” Keanaaina told the Bay Area News Group on Monday afternoon.
Kingston’s brothers, Kaimani, Kapono and Kevin, play on the team, too.
The superstar running back and his brothers weren’t the only gridiron stars who showed that football skills translated to the rugby pitch.
Three-star prospect Sefanaia Alatina scored two tries as well, and placekicker Hunter Gosset scored one try too against the Concord rugby dynasty.
“There’s no secret that rugby makes them better football players,” Keala Keanaaina, a St. Francis assistant coach and Kingston’s father, said. “You saw that on those second-level runs from Kingston, because rugby teaches what to do once you get past the line and you’re in that second level.”
The Spartans were reigning state champions and had won three state crowns since 2019. They entered the game ranked No. 1 in the country, according to the Goff Rugby Report.
“This is the best St. Francis team we have faced and they proved too much in the end,” Holmberg told Goff.
It was another chapter in what is becoming a blooming rivalry between St. Francis and De La Salle.
The Lancers had previously beaten DLS in the 2023 NorCal final, lost to De La Salle 31-19 in last season’s regional championship and fell 33-19 in a regular-season match on Feb. 8.
“As I tell the boys, ‘Rugby isn’t just a game—it’s a proving ground for life. It teaches resilience, camaraderie, and selflessness. And when you wear this jersey, you’re part of something bigger than yourself,’” Keala said.
One commonality between the St. Francis and DLS programs is that both receive support from their school’s administration despite playing a club sport, which is not sanctioned by the CIF.
“We’re super-thankful to be in this position, and to be supported by our administration and by our athletic department,” Keala said. “It is very uncommon for any rugby program at the high school level.”
The Lancers will travel south for the championship match, where they will face Torrey Pines-San Diego at the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium in a rematch of the 2023 state final.
Back then, the first-year Lancers lost 31-14 to one of SoCal’s premier teams.
Keala said says that this year’s Lancers squad has better “rugby IQ” and is more adept at using kicking and strong defense to control field position. His son
“What I believe that makes this team so special is how close we are as a brotherhood,” Kingston said. “With most of us growing up together, that connection we already have with each other for sure helps with our game.”
With two more years of experience and seniors tested by the best in NorCal, the Lancers are far more ready to compete for the state crown than they were in 2023.
“They’re the class of rugby down there in SoCal, and we’re super-excited,” Keala said of Torrey Pines. “We’re not just happy to be there this time. We want to show them that we can play some rugby too.”
