Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Ty Adams of Fort Dodge breaks a tackle inside Dodger Stadium last week.

PLEASANT HILL — Fort Dodge has both the pressure and the privilege of being a team to beat at Friday’s Iowa State Rugby Championships.

Stags head coach Tom McClimon wouldn’t want it any other way.

The No. 2 seed in the Class 2A bracket, Fort Dodge (11-1 overall) rides an 11-match win streak into the competition at Southeast Polk High School. The Stags take on seventh-seeded Urbandale at 6:40 p.m., with the winner squaring off against either Waverly-Shell Rock or Des Moines Lincoln in the semifinals.

Top-seeded and undefeated Cedar Falls headlines the other half of the bracket, which also includes Southeast Polk, Cedar Rapids Washington and Ankeny. The Iowa Youth Rugby Association championship match for 2A is slated for 9:40 p.m.

McClimon is anxious to see how his Stags stack up with the rest of the field, especially with the regular season in the rear-view mirror now.

“We’re excited to get going,” McClimon said. “We had a great regular season, which is awesome and I told the guys that, but it all comes down to Friday night. I’m looking forward to our kids having the opportunity to showcase their talent and (represent) Fort Dodge in front of rugby fans from across the state.”

This will be the Stags’ fourth playoff appearance since the club’s inception in 2019. Fort Dodge placed third here a year ago, clinching its first-ever team trophy.

“What I’ve learned so far is that anything can happen at this tournament,” McClimon said. “Sevens rugby is a fast-paced, dynamic game that can change in an instant. So we’ve got to be ready to go from the first whistle.”

Senior Ty Adams paces the Stags in both tries and tackles. Junior Carlos Elias has the most conversions.

Junior Gavin Pederson, senior Bo Cowell, sophomore Jesse Egli and senior Isaac Firsching are the other top Fort Dodge performers in tries. Egli and Elias are other tackle leaders.

“It’s going to be a tough task to win the whole thing, but I think our guys have put in the time and they’ve put themselves in a position where it can be done,” McClimon said. “As a coach, that’s a great feeling. It’s up to the guys now.”

Adams, Cowell, Firsching, Isaiah Caldwell, Zeke Pineda and Drayton Miller are seniors for the Stags.

Fort Dodge dropped a match to Cedar Falls in the opening weekend, but hasn’t lost since.