BC High Holds Off Xaverian Bros. to Win MIAA D1
BC High Holds Off Xaverian Bros. to Win MIAA D1
In a rain-soaked and slippery contest, defense took center stage as BC High and Xaverian clashed in a tense, physical Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association state final.
The wet conditions made handling difficult, and both teams were forced to dig deep on the defensive end throughout. BC High opened the scoring ten minutes into the first half, with Charlie Thomison slotting a short-range penalty. Ten minutes later, Thomison again made his mark, breaking through off a well-executed set piece and racing down to the 5-meter line.
Quick ball from the breakdown allowed flanker Cillian O’Callaghan to dive over in the corner, extending the lead to 8-0.
Despite both sides spending time inside the opposition 22, defensive pressure and the slick ball led to repeated handling errors, and the score remained unchanged at halftime with BC High holding the lead.
The second half continued in the same physical vein, with territory proving vital. BC High controlled possession deep in Xaverian’s half for the first 15 minutes, but Xaverian’s defense was resolute. Eventually, hooker Max Ford exploited a small gap off a well-timed ball from scrumhalf Braxton Blind and powered through to score, pushing BC High ahead 13-0 with 17 minutes remaining.
Xaverian refused to go quietly. With just three minutes left, Luke Bell threaded a perfectly weighted grubber kick behind the BC High defense, regathered it himself, and scored under pressure before converting to bring the score to 13-7. In a tense finish, Xaverian regained possession after the restart and pushed for a winner, but BC High’s defense held firm one final time, pouncing on a loose pass to seal the victory.
With the win, BC High secured their seventh state title since 2015, capping off an impressive campaign. Along the way they won the Northeast Jesuit Cup at Fairfield Prep (Pegasi, McQuaid, Trumble, Fairfield Prep), went 2-1 at the Gonzaga Classic (with their only loss on the season to Gonzaga and missing four seniors who were attending prom), and beat Georgetown Prep.
“I could not be more proud of this group," said Head Coach Paul Carty. "They dedicated themselves to becoming the best team they could possibly be, and have left a mark in the legacy of BC High Rugby.”
In the MIAA D2 final, Hanover beat Brookline 59-7. Hanover won their semifinal over Algonquin 64-5, and overall in MIAA action they went 8-0, with an average scoreline of 51-7.
