Every year there are a number of different players that standout during the domestic season. This year was no different and in many ways with the emergence of the Pacific Rugby Premiership and American Rugby Premiership made it more difficult to pick one player as our Club Player of the Year. Within the PRP alone players like Max de Achaval, Chad London, who finished with the most tries, and Mose Timoteo put their hands up for consideration. In the ARP players like AJ MacGinty have been outstanding. Seattle has similarly had a number of players that had fantastic seasons. However, for us no player had a better 2014 for their club than Zach Pangelinan.
Pangelinan was a nearly unstoppable force in the PRP last season. His 198 total points were more than 60 points more than his closest opponent and nearly half of all of OMBAC's points on the season. You have to also consider that Pangelinan even missed part of the season while he went to the Melrose 7s with Tiger Rugby. Not only did Pangelinan score tries, his 11 was only one behind London, but he piled on the points through penalties and conversions.
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Making Pangelinan's award even more impressive is the fact that OMBAC wasn't pegged to anywhere near the top of the table. After all, they had just lost newly capped Tai Tuisamoa to a professional contract. However, with Pangelinan leading the way OMBAC finished third in the competition behind impressive Glendale and SFGG with a 7-4-1 record. Without Pangelinan it's safe to say that OMBAC might have finished near the bottom of the table.
Heading into 2015 Pangelinan will certainly have a target on his back but it's well earned. Congrats to Zach on being named the 2014 TIAR Men's Club Player of the Year!