The Narooma Devils’ under 18s are an impressive rugby league team.
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After a run to the finals last year, the Devils have taken their game to a new level in 2018, finishing as the minor premiers with a 6-1-1 record.
The team has been ably led by Matthew and Clyde Parsons, who were rewarded with joint best-and-fairest awards at Friday night’s Group 16 Presentation Night.
Clyde was also the top point-scorer of the season, while Matthew scored a whopping 17 tries to take out the top try-scorer award.
The season started on a high, as the Devils beat the Cooma Stallions 42-18 in Cooma on Sunday, April 8. Narooma led 22-0 after 22 minutes in that match, and cruised to a season-opening victory.
Narooma had the bye in round two, before a 30-6 victory over the Bega Roosters on Saturday, April 21. Matthew Parsons got his second double of the season, and Narooma kept Bega scoreless until the final six minutes of the game.
The Devils then had two straight byes in rounds four and five, but still found themselves on top of the ladder with an impressive +48 for-and-against.
Two weeks off turned into three in round six, as their match against the Eden Tigers was rained out on Saturday, May 12.
This meant it had been a month without competitive football when round seven rolled around, and this showed in their 16-16 draw with the Batemans Bay Tigers.
The Devils led the match 16-4 at half time, but fatigue caught up with them in the second, as the Tigers scored a try inside the final 30 seconds to snatch the draw.
Narooma bounced back with a 54-20 win over Cooma in round eight, before another bye in round nine.
A catch-up match against the Eden Tigers on Saturday, June 9 marked the Devils only loss of the season, as they went down 28-24 in Pambula.
Round 10 was another bounce back for the Devils, as they ground out a tight 14-12 win over the Roosters in Bega.
The Devils faced back-to-back byes again in rounds 11 and 12, before wins over the Eden Tigers and Batemans Bay Tigers to wrap up the season.
Narooma enjoyed a first-week bye in the finals, before qualifying for the grand final with a 10-8 win over the Bega Roosters in last weekend’s qualifying final.
The Devils will now face Batemans Bay in the grand final in Bega, as they look for their first premiership in more than a decade.