Anthem RC Fall Short against San Diego in Home Opener

Rookie Erich Storti scores first MLR try

CHARLOTTE, NC (February 21, 2025) – Anthem RC fell short to the San Diego Legion 5-52 in the team’s home opener Friday night. First overall pick Erich Storti scored his first try for Anthem RC to knot the game at 5, but San Diego pulled away in the second half to secure the win.

In a first half changing possession constantly, it was San Diego that made the most of their opportunities.

San Diego struck first with a try in the 5th minute to give the visitors an early five-point lead.

For a 15-minute spell, Anthem RC put San Diego on their heels, but could not get themselves a lead. In the 10th minute, Line Latu intercepted a San Diego toss and nearly took it to the house, before an errant toss gave it back to San Diego just short of the try line. Three minutes later, Karl Keane desperately attempted to cross the try line, but a penalty on Anthem gave the ball to San Diego.

Finally after multiple attempts to get on the scoreboard, a flashy run from Mitch Wilson set up the first overall pick in the 2024 MLR Draft, Erich Storti, scoring his first Major League try, tying the game at 5.

The final 15 minutes of the half went the way of the away team. Three consecutive tries from San Diego gave them a 5-26 advantage as both teams headed to the locker rooms.

San Diego took full control in the second half, scoring four more tries and holding the Anthem offense to zero points. The tough defense and fatigue settling in put Anthem in a difficult spot and the team could not gain any sort of momentum against San Diego’s wall.

QUOTES:

Head Coach Alama Ieremia on the team’s overall performance:

“I thought the first half we created enough opportunities and ended up butchering three tries. And then in the second half, we were never in it because we couldn’t get ourselves running. If you don’t make tackles at this level, you’re on the back foot right away.”

Coach Ieremia on new addition Mitch Wilson:

“He was good. Unfortunately, he got injured, but he showed his leadership out there and I thought he played really well.”

Jake Turnbull on the tight first half:

“I thought we were good for that first 30 minutes; however, those crucial moments cost us dearly. Look at the score, 52-5. I thought the first 50-60 minutes we were right in it.”

Game attendance: 1757