The Wheeling Jesuit Rugby team turned in a solid performance Saturday to beat West Virginia 24-5 in a non-conference game.

 

Collegiate All-American Peter Malcolm scored two tries on the day. The first came off a driving maul, which ended when the junior loose forward peeled off and powered through three defenders to scored in the corner.

 

On his second try, Malcolm broke from 40 meters out through multiple defenders, made for the corner, and then eluded one more defender to score under the posts.

 

Junior lock Zachery Reichenbach got WJU off to a good start 20 minutes in when he broke through for 60 meters and offloaded it to Malcolm. The USA U20 player took the ball to within ten meters, and after a penalty was called freshman High School All-American Cecil Rich was stopped just short of the line. Reichenbach saw the defense was slow in getting into position, picked up the ball, and dove over for the Cardinals' first try of the day.

 

WJU reversed the field and moved the ball through multiple players' hands to put away Ryan Graggs from 15 meters out.  Graggs, a freshman wing, had a standout day in his first start with several open-field runs and hard-nosed defense.

 

Rounding out the scoring on the day was junior outside center Brandon Stine.  Stine successfully kicked two conversions bringing WJU's point total to 24.

  

Wheeling Jesuit Rugby returns to action next Sunday September 21, at home against Iona College.

 

See video highlights below.