GRR: Xavier HS
The past week saw several state champions crowned in Boys HS rugby, with New York, Connecticut, and Illinois all seeing championship games.
Here's a roundup:
IllinoisGlen Ellyn ran out to a 24-7 lead and held off Notre Dame de la Salette 36-29 in the Illinois Boys D1 final.
The Xavier Knights and Greenwich Cardinals arrived at Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn, NY knowing that their match was a must-win and a key HS Nationals seeding game.
In a dramatic clash, Xavier won by a single point 19-18.
Xavier defeated the Pelham High School Pelicans and Chaminade in two games over the weekend.
“I thought that we were comfortable playing our own game," said Xavier hooker and Player of the Game vs Pelham, Anthony Dabao. This game, he added, was the performance against a tough Pelham team is what the Knights needed to get back on track for nationals.
Aspetuck defeated Xavier 26-12 in a big win for the Connecticut team.
After a couple of tough results in which they were missing some key leaders, Aspetuck bounced back with a strong performance.
Xavier HS defeated St. Augustine High School in South Jersey to open up the season for both school teams.
The game was highlighted by five tries from player of the game Padraig Long. The Xavier JVs beat the Hermits JVs 75-0.
In the 1st-side match the Knights attacked from the opening whistle and looked sharp throughout the game with a defense that never faltered.